Smackdown
Date: August 22, 2025
Location: 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Joe Tessitore

We’re just over a week away from Clash In Paris so the company is already over to Europe. The big appeal of this week’s show is John Cena making another appearance as he is on his way to facing Logan Paul next weekend. Other than that, Brock Lesnar is looking and we might be seeing that in less than a month. Let’s get to it.

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

Commentary welcomes us to the show and introduces hometown star Becky Lynch (the introduction loses a lot with the terrible music). Lynch is very fired up to be here and the fans tell her that she deserves it. She came to a live event here when she was younger and Randy Orton made eye contact with her. Now that they’re here for TV…..the people don’t deserve it.

Lynch is AGHAST at the lack of media coverage she has received and as a result, she is let down by everyone here. Lynch lists off her accomplishments, including having a VERY hot American husband. That brings up the CM PUNK chants so Lynch complains about a bunch of celebrities getting more attention than her, including a boxer, who can fight but “CAN SHE CUT A PROMO???”.

Cue Tiffany Stratton to interrupt, saying she can’t believe how ungrateful Lynch is to DUBLIN, IRELAND. Stratton threatens to make her leave and here is Nia Jax to go after Stratton, with Jade Cargill running in for the save. Cargill stares Lynch to the floor and Nick Aldis comes in to make the tag match main event. Putting Stratton and Cargill in there with Lynch is a good thing, and they managed to get the fans against Lynch, which is a heck of a trick.

Fraxiom tells Carmelo Hayes that the Miz is a schemer, which brings Miz up to protest. Hayes defends Miz and the team’s awesomeness is declared.

Carmelo Hayes/The Miz vs. Motor City Machine Guns

Hayes takes Sabin down to start but Sabin snaps off some armdrags. Shelley comes in and sends Miz outside for the for the big dives as we take a break. We come back with Shelley kicking him away and diving over for the tag to Sabin. Miz breaks up Skull And Bones and Hayes hits a Codebreaker on Sabin. Shelley clotheslines Hayes to the floor and it’s a slingshot dive, only for Miz to steal the pin on Sabin at 8:18.

Rating: C+. Take a team, give them some kind of a bond and have them win matches. That’s the trick to making a team feel important and it’s working here. Miz and Hayes are a team of two guys who needed something to do and this is a simple story and it’s working. Don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be.

Jimmy Uso (the birthday boy) is very happy that he’s going to be a father. Sami Zayn comes in for the big congratulations but Solo Sikoa and the MFTs interrupt. Sikoa says they can name the baby after Uncle Solo, but Zayn says Sikoa needs to worry about holding onto his title. The bad guys leave.

Charlotte vs. Piper Niven

Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre are here too but there is no Alexa Bliss. Niven sends her into the corner to start but Charlotte flips over to the apron. A crossbody takes Niven down, only for Green to offer a distraction. Niven crushes Charlotte for two and we take a break. We come back with Charlotte firing off the chops for a needed breather. Niven is dropped so Charlotte can hit the moonsault for two, followed by a spear for two. The Figure Eight goes on but Fyre distracts the referee, allowing Green to rake the eyes. That’s enough for the hold to be broken and the Piper Driver finishes Charlotte at 8:24.

Rating: C+. Nice enough match here, with the story being that Charlotte was fighting without her friend and partner, meaning the numbers game cut her off. That’s something that works well and this will probably set up the Women’s Tag Team Title match. The match didn’t have much time to work, but Green being a thorn in Charlotte’s side is a good way to go.

Michin interrupts Kiana James and Giulia, asking for a title match. James says Michin will have to go through her first, which is fine with Michin.

Wrestlepalooza is coming.

Here is John Cena to a hero’s welcome. After the big special introduction, here is Logan Paul to cut him off before Cena can say a word. Paul doesn’t think anything of Cena, who is just a fake. How is Paul seen as the outsider? He’s been doing this for four years while Cena is a corporate shill who will do whatever the company tells him.

Paul asks who is the impostor: the one who risks his life at every PLE, or the guy who has been doing the same five moves for twenty years? Cena admits that Paul is a presence and a tremendous athlete, along with being a future Wrestlemania main eventer, but he is stuck on the term “outsider”. Paul is not an outsider, but rather a disappointment. Cena talks about how he and WWE embraced Paul, who comes in here and tries to sell us Prime. And now, Paul is bragging about putting his life on the line for 23 matches?

Cena has been doing this for twenty three YEARS, including all kinds of times when there were no cameras around. It doesn’t matter how many moves he has, but rather how much he can give to the fans. The reality is Paul is a parasite and Cena lists off some names he could be dealing with, but he’s facing Paul instead. Paul knows a lot about hustle, but he knows nothing about loyalty and respect. He better bring his a game to Paris, or Cena will “beat the ever loving s*** out of you.” Paul knocks the hat off and is promptly dropped with the AA. Cena was bringing the straight fire here and it was great.

Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill agree to work together tonight, but Cargill is coming for the title after.

Logan Paul runs into Drew McIntyre, who praises Paul’s abilities.

Street Profits vs. MFT’s

Loa runs Dawkins over to start so it’s off to Ford for a dropkick. Ford is taken into the corner but fights out of the corner rather quickly, only to be pulled outside. A hard posting cuts Ford down and we take an early break. We come back with Ford sending Loa crashing outside, allowing the needed tag off to Dawkins. Everything breaks down and Ford knees Mateo in the face so Talla Tonga tries to get involved. Cue Jimmy Uso to chair Talla in the back and Sami Zayn to cut off Solo Sikoa. Back in and Dawkins’ spinebuster to Mateo sets up Ford’s frog splash for the pin at 9:57.

Rating: B-. Remember earlier when I said Miz and Hayes were a pair of guys who were put together and getting somewhere because they won matches? Well the Profits are the same kind of thing but as a regular, long term team. That’s something that works well and the Profits vs. Miz and Hayes for a title shot would make sense.

Aleister Black vs. Ron Killings

Hold on though as Killings pops up on screen and says he won’t be here because he flew to Dublin, Georgia. Instead, someone else is here in his place. Cue Damian Priest to return and attack Black, with security having to break it up. No match.

Commentary doesn’t have an update on Cody Rhodes but here is Drew McIntyre to interrupt. The update is that Rhodes is a little b**** and the next time they fight, McIntyre is taking that title. Rhodes has no friends….but Randy Orton is here with an RKO to lay McIntyre out.

Nia Jax and Becky Lynch argue a bit but seem to be ok.

Here’s what’s coming next week, including Miz/Hayes vs. the Street Profits in a #1 contenders match. See? Makes sense.

Becky Lynch/Nia Jax vs. Tiffany Stratton/Jade Cargill

Stratton slugs away at Lynch to start and knocks her outside for the big flip dive off the top. Back in and Lynch grabs Stratton’s leg so Jax can drop a leg as we take a break. We come back with Stratton making the tag to Cargill, who gets to face Lynch. Cargill gets to clean house, including a spinning torture rack powerbomb for two. Jax comes in off a blind tag but Cargill powerbombs her out of the corner. The Prettiest Moonsault Ever and Cargill’s top rope splash finish at 6:33.

Rating: C+. This didn’t have the time to go anywhere and it barely broke the threshold to get a rating. Again, the point here was to have Stratton and Cargill in there with the biggest female star in WWE history and they kept Lynch protected at the same time. Jax losing is the way to go here, as it’s not like she’s doing anything.

Nick Aldis tells John Cena that he just heard from Brock Lesnar….and Logan Paul knocks Cena cold to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The Cena promo was the big highlight of the show and the matches were good enough to back it up. They teased Lesnar again at the end, but the story that kept my attention was the tag team stuff. I love seeing something that you can logically follow rather than all of the material based on swerves or guessing. Nice show here, and they’re getting ready for the next big events.

Results
The Miz/Carmelo Hayes b. Motor City Machine Guns – Codebreaker to Sabin
Piper Niven b. Charlotte – Piper Driver
Street Profits b. MFT’s – Frog splash to Mateo
Jade Cargill/Tiffany Stratton b. Nia Jax/Becky Lynch – Top rope splash to Jax

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: August 15, 2025
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Joe Tessitore

We’re coming up on Clash In Paris and the big news from last week is that John Cena will be facing Logan Paul in just over two weeks. That should make for a fun battle of promos on the way there, especially here in Cena’s hometown. In addition, the issues between Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu continue and I’m sure we’ll hear more about it this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Here are Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s to get things going. Sikoa makes it clear that they run Smackdown and if you don’t like it….well too bad! Last week, Sami Zayn showed up and attacked them, which is why he got a beating on Raw. The same thing happened to Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu, so if anyone wants to come out here and do something about it…and here is Zayn to interrupt. Zayn says he’s here to talk because he wants to win the Royal Rumble.

If he had beaten Rusev on Raw, that could have been in the cards. Then the team attacked him and he wants to say thank you. Aside from the World Title, the one title he has never won around here is the US Title. Sikoa says that isn’t changing anytime soon so go back to Raw. Zayn laughs that off, because he is officially on Smackdown. The fight is on, with the MFT’s beating Zayn down until Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu run in for the save. Nick Aldis wastes no time in coming out to make the six man main event. If Zayn is going to keep popping up around here, they might as well just officially move him over.

Chelsea Green and the Secret Hervice are not happy with last week’s caking, because it was VERY DANGEROUS.

Alexa Bliss vs. Piper Niven

Charlotte, Alba Fyre and Chelsea Green are all here too. Bliss makes the mistake of holding up the Lily doll and gets jumped from behind to start. That’s reversed into a sleeper but Niven powers out of it and hits a nice Boss Man Slam to plant Bliss. We take a break and come back with Bliss hitting her running Blockbuster for two. Niven sends her into the corner for the Cannonball though, only to miss the Vader Bomb. Bliss grabs a DDT, only for interference to break up Twisted Bliss. Not that it matters though as Bliss rolls Niven up for the pin at 7:37.

Rating: C+. This was a power vs. speed match with Bliss getting out of the way enough to make Niven miss. That worked rather well, though that swinging Boss Man Slam was the highlight of the whole thing. Niven knows how to be a force when she gets the chance and Bliss made her look good here, even in defeat.

Post match the beatdown is on, with Charlotte getting taken out too. Bliss gets crushed by Niven’s Vader Bomb to leave her laying.

Jade Cargill and Tiffany Stratton argue until Nia Jax interrupts. Stratton isn’t scared of either of them and tells them to bring it, because the outcome will be the same.

The Miz/Carmelo Hayes vs. Fraxiom

Miz and Axiom start things off but hang on as the Wyatt Sicks pop up in the crowd to watch. They lock up and fight over a test of strength until Miz takes him down for a quickly broken top wristlock. Frazer comes in and runs the ropes rather quickly, leaving Miz rather frustrated. It’s off to Hayes, who is taken into the corner as everything breaks down. Fraxiom hit stereo dives and we take an early break.

We come back with Hayes planting Axiom for two but he’s right back up for the tag off to Frazer. Some kicks to the head put the villains down and a springboard reverse Spanish Fly gets two on Hayes. The super Spanish Fly plants Hayes into the Phoenix splash but Miz steps up for a tornado DDT to Axiom and the save (and a nice one at that). Back up and Frazer tries a superplex but gets reversed into a cutter, leaving Hayes rather fired up. Hayes goes up but Miz runs in with the Skull Crushing Finale and the pin at 12:17.

Rating: B. These guys got going here and it was fun to watch the four of them going out there and go nuts. I could go for Miz and Hayes being around more often, but it already seems like we’re on the way to them having issues (again). At the same time, Fraxiom felt like they were going to be a big deal and yet here they are and it’s not going well. Maybe that changes, but they might have already hit their peak.

We look back at Drew McIntyre attacking Cody Rhodes last week.

Kiana James comes up to Tiffany Stratton in the back and suggests that Giulia wants a title shot. Stratton isn’t impressed but Michin comes in to say she’s coming for Giulia anyway.

Here is Drew McIntyre for a chat. We see the attack on Cody Rhodes last week but McIntyre makes it clear that he did not attack him. There is no medical update on Rhodes and it might be due to to WWE not wanting to admit that the golden boy is damaged. Five years ago, McIntyre was Rhodes but he knows that the fans will forget him.

Now he wants the title because of the paycheck it brings. The reality is that Rhodes attacked him and McIntyre goes outside to recap what happened. Rhodes even cleared off the announcers’ table. Why else was he going to do that? Was he going to “fashion me a fine cuisine?” McIntyre says if he’s provoked, he’s the real nightmare. Good stuff here, with McIntyre delivering as he can do so well.

The Street Profits and B-Fab are ready for DIY but Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s interrupt. Sikoa says they’re coming for the titles but Montez Ford says the Profits are coming for the smoke. Talla Tonga is distracted by something and a large bunny is behind them.

Street Profits vs. DIY

B-Fab and Candice LeRae are here too. Ford dropkicks Ciampa to start but gets taken into the wrong corner so Gargano can hit a running knee. That doesn’t last long as it’s off to Dawkins who runs DIY over without much trouble. DIY cuts that off and does their back patting as we take a break.

We come back with Dawkins knocking Gargano down, allowing Ford to come in to clean house. An assisted German suplex gets two on Ciampa and the Doomsday Blockbuster is loaded up, only for LeRae to take B-Fab out on the floor. The Fairy Tale Ending gets two and the Profits are sent outside, where Gargano gets caught with an uppercut. The referee goes to check on him but the distraction lets LeRae hurricanrana Ford off the apron. One Final Beat gets two on Ford but Dawkins breaks up Meet In The Middle. Ford knees Ciampa and a spinebuster into the frog splash gives Ford the pin at 9:25.

Rating: B. This got nuts by the end and I was wondering who was going to win. The tag division getting out there and working in matches where they’re given the chance to do something is a lot of fun and it’s making things a bit more interesting. Throw in LeRae finally getting to do something and it’s that much better.

Carmelo Hayes and the Miz are in the back with the Motor City Machine Guns, who think Miz is manipulating Hayes. An argument ensues and Aldis makes a tag match for next week.

We look back at John Cena and Logan Paul’s argument last week, setting up their match at Clash In Paris.

R-Truth is glad to have his childhood hero John Cena back but Aleister Black doesn’t like it. They go face to face and R-Truth is suddenly a lot more serious (showing the difference between himself and Ron Killings).

Sami Zayn and Jimmy Uso say it’s like old times, but Jacob Fatu doesn’t know anything about Zayn and doesn’t seem to want to.

MFT’s vs. Jimmy Uso/Jacob Fatu/Sami Zayn

Mateo and Uso start things off with Uso striking away, including a jumping enziguri. Zayn comes in and gets knocked into the corner before being tossed outside. Talla gets in a big boot and we take an early break. We come back with Sikoa unloading on Zayn but Mateo misses a charge into the corner. Sikoa is right there to cut off the tag attempt but Zayn manages a tornado DDT.

That’s enough for the tag off to Fatu and the ten headbutts in the corner have Loa in trouble. Uso’s big dive over the top takes Mateo out but Loa gets his knees up to cut off Fatu’s Swanton. Sikoa drops a Superfly Splash for two and it’s back to Zayn as everything breaks down. The Blue Thunder Bomb gets two and Fatu hits a heck of a suicide dive onto Talla. Back in and Zayn exploders Sikoa into the corner for the Helluva Kick and the pin at 11:02.

Rating: B. That was about the only way this match could end and that’s not a bad thing. They had set up the idea of Zayn coming after Sikoa and now he’s gotten a pin to set up the title match. Throw in Fatu getting to throw himself at a variety of people and it was a fun way to go. It might not have done anything overly complicated, but it was what it should have been.

Overall Rating: B+. This turned into a heck of a show, with a bunch of nice action, logical stories being moved forward and more than enough things to keep me interested. I’m sure at least a little of this will move on to Clash In Paris (Sikoa vs. Zayn is a likely candidate) and the show flew by, which is always a nice feeling. Pretty great show here and one of the better Smackdowns I’ve seen in a good while.

Results
Alexa Bliss b. Piper Niven – Rollup
The Miz/Carmelo Hayes b. Fraxiom – Skull Crushing Finale to Frazer
Street Profits b. DIY – Frog splash to Ciampa
Sami Zayn/Jimmy Uso/Jacob Fatu b. MFT’s – Helluva Kick to Sikoa

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: August 8, 2025
Location: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Joe Tessitore

We’re done with Summerslam and the big surprise was that not only did John Cena stay on the good side, but he lost the World Title to Cody Rhodes and was then attacked by a returning Brock Lesnar. That should make for a heck of a big build towards Clash In Paris later this month so let’s get to it.

Here is Summerslam if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of the Rhodes/Cena/Lesnar issues from Summerslam.

Here is Cena to get things going. We get the big special introduction and Cena is impressed by the reaction he is receiving. Cena talks about WWE being afraid to come to Montreal for such a long time because the audience might hijack the show. He’s never been afraid of that though because the people here are so nuts that he can barely hear himself talk. Imagine someone in the back trying to prepare a show around these people.

Cena brings up the fans singing and of course they’re off to the races. Some wrestlers might be afraid of being out here in front of this crowd but Cena has learned to let the fans be themselves and enjoy every single second. He has learned that it doesn’t last forever and that means a THANK YOU CENA chant, which seems to get to him a bit.

Cena says that after tonight, he only has eleven appearances left and every night that goes by, he gets more and more afraid. He’s afraid that no matter what he does, he’ll leave the people down. On top of that, he’s afraid that people will forget about him. He has all these fears on his mind and heck he’s even afraid of Brock Lesnar. The thing is there is no universe in which he’ll back down from Lesnar and he is afraid that Lesnar and everyone else has a Cena sized problem.

The last time is now so if you want some, come get some…and here is Logan Paul. He’s not impressed with Cena, who says Paul might have just made the biggest mistake of his life. Whether you like it or not, Cena was right when he said Paul does wrestling better than anyone else in WWE. Cena did indeed say that and also calls Paul the biggest dumba** he’s ever seen.

Paul accuses Cena of saying whatever the bosses want him to say and wants a match. Cena is down, with Paul saying we can do it in a lovely French speaking country….like France. The match seems to be on but here is Drew McIntyre to jump Cena from behind. Cody Rhodes runs in for the save and the good guys stand tall. Cena accepts the match for Clash In Paris and issues the challenge for the tag match tonight. That seems to be on as well. So I’m guessing the Lesnar match is in Australia or at Survivor Series?

The Motor City Machine Guns are banged up from TLC but ready to face Solo Sikoa’s MFT’s. Yeah they’re hurt, but they’re ready to bring it as well as they can.

Motor City Machine Guns vs. JC Mateo/Talla Tonga

The Guns start fast by sending Mateo outside for the suicide dive. Some kicks from the apron have Tonga in trouble but he swats Shelley to the floor as we take a break. We come back with Sabin striking away at Mateo and hitting a springboard tornado DDT for two. Mateo is right back with the swinging belly to back suplex and Shelley has to make the save. Tonga isn’t having that and chokeslams Sabin for the pin at 7:45.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have much time here due to the break and it was little more than the Guns starting fast, getting beaten down and then losing after a comeback. That’s not exactly rewriting the tag team formula but it worked well for a short form match. The MFT’s getting into the title picture could open up some nice doors for the division as they could use some fresh matches.

Post match Solo Sikoa says the MFT’s are the next Tag Team Champions and he’s ready for a fight…but he’s leaving this terrible city. Cue Nick Aldis who says someone is ready for a fight with Sikoa right now.

Sami Zayn vs. Solo Sikoa

Non-title and the MFT’s are at ringside. They stare at each other for a good while to start until Zayn knocks him into the corner for some right hands. Sikoa reverses into right hands of his own but Zayn reverses right back and unloads. Zayn knocks him to the floor and hits the big running flip dive but Talla Tonga gets in a cheap shot as we take a break.

We come back with Zayn getting two off a sunset bomb but the Blue Thunder Bomb is blocked. Sikoa knocks him down and loads up the Samoan Spike, which is kicked away. The exploder into the corner but Tonga Loa offers a distraction to break up the Helluva Kick. Zayn has to deck JC Mateo and Talla Tonga gets on the apron, allowing Sikoa to hit a superkick. The Samoan Spike misses though and Zayn gets a rollup pin at 10:30.

Rating: B-. They got me there with the ending as I was expecting Zayn to lose to crush the fans’ hope all over again. Letting him get a nice win in front of his hometown was a good little surprise and the match went well enough. Zayn is on a bit of a winning streak and that is a promising sign for his future, at least for the time being.

Charlotte has plans for Alexa Bliss’ birthday tomorrow and we’ll see that out on the big stage. Bliss is more than a bit nervous.

The Wyatt Sicks say they will never lead us astray. This is about something so much bigger and there are more lessons to be learned. The Wyatts’ story has only just begun.

The Street Profits and B-Fab are not impressed but DIY and Candice LeRae come in. They bicker over whose fault it is that the Wyatts are still the champions so Nick Aldis comes in to make a match between the two of them next week.

Here are Alexa Bliss and Charlotte for a championship/birthday celebration. We start with a big cake, dedicated to Charlotte, with Alexa in far smaller letters. There is a present, which neither wants to open, with Bliss saying she is scared. It’s actually a Lily doll with a WE’RE NOT FRIENDS shirt, which Bliss likes. That’s not all though as Charlotte brings out the Charlie doll that Bliss gave her years ago, now with a matching shirt. Charlotte says she needs something from Bliss though…and Bliss is now allowed to hug her.

The hug is teased but here are Chelsea Green and the Secret Hervice. Green mocks the Montreal Canadiens and Charlotte reveals she has one more gift: beating up Green tonight. Green goes to leave but Nick Aldis introduces a new referee, who can debut with Charlotte vs. Green right now. Charlotte and Bliss continue to be outstanding together.

First though, Carmelo Hayes goes to find Nick Aldis but runs into the Miz in his office instead. Hayes isn’t happy with Miz leaving him high and dry for months and is on his way to getting a US Title shot. Miz cuts him off though, because he has them a tag match for next week. Hayes leaves and Aldis comes in, with Miz asking to talk to him.

Charlotte vs. Chelsea Greens

Charlotte spins out of a wristlock to start and knocks her outside for an early breather. Back in and Charlotte chops away in the corner but has to go after the Secret Hervice. A high crossbody gives Charlotte two but Green kicks her into the corner and salutes as we take an early break.

We come back with Charlotte chopping away and hitting a flipping clothesline. A German suplex drops Green again and Natural Selection gives Charlotte two. Green catches her on top with a superplex for two more…and she wants the cake brought in. Nothing good can come from this so Bliss takes out the Hervice. Charlotte reverses the Unprettier into one of her own, sending Green into the cake. The Figure Eight finishes at 9:45.

Rating: B-. This was another entertaining match with Charlotte giving Green what she had coming to her. As soon as you saw the cake at ringside during the match, you knew where this was going and the question became how we got there. Sometimes you don’t need to reinvent the wheel and just have fun, which is what we got here. Good, amusing match with the exact right payoff.

Tiffany Stratton is happy with her win at Summerslam but Jade Cargill comes in to say it’s not over. Stratton says it’ll always be the same and leaves. Kiana James, with Giulia, comes up to offer Cargill her services. James and Giulia leave and Michin comes in, asking for the card. She might try to get a Women’s US Title shot, which leaves Cargill confused.

Aleister Black talks about the difference between good and evil, saying that he’s an eye for a head kind of guy. Violence begets violence and that’s why Damian Priest is at home with a broken jaw. If that makes him a scapegoat, so be it.

John Cena runs into Ron Killings in the back and he’s happy Cena is back. Cena talks about how weird Killings was for five months, with his different hair and making a kid cry. It’s good to have the real Killings back. Killings is more confused than usual. Funny segment, and the fact that they’re basically doing “it was all a dream” with Cena’s heel turn is great.

John Cena/Cody Rhodes vs. Logan Paul/Drew McIntyre

Rhodes slugs away at Paul to start and does the drop down uppercut. The delayed gordbuster is enough for Cena to want to come in but Rhodes gets caught with a Glasgow Kiss. Paul adds a clothesline on the floor and we take a break. We come back with Rhodes avoiding a charge in the corner, allowing the diving tag off to Cena. House is quickly cleaned and the finishing sequence into the AA gets two on Paul, with McIntyre making the save. Paul hits Cena low for the DQ at 8:16.

Rating: B-. There was little way that Cena or Paul was going to be involved in a pin/submission here so the DQ is a good way to go. It was either that or McIntyre pinning Rhodes to set up the next title match but maybe that comes later. For now though, this was a way for Cena to have one last match in Montreal, if not all of Canada, and it was basically a house show main event with a not so great ending.

Post match Rhodes and McIntyre keep brawling until McIntyre knocks him down. McIntyre looks a the title and then hits a Claymore through the front of the announcers’ table.

Overall Rating: B-. They started setting up Clash In Paris here and that went pretty well for an overall theme. Cena being back as his old self and the fans seemingly agreeing to just move on is a good thing and hopefully that whole thing is as forgotten as….well if it wasn’t forgotten I would remember it. This might not have been an all time show, but it did a nice job of getting things moving in the right direction for the big show in a few weeks.

Results
JC Mateo/Talla Tonga b. Motor City Machine Guns – Chokeslam to Sabin
Sami Zayn b. Solo Sikoa – Rollup
Charlotte b. Chelsea Green – Figure Eight
John Cena/Cody Rhodes b. Drew McIntyre/Logan Paul via DQ when Paul hit Cena low

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

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

Breeland sings God Bless America.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Various wrestlers argue over and then share pizza.

Karrion Kross vs. Sami Zayn

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

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

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

Hulk Hogan tribute, with Nick Hogan here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s what’s coming tomorrow.

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

Raw World Title: Gunther vs. CM Punk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Raw World Title: CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is a cage above the ring.

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

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

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

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

Women’s US Title: Giulia vs. Zelina Vega

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aleister Black vs. Damian Priest

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

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

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

We look at Tiffany Stratton saving Jade Cargill last week.

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

Talla Tonga vs. Jimmy Uso

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

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

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

Summerslam rundown.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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: July 25, 2025
Location: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

This is going to be a weird show, as while we are just over a week away from Summerslam, but yesterday Hulk Hogan passed away. That is the kind of loss that you do not have happen very often as there are very few people close to Hogan’s level. I’m not sure what to expect tonight but it should be interesting. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with the roster and a bunch of legends on stage for the tribute to Hulk, with HHH talking about how big of an influence he was to everyone. They wouldn’t be here without Hogan and that is the case for a lot of wrestlers. We get the ten bell salute.

We get the video on Hogan’s career, naturally set to Real American with HHH narrating talking about how big of an influence he was on everyone. This turns into a biography of Hogan’s childhood and career, rising up through the AWA and eventually the WWF. We see some of his celebrity appearances before moving on to the big rivalries. Then it was off to WCW, with his good guy phase getting all of three seconds before we focus on the NWO.

Hogan came back to the WWF in 2002 and had one more legendary Wrestlemania match with the Rock at Wrestlemania XVIII (that’s still incredible). We jump ahead to the 2005 Hall of Fame induction and everything that he did after his career was over. He was brought back time after time and kept connecting with the fans. He passed away at 71 years old and we get one final look at his career, plus some applause from the fans. This got some time but there were all kinds of things that they didn’t touch. That’s part of the issue with someone who had such a long career, but dang this was touching.

After a break, commentary talks about Hogan and his star power.

Here is Logan Paul for a chat. He’s glad to be back in Cleveland but the reality is he made this city. He has nothing in common because he made it out and the people here didn’t. For tonight though, he’s giving back by hosting a live edition of Impaulsive. He doesn’t like Jelly Roll, who interrupts to say that he’s tired of Paul being a jerk and inspiring other kids to be jerks. Paul says at Summerslam, he gets to tag in a 6’7 300lb Scottish warrior while Randy Orton gets to tag in…Jelly Roll?

That brings Roll up to the apron, with what sounds like threats of murder. Roll talks about how he doesn’t like Paul and sees him as a punk a** b****. Cue Drew McIntyre but Roll starts singing Orton’s theme song and it’s time to even the odds. Orton punches McIntyre in the face but gets knocked outside, leaving McIntyre to knock Roll down and…not punch him. Instead Orton is back up to brawl with McIntyre, leaving Roll to slug Paul down. The big right hand is loaded up but Roll grabs a Boss Man Slam (and a decent one) to plant Paul instead. Not bad, but Paul is right about Roll not being much of a match for either villain.

Video on Andrade and Rey Fenix, who are ready to win the Tag Team Titles.

Alexa Bliss vs. Roxanne Perez

Charlotte is here with Bliss and, begrudgingly, holding pom poms and Raquel Rodriguez is here as well. Feeling out process to start until Bliss knocks her to the floor. Rodriguez comes up but Charlotte is right there for the staredown as we take an early break. We come back with Bliss running her over with a shoulder, setting up some stomping.

The basement Blockbuster connects, with Charlotte waving the pom pom just a bit. The Sister Abigail DDT is loaded up but Rodriguez offers a distraction. A quick springboard moonsault gives Perez two but Bliss is back with a DDT. Bliss goes up but dives onto Rodriguez to save Charlotte instead of trying Twisted Bliss. Back in and Perez grabs a rollup, with a rope, for the pin at 7:20.

Rating: C+. Perez getting wins is a nice thing to see, though I’m not sure what we’re going to see with the title match. At the end of the day though, this story is doing well for Charlotte, who is coming off as much more of a human than she has been for years. Granted it helps to have her doing something new, but Bliss’ charm has helped quite a bit.

Post match Charlotte checks on Bliss, who is bleeding from the nose.

Jade Cargill is ready to win the title at Summerslam. Cargill leaves and Chelsea Green, with the Secret Hervice, comes in to say she should be getting the title shot over “Crown Stealing Cargill.” The Hervice goes off to secure the perimeter and cue Cargill behind her and the beating is on, with Cargill knocking her into the arena. And we have a referee!

Jade Cargill vs. Chelsea Greens

Cargill knocks her to the floor to start and we take an early break. We come back with Green posing and Cargill getting run over with some elbows to the face. A chokeslam plants Green as Alba Fyre shows up for a distraction. Green hits a Zig Zag for two but Unprettier is countered into Jaded for the pin at 5:10. Not enough shown to rate but it was pretty much destruction.

Post match the beatdown is on but Tiffany Stratton runs in for the save. The villains are cleared out and Cargill picks up the title, leading to a tug of war.

Charlotte checks on the rather bloody Alexa Bliss, saying what happened tonight can’t happen at Summerslam. They do affirm their partnership.

Classic Hogan moment: the first WWF Title win.

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat. He starts us off by talking about wrestling losing a giant yesterday. While there are some things about him that are complicated, what isn’t complicated is Hogan’s contributions to the WWE. While Rhodes is a WWE Superstar, Hogan was the first WWE Superstar (that’s a stretch and a half) and Rhodes wants to say thank you.

However, Rhodes has something else going on and that is Summerslam, which will be about violence. The tricky thing is Rhodes doesn’t want to wrestle this John Cena. He doesn’t want to face someone who is counting the days until he is out the door. No, Rhodes wants to fight the REAL John Cena. If Rhodes is going to be the best, he needs to beat the best and that means going through one of the best of all time.

If this is Cena’s last Summerslam, Rhodes wants Cena to wrestle like it’s his first. He wants Cena saying hello to Stu the cameraman, running to the ring and bringing the hustle and loyalty. As for the respect, they can beat it out of each other. We pause for a CODY RHODES chant and a quick stand up on the ropes before Rhodes says he needs this to mean something. The only person who can make that happen is Cena, and he’ll make that happen next week. Good stuff here on both counts, as Rhodes is doing a bunch of the build on his own.

We recap Jacob Fatu getting into it with Solo Sikoa last week, setting up their cage match at Summerslam.

Fatu talks about how he loved Sikoa but now he’s going to be locked in a cage with him. That’s enough for him to come after the US Title. The Miz pops in to yell about how Fatu doesn’t know who he is, but Miz isn’t someone who is just beaten up. He’s the main character, so he’s facing Fatu tonight. Fatu isn’t impressed but Miz slaps him. Fatu says come on with it and Miz backs away.

Video on Aleister Black vs. Damian Priest. Black talks about how Priest fights to prove who he is while Black fights to prove who Priest is. Priest is ready to prove himself when they fight next week.

The Miz vs. Jacob Fatu

Miz kicks him in the face to start but gets knocked into the corner. The stomping is on and Miz is in trouble…but here are Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s. The distraction lets Miz send Fatu into the post and we take a break. We come back with Fatu crushing him in the corner and firing off some headbutts. The running Umaga Attack connects in the corner so Miz is pulled outside, only for Fatu to hit the big suicide dive. Tala Tonga charges at Fatu but gets sent into the post, followed by a superkick to Sikoa. The pop up Samoan drop finishes Miz at 7:01.

Rating: C. There was a lot going on here, but it was a good example of what Miz does best: talk a lot and then put someone over in a good way. Fatu gets to overcome some interference and pin a former WWE Champion. That’s where Miz shines, and it’s not like a loss is going to hut him in the slightest. Fatu vs. Sikoa should be a heck of a showdown, though I’m not sure I can imagine Fatu getting the title back so soon.

Post match the beatdown is on but Jimmy Uso runs in for the save with a chair. Tala shrugs off a chair shot but Fatu is back up. House is cleaned and the running Umaga Attack, with a chair, is loaded up in the corner. Tala makes the save though and Fatu is beaten down. Sikoa screams at Fatu about this being what happens when you betray him.

The Street Profits and B-Fab want the Tag Team Titles. DIY come in to say they have a plan of their own and they want the Profits to stay out of the way. Angelo Dawkins is in a Cleveland Guardians jersey so I’m on their side.

Classic Hogan Moment: Wrestlemania III against Andre.

Zelina Vega comes up to Giulia but runs into….Kiana James, Giulia’s official representation. Vega calls James “Clipboard Karen” but James has already got the title rematch set up.

Summerslam rundown, now with nights assigned.

Tag Team Titles: Andrade/Rey Fenix vs. Wyatt Sicks

The Sicks are defending and get jumped to start fast. Andrade hits Three Amigos on Gacy but Lumis is back up to take Fenix out. We take an early break and come back with Andrade hitting the running knees in the corner. Lumis is dropped onto raised knees and the Message connects….but Nikki Cross pulls the referee out for the DQ at 7:05.

Rating: C+. It was nice while it lasted, but it didn’t last very long. There is only so much you can get out of so little time with a lame ending, but the bigger issue here is that the Wyatts continue to feel beatable. That’s not exactly what they’re going with though, as they’re treated as these unstoppable monsters with the tag team division having to come together to fight them.

Post match Erick Rowan comes in for the beatdown so here are the other tag teams….who are beaten down as well. The Street Profits come in to take out the Wyatts (naturally, as the Profits were in Guardians jerseys) but Nick Aldis is sick of this. Therefore, at Summerslam, it’s Tables, Ladders And Chairs for the titles. The huge brawl stays on, with Tommaso Ciampa hitting a big dive to end the show. Makes sense and after the one they did earlier this year, it should be a heck of a fight.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a tough one, with the big Hulk Hogan tribute at the beginning taking up that much of the show. That was the emotional part of the show, as it was always going to be, but the rest was good enough. The big brawl at the end was a good way to set up the TLC match for Summerslam and Rhodes’ promo was what it should have been. Solid enough show here, but they needed a bit more in the ring.

Results
Roxanne Perez b. Alexa Bliss – Rollup while holding the rope
Jade Cargill b. Chelsea Green – Jaded
Jacob Fatu b. The Miz – Pop up Samoan drop
Andrade/Rey Fenix b. Wyatt Sicks via DQ when Nikki Cross 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

Evolution 2025
Date: July 13, 2025
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Michael Cole

We’re back to the all women’s show again and there are some interesting options on the card. There are multiple title matches included on the show, with the likely main event of Rhea Ripley challenging Iyo Sky for the Raw Women’s Title. The other big match on the show will see a battle royal for a title shot at Clash In Paris. Let’s get to it.

The opening video, set to Katy Perry’s Rise, looks at how far women’s wrestling has come, with a nice mixture of legends and modern stars. The theme is that the legends paved the way for today’s stars and today’s stars will pave the way for the future. Makes sense. I’m not sure why they say Evolution is a mystery.

Joe Tessitore brings out Stephanie McMahon as his co-host, because of the huge impact she has had on women’s wrestling. Stephanie talks about how far women have come and how proud she is of all of them. Women are regularly main eventing and now they get to do it all over again.

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

Lynch is defending. The fans go rather nuts at the three way staredown and Valkyria gets knocked down. Lynch strikes away at Bayley, who grabs a suplex to take her down rather quickly. Back in and Valkyria grabs a rollup for two on Lynch, followed by a springboard crossbody for the same. Bayley is sent outside, leaving Valkyria to put Lynch in the rocking horse. That’s broken up by a returning Bayley but Valkyria clears the ring. Valkyria heads outside, where she is quickly dropped, leaving the other two to slug it out.

Valkyria is back up with a crossbody to Bayley but Lynch drives Valkyria into the apron. Back in and Lynch hammers Bayley down while adding some quality sneering. The Rose Plant and Disarm-Her are both broken up and Valkyria is back in to strike away. Valkyria reverses the Manhandle Slam for two and a fisherman’s buster gets two, with Bayley coming off the top with an elbow for the save. Bayley ties Valkyria in the Tree Of Woe and stomps away before sunset bombing Lynch into her.

That’s good for a nice sequence and two, so it isn’t a total loss. Lynch kicks Valkyria down and superplexes Bayley, setting up the cross armbreaker. Bayley gets out and tries the Rose Plant again but this time Valkyria comes off the top with a Fameasser to break it up. Back up and Lynch DDTs both of them for two on Valkyria, leaving Lynch unsure what to do next.

The Manhandle Slam gives Lynch two more as Bayley makes another save and everyone is down again. Bayley takes Lynch down and slaps Valkyria, who gives her an enziguri. Nightwing hits Lynch, with Bayley DIVING in for the save. The Rose Plant and Nightwing are both countered but Valkyria misses an enziguri. Now the Rose Plant can connect but Lynch rolls Bayley up to retain at 16:25.

Rating: B. Good action here, with all three working hard for various reasons. You have Bayley who is mad at Lynch for attacking her, Valkyria who wants to prove herself, and Lynch who just loves to win. Lynch is already making the title feel more important and having her win a match like this makes it all the bigger.

Ava, Mark Henry and Vickie Guerrero are here.

NXT Women’s Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Jacy Jayne

Jayne, with the rest of Fatal Influence, is defending against Grace, who has Blake Monroe to even her out a bit. The idea here is that Jayne is in WAY over her head as Grace is a monster and Jayne won the title on what felt like a fluke. Jayne misses a discus forearm to start and gets German suplexed for her efforts. Grace plants her on the floor and takes it right back inside for two more.

Back up and Jayne manages a throat first catapult into the bottom rope so a neckbreaker can get another near fall. The chinlock goes on but Grace fights up with a spinebuster for the break. Back up and Grace drops her face first onto the turnbuckle, followed by a sitout powerbomb for two. Grace hits a World’s Strongest Slam but can’t hit the Vader Bomb. A hanging swinging neckbreaker gives Jayne two but she misses a big boot, which is reversed into a kind of Angle Slam for two more.

Grace goes up top, where Jayne kicks her in the head and hits a running knee for another near fall. Henley throws in the title but the referee cuts it off, allowing Grace to grab another rollup for two more. Jazmyn Nyx goes to get the belt but Monroe takes it away…and hits Grace in the back. The Rolling Encore retains the title at 10:29.

Rating: C+. The idea here was that Jayne was in over her head but she hung in there well enough to survive. At the end of the day though, this loss is on Grace for trusting the most natural villain in wrestling today to be her friend. Monroe turning on Grace is overdue despite them only being friends for a few weeks. This is the logical way to go and thankfully they didn’t do anything else here.

Jazz, Ivory, Jacqueline and Maryse are here.

Tessitore and McMahon recap the show.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Kabuki Warriors vs. Alexa Bliss/Charlotte vs. Sol Ruca/Zaria vs. Judgment Day

Judgment Day is defending and there is a team from each brand challenging. Sane dropkicks Perez to start fast and a headscissors takes Perez down again. Asuka comes in and the Warriors knock Zaria and Ruca off the apron. It’s off to Rodriguez for a big slam to Asuka and another puts Sane onto Asuka for a bonus. Ruca and Zaria get knocked off the apron again (we might have a theme here) and Asuka fights out of trouble.

The running hip attack misses though and Bliss tags herself back in to take over on Perez. Zaria tags herself in to stalk Bliss, who slips out of a gorilla press. Ruca can’t quite get a spinning belly to back suplex as Bliss escapes again before avoiding a big boot. That’s enough for the tag off to Charlotte to clean house, including a flipping lariat to Rodriguez. A clothesline sends Rodriguez to the floor and a spear cuts Perez in half for two.

Asuka is back in for some German suplexes and the Warriors take turns kicking Zaria down. That doesn’t last long as Zaria drops both of them, setting up an assisted top rope splash from Ruca. The Sol Snatcher hits Charlotte but Ruca has to escape the Sister Abigail DDT. Zaria spears Ruca by mistake and Perez gives Charlotte Pop Rox. Bliss gets powerbombed over the top onto the pile, leaving Rodriguez to Tejana Bomb Ruca and retain at 10:52.

Rating: B. This was the kind of match that had everyone going out there and trying to get their stuff in, which made for a good showcase. What mattered the most here was to have the Tag Team Titles get some stability, which is only going to come with a team staying around. That has to be done again after Liv Morgan’s injury, so hopefully things can stay normal for a bit. The fans were reacting very well to Charlotte here though, so maybe go with that for a bit as well, as it’s a nice breather from her usual stuff.

Torrie Wilson, Melina and Molly Holly are here.

Tessitore and McMahon preview the rest of the show.

We recap Trish Stratus challenging Tiffany Stratton for the Smackdown Women’s Title. Stratton challenged her for a title match because she wants to face a legend. Not much more than that and it should be fine.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Trish Stratus vs. Tiffany Stratton

Stratton is defending and backs her into the corner to start. Stratus is back with a headlock takeover and a wristdrag. It’s way too early for Stratusfaction so they go with the brawling instead. Stratton sends her into the ropes for a running hip attack and a near fall. They go to the apron where Stratus snaps off a Stratusphere to send her crashing outside. Back in and Stratus hits a nice tornado DDT for two but a superkick sends her into the corner.

Stratton busts out Roderick Strong’s End Of Heartache for two, followed by the Swanton. Stratus breaks up the Prettiest Moonsault Ever though and another Stratusphere brings Stratton down. Stratusfaction is broken up but the Prettiest Moonsault Ever hits raised knees. Now Stratusfaction can connect for two so Stratus tries her own moonsault, which also hits knees. The Prettiest Moonsault Ever retains the title at 8:36.

Rating: B-. It was starting to get good but needed another five minutes or so to hit that next level. It’s like part of the middle was missing as they just wrapped it up and went home. Stratus didn’t feel like a serious threat to win the title here but she was more than passable out there and still has the ability to wrestle these one off matches when she is given the chance.

Post match the referee hurries Stratton out so Stratus can get her big ovation.

Alundra Blayze and Lelani Kai are here.

Naomi vs. Jade Cargill

No holds barred and Bianca Belair is guest referee. They start brawling on the floor for the opening bell, with Naomi being sent into the barricade but Cargill being sent into the steps. The big kendo stick shot only hits post though and Cargill knocks her down. Cargill sets up a table but as usual, that takes too long, allowing Naomi to get in a stick shot. Some more weapons are thrown inside and Naomi hits a springboard bulldog onto the chair for two.

Naomi opens a toolbox and finds a chain but Cargill shrugs off the choking. Cargill punches her with the chain and then hits her with a camera as the violence gets cranked up. Naomi gets a trashcan put over her head for a pump kick to send her outside. With the normal stuff not being enough, Cargill picks up the toolbox and drops it in the direction of Naomi’s head, which manages to move to avoid a bad case of death.

A dropkick sends Cargill into a monster and we’ve got some sparks as they both get a breather. Back in and Naomi kicks her in the head, followed by the hanging Pedigree onto the apron. Cargill is knocked off the apron through a table for one of the safest crashes I’ve ever seen. Back in and Naomi puts her on a table with a chair on top, which takes too long, allowing Cargill to chair her down. A middle rope Jaded through the table gives Cargill the pin at 11:16.

Rating: B. Well, it was violent and Cargill felt like she got a definitive win, but that’s the kind of thing that has happened every time they have fought. Cargill gets another win and has some credibility if Naomi gets the title anytime soon, though I could have gone with this wrapping up a month or so ago. Also, Belair was barely a factor here at all.

Battle Royal

Nikki Bella, Chelsea Green, Piper Niven, Alba Fyre, Natalya, Stephanie Vaquer, Ivy Nile, Nia Jax, Kelani Jordan, Jaida Parker, Lola Vice, Lash Legend, Izzi Dame, Tatum Paxley, Zelina Vega, Giulia, Candice LeRae, B-Fab, Michin

Jax gets rid of Paxley and Dame to start, with Jordan following, though she gets caught in the air. Jordan climbs onto the table and will be playing Kofi Kingston tonight. Vaquer beats up Nile in the corner and Nile is tossed out a few seconds later. Jordan manages to do a handstand to climb back into the ring, which is rather impressive. Things settle down a bit until Vaquer’s Devil’s Kiss is broken up by Green (the fans are NOT happy).

Dupri does the reverse Worm and has Natalya do a far worse version. Parker throws Natalya out, with Dupri following. LeRae is knocked out and pulls Jordan out with her. Giulia and Vega slug it out on the apron and Giulia is sent into the post for an elimination. Niven dumps B-Fab and Michin is out, with Fyre diving through the ropes to save Green. The much bigger Legend tries to powerbomb Vega out but gets caught in a hurricanrana. That’s blocked as well so Legend throws Vega out in quite the power display.

Green stops to pose with the Secret Hervice, allowing Bella to dump Fyre. Green mocks Bella’s dance and Vice kicks away at Niven. Bella spears Green down and does her dance with Vice but Niven breaks it up to get rid of Vice. Bella and Vaquer dump Niven and we’re down to Bella, Vaquer, Jax, Legend and Green. The Devil’s Kiss hits Green and she’s tossed out, but Jax is back up to run Bella over.

Jax does her own version of the Bella dance and Legend gets rid of Bella (that’s a big deal for her) to get us down to three. Legend lifts Jax and puts her on the apron so the two of them can get rid of Jax. A pump kick rocks Vaquer but Legend kicks her in the face. Vaquer hits a 619 but Legend catches a high crossbody. They go out to the apron with Vaquer holding a triangle choke. The Devil’s Kiss on the apron eliminates Legend and Vaquer wins at 15:32.

Rating: B-. This took some time to get going as there were a lot of people to eliminate, but the final few entries were all worth seeing. Vaquer winning is a good way to send her into the title picture where she belongs and her winning the title in Paris is definitely an option. That being said this was the Lash Legend Show, as she was treated like a star in the mold of Jade Cargill last year at the Royal Rumble. She was the show stealing star here and it’s absolutely a great sign for her future.

Post match Stephanie McMahon comes in to ask Vaquer what this means to her. Vaquer answers in English (which she apologizes for not speaking so well), saying that wrestling is her first language. She is going to keep working hard so everyone will remember her name.

We recap Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley for the Raw Women’s Title. Ripley has never beaten Sky and is at the point where she has to do it. Sky is fine with that and it’s a big showdown.

Raw Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley vs. Iyo Sky

Sky is defending. Feeling out process to start with Ripley trying to power her down but Sky keeps slipping away. Ripley blocks what looked like Sliced Bread and puts her in the corner. Ripley pauses, saying they respect each other (Sky agrees), so let’s fight. The slugout is on and Ripley is knocked to the floor, where she manages to block a moonsault. Back in and Ripley is knocked to the apron for a shot to the face, but she’s back up with a hard whip into the barricade. Sky is sent into the steps and Ripley grabs a waistlock.

Ripley runs her over for two more, which has the frustration setting in. Back up and Sky grabs a spinning DDT for a needed breather. Sky gets the better of a slugout and sends Ripley outside for a suicide dive. Back in and Sky hits a missile dropkick to send Ripley sprawling into the corner. Sky misses a charge in the corner though and Ripley strikes away, setting up a facebuster. Another tornado DDT is countered but so is Ripley’s suplex. A poisonrana gives Sky two but Ripley breaks up the Over The Moonsault.

Ripley Razor’s Edges and sitout powerbombs her for two but Sky is back up top. Ripley gets knocked away and Sky tries a missile dropkick…which hits the referee. Riptide connects but there’s no referee, meaning frustration is in again. They fight to the floor and out into the crowd, where Sky gets sent into various things. Sky manages to knock her off some anvil cases, which she climbs onto for a really high crossbody.

They go back to ringside (the referee is STILL down) and Sky hits a sunset bomb from the apron to the floor. Over The Moonsault connects and the referee is back in (TIMING!) for two. They go up top again and this time Ripley sends her face first into the post. Ripley stands up…and it’s a super Spanish Fly to bring her back down…and it’s Naomi with another ref (WHERE THE HECK WAS SHE WHEN JESSIKA CARR WAS DEAD???). The cash in is officially on and it’s a triple threat.

Raw Women’s Title: Naomi vs. Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley

Sky is still defending and Naomi hits her with the briefcase. Ripley is sent outside and the split legged moonsault gives Naomi the pin and the title at 26:50 total.

Rating: A-. Oh man this was going towards being a classic before the screwy ending. These two were beating the fire out of each other and I wanted to see who was going to win. I’m absolutely not a fan of Money In The Bank or a cash in here, but it does make logical sense. Raw needs a top heel in the division and Naomi gets away from Jade Cargill for a bit, but more importantly it means we have one less briefcase. Things are reset a bit and that’s good, but dang I was wanting to see how this was going.

Naomi poses to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. I really liked this show, as they made the women feel so important throughout the night. The build for the show was pretty weak for the most part, but everything they did here worked, with nothing close to bad and an excellent main event. It was an eventful enough show, with the big angle at the end working, even at the expense of an awesome match. Rather good show here though, and something that felt like it was done in tribute to the women, which is nice to see.

Results
Becky Lynch b. Lyra Valkyria and Bayley – Rollup to Bayley
Jacy Jayne b. Jordynne Grace – Rolling Encore
Judgment Day b. Zaria/Sol Ruca, Kabuki Warriors and Charlotte/Alexa Bliss – Tejana Bomb to Ruca
Tiffany Stratton b. Trish Stratus – Prettiest Moonsault Ever
Stephanie Vaquer won a battle royal last eliminating Lash Legend
Naomi b. Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley – Split legged moonsault to Sky

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

After a long weekend of wrestling, we get to wrap it up here with what feels like something of an afterthought. WWE is bringing back the all women’s show and while it’s a nice idea, things have changed so much since the original version that it doesn’t feel as necessary. That’s how the show has been treated as well and hopefully they can overcome some of the issues. Let’s get to it.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Tiffany Stratton(c) vs. Trish Stratus

This is basically a battle of the generations and feels mainly like a way to get Stratus in a featured match. I like the idea of Stratus doing a passing the torch moment, but that has already been done a few times so there is only so much impact. The good thing is that Stratus has shown that she can hang in the ring with the modern stars so the match itself should be good.

I can’t fathom a world where Stratus wins here so we’ll say Stratton retains the title. Stratus will probably get some near falls but can’t hang with Stratton’s athleticism. There is a good chance that this works rather well as tends to be the case with Stratus, though the match doesn’t feel overly important. They’re going to have to over deliver and thankfully that is something that feels possible.

Naomi vs. Jade Cargill

This is anything goes, which feels like a way for Cargill to destroy Naomi again. That’s something we’ve seen a few times now and I’m really not sure why this needs to be taking place. The curve this time is that Bianca Belair is going to be the guest referee, which could make things a bit more interesting. This almost has to be the big blowoff to the whole thing, as it has been going for far too long already.

As logical as it would seem to have Cargill smash through Naomi here, I’m thinking they might have Belair accidentally cost Cargill the match, with Naomi getting to steal a win. Naomi has the briefcase and very well may use it at the show, with Cargill already having the Summerslam title shot in her back pocket. There are a few ways this could go, which is nice to see, but at the same time, it’s only so interesting after seeing Cargill smash through Naomi more than once.

NXT Women’s Title: Jacy Jayne(c) vs. Jordynne Grace

The more I’m thinking about this one, the less sure I am about how it goes. The winner here moves on to face Masha Slamovich at next weekend’s Slammiversary event. That could very well mean a big rematch with Grace, but at the same time, that might be a bit too easy. I’m not sure where it’s going and that’s a good feeling to have in a match like this one.

I’ll go with…geez I guess Jayne, who is built around the idea of being the most beatable champion in the company. Having her escape and retain again is not a bad idea, though I’m not sure what that is going to mean for Grace’s future. She needs to win a big match in NXT sooner rather than later, though I’m not sure that is going to be the case here. Jayne winning is an interesting way to go, though I could go for either option here.

Battle Royal

So this is where things get confusing, as battle royals could go just about anywhere. This one is for a title shot at Clash In Paris, meaning this is actually going to matter in some way. There are some talented stars in this one, including the returning Nikki Bella, who is pretty much the focal point of the whole thing. I’m not sure what that is going to mean, though she is always an option to win something like this.

I’ll go with Stephanie Vaquer here, as she feels ready to move up to the next level and a title shot on a big show could do just that. It’s little better than a blind guess here, as there is always the chance of a total wild card getting the shot. Vaquer feels like the best option, though it would not surprise me in the slightest to see Bella pull it off. Hopefully they go with something other than some special moment, though this is the big wild card match on the whole show. Have I made it clear enough that I have no idea who is winning here?

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Judgment Day(c) vs. Alexa Bliss/Charlotte vs. Sol Ruca/Zaria vs. Kabuki Warriors

Here we have the match with the idea being getting a team from each brand on the show. The process for doing that has been kind of all over the place, though in this case that might be a good thing as it meant less qualifying matches. Believe it or not, the titles are in a weird place again as Roxanne Perez has replaced the injured Liv Morgan. That makes things a bit trickier and there is a good chance it changes something here.

With quite the hope that I’ll be wrong, I’ll take Bliss and Charlotte to win here. They’ve received quite a bit of focus and it would make sense to give them the titles. It’s not a story that I care to see, but it feels like the most likely result. I can’t imagine the NXT women getting the titles and while the Warriors feel like an option, this feels like a “well who would have seen that coming” moment with Bliss and Charlotte taking the belts.

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

This might be the most interesting match on the show as it is the one with the best buildup so far. Valkyria is mad about getting cheated out of the title and about Bayley not talking to her. Bayley is mad at Valkyria for costing her a title shot last month and Lynch is just being herself throughout the whole thing. It’s a match where you could see it going any way and that is a nice feeling to have.

As tends to be the case in something like this though, I’ll go with the champion to split the difference of the arguing challengers and retain. Lynch hasn’t been champion long and giving her a long run with the title could go a long way to building up the title. Giving her a win in a personal felt like this could make things interesting and Bayley and Valkyria can have a showdown of their own down the line. For now though, Lynch wins.

Raw Women’s Title: Iyo Sky(c) vs. Rhea Ripley

I’m assuming this is going to be the main event, as it certainly feels like the biggest match. The idea here is that Ripley can’t beat Sky, with looks back at her various losses over the years. That makes for a nice way to go and the question is if Ripley can finally get the monkey off her back, as well as regain the title. That’s a nice story to tell and the match should be able to back it up.

I want to say that Ripley wins here as she could use a big moment, but the more I think about it, the more I think Sky retains. Sky has come a very long way to become a much bigger star and feels like she belongs among the elites, though a big loss could hurt her a good deal. Ripley doesn’t need to be losing again here, but I keep thinking that Sky retains here in a heck of a match.

Overall Thoughts

After looking at what is set up for the show, there is only so much that draws my interest. The show hasn’t been treated as a big deal, with Saturday Night’s Main Event and even Summerslam being treated as more important. There is a very good chance that the women tear the house down because the talent is absolutely there, but I could go with a lot better build on the way there.

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