Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant
Episode: Has John Cena Ruined Wrestling?: WrestleMania Recap
Date: April 21, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode provides a passionate, in-depth recap of WrestleMania Night 2 from Las Vegas—one of the most shocking and divisive WrestleManias in years. Hosts Sam Roberts and Megan Morant break down dramatic moments like John Cena’s 17th title win (ending Cody Rhodes’ reign), Dominik Mysterio’s Intercontinental Title victory, and the return of Becky Lynch. They interview newly crowned champions and candidly share their own conflicted emotional responses to the night’s biggest twists. The show is peppered with thoughtful wrestling analysis, raw reactions, and playful banter.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Emotional Fallout from the Main Event
- Sam and Megan describe feeling “bummed,” “empty,” and “dismayed” after John Cena’s shocking win over Cody Rhodes, which was both the end of Cody’s “Finish the Story” arc and the crowning of Cena as a 17-time World Champion—surpassing Ric Flair’s historic record.
- Quote [02:13; Megan]: “I feel empty.”
- Quote [02:14; Sam]: “Yeah. Listen, here’s the thing. We’re in an era where promises are kept. John Cena literally said to Cody Rhodes… ‘I’m going to ruin wrestling.’ And then he did it.”
2. Cena’s Heel Turn & Fan Dynamics
- The duo dissect Cena’s meta villainous run and how his predicted actions (“I’m going to ruin wrestling”) toyed with and subverted audience expectations. Las Vegas fans’ reactions were complex and unpredictable, with cheers, boos, and uneasiness.
- Quote [05:27; Sam]: “He called his shot. He said, ‘I’m gonna ruin wrestling.’ And... the crowd, I don’t know if they were having fun. There was noise, but I don’t know if anyone got what they wanted.”
- Cena forgoes theatrics (no entrance, no usual gear swap), single-mindedly carries out his promise to be the “villain” and detonate the fans’ WrestleMania celebration.
- Quote [07:38; Sam]: “I’m not giving it to you. He just comes out—no entrance. We don’t even get the John Cena entrance. He said, ‘I’m going to ruin wrestling and I’m going to win this title and take it with me when I leave.’”
- Quote [16:56; Sam]: “We didn’t get it. Why? Because John Cena’s here.”
3. Cody Rhodes’ New Chapter
- Reflecting on Cody’s journey and “hero’s moment” at the previous WrestleMania, Sam and Megan express sympathy and anticipation for what the next phase holds post-title loss.
- Quote [03:52; Sam]: “We saw two major moments. John Cena beating Ric Flair’s record… and Cody’s Finish the Story reign is now over. This is… an entirely new version of Cody Rhodes.”
4. Interview: Dominik Mysterio – New Intercontinental Champion
[18:58 - 34:07]
- Dominik Mysterio gives his first interview as Intercontinental Champion, declaring himself “the greatest living Mysterio of all time” within minutes of the win, reveling in his improbable ascent, swatting away doubts, and playfully sparring with the hosts over the details of his win.
- Great quote [19:29; Dominik]: “Some of the best have held this title, but I’m the best that’s ever held this title. I am the greatest living Mysterio of all time. I am the best Intercontinental Champion ever. And I’ve already—it’s been five minutes and I’m already the greatest ever.”
- He shares the story behind his “mask incident,” jokes about being too handsome to wear a mask, and revels in support from George Kittle.
- Hints at tension (or future stories) with Finn Bálor and Judgment Day, deflects questions about defending the title, and basks in finally stepping out from family shadows.
- Quote [26:56; Dominik]: “Now, no matter what I am, your boy’s a champion. That’s what matters. And honestly, it just felt right.”
- Quote [31:55; Sam]: “Looking at Dirty Dominik Mysterio with the Intercontinental Championship—I can’t picture what it looked like without the championship.”
- Sam and Megan celebrate this as a top moment in WWE history, with Sam reminiscing about Dominik’s infamous “you’ll never make it in jail” promo as his personal #1.
5. Becky Lynch Returns – New Women’s Tag Champs Interview
[44:57 - 49:38]
- As a surprise partner for Lyra Valkyria, Becky returns as “The Man,” helping Lyra become a double champion (Women’s Intercontinental & Tag Team).
- Quote [45:36; Becky Lynch]: “The man has come around to Vegas… Lyra asked and I, I stepped up, and here I am.”
- Becky praises Lyra as her “biggest hope for the future,” and Lyra glows over achieving “a massive life goal.”
- Quote [46:14; Becky Lynch]: “This girl is the one that’s gonna take us from where we already are—which is heights we could have never imagined… And this is the girl to take us beyond that.”
- Megan shares her own deep fandom for Becky: “I so badly have wanted Becky Lynch to return to my life, and today we got that moment, and it was incredible.” [41:18]
6. Randy Orton vs. Joe Hendry – TNA Crossover Surreal Moment
[59:12 - 62:51]
- Surprise: TNA World Champion Joe Hendry appears as Orton’s mystery opponent, creating an unprecedented, cross-promotional WrestleMania moment.
- Hendry is quickly dispatched with a trademark RKO, but Sam and Megan celebrate that he got a “WrestleMania moment” nonetheless, and fans sang his theme in unison.
- Quote [61:18; Megan]: “It was great because you hear his music, you say his name, he appears. It’s an unbelievable entrance… and as Joe Hendry is making his way to the ring, we all realize we are going to get treated to such a beautiful RKO, and it delivered.”
7. Women’s Triple Threat Delivers – Iyo SKY Steals the Show
[63:26 - 67:19]
- Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair vs. Iyo SKY gets universal acclaim; Sam calls it “an all-timer.”
- Quote [63:43; Megan]: “Is it an overstatement to say this is one of the greatest women’s matches we’ve ever seen?”
- Iyo SKY overcomes the odds, solidifies her champion status, and finally gets her signature WrestleMania win.
- Discussion on how this cements her reign (“no longer overlooked”), and the technical brilliance of the finish.
8. Raw Emotions & Reflections on the State of Wrestling
- The hosts repeatedly reference how destabilizing, even upsetting, the weekend’s events were for them as lifelong fans.
- They analyze the tension between nostalgia, history-making, and the desire for satisfying story arcs—especially around Cena’s actions.
- Sam expresses excitement for the “unpredictability” of wrestling when it really delivers the unexpected—even when it’s uncomfortable.
9. Other Notable Segments
- Drew McIntyre’s “Bored at Work” Gimmick: Drew defeats Damian Priest in a street fight and continues his trolling, tweeting a selfie mid-match, “bored at work.”
- AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul & Karrion Kross Rants: Karrion Kross bursts onto the show, shockingly venting about his absence from the card, “viral moments,” and the loss of organic fan support.
- Quote [73:39; Kross]: “Let’s talk about how awesome it is that Logan Paul just won. Let’s talk about what Logan Paul represents: the shortcut. … Sometimes to do the right thing, you have to do the wrong thing. But [AJ’s] a narcissist and he had to do it his way.”
- Travis Scott & WWE Collaboration: New merch and Topps trading cards (including a live card break on-air) are hyped as physical mementos of the night’s chaos.
- WrestleMania Patch Cards: Discussion of new one-of-one trading cards that contain actual ring-worn patches from WWE superstars’ WrestleMania gear.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Sam Roberts, on Cena’s win [05:27]: “He called his shot…he said, ‘I’m going to ruin wrestling.’…And then he does it. I found myself going, 'If you listen to what’s being said,' for God’s sake, Cody…”
- Megan Morant [10:39]: “Cena told us that he’s going to ruin wrestling. Did you know that this is what ruining wrestling would look and feel like?”
- Dominik Mysterio, on his doubters [23:22]: “Felt pretty good, my man... The doubters were saying, oh, Dirty Dom ain’t about this… I did it.”
- Becky Lynch, to Lyra [46:14]: “You are my biggest hope for the future… if she’s gonna ask me for a favor, well, then I’m gonna step by her side.”
- Karrion Kross, on being left out [74:08]: “It’s all about viral moments now… All I asked Alan [AJ Styles] to do was for once to not think about just himself, think about everybody in the back… Sometimes to do the right thing, you have to do the wrong thing.”
- Randy Orton vs. Joe Hendry [61:18; Megan]: “We all realize we are going to get treated to such a beautiful RKO, and it delivered.”
- Sam on Drew McIntyre’s trolling [84:28]: “He took a selfie with Damian Priest in the selfie, still bored at work, passed the phone off to his friend and continued on with the match. I mean, this guy is amazing.”
Important Timestamps
- 00:23 — Recap opens, initial reactions to WrestleMania Night 2
- 02:14 — Debate on the emotional aftermath of Cena’s heel win
- 04:46 — Analysis of Cody Rhodes’ journey and loss
- 07:35–10:53 — Dissection of John Cena’s heel turn and crowd response
- 18:58–34:07 — Dominik Mysterio’s champion interview (funny, boastful, heartfelt)
- 41:18–44:56 — Becky Lynch’s return, Megan’s fangirling, context setup
- 44:57–49:38 — Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria (dual champs) interview
- 59:12–62:51 — Joe Hendry crosses over as TNA Champ vs. Orton, gets RKO’d
- 63:26–67:19 — Recap of Women’s Triple Threat, Iyo SKY’s “arrival”
- 73:20–77:00 — Karrion Kross’ unscripted, unsanctioned promo on the podcast
- 83:01–84:59 — Drew McIntyre’s street fight win and legendary Twitter antics
Episode Tone & Atmosphere
- Raw, Conflicted, and Candid: Sam and Megan aren’t shy about their disappointment, shock, or delight. They bounce from analytical to emotional, blending sharp breakdowns with wry humor.
- Playful & Banter-Heavy: Even during heavy topics, the co-hosts spar affectionately—usually over wrestling trivia, fan reactions, or their own “cursed” predictions.
- Behind-the-Scenes Feel: Frequent references to “backstage” interviews, live post-match reactions, and unscripted (even borderline unsanctioned) moments add freshness and authenticity.
Final Thoughts
This episode stands out for its authentic, unfiltered approach to a WrestleMania that truly upset the status quo. Whether dissecting the seismic implications of John Cena’s heel turn, celebrating Dominik Mysterio’s unlikely ascent, or rejoicing in the return of Becky Lynch, Sam and Megan capture the chaos, unpredictability, and emotional stakes that keep fans coming back to WWE—even when they don’t get what they want.
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