Has Triple H’s WWE already failed in keeping its BOLD promise after Netflix’s treatment of The Rock on Raw?
With the top brass of Netflix and TKO on hand, WWE presented a new-look edition of Raw from the Intuit Dome.
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The Rock and Triple H [via- Wrestling Headlines]
WWE debuted at the Intuit Dome on Monday for its premiere of Raw on Netflix. The fans were greeted by Chief Content Officer Triple H, who welcomed those in attendance and millions watching around the globe to a whole new era. Shortly after that, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson came out to a deafening ovation.
When he reached the ringside area, The Great One headed over to Michael Cole and Pat McAfee for a second and said, “Let’s f***ing go.” Even though it was allowed to everyone in the proximity, those tuning in live at home were slapped with the first censor of the evening.
It was soon making all the noise on social media with a bunch of netizens already doubting WWE’s loudmouth vows. To provide some context, WWE CCO Triple H did an interview with Pat McAfee. The real-life Paul Levesque was asked about the potential outrage they could incur from Netflix when it comes to the verbiage they were planning to use on shows.
McAfee was alluding to The Rock’s cursing on linear TV in early 2024 when he had a certain “Final Boss” ingrained. There was reported backlash from WWE’s media rights partners, raising red flags about Rock’s demeanor knowing he was a TKO board member. To that, Levesque confirmed WWE wouldn’t face censoring issues on Netflix.
But that contradicts the streaming giant’s treatment of Dwayne’s first F-bomb drop, which he didn’t even hurl out on a microphone. So does that mean Triple H lied to the audience? That’d be too blunt of a statement. It can be deduced that despite being guiled as a platform to use profanity, Netflix will ultimately decide what makes on-air.
What did Netflix allow to pass through the censor on Raw this week?
It may take a while for WWE to find its footing on Netflix. The company just capped off its debut show on the OTT juggernaut. Hence, judging anything based on it would simply be jumping the gun.
Having discussed what Netflix did censor on Raw this Monday, let’s dive into what they let slide through. Minutes into his promo, The Rock used “bullsh*t,” and the audio wasn’t dropped. Wasn’t that too offensive of a slur in Netflix’s dictionary? Maybe.
Also, during the Tribal Combat showdown between Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa, the crowd audibly chanted, “F**k you Solo,” and again, it wasn’t censored out. Taking note of it, Pat McAfee touted on commentary that they were on Netflix.
So, all in all, people in general are expecting that sort of edgy language more now that WWE is on the streaming service. Fans would hopefully gain more clarity on the permissible levels for pushing the envelope as WWE is now on Netflix.
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Vibhor Pal
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