By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,650)
Inglewood, California at Intuit Dome
Streamed live January 6, 2025 on Netflix
[Hour One] The “Then, Now, Forever, Together” opening made the jump to Netflix… Michael Cole checked in on commentary while a shot aired out of the Intuit Dome’s exterior. Cole said there is a Hollywood feel.
Backstage/arrival shots aired of Seth Rollins, CM Punk, The Judgment Day, and Rhea Ripley. Cole noted that over 17,000 fans were in attendance at the sold out show. Cole said he was proud to say for the first time, welcome to WWE Raw on Netflix…
The lights in the venue went out. The ring had large stage curtains on each side and a video was shown on each side that was narrated by Paul “Triple H” Levesque. The video included classic shots of Gorgeous George, Jerry Lawler and Andy Kaufman on Late Night with David Letterman, and WWE past and present.
The curtains dropped and Levesque was standing in the middle of the ring. A “Triple H” chant broke out. Levesque said that the fans were being seen and heard by the entire globe. He told the fans to show them who they are. He told them to show the world that “we are WWE and we are louder than anything you’ve ever seen before.” Levesque closed with the “Are You Ready” routine. “Then welcome to Monday Night Raw, welcome to the Netflix era.” Pyro shot off in the ring. There was a circular screen above the ring.
The Rock’s music hit and he made his entrance through a small set. Rock had a title “People’s Championship” belt that Muhammad Ali’s widow gifted him. Rock stopped at ringside and hugged a man, who I believe is TKO CEO Ari Emanuel.
Rock stopped at ringside and shook hands with Pat McAfee, who was on commentary with Cole. Rock was censored for something he said, so that answers that question. Rock handed off his title belt to his younger daughters, who were in the crowd with their grandmother.
Rock said years ago when he was a little pebble, he used to travel the roads with his late father Rocky Johnson. He said the only way to watch WWE was to buy a ticket. He said you can still buy a ticket, but watching it now is a different story because it’s now on Netflix.
Rock announced that the show set the new record for largest arena gate in WWE history. “Finally, the WWE has come back to Netflix,” Rock said. He said the fans were like no, no, no, that’s bullshit, get to the real one. “Finally, The Rock has come back to Los Angeles,” he said.
Rock acknowledged the high ranking Netflix executives, including Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, who was shown in a luxury box. The Rock also acknowledged Cody Rhodes and said he’s carried the company on his back for an entire year and has done an amazing job.
WWE Champion Cody Rhodes was shown in the crowd smiling. Rock said one more thing, then told Cody to tell Mama Rhodes that The Rock says hello.
Rock said his cousin Roman Reigns is the Tribal Chief and the Original Tribal Chief. Rock said he would be watching Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa in the Tribal Combat match. Rock told Los Angeles and the Netflix viewers that he loves them, then said, “If you smell…”. The fans chanted Rocky, and then he delivered the “is cooking” closing part of the line. The Rock went to ringside and shook hands and hugged Cody Rhodes. Huh?…
Powell’s POV: Even if The Rock is setting up Cody for a fall, it still seems odd that Cody would shake hands with Rock and hug him given everything their characters have been through. Cody is a great talker and perhaps he can explain it away. By the way, the circular screen above the ring looks fantastic, but unfortunately it has the Intuit Dome logo at the bottom, meaning it’s a fixture in the venue. While I can only speak for myself, the Netflix stream is running smoothly and the picture looks great.
Solo Sikoa made his entrance and kissed the Ula Fala. The broadcast team checked in from ringside. OTC chants broke out and then Roman Reigns made his entrance with Paul Heyman…
Ring announcer Alicia Taylor delivered in-ring introductions. After she introduced Solo, Heyman respectfully took the mic from Taylor and delivered a big introduction for Reigns. There was an uncensored “F— you, Solo” chant. Solo presented the Ula Fala to Heyman to hold during the match and then the show cut to a commercial break (at least in the United States)… [C]
1. Solo Sikoa vs. Roman Reigns (w/Paul Heyman) in a Tribal Combat match for the Ula Fala. Cole explained that there are no rules in a Tribal Combat match and the only way to win is via pinfall or submission. The referee, Chad Patton, wore a new darker WWE polo shirt and black pants rather than the zebra stripes.
Cole listed Brock Lesnar and Edge while running through a list of people that Reigns defeated during his championship reign. At 5:45, Solo hit a uranage slam on the broadcast table, which did not break. Sikoa grabbed one of the small monitors and slammed over the head of Reigns. Sikoa followed up by grabbing the top half of the ring steps and then ran them into the head of Reigns. Sikoa took a seat on the top piece of the steps. [C]
Powell’s POV: While I have a moment, you can rewind the live stream. It also comes with an option to start the show from the beginning and to watch live. Dot Net reader Dennis P complained about the audio in our comment section on the non-members’ website. “Nothing is coming out the center channel,” Dennis wrote. “It’s all coming out of the right and left of the front surround speakers.” Dennis has a better audio system than my cheap speaker bar, so I’ll take his word for it. Hey, when you’ve suffered significant hearing loss like I have, there’s no reason to spend big bucks on a great stereo system. Okay, fine, I’m also a cheap ass.
Reigns worked over Sikoa with a chair coming out of the break. The fans chanted for tables. Reigns seemed to indicate that they’d get to it, then swung a chair at Sikoa, who moved. Solo low-blowed Reigns and then hit a uranage slam onto a chair for a near fall. Solo went to ringside and pulled a table out from underneath the ring. Reigns hit Solo with a Drive By kick.
Reigns brought the table inside the ring and set it up. Reigns reached through the ropes to grab Solo, who hit him with a kendo stick shot. Solo returned to the ring and beat Reigns with kendo stick shots to the body. Solo jawed at Heyman, who acted fearful. Solo stood on the second rope over Reigns and said he wanted Reigns to acknowledge him, but Reigns didn’t love him.
Reigns fought back and powerbombed Solo through the table. Reigns covered Solo and had the pin, but Tama Tonga pulled the referee out of the ring to break the count. Jacob Fatu entered the ring and then struck Reigns before superkicking him. Fatu put Reigns down with a DDT and then hit him with a double jump moonsault. Solo hit Reigns with a Samoan Spike and covered him, but Reigns kicked out at two. Solo hit the referee with a Samoan Spike.
Jimmy Uso and Sami Zayn ran out and helped Reigns. Jimmy superkicked Solo and then Zayn hit him with a Helluva Kick. Reigns got up and speared Solo and had him beat, but the referee was still down. The referee returned to the ring and made the count, but Sikoa kicked out. A “this is awesome” chant broke out. Jimmy and Zayn hit Fatu and Tonga with suicide dives and then fought them to the back.
Reigns went to the corner and let out his war cry. Kevin Owens entered the ring and dropped Reigns. Solo made the cover, but Reigns kicked out again. The fans chanted for Cody as Owens set up Reigns for a piledriver.
Cody Rhodes made his entrance while Owens shoved Reigns aside. Cody hit a Cody Cutter on Owens and then they fought at ringside and into the crowd. Reigns got up and went for a Superman Punch, but Solo blocked it. Reigns avoided a Samoan Spike and then speared Solo. Reigns played to the crowd, let out the war cry, and then speared and pinned Solo.
Roman Reigns defeated Solo Sikoa in 21:30 in a Tribal Combat match to regain the Ula Fala.
After the match, Heyman entered the ring and watched Solo roll to the floor. Heyman dropped to his knees and held the Ula Fala in front of him. Reigns got to one knee and nodded his head.
The Rock walked out while Roman’s entrance music was still playing. Reigns and Heyman spotted Rock and then stood up and looked at him. Once in the ring, Rock asked Heyman for the Ula Fala, which Heyman gave to him.
Rock put the Ula Fala around the neck of Reigns and then they stared at one another while the fans chanted OTC. Rock removed his shades and continued to star into Roman’s eyes. Rock put his hand up and Reigns accepted the Bro Handshake (The Outrunners are somewhere crying gimmick infringement). Rock and Reigns hugged. Rock told Reigns that he loves him and kissed the side of his head.
Rock backed into the corner and watched while Reigns held up his index finger for the crowd. Reigns looked to the crowd while Rock continued to watch. Reigns turned and looked to Heyman, who held up his index finger. Reigns went to the middle of the ring and held up his index finger. Rock held the ropes open for Reigns…
CM Punk was shown warming up in a dressing room while Cole hyped Punk’s match with Seth Rollins for later in the show… A Raw on Netflix logo appeared before a commercial break… [C]
Powell’s POV: Reigns vs. Solo was a lot of fun. It was a little slow to start, but it got better as it went on, and this was a case of the outside interference adding to the match. I’m not sure what to make of Rock being in nice guy mode with Cody and now Reigns. There’s been no mention of The Final Boss from him, but the night is young.
[Hour Two] Cole touted the Royal Rumble 2026 being held in Saudi Arabia. He said there was another Royal Rumble coming up in a few weeks in Indianapolis. Cole and McAfee spoke at their desk.
Smackdown and NXT wrestlers were shown hanging out in a suite. The great Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias was shown in the crowd. Ashton Kutcher was also shown in the crowd. Comedian Michael Che was shown. Cole said rapper Wale was also in the crowd, but they didn’t show him. Rey Mysterio was shown and he turned around to show off an Eddie Guerrero t-shirt. The War Raiders and LA Knight were seated next to Rey. Wale was shown after all. They cut back to give La Knight his own moment…
John Cena made his entrance. Cena showed off a “The Last Time Is Now” towel in the entrance area. “Last round? Cena asked. “Let’s go to work.” Cena headed to the ring and was introduced by Alicia Taylor. Cena said something felt different. He looked around and said: “Damn, there’s people everywhere. LA shows up.”
Cena noted that this is the first time that Raw is simultaneously being broadcast around the world. A “Thank you, Cena” chant broke out. Cena said he’s learned over the years that the fans are very smart. He said the audience is a lot bigger and their energy can be felt around the world.
Cena thanked Netflix for letting the world see the experience of Monday Night Raw. Cena thanked Raw for allowing him to stand in the ring in Los Angeles “full jorts” for the last time. Cena said he couldn’t think of a better place to start his farewell tour than Los Angeles. He said he slept in his car and trained in the area. He mentioned where he lived and said LA is where the Prototype was born and where he won his first world championship. Cena said that for 25 years, LA has allowed him to perform in the ring and he thanked the fans for it.
Cena said this year is about making moments. He said there’s a lot of noise in the building and outside the building. He said there’s a new expert every day coming up with ideas for who he will face. Cena ran through a list of WWE stars. He said people are also asking when he will become a record breaking 17-time world champion. A “You deserve it” chant broke out.
Cena said the fans have always been honest with him and he had to be honest with them. Cena said he didn’t see that happening. He said it’s okay. He said it’s because of the streak. He said it’s been 2,446 days since he won his last match. Cena said he’s at peace with it. He said that’s why he’s doing this. “My time is up, their time is now,” he said.
Cena said they would have some fun and it will be a great year, but the 17th world title reign will never happen. Cena said he forgot where he was and you’re never supposed to say never. Rather, he said it would take a miracle. Cena said that with a streak like he’s on, the only way he could get a title shot would be winning the Money in the Bank match or the Elimination Chamber or to win the Royal Rumble. The fans cheered.
“Crazy idea, but maybe I could win the Royal Rumble,” said Cena. He said it’s a lottery ticket and you can’t win if you don’t play. He said it’s his final Rumble and the best way he could say thank you to the fans is to win the Royal Rumble and the make history at WrestleMania. Cena said if you know anything about him is that nothing is impossible. He said the only time they say never is when he says never give up. Cena said he’s not just going to the Royal Rumble, he’s going to win the Royal Rumble. “You want some, come get some,” Cena said before tossing the mic behind him and exiting the ring…
Powell’s POV: The crowd ate up Cena’s promo. I could see him winning the Rumble and challenging for a world title at WrestleMania. But I coudld also see the story being that he comes up short in the Rumble and Elimination Chamber, and the Money in the Bank match becomes his last chance to earn a title shot.
A Logan Paul promo video aired. He said he doesn’t respect the process and he’s never fallen in line or waited his turn. He said he’s always been good at this, but now he’s dedicating his life to it. Paul said no more side hustles or bullshit, he’s 100 percent a WWE Superstar. Paul said it’s the beginning of his era…
Logan Paul was shown in the crowd. Cole said there were a lot of rumors that Paul wouldn’t return to WWE, but now he’s part of Raw…
Powell’s POV: It’s hard to take Paul seriously when he talks about being fully committed to WWE given that he did tease retirement and there’s also been talk of him facing Conor McGregor in a boxing match. Of course, heels lie, so he can get away with going back on this claim.
Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan made her entrance with Raquel Rodriguez and Dominik Mysterio… [C] An ad for Smackdown focused on the Cody and Owens feud, as well as Shinsuke Nakamura vs. LA Knight for the U.S. Title… A drone show with the Netflix and WWE logos was shown…
Seth Green and Macaulay Culkin were shown in the crowd. O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Danielle Fishel were shown seated separately in the crowd, They cut to a shot of Bianca Belair, Naomi, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman, and Shinsuke Nakamura seated in the crowd… Rhea Ripley made her entrance…
2. Liv Morgan (w/Raquel Rodriguez, Dominik Mysterio) vs. Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship. Alicia Taylor delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Cole explained Dom’s background for unfamiliar viewers. A graphic promoted the post show that will be hosted by Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett, and Big E.
Ripley jumped out to a fast start. Dom grabbed her foot from ringside, but Ripley shrugged that off and ended up powerbombing Morgan onto the broadcast table, which did not break. [C]
Cole said Morgan dominated the action during the break. Morgan jumped from the ropes and bulldogged Morgan and got a two count. Ripley came back and hit her Riptide finisher for a near fall. Ripley was stunned and questioned the referee about the count.
Dom slipped a chair in the ring and provided a distraction. Ripley knocked Dom off the apron and then Morgan hit Oblivion on a chair for a near fall. Morgan performed Three Amigos. Cole said Morgan isn’t doing it to pay tribute to Eddie Guerrero’s legacy, she’s actually mocking it like Dom has. Morgan performed a top rope frog splash for a two count.
Ripley stuffed another Oblivion attempt and slammed Morgan to the mat. Ripley hit Morgan with two more Riptides and then pinned her…
Rhea Ripley defeated Liv Morgan in 11:40 to win the Women’s World Championship.
After the match, Dom entered the ring and tried to sneak up on Ripley, who saw him coming. Dom held his arms open for a hug. A disgusted Cole said of course Dom wants Ripley back because she’s the champion now. Ripley teased a hug and then kicked Dom in the balls. Ripley put Dom down with a Riptide.
The gong sounded while Ripley celebrated her win on the stage. The “American Badass” theme played and then Undertaker rode a motorcycle around the ring. Taker stopped and spoke with Ripley. They both held up their fists with their backs to the ring. Cole said Taker headlined the first Raw in January 1993. Pyro shot off. Taker and Ripley both looked back at a camera on the floor…
A group of wrestlers were shown partying in a suite while Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods stood by looking unhappy…
Powell’s POV: I’d still love to see this lead to a fun Ripley vs. Dom battle of the sexes match, but I’m not holding my breath. It’s good to see Ripley finally get the better of Morgan and take the title back. It will be very interesting to see who Ripley works with because it’s not like any of the other women on Raw have been built up to feel like threats to beat her. On a side note, the ring has advertising logos for Fortnite, Netflix, a phone company, a candy bar, Hulk Hogan’s beer, and Riyadh Season.
Cole hyped Raw returning to Madison Square Garden on Monday, March 10…
Cathy Kelley stood backstage and waited for Raw general manager Adam Pearce to finish a conversation with Bayley, who made her exit. “American Made” Chad Gable, Julius Creed, Brutus Creed, and Ivy Nile showed up. Gable said he will win a singles championship and said he would dispel the rumor that he has trouble with luchadores. Gable told Pearce to find him the best luchador to face next week. Pearce asked if he was sure, then told Kelley he had to make a phone call…
Separate shots aired of Jey Uso and Drew McIntyre… A video package pushed seven new live event dates… [C] Cole hyped the Raw post show…
Footage aired of Rock leaving the building, which Cole said was streamed live on his Instagram page. Rock was shown hugging Paul Levesque, Roman Reigns, and others in the Gorilla Position. Rock was then shown in the parking area taking a swig from a bottle and greeting Travis Scott and Cody Rhodes. Rock was shown leaving in his truck, but he stopped and plugged the NXT show in Los Angeles on Tuesday. “See you there,” Rock said…
Bill Simmons was shown in the crowd in the same row as Netflix executives. Actress Vanessa Hudgens was also shown. They cut to a shot of Michelle McCool. Cole called McCool one of the greatest female wrestlers in WWE history. Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai were shown in the crowd. Lyra Valkyria was shown elsewhere in the crowd. Cole hyped Kai vs. Valkyria in the finals of the Women’s Intercontinental Title tournament for next week…
[Hour Three] Travis Scott was shown in a concourse entrance. He took a hit something and exhaled. Jey Uso joined him. Scott pumped his arm and then Jey made his entrance with Scott, who performs the new Raw theme song. They stopped at ringside and shook hands with Cole and McAfee, who were both dancing like jackasses on top of the broadcast table… [C]
An NXT New Year’s Evil ad aired for Tuesday’s show and then Cole reminded viewers that The Rock will appear on the show…
Jey Uso was shown in the ring while a graphic noted that he had 21 televised wins in 2024. Referee Eddie Orengo was shown and identified by Cole and a graphic. Drew McIntyre made his entrance. Jey Uso hit him with a suicide dive once he arrived at ringside. Jey went for another dive, but McIntyre stuffed it and suplexed him on the floor…
3. Drew McIntyre vs. Jey Uso. McIntyre rolled Jey inside the ring and then the referee checked on Jey before calling for the opening bell. McIntyre stood over Jey in the corner and threw punches at him. Jey powerbombed McIntyre. Cole introduced himself and McAfee again while both men were down.
A short time later, Jey caught McIntyre with a spear. McIntyre avoided another spear and then ran the ropes and put Jey down with a Claymore Kick that resulted in a near fall. McIntyre roughed up Jey and then went for another Claymore Kick, but Jey collapsed to the mat.
McIntyre laughed and then played to the crowd while Jey was down. McIntyre went to another corner and waited encouraged Jey to pick himself up while saying it would be all over after one more kill shot. When Jey stood up, McIntyre went for the Claymore Kick, but Jey ducked it and then hooked McIntyre into a pin for a three count…
Jey Uso defeated Drew McIntyre in 10:20.
Powell’s POV: The crowd was on the quiet side for this match. They reacted to the bigger spots, but it seems like fatigue is setting in.
A Gunther video package aired. He said he is where hope and ambition goes to die. He said he holds the title everyone wants. Gunther said he is the World Heavyweight Champion and The Ring General…
Cathy Kelley stood backstage and tried to interview Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias about his Netflix special dropping on Tuesday. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods interrupted the interview. Kingston said Kelley should be talking to them, not “this Fluffy buffoon.”
“Alpha Academy” Otis, Akira Tozawa, and Maxxine Dupri showed up and greeted Fluffy, who then led a “New Day sucks” chant before making his exit. Kingston said no one would watch Fluffy’s special…
Roman Reigns was shown walking backstage while Paul Heyman was singing his praises. Heyman said they need a platform in which the whole world can acknowledge Reigns, who said January 27. Reigns and Heyman entered a room that had the WWE 2K25 logo on the door…
Seth Rollins was shown sitting backstage while Cole hyped his match with CM Punk… [C] A WrestleMania video aired and then Cole said the two-night event was just 103 days away…
Celebrities Richard Gadd, Tiffany Haddish, and Stephen Amell were shown. Bron Breakker, Tiffany Stratton, and Nikki Bella were shown seated together…
“Real American” played and then McAfee lost his mind. Jimmy Hart came out waving an American flag and then Hulk Hogan followed. Cole said they wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for Hogan. There were loud boos when Hogan’s music stopped playing.
Hogan spoke from the stage area about being in the business for 40 years. He said the best part was being part of WWE. The boos continued. Hogan said the fans have been his greatest tag team partners because they’ve stuck with him through thick and thin.
Hogan started to plug his beer. He mentioned having partners such as Randy Savage and Andre the Giant. He said the greatest partner WWE has ever had is Netflix. Hogan said they are the greatest tag team of all-time. Hogan tore off his beer brand t-shirt to reveal a Netflix t-shirt…
Cole hyped the following matches for next week’s Raw in San Jose: Dakota Kai vs. Lyra Valkyiria in the tournament finals for the Women’s Intercontinental Title, Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser, Chad Gable vs. a mystery luchador, and Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor in a street fight…
Powell’s POV: I’m surprised they didn’t go with Penta El Zero Miedo’s debut on this show, but perhaps they thought it might be lost in the shuffle.
Stephanie McMahon was shown seated in the crowd… Seth Rollins made his entrance for the main event… [C] Hulk Hogan was featured in an ad for Saturday Night’s Main Event on January 25… A drone show featured a WWE championship belt in the sky…
Cole once again touted this show as the highest grossing event in WWE history…
CM Punk made his entrance and wore a jacket with “XXX” on the back. Cole told the background story of Punk and Rollins. He mentioned that a young “Colby Lopez, now known as Seth Rollins” traveled from Iowa to the east coast to be trained by CM Punk…
4. CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins. The bell rang and both men stood in opposite corners for a moment and stared at one another while a “holy shit” chant started. They met in the middle of the ring and traded punches while the fans cheered. Punk clotheslined Rollins over the top rope to ringside.
Punk jumped over the top rope toward Rollins, who avoided him. Rollins returned to the ring and hit Punk with a suicide dive. Referee Rod Zapata barked at Rollins, who was on the apron, to return to the ring. Rollins told the referee that he’s out of his mind and then went back to Punk on the floor.
Punk got the better of Rollins and eventually tossed him back inside the ring. When Punk returned, he had to avoid Rollins going for a Stomp. Punk hoisted up Rollins for his finisher, but Rollins elbowed his way out of it and then hit Punk with shots to the back of the head while some boos broke out.
Rollins and the referee argued again. Cole credited the referee with letting a lot go because it was such an emotional matchup. Punk caught Rollins with a kick and went back on the offensive. Punk got Rollins on the top rope and joined him before executing a neckbreaker. Both men were down heading into a break. [C]
Cole said it was the first time in nearly 11 years that Punk was in action on Raw. Rollins got the better of Punk while some fans chanted Seth’s theme. Rollins ran to a corner, but Punk followed and hit him with a high knee in the corner. Punk hit the same move in another corner.
Punk put Rollins down with a neckbreaker and then played to the crowd before signaling for the GTS. The referee checked on Rollins, who was on the apron. Punk grabbed Rollins and gave him a neckbreaker over the ropes (Cole reacted to that move like Punk had shot Rollins or something).
Punk went for a crossbody block, but Rollins rolled through and then hoisted up Punk and hit him with his own GTS finisher. Punk rolled out of the ring and was down on the floor. They replayed the GTS and it looked great.
Rollins went to the floor and told the fallen Punk that he used Punk’s move and the fans were singing his song. Rollins sent Punk back inside the ring. When Rollins followed, Punk hit him with his own Stomp finisher and got a near fall. Chants for Punk started again.
Punk went for a GTS, but Rollins blocked it and hit Punk with another GTS of his own. Rollins covered Punk for a good near fall. Rollins went to the corner and then went for a Stomp, but Punk avoided it and rolled out of the ring.
Rollins followed Punk to the floor and told him to run away like he always does. Rollins slammed Punk’s head on the broadcast table. Rollins joined Punk on the table while telling him that he had nowhere to run or hide.
Rollins set up for a move on the table, but Punk hoisted him up. Rollins fought free and then hit Punk with a Pedigree on the table, which still didn’t break. Cole said it seemed like Rollins hurt his already injured knee.
Rollins brought Punk back inside the ring and hit him with another Pedigree. Rollins covered Punk for a near fall. Rollins showed disbelief over not getting the pin. There were dueling chants for both men with the Punk chants sounding a bit louder.
Rollins and Punk traded slaps while on their knees in the middle of the ring and then traded punches once they get both to their feet. Rollins hit a discus punch. Punk came right back with a kick to the side of Rollins’ head.
Punk went for a high knee in the corner, but Rollins caught him and gave him a Buckle Bomb. Rollins followed up with a Stomp and then laid on Punk for the pin, but Punk put his foot on the bottom rope at two.
[Overrun] A “this is awesome” chant broke out followed by a brief “fight forever” chant. Rollins superplexed Punk and then set him up for the Falcon Arrow, but Punk caught him with a GTS. Rollins stumbled and fell back onto the shoulders of Punk, who hit him with another GTS. Punk fell on top of Rollins and got the three count.
CM Punk defeated Seth Rollins in 19:15.
Rollins had some blood on the right side of his face. The executive producer credits listed Paul Levesque and Lee Fitting. Punk was back to a seated position while Cole wrapped up the show just a few minutes past the top of the hour…
Post Show: A dejected Rollins exited the ring while Punk was in the ring on his knees. Rollins headed toward the back. After the pre-show team checked in from the club area, Punk was interviewed by Jackie Redmond. Punk said 46 is just a number. He said he took a ten-year break, but he’s back and better than ever. Punk said he’s coming for all the gold in 2025. Punk said this was the biggest thing he’s done. He said the match was for Chad Gilbert, Chris Bey, and for him. Punk was censored for something he said before adding, “Look at me now.” As they walked toward the back, Punk said the Royal Rumble is next. He also said he’s coming for Cody and declared that he’s the best in the world before returning to the back…
Powell’s POV: There was more to the post show, but I just wanted to make sure they weren’t going to do more with Punk and Rollins before they went backstage. They had a hot match that concluded with a clean finish, and closed the night on a high note. The live crowd faded during Jey Uso vs. Drew McIntyre, but they got up again for the main event. Punk going over is a logical move, as it will be interesting to see how the Rollins character responds to losing to his most hated rival.
Overall, WWE did a great job of making the Netflix premiere feel like a major happening. The show was lighter on in-ring action than usual, but the opening match was fun, and the closing match was a blast. The stream was outstanding on my end and I haven’t received any complaints from readers who had issues. I will have a lot more to say about Raw during my weekly same night audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of the show by grading it below.
I wish they’d fix the audio. Nothing is coming out the center channel. It’s all coming out of the right and left of the front surround speakers.
No Brock Lesnar or Vince McMahon in that intro video!
The best luchadore……
Pentagon has entered
The chat.
The crowd feels flat…..
They’ve popped for everything and everyone other than the War Raiders.
It was Jimmy Uso, not Jey
Thanks, Adrienne.
3 hour Raws are brutal. No more. One match in 60 mins.
I agree.
The crowd pops for bits but it’s not great.
I don’t need to see who’s in the crowd and random
People like Travis Scott.
Give me matches!
However ….. Yeeeeeseeeeeeet!
Jimmy came out with Sami, not Jey…
Thanks, Pat.
Chad’s opponent will be PENTA I bet.
Too bad Damien Demento couldn’t make the show.
LA was not the audience to have Hogan show up in front of.
I don’t think I’ve seen him get booed that bad since he first joined the NWO
Maybe they were booing Jimmy Hart?
Good one
Good one
Nobody can boo a member of the Gentrys and their #4 hit single, Keep On Dancing.
Best part of the show was Hogan getting booed. Meh show otherwise despite so much hype.
Probably top 5 raws of all time
No heel or face on the planet can generate the heat that Hogan can generate
Well, apparently if you don’t watch raw when it happens, you don’t get to watch it; Unlike peacock, it doesn’t seem to restream right away. unless y’all know something i dont
I couldnt click on it from the Netflix home page, but I searched and it worked from there.
The novelty of raw being on Netflix wore off for this viewer about an hour and a half into the show. It was just way too many commercials that it didn’t feel special whatsoever being on netflix, it felt like a typical Raw on USA Network.
Boy it is going to be a steep curve for you to keep up on the Netflix shows, huh Jason? Maybe better to pass it off to someone else lol
Jay! It’s been a long time since you stopped in just to be an asshole. Good to see you’re still miserable. Things sure have changed from the days when you sent all those emails telling me how much you love the site and that you’d been reading it since day one. That makes you how old now? Anyway, good news for you. I’m taking off next Monday to watch the football game, so stop back and read Colin McGuire’s review.
You’re a sweetheart Jason, but I believe you have me confused with someone else. Aside from the asshole part, that’s certainly me.
Find something else to do every Monday night, would ya? Thanks babe!
Really? I guess there’s another Jay Provost who just happens to have the same email address as you? How was that first live event at the DCU Center in 2009? “Love the site, been reading since day one. Keep up the good work.”
And then there’s that time that you told me how great Rich Twilling and I are, but how much you disliked two other staffers at the time. “Your site is the best wrestling site because your writers aren’t jackasses like almost everyone at the torch, don’t change that by keeping those two or adding more like them! Just my two cents, which I know is meaningless. Tons of respect for you though, Jason.”
There’s another time when you sent me a report and got mad because I didn’t run it right away. Once I did…
“Good to see you’re the good guy I thought you were. Your explanation was certainly reasonable, and I would have understood if thats why you didn’t post it. So it was very nice of you to post it anyways, and I hope I didn’t overreact too much for ya. The site is awesome, and as soon as I get a paypal account I’ll be a member. Keep it up, and thanks again. Jay Provost”
I could go on. Unfortunately for you, I don’t delete all of my emails, babe.
They do PPV matches for the debut, big time appearances, but how do you follow this next week? No name tag team against no name tag team are not going to sustain the viewership.
They popped for hogan but booed like crazy when they saw he wasn’t headed to the ring. Most don’t know but hogan can hardly walk anymore. Seeing him hobble at all the beer events across the country. I agree, nothing special about Netflix event except the fact they got their ass kissed the whole event. Hopefully they still stay away from naming any belts after tv stations or products.
What a bland show. NOTHING except a title change for the women was of any matter. The whole first hour, with people who have ate up over 3 years of TV time didn’t even move the story anywhere and was simply a waste. Hugging? C’mon.
And if “the other company” had a huge show and left one world champion only to do a run-in and get a hug, and the other one was relegated to a taped vignette, half you people would lose your minds.
Looked great, but the crowd wasn’t as hot as they should have been and the show was just littered with filler. If this show projects what the year is gonna be like, god help us.
Happy New Year!
3 matches could’ve been a main event at any ppv, plus 2 legends coming out to cut promos. Not even counting hogan coming out and getting booed the “filler” was 2 top guys and looking through the crowd for celebrites. Did you want every title to change hands and 20 hall of famers to return for a battle royale?
1) They did succeed in giving RAW a real PLE feel. A lot of that came from the fact that it’s being streamed. The picture was super clear and the camerawork was outstanding. A great production.
2) I may have missed something but is Tessatori/Barrett no longer the RAW team? I was trying to find the post show on Netflix but couldn’t.
3) I’m sure they did focus groups on this and may have found out that the Final Boss routine was hurting Rock’s image and rep, especially with kids and parents. A smart move. That bit got very cringy after a while.
4) There was a crazy amount of fill, yeah. But once they leave LA, that’ll die down. Nearly 3-1/2 hours was a bit much. But I DO like the fact that they don’t have a hard end time and can overrun with abandon.
I enjoyed the whole vibe. We’ll see if they can maintain the energy over the long run, but to me, it was a surprising success.
Oh, and the Intuit Dome looked AMAZING on TV. Whoever designed it made it very broadcast friendly. The video arrays were mind blowing.
By the way, the circular screen above the ring looks fantastic, but unfortunately it has the Intuit Dome logo at the bottom, meaning it’s a fixture in the venue.”
I am guessing you don’t follow basketball, but the “Halo Effect” screen was built for a more interactive in-game fan experience during NBA games.
No. Football and hockey mostly these days.
I only catch a handful of PPVs a year, it’s been ages since I watched the weekly programming, so I decided to check out the raw on Netflix debut. Had to shut it off halfway through the first match because of Pat McAfee’s constant obnoxious screaming. I’ve never seen this guy outside the WWE so I don’t know if he’s always like that or if he was just turning it up for TV…but good lord he is aggressively annoying.