Britt Baker was the first woman signed to an AEW talent contract in 2019 and for a while, was the top star of the women’s division. Baker’s days on top are now a distant memory, and her recent social media activity may have teased a bold move.
Baker has removed all references to AEW in her Instagram bio, distancing herself from the All-Elite promotion. On X, Baker’s bio is similarly AEW-free and makes reference to her role as a wrestler and a dentist.
Baker’s alterations come amid an interesting time in the DMD’s career. Baker hasn’t competed since November 2024, and has competed just five times over the past year. Baker remains active on social media though rarely makes reference to AEW.
Interestingly, her latest reference to AEW on social media saw her throw support behind Saraya following the British wrestler’s exit from AEW.
— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) March 26, 2025
Baker’s absence has left fans wondering as to whether her time with AEW may also be coming to an end. In January, Chris Jericho cast doubt on the idea that Baker will leave AEW, following reports of alleged heat on the former Women’s World Champion.
If Baker does end her time with AEW, fans can expect WWE to make an effort to sign Baker who could also see interest from promotions overseas such as STARDOM. Whatever’s next, Britt Baker remains a talking point among wrestling fans, even with her hiatus from AEW growing day-by-day.
In the wake of this past weekend’s All In: Texas pay-per-view, AEW President Tony Khan has called the event the best show the company has ever produced. In a new interview, Khan reflected on the success of the show and singled out the AEW Women’s World Championship match for high praise.
While speaking to 103.5 KISS FM, Tony Khan lauded the success of the event held at Globe Life Field in Arlington. He pointed to record-breaking numbers for the company as a key measure of its success.
“It was the best show we’ve ever done. AEW All In Texas,” Khan said. “It’s the biggest pay-per-view we’ve ever had on Amazon Prime and one of our biggest pay-per-view shows ever, one of our biggest crowds ever. The biggest crowd AEW’s ever had on this continent, in North America, ever, and it was just a great experience.”
Khan also specifically praised the AEW Women’s World Championship match between “Timeless” Toni Storm and Mercedes Moné, calling it one of his favorite matches ever and expressing a desire to see a rematch.
“We have a great Women’s World Champion, ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm… She defeated another one of the best wrestlers, Mercedes Mone,” Khan stated. “They are the top two women in the world of wrestling in my opinion. They still are and I would love to see a rematch at some point because that was an absolute, in my opinion, five-star classic.”
Khan’s praise comes after a newsworthy night in Arlington, Texas. In addition to Toni Storm’s successful title defense, the All In event saw “Hangman” Adam Page defeat Jon Moxley to become the new AEW World Champion in a brutal Texas Death Match, Kazuchika Okada become the first-ever AEW Unified Champion, and the shocking return of Adam Copeland.
AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page will make his first television appearance since capturing his second AEW Championship reign when he opens Wednesday night’s AEW Dynamite in Chicago.
Page defeated Jon Moxley at All In this past Saturday to reclaim the AEW World Championship, and AEW President Tony Khan announced via social media that the new champion will kick off Wednesday’s show.
Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite TBS + HBO Max TOMORROW
AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page will speak!
We’ll see the @AEW World Title on tv for the first time in 2025! NEW World Champion Hangman Page will speak live to open Dynamite before the main event vs Death Riders TOMORROW! pic.twitter.com/tYF3dVAdc3
This marks Page’s second reign as AEW World Champion and represents a significant moment for the company as they showcase their top title on television for the first time in 2025. The championship victory at All In has clearly energized both Page and the AEW fanbase heading into Wednesday’s broadcast.
The rivalry between Page and Moxley will continue immediately, as both men are scheduled to compete in the main event of Dynamite. Page will team with Powerhouse Hobbs and Mark Briscoe to take on his All In opponent Moxley alongside Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta in a six-man tag team match.
Complete AEW Dynamite Lineup
Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite from Chicago will feature several key segments following the weekend’s All In event:
Opening Segment: AEW World Champion Hangman Page addresses the audience
Main Event: Hangman Page, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Mark Briscoe vs. Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta
Victory Speech: AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm celebrates her successful title defense against Mercedes Mone
The show aims to continue momentum from All In while setting up new storylines and continuing established rivalries.
AEW Dynamite airs Wednesday night on TBS and HBO Max with the broadcast beginning at its regular time slot.
Drew McIntyre is not impressed with the newly announced World Heavyweight Championship match for SummerSlam. The “Scottish Warrior” took to social media to share his disdain for the upcoming bout between the champion, GUNTHER, and the new number-one contender, CM Punk.
Less than a day after the match was made official, McIntyre posted a video to his Twitter account showing two porcelain toilets swinging on ropes before smashing into each other. The video was accompanied by a simple, direct caption: “GUNTHER vs Punk”. The message was clear, as McIntyre suggested the championship match would not be a high-quality encounter.
CM Punk earned his championship opportunity on this past Monday’s episode of Raw, where he won a star-studded gauntlet match. The match saw Punk last defeat Bron Breakker to secure his spot at SummerSlam. The gauntlet also included top stars such as Jey Uso, LA Knight, and Penta. The title match is now set for the two-day SummerSlam event on August 2nd and 3rd at MetLife Stadium.
McIntyre’s bitterness likely stems from his own recent misfortunes. At this past weekend’s Saturday Night’s Main Event, McIntyre was defeated by Randy Orton. While he now has a tag team match scheduled for SummerSlam alongside Logan Paul against Orton and Jelly Roll, his sights were clearly set on the World Heavyweight Championship that Punk will now be challenging for.
A current AEW star has filed an interesting trademark hinting at what’s next for her.
Kamille, who has not been on AEW TV for months, recently filed the trademark for the term ‘The Cat 5.’ According to the description of the application filed on July 15, the term will be used for ‘Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network’ among other things.
The idea of a wrestling news publication run by talent is not new. Chris Jericho, who is also a part of the AEW roster, owns the Web is Jericho website. It keeps fans updated about various topics in addition to his own ventures.
Kamille made her AEW debut in July 2024, forming an alliance with the TBS Champion Mercedes Mone. This partnership lasted only a few months as the former NWA Women’s Champion broke up with Mone in November that year.
Many thought she was heading towards a program with the former Sasha Banks after this, and reports suggest that Mone herself was willing to work a match with her former associate.
The female star, however, vanished from AEW programming. There has been no word on why the former champion is away or when she could return, ever since.
Nikki Bella has explained why the finish to her Raw match did not look as smooth as it should have.
The WWE Hall of Famer competed in her first singles match in almost 7 years when she went up against Chelsea Green this past Monday. The ending of the bout was a little awkward as Nikki looked to pick up her opponent faceside up. She then changed her mind and hit a different kind of slam to get the pinfall victory over the former US champion.
The wrestling veteran explained her actions during the Raw recap. Nikki Bella revealed that she completely forgot what she was supposed to do and picked Chelsea up like she used to for her old Rack Attack finisher:
“What’s crazy is everyone kept telling me backstage ‘it’s going to be like riding an old bike.’ Well, yeah, it was like riding such an old bike that I went and put Chelsea up in my old Rack Attack that broke my neck. And what was weird is I haven’t hit that since 2016.”
Nikki Bella mentioned how it was the same finisher that led to her neck injury and she quickly had to stop herself from doing it:
“So it was weird that I naturally turned her and put her up. And the slight second I go, ‘this is what broke my neck.’ Even when I came back from my broken neck, I never did that.
I never once did that. She just was like, ‘are you okay?’ But that was very wild to me… We have these moments where we’re not perfect. still got the victory, and that is what counts.”
The former Divas Champion was attacked by the Secret Hervice after her victory. Stephanie Vaquer then came out of make the save for Bella. It’s unknown if Nikki will be sticking around but this angle does leave the door open for a potential SummerSlam rivalry.
WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event saw Seth Rollins sustaining an injury that will be keeping Mr. Money in the Bank on the shelf for the forseeable future. Now, WWE is without one of the very top stars on its roster mere weeks away from their annual SummerSlam event.
According to Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE initially intended for Seth Rollins to face Roman Reigns in a major singles match at SummerSlam. That direction had been clearly signaled through recent promos and storyline developments, but now has to be scrapped due to Rollins’ injury.
On WWE Raw, the promotion is seemingly pivoting to Reigns vs. Bron Breakker, or a tag-team match pitting Reigns and Jey Uso against Breakker and Bronson Reed. Reigns made his return to TV by attacking both men and protecting his cousin.
The closing segment of Saturday Night’s Main Event was also reportedly impacted. While there was no planned cash-in for Rollins that night, the injury disrupted a significant angle WWE had in place, as well as plans for Rollins to beat LA Knight at the NBC special.
Reigns has yet to be formally slotted into a SummerSlam match but his return so close to the event strongly implies a role on the show. Whatever WWE has planned for the OTC1, it won’t involve his former ally turned fierce rival.
AEW All In: Texas took place over the weekend, and according to a new report, backstage morale is riding high following the event. On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, it was reported that talent backstage were “very, very happy” with how the show.
Dave Meltzer noted there’s a strong sense within AEW that the company has “turned things around” after a series of challenging years for the promotion. The report adds that AEW “peaked for a big show,” suggesting a significant positive shift in momentum.
All In: Texas was AEW’s first stadium event in the United States and saw several huge moments. In addition to Cope and Christian Cage aligning and Bryan Danielson’s return, the main event saw Hangman Adam Page capture the AEW World Championship from Jon Moxley and the Death Riders.
AEW now turns its attention to its next major event, AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, scheduled for August 24 in London. With that show set to air on the same day as WWE NXT Heatwave, time will tell if Tony Khan can keep his momentum going after its success in Texas.
Goldberg stepped into the ring one final time at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, challenging Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship. While this was billed was Goldberg’s final match, fans know that final matches in wrestling are often anything but.
Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, Goldberg was asked directly whether he considers himself truly retired. The WWE Hall of Famer then explained how retiring in wrestling is rarely a simple thing.
“I can’t say that. In principle, yeah, I’m done, but I worked my ass off for five months… don’t know if I want to kick start that again and say, ‘Guess what, I didn’t retire. I want to go one more time.’
“You don’t plan stuff like that. In the world of professional wrestling, I guess you’re not retired until you’re dead. In principle, yeah, I’m retired.”
Retired or not, Goldberg knows that he can’t rush a return to WWE. No matter what comes next, fans shouldn’t expect to see Goldberg anytime soon. Later in the interview, Goldberg acknowledged that retiring in wrestling is rarely the end.
“Wrestling world, you’re never retired until you’re dead. I ain’t dead yet. It was reinvigorating. It was a lot of fun.”
Goldberg’s send-off was a huge moment for the former Universal Champion, though he didn’t walk away with the win. Stay tuned for the latest on Goldberg and his next move in wrestling.
The Undertaker is coming to NXT to reap a specific soul.
This week’s episode of the development show featured a six-man tag team match, which saw Trick Williams teaming up with TNA rivals Mike Santana and Joe Hendry to take on Darkstate.
After a frustrated Williams confronted his partners during a spot in the match, both Santana and Hendry clocked him out. The System then showed up to fight Darkstate, and the whole thing turned into a brawl.
This wasn’t the last of Trick Williams we saw during the night. There was a backstage segment featuring several WWE LFG rookies who were chatting with each other.
The TNA Champion rolled up in a bad mood and got into a confrontation with the LFG group. Williams then name-dropped Undertaker, advising them to ask the Dead Man why stepping up to the former NXT champ is not a good idea.
The WWE Hall of Famer later responded to this segment on Twitter. He confirmed an appearance at next week’s episode of NXT from Houston, and advised the current champion to stay out of the way:
Trick Williams is set for a big match before the next episode of the Black & Silver show. He will be defending his TNA title against Joe Hendry and Mike Santana in a triple threat at TNA Slammiversary on July 20.
Mya Lesnar, the daughter of Brock Lesnar, has been making waves in the world of athletics, and has seen a major development in her personal life. On social media, Mya made things official with Drew Moss, an NFL linebacker for the San Fancisco 49ers.
Mya Lesnar makes it official with NFL linebacker from the San Francisco 49ers
Moss signed with the 49ers earlier this year after impressing at Colorado State. A report from Sports Illustrated shared that Moss is similar to Connor Colby, the guard the 49ers took in Round 7.
As for Mya, she is continuing to impress in the world of athletics. In June 2025, Lesnar became the national champion for Women’s Shot Put with a distance of 19.01 meters. With several records being broken by Lesnar, it’s no wonder why some wrestling fans believe a spot in the ring may be in Mya’s future if WWE makes a move.
Mya’s success is coming amid questions about her father Brock’s future in wrestling. The former Universal Champion hasn’t competed for WWE in close to two years and fans aren’t sure whether he’ll ever wrestle again. With Brock’s name tied to Janel Grant’s lawsuit, WWE appears to be in no hurry to bring the Beast Incarnate back.
Whatever comes for Brock Lesnar, Mya Lesnar is thriving in and out of the world of athletics.
In an exciting episode of NXT on July 15, some former WWE stars made a surprise return to the company’s programming. The show, broadcast on the CW Network, featured a significant crossover with TNA, with much of the event dedicated to building towards TNA’s upcoming Slammiversary pay-per-view.
A notable match saw NXT star Trick Williams set to defend his TNA World Championship at Slammiversary against Joe Hendry and Mike Santana. During the NXT episode, these three competitors attempted to collaborate in a six-man tag team match, which also included members of the group DarkState. However, tensions led to a breakdown during the match, resulting in a brawl.
The situation was further intensified with the arrival of more TNA stars, including Eddie Edwards, Brian Myers, formerly known as Curt Hawkins, and JDC, previously known as Fandango. This marked Myers’ first appearance on WWE programming in several years, having previously been part of WWE from 2006 to 2014 and 2016 to 2020. The episode concluded with a five-on-five battle, with The System, Hendry, and Santana standing out.
Additionally, TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich also made an appearance, teaming with Sol Ruca and Zaria in the main event. This builds anticipation for the Slammiversary, where Slamovich will face NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne in a title vs. title match.
After helping John Cena win the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41, rapper Travis Scott has been conspicuously absent from WWE programming. A new report has now provided a potential reason for his disappearance, suggesting his wrestling training did not go as planned.
In a response to a fan on Twitter, the account TC WrestleVotes addressed the rumors about what happened to Travis Scott’s planned WWE storyline. The report claims that Scott’s progress in learning the in-ring aspect of the business was not going smoothly. “I heard he was ‘not a quick learner for the business,’” WrestleVotes wrote. The report added that Scott also skipped wrestling training sessions, which is why he was absent from last month’s Money in the Bank event where he was rumored to appear.
Travis Scott made a major splash at WrestleMania 41 when he interfered in the main event to help John Cena defeat Cody Rhodes. The moment went viral and was expected to lead to further appearances and a potential match for the rap icon as part of Cena’s farewell tour. However, Scott has not been seen or mentioned on WWE television since that night, leading to speculation that the company has quietly shelved its plans for him.
While Travis Scott’s future with the company remains uncertain, John Cena’s farewell tour as Undisputed WWE Champion continues. Cena is currently scheduled to defend his championship in a highly-anticipated rematch against Cody Rhodes at the SummerSlam premium live event on August 2nd and 3rd.
Days after his final match against GUNTHER at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, Goldberg has spoken out about his retirement, expressing significant frustration with how his farewell was produced by WWE.
Speaking on the Ariel Helwani Show, Goldberg was candid about his feelings, stating, “Let’s just say I’m pissed off at the way that I went out. I put so much into it and I don’t feel the effort was reciprocated to put a stamp on what I accomplished.” He questioned why his retirement match was on a television special instead of a premium live event and noted that he was only given a three-week notice to prepare and build to the match.
He contrasted his treatment with how WWE is handling John Cena’s retirement tour, saying, “They wouldn’t do that to Taker, right? They’re not going to do that for Cena.”
Goldberg’s biggest frustration stemmed from the broadcast cutting away during his post-match speech. He claimed he was only given 28 seconds on live television before being cut off, something he believes was preventable. “I think it doesn’t matter because it’s live television and you can plan for it,” he said, calling the incident “the ultimate rib.” Despite his issues with the production, Goldberg had high praise for his opponent. “Gunther was an unbelievable guy to work with. It was awesome. I had a good time,” he said.
Goldberg’s comments provide his perspective on the controversial broadcast cut-off. As was previously reported, the reason for the abrupt ending on the NBC broadcast was due to WWE having a strict “hard out” time limit. It was also reported that at least one WWE executive apologized to Goldberg for the production issue immediately following the show.
Carlito’s most recent WWE run didn’t end with a big send-off on screen, or even a conversation between WWE and the cool Superstar backstage. Speaking on D-Von Dudley’s podcast on July 15, 2025, Carlito shared that his contract quietly expired without any real communication from higher-ups.
“The contract ended, and they decided not to renew. And yeah, it was like two weeks out, and I never went to them, they never came to me.”
Rather than a thorough discussion about their reasons for not renewing his contract, WWE simply told Carlito that he didn’t need to bother coming to Raw anymore. This struck a nerve with the former Judgment Day member, who argued that this was hardly the right way to do things.
“I’m a professional. Treat me like a professional. Don’t treat me like a mark or something. You know, I’ll do my job and that’s whatever.”
Carlito’s exit was never explained on WWE TV, and instead he simply vanished from his role with the Judgment Day. At the time, many fans bemoaned WWE, not just for cutting Carlito, but doing so without a proper send-off.
Now, Carlito is ready to explore his opportunties beyond WWE. Whatever comes next, the 46-year-old wrestler hopes his next employer handles him like a professional, something he feels the biggest professional wrestling promotion in the world failed to do.
El Grande Americano has vowed a war on any and all luchadors, and he will be in for quite the battle on July 25. On social media, AAA has announced that Americano will be part of AAA Alianzas later this month.
EL GRANDE AMERICANO llega a la Ciudad de México ?? para el evento de la gira #AlianzasAAA ?
25 de julio, Gimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera.
— Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (@luchalibreaaa) July 15, 2025
Americano’s impending arrival in AAA will no doubt spark debate about the character’s role. When first introduced in February, many took issue with El Grande Americano, seeing it as offensive to the rich history of Lucha Libre and Mexican Wrestling.
El Grande Americano had been played by Chad Gable, but with the Olympian injured, Ludwig Kaiser has donned the mast and singlet. Time will tell what kind of reception El Grande Americano receives when he makes his debut in AAA.
Trick Williams is ready to defend the TNA World Championship against the very best, and one dream-match he has in mind would be simply ‘Phenomenal.’ Speaking with WhatCulture Wrestling, Trick was asked which past TNA World Champion he’d want to face and set his sights on AJ Styles.
“AJ Styles. That’s the one… If somebody wanna take the Trick N A away, I mean, he’s the guy who I think people would respect the most… Let’s book that.
“Trick Williams, the greatest TNA World Champion of all time, versus AJ Styles, the greatest TNA World Champion of all time. Let’s book that one.“
Trick isn’t the only person interested in seeing Styles go for the gold once more. During the interview, Williams highlighted how fans at the recent TNA tapings in Atlanta were chanting for Styles. While the Phenomenal One hasn’t competed for TNA in over a decade, there’s no shortage of fans hoping to see a return.
Styles, according to some, has been teased for the upcoming TNA Slammiversary show, an event Williams is expected to compete at. Should a showdown happen, it wouldn’t just be good, but it’d be a title match of ‘Phenomenal’ proportions.
With TNA Wrestling’s Slammiversary pay-per-view just days away, company president Carlos Silva has made a bold claim about the upcoming event. In a social media post, Silva stated that the show will be the company’s “greatest achievement.”
Taking to his social media on Monday evening, Silva announced that due to fan demand, the company is adjusting the setup for the event at the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York. He also promised a historic night for the promotion.
“We’re moving the stage back to accommodate more fans,” Silva announced. “This event will be TNA’s greatest achievement and trust me it’s going to be PHENOMENAL.” With the mention of Phenomenal, many fans think that this could be a tease for a surprise return of AJ Styles, who goes by the nickname.
The hype for the show is backed by a major card, which features several high-stakes matches. The main event of TNA Slammiversary 2025 will be a three-way match for the TNA World Championship. The champion, Trick Williams, will defend his title against both Joe Hendry and Mike Santana. In a inter-promotional match, TNA Knockouts World Champion Masha Slamovich will face NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne in a match where both titles are on the line.
Silva’s comments about accommodating more fans align with recent ticket sale reports. As of the latest update from WrestleTix on July 14th, over 4,500 tickets have been distributed for the event at the UBS Arena, with production being altered to open up new sections for sale due to the strong demand.
The Godfather has remembered the night of Owen Hart’s passing.
The WWE Hall of Famer recently appeared on the No Contest Wrestling podcast. He talked about things such as his first meeting with The Undertaker, how he got into WWE, and more.
During the interview, he was also asked about working with The Hart Family during his active years. The Godfather put over both Bret and Owen Hart as some of the kindest people he ever met:
“Love that family, man. Bret, super super cool dude. Stood up for me one time when they didn’t want him to wrestle me as Papa Shango. They thought it was going to ruin his career. He’s like, ‘No, I’ll work with him. He’s a good dude.’
Owen, best guy in the world, man. Jokester. When I went to Germany for the first time, he taught me how to go around and order food. When I went to Japan for the first time, he taught me how to take the subway, the trolleys, eat food. Just good dude, man.”
Later, he also discussed the tragic death of Owen Hart at the 1999 Over the Edge PPV. The Godfather, who held the Intercontinental Championship at the time, was scheduled to compete with the late star on the show. The 64-year-old mentioned that he was supposed to drop the title to Owen at the PPV.
The wrestling veteran noted how he was hanging out with Owen throughout the day, but he didn’t witness his fall because he was backstage, getting ready for his own entrance:
“Honestly, my wife remembers more than I do. I just remember seeing Owen, when he came through the curtain, he was blue. He’s already gone. And I really honestly, I don’t remember much about that. My wife tells me I called her, and she remembers a lot that I said that I don’t remember saying.”
The Undertaker had also talked about having to wrestle after Hart’s passing last year, saying that the show should have been cancelled. You can check out his remarks here.
There’s a case to be made that since the moment Cody Rhodes returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38, he’s been the top babyface in the company. That narrative reached its apex at WrestleMania 40, when he became undeniable in beating Roman Reigns in the main event to become WWE Champion for the first time.
Indeed, The American Nightmare finishing the story was the feel-good moment of the year, if not an entire decade of WWE programming. However, the year-long reign itself drew mixed reaction before Rhodes dropped his title to a heel John Cena at WrestleMania 41. The rematch goes down at SummerSlam and it feels like time for a slice of history to repeat itself.
Cody Rhodes Can Get His Redemption
Photo: WWE
Perhaps the most polarizing moment of Cody Rhodes’s first two years back in WWE came when he lost to Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 39. The naysayers would suggest Reigns’s world title run and The Bloodline angle were already stale by that point and Rhodes going down in defeat to cap such a major show was deflating to WWE fans.
Proponents of the WrestleMania 39 ending would suggest—especially in hindsight—that that loss gave Rhodes the adversity to overcome such that his WrestleMania 40 triumph was all the sweeter. As such, one could draw a parallel to the current story arc of Rhodes vs. John Cena, Yes, The American Nightmare lost at WrestleMania. But as the saying goes, the comeback will be greater than the setback.
The WWE Audience Is Ready To Appreciate Cody Rhodes On Top Again
Cody Rhodes at MITB post show. Photo: WWE
A funny, if predictable dynamic emerged when Cody Rhodes finally won the WWE Championship. The moment itself garnered an overwhelmingly positive reaction. Within a few months, though, a vocal segment of the audience had taken shape, suggesting Rhodes was overpushed, his reign was boring, and WWE would be better off with a different champion.
John Cena’s heel reign has had its pros and cons. One point that’s difficult to deny, though, is that we’re seeing about the least impressive in-ring version of Cena since his initial rise to the top. Moreover, some fans feel the heel persona isn’t working at all or, at the least, that it would be more satisfying to see him wrap up his WWE career as a babyface.
In short, the old wisdom sung by Joni Mitchell holds up: “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” This Cena run has demonstrated how much fans should have appreciated Rhodes on top while they had him, and a second world title reign for him just might garner the respect it deserves.
Babyface John Cena Can Stay Away From The World Title Picture
Image credit: WWE
In addition to Cody Rhodes finishing another milestone chapter in his own story, it’s time to close the book on John Cena’s final heel run.
The initial turn was great, and Cena has made some magic on the mic. The Never Seen Seventeen’s bout with CM Punk at Night of Champoins, chock full of run-ins and callbacks is probably about as a good as a 2025 John Cena world title match could be. It’s time for Cena to get humbled, though, and in doing so, perhaps he’ll see the error in his ways and help stave off a post-match attack from either The Bloodline or Seth Rollins’s crew and return to his babyface ways.
There are readymade stories for babyface Cena to team up with Rhodes, CM Punk, Randy Orton, or R-Truth as he makes amends for the last few months in featured roles that nonetheless keep him out of singles action and away from either world title. That’s the best spot for fans to truly appreciate the final leg of his farewell tour.
Cody Rhodes Beating John Cena Is Exactly The Moment The First Two-Night SummerSlam Needs
Finishing the stories of Cody Rhodes’s redemption arc and John Cena’s heel run will be a huge moment. As such, it’s precisely fitting as WWE elevates SummerSlam to two-night status.
Indeed, SummerSlam has an uneven history. It’s typically looked at as WWE’s second biggest show after WrestleMania, but fans are quick to point out that it hasn’t always felt that climactic and the Royal Rumble is actually the event with the bigger implications. As The Biggest Party of the Summer graduates to the next echelon of PLE, Rhodes beating Cena is precisely the right moment to give fans.
Former Undisputed WWE Champion Roman Reigns recently shocked fans when he returned on the latest edition of Monday Night Raw. This marks his first appearance on Raw since he was taken out on the night after WrestleMania. The company launched new merch for Reigns and fans noted his new nickname, ‘OTC1’
Now available on WWE Shop, the company has listed a brand new ‘OTC 1′ line of merchandise which includes t-shirts, a special glove set, and a custom world championship belt that has Reigns’ face on it. The belt is $600 and the shirts at $35.
One fan on social media recently complained that Roman Reigns’ new nickname, “OTC1,” isn’t making much sense and raised questions on who came up with the idea.
WrestleVotes responded to the fan and reported that Roman Reigns, whose real name is Joe Anoa’i, came up with the name, saying, “Joe Anoa’i’s idea.”
Roman Reigns returned in the closing moments of the show as he came to the aid of CM Punk and Jey Uso. He took out Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. Reigns hit Breakker with a Superman Punch before hitting Reed with a brutal Spear. He then stood tall in the ring with Jey and Punk as the show concluded.
WWE referee Charles Robinson was injured during the main event at Saturday Night’s Main Event when he received a Spear from Goldberg.
Robinson wasn’t even Goldberg’s intended target, but his ribs didn’t get the memo. The legendary official shared details of his situation on Instagram. Thankfully, there’s no hard feelings, they’re still friends and he considers it an honor to be part of the legendary grappler’s final encounter. He’s determined to return to SmackDown next week when the blue brand visits San Antonio, Texas. “I am all man and can’t be kept down!”
Goldberg and Robinson have worked together since the late 1990s, with Robinson refereeing several old Goldberg’s biggest matches, including his infamous clash withBret Hart at Starrcade 1999. Robinson began his refereeing career in the Pro Wrestling Federation in 1995 and has been a full-time referee since 1997, giving him over 28 years of experience.
Goldberg wrestled his final match and officially retired this past weekend, marking the end of his legendary career in professional wrestling.
A wrestling angle is expected at a popular talk show this week.
Singer Jelly Roll made his WWE return during this past Friday’s episode of SmackDown. He was confronted by Logan Paul who berated him for being an outsider.
Randy Orton then came out to defend the singing star, but he ended up getting blindsided by Drew McIntyre. In the end, it was Jelly Roll who saved Orton from a beatdown at the hands of Logan Paul.
JR then accompanied The Viper for his match against McIntyre at this past weekend’s edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event. Logan Paul was at the show as well, and after another angle, a tag team match between the two teams was announced for the upcoming SummerSlam PPV.
Jelly Roll has since been announced to host the popular talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! this Wednesday night. The announced guests for the show include Jeremy Renner and Joey Bada$$, as well as Randy Orton.
A new report from PWinsider is suggesting that Orton’s inclusion on the guest list is not a coincidence and we can expect another angle to further build the SummerSlam match at the talk show.
Neither Drew McIntyre nor Logan Paul have officially been announced for the show but atleast one of the two former champions should be making an appearance.
While Roman Reigns was making his triumphant WWE return at the latest episode of Raw, his arch rival Cody Rhodes was busy promoting the company elsewhere.
The American Nightmare made a surprise appearance at the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby in Atlanta in his signature look, and he even cut a promo.
The former WWE champion also brought a custom WWE title belt with him, which featured the MLB logo. Cody gifted it to Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, who won the Derby with 54 total home runs.
Pretty cool touch by MLB to bring out Cody Rhodes to get the crowd ready for the finale. pic.twitter.com/k0PFZxKfX2
Cody Rhodes last wrestled during the Night of Champions PPV last month, where he defeated Randy Orton to win the King of The Ring tournament.
The win also earns him a shot at John Cena’s WWE Championship. This WrestleMania 41 rematch between the two WWE stars is set for the upcoming SummerSlam PPV.
Roman Reigns, on the other hand, does not have a match announced for the PPV yet. He looked to be set for a match against Seth Rollins at the show but the latter’s recent injury puts a doubt over these plans.
The Tribal Chief still went after Seth’s partners in his WWE return tonight, so it’s possible that we’ll see him facing Bron Breakker or Bronson Reed at the show instead.
WWE had earlier announced a Gauntlet match for Raw to determine Gunther’s opponent for the upcoming PPV. CM Punk won this match during the Monday Night Show, earning himself a shot at the World Title.
A similar two-out-of-three falls match between Lyra Valkyria and Bayley took place on the episode after Becky Lynch beat both at Evolution 2 to retain the Women’s IC title. Valkyria won this bout, earning what presumably will be her final shot at the championship for a while.
Finally, a Women’s World Championship triple threat was announced for the upcoming PLE, after Naomi cashed in her Money In The Bank contract to defeat both Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY at the All Women PPV last night.
It appears Seth Rollins will be keeping his Money In The Bank contract atleast for the time being as WWE continues to evaluate his injury.
Triple H had talked about the Architect’s health on the post-Evolution press conference. The Game had noted that Rollins was set to be evaluated on Monday when Raw visited Birmingham.
During the show, Jackie Redmond caught up with Paul Heyman, asking him about the results of this evaluation. The advocate did not provide any solid details, saying that it’s too soon to say anything.
Heyman, however, reminded everyone that Seth has until next June to cash in the MITB contract, hinting that he’ll be keeping the briefcase even during his recovery:
“I don’t have any information right now, it’s too soon. And come on, Seth Rollins has until next June to cash in the Money In the Bank agreement. So until he’s crashing into that deadline, Seth Rollins’ health is not a relevant subject.”
Heyman later hyped up Bron Breakker’s participation in the #1 contender’s Gauntlet match later in the night. Breakker would go on to eliminate Penta, LA Knight, and Jey Uso from the bout, only to be eliminated by CM Punk in the end.
The former NXT Champion then attacked Punk, setting things up for a returning Roman Reigns to make the save. You can check out what happened with Reigns after the show here.
