wrestling / TV Reports
Cook’s WWE Raw Review 6.23.25
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hey kids! Steve Cook here with you for the latest episode of WWE Raw on Netflix! Some big matches tonight with titles on the line, so as Bill Watts always said, let’s hook em up!
Cook’s WWE Raw Review 6.23.25
Then. Now. Forever. Together!
We’re in Columbus, Ohio tonight. Jey Uso is WALKING! Cody Rhodes is WALKING! Roxanne Perez & Jade Cargill are WALKING! Becky Lynch & Bayley are WALKING! Michael Cole did not mention the Bad Blood 2004 show I went to at this venue.
BURN IT DOWN! Seth Rollins and his dangerous friends make their way to the ring. Corey Graves joins Cole at ringside for commentary. Rollins welcomes us to Monday Night Rollins and runs through his usual spiel. Rollins asks the people what they want since he’s getting mixed signals. They don’t really answer his question. They need visionaries like Seth to tell them what’s good for them. Roman Reigns exists because of Seth. CM Punk is back in WWE because the company wanted to cash in on how much he hates CM Punk. There is no second coming of Cody Rhodes unless Seth allows it. The World Championship exists because of Seth. He will deal with revolutions when he needs to, and that’s what happened to LA Knight, who got Tsunamied for his troubles. Seth’s dog Bron will deal with Penta, another thorn in their side. Rollins runs through some other potential thorns in their sides. They’re all running a race for second place. The MITB briefcase is the finish line, the end game, it’s always been Seth freaking Rollins!
Penta makes his entrance!
Bron Breakker vs. Penta: The match has already started when we return from commercial. Red Penta is dominating at this point. Breakker drops Penta on his head. Bron suplexes Penta. Backbreaker from Bron gets two. Bron clotheslines Penta. Bron talks some stuff. Stomps Penta down. Penta headscissors Bron down to the mat! Bron no-sells a kick to the face, gets sent outside. Penta hits the flip dive onto Bron and we go to commercial!
We return to Bron & Penta being down by the announce table. Bron tosses Penta into the ring. Penta with a kick in the corner. Penta gets gorilla pressed into a gutbuster for two. I’m not sure why Paul is holding the MITB briefcase in the corner. Penta fires up. Penta hits a fisherman’s suplex for two. Bron blocks the Destroyer, hits a Frankenbreakker for two. Bron puts the straps down, Penta hits a DDT, then a Destroyer for two. Penta gets speared in half for the three count.
Winner: Bron Breakker (10:59 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***
I like these guys getting to work together often because they’re among the most interesting wrestlers on this roster. Different backgrounds for sure, but the more they work together the more they get accustomed to each other, which is a great thing in my book.
Rollins tells Penta to stay out of his way. We’ll see how that goes.
Adam Pearce talks to AJ Styles about how his match at Night of Champions is off, but it’ll go through at a later date. New Day will defend their titles against Judgment Day at a later date. Something tells me that WWE is planning for later dates because…I better not say.
Jey Uso warms up backstage.
Goldberg explains to Michael Cole how Gunther goaded him into this Saturday’s Night Main Event title match. It’s the same kind of explanation for Iran bombing-I mean, this is all so ridiculous.
Finn Balor talks up his Judgment Day friends. Raquel Rodriguez is hostile at first but gets talked down. Dom seems very open to everything.
Lyra Valkyria & Bayley have an awkward conversation concerning title shots & whatnot.
Queen of the Ring Semi-Final Match: Jade Cargill vs. Roxanne Perez: Roxanne tries to evade Jade early. It eventually doesn’t work. Jade tosses Roxanne across the ring. Some push-ups by Jade. Jade lifts Roxanne but Roxanne hits a kick into the steps as we go to commercial.
Roxanne continues to target the injured leg of Jade as we return. Jade breaks a hold in the corner, hits a spinebuster. Jade chokeslams Roxanne down for two. Roxanne rolls through Jaded, rolls Cargill up for two. Roxanne hits some strikes for a near-fall. Jade with a kick, hits Jaded for three.
Winner: Jade Cargill (8:40 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **
Roxanne did the best she could here.
Asuka makes her entrance to make sure Jade knows who she’s facing in that Final.
Gunther is WALKING, and he will be next!
Sheamus & Alpha Academy talk things out until Rusev appears. Rusev & Sheamus talk to each other for a bit. I assume there will be a match at some point.
Der Ring General Gunther makes his way to the ring. Last week was supposed to be his celebration. Instead, Bill Goldberg broke it up. Gunther has done a lot of thinking about what it means to be next. It is not 1999, it’s 2025, and he’s the guy! Goldberg is a 58 year old 1 trick pony that can’t lace his boots! He wants to apologize to Goldberg’s wife & son for what he’ll do.
Becky Lynch didn’t have a lot to say to Jackie Redmond, but here’s Sami Zayn. Before Sami can comment, Karrion Kross is here to dump on Sami and remind him he’ll never be world champion as a good guy. Sami punches Karrion and tells him he’ll go to Adam Pearce and make their match official.
Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bayley: They fight into the corner, Becky with a cheap shot leads to a clothesline by Bayley. Some back & forth leads to Becky jamming Bayley’s arm on the top rope as we go to commercial.
Suplex by Bayley followed by a knee strike gets two as we return. Some reversals lead to a suplex reversal and a Bayley to belly for two. Bayley hits the sunset flip power bomb into the corner for two. Bayley tries to go up top, Becky follows her. Superplex, Becky goes for an armbar but Bayley counters out. Bayley with the half crab & Becky finds the ropes. Bayley hits that Manhandle Slam and Becky rolls out of the ring. Becky buries Bayley under some chairs at ringside. Lyra Valkyria is out here too, but eventually Bayley gets control and gets Becky in danger, but Lyra does enough damage to end the match.
Winner: Becky Lynch (10:26 shown via DQ)
Match Rating: **1/2
I expected a bit more out of this than what we got considering who was involved. The chemistry here wasn’t as great as I would have expected.
Bayley is none too happy with Lyra.
Chad Gable is talking to Ivy Nile, then walks up to Penta and gets Sacrifced because he’s pretty dumb.
Raquel Rodriguez issues a challenge to Rhea Ripley, and Mami comes down to the ring to answer. Raquel gets a Slim Jim table, but Rhea is the one that opens it up. Roxanne Perez breaks up the Riptide, and Raquel sends Rhea through the table. Raquel finally accepts Roxanne!
Rhea books a street fight with her & Raquel at Night of Champions and Adam Pearce agrees it’s official.
We see a video package for John Cena vs. CM Punk. I would like to act like I care about it, and Cena’s promo was pretty awesome, but it’s still a Saudi Arabia show early on Saturday and I probably shouldn’t comment any further on that.
King of the Ring Semi-Final Match: Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso: Yeet Time! Jey still seems popular with the masses, which we can all agree is a good thing. 6 PM start time next week on Netflix! Cody & Jey trade moves early while the fans sing. Jey counters out of Cross Rhodes, and Cody avoids the super kick as we go to commercial.
We return and the Figure 4 somehow gets broken out of. Jey hits the Umaga smash in the corner, but Cody goes to the Kimura lock! Jey gets out, hits the sleeper! Cody manages to dump Jey out through the ropes. Jey blocks the tope suicida from Cody. Both men mount the turnbuckle. Cody does something and Netflix freezes. We ended up with a Cody superplex to Jey as we go to commercial.
Cody & Jey trade strikes as we return. Jey hits a powerslam. Cody Cutter gets two! Disaster kick misses, Jey’s spear gets two! Jey runs into a kick, and another Cody Cutter gets two. Jey hits Cross Rhodes on Cody for two! Jey super kicks Cody and tells him to get up for another super kick. Spear by Jey! Jey goes up top for the Uso Spash, Cody meets him there for a Cutter! Cross Rhodes ends things in favor of Cody.
Winner: Cody Rhodes (15:24 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***
Babyface vs. Babyface is always a tough thing to do, but Cody & Jey had good enough chemistry to make it work in this instance. I wouldn’t suggest doing it too many more times, but it worked as a one time deal for tonight.
Cody & Jey follow the Code of Honor, as you’d expect from them.
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.
