Review: WWE Raw (11-25-2024)

Raw is live from Glendale, Arizona!

I missed the opening videos or whatever, so let’s hop on into it!

• Gunther is here: He’s in the ring to talk to Jackie “Texas Jack” Redmond. She’s laying into Gunther with some tough but softly-asked questions about it seeming as though his air of invincibility is broken after his loss to Cody Rhodes in Saudi Arabia. Before Gunther can get to addressing all this, Damian Priest joins the party. Jackie seems to be getting the idea that she should clear out, but Damian asks her to pass her mic to Gunther. She does, cautiously, and then she leaves. Very smart person. Priest suggests the pressure of champ has gotten to Gunther, and that he also knows about that. Also, he’s “never had to deal with a problem like” Priest. This isn’t my favorite of these interactions, but perhaps just because it’s getting a little repetitive. But that is WWE, it’s wrestling in general. Gunther opts not to speak and pops Priest on the dome with his mic instead. Priest got a bit overconfident there, or it’s maybe exactly what he wants. Gunther boots him down. Well, shoes him down. He is in shoes. Commentary desk cleared and here come the officials, but the desk attention allowed Priest to recover and he puts Gunther into the post and then through the desk with the Razor’s Edge! Ol’ Gunny is having a devil of a time with Damian Priest of late, I tell you what.

• Update: They’ve decided Jade Cargill simply can’t be in War Games and there’s even “no timetable for her return.”

• Backstage: Bianca confirms that “(Jade’s) banged up, bad” and “not gonna be back for a minute” when Naomi asks how she is. Iyo arrives and suggests Kairi Sane to replace Jade. Naomi offers Bayley, and she knows Bianca doesn’t like Bayley. Bianca sticking to her guns on that, too. Now fuckin’ Rip¹ Ripley has arrived to tell them all to shut up, and Bianca passes the buck to her to decide the fifth member and Jade replacement. Naomi’s jacket is so loud; like, audibly. Rhea “couldn’t care less.” Well why interrupt then, weirdo? Gotta agree with Bianca here. Bianca also has no time for this. These ladies are no Ocean’s 8, I tell you that much.

The Creeds vs Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee

Tornado Tag Team Match

Gotta really respect the LWO for continuing to exist. If Karrion Kross’ group can do it, the LWO should get to, at least they have good matches and the fans respond to that once they get cooking.

It really is wild how great Rey can still be. I really doubt he can still do a singles WWE main event style match — well, no, I doubt he can do it consistently, just in hanging in there physically due to Father Time, but this is definitely not someone I expected I’d still see regularly on TV in 25 years, 25 years ago.

Creeds showing so much spark as a tremendous midcard tag team that could, with time, be a true top tag team. They’re still learning on the job. But what enthusiasm to do it!

Speaking of enthusiasm, the biggest thing that stands out to me about Rey these days is that he still bumps pretty strongly, like, obviously he doesn’t bump near as much as he used to, but he’s not going soft on anything.

It’s a fun match. These sides have no immediate upside so it’s really just a fun match for the sake of one, which is fine. There’s a little story, I just take “story” less significantly when I know no matter what they do, there’s still low ceiling either way. Gable twists Rey’s mask around and Tall Creed rolls The WWE Hall of Famer up for the win. ***¼

• WWE wants me to look at videos of people from social media reacting to the end of last week’s Smackdown. I do not want to, as I do not like these people! Sorry to be so negative but honestly, if you think about it, at my age it would be far weirder if I did care about this.

• Backstage: Judgment Day hanging out. Here’s R-Truth. He just wants to hide out from Butch. Balor says Truth will need a place to hide from him if he doesn’t get out. Truth cancels Thanksgiving and leaves, which does distress Carlito. Balor gets into his group manipulation. Liv is quiet but I think you can see her staring at him, she knows what this dope is doing, and I think Dominik does, too. McDonagh stops Finn short of totally giving himself away.

Ludwig Kaiser vs Bron Breakker

This is non-title, just a follow-up on Kaiser attacking Breakker (and Sheamus) on last week’s ‘sode². Breakker, as usual, wants to immediately bully Kaiser. Ooh, brother, Bron’s rope-run high velocity clothesline is extra rad here because Kaiser really takes the shit out of it by kinda standing his ground and considering a counter. It’s an idea! It turned out to be a bad one. In the future I wouldn’t try it again.

Breakker with an F5 that he drops down into a gut-buster over the knees. Breakker builds the head of steam and annihilates the corner of the commentary desk, holy crap that ruled.

Back in the ring after break and Ludwig’s in control. Kaiser doing a great job here, really, capitalizing on Bron’s mistakes, but Breakker is just such a wild force of nature when he has any momentum. This shit rocks; Kaiser has become one of the absolute best TV wrestlers on the planet and Breakker is just so much fun to watch.

As Kaiser gets another advantage and sets to run around the ring for his own sprint attack, Sheamus runs in from behind and clobbers Kaiser! The match ruled, figured this would be the finish but what a time getting there. ***½

• After break: Officials thought they’d settled the three-way brawl, but they had not. Adam Pearce is here with the mic. “Everybody wants to fight … fine! Everybody fights!” Triple threat at Survivor Series! Hell yeah, brother.

• Backstage: Cathy Kelley is with Sami Zayn, and Jimmy and Jey Uso. She very specifically says “Jimmy and Jey” and not “the Usos.” Zayn admits CM Punk is a “complicated guy” and everyone has a “complicated history” with him, and Roman and Paul Heyman will sit down and talk on Friday. Jimmy — whose character is clearly “dumb as hell” — fully trusts Punk and Heyman.

War Raiders vs Finn Balor & JD McDonagh (c)

World Tag Team Championship

Champs out first because this company has no respect for tradition. Well, War Raiders getting more response this week for their offense, and it sounds legit (maybe a tad sweetened, I’ll never fully believe, but still). And they’re getting a great showing here.

Dom and Carlito try to interfere but fail, War Raiders are just kinda kicking ass here. War Machine hits on McDonagh, but he’s too close to the rope and Dominik is able to get his foot on the bottom rope. The ref saw it, though, so he ejects Dom and Carlito. Now, listen — if the ref saw it the ref could also just call for that being the finish, but he did stop his own count, which could be more instinct and muscle memory than anything.

But at any rate, it does result in McDonagh sneaking the pin and the Irishmen retain. The good news is I think the actual momentum for War Raiders is building. ***¼

• Video: 10 years of New Day next week! It’ll be a New Day, yes it will. “Join us as we celebrate a decade of positivity.” They remembered “Old Day,” which I think is actually funny to remember now. Everything didn’t always work, even if shockingly the vast majority did. Kofi and Woods are on the graphic, Big E isn’t.

• Backstage: Kofi and Woods look on and look happy with the trip down memory lane, and both agree it’s time to squash their current issues. But they’re up next in the ring.

Alpha Academy vs New Day

If I were Otis and Tozawa I would ask to stop being called “Alpha Academy” considering it was a name created by a guy who thinks they’re huge losers, and is right. They suck so bad that Wade News suggests if New Day lose this match, it really probably is time to quit.

Kofi and Woods (nicely) arguing over who will start — and Woods tags himself in immediately after appearing to agree with Kofi. They hate each other. Can’t even make it 10 minutes. Otis does his caterpillar elbow early so congrats to Glendale, they saw the one thing they care about — and then Tozawa hits a big ol’ flying senton for the quick win, pinning Woods! Wow! They did it! It really is time for New Day to hang it up! And I mean entirely. Don’t just split. Retire.

• Post-match: Alpha Academy are understandably super psyched. They leave, and Kofi and Woods are at each others throats again. Woods walking out, Kofi trying to follow. Still yelling at each other. Camera following them all the way back through Gorilla, into the back. Woods: “You’re wrestling like garbage!” And now it’s all coming out. This has built for years. Kofi: “There’s a reason that E and I never let you call the shots. You’re too reckless, man!” Woods rips back. Kofi back in return. Man, they’re digging in hard. Kofi: “Do you know why you have never been world champion like me, and like E? It’s because you have not been good enough, and that is not my fault!” The name “Brock Lesnar” gets said. I really want to be clear that I think these two have done excellent work this entire angle, and this is terrific. They’ll meet again next week, but these two are done. I expect E to try and mend the fences and for Woods to turn fully.

• Backstage: Miz arrives to speak with Team Kross. The Wyatts are here, they did not see Miz. They are off to meet the Wyatt Family, and Scarlett is being left behind to stay out of danger. Haha, totally. Nikki Cross will definitely not be in this mirr—yeah, she’s in the mirror.

• Last year: Here’s a great shot of CM Punk backstage before returning at Survivor Series last year, being told where the lighting is best. Thrilling. Love my immersion in this show, the suspension of disbelief.

• Backstage: Team Kross walk around looking for the Wyatts. They run across Pete Dunne, who wants to know if Miz has seen Truth, but he hasn’t. They knock on their locker room door, and Scarlett is suffering immediate PTSD. Kross is actually quite good at this, being sort of a normal person behind his act. “Everyone has something to lose” is written on the mirror in lipstick, which he sees as he embraces his wife.

• Earlier tonight: I must have missed this in my commercial skipping show-trailing, but Raw has officially announced a women’s Intercontinental championship. On a quick scan of the YouTube TV time bar, maybe they taped it before the show and aired it now.

• Backstage: The women’s heel team for War Games are together. Nia still doesn’t know who took Jade out, but it’s time for the TV main event.

• Video: Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline are talking in their special room. Reed is very good at standing still with sunglasses on. Well, Solo’s talking to be clear. Their War Games Advantage Match is Jey Uso vs Jacob Fatu on Friday. You really can’t have Fatu lose that by anything but DQ and the heel team having advantage is obviously the right call. Always.

Nia Jax vs Bianca Belair

War Games Advantage Match

This company is too good for a coin flip.

Nia knocked to the floor quickly, but catches Bianca jumping off the apron and smashes her into the post a couple times then hurls her into the barricade to go to break.

Returning to action — Numbers Game!!!!!! — we’ve got Nia still in control. Nia dominating the match, in fact. Bianca just got neutralized immediately here. Bianca taken to the corner, still down, Nia hits a second rope legdrop but Bianca kicks (and kicks heavy, Bianca is a real kick-outer).

Come on, man. (Follow Kate on various social media platforms!)

Belair makes her comeback because she’s a True Champion. Bianca going for the KOD, but Nia fights away, avalanche in the corner, another one on the other side. Out to the floor, and the desk is in play once again! Paul’s gonna get yelled at so hard when the TKO financials come back and they see “commentary desk” costs have gone up 1400%.

Just a Samoan drop onto the desk, not going through, but Bianca’s down and taking the count out there. Nia breaks it because she can see Bianca will beat it, so she sends her into the steps, which are steel.

HEY! It’s Bayley! She gets a shot in on Nia and motions to Bianca to take advantage, and Bianca’s not in a position to argue this time. 450 wins it! ***½

• Post-match: Bianca now has time to really consider what just happened. No more happens, but Bayley’s giving her the look, they smile, and I think they have their Jade replacement.

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GRADE: B

Thought this was a pretty good Raw ‘sode! Felt fast-paced, some stuff got done, some things moved along, a huge nod over last week’s largely filler-feeling taped show.

Three Stars of the Show

1. New Day: Man, those dudes went hard on that promo. Totally believable as tension finally boiling over, things that have gone unsaid for years. Again, if you’ve ever had a long-term friendship come to a head like this, it’s been really well-executed, very accurate. Friendships do die off like any relationship can. If you’ve been friends long enough, there’s absolutely an intimacy, and there have definitely been things left unsaid over the years, and if you get this point where it hits the wall like this — these guys have done tremendous work, and I’m genuinely excited to see what they do next week. 10 years of any act, especially a trios/tag that started with zero real expectations, is amazing. And it’s time.

2. Bron Breakker: Look, I love watching this lunatic careen recklessly into stuff, but that corner of the desk spot — I don’t care how “not real” of a “table” that is, that was wild, something that made me really go, “Oh, God!” out loud. Someone might want to chill him out a smidge before he puts himself on the IL for nine months running into shit. Or not! Not my body, not my career, and I’ll be hootin’ and hollerin’ about it either way.

3. War Raiders: Didn’t get the W but thought that was a really strong showing for them, a good night that helps them build better momentum into actually taking the belts. It’s neither a marathon nor a sprint, you don’t want to wait too long, but doing it now would have felt a little too close to rushing the Smackdown tag belts onto MCMG so that you actually have a division again, because it is basically the same situation.

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2. I’m gonna get ‘sode to work.