Board 8 > All Purpose Wrestling Topic 513: Breakking the Cycle

(+) Yeah! (+)

Smackdown recap in Lexington
- The last real champion kicks off the show! Cena tells us he is smarter than all of us. We can't see him, we all wanna be him, and he's always 1000 steps ahead of us. He announced his retirement 12 months ago so he could spend 6 months scouting the competition, hence why he was able to expose Cody's will to be the hero, Orton's desire to win in his hometown, and putting R Truth in the main event. Then everyone took the bait and focused on Truth while Cena teamed up with Logan Paul. He's backed Punk into a corner, who now must admit to his own hypocrisy if he wants to take the world title from Cena. Finally, Cena knows Seth will wait for him to take the WWE title home, and then will cash in on the only world title in the business. That's why Cena's the greatest, because the math is in his favor and no one will be worthy to hold the WWE title after he leaves. Cody cuts Cena off and reminds him who got the pin at MITB. Orton cuts both off and says he doesn't care who he has to punt or RKO in order to get title #15. LA Knight cuts them all off saying he's willing to take down a Viper or a Nightmare in order to get to Cena. Cena drops the mic and walks away, only to get ambushed by Ron Killings!
- Noteworthy bit: Carmelo Hayes didn't come out with Miz, nor was he wearing his Andre the Giant chain
- KOTR qualifier: Randy Orton defeated LA Knight, Carmelo Hayes, and Aleister Black. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed came through to prevent LA Knight from winning.
- Jacob Fatu in ring promo! Jacob says being family doesn't mean one can take credit for another man's hard work, and that's why he chose Money in the Bank to send a message to Solo Sikoa. Solo appears on the TitanTron and tells Fatu that nobody wanted him last year, but Solo took him in. He says he better hear Fatu say "I love you Solo" next week. Finally, Solo tells Fatu that he brought him into this world and can take him out of it as well.
- Chelsea Green on the phone, unable to come to Lexington, wants her QOTR match postponed. Aldis says no and puts Alba Fyre in as a replacement. Zelina appears afterwards and wants Giulia. When hearing Giulia isn't there, Zelina will confront her next week.
- QOTR qualifier: Jade Cargill defeated Piper Niven, Nia Jax, and Michin
- Proceed with caution! Ms. Money in the Bank herself Naomi comes out. Naomi sees the fans are looking surprised, shocked, and stupid. She's no longer taking scraps and took what she deserves. Naomi mentions that Tiffany Stratton was always there to attack her with the briefcase when she challenged Nia Jax. Naomi promises to clock Tiffany in the head with the briefcase when the time comes and with that, it's now Tiffy Time! Tiffany says Naomi talks a big game, so why doesn't Naomi cash in right now? She says Naomi is all talk and no action and gives her a chance to cash in. Naomi calls Tiffany stupid and says she'll cash in when she least expects it. Until then, she'll make Tiffany's life hell. After Naomi leaves, Nia Jax attacks Tiffany from behind and levels her with the Annihilator. Naomi comes in with the briefcase and Nia stops her, telling her to leave. Naomi takes the advice and bails.
- Wyatt Sicks (Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy) defeated the Motor City Machine Guns
- Cena returns to the ring immediately, saying there's a level of disrespect that he can't tolerate and R Truth has crossed the line! He calls out Truth for a fight, but gets CM Punk instead! Punk tells Cena that the fans are tired of being disrespected as well. Punk asks Cena to think about his behavior and actions and says he should give Lexington and the world a happy ending. Cena responds by saying the fans, Lexington, basketball, and horse racing don't matter. Punk responds with some truth bombs of his own, saying that with Cena wanting to ruin wrestling, take his title and go home, he's nothing more than a CM Punk wannabe. He says Cena putting himself on Mount Rushmore 4 times is disrespectful to real legends like Terry Funk, Harkey Race, Bret Hart, and Eddie Guerrero. He'll follow Cena to Mars or Hell, let alone Saudi Arabia, to beat him. He sees right through Cena and that's the truth. After Punk leaves, Ron Killings attacks Cena from behind again!
- Aldis gives Ron what he wants, a match with Cena next week!
- QOTR qualifier: Alexa Bliss defeated Charlotte Flair, Alba Fyre, and Candice LeRae. Alexa pinned Candice just moments before Charlotte made Alba submit
- KOTR qualifier: Cody Rhodes defeated Andrade, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Damian Priest

18 appearances left before John Cena retires!

Raw next week
- KOTR quarterfinal: Sheamus vs Rusev vs Bronson Reed vs Jey Uso
- KOTR quarterfinal: Asuka vs Stephanie Vaquer vs Ivy Nile vs Raquel Rodriguez

Smackdown next week
- John Cena vs Ron Killings
- KOTR Semifinals: Sami Zayn vs Randy Orton
- QOTR Semifinals: Asuka/Nile/Raquel/Vaquer winner vs Alexa Bliss

Night of Champions
- John Cena vs CM Punk for the WWE Championship
- King of the Ring finals
- Queen of the Ring finals

John Cena is now an anime villain.

I had a feeling Jey Uso was going to be the mystery opponent for the last fatal four way KOTR match. Was hoping for Ilya Dragunov (while half the IWC was begging for Kross), but also knew once they announced Asuka's return ahead of time that Ilya wouldn't get mystery treatment either.

Damn. Literally making Punks hypocrisy part of the storyline. Making sure everyone remembers that he is one when he goes to wrestle in Saudi.

It's like HHH just wants to make it as humiliating and insulting as possible.

I didn't watch, but a few noteworthy highlights of Triplemania Regia III last night...

- Los Garza won the AAA World Tag Team titles, making them the first WWE-contracted wrestlers to hold a AAA title.
- Joe Hendry used a well-made Spanish version of his entrance theme

Raw recap in Green Bay
- Liv Morgan and Dirty Dom kick off Raw! Liv is out here to talk about respect, saying that when you talk about the Women's division, you talk about Liv Morgan; Nikki Bella didn't and she learned the hard way. Liv says nobody paved the way for her as she built her own legacy and stands here as the greatest Women's champion of all time. She's no longer asking for respect, she's demanding it, along with the rematch she never received for the Women's World title, and this brings out Iyo Sky. Iyo calls Liv whiny and disrespectful and is willing to fight. Liv will only fight for the title, but thinks Iyo should just hand her the belt since she has more wins against Iyo than anyone else in WWE. Iyo gives Liv the title before dropkicking it in her face, then kicks Dominik out of the ring to end the segment!
- QOTR quarterfinal: Asuka defeated Raquel Rodriguez, Stephanie Vaquer, and Ivy Nile. Rhea Ripley returned the favor and cost Raquel the win with a Riptide, followed by Asuka's new (lame) finisher, The Empress Impact
- JD McDonagh is not cool with fighting AJ Styles, but Dominik is okay with being in JD's corner tonight. Finn leaves with Roxanne Perez discussing a way to cheer up Liv Morgan
- The new World Heavyweight Champion is here! The Ring General admits that Jey Uso was the better man for one night, because on every other night, Gunther is untouchable! Gunther immediately dismisses the rumors of Goldberg appearing saying he shut him down, he's focusing more on Seth Rollins and the MITB briefcase. He wants to save Rollins the time and calls him out! This instead brings out Goldberg (fucking hell), sporting a "Goldberg's Last Ride" shirt. Goldberg is here to celebrate Gunther's win, but he's also here to remind Gunther of what he started in Atlanta eight months ago. Finally, he tells Gunther that he'll finish the job in Atlanta, on July 12th, because Gunther is next!
- AJ Styles defeated JD McDonagh. Dominik Mysterio fails to cheap shot Styles but gets bailed out by Balor before AJ can capitalize. AJ holds up the IC title and successfully evades a 3-on-1 attack.
- Bayley speaks for the first time since before Wrestlemania. She missed us all and she knows exactly what she has every time she steps in the ring, citing the importance of her career. Two months ago, however, Bayley was stripped of an opportunity to compete for the tag team titles; more importantly, Bayley wants Becky to know that she's coming straight for The Man and calls her ass out! Becky obliges and wears Bears gear to Green Bay. Fans chant "Bears still suck" as Becky says they beat GB in the last meeting (not really an insult when Chicago hasn't won a Super Bowl in 40 years). Becky says Bayley has no problem being second fiddle, much like the Packers, while Becky would rather have a legacy instead of fake ass friends. Bayley says she fights for the people; Becky says when she returned at Wrestlemania, the people didn't care about Bayley at all. Becky asks Bayley if she remembers what gold feels like. Bayley wants Becky to put her title on the line. Becky won't do it in Green Bay, but will fight her in Columbus in a non-title match. An attempted cheap shot fails and Becky has to powder out
- Nick Aldis announces title shots for Styles and Bayley. Afterwards, Bayley runs into Lyra Valkyria in which the two seem more distant than ever. Bayley says she's doing what's best for herself. Lyra says she'll do the same if Bayley wins Becky's title
- Kairi Sane defeated Liv Morgan by ref stoppage after Morgan dislocates her shoulder early in the match
- Another Sami and Kross exchange backstage. Is there going to be a point to all these? Sami tells Kross the moment KOTR is in Sami's rear view mirror, they're going to fight.
- KOTR quarterfinal: Jey Uso defeated Bronson Reed, Sheamus, and Rusev. Despite Bron Breakker's efforts to interfere, he and Reed were stopped by Zayn, Penta, and LA Knight!
- Seth Rollins comes down and prepares to stomp Jey but gets stopped by a sudden Cody appearance! Cody and Seth stare each other down until Seth leaves. Cody and Jey shake hands as Raw ends.

Smackdown this week
- John Cena vs Ron Killings
- Sami Zayn vs Randy Orton
- Asuka vs Alexa Bliss

Raw next week
- Becky Lynch vs Bayley for the Women's IC title
- Jade Cargill vs Roxanne Perez
- Cody Rhodes vs Jey Uso

Night of Champions
- John Cena vs CM Punk for the WWE Championship
- KOTR finals: Cody Rhodes OR Jey Uso vs Sami Zayn OR Randy Orton
- QOTR finals: Jade Cargill OR Roxanne Perez vs Asuka OR Alexa Bliss
- Dominik Mysterio vs AJ Styles for the IC title

Saturday Night's Main Event - 7/12
- Gunther vs Goldberg for the WHC

Fuck

Liv Morgan likely to miss the rest of the year as she now needs surgery for her injured shoulder.

Gonna be late with the recap tonight, plus some of it will be short and sweet versions of what 411 has because I'm going out for my birthday

Smackdown recap in Grand Rapids, MI
- LA Knight kicks off the show and wastes little time calling out Seth Rollins for a fight. Instead, we get Paul Heyman, who has a message from Seth Rollins: leave, or something bad happens before the end of the night. Knight responds by calling Heyman a leech, who sucks talent out of people and Rollins is the new target. He gives Heyman a chance for a free shot and this brings out Bron and Bronson. Despite their efforts, Heyman's guys are no match for Knight with a chair, as they bail.
- QOTR Semifinal: Asuka defeated Alexa Bliss
- Chelsea Green taunts Bliss for losing, but also gets involved with Charlotte Flair. Flair thinks she should still be in the tournament, but will instead settle for beating Chelsea instead. Afterwards, Charlotte and Alexa say they don't need help or want to help each other
- Aleister Black vs Kit Wilson doesn't happen, as Ron Killings ambushes Wilson and beats him down, demanding Cena come out to fight.
- Backstage, Black confronts Killings, but Damian Priest intervenes. Priest tells Ron to focus his anger on Cena and not let it fire randomly.
- Cody and Jey Uso meet in the ring and acknowledge their upcoming KOTR match. They both agree that it's strictly business this Monday. This brings out Sami Zayn, who tells Cody and Jey that it's his turn to finish a story. Next up is Orton, telling Jey it's not 4 letters, one word, but instead 3 letters, one move!
- KOTR Semifinal: Randy Orton defeated Sami Zayn
- Nia Jax is still salty that Tiffany Stratton betrayed her, which of course brings out Tiffany. Tiffany says maybe Nia should just admit that Tiffany is the better woman. Jax wants another rematch without a chair involved; Tiffany says they'll have a Last Woman Standing match and settle this once and for all. A brawl ensues and Nia prevails with a headbutt and 2 leg drops. This brings out Naomi with a ref, but Nia pulls her out of the ring. The two scream at each other until Tiffany dropkicks Naomi onto Jax and leaves victorious.
- Charlotte Flair defeated Chelsea Green by submission. The Secret Hervice attacks Charlotte immediately afterwards, but Alexa Bliss makes the save. However, Charlotte refuses to shake Alexa's hand and leaves.
- Solo tells JC Mateo that he'll go out there by himself to talk to Jacob Fatu.
- Solo comes out alone ready to clear the air with Fatu, who follows suit and meets him in the ring. Solo tells Jacon that families love, fight, forgive, and then move forward, and that's what they should do now. Solo says he's the only one who went out of his way for Jacob, and he did it out of love. Solo has no one else and he needs Jacob. He tells Jacob he loves him, as the crowd chants "Bullshit". Jacob isn't buying it and says Solo's been using him to gain power, to fight his battles, and using Jacob as a prop to get fame and gold. Jacob tells Solo that he thinks the problem is the US title, and that if Solo wants to do something about it, he should fight Jacob for the title! Solo attempts a sucker punch but gets blocked by Fatu and a brawl ensues. JC Mateo comes in to assist Solo, and Jimmy Uso runs in to even the odds. Solo bails before Jacob can hit a moonsault on him.
- LA Knight defeated Bronson Reed by DQ after a spear by Bron Breakker. This is followed by another Breakker spear and 3 Tsunamis from Reed.
- Ron Killings defeated John Cena by DQ when Cena brains him with the title. CM Punk runs out immediately and begins throwing hands on the champ. Punk's attempt to hit Cena with the title is countered by a low blow, followed by a belt shot. Cena gets a table and hits Punk with the belt again before hitting an Attitude Adjustment through the table. Cena grabs a mic and begins talking, hoping Punk can listen.

He doesn't hate or even dislike Punk. In fact he likes Punk, more than anyone Punk's shared a locker room with. Cena hates the fact that Punk thinks he's the best in the world, but in reality is nothing more than a bullshitter. Punk changes his values more than Cena changes his shirts. Punk's nothing more than a loud mouth opportunist who will step on anyone to get his way. Cena calls out Claudio Castagnoli, Nic Nemeth, and Matt Cardona asking how they're doing. Cena says no one's going to cut his mic off to save Punk, because he's the only friend CM Punk has. Cena gave Punk the stage for the pipe bomb 14 years ago, but all Punk has done with it since is regurgitate the same 5 promo lines of doom. He says Punk is no longer the voice of the voiceless, Punk's a millionaire; Punk's not against TKO, he's Mr. TKO. Punk's tweets might be strong, but his actions are weak. In Saudi, Punk will face some loud music when Cena proves that for 25 years, no days off, hes been the greatest of all time. That gets a Cena chant. See, they know. They know Punk was the best in the world for 7 minutes 14 years ago. If after Night of Champions Punk is still delusional enough to believe he's the best in the world, well its a small world after all isnt it? "Youre welcome Grand Rapids." Bring your best Punk, because if this place is any indication the mood is starting to change. A ref checks on Punk and Cena says hes not doing more damage as Punk has a big title match coming up. The best in the world against the Greatest of All Time for the most coveted prize in sports entertainment, the undisputed WWE title. He knows well sing and chant, but he knows even us idiots can see the truth that the champ is here.

"Hey USA, you can keep the extra 2.5 minutes, I dont need any more time. Oh, but Punk, thanks for letting me rip off your promo to make you look even more foolish."

Annnnnnd scene.

17 more appearances until John Cena retires!

Raw next week
- Becky Lynch vs Bayley for the Women's IC title
- Jade Cargill vs Roxanne Perez
- Cody Rhodes vs Jey Uso

Smackdown next week in Saudi Arabia
- Zelina Vega vs Giulia for the Women's US title
- Street Profits vs Wyatt Sicks for the WWE Tag titles
- Tiffany Stratton vs Nia Jax in a Last Woman Standing match for the WWE Women's title

Night of Champions
- John Cena vs CM Punk for the WWE Championship
- KOTR finals: Cody Rhodes OR Jey Uso vs Randy Orton
- QOTR finals: Jade Cargill OR Roxanne Perez vs Asuka
- Dominik Mysterio vs AJ Styles for the IC title
- Jacob Fatu vs Solo Sikoa for the US title

Saturday Night's Main Event - 7/12
- Gunther vs Goldberg for the WHC

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/a34f2df2.jpg

the most interesting part is that cena, like punk, is who you want to root for and he leaned into the crowd cheering him. glad they dove into summer of cena as a story. meanwhile punk is yet in another feud where all eyes are on him. dude just has made gold after gold in every story he's been in since returning.

Raw recap in Columbus, OH
- BURN IT DOWN brings out Seth Rollins and friends. Columbus is sending mixed signals, so Rollins asks the crowd what they want. After a few seconds, the crowd wants CM Punk. Rollins points out the obvious: the crowd either wants Punk or Roman, or they're barking for Bron, or singing Seth's theme. This is proof that the fans don't know what they want, which is why they need Seth to tell them what they want. He also says he is the reason why the fans want Punk or Roman. Rollins also takes credit for the success of Cody Rhodes, the NXT Championship, and the World Heavyweight Championship. Rollins explains that LA Knight stuck his nose where it didn't belong and paid dearly for it. Penta will be next at the hands of Bron Breakker. Seth says that Cena, Gunther, Punk, Goldberg, Orton, Jey, and Cody are all competing for second place, because the MITB briefcase is the finish line. Penta interrupts the segment to prepare for his match with Breakker!
- Bron Breakker defeated Penta in a solid match
- Confirmed: Liv Morgan to miss several months
- AJ vs Dominik pulled from Night of Champions due to Dom getting injured. Pearce promises AJ gets the first shot when Dom comes back. AJ leaves and New Day comes in, only to be told they'll be defending their titles next week against Balor and McDonagh
- Cole interviews Goldberg. Goldberg stayed Gunther's lack of respect, as The Ring General embarrassed him in front of his family and hometown fans. Goldberg decided Gunther was his final match once and for all and promises to beat the fuck out of him.
- Judgment Day mourns Liv Morgan's injury and absence. Finn gives them a pep talk, encouraging Roxanne to win QOTR, Dom to beat Styles, and him and JD to win the tag titles. He gets Raquel riled up and tells her to use that anger on Rhea Ripley.
- Lyra wishes Bayley the best of luck tonight, but there's clear tension between the two. Bayley promises Lyra she'll get the first shot when she wins the IC title.
- QOTR Semifinals: Jade Cargill defeated Roxanne Perez. Asuka and Cargill stare each other down after the match ends.
- Jackie Redmond interviews Dominik Mysterio. Dom misses Liv, his ribs aren't 100% and that's all he can get out due to the fans excessive booing.
- Sheamus encourages Natalya and Maxxine to pursue the Women's Tag titles, before Rusev cuts them off. The two exchange words, promising pain on each other.
- Out comes The Ring General! Gunther is upset that last week's celebration was ruined by Goldberg. He did a lot of a thinking about how it feels to be next. Gunther says Bill Goldberg is the most destructive man in his generation. However, it is not 1999 anymore; it is 2025 and Gunther is the most destructive man today! Goldberg is a 58-year-old one trick pony, and it is Gunther's personal responsibility to make sure the myth and legacy that is Goldberg dies at Saturday Night's Main Event! The fans were slightly riled up for this one.
- Becky Lynch tells Jackie Redmond that Lyra and Bailey are conspiring to work together, the only way they can get the belt off Becky. Jackie then interviews Sami Zayn asking his thoughts on coming up short against Orton. This is cut short by Karrion Kross, who tells Zayn that his honest intentions will never get him a world title. Zayn punches Kross and tells him their match is official. As Zayn leaves, Kross and Scarlett begin laughing.
- Becky Lynch defeated Bayley by DQ due to Lyra Valkyria attacking Becky. Lyra and Bayley argue afterwards.
- Chad Gable's giving a pep talk to Ivy Nile, before deciding to heckle Penta. An attempt to cheap shot Penta ends poorly for Gable.
- Raquel Rodriguez calls out Rhea Ripley! Ripley obliges and comes out giving Raquel the business. Rhea prepares to Riptide Raquel through a table, but Roxanne Perez makes the save! The distraction's long enough for Raquel to capitalize as she drops Rhea through a table with a Tejana Bomb, then helps Roxanne to her feet.
- Ripley bursts into Pearce's office, demanding a match with Raquel. Pearce makes it a street fight.
- KOTR Semifinals: Cody Rhodes defeated Jey Uso. The two shake hands and hug as the show ends.

Smackdown this week in Saudi Arabia
- Zelina Vega vs Giulia for the Women's US title
- Street Profits vs Wyatt Sicks for the WWE Tag titles
- Tiffany Stratton vs Nia Jax in a Last Woman Standing match for the WWE Women's title

Night of Champions
- John Cena vs CM Punk for the WWE Championship
- KOTR finals: Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton
- QOTR finals: Jade Cargill vs Asuka
- Jacob Fatu vs Solo Sikoa for the US title
- Sami Zayn vs Karrion Kross
- Rhea Ripley vs Raquel Rodriguez in a street fight

Raw next week in Pittsburgh
- New Day vs Balor and McDonagh for the World Tag titles

Saturday Night's Main Event - 7/12
- Goldberg's last ride: Gunther vs Goldberg for the WHC

Summerslam
John Cena vs Cody Rhodes OR Randy Orton for the WWE Championship
Tiffany Stratton vs Jade Cargill OR Iyo Sky vs Asuka

Interesting look up today: WWE Magazine posted an article in 2009 discussing 10 future world champions. Let's see how they did...

Dolph Ziggler - 2 time WHC, 1 TNA World title
Tyson Kidd - Retired in 2015 after a neck injury
John Morrison - 1 TNA World title
Jack Swagger - 1 WHC, widely regarded as one of the worst world champs in WWE history
Kofi Kingston - 1 WWE World title, Kofi Mania was a go in 2019
Ted DiBiase Jr - Left WWE (and wrestling as a whole) in 2013. Only had two runs as tag champion.
Miz - 2 time Grand Slam Champion
Evan Bourne - Only had 1 tag title run in WWE. Still active in wrestling today.
DH Smith - 1 tag title run in WWE, has a desire to hopefully return someday.
Cody Rhodes - 1 year-long WWE title run. Also had a brief run as ROH World Champion

Smackdown recap in Saudi Arabia
- Cody and Orton kick off the show with the King of the Ring crown between them. Their promo is cut thanks to technical difficulties on Netflix.
- JC Mateo defeated Jimmy Uso after assistance from Solo Sikoa.
- DIY doesn't want the Wyatt Sicks to rule the tag division that DIY built. Nick Aldis hears this and tells Andrade to find a partner to challenge DIY later.
- Giulia defeated Zelina Vega to win the Women's US title
- Charlotte insists that she doesn't want friends; Alexa begs to differ and thinks they could be allies.
- Jade Cargill and Asuka meet in the ring for one last promo. Jade is prepared to take the whole damn throne by the end of summer. Asuka says she has skill and experience and no one, let alone Jade, is ready for her. Naomi cuts them off and says with the briefcase, she's the only one with power and it must make Jade mad. Jade cuts off Naomi's promo with an attack, which allows Asuka to kick Jade out of the ring.
- Andrade and Rey Fenix defeated DIY
- Ron Killings comes out and wants Cena in the ring right now! He's the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! Instead, he gets a surprise appearance from behind by Aleister Black who lays him out with Black Mass, saying they're even now.
- Backstage, Aleister Black is confronted by Damian Priest, who disapproves of Black's attack on Ron, hinting a fight between the two in the future. Afterwards, Carmelo Hayes appears saying he'd mind his own business if he were in Damian Priest's shoes. Priest tells Carmelo to walk away.
- Street Profits defeated The Wyatt Sicks by DQ to retain the WWE Tag titles after interference by Los Garza. Multiple Tag teams get involved afterwards and a brawl ensues.
- Tiffany Stratton defeated Nia Jax in a Last Woman Standing match to retain the WWE Women's title. During the match, Naomi attempts a cash-in, but Tiffany attacks her before it can be made official.
- In the final segment, John Cena comes out to talk to the Saudis, only to get cut off by his old "Basic Thuganomics" theme as CM Punk comes out dressed as 2003 heel Cena! He cooks Cena with the following...

"Yo check it, this is Basic Punkanomics
Don't adjust your television set, your eyes are workin' just right
This clown plagiarized my pipe bomb so I'm stealing Word Life
And you had to rip me off to cut your best promo
Just to distract from the fact that we all see you move in slow-mo
Remember when he used to rap? Yeah, you deserve all the criticism
You're like a Temu Macklemore but with Mackle-less rhythm
And he said I'm the problem, he called me a player hater
Let's be honest, John Cena's buried more talent than the Undertaker
That's why he's the champ, and he went and lost all his respect
But hey, John, I get it. I'd retire too if they rehired my ex
If you never said your prayers, ate your vitamins, or fixed your bald spot
You wouldn't be a pro wrestler, you'd be a Boston mall cop!
But hey, he gets good movie roles, that much is a fact
But then we see Batista act, and we realize that John ain't that
Same shirt, same hat, and your persona stays tragic.
Youre like a fish-belly-white Hulk Hogan but somehow even more problematic.
When it comes to Best in the World, I'm your vessel
Because millions chant my name and with you, they chant "You can't wrestle!"
Get it in while you can, in six months he'll be gone and I'll still be here having fun
He won't have time for you little people anymore, he'll be busy washing underwear for James Gunn
He's a super hero now, he works for DC
But no matter how hard you try, you'll still always be The Marine to me
And that's straight to DVD, can't find a PS3
And I finally understand "You can't see me"
It's a hell of a catchphrase John, but it's all said and done
Because we all see you, and we're looking at a washed up bum
14 years ago today, I dropped a legendary pipe bomb
And you tried to make it about you, because that's what you do John
You're a leech, you're a phony, you're a fraud, you're an ass kiss
17 time world champion, but ain't never been my class
Before you go John, there's one more wish to make
Tomorrow night you're gonna lose to Kendrick, because bitch, you're my Drake!"

16 more appearances until John Cena retires!

Night of Champions
- John Cena vs CM Punk for the WWE Championship
- KOTR finals: Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton
- QOTR finals: Jade Cargill vs Asuka
- Jacob Fatu vs Solo Sikoa for the US title
- Sami Zayn vs Karrion Kross
- Rhea Ripley vs Raquel Rodriguez in a street fight

Raw next week
- New Day vs Balor and McDonagh for the World Tag titles
- Rhea Ripley vs Raquel Rodriguez in a street fight

Saturday Night's Main Event - 7/12
- Goldberg's last ride: Gunther vs Goldberg for the WHC

Summerslam
John Cena vs Cody Rhodes OR Randy Orton for the WWE Championship
Tiffany Stratton vs Jade Cargill OR Iyo Sky vs Asuka

RD Reynolds of Wrestlecrap posted, in his opinion, the 10 worst belt designs in WWE history

1) Women's title in 1984
2) Divas Championship
3) The 1998-2010 Women's title AFTER it was literally split in two
4) WWE Tag Team titles used from 2010 to 2016
5) All of Ultimate Warrior's titles with pastel-colored straps
6) Rated R Spinner title
7) Cena's US Spinner title
8) Bryan's Eco-friendly WWE title
9) The original Intercontinental championship held by Pat Patterson
10) Hardcore championship (1998-2002)

A few noteworthy snubs here. I think the WWE title spinner belt should replace the US one, and the 24/7 title deserved a spot on here. There were two Hardcore title designs worse than the OG one (Bradshaw's and Dreamer's), and Bryan's Eco title was the best that belt has looked in the past 11 years.

With Night of Champions in just a few minutes, here's my favorite matches from the event over the past 18 years...

HHH vs John Cena (2008)
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa (2023)
Seth Rollins vs AJ Styles (2023)
Sheamus vs Cesaro (2014)
CM Punk vs John Cena (2012)
Rey Mysterio vs Dolph Ziggler (2009)
Sheamus vs Randy Orton vs John Cena vs Edge vs Chris Jericho vs Wade Barrett (2010)
John Cena vs Seth Rollins (2015)

I like the effort in Punk trying to be 2003 Cena but you can tell it isn't his style of promo. Weird pacing and a lot of stumbling over words.

I really love it when the final match in the GOAT rivalry involves fucking PENTA and Bronson Reed nice job guys

match was picking up and then got fucked. A bit like (a better version of) Cena/Cody at WM where the match could have been good right up until Scott came out, this could have been really good. Weird overbooking fucked it, though even that wasn't without good moments (Cena/Punk's brief alliance was cool). That said, 3 AAs without a GTS meant I didn't truly buy into any of them.

Night of Champions
- King of the Ring finals: Cody Rhodes defeated Randy Orton when Orton's attempt to use an exposed turnbuckle backfires.
- Rhea Ripley defeated Raquel Rodriguez with a Riptide off the top rope. Roxanne Perez's attempt to interfere ended in vain.
- Sami Zayn defeated Karrion Kross with a single Helluva Kick after taking nearly 3-4 minutes of sleeper holds from Kross.
- Solo Sikoa defeated Jacob Fatu to win the United States Championship after assistance from JC Mateo, the returning Tonga Loa, and the debut of Tonga's cousin and Tama's brother, Hikuleo. This is Fatu's first singles loss in WWE.
- Queen of the Ring finals: Jade Cargill defeated Asuka after reversing The Empress Impact into a Jaded. In a notable botch, Jade's shoulders were also on the ground right as the ref counted 3. This crowd was dead af once Jade won.
- John Cena defeated CM Punk to retain the WWE Championship. During the match while the ref was KO'd, Rollins attempted to prepare a cash-in. Bron and Bronson put Punk through an announce table. Cena takes out a second referee and then hits an AA on Rollins. Bron and Bronson double team Cena until Penta interferes to fight Bron. Sami Zayn runs down and he, Penta, and Bron all take each other out. Bronson prepares to hit a Tsunami on Cena but Punk pushes him off the top rope. Cena hits an AA on Bronson to take him out. Cena and Punk hug in the ring and Cena's intentions are crystal clear at this point. Cena's attempt to low blow Punk is deflected and Punk prepares for the GTS, only to have Rollins KO him with the briefcase! Rollins hits a curb stomp on Punk, only to have Cena throw Rollins out of the ring right as the first ref regains consciousness and pins Punk to escape!

15 more appearances until John Cena retires!

(We know for sure he's at Summerslam, and he's likely appearing in all 3 televised Australian events. That brings it down to 11!)

Raw next week
- New Day vs Balor and McDonagh for the World Tag titles
- Sheamus vs Rusev

Saturday Night's Main Event - 7/12
- Goldberg's last ride: Gunther vs Goldberg for the WHC

Summerslam
John Cena vs Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship
Tiffany Stratton vs Jade Cargill for the WWE Women's title

Punk being savvy to the low blow was the sort of new take on the dynamic I was looking for - Punk's ability to be a step ahead of Cena but through a heel-Cena lens. Sadly it happened once right at the end.

Hikuleo's WWE name is announced as Tala Tonga. Because already having Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa wasn't confusing enough.

With Cena's 15 shows left, we know the following are locks...
1) Summerslam
2) Smackdown in Australia
3) Crown Jewel
4) Raw in Australia

...and the following are likely assumed
5) Clash in Paris
6) Survivor Series

Which leaves us with 9 shows on the table. You know he's making appearances leading up to Summerslam, and the likelihood that he hangs on to the belt until there's 1-2 shows remaining

Raw recap in Pittsburgh
- Rhea Ripley kicks off Raw, stating how glad she is to have Raquel and the Judgment Day behind her and says Evolution is on the horizon. Iyo Sky comes out and says she wants to defend her title against the best, and that is none other than Mami herself. Rhea accepts to end the segment.
- Dom shows his doctor's note to AJ Styles, telling him that the IC title shot is forfeited if Styles puts his hands on Dom. Styles doesn't buy it but plays along anyway.
- Finn Balor and JD McDonagh defeated The New Day clean to win the World Tag Team titles
- Lyra Valkyria interrupts a backstage interview with Bayley and the two get into a yelling match until Adam Pearce comes and books a real match between the two, winner gets a shot at Becky Lynch.
- Chad Gable prepares for surgery and time off. The Creed brothers feel lost without his leadership, but Gable tells them to take guidance from Ivy Nile.
- Finn Balor suggests Roxanne Perez be Raquel's new tag team partner for the Women's Tag titles. Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis are good with it, as long as the two defend them at Evolution against 3 other tag teams.
- Rusev defeated Sheamus with a Machka Kick
- Aldis and Pearce announce a battle royal for Evolution, with the winner challenging for a championship at Clash in Paris
- Ivy Nile announces her intentions to enter the battle royal and is surprised by an appearance by El Grande Americano, confusing American Made. They leave, so Jackie Redmond tries to interview Sami Zayn, who gets ambushed by Karrion Kross.
- Gunther comes out to talk more about Goldberg. He could end Goldberg in 3 minutes, but instead wants to make Goldberg endure and embarrass him even further. When it's all said and done, it'll be Gunther asking who is next! Rollins interrupts, only to have Gunther heckle him for failing to cash in. Rollins replies that his true intentions were to make sure Punk didn't become world champion, and in that, they succeeded. This results in Punk coming down to brawl with Rollins, as well as a returning LA Knight seeking revenge!
- Raquel is upset that Liv is being replaced with Roxanne. Finn says Liv will be out for awhile and decides on a vote. He and JD are strongly for it. Dom and Raquel reluctantly say yes. Roxanne says she'll do her part and take out Kairi Sane.
- Bayley vs Lyra Valkyria ends in a draw due to both ladies' shoulders touching the ground during the pin. Both ladies brawl into the crowd afterwards.
- Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed defeated Sami Zayn and Penta. After the match, Jey Uso prevents a Tsunami afterwards and the faces emerge victorious to end Raw.

Saturday Night's Main Event - 7/12
Goldberg's last ride: Gunther vs Goldberg for the WHC
Seth Rollins vs LA Knight

Evolution
Iyo Sky vs Rhea Ripley for the Women's World title
Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez vs 3 other teams for the Women's Tag titles
Battle royal for a chance at a title shot at Clash in Paris

Summerslam
John Cena vs Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship
Tiffany Stratton vs Jade Cargill for the WWE Women's title

AJ Styles signed a 1 year extension today, and is planning on retiring in 2026.

Let him challenge Cena in Paris for the belt one time.

Smackdown on the 4th of July
- Rhodes and Orton exchange respectful comments about their match at Night of Champions. Drew McIntyre returns with intentions of driving a wedge between them, but eats an RKO for his troubles
- Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair defeated Michin/B-Fab and Niven/Fyre to earn a title shot at Evolution
- Wyatt Sicks defeated Montez Ford, Chris Sabin, Johnny Gargano, and Berto
- Andrade and Rey Fenix defeated Fraxiom
- Tiffany Stratton is excited to face Jade Cargill at Summerslam, but also wants to defend at Evolution and calls out Trish Stratus for a challenge. Trish comes out and accepts!
- Damian Priest tries to explain R-Truth's recent actions to Aleister Black. A match between Truth and Black is confirmed for next week.
- Jacob Fatu and Jimmy Uso defeated Solo Sikoa and JC Mateo. After the match, Fatu's attempt to put Solo through the announce table are stopped by Tala Tonga and Tonga Loa, who assist in putting Fatu through the table instead!

Smackdown next week
Aleister Black vs R-Truth

Saturday Night's Main Event - 7/12
Goldberg's last ride: Gunther vs Goldberg for the WHC
Seth Rollins vs LA Knight
Randy Orton vs Drew McIntyre

Evolution
Iyo Sky vs Rhea Ripley for the Women's World title
Tiffany Stratton vs Trish Stratus for the WWE Women's title
Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez vs Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair vs 2 others TBD for the Women's Tag titles
Jacy Jayne vs Jordynne Grace for the NXT Women's title
Battle royal for a chance at a title shot at Clash in Paris
Jade Cargill vs Naomi in a No Holds Barred match

Summerslam
John Cena vs Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship
Tiffany Stratton vs Jade Cargill for the WWE Women's title

Raw recap in Providence
- Seth Rollins and friends kick off Raw. Bron says he's standing here because Seth and Heyman see him as the face of the WWE for the next 2 decades. Bron is also here because he has a vision of a WWE without Sami Zayn, and he expresses how much he hates Zayn. Bron will never understand why fans cheer for a guy with the athleticism of a dead fish. Sami Zayn has an expiration date and Bron is going to expedite it tonight. Bronson takes the mic next; his multiple Tsunamis to Rollins built respect between them, and through Seth's vision, Bronson will get the respect he deserves. He promises to Tsunami the respect into Jey Uso tonight. Heyman takes the mic and says the empire strikes first tonight. He hypes up Bronson and Bron taking out Jey and Zayn, and announces that Rollins will fight Penta, and Penta will be in no condition to do his hand gestures again after tonight. Seth welcomes the crowd to Monday Night Rollins to close the segment
- Raquel Rodriguez is upset that a "memorial" is set up for Liv Morgan, but also wants Roxanne Perez to beat Kairi Sane tonight. JD and Finn leave to talk to Adam Pearce, and Dom realizes the get well soon cake he received is from AJ Styles, who appears to remind Dom he's being watched!
- Kairi Sane defeated Roxanne Perez. Asuka saves Kairi from a double team, fighting off Roxanne and Raquel.
- Zayn is here with injured ribs. He wants his revenge on Karrion Kross, but tonight his focus is on Bron Breakker. After Zayn leaves, Scarlett appears and stares him down
- American Made is questioning why El Grande Americano is wrestling tonight, but Pearce insists that El Grande requested action. After they leave, Asuka and Kairi Sane arrive and want in the fatal 4 way, which Pearce obliges
- Nikki Bella enters the Evolution battle royal for a title shot
- Sami Zayn gets ambushed on the way to the ring by Karrion Kross with a lead pipe! Despite Adam's pleas, Zayn still wants to fight!
- Bron Breakker defeated Sami Zayn
- Pearce discusses a tag title shot with the War Raiders, when New Day come in wanting the same. War Raiders remind New Day that they never got a rematch either and what comes around goes around. Becky Lynch sides with New Day and agrees that Pearce has only horrible ideas
- Becky Lynch comes out to talk, wondering why two losers are getting a title shot against her. Becky reminds us of her accolades and thinks it's unfair that she didn't get to pick her own opponent like Iyo and Tiffany did, and still thinks Bayley and Lyra are in cahoots together. Lyra cuts off a Bayley entrance to call Becky a raving lunatic. Bayley is mad at being cut off by Lyra and decides she doesn't need partners or friends anymore. Lyra says Bayley has simply become just like Becky. Bayley reminds Lyra of all the support she gave her, but then saw her raise Becky's hand like a little bitch. A brawl ensues that ends with Lyra hitting both women with Nightwings!
- Seth is proud of Bron, but Bron is skeptical because of Karrion Kross's involvement. Seth disregards Kross and then receives word that Sami Zayn is out indefinitely. Bronson Reed promises to do the same to Jey Uso
- Jey Uso defeated Bronson Reed by DQ after Reed launched a chair into him. Bronson laid him out with two Tsunamis before security ends the beatdown
- El Grande Americano defeated Dragon Lee
- Stephanie Vaquer announces her entry into the Evolution battle royal
- Gunther comes out and taunts Goldberg, which brings the man himself out there. Goldberg doesn't wanna wait for a fight; an attempted punch by Gunther fails and he leaves before Goldberg can spear him
- Main event: Seth Rollins defeated Penta. Heyman calls out Bron and Bronson to finish Penta off, but LA Knight runs in through the crowd and drops Rollins with a BFT! Knight escapes through the crowd to end Raw.

Smackdown this week
Aleister Black vs R-Truth

Saturday Night's Main Event - 7/12
Goldberg's last ride: Gunther vs Goldberg for the WHC
Seth Rollins vs LA Knight
Randy Orton vs Drew McIntyre

Evolution
Iyo Sky vs Rhea Ripley for the Women's World title
Tiffany Stratton vs Trish Stratus for the WWE Women's title
Becky Lynch vs Lyra Valkyria vs Bayley for the Women's IC title
Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez vs Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair vs The Kabuki Warriors vs Sol Ruca and Zaria for the Women's Tag titles
Naomi vs Jade Cargill in a No Holds Barred match
Jacy Jayne vs Jordynne Grace for the NXT Women's title
Battle royal for a chance at a title shot at Clash in Paris

Summerslam
John Cena vs Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship
Tiffany Stratton vs Jade Cargill for the WWE Women's title

Smackdown recap in Nashville
- SD kicks off with LA Knight (YEAH!) in the ring. Knight says predictions and spoilers are two common things in wrestling and the only two things that come out of Paul Heyman's mouth. He says Seth Rollins is desperate this deep in his career, since he joined up with Heyman and recruited two men to do his dirty work. Dropping Seth on Raw is not enough for LA Knight, because he wants dignity and justice tomorrow night. Beating Rollins is not a spoiler, because LA Knight himself is the spoiler! Paul Heyman comes out and immediately calls out the fans for being off rhythm and for wasting their time with Knight. Heyman sees the future, and he sees Rollins, Bron, and Bronson; what he doesn't see is LA Knight. Solo and his family tree come out, telling Heyman everything's changed since he left for Raw; no more Bloodline, no more Tribal Chief, and no more Wiseman. Solo gives Heyman the warning to leave, unless he wants Solo's MFTs to put him through another table; Heyman leaves quietly. Solo also rubs in LA Knight's face that he beat Fatu and Knight didn't. He gives Knight a chance to leave as well, who refuses. They surround the ring, but Jimmy Uso arrives with chairs to even the playing field. Nick Aldis comes out to settle things, booking a tag team match (playa) between Knight/Uso and Solo/Mateo
- Alexa Bliss defeated Kairi Sane, Roxanne Perez, and Sol Ruca
- TITLE CHANGE! Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis defeated The Street Profits to win the WWE Tag titles
- MCMG, DIY, and Fraxiom backstage are dreading the tag team division now. Fraxiom wants the first crack at the Wyatt Sicks, but Andrade and Fenix pop in and say they're part of the tag division on SD, angering DIY
- Jelly Roll performs live for the crowd until Logan Paul cuts him off. Logan immediately encourages the booing because he says the fans wanna see WWE superstars, not musicians with kids' tattoos and no custody of them. Logan is disgusted with celebrities, influencers, and personalities coming into the wrestling industry and leeching off its success. Logan calls Jelly Roll a clout chaser and says WWE needs Logan Paul more than him. Logan says his podcast has inked a long deal with WWE, and at that point Jelly cuts him off. Jelly Roll reminds Logan that they're in his hometown and no one gives a damn about Logan's podcast. Logan calls Jelly an outsider, and this brings out an angry Randy Orton, who verbally berates Logan Paul until he eats a surprise Claymore from Drew McIntyre! Drew leaves with a smile and Logan starts beating down Orton until Jelly Roll stops it and pushes Logan out of the ring. Logan Paul responds by destroying all of Jelly Roll's equipment on stage before leaving
- R Truth defeated Aleister Black with a surprise roll-up. Black pursues Truth backstage until Damian Priest stops him and talks him out of revenge. Black complies for a moment before blindsiding Priest with Black Mass!
- Wade Barrett has Tiffany and Trish in the ring. Tiffany already has wins over Charlotte, Nia, and Bayley, so a win over Trish would make her a GOAT. Trish feels a lot of pressure, but not as much as Tiffany should feel; Tiffany needs this win because Trish is already a GOAT, and Trish will bring Stratusfaction to Evolution. Tiffany says the ppv is called Evolution for a reason and Trish's best days are all on VHS tapes. Trish asks if Tiffany learned about VHS on TikTok, and promises to become an 8-time women's champion. At this moment, Naomi cuts them off but before she can send any kind of message, Jade Cargill immediately comes out and brawls with her
- Jimmy Uso and LA Knight defeated Solo Sikoa and JC Mateo when Jimmy hits a surprise roll-up on Solo. Solo yells at Heyman (who was out there distracting Knight), blaming him for the loss and gets a BFT for his troubles. Knight stares down Heyman long enough to get ambushed by a spear and Tsunami combo from Bron and Bronson to close Smackdown

Saturday Night's Main Event - 7/12
Goldberg's last ride: Gunther vs Goldberg for the WHC
Solo Sikoa vs Jimmy Uso for the US title
Seth Rollins vs LA Knight
Randy Orton vs Drew McIntyre

Evolution
Iyo Sky vs Rhea Ripley for the Women's World title
Tiffany Stratton vs Trish Stratus for the WWE Women's title
Becky Lynch vs Lyra Valkyria vs Bayley for the Women's IC title
Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez vs Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair vs The Kabuki Warriors vs Sol Ruca and Zaria for the Women's Tag titles
Naomi vs Jade Cargill in a No Holds Barred match
Jacy Jayne vs Jordynne Grace for the NXT Women's title
Battle royal for a chance at a title shot at Clash in Paris

Summerslam
John Cena vs Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship
Tiffany Stratton vs Jade Cargill for the WWE Women's title

Won't lie, 2 hour Smackdowns are a blessing compared to 3.

Holy shit I've said it before and I'll say it again

Timeless Toni Storm is the best woman's wrestler of all time

That match slapped

Saturday Night's Main Event in Atlanta
- Randy Orton defeated Drew McIntyre after Drew spent forever talking trash to Jelly Roll outside the ring. After the match, Logan Paul beats down on Orton until Jelly Roll makes the save, laying Paul out with a right hand. Jelly Roll then gets a surprise Claymore from Drew!
- Naomi attacks Jade Cargill as she sat in the front row. The brawl ends at the announce table as security breaks it up. Nick Aldis announces that since these two can't maintain order, he's assigned a special guest referee for tomorrow's match, and it's none other than Bianca Belair!
- Solo Sikoa defeated Jimmy Uso to retain the US title with an assisted pin from Talla Tonga. The MFT stable immediately attacks Jimmy afterwards until Jacob Fatu makes the save and fights all four men off
- Backstage, Randy Orton expresses his regrets on having Jelly Roll out at ringside. Jelly says he's a grown man and wants a fight with Drew and Logan anywhere, anytime. Orton issues the tag team challenge for Summerslam, and both agree on the term R-K-Roll
- LA Knight defeated Seth Rollins. Rollins may have injured his knee doing a backflip maneuver and Knight had to abruptly end the match with a BFT
- Gunther defeated Goldberg by submission to retain the World Heavyweight Championship and end Goldberg's 28-year career. Goldberg was escorted from backstage by his son Gage, Doug Dillinger, and Ernest "The Cat" Miller.
- After the match, Goldberg apologizes to the Atlanta crowd since it was his first loss there. He thanks his friends and family for the last 28 years of support. Gage Goldberg, DDP, and others are in the ring for this moment.

Evolution
Iyo Sky vs Rhea Ripley for the Women's World title
Tiffany Stratton vs Trish Stratus for the WWE Women's title
Becky Lynch vs Lyra Valkyria vs Bayley for the Women's IC title
Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez vs Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair vs The Kabuki Warriors vs Sol Ruca and Zaria for the Women's Tag titles
Naomi vs Jade Cargill in a No Holds Barred match, with Bianca Belair as the guest referee
Jacy Jayne vs Jordynne Grace for the NXT Women's title
Battle royal for a chance at a title shot at Clash in Paris

Summerslam
John Cena vs Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship
Tiffany Stratton vs Jade Cargill for the WWE Women's title
Randy Orton and Jelly Roll vs Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul

Think I'm just getting old. I don't want to see celebs like Jelly Roll or Logan Paul in my wrestling. And I don't want to see like a 60 year old Goldberg be competitive against a monster heel

It was Goldberg's last match (hopefully); I expected some kind of competition.

Idk what to expect for Summerslam where we already have the following to deal with...
- Roman MIA since April
- Liv, Rey, Gable, and possibly Rollins now on injured reserve (among others)
- Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre being wasted on a celebrity program
- Two tag team divisions that practically have to beg to be on a major event
- The never ending saga of Solo Sikoa vs his relatives. MFT is literally Bloodline 3.0

I'm sure there's more.

ZeroSignal posted...

- LA Knight defeated Seth Rollins. Rollins may have injured his knee doing a backflip maneuver and Knight had to abruptly end the match with a BFT

had to go see the clip. wwe's youtube cuts the whole section out but not wwe on fox

https://youtu.be/kCIOxi6kgcE?si=wVNaaq5Me173VpTa&t=168

that... is a lot of time spent focusing on the injury but it doesn't look like a work. way too much time and too much talking and the finish just doesn't have LA Knight happy despite the fact that he just beat Rollins clean in the match. if he's actually injured that really sucks for him and i don't know where the stable goes exactly; the leader being out on a 3 man team is pretty fucking bad.

https://x.com/SuperfanSmilez/status/1944229034445221956

Alright yeah the leg is fucked.

Hangman's journey into hell and back is also one of my favorite wrestling storylines in a long time.

Swerve is probably my favorite (male) wrestler of the current era.

FFDragon posted...

Hangman's journey into hell and back is also one of my favorite wrestling storylines in a long time.

Swerve is probably my favorite (male) wrestler of the current era.

yeah honestly AEW is always better when Hangman is doing something great, still feels like the main character of the promotion

All In was great, definitely long but the last two hours were still incredibly loud, feel like they ramped up the crowd perfectly for the show. Everything involving Mox, as polarizing as it was, felt perfectly built for that payoff to make it worth it.

shame about Adam Cole though

Everything with Swerve and Hangman since their feud started has been great

Nana handcuffing Shafir to the timekeeper's table was a perfect heralding of the end. I have loved Nana since the original Embassy so seeing him featured is a++

And the briefcase opening and showing that Mox hadn't even bothered to change Danielson's sideplates was a nice subtle moment.

LiquidOshawott posted...

shame about Adam Cole though

Concussion related, so yeah, if he doesn't hang it up, it'll probably be a good 2-3 years at least before a possible return even part-time.

I recall WWE wanted to call Adam up to the main roster as a manager when he was still in NXT. Is it possible they were aware of his injury history back then and wanted him in a non-wrestling role because of it?

paulg235 posted...

I recall WWE wanted to call Adam up to the main roster as a manager when he was still in NXT. Is it possible they were aware of his injury history back then and wanted him in a non-wrestling role because of it?

That does not sound like WWE.

Pretty much all of Coles major injuries happened since he signed with AEW

unless he had concussions we didnt know about early when he was on the indies thats always possible

Maniac64 posted...

That does not sound like WWE.

Looking back on it through searching the reddit, I think it was more of a report that someone within WWE (and presumably who was close enough to Vince) suggested to call him up as a manager about 4 years ago but it never went anywhere and Cole himself stated he never heard anything about that spoken to him.

But this is also the same company who threw LA Knight as manager to MMM when initially on the main roster before the Vince stuff happened and he got to be LA Knight again, so I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if there was more to that then it was played up as. Not to mention, Adam should have been called up years before the NXT deal ran out.

I don't mean making Cole a manager doesn't sound like WWE. Them make a skilled but small guy a sidekick is definitely their style.

I meant changing their plans because of worry about a wrestlers potential health concerns.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/23be3d2a.jpg

Evolution needed that kind of ending.

Naomi cashed in during Iyo vs Rhea and stole the belt!

Summerslam
John Cena vs Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship
Tiffany Stratton vs Jade Cargill for the WWE Women's title
Randy Orton and Jelly Roll vs Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul

Clash in Paris
Stephanie Vaquer vs Naomi OR Tiffany Stratton

As we approach 500, here's the last update on the "titles" we follow...

WWE's "The Man": John Cena
Flair's Final Singles Match "The Man": Gunther
AEW's "The Man": Adam Page
"The Man" Women's edition: Iyo Sky
Custody of Dominik Mysterio: Cody Rhodes

Raw recap in Birmingham, Alabama
- Our new Women's World Champion, Naomi, kicks off Raw! Naomi dismisses the "You deserve it" chants because they weren't feeling the glow, so she won't accept their appreciation. She said to expect the unexpected, and she got tired of all the foolishness that was on Smackdown. She says she's outgrown Bianca, and says that Bianca and Jade never wanted her in the first place. Jade may have won her war, but Naomi made history last night. Her only message to the Raw locker room is to proceed with caution, and this brings out Rhea Ripley. Rhea let's Naomi know that she is not cautious, but instead pissed and vicious. Rhea had two goals at Evolution: Beat Iyo Sky and win the Women's World title. Thanks to Naomi, those two goals are still there, and Naomi is on Rhea's list now. Iyo Sky comes out now, telling Rhea to respectfully get in line, because she wants her title back. Naomi dismisses Iyo's words as jibberish and tells her and Rhea to get in the back of the line. This leads to a verbal scuffle among all three until Adam Pearce comes out. Pearce congratulates Naomi and welcomes her to Raw, and says Iyo and Rhea made magic last night. To close the segment, Pearce books a triple threat match among the three at Summerslam!
- Dom is concerned because AJ Styles keeps stalking him. Balor dismisses it and suggests that he escorts Raquel and Roxanne to the ring for their match, saying that Dom can protect them for Liv.
- Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez defeated The Kabuki Warriors with help from Dominik Mysterio
- Jackie Redmond speaks with Paul Heyman backstage. Heyman currently doesn't have any information on Seth Rollins' status, but also says Seth has until June 2026 to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase. Tonight's focus is on Bron Breakker running the gauntlet so he can conquer Gunther at Summerslam
- Lyra Valkyria defeated Bayley in a 2-of-3 falls match to earn an IC title shot at Summerslam
- Nikki Bella defeated Chelsea Green, but gets beat down by The Secret Hervice afterwards. Stephanie Vaquer runs in next and cleans house, helping Nikki Bella to her feet
- Adam Pearce rejects Grayson Waller's offer of 2 toupees in exchange for a New Day tag title rematch, but will discuss the belts next week. Adam also tells Dominik that once Dom is cleared, he's booking Dom vs AJ at Summerslam for the IC title!
- Jackie Redmond speaks with Rusev, but Sheamus quickly interrupts. Sheamus feels he's earned a rematch with Rusev, but Rusev he returned to WWE pursue gold, not gingers, before walking away
- The Ring General is out next! Gunther's in a great mood, because he retired Bill Goldberg two days ago. He dismisses the Goldberg chants once again, and pulls a page out of Bill's book and asks who's next? He's gonna take a seat and watch the upcoming gauntlet match. Before Gunther can say he doesn't care who wins, Bron Breakker cuts the champ off and stares him down on the way to the ring. Heyman shakes hands with Gunther, but doesn't get to introduce himself before Gunther cuts him off. Gunther's not interested in what Paul has to say, but before he leaves, Bron steps in his way. Heyman makes it clear that Bron will win tonight, and then Gunther can feel a real spear from the next big thing, the big dog, and the Steiner! Afterwards, Bron lets Gunther leave.
- Gauntlet match:
1) Bron Breakker defeated Penta
2) Bron Breakker defeated LA Knight
3) Bron Breakker defeated Jey Uso
FINAL) CM Punk defeated Bron Breakker
- CM Punk's celebration is short lived as Bronson Reed attacks him and Jey Uso. Bronson prepares for a double Tsunami but gets stopped by the music of ROMAN REIGNS! Reigns runs in at full speed and lays out Bron and Bronson! Roman helps Jey to his feet; those two and CM Punk stare down Heyman, Bron, and Bronson as Raw comes to a close.

Summerslam
John Cena vs Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship
Gunther vs CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship
Tiffany Stratton vs Jade Cargill for the WWE Women's title
Naomi vs Iyo Sky vs Rhea Ripley for the Women's World title
Becky Lynch vs Lyra Valkyria for the Women's IC title
Randy Orton and Jelly Roll vs Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul

Clash in Paris
Naomi vs Stephanie Vaquer for the Women's World title

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/d474f8e6.jpg

Spooky girls stable let's fuckin goooooooooo

Hopefully they don't start chopping hair off