Cook’s WWE Raw Review 2.17.25

Hey kids! Steve Cook here with you for another exciting edition of WWE Raw on Netflix! We’re getting closer to Elimination Chamber, and we’ll see the final slots in each Chamber filled tonight via qualifying matches. We’ll also see AJ Styles return to action, Sami Zayn return to Raw & Bianca Belair and Naomi make a rare appearance. It should be a good time!

I have to admit that I’m playing hurt tonight. Had a dental procedure today that totally kicked my ass, but I’m still here ready to go. PAIN DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS DOJO!

Cook’s WWE Raw Review 2.17.25

Then. Now. Forever. Together!

We’re in Charlotte, North Carolina! Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Finn Balor, Roxanne Perez, Raquel Rodriguez, Ivy Nile & Dakota Kai are all WALKING! Daytona 500 winner William Byron drives AJ Styles into the arena! Don’t get me started on how all my bets bit the dust in the last lap. That’s Daytona for ya.

Michael Cole & Pat McAfee are ringside, and they throw it to a video recapping the recent happenings involving Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens.

Sami Zayn’s music plays and Lilian Garcia introduces one of our favorite red-headed Canadians. It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Sami. He’s been sitting, rehabbing and thinking about his history with Kevin Owens. Their names have been tied together their entire careers. There have been a lot of betrayals, forgiving & forgetting. Unfortunately there’s no forgiving and forgetting this time. This time, Kevin tried to end Sami’s career. Kevin’s problem is that he didn’t get the job done. He’s not 100% and he doesn’t have a lot in the tank, but he’s got enough for a fight. He’ll be in Montreal for Elimination Chamber. Everybody wants to see that fight!

Adam Pearce walks down to ringside & rains on Sami’s parade. He knows that everybody wants the match. A big part of Adam wants the match! Everybody has told Sami no. He’s not medically cleared to compete. He shouldn’t be in the ring right now! Pearce would love to make it official, but the answer is no. Pearce walks off, but Sami asks how long he’s known Sami & Kevin. Adam knows the history between them, and he knows Sami won’t take no for an answer. Sami won’t leave this ring until Adam gives him the match. Adam can’t sanction it. If Kevin wants to hit Sami with a chair, or drag him to the concourse, or give him more piledrivers, Adam can’t stop him. Sami assumes all the risk for very little reward, even if he wins, he still loses. What this means, is that at Elimination Chamber in Toronto, it could be the last match of Sami Zayn. Sami walks up to Adam and says he understands what it all means, and he wants the damn match. Adam says it will be Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn at Elimination Chamber, and it’s not official, it’s unsanctioned.

Michael says Sami is out of his mind. Pat is pumped to see the unsanctioned match. Last Friday on SmackDown, we saw a video showing some interesting characters nearby when Jade Cargill was injured…Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez.

Back in the Judgment Day locker room, Dominick Mysterio & Liv Morgan talk about their current issues with people. Finn Balor talks about how there will be three Judgment Day members in the Elimination Chamber after tonight. They’ll handle their business and be back in business.

IShowSpeed was online today talking about how Bron Breakker speared him at the Royal Rumble. He thought he was going to die!

AJ Styles vs. Dominick Mysterio (w/Carlito): Headlock by Styles, Dominick fights out but gets suplexed. AJ sends Dom into the corner, hits a couple of chops and a backbreaker. Irish whip into the corner by AJ. Dom slips out of a suplex and hits some strikes before coming off the ropes into a dropkick. Dom hits the floor, AJ hits the apron and knees Dom in the head. Back in the ring, Styles sets up the Phenomenal Forearm but Carlito breaks that up. Dom hits a tope suicida and poses as we go to commercial.

We return & AJ fights out of a chinlock. Dom elbows AJ in the corner and hits a clothesline. An Eddie style hilo gets two. Speaking of Eddie, time for the Three Amigos! Dom only hits two, but sets AJ up for the 619 and hits it! Dom heads up top, the frog splash misses! AJ with some strikes to send Dom down. Clothesline in the corner, then another backbreaker by AJ. Carlito tries to get involved and gets crotched and knocked to the floor for his trouble. Dom gets a rollup for two, but AJ goes right to the Styles Clash and gets the three count!

Winner: AJ Styles (6:21 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/4
Pretty basic match welcoming AJ back to the show and letting Dominick do some stuff to annoy the fans. Not much to see here, but I am very hyped for AJ’s next opponent…

Bron Breakker immediately emerges and tries to spear AJ, but AJ moves and Dom takes the spear! AJ sends Bron right outside. Bron throws his shirt at AJ and AJ catches it. Bron clutches his Intercontinental Championship.

Last Monday, the War Raiders & Creed Brothers had a slobberknocker that ended in disqualification. The Creeds recap their match last week, while Ivy Nile points out that they promised Master Gable that they would all have gold when he came back. Dakota Kai walks up and she & Ivy quickly exchange words. Their match is next!

Lyra Valkyria is sitting at ringside, she’ll face the winner of this match at some point! Aaron Woods is a National Rugby League legend, so of course he’s in Charlotte!

WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender Match: Dakota Kai vs. Ivy Nile: Tieup into the corner, Ivy climbs the rope, which allows her to kick Dakota. Dakota with a couple of armdrags then she kicks Ivy. Dakota tries a headscissor or something, but Ivy dumps her to the floor, then she kicks her leg out of her leg. Ivy targets the left knee. Dakota gets tied in the Tree of Woe, then kicked out of it. Dakota kicks out of a leglock attempt and delivers some forearms. Clothesline & a dropkick by Dakota. Running kick in the corner to the seated Ivy, then a Helluva kick. Sunset flip bomb gets two. Ivy tries to go up top but gets kicked. Dakota follows her up, but Ivy slips out and hits a powerbomb. Reversal leads into a rollup for Dakota for two. Ivy with the ankle lock! Grapevine by Ivy! Dakota still able to slide to the ropes though. Strikes exchanged, Dakota with a kick, but Ivy hits the twisting uranage for two. German suplex by Ivy, rollthrough by Dakota gets two. Dakota gets Ivy up, but Ivy gets out of it and goes back to the ankle lock. Dakota gets out and stomps Ivy. Dakota gets Ivy up, hits the GTK and gets the 1-2-3!

Winner: Dakota Kai (6:44 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/2
I was a bit surprised that Dakota went over here, since American Made’s been getting the big contender push lately. Dakota challenging should make for a better match though, so it’s not like I’m complaining about it. Solid work here.

So we’ll get a rematch of the IC Tournament final. Lyra enters the ring to hold her title up.

Last week, Jey Uso decided to face Gunther at WrestleMania.

Gunther is back in the concourse talking in front of the people! See, he’s doing his own take on Jey Uso’s entrance. Gunther tries to yeet, which is a very simple gesture for very simple people. Gunther doesn’t blame us for not appreciating him, his performing for us is like reading Shakespeare to a dog. What we need to understand is that Gunther is the best wrestler in this company right now and he’s sick of wrestling people that can’t lace his boots. He was hopeful that he could talk or beat Jey into making the right decision, but because of the people yeeting Jey into confidence, he’s dug his own grave. At WrestleMania, the match will happen in the ring. After the bell rings, he outclasses Jey Uso in every aspect of this sport. (This guy sounds like a stereotypical Internet wrestling fan!) Jey Uso’s blood will be on our hands. Gunther asks us if we really think Jey stands a chance of beating Jey at WrestleMania. The fans say they want Jey. Gunther says that none of us have a clue, and he wants a professional opinion. Gunther climbs on the announce desk, and asks Michael & Pat in their unbiased, professional opinion, if Jey has a chance to beat him at WrestleMania. Pat looks like a deer in headlights and Gunther tosses the microphone to him. Michael tells Pat to be careful. Pat says he hopes Jey can beat him, and Gunther takes off his jacket.

Jey’s music plays! Jey Uso walks out onto the entranceway and the referees try to hold him back. Jey runs around them and attacks! Officials enter the ring and try to separate him, but it’s a tough thing to do. Jey gets center stage in the ring and the fans get to yeet while Gunther is ushered to the back. YEET.

Cathy Kelley is backstage with Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez. Liv dances around the topic of Jade Cargill & talks about how Raquel will beat Roxanne Perez later tonight.

Earlier tonight, Sami Zayn got Adam Pearce to book an unsanctioned match with him & Kevin Owens at Elimination Chamber.

Brad Thomas was on Surviving Black Hawk Down. Laura & Brittany were on Love Is Blind. Where are my Cobra Kai peeps at? Get me William Zabka or Peyton List out in the crowd!

Penta vs. Pete Dunne: Pete slaps Penta prior to the taunt. Penta with the kick and headlock. Rana by Penta. Backdrop attempt from Pete ends in a kick by Penta. Dunne does hit a dropkick, then goes for that joint manipulation the kids love. Knees to the arm, then Pete rams Penta’s knees against the mat. Knees and strikes in the corner by Pete, Penta goes up & over and hits a backstabber. On the apron now, chop by Penta, but Pete goes back to the fingers. Ludwig Kaiser wanders down towards the ring as we go to commercial.

We return and Dunne is still on the offensive, working the arm of Penta. Penta fights back though, headscissoring Dunne back into the ring. Sling blade by Penta, Dunne up on Penta’s shoulders and a modified DVD gets two. Dunne climbs the ropes but gets kicked down by Penta. Headstand by Penta ends in a sitout powerbomb by Dunne for two. Dunne with a German suplex, Penta with a kick, Dunne with an enziguri, Penta with a Mexican Destroyer. CERO MIEDO! Kaiser distracts Penta, which leads to Dunne hitting a kick. Rollup gets two. A brief conversation between Penta’s rivals. Penta sends Dunne into Kaiser, and hits the Penta Driver for the three count.

Winner: Penta (7:33 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **3/4
Yeah this was pretty fun for the time it got and considering the booking, which was a necessary evil given the story. Penta’s looking pretty good early in his run, let’s hope it keeps going!

Kaiser attacks Penta. Dunne attacks Kaiser. Penta dives onto both of them! As usual, Europeans bickering leads to their downfall.

Cathy is with Jey Uso, who feels underestimated. People are doubting him, but at WrestleMania he’ll shock the world again. Cathy giving me some serious Miss Brooks vibes tonight.

Pat breaks down Bayley’s appearance at the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game. She at least did more than LeBron James did this past weekend.

We get a video introducing us to the Prodigy, Roxanne Perez. She’s basically won everything to win in NXT. Nobody is on her level, and she & Raquel Rodriguez are WALKING.

The War Raiders talk about how the Creeds took them to the limit last week. However, they’re not built for war. They had their shot and missed. They made the mistake of their lives, and the next time they have a match it’ll be war.

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Roxanne Perez vs. Raquel Rodriguez (w/Liv Morgan): Roxanne evades Raquel briefly before getting slammed down by the hair. Roxanne with a cartwheel & slap, no sale by Raquel. Raquel clotheslines Roxanne down, then tosses her into the corner. Raquel tosses Roxanne into the other corner, gets slapped again and chases Roxanne around before getting kicked off the apron. Roxanne gets caught on the dive and tossed into the ringpost. Raquel gorilla presses Roxanne down for two. Snake eyes in the corner by Raquel. Roxanne avoids another one, but Raquel with a spinning front facelock! Raquel tries a buckle bomb and Roxanne ranas her into the corner. Uppercut in the corner by Roxanne, gets caught on the second one. Roxanne with a quick rollup for two, then a sleeper. Raquel breaks it in the corner. Fallaway slam by Raquel, then a Vader bomb into an elbow drop for two. Raquel misses a spear in the corner and hits the ringpost. The dive works this time for Roxanne, and she does another one. Roxanne counters a slam attempt into a DDT, then hits a springboard moonsault for two. Pop Rox gets blocked and Raquel hits a big boot for two. Bianca Belair appears! Naomi appears! Liv is surrounded at ringside and getting beat down by the tag champs. Raquel is distracted, which leads to Pop Rox and the upset!

Winner: Roxanne Perez (7:30 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **3/4
Classic David vs. Goliath formula here, with David getting some help from the villagers to slay the giant. That’s how that went down, right? Anywho, I’m all for Roxanne getting a push here and she’ll be in store for big things here in 2025.

Raquel does manage to end the beatdown, but she won’t be joining Liv inside the Chamber.

Cathy is with Seth Rollins, who is very red. Tonight on Monday Night Rollins in Charlotte, this is as big as it gets. Finn Balor needs this win, but he needs it more. Seth leaves and Karrion Kross appears. He’s trying to wrap his eyes around this delirious mindset Sami & his friends have. Jey’s not going to win at WrestleMania, Seth’s not going to win at Elimination Chamber, and neither is Sami. There’s still time to turn things around!

Iyo Sky has a video promo for us. A year ago, she was champion heading to the big stage. Now, her path isn’t so clear. There was a good chance she wouldn’t have her moment this year, but this match with Rhea is the opportunity she needs. She respects Rhea, and knows her better than she knows herself. Every time they met in NXT, Iyo came out on top. This will be no different. She wants her championship back.

Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston are here! We see what happened after Raw went off the air last week, when they beat up Rey Mysterio and the LWO was unsuccessful in making the save. Xavier hopes Rey gets well soon! The fans boo over Xavier & Kofi’s attempts to speak. The fans are mad they told the truth about Big E and told him to keep his lazy ass at home. They told the truth about Rey, who sucks the life out of every luchador to enter WWE. Kofi says they put Rey on a pedestal. Kofi has more title wins than Rey Mysterio! He’s been here longer than Rey! The difference between them is that Rey has never left, Kofi should be the locker room leader. Rey kicking them out of the locker room is audacious. Xavier says it forced them to take a steel chair to his ankle. Kofi says they made Rey cry. We should be thanking them for showing some mercy to Rey. They didn’t take him out back and give him the Old Yeller treatment! They gave him some vacation days! The fans should be on their knees thanking God for the New Day.

The LWO makes their entrance. Dragon Lee tells them that they suck, and the LWO starts a 3 on 2 beatdown! That doesn’t seem fair, and Kofi & Xavier get kicked out of the ring. Dragon Lee teases a dive, and the New Day run away.

Next week, Raw will be in Cincinnati! They’ll see Lyra Valkyria defend the Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Dakota Kai. Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez will challenge Bianca Belair & Naomi for the Women’s Tag Team Championship.

Cathy is with Bianca & Naomi, who say they’ll beat the hell out of Liv inside the Elimination Chamber and tease that one of them will challenge Rhea or Iyo at WrestleMania.

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor: Finn attacks right away and stomps away on Seth before the bell. Seth tells the referee to ring the bell and Finn goes on the offensive. Finn hits a Pedigree, of all things, which gets two. Front dropkick into the corner by Finn, Seth evades the double stomp and hits a clothesline. Finn goes back on offense until he runs into a big boot from Seth. Seth stomps Balor down in the corner, then hits an atomic drop into a backbreaker. Seth with the dive outside! Does he have more in him? No, apparently not. Back in the ring, Seth with the knee off the top rope. Finn evades the stomp and hits the sling blade. Finn goes for another but Seth kicks his knee. Seth targets the left knee of Finn now, repeatedly kicking the leg out of the leg. Finn fights back though, and he opts to target Seth’s ribs. Some stomps to the back of Rollins. Seth blocks the PK and drops Finn knee-first on the announce table! Seth goes for the Stomp on the step, but Finn evades and ends up dumping Seth on the steps before we go to commercial.

When we return, Finn has the ol’ abdominal stretch locked in. Seth powers out with a hip toss, but misses in the corner. Finn knees Seth down to the mat. Finn with some punches in the corner. Seth gets out of that, spinning forearm by Seth, Pele kick by Finn. Not really sure why the Fireflies are out in Charlotte, but it looks kinda cool. DDT by Rollins, then a knee gets a two count. Lionsault gets two for Seth. The fans sing Seth’s song. Rollup by Finn gets two. Seth hits the Buckle Bomb, then goes up top. Frog splash by Seth gets nothing but knees and a two count for Finn. Seth kicks at Finn’s knee, Finn punches Seth’s gut. Punches exchanged. Seth bites Finn, Finn hits a couple of Sling Blades. Finn goes for a dropkick, Seth catches him and locks in the Sharpshooter! Seth releases it for a Pedigree, which Finn allegedly kicked out of but I think he forgot to do so. Seth gives the referee a crotch chop since the fans are all over the referee. Finn stops the stomp with a kick to the ribs, goes up top. Rollins follows him up, but gets knocked back down. Finn hits the Coup de Grace for two, Rollins with a rollup for two, Balor locks in a Crossface. Stomp by Rollins! That gets three!

Winner: Seth Rollins (15:45 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***1/2
Pretty good stuff for the most part, but those dang non-kickouts always kill things for a crowd. Seth & Finn did their best to get the fans back into it, and the result was still the same.

Thanks for reading! If you’ve got any thoughts, questions or concerns for me, hit me up at [email protected] or on the social media. So long and good night!

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

There wasn’t anything terribly bad on this show, but I also get the feeling that missing it doesn’t mean you missed all that much. We do have a full lineup for the Elimination Chamber matches and Kevin vs. Sami got booked, so at least they set the table for some stuff. There’s always the chance it’s just me and my personal issues affecting the 411 rating again, I’ll never rule that out. See y’all next week!