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.
Roman Reigns made his surprise return during the July 14, episode of WWE Raw in the closing moments of the show. Reigns attacked several members of Seth Rollins’ faction before standing tall alongside CM Punk and his cousin Jey Uso.
Taking to Twitter, Reigns promised ‘receipts’ for those who have previously wronged him. The OTC added that it was a great feeling to be back on WWE programming.
When it comes to those who have wronged Reigns, Paul Heyman has to come at the top of that list. After four years aligned, Heyman betrayed Reigns at WrestleMania 41, giving Seth Rollins the win in their Night One main event which included CM Punk.
Reigns’ return this close to SummerSlam implies a big role for the OTC at the Biggest Party of the Summer. Whatever comes next, expect to see much more of Roman Reigns on WWE TV.
WWE’s presence will be felt in Bloodsport once more next month when a Superstar faces one of TNA Wrestling’s very best at Bloodsport XIV. On X, WWE’s Natalya and TNA Knockouts World Champion Masha Slamovich shared some heated words. This ultimately led in Josh Barnett making a fight for the two at Bloodsport XIV.
If you both are so willing to fight then I've got the perfect place for it.
Natalya, who competes as Nattie Neidhart outside WWE, is currently 2-0 at Bloodsport while Slamovich is 3-3. Stay tuned to SEScoops to see if more WWE Superstars are added to the Bloodsport card.
Bloodsport XIV will take place on August 2 in Rutherford, NJ, during WWE SummerSlam Weekend.
LA Knight wished Seth Rollins a speedy during the July 14, episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. Despite being at odds in recent weeks, including battling at Saturday Night’s Main Event, Knight spoke from the heart during an appearance on the red brand.
“From the bottom of my heart, I want to wish you a speedy recovery. It was just last week that I said I wanted to take your dignity and I wanted to hurt, but I couldn’t hurt you because you hurt your damn self. So, I want you to get so you can let me hurt you the right way.”
Rollins suffered an injury during his match with Knight at WWE SNME, a match that Rollins was reportedly planned to win. Due to the injury, plans changed on the fly and Knight would get the win with the BFT.
Knight’s comments reflect the camraderie between WWE Superstars, even though they are enemies on TV. We at SEScoops are continuing to wish Seth a full and speedy recovery.
Roman Reigns soaked in the moment of his return after Raw.
WWE presented the latest episode of the Red Branded show from Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. The main event of the night was a Gauntlet match to determine Gunther’s opponent for SummerSlam.
CM Punk picked up the victory in this match as expected. The Straight Edge Star last Eliminated Bron Breakker with the GTS to win the whole thing.
Breakker’s partner Bronson Reed was not happy about this result, and he ended up attacking the former champion after the bell. Jey Uso tried to make the save but he ate a spear as well.
Reed then held CM Punk up for a spear from Bron, but he couldn’t get the job done. Roman Reigns’ music hit, and the Tribal Chief made his return to WWE.
The Head of the Table cleared the ring with multiple Superman punches and a big spear to Bronson Reed. He then helped Jey back on his feet. Punk got on his feet on his own and the three babyfaces stared down the heels on the ramp to close out the show.
Both Punk and Jey left after the broadcast ended, but Roman remained in the ring for a while. He played the crowd up for some time, enjoying the reaction, before finally heading to the back as well.
Following the post-match angle at AEW All In: Texas that saw Samoa Joe stretchered out of the arena, a new report has revealed the reason for his upcoming absence from television. Joe is reportedly taking a brief hiatus from AEW to handle promotional work for his hit television series.
At the All In pay-per-view this past Saturday, The Opps retained the AEW Trios Championships in a brutal match against The Death Riders and Gabe Kidd. Following the match, Joe was the subject of an attack that resulted in him being taken out on a stretcher. According to a report from Fightful Select, this segment was a planned angle designed to write Samoa Joe off of AEW programming temporarily.
The report confirms that Joe is scheduled to take a brief hiatus from AEW to fulfill promotional responsibilities for the upcoming new season of his show, “Twisted Metal,” which premieres on Peacock on July 31. Sources indicated that Joe is expected to be off AEW programming for “at least a couple of weeks” while he handles his acting commitments.
The “Twisted Metal” series, based on the classic video game franchise, was a hit for Peacock in its first season. In the show, Samoa Joe provides the physical performance for the menacing, ice cream truck-driving clown, Sweet Tooth, while actor Will Arnett provides the character’s voice. The second season is one of the platform’s most expected releases of the summer.
The first major championship match for SummerSlam has been set. During the opening segment of tonight’s WWE Monday Night Raw, it was announced that the new Women’s World Champion, Naomi, will defend her title in a triple-threat match against both Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY.
The show kicked off with the new champion, Naomi, addressing her shocking Money in the Bank cash-in at last night’s Evolution event. Her celebration was cut short by the arrival of a furious Rhea Ripley, who was not pinned in the main event match. As Ripley made her case for a one-on-one rematch, they were interrupted by the former champion, IYO SKY, who also demanded her title rematch.
With the three women arguing in the ring, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce came out to restore order. Pearce first announced that as the new Women’s World Champion, Naomi has officially been moved from the SmackDown roster to Monday Night Raw. He then announced that at the two-night SummerSlam event on August 2nd and 3rd, Naomi will defend her championship against both Ripley and SKY.
The announcement of the major women’s title match kicks off the road to SummerSlam for the Raw brand. Also on tonight’s show, the WWE fans awaits an update on the condition of Seth Rollins, who suffered a significant knee injury over the weekend. His status will have major implications for the men’s main event scene at SummerSlam.
WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch continues to expand her acting portfolio, as she has reportedly finished filming for a new workplace comedy pilot for the FX network called “Movers.”
The news came via an Instagram post from Chaisson, a set costumer on the pilot, who uploaded several photos from the set featuring himself with Lynch and other cast and crew members. In his post, Chaisson noted that this was a “full circle moment” as he had previously worked with Lynch on the set of Young Rock.
“Movers” comes from the creators of Reno 911!, Robert Ben Garant and Cathy Shim, who will also star in the mockumentary-style show. The series follows the lives of a group of movers and will feature a significant amount of improvisation. Lynch joins a cast that includes Maz Jobrani, Darius Homayoun, and Manny Montana. This is another major project for Lynch, who is also set to appear in Happy Gilmore 2, premiering July 25 on Netflix.
While her acting career continues to grow, Lynch remains at the top of her game in WWE. At last night’s WWE Evolution premium live event, she successfully defended her Women’s Intercontinental Championship in a triple-threat match against Bayley and Lyra Valkyria. She is expected to appear on tonight’s episode of Raw.
Filming for the American Gladiators reboot has officially wrapped up in England, with two complete seasons already finished, according to Wrestling Observer. This marks a significant milestone for the highly anticipated return of the iconic competition series, which was officially announced by MGM Alternative in May 2025 for Prime Video.
Location: Filming took place in England, rather than the United States, which is notable for an American franchise. This follows the massive success of the British version revival for BBC in 2024, which became the #1 new entertainment series in the UK in the past seven years.
Seasons Completed: Two full seasons have been filmed, indicating a substantial investment and confidence in the series’ success.
Series Host: WWE Superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin serves as host for the reboot. A two-time Grand Slam Champion, The Miz brings extensive television experience from MTV’s The Real World: Back to New York, reality hits like Miz & Mrs., and competition shows such as Dancing with the Stars.
Featured Gladiators: Wardlow, Kamille, and former WWE star Rick Boogs participated as Gladiators in the new series. The cast also includes professional bodybuilders, former D1 athletes, pro crossfit champions and pro fitness trainers from around the globe.
Format Updates: The competition features brand new events while incorporating classics from the original series like “Gauntlet,” “Hang Tough,” and “The Eliminator.”
Cultural Revival Beyond Television
The American Gladiators reboot is part of what MGM Alternative calls “a cultural revival” rather than just a comeback. Prime Video has launched a dedicated American Gladiators 24/7 FAST channel featuring over 200 original episodes from the 1990s, making the classic series available to stream alongside the upcoming reboot.
Adding to the franchise’s momentum, Live Nation launched the Gladiators Live Tour, an immersive entertainment event running from November 1 to December 21, 2025. The tour generated extraordinary demand, with over 400,000 site visits in the first two days—comparable to Coldplay’s traction. Dates in London and Birmingham sold out immediately, and within four days, nearly every seat across international venues was claimed, prompting Live Nation to add two additional shows in Glasgow.
What’s Next for the Cast
With production wrapped, The Miz, Wardlow, and Kamille are now free to return to their primary wrestling and entertainment commitments. This means The Miz can resume appearances in WWE or other media projects, while Wardlow and Kamille are available for their respective wrestling promotions and other professional opportunities.
While the exact premiere date has not been announced, the completion of two seasons suggests that viewers can expect a substantial run of new episodes once the series debuts. As Barry Poznick, general manager of MGM Alternative, stated: “Fans, old and new, are going to love this evolution in sports entertainment.” The original American Gladiators burst onto screens in 1989 and quickly became the #1 watched sports entertainment show in the world, setting high expectations for this modern revival.
Nikki Bella was a part of the WWE Evolution 2 Premium Live Event, and fans won’t have to wait long to see her back in the ring. On X, WWE Raw GM Adam Pearce shared that the WWE Hall of Famer will be in action during the July 14, episode. Her opponent? The woman who she beefed with at Evolution: Chelsea Green.
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After a wild weekend in Atlanta, @ScrapDaddyAP previews tonight's #WWERaw that will see new Women's World Champion Naomi address the WWE Universe AND Nikki Bella going one-on-one with @ImChelseaGreen TONIGHT in Birmingham!
Nikki Bella Vs. Chelsea Green adds to a stacked Raw which will deal with the fallout from WWE Evolution and begin the build to SummerSlam. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest from Raw.
Jelly Roll will make his WWE in-ring debut at SummerSlam 2025 as part of a stacked tag-team match for the two night show. After several appearances for WWE, Jelly Roll will team with Randy Orton to battle Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre.
While celebrities in the ring is nothing new, many fans have taken issue with Jelly Roll competing at SummerSlam. On the WWE Evolution post-show, Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque shared that while some fans may not be pleased, that sentiment isn’t shared among the talent.
“Randy Orton is so excited to be doing this for him. Drew McIntyre is excited. Logan Paul (is excited). As soon as we mentioned any of this, those guys were like, ‘Oh my God, yeah. Let’s go.’
“It’s fun and exciting for them and is an opportunity to do something different in a business where this is very serious a lot of the time.”
Levesque compared this situation to an actor taking on a role far different than what they are used to and enjoying the challenge. With celebrities including Logan Paul, Bad Bunny, and Johnny Knoxville delivering in the ring, all eyes will be on Jelly Roll to see how he fares in his first match.
WWE SummerSlam will take place on Saturday, August 2, and Sunday, August 3, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Cardi B will host the show.
Former WWE and AEW star Saraya (formerly Paige) has responded to fans on social media following her absence from last night’s WWE Evolution premium live event. The free agent issued an apology to a fan who was disappointed she did not appear at the show.
Saraya’s own social media activity leading up to Evolution sparked speculation among fans that she might make a surprise return. This led to one fan claiming she was on a flight to Atlanta for the event. When she did not appear, the fan expressed their disappointment, prompting a direct and heartfelt reply from Saraya.
“I’m sorryyyyy! Although seeing all the love made me very emotional,” she wrote in response.
After the show concluded, Saraya took to Twitter/X again to share her appreciation for the event and the performers, tweeting, “I love women’s wrestling ???#frenemies,”. Her post was met with many fans asking her to return to WWE. It also received a response from the new Women’s World Champion, Naomi, who replied simply, “I love you.”
Saraya has been a free agent since her contract with AEW expired in March 2025. As was reported prior to the event, Saraya was never scheduled to be at Evolution as she was in Hawaii. Despite her physical absence, the strong reaction from fans and current WWE stars shows she remains a popular figure in the wrestling world.
I’m sorryyyyy! Although seeing all the love made me very emotional.. https://t.co/oCcVYm02SR
After cashing in her Money in the Bank contract at Evolution to win the Women’s World Championship, Naomi has clarified her brand status. Though being a WWE SmackDown Superstar, Naomi now holds the richest prize for women on Monday Night Raw.
Speaking on the Evolution Recap Show, Naomi was asked whether her title win meant she was now part of Raw. She confirmed that fans can expect to see much more of her on the red brand moving forward.
“I always feel like Raw did me dirty. I never had any success over there, so yeah, I want to turn that around. I’ve got some stuff I need to do.
“I feel like I haven’t been in the conversation with the women that have been over there. Nah, and we’re about to have some good conversations.”
Naomi’s farewell to SmackDown also means saying goodbye to Jade Cargill, her former friend turned fierce rival. Naomi relished in bidding adieu to Jade, saying “I love that. For me. I’m the champion.
With a stacked roster including Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, Stephanie Vaquer, Becky Lynch, and others, Naomi is joining an elite group of talent. Time will tell how Naomi fares on Monday Nights.
AEW’s Mercedes Mone expressed her excitement on social media following Naomi’s blockbuster Money in the Bank cash in at WWE Evolution 2
Despite recently losing the AEW Women’s World Championship match at All In Texas, Mone, formerly known as Sasha Banks, celebrated Naomi’s own championship triumph with a GIF featuring Bryan Danielson’s ‘Yes!’ chant.
— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) July 14, 2025
Naomi seized the moment at Evolution during IYO SKY’s Women’s World championship defense against Rhea Ripley. A lot can happen very quickly when that Money in the Bank briefcase is in play, and that’s exactly what we saw Sunday night in Atlanta.
Following last night’s all-women’s WWE Evolution 2 Premium Live Event, the internal reaction to the show has been overwhelmingly positive. A new report has shed light on how the event was viewed backstage within the company.
According to a report from Fightful Select, several people within WWE considered the second-ever Evolution event a “big success.” The report adds that many in the company believe it won’t be the last time the event happens, though there is currently no schedule for a potential third installment.
The successful event featured several major matches and moments. Becky Lynch retained her Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Bayley and Lyra Valkyria, and Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defeated WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus. The night was capped off by a shocking main event, which saw Naomi cash in her Money in the Bank contract during the match between IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley to become the new Women’s World Champion. The show also saw Stephanie Vaquer win a battle royal to earn a future world title shot at Clash in Paris.
The positive internal reaction aligns with comments made by WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H at the post-show press conference. While Triple H did not commit to Evolution being an annual event, he stated that if fan demand is there, WWE would “definitely go down that road again.” He described the show as an “epic WWE production” and praised the continued growth of the women’s division.
A former WWE star has revealed some interesting details regarding a current gimmick.
Blake Christian, who is signed to AEW, had a brief run with the Endeavor-owned promotion back in 2021. He wrestled under the ring name Trey Baxter during his 9-month tenure and made numerous TV appearances before his release.
One such TV appearance saw him teasing becoming a superhero in a backstage segment, but the idea never came to fruition.
Christian provided some more details on the whole thing during a recent interview with In The Weeds podcast. He revealed that the officials talked about the superhero character on more than one occasion, but the idea never became a reality as long as he was in the promotion:
“They approached me when I first went and they were like, ‘We want this type of character.’ I’m open-minded for anything.
Then, it didn’t happen. When 2.0 came around they were like, ‘We’re going to do it now. This is a perfect character for this show.’ I came up with a suit design and a name. It just didn’t happen. Well, it did happen, but it didn’t happen with me,”
Only months after Blake Christian’s WWE release in November 2021, the company debuted the character of Axiom. Played by Spanish star A-Kid, the masked star made his first appearance in July 2022. It quickly became a fan favorite and went on to have a successful NXT run.
When asked if it was the same gimmick he was offered, the 27-year-old confirmed the story. Christian claimed that he was the one who came up with the gear for the character and praised Kid’s work with it:
“I was supposed to be, yes. I came up with all the stuff. I think the person they gave it to is great and he’s done a great job, maybe even better than I could have done. I’m happy to see it still alive and doing as well as it’s doing.”
Axiom formed a tag team with Nathan Frazer in late 2023. The duo went on to have two reigns with the NXT tag titles before being called up to SmackDown earlier this year. Blake Christian on the other hand, signed with AEW in early 2022 but he is yet to win any championships in the company.
