SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
A few quick updates to go over before we get down to it:
•While unconfirmed, heavy rumors abound that WWE is planning a second installment to their all-female PPV from 2018, Evolution. Originally a response to critics lambasting the underserved women’s division, Evolution II exists at a very different time in the landscape of professional wrestling. The bar has been set even higher, and Triple H’s WWE has surpassed it in certain ways while remaining woefully behind-the-times in many others. Will Evolution II be a statement that WWE will continue to invest in the women’s division? Time will tell.
•WWE is also returning to Saudi Arabia in 2025, for Night Of Champions. Sharing the same name as 2024’s PPV in the KSA, Night Of Champions’ return to the WWE slate has seen it abandon its original concept of every match on the card being for a championship. This year will likely be the same.
•Not strictly WWE, but several independent wrestlers have been contacted to participate in corporate sibling Powerslap, a new contender for one of the most uninteresting, dangerous, and ridiculous “sports” of all time. It will be interesting to see if TKO’s other combat sports enterprises will begin to cross-pollinate with professional wrestling.
Last week, it felt like WWE was struggling under the weight of its calendar for the first time in a few years. With Backlash in the rearview mirror, general online consensus seemed to err closer to a “meh” than any resounding hype for the future. There seems to be a definite shift in WWE programming, aiming to compensate for smaller PPV cards with an increasing amount of TV specials and emphasis on Raw and Smackdown main events as equally high-priority. In effect, it feels almost like a throwback to the WWF Superstars days, where the old NBC TV specials felt just as prestigious as the PPV cards.
But there’s one crucial element that feels overlooked: the sheer amount of content being produced. With over a dozen PPV (or PPV adjacent) events in 2025 alone, I can’t help but feel that certain B-PPVs have begun to feel watered down to cement Wrestlemania and Summerslam as the big dogs of the calendar. A five-match card is one thing when each match is a killer, but a heatless WWE-style match (heavy on the story, posing, and dramatic pauses) moves at a glacial pace when the story doesn’t match it thanks to WWE’s slower in-ring style.
And Backlash felt like the first PPV that highlighted the weaknesses of the WWE system rather than the highlights. Almost every match featured heavy interference in the closing stretch, and while I don’t have a huge issue with that, it began to feel a little unimaginative. I understand the willingness to protect top stars from taking a clean loss in order to ensure a clean loss has ramifications, but that boxes WWE into a corner. Not only does every loss unintentionally make an audience believe that a performer is being buried, it begins to feel like a cop-out (similar to a needless cliffhanger on a CW soap opera). Sometimes an emphatic end is necessary.
With Saturday Night’s Main Event next on the horizon, are things looking any different for the blue brand? A lot happened last week, so let’s get to it.
JOHN CENA vs. RANDY ORTON
Latest Developments:
In February, John Cena won a title shot for Cody Rhodes’ WWE Championship at WrestleMania by winning the Elimination Chamber. Following the match, Cena shockingly turned heel and joined The Rock. At Wrestlemania 41, Cena defeated Cody Rhodes to win his record-breaking 17th WWE Championship.
Randy Orton was disgusted at his old rival Cena, claiming there was a void in his life and he should be a better human being (perhaps have some kids?). Cena rebuffed Orton, claiming he wasted his life raising the WWE fans for a generation, angrily disavowing the fans for hating him. Orton challenged Cena, who made the match official for Backlash. Orton RKOd Cena and stood tall, claiming he would end Cena once and for all.
At Backlash, Cena and Orton had a lengthy match complete with a molten-hot crowd. Eventually, the two began trading finishers, leading to multiple ref bumps and Nick Aldis arriving with WWE faculty to check on the refs. An enraged Orton handed out RKOs to everyone, until R-Truth arrived and begged Orton not to hurt Cena. Orton didn’t listen, but Cena blasted him with the championship for the win.
Cena noticeably looked emotional upon leaving as the crowd broke kayfabe and thanked him. During the post-show presser, Cena took offense to Truth’s doltish proclamations that he couldn’t wrestle, giving him an AA through the table.
Analysis:
Let’s start with the positives. Cena and Orton did a great job allowing the audience to feel the emotions behind every move. Despite the lack of distinct callbacks, this felt like a fight between two aged rivals one last time. Like Hogan-Rock for the generation before me, a part of my jaded adult brain got sucked back to 2008 and I felt like a child falling in love with professional wrestling all over again.
While heavy on the shtick and grandstanding, the match itself was heavy on the finisher spam. However, I personally didn’t mind that as much as others. While certainly unimaginative, it made sense that two career-long rivals would immediately throw their most deadly moves out, and be able to answer each other beat-for-beat. It felt authentic to both performers even if it was basic and slightly repetitive.
However, the third-act overbooking is where the match fell apart for me. The multiple ref bumps already didn’t feel authentic to Cena’s particular brand of heel (he’s not being especially cowardly or devious, so having him be saved by a ref bump or fake begging for mercy felt more like watching Cena dip into heel cliches rather than genuine character work). Also, Aldis & co. coming out to check on a ref mid-match felt weird and contrived, since there’s never been a precedent for it. While Orton handing out RKOs to the WWE BTS personnel was funny, it was so overbooked that you could sense how much WWE was hiding Cena’s decreased in-ring acumen.
Truth’s involvement was…. inoffensive at best. If anything, Cena turning on Truth is the likeliest chance at him getting any genuine heel heat (especially since the cameras made sure to catch Cena getting overwhelmed at “thank you Cena” chants in the night’s only nuanced character beat that deepened Cena’s heel persona). With SNME likely to be Cena vs. Truth, this feels like a quick payoff to a long-running joke that could provide Cena with more genuine ammunition to build a villainous turn off of, so I’m all for it.
However, Cena throwing Truth through a table to complete silence in the presser was so awkward it bordered on parody. Cena needs crowd reactions to sell his shtick, he just doesn’t have enough menace otherwise.
All in all, a disappointingly muted and overbooked match with some great highlights, that sets up a nice filler feud for Cena’s next PPV.
Grade: C-
THE BLOODLINE’S RANKS DEEPEN
Latest Developments:
In 2025, Jacob Fatu began to unofficially take over as The New Bloodline’s leader. Their dynamic began slowly shifting, as Fatu hinted he had lost faith in Solo Sikoa. Having made enemies with US Champion LA Knight, Fatu defeated him at Wrestlemania to become the new US Champion. Sikoa took credit for Fatu’s championship gold, before an offended Fatu cut Sikoa off.
Knight interrupted, vowing to win back his US Championship, while Drew McIntyre claimed he was next in line. The Bloodline interfered in Knight and Priest’s #1 contender’s match, leading to Aldis greenlighting a triple threat for the title at Backlash. Sikoa tried to help by pointing out McIntyre deserved a shot instead, but Aldis instead added him to the match to Fatu’s fury.
At Backlash, the four competitors quickly split off into their established rivalries, beating each other down in a violent brawl. Eventually, McIntyre tried sending Priest into production equipment, but Priest countered and sent McIntyre instead. Left alone with Knight, Fatu was taken aback when Sikoa arrived with his newest recruit: JEFF COBB! Cobb attacked Knight, allowing a confused Fatu to pin him for the win.
Analysis:
This felt like another match in service of an angle. My biggest complaint in the PPV match’s structure was the addition of Priest and McIntyre. Outside of a brief stretch in the first half, it felt like the match’s dynamic never took advantage of all four competitors. Priest and McIntyre felt siloed in their own singles match for much of the second half, which ultimately dragged thanks to the much more violent Street Fight the two already had at Wrestlemania. Frankly, it felt like the two were only there so there wouldn’t be three singles matches ending in interference all in a row.
Not really much to say about the match itself. It was a classic brawl, but lacking any noteworthy spots that really differentiated it from the pack. Disappointingly, Fatu came across as more of a bystander than I felt he should have. After beating Knight so resoundingly at Mania, Fatu should have gotten longer sequences steamrolling through everyone else. Throughout his booking, Fatu’s major character flaw has always been his lack of foresight and single-minded rage. Leaning into that could have provided the math a more unique pace rather than treating him like just another competitor.
Now onto the…. ahem, “meat” of the story if you will. The debut of Jeff Cobb. For those unfamiliar with Cobb’s work in New Japan, he specializes in the same powerhouse style that Fatu uses, but mixes it with a cheery geniality that makes him increasingly unsettling to his opponents. Fatu’s facial acting (which was extremely effective) makes me believe that Cobb’s arrival was unknown to him, which looks to deepen the wedge between him and Sikoa. Sikoa’s newfound confidence standing next to Cobb (after weeks of shrinking like a wallflower as Fatu took the reins) hints that Cobb will be Sikoa’s replacement enforcer, mirroring Reigns’ ousting of The Bloodline as Sikoa schemed to take over. I’d be curious to see if audiences will lose interest in a remix of The Bloodline’s story from the last year, but Cobb’s character gives proceedings just enough of a different sheen that I’m still invested.
The match itself? Kind of boring. The post-match shenanigans? Interesting developments sowing the seeds for the future.
Grade: C+
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Podcast weekly Tuesday Flagship episode with guest cohost Jason Powell: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
CHELSEA GREEN vs. ZELINA VEGA & ALEXA BLISS
Latest Developments:
Over the past few weeks, Zelina Vega has been a thorn in the side of Women’s US Champion Chelsea Green and her stable, The Secret Hervice. However, Green always escaped unscathed thanks to her goons Piper Niven and Alba Fyre running interference on her opponent.
Eventually, due to her own incompetence, Green wound up gifting Vega another title shot while The Secret Hervice was out injured, leaving her without backup. With nowhere else to run, Vega overcame Green’s superior strength to defeat her and become the new Women’s US Champion.
Last week, after losing a rematch, The Secret Hervice was in mourning, and Nick Aldis made a tag team match official. Vega teamed with the returning Alexa Bliss, and the two babyfaces blasted through Green & Niven’s offense to secure the win.
Analysis:
This week’s tag match didn’t add much to Vega or Green, instead serving as a re-introduction to Bliss on the main roster following several months on the main roster. Let’s discuss Bliss’ booking quickly: it’s been egregiously botched. Following one of the biggest moments at the Royal Rumble, Bliss essentially disappeared from programming and missed Wrestlemania 41. Many believed (including myself) the plan was to reunite Bliss with the Wyatt Sicks (whose leader Bo Dallas is out with injury). Rumors aside, this week’s booking emphasized how over Bliss is as a solo act. She shined alongside Bray Wyatt not just because of his spooky vibes, but because she was enigmatic enough to make those vibes work for her. Bliss is one of the most charismatic wrestlers in WWE, and sidelining her for any reason feels like a waste. Hopefully, moving forward, Bliss’ booking affords her the chance to shine on her own merits before returning to the Wyatt-verse.
Moving on to Vega: WWE was careful not to let Vega be outshined by Bliss in their tag match, despite the breakneck sprint pacing. Vega came out shining bright, and if she can get some more solo mic time, she has a chance of making her own mark as the Women’s US Champion. Right now, it still feels like WWE is building Vega vs. Hervice as a relatively even rivalry, but similar to Michin, they run the risk of overexposing Vega’s babyface fire week after week if they don’t move her over to a new dynamic.
As for The Secret Hervice, last week seemed to hint at a possible babyface turn for Piper Niven. This week, the faction were essentially vehicles for Bliss to shine, but I hope they eventually move back to this narrative when the booking allows them to do so. I hope Triple H doesn’t lose interest in this story (*cough cough* A-Town Down Under), as Green’s cartoonish crash-outs could be the perfect vehicle to make a new babyface midcard star in Niven eventually. It feels like the right time, as The Secret Hervice has done all they can really do in the midcard unless WWE pushes them to the main event.
Grade: A-
CHARLOTTE FLAIR’S CRASHOUT
Latest Developments:
Following her return from injury, Charlotte Flair won the women’s Royal Rumble and called out WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton. After some back-and-forth, the two were confirmed for a title match at Wrestlemania.
Flair attempted to engage with the live crowd, but they kept mercilessly booing her. In response, Flair began taking on a more egotistical villainous edge, including a particular worked-shoot feud that went off-script when referencing Flair’s divorce and Stratton’s real-life partner Ludwig Kaiser.
Following a messy, brutal fight at Wrestlemania 41, Flair played heel wonderfully to Stratton’s struggling rookie babyface, but lost the match.
Last week, Flair returned and addressed the WWE crowd. Originally civil, Flair grew incensed at the crowd’s booing, eventually throwing a tantrum and stalking out in a huff upon Jade Cargill claiming she belonged “at the back of the line”. Backstage, Aldis attempted to calm Flair down to no avail, until Alexa Bliss rolled up to talk.
Analysis:
The Charlotte Flair Mad Queen arc is here, folks, and oh boy has it delivered! After years of the cold, disaffected too-perfect-for-words Flair, it was so refreshing to see her exude more personality and charm in a full heel turn. Retroactively, it’s clear that WWE never intended for Flair to play situational heel on the road to Wrestlemania, which explains much of the unfocused nature of Flair’s work over the past few months.
This was one of Flair’s best promos throughout her career, nailing the balance between insecurity, anger, and genuine insanity. She came across as truly unhinged, but it didn’t feel overplayed or cartoonish like Cena or other heels currently running the “you people” promo in WWE. In fact, perhaps because of the real-life frustrations being channeled into the character, this persona comes across as the most believable of all the WWE heels playing variations of this trope.
Cargill’s brief appearance in this promo also added so much nuance to Flair’s turn, juxtaposing her against the hot new talent. Cargill mocking Flair was a great touch, allowing us to almost see the rage dripping off Flair’s face. And her “back of the line” quip felt like a pointed nod to the audience that Flair will be kept out of the title scene momentarily, which her character sorely needs in order to truly refresh herself.
With Alexa Bliss supposedly teed up as Flair’s next feud, I’ve never been more excited to see how this iteration of Flair will translate in-ring.
Grade: A+
LOS GARZAS HAVE HAD ENOUGH
Latest Developments:
In the past few months, Santos Escobar has repeatedly berated Los Garzas (Angel & Berto) for not amassing a winning record, despite his own lackluster in-ring showings. In recent months, Andrade began reminding Los Garzas that they had accomplished plenty, and Escobar’s brutal leadership was holding them both back, much to Escobar’s fury.
On the eve of Wrestlemania 41, Rey Fenix made his explosive debut in WWE, and Escobar was immediately captivated and began courting him to join Legado Del Fantasma, but Fenix refused. At Wrestlemania 41, Fenix stepped up for the injured Rey Mysterio in a match against El Grande Americano, but lost.
Last week, Escobar continued persuading Fenix to join him, but upon Fenix’s refusal sent out Los Garzas to beat him down until Andrade made the save. In a tag match later that night, the heels lost. Escobar berated Berto for losing, until Berto swatted his hand away and walked out as Escobar continued stewing.
Analysis:
Last week, we got our first hints of the Legado Del Fantasma breakup. Playing this moment in-ring as opposed to backstage was a great choice, as the crowd’s molten-hot reaction elevated the narrative well beyond its weight. Escobar channelled his inner Roman Reigns by verbally abusing Berto, who played situational babyface perfectly. His simple swatting of Escobar’s hand felt like a disrespected man unleashed, and Escobar’s facial expression sold the moment perfectly. We’re in the cards for a thunderous faction change soon, and this moment teed it up perfectly.
Fenix plays the good guy to Escobar’s violence perfectly, mixing honor with an air of menace that always stops him just shy of feeling like a pushover. Andrade still feels like the spare part in the narrative, but never feels like he’s detracting from proceedings. Still, for the man who supposedly began this whole dissension, it’s strange to see him relegated to being the extra body and nothing else.
Grade: B-
ALEISTER BLACK vs. THE MIZ
Latest Developments:
Several weeks ago, The Miz stormed the ring with his lackey Carmelo Hayes, complaining that he didn’t make the Wrestlemania 41 card. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and a figure rose from the shadows. It’s Aleister Black! Making his return to WWE, the spooky one slowly walked into the ring, nailing Miz with a kick and sitting in the ring to thunderous applause.
The following week, Black and The Miz faced off in-ring, in a match Black cleanly won. Post-match, Black and Hayes squared up.
Last week, Black cut a cryptic promo vowing to end Carmelo Hayes, while Hayes remained delusionally confident thanks to Miz’s hype. Later that night, Black dispatched Hayes in short order thanks to Miz’s failed interference, standing tall to end the segment.
Analysis:
The in-ring work of Aleister Black was curious to me this week. Unlike most occult gimmicks, WWE is seemingly showing off Black’s BJJ and grappling acumen more than I’d expect. Winning with a small package against Hayes shows a level of finesse and ring awareness unique to the power moves often done by wrestlers with similar gimmicks. It’s a small touch, but it adds to Black’s uniqueness.
Unfortunately, despite his promises to not be cryptic, Black’s pre-match was anything but. It felt like a traditionally meandering Black promo that wound up not saying much of anything, and those will get old quickly if not tuned a little more specifically to his character. It’s fun to see Black’s character picking up right where he left off in his last NXT run, but without a proper motivation to really sink his teeth into, Black’s push has begun to feel blandly strong with no real depth.
It doesn’t help that he’s going against perennial jobber-to-the-stars Miz. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t mind, except this iteration of heel Miz is the blandest he’s been for a good few years, delving into the old bag of heel tricks with little new added. I’ve harped on Hayes’ booking for weeks now, but it’s sobering to realize that his entrance now evokes the same “oh, here’s the jobber to the stars” feeling in me as Miz’s does (but without the legacy that elevates Miz in 2025).
Grade: C
FRAXIOM’s ROAD TO THE TITLE SHOT
Latest Developments:
NXT’s favorite totally-not-dysfunctional duo was officially called up to Smackdown following Wrestlemania 41, quickly plowing through the tag division and working their way up to a title shot.
Last week, The Street Profits spoke in-ring about their acclaimed TLC match and joked about having “a leg up” on the competition, insisting their dominance is inevitable.
Fraxiom interrupted, respectfully challenging the champs, citing advice from Shawn Michaels to seize opportunities. The Profits were skeptical, noting Fraxiom had only won two matches. Before things could escalate, Nick Aldis appeared and set up a non-title match on the spot to give Fraxiom a chance to prove themselves.
In a fast-paced and hard-hitting match, both teams showcased their athleticism. Despite Montez Ford fighting through injured ribs, Fraxiom pulled off a major upset and won the match to earn a future title shot.
Analysis:
Fraxiom is a booker’s dream: a source of never-ending drama where the joke is…. they always find a way to reconcile, and then start the process over again with something else. As the sleeper MVPs of NXT last year, the kooky duo blended cartoony humor with genuine nuance in their character arc of dysfunctional dorks turned friends. While it may be hard to fully sell main roster audiences on the beauty of Fraxiom thanks to their storied legacy existing only on NXT, the duo’s shtick of constantly having a disagreement is catnip for storylines on the main roster.
The Profits’ promo was incredibly engaging, allowing them to play situational heel by bragging about past wins while still making sure to keep it respectful. I loved the interaction between the two teams, highlighting Fraxiom’s inexperience on the main roster while not devaluing their experience in NXT by highlighting Shawn Michaels as their mentor. It’s a balance between callups and veteran teams that finally feels ironed out, and the camaraderie between the two teams was extremely fun to watch.
The match itself was no slouch, highlighting just how well The Profits have been built after battling the gauntlet of the tag division over the past few months. Despite the interconnected feuds petering out, The Profits surviving the chaos with gold around their waists still makes them feel like battle-hardened warriors, and Fraxiom scoring the pin still felt like a major upset.
Grade: B+
NIA JAX IS GOIN’ FOR THE GOLD
Latest Developments:
After a messy feud with Charlotte Flair culminating in a successful title defense at Wrestlemania 41, Stratton had a town hall segment where she laid her vulnerabilities out and stated she came out victorious and was ready to move forward.
Alongside Jade Cargill, Stratton found herself dealing with Cargill’s forever rival Naomi and an old enemy from her own past, Nia Jax, whom she betrayed and won the WWE Women’s Championship from late last year using her Money In The Bank cash-in.
Jax confronted Stratton in-ring, vowing to take back her championship despite Stratton’s newfound confidence. The following week, Cargill and Jax faced off in a #1 contender’s match, which Jax won thanks to Naomi’s interference, earning her another shot at the gold.
Analysis:
As disappointed as I was that Stratton vs. Jax just kind of petered out on the road to WrestleMania, I’m actually less enthusiastic about the performers returning to it now. Stratton is on a babyface tear and Jax makes a credible monster, but it feels like all the momentum got sucked out of this pairing by ending it so anticlimactically last time (not even a big blowoff match, just kind of… pivoting the two away from each other).
Last week’s match felt almost surprisingly thrown together, with little follow-up from the tag match the week before which actually wove together multiple challengers for Stratton’s title quite well. Reducing that to a quick #1 contender’s match felt lazy and oversimplified. Combined with the match being in the piss break slot and Stratton getting barely any post-match time to build hype, and it definitely feels like this is the championship getting put on the backburner this PPV cycle. Not a huge thing, but for a new champion it’s going to be even more difficult to get people back invested in Stratton’s journey in the future.
Grade: C
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.