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

Hey, WWE, Please Hire Women Writers

Last night's Raw ended with Stephanie McMahon announcing the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble match at the forthcoming annual pay-per-view.

This is a welcome announcement that instantaneously makes next year’s Rumble more interesting and essential-viewing. Over the next six weeks, fans will watch this match take shape, and discuss who it should bolster, how it will be structured, and what surprises may be in store. This is all good, and it’s reassuring to see the WWE do the obviously right thing.

Fans should definitely be happy, but fans should also be asking, “What happens after?”

The Demise of the American Babyface

A prone Dolph Ziggler lay flat on his face in the middle of the ring. He struggled to regain his bearings as Baron Corbin approached with a steel chair in hand. Having just earned a nefarious victory over ‘The Showoff’ wasn’t enough; the vitriolic fire in Corbin’s heart would continue to rage until the satisfactory pound of flesh was properly extricated from Ziggler’s battered physique. Luckily Kalisto, a previous victim of Corbin’s post-match antics, raced down the entrance ramp just in time to chase the cowardly heel away and save his friend from further violence.

This familiar pro wrestling scene took place on the first SmackDown Live of 2017 and came on the heels of a satisfying resurgence of Ziggler’s babyface character thanks to a compelling program with The Miz in the later stages of the previous year.

My Message To the Pro-Wrestling Journalists & Podcasters Of The Future

At the end of 2016 my weekly podcast, The Work of Wrestling, will go on hiatus. During that hiatus I plan on restructuring the show so that, in the future, it will be distributed in a highly focused, seasonal format. I do not yet know how long that hiatus will be and I do not yet know how long those seasons will be, but I am excited about the prospect of reinvention and return.

While I still plan to continue writing about wrestling whenever the mood strikes, it feels like a good time to offer a "see you later" (rather than a goodbye) to The Pro-Wrestling Community, particularly to the younger writers & podcasters currently honing their crafts. You are the ones who will take up this mantle, push it into the 21st Century and beyond, and change the way people think about professional wrestling (for the better). Your passion, your ingenuity, and your progressive perspectives will be needed for our Community to ever grow up.

Work Of Wrestling Podcast - EP95 - Role Models

BE SMARTER: A MESSAGE TO NXT FANS

WRESTLING HEROES:ON WHY WE NEED SASHA BANKS & BAYLEY

EDITORIALS, MOST VIEWEDTim KailOctober 1, 2015sasha banks, bayley, nxt take over, nxt taker over respect, iron woman match, professional wrestling blog, wwe nxt, wwe network, womens wrestling, #WomensWrestling

WWE2K16:SEXISM IN WRESTLING VIDEOGAMES by JESSE BUSH

Put your four fingers away.

On Friday, 2K Games swept the rug out from under the very consumers who've continuously thrown hard-earned cash at them over the years in an announcement regarding the state of female wrestlers in their upcoming WWE 2K16 title. In that statement it was confirmed in no uncertain terms that Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley will absolutely not be included in the latest entry into the wrestling franchise.

#WomensWrestling: Trust & Time

While it’s exciting that pro-wrestling fans have made their voices heard with the #GiveDivasAChance movement, since this trend caught on the WWE has done little more than pay lip service to the fact that there’s an obvious problem with the way women are represented in the company. The “WWE Divas” on the main roster still get less than five minutes on a three hour prime-time television show - a television show that, by the company’s own admission, is difficult to program for due to a massive time-slot.

THE NXT REPORT

As the Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens rivalry builds toward the next NXT Take Over special the show continues to hit a beautiful stride. Zayn & Owens embody everything that pro-wrestling fans want out of a WWE product in 2015. Their story is grounded in a recognizable, forth-wall nudging continuity informed by reality, a deeply emotional bond founded on brotherhood and athletic competition. They are not superstars fighting to entertain the crowd - they are athletes fighting for a prize, that persistent motivation colored by the deeper, psychological drama of their characters.

THE NXT REPORT

It’s only been two weeks since NXT Take Over: Rival, but Sami Zayn’s absence is starting to take on tangible significance - the episodes feel less important, less emotionally driven without him.

This wouldn’t be anything approaching a problem if the in-ring action was consistent, the theatrics populated with interesting characters. But the past few weeks have felt almost experimental - trying out new stars and featuring untested talents in prominent places on the card at a time when the brand was eliciting consistent praise for the proven roster that got it so much attention in the first place.

THE NXT REPORT

Firstly, I apologize to my regular readers for being a couple days late with The NXT Report. I’ve started work at a new 9-5 job in the real-world, and have yet to figure out the best schedule for writing an adequate review of the WWE’s best show.

The Raw Review will arrive as usual on Tuesday, but I'm still deciding exactly when The NXT Report will be written and posted.

For now, I’m happy I had a few days to process what took place at NXT Take Over: Rival.

The Writings