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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rusev vs. Penta

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nikki Bella vs. Roxanne Perez

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LA Knight vs. Bron Breakker

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

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

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

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

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

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

JD McDonagh vs. Sheamus

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday Night’s Main Event rundown.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crown Jewel 2025
Date: October 11, 2025
Location: RAC Arena, Perth, Australia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

It’s time for the annual champion vs. champion show and that should make things interesting. The word there is should, as the build has been hit or miss at best. We have Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes and Tiffany Stratton vs. Stephanie Vaquer, plus AJ Styles vs. John Cena for the last time. Let’s get to it.

We open with a video of the Crown Jewel titles being transported from Saudi Arabia to Australia. This aired on Smackdown.

The opening video focuses on Rhea Ripley (makes sense) and talks about the sounds they make around the world. Those sounds don’t need translations because it’s real. Now it’s Australia’s turn.

Roman Reigns vs. Bronson Reed

Street fight and Paul Heyman is here with Reed. Reigns slugs away to start and sends Reed into some buckles before raining down the right hands. It’s already time to go outside, which has Heyman waddling away. Reigns knocks him over the barricade and throws some Prime at him, which is quite the product placement. Some trashcan shots to the back have Reed in trouble and they get back to ringside, where Reigns finds a cricket bat and a rugby ball.

Reigns hits him in the back with the bat but poses too much, allowing Reed to run him over. That doesn’t work for Reigns, who is back with a posting and some kendo stick shots. Reigns grabs the mic and says if Perth wants tables, they have to acknowledge him. That’s at least a smart way to get them brought in so nice job. Reed uses the delay to get in a cheap shot and send the table back underneath the ring. They head back inside where Reed hammers away with chairs.

One of the chairs is set up, which isn’t a great idea as Reigns gives him a Samoan drop through said chair. Some rapid fire clotheslines against the ropes rock Reed and a jumping version puts him down. Reed’s Jagged Edge gets two and it’s time for the stop sign. A chair is wedged into the corner before a release Rock Bottom onto the sign gives Reed two. Reed’s charge goes into the chair (of course) but Reed bails outside before the spear can launch.

They go outside and here’s Bron Breakker with a Super Spear. A double powerbomb sends Reigns through the announcers’ table so cue the Usos (who Reigns didn’t want to get involved) for the save. The 1D drops Breakker but he’s right back up with a gorilla press gutbuster to Jey. The Super Spear sends Jimmy through the barricade but Reigns is up to cut off the Tsunami to Jey. Back up and Jey accidentally spears Reigns through a table, leaving the Tsunami to give Reed the pin at 21:07.

Rating: B. I had fun with this and it makes Reed look like an absolute monster. Yeah he had help, but pinning Reigns is a big deal no matter who you are. At the same time, Reigns isn’t going to be happy with the Usos for not listening to him and now we’ll have some fallout. Good stuff here, and probably the right way to go.

Post match Reigns and the Usos are sitting on the mat, where Reigns yells at them for saying no one thinks he can do this on his own. It only works one way and he doesn’t want to see their faces. Fans: “SOMEONE’S IN TROUBLE!” With Reigns gone, the Usos argue as well, with Jey saying Reigns is always going to be himself and leaves on his own.

Women’s Crown Jewel Title: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Tiffany Stratton

They go with the grappling to start with Stratton working on a headlock but getting reversed into a wristlock. A rollup gives Vaquer two and it’s an early standoff. Stratton knocks her down but charges into a superkick for two. Something like a standing STF (that’s a new one) has Stratton in trouble until it’s broken up to leave both of them down. Stratton cartwheels into an Alabama Slam for two and Vaquer is in trouble for the first time.

That doesn’t last long as Vaquer gets in a dragon screw legwhip out of the corner but the knee is fine enough for Stratton to hit End Of Heartache for two. The Devil’s Kiss attempt is countered into a boot to the face to give Stratton two more and some frustration is setting in. A Swanton hits raised knees though and now the Devil’s Kiss connects. The SVB gets two but Stratton gets in the Regal Roll. The Prettiest Moonsault Ever misses though and Vaquer’s corkscrew moonsault finishes at 10:17.

Rating: B-. This was about what I was expecting, as they had a perfectly fine match but it didn’t feel overly important no matter what they were doing. There was no way around the lack of heat on the story and they were running with an anchor here. Vaquer needed the win a lot more than Stratton, but it’s not like this is going to mean much in the long term.

Post match HHH presents Vaquer with the title, which is massive on her (or on anyone for that matter). She talks about how this is for everyone and now she is the Crown Jewel Champion.

Paul Heyman and Bron Breakker praise Bronson Reed for his win. Heyman also says no matter what, they cannot help Seth Rollins tonight because he has to win tonight.

AJ Styles vs. John Cena

There’s no recap here, which makes sense as even Styles has said there’s no story. It’s just two guys who have had a great rivalry facing each other one last time. Styles is even in the old school shorts, which I haven’t seen him wear in at probably fifteen years. The roof comes off for Cena’s entrance as this guy might have a future. We get the Big Match Intros and Styles gets a specialized entrance of his own, being described as the definition of Total Nonstop Action and hopes to get to BEAT UP JOHN CENA one last time.

Styles grabs a headlock before having to grab the rope to avoid an armdrag. The fans are already declaring this awesome and…yeah fair enough in this case. Cena’s headlock works a bit better but Styles pops up for a dropkick to cut him down. The AA attempt is countered and Styles hits the sliding forearm for two. Another sliding forearm gets another two but the Phenomenal Blitz is countered with the ProtoBomb.

There’s the Shuffle into the AA for two, which shouldn’t be a shock as it’s only the first finisher. Styles is back up with the fireman’s carry backbreaker onto the knee but Cena busts out a Skull Crushing Finale for two more. Styles’ torture rack slam gives him two of his own and they have to pull themselves up. A Scorpion Death Drop (without the moonsault) drops Cena for another near fall but the Styles Clash is countered into most of an STF. That’s reversed into a crossface but Cena reverses into an Accolade (oh it’s one of THOSE matches).

Styles escapes into a Koquina Clutch…which is reversed into the Walls Of Jericho (Cole: “You have got to be kidding me.”). Styles escapes that so Cena pulls him into the STF, which Styles reverses into the Clash for two more. Styles tries the Phenomenal Forearm but dives into Sister Abigail (complete with the Kiss) for two and the Fireflies are out. Cena smiles at that and looks up for a second in a great moment. Styles grabs Angel’s Wings for two and it’s time to strike it out.

Neither finisher can connect so Cena tries a Pedigree, which is reversed into a Deadeye for two. Cena is back up with a Randy Orton hanging DDT and the fans want an RKO. That’s exactly what they get for a near fall…so Cena loads up the Punt. Styles counters that into an AA for two as Barrett compares this to watching a video game. The Shuffle is loaded up but Cena reverses that into a chokeslam for two as the fans want a 619. Cena actually does the drop toehold into the ropes and the crowd is ready to lose it.

That’s cut off with a clothesline, which is probably better as Cena might have torn everything in his body. The springboard 450 connects for Styles and he tunes up the band for Sweet Chin Music and another near fall. The Phenomenal Forearm gets two more so the fans chant YES. Cena cuts that off with a quick AA for two so he takes Styles up. The super AA is reversed…so it’s a Tombstone to Styles, followed by the AA for the pin at 27:12.

Rating: A+. There are certain matches where you just know you’re seeing something special and that was the case here. They were out there having a great time and paying tribute to everyone they could think of and it was an instant all timer. In addition, the fans more than boosted this up and took it from something great to something incredible. I loved this.

Post match respect is shown (of course) and even commentary gives them a standing ovation.

We recap Rhea Ripley/Iyo Sky vs. the Kabuki Warriors. Ripley and Sky are friends and that’s not ok with Asuka, who wants Sky with them alone. Sky is torn and now it’s time to fight.

Rhea Ripley/Iyo Sky vs. Kabuki Warriors

Ripley somehow gets a reaction that can rival Cena’s, which is an amazing feat. The Warriors charge at them to start and clear Ripley out, with Asuka sending her head first into the post. Asuka and Sky have the big showdown with Sky flipping around and tripping her to the mat. Sky hammers away next to the ropes and hits a running dropkick as Barrett has to remind us that this is in fact a tag match.

Asuka is sent outside for a suicide dive but comes back with a hard kick to take over. That’s good for an eight count and Sane grabs the upside down triangle choke back inside. Asuka comes back in to yell at Sky and then fire off some kicks before Sane comes back in. Sky rolls over for the tag but the referee doesn’t see it (of course) so it’s a pair of spinning backfists to Sky’s head. Sane sends Sky crashing into the corner for two but she manages a flapjack to Asuka. The tag brings Ripley in and yeah the fans approve.

A running kick to the head gets two on Sane, who has to escape a Razor’s Edge. Asuka comes back in for two off a Shining Wizard but Ripley kicks Sane’s head off. Sky is back in with a missile dropkick for two more, followed by a top rope armdrag. Over The Moonsault is broken up and Ripley is sent into the steps, only for Sky to drop the Warriors with an Asai moonsault. Back in and Over The Moonsault hits Sane for two, with Asuka making the save.

Ripley comes back in and gets caught with the assisted Insane Elbow, with Sky making the save this time. Sky hits a painful looking missile dropkick to Asuka and everyone is down. Ripley wins a slugout with Asuka and Sane has to break up a super Riptide. That means a regular version to Sane and Over The Moonsault finishes for Sky at 19:02.

Rating: B. The match went a bit longer than it needed to but this worked for what it needed to be. The fans wanted to see Ripley and Sky gets to knock the Warriors back a few steps. We’re all but guaranteed to see Sky vs. Asuka one on one at some point and that should be awesome, with this being a nice stepping stone to get there.

We recap Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins. They’re both big stars but Rollins is going nuts because he can’t beat Rhodes. The idea is supposed to be that this is about who is the future of WWE but it hasn’t exactly clicked. Rollins’ self doubt has been a much better way to go and thankfully has become the focal point of the build.

Men’s Crown Jewel Title: Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes

Rollins has gear inspired by his previous matches with Rhodes and the camera makes sure to show him taking off his watch. Rollins’ headlock doesn’t do much to start as Rhodes reverses into a release gordbuster. It’s already time for a breather on the floor, with Rollins having to yell at the fans. Back in and they argue a lot before slugging it out, with Rhodes hitting the drop down uppercut.

Rollins needs another breather on the floor, where he gets to throw some things around. He even goes after commentary, which allows Rhodes to send him face first into the announcers’ table. Rollins dropkicks him through the ropes and hits a double stomp to the back for two back inside. A running clothesline gives Rollins two and he counters the Disaster Kick into a sitout powerbomb for two more, which means it’s time to yell a the referee.

Rollins starts in on the arm but Rhodes fights up, only to get pulled into the Figure Four. Rhodes escapes and the fans chant for CM PUNK to get on Rollins’ nerves. A Vertebreaker drops Rollins hard and the Disaster Kick does it again. The Bionic Elbow sends Rollins outside for the suicide dive, followed by a Cody Cutter for two back inside. Another Disaster Kick is countered into the Pedigree to give Rollins his own two. Rhodes gets up and misses a Cody Cutter attempt, meaning it’s a Pedigree into a Stomp for another near fall.

Rollins is stunned so he goes outside to grab his watch but changes his mind and puts it down. The distraction lets Rhodes score with Cross Rhodes for two but Rollins catches him on top. That means Rhodes is tied in the Tree Of Woe for a coast to coast headbutt for two more. Rollins comes up favoring his own arm so Rhodes goes up, with Rollins catching him with a super Spanish Fly for another near fall.

Now it’s Rollins going up, with Rhodes pulling him down in a super Cross Rhodes for two of his own. They slug it out until Rollins has to escape a Pedigree before grabbing the watch. The referee is bumped and the watch to the head sets up the Stomp. The Super Stomp gives Rollins the pin at 29:44.

Rating: B. This was WAY longer than it needed to be as it was almost all about setting up the watch, which was telegraphed all the way from the beginning. The problem with the build to this match was Rhodes had nothing to gain, which made Rollins winning almost the only way to go. The match was good, but it doesn’t really change anything for either of them, which is the big problem with the whole thing.

Post match HHH comes out to put the title on Rollins. Cathy Kelly comes in to talk to Rollins, who takes the mic and goes on about his greatness. Rollins hits the catchphrases and Stephanie Vaquer comes out so the two champions can pose to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Well, they managed to make it work. This show is pretty much all about the wrestling rather than anything major happening storyline wise and that’s ok. Nothing is bad and there’s an all time classic with Cena vs. Styles, plus a fun opener and a good enough main event. If nothing else, I’m rather happy because we don’t have to act like the Crown Jewel Titles mean anything for another year, mainly because we won’t even see the belts. Pretty awesome show here, with a rare instance of a match actually feeling special.

Results
Bronson Reed b. Roman Reigns – Tsunami
Stephanie Vaquer b. Tiffany Stratton – Corkscrew moonsault
John Cena b. AJ Styles – Attitude Adjustment
Rhea Ripley/Iyo Sky b. Kabuki Warriors – Over The Moonsault to Sane
Seth Rollins b. Cody Rhodes – Super Stomp

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Becky Lynch vs. Maxine Dupri

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lyra Valkyria vs. Roxanne Perez

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iyo Sky vs. Kairi Sane

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Penta/AJ Styles/Dragon Lee vs. Judgment Day

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

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

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

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

Crown Jewel rundown.

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

LA Knight/CM Punk vs. Usos

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

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

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

Punk is not pleased to end the show.

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

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

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

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

Smackdown
Date: October 3, 2025
Location: Heritage Bank Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Commentators: Michael Cole, Booker T.

We’re just over a week away from Crown Jewel, meaning it’s time to keep going with the build to the champion vs. champion matches. In this case though, we have Cody Rhodes teaming up with Randy Orton to face the Vision, which should make for a heck of a big time match. In addition, we have a contract signing and you know those always go well. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat. Rhodes asks what the fans want to talk about but gets cut off by Paul Heyman, with the Vision. Randy Orton runs in to even things out a bit but Heyman hits the catchphrase instead of sending in the monsters. Heyman says they’re here to talk to Orton, who is a hard man to reach.

They knew that they could get Orton here by cornering Rhodes and, after mocking the RKO chants, Heyman moves to tonight’s tag match. Heyman wonders how it’s going to go, as Orton will either be thinking he could be a better champion than Rhodes or Rhodes will wonder where Orton was when they lose. Rhodes vs. Orton is going to happen someday and Wrestlemania wouldn’t shock me.

Miz yells at Carmelo Hayes for not helping him last week. Hayes tells them that this is done, and Miz should be happy because Hayes usually shoots first.

US Title: Sami Zayn vs. ???

Zayn is defending against…Carmelo Hayes, who says they’ve done this before but this time there is no one holding him back. Cue Miz with a Skull Crushing Finale to Hayes though and it seems we’ll need a new challenger.

US Title: Sami Zayn vs. Aleister Black

Zayn is defending and snaps off some armdrags to start fast. Back up and Black scores with a kick to the face to take over, followed by another to the chest. We take a break and come back with Zayn striking away in the corner and clotheslining him out to the floor. A springboard moonsault drops Black again and a Michinoku Driver gives Zayn two. Black goes with another kick though and gets two off a bridging German suplex.

The Blue Thunder Bomb is blocked and Black sweeps the leg into an Oklahoma roll for two. Zayn catches him on top though and gets in a superplex as we take another break. We come back again with Black kneeing him out of the air for two before striking away in the corner. Zayn misses a quick Helluva Kick attempt and gets Meteoraed down for two more. Cue Damian Priest for a distraction though and it’s the Helluva Kick into the Blue Thunder Bomb to retain Zayn’s title at 15:19.

Rating: B. You can almost pencil in Zayn for a good match every time he does one of these things and that’s the right idea. Black is a nice choice for something like this and the ending should set up at least one more big Priest vs. Black match. At the same time, I’m curious to see where Miz vs. Hayes goes, along with whomever Zayn gets to face next.

Post match Priest sends Black through a table.

Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre interrupt Sol Ruca and Zaria with Nick Aldis. Green wants them in the Secret Hervice but gets a match against them instead.

Chelsea Green/Alba Fyre vs. Sol Ruca/Zaria

Fyre backs Zaria into the corner to start but gets choked for her efforts. Zaria’s middle rope clothesline drops Fyre and it’s off to Green, who has about the same luck. Ruca gets two off an X Factor but Fyre gets in a cheap shot so Green can kick Ruca in the face. A gordbuster into a basement superkick gets two on Ruca, who pops right back up with a Sol Snatcher to pin Green at 3:49.

Rating: C+. Oh they know what they have with Ruca, who is coming off as more and more of a star every time she’s out there. She has the look, the athleticism and the charisma to become a big deal. If that continues to build, we very well could be in for a heck of a star run from her in the coming years. Zaria is a bit harder to figure out, but WWE seems to be ready to give Ruca a chance, as they should.

Charlotte and Alexa Bliss are impressed and sure, Ruca and Zaria might get a title shot one day.

We look back at Roman Reigns’ return on Raw.

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton are cool with each other.

Here is Nick Aldis to run the contract signing between Tiffany Stratton and Stephanie Vaquer. They stare at each other a bit and Vaquer says may the best woman win. Stratton says she’ll win because it doesn’t matter where they are, as it will ALWAYS be Tiffy Time. They both sign and Aldis hypes up the match before Stratton leaves. Cue Kiana James and Giulia to jump Stratton and say Vaquer isn’t a superstar just yet. James offers to represent Vaquer but Stratton is back up to pull James to the floor. Vaquer goes after Giulia, who escapes an SVB attempt.

Earlier today, Je’Von Evans talked to Nick Aldis, who thinks Evans has a big future on Smackdown. Rey Fenix came in to talk to Evans but Los Garza came in to mock them. A tag match was set for tonight.

Jacob Fatu is tired of hearing people whining, which is why he interrupted Drew McIntyre last week. He’s going to the top and McIntyre isn’t stopping him.

Je’Von Evans/Rey Fenix vs. Los Garza

Evans springboards into a rollup for an early two on Berto, who comes back with a dropkick for two of his own. Angel gets a blind tag and catches Evans with a kick to the head but Fenix comes in for a heck of a running flip dive. Evans hits an even bigger dive and we take a break.

We come back with Fenix slipping away from Angel and hitting him with a running shot to the face. Everything breaks down and Los Garza hit a powerbomb/World’s Strongest Slam combination for two on Evans. Back up and Evans kicks both of them down, including knocking Angel outside. Berto’s rollup with the ropes gets two but Fenix makes a blind tag. Evans’ top rope cutter drops Angel, leaving Fenix to hit the MMB for the pin on Garza at 9:09.

Rating: B-. I’m not sure what is next for Evans, but he’s another case where WWE seems to think quite a bit of him and that means he is likely going to be getting a lot more focus sooner than later. While it might be a bit too early for him, he is living up to the hype thus far and that is impressive. Fenix on the other hand is just kind of “the guy who teams with everyone else” and that’s only going to get him so far.

Damian Priest says he is the consequences for Aleister Black. Kit Wilson, in his wheelchair, comes in to call Priest out for his toxicity. Priest sends the wheelchair crashing into various things. He’ll also face Black next week, Last Man Standing.

Tala Tonga loves Solo Sikoa, who thinks there is still something missing.

The Street Profits, with B-Fab, are ready for the Wyatt Sicks next week and they’re fighting for each other. The Wyatts pop up on a screen behind them to point out the issues the Profits have been having.

Randy Orton/Cody Rhodes vs. Vision

Paul Heyman is here with the Vision. Orton and Breakker start things off with Breakker being knocked outside. We take an early break and come back with Orton fighting out of Reed’s chinlock. Reed gets sent shoulder first into the post, allowing the tag off to Rhodes. The Disaster Kick into a suicide dive connects but Reed is up at one back inside.

Breakker gets in a cheap shot from behind though and Rhodes is in trouble for a change. Reed knocks him down again and mocks Roman Reigns’ pose as we take another break. We come back again with Breakker powering Rhodes into the corner for some shoulders to the ribs. Breakker mocks the fans’ RHODES chants before raining down some right hands, mainly because Breakker is an awesome villain.

Rhodes slips out though and drops Reed, allowing the diving tag off to Orton. Powerslams abound but Reed catches Orton with the Jagged Edge. The Tsunami is broken up though and Orton gets in a superplex to Reed, with Breakker breaking it up. Breakker also breaks the barricade with a spear to Rhodes and take him out. Cue Seth Rollins to Stomp Orton, meaning Reed can hit the Tsunami for the pin at 15:16.

Rating: B. This was a good way to go with the main event and it felt like a main event tag match. Rollins coming in to screw Rhodes over makes sense, even if it came by attacking Orton. That’s a logical way to go and now we could be in for Orton getting some revenge sooner than later. Or maybe after Crown Jewel, which is the big deal that WWE is focusing on at the moment.

Post match Rollins wants to go after Rhodes again but Heyman says no, as Rhodes is in his head. Rollins goes in anyway and is promptly Cross Rhodesed to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This week saw a nice mixture of up and coming stars, plus some matches that helped boost the bigger stories around here. If nothing else, it was nice to see less of a focus on the Crown Jewel Title matches, as those are both pretty much set. The ending was a nice way to go and boosted up Rhodes vs. Rollins without hammering it into the ground again. Rather nice show here, and the future is looking nice around here.

Results
Sami Zayn b. Aleister Black – Blue Thunder Bomb
Sol Ruca/Zaria b. Chelsea Green/Alba Fyre – Sol Snatcher to Green
Je’Von Evans/Rey Fenix b. Los Garza – MMB to Garza
Vision b. Randy Orton/Cody Rhodes – Tsunami to Orton

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

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Smackdown
Date: September 26, 2025
Location: Kia Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Booker T.

We’re done with Wrestlepalooza and things have kind of reset, with Cody Rhodes retaining the Smackdown World Title over Drew McIntyre. Normally that would mean a new challenger emerging but instead we have Crown Jewel and champion vs. champion coming up for the next few weeks. Other than that, the Women’s Title is on the line in a three way so let’s get to it.

Here is Wrestlepalooza if you need a recap.

Long Wrestlepalooza recap, including a shot from the post show of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins having a staredown.

Here is Paul Heyman for a chat. He has a lot to talk about and paraphrases a “secondary champion” by asking what we want to talk about. The fans cut him off with an OTC chant but Heyman points out that Reigns was stretchered out of Paris by Bronson Reed. Maybe we should talk about Bron Breakker, who will be the star of the next ten years? Or maybe the conspiracy theories about Brock Lesnar? Either way, here is Cody Rhodes to interrupt.

Rhodes apologizes for calling Heyman a goon last week, so he wants to hear about Brock Lesnar. We look at a still of Heyman introducing Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza and Rhodes suggests that it wasn’t a one night thing. Is he talking to the Oracle, a wiseman, or an advocate? Heyman: “You’re talking to the GOAT.” The reality is that Lesnar is going to put everyone in danger but here is the Vision.

Rhodes says it’s about time they met, because he knows what it’s like to be the son of a legend. He grew up the son of a booker and was around all kinds of people in wrestling but he always knew where their loyalties lied. Where do Heyman’s loyalties lie though? No one knows, but they aren’t with Breakker. The fight is teased and Rhodes takes his watch off but the numbers get the better of him in a hurry. The beatdown is on until Randy Orton runs in for the save. That’s a heck of a tag match whenever they get around to it, along with the eventual Rhodes vs. Orton title match.

The Street Profits talk about how they have issues at times but the goal is always the same.

Street Profits vs. Carmelo Hayes/The Miz

For a future Tag Team Title shot. Miz rolls Ford up a few times to start and it’s off to Hayes, who gets his own rollup for two. Everything breaks down in a hurry and the Profits clear the ring but Hayes dropkicks Dawkins on the floor. We take a break and come back with Miz DDTing Ford for two and Hayes knocks Dawkins off the apron in a smart move.

Ford slips out of a belly to back suplex but Miz is right there to pull Dawkins down. The First 48 connects and Hayes loads up Nothing But Net, only for Miz to tag himself in. The argument is on, allowing the tag off to Dawkins. A Sky High into the frog splash gives Ford the pin at 9:28 (with Hayes glaring at Miz rather than making the save).

Rating: C+. Good enough match, with the Profits seemingly getting back on the same page. The question now is whether or not that is maintained at the title match, as the Wyatts are the reason for their strife in the first place. At the same time, Miz and Hayes are still having issues, which has been the case since they got together in the first place.

The Wyatt Sicks come out for the staredown.

Jade Cargill is tired of Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax so she’s ready to become champion. Stephanie Vaquer comes in and Cargill says she’s coming for her at Crown Jewel.

Giulia/Kiana James vs. Michin/B-Fab

B-Fab forearms at James to start and gets two off a basement clothesline. Giulia comes in for a running dropkick and sends B-Fab down hard, only for B-Fab to hit a running dropkick. Michin comes in and everything breaks down with the fight heading outside. Michin’s dropkick off the announcers’ table hits Giulia and we take a break.

We come back with James kicking B-Fan in the face so Giulia can hit a missile dropkick for two. B-Fab fights out of trouble though and it’s off to Michin to take over. Everything breaks down and Michin hits Eat Defeat on James. Giulia comes back in with the running knee though, followed by the northern lights bomb for the pin at 10:14.

Rating: C. Michin and B-Fab haven’t felt like viable challengers to Giulia so there wasn’t much of a reason to believe that they were going to win here. James was fine as backup for Giulia, who needs to string together a few wins. There are only so many challengers for the title, but Michin and B-Fab need to move on already as it doesn’t feel like they’re any kind of a threat to Giulia.

Sol Ruca and Zaria (from NXT) come in to ask Charlotte and Alexa Bliss for a Women’s Tag Team Title shot. Charlotte says you can’t just wave your hand and get a title shot, which Zaria finds funny. Bliss tells them to go prove themselves, with Charlotte liking the assertiveness.

Video on the Crown Jewel Title matches.

Here is Drew McIntyre, in a walking boot, for a chat. McIntyre talks about his history in Orlando, including returning to WWE in 2017 and winning his second WWE Title. He should be here with the title but Cody Rhodes was one step ahead. The referee cost him the title because it should have been a disqualification. Do the referees work for WWE or for Rhodes? Cue Nick Aldis to interrupt who says McIntyre shouldn’t make excuses because he’s better than that. That boot didn’t come from the WWE medical team but McIntyre calls himself a champion without a championship.

Cue Jacob Fatu and this should be interesting. Fatu takes the mic from McIntyre and tells him to shut up and stop b*******. McIntyre asks who Fatu thinks he is so Fatu hits his catchphrase. A Glasgow Kiss staggers Fatu, who is right back with a superkick and a shot with McIntyre’s medical boot. Yeah Fatu getting elevated like this is a good sign and he seems ready for the spot.

Stephanie Vaquer comes in to see Tiffany Stratton, saying they might face off at Crown Jewel. Stratton respects Vaquer, but will put her in the ground if they meet.

Rey Fenix and Sami Zayn are good after last week and Fenix is looking forward to finding out who is next for the US Open Challenge.

Solo Sikoa praises JC Mateo, who says he loves Sikoa.

US Title: Sami Zayn vs. ???

Zayn is defending against…NXT’s Je’Von Evans (a young and talented high flier). As luck would have it, Evans’ opponent at tomorrow’s NXT No Mercy, Josh Briggs, is here too. They trade armdrags to start and Evans takes him into the corner for a chop. A top rope hurricanrana takes Zayn down but he cuts a dive off with a running clothesline.

We take a break and come back with Evans hitting a heck of a dive to take Zayn out on the floor. A spinning kick to the face gives Evans two so Zayn fights back and goes up. That’s fine with Evans, who runs up the corner for a super hurricanrana and another near fall. The springboard spinning splash misses for Evans but he misses a Helluva Kick. Evans’ top rope cutter connects for two but he misses a charge, allowing Zayn to hit the Helluva Kick. The Blue Thunder Bomb retains the title at 10:17.

Rating: B. This was a heck of a showcase for Evans, who went out there and gave it everything he had, even in defeat. Evans started off rough in his career but he has turned into a rather entertaining star as he’s figured a lot of what he needs to do. It was a fast paced match and Zayn had to wait for the opening to catch him, which made for a good story. Heck of a match here.

Chelsea Green offers Nia Jax in the Secret Hervice but Jax rips up the offer. Jax runs into Stephanie Vaquer and threatens her.

Kit Wilson complains to Damian Priest about his toxic, patriarchal attitude last week. Priest lunges at him and Wilson falls down. Priest: “B****** be tripping huh?” Aleister Black comes up from behind and kicks Priest in the head, followed by some mockery.

Women’s Title: Tiffany Stratton vs. Nia Jax vs. Jade Cargill

Stratton is defending and gets knocked down to start, leaving Jax to shrug off Cargill’s running shoulder. Stratton dropkicks them both down and we take a break. We come back with Stratton’s suicide dive getting caught in the ropes so Cargill sends her back inside. Jax runs both of them over but gets caught on to. Cargill chokes Stratton but gets legdropped by Jax, leaving Stratton to hit a Swanton for two.

We take another break and come back again with a double superplex dropping Jax to leave everyone down. Stratton gives Cargill a Regal Roll and the Prettiest Moonsault Ever hits Jax, with Cargill making a save. Jaded hits Stratton so Jax pulls the referee out at two. Jax busts Cargill open so Cargill gives her a Samoan drop on the steps (geez).

We pause for the referee to try to close the cut on Cargill’s head but Cargill comes back in for the Eye of the Storm on Jax, with Stratton making the (late) save. Stratton covers and the referee just stops counting at two, with Jax clearly yelling at her as a result. Stratton pops up and hits The Prettiest Moonsault Ever on Jax to retain the title at 13:55.

Rating: C+. That botched kickout sequence at the end was terrible and brought things down a good bit. I’m assuming Cargill was supposed to make the save, but at least Stratton was smart enough to get up and hit the finish to get out of there. Either way, Stratton gets the two out of the way for the time being and can move on to the…well really the far less important match but it’s what we’re getting anyway.

Post match Stephanie Vaquer comes out for the staredown with Stratton to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I cannot bring myself to get into this Crown Jewel stuff as it feels so unimportant. I know it’s treated as a big deal at the time, but the whole thing is then basically ignored for eleven months. Why should I care about it if WWE doesn’t? That was one of the big focal points of this show, though the Zayn vs. Evans match was a lot of fun. It’s definitely not a bad show, but I’m really looking forward to moving on past the champion vs. champion stuff as it feels like such an unimportant side trip.

Results
Street Profits b. Carmelo Hayes/The Miz – Frog splash to Miz
Giulia/Kiana James b. Michin/B-Fab – Northern lights bomb to Michin
Sami Zayn b. Je’Von Evans – Blue Thunder Bomb
Tiffany Stratton b. Nia Jax and Jade Cargill – Prettiest Moonsault Ever to Jax

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

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

Smackdown
Date: September 19, 2025
Location: Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s the last show before this weekend’s Wrestlepalooza and that means we’re going to be seeing Brock Lesnar before he faces John Cena. That likely means some serious violence, as tends to be Lesnar’s tradition. We’ve also got Sami Zayn defending the US Title against Carmelo Hayes. Let’s get to it.

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

Michael Cole starts welcoming us to the show but is told that he needs to head to the back for a sitdown interview with Brock Lesnar. As Cole goes to the back, Lesnar comes out to interrupt though and carries Cole around the ring. Then he puts Cole inside said ring, which draws Graves in for some attempted peacekeeping. Lesnar lays him out with an F5 and then grabs the camera to shout that he’s coming for John Cena’s blood. That’s not enough though as Lesnar hits another F5 on Graves.

Post break, Graves is still pretty much destroyed and we look at the segment again.

Lesnar is walking through the back and runs into the Vision. He says he and Paul Heyman should talk, with Heyman smiling and nodding. With Lesnar gone, Nick Aldis comes in to say this isn’t the time for the Vision. He has too much going on but Heyman says he’s here to broker a peace with the Usos. Aldis says Heyman likely knows that the Usos are already in Indianapolis, so Heyman says they’ll just enjoy the show.

Michael Cole is back on commentary and is rather disturbed by the whole thing.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Charlotte/Alexa Bliss vs. Chelsea Green/Alba Fyre

Charlotte and Bliss are defending. Charlotte drops Green to start fast and everything breaks down, with Green taking Bliss into the corner. We take a break and come back with Miz having joined commentary and Bliss diving for a tag. Fyre pulls Charlotte off the apron though, only for Green to miss a charge into the post. That’s enough for the tag to Charlotte, who tries to fight back but has her moonsault broken up. Charlotte saves Bliss from a double suplex and Natural Selection finishes Green at 7:54.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have much time here when you factor out the commercial but Charlotte and Bliss are turning into some rather dominant champions. Unfortunately that becomes a problem when they don’t have many high level teams to face, but I’m liking their matches more and more. It’s something that is working well and if they can keep that up, they might be able to break the curse that these belts seem to have.

B-Fab tries to get the Street Profits on the same page but Michin needs to talk to her. The Profits talk about wanting to get the Tag Team Titles back and things seem to be good. Ford leaves so Bo Dallas comes in to talk to Dawkins. That brings Ford back to cut Dallas off, with the Wyatt Sicks coming in to take out the Profits.

R-Truth, in a neck brace, explains how to order the ESPN App to Los Garza.

Fraxiom comes to the ring for a match but the Vision jumps them from behind, with Heyman saying Fraxiom reminds him of the Usos. Fraxiom is back in with some dropkicks to the floor and some dives so Nick Aldis comes out to make the match.

Vision vs. Fraxiom

We’re joined in progress with Breakker taking Axiom to the top but getting knocked down. Breakker hits a heck of a running clothesline and it’s off to Reed for a backsplash. It’s back to Breakker to load up the Super Spear, which is cut off by Axiom’s dropkick. Frazer comes in to kick Reed down and hit a frog splash for two. A Phoenix splash misses though and Reed hits the Jagged Edge. Axiom goes up after Reed but gets shoved off, right into a Super Spear. The Tsunami finishes Frazer at 3:57.

Rating: C+. This was a good enough match for a quick destruction as Fraxiom was only able to do so much here. That’s the right idea too as the Vision has their biggest match to date tomorrow and it’s nice to give them a bit of momentum on the way there. At the same time, it’s kind of a shame to see Fraxiom falling down the ranks, as they’ve gone from being a fun team close to the titles to this in just a few months.

Post match Heyman handles the announcement but the Usos pop up from Indianapolis, saying that it’ll be a different kind of match tomorrow.

We look at WWE stars appearing on ESPN programming.

Here is Nia Jax for a chat. She insults Toledo and talks about how this division is getting on her nerves. The reality is she is the alpha of this division and mocks Tiffany Stratton’s catchphrase in a funny bit. Then you have Jade Cargill, who looks incredible until the bell rings. Jax is the alpha but here is Stratton to interrupt. Stratton is sick of Jax running her mouth and doesn’t think Cargill is a superhero, but here is Cargill to shove her way to the ring. Nick Aldis comes in to calm it down, saying it’s a triple threat for the title next week.

R-Truth explains ESPN to the Motor City Machine Guns and Rey Fenix. Then he puts his phone in a toaster.

We look at the Lesnar beatdown again.

United States Title: Carmelo Hayes vs. Sami Zayn

Zayn is defending and Miz is VERY enthusiastic about Hayes. They fight over wrist control to start until Hayes is back with a dropkick. Back up and Zayn punches him into the corner for some right hands but Hayes is right back with the Fadeaway. We take a break and come back with Hayes dropping a knee for two. Some chops against the ropes wake Zayn up and a middle rope ax handle puts Hayes down.

A tornado DDT gives Zayn two, followed by a Michinoku Driver for the same. Hayes is back up with a knee but his frog splash only hits raised knees. We take another break and come back with Hayes blocking an exploder. Instead he knocks Zayn down and hits the frog splash for two. Hayes’ First 48 gets two and the suplex cutter drops Zayn again. Zayn is right back up with a kick to the face and the Blue Thunder Bomb retains at 15:07.

Rating: B. This is exactly the point of the US Open Challenges, as you have Zayn out there giving Hayes a chance to showcase himself for a change. It helps that the match got some time rather than being rushed, making it feel like a struggle. I could go for a few months of this, and there is a good chance that’s what we’ll be getting.

Damian Priest storms into Nick Aldis’ office and wants Aleister Black next week. Kit Wilson, who was in Aldis’ office, accuses Priest of toxic masculinity. He is then thrown through a wall.

Cody Rhodes explains how to watch Wrestlepalooza.

We get the second half of the John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar history, starting with Cena becoming the biggest star in the world during Lesnar’s absence. Meanwhile, Lesnar became the UFC Heavyweight Champion and turned into an even scarier human being. Then Lesnar returned to WWE in 2012 and wrecked a bunch of people, including Cena in a long form squash at Summerslam 2014 (the first F5 had me screaming at my TV). We’ll get the last part on the Kickoff Show tomorrow.

Wrestlepalooza rundown.

We recap Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre.

Solo Sikoa talks about how Tonga Loa has been part of the team since the beginning and Sikoa let him down by not making him a champion. Loa confirms his love for Sikoa. That’s not a great sign for Sikoa’s future, as he and Loa were all alone here.

It’s time for the contract signing, with Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes joining Nick Aldis in the ring. Before they sign, Rhodes actually brings up their time as Tag Team Champions. The thing is though, not everyone cares about that and just want to see people fight. Lately, the only kind of warrior McIntyre has been is a keyboard warrior (the fans gasp at that) and McIntyre busts out his phone to post THANK YOU CODY. McIntyre talks about how Rhodes is a company man but he’s been in Rhodes’ spot before.

What happens when Rhodes loses? He’ll be in McIntyre’s spot, talking about how things used to be. They both sign in a hurry and the brawl is on again, with McIntyre getting the better of things. He teases the Claymore through the announcers’ table but stops, because it would cost him the match tomorrow. Rhodes gets back up and they brawl even more, with McIntyre hitting a Claymore to end the show. This was a simple segment, but it did boost the match up in a rather needed way.

Overall Rating: B-. The wrestling wasn’t exactly great this week, with only Zayn vs. Hayes going that well. At the same time though, they did a nice job of getting things ready for the pay per view. Wrestlepalooza is feeling like a major show and the contract signing helped it out a bit. There is going to be some pressure on them tomorrow, but this wound up being a good enough show to get them to the big event.

Results
Charlotte/Alexa Bliss b. Chelsea Green/Alba Fyre – Natural Selection to Green
Vision b. Fraxiom – Tsunami to Frazer
Sami Zayn b. Carmelo Hayes – Blue Thunder Bomb

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: August 25, 2025
Location: BP Pulse Live, Birmingham, England
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re in England as the company is getting ready for Sunday’s Clash In Paris, meaning this is a rare afternoon show in the United States. The big appeal of this week is Roman Reigns starting the show after challenging Bronson Reed last week. If nothing else, he might want to get his shoes back so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s extreme rules match between Jey Uso and Bron Breakker, which included a huge brawl and a bunch of interference.

Here is Roman Reigns to get things going, with the fans being VERY impressed and giving him a variety of cheers, including IF YOU LOVE ROMAN STAND UP. After an ACKNOWLEDGE ME, Reigns says that he has big plans for this year and next year, but he has to be realistic. It might feel like old times with the fans being so loud for him, but it isn’t the same anymore. He isn’t the same anymore. Fans: “YES YOU ARE!” Reigns says Cody Rhodes predicted it a year or so ago, which has the fans booing. Reigns: “Interesting.”

The Vision (the fans boo, which Reigns understands) is trying to take everything from him, which earns a F*** SETH ROLLINS chant (which Reigns takes a second to understand). He doesn’t have a Bloodline, which means a YEET chant. Reigns is extremely proud of Jey Uso, who has earned everything he has, including his title shot in Paris. Reigns’ time will come…and here is Paul Heyman to interrupt, along with Bronson Reed.

Heyman introduces Reed and talks about how he became Reigns’ Wise Man five years ago this week. The fans do their singing Roman Reigns chant, which Heyman turns into a Bronson Reed version. Heyman says Reed is going to beat some respect into Reigns, who doesn’t seem to agree. Reed talks about how Reigns may be college educated, but he needs a history lesson. Reigns’ tribe is civilized but Reed’s isn’t. Reigns paid for his tattoos while Reed earned his. Reed is the Samoan that Reigns’ family warned him about. Reigns: “This guy’s Samoan???”

That means Reed belongs to him, so he can have one more change to return the shoes, apologize for wasting our time, and acknowledge him. That won’t happen, so Reigns is ready to fight. Security and agents come in and Reed gets in a splash but can’t take more shoes. Reigns gets back up and they brawl to the back as we take a break. Heck of an opening segment here, with the crowd being way into the whole thing and boosting it up.

Judgment Day is looking for Dominik Mysterio (ignore him being in the background of the start of the shot), who is talking to El Grande Americano. Mysterio says he’ll catch up with them later and things seem ok enough.

Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh

Finn Balor is here with McDonagh. Lee takes over to start so Balor gets up on the apron, which is enough for an ejection before he can do anything. Well that sounds like an overly aggressive referee. That’s enough for Lee to go up, only to get dropkicked out of the air as we take a break.

We come back with Lee fighting up after a superplex (during the break) and hitting a REALLY scary sit out powerbomb (McDonagh landed on his head and Graves popped up to his feet on commentary) for two. The top rope (actually from the post this time) tree of woe double stomp connects but here is Dominik Mysterio. Cue AJ Styles to jump Mysterio and Operation Dragon finishes McDonagh at 8:45.

Rating: C+. That powerbomb was terrifying for a second and thankfully McDonagh’s massive head is ok. Other than that, the Judgment Day’s issues continue, which has been the case for a good while now. I’m curious to see where that goes, while on the other hand, Lee is not exactly interesting whatsoever as he’s just kind of there most weeks.

LA Knight likes the idea of working with CM Punk to take out Seth Rollins, but it’s all about Punk getting the title back. It’s feast or famine and the rations are limited. Only Knight is going to be well fed and tonight, he’s facing Bron Breakker, who will be knocked back to factory settings (that’s a great line…I think).

Rusev is ready to hurt Sheamus in Paris.

Judgment Day isn’t happy with Dominik Mysterio, so he tells Finn Balor to deal with AJ Styles tonight. Raquel Rodriguez tells Roxanne Perez to get ready for later.

Penta vs. Kofi Kingston

Grayson Waller is peddling a petition to ban the Canadian Destroyer as Penta hammers away to start. Kingston catches him the corner and hits the middle rope splash to the standing Penta’s back for two. The middle of the ropes Vader bomb is broken up and Kingston heads outside as we take a break.

We come back with Penta in trouble and Kingston dropping him for two, leaving Xavier Woods annoyed at ringside. Penta misses a running enziguri in the corner but settles for a flat foot suplex to bring him down. The Penta Driver gets two so Penta flip dives onto the New Day. Back in and Woods offers a distraction, allowing Kingston to hit Trouble In Paradise for the pin at 10:15.

Rating: C+. I have no idea what to make of New Day at this point. They’ve been doing the in mourning thing for a long time now but there isn’t much of anything for them to do. If they aren’t going to go after the titles and there is no one for them to feud with otherwise, what are they supposed to do next? It’s entertaining stuff, but the Big E. split feels like it was a lifetime ago at this point.

Video on Iyo Sky’s issues with Rhea Ripley and the Kabuki Warriors.

Sky thanks Ripley for helping her last week but explains that the Warriors aren’t happy with her. She thinks the two of them should keep their distance. Ripley understands and says it’s ok. Sky appreciates the understanding and they hug, with the Warriors in the background, not looking happy.

Video on Naomi’s pregnancy announcement.

Stephanie Vaquer is told she is the #1 contender but the title match can’t happen in Paris as the title is technically vacant. She’ll still get the title match and Adam Pearce has an opponent in mind, but he needs a week to set everything up. Vaquer isn’t happy but she understands.

Here is Becky Lynch for a chat. The fans don’t like her, but she talks about how important this place was to her career. Her WWE tryout was right here in Birmingham….and it was a dump then and it’s a dump now. Speaking of dumps, Nikki Bella thinks she can just call her out like she’s some loser like Birmingham soccer teams. She’s not some dog who responds to a whistle.

Cue Bella to interrupt, saying Lynch might not be a dog but she’s acting like a little b****. Lynch says she isn’t going to listen to Broken Neck Barbie, but Bella says she paved the way for people like her. Bella brings up that Lynch was Charlotte’s sidekick and that seems to touch a nerve, as she says a lot of people say she’s the greatest of all time. Bella calls Lynch out for disrespecting the people, sending Lynch into a rant about how the British have been oppressing the Irish for hundreds of years.

Lynch doesn’t like Bella insulting her or suggesting that she has no testicles but agrees to giver her the title shot. It’s going to be in Paris though, because Lynch isn’t wrestling in a city like Birmingham. Bella says that no matter how great Lynch is, the Bella name will always be more famous. As I try to digest how dumb that statement is, a brawl is teased with Lynch bailing out to the floor. The feud is fine, but this was a good illustration of why Bella shouldn’t be talking for long stretches. It felt like a heel promo from the heroine and that’s a weird way to go.

CM Punk talks about LA Knight calling him hungry. He’s beyond hungry because he’s obsessed with getting his title back. If he has to cripple all of them and use their blood to paint his masterpiece, so be it.

Sheamus talks about Rusev being the superstar comeback no one was asking for because Rusev has lost his passion. Things started to chance though, because Rusev has been acting like his old self. Now we’re getting the old Rusev and that’s what Sheamus wants, but Sheamus is the one who brought it out.

Roxanne Perez vs. Rhea Ripley

Raquel Rodriguez is here too. Perez rolls away to start but Ripley hammers away in the corner. That’s enough for Perez to roll outside, where she rams Ripley into the apron a few times. Back in and Ripley picks her up, with Perez bailing right back to the floor. This time Perez goes after the knee to take over and chop blocks Ripley back inside. A DDT on the knee and a Lionsault get two on Ripley and we take a break.

We came back with Rodriguez breaking up a Razor’s Edge, allowing Perez to snap off a super hurricanrana. A cartwheel knee to the back of the head but Ripley is fine enough to hit the Razor’s Edge. Ripley’s big boot gets two but Perez goes back to the knee. Pop Rox is countered and Ripley headbutts her into Riptide for the pin at 10:40.

Rating: B. It’s weird to say it but Ripley needed the win. She’s been in a weird place for a long time now, as she’s one of the biggest stars around but there is only so much she can do these days. Ripley was already Women’s Champion for over a year so getting the belt back only means so much. They need to find something for her to accomplish, but at least she got a win here.

Post match Perez and Rodriguez go after Ripley, with Iyo Sky running in for the save. Ripley approves.

Seth Rollins wants to see Bronson Reed crush Roman Reigns in Paris. As for tonight, Bron Breakker is making sure LA Knight doesn’t make it to Paris. This is everything the Vision has dreamed of and so much more.

Iyo Sky checks on Rhea Ripley’s knee and says she owed her for last week. Ripley is appreciative and leaves, with the Kabuki Warriors coming in to yell at Sky. Kairi Sane tries to calm Asuka down and Sky pleads her case but Asuka doesn’t want to hear it. Asuka leaves and Sky asks Sane to trust her, but Sane says she’s sorry and leaves.

AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor

Balor starts fast by kicking him out to the floor before losing a chop off in the corner. The Phenomenal Forearm is broken up and Styles crashes out to the floor and we take a break. We come back with Styles in trouble but hitting a swinging backbreaker to get a breather. The Pele Kick drops Balor and the sliding forearm connects. The backbreaker onto the knee connects but Balor is back up with a Sling Blade. Balor misses the Coup de Grace though and the Styles Clash finishes for Styles at 8:05.

Rating: B-. These two work well together as they’ve done this so many times over the years. The good thing is that Styles gets some momentum before what is likely going to be another Intercontinental Title shot. The Judgment Day’s issues continue and that is likely going to come to a head sooner than later.

Jey Uso isn’t sure who he should trust going into Clash In Paris but Roman Reigns doesn’t get why he’s so unsure after all these years. Reigns says Uso has helped enough people over the years so it’s time for him to smash everyone for himself. That’s just Reigns’ perspective though, and Uso has to go do what he thinks is right.

Bayley still has the voices in her head and now she’s getting annoyed at them. The voice says “we are successful because we believe in ourselves.” Then another voice complains about how the first voice is an idiot and insecure. The real Bayley tells them to both stop and gets annoyed.

Lyra Valkyria talks to Adam Pearce, saying she’s worried about Bayley. Valkyria wants someone to check in on her and Pearce says he’ll handle it. Judgment Day comes in, with Dominik Mysterio wanting Pearce to deal with AJ Styles. Pearce begrudgingly agrees and gives Styles an Intercontinental Title match with Mysterio next week. Finn Balor is rather pleased and Mysterio calls Pearce “Charles Xavier.”

Clash In Paris rundown.

Roman Reigns jumps the Vision in the back and Superman Punches Bronson Reed. Security quickly breaks it up. LA Knight runs in to jump Bron Breakker and they brawl into the arena

LA Knight vs. Bron Breakker

We’re joined in progress with Breakker in trouble in the corner as Knight stomps away. Breakker fights up and hits the rather fast running clothesline. That’s enough for Breakker to finally get his shirt off and he snaps off a suplex, only to get punched in the face. Knight hits a clothesline into a Russian legsweep, followed by another clothesline to the floor. Knight’s dropkick through the ropes connects but Breakker sends him into the announcers’ table.

We take a break and come back with Knight fighting out of a chinlock but missing his jumping neckbreaker out of the corner. The super Frankensteiner gets two but the spear is cut off with a kick to the face. Breakker tries what looks to be a fireman’s carry but they slip a bit (Graves sounds really nervous about what that could mean), with Knight landing on his feet for a reverse DDT. Knight’s superplex sets up a top rope elbow but here is Seth Rollins for a distraction. The Super Spear gives Breakker the pin at 13:40.

Rating: B-. As usual with anything involving the Vision, this was about waiting for the interference. Knight is pretty much a full fledged main eventer these days and that’s nice to see, but this was another loss when he needed to get a win. Yeah he beat Rollins at Saturday Night’s Main Event, but it’s ok to give him another win.

Post match the beatdown is on, with Jey Uso coming in for the save. The Vision beats Uso down but CM Punk comes in for the real save. That’s enough for the Vision to bail, with Rollins having to hold Breakker back. Punk, Knight and Uso get in a fight (Rollins: “They’re doing it for us.”) with Uso standing tall to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I liked the overall nature of the show, which was all about getting everything ready for Paris, though there were pieces I didn’t care for as much. Between Knight losing again, Bella’s promo and whatever New Day is doing, there were some significant rough parts to the show. At the same time, the fans were more than enough to carry things up a notch, as they always are when the fans are overseas. Good show here, but it needed some tweaks.

Results
Dragon Lee b. JD McDonagh – Operation Dragon
Kofi Kingston b. Penta – Trouble In Paradise
Rhea Ripley b. Roxanne Perez – Riptide
AJ Styles b. Finn Balor – Styles Clash
Bron Breakker b. LA Knight – Super Spear

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: August 4, 2025
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re done with Summerslam and it was certainly not a quiet weekend. On the Raw side, Seth Rollins came back in a stunning and shocking (WWE told me so) moment to win the World Title from CM Punk. In other news, CM Punk won the World Title. We’re on the way to Clash In Paris at the end of the month so let’s get to it.

Here are is Summerslam if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of both nights of Summerslam.

Here are Seth Rollins and company, including Bron Breakker (who got hurt at Summerslam but seems ok here) to get things going. Paul Heyman declares himself not just the GOAT but also the Oracle. He talks about the people next to him and says that normally he would be here introducing the Tribal Chief, but Reigns hasn’t been champion in a year and a half.

Or maybe he could be introducing CM Punk, who won the title on Saturday and thought he would have it forever. But then Rollins took the title away from him and stole the honeymoon, which was very good to Rollins. After some loud booing, Rollins talks about how the fans all turned their backs on him. You should never bet against him because he is the World Heavyweight Champion.

Shame on everyone who turned their back on him, because he had a plan b. He only told two people about this plan: his beautiful wife and his oracle. They are the past, present and future of wrestling and they are the vision. Cue LA Knight to interrupt, who greets the champ, the oracle and the morons. Knight accuses Rollins of faking his injury to get out of their match but Knight beat him anyway. Well that makes things interesting because he’s ready to beat Rollins again, right here and right now.

Rollins sounds interested but eventually says no, which brings out Adam Pearce. It wouldn’t be normal to run a title match with no promotion, but it’s also not normal to have someone lie to his medical team like Rollins did. That’s why tonight the title is on the line, and Reed/Breakker are banned from ringside. That’s a big one and does tie up something of a loose string.

Judgment Day runs into the LWO in the back and Dominik Mysterio doesn’t think much of them. Dragon Lee requests and receives a match tonight but AJ Styles comes in to say he’s still coming for the title.

Rusev vs. Sheamus

Rusev jumps him at the bell and starts the beating in a hurry. The forearms to the back keep Sheamus in trouble but he gets his boots up in the corner. Rusev kicks him down again but gets caught on top, where Sheamus grabs a super White Noise. We take another break and come back with Sheamus hitting the Irish Curse. The ten forearms are broken up so Sheamus settles for sending him over the announcers’ table. Rusev is able to send him into the steps and they fight into the crowd, with Sheamus hitting the forearms to the chest. Those keep on going until it’s a double countout at 9:10.

Rating: B-. Hard hitting brawl here but that ending feels like the calling card of a Last Man Standing match or something similar, likely over in Paris later this month. That’s a good way to go, as there is always room for two big guys hitting each other really hard. The ending keeps both of them looking strong and gives them a reason to run it back, as they were more interested in fighting than winning, which fits for them.

Post match the beatdown stays on despite referees and agents trying to break it up.

New Day is still in mourning, including Xavier Woods with his three and a half foot wide hat, when Grayson Waller comes in to ask where they were last week. The team shrugs it off but blame Adam Pearce for the issues. Waller goes to yell at Pearce, who is talking to Penta. Pearce says New Day can have a title shot when they earn it, while Waller can face Penta tonight.

Penta vs. Grayson Waller

Waller struts away to start and grabs a headlock but Penta reverses for a strut of his own. Penta sends him outside and cue New Day, with the distraction letting Waller get in a clothesline on the floor. We take a break and come back with Penta hitting a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker into a slingshot dropkick in the corner. Waller knocks him back down but misses the middle rope elbow as New Day, now on commentary, brags about their success without Big E. The rolling Stunner is cut off with a superkick though and the rolling Canadian Destroyer out of the corner finishes for Penta at 8:20.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of win that stars like Penta need on occasion: a simple victory over someone where there isn’t much doubt about the better man, but Penta gets the win anyway. He got to do a lot of his stuff and the fans reacted without taking up a ton of time. Waller isn’t going to be hurt by the loss and Penta looks good.

Post match New Day goes after Penta, who clears the ring and steals Woods’ hat. Said hat is thrown at New Day and Penta takes them down with the big flip dive. Kingston’s look of “What was THAT” is great.

Charlotte and Alexa Bliss are in the back when Sheamus and Rusev run up, still in their big brawl.

We look at Brock Lesnar’s return to lay out John Cena last night.

Michael Cole says he talked to HHH and Nick Khan about Lesnar’s return. Apparently they agreed weeks ago that it was time to bring him back “home” and he was happy with that.

Here are Charlotte and Alexa Bliss for a chat. Charlotte says that might be her first YOU DESERVE IT chant, but she has to get used to the idea that THEY are champions instead of SHE. Maybe if Bliss could stop hitting her in the face, they could be….something. Bliss: “I think you were about to say the F word.” Charlotte: “You are such a pain in my A word.”

Either way, Charlotte is happy with winning another title and brags about her success but here is Judgment Day to interrupt. They get right to the point and the title match is made. Cue Adam Pearce to say not so fast because that’s not normal…but nothing tonight is so let’s do it.

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

Charlotte and Bliss are defending and we’re joined in progress with Perez sending Bliss into the corner. Bliss reverses into a whip of her own and it’s off to Charlotte to pick up the pace. Rodriguez comes in as well to cut her off though and Perez sends Charlotte outside. Back in and Judgment Day seems to get a bit confused, allowing Charlotte to take out their knees. Bliss comes in and gets to clean some house, only to be sent outside and kicked into the timekeeper’s area.

We take a break and come back with Charlotte getting the tag to clean more house, including a (slingshotless) Buckshot Lariat to Rodriguez. The double moonsault gets two on Perez, who is back up with a failed Pop Rox attempt. Charlotte sends her into the buckle for a breather but Perez manages a hurricanrana. Bliss comes in for the save and is promptly sent outside for interfering. Charlotte kicks her way to freedom though and brings Bliss in, with the Sister Abigail DDT finishing Perez at 12:45.

Rating: C+. I’m only so interested in these titles in the first place, but Charlotte and Bliss teaming together is doing wonders for Charlotte. She’s acting like a completely different person these days and that is letting her talent shine through. Maybe it’s the personality, but getting her away from the singles title scene has helped a lot. She and Bliss work well together too and it’s a lot better than I was expecting.

The Kabuki Warriors and Iyo Sky are in the back when Rhea Ripley comes up. The Warriors leave, with Ripley saying she heard Sky got a one on one match with Naomi. Sky says she didn’t get pinned at Summerslam, with Ripley telling her to go win the title so Ripley can take it from her. Sky: “Rhea, you are never going to beat me.”

We look at Bayley costing Lyra Valkyria the Women’s Intercontinental Title match against Becky Lynch at Summerslam.

Bayley finds Valkyria, who wants nothing to do with Bayley anymore. She needs to get out of this “Bayley vortex”. They aren’t friends or enemies, but stay away.

Dominik Mysterio vs. Dragon Lee

Non-title and Lee starts very fast with a suicide dive to take Mysterio out on the floor. Mysterio is right back up with a slingshot hilo and some choking on the ropes. It’s way too early for the 619 so Mysterio settles for a DDT onto the apron. We take a break and come back with Lee hitting some superkicks, including the slingshot version in the corner. Mysterio tries to bounce out of the corner but gets caught in a sitout powerbomb to give Lee two.

Back up and Lee catches him in the corner, setting up the top rope double stomp. Cue El Grande Americano (facing Mysterio, Lee and El Hijo del Vikingo this weekend for the AAA World Title)….and the other Grande Americano…..and a THIRD Grande Americano as well, with the distraction allowing Mysterio to get in a boot (off foo) to the head. That and the feet on the ropes finishes Lee at 8:14.

Rating: C. Well, I’m curious about where the Americano stuff is going. If nothing else is has me wondering who is under the masks and how many we might see, so points for trying something new. At the same time, we could be looking at Mysterio becoming a double champion sooner rather than later, and that has some potential for his future.

Post match AJ Styles runs in to swing the boot at Mysterio and then throw it up the aisle as Mysterio leaves.

Sami Zayn is happy to have defeated Karrion Kross but happier to have thrown the steel pipe away instead of winning on his own. Yes he wanted to do it, but he also wants to be a World Champion on his own. Cue Sheamus and Rusev to brawl some more, with Zayn getting hit in the face by Rusev.

Here is Becky Lynch for a chat. Lynch: “Ding dong, Lyra is gone!” She’s not getting any more title shots as long as Lynch is champion, which will be for a very, very long time. It’s time to open the door to new competitors…but we won’t be doing it tonight. Cue Nikki Bella to interrupt, saying she thought she left the women’s division in great hands, but Lynch has been such a disappointment. Bella is back to prove herself but why did Lynch come back? Is it because Hollywood isn’t what she thought it would be?

Lynch brings up her role in Happy Gilmore 2, while Bella’s role was cut. Bella laughs it off and says that Lynch is like Seth Rollins, but no one believes Lynch’s BS. Lynch does not like Rollins being brought up because they are the hottest couple in WWE. That used to be Bella and….someone, but now we can’t see them. That’s a BIG gasp from the audience but Bella gets to the point with the title challenge. Lynch hits her in the face and bails instead. That John Cena reference was one heck of a burn, even if it’s the easiest line in the world to use against Bella.

Naomi says she is indeed facing Iyo Sky next week but Stephanie Vaquer interrupts. Naomi threatens to snap Vaquer’s horns off and stick them in a certain place to leave her with a limp. Then she imitates the limp to make it work.

Gunther is out of action indefinitely after being injured at Summerslam.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Natalya, with the Alpha Academy, yells at Becky Lynch for being mean to Nikki Bella. Lynch agrees to a match next week…against Maxxine Dupri.

Raw World Title: LA Knight vs. Seth Rollins

Rollins, with Paul Heyman, is defending. After the Big Match Intros, Rollins stomps away in the ropes but gets dropped with a clothesline. Knight’s suplex gets two and he knocks Rollins outside for a brisk walk chase. Heyman doesn’t work as Rollins’ shield but Rollins manages a quick stomp (not quite the Stomp) from the barricade and we take a break. We come back with Knight jumping to the top for the superplex, followed by the neckbreaker out of the corner for two more.

Knight’s powerslam connects but Rollins blocks the jumping elbow. There’s the buckle bomb but it’s too early for the stomp. Instead Knight grabs a reverse Death Valley Driver for two and they’re both down. The Pedigree is countered and Knight grabs a DDT, allowing him to pop back up. Knight’s jumping top rope elbow gets two but the BFT is countered. They go out to the floor and crash over the announcers’ table, with Rollins getting the better of things. Rollins peels back the floor mats….and CM Punk comes in for the DQ at 13:05.

Rating: B-. This was another match where there wasn’t exactly much drama about a title change but it’s a rather good sign for Knight’s future if he can be in there at this level. It wouldn’t stun me to see him getting the shot in Paris or at a Saturday Night’s Main Event, which is quite the rise for his career. The Punk interference wasn’t exactly shocking, as it was about the only way this was going to end.

Post match Punk goes after Rollins and Knight is not pleased. Cue Bron Breakker to spear Punk and Bronson Reed is in to crush Knight. The Stomp hits both of them and the villains pose….but Roman Reigns is here. House is quickly cleaned but Reigns goes after Reed, allowing Rollins to hit the Stomp. Reed hits a bunch of Tsunamis on Reigns and Adam Pearce comes out, with Rollins yelling at him. Reed steals Reigns’ shoes AGAIN (please let there be a payoff for that down the line, like Reigns putting a mousetrap in one of the shoes or something) and the villains stand tall to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was about setting up Clash In Paris and that went well enough, but I wasn’t able to get into the show. The wrestling was fine enough, but it felt like it was more about getting ready for later rather than doing a bunch of stuff that mattered here. The angle at the end was a big one, even if it was the third straight night where a villain stood tall to end the show. That being said, I’m having a great time with Reed stealing the shows so we’ll call that a silver lining. Not a bad show, but it’s a stepping stone to the stuff that matters.

Results
Rusev vs. Sheamus went to a double countout
Penta b. Grayson Waller – Spinning Canadian Destroyer
Alexa Bliss/Charlotte b. Judgment Day – Sister Abigail DDT to Perez
Dominik Mysterio b. Dragon Lee – Rollup with feet on the ropes
Seth Rollins b. LA Knight via DQ when CM Punk interfered

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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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

Summerslam 2022
Date: July 30, 2022
Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
Attendance: 48,449
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

We’re still in the stadium for Summerslam and believe it or not, this time we have a main event of Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar. The twist this time is that it’s Last Man Standing to add some spice, but there is only so much interest to be had. Other than that, we have Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair in a match a year in the making. Oh and Vince McMahon stepped down from WWE eight days before this show so we’re in a VERY new era. With a pair of rematches on top. Let’s get to it.

The opening video focuses on what a CRAZY TOWN Nashville is, with a look at all of the crazy people on the show.

Oh and there’s a pinball theme. A CRAZY pinball theme I’m sure.

Raw Women’s Title: Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair

Lynch, currently in the Big Time Becks villain phase, is challenging after Belair took the title from her at Wrestlemania. Feeling out process to start with Belair powering her away without much trouble. Back up and Belair flips away from her, setting up a heck of a shoulder. Becky takes her down by the arm and cranks back on it though and Belair is in trouble for a change. The bad arm is kicked apart to make it even worse but Belair’s legs are fine enough to hit a dropkick.

They head outside where the KOD onto the announcers’ table is broken up and the arm is banged up again. They get back inside with Lynch snapping off a Bexploder and taking her down in the corner…but Lynch comes up holding her shoulder (uh oh). Lynch is fine enough to go for the leg and then kick Belair to the apron but the middle rope Fameasser is blocked.

They go outside again with Belair Glam Slamming her onto the apron before a posting sends Lynch’s shoulder into the steel. Back in and a handspring moonsault gives Belair two but Lynch is back with Diamond Dust of all things for two of her own. Belair’s powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana which is countered into a failed KOD attempt. They head outside with the KOD connecting this time, but Lynch just beats the count.

Back in and another KOD is countered but Belair spikes her anyway. Belair takes too long going up and gets Manhandle Slammed for two. With nothing else working, Lynch takes her up top for a super Manhandle Slam, which is reversed into a KOD to retain Belair’s title at 15:11 and win the feud.

Rating: B. Yeah these two fought a lot but they have the chemistry to make it work very well. This was another good back and forth showdown between two of the best women (or anything) that WWE has ever had. It came off like a huge battle and that is the kind of showdown that these two have managed to make possible. The arm work from Becky to take away the power made sense and the fact that she was banged up makes this even more impressive. Heck of a match here and a great opener.

Post match Becky, with her right arm non-functional, shakes Belair’s hand and seems to be good again. With Becky gone, Bayley makes her surprise return after over a year away with a horrible knee injury. Cue the returning Dakota Kai (she’s been gone for a bit), plus the newly named Iyo Sky (no longer Io Shirai). The trio gets in the ring to yell at Belair but Lynch evens things up a bit, sending the villains running off. That would be more or less it for Lynch for about four months, as she would be written off television the following night on Raw due to a shoulder injury and not be back until November.

We recap Miz vs. Logan Paul. They were a team at Wrestlemania and won, but then Miz turned on Paul for no apparent reason. Months later, Miz said that he destroyed Paul, who then announced that he had signed with the company. Now it’s time for Miz to show what he can do, while Paul is back with his first ever singles match.

Miz vs. Logan Paul

Miz has Maryse and Tommaso Ciampa (missing his first name here but just in case you confuse him with Gus Ciampa) with him. Inspired by Paul’s really rare Pokemon card (not here this time), Miz has a one of a kind Polaroid of he and Paul together around his neck. Feeling out process to start with Miz snapmaring him down and mocking Paul a bit, much to Maryse’s delight.

Back up and Paul grabs a waistlock into a fireman’s carry, allowing him to mockingly shove him away with a boot to the head. Miz is sent out side and an apron moonsault takes him down again as Paul is already shining rather well. Back in and Miz crotches him in the ropes, setting up a Codebreaker for two. Ciampa even gets in a cheap shot and we hit the chinlock.

Miz misses the charge in the corner though and Paul is right back with a Blockbuster. Back up and Paul gets two off a running powerslam, followed by the YES Kicks to send Corey Graves that much closer to madness. The Figure Four has Miz in trouble but a rather dramatic rope break gets him out. Paul hits a high crossbody and a standing moonsault for two but Miz kicks him in the face.

Ciampa teases another cheap shot and gets ejected (with the crowd throwing in a YES chant), but Ciampa just sits ringside in a chair. Cue AJ Styles to really chase Ciampa off, leaving Paul to hit a not so phenomenal Phenomenal Forearm. They head outside with Paul loading up the announcers’ table, setting up a heck of a top rope frog splash to drive Miz hard through it. Back in and Maryse distracts the referee but Miz almost runs into her. That’s enough of a distraction to let Paul hit the Skull Crushing Finale for the pin at 14:16.

Rating: B. This was up there for best celebrity matches ever and it’s barely even on a sliding scale. Paul was out there showing himself to be able to do all kinds of things in the ring, with that frog splash being a great bonus. It was entirely a showcase for Paul and Miz is the perfect choice to be out there taking the beating. What mattered here was Paul looking like a star and that is exactly what happened here. Heck of a match and WWE has to know what they have here with Paul.

US Title: Bobby Lashley vs. Theory

Theory, the reigning Mr. Money In The Bank, is challenging and jumps Lashley before the bell. Lashley says he can go and shrugs off Theory’s swarm to start. An elbow to the face into a spinebuster has Theory on the floor and he’s ready to walk. Lashley isn’t having that but Theory is right back with a rolling dropkick for two. For some reason Theory thinks it’s a good idea to slug it out with Lashley, earning himself a powerslam. The spear hits the post but Theory rolls into the Hurt Lock to retain the title at 4:44.

Rating: C-. This could have been on any given Raw and that isn’t good enough for a Summerslam title match. They seemed to be playing up the idea that Theory was saving himself for a potential cash-in later tonight but the Hurt Lock is the kind of move that could make him tap that fast as well. This is something that could have been cut from the show without missing much, though having Lashley on the show is often a good idea.

We recap the Mysterios vs. Judgment Day. The team isn’t happy with Rey Mysterio being a star and attacked him in front of his family. Now it’s time for revenge in a No DQ match.

Judgment Day vs. Rey Mysterio/Dominik Mysterio

Rhea Ripley is here with Judgment Day (Finn Balor/Damian Priest) and this is No DQ. Judgment Day jumps them to start and the fight is on fast. Rey hurricanranas Balor though and Dominik dropkicks Priest, setting up the back to back dives to put the villains down. We settle down to a double Russian legsweep dropping Balor but Dominik gets sent into the wrong corner.

The chinlock goes on as the fans are starting to wake up a bit here. Priest adds the Broken Arrow into a slingshot stomp from Dominik but he’s back with a suplex. Rey comes in with a top rope seated senton to Priest. A bulldog plants Priest again so Balor slides in a chair, which Rey picks off without much trouble. Rey grabs the chair and slides down into a splash on Balor for a nasty looking crash.

Back in and Priest boots Rey down for two and Balor adds the shotgun dropkick in the corner. Dominik breaks up the Coup de Grace though and Rey snaps off a top rope hurricanrana, with Priest making the save this time. The double 619 is broken up by Ripley, who drops Dominik face first onto the apron. South Of Heaven hits Rey but Balor wants a chair. Instead he gets the returning Edge, who spears down Judgment Day, setting up Rey’s slingshot splash for the pin on Balor at 11:07.

Rating: C+. The match itself was good enough, but my goodness the fans did not care about what they were seeing here. Granted at this point Judgment Day was one of those things that just kept going and there wasn’t much to get excited about with them, but it shouldn’t take Edge to get the only strong reaction of the match. This was a good example of a match where the fans just didn’t are no matter what was happening, and that’s a bit disappointing.

We recap Happy Corbin vs. Pat McAfee. They’re old friends/roommates from the NFL and McAfee has mocked Corbin’s losing streak. Corbin has attacked McAfee a few times so now it’s time to fight.

Pat McAfee vs. Happy Corbin

McAfee has a choir here to sing about BUM A** CORBIN for a rather unique entrance. They talk a lot of trash to start, with McAfee leading the crowd in their singing. McAfee hits a superkick and a middle rope hurricanrana puts Corbin on the floor. A posting drops Corbin again and McAfee stomps away back inside.

Corbin is put on top but gets shoved down, only to have McAfee moonsault onto his feet. A dropkick (to the stomach) sends McAfee into the corner and Corbin gets to hammer away. The slow beating is on, with a ram into the barricade giving Corbin two. McAfee manages to send him to the floor and hit the slingshot dive, only to be thrown over the announcers’ table.

Back in and McAfee catches him on top, this time jumping (mostly) to the top for a top rope superplex. McAfee slugs away and avoids a charge to send Corbin shoulder first into the post. That lets McAfee go up top and, after getting his balance, hit a top rope flip dive to take Corbin down on the floor. Back in and McAfee knocks Corbin into the referee by mistake, setting up a low blow (payback for Corbin doing the same thing to him the previous night) and a Panama Sunrise to finish Corbin at 10:50.

Rating: B-. McAfee is another of the few celebrities who has figured out how to put together a rather good match. There were some close calls here as McAfee didn’t have everything polished but he made it work well enough. This was an entertaining match and the fans ate McAfee up as usual, while Corbin lost again, also as usual. It might not quite have been the Logan Paul stunt show, but McAfee is certainly worth a look whenever he is out there and has a star power all his own.

We look at Drew McIntyre defeating Sheamus to become #1 contender last night on Smackdown.

Here is McIntyre to talk about how much he loves Nashville, to the point where he lives here. He and Sheamus went to war last night but now it is time to go to to war with Roman Reigns. For now though, it is time for Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the first time ever! Uh, in Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Last man standing. McIntyre asks a an for his name (Colt). McIntyre: “IN FRONT OF COLT!” Nice save there and McIntyre raises his sword to set off some pyro and wrap up a quick cameo.

Tag Team Titles: Usos vs. Street Profits

The Usos are defending in a rematch from Money In The Bank where a bad referee cost the Profits the titles. Therefore, Jeff Jarrett of all people is guest referee, just for the save of the country music connection. The Profits come out with the Tennessee Titans cheerleaders for a little bonus. Dawkins and Jimmy start things off with Jeff having t pull both of them out of the corner.

Jey comes in off a quick tag for a modified Demolition Decapitator for two. It’s already back to Jimmy for a chinlock as this isn’t the fastest pace to start. The running hip attack connects but a second one misses, allowing Dawkins to enziguri his way out of trouble. Ford and Jey come in to pick up things up a lot, with Ford’s high crossbody getting two. A rather loud chop only seems to wake Jey up though and it’s a pop up neckbreaker for two on Ford.

Back up and Ford slips over for the tag to Dawkins and house is rapidly cleaned, including a huge flip dive to the floor. Back in and the Anointment gives Dawkins two on Jimmy but Jey is back in to cut him off. A superkick into the Superfly Splash gives Jimmy two, setting up the double Superfly Splash with Ford having to make a save.

Jey almost superkicks Jarrett by mistake but walks into a spinebuster. Ford’s very high frog splash gets a delayed two, meaning it’s time to yell at Jarrett (who did nothing wrong, along with the nothing he has done for the rest of the match). A dive is cut off by a double superkick to the….some part of Ford’s body. Back in and more superkicks hit Dawkins, setting up the 1D to retain at 13:22.

Rating: B. I remember wondering what Jarrett was going to add coming into this and coming up with an answer of “nothing”. The fact that I didn’t remember him being involved in this match at all didn’t help things and there was nothing to having him here. At the same time, you had these teams with some great chemistry having a good, pay per view worthy match. The Usos were still doing some awesome stuff with the titles, even if they had to deal with such a lame choice for guest referee.

Matt Riddle (not medically cleared) runs in through the crowd and calls out Seth Rollins for a fight. Rollins comes out to meet him in the aisle, gets the better of it, and Stomps (how Riddle was hurt in the first place) Riddle down again.

We recap Liv Morgan challenging Ronda Rousey for the Smackdown Women’s Title. Morgan cashed in Money In The Bank on an injured Rousey to win the title so now it’s time for the match with Rousey ready coming in.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Ronda Rousey vs. Liv Morgan

Morgan is defending and Rousey flips her over to start. A running knee rocks Morgan and another throw gets two. Morgan comes back with a Codebreaker but Oblivion is easily blocked. Rousey tries to get her down but is reversed into a double arm crank. That and a crucifix bomb get two on Rousey, who is right back with the armbar. Morgan tries to slip out but gets pulled into it again, this time making the rope for the break. Rousey gets the armbar again so Morgan stacks it up for the pin at 4:35…..despite tapping before the pin.

Rating: C-. Morgan was on a roll on the way to Money In The Bank and then just died once she got the title via the cash-in. This was Morgan mostly getting squashed before tapping out and retaining anyway. If WWE wanted Morgan to be a big star, they needed to actually put her over someone rather than these screwy finishes. It didn’t do Morgan any favors and Rousey hardly looked better either.

Post match Rousey protests and armbars Morgan…and the referee. Replays show that Morgan tapped way before the three count.

Here is Kane to announce the attendance: 48,449. I believe he has some questions about those numbers.

We recap Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar in a Last Man Standing match for Reigns’ WWE Universal Title. In short, Randy Orton was supposed to get the shot but was too hurt so it’s time to break the Lesnar glass. Not the most thrilling match, but fair enough that they didn’t have a better option. The video also teases Austin Theory cashing in his briefcase.

WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar

Reigns, with Paul Heyman (but without the Usos, who he sends to the back), is defending in a Last Man Standing match. Lesnar starts walking to the ring but stops to put on a flannel shirt and cowboy hat….so he can drive a tractor to the ring. There is no way this can end well. As Lesnar stands in the loader of the tractor, he cuts off the introductions and does his own, before flipping the mic to Reigns…..who snatches it out of the air in one hand (not shown but find the clip as it’s rather awesome).

Lesnar then DIVES out of the tractor onto Reigns and a clothesline takes it to the floor. There’s the overhead belly to belly on the floor as Lesnar is starting very fast. Another suplex of the steps has Reigns rocked and they head into the crowd, where Lesnar suplexes him onto a platform. Reigns gets in a quick shot but is promptly suplexed back to ringside. The table is set up but a Heyman distraction lets Reigns put Lesnar through it instead.

Lesnar is back up so Reigns steps him in the face. Back in and Reigns hits a pair of Superman Punches, followed by the first (of probably many) spear. Another spear is blocked and Lesnar sends him outside in a crash. Lesnar slams him into part of a broken table before getting back in the tractor. After fiddling with it a bit, Lesnar gets out and hits Reigns with the steps instead.

A piece of a broken table to the head puts Reigns down again but he staggers to his feet. That doesn’t work for Lesnar, who puts him in the front loaded and drops him into the ring for a crash. With that not being enough, Lesnar snaps off some German suplexes and the F5 gets nine. Another F5 is countered into the guillotine but Lesnar reverses into one of his own. Lesnar lets him go and Reigns is up at nine again.

That doesn’t work for Lesnar….who uses the tractor to LIFT UP THE RING and send Reigns falling out to the floor. Reigns is up again (and so is the ring, which is still up on the tractor, meaning a big middle finger to fans on that side of the ring, who can’t see a thing right now) so cue the Usos to go after Lesnar. They’re wrecked in short order so Heyman hands Lesnar the titles in an attempt to get him off Reigns.

That earns Heyman an F5 through the announcers’ table (egads the impact), allowing Reigns to hit a spear. They’re both down so heeeeeeere’s Theory with the briefcase! Before the bell can ring, Lesnar F5’s him on the floor to cut that off in a hurry. The Usos are back up to superkick Lesnar, who gets up again.

Reigns hits another spear, followed by another spear. With that not working either, Reigns hits Theory with the briefcase and then unloads on Lesnar with the thing. That’s only good for nine, so Reigns belts him in the head but Lesnar is up AGAIN. Another belt shot connects so Reigns and the Usos bury Lesnar with everything they can find at ringside to finally keep him down and retain the title at 22:54.

Rating: B. This was the fight that you would expect from these guys under these circumstances and that’s exactly what it needed to be. Sometimes you need two people to beat the daylights out of each other with one big shot after another and that’s what you got here. Lesnar might not have been the biggest threat to win the title, but sometimes you need a match where the champion has to fight really hard to keep the title. Rather good main event and that’s as good as you could have gotten here.

Reigns poses as what used to be Heyman is carried out to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. WWE had a rather strong show here with the bigger matches more than delivering. There’s nothing on here to make it a classic but it’s a three and a half hour show with some very good stuff throughout. The weaker points are kept short and I had a lot of fun throughout. This is what Summerslam tends to be like and they made a rather transitional time in the company’s history work out.

Results
Bianca Belair b. Becky Lynch – KOD
Logan Paul b. The Miz – Skull Crushing Finale
Bobby Lashley b. Theory – Hurt Lock
Rey Mysterio/Dominik Mysterio b. Judgment Day – Slingshot splash to Balor
Pat McAfee b. Baron Corbin – Panama Sunrise
Usos b. Street Profits – 1D to Dawkins
Ronda Rousey b. Liv Morgan – Rollup
Roman Reigns b. Brock Lesnar when Lesnar could not answer the ten count

Ratings Comparison

Bianca Belair b. Becky Lynch

Original: B
2023 Redo: B

Logan Paul vs. The Miz

Original: C+
2023 Redo: B

Theory vs. Bobby Lashley

Original: C-
2023 Redo: C-

Judgment Day vs. Rey Mysterio/Dominik Mysterio

Original: C
2023 Redo: C+

Baron Corbin vs. Pat McAfee

Original: C
2023 Redo: B-

Usos vs. Street Profits

Original: C+
2023 Redo: B

Ronda Rousey vs. Liv Morgan

Original: C-
2023 Redo: C-

Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar

Original: B-
2023 Redo: B

Overall Rating

Original: C+
2023 Redo: B+

Dang I underrated some of those earlier matches, especially Miz vs. Logan Paul.

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