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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena

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

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

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

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

Commentary toasts Pat McAfee with Real American Beer.

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

Usos vs. Vision

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

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

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

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

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

Various celebrities are here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Post match Vaquer gets to celebrate and hugs her dad.

Pat McAfee leaves for some reason. Ok then.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Post match Punk is rather happy as Lee celebrates.

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

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

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

Smackdown World Title: Drew McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes

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

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

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

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

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

Rhodes celebrates to end the show.

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

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

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

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

Yes they’re really calling it that and no I can’t believe it either. The good thing is the show is pretty much absolutely stacked. There are some big matches on the card, including one of John Cena’s final matches and a World Title match. That should make for more than enough but we are also going to be all but guaranteed a new Raw Women’s Champion as the title is vacant. Let’s get to it.

Usos vs. Vision

Here we have a good old fashioned grudge match as these teams don’t like each other, but the problem is the Usos aren’t exactly on the same page at the moment. Jey seems to be having issues with being a good guy at the moment, but that might be more of an LA Knight thing. At the same time, the Vision are a pair of wrecking balls and that is not going to make this an easy night.

Either way, I can’t imagine the Usos winning here, as the Vision is the monster stable and they need to get a win here. At the same time, you have the Knight issue and it would not surprise me to see him cost the Usos the match. What matters is getting the monsters over and a win here would be a good step forward. Let them have an awesome match as the Usos can do, and move on from there.

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

The title is vacant due to Naomi’s pregnancy and now we get to see two of the best around getting a match for the title. That is a match that could go either way and that makes for things all the more interesting. Hopefully the match is able to live up to the hype, as the two of them respect each other coming in, which means we could be in for either a clean match or a bit of a twist.

That being said, while I like Vaquer a lot and she seemed to be in line for the title win, there are more options with Sky winning so we’ll go there. She already has issues with the Kabuki Warriors and Rhea Ripley, while Vaquer is in need of something to do. I’ll take Sky to win here, though it should be a heck of a match with the two of them hopefully getting to tear the house down.

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

This is arguably the show’s main event, as it has gotten more attention than anything else in recent weeks. What matters here is having Lee show up again after all these years and be treated as a legend. That should makes for a heck of a pretty awesome showdown, as there is a good chance she gets to face Lynch next month. Other than that, Rollins vs. Punk gets to continue forever, which shouldn’t be a shock.

There is pretty much no reason to believe that Punk and Lee are going to lose here, as there is a rather strong reason to believe that the two of them are going to be getting title shots against Rollins and Lynch. The good thing here for Lee is that she is going to be as over as anything else on the show (not named Cena) and that should be able to get her over just about any issues she has. Punk and Lee win here, as they should.

Smackdown World Title: Cody Rhodes(c) vs. Drew McIntyre

This was added late in last week’s show and the interesting thing now is that since Rhodes has lost the title to end his first reign, it might not be as likely that he keeps it here. That opens him up to a lot more vulnerability and I’m curious to see what that means for Rhodes’ time as champion. McIntyre isn’t the top name I would imagine coming for the title, but he’s just dangerous enough to come after the belt.

That being said, I’ll stick with Rhodes retaining here, though he might not win the match. There is a good chance that this keeps going on towards a much bigger match either in Australia or at Survivor Series. Hopefully the match lives up to the hype, as Rhodes is able to do some of his best work when he’s ticked off and wanting revenge, which should be the case again here.

John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar

Here we have the real draw for the show, as Cena is likely going to have only one or two more matches after this, as he’s running out of appearances. Putting him in there against Lesnar is a story that writes itself, which has pretty much had to be the case as the two of them have barely had any kind of interactions. The history alone should be able to make it work and the rest should just be a bunch of suplexes.

Of course Cena is going to win and then we get to see who is waiting for him next. I’m not sure who that is going to be, but there is a chance that this leads us into Cena’s last match. At the end of the day, Cena is all but guaranteed to win here so he can move on to whatever is waiting for him. This is going to be one of those matches where Cena barely survives, but it should make for a great moment one last time.

Overall Thoughts

The more I look at this show, the more awesome it’s feeling. This is actually a heck of a lineup with nothing feeling small, as we’re getting what feels like a top level pay per view in a spot that doesn’t often receive one. Granted the fact that I’ve got a ticket to the show makes it a bit easier to be excited, but hopefully it can live up to the hype, which is going to quite the trick.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roxanne Perez vs. Lyra Valkyria

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kofi Kingston vs. Penta

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dragon Lee vs. El Grande Americano

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

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

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

Americano is confused but rolls with it.

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

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

Stephanie Vaquer vs. Kairi Sane

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wrestlepalooza rundown.

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

LA Knight/Jimmy Uso vs. Vision

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lynch doesn’t want a camera on her.

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

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

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

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

AJ Styles vs. El Grande Americano

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

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

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

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

Video on AJ Lee.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Raquel Rodriguez

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Penta vs. Rusev

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

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

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

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

Nikki Bella vs. Asuka

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

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

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

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

LA Knight vs. Bronson Reed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here is Clash In Paris if you need a recap.

We open with a long Clash In Paris recap.

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

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

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

US Title: John Cena vs. Sami Zayn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Becky Lynch arrives.

Video on Aleister Black vs. Damian Priest.

Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black

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

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

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

Video on Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

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

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

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

Women’s United States Title: Giulia vs. Michin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clash In Paris 2025
Date: August 31, 2025
Location: Paris La Defense Arena, Paris, France
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

We’re overseas again and that means it’s time for one heck of a hot crowd. If last year’s show in France is any indication, this could be something rather special. The show is big enough with the Raw World Title on the line in a four way, plus John Cena vs. Logan Paul in what could be an awesome showdown. Let’s get to it.

The opening video focuses on the idea of big moments, with the Starry Night motif for quite the unique style.

The set is rather awesome with the Eiffel Tower in the middle and more of the Starry Night look. That’s great.

Roman Reigns vs. Bronson Reed

Paul Heyman is here with Reed and they’re fighting over stolen shoes. The fans sing for Reigns to continue a rather cool trend around here. They stare at each other for a LONG time to start, with the lockup not taking place until over two minutes into the match. That goes nowhere so Reigns tries some running shoulders, which go nowhere. Reed tries to run the ropes but gets caught with an uppercut, allowing Reigns to knock him into the corner for some right hands (with the fans sounding like they’re counting in English).

Reigns loads up the Samoan drop and that’s just not going to work on someone’s Reed’s size. They go outside with Reed hitting a shoulder off the apron. Reigns manages a posting and loads up the announcers’ table, which takes a bit too long. A World’s Strongest Slam crushes Reigns and Reed hammers away back inside. The neck crank goes on followed by a chinlock until Reigns fights up, only to get knocked back down.

Reed slowly hammers away even more until Reigns makes another comeback and knocks him outside. The apron boot to the face connects and Reigns sends him into the post a few times. Back in and Reed plants him with a release Rock Bottom into a backsplash and things slow back down. The Death Valley Driver gives Reed two but he can’t hit a piledriver. Reigns is knocked outside, where he cuts off a dive with a Superman Punch.

Back in and another Superman Punch gets two but the spear is cut off and Reed knocks him outside for the suicide dive. The Tsunami misses though and Reigns tries another spear, which is countered into one heck of a sitout powerbomb for two. The Tsunami is loaded up again but Reigns is right there with a super Samoan drop. Now the spear can connect for the pin at 22:07.

Rating: B. This is one of those concepts that isn’t hard to figure out, as it was a pair of monsters beating on each other until one of them couldn’t get up. At the same time, it’s proof of how simple a wrestling story can be. In short, they were fighting over SHOES, but it turned into a personal feud where they beat the living daylights out of each other. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.

Post match Reigns gets his shoes back and Heyman realizes he’s in BIG trouble. Heyman tries to acknowledge his Tribal Chief but gets guillotined for his efforts. Reigns signs the shoes and throws them into the crowd for a nice touch. As he’s doing that though, Bron Breakker pops up to spear him off the table in an awesome visual. Reigns is slowly taken out, allowing Breakker to run down the aisle and spear him again. That’s enough for Reigns to be put on a stretcher, which allows Reed to hit a Tsunami.

Cue Jey Uso for the attempted save but Breakker spears him down again, with Reed hitting ANOTHER Tsunami, even splitting the security and agents in a heck of a visual. The stretcher is able to get Reigns out after quite the lengthy segment to get Reigns off WWE TV for the sake of Street Fighter.

Jelly Roll is here.

Adam Pearce ejects Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, saying they’re suspended without pay if they come back.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Street Profits vs. Wyatt Sicks

The Profits, with B-Fab, are challenging. Dawkins says he’ll start, which doesn’t seem to go well with Ford. Gacy gets knocked into the corner so it’s off to Lumis, with Ford rather aggressively tagging himself in. Ford tries to pick up the pace but Lumis drops down to shake him a bit. Everything breaks down and a double flapjack plants Gacy. Ford gets dropped from behind though and Gacy takes him into the corner, with some forearms not getting Ford very far.

The chinlock doesn’t work either but Lumis comes back in to send Ford into the corner. Gacy takes him to the apron, where Ford is able to hit a suplex for a needed breather. The diving tag brings in Dawkins to pick up the pace, including a big running flip dive to the floor. Back in and Dawkins hits a Swanton for two on Gacy, who is back up with a belly to back neckbreaker combination getting two on Dawkins. Ford goes up but gets crotched on top, only to get back up for the Doomsday Blockbuster.

The frog splash misses though and Gacy flips Lumis onto Ford for two, with Dawkins making the save. Dawkins pounces Gacy into the barricade but stops for a staredown with Erick Rowan. Ford isn’t having that and flip dives over the post to take out Lumis and Rowan. Nikki Cross pops out from underneath the ring to grab Ford’s leg. That leaves Uncle Howdy to give Ford a Sister Abigail on the floor. Back in and a powerbomb/suplex combination finishes Ford to retain at 13:10.

Rating: C+. While it’s still better than its Raw counterparts, the Smackdown tag division isn’t the most interesting thing in the world at the moment. That was the case again here, as the Profits are suddenly having issues but they wind up losing due to the numbers game anyway. That’s a simple story for the Wyatts, but it’s also one that is going to get old in a hurry. Nice enough match here, but it was the definition of a cool down match.

We recap Becky Lynch defending the Women’s Intercontinental Title against Nikki Bella. Lynch beat Lyra Valkyria and started bragging so Bella issued the challenge. Personal insulted ensued and Bella seemed to get underneath her skin.

Women’s Intercontinental Title: Nikki Bella vs. Becky Lynch

Lynch is defending. Bella fires off forearms to start and Lynch bails to the floor, with Bella scoring off a dropkick to the knee. A dive misses though and Lynch sends her into the barricade to take over. Back in and Lynch stomps away in the corner before hitting her in the face. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Bella gets up and they slug it out.

Bella makes the clothesline comeback and dropkicks her out to the floor, setting up the baseball slide. Lynch’s hands are sent into the announcers’ tables over and over (that was terrible) before they go back inside….and HORRIBLY mistime Bella’s middle rope spinning kick to the face. As in Lynch was almost on the other side of the ring and Bella probably missed her by three feet. Thankfully Lynch is smart enough to just cover her for two and Bella gets to fire off the forearms.

Lynch catches her up top with a superplex for two but Bella is back with something like the STF (the Fearless Lock). That’s broken up as well but Lynch can’t get the Disarm-Her. Lynch misses something off the top and now the Fearless Lock goes on, with Lynch making the rope. They fight outside with Bella sending her into the post, followed by the Bella Buster onto the steps. Back in and Bella hits a half nelson slam (called the Manhandle Slam) for two but Lynch sends her throat first into the ropes and grabs a backslide to retain at 13:07.

Rating: D-. I don’t know if they were nervous, if Bella has forgotten how to wrestle or if Lynch took a sudden blow to the head before the match, but this was absolutely terrible. They were on such different pages that they were in different libraries and it never got anything close to good. It didn’t help that the fans were going nuts for Lynch and didn’t seem to care about Bella, which was ignored for the most part. I’m not a Bella fan, but I’ve seen enough of her time in the ring to know that this wasn’t her normal stuff. Talented wrestlers can have bad nights and I think we can chalk this up to that. At least hopefully.

We look at the Roman Reigns attack, but in different languages.

Jey Uso is banged up but insists he can still go.

We recap Sheamus vs. Rusev, who have been feuding for a good while now and brawling a lot, so it’s time for a Good Ol Fashioned Donnybrook.

Sheamus vs. Rusev

Donnybrook, meaning a street fight with Irish/Bulgarian themed weapons. They slug it out to start with Sheamus taking over. The fight heads outside, with Sheamus loading up some tables but having to suplex Rusev to cut him off. Rusev comes back with a kendo stick to the head and arms before a turnbuckle pad is ripped away. Sheamus manages an Irish Curse but gets sent into the corner.

They fight over a chair, with Rusev spinwheel kicking it into Sheamus’ face for one. Rusev loads up a chair in the corner but Sheamus tells him to bring it. A jumping knee to the face gives Sheamus two and he fires off the forearms to the chest. Back up and Rusev sends him over a bar at ringside, with Sheamus fighting back for more forearms. Rusev tries to escape into the crowd so Sheamus gives him more forearms, this time with a shillelagh.

Back in and the High Cross gives Sheamus two but Rusev bails outside before the Brogue Kick can launch. That’s fine with Sheamus, who goes up but dives into a kendo stick shot to the ribs. Rusev beats him down again before grabbing the Accolade, with Sheamus getting up and dropping back onto some chairs for the escape. They go outside again, with Rusev dropping him onto some whiskey barrels and grabbing the Accolade up there.

That’s broken up as well but this time Sheamus gives him an Irish Curse off the barrels and through some tables for the massive crash. The Brogue Kick gets two back inside and they trade strikes to the face. Rusev hits his jumping superkick in the corner and grabs the Shillelagh for the Accolade (bending all the way back onto his own back) and the tap at 20:06.

Rating: B. Well, it was as advertised, as these guys beat the fire out of each other until one of them couldn’t get up anymore. That being said, it went on a bit too long and I’m still not sold on Rusev. The problem is that he’s getting into the same circumstances as Alberto Del Rio: there is little to define him other than “he’s a heel from X country”. What is there to Rusev other than he’s a heel from Bulgaria? He needs more than that, and I don’t see it happening anytime soon.

We recap John Cena vs. Logan Paul. Cena is good again but Paul doesn’t like the fact that he isn’t getting enough respect. That led Cena to say that Paul could be great but won’t put in the effort. Therefore, it’s time to fight for honor and such.

John Cena vs. Logan Paul

Paul grabs a headlock to start so Cena reverses into one of his own. Cena wins a test of strength so Paul steps on his feet and hammers away in the corner. Back up and Cena fires off his own rights in the corner and tries a monkey flip, with Paul sticking the landing and knocking him down again. Paul mocks the fans a lot so Cena drops him with the running clothesline.

Back up and Paul hits a blockbuster into a chinlock, with Cena powering out. That earns him a gutwrench powerbomb for two and Paul gets to laugh at the fans a bit more. Back up and they collide for a double down, with the fans getting WAY behind Cena again. Cena fights up and hits the flying shoulders into the ProtoBomb but the AA is countered. Paul’s Buckshot Lariat gets two but the frog splash hits knees.

The AA gets two but Paul sticks the landing, meaning it’s off to an Octopus hold. That’s reversed into the STF, which is broken up as well so Cena hits the middle rope DDT for two. They both need a breather before Paul is back up with a Zig Zag for two of his own. Back up and Cena hits a Downward Spiral for two but Paul drops him again and gets a quick standing moonsault for two more.

Back up and they slug it out until Paul hits a pop up uppercut of all things for another near fall. With nothing else working (and his nose busted), Paul initiates Cena’s finishing sequence but takes too long on the Shuffle, allowing Cena to hit another AA for two. Cena’s Code Red gets two but Paul is back with the big right hand for the next near fall. A pair of frog splashes give Paul two and he hits his own Shuffle. The AA is countered into a Styles Clash of all things to give Cena two and they’re both spent. Back up and Paul hits the big right hand but Cena ducks another shot and hits the AA for the pin at 26:21.

Rating: A-. Oh of course this was great, as Cena knows this style as well as anyone else and Paul knows how to bring it on the big stage like almost no one else. I’m not sure if Paul should have lost here, but there was pretty much no way that Cena was going to lose in another high profile match so soon after Summerslam. These guys stole the show, which is impressive as some of the other matches have been rather snazzy as well.

The official attendance is 30,343, breaking the gate record set by Taylor Swift.

Seth Rollins doesn’t want to hear about the odds being stacked against him. He’s won with his back to the wall before though because he’s one of the best ever. It’s time to remind people what he can do. If he can’t keep the title by himself, maybe he doesn’t deserve to be champion. Oh yeah someone is going to be helping him. Rollins seemed a bit shaken up by the odds having been changed.

We recap the main event of Seth Rollins defending the Raw World Title in a four way. Rollins is champion, having cashed in on CM Punk at Summerslam. Jey Uso is the former champion who is owed a rematch, while LA Knight pinned Rollins before he won the title. The challengers want the title but keep fighting among themselves.

Raw World Title: Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk vs. Jey Uso vs. LA Knight

Rollins is defending and Uso is banged up from earlier tonight. Uso gets kicked out to the floor to start so Punk and Knight go after Rollins. Knight rolls Punk up for two and they slug it out but Uso is back in with a high crossbody to Rollins. Punk clotheslines Uso down and mocks the YEET but gets knocked outside. Uso and Knight start double teaming Rollins, who fights back and stomps away at all three.

That doesn’t last long though as he’s quickly surrounded and triple teamed, with Knight saying we need a table. Punk: “JEY! GET THE TABLES!” That doesn’t last long as they start fighting again, with Rollins joining them for a trip through the crowd. Back in and Punk grabs a swinging neckbreaker on Rollins, followed by the running knee in the corner. Uso drops Rollins, Knight drops Uso, Punk drops Knight and Rollins Pedigrees Punk for two to leave everyone down.

Rollins is back up with a buckle bomb for two on Knight, followed by a frog splash for the same on Uso. Knight gets stomped down in the corner but makes a comeback, including the slam to Punk and a DDT to Rollins. The top rope elbow connects but Uso is there with a superkick to put Knight down. Punk is back up for a Tower Of Doom to leave everyone else down, allowing him to pick his targets.

Back up and Punk poses on the apron, allowing Knight to knock him…well almost through the table at inside. The BFT gives Knight two on Rollins and he slugs it out with Uso. Knight takes Rollins outside for some rams onto the announcers’ table (better than Rollins’ wife from earlier) but the top rope elbow sends Knight crashing through said table. Back up and Uso dives onto Rollins, who reverses the spear into a Pedigree for two back inside. Rollins’ Phoenix splash misses though and now Uso can connect with the spear.

The Superfly Splash gets two but Punk is back in with a GTS for two on Uso. Rollins is back in and yells at Punk before grabbing a chair. A Stomp on the floor drops Uso and another takes out Knight. Back in and Rollins tries to Stomp Punk’s neck into a chair but Punk slips out and hits a GTS. Another is loaded up but cue a woman in a hoodie to hit Punk low. And yeah it’s Becky Lynch, which is so logical that it’s surprising. Rollins Stomps Punk onto the chair to retain at 24:30.

Rating: B. Well the ending was a surprise, and I’m impressed by how simple it really was. Rollins needed help but his lackeys were gone, but his wife, who happens to be a top star, comes in to save him. Other than that, you had your usual good brawl with everyone working hard, but it got into the pattern of “two in the ring, two out on the floor” and that got a bit tedious. Still though, solid main event here and I’m a bit surprised that Knight didn’t take the fall.

Rollins and Lynch celebrate to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Call it four and a half out of six, which is a pretty good result for a show. The Paul vs. Cena match stole the show, while the main event and opener were more than worth a look. If you get rid of the horrible women’s match (again, that felt like a horrible off night where they just couldn’t get it together) and replace it with anything even average, this is probably in contention for show of the year. As it is, it’s just a rather good show with Cena and Paul putting in a great one.

Results
Roman Reigns b. Bronson Reed – Spear
Wyatt Sicks b. Street Profits – Powerbomb/suplex combination to Ford
Becky Lynch b. Nikki Bella – Backslide
Rusev b. Sheamus – Accolade
John Cena b. Logan Paul – AA
Seth Rollins b. CM Punk, Logan Paul and Jey Uso – Stomp onto a chair to Punk

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

We’re back overseas for another pay per view and that means it’s time for some rather rowdy fans. That can make a not so great card all the better, which might be needed given the state of the card. This show is also a bit longer than usual, with six matches instead of the usual five, which may or may not be a good thing. Let’s get to it.

Sheamus vs. Rusev

This is a Good Ol Fashioned Donnybrook, which is the latest term for street fight. The two of them have been having big fights for weeks so it makes sense to put them together in a match like this. There is something fun about the idea of having two monsters tearing each other apart and that is likely what this will be, making it what should be a rather entertaining part of the show.

I’ll take Rusev to win, as despite him not exactly showing much since his return, it seems that WWE has at least some plans for him. Sheamus is someone who can be reheated rather quickly if necessary and losing big matches is kind of a thing for him, so odds are he’ll put Rusev over here. I’m not sure what WWE has in mind for Rusev, but he’ll probably get a big enough win with this one.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Wyatt Sicks(c) vs. Street Profits

The story here continues to be that the Wyatts are some kind of a dominant force in the division and all of the other teams are afraid of them but…I’m just not seeing it. That’s how the division talks about them but it isn’t how they act, which is making for a weird story. The idea is that someone is going to have to take them down and the Profits are probably the best bet at the moment.

That being said, I can’t imagine the Wyatts drop the belts so soon, as it doesn’t tie into what they’re doing. At the same time, Bo Dallas was talking as himself this week and that gives the team a new dimension, which they have been needing. Hopefully the match is good, but it feels like it could very well wind up being little more than a popcorn break for the fans (assuming that’s a big deal in France).

Women’s Intercontinental Title: Becky Lynch(c) vs. Nikki Bella

The build for this one has been all over the place, as you would think that Bella is the villain in the whole thing given what she has been saying. The idea is supposed to be that Bella is the veteran who is more famous but….it’s Becky Lynch. She’s the biggest star in the history of women’s wrestling and reached a level that Bella never touched, which makes Bella’s comments sound nearly delusional.

While there is always the chance that Bella wins for the sake of her being a legend and all that, this should and hopefully will be Lynch retaining. She could give someone a heck of a rub when she loses the title and that isn’t something that Bella needs. The match should be fine as Bella isn’t as bad in the ring as she is often described as being and Lynch can work well with anyone, but Lynch wins here, as she should.

Roman Reigns vs. Bronson Reed

Here we have a match that shows how important star power and personal issues can be. To make this simple: they’re fighting over two pairs of stolen shoes. That’s something out of a sitcom about fourteen year olds and it is the setup for what should be an awesome hoss fight. What matters is the people involved and how it has been presented, with Reed stealing from/humiliating Reigns, which is a fine way to set up this fight.

Outside of some interference, this should be going to Reigns, who is still one of the biggest stars in the company but hasn’t done much on his own in a long time. Somehow this is his first singles match since January and it is quite the moment for Reed to be his opponent. They just happen to be fighting over shoes, but it’s enough to get Reigns back to the singles ranks and hopefully to the pay window. Or is it winduh? Winda? Windo?

John Cena vs. Logan Paul

The Cena farewell checklist continues as I am still marveling over the fact that they just had Cena turn face out of absolutely nowhere with the reasoning of “eh, the heel turn bombed”. It shows you what you could have had for those six months, but at least he is on track for the big push towards the end. Odds are he had a big say in picking Paul for this match and that’s a great sign for Paul’s future.

While it would probably be a better move for Paul to win here and get one of the biggest victories of his career, you don’t put Cena in a spot like this with only a few months left in his career to have him lose in front of this audience. Therefore, Cena wins and gives the fans the big feel good moment. At the same time, he’ll probably give Paul the big line about how he’s learning or something, which is only going to get Paul so far but it’s Cena’s retirement year so there you go.

Raw World Title: Seth Rollins(c) vs. LA Knight vs. CM Punk vs. Jey Uso

Here we have the likely main event and it’s one of those matches designed to make you think that Rollins has no chance to retain because of the numbers against him. Therefore, commentary is going to be all “how can he overcome the odds???”, likely right before he overcomes the odds. There is a good chance that we’ll be seeing a bunch of interference from the Vision, and that will likely be the big turning point.

Naturally I’ll take Rollins to win, as they aren’t about to change the title so soon after the shocking (it wasn’t shocking) and unpredictable (it was predictable) cash in at Summerslam. Odds are he pins Knight because that’s what Knight’s role seems to be, which will likely result in some of the challengers fighting later. For now though, Rollins retains and gets ready for a singles match against…well probably Punk.

Overall Thoughts

This show feels very much like a B level pay per view and odds are that’s what it’s going to be. At the same time, that makes a good deal of sense as the fans are going to go quackers over just about anything presented to them. There is enough variety in the show to make it work and if they can follow last year’s pay per view in France, everything will work out well enough. I’m not overly excited for the show, but it should be fine.

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

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: August 11, 2025
Location: Videotron Centre, Quebec City, Quebec
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

The road to Paris continues, but not in the way it was advertised. This week’s Women’s Title match between Naomi and Iyo Sky has been called off as Naomi isn’t medically cleared. That’s never good to hear, but hopefully it isn’t as bad as it could be. Other than that, Seth Rollins and company have been crushing people and building up a nice shoe collection. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long recap of the end of last week’s show, with Seth Rollins and company standing tall over LA Knight, Roman Reigns and CM Punk.

Commentary confirms that Naomi is out tonight. There is no word on when she might be back.

Here is CM Punk to get things going. Punk talks about how he has a Seth Rollins problem. Rollins is trying to be Punk but can’t make it work. He should be the World Champion like he was at Summerslam. Punk is going to be the champion again and he’s going to take it from Rollins. That’s not all though, as he’s going to break Rollins’ legs.

Cue LA Knight, who shakes hands with Punk, but says last week Punk got involved in the title match. Knight is great with Punk getting revenge on Rollins, but he needs to get it after the bell rings. Punk can have his rematch, though it’s going to come after Knight gets hit. Punk thinks the words Knight are looking for are “thank you”, because Punk saved Knight after Rollins stomped his head on the concrete like a coconut.

As I try to figure out who smashes coconuts on concrete, Punk points out that Knight isn’t a former World Champion. Knight says that as Punk has said before, there are levels to this and Punk isn’t on his. He wants to keep the two of them problem free so he’s going to do Punk two favors: he’s going to forget about last week, and then he’s going to win the World Title and make Punk his first successful title defense.

Punk is willing to keep things safe because he’s the best in the world, but here is Paul Heyman to interrupt (Punk: “I wasn’t done!”). Heyman, with Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, speaks a few words of French before mocking the city. He warns Knight not to get in the favor sharing business with Punk, because it could cost you all kinds of things, from half of your life to your tribal chief but Punk cuts him off for a change. Punk offers to fight either of them tonight and the challenge is made/accepted for a tag match. This was a bit lengthy but I like Knight reaching this level.

We look back at the three Grande Americanos helping Dominik Mysterio win last week.

El Grande Americano comes to the Judgment Day clubhouse with Dominik Mysterio. Finn Balor takes Mysterio aside and suggests that they could use Americano to help Mysterio win the AAA Mega Title this weekend at TripleMania (as they’re two of the three challengers). Mysterio likes the idea and tells Americano that they need to get to the ring. Americano playing darts in the background while they talk is funny stuff.

El Grande Americano/Dominik Mysterio vs. Dragon Lee/AJ Styles

Lee dives onto Americano before the bell and Styles adds a knee from the apron to start with Mysterio. Lee and Americano come in with Lee getting a boot up to cut off a charge in the corner. A high crossbody gives Lee two and it’s off to Mysterio, who gets powerbombed as we go to a break.

We come back with Lee stomping Americano and hitting a running elbow. Mysterio offers a distraction though and Americano hits a running kick to the face. Lee gets sent outside and into the steps, allowing Americano to tie Lee’s mask to the corner. That…means pretty much nothing as Lee is let out seconds later, with Mysterio putting a mask on before grabbing a chinlock. Mysterio’s running dropkick in the corner has Lee in more trouble and we take another break.

We come back with Lee hitting the top rope double stomp on Americano but Mysterio pulls Styles off the apron in a rather smart move. Back in and Lee gets in another knockdown, which is enough for the tag to Styles. The pace picks up, including a monkey flip to send Mysterio into a Styles Clash. Americano shoves Lee off the top though and loads up the metal in his mask. Styles kicks it away before it can be put in the mask though, with Mysterio stealing it for his own mask. Mysterio’s headbutt to Styles lets American get the rollup pin at 16:40.

Rating: B-. I was a bit surprised that they didn’t have the other Americanos show up here but maybe they’re saving that for after the TripleMania title match. They’re playing up the idea that Mysterio outsmarted Styles here, which is something that has me curious. Not only is Mysterio getting successful but he’s also getting intelligent, which is a dangerous combination.

Sami Zayn met with Adam Pearce earlier, with Pearce saying there might be some World Title discussions if Zayn can beat Rusev tonight. Sheamus came in and is told he and Rusev can’t break down again tonight. That doesn’t work for Sheamus, but Zayn asks him to do it as a friend. Sheamus agrees, but Rusev is his the second the match is over.

Iyo Sky is disappointed in not getting her match with Naomi tonight. Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez come in to say it means Sky can’t lose again. Sky says she can fight Perez instead, with Pearce making the match.

Sami Zayn vs. Rusev

We get a pose off to start and believe it or not, the fans are behind the home province star. Rusev knocks him into the corner but gets pummeled for his efforts. Zayn sends him to the floor for the Arabian press moonsault, only to get caught in a release Rock Bottom back inside.

We take a break and come back with Rusev getting knocked off the top, allowing Zayn to hit the tornado DDT. Rusev’s jumping superkick gets two and he blocks the exploder into the corner. Things get a bit personal as Rusev does Sheamus’ ten forearms to the chest, which somehow powers Zayn up so the exploder can connect. The Helluva Kick is loaded up but the MFT’s pull Zayn outside for the DQ at 9:45.

Rating: C+. The fans were way behind Zayn here and the ending surprised me a bit, with the MFT’s coming out of nowhere. That ties in nicely with the match from Smackdown and gives both Rusev and Zayn a logical way out. I’m curious to see where this goes, but it also (probably) keeps Zayn away from the World Title scene for the time being.

Post match Zayn gets beaten down until referees break it up. Cue Sheamus to jump Rusev and they brawl into the crowd.

Post break the MFT’s are ejected with Adam Pearce calling Nick Aldis to yell. New Day and Grayson Waller come in to complain about Penta wrecking Xavier Woods’ hat. Penta should be banned from wearing hats! Pearce doesn’t have time for this so he’s making Penta vs. Woods for next week. As usual, Pearce losing his mind and snapping is his best stuff.

Bronson Reed talks about earning Seth Rollins’ respect, which earned his way into the Vision. He’s taken out Roman Reigns and promises to do it again and add to his collection until Reigns acknowledges the Tribal THIEF. That’s great.

The Kabuki Warriors offer to keep things even with Iyo Sky vs. Roxanne Perez but Sky politely declines, saying she has this.

Iyo Sky vs. Roxanne Perez

Raquel Rodriguez is here with Perez. They fight over wrist control to start with Sky spinning out to take her down, only to get caught in a waistlock. Sky gets up and grabs a headlock takeover but has to flip out of a headscissors. The fans are rather pleased as Sky flips away from Perez and hits a dropkick to the floor. The suicide dive takes out both villains but Perez sends Sky into the steps as we take a break.

We come back with Sky in trouble but hitting a dropkick. A missile dropkick connects as well but Perez knocks her back down. The flipping knees to the back connect but Pop Rox is blocked. Sky kicks her in the head but Rodriguez’s distraction lets Perez rake the eyes. A Shining Wizard gives Perez two and she can’t believe the kickout.

Back up and Sky sends Perez outside for a suicide dive onto both of them. Over The Moonsault hits raised knees though and Rodriguez gets on the apron. Cue the Kabuki Warriors to hold Perez but Sky has to stop before running into them. That’s enough for Perez to get a rollup with trunks for the pin 14:40.

Rating: B. This was getting rolling and then things happened in the end, which actually made it a bit more interesting. Issues with Sky and the Warriors could go places, with Asuka vs. Sky being a possibly awesome feud. I wasn’t betting on Perez winning here as she was a replacement for Sky’s much bigger opponent, so that was a nice surprise.

Jey Uso is back and wants his rematch but LA Knight interrupts, saying the line starts behind him. Uso isn’t quite buying that.

Iyo Sky yells at the Kabuki Warriors, with Asuka shoving her away and leaving, with Kairi Sane not being sure how to respond.

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

Dupri, with the Alpha Academy, is challenging. Lynch doesn’t seem worried and escapes a headlock to run Dupri over. Some stomping in the corner has Dupri down again as Natalya shouts that Lynch is a bully. The Bexploder looks to set up the Manhandle Slam but Dupri gets a Stunner to escape in a nice counter. The ankle lock is broken up so Dupri goes with a clothesline. That only gets her so far though and Lynch rolls her up for two while holding the ropes. That’s reversed into the Disarm-Her to retain the title at 5:34.

Rating: C-. This lost the little charm it had rather quickly as there was no reason to buy Dupri as even an annoyance to Lynch. Dupri isn’t interesting and she’s little more than a joke anyway. Lynch is getting ready to face Nikki Bella and this felt like a way to burn off a week before the match.

Post match Natalya comes to check on Dupri and gets kicked down by Lynch. Good grief do we have to go there now? Or ever really?

Seth Rollins gives Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed a pep talk before the main event, telling them to stack some bodies because he’s out of this dump.

Bayley isn’t sure why she has reached this point in her career because everything she has done has gotten her nowhere. She seems to be having a mental breakdown. While I don’t think it’s happening, having her as a way to bring Karrion Kross back as a new unit could be interesting. Assuming Kross is coming back at all.

Lyra Valkyria isn’t taking the blame for what happened to Bayley because Bayley cost her.

Stephanie Vaquer offers her apologies to Iyo Sky. With Vaquer gone, Rhea Ripley comes in but Sky tells her to stay out of it.

Bronson Reed/Bron Breakker vs. LA Knight/CM Punk

The villains jump them before the bell and it’s Knight getting caught in the corner as Paul Heyman is at ringside with the shoes. Knight fights back and even gets his vest off, allowing Punk to come in and start on Breakker’s ribs. Reed comes in and it takes a few clotheslines to put him on the floor in a nice bit.

We take a break and come back with Breakker firing off shoulders to Punk’s ribs in the corner, followed by a neck crank. That’s broken up and Punk is able to bring Knight in for the house cleaning, including a jumping neckbreaker to Reed. The BFT is blocked but Knight is right back with a reverse DDT. Back up and Knight is sent outside for Breakker’s clothesline over the announcers’ table.

We take another break and come back with Knight getting knocked into the wrong corner again. Knight fights away but Punk goes outside to yell at Breakker meaning there’s no one to tag. Instead Reed drops a backsplash for two and then knocks Punk off the apron again. The Steiner Bulldog gets two with Punk having to make a save, allowing Knight to fight up again. This time the tag brings in Punk, who barks a bit before suplexing Breakker. Everything breaks down and Knight takes Reed out on the floor, leaving Punk to hit the top rope elbow on Breakker. The GTS is loaded up but Seth Rollins comes in for the DQ at 16:22.

Rating: B-. This went longer than it needed to, especially for something as simple as “and then Rollins runs in for the DQ”. The Vision likely getting to stand tall again to end the show is basically a lesser version of last week’s ending, which is only going to get them so far. The action was your basic stuff, but the fans were going nuts for Punk, as usual.

Post match the beatdown is on but Jey Uso makes the save with a chair. Cue Adam Pearce to say he sees what Rollins did as an opportunity. That opportunity will be defending the title against Uso, Knight and Punk in a four way at Clash In Paris. The challengers get in a fight, allowing the Vision to come in and beat them down, with Rollins paying close attention to Punk to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I wasn’t feeling this show as much as it felt rather long. It felt like there were things that were being dragged out to make the show longer, which isn’t a good vibe at any time. What we got wasn’t bad, but it seemed like the show could have been done about twenty minutes earlier. The Clash In Paris title match is intriguing though, so points for trying something different. Not their best week, but far from a terrible show.

Results
El Grande Americano/Dominik Mysterio b. Dragon Lee/AJ Styles – Loaded headbutt to Styles
Sami Zayn b. Rusev via DQ when the MFT’s interfered
Roxanne Perez b. Iyo Sky – Rollup with trunks
Becky Lynch b. Maxxine Dupri – Disarm-Her
CM Punk/LA Knight b. Bronson Reed/Bron Breakker via DQ 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: August 4, 2025
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

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

Here are is Summerslam if you need a recap.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rusev vs. Sheamus

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

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

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

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

Penta vs. Grayson Waller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dominik Mysterio vs. Dragon Lee

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s what’s coming next week.

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

Raw World Title: LA Knight vs. Seth Rollins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summerslam 2024
Date: August 3, 2024
Location: Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 57,791
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Pat McAfee

This is the biggest Summerslam to date and that should make for a fun look back. Believe it or not, the main event features Cody Rhodes, but we also have the big in-ring return of CM Punk after his latest injury. On top of that, Gunther is challenging Damian Priest for the Raw World Title so let’s get to it.

I was in the stadium for this show, sitting in the lower bowl with the entrance on my right.

Here is HHH to get things going and introduce Jelly Roll for a live performance of “Liar”. This also serves as the opening video, with clips of the people involved in the show’s bigger matches. Roll also performed God Bless America before the show went on the air. Non-wrestling note: Roll deserves credit for losing so much weight in the last year. He looks like a different person from this year compared to the build for the following year’s Summerslam.

The Miz, the host for the show, is with the fans. That’s pretty much going to be all he does over the course of the night.

Raw Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan

Ripley, with Dominik Mysterio, is challenging. Morgan injured Ripley’s shoulder earlier in the year, causing her to vacate the title and has also suggested that she’s going to steal Mysterio from Ripley. Morgan runs away to start and Ripley pauses to vent some frustration on the floor. Back in and Morgan runs away again, this time pausing in front of Green Shirt guy.

They get back in again and Ripley head fakes her and the chase is over. Ripley knocks her back to the floor and the beating is on against the barricade. Ripley sends her into the steps and the confidence is high. Morgan is taken back in but manages to send the shoulder into the post, leaving Ripley in a lot of trouble. Ripley screams that IT’S OUT but insists that she does not want the match stopped.

They go outside again, with Morgan kicking her into the steps as Ripley is in trouble. The armbar goes on but Ripley uses the good arm to slam Morgan down and roll outside. Mysterio shoves Ripley out of the way of a dive, leaving Ripley to ram her bad shoulder into the announcers’ table. The pain on her face goes away and Morgan realizes what just happened.

Back in and Ripley unloads on her with right hands before grabbing the Prism Trap. Morgan gets in another shot to the arm though and tries a cross armbreaker. Ripley powers out and powerbombs her down for two but Morgan is back with a headbutt. Morgan snaps her throat first across the rope and it’s time for a chair. Ripley rams her shoulder into the buckle again and grabs Riptide, but she looks at the chair instead of covering.

The chair is loaded up but Mysterio takes it away. That earns him a death glare from Ripley, but he reminds her about the title. The distraction lets Morgan ram Ripley into Mysterio and hit Oblivion for two. Mysterio slides the chair back in and gets on the apron, which is enough for Oblivion onto the chair to finish Ripley at 15:57.

Rating: B. This was a good story with Morgan having to find a way to survive against the monster Ripley. Ultimately there is only so much that can be done with people of such different size and power, but the shoulder was a great way to go. The ending was a big twist as well, with Mysterio finally turning on Ripley. It continued what was already a good feud, as Ripley again feels like she can carry anything.

Also of note: Ripley’s facial expressions don’t get enough credit. She has those eyes that make everything she does feel intense, but at the same time, she can tell all kinds of stories with just the look on her face. Not everyone can do that and she does it as well as anyone going today.

Post match Mysterio is smiling and helps Morgan up before kissing her. Ripley looks like she’s ready to kill them both (and she would sure try).

We recap Sami Zayn vs. Bron Breakker. Zayn is the champion and Breakker is the new monster force of nature. Breakker barely lost at Money In The Bank and now it’s a rematch with a more focused challenger.

Damian Priest storms into the Judgment Day clubhouse looking for Dominik Mysterio. Finn Balor says cool down because he’s got this. Priest is really not happy.

Intercontinental Title: Sami Zayn vs. Bron Breakker

Breakker is challenging and Cole lists off how many legends won their first Intercontinental Title at Summerslam, including Ultimate Warrior in 1990. Breakker misses a spear at the start and hits the post before crashing out to the floor. Zayn hits a big flip dive but misses something coming off the top, allowing Breakker to hit a running corner clothesline.

The Helluva Kick misses so Breakker blasts him with a jumping clothesline. The super Frankensteiner gives Zayn two but the middle rope bulldog is countered into a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Zayn exploders him into the corner, only to walk into a spear. The Super Spear gives Breakker the pin at 5:43.

Rating: C+. That’s exactly what this should have been, with Zayn trying to run and outsmart Breakker but ultimately getting overwhelmed by the power. This was about Breakker getting a big win on the major stage and Zayn was the sacrifice to make that happen. Good stuff here, with no reason for it to go any longer.

The Slim Jim Savage Moment Of The Summer is Drew McIntyre laying out CM Punk and taking his bracelet.

We recap LA Knight vs. Logan Paul for the US Title. Knight is on a roll and wants the US Title but Paul won’t show up. Knight even went to Paul’s house and got in his pool, which was enough to get Paul to come back. The brawl was on and it’s time for the big showdown in Paul’s hometown.

US Title: Logan Paul vs. LA Knight

Knight is challenging. Paul comes to the ring with rapper Machine Gun Kelly but Knight rides into the back in Paul’s Prime truck, which he had recently stole. The window has been bothering him all day though so he puts a steel pole through said window. The brawl starts on the floor with Paul getting the better of things and loading up the announcers’ table. Knight fights back and sends him into the table over and over (ignore the camera angle showing that Paul’s head wasn’t coming close).

A torture rack neckbreaker sends Paul HARD onto the table and they’re both down. They get inside for the opening bell (because all of that was pre-match stuff) and Knight hammers away but the jumping elbow hits knees. Knight gets sent hard into the corner and Paul gets to mock both Knight and the crowd. The hand to the ear sets up a big boot into a legdrop for two and a tilt-a-whirl slam plants Knight again. An Alley Oop gives Paul two but he spends too much time mocking Knight and walks into the powerslam.

Knight is back up to hammer and stomp away in the corner. A Side Effect plants Paul and the jumping top rope elbow gets two. Back up and Paul sends him to the floor for the springboard moonsault (that looked GREAT) and a big crash. Back in and the big right hand is blocked but Knight’s BFT is countered into a backslide for two. Now the big right hand can knock Knight silly….for two, and Paul’s confidence is suddenly shattered.

Another BFT is blocked but Knight catches him on top for a superplex, which almost goes VERY bad as Paul almost landed on his head, for two. They go outside again where Knight beats up some of Paul’s goons. Paul makes the save and has Machine Gun Kelly give him the brass knuckles. A quick shot to the head staggers Knight but the Buckshot Lariat is countered into a BFT to give Knight the title at 12:02.

Rating: B. The result was what mattered the most here, as Knight absolutely had to win a title at some point. Paul had held the thing long enough and there was no reason to keep the title on him over Knight. As usual, Paul got to do his athletic stuff here and ultimately he put Knight over as he should have. Knight needed this one and it couldn’t have been put together much better.

Some wrestlers shill Manscape products.

We recap Bayley defending the Smackdown Women’s Title against Nia Jax. Bayley won the title at Wrestlemania and Jax is the Queen Of The Ring, earning her the title shot. The idea here is that Bayley is smarter and capable of capitalizing on Jax’s mistakes. At the same time, Tiffany Stratton is running around with the Money In The Bank briefcase and teasing a cash in.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Nia Jax vs. Bayley

Bayley is defending. Jax starts fast with the power but can’t hit a powerbomb. Bayley gets knocked into the corner and then thrown into another corner before Jax sits on her in the ropes. Back up and Jax drops her throat first across the top rope but Bayley avoids a charge to send Jax outside. The big legdrop only hits apron for Jax and Bayley dives off the steps to hammer away. Back in and Jax crotches her on top, only for Bayley to come back with a guillotine choke (how she beat Jax at Takeover: London back in 2015).

Jax powers out but misses a middle rope legdrop, allowing Bayley to hit the Bayley To Belly for a quick two. Bayley gets knocked down again though and the Annihilator connects for two more. An annoyed Jax slams Bayley’s head into the mat and then headbutts her into the corner. Back up and Jax misses a charge into the post to give Bayley a needed breather.

Bayley’s dive is cut off and Jax drives her into the corner for the hip attack. Another Annihilator is broken up and Bayley hits a heck of a powerbomb (the fans approve) out of the corner for the huge crash. The top rope elbow connects….and here is Tiffany Stratton. Bayley knocks Stratton off the apron and kicks Jax in the face but Jax is back with a pair of powerbombs. The Annihilator finishes Bayley for the title at 12:33, with Stratton never cashing in.

Rating: B-. There was a grand total of no way that Bayley was going to leave as champion here and the only question was whether or not Stratton was going to cash in. Jax had been built up as the unstoppable monster and she had to win the title at some point in there. That’s all this needed to be, with the Annihilator at the end being a good way to make it look like Bayley was destroyed.

We recap CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre. Punk has been out of action since being injured by McIntyre at the Royal Rumble. This resulted in the feud of the year, despite Punk not being able to wrestle. Punk cost McIntyre a pair of World Titles so McIntyre attacked him and stole a fan made bracelet that meant a lot to Punk, making it very personal. One of these moments involved costing McIntyre his Money In The Bank cash in, which ultimately cost Seth Rollins a title shot of his own. Now Rollins is the guest referee for Punk and McIntyre’s first match. Match order aside, this is the real main event of the show.

Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk

Seth Rollins is guest referee. They immediately slug it out at the bell with Punk taking him into the corner for the stomping. Rollins has to pull Punk off and that isn’t likely to go well. McIntyre fights back up and strikes away but a clothesline puts him out on the floor. Punk’s clothesline off the apron connects as the fight moves outside, leaving Rollins to chill on the top rope. Rollins dances to the fans singing his song as McIntyre swings Punk into the announcers’ table.

McIntyre catapults him into the ring frame and adds a snap suplex for two back inside. The overhead belly to belly gets two more as Punk is in trouble. Punk strikes away and is quickly caught in a sitout powerbomb for two. With that not working, McIntyre grabs a chair but Rollins takes it away at the last second. Rollins swings but almost hits Punk, only to pull up. A rollup gives Punk a delayed two and he glares at Rollins, who is back with a neckbreaker for two more.

McIntyre pulls out the bracelet and puts it on, only for the Claymore to be broken up. Punk strikes away and hits the top rope elbow before grabbing the Anaconda Vice. Punk makes the mistake of going for the bracelet though, allowing McIntyre to come back with a Claymore for two. Rollins picks up the bracelet to keep it safe and Punk fights back, even calling for the GTS…but then he notices the bracelet on Rollins’ wrist.

McIntyre knocks Punk into Rollins but the Futureshock is countered into the GTS. The very delayed count gets two so Punk yells at Rollins, even insulting “YOUR STUPID SABU PANTS!”. After that way too low blow, Rollins screams about how this is his company and they don’t want Punk here. That earns Rollins a GTS (thankfully the pants weren’t damaged) and Punk takes the bracelet back. The distraction lets McIntyre hit the Claymore for the pin at 16:58.

Rating: B+. This had the big fight feeling that it needed to have and the ending kept Punk vs. McIntyre going while also setting up Punk vs. Rollins. What mattered the most here though was getting Punk back in the ring, as you can only have him sitting on the sidelines for so long. The match was rather good as expected and Rollins was a rather nice addition.

Post match McIntyre steals the bracelet back to keep things going.

Damian Priest apologizes to Finn Balor for yelling earlier but Balor says it’s cool. It’s Judgment Day first and Balor wants Priest to go do his thing. If Priest needs him out there, say the world. Priest is cool with this.

We recap Damian Priest vs. Gunther. Priest won the title at Wrestlemania and is proud of how far he has come. Gunther believes it is his destiny to be the star and got the title shot by winning King Of The Ring. The idea here is a culture clash, as Gunther has called Priest street trash, which hasn’t gone well.

Raw World Title: Gunther vs. Damian Priest

Priest is defending and slugs Gunther into the corner to start fast. South Of Heaven is blocked so Priest hits the lifting Downward Spiral to send Gunther outside. That’s fine with Gunther, who suplexes Priest onto the apron to take over before chopping away. A quick suplex gives Gunther two and he wins an exchange of forearms. Priest catches him going up though and pulls him back down, setting up the Broken Arrow for two.

Priest’s kicks to the chest have Gunther bleeding but Gunther is back up with a pair of very hard clotheslines for two. A boot to the face drops Priest again as the fans are trying to get behind him. Gunther kicks him down to cut off the comeback attempt and here is Finn Balor to cheer for Priest. That earns Balor a shot from Gunther but Priest takes the straps down to make the comeback.

One heck of a lariat hits Gunther and the Razor’s Edge rocks him again. South Of Heaven connects…but Balor puts the foot on the rope. Priest sees the replay on the screen and knows what Balor has done, leaving Balor sneering up at him. Gunther grabs the sleeper but Priest manages to get out. A powerbomb sets up another sleeper though and Priest is out at 16:35.

Rating: B. They beat each other up and the match was a hard hitting fight with Gunther getting the title as he should have. At the same time, the Priest/Balor story is going to make for a good personal feud as Priest is going to want revenge. Gunther needed to win the title here though, as he had dominated the midcard for so long that it was time to try him in the main event.

Here are Miz and R-Truth to announce the attendance of 57,791. A-Town Down Under interrupts, with Austin Theory mocking Jelly Roll. Grayson Waller isn’t having that though, because Roll is the only person to make music worse than R-Truth’s. Somehow R-Truth thinks A-Town Down Under is the Rock N Roll Express but Miz explains things. Roll gets in the ring with a chair and the villains are chaired in the back. Waller gets chokeslammed (and a decent one at that), followed by the triple Five Knuckle Shuffle. This was fine.

We recap Cody Rhodes defending the Smackdown world Title against Solo Sikoa. Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania to triumph over the Bloodline but Sikoa has reformed the team in his image and wants the title back. Rhodes is of course fine with this, even with his friends having been taken out so he’s all alone here.

Smackdown World Title: Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa

Rhodes is defending under Bloodline Rules (anything goes) and we see him getting off his bus to take Pharaoh towards the ring. Ont he way there, he runs into Arn Anderson (fresh away from AEW), who gives him a pep talk and says Rhodes has some friends here. They start with some trash talk before Sikoa runs him over with a shoulder and does the point. Rhodes fights up and tries the drop down right hand but Sikoa is ready for him. The threat of the Samoan Spike sends Rhodes outside and we reset again.

The Disaster Kick sends Sikoa outside, where he takes over again as the brawling isn’t working for Rhodes. Back in and a spinwheel kick into the Samoan drop has Rhodes down again. Rhodes blocks the Samoan Spike by kicking him in the hand though and a clothesline sends Sikoa outside. This time Sikoa is allowed back in, where he counters a Disaster Kick into a sitout powerbomb for two more.

The running Umaga Attack connects but Sikoa has to reverse a Pedigree attempt into Spinning Solo for another near fall. The nerve hold keeps Rhodes in trouble and Sikoa ties him in the Tree of Woe for the running headbutt. A second connects as well but the third misses, allowing Rhodes to hit kind of a moonsault crossbody. Sikoa plants him down for two more but Rhodes catches him on top with a superplex.

Sikoa’s Cross Rhodes is reversed into the real thing….and here are Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa to jump Rhodes. The big beatdown is on but Sikoa only gets two. Cue Kevin Owens for the save but he’s beaten down as well. Randy Orton returns (making sure to high five fans on the way) and helps Owens make the comeback. A powerslam sets up the Swanton to Sikoa but Cross Rhodes only gets two. Owens, Orton and the Tongas brawl to the back so Rhodes hits Sikoa in the head with the steps.

Sikoa comes back with a spear for two but the running Umaga Attack only hits steps. Rhodes hits the first two Cross Rhodes and tries a third, only for Jacob Fatu to run in for the save. Fatu wrecks Rhodes and hits a Superfly Splash through the announcers’ table but seems to hurt his own leg in the process. Back in and Sikoa’s Superfly Splash gets two but somehow Rhodes hits a Cody Cutter….and none of that matters because Roman Reigns is back. Reigns immediately Superman Punches Sikoa and gives him a spear before stopping to look at Rhodes. Reigns leaves though and Cross Rhodes retains the title at 29:14.

Rating: C+. The run-ins at the end made it better but dang this was long. They could have easily cut off about ten minutes and done the same thing. The real point here was Reigns running in for the save/his revenge, which made for a long build. It doesn’t help that Sikoa isn’t quite good enough to hang on this stage, but at least the last ten minutes or so were very good.

Overall Rating: B. It’s a good show, though it doesn’t have that one big match to really make it into a great one. The Reigns return and Punk vs. McIntyre are both worth seeing, but the majority of the main event was something of a letdown. The big stage made it feel important, but outside of that Reigns part, the main event didn’t really feel like it belonged in that spot. Other than that, the opener was good, Breakker and Knight got their titles and the weakest match was fine. Good show overall, but definitely not an all timer.

Ratings Comparison

Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan

Original: B-
Redo: B

Sami Zayn vs. Bron Breakker

Original: B-
Redo: C+

LA Knight vs. Logan Paul

Original: B
Redo: B

Bayley vs. Nia Jax

Original: B-
Redo: B-

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

Original: B
Redo: B+

Gunther vs. Damian Priest

Original: B
Redo: B

Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa

Original: B-
Redo: C+

Overall Rating:

Original: B
Redo: B

Yeah pretty much all in the same range here with nothing really going in one direction or another.

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