SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
After losing to Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed at Wrestlepalooza, Jimmy & Jey Uso had a chance for revenge against The Vision members in this week’s main event. Unlike their last match, this one took place under Texas Tornado Rules. Going into the match, the biggest question was whether Jimmy & Jey could be on the same page. As Jey’s demeanor has slowly changed in recent weeks, those changes have caused some tension between them. As the match progressed, it seemed as if their recent issues were not a factor in it.
As Breakker & Reed looked like they were about to finish them off, a surprise return made a difference in the match’s outcome. That return not only played a factor into the match’s conclusion, it also gave us a potential answer to Jey’s recent change in behavior. In addition to that, we had the fallout from Asuka & Kairi Sane turning on Iyo Sky, Dominik Mysterio defending his Intercontinental Title against Rusev, and another heated segment between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky vs. Asuka & Kairi Sane
Latest developments:
After weeks of tension, Rhea Ripley and Asuka faced each other in last week’s main event. After a competitive match, Rhea defeated Asuka with a Small Package after Asuka accidentally knocked Kairi Sane off the apron. After the match, Asuka sprayed the mist into Rhea’s eyes and forced Kairi to join in on the attack. Iyo Sky came out to stop the attack and while Asuka initially hugged her, she turned on Iyo immediately after as she hit her with a backhand. Asuka then forced Kairi to climb the top rope as she held up Iyo and Kairi hit her with an Insane Elbow.
This week as Rhea opened the show to call out Asuka & Kairi, Iyo came out to tell her she was right about Asuka. Despite that, Iyo said that they were still her family. Asuka & Kairi then appeared on the titantron and they said it’s not too late for Iyo to come back to them, but it is too late for Rhea. While an upset Iyo left the ring as Rhea still stood in it, Asuka & Kairi appeared and attacked her from behind. Despite hesitating for a moment, Iyo ran back to the ring and pulled Asuka off Rhea. As Kairi tried to get in between them, Asuka sprayed the mist into Iyo’s eyes, and she then trapped Rhea in the Asuka lock as Kairi hit her with an Insane Elbow. Later backstage as Rhea checked on Iyo, Iyo told her that the two of them are going to face Asuka & Kairi at Crown Jewel.
Analysis:
After these four women were featured at the end of last week’s show, it was only right to feature them at the beginning of this week’s show. While we all knew this upcoming match for Crown Jewel was inevitable, the way it was set up here was well done. As bad as what Asuka & Kairi did to Iyo last week was, it was weird at first to hear her say that they were still her family. For how long this whole story had been going on, it was smart to have Iyo be fed up with them sooner rather than later. After Asuka sprayed here with the amount of mist that she did here, there was no way that Iyo could still be friends with them after that.
Out of all the matches on Crown Jewel, this has been the one with the best build. With it being in Rhea’s home continent of Australia and it also being on her birthday, it’s going to make for an electric atmosphere. For as much as Iyo & Rhea have fought each other throughout this year, having them team up for a big PLE match also helps in making this a big deal. With the four women that are involved and how good this storyline has been, this match has the potential to be one of the highlights of the whole show. More than the match itself, the most intriguing thing about it is what the outcome will be.
Grade: B+
Dominik Mysterio vs. Rusev
Latest developments:
Two weeks ago, Rusev confronted Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio and demanded a title shot. Last week, Dominik talked J.D. McDonagh into facing Rusev on his behalf. As Rusev had J.D. trapped in the Accolade during the match, Dominik was about to save J.D. before he backed away and Rusev picked up the win. Immediately after the match, Finn Balor came to J.D.’s rescue and knocked Rusev out of the ring. It was announced that Dominik would defend his title against Rusev this week, with Judgment Day banned from ringside.
Throughout the match, Rusev dominated until Dominik threw him into the steps as he attempted to chase him outside the ring and then hit him with two 619’s. Dominik missed a Frog Splash attempt, and Rusev took advantage with a Machka Kick for a near fall. Dominik escaped an Accolade attempt and tried to leave with his titles until Rusev stopped him. As the referee’s back was turned, Dominik hit Rusev in the back with the IC Title and then threw it in his hands as he fell down to make it seem as if Rusev hit him with the belt. The referee didn’t fall for it and as his back was turned again, Dominik hit Rusev with a low blow and rolled him up as he pulled his tights to retain his title.
Analysis:
Even though this was a heel vs. heel match, no one would’ve known that considering the positive crowd reaction for Dominik. Even though he’s still a heel and hasn’t changed much about his character, he’s clearly won over a huge chunk of the audience. While he’s noticeably been getting cheered more throughout the year, it’s never been more noticeable than it was here. Ironically enough, the highlight of the match was when he tried to get Rusev disqualified by hitting him with the belt and then acting like Rusev hit him with it. Whenever he does eventually turn babyface, it’s going to likely be the audience that turns him as opposed to him actually doing something to turn.
Despite Rusev losing here, the way he lost pretty much confirmed that this feud isn’t over. With the way the last few minutes played out, Rusev was more outsmarted by Dominik than defeated by him. Considering how he’s been targeting Dominik even before this match, he’s going to want to kill him even more after what happened here. As entertaining as this match was despite it being heel vs. heel, there has to be a rematch at some point. Regardless of whenever that match happens, Rusev still doesn’t feel like the right guy to dethrone Dominik.
Grade: B
Bayley vs. Raquel Rodriguez
Latest developments:
Last week, Bayley went one on one with Roxanne Perez in a match where Raquel Rodriguez attacked Bayley outside the ring while the referee was distracted. Lyra Valkyria attacked Raquel on Bayley’s behalf and threw her into the post. A fired-up Bayley made a comeback as she hit Perez with the Bayley to Belly and the Rose Plant to win the match. As Lyra was trying to celebrate with her afterwards, Bayley pushed her down and berated her. This week as Bayley was heading out for her match with Raquel, she attempted to get Lyra to come to the ring with her, but she refused due to what Bayley did to her last week.
As the match progressed, Bayley hit Raquel with an impressive Swanton Bomb from the top rope for a near fall. She then trapped Raquel in the Figure Four and while the referee was checking on Raquel, Perez raked Bayley in the eyes. This led to Raquel hitting Bayley with the Tajana Bomb to get the win as she and Perez continued to attack Bayley after the match. Lyra came out to Bayley’s rescue until Raquel & Perez got the better of her, then an enraged Bayley got back up and cleared the ring of both of them. As Lyra expected Bayley to snap on her again, Bayley helped her up and told her good job.
Analysis:
After Bayley snapped on Lyra the last two weeks, having her switch it up and be nice to her this week was the right way to keep this story interesting. Even though she lost here, it didn’t hurt her at all as everything that happened after the match mattered more than what the outcome was. So far, Bayley’s really been pulling off this split personality storyline. Just like her initial heel turn in 2019 turned out to be one of the best runs of her career, playing a different character like this could potentially produce an even better result. Compared to what she was doing since losing the Women’s Title to Nia Jax last year, this storyline is the best thing that could’ve happened to her.
Not only that, but this storyline is also the best thing that could’ve happened to Lyra since her feud with Becky ended. With her not being in the Women’s IC Title picture for the foreseeable future, this storyline allows her to be involved in something long term that will eventually have a big pay off. Even though she was the Women’s Intercontinental Champion at the start of 2025, she’s in a much better place on the show now than she was then. With how well this is going so far, they could even stretch this all the way to WrestleMania if they play their cards right. While Bayley fully turning on Lyra is inevitable, there’s no need to rush it.
Grade: B
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)
Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins
Latest developments:
After Cody Rhodes retained the WWE Championship at Wrestlepalooza, it was announced that he would face World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins in a Champion vs. Champion match at Crown Jewel. Last week as Cody was in the ring cutting a promo, he was interrupted by Rollins. Cody told Rollins that he changed his life as their feud from three years ago and his help in the WrestleMania XL main event helped him get to where he is now. Rollins then told Cody that he resents the fact that he calls himself the QB of the company and that he would find out at Crown Jewel that he’s the alpha. Cody then asked Rollins if their upcoming match would be just between them and asked how many of their three matches together did he win before he left the ring.
This week, Rollins was in the ring cutting a promo before he was interrupted by Cody. Cody said the future isn’t something they can control and then asked who’s in control of his own group. Rollins said every decision goes through him, and then Cody asked if he was the one who allowed Paul Heyman to announce Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza. Cody then told Rollins that he thought he was his friend, which Rollins responded by saying he was never his friend and that the only reason he helped him win the title was because he was the lesser of two evils. Rollins said that they’re never going to be friends and that everything that happened between them will be dead at Crown Jewel. Rollins ended the promo by stating he’s going to write a new future, a new history, and the only person who can lead that vision is him.
Analysis:
While not as strong as the segment last week, this one more than succeeded in adding more fuel to the fire of this story. Even more so than last week, this segment really sold the fact that Rollins has never defeated Cody. That story combined with their star power has made this Champion vs. Champion match feel like a bigger deal than they usually are. Although both men were great here, it was Rollins that really stood out. In many ways, the way Rollins acted here was very similar to how Stone Cold Steve Austin acted in his sit-down interview with The Rock heading into WrestleMania X-Seven.
If their past three matches are any indication, this match at Crown Jewel could be a strong match of the year candidate. Regardless of whether or not they’ve been treated like the two top champions in the company like they deserve to be, the one place where they both prove their worth the most is in the ring. With the way this story is playing out so far, it’s made the outcome very predictable. While neither man will really be hurt by losing this match, it’s clear that Rollins needs this win more. Although many people can pretty much guess who the winner is going to be, that doesn’t make the journey to getting there any less fun.
Grade: B+
The Usos vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
Latest developments:
On the August 25 Raw, Roman Reigns encouraged Jey Uso to be more aggressive and not be afraid to take over. At Clash in Paris, Reigns was brutally attacked by Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed and taken out on a stretcher. Since Clash in Paris, Jey has had issues with LA Knight and has even been accused by his own brother Jimmy of acting more like Reigns. At Wrestlepalooza, Jimmy & Jey were defeated by Breakker & Reed after they took advantage of Jey being busted open. Last week after Jey defeated LA Knight due to a distraction by Breakker & Reed, he refused to help Jimmy come to Knight’s rescue as he was about to be attacked by them.
In this week’s main event, the Usos faced Breakker & Reed in a Texas Tornado Rules match where they had the advantage until Breakker clotheslined Jimmy from the railing through the announce table. Jimmy eventually recovered in time to push Reed off the top rope as he went for a Tsunami on Jey. Jimmy went to the top rope, but Reed grabbed him from there and hit him with a Jagged Edge and Breakker followed that with a Spear on Jey. As Reed was about to hit them both with a Tsunami, Roman Reigns came out with a chair. After backdropping Breakker out of the ring, Reigns hit Reed with the chair multiple times. This allowed Jimmy & Jey to hit the Uso Splash on Breakker simultaneously to get the win. Reigns continued to attack Breakker with the chair after the match as he then hugged Jey and encouraged him to smash everyone as Jimmy looked on suspiciously.
Analysis:
Funny enough, this marks the third time that Reigns has returned from a hiatus this year. While we thought his return this time around would mainly center around him getting revenge on Breakker & Reed, it looks like the main focus is now going to be about him getting in Jey’s ear. From what Reigns said to Jey on the Raw before Clash in Paris about only looking out for himself to what he said to him here, Jey’s recent change in character now makes more sense. This interaction between Reigns & Jey with Jimmy looking on in the background gave us an ending with a strong cliffhanger for the second week in a row. Reigns now being the evil voice in Jey’s ear creates endless possibilities for how this story will play out in the coming months.
Considering that story now being fresh on people’s minds, it’s now made Reigns getting revenge on Breakker & Reed an afterthought. After how brutal of a beating they gave him at Clash in Paris, his return to get revenge on them here didn’t feel like the big deal that it should’ve been. Reigns mainly focusing his attention on Breakker here feels like it’s going to lead to a match between them at Crown Jewel. Although having them face each other that soon would feel rushed, this feels like the only real chance to have this match on a PLE before the year ends. While Breakker won’t be hurt by losing to Reigns, having him defeat Reigns on a PLE would do wonders in establishing him as a main eventer.
Grade: B+
L.A. Knight vs. Kofi Kingston
Latest developments:
After Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods interrupted LA Knight when he was talking to Adam Pearce, Knight challenged Kofi to a match for later in the night that Pearce agreed to. As the match progressed, Kofi hit Knight with a Tomahawk Chop from the top rope for a near fall. Knight eventually made a comeback with a Shoulder Tackle over the top rope followed by a Jumping Neck-breaker. Xavier distracted Knight as he went for the Leaping Elbow, which led to Knight knocking him off the apron. Knight ducked out of the way as Kofi attempted the Trouble in Paradise and then hit him with the BFT for the win.
Analysis:
While this match was fine for what it was, it was refreshing to see Kofi & Xavier work with someone other than Penta for a change. From how things looked this week, it seems like the feud between Knight and Jey Uso is now on ice. If that’s the case, then that doesn’t leave Knight with anything meaningful to do. He could continue feuding with Kofi & Xavier for the next few weeks, but that doesn’t sound any better than when they were feuding with Penta. This match here was fine for a one off, but this doesn’t need to extend into a feud beyond this week.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
QUICK NOTE: Did you know you can read an ad-free, silky-smooth-loading version of this website with a PWTorch VIP Membership? Also, unlock 35+ years of archives including nearly 2,000 PWTorch Weekly Newsletters dating back to the late 1980s, hundreds of retro radio shows from the 1990s, and two decades of podcasts including Post-PPV Roundtable Podcasts dating back to the mid-2000s. Plus, new VIP-exclusive articles and podcasts throughout the week, fully compatible with the native Apple Podcasts app.
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON VIP MEMBERSHIP
A.J. Styles & Dragon Lee vs. Los Americanos
Latest developments:
With his match with John Cena coming up at Crown Jewel, A.J. Styles was in action this week as he teamed up with Dragon Lee to face Los Americanos (Bravo & Rayo). As Bravo Americano attempted a top rope Hurricanrana onto Lee, Lee blocked the attempt and tied his legs onto the top rope for a double stomp. Lee then made the hot tag to Styles, who took both Americanos down single handedly with several strikes. As he went for the Phenomenal Forearm, El Grande Americano pushed him off the top rope. Styles got revenge as he hit Americano with a Phenomenal Forearm from the inside of the ring to the outside and then Lee threw Bravo Americano into the arms of Styles as he hit the Styles Clash for the win.
Analysis:
This was a fun match to give Styles a win going into Crown Jewel. With that match coming up, it now makes more sense that Styles didn’t win the Intercontinental Championship from Dominik. Even though he’s about to retire soon, the high level that Styles can still perform at in this stage of his career would make one think he still has some years left in him. From how this turned out, this will likely lead to a match between Americano and Styles next week to give Styles another win before the match with Cena. While this Americano storyline has become more confusing lately, it’s just hard to complain about the wrestling we get out of it.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.