High Stakes and Shifting Alliances on WWE Raw
If you tuned into WWE Raw on May 19, 2025, you probably didn’t blink during AJ Styles and Penta’s wild tag team fight against Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh of The Judgment Day. These aren’t just random pairings—Styles and Penta joined forces in a fresh alliance, looking to carve a path toward Dominik Mysterio’s Intercontinental Championship. The tension in the arena felt real, with everyone anticipating a match that might shake up the title picture.
Right from the bell, Styles showed off why he’s such a veteran. He trapped Bálor in a Calf Crusher, testing Bálor’s flexibility and pain threshold. Penta wasn’t just standing in the corner, either—he cranked things up with his classic Sacrifice arm-snap, a move that always makes the audience wince. But the match kept swinging both ways; classic tag sequences gave way to wild chaos.
- AJ Styles locked in the Calf Crusher on Bálor.
- Penta delivered a cracking Sacrifice arm-snap.
- JD McDonagh tried to save Bálor but ended up causing a collision.
Things spiraled when McDonagh’s attempt to break up a pin led straight to him smashing into Bálor. Styles capitalized, landing a sit-out facebuster for a two-count that got fans thinking this was the end for Judgment Day—until it wasn’t.
Chaos Outside the Ring Tips the Scales
Just when it looked like Styles and Penta were about to grab the win, Carlito made his presence known by smashing Styles into the steel ring post. The referee was conveniently distracted—imagine that—and the whole momentum flipped. When Raw came back from the commercial break, you could feel the reset. Penta took the lead, launching McDonagh with a Mexican Destroyer off the steps in one of those gasp-worthy moments fans replay online. Penta went for the Sacrifice once again, but Bálor had it scouted. One quick roll-up, and suddenly Bálor slipped out from underneath. Before Penta could recover, he was met with a Sling Blade. Styles scrambled for the tag, but the wave was crashing.
Penta wasn’t done yet. He kept fighting off both McDonagh and Bálor, drawing cheers with every counter and near fall. But then, out of nowhere, Bálor soared off the top rope with his signature Coup de Grace, flattening Penta just long enough for the three-count. The crowd erupted—some in shock, others in anger at the interference and the messy finish.
To add more fuel to the fire, El Grande Americano’s interference was called out by ringside observers. Fans saw it, the announcers talked about it, but the folks in stripes in the ring? Not a word. That kind of chaos keeps the conversation going online, with people replaying the final minutes and pointing out every detail that led to Judgment Day’s win.
The result pushed Styles and Penta out of direct contention for now, complicating their climb toward Dominik Mysterio’s title. With all the interference and unanswered questions, you get the sense that this rivalry isn’t cooling down anytime soon.
