SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE RAW REPORT
FEBRUARY 3, 2025
CLEVELAND, OHIO AT ROCKET MORTGAGE FIELDHOUSE
AIRED LIVE ON NETFLIX (WORLDWIDE)
REPORT BY MAURICIO POMARES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTORS
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Attendance: WrestleTix reports that 11,753 tickets were distributed as of recently. The arena has a capacity of 19,432 spectators when configured for concerts.
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by ProWrestling.net’s Jake Barnett to review WWE Raw LIVE tonight right after the show ends. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Raw during the show.
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Raw. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
VIP MEMBER EXCLUSIVE VIDEO CALLER CODE: CLICK HERE
https://streamyard.com/z3giwxazq5
Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller” (or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine). This is a private link, so don’t share. It’s just for VIP members at this time.
If you can’t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen or stream later on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER WWE RAW TONIGHT: LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER WWE RAW TONIGHT: CLICK HERE TO WATCH
[HOUR ONE]
– The show opened with a highlight reel of moments from the Royal Rumble weekend.
– Jey Uso made his way to the ring through the crowd and stood still, soaking in the crowd reaction for a couple of minutes. Jey said that he made a good living with his brother, until the pandemic era. He retold his time in the Bloodline and said that back then he didn’t have it to be a singles competitor, but now he has it. Jey said that he worked hard to get to this position and thanked everyone while starting to cry. Jey said that it was thanks to the fans that he won the Royal Rumble and would go to WrestleMania. Gunther interrupted to tell Jey that he was disappointed because a matchup with him did not appeal to him.
– Gunther said that Jey couldn’t lace his boot and claimed that he was always in control. He said that beating Jey didn’t add anything to legacy. Gunther warned Jey that if he chose him, every week would be hell and WrestleMania would be the biggest display of violence this business had ever seen. Gunther told Jey to consider his options before walking away. Jey said that he was tired of people telling what he could do. Jey said that he would speak with Cody on SmackDown, but regardless of who he chooses, he would walk out of WrestleMania as world champion.
(Pomares’ Analysis: The start of the segment ran a bit too long for my liking, but once Jey actually started speaking, he showed the emotion that has been lacking for the majority of his promos since ‘yeet’ got over. Gunther’s side of the promo was solid and laid the base for what could be a decent feud going into WrestleMania. I know they teased Jey speaking with Cody, but it seems very clear Gunther will be his opponent.)
– A recap of Seth Rollins hitting Roman Reigns with a brutal Curb Stomp at the Royal Rumble was shown.
– A recap of John Cena declaring his intentions to enter the Elimination Chamber and main event WrestleMania was shown.
– It was confirmed that John Cena would enter the Elimination Chamber and the winner would face the champion that Jey Uso doesn’t choose.
[Commercial Break]
– A recap of Penta eliminating Ludwig Kaiser at the Royal Rumble was shown.
(1) PENTA vs. LUDWIG KAISER
Kaiser cornered Penta and slapped him before stomping him down in the corner. Penta caught Kaiser with a rising kick and a headscissors takeover. Kaiser knocked Penta off the top turnbuckle with an enzuigiri to the abdomen. Penta threw Kaiser out of the ring, only for Kaiser to block a springboard move with a slap to the face. Kaiser flattened Penta with a Death Valley Driver on the apron, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Kaiser clocked Penta with a running elbow to the back of the neck and a clothesline for a two count. Kaiser attacked Penta with kicks to the chest, until Penta shut him down with chops to the chest. Penta caught Kaiser with a backstabber, but he kicked out at two. Penta blasted Kaiser with an elevated dropkick to the chest for a nearfall. Kaiser and Penta traded chops, until Penta back body dropped Kaiser out of the ring and crushed him with a Tope con Hilo.
Back in the ring, Penta nailed Kaiser with a high crossbody for a two count. They exchanged chops to the chest, until Penta hit Penta with a pair of thrust kicks. Kaiser dropped Penta with a fireman’s carry senton for a nearfall of his own. Penta countered a roll-up with The Sacrifice before finishing him with the Penta Driver.
WINNER: Penta at 9:58
– After the match, Cathy Kelley interviewed Penta about what they could expect next from him. Pete Dunne immediately interrupted while Ludwig Kaiser attacked Penta from behind.
(Pomares’ Analysis: A solid encounter to once again keep on showcasing Penta as a top star of WWE. I’m not massively interested in seeing Penta keep on feuding with Kaiser and Dunne after defeating both of them, but it’s fine for a short program before WrestleMania.)
– It was confirmed that JD McDonagh had suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung after last week’s match.
– Backstage, Finn Bálor called Dominik Mysterio for stealing his title match and getting his tag team partner injured. Liv Morgan stopped Finn from blaming Dominik and said that she would make things right by winning her qualifying match. Liv confirmed that Dominik got him a qualifying match for Elimination Chamber.
– Charlotte Flair made her way to the ring.
[Commercial Break]
– Charlotte Flair said that she missed the fans and admitted that last year broke her mentally and physically. Flair said that she would embrace the boos and said that it didn’t change the fact that she was the greatest superstar in the history of WWE. Rhea Ripley interrupted to say that there was the possibility of going to war with Flair again. Ripley said that she respected Flair and asked her to pick her. Both of them pointed out that they have one win over the other at WrestleMania. Flair said that she would go to NXT and SmackDown to see if Giulia or Tiffany Stratton inspired her. Flair told Ripley that her impatience showed her that she was still just a kid. Ripley warned Flair to pick her or she would beat the respect out of her.
(Pomares’ Analysis: A fine segment with a decent set up for both NXT and SmackDown, but I really do not like Charlotte Flair’s delivery. I found her promo grating and it didn’t really make me excited for any possible title program.)
– Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviewed Sami Zayn about his qualifying match tonight. Sami said that his mindset was very difficult after losing the Royal Rumble. Sami stopped his interview to speak with Jey Uso. Jey told Sami that he was aiming for him, only for Sami to hug him and congratulate him. Sami told Jey to go do it, regardless if it was against Cody or Gunther. Karrion Kross interrupted to mock him, but Sami told him that he was tired of seeing him and maybe they could have a problem.
– The New Day made their way to the ring with new music, ahead of their match against LWO.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR TWO]
– Backstage, Iyo Sky told Rhea Ripley that maybe she would see her at WrestleMania. Liv Morgan assaulted Sky and Raquel Rodriguez tackled Ripley over a storage box.
– It was confirmed that Rey Mysterio would take on Logan Paul in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match next week.
(2) LWO (Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee) vs. NEW DAY (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods)
Woods swept Lee off his feet and Kofi hit him with a double stomp to the back. Lee nailed Kofi with a rising kick into the turnbuckle and knocked him down with a hurracarrana. Lee swept Kofi off his feet and nailed him with a slingshot dropkick, followed by a basement dropkick from Rey. New Day stomped Rey down, until Rey caught Woods with a diving hurracarrana. Rey pummeled Woods down, setting him up for a thrust kick from Lee for a two count. Woods dropped Lee face-first on the mat, but Lee responded with a Hesitation dropkick in the corner. Logan Paul showed up on the entrance way, allowing Woods to shove Rey into the barricade, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Kofi crushed Lee with an assisted senton to the back. Kofi clocked Lee with a rising knee strike, setting him up for a double stomp to Lee’s back. Lee surprised Woods with a powerbomb, reaching Rey for the hot tag. Rey laid Kofi out with a series of clotheslines before receiving a Pendulum kick. Rey caught Kofi with a hurracarrana into the ropes, only for Woods to pull him away from the ropes. Before Kofi could react, Rey nailed him with a seated senton. Rey pushed Logan down and drove Kofi into the ring post while Lee took Woods down with a hurracarrana off the apron. Logan pulled Rey out of the ring, allowing Kofi to take the win with Trouble in Paradise.
WINNERS: New Day at 11:19
(Pomares’ Analysis: Decent action to finally give New Day a win and start building to something after the brilliant Big E segment from months ago. The LWO don’t lose much since they rarely win anything and it puts some heat on the Rey vs. Logan match from next week.)
– A recap of Seth Rollins hitting Roman Reigns with a brutal Curb Stomp at the Royal Rumble was shown, as it was confirmed that he would be out for the foreseeable future.
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed CM Punk about what happened at the Royal Rumble. Punk said that the silver lining was that neither Roman Reigns nor Seth Rollins won the Royal Rumble. Punk said that he had won the Elimination Chamber in the past and the pressure was now on everyone else.
[Commercial Break]
– A recap of IShowSpeed entering the 2025 Royal Rumble was shown.
– A video package was shown, hyping up an encounter between Bayley and Lyra Valkyria to qualify for the Elimination Chamber next week.
(3) LIV MORGAN (w/Raqwuel Rodriguez) vs. IYO SKY – Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Liv pulled Sky out of the ring, only for Sky to drive her into the barricade twice. Sky nailed Liv with a forearm to the knee before dropping her with a flapjack and blasting her with a double stomp. Liv caught Sky with a double stomp and a jumping knee strike, setting her up for a basement dropkick and a two count. Liv attacked Sky with a punch and a rising kick before receiving a shotgun dropkick. Sky clocked Liv with two forearm strikes and crashed intoher with a suicide dive, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Liv planted Sky with the Three Amigos, but missed an enzuigiri, allowing Sky to blast her with a chop block. Sky knocked Liv down with a pair of clotheslines and a dropkick before pulling her arm into the ropes. Sky hit Liv with a diving shotgun dropkick and a roll-through into a double stomp. Liv evaded a double knee strike and dropped Sky with a backstabber. Sky managed to put Liv in a crossface, setting her up for a kick to the head. Raquel distracted Sky, allowing Liv to push her off the top turnbuckle. Liv tried to go for a sunset flip powerbomb, only for Sky to block it with a stomp. Liv pulled Sky off the apron before receiving a German suplex on the floor.
Sky crashed into Liv with an Asai moonsault at ringside, but Liv blocked a follow-up move with a Codebreaker for a nearfall. Sky cracked Liv with a knee strike atop the turnbuckle and floored her with an avalanche hurracarrana, setting her up for a double knee strike. Raquel distracted Sky, allowing Liv to block a moonsault with her boots. Sky evaded Oblivion and dropped Liv with a German suplex. Rhea Ripley showed up to attack Raquel Rodriguez from behind before Liv started pulling her hair. Ripley punched Liv out of reflex, suddenly ending the match.
WINNER: Liv Morgan via DQ at 12:12
– After the match, Iyo Sky walked past Rhea Ripley while screaming in Japanese.
(Pomares’ Analysis: Really strong match with a finish I wasn’t a huge fan of, but with a nice silver lining. Starting with the match, this was probably Liv’s best and most competitive performance since the last time she faced Iyo Sky. It really annoys me when a match is given a lot of time, only to end in a DQ. However, the fact that Rhea Ripley was a key element in this result gives me hope that Ripley vs. Sky could be the WrestleMania program.)
– It was announced that Bayley would take on Lyra Valkyria and Rey Mysterio would battle Logan Paul on next week’s Raw.
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed the War Raiders about what was next for them. They put over how tough their match was last week, until American Made interrupted. Chad Gable said that the Creed Brothers were championship material unlike the War Raiders. The War Raiders said that they were ready to go to war with them. Gable said that he would leave on a quest of his own and said that when he came back, he wanted Ivy Nile and the Creeds to have gold.
– Seth Rollins made his way to the ring.
[Commercial Break]
– A recap of AJ Styles making his return in the Royal Rumble was shown.
– Backstage, Adam Pearce announced that AJ Styles was officially a member of the Raw roster. Bron Breakker interrupted to ask Pearce what was next for him and his championship.
[HOUR THREE]
– Seth Rollins said that as much as it pains, he was happy to see Jey Uso win the Royal Rumble. Rollins said that CM Punk lost the Royal Rumble and that his future for WrestleMania was up in the air. Rollins said that he loved to see an embarrassment like him get thrown over the top rope by an idiot like Logan Paul. He said that Roman Reigns lost the Royal Rumble and may not make it to WrestleMania. Rollins said that the fans would not like the truth, but he was the one that hurt him. Rollins said that Roman has done nothing but hurt his friends and family. He said that he did Roman and Paul Heyman a favor by giving them a break.
– Rollins admitted that he lost the Royal Rumble and that his path would go through the Elimination Chamber when he faced Finn Bálor in a couple of weeks. Rollins called out Sami Zayn to speak about his qualifying match tonight. He told Sami that his immediate future was CM Punk and said that he knew that Sami hated Punk. Rollins told Sami that he was levels above Punk and needed the absolute best out of him. Rollins said that people like Sami deserved to be in the Elimination Chamber and told him to meet him in the Chamber.
(Pomares’ Analysis: Decent promo to continue what seems to be a three-way feud between Rollins, Punk and Roman. I like the idea of Rollins giving Sami a pep talk, so he could beat Punk, but I found it that Sami got to say nothing here.)
– CM Punk made his way to the ring for his match and nearly got into a brawl with Seth Rollins.
[Commercial Break]
(4) CM PUNK vs. SAMI ZAYN – Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Punk knocked Sami down with a shoulder tackle, only for Sami to respond with one of his own. They traded chops, until Punk hyper-extended Sami’s arm. Punk attacked Sami with a series of chops before Sami nailed him with a clothesline. Sami attacked Punk with chops and pummeled him down with a barrage of right hands. Punk caught Sami with a clothesline and a swinging neckbreaker. Sami stopped Punk atop the turnbuckle and floored him with a superplex, as WWE Raw went to its final commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Punk drove Sami into the turnbuckle, only for Sami to spike him with a Tornado DDT. Sami blocked the GTS and Punk blocked the Blue Thunderbomb. Punk clocked Sami with a roundhouse kick and a knee strike, but Sami countered the bulldog with a Blue Thunderbomb for a two count. Punk crashed into the ring post, but was able to counter the Helluva Kick with a roll-up before trapping Sami in the Anaconda Vice.
Sami managed to reach the ropes to break the hold. Punk nailed Sami with a pair of jumping knee strikes and evaded the Helluva Kick. Sami countered the GTS with an inside cradle for a close two count. They traded forearm strikes, until Sami dropped Punk with a Xploder in the corner. Punk countered the Helluva Kick with a GTS for the three count.
WINNER: CM Punk at 14:56
– After the match, Kevin Owens attacked Sami Zayn from behind and hit him with a Package Piledriver.
(Pomares’ Analysis: Really strong main event where they did a very good job making it seem like anyone could win. I wanted Sami to make it to the Chamber, but at least the post-match angle gives him a clear cut direction for WrestleMania which is better than a lot of people on the roster can say.)
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.