WWE Creative Departments Reportedly 'Under Pressure' Following Raw In Los Angeles

This past Monday's "WWE Raw" wasn't the most well received episode this year, with the show facing backlash for its creative missteps and lack of excitement heading into SummerSlam this weekend. However, along with fans being disappointed, WWE seemingly upset several Netflix executives who were in attendance for Monday's episode at the Intuit Dome from Inglewood, California.

According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, WWE's creative departments are said to be "under pressure" following "Raw" this week, with multiple sources indicating that the importance of Monday's episode was heightened due to its location. Since the beginning of WWE's deal with Netflix in 2025, the Intuit Dome has started to transition to a home base for the company, along with Madison Square Garden. In addition to the first "Raw" on Netflix taking place from the arena, last year's Money In The Bank was also held from the venue.

WrestleVotes noted that one source reportedly mentioned "Raw's" opening segment between Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi, stating that Paul Heyman's microphone issues and "The Ruler's" botched Fall From Grace was not a good look. Additionally, the Danhausen/Joe Hendry concert also seemed to cause frustration, with the involvement of American boxer Ryan Garcia being labelled the most unnecessary part of the segment due to his recent controversies. 

Garcia has a history of racist and homophobic comments online, and in July 2024, he was expelled from the World Boxing Council for using racial slurs during a livestream. Garcia's ban from the company was lifted in November 2025, but WWE faced criticism for featuring the boxer on Monday due to his past.