Summerslam 2025 Night One
Date: August 2, 2025
Location: Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

It’s a weird feeling to say this is just the first half of Summerslam, but this is just the first half of Summerslam. The show is in a stadium again and that should make for a big time feeling, which was certainly the case last year. The main event of the first night is Gunther defending the Raw World Title against CM Punk, which should be a good one. Let’s get to it.

Breeland sings God Bless America.

Someone named Druski says this isn’t your usual weekend. Undertaker says something is going down. We see various clips of celebrities and online reactions, with the idea apparently being more that talking about/reacting to the moments are more important than the moments themselves.

Special host Cardi B comes out wearing a bunch of feathers. She screeches a bit about various wrestlers, says we’re in the Tri-State, and welcomes us to the show. This continues to be a concept that doesn’t need to be there.

Roman Reigns/Jey Uso vs. Bronson Reed/Bron Breakker

Paul Heyman is here with the villains, including Reed, who has Reigns’ stolen shoes (the Shoe-la Fala, which I wish I was smart enough to have thought of) from Raw. The brawl is on to start and Reigns/Uso clears the ring, meaning we get an encore of Uso’s entrance. Breakker pulls Reigns outside and the brawl is on again, with Uso hitting a big dive to the floor to take everyone out.

Back in and Breakker knocks Uso into the corner for a clothesline, allowing Reed to drive a knee into Uso’s neck. Breakker isn’t done and hits a big running shoulder to drop Reigns on the floor for an impressive visual. Reigns is back up on the apron as Breakker shouts a lot. A double splash crushes Uso again and Breakker continues to look incredibly cocky. Breakker grabs a chinlock…and starts to sing a song about how Reigns sucks and should have stayed away.

A gorilla press gutbuster (with separate camera shots of Heyman and commentary for a new visual) gets two on Uso but Breakker misses the diving clothesline to the announcers’ table. Back in and Uso goes for the tag but Breakker dives in to cut him off, with Reed pulling Reigns off the apron at the same time. Uso is able to come back with a Maivia Hurricane, which is finally enough for the tag off to Reigns.

House is quickly cleaned and Reigns knocks Breakker outside, setting up the big dive….which goes over both villains, thankfully with Reigns rolling through to mostly land on his back. Back in and Reigns gives Breakker a release Rock Bottom but Reed is in off a blind tag. Uso gets a blind tag of his own and walks into a Death Valley Driver for two. Reed sends him outside for the big suicide dive, followed by Breakker hitting the running clothesline to knock Reigns over the announcers’ table.

Back in and a Steiner Bulldog gets two on Uso but Reigns is back up with the Superman Punch on the floor. The spear sends Breakker through the barricade and the Tsunami is broken up. Back in and the 1D hits Reed, with Breakker diving in for the save. Breakker takes his straps down, pulls them back up and then pulls them back down to fire himself up again. Reigns shoves Uso out of the way of the Super Spear though and takes it himself, leaving Uso to superkick Breakker. The spear and Superfly Splash finish Reed at 21:13.

Rating: B+. This started off slowly and wound up being a bunch of crazy athletic people throwing themselves all over the place. There is something so cool about watching people of this size and strength doing this kind of stuff, and that’s not even including Breakker’s near psychotic ranting during the match. Heck of a spectacle here, with Breakker looking like a future/current star.

We recap Judgment Day defending the Women’s Tag Team Titles against Alexa Bliss/Charlotte. The idea is neither team is really friends but they have to work together. Charlotte and Bliss are starting to get it together though and that could be dangerous.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Charlotte/Alexa Bliss vs. Judgment Day

Judgment Day is defending. Bliss and Charlotte aren’t sure who should start and the champs take them down as a result. Perez hammers away on Bliss but gets caught with a headscissors. Charlotte comes in and is quickly choked on the ropes to put her in trouble as well. Rodriguez grabs the chinlock but Charlotte fights up, allowing the tag back to Bliss. The house cleaning doesn’t last long as Rodriguez powers Bliss down for another chinlock.

That’s broken up as well but Bliss can’t get a sunset flip. Perez comes back in and gets forearmed down, allowing Charlotte to come back in with a double high crossbody. The moonsault hits Perez and Rodriguez but Perez is back up with a moonsault. Bliss forearms Charlotte by mistake and has to make a save after Pop Rox. Bliss loads up Sister Abigail on Perez but has to wait for Charlotte to tease kicking her in the face. Charlotte kicks Rodriguez instead though and the Sister Abigail gives us new champions at 13:36.

Rating: B. Good stuff here, with everyone working hard and the story of Charlotte and Bliss teasing issues worked well. It wasn’t helpful that neither of the teams have been together very long, but that kind of made for an interesting story. Good stuff here and better than I was expecting for a nice surprise.

Various wrestlers argue over and then share pizza.

Karrion Kross vs. Sami Zayn

The idea here is Kross wants Zayn to come to the dark side while Zayn wants to stay on the good side, with the winner having to admit the other was right. Kross hammers him down in the corner but Zayn is back with a middle rope ax handle. Back up and Kross takes over again in the corner, demanding that Zayn “say it you dumb ba*****.”

Kross loads up a pipe shot but it gets taken away, allowing Zayn to knock him back down. Scarlett hands Zayn the pipe and tells him to embrace the dark side…but he throws it outside instead. The distraction lets Kross grab a rollup for two, only for the Helluva to finish him off at 8:10.

Rating: C. Well that was certainly something that happened. This was pretty easily the weakest looking match on the card and that’s exactly what it was so far. It wasn’t so much that there was no drama as it could have gone either way, but it didn’t exactly feel important enough to be here. Hopefully Zayn gets to move on to something better, because this was only so interesting.

Hulk Hogan tribute, with Nick Hogan here.

We recap Tiffany Stratton defending the Smackdown Women’s Title against Jade Cargill. Stratton is the new top star but Cargill is a monster who won the Queen Of The Ring. The result is basically a big showdown.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill

Stratton is defending and we get the Big Match Intros. They start fast with Stratton knocking her outside and hitting a suicide dive. Cargill is fine enough to hit a suplex on the floor but Stratton is right back with a knockdown of her own. Back in and great looking Swanton connects for two on Cargill but Cargill muscles her up into a suplex.

Stratton reverses another into a falcon arrow for two more but the Prettiest Moonsault Ever hits raised boots. Jaded connects for two, as Stratton rolls into the corner. With that not working, Cargill hits a chokeslam and takes her up for a super Jaded, only for Stratton to reverse into a super victory roll. The Prettiest Moonsault Ever retains completely clean at 7:03.

Rating: B-. This could have been a near disaster and it wound up going pretty well. It definitely felt like a match that was planned out at a very intricate level, but that’s what you should be doing with two people at this experience level. Good enough here and I’ll take that over what could have been quite the mess.

We recap Jelly Roll/Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre/Logan Paul. Roll was doing a performance on Smackdown but Paul interrupted, saying he didn’t like outsiders around here. McIntyre joined Paul in going after Roll, which drew out Orton because he likes Roll’s music. A tag match was made.

Drew McIntyre/Logan Paul vs. Randy Orton/Jelly Roll

Paul decks Roll before the bell and Roll tags himself in to get things going. Roll fights back and uses some big forearms (as keeping it simple is his best option) before it’s off to McIntyre. Roll makes the mistake of turning his back to make the tag and gets slapped in the back of his head. That’s enough for Roll to stay in, with McIntyre saying this is the day that the music dies.

Some snap jabs rock McIntyre, who is right back with a Glasgow Kiss. A double suplex drops Roll again and it’s back to Paul for an arrogant cover. McIntyre hammers away again as the fans want Orton, who gets knocked off the apron. Roll is able to send McIntyre flying over the top though and the much needed tag brings in Orton. The hanging DDT drops McIntyre and Orton plants him onto the announcers’ table.

Paul gets the same treatment but McIntyre is back up with the Claymore. Paul’s loaded right hand knocks Roll silly and he puts him on to the announcers’ table, which can’t end well. Paul goes up top, toasts some Prime, and hits a huge splash for the exploding table. That’s enough for a stretcher to be brought out but Roll is able to walk out, albeit with help. Orton is left alone against the villains and a Blockbuster gives Paul two.

McIntyre goes up but gets caught in a superplex to leave both of them down. That’s enough for Roll to get back up on the apron for the tag and the fans approve. Some clotheslines set up a chokeslam to Paul and a Boss Man Slam drops McIntyre. Paul goes up but dives into a powerslam, leaving McIntyre to Claymore Roll. The RKO drops McIntyre so Paul posts Orton. One heck of a frog splash gives Paul the pin on Roll at 17:07.

Rating: B. This was a good time and that’s what it was supposed to be. Roll was absolutely trying out there and while he was clearly winded, he was giving it everything he had. At the same time though, Paul and McIntyre were incredible as the jerks who thought this was beneath them and were having a great time wrecking Roll. That’s all this needed to be and ultimately, it would have been a big stretch to have the heels lose. Good, entertaining stuff here, with the villains being the high spot.

Here’s what’s coming tomorrow.

We recap Gunther defending the Raw World Title against CM Punk. The video looks at various big Punk runs over the years, including the Summer Of Punk in 2005, and how Punk is able to do rather well in the summer months. Gunther on the other hand is a monster who is ready to smash through Punk’s last run at glory.

Raw World Title: Gunther vs. CM Punk

Punk is challenging and is rocking some Fantastic Four inspired gear. Gunther goes for the arm to start and backs Punk to the ropes, with Punk ducking away for a break. Punk gets backed into the corner but blocks a chop to start going after Gunther’s hand. With that not working, Gunther knocks him into the corner but charges into a raised boot, allowing Punk to start in on the arm.

The big chop catches Punk though and it’s time to cringe on the mat. Punk is right back to the arm and knees away before firing off his own chops. Gunther gets creative by chopping the leg and then tying Punk in the Tree Of Woe for more chopping. More chops have Punk down and a hard slam drops him again. Gunther grabs an abdominal stretch so Punk reverses into one of his own, only for Gunther to boot him in the face.

Back up and Punk tries to pick up the pace, earning himself another boot to the face. Gunther chops him into the ropes, with Punk bouncing back up and getting kicked in the face for a third time. Punk strikes away at the legs, earning himself another hard chop to cut him down. Gunther starts mocking him as they go to the mat, with a chinlock not lasting long. Punk can’t get the Sharpshooter so Gunther puts one of his own on, and even does a bicep pose with the bad arm.

That’s reversed into the same thing from Punk (from his back, ala Bret Hart in 1991), with Gunther making it over to the ropes. Gunther comes back with more chops but walks into a leg lariat. A not great powerbomb out of the corner gives Gunther two and Punk pulls him into a triangle choke. That’s broken up as well so Punk hits the running knee in the corner, followed by the bulldog for two.

Gunther drops him again and hits the frog splash for two but has to escape a quick GTS attempt. Another powerbomb drops Punk again and another powerbomb gives Gunther two. The boot choke in the corner has Punk mostly dead on the floor but he sends Gunther over the announcers’ table. Gunther comes up gushing blood so Punk strikes away and hits the top rope elbow for two. Back up and Gunther pulls him into the sleeper but Punk reverses into a pair of GTS’s for the pin and the title at 30:25.

Rating: A-. Outstanding stuff here, with Punk surviving everything Gunther threw at him and finally coming out on top after all of the violence. That’s what this should have been, with Gunther winning the title back felt like a way to transition it to someone else. This is the kind of win that Punk needed at some point, as you can only talk about being the best in the world for so long before you need to actually win something. That’s what we got here and it was after a heck of a match against a monster like Gunther.

Post match Punk celebrates the win….and here comes Seth Rollins (Punk’s “aww man” face is great), albeit on crutches. Rollins turns to leave but stops, turns around, and takes the brace off. He runs to the ring, beats Punk down with the briefcase and it’s cash in time.

Raw World Title: CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins

Punk is defending but also dead, so it’s a Stomp to make Rollins champion at 10 seconds. Yeah it was fairly predictable, yeah it was annoying, yeah it’s been done, but NO MORE BRIEFCASES FOR ABOUT TEN MONTHS means Christmas just came early. Also of note: the rest of Rollins’ stable was out for the celebration and Bron Breakker’s leg was taped up and he had a pronounced limp.

Overall Rating: A-. Other than the big moment at the end, this was in the vein of an old school Summerslam, with some good action but not much in the way of serious stuff. That’s a good way to go, with even the worst match (Zayn vs. Kross) being totally decent. That main event was outstanding and I can go with the idea of Rollins cashing in, if nothing else due to the briefcases being completely gone. I had an awesome time with this show and it’s worth a look, if nothing else for being wrapped up in about three and a half hours.

Results
Jey Uso/Roman Reigns b. Bronson Reed/Bron Breakker – Superfly Splash to Reed
Charlotte/Alexa Bliss b. Judgment Day – Sister Abigail to Perez
Sami Zayn b. Karrion Kross – Helluva Kick
Tiffany Stratton b. Jade Cargill – Prettiest Moonsault Every
Logan Paul/Drew McIntyre b. Randy Orton/Jelly Roll – Frog splash to Roll
CM Punk b. Gunther – GTS
Seth Rollins b. CM Punk – Stomp

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

For the first time ever, we have a double night edition of the show and that means that, barring any last minute changes, we’re going to be seeing six matches a night. That should make for a good weekend as the cards are looking good enough. This week’s Smackdown has me curious about what we’re going to see and hopefully they can live up to the hype. Let’s get to it.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Judgment Day(c) vs. Charlotte/Alexa Bliss

The idea here is Charlotte and Bliss work well together but they’re both skeptical about calling themselves friends. This has led to some fairly amusing moments, including both of them acting as the other’s cheerleader. What matters the most here is that the fans are seemingly getting behind the idea, which I’m sure has nothing to do with Charlotte not going after a singles title for a change.

I’ll take the titles changing hands here, as this version of Judgment Day was thrown together due to Alexa Bliss’ injury. That means it might already be time to switch the titles again. Charlotte and Bliss staying together for the time being sounds good, as I don’t think I can take another Charlotte betrayal and singles heel run. If nothing else, just keep Charlotte doing something different for awhile as it’s refreshing.

Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross

This is about whether Kross is right about Zayn needing to embrace the dark side. On the other hand, Zayn is fighting back, saying that he believes in the fans and wants to be himself. The loser has to admit that they were wrong about the winner and that could make for an interesting moment. This seems to be another step on Zayn’s eventual (or maybe very eventual) path to the World Title and that could make for an interesting situation.

This could go either way, but I’ll take the safe path and go with Zayn winning to get rid of Kross. While Kross has been hot with the fans as of late, there are ways to present him without having him beat Zayn. I’m not sure what is next for Zayn, but he shouldn’t be losing a fairly high profile match like this one. It could go either way, but Zayn winning is the right option here.

Randy Orton/Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre/Logan Paul

So here we have the celebrity match of the show, which feels like something of a handicap match as Paul could hang with Orton on his own. That’s before you get to the monster that is McIntyre, which leaves Orton having to take care of Roll and do everything else on his own. Unfortunately that means having to slow things WAY down for Roll, which isn’t exactly an inspiring usage of people this good.

As simple as it should be to have McIntyre and Paul smash through Orton and Roll, I have a bad feeling that they’ll go with the celebrity win. That’s what we’ll say happens, as Roll gets a rollup win over someone which doesn’t feel right in any way. Odds are this won’t be it for Roll as WWE loves itself some celebrity interactions, but please let him be at least decent at the whole wrestling thing.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Tiffany Stratton(c) vs. Jade Cargill

Here we have a showdown between two members of the upcoming generation, which is a nice thing to see for a change. Stratton has already become an established star and that title she’s wearing helps a good deal. At the same time you have Cargill, who might feel like a major star but hasn’t got the hardware to back it up. That’s where things get interesting here, and it might lead to a change.

Despite Stratton doing rather well as the champion, this feels like the place where the title changes hands and Cargill gets her big moment. I’m not wild on the change as Stratton is doing well enough that she shouldn’t be losing, but WWE seems all in on the Cargill train. I’ll go with her winning here, even if that doesn’t seem like the best option for everyone involved.

Roman Reigns/Jey Uso vs. Bronson Reed/Bron Breakker

This is the latest stop in the never ending saga of everyone involved here, which is only so interesting. This week’s opening Monday Night Raw segment where Paul Heyman tried to sew some seeds of doubts in Uso’s mind didn’t do much for me. Later in the night though, things got into a wild brawl, which is what works best for these guys. That’s what I want to see, as you can only hear these guys talk so much.

As for a winner…dang I’m really not sure. I can’t imagine Reigns taking a fall, but Breakker shouldn’t be pinned either. That leaves Uso or Reed so….we’ll say the good guys win, likely with Reed taking the fall. It’s a match which could go either way, though Reigns and Breakker could have a heck of a showdown and something of a tease for later. This is a match that should be big, but it only means that we’ll likely be coming up on another match in the near future.

Raw World Title: Gunther(c) vs. CM Punk

Here we go. This is the match where I’m rather curious to see what happens, because it could go either way, including a third way. In this case, that means we’re going to be seeing a match which has a lot of drama. Punk is arguably the biggest star on all of Monday Night Raw (or very close to it) and having him win the title would be a huge moment. At the same time, Gunther beating Punk would be a huge coup for his career. So where do we go?

I’ll take Punk winning the title, as Gunther has already had a lengthy reign and then the start of another one. Punk hasn’t picked up anything outside of personal wins since returning, and having him win the title would be a great change. That being said, the big question is Seth Rollins, who could very easily SHOCK THE WORLD again and have his knee injury be faked to come in and steal the title. I’m not sure they’ll go there, but my goodness if they do, the heat on Rollins could be incredible. Either way, I’ll take Punk to win the title, but I’m not sure if he’ll leave with it.

Overall Thoughts

The more I look at this card, the more interested I am in the whole thing. The show feels big and we could be in for more than one big moment. Hopefully they can live up to the hype and make Summerslam feel important again. That’s one thing that has been needing to be fixed, and having half of Summerslam go beyond the hype would be a great start.

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

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Monday Night Raw
Date: July 28, 2025
Location: Little Caesars Center, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s the last show before Summerslam and that means we’re likely in for a mixture of talking and tag matches. At the same time, there is always the chance that we are going to get a lot more tributes to Hulk Hogan, as there was only so much time to get things ready on such short notice last week. Let’s get to it.

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

The roster is on the stage for the ten bell salute to Hogan.

We get another tribute, different from the one that aired on Smackdown. To be fair, you could go on for a long time with famous moments from his career.

Here is Jey Uso for a chat but Paul Heyman interrupts. Heyman doesn’t think much of Uso, but is smart enough to get out of the ring from that look in Uso’s eye. He also backs up, saying “I know that you can dive really fast.” Heyman can’t believe that Uso has accepted Roman Reigns’ offer to team with him against Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. And he’s doing this in the name of family.

Where Heyman comes from, family is always going to let you down. That’s not a prediction but rather a prophecy. Heyman asks if Uso’s mother said Santa Claus left the presents under the tree. That means your mother lied to you, just like everyone’s mother here. Did Uso’s father (Rikishi) tell Uso that he wanted him to be more iconic than him? Rikishi lied! Reigns didn’t pick Uso to be next in line as Tribal Chief. How did that work out for the family? Heyman is saying this out of love for Uso, just like family. YEET!

Uso says his family is why he’s here and Heyman needs to keep them out of his mouth. The reality is the family has done things together and Heyman’s family is nowhere to be seen. Heyman and company have cost them all kinds of things and at Summerslam, Heyman is paying. This was an interesting idea, but it’s feeling like they have no idea where this is supposed to go and they’re just saying things to fill in time before the match.

AJ Styles/Kabuki Warriors vs. Judgment Day

Asuka kicks Rodriguez down to start and hands it off to Sane for some kicks of her own. A high crossbody is pulled out of the air and it’s off to Perez for a headscissors. Sane grabs….I think a running Blockbuster (didn’t quite work but it could have been far worse) but Mysterio pulls Perez out of the way of a charge in the corner.

We take a break and come back with Perez hitting a moonsault for two but Sane gets in a shot in the corner. Rodriguez pulls Asuka to the floor though and the distraction means the referee doesn’t see the tag to Styles. Back up and the tag brings Styles in a few seconds later, meaning house can be cleaned. Perez gets in the way of the Phenomenal Forearm though, leaving Styles to launch Sand onto Rodriguez. The Phenomenal Forearm finished Mysterio at 11:46.

Rating: B-. Perfectly fine way to go here as Styles gets the win before he likely loses the title match at Summerslam. It’s still a good setup for the showdown though and that’s all it needed to be. At the same time, you have the Kabuki Warriors coming after the Women’s Tag Team Titles and that makes as much sense as anything else.

Sheamus is happy with his win over Rusev last week. Grayson Waller and New Day interrupt, with Waller making the mistake of challenging Sheamus, meaning the match is set for later tonight. New Day suddenly disappears.

Sheamus vs. Grayson Waller

Sheamus powers him into the corner to start and hits the big powerslam. The Dublin Smile has Waller in more trouble and the Regal Roll on the floor makes it worse. The ten forearms to the chest rock Waller but Rusev pops up on the apron for a distraction. Waller rolls him up for two, only for the Brogue Kick to finish at 4:10.

Rating: C. The only way Waller was going to win here was if Rusev cost Sheamus the match so they had a fine enough tease. At the same time, we are probably coming up on a big rubber match between Sheamus and Rusev, so there was no reason for Sheamus to lose here. Granted there is pretty much no reason for him to lose to Waller most of the time.

Post match Rusev beats Sheamus down with the shillelagh. The Accolade leaves Sheamus laying.

Naomi isn’t worried about defending the title in a triple threat match because she can fly high too.

Various wrestlers talk about Hulk Hogan’s star power.

Paul Heyman talks to Bronson Reed, saying with Seth Rollins on the shelf, they are a group without a leader. Bron Breakker comes in to say Reed is going to crush Jey Uso and the team will reestablish dominance over WWE. Reed leaves and Breakker says he has a plan. Heyman is confused.

Here is Lyra Valkyria for a chat. She has her Becky Lynch stopping shoes on (they’re rather elevated) and recaps her issues with Lynch. Cue Lynch’s music and she pops up behind Valkyria, who takes her out with a dropkick through the ropes. Valkyria beats her down with the kendo stick and Lynch runs off. Well that was quick.

Earlier today, Sami Zayn was doing a sitdown interview about Karrion Kross, when Kross and Scarlet interrupted. Kross said he could attack Zayn again, but he didn’t because he is all about making people show their true colors. Zayn won’t do it though, and it’s starting to tick Kross off. That’s why after Kross beats him at Summerslam, Zayn is going to admit that Kross told the truth and then he can go on to become World Champion. Zayn agrees, but when he beats Kross, he wants this to end. See you at Summerslam. Kross smiles as Zayn leaves.

Bayley is upset that she’s missing Summerslam, just like she missed Wrestlemania. She isn’t sure where she’s going from here.

Naomi/Chelsea Green/Secret Hervice vs. Iyo Sky/Rhea Ripley/Nikki Bella/Stephanie Vaquer

Naomi and Ripley start things off, with Naomi getting knocked out to the floor. It’s off to Bella, who clotheslines Green down to take over. They head outside before Fyre gets in a superkick to drop Bella. Niven adds a bottom rope elbow for two and we take a break. We come back with Bella getting in a kick to the face, allowing the tag to Sky. A backflip splits up a double clothesline attempt so Green kicks Sky in the face for two instead.

Naomi’s hanging Pedigree plants Sane and Fyre hits her Swanton as everything breaks down. Niven Boss Man Slams Ripley but Sane and Fyre knock each other down. Vaquer comes in to clean house and Bella adds the Bella Buster, which has Naomi walking out. Sky sends her back in for a springboard dropkick and Ripley gives Niven Riptide. The SVB finishes Green at 14:35.

Rating: B. I had a heck of a time with this one, as they were all out there going nuts for a good while. At the same time, it’s about as perfect of a use of Bella as you can have. She gets to do her big entrance, get the pop, do her stuff, and then pose at the end. That’s a fine way to go and the fans still love her, so let her do her stuff in small spurts.

Finn Balor gives Judgment Day a pep talk, telling them that they can get past the loss earlier. Perez gives Dominik a new gaming system to play WWE2K25 and Raquel Rodriguez isn’t impressed.

The winning team from the 8 woman tag celebrates but Sky stops Ripley for a chat. Sky says Ripley has never beaten her and never will. Ripley says they’ll see about that.

Tag Team Titles: LWO vs. Judgment Day

The LWO is challenging. Wilde takes Balor down to start and hands it off to del Toro for a slingshot sunset flip. That’s rolled through into a basement dropkick and McDonagh comes in to send del Toro into the corner. The champs take over, with a springboard moonsault giving McDonagh two. Del Toro gets up and brings Wilde back in for the big dive to the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Wilde still in trouble but he catapults McDonagh into Balor on the apron. The tag brings del Toro in to clean house, including a triangle dropkick to knock Balor off the apron. Everything breaks down and a phoenix splash gets two on Balor. Cue El Grande Americano so here is Dragon Lee to pull him off the apron. Del Toro kicks McDonagh (with a belt) off the apron and Wilde hits a heck of a flip dive to drop him again. Cue another El Grande American to pull del Toro off the top so Balor can hit the Coup de Grace and retain at 11:16.

Rating: B. This got some time and I’m interested in where the ending goes, as having a second El Grande Americano makes for a curious twist. If nothing else, it could open a door for someone who doesn’t have anything else going on (Butch or Tyler Bate could be interesting) and there is always room for a good masked man mystery. Other than that, the action worked well with the LWO being their usual good selves, though there was no reason to believe the titles were changing hands.

Here is Gunther for a chat. He calls last week’s exchange with CM Punk a clean victory for him because he went face to face with the best talker in the business. The fans remind Gunther that he tapped out until Gunther says he left Punk speechless…and here is Punk to interrupt. Punk says he was more dumbfounded than anything else. He doesn’t want to be World Heavyweight Champion but rather he needs it like he needs air. Or like the Red Wings need a 12th Stanley Cup.

Wrestling is his addiction and he wants to hold the title above his head as a thank you to the fans. Punk is the best in the world and he’s ready to prove that at Summerslam. This isn’t apples to apples and he puts his hand over the mic when Gunther tries to cut him off. There are levels to this, and Gunther will find that out at Summerslam. I wasn’t quite feeling this one, but the match should be good.

Summerslam rundown.

Jey Uso vs. Bronson Reed

Uso walks through the entrance rather than going through the crowd, which makes sense as doing two of those a night sounds exhausting. Reed is back up with a knockdown of his own and it’s time to choke on the ropes. The World’s Strongest Slam plants Uso again and we take a break. We come back with Uso slugging away to knock Reed outside. The dive drops him again but here is Bronson Reed to spear Uso for the DQ at 7:01.

Rating: C. This didn’t have time to do much, though I do always appreciate the big plan being “and then I hit the guy”. I’m also glad that we didn’t see anyone lose a fall here, as you don’t want to do that so close to a major Summerslam match. Not much of a main event, but it feels like they have something else in mind.

Post match the beatdown is on but here is Roman Reigns for the save so the good guys can clear the ring. Stereo spears are loaded up but Reed and Breakker actually knock them down (points for the surprise there). The big beatdown is on, with Uso getting Tsunamied and reigns getting clotheslined from the apron over the announcers’ table (Breakker jumps from the floor to the table to pose to show off). Back in and another Tsunami crushes Reigns as Breakker shouts that everyone here works for him. Breakker spears Reigns and Uso through the barricade and Reed STEALS REIGNS SHOES to end the show. This was better than the opening segment and got me a lot more into the match.

Overall Rating: B. Good action, a nice build towards the pay per view, and decent enough talking to get us to Summerslam. I liked the ending a good big and the eight woman tag was a lot of fun. They covered a lot of stuff here and it made me more interested in seeing Summerslam than I was coming in so I’ll call this a rather successful show.

Results
AJ Styles/Kabuki Warriors b. Judgment Day – Phenomenal Forearm to Mysterio
Sheamus b. Grayson Waller – Brogue Kick
Nikki Bella/Rhea Ripley/Stephanie Vaquer/Iyo Sky b. Secret Hervice/Chelsea Green/Naomi – SVB to Green
Judgment Day b. LWO – Coup de Grace to del Toro
Jey Uso b. Bronson Reed via DQ when Bron Breakker interfered

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: July 21, 2025
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re closing in on Summerslam and the big issue is Roman Reigns, who returned last week after his latest months long hiatus. Reigns is going after Paul Heyman and company, which doesn’t include Seth Rollins at the moment. We still need to build some things up for Summerslam as well so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap looks at last week’s gauntlet match and the return of Roman Reigns.

Judgment Day arrives and AJ Styles is the valet, though he tosses the key over his shoulder.

Here is CM Punk to get things going. He’s happy to be here tonight and talks about his goals in WWE. This includes main eventing Wrestlemania, which he’s done, but he also wants to be World Champion. Last week he won a gauntlet match to become #1 contender to face Gunther at Summerslam. Punk knows Gunther is one of the best in the world and promises to give it everything he has. Gunther is a monster but he is CM PUNK.

This brings out Gunther, who is drowned out by the crowd for a long time. Gunther says they’re both here to win titles and make money. Gunther knows he has a big ego, but unlike Punk, his isn’t based on the fans. That’s worthless, so his is based on results. Punk listed off all of Gunther’s accolades and Gunther knows that he’s that good. At least Punk will have the fans chanting for him. That leaves Punk with something to think about. The story here was fine but they didn’t get the big line it felt like they were looking for in the whole thing.

Stephanie Vaquer is asked about the Secret Hervice. Naomi comes int to say she’s the champ, which Vaquer seems to know. Naomi is ready for her triple threat at Summerslam and then beat Vaquer at Clash In Paris. Vaquer doesn’t seem impressed.

Sheamus vs. Rusev

The threat of a Brogue Kick sends Rusev bailing to the floor early and Sheamus rams him into the barricade. Back in and Rusev catches him with a kick to the head before it’s time to slug it out. A clothesline puts Sheamus down again but he’s back up with one of his own. Some more shots put Rusev on the floor and Sheamus goes up, slips off the top, then goes up again for a clothesline. After mocking his slip, Sheamus walks into a fall away slam over the announcers’ table.

We take a break and come back with Sheamus winning a slugout. The Irish Curse and ten forearms to the chest rock Rusev but he counters the Brogue Kick into a powerbomb for two. Rusev’s superkick is cut off with a knee to the face for two and they’re both down. Sheamus pulls himself to the top but dives into a superkick, setting up the Accolade.

Rusev rips at his face but can’t keep Sheamus away from the ropes for the break. Naturally Sheamus tells him to bring it, even as Rusev stomps him down. Back up and Sheamus fights back but Rusev goes to unhook the turnbuckle. That earns him a ram into said turnbuckle (how Rusev beat Sheamus three weeks ago), setting up the Brogue Kick for the win at 12:51.

Rating: B-. They beat each other up rather well and odds are we’ll get a trilogy match between them sooner or ladder. Rusev is already feeling like he’s in the middle of the card, which is where Sheamus has been for a long time now. It’s a good example of the two of them beating each other up and that’s exactly what it should have been.

El Grade Americano speaks some heavily accented Spanish but Dragon Lee comes in to say Americano is fake. Americano calls Lee basura (trash) and the fight is on.

Trailer for WWE Unreal.

Lyra Valkyria comes up to Bayley and is stunned that she has gotten then a Women’s Tag Team Title shot tonight. Bayley says forget about what has happened and just focus on tonight. Valkyria is a bit stunned.

New Day vs. LWO vs. Creed Brothers

For a future Tag Team Title shot. Brutus throws Wilde around to start before it’s off to Julius for a double suplex to New Day. Back up and Woods cleans house and struts, setting up the Unicorn Stampede (not stomp Cole) on Julius. We take a break and come back with del Toro cleaning house, allowing the tag off to Wilde running through everyone.

A backslide to Woods and a cradle to Kingston at the same time (that was awesome) gets two each but Ivy Nile shoves Wilde doe. Cue Dragon Lee so El Grande Americano comes out to cut him off, which the Creeds don’t like. Del Toro hits a bit dive and Wilde rolls Kingston up for the pin at 9:31.

Rating: B-. This was better than I was expecting and it’s a nice result, with the LWO being some unlikely challengers. That being said, there is always room for a talented luchador team and that’s what we got here. If nothing else, New Day getting to be all depressed again should be a better use of their time.

The Kabuki Warriors want the Women’s Tag Team Titles back and Iyo Sky will retain the Women’s Title. The Warriors leave and Stephanie Vaquer comes in to say she’s ready for Sky. They’re ready to face each other in Paris but Sky wants to fight tonight. Vaquer is in.

We look at Paul Heyman turning on Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania.

Adam Pearce wants Dominik Mysterio to go get his injury evaluated but he has to go help Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez. Mysterio turns around and AJ Styles is a janitor (because that’s just something you can do) so Mysterio runs off. Styles keeps cleaning and tells New Day to be careful of the wet floor. New Day loses it over everything being weird around here lately and thinks it’s time to change things. Grayson Waller comes in to say that Austin Theory is hurt so he’s a free agent to join the team. New Day seems intrigued.

Here is Becky Lynch for a chat. She should be in New York City for the premiere of Happy Gilmore 2 but instead she’s here in Houston. She can’t believe Lyra Valkyria is being so selfish to need two titles. Granted it’s not the same as when she was Becky Two Belts, but for now she wants Valkyria out here.

Cue Valkyria, with Lynch saying that Summerslam is Valkyria’s last shot at the title. That’s fine with Valkyria, who wants no countouts or disqualifications. Works for Lynch, who rants about how Valkyria better now respect the match and her. Lynch wants a handshake but Valkyria is ready for the cheap shot and plants Lynch with a manhandle slam. I’m sure that won’t be a problem at all.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Judgment Day vs. Bayley/Lyra Valkyria

Judgment Day, with Dominik Mysterio, is defending. Rodriguez shoves Bayley down to start but Bayley pops up for a slap to the head. Valkyria comes in but Rodriguez suplexes both of them down in quite the feat. It’s off to Perez for some shots of her own but Rodriguez comes in and gets kicked in the face. Bayley seems more interested in cheering than tagging in, allowing Perez to get in a neck snap across the top.

We take a break and come back with Rodriguez hitting a slingshot Jackhammer into Perez’s moonsault for two. Valkyria fights back and brings in Bayley for the sunset bomb into the corner. Rodriguez comes back in for another slingshot Jackhammer into the moonsault but Bayley gets her knees up. Corey Graves’ chair breaks at ringside as Valkyria hits a top rope ax kick for two on Perez.

They fight up to the top and Valkyria powerbombs her down so Bayley can hit the top rope elbow. Rodriguez breaks up the cover so Bayley throws Valkyria at her. Mysterio’s distraction lets Perez roll Bayley up for two, leaving Rodriguez to kick Mysterio in the face by mistake. Back in and medics come out to check on Mysterio and yeah of course it’s AJ Styles. Cue Becky Lynch to send Valkyria into the steps but Bayley rolls Perez up for two. Rodriguez tags herself in and hits a quick Tejana Bomb for the pin at 13:48.

Rating: B. The idea here was that Bayley and Valkyria weren’t clear in what they were doing, as Bayley might have wanted to cost Valkyria but she might have wanted to win the titles as well. The drama at the end was good and Styles having another costume was funny for a nice bonus. Lynch costing Valkyria is a good way to go so it made perfect sense.

Sami Zayn is ready to get his revenge on Karrion Kross.

Dominik Mysterio is looking for AJ Styles but finds Judgment Day, who tell him to calm down. Adam Pearce comes in to tell Mysterio that he’s either getting evaluated tonight or he’s losing the Intercontinental Title. Balor: “Get some lollipops!”

Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross

Kross slugs away to start and takes over on the banged up Zayn. Back up and Zayn fights out, including a bunch of right hands in the corner. A clothesline puts Kross on the floor, setting up the Arabian moonsault to drop Kross again. The ribs are banged up though and Kross goes after them as we take a break. We come back with Kross staying on the ribs as the Fireflies are out for some reason.

Kross gets in a shot of his own and climbs the corner for the tornado DDT and a near fall. Zayn gets caught on top, only to come out with a sunset bomb. With both of them down, Scarlett whips out the steel pipe but can’t hand it off at the moment. Zayn exploders Kross into the corner, which is enough for Scarlett to hand off the pipe. Scarlett grabs the leg, which is enough for the referee to get distracted. Kross hits Zayn with the pipe for the pin at 10:04.

Rating: C+. This felt like a step in a bigger story, as Zayn is going to have to do something to get Kross off his back once and for all. You can’t do much when you have banged up ribs so Zayn was limited with what he could do. It was a good enough match, with Zayn selling like few others can do, but Kross winning makes sense in this spot. And he even took a bump!

Adam Pearce and AJ Styles ask about Dominik Mysterio’s status but Mysterio jumps Styles from behind. Mysterio will see Styles at Summerslam.

Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer

Feeling out process to start with neither of them getting very far early on. Vaquer smiles before they trade double arm cranks. They lock hands and roll around a bit until Vaquer vets a cross arm choke. That’s broken up so they trade rollups for two each. Back up and they slug it out, with Sky grabbing a rollup for two more. Vaquer spins around into a rollup before Sky dropkicks her to the floor.

A big suicide dive takes Vaquer out again and we take a break. We come back with Sky possibly hurting her leg as she comes off the top. The double underhook Codebreaker gets two on Sky but she pulls Vaquer into the crossface. With that broken up, Sky hits a 619 into a headscissors driver onto the apron. Back up and Sky’s Asai moonsault connects and she stomps on Vaquer’s ribs back inside.

Vaquer avoids the running knees in the corner but Sky German suplexes her down. A sunset bomb to the floor is blocked though and Vaquer grabs a quick Devil’s Kiss on the apron. Another one connects inside for two and the running knees connect in the corner. Sky is fine enough to hit her own SVB for two and the Bullet Train connects in the corner. Vaquer manages a reverse superplex to drop Sky on her face and they’re both down…so here is the Secret Hervice. Vaquer fights them off but Chelsea Green runs in to jump Vaquer for the DQ at 15:08.

Rating: B+. It’s still amazing that Vaquer has been in WWE for so little time and already feels like she belongs on top of the division. She was going move for move with Sky here and it felt like a big match, which thankfully didn’t have a finish. They had some expectations here and wound up going beyond them, which is rather impressive.

Post match Vaquer and Sky fight the three of them off but Naomi comes in from behind and sends Sky into Vaquer. The big beatdown is on until Rhea Ripley runs in for the save (to a ROAR). Ripley, Sky and Vaquer clear the ring.

Summerslam rundown.

Here are Paul Heyman, Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker before Roman Reigns comes to the ring. Before Heyman can get very far though, here is Reigns, which doesn’t sit well with the villains. After the very lengthy entrance, Heyman says he never wants to be disrespectful or rude…and we pause for some crowd chanting. Heyman mocks the Texas fans and gets to the point: Seth Rollins is injured for a long time and that means there is a leadership spot available. They’re always better together than apart, but first Reigns asks the fans to acknowledge him. Heyman does the pose but Reigns says Heyman isn’t a wise man anymore. Reigns: “You’re just a dumba**.” Bron Breakker is ready to jump Reigns, who says Heyman will turn on him one day too.

Reigns has head a lot of people trying to take credit for the Tribal Chief but the only reason that happens is the people still acknowledge him. Heyman helped Reigns become the champion but the Usos, Solo Sikoa and even Sami Zayn helped him keep the title. Then he lost the title one day, but he went home to help raise the future Bloodline. The team is family, though Heyman only sees them as another wrestling faction.

What really bothers Reigns is that he made Heyman part of the family and then betrayed the family for a “best friend”. Heyman is the one who ruined the Bloodline, which has Breakker wanting the mic. Breakker says Reigns was a big deal five years ago. Breakker knows Heyman won’t turn on him because he has value in this place. Reigns is worthless while Breakker is the big dog around here.

So Reigns can do what he does best and leave. Reigns says he didn’t hear any of that because the mic wasn’t working. He throws Breakker the mic and hits the Superman Punch before going after Reed. Breakker is back up with a spear to Reigns but Jey Uso comes in for the save to a crazy reaction. Uso and Reigns hit stereo spears to clear the ring to end the show. You could do Reigns vs. Breakker but I’d save that for down the line. Do the tag match and play it safe.

Overall Rating: B. Good show here, which focused on getting us ready for Summerslam. That was in addition to a pretty good collection of wrestling and a nice exchange between Reigns and Heyman to end the show. They needed this kind of a show that helped get us ready for the pay per view and they made it come together well. Next week is going to be a tricky one, but at least this week was a success.

Results
Sheamus b. Rusev – Brogue Kick
LWO b. Creed Brothers and New Day – Rollup to Kingston
Judgment Day b. Lyra Valkyria/Bayley – Tejana Bomb to Bayley
Karrion Kross b. Sami Zayn – Pipe to the ribs
Stephanie Vaquer b. Iyo Sky via DQ when Chelsea Green interfered

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: July 14, 2025
Location: BJCC, Birmingham, Alabama
Commentators: Corey Graves, Michael Cole

We’re finally out of Atlanta after a weekend of shows in the city. The big story is Seth Rollins, whose knee seemed to be really badly banged up during Saturday Night’s Main Event. There is a good chance we’ll find out something about his status tonight. In addition, there is a fight person gauntlet match to crown Gunther’s next challenger. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with long recaps of Saturday Night’s Main Event and Evolution.

Here is Naomi to get things going after cashing in her briefcase to steal the Women’s Title at Evolution. She told everyone to not guess her next move because no one knew what she would do. Now she is the new champion and she has left Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill in the dust. It was a plan months in the making and look where she is now. Anyone who is wanting to come for the title can proceed with caution and here is Rhea Ripley to interrupt.

She’s not happy with what Naomi did and Ripley doesn’t proceed with caution. Naomi interfered in her match so she is now on Ripley’s list. Cue Iyo Sky to interrupt, saying Ripley can wait her turn. Naomi says shed cash in to become champion and that’s what she did. Cue Adam Pearce to say he doesn’t want any violence. He congratulates Naomi on here win and makes the triple threat for the title at Summerslam. Makes sense.

We run down the card.

Judgment Day is polishing their belts but Dominik Mysterio is worried about AJ Styles stalking him. Finn Balor isn’t worried but thinks Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez could use some help against the Kabuki Warriors. Balor thinks Mysterio should accompany them so it seems to be all ok.

Judgment Day vs. Kabuki Warriors

Non-title and Dominik Mysterio is here with Judgment Day. Asuka chokes Rodriguez to start but gets taken into the corner for the tag off to Perez. That’s fine with Asuka, who fires off some kicks to put Perez in trouble. Sane comes in to strike away as well and everything breaks down. The Warriors get stereo submissions but Rodriguez makes the save.

Asuka kicks away at Rodriguez and knocks her out to the floor. Mysterio’s distraction doesn’t do much as Asuka posts Rodriguez anyway. Back in and Perez gets German suplexed, with the Warriors hitting the assisted Insane Elbow. Mysterio offers a distraction though and Perez steals the pin on Asuka at 10:18.

Rating: C+. This was a bit of a surprise but at least the champs got a nice win to make them feel more established. They have a long way to go and it’s not going to feel right as long as Liv Morgan is out but this is as good as we have for the moment. It helps that Perez and Rodriguez work well together though and the win is a good sign.

Paul Heyman and company aren’t going to talk about Seth Rollins’ health, as he has until June to cash in Money In The Bank. As for tonight, Bron Breakker is running the gauntlet to go to Summerslam and become World Heavyweight Champion.

Miz was at a celebrity golf tournament over the weekend where his partner kicked him in the face.

Lyra Valkyria wants to beat Bayley tonight, but Bayley comes in and says she needs to win. Maybe what’s best for Valkyria is to just stay out of her way.

Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria

2/3 falls for the shot at Becky Lynch at Summerslam. Valkyria armdrags her down to start and Bayley misses a charge to the floor. Back in and Bayley grabs a quick rollup for the first fall at 1:27. Valkyria is stunned and we take an early break. We come back with Valkyria kicking her in the head and hitting a tornado DDT. A suplex puts Bayley down again and Valkyria stomps away in the corner.

Back up and Bayley whips her hard into the barricade and we slow down. Valkyria gets sent hard into the corner but comes back by sending her outside. Bayley gets in a belly to back suplex onto the apron though and the back is banged up even more. Back in and a spinning slam gives Bayley two as frustration is setting in. Bayley loads up la majistral but Valkyria stacks her up for the pin at 9:35.

A running knee drops Valkyria again though and we take another break. We come back with Bayley favoring her knee but managing a Stunner over the ropes. The Bayley To Belly is blocked and Valkyria goes up, only to dive into the Bayley To Belly for two. Valkyria catches her up top with something like a super snapmare, followed by a gutwrench powerbomb for two.

They go to the apron where Bayley hits a fisherman’s suplex. Back in and they trade cradles for two each before heading outside again. A sunset bomb sends Valkyria into the steps and the top rope elbow to the back gets two. The crossface goes on but Valkyria powers up and reverses into Nightwing for the pin at 19:58.

Rating: B. This got rolling by the end and it’s nice to see another good in-ring performance from Valkyria. She’s perfectly fine between the bells, but they might need to find a way to make her feel more serious. Maybe starting by dropping the bird stuff, as it doesn’t make her come off like a main eventer. For now though, good match and a very important win for Valkyria’s career.

Post match Becky Lynch comes out for the staredown with Valkyria.

We look at Stephanie Vaquer winning the Evolution battle royal.

Vaquer is excited about her win and ready to fight for the title at Clash In Paris, but Chelsea Green, with the Secret Hervice, comes in to say she should get the shot instead. Green mocks her nickname and says she’s off to face a Hall Of Famer.

Karrion Kross, with Scarlet, says your favorite bad guys are here to save the day. Sami Zayn isn’t here though, because Kross helped take him out. Kross thinks Zayn is hiding at home, where he needs to stay until he is ready to say Kross told the truth.

Chelsea Green vs. Nikki Bella

The Secret Hervice is here with Green. Bella strikes away to start and they go out to the floor, where Green takes over. Bella gets sent into the steps to keep her in trouble and we hit the chinlock back inside. That’s broken up and they both need a breather. Bella gets in an enziguri out of the corner for two but Green is back with a neckbreaker. The Unprettier is countered into a Bella Buster but Niven offers a distraction. They have a lot of trouble setting up the Rack Attack until Bella switches to the Rack Attack 2.0 (and that wasn’t great either) for the pin at 6:25.

Rating: C-. This was a rough one at times as Bella didn’t look like she was exactly on the same page here. The sequence at the end looked like Green had to walk her through the finishing move, which isn’t a great sign. Then again it very well may have been ring rust as Bella hasn’t had a singles match in a good while, but this wasn’t a great showing.

Post match the Hervice lays Bella out but Stephanie Vaquer runs in for the save.

New Day, with Grayson Waller, is in the third stage of grieving for the death of their title loss: barbecue. They offer Adam Pearce a pair of well done….toupees. Pearce says they’ll find the new #1 contenders next week so don’t flip your wigs (which Pearce does). Pearce goes over to the Judgment Day and says Dominik Mysterio is going to be reevaluated next week. If he’s cleared, he’ll be defending against AJ Styles at Summerslam. The team leaves and Styles is praying that Mysterio is cleared. Mysterio: “God please don’t let me be cleared.” Styles: “Don’t listen to him God!” This was hilarious.

Rusev says he’s better than Sheamus, who comes up from behind. Sheamus says he isn’t going to jump Rusev, but they’re going to have a rematch because Rusev cheated the first time.

Summerslam rundown.

We look at the setup of Randy Orton/Jelly Roll vs. Logan Paul/Drew McIntyre from Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Here is Gunther to brag about retiring Goldberg. He beat Goldberg up, blew him up and finished him off. Now Gunther wants to know who is next and promises an answer soon. We’ll find that out next in a gauntlet match, which Gunther will be watching from his suite…and here is Bron Breakker to interrupt.

Paul Heyman shakes Gunther’s hand and loads up the catchphrase but Gunther says he knows Heyman’s name and doesn’t want to hear it. Gunther and Breakker have a staredown and Heyman explains the gauntlet match, saying that Breakker isn’t someone as easy as Goldberg. You aren’t looking at just another contender, because he’s a STEINER. Breakker is going to win the title, with Gunther eventually walking away. This isn’t giving me confidence in Seth Rollins’ future.

Gauntlet Match

Five entrants for the title shot against Gunther at Summerslam with Bron Breakker in at #1 and Penta in at #2. They run the ropes to start and Breakker hits him with the hard clothesline, allowing Breakker to glare a bit. Back up and Penta sends him to the floor for the big running flip dive and we take a break.

We come back with Breakker having sent him into the steps and then dropping Penta onto the steps for the big crash. Back in and Breakker sends him flying off a suplex, with the kickout leaving Breakker a bit surprised. Penta fights back with a sling blade into the slingshot dropkick in the corner. The Backstabber out of the corner gets two and Penta tries a springboard, only to get speared out of the air for the fall at 9:47.

LA Knight is in at #3 (Gunther seems interested in his suite) and hammers away, followed by a neckbreaker. Knight starts in on the arm and the gorilla press doesn’t work as a result. A running clothesline sends Breakker to the floor and a dropkick through the ropes drops him again. They take turns sending each other into the announcers’ table before Breakker drops him back first onto the turnbuckle back inside.

We take another break and come back with Knight still in trouble with a waistlock keeping him down. Knight elbows his way to freedom and a double clothesline leaves both of them down again. The jumping top rope elbow connects for Knight and he strikes away, only to have the BFT broken up. A gutbuster sets up the Super Spear to give Breakker the pin at 19:58.

Jey Uso is in at #4 and knocks Knight out to the floor for a suicide dive and then does his entrance again as we take a break. We come back again with Breakker catching him on top but getting knocked down. Uso’s high crossbody connects and the running Umaga Attack gets two. Breakker is back up with the running super Frankensteiner for two and Breakker can’t believe the kickout. Uso fires off some superkicks and hits his own spear for two more. The Superfly Splash is loaded up but Bronson Reed breaks it up (Cole: “There are no disqualifications!” Since when?), meaning another Super Spear can finish Uso at 28:56.

CM Punk is in at #5 to complete the field and strikes away to start fast. We take another break and come back with Punk working on the arm and getting two off a Russian legsweep. Punk’s armbar is broken up though and Breakker knocks him into the corner, where he can ask Punk if it’s clobberin time. A catapult sends Punk throat first into the rope and the chinlock goes on. Punk fights up and Breakker cuts it off in a hurry, meaning it’s time to talk more trash.

Another super Frankensteiner connects but Punk rolls through into a sunset flip for two. They knock each other down for a double breather, with Punk fighting up to make the comeback. Punk goes up top but has to kick Reed away before dropping the top rope elbow for two. The Anaconda Vice goes on but Reed comes in for the save. Cue Jey Uso to cut Reed off and the Super Spear is countered into the GTS to give Punk the pin and the title at 41:20.

Rating: B. This was a heck of a showing from Breakker, who went 40+ minutes and looked like he had another half hour in him. That’s not something you see very often and it worked well here. Other than that, this felt like a near guaranteed win for Punk, who very well may be getting the title at Summerslam. Either way, it was a good match with some solid action, most of which is attributable to Breakker. They seem to know what they have with him and if he is brought along properly, the sky is the limit.

Post match Reed jumps Punk again so Uso comes in for the save. Breakker hits a spear to Uso and another one to Punk and the double Tsunami is loaded up. And then none of that matters because Roman Reigns is back. The Superman Punch drops Reed and Reigns beats up Breakker. Another Superman Punch hits Breakker and the spear drops Reed. Reigns and Punk stand tall to end the show. I’m guessing Reigns/Uso vs. Breakker/Reed for Summerslam?

Overall Rating: B. Now this is more like it from Raw, with two and a half hours of mostly good to better than good wrestling. More importantly though, this show went a long way towards setting up Summerslam, as the card is mostly together. I like this a good bit and the Bella/Green match was the only weak spot. This show did a great job of making Summerslam feel like a big deal, which is more than could be said for the build towards Evolution. Strong show this week, and hopefully they can keep it up for the next few weeks.

Results
Judgment Day b. Kabuki Warriors – Rollup to Asuka
Lyra Valkyria b. Bayley 2-1
Nikki Bella b. Chelsea Green – Rack Attack 2.0
CM Punk won a gauntlet match last eliminating Bron Breakker

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: July 7, 2025
Location: Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, Rhode Island
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re coming up on a major weekend as we have both Saturday Night’s Main Event and Evolution coming up. While Saturday Night’s Main Event is mostly covered, there is still some space to fill on the other show, which is feeling more than a bit thrown together. Let’s get to it.

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

Various people came to work today.

Here are Seth Rollins and company to get things going. Bron Breakker talks about how Paul Heyman has a vision of Breakker as the top star of WWE for the next twenty years. Breakker has his own vision of WWE, and that is one without Sami Zayn. Breakker doesn’t like Zayn’s music, he doesn’t like how he looks and he doesn’t like anything about him. He doesn’t understand why people cheer for someone who looks like they never go to the gym or never play sports. If Zayn comes out here tonight, Breakker will take him apart. Rollins: “You good Breakker?”

The fans sing Zayn’s song as Bronson Reed takes the mic, saying that Breakker is a tough act to follow, but so is he. Reed is the one who gave Rollins six Tsunamis, which was enough to get him into this group. He’s ready to find a way to get rid of CM Punk. Paul Heyman says he’s not going to try to follow that promo but he knows that Roman Reigns isn’t brave enough to come back and fight them.

As for tonight, Seth Rollins is facing Penta, with Heyman insulting him in Spanish. Rollins to Reed: “Did you know he spoke Spanish?” Heyman has no idea what the hand signals mean, but after tonight, Penta won’t be able to do them anymore. Rollins hits the catchphrase and they’re out. Breakker was the highlight here, as he went off the hinges for a bit there.

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

In the clubhouse, Roxanne Perez has set up a tribute to Liv Morgan, though Raquel Rodriguez reminds Perez that Morgan isn’t dead. Rodriguez wants to retain the titles and they’re off, with Dominik Mysterio being happy with the Get Well Soon Dominik cake….which is from AJ Styles. A cabinet moves and Styles is watching him, causing Dominik to grab his doctor’s note to chase after him. This was hilarious in multiple ways.

Roxanne Perez vs. Kairi Sane

Raquel Rodriguez is here with Sane. They run the ropes a bit to start with Perez grabbing a rollup for two. An exchange of rollups gets two each until Sane hits the Cutless. Sane knocks her to the floor and nails a big dive off the apron for a knockdown. Perez gets in a shot to the arm though and we take a break.

We come back with Sane striking away and hitting a neckbreaker. Perez gets in a running shot to the back of the neck though and adds a Lionsault for two. Something like Penta’s Sacrifice keeps Sane in trouble and a DDT on the arm makes it worse. The cartwheel knees to the head hit Sane but she knocks Perez off the top. A dive takes out Rodriguez and a backslide gives Sane the pin at 11:12.

Rating: B-. It’s good to see Sane get a win, though unfortunately it had to come at Perez’s expense. At the same time, Perez is freshly in the title scene thanks to Liv Morgan’s injury and it’s a bit annoying seeing her lose. At least it wasn’t in a tag match though, so it’s a bit more excusable.

Post match the beatdown is on but Asuka runs in for the save, including a bunch of strikes. Sane gives Perez the Insane Elbow. Odds are we have the Raw team for Evolution.

We look at Karrion Kross injuring Sami Zayn last week, resulting in him losing in the main event. Jey Uso made the save to prevent a further beating.

Zayn says he isn’t managing all of this and he would love to deal with his ribs or Kross or the revenge he’ll be getting on Kross, but he has to think about Bron Breakker. Zayn leaves, with Scarlett coming in…and saying she has nothing to say.

American Made is confused about El Grande Americano being in action tonight, with Brutus saying “but Chad Gable is hurt”, earning himself a smack in the head. Ivy Nile is put in the Evolution battle royal and the team leaves. Asuka and Kairi Sane come in to say they want in the Women’s Tag Team Title match and Adam Pearce makes it happen. I’ll take it over another qualifying match.

Nikki Bella didn’t expect to get in a fight with Liv Morgan, who then got hurt. She wants to be back in the ring so she’s in the battle royal.

Bron Breakker vs. Sami Zayn

Actually never mind as here is Karrion Kross to jump Zayn with a pipe. Post break Zayn insists that he can wrestle so here is Breakker, with Paul Heyman, to do the thing. Breakker drives him into the corner for the shoulders to the bad ribs before shouting that HE’S A BUM. The tape is ripped off the ribs and a gutbuster has Zayn in more trouble. Zayn tries to fight back and gets knocked out of the air for a nasty crash. The Super Spear hits on the floor, followed by another one for the pin at 5:12.

Rating: C. This was more a storyline advancement than a match, as Zayn was basically destroyed here. There is only so much he can do when he’s attacked before the match and then gets smashed by Breakker. Zayn is going to be back for revenge later on and that requires him to be knocked down on the way there.

New Day is in black with flowers because they are in mourning. They want their rematch for the Tag Team Titles but Adam Pearce isn’t sure. Becky Lynch comes in to show them support.

Here is Lynch to complain about having to defend her title in a triple threat. The odds are against her and that isn’t fair when she’s the biggest star in women’s history. She should get to pick her own opponent, like Tiffany Stratton and Iyo Sky got to do. Maybe she could pick a woman in the front row and beat her in about a second.

Cue Bayley to interrupt but Lyra Valkyria comes out before she can say a word. Valkyria says Lynch has completed her transformation into a total raving lunatic. She wants the title back but Bayley blames Valkyria for her loss a few weeks ago. Valkyria: “She’s really speaking to me!” Bayley rants about it a bit and Lynch is impressed.

Lynch mocks Bayley for finally having a backbone but Valkyria brings up that Lynch called her after attacking Bayley to take her place at Wrestlemania. Valkyria says Bayley finally admits she doesn’t care about friendship when it comes to being a champion, which makes Bayley just like Lynch.

On Sunday, she has to regain the title from two failures. Bayley talks about being there every step of the way for Valkyria, including when she raised Lynch’s hand like a b****. Valkyria swings but hits Lynch by mistake. The brawl is on and Bayley is sent outside, only for Valkyria to give them a Nightwing each. Valkyria mockingly raises Lynch’s hand again. Valkyria still feels in over her head, but she’s still giving it all she’s got and it’s far from a disaster.

We look at Rusev beating Sheamus last week.

Bron Breakker is annoyed that Karrion Kross helped him because it suggests he can’t do it himself. Seth Rollins says that’s nonsense but Paul Heyman comes in to say that Zayn is out of action indefinitely. Rollins wants Bronson Reed to do something similar to Jey Uso, which works for Reed.

Bronson Reed vs. Jey Uso

Paul Heyman is here with Reed. Uso gets knocked down fast to start and the big elbow crushes him again. A superkick gets Reed out of trouble though and the suicide dive sends him into the announcers’ table. Reed gets superkicked in a chair…which he throws at Uso for the DQ at 3:17.

Rating: C. Again there was only so much you can do here, as it was similar to the Bron Breakker vs. Sami Zayn match. Reed gets to go through Uso and there is a good chance of a big beatdown coming after the match. It’s been the divide and conquer night so far and that’s a story that is working rather well.

Post match Reed hits a pair of Tsunamis to leave Uso laying.

LA Knight wants revenge on Seth Rollins, who sent Bronson Reed after him but Knight was back in one week. This weekend, Knight will take him out at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Video on Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley, focusing on Ripley never being able to defeat her.

El Grande Americano vs. Dragon Lee

Americano snaps off an anklescissors to start but a headscissors does the same to put Americano down. Cole thinks Americano used to be Chad Gable, with Graves saying Cole probably thought Giant Machine was Andre and the Midnight Rider was Dusty Rhodes. They fight over wrist control as commentary agrees that the referee should be wearing a mask. Americano sticks the landing on a monkey flip but gets knocked to the floor as Cole makes claims about missing tattoos on Americano.

Lee gets pulled outside and sent into the timekeeper’s area and we take a break. We come back with Lee getting two off a sitout powerbomb. Lee goes for the mask (rudo) before settling with a knee to the face. Lee’s slingshot kick to the mask rocks Americano again and a running basement dropkick gets two. Americano gets tied in the Tree Of Woe for the top rope double stomp and a near fall. Back up and Americano loads up the mask, setting up a running headbutt for the pin at 9:24.

Rating: B. I’m curious about where this is going, but there is something rather interesting about keeping the story going with Chad Gable out. There are a few ways that this could go and that’s a good sign for the story. Lee is still someone who can go out there and work with anyone, including a great luchador like Americano.

Paul Heyman comes in to see Penta, setting up an argument in Spanish. Bron Breakker comes in to say he doesn’t know what Penta said, but watch your tone. Breakker and Heyman hate those hand signals.

Video on Stephanie Vaquer.

Here is Gunther to say that Goldberg is afraid of him but cue Goldberg in a snazzy car to interrupt. Goldberg wants to fight right now and knocks the mic out of Gunther’s hand. The threat of a spear sends Gunther running. That’s probably better, as spearing someone wearing a big gold belt isn’t advised.

Saturday Night’s Main Event rundown.

Evolution rundown.

Penta vs. Seth Rollins

Penta wastes no time in superkicking him to the floor but the chop hits the post. Back in and Penta sends him into the corner but it’s too early for the slingshot dropkick. Instead Penta clotheslines him to the floor for the big flip dive. We take a break and come back with Rollins wiping his forehead with the tie from Penta’s mask. Penta fights out of a waistlock and hits the reverse Sling Blade, followed by a Backstabber for two.

Rollins is back with a fireman’s carry gutbuster into a frog splash for two of his own but Penta catches him on top. Penta’s running anklescissors brings Rollins back down and the Penta Driver gets two more. Rollins is able to hit a buckle bomb, only for Penta to snap back with the Canadian Destroyer for another near fall as Rollins grabs the rope. Back up and a low blow slows Penta down and the Stomp gives Rollins the pin at 13:35.

Rating: B. The important thing here is how smoothly Penta has been slotted into the upper midcard scene. No he isn’t winning here, but he also doesn’t feel like he is in over his head. That is quite the accomplishment for someone who debuted about six months ago and it shows how far talent can get you. The match was another good showing, with Penta making a top star like Rollins sweat.

Post match Rollins tells Heyman to call someone so Heyman summons Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker. Here they come but cue LA Knight to give Rollins the BFT to end the show. Sidenote: Cole says Rollins and company had a clean sweep. That’s true, except it’s not.

Overall Rating: B. I can always go for a show with a story running throughout and that’s what we got here, as Rollins and company smashed through most of their competition. That makes Knight surviving at the end and getting to Rollins all the better, as it sets up their match on Saturday perfectly well. Other than that, we got a bit of a last minute push towards Revolution, which fits the fairly thrown together feeling the show has had. This was a good week for Raw as they accomplished quite a bit going into a very busy weekend.

Results
Kairi Sane b. Roxanne Perez – Backslide
Bron Breakker b. Sami Zayn – Super Spear
Jey Uso b. Bronson Reed via DQ when Reed used a chair
El Grande Americano b. Dragon Lee – Loaded running headbutt
Seth Rollins b. Penta – Stomp

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

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Monday Night Raw
Date: June 30, 2025
Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re done with Night Of Champions and about a month away from Summerslam. That means it is time to start setting up the card and some of the bigger matches are set. Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill won the Of The Ring tournaments and will be getting title matches at Summerslam. There is more that needs to be set though so let’s get to it.

Here is Night Of Champions if you need a recap.

Long Night Of Champions recap.

Here is Rhea Ripley to get things going. After welcoming us to Monday Night Mami, Ripley is cut off by Iyo Sky. Ripley isn’t pleased but Sky says she needs to defend the title at Evolution. That includes against Ripley, who says she respects Sky and she’ll stop at nothing to get the title back. The match is on for Evolution. Well they go to the point quickly this time.

Dominik Mysterio gives the Judgment Day a pep talk but AJ Styles comes in. Dominik says he’s still injured so there’s no title match yet. Styles even puts on his glasses, which let him know that the doctor’s note says Dominik is a “punk a**.” Threats of violence are made but Dominik holds up the doctor’s note.

Tag Team Titles: New Day vs. Judgment Day

New Day is defending. Balor and Kingston start things off with Kingston offering Balor some bread because he hasn’t had carbs in such a long time. Commentary argues about whether or not Graves likes the New Day as Balor hits a basement dropkick to rock Kingston. It’s off to McDonagh, who gets draped over the top rope for Woods’ top rope stomp to the back. Woods gets in a strut as we take a break.

We come back with Kingston hammering on McDonagh, who counters a powerbomb with an X Factor. Kingston can’t prevent the tag and it’s Balor coming in to clean house to quite the positive reaction. The running double stomp hits Balor but it’s back to McDonagh vs. Woods. McDonagh gets to clean house but a moonsault hits raised knees.

The Coup de Grace hits McDonagh by mistake and the Midnight Hour gets two on Balor. A belt shot gets two more but Woods gets crotched on top, setting up McDonagh’s super Spanish Fly for two more. Balor hits the Sling Blade on Kingston on the floor and it’s McDonagh’s moonsault into the Coup de Grace to pin Woods for the titles at 12:23.

Rating: B-. They needed to change the titles here as New Day’s reign was just dying. There’s nothing for them to do and it was becoming more and more obvious week after week. Judgment Day might not be much better, but at least they’re something fresh for a change. The match started slowly but got better, with the last few minutes being rather good. If nothing else, it was bizarre to hear the fans that into Judgment Day.

We look back at Lyra Valkyria costing Bayley the Women’s Intercontinental Title last week.

Bayley isn’t happy when Valkyria comes in. Valkyria doesn’t know who Bayley is anymore and they argue about not knowing each other anymore. Adam Pearce breaks it up and announces he has made a match between the two of them. The winner challenges Becky Lynch.

Video on Goldberg, from his time in WCW to his first WWE run to his multiple returns.

We look at Penta attacking Chad Gable last week, including injuring Gable’s arm.

Earlier today, Gable, with his arm in a sling, told American Made to hold the fort while he’s gone. Adam Pearce comes in to say we won’t be seeing El Grade Americano either. The team isn’t sure what they’ll do without Gable, who tells them to listen to Ivy. Of note: Ludwig Kaiser could be seen watching them from behind.

Judgment Day meets with Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce, who need to make a decision about the Women’s Tag Team Titles. The solution is to give Raquel Rodriguez a new partner, which can be Roxanne Perez. Works for the GM’s, but they think Perez and Rodriguez need to prove themselves in a title defense at Evolution against teams from Raw, Smackdown and NXT.

Sheamus vs. Rusev

They fight up against the ropes to start and Rusev knocks him down. Sheamus is back up with a shot of his own and grabs the Predator (Dublin Smile) to keep Rusev down. Rusev knocks him to the floor but a dive is countered into a powerslam and we take a break. Back with Sheamus fighting out of a chinlock and firing off the ax handles.

The Irish Curse plants Rusev but Sheamus doesn’t cover as the referee stops to talk to Rusev. It’s ok enough for Sheamus to drop a top rope knee for one and Rusev is back up with a spinwheel kick for two. A superplex drops Sheamus again and we take a break. Back with the slugout from their knees, followed by another one from their feet.

A tilt-a-whirl powerslam drops Rusev again and the ten forearms put him down. The running knee rocks Rusev and gives Sheamus a near fall. Back up and Rusev superkicks him into the Accolade, with Sheamus managing to power up and crash through the ropes for the break. Sheamus hits a Brogue Kick on the floor but Rusev beats the count at nine. Back in and they slug it out on the apron, where Rusev sends him into an exposed buckle. The basement superkick finishes for Rusev at 20:22.

Rating: B. These guys know how to hit each other really hard and that’s something that is always going to work. They advertised this as these two beating the fire out of each other and Sheamus is exactly the one you call for this kind of a match. That being said, I’m really not sure what Rusev is going to be doing anytime soon, as he’s just kind of floating around most of the time.

Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce announce an Evolution battle royal with the winner getting a title shot in Paris.

Ivy Nile is ready for the battle royal….but El Grande Americano walks up and poses. Nile and American Made is stunned and go follow him.

Karrion Kross jumps Sami Zayn and demands that he SAY IT. Kross hits him in the ribs with a steel pipe, so a bunch of officials and Scarlet come in to break it up.

Here is Gunther for a chat. He liked the dominance and destruction he was in the Goldberg video, but the whole thing was just like his matches: summed up in three minutes. Goldberg has said that he doesn’t like bullies but he has run into the biggest bully of them all. After he exposes Goldberg, the question is who is next for Gunther…and here are Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman.

Rollins says he hasn’t seen Gunther since he won the briefcase but he was only there at Night Of Champions to prevent CM Punk from winning the World Title. Cue Punk to chase Rollins off and call him a coward before shoving Gunther down. Rollins runs into the crowd, where LA Knight jumps him from behind. They into the concourse where Rollins throws a beer in his case and runs off.

Judgment Day is happy with their titles but Raquel Rodriguez isn’t happy with Roxanne Perez just being handed her title, despite Liv Morgan working so hard in rehab. They have a vote, with Balor and McDonagh being in and Dominik giving an alleged yes, though he’s not sure how Morgan will like it. Rodriguez really doesn’t seem convinced but agrees, meaning Perez is officially part of the team.

Kairi Sane is still a pirate and wants all of the treasure, in the for of championship gold. I can always go for more pirates in wrestling.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Bayley

For a future shot at Becky Lynch. Feeling out profess to start with Bayley taking Valkyria into the corner. Bayley takes her down for an early Boston crab, before both of them try crossbodies. The stereo crashes sends us to a break and we come back with Bayley grabbing a superplex. Valkyria rolls outside so Bayley elbows her off the apron for two.

Back up and Valkyria grabs a swinging neckbreaker for two of her own but Bayley rolls her up for the same. Valkyria’s sitout powerbomb gets two but they ram heads coming out of the corner. The Rose Plant and Night Wing are both blocked and they go into an exchange of rollups for a double pin at 10:12.

Rating: B-. They might as well have had a big countdown to the draw here, as that was all but guaranteed to happen once the prize was announced. The match was good enough as Valkyria is fine bell to bell, but I’m still not sure if this is bringing her up to that next level. That being said, WWE is certainly trying and it’s not a total failure, so points for doing the right thing.

Post match the brawl stays on and they fight into the crowd where it has to be broken up.

CM Punk tells LA Knight to get to the back of the line to fight Seth Rollins. Knight says Punk can have Rollins six nights a week, but not on Saturday, because it’s Knight vs. Rollins at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Penta makes sure that the banged up Sami Zayn is ready for the main event. Zayn is game.

Sami Zayn/Penta vs. Bron Breakker/Bronson Reed

Zayn has heavily taped ribs. Breakker shoulders Penta into the corner to start but everything breaks down in a hurry. Zayn comes in to knock Reed outside and stereo dives to the floor take out the villains as we take a break. Back with Zayn fighting up to knock Reed outside, with Breakker being sent out as well.

Zayn’s Arabian moonsault takes both of them down and Paul Heyman is worried. Back in and Zayn’s sunset powerbomb gets two on Reed but he’s back up with a Death Valley Driver. Breakker comes in and puts Zayn on the announcers’ table for the clothesline and we take another break.

We come back again with Zayn sending Breakker to the floor and avoiding a backsplash from Reed. Penta comes back in with an enziguri to Breakker and a slingshot dropkick in the corner. The Sacrifice snaps Breakker’s arm but the Penta Driver is blocked. Breakker’s gorilla press is countered into a DDT for two but Heyman offers a distraction. That’s enough for Reed to get in a cheap shot, allowing Breakker to hit the super Frankensteiner.

Reed sitout powerbombs Penta for two with Zayn making the save, only for Breakker to cut Zayn off with a clothesline. The Super Spear is cut off with a kick to the face but Reed makes the save this time. Penta and Breakker go to the floor and Zayn suplexes Reed, only to get speared by Breakker for the pin at 18:26.

Rating: B+. These guys really got going near the end and it was one of those matches which could have gone either way, which is often one of the best things that you can see. I had a great time with this and Zayn’s ribs being banged up give him a bit of protection with the loss. Also, points for Penta already feeling like he belongs at this level, which is more than some stars who have been trying to make it work for years with less success.

Post match Breakker and Reed go after them again but Jey Uso makes the save with a chair.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a show that hit the ground running after Night Of Champions and the road to Summerslam is off fast. What matters the most is that they are already setting things up for both Summerslam and Evolution, the latter of which has gone a long way in such a short time. We also had a title change and four good to rather good matches. That’s a heck of a use of a Monday night and I had a really good time with this one, which covered a lot of ground.

Results
Judgment Day b. New Day – Coup de Grace to Woods
Rusev b. Sheamus – Basement superkick
Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria went to a double pin
Bron Breakker/Bronson Reed b. Penta/Sami Zayn – Spear to Zayn

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

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Night Of Champions 2025
Date: June 28, 2025
Location: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

We’re still in Saudi Arabia and this show is at least mostly about champions, though not all of the title matches will be taking place tonight. We have the King and Queen Of The Ring finals for the Summerslam title shots, plus a few other titles on the line. The big match though is John Cena vs. CM Punk, one last time, for the World Title. Let’s get to it.

The opening video, as narrated by sports reporter Tom Rinaladi, talks about what it means to be champion and for how some people, this is their last time.

King Of The Ring: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes

They take their time to start, with barely any significant contact in the first two minutes. Orton grabs a headlock and doesn’t get very far so Rhodes comes back with a shot to the face. A bulldog connects for Rhodes so he goes up, where Orton cuts him off. The top rope superplex connects but Orton seems to have jarred his back. Rhodes sees a target and gets in a shot, followed by the Disaster Kick for two.

Orton comes back with his backbreaker but hurts his own back, giving Rhodes a breather. Rhodes bends the back around the post and cranks on a cravate into a chinlock. Orton fights up and tries the hanging DDT but Rhodes gets in a few shots to the back. The Cody Cutter gets two and a top rope version connects for the same. The hanging DDT connects but the RKO is countered into Cross Rhodes for two.

Rhodes takes his time and walks into the RKO for two and they’re both down. Orton is up first and tries the Punt, only to miss and allow Rhodes to grab a Figure Four. They roll over to the ropes for the break and it’s time for the BOO/YAY slugout. Rhodes tries another Cody Cutter, which is countered into the RKO for two more and they’re both down again. Orton goes to grab a chair, which is quickly taken away, so he takes off a turnbuckle pad instead. Rhodes sends him into the buckle and grabs a quick Cross Rhodes for the pin at 20:17.

Rating: B. Somewhat abrupt ending aside, this was a hard hitting and well put together match, with Orton’s back injury playing a fine story. Rhodes getting to control a lot of the match was a weird way to go but they made it work, with Orton going slightly heelish as he got more desperate. Good stuff here, with Rhodes going over as he should have.

We recap Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez. They were friends when they first got here (as were every wrestlers ever) and even got matching tattoos. Then Rodriguez joined the Judgment Day and went after Ripley, turning it into an on and off again feud. They got in another fight this week and now Ripley wants a street fight.

Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Street fight. They fight over a lockup to start and Rodriguez takes over with the power. Ripley fights back but misses a missile dropkick. Rodriguez hammers away and ties her in the ropes, meaning it’s time for some kendo stick shots. A chair is brought in as well but Ripley kicks it back into Rodriguez’s face.

They head outside and fight over a suplex on the announcers’ table, with Ripley being powerbombed through the table’s cover for a big crash. Rodriguez loads up a table in the corner and puts the steps on the apron, only for Ripley to send her into them. Ripley takes her belt off and starts whipping away, followed by a Razor’s Edge back inside. A running boot gives Ripley two and we hit the Prism Trap.

Cue Roxanne Perez from behind for the save but she immediately realizes she’s screwed up. The chase is on but Perez’s spinning DDT on the floor is blocked. Rodriguez uses the distraction to send Ripley into the post and then the steps on the apron. The corkscrew Vader Bomb gets two but the Tejana Bomb through the table is countered into an anklescissors (that was smooth). Rodriguez stops herself from going through the table though and drops Ripley again. Rodriguez puts the table on the top rope and they go up, with Ripley hitting a super Riptide for the win at 14:01.

Rating: B. Another solid match here, with Ripley getting a needed win. She’s still the most popular woman in the company but she has been needing some more focus in recent months. The ending was awesome here as Ripley got to show off her own power against a monster. I’m not sure what is next for Ripley, but she could be put into the title picture rather quickly if need be.

Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross

Scarlet is here with Kross. No recap here but Kross has been trying to get Zayn to turn to the dark side, with Zayn refusing and getting sick of Kross bugging him. They take turns backing each other into the corner to start and Kross gets in a few shots. Zayn fights out and clotheslines him to the floor, followed by the springboard flip back into the center.

Back in and Kross hits a Doomsday Saito before taking Zayn up top. Zayn gets tied in the Tree of Woe and stomped down but some right hands give him a breather. Some right hands in the corner and an ax handle rock Kross, who is right back with a Death Valley Driver. The Krosshammer is countered into the Blue Thunder Bomb for two but Kross is back with a German suplex.

Back up and Zayn manages a suplex into the corner, only for the Helluva Kick to be countered into the Krossjacket. That’s good for two arm drops until Zayn fights up and makes the rope. Kross demands Zayn admit he’s a liar and smacks him in the corner…but takes too long and gets Helluva Kicked for the pin at 13:32.

Rating: B-. This was a good Raw match, with Zayn getting the miracle ending for the win. Zayn feels like heis on the way towards his World Title push for the mega feel good moment so there was no way he could lose here. Kross can continue to be the devil’s advocate, though it would be nice to see him actually win for a change.

We recap Solo Sikoa challenging Jacob Fatu for the US Title. Sikoa wants to bring the family back together but Fatu won the US Title and hates the way Sikoa is treating him. Fatu is is ready to fight, with Sikoa wanting to get the title back to the family.

US Title: Solo Sikoa vs. Jacob Fatu

Fatu is defending and starts fast by hammering away, with Sikoa being knocked out to the floor. Sikoa gets knocked outside but blocks the suicide dive and starts talking trash back inside. The running Umaga Attack connects with Fatu in the corner and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up so Sikoa snaps off a German suplex, with Fatu flipping over and popping back up. Fatu runs him over and hits the Swanton for two, which brings JC Mateo to the apron.

Cue the returning Tama Tonga for a hanging neckbreaker out of the corner but Fatu is up at two again. Fatu knocks them to the floor and beats up Mateo back inside, setting up the moonsault. Hold on though as the referee is with the other Samoans, allowing the debuting (and unnamed0 Hikuleo to pull Fatu outside and chokeslam him onto the announcers’ table. Back in and the Samoan Spike gives Sikoa the pin and the title at 12:03.

Rating: B-. This is the logical way to go, as you can’t have Sikoa lose every big match. At some point he had to win something and that’s what we got here, with Fatu having to deal with four people to take his title. Fatu can either move up to something bigger or mow down the team, possibly with Jimmy Uso by his side. Either way, he certainly doesn’t look bad losing here and it’s the win that Sikoa has been desperately needing.

We recap the Queen Of The Ring finals, which is just a look at the tournament.

Queen Of The Ring: Asuka vs. Jade Cargill

Asuka starts fast by going after the knee, which is wrapped around the ropes to put Cargill in early trouble. Some kicks to the chest have Cargill in more trouble and a kneebar has her screaming. Cargill manages to muscle her up into a German suplex but Asuka gets in another shot of her own. Asuka wins a strike off and hits a Codebreaker but gets caught with a sitout powerbomb for two.

With the strikes only working so well, Asuka switches to a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up as well and but Jaded is countered into the Asuka Lock. Cargill flips over for two but gets rocked with a kick to the head. The Empress Impact is loaded up but Cargill reverses it into Jaded for the pin (while falling backwards in the process) at 8:13.

Rating: C. Cargill continues to not be smooth in the ring and that was on display here. She just looks unsure of herself and like she is having to think through everything she does. That is something that can be fixed in time, but it makes for some rough regular matches on national broadcasts. WWE has decided she’s it though, whether it really works or not.

Post match Cargill talks about not doubting yourself and promises that a storm is coming at Summerslam.

We recap John Cena vs. CM Punk for the former’s World Title. They’ve feuded on and off for years with Punk being the yang to Cena’s yin. Now the roles are reversed for a change and we’re getting to see them do it one more time.

Smackdown World Title: CM Punk vs. John Cena

Cena is defending and they fight over a top wristlock to start as the fans are waving their phones for some reason. Cena’s headlock is broken up and he shoves Punk down as they’re firmly in first gear to start. Another headlock is broken up and Cena runs him over, only to have to escape an early GTS attempt. The AA is countered as well and Punk grabs a Russian legsweep into an armbar.

Punk grabs something like AJ Lee’s Black Widow but Cena is out with a kick to the head. Cena initiates the finishing sequence and lands the Shuffle. The AA is broken up again and Punk hits a leg lariat into a swinging neckbreaker. The rope rope elbow connects but the GTS is countered into the STF. That’s reversed into the Anaconda Vice, with Cena reversing into the AA for two more. Punk comes back with a DDT for two and grabs this own STF, sending Cena over to the ropes.

The GTS is countered into another AA for another two and they’re both down. Back up and Punk tries a high crossbody, which is reversed into a third AA for two more. With nothing else working, Cena tries the title but the fans tell him no, with Cena actually listening. That lets Punk hit the GTS for a fast two and they’re both down again. The referee gets bumped with a running shoulder so Punk hits another GTS…and here are Seth Rollins and company with the briefcase.

Punk takes them out but gets dropped and powerbombed onto the announcers’ table, only for Cena to cut off the referee from doing the cash in. Cue Penta to take his time getting to the ring as Cena is beaten down as well. Penta brawls with Bron Breakker and here is Sami Zayn to brawl off with most of them. Back in and Punk breaks up the Tsunami, allowing Cena to hit the AA on Reed.

They stare each other down and Punk offers a handshake for Cena helping him against Rollins and company. Cena hugs him and does the look, only for Punk to counter the low blow. Rollins is back in with the briefcase though and a stomp to Punk, allowing Cena to steal the pin and retain at 26:20.

Rating: B. I am out of ways to describe how sick I am of these cash in teases. So many matches are stopped for the sake of teasing the cash in which very well might not happen for months anyway. Cena vs. Punk is a match that can more than carry itself but here is the stupid briefcase stuff anyway. Other than that, it was a good match between two people with incredible chemistry and that’s what it should have been. Punk vs. Cena had to happen one more time and they did it on a big stage, though I could have gone for a bit less insanity in the end.

Cena immediately leaves and tells us to watch the post show to wrap it up.

Overall Rating: B. Rather good show overall with a bunch of stuff taking place throughout. The big thing here was setting up the Summerslam matches, with both title matches being set, plus an all but guaranteed Rollins vs. Punk showdown. That’s a pretty good night of work, and with five weeks to go before the show, they have a lot of the big work done. The only somewhat weak match was Cargill vs. Asuka and even that wasn’t too bad. Good show here, with the really big one coming in August.

Results
Cody Rhodes b. Randy Orton – Cross Rhodes
Rhea Ripley b. Raquel Rodriguez – Super Riptide
Sami Zayn b. Karrion Kross – Helluva Kick
Solo Sikoa b. Jacob Fatu – Samoan Spike
Jade Cargill b. Asuka – Jaded
John Cena b. CM Punk – Stomp from Seth Rollins

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

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It’s time for the latest Saudi Arabian offering with something that could be considered a theme show but is really just more of a big pay per view. The main event is John Cena defending the Smackdown World Title against CM Punk for the final time, plus the King and Queen Of The Ring finals. That should be more than enough to deliver a big time show so let’s get to it.

Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross

This one has been brewing for a good while now, albeit without Kross actually wrestling. The idea is that Kross wants Zayn to go all evil to finally get what he wants but Zayn is having none of it. Zayn has finally had enough of Kross and decked him, setting up the match earlier this week. That’s more than a good enough setup, with Zayn being crazy over in Saudi Arabia as usual.

There is pretty much no reason for Zayn to lose here so we’ll take him for the feel good moment. Zayn is pretty clearly getting ready to go after his first World Title and he shouldn’t be losing to Kross on the way there. This is Zayn getting to beat someone who has been bothering him about not being what he wants to be and that is a story that can be relatable for everyone.

Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez

This is the hoss fight on the show as it’s two women who can use the power stuff and on top of that it’s a street fight, allowing them to be even more violent. What matters here though is Ripley getting a win, as she has somehow gone fairly cold in the last few months. She’s still a huge star and probably the most over woman in the company, but she hasn’t really felt like focal point lately.

I’ll go with Ripley to win here, even if there is a good chance that Roxanne Perez will get involved on Rodriguez’s behalf. That very well may be the long term solution to the Women’s Tag Team Titles in Liv Morgan’s absence but for now, Ripley getting built back up is the more important idea. She’s been all over the place lately, even after being in the awesome Women’s Title match at Wrestlemania. Ripley should win here, mainly because she needs to.

US Title: Jacob Fatu(c) vs. Solo Sikoa

As much as it feels like Fatu should be running through Sikoa here, I can’t help but think Sikoa might need to steal the title here. At the end of the day, Fatu is already being treated as the unstoppable monster, but at some point he’s going to have to lose the title. On the other hand you have Sikoa, who needs a big win to feel even remotely important. Having him steal the title, likely with JC Mateo (or even Jimmy Uso’s) help isn’t a bad idea.

But will they go that way? I’m not sure I can picture it, even though it seems like it might be a smart play at the moment. I’ll reluctantly say Sikoa steals the title here, while calling it my pick most likely to be totally wrong. I could see it happening though, as I’m really not sure how many more losses Sikoa can handle in a big match. While I would be stunned if it actually happens, I’ll take Sikoa to win here.

Queen Of The Ring: Asuka vs. Jade Cargill

So Asuka is back and already wrecking people, which shouldn’t be a surprise as that is what she is known to do. That being said, there is a difference between normal people and Cargill, which could be quite the problem for Asuka’s comeback. Cargill feels like a different kind of star around here though and that’s going to the big issue here.

I’ll take Cargill, who feels all but destined to be the next big thing in WWE, whether she’s ready to do it or not. Cargill vs. Tiffany Stratton sounds like a huge match at Summerslam and it would not surprise me a bit it set up here. Asuka putting Cargill over would be a big moment for Cargill’s career and it isn’t like Asuka is going to lose any status after walking Cargill through a match like this.

King Of The Ring: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes

Orton is back in the finals against another major star and in this case…yeah he’s probably in trouble again. At the end of the day, Orton is a top guy but Rhodes is still THE top guy. At some point Rhodes is going to get his hands on John Cena again and Summerslam sounds like a very strong possibility. That would mean another awesome match here, and that very well may be what we’re getting.

So yeah, I’ll go with Rhodes winning here, as it sets him back on track for the big rematch from Cena. The good thing is that this should be a heck of a match, as both guys are capable of delivering in the big moments. Rhodes makes more sense at the moment, as we’ve seen Orton vs. Cena earlier this year and it feels wrapped up. Cena vs. Rhodes doesn’t though and that is where we should be going next.

Smackdown World Title: John Cena(c) vs. CM Punk

This is rather similar to the Randy Orton match at Backlash, with Cena getting to face one of his greatest rivals (if not his greatest rival) one more time. Punk vs. Cena is something that had to be done again and the stealing the other’s signature promos was a nice way to make things feel interesting. Punk saying that Cena could never beat him at his best gives it some drama, but that’s where we get to the ending.

As nice as it would be to have Punk be the one to end Cena’s title reign, that isn’t what makes sense here. The point of Cena’s run is that the clock is ticking and that isn’t going to be solved with about six months to go before his final appearance. Odds are this ends with either some kind of interference or another belt shot, but Punk isn’t going to be the one to take the title from Cena.

Overall Thoughts

It really is amazing how much more complete the show feels by bumping it up to six matches. WWE has been needing to tighten their shows up a bit, with the ridiculously long gaps between the matches taking away a lot of their steam. They might not be able to do that with an additional match or two and I could go for the change. The card itself should be the usual quality work, but we’re really just setting the stage for Summerslam in August.

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

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Monday Night Raw
Date: June 16, 2025
Location: Resch Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re coming up on Night Of Champions and tonight is about finalizing the semifinals of the King and Queen Of The Ring tournaments. The big story coming out of last week is Gunther winning the World Title back from Jey Uso, which might be for the sake of a title match against Goldberg. Let’s get to it.

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

Here are Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio to get things going. Morgan introduces Mysterio, who says tonight is all about her. Morgan reminds us that this is her division and if you talk about it, you talk about her. Last week she heard Nikki Bella getting all of that attention, but no one paved the way for her.

Morgan became a legend on her own, but not she is demanding respect. She’s getting her title back, so here is Iyo Sky to interrupt. Sky wants Morgan to shut up with her disrespect, so Morgan can have a fight right now. That’s fine with Morgan, or Sky can just hand her the title right now. Sky tells her to earn it rather than stealing it like she did with Mysterio. Sky throws her the title and then hits a dropkick, followed by a kick to the back of Mysterio’s head. So we’re definitely getting the Bellas vs. Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez at Evolution aren’t we?

Queen Of The Ring First Round: Asuka vs. Stephanie Vaquer vs. Ivy Nile vs. Raquel Rodriguez

In the back, Liv Morgan tells Rodriguez to win. This is Asuka’s first match in over thirteen months. Asuka runs Nile over to start and helps Vaquer with a double superkick to drop Rodriguez. Back up and Rodriguez takes over with the raw power and we take a break. We come back with Vaquer rolling Nile up for two and hitting a snap suplex. Vaquer dragon screw legwhips Asuka down and then plants Nile, setting up the Devil’s Kiss.

Rodriguez breaks that up and then breaks up the same thing to her. That’s not good enough for Vaquer though, who finally gets Rodriguez down for the Devil’s Kiss on the apron. Nile is back up to roll Asuka up for two, followed by a German suplex for the same. We take a break and come back with Asuka hitting a double Doomsday dropkick to put Vaquer and Asuka down. Everyone is down until it’s a Vaquer vs. Asuka showdown, which has quite the aura.

Vaquer fires off the headbutts but gets caught with a running shot. A running knee to the ribs slows Asuka back down and Vaquer snaps off a suplex. Vaquer hits a double underhook facebuster for two on Asuka but Nile is in to steal a near fall. The SVB is blocked so Rodriguez boots Vaquer in the face. The Tejana Bomb connects but here is Rhea Ripley to hit the Riptide on the floor. Asuka hits a running hip attack (the Empress Impact) to pin Rodriguez at 15:49.

Rating: B-. Asuka getting the win is a good thing to see, mainly because she has been out of action for such a long time with that injury. The great thing about someone like Asuka is she can be slotted right back into the title picture and that might be what we’re seeing. If nothing else, her being able to go toe to toe with Vaquer was quite the sight, as was Ripley coming in to cost Rodriguez the match.

Post match Asuka says the fire didn’t die and she’s going to be the Queen Of The Ring.

We look back at Gunther defeating Jey Uso last week to regain the World Title.

Liv Morgan wants Raquel Rodriguez to come with her but Rodriguez is still banged up. Mysterio isn’t happy. JD McDonagh wants Dominik Mysterio to have his back tonight, but Finn Balor says he has it. Mysterio says Balor didn’t get rid of AJ Styles so Mysterio will do it. They leave and Balor gives Rodriguez a bit of a pep talk before wanting to talk to Roxanne Perez.

Here is Gunther for his big celebration after winning the World Title back last week. He is man enough to admit that Jey Uso was the better man at Wrestlemania. The fans chant for Goldberg but Gunther isn’t here to talk about rumors. The reality is that Seth Rollins has the Money In The Bank briefcase so Gunther will make it easy for him: he is right here, so come get him.

And here is Goldberg, because this is something we have to do. He limps to the ring and says he’s here to celebrate Gunther. The thing is though, Gunther started something with Goldberg’s family in Atlanta, Georgia. Goldberg is going to finish it in Atlanta, Georgia on July 12 at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Sweet goodness I cannot even pretend to care about Goldberg. Get him in so he can get out and be gone for good already.

JD McDonagh vs. AJ Styles

Dominik Mysterio is here with McDonagh. Feeling out process to start with McDonagh taking him into the corner for a knockdown and some posing. Styles is right back with a calf Crusher attempt, sending McDonagh straight over to the ropes. Mysterio offers a distraction so Styles gives chase and we take a break.

Back with McDonagh standing on Styles’ hair but getting hit in the face. The basement forearm sets up the fireman’s carry onto the knee for tow. McDonagh’s brainbuster gets the same but Styles fights up again. Mysterio tries a distraction but McDonagh walks into the Styles Clash for the pin at 10:45.

Rating: B-. This seems to be setting up Styles getting a title shot in the near future and that is one of those things that will work every time. Styles still has it and is getting back to his usual self now that he is in a program. The Judgment Day seems like it is about to implode as well, which should make for quite the moment.

Post match Styles goes after Mysterio but Finn Balor runs in for the save. Styles steals the Intercontinental Title.

Natalya and the Alpha Academy give Sheamus a pep talk before he faces Rusev.

Bayley is on the way to the ring as A-Town Down Under argues in the back. New Day is there too.

Here is Bayley for a chat. She is glad to be back and lets the fans give her a chant. Bayley isn’t happy with Becky Lynch for costing her a Wrestlemania match. She’s going to climb the ladder to get back to face Lynch so get out here right now. Cue Lynch, in a Chicago Bears jacket and shirt, saying they beat the Green Bay Packers last time. Lynch talks about how she’s always about her legacy while Bayley is always about her friends.

That’s why she has surpassed Bayley, but Bayley talks about how she’s willing to help some people along. Lynch took a year off and was so scared that people wouldn’t care about her. That’s why she attacked Bayley and stole the spot at Wrestlemania. Does Lynch remember what it’s like to have to work to get something. Lynch: “Do you remember what it’s like to have gold?” Bayley is ready to fight so Lynch agrees….but not here. She says see you in Columbus, and slaps Bayley in the face. Bayley drops her and Lynch leaves. Bayley is a good upgrade over Valkyria and this does feel like a high level showdown.

Jey Uso is ready to face Gunther again because they’re 1-1 against each other. If that means winning the King Of The Ring tournament so be it.

AJ Styles gives the Intercontinental Title back to Nick Aldis, who says Styles has a title shot at Night Of Champions. With Styles gone, Bayley comes in and says that next week it’s Bayley vs. Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Title. Aldis leaves and Bayley goes up to see Lyra Valkyria. Bayley apologizes for not getting back to her but says she was just doing what was best for the title. Valkyria doesn’t seem happy but says she’s coming for the title no matter what. Oh dear.

Kairi Sane vs. Liv Morgan

Sane takes Morgan down….and Morgan seems to have hurt her shoulder. The referee gets Sane off of her and the camera avoids Morgan as we take an early break. Back with the match stopped and Morgan having been helped out.

We look at CM Punk challenging John Cena last week.

Liv Morgan officially has a dislocated shoulder as commentary stalls for time.

Sami Zayn is excited about the King Of The Ring but Karrion Kross comes in for his usual taunting. Zayn thinks Kross is back here all the time because he can’t back it up in the ring. That sounds like a challenge.

King Of The Ring First Round: Sheamus vs. Rusev vs. Jey Uso vs. Bronson Reed

Sheamus hammers on Reed in the corner to start but gets knocked out to the floor. Rusev stomps on Uso and goes after the tape on his ribs before going to the floor. Reed is sent into the steps but Uso is back up with a suicide dive to take Rusev out as we take a break. Back with Uso slugging away at Rusev but getting dropped by a clothesline. Reed fights back against Sheamus on the floor but Sheamus is there with the ten forearms to the chest.

Rusev runs Uso over on the floor before going back inside to slug it out with Sheamus. Reed breaks that up and we take another break. Back again with Reed knocking Uso down but Sheamus muscles Reed up for White Noise. The Accolade has Uso in trouble but Sheamus makes the save, setting up the parade of shots to the face. Reed backsplashes Sheamus for a save and hits the Tsunami, with Uso making the save.

Uso goes up but here is Bron Breakker to cut him off. Sami Zayn runs in to take Breakker out but Zayn gets thrown over the announcers’ table. Penta runs out to give Breakker a flip dive and it’s LA Knight breaking up Reed’s Tsunami. The spear into the Superfly Splash gives Uso the pin at 16:28.

Rating: B. This got going near the end, even with a ll kinds of interference. Uso going forward to face Cody Rhodes next week should make for a major showdown, while Paul Heyman and company are going to have some scores to settle. Solid main event here, with Uso getting a needed win after last week’s loss.

Post match Uso is banged up so here is Seth Rollins….and Cody Rhodes runs in for the save. Rollins has a big staredown but leaves without anything happening. Uso and Rhodes, who are facing each other in the semifinals, stare at each other before shaking hands to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. I’m really not a big fan of having back to back pay per views with qualifying matches as the idea has been run into the ground in recent weeks. At the same time, what we got here did work well and the ending felt like an important enough staredown. Other than the Goldberg return, there was nothing overly bad here, though dang they are going to have to come up with a nifty solution to get around Morgan’s injury.

Results
Asuka b. Raquel Rodriguez, Ivy Nile and Stephanie Vaquer – Empress Impact to Rodriguez
AJ Styles b. JD McDonagh – Styles Clash
Kairi Sane b. Liv Morgan via referee stoppage
Jey Uso b. Bronson Reed, Sheamus and Rusev – Superfly Splash to Reed

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