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WWE RAW REPORT
FEBRUARY 17, 2025
CHARLOTTE, N.C. AT SPECTRUM CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON NETFLIX (WORLDWIDE)
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Attendance: WrestleTix reports today that 14,125 tickets were distributed right before showtime. The arena has a capacity of 20,200 spectators. (The previous WWE event on Feb. 9, 2024 drew 13,168.)
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by PWTorch’s Brandon LeClair 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.
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[HOUR ONE]
-They opened with an aerial view of Charlotte, N.C. as Michael Cole introduced the show. He said Charlotte has hosted Raw 14 times. They cut to Seth Rollins and Finn Balor arriving separately backstage as Cole plugged their Elimination Chamber qualifier. Then they showed Roxanne Perez outside the arena arriving followed by The Judgment Day accompanying Raquel Rodriguez to the arena. Then Ivy Nile with The Creeds and Dakota Kai were shown arriving separately. A racing car sped into the arena parking garage and A.J. Styles got out of the passenger window. Cole said he’d face Dominik Mysterio later.
-They cut to the arena as Cole touted the sellout crowd. Cole said Pat McAfee “was back in the country.” McAfee said he didn’t leave the country as he was in Puerto Rico. “Maybe learn a little bit of geography,” he said. Cole seemed to take it in stride.
-A clip aired of Kevin Owens attacking Sami Zayn two weeks ago on Raw and then Kevin Owens challenging him to meet him at Elimination Chamber.
-Sami made his ring entrance. He gingerly walked to the ring and slapped some hands. Sami said there are no two wrestlers as tied to each other from the indy scene to NXT to WWE as he and KO are to each other. He said there’s been a lot of forgiving and forgetting, but that won’t happen this time. He said the problem with Kevin is he didn’t get the job done. He said his neck isn’t a 100 percent, but he’s standing and has enough for a fight. He said he’ll be in Toronto to see him. He said he wants the fight and he’s pretty sure the fans want to see the fight. G.M. Adam Pearce interrupted.
Pearce asked Sami what he was doing. He said they’ve talked about this and he knows they want a match. He said medical won’t clear him. He said he’d love to book the match, but the answer is no. “I’m sorry,” Pearce said. He turned to leave. McAfee called him “No Fun Pearce.” Sami yelled at Pearce to stop. He told him he has known them a long time and he’s not taking no for an answer. He said he wouldn’t leave the ring until he gives him the match.
Pearce said he’s known him and Kevin for more than 20 years and he’s seen it from the beginning. He said Sami’s knows he can’t sanction the match. He said if KO wants to wrap a chair around his face or drag him up into the concourse, he can’t stop him. He said if Owens wants to piledrive him again and again and again and again, he can’t stop him. He said WWE would wash their hands of it completely and that means Sami assumes the risk with no reward, because even if he were to win, he’d still lose. He asked what he wanted him to do. He said it could be the last match in his career. “Do you understand what I’m saying to you, Sami?” he asked. Fans loudly chanted, “Let them fight!”
Sami hopped out of the ring and walked up to Pearce. He said he know exactly what it means. He said if he wants to wrap a steel chair around KO’s face or beat him around the concourse, he can’t stop him. He said if he decided to dump Owens on his head and end his career, Pearce can’t stop him. “Give me this damn match!” he said emphatically. Pearce gulped and pondered for a few seconds. He then said the match is on, but it’s unsanctioned and not official. McAfee cackled with glee.
(Keller’s Analysis: Two pros doing great mic work there fitting their roles well. I loved Sami countering Pearce warning Sami about what KO could do to him by saying he could do them to KO and Pearce couldn’t stop him.)
-They went to Cole and McAfee. McAfee said this is Pearce’s first good decision. He stood and said they’re going to beat each other’s ass in Toronto and he loves it. Cole shifted to a clip of Smackdown G.M. Nick Aldis showing Naomi and Bianca Belair a clip of Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez walking near the scene of the attack on Jade Cargill.
-They went backstage to The Judgment Day’s clubhouse. Dominik brought up to Liv that Belair & Naomi are looking for revenge. Liv said she and Raquel want to win the tag titles. She shifted to saying how proud she’s been of Dom lately and when he beats A.J. Styles, he’ll see how strong and sexy he is. Dom said he wishes Finn Balor saw things that way. “Well, not the sexy part, but you know what I mean,” he said. He said it’d take a load off if they could add a new member. Balor walked up and asked if he heard his name. He said after tonight, he and Liv and Raquel will all be qualified for the Chamber unless Raquel comes up short. Raquel said she’ll handle her business and Balor should handle his. Balor said he will and they’ll all be back in business. He added, “And no new members.” Dom was disappointed.
-They went to Cole and McAfee talking about how iShowSpeed taking a spear from Bron Breakker was seen 36 million times on social media. A clip aired on iShowSpeed commenting on it. [c]
-They showed William Byron winning the Daytona 500 and then a shot of him at ringside. He drove Styles into the arena earlier.
(1) A.J. STYLES vs. “DIRTY” DOMINIK MYSTERIO
As Styles made his ring entrance, Cole said Dom said he was building a retirement home for 47 year old wrestlers. He said he was talking about Styles. The bell rang 25 minutes into the hour. Cole said this was Styles’s first action on Raw in nearly two years. Styles landed a dropkick sending Dom to the floor. McAfee said, “That was total nonstop action!” Cole said he was privy to one of the strangest backstage conversations he’s ever heard earlier between McAfee and Dom. McAfee said Dom wanted to be inducted into the Hall of Fame because he debuted in WWE in 2005 (as a little kid) so he’s put in 20 great years. Carlito yanked Styles off the ropes as he went for a Phenomenal Forearm. Dom then dove onto Styles at ringside. They cut to a break at 3:00. [c/db]
Back from the break, Dom caught a charging Styles with an elbow. Dom landed a 619 a minute later. He went for a top rope frog splash, but Styles moved. McAfee said Dom telegraphed it too much. Styles fended off Carlito’s attempt to interfere again, knocking him off the ring apron. Dom rolled up Styles for a convincing near fall. Styles kicked out and hit a quick Styles Clash for the win.
WINNER: Styles in 9:00.
-As Styles celebrated his win, Bron Breakker went for a spear, but Styles moved so Bron speared Dom instead. Styles kicked Breakker and threw him to the floor. Cole said Styles “felt it coming.” Cole said Breakker was embarrassed and humiliated by Styles. Breakker threw his shirt at Styles in frustration and Styles caught it mid-air. Breakker yanked his Intercontinental Title belt off the ring apron. Cole said Styles would love to win the IC Title for the second time in his career. Cole said Styles is nowhere near ready for the old folks’ home.
Cole noted that Julius Creed is joining Team Cormier on the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
-A clip aired of the Creeds getting DQ’d last week in their match against The War Raiders.
-Backstage, the Creeds were gloating to Ivy Nile over what they did to the Raiders. Nile said they didn’t win. Julian said, “Yet.” Nile said she’ll beat Dakota Kai later. Dakota walked up and said her Cinderella story ends tonight. Dakota said many women have tried to take her down before and they were tougher than her. She said she’s earning her rematch tonight. [c]
-They showed Aaron Woods, a National Rugby League Legend.
(2) IVY NILE vs. DAKOTA KAI
The bell rang 42 minutes into the hour. The showed Lyra Valkyria watching at ringside. Nile took control early and scored a two count at 2:00. Dakota up-kicked Nile to slow her momentum. They battled on the second rope for leverage. Nile dropped down and powerbombed Dakota to the mat. Dakota rolled up Nile seconds later. Nile applied an ankle lock. Cole brought up Kurt Angle made it famous. Dakota reached the bottom rope to force a break.
They battled back and forth until Dakota stomped Nile on the back of her neck. The ref checked on Nile. Dakota then landed her GTK for the win. Cole said there will be a rematch now with Dakota facing Valkyria in a rematch of the Intercontinental Title Tournament final.
WINNER: Dakota in 7:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Solid match from these two with the stakes clearly laid out.)
-C0le plugged the debut of Evolve on Tubi and YouTube on March 5.
-A clip aired of Gunther attacking Jey Uso last week and then Jey choosing Gunther to be his WrestleMania opponent. [c]
-Highlights aired of the first episode of WWF LFG on A&E.
-Cole touted the sellout crowd as an aerial shot aired of the arena. He said it’s the 14th Raw in Charlotte which also hosted six premium events.
-Gunther stood in the concourse as fans chanted “Yeet!” at him. He was mocking Jey’s penchant for entering the arena that way. He then encouraged the crowd in the arena to do the “Yeet!” dance with him. “Very simple gesture for very simple people,” he said. He said it makes sense since Jey is a simple person. He said him performing for them is like reading Shakespeare to a dog. He told a kid around age 10 to step aside before “something happens.” Gunther said he was hopeful he could talk some sense or beat some sense into Jey, but the fans gave him a false sense of confidence and forced him into digging his own grave. He said Jey’s blood will be on their hands after WrestleMania. Fans chanted, “We Want Jey!”
[HOUR TWO]
Gunther stood on the announce desk and asked McAfee if he really thinks Jey has a chance to beat him at WrestleMania. He threw the mic at McAfee. McAfee picked it up. Cole told McAfee to be careful. McAfee stammered a bit and then worked up the gumption to say that anything can happen on any given night. Jey Uso charged to the ring to his music and attacked Gunther. Producers quickly separated them. Gunther smiled as he was escorted back to the entrance stage as Jey paced in the ring. Jey slapped hands with McAfee and then Cole at ringside. Cole seemed like a dignified grown up this week when he did that.
(Keller’s Analysis: Gunther was great here mocking Jey’s entrance. The fans ate up Jey’s run-in, but it was a good choice for WWE not to have him do a long ring entrance again this week.)
-Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Liv and Raquel. Liv talked up Raquel’s chances against Roxanne Perez and said she’d squash her like a bug. When asked if they attacked Jade Cargill, Liv said they don’t have time for her silly theories. She said if they had, they wouldn’t feel bad. Raquel said it could happen to anyone who gets in their way. Liv laughed. Kelley thanked them “for nothing.”
-C0le hyped tickets for Elimination Chamber in Toronto. Then he hyped Penta vs. Pete Dunne. [c]
-A recap aired of the Sami-Pearce exchange earlier,
-They showed Brad Thomas from “Surviving Black Hawk Down,” a docuseries on Netflix. They also showed Laura & Brittany alum of “Love Is Blind,” with a plug for a new season now on Netflix.
(3) PENTA vs. PETE DUNNE
The bell rang 14 minutes into the hour. Cole talked about how Chad Gable was on a sabbatical to learn the dark art of Lucha Libre. Dunne took over a minute in and chopped away at Penta in the corner. Penta made a comeback at 3:00 and set up a Death Valley Driver on the ring apron. Dunne slipped free and snapped Penta’s fingers and then leaped and drove Penta’s head into the ring apron. Both dropped to ringside. Penta sold his injured fingers. Ludwig Kaiser walked out in street clothes. Dunne stared at him as they cut to a break. [c]
Back from the break, Dunne was still on the attack. Penta made another comeback, but Dunne turned a head stand in the corner into a sitout powerbomb for a near fall. Penta caught Dunne with a Mexican Destroyer. Penta played to the crowd, but Kaiser stood on the ring apron to throw him off. Dunne then kicked Penta and rolled him up for a near fall. Penta threw Dunne into Kaiser on the ring apron, then landed a Penta Driver for the win. “Once again, impressive,” said Cole.
WINNER: Penta in 10:00.
-Kaiser attacked Penta after the match. Dunn yanked Kaiser to ringside and shoved him. Kaiser punched Dunne. Penta leaped onto both of them.
-Cole hyped Elimination Chamber.
-Kelley interviewed Jey backstage. He said he’s feeling underestimated. She said she’s heard a lot of wrestlers doubting he can walk out of WrestleMania as champion, so how was he feeling confidence-wise. Jey said they’re doubting him, but who’s standing in front of everyone as the Royal Rumble winner. He said he’ll shock the world again at WrestleMania and become World Champion.
-Cole and McAfee narrated clips of Bayley getting to participate in the NBA’s celebrity basketball game over the weekend. McAfee said the only good that’s been said about the NBA All-Star Game is that Bayley was awesome.
-A vignette aired on Roxanne Perez. She said she’s the most decorated woman in NXT and that she’s a prodigy, not a hero or villain.
-They showed Perez and then Raquel with Liv backstage. [c]
(4) ROXANNE PEREZ vs. RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ (w/Liv Morgan) – Elimination Chamber qualifier
Perez was in the ring after the break. A fan held up a sign that said, “If Roxanne loses, I’ll be bummed.” Good to know. The bell rang 36 minutes into the hour. Raquel outpowered Perez early. Fans didn’t seem invested in reacting much to this. Roxanne slapped Raquel. Cole said he wasn’t sure that was smart. Raquel clotheslined Perez. Raquel rammed Perez into the ringpost at 2:00. Liv skipped around ringside in celebration.
Cole touted how long Perez lasted in the Rumble. Raquel pressed and dropped Perez. Cole yelled to Liv that if Raquel won, she could knock Liv out of the Chamber. Cole said she might want to win rather than help Liv. Raquel swung Perez around and then powerbombed her toward the corner, but Perez countered with a head scissors. She snapped Raquel’s neck over the top rope and then charged at Raquel in the corner. Cole said Perez is fun to watch. Perez countered Raquel into a roll-up for a two count. She then leaped onto Raquel’s back and applied a sleeper.
Raquel escaped. Perez sidestepped a charging Raquel who went shoulder-first into the ringpost. Perez then dove through the ropes and tackled Raquel. She did it a second time right away and then threw her back into the ring. Perez DDT’d Raquel and then landed a springboard moonsault for a two count at 6:00. “What a match!” said Cole.
Perez stayed on the attack and went for Pop Rocks, but Raquel landed a big boot for a near fall. Bianca Belair’s music played and she marched out. Odd WWE would play Belair’s theme right in the middle of a match with high stakes like that. Noami and Belair surrounded Liv and threw her into the ringside barricade. Perez then caught a distracted Raquel with Pop Rocks for the win.
WINNER: Perez in 7:00 to quality for the Elimination Chamber.
-In the ring, Belair and Naomi tried to attack Liv, but Raquel pulled Liv to safety. Belair’s music played as Liv and Raquel retreated.
-Cole talked about the six spots in the women’s Chamber now being set with Perez, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, Belair, Naomi, and Liv.
-Kelley interviewed Seth backstage about his Chamber qualifier coming up. Seth talked about the stakes and said it’s as big as it gets. He said both he and Balor need the win, but he needs it more. He left. Karrion Kross and Scarlet walked in. He said he’s trying to wrap his mind around the mindset of Sami and his friends. He said people think Sami can beat KO, Seth can win the Chamber, and Jey can beat Gunther.
-They showed Balor backstage. [c]
-They showed an aerial view of Charlotte again.
-A video package aired with Iyo Sky talking about how she respects Rhea Ripley, but she’ll beat her and punch her ticket to WrestleMania. “That is my championship,” she said.
-New Day entered the ring. Cole commented on the post-match attack from New Day on Rey Mysterio as Raw was going off the air last week. Xavier said, “Get well soon, Rey!” He said they wanted to come out there and talk to them. He told the booing fans to shut the hell up. He said they told Rey to keep his lazy ass at home. He said Rey has sucked the life and career out of every Luchador who walks into WWE for years. “That’s who y’all want us to respect,” he said. “Everyone one of y’all has gone insane.”
Kofi Kingston said they put Rey on a pedestal. He asked if it’s because he’s the heart and soul of WWE. He said he has more title wins than Rey and he has been there longer than Rey. “Damn near 19 years,” he said. He said the difference between him and Rey is that he has never left, so if anyone should be locker room leader, it should be him. He said Rey kicking them out of the locker room is audacious. He said their attack last week could have been a lot worse for Rey. He said the fans should be thankful they were so merciful to Rey. Xavier said they gave him a couple extra vacation days to spend at home with his wife.
The LWO walked out. Dragon Lee said what they did to Rey was unforgivable. He said, “New Day Sucks.” Dragon, Joaquin Wilde, and Cruz Del Toro ran to the ring and attacked Kofi and Xavier, stomping away at them on the mat. They cleared the ring of New Day with a clothesline and superkicks. New Day ran to the stage and threw down their jackets in frustration.
-They went to Cole and McAfee at ringside. McAfee said Cole would be on Logan Paul’s podcast this week. Cole hyped Raw in Cincinnati, Ohio next week including Dakota challenging Valkyria for the IC Title and Belair & Noami vs. Liv & Raquel for the Women’s Tag Team Titles.
-The camera was shooting Belair and Naomi backstage. Kelley caught up to them. Naomi said they’ve been waiting to find evidence of who attacked Jade Cargill, and now they can make them pay. Naomi said it will be one of them against Ripley at WrestleMania. Belair said it could also be Iyo as champ by then, so they’ll watch the match.
-Seth’s ring entrance took place. [c]
(5) SETH ROLLINS vs. FINN BALOR – Elimination Chamber qualifier
Balor made his entrance and attacked Seth before the bell. The ref was enraged and pulled Balor away, admonished him, and then checked on Seth. Seth told the ref to ring the bell. The ref did, 8 minutes into the hour. Balor delivered a Pedigree for a two count a minute in. Seth made a comeback and kicked away at Balor in the corner. The ref pulled him out of the corner. Balor favored his ankle. Seth kicked his ankle and focused on his ankle afterward. The action spilled to the floor where Seth went for a stomp on Balor’s head on the ringside steps. Balor moved and shoved Seth into the ringpost. They cut to a break at 6:00. [c]
Balor had control of Seth after the break. Seth eventually made a comeback and chopped away at Balor’s chest. Balor kicked Seth in the gut, but Seth chopped his leg and then DDT’d him. He followed with a running knee and then scored a two count. He followed with a moonsault off the second rope for another two count. Fans sang Seth’s song and he went for a stomp, but Balor countered with a roll-up. Seth went for a frog splash, but Balor lifted his knees.
Seth countered Balor and applied a sharpshooter mid-ring. Balor crawled to the bottom rope. Seth then gave Balor a Pedigree for a near fall. (The Pedigree was really weak, and the ref stopped his count when Balor’s shoulders were still down. That was a mess.) Fans chanted, “Ref, you suck!” Seth complained to the ref. Seth gave the ref a crotch chop. Balor knocked Seth off the top rope and landed a Coup de Grace. Seth kicked out. Balor applied a Crossface. Seth rolled out of it and quickly landed a stomp for the win.
WINNER: Rollins in 21:00 to qualify for the Chamber.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by PWTorch’s Brandon LeClair 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.
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.
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