1 day Ago By Kevin Berge
WWE Raw has aired on the USA Network for the very last time. On January 6, the show will move to Netflix with a special debut episode. The biggest stars in the business will compete to make an impact in front of a brand-new streaming audience.
WWE has already announced huge matches including: This was only the beginning of a show that could include wild returns, shocking moments and great action. The following are six predictions for the premiere of Raw on Netflix that could change the complexion of WWE in 2025 and beyond. The year 2023 belonged to Rhea Ripley, who captured the Women's World Championship in April at WrestleMania 39 and kept the title through the rest of the year.
The year 2024 belonged to Liv Morgan, who captured the Women's Wold Championship in May at Crown Jewel and kept the title through the rest of the year. This year will likely focus on both women, but only one can reign supreme. And all signs point to Mami getting back on top.
Ripley has dominated everyone she has fought in recent years except Morgan, who has escaped her rival time and again. However, it is unlikely the Australian will lose a third straight match to Morgan, so the Women's World Championship will change hands in their Last Woman Standing clash. A big title change can make the Raw on Netflix debut memorable and possibly set up a major moment in the aftermath.
WrestleMania 40 played host to multiple huge matches, including the battle between Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch for the Women's World Championship. It was a good contest, but it hardly reached the heights both women can achieve due to injuries and illness. Before either could set the stage for a sequel, though, Ripley was injured while The Man chose to take some time away from the ring.
Since then, Lynch has disappeared from the public eye, spending time with her daughter, Roux, while preparing for the next step in her career. That includes a role in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy , debuting in 2026. However, Lynch's wrestling return is approaching rapidly, as proved by her appearance in the latest Raw on Netflix trailer.
The debut episode would be the perfect stage for her return, particularly immediately establishing herself as a future title contender. Ripley vs. Lynch would be a major hook for the Royal Rumble on February 1, allowing the two to improve upon their effort from 2024 and set a standard for the women's division in 2025.
Roman Reigns has clearly established that his goal is to reclaim his ula fala before he can do anything else in WWE. His match with Solo Sikoa on Monday is a chance to set The Original Tribal Chief back on the right track, and the story will be much stronger with Reigns again wearing the ula fala. Sikoa has had his time as the "new" Tribal Chief.
He gained significant credibility in that time but has gone as far as he can in his current role. He will benefit from adversity, forced to face the fact that he needs more to overcome Reigns at the head of the table. This will set the stage for Reigns' next character evolution as well.
Can he hold onto the ula fala without reverting back to his worst tendencies? This is exactly the kind of Bloodline drama Netflix will be craving from WWE. Drew McIntyre has set his sights on three men: Jey Uso, Sami Zayn and Jimmy Uso. He has already defeated Zayn twice in great matches, setting the stage for Main Event to step up next.
Jey's feud with The Scottish Warrior is unlikely to completed in one match, so the result of their Raw on Netflix premiere clash cannot be definitive. The best answer would be for Jimmy to return to help Jey. Jimmy suffered a broken toe at Survivor Series: WarGames and was then attacked by McIntyre on SmackDown while recovering.
He is already healthy enough to get back to wrestling since he has been working house show matches since December 26, setting the stage for a January TV return. Jimmy owes McIntyre a receipt for his attack three weeks back and could again pop the crowd by standing tall with his brother, Jey. This would be a great crowd-pleasing moment that will bring back more stars for The Bloodline story as well as giving the Scot more rivals to combat.
It would also push McIntyre to seek out allies in his new vendetta as he cannot defeat three men on his own and likely wouldn't align fully with Solo Sikoa. John Cena is returning to WWE in 2025 for one last year of full-time action before retiring. WWE has confirmed he will return on Raw on Netflix debut to begin his retirement tour.
No one has yet to announce for the Royal Rumble matches in 2025, so it would certainly make a statement for The Cenation Leader to be the first to confirm his participation in the men's contest on February 1. Every man who followed would get a chance to wrestle the WWE icon for perhaps the last time. This also sets the stage for Cena to become just the second man after "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to win three Rumble matches and possibly become the first-ever 17-time world champion in WWE.
The main event of the first episode of Raw on Netflix will be CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins. Despite a loaded card, this contest will end the night for a reason.
A great match is almost guaranteed, but The Best in the World and The Visionary need to end the show with a moment that will get everyone talking. The best option would be for Rollins to turn on Punk. It is more than just about wrestling The Best in the World.
The Visionary wants to end Punk and remove him from WWE for good. The crowd is too behind Punk for Rollins to do so without going bad. A cheap win coupled with a vicious attack post-match would make a statement.
It would set the stage for Rollins to take over Raw, possibly adding friends who equally detest Punk such as Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens. This is a strong hook to ensure fans tune in for the second show and beyond, curious what Rollins might do next..
