WWE fans have been waiting for the January 6 move to Netflix, and the moment is finally here! The excitement is growing, not just for the launch, but for what the future holds for RAW.
Triple H kicked off the show with an amazing cold open, setting the tone for a new chapter in wrestling. On Monday, he took viewers on a history lesson, celebrating WWE’s biggest moments and legendary stars.
Triple H took viewers on a trip through WWE’s history, showing iconic moments and famous stars like Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and Becky Lynch. The cold open celebrated WWE’s past while also giving a glimpse of the exciting future. Triple H made it clear that WWE’s story is never-ending.
He said, “It’s as real as our ancient yearning. Not merely for a hero, but the villain as well. Just as they need each other, so do you need them to tell a story. But what of the story of wrestling itself?… that came of age with that most American of institutions… television. As television changed, so did wrestling. And together they changed America.”
Triple H is set to open the #RawOnNetflix debut tonight with a lengthy promo that will effectively tell the story of WWE leading up to tonight.
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) January 6, 2025
(via PWlnsider) pic.twitter.com/qy28PJrtwL
This is a strong way to introduce the world of professional wrestling to audiences. It also hints at WWE’s new approach to how they’ll do things. WWE is conveying to its audience that the company is more akin to a Hollywood production than authentic fighting.
Paul Levesque ended with saying, “The screens get smaller, but the show gets bigger. Global, from television to streaming, America to the world. Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the all real, ever fantastic, never to end, story of WWE.”
Triple H says SmackDown returns to two hours
SmackDown started the new year with a three-hour show, just like RAW on Netflix. It seemed like SmackDown would keep the three-hour format, but WWE’s Triple H confirmed that it will go back to its old two-hour format.
Triple H made the announcement on “The Pat McAfee Show” on January 6. He said that while SmackDown was temporarily three hours long, it will soon return to two hours.
The Hunter said, “Yes, for right now [it is three hours], and then it switches back to two.” He also mentioned that WWE shows work best when they’re between two and three hours long, as this allows for the best storytelling and content.
