Tag: becky lynch

Seth Rollins opens up about ‘fantastic’ WWE partnership with Becky Lynch

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Seth Rollins believes he and Becky Lynch complement each other well in their “fantastic” WWE partnership.

After previously working together as babyfaces in 2019, the husband-and-wife duo of Rollins and Lynch are now back aligned on-screen as heels. They’ll be teaming together in one of the top matches at WWE Wrestlepalooza this Saturday, where they are set to take on CM Punk and the returning AJ Lee in a mixed tag bout.

Rollins was a guest on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike this week and opened up about what’s been like to work alongside his wife.

“I think what it boils down to for me is: iron sharpens iron. You know, we met through this industry. We met in 2015 or something like that, 2014, became friends, both started to kind of rise up at the same time, found each other romantically,” Rollins said. “And then we’ve been able to really use each other as a resource. And to get out there and perform with her, the way she preps is different than how I prep, and the way she performs and interacts is different. So we get to learn from each other, we get to bounce stuff off of each other.

“And another thing is: we understand the grind. We understand what it takes on the other side of it. So there’s no pressure. It’s like — the ease with which we’re able to communicate, I think makes the partnership on-screen fantastic, obviously off-screen makes life super easy and fun.”

Rollins praised Lynch as someone who has transcended the industry and taken women’s wrestling to new heights.

“She is actually the greatest of all time. This is the first woman to main event WrestleMania. That’s our Super Bowl,” he said. “She’s a mother, she’s an athlete, she’s an entertainer, she does everything. And she has transcended our industry and taken female wrestling to heights no one ever could have dreamed of.”

Rollins and Lynch have been married since 2021 and have one child together: a four-year-old daughter named Roux.

Both Rollins and Lynch are champions right now, respectively holding the World Heavyweight Championship and Women’s Intercontinental Championship.

Wrestlepalooza is taking place in Indianapolis on Saturday. With a start time of 7 p.m. Eastern, the PLE will stream live on ESPN’s new streaming service in the United States and on Netflix internationally.

WWE Raw live results: Wrestlepalooza go-home show

Posted on by Steve Khan

Date: September 15, 2025
Location: MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA 

The Big Takeaway —

Wrestlepalooza is Saturday. 

**********

Show Recap — 

Penta (wearing his mask but no makeup underneath), Stephanie Vaquer, El Grande Americano, and Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed were shown arriving. (It’s a little weird that they show Penta without his face paint for the sake of this gimmick of showing people arriving at the arena.) 

There was a recap of Jey Uso spearing LA Knight as Raw concluded last week. 

Back to the live show, Knight shoved Jey Uso as he arrived with Jimmy Uso. Adam Pearce and some officials quickly broke it up, and he demanded they see him in his office or their paychecks would be missing zeros. 

Despite some stars actively on the screen, the crowd was already chanting for John Cena, who is scheduled to open the show. 

Joe Tessitore and Corey Graves are tonight’s announcers.

John Cena kicks off Raw

Cena was happy to be back on Raw and in Springfield, Massachusetts. Cena informed the younger fans in the crowd that he played football up the street at Springfield College. He told the older fans he was an offensive lineman, which is why they probably didn’t know this. 

Being an OL meant you never got your name in the paper, you got your ass kicked, and you showed up the next day prepared to get your ass kicked again. Springfield College prepared him for life in WWE. 

Cena said he had friends and family in the building tonight, and he wished his niece a happy birthday because she couldn’t be here tonight. He acknowledged that there was no stage because the arena was packed. 

He enjoyed these moments with the fans and wanted to while he could, because he had a tall hill to climb. His intro called him the last real champion, but Brock Lesnar wanted to end the last real champion. 

He called Lesnar intimidating, “controversial,” and nearly invisible. Fans chanted, “F—k you, Lesnar.” 

Cena said Lesnar returned to WWE once again and again targeted him. Cena could have used his influence to turn down a match with Lesnar. Saying ‘no’ was safe, especially with only six appearances left. The crowd chanted, “Whoop his ass,” and “Thank you, Cena.”

As the fans chanted, Cena said they were the reason he said ‘yes’. He was the last real champion. He didn’t fight his battles backstage, he fought them in the ring. Being the last real champion wasn’t about holding a belt or fighting in the main event. The last real champion didn’t take their ball and go home. They fought with hustle, loyalty and respect. 

Cena admitted he was afraid of Lesnar and could fail—but he would never back down. We would take the fight to the beast because that’s what we did. On the history-making Wrestlepalooza on ESPN, it would be the final showdown between two generational titans. 

Cena didn’t care how many suplexes Lesnar had in Suplex City. He has taken Lesnar’s best shot for 20 years. His jorts were stronger than Lesnar’s jeans. On Saturday, Cena was ready for war. 

*********

Pearce met with Jey and Knight. After some arguing, Pearce agreed to Knight’s request to fight the Brons tonight, but said he needed to pick a partner. Knight looked Jey in the eye and said his partner would be Jimmy. Jey didn’t like that, but there was nothing he could do. 

Lyra Valkyria vs. Roxanne Perez (w/Raquel Rodriguez)

Rodriguez tripped Valkyria from outside the ring, so the referee tossed her from ringside. Perez applied a cradle, but the referee missed it because she was still arguing with Rodriguez. After she left, Perez yanked Valkyria off the top turnbuckle to take control. 

(The match started as soon as they returned from a break, so they were actually able to wrestle for about four minutes instead of the usual 90 seconds before going to break.) 

There were chants for both women during the break. Perez cut off Valkyria’s comeback and hit a double knee drop for two. Perez applied a crossface, but Valkyria powered to her feet and hit Nightwing for the pinfall win. 

— Rodriguez attacked Valkyria from behind after the match, and Perez gave her a Pop Rox. Bayley ran out to make the save. She wiped out Rodriguez and gave Perez a Bayley-to-belly. 

The crowd was happy to see Bayley, who was full babyface—at least at first. She suddenly had a stern demeanour as she stared at Valkyria, but she snapped out of it and turned into hugger Bayley. She smiled and excitedly hugged Tessitore, Graves, Alicia Taylor, and a bunch of fans. (So, Bayley will indeed be doing a split-personality gimmick.) 

Valkyria was nonplussed. 

Match result: Lyra Valkyria defeated Roxanne Perez (9:06)

This match was just there to get Valkyria a win after losing to Rodriguez last week and set up Bayley’s return. 

********

Pearce met with Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer backstage. He made their world title match official for Wrestlepalooza. They wished each other luck. 

Asuka and Kairi Sane barged in. Asuka got in Vaquer’s face and told her she wasn’t ready for Sky. Vaquer told her to get out of her face, so Asuka told Vaquer she would face Sane tonight. Sane was surprised to hear this, but she was ready. Pearce made it official. Asuka giggled as she left, before calling for Sane to join her. (Asuka is so good in this role.) 

******** 

Knight met with Jimmy Uso. Jimmy didn’t think it was a good idea for them to team up. Knight said he could trust Jimmy after he helped him last week. Jimmy said Knight put him in a tough spot and politely declined being his partner. Knight left. 

********

They’ve removed the commercial break countdown timer, at least for this week. I wasn’t sure if they were in a commercial break or not, but I realized they were because New Day cut a promo. 

Xavier Woods and Grayson Waller wanted the Mexican Destroyer banned. Kofi Kingston said his home state should be cheering him, but he understood because his part of the state had much more money than this piss-hole city. Kingston called Pearce a tyrant and told the fans they should thank God for him. 

Penta vs. Kofi Kingston (w/Xavier Woods & Grayson Waller)

Kingston took control thanks to a distraction about a minute into the match, and they went to break. Kingston cut off Penta’s comeback attempt after the break with an SOS. They traded strikes until Penta hit an enziguri. (Woods made cracks to the fans about Shelbyville because they were in Springfield.)

Penta set up for the Canadian Destroyer, but Woods distracted the referee. Penta superkicked Waller before he could interfere and chased Woods off the apron. Penta then hit Kingston with a springboard Destroyer for the pinfall win. 

Match result: Penta defeated Kofi Kingston (7:30) 

This was an ordinary match until the finish, which looked awesome. Penta gets his win back over Kingston, who beat him three weeks ago. 

This was the second straight match with a distraction, and this is now seven straight going back to last week. 

********

Jimmy approached Jey as Jey was leaving a voicemail for someone on the phone. Jey didn’t tell him who it was. They had a disagreement after Jey told Jimmy he had to turn down Knight tonight. Jimmy said he already turned down Knight, but he also didn’t like the way Jey was bossing him around as if he had the Ula Fala around his neck. Jimmy stormed off. 

After a break, Jimmy told Knight he would be his partner tonight. Knight was glad to hear it. 

There was a clip of Jey Uso throwing out the first pitch at yesterday’s Boston Red Sox game. 

******** 

AJ Lee & CM Punk go face-to-face with Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins 

Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch entered first (Rollins’ music played first, followed by Lynch’s). Rollins took his time introducing himself and Lynch. Rollins introduced her the way he introduces himself, including calling her “Becky freakin’ Lynch.” 

AJ Lee and CM Punk entered to Lee’s music. Punk introduced himself as Lee’s husband. He didn’t plan on wasting time (like Rollins) with a long-winded introduction explaining who she was. (The fans chanted for Punk at first, so he made sure to feed them a line to get them to chant for Lee as well.) 

Punk referred to Lynch and Rollins as goofs (based on their matching leather outfits) and said they must share the same closet. They also came out to two annoying songs, but Punk gladly put Cult of Personality on the shelf so they could enter to Lee’s Let’s Light it Up (patting himself on the back). 

Rollins actually wanted to give Punk some credit because Lee was the best decision he ever made—in his personal life. (After some “Shut the f—k up” chants, the crowd chanted, “No one likes you.”) However, inserting Lee into this was something he would regret for the rest of his days. 

Lee said the regret would be Rollins’. She wouldn’t even be here if he hadn’t used his wife as a human shield. 

Lynch said nobody expected Lee to come back, and she couldn’t believe how irresponsible Punk was. She said Punk only cared about three things: himself, Rollins’ title, and AJ. 

Lynch read Lee’s book and said she might have healed mentally, but she wondered how she felt physically. Lynch asked how her neck was doing and asked how Punk would feel when she pummeled Lee’s face in. Lynch called Lee a liability, not an asset. 

Lee thanked Lynch for reading her book and said she didn’t read Lynch’s. (The crowd sang Lee’s name.) Lee admitted she didn’t know how her neck would hold up on Saturday. Lee also said she won two titles on that same neck. (Lee made a comment about Lynch looking constipated, so the fans chanted for that, too.) 

She didn’t know what she was going to do on Saturday. She’s been known to make rash decisions. She was a Puerto Rican girl from New Jersey—sometimes you had to shank a chick. Rollins liked to have a plan, but Lee warned them that they can’t plan for what they can’t predict. 

Rollins laughed at the idea that he couldn’t handle Lee. He called her a little girl. He may not be able to predict her, but he could read Punk like a book. Rollins warned Lee that Punk had a habit of leaving things when he was let down. Lee better hope to God that Punk doesn’t leave her, too. 

Lee slapped Rollins. Rollins said he wouldn’t put his hands on a lady, but knew someone who would. Lynch was not on board with this right now, so they argued. Punk and Lee looked on, amused. Lynch and Rollins argued until Lynch stormed off. 

It was all part of the plan, of course, and Punk fell for it. Punk went after Rollins, who escaped the ring. That left Lee alone, so Lynch caught her from behind and hit a Man-handle Slam. 

Punk tended to Lee as he stared down Lynch. Lynch slapped him and left with Rollins. The heels held their belts up high as Punk checked on Lee. 

********

There was a recap of Dominik Mysterio winning the AAA Mega Championship. Byron Saxton interviewed Dom and asked him about El Grande Americano. Dom responded, “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart,” and called himself the Mega Intercontinental Champion. 

The interview was cut short by a nearby commotion. New Day laid out Penta, and the War Raiders chased them off. 

El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser) vs. Dragon Lee

There was a cool sequence early on where Dragon Lee used a leaping hurricanrana over the top rope to send El Grande Americano off the apron. Dragon Lee followed with a flip dive, sending both men into the announce table. 

Americano took over during a break. (He tied Dragon Lee’s mask to the rope during the break, which Kingston also did to Penta during the earlier match.) Lee hit Liger Bomb for two and a double foot stomp off the top rope for two. 

The distraction/interference streak continued because a mystery masked man attacked Lee. Americano hit a leaping blockbuster for a nearfall. 

AJ Styles marched out to even the odds. The masked man (Pete Dunne) tried to hide under the ring, but Tessitore pointed him out. Styles chucked him over the barricade. 

Styles stood by the timekeeper’s area but was attacked by a third masked person. The third person distracted the referee while masked Dunne shoved Dragon Lee off the top rope. Kaiser applied a deep submission, and Lee tapped out. 

— The three masked men did the Spider-Man meme pose outside the ring. 

Match result: El Grande Americano defeated Dragon Lee (10:12) 

Three matches on Raw, three distractions. That’s eight straight going back to last week. 

********

Valkyria approached Bayley’s locker room door but stopped upon hearing an argument. Bayley’s personalities were arguing with each other until there was a loud bang against the door. Valkyria hesitantly entered the room, and Bayley sat calmly on a sofa. Bayley told her off for entering without knocking and called her an idiot. Bayley stormed off. 

********

Rhea Ripley (who got a huge pop) approached Vaquer to wish her luck and tell her that she’d be ready for the winner. 

Stephanie Vaquer vs. Kairi Sane (w/Asuka)

The crowd was relatively quiet until Vaquer set up for Devil’s Kiss, but Sane countered it into a roll up for two. Sane followed with a DDT and went to the top, but Vaquer followed her there. A battle on the ropes led to Sane hitting a double foot stomp (the same one we saw in the last match) for two. Sane hit consecutive spinning back fists, but Vaquer came back with a headbutt and a dragon screw. 

Sane rolled outside the ring into the arms of Asuka, so Vaquer wiped them out with a dive off the top. Back in the ring, Vaquer hit Sane with Devil’s Kiss and SVB for a nice, clean pinfall win.

— Asuka hit the apron and got in Vaquer’s face, but Sky ran out to get between them before anything could happen. Sky settled Asuka down until she left. 

Sky and Vaquer faced off and shook hands ahead of their title match on Saturday. 

Match result: Stephanie Vaquer defeated Kairi Sane (11:57)

******** 

There was a video package for Breakker and Reed. 

A red-hot Asuka confronted Sky as Sane tried holding her back. Asuka wanted to ensure Sky became champion, but Sky wanted to do it on her own. Asuka continued screaming in Japanese. She seemed to agree to Sky’s request, but she was pissed. 

******* 

The announcers ran down the Wrestlepalooza card and let us know how we can watch. 

  • John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar 
  • CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. World Champion Seth Rollins & Women’s IC Champion Becky Lynch (mixed tag match) 
  • IYO SKY vs. Stephanie Vaquer for the vacant Women’s World Championship 
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship 
  • The Usos vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed 

******** 

The Judgment Day met backstage. They toasted champagne to congratulate Dom on his title win. (Finn Bálor’s glass was all head, poured poorly by JD McDonagh. Bálor didn’t seem to appreciate that.) 

Bálor was still unhappy with Dom about the El Grande Americano situation. He fired up at Dom until McDonagh calmed him down. McDonagh asked Dom what Americano wanted from him. 

Dom didn’t think it was a big deal that Americano would simply want the respect of the greatest Mysterio ever. Bálor told him that he shouldn’t expect their help next time. Bálor and McDonagh left together. 

Rusev approached Dom. Rusev got in his face and told him he was the next IC champion. Rusev smiled and told him to enjoy his party. 

********

LA Knight & Jimmy Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed 

Knight and Jimmy worked well together early on and had control until Reed headbutting Jimmy gave the heels control during a break. The crowd chanted for Jimmy, who was cut down by a Breakker suplex. Jimmy avoided Reed’s senton and made the hot tag to Knight. 

Knight gave Breakker a neckbreaker, but turning his attention to Reed allowed Breakker to cut him off with a knee strike. Reed tagged in, but Knight avoided a Jagged Edge (DVD) and hit a reverse DDT and elbow drop. Jimmy tagged himself in and hit an Uso splash, but Breakker broke up the cover. 

Knight clotheslined Breakker out of the ring, and Jimmy hit Reed with a suicide dive. Jimmy went for another, but Reed caught him with a forearm. Knight attacked Reed and sent him back into the ring. Jimmy hit Reed with a superkick and spear. As Jimmy went to the top, Breakker ran over Knight with a leaping shoulder tackle. 

Breakker went after Jimmy, but Jimmy kicked him off the apron. The distraction allowed Reed to hit Jimmy with Jagged Edge for the pinfall win. 

— Breakker speared Jimmy after the match, so Jey ran out to make the save. Jey attacked both Brons with a chair as the fans Yeeted. 

The crowd gasped as Knight grabbed a steel chair with Jey’s back turned. Jey turned around and went face-to-face with Knight. Knight dropped the chair, and Jey offered a handshake. 

Knight shook his hand—then dropped him with a BFT (as payback for last week). 

Match result: Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker defeated Jimmy Uso & LA Knight (12:02)

Two new matches added to WWE Wrestlepalooza

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two more Wrestlepalooza matches are now official.

The opening to Monday’s Raw saw the reunited Usos come out and confront Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. After the two teams exchanged words, the Usos demanded a match for Monday’s show. Bron & Bronson balked, instead saying they’d have the match on September 20.

LA Knight then came out and attacked both members of the Vision. However there was miscommunication between Knight and Jey Uso that led to Jey being taken out. That resulted in a show-long storyline where Jimmy tried to persuade Jey to have LA Knight’s back for his match against Bronson Reed in the main event. Jimmy and Jey did help LA Knight after his loss but this time it was Jey that took out LA Knight with a spear, clearly indicating there was still tension between the two.

Another match confirmed for Wrestlepalooza is CM Punk and AJ Lee teaming up to take on Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch. After cutting her first promo on Raw in over 10 years, Lee was confronted by Lynch who wanted her Intercontinental title back. After Rollins came out to also demand the return of the title, Lee proposed the mixed tag team match. The two wanted nothing of it at first but eventually agreed after CM Punk came out and attempted to lay out Rollins with a GTS.

The updated card for Wrestlepalooza:

WWE Wrestlepalooza (September 20)

  • John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar
  • Women’s World Championship: IYO SKY vs. Stephanie Vaquer
  • CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch
  • Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker vs. The Usos

AJ Lee makes WWE return on SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

After a week of speculation, AJ Lee has made her return to WWE.

The final segment of this week’s SmackDown saw Seth Rollins introduce his wife, Becky Lynch, who called out CM Punk. As Lynch became confrontational with Punk, he exited the ring and said he would never put his hands on a lady, but knew someone that would. That brought out Lee, who skipped to and around the ring to a massive reaction from the Chicago crowd. She soon confronted Lynch, taking her down with a Thesz press then sent her out of the ring with a slap. Punk and Lee hugged as the show came to a close.

After SmackDown had concluded, Lee grabbed the Women’s Intercontinental title that Lynch had left and posed with it.

Friday marked the first time in over ten years that Lee had stepped foot in a WWE ring, choosing to retire following WrestleMania 31 due to a neck injury. During her time away from wrestling, she began a writing career and also became an advocate for mental health awareness. She made a brief return in 2021 to join Women of Wrestling as an executive producer and color commentator before departing in 2023.

The build to Lee’s return began at Clash in Paris when Lynch cost Punk the World Heavyweight title to help her husband, Seth Rollins. On the following Raw, Lynch confronted Punk and slapped him repeatedly until he exited the ring and left. However, he made it clear backstage that he would be in Chicago for SmackDown.

Big spoiler reported for tonight’s WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Josh Nason

The following contains spoilers for tonight’s WWE SmackDown from Chicago.

The rumors of former WWE women’s star AJ Lee returning to join husband CM Punk against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch appear to be more than just rumors based on new intel from PWInsider.

The outlet reported Friday that Lynch is set to close tonight’s SmackDown. That comes after Punk’s name was removed from the official preview for the show earlier in the day.

Punk and Lee famously reside in the Windy City with Punk throwing out the first pitch at Wrigley Field Friday for his beloved Cubs.

Lynch helped cost Punk his shot at regaining the WWE World Heavyweight title at Clash in Paris, aligning with Rollins in The Vision. She then confronted and slapped Punk repeatedly on this past Monday’s Raw — the same show where Lee’s return was teased. During the aforementioned match, Rollins made a point to yell “I hate your family!” to Punk.

It’s expected that Punk and Lee will face Rollins and Lynch at this month’s Wrestlepalooza PLE that kicks off the ESPN era for WWE.

Lee hasn’t wrestled since March 2015 and had retired that same year. In a September 2021 interview, Punk said his wife would not return to the ring.

It is shaping up to be a big edition of the show with John Cena schedule, a rumored appearance by Brock Lesnar, and the potential for Lee’s return. Triple H himself tweeted earlier in the day that the Allstate Arena “is magic…let’s make some more tonight.”

Our live coverage kicks off at 8 PM Eastern.

Nikki Bella reveals how plans changed for WWE Clash in Paris match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Nikki Bella’s match against Becky Lynch originally wasn’t supposed to happen at WWE Clash in Paris.

The two faced off at Sunday’s PLE with Lynch defeating Bella to retain the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. While recapping the weekend on The Nikki & Brie Show, Bella confirmed that her match against Lynch was originally planned for an episode of Raw before those plans were changed due to Naomi’s pregnancy.

“So from Birmingham until I arrived in Paris, I didn’t go home because I knew, okay, by the time I go [from] England back to [San Francisco International Airport], then have to do SFO back to Paris, I would really be home for two days, crazy jet lagged and to prepare for a match that originally was going to be on Raw, that got moved to the PLE,” Bella said while discussing her preparation for the match. “I’m like, I have to stay overseas and just prep, kick the jet lag out.”

Bella said she believes she found out about the change one week before. She doesn’t fully know what the original Clash in Paris card was going to be but assumes there was only one women’s match scheduled, which would have been Naomi defending the Women’s World Championship against Stephanie Vaquer.

That Naomi vs. Vaquer bout got pulled following Naomi’s pregnancy announcement, with a new champ now set to be crowned when Vaquer faces IYO SKY at WWE Wrestlepalooza.

Bella said getting to have a title match in Paris was a dream come true, and she feels so proud of herself despite there being a couple of spots in the match that didn’t go according to plan. Bella noted that people were clapping for her backstage when she came back after the match, which was really special to her. She got some hate on X/Twitter for her performance, but Bella is focusing more on the love she received and how much fun she had.

“This is a part of life and coming back,” she said. “Things don’t happen overnight. And if you look at other comebacks, like, I’m not here to do a one-off and go to the [Performance Center] and train the same match for five hours every day to perform that 15 minutes that I just put 30 hours in.

“I’m doing it as I have so much passion and love for this business. And that’s why I was like, I’m not going to let people take away of how much fun I had out there and how I loved every second. I was like in heaven. Like, I truly love wrestling. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m traveling every week.”

Possible AJ Lee return teased on WWE Raw

Posted on by Joseph Currier

AJ Lee’s long-awaited WWE return could be happening as soon as this Friday.

At WWE’s Clash in Paris PLE, Becky Lynch helped her husband Seth Rollins retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a fatal four-way match. She low blowed CM Punk in the process, which led to speculation that we could see AJ Lee return and help her husband Punk even the odds against Rollins and Lynch.

It still hasn’t been confirmed that Lee is coming back to WWE — or if she’ll be competing in the ring when she does — but today’s Raw episode included a tease that Lee could appear on SmackDown in Chicago this Friday night. After being taunted and slapped by Lynch in a promo segment, Punk warned Lynch that she is going to regret putting her hands on him. Punk then all but confirmed that he’ll be showing up on SmackDown in his hometown of Chicago.

There were multiple chants for Lee during the Punk-Lynch promo battle. At one point, Lynch responded to the fans: “Classic, always chanting for a dope that doesn’t work here.”

An in-ring comeback would be Lee’s first match since 2015. She was a popular star and champion for WWE during the 2010s. Since retiring, she’s published a memoir as well as working as a screenwriter in Hollywood. Lee (AJ Mendez) did have a wrestling role from 2021-2023, when she was part of the Women of Wrestling promotion as an executive producer and commentator.

The husband-wife duo of Rollins and Lynch are both champions at the moment with Rollins holding the World Heavyweight Championship and Lynch holding the Women’s Intercontinental Championship.

Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois is hosting this week’s SmackDown, with an appearance by John Cena also set for the episode. It will be Cena’s final appearance in Chicago before he retires from the ring.

The full Punk-Lynch segment from Raw can be watched below:

Becky Lynch comments on WWE Clash in Paris ending

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Becky Lynch is making one thing clear following WWE Clash in Paris.

Following Sunday’s PLE in France, Lynch took to social media to post a picture of herself with Seth Rollins. The caption reads simply “We run this business.”

The shock ending to Clash in Paris saw CM Punk going for a second GTS when suddenly a masked figure hit the ring, low blowing Punk. They soon revealed themselves to be Lynch. The interference allowed Rollins to recover quickly, pinning Punk after a stomp to retain the World Championship. The closing moments of the show saw Rollins and Lynch celebrate together, seemingly indicating that their off-screen relationship was now on-screen as well.

Earlier in the show, Lynch defeated Nikki Bella to retain the Women’s Intercontinental title. Both Lynch and Rollins cemented their heel turns at the same time, with Rollins aligning himself with Paul Heyman at WrestleMania 41 and Becky Lynch turning against Lyra Valkyria after they lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles on the Raw following WrestleMania.

Seth Rollins gets surprise help at WWE Clash in Paris

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Seth Rollins is still World Heavyweight Champion.

The end of Clash in Paris saw CM Punk and Seth Rollins duke it out. Punk hit Rollins with one GTS and was looking to hit another when suddenly a masked person hit the ring and low blowed Punk, revealing themselves to be none other than Becky Lynch. That allowed Rollins to hit the stomp on Punk on top of a steel chair, covering him for the win.

Rollins and Lynch celebrated their win as their show went off the air, which bled into the Clash in Paris post-show.

Rollins was all by himself in the main event due to a show-long storyline. After Roman Reigns beat Bronson Reed at Clash in Paris, Reigns had put Paul Heyman in a guillotine after The Oracle was forced to hand back Reigns’ stolen shoes. Reed saw this as an opportunity to attack Reigns, spearing him through the announce table, then hit a tsunami. Reigns was placed in a stretcher, but Reed ran back again and gave him another tsunami while placed on the stretcher.  

In a backstage segment, Raw GM Adam Pearce banned the rest of The Vision from the building, saying that if they interfered in the main event they would be indefinitely suspended without pay. It was also mentioned that Heyman had been hospitalized as a result of his attack.

Lynch also wrestled on the show, successfully defending the Women’s Intercontinental title against Nikki Bella.

WWE Clash in Paris live results: John Cena vs. Logan Paul

Posted on by Steve Khan

Date: August 31, 2025
Location: Paris La Défense Arena in Paris, France

**********

Show Recap — 

COUNTDOWN SHOW — 

They announced right away that Roman Reigns’ match against Bronson Reed would open today’s PLE in two hours. 

Michael Cole, Big E, and Wade Barrett hosted the pre-show while standing at a podium in the ring. 

Barrett mentioned that Cole was featured in a New York Times piece highlighting the most impactful sports TV play-by-play voices of the 21st century. Barrett put over Cole as the GOAT in the industry. 

(It was an article written by The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch, a long-time wrestling fan, mentioning Cole and Jim Ross together as the top wrestling voices since 2000. They were actually honourable mentions in the article, as the actual list is only 25 people to mark the first 25 years of this century. Joe Tessitore is on the list of 25 for his work in football.)

Interviews with CM Punk and Jey Uso 

Cathy Kelley interviewed CM Punk. Punk knew what it was like being in Seth Rollins’ shoes. He was the world champion and surrounded himself with goofs to ensure he remained champion, and that didn’t work out so well. The odds were not in Rollins’ favour, no matter who he had in his corner. Punk’s hand would be raised after he put everyone to sleep. (Punk also mentioned that Jey Uso had a “receipt” coming for superkicking him on Raw.) 

Peter Rosenberg interviewed Jey Uso. Jey said he’s been eating nothing but bread and soup because Paris didn’t have a Waffle House. Jey said tonight was not about friends. He would kick everyone in the face tonight and hold the world title again. (Barrett couldn’t believe Jey’s diet, considering they were in France.)

******** 

There was a long break, or depending on how you’re watching, highlights of Damian Priest beating Jey Uso at Backlash last year in Paris to retain the world title. 

They killed more time with a video package on the boisterous international fans.

Interview with Paul “Triple H” Levesque 

Kelley interviewed Paul Levesque. It was funny because she asked him about the show, and he kept talking about how loud the crowd would be. He finally did mention the big matches, but went right back to the crowd and how they would put the show over the top. (Basically admitting they’re relying on the international fans to put some gloss on the lacklustre card.) 

********

Jackie Redmond and Rosenberg replaced Cole and Barrett on the panel. There are a lot of fans already in the building (more than usual at this point), and they’ve got nothing to do but watch the talking heads for another hour. 

Interview with The Street Profits & B-Fab 

Kelley interviewed The Street Profits and B-Fab. She asked about Bo Dallas’ comment about them not being a real family. B-Fab said the Street Profits had a tight bond after being together for eight years. 

Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins looked like they couldn’t be less excited to be there. Dawkins simply reiterated what B-Fab said, and Ford didn’t even speak. Big E even pointed out how odd their demeanour was.

********

Interviews with Sheamus and LA Knight 

Nadir Mohemmedi (WWE’s French announcer) interviewed Sheamus, who was a billion times more excited than the Street Profits. He tried to create a new chant for the Paris fans for his match later on. 

Redmond sat down with LA Knight, who was very focused on winning the world title. He said he should have had more title shots than he’s already had in his tenure, and he was hungrier than everyone in the match. It was his time. Knight didn’t want the interview to end before bringing something up. He basically thought Jey’s “Yeet” and sunglasses were just a rip-off of what he was doing already before Jey took off. 

********

Rosenberg noted that Jey Uso was the youngest challenger in the world title match at 40 years old. 

The panellists spoke about John Cena vs. Logan Paul as the pre-show came to an end. 

**********

CLASH IN PARIS MAIN SHOW —

Jey Uso, CM Punk, LA Knight, Seth Rollins & The Vision, Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella, and Logan Paul were shown arriving at the venue in Paris. 

Roman Reigns vs. Bronson Reed (w/Paul Heyman) 

Reigns entered to a massive reaction. The opening bell rang at 2:14 pm ET. Reigns and Reed stalled for three minutes before they really got going. 

Reigns had the early edge until he failed to hit a Samoan drop. Reigns collapsed under Reed’s weight, and Reed followed by slamming Reigns on the announce table. Reed cleared one announce table, but Reigns fought him off and cleared the other table. Back in the ring, Reed hit a World’s Strongest Slam for two. 

Reed took control and held a chinlock for a full minute until Reigns began fighting back, but Reed cut him off with a Samoan drop. Reed posed with the shoe-la fala before cutting off Reigns again. 

Reed tried to remove Reigns’ shoes, but Reigns fought back with clotheslines and uppercuts. Reed didn’t go down, so Reigns clotheslined him out of the ring and hit a drive-by dropkick. Reed blocked a Superman punch and hit a uranage and senton for two. Reed avoided a Superman punch again and hit a DVD for two. 

Reed was about to fly through the ropes with Reigns outside the ring, but Reigns cut him off with a Superman punch and another one in the ring for two. Reigns went for a spear, but Reed caught him with a dropkick and followed with a suicide dive. 

Reed slipped Reigns into the ring and went for a Tsunami, but Reigns rolled out of the way. There was a cool spot where Reigns went for a spear, but Reed blocked it by literally just planting in place, and he followed with a sit-out powerbomb for two. 

Reed went to the top again, but Reigns hit a Superman punch and a Samoan drop off the middle rope. Reigns followed with a spear for the pinfall win. 

— After the match, Reigns posed on the announce table as Heyman checked on Reed. Reigns confronted Heyman as Heyman begged off. 

Heyman gave Reigns his shoes. Reigns smiled and raised them high in the air as the fans cheered, which was funny. Reigns then grabbed Heyman in a guillotine and choked him out. 

Reigns signed his old shoes and chucked them into the crowd as he stood on the announce table. Bron Breakker suddenly appeared, and he speared Reigns through the announce table. 

Breakker and Reed dragged a lifeless Heyman to the back as officials helped Reigns to his feet. Reigns did not want their help as he talked around ringside. Breakker looked back and saw what was happening, so he sprinted down the aisle and speared Reigns again. They brought him into the ring, and Reed hit a Tsunami. 

Medics strapped Reigns onto a stretcher, leaving him helpless, so Reed ran back down and hit another Tsunami. 

Jey Uso ran out in his street clothes (and no music) to chase the heels from the ring. However, Breakker laid him out with a spear. Reed wanted to give Jey a Tsunami, but officials got in his way, so Reed ran around the ring and hit Reigns with another one. 

They finally got Reigns onto a stretcher, and Jey accompanied him with medics to the back. 

Match result: Roman Reigns defeated Bronson Reed (22:07)

The match was about what you’d expect from a Roman Reigns match. The bulk of it was pretty simple, but Reigns gave Reed a lot, and the last few minutes were pretty entertaining. As Triple H predicted on the pre-show, the fans helped put this over the top. 

The post-match stuff was good, but it went on for a very long time. The show was 52 minutes old by the time this was over, and everyone in charge looked incompetent for letting the heels get away with all of this. (It was also pretty transparent that this was done to give Reigns more time off.) 

Jey waiting to help Reigns made sense based on the conversation they had on Raw. And if Jey loses later (after getting speared here while trying to help), Reigns was right about Jey worrying too much about others. 

********

After a commercial, a livid Adam Pearce kicked Reed and Breakker out of the building. They weren’t happy about that because Rollins’ match was happening later, but he said they would be suspended without pay if they did not leave. 

Jelly Roll and Post Malone were together in the crowd. 

******* 

The Street Profits were Borderlands-inspired gear. 

The second match began 61 minutes into the show. 

WWE Tag Team Championships: Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy (c) (w/Uncle Howdy, Nikki Cross & Erick Rowan) vs. The Street Profits (w/B-Fab)

Angelo Dawkins sent Montez Ford to the apron because he wanted to start the match. Ford tagged himself in after Dawkins’ initial exchange with Dexter Lumis didn’t go well. The Wyatts worked over Ford until Dawkins made a hot tag. Dawkins ran wild and hit Gacy with a senton bomb for two. 

The teams exchanged moves until Dawkins and Ford hit Gacy with an electric chair drop/blockbuster combo, but Lumis broke up the cover. Ford missed a frog splash, which led to a messed-up spot. Gacy went to use Lumis as a weapon, but Ford just fell down before being hit, and Gacy dropped Lumis on top of him. They got a two count after Dawkins broke up the cover. 

Dawkins tackled Gacy into the barricade but became distracted by Rowan, so Lumis tackled Dawkins over the barricade. Ford wiped out Lumis and Rowan with his crazy leaping dive over the corner turnbuckle. 

Hiding under the ring, Nikki Cross grabbed Ford by his leg to prevent him from getting back in the ring. Uncle Howdy gave Ford a Sister Abigail outside the ring before Gacy and Lumis gave him a combo sit-out powerbomb/neckbreaker for the pinfall win. (Their finisher is called “The Plague.”) 

Match result: The Wyatt Sicks (Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy) defeated The Street Profits to retain the WWE Tag Team Championships (13:12)

Again, about what you’d expect. A normal match where the good team did not win. The crowd liked the Street Profits, but the fans did not elevate this match the way Triple H hoped (based on his pre-show comments). 

******** 

Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Nikki Bella

Lynch had control for a while until Bella came back with forearms and a clothesline, before bouncing Lynch’s head repeatedly off both announce tables. 

This was followed by the biggest whiff you’ll see in a WWE match. Bella went for a springboard kick (Disaster kick), but Lynch was nowhere close to her. Bella went for the move anyway and missed by ten feet. Lynch realized what happened and made a cover for two. 

A few minutes later, Lynch hit a superplex for two, but as soon as Bella kicked out, Lynch applied an armbar. Bella slipped out of it and applied the “Fearless lock” (STF variation), but Lynch slipped out. Bella followed with an electric chair drop. Bella applied the “Fearless lock” again, but Lynch got a rope break. 

They fought to the outside and stood atop the steel steps. Lynch wanted to try a Man-handle slam off the steps, but Bella bashed Lynch’s head repeatedly against the ring post. Bella followed with an X-factor on the steps. Bella hit a Man-handle slam in the ring for two. 

Bella applied a Disarmer, but Lynch fought out. Lynch shoved Bella neck-first into the middle rope and followed with a backslide for the abrupt pinfall win. 

(Lynch won with a backslide recently, and it might be her version of Bryan Danielson’s small package. Barrett dubbed it the “Lynch pin.”) 

Match result: Becky Lynch defeated Nikki Bella to retain the Women’s Intercontinental Championship (13:07) 

This was not good. 

A problem for Lynch right now, particularly as a heel, is a lack of interesting opponents, and a returning Nikki Bella was not the answer. 

********

Pearce checked on Jey Uso as he was being tended to backstage. Pearce asked if he still wanted to fight tonight. Jey obviously said yes. Jey said Reigns told him to fight for himself and win the world title, and he planned on doing just that. 

UFC fighter Morgan Charrière was at ringside. 

******** 

Alicia Taylor read the match rules. It’s a street fight. You can win by pinfall or submission. 

Good Ol’ Fashioned Donnybrook match: Sheamus vs. Rusev

Rusev hit Sheamus with ten beats of the Bodhrán, but Sheamus fought back with a kendo stick. Sheamus tried to use a steel chair, but Rusev hit a spinning heel kick. There were some chants of “Rusev Day” early in the match, and Rusev covered his ears to block them out. 

Rusev tried to use the chair, but Sheamus nailed a knee strike for two. Sheamus hit ten+ beats of the Bodhrán and did it again while holding Rusev against a fake bartop at ringside. Rusev tried to escape into the crowd, so Sheamus did ten beats of the Bodhrán again, this time with a shillelagh. Sheamus followed with a Razor’s Edge in the ring for two. 

Rusev left the ring to avoid a Brogue Kick, so Sheamus tried a dive off the top, but Rusev nailed him with a kendo stick mid-air. Rusev gave Sheamus a Uranage off the steel steps and through the fake wooden bar (which didn’t look fun for Sheamus). Rusev applied an Accolade in the ring, but Sheamus fought to his feet and slammed Rusev onto some steel chairs. 

They found themselves atop of some whisky barrels stacked up at ringside. Rusev applied an Accolade, but Sheamus fought out again. Sheamus hit a White Noise off the whisky barrels and through two tables.  

Rusev got to his feet first when they entered the ring, and he grabbed a shillelagh, but before he could use it, Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick for a close nearfall. The crowd began singing as each man exchanged blows. Rusev hit a thrust kick before smashing the shillelagh across Sheamus’ back for a nearfall. 

The shillelagh snapped in half, so Rusev grabbed it and used it to apply the Accolade again. Rusev bent all the way back with the shillelagh piece wedge in Sheamus’ mouth. Sheamus had nowhere to go, so he tapped out, which stunned the crowd. 

(Cole was very quick to point out this was the second time to his knowledge that Sheamus tapped out. I guess he was ready.)

Match result: Rusev defeated Sheamus (20:06) 

This was a pretty entertaining street fight with some contrived spots mixed in. He probably doesn’t have much upward mobility, but if they want to do anything at all with Rusev, he needed this win.

******** 

As he did on the pre-show, Barrett mentioned an article in The New York Times (The Athletic) calling Michael Cole one of the most impactful sports play-by-play voices of the 21st century. (As I referenced above, the actual list only had 25 names, and Cole was really an honourable mention alongside Jim Ross. The article was written by long-time wrestling fan Richard Deitsch.) 

******** 

John Cena vs. Logan Paul

Cena received a massive ovation and chants of “Thank you, Cena.” The fans sang along as Alicia Taylor read his introduction. 

Paul used his titanium-plated fist to his advantage early in the match. Cena fought back and did the softest-looking ten punches in the corner. Cena tried a monkey flip, but Paul landed on his feet (to his own surprise) and booted Cena. Paul hit a middle rope blockbuster for two and a delayed vertical suplex for two. 

Fans sang for Cena as he fought out of a rest hold, but Paul hit a gutwrench slam. Paul hit a running corner uppercut, and Cole referenced Cesaro. 

Cena did his usual comeback spots to the delight of the crowd. Paul responded with his version of the Buckshot Lariat for two. Cena got his knees up on a frog splash attempt and hit an AA for a nearfall. They traded counters until Cena applied an STFU, but Paul got a rope break. Cena hit a tornado DDT for two, and Paul hit an overbomb for two. 

Cena slowly did his comeback spots again until Paul nailed a Dolph Ziggler Zig-Zag for two. Cena followed with a move resembling Baron Corbin’s End of Days for two. Paul hit a senton bomb and a standing moonsault for two. Cena hit a double underhook facebuster for two. Paul followed with a pop-up uppercut, another Cesaro/Claudio spot, for two. 

Paul did Cena’s comeback spots, but Cena caught him with an AA for a nearfall. Cena followed with a Code Red for two. Cena came off the ropes, but Paul punched him with his titanium-plated hand for a nearfall. Paul kipped up and hit consecutive frog splashes, but Cena kicked out. 

Paul did the You Can’t See Me gesture and hit the five knuckle shuffle, but Cena nailed a Styles Clash for a nearfall. (The fans sang their AJ Styles song.) 

Paul tried a flying crossbody, but Cena rolled through (which the fans saw coming) and hit an AA. Cena went for another AA, but Paul slipped out and nailed a punch. Cena ducked a second punch and hit an AA for the pinfall win. 

— Cena embraced a young fan at ringside after the match. It was the same fan who wound up on the big screen when he was targeted by Cena in his heel promo months ago. Cena also kissed his wife, Shay, before embracing Jelly Roll and Post Malone. 

Cena posed for the Paris fans as they gave him a final ovation. 

Match result: John Cena defeated Logan Paul (26:24)

It wasn’t exactly a smooth match, and it was never going to be, but it was a pretty fun match and a nice celebratory moment for Cena. 

********

Cole thanked Peacock for their partnership over the last five years. 

Philippe Chéreau announced a crowd of 30,343. They congratulated themselves on breaking the arena’s gate record. 

******** 

Jackie Redmond asked Seth Rollins about being alone tonight. Rollins said he never needed anyone. He was a multi-time world champion and the greatest in-ring performer in history. He passionately said his catchphrase as the fans loudly sang along with the heel. Rollins said if he couldn’t defend the title on his own, maybe he didn’t deserve to be champion. 

Cole confirmed that Heyman and Reigns were each sent to the hospital after the earlier angle, and Barrett confirmed that Breakker and Reed were ejected. 

Fatal Four-Way for the World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. CM Punk vs. LA Knight vs. Jey Uso

Each man entered, songs were sung, catchphrases were chanted, and the match began. 

As the four men sized each other up, Punk kicked Jey out of the ring as payback from Raw. Rollins bailed from the ring, leaving Knight and Punk. Knight got the better of their exchange, but Rollins slipped back in to take advantage. Jey and Knight took turns punching Rollins, which was designed to get the fans to chant Yeet and Yeah. 

If you haven’t gotten enough of wrestlers doing other wrestlers’ spots tonight, Rollins did Punk and Jey spots. Rollins found himself surrounded by the babyfaces, so they all put the boots to him. Of course, Punk and Knight couldn’t get along because they wanted to get their hands on Rollins. 

Jey talked them into working together, so they all took turns hitting spots on Rollins. Jey and Punk decided to Yeet, but Knight thought they should focus and get a table. Punk told Jey to get the tables like he was Bubba Ray Dudley. 

Jey did help Punk get a table before superkicking him. Jey also superkicked Knight before going after Rollins in the crowd. Rollins fought off Jey, but Punk wiped out Rollins and Knight with a dive off the barricade. 

They all wound up back in the ring and traded spots until Rollins hit Punk with a Pedigree. Rollins hit Knight with a buckle bomb for two and Jey with a frog splash for two. 

It was Knight’s turn to shine, and he hit moves on all three opponents. It was Punk’s turn next as he got to do a tower of doom spot, bringing down Knight and Jey with a powerbomb for a two count. 

Moments later, Knight knocked Punk off the apron and through a table (as Punk did to Knight on Raw). Knight shrugged as Punk did and hit Rollins with a BFT, but Jey broke up the cover. Jey and Knight traded punches, and you can guess how the crowd responded. 

Knight repeatedly bounced Jey’s head off the announce table before doing the same to Rollins. Knight placed Rollins on a table and went to the apron. He had to fight off Jey before heading to the top for a flying elbow drop, but that distraction allowed Rollins to move, and Knight crashed through the table. (That was it for Knight in the match.) 

Jey went for a spear on Rollins, but he countered into a Pedigree for two. Jey fought back and hit an Uso splash, but Punk broke up the cover with an elbow drop. Punk hit Jey with GTS, but Rollins stomped Punk for a nearfall. 

It was time to get to the finish because Rollins began screaming at Punk about how much he hated him and his family. Rollins hit curb stomps to Jey and Knight outside the ring. 

Rollins placed Punk’s head between a chair, but Punk avoided a curb stomp. Punk hit a GTS, Rollins fell back into the ropes and back onto Punk’s shoulders. 

Punk set up for another GTS, but he was low-blowed from behind by a hooded figure. 

It was Becky Lynch. Rollins stomped Punk’s head onto a chair for the pinfall win. Rollins retains. 

— Rollins and Lynch celebrated together as the show ended. 

Match result: Seth Rollins defeated CM Punk, Jey Uso, and LA Knight in a fatal four-way to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (24:50)

The match was fine, but so much of it felt primarily designed to get people to chant and sing and do whatever until we go to the actual important thing at the end. In the pre-show, Levesque said the crowd would put the show over the top, but you shouldn’t be relying on that.

I do like pairing Lynch and Rollins together in his group. It didn’t work before when they were babyfaces, but it can work now. Lynch needed something, I think, and this could help. Rollins said he hated Punk’s family, so Lynch being added to the group right now is almost certainly headed somewhere.

Nikki Bella praises Becky Lynch as ‘one of the greatest’ ahead of WWE Clash in Paris

Posted on by Ian Carey

Nikki Bella believes Becky Lynch is “one of the greatest superstars ever.”

Bella will challenge Lynch for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship at today’s Clash in Paris event. She spoke with Sports Illustrated ahead of the PLE and praised her upcoming opponent, but noted that when Lynch was first rising up in WWE, her talent was overshadowed by stars like Charlotte Flair and the former Sasha Banks.

Bella said:

“I did see potential, but I’ll admit it was definitely overshadowed. You couldn’t help but see what Charlotte Flair was doing, and then Sasha Banks. They were such standouts. Sasha was coming off of that iconic match in NXT with Bayley, so your eyes were really on her. And then Charlotte Flair came in… and there was a lot of focus on her for the Divas Title.”

Bella continued:

“Don’t tell her this, but I think she’s one of the greatest superstars ever. When some of us are overshadowed and held back, it gives us a certain kind of fire to prove ourselves… It’s almost like you need that story to give you a certain drive and motivation, because when you’re already proven out of the gate, where do you go from there?”

Bella continued to say that she sees similarities between her becoming the Fearless version of her character and Lynch becoming The Man and riding a surge in popularity to the main event of WrestleMania 35.

“I didn’t start as Fearless Nikki. She came over time and the minute I became her, that’s what took me to the next level. Same with The Man. When Becky Lynch finally became The Man, that just took off.”

Bella also spoke about the Divas Era lacking the opportunities that were given to Lynch’s generation, and said the athletes they had in the division at the time would have “knocked it out of the ballpark” if they had. She credits Triple H with providing those opportunities for Lynch’s generation.

Bella’s full interview with Sports Illustrated is available here.

WOL: Syko Stu update, RAW report, Becky and Ozzy

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm is back with tons to talk about including the latest on the Syko Stu/Raja Jackson incident and where everything stands today, RAW from Monday night, fans singing at events, Becky Lynch’s promo on Ozzy, and more. A packed show as always so check it out~!

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Kelly Osbourne reacts to ‘disrespectful’ WWE Raw mention of her late father

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Kelly Osbourne wasn’t a fan of her late father’s name being used by Becky Lynch to get heat on WWE Raw this week.

Monday’s Raw episode took place from Birmingham, England — the hometown of recently departed metal icon Ozzy Osbourne. During her promo on the show, Lynch mentioned Ozzy’s name as she was insulting the city.

“The only good thing that came out of here died a month ago,” Lynch said. “But in fairness to Ozzy Osbourne, he had the good sense to move to LA — a proper city. Because if I lived in Birmingham, I’d die too.”

While the insult was more aimed toward the city of Birmingham than Ozzy Osbourne himself, his daughter Kelly took exception to Lynch’s words and is unhappy with WWE for allowing them to be said. Kelly reacted to the promo in a post to her Instagram stories.

“You are a disrespectful dirtbag!,” she wrote to Lynch. “Birmingham would not piss on you if you were on fire. #birminghamforever shame on the WWE for allowing such things to be said about my father and his home!!!”

Ozzy Osbourne — who was a celebrity member of the WWE Hall of Fame — passed away at 76 years old on July 22 shortly after Birmingham hosted his final performance. The Black Sabbath frontman’s history with WWE dates back to appearing at WrestleMania II in the 1980s.

Lynch’s promo was part of the build to her upcoming Women’s Intercontinental Championship defense against Nikki Bella, which will take place this Sunday at WWE Clash in Paris.

New match confirmed for WWE Clash in Paris

Posted on by Ian Carey

Nikki Bella will challenge Becky Lynch for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship at Clash in Paris.

The match was confirmed during a segment on today’s WWE Raw from Birmingham, England. Lynch cut an in-ring promo that was interrupted by Bella, who said Lynch was afraid to face her. Lynch, who had been insulting the live crowd throughout the segment, eventually agreed to the match but said she wouldn’t do it in Birmingham.

“Will Nikki Bella leave Paris as the NEW Intercontinental Champion THIS SUNDAY?” WWE wrote on X.

“THE MAN IS NOT A COWARD! BECKY LYNCH will defend her Intercontinental Title against NIKKI BELLA at #WWEClash in Paris THIS SUNDAY!” WWE later added.

Our ongoing coverage of WWE Raw is available here.

WWE Clash in Paris lineup for August 31, 2025:

  • World Championship: Seth Rollins defends against Jey Uso, LA Knight, CM Punk
  • John Cena vs. Logan Paul
  • Roman Reigns vs. Bronson Reed
  • Good ‘Ol Fashioned Donnybrook match: Sheamus vs. Rusev
  • WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Nikki Bella

WWE Raw live results: Clash in Paris go-home show

Posted on by Steve Khan

Date: August 25, 2025
Location: bp pulse LIVE in Birmingham, UK 

The Big Takeaway —

LA Knight lost to Bron Breakker in the main event. Jey Uso laid out CM Punk and Knight as the show ended, with Seth Rollins looking on in amusement. Rollins defends the World Championship against Knight, Punk and Jey this Sunday at Clash in Paris. 

There will not be a match for the vacant Women’s World Championship on Sunday, but instead, Becky Lynch will defend the Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Nikki Bella. 

Raw in Paris next week begins at 2 pm ET/11 am PT. 

**********

Show Recap — 

LA Knight, Rhea Ripley, and Nikki Bella arrived at the building in Birmingham. 

There is only one level of stands in this arena, so the stage is smaller than usual, but the arena is completely packed. 

Roman Reigns opens Raw

The crowd anxiously chanted “OTC” and sang Reigns’ name before he even got to the ring. The singing continued in the same cadence as usual after his music cut. They followed with a different song and more “OTC” chants before Reigns finally spoke 10 minutes into the show. 

Reigns had big plans for tonight, for the rest of this year, and next year. But he had to be honest with himself. The fans acknowledged him, but there was something he had to acknowledge. The fans were loud as always, like old times, but Reigns was not the same guy he used to be. The fans chanted, “Yes, you are.” 

Reigns responded, “Maybe I can be.” Cody Rhodes predicted it a year and a half ago. (There was a smattering of boos upon hearing Rhodes’ name, and Reigns responded, “Interesting.”) Reigns said Seth Rollins and The Vision followed through on everything Rhodes said. They took everything from him. The crowd chanted, “F—k you, Rollins,” and Reigns felt the same way. 

Reigns didn’t have what he used to have. He didn’t have a Bloodline. After the crowd chanted, “Yeet,” Reigns said he was proud of Jey Uso. People complained about Jey being in the title match instead of him, but Jey was the one who scored the pinfall in their match. He deserved to be in the title match (instead of him). 

The Vision took his Bloodline, his wiseman, and his titles. They ran out of things to take, so they had to find something else. He was about to bring up Bronson Reed, but Paul Heyman interrupted with Reed. 

Heyman said it’s been five years since Brock Lesnar’s wiseman joined Reigns. They changed the entire industry together. Reigns was all alone now, but Heyman missed him. Heyman loved him five years ago and loved him now. 

The fans sang Reigns’ name, so Heyman instead sang Reed’s name to the same tune. He tried to lead the fans, but they sang for Reigns’ instead. Heyman said the fans disrespected him, but they weren’t tough enough to live in Manchester or rich enough to live in London. 

Heyman did not want to disrespect Reigns. But what Reigns needed was tough love. Heyman wasn’t man enough to beat the tough love into him, but Reed was. 

Reigns called Heyman a dumbass because Heyman would kiss his ass after he kicked Reed’s ass. 

Reed gave Reigns a history lesson. He said Reigns’ tribe from Samoa is civilized, but Reed’s isn’t. Reed’s tribe was exiled to Australia. Reigns’ tattoos were all paid for, but Reed’s were earned. Reed was the Samoan that Reigns’ dad and uncle warned him about, and he was about to find out why. 

Reigns responded, “Hold up, this guy’s Samoan? That means your ass belongs to me.” The crowd popped for that. Reigns invited him to the ring to return his shoes, apologize to the fans, and acknowledge him. (The fans chanted, “Give his shoes back.”) 

Reed turned him down, so Reigns left the ring. They met at the aisle and brawled into the ring. Security got between them, so Reed broke through and squished everyone in the corner. Reed went up for a Tsunami as officials tried to stop him, but Reigns popped up and gave him a Superman punch. Reigns went after Reed again outside the ring, but they were held back by security as they went to break. 

The show was 27 minutes old by the time the opening segment ended. 

*******

Like last week, Finn Bálor couldn’t find Dominik Mysterio backstage, but at that moment, he bumped into Dom speaking to El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser). Bálor asked him what was up. Dom said not to worry about it and he’d join them later. 

Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh (w/Finn Bálor)

Bálor was tossed from ringside early in the match. The fans seemed disappointed as this was a very rare occasion where the fans actually booed the referee for tossing a heel from ringside. 

McDonagh took control as they went to break 90 seconds into the match, and Dragon Lee made his comeback the moment they returned. Dragon Lee hit a snap German suplex and poisonrana, but McDonagh hit a Spanish fly for two. Lee followed later with a great-looking Liger bomb for a nearfall. 

The Netflix feed lagged, and the action happened in slow motion. It was fixed as they got to the finish. 

Dom tried to interfere, but AJ Styles ran out to attack him and chase him off. (Corey Graves called Styles hater of the year for once again travelling overseas just to attack someone.) Dragon Lee hit Operation Dragon for the pinfall win. 

Match result: Dragon Lee defeated JD McDonagh (8:42) 

Not including NXT, this was Dragon Lee’s first win on TV since April, and his first singles win since November 2024. 

********

LA Knight interview

Jackie Redmond interviewed LA Knight. He wondered if CM Punk maybe put him through the table on purpose last week. Even if it was an accident, Punk shrugged his shoulders and left. Knight agreed with Punk that they should have worked together against Rollins, but Punk created an environment where that could no longer happen. 

Knight knew Punk was hungry, but they were all hungry. Knight would make sure everyone else went to bed hungry because he would win the title in Paris. He found it very convenient that he was the only one from the four-way that had a match tonight. Knight planned on smacking Bron Breakker back to factory settings.

******** 

There was a Rusev video package. 

Judgment Day met backstage. Raquel Rodriguez stopped an argument between Dom and Bálor. Dom said Bálor has known Styles the longest and suggested he deal with him tonight. Bálor got in Dom’s face and said he’d talk to Adam Pearce and deal with Styles. After he left, Rodriguez told Roxanne Perez to be ready for her match tonight. 

Styles vs. Bálor was made official during the next match. 

********

Penta vs. Kofi Kingston (w/Xavier Woods & Grayson Waller)

The New Day continue to wear all-black as they continue to mourn their tag title loss. Woods wore a black neck brace and had a black cane. 

Penta set up for a flip dive early in the match, but Kingston sprinted away up the aisle as they went to break. Kingston took control during the break and gave Penta a back body drop onto the announce table. It took Penta a full nine seconds to make it back to the ring. 

As Penta made his comeback, Michael Cole said it would be embarrassing if New Day lost to him for a second straight week. Graves wondered what he meant, and Cole said it was because New Day talked so much trash. 

They traded moves, which led to Penta going for a Canadian Destroyer, but Kingston countered it with a back body drop. Kingston followed with a fameasser for two. Penta botched a potential rana off the ropes, so he hit a superplex to bring Kingston down instead. 

Penta followed with a Penta driver, but Kingston kicked out. (Graves said this may have been the first time someone kicked out of this move, and reminded us that Kingston was a former world champion.) 

Penta kicked Waller in the face, and his papers went flying, before hitting Kingston and Woods with a flip dive. Penta went to the ropes for a Destroyer attempt, but was distracted by Waller (who didn’t technically do anything). 

Kingston tripped Penta off the ropes and hit Trouble in Paradise for the pinfall win. The crowd groaned at the finish. 

Match result: Kofi Kingston defeated Penta (10:21)

******** 

Iyo Sky approached Rhea Ripley backstage. She thanked her for having her back last week. She respected Ripley, but Asuka and Kairi Sane were her family. They didn’t like that Ripley got in her business, so they should probably keep their distance for a while. 

At this moment, Asuka and Sane appeared in the background and watched the rest of this transpire. Ripley understood Sky’s sentiment. Ripley was about to leave, but Sky pulled her back for a hug. The hug caused Asuka to storm off in the background. 

(I get what they’re doing, but this was overly dramatic.) 

******** 

There was a video package of Naomi’s announcement. 

Pearce informed Stephanie Vaquer that she was still the number one contender, but her match was not happening in Paris. Pearce asked her to give him a week to find her an opponent. Vaquer was disappointed she wouldn’t be wrestling in Paris, but said she’d be ready when Pearce found her opponent. 

******** 

Becky Lynch and Nikki Bella segment

Lynch entered first. Like she did on Smackdown, Lynch played babyface for a brief moment before quickly turning on the crowd. She called Birmingham a dump, just like Nikki Bella. They advertised this as Bella calling out Lynch, but Lynch didn’t plan on getting called out like a dog by anyone. 

Nikki entered. She said if Lynch wasn’t a dog, then she should stop acting like a bitch. Nikki suggested Lynch give her a title shot. 

Lynch said she wasn’t about to give out title shots, especially to broke-neck Barbie. Nikki said she kicked her ass last week. And thanks to her blazing a trail, Lynch had a page to write history on. 

Lynch credited Nikki and her better twin for blazing that trail and bringing in a new audience, but frankly, she just didn’t care. Lynch never wanted to respect Nikki—she wanted to replace her, and she’s done a pretty good job doing so. 

Nikki said Lynch was afraid to face her. Lynch was once Charlotte Flair’s little sidekick. Lynch said she was no one’s shadow. She was the greatest of all time, even Sports Illustrated thought so. Nikki didn’t care what SI thought. She cared what the people thought—the people who made Lynch. Lynch came off as desperate, and everyone could see it. 

The crowd tried chanting “Becky’s desperate,” but she cut them off. Lynch knew the fans were trying to take over. She called it classic British behaviour and wondered if 800 years of oppressing the Irish wasn’t enough for them. 

Nikki wondered if The Man lost her balls. Lynch assured her by saying, “I have balls. I have balls.” Nikki said Lynch was cheap and another c-word—a coward. Lynch thought she meant the other c-word. 

Lynch agreed to a match in Paris because she wouldn’t wrestle in Birmingham. The only good thing to come out of Birmingham died a month ago. At least Ozzy Osbourne had the sense to move to LA first. 

Nikki knew why Lynch was so mad. No matter how hard she tried, her name would never be as big as Bella. Nikki said she would win the title in Paris. 

Lynch went for a cheap shot, but Nikki decked her. Lynch bailed before Nikki could hit her finisher.

(This was one of those segments where the heel was much more entertaining than the babyface, who, in this case, just isn’t that interesting. Nikki accused Lynch of using cheap insults, but Nikki was the one who called her a bitch, insinuated she was a c-word, and accused her of not having balls. It would also be nice if they didn’t feel the need to tell us Nikki blazed a trail every chance they get.) 

********

CM Punk interview 

Redmond interviewed CM Punk. He said he didn’t put Knight through the table, but he also didn’t care that Knight fell through a table because he was a clumsy idiot. 

Punk wasn’t just hungry—he was obsessed with holding the title. It was ripped from him by Rollins. Punk warned all three of his opponents that he would cripple them if he had to and walk out of Paris as champion. He finished his promo by saying his name in the same cadence as “L.A. Knight.” 

********

There was a Sheamus video package. He said Rusev’s return was a superstar return that no one wanted or asked for. Rusev lost his love for the game. He was passionless, speaking from a darkened room, and acting like a bully. Rusev was cringe. But Sheamus noticed that Rusev had woken up in their recent battles and won back his respect. Sheamus wanted the old Rusev back, and they would have a banger in Paris. 

********

Rhea Ripley vs. Roxanne Perez (w/Raquel Rodriguez) 

The fans sang Ripley’s name in the tune of We Will Rock You. Perez got a lot in this match. A distraction by Rodriguez allowed Perez to take over with a suicide dive. She worked over Ripley’s leg during a break and spiked her with a DDT after the break. 

Another distraction allowed Perez to bring Ripley off the top with a hurricanrana. Perez followed with a double knee drop for two. Ripley followed with a Razor’s Edge and a running kick for two. Ripley knocked down Rodriguez, blocked a Pop Rox, and hit Rip-tide for the pinfall win. 

— Rodriguez attacked Ripley after the match. Ripley fought her off, but an assist by Perez allowed the heels to take her down. 

Sky ran out to make the save and sent Rodriguez out of the ring with a missile dropkick. Ripley hugged Sky as they smiled over the heels. 

Match result: Rhea Ripley defeated Roxanne Perez (10:39) 

********

Seth Rollins psyched up his buddies backstage as the fans sang his song. 

Sky checked on Ripley backstage. As soon as Ripley left, an angry Asuka confronted Sky as Sane held her back. Asuka told Sky to stop talking to Ripley. Asuka left. Sky asked Sane to trust her. A very sad Kairi Sane told Sky she was sorry, and she left. 

(I guess there was no specific reason for Ripley to get involved here, but she would’ve been close by to stand up for Sky when Asuka confronted her, but because she was off-screen, that meant she actually vanished.) 

********

AJ Styles vs. Finn Bálor

This was their fifth-ever singles match. The crowd gave a polite applause as the match began. They wrestled back and forth for a few minutes until Bálor dropkicked Styles off the apron. Styles maintained control through a break. 

Styles blocked a crossbody and hit a backbreaker, followed by a fireman’s carry neckbreaker for two. Bálor responded with a slingblade and dropkick into the corner. Styles avoided a Coup de Grace, and a series of counters led to a Styles Clash for a decisive pinfall win. 

Match result: AJ Styles defeated Finn Bálor (8:05) 

There was nothing wrong with it, but this was as standard a match between these two men as you will ever see. 

******* 

Jey Uso and Roman Reigns segment 

Jey Uso was all wound up as he met with Reigns backstage. Reigns warned him to never trust Punk. Reigns also wondered why Jey was so uptight. He told him to stop helping people. He’s helped enough. He’s helped Reigns, their family, the locker room and the company. It was time for Jey to do it for himself. It wasn’t about being one of the boys or making friends. It was about cashing in on the moments and locking in a legacy. Reigns said that was his perspective—it was up to Jey to be Jey. They shook hands. 

This was good.

********

Bayley video, Judgment Day segment

There was another Bayley video where she could hear her inner voice(s), and we, the audience, can hear it too. It started with the younger, upbeat version of Bayley talking to her, before the heel version interrupted. The two voices argued until the real Bayley told them to stop. 

Backstage, a concerned Lyra Valkyria asked Pearce if they had checked on Bayley or if there was an update on her medical state. He said he has called her, but there’s no official status. He promised an update.  

The male members of Judgment Day confronted Pearce about Styles. Dom wanted things to end with Styles. Pearce agreed, so he put Dom in a match against Styles next week on Raw in Paris for the Intercontinental champion. Dom wasn’t happy, and he referred to Pearce as Charles Xavier. 

Bálor was selling in the background after just wrestling, but he looked up and smiled when Pearce made the announcement. That was funny. 

********

Official card for Clash in Paris: 

  • Roman Reigns vs. Bronson Reed 
  • Sheamus vs. Rusev – Good Ol’ Fashioned Donnybrook Match (no DQ, no countout) 
  • John Cena vs. Logan Paul 
  • Becky Lynch (c) vs. Nikki Bella for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship 
  • Seth Rollins (c) vs. CM Punk vs. Jey Uso vs. LA Knight for the World Heavyweight Championship 

*******

As Bron Breakker walked through the back, Reigns suddenly shoved him into an equipment box. Reed tried to get involved, so Reigns knocked him down with a Superman punch. Reigns was taken away by security. Pearce told Breakker he still had a match, and Breakker wasn’t pleased.

Knight jumped in next to attack Breakker and dragged him out to the stage. 

LA Knight vs. Bron Breakker (w/Paul Heyman)

Knight continued to beat up Bron before the match began and attacked him around ringside. They entered the ring, and the match started. Despite Knight attacking Bron for a good five minutes (and after Reigns blindsided him earlier), Bron made his own comeback and took control. 

After a break, Bron gave Knight a Frankensteiner. Knight slipped out of a press slam and hit a DDT. Knight made his comeback and hit a neckbreaker. Bron cut him off and went for a running spear or tackle, but Knight booted him. With Bron standing on the top, Knight leaped to the top and brought him down with a superplex. Knight followed with a flying elbow drop. 

Rollins’ music hit, and he ran down to ringside. Knight chased him around ringside like an idiot and ran into a spear by Bron. The crowd chanted for Punk, but he did not show. 

Bron followed with a spear in the ring for the pinfall win. 

— Rollins and Bron attacked Knight, but Jey Uso made the save. Jey hit Rollins with a superkick and turned his attention to Bron, but Rollins grabbed him and hit a Pedigree. 

Punk finally entered to his music. They cut the song, but the fans sang it anyway as Punk posted Bron. Punk attacked Rollins, but Bron pulled Rollins out of the ring to safety. (The crowd chanted, “Seth’s a p—sy,” which was censored.) 

Punk helped Jey to his feet, but Knight confronted Punk. Jey tried to settle them down, but Knight brushed him off. Punk and Knight traded fists until Punk shoved Knight into Jey. 

Punk grabbed Knight for a GTS, but Knight slipped out and stumbled toward Jey, who laid him out with a superkick. Jey stood next to Punk—then laid out Punk with a superkick, too. Rollins was amused by this. 

Rollins looked on confidently as Jey Yeeted with the crowd as the show ended. 

Match result: Bron Breakker defeated LA Knight (13:45)

Knight came across so poorly here. Breakker was blinded by both Reigns and Knight, allowing Knight to have complete control of the match. Breakker came back anyway and basically won clean because Knight was too stupid to focus on the match. I don’t think Breakker should be losing, but beating Knight this close to the title match was not a good idea either, especially in this manner. 

Jey at least got to shine at the end, but I’m not sure any of this would make you feel like Rollins is losing the belt on Sunday.