With Evolution’s return now just a couple of days away, WWE has released the opening video for Sunday’s PLE broadcast.
The all-women’s event is taking place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, marking the first time Evolution has been held since the inaugural edition in 2018. The opening video — set to “Rise” by Katy Perry — was unveiled by Stephanie McMahon on social media today. It features a trio of young girls being inspired by watching current WWE wrestlers and legends.
“Finally…this Sunday is the return of @WWE EVOLUTION!,” Stephanie tweeted. “Watch some of the most talented female athletes in the world as they take their place in history once again! Together, we all RISE! #WWEEvolution”
Evolution is one of three WWE events happening in Atlanta this weekend, with NXT Great American Bash and Saturday Night’s Main Event both happening the day prior. Evolution will begin at 7 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. It’s streaming live on Peacock in the United States and Netflix elsewhere.
WWE Evolution 2025 (Sunday, July 13) —
Women’s World Champion IYO SKY defends against Rhea Ripley
WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defends against Trish Stratus
NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne defends against Jordynne Grace
Triple threat match: Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Bayley and Lyra Valkyria
Four-way match: Women’s Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez defend against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, Asuka & Kairi Sane, and Sol Ruca & Zaria
No holds barred match: Jade Cargill vs. Naomi
Battle royal for a women’s title shot at Clash in Paris
Stephanie McMahon feels like her father Vince McMahon is probably his own biggest nemesis.
On her “What’s Your Story?” podcast this week, Stephanie had WWE President Nick Khan on as a guest. They discussed the concept of perseverance and whether it’s something you’re born with or something that can be learned. Stephanie related the discussion to her father, explaining how he survived an abusive environment as a child, including being beaten with a lead pipe by someone his mother was dating.
“His mindset was, if he could survive, he won,” Stephanie said. “So just surviving was winning and still is winning for him today. And I don’t know how you can ever beat someone at the end of the day if all they need to do is survive to win.”
Khan said there aren’t many people who could have survived what Vince went through when he was younger and gone on to create a universe like WWE.
“So all credit to him. I only have admiration for him,” Khan said. “As Paul said — Triple H said — at his Hall of Fame speech, family’s complicated. And, you know, obviously, we don’t need to get into any of that. But in terms of business, that guy’s an empire builder.”
Stephanie didn’t want to go deeper on the subject but agreed with Khan’s comments about Vince’s business success.
“Absolutely he is [an empire builder],” she responded. “And no one can take that away from him, no matter what, including himself, who is probably his biggest nemesis — is himself.”
Stephanie did not elaborate on what she meant by that or directly reference the sexual assault and trafficking allegations Vince is facing from former WWE employee Janel Grant. That lawsuit, which is still ongoing, led to Vince resigning from WWE in January 2024.
On a Father’s Day edition of Wrestling Observer Live, Josh Nason talks about the unique connection between fathers, sons and daughters when it comes to pro wrestling.
Josh kicks things off with memories of his own dad reluctantly taking him to WWF events including the first time Hulk Hogan appeared in Portland, Maine, in the Hulkamania era. He then turns it over the listeners who responded on social media and to the inbox with their own memories of their dads and wrestling.
Triple H replied to Kennedy’s tweet, writing: “Thank you for having us, @SecKennedy. Always striving to do whatever we can to help make our nation’s youth as healthy as they can be.”
Thank you for having us, @SecKennedy. Always striving to do whatever we can to help make our nation’s youth as healthy as they can be. https://t.co/IDb3EoXOov
According to the council’s website, the PCSFN is “a federal advisory committee that aims to promote healthy eating and physical activity for all people, regardless of background or ability.” It was established under President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956.
The McMahon family has a strong connection with the current Trump administration. Linda McMahon was sworn in as the new Secretary of Education earlier this year. Triple H and Stephanie, as well as Shane McMahon were seen in the crowd during her confirmation hearing.
With the start of the show fast approaching, WWE has given fans a look at the WrestleMania 41 set.
Friday’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show opened with McAfee and Stephanie McMahon revealing the set for WrestleMania 41. The event is taking place at Allegiant Stadium this Saturday and Sunday, and the stage is modeled after a Las Vegas hotel/casino.
Vegas is hosting WrestleMania for the first time since 1993, when WrestleMania IX was held at Caesars Palace.
Saturday and Sunday’s cards both have a start time of 7 p.m. Eastern, airing live on Peacock in the United States and Netflix everywhere else. There will be a three-hour WrestleMania Countdown broadcast leading into each night.
Here are the matches scheduled:
Night one (Saturday, April 19) —
Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) vs. Seth Rollins
World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defends against Jey Uso
WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defends against Charlotte Flair
United States Champion LA Knight defends against Jacob Fatu
World Tag Team Champions The War Raiders (Ivar & Erik) defend against New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods)
Jade Cargill vs. Naomi
Rey Mysterio vs. El Grande Americano (Chad Gable)
Night two (Sunday, April 20) —
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against John Cena
Women’s World Champion IYO SKY defends against Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match
Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker defends against Penta, Finn Balor, and Dominik Mysterio in a four-way match
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez defend against Bayley & Lyra Valkyria
Sin City Street Fight: Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre
A new podcast hosted by Stephanie McMahon is set to premiere this week.
In February, it was reported that a new official WWE podcast hosted by Stephanie would debut in the coming months. WWE confirmed today that the show is named “What’s Your Story?” and will launch tomorrow (April 17) with UFC boss Dana White appearing as the first guest. New episodes will be released every other week after that.
Stephanie is co-hosting the podcast with her best friend Elyse, and they’ll be joined by guests from the sports, business, and entertainment worlds.
“On ‘What’s Your Story?,’ Steph, alongside her co-host and best friend Elyse, will sit down with some of the most influential figures in sports, business and entertainment to uncover their personal stories of hardship and success,” a press release said. “Along the way, Steph will share never-before-heard stories about her own journey, professional career, growing up in the WWE and more. New episodes will be available across all audio platforms and WWE’s YouTube channel, which has amassed more than 108 million subscribers.”
The show is part of a new podcast venture from WWE & Fanatics, which began with the recently launched Raw Recap podcast hosted by Sam Roberts & Megan Morant. A Cody Rhodes-hosted podcast titled “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” is premiering later this month.
Stephanie said that her ESPN+ series “Stephanie’s Places,” where she speaks with WWE talent and legends, helped inspire her to start this podcast.
“‘Stephanie’s Places’ on ESPN+ inspired me to help tell the stories that shape who we are as people,” Stephanie said. “This podcast is the perfect medium to do just that, in a very informal environment, where we can all just be ourselves.”
ESPN has revealed the premiere date and full list of episodes for “Stephanie’s Places,” a new ESPN+ series set to debut later this month.
The Stephanie McMahon-hosted series will debut on March 26 with an episode featuring CM Punk. New episodes will then be uploaded to ESPN+ every Wednesday through May 28. Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Steve Austin, Charlotte Flair, Roman Reigns & The Bloodline, Pat McAfee, The Undertaker, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, and John Cena will be guests on the 10-episode series.
A spinoff of the ESPN+ show “Peyton’s Places,” this series is being produced by ESPN, WWE, and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions. It features Stephanie McMahon traveling the country and speaking with some of the most famous names in WWE history.
“WWE has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Stephanie said in a press release. “I’m looking forward to having viewers join me as we visit some of the most iconic stars of past and present, in places of meaning for them, and hear how they overcame adversity to become who they are today.”
Stephanie resigned as WWE’s co-CEO in January 2023 and has not returned to the company in an executive capacity, though she has made increasingly frequent appearances for WWE over the past year. She is also expected to launch an official WWE podcast in the coming months as part of a new slate of podcasts being produced by WWE and Fanatics.
Here are the full details for each “Stephanie’s Places” episode:
Episode 1: The Return of CM Punk (March 26)
Stephanie McMahon visits her husband and WWE Chief Content Officer, Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, at the new WWE Headquarters before she heads to Cleveland for SummerSlam, where she meets up with CM Punk who reflects on his shocking return to the WWE after nearly a decade away from the ring.
Episode 2: Cody Rhodes Takes Center Stage (April 2)
Stephanie meets with ‘The American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes at the historic Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, the former home of the WCW. Cody shares his unique path to WWE stardom and what he envisions as his legacy.
Episode 3: Rhea Ripley’s Rise (April 9)
Stephanie visits the WWE Performance Center in Orlando where she meets up with Rhea Ripley and the WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels to discuss how the next generation of stars are trained. Later, Rhea surprises Stephanie with a dramatic makeover to prepare for a wild entrance.
Episode 4: Stone Cold Rides Again (April 16)
Stephanie spends a day with Steve Austin at Broken Skull Ranch to learn about how he became ‘Stone Cold’ and life after the WWE. The two end their day with Stephanie experiencing Steve’s newest adventure: off-road racing.
Episode 5: The Evolution of Charlotte Flair (April 23)
Stephanie meets up with the ‘Queen,’ Charlotte Flair at Nassau Coliseum to discuss the origins and evolution of women in the WWE, before they take a helicopter to MetLife to relive her epic WrestleMania 35 arrival.
Episode 6: Roman Reigns and The Bloodline (April 30)
Stephanie hits the open waters of Miami on a yacht with Roman Reigns and ‘The Bloodline’ to discuss the Anoa’i family’s wrestling legacy. Stephanie then enjoys some traditional Samoan cuisine alongside the family, including a unique delicacy.
Episode 7: Pat McAfee Can’t Be Stopped (May 7)
Stephanie sits down with Pat McAfee to find out how the art of a WWE ‘promo’ helped him become one of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. A visit to Indianapolis allows Stephanie to pick Pat’s brain and hear his unlikely journey from NFL punter to podcaster and his dream job at WWE.
Episode 8: Digging Deep with Undertaker (May 14)
Stephanie heads to Madison Square Garden, the location of the first WrestleMania, and meets up with The Undertaker. They discuss his career and his own iconic moments at the Garden.
Episode 9: Triple H’s Perfect Entrance (May 21)
Stephanie and Triple H examine the power of an iconic WWE entrance, later they head to Las Vegas to get a first-hand look at the pageantry and spectacle that can only be found at WrestleMania.
Episode 10: John Cena’s Final Round (May 28)
Stephanie meets up with John Cena as he reflects on his incredible 20-plus year sports entertainment journey. She gets a tour of his personal gym and sees how one of the most decorated WWE Superstars of all time stays at the top of his game as he winds down his incredible career.
The official trailer for the show can be seen below:
A new podcast hosted by Stephanie McMahon is reportedly in the works from WWE.
WrestleVotes reported on Thursday that an official WWE podcast hosted by Stephanie McMahon is expected to launch in the coming months. It would be the first new podcast from WWE in several years. The company previously produced the WWE After the Bell (hosted by Corey Graves), The New Day: Feel the Power, and Uncool with Alexa Bliss podcasts.
“A very interesting name is set to debut an official WWE podcast soon—Stephanie McMahon will be launching her own podcast series, expected this spring,” WrestleVotes tweeted. “Given her life and experiences in wrestling, this series should be as compelling as they come.”
Another Stephanie-hosted show — titled Stephanie’s Places — is set to premiere on ESPN+ this March. That series features Stephanie speaking with some of the biggest stars and legends in WWE history, with Roman Reigns, Steve Austin, and Charlotte Flair among those who will be appearing.
Stephanie resigned from her position as WWE’s co-CEO in January 2023 and has not been back with the company in an executive capacity since, but she has made increasingly frequent guest appearances over the past year, including kicking off WWE’s Royal Rumble PLE earlier this month.
Linda McMahon had the support of her children and their spouses on Thursday as she faced questions from senators in her bid to become the United States’ next Secretary of Education.
Stephanie McMahon, Shane McMahon, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, and Shane’s wife Marissa McMahon sat behind Linda during her confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C. today. She appeared in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which will decide next week whether Linda’s nomination to lead the Department of Education will be advanced to a full senate vote. With Republicans holding a majority, it is likely that Linda will be confirmed.
The lawsuit that Linda McMahon, Vince McMahon, and WWE are facing relating to the 1980s-1990s ring boy scandal came up once during today’s hearing, with Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin asking if Linda can be trusted to support sexual assault survivors on college campuses.
“They certainly can trust me to support them,” Linda responded. “I have a granddaughter that is now in college. I have two grandsons who are in college. And I have a deep commitment of understanding of how I would feel if any of them were involved in sexual harassment or accused of sexual harassment. You have my absolute commitment that I will uphold and protect those investigations to make sure that those students are treated fairly on both sides.”
If she is confirmed, this will be Linda’s second time serving as a cabinet member for Donald Trump. She was the administrator of the Small Business Administration during his first presidency.
Though Trump has nominated Linda for this position, he is hoping to abolish the Department of Education and have schools be run by the states. Trump said earlier this month that he’s told Linda, “I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job.”
It would require congressional approval for the Department of Education to be totally abolished.
A new show featuring Stephanie McMahon talking to WWE stars is on its way to ESPN+.
Stephanie’s Places will debut in March and is produced by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions in conjunction with WWE and ESPN. It’s a spinoff of Manning’s Peyton’s Places show.
The exact start date, the total amount of episodes, and runtime per episode was not revealed.
It will be the first public project the 48-year-old will be part of since resigning from WWE in January 2023 following Vince McMahon’s ill-fated return to the company.
McMahon talked about the show during her appearance on Thursday’s Pat McAfee Show, saying she would go all over the world to talk about the stories behind the biggest stars in WWE history.
McMahon said part of the focus will be how talent overcame obstacles in their career and got to where they are. She said she was initially nervous at first, but really enjoyed the experience.
A clip sent out Thursday showed her in conversations with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline, Steve Austin, and Charlotte Flair:
The most in-depth look at AEW media rights deal completed and the deal not yet completed. We look at what different numbers mean for different levels of popularity, figuring different scenarios in, best and worst case, PPV and secondary deals.
UFC 306 coverage with the record gate at The Sphere going head-to-head with Canelo Alvarez in the same city.
Coverage of the CMLL anniversary show what did and didn’t work and the difference from a normal crowd.
One of the biggest stars of this generation talks about retirement, gives a date and the significance of that date.
Where pro wrestling shows this past week fit into the weekly cable charts.
A look at every national pro wrestling show this past week, how it compared to last year, placings, competition and segment ratings.
Who is CMLL’s booker?
What country celebrated a national pro wrestling holiday this week
Update on El Hijo del Vikingo
The man who was believed to be the oldest living wrestler passes away
World team tryouts
Notes on a movie coming out soon on the life of Mildred Burke
Note on a Blu-Ray I just did voiceovers for
wXw tag team tournament notes
A very valid criticism of AEW
Update on ticket sales to WWE & AEW shows the next two months
International TV ratings and streaming numbers
Notes on the NFL Films piece on Tony Khan
Updates on TV time length for Raw & Smackdown in January
Second day streaming rights updates on Raw, Smackdown, and NXT starting next month
Notes on the return of Saturday Night’s Main Event and a look back at the first one and numbers that would be incredible today
Update on WWE moving the second NXT on CW show from a major arena and why
A look back at Vince McMahon’s promises when he was expanding.
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue
Reuters is reporting that Meta’s AI chatbot will soon be able to start speaking in the voice of John Cena.
Cody Rhodes reposted Matt Cardona’s video announcing his comeback from injury, writing: “Complete. He’s owned that scene, can’t wait to see what my friend does next.”
Nikkita Lyons posted an update on recovering from a torn ACL: “it’s been a minute 8 months post op on my left ACL. lmao…it’s not over when you fall, it’s over when you don’t get back up and just quit. no one knows all you’ve been through but you. take your power back and protect your peace.“
Kenny Omega reflected on the seven-year anniversary of his match against Juice Robinson at NJPW Destruction in Kobe, writing: “There is a very personal story surrounding this match that I’d love to tell but character count wouldn’t allow for it or do it justice here. Aside from all that, Juice took me to the absolute limit and this became the first time I had no choice but to use a Super OWA to get the job done. Juice ain’t no joke and he’d eventually solidify himself as a worthy US champ himself after this.”
Kota Ibushi on Instagram showed photos of himself and Omega training.
WWE stars talked to the media following SummerSlam.
New WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, United States Champion LA Knight, WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, and Triple H spoke to the media during Saturday night’s SummerSlam post-show. Here are the highlights:
Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton
The first question asked was about Nia Jax winning Queen of the Ring when just years earlier, women weren’t allowed to wrestle in Saudi Arabia. Jax mentioned that Vince McMahon, referring to him by name, originally wanted her to be part of the very first women’s match to take place in the country but wasn’t able to do it. She put over Lyra Valkyria, saying she was an incredible opponent at King and Queen of the Ring.
When they were asked how they came together, Jax said that she requested sitting next to Stratton during their flight to Australia for Elimination Chamber earlier this year and they clicked right off the bat. She praised Stratton for being incredibly talented in the ring.
LA Knight
Regarding winning the WWE United States Championship, Knight said that he thought 2023 was the foundation, and 2024 would be where he started his legacy.
Bill Apter asked who he would like to face next. Knight essentially said he would face anyone.
Cody Rhodes
Regarding this being Pharoh’s “last ride” with him, Cody said that Pharoh is 13 years old and doesn’t want to keep taking him on the road. He thanked WWE for letting him bring his dog to shows.
On Roman Reigns’ return, he said he wouldn’t be sitting here with the WWE Championship without him. There’s no love lost between the two, and “that’s as much of a shoot as it gets.” He thinks a title rematch between the two is down the line.
When someone asked about Arn Anderson, Rhodes said that when he was in AEW, Arn was a “piece of sanity” in a really chaotic time. He hopes he sees more of Anderson in the future, he means a great deal to him.
Triple H
While running down the card and giving his thoughts on each match, he mentioned that Jacob Fatu was “a little banged up” following the Bloodline Rules match. He also said that Logan Paul was banged up.
Denise Salcedo asked about why they have partnered with TNA. Triple H says that it’s about giving talent reps and getting more matches, mentioning that the old territory system is dead.
A person asked about Stephanie McMahon and if she has an official role in the company. Triple H says she doesn’t, but comes to the shows because “she loves this.” He would expect her to be around in the future.
Bill Apter asks about John Cena’s status. Triple H said he would be back “soon” to kick off his 2025 retirement tour.
When asked about the possibility of more events turning into two-day events, such as the Royal Rumble, Triple H said they would take it step-by-step. He did say he thought that this would be the final one-day SummerSlam event.
For the first time since making several appearances during WWE WrestleMania 40 weekend, former WWE co-CEO Stephanie McMahon made her on-screen return during Saturday’s SummerSlam in Cleveland, Ohio.
Unlike WrestleMania, McMahon didn’t cut any promos but was shown in the crowd clapping and having fun.
Former WWE Tag Team Champion and legend Arn Anderson made his on-screen return to the company as part of Cody Rhodes’ entrance.
Anderson, the former manager of Rhodes in AEW, gave Rhodes a pep talk as Rhodes was making his way to the ring for his main event match against Solo Sikoa. Anderson said that he had gone through the locker room and found some allies for Rhodes due to the Bloodline likely getting involved during the main event.
It’s Anderson’s first on-screen appearance since his departure from AEW earlier this year. It’s unknown as of now whether this is a one-off appearance or if he is back in WWE in some capacity.
Cleveland native and musical artist Machine Gun Kelly made a surprise appearance as part of fellow native Logan Paul’s intro ahead of his United States title defense against eventual new champion L.A. Knight. MGK took part in the match by slipping Paul some brass knuckles.
It was MGK’s first WWE appearance since getting power bombed off the Raw stage by Kevin Owens in 2015.
Music superstar Jelly Roll opened up SummerSlam by doing an in-ring performance of his new single and then later got involved during The Miz & R-Truth’s announcement of the night’s attendance.
After the duo announced the number, Austin Theory and Grayson Waller emerged to belittle them, the city of Cleveland, and Jelly Roll who was sitting at ringside.
Eventually, he made his way into the ring with a chair and after the faces and heels had a skirmish, he whacked both Theory and Waller in their backs. However, he wasn’t done, chokeslamming Theory and then calling for John Cena’s Five Knuckle Shuffle which he, R-Truth and Miz hit.
Strowman made his return in an angle involving United States Champion Logan Paul, as well as NFL star and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Paul and The Judgment Day were attacking Jey Uso when Strowman made his unannounced return, chasing off Uso’s attackers. Strowman was then announced as a second round selection for the Raw brand in the Draft.
Strowman has been sidelined for nearly a year after undergoing neck fusion surgery. A former Universal, Intercontinental, and Tag Team Champion, Strowman re-signed with WWE in September 2022 after being cut from the company in June 2021.
Before his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, Paul Heyman received some kind words from Stephanie McMahon.
Heyman was inducted into the Hall of Fame last Friday as part of WWE’s WrestleMania week festivities in Philadelphia. Today, WWE uploaded a behind-the-scenes vlog from Heyman’s induction night. It included a backstage interaction between Heyman and Stephanie before the ceremony.
She told Heyman:
I was talking to Paul [Levesque] and I said, ‘Can you imagine this kid used to break into Madison Square Garden just to take pictures and to try to sell them? Because he loved the business so much.’ And you told me all those stories and driving the wrong way down one-way streets. You know, but that’s how it happened.
And it’s just amazing, Paul. And what you created, and what you did on your own, and then what you’ve done and who you are, and your legacy – you’re such an icon. And it’s so amazing that we all get to pay tribute to you tonight.
For the first time since resigning from the company in January 2023, Stephanie made an on-camera appearance at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. She was in the crowd for Heyman’s speech wearing an ECW hat.
