If you had told a fan five years ago that WWE Raw would leave cable television for a streaming service, they’d have called you crazy. Yet, here we are. 2025 in pro wrestling will forever be remembered as the year the "cord" finally snapped, and it wasn't just a minor shift. It was a total seismic overhaul of how we consume the sport.
The year kicked off with a literal bang on January 6, 2025. WWE Raw debuted on Netflix from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, and it didn't look like the Raw we grew up with. Gone were the rigid commercial breaks that killed the flow of main events. Instead, we got a flexible runtime that allowed matches like CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins to actually breathe. It felt raw—no pun intended.
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The Night Raw Went Global
That Netflix premiere wasn't just about a new logo or a Travis Scott theme song. It was about $5 billion over ten years. That kind of money changes a company’s DNA. We saw the return of "The Final Boss" version of The Rock, who didn't just show up; he took over the board of directors' influence on-screen.
The production value spiked. Higher frame rates, more cinematic backstage segments, and a global reach that traditional USA Network coverage could never touch. Fans in the UK and Canada suddenly had everything in one place. No more hunting for local broadcasters. It made the 2025 in pro wrestling landscape feel smaller and more connected, even if your internet speed was the only thing standing between you and the main event.
John Cena’s Long Goodbye
While Netflix was the business story, John Cena was the emotional one. He promised us a year, and he gave us a year. 36 dates. That’s it.
His retirement tour started that very first night on Netflix and carried through the entire calendar. We saw him revisit old ghosts. A ladder match at the Royal Rumble against Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed title felt like a passing of the torch that actually meant something. He didn't win, and honestly, he shouldn't have.
The tour culminated on December 13, 2025, at Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII. The opponent? Gunther. It was a brutal, stiff, 20-minute masterclass that ended with Cena staring at the lights in Washington, D.C. No "one more match." No fake retirement. He left his boots in the ring, and for the first time in two decades, WWE felt like it was truly entering a new era.
AEW and the HBO Max Pivot
You can’t talk about 2025 in pro wrestling without looking at the other side of the fence. Tony Khan’s AEW spent much of the year solidifying its own streaming identity. The big news was the full integration into HBO Max.
WrestleDream in October showed exactly what that partnership could do. The "I Quit" match between Darby Allin and Jon Moxley was arguably the most violent thing ever aired on a major streaming platform. It drew over 120,000 buys on the service, proving that there is a massive appetite for the "alternative" product when it's easily accessible.
AEW’s 2025 was defined by a younger, hungrier roster. While WWE played the "Greatest Hits" with Cena and Rock, AEW leaned into the "Death Riders" faction. They dominated the summer, creating a chaotic, unscripted vibe that contrasted sharply with the high-gloss Netflix production of the competition.
Why the Landscape Shift Matters for You
If you’re a fan, the "streaming wars" actually made your life easier—and more expensive.
- Centralization: You no longer need a $100 cable package for one show.
- Quality: The competition for eyeballs forced both WWE and AEW to stop "treading water" during the mid-card segments.
- Accessibility: International fans are finally treated like first-class citizens with live access.
But there’s a catch. The "flexible runtime" means shows sometimes run until 11:15 PM on a school night. It’s a commitment.
What to Do Now
If you’re trying to catch up on the chaos of the last year, don't just watch the highlights. Go back to the January 6 Netflix debut. It sets the tone for everything that follows. Follow the Cena retirement matches in order; the storytelling is subtle, especially his growing frustration as he realizes he can't keep up with the "New Era" speed.
Keep an eye on the TNA/WWE partnership as well. By the end of 2025, the lines between the two companies blurred more than ever, with NXT talent appearing on TNA Bound For Glory. The "Forbidden Door" isn't just an AEW catchphrase anymore; it’s the standard operating procedure for the entire industry.