WWE Raw on Netflix results, highlights: CM Punk, Roman Reigns shine; Hulk Hogan is booed out of the building
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WWE Raw on Netflix results, highlights: CM Punk, Roman Reigns shine; Hulk Hogan is booed out of the building

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

BERLIN, GERMANY – AUGUST 31: CM Punk celebrates his victory over Drew McIntyre (not pictured) with fans watching their strap match at the WWE Bash in Berlin Premium Live event at Uber Arena on August 31, 2024 in Berlin. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)

CM Punk has come on strong since his return to WWE. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)

The WWE on Netflix era has begun.

WWE’s $5 billion deal to air “WWE Raw” on the streaming giant kicked off Monday, Jan. 6, with a massive debut show hosted by some of professional wrestling’s biggest stars. In the main event, we finally saw former world champions CM Punk and Seth Rollins get their hands on each other.

The wrestlers’ bad blood has been boiling over in recent weeks and expectations have been high for them to deliver in their big main event. This match started hot as it should have, with punches and clotheslines before both men left the ring to get wild. While things went well at first, things slowed down significantly in the final half as everyone couldn’t finish the other. They both then stole finishing moves from each other, but in the end a brilliant Punk counter of Rollins’ superplex on Falcon Arrow caught Rollins in two GTSes.

No gimmicks, just a clean main event that will surely be the first of several encounters. It was a great game and exactly what it should have been. The true classic may come later as the story between Punk and Rollins expands and intensifies throughout 2025. They’ve done a great job getting to this point, so the possibilities of what can happen next should create positive expectations among fans.

Love him or hate him, Punk is one of them the boys in the WWE, and they need him. He has endless options for where he wants to go from here and he made that known in his post-match promo.

“WWE Raw” began another chapter in the never-ending story of the Bloodline saga: tribal battle between Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa.

It was strange. Reigns didn’t necessarily feel like the face in this match, although he clearly is compared to Sikoa. The result, as expected, was the typical overbooked mess with appearances from everyone involved in the rivalry – plus Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes. Because that’s what’s happening in Reigns games now.

Much like WrestleMania 40, it was fun. However, it did not have the same prestige or level of quality. Sikoa shined, but in the end his teammates were taken out, leaving him stuck between a rock in a hard place – aka Jimmy Uso’s foot and Reigns Spear. That’s it. The former “Big Dog” is again – or still – the tribal chief. And the most interesting thing of all is that The Rock “recognized” Reigns very forcefully and without words after the match.

Monday. Night. Mommy.

Rhea Ripley is a star and she killed it like always tonight. After a stellar finish, catching Liv Morgan in the middle of ObLIVion and landing two Riptides in a row, Ripley reclaimed her Women’s World Championship title. It was a solid match, and as great as Ripley is in her offense, I think we need to give her sales work a little more love because she especially makes a DDT look like death.

This was the right move and probably ends the long-running feud with Morgan and The Judgment Day – or at least it should. This Iyo Sky match tease has yet to happen at some point, and I hope we build upon it at a PLE on the Road to WrestleMania or the Grand Daddy of Them All itself.

Drew McIntyre continued his quest to abolish the OG Bloodline in a match against Jey Uso.

Well, he tried anyway.

Sami Zayn was first on McIntyre’s hit list and he successfully beat him in Saturday Night’s Main Event in December. However, McIntyre’s ego cost him another big moment on Monday when a mental error caused Uso to surprise him with a reversal roll-up before a second Claymore Kick, securing the victory. It was Uso’s first career win against the Scot in a one-on-one match, but story-wise it fell a bit flat. It was a nice moment for Uso and he felt like a big deal when he got the Travis Scott gig. But what about McIntyre? The assassin-like twist on his gimmick is cool and fitting. But if he fails his mission so easily, what then?

The Rock was probably the biggest surprise appearance of the night, and of course his current actor colleague John Cena. The latter stated that he would aim for his famous 17th world title by taking part in the Royal Rumble in February. There was also The Undertaker as he and new champion Ripley celebrated their victory in a beautiful moment.

Oh, another legend also made his presence (unfortunately) clear. Hulk Hogan tried to fire up the crowd as he was bombarded with boos in one of the most embarrassing moments – and decisions – in recent WWE history. We’ll remember it for a long time – just not for the right reasons.

WWE Raw on Netflix looks incredibly clean and fresh. This new era is off to a solid start, as this first episode was practically a mini-PLE with its strong match focus. As we like to do here at Uncrowned, let’s hand out some awards after kicking off 2025 in style.

MVP: CM Punk

U.Ncrowned jewel of the night: Rhea Ripley

Game of the evening: Rhea Ripley vs Liv Morgan

Best spot of the evening: Morgan backstabbers to DDT on Ripley

I give Saturday night’s main event the crown score: 👑 8/10 👑

The live broadcast has ended64 updates

  • Result: CM Punk defeated. Seth Rollins

    It’s over! The fired up Rollins hit the big superplex and rolled him into a potential Falcon Arrow. Punk counters for the GTS, the disoriented Rollins jumps off the ropes back onto Punk and hits another one. 1, 2, 3. It’s your first Raw on Netflix main event, folks. Funny stuff.

  • Both men left the ring again and Rollins drove Punk into the announce table with a Pedigree. He hit another one after rolling Punk back into the ring, but Punk had to kick out. What will it take?

  • Punk retaliates with a steal as soon as they reenter the ring and hits Rollins with a kick, but Rollins kicks out. Punk goes for the GTS and Rollins catches him and turns him into another GTS. 1, 2 and ejecting Punk.

  • GTS! But not from Punk! A big counter from Rollins landed the “Best in the World” right in the knee with his own signature move. However, Punk’s momentum sent him flying out of the ring just under the rope. Rollins is in control and swaggers to the floor in front of the downed punk.

  • Rollins creates drama between him and the referee. Expect that to come into play by the end of this game. Punk took advantage of his opponent’s lack of concentration and landed a big boot on Rollins as he turned around. They made their way to the top rope and Punk dropped them to the floor with a sweeping neckbreaker.

  • Punk and Rollins get off to a fast start, as they should with all the animosity built up. They trade punches and clotheslines on the ropes that dominate the action outside the ring. Rollins essentially convinced the referee not to count her out, which is a clever way to take advantage of the moment.

  • Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk

    Are you hyped? Are you ready? The main event is Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk. We have time for that, ladies and gentlemen. These guys are going to go out and deliver. Rollins makes the walk first as we make our way to a quick commercial before “Cult of Personality” comes over the speakers.

  • Man, that was hard. Hogan is no longer welcomed by the fans and it’s time to be a little more confident, WWE. Because these phenomena are exactly the opposite.

  • Hulkamania on Raw

    Hulk Hogan was scheduled to be on the show tonight and is joined here by fellow Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart. The LA crowd wasn’t particularly receptive and showered the Hulkster with boos. Ouch.

  • Result: Jey Uso defeated. Drew McIntyre

    McIntyre fails! Uso gets his first career win against McIntyre when he dodges a second Claymore Kick and hits a crucifix pin over McIntyre. I don’t love that. It felt disappointing and makes all the things McIntyre does suddenly… weaker? I don’t know what he’s doing now.

    Oddly enough, right after Uso’s win, we quickly switched to a video package from Gunther.

  • McIntyre’s frustration grows after he fails to defeat Uso. He survived a spear, a handful of superkicks and then landed a claymore kick – all for nothing. Unable to land another hit, Uso collapsed and McIntyre began to enjoy his moment.

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