WrestleTalk Podcast

Worst WWE Raw Of The Triple H Era?! WWE Raw Feb. 23, 2026 Review!

·1 hr 11 min·5 clips
Luke Owen and Oli Davis declare this WWE Raw from February 2026 might be the worst of the Triple H era.
The WrestleTalk Podcast hosts, Luke Owen and Oli Davis, open by promoting an Acast listener survey before diving into a scathing review of the February 23, 2026 WWE Raw. They immediately frame the episode as a strong contender for the worst Raw of the Triple H creative era, putting them in a bad mood. A key issue was a technical glitch where Netflix did not properly skip ad breaks, forcing them to watch filler segments meant for live broadcast, which highlighted the show's poor structure. They dissect how WWE fills time during ad breaks with meaningless promos and entrances, like Trick Williams or Jade Cargill in the stands, which wastes time for all viewers. The hosts then provide a detailed play-by-play critique of specific segments, starting with the Natty versus Maxine Dupree feud. They explain how the match was undermined by multiple video package interruptions and ad breaks, leading to a 30-second referee stoppage finish that felt anti-climactic. They compare this to a legitimate injury earlier in the show to Bronson Reed, noting the inconsistent presentation between real and kayfabe injuries blurs lines poorly. The conversation expands to broader creative issues, with the hosts stating WWE currently feels like a 'cold product' where flaws are glaring. They connect this to reports of lower-than-expected WrestleMania ticket sales, arguing it's a combination of high prices and lack of fan excitement. The show's structure is criticized for repetitive segments, like multiple interruptions during opening promos involving Gunther, Cody Rhodes, and The Vision. They analyze a match between Jey Uso and Chad Gable that fell apart after Bronson Reed's injury, pointing out the wrestlers' visible confusion. The hosts also critique poorly executed angles, like Liv Morgan's convoluted choice between Stephanie McMahon and Jade Cargill, and a pointless Brock Lesnar segment where Paul Heyman merely announced future appearances. The latter half of the episode includes reviews of other matches and segments, like Kofi Kingston vs. Evans and a women's tag match, which they found functional but uninspiring. The episode's climax and sole positive is the tribute to AJ Styles, featuring video packages and a live promo from Styles in Atlanta, culminating in The Undertaker announcing Styles' Hall of Fame induction. The hosts end by reaffirming this was one of the worst Raws in recent memory, citing terrible pacing, lack of star power, and creative directionlessness during the Road to WrestleMania.

As heard by us

A blunt episode debrief that centers on pacing, interruptions, and too many entrances.

WrestleTalk's episode treats pacing as the main issue from the start. Oli Davis and Luke Owen keep returning to how Gunther, Cody Rhodes, The Vision, and Jey Uso are pulled through repeated interruptions and entrances, and the later Liv Morgan segment reinforces that same…

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Why you'd press play

When Raw turns into a stack of entrances, this review calls the hold-up by name.

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