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The RAW on Netflix debut is coming up on January 6. In anticipation, WWE has built up what can only be considered a WrestleMania-level match card to commemorate and kick off the 10-year, $5 billion deal.
So what has WWE subtly told us leading into the big event? There have been some less-than-subtle things, such as the vignettes alluding to Pentagon Jr.’s inevitable debut, and some hilariously “subtle” things like Kevin Owens being photoshopped as bald on the Road to WrestleMania 41 promotional poster. Even ex-WWE star Baron Corbin highlighted that fact on X/Twitter.
But apart from that, here are seven subtle signs that have been hinted at leading up to the big RAW on Netflix debut special.
#7 Bayley appears to be one of the names heading to RAW on Netflix
On April 28, 2023, Bayley was drafted to SmackDown along with the other two members of Damage CTRL, IYO SKY and Dakota Kai. Since then, Damage CTRL has expanded and moved to RAW, while The Role Model has continued to carve her legacy on SmackDown by winning the Women’s Royal Rumble and the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 40.
She has basically done it all and won it all, which was true until the introduction of the Women’s United States & Intercontinental championships. Besides that, the Queen of the Ring is the only accomplishment she has left to achieve.
While Bayley hasn’t been as heavily featured on SmackDown since losing the WWE Women’s Championship to Nia Jax at SummerSlam, she is still a key part of the women’s division. Hence, she was Jade Cargill’s replacement at WarGames.
It’s clear that there’s very little left for Bayley to do on SmackDown, especially when you consider her year-long run as SmackDown Women’s Champion from 2019 to 2020. She has been featured multiple times on the RAW on Netflix promos, which seems to be a big sign that she is done with SmackDown after 608 days on the brand.
#6 The WWE Draft as a concept could be finished
The WWE Draft as a concept has existed since 2002, so it will basically turn 23 years old next year. While it hasn’t been done every single year, it has been conducted enough times that it has become a marquee event on the WWE calendar.
That said, the 2024 Draft was the perfect example of why WWE likely needs to move on from the Draft altogether. While it seems exciting at first, that quickly dissipates when fans realize that a lot of the time, it’s just the announcement that a superstar is staying on the same brand.
Changes occur, and brand changes are certainly needed to keep rosters fresh, but it’s clear that the WWE Draft has run its course. The sentiment seems to be echoed within the Triple H-led company itself. The fact that so many SmackDown stars like Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns are being advertised for RAW on Netflix could be a sign that they are moving away from the concept.
The Draft is a lot more relevant in competitive sports where draft picks aren’t scripted beforehand. With WWE entering a new era, it looks like the “Transfer Window” ahead of the RAW on Netflix debut is a way of ending the Draft concept—a welcome sign.
#5 The return of two key horsewomen
It seems to be a matter of when and not if Becky Lynch is returning. Charlotte Flair, her long-time friend and rival is also expected to return to WWE soon after crossing a year away due to injury.
There’s no doubt that the women’s division has felt the absence of the two horsewomen and it’s going to be sooner rather than later that we see them back. In the aforementioned promotional poster for the Road to WrestleMania 41, Becky Lynch is seen. It seems quite clear that The Man is heading to RAW on Netflix.
This means that Charlotte Flair, who is one of the biggest women’s stars in wrestling history, could be sent the other way. She was a SmackDown star anyway, but Becky Lynch being on the promotional poster seems to indicate that The Queen will be returning to the blue brand and not on RAW on Netflix.
#4 The future of Big E
The future of Big E has been in question even more after the December 2nd episode of RAW. That was the date of the infamous New Day 10th anniversary segment, where Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods shockingly turned on E.
Big E returned to RAW with great enthusiasm and his intentions were to manage Kingston & Woods until his medical clearance. His New Day brothers completely turned on him—a move that has led to some serious repercussions as the entire locker room has iced them out.
It reached such a low point that even Dominik Mysterio, the most hated man in WWE, stated his disapproval of their actions towards Big E. Rey Mysterio, who has been presented as a locker room leader on RAW, told Kingston and Woods that they would be allowed back in if they apologized to everybody.
All signs seem to indicate that Big E could be medically cleared for a return soon and that WWE is keeping it under wraps, presumably saving the big moment for an episode of RAW on Netflix.
#3 The possible future of The Bloodline
The Bloodline civil war could pour over from one brand to the next. As part of the Transfer Window, we could see the feud between Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa primarily happen on RAW.
While Sami Zayn and Jey Uso are already RAW Superstars, all signs seem to indicate that the rest of the group, including Bloodline 2.0, could be on Monday Night RAW going forward.
It’s a bit of an odd change because The Bloodline story has primarily been on SmackDown for the last four years. However, considering how it’s the biggest storyline and one of the longest-running arcs in WWE history, it only makes sense that they would want to feature that on RAW.
#2 John Cena’s return could also be paired with another major comeback
Fans know that John Cena’s retirement tour begins on January 6 on RAW and will happen throughout the year, presumably culminating at the very end of it. He cleared his schedule just to ensure that he had his big farewell tour.
Apart from just John Cena, another old rival of his and fellow Hollywood star could make a comeback on RAW, and no, we’re not talking about Batista.
The Rock being shown on the RAW on Netflix trailer seems to be as good a sign as any that he could be a lock for the debut episode on January 6. With the reports currently indicating that Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa will headline the show, it’s the perfect way to lead to The Rock’s return.
It needs to be done well this time around. When he returned at the end of Bad Blood this past October, the initial pop died down quickly when fans realized that there was nothing that actually came of it.
WWE has hardly mentioned it since, but with the Road to WrestleMania 41 set to begin, it makes a lot more sense for him to appear, especially since WWE is trying to put out a WrestleMania-caliber card for the first Netflix show.
It should be noted that WWE has officially advertised the Seth Rollins-CM Punk match as a “main event showdown”, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will headline the show.
In the past, WWE has labeled multiple matches as “main events” even without a match closing the show. One example is Hell in a Cell 2016, where even Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns vs. Rusev were advertised as “main events”, with the actual headliner being Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair.
#1 What to possibly expect from the endings of the marquee matches of RAW on Netflix
So far, the three major matches for the RAW on Netflix debut include CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa in a Tribal Combat match for the Ula Falla, and Liv Morgan vs Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship.
The only bout between them that’s likely to have a decisive finish is the Women’s World Title match. Given how CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins is still a rumored direction for WrestleMania, it wouldn’t be surprising to see an inconclusive finish to the contest or a very controversial one at the least.
On the other hand, if Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa is going to extend until WrestleMania, then it’s also going to have an inconclusive finish that eventually sets up a rematch with even higher stakes.
So although it is undoubtedly a WrestleMania-tier card that WWE is putting out for an episode of RAW, the big match announcements are a subtle indication that not everything will have a clean or satisfying finish.
Let us know what you’re looking forward to on the RAW special episode.
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