Raquel Rodriguez, Dom Mysterio, and Liv Morgan Celebrate

It’s been eight weeks since RAW debuted on Netflix, and I find myself flummoxed that the organization has done nothing original in all that time. There have been several welcome subtle changes (the announcement of the card at the start of the show, interviews among the crowd, non-seizure inducing camerawork), but no creative big swings. I don’t feel like we’re getting the best out of RAW when we so easily could. Instead, we get the usual fifteen to twenty minute opening promo segment, several midcard matches of varying degrees of significance and quality, an endless barrage of advertisements, backstage segments, interviews, and vignettes.

Some of it, like the Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn rivalry is quite good. But most of it blends into a beige, prescriptive experience. It would be nice to see and feel something largely different from the company if for no other reason than “they can”. What about an episode that consisted of just women? No explanation or pomp and circumstance about it, just an entire episode of women’s matches and women’s segments. People would love it. Or, the likelier of these two options, what about a roster-wide brawl that overtakes the broadcast, plunging RAW into chaos?

Instead, this week, we got a fifteen minute exchange between CM Punk and Logan Paul. It was mostly pointless, with both saying they were going to beat the other one at Elimination Chamber. It’s good to see the crowd firmly behind Punk, though. Elimination Chamber promises a lot of drama given the big names in it, and Punk and Cena both in must-win situations. Punk can handle the loss, and get slotted into a big midcard feud afterward. If Cena doesn’t win one wonders what his farewell tour is any good for. No matter who wins it will be good to know who the contender is and to watch the drama build from there.

With regard to those midcard matches, the action began with a triple threat between Ludwig Kaiser, Pete Dunne, and Penta. The company has portrayed Penta consistently as a winner since his debut, a top prospect to keep an eye on. This is a welcome change from the days of not being able to place any faith in WWE’s creative apparatus. The match showcased the talents of each, Penta in particular, and ended with Kaiser scoring a sneaky win. Good. This effectively removes the albatross of a win-streak from around Penta’s neck while still protecting him against a straightforward loss. He remains that shiny new prospect.

Next came a short vignette about John Cena needing to win at Elimination Chamber. It would've been nice to literally see John at this particular RAW, but the vignette did the trick, keeping him and his seventeenth title win at the forefront of our minds.

Then Rhea Ripley had an interview among the fans, my favorite location WWE continues to tap to great effect. Ripley revealed her shortcomings as a performer, though. She labors with her words, attempting to squeeze out every painfully scripted line for fear of flubbing. As a result, there’s no emotional fire and we have no idea who she is and what she wants. I would love to see her with a mouthpiece or manager to help her cross the finish line of being a well-rounded superstar. She personifies “cool” with her look and she’s powerful in the ring. All that’s needed is some more experience and comfort on the mic. Io Sky, Ripley’s opponent next week in a championship match, comically materialized on the left side of the screen and the scene only became more awkward.

In stark contrast to that awkwardness was the arrival of the New Day, reliable pros. They’ve embraced their role as heels with gusto and are completely believable. All that’s needed is some championship gold. Their new entrance theme is fantastic. The only recommendation I have is for them to do more dastardly things in the match itself. Their contest with LWO was fine but LWO is not a well-defined adversary so there’s not much blood to draw from that stone. They solidify their heelness with post-match beatdowns.

Something that remains ineffective (and remarkably predictable) are Judgement Days’ backstage segments. This week Finn and Dom “got into it”, blaming the other for their losses the previous week. It’s a wonder why this group is still together. They are a laughing stock that produces no laughter, Carlito always taking up the rear of these scenes with a pithy bit of dialogue. Liv Morgan somehow manages to wring out some emotional truth in these abysmal scenes. I buy her conniving ways and her unearned confidence.

Gunther hit another home run in my favorite segment/match of the night.

He called out Akira Tozawa because he noticed him behaving like a fool in the backstage area. This is actual subtle storytelling. Earlier in the night Gunther was walking backstage and he noticed Akira and Otis being “goofy”. To allude to this brief encounter and to use it to make a point about Jey Uso is a rare degree of narrative coherence and sophistication. Akira, who was stellar in 205 Live, reminded everyone that he’s a good wrestler, a likable underdog who made the most with his ten minutes. Gunther, after finally dispatching Tozawa started choking him after the match, prompting Otis to run into the ring to defend his friend. It was a layered scene that represents, for me, professional wrestling’s bread and butter. A clearly defined heel with a purpose, juxtaposed by forces for good. If WWE isn’t going to do anything new, do this! Traditional, delightfully simple scenes that cast good and evil in clear shapes.

The next match between Dakota Kai and Lyra Valkyria represented good wrestling with no emotional core. This is due to the fact that neither opponent has a clearly defined personality. Kai is an earnest fighter with a lot of kicks and Valkyria is scrappy, but, despite being a title match, there were no stakes. Even so there was an endearing display of sportsmanship between the two who hugged after the match.

Next came a sit-down interview with Sami Zayn, a welcome change to the in-arena interview. A somber Zayn said, “I don’t recognize myself and I don’t recognize him” referring to Kevin Owens. This is epic storytelling at its finest, the kind of emotional weight that could easily lead lesser performers astray. But Zayn and Owens know their characters so well that we’re in good hands here. All we need to do is watch and appreciate.

Dirty Dom then got a try at Bron Breaker that ended in disqualification and the Judgment Day beating Breaker down.

Then came Cody Rhodes to deliver another somber address responding partially to The Rock’s cryptic offer to sell his soul. In stark contrast to that seriousness, enter Seth Rollins who paraded around like a drunken clown at a four-year-olds birthday party. These two characters occupy different realities which is why it’s so difficult to bridge the mental gulf between them. But they tried, with Rollins encouraging Cody to be the champion he knows he can be, and refuse The Rock’s offer. I’ve never liked Seth less. He gets to be “everything” he wants: clown and serious wrestler simultaneously while possessing none of the performative nuance such duality requires.

Maybe I’m stepping on my own dick here, but this story might be too conceptual for WWE and its fans. I like it in theory, The Rock serving as a modern Devil, luring an honest working-class hero into his world of private jets and free tequila. In practice, one wonders how this story about something as figurative as a soul will take literal shape. It’s wrestling, so someone is going to have to fight (or at least slap) someone at some point. It’s not like Cody can reach inside his suit and pull out a soul. One also wonders why The Rock wants Cody’s soul. It’s not a bad thing to want and justifications can be drawn from The Rock’s statements, but I question whether or not the creative powers that be have actually thought this through. One can assume Cody will say, “The offer is tempting, but no,” and The Final Boss being displeased. Will the Elimination Chamber segment then end in a Rock Bottom or a Cross Rhodes? That’s the trouble with the story, the literal manifestation of something so symbolic is inevitably lackluster.

Something that wasn’t lackluster by any stretch was the main event tag titles match between Naomi, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, and Raquel Rodriguez.

Naomi hits Liv Morgan with the Rear View

The women demonstrated why the tag division just needs time and an appropriate stage to be worthy of earnest booking. There were several three-count interruptions after big moves that had me flying out of my seat. And pesky Dirty Dom was in rare form, putting Liv’s foot on the ropes to stop a three count.

Michael Cole was particularly effective in this match, his excitement rising with each wave in the action. And the conclusion, with Raquel and Liv winning was a welcome surprise. This match laid the groundwork for featuring women’s tag wrestling in a serious way in the future. The company must not backpedal. The reactions from the crowd were intense and real, and indicative of a division worthy of exploration.

IN CONCLUSION

This was a good episode of RAW that I enjoyed more upon review. Elimination Chamber is just a few days away and we’ll hopefully know (definitively) who will face who at the Showcase of the Immortals. I’ve particularly enjoyed Gunther these past two weeks. He’s such a belligerent bully who does mean things to good people, and I long to see him get his comeuppance at WrestleMania.

I firmly believe if WWE plays its cards right and Jey and Gunther level up to the stage they receive (which they will), we may just get a classic in April.

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Tim Kail's Raw Review, 2/24/25