WWE RAW HITS & MISSES (1/6): Mezzera returns to evaluate what worked and didn’t on the Netflix premiere with Rock, Cena, Hogan, Punk-Seth, Undertaker

Opening Video – HIT: I fully understand WWE going all in on making this first episode on Netflix feel like a huge deal. They definitely did that. The pageantry started off well with this opening video package narrated by Triple H. It was very well produced, which isn’t surprising given WWE’s history of making great video packages. Followed by a relatively short appearance from Triple H himself, it made for a good start to the Netflix era. The big show feel with all the celebrities, the Smackdown wresters, and the legends in attendance was fun too. I could have done without multiple introductions for Netflix suits.

The Rock – MISS: The Rock was perfectly fine in his role, and if he hadn’t had the return last year with his heel run as the Final Boss, this probably would have been a Hit. But it was hard to ignore all that happened around WrestleMania last year. He was with Roman Reigns then, and he still is now, so that all makes sense. But the interaction with Cody Rhodes was odd. It also was part of the corporate kiss ass feel to this show which was a problem. Another problem with the show is that it didn’t do much to point to the future. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in expecting Rock to somehow help to pivot the Bloodline story away from Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa. He did announce that he’d be on NXT’s special New Year’s Evil episode which was nice and should help pop a rating.

Reigns vs. Sikoa – HIT: This felt like an appropriate end to the Tribal Chief battle feud between these two. It wasn’t surprising that the pace would be so slow to begin with, but it picked up later in the match. It wasn’t a great technical match, but a good WWE style sports entertainment match with the story it told, the emotions, and the bells and whistles with the interference and ref bumps. Nobody was surprised when the rest of the Bloodline or Jimmy Uso and Sammy Zayn got involved. I did not see Kevin Owens’ involvement coming (maybe I should have?) So that was a nice surprise. It wall worked well and all those other wrestlers were gone by the time the very end came which was good. Reigns winning was obviously the right move. Now, where do they all go from here?

Saudi Arabia Rumble – MISS: I don’t want to rehash all the issues that exist with the business relationship between WWE and the Saudi government. I never have watched any of the Saudi shows. I at least appreciate that they are mostly meaningless. While I might miss some nostalgia over the years, or the finals of a King of the Ring tournament, I never feel like I really miss out on anything important when I skip those shows. The fact that one of the big 3 is now moving there is very upsetting, especially when it is my favorite event of the year.

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John Cena – HIT: Cena’s appearance wasn’t a surprise as he had been announced for the show. It was good to see him kick off his retirement tour. It is good that he is committed to many dates throughout the year. This won’t just be a few special appearances. He set up a clear mission statement for himself to break the record by winning his 17th World Championship, while admitting how nearly impossible that will be for him at this point at the end of his career. But, his vow to enter and win the Rumble was a strong finish to the promo and should build anticipation for that show.

Morgan vs. Ripley – HIT: Lets all hope that this was the end of this feud which has dragged on a little too long. Liv Morgan had a nice run as Women’s Champion, but it was time for it to end. She and Rhea Ripley had a good match together. The way that Ripley was able to fend off interference from both Dirty Dominik Mysterio and Raquel Rodriguez was strong. It was a good match that built nicely to that moment when Ripley caught Morgan and looked at her to show that she is the dominant one in the match, and then hit two Riptides for the win. Her bit with Dominik afterwards was fun too.

Undertaker – MISS: After the Women’s Title match, I was expecting the return of Becky Lynch. Instead, we got a random appearance by The Undertaker. I don’t associate Ripley and Undertaker in any way. That little bit of extra nostalgia didn’t add anything to the enjoyment of the show. It felt too random and forced. I have seen rumors that the original plan was to have Lynch appear at that point. If that’s true, it is a shame the plan got changed. WWE had a chance to pivot Ripley to something new and point to the future with a captive audience. Instead, they went for more of the same nostalgia which they already had plenty of. Where were the hooks for the future? Becky would have been a big moment.

Uso vs. McIntyre – HIT: This was a good match between Jey Uso and Drew McIntyre. I do question the ending of the match. McIntyre needed the win more after coming out of his feud with CM Punk. Maybe WWE has a good plan and the story going forward will show that this was the right finish to the match, but for now I feel like Drew should have won. I am still giving the match a Hit despite the ending for the strong work and how much I enjoyed it while it lasted.

Gunther – MISS: This felt like a major missed opportunity to feature the World Champion on the first Netflix episode of Raw. The video package on Gunther was good, and under other circumstances, it could have been a Hit. But, he should have been in the ring in front of that audience, to cement him as a top star in this new era.

Hulk Hogan – MISS: WWE clearly made a miscalculation when they decided to have Hulk Hogan on this episode. The fans were not happy to see him and he got a pretty negative reaction. He didn’t serve any real purpose either other than adding to that nostalgic “big night” feel to the show which wasn’t needed considering how much of that type of content was already on the show. He is toxic and didn’t belong anywhere near this show. Hopefully, they learned their lesson. I guess they have a new sponsorship deal with his beer company. But, that doesn’t mean he needs to ever be seen again.

Punk vs. Rollins – HIT: This was clearly the best match of the night and a very good Raw main event. It would have been good for a PLE also. At 19 minutes, it went a good length without being overly long. CM Punk and Seth Rollins have good chemistry in the ring together. The match was well booked and well executed with the various finisher steals and near falls. The finishing sequence was particularly strong with Punk catching Rollins during his attempt to hit a falcon arrow and hit the GTS instead. The way Rollins stumbled around and fell right across Punk’s shoulders for a second GTS was very well done. It was a strong ending to an up and down, but overall pretty fun first Raw on Netflix. This definitely felt more like a mini-PLE than a typical episode of Raw. My guess going forward is that the shows will feel much more like typical Raws which is a good thing. I just wish they weren’t going to be 3 hours.

(Jon Mezzera is PWTorch.com’s WWE Raw Hits & Misses Specialist, providing his point of view for Raw each week. Email him at jmezz_torch@yahoo.com.)