WWE Raw Results (Feb. 23, 2026): Takeaways From Atlanta

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – FEBRUARY 23: Liv Morgan addresses Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer during Monday Night RAW at State Farm Arena on February 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images)

WWE via Getty Images

The Feb. 23 episode of WWE Raw served as the go-home show for the red brand ahead of Elimination Chamber on Saturday, Feb. 28, with plenty at stake as WWE continued building toward the matches set to take place inside the steel structure, including the final qualifying bouts for both the men’s and women’s matches.

But the show was also centered around a closing tribute to AJ Styles. Gunther retired him at the Royal Rumble, and Styles hadn’t been seen since, notably leaving the ring without removing his gloves. So was this all a red herring, or a true farewell to the Phenomenal One as his WWE career came to an end?

With that said, let’s dive into what went down Monday night in Atlanta.

Bronson Reed Injury Causes Last-Second Change

With just five days to go before Elimination Chamber, WWE finalized the men’s match set to take place inside the steel structure. Jey Uso, Bronson Reed, and the Original El Grande Americano battled it out, with the King of Yeet picking up the win, though that apparently wasn’t the original plan.

Reed was seen being checked on by a ringside official during the match, and according to WrestleVoteshe had actually been scheduled to win and advance to Elimination Chamber. The situation was serious enough to force a change on the fly, and Michael Cole later confirmed on the broadcast that Reed suffered a torn biceps and will be out indefinitely.

It’s another tough break for The Vision, which has already seen Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker go down. If Reed is sidelined long-term, that leaves just Logan Paul and Austin Theory standing, far from what was likely envisioned for the group.

Nonetheless, Uso now heads to Elimination Chamber alongside Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, LA Knight, Trick Williams, and Je’Von Evans, creating a very talented field. The American Nightmare remains the clear favorite to advance and face Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania, though WWE could always throw in a wrinkle with a multi-man match, especially since Rhodes vs. the Scottish Warrior has played out numerous times on WWE programming.

So far, the WrestleMania build has felt lukewarm at best outside of the CM Punk–Roman Reigns segment following the Royal Rumble. WWE needs to inject some real excitement into what could become the Night 1 main event.

Liv Morgan Makes The Obvious Choice

For weeks, it’s been pretty clear where women’s Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan was headed. Most of her recent segments, and especially the most heated ones, have involved Stephanie Vaquer. WWE even had the Judgment Day member show up on SmackDown to tease a potential challenge against Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship, but the writing had been on the wall for a while. WWE simply had time to fill.

Morgan made her decision official on Raw, with both women’s champions standing in the ring. Just as it looked like she was about to turn toward Cargill, she instead blasted Vaquer with the microphone and continued the attack while officially choosing the Women’s World Champion.

Meanwhile, Cargill made her entrance, posed in the ring, and had an easy night at the office.

But this outcome always felt inevitable. WWE teased this matchup in a backstage segment well before the Royal Rumble, and now it’s finally here. It’s a major moment for both Morgan and Vaquer, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Morgan capture her first true WrestleMania moment in the process.

Brock Lesnar Needs A WrestleMania Opponent

Brock Lesnar needs an opponent for WrestleMania. It should very clearly be Oba Femi.

But there’s still time to pace things out and get there.

Paul Heyman came down to the ring with Lesnar to list off the Beast Incarnate’s dates on the road to WrestleMania 42 and demand that someone step up and dare to get in his face for a match in Las Vegas. No one answered the call, but with just under two months until the Show of Shows, there’s plenty of time to make something happen. Still, WWE really needs to light a spark under this build and could use some hype sooner rather than later.

In the interim, it looks like Femi is headed toward a match with Rusev. It didn’t happen on this episode of Raw, but it feels like it’s coming sooner rather than later. The Bulgarian Brute is talented but directionless right now, making him more of a bridge for the former NXT Champion to walk over in his first main roster feud before transitioning to something bigger.

And let’s be clear: that next step needs to feel grand at this point in the WWE calendar. With Lesnar standing there waiting, WWE has a massive box office attraction staring them in the face, both in the matchup itself and in Femi already looking like a bona fide star.

Hopefully they make it happen. It’s right there for them to take.

AJ Styles Says Goodbye

AJ Styles received a beautifully done video package, with “Higher” from Creed playing that really set the tone for the moment.

Throughout his speech, Styles reflected on the full scope of his career, calling back to his time in TNA, Japan, and WWE. He specifically mentioned names that helped define his journey, including Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Frankie Kazarian, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson.

Styles admitted he’s accomplished nearly everything he ever set out to do in wrestling, but said the one thing he never fully got to be was a full-time father. He spoke openly about the moments he’s missed over the years, and you could clearly see the emotion on his face as it hit him in real time.

He described his retirement as poetic, noting that he was able to go out in the same company where his WWE run began at the 2016 Royal Rumble.

Styles also explained why he hadn’t previously left his gloves in the ring. Saying he’s a man of his word, he revealed he wanted to take them home first so he could properly leave them behind in Atlanta. This time, he finally placed his gloves in the ring.

As the moment settled in, the locker room came out onto the stage to applaud him in support.

Then, after the credits rolled, the unmistakable gong hit.

The Undertaker appeared, creating an obvious sense of confusion before revealing the reason. He told Styles they still had unfinished business, before announcing it was his honor to induct Styles into the WWE Hall of Fame.

A nice way to close the show and soon put a bow on the legendary wrestler’s fantastic career.