New year new Monday Night Raw for 2025 has ushered in the “Netflix Era”. The flagship wrestling show for WWE has been on air since 1993, over 30 years. Now, from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood California, for the first time, Monday Night Raw was live on Netflix for the first time.
For weeks both Netflix and WWE have been hyping up this big event through press days in Los Angeles as well as from their headquarters in Connecticut. Finally, it was time for the world to see what the next evolution of wrestling would look like.
But did it live up to all the hype? Let’s take a look at how it all went down on Netflix’s first episode of Monday Night Raw.
THE PRODUCTION
After the show kicked off with a video showcasing the history of WWE and a welcome from Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE fans quickly noticed some major differences. First off the wrestling mat was not plastered with sponsors, which was to be expected but different nonetheless.
Another difference was the entrance. This has been a gradual change that WWE has made throughout the last few months. for both Raw and SmackDown. The difference now is that this layout allows more fans to sit behind the entrance without having their view blocked by anything. Plus it is a cool shot to see wrestlers walk down the ramp with fans practically surrounding them.
Speaking of shots, WWE was using a variety of cameras and angles that allowed our perspective to change depending on the circumstance. My favorite new addition was the drone shot. While we have seen camera shots of walking into the area, the drones allowed you to zip through the concourse into the area, and through the crowd, showcasing the magnitude of the event.
But those shots mean nothing without directors and producers coordinating the shots and making sure they are taken at the right moments. Capturing every bit of action at the right angle. One shot I particularly loved was at the end of the opening “Tribal Combat” match. As Roman Reigns sat at one of the corners, out of focus coming down the ramp, we could see that The Rock was quietly making his way down to the ring. This added tension and excitement. A proper camera angle taken at the proper moment.
Its this level of production that showcases why there is no rival to WWE.
THE MONDAY NIGHT RAW MATCHES
ROMAN REIGNS VS. SOLO SIKOA IN TRIBAL COMBAT – This was the perfect match to set the tone of WWE as a whole. I thought of it as a gateway match for people who were just curious as to why Monday Night Raw was on the front page of Netflix. The match was fast-paced and even included an array of heart-stopping almost three counts, as well as a variety of cameos from Tama Tonga, Jacob Fatu, Sami Zayn, Jimmy Uso, Kevin Owens, and Cody Rhodes. The exciting conclusion had a similar vibe to what they did this past WrestleMania. In the end, Roman Reigns was victorious and was granted back the Ula Fala from none other than The Rock. Is there more to this? We’ll have to wait and see.
LIV MORGAN VS RHEA RIPLEY FOR THE WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – If you’ve been keeping up with this feud, then I can tell you that it’s no different than what we have seen before. Liv Morgan was accompanied to the ring by Raquel Rodriguez and Dominique Mysterio who believe it or not caused multiple distractions. But in the end, Ripley was able to reclaim the title that she never lost. I thought there would be a certain return to make an assist and even the odds here, but in the end, I am happy that Ripley was able to overcome them on her own.
Along with reclaiming her title, Ripley was also able to kick Mysterio in the nuts as he tried to make up with her post-match. If that weren’t enough as she was getting ready to head backstage, the iconic gong rang. The American Bad Ass Undertaker appeared on his motorcycle taking a quick ride around the ring and sharing a moment with Ripley. Overall it was a solid segment that left everyone in a good mood.
JEY USO VS. DREW MCINTYRE – Just a typical singles match with two very talented individuals. While it had some great back-and-forth action, the roll-up finish was a disappointment. It was at that moment that I wondered why not instead they had given us a match with one of their three absent champions. There was not World Champion on the show, no Tag Team Champions, or Intercontinental Champion. Seeing some of them in the crowd does not count. The best part of this segment was probably seeing the massive crowd going ham during Jey Uso’s entrance (including Michael Cole and Pat McAfee on top of the announcer’s table).
CM PUNK VS. SETH ROLLINS – This was probably supposed to headline last year’s WrestleMania. Now in 2025, it’s the exclamation point at the end of the first-ever Monday Night Raw on Netflix. Chef’s kiss to CM Punk wearing that jacket to the ring (if you know you know). It was a great back-and-forth match in which both competitors showed their disdain for one another by going as far as hitting each other’s finishers. The match concluded after Punk hit Rollins with two “Go to Sleep” earning him that one, two, three. The way it looked like both competitors had left everything in the ring made it a very respectable finish. Although you get the feeling that this may be the beginning of a trilogy.
The one weird thing about this match is how quickly they started to roll credits and wrap it up. It seemed as if they had run out of time and needed to get off air as soon as possible. There wasn’t a moment to enjoy the ending of the match and the show they had just put on.
THE MONDAY NIGHT RAW MOMENTS
THE ROCK OPENS MONDAY NIGHT RAW – I mean, who else? The Rock did a similar thing when SmackDown first went over to FOX. It’s always exciting to hear that legendary music hit, listen to the crowd roar, and watch the great one emerge. What was a bit confusing about it was that this was more Ambassador Rock and not the heel we saw last year. Maybe he was tired of being the bad guy? Or is this a massive swerve for later? It made it even stranger later as videos of him hanging out back with Cody Rhodes emerged. But I guess the Rock does as he wants right?
JOHN CENA KICKS OFF HIS FAREWELL TOUR – We knew this was going to happen, now it is time to savor the last few months that we’ll get to enjoy Cena as a performer. With so many people hoping that Cena could become a 17-time World Champion during that time, Cena spent the segment trying to temper expectations. Even said he had a better chance of winning an Academy Award.
But after all that he declared that he would compete in the 2025 Royal Rumble for the opportunity to earn a championship match at WrestleMania 41.
TRAVIS SCOTT ENTERS WITH JEY USO – With Travis Scott having been given that Hardcore Title and his involvement with the music for Monday Night Raw, I was disappointed that his contribution was just to smoke and escort Jey Uso to the ring. It’s kind of a wasted opportunity.
HULK HOGAN – This one was a head-scratcher. Earlier today WWE announced their partnership with Hulk Hogan’s Real American Beer. But when his music hit on Monday Night Raw it made for a really awkward moment. To the surprise of everyone and no one simultaneously, he was booed the entire time he was trying to speak. Despite that, Hogan finished his promo and ripped his shirt per usual as the boos continued to fill the area. Sadly enough, this moment may steal a lot of the spotlight for what was a great episode of Monday Night Raw. Hopefully, WWE learns from this and keeps Hogan away from our shows, despite their partnership.
CELEBRITIES AND WRESTLERS AT RINGSIDE – WWE was desperate to showcase how many celebrities were in attendance, these included Ashton Kutcher, Michael Che, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Wale, Vanessa Hudgens, Bill Simmons, Seth Green, Macaulay Culkin, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Richard Gadd, Tiffany Haddish, Stephen Amell, and Danielle Fishel.
Along with them were an array of WWE talent that weren’t involved in the show including the Raw Tag Team Champions, The War Raiders, and the Intercontinental Champion Bron Breaker. One strange addition to the crowd was Logan Paul who was billed heavily ahead of the show. While we at least expected some sort of promo, we just got a look at him in the crowd. Other past wrestlers included Stephanie McMahon, X-Pac, Michelle McCool, and Nikki Bella.
THE GOOD
The production was spot on, with great shot selections and use of every bit of tech in the Intuit Arena. It gave Monday Night Raw the feeling of being a premium event. If you were watching it for the first time, it could impress you enough to come back next week. Also no glitches (at least on my feed).
The matches were great for the most part. I thought they showcased some of the best talent that the WWE has to offer. I look forward to hopefully seeing some new faces checking out Raw and getting more invested in their storylines.
THE BAD
My biggest issue with the show is not having Gunther your World Heavyweight Champion on the show. I felt like it devalued the title and Gunther. Especially because even Cody Rhodes got involved as the champion for the other show. All we saw of Gunther was a quick video that didn’t do much. If you wanted people to think he was a big deal, he should have been involved in some angle. Now we go into week two on Netflix with people probably asking, who is that? I have the same issue with Bron Breaker, the Intercontinental Champion, as well as The War Raiders, your Tag Team Champion.
My other issue with the show was the inclusion of Hulk Hogan. Some of his personal choices are problematic, something that the majority of brands would not want to be a part of. But here we are with WWE and Hogan in a partnership with his beer brand. Luckily for all of us at home wondering why, the WWE Universe in attendance showed the world that on Netflix they do not support Hogan in any way. It was incredible to watch the crowd fill the area with boos. This will go down as one of the most memorable moments in the Netflix era.
OVERALL
Overall I thought it was a very successful first showing of Monday Night Raw on Netflix. I think that they have many more surprises down the line, especially as we start gearing up for the Royal Rumble and the road to WrestleMania. As a wrestling fan, these are some of the shows that you will always cherish as they mark a point in history where the wrestling business changed. Oh and of course, it was fun and entertaining.
