NM's first 'RAW' worth the wait, WWE rocks Events Center

RIO RANCHO — “I feel good, Rio Rancho. How you feelin’ tonight?”

New World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk asked the Rio Rancho Events Center crowd to open up ‘Monday Night Raw’ on Nov. 3, WWE’s weekly television program, broadcasting from the state of New Mexico for the first time in the show’s 31-year history.

75 photos of high-flying action from WWE Monday Night RAW

The Rio Rancho Events Center was packed Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, for the live broadcast of WWE Monday Night RAW. The night was filled with trash talk, body slams, jumps from the ropes and yes, even an attack with a chair.

If you, Punk, or anyone else needed a sign of how the City of Vision felt about WWE’s Raw debut in the city, all they needed to do was step outside. Lines wrapped around the events center up until showtime, even extending past when the show went live.

A global brand like WWE, accustomed to filling arenas with capacities of tens of thousands, brought the entire Land of Enchantment together to fill the 7,000-seat venue in a scene the RREC is not quite used to.

Nonetheless, once everyone was inside, the arena became a hub of noise. Signs reading “My first WWE show” or “My first RAW” filled the seats and the long merchandise line, as it was clear that the New Mexico wrestling community’s long-awaited wish had come true.

This was WWE’s first televised event in New Mexico since 2006, when their “Friday Night SmackDown” program took over the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque. How long has it been in wrestling terms? Dominic Mysterio, a 28-year-old superstar of the company, was just 9 years old and watching his father, Rey, compete in the SmackDown main event.

For a weekly show like RAW, you never know who or what you may see with a constantly changing match card. But in this special trip to New Mexico, WWE didn’t skimp on the stars.

Along with Punk: Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer, Men’s Intercontinental Champion Dominic Mysterio, Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch, Women’s World Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair made appearances while Men’s World Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Dragon Lee defended their titles in a championship match.

From start to finish, the crowd level was cranked up to the max. There was something for every era of fan, with the younger favorites like Dominic Mysterio and Jey Uso in the mix, as the older fans enjoyed Punk basking in his first true championship win since his return to the company in 2023 and wrestling legend Rey Mysterio making a surprise return to confront his son.

Cheers, boos and a mixture of both were also met with some WWE chant staples, such as “You Deserve It” in reference to Punk’s title win, and “This is Awesome” in awe of an excellent match between Bayley and Lyra Valkyria versus Asuka and Kairi Sane.

The crowd brought the heat all night, and their heroes didn’t forget to respond.

“Is it great to be champ, on a Monday night in the great state of New Mexico, or what?” CM Punk said.

Along with the bad guys:

“If anyone in this industry has earned a title shot, you (Punk) know it, New Mexico knows it, and I know that it’s me,” Heavyweight Championship contender Logan Paul said.

And even the evilest of WWE’s villains had something to say to the state.

“The only cool thing to come out of New Mexico is a show about how much meth you people do,” champion and heel Becky Lynch said.

Hurtful comments and microphone rants aside, the crowd was treated to some intense in-ring combat, including some next-level tag team matches and a climax in the feud between Punk and Paul as the company ramps up to their “Survivor Series” premium live event in late November.

A blockbuster show now in the books, “Monday Night RAW” will now head east to Boston, Massachusetts, for next week’s show, while New Mexico’s next show date remains to be determined.

Unlike Logan Paul’s chances of a championship, WWE may return to the state of New Mexico sooner rather than later.