Kevin BergeJanuary 7, 2025
- Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa was the first match of the new Raw on Netflix era.Credit: WWE.com.
- Airing from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, the Raw on Netflix premiere promised the biggest show WWE could possibly deliver on January 6, including highly anticipated matches and major returns from top names.
- Nothing delivered more than the main event: CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins. The two men wrestled at a premium live event level, ending with a clean victory for The Best in the World.
- Many top stars including The Rock, Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens came out to see Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa. After multiple stars interfered, The OTC regained his ula fala after pinning Sikoa.
- Rhea Ripley managed to overcome the best efforts of Liv Morgan and The Judgment Day to regain the Women’s World Championship. The Undertaker appeared afterward to congratulate the new champ.
- John Cena declared for the 2025 men’s Royal Rumble match, hoping to start his year with a third victory in the famous contest.
- Hulk Hogan tried to play to the crowd in his latest appearance in WWE. Instead, he was booed out of the building.
- It was a night of many highs but also a frustratingly slow pace that could indicate a change for WWE on Netflix.
- WWE has not hyped a show like the Raw on Netflix premiere in years.
- Every match announced promised payoff to months of build. This was a PLE card on TV.
- However, with just four contests over the three hours of Raw, this was a slow show, heavily relying on long promos and sponsorship promotion.
- Over the first hour and a half, Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa was the only in-ring action, and even that relied on interference more than the work of the two competitors.
- Triple H, The Rock and John Cena all spoke in that time, hyping the partnership of WWE with Netflix almost as much as discussing the current top angles.
- The pace picked up for the second half of the episode, but only the main event between CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins delivered on a PLE level.
- Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan and Drew McIntyre vs. Jey Uso were fine but forgettable performances that needed a stronger structure.
- The rest of the night was focused on who was in attendance including Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, Logan Paul, Travis Scott and more.
- This was a show built on the foundation that fans want to revel in WWE’s success and celebrate the company’s supporters over watching the performers.
- The spectacle of it all—particularly the production improvements—certainly landed, but a show like this is not going to hold fans’ attention every week.
- Next week promises a more traditional edition based on the first announced matches, but clearly Netflix asked for certain major focuses beyond the in-ring action.
- The company held onto the expected return of Becky Lynch and the debut of Penta El Zero M for future weeks to ensure this month delivers moments.
- Will WWE be able to sustain the spectacle over months and years to come, or will changes need to be made to better highlight the overall active roster and its in-ring talent?
- Only time will tell what Raw on Netflix will become.
- In Roman Reigns’ first moments as Tribal Chief again, he looked into the eyes of The Rock, who played nice with Reigns for the moment.
- While WWE delayed the inevitable clash of Rock vs. Reigns for justifiable reasons in 2024, 2025 may be the last time the two can fight.
- A year has passed, and Cody Rhodes has mostly moved beyond the need for a singles clash with The Final Boss.
- However, the Bloodline struggle for power is far from settled. Solo Sikoa may have been pushed to one side, but Reigns will never stand atop the family without beating The Rock.
- Reports have varied on whether The Final Boss will wrestle at WrestleMania 41, but he cannot afford to delay.
- At 52 years old, The Rock may not have much time left. John Cena is 47, and he is on a final year retirement tour for a reason.
- Nothing else makes sense for Reigns at The Show of Shows, and fans cannot wait another year for this collision.
- Rhea Ripley is finally back on top of WWE with her Women’s World Championship in hand.
- Liv Morgan tried her best to elevate her presentation as champion, but she was never quite able to carry the Raw women’s division on her own.
- Ripley has shown she can do just that, and she will get a chance to do so again in 2025. The best way to enable that future would be to leave the past behind.
- Morgan got her revenge and title reign. She and Ripley do not have the chemistry to deliver anything more than they did on Raw.
- The options for Mami’s next opponent from a soon-to-return Becky Lynch to a much-anticipated clash with Bianca Belair are all more exciting.
- While Ripley finds new rivals, Morgan can refocus on capturing the Women’s Tag Team Championships with Raquel Rodriguez.
- Sometimes, it’s best to move on before the business passes you by. Hulk Hogan has found that out the hard way with recent reactions to his appearances.
- The Intuit Arena crowd in Los Angeles booed The Real American out of the building when he tried to come out for a quick pop on Monday.
- It was such a big reaction that it was talked about more than multiple major moments on the show.
Variety @Variety
Hulk Hogan is one of the most iconic wrestlers in the 72-year history of the WWE, but upon his debut at Netflix’s “Monday Night Raw” on Jan. 6, his reception was less than welcoming. <a href=”https://t.co/xB0P5aRPQc”>https://t.co/xB0P5aRPQc</a>
- Clearly, fans are moving past the need for Hogan in wrestling, and WWE should follow those reactions.
- WWE has announced a new multi-year partnership with Hogan’s Real American Beer that could set up more appearances from the 71-year-old.
- However, it would be best for that partnership and a fanbase that wants to see fresh exciting wrestlers for Hogan to stay home.
- Just film a few quick commercials to air instead.
- CM Punk vs. Seth “Freakin” Rollins has been hyped since the first day The Best in the World returned to WWE, and it certainly delivered on expectations.
- This was a battle between top men looking to prove that they should lead this new era of Raw.
- In the last few months, nothing has reached this level of in-ring spectacle, certainly outshining the rest of the action for the night.
- Not since Punk vs. Drew McIntyre in Hell in a Cell at Bad Blood has WWE delivered anything this completely engrossing in the ring.
- The two rivals also left plenty on the table for round two whenever the opportunity arises.
- Immediately, the focus for both will turn to the 2025 men’s Royal Rumble match. Both should be amongst the top five betting favorites to win that contest.
- While CM Punk and Seth “Freakin” Rollins should be amongst the favorites to win the men’s Royal Rumble match, John Cena set himself perfectly as the obvious front-runner.
- Cena vs. Cody Rhodes or Gunther are easy sells for WrestleMania 41.
- However, The GOAT has made clear 2025 will be a year-long retirement tour. He cannot aim too high, too fast.
- The WWE Universe has embraced Cena as a returning hero for the moment, but he has often lost the crowd over the years by taking up too much focus on the program.
- The GOAT is already a two-time Royal Rumble winner and a 16-time world champion.
- If he can come back after years away and win a third against a stacked roster, he could lose the crowd again.
- Instead, this year should be about Cena reckoning with the business moving beyond him, allowing multiple stars to step past him.
- If he is going to earn a world title shot, it should come later in the year, perhaps by capturing Money in the Bank or talking his way into a SummerSlam title shot by legacy alone.
- That leaves the opportunity for Punk to win his first Rumble or Rollins to win his second and cost The Best in the World another WrestleMania spotlight.
