Streaming live from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, wweThe first episode of raw exist Netflix It was a very solid, albeit slow, event at times, made up of guest appearances, promos, four matches and plenty of in-house advertising over the course of three hours.
Segmentation: It’s probably immeasurable how many new viewers the first episode attracted raw This would be their first real exposure to pro wrestling, but the fact that the first bell for the first match didn’t ring until about thirty minutes after the broadcast felt like a poor choice.
There is no doubt that since Paul “Triple H” Levesque and “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson The live crowd reaction was great, but the slow start in terms of action did highlight one of the central tensions in televised pro wrestling: Sometimes what works for the live show doesn’t work for broadcast. At least John Heenan‘s promo had an impact on the storyline as he pondered the possibility of winning the world title for a record-breaking 17th time and announced that he would compete in this year’s upcoming event royal rumble.
All in all, there are too many guests to review in detail, but the contrast is strong Macaulay Culkinwho was probably the hottest pop star of the night, and Hulk Hoganwho didn’t, told the story. That said, some cameos were welcome and enhanced the first episode’s sense of being a historic moment, while others just brought home-coming heat and undermined the show’s momentum. Mixed baguette!
matches: Roman Reigns and solo sheet musicClash of Clans starts out disappointingly flat before the distraction shenanigans begin. These conflicts were well-received by live audiences and effectively translated into television shows – though Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens‘ The involvement felt too obvious, like an advertisement for an unrelated feud on another show. From a production standpoint, there was some great camera work following Reigns’ win here, with The Rock slowly coming into focus as he ominously made his way to the ring. next action bloodline Legend already looks promising.
If Reigns and Solo go out and take the story to the next stage, Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley Trying to end a game. This duel between these two great rivals was a fitting end to one of the most intense feuds in professional wrestling. All necessary conditions are met judgment day Prank and Ripley’s compelling physical narrative, the change of title here feels like the show’s emotional climax.
Watching Liv Morgan walk to the ring and spontaneously pull off the “Medium Morgan” sign on the crowd set the tone for this cathartic match like the veteran heel she is. There’s no denying that Morgan has grown a lot over the past year or so and performed extremely well. She is a despicable foil to the ideal of compassion Asami As far as her character and her work in the ring. Seriously, take a bow, Liv Morgan.
“Main Event” Jey Uso achieve great victory Drew McIntyre It was another pleasing result that seemed to solidify the show’s commitment to a night of great atmosphere. Alongside Macaulay Culkin, Jey Uso is undoubtedly the most talented man in WWE right now. It’s not just his appearances – Uso is also becoming more comfortable in singles matches than he was at the start of his singles run, which is translating into better and better in-ring stories. ah!
Headline match of the night Seth “The Freak” Rollins and CM Punk is a sizzling classic with a surprising but very welcome clean finish. Aside from the fact that the match itself was pretty stiff and compelling, Rollins’ defeat here also served as a great achievement in terms of character, as it could further propel him towards the top again.
Punk and Rollins have palpable chemistry, and the in-ring story they tell here is deeply rooted in character and narrative: Rollins uses “Go to Sleep” to feed Punk’s ego while fueling his own , Punk hit an avalanche neckbreaker because he trusted Rollins. Great job from both men with a real main event feel.
take a bow: This first episode raw By any measure, the show on Netflix is a success, but it could be a little braver. since the first time wrestling maniacelebrities have always been the cornerstone of WWE crossover moments, but this first episode raw Shows on Netflix are also an opportunity to expose more regular employees who aren’t household names to new audiences. It’s a fine line, of course, but there are enough guest spots that could be given up in favor of a second women’s race.
That said, every match of the night and the general online excitement following the episode’s release seemed to keep viewers tuning in raw in the coming weeks.
