Latest news with #WWEEvolution
Newsweek
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
WWE Legend Expected To Wrestle Again In 2025
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Following her acclaimed match at the WWE Evolution premium live event this past weekend, an update has emerged regarding the in-ring future of Trish Stratus. According to a new report, fans can expect to see the WWE Hall of Famer compete again this year. At Evolution, Stratus challenged Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women's Championship in a "battle of the eras." Although she came up short in her effort, she delivered an impressive performance and received a standing ovation from the Atlanta crowd after the match. The "25th Anniversary Tour" Continues A new report from Fightful Select states that Trish Stratus is expected to continue to wrestle in 2025. While no specific future plans were mentioned in the report, it indicates that the Hall of Famer is not done with her current run inside the squared circle. This report aligns with comments Stratus made herself during the post-Evolution press conference. After her match, Stratus was emotional and reflective, but when asked about her future, she teased that she had more left to do. "It's my 25th year," Stratus said. "Let's make it a good one." More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation A Trailblazing Legacy Trish Stratus's entire 2025 run has been a celebration of her 25 years since debuting in WWE. She is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential female superstars in wrestling history. After starting her career as a manager in 2000, Stratus evolved into a record-setting seven-time WWE Women's Champion. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 11: A WWE logo is shown on a screen before a WWE news conference at T-Mobile Arena on October 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was announced that WWE... LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 11: A WWE logo is shown on a screen before a WWE news conference at T-Mobile Arena on October 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was announced that WWE wrestler Braun Strowman will face heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury and WWE champion Brock Lesnar will take on former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez at the WWE's Crown Jewel event at Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 31. More Alongside her iconic rival, Lita, Stratus helped legitimize women's wrestling in an era often focused on "Divas." They were the first women to main event Monday Night Raw, and Stratus proved that female performers could be top-tier, all-around stars. Stratus' ability to return and compete at a main event level 25 years later is a testament to her dedication and talent. What's Next For The Hall Of Famer? Stratus' performance against Tiffany Stratton at Evolution has fans buzzing about potential dream matches. With her current run set to continue, there are numerous fresh matchups available for the legend. A renewed feud with her longtime rival Becky Lynch is always a possibility. Fans have also clamored to see her face off against other top stars like the powerhouse Rhea Ripley or the athletic Bianca Belair. While it is unknown who Stratus will face next, her decision to continue wrestling opens up a world of exciting possibilities for the WWE women's division. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Top female wrestler reignites old beef to take a jab at Michael Cole's flawed commentary
Michael Cole finds himself in the deep water: Image via Getty WWE botching the most iconic names in the history of the company from time to time is never foreign. Fans should, by now, adjust their ears to it, but unfortunately, the superstars didn't. They are still very finicky about it. Say for the blue brand star Candice LeRae, who stands amongst a few who aren't that satisfied with how the All Women's Night, the second edition of WWE Evolution, went off air past Sunday. The State Farm Arena was all jacked up, cheering for the crazy matches back to back, but out of nowhere, Michael Cole , the veteran commentator, pulled the rug, misnaming the 39-year-old Canadian star who took part in the Women's Battle Royal. No, LeRae didn't move past it without making sure Cole feels the heat. A noteworthy inclusion, it dug out an old beef involving the lead announcer of the red brand and former Women's Champion, Bayley. WWE superstar puts Michael Cole at gunpoint for a recurring mistake During her appearance in the Evolution Battle Royal, WWE veteran commentator Cole accidentally referred to LeRae as former WWE Women's Champion Candice Michelle. The slip of tongue didn't limit to once. He botched it several times, most notably when NXT star Jaida Parker kicked her out of the battle. It was more than a regular fiasco. Making the crowd confused between a comparative newbee to a retired Hall of Famer, and that too from the stage of a PLE, not only disregarded the respective names but also derogated the quality of the business to some extent. LeRae, however, talked about her own through an all-inclusive post-Evolution IG update. 'How's life?' , the not-so-frontline female wrestler asked, but didn't wait for an answer. She continued, ' Well…. Michael Cole keeps screwing up my name (@itsmebayley was right about him apparently), the NXT girls are super disrespectful bullies, and then I came home to my beautiful son…. Who kicked me in the nose and busted me open? Doing great. But hey! I have new merch sooooo…. If anyone is interested in cheering me up…. There's that.'' That one-liner jab seems to be enough for the internet to revisit the infamous inside jokes of WWE involving the Raw commentator and Bayley. What did go wrong between Michael Cole and Bayley? The equation between Bayley and Cole is more like an intense love-hate drama than an absolute rivalry. It's rather funny than ghastly. The members of the Four Horsewomen and the Voice of WWE have been coming for each other's necks for years. The latest one marked a Raw aw night at Cole's hometown, San Jose, California, where Bayley led a humiliating ''Michael Cole is an idiot chant'' It all dates back to the pandemic era of 2020, where the stadiums used to be empty and there were plenty of chances for the performers to closely observe their commentators and vice versa. The SmackDown star started to trash-talk Cole during most of her matches and received engaging fan reaction. So, she kept it alive to date, calling Cole out even on the most random occasions to make it more fun. But don't get it wrong. The duo gelled quite well off-screen. Bayley, in fact, handed the veteran commentator a flower, saying, he's the greatest at what he does. So, there's no real-life bad blood. But regardless, Cole's inclination to commit hilarious botches looks like a serious issue if not treated soon. Also read: Seth Rollins' injury bug breaks the mold of OTC1's much-anticipated return plan | WWE News - Times of India Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Seth Rollins' Crutches Appearance During WWE Evolution Raises Questions About His Wrestling Future
Seth Rollins (Image Source: Getty) Seth Rollins shocked the WWE Universe when he was seen with crutches backstage during WWE Evolution, but was he really that hurt, and how long will Rollins be out? Rollins' appearance came just days after he tweaked his knee performing the move at a live event, and he did so looking to be in discomfort and wearing a knee brace. Those headlines now lead to speculation over whether the "Visionary" will return in time for SummerSlam or if WWE's plans for him are on the cusp of a less monumental redirect. WWE remains silent as speculation grows While Rollins has been the subject of circulated photos and mostly backstage chatter, WWE has been unusually quiet about Rollins' injury status. Neither the company nor Rollins has specifically commented on the matter. Because of this silence, speculation by the fans has increased. — thepgeraa (@thepgeraa) Others are convinced WWE is sitting on a declaration until medical testing, likely an MRI, is fully evaluated. Some speculate the silence is an intentional stall tactic to allow the creative team time to pivot, plan, and reshape SummerSlam around the results. Rollins has been one of the main focuses of WWE programming with his new faction as well as the Money in the Bank briefcase. That raises a huge question mark over both, given his injury. Should it be severe knee damage — like an ACL or MCL tear — Rollins could spend up to six to nine months away from the ring, similar to his previous knee injury that had him out for nearly a year. Even a mild strain of the ligament could put him out for a minimum of 3 to 4 months, which would take him beyond SummerSlam and possibly to the beginning of 2026. Will Seth Rollins return at SummerSlam? As long as Rollins didn't suffer too serious an injury — which you would think would have been announced already if he did — hope remains that he will be making some sort of dramatic SummerSlam return. WWE has always loved a surprise return to bump the ratings, and a Money in the Bank cash-in at the premium live event would be a headline steal. But, after all he has been through physically and not having appeared on TV in a wrestling capacity since the incident, the likelihood of this becomes less and less every day. Also Read: Seth Rollins Injury Update: Triple H Shares Status on 'The Architect' After the Vicious Match at Saturday Night's Main Event Within WWE, they now have to consider what to do with the MITB briefcase. Do they take it off Rollins and give it to somebody else? Are they constructing a narrative of a delayed or postponed cash-in? Or do they play the guessing game and continue to catch that uncertainty wave? However, Seth Rollins is experiencing an undeniable gray area missing for one of WWE's biggest stars. In several weeks at hell, or maybe his return date, and again following the creative direction of the entire company through the rest of the season of 12 months, the clouds may very well settle down. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Roundtable: What should WWE do with Seth Rollins' injury? And did AEW win the weekend?
Are you tired of us yet? No? Good. A wrestling weekend like we just experienced, requires — no, DEMANDS — an emergency gathering of the Uncrowned Horsemen to discuss everything that transpired from the good (there was A LOT) to the bad (Seth Rollins' reported knee injury). Advertisement Kel Dansby, Robert Jackman, Drake Riggs and Anthony Sulla-Heffinger are here once again to examine how the pro wrestling landscape has changed in the wake of AEW All In/WWE Saturday Night's Main Event/WWE Evolution — with a little Great American Bash sprinkled in — and offer up their thoughts on arguably the most important non-WrestleMania weekend of the year. 1. What was your favorite match of the weekend and which match had the most significant impact on its promotion moving forward? Riggs: I'm about to give the most non-definitive answer possible, which shows just how much happened this past weekend. Thankfully, there was much more good than bad. First I want to shout out the AEW Women's Casino Gauntlet match, because of how much it exceeded expectations. Yet as someone who loves the lengths AEW will go to when the pressure is on to deliver a masterpiece — more often than not, they do so, like with the world title match between Jon Moxley and Hangman Adam Page. And that's also my answer for part two of this question, because of how absolutely momentous that match — and its result — felt. Just as Hangman has done by being the company's main character, Page vs. Moxley embodied the spirit of everything wrestling fans love about AEW and sent everyone home happy. That being said, it needs to be argued that LA Knight vs. Seth Rollins wound up as the most impactful match of the weekend, if only because of Rollins' knee injury. As Mr. Money In the Bank, Rollins felt like a guarantee to be up next for another world title run and he's been the centerpiece of "WWE Raw" since WrestleMania 41. Now Triple H presumably has to do a massive deck shuffling. But that's more speculation than what we saw to close AEW All In, so I'll stick with Page vs. Moxley as my answer. Advertisement Dansby: Tough question — two matches fit the bill perfectly. But if I have to pick, I'll go with Hangman vs. Moxley, even though Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley was the more entertaining match from bell to bell. Hangman feels like the guy for AEW right now, and ending Moxley's Death Rider streak only reinforces that. The Texas Deathmatch stipulation is tailor-made for both guys, and they leaned all the way in on Saturday — brutality, chaos, interference, all of it. It wasn't just a bloodbath for shock value — it set the tone for AEW's next few months. We now know Hangman has MJF in his sights, but the looming presence of the Hurt Syndicate throws a wrench in that. Meanwhile, Moxley's story feels far from over. He still has unfinished business with Bryan Danielson and Darby Allin, both of which could blow up into their own feuds. Advertisement Jackman: In a very competitive field I'm going with the triple threat match that opened WWE Evolution. Remember this time last week when the overall sentiment on social media toward Evolution wasn't exactly optimistic? Don't get me wrong: I think most people wanted the event to succeed, but there was a lot of consternation about the low ticket sales and whether WWE had made a mistake by booking three separate events in one weekend. The second this match started, though, all of that went out of the window. All three women — Bayley, Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria — absolutely smashed it, and the crowd was on fire instantly. From that moment on, you just knew the naysayers were going to end up eating their words. As for the most significant, I say Moxley vs. Hangman. I've set out my thoughts on the Death Riders a couple of times recently, but, in short, I genuinely think this one was existential for AEW. To stick with Moxley as champion would have sent a bold signal (to put it mildly) about the future of AEW. Thankfully, Tony Khan decided to take the right decision, rather than burn all that goodwill he's been building up lately. Sulla-Heffinger: I'm going with two AEW contests here. For my favorite match, I have to go with Mercedes Moné vs. 'Timeless' Toni Storm. When you look at the body of work they have put together since coming to AEW, it's hard to argue anything other than these two being the best female wrestlers in the world. Considering this was probably the most important women's match in the history of AEW, the stakes and anticipation for it were remarkably high — and naturally, Storm and Moné knocked it out of the park, as it took an avalanche Storm Zeroes to finally end Moné's unbeaten singles streak. A lot of times the term 'dream match' is either thrown around or used far too late in careers, but that isn't the case with what we saw Saturday. Advertisement As far as the most significant impact, Rollins' injury not included, Hangman Adam Page defeating Jon Moxley has to be the most impactful moving forward. Unlike the feel-good AEW title win from Bryan Danielson last year, I would imagine Page's run post-All In lasts significantly longer and there were two high-profile returns and a major Swerve (see what I did there) that make it hard to not get overly excited about the future of the top of the card at AEW. Seth Rollins' reported knee injury could have major implications across all of WWE. (Photo by Heather McLaughlin/WWE via Getty Images) (WWE via Getty Images) 2. What is the best way for WWE to navigate the Seth Rollins injury/MITB briefcase? Sulla-Heffinger: If Rollins is out for an extended period of time, it's absolutely brutal in the sense that he has been the centerpiece of 'Raw' for the entirety of 2025. That said, if we're going to try and look at the positives, it opens the door for CM Punk, Jey Uso, LA Knight, Bron Breakker or Sami Zayn to cycle in and out of the main-event picture — after his win on 'Raw,' Punk gets the first crack at Gunther— until Rollins returns. It's unclear if Roman Reigns' return was a 'break glass in case of emergency' move or planned, but there are multiple, extremely compelling angles immediately with his return. Depending on the recovery timetable, you could have Knight and Breakker battle for the MITB briefcase — and then Rollins has a built-in title shot when he returns — or just have Rollins refuse to give it up and then when he does return for an immediate cash-in, the moment will be bigger than perhaps any before. As for the 'Seth Riders,' WWE could give the fans what they want and have Karrion Kross take over the group and get his big push finally, which would be an interesting twist, especially involving Paul Heyman. Advertisement Jackman: Well, first you need to answer the million-dollar question: Is he really injured at all? For readers who haven't followed this one, there's been some convincing sounding reporting coming out of Post Wrestling that this whole thing is actually a set up to pull off a massive shock cash-in at SummerSlam, presumably at the expense of CM Punk. I'm on the record as saying how distasteful I find these 'fake injury' angles, so I hope that's not the case. When you look at the genuine outpouring of sympathy we've seen from the WWE and AEW fanbases towards Kevin Owens and Adam Cole respectively in recent months, I can't see why anyone would think it's a good idea to use a serious injury for storytelling purposes. It's the same response I had to Triple H pretending that the R Truth 'fake firing' was some stroke of creative genius. Does he not realize that if he makes these things fair game, then you'll have internet sleuths second-guessing every reported injury or release from now until eternity? If I hear that Kevin Owens is undergoing life-changing neck surgery, I don't want even a little part of me thinking 'Wait, is this all a work?' If the injury is genuine, then obviously I hope Seth will be back on his feet soon. Though assuming it requires a rewriting of the MITB storyline, then I'd suggest just passing the briefcase on to Bron Breakker. Surely that's the sort of thing that Paul Heyman could arrange (in kayfabe terms) having used his years of experience to call an audible? Advertisement Riggs: No matter the direction taken, it has to involve LA Knight heavily. Realistically, he should probably be given the briefcase for beating Rollins, despite that not being a stipulation. You can't just get rid of that element, though. At the same time, it would be fair to Rollins to wait and see what a timetable might look like for his return. And in that case, if it's not overly long, this could be an ultra-happy accident for a big surprise. Regardless, suppose Knight doesn't receive something big and possibly related to the briefcase. In that case, he should kayfabe be livid about it, taking an aggressive anti-hero approach until he gets what he wants. Dansby: WWE should treat the MITB briefcase like the wild card it is. If Seth is out for a while, the briefcase becomes more valuable than ever. Whoever holds it—especially if it's a heel—can tease cash-ins constantly to keep the world title picture interesting. The key is not rushing. The worst thing they can do is give it immediately to a returning Roman Reigns. Let the briefcase holder be someone who could simmer and build some momentum. It's been a while since the contract has truly felt dangerous. Jade Cargill stood tall at WWE Evolution and was among Uncrowned's breakout performers for the weekend. (Photo by Chansey Augustine/WWE via Getty Images) (WWE via Getty Images) 3. Who was the breakout performer of the weekend? Dansby: That honor goes to Jade Cargill. Her No Holds Barred match with Naomi was not just her best match to date—it was a legit show-stealer. She's always had the look, the presence, the confidence. But now? She's adding in-ring legitimacy to the package. Advertisement Winning Queen of the Ring punched her ticket to SummerSlam, and with Naomi cashing in the MITB briefcase and walking out as Women's World Champion, there's some real tension building. Their chemistry was undeniable, and now they've got a story that could headline a major PLE. Jackman: We haven't included the event in our round-ups so far, but I'd like to give a shout out to Yoshiki Inamura for his performance against Oba Femi at The Great American Bash. I was in two minds whether that match was going to be a total flop, but my goodness did they bring the goods. If you didn't catch it due to WWE's choice to book the event alongside All In, I'd highly recommend that you go back and watch it. Sulla-Heffinger: As odd as it is to have a champion in this spot, I firmly believe it has to be Sol Ruca. As Riggs wrote in his SmackDown recap last Friday, the Fatal 4-way match she was involved in felt like a showcase to specifically introduce her on the main roster. For anyone who has been watching NXT, none of this was really a surprise, but for anyone who was unsure of what's on the horizon for the women's division, this weekend showed that the future is very bright — OK, enough Sol puns, I swear. Ruca retained her NXT Women's North American Championship the following day and even though she took the pin at Evolution on Sunday night, she showed she's closer to the main roster than we think. Also, the Sol Snatcher is already in the conversation for the best finishers in WWE today. Riggs: It has to be Lash Legend. Her performance in the WWE Evolution Battle Royal was as star-making as it gets. She felt like a force, almost akin to Keith Lee's first Royal Rumble appearance years back. Possibly even to a higher degree than that, though. WWE booked her so well that I bought a ticket, thinking she might actually win it. That match was the perfect catalyst for a mega push because man, did she earn it. ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 12: Goldberg retires from wrestling during Saturday Night's Main Event at State Farm Arena on July 12, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images) (WWE via Getty Images) 4. Do you feel any differently about the pro wrestling landscape for the rest of 2025 after this weekend? Jackman: Whatever your thoughts on WWE's aggressive 'double booking' strategy, I have to say it was a real treat to have so much wrestling over the weekend. Sure, it might not work to do it every month (or even every six months), but the back-to-back events made the whole thing feel similar to a WrestleMania weekend. Advertisement In terms of the bigger question, I'd just echo what I said earlier about AEW. I wrote a column on Friday about how a Hangman victory would be the perfect starting point to a new era for the company and I really hope that's the direction they take. The imagery of Hangman retrieving that belt from the briefcase perfectly captured that sense of AEW being re-born after the long shadow of the Death Riders. Dansby: Not really, but some pieces have definitely shifted. AEW is having a strong summer, especially at the top of the card. Their men's and women's main events feel intentional and meaningful. The big question now: can they elevate the midcard and tag/trios divisions to that same level? That's where long-term momentum is either made or lost. On the WWE side, the creative highs are still being carried by special events. Evolution was arguably their best PLE in recent memory, but the company is still heavily leaning on part-timers, legacy names, and viral moments. The main roster feels like it's stuck balancing corporate obligations with fan engagement. Not an easy line to walk. Riggs: Yes. Each company is going in a clear, different direction. Whether you think that is good or bad is up to you. WWE is entirely playing into the entertainment, more playful demographic, with the reinvitations of celebrity matches like Jelly Roll's upcoming in-ring debut. Meanwhile, AEW just had their wrestlers stab each other with forks and rub glass in their faces. For WWE, they need to recover the incredibly bumpy first half of the year they've had from a story perspective in most angles, while AEW simply needs to carry the incredible momentum they've accrued. All the pieces are in place for each to keep going the way they are. Advertisement Sulla-Heffinger: Like Riggs, my biggest takeaway from the weekend is just how different AEW and WWE truly are. I teased this in our preview Horsemen column when we talked about how 'success' is defined for each company and I think this weekend hammered home that point in particular. With a stacked card, AEW put on an absolutely incredible stadium show that somehow managed to at least exceed — if not completely obliterate — all of the expectations going in. The momentum Tony Khan's company has is undeniable. On the other side, WWE took over Atlanta and ran three shows, including an Evolution PLE that should not be overlooked in the slightest, and managed to involve both celebrities (Jelly Roll) and legends, particularly Trish Stratus and Goldberg. As much as we want this to be a recreation of the 'Monday Night Wars,' the reality right now is this: AEW is the better pure wrestling promotion and WWE is the better sports entertainment promotion. There's plenty of room for both to thrive in this space and EVERYONE from the talent, to the media, to the fans are better off for it. ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 13: Naomi speaks at the Press Conference Desk during WWE Evolution at State Farm Arena on July 13, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images) (WWE via Getty Images) 5. Give your one-word review of each show from the weekend and a short explanation why. Riggs: AEW All-In: Momentous. The 2025 iteration truly felt like the company's version of WrestleMania, and a WrestleMania of old — an actual culmination point of everything that happened since the last titular event. I don't want to say "reset point," but rather something like the "end of season" or "next book in the series" type of event. Advertisement WWE Evolution: Epic. The second event of its name just felt special, and almost like a continuation of that evolution label. Every performer channeled it beautifully. WWE Saturday Night's Main Event: Pass. I'm not saying anything new by calling SNME a glorified house show, but that's just what they are. Occasionally, a banger of a match unfolds in the short time given. That's about it, though. As overall events, they're almost totally missable. Sulla-Heffinger: AEW All In Texas: Defining – AEW's first true stadium show in the U.S. marks a significant real-life milestone and acts as a turning point for the creative future of the company. More than any other stateside AEW show, All In Texas felt like a WrestleMania. WWE Saturday Night's Main Event: Forced – Again, not necessarily bad because there were some decent matches on the card, but even if Rollins didn't get hurt, this felt like it took a little bit away from a weekend that Evolution should have dominated in the WWE landscape. Great moment and a fitting end for Goldberg, though. Advertisement WWE Evolution: Worthy – Sunday proved that this should be a tentpole event on the WWE PLE calendar every year. Dansby: Great American Bash: Meh. This felt more like a placeholder than a peak NXT event. They've got to figure out how to make the TNA involvement actually mean something and start building up the next wave of top stars. Right now, it feels like they're in a holding pattern. All In: Electric. AEW is giving its core fans exactly what they want—and doing it well. But the challenge now is to turn that momentum into growth. Can they bring in new fans without losing their base? We're about to find out. Evolution: Eye-opening. The women delivered. Period. The talent is there, the performances were top-tier, and the response was overwhelming. If WWE doesn't make this a yearly event, it'll feel like a huge missed opportunity. This was proof that the women can consistently headline, draw, and steal the show. Advertisement Jackman: AEW All-In: Coherent. Unlike previous AEW events, this actually felt like more than the sum of its respective parts, with multiple storylines gelling perfectly throughout the evening. The whole feel was much more professional and narrative-driven than the Wembley events, which always felt more like a big carnival show than a self-contained PLE. WWE Evolution: Justified. I made the risky play of expressing some skepticism about the merits of an all-women event and I'm pleased to see that they knocked it out of the park. WWE Saturday Night's Main Event: Mixed. As usual, the whole thing felt more like a procession of 'SmackDown' main events rather than a proper PLE (in fairness, I should note that WWE doesn't actually call SNME a PLE, but they do kind of imply it...). The Goldberg stuff was excellent though. I'm not embarrassed to say that I welled up a bit when Doug Dellinger knocked on the door that one final time.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WWE Raw results, highlights (July 14): Seth Rollins injury update, Roman Reigns returns
The "WWE Raw" after WWE Evolution did a perfect job of adding even more to the overall spectacle of Sunday night's event. Birmingham, Alabama was treated to a show centered mainly around the fallout from the PLE, and it was all seamless. Despite that, there was still a bigger, overarching matter to address from WWE's weekend — plus one significant return. The Seth Rollins dilemma As Paul Heyman first spoke tonight, I hatched the outline of where to go in the wake of Rollins' injury absence. Advertisement Heyman noted how it's too early to know any real updates on Rollins' timeline, mentioning he has until June to cash in. So, that leads one to believe it's staying with him — for now. I'm not in love with the idea, since it means there will be a gap of early months where we know there can't be a surprise return. But what followed was the seed to a tangible direction. Bron Breakker was hyped up by his "Oracle" to become the next World Heavyweight Champion. Imagine that. Breakker does win it while Rollins is away and eventually gets cashed in on by his recruiter. Vintage Rollins. Well, the "WWE Raw" main event contender gauntlet match resulted in a CM Punk win. So, you know what that means. Punk is winning that title, and Rollins cashes in on him instead. Advertisement The matches within the match were mostly pretty good, but the booking of this was atrocious, and you could feel the scrambled fallout of Rollins' injury. First and foremost, Gunther cut a promo beforehand that led to him staring down Breakker with Heyman hyping up a match between them. That felt like all the spoiler needed, but the swerve was admittedly a nice touch. To start things off, it was Breakker vs. Penta, which was essentially a copy and paste of the last time they wrestled. LA Knight followed, and he put on a show with Breakker. It really was the best mini-match in the heart of this — then Knight just lost clean to a single spear, killing all of the momentum he had built before WWE Saturday Night's Main Event. It was practically a burial despite him seemingly building to some big spot with that Rollins match. Brutal stuff, and that was that. He was gone from the show after taking the L. Now, here was the biggest problem with all of this. During Knight's portion of the match, Michael Cole stated on commentary that there were no disqualifications, which is news to me for this match type. Regardless, that makes zero sense when these are one-on-ones. And if that was the case, WWE could have at least booked Knight to lose with the aid of Bronson Reed — or have him come back after his loss to cost Breakker. Instead, Reed helped stop Jey Uso from beating Breakker. You know. To keep him somewhat "strong." Advertisement If that wasn't stupid enough, Reed then just didn't attack CM Punk as soon as Punk arrived to take on Breakker. WHY NOT?! The logic in non-decisions like that has been so off with the "Sethriders" and their story beats. Reed ultimately got in there at the end, and rather than Knight, it was Uso who returned to help fend off the big men and secure Punk's win with a GTS. There was still one surprise left after that, as Breakker and Reed took over and set up a sandwich Tsunami to Uso and Punk. Nope! It still wasn't Knight. Roman Reigns returned to clean up shop, helping his old Bloodline stablemate and WrestleMania 41 rival. Advertisement Reigns' return certainly adds a massive wrinkle to the title picture, and is somewhat of a Hail Mary move with Rollins out. But hey, he certainly felt needed now more than ever. Proceeding with caution "WWE Raw" kicked off with quite the epic opener to immediately follow the incredible momentum from last night's WWE Evolution 2025 PLE. The brand new Women's World Champion Naomi set the stage and received a huge ovation, along with "You deserve it" chants. It was great to see, especially with Naomi remaining in character and shutting it down, but playfully. The champ called out everyone for not "feeling the glow" and guessing wrong that she'd cash in on Tiffany Stratton. Bianca Belair then got her shot, as Naomi said she outgrew her, which keeps the roots planted for their eventual massive showdown. Before her first interruption, Naomi dropped... Advertisement 🤯 Line of the Year THE WOMAN TOLD ALL THE "RAGGEDY HEFFAS" ON "WWE RAW" TO WATCH OUT. Brothers and sisters, I lost my marbles when she said that. Incredible. It's a damn shame that WWE didn't let Naomi reach a character arc like this sooner. Rusev delivered a good contender later, saying he wants "gold, not gingers" to Sheamus. What was in the water tonight? Anyway, a proper-pissed Rhea Ripley waltzed her way out to confront Naomi after ruining her chance at earning a win over Iyo Sky. That prompted the latter also to emerge before Naomi told both to get to the back of the line. Tensions started to thicken, and "WWE Raw" general manager Adam Pearce came out to make a triple-threat match for the title official at WWE SummerSlam. Advertisement So, I love that from a pure match perspective, and it feels appropriate. Storywise, not so much, especially for SummerSlam. The first defense for Naomi would have been best fit for, oh, I don't know, this episode of "WWE Raw." Just a thought, Hunter. Presumably, Bianca Belair may not be ready to return that soon because a Naomi match would be a great starting point in this reign. However, you have to expect it to end at WWE SummerSlam because there's no way Stephanie Vaquer doesn't challenge a champion Ripley in her title shot at Clash At Paris. Remember the 2-out-of-3 falls experiment? Whenever there's a 2-out-of-3 falls match, I'm always going to think about that time Vince McMahon wanted to completely — and randomly — change the entire formula of WWE matches. On this "WWE Raw," it was Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria. Advertisement Alright. This match was for a title shot against Becky Lynch at WWE SummerSlam. I get it. We're supposed to get to Valkyria's trilogy match, but this doesn't make sense after they both just lost at WWE Evolution. Additionally, it's now at the point where the Intercontinental title scene has been exclusively limited to these three wrestlers. No one else has even mentioned or looked at the title since before WrestleMania 41. And the last person who did was Bayley! You have to spread the love soon, Triple H. Seriously. Realistically, I can't be that mad because this was easily the... 👑 Uncrowned Gem of the Night 👑 Valkyria and Bayley freaking rule together. This match started with Bayley working over Valkyria's back before the tight roll-up for her lone pin. Valkyria scored her first with a lovely counter pin. Advertisement We saw tons of phenomenal spots like Valkyria's sit-out gut-wrench powerbomb, the sunset flip into the steps and the finishing sequence when Bayley dropped the elbow onto Valkyria's back and got a near-fall. It went into a crossface that Valkyria countered into a Nightwing. Brilliant. Just brilliant. These three are delivering some of the best overall work in wrestling right now. This two-day punch of action has been insane. 👍 MONDAY NIGHT MONEY 👍 1. This "WWE Raw" started with three women's matches, further displaying that this can just be done normally. There doesn't have to be a big women's-only show to highlight all these great wrestlers. Regardless, it was refreshing to see, and the route to take right after WWE Evolution. Advertisement 2. Karrion Kross received a video promo that continued to target Sami Zayn. I think everyone probably couldn't care less about the Zayn aspect of this. It was just wonderful to see a good promotional piece for Kross that wasn't during a commercial break. 3. Rusev and Sheamus will run it back at some point. Usually, I'd be a little on the fence about this, but these guys just have that chemistry. Let them wrestle 80 times for all I care. 🤷 IT HAPPENED 🤷 The Judgment Day (Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez) defeated The Kabuki Warriors when Perez rolled up Asuka. It was an OK match, and nothing more than a story speed bump, with Dominick Mysterio helping his faction get the win by distracting the referee. A typical Judgment Day "meh." Advertisement 👎 RAW DEAL 👎 1. Nikki Bella defeated Chelsea Green. It was not good. Green losing isn't great either. This seemed to set up a brief team of Bella and Vaquer, as she made the save after the match when Green and The Secret Hervice attacked. 2. Pearce tells The New Day he doesn't just hand out title rematches — after literally doing so earlier in the night for Sky and Ripley. 👑This was a jam-packed "WWE Raw" and the kind of show you'd hope for after a big weekend. I give this show a Crown score of: 7.5/10.👑
