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

Tim Kail's Raw Review

There are times when the WWE strikes that perfect balance between heavy-handed schmaltz and sincere, logical storytelling.

That elusive sweet spot may just be the purest representation of the WWE's perspective on professional wrestling; an over-the-top family saga wrapped in spandex, fireworks, and an assortment of colorful heroes & villains that occasionally results in genuine expressions of pain, joy, surprise, and psychosis.

One such moment occurred on the November 13th, 2017 episode of Monday Night Raw when Kurt Angle and his tearful "son", Jason Jordan, were interrupted by a grim & determined Triple H.

THE RAW REVIEW

Imagine we’re by a campfire; you, me, and a few other campers. We’ve been hiking all day, and now we’re sitting down together to eat and drink and talk. The moonlight splinters against the forest canopy, falling to the dirt like strands of silk. Twigs and leaves snap and rustle in the dark beyond our campsite, reminding us that we’re not really alone. The campfire-light holds us in a warm, orange bubble, as we pull apart bits of jerky and laugh as gram crackers and marshmallows and chocolate dissolve in our mouths. A bottle of Jack passes from mouth to mouth, and that’s when the stories start.

THE RAW REVIEW

“Was RAW good?” my wife asked when she noticed RAW fade to black on my laptop. I could hear the hope in her voice, the earnest desire of any good spouse to know their partner is happy.
“I don’t know,” I sighed. She laughed in reply, accustomed to the sometimes indescribable angst any episode of Monday Night Raw inspires in me.

THE RAW REVIEW

For the first time in two years, I had fun watching Monday Night Raw. And although it was the “Raw after Mania”, which is often a good episode, the fun I had wasn’t related to what the audience was doing (quite the opposite, in fact). The audience is usually the main attraction of the post-Mania RAW, but this week the crowd only managed to get in the way of the show. RAW was better than the crowd this week and that’s the way it should always be because the crowd is the crowd…they’re not performers risking their lives to tell stories. For too long the WWE has permitted the crowd to be “more important” or “better than” the show itself, and that stems from a modern booking philosophy designed to make money from the internet fans rather than tell good stories for a general, television audience.

THE RAW REVIEW

This year’s WrestleMania card is fairly well-rounded, promising several potentially satisfying bouts designed to appeal to a wide range of wrestling fans. From The Divas Title match to Shane’s war for control over RAW (and several narratives in-between) the stakes are appropriately high and fans will likely be treated to some pop-worthy, memorable moments. Even the lackluster main event fight for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship between Roman Reigns and Triple H may overcome expectations (and biases) to deliver, at the very least, a good professional wrestling match. On paper, this is one of the more solid cards in years despite how inconsistent and, at times, unexciting the build has been.

The Writings