Smackdown
Date: September 5, 2025
Location: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re back from Europe after Clash In Paris and the main story here is something from Raw. In this case that’s because hometown legend CM Punk has all but said he’ll be here, while suggesting that he might be bringing a certain family member with him. John Cena is here too, and that might make for some big moments with just over two weeks to go before Wrestlepalooza. Let’s get to it.

Here is Clash In Paris if you need a recap.

We open with a long Clash In Paris recap.

Here is John Cena to get things going and the fans are happy to see him. Cena says he’s glad to hear that because he’s been trying to give it everything he has on this farewell tour. He’s out there with nothing planned and tonight he’s here to just take it in. Cena isn’t used to the most positive receptions around here but these people are special. Their chants can bring people back to WWE but this is Cena’s final time in Chicago and on Smackdown (oh that’s big).

This place is important for him though because he started his WWE career right here. This place is special though, because for Cena it is the greatest crowd WWE has. Cena thanks the fans but here is Sami Zayn to interrupt. The fans don’t seem happy to see him but Zayn is here to thank Cena for everything he’s done. Zayn reminds Cena that he debuted against Cena in a US Open Challenge and here he is as the US Champion. Therefore, with Cena’s permission, he wants to bring back the US Open Challenge.

Works for Cena, who goes to leave, but Zayn stops him. If this is Cena’s last night on Smackdown, he wants to repay the favor and give Cena a shot at the US Title. Again, works for Cena. This was a more emotional moment for Cena and you could tell it was meaning something to him. Zayn’s part was a nice call back and bonus as well.

US Title: John Cena vs. Sami Zayn

Cena is challenging. We’re joined in progress with Cena working on the arm but Zayn is right back with an armbar of his own. Cena’s armbar is broken up and Zayn springboards over him, only to get suplexed back down. One heck of a whip into the corner has Zayn in trouble and we take a break.

We come back with Cena hitting the AA for two and blocking the exploder into the corner. A pop up powerbomb gives Cena two (nice nod to Kevin Owens) but he misses a charge into the post. The Helluva Kick misses and Cena hits an Angle Slam (Cole completely misses the point but Graves catches it) for two.

We take another break and come back with Zayn hitting the exploder into the Helluva Kick for two and they’re both down. Zayn misses a charge in the corner and walks into a GTS of all things for two more. A spear of all things gives Cena two (Cole AGAIN misses the point, saying that was a nod to Roman Reigns, with Graves suggesting it was a certain Canadian) and the fans, in on the idea, want an RKO. Instead it’s a super AA and they’re both down again….and here’s Brock Lesnar. The referee is pulled out and we’ll call it a no contest at 21:30.

Rating: B+. They were rocking near the end and I think we can accept the interference ending as a way to keep either from taking a loss. Cena just going nuts and doing a big tribute to a bunch of his old opponents (he used an ankle lock during a break) was a lot of fun. Zayn wasn’t exactly popular here, but it was still a heck of a match as they were both feeling it.

Post match it’s an F5 apiece as the fans aren’t pleased. Lesnar gives Cena another F5, puts his hat back on, and leaves.

Post break, Lesnar says he’ll see Cena at Wrestlepalooza and the match is on.

And with that, we’re over 50 minutes into the show. Not a bad start.

Carmelo Hayes and Miz talk to a busy Nick Aldis about a Tag Team Title match. He’ll consider it and hurries off.

Becky Lynch arrives.

Video on Aleister Black vs. Damian Priest.

Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black

Black jumps him from behind during the entrance and sends Priest over the barricade before the bell. We take a break and come back with a limping Priest trying to get inside but Black kicks him down. Black sends him inside and the bell rings, with Priest falling down off a big swing. Black gets in something like an Octopus hold, followed by a middle rope Meteora and we take a break.

We come back with Black getting crotched on top but he elbows Priest in the head for two more. Priest fights up and slugs away, including some hard kicks to the chest. The Old School crossbody connects and Black Downward Spirals him onto the apron, followed by a Razor’s Edge onto the announcers’ table. They get back in and Black begs off but grabs the referee to block South Of Heaven. A quick Black Mass finishes for Black at 9:37.

Rating: B-. Priest is more than protected in the loss and that’s fine, as he’ll have a reason to come back for revenge later. It’s a good way for Black to look superior, though Priest is going to need to crank up the violence. That could make for a good Smackdown main event down the line, especially with some special stipulations.

Video on Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Tiffany Stratton is ready to shut Jade Cargill up next week.

Cargill is ready as well but Nia Jax interrupts. Cargill says get out of her way or catch these hands tonight.

Nick Aldis comes in to see a rather enthusiastic Becky Lynch. CM Punk is here and they can’t have anything going wrong here, but Lynch says it’ll be fine.

Women’s United States Title: Giulia vs. Michin

Giulia, with Kiana James, is defending. They slug it out to start and James gets on the apron, which doesn’t make much of a difference. Giulia misses a charge to the floor but comes back with a neckbreaker outside and we take a break. We come back with Giulia snapping off a German suplex, only for Michin to hit her own. Michin whips her into the corner for the cannonball but Giulia’s sitout driver gets two more. Michin fights up but has to hurricanrana driver James. The distraction lets Michin hit the running knee to retain at 7:35.

Rating: C+. It’s nice to see Giulia actually get in the ring, though she’s going to need a much bigger opponent than Michin. This didn’t feel like it was supposed to be some big title defense or anything close, so maybe someone new can come after the title soon. Giulia and James are a fine enough combination, with James mainly there as the standard talking distraction.

We look at Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre attacking Charlotte last week.

Charlotte is upset over her knee but Alexa Bliss, with a stethoscope comes in, saying the power of friendship will heal her pain. Charlotte talks to Lily and realizes she might be losing it.

Here is Seth Rollins, in the crowd, for a chat. He’s ready to kill the legend of CM Punk and introduces Becky Lynch, through the entrance, to make it happen. Lynch DOES NOT like the Chicago crowd and runs down their local sports teams (minus the Bears, as Rollins is a fan). Cue CM Punk to interrupt (yeah they like him), with Rollins waving with a big grin on his face in a funny bit.

Lynch thinks Punk should be embarrassed but he has nothing to be embarrassed about. Punk is tired of Rollins hiding behind everyone and Lynch asks how his jaw is feeling. The fans chant for AJ LEE and Lynch tries to cut them off but Punk says they can chant her name. Punk says he could snap his fingers and have one of his sisters (who raises her hand) take Lynch out. Or he could call Bayley or Rhea Ripley and have them do it.

Lynch slaps him over and over (Rollins dances over this) and Punk goes to the floor. This is the kind of situation he wanted to avoid, because he would never put his hands on a lady. Thankfully he knows someone who will and LET’S LIGHT IT UP. Lynch and Rollins panic as AJ skips to the ring, takes a quick lap, and gets inside as the fans are losing it. The brawl is on and Lynch drops her, followed by a big slap. Lynch and Rollins bail as Punk hugs AJ to end the show.

The pop for AJ’s return was massive as they weren’t exactly subtle that she was coming back. It helps that she doesn’t have to be some kind of all generational talent but rather just able to do what she did before. She’s only 38 so it’s not like this is someone twenty years passed their prime. This worked well and it has me interested in the mixed tag.

Overall Rating: B+. Despite having a 21 minute opening match, this wasn’t a wrestling heavy show. Instead, this was built around the very lengthy (yet great) opening segment/match/fallout and the big closing. That sets up two major matches at Wrestlepalooza and that’s what it needed to be. They didn’t bother with anything close to subtlety here, as it was two huge segments, a big match, and two midcard matches to pad it out. Heck of a show here, with the big stuff nailing it on both sides.

Results
John Cena vs. Sami Zayn went to a no contest when Brock Lesnar interfered
Aleister Black b. Damian Priest – Black Mass
Giulia b. Michin – Running knee

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: September 15, 2008
Location: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler

We’re on the way to No Mercy and that means it’s time to start putting the card together. In this case that means figuring out what is coming, though the Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels feud should give you a pretty good idea. First though, Jericho has to get through CM Punk in a steel cage. Let’s get to it.

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

The cage is lowered.

Raw World Title: CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho

Jericho is defending in a cage with pinfall, submission or escape to win. Punk hammers away to start fast and whips Jericho into the corner, allowing Jericho to try a quick escape. That’s immediately cut off so Punk goes up, with Jericho pulling him back down. The running knee and bulldog look to set up the GTS but Jericho makes the rope. Punk is fine enough to send him into the cage and we take a break.

We come back with Jericho holding an ankle lock of all things before switching to the Walls. Punk’s crawl gets his hands and a leg out of the cage but Jericho pulls him back in and slams the door on Punk’s head. The Lionsault hits a raised knee though and Punk kicks him down, only to miss a running knee in the corner.

They fight onto the top of the cage and then crash back down to give Punk two. Jericho sends him into the cage and goes up, with Punk grabbing an electric chair for the big crash back down. Punk goes for the door but Jericho dives at him and winds up on the apron. A headbutt staggers Jericho…and he falls out to retain the title in a bit of a call back to Muraco vs. Snuka.

Rating: B. Good, hard hitting fight here as Jericho escapes again, with Punk basically beating himself. It’s a clever way to keep both of them going, as Punk got his rematch and didn’t so much get beaten as much as Jericho got lucky. At the same time, Jericho gets to move on, likely to his next showdown with Shawn Michaels.

Batista is watching.

Mike Adamle is talking to Kelly Kelly in the back when some annoying guy comes in to introduce himself. Dolph Ziggler or something. With that out of the way, Chris Jericho comes in and Adamle says it’s time to focus on No Mercy. Jericho doesn’t like that and says Adamle needs to take care of him better, even offering to explain it in his office.

Kane is in a mask but explains that he had to remove it. That was for all of the people but it got him nothing. Now people ridicule him and he doesn’t like that. He wants to hurt Rey Mysterio, who doesn’t have the courage to unmask. Everyone wears a mask because they don’t like themselves. When he attacked Mysterio, he was attacking everyone. Evan Bourne comes in and says he wants to see Mysterio beat Kane. That doesn’t seem to bother Kane, who laughs a lot.

Candice Michelle vs. Jillian Hall

Hall sings some Elvis on her way to the ring and after the break, cranking up the shrieking extra high this week. Beth Phoenix is here to watch as well. Michelle grabs a quickly broken headlock to start and is promptly planted hard. Hall pulls on the hair to keep Michelle down and we hit the full nelson. Michelle fights up and jumps over her in the corner, hitting a kind of Edge-O-Matic (nice) for two. The Candywrapper finishes Hall off.

Rating: C-. The Edge-O-Matic was nice and you can see that Michelle is trying, but it’s still only getting her so far. I’ll certainly take someone at least trying to get better though and Michelle is doing just that, which is partially why she’s getting the attention. WWE is trying to find someone new for the women’s division so they might as well try it with Michelle.

Post match Phoenix comes after Michelle and gets dropkicked.

John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Tommy Dreamer

JBL slams him down and drops an elbow, followed by a big boot. Dreamer gets a boot of his own up in the corner and grabs a neckbreaker, only to walk into the Clothesline From JBL for the fast pin.

Post match JBL says he isn’t leaving the ring until he talks to Mike Adamle. Post break JBL is still waiting and explaining that he should be #1 contender but gets Randy Orton instead. Orton talks about his recent champions evaluation, which is why he cost CM Punk the World Title. JBL isn’t much of an upgrade, though Orton’s shoulder is almost better and he’s coming for the title. Then there will be a champion on Raw with some credibility…so cue Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix.

Marella mocks Orton for being hurt all the time, just like his dad. On the other hand, Marella’s father is always healthy! Except for having herpes. Orton: “You expect me to respond to that?” JBL wants an apology from Orton because JBL knocked Batista out cold with one shot last week. Cue Batista to interrupt, quoting Barack Obama to suggest that Phoenix is a pig. Marella says Phoenix squeals but Batista promises to beat all of them up. Marella: “Aren’t you forgetting someone?”

Batista apologizes and offers Phoenix a title shot when he gets the belt back too. Mike Adamle pops up on screen to say he’ll make his official decision on a #1 contender later tonight. Batista takes out JBL and Marella but Phoenix slaps him in the face. That earns her a spinebuster onto Marella

In the back, Orton passes Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase and Manu, with some glares being exchanged.

Kofi Kingston/Jerry Lawler/Charlie Haas vs. Cody Rhodes/Ted DiBiase/Manu

Haas is Jim Ross this week so naturally he’s fat, talks about football, and pitches barbecue sauce. And yes, the fans are quiet for the dumb joke. Kingston headlocks Manu to start before slipping out of a slam and hitting a dropkick. Rhodes comes in and gets dragged into the corner for the tag to Lawler (the fans still like him), who fires off some dropkicks.

Rhodes knocks him down though and grabs the chinlock, only for Lawler to fight up and bring Haas in for some snap jabs. Everything breaks down and Haas hits a splash as everything breaks down. DiBiase avoids a charge into the corner and the cobra clutch Russian legsweep finishes fast.

Rating: C-. Hey did you know that WWE likes to make fun of Jim Ross every single chance they get? It’s the most one note joke imaginable in this situation and that’s not something you want to see. Well unless you’re Vince McMahon of course, which is why this kept happening. The match was just a way to get Lawler on the show, which was fine, though the fans’ lack of a response to Haas as Ross told you all you needed to know.

Smackdown Rebound.

JBL comes in to see Chris Jericho, who cuts him off and brings up JBL costing him the World Title last year. Jericho brings up the impending stock market crash and brags about being the champion. No, he won’t put a good word in for JBL to get the title shot.

Jamie Noble vs. Paul Burchill

Katie Lea is here with Burchill. Noble stomps him down to start fast but gets uppercutted into the corner. Back up and Noble slingshots into a cross armbreaker for the fast tap.

Post match Layla comes out to apologize for last week. She’s so sorry for taking that long to get away from Noble, because now she has found a man worthy of her. This brings out William Regal, who says Layla wanted nobility rather than Noble.

Lance Cade is meeting with Mike Adamle when Batista comes in, wanting to be #1 contender. Cade says Batista isn’t #1 contender and gets slammed into a wall.

Kane vs. Rey Mysterio

Kane throws him into the corner for a right hand to start before pulling a springboard hurricanrana out of the air. Mysterio slips out but is quickly choked on the rope to stop that just as fast. We take an early break and come back with Mysterio fighting out of a chinlock The elbow misses for Kane and Mysterio hammers away in the corner, only to be sent back first into the post.

Kane stomps him down in the corner but misses a charge, allowing Mysterio to hit the sitout bulldog. Mysterio sends him into the corner and hits the enziguri to set up the 619. That’s cut off with a hard clothesline and Kane stomps away in the corner….for the DQ, as Mysterio manages to survive.

Rating: C. This wasn’t some big epic showdown but it wasn’t supposed to be. What matters is having Mysterio back in the ring so he can fight back against Kane, though he’s probably going to need some help. For now though, it’s the start of what will likely be a bigger story, as WWE would never pull the plug on Kane being a monster or anything.

Post match Kane stays on Mysterio until Evan Bourne runs in for the save.

Dolph Ziggler introduces himself to Chris Jericho and Lance Cade but only gets a handshake from the latter.

Here are Jericho and Cade in the arena for the announcement of the next #1 contender. Jericho talks about how neither JBL nor Batista are worthy of a title shot, so they should face off at No Mercy and he gets the winner immediately thereafter. That’s two matches for one of them but that’s how he won the title at Unforgiven. Cue Mike Adamle to say he thinks that’s fair and they will have a #1 contenders match and will face the champion in the future.

Jericho asks what he means by “the champion” because he’ll be the champion. Actually hang on though, as there is someone else who has pitched a title shot, which he will receive at No Mercy. Cue Shawn Michaels, who says they have fought in a variety of matches, so what else can they do to each other? There is one more that he can do and it will allow him to hurt Jericho and win the title. He asks some people to help him out so they bring in a ladder, with Michaels climbing up to make the match official to end the show. Yeah I’d say that works.

Overall Rating: C+. The whole point of this show was setting up a title match at No Mercy and while Michaels was the fairly obvious pick, they did a nice job of setting him up as something of a surprise at the end. Throwing in the ladder matkes it even better and it should be a heck of a match. The rest of the show was the hit and miss stuff you expect from Raw, but the cage match and closing segments made it work well enough.

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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Smackdown
Date: August 29, 2025
Location: LDLC Arena, Lyon, France
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

We’re taped from France this week as the company is in the country for Sunday’s Clash In Paris event. That means this is going to be one of the big TV shows before we get to the pay per view and in this case, we have Solo Sikoa defending the US Title against Sami Zayn. John Cena is here too so things should be interesting. 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 Logan Paul/John Cena showdown to further set up their Clash In Paris match. Paul then knocks Cena out to end the show, following a Brock Lesnar tease.

Paul arrive and walks from his car into the arena for a chat. After bringing up Cena calling him a parasite last week, Paul insists on sticking with English even though he’s in France. Paul lists off a bunch of stats about his money and how much he brings to the company (“YOU’RE WELCOME TKO!”). This place is becoming the WW-ME and Cena represents the past. Paul starts yelling at the fans in French and insults Cena as well, which brings out Cena to interrupt.

Cena gets right to the point: the fans are the ones who decide what kind of career Paul has. While Cena likes the idea of Paul taking WWE to new heights, he doesn’t think Paul is willing to put in the effort. Paul wants to talk about being a disrupter, but Cena was doing that twenty years ago. His brass knuckles even said WORD LIFE and he shook up all kinds of things. He even wore jorts! Cena talks about how Paul wasn’t on a list of influential influencers so he’s here to save his career.

After they take turns speaking French, Cena says that Paul is just a gimmick and goes to the floor as he talks about respect. Cena says respect is saying something bad to a fan because you’re having a bad day but then seeing them later and saying you’re sorry (which he does to a young fan). Paul tells Cena to wrap this up, but Cena says that Paul “asked for this match s*** head.” Cena says that wrestling is going to ruin Paul to wrap it up. The fact that we wasted six months on the awful heel run is astounding.

The Street Profits and B-Fab are ready to become #1 contenders again but Bo Dallas (looking and sounding incredibly like Bray Wyatt) comes in to interrupt. Dallas says the Wyatt Sicks are a family and when the Profits come for the titles, they’ll find out if the two of them are really brothers. Minor spoilers aside, I do like Dallas being himself for some promos, as it could actually allow the team to make some more sense.

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

Green (substituting for an out of action Piper Niven) and Fyre are challenging but they jump Charlotte in the aisle before the match. We take a break and come back with a change having been made.

Alexa Bliss vs. Chelsea Green

Bliss charges at her to start and hammers away but gets distracted by Fyre. Back in and Green hits her in the face and yells a lot, earning a slap right back from Bliss. Green sends her into the corner and chokes on the rope, followed by a big boot. Bliss sends her outside but goes after Fyre again, allowing Green to get in a shot of her own as we take a break. We come back with Green dropkicking her out to the floor but getting sent into the barricade for her efforts.

They get back in with Bliss winning an exchange of forearms but Sister Abigail is countered with something like a Zig Zag. Back up and Bliss knocks off the top but has to deal with Fyre. Twisted Bliss doesn’t work and neither does Sister Abigail, leaving Bliss to roll her up for the pin at 8:43.

Rating: C+. Not bad here with Bliss having to fight against the odds without her partner around. I’m assuming they switched things up here due to Niven not being around and not wanting to burn off the match, which is understandable enough. Bliss getting a win on her own is good, though it would be nice to see Green not lose so often.

Post match Fyre and Green jump Bliss again until Charlotte limps out to make the save. The bad knee is taken out though and Green/Fyre stand tall.

Sami Zayn feels confident about the main event and wants to become US Champion in France.

Cody and Brandi Rhodes have had another daughter. Well that’s great.

Aleister Black asks what Damian Priest thought would happen. Black plans to show how misguided Priest really is. He’ll be the one kneeling on Priest’s chest, saying I WARNED YOU.

Priest says he knows Black wants to be like him but he just isn’t. He’s going to teach Black to run from someone like him and enjoy the beating Black receives. Priest even throws it back to commentary.

Michin vs. Kiana James

Giulia is here with James, who swings the briefcase at Michin and gets rolled up for the pin at 7 seconds.

Post match Giulia jumps Michin and sends her into the steps.

Here is Drew McIntyre for a chat. McIntyre goes around ringside to ask for an update on Cody Rhodes, thinking Michael Cole would know it because he’s “always kissing Cody Rhodes’ a**.” With no update available, McIntyre tells Randy Orton to get out here so the fans can sing his song. Cue Orton, and they do sing. McIntyre isn’t sure why Orton attacked him last week, but hopefully it wasn’t out of loyalty to Rhodes.

The reality is that Rhodes doesn’t have real friends and he’s always out for himself. Rhodes probably checked on Orton during his two year recovery from back surgery because he was gathering intel. Orton says he’ll give that some thought, but he dropped McIntyre last week because he doesn’t think much of McIntyre. That earns him a Glasgow Kiss and the fight is on, with Orton hitting a hanging DDT. Security and agents come in for the save so Orton takes them (including Hurricane Helms) out with RKO’s, allowing McIntyre to escape. Good enough stuff here, as the Rhodes vs. Orton seeds continue to be planted.

Carmelo Hayes and Miz still aren’t exactly on the same page but Miz gives him a pep talk. Bo Dallas pops in to say there is a difference between perception and reality, asking if Hayes can handle that. Hayes tells him not to write a reality check his mouth can’t cash.

Nick Aldis yells at Randy Orton, who gives Aldis a bottle of whiskey. R-Truth comes in, mistakes Aldis for someone else, and leaves.

Carmelo Hayes/The Miz vs. Street Profits

For the Clash In Paris Tag Team Title shot. Ford takes over on Miz to start and it’s off to Dawkins for a double back elbow. Dawkins hits the running spinning corner splashes but Miz grabs a foot. Hayes gets in the Fadeaway for two and we take a break. We come back with Dawkins planting Hayes and the double tag bringing in Ford and Miz.

House is quickly cleaned and a standing moonsault gets two on Miz. Back up and Miz hits a DDT for two on Ford but the Skull Crushing Finale is blocked. Hayes tags himself back in and hits a frog splash for two on Ford as things slow back down. Cue the Wyatt Sicks for a distraction to Miz, who gets knocked to the floor. The Revelation finishes Hayes at 9:07.

Rating: B-. I’m a bit surprised at the result here as Hayes and Miz have been on something of a winning streak, though the Profits feel like a bigger threat to the titles. The Wyatts are at least doing something different and they might be going after Miz and Hayes in the coming weeks. That’s better than what we’ve been getting so this was at least somewhat encouraging.

Jade Cargill surprises Tiffany Stratton in the back and reveals that she is Stratton’s next #1 contender. Cargill promises to show that they were never on the same level.

Solo Sikoa is ready to take out Sami Zayn.

Clash In Paris rundown.

US Title: Sami Zayn vs. Solo Sikoa

Sikoa, with the MFT’s, is defending. Zayn throws him to the floor to start and does his flip back into the ring as we take a break. We come back with Sikoa hitting the running Umaga Attack for two but Zayn is right back with a clothesline to the floor. The big running flip dive connects but the MFT’s cut Zayn off outside. Spinning Solo gets two and the MFT’s jump Zayn again, so here are Jacob Fatu and Jimmy Uso to go after them. The Blue Thunder Bomb gives Zayn two as most of the others brawl to the floor.

The threat of a Helluva Kick sends Sikoa outside, where he plants Zayn on the announcers’ table as we take a break. We come back with Zayn missing something off the top and getting caught in the Samoan Drop. The Superfly Splash gives Sikoa two but the Samoan Spike misses. Zayn suplexes him into the corner, only to charge into a superkick. Another Spike misses though and Zayn hits a pair of Helluva Kicks for the pin and the title at 13:27.

Rating: B-. Points for the big title change here, as that’s not something I was expecting. Zayn getting the win and the title is a nice moment for him and a good way to give him something to do before he can move on to the World Title scene. Sikoa will have multiple options to go after and Zayn’s challengers will be lined up, so this was a nice way to go.

Zayn celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Good enough show here, with the focus being split between the pay per view and the regular stuff around here. That’s a nice mixture to have, as it lets WWE look a bit towards the future beyond this Sunday. The big promo exchanged worked well and the main event was a fun surprise. Now just follow it up after this with a strong showing on Sunday and the build towards….Wrestlepalooza, because that’s really what it’s called.

Results
Alexa Bliss b. Chelsea Green – Rollup
Michin b. Kiana James – Rollup
Street Profits b. Miz/Carmelo Hayes – Revelation to Hayes
Sami Zayn b. Solo Sikoa – Helluva Kick

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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Brock Lesnar: Before He Was A Superstar
Commentators: Dean Hill, Les Thatcher

So Lesnar is back after a long hiatus from WWE and that means he is in the company’s good graces again. Therefore, WWE is looking back at his career and apparently that includes his time before making it on the big stage. That’s what we’re going to be looking at here, which could have some interesting selections. Let’s get to it.

Dark match from before Raw, June 4, 2001.

Minnesota Stretching Crew vs. Scotty Zappa/Magnus Maximus

The Crew would be Lesnar and Shelton Benjamin, and since we’re in Minneapolis, JESSE VENTURA is managing them. Well dang there’s something I never thought I’d see. The fans are way into Ventura as Benjamin takes Zappa down and works on the arm. Lesnar comes in to stay on the arm and it’s off to Maximus, whose arm is cranked as well.

Lesnar and Maximus have a big man staredown, with Maximus hitting some left hands, only for Lesnar to turn him inside out with a clothesline. Fans: “LET’S GO GOPHERS!” (Lesnar and Benjamin both went to the University of Minnesota, whose mascot is the Golden Gopher). Maximus finally gets something going with a reverse Twist Of Fate for two on Benjamin, followed by a legdrop for the same.

Maximus’ charge in the corner misses but Zappa is right there with a clothesline from the apron. Benjamin fights up and brings in Lesnar as everything breaks down. Maximus is sent outside and it’s a backbreaker to set up Benjamin’s 450 for the….near fall as Maximus makes the save. Zappa and Maximus collide, with Benjamin superkicking the latter down. Lesnar hits an INSANE shooting star press (Maximus was over halfway across the ring) for the pin at 7:46.

Rating: C+. The match itself was pretty dry but WOW that shooting star was insane. Simply put, a big powerhouse like Lesnar should not be able to do that and he made it look easy. It’s a level of athletic ability you do not get to see from almost anyone else and that was incredible. Benjamin looked good as well, but there was no topping that finish. Of note: Maximus would go on to some success of his own as Bam Neely.

Dark match from before Raw, January 28, 2002.

Brock Lesnar vs. Mr. Perfect

Rare blue trunks for Lesnar here. Lesnar powers him into the corner and poses, followed by a shove over the ropes for more posing, including a chest pop. Back in and Perfect threatens to slap the s*** out of him before Lesnar muscles him up for a backdrop. Lesnar’s posing has Perfect jumping over the top for another breather on the floor as this isn’t working so far.

The shoulders in the corner have Perfect in trouble and he loses a chop battle to make it worse. Lesnar charges into a raised boot though and Perfect finally hits a clothesline for a needed breather. Perfect throws him hard into the corner and grabs the PerfectPlex for the pin at 3:50.

Rating: C. This was bordering on a squash for Lesnar until the finish and that shouldn’t be a big surprise. These two were incredibly close behind the scenes and Perfect was absolutely going to go out of his way to make Lesnar feel like a star. Perfect’s bumping was of course great and it was a fun match, even if Lesnar got beaten down rather quickly.

From OVW’s The Last Dance.

OVW Tag Team Titles: Brock Lesnar/Brian Keck vs. Dean Malenko/Perry Saturn

Lesnar and Keck (the latter of whom is substituting for Shelton Benjamin, who is at ringside with his arm in a cast/brace) are defending and get jumped from behind to start fast. It’s a brawl to start and Saturn/Malenko are quickly sent outside. They tease running back in but drop to the floor for another breather. Back in and Malenko and Saturn get headbutted down, only to pull Keck into the wrong corner.

Malenko’s front facelock has Keck in trouble and it’s off to Saturn, who gets sunset flipped for two. Saturn stomps away near the ropes but Keck suplexes his way to freedom. That’s enough for the tag off to Lesnar and house s quickly cleaned, including a Samoan driver for two on Saturn with Malenko pulling the referee. The Moss Covered Three Handled Family Credenza gets two on Lesnar with Keck making a save, allowing Lesnar to grab a northern lights suplex to retain at 9:02.

Rating: C. This was pretty clearly designed to be a way for the Minnesota Stretching Crew to show what they could do against a pair of veterans but it wound up being a Lesnar showcase instead. That’s not a bad thing, but Keck being in there instead of Benjamin is quite the letdown. Malenko and Saturn did their thing and looked fine, though they weren’t the story here.

From OVW TV, July 28, 2001.

Brock Lesnar vs. Leviathan

Leviathan, with Synn and (I think) Connie, is the Guardian Of The Gates Of Hell and would later be known as Batista. Leviathan powers Lesnar around to start but gets hiptossed down. Back up and a spinebuster plants Lesnar, who is right back with a middle rope crossbody. Lesnar gets sent into the corner though for some choking from Leviathan, who hits a belly to back slam for two.

The chinlock with a knee in the back has Lesnar in more trouble and a DDT sets up…well the same chinlock actually. Commentary talks about “ring psychology”, which comes after a discussion of people from “New York” scouting OVW talent. Lesnar fights up and hits an overhead belly to belly. The Samoan driver puts Leviathan down but Connie (apparently Connie Swail for a Dragnet reference of all things) offers a distraction, allowing Synn to spray something in Lesnar’s eyes. The spear give Leviathan the pin at 6:22.

Rating: C. This was basically a “hey did you know these guys had a match?” and that’s a perfectly fine way to go. That’s the kind of thing you want in a collection like this, as Lesnar vs. Batista would have easily headlined a pay per view had Lesnar stuck around. For now though, not much of a match, but neither of them was much to see at this point and there was a lot going on.

Dark match before Raw, January 7, 2002.

Brock Lesnar vs. Rico Constantino

Yes that Rico, but when he was playing it completely normal and felt like he was miles ahead of just about everyone in OVW. Rico starts fast with the kicks (those always looked good) but Lesnar (in white boots for a WEIRD look) takes him down with the straight power. Lesnar drops him again and hits a backbreaker, followed by a chinlock, which feels so off coming from him. Rico fights up for a superkick and a shoulder, but the high crossbody is pulled out of the air. A running powerslam gives Lesnar (pronounced “Less-nar” by the Fink) the pin at 5:30.

Rating: C+. It’s still bizarre to see Rico as a run of the mill wrestler who could do this kind of stuff. As good as he was though, his age was going to be too big of a deal to overcome and it’s part of why Lesnar was pushed this way. Rico made Lesnar look good out there though and that’s not the biggest surprise.

Dark match before Raw, March 11, 2002.

Brock Lesnar vs. Spike Dudley

Much more standard look for “Less-nar” (Fink did it again) save for a goatee which thankfully didn’t last. Lesnar starts fast with a gorilla press and some backbreakers as this kind of match is tailor made for him. A hard whip into the corner has Spike in more trouble and one heck of a powerbomb sends him crawling to the floor. For some reason Spike gets back inside and manages to knock Lesnar off the top. A top rope double stomp connects but Spike charges into the F5 for the pin at 5:04.

Rating: C. Yeah you knew what you were going to get here and it’s why Spike had a job as long as he did. It’s so easy to cheer for a smaller guy like him and having a force like Lesnar on the other side of the ring made it that much better. Not a particularly good match, but Lesnar was becoming more or less TV ready at this point.

Dark match before Raw, February 4, 2002.

Brock Lesnar/Ron Waterman vs. Randy Orton/Rico Constantino

Waterman is a former UFC guy who never went anywhere. He drives Rico into the corner to start but Orton comes in for a double elbow. It’s off to Lesnar, who gets taken down with a basement dropkick, allowing Orton to start in on his arm. Lesnar fights back with the power until Rico manages a double down. Waterman and Orton come in and everything breaks down, with Orton high crossbodying Waterman for the pin at 4:03.

Rating: C+. You can put this on the same list as the Batista match, as this was about getting Orton onto the set, which is fine as he came up with Lesnar in OVW. Waterman is someone who had a good look but was never going to go very far, though the other three were showing potential. It’s weird to think that neither Orton nor Lesnar wouldn’t even be the most successful member of the rookie class, but they did pretty well for second and third.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling itself is ok at best (and again, expectations of wrestlers still in developmental are different) but this would have been a perfect choice for something like a modern day Coliseum Video. It gives you exactly what it says it will be and it made for an interesting look at what Lesnar was before he became a force in WWE. It would get repetitive after awhile, but there is something interesting about watching Lesnar fine tune what made him a star.

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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Best Of Umaga
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Todd Grisham

I’m not sure why Umaga is getting a special look on the Vault but that’s kind of the point of the thing. Umaga wasn’t around for very long when you really look at it but he certainly made an impact. He’s the kind of monster who can smash through some people and that is what we are going to be seeing here. Let’s get to it.

Quick opening video, which is just some basic highlights.

From Cyber Sunday 2006.

Kane vs. Umaga

Kane won the spot here by dominating a fan vote (49%) over Sandman (28%) and Chris Benoit (23%). Armando Alejandro Estrada is here with Umaga as Kane slugs away to start. A headbutt gets Umaga out of trouble but Kane is back with more uppercuts. Umaga goes with the power off a belly to belly and a spinwheel kick cuts Kane down again. Kane tries to fight back again and is quickly taken down with a faceplant. Some big chops in the corner wake Kane up so Umaga rakes his eyes.

The middle rope headbutt gets two and the running Umaga Attack connects, with Kane rolling outside. The Samoan Spike only hits post though and Umaga is in trouble for a change. Back in and Kane rains down rights and lefts (so you know it’s serious) in the corner. Umaga is right back with a Samoan drop and that’s enough for Estrada to load up the victory cigar. That takes too long though as Kane sits up and avoids a charge into the post. Kane goes up but has to kick Estrada down, allowing Umaga to knock him out of the air. The Samoan Spike finishes Kane at 8:37.

Rating: C-. Not a great match here, but rather just kind of dull. Kane was fighting back against the monster but could only get so far, which is why Umaga felt like a different kind of heel. He was out there smashing through other monsters and that made him dangerous. It was a fairly run of the mill match, though the ending was how it should have gone.

From New Year’s Revolution 2007.

Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Umaga

Umaga, with Estrada, is challenging. Some early right hands make Umaga mad but Cena avoids a few charges, including sending Umaga flying over the top. Estrada has to calm him down and apparently it works, as Cena’s charge is cut off and he gets tossed outside. Back in and Cena tries to fight back but gets dropped with a screaming clothesline (Umaga likes to scream).

They go outside again, with Cena being sent into the steps and the then announcers’ table (JR: “WE’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS TONIGHT!”). Back in and Cena avoids a sitdown splash but falls down on a slam attempt for the big crash. A neck snap across the top gives Cena a breather but his high crossbody is countered into a swinging Rock Bottom. Cena manages a Throwback, only to get blasted with a running spinwheel kick (that looked great).

Umaga sits down on Cena’s chest but a raised knee cuts him off for the needed breather. Cena tries the FU and Umaga crashes down onto him for the next big failure. The nerve hold goes on for a good while and Cena’s comeback is cut off with a hard elbow to the face. The middle rope headbutt misses though and Cena sends him head first into the post.

Somehow Cena manages a ProtoBomb into the Shuffle (with a woman in the second or so row absolutely losing her mind at the comeback). Umaga is back up with a belly to belly and ties Cena in the Tree Of Woe, meaning the running headbutt can connect. The running Umaga Attack is cut off by some raised boots though and Cena grabs a rollup for the fluke pin at 17:21.

Rating: B. It takes a lot to make Cena feel like a dramatic underdog but they pulled it off here. Cena was having to fight from underneath throughout and absolutely felt like he escaped rather than winning, which made for a good story. Usually you would expect Cena to make the big power comeback but instead he had to steal a rollup. That makes Umaga feel so much more dangerous and I liked what we got here.

From Royal Rumble 2007.

Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Umaga

Umaga, again with Estrada, is challenging and this is Last Man Standing. Cena, with taped up ribs (the calling card of a champion against a monster) slugs away to start until Umaga wisely goes right to the ribs. They go to the floor fast with Cena being whipped into the steps but manages to fight back in the aisle. Umaga isn’t having any of that and hits a hard clothesline back inside.

The steps are brought in but Cena knocks Umaga off the apron and THROWS THE STEPS AT HIS FACE for the huge crash. Back in and Umaga hits the spinwheel kick to drop Cena again but it’s still not even close to the ten count. The bearhug goes on for a bit before Umaga grabs the steps again. The running Umaga Attack misses Cena but hits the steps, allowing Cena to blast him with the steps for a change.

Umaga beats the count and is fine enough to hit the swinging Rock Bottom. Some cannonballs down onto the ribs have Cena in trouble but, just like last time, he gets the knees up for the low blow counter. The Throwback and ProtoBomb onto the steps have Umaga down and the Shuffle connects as well. Also like last time though, Umaga crashes down onto him on the FU attempt, this time sending Cena into the steps.

Cena gets up but is busted open, earning another knockdown for eight. The fired up comeback is cut off with a scary Samoan drop (with Cena half landing on his head) but the Samoan Spike is cut off. Umaga ties him in the Tree Of Woe but the running headbutt misses this time. Cena’s top rope Fameasser connects and he sends Umaga into the post for a crash. One heck of a monitor shot to the head knocks Umaga silly but he gets up again.

Cena gets knocked onto the announcers’ table and Umaga gets a running start for the missed splash. That’s good for nine and Cena looks crushed at the match continuing. Estrada uses the distraction to unhook a turnbuckle (as in the full thing rather than just the pad) and the top rope falls down. The turnbuckle to the face is countered into an FU though and Cena hits him with the turnbuckle. Cena gets creative by using the ring rope for an STFU to choke Umaga out….then has to do it again to retain at 23:12.

Rating: A-. Oh now this was WAY better, with Cena having to go into full on Superman mode to win a slugout against this kind of a monster. You don’t see Cena get to that level very often but dang it’s a special thing to see when it happens. Outstanding match here and pretty easily the best of Umaga’s career.

From Raw, February 19, 2007.

Intercontinental Title: Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga

Umaga, with Estrada, is challenging and we’re joined in progress with Hardy hitting some dropkicks through the ropes. The dive is pulled out of the air but Hardy manages to post him. Hardy’s run across the barricade is cut off with a shot out of the air and they head back inside.

A big leg gets two on Hardy as commentary hypes up the Battle Of The Billionaires at Wrestlemania. The nerve hold goes on for a bit but Umaga misses the middle rope headbutt. Umaga misses a splash in the corner and the Whisper In The Wind connects. Hardy charges into the Samoan drop though and the running Umaga Attack crushes Hardy. The Samoan Spike gives Umaga the pin and the title at 5:46 shown.

Rating: C. This was more of a surprise than anything else, as Umaga absorbed the big stuff that Hardy threw at him and then smashed through him for the title. While going from Cena down to the Intercontinental Title is something of a fall, Umaga did look like a killer out there. That’s going to make for a good chance for someone to take his title, and that’s why you give a monster like him the belt.

From Summerslam 2007.

Intercontinental Title: Carlito vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. Umaga

Umaga (having eaten Estrada somewhere along the line) is defending. Kennedy tries to tease the alliance to start and is knocked down just as fast. Umaga wrecks both of them, with Kennedy being sent outside, where he cuts off the running Umaga Attack. Carlito knocks Umaga outside and Kennedy kicks him into the steps. Back in and Carlito’s rollup with ropes gets two on Kennedy, who is right back with a Stroke to put Carlito down.

Umaga pulls Kennedy outside though and decks Carlito, only to miss a charge into the corner. Kennedy blasts him with a monitor and it’s time for the challengers to double team the monster. That’s broken up with a double suplex and Umaga smashes through both of them without much trouble. The running Umaga Attack hits Carlito but Kennedy low bridges Umaga to the floor. That doesn’t work for Umaga though, who is right back in with the Samoan Spike to retain at 7:25.

Rating: C+. Kennedy and Carlito felt like planes shooting at King Kong but instead of shooting him down, he crushed them up and put them on a pizza. Neither of them felt like any kind of a serious threat to take the belt, but Umaga had lost enough on the big stages already. Letting him win a match like this was the right call, as he looked liked the definitively better monster.

From Cyber Sunday 2007.

Umaga vs. HHH

Street Fight (57%), which beat Steel Cage (26%) and First Blood (You should be able to do the math to figure out what this is.). If nothing else, we have the awesome keyboard entrance set, which features prominently as the fight starts up on the stage. An early Pedigree attempt is cut off and they fight to the entrance, with HHH knocking him through a wall.

The brawl goes into the crowd and Umaga misses a charge over the barricade, allowing HHH to take over. They get inside for the first time with Umaga again missing a splash into the corner, allowing HHH to go find a trashcan. That takes too long though and Umaga drops him again, setting up a splash for two. A bearhug and belly to belly suplex stay on the bad ribs and the running Umaga Attack stays on…well just about everything else really.

Umaga grabs a chair but gets low blowed a few times, followed by a DDT onto the chair for two. That’s shrugged off as Umaga hits the swinging release Rock Bottom as they go outside. HHH ducks a chair shot but gets knocked over the announcers’ table. The big running splash sends HHH through the table for the huge crash. Back in and the top rope headbutt misses so HHH grabs the sledgehammer, which is knocked away. The Samoan Spike misses and HHH sledgehammers him in the head. The Pedigree finishes Umaga off at 17:20.

Rating: C+. And we’re right back to the run of the mill stuff here, as this was as by the book of a street fight as you could ask. HHH was getting back into the main event scene and needed to go over someone like Umaga to help him get there. This was a basic formula for a match and while it wasn’t bad, it never came close to being anything special.

From Raw, January 7, 2008.

Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga

Hardy’s Intercontinental Title isn’t on the line and this is in a cage. Randy Orton (facing Hardy at the Royal Rumble) comes out to watch and Hardy hammers away to start. Umaga runs him over with the raw power and sends him flying into the cage. Back up and Hardy tries to escape but Umaga slams him down for a crash and we take a break.

We come back with Hardy having to fight out of a nerve hold but getting sent into the cage. Umaga crashes into Hardy against the cage for two so Orton throws in some chairs. A big shot to the back puts Hardy down, but he’s able to crotch Umaga on top. The running Umaga Attack misses and Hardy kicks him into the corner. A DDT onto an open chair knocks Umaga silly for two, leaving both of them down. Hardy goes for the door but Orton slams it on his head. The Samoan Spike is countered into the Twist Of Fate so Hardy goes to the top of the cage and hits THE BIGGEST WHISPER IN THE WIND EVER to pin Umaga at 14:32.

Rating: B-. I understand why this was involved, but this was ALL about Hardy, with the finish being one of the coolest things you’ll see on Raw. It made me wonder what Hardy was going to jump off of to beat Orton at the Rumble and that’s a special feeling. The match itself was just ok, but my goodness what a finish.

From Wrestlemania XXIV.

Batista vs. Umaga

This is Smackdown vs. Raw for brand supremacy or whatever they’re calling it this time. They slug it out to start and Batista is sent to the floor. Back in and Umaga hits a spinwheel kick to rock Batista again. Another trip to the floor lets Umaga beat on him some more and the nerve hold goes on.

Batista avoids the middle rope headbutt but gets knocked down again, setting up another nerve hold. Umaga’s Samoan drop gets two but the Samoan Spike is blocked. Batista sends him into the post, hits a spinebuster and finishes with the Batista Bomb (falling down in the process) at 7:04.

Rating: D. This has to be up there with the all time biggest Wrestlemania disappointments, as what should have been a big power brawl wound up being a boring house show match where they both wanted to beat the traffic. Batista falling down at the end summed it up really well as it capped off the whole mess. Terrible match and a big letdown.

From Judgment Day 2009.

Umaga vs. CM Punk

We’re in Chicago (close enough) here so Punk is even more over then usual. Umaga throws him around to start and Punk can’t do much with the power early on. Punk gets whipped hard into the corner and the nerve hold goes on. Umaga crashes down onto the ribs but Punk raises his feet for a shot to the jaw. Punk tries a slam and collapses (of course), meaning we’re back to the nerve hold. Another comeback attempt is cut off with a shot to the face but Umaga misses the middle rope headbutt (AGAIN).

That’s enough for Punk to send him outside for a dive, followed by the strikes back inside. A running kick to the face staggers Umaga and he misses the splash in the corner. Another splash connects but the running Umaga Attack doesn’t. Punk’s middle rope bulldog gets two but he walks into a Samoan drop for two. The GTS doesn’t work either and it’s the running Umaga Attack into the Samoan Spike for the pin on Punk at 11:53.

Rating: C+. It’s nice to see Umaga get one last big win, as he would be gone from the promotion in less than a month and dead by the end of the year. Umaga was in a weird point here as he was still a good monster but there was a firm ceiling to how far he was going to go. The match was set up for Punk to come back and win a rematch, which is exactly what wound up happening.

Overall Rating: B-. Umaga was an interesting case as he was as general of a wrestling trope as you could get, but dang did he do it well. You knew pretty much exactly what you were going to get with him every time he was out there but it still wound up being a success. Unfortunately drug issues took him down, though I’m not sure how much higher he could have gone.

This is the kind of thing I want from the Vault though, as it’s something that you would not get anywhere else and it had WWE’s awesome production behind it. Good, interesting look at a cool star, and thankfully they ignored the overdone Battle Of The Billionaires (possibly for obvious reasons).

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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John Cena’s Greatest Rivalries
Commentators: Jim Cornette, Dean Hill, Michael Cole, Tazz, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, John Bradshaw Layfield

Another case where the name kind of sums up the whole thing and there isn’t much else to say. Cena has faced pretty much everyone in the modern era and we’re getting a look at some of his bigger ones here. That could cover quite a few different people and I’m not sure who all to expect. Let’s get to it.

Note that this is the WWE Vault version and the VERY slimmed down edition, running just shy of two hours rather than the full seven and a half hour full version. Also note that this was released in October 2014 so some names won’t be included.

We start with Batista, with Cena talking about how important his time in OVW was for his early days. There has not been an influx of talent like that in a long time (true) and they all wanted to have THE spot.

From OVW TV, February 23, 2002.

OVW Title: Prototype vs. Leviathan

Leviathan (naturally Batista), with Synn, is defending and commentary points out that Cena lost his first match in OVW last week….to David Flair? Cena is pretty worried to start and gets kicked down before Leviathan works on the arm. Leviathan is dropped across the top rope as this is dominance thus far. An elbow to the face drops Cena again and an elbow drop gets two. The full nelson slam (Leviathan’s finisher) is loaded up but Cena’s manager Kenny Bolin offers a distraction, allowing Cena to get in a low blow.

Three straight belly to back suplexes give Cena two and he whips Leviathan hard into the corner. A Russian legsweep stays on the bad back but Leviathan blocks another attempt. The comeback is on and now the full nelson slam connects, only for Leviathan to miss…something we don’t see due to a replay. Synn and Bolin get in a fight on the floor as Leviathan hits a powerbomb. Some other guy named Brody gets in the ring with an ether rag to knock Leviathan out. What’s left of Cena gets the pin and the title at 7:11.

Rating: C+. This is a match where you have to keep the words “it’s developmental” in mind. The match was in front of a few hundred people and a single major television market so yeah, it was designed to be very simple. It was clear that they saw something in both guys though, which is why they would both be doing house shows in a few months and then get called up shortly thereafter.

Next up is JBL, who Cena compares to a hard nosed coach who pushed him hard and beat him up even harder.

From Wrestlemania XXI.

Smackdown World Title: John Bradshaw Layfield vs. John Cena

JBL is defending and his entrance (which came first) is cut off here but it’s not his DVD. Cena starts fast with a leapfrog but charges into a boot in the corner. The running shoulder staggers Cena again and a swinging neckbreaker gives JBL two. Some choking on the ropes has Cena in more trouble and a catapult into the rope keeps him in that general area. Another neckbreaker drops Cena for two and JBL grabs the sleeper, which goes as you might expect.

Back up and Cena manages a double clothesline but gets sent outside for another neckbreaker. A superplex drops Cena again but JBL can’t follow up due to the whole crashing down onto the mat as well. The delayed cover gets two so JBL goes up (that can’t be a good idea) and dives into a powerslam to leave both of them down. Cena is able to make the comeback and hits a backdrop, allowing him to initiate the finishing sequence. The Clothesline From JBL misses and the FU gives Cena the pin and the title at 11:28.

Rating: C. This has never been that good of a match and that was clear again here. JBL beats him up, Cena shrugs it off, makes the comeback and wins. It didn’t help that the result was the most obvious imaginable, but dang this would have been better suited as a wild brawl to build the slightest bit of tension (like they did with the rematch, which was outstanding and would have been a much better choice).

We’re not wasting time in getting to the big one as Randy Orton is next up. Cena wants to prove that he’s the best so he faces Orton, who is one of the smoothest wrestlers he’s ever seen (fair). Cena praises Orton’s natural ability, comparing it to Shawn Michaels, saying that it’s not something he himself can do.

From Summerslam 2007.

Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Randy Orton

Cena is defending. We get an old school weapons check and the staredown before the big lockup (they’re definitely going for the big fight feel here). Cena grabs a headlock, allowing him to YELL REALLY LOUDLY IN ORTON’S EAR (he’s an all time great but he can’t hide his spot calling to save his life).

Orton reverses into a shoulder and headlock of his own to a ROAR as this is a very anti-Cena crowd. Back up and it’s too early for the STFU, with Orton bailing straight to the ropes. Orton stomps away but gets taken down with a bulldog for two. Cena’s crossbody misses though and Orton is rather happy at the misfire. A running shoulder sends Cena off the apron and into the announcers’ table for the nasty crash.

Back in and the chinlock goes on, followed by some shots to the head to scramble the brains even more. The big knee drop misses but Orton is right back with another chinlock. That’s switched into a sleeper but this time Cena powers up and starts the comeback. The Shuffle connects but the FU is countered into the backbreaker to put Cena on the apron. Orton hits the hanging DDT and loads up the RKO, which Cena breaks up without much effort.

Cena’s charge sends him crashing out to the floor though and Orton is rather pleased again. Back in Cena grabs a swinging neckbreaker for a breather, followed by the top rope Fameasser. It’s still too early for the FU though as Orton slips out and gets in a neck snap over the top. Orton tries the Punt but gets pulled into the STF, with the long crawl getting him over to the ropes. The RKO gets two but Cena pops back up with the FU to retain at 21:21.

Rating: B-. This was one of (if not the very) their first big time matches against each other and Orton just wasn’t quite there yet. Cena has been the king for a few years now and Orton was an up and coming villain but he needed some more main event seasoning. That would come in time, but for now, it’s really more of a footnote than anything else.

We get to HHH, with Cena talking about how big of a star he is and how important it is to face him at some point.

From Monday Night Raw, October 19, 2009.

John Cena vs. HHH

Points for not doing the Wrestlemania match. Cena grabs some headlock takeovers to start and then takes HHH down again for an early one. HHH bails into the ropes and sneers as only he can. Back in and they fight over a top wristlock until HHH knocks him into the corner. Another whip into a different corner has Cena down but he sends HHH crashing over the corner as we take a break.

We come back with Cena fighting back and hitting a quick suplex. A Pedigree attempt is countered into the STF but Cena pulls him away from the ropes, allowing HHH to make it to the rope (of course). The Pedigree gives HHH two and we take another break. We come back with HHH still hammering away and hitting another Pedigree for another two. An AA gives Cena the same and they’re both down for a needed breather. Back up and Cena tries another AA but gets reversed into the Pedigree to give HHH the clean pin at 20:17.

Rating: B. Of course it was good as these two almost always are, and it’s nice to see a match that might fly underneath the radar a bit. HHH was still one of the biggest names around at this point and having him face Cena was a big deal. You could put these two together and it would automatically feel big, which is what they had going on here. Good match too.

Naturally we get the Rock, with Cena referring to it as Rocky (as Apollo Creed) vs. Cena (as Rocky Balboa). Ehh……not exactly but it’s his DVD.

From Wrestlemania XXIX.

Raw World Title: John Cena vs. The Rock

Rock is defending. Cena shoulders him for an early knockdown but gets caught in a headlock. That’s broken up and Cena is knocked outside for the breather as they’re clearly playing the slow game here. Back in and Rock wins a slugout, allowing him to hit some elbows to the chest on the floor. Cena fights back and grabs the chinlock/headlock, which is reversed into a sleeper.

That’s broken up as well and Rock hits a Samoan drop into the Sharpshooter. Cena powers out again as we’re somehow more than ten minutes into this ridiculously slow match. The ProtoBomb connects but, believe it or not, Cena takes too much time and the Shuffle is broken up. A Rock Bottom attempt is countered into…well it’s a crossface but Cena’s arm is nowhere near the right place (and Cole calls it the STF despite Cena not touching Rock’s legs).

Either way it’s broken up so Rock can take him down again, only to get pulled into the actual STF. Rock powers out and hits a Rock Bottom for two more. The AA gives Cena two more but the top rope Fameasser misses. The spinebuster and the People’s Elbow get two and Cena bails out to the floor. Back in and another Rock Bottom connects for another two and, believe it or not, they’re both down again.

Rock tries the People’s Elbow (with You Can’t See Me) but charges into the AA for two more. Back up and Cena hits his own Rock Bottom for two so he tries the Shuffle. This time though he holds onto the ropes to avoid a Rock Bottom (smart) but the AA is countered into a Rock Bottom for another near fall. They both miss finisher attempts and Rock hits a DDT. Cena gets back up, escapes the Rock Bottom, and hits another AA for the pin and the title at 23:58.

Rating: C. If there was a wrestling textbook, this would be the perfect example of a match that did not need the title. Rock wasn’t sticking around so why in the world would you think he was holding onto the thing? The other problem is this stopped being a match and turned into a collection of finishers and stealing taunts. It makes sense to run the match back at Wrestlemania, but this did NOT need to be for the title.

Post match they talk a lot and Cena gives Rock the ring for the show of respect. Rock takes his sweet time leaving and then endorses Cena to wrap it up.

Cena praises his rivals to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The key thing to remember here is that this is NOT the complete version. As it is, this would barely make the discount bin at Wal-Mart. However, when you consider that this was about a fourth of the whole version, which featured several more rivals (as the main screen is set up like a fighting game select screen) and matches involving these people, there is a lot of potential here. Cena has had several other great rivalries over his career and a look back at them is a fine idea. What we got here was a pretty lame use of two hours, though I’d be curious to see the whole thing.

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: September 8, 2008
Location: Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler

We’re done with Unforgiven and the big story on the Raw side is that Chris Jericho jumped into the Scramble match but also won the World Title. That isn’t going to sit well with a lot of people, including Shawn Michaels, who beat him last night. CM Punk never made it into the match as Randy Orton kicked him in the head, which is going to require some revenge. Let’s get to it.

Here is Unforgiven if you need a recap.

Here is Chris Jericho to get things going and he is rather pleased with himself. Last night, he faced a hypocrite named Shawn Michaels. Jericho takes his shirt off to show what Michaels did to him last night. It makes Michaels a hypocrite to have whipped Jericho like a dog and the people loved every second. What did Michaels even win though? It was an unsanctioned match so Michaels won nothing, but Jericho won something.

Last night, Jericho could barely stand up but he took CM Punk’s place and won the title. Batista was so close to winning the title but Jericho outsmarted him. Cue Mike Adamle, who says that Jericho stepped up to the plate last night, but Punk didn’t lose the title either. Punk isn’t here tonight, but he’ll get his rematch for the title next week in a cage. As for tonight, Jericho can face Batista.

Women’s Title: Beth Phoenix vs. Mickie James

James is challenging and Candice Michelle is at ringside. Phoenix wastes no time in taking her outside for a ram into the post before working on the arm back inside. A lifting armbar is countered though as James sits on Phoenix’s shoulders, followed by a neckbreaker. The Thesz press lets James hammer away but they seem to mistime something in the corner. Phoenix grabs a quick Alabama slam to retain.

Rating: C. There is only so much that can be done here, as they didn’t have much time. Phoenix using something other than a Glam Slam for the win was a nice change of pace though, as it gave a bit of a surprise. James losing clean isn’t a good sign though, as there isn’t much of a shot for her to get the title back anytime soon.

Phoenix and Michelle stare each other down post match.

Layla and Jamie Noble are in the back, with Noble begging her to be in his corner tonight. Layla calls that a surprise but he has a real surprise for her: Jillian Hall singing “Layla”. That doesn’t go so well, but Layla will be out there anyway. Promises of Olive Garden are made.

Jamie Noble vs. William Regal

Layla is here with Noble. Regal hammers away in the corner to start but gets taken down by a quick headscissors. That doesn’t work for Regal, who knocks him down and drops some knees, which have Layla cringing. Another knee to the head gets two but Noble is back up with a dropkick. That earns him a running knee to the head to give Regal a quick win.

Post match Regal says this kind of thing only happens in fairy tales and then leaves with Layla, who does look back at Noble on the way out.

John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Charlie Haas

This week, Haas is dressed as….JBL, meaning he’s in the trunk of JBL’s limo. Haas talks about being a big Texas blowhard who loves to hear himself talk. He does JBL’s Texas two step and JBL glares at him rather hard. JBL: “You’ve got to be kidding me.” JBL doesn’t like being disrespected like this and then walks out for the countout.

Post break JBL finds Batista talking to Kelly Kelly, who both find this funny. JBL says he and Batista are both main eventers and Batista should get why this is terrible. Batista says JBL and Charlie Haas have nothing in common, because Haas actually won tonight.

Rey Mysterio says he had to take some time off after Kane attacked him. He’s standing here though because Kane didn’t kill his spirit. Even though he’s always an underdog, he is no one’s victim.

Rey Mysterio/Evan Bourne vs. Miz/John Morrison

Bourne and Morrison go into the corner to start before Bourne snaps off an armdrag. Mysterio comes in to stay on the arm but Morrison kicks him down to take over. It’s off to Miz to work on Mysterio’s right arm (that looks so wrong) until Mysterio fights up and brings Bourne back in.

A top rope Meteora and an assisted moonsault get two on Miz but he knocks Bourne off the top. Morrison’s chinlock slows things down but Bourne manages to send them into each other. The much needed tag brings Mysterio back in to pick the pace back up including a 619 to Morrison. Air Bourne gives Bourne the pin.

Rating: C+. Nice match here with Mysterio giving Bourne a rub in a win. I can’t imagine them being a full time team, but Mysterio giving his approval to any new high flier is a useful tool. Miz and Morrison are the kind of guys who can get their momentum back without much trouble so the loss won’t hurt them.

Post match Kane appears on the Titantron to say he is facing Mysterio next week. Then Mysterio will see why he’s a victim, and Kane holds up his old mask for a weird moment.

Here is Randy Orton for a chat. Orton talks about how bad it is when you have a title in your grasp and have it taken away. He’s not talking about CM Punk, but rather himself. Orton lost his title because of an injury but he earned his shot, while Punk never did. Last night, Orton took Punk out to prevent him from being exposed in the Championship Scramble.

Cue Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes and Manu, with Rhodes not liking Orton taking credit for getting rid of Punk. Manu introduces himself for the Raw audience and DiBiase talks about Orton slapping Rhodes last week….and then gets slapped himself. Orton leaves and the young guys aren’t happy.

Manu/Cody Rhodes/Ted DiBiase vs. Kofi Kingston/Cryme Tyme

JTG and Rhodes lock up to start until Rhodes gets in a shot to the ribs. It’s already off to DiBiase, who misses a charge at Kingston. Manu pulls Kingston outside for a cheap shot and a headbutt connects back inside. Rhodes’ abdominal stretch has Kingston in trouble but he fights out, only to miss a crossbody. Kingston knocks Rhodes down though and brings Gaspard in to clean house. Everything breaks down and Manu grabs a belly to back neckbreaker for the fast pin.

Rating: C. This was Manu’s Raw debut and…yeah he’s only so interesting. There’s only so much you can get out of this short of a match with so many people around and Manu isn’t that great in the first place. He’s just a generic guy who is there because of his father, which isn’t exactly making him interesting to start. Maybe that can change, but he isn’t off to a great first few steps.

Classics On Demand: Race vs. Flair at Starrcade 1983.

Snitsky vs. Santino Marella

Non-title and Beth Phoenix is here with Marella. We see the Honk-A-Meter, which shows Marella at three weeks, putting him WAY ahead of the Mountie. Snitsky gets distracted by Phoenix to start but comes back with a clothesline. The boot misses in the corner though and Marella gets a rollup for a fast pin.

Kelly Kelly is in Mike Adamle’s office where she’s worried about CM Punk. Adamle says it’s ok but here is Chris Jericho to interrupt. Jericho doesn’t think it’s fair to have him face Batista, but Adamle says Jericho owes him a favor after last week. Adamle needs a main event caliber performance tonight, so the match is on.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Chris Jericho vs. Batista

Non-title and Lance Cade is here with Jericho. Batista starts fast and knocks him down, including the shoulders in the ribs. Jericho gets knocked outside…and here is Mike Adamle to say stop the match. This isn’t fair, so he’s going to even the score a bit.

Chris Jericho/John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Batista

We’re joined in progress with Jericho getting in a cheap shot from the apron and coming in. Batista fights up but gets knocked right back down, allowing JBL to drop some elbows. It’s back to Jericho, but Batista makes the clothesline comeback. Cade gets on the apron though and the Clothesline From JBL drops Batista, with Jericho stealing the pin.

Rating: C+. This was an interesting twist and I can go with having Batista coming after Jericho. It’s a good choice for a first challenger, even if Shawn Michaels would seem to be the obvious way to go. Then again, if Jericho beat Batista here, maybe they’re just going straight to Michaels vs. Jericho while Batista faces JBL. Again. As their previous matches were just so interesting.

Post match Cade and JBL beat on Batista but he fights back and hits a spear to JBL. Cade gets Batista Bombed and Batista stares at Jericho to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I liked it for the most part, as thankfully they have combined the best thing going on the show with the World Title scene, which is pretty far overdue. Jericho and Michaels have been doing the best stuff for such a long time now that it’s good to see it as the official top story. The rest of the show was just ok though, with a lot of short matches which didn’t have the chance to do much.

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

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

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

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

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

Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Thoughts

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

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

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Smackdown
Date: August 1, 2025
Location: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

It’s the last show before Summerslam and the big story is John Cena and Cody Rhodes being in the same building tonight. That should be enough for the big go home push towards the show and everything else can come along with it. Other than that, I’m sure we’ll get some build towards this weekend, which has some interesting prospects. Let’s get to it.

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

There is a cage above the ring.

Here is John Cena to get things going. Before he can say anything though, here is Cody Rhodes to interrupt. Cena says that he told Rhodes he was exhausted and a match at Summerslam would be too much. Then Rhodes forged Cena’s signature to a match to one of the most dangerous matches at Summerslam, for the most important prize in WWE.

Cena thanks Rhodes for giving him the motivation that he needed. The reality is that Cena threw everything away after twenty years of hard work for the sake of a shock. Cena wants to walk away as champion after his last match so people won’t forget about him. He realizes how stupid he was acting and Rhodes forced him to face it and fight.

If Cena doesn’t show up for war, he shouldn’t show up at all. The fans are VERY pleased with Cena’s change of attitude as he says the only platinum rapper coming after Rhodes is Cena himself. Rhodes takes off his jacket, welcomes Cena back, and shares a beer with him. That’s good to see as the Cena heel run was a mess, but this is either a way for Rhodes to turn or a swerve from Cena. Neither of those is exactly promising.

Earlier today, Logan Paul interrupted Jelly Roll’s training session and helped Drew McIntyre beat him down.

Women’s US Title: Giulia vs. Zelina Vega

Giulia, with Kiana James, is defending. Vega charges at her and gets thrown down to start, followed by Giulia muscling her up with a suplex. Back up and Vega sends her to the floor for a dive as we take a break. We come back with Giulia hitting a wheelbarrow faceplant, followed by a modified camel clutch. A hard stomp drops Vega again but she’s right back with a suplex.

Giulia goes up and gets German superplexed back down as the fans are (rightfully) impressed. That’s shaken off and Giulia hits a hard knee to the face, followed by a sitout hammerlock powerslam for a rather near fall. Giulia and James are stunned by the kickout and Vega scores with a Backstabber. The moonsault hits raised knees though and Giulia gives her the northern lights bomb to retain at 12:11.

Rating: B. This was the title match before the pay per view and they worked well together. It made for a good, hard hitting match with Vega fighting a match where she had no chance to win. Giulia is the big new star and even has a manager. That isn’t the kind of person who loses a title so soon, but they had a good match on the way there.

Solo Sikoa and the MFTs are ready for Jacob Fatu at Summerslam and they have plants for tonight as a bonus.

AAA Tag Team Titles: Los Garza vs. ???/???

Los Garza are defending in an open challenge and it’s….Mr. Iguana/Psycho Clown from AAA answering. Clown slugs away at Garza to start and even forearms Berto off the apron. A pop up forearm gets two on Garza but Berto comes in to take over. Garza cranks on both arms as commentary argues over Iguana’s puppet.

Clown fights up and dives over for the tag to Iguana, meaning it’s time to pick up the pace. The Iguanarana into a crucifix bomb has the champs on the floor but they catch a running flip dive. Iguana gets thrown into Clown for a big crash and the double super gorilla press drops Iguana for two. Clown comes back in and gets caught in the NTY for the pin to retain at 7:00.

Rating: C+. This was a way to have Iguana on the show and that’s all it needed to be. Iguana made a big impact at the AAA show earlier this year and the fans were into him again here. The AAA Tag Team Titles don’t mean anything here so let Los Garza get a win and probably sell some Mr. Iguana merch. Simple and to the point here.

Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre will address attacking Jelly Roll later tonight.

Video on the Tag Team Title situation, leading to this weekend’s TLC match, featuring a look at each team.

Aleister Black vs. Damian Priest

Feeling out process to start with Priest’s kicks to the chest sending Black outside. Back up and Black kicks him in the head for a crash to the floor and we take a break. We come back with Black hitting a knee in the face for two, which has Priest firing himself up. The Old School crossbody connects and a big clothesline gives Priest two. Priest superkicks him to the floor but dives into a knee to the face. That doesn’t do much good though as Priest hits a Pounds over the announcers’ table. Back up and Black throws a chair at Priest’s face for the win at 8:47.

Rating: B-. I was getting into this one and then the ending felt like it was designed to set up something else later. That’s not the most thrilling feeling as it was more like part one of a series than a big match. As usual I’ll take the DQ over one of them getting pinned, but this feud hasn’t exactly caught fire yet and I’m hoping that the second round picks up a good bit.

Post match Black beats him up with the chair, followed by Black Mass to leave Priest laying.

We look at Tiffany Stratton saving Jade Cargill last week.

Cargill tells Stratton that she didn’t need help last week but now there will be no distractions at Summerslam.

Talla Tonga vs. Jimmy Uso

Solo Sikoa is here with Tonga. Uso strikes away in the corner to start but gets slapped down with a single chop. Tonga slowly hammers away and gets in a slam but misses a charge to the apron. An enziguri puts Tonga on the floor and a dive…doesn’t actually drop him but it does send us to a break. We come back with Uso trying, and failing, to chop his way out of trouble. Uso slips out of a chokeslam attempt and fires off some superkicks, followed by the spear. The Superfly Splash is pulled out of the air though and a chokeslam finishes Uso at 9:41.

Rating: C+. Tonga is a good choice for the monster as he’s looking like someone who can do damage, which has been the calling card of the MFT’s. Uso is going to be the same no matter what he does so the loss doesn’t hurt him. It helps when the match was little more than a way to get Sikoa, and likely Jacob Fatu, around for after the match and it was good enough to see Uso fighting from underneath for about ten minutes.

Post match the MFT’s run in for the beatdown as the cage is lowered. Jacob Fatu runs in to make it inside the cage just in time though and cleans house as Fatu and Tonga escapes.

Summerslam rundown.

Charlotte and Alexa Bliss begrudgingly admit they’re getting alone but they still don’t want to use the F word. Fondue?

Here are Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul for a chat. Paul talks about how they are here to defend this place from outsiders like Jelly Roll. They think Jelly Roll needs to consult Weight Watchers but here are Roll and Randy Orton arriving at the arena in a card. The brawl is quickly on but security breaks it up. Orton RKO’s two of the cards and Roll adds a chokeslam to the third to end the show. This was a quick and to the point segment to set up the match, which is what you have to do when Roll isn’t a wrestler.

Overall Rating: B-. The opening segment was the big focal point here and now we get to find out where things are going from here. Other than that, this wasn’t a show meant to shake things up before Summerslam, which is understandable. They basically played it safe and reinforced what was already set up. It was a breezy two hours, with only the Cena deal feeling like it make a big impact on this weekend’s shows. Hopefully Summerslam is good, as this was a nice setup for the big stuff.

Results
Giulia b. Zelina Vega – Northern lights bomb
Los Garza b. Mr. Iguana/Psycho Clown – NTY to Clown
Damian Priest b. Aleister Black via DQ when Black used a chair
Talla Tonga b. Jimmy Uso – Chokeslam

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