WWE Raw on Netflix preview: 5 burning questions for Monday's debut on the streaming giant

WWE's flagship program, "WWE Raw," airs live on Netflix for the first time ever this coming Monday. The $5 billion deal, which formally kicks off Jan. 6, represents a monumental shift for the wrestling giant and streaming service alike, following in the footsteps of the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight and Christmas Day NFL games as Netflix continues its foray into live programming.

And for Monday's debut, WWE is pulling out all of the stops, putting together a monumental card that has the potential to rank among the best "WWE Raw" ever seen in the more than three-decade history of the program. Among the announced matches and segments thus far are:

• CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins

• Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley for the Women's World Championship

• Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa in Tribal Combat for the Ula Fala

• Drew McIntyre vs. Jey Uso

• John Cena's farewell tour begins

Considering this is a such landmark event, Uncrowned's wrestling scribes are convening for the first time in the new year to make some predictions, answer some questions and, of course, have a little fun.

1. Which current WWE star is the most Netflix binge-worthy? (Can be matches, promos, etc.)

Anthony Sulla-Heffinger: There are a ton of really great options here and of course we’ve been talking about Cody Rhodes’ story for a long time now, but I am going to pick Kevin Owens as my most binge-worthy star.

Like Rhodes, Owens is one of the most skilled in-ring performers and has the talking chops to back it up as well. Between his on-again, off-again feud with Sami Zayn, stellar main-event moments and matches, and arguably the most memorable non-wrestling WWE segment of the past decade, there’s no talent in my mind who can match up with the "Prize Fighter" himself.

Drake Riggs: I may cheat a little bit to kick this off, but if you aren't cheating, you aren't trying.

The first names that spring to mind are LA Knight, Bron Breakker and Tiffany Stratton. You can't go wrong with any of these current stars, who have all been brilliant in their own ways. Ultimately, though, I have to go with a wrestler who brings more variety to the table, providing the most servings of bingeable matches and promos imaginable. So I'm picking CM Punk or AJ Styles. Whoever you go with comes down to mood and preference.

Punk is arguably the more well-rounded wrestler between the two legends. Personally, I still think Styles is slightly under-appreciated for being legitimately one of the very best of all time. On some days, I think of his body of work and what he's done, how he's performed, and convince myself, "Damn, this dude might be the GOAT." He truly owns some of the greatest matches of all time. But if you want the moments and goosebump-creating pops, Punk is the choice. He, too, owns a handful of classics throughout his lengthy career, but is also the timely choice to get yourself hyped for this new era of "Raw."

Robert Jackman: It has to be Rhea Ripley.

I remember reading a report about how she had over 900 million views on TikTok. I just went back to find the source and I saw that the original post is 18 months old. How many views does she have now? It has to be over 2 billion.

Ripley’s popularity with people who wouldn’t normally consider watching wrestling has become a bit of a meme online. But we wrestling fanatics know that she’s also a genuine generational talent who is better placed than just about anyone to convert non-fans to addicts.

I’ve thought for a while that Netflix should consider doing some introductory mini-documentaries about the biggest WWE talents to entice curious viewers. Ripley would be at the top of that list.

2. Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk is the main event. Do you think it will live up to the hype?

Sulla-Heffinger: Yes. Yes, yes, yes. One thousand times yes.

If you read my "Raw" recap from Monday (who are we kidding, of course you did), you’ll recall that I admitted I wasn’t entirely sold on this being the main event of the Netflix show and was skeptical that it could live up to the lofty expectations fans had set.

Then that promo happened.

This was vintage CM Punk on the mic and Rollins matched him word-for-word. It’s literally all anyone was talking about on Tuesday morning, and 364 days into 2024, it might've been the promo of the year.

Rollins is among the best on the planet bell-to-bell and Punk, even at 46 years old, can certainly still go. I’m all-in on this match and you should be, too.

Riggs: I'm fairly skeptical I'll ever see a five-star instant classic on a weekly WWE program, but Rollins vs. Punk has all the makings of one.

They deserve their time, and that's what makes this hard to predict. I have to think that match and Roman Reigns vs. Sola Sikoa each get a minimum of 30 minutes to work. Liv Morgan's Women's World Championship defense against Rhea Ripley could also theoretically get that same window, depending on how much of a wrestling showcase Triple H wants to make the night.

Ultimately, no matter the time allotment or shenanigans that could ruin it from being a perfect encounter, I think Rollins vs. Punk will deliver. It also won't be the end of their rivalry. And if my crystal ball is right, Rollins and Punk will see each other again in April at WrestleMania 41.

Jackman: The promos have certainly met expectations. But I agree with the others that this has more promise as a longer-term feud than the one-off dream matches you might see at a Forbidden Door event, for example.

As for the match we’ll be getting, it’s been a long while since either of these men underperformed and I’d be shocked — as would everyone else — if that happens this time. There’s obviously massive mutual respect underlying those brutal promos, and that usually bodes well for a solid showing.

3. Solo Sikoa or Roman Reigns — who walks out with the Ula Fala?

Sulla-Heffinger: I’m down with OTC (yeah, you know me).

Now that I’ve dated myself — and anyone else who gets the reference — let me explain why Roman Reigns should walk out of Los Angeles with the Ula Fala.

For more than four years, WWE has told a story that rivals anything we have ever seen in the professional wrestling world. In December, Eric Bischoff said on two separate Uncrowned platforms that The Bloodline saga has surpassed his legendary nWo storyline, and he’s absolutely right. Reigns has been the centerpiece of it all and has fully developed into a true generational superstar. Reigns has mentioned throughout this run that there are levels to this, and he’s ascended to a rare one in professional wrestling in the sense that he does not need a championship to continue to rule the Island of Relevancy, just the Ula Fala.

Solo Sikoa has done tremendous work during this early portion of his career, and this is in no way a slight toward him. In fact, losing the Ula Fala might open a door to a championship program with Cody Rhodes, who he already has a pinfall victory over.

Riggs: I just want this to be over — at least for a good month or two. The Bloodline fatigue is real.

There's a clear path that leads this all back to The Rock, and that can't be with Solo Sikoa as the "Tribal Chief." The story's diversion and subtle hints came with a conflict of who was the big dog (no pun intended) between Reigns and "The Final Boss" Rock before WrestleMania 40. Therefore, this coming Monday, Reigns reigns again. Even if it doesn't lead back to a program with The Rock, it's an easy return to heel status for Reigns, which Rollins continues to insinuate is still within him.

Jackman: I can see the case for both sides on this one. Since the consensus seems to be in Reigns' favor, I’ll make the argument for Solo Sikoa.

Sikoa has excelled in the role of the usurper “Tribal Chief,” but I think there’s something compelling in having the Ula Fala being just out of the grasp of Roman Reigns. Here’s the man who has won everything there is to win in WWE, but he is fixated on the one thing that means more than all the gold. Maybe Sikoa wins with a helping hand from Jacob Fatu to keep that path on the table too…

It also gives you an excuse to keep Reigns out of the running for the Universal Title. Having him dethrone Cody Rhodes would feel too much like a U-turn and erase that whole “finishing the story” thing from history.

4. Is the "Raw" women's division in better hands for 2025 with Liv Morgan or Rhea Ripley as champion?

Sulla-Heffinger: Liv Morgan had one of the best years of her career in 2024, reaching new heights both in and out of the ring.

I think she can do even better in 2025.

Rhea Ripley is phenomenal in her own right and more than capable of carrying the division, but I think her winning clean on Monday does a bit of a disservice to Morgan’s reign. Instead, Ripley can put Morgan over and shift her focus to the Royal Rumble and even the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. (It’s great having a mid-card women's title!) She’s strong enough that she’ll always be a credible threat.

How does Morgan build on her 2024? An extended program with a returning Charlotte Flair. These two have only had three singles matches against each other, with the last coming in April 2020. A feud between them would be fresh and help Morgan continue to affirm her status atop the women’s division.

Riggs: This question is incredibly interesting and all about perception. Ripley is the dominant force who's "always on top," whereas Morgan has the copout of Raquel Rodriguez and Dominick Mysterio by her side. The division feels more competitive with Morgan as champion, and that's why she's probably the right answer, but as an overall superstar, Ripley is in a league of her own and will only continue to grow.

I know, I know. That's a bit of a non-answer, but for me, Ripley is awesome so I'll choose her definitively.

Jackman: Given the strength of the product at the moment, it feels almost churlish to pick one over the other. Ultimately, I feel like the gold has to go back to Ripley, but I’m not sure that the Jan. 6 debut episode is the right time to make that happen.

Morgan needs to get her comeuppance, but that should come from a position of strength. It’s been a long while since she beat Ripley “decisively” at SummerSlam. Since then, she’s lost by DQ at Bad Blood, before losing in multi-person matches at Bash in Berlin and WarGames.

I’ve been swerved by this feud a couple of times, but I think you need to give Morgan her big win on this occasion — one that will be fresh in the minds of the audience when Ripley finally gets justice.

5. Which WWE personality would win in a "Squid Games"-style competition?

Sulla-Heffinger: C’mon, this is obvious — Paul "Triple H" Levesque!

The man’s monikers when he wrestled were "The Cerebral Assassin” and “The Game." If that doesn’t sell you on his chances to dominate, I don’t know what will.

Plus, if anyone has a problem with it, he has two words — or a sledgehammer — for them.

Riggs: Oh, man. I'm not going to lie to the world and pretend like I've caught up on "Squid Games." It's been on my watch list since it released, I swear.

Despite not having seen the show, I know it's about survival and have a relatively general idea. Therefore, you need to have smarts to win, and a little athleticism never hurts.

With that in mind, I'll take the guy who's been incredibly logical over the past several months, and that's the former "Architect" himself, Seth Rollins.

Jackman: Aren’t there a few names on the roster — the Wyatt Sicks, mainly — who have supernatural powers? Surely Nikki Cross would walk it? Although that might feel like a different show...