Backstage news on why WWE nixed major plans at RAW; interesting production changes - Reports

On Monday, WWE presented one of its biggest TV episodes in company history live from a packed Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. The RAW Netflix premiere marked the official kickoff to a multi-billion dollar, multi-year deal between the world's largest wrestling company and streaming service. Backstage sources have just revealed numerous scoops and stories from the show.

Michael Cole opened the inaugural RAW Netflix broadcast by announcing that more than 17,000 fans were in attendance. Triple H narrated a heavily praised intro video, then appeared live in the ring to a massive ovation. After touting a sellout of more than 17,000 fans, the Chief Content Officer continued pushing WWE's latest historic partnership while riling the crowd up.

The backstage Gorilla Position inside the Intuit Dome could be seen in various videos and social clips on Monday, and it was packed with a lot going on. A new report from Fightful Select notes a source described the area as being stressful due to the show's importance.

WWE had a local start time of 5 PM or 8 PM ET, which is the usual start time. The company usually tapes one Speed match, two Main Event matches, and the live RAW on Monday nights, but things have changed this week. There were no matches taped for Speed or Main Event, and word is that the unveiling of the ring was related to the change in plans.

Officials reportedly saw the unveiling of the ring as a major part of their Netflix premiere. Due to the importance of presenting the ring and set, the company did not feel it was optimal to get the Speed and Main Event matches done before 5 PM local time, which was showtime.

The pre-RAW C-show tapings are expected to resume next week in San Jose and on the West Coast. WWE tapes one Speed match at live SmackDown tapings. It wasn't clear if extra matches would be taped this Friday in Portland, but some additional bouts were taped in recent weeks.

Regarding production for the RAW Netflix premiere, it was noted how some output was "only seen by the likes of WrestleMania," according to sources. WWE also did not use the blanket sound that is usually used on its flagship show. The company has used the blanket "crowd sound" over the broadcast to prevent a case of dead silence, which goes a long way in the overall presentation. However, the years-long practice was done away with following Kevin Dunn's departure last year.

A big topic of discussion in the lead-up to the RAW Netflix premiere was how officials and talents were looking forward to having more leniency on things like edgier content and show-closing moments with overruns. The backstage update from Monday's RAW notes that officials could've gone much longer with the Netflix premiere, as they have a flexible "out" for ending the broadcast.

WWE RAW lineup for Week 2 on Netflix

World Wrestling Entertainment will present the second RAW of 2025 next week at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Below is the current lineup for the second RAW Netflix episode:

• Chad Gable vs. a mystery luchador
• Street Fight: Finn Balor vs. Damian Priest
• Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser
• Women's Intercontinental Championship Tournament Finals: Lyra Valkyria vs. Dakota Kai to crown the inaugural champion

Several Superstars not announced for matches are also booked for next week's RAW. WWE and the arena have the following names: Gunther, Rhea Ripley, Seth Rollins, Liv Morgan, Dominik Mysterio, Jey Uso, R-Truth, Sami Zayn, and The New Day.