Mae Young Is The Toughest Man A WWE Legend Has Ever Worked With, Lex Luger Walks Without Support (WATCH), WWE RAW Ratings For 8/18/25, Rhea Ripley Praises Candice LeRae

— The August 18th episode of WWE RAW on Netflix drew 2.8 million global views with 5.4 million hours watched, ranking #7 on the platform’s weekly charts.

The main event featuring Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker was the episode’s standout segment, topping YouTube with over 2 million views. The next most popular moment was Naomi’s pregnancy announcement, which has surpassed 1.2 million views.

For comparison, the August 11th episode also drew 2.8 million global views and 5.3 million hours watched, essentially matching the latest numbers.

— Lex Luger continues to show remarkable progress in his recovery from the 2007 spinal injury that left him confined to a wheelchair. Working closely with Diamond Dallas Page, Luger has been focusing on regaining mobility through DDP Yoga.

A newly released video highlights his progress, capturing the moment he walks without any support. In the clip, trainer Autumn Swansen can be heard encouraging him, saying, “Lex, you’re literally walking unsupported right now.”

Luger was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2025.

If you know someone who needs HOPE, share this video of @GenuineLexLuger‘s progress with them today ❤️@RealDDP
Major shoutout to Autumn Swansen pic.twitter.com/o4gpxfE539

— DDPY (@DDPYoga) August 26, 2025

— On a recent episode of the “Six Feet Under” podcast, Bully Ray reflected on WWE Hall of Famer Mae Young, describing her as “the toughest man I’ve ever met in my life.”

He credited Young with playing a key role in helping establish The Dudley Boyz during their early WWE run, praising her fearlessness and willingness to endure extreme punishment for the sake of the business.

You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:

On the Mae Young table spot: “I don’t remember having any worry, because Mae was a grizzled veteran. I’ve always said, Mae Young is the toughest man I’ve ever met in my life. And Mae is one of the boys, but she is tougher than any man I’ve ever met in this business, because of her willingness to do anything and everything. And I tried to protect that woman at all costs, and she would not let me protect her because she wanted to take everything as realistica as possible.”

On their first physical encounter: “The very first physical thing I did to Mae was just body slamming her. And I put her down very nicely. And after the segment was over, she made a beeline for me in the back. And she grabbed me by the wrist, like Lou Thesz would grab you by the wrist. And she said, ‘Hey, hot shot. If you’re going to slam me, you slam me like one of the boys.’ That was it.”

On the aftermath of the infamous spot: “After we put her through a table in the ring, and then after we put her through the table off the stage, I was standing right next to her when she went to Vince McMahon and she said, ‘I want the kid to do me off the top of the cage.’ And she was serious. And Vince just laughed, ‘Okay, Mae,’ you know. But she wanted to keep taking it to the next level. And I will always credit Mae. You know, on social media, on Mae’s birthday and the day Mae passed away, I always try to show the reverence and the respect. Because we all need somebody to get us over in this business, you can’t do it alone. And Mae Young put the Dudleys on the map in the WWE. I don’t know if there’s any one person who helped us as much as she did by giving us her body.”

— During a recent interview with SPORT Bible, WWE Superstar Rhea Ripley was asked who she believes is the most underrated talent in the company today. Ripley named Candice LeRae, praising her work and expressing her desire to see LeRae receive more opportunities. Speaking on LeRae, Ripley stated,

“It’s hard to pinpoint anyone specifically, but I feel like there’s a lot, especially in the women’s division. There’s so many women that I know are so amazing at what they do, and they don’t get enough TV time or the opportunities to really show everyone what they can do. Someone that I love is Candice LeRae, and going through NXT with her and how her brain works and how she goes out there and she’s like the vet in the ring, she knows what to do and she keeps everyone calm and she’s got ideas and it’s just like I wish that someone like her would get more of an opportunity.”

(h/t – Fightful)