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, 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, 2/10/25

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 Wrestling Journal, 2/13/25

For this blog entry I simply want to reflect on the state of my wrestling fandom and The Work Of Wrestling. It's not a review or an essay - think of it as a journal entry with little structure. I wrote it because I felt like it with no immediately apparent purpose. Let’s see what shakes loose.

For the past six weeks I've watched and reviewed Monday Night Raw. During that time I've also caught up on AEW Dynamite. One show is not particularly better than the other. They share so many similarities that their differences hardly register. If I showed one show to a non-fan and then the other show a few minutes later and asked them to tell the difference, I don't think they'd be able to.

I'm particularly perturbed by AEW's backstage camerawork.

It's indistinguishable from WWE's, and they've even started doing that thing where the camera lingers on the subject or interviewer for a few seconds after the scene is over. I cannot fathom why AEW would do this. Someone in a position of power is actively making this terrible creative decision. There is no visual wrestling rule book dictating it be done this way. Also, don't they want to distinguish themselves from WWE? Why not do so in easy, simple ways like camerawork?

JOURNAL ENTRIESTim KailFebruary 13, 2025journal, raw, aew, wwe, Seth rollins, criticism, arts criticism

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

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