Tag: The Vision

Bron Breakker suspended indefinitely following WWE Raw attack

Posted on by Josh Nason

A week ago, Bron Breakker was challenging for the WWE World Heavyweight title on the first anniversary of Raw on Netflix. Now, he finds himself suspended (in storyline, anyway).

During Monday’s Raw from Dusseldorf, Germany, Breakker, along with The Vision, attacked Dragon Lee and Penta during their match with Austin Theory and Bronson Reed.

After Breakker speared Lee in the entranceway, Raw GM Adam Pearce confronted him outside the ring about his actions as he was about to deliver another one. That led to Reed delivering a Tsunami inside the ring to Penta which led to Pearce then getting in the ring to prevent further damage, leading to Breakker then spearing Penta due to the distraction.

Pearce confronted Breakker again, only for Breakker to push him into the corner and scream at him until officials separated them. Pearce berated The Vision walking backstage and in a later segment, he ran up to Breakker and told him he was suspended.

After Breakker stared Pearce down, Paul Heyman than interjected and told Pearce he made a big mistake as it was Pearce who touched Breakker first, something played up by Michael Cole and Wade Barrett on commentary afterward.

Austin Theory officially joins The Vision on WWE Raw

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

The top heel faction on WWE’s flagship show has officially added a new member.

Austin Theory was formally named as a member of the group on Monday Night Raw. Theory was seen warming up backstage for a singles match against Mysterio when he was approached by Paul Heyman and the other members of the Vision. Heyman extended a hand to Theory, saying “Welcome to the Vision.” Paul, Reed, and Bron Breakker all vowed to watch Theory’s back, and he vowed to watch theirs in return.

Theory lost the match by DQ after Paul interfered, allowing the two to gang up on Mysterio until a returning Penta made the save.

The former United States Champion had disappeared from WWE in the middle of the summer, but he made his return at Survivor Series WarGames in late November, wearing a mask and attacking CM Punk to help the Vision, Drew McIntyre, and Brock Lesnar win the men’s WarGames match.  He then returned on the December 15 episode of Raw, attacking Rey Mysterio to help Logan Paul to a win. Punk hit the ring but Theory fled to the crowd, where he pulled his mask off and revealed his face. He teamed with Bronson Reed to defeat Punk and Mysterio in a tag match a week later. 

WWE Raw live results: Two title defenses

Posted on by Jeff Moss

Two title defenses headline tonight’s live WWE Raw from Orlando, Florida.

In one, WWE Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer defends against both Nikki Bella and Raquel Rodriguez in a triple threat. Vaquer has defended against both women individually with Bella interfering in the Rodriguez match two weeks ago.

WWE World Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Dragon Lee will look to defend their titles against The Usos who are looking for their first title reign since April 2023.

In his first singles match since his return, The Vision’s Austin Theory will battle Rey Mysterio after Theory pinned him in a tag match last week.

The announced card is rounded out by an appearance from The Vision (Theory, Bron Breakker, Logan Paul, Bronson Reed and Paul Heyman) who will kick off the show at 8 pm Eastern.

**********

It’s the final RAW of 2025, which means we will hopefully get a glimpse into some of what might be coming down the pipe in early 2026! The Royal Rumble is just over a month away and we are knocking on the door of Wrestlemania season.

The show opened with a recap of Austin Theory’s return as the masked man and as a new kind of “taker” now that he’s aligned with The Vision. Then they showed Rey Mysterio Jr with his dog and the Usos arriving to work. Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer also arrived to work without incident.

Backstage, The Vision; Austin Theory, Bron Breakker, Logan Paul, Bronson Reed and Paul Heyman all met up and headed to the ring. As he does, Heyman spoke for the group first. Before he could fully let us know what his name is though, the crowd began chanting “CM Punk.”

Heyman said that Punk could have been in Vision if he had listened to him, but he stupidly placated the audience instead. Heyman claimed that in five years, fans would look back at all the Wrestlemania main eventers standing in the ring right now started their journey tonight.

Heyman then officially welcomed Theory to The Vision, but did so without mentioning his awesome new coat. Theory took the mic, saying he had waited his entire life and career for this moment. Before he could get too deep into it though, In Living Colour played out sauntered the World Heavyweight Champion, one Chick Magnet Punk.

Punk said that he didn’t come out here to listen to Theory, he came out here to talk to Breakker. Punk said, yeah The Vision could attack him, but it would probably mean that there wouldn’t be a title match between him and Breakker on Jan 5th.

With that safety net in place, Punk asked Breakker to send The Vision away so they could talk one on one. Breakker guaranteed Punk’s safety and invited him into the ring, sending the other members of the Vision to ringside.

Punk and Breakker went nose to nose and Breakker said that he’s tired of people saying he’s the “future” he’s the “now” and Punk shouldn’t take his experience lightly. He got really animated and sounded very much like a Steiner in this moment.

Breakker went on to say that because of his family name his entire career has been under a microscope and so what if he didn’t “pay his dues” on the indies? On Jan 5th, Breakker said that he is willing to die for the World Heavyweight Champion and knows Punk is too, and he’s more than happy to bury him.

Punk said that he knows Breakker is ready for the big time, but Punk isn’t ready to give it up to him. Punk put the belt on the mat and dared Breakker to pick it up. Punk said that Breakker doesn’t get that the title is a heavy privilege, and Breakker isn’t CM Punk and that’s the difference. Punk will see him on Jan 5th, and with that the segment was over.

-Backstage, Raquel Rodriguez was interviewed about her spot in the triple threat match for the Women’s World Championship. Before she could get into it though, Liv Morgan showed up and told Rodriguez that she needs to win for the Judgement Day. Rodriguez said she could handle it and that she didn’t need luck.

Triple Threat Match for the WWE Women’s World Title: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs Nikki Bella vs Raquel Rodriguez

Here’s what I like about Stephanie Vaquer: Everything.

However, Rodriguez and Bella have both had multiple bites at the apple and if one of them can’t get it done here, then hopefully Vaquer and the title will move into a new feud, possibly with the literal Christian Devil who wants their horns back.

The bell rang and they started arguing with Bella declaring “Ima legend!” Rodriguez took that opportunity to throw her to the ground and Vaquer tried to steal one with a rollup. They moved to the outside and fought with Bella taking control.

It was here that the announce team decided to let us know that Dirty Dom Mysterio is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury (!!!). They also added the context that JD McDonagh is out as well, so The Judgement Day could really use this win.

Anyway, back in the ring Bella and Vaquer fell victim to Rodriguez’s power. Bella was taken out and Vaquer fought back with a headbutt, but Rodriguez immediately struck back and put her in twisting wristlock before throwing her to the mat for an elbow. Vaquer kicked out at two.

Bella leapt off the top turnbuckle, but Rodriguez caught her and threw her aside. She grabbed Vaquer and put her in a Gory Special, trying to make her tap. Vaquer was able to keep her cool and reverse it into a sunset pin, but Bella broke it up.

Vaquer took control and went for a Devil’s Kiss on Bella, but Rodriguez broke it up and sent Bella to the outside. Vaquer tried to go up top, but Bella pulled her off, then ripped Rodriguez’ leg out from underneath her. Bella locked an STF on Rodriguez, but Rodriguez out powered here and reversed it into a leg lock.

Vaquer flipped them both over and delivered a double Devil’s Kiss to both women. She then put them both in opposite corners for duelling meteoras. She hit a dragonscrew on Bella and then twisted Rodriguez’ knee with another.

Bella slipped to the outside and tripped Vaquer on the apron (the Devilest part of the ring!) and Rodriguez knocked them both to the outside. Rodriguez bounced Bella’s head off the announce table and tried for a pin on Vaquer, but no dice as Vaquer kicked out.

Rodriguez came back with a lariat and exited the ring to make sure Bella wasn’t an issue by dropping her face first on the ring apron. She tossed her back in the ring, but Bella kicked her off before she could make a pin. Rodriguez was still in control though and hit a twisting Vader bomb on Bella.

She then went back to Vaquer in the corner, peppering her with elbows. She set Vaquer up on the turnbuckle, but Vaquer kicked her in the face about it and put on a rope-assisted armbar. Bella broke it up though because we can’t have nice things.

All three climbed to the top turnbuckle and somehow Bella got a double superplex on them both. She couldn’t land a pin on either woman though and went for an AA on Vaquer, but Rodriguez interrupted it with a big boot. She then tried a powerbomb, but Bella got free and walked right into Vaquer hitting a big angel wing piledriver. Rodriguez broke up the pin though.

Vaquer hit a jawbreaker on Rodriguez but she blocked the next move and Vaquer was forced to resort to a small package that didn’t land. Rodriguez dragged Vaquer to the corner and went for a high move, but Bella pulled Vaquer out of the way and tried to get a quick pin.

Rodriguez then picked up Vaquer and Bella, but Vaquer worked herself out and Bella took the brunt of a powerbomb. Vaquer then threw Rodriguez out of the ring after she had given Bella a tahana bomb and scooped up Bella for the pin to retain the title.

Match Result: Stephanie Vaquer defeated Nikki Bella and Raquel Rodriguez

-Backstage Gunther was interviewed about his disrespectful behaviour but was interrupted by John Cena’s #1 fan, R-Truth. Truth called Gunther some bad names and warned him that after retiring Goldberg and Cena, there wouldn’t be a third. Gunther laughed and said “see you in the ring” to Truth, so I assume they are having a match eventually. Maybe even tonight!

-Next, the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Auska and Kairi Sane aka The Kabuki Warriors came to the ring with fans and parasols at the ready. They danced through a commercial break and a recap of Auska and Rhea Ripley’s match last Monday.

Auska grabbed a mic and gloated about beating Ripley last week. She then did a lot of yelling in Japanese (probably saying that she really was enjoying herself and had a nice dinner) and then switched to english to call the crowd “stupid babies.”

Sane went next and talked for a bit, but Auska grabbed her mic and said that Rhea and Iyo Sky would pay for their disrespect. Suddenly we were all treated to her brutality as Ripley’s music hit and she and Iyo Sky marched to the ring. The Kabuki Warriors bailed, but that didn’t stop Ripley and Sky who started a brawl.

Ripley took out Auska, but Sane threw Sky back-first into the announce table. When Ripley went to check on her, Auska jumped her and the Kabuiki Warriors set her up for the Insane Elbow. Sky came back though and broke it up. They both took out the champs who slunk away with their belts, setting up a match between the two teams for Jan 5th.

-Backstage, Rey Mysterio was warming up and chatted with CM Punk. Mysterio said that he’s covered tonight and Punk doesn’t need to worry about him. Punk said OK, and left, presumably to take Mysterio’s Dog out for a piddle.

Gunther vs R-Truth

So hey, look at that! Gunther absolutely soaked up the crowd’s hatred of him, loving being the heeliest of heels that ever done heeled. He climbed up on the announce table and took off his jacket to reveal he was wearing a shirt that looked like he made himself with a picture of John Cena tapping out and the words “Tap Like a…” underneath (more than likely now available at wweshop.com).

Gunther grabbed a mic and said that the audience’s anger is misdirected. They should be mad at Cena who tapped out like “a BITCH!” (this was during a commercial break so they can use devilishly salty language if necessary).

Truth arrived to avenge his childhood hero and went right at Gunther off the bell. He caught him looking and peppered him with punches and kicks for a few minutes until Gunther chopped him into next week. Truth tried to fight back, but Gunther was in control and went for a powerbomb. Truth countered but still ended up getting chopped in the corner.

Gunther threw a devastating lariat and asked if Truth was going to give up. He pounded on Truth again and again, doing the Cena “you cant see me” gesture. That fired up Truth and he hit a shoulder tackle, but unfortunately, Gunther has huge shoulders and he barely felt it. Gunther then powerbombed Truth, pinned him, but pulled him up at two.

Gunther laid in some elbows then put Truth in the same sleeper he put Cena in. Truth tapped out and Gunther celebrated his victory.

Match Result: Gunther defeated R-Truth

-Backstage, the Usos were shown with Jimmy in high spirits, but Jey seeming a little down in the dumps. Jey said that he feels like everywhere he turns, he’s losing. He doesn’t want to put his brother in a bad spot. Jimmy said that was nonsense, Jey’s a world champion and multiple tag champion. He’s got everyone ready to yell “yeet” and he needs his brother. Jey stood up, seemingly back into it, but took a bit of a lingering moment to leave after Jimmy.

-Teenage moustache enthusiast Byron Saxton interviewed Finn Balor at ringside about the state of the Judgement Day. Balor said that they are ending 2025 on a rough note with injuries and failed championship attempts. Balor said that all of it had him thinking about the success he had in NXT. Balor said that he was going to put The Judgement Day on his back like he did for NXT and carry them all into 2026.

-World Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Dragon Lee were shown talking to Je’Von Evans backstage. They said that they were proud of Evans no matter where he ends up. They were interrupted by El Grande Americano and his Americanos. They stepped to Evans, but Styles and Lee had his back. They all spoke a lot of Spanish (I assume they were discussing the Toronto Maple Leaf’s chances at a Stanley Cup) and then left with Evans and Styles admitting they had no idea what was said.

-Austin Theory was shown warming up backstage. The rest of the Vision showed up to encourage him and welcome him to The Vision. Again. Someone made the mistake of giving Logan Paul a chance to talk and he admitted that he was a little nervous joining the Vision, but Theory has it locked down. Heyman suggested that Paul and Theory bond by having Paul walk Theory to the ring for his match against Rey Mysterio.

Austin Theory vs Rey Mysterio Jr.

Theory came down to the ring with Paul, new music and a new entrance pose. So couple that with his new haircut and jacket and things are going pretty good for AT!

The bell rang and Theory aggressively went at Mysterio, throwing him into the corner. Mysterio countered with a back elbow and hurricanrana. Theory popped back up and laid some haymakers on Mysterio though, until Mysterio countered with a jawbreaker.

Theory kept up the agression until Mysterio got him in position for a 619. Theory rolled out of the ring and Mysterio followed. Theory caught him and slammed him into the ring post (the postiest part of the ring!) and the ring apron (The mysterioest part of the ring!) before tossing him back in for an irish whip off the turnbuckle.

Theory stomped Mysterio’s hand then set him up for a flapjack, but Mysterio tried to roll him up and steal one. Theory kicked out at two and began stomping Mysterio’s knees. A sneering Theory continued beating Mysterio from post to post, working his back and legs, both of which Mysterio has a history of injuries with.

Theory put Mysterio in a tree of woe, but Mysterio countered when he charged and hit a West Coast Pop into a hurrucanrana. He then punched him in the head 10 times, but Theory countered with a big boot. Paul began offering advice and Theory picked up Mysterio in a torture rack position. Mysterio countered into a DDT, but could only get a two count.

Mysterio set Theory up and landed a 619, but after that Paul tripped him from the outside causing a DQ.

Match Result: Rey Mysterio defeated Austin Theory via DQ.

After the match, Paul and Theory beat down Mysterio until who should arrive? PENTA! He came down and made the save, setting up Paul for a 619 before throwing him over the top rope via lariat. The two Luchadores celebrated in the ring as Theory and Paul slipped away.

-Backstage, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky cut a pre-taped promo about how they are going to beat the Kabuki Warriors next week.

-Then AJ Styles and Dragon Lee were shown working out in preparation for their match with Lee working out WITH HIS DRAGON WINGS ON. Amazing. In my head, he now wears them everywhere.

-Next, The New Day joined Byron Saxton at ringside and cut a promo about how the WWE Tag Division is dead with Lee and Styles as Champions. If the Usos win tonight, then the division will be in Hell. Woods took the mic and reminded everyone who the most decorated tag team in WWE is. (spoiler, it’s them). Woods said that the audience should thank gaaaaaaaawd for the New Day, and it was over.

-Then Joe Tessitore reminded everyone that Smackdown and Saturday Night’s Main Event are coming to Montreal in January and I can afford to go to neither of them.

-After I’d finished crying about that, Women’s Intercontinental Champion Maxxine Dupri came to the ring to “you deserve it” chants from the crowd. Dupri said that Becky Lynch can complain about not being champion all she wants, “but on Jan 5th–” and then then Man came around and Lynch walked to the ring mic in hand, denying that she tapped to Dupri last week.

Lynch said the only thing she tapped over was living in Orlando. She went to enter the ring and Dupri stopped her, threatening to make her tap again. Lynch called her a “moody Maxxine” and said she came to give Dupri credit. She used to think Dupri was awful, the worst she’d ever seen. But over the last few weeks, she’s gotten a tiny bit better and managed to steal a title, so that’s pretty good.

Dupri said that she earned this title and will prove it next week as she defends her title against Lynch again. Lynch became enraged, saying she came out here to be nice and is a “very nice person” but Dupri has nothing on her. She is the greatest female wrestler of all time and even Sports Illustrated and The Bleacher report say it (No F4W shoutout, I see. Such a heel).

Lynch said that Dupri needs to ask herself if shes as good as she thinks and then welcomed Dupri to “the big time” and left.

-Trick Williams was shown talking with Adam Pearce in the back. Trick is in a bidding war between RAW and Smackdown and left a card with Pearce. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria arrived complaining about their lack of Women’s Tag Championship matches. Bayley called Pearce an idiot and they left. Pearce called for a drink.

WWE World Tag Team Championship Match: AJ Styles and Dragon Lee (c) vs The Usos (Jimmy and Jey)

The Usos Yeeted their way through the crowd (giving this reporter a chance to pee) and the Main Event of the evening was here. Lee and Styles came to the ring prompting me to wonder aloud to no one “how is this team not called Dragon Style?” I recieved no answer from the empty room, so I went back to focusing on the match at hand.

Jey and Styles started things off with a lockup. Jey got Styles into the corner and the ref broke it up. Off of that, Jey dodged a Styles charge and threw a fist in his face. Styles responded with a dropkick and tagged in Lee. They double teamed Jey who rolled out of the ring. Jimmy tried to intervene and they sent him out too.

Lee and Styles let them collect themselves and get back up on their corner. Jey was still legal and faced off against Lee, who had him out of the gate with some hard punches. Lee used Jey’s Yeet gesture and tagged Styles back in who went for a quick cover. Jey kicked out at two.

Jey managed to get near enough his corner for Jimmy to tag in and he locked a wrenching headlock onto Lee, twisting his neck back and forth. Lee started fighting out of it, but Jimmy threw him at the ground and locked it back in, working the head and neck even harder.

Lee got out of it and landed a double stomp on Jimmy to change the momentum. Styles made a blind tag and chopped Jimmy against the ropes. He delivered a back elbow to Jimmy and Jey hit a high kick through the ropes while the ref’s back was turned.

Jey tagged in officially and stomped Styles’ midsection. He tagged in Jimmy and held Styles for Jimmy to throw some chops. Lee tagged in and hit a headscissor on Jimmy. He then hit a springboard dropkick in the corner and charged Jimmy as he staggered to his feet. Jimmy dodged it and tagged in Jey.

Lee caught Jey in a sit out powerbomb, but Jey kicked out at two. Jey rolled out and Lee went to dive after him, but Jimmy grabbed his ankles and dragged him to the outside. Jimmy pulled the cover off the announce table, but Styles leapt off the stairs to stop him. Jey leapt over the top rope to take out Styles and put Jimmy back in the ring.

Lee rolled back in and the crowd chanted for tables. Jey tagged in for a headbutt on Lee, then Jimmy tagged back in. They traded shots and tags on an isolated Lee for a few minutes, cutting him off from making the tag to Styles.

Jey snuck another shot to Lee behind the ref’s back and Jimmy pounded him in the corner. “Lets Go Usos/AJ Styles” chants broke out, much to Jimmy’s confusion. Jey tagged in and knocked Styles off the apron. Jimmy tagged back in and chopped Lee in the corner, setting him up on the top turnbuckle.

Jimmy went for a DDT, but Lee countered it into a big double stomp. Lee got the hot tag to Styles as Jimmy got one to Jey and they met in the middle of the ring. Styles started spamming kicks and punches, taking out Jey and Jimmy. He set Jey up for a Styles Clash, but Jey powered out and hit a spear before tagging in Jimmy who hit an Uso Splash off the top.

Jimmy pinned Styles, but he kicked out at 2.9. Jimmy went up top for another one, but Lee pulled him off the turnbuckle. Jey charged him, but Lee dodged and Jey hit his head on the ring post. Jimmy moved to the outside and Lee dove after him driving him onto the announce table.

Back in the ring, Styles and Jey battled until Styles was able to get a Styles Clash in. He pinned Jey, but he kicked out at two. “This is awesome” chants rained down as all four caught their breath and returned to their corners.

Lee hit a double stomp, and Styles went for another Clash, but Jimmy came back in and took out Lee. Styles went for the Phenonmenal Forearm but met a double superkick from the Usos. The Usos quickly hit a flurry of moves including a 1D on Lee to pin Styles to win the World Tag Team titles for the ninth time!

Match Result: The Usos defeated AJ Styles and Dragon Lee

The Usos celebrated as they left through the crowd with their titles and as the fireworks went off, I dare say that Jey Uso has found his smile again.

WWE Raw live results: CM Punk & Rey Mysterio vs. The Vision

Posted on by Steve Khan

Air Date: December 22, 2025 (taped Dec 19, 2025)
Location: Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI 

The Big Takeaway —

Austin Theory teamed with Bronson Reed to beat the team of CM Punk and Rey Mysterio, with Theory pinning Rey after a curb stomp. It was an audition for Theory, who is not yet a member of The Vision. 

It was a taped show and easy to get through, with a runtime of about 90 minutes. 

**********

Show Recap — 

This show was taped on Friday, so the announcers were Michael Cole and Corey Graves (instead of Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett). 

I realized during the opening match that the feed isn’t being treated as ‘live’ on Netflix, so you can just skip ahead if you want. 

CM Punk & Rey Mysterio, Judgment Day, Je’Von Evans, Gunther, and The Vision were shown arriving.  Cole said Evans was a soon-to-be free agent. 

Paul Heyman approached Austin Theory and asked him what the hell he was doing. Theory said he wore the mask because he wanted everyone to feel his actions before they saw his face. He made some mistakes in the past. He got comfortable before getting injured. He appreciated that the Vision didn’t wait around. They take. Theory said that was him now. He wanted to take that opportunity and help out. Heyman was skeptical but intrigued. 

********

Rhea Ripley asked Iyo Sky to stay in the back for her match tonight. She wanted Sky to take care of herself after getting laid out last week. 

Rhea Ripley vs. Women’s Tag Team Champion Asuka (w/ Kairi Sane)

Because this show is taped, we’re not getting the usual commercial breaks, but they are still cutting to break as if it were live. Asuka took control thanks to a Kairi Sane distraction, and they acted as if they were heading to break as usual (90 seconds into the match, as usual), but the action picked right back up. 

Ripley tried mounting a comeback but was tripped from the outside by Sane. Ripley mounted a comeback anyway and fended off a flurry of offence by Asuka ahead of another “break.” Ripley applied the standing cloverleaf, but Asuka countered with a German suplex and sliding kick for two. 

Asuka blocked a Razor’s Edge attempt and later hit a German suplex on the apron. Asuka came off the top, but Ripley hit her with a mid-air thrust kick, followed by a cannonball off the apron. (Ripley used more kicks in this match than usual.) 

Ripley went to the top but was tripped by Sane, so Sky ran out (while selling her back) to attack her. Sky jumped on the apron to yell at the referee for allowing Sane to interfere yet again, but Sane used the opportunity to drop her on the apron. 

Asuka used that distraction to catch Ripley in a cradle for the pinfall win. 

As Cole mentioned, Asuka was winless in 8 singles matches against Ripley before this. 

Match result: Asuka defeated Rhea Ripley (approx. 11:30 of TV time) 

********

Backstage, Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker seemed skeptical about Theory. Heyman said they were both much better off today than they were months ago, and that was thanks to him. That all happened thanks to his vision.

He did not pimp that out easily. He was selective, and he had a vision for Theory. Tonight, it would be Theory and Reed against Punk and Mysterio. Either Theory carried out their vision, or the two of them could carry Theory’s ass out of WWE. (This immediately made me think of Steve Austin and Kurt Angle kicking Buff Bagwell out of the arena that one time.) 

********

Becky Lynch and Maxxine Dupri segment 

Lynch stormed out wearing a fur coat. She said we would not be getting a celebration for Maxxine Durpi. There was a corrupt referee in their match, and Lynch was still the rightful Women’s Intercontinental Champion. 

If petty Pearce wouldn’t do anything about it, Lynch knew some powerful people who would. She had the most powerful lawyers in the country, but the bigwigs at Netflix advised her to go to miserable Michigan and take matters into her own hands because she was the greatest of all time. 

Dupri interrupted. She agreed with Sports Illustrated that Lynch was the greatest of all time. Dupri herself was just a rookie—but this rookie just beat the greatest of all time. (Dupri’s first match was in 2023.) Dupri bragged that she beat Lynch three times (the other two were by DQ and count-out), and said she would give Lynch a rematch anytime, anyplace. 

Dupri fired up and said she would stop at nothing to beat her again. She would train until her blood, sweat and tears on the mat. She added, “Not only am I their Intercontinental Champion, I am your Intercontinental Champion.” 

Dupri wanted Lynch to admit that, but she knew Lynch wouldn’t take it on the chin like the Man she said she was. In this moment, Lynch didn’t look like the greatest of all time. Lynch looked like someone who was afraid her best years were behind her. 

Lynch decked Dupri with a suckerpunch and held up the IC title belt. Lynch was about to leave, but went for another attack, so Dupri picked the leg and applied an ankle lock until Lynch tapped out. Dupri let go, and Lynch bailed. 

Dupri was good here. 

******** 

Pearce spoke to Je’Von Evans backstage. Pearce wished him luck in his match tonight and wanted to talk about his future afterward. Evans was in a good mood, and he left for his match. 

Stephanie Vaquer approached Pearce next. She wanted to face both Nikki Bella and Raquel Rodriguez. Pearce was happy with that and made a triple threat match for the world title next week.  

******** 

There was a video package for The Usos, who face AJ Styles and Dragon Lee for the world tag team titles next week. Well, that was a quick road back to title contention.

Je’Von Evans vs. Rayo Americano (w/ El Grande Americano & Bravo Americano) 

Cole said he tried a Wikipedia search on Rayo Americano but couldn’t find anything, even though a Google search for him takes you right to Pete Dunne’s results. 

Evans hit a flip dive ahead of a “break,” but Rayo brought him off the top rope with an arm drag after the break to take control. Evans fought back with a forearm, a vertical suplex (where he pops right back up to his feet), and a springboard clothesline for two. 

El Grande Americano distracted the referee while Bravo and Rayo double-teamed Evans. Rayo followed with a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Evans avoided a Rayo moonsault attempt and hit an OG Cutter for the pinfall win. 

El Grande and Bravo tried to attack Evans, but he escaped the ring and smiled back at them. 

Match result: Je’Von Evans defeated Rayo Americano (approx. 7:00 of TV time) 

This was fine. A mostly easy win for Evans, and they really pushed hard that he’s a pending free agent. 

********

Cathy Kelley interviewed Styles and Dragon Lee about facing Jimmy and Jey Uso, who have been a tag team a lot longer than they have. Styles and Lee weren’t worried because they’ve beaten established teams like Judgment Day and New Day. Styles said having the titles meant they were better than the best. 

Bron Breakker promo 

There was a pre-taped Breakker promo package. Breakker said Punk thought they had a personal vendetta because of the barbs he mentioned about his family, but the reality was that Punk didn’t care about his wife. He never cared about anyone other than himself. 

Breakker wondered which version of Punk would show up on January 5th: the watered-down 2025 version, or the best in the world. Either way, the result would be the same. Breakker was the mountain Punk couldn’t climb, and the dog he couldn’t outrun. In Punk’s words, he was only here to make money. Breakker hoped Punk saved his money, because after he beats him, Punk won’t be worth a dollar to anyone. 

This was really good. 

********

Nikki Bella segment 

The announcers were talking when Nikki Bella interrupted. She called herself “the most famous person.” She reminded the fans that she was Nikki Bella, a Hall of Famer and a former champion. 

She said they wouldn’t know what a champion looked like because they cheered for the Detroit Lions. The Lions wished they were the Philadelphia Eagles or, better yet, Ohio State. 

Bella was the star of the division. She destroyed Rodriguez’s face, and she would destroy Vaquer’s reign. Vaquer was a big deal in the ring, but Bella was a big deal everywhere. It was about time the title was around the waist of a true global superstar. 

******** 

Bayley (w/ Lyra Valkyria) vs. Roxxane Perez (w/ Liv Morgan)

Perez worked over Bayley’s knee (through a break) until Bayley made a comeback. Raquel Rodriguez appeared at ringside and was about to slide into the ring, but Valkyria took her out with a spinning kick to stop her from interfering. Morgan responded by chucking Valkyria over the announce desk. 

Perez distracted the referee while Morgan tripped Bayley. (This precise spot happened in the opening match.) Perez used the distraction to drop Bayley face-first into an exposed turnbuckle, but the idiot referee was distracted by Rodriguez on the apron. Valkyria wiped out Rodriguez and Morgan with a dive off the table. 

Valkyria psyched up Bayley and slapped her in the face. This fired up Bayley (and healed her knee), and she hammered away at Perez before hitting a flying elbow drop for the pinfall win. 

Another match filled with interference and distractions. It’s especially exhausting when it happens in multiple matches in a row every single week.

Match result: Bayley defeated Roxanne Perez (approx. 7:00 of TV time) 

********

In the locker room, Reed told Theory he was in the big leagues now and to follow his lead, kid. Theory told him he wasn’t his kid. Theory said he would start the match, and Reed would follow his lead. 

Elsewhere, Rodriguez argued with Morgan and Perez. Rodriguez was pissed because she had a world tile match to prepare for, so she bailed. 

Gunther segment

Gunther entered and was booed heavily again. He took his time basking in the heat. He said the fans shouldn’t be mad at him, they should be mad at the guy who tapped out like a little bitch. (He definitely got a ton of heat, but it also sounded like they manipulated the sound to make it pop louder.) 

CM Punk marched out to his music. He very quickly got into the ring and straight into Gunther’s face. The fans loudly chanted for Punk. Gunther laughed in his face before leaving the ring. Gunther gave him the ‘you can’t see me’ gesture before taking off. 

Gunther was confronted next by Rey Mysterio in the aisle. The disappointed Rey put his hands on his hips and shook his head (like he was looking at his own son). Gunther laughed at him and left. 

After a break, Styles confronted Gunther backstage. Styles said Gunther didn’t know when to shut up. Gunther said, “Guess I don’t,” and he laughed. 

********

World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk & Rey Mysterio vs. Austin Theory & Bronson Reed (w/ Paul Heyman) 

Punk and Rey both wore pink and black gear. 

The Vision got the heat on Punk as Theory used his familiar offence and held Punk in a rest hold after a break. Reed took his turn next until Punk rolled out of the way of a senton and made the hot tag to Rey, who knocked Theory off the apron. Reed tried to squish Rey, but Rey avoided it and hit a running seated senton off the ropes. 

Theory tagged in, but Rey got rid of him with a hurricanrana and a seated senton off the barricade. After a “break,” Theory was suddenly in control. Fortunately, they showed a replay of what happened during the break, which was Reed clubbing Rey from behind. Reed’s offence on Rey included a standing frog splash and a delayed vertical suplex. 

Theory worked over Rey next as Cole asked Graves what looked different about Theory tonight. Graves said he looked more focused, but besides his hair and his pants, the answer is nothing. 

Rey hit Theory with a bulldog and made the hot tag to Punk, who hit Theory with punches, a neckbreaker, corner knee strikes, and a bulldog. Theory avoided a GTS and tagged in Reed, but Punk fended him off and hit a flying clothesline for two. 

Rey tagged in and set up Reed for a 619, but Theory made a blind tag and levelled Rey with a running clothesline. Rey fought him off anyway to hit a 619 and a springboard splash. Rey had it won, but Reed yanked him out of the ring to break up the cover. Punk hit Reed with a suicide dive and clotheslined him over the barricade (taking them both out of the mix). 

Rey went to the top rope, but Theory tripped him and hit a curb stomp for the pinfall win. (Rey looked great all match, and the crowd was into this until Theory won.)

— Punk chased Theory out of the ring post-match. Breakker tried a sneak attack as Punk was distracted, but Punk fought him off. Punk fought off Theory next, but that distraction allowed Breakker to nail a spear as the taped show quickly went off the air. 

Match result: Austin Theory & Bronson Reed defeated Rey Mysterio & World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk (approx. 15:00 of TV time)

Mystery attacker revealed on WWE Raw

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The mystery attacker helping The Vision has been revealed.

During the main event of Raw, the attacker struck once more, taking out Rey Mysterio with a curb stomp. That allowed Logan Paul to hit the frog splash, scoring the win. After the match, Paul and the attacker had a staredown until CM Punk arrived with a chair, sending the mystery assailant into the crowd. It was there that he finally revealed himself to be none other than Austin Theory, sporting a newly-shaved head.

As Punk was digesting what was going on, Bron Breakker arrived and speared Punk, telling him to never talk about his family again, a reference from Punk’s promo earlier in the night. The show closed with Breakker posing with the World Heavyweight title ahead of their title match on Janaury 6.

Theory had been absent from television since July, with former tag team partner Grayson Waller abandoning him in favor of a new association with the New Day. The finish of the men’s WarGames match at Survivor Series saw a masked man help the Vision score the win for their team. In the weeks since, Adam Pearce had been attempting to get answers from Paul Heyman, who feigned ignorance up until tonight’s show. Pearce earlier in the night told Heyman he wanted answers by the end of the night.

Logan Paul returns on WWE Raw, sides with top group

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Logan Paul has resurfaced.

The former United States Champion made his return on Raw, wanting a shot at CM Punk’s World Heavyweight title. This caused the ire of The Vision, who laid claim to the title. The confrontation ended with a brawl, with Paul being taken out by a Tsunami before Punk chased the heels away with a steel chair. Later in the night, Punk and Jey Uso battled The Vision even after their match ended in a double count out. Paul came out to seemingly return the favor, but instead knocked out Punk with his brass knuckles, handing them to Paul Heyman to end the show.

The opening to Monday’s Raw saw new World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk come out and challenge anyone from the back who has earned it to come out and challenge him, mentioning John Cena and Sheamus as potiental opponents. This brought out Paul, who Punk immediately rejected. He told Paul to go to SmackDown and challenge Ilja Dragunov. Paul responded by comparing himself to a Ferrari while he called Punk a used Honda Civic.

The Vision came out and interrupted their argument, with Heyman telling Paul to go to the back of the line because the front belonged to Reed and Breakker. Paul said he was there first. The confrontation eventually got physical with The Vision attacking Punk and shoving down Paul, who reacted by going after Reed and Breakker. Reed proceeded to lay Paul out with a Tsunami. The segment ended once Punk entered the ring with a steel chair, driving The Vision away.

Paul was last seen at WWE Clash in Paris back in August, losing to John Cena. He also wrestled earlier that month, teaming with Drew McIntyre to defeat Randy Orton and Jelly Roll.

Update on shocking WWE Raw show-closing angle

Posted on by Bryan Rose

More on the shocking conclusion of Monday’s Raw.

In Monday’s Daily Update, Dave Meltzer wrote more about the show-closing angle that saw Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and Paul Heyman turn against Seth Rollins, laying him out with spears and tsunamis. Meltzer wrote that this was a sudden change in plans, and Rollins may have been hurt following his match against Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel on Saturday.

“Obviously the big topic of discussion was the angle at the end of Raw tonight. Given it’s a long trip home from Australia and everyone is en route right now, we probably won’t have anything definitive until tomorrow or Wednesday,” he wrote. “We do know that people are being told. Seth Rollins did have his arm in a sling before Raw and there are reports of a shoulder injury from the match with Cody Rhodes, but we don’t have them confirmed. Whether that changed the booking due to the injury or the booking changed based on a hot shot angle because most likely Raw today with its early start time would have done the lowest rating in the show’s history so they wanted something to make people tune in, that could be the case. We were told yesterday that the ratings were very much an issue but if there’s a legit injury, obviously that would require a lot of changes in plans.” 

According to Meltzter, the unit was set to continue together at least through WrestleMania, adding Austin Theory as another new member along the way. As far as Rollins’ injury goes, it was said it was from the Crown Jewel match, but some are skeptical as it was said that Rollins’ injury earlier this year was also real, only for it to be an angle.

“One source with knowledge of creative said The Vision were booked for plans together through WrestleMania including with Austin Theory joining the group before things changed today,” he wrote. “They were told it was from an injury in the match with Cody Rhodes. But after being told his other injury was legit, many are not fully believing anything right now. In the attempt to work everyone, the belief in what those are being told, and there are multiple cases of this in recent months (the Rollins SNME injury being the one that really cost credibility with several in the room) the lack of trust right now is pretty high.”

The group had formed following the events of WrestleMania 41, when Heyman turned his back on Roman Reigns and CM Punk to align himself with Rollins, who soon added Reed and Breakker to their side.

Update on Seth Rollins after WWE Raw angle

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The wrestling world is back on Seth Rollins injury watch after the big angle that closed Monday’s Crown Jewel fallout edition of WWE Raw.

At the end of the episode, the rest of The Vision betrayed its leader, attacking Rollins and kicking him out of the group. The turn started with Bron Breakker laying out Rollins with a spear. Bronson Reed then decided to join in on the attack as well, with Paul Heyman looking shocked at what went down. The final shot of the episode was Breakker, Reed, and Heyman posing over a fallen Rollins.

Now, a photo posted to social media has fans questioning if Rollins is dealing with an injury that contributed to WWE’s decision to have this angle happen now. The photo — which was posted by a fan and was taken between Crown Jewel: Perth and Raw — shows Rollins with his arm in a sling.

Rollins defeated Cody Rhodes at Saturday’s PLE to become the men’s Crown Jewel Champion for 2025. There was a coast-to-coast spot during the match where Rollins looked like he could have been hurt. On the PLE post-show, Rollins called it a rough landing and said there could be long-term ramifications.

Of course, any injury to Rollins will have fans questioning whether it’s actually legitimate after the ruse he and WWE attempted to pull off at SummerSlam, where Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to win the World Heavyweight Championship after weeks of faking a knee injury.

CM Punk is the new number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship after winning a triple threat match in the main event of Raw today. WWE hasn’t announced a date for when he’ll challenge Rollins, but the match has been expected to headline Saturday Night’s Main Event on November 1.

Breakker also has his eyes on the World Heavyweight Championship, posing with the belt as Raw ended and then taking it with him after the show went off the air.

Huge betrayal takes place on WWE Raw

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A huge angle closed Monday’s Crown Jewel fallout edition of WWE Raw.

The Raw roster has been shaken up with The Vision splitting away from its former leader Seth Rollins. The final shot of the episode was Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and a shocked Paul Heyman standing over a decimated Rollins as Breakker held Rollins’ World Heavyweight Championship belt in the air.

It was Breakker who started the betrayal, taking out Rollins with a spear after The Vision laid out CM Punk following the main event. After a brief discussion with Breakker, Reed then opted to join in on the attack, giving Rollins a Tsunami from the top rope. It didn’t seem like Heyman knew any of this was going to happen, but he went along with it while posing with Breakker and Reed.

The Vision first formed when Heyman aligned with Rollins at WrestleMania 41 this April. Breakker was an immediate addition to the group with Reed being added later.

While the timing of the betrayal was shocking, there were seeds planted that this was coming — including Rollins saying in a promo on Raw that he did not need Breakker, Reed, or Heyman. Rollins said he was capable of doing everything on his own and his alliance with The Vision was by choice, not necessity.

Rollins is coming off a victory over Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel: Perth over the weekend where he was celebrated as the men’s Crown Jewel Champion for 2025.Though Breakker has his eyes on the World Heavyweight Championship, Punk has earned a one-on-one shot against Rollins for the belt. A date for the Rollins vs. Punk title match has not been announced yet. It looks to be planned for WWE’s next Saturday Night’s Main Event special on November 1.

WWE SmackDown live results: Cody Rhodes & Randy Orton vs. The Vision

Posted on by Marc Quill

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown from Cincinnati’s Heritage Bank Center will be headlined by WWE Champion Cody Rhodes teaming up with Randy Orton to take on The Vision’s Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker.

Last week, Rhodes confronted Paul Heyman and suggested that the loyalties of World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins’ “Oracle” may lie with Brock Lesnar once more. This brought Breakker and Reed out to confront Rhodes before Orton evened the odds.

Men’s United States Champion Sami Zayn continues his open challenge series after another successful defense last week against NXT star Je’von Evans. Tonight marks the fifth time Zayn has defended his title since winning it in late August.

Coming off her title defense last Friday, WWE Women’s World Champion Tiffany Stratton will have a contract signing with Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer as their Crown Jewel Championship match approaches.

Plus, Damian Priest said that he plans on issuing a challenge to his rival Aleister Black.

Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

**********

– Over shots of the Cincinnati skyline, we were welcomed to tonight’s SmackDown by Michael Cole before we headed to the arena for our opening segment.

Cody Rhodes kicks off SmackDown

The entrance of the Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes, got things going for tonight’s show as he made his way to the ring with some things to say on his mind ahead of his tag match with Randy Orton against Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed later tonight.

As Rhodes got into the ring, he started off with his usual “what do you want to talk about?” icebreaker. Paul Heyman interrupted him, accompanied by Breakker and Reed at his side. “What would we like to talk about?” asked Heyman.

At the same time, Orton appeared at Rhodes’ side to even the odds as Heyman introduced himself in his usual manner. Heyman said that he and the Brons weren’t here to talk to Rhodes, but rather to Orton. He said that Orton wasn’t taking his calls all week, which meant that he had the Brons corner Rhodes, which would bring out the Viper. According to Heyman, that wasn’t a prediction, but a spoiler.

Heyman pointed out that no matter the strategy that Orton and Rhodes would come up with, it wouldn’t be enough as they’d lose to Breakker and Reed later tonight. Heyman asked Orton what would happen if he and Rhodes lost tonight, attempting to stir the pot. “That’s the Undisputed World Champion, we could do so much more than that,” Heyman asked Orton.

He said, that either way, no matter how we’d look at it, the alliance between Orton and Rhodes would not last, because that’s not a prediction, but rather a prophecy. The Seth Rollins-less Vision made their exit as this segment ended.

Seems like a bit of foreshadowing for what could be a future feud for Cody Rhodes, perhaps for down the line, just not tonight, however. Still, an intriguing start to the show, nonetheless.

**********

– As Carmelo Hayes walked in the locker room, the Miz accosted him and chewed him out for letting him get beat last week. Hayes responded by saying that this partnership between him and Miz was done because Miz was simply standing in his way when he was supposed to be watching his back. Hayes said that he was being cool about this because normally, he shoots first. He told Miz that “we good” before walking off.

U.S. Title Open Challenge: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Aleister Black

Before the match, Carmelo Hayes addressed Zayn, saying that this time it’d be different because nobody was here to cloud to his vision or judgement. He said that he’s been the best that he’d ever been. However, before Hayes could actually make his way to the ring, The Miz attacked him with a Skull Crushing Finale, which left him laying. WWE officials shooed Miz away as they checked up on the downed Hayes.

Aleister Black appeared and said he’d take the open challenge as this match got underway officially after that.

Zayn dropped Black with a series of arm drags before he transitioned into an hammerlock following the last one. Black escaped the hold and kicked Zayn in the face as he took over with strikes in the corner. Black maintained control with a boot to the face of Zayn, which left him trapped against the ropes momentarily. Black took us into the commercial break with a springboard moonsault on Zayn, as the challenger still had the upper hand.

We returned from the break with Zayn having fought back and battering Black with punch after punch in the corner, followed by repeated stomps to his foe’s head. Zayn leapfrogged above Black before he clotheslined him out of the ring. He followed that up with a moonsault from the apron that floored Black at ringside. Back in the ring, Zayn caught Black with a nice Michinoku Driver for the close kickout at two.

As Black recovered, he and Zayn got into a standing switch standoff until the challenger blasted him with a kick to the head and a German suplex. One, two… not quite. Zayn avoided a spinning kick and attempted a Blue Thunder Bomb, but got countered into a discus knee by Black instead. The challenger headed to the top rope, but Zayn intercepted and left him staggered long enough for a superplex that took both men out as we got another break in the action here.

Our match continued as Zayn headed to the top and took a leap, but he was skeetshotted with a kick by Black upon landing. That, however, was still not enough for Black to pick up the win and the U.S. Title. With both men on their feet, they exchanged strikes until Black gained the upper hand with strikes in the corner. In the midst of this, Zayn attempted a Helluva Kick, but Black dodged and responded with a top rope Meteora. One, two…. Zayn just managed to kick out! As Zayn was at Black’s mercy, Damian Priest appeared at ringside and created just enough of a distraction for Zayn to catch Black with a Helluva Kick, followed by the Blue Thunder Bomb. One, two, three. This one’s done.

After Zayn left the ring, Priest cleared the commentary table and hoisted the fallen Black above him. He then threw Black through the commentary table with a Razor’s Edge.

Sami Zayn def. Aleister Black via pinfall to retain the United States Championship

This was probably the weakest of Zayn’s U.S. Title Open challenge matches, but it was still an entertaining bout nonetheless. Zayn has proven himself a workhorse in the past few weeks and this match was no exception to that.

**********

– As SmackDown GM Nick Aldis was talking to NXT talents Zaria and Sol Ruca, he was interrupted by Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre, who were looking to recruit the team into the Secret Hervice. However, that turned sideways as the two instead found themselves booked in a match against Zaria and Ruca by Mr. Aldis.

Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre vs. Zaria & Sol Ruca

Zaria and Fyre opened the match for their respective teams with a lockup. Zaria grabbed Fyre by her throat and threw her into the corner and laid into her foe with a strike. As Fyre escaped, Zaria took her to the opposite corner and held her up with an elevated sleeper. The Australian followed that up with a top rope clothesline. After Green tagged herself in, Ruca entered the match and held her with an interesting modified tarantula hold of sorts, followed by an X-Factor for the near-fall.

The Secret Hervice showed some effective teamwork as they took out Ruca with a double team dropkick that sent the Women’s North American Champion to the outside. Zaria was taken out of the equation with a dive from Fyre. With Ruca isolated, Green and Fyre maintained control for a bit. Zaria eventually recovered and threw Fyre into the barricade. Back in the ring, Green fell victim to Ruca’s incredible Sol Snatcher cutter for the victory.

Zaria & Sol Ruca def. Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre via pinfall

A rather short match here, but it’s nice to see some variety in the SmackDown women’s roster in the form of some NXT stars showing up, and their eventual Women’s Tag Title match against Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair should be entertaining.

**********

– Backstage, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss were interviewed about the victorious team of Ruca and Zaria. The Women’s Tag Champions said that their potential challengers have proven themselves, but that they need to be ready when it’s their turn to challenge for Flair & Bliss’s titles. As the champs left, Bliss humorously imitated Flair’s “woooo”.

– A recap of Roman Reigns’ return on Raw this past Monday was shown. Reigns was also advertised to appear on next week’s edition of Raw.

– Cody Rhodes talked with Randy Orton, who said that nobody should care what Paul Heyman said earlier. The two exchanged a fistbump, their alliance seemingly stronger than ever.

Stephanie Vaquer vs. Tiffany Stratton contract signing

SmackDown GM Nick Aldis was in the ring to moderate this contract signing for Vaquer vs. Stratton for the Crown Jewel Championship at next week’s Crown Jewel event in Perth. Stratton was introduced first, followed by Vaquer.

Once both women in the ring, Vaquer took to the mic first. She said that she respected Stratton, and that even though she has only been Women’s World Champion for two weeks, she said she’d prove herself to be the best. “Let the best woman win,” said Vaquer.

Stratton answered that although she and Vaquer were the best women right now in WWE, she’d be the one to beat Vaquer at Crown Jewel. Stratton said that it didn’t matter if they were in Cincinnati or Perth or anywhere else, it’d always be Tiffy Time. Both women signed the contract amicably and shook hands. The contract signing ended without incident.

However, as Stratton was walking out, she was ambushed from behind by Giulia. Kiana James told Aldis not to notarize the contract just yet. James then tried to recruit Vaquer for her services, as she said Giulia outshined even Stratton as the top star on SmackDown. As James continued to talk, Stratton pulled James out and attacked her. Vaquer caught Giulia napping and had her hoisted up for the SVB, but the Women’s U.S. Champion managed to escape unscathed.

I low-key enjoyed this segment, if only for giving us something different in terms of Giulia potentially running back her rivalry against Women’s World Champion Vaquer. Even if it’s a tag match with Vaquer and Stratton vs. Giulia and James, it’s something I want to see to break up the monotony that the SmackDown women’s divison has been mired in for the last few months.

**********

– We got Earlier Today footage of Je’von Evans talking with Mr. Aldis about his future potentially involving a move to SmackDown. Rey Fenix appeared and got friendly with Evans, as Los Garza talked trash to the two. This led to Mr. Aldis scheduling a tag match with Fenix & Evans vs. Los Garza.

– A vignette from Jacob Fatu aired. He said that he was tired of people lying and talking out of their ass. Fatu declared that Drew McIntyre was going to the bottom, while he was headed straight to the top at the expense of the Scotsman.

Je’von Evans & Rey Fenix vs. Los Garza (Angel & Berto)

Evans caught Berto with a high-flying crossbody to start things off. Berto responded with a knee to the face as he then attacked Evans with punches to the face, followed by a hard kick. In the corner, Evans attempted to fight out of trouble, but got hit with a dropkick by Berto. The high-flying Evans countered with a springboard hurricanrana on Berto. Los Garza, however, caught the young gun with a double team kick to the face, followed by a punch.

Fenix entered the match and took flight with a tornillo dive that took Angel out. Berto then took out Fenix with a dive of his own. This was then followed by Evans soaring with a big time leap over the top rope that took everyone out as the action headed to a break.

SmackDown returned with Angel punching away at Fenix in the corner, until his foe escaped and caught him with a hard kick to the face. On the other side of the ring, Evans clotheslined Berto out of the ring. Things broke down a bit as Los Garza coordinated with a unique double team move where Berto kicked Evans while Angel held Fenix up. Despite that move, it still wasn’t enough to end this match.

Fenix and Angel took each other out with a clothesline as Evans got the hot tag. Evans hit Berto in with an elevated Cheeky Nandos kick before he dove onto both Angel and the cameraman at ringside. As Evans entered the ring, Berto tried to catch him by surprise with a rope-assisted pin, but the referee broke it up.

As Angel entered the ring, he fell victim to a rebound springboard kick by Evans as Fenix re-entered the match. Fenix lifted Berto up for the Mexican Muscle Buster, while Evans intercepted Angel with an OG Cutter. Fenix pinned Berto to pick up the victory for his team.

Rey Fenix & Je’von Evans def. Los Garza via pinfall

This was a great little match and if it was a tryout of sorts for Evans to be a part of the SmackDown roster moving forward, I’d say he passes, as his high-flying moveset is perfect to pop crowds.

**********

– As Damian Priest was interviewed about how far his rivalry with Aleister Black would go, Kit Wilson interrupted and told him that he’d do everything he can to stand up against what he saw as “toxic masculinity”. Priest answered by pushing Wilson on his wheelchair far enough to send him crashing into some pipes. Ultimately, Priest challenged Black to a Last Man Standing match for next week’s SmackDown.

– A vignette from Solo Sikoa and his M.F.T.s aired, focusing on Talla Tonga.

– The Street Profits were interviewed about their WWE Tag Title matches against the Wyatt Sicks on next week’s SmackDown. Montez Ford said that they weren’t just fighting for the Tag Titles, but they were fighting for each other. The Wyatt Sicks interrupted on the screen behind the Profits, and talked trash to their challengers.

Next Week on SmackDown

  • Tiffany Stratton & Stephanie Vaquer vs. Kiana James & Giulia
  • Last Man Standing: Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black
  • WWE Tag Team Championships: The Wyatt Sicks’ Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy vs. The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins)
  • Sami Zayn’s U.S. Title Open Challenge

Cody Rhodes & Randy Orton vs. The Vision (Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed)

Our main event kicked off with Orton facing off against Breakker in the middle of the ring. Orton quickly pushed Breakker into the corner and opened up with an European uppercut, followed by repeated punches to Breakker’s face. Orton followed it up with a clothesline over the top rope as we went to commercial not even a minute into this one.

SmackDown’s main event bout continued as Orton was in the grip of Bronson Reed. During the break, Orton was dropped across the announce table by Reed, which led us to this point in the match. Back to live action, Reed ran shoulder-first into the steel post after Orton dodged at the last second. Rhodes entered the match with a tag, as he took out Reed with a Disaster Kick. Both Reed and Breakker were taken out to the ringside area and fell victim to a suicide dive by the Undisputed WWE Champion.

Back in the ring, Breakker struck Rhodes from behind while Reed had the referee distracted, as Reed seized the opportunity to punish his foe with clubbing blows. Rhodes turned it around with a dropdown uppercut, but found himself on the receiving end of a World’s Strongest Slam by Reed. Breakker tagged in and absolutely blasted Rhodes with a charged clothesline and we once again headed to one last commercial break in the midst of the action.

As we returned from the break, it was still The Vision in the driver’s seat as the Brons kept Rhodes isolated in their corner. Rhodes managed to kick Breakker away in the hopes of getting a tag, but Reed stamped out those hopes. The Undisputed WWE Champion avoided a Reed senton, which finally allowed Orton to get the hot tag.

It was classic Orton at his best as he hit his signature powerslam on both Breakker and Reed. However, the titanic Australian responded with the Jagged Edge on Orton. Reed tried to head to the top rope, but Orton recovered and met him at the pass with a massive superplex. Breakker managed to break up the pin at two. Rhodes and Breakker fought as the hotshot flew from the apron and took out Rhodes with a diving clothesline through the barricade.

In the ring, Orton had Reed scouted for the RKO, but Paul Heyman created a distraction as Seth Rollins stepped in and stomped Orton. This allowed Reed to pick up the victory with a Tsunami.

After the match, Rollins told Breakker and Reed to back off while Rhodes was in the ring to check up on Orton. Heyman advised Rollins not to go in for the kill, but to no avail. Rollins tried to go for a Stomp, but Rhodes avoided it and instead caught Rollins with the Cross Rhodes to end SmackDown.

The Vision (Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed) def. Randy Orton & Cody Rhodes via pinfall

**********

Above average main event, but the Brons getting the victory was the right call, perhaps to further tease the Orton & Rhodes dissention mentioned at the top of the show.

Despite that, I quite enjoyed this week’s NXT-infused edition of SmackDown. The matches were all good and as a result, the two hours flew by quickly. As always, Sami Zayn’s U.S. Title Open Challenge was the standout (distraction finish aside), but the Evans/Fenix vs. Los Garza tag match was solid action too. All in all, tonight was entertaining.

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.

WWE Raw notes: Becky Lynch & Nikki Bella, name for Seth Rollins’ group, Gunther

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Notes from WWE Raw.

Nikki Bella returned once again on Monday’s show, confronting Becky Lynch and challenging her for the Women’s Intercontinental title. Words were exchanged and it quickly became personal, with Bella calling Lynch a liar just like her husband while Lynch took shots at her former relationship with John Cena and Bella’s cut part from ‘Happy Gilmore 2’. The segment ended with Lynch giving Bella a sucker punch before fleeing the ring.

Lynch’s husband, Seth Rollins, opened the show and talked about his successful cash-in during the first night of SummerSlam on Saturday gleefully talking about how he fooled everyone with his knee injury. He ended his promo by declaring he has absolute power now and revealed the name of his new group: The Vision.

LA Knight came out and said that since he was the last one to beat Rollins, he should get the next shot at the title. Rollins balked at the idea, but that led to GM Adam Pearce arriving. He said he didn’t like that Rollins’ medical team gave WWE’s medical team false information and as a result, booked a World title match between the two for later in the show, with both Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed banned from ringside.

Knight and Rollins did end up wrestling in the main event, but the match ended in a DQ when an enraged CM Punk attacked Rollins, seeking his revenge from SummerSlam. Breakker and Reed came out for the save but was interrupted by Roman Reigns. Regardless, even the OTC was no match for the Vision, as he was taken out with a spear by Breakker and a tsunami from Reed from two corners, stealing Reigns’s shoes once again for good measure. The last image from Raw was the new stable standing tall over Reigns, Punk, and Knight.

One person who wasn’t on Raw was Gunther, who lost the World title to Punk on Saturday. It was announced on the show that he had suffered a septal hematoma and an orbital blowout fracture during the closing moments from the match and as a result, would be out of action indefinitely. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that Gunther is going to have surgery on his nose, and the blood angle during his match was planned.

WWE files trademark for potential Seth Rollins stable name

Posted on by Ian Carey

WWE has filed a new trademark.

The company filed to trademark the name “The Vision” for wrestling purposes on Saturday, August 2. Lauren A. Dienes-Middlen was listed as WWE’s attorney of record on the filing.

The purposes of the trademark are listed as:

“Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered live and through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service; providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; providing information in the fields of sports and entertainment via an online community portal; providing a website in the field of sports entertainment information; fan club services, namely, organizing sporting events in the field of wrestling for wrestling fan club members; organizing social entertainment events for entertainment purposes for wrestling fan club members; providing online newsletters in the fields of sports entertainment; online journals, namely blogs, in the field of sports entertainment”

Some are speculating The Vision could be the name given to Seth Rollins’ faction with Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed.

Other trademarks recently filed by WWE include “Superbrawl,” which was filed for on July 22. WWE filed to trademark Heyman’s nickname “The Oracle” on July 26. The company filed to trademark “WWE Late Night” on June 20. Blake Monroe’s new NXT ring name was filed for on June 10. The name of Chelsea Green’s Secret Her-vice team of Alba Fyre and Piper Niven was filed for on May 19. And WWE filed to trademark King of the Luchadores on May 18, 2025 and The High Ryze on May 12.