Date: August 31, 2025
Location: Paris La Défense Arena in Paris, France
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Show Recap —
COUNTDOWN SHOW —
They announced right away that Roman Reigns’ match against Bronson Reed would open today’s PLE in two hours.
Michael Cole, Big E, and Wade Barrett hosted the pre-show while standing at a podium in the ring.
Barrett mentioned that Cole was featured in a New York Times piece highlighting the most impactful sports TV play-by-play voices of the 21st century. Barrett put over Cole as the GOAT in the industry.
(It was an article written by The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch, a long-time wrestling fan, mentioning Cole and Jim Ross together as the top wrestling voices since 2000. They were actually honourable mentions in the article, as the actual list is only 25 people to mark the first 25 years of this century. Joe Tessitore is on the list of 25 for his work in football.)
Interviews with CM Punk and Jey Uso
Cathy Kelley interviewed CM Punk. Punk knew what it was like being in Seth Rollins’ shoes. He was the world champion and surrounded himself with goofs to ensure he remained champion, and that didn’t work out so well. The odds were not in Rollins’ favour, no matter who he had in his corner. Punk’s hand would be raised after he put everyone to sleep. (Punk also mentioned that Jey Uso had a “receipt” coming for superkicking him on Raw.)
Peter Rosenberg interviewed Jey Uso. Jey said he’s been eating nothing but bread and soup because Paris didn’t have a Waffle House. Jey said tonight was not about friends. He would kick everyone in the face tonight and hold the world title again. (Barrett couldn’t believe Jey’s diet, considering they were in France.)
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There was a long break, or depending on how you’re watching, highlights of Damian Priest beating Jey Uso at Backlash last year in Paris to retain the world title.
They killed more time with a video package on the boisterous international fans.
Interview with Paul “Triple H” Levesque
Kelley interviewed Paul Levesque. It was funny because she asked him about the show, and he kept talking about how loud the crowd would be. He finally did mention the big matches, but went right back to the crowd and how they would put the show over the top. (Basically admitting they’re relying on the international fans to put some gloss on the lacklustre card.)
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Jackie Redmond and Rosenberg replaced Cole and Barrett on the panel. There are a lot of fans already in the building (more than usual at this point), and they’ve got nothing to do but watch the talking heads for another hour.
Interview with The Street Profits & B-Fab
Kelley interviewed The Street Profits and B-Fab. She asked about Bo Dallas’ comment about them not being a real family. B-Fab said the Street Profits had a tight bond after being together for eight years.
Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins looked like they couldn’t be less excited to be there. Dawkins simply reiterated what B-Fab said, and Ford didn’t even speak. Big E even pointed out how odd their demeanour was.
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Interviews with Sheamus and LA Knight
Nadir Mohemmedi (WWE’s French announcer) interviewed Sheamus, who was a billion times more excited than the Street Profits. He tried to create a new chant for the Paris fans for his match later on.
Redmond sat down with LA Knight, who was very focused on winning the world title. He said he should have had more title shots than he’s already had in his tenure, and he was hungrier than everyone in the match. It was his time. Knight didn’t want the interview to end before bringing something up. He basically thought Jey’s “Yeet” and sunglasses were just a rip-off of what he was doing already before Jey took off.
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Rosenberg noted that Jey Uso was the youngest challenger in the world title match at 40 years old.
The panellists spoke about John Cena vs. Logan Paul as the pre-show came to an end.
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CLASH IN PARIS MAIN SHOW —
Jey Uso, CM Punk, LA Knight, Seth Rollins & The Vision, Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella, and Logan Paul were shown arriving at the venue in Paris.
Roman Reigns vs. Bronson Reed (w/Paul Heyman)
Reigns entered to a massive reaction. The opening bell rang at 2:14 pm ET. Reigns and Reed stalled for three minutes before they really got going.
Reigns had the early edge until he failed to hit a Samoan drop. Reigns collapsed under Reed’s weight, and Reed followed by slamming Reigns on the announce table. Reed cleared one announce table, but Reigns fought him off and cleared the other table. Back in the ring, Reed hit a World’s Strongest Slam for two.
Reed took control and held a chinlock for a full minute until Reigns began fighting back, but Reed cut him off with a Samoan drop. Reed posed with the shoe-la fala before cutting off Reigns again.
Reed tried to remove Reigns’ shoes, but Reigns fought back with clotheslines and uppercuts. Reed didn’t go down, so Reigns clotheslined him out of the ring and hit a drive-by dropkick. Reed blocked a Superman punch and hit a uranage and senton for two. Reed avoided a Superman punch again and hit a DVD for two.
Reed was about to fly through the ropes with Reigns outside the ring, but Reigns cut him off with a Superman punch and another one in the ring for two. Reigns went for a spear, but Reed caught him with a dropkick and followed with a suicide dive.
Reed slipped Reigns into the ring and went for a Tsunami, but Reigns rolled out of the way. There was a cool spot where Reigns went for a spear, but Reed blocked it by literally just planting in place, and he followed with a sit-out powerbomb for two.
Reed went to the top again, but Reigns hit a Superman punch and a Samoan drop off the middle rope. Reigns followed with a spear for the pinfall win.
— After the match, Reigns posed on the announce table as Heyman checked on Reed. Reigns confronted Heyman as Heyman begged off.
Heyman gave Reigns his shoes. Reigns smiled and raised them high in the air as the fans cheered, which was funny. Reigns then grabbed Heyman in a guillotine and choked him out.
Reigns signed his old shoes and chucked them into the crowd as he stood on the announce table. Bron Breakker suddenly appeared, and he speared Reigns through the announce table.
Breakker and Reed dragged a lifeless Heyman to the back as officials helped Reigns to his feet. Reigns did not want their help as he talked around ringside. Breakker looked back and saw what was happening, so he sprinted down the aisle and speared Reigns again. They brought him into the ring, and Reed hit a Tsunami.
Medics strapped Reigns onto a stretcher, leaving him helpless, so Reed ran back down and hit another Tsunami.
Jey Uso ran out in his street clothes (and no music) to chase the heels from the ring. However, Breakker laid him out with a spear. Reed wanted to give Jey a Tsunami, but officials got in his way, so Reed ran around the ring and hit Reigns with another one.
They finally got Reigns onto a stretcher, and Jey accompanied him with medics to the back.
Match result: Roman Reigns defeated Bronson Reed (22:07)
The match was about what you’d expect from a Roman Reigns match. The bulk of it was pretty simple, but Reigns gave Reed a lot, and the last few minutes were pretty entertaining. As Triple H predicted on the pre-show, the fans helped put this over the top.
The post-match stuff was good, but it went on for a very long time. The show was 52 minutes old by the time this was over, and everyone in charge looked incompetent for letting the heels get away with all of this. (It was also pretty transparent that this was done to give Reigns more time off.)
Jey waiting to help Reigns made sense based on the conversation they had on Raw. And if Jey loses later (after getting speared here while trying to help), Reigns was right about Jey worrying too much about others.
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After a commercial, a livid Adam Pearce kicked Reed and Breakker out of the building. They weren’t happy about that because Rollins’ match was happening later, but he said they would be suspended without pay if they did not leave.
Jelly Roll and Post Malone were together in the crowd.
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The Street Profits were Borderlands-inspired gear.
The second match began 61 minutes into the show.
WWE Tag Team Championships: Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy (c) (w/Uncle Howdy, Nikki Cross & Erick Rowan) vs. The Street Profits (w/B-Fab)
Angelo Dawkins sent Montez Ford to the apron because he wanted to start the match. Ford tagged himself in after Dawkins’ initial exchange with Dexter Lumis didn’t go well. The Wyatts worked over Ford until Dawkins made a hot tag. Dawkins ran wild and hit Gacy with a senton bomb for two.
The teams exchanged moves until Dawkins and Ford hit Gacy with an electric chair drop/blockbuster combo, but Lumis broke up the cover. Ford missed a frog splash, which led to a messed-up spot. Gacy went to use Lumis as a weapon, but Ford just fell down before being hit, and Gacy dropped Lumis on top of him. They got a two count after Dawkins broke up the cover.
Dawkins tackled Gacy into the barricade but became distracted by Rowan, so Lumis tackled Dawkins over the barricade. Ford wiped out Lumis and Rowan with his crazy leaping dive over the corner turnbuckle.
Hiding under the ring, Nikki Cross grabbed Ford by his leg to prevent him from getting back in the ring. Uncle Howdy gave Ford a Sister Abigail outside the ring before Gacy and Lumis gave him a combo sit-out powerbomb/neckbreaker for the pinfall win. (Their finisher is called “The Plague.”)
Match result: The Wyatt Sicks (Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy) defeated The Street Profits to retain the WWE Tag Team Championships (13:12)
Again, about what you’d expect. A normal match where the good team did not win. The crowd liked the Street Profits, but the fans did not elevate this match the way Triple H hoped (based on his pre-show comments).
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Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Nikki Bella
Lynch had control for a while until Bella came back with forearms and a clothesline, before bouncing Lynch’s head repeatedly off both announce tables.
This was followed by the biggest whiff you’ll see in a WWE match. Bella went for a springboard kick (Disaster kick), but Lynch was nowhere close to her. Bella went for the move anyway and missed by ten feet. Lynch realized what happened and made a cover for two.
A few minutes later, Lynch hit a superplex for two, but as soon as Bella kicked out, Lynch applied an armbar. Bella slipped out of it and applied the “Fearless lock” (STF variation), but Lynch slipped out. Bella followed with an electric chair drop. Bella applied the “Fearless lock” again, but Lynch got a rope break.
They fought to the outside and stood atop the steel steps. Lynch wanted to try a Man-handle slam off the steps, but Bella bashed Lynch’s head repeatedly against the ring post. Bella followed with an X-factor on the steps. Bella hit a Man-handle slam in the ring for two.
Bella applied a Disarmer, but Lynch fought out. Lynch shoved Bella neck-first into the middle rope and followed with a backslide for the abrupt pinfall win.
(Lynch won with a backslide recently, and it might be her version of Bryan Danielson’s small package. Barrett dubbed it the “Lynch pin.”)
Match result: Becky Lynch defeated Nikki Bella to retain the Women’s Intercontinental Championship (13:07)
This was not good.
A problem for Lynch right now, particularly as a heel, is a lack of interesting opponents, and a returning Nikki Bella was not the answer.
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Pearce checked on Jey Uso as he was being tended to backstage. Pearce asked if he still wanted to fight tonight. Jey obviously said yes. Jey said Reigns told him to fight for himself and win the world title, and he planned on doing just that.
UFC fighter Morgan Charrière was at ringside.
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Alicia Taylor read the match rules. It’s a street fight. You can win by pinfall or submission.
Good Ol’ Fashioned Donnybrook match: Sheamus vs. Rusev
Rusev hit Sheamus with ten beats of the Bodhrán, but Sheamus fought back with a kendo stick. Sheamus tried to use a steel chair, but Rusev hit a spinning heel kick. There were some chants of “Rusev Day” early in the match, and Rusev covered his ears to block them out.
Rusev tried to use the chair, but Sheamus nailed a knee strike for two. Sheamus hit ten+ beats of the Bodhrán and did it again while holding Rusev against a fake bartop at ringside. Rusev tried to escape into the crowd, so Sheamus did ten beats of the Bodhrán again, this time with a shillelagh. Sheamus followed with a Razor’s Edge in the ring for two.
Rusev left the ring to avoid a Brogue Kick, so Sheamus tried a dive off the top, but Rusev nailed him with a kendo stick mid-air. Rusev gave Sheamus a Uranage off the steel steps and through the fake wooden bar (which didn’t look fun for Sheamus). Rusev applied an Accolade in the ring, but Sheamus fought to his feet and slammed Rusev onto some steel chairs.
They found themselves atop of some whisky barrels stacked up at ringside. Rusev applied an Accolade, but Sheamus fought out again. Sheamus hit a White Noise off the whisky barrels and through two tables.
Rusev got to his feet first when they entered the ring, and he grabbed a shillelagh, but before he could use it, Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick for a close nearfall. The crowd began singing as each man exchanged blows. Rusev hit a thrust kick before smashing the shillelagh across Sheamus’ back for a nearfall.
The shillelagh snapped in half, so Rusev grabbed it and used it to apply the Accolade again. Rusev bent all the way back with the shillelagh piece wedge in Sheamus’ mouth. Sheamus had nowhere to go, so he tapped out, which stunned the crowd.
(Cole was very quick to point out this was the second time to his knowledge that Sheamus tapped out. I guess he was ready.)
Match result: Rusev defeated Sheamus (20:06)
This was a pretty entertaining street fight with some contrived spots mixed in. He probably doesn’t have much upward mobility, but if they want to do anything at all with Rusev, he needed this win.
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As he did on the pre-show, Barrett mentioned an article in The New York Times (The Athletic) calling Michael Cole one of the most impactful sports play-by-play voices of the 21st century. (As I referenced above, the actual list only had 25 names, and Cole was really an honourable mention alongside Jim Ross. The article was written by long-time wrestling fan Richard Deitsch.)
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John Cena vs. Logan Paul
Cena received a massive ovation and chants of “Thank you, Cena.” The fans sang along as Alicia Taylor read his introduction.
Paul used his titanium-plated fist to his advantage early in the match. Cena fought back and did the softest-looking ten punches in the corner. Cena tried a monkey flip, but Paul landed on his feet (to his own surprise) and booted Cena. Paul hit a middle rope blockbuster for two and a delayed vertical suplex for two.
Fans sang for Cena as he fought out of a rest hold, but Paul hit a gutwrench slam. Paul hit a running corner uppercut, and Cole referenced Cesaro.
Cena did his usual comeback spots to the delight of the crowd. Paul responded with his version of the Buckshot Lariat for two. Cena got his knees up on a frog splash attempt and hit an AA for a nearfall. They traded counters until Cena applied an STFU, but Paul got a rope break. Cena hit a tornado DDT for two, and Paul hit an overbomb for two.
Cena slowly did his comeback spots again until Paul nailed a Dolph Ziggler Zig-Zag for two. Cena followed with a move resembling Baron Corbin’s End of Days for two. Paul hit a senton bomb and a standing moonsault for two. Cena hit a double underhook facebuster for two. Paul followed with a pop-up uppercut, another Cesaro/Claudio spot, for two.
Paul did Cena’s comeback spots, but Cena caught him with an AA for a nearfall. Cena followed with a Code Red for two. Cena came off the ropes, but Paul punched him with his titanium-plated hand for a nearfall. Paul kipped up and hit consecutive frog splashes, but Cena kicked out.
Paul did the You Can’t See Me gesture and hit the five knuckle shuffle, but Cena nailed a Styles Clash for a nearfall. (The fans sang their AJ Styles song.)
Paul tried a flying crossbody, but Cena rolled through (which the fans saw coming) and hit an AA. Cena went for another AA, but Paul slipped out and nailed a punch. Cena ducked a second punch and hit an AA for the pinfall win.
— Cena embraced a young fan at ringside after the match. It was the same fan who wound up on the big screen when he was targeted by Cena in his heel promo months ago. Cena also kissed his wife, Shay, before embracing Jelly Roll and Post Malone.
Cena posed for the Paris fans as they gave him a final ovation.
Match result: John Cena defeated Logan Paul (26:24)
It wasn’t exactly a smooth match, and it was never going to be, but it was a pretty fun match and a nice celebratory moment for Cena.
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Cole thanked Peacock for their partnership over the last five years.
Philippe Chéreau announced a crowd of 30,343. They congratulated themselves on breaking the arena’s gate record.
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Jackie Redmond asked Seth Rollins about being alone tonight. Rollins said he never needed anyone. He was a multi-time world champion and the greatest in-ring performer in history. He passionately said his catchphrase as the fans loudly sang along with the heel. Rollins said if he couldn’t defend the title on his own, maybe he didn’t deserve to be champion.
Cole confirmed that Heyman and Reigns were each sent to the hospital after the earlier angle, and Barrett confirmed that Breakker and Reed were ejected.
Fatal Four-Way for the World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. CM Punk vs. LA Knight vs. Jey Uso
Each man entered, songs were sung, catchphrases were chanted, and the match began.
As the four men sized each other up, Punk kicked Jey out of the ring as payback from Raw. Rollins bailed from the ring, leaving Knight and Punk. Knight got the better of their exchange, but Rollins slipped back in to take advantage. Jey and Knight took turns punching Rollins, which was designed to get the fans to chant Yeet and Yeah.
If you haven’t gotten enough of wrestlers doing other wrestlers’ spots tonight, Rollins did Punk and Jey spots. Rollins found himself surrounded by the babyfaces, so they all put the boots to him. Of course, Punk and Knight couldn’t get along because they wanted to get their hands on Rollins.
Jey talked them into working together, so they all took turns hitting spots on Rollins. Jey and Punk decided to Yeet, but Knight thought they should focus and get a table. Punk told Jey to get the tables like he was Bubba Ray Dudley.
Jey did help Punk get a table before superkicking him. Jey also superkicked Knight before going after Rollins in the crowd. Rollins fought off Jey, but Punk wiped out Rollins and Knight with a dive off the barricade.
They all wound up back in the ring and traded spots until Rollins hit Punk with a Pedigree. Rollins hit Knight with a buckle bomb for two and Jey with a frog splash for two.
It was Knight’s turn to shine, and he hit moves on all three opponents. It was Punk’s turn next as he got to do a tower of doom spot, bringing down Knight and Jey with a powerbomb for a two count.
Moments later, Knight knocked Punk off the apron and through a table (as Punk did to Knight on Raw). Knight shrugged as Punk did and hit Rollins with a BFT, but Jey broke up the cover. Jey and Knight traded punches, and you can guess how the crowd responded.
Knight repeatedly bounced Jey’s head off the announce table before doing the same to Rollins. Knight placed Rollins on a table and went to the apron. He had to fight off Jey before heading to the top for a flying elbow drop, but that distraction allowed Rollins to move, and Knight crashed through the table. (That was it for Knight in the match.)
Jey went for a spear on Rollins, but he countered into a Pedigree for two. Jey fought back and hit an Uso splash, but Punk broke up the cover with an elbow drop. Punk hit Jey with GTS, but Rollins stomped Punk for a nearfall.
It was time to get to the finish because Rollins began screaming at Punk about how much he hated him and his family. Rollins hit curb stomps to Jey and Knight outside the ring.
Rollins placed Punk’s head between a chair, but Punk avoided a curb stomp. Punk hit a GTS, Rollins fell back into the ropes and back onto Punk’s shoulders.
Punk set up for another GTS, but he was low-blowed from behind by a hooded figure.
It was Becky Lynch. Rollins stomped Punk’s head onto a chair for the pinfall win. Rollins retains.
— Rollins and Lynch celebrated together as the show ended.
Match result: Seth Rollins defeated CM Punk, Jey Uso, and LA Knight in a fatal four-way to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (24:50)
The match was fine, but so much of it felt primarily designed to get people to chant and sing and do whatever until we go to the actual important thing at the end. In the pre-show, Levesque said the crowd would put the show over the top, but you shouldn’t be relying on that.
I do like pairing Lynch and Rollins together in his group. It didn’t work before when they were babyfaces, but it can work now. Lynch needed something, I think, and this could help. Rollins said he hated Punk’s family, so Lynch being added to the group right now is almost certainly headed somewhere.
