SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
With WWE Night of Champions set for this Saturday, WWE Raw this week featured two semifinal matches for the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments. As one man and one woman advanced to the finals last week on Smackdown, we officially found out what both finals matches will be this week.
With an impressive first half of 2025, Roxanne Perez faced Smackdown’s Jade Cargill to see who will face Asuka for the women’s crown this Saturday. In this week’s main event, Cody Rhodes faced Jey Uso one on one for the first time to determine who will face Randy Orton for the chance to be crowned king. As both men are still reeling from losing their respective titles, advancing in the tournament would put them one step closer to redeeming themselves.
By the end of the night, we had our answers to what both finals matches will be for this weekend. In addition to that, we had an exciting opening match between Bron Breakker and Penta, a heated women’s Intercontinental Championship match end in a disqualification, as well as World Heavyweight Champion Gunther and Goldberg deliver heavy messages to each other ahead of their upcoming Saturday Night’s Main Event bout. As Night of Champions will be the night where we crown a new King and Queen of the Ring, it will also be the night that sets the stage for Summerslam.
Bron Breakker vs. Penta
Latest Developments:
Two weeks ago, Bron Breakker and Penta competed in a first round King of the Ring tournament match along with Sami Zayn and Dominik Mysterio. At one point in the match, Breakker Speared Penta outside the ring before Breakker’s chances of winning went up in smoke when LA Knight took him down with the Blunt Force Trauma. Last week, Breakker interfered in another first round King of the Ring tournament match on behalf of Bronson Reed as he pushed Jey Uso off the top rope. After Sami failed to subdue Breakker as he tossed him over the announce table, Breakker was immediately taken down by Penta as he leaped over the top rope onto him. After Seth Rollins came out at the start of the show this week to gloat about Bronson Reed putting LA Knight on the shelf, he hyped up Breakker doing the same thing to Penta in their upcoming match.
In the first match of the night, Breakker dropped Penta on top of the ring post from the top rope and followed that with a clothesline over the announce table. Breakker nailed Penta with a running knee to the face as he attempted a move from the second rope and then hit him with a Frankensteiner, but Penta kicked out. Breakker later went for a Military Press, but Penta reversed it into a DDT followed by a Mexican Destroyer for a near fall. Penta went for a springboard from the second rope, but he was Speared in midair by Breakker as he picked up the win. After the match as Penta was reeling on the bottom rope, Rollins appeared and told him that this was his one warning to stay out of his way.
Analysis:
Unlike the match between these two back in March, this one actually had a clean finish. In fact, this was Breakker’s first clean singles win since he joined this new stable with Rollins. This was a fun match here that showed how well Breakker and Penta work together as these two have the potential for a great feud in the years to come. As good as the match was, it was the finish of Breakker hitting the Spear on Penta in midair that put it over the top. Something else that stood out here is what Rollins told Penta after the match.
The fact that Rollins warned Penta to stay out of their way is a clear sign that Penta is going to be feuding with this new Rollins stable going forward. Even though Penta has eaten a lot of losses lately, being in a major storyline like this will be good for him. It’ll allow him to be in a lot of main event matches and give him a chance to show how valuable he can be in that spot. While reviews for this new stable with Rollins, Breakker, Reed & Heyman have been mixed and rightfully so, at least they’ve been picking up wins lately as opposed to many of their other matches ending with no clear outcome. As long as they continue to win matches convincingly like Breakker did here, consistently look dominant, and finally adopt a name for the group, then this stable will be a success in the long run.
Grade: B+
Jade Cargill vs. Roxanne Perez
Latest Developments:
Two weeks ago, Roxanne Perez advanced in the Queen of the Ring tournament as she defeated Liv Morgan, Rhea Ripley, and Kairi Sane. The following Friday on Smackdown, Jade Cargill advanced in the tournament with a win over Nia Jax, Michin, and Piper Niven. Last week, the returning Asuka advanced in the tournament with a win over Raquel Rodriguez, Stephanie Vaquer, and Ivy Nile. Last Friday on Smackdown, Asuka defeated Alexa Bliss to advance to the finals. This week, Jade and Perez one on one to determine who will face Asuka in the finals this Saturday.
Jade carried Perez on her shoulders as she walked up the Ring steps until Perez escaped, chop blocked her and then drop-kicked Jade’s knee into the steps. Perez later went for a cross body, but Jade caught her and nailed her with a Fallaway Slam. Jade mounted a comeback which saw her knock Perez down with several blows, a Spinebuster, and a Chokeslam for a near fall. Jade hit her with a hard kick to the face and went for the Jaded, but Perez impressively reversed it into a pin before Jade kicked out. Despite Perez having the momentum, Jade rebounded once again and successfully hit her with the Jaded to advance to the finals against Asuka.
Analysis:
While Perez looked impressive in many parts of the match, it just didn’t seem like her and Jade were in sync here. Although this wasn’t the smoothest match by any stretch, it accomplished what it needed to. As mentioned before, the winner of this match would likely be the one to win the whole tournament. With Jade winning here, it now looks as if it’ll be her who wins the crown on Saturday. For whatever she may lack as far as experience in the ring, she definitely makes up for it with her presence and aura.
If Jade does end up winning the Queen of the Ring, it sets up a few potential scenarios. On one hand, she could end up challenging Tiffany Stratton at Summerslam as they’ve teased a few interactions between them in recent months that they could build from. Another scenario that could play out is Naomi cashing in her Money in the Bank on Tiffany as early as this Friday’s Smackdown and that could set up a Naomi and Jade rematch from WrestleMania for the title at Summerslam. Considering that their feud technically hasn’t ended, there’s a very strong chance that this could all play out that way. Regardless, Saturday feels like it’s going to be Jade’s moment and will give her a lot of momentum to carry throughout the summer.
Grade: C
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Raw: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
Gunther vs. Goldberg
Latest Developments:
Two weeks ago, Gunther defeated Jey Uso to regain the World Heavyweight Championship. Last week as he was in the ring cutting a promo, he was interrupted by Goldberg. Although Goldberg congratulated Gunther for regaining the title, he also reminded him of how he insulted him in front of his family the last time they crossed paths back in October. Goldberg said that Gunther is his at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta and also that he’s next before leaving the ring. Later in the night, the match between them for the World Heavyweight Championship was made official for the July 12 Saturday Night’s Main Event.
This week, Goldberg did a sit-down interview with Michael Cole where he talked about how there was no way he was going to let Gunther get away with embarrassing him in front of his family and hometown fans the way he did. He then said as long as he’s breathing and as long as he can step into the ring, he’ll make Gunther pay and vowed to beat the f*ck out of him at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Later in the night, Gunther cut a promo in the ring about how there’s nothing Goldberg can say to change his perception about him as his perception of him is that he’s a 58-year-old one trick pony that can’t lace his boots. He then looked directly into the camera and apologized to Goldberg’s wife and son for what he’s going to do to the man that used to be Goldberg. Gunther ended the promo by saying he’s going to embarrass Goldberg again and that it’s his responsibility to make sure the myth of Goldberg dies.
Analysis:
After what we saw this week, this match now looks much more interesting than it did a week ago. While Goldberg’s sit down interview with Michael Cole was fine, Gunther’s promo in the ring was what really sold this match. Gunther continues to show how great of a promo he is and it’s clear that the audience sees it too as they cheered for him throughout most of it. Even though the match between them is going to be in Goldberg’s hometown of Atlanta, the audience reaction here could be a sign that the people in Atlanta may cheer more for Gunther than for Goldberg. While the way in which the match turns out remains to be seen, there’s no doubt that it’s going to make for a great atmosphere on July 12.
No matter how long or short the match is, the only logical ending for it is Gunther winning. With this being Goldberg’s last match and the fact that Gunther just won the title back, having Goldberg dethrone him just to retire right after would be ridiculous. Even if Seth Rollins cashed in on him afterwards, 58-year-old Goldberg in his last match should not be defeating Gunther for the title that he literally just won back. Speaking of Goldberg retiring, it was smart to have Goldberg actually come out and say that this will be his last match. As mentioned last week, marketing the match as Goldberg’s farewell would make it a bigger deal and draw more interest whether the match ends up being good or not. Having this be advertised as Goldberg’s last match combined with what we saw between both men here now makes this something worth being invested in between now and when the match finally happens.
Grade: B
Becky Lynch vs. Bayley
Latest Developments:
Two weeks ago, Bayley returned and attacked Becky Lynch to gain a measure of revenge for what she did to her WrestleMania weekend. Last week as Bayley was in the ring cutting a promo, she called Becky out to the ring. Becky accused her of accepting being second fiddle, and Bayley then called her insecure for feeling like she needed to attack her and Lyra Valkyria the way she did. Becky cheap shotted Bayley, but Bayley hit her back before leaving the ring to avoid further damage. It was announced later in the night that the two would face each other for the women’s Intercontinental Championship this week. As Bayley had a confrontation with an upset Lyra backstage, Lyra told her she understood that she did what she had to do but vowed to do the same if Bayley wins.
This week, Becky and Bayley faced each other in a match where Becky buried Bayley under a bunch of chairs behind the announce table. Lyra then came out to help Bayley up and was then hit by Becky for her troubles. Becky encouraged Lyra to hit her, but Bayley pulled Lyra out of the way. Becky then drop-kicked Lyra through the second rope, and Bayley threw Becky over the announce table. As Bayley went for a top rope elbow drop after throwing Becky back into the ring, Lyra jumped into the ring and attacked Becky to cause the match to end on a disqualification. As she won the match and retained her title, Becky smiled as Bayley argued with Lyra in the ring.
Latest Developments:
Even though the match was fine for the time it lasted, it didn’t matter as it was the ending to it that many people saw coming. With Lyra acting differently ever since Bayley came back, there was no way that she wasn’t going to play a factor in this match’s outcome. While she may have had good intentions by trying to help Bayley after she had been buried underneath the chairs, her hatred for Becky got the better of her and she ended up doing more harm than good. Admittedly, Lyra coming out in the first place and then causing the DQ by attacking Becky didn’t make her come off well here. Now that she cost Bayley the title, things are going to explode between them as early as next week.
Considering that Bayley and Lyra had tension even before WrestleMania when they were teaming up, it’s going to be fun to see the way it plays out in this storyline. While this feud should be one that gets the fans behind Lyra, the way Bayley got screwed this week and the fact that Bayley was taken out of WrestleMania the way she was could potentially get the people behind her more. Clearly, this is all leading to a three way between Becky, Bayley, and Lyra at Evolution or even Summerslam. As great as the Becky and Lyra feud has been in recent months, Bayley came in at just the right time to spice things up. Much like the Iyo Sky, Rhea Ripley, and Bianca Belair feud heading into WrestleMania, this three-way feud involving the women has the potential to be a storyline that helps carry the show throughout the summer.
Grade: B
Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso
Latest Developments:
At Wrestlemania, Cody Rhodes hesitated to hit John Cena with the WWE Championship which resulted in Cody losing the title to him. Two weeks ago, Jey Uso lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Gunther when he passed out to the Sleeper. Looking to get back into the title picture as the winner of the King of the Ring tournament is guaranteed a title shot at Summerslam, Cody Rhodes defeated Damien Priest, Andrade, and Shinsuke Nakamura on the June 13 Smackdown to advance in the tournament. Last week, Jey Uso defeated Bronson Reed, Rusev, and Sheamus to advance in the tournament. As a result, he was set to meet in Cody in the semifinals this week.
In this week’s main event, Cody escaped a Cross Rhodes attempt from Jey and hit him with a Cody Cutter for a near fall. Jey later regained the advantage with a kick to the face and a Spear. As Jey went to the top rope for the Uso Splash, Cody met him at the top rope and hit him with another Cody Cutter. This led to Cody hitting the Cross Rhodes onto Jey for the win and to advance to the finals. Both men embraced after the match, and Jey raised Cody’s hand as the show ended.
Analysis:
Incredible semifinal match here that was arguably the best match of the whole tournament so far. As popular as both Jey and Cody are, Cody winning here made the most sense. In addition to the fact that this will likely lead to a Cody and Cena rematch at Summerslam, Cody advancing also gives us him and Randy Orton in a match for the first time since Cody came back to WWE. As great as the finals were last year between Orton and Gunther, this year’s finals between Orton and Cody could potentially be the best King of the Ring finals there’s ever been. As great of a match as it will likely be, it could also end up being the catalyst for an Orton heel turn.
As a long-term feud between Cody and Orton has been something fans have wanted for years combined with the fact that Orton hasn’t been a heel since 2020, this scenario seems like the right one for him to make a turn. While they could wait to start this feud until the Fall, the seeds being planted for it on Saturday is something people should look out for. As Cody still has unfinished business with Cena and considering that Orton just lost to Cena at Backlash, this clearly feels like Cody’s tournament to win. While it would’ve been great if Sami Zayn had gone on to win or someone else whose career would benefit more from it, Cody winning a tournament he hasn’t won before isn’t a bad thing and it’s the easiest route to a rematch with Cena.
Grade: A
Roxanne Perez Saves Raquel Rodriguez
After Rhea Ripley cost her the chance to advance in the Queen of the Ring tournament, Raquel Rodriguez called Rhea out to the ring this week. Rhea came out and the two of them brawled until Raquel threw Rhea into the railing and then pulled out a table from under the ring. Rhea knocked Raquel down as she jumped from the top of the announced table and as she was about to put Raquel through the table in the ring with the Riptide, Roxanne Perez jumped on Rhea’s back to stop her. Rhea slammed Perez’s head into the post, but Raquel caught Rhea as she tried to run to her and put her through the table with the Tahana Bomb and she helped up Perez after. Later in the night, it was announced that Rhea and Raquel will face each other at Night of Champions in a Street Fight.
Analysis:
This segment further escalated the feud between Rhea and Raquel as well as established that Raquel has now warmed up to Perez. With Liv Morgan being out for the foreseeable future, having Perez take her place as Raquel’s partner as opposed to relinquishing the women’s Tag Team Titles is the right way to go. In addition to that, having Raquel now embrace Perez combined with Perez getting in the good graces of the rest of Judgment Day will keep the tension going between Perez and Liv while she’s gone. Much like Liv took everything away from Rhea last year while she was injured, it’s now looking like Perez is going to do the same thing to her this year. As horrible as it is that Liv got injured, what we saw here showed that this storyline can still be kept interesting until she eventually comes back.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.