‘WWE Raw’ Review (Jan 13th 2025)
Welcome to this review of this past Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, right here on Nerdly – the second Netflix episode of the red and black brand… and the WWE debut of luchador legend Penta!
Match #1: Penta def. Chad Gable
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Penta emerged as Chad Gable’s mystery luchador opponent and picked up a debut victory with an excruciating Sacrifice followed by the Penta Driver.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: Sheamus def. Ludwig Kaiser
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Sheamus seized retribution against Ludwig Kaiser when he hit an earth-shattering Brogue Kick out of nowhere for the three-count. After the match, however, The Celtic Warrior found himself in a volatile confrontation with Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker, who was watching the showdown from ringside. After some trash talk and a shove by Breakker, the competitors were quickly separated.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Women’s Intercontinental Championship – Lyra Valkyria def. Dakota Kai
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Although Dakota Kai hit Lyra Valkyria with the GTK, her opponent rolled out of the ring to avoid the pinfall. Valkyria recovered to reclaim the advantage and landed the Night Wing to solidify her place in history as the first Women’s Intercontinental Champion.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: Sami Zayn def. The Miz
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After a backstage confrontation with The Miz and Karrion Kross, Sami Zayn reigned supreme over The A-Lister with a Helluva Kick/Blue Thunder Bomb combination.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Street Fight – Damian Priest def. Finn Bálor
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The explosive Street Fight pitting Damian Priest against his former Judgment Day brother Finn Bálor was waged inside the ring, outside the ring, and through the crowd. It incorporated Kendo sticks, the announce table, trash cans and multiple steel chairs. In a stunning moment, Priest executed a Broken Arrow from high on a railing in the crowd and down hard into a pile of WWE equipment. Although this put Bálor on a stretcher, Priest still attacked his opponent. JD McDonagh and Carlito soon interfered, but they were neutralized by The Viking Raiders. The action continued with Finn hitting a Coup de Grace through an announce table and Priest driving his foe through the ringside barricade and the table before finally ending the battle with South of Heaven.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.75/5
Now this was a good show! Penta debuted and looked like a superstar (not that he already isn’t), Chad Gable was the perfect opponent for his first match – allowing him to show the more casual WWE fan just what the hell he’s all about. Loved it. The rest of the card didn’t match up to that standard but the matches really did try. Surprisingly the women’s Intercontinental Championship match was fantastic – nice to see Lyra get a spotlight and the win too. As for the main event… It’s been a while since a WWE street fight felt like a street fight and this match certainly did! Overall this was a fantastic episode of Raw and if this is a sign of what the Netflix era has for us then I’m all in!
