WWE Raw on Netflix takeaways: The WWE Universe has had plenty of fresh starts, but none quite like this
As a follower of the long-running sci-fi show "Doctor Who," I’ve come to appreciate the merits of a good reset. And last night’s episode of “WWE Raw” (the Netflix premiere, in case you’ve been living under a rock) felt like exactly that: The start of a new era.
Across the board, we saw long-running feuds put to bed. The ever-dominant Rhea Ripley finally won back her title from Liv Morgan, before putting her boot between the legs of the deceitful Dominik Mysterio. Roman Reigns was restored to his rightful place as Tribal Chief, bringing a close to The Bloodline’s civil war.
Of course, this being wrestling, there’s no guarantee that the creative team won’t choose to reverse gear and reopen some of those storylines. But much of the big action from "WWE Raw" seemed designed to wipe the slate clean and free up the biggest names in the company for whole new storylines on Netflix.
Take Ripley, for example. I wouldn’t count myself among those who were bored of her vendetta with Morgan, but I won’t deny that I’m excited to see where “The Eradicator” goes next. All of a sudden that staredown with Iyo Sky — the one that briefly set social media alight — feels like more than just a tease.
That Tiffany Stratton finally bagged the WWE Women’s Championship on “WWE SmackDown” on Friday only adds to that anticipation. When was the last time we saw both main women's titles change hands in what was essentially a single weekend? All of a sudden, it feels like there’s everything to play for in the women's divisions as we head to WrestleMania.
If you want a measure of what a good position we’re in, just think about the anticipated return of Charlotte Flair. Had “The Queen” returned in any other year, it would have been a safe bet that she was heading for one of the world titles. But with the current playing field in WWE? That’s far from guaranteed. It's all less predictable and much more exciting.
It’s a similar story in the men’s division. Reigns might be the biggest draw for the company in the medium term, but would his star have shone so brightly after another six months of Bloodline warfare? It probably isn’t a coincidence that Triple H sounded unenthusiastic about the future of that angle during the post-show news conference.
What will come next for Reigns? WWE has flirted with the idea of pitting “The OTC” against CM Punk, no doubt in the full knowledge that it would be the very reddest of red meat to much of the fan base. Will 2025 be the year that we see it happen, perhaps live on Netflix? I wouldn't rule it out.
Then there’s that unfinished business with Drew McIntyre, which has received the occasional nod on the weekly shows recently. As a Brit, I admit my biases here, but I always felt that Reigns vs. McIntyre at 2022's Clash at the Castle was the highest-stakes match amongst Reigns' successful title defenses. I, for one, would love to revisit it.
In some ways, it doesn’t matter exactly which direction WWE takes for Reigns. What really matters is that it will be something new. Think about it: When’s the last time we had a Roman Reigns match where we didn’t know who was going to win? It’s been a long while.
On the subject of resets, there was one particular thread where things weren’t so clear. Wrestling pundits have been speculating for months whether The Rock might be the real power broker behind Solo Sikoa’s rogue Bloodline. Yet “The Final Boss” handing over the Ula Fala to Roman appeared to put an end to that.
A good decision? It felt like the crowd was holding out for a big twist. Surely “The Final Boss” would snap into beast mode and deliver an earth-shattering Rock Bottom to his one-time teammate? And yet the million-dollar moment didn’t happen.
For what it’s worth, my suspicion is that this one is more slow-burn than reset. The creatives at WWE have floated the idea of The Rock vs. Reigns for years now. More likely, they’ve decided that such a mammoth rivalry deserves to be a storyline in its own right, rather than the addendum to one that’s been running for months.
It fits with what seemed to be the main theme from Monday night. With its ascent to Netflix, the WWE Universe just got a hell of a lot bigger, and that calls for a fresh start. Sure, we’ve had a lot of them over the years; just none quite like this.
