Brock Lesnar puts exclamation point on SummerSlam 2025: SummerSlam Sunday Recap

Summary

Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant

Podcast: WWE x Fanatics Podcasts
Episode: Brock Lesnar puts exclamation point on SummerSlam 2025: SummerSlam Sunday Recap
Date: August 4, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers an in-depth, high-energy recap of SummerSlam's second night, focusing on major title matches, shocking returns, and unforgettable moments. Hosts Sam Roberts and Megan Morant analyze the key matches—especially Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena, Brock Lesnar's surprise return, Naomi's championship win, Becky Lynch's title defense, and the show-stopping TLC match—while also including candid backstage interviews with Superstars and wrestling legends. Throughout, Sam and Megan debate the nuances of storytelling, heel/face dynamics, and the future implications of these earth-shaking events in WWE.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena: The Emotional Main Event [00:29 – 12:56]

• Discussion of Storytelling and Psychology:

  • Sam sets up the match as a battle of quintessential babyfaces, questioning whether Cody would "go dark" or if Cena's return to heroics was genuine.
  • Reflection on Cena’s previous heel run and his self-aware promo:

    “Sometimes doing the right thing doesn't look like the right thing.” — Cody Rhodes [03:41]

  • Cody’s internal struggle with using dirty tactics, including removing the ring rope for a weapon. The crowd—historically hostile to Cena in New Jersey—this time chanted for “Super Cena” and booed Cody.

• Match Highlights:

  • Cena using Tyrese Halliburton’s crutch as a weapon—“not in a mean way” [06:11]
  • Key sequence where Cody plays possum—evoking real emotion:

    “All to find out that Cody was playing one of the greatest games of possum that any of us have ever seen.” — Sam [07:04]

  • Both men endure each other’s finishers in multiples (three Cross Rhodes for Cena, three Attitude Adjustments including a top-rope AA for Cody).

• Finish and Emotional Aftermath:

  • Cody salutes Cena, reminiscent of HBK/Ric Flair’s “I’m sorry, I love you” moment [07:54]. Cody wins and becomes WWE Champion.
  • Emotional impact for fans and hosts alike:

    “I felt emotional almost immediately.” — Megan [09:44]

2. The Shocking Return: Brock Lesnar Destroys John Cena [12:56 – 20:27]

• Surprise and Analysis:
  • As Cena basks in an apparent retirement sendoff, Lesnar’s iconic theme hits, and “Cowboy Brock” returns—leaner, meaner, and “10 times more jacked” than ever.

    “This is not a great Brock Lesnar. This is…a Brock Lesnar who wants to destroy.” — Sam [13:31]

  • Lesnar F-5s Cena, recalling their brutal history (notably, “Suplex City” at SummerSlam after WrestleMania 30).
  • Sam and Megan discuss the ramifications: Lesnar’s return wasn’t predicted, and it re-shapes the WWE landscape.

    “Brock Lesnar changes the entire landscape…You put Brock Lesnar in the locker room, it literally changes everything.” — Megan [19:54]

3. Intercontinental Championship: Dominik Mysterio Retains (Interview) [23:01 – 37:29]

• Post-Match Interview:
  • Dominik Mysterio reflects on beating AJ Styles (twice), defending the title under pressure, and his claim as “the greatest Intercontinental Champion, the greatest Mysterio of all time.” [25:02]
  • Addresses accusations of injury-faking, says he “defends like brushing teeth,” even joking about “pinning civilians on the street.” [27:38]
  • Dedicates win to Liv Morgan and previews more title pursuits—including going after AAA honors [28:59].
  • Comedic, antagonistic banter with Megan—calling her "Jon Snow":

    “You know nothing.” — Dominik Mysterio [35:11]

4. Women’s World Championship: Naomi Stuns Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY [39:13 – 45:28]

• Match Recap:
  • Naomi’s entrance (with her father playing live) is praised for its spectacle. Initial alliance between Rhea and IYO quickly unravels.
  • Naomi “rolls up” Rhea for the win—a “slick Becky Lynch type finish.” [42:17]
  • Insight into Rhea’s psychological state—hasn’t pinned IYO and “does not have the Women's World Championship.” Is her hunger for the title blinding her to the IYO challenge?

    “Her not being champion and her not being able to beat IYO SKY are cosmically linked.” — Sam [44:33]

5. Women’s Intercontinental Title: Becky Lynch Outlasts Lyra Valkyria (with Bayley Intrigue) [45:44 – 49:51]

• No-DQ Match Drama:
  • If Lyra loses, she’s barred from challenging Becky again while Becky holds the title.
  • Bayley’s interference goes awry, accidentally costing Lyra the match.
  • Megan and Sam trade pop-culture references (“The NeverEnding Story” and Atreyu) to describe Becky’s reign:

    “Becky Lynch could be the never ending Intercontinental Champion.” — Megan [48:53]

  • Sam suggests Lyra's beef should be with Bayley, not Becky.

6. 25th Anniversary TLC Match: Wyatt Six Prevail – Hardy Boys Guest Interview [51:12 – 63:50]

• Match Breakdown:
  • Six teams, including DIY and Wyatt Six; spots include Tommaso Ciampa hanging from the belts, Candice LeRae’s shocking ladder bump, Montez Ford’s athletic leap.
  • The Hardy Boys relive their own TLC legacy and react to the match:

    “It’s my comfort zone. I wanted to be out there so bad.” — Jeff Hardy [52:21] “TLC…was ahead of its time…we truly did create forever stuff.” — Matt Hardy [54:29]

  • Highlights on innovation, storytelling despite complexity, and the emotional impact of seeing Candice LeRae go through a ladder.
  • The Hardys express pride and marvel at TLC’s evolution, predicting its endurance for another 25 years but (with a wink) insist they're retired by then.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:41] Cody Rhodes (as paraphrased by Sam):
  “Sometimes doing the right thing doesn't look like the right thing.”
• [07:04] Sam Roberts:
  “Cody was playing one of the greatest games of possum that any of us have ever seen.”
• [13:31] Sam Roberts:
  “This is not a great Brock Lesnar. This is…a Brock Lesnar who wants to destroy.”
• [19:54] Megan Morant:
  “Brock Lesnar changes the entire landscape…You put Brock Lesnar in the locker room, it literally changes everything.”
• [25:02] Dominik Mysterio:
  “The greatest intercontinental champion, the greatest Mysterio of all time.”
• [35:11] Dominik to Megan:
  “You know nothing. You’re basically Jon Snow.”
• [42:17] Sam Roberts:
  “Naomi sneaks up and rolls her up for the 1, 2, 3. That’s how Naomi wins. Slick finish. Slick Becky Lynch type finish.”
• [48:53] Megan Morant:
  “Becky Lynch could be the never ending Intercontinental Champion.”
• [54:29] Matt Hardy:
  “TLC…was ahead of its time…we truly did create forever stuff.”

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Important Timestamps & Segments

• 00:29–12:56 – Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena deep dive
• 12:56–20:27 – Brock Lesnar’s shocking SummerSlam return
• 23:01–37:29 – Dominik Mysterio backstage interview
• 39:13–45:28 – Naomi claims the Women’s World Championship
• 45:44–49:51 – Becky Lynch retains in No-DQ, Lyra/Bayley aftermath
• 51:12–63:50 – Hardy Boys guest interview: TLC legacy and match analysis

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Takeaways and Tone

The episode captures the excitement and “can you believe what we just saw?” energy of a legendary WWE event. Sam's high-speed, witty wrestling nerd analysis is grounded by Megan’s straightforward, sometimes skeptical journalism. They combine inside jokes, wrestling history, and pop-culture references, making for lively, layered coverage for long-time fans and newcomers.

• The redefinition of heroism and villainy—exemplified by Cena and Cody’s moral ambiguity.
• Brock Lesnar’s return as a seismic storyline development.
• Dominik Mysterio’s brash confidence representing the next generation’s boldness.
• Women’s divisions infused with fresh narrative complexity.
• The legacy and evolution of hardcore storytelling in TLC matches, signposted by the Hardy Boys’ reverence and insight.

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For Those Who Missed the Action

This episode translates the chaos, drama, and emotion of SummerSlam's climactic moments into rich storytelling and expert, entertaining analysis. You’ll feel the locker room buzz, wrestle with the unpredictability of returns and betrayals, and relive both the nostalgia and modern innovation that define WWE’s biggest nights.

Transcript

[A]

David.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Have you ever noticed that the way we use our phones is ironic? Phones are for connection, but we look.

[B]

At them more than we look at each other.

[A]

That's ironic. Griffin, it's like rain on your wedding day. Listen. That's ironic. So U.S. cellular created U.S. mode to help us reconnect, you and I. That's right. A phone company wanting people to use their phones, less ironic.

[B]

A phone company wanting people to use.

[A]

Their phones, less ironic. But let's find US again with US mode from US Cellular. Visit uscellular.com built for us to get started. What are the other things that are ironic? Megan, we're here. Look what's going on around us. The Beast is Max Brock Lesnar return to WWE at SummerSlam. God, Cena is no longer your WWE Champion. Dominic Mysterio is on the show. The Hardy Boys are on the show. It's a WWE Fanatics original production. Welcome to SummerSlam recap. Night two. Megan, I told you. I told everybody. You told me. You told everybody. We all knew it. Something was going to happen. Night two at SummerSlam. The minute John Cena showed up on smackdown and granted Cody's wish, said, the old John Cena is back. And there were some that said, how could this new heel, John Cena, just be gone? How could this villain just decide one day?

[C]

I said that.

[A]

You did.

[C]

I did. I didn't trust him.

[A]

I get it. And by the way, remember what he did to the Belgium kid? I didn't trust him either. However. However, I did get his justification. He was honest. He talked about the fact that he decided to act in a way that is not natural to him due to someone's idea of what shocking television was. He acknowledged this idea that. That he was going to be the only platinum rapper that was beating Cody's ass. That's what he promised.

[C]

Yeah. And heading into this, we had questions about Cody Rhodes as well. And it was, you know, will Cody be willing to go there? Sam, but you're in a street fight. And we saw Cody struggle with that throughout the match.

[A]

I mean, let's be honest, I don't think it was will Cody be willing to go there? It was, is Cody going to be a heel at the end of the night? That was what the conversation was. And I appreciate you phrasing it so eloquently, but, I mean, we're at a period of time right now where we can't mince words. Okay. Because something. I mean, but that was 100% one of those conversations. It was, is John Cena Being honest about the fact that the old super babyface John Cena is back, is Cody Rhodes going to be able to maintain this idea of who Cody Rhodes is as described all over the place, as described by Triple H himself as that white meat baby face that is so difficult to come by? Is Cody gonna be able to hang onto that? Will the Rock be involved? Will Travis Scott be involved? What if I told you that John Cena was apparently telling the truth, that he is over whatever spell he was under that started on March 1st of this year, he's come to his senses and realized that the team that was around him is not coming back to help him, and that maybe, you know, he was sold on something that wasn't what it appeared to be. Maybe instead of thinking he was getting this Amazon package, it was like a Temu package, and you open it up and you go, this isn't what I ordered. I ordered a guitar. This is a harmonica. I don't understand what happened, you know? And maybe Cody, who spelled it out for us beautifully, by the way, before this match, he said, sometimes doing the right thing doesn't look like the right thing. And I thought that was such an important sentence for Cody Rhodes to say, and I felt that that was shining through. When he removed the buckle, he didn't take the turnbuckle pad.

[C]

He took the whole rope off.

[A]

He destroyed the ring. He took the rope off and removed so he could get that steel part and wallop John Cena with it. But what did you see in his face? You saw a guy doubt.

[C]

He.

[A]

He didn't want to do it, right?

[C]

He didn't.

[A]

Should I be.

[C]

And you and I are standing on the floor in MetLife Stadium yelling, Cody, do it again.

[A]

Hit him again.

[C]

Do it, Cody.

[A]

And he didn't want to. The fans, which. This is Jersey. We're backstage here at MetLife Stadium. That's why the energy is at the place where it is right now. But this is Jersey. John Cena, at a point in his career when he was at the top of his game, could not cross into this state. But without getting booed out of a building. It's just the way it was on the East Coast. They were literally chanting Super Cena tonight. That's what they called. That was the reason they said, why are you booing John Cena? He's this good guy. They said, oh, we're tired of Super Cena, is what they said tonight. They're chanting Super Cena. Because in one interview, John Cena has said, no, I recognize what you guys Want to see. And it is what we wanted to see. And as they're chanting Super Cena, they're booing Cody Rhodes. But what Cody Rhodes was saying with his face the whole time was, I get it. I know. Please don't boo me. You have to understand. But I understand why you're booing me. And in the beginning, John Cena was having a good time. In the beginning, John Cena was having fun. In the beginning, John Cena was taking out tables. Because what does the audience always chant?

[C]

I mean, we want tables, which.

[A]

Much to your chagrin, but sometimes it's just fan service. John Cena is here, and that's who we got.

[C]

And we saw John Cena take Tyrese Halliburton's crutch.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Use it as a weapon, but not.

[A]

In a mean way.

[C]

No.

[A]

He said, you know, tyrese, can I use your crutch? And Tyrese, being the fan that he is, it would be an honor, Mr. Cena. And then we finally get to the conclusion of this masterpiece of a match, by the way, you know, a lot of naysayers would be around here going.

[C]

I still would like to know what happened underneath the.

[A]

I think Cody, you know, got a beat down. I was wondering. It looked like it, but I was. I mean, I was in the same boat as you. Who's hiding under there? Is someone hiding under there? Because Cody, all of a sudden is on Cena's shoulders, barely conscious. And. And. And Cena thinks that he can't bring Cody to the ring because Cody is a sack of potatoes. He's motionless. The spirit has been beaten out of him. And all of a sudden, John puts him up on his back, walks him down the entire aisle. And it's a long ramp here in MetLife.

[C]

Sure is.

[A]

This is a big stadium. And he gets him in the ring. All to find out that Cody was playing one of the greatest games of possum that any of us have ever seen. And again, that's not like Cody. That's a. That's a bit of a dirty tactic. But in a street fight, when Cody is fighting for what he believes in, that the WWE Championship should be with the WWE and not with somebody who's retiring at the end of the year. Not with somebody who at one point said they were trying to ruin wrestling, even though now he says he is not trying to ruin wrestling. He said, sometimes doing the right thing doesn't look like the right thing. And that includes playing possum. That includes this foreign object. And, I mean, we get to this Point in the match where Cody finally gets the best of John Cena. It was three crossroads. Cena kicked out. It was three.

[C]

I don't know if I've ever seen anybody kick out of three crossroads.

[A]

Roman Reigns went down to three crossroads. Roman Reigns Went down after three crossroads at WrestleMania 40. Then it was three attitude adjustments. The last one being the attitude adjustment off the top rope. Super attitude adjustment. Cody kicked out. And we finally get to the point where Cody knows that Cena's out salutes him. One crossroads. I mean, it had WrestleMania 24. I'm sorry. I love you. HBK to Ric Flair vibes. When Cody and you're sitting there going, and in that moment when he's saluting and you realize, like, the vibes that you're getting are that hbk, Ric Flair scenario, you're like, oh, my God, this is real. This is not like Cena's faking. This is not like Cody's about to do something. This is real.

[C]

We're waiting for a low blow at points of the match. Cody grabs the title at one point in the match. I felt like throughout, it just kept building to, when is this moment going to happen? And as soon as Cody Rhodes does the salute, we realize it's not. Yes, it's not.

[A]

Because you were expecting low blows from one or from either one?

[C]

Either one. I didn't know. Same for a while, I thought it was going to come from Cena because I couldn't trust him heading into the match. But then Cody saying what he said, the right thing doesn't always look right. Maybe it's coming from Cody.

[A]

And there was this look when he was doing that third crossroads where he had the. I mean, it was evil. It was almost a look similar to that look that John Cena had at the elimination chamber. And it was like, what's going through Cody? But that's just part of the fight. In trying to get that WWE Championship in a street fight, it was the exact match that was promised. It made me sit there and go, hey, maybe it should have just been two of the greatest good guys of all time fighting each other at WrestleMania. But we don't live in the past. We live in the present. We live at SummerSlam. And we see at the end of this match, Cody Rhodes has won. Cody Rhodes is once again the WWE Champion.

[C]

I felt emotional almost immediately.

[A]

You have to. How could you not? What, do you not have a soul? I would hope so. I have a soul now. I know because I saw you looking emotionally at Cody Rhodes and John Cena, that's my ultimate test. If I put this on for anybody, family, friends, I don't care if they watch WWE or not. And I just see dead eyes looking at the television. I'm staying away from you.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

You're like the Annabelle doll. I don't want you around me. You're soulless.

[C]

This is the test of character.

[A]

But you, Megan, you passed blind color.

[C]

Oh, thank you so much.

[A]

You have a deep rich.

[C]

I'm honored.

[A]

Yes, yes. And so we're sitting here, right? And, and, and they're embracing and still, by the way, I don't know if you felt this way, but in the embrace you're just so used to. And we've talked about this before. I think as a wrestling fan, not getting to have nice things. Think about last night. We didn't get that. We had this nice thing. We didn't get it.

[C]

It was, it was really like until Cody walked out of the ring and, and Cena's having his moment. I was like, okay, I think I can exhale now. I think, I think, I think I, I think I can take this at face value.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. When Cody left the ring.

[C]

When Cody left the ring and, and you know, this is so nice. This is Cena's last summer slam. Wow, what a match. I'm so glad we all got to experience that. Cena has changed this industry. What a moment for Cena after being booed after the WrestleMania match. This is how I wanted it to end. I'm going to exhale.

[A]

Yes. And then, well, wait, I'm not ready. And the match was excellent. You had an excellent match. Because that's other criticism. I don't know, maybe he's Mississippi, maybe. Excellent, long paced match. I mean, just the best. And I'm with you, man. Cena hands Cody the title hug. Whisper in the ear to each other. You know, it's everything that you want to see. But I'm still going, oh, we don't get nice things. We're wrestling fans. We don't get nice things. And Cody leaves and I go, maybe we get nice things. And John Cena is standing in the ring and they're going, thank you, Cena. And he goes, no, thank you. And I'm going like, okay, I'm not ready. You know, the staff back there is like, all right, you guys ready? Come on, let's go. Let's record the podcast. Come on, guys. Wait, wait. I'm not ready. I want to see what's going to happen here. There's still, there's Something in the air. Wait until I don't feel this in the air. There were a couple of nudniks leaving metlife trail. Let me make sure I get in the car quick. Well, way to go, buddy. You really got the most out of SummerSlam. Hope there's no traffic on the way home. That's really what you're going to remember forever. Because what I'll remember forever is sitting there going, wait, there's still something. He's in the ring, right? And there's also these little things as a wrestling fan, and sometimes it's nothing. Sometimes it just is what it is. But John Cena turns, and the camera turns with him. And you get this camera angle of John Cena, and you can see the entryway. You can see the aisle, you know, over his shoulder. And I go, wait, are we not done? Are we not done? And of course, there were a lot.

[C]

Of tight shots on Cena as well.

[A]

And you go, what's around? Right?

[C]

What else is going on? Yes, because the crowd is loving this. Maybe we get a wide shot because we get to see the crowd, maybe. But we're right tight in on Cena's face.

[A]

And isn't that interesting?

[C]

It is.

[A]

Isn't that interesting. And, you know, like I said, people are going, oh, maybe Travis Scott shows up and does something. Maybe this time Travis Scott slaps John Cena in his ear. I don't know.

[C]

Maybe it's the Rock.

[A]

Maybe. Maybe the final boss shows up. The final boss has always said he can be anywhere, anytime. But what happens if either of those two do? I'm just go. I'm just thinking to myself, I wonder what would happen if either of those two showed up. And then I heard and I said, I know that opening riff, boom, boom. But don't. But I said, no, no, no. And the giant Brock Lesnar logo appears on the summer slam screen. I said, no, there's no way that that. And then he comes out, cowboy had it all. Cowboy had it all. And he goes from smiling to not smiling. And I go, this is not a great Brock Lesnar. This is a Brock Lesnar who's happy to be there because he wants to destroy. He wants to cause destruction. I said, of all the scenarios that I. That I thought of, of all the scenarios that I put out there on not Sam wrestling with or on Nazi wrestling live on SiriusXM. Of all the scenarios that I read about in my sheets, I did not read this scenario even once. I didn't the idea. And then Brock comes out. Brock Lesnar comes out. I said, I didn't read that one. And he just walks. He walks all the way down. And you know, there's something. Remember at WrestleMania, they said, why is Travis Scott walking so slowly? Why is he moving so slowly? Brock Lesnar, whatever pace he wanted.

[C]

That's right.

[A]

Right? Whatever he was moving, it was like the world stopped. Like, there's no way. Brock Lesnar comes to ringside. Look like Michael Cole, Wade Barrett were sweating. You never know what Brock Lesnar is going to do. And then as he's looking in at John Cena, he takes off his cowboy hat. I go, no.

[C]

And it was in this moment, you realize, however jacked. You remember Brock Lesnar from the last time we saw him, he's about 10 times more jacked, if that's even possible.

[A]

Which is literally the story of every time you see Brock Lesnar, every single time. And he takes his cowboy hat and he gets in there, and Cena knows what's up. He goes for it, but it's unsuccessful. Catches an F5. Who would have thought? Catches an F5. Cena goes down. And we leave with Brock Lesnar arriving at SummerSlam to take Cena out. Do you know when the last time we saw Brock Lesnar was?

[C]

I don't.

[A]

It was at SummerSlam lifting Cody Rhodes army. That was the last time we saw. That was either two or three years ago.

[C]

He returned at SummerSlam in Vegas, I think four years ago.

[A]

After Roman Reigns had beaten John Cena.

[C]

Correct.

[A]

Yes. And then we got the Roman Reigns, John Cena, Cody Rhodes, and then we.

[C]

Got the SummerSlam in Nashville when he was driving the right.

[A]

And then. Yeah, the tractor that tipped the ring over.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

This guy. By the way, SummerSlam also. Oh, two. Brock Lesnar wins the championship from the Rock. Let's keep putting pieces together here. And now here he. And his last time we saw him was at SummerSlam. Here he is, whatever it is. Two, three years later. I don't know. This is all emotion coming back, showing up. I mean, I can't believe it. As you look at it, I can't believe this was what we witnessed. Nobody saw this coming, and nobody has the effect that Brock Lesnar does. But what is this? Where does this go? And why is Brock Lesnar just. Was he just watching smackdown on Friday and goes, what? What do you mean you're Mr. You, like good guy again? John Cena. Wait, what do you mean you're here to do fan service? Oh, really? Oh, really? John Cena? Because the last. By the way, speaking of SummerSlam, how about the Summer Slam after WrestleMania 30? You know what happened at the SummerSlam after WrestleMania 30? Suplex City was invented, and the first resident was John Cena. John Cena got absolutely creamed by Brock Lesnar at that SummerSlam. And that was the Brock Lesnar that I saw in the ring at this SummerSlam. The one that, to put it mildly, squashed John Cena to the point where I remember I was in the audience for that SummerSlam as well. And the people watching that SummerSlam said.

[C]

That was just uncomfortable when John Cena announced that he was doing his retirement tour. Yes, you know, you're filling out. You're filling out. I want to see John Cena against CM Punk. I want to see John Cena against Cody Rhodes. You're filling out. Every match that you want to see Cena have in the retirement tour was Cena against Brock Lesnar.

[A]

No matter what. It should have been, because Cena and Brock Lesnar are amazing rivals. I mean, Brock Lesnar first came back to the WWE after leaving to go be a, by the way, world Champion in ufc. He first came back to the WWE the night after WrestleMania 28 to face John Cena. That was the first time he had stepped back into a WWE ring since his first run. There's a deep history between Brock Lesnar and John Cena.

[C]

But that wasn't on the list for you.

[A]

No, because I didn't see it coming. I said, no, no, I'm going down. Randy Orton, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre. Sure, I would love to see a Drew McIntyre match, but no, Brock wasn't on my list. You go back to every. I've made probably three or four different. Here's how I would book John Cena podcast, because they're never right and none of them have Brock Lesnar on it. So now I gotta go do another one.

[C]

I guess so.

[A]

But. But, man, I mean, so, like, why is Brock back? Why is John Cena a target? Is Brock working for himself? Was Brock sent by somebody else? How does Cody Rhodes feel about the fact that Brock Lesnar is back? How does Paul Heyman feel about the fact that Brock Lesnar is back? How does Seth. I mean, like, the fact that this universe, not the WWE Universe, like what they say of the fans, like the universe that is the wwe. Where and how does Brock Lesnar fit in?

[C]

Brock Lesnar changes the entire landscape. And I think that's what you're pointing out. I mean, yesterday we had the conversation about how many different superstars are now involved or related to the World Heavyweight Championship Pitcher I think you throw Brock Lesnar's name into the list of superstars in wwe, you put Brock Lesnar in the locker room, it literally changes everything. Will Brock Lesnar be on Raw tomorrow night? I don't know. Will Brock Lesnar be on smackdown on Friday? I don't know.

[A]

I don't know. And by the way, you're not going to put Brock Lesnar in the locker room because let me tell you something about Brock Lesnar. He gets his own private locker room.

[C]

That's right.

[B]

But.

[A]

But in spirit, you're not wrong. I mean, if I'm on the WWE roster, I'm looking at this going well. Hopefully, Brock Lesnar stays far away from me because generally speaking, this is what Brock Lesnar does. He comes back and he just beats everybody because he's Brock Lesnar. And that's not what you want when you're a WWE Superstar, you know, I mean, we had so many moments. This was clearly a giant moment at SummerSlam. I'm going to do the second one. Tops now is all, all about the moments. Tops now, of course, captures all of them, makes them into trading cards. We're talking about them last night, theorizing what moments could could make it. We could talk about it tonight. Is it Cody Rhodes winning the championship? Could it be Brock Lesnar's return?

[C]

Could it be Candice lerae going through the ladder?

[A]

Could it be Becky lynch obtaining the championship? I know you'd want that card.

[C]

I do.

[A]

Maybe it'll be our next guest who I'll introduce in a moment. But Tops now has given us more info. Okay, we can confirm that Tops now is commemorating Seth Rollins shocking cash in on CM Punk to reclaim the World Heavyweight title. There will be a Seth Rollins cash in Tops now card. Lucky collectors, by the way, who purchased the base Seth Rollins card will have a chance at receiving autographed versions, including an inscribed one of one. You can get an autographed Seth Rollins cashing card. There will absolutely be more cards coming out from everything that went down all weekend long. And if you're watching this Monday morning, you have until 3pm to grab the Cena Cody poster card that came out at the beginning of the weekend. To stay on top of all of the SummerSlam Topps releases, follow Ops on Social, sign up for [e-mail] and tune in to the Raw recap podcast this late Monday, Tuesday morning for more details. And of course, of course we're talking about Travis Scott. Tops is also, it's official, the 2025 Topps Chrome WWE Cactus Jack Collab is available for pre order on Monday. Monday is the Cactus Jack WWE Topps Chrome pre order and it'll release on August 29th. But these things go quick and you're going to want to jump on that now. Megan, we gotta introduce a guest. I can't just keep babbling with you all night long.

[C]

Well, you could, but we have to stay on track.

[A]

I could and you know, probably the transition that I would make here is to start babbling about the Intercontinental Champion, Dominik Mysterio. But we had the opportunity after, by the way, on the Countdown show, if I can say you were extremely rude.

[C]

I was not rude. I was asking a very valid question about Dominic's opponent tonight, AJ Styles, who just so happens to be one of the best wrestlers to ever walk the face of the earth.

[A]

Apparently she went to journalism school.

[C]

Now, someone has to be unbiased.

[A]

Well, we had the opportunity. Well, that wasn't. No, I don't think that that's. I'm pretty unbiased myself, by the way.

[C]

Now when it comes to Dominic, he won.

[A]

And I said he was gonna win. How is that not unbiased? Maybe I was right.

[C]

You have a hint. You have, you have a history of adoration for Dominic.

[A]

Listen, we got the chance to talk to Dominic immediately after he retained the Intercontinental Championship. I believe that I came across as fairly unbiased with him. I think that you came across as fairly combative. But we'll let the listeners judge. Here's our interview with Dominik Mysterio immediately after winning the Intercontinental Championship. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up. One sec, one sec. We don't have one second to waste.

[B]

Champions time is very, very valuable. So let's get to it.

[A]

And now it's confirmed. The greatest Intercontinental Champion, the man all. I mean, not all week weeks now, they've been saying. What have they been saying? AJ Styles maybe the greatest to ever do it, the best on the planet. How are you going to do it, DOMINICK E. They said you've been avoiding him. They said you've been faking an injury. And then you get to SummerSlam in front of 50, 60. It could have been 100,000 people for all you care. And what do you do? Walk out of another stadium with the Intercontinental Championship. How does it feel?

[B]

It feels absolutely amazing. And I'm going to tell you why. You ready? Because like you said, everyone was saying, A.J. styles this, A.J. styles that, one of the greatest to ever do it veteran in this business. He tried to push my buttons. Coming out with the lowrider, the Eddie themed gear. But at the end of the day, I know the old man's tricks, you know, I'm the, it's, it's in my genes, you know, allegedly is what they say it looks like at the end of the day. The greatest intercontinental champion, the greatest mysterio of all time. And what was that? The title had changed 16 times, someone said. Or six times, something like that.

[A]

All the time it keeps changing.

[B]

Guess what? Dirty Dom retained at SummerSlam. So, so that does not change. It may change with some of the others, but not with Dirty Dom.

[A]

No, and they said too, I mean, I was listening to it on the, on the, on the Countdown show. They said that the reaction that you got in at WrestleMania in front of that stadium, I don't know why they're cheering this guy. For you to walk out of another stadium. This isn't just you walking out on a night as intercontinental champion. You've walked into two stadiums this calendar year. Both of those stadiums. That's the title that you've walked out with. Do you think that you are a high performance, high pressure player?

[B]

1,000%. You know, I thrive under pressure, everyone. You know, I hate to put some people on blast, but you saw it on Unreal. People get people, people get scared. People start panicking, they don't know what to do. And then there's, there's people like me who are born for this. I am, I'm probably the only actual homegrown talent I've been, I've been the youngest Superstar signed, debuted 20 years ago, debuted again five years ago, and here I am, SummerSlam 2025, your greatest intercontinents champion of all time. And I don't, you know, I don't mean to keep repeating myself, but it's just the facts. Just the facts.

[A]

It's the facts. It's weird. Megan, you've had so much to say.

[B]

Yeah, you've been very quiet over there. Megan, who did you remember earlier, I asked you, I said, who did you ever be? I can say I've beat AJ Styles not once, but twice now. Twice I didn't. Twice you did.

[C]

Congratulations, Dom.

[A]

Twice.

[C]

It's quite the feat. It's just, you know, it is known as, as the, the working man's title and you haven't defended it very often. What did I just do? I just defended the title. You know, moving forward in your title reign as the greatest intercontinental champion of all time, do you plan to defend this title more frequently now that you're healthy? I'm Glad to see you're healthy, Megan.

[B]

It's like a. It's like an everyday routine, right? You wake up in the morning, you brush your teeth, right? I wake up in the morning, you know, can smell it. But I wake up in the morning and I defend this title. I defend it like I brush my teeth and I go out and I defend my title. I'm walking the streets. Someone says, hey, Dirty Dom. I hit him with the drop kick. I pin him, 1, 2, 3. Defending the title. You don't see that? That's not on tv. I can't be showing me just hitting civilians, you know?

[A]

Well, but they challenge you. But they challenge you, and you have to answer it.

[B]

Next time, can we do this solo, just you and me?

[C]

We would love that.

[A]

Yeah, sure. That'd be better. I mean, it'd be a bank make for a better interview. But what are you gonna say?

[C]

Well, you know, the Judgment Day did lose some gold this weekend, but it.

[B]

Doesn'T matter who still has gold, Megan. Who is here? We will cross that bridge when we get there.

[C]

Okay. All right. Well, I also saw Liv Morgan tweeted at you.

[B]

Did she? I haven't. I haven't been on my phone yet. She texted me, good luck. That was earlier in the day.

[A]

That's nice.

[B]

What'd she say?

[C]

She said, greatest intercontinental champion of all time.

[B]

You know, I'm going to take the time right now to dedicate this. This victory in the hometown of my Weddita Live. I know you're watching me, and I hope I made you proud. I had to get a little good luck picture that I will post later. Oh, it's. It's the San Julitas as Liv.

[A]

So that's great.

[B]

Well, it was my little good luck charm, but.

[A]

But, yeah, that's beautiful.

[B]

I mean, shout out to you. Shout out, Liv.

[A]

Yeah, that's.

[B]

Oh, now, I don't. I don't want your sympathy. I don't. I don't need that. Megan, I need you to just continue to realize that you are in the presence of greatness.

[A]

I mean, there is something going on where it was almost like even appreciation for Dominic Mysterio at a time was almost ironic. Right, people? It was almost like a goof. And all of a sudden, and this is something that I made a point of on the Countdown show as well, all of a sudden, like, right under everybody's nose, you're not only being entertaining, you're not only telling stories, you're having some of the best matches on the show, to the point where everybody's shocked when you show up in aaa, an organization that you have said you don't even like the wrestlers in aaa. You don't like those luchadors, and then all of a sudden, their fans are cheering for you. How did that feel?

[B]

You know, it's. It's something that I wanted to do for a long time. You know, as soon as I started wrestling, I wanted to go down to aaa. And even before I debuted here, I just wanted to create a legacy and history down there. You know, my uncle, Rey Mysterio Sr. Was down there. My deadbeat dad, Rey Mysterio. So now having Dirty Dominic Mysterio down in AAA is just history in and of itself. You know, I'm. I'm officially the greatest Mysterio to step foot in a triple A ring.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Most likely, actually, I am telling you right now, I am going to be the first Mysterio to become so tune in. August 16th, check it out. Double champ.

[A]

The same month he goes to another promotion, wins their title, too. And you're over here going, oh, why don't you defend your.

[B]

Well, the Judgment Day lost some gold.

[C]

I mean, someone has to ask the serious questions.

[B]

No one has to ask serious questions, Megan. Every question you ask me is serious because I am the Intercontinental Champion and I take everything seriously.

[C]

Well, I'm also taking it back. You said you don't like AAA wrestlers. I mean, I love Mr. Iguana, so I'm a little offended by that.

[A]

With all like, the Green, he's like.

[B]

The Blue Man Group, but it's like Santino's.

[A]

No, no, you're thinking of the Cobra.

[B]

Oh, it's not the same thing.

[A]

No, no, no, no.

[C]

It's totally different. Very different. I'm a big fan, Lahu.

[A]

Yes, I think.

[B]

Sounds like. Sounds like tequila.

[A]

Oh, yeah, I could see. I could see. I mean, listen, the match tonight, it really was. I mean, you. Talk about irony. AJ Styles coming out, he had the Styles Heat T shirt. He came out in the low rider, by the way. Actually, did, you know, operate the low rider.

[B]

What a loser.

[A]

He came out, he had the Eddie inspired tights. He had the Eddie inspired boots. But it was, as you alluded to it, was a classic Eddie Guerrero trick with a little I feel like Dom Mysterio twist on it. That ended the match.

[B]

I mean, smacked the shit out of him with that boot.

[A]

You did, right?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, I felt it. It was like, you know, like when you, like, incorrectly hit a baseball and it, like, vibrates your entire hand. Yeah, I swung my boot and I felt the vibration, so.

[A]

Whoa. Whoa.

[B]

It was crazy.

[A]

You felt in your whole body?

[B]

I felt it everywhere.

[A]

Wow. Wow. This is SummerSlam.

[B]

Everywhere, everywhere. Crazy stuff.

[A]

It's the hottest party of the summer.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

I mean, definitely the party of the summer.

[A]

It sounds like it. I mean, what do you think AJ Styles is there still. Do you have any. Anything to do with AJ Styles after.

[B]

I beat him fair and square in the middle of the ring? No judgment day help, no shenanigans, no nothing. I beat him by myself and clean in the middle of the ring. One, two, three.

[A]

I don't know, like, because I'm not.

[B]

What do you. Squinting over there making faces.

[A]

Oh, what's it. What do you. Oh, you hit him with a boot? Is that what you're gonna say? Well, the boot was clean.

[B]

It was on my foot at one point, so I hit him with my foot, knocked them down. Frog splash. One, two, three. Megan, I just put a little. Do you need to watch back the tape? Do you need to watch back the tape?

[A]

I mean, you. You drop kick people before, right?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Does anybody ever go disqualify him? He drop kicked him. He had a boot.

[C]

No.

[A]

What difference does it make what limb the boot is attached to? Gosh, it's gear.

[B]

Do you need a rule book? Megan? Do you need me to Charles Robinson.

[C]

Do the frog splash with. With one? Chew on.

[B]

Okay, I'll get your twin little Naich and you guys can hash it out.

[A]

All right. You do look like little nature.

[B]

Ms. Lil. Ms. Naich.

[A]

Lil, Ms. Naich. We should get you a robe.

[B]

Nah, she's not cool enough.

[C]

Can you wrap this? I think we should wrap you done.

[B]

I'm done.

[A]

Are you seriously ruining another Donnie interview for me?

[B]

I enjoy spending my time with Sam, but if you want me to leave, I'll leave. I'll more than happily leave. I'll take a flight, go down, get some chicken tendies.

[A]

I just right away I tried a chicken tender from MetLife Stadium.

[B]

Was it trash?

[A]

No, it was delicious.

[C]

He stole a chicken tender from a fan.

[A]

Why didn't steal. Okay, transaction.

[B]

You borrowed it and took a bite and then gave it back. He said, I'd like to feeling about it.

[A]

I mean, this is. This is negative. He said, I'd like to take a picture with you. I said, okay, well, I'd like one of those chicken 10.

[B]

Fair trade. Fair trade, fair trade.

[A]

And this one's over here because nobody's offering her chicken tender.

[C]

Megan.

[A]

Well, you said he should be disqualified for you.

[B]

Megan, you just ruined another interview.

[A]

Are you kidding me?

[B]

That's crazy.

[A]

Why? What impressed you most about Dominik Mysterio tonight?

[B]

Say something nice.

[A]

Say something nice. He did it.

[B]

Come on, say something nice to do it. I said something nice about you.

[C]

I think it was very.

[B]

Does she look like nature?

[A]

Yeah, Charles Robinson, he's a good looking man, hasn't aged.

[C]

No, it's good for me. I think it was very impressive that you were able to defend your title after going through so much. You were injured for such a long time. I mean, I don't think enough people are talking about how gutsy of an opponent performance this was.

[A]

You know what she said on Raw recap. Every single week we get into arguments about every single week. She said that the injury was not as legitimate as you presented it to be. That's what she said. That's. Did you say that you're not as.

[B]

Legitimate as you present to be?

[A]

How about that?

[C]

I don't know anything about Dom, you know.

[B]

You don't know nothing about nothing. You're basically Jon Snow. You know nothing.

[A]

That's right. That's what I've said before. Jon Snow, you know nothing. Attacked nothing.

[B]

I mean, Megan, next time try being nice.

[A]

Think about that.

[B]

You know, it doesn't, it doesn't hurt to, you know, start your day off with kindness. And I walked in first. First time you see me in the arena. Rude. That is not starting off your deal with kindness. I win my. I win, I win back my title. Not even back. I retain. You're over here antagonizing me, talking down to me. I'm your greatest Intercontinental champion of all time.

[C]

If you're concerned about aj.

[A]

Right, right.

[C]

Valid. I mean, one of the best ever.

[B]

I'm the best ever.

[A]

Do you think about the, the legacy of the Intercontinental championship, do you?

[B]

And starts with Dominic Mysterio?

[A]

Well, you know, there was a lot like before Dominic even, you know, and you talked about the SummerSlam facts. People like Brett the Hitman Hart, like Kurt Henning, Mr. Perfect, Sean Michaels.

[B]

Better.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I think Ultimate Warrior. I'm better. Pat Patterson. I'm better. Matt. Matt Hardy. I'm better. Jeff Hardy. I'm better.

[C]

Guster held this title for.

[B]

Yeah, I saw both those old bags out there. It don't matter. Yeah, let me watch my mouth here. Okay, but yeah, walking, walking bag of bones.

[A]

No, you know, you're right, you're right. What did you think, I mean, of.

[B]

One more, One more table those boys go through?

[A]

You think dust maybe.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Who knows?

[A]

Yeah, I was reading on online. You didn't have the kindest words in the world for CM Punk on a weekend that was already kind of tough for him.

[B]

What did I say?

[A]

You made reference to the fact that maybe like, you know, he wasn't so tough. Maybe, you know, he made his age.

[B]

I don't remember any of that stuff.

[A]

You know, I mean, he didn't win a title last night.

[B]

I, I, I don't care. I'm, I'm finishing up here because I, I'm gonna go meet up with a good friend of mine by the name of Mickey Gall. He, he lives out here in Jersey. So I'm gonna go, I'm going to go hang out with them.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Maybe get a few pointers. I don't know. We'll see.

[A]

All right, well, we'll, we'll let you go do that.

[B]

Is that okay?

[A]

That's okay. Yeah, I think, I think that's good. Dominic Mysterio, I will say congratulations.

[B]

I wish I could say thank you to you, but Sam, always a pleasure. Always worked a little bit harder.

[A]

There it is.

[C]

Thank you.

[B]

Champion of all time, Dominic Mysterio, everybody.

[A]

You hear that? That's not just a Toyota truck. That's the sound of no crowds, no alerts, no distractions, and no telling what you'll find next. You know, like a detour. So why would you ever take a tour? And you could take a detour. Toyota trucks. So thanks to Dominic Mysterio. I thought he was great both here and in his match tonight at SummerSlam.

[C]

Yeah, I'm happy for Dom.

[A]

Okay, sounds like you're happy.

[C]

I'm happy for Dom.

[A]

Well, he's a big winner and you know, insane ending to this show aside, Cody Rhodes was also a massive winner. He's the new undisputed WWE champion. You can celebrate his SummerSlam victory with his new winners collection. Yes, the Cody Rhodes winners T shirt is available. And don't forget, by the way, his entire new stars and stripes collection. All of it is available, available now at WWE Shop and fanatics as well as you know, last night here on SummerSlam Recap Night one. You were wearing a pretty slick jacket, huh?

[C]

It was pretty slick. I got a lot of compliments on my slick jacket.

[A]

A lot of compliments. And I thought it looked amazing. And I come to find out where.

[C]

By Erin Andrews Ye Whereby ea.

[A]

Yes. And WWE have teamed up to release brand new products to celebrate the first ever two night SummerSlam. Is that where you got that jacket?

[C]

That's exactly where I got that jacket.

[A]

I knew it. Shop this New collection and more at WWE Shop and Fanatics. That's where by Aaron Andrews X wwe and they really are making some magnificent stuff. Listen, one of the matches that we wanted to talk about tonight was the Women's World Championship Match. I know you went into that heavily, heavily interested. And my whole take on it was that Naomi was the one beyond everybody that was in a must win situation because as we discussed, she had to prove that she's not just a money in the bank winner, she's a women's World champion. And the way you prove that is going to a stadium, getting into the ring with two of the very best the industry has ever seen and walking out with the gold. And Meghan, she walked out with the gold.

[C]

She did exactly that. I mean, right from the start, you look at these three superstars and they are at the tippity top of the industry. Rhea Ripley, she comes out, the entire stadium erupts and she literally gives me goosebumps when she does her entrance. Eo, sky, we're talking about one of the best wrestlers in the world. And then Naomi's entrance to be on the stage in MetLife Stadium with her father playing her entrance music. I thought that this was such a beautiful moment. But it did surprise me how the match began because we saw Iyo sky and Rhea Ripley working together as Naomi slips out the ring. And you know, we know the rivalry between Iyo sky and Rhea Ripley. They have a lot of respect for one another. But EO's been the thorn in Rhea's side. Rhea has never been able to defeat Iyo. So watching them at the beginning of the match strategize and work together was interesting to me.

[A]

It was very interesting. And I would have to imagine that the thinking behind that was, hey, let's. Naomi's completely unpredictable. I mean, Naomi doesn't mind going totally unhinged. A crash out is a day in the life of Naomi, especially right now. So let's get this unpredictable element out of the match. And you know, for better or worse, we know how it feels to fight each other. May the better woman win. And I, that, that I, I, I mean, I would imagine had to be the strategy, but those strategies never last in triple threat matches.

[C]

They can't.

[A]

No, they. Of course not. Of course not. Because.

[C]

Especially because the champion doesn't need to be involved in the decision.

[A]

Exactly. Now, the champion was involved in the decision tonight. As a matter of fact, it was in her favor. Once again, though, this was what was the whole story of the match, the most interesting Thing to me is that it wasn't just about the fact that neither Ria nor IYO won the Women's World Championship. It was that Ria seemingly had IYO beaten again. And Naomi sneaks up and rolls her up for the 1, 2, 3. That's how Naomi wins. Slick finish. Slick Becky lynch type finish.

[C]

Not the slickest, but I would put it in. In the slick category.

[A]

Category of slick.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's not dissimilar from the what most people think. Most people think that Rhea Ripley was going to beat EO sky at Evolution, but she didn't because of Naomi. A lot of people would have thought that Rhea Ripley was about to beat IYO sky in this.

[C]

It looked like she had her pinned.

[A]

She didn't because of Naomi. And I'm watching Rhea at the end of this match struggling with the reality that she is undeniably in, and I can't help but wonder, do you think that this look on her face, this look. I mean, it was not even angry. She was distraught. She was trying to figure out what's next. She had all this, you know, sloshing around in her head. Can't believe this was a scenario that in no way did she plan for and doesn't know how to take this in at all. Do you think that she was bothered because she's not the Women's World Champion? And as we talked about here on the recap pod, if Rhea is not the Women's World Champion, maybe there's a question of who she is. Or do you think that she was bothered because, once again, we do not have the evidence needed to say that Rhea Ripley can beat IYO Sky.

[C]

I think it's because Rhea Ripley does not have the Women's World Championship.

[A]

You don't think it's the IYO thing?

[C]

To me, I don't think it's the EO thing. I think Rhea has a tremendous amount of respect for iyo. Sure, she wants to get the pin on iyo, but what Rhea Ripley wanted to do tonight at SummerSlam was get her baby back, get her Women's World Championship back. And to me, that was the frustration.

[A]

Why is it that Rhea Ripley is not the Women's champion? You go back, how did she lose it?

[C]

Because she couldn't pin IYO sky because of Naomi.

[A]

She lost the. No, no, no, no, no. When she lost the title in, like.

[C]

February or March because she overlooked IYO Sky.

[A]

IO sky beat on an episode of.

[C]

Monday Night Raw on the road to Wrestlemania right after the elimination Chamber.

[A]

And then the thought was, she'll go back to WrestleMania and she'll get the title back. And who walked out of WrestleMania with the championship?

[C]

IYO Sky.

[A]

And who did she not beat at Evolution?

[C]

Ioska.

[A]

And who did she not beat at SummerSlam?

[C]

Iyosuka.

[A]

I feel like her not being champion and her not being able to beat Iyo sky are somehow cosmically linked.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

And you wonder if like psychologically. Because clearly psychologically, there's something like eating away at Rhea Ripley. And you wonder is it is the IYO sky thing because it keeps repeating itself.

[C]

Sure.

[A]

Is that starting to get trump the Women's World Championship, or do you think.

[C]

Rhea's so focused on the Women's World Championship that still somehow she's not focused on IYO Sky?

[A]

So the Women's World Championship is actually the thing distracting her from beating iyo.

[C]

That's what I think.

[A]

Right. So.

[C]

Because even tonight, heading into the match, like we said, her and IO are working together. She's focused on the championship. She's focused on the championship. And Naomi gets in the way because what is. Naomi knows what she needs to do to win.

[A]

That's right. I love that.

[C]

But I think Rio, in a way, I don't want to say she's overlooking IO but she just has her soul attention, all of her focus on getting that title back, that somehow or another she's looking past IYO Sky.

[A]

I also love the idea that it's like a chicken or the egg scenario. I think it's really, really cool. I am of course going to give you the opportunity to talk to me. You already know. What did you think? We have this no disqualification match. Lyra Valkyria versus Becky Lynch. If Lyra Valkyria cannot beat Becky lynch, she will not get the championship back or an opportunity at the Intercontinental Championship as long as Becky lynch has that title. You, because you're on the Countdown show and that's where you're such a journalist, decided to so eloquently say that Becky lynch might have the title literally forever.

[C]

She could.

[A]

So no, she. I don't think so. So humans don't exist forever. There's finite amount of time that they're even on the planet.

[C]

We've never really seen a human quite like Becky lynch before, though.

[A]

That's a fair point. I just don't know if the life cycle shifts.

[C]

I mean, especially in MetLife Stadium. Right. Of all places. I don't know if we've ever seen.

[A]

Legacy and the actual human existen. But all that said, Lyra Valkaria lost the match. If Becky lynch is to actually keep the Intercontinental Championship forever, Lyra Valkaria will never get a shot at that championship again. And the reason that she lost is because Bailey shows up and we don't know whose side Bailey is on. She makes it clear that she's on Lyra's side. She goes after Becky lynch, makes a wrong move. Lyra gets clocked, Becky takes advantage, which I'm not faulting Becky for. He's a no DQ match. Your opponent's down. Pin him. Yeah, I'm not faulting Becky for that. Becky gets the pin. Bailey can't get in on time. And the reality is that, I mean, Lyra's the one who asked for the no dq.

[C]

Yes, you did.

[A]

To me. I don't think Lyra Valkyria has a justification for a beef with Becky lynch after this. I think Lyra Valkyria can look at Bailey and said, hey, because you got involved and I didn't want you here to begin with, you just cost me a chance at the Intercontinental Championship. According to Megan Morant, possibly forever.

[C]

I mean, I think you're not giving Becky enough credit for the fact that this match suddenly became two on one and Becky still dug deep and found a way to win this title, because that's what Becky lynch does.

[A]

But she found a way to win the title by having the two on one go in her favor. And then when Bailey. Bailey accidentally made it two on one.

[C]

Against Lyra, I mean, is it Becky's fault suddenly that Bailey made a mistake? I mean, Bailey came out there and sometimes this is what happens.

[A]

What I'm saying is you can't give her credit for the thing that helped her win.

[C]

All of a sudden there's a numbers advantage in the challenger's favor and Becky lynch still finds a way to win. Yet you're still putting down Becky. I just. I don't understand.

[A]

I didn't even put her down.

[C]

I mean, here's the thing about Becky Lynch, Sam, you love a pop culture reference. Are you familiar with the Neverending Story?

[A]

Of course. I still cry when I think about Atreyu.

[C]

Well, I think Atreyu. I think Becky lynch could be the never ending Intercontinental Champion.

[A]

She's just flying around on Falkor with that Intercontinental Championship.

[C]

Yeah, she might as well just hanging.

[A]

Out with the nothing. She might as well avoiding it at every time.

[C]

We're talking about a woman who has.

[A]

Do I know the Never ending Story has.

[C]

I mean, we're talking about a woman who has made so much History. She's truly the best to ever do it. Yet every time we see her get in the ring, she finds a way to get even better. Whether it's coming up with the slickest finish that any of us have ever seen at Evolution to retain the title. All of a sudden, taking advantage of a two on one match that was in Lyra's favorite still walks out of MetLife Stadium as your champion. I think this is. This is a situation where. Where Becky's gonna hold onto the title for a very long time.

[A]

How long do you think? Never ending, possibly. I don't know. If she gets better every time she finds a way to win, that's two different things. Numbers, advantage, not in Jacob Fatu's favor. And it cost him a cage match tonight for the United States Championship, much to the chagrin of everybody except that bug right there, who's a solo Sikoa fan. And it's like, don't bring up that cage match in a negative way. I'm not trying to hear it. I'm not trying to hear it at all. But we had a lot of. A lot of stipulations here at SummerSlam tonight. One of them was a massive TLC match. And I mean, it was. Not only was it the biggest TLC match of all time, it happened on the 25th anniversary of the original TLC SummerSlam 2000. And it was with six of the best teams ever. I mean, I listen as obnoxious as they have been, I was like, halfway through the match, I threw my prediction of like Phoenix and Andrade out the window. And I said, DIY has to win this match, right? I mean, the perform. The DIY's performance was unreal in that match, but I. I thought that we should have some guests in here to break it down. And I was like, well, let's. Let's bring up. I normally would say, like, who won the match? We'll bring them in. And then the Wyatt six won them.

[C]

I didn't want them anywhere near us.

[A]

Remember when they haunted that show?

[C]

Roll talk.

[A]

That was not good.

[C]

Nope.

[A]

That was not good for us. So I said, you know what, let's just get some insight. Instead, I looked into the front row. I was like, is that Matt and Jeff Hardy? Let's get him on the show. So in order so to help us break down TLC immediately after the match happened, we spoke here in MetLife Stadium to Matt and Jeff, the Hardy Boys. I don't know if you guys saw. You were just called tag team Royalty on Instagram. And I would agree with that. The Hardy Boys. The Hardy Boys are here. Yeah.

[C]

Give it up.

[A]

Fresh off. And I will tell you. I will tell you, you are. You're here to observe TLC at SummerSlam. And there, when I saw you guys walking around, I said, they're not. They're not thinking about doing this again. Thank God you stayed in your seats. You did not enter the match at any point. But. But do you. As crazy as TLC is, is there any part of you that watches, especially what we saw at SummerSlam with six, not three, six teams, Is there any part of you that goes, yes, yes.

[D]

Yes, without a doubt.

[A]

So you do have the itch when you watch this.

[E]

Yeah, man. It's, you know, it's 25 years ago, and that sounds insane.

[A]

Insane.

[E]

There's been 25 years since we first did TLC.

[A]

Right.

[E]

And the fact that it's still going on, it's a staple in pro wrestling. Six teams went out. Biggest TLC match ever.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

And went on Kilda. They had a great, great contest.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[D]

It's my comfort zone, too. I wanted to be out there so bad, but I'm looking forward to 2026, man. So we'll see.

[C]

You feel most comfortable when you're in a TLC match.

[D]

It's my comfort zone.

[A]

Wow.

[D]

Totally.

[C]

Some people meditate, others go through tables.

[D]

I meditate a lot as well. So maybe that's a part.

[C]

Maybe, maybe.

[A]

I don't know if you can meditate inside a TLC match, but maybe that's what made the Hardy Boys the Hardy Boys, you know, that's what made you guys special. So when you're. I mean, you see. I mean, and. And I think that in every TLC match, you guys have left your footprints. On that match so much, we saw Tommaso Ciampa hanging, much like a younger Jeff Hardy once hung from the championships themselves. And we thought we were going to see that spear from Nathan Frazier, but we saw the roll through. When you look at something like that and you realize that you're the ones that inspired this, is there a sense of, like, okay, we put our bodies on the line 25 years ago, but we truly did create forever stuff. It's still being referenced today. Yes.

[D]

When his legs came up on the thing, he avoided the move from the other guy.

[A]

That.

[D]

That was one of my favorite parts of the match, man. I never saw that come. And I loved it.

[E]

Especially when he wrapped his legs around. He was hanging upside down, which is a great core string.

[A]

That.

[E]

That was so cool. Such a cool spot. And it was a great callback to an earlier, you know, earlier series of moves that happened in our tlc. So kudos to those guys, man. They worked super hard out there.

[A]

Yeah. And I think it is really cool to know that a move like that still gets that same reaction the 25 years later, because, you know, wrestling keeps moving and it gets bigger and it's more dangerous and it's all this. But that thing that you guys did was so far, I think, ahead of its time, that even now, when. When the crowd gets a sniff that we might see this again, they react in an equally sensational way that they did when you guys did it.

[E]

I. I do think the TLC match was ahead of its time. Whenever we first started doing it, I think we kind of laid out a blueprint that you can have wrestling matches that tell stories in different ways, you know, And I. I think that's so cool. I. I know there were a lot of guys, I'm sure probably the main event guys at that time, they were very upset. We were going out there, we were going through ladders and falling off. We were going through tables, falling off ladders, everything else. But, dude, it is really a special, different avenue of telling a story, and I love it because they're so entertaining.

[C]

Can we talk about Candice lerae for just a second? I mean, I know this was a 6, 6 team TLC match.

[A]

They added more.

[C]

They did. I mean, Rowan got involved, Nikki Cross was involved. BFAB was involved. And then Candice Lerae going through that ladder. What did you guys think of that spot?

[D]

Well, there was a moment in the past when they said we couldn't break table. So my first thought was like, can we break a ladder?

[E]

And to see her go through that.

[D]

Ladder, oh, my God. That was. Was amazing.

[E]

Yeah, that was in a money in the bank. And the first ladder that was ever broken was Jeff putting edge through. Through a ladder. That was the first time that ever happened. To see Candice Little petite Candace Lerae go through her ladder, like, that was spectacular, man. Jesus. And like, super go through what guts she has.

[A]

Unbelievable. And it was. It was one of those moments where you think at the last minute, something's got to give. It's not going to go all the way. She'll land on her feet and then, boom, just takes all of it. So that is how that first kind of broken ladder came about. They told you, you can't break tables in this match, and you said, we gotta. We gotta break something. Yeah.

[D]

Can't wait Break a ladder. My exact words.

[A]

And they said, yeah. And we said, okay, we never thought of that.

[E]

Can you make that happen?

[C]

And then after you broke the ladder, I was like, okay, tables, go ahead, go nuts.

[A]

Yeah, sure.

[D]

But oh my God, so many ladders have been broken since. Yeah, I love it. I love every bit of it.

[A]

When you, when you talk about telling a story in a different way in professional wrestling, it gets very complicated when you add elements and not just weapons, not just tables and chairs and ladders, but that many people. Yes. To be able to cohesively tell a story that the audience can follow with 12 wrestlers as well as everybody along those sides, do you think back at what went into the planning of those matches and how difficult it must be to double up the participants?

[E]

Yeah, it's challenging to keep everyone busy, to have every, have everyone either reacting to something that has happened to them or have them moving to get the titles. I mean, you have to kind of map everything out really, really specifically. And that was something that we learned on the fly. We had six guys in the match, but these guys had so many. They had double that amount of guys. So it was very impressive.

[C]

They kept Everybody moving in 25 years. I mean, now you're at the point where some people are in the ring like they grew up, you know, watching that first ever match as a kid. Did any of the superstars in the match tonight, you know, pick your brain heading into this one. In the weeks leading up to SummerSlam.

[D]

Today, this was a very pleasant, unexpected surprise for us. I was looking so forward to seeing the ladder match tomorrow when I watched it back because we were did an appearance today and we're going to be on a flight tonight. But getting to see it live and front row was just incredible. So, yeah, we didn't have time. We got here right before the show started.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah. So it was a very last minute sort of, hey guys, if you're still in town, come to the show.

[E]

This happened today. Yes. And you know, something I think was, was really impressive in that match is that you had 12 different guys and they, they had a lot of innovative spots. I mean, and that, that's what makes these matches rule when, when it's new creative material they've never seen before. You know, whenever he did the deal and he pulled his legs up when Champa did that and you know, Candice Lerae going through the ladder like that, just so many different things. Ray Phoenix jumping up on his shoulders, you know, those are the moments that, that make this fresh and original and.

[A]

I think, too, like a match like this, stylistically, you have to look for something different from every team. I mean, that's the foundation of tlc. Right? That you.

[E]

Yes.

[A]

And the Dudleys and Edge and Christ present. One team was chairs, one team was ladders, one team was tables. So you look. And I think that that's where the Wyatt Six come in. That this isn't a, you know, fly off the ladder, aerial assault team, but this is kind of like what the Dudleys were. That down and dirty.

[E]

Yes.

[A]

Physical assault. I personally loved kind of the story that was told throughout that match, where in the very beginning they were recognized as that threat. All the five other teams jumped them from the beginning, got rid of them, so we can. And then in the end, it was the Wyatt Six. Did the results surprise you?

[E]

I. I would have. If I would have had to bet money on this, I would have probably went with the white six since they. Since they are the champs. But I. I thought it was great. As you said, they are the physical monsters. And, And. And that's the story they told with them throughout the match. And it worked for me. It stayed very consistent.

[D]

I thought the street profits were still the champs until this morning. Matt told me Wyatt sticks with the new champions.

[A]

Oh, okay. But Montez, I mean, you talked about Montez. Montez, that moment where he jumped like it was the cleanest. You've seen it before, You've seen it attempted, but jumping from the rope to the ladder in what was. I mean, it's maybe the cleanest I've ever seen that happen. Montez is amazing. And it kind of reminds me of you, Jeff, how you guys do these things with your bodies that make it seem like we should all be able to do it, but you're the only ones that can do it.

[D]

Yeah, for sure. That blew my mind when he did that. Unbelievable.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So 25 years from now, where do you think TLC matches will be?

[E]

They'll still be going on these WWE cards, I can tell you that. They'll constantly be evolving. I don't know.

[D]

Maybe there'll be all kinds of different ladders by then.

[E]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We're all ready to start.

[A]

We're going to start.

[E]

We're going to start creating a lineup. Ladders, I think, and sell them, you know. That's going to be our contribution to the TLC concept.

[A]

I think you should. And I will say this. I believe 25 years from now, when it's the 50th anniversary of TLC, there will still be references to you, Jeff, hanging from the ceiling and getting speared through it, that. I mean, the fact that I feel like again, going back to it, it's just a timeless moment. But I do think, all joking aside, that you're probably right. I think that's a great question. And I never even thought of it. But as much as has changed in the match and the attraction that is TLC, not that much has changed about it in 25 years. And I don't see much changing about it in the next 25 years. It's just one of those timeless things that will always be an attraction when it's done to perfection.

[C]

Jeff, do you think you'll still be getting the itch in 25 years?

[D]

I'll be way, way done in 25 years. I'll be watching everything that happens, though, for sure. I'm forever a ladder match wrestling fan.

[A]

But I think it's funny that you say I'll be way done in 25 years, because I'll bet 25 years ago, if we had said, I still don't want to do a TLC match 25 years from now, you'd probably say I'd be way down by then. You're right.

[E]

You are correct.

[A]

Meanwhile, you're TNA Tag Team champion, so something's going on.

[D]

I finally got to use at our last big show, Slammiversey, the cable ladder, which I wanted to use after TLC 2, I think. So I finally got to bring that thing to life.

[E]

We've had that in our back pocket for 20 years.

[A]

I mean, I will say, you know, as much as we're talking about TLC and SummerSlam since your year, the rope ladder spot, like, I was. I was. I was clutching my pearls. I was like, no, you can't do this. The level of at home that it looked like you felt celebrating on that rope ladder, I mean, you looked. You looked absolutely ecstatic.

[D]

I was, I was. It was a dream come true, man.

[E]

It was so funny because those things, they do move a lot, right? And I was down there holding it tight so he could get up, he could climb up at the best so he could get the titles. And then he just kept climbing higher and he started juking more and more and more. And Mitchell said, I'm just going to.

[A]

Let go of it.

[E]

He seems to be very comfortable in this element.

[D]

So I've got a lot of redneck engineering going on. So there's another huge spot that I think is going to be great in the near future.

[A]

You got it in your mind already.

[D]

It May even top the cable ladder.

[E]

We have another one, we have another.

[A]

One in our back pocket. Okay, so the fact that you're still doing this, right. 25 years ago, there were older guys in the locker room and they were telling you, you shouldn't be doing this, don't be doing this TLC stuff. It's gonna, it's gonna shorten your career. You're not gonna, you're not gonna be wrestling in 25 years, that's for sure. Now that you are those legends, you have that you have that. Was there anything in tonight's TLC match that you went all those youngsters shouldn't be doing that.

[E]

There was nothing I was overly critical with. I, I, I thought it was executed really well. They kept everybody busy. I thought they were innovating, were creative in, in their, their thought process of putting everything together. I, I thought they did a great job.

[D]

Yeah, same here, man. I mean, six teams. Oh my God, that was incredible.

[A]

Awesome.

[E]

They accomplished awesome. Something I thought was awesome. One of my favorite spots is when they did the backdrop and he did not hit the ladder. And they're like, oh, do it again. And they did it again. I love the fact they did that. That was just, that was so great. Like, we need more stuff like that in wrestling.

[A]

Yeah, no, I thought it was great too. I'm so glad that you guys were here to see it and to give your, your expert analysis on the whole thing and the fact that this wasn't, you know, this, you guys were out there the entire match, watching the entire thing and, and wrapped up in it. And I think that says a lot about what this match was. So I appreciate you guys giving your insight and being here and this is, this is awesome. Yeah, it is really great.

[E]

Thanks for having us, man. It was so much fun to be here and watch it.

[A]

Front row. Amazing. It's amazing. So thanks to the Hardys. I mean, what a way to break down a tlc. And I was absolutely. And I love your question about this is 25. Where are you going to be at 50?

[C]

Yeah. I mean, if you had to put money on it. Sam, you think they're 100%?

[A]

They're going to. Yeah, they're going to. The TLC match is going to look exactly the same and Jeff is still going to be concocting things and Matt is still 100% the MAT facts that we're going to get 25 years from.

[C]

The way he's like, oh, that's my happy place. With such a straight face and meant it when Jeff said.

[A]

I was like, they're 100% built different. Yeah, they're going to be in TLC matches 25 years from now. Put money on it. But it really did bring me back to this thing of, like, for a second when you said that, all I started, I started thinking about time and I realized that like 25 years ago, I was sitting at home being floored watching this TLC match and watching like three of my six of my favorite wrestlers, three of my favorite teams, three of the best teams to ever do it, wrestling this match. And I did have this moment of like, because you said 25 years later where you'd be from now. I was like, now, like, if you told me in 25 years you'll be sitting at on a WWE and Fanatics original production, talking to the Hardy Boys about tlc, I'd be like, there's no way. So, I mean, I mean, there's a lot of. It's just really, really cool to have the Hardys in here to talk about that. And I hope that that's not lost on anybody. But speaking of betting on stuff, you know, Fanatics Casino is partnering with WWE for the ultimate tag team. I don't know if it's better than the Hardy Boys, but it is the ultimate tag team. You can play exclusive WWE slots and table games like Raw Multiplier Melee and WWE blackjack. New customers you can sign up, you wager $10. You're going to get $75 in fan cash, which you can use on exclusive WWE merch and memorabilia. And you'll get a 20. You'll get $25 in casino credit. So check it out right now. Fanatics Casino and their partnership with WWE, it's a remarkable thing. And man, I mean, 10 in 75 backs. Pretty good, Pretty good, pretty good. They say the house always wins. I don't think so. I don't think so. But. But we won tonight for sure. Just thinking about those entrances, John Cena's entrance, we didn't really touch on Cody Rhodes entrance. There's so much to talk about, but this world continues on. There's going to be so much to talk about tomorrow night. Now, of course, you were already asking, like, is this one going to be on raw? Is that one going to be on raw? How's Rhea Ripley going to feel as Cody Rhodes going to feel? Seth Rollins, the World Heavyweight Champion, going to Monday Night Raw. There is so much SummerSlam fallout coming to Monday Night raw. I cannot wait to recap this show with you, Megan.

[C]

And good news is we get to do that.

[A]

You're right. We're going to do Raw recap tomorrow. Final takeaway from SummerSlam.

[C]

The entire landscape has changed. I mean you're just.

[A]

And we always say that, but.

[C]

But no, it actually I can't wait to hear what Paul Heyman has to say. I want to know if this was all part of Bron breakers plan. I want to see where the heck Brock Lesnar ends up.

[A]

It sounds like Brock Lesnar has a tractor right outside the door right now.

[C]

It sure does.

[A]

And he might. So we should get out of here. Thank you guys for hanging out with us. Don't forget to subscribe across all audio platforms. Apple, Spotify, wherever you get podcasts. Leave a review rating. Do the whole thing. If you're watching on YouTube on WWE's YouTube channel, hit like leave a comment and we will see you in 24 hours for raw recaps.