WWE RAW on Netflix debut RESULTS: New world champion crowned, The Rock and John Cena return and CM Punk BEATS Seth Rollins

WWE finally made it’s long-awaited, $5billion debut on Netflix and the show featured plenty of legends and top stars fit for the occasion.

The company went all out with a title match, two ends to blood feuds and a host of A-list names, so let’s get into the action. 

The banner show kicked off with a ‘cold open’ video package that showed the history of WWE leading up to their $5 billion deal with Netflix, fittingly voiced by Triple H himself. 

As soon as the video cut, The Game was standing in front of the 17,000 strong Los Angeles crowd. After a roaring speech welcoming everyone to the ‘Netflix era’, the current chief of creative was swiftly followed by one of his greatest ever rivals – The Rock.

The Rock dropped the first swear words of the Netflix era just 15 minutes into the broadcast as he called ‘bulls***’ on his own attempt to convert his famous catchphrase into ‘Finally, WWE has come back to Netflix’ – which was rightly met with silence.

 Cody Rhodes was watching on from ringside – for some reason – and Rock took time to give the current WWE undisputed heavyweight champion his props. The interaction these two had after WrestleMania last year made many believe it was a lock they would battle when The Rock returned again – evidently not.

 The Rock did take time to acknowledge Roman Reigns as the real tribal chief and said he would be watching his battle with Solo Sikoa closely, which paved the way for said matchup.

Solo Sikoa v Roman Reigns

Sikoa, the young whippersnapper (who is only eight years younger than Roman, but still) who wants to be the true leader of the Bloodline, dominated the legendary Reigns in the early going, much to Paul Heyman’s dismay.

 A monitor to the head set the tone. Ring posts and steel chairs followed. Of course, in Bloodline rules, that’s all fine and legal. Then after Roman attempted a fightback, he suffered a spinning Solo onto prone chairs.

Reigns hit a drive-by to get back into it, but a kendo stick to the head cut his comeback off. The six-time world champion reversed his fortunes while being beaten in the corner as he powerbombed Sikoa through a table, but before he could secure a three count, Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu interrupted.  

After multiple finishers, Reigns still kicked out and Sikoa decked the ref. That prompted Sami Zayn and Jimmy Uso attempted to make the save and turn the tide back in Reigns’ favour. This time, it was Sikoa’s turn to kick out of a couple of finishers, including Reigns’ spear.

Kevin Owens made a shock entrance into the match to Stun Reigns, which the OTC also kicked out of. Then Cody Rhodes came to save Reigns and fight Owens – are you keeping up with me?

Finally, that just left Reigns and Sikoa. One spear later, and Reigns finally got his ula fala back.

The Rock joined Reigns in the ring after the match and every fan was on the edge of their seat waiting for the final boss to turn on his real-life cousin. But, it didn’t happen.

Instead, The Great One put the ul fala over Reigns and after a tense stare off, let the OTC have his moment.

John Cena’s retirement tour kicked off with a promo following the Samoan collision and before our world title matchup.

The crowd went wild for Cena’s return to TV and the now Hollywood star wasted little time talking about his connections to the LA area at the start of his career and what he wants to do with the final year of it.

Can he become a record-breaking 17-time world champion in WWE? That’s what he wants, but he realises the main event scene is so jam-packed, he has to win the opportunity rather than fight his way to the top.

Money in the Bank or Elimination Chamber at options, but when Cena mentioned winning the Royal Rumble, the Los Angeles crowd went bananas. That led to Cena declaring he will enter the Rumble and not just that – he’s going to win it. 

The rumours he will face Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas are alive. 

Liv Morgan (c) vs Rhea Ripley – WWE RAW Womens Championship

Morgan started the match trying to outwit the much more powerful Ripley, but she seldom got her rewards.

Morgan, complete with Raquel Rodriguez and Dominik Mysterio at ringside, did her best to throw the former champion off, but Ripley was in an irrepressible mood.

After three Riptides to finish the match off, Ripley got the one, two, three and became a three-time world champion.

After the match, Ripley first got revenge on Dirty Dom, the man who betrayed her to align with Morgan. When Dom went for an apology hug, he swiftly got a kick to his groin.

As Ripley was departing, The Undertaker rode down to the ring in his American Badass persona and celebrated with Ripley, capping off a career moment.

Jey Uso vs Drew McIntyre

Travis Scott arrived to walk down to the arena very clearly smoking marijuana, much to the shock of fans and other WWE stars online!

Jey, who was absent from the Samoan encounter presumably preparing for this, met McIntyre afte the Scot’s promise to punish anyone associated with Reigns or CM Punk. After attacking his brother Jimmy and Zayn in recent weeks, it was Jey’s turn.

Predictably, McIntyre had the majority of the matchup but in the closing stretch when the former three-time world champion was readying his Claymore, a laid out Uso reversed it into a roll-up and secure the shock pinfall victory.

Hulk Hogan arrived and when we say virtually no one was happy to see him, we mean it.

His beer, ‘real American beer’, is now a sponsor of WWE and was showcased on the ring mat. You can understand why he was wheeled out, as Michael Cole said on commentary, none of us would be here if it wasn’t for Hogan. 

But that was a great run in the 1980s. More recently, he’s been exposed for making vile racist comments, for which many in the WWE lockerroom didn’t believe he properly apologised for, and has aligned with Donald Trump. 

It turns out WWE fans dont love that and he was roundly booed, even as he tried to tell the fans they were the best tag team partner he’s ever had.

Seth Rollins vs CM Punk

After Hogan’s nightmare outing, it was main event time. Finally, a match decades in the making between Seth Rollins and CM Punk was about to go down, beautifully narrated by Michael Cole before the first bell and fitting for the main event of a landmark show like this.

 This was the first time these two have ever touched but it sure didn’t look like it. Smooth, compelling action from two seasoned pros who managed to convey their disdain for each other with every beat.

Rollins dominated the vast majority of the contest, nailing Punk with his own GTS and following up a buckle bomb with his curb stomp for a few near falls. He even pedigreed Punk on the announce table and again in the ring, but still couldn’t get the win.

No, it was Punk who instead got the win with two GTS’ back-to-back, grabbing a win that will surely send Rollins further into insanity.