Money In The Bank 2025
Date: June 7, 2025
Location: Intuit Dome, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee, Corey Graves

It’s time for one of the biggest shows of the year as we find out who gets to be annoying with the briefcases for the next few hours to several months. The good thing is that WWE has done a nice job of making the titles feel that much more important and like the most important things in the promotion. Hopefully they can keep up that momentum so let’s get to it.

The opening video focuses on how important money is for everyone and how it makes the world go around. This shifts into a look at the various matches, as tends to be the case, though at least it is kept brief.

Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

We have Stephanie Vaquer, Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, Roxanne Perez, Giulia and Naomi. Bliss, Ripley and Naomi clear out the other three to start, leaving Naomi to baseball slide a ladder into Vaquer. With Naomi outside, we get a staredown between Ripley and Bliss but Giulia and Perez break it up. Vaquer comes back in with a ladder of her own and takes care of them, only to get X Factored onto a ladder.

Bliss puts Naomi and Perez onto a ladder for a running flipping backsplash but Giulia sends Bliss into a ladder in the corner. Ripley comes in for the staredown with Giulia and hits a hard dropkick to send her into the corner. Perez is back in with a hurricanrana to send Ripley into a ladder laying against the ropes for the big crash. Perez and Giulia go up the ladder at the same time but have to stop to crush Ripley in a ladder (which doesn’t exactly go well).

Ripley is buried under a bunch of ladders on the floor, leaving Naomi to go for the ladder. Vaquer breaks that up and cleans house, including a dragon screw legwhip out of the corner to Naomi. That lets Vaquer go up, but Giulia jumps on her back for the climb. A German suplex brings Vaquer down but Bliss makes the save and climbs as well. Perez, Giulia and Vaquer go up too so Bliss drops down and cuts Vaquer off.

The other two are brought down and the ladder is knocked down, leaving Perez to send Giulia into the ladder a few times. Ripley gets out from the pile of ladders though and starts wrecking Giulia, much to the fans’ appreciation. A toss Razor’s Edge sends Giulia into Naomi and takes Vaquer down in a crash as well. Ripley bridges a ladder in the corner but gets caught with the Devil’s Kiss to a heck of a reaction.

Bliss and Perez both go up so Naomi follows, with another ladder being bridged in. Perez and Bliss hit stereo Code Reds to take out Naomi and Vaquer in an awesome looking visual. Giulia and Perez go up to slug it out but Bliss and Ripley make some saves. Bliss and Ripley plant the two of them and go up but Naomi shoves the ladder over, sending them into another ladder. Naomi gets the briefcase at 25:12.

Rating: C+. I wasn’t feeling this one of the most part, partially because it just went on so long. It didn’t help that there was almost nothing that made it stand out, with only the Devil’s Kiss to Ripley feeling different. This wasn’t so much bad (it wasn’t) as much as it was dull, with the women just kind of doing stuff until Naomi won. That’s not overly interesting and that’s not making for a good car crash match.

Some stars from AAA are here.

Earlier today at Worlds Collide, Dominik Mysterio taunted Octagon Jr. for being a big Rey Mysterio fan. The brawl was on, setting up an Intercontinental Title match tonight.

Intercontinental Title: Octagon Jr. vs. Dominik Mysterio

Mysterio, with Liv Morgan, is defending. Octagon jumps over him to start and sends Mysterio to the floor for an Asai moonsault. Back in and Mysterio crotches him on top and ties part of the mask to the ropes. Mysterio stomps away and hits a driver, only to miss the 619. Octagon kicks him in the head and hits a corkscrew hilo for two, followed by a fisherman’s neckbreaker. Morgan offers a distraction though and now the 619 connects. The frog splash finishes for Mysterio at 4:54.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of match that the show was needing, as a four match card was feeling rather weak. This was a nice way to tie things up with Worlds Collide and even gave Mysterio a quick win. Nothing noteworthy here, but nice job of at least fleshing out the card a bit, which was needed.

Chad Gable shows American Made the OFFICIAL Fireball ladder (because yes, we have sponsored ladders to go with the sponsored tables from this week’s Smackdown).

Women’s Intercontinental Title: Becky Lynch vs. Lyra Valkyria

Valkyria is defending after beating Lynch last month. This is Lynch’s last shot at the title, but if she wins, Valkyria has to raise her hand. Valkyria jumps her to start the brawl fast and sends Lynch outside…but has to have the referee fix her top (which has been an issue for her before). Lynch takes over on the floor and sends Valkyria into the barricade. Back in and the Manhandle Slam is countered so Lynch settles for two off a reverse layout DDT.

Valkyria is sent into the buckles a few times but comes back with the forearms, followed by a sitout powerbomb for two. One heck of a DDT gives Lynch two of her own but Valkyria catches her on top with a superplex. A fisherman’s buster gives Valkyria two and she nails Lynch in the head with a spinning kick. Lynch mixes it up with a cross armbreaker but Valkyria escapes and pulls on the leg while standing on Lynch’s head (ouch).

They go outside, where an ax kick from the barricade hits Lynch on the floor. Back in and Valkyria dives into a powerbomb to put them down for a needed double breather. They go up top again and a super Manhandle Slam gives Lynch two, resulting in the shocked kickout face. Another Manhandle Slam to the floor knocks Valkyria silly but she manages a Nightwing from the apron to the floor to drop Lynch as well. They both roll in to beat the count so Valkyria grabs the same rollup she used to win last month for two. That’s reversed into a rollup from Lynch, who grabs the trunks for the pin at 15:17.

Rating: B. These two work very well together and that was the case again here. They had to give Lynch the win here though, as there was no way you could have her lose twice in a row, especially so soon after her return. This is also the kind of star power that the title needs and comes after Valkyria beat Lynch clean. Good stuff here, and I’m curious to see where Valkyria goes next.

Post match Lynch, eventually, gets her hand raised and of course is rather gloaty. That’s not good enough for Lynch though, as she insists that Valkyria put the belt on her. Valkyria suplexes her into Nightwing and it looks like a rubber match is coming.

The announcers play with action figures. Lucky.

Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

We’ve got LA Knight, Andrade, El Grade Americano, Penta, Seth Rollins and Solo Sikoa. Cole goes on a rant about Americano being Chad Gable because they both have taped up elbows, with McAfee not having it with this nonsense. Rollins, who has been the focal point of the build to the match, is surrounded to start and the beating is on rather quickly. Andrade, Knight and Penta knock Rollins to the floor, leaving Sikoa to stare at all three of them instead.

Sikoa tries to put something together with them and is promptly destroyed. Rollins is back in to hammer on Penta and Andrade hits a big running flip dive onto a pile. Penta hits a dive of his own and Americano grabs a ladder. Americano and Penta head back inside, with Rollins using a ladder to the ribs to knock Penta to the floor. Sikoa is back in to slam Americano onto a ladder but Knight hammers Sikoa into the corner.

Knight elbows him onto the ladder and goes up, only to get in a slugout with Penta. A bigger ladder is set up with Rollins and Americano going up, followed by Sikoa and Andrade going up their own ladder. The six way brawl is on until everyone goes down, giving us a Sikoa vs. Rollins staredown. Rollins gets the better of the fight and hits him in the ribs with the ladder.

The Stomp plants Sikoa again and Rollins is alone in the ring with a ladder….so he goes to get another ladder. Rollins goes up gets cut off by Americano, who grabs an ankle lock to leave Rollins hanging upside down. Andrade is up with a sunset bomb to plant Americano and Penta suplexes Rollins onto a ladder in the corner. Andrade and Penta go up the big ladder before Andrade hits him in the back with another ladder.

The ladder is bridged into the standing one and Penta hits a Canadian Destroyer to plant Andrade onto the bridge. Sikoa is back in and is promptly pulled back out by Knight, who bridges a ladder onto the barricade. Back in and Penta powerbombs Knight but Americano is back up with the “Gable like” German suplexes. Americano busts out the Fireball ladder for the helicopter spot but gets taken down again.

Penta knocks Rollins off a ladder but Knight sends Americano into a ladder at ringside, allowing him to ride a ladder from the corner onto the ladder in the middle to headbutt Penta down. That was a cross between “OH COME ON” and “DANG THAT WAS AWESOME” so we’ll let it slide. Knight belly to back suplexes Americano down and Rollins goes up but Penta and Andrade make the save (Michael Cole is on his feet over this stuff).

Andrade and Penta slug it out on top but here are Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, with Breakker spearing the heck out of Americano. Another spear hits Knight and Paul Heyman gives him the last rites. Reed Tsunamis Andrade and goes after Sikoa but here are JC Mateo and Jacob Fatu to even (I think?) things up a bit.

The brawl is on and Breakker spears Mateo through the barricade, leaving Fatu to hit a pop up Samoan drop on Reed, followed by a heck of a suicide dive to send him into the announcers’ table. Fatu sets up the ladder and Sikoa….wants another one, but does stop to hug Fatu in a nice moment. Sikoa makes the slow climb with Fatu standing guard and….yeah there’s the look up at Sikoa, with Fatu grabbing his leg.

Sikoa looks down to see who has his leg and he knows this isn’t good. Fatu shouts that he hates Sikoa and pulls him down for a superkick. The triple jump moonsault connects as well and a release Rock Bottom sends him through the bridged ladder at ringside. Rollins grabs another FIREBALL ladder and goes up but Knight comes back to life to cut him off. Rollins pulls him back down though and goes up to win at 33:48.

Rating: B. Now this was more like it, as not only did it not feel long, but it also had quite a few moments that stood out. Rollins being the big threat was the story of the match and while it didn’t quite feel like anyone was going to be a big threat (Knight and Sikoa came closest), the idea of everyone trying to stop him worked. This felt like what Money In The Bank is supposed to be these days and the more than half an hour time span flew by.

Wrestlemania XLII is officially (for the second time) in Las Vegas again. Because of course it is.

Nikki Bella is back on Raw. Ok then.

Cody Rhodes/Jey Uso vs. Logan Paul/John Cena

Cena stole the title from Rhodes and is teaming with Paul, who he thinks is the future of WWE. Uso doesn’t like Paul either and Rhodes saved him at Saturday Night’s Main Event, setting up the tag match. After the Big Match Intros, Rhodes chases Cena around and gets Paul instead. It’s already back to Cena, who gets caught in a headlock.

That’s broken up so Rhodes runs him over with a shoulder, followed by a delayed gordbuster. Uso comes in and hits a pop up neckbreaker for two on Paul. A shot to the face cuts Uso down though and it’s off to Cena to whip him hard into the corner. Cena distracts the referee so Paul can get in a cheap shot on the apron in a simple yet effective trope.

Back up and Uso reverses Cena into the corner for the Bret Hart bump but Paul isn’t about to let Rhodes come back in. Cena’s running shoulder drops Uso and Cena even curtsy’s a bit to really ham it up. Uso fights to his feet but gets driven hard into the corner to leave both of them down again. Paul cuts off the tag again though and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up so Cena cuts the tag attempt off again, which draws Rhodes in, allowing the double teaming in the corner.

Cena grabs the chinlock as this beating continues. Back up and Cena teases knocking Rhodes off the apron but gets hit in the face this time, allowing Uso to score with an enziguri. Paul and Cena get into an argument of their own though and that’s enough for the tag to Rhodes (with the villains’ stunned faces being a great visual as they knew they screwed up).

House is quickly cleaned with a Cody Cutter to Cena and a big dive to Paul. Back in and a quick AA gives Cena two, with Uso making the save. The Buckshot Lariat doesn’t work as Paul slips and Uso superkicks him down. Cross Rhodes hits Cena so Paul springboards in for the save, which hits Cena by mistake. Uso spears Paul and everyone is down. Cena and Uso are up to slug it out but Paul is back up to deck Uso.

The Paulverizer plants Rhodes so Paul goes up and grabs a drone (whose perspective we’re seeing), which takes too long so Rhodes superplexes him down (with Paul still holding the drone), setting up Uso’s Superfly Splash (with the shot still from the drone so we just see Uso crashing down). That was AWESOME and the kind of thing that makes this WWE feel so much more modernized with some outside the box thinking after decades of the same style. Anyway, Cena hits an AA each, with the one to Rhodes getting two.

Cena goes outside and loads up the announcers’ table but Rhodes slips out, leaving Uso to catch Cena with a spear. Not to be out done, Paul Asai moonsaults Uso through the announcers’ table and everyone is down again. The referee is distracted and Cena gets in a belt shot. Cue someone in a black hoodie to spear Cena down and hammer away…..AND IT’S R-TRUTH to quite the reaction. Cena gets dropped with a belt shot and R-Truth leaves (looking WAY more serious than usual). Cross Rhodes gives Rhodes the pin at 24:00.

Rating: B+. Oh sweet goodness there is a lot to cover here. First and foremost, I have no idea if R-Truth actually left and he was brought back after the backlash or if it was a huge work, but WOW that was a great reveal. At the same time, it didn’t last long but I really did love that drone shot deal. It was clever and unique and I can always go for something like that.

As for the rest of the match, it was kind of a match in two parts. The first half had me losing my mind out of boredom, as that heat segment on Uso probably could have had a good five minutes cut out. That being said, the tag off to Rhodes was the turning point, as it was all full gear from then on, making for a heck of a finish. They went from a dull match to something close to outstanding, with the R-Truth deal at the end making it even better. Trim down a few minutes and this is a classic, but as it is, it’s just very good.

Cena and Paul look crushed to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show that took its time to get going but once you get on to the Valkyria vs. Lynch match, the whole thing is a heck of a ride. Even the first two matches are far from bad, making this a pretty awesome show. I was more than impressed with the last three matches and the show was this close to being a great one. Rather nice show here and a lot better than I was expecting.

Results
Naomi won the Women’s Money In The Bank ladder match
Dominik Mysterio b. Octagon Jr. – Frog splash
Becky Lynch b. Lyra Valkyria – Rollup with trunks
Seth Rollins won the Men’s Money In The Bank ladder match
Cody Rhodes/Jey Uso b. John Cena/Logan Paul – Cross Rhodes to Cena

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

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It’s time for one of the many themed pay per views that give someone else a guaranteed title shot, because there just aren’t enough of those going around in WWE. This time around we do have a bit of a twist as it’s all about climbing a ladder and then getting to pick the time of the ensuing title match. WWE has done a nice job in building those matches up, and that’s a good thing as we only have four matches on the card. Let’s get to it.

Women’s Intercontinental Title: Lyra Valkyria(c) vs. Becky Lynch

This is a rematch from last month, where Valkyria beat Lynch clean in one heck of an upset. In this case, it’s Lynch’s last shot at the title but if she wins, Valkyria has to raise her hands. That makes me think this is even more obvious of a result than they had coming into Backlash, but that was quite the surprising ending. I’m a bit unsure, but that starts to go away a bit more every time I think about it.

In theory, there is no reason for Lynch to lose twice in a row so we’ll go with her winning the title. I like that WWE is trying to push Valkyria as the new thing but she just has not been clicking with the promos. Lynch can instantly boost the title up to the next level and that’s what it needs. Granted that’s what I said almost verbatim last month and it didn’t happen, so I have to be right at least once….right?

Women’s Money In The Bank

So as usual, these things are all about the process of elimination. In this case, that’s a bit difficult to do as there are multiple possible winners. I’ll write off Roxanne Perez, as I just can’t imagine her winning as it doesn’t quite fit at the moment. Alexa Bliss is almost getting pushed too much at the moment to win and Stephanie Vaquer seems like she is going to get a title shot without the briefcase sooner or later. Giulia is hunting the Women’s US Title so odds are she’s not winning either. That leaves us with two, and I’m not sure where it’s going.

As much as I’d like to see Rhea Ripley win and cash in for a title match against Iyo Sky, I’ll go with Naomi, as she’s the kind of weaselly heel who could do some good things with the briefcase. At the same time, she’s been losing a lot recently, which for some reason is something that happens with some of the briefcase winners. It might not be the most exciting at the moment, but it has me curious about how it could go and I’ll take that enough.

Men’s Money In The Bank

Normally I would do the same elimination process here, but this match has been built up in a very different way. This match is ALL about Seth Rollins vs. the field, as WWE has made it clear that he’s the main focus of the whole thing. It’s almost a stretch to imagine anyone else winning at this point, but that’s if you leave out everyone who isn’t involved in the match. CM Punk and possibly Roman Reigns are almost guaranteed to be lurking and that makes things interesting.

Honestly at this point though, I’m going with Rollins for lack of anyone else. Who else is a viable option to win the thing? Maybe Solo Sioka? LA Knight is a tiny option I guess, but it’s not going to be Andrade, Penta or El Grande Americano (at least I don’t think on the last one, but maybe a bit of a chance). I’ll go with Rollins, but this is going to be the big wild match that has a bunch of interference, which should be a lot of fun.

Cody Rhodes/Jey Uso vs. John Cena/Logan Paul

I’m not sure if this is going to go on last, but this is the main event for all intent and purpose. Rhodes is back to get his hands on Cena again after what happened at Wrestlemania and there is a very realistic possibility that we’ll be seeing those two go at it again on a big stage. The same is likely true of Paul and Uso, which could make for something interesting.

In this case, I’ll go with…..I think I’ll take the villains here, with Paul beating Uso to set up the title rematch. I’m not sure where that goes as Uso already has Gunther on Monday and very well could have a briefcase to deal with as well. This could go any way and Rhodes beating Cena is an option, but I’m thinking they’ll wait a bit longer before we get to that big showdown (which almost has to happen).

Overall Thoughts

This is a great illustration of how WWE is setting up the World Titles as the most important things in the company. The focus on this show is all about the titles and we have heard about how important they are for the last few weeks in particular. That has me wanting to see what happens with them and the show itself should be quite the spectacle. Just don’t do anything stupid.

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: June 6, 2025
Location: Dignity Health Arena, Bakersfield, California
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

It’s the night before Money In The Bank and that means it is time to get into the final push to the show. The ladder match lineups are set, so that means it might be time for people to sit on some ladder. In addition to that, we should be getting a push towards the big tag match. Things are starting to pick up around here again and Money In The Bank is a major part of that so let’s get to it.

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

Here are Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed and Paul Heyman to get things going, meaning we immediately hit the CM PUNK chants. Rollins says he is ready to take everything tomorrow night when he wins the Money In The Bank contract to gain absolute power. That warrants an OTC chant, with Rollins saying no one can hear him on the Island of Irrelevancy.

They are here to take care of anyone in their way, like Sami Zayn, Punk or Reigns. None of them have ever cared about the people, but Rollins always has. He is willing to drag them into the future and no one can stop them. Cue Solo Sikoa/Jacob Fatu/JC Mateo to interrupt for the big staredown, with Sikoa saying they’re standing here. Is Breakker supposed to be Right Hand Man Jey Uso? Is Reed the new Zayn?

Rollins tells him to choose his next word very carefully so Sikoa promises to win the briefcase tomorrow. Sikoa should be scared of Reed and Breakker, but he should be more scared that his family would rather stab him in the back than have his back. Maybe Fatu can stop being the Samoan Werewolf and start being called Sikoa’s B****.

Sikoa is ready to fight but Breakker and Fatu get in their way for one heck of a staredown (and it gets the same OOOO reaction that it received on Raw a few months back). Most of them leave and it’s Jimmy Uso running in to jump Mateo, his scheduled opponent for tonight. Fatu’s turn keeps getting teased and it’s going to be massive if they do it right.

Jimmy Uso vs. JC Mateo

We’re joined in progress with Uso hammering away in the corner and getting two off a high crossbody. Mateo shrugs that off and knocks him down, setting up the chinlock. With that broken up, Uso avoids a charge to send him crashing out to the floor. Mateo knocks him off the ropes though and we take a break.

Back with Mateo hitting a standing moonsault, which Barrett does not think should be allowed. Uso comes back with a shot of his own and the Whisper In The Wind gets two. The spinning belly to back suplex plants Uso again but he comes back with the superkicks and a spear. Fatu offers a quick distraction but Mateo hits him by mistake, allowing Uso to steal the pin at 11:27.

Rating: C+. It’s quite the choice to have Mateo take a fall so soon but if nothing else, it does make Fatu feel like a more indestructible monster if he never loses. Uso needed a win like this as he’s getting back into the mix with Sikoa and company. It wasn’t a blowaway match, but there is a good chance that it leads to Fatu having more issues with the team, as he should.

Post match Mateo yells at Sikoa that Fatu is the problem. Seething ensues.

Zelina Vega comes up to Giulia, saying she has to earn a Women’s US Title shot.

Damian Priest tells Jacob Fatu that he’s coming for the US Title, which works for Fatu, but Priest better bring it.

Piper Niven vs. Zelina Vega

Non-title Bakersfield Brawl, which seems to mean street fight, and Chelsea Green/Alba Fyre are here with Niven. Vega gets shoved down to start and it’s time for an early breather on the floor. Back in and Vega’s kendo stick shot doesn’t do much but she slips out of a powerslam and hammers away. A stomp to the back crushes Niven but she drops Vega face first onto the apron.

We take a break and come back with Niven sending her into the buckle and setting up a chair. Vega grabs a quick DDT onto the chair, with Niven rolling out to the floor. A dive takes out the other villains and it’s a super Code Red back inside, with Fyre breaking up the cover. Green jumps Vega on the floor and of course it’s time for a table. The Piper Driver on the floor knocks Vega silly and the table (which has sponsorship logos on it, which is a stretch even for modern WWE) is set up. Cue Giulia to make a save and kendo stick Niven, allowing Vega to hit a powerbomb through the table for the win at 10:44.

Rating: B-. Can this please be the end of the feud already? Vega is out of people in the team to beat already and thankfully it seems time to face Giulia. I’m not sure how well that is going to go for Vega, but at least she is getting some wins like this one to build her up a bit. This was a good enough brawl and Vega overcomes some odds, but I don’t need her to face Green or the Hervice for a long time.

Post match Giulia lays Vega out without much trouble.

Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso are here, with Jey being a bit banged up. Jimmy Uso comes in and they’re all ready for tonight and tomorrow.

Aleister Black thinks LA Knight stole a win from him, so now it’s time to take something from Knight. Say in a match with no special rules. If Knight wins, Black will shake his hand and admit defeat.

Here is LA Knight for a chat before his match. This is his third year in a row in Money In The Bank (fan: “THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM!”) and he knows some people in this match. He has some respect for Penta and Andrade, but there are some dummies in this match too. Those dummies are people like El Grande Americano Gable, Solo Sikoa and Seth Rollins. Knight isn’t going to let Rollins burn it down because it’ll be a hot night with him in Los Angeles. As for Aleister Black, it’s time for him to be disappointed again when he gets to Los Angeles. Knight: “Well we’re in Bakersfield tonight but he’s not making it to LA!” Eh close enough to a save.

LA Knight vs. Aleister Black

They start fast by trading some early rollups for two each, leaving with a rather intense staredown. A lockup sees them fighting around the ropes until Black headlock takeovers him down. Knight pops up for a snap suplex but a DDT is blocked. Black kicks him away but Knight hits a hard clothesline for two more. A snap suplex gives Black two of his own and tries a springboard but gets knocked out to the floor, with Knight crashing after him.

We take a break and come back with Knight dropping him and trying the jumping top rope elbow. That’s broken up but Knight counters the counter and tries a torture rack, which is countered as well. Black goes with the kicks to take over but Knight counters into a Burning Hammer to send Black outside. And cue Seth Rollins to jump Knight for the DQ at 10:16 (Charles Robinson freaking out at the interruption is great).

Rating: C+. Ah that makes more sense, as there was no reason for either of them to lose, as Knight has Money In The Bank and Black hasn’t been back that long yet. Rollins interfering to help take out the competition for Saturday is a logical way to go and we can run this back later if needed. If nothing else, Black wanting to go after one of the bigger teams could be interesting.

Post match Black is not happy with Rollins for costing him a match but Bron Breakker is in with the Super Spear. Knight takes one of his own and the villains stand tall.

Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce announce the King and Queen Of The Ring tournaments, which will start with four four way matches (ERG), setting up the semifinals, with the finals taking place at Night Of Champions. The winners get title shots at Summerslam.

Jade Cargill is ready to win the Queen Of The Ring but she is asked about her relationship with Bianca Belair. Cue Charlotte to interrupt, telling her to choose her friends wisely. And Charlotte is winning the tournament. Tiffany Stratton comes in to say good luck to both of them, though she didn’t seem overly sincere.

Legado del Fantasma is ready to prove that they are the real family of lucha libre at Worlds Collide.

Chad Gable and American Made are here, with Gable saying he’s ready to win the AAA Mega Title at Worlds Collide. Andrade and Penta come in to mock him but Nick Aldis makes a tag match for later.

Here is Tiffany Stratton for a chat. Last year she became the youngest Miss Money In The Bank in history and the It Girl of WWE. Now it’s time for someone else to win the briefcase, and that means their world will be revolving around her. She asks Bakersfield what time it is but here is Rhea Ripley to interrupt. Ripley says she’s never been in Money In The Bank because she has never had to before. She does know what it’s like to be a champion and she will be again. Cue Stephanie Vaquer to interrupt and it’s time for a (scheduled) six woman tag.

Rhea Ripley/Stephanie Vaquer/Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi/Roxanne Perez/Giulia

Vaquer and Giulia start things off with an exchange of near falls and Giulia breaks up the Devil’s Kiss. Naomi comes in and everything breaks down with Vaquer giving Naomi the Devil’s Kiss and the villains bailing out to the floor. Back in and Naomi sends Vaquer throat first into the middle rope to take over, with Giulia getting in some choking in the corner. Perez’s stomp in the corner gets two and Giulia hits a snap suplex for the same.

Vaquer flips out of a suplex though and it’s off to Bliss to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and Perez takes over on the floor as we take a break. Back with Naomi kicking Bliss down in the corner but Bliss escapes rather quickly. It’s off to Ripley to clean house, including a toss Razor’s Edge to Perez. Bliss gives Giulia the Sister Abigail DDT and Perez counters the Riptide into a DDT for a double down. Back up and Naomi won’t tag Perez, who walks into Eat Defeat and Riptide for the pin at 12:03.

Rating: B-. This was your big preview for the women’s ladder match and as usual, pinfalls means a grand total of nothing for Money In The Bank. The good thing is they have toned down the number of BUILDING MOMENTUM matches in recent years, which takes away a lot of the sting from this season. As for the match, it was smart to let Ripley remind us that she’s still a force, as she hasn’t been featured much lately.

Solo Sikoa tries to calm JC Mateo down about Jacob Fatu, who isn’t all that bright. And yes, of course Fatu is nearby.

The Wyatts cut off Sign Of The Night with Uncle Howdy talking about how his grief continues. He has watched the loyalty, trust and brotherhood in the tag division but everyone wants to forget about them. They are not back for nostalgia or closure, but to destroy everyone.

DIY tries to rally the tag division to fight against the Wyatt Sicks but the rest of the teams seem pretty ok with fighting on their own.

Worlds Collide rundown.

Money In The Bank rundown.

Penta/Andrade vs. American Made

Chad Gable is here and El Hijo del Vikingo is in the audience. Penta and Andrade start fast with dives to the floor before the bell and the fans approve. We get inside for the opening bell and Andrade hitting the running knees in the corner. Penta comes in for some shots of his own and his little dance, followed by the rather loud chops. Julius gets a running start and step up though and smashes Andrade in the face with a running knee.

We take a break and come back (with the director audibly counting commentary in) with Penta coming in to clean house. Gable goes after his mask so Vikingo jumps the barricade and they brawl into the crowd. That leaves Penta to hit the Canadian Destroyer for the pin on Brutus at 7:56.

Rating: C+. I’m not exactly expecting Penta or Andrade to have much of a chance on Saturday, but putting them together made for a fast paced enough match. Andrade is one of those guys who can be moved into a midcard spot at the drop of a hat and that is more or less what he’s doing again. On the other hand you have Penta, whose charisma is carrying him a long way, though I’m not sure what he is going to do next.

Post match the winners celebrate but here are Seth Rollins and company to interrupt. The beatdown is on and Penta gets Tsunamied.

Post break Paul Heyman says they don’t fear the future because they ARE the future. Rollins has told them everything that would happen and then it has all come to pass. They are the vanguards of the future of WWE and tomorrow, Rollins will become Mr. Money In The Bank again. Then he will cash in and become the new World Champion again, with Heyman….being cut off by Cody Rhodes. Cue Jey Uso and we take a break.

We come back with the villains gone and Rhodes asking the people what they want to talk about. Rhodes talks about John Cena calling him desperate last week. This is ironic coming from Cena, who threw 21 years of good will away and is now with Logan Paul, which is like seeing Michael Hayes with the Hardys. Cue Cena, who gets his big introduction, which allows Logan Paul to sneak in for the big beatdown.

Paul and Cena clean house, leaving Cena to say that no one is coming to save them. This is your future, with Paul holding up the Raw World Title. Cena tells the people to humble themselves for Paul, before the good guys are taken out again. Cena: “You want OUR TRUTH? The truth is right here!” The fans want truth and Cena says that is because they are all a bunch of losers. Paul and Cena hold up the titles to end the show. These two make for great heels together, and at least Cena has mostly settled down on one idea rather than seemingly changing what he was talking about every week.

Overall Rating: B-. This show put the focus firmly on the ladder matches and showed what it can mean for someone who wins the thing. You have Stratton as the most recent women’s winner and Rollins wanting to win to bring back the power in the company. It’s a good way to focus on them without having people doing the same things over and over again. Everything changes on Saturday though and this was a nice enough effort at getting me more into the pay per view.

Results
Jimmy Uso b. JC Mateo – Rollup
Zelina Vega b. Piper Niven – Powerbomb through a table
LA Knight b. Aleister Black via DQ when Seth Rollins interfered
Rhea Ripley/Alexa Bliss/Stephanie Vaquer b. Roxanne Perez/Naomi/Giulia – Riptide to Perez
Penta/Andrade b. American Made – Canadian Destroyer to Brutus

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

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 2, 2025
Location: BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

It’s the last Raw before Money In The Bank and there are still some spots left to fill in the show’s namesake matches. At least one of those spots is going to be filled in this week and that should make for some interesting changes to Saturday. There are other things to cover before we get there though so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Seth Rollins qualifying for Money In The Bank last week, with some shenanigans setting up this week’s tag match.

We run down tonight’s card.

Michael Cole has lost a bet to Pat McAfee over the NBA Playoffs so Cole will be doing this show in a tank top. It happens to be a Pacers tank top (as in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s opponent) so Cole is not exactly popular this week.

Here is CM Punk to get things going. After making some NBA Finals references (and saying that if they’re on, you should be watching Raw or Smackdown instead), Punk moves on to Money In The Bank, which he has won twice. He’s looking forward to doing it for the third time because it’s time for him to get some gold. There are two names on top of that mountain, with one of them being Jey Uso.

Punk considers him a friend and if Punk comes after Uso, it’s just business. The other name on top is John Cena and it’s a bit personal there. Punk has always had Cena’s number and he might come pick the bones a bit. It’s time for Punk to become champion one more time, so he’ll see us at Money In The Bank after he qualifies tonight. Cue Sami Zayn, with Punk saying he usually hates being interrupted but he loves that song.

Punk has said that he wants to be World Champion but that’s what Zayn wants too. It just won’t be through Money In The Bank, though it still could be for Punk. Tonight, Punk has to win because he needs to be there to stop Seth Rollins from winning. If Rollins wins, everything is over for them around here. However, if Punk winds up winning the title, Zayn will be coming for it, which Punk likes too. Everything seems to be serious but ok. Punk getting back into the title picture is interesting, as it almost has to happen sooner or later. That being said, Zayn finally winning the big one could be an incredible moment.

We look back at Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez arguing last week, resulting in Kairi Sane pinning Liv Morgan.

Perez offers Morgan help tonight but Morgan says the best way to help is to stay out. Rodriguez yells at Perez as Morgan leaves. Morgan runs into Iyo Sky and promises to use Money In The Bank to take the title back. Sky says that’s not gonna happen. Morgan: “Watch me.”

Video on Stephanie Vaquer, who is officially on Raw.

Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Liv Morgan vs. Stephanie Vaquer, Ivy Nile

Vaquer starts fast and sends Nile into the corner, setting up the Devil’s Kiss to Morgan for a nice reaction. Nile gets the same treatment but Morgan breaks it up with a dropkick. Morgan hits some running shots in the corner until Nile cuts her off. Nile German suplexes both of them at once and we take a break.

Back with Vaquer dragon screw legwhipping Nile out of the corner for two with Morgan making another save. Vaquer and Morgan slug it out until Vaquer gets her into the corner as well. Nile is back up with a Tower Of Doom and gets to trade near falls with Vaquer. Morgan gets up top for a double Codebreaker and a double near fall, followed by Oblivion to Vaquer. Nile tries and fails to steal the pin and brawls to the floor with Morgan. With Morgan sent into the steps, Vaquer grabs the SVB (double underhook backbreaker) for the win at 10:17.

Rating: B-. It’s kind of remarkable to see what Vaquer has become in so little time. She signed with the company less than a year ago, has already won two titles in NXT and feels like she belongs on the main roster. It would not surprise me to see her as champion within the next few months and that is an amazing rise. As for the match, they did well at the end, as I thought they might actually have Nile steal the win, so points for a good head fake.

Paul Heyman comes in to wish AJ Styles a happy birthday and offers him some information. Dominik Mysterio is the Intercontinental Champion and that means the title needs someone better, like Styles. That’s what Styles should focus on while leaving Money In The Bank to Seth Rollins. Styles asks if Heyman is tired because he must have thought this was going to work. He’ll get back to the Intercontinental Title later, but for now, it’s time to win Money In The Bank.

Rusev tells Sheamus to not mess with him. Sheamus has a body of granite but a neck of sand. Now stay away or he’ll snap Sheamus’ neck. Can you snap sand?

Sheamus gives the Alpha Academy and Natalya a pep talk. As for Rusev, his time outside of WWE lasted about as long as Rusev Day while Sheamus has been putting on banger after banger. If Rusev wants to prove himself, just remember that Sheamus bullies bullies.

War Raiders vs. Judgment Day

New Day is on commentary. We get some WE WANT TRUTH chants (and not for the first time tonight) as Erik gets taken into the corner for some choking to start. Erik gets beaten up in another corner but avoids a charge, allowing Ivar to come in and clean house. A handspring kick to the face even sends McDonagh to the floor and into the announcers’ table. Ivar gets slammed onto McDonagh and New Day bails from the threat of a crash.

The threat of a retaliation earns New Day an ejection and we take a break. Back with Ivar still in trouble but giving McDonagh a Tour of the Islands. Erik comes back in to clean house, including the pop up headbutt for two on Balor. Back up and Balor drops Erik but misses the Coup de Grace. Ivar’s seated senton out of the corner sets up the Bronco Buster but cue Roxanne Perez for a distraction. McDonagh breaks up the Doomsault and the Coup de Grace finishes Ivar at 11:07.

Rating: C+. You know how I keep talking about how cold this division feels? Well this was the latest example of the same issues. There is just nothing here that makes me want to see what is coming for any of the teams and these segments are feeling more and more like filler every time. It’s just not clicking and no one in the division feels even remotely important. That needs to change, but I have no idea how that is going to happen.

Becky Lynch has only been back for six weeks and Lyra Valkyria has already cost her a bunch. That’s because she has already forgotten everything Lynch has done for her, both here and in NXT.

Stephanie Vaquer speaks some Spanish but Rhea Ripley comes in (oh the fans REALLY like this one). The cheers are so loud that I can’t hear what Ripley says as she shakes Vaquer’s hand.

Here is Lyra Valkyria for a chat but she wants Becky Lynch out here to say this to her face. Cue Lynch, with Valkyria talking about how Lynch’s mind has been poisoned to believe that Valkyria couldn’t be champion. Lynch, who is backing up against the ropes, talks about how Valkyria is really the one whose mind is poisoned for thinking she can be the replacement.

The only think that Valkyria needs to learn is how to raise Lynch’s hand after Lynch beats her. Lynch goes to leaves so Valkyria challenges her for right now…but it’s not happening in Tulsa. Valkyria charges up the ramp and the brawl is on with referees breaking it up. As usual, Valkyria is trying but it’s not quite clicking.

We look at the Indiana Pacers beating the New York Knicks.

Penta is ready to win Money In The Bank.

Sami Zayn/Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker/Bronson Reed

Zayn has his own classes and you know he can get fired up for this kind of an entrance. Paul Heyman is here with the villains as Breakker drives Uso into the corner for some shoulders to the ribs to start. Breakker runs him over and we take a break. Back with Zayn fighting out of the corner but getting crushed right back into said corner. Breakker’s jumping knee puts Zayn down again but Zayn manages a DDT on Reed.

That’s enough for the tag back to Uso, who slugs away. Breakker’s fireman’s carry gutbuster gets two on Uso but the Super Spear is cut off with a superkick. Reed misses a splash on the apron and Breakker is sent outside, with Zayn’s slingshot dive being pulled out of the air. Uso dives onto all three of them though….and here is Seth Rollins to Stomp Uso for the DQ at 9:02.

Rating: B-. The action was good, but there was pretty much no way one of these four was taking a fall in this match at this point. They have too much going on at the moment and if they’re going to lose, it will be on a much bigger stage. For now though, Reed looked good in his new role as a monster for the heel stable and the whole thing continues to feel like it has a great deal of potential.

Post match the beatdown is on and Zayn is loaded onto the announcers’ table. CM Punk makes the save with a chair.

Liv Morgan isn’t happy with Finn Balor using Roxanne Perez to win but Balor says Morgan might be jealous. Balor insists there is no plan. Morgan trusts Dominik Mysterio but Balor wants her to trust him. With Morgan gone, Balor assures Mysterio that things are good.

Kairi Sane vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Liv Morgan is here with Rodriguez. Sane tries a waistlock to start and gets spun around without much trouble. A headscissors staggers Rodriguez again but she manages to swing a charging Sane into the apron. Morgan gets in a cheap shot and Rodriguez powers Sane into the corner back inside. Sane knocks her back and tries a high crossbody but gets pulled out of the air.

That’s reversed into a DDT (as we get a botched graphic saying that the Zayn/Uso tag match is still to come) and Sane is able to start the comeback. Sane strikes away in the corner and dropkicks the knee out, setting up a basement Blockbuster. Morgan gets on the apron for a distraction so here is Iyo Sky to cut her off. Rodriguez goes after Sane and gets kicked head first into the post. The Insane Elbow gives Sane the pin at 6:04.

Rating: C+. The match was pretty much just a reason for the interference and teasing Morgan vs. Sky. The good thing is that it did give Sane another pin after the unintentionally messed up return. That Insane Elbow is still great and makes Sane feel like she could beat anyone, though right now she’s just having random matches.

Sami Zayn is in the trainer’s room when Karrion Kross comes in. Kross doesn’t like what Zayn has been doing and Zayn asks what Kross wants from him. Kross says Zayn could be a ten time World Champion if he’ll just do the right thing and be evil. The reality is Zayn is just like him, but Zayn says Kross is wrong. Kross: “I may be wrong…..but I may be right too.”

Worlds Collide rundown.

Money In The Bank rundown.

Video on Gunther, who is getting his rematch against Jey Uso next week.

Gunther comes up to Uso in the back and talks about how Uso is trying to be a great champion. The problem is Uso refuses to think with his head instead of his heart, which is the wrong way to go. Next week, Gunther is getting the title back because he has known he would do this since the title loss at Wrestlemania. Next week, the party is over. Uso doesn’t take kindly to this and says he’ll see Gunther.

Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: AJ Styles vs. CM Punk vs. El Grande Americano

Americano gets double teamed to start and is quickly sent outside. Punk and Styles are cool with each other until Punk grabs a headlock. The drop down dropkick puts Punk down and might have taken out a tooth. Americano gets back in as Punk sends Styles into the corner a few times. Styles’ springboard is broken up and Americano flip dives onto Punk. Americano knocks Zayn over the announcers’ table and we take a break.

Back with Punk hitting the top rope elbow on Styles but Americano throws Punk down. American’s high crossbody is rolled through but Styles breaks up the GTS. Styles hits a double DDT for two each so Americano tries the ankle lock on both of them. That’s broken up and the Styles Clash hits Americano with Punk making the save.

The Styles Clash to Punk is countered into a failed GTS attempt but Americano moonsaults onto both of them for two on Styles. Another moonsault misses and the GTS hits Americano…with Bron Breakker pulling the referee out. Breakker and Bronson Reed beat him down but Jey Uso and Sami Zayn run in for the save. Styles hits a big springboard dive onto the pile but the Phenomenal Forearm hits the loaded headbutt to give American the pin at 11:48.

Rating: B. I wasn’t sure which way they were going here, but they are teasing the heck out of Rollins winning the briefcase again. That is far from guaranteed from happening, but the storm clouds seem to be forming around Raw. Americano is rolling in this spot, and they’re doing the smart thing by not having him out there every week to run out his welcome. On the other hand, Styles needs to get to the Intercontinental Title feud as soon as possible, as he is the most “and he’s here too” name in WWE right now.

Post match Punk goes after Breakker and Reed but Seth Rollins runs in and keeps up the beatdown. The villains wreck the heroes and Reed drops some Tsunamis to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Money In The Bank season is such a weird time for WWE as so much of the shows are built around getting to the ladder matches. Saturday will see all kinds of things reset at once, but it makes for some hyper focused shows and they can be a bit tedious. The good thing here is that the action was enough to carry the show, even if it feels like it was the end of the first part of a season.

Results
Stephanie Vaquer b. Liv Morgan and Ivy Nile – SVB to Nile
Judgment Day b. War Raiders – Coup de Grace to Ivar
Sami Zayn/Jey Uso b. Bronson Reed/Bron Breakker via DQ when Seth Rollins interfered
Kairi Sane b. Raquel Rodriguez – Insane Elbow
El Grande Americano b. CM Punk and AJ Styles – Loaded headbutt to Styles

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

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: May 19, 2025
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

We’re officially in Money In The Bank season, but before we get to that show, we have this weekend’s Saturday Night’s Main Event. That show alone should be quite the presentation, with a fairly stacked card already coming together. Other than that though, we need to get ready for the Money In The Bank ladder matches with some qualifying matches taking place this week. Let’s get to it.

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

We look at the actions of Seth Rollins/Bron Breakker/Paul Heyman from last week.

Here is Logan Paul to get things going. He gets right to the point by saying he’ll be the next World Heavyweight Champion by beating Jey Uso at Saturday Night’s Main Event. After the YEET chants get on Paul’s nerves, Paul goes on about how he has knocked Uso out a few times and is ready to do it again. Cue Gunther to interrupt and Paul knows this isn’t good. Gunther thinks that Paul’s statements make him sound confident and that is what drives them in life.

The people here should show Paul (who looks very nervous) more respect. Gunther talks about all of Paul’s successes and says he could learn from Paul. That works for Paul, who is willing to talk to Gunther anytime. Gunther can imagine the headlines if Paul becomes the World Heavyweight Champion and Paul says Gunther knows business. Gunther says this may be business to Paul, but to Gunther, this is personal.

Taking the title from Uso is personal for Gunther and just ask Pat McAfee what he does to non-wrestlers. At least McAfee showed some heart, but if Paul wins the title, Gunther will eat him alive. Gunther goes to leave but Paul talks trash about him, only to get superkicked by an invading Jey Uso. This was a promo about making Paul feel like a bigger threat to win the title, which was needed after the Gunther title shot was announced.

We look at Giulia and Roxanne Perez splitting up after last week’s loss.

Perez is officially signed to Raw (as Giulia is officially signed to Smackdown).

We look back at NBA stars Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson getting into it last June on Smackdown before they play in the NBA Playoffs this week.

Jey Uso runs into Paul Heyman, who wants to give Uso some facts. Everyone says that Heyman betrayed CM Punk and Roman Reigns, which means stabbing them in the back. The fact is that Bron Breakker is facing Uso in a non-title match tonight because it isn’t about the title. Instead, Breakker is out to slow Uso down so Seth Rollins can win the title soon.

Penta/AJ Styles vs. Judgment Day

Styles sends McDonagh into the corner to start but misses the drop down dropkick. Not that it matters as Styles knocks him into the corner for some chops from Penta. Cue Balor, who is taken down as well with the villains being sent outside. Penta and Styles hit stereo dives and we take a break (with a great slow motion replay of the dives).

Back with Penta in trouble and being sent up top. McDonagh gets knocked down but Balor is right there to cut off the tag attempt. Penta fights out of trouble and hits the reverse Sling Blade on Balor, allowing the tag back to Styles. The Calf Crusher goes on so McDonagh tries to make the save, only to frog splash Balor by mistake. The belly to back faceplant gives Styles two and he hits the moonsault DDT on the floor. Carlito gets in a posting to cut Styles off though and we take a break.

Back again with Styles fighting out of trouble and handing it off to Penta, with McDonagh coming in as well but stumbling on the ropes. Penta superkicks an upside down McDonagh in the corner but charges into a Spanish Fly. Balor Sling Blades Penta, who is back up with another superkick. Carlito’s distraction earns him a shot from Styles and a Canadian Destroyer off the steps plants McDonagh on the floor. Cue El Grande Americano though with a headbutt to the back of Penta’s head and the Coup de Grace finishes him off at 17:08.

Rating: B. This was a match that I wouldn’t have expected much from and it wound up being a heck of a showdown. That’s quite the success for a match that shouldn’t have been much on paper and it even keeps El Grande Americano vs. Penta going. Good stuff here and a very nice surprise.

Iyo Sky is ready for anyone to win Money In The Bank so here is Becky Lynch to remind Sky that Sky has never beaten her. Sky is ready anyway.

Seth Rollins interrupts Logan Paul, who is trying to get out of this place. Rollins says Jey Uso is going to get hurt tonight and that means Paul has a real chance on Saturday. If Paul gets past Uso and Gunther, Rollins will be waiting for him. Maybe they run it back from Wrestlemania two years ago with the title on the line. Think about it.

Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Becky Lynch vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Natalya

Lynch tries to get the alliance going with Perez to start and then tries to throw her outside. It’s Lynch outside instead, leaving the other two inside. This time Lynch pulls Natalya outside for a ram into the barricade before coming back inside where Perez can get two off a rollup. Natalya suplexes Lynch for two but the Sharpshooter is countered into a Disarm-Her. Perez breaks that up but Natalya blocks the Manhandle Slam attempt. A basement superkick sends Perez outside, only for her to come back with a dive onto both of them.

We take a break and come back with Natalya discus lariating both of them but the double Sharpshooter doesn’t work. Everyone gets knocked down until Natalya and Lynch are back up to slug it out. Perez sunset flips Natalya to suplex Lynch at the same time, with Lynch having to jump back up for the save. Perez goes up but Natalya grabs a slingshot powerbomb to plant Lynch for two.

The Sharpshooter has Perez in trouble until Lynch makes the save. That earns Lynch a discus lariat and the double Sharpshooter sends Lynch and Perez to the ropes. The Manhandle Slam drops Perez but here is Lyra Valkyria to brawl with Lynch. A quick Pop Rox gives Perez the pin on Natalya at 14:35.

Rating: B. They got rolling here, even if Natalya was pretty clearly there to take the fall. The good thing is that while Natalya might be little more than a jobber to the stars, she can still do rather well in the ring. Putting her out there while Valkyria intercepted Lynch was a good way to go and I had fun with the match, despite Natalya’s obsession with the Sharpshooter.

Sami Zayn comes in to see Jey Uso, telling him to worry about Logan Paul. Zayn will deal with Seth Rollins and company and he has Uso’s back tonight if the numbers game comes up.

We look at John Cena beating Michael Cole on Raw in 2012. Cole: “Not quite as embarrassing as Heidenreich.”

Akira Tozawa gets to face Rusev next week. Chad Gable comes in to promise destruction and Tozawa (and Maxxine Dupri) leave. With them gone, Gable wants a Money In The Bank qualifying match for himself and Ivy Nile. New Day comes in (Pearce: “DOES ANYBODY KNOCK AROUND HERE???”) and isn’t thrilled with the Creed Brothers getting a title shot in a triple threat next week, also involving the War Raiders. Pearce throws them all out, with Xavier Woods saying it smells like a midlife crisis in here.

Sheamus vs. Grayson Waller

Austin Theory is here with Waller, who slaps Sheamus in the face to start. Sheamus works on the arm and it actually turns into a technical off on the mat. Back up and Sheamus goes with the power to send Waller flying a few times. Waller is sent outside but slides back in, where he hits a quick clothesline as we take a break. We come back with one heck of an AUSTIN THEORY chant going and Sheamus getting annoyed at Waller for hitting him in the chest. Sheamus pounds away (Theory winces) but gets caught in the rolling Downward Spiral for two.

Theory accidentally distracts Waller though and Sheamus hits a knee to the face. Sheamus grabs the Dublin Smile but a discus forearm puts him on the apron. For some reason Waller decides to try the ten forearms to the chest, which Sheamus reverses into…something that looked like White Noise onto the apron but was more Waller being dropped onto the rope. Waller tries to leave but Theory won’t let him, allowing Sheamus to hit the ten forearms. The Brogue Kick puts Waller away at 10:53.

Rating: C+. I wasn’t quite feeling this one, as the idea was that Waller didn’t want to do this but he wound up having a pretty competitive match against a monster like Sheamus. The good thing is that Theory seems to be taking a step towards having more of a personality, which could be interesting if he is given the chance. Theory has long since shown the talent to do something but it isn’t going to happen as he’s stuck with Waller.

Michael Cole and Pat McAfee make a bet on the NBA Eastern Conference Finals (if the Pacers win, Cole will call Raw in a tank top but if the Knicks win, McAfee will call Raw in a suit). They talk to Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who will be a playable character in WWE2K25. It’s a big rivalry with the Knicks and Haliburton is ready to go. Cole hypes up the Knicks (McAfee: “YOU BIASED PIECE OF TRASH!”) before Haliburton picks Jey Uso to beat Logan Paul. You can tell Haliburton is a big fan and the commentators being fans of the teams was a nice way to tie it together.

Saturday Night’s Main Event rundown.

Gunther is interrupted by Seth Rollins, who says it’s been awhile. Rollins thanks Gunther for doing things with his title, but Gunther says the reality is Rollins is not the long term game around here. Rollins says that if Gunther gets in the way, he’ll make himself a target. Gunther says he is eagerly awaiting it.

Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Rhea Ripley vs. Zoey Stark vs. Kairi Sane

This is Sane’s first match in several months after a hand injury. Sane goes after Stark to start but gets caught with a nasty German suplex. Ripley gets sent into the ropes and Sane takes her down with a hurricanrana but Stark tries a missile dropkick…and may have blown her knee out. We pause for the doctor to check on Stark and the camera goes to the briefcases as we take a break.

Back with Stark gone and Ripley hitting a fall away slam on Sane. Ripley sends her flying again so the referee can talk to her a bit, likely as this is being called on the fly. Sane is back up to knock her into the corner for the running forearm and they slug it out from their knees. Ripley ducks a shot to the face and hits the headbutt, setting up Riptide for the pin at 9:25.

Rating: C+. There is a HUGE asterisk next to this one as it is pretty clear that Stark was there to take the fall but then got hurt. Ripley moving on is fine and it’s a shame to see Sane have to lose on her first night back, but the bigger story here is Stark. That looked absolutely terrible and hopefully Stark is able to come back WAY down the line.

Rusev is ready to destroy Akira Tozawa. Next week he will forgive Tozawa’s stupidity and forget his existence.

Finn Balor introduces Roxanne Perez as a potential member of the Judgment Day. She’s even got presents: chicken tenders for Dominik Mysterio and apples for Carlito! Raquel Rodriguez throws her out, saying Liv Morgan will not like this. Balor trying to appeal to Dominik’s sleaziest tendencies to get revenge on him is some brilliant stuff.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker

Non-title and Paul Heyman is here with Breakker. Some shoulders in the corner have Uso in early trouble but he’s right back to knock Breakker outside. The suicide dive connects and we take an early break. Back with Breakker running multiple ropes to hit a hard clothesline. Breakker powers him around and hits an overhead belly to belly, which doesn’t get all of the rotation. Uso fights up and knocks him into the corner for the running Umaga Attack and a near fall.

They fight out to the floor and Breakker hits the bulldog off the apron onto the announcers’ table. We take another break and come back with Uso fighting back, including a jumping enziguri. The pop up Samoan drop gets two but Uso gets caught on top, meaning it’s the super Frankensteiner for another near fall. A quick superkick gives Uso two so Breakker grabs a chair. Uso superkicks him down again but Heyman grabs Uso’s leg, allowing Seth Rollins to jump him from behind for the DQ at 14:58.

Rating: B-. As annoying as a DQ ending can be, they didn’t have a better option here with Breakker being an up and coming monster and Uso being the champion. Rollins has made it clear that this match is just about slowing Uso down anyway so it makes perfect sense for Rollins to jump him. These two have some chemistry together too so this worked well.

Post match the beatdown is on until Sami Zayn and CM Punk come in for the save. After the fans get done singing Cult Of Personality, the brawl is on. The fight heads into the crowd with Punk diving in with a double ax handle. The four of them go into the back…and Logan Paul knocks Uso out again to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show was all about setting up Saturday Night’s Main Event and that was pretty well done. Paul vs. Uso got a nice boost, but there was also quite a bit of looking forward to other stuff. Not only did they set up some Money In The Bank participants, but you can see some title matches either already being announced or teased for down the line. This was the big preview night and that worked very well. The action was good too, but this was all about setting things up for later and that has me intrigued.

Results
Judgment Day b. Penta/AJ Styles – Coup de Grace to Penta
Roxanne Perez b. Natalya and Becky Lynch – Pop Rox to Natalya
Sheamus b. Grayson Waller – Brogue Kick
Rhea Ripley b. Zoey Stark and Kairi Sane – Riptide to Sane
Jey Uso b. Bron Breakker when Seth Rollins interfered

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

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: May 12, 2025
Location: KFC Yum Center, Louisville, Kentucky
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

We’re done with Backlash and only so much changed. The big story on Raw would be Gunther smashing though Pat McAfee, but we’re coming up on Saturday Night’s Main Event where Jey Uso will defend the World Title against Logan Paul. Other than that, CM Punk is back and the good guys are coming after Paul Heyman and company. Let’s get to it.

Here is Backlash if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of last week’s main event, with CM Punk saving Jey Uso and Sami Zayn from Bron Breakker and Seth Rollins.

Here is Punk for a chat. It’s great to be alive in Louisville and he sees this place as home. He’s ticked off at a lot of people, to the point where it’s easier to remember the ones he’s not mat at right now. The worst of them all though is himself, because he trusted Paul Heyman. People, including Jey Uso tried to warn him about Heyman and Punk thought it was ok.

We all know how this ends, because we’ve been here before. He’s going to get his hands around Heyman’s neck and then get the Temu CM Punk Seth Rollins. Cue Heyman (Punk: “Come on Penguin, where you at?”) to storm part of the way to the ring, with Punk wanting an explanation as Heyman’s last words. Cue Rollins and Bron Breakker (Punk: “You’re just a song kid, that’s all you are. At some point, the bell’s gotta ring.”), with Rollins saying Punk is the one who betrayed Heyman.

The reality is that Heyman believed in Punk but now Punk is the reason Rollins isn’t World Champion. Punk swears Rollins will never be champion as long as he’s on two feet, so Rollins says Punk always wants to be a martyr. That can be arranged, so Breakker comes into the ring. Rollins gets in as well but here are Sami Zayn and Jey Uso to make the save. Odds are this sets up a tag match, but there are a lot of different options to pick from and that is a good place to be.

We recap El Grande Americano interfering to cost Penta the Intercontinental Title at Backlash.

Pat McAfee joins commentary.

Penta vs. Chad Gable

Penta jumps him to start but gets knocked down as we hear about El Grande Americano touring Mexico at the moment. Gable goes for the mask, which fires Penta up enough for the comeback. Penta knocks him to the floor but a dive is knocked out of the air. Gable declares that LUCHA LIBRE SUCKS and we take a break.

Back with Penta hitting a superkick for a breather but Gable grabs a German suplex. The Swan Dive is countered into a Codebreaker (nice) for two and they’re both down. The Backstabber out of the corner is countered and Gable hits the moonsault. Back up and Penta cuts him off with a superkick but the Sacrifice is reversed into an ankle lock. That’s reversed into an exchange of rollups for two each until Penta gets taken up top. Gable spends too much time arguing though and gets knocked down for a middle rope Canadian Destroyer and the pin at 8:03.

Rating: B-. This is how you get someone back on track as Penta gets a nice win and that’s all he needs to do. He beat Gable without any major issues and while El Grande Americano is the real story, this helps set Penta up for the big showdown in a little while. Penta still feels like a player around here and that is a great sign for his future.

Dominik Mysterio kind of accuses Finn Balor of almost costing him the Intercontinental Title but everything is ok.

We look at Gunther vs. Pat McAfee from Backlash, with Gunther eventually overwhelming him. Gunther did show respect to McAfee after the match.

McAfee gets an ovation from the Raw crowd and Michael Cole thanks him. He’s banged up but knows he was in a huge fight.

Sami Zayn/CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins/Bron Breakker is set for Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Zayn and Punk are ready for the match, though Punk is worried about trusting anyone. Zayn understands that but says it was the same when Punk teamed with them at WarGames and that went well. Punk agrees and they’ll do this.

War Raiders vs. Creed Brothers

New Day is on commentary. Ivar starts fast on Brutus and the slam sends Ivar onto him. Julius comes in to help knock Erik into the corner for the double teaming. Erik fights out of the corner but Ivar is knocked off the apron so there’s no tag. Julius suplexes Erik on the floor for a crash (New Day approves) as we take a break.

Back with Ivar giving Julius the seated senton out of the corner, setting up a Bronco Buster. Ivar goes up but gets superplexed down into Brutus’ moonsault for two. It’s back to Erik to clean house, including driving Ivar into Julius in the corner. New Day gives the match some mocking applause before Brutus hits an Angle Slam on Ivar. A double belly to back gets two on Ivar with Erik making the save. The Doomsault is loaded up but Kingston breaks it up, allowing the Brutus Ball to finish Ivar at 10:19.

Rating: B-. Normally I would ask what in the world happened to the tag division but it’s an obvious answer: the same thing that has happened to it time after time. The titles do not feel important in the slightest and instead come off as just something that happens to be there. New Day is cold again and a rematch with the War Raiders isn’t going to reignite anything.

Seth Rollins talks to Bron Breakker and says Sami Zayn and CM Punk probably think they got one up on them out there. They have no idea what Rollins is capable of. He wants Breakker to do one more thing, which he whispers to Breakker. Rollins: “Have some fun.”

We look at Logan Paul attacking Jey Uso after last week’s show went off the air.

Paul says he wants the World Title.

Paul vs. Uso is set for Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Here is Uso, who does his full entrance, plus an encore. Uso knows that he has a big target on his big back so he’s going to get something off his big chest. He’s been hearing Logan Paul talking about how Uso has a glass jaw. Well at Saturday Night’s Main Event…and here’s Gunther to interrupt.

Gunther says they met at Wrestlemania and Uso reminds him of the tap out. With that out of the way, Gunther says he knows Uso is out of his element because he’s not a natural champion. That’s what Gunther is, and he’ll prove it on June 9, when he challenges the winner of Uso and Paul (which Uso already knew, thanks to Adam Pearce).

Gunther hopes that it’s Uso so he can remind Uso of his place. That makes Uso take his glasses off and go into a rant about how THIS is his place. He’s going to walk into June 9 as champion and walk out the same way. Uso can do the fired up response rather well, even if that’s quite the spoiler for Saturday Night’s Main Event (which granted, might not have had much doubt in the first place).

Iyo Sky is ready to teach Roxanne Perez and Giulia respect.

Commentary pays tribute to Sabu. That had to be done.

Ludwig Kaiser is in the back…but Bron Breakker has attacked Jey Uso.

Finn Balor vs. AJ Styles

Judgment Day (minus Dominik Mysterio) is here with Balor. Styles quickly takes him down to start and they pop up for some glaring. Balor can’t spin out of a wristlock but does pull him into a headlock as the early wrestling continues. Back up and the drop down dropkick sends Balor outside for a breather.

We take a break and come back with Balor hammering away in the corner but a snap suplex takes him down. Balor chops away and knocks Styles down again, allowing some jumping stomps. Styles fights out of an abdominal stretch and comes back with the sliding forearm. A superplex drops Balor and we take another break.

Back with Styles winning a slugout and grabbing the Calf Crusher. Balor makes the rope but the leg gives out again, meaning the Calf Crusher goes on again. That’s broken up so a not quite normal Styles Clash gets two. Carlito gets on the apron for a distraction so McDonagh can interfere. This doesn’t go well either but Balor is back up with 1916 for two. Cue Penta to take out Judgment Day, leaving Styles to hit the Phenomenal Forearm for the pin at 16:54.

Rating: B. Oh like this wasn’t going to be really good. These are two people who can work well with anyone and they know each other from their time in the ring over the years. They got time and had a reason to fight each other so they wound up having a heck of a match. Good stuff here, which should not be a surprise at all.

We look at Lyra Valkyria retaining the Women’s Intercontinental Title over Becky Lynch in an upset at Backlash.

Here is Lynch, sitting on the top rope, for a chat. She talks about Lyra Valkyria attacking her character in recent weeks and then gave her the match of her life. Now Valkyria matters more than she ever has before and it isn’t even close. After the bell rang after the match though, it was an alarm going off to tell her how much she has been manipulated. She walked away from the crowd for about a year because of the backlash from the people.

The people carried her into the main event of Wrestlemania because they were in this together. Then something happened though, because she became a success, while all of these people are failures. One of her friends asked if she missed doing this and she missed being in the ring, but she didn’t miss listening to the people lie to her. She didn’t have to live up to expectations so from now on, she is whatever the people say she is. Greedy? Angry? Sure! What everyone accuses her of being backstage is what she is going to be. This was the big heel turn explanation and Lynch sold the heck out of it.

Rusev is still ready to hurt people and fulfill his purpose.

Akira Tozawa wants Rusev but he’s too injured. Sheamus comes in to request, and receive, a match with Grayson Waller next week.

Roxanne Perez/Giulia vs. Rhea Ripley/Iyo Sky

Sky and Perez go straight to the slugout to start but Giulia comes in for some running shots in the corner. Perez gets in a cheap shot from the apron so Ripley comes in for quite the dropkick. That’s not enough for a tag though and Sky flips around, only to have Ripley pulled off the apron. Ripley chases Perez around the ring but has to catch a diving Giulia, allowing Perez to dropkick Ripley into the post. Sky hits a dive of her own and we take a break.

Back with Sky flying maring Perez away and making the diving tag off to Ripley to clean house. A toss Razor’s Edge into a basement dropkick gets two on Perez. They go up top where a super Razor’s Edge is countered into a super hurricanrana and Ripley is in trouble for a change. Giulia comes in for some shots of her own before it’s back to Perez for a rear naked choke. That’s broken up and it’s back to Sky for the missile dropkick.

A double stomp to Giulia sets up Over The Moonsault for two with Perez making the save. Everything breaks down and Ripley tosses Sky into Perez for a knockdown. Giulia trips Ripley on the apron and butterfly superplexes Sky. The northern lights bomb gives Giulia two with Ripley (not Perez Cole, even if they’re dressed alike) making the save. Perez high crossbodies Giulia by mistake and Riptide finishes at 14:02.

Rating: B-. This was the stacked tag main event and while it was good, I was a bit disappointed with the thing. They didn’t have any kind of big moment and the result more or less kills Giulia and Perez’s status. Sky vs. Ripley is the big singles match down the line, but this doesn’t leave much for the villains to do at the moment.

Post match the winners pose but Ripley looks at the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This didn’t feel like a fallout show from Backlash, but that’s mainly because there wasn’t much fallout to cover. The big Raw match was Gunther beating up a commentator, along with the Women’s Intercontinental Title and the champion wasn’t even here. That doesn’t leave much to talk about so they focused on Saturday Night’s Main Event instead. I liked what we got here, and the upcoming special is feeling, well, special.

Results
Penta b. Chad Gable – Middle rope Canadian Destroyer
Creed Brothers b. War Raiders – Brutus Ball to Ivar
AJ Styles b. Finn Balor – Phenomenal Forearm
Rhea Ripley/Iyo Sky b. Roxanne Perez/Giulia – Riptide to Giulia

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

NXT
Date: April 29, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

Last week’s big deal was the return of Joe Hendry, who confronted NXT Champion Oba Femi. Trick Williams isn’t happy with Hendry either and he showed up to jump Hendry over the weekend at TNA Rebellion. Other than that, it’s time to get ready for Battleground and now some stars are on the main roster, meaning some people will get to step up. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Joe Hendry showing up last week and then getting taken out by Trick Williams at Rebellion.

Commentary talks about Hendry so of course here he is. Hendry talks about having a great week but then he got laid out by Williams. That was Williams crossing the line because he couldn’t stand people talking about Hendry. People were talking about Williams not being able to win so he went after Hendry, who has a violent side. Hendry calls Williams out…but it’s Darkstate to jump him instead.

Earlier today, Ava invited Iyo Sky back to NXT for one night and asked if she had a partner for tonight. Sky doesn’t yet, but Jordynne Grace comes in to offer her services. Works for Sky.

Karmen Petrovic listens to Gigi Dolin and Tatum Paxley vent about their losses but Ashante Thee Adonis comes in. He’s gotten Petrovic a match with Sol Ruca but she’s not thrilled about him calling Dolin and Paxley “losers”.

North American Title: Lexis King vs. Ricky Saints

Saints is defending and gets jumped to start fast. That doesn’t work for Saints, who fights back without even taking off his vest. A shot in the corner has King in trouble but he gets in a shot to the face. Back up and Saints sends him outside for a dropkick through the ropes and we take a break.

We come back with both of them hitting crossbodies at the same time, allowing King to hit a Swanton for two. A fireman’s carry gutbuster gets two as Booker wants him to follow up. The tornado DDT is countered and King rolls him up for two. Now Saints’ tornado DDT can connect and Roshambo retains the title at 8:31.

Rating: B-. Good match here for Saints, as he gets to beat a former champion and continue to establish himself. The easiest way to make someone look good as a newcomer is to have them win matches and that’s what they’re doing with Saints. I’m not sure what is next for King, but he could use something new sooner than later.

Shawn Spears isn’t happy with the Culling’s recent issues but he wants Izzi Dame to put the spotlight on herself. If they can become a better team, they will find their success.

Here is Tony D’Angelo for a chat, with security flanking him. No, he did not expect Stacks to turn on him because they have known each other since they were kids. Stacks would go after someone and D’Angelo would step up for him because that’s what loyalty does. The thing is Stacks has always wanted to be the boss. While Stacks has stepped up when he was needed, even when D’Angelo was hurt, he has been a hot head and put the team in jeopardy.

That’s what made D’Angelo step in to make the save, which is why Stacks waited for the right moment to stab D’Angelo in the back. The Family is scattered…and here come some goons. Stacks pops up on screen, saying he won’t be showing up tonight. Security wouldn’t let anyone do anything tonight but D’Angelo needs to hear something.

The reality is that D’Angelo doesn’t understand that he isn’t a leader anymore. D’Angelo has gone soft and doesn’t even know who he can trust anymore. The goons come in and go after D’Angelo, who clears the ring without much trouble. D’Angelo tells Stacks to bring it but sneering ensues instead. This is a fairly goofy feud but if they focus on the personal issues between old friends who have split, they have something.

The Meta Four is happy to be back but Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson seem to think it’s time for the team to go their separate ways. Dar agrees and the team is done on good terms.

Karmen Petrovic vs. Sol Ruca

Non-title and Ashante Thee Adonis is here with Petrovic while Zaria is here with Ruca. Petrovic is sent to the floor to start but avoids a moonsault, only to get kicked in the ribs back inside. Ruca gets knocked into the corner for a baseball slide but is right back up for the comeback. A running kick to the chest looks to set up the Sol Snatcher, which is broken up for a change. Back in and Ruca pulls her out of the corner, setting up the Sol Snatcher for the pin at 3:28.

Rating: C. Not much to see here outside of the always cool Sol Snatcher (which looked like it was fairly close to missing this time). Petrovic didn’t get to showcase herself very well here, but it wasn’t like this was some big match for her in the first place. Ruca needs a challenger, and Petrovic pretty clearly is not it.

Post match Petrovic kicks Adonis down. Thank goodness, as that story has gone absolutely nowhere.

Here is Trick Williams for a chat. Williams gets right to the point by calling out Joe Hendry, who does not appear because Darkstate already took him out. Hendry got the best of him last week so Williams showed up at Rebellion to take Hendry out. While Williams was in Los Angeles for Rebellion, he got a spot on All American and debuts soon.

Yeah he’s Hollywood Trick (as the fans chant him) but Hendry is local talent. Williams wants Oba Femi and the NXT Title so here is Ava, who reminds Williams of his ejection last week. That doesn’t seem to mean much to Williams, who says he is the biggest star in NXT and TNA. Ava says Williams can have a title shot…if he wins a 25 man battle royal next week, with the winner getting the title shot at Battleground.

Roxanne Perez talks to Giulia before their tag match tonight and Giulia seems to respect her.

Oba Femi is fine with facing Trick Williams if he wins the battle royal. The Undertaker comes in who says some of his guys from LFG are coming for Femi, so here are Jasper Troy, Shiloh Hill and Anthony Luke. Femi shakes Undertaker’s hand and looks forward to the challenge.

Tag Team Titles: Hank & Tank vs. Josh Briggs/Yoshiki Inamura

Hank & Tank are defending. Inamura runs Tank over to start but the champs take Inamura down to start fast. Briggs comes in to knock Hank down with a running shoulder and everything breaks down. We settle down to Inamura taking over on Tank, including a rather hard chop to send us to a break.

Back with Inamura striking away at Hank and Briggs coming back in for a splash for two. A German suplex gives Briggs two more but Hank is back with a top rope clothesline. Tank comes in but Hank gets sent into the steps, leaving Tank to get chokeslammed. Inamura’s top rope splash gets two with Hank making the save. Inamura picks Hank up but swings him into Briggs by mistake. The neckbreaker/powerslam combination retains the titles at 10:31.

Rating: C+. If that’s it for Briggs and Inamura, they’re going out just like they came in: doing very little and not exactly standing out. I haven’t gotten their appeal as a team since they got here and I still don’t see it here. Their issues at the end could set up a singles match between them, but it’s not like there is much interest in them in the first place.

The No Quarter Catch Crew is ready for the battle royal and don’t care what Charlie Dempsey (not here) think.

Chase U is back with a bunch of students and Andre Chase wasn’t sure he was ever going to be here again. Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon come in late but Chad doesn’t like them being late. Chase isn’t going to have students talking to each other like that, but F*** YOUR QUESTION CHAD! CHASE U IS BACK!

Kelani Jordan mocks Sol Ruca for not defending her title tonight like a real champion should. Zaria isn’t pleased and says if Jordan wants a title shot, they can fight first.

Hank & Tank came up to see Joe Hendry and they’re ready to help him against Darkstate. That’s quite the dream (ish) team for Darkstate to overcome and I’m not sure if they’re going to.

Roxanne Perez/Giulia vs. Jordynne Grace/Iyo Sky

The fight goes to the floor to start and the villains are in early trouble. Sky gets caught in the wrong corner but flips away and hits a double dropkick. Grace comes in to help Sky with an electric chair Swanton for two on Perez. Giulia gets dropped as well and an over the shoulder gutbuster gives Grace two. Perez offers a distraction though and Giulia gets in an eye rake to take over.

A spinning Russian legsweep gives Perez two but it’s back to Sky, who rolls Perez up for a fast two. Grace’s second electric chair attempt doesn’t work as well though as Sky is sent face first into the apron as we take a break. Back with Giulia stomping Sky for two but Sky rolls Perez into a kick of her own. Grace comes in to hit the running shoulders before sending both of them flying at once. Sky’s top rope double stomp into a Gory Bomb gets two on Giulia with Perez having to make the save.

Everyone is down and Perez makes a blind tag, allowing her to snap off a super hurricanrana to bring Sky down. Giulia plants Sky, setting up Perez’s double springboard moonsault for two. Grace and Giulia brawl up the aisle, leaving Perez and Sky to have a snappy pinfall reversal sequence. Sky kicks her down though, setting up Over The Moonsault for the pin at 14:25.

Rating: B+. I had a very good time with this one as they were all working hard and had a heck of a match. Sky being back in NXT doesn’t feel like someone miles ahead of the rest of the division, which shows you just how deep the women’s division is around here. Outstanding match here and one of the best that NXT has had in a good while.

Post match Perez is frustrated.

Stephanie Vaquer wants to know her next challenger so Ava makes Grace vs. Giulia next week in a #1 contenders match. Works for Vaquer.

Overall Rating: B. The main event was by far the best thing on the show, but it also did a good job of making me more interested in the Battleground card. You can see a lot of the matches coming from here, with a few that still need to be made. I like what we’re getting here, and they’re doing a very nice job of balancing the guest stars. Good show here, with the main event certainly being worth a look.

Results
Ricky Saints b. Lexis King – Roshambo
Sol Ruca b. Karmen Petrovic – Sol Snatcher
Hank & Tank b. Yoshiki Inamura/Josh Briggs – Neckbreaker/powerslam combination to Briggs
Iyo Sky/Jordynne Grace b. Roxanne Perez/Giulia – Over The Moonsault to Perez

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

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: April 28, 2025
Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

Now we’re in the weird part of the show, as Wrestlemania and the main fall out show are both over. That means it is time to start getting ready for everything else that matters, with the road to Backlash being less than two weeks away. That should make for an interesting show as we already have a main event set with John Cena set to defend against Randy Orton. Let’s get to it.

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

Nick Aldis is in charge tonight with Adam Pearce gone for a week. That could be interesting.

Commentary talks about Gunther attacking Pat McAfee last week, earning himself a fine and a suspension. Later tonight, McAfee gets to comment on the situation.

We look back at Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman gloating last week, with Bron Breakker joining up with them in a move that has all of the potential.

Here are Rollins, Heyman and Breakker for a chat. Rollins hits his catchphrase and talks about how it must be difficult for those of you who still want to chant for CM Punk or Roman Reigns. The future of this company isn’t John Cena, Jey Uso or anyone else, because it is Rollins himself.

Cue Sami Zayn to interrupt and Rollins doesn’t seem overly thrilled. Rollins welcomes him back to the show (where he was last week) and Zayn says they have known each other for a long time. This is a bunch of nonsense though, because Rollins and Zayn spent a lot of time talking about Punk and Reigns. What was the one thing those two had in common? It’s the guy who is now standing behind Rollins, which doesn’t work for Rollins. Zayn thinks Rollins might have been jealous of Punk for all that time because he just wanted to be in Punk’s position.

Rollins says this is the future and this is NOT the Bloodline, but Zayn says he’s looking at the Wise Man and the dog. By the way, if Breakker keeps looking at him like that, he’ll get his face kicked in. Rollins says Zayn is going to need to get out of the way or get beaten down, but maybe they can pull some strings and get him off Raw without any problem. They’ll need an answer by the end of the night.

We look back at Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer last week, with NXT’s Roxanne Perez and Giulia running in for the double beatdown. Rhea Ripley made the save.

Rhea Ripley vs. Roxanne Perez

They start slowly until Perez knocks her into the corner. Ripley gets a boot up but can’t get a Razor’s Edge. Instead Perez takes her down and starts in on the leg, even managing to kick her down. A dropkick sends Ripley to the floor but she’s fine enough to pull a suicide dive out of the air. Perez is right back up and wraps the leg around the post, only to have Ripley power out of a Russian legsweep back inside. A clothesline takes Perez down and we go to a break.

Back with Perez still working on the leg but Ripley fights up again. Now the toss Razor’s Edge connects and a running basement dropkick gives Ripley two (with the knee messing up the cover). Cue Giulia for a distraction, which allows Perez to try a failed Pop Rox. Instead Ripley knocks her down, setting up Riptide but Giulia runs in for the DQ at 11:48.

Rating: B-. This was a good showcase for Perez as WWE seems rather interested in showing what the NXT women can do on the main roster. That’s a good idea as the women are NXT’s strong suit and more than capable of hanging up here. It makes me wonder who is on their way up, though Perez is pretty much here already.

Post match the double beatdown is on but Iyo Sky runs in for the save.

The Judgment Day is happy to have JD McDonagh back. Finn Balor goes to talk to him but Liv Morgan says they need to get ready for their match. It’s time to get into the Tag Team Title picture so she’s gotten them a match with the War Raiders. Balor is happy, but would like to be more in the loop.

Here is Logan Paul for a chat. He beat AJ Styles at Wrestlemania but some people still aren’t satisfied. There are people who do not recognize greatness and greatness does not look like Jey Uso. Paul has done everything in WWE except win a World Title, so Uso’s days are numbered. Cue Uso to interrupt, saying he’ snot about to just hand the title over. The fire that was lit inside him when he saw Gunther beat up his brother is never going out. If Paul wants the title, come take it. Paul calls him stupid and gets dropped with a superkick as Uso leaves. There are far worse options for Uso’s first opponent.

War Raiders vs. Judgment Day

New Day is on commentary and do not like all of the attention being paid to McDonagh when Woods’ recovery from injury didn’t get much praise. Erik gets knocked into the corner to start but fights out with a dropkick. Ivar comes in for some heavy knees and Judgment Day is sent outside. Ivar crashed into the side of the ring and we take a break with Erik looking concerned.

We take a break and come back with Erik hitting a heck of a right hand to drop McDonagh. That’s enough for the tag off to Ivar, who sits on Balor in the corner. A spinning kick to the head drops McDonagh but Ivar misses the Doomsault. Instead McDonagh hits his own moonsault for two on Ivar, who is back up to drop both villains. They go to the floor where the Raiders are launched into each other and Ivar takes out New Day. Carlito’s distraction lets McDonagh hit a jawbreaker on Erik but here is Penta to shove McDonagh off the top. The War Machine finishes McDonagh at 10:35.

Rating: C+. I like the War Raiders and odds are they’re getting a title shot out of this, but egads this division feels ice cold right now. It’s coming off more like the tag divisions of old and that’s a terrible thing to see. Maybe things can pick up, but for now, it feels like the titles have a grand total of no value and that’s never how things should be going.

Paul Heyman interrupts Sami Zayn and Otis, with the latter leaving. Heyman talks to Zayn about bringing up the Bloodline but moves on to Seth Rollins. Whether it’s true or not, Rollins sees himself as the future of wrestling. Bron Breakker is not happy either and is demanding a match with Zayn tonight.

That has to be respected because Breakker is the key to their plans. If Zayn is willing to move to Smackdown this week, the GM’s have guaranteed Zayn a WWE Title shot against the winner of John Cena and Randy Orton (that gets Zayn’s attention real fast). Heyman: “You can live in the future or you can die with the past.” Heyman goes to leave and Breakker is waiting at the door, where he looks pleased. Now that’s a good way to go, as it gives this some stakes that we know matter to Zayn

Here is Becky Lynch for an explanation of her attack on Lyra Valkyria last week. She stepped in to help Valkyria after Bayley was attacked just before Wrestlemania….and yeah of course she did it. Lynch does not want to hear the fans yelling at her because Bayley has attacked her over and over since 2019. Bayley has forgotten what this business is supposed to be because she’s out here dancing to wrestlers’ music and wearing their shirts while crying about not being a bigger star. Well Bayley got to see what a bigger star looks like when Lynch walked down the ramp at Wrestlemania.

As for Valkyria, she wouldn’t be in this business if not for Lynch. While Lynch was gone though, Valkyria buddied up with Bayley while Lynch wanted her to “ditch that b****.” It’s too late though because Valkyria is already a loser, but cue Valkyria , looking near tears, to interrupt. Valkyria says a lot of women in the back warned her about Lynch (Lynch: “I’ll bet they did!”) with Bayley being the first. She didn’t believe it though because she had this dream of winning the Women’s Tag Team Titles with her fellow Irishwoman.

Maybe it took all of the Manhandle Slams to get it through her head but Lynch bails from the threat of a fight. Valkyria brings up beating Lynch for the NXT Women’s Title and issues the challenge for tonight. Lynch isn’t wanting to fight in Kansas City so Valkyria issues the challenge for Backlash, and she’ll even put the Women’s Intercontinental Title on the line. Lynch is in but Valkyria says she’s already on the way to being a better woman than Lynch. She’s already a better wrestler, which sends Lynch into a rant.

Valkyria dropkicks her through the ropes and the beating is on with Lynch bailing. Valkyria goes to pose on the stage but Lynch jumps her from behind. They hit all of the notes here but I’m just not quite buying it from Valkyria. I can’t imagine Lynch doesn’t win the title, or at least beat the daylights out of Valkyria at Backlash, but that’s going to be a heck of a step back for Valkyria.

Nick Aldis comes up to Penta and understands that he wants Judgment Day but we can’t have that kind of violence. However, Aldis has made a match between Penta and JD McDonagh for next week. That’s good for Penta, but Chad Gable interrupts to mock Penta for losing at Wrestlemania. That wasn’t even his favorite part of Wrestlemania though, because that was seeing Rey Fenix lose to El Grande Americano. Penta kicks him in the face and hits the catchphrase.

Video on Rusev, who is ready to hurt people after finding himself.

Stephanie Vaquer vs. Ivy Nile

Vaquer’s NXT Women’s Title isn’t on the line and Chad Gable is here with Nile. They to to the mat to start with Nile working on a front facelock but something like a European clutch gives Vaquer two. Back up and a spinning rollup gives Vaquer two more but the Devil’s Kiss is blocked. Vaquer shrugs that off and hits the Devil’s Kiss as we take a break.

Back with Vaquer hitting it again, followed by a running Meteora in the corner, with Gable putting the foot on the rope. Vaquer gets distracted, allowing Nile to suplex her down for two. Nile goes up but gets caught with some headbutts, setting up the superplex. The SVB (a butterfly backbreaker) is blocked and Nile plants her down for two more. A dragon screw out of the corner slows Nile down though and the SVB finishes for Vaquer at 9:32.

Rating: B-. They’re in a weird place with Vaquer, as she is already feeling like one of the best stars in all of the women’s division but she hasn’t been NXT Women’s Champion for very long. The problem is she’s a bigger star than pretty much anyone else in the NXT women’s division so I’m not sure how long she’ll be around there. She’s more than ready for the main roster, but dang I hope they don’t waste that momentum in NXT for much longer.

Nick Aldis meets with AJ Styles, who wants to get back in the ring. Cud Judgment Day to interrupt, with Liv Morgan saying she’ll need tome off to be in a Hollywood movie. Aldis agrees and says that’s been settled up, but doesn’t think the same of Dominik Mysterio’s request. When you’re a champion, you have to be here more often (as in a champion like….Morgan). Mysterio and Styles don’t think much of each other but the villains leave. Styles tells Aldis he has an idea, and Aldis seems to know it in advance.

Karrion Kross hopes Sami Zayn makes the right decision.

Michael Cole talks about last week when Gunther went after the commentary team. This led to a brawl between McAfee and Gunther, with Gunther choking him out. McAfee gets on the announcers’ table and sucks up to the fans a bit. He’s been on the commentary team for so long that he has forgotten who he was. McAfee is still the guy who born the son of a hard working truck driver but he wasn’t given much in this life. He went from an irrelevant bum to being known around the country.

There are a few things that he wants to be known for when he is gone, like being a hard worker. He wants to be seen as someone who gave back to various charities, but above all else, he wants to be remembered as a loyal mother******. You have to ride with those who ride for you and there is one man who has been with him since the day he got here. That man is Michael Cole so last week, McAfee had no choice but to help his friend.

Yeah he’s nuts to go after Gunther but if he dies, he dies. He wants “Smackdown’s version of Adam Pearce” to get out here so cue Nick Aldis, who wants to keep this professional. McAfee wants Gunther’s suspension lifted for the sake of a fight. Aldis says he can’t do that for a fight, but he can do it for the sake of a match. The match is made for Backlash. McAfee is annoying but he can still cut a good promo, which he did here.

We look back at the first John Cena vs. Randy Orton WWE Title match, which was all the way back at Summerslam 2007.

Jey Uso checks on Sami Zayn, and says he has his back no matter what decision he makes. Zayn leaves and Uso gets decked by Logan Paul.

Here is Seth Rollins for a chat. He wants Sami Zayn out here for his decision, so here is Zayn in person. Rollins gets that Zayn doesn’t like Breakker or Heyman, but Rollins and Zayn have known each other for twenty years. Last week, Rollins saw Zayn return and thought Zayn would show him the same respect.

Rollins believes that this is the way forward in WWE, but there is no one better to lead us into the future than Rollins himself. It hurts that Zayn doesn’t believe him but that is how the business works. Zayn is one of the few true friends Rollins has in wrestling. When Rollins became a father, Zayn was one of the first people he called because he had no idea what to do. Zayn gave him advice, and now Rollins is hoping Zayn will take the same advice.

Take whatever Heyman is offering him and go to Smackdown. Zayn says that everything Rollins has said about their friendship outside of the ring is true. Everything about what is going on in the ring though is Rollins playing games. He knows it’s a game because he has previously confided in Rollins that the one thing he wants more than anything is to be World Champion. When has Rollins ever known Zayn to run away? Zayn will not be threatened because he will become World Champion and he will do it the right way. That brings out Bron Breakker with Paul Heyman and we’re ready to go.

Bron Breakker vs. Sami Zayn

Heyman and Rollins are here with Breakker and Zayn is in street clothes. Breakker sends him flying with a suplex to start and rakes Zayn’s eyes over the top rope. An elbow to the face drops Zayn again and something like a powerslam gets two. Breakker takes him out tot he floor and hits the diving clothesline onto the announcers’ table.

We take a break and come back with Zayn hitting a sunset bomb. Zayn goes up but Breakker runs the corner for a super Frankensteiner. Breakker’s spear gets cut off with a shot to the face but the Super Spear knocks Zayn silly. Another Super Spear connects and Rollins tells Zayn to take the deal. Zayn tells Rollins where to go so it’s a third Super Spear. Medics come to check on Zayn so Rollins orders one more Super Spear, which is finally enough to stop the match at 12:32.

Rating: B-. Well if you want someone to take a heck of a beating and get all the sympathy in the world while making the new villain look like a monster, Zayn is the guy you call. That’s exactly what we had here, as Breakker wrecked Zayn and looked like a killer in the process. That’s what this needed to be and Breakker did his part about as perfectly as imaginable.

Post match the fans want one more spear but have to settle for a Stomp from Rollins instead. This was the next big beatdown as the team continues to knock off enemies.

Overall Rating: B. A lot of this show focused on the women and that was not a bad way to go. The two women’s matches and the Valkyria/Lynch segment worked, but the other big thing was that much better. The Zayn story was very good and they have a lot of options to pick from with the stories they are setting up. I liked what we got here well enough, but I’m more excited for where things are going and that is a good situation to have.

Results
Rhea Ripley b. Roxanne Perez via DQ when Giulia interfered
War Raiders b. Judgment Day – War Machine to McDonagh
Stephanie Vaquer b. Ivy Nile – SVB
Bron Breakker b. Sami Zayn via referee stoppage

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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NXT
Date: April 22, 2025
Location: BleauLive Theater, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Booker T., Corey Graves, Vic Joseph

We are done with Stand & Deliver and still in Las Vegas so it is time for a pretty big show. In this case, we have the Women’s Title and Women’s Tag Team Titles on the line, which should make for a good night. Other than that, it is time for a bunch of fallout and getting ready for the next major event. Let’s get to it.

Here is Stand & Deliver if you need a recap.

We open with a long Stand & Deliver recap, which was an eventful show.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez vs. Tatum Paxley/Gigi Dolin

Paxley and Dolin are challenging after winning an elimination match at Stand & Deliver. Morgan knocks Paxley into the corner to start but gets pulled down by her hair. Rodriguez quickly comes in for a swinging front facelock to take over. Paxley gets in a facebuster on Morgan but Dolin can’t do much with Rodriguez. A high crossbody is countered into a powerslam to give Rodriguez two but everything breaks down. Paxley moonsaults off the apron onto both champions and we take a break.

Back with Rodriguez grabbing a chinlock on Paxley before handing it off to Morgan. Three Amigos set up the Eddie Dance for two but Paxley knees her way out of Rodriguez’s suplex. A DDT breaks up the suplex and it’s off to Dolin to pick up the pace. The Tejana Bomb is broken up and Paxley’s 450 connects with Morgan making the save. The Cemetery Driver is loaded up but Morgan comes in off a blind tag with a top rope Codebreaker to drop Paxley. That means the Tejana Bomb to Dolin sets up Oblivion to retain the titles at 11:30.

Rating: C+. Dolin and Paxley were a fine choice from NXT to go after the titles and the match wasn’t bad at all. The two title changes in the last two days made the belts feel like they could be in a bit more jeopardy here and that helped a lot. Morgan and Rodriguez are turning into the big bads of the division and that is something the titles have been needing for a long time.

Lexis King asks Penn and Teller to bring his Heritage Cup back but has to admit that magic is real and defend the Cup tonight. Deal, and he gets the Cup back.

We look at NXT starts competing at Bloodsport.

Darkstate mocks Miles Borne and the No Quarter Catch Crew. Je’Von Evans comes in and a match is made for later.

Here is Ricky Saints for a chat. Saints is happy to have retained the title and even his mother doesn’t think much of Ethan Page. Cue Lexis King to interrupt and while he’s happy to have his Cup back, he wants the North American Title. King will even put the Cup up to make it title for title. Works for Saints.

Thea Hail is happy with Hank & Tank and Sol Ruca for winning at Stand & Deliver but Jaida Parker and Fatal Influence aren’t happy with Hail’s energy. Jazmyn Nyx and Jacy Jayne tell Fallon Henley to deal with it and leave. Henley says she will since the other two never could.

Heritage Cup: Lexis King vs. ???

King is defending against…the returning Noam Dar, with commentary not exactly giving him a hot reception. Dar takes him down for a quickly broken ankle lock before hitting a running shot in the corner. Some elbows to the face get two but King runs him down with a knee to the head for the same. Dar strikes away but gets superkicked down for two. King misses a Swanton though and a spinning elbow gives Dar the Cup back at 4:03.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have much time here but Dar beat him pretty decisively. After the Cup has had so many things going on with it recently, I’m wondering if we might be coming up on a unification match. Without the rounds, there isn’t much of a point to having the Cup as its own thing, so unless Dar is reinstating the rules (which he could), I’m not sure why it needs to exist.

Roxanne Perez is annoyed at people taking her spotlight and is ready to win the Women’s Title tonight.

Fallon Henley vs. Thea Hail

The rest of Fatal Influence is here too. Henley chops away in the corner to start but gets rolled up for a fast two. It’s too early for the Kimura as Booker goes on a rant about Chase U being a horrible university. Hail throws her down but gets caught with something like a reverse exploder suplex. Nyx distracts the referee but Jayne kicks Henley by mistake. The Kimura makes Henley tap at 2:25.

Here is Oba Femi for a chat. Femi gets right to the point in saying he did exactly what he promised he would do at Stand & Deliver. We pause for an OBA chant before Femi praises Je’Von Evans for being better than he expected. He can’t stand Trick Williams though, because he is just that much better than Williams. Cue Williams to say he wants the one on one title shot. And here is Joe Hendry.

He isn’t seeing the same Williams that he tagged with last year. The truth is that Williams is entitled instead of hungry and now he’s just a whiny b****. Williams wants to talk about what he believes: Hendry had his moment and got beaten up at Wrestlemania. Hendry: “I was in the ring and you were in the stands.” He’ll be defending the title at Rebellion, but he has business with Femi. Williams tries to get involved and is quickly tossed out, leaving us with a staredown. That could be interesting.

Luca Crusifino comes to meet Stacks in the desert. Crusifino yells at Stacks for turning on the D’Angelo Family and wants this to be solved. Stacks asks if Crusifino knows why he was invited out here. Crusifino: “….oh f***.”

Sol Ruca, with Zaria, is happy but Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez come in to mock her. Ruca tells them to get out and threatens to come for the titles.

Trick Williams breaks a bunch of stuff and Ava throws him out.

Darkstate vs. Je’Von Evans/Miles Borne

It’s Dion Lennox and Osiris Griffin for Darkstate with the other two on the floor. Borne works on Lennox’s arm to start and it’s quickly off to Evans for a springboard hurricanrana. Griffin throws Evans into the corner though and drops him with a shoulder. Some dropkicks put Darkstate on the floor but Griffin pulls Evans’ dive out of the air. Borne’s dive works a bit better though and we take a break.

Back with Griffin pulling Evans out of the air again and sending him flying with a fall away slam. Lennox tosses Evans to Griffin for a powerslam and a waistlock has Evans in more trouble. Evans finally rolls over and brings in Borne with the diving tag so house can be cleaned. Everything breaks down and Griffin pulls Evans out of the air again (dude never learns) for a planting. A double powerbomb finishes Borne at 9:57.

Rating: C+. Darkstate might not be anything original but what matters is they are being treated like something important. They came in, made an impact, and have racked up some wins. The people involved aren’t exactly anything special but they’re being presented as something good and that’s what’s going to make this a success.

The rest of the No Quarter Catch Crew is on the stage and does not approve.

Shawn Spears has been talking to Ava when Yoshiki Inamura comes in, saying it is time for him to go back to Pro Wrestling Noah. He wanted to win the Tag Team Titles so Ava gives him one more shot with Josh Briggs next week. Cue Briggs to ask how that happened. Inamura: “Old Japanese secret.”

Tony D’Angelo goes to Riz’s hotel room and they can’t believe what Stacks has done. They realize they haven’t heard from Luca Crusifino but D’Angelo says it’s going to have to come to blows with Stacks. Riz wants them to work it out but we’re beyond that point. D’Angelo wants Riz to go to a safe house and she reluctantly agrees.

Ricky Saints is happy that Noam Dar won the Heritage Cup but Lexis King is still getting his title shot. Ethan Page comes in for a distraction and King decks Saints.

Andre Chase opens a suitcase and pulls out a Chase U sweater. Chase: “WE’RE F****** BACK BABY!”

Women’s Title: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Roxanne Perez

Perez is challenging and takes her into the corner to start but gets wrestled down. They trade rollups for two each until Perez gets two more off la majistral. That’s good for a staredown until Vaquer takes over, only for the Devil’s Kiss to be blocked. Perez gets in a shot on the bad arm and we take a break.

Back with Perez dropkicking her out to the ramp, where Vaquer hits a superkick into a 619. A springboard crossbody drops Perez on the ramp again and NOW the Devil’s Kiss can get quite the reaction. The SVB is blocked but Vaquer gets a regular backbreaker instead. Perez is right back with the crossface and she flips back into the middle of the ring. That’s reversed into some near falls but Pop Rox is blocked. A dragon screw legwhip sets up SVB to retain the title at 11:39.

Rating: B-. That very well might be it for Perez in NXT as there is a grand total of nothing left for her to do around here. She’s dominated the division before and now it is in the capable hands of the newcomers. Let Vaquer, Grace and Giulia run things for a bit while Perez sees what she can do on the main roster where she belongs.

Post match Giulia comes out for the staredown. Jordynne Grace is watching from the crowd to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a solid fallout show from Stand & Deliver as they started up some fresh stories while also dealing with everything that happened. I’m curious to see where a lot of this goes and that is always a nice feeling to have. It’s also something that was only kind of there going into Stand & Deliver so maybe things are starting to turn around in the right way.

Results
Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez b. Tatum Paxley/Gigi Dolin – Oblivion to Dolin
Noam Dar b. Lexis King – Spinning back elbow
Thea Hail b. Fallon Henley – Kimura
Darkstate b. Je’Von Evans/Miles Borne – Double powerbomb to Borne
Stephanie Vaquer b. Roxanne Perez – SVB

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

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: April 21, 2025
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

So we’re finally done with Wrestlemania and there are a lot of changes to cover. First of all, we have two new World Champions as Jey Uso and John Cena are the top stars in the company, having defeated Gunther and Cody Rhodes. Those are on top of a rather long list that I’m sure we’ll get to this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Wrestlemania if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of Wrestlemania Week in Las Vegas.

Here is John Cena to get things going, again with the black screen other than just his name. Hold on though as Cena does not like his ring introduction and hands the ring announcer a paper with the proper way to do it. Cena is the Unseen 17 and the greatest of all time, but he says that he doesn’t owe us an apology. On Friday, everyone bullied him but now that he has some gold, the people want to cheer him?

That is an unhealthy relationship and not the way you treat your wife or child. The people should give him an apology but we get a WE’RE NOT SORRY chant. Cena says the people are pathetic and mean nothing to him before soaking in some negative chants. Cena has taken all kinds of shots over the years and this isn’t going to be the crowd that breaks him. What matters is the 36 dates (which appears on the screen).

No matter what happens, Cena is on his way out and runs down the dates he’s already appeared this year. That brings us down to 27 dates (Cena: “Not matches! Appearances.”). The fans say he doesn’t wrestle but he doesn’t have to. All he has to do is show up and do this. When that countdown hits zero, the professional wrestling countdown stops cold. Now of course there will be another Raw and another champion, but the title of Bruno Sammartino, Steve Austin, Roman Reigns and everyone else is coming home with him.

All he has to do is keep playing us like the puppets we are because they lost their best chance to stop him last night with Cody Rhodes. The reality is there is no one in WWE with the strength, speed or RUTHLESS AGGRESSION of John Cena. However, Cena has a heart so he tells us to take out our cameras. Take your pictures because the last real champion is here. Then Randy Orton pops up and Cena turns around (Cena: “S***!”) for an RKO. With Backlash in St. Louis, that makes all the sense in the world. It was also an outstanding promo from Cena, who continues to flow so naturally as a heel that it’s almost unbelievable.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez vs. Becky Lynch/Lyra Valkyria

Lynch, who returned last night, and Valkyria, are defending. Lynch’s kicks to various parts of Morgan put her down and it’s already off to Valkyria to kick the villains down. Stereo dropkicks through the ropes have Morgan and Rodriguez down again and we take a break. Back with Lynch fighting back and blocking Oblivion. The Manhandle Slam gets two with Rodriguez coming in for the save.

Everyone goes up top and Morgan grabs a sunset bomb on Lynch. Rodriguez hits a super bomb for two on Valkyria, who gets up for the Nightwing to Rodriguez but Morgan makes the save. Lynch gets posted and Valkyria big boots Valkyria in the face for two more. Rodriguez tries to powerbomb Morgan onto Valkyria but only hits raised knees. Valkyria sends Rodriguez outside but knocks her into Lynch, with the distraction letting Morgan hit Oblivion for the pin and the titles at 11:54.

Rating: B. This turned into a heck of a back and forth match and I kind of like the rapid fire title changes. Lynch and Valkyria got their big moment last night with the surprise return, but they aren’t a regular team and this brings back some stability to the titles, with the long term champions holding them again. If also frees Valkyria from being a double champion, which didn’t need to happen.

Post match Rodriguez and Morgan leave and Lynch erupts on Valkyria, beating her down and screaming at her. Lynch teases leaving a few times but comes back for a few Manhandle Slams. That’s either going to make Lynch the second Intercontinental Champion or give Valkyria by far her biggest wins to date.

We look at Paul Heyman turning on Roman Reigns and CM Punk to join Seth Rollins on Saturday.

New Day is coming to the ring and get a nod of approval from Karrion Kross.

Here is New Day for a chat. They tell us to get down on our knees and thank God for them. They are the greatest team of all time and no one, dead or alive, can touch them. Cue the Alpha Academy, with Maxxine Dupri bringing up the Academy beating them in sixty seconds. The challenge is issued and decline, so Dupri dubs them the Minute Men. That’s enough to get the title match and here’s a referee.

Tag Team Titles: New Day vs. Alpha Academy

New Day is defending but the lights go dim and…..Rusev is back. New Day bails and Rusev wrecks the Academy with no trouble. No match. He had been rumored to come back and while I’m not sure how far he’ll go, it’s better than having him sit on the sidelines for the better part of ever.

Judgment Day celebrates their new titles when Finn Balor comes in to glare at Dominik Mysterio. Balor breaks into a smile and congratulates him but Carlito thinks he and Balor should get some titles of their own.

Here is Iyo Sky for a chat. Last night was the best night of her career because she beat the best in the world to prove that SHE is the best. Now no one will ever forget her because she is the Genius of the Sky and the Women’s World Champion. Cue Stephanie Vaquer (NXT Women’s Champion) to say that she wants to fight the best. The challenge is on for right now so Adam Pearce makes the match.

Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer

Non-title. Feeling out process to start with neither being able to get very far. Sky blocks an O’Connor roll attempt and they stare at each other a bit, followed by Sky sending her outside. The big suicide dive connects but Vaquer gets in a dive off the barricade as we take a break. Back with Sky armdragging her off the top and nailing a missile dropkick. The Bullet Train gets two but Vaquer is right back up with a Meteora.

The SVB (a butterfly backbreaker) is blocked and Sky stomps her down for two. Instead Vaquer is back up with the Devil’s Kiss (figure four necklock with Vaquer sending her face first into the mat) to quite the reception. Back up and Sky snaps off a German suplex, only for Vaquer to hit one of her own. They’re both down and get a FIGHT FOREVER chant so they go up top, where Sky hits a super Spanish Fly. Sky gets up and here is Roxanne Perez to jump Sky for the DQ at 13:58.

Rating: B-. They were having a good match and thankfully went with the most logical ending. What mattered here was getting Vaquer a quick look on the main roster with a top talent and she more than lived up to the task. The ending keeps everything going and boosts up Perez vs. Vaquer for the title this week on NXT.

Post match Giulia (from NXT) runs in to go after Sky, with Perez beating on Vaquer. Cue Rhea Ripley for the save. Ripley stares down Giulia and the villains leave, with Ripley saying she’s coming for Sky’s title.

We look at Jey Uso’s rise up to the main event.

Here is Uso for his World heavyweight Championship celebration. After doing the YEET thing again, he says he is so grateful to finally have the title on his shoulder. He is ready to put in the work every week to keep it and asks for the catchphrase. Cue Sami Zayn to interrupt and give Jey a big hug. It was hard for him to miss Wrestlemania because just like Jey, he is a game day player and it’s hard to not be in the ring.

The thing is, he had to be the first one to stand in this ring and congratulate him on being the new champion. Every single person in this building knows that Jey deserves that and we are here to celebrate, so hit his music. The celebration is on and here is Jimmy Uso to join in with no issues. This was a nice moment and it was refreshing to not have another turn from these guys.

Last night, Logan Paul denied any knowledge of interference in his match. He’ll face anyone, anywhere, anytime.

AJ Styles says he’s ok with the loss last night and he’s ready to bounce back. Karrion Kross and Scarlett come in to yell about Styles being the best around here but now he’s legitimized Logan Paul. Styles does not want to be the old, evil version of himself before and tells Kross to go solve the problem himself. Kross: “Maybe I will.”

We come back from a break with Gunther yelling at commentary, getting on Cole for saying negative things about him. Gunther shoves McAfee and chokes Cole, earning a shot from McAfee. Agents and referees come in and Gunther chokes McAfee out while trying to hold back some other people (possibly people from McAfee’s show). Gunther is FINALLY dragged off and McAfee is revived but has to be helped out.

After a break, Cole and McAfee are going to the trainer’s room and Joe Tessitore has taken over commentary. Cole starts to go back to the ring but Adam Pearce tells him to take the rest of the night off. Cole says Gunther might have broken his nose but he isn’t going to let some bully not let him do his job. That gets a big reaction and Cole comes back to commentary to join Tessitore, with the fans cheering for Cole, which you do not hear very often.

Intercontinental Title: Penta vs. Dominik Mysterio

Mysterio, with Judgment Day, is defending and stomps Penta down in the corner to start. Penta fights up and hits a crossbody before knocking Mysterio down again. We take an early break and come back with Penta in control, including a running Canadian Destroyer. Mysterio rolls outside for a breather though and Finn Balor gives him a pep talk. Penta hurricanranas Balor into Mysterio but cue JD McDonagh to shove Penta off the top. The frog 619 and frog splash retain the title at 8:02.

Rating: C+. McDonagh being back is another boost for the team, but it feels like Balor’s days as part of the lineup are numbered. There is something interesting about the idea of Balor constantly acting like the leader but never being able to win anything or come up with a plan. That very well could be leading to a shift in power and that could be rather interesting.

We get an old school style newsreel on El Grande Americano’s win at Wrestlemania, including shots of the massive celebrations in the streets. He’s earned them.

Here are Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman for a chat. The fans want CM Punk or Roman Reigns but Rollins starts talking about how he is a visionary. He is also the winner of the main event of Wrestlemania…and here is Punk. The brawl is on but Punk turns his attention to Heyman, allowing Rollins to beat him down. Heyman says they are going to say this all the way until Wrestlemania XLII, but there is a new reigning, defending, undisputed top star in WWE and he is Seth Rollins.

Cue Reigns (Rollins throws Punk outside) to charge into the ring and hit the spear on Rollins. That leaves Heyman all alone though and Reigns drops him with a Superman Punch. The spear is loaded up…and BRON BREAKKER cuts Reigns off with a Super Spear. Breakker and Rollins have a staredown and Breakker drops Punk with a Super Spear.

Rollins hugs Breakker and tells him to take out Reigns again. Reigns fights back with a shot to the face but Breakker runs around the ring and hits a Super Spear through the barricade. Rollins Stomps Punk and poses with Heyman and Breakker as we now have two Paul Heyman Guys.

Oh that’s a very intriguing way to go as Breakker fits in perfectly as a Paul Heyman Guy and could easily be moved into a main event slot. I like this a lot and it has all kinds of potential. If nothing else, you can see the huge tag match at Backlash from here. Heck of a way to end the show with a big surprise and a smart one at that.

Overall Rating: B. This was a very wrestling lite show and as usual, that’s not the point of the post Wrestlemania Raw. This week was all about the fallout and the big moves going forward. We had returns, a big reveal in the end and several matches/feuds being teased for the near future. I liked this show a lot and it felt more like a traditional post Wrestlemania Raw, which is nice to see after something of an absence.

Results
Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez b. Becky Lynch/Lyra Valkyria – Oblivion to Valkyria
Iyo Sky b. Stephanie Vaquer via DQ when Roxanne Perez interfered
Dominik Mysterio b. Penta – Frog splash

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