Streamed live from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, WWE’s first episode of Raw on Netflix was a very full, if at times slow, bonanza made up of guest appearances, promos, four matches, and a hefty portion of internal advertising – all over the course of three hours.
Segments: It’s probably incalculable, the number of new viewers for whom this first episode of Raw would’ve been their first real exposure to pro wrestling but the fact that the first bell for the first match didn’t come until some thirty minutes into the broadcast feels like a poor choice.
There’s no doubt that opening the show with appearances from Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson went over well with the live audience, but the slow start in terms of action really highlights one of the core tensions of televised pro wrestling: sometimes what works for the house doesn’t work for the broadcast. At least John Cena’s promo had storyline implications as he pondered the possibility of a record-breaking 17th world title win and declared himself as an entrant in this year’s upcoming Royal Rumble.
All in all, there were too many guest spots to recap in detail but the contrasting reactions for Macaulay Culkin, who got maybe the biggest pop of the night, and Hulk Hogan, who did not, told the story. Which is to say – some cameos were welcome and heightened the sense of this first episode being an historic occasion, and some just had go-home heat, scuppering the show’s momentum. Mixed baguette!
Matches: Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa’s Tribal Combat opener was disappointingly flat until the interference shenanigans got going. The run-ins all went over well with the live crowd and translated effectively to TV – despite Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens’ involvement feeling too obviously like an advert for an unrelated feud on another show. From a production standpoint, there was some excellent camera work after Reigns’ win here as The Rock was brought slowly into focus as he walked ominously to the ring. The next act of The Bloodline saga already looks promising.
If Reigns and Solo went out to move a story into its next phase, Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley wrestled to close one out. This blowoff match between these two arch-rivals was a stellar end to one of the strongest feuds in pro wrestling. With all the requisite Judgement Day shenanigans and Ripley’s captivating physical storytelling, the title change here felt like the show’s emotional high point.
Watching Liv Morgan walking to the ring and spontaneously pulling down a ‘Mid Morgan’ sign in the crowd like the seasoned heel she’s become perfectly set the tone for this cathartic match. It’s undeniable how much Morgan has grown and excelled as a performer this last year or so. She’s been the ideal dastardly foil to a sympathetic Mami in terms of both her character and her in-ring work. Genuinely, take a bow, Liv Morgan.
“Main Event” Jey Uso getting a big win over Drew McIntyre was another crowd-pleasing outcome that seemed to solidify the show’s commitment to being a night of good vibes. Tied with Macaulay Culkin, Jey Uso is surely the most over talent in WWE right now. And it’s not just his entrance – Uso’s also become infinitely more comfortable in singles matches than he was at the start of this solo run which is translating to better and better in-ring stories. YEET!
The night’s headline match between Seth “Freakin” Rollins and CM Punk was a heated instant classic with a surprising, but very welcome clean finish. In addition to the bout itself being appropriately stiff and engrossing, Rollins losing here also achieves a great deal in terms of character as it presumably pushes him further along the journey to heeldom once more.
Punk and Rollins have palpable chemistry and the in-ring story they told here was so well rooted in character and narrative: Rollins using the Go To Sleep to get at Punk’s ego while fuelling his own ego, Punk busting out avalanche neckbreakers because he believes Rollins is just a bunch of injuries in a trench coat – with Punk ultimately coming out on top because he was able to survive more damage than Rollins on the night. Brilliant work from both with a true main event feel.
Curtain Call: This first episode of Raw on Netflix was a success by any metric, but it could have been a little braver. Ever since the first WrestleMania, celebrities have been a cornerstone of WWE’s crossover moments, but this first episode of Raw on Netflix was also an opportunity to put more non-household name regular workers in front of new viewers. It’s a fine line of course, but there were enough guest spots that could’ve been dropped in favor of a second women’s division match.
That said, every match on the night delivered and the general online excitement in the aftermath of this launch episode looks set to keep viewers tuning into Raw for weeks to come.
