Paul Lavesque's playbook seems to be playing it incredibly safe while attempting to ingratiate new stars like Penta and Lyra Valkyria into the pro-wrestling consciousness. The results are decidedly mixed. Some weeks the midcard is represented as nothing more than backstage geeks, and other weeks they're the main event. The problem with this approach is that the midcard isn't bursting with an assortment of fascinating characters. It's just a bunch of nobodies and Penta and The Judgment Day. Instead of imploding (as I'd hoped last week), The Judgment Day has apparently grown stronger, ending the show with a post-match beatdown of Penta and Bron Breakker. It wasn't terrible, but it didn't feel earned given the state they were in last week (and every week before that). The main event Intercontinental Championship match, which was quite good, between Penta and Bron ended with Dominik Mysterio interfering. This is a clever way to continue to maintain Penta's aura while asserting The Judgment Day as a violent force, something they sorely needed.

It would be detrimental to back pedal and have them return to their clubhouse next week, but that's exactly what's going to happen. If they must have a backstage segment, show them as a united force, and then, if one of them faces Penta or Bron, have Dom interfere again. Steadily disrupting matches people actually want to see will earn them more heat than their backstage quibbling.

RAW REVIEWSTim KailMarch 28, 2025john cena, cm punk, wwe, raw, raw review, tim kail's raw review, the work of wrestling

Tim Kail's Raw Review, 3/27/25

I'm mostly pleased with John Cena's post-heel-turn promo. The Cena character hasn't fundamentally changed, as I feared he might. Instead, he's playing a man who's had a revelation. He's fed up with the fans' response to him, and he's letting out decades-worth of pent-up frustration. He still lives "Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect" (as far as he's concerned), still wears jorts, and still comes out to the same music. There's only the slightest pivot that makes him a heel, despite starting his promo with "I'm not a babyface, I'm not a heel, I'm a human being".

That pivot comes in the form of victimizing himself. He stated that he's been the victim of a toxic, dysfunctional relationship with the fans for the past twenty years. What gives his words some weight is that they aren't exactly untrue. No matter what he did, no matter how much better he got in the ring, no matter how good he was on the mic, there were those who chanted "Cena sucks!" and actively wished him harm.

Tim Kail's Raw Review, 3/10/25

WWE has established a new motif for the opening moments of RAW, and it works. Each wrestler who is involved in one of the main stories of that episode is seen arriving at the arena, wheeling their suitcases down a corridor, entering the dressing room, or getting out of a car. It adds a touch of realism right from the start and allows Michael Cole to set the narrative table for the episode. Jey was a welcome official start to the show, making his way through the crowd, “Yeeting” in time with his music. Much to my pleasure, this RAW kicked off with a match. Much to my displeasure Jey’s opponent was Grayson Waller. While this match represents a few weeks of storytelling, it does not achieve the intended goal. Matches like this between an obscure midcarder and a main-eventer are designed entirely to make the main-eventer look strong. The problem with this specific example, Uso vs Waller, is two-fold.

One, Waller is one of a handful of backstage geeks who seldom exist in the wrestling ring. He says and does nothing of import. He’s purely an annoyance, clogging up the backstage hallways with mediocrity. So what does it mean to beat him? Not much.

Tim Kail's Raw Review, 3/3/25

Monday Night Raw got off to a raucous start with CM Punk leaping atop the announcers table to cut a promo on The Rock and John Cena. Punk was at his belligerent best, skewering both legends for their "bullshit" - The Rock's goosebumps and Cena's unflappable twenty-plus years of Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect. It was an elegant, improvised rant that Seth Rollins interrupted. Punk quickly hopped down off the desk and charged Rollins and the two devolved into an arena-wide brawl. It was energetic and excellent, exactly the kind of beginning I've wanted from RAW these past eight weeks.

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

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, 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?

Tim Kail's Raw Review, 2/17/25

Sami Zayn is one of my top five favorite wrestlers and yet I wince when he’s onscreen.

Not because he’s bad at anything he does, mind you. He’s great on the mic, grounding his words in emotional realism. It was nice to watch him kick off RAW with an earnest address to Kevin Owens. He’s also great in the ring, imbuing every move with that same emotional realism - I believe every time he hits a Blue Thunder Bomb that it’s actually going to win him the match.

I wince because I don’t have faith in WWE’s creative apparatus to do right by Sami. I’m instinctively prepping myself for a creative punch in the nose.

This scene with Adam Pearce and the booking of the “Unsanctioned” match at Elimination Chamber is all well and good, but what about WrestleMania?

Tim Kail's Raw Review, 2/10/25

RAW kicked off once again with Royal Rumble winner Jey Uso. Only just when you thought this would be a repeat of last week's YEET-fest, Gunther appeared and wrecked the party. He pulled Jey's legs out from under him as he stood on the announce desk, eliciting boos from a raucous crowd. Gunther then beat down and power-bombed Jey, and just when you thought the segment was over, a winded and wounded Jey suddenly had a microphone. "I shouldn't say this..." Jey exhaled. "Me and you at WrestleMania". His choice solidified, the words felt appropriately epic, Jey's Cool Hand Luke like swagger adding to the strength of the phrase "Me and you...". Jey then dove over the top rope onto Gunther and a pile of security officers before the potential brawl was broken up and both men separated.

Good. Now we know one of the WWE's main title matches, which brings the rest into focus. It was wise to have Jey make his decision with weeks left until the Elimination Chamber because it raises the stakes for that match, limiting the choices of the contestants to Cody Rhodes and his WWE Undisputed Championship. CM Punk, John Cena, Logan Paul, and Drew McIntyre are all in the Chamber with two more opponents to be named in the weeks ahead. Now that the Mania main events are taking shape, it's up to WWE to keep things interesting between now and April. I recommend using the full breadth of narrative devices at the company's disposal.

RAW REVIEWSTim KailFebruary 14, 2025raw, Monday night raw, raw review, Tim kail, Tim Kail's raw review, wwe, Seth rollins, cm punk, lyra valkyria, bayley

Tim Kail's Raw Review, 2/3/25

RAW began with a montage of wrestlers arriving to the arena, Sami Zayn and Charlotte among them. It’s nice dash of realism and a logical way to convey the idea that “this party is getting started”. A recap of The Royal Rumble played next, recapping the premium live event for those who missed it or were in need of a refresher. Then Jey Uso emerged through the crowd, celebrating with a widespread “YEET!” While I’ve been asking for RAW to begin with a match, preferably one already in progress, it made sense to start this episode with the men’s Royal Rumble winner. Jey delivered an emotional address about overcoming self-doubt. The crowd cheered him as his voice wavered and tears appeared in his eyes. There’s nothing more powerful in the arts than a human being vulnerable. Jey’s vulnerability brought out the best in him, an honest gratitude for the support of the fans. Then, as expected, Gunther interrupted him and said he’s going to “put Jey down like a diseased dog”. What could be a hokey, overwritten phrase resonated because of Gunther’s palpable disdain for Jey. The question hanging over the scene was whether Jey would choose Gunther, the World Champion, or Cody, the Undisputed Champion, to face in the WrestleMania main event as is his right as Rumble winner. He did not make a choice, instead opting to “holler at Cody” on Friday.

Tim Kail's Raw Review, 1/27/25

This week’s Monday Night Raw, another middling, mostly pointless episode, ended with an intense dialogue between Cody Rhodes and CM Punk. It was a well-acted scene with several well-constructed statements, mainly that Cody Rhodes is no longer “chasing” CM Punk but that it was now Punk “chasing” Rhodes.

One would be forgiven to surmise, based on this scene, that Punk v Rhodes will headline WrestleMania 41. In fact, I’d argue this scene necessitates Punk face Rhodes for the title at Mania. Otherwise, why am I seeing it?

The characters have an interesting history and the imagery and soundbites would make for a fantastic pre-match vignette. Everything about their interactions over the past year, culminating in this promo, lays the groundwork for a championship match.

And yet, I don’t buy any of it.

Tim Kail's Raw Review, 1/20/25

Why is Monday Night Raw restraining itself?

We're three weeks into the Netflix Era and very little of import has occurred.

Let’s set basic narrative development aside and just focus on the pomp and circumstance WWE loves to throw at “occasions”. Where are the fireworks and stunts we crave when christening a new era? No one has lifted something really heavy. No one has crashed through a window or a wall or a table. No one's car has been crushed nor blown up.

Not even my base wrestling instincts are being satisfied.

RAW REVIEWSTim KailJanuary 24, 2025raw, raw review, wwe, Seth rollins, drew mcintyre, cm punk, promo, royal rumble

Tim Kail's Raw Review, 1/13/25

I could easily write a RAW review where I describe this episode as superior to last week’s efforts while still lacking genuine ingenuity. I could go on at length about each match (all good, five in total), lament the arrival of “I’m in the Royal Rumble” promo-season, loath the use of “Promo trains” to push narratives forward, commend the WWE for its earnest representation of debuting Superstar, Penta, laud Lyra Valkyria v Dakota Kai (the best match of the night), explain why I think Rhea Ripley adheres too closely to a script and how doing so limits her, extol Sami Zayn’s use of The Blue Thunder Bomb as a finisher, and praise Damian Priest for hoisting himself out of midcard obscurity and securing a spot as a main event player.

I could do all that and we’d be left with a fine RAW Review of a fine RAW.

But that would betray the true purpose of this article; affect real change in professional wrestling by offering the medium the arts criticism it deserves. And what does that mean to me?

RAW REVIEWSTim KailJanuary 17, 2025cm punk, wwe, netflix, Monday night raw, raw, Triple H

Tim Kail's Raw Review, 1/6/25

January 6th, 2025.

The first Monday Night Raw on Netflix.

One might think the promise of such an occasion may push expectations too high and inevitably lead to disappointment. That’s not necessarily the case with this decidedly average episode of RAW. Yes, my (our) expectations were high, but they were always calibrated properly - WWE hasn’t had a bad “big show” in quite some time, so why would anyone expect this episode to be anything other than stellar? The company has trained us, over the past several months, to expect quality and substance in our wrestling. And that’s a good thing. The company should be judged against its highest standard so that it may consistently hit those highs.

But why was this episode only average despite all the Netflixy pomp and circumstance?

RAW REVIEWSTim KailJanuary 10, 2025Raw, raw review, monday night raw, netflix

The Writings