If you thought the emotional weight of the Stranger Things series finale on New Year’s Eve was the end of the road for Hawkins, Netflix just proved us all wrong. Tonight, the streaming giant took “corporate synergy” to a supernatural level by transforming Monday Night Raw into a living extension of the Upside Down. For those of us who have followed every beat of Eleven’s journey, seeing the Barclays Center draped in vines and pulsing with that iconic synth theme was a brilliant reminder that a great story never truly dies—it just evolves.
Tonight’s episode, aptly dubbed “Raw is Stranger Things,” marks the one-year anniversary of WWE’s move to Netflix, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. By launching this massive crossover just five days after the series finale, Netflix isn’t just promoting a show; they are rewarding a fanbase. This is the ultimate “afterlife” for a franchise. Instead of letting the conversation fade, Netflix leveraged its newest live powerhouse to create a communal moment that feels more like a cinematic event than a wrestling match.
The synergy on display tonight is a masterclass in modern entertainment. We saw Michael Cole and Corey Graves (rocking a Hellfire Club shirt) emerge from a classic 80s radio van, while “vines” crept across the ringside barricades and the Raw logo literally flipped upside down. This isn’t just a logo slapped on a screen during a commercial break; it’s an immersive experience. It bridges the gap between the high-stakes drama of the squared circle and the high-stakes survival of the Hawkins crew, proving that both audiences crave the same thing: legendary, larger-than-life storytelling.
This partnership signals a massive shift in how we’ll see our favorite Netflix IPs in the future. Now that WWE is fully integrated into the Netflix ecosystem, the boundaries between scripted drama and live spectacle are officially blurred. Whether it was Rhea Ripley channeling her inner “Eleven” or the eerie, flickering lights during the entrances, tonight proved that the WWE ring is the perfect stage for Netflix to keep its biggest brands alive and kicking. The portal might have closed in Hawkins, but on Netflix, the Upside Down is just getting started.
Check out the opening intro from tonight’s episode below.
WWE kicked off RAW with a Stranger Things–themed intro.
— EliteRockerz 𝕏 (@EliteClubS0B) January 6, 2026
This is so dope 🔥#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/WNfzkzwHKG