Monday Night Raw
Date: October 27, 2025
Location: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

Things are cranking up around here again as we have Saturday Night’s Main Event, surprisingly enough coming up this Saturday. That show is going to feature CM Punk vs. Jey Uso for the vacant World Title, which is more than enough for the Raw side of the card. As for tonight, the Women’s Tag Team Titles are on the line. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Jey Uso winning the battle royal last week, earning himself the right to face CM Punk for the title this weekend.

The title is in the ring and here is Jey Uso for a chat. He talks about how there are two #1 contenders and now it’s time to get the title back. It’s four letters and one word…but here is CM Punk to interrupt. The song ends and Punk runs it back, which doesn’t have Uso looking happy. Punk talks about how they’re friends and he glad to see Uso finally listening to himself for a change. He’s not listening to Jimmy or Roman but that makes it complicated for Punk. See, Punk tries to put himself in his opponent’s shoes but he’s never been in Jey’s place before.

Last week, Jey won the battle royal and Punk knows he has what it takes. How far is Jey willing to go to get the title back? Punk needs the title back as well and on Saturday, Jey is going to be in a situation where YEETing isn’t enough. So how far is he willing to go? Jey talks about how he’s been in the deep waters before and he knows that Punk is going to be trying to make him out to be the bad guy. Well screw Punk and they’ll see each other on Saturday. There was only so much here, as there is only so much of a story, but serious Jey is a good thing.

We look at Judgment Day losing the Tag Team Titles last week.

Dominik Mysterio is worried about facing either Rusev or Penta at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Raquel Rodriguez calls him a serial cheater (Roxanne Perez’s jaw drops) and the rest of the team isn’t listening. Mysterio calls someone and says he needs help.

Rusev vs. Penta

For an Intercontinental Title shot at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Rusev jumps him to start fast but gets sent outside for the big running flip dive. Back in and the threat of a Canadian Destroyer sends Rusev back to the floor, where he knocks Penta over. They get back inside for a running splash to Penta in the corner, only for him to come back with a Backstabber. The first two times outside weren’t enough so they head to the floor again, this time with Penta going face first into the steps.

We take a break and come back with Penta fighting out of a bearhug and kicking Rusev in the face. The slingshot dropkick in the corner connects and Penta kicks him down again for two. Penta goes up but gets kicked out of the air to give Rusev two, with some frustration thrown in as a bonus. The Accolade is countered into the Penta Driver for a VERY close two and they’re both down. Cue all three Grande Americanos to jump them both for the double DQ at 9:56.

Rating: B-. I get what they’re doing here but this is one of the ideas that keeps coming up in wrestling and….dang it I can’t bring myself to hate it. At the end of the day, it takes an incredibly dumb heel to make this happen over and over and, well, Mysterio fits the description. It sets up the match well enough and as dumb as it is, it makes sense for Mysterio to think this would work.

Post match Rusev isn’t happy and clears out Americano’s goons, but they’re able to save him from the Canadian Destroyer. Penta and Rusev stare at each other.

LA Knight talks about how he came up short last week and it’s hard to keep the drive going. He doesn’t have the title around his waist right now but CM Punk and Jey Uso are on the way to Saturday Night’s Main Event. Sometimes he gets used to doing the hard thing because he doesn’t know how to quit. He’s coming for whomever wins on Saturday and he’ll have the title around his waist when he’s asked about it next time.

Bron Breakker thinks he and Bronson Reed should have been in the battle royal last week and want an explanation from Paul Heyman. After thinking for a bit, Heyman says the two of them wrecking everyone in the battle royal would have left Adam Pearce hating them. Instead, they should take out the one other man who wants the World Title (unnamed) and after he’s gone, the path to the title is clear. Breakker wants Heyman to get a match with that person….but Heyman has already done that. And of course it’s LA Knight.

We look back at ten years of Asuka on the main roster, with a slow and quiet version of her theme song in the background, which makes it sound rather creepy.

Judgment Day comes up to Adam Pearce and want a rematch for the Tag Team Titles. Balor is a bit calmer than McDonagh but Pearce says they’re already busy tonight. One of them gets to fight Sheamus tonight and Pearce lets them pick. McDonagh says he’ll do it (Balor looks surprised) and Balor says after that, they can come after the Tag Team Titles.

Nikki Bella vs. Roxanne Perez

Raquel Rodriguez is here too. Bella grabs a quick sunset flip for two and then slaps Perez in the face, which means we need to pause for a second. Back up and a dropkick staggers Perez again but she pulls Bella down and hammers away. Bella fights back until Rodriguez gets in a cheap shot to cut her off.

We take a break and come back with Perez getting two off a Lionsault and hammering away. Perez even mocks the pushups, which brings Bella back with some forearms of her own. A double faceplant leaves them both down and Bella is up first, with Perez having to block the Rack Attack 2.0. Bella escapes a sleeper and spinebusters her for two but Rodriguez offers a distraction. Perez gets caught with her feet on the ropes before avoiding a charge into the corner. Pop Rox gives Perez the pin at 11:17.

Rating: C+. I’m trying to care about having Bella back but it’s just not clicking. She feels like a relic of the past and a lot of what she does in the ring really doesn’t work very well. It’s not that she’s bad but it doesn’t feel important to have her out there. Maybe it works as a one off, but having her around full time is a bit hard to care about week after week.

Post match Rodriguez drops Bella again until Stephanie Vaquer makes the save. Vaquer and Rodriguez stare at each other with Bella popping up behind them. The villains leave.

We look at Bayley challenging Alexa Bliss and Charlotte for the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Lyra Valkyria runs into the Kabuki Warriors, with Asuka yelling about how Valkyria and Bayley have a title shot. The Warriors leave and Bayley pops in with a matching jacket for Valkyria. Bayley asks what if they lose but Valkyria asks what if they win. They even get a handshake down.

Jey Uso runs into Jimmy Uso, who isn’t happy with Jey throwing him out of the battle royal last week. Jimmy thinks Jey might have been worried about him and threw him out as a result.

LA Knight vs. Bron Breakker

Bronson Reed and Paul Heyman are here with Breakker. Knight gets driven into the corner to start but fights his way out, setting up some right hands in the corner. Breakker runs him over with a heck of a clothesline but Knight is back with a high crossbody. Knight gets two off a sunset flip and stomps him down in the corner, followed by a running knee.

We take a break and come back with Breakker hitting a running knee before suplexing Knight over the top for a big crash. A big running shoulder drops Knight on the floor and we hit the chinlock back inside. Knight fights up and slugs away before the jumping neckbreaker puts Breakker down. There’s the powerslam and a jumping elbow to Breakker so Knight goes up.

Breakker’s attempt at a super Frankensteiner doesn’t work as he crashes down instead (ouch). With Breakker ok, he goes up top, where Knight jumps to the top for the superplex. Reed offers a distraction but Breakker misses a charge into the post. They go outside with Knight sending him into the announcers’ table, followed by the reverse DDT back inside. Knight goes up but Breakker nips up and, after Knight jumps over him, the Super Spear finishes for Breakker at 13:35.

Rating: B+. This was a heck of a match and I got way into what they were doing. I wasn’t sure how it was going to end but what matters the most is Breakker’s rise to the top continues. There is a good reason to believe that he’ll be World Champion soon enough and racking up wins like this will only help him. Knight was doing well out there too and it made for a pretty awesome fight.

Adam Pearce finds Dominik Mysterio with the Grande Americanos. Believe it or not, it’s a triple threat at Saturday Night’s Main Event with Penta and Rusev. Mysterio: “No hablo ingles?”

Jimmy Uso runs into Jey Uso, who seems to apologize for throwing him out of the battle royal last week. Everything seems ok.

JD McDonagh vs. Sheamus

Finn Balor is here with McDonagh. Sheamus takes him into the corner and pounds away with the forearms to the back. A big backdrop takes McDonagh down and we get the Dublin Smile. McDonagh gets in a shot of his own and walks over Sheamus’ back, earning himself a clothesline to the floor. Balor breaks up the ten forearms so Sheamus clotheslines both of them off the apron.

We take a break and come back with Sheamus fighting out of a chinlock but McDonagh sends him outside for an Asai moonsault. Back in and McDonagh hits a 450 for two and it’s time for Sheamus to fight up. The Irish Curse plants McDonagh and now the ten forearms connect. The Brogue Kick is cut off by a running knee but Sheamus is right back with the High Cross. Balor puts the foot on the rope though and it’s time for Sheamus to go after him. McDonagh’s save attempt is sent crashing into the barricade but Balor gets in a shillelagh shot. That’s enough for McDonagh to hit a super Spanish Fly for the pin at 13:39.

Rating: B. Another good match here, which is always fun to see. Sheamus has been around for a long time but when he is given the chance, he can more than hang with anyone. That’s what we got here, with McDonagh looking rather awesome in his own right. The finish looked great too, as it’s nice for a smaller wrestler to not use a 450 or frog splash or something similar for a change.

We look at Becky Lynch losing to Maxxine Dupri via DQ last week.

Dupri is ready to get her title shot, but first she wants to talk to a friend and make sure she’s in the right place. Adam Pearce says it’s official…eventually.

Charlotte and Alexa Bliss are ready to retain the Women’s Tag Team Titles. The Kabuki Warriors interrupt and accuse Charlotte of being evil. Charlotte says she has changed and they would love to give the Warriors a title shot. Kairi Sane whips out a threatening umbrella until Asuka calls her off.

Saturday Night’s Main Event rundown.

Dragon Lee and AJ Styles are with Adam Pearce when Judgment Day interrupt. They want their rematch for the titles and the champs agree, with the match being set for next week.

A poker chip spins around and reveals “2026”. Ok then.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Charlotte/Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley/Lyra Valkyria

Bliss and Charlotte are defending with Bliss grabbing an early headlock on Bayley. Charlotte comes in for a clothesline so it’s off to Valkyria for an exchange of wristlocks. Bayley’s distraction doesn’t work and Charlotte kicks her in the face as the Fireflies are out. Valkyria kicks Charlotte outside though and a dropkick through the ropes puts her down as we take a break.

We come back with Valkyria grabbing a rocking horse on Bliss before handing it off to Bayley. A G9 gets two but Bliss is back with a double DDT. That’s enough for the tag back to Charlotte, who comes in with a great looking high crossbody. A clothesline and fall away slam drop Valkyria and Bayley is thrown next to her. The moonsault his both of them for two on Valkyria but Bayley is back up with a Bayley To Belly for two.

Bliss comes in off a blind tag and gets two off the Sister Abigail DDT, with Bayley making a last second save. Valkyria pulls Bliss out of the air for Nightwing and we seem to have a wardrobe issue (or something went wrong, with Bliss looking like she was helping Valkyria with an issue). Charlotte kicks Bayley in the head and grabs the Figure Eight (without the leg going over Bayley’s horizontal leg but oh well). Valkyria grabs Bayley’s hand to block the tap (why Bayley can’t tap with the other hand isn’t clear) but Bliss is in with the Twisted Bliss. Stereo Natural Selections retain the titles at 13:11.

Rating: B+. They were rolling near the end there and they’ve got something with Charlotte and Bliss as champions. What matters the most is that they feel like the big stars in the division. That’s what the division has been needing for a long time now and unfortunately this likely means one of them is going to be stricken with malaria in the next week or two. For now though, at least they had another awesome match, which tends to be their style.

Post match the replays are broken up by the Kabuki Warriors running in to jump the champs. Bayley protects Valkyria and the Warriors bail.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a show where the best parts were what took place in the ring, as a lot of the storytelling aspects were only so good. You can tell that the Seth Rollins injury messed things up a lot, as there isn’t much of a personal issue between Punk and Uso. Other than that, it feels like they’re trying to get through Saturday and then move on to everything else, which makes sense given how fast the big story had to be set up. The wrestling carried this show rather far tonight though, and that’s a great way to spend a Monday night.

Results
Rusev vs. Penta went to a double DQ when Los Grande Americanos interfered
Bron Breakker b. LA Knight – Super Spear
Roxanne Perez b. Nikki Bella – Pop Rox
JD McDonagh b. Sheamus – Super Spanish Fly
Charlotte/Alexa Bliss b. Bayley/Lyra Valkyria – Double pin

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Monday Night Raw
Date: October 20, 2025
Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

So things got shaken up in a big way last week as the Vision turned on World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. That opens up a bunch of questions and there is a good chance we’ll get some answers this week. We are rapidly approaching Saturday Night’s Main Event and odds are some of the card will come together tonight. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

The opening recap looks at last week’s show, with CM Punk becoming #1 contender and then the Vision turning on Seth Rollins to end the show.

Here is Adam Pearce for a talk about what happened last week and in the future, but here is the Vision, with Bron Breakker holding the World Title, to interrupt. Pearce gets to the point: the title is vacant but we’ll have a new champion crowned at Saturday Night’s Main Event. CM Punk has already earned the right to be there and will face the winner of a battle royal being held tonight for the title.

Pearce wants Breakker to hand him the title but Breakker asks what happens if he doesn’t. Paul Heyman has a quick sidebar and Breakker wants some respect. Like with a please. Pearce doesn’t like it, but does say please. Instead Breakker hands the title over to Heyman, who hands it to Pearce. With Pearce gone, Heyman asks why everyone is so mad at the team. He watches Unreal and knows they’re the heels, but they didn’t cause Rollins’ injury.

Heyman didn’t turn on Roman Reigns and CM Punk for Rollins, but rather because Bron Breakker is the future. On top of that, he knows that Bronson Reed is better than Roman Reigns. The reality is that Rollins couldn’t shoulder the responsibility and the winners, who will be writing the history, are right here. The future is right here and welcome to the show.

We recap Dominik Mysterio running his mouth and getting Judgment Day a Tag Team Title defense as a result.

Judgment Day is getting ready when Mysterio comes in to ask if they have this. The team tells him that they have this and to worry about his own business.

Raw Tag Team Titles: AJ Styles/Dragon Lee vs. Judgment Day

Judgment Day is defending and McDonagh gets knocked down and into the wrong corner to start. Lee comes in for a running knee to Balor, who is right back with a basement dropkick for two of his own. It’s back to McDonagh to take Lee down as well as the pace slows a good bit. Balor’s snap suplex gets two and he goes up, only for Styles to crotch him down. Styles gets smart by throwing Lee into the corner but McDonagh low bridges Styles out to the floor.

We take a break and come back with Styles fighting out of trouble and handing it back to Lee to clean house. Everything breaks down and Lee hits a big suicide dive to both champs back inside. Operation Dragon is broken up and it’s back to Styles to take Balor down. Lee knocks McDonagh outside and Balor sends Lee out, leaving Styles to hit the Phenomenal Forearm.

McDonagh makes a VERY last second save, followed by the moonsault and Balor hits the Coup de Grace. Lee DIVES over McDonagh for the save in a great spot, followed by a suicide dive to Lee. Back in and Balor tries a Styles Clash on Styles, who reverses into the real thing for the pin and the titles at 13:13.

Rating: B. I mean…why not? Judgment Day was doing absolutely nothing with the titles so let Styles, who is on the way to the end of his career, have a nice moment before he hangs it up? It’s not like things can get much worse for the titles, so let them do something cool for a change.

We look at the Usos’ issues last week.

Jimmy Uso asks Jey Uso if he’s happy now. Jey says he was mad at himself last week and brings up Roman Reigns, but Jimmy cuts him off. Reigns isn’t here tonight and the two of them are in the battle royal. Jimmy says Reigns has Jey believing that he lost the title because he helped others. Jey isn’t sure what to believe, but Jimmy tells him to figure it out. Tonight, Jimmy will go after everyone in the battle royal, including Jey. That’s fine with both of them.

Intercontinental Title: Rusev vs. Dominik Mysterio

Mysterio is defending and dives through the ropes to start in fast on Rusev, who shrugs it off. An elbow has Mysterio down again and Rusev kicks him in the chest. Mysterio gets in a quick shot and dropkicks him in the back. The 619 is cut off with a shot to the head, followed by some rather hard suplexes.

We take a break and come back with Mysterio hitting his own suplex but the frog splash hits raised knees. The Accolade is blocked with a hasty crawl to the floor but here is Penta to prevent Mysterio from skedaddling. The distraction causes Rusev to hit Penta, leaving Mysterio to load up the timekeeper’s hammer again. Rusev blocks the 619 and takes the hammer, which the referee confiscates. That’s enough for Mysterio to get in a low blow, setting up the 619 into the frog splash to retain at 10:12.

Rating: C+. I keep thinking that Mysterio is going to be a big star when he turns and it’s getting obvious that he kind of all but has already. He’s getting better and better in the ring every day as he has figured out so many of the little things. It’s fun to watch his matches these days and that’s not only a great feeling now, but a very good sign for his future.

Post match Penta gives Rusev a springboard tornado DDT to leave him laying.

Women’s Intercontinental Title: Becky Lynch vs. Maxxine Dupri

Lynch is defending and knocks her into the corner to start fast. A victory roll gives Dupri two but Lynch takes right back over as we take a break. We come back with Dupri managing a comeback and getting in a snap suplex. The straps come down and the ankle lock goes on but Lynch reverses into a cross armbreaker. Dupri backflips out into another ankle lock, which is broken up as Lynch puts him on top. A high crossbody hits Lynch, who rolls outside and grabs the title. Dupri’s sunset flip gets two so Lynch knocks her silly with the belt for the DQ at 9:55.

Rating: B-. This is another case of a sliding scale, as there is no reason for Dupri to be very good in the ring. She’s inexperienced and her whole persona is someone who is in over her head. Whomever is working with her has done a lot of impressive work, because she’s doing rather well in the spot she’s getting. While I don’t believe she’s ready to do anything else, it’s at least a lot better than she’s done in the past.

Post match Lynch lays her out again.

Video on the international tour.

The Kabuki Warriors are happy with beating Iyo Sky and injuring Rhea Ripley. Now they want the Women’s Tag Team Titles back.

Paul Heyman comes up to Adam Pearce, who tells him that Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed are out of the battle royal. If Heyman wants them back in, say please. Heyman thinks for a second and then does say please. Pearce says no anyway and slams a door in his face.

Heyman goes to leave and runs into Becky Lynch, who isn’t happy. He begs off and offers Lynch a spot in the team even without Rollins. Lynch calls him a “Penguin Faced P****” and says this won’t work on her. Rollins knew that Heyman was going to turn on him, so we’ll see what happens when Rollins gets back. Heyman will be nothing without him and they’re not worried about whomever Heyman attaches himself to next.

Roxanne Perez vs. Stephanie Vaquer

Non-title and Raquel Rodriguez is here too. Perez chills in the ropes to start before pulling Vaquer into a bodyscissors. That’s reversed rather quickly and Vaquer works on the arm. Perez breaks that up and goes after the arm, which is switched into a rollup for two on Vaquer. Back up and Vaquer scares her out to the floor, only to take Perez down back inside. The threat of the Devil’s Kiss sends Perez bailing to the apron, allowing Rodriguez to get in a cheap shot as we take a break.

We come back with Vaquer hitting a Meteora in the corner, followed by a dragon screw legwhip. The Devil’s Kiss connects but the SVB is broken up. Perez fights back and hits the cartwheel knees to the head. Pop Rox doesn’t work though and Vaquer hits a 619, with Perez falling outside and Vaquer diving onto both villains. A double underhook gutbuster finishes Perez at 12:07.

Rating: B-. Vaquer continues to look so smooth out there and it helps having someone as good as Perez. That’s how you put together a solid match, as the champ gets to notch another win. I’m not sure who is next for her, but having her stack up wins like this should only help her.

Post match the double teaming is on but Nikki Bella runs in for the save. Oh sweet goodness not Bella getting a title shot.

Bayley surprises Lyra Valkyria and says she has a surprise for her next week. Valkyria is scared, as she should be.

Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed aren’t happy with being left out of the battle royal. Paul Heyman gives them a pep talk about Brock Lesnar and things seem ok enough.

Nikki Bella is in the back with Stephanie Vaquer. Bella gives her a pep talk about having her back, with Vaquer saying she owes Bella one. That’s fine with Bella, who thinks she just made some enemies.

Battle Royal

Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Sheamus, AJ Styles. El Grande Americano, Dragon Lee, Ivar, Rusev, Akira Tozawa, Otis, Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh, Penta, Grayson Waller, LA Knight, Kofi Kingston

The winner faces CM Punk for the vacant World Title at Saturday Night’s Main Event, so here is Punk to do commentary. It’s a brawl to start with Ivar and Otis slugging it out. Everyone stops to watch before realizing that it’s Otis vs. Ivar and continue fighting each other. Otis and Rusev slug it out, with Otis actually running him over. Back up and Rusev low bridges Otis out before doing the same to a Hulking Up Tozawa.

Lee tries a springboard but Judgment Day shoves him out to even a bit of the score from earlier tonight. Mysterio actually gets rid of Rusev and Penta at once and we take a break. We come back with Ivar sitting on Styles’ chest in the corner before slugging it out with Sheamus. Ivar gets dumped to the apron and pulls Sheamus out with him. Sheamus hits White Noise onto said apron and Ivar is out.

Americano loads up the mask but gets taken out and eliminated by the Usos. Sheamus forearms Balor out and tries to do the same to McDonagh, with Kingston sneaking up for the double elimination. Sheamus brawls to the back with Judgment Day and Styles tosses Mysterio….but the referee didn’t see it due to the brawl. Mysterio comes back in and goes after Styles as we take another break.

We come back with Jimmy, Jey, Mysterio, Kingston, Styles and Knight. Kingston monkey flips Styles but gets sent out to the apron. Styles knocks Kingston out and we’re down to five. Punk starts talking about the new Tag Team Champions, who could be called……AJ LEE! Ok that’s brilliant. Knight hammers away and Barrett asks if their loins are tingling. Tessitore: “Please say they’re not. Please say they’re not.”

Knight hits Jimmy with the top rope elbow but has to escape a Styles Clash. Knight grabs a reverse Boston crab on Styles, which has Punk thinking he wants to face someone that dumb. Jey is almost out but Jimmy makes a save and that can’t possibly be a good idea. Styles is knocked out and Jimmy goes after Knight, leaving Jey to knock them both out. Mysterio dropkicks Jey from behind but the 619 is countered into a backdrop to give Jey the win at 18:53 as Jimmy is LIVID.

Rating: B. Well, it was a fun battle royal and the result opens up a lot of doors. Punk and Jey have had their issues for months now so this is something that could work well. Granted there is always the chance that Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed crash the match, but for now, the pieces are there. It should be interesting to see where they go from here, so this is a good path to take.

Jey and Punk stare each other down to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show where it was absolutely not dull and a lot of big things happened. That’s what they needed this time, as the Rollins injury is going to shake things up in a big way. I’m not sure what this is going to mean, but at least they have started things off in the right way. We can see where things go from here though and this show has me wondering where the show is going.

Results
AJ Styles/Dragon Lee b. Judgment Day – Styles Clash to Balor
Dominik Mysterio b. Rusev – Frog splash
Maxxine Dupri b. Becky Lynch via DQ when Lynch used the title
Stephanie Vaquer b. Roxanne Perez – Double underhook gutbuster
Jey Uso won a battle royal last eliminating Dominik Mysterio

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Monday Night Raw
Date: October 13, 2025
Location: RAC Arena, Perth, Australia
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Michael Cole

We’re done with Crown Jewel and still in Australia so this is airing twelve hours earlier than usual. Seth Rollins and Stephanie Vaquer won the Crown Jewel Titles and John Cena and AJ Styles had an incredibly special match. It’s time to start getting ready for next month’s Survivor Series and WarGames so let’s get to it.

Here is Crown Jewel if you need a recap.

Long Crown Jewel recap.

Here is the Vision for a chat. The fans are not happy to see Seth Rollins, who calls them a bunch of “w******” before hitting his usual catchphrases. Rollins praises each of the members, including giving Heyman a kiss on the head, and saying that Breakker and Reed are being incredibly successful. Rollins asks the fans who is the greatest World Heavyweight Champion of all time. The reality is that he has beaten CM Punk and Roman Reigns on his own. He didn’t need the men in this ring but rather he chose all of them. Rollins is the greatest of all time and has proven it, so here’s a lot of pyro.

Penta runs into Rusev, who is facing the winner of tonight’s Intercontinental Title match. If that’s Penta, Rusev recommends prayer because pain is coming. Dominik Mysterio is coming up from behind, sees Rusev, and leaves.

Intercontinental Title: Penta vs. Dominik Mysterio

Mysterio is defending and fires off a quick superkick. That earns him a hurricanrana to the floor, where Penta gives him a backdrop onto the announcers’ table. We take a break and come back with Mysterio being sat on top for a kick to the head. A springboard spinning crossbody gives Penta two, followed by the slingshot dropkick in the corner for two more. Mysterio is able to send him outside for a suicide dive, allowing Mysterio to do the Penta strut.

A running dropkick in the corner gets two and we take another break. We come back again with Mysterio missing a slingshot hilo and being sent outside for a big top rope dive. Penta gets in two Amigos but Mysterio suplexes him for two instead. The Penta Driver gets two but Mysterio reverses the Canadian Destroyer into a Michinoku Driver. Cue Rusev, who gets taken down by Penta. The distraction lets Mysterio grab the title and the timekeeper’s hammer. As expected, the referee gets rid of the belt but Mysterio hammers Penta in the knee. A 619 into the frog splash retains the title at 15:38.

Rating: B. They started to roll at the end there and Mysterio continues to roll as his rather awesome title reign keeps going. The fans are even getting into him cheating, which gives his future that much more potential. He’s likely going to hold the title for a good while and that could make for some very interesting moments. The fact that the match was good makes it even better.

LA Knight is ready to face CM Punk tonight and then he’s moving on to go after the World Title. Punk comes in to say Knight isn’t beaten him tonight, with Knight disagreeing.

Asuka yells at Kairi Sane for losing at Crown Jewel so Sane offers to talk to Iyo Sky. That’s not what Asuka wants, but rather for her to face Rhea Ripley tonight. This surprises Sane, even though the match was announced earlier tonight. Sane shows off a big bruise on her head and gets slapped as a result.

Rhea Ripley vs. Kairi Sane

Iyo Sky and Asuka are here too. Sane rolls away from her to start and gets in a slap, which doesn’t seem to be the best idea. A crossbody is pulled out of the air though and Ripley muscles her up for a suplex. Sane sends her outside with a running headscissors, where Ripley knocks her out of the air. Asuka’s distraction brings Ripley outside but Sky goes after Asuka instead. Sane gets in a shot of her own on Sky though and we take a break.

We come back with Ripley fighting out of a chinlock and running Sane over for two. The headbutt sets up Riptide, with Sane slipping out and taking it to the apron. Ripley is sent outside for a dive off the apron but she’s fine enough to hit a Razor’s Edge toss. A running kick to the face gives Ripley two and she puts Sane up top. The top rope double stomp in the Tree Of Woe gives Sane two so she goes up top again. A top rope hurricanrana is countered into a faceplant so Asuka offers a distraction. Sky kicks her down and Riptide finishes Sane at 16:00.

Rating: B. It’s nice to see Ripley get another win and it makes sense for that to take place in her native Australia. This story has been going on for a pretty good while now and Ripley is starting to look more dominant, though at some point the Warriors need to get a big win of their own. For now though, Ripley beating Sane is a good result for the short term.

Post match Ripley goes after Asuka but Sane makes the save with a kendo stick shot. Asuka DDTs Ripley onto the announcers’ table.

The Usos are in the back, with Jimmy not getting why Roman Reigns is mad at them over trying to help him. Jey says they have to worry about their own business, with Jimmy not liking the tone. He’ll deal with Bronson Reed on his own.

Bronson Reed vs. Jimmy Uso

Uso slugs away to start and gets cut off just as fast. Reed misses a charge and gets sent outside where Uso fires off some right hands. Back in and a World’s Strongest Slam plants Uso, who loses his shirt to reveal some taped up ribs. We take a break and come back with Reed missing a backsplash to give Uso a breather. Uso enziguris him into the corner and hits a Whisper In The Wind for two. Due to reasons he “he’s not very bright”, Uso tries a Samoan drop and collapses. Reed drops a backsplash and hits the Tsunami for the win at 9:17.

Rating: C. This was about what you were expecting, as the former Bloodline’s issues continue to mount. There is only so much that you can do when Uso is banged up in the first place and is facing someone whose whole offense is built around getting to injure someone’s ribs. Reed’s big run continues and that is rather nice to see given what he has been doing in recent months.

Post match Bron Breakker shows up for a Super Spear but Jey Uso runs in for the save before the around the ring version can connect. Jey fights back and the villains run off. Jimmy seems to appreciate the help but Jey doesn’t look happy with him.

Lyra Valkyria isn’t sure if she can trust Bayley against Judgment Day and says this is a one time thing. Bayley laughs it off.

Bayley/Lyra Valkyria vs. Judgment Day

Valkyria takes Perez down by the arm to start and it’s quickly off to Bayley to send the villains into the corner. The WHOA running elbow connects and Valkyria is sent into them as well. Rodriguez sends Valkyria flying into Bayley though and Perez comes in for a Russian legsweep/big boot combination.

We take a break and come back with Perez sending Valkyria into the corner to crotch Bayley, who gets planted with a slingshot suplexed. A double springboard moonsault gives Perez two but Bayley manages to get over for the tag. Valkyria comes in and cleans house but slaps Bayley to wake her up a bit, which makes Bayley laugh. Bayley goes nuts and wrecks the villains, with the top rope elbow into the Rose Plant finishing Perez at 11:10.

Rating: C+. I can go with Bayley having two different sides to her as long as they drop the whole voices thing. Her just losing control and snapping is fine, as it’s giving Valkyria more TV time and it seems to be working. I don’t know how long it’s going to last, but it’s working well for now.

Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman talk about how great things have been and how great they will be going forward. Rollins knows something amazing is on the horizon. Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker come in, with Rollins saying they are this close to the top of the mountain. Nothing can stop them.

AJ Styles comes up to Adam Pearce and says Crown Jewel was amazing, though it would have been better if he had won. Dominik Mysterio comes in to ask where his attention is and says he’s the only champion defending his title. Styles agrees and thinks he and Dragon Lee should get a Tag Team Title shot next week. Works for Pearce, who says Mysterio can tell the champs.

Here is Stephanie Vaquer for a chat. She’s happy to have won her fourth title in a year but here is Judgment Day to interrupt. They both say they should be champion, so Vaquer tells them to do something about it. Perez says she’ll do it on her own time.

The attendance for the three days is 40,503.

Jey Uso vs. LA Knight vs. CM Punk

For a future shot at Seth Rollins. Knight stomps Uso down in the corner to start but gets sent outside. Knight gets to beat on Punk outside, only for Uso to hit a suicide dive. We take a break and come back with Punk hitting the running knees in the corner but Uso sends him into the corner. The Umaga Attack hits Knight but Punk neckbreakers Uso to cut him off. Punk drops the top rope elbow on Knight, who escapes a GTS attempt. Knight hits a double top rope elbow for two each and we take another break.

We come back with Uso and Punk slugging it out until Knight is back in. Knight superplexes Punk but gets Superfly Splashed by Uso for two. Uso is sent outside and the BFT hits Punk, with Uso breaking up the cover. Back in and the Superfly Splash hits Punk’s raised knees and the GTS gives Punk the win at 13:30.

Rating: B-. Punk winning is a good way to go as him getting to face Rollins one on one should makes for a big match whenever it happens. At the same time, it’s nice to see Knight not take the fall for a change. Uso already has something else going on with his family so this could have been a lot worse.

Post match Punk celebrates but here is the Vision, with Breakker hitting a spear each for Jey Uso and LA Knight. Punk gets beaten down as well and Rollins talks a lot of trash. And then Breakker spears Rollins. Breakker says something to Reed as Heyman looks stunned. Reed gives Rollins a Tsunami and Heyman is forced to hold up Breakker and Reed’s arms, with Breakker holding up the title to end the show. That’s one heck of a twist and I did not see it coming, though dang it’s pulling quite the trigger.

Overall Rating: B+. The ending boosted this one up a lot, though I’m scared that it’s Reed and Breakker turning on Rollins for the sake of playing mind games with Punk before the title match. The crowd was hot all night (though I could go forever without hearing that Will You Be My Girl song again) and it feels like the stakes have been raised now that we are done with the Crown Jewel stuff. Just keep that energy going though, as we have a long way to go before Survivor Series.

Results
Dominik Mysterio b. Penta – Frog splash
Rhea Ripley b. Kairi – Riptide
Bronson Reed b. Jimmy Uso – Tsunami
CM Punk b. Jey Uso and LA Knight – GTS to Uso

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Monday Night Raw
Date: October 6, 2025
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

It’s the last Raw before Crown Jewel and that means it’s the last Raw without anything important involving the World Title. Seth Rollins continues to have doubts about whether he can beat Cody Rhodes, which is probably a fair issue to have. Odds are we’ll get some more towards that and everything else here, with the possibility of another match or two being added. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Roman Reigns returning last week.

Here is Reigns to get things going and yeah the fans still seem to like him. He takes a bit to soak in the cheers before allowing Dallas to acknowledge him. With that out of the way, here are Paul Heyman and Bronson Reed to interrupt. They stare at each other and Reigns asks if Heyman has something to say. Heyman doesn’t know who has been wisemanin Reigns since he broke Heyman’s heart and tells the fans to acknowledge the Tribal THIEF.

Heyman knows that Reed is the one man that Reigns fears as Reed is the only person to ever cause Reigns to leave on a stretcher. Not in WWE, not in college football, not in the drunken Samoan barbecues where a battle royal broke out. Reed talks about how Afa and Sika were never stretchered out, so how would they feel to see it happen to Reigns at Reed’s hands. Reigns says Reed didn’t know Afa and Sika, but Heyman did.

What does Reigns think Sika would say? That would be “fight him now”, which Reigns is ready to do, but Heyman says not so fast. Reigns knows what Heyman is saying about waiting, but the reality is Reigns is levels ahead of Reed. Just pick the time and the rules because Reigns will be there to show why he’s the Tribal Chief. Heyman says it’s going to be an Australian street fight and goes to leave, but Reigns says they’re walking out like a couple of b******. That brings Reed back to the ring for the brawl, with Reed being knocked over the barricade before they’re separated. Good enough here, if a bit long.

We recap the Kabuki Warriors vs. Rhea Ripley/Iyo Sky.

Asuka is not happy and demands that Adam Pearce makes Sky vs. Kairi Sane tonight. Pearce needs a drink and Sane is upset about having to do the match. Asuka yells at and slaps her in the face.

Becky Lynch vs. Maxine Dupri

Non-title. Dupri takes her into the corner to start and slaps her in the chest a few times but Lynch is back with a knockdown. A Thesz press and some bad right hands have Lynch in trouble, followed by a dropkick to….somewhere on Lynch sends her outside. Dupri hits a dive off the apron but Lynch Bexploders her into the barricade as we take a break.

We come back with Dupri hitting some knees and clotheslines. Dupri takes the straps down and grabs an ankle lock, only to be sent into the buckle. Some right hands in the corner have Dupri in more trouble until she comes out with a sitout powerbomb for two. Lynch’s cross armbreaker is countered but so is Dupri’s ankle lock. A spinning kick to the head gives Dupri two and the fans are WAY into this.

Lynch’s rollup with trunks gets two so Dupri grabs her own rollup and puts her feet on the ropes for two of her own. They go outside, where Lynch taps her with the big Prime bottle. Lynch sends her into the announcers’ table a few times and stops to yell…but forgets to get back inside and Dupri wins by countout at 13:45.

Rating: B-. To be clear, no, the wrestling here wasn’t particularly great and yes Lynch did most of the important work here, with Dupri being in over her head in this spot. What worked here was the fans getting into the story of the match, as it’s something anyone can appreciate. The idea here was an underdog is in there fighting for all she’s got against a champion who doesn’t respect her. Dupri didn’t so much beat Lynch as much as catch her making a big mistake and that’s a great way to finish this. I got into this after not wanting to see it at first, so well done on having this go so well.

Roman Reigns runs into the Usos, who say they have his back at Crown Jewel, though they both say it individually rather than as a team. Reigns says that Jey should be focused on the opportunities that are available. Jey says CM Punk is talking at the top of the hour. Reigns: “Not you.” Jey leaves and Reigns asks Jimmy why Jimmy doesn’t like Jey taking Reigns’ advice. Jimmy doesn’t say anything.

Bayley scares Lyra Valkyria and asks to be in her corner tonight. Valkyria is a bit scared but agrees.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Roxanne Perez

Bayley and Raquel Rodriguez are here too. An early slap wakes Valkyria up and they go into the corner with Perez having to fight her way out. A head shove puts Valkyria down but she grabs an armbar. Perez can’t armdrag her way out of the armbar but she sends Valkyria into the corner. A springboard knee to the arm has Valkyria in trouble and Perez stomps said arm in the corner.

We take a break and come back with Valkyria fighting back, though she can’t hook the leg on a fisherman’s suplex due to the bad arm. Rodriguez offers a distraction but Bayley holds Valkyria on top. That leaves Perez to crash down and Valkyria’s splash gets two. Rodriguez kicks Bayley in the face, leaving Perez to hit a diving tornado DDT to the floor. That sets up Pop Rox to pin Valkyria at 9:25.

Rating: C+. This was another step in the story between Bayley and Valkyria and odds are we’ll see the four of them in a tag match sooner than later. That being said, I have no idea where they’re going with this as Bayley being all over the place is a bit of a strange one to come back from no matter what they do. Also, at what point do we acknowledge that Judgment Day has been beating these two for a long time now and are getting nowhere as a result?

Post match Bayley grabs Valkyria by the hair and takes her to the back, saying they need to get them.

Video on AJ Styles vs. John Cena, which does have quite the history.

Styles is asked about the match with Cena but the Judgment Day interrupts. Dominik Mysterio mocks the idea of Styles beating Cena and Finn Balor says he’s heard rumors of Styles and Dragon Lee wanting to team up to challenge for the Tag Team Titles. Styles says he’ll find a third guy and we’ll have a six man tag tonight.

CM Punk is on his way to the ring and passes an arguing Rusev and Adam Pearce.

AJ Styles and Dragon Lee recruit Penta, who happens to be here in his full gear. Before he can answer, we cut to a fight between Bayley/Lyra Valkyria and the women of the Judgment Day. Adam Pearce comes in and blows a gasket again.

Here is CM Punk for a chat. After singing a Texas song (yep), Punk thanks the fans for giving AJ Lee a welcome return to WWE. We’re coming up on Crown Jewel and while he has a lot of things to deal with involving Seth Rollins, but he is going to let Cody Rhodes finish up with him first. Punk has beaten Rollins this year and he’s going to get his title back, just like a sign in the crowd says he should.

Cue LA Knight to interrupt and says he hasn’t gotten the World Title shot that he deserves. Knight agreed with some of what Punk was saying but there were some omissions. Punk is the creator of the Pipe Bomb, but lately he’s been known as a husband. That’s not an insult and everyone needs love (Punk gives a great “where is this going” face). While Punk is a great husband, he’s a pretty bad champion.

Punk was champion for five minutes and then Rollins pinned him at Summerslam. Then he did it again at Clash In Paris, which has never happened to Knight. Punk says that’s the same guy who has never been World Champion. Knight admits that’s true and says he’ll be the next man to pin Rollins, but here is Jey Uso to interrupt. Uso gets to the point by saying he’s the next challenger for the World Title.

Knight isn’t impressed and mocks Jey’s loss last week, which brings out Jimmy Uso. Knight says that’s not what he was trying to say and Knight turns to look at Punk, only to get superkicked by Jey. Punk assumes that he’s cool with Jey and he’s cool with Jey wanting the title. Punk wants Jey to stick with the tag stuff, because he likes Jey, but doesn’t like Little Roman. Jey tries a superkick but Jimmy cuts him off. Punk drops Jey but walks into a superkick from Jimmy. This is one of the best things to have in a title story: people fighting to get a shot, because that’s what matters the most.

Iyo Sky talks about her history with the Kabuki Warriors and how she and Kairi Sane looked up to Asuka. Then Asuka changed and everything went bad. Asuka has helped her, but she isn’t the only reason Sky became champion. They are not family anymore and is ready to fight at Crown Jewel.

Iyo Sky vs. Kairi Sane

Asuka is here too and Sky dives onto her before the bell. That has Sane breaking it up and Asuka tells her to get back inside. The bell rings and Sky takes her down with a headscissors before they try dropkicks at the same time. Sky’s dropkick sends Sane outside for an Asai moonsault and we take a break. We come back with Sane putting on an upside down triangle choke in the ropes.

Sky fights up and hits some palm strikes into a flapjack. The missile dropkick sends Sane into the corner and allows Sky to do her crazy dance. A nice bridging German suplex gives Sky two but Sane slips out of a sitout Pedigree. Sane slams her down and tries the Insane Elbow, which hits raised boots (and thankfully doesn’t break Sane’s legs). The running knees in the corner connect but Asuka breaks up the Over The Moonsault. Sane grabs a rollup (and Asuka’s hands) for the win at 9:45.

Rating: B. They had a good, hard hitting match here as Sky is on her own against two women, which is enough of a good way to protect her with the loss. The tag match should be big enough, as Ripley adds in some nice extra drama. Asuka being able to be such a force without even wrestling here makes it all the more impressive.

Post match the beatdown is on, including the Insane Elbow. The fans chant for Rhea Ripley, though it has been established that she is doing media in Australia and therefore isn’t here.

We get another video on Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins, this time focusing on how they came together to take Roman Reigns down but have since split up and gotten in a variety of fights of their own. Now Rollins doesn’t think Rhodes will be able to lead this company. It’s a big story, but it’s still hard to buy that this match is important.

Seth Rollins is all focused while Becky Lynch rants about Maxxine Dupri, Adam Pearce, the refereeing, and pretty much everything else. Lynch leaves and Rollins says he and Paul Heyman should talk. Rollins says he has to win on Saturday, which Heyman says will happen. Rollins asks what happens if he doesn’t win. Heyman: “But you will beat Cody Rhodes.” Heyman finally gets to the point and explains what happens: Rollins loses the locker room, everything he has built with the Vision, and shows that the Netflix Era has been built around a fraud while only being a secondary champion. So don’t lose.

Rollins pulls him back and asks what it means for Heyman if Rollins loses. Heyman says if Rollins loses, he has to ask why he picked Rollins in the first place. That gives Rollins something to think about. This was good stuff from Heyman as usual, but at the same time, I’m going to need to see one of these matches have any real consequences before I can buy this sort of a promo.

Jey Uso is ranting to Roman Reigns when Jimmy comes in. Jey wants to know why Jimmy was out there because now they have to face CM Punk and LA Knight tonight. Is Jimmy protecting Punk? Jimmy needs to decide whose side he’s on. Jey is gone and Jimmy tells Reigns that he sees everything is going on. Reigns has Jey thinking a certain way and needs to accept that the Usos are nothing like him. Reigns says Jimmy should listen to this: when Jey won the World Title, he became more like Reigns and less like Jimmy. If Jimmy wants to help Jey, sometimes he should get out of Jey’s way. As the Bloodline continues to turn.

Penta/AJ Styles/Dragon Lee vs. Judgment Day

Balor headlocks Styles to start but gets caught with the drop down dropkick. Everything breaks down and Judgment Day is cleared out to the floor, meaning it’s time for some quick dives. The good guys get to do a triple Penta strut and we take a break. We come back with McDonagh getting sent into the wrong corner, with Lee grabbing a dragon screw legwhip. McDonagh fights out of trouble though and it’s off to Mysterio, to quite the reception. Mysterio takes Lee down and McDonagh elbows him as we take another break.

We come back again with Lee still in trouble but getting over to Penta for the tag. A Spanish Fly drops McDonagh and the big tag brings Styles in for the house cleaning. Mysterio manages to send him throat first onto the top…but cue Rusev to cut off a 619 attempt. That’s enough for the Styles Clash to finish McDonagh at 14:05.

Rating: B-. The match was fine, but this felt like a way to get Styles on the show for the sake of reminding you that he’s facing John Cena on Saturday. At the same time, Rusev seems to be coming for Dominik Mysterio again, which should be a fine way to go, but I’m still not sure I can picture him winning the title. It’s not a bad story at all, though Lee continues to feel like the most “he’s there too” member of the roster these days.

Post match Styles says his match with John Cena doesn’t need a story because it writes itself. They will leave it all in the ring and it will kick a**. Yeah that’s fair for this one.

Crown Jewel rundown.

CM Punk and LA Knight agree that they don’t want the match but they’ll do it anyway. Knight tells him to not get pinned.

LA Knight/CM Punk vs. Usos

Knight and Punk charge in to start the brawl and we settle down to Knight stomping Jey into the corner. The running knee connects and Knight basically chops Punk for a tag. Punk works on the arm and then gives Knight the same kind of tag. It’s off to Jimmy, who gets hit in the face before Jey comes back in. Jey sends Knight into the steps and we take a break.

We come back with Knight still in trouble with Jimmy hitting a running forearm in the corner. A Demolition Decapitator drops Knight again and the running Umaga Attack connects. Knight finally gets in a shot of his own though and it’s off to Punk to make the comeback. Jimmy superkicks him right back down though and Jey’s Superfly Splash connects, with Knight making the save. Everything breaks down and Jey spears Punk but Knight is there again. The GTS hits Jey, only for Knight to tag himself back in and steal the pin at 9:40.

Rating: C+. This was more of a storyline advancement than a big time match, which isn’t a surprise given who was involved. It still feels big to have Punk in the ring and he’s going to have something to say to Knight going forward, which is where the magic should come from. At the same time, I could still picture Knight turning heel rather soon and there is a good chance that it leads to him getting something big in the near future.

Punk is not pleased to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The good action and some focus on things outside of the Crown Jewel Title matches helped this one a lot and it wound up being pretty good. The Women’s Title didn’t get any attention at all and Rollins had the best promo in the whole build towards his match with Rhodes. Other than that, the rest of the card got some attention and that was rather needed. Now just get done with Crown Jewel and let the top stars do something with their titles and it should be even better.

Results
Maxxine Dupri b. Becky Lynch via countout
Roxanne Perez b. Lyra Valkyria – Pop Rox
Kairi Sane b. Iyo Sky – Rollup with assist from Asuka
AJ Styles/Dragon Lee/Penta b. Judgment Day – Styles Clash to McDonagh
LA Knight/CM Punk b. Usos – GTS to Jey

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Monday Night Raw
Date: September 29, 2025
Location: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, North Carolina
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We’re getting closer to Crown Jewel and that means it’s time to continue focusing on the non-title matches between the World Champions. Other than that, we do have at least one title match tonight as Dominik Mysterio defends the Intercontinental Title against Rusev. We also have a Tornado Tag match so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Asuka attacking Iyo Sky last week and having Kairi Sane help destroy her to end the show.

Here is a ticked off Rhea Ripley to get things going. She knew this would happen with Asuka so the Kabuki Warriors can come get her. Instead, here is Iyo Sky, who looks near tears. Sky admits that Ripley was right about the Kabuki Warriors, but they are Sky’s family and she still loves them.

Cue the Warriors on the screen, with Asuka’s comments (in English and Japanese) being about how she’s mad at Sky for turning to Ripley instead of her family. Asuka is willing to forgive her though, if Sky will just apologize, but it’s too late for Ripley. Back in the ring, Ripley says she’s been betrayed by family before and wants Sky on her side. Sky isn’t sure and says she needs time before leaving.

Cue the Warriors to jump Ripley from behind. Sky isn’t sure what to do but eventually runs in for the save, throwing Asuka off of Ripley. Sane gets between them and Asuka blows the mist in Sky’s face. Ripley is back up but the numbers get the better of her (including what appeared to be Asuka’s kick missing), as the Warriors send her into some posts. Sane drops the Insane Elbow and the Warriors stand tall. This is still one of the better stories in WWE today.

Intercontinental Title: Rusev vs. Dominik Mysterio

Rusev is challenging and Mysterio is on his own. Judgment Day leaves Mysterio alone and Rusev starts throwing him around, followed by a right hand to make it worse. A low bridge sends Rusev outside and we take a break. We come back with Rusev missing a charge in the corner, allowing Mysterio to hit a slingshot hilo for one. The fans are behind Mysterio but a 619 attempt is cut off with a heck of a clothesline.

Mysterio hits a dropkick to the back though and now the 619 can connect. The frog splash misses though and Rusev’s Machka Kick gets two. The referee gets distracted so Mysterio grabs the title, which he throws to Rusev and falls down ala Eddie Guerrero. That’s not going to work for the referee (who saw Mysterio fall on his own), but the distraction lets Mysterio get in a low blow for a rollup with tights to retain at 8:53.

Rating: B-. The match itself was whatever, but this was all about Mysterio being the biggest hero in the world. The fans were absolutely going nuts here and it was very interesting to see the crowd embracing Mysterio like this. He’s not a good guy yet, but when the turn does happen, he’s going to be an even bigger star.

Earlier tonight, LA Knight and Adam Pearce argued about Knight’s refereeing abilities. Knight wants a title shot at Seth Rollins but New Day comes in to say they should get a Tag Team Title shot. Knight and Pearce aren’t interested and the former is ready to face Kofi Kingston tonight. Pearce is in.

Video on Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes, as they started as enemies a very long time ago. Rhodes had to leave to become a bigger star, while Rollins took over in his absence. Then Rhodes returned and won their feud, which Rollins hates. More on this later.

We recap Bayley being nice to Lyra Valkyria last week and then going insane after the match.

Bayley, in a Valkyria shirt, comes up to Valkyria in the back and talks about how great things went last week. She wants Bayley out there with her tonight but that can’t happen.

Bayley vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Roxanne Perez is with Rodriguez. Bayley is a bit tentative to start but knocks Rodriguez into the corner for some right hands. A headlock takeover is thrown away but Bayley manages a Stunner over the middle rope. Bayley’s suicide dive connects and her diving dropkick under the ropes connects as well.

A hurricanrana off the apron is pulled out of the air though and Rodriguez sends her crashing into the barricade. We take a break and come back with Bayley’s top rope Swanton connecting for two. Rodriguez runs her over again but gets caught in a Figure Four. The referee checks with Rodriguez but Perez rakes Bayley’s eyes for the save. The big boot and Tejana Bomb finish for Rodriguez at 10:24.

Rating: C+. As interested as I am in the Kabuki Warriors vs. Rhea Ripley/Iyo Sky story, I’m rather torn on this one. At the end of the day, the idea is that Bayley is all over the place, but there is only so much to get out of the thing if Bayley is losing like this. Rodriguez has felt like a big deal in recent weeks, but she barely feels important. That needs to change, as she’s too good to just be in stuff like this, but at least she won.

Post match the beatdown is on again but Lyra Valkyria runs in for the save. Bayley laughs a lot and then screams that Valkyria GOT THEM. Bayley grabs her by the head, says COME ON YOU IDIOT, LET’S GET THEM, and has Valkyria very confused.

Jimmy Uso asks Jey Uso where he was last week when he needed help. Jey says he didn’t help because it was LA Knight out there, who cost them at Wrestlepalooza. Why did Jimmy help Knight? Jey talks about how you need to worry about yourself and brings up that Jimmy has never been World Champion. Jey seems to walk that back a bit and they’re ready for tonight.

Kairi Sane comes in to check on the still misted Iyo Sky, saying they can still be a family. Sky says leave her alone but has a photo of herself with Sane and Asuka.

LA Knight vs. Kofi Kingston

They jaw at each other to start and Kingston goes after him, earning a neckbreaker from Knight. Kingston goes to the throat and grabs an armbar, which is broken up rather quickly. Knight sends him into the ropes and they head outside, with Woods offering a distraction. Kingston gets in a dropkick through the ropes and posts Knight as we take a break.

We come back with Kingston tripping him down and heading up top for a shot to the head. Woods gets in a cheap shot but Knight fights up and slugs away. They head outside with Knight sending him into the barricade, followed by a slingshot shoulder back inside. Woods gets involved again though, with Kingston getting two off a rollup. Knight pops back up and spins into the BFT for the pin at 10:21.

Rating: C+. What has happened to New Day? They are one of the most successful teams of all time and they could not feel much less important. Kingston is one of the most successful and decorated stars in WWE history but this is the best thing he can do. I’m not sure how everything has gone this badly but it’s getting sad to see.

Maxxine Dupri and Akira Tozawa are interrupted by Becky Lynch, who doesn’t think much of Dupri. Lynch does her usual “Sports Illustrated is saying it” but Dupri brings up AJ Lee. That earns Tozawa and Dupri a beating, with Seth Rollins saying he has to deal with something.

Here is Rollins, but he’s cut off by chants for CM Punk, Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. Rollins says that he is 0-3 to Rhodes but it doesn’t bother him because it doesn’t matter. Those matches were in the past and now it’s time to find the future of the industry at Crown Jewel. The match is to determine the future of the industry and some people actually want Rhodes. Some people actually want Rhodes to be the quarter back of WWE and….are they crazy?

Rollins talks about everything he’s done around here and you still cheer for Rhodes. Cue Rhodes to interrupt, saying that the people are really the ones who control everything. He brings up the Vision showing up on Smackdown and how that was probably Paul Heyman’s doing. So who is in charge of the Vision? Rollins says every decision, including the team being on Smackdown, goes through him. Rhodes asks if Rollins allowed Heyman to handle Brock Lesnar’s introduction. Rollins: “Every decision runs through me.”

The fans disagree and Rollins is annoyed so Rhodes brings it back to Crown Jewel. Where are they going to be in twenty years? Will they be in the chairs back there reminiscing? Either way, Rollins offered his hand to Rhodes at Wrestlemania XL despite all of their issues. Rollins tells him to shut up because they were never friends and Rhodes was just a means to an end.

Rollins is going to cleanse the timeline and forget their history. There is only one person set to lead them into the future and that is Rollins. The promo from Rollins was good and it told a story, but I absolutely cannot get into this Crown Jewel Title stuff. WWE has made it clear that it means absolutely nothing once the show is over and yet we have to hear about it over and over.

Rhea Ripley checks on the still blue Iyo Sky. They’re set for a tag match against the Kabuki Warriors at Crown Jewel, and yes Ripley can trust her.

AJ Styles/Dragon Lee vs. Los Americanos

Before the match, Lee talks about how much he likes teaming with Styles and is the #1 contender for the AAA Mega Title. Styles brings up having a match at Crown Jewel, where thanks to the fans, he gets to BEAT UP JOHN CENA. Anyway, El Grande Americano is here with Los Americanos (Bravo and Rio), as Bravo (who is so obviously Tyler Bate that there’s no point in the mask) starts fast on Lee.

We take a break and come back with Bravo’s super hurricanrana being blocked. The top rope double stomp sets up the diving tag to Styles and the fans approve. Everything breaks down and Styles cleans house, including a dive onto El Grande Americano. The Phenomenal Forearm sends Rio to the floor and Lee tosses Bravo into the Styles Clash for the pin at 7:25.

Rating: C+. There is something interesting about having this many Americanos around. If nothing else, it’s giving some wrestlers something else to do and it’s making things a bit better. At the same time, it keeps the main one out of the ring a bit and that’s going to give him some longevity. Styles and Lee don’t feel like a long term team, but they’re fine for beating up Americano’s minions.

Video on Crown Jewel.

Stephanie Vaquer is ready for Tiffany Stratton at Crown Jewel. Cue Stratton to say she respects Vaquer, but she’s been champion for 268 days. Someone brand new isn’t going to come in and shake things up.

The Vision is in the back, with Seth Rollins not looking confident that he can beat Seth Rollins, even with Paul Heyman offering some reassurances.

Usos vs. Vision

Texas Tornado match so Jey dives onto the Vision to start fast. Breakker shoulders Jey in the corner to start but Jimmy makes the save. The Usos slug away on Reed but Breakker is back up to take over on Jey again. Jey breaks up the dive onto the announcers’ table but Reed is there to send Jey into the steps. The Jagged Edge through the announcers’ table is broken up so Breakker is right there with a heck of a jumping clothesline to send Jimmy through the table.

We take a break and come back with Jimmy still down at ringside while Jey gets beaten up inside. A big running clothesline puts him down again but Jimmy is back up for the save. The Usos are stacked up for a double Tsunami….and Roman Reigns is back with a chair for the save. A bunch of chair shots have Reed down and some more put Breakker in trouble. Superkicks and stereo Superfly Splashes are good for the pin on Breakker at 12:48.

Rating: B. The big thing that stands out to me here is how much Breakker and Reed work together as a team. They have chemistry together and are feeling like a regular team rather than just Seth Rollins’ minions. At the same time, Reigns getting involved is the big deal, as you can see WarGames starting to come together from here.

Post match Reigns and Jey have a chat, with Jey saying he’ll smash them all and everything seems cool as Jimmy looks on to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The Crown Jewel season is causing me a lot of issues as usual, as it’s just hard to get interested in what they’re doing on top. The matches don’t feel overly important, but thankfully there is some stuff in there to fill in the gaps. I like the Usos/Vision stuff and Mysterio had a great showing here. Overall it’s not bad, but I’ll be glad when we move on to something else.

Results
Dominik Mysterio b. Rusev – Rollup with tights
Raquel Rodriguez b. Bayley – Tejana Bomb
LA Knight b. Kofi Kingston – BFT
AJ Styles/Dragon Lee b. Los Americanos – Styles Clash to Bravo
Usos b. Vision – Double Superfly Splash to Breakker

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: September 22, 2025
Location: Ford Center, Evansville, Indiana
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We are done with Wrestlepalooza and it was certainly a big time event. The big story on the Raw side saw CM Punk and AJ Lee defeat Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, plus Stephanie Vaquer becoming the new Raw Women’s Champion. We’re on our way to Crown Jewel, meaning it’s time to do the champion vs. champion deal again. Let’s get to it.

Here is Wrestlepalooza if you need a recap.

We open with a long Wrestlepalooza recap.

Here is Cody Rhodes to get things going. He holds up the Crown Jewel ring and says he’d love to win another one but here is Seth Rollins to interrupt. Rollins has been looking forward to Crown Jewel so they can go face to face. Rollins knows a lot of people don’t like him but he wants to know what Rhodes things of him. Rhodes says it’s complicated but it shouldn’t be. He knows that Rollins has been making some questionable decisions as of late but he respects Rollins.

Rhodes is ready to win another ring, but Rollins holds up his watch, which was a present from Rhodes after Wrestlemania XL. This is the first time he’s worn it since then and now he wants to know if it was a real gift or a token gesture. Rhodes has talked about being the quarterback around here but what does that make Rollins? Does Rhodes think he’s just better?

The Vision is about the future of the industry and what it means, with Rollins as the tip of the spear. Rhodes can be the quarterback, but he’s Rollins’ quarterback. If Rhodes doesn’t accept that, things will go badly. Rhodes brings up that Rollins has never beaten him and leaves, with Rollins not looking happy. The Vision is there to cut Rhodes off, but they step aside. I always forget how boring this period is and this was no exception, as it’s for a prize that means nothing and which will not be mentioned for most of the year.

Jimmy Uso comes up to Jey Uso in the back and is looking for a rematch with the Vision, but Jey has already got a match tonight with LA Knight. Jimmy isn’t sure if that’s a good idea and thinks Jey and Knight should cool off, but Jey blames their loss at Wrestlepalooza on Knight. And the Vision would have taken Knight out if Jimmy hadn’t tagged with him last week. Jey says he isn’t blaming Jimmy and they’ll deal with the Vision after Knight.

New Day/Grayson Waller vs. War Raiders/Penta

No DQ. New Day and Waller are sent to the floor to start but they move before the dive. Back in and Kingston takes over on Erik, with Waller coming in with a kendo stick shot. Erik drops Waller on the floor so Woods slaps him in the back of the head. Erik: “ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?” Penta is back up with the big flip dive and we take a break.

We come back with Penta clearing the ring but being put on a table. Kingston goes up and drops down onto Penta (which the camera misses so we have to see it on the replay), leaving them both down. Back in and Erik powerbombs New Day at the same time, leaving Ivar to miss the Doomsault. Ivar is fine enough to hit a sitout powerbomb onto the apron but Woods is there with a kendo stick. Penta is back up and Kingston goes through the table but Waller catches Penta on top. That’s fine with Penta, who hits a super Canadian Destroyer for the pin at 10:17.

Rating: B-. I liked it well enough, though this story continues to feel ice cold. They’re still doing things, but it feels like something that has been going on for a long time now with nothing really happening. That is probably going to be the case for a few more weeks and I’m not sure where it goes from there. At least Penta gets another win, which is a nice thing to see.

Dominik Mysterio is panicking over Rusev but Finn Balor asks about the Mysterio who was all confident. Balor suggests asking El Grande Americano, but he’s not here this week. Balor and JD McDonagh are both busy, though Roxanne Perez talks McDonagh into helping him. It’s for the team though, not for Mysterio. Apparently Mysterio has already gotten McDonagh vs. Rusev set for later.

Bayley (in a jacket that CM Punk wore at Wrestlepalooza) comes up to Lyra Valkyria and thanks her for last week. Valkyria brings up Bayley screaming at her last week but Bayley thinks she’s joking. She wants Valkyria in her corner tonight and a confused Valkyria eventually agrees. Bayley: “NO TAKEBACKS!”

Adam Pearce brings out Stephanie Vaquer for her first comments as Women’s Champion. Vaquer thanks the people who helped her get here, including her father, who is in the crowd. She talks about what the title means and all the sacrifices she has made to get here. Pearce explains the Crown Jewel match coming up, with Vaquer saying she’ll be there. Well, that certainly was an appearance by the new champion.

Video on Brock Lesnar destroying John Cena.

Nikki Bella and Rhea Ripley congratulate Stephanie Vaquer on her win, but the Kabuki Warriors interrupt. Asuka isn’t impressed with Vaquer and seems to get a match with Ripley. Of note: there are three people in the back working on something and not acknowledging this whatsoever. They don’t mean anything, but it’s still a funny visual.

Roxanne Perez vs. Bayley

Raquel Rodriguez and Lyra Valkyria are here too. Perez hammers away in the corner to start but Bayley is right back with her own knockdown. The basement clothesline gives Bayley two but Perez starts in on the leg. Bayley gets tied in the Tree Of Woe for a stomp to said leg and we take a break.

We come back with Bayley dropping a middle rope elbow but getting caught on top. They head outside with Perez hitting Pop Rox to lay Bayley out, which is good for a nine count. Rodriguez pulls Bayley outside for a big boot, which draws Valkyria (with her massive blue shoes) over for the brawl. Valkyria posts Rodriguez but gets dropped with a suicide dive from Perez. Back in and Bayley starts to snap, and it’s the Bayley To Belly into the Roseplant for the pin at 10:46.

Rating: B-. This was another good one as Bayley continues to be a bit loony but the good thing is I’m curious to see where it goes. They aren’t exactly hiding what she’s doing and it isn’t some mystery deal, so now we get to see what happens as Valkyria tries to make sense of the thing. Perez is still a valuable asset to have around, as she can work well with anyone in the ring and that’s very good to have around.

Post match Valkyria goes in to celebrate with Bayley, who shoves her down and yells a lot as the split personalities are all over the place.

Cody Rhodes runs into Jimmy Uso, who wants him to talk to Jey. Rhodes will see what he can do.

Post break Rhodes goes to see Jey, who insists that he’s good. Rhodes says he knows what it can be like to fall off the top and says Jey’s family and friends are there for him. Jey thanks him for that but glares a bit as Rhodes leaves. That’s intriguing, as Jey continues to tease going to the dark side.

JD McDonagh vs. Rusev

McDonagh throws some chops in the start and gets knocked back as a result. Rusev chases him outside and then hits a big backdrop before they go to the floor again. This time McDonagh manages to send him into the steps and post, followed by the Asai moonsault. We take a break and come back with McDonagh hitting a jawbreaker into a slingshot corkscrew dive. A running knee drops Rusev and a nice moonsault gives McDonagh two. Rusev pops up and shrugs off the offense, setting up the Machka Kick. The Accolade makes McDonagh tap at 10:34.

Rating: C+. McDonagh wrestling as the straight up good guy is a weird thing to see but what matters is that this should set up Rusev for the title match. Rusev needs something to do and now we get to see how Mysterio gets to escape, assuming he can. That’s in addition to the big Finn Balor factor, as he’s hardly happy with everything Mysterio is doing.

Post match Mysterio stands there while Rusev keeps the hold on so Finn Balor makes the save.

Iyo Sky tries to talk Asuka out of the match with Rhea Ripley but Asuka is doing it anyway. Sky wants Kairi Sane to talk to her about it but Sane says Asuka is why they’re here so they must listen to her.

LA Knight talks about trying to keep order on Saturday and if Jey Uso needs help with that, it can be a BFT tonight.

Jey Uso vs. LA Knight

Uso slugs away to start and elbows him in the face to put Knight down. A charge misses in the corner though and Knight hits the jumping neckbreaker. Knight low bridges him to the floor but misses a dropkick through the ropes, allowing Uso to hit a clothesline as we take a break. We come back with Knight hitting a superplex but Uso fights back.

Uso avoids a Burning Hammer and blocking a jumping neckbreaker to send Knight outside. The suicide dive connects and a superkick gives Uso two. Knight knocks him back down and hits the top rope elbow but cue the Vision, with Knight having to take them out. The distraction lets Uso hit a spear into the Superfly Splash for the pin at 8:40.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have much time to make this work but the ending is likely going to keep things going in a few ways. Jey vs. Knight is already a story and you have the Usos vs. the Vision at the same time. There is a good chance that those stories are going to cross soon enough and then we get to see where it goes in Australia.

Post match Jey leaves but gets cut off by Jimmy Uso, who wants to go after the Vision. Jimmy goes to the ring by himself with a chair, with Paul Heyman calling the team off.

Becky Lynch is venting about Cody Rhodes but Seth Rollins doesn’t really listen. She doesn’t like what Rhodes has been saying about her, including calling her lovely. Rollins keeps looking at the watch as Lynch keeps going, eventually promising to make an example out of Rhodes.

Iyo Sky comes up to Rhea Ripley, who is sorry for the loss at Wrestlepalooza. Sky wants her to be careful around Asuka, with Sky saying Asuka is family.

We look at Stephanie McMahon being announced for the Hall Of Fame. Yeah fair enough.

Video on Los Grande Americanos, who are back after being believed to be gone. They will take over WWE.

Maxxine Dupri asks Adam Pearce for a match. Pearce says he’ll think about it, but AJ Styles and Dragon Lee come in to say they want to deal with the Americanos. Pearce is in on this one.

Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley

Kairi Sane is here too. Asuka kicks at the leg to start but gets dropped with a nasty German suplex. We take an early break and come back with Asuka sending her to the apron and hitting a dragon screw legwhip. Ripley fires off some clotheslines and a belly to back faceplant, followed by a running dropkick. A northern lights suplex gives Ripley two but Asuka goes back to the knee. Ripley boots her out to the floor though and hits a running flip dive as we take another break.

We come back with Ripley fighting out of an ankle lock. Ripley puts her on top for a superplex and the big crash leaves them both down. Back up and Ripley kicks her in the face and hits a Razor’s Edge toss, followed by a hard knee for two. Asuka gets back up and strikes her out to the floor with a big kick to the head. Sane teases getting involved and Asuka tells her to do it, where Sane teases some cheating but doesn’t do it.

Instead Asuka sends Ripley into the announcers’ table and counters a kick to the head with a kneebar back inside. Asuka lets that go and grabs a German suplex before heading up top. Ripley dropkicks her out of the air (that looked great) heads up top, only to jump into a dropkick (that looked great). Sane teases interfering but gets knocked down, leaving Ripley to roll Asuka up for the pin at 17:14.

Rating: B+. This was a hard hitting, back and forth match between two women who can work very well together. It was turning into a question of how they were going to have one of them lose. The idea here seems to be Asuka using her authority over Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane and now we’ll get to see where that goes. What matters here though is that it’s a rather awesome main event and Ripley gets a big win, which she has been needing.

Post match Asuka blows blue mist into Ripley’s face. Sane eventually helps with the beatdown but Iyo Sky runs in to try and calm things down. Asuka kicks Sane down and orders Sane to attack, which she does. The Empress Impact drops Ripley and Sane gives Sky an Insane Elbow (against her will) to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. I liked a lot of the wrestling here, with the main event being a highlight, but at the same time egads the Crown Jewel stuff is already dragging the show down. It feels so unimportant and there is almost no way around the whole issue. Hopefully the rest of the card carries the slack, as otherwise we could be in for a very long few weeks on the way to the pay per view.

Results
Penta/War Raiders b. New Day/Grayson Waller – Super Canadian Destroyer to Waller
Bayley b. Roxanne Perez – Roseplant
Rusev b. JD McDonagh – Accolade
Jey Uso b. LA Knight – Superfly Splash
Rhea Ripley b. Asuka – Small package

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Wrestlepalooza 2025
Date: September 20, 2025
Location: Gainsbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett, Pat McAfee

It’s officially the ESPN Era and the card is actually pretty stacked. Well as stacked as a five match card can be. In this case we have John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar opening the show and Cody Rhodes defending the Smackdown World Title against Drew McIntyre in the so called main event. The real feature match of the show is a mixed tag between Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch against CM Punk and the returning AJ Lee. Let’s get to it.

I was in the arena for this match, sitting about five rows from the top of the building and with the Titantron on my right.

We have a new Then/Now/Forever video, only about a year and a half after the stars one was released.

The rather long opening video, narrated by HHH, looks at the history between WWE and ESPN, which has dabbled in wrestling over the years. This includes a history of mainstream athletes getting involved in wrestling, including a bunch of stuff from 30+ years ago.

HHH is in the ring for the customary welcome to a new era. They have a lot of those these days.

Pat McAfee returns, and nearly gets mugged in the back by HHH. This takes a long time.

Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena

Cena comes out with a bunch of Make-A-Wish kids. This continues to amaze me as Cena’s heyday was probably when those kids’ parents were 10 years old but they’re way into him anyway. Cena gets a heck of a response…and then it’s forgotten as PAUL HEYMAN pops up to handle Lesnar’s entrance. That’s rather well received and Lesnar starts fast with the pain as he fires the shoulders to the ribs.

Cena gets thrown down without much trouble, followed by a running powerslam so Lesnar can yell some more. There’s the first German suplex out to the floor as Cole reads off a history of their rivalry, which is as scripted as it could get. Lesnar powers him around again but Cena slips out of a powerslam and sends him into the corner. Four flying tackles finally drop Lesnar so Cena hits three straight AA’s for two. The Shuffle is loaded up but Lesnar pops to his feet, hits FIVE STRAIGHT F5’s and gets the pin at 8:48.

Rating: B-. I had this one rather wrong as I was expecting Cena to get his big win before moving on to his final match, but that might be a rematch with Lesnar. Either way, Cena was once again basically squashed here, which is not something I was expecting. At the same time, it pretty much guarantees that Lesnar is going to be sticking around, which might not be so well received. Still though, he can do his thing here and that’s what matters.

Post match Lesnar gives the referee an F5, plus another one to Cena. With Lesnar gone, Cena gets the big sendoff and the fans still love him.

Commentary toasts Pat McAfee with Real American Beer.

Earlier today, Adam Pearce decided that the Usos vs. the Vision deserved a guest referee in the form of LA Knight. That’s fine with Knight, who says his only job is to call the fall with everybody saying his name.

Usos vs. Vision

LA Knight is guest referee. The Usos come through the crowd, with Jimmy asking people to turn on the lights on their phones. That means they get their big long entrance and of course they run it back, to quite the reaction. Jey and Reed start things off with Jey sending him into the corner for some kicks to the head. Jimmy comes in to drive Reed into the corner for a running shoulder from Jey. Reed powers Jimmy away as well though and it’s off to Breakker to take over.

They go outside, with Reed grabbing a chair, though Jimmy takes it away. Knight doesn’t seem to care and shrugs it off, allowing Jimmy to chair Reed down. Back in and Jimmy hammers down some right hands but Breakker low bridges him to the floor. Breakker gets a running start and hits a heck of a flying shoulder. Reed throws in some chairs, though the fans want tables. Back in and Breakker hits a big backdrop, followed by a suplex for one, as Breakker would rather do some pushups.

Reed’s charge into the corner only hits chair but Breakker is up to cut off a diving tag attempt. A Steiner Bulldog gets two on Jimmy but Reed misses a backsplash. The tag brings in Jey to clean house, including the running Umaga Attack and high crossbody for two on Breakker. A table is brought in and the Usos start firing off the superkicks. Reed is back in for a save, allowing Breakker to give Jey a super Frankensteiner. Reed’s moonsault misses though, which lets Jimmy hit a Swanton to send Reed outside.

Breakker spears Jimmy but gets speared by Jey, setting up the Superfly Splash for two. Jey is back up with a suicide dive to Reed, with Knight having to dive out of the way. Back in and Jey nearly chairs Knight by mistake before cracking Reed instead. Jey throws a chair at Reed but gets speared by Breakker. Another spear puts the Usos through a table in the corner and the Tsunami finishes Jey at 16:49.

Rating: B. The Vision winning is the right call here and that’s a nice thing to see. They are the new monster enforcers for the top heel stable so having them beat one of the best teams ever is a good sign. Knight was only so much of a factor here, and I’m sure he’ll be dealing with Jey down the line. Good, back and forth match here, with the monsters eventually taking it in the end, as they should have.

Various celebrities are here.

Raw Women’s Title: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Iyo Sky

For the vacant title after Naomi’s pregnancy caused her to have to vacate the championship. We get the Big Match Intros and they shake hands as they’re both on the good side. They go with the grappling to start with Sky spinning around onto her for a quick standoff. Vaquer kicks her away before grabbing a headlock takeover. A headscissors is broken up but Vaquer spins around and gets two off a sunset flip.

The Devil’s Kiss is blocked and Sky gets in a suplex to put Vaquer down. Sky starts in on the ankle but Vaquer reverses into a triangle choke over the ropes. With that broken up, Vaquer gets two off a snap suplex but still can’t get the Devil’s Kiss. Instead they trade chinlocks until Sky hits something pretty close to an SVB. Some palm strikes into a flapjack drop Vaquer again and a springboard missile dropkick sends her to the floor. The suicide dive connects but Vaquer blocks a sunset bomb.

That lets Vaquer hit a heck of a springboard dive, followed by a springboard high crossbody back inside. Some knees to the apron have Sky in more trouble and they trade shots to the head. A belly to back suplex looks to set up the Devil’s Kiss, which is broken up yet again. Sky pulls her into a crossface but Vaquer escapes and grabs a dragon screw legwhip. Back up and Sky gets two off a hurricanrana, followed by a big kick to the head.

Sky’s Bullet Train connects in the corner but Over The Moonsault hits raised boots. Another dragon screw legwhip finally allows Vaquer to get the Devil’s Kiss and the SVB gets two. They both go up top and Sky manages a super Spanish Fly, only to bang up her own knee in the process. Vaquer is sent into the corner and Sky takes down the kneepads for another Bullet Train. Another Over The Moonsault misses though and Vaquer hits a corkscrew moonsault for the pin and the title at 19:42.

Rating: B+. This turned into a question of which one would survive and it made for an awesome match. What matters the most here is that Vaquer got the big win clean and moves into the title picture. It’s the kind of thing that she’s been needing to really establish herself and that’s what we’re getting here. Rather impressive match here and Vaquer gets the elevation she’s been needing.

Post match Vaquer gets to celebrate and hugs her dad.

Pat McAfee leaves for some reason. Ok then.

We recap the mixed tag. Seth Rollins and CM Punk have been feuding for approximately 62 years, including Rollins’ wife Becky Lynch costing Punk the World Title. Punk wouldn’t put his hands on a woman, but his returning wife AJ Lee would. Violence has ensued and it’s time for a mixed tag, which is probably this show’s main event.

AJ Lee/CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins/Becky Lynch

Rollins and Lynch have matching outfits, even down to the sunglasses. They also lower off a platform down onto a pedestal on the stage to really show off. Both of them use a mashup of their theme songs, though the crowd reactions to Punk and Lee was so loud that I couldn’t tell Let’s Light It Up had started. Punk is also wearing a jacket saying HUSBAND, which is a smart move.

Lynch won’t face Lee so Punk and Rollins start things off instead. It’s back to Lynch, who mockingly punches at Punk so it’s off to Lee, sending Lynch to the floor. Punk follows Rollins outside and sends him over the barricade but Rollins gets in a shot of his own. Back in and Lynch chokes Punk from the apron, only for Punk to send Rollins into the other corner.

Lee chokes away just like Lynch did in a nice moment, allowing Punk to hit some top rope ax handles. Rollins knocks him out of the air though and sends Punk outside and onto the announcers’ table. Back in and Rollins hits some ax handles of his own but stops for a kiss from Lynch. Choking in the corner (this time from Rollins) keeps Punk down but Punk wins an extended fight over a suplex. Punk gets caught in a front facelock and drives himself over for the tag to Lee…which the referee doesn’t see, sending Lee into a frenzy.

Rollins gorilla presses Lynch and tries to drop her onto Punk, who moves and causes Rollins to drop Lynch onto her face. She’s fine enough to cut Lee off from another tag but Punk gets in a quick GTS. Lynch tries to cut him off but Punk easily brings her to the corner for the tag off to Lee. The beating and stomping is on in a hurry and a big spinwheel kick into a high crossbody gets two on Lynch. Rollins tries to make a save so Lee beats on him as well, followed by a tornado DDT.

Punk helps Lee with a Sliced Bread to Rollins into a moonsault onto Lynch for two. Lee and Punk hit stereo corner clotheslines into the bulldog, followed by a Shining Wizard each for two more. Back up and Lee gets the Black Widow as Punk puts Rollins in the Sharpshooter. Those are broken up and Rollins and Lynch grab a pair of Pedigrees for two of their own. With that not working, they try a GTS each but Punk clotheslines Rollins outside. Lee suplexes Lynch but Rollins trips her down. That earns Rollins a Stomp from Punk so Lynch slaps Punk in the face.

Rollins is up for a distraction, allowing Lynch to Sharpshooter Punk. That’s reversed rather easily and Punk gets Lynch in the Sharpshooter, which is broken up by a Rollins Pedigree. Lee makes the save with her own Stomp but gets Manhandle Slammed for two. Back up and the women put their respective husbands into the corner and slug it out. That’s enough for them to go outside and they go onto the announcers’ tables, where Lynch throws Lee into Punk (and Rollins) for a crash through one of the tables. Lee is right back up and grabs the Black Widow for the tap at 29:15.

Rating: B+. I really liked this and it didn’t feel long either watching live or later on. This was about Lee going in there and getting her hands on Lynch, which went about as well as it could have gone. The men were doing their usual thing and it turned into a struggle near the end, as they were trading big moves. I had a great time with this and it lived up to the hype.

Post match Punk is rather happy as Lee celebrates.

And here’s the Undertaker, who rides his motorcycle up to Stephanie McMahon. He accuses her of following him because she was at the fight last week and now she’s here. They’ve known each other for a long time…and now he gets to announce that she is the first inductee into the 2026 Hall Of Fame class. Stephanie looks like she’s about to cry and kill Undertaker, as she pretty clearly didn’t know this was coming.

Stephanie getting into the Hall Of Fame is a bit of a stretch, but you knew it was coming one day. That being said, it might have made more sense to have HHH do this. He and Undertaker have a lot in common with Stephanie. They both kidnapped her. In a car. And married her. Again her will. On Raw. In 1999. Wrestling is weird.

We recap Drew McIntyre challenging Cody Rhodes for the Smackdown World Title. McIntyre attacked Rhodes by Claymoring him through the announcers’ table so now it’s time to fight. As a bonus, McIntyre thinks Rhodes is a bit too obsessed with being champion and is going to do something to make life easier for him.

Smackdown World Title: Drew McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes

Rhodes is defending. Rhodes slaps a laughing McIntyre in the face to start and gets elbowed in the face for his efforts. A headlock takeover puts Rhodes down and McIntyre grinds away a bit. Back up and Rhodes snaps off the jabs into an elbow to the head. The Cody Cutter gets two but Barrett thinks Rhodes is off by a few steps, possibly due to McIntyre attacking him.

Rhodes is fine enough to kick him to the floor for a suicide dive but McIntyre gets in a posting. McIntyre throws him over the table and snaps off the overhead belly to belly back inside. Rhodes knocks him to the floor but gets dropped onto the apron, setting up a reverse Alabama Slam onto the steps. McIntyre goes up back inside, only for Rhodes to get up top for a superplex and the big crash. They go with the big slugout until Rhodes snaps off a powerslam.

The Disaster Kick connects and another Cody Cutter drops McIntyre again. Rhodes gets caught going up for a change and a super White Noise gives McIntyre two. The Claymore misses though and Rhodes slaps on the Figure Four. McIntyre gets smart by just punching him in the face for the break and then rips off a turnbuckle pad (this won’t go well). The referee is almost crushed in the corner so he bails to the floor, meaning McIntyre’s rollup gets a VERY delayed two.

Back up and McIntyre is sent into the exposed buckle, with Cross Rhodes connecting for two more. Rhodes is sent outside and taken down with the big flip dive, followed by the Claymore to give McIntyre another near fall. They go outside and McIntyre tries another Claymore into the table, only to miss and wreck his own knee. Back in and the Glasgow Kiss gives McIntyre a breather but the leg gives out. Cross Rhodes retains the title at 16:51.

Rating: B. There was very little reason to believe that McIntyre was going to win here and while Rhodes has star power, it was only going to carry this so far. The good thing is that they had a solid match with Rhodes using his brain to beat the overly aggressive McIntyre, whose emotions have cost him a lot over the years. It’s a good match and felt important, but they weren’t following the mixed tag and there wasn’t much of a way around that.

Rhodes celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. Pretty great show here, with nothing bad and a feeling like you were watching something special. If you could take the ESPN obsession out and make WWE stop talking about it so much, you would have had an even better show. Unfortunately this leads us up to Crown Jewel and the champion vs. champion stuff, but for now, we had a good mixture of emotions and a bunch of stuff taking place, making for a rather awesome show. Hopefully they lighten up on the self praise, but it could just be due to being the big ESPN debut. Either way, very nice job here.

Results
Brock Lesnar b. John Cena – F5
Vision b. Usos – Tsunami to Jey
Stephanie Vaquer b. Iyo Sky – Corkscrew moonsault
CM Punk/AJ Lee b. Seth Rollins/Becky Lynch – Black Widow to Lynch
Cody Rhodes b. Drew McIntyre – Cross Rhodes

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Monday Night Raw
Date: September 15, 2025
Location: MassMutual Center, Springfield, Massachusetts
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Corey Graves

It’s the last Raw before Wrestlepalooza and we’re on an hour earlier, likely to avoid the second Monday Night Football game of the evening. John Cena is here tonight and we’re fairly close to his hometown, so things should be interesting. Other than that, AJ Lee and CM Punk are here to meet up with Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of the Vision beating down LA Knight and Jimmy Uso, with Jey Uso making the save, only to take Knight out as well as he’s getting a bit more devilish.

The Usos arrive and Knight goes after him. Jimmy Uso and Adam Pearce break it up, with Pearce threatening fines if this keeps going.

Here is John Cena to a hero’s welcome. Cena talks about how he spent a lot of time in this city, playing football at Springfield College. He played on the offensive line, meaning he never got his name in the paper and he would get beaten up every day and then have to come back the next day and do it again. That’s what got him ready for WWE and now he’s here in front of friends and family.

After saying hi to his niece (on her birthday) and saying he’ll see her this week, Cena talks about getting ready to face Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza. He’s done that more than a few times and it’s really hard, so maybe he should consider backing out of the match because he’s only got six appearances left.

We get a THANK YOU CENA chant and that’s why he’s saying yes to Lesnar. He has never fought one battle backstage because he’s always fighting in front of these people. Of course he’s scared of Lesnar but he’s taking the fight to the Beast because that’s what he does. This was a good speech (and you could tell how special it was for Cena), but it still feels like Cena and Lesnar are on different planets on the way to the match.

We go to Adam Pearce’s office where Jey Uso and LA Knight are still arguing. Pearce wants to keep things calm so he asks Knight to pick his partner against the Vision. He’ll take Jimmy Uso, which doesn’t sit well with Jey.

Roxanne Perez vs. Lyra Valkyria

They go with the grappling to start before Valkyria slams her down to take over. Perez gets a rather nifty rollup for two but Valkyria is back with a crossbody. She seems to be favoring her back though, allowing Raquel Rodriguez to trip her down. That’s enough to get Rodriguez ejected, leaving Valkyria to kick Perez to the floor.

Back in and Perez trips her off the top for a nasty crash, followed by some screaming pounding as we take a break. We come back with Valkyria hitting a sitout powerbomb for two. Perez cuts her off on top and grabs the crossface, only for Valkyria to power up into Nightwing for the pin at 9:06.

Rating: C+. This was the kind of comeback win that Valkyria needs as she hasn’t been doing much lately and was coming off a loss. It’s a weird way to go with Valkyria trading wins, though I’ll take her getting back on track this fast. The real story is still with Bayley though and that’s going to be….I have no idea yet.

Post match Rodriguez comes back in for the beatdown but Bayley returns for the save. Bayley runs over and hugs the commentators and ring announcer as Valkyria is stunned. This is giving me 3 Faces Of Foley vibes.

Stephanie Vaquer and Iyo Sky have signed the contract for Wrestlepalooza and show respect before the title match. The Kabuki Warriors come in and Asuka wants Vaquer to face….Kairi Sane tonight. Adam Pearce makes the match and Sane does some shadow boxing in a hilarious moment.

LA Knight comes in to see Jimmy Uso and wants to make sure Jimmy won’t screw him over like Jey Uso. Jimmy says Knight has put him in a tough spot and he’ll need to find another partner.

Kofi Kingston vs. Penta

Xavier Woods and Grayson Waller are here with Kingston. Penta starts fast and knocks him out to the floor, only for Kingston to kick him down. The Shadows Over Hell drops Penta again and we take a break. We come back with Penta hitting the handstand dropkick in the corner for two.

Penta hits one of the loudest chops I’ve heard in a bit but Kingston is back with a knockdown for two. Trouble In Paradise is blocked by a superkick (which doesn’t exactly connect) and they trade strikes to the face for a double down. Woods offers a distraction so Waller can come in, only for Penta to come back with a springboard Canadian Destroyer for the pin at 7:32.

Rating: B-. Much like Valkyria, Penta needed a win like this as he doesn’t have much much going on in the way of momentum. It’s nice to see him getting a win with a cool finish, which he hit in a unique way. I’m not sure what New Day is doing at the moment, but that’s been the case for a long, long time now.

Jey Uso is on the phone and saying he has some issues. Jimmy Uso comes in and asks who was on the phone. Jey brushes that off and says Jimmy has to turn LA Knight down for tonight. That doesn’t work for Jimmy but Jey talks about how they have the Vision at Wrestlepalooza. Jimmy tells him to change his tone, because there’s no ula fala around his neck.

Post break, Jimmy tells La Knight that he’s in. Works for Knight.

Here are Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch for a chat. The fans chant for CM Punk and Rollins says that as a result, he’s ignoring them. Rollins addresses the fans on Netflix and then introduces Lynch, who wants to talk to AJ Lee and Punk in person, because unlike Punk, she doesn’t insult people behind their backs.

Cue Lee and Punk, the latter of whom introduces himself as her husband. Punk talks about how he’s known for his talking and asks which one is the team captain. They can’t even get on the same page and we had to listen to two bad songs. He has no problem with putting Cult Of Personality on the shelf and lighting it up with his wife (AJ seems to say “good job”). The fans get on Rollins so Lynch stands up for him, before Rollins says he’s going to give Punk credit (Punk’s eyes bugging out is funny).

Rollins says AJ Lee is the best decision Punk has ever made (Punk seems to agree). Fans: “NO ONE LIKES YOU!” Lynch: “I like him!” Rollins means in Punk’s personal life, because bringing AJ in is a bad professional move. AJ calls Rollins “sweet cheeks” and says Rollins started this by using Lynch as a human shield. Punk has said he cared about himself, his wife and the title.

Lynch brings up Lee having a bad neck (as she mentioned in her book) and points out Punk got into a blood feud over a bracelet with his wife’s name on it. That makes AJ a liability instead of an asset. AJ: “Well Becky thank you for reading my book. I didn’t read yours.” It’s true that she has a bad neck, but seeing Lynch’s “constipated face” made her see red. Lee: “I’m a Puerto Rican from New Jersey. Sometimes I shank a chick.” She’s ready to hurt Lynch, but Rollins calls Lee “little girl”. Fans: “SHE WILL KILL YOU!”

Rollins brings up Lee and Punk both leaving and suggests Punk will leave her too. That’s good for a slap to the face, with Rollins saying he would never put his hands on a woman. He knows someone who would though….but Lynch bails. Lynch says Rollins got them into this and leaves, but it’s a ruse to get Punk to chase Rollins, leaving Lynch to Manhandle Slam Lee. She throws in a slap to Punk for a bonus. This was a long segment and they only said a few interesting things, but the fans and the one liners were both great and carried the thing to the finish line.

Video on Worlds Collide, including Dominik Mysterio winning the AAA Mega Title.

Mysterio doesn’t want to talk about El Grande Americano because he is the Mega Intercontinental Champion. Hold on though as there is sounds of a fracas and we run over to see New Day having attacked Penta with a chair. The War Raiders run in to chase New Day Off.

Dragon Lee vs. El Grande Americano

Lee starts fast with a shotgun dropkick but Americano fights up without much trouble. A TKO gets two on Lee and Americano hammers away, including a crazy loud chop. Lee is right back up with a hurricanrana to the floor so Americano lays on the announcers’ table. Lee gets a running start for a running flip dive to crush him again as we take a break.

We come back with an exchange of loud chops until Lee grabs a sitout powerbomb. Lee’s top rope Tree of Woe double stomp gets two but cue another Americano for a cheap shot though, which draws out AJ Styles to give chase. Styles takes out the other Americano but a third pops up for a tornado DDT to take drop Styles on the floor. The distraction lets the original grab a choke with knees in Lee’s back for the win at 10:14.

Rating: C+. The best thing I can say about the Americano story is that I’m curious about where it’s going. Having the original Americano replaced and then having multiple clones going out there as well is interesting, though we could be waiting a good while before we get any kind of a reveal.

Americano is confused but rolls with it.

Lyra Valkyria is about to go talk to Bayley about what happened but hears a lot of shouting. She goes inside and Bayley is alone, leaving Valkyria even more confused. Bayley says she might have been changing or had company but Valkyria just barged in (she did knock). Oh yeah this is Bayley being all wacky, though how surprising was her return if she had a private dressing room with a name plate ready.

Rhea Ripley tells Stephanie Vaquer that she’s coming for the next champion. Works for Vaquer.

Stephanie Vaquer vs. Kairi Sane

They go to the mat to start with Vaquer winning the grappling, only for Sane to plant her down for a fast two. Sane tries a sunset bomb but gets double stomped as we take a break. We come back with Vaquer dropkicking her away and hitting the running knees in the corner.

The SVB is broken up though and Sane hits a forearm, setting up the top rope double stomp. A dragon screw legwhip out of the corner takes out Vaquer’s knee but she’s fine enough to come back with a big dive to the floor. The Devil’s Kiss rocks Sane back inside and the SVB finishes at 12:02.

Rating: B-. Vaquer is on the way to a title match on Saturday so it’s nice to see her getting a win to boost her up on the way there. At the same time, Sane deserves some credit for what she has been doing, as her mannerisms have been outstanding as of late. It helps that it was a good match too, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise given the participants.

Post match Asuka glares at Vaquer but Iyo Sky runs in to break it up. Asuka bails and Sky and Vaquer shake hands.

The Vision is ready for the Usos on Saturday and Jimmy Uso and LA Knight tonight.

Iyo Sky asks the Kabuki Warriors to let her do this by herself, with Asuka (who is being held back by Sane) angrily agreeing.

Wrestlepalooza rundown.

The Judgment Day toasts Dominik Mysterio for winning the AAA Mega Title but Finn Balor isn’t sure about the victory lap. He points out Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez having a rough night but Rodriguez says it’s ok. Balor still doesn’t buy the whole deal with El Grande Americano again and leaves. Rusev comes in and offers a handshake but Mysterio says his hands are full. Rusev wants the Intercontinental Title.

LA Knight/Jimmy Uso vs. Vision

Uso chops away at Breakker to start and Knight comes in to punch Reed down. The running hip attack connects for Uso and a double clothesline sends Breakker outside as we take a break. We come back with Reed pulling on Uso’s hair and Breakker adding an overhead belly to belly. Uso manages a boot to the face and hits a Whisper In The Wind, which is enough for the tag off to Knight.

A jumping neckbreaker takes Breakker down but he’s right back with a jumping knee to the face. Everything breaks down and Knight’s top rope elbow into the Superfly Splash gets two on Reed, with Breakker making the save. A dive to the floor is cut off but Reed gets speared back inside. Breakker drops Knight on the floor and Reed cuts off the Superfly Splash, setting up the Jagged Edge for the pin on Uso at 12:03.

Rating: C+. I don’t think the result was ever in any real doubt here as a makeshift team shouldn’t be beating the top heel team. What matters the most is getting the Vision to look strong, but at the same time, Knight and the Usos aren’t exactly getting along. That sounds like we’re going to be seeing a match of some sort in Australia next month and this week was a step there.

Post match the beatdown stays on until Jey Uso runs in with the chair for the save. Reed knocks the chair away but gets sent outside. Knight picks the chair up but Jey looks at him. Knight shakes Jey’s hand….and then lays him out with the BFT to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This show did a nice job of setting up the pay per view, as there was quite a lot to cover. Most of the matches got some time and that’s nice to see, especially with so little time left. The wrestling was decent enough, but the focus here was on getting ready for Saturday and I’m more interested in the show than I was coming in. I’d call that a success.

Results
Lyra Valkyria b. Roxanne Perez – Nightwing
Penta b. Kofi Kingston – Springboard Canadian Destroyer
El Grande Americano b. Dragon Lee – Choke with knees in the back
Stephanie Vaquer b. Kairi Sane – SVB
Vision b. Jimmy Uso/LA Knight – Jagged Edge to Uso

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Monday Night Raw
Date: September 8, 2025
Location: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Corey Graves

So the big deal coming out of Smackdown is the return of AJ Lee, who is back to help her husband CM Punk against Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins. That should all but guarantee a mixed tag at Wrestlepalooza and there is a good chance we’ll get something out of the four of them here. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Rollins/Lynch vs. Punk, with Lee showing up on Smackdown in Chicago to the hero’s welcome for the big save.

Lynch doesn’t want a camera on her.

Corey Graves references Wade Barrett being on vacation, which surprises him as he heard something about Barrett being exiled over the weekend. Points for referencing rumors.

Here is Jey Uso to get things going, with Jimmy Uso popping up next to him for the entrance. The team comes out and we get an encore of the entrance as the fans are glad to have them back together. Jey brings up the Vision, or in particular, the Bronnies. Cue Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, with Breakker being so annoyed that he can barely speak. Reed has to hold him back and wants the fans to acknowledge their Tribal Thief. Reed promises revenge for what happened to Paul Heyman but Jimmy calls them PB&J&J Security.

They mock Heyman, including calling him the Orca (which pops Jimmy), but then get to the point: the tag match is set for Wrestlepalooza. The Usos are ready to fight right now but here is LA Knight to brawl with Reed and Breakker. That doesn’t go so well so the Usos are right there with the stereo dives for the save. The good guys clear the ring, with Knight shoving Reed into Jey by mistake. The villains bail, but Jey and Knight get in an argument.

LA Knight argues with Adam Pearce and says if he wanted to go after Jey, he would have done it on his own. He wants one of the Bron’s tonight, and he’ll even take LeBron James, Bronnie Jr. or Charles Bronson. It doesn’t even matter if he wins or loses, because he just wants to get his hands on one of them.

AJ Styles vs. El Grande Americano

Styles dropkicks Americano through the ropes and hammers away on the floor before going inside. A running clothesline sends Americano right back to the floor and we get the opening bell. Tessitore: “After all that, we get a bell!”. The Phenomenal Forearm is loaded up but here is another Americano to grab the leg, allowing the original Americano to send Styles into the steps.

We take a break and come back with Americano grabbing a chinlock and then putting on a front facelock. That’s broken up and Styles suplexes him into the corner, followed by a torture rack bomb for two. Americano grabs his hand and runs the corner for a Blockbuster (that was nice) for two. Styles slips out of what looked like a Styles Clash but the other Americano gets on the apron. Cue Dragon Lee to take out the other Americano, leaving Styles to roll the original into the Styles Clash for the pin at 9:00.

Rating: B-. Americano (the original) had some impressive spots in there and the ending sequence, with Styles rolling through into the Clash looked very good. I’m curious to see where this multiple Americanos goes, as it’s an interesting story and the reveals of who is underneath the masks could go in a few ways. Nice match here, and it’s nice to see Styles getting a pin.

Nikki Bella interrupts Iyo Sky and Adam Pearce. Stephanie Vaquer is apparently out of the contract signing but she’ll be around for the title match at Wrestlepalooza. The Kabuki Warriors interrupt and Bella isn’t happy, saying she was talking to Sky. Asuka vs. Bella is set up for tonight. Sky shakes her head.

Video on AJ Lee.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Roxanne Perez is here too. Valkyria kicks at the leg to start and gets swung around by the neck for her efforts. Back up and Valkyria kicks her out to the floor but Rodriguez knocks her out of the air. The twisting Vader Bomb crushes Valkyria for two and we take a break. We come back with Valkyria getting two off a sunset flip but getting caught in something like a Boston crab (with Rodriguez laying on Valkyria’s back and pulling on her legs).

That’s broken up and Valkyria hits something like a jawbreaker, followed by a tornado DDT for two. Rodriguez is back up with a slingshot Jackhammer (or close to it) for two of her own. A slightly delayed sunset bomb plants Rodriguez for two but Valkyria’s back won’t let her get a fireman’s carry. Perez interferes and gets taken out but Rodriguez catches her on top and hits a Tejana Bomb for the pin at 12:41.

Rating: C+. You could see Rodriguez getting tired near the end, which makes you wonder why you would put her out there in a match like this. I’m still not liking Valkyria losing this much, but at least she has whatever is coming with Bayley next. Rodriguez getting a win is a good thing, though maybe find a better style for her.

Penta and the War Raiders exchange pleasantries but Penta talks to Adam Pearce, saying he wants the Intercontinental Title. Pearce doesn’t say no but Rusev comes in to say he wants a title shot. Penta gets in his face and a match is made official.

AJ Styles thanks Dragon Lee when Jimmy Uso comes in, looking for Jey. Cue Jey, who is ready to leave, but Jimmy says they need to be there for LA Knight vs. Bronson Reed. Jey isn’t happy with Knight and says this is about them. Jimmy says Jey is sounding like Roman Reigns, with Jey saying sounding like himself isn’t working. Jey leaves.

Here is AJ Lee, wearing the Women’s Intercontinental Title. Lee says in case you weren’t here ten years ago and were confused as to why your millennial parents were very excited on Friday, here name is AJ Lee and she is your favorite wrestler’s favorite wrestler. She’s David Starr? She retired ten years ago and hung up her Chuck Taylors and thought she would never wear jean shorts that were two sizes too small.

During the ten years away, she went on a mental health journey (we pause for a THERAPY chant) and things were going well….but then things started changing. She can live with the idea of her husband fighting Seth Rollins or Drew McIntyre, but it’s a different thing when he’s in the ring with someone like Becky Lynch. Lee thought they would get along as they’re both rebels, leaders and bestselling authors, though yes she did do it first. But then Lynch had to go and motorboat her Lee’s husband and….here is Lynch to interrupt.

Lynch says this isn’t about Lee’s husband and she rants about how great she really is. The fans boo and Lynch says she’ll have to go to therapy after this. Fans: “THERAPY!” Lee: “I have some names I can give you.” She forgot she was wearing the title and Lynch takes her sunglasses off, revealing a black eye. Lee: “Was that from one of my tiny fists?” Lee lays the title down for her but Lynch insists that she isn’t a chicken. Lynch: “You listen to me, you Jersey trashbag weirdo.”

Lynch says this had nothing to do with Lee until CM Punk got involved, but where is he? She brings out Seth Rollins instead, who says that Lee can give Lynch the title back. Lee says Lynch can come get it, while risking another black eye, or she can agree to a mixed tag. Rollins says he’s going to come in and get the title (Lee: “Thanks for mansplaining that. Everyone loves that.”) but Lee jumps in front of it.

Cue CM Punk to go after Rollins, who escapes and agrees to the match at Wrestlepalooza. Lee kisses the title and throws it to Lynch. This was Lee’s big return speech and she absolutely still has the adorkable nature that makes her stand out. It comes off as her being herself and while I can absolutely see why it doesn’t work for everyone, it makes her feel as authentic as anyone in WWE most of the time.

Bayley talks about how she needs to make this better because Lyra Valkyria was the last person she wanted to hurt. She’s hurt a lot of people over the years but they deserved it, so she isn’t sure how Valkyria can forgive her when she can’t forgive herself. The voices start talking to her again but she insists she’ll make it right.

Penta vs. Rusev

Rusev shrugs off some chops to start and hammers away, followed by a hard clothesline. Penta is able to send him into the corner and grabs a Backstabber for a fast two. They head outside with Rusev missing a charge into the steps and we take a break. We come back with Penta hitting a Sling Blade but here are New Day and Grayson Waller for a distraction. The distraction lets Rusev grab Penta, who escapes and hits a big flip dive onto Kofi Kingston and Waller. Back in and a quick Code Red gives Penta two so he goes up, only to dive into the Machka Kick for the pin at 8:36.

Rating: C+. The interference helped, but Penta losing again isn’t a great sign. Rusev is about what he’s been for most of his time in WWE, meaning that he’s good at what he does, but it’s only so interesting. Penta feels like he has a lot more potential, but feuding with New Day and Waller isn’t a great path.

We look back at John Cena vs. Sami Zayn on Smackdown, with Brock Lesnar running in to lay both of them out.

Jimmy Uso comes in to see LA Knight, who explains that what happened earlier was an accident. Uso seems to accept it and says they have beef with the Vision tonight. Knight says there is no WE because the Usos keep costing him. If Uso wants to help, don’t help, because Knight is doing this himself.

Nikki Bella vs. Asuka

Bella rolls her up for two to start as Kairi Sane is rather pleased on the floor. Back up and Asuka pops off a knee to the face before she chokes a bit in the corner. A forearm and spinebuster give Bella two but Asuka bails out to the floor. Asuka hides behind Sane and kicks Bella down as we take a break. We come back with Bella avoiding a middle rope kick to the face and hitting one of her own. Asuka hits her in the head but can’t get the Asuka Lock. Instead Bella is back with an Alabama Slam for two but Asuka kicks her in the head. The Empress Impact sets up the Asuka Lock and Bella taps at 10:20.

Rating: C. Asuka was carrying things here as it’s clear that Bella is pretty much limited to just her signature stuff. It’s far from the worst match, but egads Bella feels so wedged into everything these days and it’s rough to watch. Thankfully she didn’t win here, though I was more than a bit terrified of where this was going.

Judgment Day is happy with Raquel Rodriguez’s win and are ready for Roxanne Perez to do it next week. Dominik Mysterio comes in, saying he’s been getting ready for his AAA Mega Title shot this Friday. Was he off with El Grande Americano? The team thinks Americano wants something in return, but Mysterio says it wouldn’t happen if they didn’t get banned last week. Mysterio storms off, with Perez off to talk to him.

The Kabuki Warriors come up to Nikki Bella, who doesn’t think much of them. Rhea Ripley comes up and asks if there’s a problem. Ripley asks about Iyo Sky and Asuka leaves, with Sane staying until Asuka summons her. Sane has been a gem in these segments.

LA Knight vs. Bronson Reed

Bron Breakker is here too. Knight slugs away to start and gets knocked outside. Back in and Reed misses a sitdown splash, allowing Knight to clothesline away. One heck of a clothesline drops Knight and the pace slows, with Reed doing the Roman Reigns point. Back up and Knight knocks him to the floor for a dropkick through the ropes, followed by a quick posting.

We take a break and come back with Reed choking away on the ropes but he misses a charge into the buckle. Knight stomps away in the corner but gets dumped over the top for a big crash. Reed misses a charge though and gets caught with a dive off the barricade. Back in and Reed runs him over but misses a splash, allowing Knight to drop the top rope elbow. Breakker’s distraction breaks up the BFT though and the Jagged Edge finishes Knight at 11:36.

Rating: B-. Good match here, with Reed using the numbers game to win again. That’s the kind of thing that makes sense, as you can have various people show up after the match. Knight needs to win some more matches though, as while he’s in the main event scene, he’s mostly just the jobber to the stars at the moment.

Post match the beatdown is on but Jimmy Uso runs in for the save. That fails miserably but Jey Uso is back for the real save. Jey gets Super Speared down though and the Tsunami is loaded up. Knight makes the save with a chair…and Jey spears him down to end the show. Well that shakes things up a bit.

Overall Rating: B-. The Uso attack at the end is a good idea and very well could set up a bit match with Knight sooner or later. Other than that you had the rather awesome AJ Lee segment to set up the mixed tag. Wrestlepalooza is looking rather stacked and I’m wanting to see what we get there, with this show being a good way to help getting it ready. Just tweak some things here and there and this show is much better, but it did a nice job of getting the pay per view ready.

Results
AJ Styles b. El Grande Americano – Styles Clash
Raquel Rodriguez b. Lyra Valkyria – Tejana Bomb
Rusev b. Penta – Machka Kick
Asuka b. Nikki Bella – Asuka Lock
Bronson Reed b. LA Knight – Jagged Edge

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Monday Night Raw
Date: September 1, 2025
Location: La Defense Arena, Paris, France
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Michael Cole

We’re still in Paris after yesterday’s Clash and that means it’s time to start the build towards Wrestlepalooza. While you can pretty much pencil in the John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar showdown, they’re going to need something else to fill in the gaps. With less than three weeks before the show, those gaps can be filled starting this week so let’s get to it.

Here is Clash In Paris if you need a recap.

We still have the awesome Eiffel Tower set.

Long Clash In Paris recap.

CM Punk is waiting for Seth Rollins to arrive after getting screwed out of the title. Adam Pearce is fine with it.

Here is Jey Uso to get things going. Uso isn’t happy and says he isn’t going to run it back tonight. He has some medical tape around his waist but he is running last night back. The Vision attacked both he and Roman Reigns and you never put your hands on his family. Uso wants the Vision out here right now but gets LA Knight instead. Knight says he should be the World Heavyweight Champion but instead he stands here a loser, just like Uso.

Some people claim that Uso lives in his cousin’s shadow. Knight doesn’t know anything about that, but Seth Rollins lives in his wife’s shadow. They could have taken Rollins out last night and the three challengers could have fought it out, but Uso screwed that up because he doesn’t understand. Knight is sick and tired of being left laying and not being World Heavyweight Champion. If Uso doesn’t get that, Knight can get him up to speed real quick.

Cue Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker to interrupt with Knight being ready to go. Breakker says that the only thing we should be concerned about is Paul Heyman’s health after Roman Reigns choked him out. The fans chant for Reigns but Breakker says it means that Heyman isn’t here to tell them what to do. Reed brags about the beating they gave Reigns because the vision didn’t include him. It doesn’t include Knight and Uso either, so they’re next. Knight says he and Uso can do this later so the tag match seems set for tonight.

We recap the issues between Iyo Sky and the Kabuki Warriors.

Sky tries to make peace with the Warriors and….it seems to work.

Judgment Day vs. Kabuki Warriors

Asuka and Perez start things off with Asuka knocking her to the floor. It’s already off to Rodriguez, who gets pulled into a quick choke. The Octopus hold is quickly escaped so it’s off to Sane for some double kicks. The choke over the ropes has Rodriguez in more trouble and it’s back to Perez, who gets taken down with a headscissors. That’s broken up though and Perez takes Sane outside for a whip into the barricade.

We take a break and come back with Perez splashing Sane in the corner. That’s broken up and it’s back to Asuka to strike away until Rodriguez hits a clothesline. Perez adds a spinning knee to the back of the head before Sane and Rodriguez fight to the floor. The Asuka Lock is countered into a rollup for two before Asuka hip attacks Rodriguez back outside. Perez can’t hit Pop Rox and they seem to get a bit lost, with Asuka’s spinwheel kick barely making contact. The Asuka Lock finishes Perez at 10:40.

Rating: B-. I’m wondering if something went wrong in the end there because the match was sharp for the first ten minutes and then absolutely fell apart at the end. It wouldn’t surprise me if Perez was hurt as she was stumbling a bit before the weird spinwheel kick. Either way, good match otherwise and if someone was hurt at the end, the last few moments are more than excusable.

Adam Pearce announces that it’s Stephanie Vaquer vs. Iyo Sky for the title in three weeks at Wrestlepalooza.

Finn Balor vs. Dragon Lee

JD McDonagh is here with Balor. The fans are rather into this as Balor takes him down by the arm to start. Balor drops him with an elbow to the face but Lee is back with a springboard wristdrag out of the corner. The slingshot dropkick gets two and Balor is sent to the floor for the running flip dive as we take a break. We come back with Lee fighting out of a headlock and kicking Balor in the face. The sitout powerbomb gives Lee two but Balor pulls him off the top. The Coup de Grace finishes Lee at 9:48.

Rating: B-. Pretty simple and to the point here with Balor getting a nice reception. I’m not sure what he is going to be doing anytime soon, save for maybe feuding with Dominik Mysterio, but at least he’s still that smooth in the ring. On the other hand you have Lee, who has sunk incredibly far at a remarkable rate. I’m not sure if it was the unrealistic expectations or the pressure on him, but it hasn’t worked to say the least.

Nikki Bella meets Iyo Sky but the Kabuki Warriors interrupt. Bella isn’t pleased and leaves, with the Warriors saying they helped Sky win at Summerslam so they’ll see her at Wrestlepalooza. Sky doesn’t seem happy.

Dominik Mysterio wants Judgment Day to help him against AJ Styles but Adam Pearce bans them from ringside.

New Day/Grayson Waller vs. War Raiders/Penta

Penta sends Waller and Kingston to the apron to start but it’s too early to Canadian Destroy Woods. The Raiders take the villains down on the floor and Penta adds a dive as we take a break. We come back with Erik in trouble and Woods getting to strut a bit. Erik fights his way out of trouble and brings Ivar in to fire off the seated splashes in the corner. Waller avoids one of said splashes though and everything breaks down. Waller tries his rolling Stunner and gets knocked silly. A belly to back suplex/splash combination crushes Woods and the Canadian Destroyer finishes at 8:48.

Rating: C+. New Day and the Raiders just feel like they’re nothing at this point, even with New Day’s rather funny heel antics. There is no heat for either team and they come and go (when the Raiders are actually around that is) without much changing. It’s nice to see Penta win, but this was a pretty cold match for some prominent names.

Rhea Ripley wants the Women’s Title back but the Kabuki Warriors interrupt. They don’t want her around Iyo Sky but Ripley doesn’t get what’s so bad about it. Asuka says stay away from Sky and repeats her name before pushing Ripley. That doesn’t work for Ripley but Asuka leaves, even as Kairi Sane isn’t sure what to do.

Roxanne Perez asks Adam Pearce why she’s not in the Wrestlepalooza title match. Pearce points out that she and Raquel Rodriguez just lost but he’ll think about it after Wrestlepalooza. Lyra Valkyria comes in and gets into an argument with Rodriguez and Perez. Judgment Day leaves and Pearce tells Valkyria that Bayley will be back soon. Valkyria: “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?” She wants a match with Judgment Day so Pearce makes it for next week. Uncertain hand gestures ensue.

Intercontinental Title: AJ Styles vs. Dominik Mysterio

Styles is challenging and gets a crazy strong reception. Strong enough that it’s STILL GOING after a break, with Styles just soaking it in. Mysterio jumps him to start and the bell rings, with Styles fighting back to send Mysterio outside. The big dive connects and we take an early break.

We come back with Styles striking away, including the sliding forearm to set up the fireman’s carry backbreaker for two. A headscissors out of the corner sends Styles to the floor and Mysterio drops him with a baseball slide. Mysterio’s hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb onto the announcers’ table though and we take another break. We come back again with an exchange of forearms until Styles grabs a neckbreaker for two.

The Styles Clash is countered into the Mullet O Matic (oh that’s amazing) for two and Styles is sent into the post. The Michinoku Driver gives Mysterio two more and the Three Amigos into the frog splash gets the same. Back up and a quick Styles Clash connects but Mysterio gets a boot on the rope. The Phenomenal Forearm is loaded up but cue El Grande Americano with the loaded headbutt to the ribs. Mysterio drops the frog splash to retain at 16:05.

Rating: B. Odds are this moves us into Styles vs. Americano, which is an interesting change of pace. At the same time, Mysterio is going to need a fresh challenger and there are more than a few names available. For now though, Mysterio outsmarts the veteran again, which is a pretty nice accomplishment. Not as nice as that ovation Styles received, but still good.

We look back at Roman Reigns beating Bronson Reed last night but getting laid out by the Vision after the match.

LA Knight is ready to do whatever it takes to get the World Heavyweight Title. If that means going through Jey Uso, so be it. Cue Uso, who says they’ll make this work and loads up the catchphrase, but Knight says the four letters, one word is YEAH.

Rhea Ripley is with CM Punk in the back but Adam Pearce comes in to say Seth Rollins is in the building. Pearce doesn’t know how, but Punk is going to go handle him. Pearce: “And what does that mean?”

Video on Rusev, who is happy with his win with his win over Sheamus.

Here is CM Punk for a chat. He wants Seth Rollins out here right now and gets Rollins…….’ wife. Becky Lynch says she might not be the man Punk was looking for but she’s the man he’s dealing with her. Punk says he’s not doing this and wants Rollins out here but Lynch isn’t going to let him leave. Lynch has heard Punk berate Rollins, who is the greatest man she has ever known.

Punk calls Rollins a coward, but Lynch says that Rollins is everything Punk isn’t. Lynch: “He’s hot, he’s jacked.” Punk: “You’re delusional.” Lynch: “He doesn’t interrupt me.” Punk isn’t the voice of the voiceless but the poster child of apathy. These people didn’t get her to the main event of Wrestlemania because she did it herself. She goes on about how she and her husband are in the middle of a revolution.

Rollins is a visionary, a revolutionary (Punk covers his ears) and she’s the greatest ever so Punk needs to get out of the ring. The fans chant for AJ Lee and Lynch has to remind them that AJ doesn’t work here. Punk doesn’t think much of that but reminds her that 30,000 people think he’s the best in the world. They chant his name no matter where he is or what he does but he didn’t see Lynch and Rollins on all of the recent live events. Rollins hides behind everyone, including his wife, who may be the Man but she married a bum.

Cue Rollins on the stage so Punk goes around Lynch, with Rollins leaving. Lynch gets in a heck of a slap and then slaps him in the shoulders a bunch before calling Punk pathetic. Punk promises to make her regret that and leaves, with Lynch says she already does because of all the grease on her hands. Lynch mocks Punk as he leaves but Punk can’t bring himself to do anything about it and storms off. This was very good as Lynch can hang with Punk on the mic, but dang they better deliver AJ Lee after all this, as no one, even Rhea Ripley, would feel as important.

Post break Punk is leaving but gets cut off by Adam Pearce. Rollins has left but Punk asks where Smackdown is this week. That would be….Chicago, and Punk is very pleased. Pearce, not so much.

Jey Uso/LA Knight vs. Bronson Reed/Bron Breakker

It’s a brawl to start with Reed dropping Knight with a headbutt. Breakker works on Uso’s bad ribs and we take an early break. We come back with the ribs still in trouble but Uso gets over for the tag to Knight. House is cleaned until Breakker offers a distraction, with Knight being sent outside for a whip into the steps. The fans chant for Reigns as Knight is taken back inside for an overhead belly to belly.

Knight fights up but Breakker pulls him down into the chinlock. Back up and Reed charges into an elbow in the corner, allowing Knight to knock him down. Uso comes back in to clean house, including the running Umaga Attack to Breakker. The spear drops Breakker again but the Superfly Splash is broken up. Reed takes Knight down on the floor and Uso comes back in, where Breakker gives him the Super Spear for the pin at 14:01.

Rating: B-. There is something fun about watching monsters like Breakker and Reed run through people like Uso and Knight. Breakker and Uso have put together a nice rivalry and it fits to see Breakker pin him again. The vision is getting to be more dominant and I’m not sure who is next to come after them, though Roman Reigns will be back in a few months, likely for WarGames.

Post match the beatdown is on again, with Knight’s save being cut off by a Super Spear. Another one drops Uso and the Tsunami connects but Jimmy Uso runs in with a chair for the save. Usos vs. Breakker/Reed works for me.

Overall Rating: B. The crowd helped carry this one and the talking segments were just as good to back up some solid enough wrestling. There are different directions possible for the bigger stories, but Punk vs. Rollins (hopefully only one more time) and Usos vs. Reed/Breakker should be great. Throw in the possibility of AJ Lee coming back to a massive reaction to face Lynch and it’s all the more interesting. Good show here, with the crowd being their usual awesome selves.

Results
Kabuki Warriors b. Judgment Day – Asuka Lock to Perez
Finn Balor b. Dragon Lee – Coup de Grace
Penta/War Raiders b. New Day/Grayson Waller – Canadian Destroyer to Woods
Dominik Mysterio b. AJ Styles – Frog splash
Bron Breakker/Bronson Reed b. Jey Uso/LA Knight – Super Spear to Uso

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