SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
With the first-ever non-WrestleMania 2-night PLE fast approaching, WWE has a lot riding on making SummerSlam a success.
A crowded PLE schedule left only two weeks to devote to building storylines and promoting SummerSlam. This lightning-fast build is unprecedented, making performances on this week’s programming particularly crucial.
Who’s on the upswing and who’s spiraling heading into the Biggest Party of the Summer? Let’s take a look.
Rising Star of the Week: Seth Rollins
Since an alleged knee injury led to an impromptu loss to L.A. Knight on the July 12 edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Rollins has not appeared on WWE TV. Rollins has been mentioned only in passing on Raw, with Paul Heyman declaring “he will be out of action for a long, long time.” This week Bron Breakker went so far as to declare himself the new faction leader for an apparent post-Rollins era.
In spite of Heyman adeptly filling in as the voice of the group, Rollins’s absence has been sorely felt. Breakker has a bright future and may in fact be the “next big thing,” but he’s not there yet. Breakker lacks Rollins’ presence and star power.
It has become increasingly evident that this faction needs a star of Rollins’ caliber to remain relevant. In my opinion, Rollins has been riding a career high since his WrestleMania win, and his disappearance from the last three Raws has made his value all the clearer by contrast.
Although Rollins’ injury will purportedly keep him off TV going forward, there is increasing reason to believe that it’s only misdirection. The most likely reason for faking such an injury would be for a surprise Money in the Bank contract cash-in. In May, Rollins had vowed that C.M. Punk would never win the World Heavyweight Championship.
A cash-in during the World Championship match at SummerSlam would allow Rollins to screw Punk and take the title for himself.
By next week’s Raw, I expect to see Rollins back on top.
Now, if only his faction could find a decent name…
Runner-up: Runner-up: Naomi
For over ten years, Naomi has been my least favorite wrestler in WWE.
Her character was bland, her promos uninspired, her offense unconvincing, and her matches only passable.
Now, I can’t get enough of her.
While Naomi’s in-ring skills have been steadily improving for years, it’s only the past few months following her heel turn that has made her truly entertaining.
Naomi’s all-in portrayal of a dangerous, desperate, unhinged villain has been the most delightful surprise of 2025. Her maniacal laugh would make Ted DiBiase jealous. She’s found an effective catch phrase in “proceed with caution.” Her joy of performance is palpable and infectious. Naomi dismissed Stephanie Vaquer by mispronouncing her name and mocking her limited English: “I don’t know what you just said.”
It’s only natural that Naomi’s career-high performances were rewarded with the Women’s World Championship.
This week, slick new ring gear completes her transformation. Riding high on momentum, Naomi is poised to retain her title against the biggest star in women’s wrestling in Rhea Ripley and its greatest worker in Iyo Sky.
Naomi is living proof that, even after 10 years, someone we think we know can still surprise us.
Second Runner-up: C.M. Punk
This is more like it. After being increasingly diminished by the John Cena humiliation, progressively inadequate promos, and winning the number one contendership in the weakest manner possible, Punk has seemed a shell of his former self.
Last week, Gunther cut down Punk verbally, characterizing his challenger as delusional, and having no claim to being the “Best in the World.” The Straight Edge superstar inexplicably failed to respond, and seemed to question himself.
This week, Punk cut a confident, intense, and believable comeback promo. He effectively turned the tables on Gunther, citing how his career accomplishments pale against Punk’s.
“There are levels to this, kid, and you’re gonna find out a hard lesson after SummerSlam on Saturday – you are not at my level,” he said.
Punk said he desperately needs to win the World Heavyweight Title to replay fans who have stood by him for decades. The crowd responded. Punk’s mics drop and vault out of the ring were an effective exclamation point.
While no “pipe bomb,” this promo worked. Punk feels like a big deal again, worthy of the SummerSlam main event, and a legitimate threat to Gunther’s title.
After months of setback and failure, the “Cult of Personality” is finally back on track.
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)
Fading Star of the Week: Lyra Valkyria
No one in WWE had a tougher week than Valkyria. On the go-home show of the biggest match in her career, Valkyria desperately needed to deliver her best promo.
Instead, she botched.
Valkyria started off by stumbling over her words, stating she would return to Raw as champion “in two weeks” before awkwardly correcting herself. She then drew attention to her platform shoes, calling them “Becky Stompers,” while doing an cringe twirl.
The crowd responded with deafening silence, which was only broken when Becky Lynch’s music played.
Lyra is a top-notch in-ring talent and has earned the success she’s had in WWE. However, she does not have the speaking ability needed from a top star. Not by a longshot.
With time and practice, Valkyria may develop the skills she needs to be a real main eventer. It took nearly ten years and several failed programs to get Liv Morgan to that level. However, this week’s segment shone a spotlight on Valkyria’s weaknesses and the fact that she’s not there yet.
If WWE was planning to have Lynch lose the Intercontinental Title at SummerSlam, they should reconsider. In a recent Instagram post, the champion said it all: “We cannot have this CRAZY BIRDLADY representing the intercontinental title! AND SHE WONT!”
First Runner-Up: El Grande Americano
Replacing a departed or injured wrestler with another performer who is identified as the original is a time-honored tradition in wrestling… that always turns out poorly.
From Sin Cara and Doink the Clown, to fake Razor Ramon and Diesel, the imposters never fail to elicit disappointment.
Grande Americano has been a fun if silly gimmick, boosted greatly by Chad Gable’s comedic and athletic skills.
After Gable’s apparent injury, he was replaced as Grande Americano by an obvious imposter under-the-mask Ludwig Kaiser. The results have been underwhelming.
This week on Raw, the fake Americano interfered unsuccessfully in the World Tag Team Championship match before being run off to the backstage area by Dragon Lee. Only then a SECOND IMPOSTER Americano appeared, tripping Cruz del Toro off the top turnbuckle to allow the Judgment Day to get the pin.
The world did not need a second Americano, let alone a third. Presumably, there is a story which will attempt to explain this mess, but I can’t conceive of one which will redeem it.
Second Runner-up: Sheamus
Sheamus is an underestimated performer in WWE. He is a master storyteller in the ring, which leads to his matches always being more entertaining than his ring skills would seem to warrant. Their hard-hitting, believable exchanges make these matches all the more enjoyable, and typically earn the label “banger” (since Jim Ross apparently retained custody of the term “Slobberknocker”).
However, since his latest return to WWE in May, Sheamus has underwhelmed. Having traded his once muscular frame for something that approaches a “dad bod” makes Sheamus’s appearance stand out in the worst way. His conditioning has apparently suffered as well, as evidenced by him breaking into a sweat within the starting minutes of a match and becoming winded more quickly than C.M. Punk.
Over the years Sheamus has found success in WWE by reinventing himself, be it by starting the Fight Night faction, joining an oddball tag team, or adopting a ludicrous spiked mohawk. His most recent return has seen him playing a watered-down amalgam of former characters.
As a result, his even-stevens feud with Rusev has been uninspired, and failed to get audiences invested in either participant.
Until he can find a more inspired presentation, it may be time for the Celtic Warrior to pull an Irish Exit.
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