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The Vision — Taking a deep dive.

This entry today is totally my thoughts on The Vision, along with how I think it might play out.

OK, simple facts here, Seth Rollins joined forces with Paul Heyman to create The Vision. Bronson Reed, along with Bron Brekker, joined forces with Seth. In those days ahead, Seth and the boys just ran roughshod over everyone. With Seth holding the World Weight Title, according to him, he ruled RAW. That was about to change as Braun/Bronson turned on Seth, taking him out. (storyline related as Seth needed shoulder surgery).

The Betrayal — started with Seth’s match against Cody at Crown Jewel Title, but wrecked his shoulder in the process (that Coast-to-Coast headbutt). No one really knew the extent of the injury until later on. When the boys (Bron and Bronson) turned on him, it wasn’t just a random attack—it was a coup led by Paul Heyman to seize the World Heavyweight Title while the “King” was vulnerable. Get Seth out of the way, and the title moves to Braun, or so they thought. It would be a tournament with the final on Saturday Night’s Main Event on November 1, as CM Punk faced Jey Uso for the right to raise the belt.
Braun felt that because he was the one who took out Seth, he felt he was the rightful champion, or the chosen by The Vision to hold the belt. Now Braun is chasing CM Punk, who currently holds the belt. They will meet on January 5th in a title match on the return of Monday Night RAW of 2026. This will not be a clean match. Heyman and the henchmen will do anything to make sure Brekker wins.

With Seth’s departure, leaving the Brekker/Reed, through a series of events, and a set of brass knuckles. Logan Paul joined the group. I call him the pretty boy, the egotist who wins no matter what, most of the time with the help of a pair of brass knuckles. Logan Paul is the ultimate mercenary. He’ll kiss whichever ass gets him the gold, and he doesn’t care who knows it as long as his hand is raised at the end.

In the past weeks, there has been a masked man in all black assisting The Vision, using Seth’s stomp to help get the win. This is the second time that Seth has surrendered the Heavyweight Title. In 2015, he blew out his knee in Dublin, Ireland, ending a 220-day reign of one of the best runs in Seth’s career. Being the workhorse champion, once again, Seth was injured by no fault of his own. He has gone from the Visionary to the veteran, leaving “The architect” in the dust. Here is the question — Does the “Architect” have one more blueprint left?

The Debut (Survivor Series: WarGames): A mysterious figure in all black first appeared during the WarGames match in November. He scaled the cage and hit a massive Stomp on CM Punk, allowing Bron Breakker to get the win for The Vision. Which started Bron run that he is the #1 contender for the Heavyweight title.

The Ghost of The Vision: For weeks, this figure acted as a “shadow protector,” appearing out of nowhere to take out anyone standing in the way of Breakker, Reed, or Logan Paul. No matter what was happening in the match, this masked man would most likely appear to make sure the henchmen got the win. Cole at the announcer’s table was livid, “How dare he use the stomp when Seth is at home in a sling recovering?”

The Big Reveal (Dec 15): After helping Logan Paul in a match against Rey Mysterio, the man was finally unmasked to the world. It was Austin Theory, making his return to TV after months away. You can see that he has returned with a complete repackage. At one point, Theory was Vince’s Captain’s pick.

The Disrespect: Using the Stomp while Seth is at home recovering from shoulder surgery is seen by many as a slap in the face. “When the Masked Man hit the Stomp, it wasn’t just a move; it was a ghost from 2020. This isn’t just a new faction—this is Seth Rollins reclaiming his most successful ‘project.’ Theory isn’t just a henchman; he’s the hidden key to Seth’s kingdom.”

Here is my Theory (“Trojan Horse”): While the world sees a new “henchman,” you see the history. Because he’s using that specific move, it links back to their Mentor/Disciple days in 2020. Is it an homage, or is it a signal to Seth? (Is Theory Seth’s man on the inside?

Remember back before Bray Wyatt passed away (2016 into 2017), there was a storyline with Randy Orton, who got himself on the inside of the Wyatt family, even holding the tag belts at one point, in the end, blowing up the family from the inside.

Check out what Austin is wearing, in pants and different wrestling boots. Was the repackage on purpose, or is this the start of more? Seth is not listed for a return until late March to early April 2026. Nothing says that he can’t be behind the scenes, working with Theory. Until he is medically cleared.

“We’ve seen the ‘Trojan Horse’ strategy play out before. Randy Orton once embedded himself so deeply into the Wyatt Family that he even held gold with them, only to burn their world to the ground from the inside. Is Austin Theory the loyal soldier Seth needs to survive his recovery, or is he a student who learned too well from history? Seth Rollins might be building a kingdom, but as Randy Orton proved, some horses are brought inside just to set the palace on fire.

What do you think? Is history about to repeat itself on the Netflix debut?”

Final RAW of 2025 Preview

Nothing new that The Vision will be opening the show once again. (Paul Heyman, Logan Paul and Bronson Reed) Bron Brekker takes on CM Punk for the Heavyweight Title on January 5. (I really can’t see this title changing hands, this early, the road to Wrestlemania is about to start, and you want to throw a curve into your plans already? )

It appears that Heymen is assigning tasks to his henchmen. Brekker/Reed are the muscle; Logan Paul is the pretty boy with the attitude. Theory is the first line of defence before you get your hands on anyone else. How will Seth react to Theory using his stomp without asking?

The Women’s World Title is on the line with Stephanie Vaquer defending against Raquel Rodriguez and Nikki Bella. (This could be match of the night.) I can’t see the belt changing hands again, along with the rumour of Raquel turning babyface in 2026.

Rey Mysterio is facing The Vision again in the form of Austin Theory. This match was added after Theory pinned Rey in the tag match next week. If this is a typical Vision match, it won’t end well for Rey. (Brekker/Paul are both in the building)

The World Tag Team titles are on the line as AJ Styles/Dragon Lee are defending them against the Usos. This is the first attempt at the titles since the twins reunited. This is where they shine. It was great to see Jey have run, holding the world heavyweight title. (Wish it had been longer). Jey proved he could carry the ‘Big Gold’ on his own, but there’s just something special about the energy when the twins are back together chasing tag team gold. I have 2 thoughts about this match. 1) Keep the titles on Styles/Lee with rumours that Styles will retire in 2026. 2) Put the titles on the Usos for a classic run, heading to Wrestlemania before you need to get Jimmy off the road to join Naomi for the arrival of the new Uso.

Holiday Shakeup, The Rumour Mill

Why Melo, what about “The Mask” and other thoughts?

Sitting at my desk with my morning coffee, there are plenty of spoilers out there. I couldn’t stay quiet; time to do some exploring. Feeling a little under the weather today, the wrestling news cycle never sleeps, nor do the shows.

Carmelo Hayes wins the United States Title from Ilja Dragunov. When John Cena carried the title, he always had an open challenge. Sami Zayn kept it going, and so did Ilja when he beat Sami for the title. Ilja was pushed beyond his limits when doing the challenges, but I know there is more to him. He defended the title so intensely that I think they hit a wall. Putting the title on Hayes (Rumour that Trick Williams is on his way to SmackDown, which could reignite their feud from NXT). Fans already know the history between these two. Hayes is all flash and ego. Wrestlers who want a title shot might have to earn it, as Melo will be picky about who gets a title shot. This could make him a cockey heel champion. What to do with Ilja, with the Rumble coming, a good place to put him face-to-face with Gunther. Fans actually believe that Ilja could be the one to “break” Gunther.
The Two Americano’s along with what to do with Rayo/Bravo Americano (Pete Dunn/Tyler Bate). This one could get a little sticky. Chad got injured, the character disappeared for a bit until his return, but everyone knew it was Ludwig Kaiser. If you’re a WWE fan, you know Kaiser’s body type. It was interesting to watch him take on the role, make it his own. The character has also become popular in Triple A. With the rumours of Chad’s return in 2026, what to do with Kaiser in the current role? This can go any number of ways. Does Chad return demanding his rightful property back? Gable said that Kaiser stole his gimmick while Chad was away. Kaiser goes back to his character. (It’s a sticky spot) So to speak, who gets custody of Rayo/Bravo? Pete/Tyler seem to be having fun in this new role, but will they stay with Chad? (Not seen the Creed Brothers on TV since Chad got injured) I can’t find any information on why the Brothers are not on TV right now, but look for their return when Chad is back.
Women’s Tag Division — In my book, is a bit of a mess. The belts on Charlotte/Alexa were a great move. I think it also gave Charlotte some positive credit back. (I read that it was Alexa who had reached out to Charlotte, who was struggling at the time). I think when they took the titles off them that Alexa would head to the Wyatt Sick. I am still not sure why they put the titles on the Kabuki Warriors (heels with the belts doing everything to keep them at all costs. Once again, nothing changes; Asuka/Kairi are allowed to run amok. I really want to see a tag match between Charlotte/Alexa facing Rhea/Iyo with no interference from anyone else. You can’t look past Nia/Lash with their strength alone; they are going to cause some real headaches.
Jade Cargill is holding the SmackDown Women’s title. At this point, she is just finding her way as a heel. It feels like they don’t know what to do with her right now. They have a story with Michin, but she is not strong enough to hold her own. I read rumours that they were thinking about a fued with Rhea, but with her working with Iyo right now, that is not possible. The unfinished story is a fued with Bianca Belair. Bianca broke her knuckle and joint in three places in a match during Wrestlemania 41 in the triple threat. Bianca is having issues with the finger not wanting to bend completely. That takes her out of action until further notice. Tiffany Stratton is yet to return, with her absence due to a scheduled break from losing the belt, but also issues with her knee. She has also been travelling with others from WWE on a promotional tour. By all rights, Tiff should get the first title defence.
Will this be the run to Wrestlemania? The rumour will be running wild right now, with shows being filmed ahead, January 5, when the live shows return, things will get interesting.

Smackdown in Oklahoma City

The shows the next 2 weeks are filmed ahead, so the crew, wrestlers and staff can celebrate the holidays at home.

Corey and Cole are at the announcer’s desk with Mark Nash, looking after the ring announcing.

Kick Aldis in a suit and a Santa Hat.

Musical Moment: Joe Hendry performed a “Jingle Bells” parody mocking The Miz. Otis dressed as Santa, Akira Tozawa as an elf. (Why is the Easter Bunny out there?) The bunny later reveals himself to be R-Truth.

Festive Chaos: Joe Hendry beat The Miz in a “Miracle on 34th Street Fight”. Otis/Akira are still at ringside in Joe’s corner. Corey is losing it over this match, playing the heel announcer as usual. Joe is listed on the NXT roster, but I can see them testing the waters with him appearing on SmackDown.

Women’s Results: Charlotte Flair won her match against Lash Legend, and the team of Giulia & Kiana James were victorious, beating Chelsea Green/Alba Fire. (Piper Niven is out with a neck injury, which is rumoured to possibly end her career; no date on her return)

Trick Williams in Nick Alid’s office. Williams is getting in Cody’s face, running his mouth; this will not end well at some point.

Main Event is Carmelo Hayes challenging Ilja Dragunov for the Men’s United States Title. I am not sure who pushed whom in the match. I have to be honest, I haven’t seen Mello this good in weeks. That was one hell of a match. What a show of respect by Ilja to Melo, putting the belt on him and shaking hands.

The “Hell” Announcement: A “Three Stages of Hell” match between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre was set for January 9th.

The Cliffhanger: The show ended with Drew McIntyre laying out Cody Rhodes. So, forever, how long, Drew does what he wants, and Cody can’t retaliate?

NXT in Orlando: Why the Main Event was Tinsel-Tossed Rubbish.”

The shows for the next two weeks have been recorded, so the cast and crew can get home for the holidays

Vic and Booker T are at the announcer’s desk with Mike Rome taking care of announcing duties. The Orlando Performance Centre only holds 200 people for tapings.

**OPENING MATCH — The night kicked off with Lola Vice vs. Izzi Dame, but the wrestling quickly took a backseat to total madness. The highlight? Tatum Paxley is appearing with a literal chainsaw! Mike Rome didn’t stick around to ask questions—he did a runner to save himself as Tatum chased Shawn Spears away and then went after Izzi.

This chaos allowed Lola to snatch the win, but the drama didn’t end at the bell. A newly heel Kelani Jordan stormed the ring and laid into Lola. It was loud, it was messy, and it was pure Orlando.

**NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION — Thea Hail is on her way to the ring to cut her first promo. Thea is chatting about how proud she is of what she has accomplished. Blake wants her title back. Thea will defend the title at New Year’s Evil.

**SPEED TOURNAMENT: Tavion Heights (beat Eli Knight) and Lexis King (beat Andre Chase) moved forward in the tournament. “While the main event felt cluttered, the Speed Tournament match between Eli Knight and Tavion Heights was a breath of fresh air. Eli Knight is a superstar in the making—his hang time is unreal. Even though he lost to a massive belly-to-belly, he proved that you don’t need a chainsaw to make an impact in Orlando.”

Christmas Chaos Match: Shiloh Hill & Skylar Raye took down Stacks & Arianna Grace. True to the name, they used “holiday weapons” including pine cones, a keyboard, and a plastic candy cane. This should be a good match for giggles. “If you thought the chainsaw was wild, the mixed tag ‘Christmas Chaos’ match took it to another level. Shiloh Hill using pinecones and a computer keyboard as weapons is exactly the kind of festive rubbish I expect from the Performance Centre. Arianna Grace’s reaction to the ‘tooth’ spot was the comedy highlight of the night!” The bowling ball was great, and Ari took out Stacks totally by accident.

Shiloh Hill unwraps a computer keyboard and uses it as a weapon. Only in Orlando would “Control-Alt-Delete” be a literal wrestling move. It’s festive rubbish, but highly entertaining rubbish!

Women’s Title Retained: Chelsea Green beat Sol Ruca, but only after Moose chased off Ethan Page and Alba Fyre interfered to stop Ruca’s “Sol Snatcher”. This was a rubbish match from the start; Sol didn’t stand a chance of winning this one. (reading rumours that Sol is looking at a possible call-up soon. Look for her to be in the Rumble. Chelsea had the numbers throughout this match.

**The First Save: Sol hit the cartwheel DDT and had the pin, but Ethan Page put Chelsea’s foot on the ropes.

**The Chaos: This brought out Moose to brawl with Page, which distracted the ref.

**The Final Blow: Sol went for the Sol Snatcher, but Alba Fyre snatched her leg from the outside, allowing Chelsea to hit the Unprettier for the win.

But wait for the Adelaide Pride… Our local girl Zaria is about to clear the ring. Even if the booking was rubbish, seeing her hit that double spear on Chelsea and Alba makes the whole segment worth it! I look for Sol and Zaria to both head to the Royal Rumble in January. Rumour mill is working overtime that Sol will be moving up I would love for Zaria to move up also. How about a new tag team of Zaria/Rhea on the tag team front?

**OUTSIDE THE RING

The “Power Couples” Engagement Report

Lash Legend & Trick Williams: Engaged on Thanksgiving (Nov 27, 2025). Trick proposed in front of family and friends.

Kelani Jordan & Carmelo Hayes: Engaged since July 1, 2025. They are aiming for a wedding in late 2026. I have read that wedding plans are in the works.

Tatum Paxley & Javier Bernal: Already married! They tied the knot on Sept 28, 2024

RAW in Grand Rapids

**PLEASE NOTE — The shows between Christmas and New Year’s are pre-recorded so everyone can get off the road and celebrate the holidays with family and friends.

At the time of working on this blog, Dirty Dom was injured at a live event. He has a shoulder separation; the best-case scenario is time off to rest and rehab, while the worst-case scenario is surgery.

Cole and Corey are at the Announcer’s Desk with Mark Nash on announcing duties.

Dirty Dom, along with Liv Morgan, is in the ring. Dom is in his normal bragging mode about how he is the best in the family. Bron Breekker shows up to try and take out Dom, but a poor security guard took the hit. I have heard that things are starting to fall apart where Liv, Roxy and Raquel are concerned.

Rhea is in a singles match against Asuka after the misting last week. Asuka wins thanks to Kairi, but Iyo (Rhea told Iyo to stay in the back; Iyo is not medically cleared). It was basically a 2 on 1 match. Is it just me, or have you noticed that things between Kairi/Asuka are not as solid as they seem? Two weeks from tonight, Kaboki Warriors put the tag titles on the line against Rhea/Iyo.

Becky Lynch is in the ring. (She has been away filming the new Star Trek series on Paramount+) Oh, geesh, never liked Becky as a heel. For me, it just doesn’t work for me. Maxx put Becky in her ankle lock and got her to tap.

Ja’Von Evans (free agent) is on his way to the ring. Look for him to make the move to the mail roster. Facing Rayo Americano, Bravo Americano, and El Grande Americano both at ringside. Evans wins. It will be interesting to see where he winds up.

Triple threat match on January 5th with Stephanie Vaquer putting the title on the line against Raquel/Nikki Bella.

Bayley is in singles action against Roxanne Perez. Lyra in Bayley’s corner with Liv in Roxy’s Corner. Raquel is now at the ringside, but Lyra just took out Raquel. Even with help, Roxy still couldn’t get the win. Lyra took out both Liv and Raquel. Lyra slapped Bayley, flipping a switch to get Bayley in the match.

Gunther is in the ring, and all you can hear is the boos from the Universe. Gunther is laughing. Punk just kicked Gunther out of the ring. Here comes Rey for their tag match. Theory/Broson Reed in the ring for the match. (Theory had gone through a repackage) Thanks to the stomp, Theory wins. (Seth will not be happy with Theory using the stomp.)Braun is trying to take out Punk before they’re in January

SmackDown Live

Today’s show is pre-taped so the Wrestlers and crew can get off the roads for the holidays.

Joe and Wade are once again at the announcer’s desk with Alicia Taylor taking care of announcing duties.

Damian Priest is on his way to the ring. Zelina Vega is on his way to the ring, trash-talking Damian. Black with the sneak attack. Black just unloaded on Damian in the back. (I’m not sure about this fued right now)

There is a rumour — “The roof is going to blow off the arena the second those sirens hit. Jacob Fatu isn’t just back; he’s hungry. Sokia/Jacob have not been on the same page since last year’s MITB. Fatu cost Sokia with Fatu screaming, “I Hate You”. This can be explosive when the MFT is in a battle with The Wyatt Sick in a tag team battle.

The United States Open Challenge is on hold tonight, as llja Dragunov will team with Carmelo Hayes in a tag team action, facing #DIY (Gargano/Ciampa), but you know that Candace will be in their corner. llja/Carmelo worked well together to get the win.

Guilia with Kiana James in singles action against Alba Fire. We all know that Chelsea Green will be at ringside. For a change, no outside help was needed, as Giulia won.

Tag Team action with the Kabuki Warriors facing off against Nia Jax/Lash Legend. (love that Nia and Lash are dressed like elves) Lash/Nia outpowered the Warriros for the win. Charlotte/Alexa just let the Warriors know they are coming for the titles.

Recap of Cody’s attack on Drew at his so-called home, but I would call it payback after Drew went after Cody on his bus. Cody is now in the ring, waiting to see what plays out. You know that Drew will do anything and everything to force Cody into making a mistake. By telling Nick Aldis, “I’m the quarterback as long as I hold the title,” he made it clear that while Nick might have the “General Manager” title, the actual direction of the show is determined by the man holding the gold.

MFT (Tonga Loa/J.C Meto) in tag action going against The Wyatt Sick. The Tag Titles are on the line. You know it’s a match where anything can happen. It’s on for young and old. It’s a DQ. This war is far from over. Wade had to jump the barricade to save himself. Joe is in the timekeeper/announcers area.

NXT Review: [Winner of Fatal 4-Way] Steps Up to Oba Femi

Booker T. Vic is once again at the announcer’s desk with Mike Rome taking care of Ring Announcing.

****The Big Winner: The Fatal 4-Way match for the right to meet Oba Femi at New Year’s Evil. I never had it on my bingo card for Leon Slater to win. I was cheering for Joe Hendry. I don’t think that Myles Borne is ready yet. He is getting there. He just needs the high-pressure experience.

**Topic: Analyse the winner’s performance and their immediate prospects against Oba Femi. Did they truly earn it? Leon earned it, with a fatal 4-way, it’s being in the ring place at the right time, but will get beaten by Oba Femi, No.

****The Underdog Story: Blake Monroe vs. Thea Hail. Thea pinned Blake for the win, after checking the replay, Blake kicked out after the 3 count. I see the first title defence at New Year’s Evil.

**Topic: Was this Thea Hail’s moment? To a point, this was Hail’s moment. Thea has done a bit of a repackage; you can see her arsenal has grown. Discuss the match psychology and how the result changes the Women’s North American title picture. You have taken the belt of a heel, moved to a baby face. I think you also have to look at how long you leave the belt on her. Thea is a baby at the age of 22, provided no major injury, I think she has the potential to win many titles in her career

****Segment of the Night: Which backstage promo, video package, or unexpected debut/return was the most compelling? This is where you talk about the future stories.

****The “Must-See” Moment: Kendal Grey/Wren Sinclair forcing Fallon Henly to tap out.

****Moose will face Ethan Page at the end of the year TNA event for the North American Title.

****Hank/Tank in tag action against OTM. The Belly Boys have been overseas training, working hard. OTM gave them everything and more. OTM has the strength, and they also have speed. They can be a little reckless at times. You can see that heading overseas has paid off for Hank/Tank; it got a little messy, but in the end, the Belly Boys got the job done.

****Fatal Influence — Fallon Henley/Lainey Reed facing Kendal Grey/Wren Sinclair. It’s a 3 on 2 match with Jacey at ringside at the desk. Grey/Sinclair have not been together long as a tag team. Kendal forced Fallon Henley to tap out for the win. This has to give Kendal a huge confidence boost.

Fan Fury! Cena Taps to Gunther, Sol Ruca’s Shock Win: SNME Fallout

Announce Team: Wade and Joe, with Alicia Taylor on Ring Announcing.

The Fallout from Saturday Night’s Main Event isn’t just about who won or lost; it’s about the price of integrity in wrestling. This week, we saw the undisputed legend, John Cena, willingly put over the future by tapping out to a true master. Yet, the same company that demands that level of sacrifice allows entitled, high-profile distractions like Logan Paul to skip the line entirely. This is the central conflict of the product: honouring the hard yards put in by guys like Cena and Ilja Dragunov (who I’d love to see reduce Paul to a screaming wreck) versus the cheap fame of a celebrity. Tonight’s show is about who is willing to earn it and who is just taking up space.

Final Match: John Cena vs Gunther

*Action — Gunther def John by submission. (sleeper hold) John left his shoes and armbands in the ring. Gave one final salute to conclude a wonderful career.

*Analysis — What a gut punch that ending was. I can’t remember John rarely tapping out. This gives the creative a headache, making Gunther a career killer. It was right for business, which they had to know would anger the fans. I think it was John’s choice to tap out, as it was a shocking but irreversible way to signal to the crowd that it was really over. John Cena left WWE in a much better place than when he arrived.

*Aesthetics — Gunther started out slow, but he finished on another level that I have not seen from him. The return of the General’s coat gave him that air of how brutal we knew this match was going to be. The most powerful visual was the moment after Cody/Punk handed their titles as a show of respect, the new standard-bearers stepped back, and the look on Cena’s face showed the profound, silent realisation that his long journey was definitively over. He then left his sneakers and wristbands in the centre of the ring.

****Gunther is opening the show. Of course, he will do the “I Told You So”. Boy, the Universe is letting him have it. They are letting Gunther know they are not happy, and he won’t care.

****CM Punk’s Return

**Action(The Result): Punk is not a happy man right now. The man is irate. I don’t blame him. CM is making the point that he did not do it alone. Brekker crossed the line talking about AJ Lee. We got some trash-talking going on.

**Analysis (The Why): The booking should utilise this vulnerability to have his next challenger (Bron Breakker is the most anticipated) use it to become a truly hateful heel. This exploitation guarantees the feud will have immense personal heat and sets up the challenger as a major villain.

**Aesthetics (The Look/Performance): Was Punk visibly emotional? How did the crowd handle the difficult subject matter? They supported Punk all the way. Watch for the heel’s face—that look of contempt is what will drive the Fan Fury element.

****RAW Match — Logan Paul vs Rey Mysterio (CM Punk told Rey that he would have his back tonight if needed. Paul Heyman is at the ringside also. Thanks for the help from the mystery man, Paul, with the win.

**Action — This match was all over the place. It was not a fluent match. Just as Rey would get something going, Paul would shut it down. The maskman was revealed to be Austin Theory. The brass knuckles came out as usual. This was a typical Logan Paul match. nothing new.

**Analysis — This was a statement win that validated my central thesis: those with fame skip the line. Paul, with a newer finish, is showing the company is investing in him to make him a real threat right now.

**Aesthetics — It was the typical match engineered by Paul Heyman to be as controversial as possible. With Rey dazed and the referee distracted, Logan Paul capitalised by hitting Rey Mysterio with the brass knuckles (his signature “One Lucky Punch” cheat) before quickly hitting his new finisher, The Paulverizer, for the win. The figure got halfway up the stairs, stopping to reveal his true identity, which paused the match to be Austin Theory.

****Maxxine Dupree vs Ivy Nile for the Women’s Intercontinental Title

**Action (The Result): Maxxine made Ivy tap out thanks to the ankle lock

**ANALYSIS (The Why): This match is the integrity test for Maxxine’s entire title reign. She’s the model-turned-wrestler who won the title against a legend, while Ivy is the legitimate, hyper-athletic martial artist. If Maxxine wins, it proves the “hard yards” (her training with Natalya) are worth it and validates the entire narrative of her journey. If Ivy wins, it’s a statement that raw, legitimate skill beats manufactured charisma—a powerful piece of counter-booking against the Logan Paul problem.

**AESTHETICS (The Look/Performance): The difference in presentation is key. Maxxine should look noticeably more aggressive and technically polished. The performance will dictate whether the audience buys Maxxine as a true champion. Watch the closing sequence: was it smooth and technically excellent? It was technically better than what she had been; lots of improvement. Once Max found her angry Maxxine, it was all hers to the end.

****The Uso vs The New Day

**Action (The Result): Once Greyson Waller was tossed from ringside, it turned into a classic match with the Usos getting the win. **

**Analysis (The Why): This match is a psychological trap for Jey. By putting him back in the comfort zone of a tag match with his brother—against his best rivals—Creative is highlighting how much the stress of his singles losses has poisoned him. The loss/tension is necessary to prove Jey is too focused on himself to be a team player, moving him toward the inevitable heel turn and Bloodline reunion. The stale feeling is deliberate: he’s hitting a narrative wall.

**Aesthetics (The Look/Performance): The in-ring chemistry is guaranteed to be great, but all eyes are on Jey. It was a little rough starting out, but once Waller was gone from the ringside, it turned into a classic match that the two teams used to have, with the Usos taking the win.

****Stephanie Vaquer is defending her World Title against Raquel Rodrigez

**Action: Thanks to Nikki Bella attacking Raquel, the match was a DQ

**Analysis (The Why) The entire match was a textbook clash of styles, with Raquel’s overwhelming strength being countered at every turn by Vaquer’s lightning speed and technical precision. The match was at its peak, and it felt like either woman could have won—but that was before the music hit.

**Aesthetics Vaquer’s Reign is Undermined: Vaquer retains the championship, but she is the last woman standing on her feet. This sends a clear message: the champion is vulnerable, and the division is now operating on Nikki Bella’s terms.

Saturday Night’s Main Event

John Cena’s final match

Wade and Michael Cole are at the announcer’s desk with Lillian Garcia with Ring Announcing Duties.

The opening match tonight is Cody Rhodes versus Oba Femi. Cody will have his hands full, but if he can beat Brock, Cody can do anything. Cody has his hands full. Cody has a cut ear from flying over the announcer’s desk. It would have been a really good match until Drew showed up trying to take out Cody; it was actually Oba who took Drew out in the end.

Bayley is on her way to the ring with Lyra by her side. Sol Ruca got some serious love; she stopped to take the crowd in, waiting for Zaria to arrive. Sol is not wearing her knee brace tonight. It is an even match; they each are having their little moment to shine so far. Oh, Crap, Sol just pinned Bayley. It was good to see a clean match and a clean win.

Tag Team Titles are on the line as AJ Styles/Dragon Lee are putting them on the line against Leon Slater from TNA/Ja’Von Evans from NXT. Dragon and AJ won the match. It was a short match, but it was good; they all showed what they are made of.

The Miz was in the ring, screaming that he should be the one to face John. R-Truth just came out. Miz read Joe Hendry’s name and what a pop. Just a little bit of a humour break before the final match.

19,232 in attendance.

**Main Event Time**

It’s so loud. Gunther is out. John is on his way. What a pop when John arrived. Cole and Wade are just letting us enjoy the moment. Lillian made the introductions with the old-fashioned mic. Gunther has never faced anyone like John. It’s quite the back-and-forth match.

The Escalation & The Near-Fall — Used his power of the chops and power bombs to break him down. John’s body was red from all the hits he took. I lost count of the number of times John hit the AA. No tables used. Gunther tried to dump John on the announcer’s table, but John turned the tables. “But as the match wore on, and both men threw caution to the wind, the contest left the realm of a technical match and entered the ‘deep water’ of pure survival.”

The Defining Finish (The Sleeper Hold) Gunther has redefined the use of the sleeper; he was relentless in his use to just wear down John. At the end, John just smiled as he tapped out on Gunther’s arm. It was devastating to see John tap, BUT I don’t think that he had anything left. The Universe, along with the world, wanted John to win, but John threw everything at Gunther. As much as we want him to win, Gunther is the future.

“After surviving each other’s finishers—the AA, the Splash, the table—it was clear we were witnessing something historic. But as both men ran on fumes, Gunther turned to his deadliest weapon: a relentless series of Sleeper Holds. He squeezed the life out of the legend. And in a moment that brought the arena to a stunned, silent halt, John Cena tapped out. The symbol of ‘Never Give Up’ was physically forced to submit, making Gunther’s victory the most definitive statement possible.”

The Farewell: An Unforgettable Acknowledgment

Once the shock of the loss, the “Thank You” Cena chants started. I don’t think you could hear yourself think if you were in the building. Current belt holders Cody/CM handed John their belts out of respect for the career. The final symbol to know this was really over, John left his shoes and arm bands in the ring.

“The loss was crushing, but the aftermath was pure poetry. As the locker room lined the ramp to applaud, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes entered the ring. In a gesture that brought tears to every eye in the arena, they offered their respective World Championships to the legend, acknowledging that John’s legacy is the bedrock of the entire industry. John raised them high, but his final act was the most profound: He removed his shoes and armbands, leaving the very tools of his character behind in the ring. After one last, quiet acknowledgment to the camera operator, Stu, he slowly walked up the ramp, leaving a piece of himself—and an incredible legacy—behind forever.”