Wrestling Ratings- WWE Royal Rumble 2026

 

Location- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Venue- Riyadh Season Stadium, King Abdullah Financial District

Commentary- Michael Cole & Wade Barrett

Women’s Royal Rumble Match

Winner- Liv Morgan

Rating- 7/10

AJ Styles VS Gunther- If AJ Loses, He Must Retire

Winner- Gunther

Rating- 8/10

Sami Zayn VS Drew McIntyre (Champion)- WWE Undisputed Championship

Winner- Drew McIntyre 

Rating-6/10

Men’s Royal Rumble Match

Winner- Roman Reigns 

Rating- 5/10

Overall Thoughts- Sami VS Drew really picked up towards the end. Loved the trash talking from Drew, the hard slaps across the face, and a clearly exhausted Sami fighting back. I never believed Sami had a real shot at winning the belt, because we’re too close to Wrestlemania, so maybe there’s a chance they’re saving Zayn’s big moment for Vegas. Still, a solid match, and I’m glad they’re giving Drew a real sustained run as champion. 

Styles VS Gunther is my pick for the best match at the Rumble. AJ emptied the tank. Styles threw everything he had at Gunther to keep his career alive, but The Ring General was just too much for him. Too relentless, too nasty, and too physical. AJ tried to make that one last push to win, but Gunther shut down all of his comeback attempts.

Gunther is reaching a point, where he doesn’t necessarily need a world title. Goldberg, Cena, and now Styles. Gunther has retired a number of big legends, but sometimes I get the feeling Gunther’s character is becoming a bit too comical and hokey. Staying in the realm of “Legend Killers,” Randy Orton was far more sadistic and mean-spirited, when he bullied and went up against Mick Foley and other veteran wrestlers, who were either retired or still active. A really good match, and AJ strikes me as one of those guys, who’ll be serious about staying retired.

The women had the better Royal Rumble match. The best friends forever stuff between Alexa Bliss and Charlotte was good for a few laughs. The comedy spots were well-placed, and the overall match had a better flow to it. The women’s Rumble did an excellent job of pushing and showcasing the women from NXT and new, or newer faces on the main roster, including Lash Legend, Jacy Jayne, Lola Vice, Sol Ruca, and Giulia. Also, Liv finally winning the big one works as a feel good story.

The Men’s Royal Rumble wasn’t terrible, but it was painfully obvious Reigns was winning this one. Cody winning three years in a row would’ve been overkill. Yes, the Rumble had numerous main event or main event ready guys. But looking at the landscape for WWE’s world title picture across Raw and Smackdown, Reigns was really the only guy, who made sense to win the whole thing.

If I had to pick out a few positives from the Men’s Rumble, I’d have to go with Oba Femi and Je’Von Evans. Femi made a strong impression with a dominant run before his elimination. Evans showed off his endurance. He had a number of impressive high spots, and Evans’ close calls for escaping eliminations really worked.   

Show Highlights-

-Liv Morgan wins Women’s Royal Rumble 

-Brie Bella returns during Women’s Royal Rumble

-Tiffany Stratton returns as the 30th entrant in the Rumble

-Gunther retires AJ Styles, Styles seemingly puts an end to his in-ring career during post-match farewell 

-Drew McIntyre retains WWE Undisputed Championship

-Mysterious hooded man attacks Bron Breakker before entering the Rumble, Breakker is instantly eliminated by Oba Femi

-Royce Keys/Powerhouse Hobbs debuts in Men’s Royal Rumble match

-Roman Reigns wins Men’s Royal Rumble

Overall Rating- 6/10

Wrestling Ratings-WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event- January 24, 2026

 

Location- Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Venue- Bell Centre

Host- Stephanie McMahon

Commentary- Wade Barrett & Michael Cole

Jacob Fatu VS Cody Rhodes

Winner- No match after Jacob attacked Cody during his entrance

Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky (Champions) VS Roxanne Perez & Liv Morgan- WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

Winners- Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky

Rating- 8/10

AJ Styles VS Shinsuke Nakamura

Winner- AJ Styles

Rating- 8/10

Trick Williams VS Randy Orton VS Damian Preist VS Sami Zayn- Number One Contender’s Match For WWE Undisputed Championship

Winner- Sami Zayn

Rating- 6/10

Overall Thoughts- A definitive winner for Fatu VS Rhodes would’ve killed the loser’s momentum. Cody would’ve recovered soon enough, but I’m not so sure about Jacob, and we’re too close to Wrestlemania now. The brawling angle works as an emergency exit escape route, and Drew stands tall at the end.

Rhea and Iyo have excellent chemistry as a tag team. Roxanne always does a good job of playing the bratty and obnoxious heel. She forms a perfect pairing with Liv, and there’s no real reason to take the titles off Rhyio now. A really good match, with some nice near falls, and Rhyio continues their dominance as the champs. 

AJ Styles and Nakamura had a hard hitting, physical, and grueling match. The simple story of two respected veterans beating the piss out of each other surpassed my expectations for this one. Nakamura proved he can still rise to the challenge. AJ? Yes, we’re in the middle of his farewell run, but there’s no denying he can still bring it a high level.

Sami Zayn was the right choice to win the Fatal Four-Way, but I still believe WWE should’ve put the title on Sami at Elimination Chamber 2023. It was a perfect storm scenario. That crowd was white hot, Sami had a ton of momentum during the Bloodline drama, playing the scrappy babyface, who was sick and tired of dealing with Roman Reigns being a manipulative bully. Sure, if Sami wins the title at Wrestlemania (if that’s the plan), he’ll get a nice reception, but WWE really missed a big opportunity in 2023.

The match itself was fine. Just about what’d you expect from a Fatal Four-Way: lots of near falls, everyone scrambling for a quick pin cover, and Trick Williams had a few moments. Not a bad match at all, but Sami winning was pretty much a foregone conclusion. 

Show Highlights-

-Jacob Fatu and Cody Rhodes brawl throughout the arena, Drew McIntyre gets involved 

-Rhyio retains, Raquel interferes, but Stephanie Vaquer intervenes

-AJ Styles defeats Shinsuke Nakamura 

-Sami Zayn becomes the number one contender to face Drew McIntyre for the WWE Undisputed Championship 

-Zayn thwarts McIntyre’s post-match attack

Overall Rating- 7/10

Wrestling Ratings- WWE Survivor Series: War Games (2025)

 

Location- San Diego, California

Venue- Petco Park

Commentary- Michael Cole & Wade Barrett

Team Rhea (Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, AJ Lee) VS Team Asuka (Asuka, Nia Jax, Kairi Sane, Lash Legend, Becky Lynch)- Women’s War Games Match

Winners- Team Rhea

Rating- 7/10

Dominik Mysterio VS John Cena (Champion)- Intercontinental Championship

Winner & New Intercontinental Champion- Dominik Mysterio

Rating- 8/10

Stephanie Vaquer (Champion) VS Nikki Bella- Women’s World Championship

Winner- Stephanie Vaquer

Rating- 5/10

Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, Bron Breakker, & Bronson Reed VS Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, & The Usos- Men’s War Games Match

Winners- Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, Bron Breakker, & Bronson Reed

Rating- 6/10

Overall Thoughts- I never believed Stephanie Vaquer was in any danger of losing the title. Of course, a lot of the big names in the women’s division were busy with War Games. Nikki Bella is a veteran with a good amount of name value, so she’s more than capable of filling the role of a credible challenger. Nothing extraordinary overall, but the match was just fine, and Stephanie retaining was the right move.

Cena VS Dirty Dom easily takes the spot for the best match on the card. An electric crowd, some good sneaky heel tactics from Mysterio, and all the shenanigans from Raquel, Dom, and Roxanne added to the insanity throughout the match. Predicting a winner wasn’t so easy, because I genuinely believed there was a real chance Cena walked into his final match with Gunther as the IC Champion. A fun match overall, capped off by Liv Morgan’s big return, and Dom stealing the championship away from Cena.

The women delivered the best War Games match. I’m kind of burnt out on Iyo’s annual trash can spot, but there’s no denying it still looks cool, and the live crowds want to see her jump off the top of the cage. The women’s match had a better flow to it, AJ got the best of Becky again, and I got good laugh out of AJ needing help from Rhea to pass the garbage can to Iyo. 

The men’s War Games match? Yes, the match was loaded with star power. Legitimate main event wrestlers, Wrestlemania main eventers, former world champions, and guys, who were apart of WWE’s biggest feuds for years. But this match never kicked into the high gears that I was hoping for. A lot of big names in the cage, but the match just didn’t live up to the hype.

I kind of wish WWE would move past War Games matches being a staple for Survivor Series. On the flip side of that, I guess going back to the Raw VS Smackdown matches would be the alternative. I could never get into the brand supremacy stuff, because it’s just too silly. I have a hard time buying into Raw wrestlers hating Smackdown wrestlers or vice versa. Everyone on both teams works for WWE, when it’s all said and done, so it’s hard to flip the suspension of disbelief switch. 

Show Highlights-

-Liv Morgan returns

-Dominik Mysterio wins the Intercontinental Championship

-Team Rhea wins Women’s War Games match

-Mysterious masked man attacks CM Punk, Bron Breakker scores pinfall victory over Punk to pick up the win for his team

Overall Rating- 6/10

Wrestling Ratings- AEW World’s End (2025)

Location- Hoffman Estates, Illinois

Venue- Now Arena

Commentary- Bryan Danielson, Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, & Excalibur

Sisters Of Sin (Julia Hart & Skye Blue) VS Hyan & Maya World 

Winners- Sisters Of Sin

Rating- 5/10

Eddie Kingston VS Zack Gibson (With James Drake)

Winner- Eddie Kingston

Rating- 5/10

Mascara Dorada & Bandido VS Don Callis Family (Mark Davis  & Rocky Romero

Winners- Mascara Dorada & Bandido

Rating- 7/10

JetSpeed (Kevin Knight & Mike Bailey) & Jurassic Express (Jack Perry & Luchasaurus) VS Josh Alexander & The Demand (Ricochet, Bishop Kaun, & Toa Liona)

Winners- JetSpeed & Jurassic Express

Rating- 5/10

Kazuchika Okada (AEW Continental Champion & AEW Unified Champion) VS Konosuke Takeshita- Continental Classic Semifinal 

Winner- Kazuchika Okada

Rating- 8/10

Jon Moxley VS Kyle Fletcher- Continental Classic Semifinal

Winner- Jon Moxley

Rating- 8/10

FTR VS Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson & Austin Gunn)- Chicago Street Fight- AEW World Tag Team Championships

Winners- FTR

Rating- 3/10

The Babes Of Wrath (Harley Cameron & Willow Nightingale)(Champions) VS Mercedes Mone & Athena- AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championships

Winners- The Babes Of Wrath

Rating- 6/10

Darby Allin VS Gabe Kidd

Winner- Darby Allin

Rating- 7/10

Toni Storm, Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong, Mark Briscoe VS Death Riders- Mixed Nuts Mayhem 

Winners- Toni Storm, Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong, & Mark Briscoe

Rating-7/10

Kris Statlander (Champion) VS Jamie  Hayter- AEW Women’s World Champion

Winner- Kris Statlander

Rating- 6/10

Jon Moxley VS Kazuchika Okada (Champion)- Continental Classic Final

Winner & New AEW Continental Champion- Jon Moxley 

Rating- 6/10

MJF VS Swerve Strickland VS Hangman Adam Page VS Samoa Joe (Champion)- Four-Way Match- AEW World Championship

Winner & New AEW World Champion- MJF

Rating- 7/10

Overall Thoughts- Okada and Takeshita opened the show with a bang. An excellent hard hitting match between both men, followed by another good match with Moxley and Fletcher. The Chicago Street Fight was the worst match of the night for me. The “HOLY SHIT!” moments fell flat. Too many misfires, and overall, the entire match just felt like a clunky mess.

I had a lot fun with Mixed Nuts Mayhem. Just a completely wild and bonkers match, where the comedy actually worked without feeling too forced. They did a wonderful job of playing out the battle between the mean and nasty Death Riders going up against a bunch of unhinged nutcases (mainly Toni Storm and Mark Briscoe), and Toni Storm is genuinely hilarious.

MJF winning the world title was the right move. The guy is a legit total package all around. Putting the title back on Hangman so soon wouldn’t have made any sense. Swerve needs more time to work his way back into things, so when he eventually wins, it’ll really mean something. Samoa Joe? He was a good veteran heel champion. Joe brings credibility as a main event guy, the tough and mean ass-kicker, who can still get the job done inside the ring. 

I’m not a fan of tournaments in wrestling, but World’s End was a solid show. I never believed Statlander was in any real danger of losing, but the match with Hayter still worked as a tough and competitive contest, where both women beat the snot of out each other. 

Show Highlights-

-Ortiz returns, saves Kingston from post match beatdown from Gibson and Drake

-Jon Moxley wins Continental Classic, cuts fiery post-match promo

-Mercedes Mone’s downward spiral continues

-MJF wins the world title 

Overall Rating- 7/10

Wrestling Ratings- AEW WrestleDream (2025)

 

Location- St. Louis, Missouri

Venue- Chaifetz Arena

Commentators- Excalibur, Nigel  McGuinness, Tony Schiavone

Eight Man Tag Team Match- Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, Wheeler Yuta, & Pac) VS Roderick Strong, Kyle O’ Reilly, Orange Cassidy, & Tomohiro Ishii

Winners- Death Riders

Rating-5/10

Eddie Kingston & Hook VS The Frat House (Cole Karter & Griff Garrison)

Winners- Eddie Kingston & Hook

Rating- 5/10

Harley Cameron & Willow Nightingale VS Top Gods (Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford)

Winners- Harley Cameron & Willow Nightingale

Rating- 6/10

FTR VS JetSpeed

Winners- FTR

Rating- 7/10

Jamie Hayter VS Thekla 

Winner- Jamie Hayter

Rating- 7/10

$500K Tag Team Match- Jurassic Express VS The Young Bucks 

Winners- Jurassic Express

Rating- 7/10

Tornado Trios Match- Winner Becomes Number One Contender For AEW World Trios Championships- The Hurt Syndicate VS The Demand

Winners- The Hurt Syndicate

Rating- 7/10

AEW TNT Championship- Kyle Fletcher (Champion) VS Mark Briscoe

Winner- Kyle Fletcher 

Rating- 7/10

AEW Women’s World Championship- Kris Statlander (Champion) VS Toni Storm

Winner- Kris Statlander

Rating- 7/10

Winner Takes All Open Challenge For The AEW TBS Championship & The Interim ROH Women’s World TV Championship- Mercedes Mone (TBS Champion) VS Mina Shirakawa (Interim ROH Women’s TV Champ)

Winner- Mercedes Mone

Rating- 6/10

AEW World Tag Team Championships- Brodido VS Kazuchika Okada & Konosuke Takeshita 

Winners- Brodido 

Rating- 8/10

AEW World Championship- Hangman Adam Page (Champion) VS Samoa Joe

Winner- Adam Page

Rating- 6/10

I Quit Match- Darby Allin VS Jon Moxley

Winner- Darby Allin

Rating- 8/10

Overall Thoughts- 

Starting off with FTR VS JetSpeed, I wasn’t a big fan of the spot, where Dax was seemingly waiting for Mike Bailey to come off of the top rope, after Dax hit the Shatter Machine with Cash on Kevin Knight, but this was still a good match. Some great fast-paced, hard-hitting action throughout the match, complete with a few good close pinfall counts. 

FTR VS JetSpeed overlapping from the Tailgate Brawl to open the show? Well, I guess you could say it’s an attempt at doing something different for a hot start, and the fans were into it. I guess it’s possible they were going for some WCW nostalgia. I do remember how WCW would set off pyro on the stage during a match that was already in progress, to kick off the transition to the top of the new hour during the show. Anyways, FTR will probably have their hands full with JetSpeed, or other tag teams until Cope decides it’s time to push the revenge button. 

Mercedes winning another title? Mone’s seemingly endless quest to collect every championship she sets her sights on works for easy “how many belts does this woman need?” heel heat. She’s an egomaniac, and Mercedes thinks she’s untouchable.

I’m not entirely sure where all of this going, though. Mone is officially the longest reigning TBS Champion now, and Kris Statlander is next on her hit list. I’m hoping the endgame for Mercedes’ belt collector gimmick concludes with her slowly losing each title. Mercedes’ character needs to be humbled, and it’ll be a logical conclusion to her heel run somewhere down line, when she loses all of her precious titles.

Darby Allin and Jon Moxley’s match deserved the main event spot. As expected, it was a violent and bloody battle between two nutcases, uncomfortable to watch at times, and Sting showing up as the equalizer to even the odds against The Death Riders was a nice surprise. The fish tank spot was kind of silly, but I still enjoyed the match. 

I can’t think of one match that truly blew me away, but overall, WrestleDream was a solid PPV. No truly bad matches on the entire card, with everything ranging from solid to decent, complete with a main event that lived up to the hype. Kyle Fletcher picked up a necessary win over Mark Briscoe after losing to Hangman at All Out. AEW’s strong tag team division was on full display here, and Samoa Joe turned heel! Really looking forward to how things unfold with The Opps as a heel group, and Joe is far more entertaining in the villain role.

Show Highlights

-Kenny Omega saves Jurassic Express from The Don Callis Family’s (Lance Archer, Mark Davis, & Josh Alexander) post-match beat down, Young Bucks refuse to help

-Tony Schiavone interviews Charlie Thesz at ringside

-Hangman Adam Page hits three consecutive Buckshot Lariats to defeat Samoa Joe

-Samoa Joe and The Opps turn heel with a post-match beat down on Adam Page

-Mercedes Mone challenges Kris Statlander to a winner takes all match at Full Gear 

-Sting returns to help Darby Allin

-Darby Allin defeats Jon Moxley

Overall Rating- 7/10

Wrestling Ratings- WWE Crown Jewel: Perth (2025)

 

Location- Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Venue- RAC Arena

Commentators- Michael Cole & Wade Barrett

Australian Street Fight- Roman Reigns VS Bronson Reed/With Paul Heyman

Winner- Bronson Reed

Rating- 6/10

WWE Women’s Crown Jewel Championship- Stephanie Vaquer (Women’s World Champion) VS Tiffany Stratton (WWE Women’s Champion)

Winner & 2025 Women’s Crown Jewel Champion- Stephanie Vaquer

Rating- 6/10

John Cena VS AJ Styles

Winner- John Cena

Rating- 9/10

Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky VS Asuka & Kairi Sane 

Winners- Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky

Rating- 7/10

WWE Crown Jewel Championship- Seth Rollins (World Heavyweight Champion) VS Cody Rhodes (WWE Undisputed Champion)

Winner & 2025 Men’s Crown Jewel Champion- Seth Rollins

Rating- 9/10

Overall Thoughts- Reed defeats Reigns! Okay, he had a lot of help from Bron Breakker and a spear from Jey Uso, but scoring a pinfall victory over The OTC is still a big deal. Reed needed this. Losing two singles matches to Roman would’ve completely killed his momentum, so Bronson going over was the right call, even if they took the predictable route with interference and shenanigans to help preserve Reigns’ status. The match itself was an enjoyable street fight. Nothing special, but a handful of fun spots, and I did get a good laugh out of Reigns throwing rugby balls at Paul Heyman. 

The ongoing Bloodline drama after the match? Eh, I’m kind of burnt out on The Bloodline stuff. I get it. Reigns is upset, because he wanted to prove he could beat Reed without any help. He wants to put an end to the belief that he needs his cousins to get things done. Reigns telling Jey and Jimmy that he doesn’t want to see them until Christmas tells me they’re clearly taking this storyline into 2026. Jey is also more aggressive this time around, and he’s still bitter about losing the WHC to Gunther. Maybe they’re building towards a triple threat between Roman, Jey, and Jimmy at Wrestlemania?

Stephanie Vaquer winning the Women’s Crown Jewel Championship was a foregone conclusion. WWE is all in on Vaquer, pushing her as the next big superstar in the women’s division. Tiffany, and the fact that she’s the WWE Women’s Champion, was kind of an afterthought at times, but overall, it was still a solid match. 

Cena VS Styles was amazing. Two legends, slugging it out in a big match, easily lived up to the hype, a wildly entertaining and fun spectacle. Cena breaking out numerous finishers from his opponents over the years works for a handful of surprising moments, while he simultaneously pays tribute to his former rivals, or almost everyone he’s ever been in the ring with. Cena using Sister Abigail to pay homage to Bray Wyatt? The crowd coming together with the fireflies, while singing He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands was just fantastic. One of the big highlights during the match, and Cena was a little bit choked up, when he sat up and looked at the sea of lights 

This is what it’s all about. Cena and Styles threw everything they had at each other, while Cena completely emptied his bag, while borrowing key maneuvers from other wrestler’s bags, because he knows this is it. No reason to hold back now on his final run, so he might as well throw all of his cards on the table. 

AJ Styles’ throwback TNA gear added some nostalgia to the match, and Alicia Taylor’s special introduction for AJ (prepared by Cena) was a cool moment. I wouldn’t have known this, if AJ didn’t post it on X/Twitter, but his gear in this match is the same gear he wore in a WWE VS TNA cover on an old issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, an issue where he shared the cover with Cena. Phenomenal stuff!

They gave Rhea, Iyo, and The Kabuki Warriors a lot of time. It’s not a surprise, because Rhea is the big hometown hero, so it was well deserved. The setup for milking the hot tag from Iyo to Rhea really worked. Rhea got the big pop, and kudos to Asuka and Kairi for using well-placed sneaky heel work and tactics. 

As a fan, I want to see Rhea back in the world title picture, but I’m guessing they’re saving Rhea VS Stephanie Vaquer for Wrestlemania, because that’s a big match. But until that happens, Ripley and Iyo need something meaningful to do, because they’re two big stars.

Rollins and Cody delivered a stellar main event. Two top guys struggling to get the best of each other in a match that featured a lot of good back and forth action. In the end, Rollins, desperate to prove he could finally beat Cody without any help, used the Rolex gifted to him by Rhodes to help him win the match. Great storytelling, with the Rolex working as a personal weapon with sentimental value attached to it, the same Rolex Cody gave Seth as a thank you for helping him defeat Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania. Seth did something far worse than backstabbing with the Rolex, he basically looked Cody in the eyes before plunging the knife deep into his heart. 

Seth Rollins is one of my favorite heel characters in pro wrestling. I believe everything he says, because when Rollins isn’t dancing or cackling, he’s deadly serious. You can believe he genuinely hates CM Punk and Roman Reigns, that he would do anything to ruin their plans and aspirations. 

Seth has all the tools and the accolades to be considered a top guy, but his character is still a deeply insecure man. He’s constantly bitter about having to be the number two guy behind the likes of Punk, Reigns, and Rhodes, because Rollins is the ultimate company man. It’s believable that Seth is not only willing to bleed for WWE, but he’ll die waving the company flag, if that’s what it comes down to just to prove his loyalty. 

Crown Jewel: Perth was a big upgrade over Wrestlepalooza. The big matches delivered, and Seth exorcised some of his demons with a win over Cody. It’s a bummer Rollins apparently hurt his shoulder on the Coast To Coast headbutt, but it’ll be interesting to see where things go with Seth, when he returns. A lot of different routes for Rollins’ future, including feuds with Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. Hopefully, Rollins returns as a heel. Reed, Breakker, and Heyman turning on Seth perfectly sets the stage for a triumphant return as a babyface, but Rollins is just too damn good at a playing a bad guy.

Show Highlights- 

-Bronson Reed defeats Roman Reigns, Bloodline family drama continues

-Stephanie Vaquer wins 2025 Women’s Crown Jewel Championship 

-John Cena defeats AJ Styles

-Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky pick up the victory over The Kabuki Warriors

-Seth Rollins wins 2025 Men’s Crown Jewel Championship

Overall Show Rating- 8/10

Wrestling Ratings- AEW All Out Toronto (2025)

Location- Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Venue- Scotiabank Arena

Commentary- Excalibur, Taz, & Bryan Danielson 

The Opps (Samoa Joe & Powerhouse Hobbs) VS The WorkHorseMen (Anthony Henry & JD Drake)

Winners- The Opps

Rating- 5/10

Daniel Garcia VS Katsuyori Shibata 

Winner- Daniel Garcia

Rating- 5/10

Hologram & The Paragon (Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) VS The Frat House (Cole Karter, Griff Garrison, & Preston Vance)

Winners- Hologram & The Paragon

Rating- 5/10

Mina Shirakawa, Harley Cameron, Queen Aminata & Willow Nightingale VS Penelope Ford, Megan Bayne, & Sisters Of Sin (Skye Blue & Julia Hart)

Winners- Queen Aminata, Willow Nightingale, Harley Cameron, & Mina Shirakawa

Rating- 4/10

Adam Copeland & Christian Cage VS FTR

Winners- Edge & Christian

Rating- 8/10

Eddie Kingston VS Big Bill

Winner- Eddie Kingston

Rating- 3/10

Tables ‘n’ Tacks Match- Mark Briscoe VS MJF

Winner- Mark Briscoe

Rating- 8/10

The Demand (Ricochet, Bishop Kaun, & Toa Liona) VS The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin & MVP)

Winners- The Demand

Rating- 6/10

AEW TBS Championship- Mercedes Mone (Champion) VS Riho

Winner- Mercedes Mone

Rating- 7/10

AEW Unified Championship- Kazuchika Okada (Champion) VS Mascara Dorada VS Konosuke Takeshita 

Winner- Kazuchika Okada

Rating- 7/10

Coffin Match- Jon Moxley VS Darby Allin

Winner- Jon Moxley

Rating- 8/10

AEW Women’s World Championship- Toni Storm (Champion) VS Kris Statlander VS Thekla VS Jamie Hayter

Winner & New AEW Women’s World Champion- Kris Statlander

Rating- 7/10

Four-Way Ladder Match- AEW World Tag Team Championships- Brodido (Champions) VS The Young Bucks VS JetSpeed VS The Don Callis Family (Hechicero & Josh Alexander)

Winners- Brodido

Rating- 8/10

AEW World Championship- Adam Page (Champion) VS Kyle Fletcher  

Winner- Adam Page

Rating- 8/10

Overall Thoughts- Good main event. I never believed Hangman was in any real danger of losing the title, but the match told a good story. Fletcher, the scrappy and cocky young challenger going up against the champ, determined to show everyone he’s exactly where he should be. Some nice heel work from Fletcher (targeting Hangman’s shoulder and ripping off the therapeutical tape), but in the end, Hangman was right: Kyle Fletcher wasn’t ready.

All of the gimmick matches delivered. Mox VS Darby was easily my favorite. It’s exactly the kind of match I’d expect from two known violent and batshit crazy wrestlers. Also, some bonus points for Bryan Danielson helping Darby without getting directly involved in the match, so he could keep his promise.

Statlander winning the AEW Women’s World Championship was the big feel-good moment of the show. Statlander is someone, who’s always been on the cusp of climbing to the top of the mountain, but injuries derailed whatever momentum she had. Statlander finally winning the big one was a nice shocker, because I fully expected Toni Storm to retain. 

Edge and Christian VS FTR? Eh, it was a good match, but they got too caught up in the near falls towards the end. One too many missed opportunities to end the match on a high note for me. Beth Phoenix’s debut, and the role she played after the match was a callback to Edge’s feud with the Judgement Day, where they forced him to watch Rhea Ripley hit a Conchairto on Beth at Extreme Rules. It’s almost impossible to ignore the similarities. We’ll have to wait and see, if Beth’s appearance was a one-off deal. You just know Cope is looking for revenge now, and I’m sure a gimmick match is coming somewhere down the line.

I enjoyed Mercedes VS Riho, but I’m hoping AEW is working towards building up someone, who’s a believable threat to end her title reign. It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Mercedes would retain here. But I’m guessing Mercedes surpassing the length of Jade Cargill’s reign is the endgame, so it’ll be a while before she drops the TBS Championship.

As expected, Eddie Kingston had a lot of fire for his big return match. Unfortunately, the match itself was a letdown. A noticeably botched finish, but hopefully the pairing with Hook will lead to something productive for both men. Although, when the H symbol appeared, Hook barely got any kind of reaction at all. It was mostly silence. When Hook walked down the ramp? A lukewarm reception. The pairing of two New York guys definitely has some potential, so there’s a chance Hook will get something out of joining forces with Kingston. 

Jack Perry returning as a face was the right move. His heel character and all of the Scapegoat stuff never worked for me. I always got the impression he was trying way too hard to be a dick. It just wasn’t convincing, but the crowd went nuts for Perry and Luchasaurus joining forces again, so that’s a good sign.

I’m also wondering what’s next for MJF. The guy has been working his ass off recently, so maybe he just needs a break for a while.

Show Highlights-

-Hangman retains

- Kris Statlander wins AEW Women’s World Chanpionship

-Video package showing Luchasaurus’ resurrection

-Pac returns to help Jon Moxley defeat Darby Allin

-Mark Briscoe decisively beats MJF

-Beth Phoenix debuts

-Darby Allin sets Jon Moxley on fire

-Jack Perry returns, reforms Jurassic Express with Luchasaurus

Overall Rating- 8/10

Wrestling Ratings- WWE Wrestlepalooza (2025)

Location- Indianapolis, Indiana

Venue- Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Commentators- Michael Cole, Pat McAfee, & Wade Barrett

John Cena VS Brock Lesnar

Winner- Brock Lesnar

Rating- 3/10

The Vision (Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker) VS The Usos- Special Guest Referee- LA Knight

Winners- The Vision

Rating- 5/10

Vacant Women’s World Championship- Iyo Sky VS Stephanie Vaquer

Winner & New Women’s World Champion- Stephanie Vaquer

Rating- 9/10

CM Punk & AJ Lee VS Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch

Winners- CM Punk & AJ Lee

Rating- 8/10

Undisputed WWE Championship- Cody Rhodes (Champion) VS Drew McIntyre

Winner- Cody Rhodes

Rating- 5/10

Overall Thoughts- We’re in the final stages of Cena’s retirement run….and they open the show with a glorified squash match? I just don’t understand it. They pushed Cena VS Lesnar as the marquee matchup, and this is what they decided to do? But I should’ve known something wasn’t right, when they decided to start off the show with this one.

Cena’s farewell tour was finally going in the right direction, after they abandoned that weird heel turn that just wasn’t working out at all. They were aiming for a callback to the Summerslam 2014 (Michael Cole mentioned it on commentary) match. I get that, but the big difference is, when Brock Lesnar demolished Cena in that match, it was genuinely shocking to see John Cena suffer through a decisive beating. He was manhandled, but this was just disappointing. 

It’s to the point, where you can count Cena’s remaining dates on one hand now. Lesnar has more than enough accolades under his belt at this point, and he’s Brock Freaking Lesnar! I just don’t see the need, or a sense of urgency to make him look invincible, so they can build up momentum for whatever WWE is planning to do with Brock going forward. 

A lot of questions for Paul Heyman introducing Lesnar. Was this just a one-off thing for The Beast and his advocate? Or, is Heyman working on another favor with Lesnar? Survivor Series is coming up, so maybe there’s a chance Lesnar fills the role of a mercenary for The Vision somewhere down the line, as Heyman’s secret weapon.

The tag match between The Vision and The Usos was starting to heat up, but Jey’s freak accident with the chair undoubtedly derailed the final stages of the match. LA Knight stayed true to his character as the special guest ref. Using Knight as the ref was probably the best option to go with. He’s still involved in the storyline, and Knight refusing to raise Reed’s hand was a nice touch.

AJ Lee is back! There’s no denying the match was put together and structured in a way that would benefit Lee, but I still had a blast with this one. No real signs of ring rust on AJ, the entire match was a lot of fun, and the comedy spots were hilarious. Also, Becky Lynch deserves a lot of credit for the build leading up to the match. She was fantastic, playing the annoying and pushy jerk, and the promos with Punk were pretty good. 

Iyo Sky VS Stephanie Vaquer easily takes the top spot for the best match. Sky has a seemingly endless gas tank, and she did a great job of selling the knee injury. A strong match with lots of action, while Sky and Vaquer struggled to get the upper hand on each other, complete with the right winner. Vaquer needed this more than Iyo. Stephanie’s triumphant crowning moment on the main roster was incredible, and Iyo was the right opponent. 

Drew lost again! Cody VS Drew wasn’t bad, but for a world title main event, the match severely lacked any kind of drama or believable tense moments. I never believed Cody was in any real danger of losing the title, and what’s next for Drew? Sure, McIntyre is someone, who will always have the credibility to work main event feuds as a heel, but he lost another big match here. You have to believe Drew is starting at the bottom of the ladder again, and it’ll probably be a long time before he gets anywhere near the top.

Was Wrestlepalooza a bad PLE? No, but with all the hoopla behind WWE’s big debut on ESPN, it’s safe to say Wrestlepalooza didn’t live up to the hype. Triple H’s introduction, a really good opening video package (with LOTS of pyro), and Pat McAffe joined commentary for a while. WWE obviously wanted Wrestlepalooza to be a big deal, but it’s a painfully average show. 

Wrestlepalooza would’ve been a forgettable PLE without the mixed tag and Iyo VS Stephanie. The rest of the card? I just couldn’t shake the feeling that certain matches could’ve happened on Raw or Smackdown. Crown Jewel: Perth is right around the corner. Hopefully Australia is an upgrade over this, because Wrestlepalooza was mostly a big disappointment.

Show Highlights-

-AJ Lee returns to the ring, submits Becky Lynch for the win

-The Undertaker announces Stephanie McMahon is the first inductee for 2026 WWE Hall Of Fame

-Stephanie Vaquer wins Women’s World Championship

-Cody Rhodes retains against Drew McIntyre

Rating- 5/10

Wrestling Ratings- NXT No Mercy (2025)

Location- Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Venue- FTL War Memorial

Commentary- Vic Joseph & Booker T

Je’Von Evans VS Josh Briggs

Winner- Je’Von Evans

Rating-6/10

WWE Women’s Speed Championship- Sol Ruca (Champion) VS Jaida Parker

Winner- Sol Ruca

Rating- 4/10

Weaponized Steel Cage Match- Jordynne Grace VS Blake Monroe 

Winner- Jordynne Grace

Rating- 6/10

NXT North American Championship- Ethan Page (Champion) VS Tavion Heights

Winner- Ethan Page

Rating- 6/10

NXT Women’s Championship- Jacy Jayne (Champion) VS Lola Vice

Winner- Jacy Jane

Rating-7/10

NXT Championship- Oba Femi (Champion) VS Ricky Saints

Winner & New NXT Champion- Ricky Saints

Rating- 6/10

Overall Thoughts- 

Je’Von Evans has IT. The charisma, the human highlight reel potential, and he’s still young. Briggs VS Evans worked as entertaining opening match, with Je’Von fighting through and selling his injuries. The Young OG gutted it out to defeat Briggs, earning a hard-fought victory.

Eh, the Speed Championship is not for me. I couldn’t get into it, when the title was exclusive to X/Twitter, and while you can say it’s a unique concept, Speed title matches are largely forgettable. Lots of shenanigans towards the end, and it looks like we’re getting more of the Lash Legend/Jaida Parker feud. 

I expected more intense hatred, but Blake Monroe VS Jordynne Grace was a fun gimmick match. The pink weapons and the bag of diamonds were perfect fits for Monroe’s character, and Blake used scissors to cut Grace’s hair! Interested to see what’s next for Monroe, and maybe Jordynne resumes her chase for the Women’s Championship?

Jacy VS Lola is my pick for No Mercy’s best match. A hot crowd for Lola Vice, the hometown hero, and a few good bits of drama with the shots of Lola’s family in the front row cheering her on. Vice’s selling for the back injury added to the struggle to defeat Jayne. But the important thing here is, Lola still looked strong after the loss. You could say she would’ve won the title, but Fallon Henley interfered, and Lola was attacked by a mysterious woman dressed in all black. They’re obviously going in the direction for Lola feuding with the mystery attacker, but Vice has a strong case for a rematch. 

A lot of mixed feelings about the main event. Some nice back and forth action, and a solid David VS Goliath struggle, but I expected a stronger ending. Two DDTs in the ring, four total DDTs, if we’re counting the one on the announcer’s table and on the floor outside, and that’s it? I’m not saying it’s a bad finish, but Oba Femi was a dominant, and seemingly unstoppable champion. Yes, you can say the moment itself with Oba losing was a true jaw-dropper, but the closing sequence lacked a lot of fire for Ricky Saints slaying The Ruler Of NXT.

Still, I’m sure Saints will be a good, or potentially great champion. Oba Femi has to be on his way to the main roster now, right? Femi basically conquered all of NXT. There’s nothing left for him to do, and I’m genuinely hoping for a bright future on Raw or Smackdown. The guy has to much potential to be squandered or wasted, so hopefully they’ll have a solid plan in place for him when he arrives.

Show Highlights- 

-Jordynne Grace defeats Blake Monroe

-Ethan Page retains

-El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. sends a message to Ethan Page

-Lash Legend is attacked by Jaida Parker during her promo

-Jacy Jane retains Women’s Championship with help from Fallon Henley and a mystery attacker

-Ava announces NXT VS TNA show

-Ricky Saints dethrones Oba Femi to become the new NXT Champion

Overall Rating- 6/10