WWE Raw - 1/20/2025: 3 Things We Loved And Hated

By Wrestling Inc. StaffJan. 21, 2025 12:22 am EST

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Another "WWE Raw" has come and gone. This week's show was live from Dallas, TX, and was the final "Raw" before this weekend's Saturday Night's Main Event. Much like every week, there was plenty to love, and plenty to hate.

This will not get into "what happened" on "WWE Raw," as that is what the results page is for. Instead, the Wrestling Inc. staff will be breaking down the good and the bad of Monday's show. With things like the incorporation of JBL or the formless shape of "Raw" in the Netflix era, there was plenty to hate, and with delightful segments like Bayley and Roxanne Perez's interaction or the closing bout between Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre, there was also plenty to love. So without further ado, here's the best and the worst of Monday's edition of "WWE Raw," the third in the Netflix era.

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As of late, WWE has been very focused on building up hype and storylines heading into the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event (like they should be given that it's one of their big four shows). With this focus has come less time to build up storylines and promote matches for WWE Saturday Night's Main Event, which is fine due to its close proximity to the Royal Rumble, but becomes a but more contentious when the stories for the already existing matches aren't really being advanced.

Enter Jey Uso and GUNTHER. I don't mind the story that GUNTHER doesn't take Jey seriously as a challenger since it makes sense with the former's entire character, but the exchange between the two in the opener of tonight's show was incredibly similar to the one that they had last week. There wasn't anything that really distinguished the two segments from one another, and nothing was done tonight to ramp up the tensions or stakes between the two in any kind of way. Jey challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship should feel like a big deal no matter what show it's on because of how over he is with fans, but it doesn't in this case. The storyline has fallen completely flat, and is rather disappointing when you consider the talent that are being featured in it.

Written by Olivia Quinlan

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Tonight's match pitting former Women's Champions Nia Jax and Bayley against one another was more than an excellent match overall – it brought three storylines into one cohesive package that I loved in part for how fluidly it all flowed together, as well as how good all the pieces were on their own. Jax and Bayley have their history together and were due to have a match after Jax called Bayley out last week, and Ripley and Bayley beat down Jax. Former NXT Women's Champion Roxanne Perez was ringside to continue her ongoing storyline with Bayley that started on the developmental brand last week. And of course, "Mami" came out after Jax attacked her before the show even started, to get her revenge and finally add a women's match to Saturday Night's Main Event this weekend. All together, this was definitely my favorite part of the show.

Perez being at ringside to take shots at Bayley during the match was a nice touch. The collided, trading slaps, but it wasn't over-the-top to take away from the actual match itself. I think WWE is almost soft-launching Perez on the main roster and she'll be officially called up after making an impressive appearance in the Royal Rumble. For now, it's intriguing, and hopefully getting eyes on "WWE NXT," which, in my humble opinion, is probably the second best, if not the best, WWE show right now. Bayley is a perfect dance partner for Perez, and their slow build, while getting Perez on main roster television, is a good move.

I don't think Bayley is capable of having a bad match against any woman on the roster right now, and Jax has improved so much in the ring over the last year or two, that this was a fun showcase of both of their talents tonight. Yes, the transfer window is getting a bit old, but I'm glad Bayley is on "Raw" to freshen things up, and one match against Jax to tie up lose ends there didn't harm anything on tonight's show. Bayley made herself scarce when Ripley ran down to the ring to beat up on Jax, but it wasn't enough for me to forget her part in all of this.

The pull-apart brawl between Jax and Ripley was excellent. The amount of security and officials it took to get these tough, strong women away from each other made it feel like a big deal – which was a great look for them both. I was wondering what women's match would get added to Saturday's card, and this is definitely one I want to see. While I don't think Jax is taking that title away from Ripley by any means, it should be a fun bout that adds some spice to SNME. It may be because I'm so glad to see Ripley move on to face anyone but Liv Morgan, but I'm excited to see it, and tonight's setup for it couldn't have been better on a short notice.

Written by Daisy Ruth

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"WWE Raw" no longer has a set end time, and while that might sound like it means the show now contains boundless possibilities, it's actually turned the whole thing into a bit of a slog.

The end time of a tv show is like a beacon, a light at the end of the tunnel. There is a certain level of electricity that comes from knowing we're getting closer and closer to the thrilling climax of an episode of television. That is no longer the case on Mondays.

"WWE Raw" was only 2 hours and 30-something minutes, which is much shorter than the show has been for much of my life. Despite the brief two-hour shows at the end of 2024, it's always been a three-hour product, but somehow the 2.5 hour version of "Raw" felt so much longer because there is no way to know that it's just a 2.5 hour "Raw."

There came a point, where the WWE cameras were panning the crowd, reading out signs that fans had brought, where I started to think "This show is never going to end." With no set end time, the matches left in the show could mean the show ends in 15-30 minutes or even hours. There's no way to know which way is up or down, kinda like how casinos don't have clocks or windows so you can't see how much time you're spending there. It makes an already slow show feel even slower, even when it's almost never been shorter.

Written by Ross W Berman IV

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This week's "Raw" gave a lot to the growing dynamics between Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, and Seth Rollins as they each head into a pivotal Royal Rumble event. Zayn emerged earlier in the night to say he would be joining McIntyre and Rollins in the Rumble, only for Owens to emerge; he of course has a WWE Championship match against Cody Rhodes at the event.

Zayn and Owens' interaction itself was incredibly intriguing, with Owens making it clear he expects Zayn to ensure they finally get their dream of a WrestleMania World Championship main event, and in doing so he will support Zayn in winning the Rumble. That in itself came moments after Karrion Kross had said he didn't believe the babyface persona of Zayn, and Kross would later be seen in the background staring as Rollins and Zayn shared a segment, and that played into the closing angle of the show to tease dissent between them. Putting a pin in Zayn and Owens' arcs for the time being, Rollins and McIntyre met in the ring for the main event, despite McIntyre making it clear he wanted an alliance with Rollins weeks ago. They shared a very intense and physical match, one which told the animosity between them really well, which ended by a hairline margin and prompted further animosity from the loser.

That then prompted Zayn to emerge and make the save, given his own issues with McIntyre stemming from his reunion with yet another Rumble entrant, Roman Reigns, in November last year. But McIntyre would retreat with the psychological advantage as he avoided a Helluva Kick, which Rollins took instead, leaving Rollins and Zayn in a precarious position to close things off. While he wasn't featured directly in the angle tonight given he's facing Gunther this weekend, Jey Uso is yet another name announced for the Rumble who is tied into the arcs of Zayn, Rollins, and McIntyre, and thus worthy of a mention. CM Punk is another one. That makes six separate stars in the main event picture of both brands and going into the Rumble who each have their own individual arcs with, crafting a rarely genuine field of competitors and worthy picks to win the whole thing.

By having the characters interact in such a way, with each and every action coming with its own plethora of reactions, there is a real sense of cohesion for the overarching plot coming into WrestleMania season. It feels like any of the aforementioned could win the Rumble and main event 'Mania, each with their own compelling stories and interactions, and it just makes for good viewing in my opinion.

Written by Max Everett

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Pat McAfee just doesn't work for me. His entire schtick is a bit grating and he sounds exhausted half the time, as his punishing schedule is clearly taking a toll on the popular broadcaster. For that reason, it was a nice respite to have tenured WWE Broadcaster Wade Barrett on the call on Monday.

Barrett is a seasoned pro and has wonderful chemistry with Michael Cole. The former "WWE NXT" star seemed to genuinely enjoy being back on Monday nights, and his energy helped carry a somewhat slog of a show.

I know that McAfee is one of the main hooks of WWE on Netflix, but I can't help but feel like he's already become something of a tired gimmick. Where he used to be a special attraction, he has now hung around long enough that his lack of polish and growth in the position is starting to show. Now I am not asking for a return to the robotic commentary of the McMahon era, but Barrett's jovial nature strikes a good balance between commentary robot and Pat McAfee's shouting doofus act. I am technically a guest around these parts, I don't normally cover "Raw" so take my opinion with whatever grain of salt you think it requires, but the company certainly could use a few more Wade Barretts.

Written by Ross W Berman IV

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When "RAW" moved to Netflix three weeks ago, it was filled with celebrities and nostalgia from the likes of The Rock, John Cena, Jimmy Hart, and Hulk Hogan. Now that the "pat on the back party" is over, "RAW" has started going back to regularly scheduled programming. Then, they brought back JBL since they were in Dallas.

For some reason last year, the Texan made the rounds at promotions like GCW, OVW, and AAA in Mexico. Few things make me lose interest in a promotion like utilizing JBL for any reason (I didn't watch any GCW shows that involved him). Many stories throughout the years have painted JBL as a bully outside of the ring. In fact, he allegedly bullied Mauro Ranallo into leaving the company because of his treatment of the commentator (although JBL denies it).

On "RAW", JBL was involved in a backstage segment with New Day. He then sat on commentary for Kofi Kingston versus Rey Mysterio. With Pat McAfee on assignment with ESPN, Wade Barrett came over from "SmackDown" to fill in. JBL and Cole used to be on commentary together back in the day. While it wasn't awkward per se, it felt unnatural with Barrett in the mix (although JBL put him over). JBL did make a crack where he compared "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio to Nelson Mandela due to the former's "prison time".

Luckily, the three-man both only lasted for a single match. It didn't add anything to the match or the show. At least with Shawn "HBK" Michaels being added to the upcoming "Saturday Night Main Event" show, he will be serving as the moderator for the contract signing between Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes. If WWE insists on bringing in past Superstars for more than just an appearance, they should utilize them to bring something to what's happening instead of just cramming them on TV just because they can.

Written by Samantha Schipman