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SPOILER: Multiple Major Names Expected At Madison Square Garden For Monday Night Raw

Could Roman Reigns return in time for Survivor Series: WarGames? The Tribal Chief is reportedly in New York ahead of WWE Raw tonight.
Rick Ucchino|
Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns | WWE

An already huge episode of Monday Night Raw has the potential to be even bigger than originally anticipated.

WWE's flagship show will emanate from the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden in New York City, starting at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT), and reigning Men's Intercontinental Champion John Cena is set to kick off the show.

The 'Greatest of All-Time' is making his final appearance ever on WWE Raw, and he's been heavily hinting on social media over the past week that he will be wrestling on the show tonight as well.

Cena will compete in his retirement match at Saturday Night's Main Event on December 13 in Washington D.C., and the tournament to determine his opponent will be continuing tonight in New York. Former World Heavyweight Champion Gunther will take on NXT star Je'Von Evans, and Solo Sikoa will face a mystery opponent in those opening round match-ups.

Becky Lynch will also be defending her Women's Intercontinental Championship against Maxxine Durpri, and the cherry on top of all that is a new report indicating that there could be some major surprises in store.

The folks over at BodySlam say that multiple major names are expected to be backstage at the Garden tonight, including Roman Reigns.

"Sources indicate to BodySlam that Roman Reigns, AJ Lee, and Liv Morgan are all expected to be backstage for the show. It’s unknown if all will be on the program, but they are expected to be at the show."

Reigns, Lee and Morgan have all been away from WWE programming for some time

Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns and Bronson Reed | WWE

The Tribal Chief's arrival ahead of Survivor Series: WarGames has been expected. Reigns has not been seen since he lost an Australian Street Fight to Big Bronson Reed at WWE Crown Jewel, and hilariously told Jey and Jimmy Uso that he didn't want to see them until Christmas.

That proclamation aside, Roman's cousins now find themselves on a WarGames team that needs one final member ahead of their clash with Team Vision on November 29 in San Diego, California.

AJ Lee has been away from WWE ever since Wrestlepalooza, when CM Punk and herself defeated Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins in a mixed tag team match. The victory for Lee arguably should have put her in line for a shot at the Women's Intercontinental Championship, and that could potentially be in the works if The Man successfully retains her title tonight against Dupri.

MORE: WWE Raw Results, Highlights, And Live Blog — John Cena's Final Episode (11/17/25)

Liv Morgan has been out injured since June. She suffered a separated shoulder that required surgery to repair. The latest reporting on her return was that she was not expected back in the ring until early 2026, meaning she'd be well ahead of schedule if she showed up on Raw later tonight.

It's also very possible that she appears on the show without being medically cleared to compete.

In the meantime, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select is reporting that Brock Lesnar arrived in New York on Sunday and is expected to be at Madison Square Garden for Raw. The Beast has not appeared on WWE programming since his squash victory over John Cena at Wrestlepalooza.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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