WWE WrestleMania 42 Night Two

By Steve Ward

WWE returned to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada for night number two of WrestleMania. Night One didn’t feel like it was firing on all cylinders with the four-minute commercial breaks between every match that consistently broke the momentum of the show and consumed more of the four hour block than the combined time of multiple matches, the clearly empty sections in the upper deck that were tarped over, and the matches that felt rushed and void of that special “WrestleMania Moment.” While night one did provide some highlights in the form of the Gunther and Seth Rollins bout that featured the return of Bron Breakker and Paige’s surprise return for the Women’s Tag Team Championship match, night two seems poised to be the more electrifying card of the weekend. Sunday’s card featured six matches with four titles contested and was headlined by CM Punk defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns.

Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman vs. Oba Femi

Winner: Oba Femi via pinfall

Tonight’s show kicked off its first hour on ESPN with Brock Lesnar returning to the ring to square off with the up and coming Oba Femi who seems poised for a monster push. Brock Lesnar appeared overpowered for the first time in his illustrious career as Femi withstood Suplex City and an F5 to deliver the Fall From Grace powerbomb as he conquered The Beast. 

Following the match, Lesnar removed his gloves and boots in the center of the ring before embracing his longtime advocate, Paul Heyman,  in what appeared to be his retirement from professional wrestling.

WWE Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match 

Penta (c) vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Rusev vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh

Winner: Penta

Penta would defend the title on night two against a very interesting mix of challengers. We had Rey Mysterio who was conveniently cleared for action after Gunther was booked in another match, the veteran powerhouse Rusev who hasn’t been able to build momentum since his return, the “Young OG” Je’Von Evans who is out to prove himself as a top contender, and JD McDonagh who is out for revenge for Penta taking the title from his Judgement Day cohort Dominik Mysterio. In a match that saw plenty of broken ladders and broken bodies, the final moments saw Je’Von Evans seemingly poised to capture the Intercontinental Championship until Penta came out of nowhere to deliver a Mexican Destroyer off the ladder to put him down. This opened the door for Penta to scale the ladder and retrieve his title.

WWE United States Championship 

Trick Williams w/ Lil Yachty vs. Sami Zayn (c)

Winner: Trick Williams via pinfall 

Sami Zayn recently dethroned Carmelo Hayes as champion on Smackdown and was quickly thrown into a feud with another rising star, former TNA Heavyweight Champion Trick Williams. Many have viewed Zayn as a transitional champion with speculation that WWE wants to build a long program between Williams and Hayes - tonight would determine if that plays out. In the closing moments, Zayn hit the Exploder Suplex and was positioned to attempt The Helluva Kick. As Zayn charged Williams, he was stunned with The Trick Shot which allowed Trick to cover him for the pinfall.

Street Fight

Dominik Mysterio vs. “The Demon” Finn Balor

Winner: “The Demon” Finn Balor via pinfall

Following his unceremonious removal from The Judgement Day, Finn Balor has decided to invoke the return of his Demon persona, following a lengthy three year absence, for tonight’s grudge match. Balor withstood a barrage of chair shots, being put through a table, and a Frogsplash to achieve his measure of revenge on “Dirty” Dom. In the closing moments, Balor beat Dom down with a chair and then laid him out on a table to deliver the Coup de Grace for the win.

WWE Women’s Championship 

Jade Cargill (c) vs. Rhea Ripley

Winner: Rhea Ripley via pinfall 

Rhea Ripley earned her opportunity to ascend to the top of the Women’s Division once again with her victory in the Women’s Elimination Chamber against a champion who has never seemed to defend her title. Rhea appeared in dire straits as Cargill’s Baddies, Michin and B-Fab, made their presence felt late in the contest. Iyo Sky then made her way to the ring and dispatched of the two while also creating a distraction. This allowed Ripley to stun Jade with a headbutt followed by the Riptide for the victory.

Following the match, John Cena made his way to the ring to announce the attendance before he was interrupted by The Miz and Kit Wilson. As The Miz proclaimed he wanted his WrestleMania moment, Danhausen made his way to the ring with a group of mini Danhausens. After the mini Danhausens eliminated Kit Wilson, Danhausen delivered a Five Knuckle Shuffle to The Miz. Danhausen’s exit was seemingly botched as a plume of smoke went off and dissipated around him before he could make his exit.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship 

CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns 

Winner: Roman Reigns via pinfall

WrestleMania 42 weekend closed out tonight with the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble winner, Roman Reigns, challenging CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship. The buildup to this encounter did get ugly at times with the personal attacks that blurred the lines of kayfabe promising a fever pitch intensity level for the main event on “The Showcase of the Immortals.” Late in the match CM Punk seemed to be in prime position to put Roman away after he put him through the announce table with a devastating elbow drop. Punk then delivered the Go To Sleep, however, when he attempted a second consecutive GTS, his body gave out. This opened the door for Reigns to deliver two devastating, body-breaking spears after which Punk was unable to kick out before the referee’s three count.

WWE WrestleMania 42 Night One

By Steve Ward

The “Showcase of the Immortals” returned tonight for its 42nd installment as WWE presented WrestleMania 42 Night One from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. This marks the first time that WrestleMania has been held at the same venue since WrestleMania five and six were each held at Boardwalk Hall (then known as Atlantic City Convention Hall) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Early this week it was reported, however, that WWE was still behind last year’s night one gate by approximately 20,000 tickets due in part to TKOs inflated prices. While we will need to see if they were able to rebound in sales, it is undeniable that the seven match card is star-studded with four title bouts and a main event featuring Cody Rhodes defending his Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton.

Six Man Tag Team Match

The Usos & LA Knight vs. Logan Paul, Austin Theory, & IShowSpeed

Winners: The Usos & LA Knight via pinfall

With the Usos and LA Knight not involved in any title picture and The Vision depleted in their ranks with the untimely injuries to Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed, this special six man tag team attraction was booked to open the ESPN 2 portion of the card. While one would have thought The Usos would have received an opportunity to reclaim their tag team titles from Logan Paul and Theory, this seemed to be the only option to implant Knight on the card. Following some miscues by The Vision late in the match, IShowSpeed received the BFT from LA Knight and was subsequently pinned.

Unsanctioned Match

Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre 

Winner: Jacob Fatu via pinfall 

After Drew McIntyre was unceremoniously removed from the main event after he dropped the Undisputed WWE Championship on an episode of Smackdown several weeks ago to Cody Rhodes, he found himself entered into a feud with Jacob Fatu. Tonight they did battle in an Unsanctioned Match (I suppose this is the PG label for what is essentially a Hardcore Match). Fatu was able to withstand a Claymore Kick and being shoved from the top turnbuckle down through a table staged on the floor at ringside to rebound for a victory. In the closing moments, McIntyre was laid out supine on a table in the ring as Fatu ascended to the top rope and delivered the Mighty Moonsault which sent Drew through the table setting up the pinfall.

Women’s Tag Team Title Fatal Four Way

Nia Jax & Lash Legend (c) vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. The Bella Twins vs. Bayley & Lyra Valkyria

Winners: Brie Bella & Paige via pinfall 

The first surprise of the night arrived as The Bella Twins made their entrance with Nikki Bella on crutches. Nikki stated she was not cleared to compete, however, she found a replacement in the form of Paige who just signed back with the company yesterday! In the closing moments, Alexa Bliss failed her attempt at the Twisted Bliss as Paige got her knees up and she quickly countered with the RamPaige for the victory.

Women’s Intercontinental Championship 

AJ Lee ( c ) vs. Becky Lynch

Winner: Becky Lynch via pinfall 

After she was dethroned from her spot as Women’s Intercontinental Champion at Elimination Chamber, The Man received her opportunity at redemption tonight against the woman who took her title, AJ Lee. In the closing moments of this bout, Becky found herself in the corner with an exposed steel turnbuckle behind her. As AJ charged her, Becky pulled referee Jessika Carr in front of her leaving her briefly incapacitated. This allowed Lynch to slam Lee’s head into the dreaded exposed turnbuckle and then hit the Manhandle Slam to reclaim her title.

Gunther vs. Seth Rollins

Winner: Gunther via submission 

It was rumored that Gunther was scheduled to potentially end the career of Rey Mysterio tonight, however, an injury to Rey changed those plans and left Gunther with no WrestleMania plans. Since WWE could not allow the momentum of the Career Killer, who retired AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble, to be stymied, they had him attack Rollins several weeks back on RAW to set up this encounter of megastars. Late in the bout Rollins appeared to be in complete control after he delivered a Pedigree and Stomp on the announce table before Bron Breakker made his shocking return and speared him at ringside. Gunther was then able to capitalize as he cinched in the sleeper hold for the victory.

Women’s World Championship 

Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan

Winner: Liv Morgan via pinfall

Liv Morgan punched her ticket to WrestleMania after she outlasted 29 other women in this year’s Women’s Royal Rumble Match. In a rather anticlimactic title bout, Liv’s Judgement Day cohorts, Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez, made their presence known late which allowed Morgan to hit Oblivion for the win.

Undisputed WWE Championship 

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton w/ Pat McAfee

Winner: Cody Rhodes via pinfall

Randy Orton earned his opportunity for world championship number 15 tonight following his victory in the Men’s Elimination Chamber match. In recent weeks, he was often seen communicating by phone with a mystery individual which lead to rampant speculation that it could be anyone from “Cowboy” Bob Orton to Vince McMahon - much to the WWE Universe’s dismay, it was Pat McAfee (whose agent is coincidentally one of the heads of TKO Holdings and of course is prominently featured on ESPN). Nonetheless, Orton would be pitted against “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes who has met a mixed crowd reaction following his victory over Drew McIntyre to reclaim the Undisputed WWE Championship in the middle of the Road to WrestleMania on an episode of Smackdown. Prior to the opening bell, McAfee got the jump on Cody Rhodes but this would backfire quickly as Cody would quickly regain the upper hand with the help of Jelly Roll. McAfee would find himself laid out on the announce table and moments later was driven through the table thanks to an elbow drop by Jelly Roll. Late in the match, Randy Orton was disoriented by a vicious eye poke and accidentally RKO’d referee Charles Robinson. Moments later, Pat McAfee returned to the ring with a neck brace and referee shirt on. Orton went for a pin attempt on Cody but he kicked out at two. Seemingly tired of McAfee’s antics, Orton RKO’d McAfee, however, this opened the door for Rhodes to hit the Cross Rhodes and seal the victory. After the match, Orton took out Rhodes with the title belt and delivered a punt to his cranium before standing over him with the title to close the show.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2026

By Steve Ward

The final stop on the Road to WrestleMania rolled into the United Center in Chicago, Illinois this evening as WWE presented Elimination Chamber. Tonight’s card featured four bouts with two titles contested and two elimination chamber matches, each with a ticket to a championship match at WrestleMania on the line. 

Women’s Elimination Chamber Match

Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Kiana James vs. Tiffany Stratton 

Winner: Rhea Ripley 

The card kicked off tonight with the Women’s Elimination Chamber where the winner would earn the opportunity to square off with WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill at WrestleMania. The match kicked off with Stratton and James while the remaining competitors would enter in five minute intervals. Asuka was the first to be released from her pod and enter the fray and immediately went on the offensive crushing her opponent’s skulls into the plexiglass of the chamber pods. Bliss was the next to enter the match with no eliminations recorded yet. The fifth entry into the match was Rhea Ripley who quickly incapacitated the field before directing her attention to Bliss. The first elimination came moments later as Asuka sprayed the mist in Bliss’ eyes allowing James to pin her just seconds before Rodriguez finally entered. Rodriguez unleashed a path of destruction in her wake as she put James through a pod wall and then body slammed Asuka onto her in the middle of the ring before pinning both women simultaneously. The next elimination came after Tiffany Stratton hit the Prettiest Moonsault Ever on an incapacitated Raquel leaving her alone with Ripley. The final moments saw Rhea Ripley hit the Riptide on Stratton to earn the pinfall and punch her ticket to WrestleMania.

Women’s Intercontinental Championship 

Becky Lynch (c) vs. AJ Lee

Winner: AJ Lee via submission 

This evening’s bout would mark Lee’s first singles bout in over a decade with championship gold hanging in the balance. In the closing moments, Becky’s attempt at cheating backfired as she took a header into the turnbuckle she had earlier removed the cover from. This allowed Lee the opportunity to cinch in the Black Widow for the submission victory.

World Heavyweight Championship 

CM Punk (c) vs. Finn Balor

Winner: CM Punk via pinfall

Balor was given another opportunity at the World Heavyweight Championship tonight against CM Punk as Balor vowed to turn the WrestleMania main event on it’s head. Following a long and grueling battle, Punk was able to withstand a late Coup de Grace to put Finn away with the Go To Sleep.

Prior to the main event, Smackdown GM Nick Aldis and RAW GM Adam Pearce opened the mysterious large crate that has been sitting backstage the past few weeks with a note not to open it until February 28. The crate was pried open revealing a wood coffin. Both GMs shook their heads and walked away. The coffin slowly opened and revealed the debut of the newly signed Danhausen.

Men’s Elimination Chamber Match 

Trick Williams vs. LA Knight vs. Logan Paul vs. Randy Orton vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Cody Rhodes

Winner: Randy Orton

The main event of the evening was the Men’s Elimination Chamber Match with a shot against Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania hanging in the balance. Evans and Rhodes would kick off the match with another combatant joining the chaos every five minutes. The first competitor to be released from the pods was Trick Williams. Following Williams was Logan Paul who was immediately assaulted by the other three men in the ring. The fifth to enter the match was LA Knight. Just moments after Logan Paul was launched off the top of a pod by Knight and Evans, Orton became the final entry into the match. Evans became the first elimination after he executed a frogsplash on Williams as Logan Paul capitalized on Evans hurting himself by nailing him with the Paulverizer. Paul then eliminated Knight after hitting him with a low blow. Next, Rhodes hit the Cross Rhodes on Williams only to be discarded by Paul who claimed the pinfall on Trick for himself. Moments later, a decoy masked man attempted to scale the chamber only to be removed by security. This created a diversion for another masked man to enter the chamber and deliver a stomp to Logan who was then pinned by Rhodes. The man then revealed himself as Seth Rollins before fleeing through the crowd. In the final moments, Drew McIntyre emerged and attacked Rhodes with his championship belt. After McIntyre failed to nail Rhodes with a Claymore Kick, Orton hit him with an RKO and then delivered another RKO to Cody to help him claim victory and punch his ticket to WrestleMania.

Royal Rumble 2026

By Steve Ward

WWE presented the 39th incarnation of the Royal Rumble from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this evening in front of a crowd of 25,000. Not only was the event held in a crowd substantially smaller than what would’ve been commanded in the United States, it also was within a stadium that was built in a parking lot over the past month. The show, which marks the beginning of the Road to WrestleMania, featured four matches and was headlined by the Men's Royal Rumble Match.

Women’s Royal Rumble Match
Winner: Liv Morgan

The show kicked off with the Women’s Royal Rumble Match where the competitors were all required to wear Saudi-approved attire and more importantly, where the winner would earn a shot at the championship of her choice at WrestleMania.

Order of Entry:

Charlotte Flair
Alexa Bliss
Kiana James
Nia Jax
Ivy Nile
Lola Vice
Candice LeRae
Jordynne Grace
Becky Lynch
Sol Ruca
Roxanne Perez
Maxxine Dupri
Nattie
Liv Morgan
Lash Legend
Zelina
Raquel Rodriguez
Chelsea Green
Giulia
Iyo Sky
Asuka
Rhea Ripley
Bayley
Jacy Jayne
Nikki Bella
Lyra Valkyria
Kelani Jordan
Kairi Sane
Brie Bella
Tiffany Stratton

Final Four: Raquel Rodriguez , Liv Morgan, Sol Ruca, and Tiffany Stratton.

The first of the final eliminations occurred as Liv dumped her Judgement Day stablemate Raquel over the top rope as she celebrated her elimination of Rhea Ripley. Moments later, the final three women found themselves battling on the ring apron. First, Ruca went for the Sol Snatcher but missed and was eliminated by Stratton. This opened the door for Liv Morgan to knock Stratton off the ring apron with the Oblivion to punch her ticket to WrestleMania.

AJ Styles vs. Gunther
Winner: Gunther via submission

This bout came to the forefront after AJ Styles squared off with Gunther on Monday Night RAW earlier this month. Styles seemingly clinched victory with a Calf Crusher submission that prompted The Ring General to tap out, however, the referee didn’t see it and Gunther eventually prevailed after a low blow gave him the edge. This outcome lead Styles to seek a rematch but Gunther would only accept the challenge once Styles put his career on the line. AJ Styles emptied the tank in this contest but in the end, Gunther cinched in a vicious sleeper hold that saw The Phenomenal One unable to answer the call of referee Dan Engler (formerly TNA lead official Rudy Charles) as his career came to an end.

Undisputed WWE Championship
Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Sami Zayn
Winner: Drew McIntyre via pinfall

This match came to fruition after McIntyre stunned the WWE Universe by defeating Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship three weeks ago on Friday Night Smackdown and after Zayn won the number one contender’s fatal four way at last week’s Saturday Night’s Main Event. The final minutes of this match saw Sami Zayn square up McIntyre for a Heluva Kick, however, he was intercepted by Drew with a Claymore. Rather than go for a pinfall, Drew elected to deliver more punishment with a second Claymore as he silenced the challenge of Sami Zayn to retain his title.

Men’s Royal Rumble Match
Winner: Roman Reigns

In the main event of the evening, 30 WWE Superstars competed for a main event spot on The Grandest Stage of Them All, WrestleMania, in a 30-man over the top rope battle royal.

Order of entry:

Oba Femi
Bron Breakker
Solo Sikoa
Rey Mysterio
Rusev
Matt Cardona
Damian Priest
Je’Von Evans
Mr. Iguana
Trick Williams
Cody Rhodes
El Grande Americano
El Grande Americano (Chad Gable)
Royce Keys (fka Powerhouse Hobbs)
Austin Theory
Bronson Reed
Ilia Dragunov
La Parka
Dragon Lee
Logan Paul
LA Knight
Brock Lesnar
The Miz
Rey Fénix
Jey Uso
Roman Reigns
Jacob Fatu
Penta
Randy Orton
Gunther

Final Four: Gunther, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, and Logan Paul 

One major development that occurred at the onset of the match occurred during Bron Breakker’s entrance. Before he could enter the ring, a masked assailant emerged from the crowd and issued a severe beatdown that was capped off by one of Seth Rollins’ signature moves, The Stomp, which lead many to speculate it was him.

Fast forward to the closing moments of the match where Roman Reigns eliminated Logan Paul after Paul was intercepted with a Superman Punch as a counter to a springboard maneuver he attempted. After Reigns tossed Paul, he received an RKO out of nowhere from The Viper who was promptly tossed by Gunther. Gunther seemed poised to win the match as he had Roman trapped in a sleeper until he was carried towards the corner and had his head propelled towards the ring post. This opened the window for Reigns to spear Gunther before tossing him from the ring to claim his spot in the main event of WrestleMania.

WWE Summerslam 2025 Night Two

By Steve Ward

WWE once again filled MetLife Field in East Rutherford, New Jersey to the rafters with a rabid capacity crowd for Summerslam Night Two. Night Two’s card featured six matches with each one having a title in the balance and was headlined by Cody Rhodes squaring off with John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Women’s World Championship
Rhea Ripley vs. Iyo Sky vs. Naomi (c)
Winner: Naomi via pinfall

Naomi cashed in her Money In The Bank briefcase three weeks ago at Evolution during Iyo Sky’s title defense against Rhea Ripley to become the new Women’s World Champion. With Sky and Ripley both having a legitimate claim to a title opportunity, that brings us to tonight’s triple threat encounter. In the closing moments, Ripley hit the Avalanche Riptide on Iyo Sky and made a pinfall attempt only to have Naomi sneak up on her and roll her up with a handful of tights for the pinfall.

WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match
Street Profits vs. #DIY vs. Motor City Machine Guns vs. Fraxiom vs. Andrade & Rey Fénix vs. The Wyatt Sick6 (Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy) (c)
Winners: The Wyatt Sick6

This match was a spectacle of chaos and carnage with broken chairs, ladders, and tables strewn about. In the final moments, The Wyatt Sick6 cleared the ring with a pair of chairs and Gacy scaled the ladder to retrieve and retain their titles.

Women’s Intercontinental Championship
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria
Winner: Becky Lynch via pinfall

The bitter rivalry between Becky and Lyra began when Becky turned on Lyra following their tag team title loss at WrestleMania and escalated after Becky took Lyra’s Intercontinental Title. This tumultuous feud would come to a head tonight as Lyra earned a shot at “The Man’s” title following her victory over Bayley recently in a Two Out Of Three Falls Match. Tonight’s no disqualification affair quickly devolved into a hardcore match as countless weapons were introduced. Late in the match, Becky was mercilessly beating Lyra when Bayley decided to interject herself into the match. Late in the bout, with Bayley seemingly taken out by Becky, Bayley climbed onto the ring apron and took a swing at Becky with a chain wrapped around her hand. Lynch avoided the blow and instead it landed square in the face of Lyra. Becky then put away Lyra with the Manhandle Slam to retain her title.

United States Championship
Solo Sikoa (c) vs. Jacob Fatu
Winner: Solo Sikoa

Jacob Fatu sought to regain his United States Championship as the match was contested within a steel cage to help mitigate interference by Solo’s NFTs. In the end, it wasn’t enough. Fatu and Solo found themselves jockeying for position in an attempt to escape the cage through the door. Talla Tonga then slammed the door in Fatu’s face allowing Solo to escape and retain his title.

WWE Intercontinental Championship
AJ Styles vs. “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio (c)
Winner: Dominik Mysterio via pinfall

AJ Styles had been stalking Mysterio for several weeks as he continued to duck “The Phenomenal One” with a supposed rib injury. Late in the match, Dom’s boot came off as Styles attempted a Calf Crusher submission on him. The referee was briefly distracted moments later after avoiding a collision with Styles allowing Dom to strike Styles with the boot. Mysterio then climbed to the top turnbuckle and landed the Frogsplash to allow him to secure the pinfall.

Undisputed WWE Championship Street Fight
Johnny Cena (c) vs. Cody Rhodes
Winner: Cody Rhodes via pinfall

Cody Rhodes finally earned his rematch with John Cena, following his loss to him at WrestleMania 41, after winning the King of the Ring tournament. John Cena appeared poised to retain his title after he executed an Avalanche AA, however, Cody was able to rally as he delivered an Avalanche Cody Cutter (even though it looked more like an awkward bulldog) through a table. Rhodes then covered Cena for the pinfall and regained his title.

Following the match, Cena stood in the ring soaking up the atmosphere when the ultimate shocker of the weekend arrived in the form of Brock Lesnar! Lesnar made his way to the ring and delivered an F5 to Cena before exiting the stadium.

WWE Summerslam 2025 Night One

By Steve Ward

WWE returned to the great state of New Jersey this evening as Summerslam emanated from MetLife Stadium. This also marked the first time in WWE history that the event would be a two night spectacular. Tonight’s card featured six scheduled matches with three championships contested as Gunther battled CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event.

Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed w/ Paul Heyman
Winners: Roman Reigns & Jey Uso via pinfall

Roman Reigns and Jey Uso reunited tonight in Reigns’ first in ring action since “The Wiseman” (now “The Oracle”) Paul Heyman turned on him at WrestleMania and forged his alliance with Seth Rollins. Tonight, Reigns and Uso would square off with the two newest Paul Heyman Guys, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. In the closing moments of the opening bout, Breakker had Uso sized up for a spear. As Breakker charged forward, Reigns shoved Uso out of harm’s way and took the spear that nearly broke him in half. Uso then disposed of Breakker and delivered an Uso Splash to Reed to earn the victory.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
Roxanne Perez & Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair
Winners: Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair via pinfall

Following Liv Morgan’s shoulder injury, Roxanne Perez stepped in as the newest member of The Judgement Day and as the new tag team partner of Raquel Rodriguez. Tonight they were challenged by Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, who recently became allies of convenience, for the Tag Team Championship. In the closing moments, Charlotte took out Raquel with a big boot allowing Bliss to hit the Sister Abigail on Perez to crown them as the new tag team champions.

Karrion Kross w/ Scarlet vs. Sami Zayn
Winner: Sami Zayn via pinfall

For weeks, Kross has been trying to convince Zayn that he must tap into his evil side to achieve his goal of becoming a world champion and tonight their rivalry would come to a head. As the match came to an end, Zayn resisted using a steel pipe offered to him by Scarlet and instead delivered a Helluva Kick to earn the win.

WWE Women’s Championship
Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Jade Cargill
Winner: Tiffany Stratton via pinfall

Jade Cargill punched her ticket to a title shot at Summerslam following her win in the Queen of the Ring tournament and tonight she sought to win her first singles championship against Tiffany Stratton. The closing minutes saw Stratton avoid her demise by reversing a top rope Jaded and following it up with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to help her retain her title.

Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Logan Paul & Drew McIntyre
Winners: Logan Paul & Drew McIntyre via pinfall

Jelly Roll was invited to perform on Smackdown several weeks ago only to be interrupted by Logan Paul. Orton then saved Jelly Roll only to be immediately ambushed by Drew McIntyre. This lead to the start of a bitter rivalry that culminated in a bitter grudge match tonight. The closing moments saw Jelly Roll somehow return to the ring after being put through the announce table but was first met with a Claymore from McIntyre and then the Paul From Grace to suffer defeat in his in-ring debut.

World Heavyweight Championship
Gunther (c) vs. CM Punk
Winner: CM Punk via pinfall

After Gunther retired the legendary Goldberg a few weeks ago on Saturday Night’s Main Event, CM Punk stepped up to the champ stating he needed to be World Heavyweight Champion and established himself as his new challenger. Late in the match, Gunther had his legs swept out from beneath him as he stood gloating on the Spanish announce table and took a header on the way down. As he recovered from the ground, he was covered in a crimson mask. Punk then went on to escape a subsequent sleeper hold by Gunther and finished him off with to Go To Sleeps.

As Punk celebrated, Seth Rollins’ music echoed through MetLife Stadium as he and Paul Heyman made their way out. Rollins stood there on crutches with a knee brace on as Heyman held the Money In The Bank briefcase. Rollins let Punk know he’d be cashing in on him soon and proceeded to start walking out only to abruptly stop, drop his crutches, remove his brace, and storm the ring with briefcase in tow.

World Heavyweight Championship Match #2
CM Punk (c) vs. Seth Rollins w/ Paul Heyman
Winner: Seth Rollins via pinfall

Seth Rollins proceeded to beat CM Punk down with the briefcase before handing it to the referee to cash it in. Rollins then hit the stomp on Punk and quickly covered him to claim the title.

WWE Money In The Bank 2025

By Steve Ward

WWE returned to Peacock tonight with Money In The Bank from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. This event is arguably as pivotal of an event to the annual landscape of WWE each year as the Royal Rumble in that the winners of the Men’s and Women’s Money In The Bank ladder matches earn the opportunity to cash in an opportunity against the champion of their choice at any time for the next year. This evening’s card featured five matches with two title bouts, two Money In The Bank Ladder Matches, and was headlined by a tag team grudge match between the teams of Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul and John Cena.

Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi vs. Giulia vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Stephanie Vaquer vs. Roxanne Perez
Winner: Naomi

With an opportunity at a world title shot literally hanging in the balance, these six women threw caution to the wind. In the final moments, Alexa Bliss and Rhea Ripley found themselves alone at the top of the ladder jockeying for position. Naomi then emerged from outside the ring and tipped the ladder over leaving a scene of carnage. Naomi took this opportunity to scale the ladder to capture her first Money In The Bank briefcase.

WWE Intercontinental Championship
Dominik Mysterio (c) w/ Liv Morgan vs. Octagon Jr.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio via pinfall

Mysterio appeared at AAA Worlds Collide earlier in the day and confronted Octagon Jr. following his match. Following the brawl that subsequently ensued between the two, Mysterio challenged Octagon Jr. to a match this evening. With an assist by Liv Morgan, Mysterio was able to gain the upper hand and execute the 619 followed by the Frog Splash to retain his title.

Women’s Intercontinental Championship
Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Becky Lynch
Winner: Becky Lynch via pinfall

Despite retaining her title over Lynch last month at Backlash, The Man got the last laugh with a vicious attack following their match. Valkyria then exacted a measure of revenge on Lynch by costing her a spot in the Women’s Money In The Bank ladder match recently on RAW. That led us to tonight’s rematch for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. This was a true back and forth affair throughout the contest and the conclusion would be no different. Lyra rolled up Lynch for the pinfall only to have Lynch reverse it for her own pinfall as she grasped her tights for leverage and the win.

Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Seth Rollins w/ Paul Heyman vs. El Grande Americano vs. LA Knight vs. Andrade vs. Penta vs. Solo Sikoa
Winner: Seth Rollins

In the closing moments, the ring and the area surrounding looked like a crime scene. There was no shortage of run-ins as Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed first came to the aid of Rollins and then Jacob Fatu and JC Mateo (Jeff Cobb) for Solo Sikoa. It appeared Sikoa was poised to claim victory as he climbed the ladder until Fatu turned on him by grabbing his ankle and preventing him from reaching the briefcase. Fatu then exclaimed “I hate you” and laid waste to Sikoa. Rollins next attempted to climb the ladder only to be temporarily interrupted by LA Knight before disposing of him and retrieving the briefcase.

Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso vs. Johnny Cena & Logan Paul
Winners: Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso via pinfall

Cody Rhodes made his in-ring return tonight following his loss at Wrestlemania to John Cena. Tonight he would be in tag team action as he partnered with World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso against Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena and Logan Paul. The closing moments saw Rhodes and Cena alone in the ring after Logan Paul put Uso through the announce table with an Asai Moonsault from the middle ring rope. With the referee distracted outside the ring, Cena struck Rhodes with his title belt. It appeared Cena was poised to put Rhodes away until a hooded assailant arose from the crowd and attacked Cena. After incapacitating Cena, the masked man revealed himself as R-Truth who had allegedly left the company this past week following the expiration of his contract. This allowed Rhodes to put Cena away with the Cross Rhodes to solidify the victory.

WWE Backlash 2025

By Steve Ward

The fallout from WrestleMania 41 culminated this evening in St. Louis, Missouri as WWE presented Backlash from the Enterprise Arena. This evening’s card featured five bouts with four holding a title in the balance and was headlined by John Cena defending his Universal Championship against Randy Orton.

United States Championship Fatal Four Way

Jacob Fatu (c) vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest vs. LA Knight

Winner: Jacob Fatu via pinfall

 

The tempo of this match remained at a fever pitch throughout. Late in the contest, Priest took both himself and Drew McIntyre out of the match after delivering a South of Heaven from the top of a sound crate through a pair of tables. LA Knight then laid Fatu out on the announce table and scaled to the top rope. First, Solo Sikoa emerged to pull Fatu out of harm’s way. As Knight pursued Solo, he was blindsided by an unknown assailant soon revealed as Jeff Cobb! Knight was then thrown into the ring and served up for Fatu to put him away.

 

Women’s Intercontinental Championship

Becky Lynch vs. Lyra Valkyria (c)

Winner: Lyra Valkyria via pinfall

 

These two women teamed up at WrestleMania to claim the Women’s Tag Team Championship only to lose them 24 hours later on RAW. This caused The Man to reveal her true colors and lay waste to Lyra leading us to tonight’s encounter. Both women pulled out all stops but, in the end, Lyra withstood multiple Manhandle Slams, the Disarm Her, and an exposed turnbuckle to end up winning with a pinfall reversal.

 

WWE Intercontinental Championship

Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. Penta

Winner: Dominik Mysterio via pinfall

 

After Penta was cost his chance at claiming the Intercontinental Championship on RAW recently, he was granted another opportunity tonight. Late in the match, The Judgement Day tried to get involved only to be stopped by the referee and banned from ringside. While the referee was still distracted, El Grande Americano emerged to headbutt Penta with a loaded mask. This set the stage for Mysterio to hit the frogsplash and seal his victory.

 

Gunther vs. Pat McAfee

Winner: Gunther via submission

 

The night following WrestleMania Gunther took exception to the commentary being delivered by Michael Cole and Pat McAfee and assaulted the two. That prompted McAfee to call out Gunther bringing us to tonight. McAfee made the match interesting and received a little help in the form of outside interference from Michael Cole, but in the end, Gunther put him away with the Sleeper Hold.

 

WWE Universal Championship

Randy Orton vs. John Cena (c)

Winner: John Cena via pinfall

 

John Cena and Randy Orton resumed their 25-year rivalry tonight in Orton’s hometown for possibly the last time with Cena’s new Universal Championship on the line. Randy Orton controlled most of the match and seemed poised to win his 15th world championship until Cena decked the referee inadvertently with the title. In the closing minutes, Orton had Cena squared up for the punt only to be stopped by the man who calls Cena his childhood hero despite being older than him, R-Truth. R-Truth promptly received an RKO for his efforts. As Orton yelled at Truth, who had rolled out to the arena floor, Cena delivered a low blow to Randy. Cena then finished Orton off with a shot to the head with the Universal Championship and pinned him just in time for the referee to recover and count the pinfall.

AC Boxing Scene Alive and Thriving

By Frank Bartolini

Professional boxing in Atlantic City has often been written off as dead. But that message clearly didn’t reach the over 10,000 fans who packed the Convention Center on the boardwalk to witness Jaron “Boots” Ennis successfully defend his World Welterweight Championship, in an event promoted by Matchroom Boxing.

Ennis, a Philadelphia native, delivered the most dominant performance of his career, dismantling Eimantas Stanionis in six rounds. Philadelphia, known for embracing its champions, showed up in full force—many clad in Eagles Super Bowl gear—to support their hometown hero.

Using sharp left jabs to the head and body, Ennis opened up Stanionis for a brutal body assault. Switching to a southpaw stance at times, Ennis demonstrated his versatility and ferocity. Though he absorbed a few hooks, Ennis responded with a relentless wave of punches that eventually overwhelmed the tough and resilient Lithuanian challenger.

In the sixth round, Ennis targeted Stanionis’ midsection with a punishing barrage. Grimacing in pain, Stanionis backed into the corner, clearly hurt. Sensing the moment, Ennis landed three consecutive left uppercuts to the chin of a hunched-over opponent. Stanionis crumbled to the canvas but courageously got back to his feet and survived the round.

Back in his corner, concern was etched on the faces of his team. As the ringside physician, referee, and head trainer assessed his condition, a decision was made to stop the fight. The trainer called it off, and with agreement from the doctor and referee, the bout was officially ended. Though suffering his first professional loss, Stanionis (now 15–1, 9 KOs) earned respect for his grit and heart.

With this emphatic victory, Ennis (now 34–0, 30 KOs) firmly established himself as the king of the 147-pound division. However, challenges remain. Super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez has publicly called him out, and undefeated fighters Devin Haney and Brian Norman Jr. are also being floated as potential opponents. Still, it would be fitting if Ennis cleaned out the welterweight division before moving up in weight. This writer’s dream matchup? A clash between Ennis and Gervonta “Tank” Davis—a Philly vs. Baltimore showdown that would electrify fans across the boxing world.

Don’t believe the doubters—the Atlantic City fight scene is far from dead. Just two weeks before the Ennis-Stanionis bout, Larry Goldberg’s BoxingInsider Promotions hosted a six-fight card at the Tropicana Casino & Hotel. Headlining the event was local favorite Justin Figueroa, a junior middleweight and standout former high school athlete. Over 1,500 fans filled the venue—hardly the sign of a fading boxing town.

Back in 2015, Atlantic City’s boxing future looked bleak. The city was in economic decline, with multiple casinos shuttered and others demolished. Professional boxing came to a near halt. That’s when welterweight contender Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna took a bold step—promoting boxing himself to keep the sport alive in the “City by the Sea.”

LaManna’s efforts reignited the local boxing scene. His initiative inspired other promoters, leading to a resurgence that now boasts more than 20 fight cards a year on the boardwalk. A veteran of 45 professional bouts, LaManna’s own career continues as he prepares to face former super welterweight and middleweight champion Jermall Charlo in a 10-round bout on May 31 at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Thanks to fighters like Ennis and LaManna, and the passionate fanbase that continues to show up, Atlantic City remains a vital part of the boxing world. The scene isn’t dying—it’s thriving.

WWE WrestleMania 41 Night Two

By Steve Ward

WrestleMania 41 weekend continued this evening from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada with night two. The card again featured seven bouts with four titles contested and was capped off by Cody Rhodes defending his Undisputed WWE Championship against John Cena.

 

WWE Women’s World Championship 

Iyo Sky (c) vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair

Winner: Iyo Sky via pinfall

 

Bianca Belair punched her ticket to WrestleMania after winning the Elimination Chamber last month. Things only became more complicated the next night on RAW when Iyo Sky defeated Rhea Ripley for her championship. With Ripley entitled to a rematch, that brings us to our triple threat encounter tonight. In the closing moments, it appeared Belair was poised to take the title after she viciously whipped her with her hair and then hit the Kiss of Death. As Belair attempted the pinfall, Iyo Sky flew in out of nowhere landing an Over the Moonsault on both women and then covered Belair for the win.

 

Sin City Street Fight

Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest

Winner: Drew McIntyre via pinfall 

 

This bitter rivalry began at last year’s WrestleMania when Damian Priest cashed in his Money In the Bank briefcase and defeated McIntyre for the World Heavyweight Championship just moments after he won it from Seth Rollins. Since then, McIntyre has blamed Priest for his inability to regain championship gold. This rivalry would come to a head tonight in a Sin City Street Fight. Priest appeared in control after he put McIntyre through a table with a Razor’s Edge until he attempted the Undertaker’s Old School. As Priest walked the ropes, McIntyre shoved him off and he plunged to the floor and through two tables. McIntyre then propped up Priest’s head against a chair wedged into the turnbuckles and delivered a devastating Claymore Kick to seal the victory.

 

WWE Intercontinental Championship Fatal Four Way Match

Bron Breakker (c) vs. Finn Balor vs. Penta vs. Dominik Mysterio 

Winner: Dominik Mysterio via pinfall 

 

This fast-paced, intense bout ended in shocking fashion. Finn Balor appeared in a prime position to win the title as he delivered the Coup de Grace on Bron Breakker. As Balor covered him for the pinfall, Dominik Mysterio landed a frog splash on top of both men and proceeded to cover his own Judgment Day cohort, Balor, for the pinfall.

 

Open Challenge

Randy Orton vs. Joe Hendry 

Winner: Randy Orton via pinfall 

 

Randy Orton was originally scheduled to face Kevin Owens until Owens announced he needed neck surgery. Orton, insistent on performing at his 20th WrestleMania, held an open challenge. The challenge would be accepted by TNA World Champion Joe Hendry. Hendry was able to mount some offense but, in the end, he was smiling for the camera only to become the recipient of an RKO Out of Nowhere.

 

AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul

Winner: Logan Paul via pinfall

 

Late in the match, a member of Logan Paul’s entourage appeared at ringside with brass knuckles. Karrion Kross then emerged from the crowd to confiscate the brass knuckles. Kross next offered them to Styles who tossed them aside and knocked Kross out. Styles proceeded to miss a Phenomenal Forearm attempt on Paul and received a Titanium Fist to the jaw followed by the Pulverizer costing him the match.

 

Women’s Tag Team Championship 

Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria & Becky Lynch

Winners: Lyra Valkyria & Becky Lynch via pinfall

 

Bayley was supposed to team with Valkyria, however, she was attacked yesterday and unable to compete. The roof was nearly blown off of Allegiant Stadium when Valkyria’s partner was introduced as none other than Becky Lynch!  The closing moments of the match saw Becky Lynch hit the Manhandle Slam on Liv Morgan allowing her to score the pinfall.

 

Prior to the main event, Stone Cold Steve Austin rode an ATV to the ring to announce the attendance and drank several Steveweisers.

 

WWE Undisputed Championship 

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Cena

Winner: John Cena via pinfall

 

John Cena punched his ticket into the main event of WrestleMania after he emerged victorious from the Elimination Chamber last month - the same night he sided with The Rock to deliver a beatdown of Cody Rhodes and completing one of the most shocking heel turns ever. Late in the match, Cody appeared to be building momentum when Travis Scott made his way to the ring. First, Cody attempted a pinfall only to have referee Chad Patton dragged from the ring by Scott. Rhodes then baited Scott into the ring where he delivered a Cross Rhodes. With Scott out of the picture, Cena attempted to strike Cody with the championship only to have Rhodes intercept him. Rhodes held the title and instead of using it on Cena, he hesitated and received a shot between the legs. Cena finally put Rhodes down with a shot to the head using the championship and pinned him to win his record 17th World Championship.