Can anyone stop John Cena?: Night of Champions Recap

Summary

Night of Champions Recap: Can Anyone Stop John Cena?

Hosts: Sam Roberts and Megan Morant
Podcast: Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant
Episode Title: Can Anyone Stop John Cena?: Night of Champions Recap
Release Date: June 29, 2025

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1. John Cena vs. CM Punk: A Historic Showdown

The main highlight of the Night of Champions event was the highly anticipated match between John Cena and CM Punk, marking their first encounter in 14 years since their classic Money in the Bank 2011 match.

• Sam Roberts ([02:28]): "14 years removed from their classic match at Money in the Bank 2011, CM Punk and John Cena are in the ring."
• Megan Morant ([02:08]): "I did not expect anything that we saw."

The storyline delved deep into Cena's quest to retire as WWE Champion and Punk's resurgence into WWE after a year-long absence. The match was lauded for its emotional depth and unexpected twists, keeping fans on the edge of their seats until the very end.

2. Seth Rollins and the Briefcase Drama

Seth Rollins played a pivotal role in the main event by introducing the Money in the Bank briefcase, aiming to cash in on CM Punk's championship title. However, his plans were thwarted by unexpected interferences and Cena's determination.

• Sam Roberts ([06:11]): "Seth Rollins wasn't just acting alone; he flew halfway around the world with his entourage to execute his plan."
• Megan Morant ([06:35]): "He had Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman, Bron Breaker, and Bronson Reed ready to cash in or screw CM Punk."

Despite Rollins' elaborate scheme, Cena managed to outmaneuver him, showcasing his resilience and strategic prowess. The briefcase's cash-in attempt was ultimately unsuccessful, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing rivalry.

3. Women's Division Takes Center Stage

The Night of Champions also featured standout performances in the women's division, particularly highlighting Jade Cargill and Asuka's intense rivalry.

• Sam Roberts ([30:00]): "Jade Cargill's victory over Asuka wasn't just a win; it was a statement of her rising dominance in the division."
• Megan Morant ([31:14]): "Seeing Jade and Asuka compete at this level underscores the depth and growth of the women's division."

Jade's emotional and technical prowess in the ring set the stage for her upcoming championship match at SummerSlam, promising more exhilarating encounters. Additionally, Raquel Rodriguez and Ria Ripley's street fight showcased raw aggression and athleticism, culminating in Rhea Ripley's triumphant return to the top of the division.

4. Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton: A Clash of Friends

The match between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton was another marquee highlight, featuring a complex dynamic between friendship and competition.

• Megan Morant ([37:55]): "I love Randy all the time, but his actions against Cody added a new dimension to their storyline."
• Sam Roberts ([38:32]): "Cody's victory paves the way for a future title match at SummerSlam."

The bout was intense, with Orton's hesitation on executing his signature punt move allowing Rhodes to secure a pivotal win. This outcome sets Rhodes on a trajectory towards a championship opportunity, potentially challenging John Cena at SummerSlam.

5. Solo Sikoa and the Bloodline Turmoil

Solo Sikoa's involvement in the event signified a shift in the Bloodline's dynamics, leading to internal conflicts and factional splits.

• Sam Roberts ([60:14]): "Solo Sikoa's resurgence as a dominant force signals a new era within the Bloodline."
• Megan Morant ([67:26]): "With the emergence of Tanga Loa, the Bloodline's unity is being tested."

Despite initial strengths, Solo faced challenges from Jacob Fatu and the introduction of new Bloodline members like JC Mateo. The night's events hinted at an impending Bloodline war, promising further developments and high-stakes matches in the future.

6. Karrion Kross vs. Sami Zayn: Overcoming Mind Games

The match between Karrion Kross and Sami Zayn was a testament to resilience and focus, with Zayn overcoming Kross's psychological tactics to secure victory.

• Sam Roberts ([55:40]): "Sami Zayn's determination overshadowed Kross's mind games, leading to a well-deserved win."
• Megan Morant ([56:06]): "This version of Sami Zayn is laser-focused on the World Championship, undeterred by distractions."

Zayn's triumph not only enhances his credibility but also solidifies his position as a top contender for the championship, especially with Seth Rollins holding the briefcase.

7. Notable Moments and Fan Reactions

Throughout the event, various moments captivated the audience, from dramatic finishes to unexpected alliances. The presence of legends and the return of familiar faces like Tongaloa added nostalgia and excitement.

• Sam Roberts ([53:25]): "I can't wait to see it. We talked about Sami Zayn coming out in the main event and the confidence that he had."
• Megan Morant ([54:39]): "Seeing Solo in his enforcer mode reminded fans why he's been a cornerstone of the Bloodline."

The fans' enthusiasm was palpable, with chants, cheers, and emotional reactions underscoring the night's significance in WWE lore.

8. Future Implications and Upcoming Storylines

Looking ahead, the outcomes of Night of Champions set the stage for SummerSlam and beyond. Key storylines include:

• John Cena aiming to secure his retirement as WWE Champion.
• Jade Cargill preparing for her championship match against Tiffany Stratton.
• Cody Rhodes positioning himself for a title challenge at SummerSlam.
• Solo Sikoa navigating internal Bloodline conflicts and potential faction wars.

These developments promise an exciting roadmap for WWE fans, with intricate plots and high-stakes matches on the horizon.

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Notable Quotes

• Sam Roberts ([02:28]): "14 years removed from their classic match at Money in the Bank 2011, CM Punk and John Cena are in the ring."
• Megan Morant ([02:08]): "I did not expect anything that we saw."
• Sam Roberts ([06:11]): "Seth Rollins wasn't just acting alone; he flew halfway around the world with his entourage to execute his plan."
• Megan Morant ([30:00]): "Jade Cargill's victory over Asuka wasn't just a win; it was a statement of her rising dominance in the division."
• Sam Roberts ([27:34]): "With a five dollar meal deal with new MC value, you pick a McDouble, or a McChicken, then get a small fry, a small drink and a four piece McNuggets."
• Sam Roberts ([38:32]): "Cody's victory paves the way for a future title match at SummerSlam."
• Megan Morant ([58:23]): "Yeah, I do like that."
• Sam Roberts ([68:22]): "He's the brain behind all this."
• Megan Morant ([64:06]): "Yes. I love you."

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This comprehensive recap encapsulates the intense matches, evolving storylines, and the passionate discussions between Sam Roberts and Megan Morant, offering WWE fans a detailed overview of Night of Champions' pivotal moments.

Transcript

[Sam Roberts]

With new McValue at McDonald's, you get more than you expect. So after a long day, buy a double cheeseburger and add a McChicken for a dollar. Because saving with deals is always on the menu. With new MCvalue, prices and participation may vary. Value for item of equal or lesser value.

[Megan Morant]

With a Venmo debit card, you can Venmo more than just your friends. You can use your balance in so many ways. You can Venmo everything. Need gas? You can Venmo this. How about snacks? You can Venmo that. Your favorite band's merch. You can Venmo this or their next show? You can Venmo that. Visit Venmo Debit to learn more. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp bank and a pursuant to license by MasterCard International Incorporated Card may be used everywhere. MasterCard is accepted. Venmo purchase restrictions apply.

[Sam Roberts]

We have a new United States Champion. We have a King of the Ring. We have a Queen of the Ring. And John Cena is one day closer to his goal of retiring as WWE Champion. This is the Night of Champions recap. A WWE and Fanatics original production oh, Megan Morant. We did it. We went through it. We went through it together. We are coming to you right after seeing Night of Champions. The emotional journey that we just went through in that main event. 14 years removed from their classic match at Money in the Bank 2011, CM Punk and John Cena are in the ring. A match that fans were asking for since word first got out that that. That John Cena was coming back for a year. They said, we can't believe our luck. This happens to be a year that CM Punk has returned to the wwe. We could actually see this match again. And Megan, if you could give a hundred people a hundred chances to write out exactly how this match was going to end, I don't think they would have had it.

[Megan Morant]

100 people would have it wrong.

[Sam Roberts]

Wrong.

[Megan Morant]

I did not expect anything that we saw.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, when, like so much of it, there was so many things you might have expected. Like one or two of the things. Yes, but not all. We got all the things.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, Penta was out there. We have a lot to dove into with this. I mean.

[Sam Roberts]

Ding, ding.

[Megan Morant]

Who's that?

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, this is music.

[Megan Morant]

The main event completely tore the house down. And it was the crowd in Saudi, the Roberts house.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Megan Morant]

The crowd in Saudi. They were electric throughout the show, the.

[Sam Roberts]

Whole night, by the way. They were also electric on smackdown.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

And I mean, they had the kickoff. Kickoff. They were amazing, by the way.

[Megan Morant]

I love these kickoffs, especially the international ones.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

Because it really gives you a feel for what the energy is like in whatever country WWE said and, like, what you can expect.

[Sam Roberts]

Like, you start to get more excited to be like, okay, so that's kind of a taste of what the crowd is going to be like.

[Megan Morant]

How are they going to react to CM Punk? Are they going to boo it?

[Sam Roberts]

Exactly Right. So, I mean, we have this match, you know, and it really is, you know, 14 years removed from that original story of CM Punk. Watching John Cena be the guy, as all he's trying to do is prove to the world and the powers that be that he is the one who should be the guy. He's the one that should be main eventing. And here we are all these years later, and that question no longer remains about CM Punk. But it's. I mean, it's an entirely new story that is foundationally based on. On that first one. I mean, and you could see that from the fact that we have John Cena on the way there cutting a pipe bomb. We have CM Punk becoming the doctor of Punkonomics on the way there, and then we finally get this match in the ring, and CM Punk is cross legged in the center of it, and John Cena comes out, and it's one of those things where until the bell rings, you're kind of wondering, what is this actually gonna look like? And I felt like they did such a good job of building the anticipation for it, and you understood the story going in, but what is the match itself gonna look like? And the Act 1 and the Act 2 were terrific to the point where you're going like, where. Where is this all going? You know, whether it was like CM Punk kicking out of three AAs, the third one being with the power up, you know what I mean? The splash roll through Cena power up on the shoulders. Aa. And that was the third one that CM Punk kicks out of. You have John Cena, which we should talk about at some point. Not using the title.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. He picks it up and it's like, oh, no, here we go again.

[Sam Roberts]

And by the way, by the way, John Cena not using the title. Enough of a story element to go, that can lead to the finish, and we've got it.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, that's what I thought.

[Sam Roberts]

We weren't even in Act 3.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, you're going to get disqualified. John Cena doesn't care if he's going to get disqualified. Not this John Cena. What does John Cena, do he. Exactly. There was another moment in the match I said, oh, it's going to be the low blow, and then it's going to be over. No, we still had more. More to go.

[Sam Roberts]

That was. This was what this match was. It was the story of more. And it's really interesting because you go back to 2011 and money in the bank and all the pieces of the puzzle that came together at the end of that match told this, like, really fascinating story in here, was the same. I think we talked about this at Money in the Bank. We said the thing about Money in the bank, and especially about Seth Rollins winning the briefcase, is that he throws an asterisk now into every discussion about a championship match, every time we talk about this person's facing this person for either the World Heavyweight or the WWE Championship, you now get to jump into the conversation with. But Seth has the briefcase. And.

[Megan Morant]

And it's not just Seth.

[Sam Roberts]

No.

[Megan Morant]

Because Seth comes with Paul Heyman. Seth comes with Bron Breaker. Seth comes with Bronson Reed.

[Sam Roberts]

As he did. He flew. The whole group of them flew halfway around the world to get to here to, I think, cash in the briefcase.

[Megan Morant]

Or to screw CM Punk.

[Sam Roberts]

While he didn't seem thrilled, Seth Rollins.

[Megan Morant]

No.

[Sam Roberts]

He didn't seem, you know, over the moon for it. And it's interesting because John Cena said, I know Seth Rollins isn't gonna cash in on me because he wants me to retire with the brief, with the.

[Megan Morant]

With the title so he can be the only.

[Sam Roberts]

The only champion.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

And then Seth was like, that's funny you should say that, because you're actually totally wrong. He comes out, but you're right, he's ready to cash in on Punk. And I think it was almost like John Cena was an afterthought.

[Megan Morant]

Yes.

[Sam Roberts]

Like, he's like, oh, but. But Cena coming in. And like, all of a sudden. So Seth comes in, referee is down inadvertently. John Cena takes out the referee with the shoulder bump.

[Megan Morant]

Yes.

[Sam Roberts]

But the referee is down. Cena didn't do it on purpose. Punk hits to go to sleep.

[Megan Morant]

Has him, has the match. One has stayed down for 17. Yeah. No referee there to count.

[Sam Roberts]

He beat him like six times. He just lay on top of him the whole time. That's when Seth comes in. And you know that CM Punk could have won that match because Seth Rollins entrance was, you know, nine minutes long. He's walking down. That's a long ramp.

[Megan Morant]

Very long ramp. And we're going to talk about that a little bit.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. Just ask Charles Robinson. Right.

[Megan Morant]

Well, then Charles Robinson comes running down.

[Sam Roberts]

Wow. Wow. So Rollins sends the Goons in, right?

[Megan Morant]

Yes.

[Sam Roberts]

And the Goons, Bronson, Reed, and Braun Breaker, they start having a little trouble with CM Punk at first, but then eventually the numbers game catches up. CM Punk is 3/4 of the way into this intense match anyway, and, and they start to get a handle on him until. Who is this? Penta comes out. Yeah, Penta comes to the ring to make the save. And you remember on Raw, they were specifically saying, do not get involved in our business anymore. Bron Breaker beat Penta and said, we are done with you. Right? And Penta looked at him and he went, no, no, no. I remember I was watching Raw going, why would he just, he just flatting out. He's flat out saying, no.

[Megan Morant]

What did he think Penta was going to say? Okay, you're right.

[Sam Roberts]

He did beat him. All right, he beat him.

[Megan Morant]

Done.

[Sam Roberts]

Now, I thought he was done. He's not done.

[Megan Morant]

No, not Penta.

[Sam Roberts]

No, no, absolutely not. So Penta comes out, then Sami Zayn comes out. Cause Sami Zayn was feeling all big.

[Megan Morant]

Big chested, especially after his win against Carrion Cross.

[Sam Roberts]

He beat Karrion Kross feeling good about himself.

[Megan Morant]

Now, let me love Sammy.

[Sam Roberts]

What's not to love about Sami Zayn? I could be carrying Cross. Let me go out there and help Panther beat up Brom Breaker for a while. I, I, for me, if I beat carrying Cross, I'd be at the nearest Chili's in Riyadh. I don't know if they have Chili's, but if there is one, that's where I would be, you know what I mean? Getting some crispers or something. But that's what they call them. But Sammy stuck around and said, no, let me show the world how much.

[Megan Morant]

More the crispers can wait. I'm gonna go show everybody what else I can do.

[Sam Roberts]

Which is a surprise to me because I've never said the crispers can wait in my entire life. I've never even thought that. I've never felt it.

[Megan Morant]

Sammy is.

[Sam Roberts]

There's one thing that can't wait. It's the crispers.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, Sammy has much stronger willpower than you do that.

[Sam Roberts]

I will give you that. I will say that that is 100% accurate. But so Sammy's out there now. He's taking. And as Sammy's out there, I love, I love a story with consequences. And I love this idea that, that Seth, in his mission to kind of control everything in a relatively short period of time, has done nothing but make enemies. Right. And these enemies, this is not a WWE that you can just walk into and say, okay, I'm in charge now, and kind of take over the way Seth might have thought it was, because everybody's like, no, even if you beat me, I'm coming back, and I'm coming back, and I'm coming back. And also, like, Penta, Sami Zayn, these are people with willpower for days. So now Seth, thinking that he could just come out and kind of control things, has to deal with everybody that he's dealt with. And just when it's time to cash in the briefcase, right, Seth is now in there, takes out CM Punk. And it's just so funny with Seth because he had this plan, and he was so confident in the plan. He had hand gestures, right? Just made a little hand gesture now.

[Megan Morant]

And now the goons go, right hand gesture. Here comes the briefcase. I mean, he doesn't even need words to communicate with his group, but he's.

[Sam Roberts]

Not thinking about the fact that everybody's mad at him. So there are just hundreds of obstacles. There's endless obstacles from people that are ruining all the stuff that he's setting up with his hand gestures. So he hand gestures, and apparently Charles Robin Robinson is ready for it. And he's like, man, they love my meme. They love. They love how quick I could run at WrestleMania a few years back, do.

[Megan Morant]

You think when they were setting up the set in Riyadh, they were like, let's make this ramp extra long just in case Charles Robinson.

[Sam Roberts]

In case Charles. In case Seth Rollins has a trick up his sleeve, and his. And his trick is old Chuck Robinson.

[Megan Morant]

And we need Charles. We got to give him some room to run.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, I mean, look, it's one of the great wrestling memes.

[Megan Morant]

My favorite.

[Sam Roberts]

You love seeing Charles run. I.

[Megan Morant]

The best.

[Sam Roberts]

So to see it live, okay. Before it ends the way it ended.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, we were in your house screaming, there's the man.

[Sam Roberts]

It's the man. It's happening. We're doing it. Charles Robinson is running down. And then, I mean, John Cena just shoulder checks him out of nowhere. And Charles Robinson must have flown 25ft. I mean, in my mind's eye, I've only seen it once in my mind's eye. I felt like he went halfway across the room.

[Megan Morant]

He's not a young pup.

[Sam Roberts]

No.

[Megan Morant]

And he still looks like it.

[Sam Roberts]

He looks fantastic.

[Megan Morant]

Yes.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, I don't know if he looks fantastic now after what he went through.

[Megan Morant]

No, no, no.

[Sam Roberts]

But as he's running down, I'm like, this guy's gonna tear a quad or something. He's going to do some damage or he's at least going to trip and give us a tightest slide under the ring. You know, I just. I just don't think this is a good idea. But as he's making. I said, he's going to make it. He's going to make it. And here's John Cena to just completely knock him on his. You know what? Charles Robinson is now down. Seth doesn't understand. And I'll tell you, to me, Seth.

[Megan Morant]

Forgot the hand motion for.

[Sam Roberts]

He was like, I don't have a hand motion for this. Man down. Man down. He's like, I don't understand how this could all be happening.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, he's gonna have to go back to the drawing board to figure that one out.

[Sam Roberts]

But I think that. And it's weird because it's almost like Seth took for granted. Like, bad guys stick together. Villains will stick together against the good guys. And John Cena's like, have you not been paying attention to what I'm doing? I want to take this belt home with me. I'm here till the new year, and.

[Megan Morant]

I can't take this belt. If you cash in and take it.

[Sam Roberts]

If you take the belt by pinning punk, what's coming home with me? It's June. It's not even July yet.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, he's got.

[Sam Roberts]

He's got six months. He's got another half a year that he's trying to hold on to this thing. So he takes out Seth Rollins and did you hear. And I'm sure you felt. What did you feel in your heart when you saw John Cena go after the evil Seth Rollins when Johnson.

[Megan Morant]

I was cheering for Cena, of course.

[Sam Roberts]

Right. And it takes you back because by the way, we saw that beautiful video package voiced by Corey Graves, explaining the history versus Yang. But guess what? Seth Rollins and John Cena have an incredibly deep history. Seth Rollins's knee at one point spread John Cena's nose all the way across his face. You go back to SummerSlam years and years ago, and you got Seth Rollins all in white in a mission against John Cena. I mean, Seth and John Cena have their own history together. And the fact that we saw John Cena in this period of his career where he's hell bent on ruining wrestling, being the savior against Seth Rollins. And for a moment, I feel like us. Cause I felt the same way you did. People in the audience, we all go, this is what we've been waiting for all we want to do is cheer John Cena. And that's why when he cuts a pipe bomb and it's cool, we go, okay, we can cheer, right? We can cheer, right. All we want to do for this last year is cheer John Cena, but.

[Megan Morant]

He'S not allowing us to. And it is in moments like the pipe bomb, it's in moments like when he stops Seth from being able to cash in that we go, oh, there it is again.

[Sam Roberts]

There it is. He's in there.

[Megan Morant]

There it is. But it is ironic. It's like Cena wants to ruin wrestling. Seth claims to be the future of the industry, wants to save wrestling industry. And we cheered for ruining wrestling.

[Sam Roberts]

Wow. Here's the thing. Seth Rollins, you know, a lot of, like, evil dictators throughout history.

[Megan Morant]

He thinks he's saving wrestling, but he's not, right?

[Sam Roberts]

Dictators throughout history, they go, well, no, I need to be in charge so I can save this country. But they're saving it in their own image. Seth wants to believes the future of wrestling is the future that he's crafted in his own image. There are people like Penta and Sami Zayn and CM Punk and apparently John Cena that go, no. And I think for John Cena, too, it's like, I don't care about the future of wrestling, except it's not now. Like, pull this nonsense in January, okay, When I'm done. When I'm done. Because now this is mine. And I had said, I truly think Seth Rollins is going to go after the WWE Undisputed Championship with this briefcase. I had said that before that you're on the record. So I wasn't. Especially with CM Punk going after it, I wasn't totally surprised. But also the idea that Seth thought that, like, John Cena would just be like, yeah, go ahead and take out Punk is like, ridiculous. So then after John Cena thinks he's got Seth Rollins taken care of, and we feel that rush come up to our chest, the joy that we have for Cena. And he goes to shake CM Punk's hand.

[Megan Morant]

Well, and then it's almost, oh, no.

[Sam Roberts]

CM Punk goes to shake his hand.

[Megan Morant]

It's almost like this resetting moment in the ring. It's like, okay, now it's back.

[Sam Roberts]

Everything's cleared out.

[Megan Morant]

Everything's cleared out. Now we have Punk, we have Cena.

[Sam Roberts]

The best in the world versus the.

[Megan Morant]

Greatest of all time, the history. It's been 12 years. They're six and six. Right, right. And I'm still sort of wondering, how the heck does this thing end?

[Sam Roberts]

Right. Are we just gonna. Because, by the way, I feel like a jey USO entrance. Let's run this thing back. Let's start from the very beginning. That's fine with me.

[Megan Morant]

Well, and it was like you mentioned it earlier, right here on this show, it's like we didn't know what we were going to get. And the moment they make their entrances, what is this going to look like? We have a great show. We have Pentile, we have Sammy out, we have Seth out there. And now we're back to the beginning, and I'm still wondering, where do we go?

[Sam Roberts]

Right? And we see CM Punk go for the handshake. John Cena is thinking about it, and then he returns the handshake. And I'm sitting there going, in any other circumstance, you can't trust John Cena. Yeah, but he didn't hit Punk with the belt. He took out Seth Rollins. I'm going, is this the moment? Right? Because we're all waiting for that moment. Is this the moment that we've been waiting for? And they embrace. CM Punk and John Cena hug. And then instead of John Cena's not looking at the Rock. John Cena's looking at us. He's looking at us the way he looked at the Rock. And that stone cold Marine face is back from chin to forehead on John Cena. And you go, oh, no, not again. Just when you think. And he. And he. And he backs away, he goes for the low blow. Punk catches him. Punk's a smart man because he's like, look, I'm ready to be cool, but I know you're not that cool. I think is what Punk's philosophy was like, if you want to be cool, we could be cool. But it seems like you're not that cool.

[Megan Morant]

Punk has him scouted. Punk knows he was ready for it.

[Sam Roberts]

He's been around the block. He was ready for it. He doesn't let it happen to him. But that's when Rollins comes back, takes out Punk with the briefcase, stomps Punk. Cena throws Rollins out of the way, goes for the COVID All of a sudden, this original referee, Charles Robinson, is still. I mean, I don't know. Hey, Dan Engler got up. He must have looked over at Charles Robinson going, what happened? I mean, can you imagine being unconscious throughout all of this? He's just like, there's Seth over there. Sami Zayn and Penta and Bron Breaker are somewhere in the Iowa.

[Megan Morant]

Paul Heyman's around.

[Sam Roberts]

Paul. What? Paul, I didn't even see you on the Flight. What happened? Well, anyway, let me jump in here. 1, 2, 3. Cena steals the pin, walks away one more time saying, you guys settle whatever it is that you guys want to settle. I'm leaving with this. And he wouldn't even let them cut the ple feed until he got the opportunity to raise that title over his head to let everybody know that regardless of what's happening in there with Punk and Seth and Bronson and Braun and Sammy and Penta and whoever else, and Dan Angler and Charles Robinson and Michael Cole and Wade Barrett, the international announce table, that got shattered. All that. Who cares? I still got the title.

[Megan Morant]

You guys have quite the mess to clean up over here. But what matters is that I am still the champion.

[Sam Roberts]

I'm the champion and I'm leaving with the title. Nothing will distract John Cena from this goal. And if there was anything that could distract him, it would have been everything that we saw to end Night of Champions.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. And we also learned at Night of Champions that Cena will be facing the winner of the King of. King of the Ring.

[Sam Roberts]

That's right.

[Megan Morant]

We didn't know heading into it.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, they hadn't said specifically, but I guess because Randy and Cody were both smackdown Superstars and John Cena, technically with the undisputed WWE Championship, that's the Smackdown title that we're sticking with the brands and that that match they announced would be for a shot at the undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam. Now, who knows? Do you think CM Punk has reason to say. I mean, look, Randy Orton could say it. Cody Roy, like, it doesn't feel like rematches are just getting handed out. When it comes to John Cena, do you think CM Punk has reason to believe that he should get one?

[Megan Morant]

Yes, I do. I mean, I don't think we're going to see it, but, I mean, you could certainly make the case, Right. He had the match one. We saw it. Dan Engler was out of the ring. He could have counted to 17.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, I mean, I mean, with the time he was out of the ring, he could account to 17 million. He was out there forever.

[Megan Morant]

Yes.

[Sam Roberts]

Just snoozing.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, with all of the interference with everybody who got involved. Yes, there's certainly a case. Do I think it's going to happen? No.

[Sam Roberts]

Dan Engler and Charles Robinson banned from ringside.

[Megan Morant]

That's gonna be the stipulation.

[Sam Roberts]

I would be. I would be. I got a good agent. I'd make sure that it happens.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, that has to be in writing. Otherwise. But now it's Like, Seth comes out there. He obviously, he wants a championship. He has the Money in the bank briefcase. He wants to control the industry. He wants to be at the center of the wwe, but he can't get the championship. So he says, I'm going to screw CM Punk. Is that what this is about? I mean, we.

[Sam Roberts]

No, no, no. Tonight we know the history. No, and don't let him. And don't let him say that either, because he would say that to be like, no, no, no, it's fine. What? I. That's what I wanted to happen. No way.

[Megan Morant]

I just wanted. I wasn't going to cash in.

[Sam Roberts]

Yes, he was. Yes, he was. I'm just checking this for me. Failed cash in.

[Megan Morant]

Fail.

[Sam Roberts]

Okay, not like fail cash in in the sense that, like, oh, you blew it, but fail cash in in the sense that you were gonna cash it in and now you're not.

[Megan Morant]

Because you think about the.

[Sam Roberts]

You still got the briefcase.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, but you think about the animosity between Punk and Seth Rollins. And like, Seth didn't even care about anything along the road to WrestleMania except making sure that CM Punk wasn't in the main event. Yeah, yeah, he didn't care about himself, but.

[Sam Roberts]

No, but I. He's. His goals are bigger now with this group.

[Megan Morant]

Okay.

[Sam Roberts]

His goals are. And they've made it clear. Paul Heyman made it clear that in a real way, that the champion is the top guy the champion had. There is a power, a corporate power that goes along with that title, and that's what Seth Rollins is after. Now, to your point, I think he wanted to pin CM Punk when he cashed in to make because he doesn't like CM Punk. I think that's why he was going after CM Punk. So you're not wrong. But I think his intention was to catch.

[Megan Morant]

But in the same Robert scorebook. This is a one for failed cash in.

[Sam Roberts]

Yes. Okay, yes. Not a briefcase losing fail cash in, but a fail cash in nonetheless. And it goes also to the point of, you know, they say you should work in silence. Let the results speak for themselves. I think Seth Rollins has been running around explaining exactly what he wants to do and why he wants to do it. And now everyone's on high alert.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, that's why you have Penta flying all the way to Riyadh. Yeah, he didn't have a match. Why else was he going to get.

[Sam Roberts]

On Sami Zayn skipping dinner? Yeah, because he knows. Everybody knows. So it'll be interesting to see if that costs Seth Rollins. As far as CM Punk. Punk Goes the road to Night of Champions was amazing. Seeing CM Punk come out on smackdown as the doctor of Punkinomics. And I do want to tell you. And this is. This is how you know a promo segment is successful. The entire CM Punk, Punk Life collection is available at WWE Shop. Did you know this? The entire. The. The entire Punk Life collection with the shirts and everything, it's all like 90s throwback.

[Megan Morant]

It's awesome.

[Sam Roberts]

It's all. If you want to be the doctor of Punkinomics, get over to WWE Shop. You can grab. Of course, I mean, they got Cena merch, too, but now you can get that whole collection from CM Pun. And I love a collection like that because it's not just like fun merch, but it's also like a piece of that moment. Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

Where were you when Exactly.

[Sam Roberts]

Exactly. And you can kind of celebrate it. They also have the. The new WWE Complex official collab. It's live on WWE Shop and Fanatics. Some of your favorite legends are represented there. Stone Cold Steve Austin, Eddie Guerrero, super cool T shirts put together by the folks at WWE and by the folks at Complex up now at WWE Shop and Fanatics. So you can get all that stuff right now if you go over there.

[Megan Morant]

Before we put a pin on CM Punk and John Cena.

[Sam Roberts]

John Cena put a pin on CM Punk.

[Megan Morant]

That's right. But before we put a pin on the main event of Night of Champions. This was a highly anticipated match since Cena announced that he's coming back to WWE and he's going on his retirement tour. Everybody was talking about, when are we going to get the Punk Cena match. Did it deliver for you?

[Sam Roberts]

For me, yes. Because I love story. I'm a story guy. I. I love the idea that, like, so what I don't necessarily love is too much of let's celebrate the past. I like the past being used to bring us forward. And the idea that this match was full of current story that is going to be paid off going forward. That's the type of stuff that I love. The fact that it was full of consequences to actions. You know that like, to me, when we see consequences to actions, it almost rewards me as a fan for watching and following the story.

[Megan Morant]

Because everything counts.

[Sam Roberts]

Because everything counts. So that. So, yeah, for me, it 100% delivered. And a match of this magnitude, the CM Punk John Cena match, it would attract this much energy. Now would I love to see another one? Yes.

[Megan Morant]

Who wouldn't?

[Sam Roberts]

But I. I not only do I think it delivered, I also love that on the way there we get the Pipe bomb, we got the punk life, you know, rap promo. So there's. So we have a package there.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. And you know, you bring up you don't like as much living in the past and you like things moving forward. As a relatively newer WWE fan, I love revisiting these iconic moments in WWE history.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan Morant]

Like the Pipe bomb, like the Punk nomics. I mean it's, I think throughout Cena's entire retirement tour, we've gotten the chance to look back on how he became this angry John Cena that we're seeing right now.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan Morant]

And I've enjoyed that while moving forward.

[Sam Roberts]

Into like, yeah, this has relevance today. Absolutely. With a five dollar meal deal with new MC value, you pick a McDouble, or a McChicken, then get a small fry, a small drink and a four piece McNuggets. That's a lot of McDonald's for not a lot of money. Prices of Participation may vary. McDouble meal $6 in some markets for a limited time only.

[Megan Morant]

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[Sam Roberts]

I think you're on mute. Workdays starting to sound the same. I think you're on mute. Find something that sounds better for your career on LinkedIn. With LinkedIn job collections, you can browse curated collections by relevant industries and benefits.

[Megan Morant]

Like Flexpto or hybrid workplaces so you can find the right job for you.

[Sam Roberts]

Get [e-mail] jobs finding where you fit.

[Megan Morant]

LinkedIn knows how.

[Sam Roberts]

Savor every last drop of summer with Starbucks. From bold refreshers to rich cold brews, the sunniest season only gets better. With a handcrafted ice beverage in your hand. Available for a limited time, your summer favorites are ready at Starbucks. Speaking of relevance today and moving forward, we have a king and queen of the ring. We had Jade Cargill and Asuka. And of course on Monday, Tuesday we we had Jade Cargill. On the Raw recap podcast, she was confident talking about this. Not only was she confident, but she did have that realization. If you go back and watch that interview, she talks like about getting goosebumps thinking about the sort of bigger picture of what this was when it comes to the full career story of Jade Cargill and going to SummerSlam and I. And I feel like we got that in her comments after the match, you know what I mean? When she was kind of being emotional and vulnerable in this moment, I felt as though this final match in the Queen of the Ring tournament was Jade's. I think it was her best singles match that she's had in wwe.

[Megan Morant]

I would agree with that.

[Sam Roberts]

And I think that that Asuka, first of all also, they both look like comic book characters come to life. You know what I mean? I mean, Jade Cargill literally looked like an action figure. Like a storm. Yes, like storm. You know what I mean? Like she just, it just looked like an Oscar too. Like both of them just not only in the way they look, but the way they carry themselves, the way they compete. There's a larger than life aspect to both of these people. And I would love to see more Jade Cargill Oscar matches, but I think Oscar was a great test. Not just in terms of you have to beat somebody good to be the Queen of the ring, but to say what does it look like when Jade Cargill has a one on one match with one of the top women that the WWE has ever had? And I think that that was really the value of this match tonight. And seeing Jade not only hang, but win this match effectively, execute the finish and then go forward, it's like, yeah, this is a Jade Cargill that is getting to the point where she should be in these big championship matches. And that's exactly what happens now at MetLife Stadium.

[Megan Morant]

And I mean evolutions right around the corner. We've been talking on this show a lot about the women's division and the depth of it. And I think when you have a match like Asuka and Jade Cargill, Asuka, a woman who's a Hall of Famer, she's going to be a Hall of Famer easily, no question about it. And then Jade Cargill, someone that all of us were wondering, you know, when is Jade Cargill going to come to wwe? When is she going to sign with wwe? We get that moment at the Royal Rumble and we're just waiting for Jade's.

[Sam Roberts]

Moment for Jade when she executes on the potential.

[Megan Morant]

Correct, right. And it felt like during the tournament we were trending towards this and it delivered tonight in a big way against Oscar. And I don't want to say it's like a passing of the torch moment because I don't think it is that. I don't think it's like Oscar's, you know, one of the. Oh, she is one of the OGs. But I don't think it's a moment like here.

[Sam Roberts]

She's not done.

[Megan Morant]

Exactly. She's not done. But I think for Jade to have her moment over somebody like Oscar.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

It just shows, Right. The depths of. Of the women's division.

[Sam Roberts]

Absolutely. And the fact that now you go forward, right. And if this was pressure, and like Jade Cargill said, she believes pressure makes diamonds. If this was pressure. Jade now goes to SummerSlam. And it's really interesting because a year ago, I would say, more or less, Tiffany Stratton was in this position where it's like, there's a lot of potential there.

[Megan Morant]

Mm.

[Sam Roberts]

Let's see what happens when she's on a bigger stage. All right, let's put her on a bigger stage. All right, let's put her on a bigger stage. And now here she is, the reigning defending WWE Women's World Champion beats Nia Jax in that insane street fight on smackdown. And now it looks as though that's going to be the match at SummerSlam, Right? Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

I would think, which you talk about depth in the women's division, all of a sudden, like a year ago, two years ago, you would have had. You got all these different names, and all these different names are still in wwe. All these, your Becky Lynch's, your Bailey's, your Alexa Blisses, your Charlottes, your Rhea Ripley's, your Bianca. Like, everybody is still there. But now look who's potentially going into SummerSlam for the women's world title. It's Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill, which talk about the depth, but also the growth and the acceleration of that growth in the women's division.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, Tiffany Stratton is someone who's been doing this for four years, right.

[Sam Roberts]

And Jade Cargill said, you know, on. On when we had her on Raw. Recap. Her first match was on tv. You know what I mean? So it's like. It's like you're seeing both of these women as, like, in these insane athletic specimens who have this connection with the audience, who immediately, they're those. These are the superstars that if you're flipping channels, you stop when you see him.

[Megan Morant]

It's undeniable.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, I even. You see Tiffany Stratton in the crowd watching the Queen of the Ring finals. She's a star.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

Yes. Now, look, what's Tiffany doing?

[Sam Roberts]

One of these women, though, who've been in WWE for longer than Jade or Tiffany, who may not love the idea that, okay, we're talking about the growth of the division and these new people that are going to be in this main event scene has a briefcase.

[Megan Morant]

That's Naomi. But Naomi, and I've said this before, is doing the best work of her career. And she blows me away because every time she has an opportunity, she levels up. Last night on smackdown, she comes out to issue a warning to everybody to proceed with caution. And I think it may have been one of the best promos she's ever cut.

[Sam Roberts]

She's amazing.

[Megan Morant]

Just leveling up. I love to see it. And, and that is really what's going to bring everybody up a notch.

[Sam Roberts]

And it of course instantly makes you go. And that's why I said presumably Tiffany versus Jade. Cause I think even more than Seth with the briefcase, the fact that Jade is the queen and Naomi has the briefcase, we're going. Naomi could cash in before SummerSlam to take us to Jade versus Naomi. She could cash in after SummerSlam. She could cash in at SummerSlam. It goes right back to. That's what, that's why the briefcase is so much fun for us. Because as we're sitting here wildly speculating, you can't talk about a title match without talking about that briefcase.

[Megan Morant]

And I mean, you think about Naomi with the briefcase, she has her issues with Jade. That happened a long time ago. And you talk about long form storytelling. Right. Bianca also, I mean, it's not like her and her and Jade were just wonderful at the end of it. It's not like her and Naomi have picked up and remained friends. So don't forget about that either.

[Sam Roberts]

And how about this for the big three this year?

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Bianca wins the elimination chamber. You've got Naomi winning money in the bank and you got Jade winning queen of the ring. Big three is not just a name. Wild, huh? That is absolutely wild. Then over on the men's side, the king of the ring. We actually, this is. Again, you talk about these matches that you're waiting to see. We got the match. Cody Rhodes versus Randy Orton. It completely delivered. Fans are going crazy for both Cody and Randy.

[Megan Morant]

I love Ran. I mean, I love Randy all the time. But there's something so special about when Randy Orton's music hits in front of an international crowd.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. And the fans know his, like, the words of his music better than he knows the words of his own music.

[Megan Morant]

Yes.

[Sam Roberts]

It's amazing.

[Megan Morant]

They just could shut the music off and the whole crowd can sing the song.

[Sam Roberts]

And then the minute you think they're like kind of done singing. As the verse starts to trail off, the chorus kicks back in and they all come back. It's great. It's great. But I thought it was a great match. We got RKO kickouts. We got crossroads kickouts. Do you think Randy Orton regrets hesitating on the punt? Cause he hesitated on the punt. He didn't not go for it. Cause he did end up going for it and he missed it. But he hesitated on the punt. And it was almost reminiscent of the Kevin Owens match where he decided not to take out Cody's leg. Randy didn't make the same decision. He said, you know what? I am going to go for the pump. But because he hesitated, it gave Cody enough time to move. You would imagine that match wouldn't have lasted a ton longer if he had connected with it. You think he's going to regret not punting Cody Rhodes head off his shoulders?

[Megan Morant]

I do. Especially after the way that Cody defeated Randy. I think Randy is going to have major regrets.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, yeah, there's not just that, but also it'll probably regret taking the turnbuckle pad off the turnbuckle.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. I mean, do you think Cody can be happy with the way he picked up this victory?

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, 100%.

[Megan Morant]

You think he's. He's okay with that?

[Sam Roberts]

Just a percent.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, Randy's his friend.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, yeah, but Randy's the one who exposed the buckle.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, but Randy is the Viper.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

And he doesn't try American Nightmare. Yeah, but Randy never doesn't try to be this angel good guy hero. Cody does. And then all of a sudden, he's thrown his best friend into the exposed turnbuckle.

[Sam Roberts]

The reason they were positioned there was because Randy was trying to put Cody into the buckle. You're saying Cody should be unhappy, should not have reversed the move.

[Megan Morant]

Well, I'm just saying. Hear me, hear me out here.

[Sam Roberts]

Okay?

[Megan Morant]

So Cody Rhodes, Right. Was too good of a guy.

[Sam Roberts]

Yes.

[Megan Morant]

To use the championship.

[Sam Roberts]

Correct.

[Megan Morant]

Against John Cena at WrestleMania, which by.

[Sam Roberts]

The way, cost him the championship.

[Megan Morant]

Exactly. But he was too good of a guy to do it now. This is John Cena. This is the man who's trying to ruin wrestling. This is the man who, six weeks before WrestleMania, he delivered a low blow to Cody standing over him with the Rock. And he's okay with, you know, backing out and not using the title on him, but when it comes to his friend, Randy Orton will just throw him into an exposed turnbuckle number one.

[Sam Roberts]

Even if this argument had any merit whatsoever, which it does not Even if it did, Cody maybe learned from the John Cena experience because he lost the title in that situation.

[Megan Morant]

So maybe he learned Randy's not trying to be any.

[Sam Roberts]

Secondly, Cody did not pick up the buckle and hit Randy with it. Cody reversed a move and sent Randy into the buckle that Randy himself exposed. So if there was a stationary object. That is part of the regular news to the point where Charles Robinson, who had no idea. If he was confused by this. Wait till I tell you what's happening three hours later, Chuck. But Charles Robinson. There was a minute. If you look at the replay, he looks at the buckle like, huh. He had no idea it was exposed. Cody reversing a move and Randy getting sent into the buckle that Randy exposed. I think it might be ironic. There's an irony to it, but has nothing to do with Cody Rhodes and then Cody hitting that crossroads after it.

[Megan Morant]

And you feel good about it? You feel good? You feel?

[Sam Roberts]

I feel. How do I feel?

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. How do you feel?

[Sam Roberts]

Fabulous. I feel great. Cody's getting a world title match.

[Megan Morant]

I am sad that Randy would do. I would. I'm sad that Cody would do something like that to his friend.

[Sam Roberts]

Do what?

[Megan Morant]

Throw his friend into an exposed turnbuckle?

[Sam Roberts]

What was he gonna do? Twist his body and move it into a buckle that wasn't exposed?

[Megan Morant]

He wouldn't use the title against bad guy, evil villain John Cena.

[Sam Roberts]

Because he didn't. No, no, because there's.

[Megan Morant]

Okay, all right, Sam, just keep telling me why Becky lynch is wrong. It's fine.

[Sam Roberts]

Becky lynch wasn't even there. What are you talking about? Becky Lynch?

[Megan Morant]

I think that it was. It was. It was tough to watch Cody do this to his friend. That's all.

[Sam Roberts]

What does this have to do, Becky?

[Megan Morant]

You mean Becky's right. Randy's right.

[Sam Roberts]

You know, I don't know what's going on with you.

[Megan Morant]

I don't know what's going on with you.

[Sam Roberts]

The buckle was there.

[Megan Morant]

You're just okay with Cody throwing his friend into the buckle?

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, I mean, it's part of the ring. I mean, that'd be like being like, oh, he threw him into the ropes. Like, this is what you do.

[Megan Morant]

But it was exposed.

[Sam Roberts]

Who exposed it?

[Megan Morant]

Randy.

[Sam Roberts]

What are we talking about?

[Megan Morant]

Because Randy, I mean, he's not, you know, Randy is the Viper, and he never tries to act like something. He's not hesitating.

[Sam Roberts]

Have to punt.

[Megan Morant]

Yes. Because Cody's his friend and Randy had.

[Sam Roberts]

Feelings, but then he was trying to.

[Megan Morant]

Punt him anyway because it didn't work. And he had to. He had to resort to what he had to do. He removes the COVID from the turnbuckle.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

And Cody uses it against him.

[Sam Roberts]

Your Honor, I'd like this stricken from the record. The attorney is talking nonsense.

[Megan Morant]

Well, I'm glad that you feel good about the way Cody won.

[Sam Roberts]

Feel great about the way Cody won. I'm glad he won the match in a completely fair way. 100%.

[Megan Morant]

Okay.

[Sam Roberts]

He didn't expose the turnbuckle.

[Megan Morant]

No, he didn't.

[Sam Roberts]

It wasn't a moment of desperate. It's not like he like had Randy and was like, let me think about this. Should I really send him into the buckle? Okay. It was just a normal, it was in within normal movement of the match.

[Megan Morant]

Well, I'm, I'm, I think differently of you knowing what you would do to your friends.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, luckily you don't have to worry.

[Megan Morant]

About that because we're not friends.

[Sam Roberts]

But he does. Randy, Randy was, he was feeling some type of way in the aisle way.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Cody thanked him. Randy didn't feel like he was in the mood for thanking. Maybe he was thinking like, you, how could you do that? Can you imagine if Randy, how could you do that to me? Cody be like, what are you talking about? You did that. Whatever. But Cody then said he's going to SummerSlam and he's going to get the ball back. QB1 captain Cody Rhodes going to SummerSlam to get the title back. Okay, based on how you view Cody Rhodes now, would you say John Cena's chances against him are lessened?

[Megan Morant]

Yes.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan Morant]

Because Cody showed us a side of him today. I think he learned that maybe he should have taken that title.

[Sam Roberts]

He's got to win these matches and.

[Megan Morant]

Used it against John Cena.

[Sam Roberts]

And it goes back to what I was saying about Seth Rollins, about maybe working in silence, that John Cena said, this is what you have to do and this is why you lost.

[Megan Morant]

Cody's like, okay, look, I get Cody needed the victory. Right? Like he even said it on smackdown. He said, randy, I know you need this win, but I need it just a little bit more. You're a 15 time world champion.

[Sam Roberts]

Cody's on a path to being a villain.

[Megan Morant]

I don't want to see it.

[Sam Roberts]

I didn't ask that.

[Megan Morant]

Could be.

[Sam Roberts]

Wow.

[Megan Morant]

Could be.

[Sam Roberts]

You might be a bad person after all.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, good guys don't throw their friends into turnbuckles that are exposed.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean contextually you're all over the map like, no, they shouldn't do that. But if they're in a wrestling match that might end up happening. Especially if their friend is the one who exposed it. You need to add context to some of these statements because technically I get where you're coming from, but also you didn't contextualize. They're in a match in which the buckle has been exposed by the other guy.

[Megan Morant]

I understand Cody Rhodes did what he had to do, but based on his actions before and him not using the title against John Cena at WrestleMania, I'm just going to say I raised an eyebrow when I saw what he did to Randy in order to pick up.

[Sam Roberts]

The victory people's eyebrow. Final Boss oh, well, listen, if you want to cherish these moments for whatever reason, you know, I think we presented multiple reasons why these were both great moments. These will the King and Queen of the Ring winners will be immortalized into Tops now trading cards. Of course, ahead of Night of Champions, TOPS put out this limited edition John Cena poster card. The Night of Champions poster card went out, by the way. You can still get that card until Sunday if you're watching this as soon as it comes out. Sunday, June 29, 12pm Eastern. The night of Champions poster card stays available until on Tops Now. Tops now will be immortalizing Knight of Champions King and Queen of the Ring winners. And the fans who order these base cards, they may also, of course, received the serial numbered parallels that we talk about. I mean, these are amazingly collectible cards that only exist for a very limited amount of time. Couple days, they print what is ordered and then these cards are gone forever. So if you want to get these moments and cherish them, then do stay tuned to this podcast, to the Raw recap podcast, because on the Tuesday edition or, you know, late Monday night, we're gonna be showing off all the Tops Now Night of Champions cards. Uh, the info, maybe we'll even have the images of the cards. Who's to say? But we very well might. And of course, stay locked in to @tops on social and sign up for notifications on tops.com to find out when all these cards are available, what cards are available, and how long they're going to be available for. I'll tell you two people who are not friends, Raquel Rodriguez and Ria Ripley. I see you rocking the Raquel Rodriguez Fanatics WWE Shop shirt there. Yeah, Mommy Cool this back on Big Mommy cool is insane. Yeah, her back Jack. It's jacked.

[Megan Morant]

And I think sometimes maybe it's because we haven't gotten to see Raquel. She was off our screens for a while, right? She's been back with the judgment Day. She's tagging with Liv Morgan. They're tag team champions. But I think sometimes we forget how much of a force she is.

[Sam Roberts]

I think that's fair. I think that, yeah, there's almost, I.

[Megan Morant]

Mean, I forgetting because her jacked back is on my T shirt that I'm wearing right now.

[Sam Roberts]

If I was wearing that shirt, I'd remember, too.

[Megan Morant]

But we were quickly reminded.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, very much so. And I think that too, in her relationship with Liv, I mean, she's, she's so caring of Liv Morgan historically, that you do almost forget how absolutely ruthless and why they call her Big Mommy Cool. Because Big Daddy Cool. Diesel was one of, I mean, the most powerful forces in the wwe, especially in the new generation. I mean, before it was the cane spot and the Royal Rumble that was eliminating everybody. It was the Diesel spot. Diesel was the one that would just go in there, eliminate everybody. In the Royal Rumble, the WWE was running on Diesel power. Now we got Raquel Rodriguez in there making examples of people, and I think you're 100% right. There was one moment in the, in the beginning of the match where she just, like, just destroyed Rhea Ripley with this clothesline. Just knocked her, tying her up, hitting her with the, with the kendo stick while she was tied up in the ropes. I, I, I love this, and I love to. I felt like Raquel then made Ria amp up her level of aggression, you know, ripping off the belt, hitting her with the studded end of that leather belt. And I mean, it was, it was, it was ruthless. It was one of those matches where you don't go, why was this a street fight? You go, yeah, that's exactly what this should have been.

[Megan Morant]

It totally makes sense. I loved the spot when the top of the announced desk was removed and then they did the table, and it just cracks.

[Sam Roberts]

That sound that it made that crack, it was really, really great. Interesting moment. Roxanne Perez comes out.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. And I mean, there's no disqualifications in a street fight. So you had to be thinking before Roxanne Perez's, we think in the judgment day. Is that official? Is she officially a member of or.

[Sam Roberts]

Unless she's just a friend of Finn Balor. Maybe she had. Maybe she's just a friend of the group.

[Megan Morant]

You're gonna say Dominic Mysterio.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, I don't know. I mean, they could be friends. Dominic's a real friendly guy.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. I think she's closer to Finn Balor at this current moment. I mean, who knows? Friendships can take a lot of twists and turns, but you had to think, you know, the Judgment Day always seems to have some tricks up their sleeves. But, yes, Raquel and Roxanne haven't exactly seen eye to eye on a lot.

[Sam Roberts]

Of things, but there was something on Raw where they were simpatico.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Raquel put her arm around Roxanne at one point. Like, it seemed like it was like, okay, they're on the same page. And I mean, yeah, this run in tonight, it didn't strike me as Raquel going, oh, I didn't expect that. Oh, what are you doing here?

[Megan Morant]

She wasn't surprised to see Roxanne.

[Sam Roberts]

Almost like it was planned.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

So, yeah. And I. I'd imagine Liv Morgan probably watching at home, probably has a couple questions, but. But who knows? I mean, it's important to have friends.

[Megan Morant]

Especially when you're going up against Rhea Ripley.

[Sam Roberts]

Now, it wasn't enough. Rhea Ripley still able to get the victory. And I thought not only did Raquel bring out that aggressive streak in Rio Ripley, it almost felt like in this match, like the. The beginning of it was Raquel going, I have to remind the world what a badass I am. And then the second half, or maybe even just the fourth quarter, was Rhea Ripley going, oh, geez, I can't lose this match. Like, I don't. Ria is an interesting one because she's so incredible and garners such a reaction from fans and has such a presence in the ring and is so good at what she does that if she's not at the top of the division, I don't know who she is. And I wonder if she knows who she is if she's not at the top of the division.

[Megan Morant]

It's been a while now since Ria's.

[Sam Roberts]

Held the title, and there was a. Yeah. I mean, yeah, there was a part. Yes. Since. Since I won.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. Before WrestleMania, there was a part of me that was wondering, you know, as I could see Roxanne Raquel winning this match, especially after Roxanne Perez jumped in. And then I start thinking, like, well, what is. What. What of Ria Ripley after that? Regardless of if there's interference, regardless. Like, how does. Psychologically. How does this even work? But the fact that Ria came back, won the match, I mean, that. That. That rip tide off the table that was perched on the top rope. Oh, I mean, just the. The sheer balance. I couldn't stand on that table that was perched on the rope, and Rhea Ripley was not only able to stand on it, but actually lift and flip somebody the size of Raquel Rodriguez while on the table and then send her crashing to the ground to get the W. You know, I, I, I think we talk about the fact that that Jade Cargill is going to SummerSlam to get a championship match. I've got to believe that the Women's World Championship on Raw has got to be what Rhea Ripley's looking at, right? It has to be.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. She was talking about it. I think it was on the Countdown show today. She referred to the title as her baby, and she'll do whatever it takes to get that title back. I mean, I think everybody in the women's division had to be watching that, especially Iyo sky, the world champion right now. And they had to be shaken in.

[Sam Roberts]

Their boots because it really did look like when she won that match, it was like, oh, yeah, it's time for her to be back at the top of this division.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. And I think Ria, there was a while where kind of on the road to WrestleMania, it felt like she was really fueled by her emotions. Right. Like, she just was so shocked that she had lost the title.

[Sam Roberts]

And coming off. So coming off of the live story, yes, it was pure emotion. And then she finally gets that monkey off her back. And now this Iyo story where she's like, her feelings are hurt that she's not the champion.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. It almost was like Iyo caught Rhea sleeping and all of us sleeping, too, because nobody expected Iyo to win the championship.

[Sam Roberts]

This. Who's the champion? This one right here. This one right here.

[Megan Morant]

Doing the Iyo sky point to our heads. Ah, but, yeah, Rhea, it's. It's time for mommy to get that title back.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. I can't wait to see it. We talked about Sami Zayn coming out in the main event and the confidence that he had. Go again. We finally saw something that a lot of fans have been waiting for. I would say, I don't know, since, I don't know, maybe like a podcast that came out around WrestleMania. I don't know what happened there, but Sam versus carrying cross. Carrying Cross back on a ple. The Carrying Cross entrance, it's the best. Scarlet with him.

[Megan Morant]

The black and white, the, the fallen prey.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, the whole thing. And then. And then Sami Zayn and the connection that he has with that audience in Riyadh, just such so great. Just watching that match get into the ring first and foremost, and then seeing Cross because, I mean, he worked hard to make this happen. Not just, like, in terms of garnering attention from fans on the Internet. And, and week after week, if you watch WWE main event, getting Attention from fans on main event. But even with Sami Zayn, like, working him and working him and working him until Sami Zayn reached a breaking point. And I think the point was, you know, for a match between carrying cross and Sami Zayn to exist. And that's a ple match. And that's what we got at Night of Champions. Carrying almost doing his own commentary throughout the match as the devil that, you know, try just beating Sami Zayn down. And. And as is the case with most carrying cross matches, he got the majority of the offense in. And just saying. Admit it, Sammy. Admit you're a liar. Admit you're a liar. Sammy, at the very end, after just receiving a beating, finding the one spot that he needed, getting that one heartbeat, that one burst of blood in his chest that he needed to give him just enough adrenaline to chase down carrying cross. And when Carrion was least expecting it, drop cross with that Halluva kick. Get the victory. Do you think that in this situation, Karrion Kross wanted to be right more than he wanted to win? I do, and I think that that's what happened.

[Megan Morant]

I think Karrion Kross has been so in on the mind games, they've almost distracted.

[Sam Roberts]

Right. It's like. Because the mind games now need to be set aside because the mind games led us to where they were supposed.

[Megan Morant]

To lead us, and now you have to win the match.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. Beat that guy down until he can't get up for three seconds.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

And I think that. Yeah. And, yeah, it'll be interesting to see where Karrion Kross goes after this.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. And, you know, for Sami and where he's at right now.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan Morant]

Version of Sami Zayn, he's so focused and zeroed in on becoming a world champion.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

It almost feels like these mind games are not going to impact Sami Zayn.

[Sam Roberts]

No, that's a good point, because he's locked in way.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, maybe Sami Zayn of a year and a half ago, two years ago, but this Sami Zayn mind games aren't getting in the way.

[Sam Roberts]

That's true. There have been times where the Sami Zayn character has been lost, and he's been vocal about trying to figure out who he is and where he's going. But that's not the case right now.

[Megan Morant]

No. He knows where he's fully focused, and he's focused on the world championship.

[Sam Roberts]

To the point.

[Megan Morant]

The world championship.

[Sam Roberts]

Right. To the point that should Seth Rollins effectively cash in that briefcase anytime soon, we all know exactly who's gonna be knocking on Seth's door.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, it's Sami Zayn.

[Sam Roberts]

He's right there, and he's almost waiting for it. And you wonder if that's part of what this is. Sami Zayn realizing that, yeah, I'm gonna zero in on Rollins because there's a good chance he's gonna be champion soon, and I want to get that from him.

[Megan Morant]

I am interested to see where Cross goes, though.

[Sam Roberts]

Very interested. Because you can't still play mind games with Sami Zayn. He beat you. There's a lot of people that you can mess with.

[Megan Morant]

He did play mind games with the new day, and. And. And they've completely changed their tune. Champions.

[Sam Roberts]

There's a whole, like, slew of stars that, if you really put the pieces together, were deeply affected by carrying Cross, whether they beat him or not. Coming off of the carrying Cross stories, they were. Those characters were all completely different.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

So we'll see if that continues. And then, of course, finally, finally, we.

[Megan Morant]

Had some disagreements on this show, Sam, but I think one thing that we can both agree on is that the match for the United States Championship between Solo Sokoa and Jacob Fatou was in.

[Sam Roberts]

This was a hit in this building. It was highly anticipated.

[Megan Morant]

Yes. I mean, I texted you yesterday. I mean, I would. I love this so much because I would run through a wall for Jacob Fatu. His music hits and, like, I want to do that shake thing that he does. Right? Like, he just gets me amped. Like, I stomp in my feet and I'm ready to run through a wall.

[Sam Roberts]

You want to dog walk someone's ass?

[Megan Morant]

Yes. Yes, I do. Yeah, I do know.

[Sam Roberts]

Yes.

[Megan Morant]

But then Solo makes me laugh so much.

[Sam Roberts]

Like, if Solo, like, made one of his jokes and then hit you on the shoulder, you'd be like, yeah, go with Solo. All gas, no brains up. You nailed himself.

[Megan Morant]

Facial expression, it's the best.

[Sam Roberts]

But then you talk about an aggressive streak. I feel like, especially in the beginning of this match, Solo went back into enforcer mode. Solo went back to that guy who put 16 spikes into John Cena's neck.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. And you brought it up. I mean, I kind of forgot how long it's been since I've seen Solo out of his velvet suit.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. But he's been sitting there because Solo hasn't donned those fight shorts in quite some time. He's been on smackdown in his velvet blazers doing a lot of this yip yapping. And you forgot that, like, Solo used to do no talking whatsoever, and all of his communication was done through action. But lately, it's Been not as much action at all. And mostly talking on smackdown. And so to see him, it's like you almost forget that. Like, you think because we see so much action from Jacob Fatu that Jacob's going to get in there and just.

[Megan Morant]

Run him over and dog walk his ass.

[Sam Roberts]

That's right. That's exactly what you think. But then you remember why Solo's in the position that he was in to begin with. Why Solo had such an important part of the bloodline. Why when Roman Reigns was in charge of the bloodline, there was a whole portion of us that were going like, no, Solo's the next guy.

[Megan Morant]

Even Roman Settle at one point.

[Sam Roberts]

That's exactly right. And when he said it, it wasn't like, you kidding me? Goofy Solo. Because Goofy Solo wasn't Goofy Solo. No, it was Dangerous Solo.

[Megan Morant]

Yes, I do like that. As we see Dangerous Solo, as we see Solo in the ring, more of that enforcer. He still had a couple moments of Goofy Solo.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, of course. And by the way, the minute he slips into Goofy Solo when he gets caught mocking Jacob Fatu when he puts his arms out and he's like mocking the Jacob Fatu, the Samoan shuffle, as it were, he got caught in a German suplex for his troubles. Jacob was like, no, I'm not here to play. I'm not here to play around. Of course, that's when first we get J.C. mateo come out. Solo takes Jacob, takes care of it. But then the infamous Tanga Loa, Tanga Loa makes his return. A hooded figure comes out, and Taga Loa got quite a reaction, I found, from the audience when they realized it was Tongaloa. The Internet loves Tongaloa. And also it is one of those guys that, like, we haven't seen Tangaloa in a very long time.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

And you almost wondered, like, will we see him again?

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. And I think you brought this up. Maybe it was on not Sam. It was. You know, at one point when we would see Solo in his office, he would have so many people behind him. Right.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

He had Tonga Loa. He had Toma Tonga. He had Jacob thought too. And now all of a sudden it's Solo and it's just J.C. mateo.

[Sam Roberts]

Yes, yes, exactly right. Going to battle and you almost go like. And. And. And to me, I. I think. I think that's why people were like, oh, I don't know about this Solo guy. Because there's a lot of people on the Internet who are, by the way, all of them are wrong. And if you're watching or listening to this right now, and you are like, oh, yeah, I don't know if Solo's. You're wrong. Solo's goated big time. But the fact that in one night, because you're right, you're watching the bloodline kind of disintegrate around him. You're watching Tamatonga and Tongaloa disappear, and.

[Megan Morant]

You'Re almost thinking, well, maybe the new bloodline just didn't work.

[Sam Roberts]

Right, exactly right. Exactly right. You're watching Jacob Fatou split off and you're like, jacob Fatu, that's the star.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. That's why he's the only one who survived. He's been bloodline that. That new bloodline dead.

[Sam Roberts]

Right. And then JC Mateo shows up and you're like, I guess I get right. But it's just Solo and JC that's not a faction, that's a tag team. But boom, out comes Tongaloa. And all of a sudden you start getting the feeling of, oh, oh, something's going on here. Referees down. This time it wasn't Charles Robinson. It was a rough night for referees.

[Megan Morant]

They're gonna have to have a closed door meeting.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

Like all of the referees, get them in a room.

[Sam Roberts]

Maybe they should wear helmets.

[Megan Morant]

You want the referees?

[Sam Roberts]

I think they should. I mean, look, if we lost three referees in one night. Yeah, I want them wearing helmets.

[Megan Morant]

Six matches, that's.

[Sam Roberts]

That's a lot of referees I want. Yeah, they should probably be wearing helmets. But then all of a sudden, Jacob goes for the pin. Referee is. He's taking care of Tongaloa. He's taking care of jc Solo's down, goes for the pin. He's going to get it. And look who it is. The third Tongan brother. The brother of Tama Tonga and Tongaloa, who wasn't announced by name, but we all know those of us that have been watching wrestling from around the world and wrestling from Japan, we've seen him before. And a lot of us wildly speculating upon when he may make his way into the wwe, when we may see him on WWE tv, What we saw him. Thing you didn't know about Tomato and Tongaloa is they have a seven foot brother.

[Megan Morant]

He's massive.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

And do you think Jacob Fatu at all sort of overlooked Solo because Solo is the one who brought Jacob to wwe.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan Morant]

Everybody knew about Jacob, but there was a lot of red flags and Jacob can't come to wwe. Solo's the one that got Jacob into wwe. Solo's the one that established this new bloodline. Solo's the one who has. It seems like a. A phone book of bloodline members can.

[Sam Roberts]

Call all the Tongans. Are you. This is what you're trying to say, Megan?

[Megan Morant]

Yes. I love you.

[Sam Roberts]

Is that what you're trying to say?

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, my God.

[Megan Morant]

Did he look past the fact that there's people out there? Solo can just make a phone call.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, maybe. And maybe we don't understand. Like, that's the thing about the bloodline is. Especially because, you know, these relationships that are really close friendships become family and extend the bloodline further, which you could say, well, that doesn't count. Wow. The whole bloodline. I mean, that's how the bloodline is built on the Anawai and Maivia family making an oath together. And thus the bloodline expands off of both those family trees. So within that bloodline, you know, sure. You know, the. The. The Tonga kid was the father of.

[Megan Morant]

Jacob Fatu, but the Tonga kid's not Tonga.

[Sam Roberts]

He's not Tonkin. He's Samoan. It's great. Good. To point out the Tonga kids partner in a tag team called the islanders was Haku. Haku's children are tama Tonga, Tongaloa, and their third brother.

[Megan Morant]

So Tonga kid, who's Samoan, partners with an actual Tongan.

[Sam Roberts]

Correct to form the islanders. And thus the bloodlines are connected now, because, you know, you don't. There are. I mean, there are people who are just put together as a tag team, and then there are groups that are like, no, no. Like, we. We are a team. And that's what the islanders was. So that's why they all fit in. But I thought the image was very, very strong. First of all, I don't think people thought solo Soko was going to beat Jacob Fatu.

[Megan Morant]

No, I don't think anybody did.

[Sam Roberts]

He's the United States champion. He beat Jacob Fatu. Okay. And he walks out with Jacob fatu alone in the ring. And all of a sudden, when we had put the bloodline past it, we said the bloodline. I saw some article come out. They said bloodline 2.0 was like NWO 2000. Oh, okay. And NWO 2000 was not pretty. Silver and black. Terrible.

[Megan Morant]

Do you think these people are reprinting to that tomorrow? Is that going to be hot off the press tomorrow? Bloodline 2.0 is back.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, yeah, yeah. No, I think they're going to have to issue a correction.

[Megan Morant]

They might.

[Sam Roberts]

Because now all of a sudden, you look at this thing and It's a bloodline 2.0. 2.0. Because you look in Solo went from, like you said, which I was pointing out, like, not having a lot of people around him at that table, to walking out and having loyalty around him, having tongaloa, the infamous around him, having JC Mateo around him, having the third of the Tonkin brothers around him. And as he's walking out with the United States Championship, he talks about how before he was giving. Before he was giving. Now he's taking. That's what he said. Now I'm here to take. And Jacob Fatu has found himself in a spot where it's like, I had the opportunity. He probably didn't realize Solo Sikoa had a plan. You know, he saw, okay, the bloodline, this new bloodline is falling apart. We've lost the Tongans. Solo is nuts. He lost the ula fala, and I'm kind of carrying all the weight here, and Solo is. Is disregarding me. I think he felt some kind of way when Solo brought in JC Mateo and said, who's this guy? We didn't.

[Megan Morant]

He's not my family, and I don't.

[Sam Roberts]

Trust him, and I don't know him. And you didn't come to me about this. And Solo was like, well, but Solo's.

[Megan Morant]

The one who's like, well, I'm calling the shots. I brought you in.

[Sam Roberts]

That's right. That's what. That's exactly right. And.

[Megan Morant]

And I'm in charge. I don't have to answer to you.

[Sam Roberts]

Right. And now here we are. We saw interaction between Jimmy USO and Jacob Fatu on smackdown, and you start going like, are we looking at another bloodline war?

[Megan Morant]

I hope so.

[Sam Roberts]

You do, right?

[Megan Morant]

I do.

[Sam Roberts]

Me too.

[Megan Morant]

I really do.

[Sam Roberts]

I'm not ready to let go.

[Megan Morant]

No, of course not.

[Sam Roberts]

And especially because, like everybody who says that Solo. Solo rules.

[Megan Morant]

He's the best. And the range of Solo Sikoa, unbelievable. The fact that he can have me laughing and then all of a sudden be like, oh, my gosh, this guy is a total badass. All within a span of 15 seconds. Is amazing.

[Sam Roberts]

He's a total badass. And also, he's. He's the brain behind all this.

[Megan Morant]

Yes.

[Sam Roberts]

And you believe it?

[Megan Morant]

Of course.

[Sam Roberts]

And he's the United States Champion. Well, look, I had a great time. Night of Champions. Super fun, great time. Breaking it down with you, Megan Morant. If you're not already, make sure you're subscribed to the recap WWE recap podcast, the Raw recap podcast feed, wherever you get your podcast, Audio, Apple, Spotify. I would do both if I were you. Just to make sure. Make sure that if you're watching on the WWE's YouTube channel, you're leaving comments. You're hitting like we appreciate all of it. We will be back right after Monday Night Raw to break it all down once again here on what is today the Night of Champions recap, which is a WWE and Fanatics original production.

[Megan Morant]

With.

[Sam Roberts]

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