Cook’s WWE Raw Review 6.16.25

Hey kids! Steve Cook here with you for another episode of WWE Raw on Netflix! This week’s KOTR/QOTR Fatal Four-Ways are now part of the First Round, which they weren’t last week but now we smile and accept it just like…yeah, I probably shouldn’t go down that road but the WWE brass is really tempting me with all their out of the ring nonsense putting over questionable politicians that have evil in their hearts. I feel like Thunderbolt Patterson out here. He got so full for years, and I’m getting there too. That’ll piss off folks that live in denial, but I have to speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Cook’s WWE Raw Review 6.16.25

Then. Now. Forever. Together!

We’re in Green Bay, Wisconsin! Gunther is WALKING! Bayley is WALKING! Stephanie Vaquer is talking to somebody on her phone. Jey Uso is WALKING!

We hear Liv Morgan’s music! Michael Cole & Corey Graves are at ringside with the call. Liv welcomes us to Monday Night Morgan and introduces us to the greatest IC champion of all time, “Dirty” Dominick Mysterio. Dom says tonight is all about Liv. Liv talks about how she took Nikki Bella out last week. She paved her own way and became a 4-time Women’s Tag Team Champion, and is the greatest women’s tag team champion of all time. She demands respect. She also demands the rematch she never got for the Women’s Championship.

IYO SKY appears! IYO wants Liv to shut her mouth, all she does is show disrespect. She disrespected Nikki Bella, so she also disrespected her. Liv talks some stuff, then IYO says she has to earn it. Liv says that Iyo should respect Dom because he’s a smart man, which Iyo responds to by taking cheap shots at Liv & Dom! Good for her!

Cole & Graves look at the KOTR & QOTR brackets.

Queen of the Ring First Round Fatal Four-Way Match: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Asuka vs. Ivy Nile vs. Raquel Rodriguez: Liv’s pep talk to Raquel didn’t seem too convincing to me, but maybe it worked for Raquel! Asuka gets the last entrance here. It gets a good pop! Asuka & Stephanie work together early with superkicks. Then they face off briefly. Ivy goes after Vaquer. Raquel powerbombs Ivy into her opponents as we go to commercial.

We return and Steph is running roughshod over Asuka. Dragonscrew on Asuka’s good knee. Steph sets Ivy Nile up for the Devil’s Kiss, Raquel breaks it up. Raquel raises Steph in the electric chair, Steph scissors her over the top rope. They end up on the apron, and that’s the Devil’s Kiss! Asuka tries for her lock on Vaquer, into the corner, Nile comes in with a kick. Ivy with a German bridge on Asuka for two.

We return to a Tower of Doom with Asuka on the advantage. Asuka with some kicks to her opponents. Ivy gets kneed down for two. Asuka & Steph face off. Steph with some headbutts. Steph with a vertical suplex. Dropkick by Steph. Ivy Nile gets Steph out of there, hits a move on Asuka for 2. Raquel hits a Tejana Bomb on Steph for 2…Rhea Ripley intervened! She hits the Riptide on Raquel on the floor! Asuka hits the Rear View for three!

Winner: Asuka (9:49 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***
The right finish for the right result, though I wonder why we had to waste a Stephanie Vaquer appearance here. I would not have Stephanie wrestle unless she was going to win. Surely someone like Natalya or Maxxine Dupri could have filled that spot. These massive companies sometimes fail to see they have so many wrestlers available.

Gunther is WALKING!

The Judgment Day Clubhouse is more well-lit than usual. Dom decides he wants to team with JD & Finn is ok with it.

Gunther’s music hits! The Ring General goes to the ring to address the people as Graves informs Cole he won’t defend him if Gunther has a problem. PYRO & BALLYHOO! Gunther admits that Jey Uso was the better man at WrestleMania for one night. Every other night, he is untouchable! Seth Rollins got the MITB contract and Gunther has what he wants. Gunther is a target, and he’s right here.

Goldberg’s music hits! Goldberg is here to celebrate Gunther winning the championship. Apparently Gunther started something with Goldberg and his family in Atlanta, Georgia, and he’s issuing a challenge for Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta. Gunther is next!

AJ Styles vs. JD McDonagh (w/Dominick Mysterio): Headlock takeover by Styles. JD with a headlock of his own, AJ takes over. Sunset flip gets two. Headscissor by JD. Then a backslide gets nothing. JD chokes AJ in the corner with his boot. Chop by JD. AJ takes JD down and tries for a Calf Crusher, too close to the ropes. AJ chases Dom around ringside, which leads to JD diving onto AJ as we go to commercial!

JD stretches AJ by his hair as we return. AJ fights back. JD hits a headbutt then a brainbuster for two. JD goes for a superplex, AJ knocks him off. Dom distracts AJ, JD tries to take advantage but that leads to a Styles Clash and a victory.

Winner: AJ Styles (7:32 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/2
Didn’t quite live up to the potential in my mind, but had the right result leading to things later on.

Finn Balor comes to the aid of Dom, then AJ gets to pose with the IC title. He even gets to take the belt up the ramp after the Judgment Day run-in fails. If only Carlito was still there.

Akira Tozawa gives a good pep talk to Sheamus. Bayley is WALKING and will be next!

Bayley makes her way to the ring! She missed us so much. Bayley really lays on the love, and reminds us that Becky Lynch robbed her of a WrestleMania match and a Women’s Tag Team Championship Match. She doesn’t do it all for one night, she does it for people like us. Becky taking her out made her stronger. Bayley’s going to take everything Becky took from her, so she better get her ass out here right now.

Becky Lynch’s music plays, and here’s The Man wearing a Bears jacket! Becky says they’re the same, except Bayley accepts being second fiddle and she doesn’t. Bayley doesn’t mind fighting for the people, Becky used to do that and they stopped fighting for her. Bayley tries to remind Becky about what it was like to fight to opportunities. Becky doesn’t,and asks Bayley if she remembers what gold feels like. Bayley takes a shot, and Becky begs off.

Cathy Kelly talks to Jey Uso, who is convinced he’ll run it back with Gunther after winning the King of the Ring.

Nick Aldis receives the IC strap from AJ Styles and books AJ vs. Dom for Night of Champions. Bayley walks up and Nick books Bayley vs. Becky for the Women’s IC strap next week. Lyra Valkyria walks up afterwards and isn’t too impressed with that booking. I am impressed with that booking, as Aldis is a much more effective booker than Adam Pearce, and with all due respect to the Scrap Daddy I’d prefer Aldis as a GM if I had a say on such things.

Liv Morgan vs. Kairi Sane: Liv might have injured her shoulder early on here, we’ll find out after commercial.

We return, and that match is over. Fuckin’ A. That’s pro wrestling for ya. Best wishes to Liv, and we cut to some John Cena footage. We’ll see Cena take on Ron Killings on SmackDown. Liv dislocated her shoulder during her match, which sucks and we wish her the best. I absolutely hate that for Liv, she’s been killing it for awhile now.

Sami Zayn talks to Cathy Kelly about how his opportunity is here. Karrion Kross is here to remind Sami that he’s an insane person. He’ll lose to Randy Orton and stay back at zero. Sami thinks Kross is a coward. He doesn’t think Kross can back up his talk. Sami has talked a lot and done all he can to back it up. KOTR is his priority, the second it’s done, Sami will settle his business with Kross.

Next week’s Raw in Columbus will see Becky vs. Bayley, Jade vs. Roxanne, and Cody Rhodes vs. the winner of our next match.

King of the Ring First Round Fatal Four-Way Match: Sheamus vs. Rusev vs. Bronson Reed vs. Jey Uso: Jey enters first, and it’s time to yeet! I can not wait for the first Sheamus vs. Rusev singles match. Bronson kicks Sheamus’s ass on the outside while Rusev owns Jey in the ring. Rusev & Bronson decide to go against each other until Jey dives onto them and we go to commercial.

Jey hits some yeet punches on Bronson as we return. Superkick to Rusev. Jey goes for the spear, Rusev hits the clothesline instead. Meanwhile, Sheamus & Bronson brawl on the floor. Sheamus hits the 10 beats of the Ballon on the barricade. 10 more. Reed misses Jey and hits the barricade afterward. Rusev hits Jey on the floor & yells. Rusev & Sheamus face off in the ring. Strike exchange! Spin kick by Rusev! Sheamus with a kick, then a slam. Bronson intervened for a second, they kept fighting then Bronson intervened again. Jey eats a big move from Bronson as we go to commercial.

Sheamus & Jey are in the ring while the announcers complain about people landing on them. Irish Curse on Jey, but here’s Bronson to take White Noise for two. Rusev came in to take out Sheamus. Jey with kicks for everyone. Rusev with a Cro Cop kick, then the Accolade on Jey! Sheamus breaks that up for good. Brogue Kick on Rusev is saved by Bronson. TSUMANI on Sheamus gets saved by Jey! Jey goes up top, Bron Breakker breaks that up! Sami Zayn appears to attack Breakker! Helluva kick gets broke up and Sami gets tossed across the table. Here’s Penta breaking stuff up outside! Bronson back up top, LA Knight tosses him off the top rope! Uso splash to Reed! Another one gets the three count!

Winner: Jey Uso (11:43 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***1/4
Lots of shenanigans going on led to the right result, gotta keep Jey strong.

BURN IT DOWN! Seth Rollins comes down to take advantage of Jey Uso…but Cody Rhodes is here to back up Jey! LET’S GO! Seth backs off like a biatch! Cody & Jey will face off next week on Raw like men! They shake hands as the show ends!

If you’re wanting to chime in with your own thoughts on tonight’s show, feel free to join your fellow 411 Maniacs down in the comment section! As the tremendous Larry Csonka always said: Have fun and don’t be a dick. When I’m not here you can catch me on the social media from time to time.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

I thought everything went well except for the Liv injury, which was a total downer that I absolutely hate for her sake and the sake of the Evolution show which we expected to see Liv take on Nikki Bella on in some sort of way. Hopefully a pivot will be made to make everything make sense, but at the same time I hate it for Liv, who has been one of WWE's best performers for awhile now. Fortunately the main event kind of saved things and had the right winner.