In short
Podcast Notes - What's Your Story? with Steph McMahon
Episode Title
Raw Recap - John Cena and AJ Styles deliver ANOTHER instant classic: Crown Jewel Recap, Oct. 11, 2025
Episode Description In this episode, hosts Sam Roberts and Megan Morant recap the Crown Jewel event, highlighting key matches and moments, including John Cena's emotional match against AJ Styles, performances from Bronson Reed and Rhea Ripley, and a recap of Seth Rollins' title match.
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Key Discussions
John Cena vs. AJ Styles Match Recap
- Emotional Impact: Sam and Megan discuss the nostalgia associated with watching John Cena and AJ Styles, both icons in wrestling. Their match in Perth, Australia, reminded fans of the emotional and memorable moments shared in WWE.
- Tributes: The match featured numerous tributes to past wrestling legends and styles, including AJ Styles sporting TNA gear and Cena incorporating moves from various wrestlers such as a Skull Crushing Finale and Sister Abigail.
- Career Reflection: Both wrestlers are nearing retirement; Cena at the end of 2025 and AJ in 2026, emphasizing the importance of this match as a celebration of their careers.
Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes
- Match Overview: A must-win situation for Seth Rollins, highlighting his pressure to maintain his position as a top star in WWE.
- Storytelling Elements: The match featured callbacks to their past encounters, with Rollins using a Rolex gifted by Rhodes to score a victory, symbolizing the complex relationship and competitive narrative between the two.
- Character Dynamics: Discussion around how Rollins' character evolution impacts his relationships within the WWE universe, particularly with Paul Heyman and Braun Breaker.
Bronson Reed vs. Roman Reigns
- Match Dynamics: A significant moment in Bronson Reed's career, as he defeated Roman Reigns in front of a home crowd in Australia, marking a pivotal shift in his career trajectory.
- Bloodline Tensions: The fallout from the match further complicates the dynamics within the Bloodline, particularly between Jey and Jimmy Uso as well as Roman Reigns' evolving character.
Women's Tag Team Match
Asuka & Kairi Sane vs. Rhea Ripley & Io Sky
- Match Highlights: The tag match showcased athleticism and storytelling, with Io Sky pinning Kairi Sane, symbolizing her growth and independence as a competitor.
- Character Development: Rhea Ripley continues to be a standout star in the women's division, while Io Sky's victory underscores her emergence as a top competitor.
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Key Takeaways
- Crown Jewel Significance: The event was a celebration of wrestling history, featuring emotional farewells and tributes to legendary careers.
- Evolving Storylines: Each match not only serves as a competition but also as a narrative device to deepen character arcs and relationships within WWE.
- Emergence of New Stars: Wrestlers like Bronson Reed and Io Sky are positioned to take on larger roles in the future, reflecting a shift in WWE’s storytelling direction.
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Closing Remarks Sam and Megan express excitement for the future of WWE as new storylines unfold and as they prepare for upcoming matches and events, particularly looking forward to the next episode of "Raw Recap". They encourage listeners to subscribe and engage with the podcast for more insights and discussions.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00As promised AJ Styles and John Cena deliver an absolute classic Stephanie Vaquer walks home with the crown jewel championship Seth Rollins once again controls his vision and so much more this is the WWE crown jewel recap of WWE and Fanatics original production.
0:28Oh, Megan, Megan, Megan, Megan, we meet again of all places here, of all times now. Crown Jewel. A little dusty in the Roberts house this morning, huh? Well, you know, I, you know, maybe a little bit, maybe a little bit. Crown Jewel. What? What a day, what a morning. I don't know. So many feelings. I don't know if I'm ready to. It's not even noon yet. To start my morning like this. And I feel like I've lived a whole lifetime of emotions. Yeah. Yeah. That really does happen. And that is the thing now with these, some of these John Cena matches. I feel like I'm, I'm going through a trip down memory lane that I wasn't ready to take.
1:04You know what I mean? I was there for that. No, no. I'm, it's pollen. It's pollen. Sam only cried a little. Yeah. And that's really private anyway. Well, I mean, if you are a wrestling fan and you grew up watching John Cena and AJ Styles, how could this match not make you feel that way? I mean, it's got it is that sort of sometimes, you know, there are certain wrestling matches that like they justify why you have these feelings. You know, you grow up as a wrestling fan and then you be you enter adulthood and you're still just as big a wrestling fan as you ever were. but you encounter people, numbskulls as I call them, that will say like, oh, this is so silly.
1:49How can you care this much about something like pro wrestling? How can you care? And then all of a sudden, John Cena and AJ Styles walk into Perth, Australia, and they say, this is why. This is why you care. This is why we care. This is why we do what we do. This is why we sat there, and when Triple H sent out that tweet and got his Triple H thumbs going and made the graphic, opened his Triple H Photoshop and made the graphic himself for John Cena and AJ Styles. This is why we got so excited. To me, this is what we envisioned the entire John Cena retirement tour to be about. Matches like this and this match in particular.
2:29I mean, you saw my reaction. I might have gotten a little welled up from the entrance. The minute I look at AJ Styles and said, oh my gosh, he's in the TNA gear. And it meant even more because we talked to AJ Styles on the Crown Jewel preview show. Yeah. And he was so honest with us in the fact that he didn't think this match was going to happen. Originally. Originally. When the year started. Yeah. He said, I don't know what my place would be because apparently they don't see me as this caliber of a wrestler. But I think, and I think that there was a lot here that was designed to remind everybody that may have forgotten.
3:05But maybe also to remind himself who he was. Maybe AJ needed to look in the mirror and see the TNA gear, see that necklace on again, see the trunks on again that he wore and be reminded. And maybe he needed that, too. Maybe he needed the reminder that John Cena gave him by having Alicia Taylor read that entrance, that introduction. I mean, that was emotional, right? The fact that it's handwritten. He gives the note to Alicia. And you could tell that AJ didn't know what Alicia was going to say. No. And as soon as she began her announcement, the smirk on AJ's face, it seemed like he was getting slightly welled up as well.
3:48Well, because I think it was a smirk, right? Because when she said, you know, the definition of total nonstop action, you go, oh, TNA reference. And AJ goes, that's cool. A TNA reference on a WWE PLE. That's cool. I mean, it's a little bit more fitting now because of the partnership that NXT and TNA have. But that's cool. and then when she said what was it the I don't want to I don't even want to paraphrase this one I wrote it down because to me I thought it was very meaningful as well the undisputed what was it the ace and undisputed boss of the bullet club and that's when AJ went okay you got me wow yeah you could see it like mouth the word wow like this is not about a rematch from whatever it was 2017 this is about two people and Michael Cole, like this is, this is not internet talk.
4:38This is not AJ on a podcast with us saying, you know, I'm thinking about wrapping it up soon. Michael Cole was very clear on commentary. Like, yeah, this is John Cena's last year, but next year, AJ's gone too. AJ's last year is going to be 2026. And that doesn't mean he's going to get a John Cena, you know, retirement run in December. It just means that by the end of next year, both the men that we saw in the ring tonight are done wrestling. and there was this sort of like moment where you were like huh and of course when you see it on paper right when somebody tells you AJ and John are both going to be done John at the end of this year and AJ by the time you know the ball drops and 2027 comes in AJ will have been retired as well on paper you go oh that's tough to process but then when you see this match and you watch them kind of almost play through their careers and how much that's meant to fans like you realize how many John Cena matches I've watched how many AJ Styles matches that I've watched throughout the entire world not just in WWE and it all reaches this pinnacle at crown jewel and you're like yeah this is this is what makes wrestling special I thought it was unbelievably cool that you look at that crowd in Perth, Australia, and this was from the beginning of the show, and you see all of the yellow shirts, and you realize those are all John Cena shirts.
6:05Nobody else has a yellow shirt. They all came for this match for John Cena. They're all wearing the John Cena t-shirt, but then AJ's introduction, AJ's entrance, everybody's clapping along for AJ as well, right? I mean, this was just beyond special. It was almost, I mean, there was something romantic about John Cena and AJ Styles and the match they put together. On paper, it's romantic, but all the tributes that they made throughout as well added another level to it. And I think too, like the fact that they were all yellow shirts, it's not like everybody was pulling out their old John Cena shirts.
6:37Those were all shirts that they bought like at the Superstore that weekend or at the merch booth. Like that is celebrating this moment that everybody was here for. And you're right, you heard it when AJ came out and you really heard it when John came out and he made stew. He took the camera from stew. He said, I'm going to shoot this one. And you forget. Oh, that's what makes John Cena the goat. He really can do it all. But I mean, like all of the tribute, was there one tribute that stopped you in your tracks? Because it really was. We started seeing these tributes probably after SummerSlam. I don't remember that there were any tributes at SummerSlam.
7:20But really, you know, ironically, Was it Paris? I think Paris was really when we started noticing some of the tributes. Yeah, well, ironically, like the first time people went, oh, I see what's going on here is when John Cena put Logan Paul in the Styles Clash. In the Logan Paul match, yeah. And here we are with AJ Styles. Like, it was the AJ Styles move that kind of made us all go, oh, wait, this isn't just a coincidence. He's doing a thing. There's a thing going on here. For me, out of all the tributes, the one that really stopped me, I was like, oh, he's tuning up the band. oh AJ getting ready for the super kick which was especially teasing because it's like AJ Styles vs Shawn Michaels might be the one match that we'll never get to see that we all like that like for most fans it doesn't take us long to be like what's the one match you'd love to see I don't know Austin Punk AJ vs Shawn Michaels like those are that's that short list of matches well it takes you a minute he starts to do it and you go is he Is he?
8:19Yeah. Oh, he's tuning out the band? Yes! We got teased for a moment when, like, the fans in Perth thought it was request a move night. And they started chanting 619. 619. And for a second, I mean, you heard Michael Cole, Wade Barrett on commentary going like, I don't think that's physically possible. And then all of a sudden, AJ is prone and you're like, wait a second! Wait a second! You know you can hear it in Michael Cole's voice when he becomes a kid as well. Because he's seen everything. He's been around forever. And like when he becomes a kid as well, you know, you're on to something. Well, all of the tributes started to add up and it's like, why wouldn't we get a 619 in this moment?
8:56Right, right. Because, yeah, because we're not living in reality anymore. No. Right. They're giving us everything else. It's a cartoon come to life. Like we're just seeing it. You know, I think Cena hitting that skull crushing finale, especially with everything we've heard from The Miz in the last week or two. AJ not only hitting sweet chin music but the scorpion death drop because this is like AJ going like okay well I can tribute my people too and the coquina clutch and these are tributes that go back to TNA and like really I love AJ taking ownership of his legacy as well which he's in a very very unique position because his legacy extends outside of WWE.
9:43And I think that that was absolutely on display. I mean, we saw an accolade, you know, shout out to Rusev. We saw the walls of Jericho of whole moves. People were like, wait a minute. When he was like, when they were like, wait, he's not sitting down. If he's not sitting down and he's keeping AJ kind of arched up like that and tilting him all the way back. And Michael Cole's going, that's not a Boston Crab. That's not a Boston Crab. And I was like, I know it's not a Boston crab. That's the walls of Jericho. It can only be one thing. We got to see an RKO. Well, we got to see the Randy DDT. Yes.
10:19Right? And then you go, is that what I thought it was? Was that a Randy DDT? And then when Cena starts, like, he gets down in that Viper position. You're like, it was a Randy DDT. But, you know, I think the one that got everybody for sure was the Sister Abigail. How special. all the fireflies coming out immediately and immediately like everybody knowing right away yeah because i mean the bray wyatt john cena connection runs deep you go to wrestlemania 30 and the build-up to wrestlemania 30 was what really kind of showed the world oh bray is a main event guy and then you go all the way up to wrestlemania was the pandemic wrestlemania so i guess it was wrestlemania 36 and the firefly funhouse and honestly like even though it was a uh i guess theatrical match or cinematic match is what they call it even though it was a cinematic match it would have been a fitting match if that was the end of cena you know they're they're they're so interconnected in that way um but cena not only hitting a choke slam but ending the match with a tombstone into an AA was like, okay.
11:31Because that's another one that we're not going to get to see. We know that the Undertaker-John Cena connection literally starts night one of John Cena on SmackDown. So I'm sure that that's another one that John would have loved to have been like one more with the Undertaker, but it's not going to happen. So tip of the cap. While we're not going to get the match, it's also a nod to his career, right? It's a nod to night one on SmackDown-John Cena. and everybody can pull from that, right? So it's like, we're not going to see all the matches we want to see, but having these moments and having these tributes makes the retirement tour that much more special.
12:05And I think that you're 100 % right that it isn't about the opponents. It's about the story. It's about how all of these moves are that kind of story of John Cena and they all are what makes John Cena, John Cena and AJ splashing in a little of what makes AJ, AJ, I thought was awesome. I was happy to see John Cena win I don't think that the loss Leaves anybody questioning Where AJ's Standing is at all You know what I mean I don't think that that affects anything But I do think That coming off of Because the Brock Lesnar loss that John Cena took Was not only just A wrestler getting decimated But it was fans being like Come on The wind got taken out of everybody.
12:54Well, we've only got five left after this. There was six at that point. And this is one of the six. It felt like it just started to get really good at SummerSlam. And then the Brock Lesnar match happens and it's, oh. Yeah. Because in actuality, like this is what we want from this John Cena retirement tour. It's like just some time to celebrate somebody that maybe it took us a while. A lot of us were booing John Cena in those great years. Yeah. You know what I mean? But we've all kind of realized that he is the GOAT. And so we all want this opportunity to celebrate John Cena. And we're getting it now.
13:31And now I sit here and think about other moments, moves, things that John Cena can do. And as I'm watching this match, I go, you know, at some point, a rock bottom is going to hit real hard. Like that's all. A rock bottom at some point is going to hit real, real hard. And we haven't seen that yet. Nope. nope but rock and cena you know that wrestlemania 28 and 29 series i technically 27 28 29 it's very important for john cena is gonna go absolutely insane especially if it's just the right moment with just the right amount of theatricality to it you know what i mean like like presenting this as don't get me wrong all of the tributes are special amazing their own way but the rock bottom you got to save that one i know and who knows who knows when it'll uh i think a rock bottom and a broski boot those are the two things i'm waiting for who knows who knows when we're gonna get it but now yeah and now we look forward and we've got what two monday night raws i think survivor series and saturday night's main event and that's what we've got for john cena for the rest of the year and now i mean i think it's open a whole new can of worms with aj styles where it's like, if we're really saying that we've got a year or less with AJ, like, how does that look?
14:53Especially as we're going into 2026. Yeah. How does that look? And I think that now that it's in the zeitgeist, now that it's been said out loud, I think, especially coming off of this match, it's definitely something that you've got to address and kind of celebrate. And for some of the young guys in the locker room, I think of like, you know, a Bron Breaker. And it's like, if you could have a match with AJ Styles. Right. In his last year. I would say it about Dominic Mysterio, but he already beat him twice. Oh. You know what we were talking about? You really know how to bring the mood down. We're here to celebrate AJ Styles.
15:27We were talking about. He did beat him twice. We were talking about those t-shirts. The John Cena yellow t-shirts. Of course, they were everywhere. I feel like these John Cena farewell t-shirts, especially for moments like this, are becoming more than just merch. They're becoming a piece of history. He continued it this weekend at Crown Jewel, the farewell tour. And to celebrate, you can check out his brand new Perth collection. If you want to be like the people of Perth, get in on that yellow John Cena t-shirt. Hit up Fanatics and WWE Shop right now. It's got the t-shirt, the hat, the sweatbands, towels, everything you need.
16:05You can grab it all at WWE Shop and Fanatics. And of course, we're going to talk about Rhea Ripley in a few minutes, but Australia's own Rhea Ripley has teamed up with Terrifier, Art the Clown, the whole deal for an official collab and that's all also now live at WWE Shop and Fanatics, so you can celebrate Rhea Ripley, her connection with Art the Clown and Terrifier. Rhea Ripley would be a great horror villain. Yes. You know? Yes. Because she's the type that could lure you in and then it's, I love horror movies like that, when they lure you in and then you realize that it's already too late before they've done a thing you're like oh my god it's already too late i'm already done and i think ria's got that kind of power you could lure us all in i would do whatever ria tells me to do and then you realize well that's it for you you screwed up a lot of people were walking into crown jewel wondering if seth rollins had screwed up not me i came dressed for the occasion in my seth rollins t-shirt you are such a politicker you know i think you really think that seth rollins is going to have this power and you're going to be able to say uh seth you know i believe in the vision i believe in the vision seth i've never heard you believe in the vision now all of a sudden you go just in case because i think here's what i think i see that jacket behind you i think you were going to zip up the jacket had seth lost and said you know oh i love the american nightmare i think you're politicking i mean the jacket is oh nice cozy fall weather yeah just listen i did have some concerns.
17:33When I woke up this morning and I put my Seth Rollins t-shirt on, I said he has to win. There's no doubt in my mind. The vision is not going to die. The vision is going to thrive and prevail and it starts tonight when Seth Rollins defeats Cody Rhodes. But then I see this backstage interaction between Paul Heyman, Braun Breaker, and Bronson Reed. And Paul Heyman says just, you know, congratulations on your victory. I'm so proud of you, Bronson Reed. I'm paraphrasing all of this. But if If Seth Rollins comes out and he needs our help, don't go. He needs to win this one on his own. Which was like the opposite.
18:09Like he takes that pause and you're like, if Seth Rollins waves like this, that's the signal. Is what I thought we were going to hear. And he just goes, don't go. And you're like, and Seth has said everything goes through him. Are those the wishes of Seth Rollins? or is that something that Paul Heyman decided on? And then I'm thinking about the backstage interaction between Seth and Paul on Raw when Seth is asking Paul, what happens if I don't win? Right. I remember on Raw Recap, I told you that Paul had to figure out a way to word that where he did explain that it's going to be tough if Seth loses, but somehow survives if Seth wins without being looked at as disloyal.
18:53And so I'm looking at Braun Breaker and Bronson Reed who we're going to talk about in just a couple of minutes, but I'm looking at them, and I thought they were so impressive that they definitely elevated after their match at Crown Jewel. And I'm like, all right, well, maybe Paul goes with them, and Seth loses. And I'm trying to think about what's going to happen in the main event. And I did start to get a little bit nervous, thinking I may have to zip up my jacket and not sport Seth Rollins' shirt. But thankfully, the vision. I saw you. You know what she was doing? The vision was clear. You took a piece of duct tape and started writing QB1 on it so you could slap it on your jacket just in case.
19:32Yeah, I did. Just in case Cody won. I did. I saw. I saw you were doing it. I did. You know, I had to be prepared, right? Give the people what they want. Here's the thing about Megan Morant. You know whose team you're on? The winners. Just like Paul Heyman. Me and Paul Heyman always, I like winners. That's right. Except in baseball because you like the White Sox. So. It's tough. It's tough. but yeah I mean it really was this scenario where Seth was in a must win Cody I kind of considered to be in a must win but the way it was painted it was uh would be nice to win but not as must win as Seth is he's three and oh against Rollins right he goes to three and one he's he's still a better record but it's still a better record and he's not positioned to lose everything the way Seth Rollins was positioned to lose everything.
20:20On Raw, Becky Lynch throws a fit because she doesn't like referees' cadences. I don't blame her. I like that. I put it in a way that made it sound ridiculous and you responded to that by going yeah, that's what one should do. It was an inaccurate cadence. No, okay. It was an inaccurate cadence, to be fair. But she says, I'm not going to Perth because of that. I don't even know if Seth realized that or not. because he wasn't paying attention to her. He was leaving a little bit. He was looking at the watch again. And so he doesn't have Becky Lynch, and then we find out you're right. Earlier in the night, see, what I thought was going to happen was Roman Reigns, leave it to me to think Roman Reigns is just going to come in and destroy everybody, but I figured like, hey, Sam, what do you think is going to happen?
21:05Well, Roman Reigns shows up and destroys everybody. Of course, that's, no, what do you think is going to happen? Not what do you want to happen? That's the same. I don't know. And so I go, well, if Roman Reigns destroys everybody earlier in the night seth's gonna have no backup see that's where i thought i figured seth would have no backup but because roman reigns destroys everybody so you're right on that part but you weren't right on the how that's exactly right it was the opposite it was the total he did not well we'll talk about it but hayman goes we're not going out seth's doing this by himself and i go oh boy this is gonna get tough because either we knew you could do it champ or you should have been able to do it, Seth.
21:44And I'm like, that's a tough spot for Seth Rollins to be in. So the match is tremendous. And also, to show up in zebra print and lose is a wild thing. I mean, you talk about being in a must-win scenario. To go out in defeat and you are still wearing zebra print is tough. Not only that, but the tribute on his tights as well. The tribute to the Hell in a Cell match, the tribute to Wrestlemania 38 that's correct and the tribute to what was it backlash yeah backlash after Wrestlemania 38 yeah and it wasn't even like and the tribute was I think it was actual swatches of the of the fabric yeah like and I noticed the polka dots first but then you look down and you're like oh there's the lace oh there's the uh uh that kind of metallic blue that's fabric from the gear that he wore, I believe, at WrestleMania and Backlash and that Hell in a Cell match where Cody showed up with the torn pack.
22:45And the polka dots takes it to another level because that's dusty too. Right. And it's the second time. Right, I got you again. Yeah. I got you again. And usually polka dots and zebra print does not go together. But it did this time. Seth pulled it off. Yeah. Leave it to Seth. But I'll tell you, the first kind of, like moment in that match that I had was actually Seth Rollins being introduced first and standing in the ring. And there was just this moment where the crowd in Perth had stopped singing his song and you were waiting for Cody's music to hit. And I was right back three, four years ago.
23:18I was right back to WrestleMania, to Backlash. I'm like, we've been here before. It was almost deja vu, but in the sense like, oh, this really does have historical significance. When he stood there in Dallas, didn't know who his opponent was going to be. There was a brief moment where Seth is looking up, taking it all in, and then Cody's music hits. Boom, boom. And the prodigal son had come home. Wrestling has more than one. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I was right back there, and I was like, man, this is really, really cool. And it was, I mean, the match was amazing. Cody kicking out of that first stomp, Seth kicking out of a super crossroads, I'll call it.
23:56A crossroads off the top. Seth kicks out of it. The coast-to-coast headbutt. I don't know that I've ever seen a coast-to-coast headbutt before, but Seth pulled it off. And that's one of those things where say what you want about professional wrestling, but you're literally on one side of the ring. You're like, I have to dive across and make contact with Cody Rhodes right now or I'm going to look like a fool. When he's standing up there, I'm like, is he going to make it? I'm sure he was asking himself the same question, but he made it. Contact with Cody. Couldn't get the pin on that, though. And at one point, he gets that watch that has been, I don't know, it's been telling the story of this match.
24:34Well, it was interesting because he goes, he's look gazing in the area, right? In the area of the timekeeper. And there's a massive crown jewel championship there. And I'm thinking, is he going to use the crown jewel championship? Which almost feels cumbersome because I'm sure if it made contact, it would hurt. But to lift it all the way into the ring and everything. Yeah, and how are you going to get away from the referee seeing that? Everybody, I mean, we could probably see it from where we were across the world. Yes. At least the glimmer. That championship is massive. But then he scurries over to the timekeeper.
25:05Where is he going? Yeah. That watch again. He's obsessed. And he just has this maniacal look in his face. The evil Seth Rollins as he gazes at that watch. Right. And the meaningfulness of it. And you don't know. You know, he decides not to use it at first. And is that because he doesn't want to use that specific watch? Is that because he wants to do it without using a foreign object? Who knows? I'm thinking Rolexes are expensive. Maybe he doesn't want to have to buy another watch. But they will. I mean, they're like, you know, I know they'll take a licking and keep on ticking. That's the thing.
25:40So at first he doesn't use it, but then he realizes his back is up against the wall. He wraps that Rolex around his knuckles. Cody puts him ready for the crossroads. And for the second time in a year, it's the same thing John Cena did to Cody. It's a different watch, but the same thing. It was a Rolex. Cody gets hit with a Rolex across like his face that was wrapped around somebody's knuckles it's like Cody stay out of the watch game dude I've never known anybody get punched in the face with watches as much as Cody Rhodes but he does this time I think even more significantly than the John Cena one because the John Cena one John took the watch off of Cody's wrist wrapped it around his fingers hit Cody this one was the Rolex that Cody gifted Seth Rollins after Seth Rollins acted as the shield for Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40, enabling Cody Rhodes to hit those crossroads and win the WWE championship, finally finishing his story against the most dominant champion of the modern era, Roman Reigns.
26:44He says, thank you. And he gives him a watch with that 4-0 on it. The same watch that Cody has, the same watch that I think all the participants of that main event of WrestleMania has. Well, yeah, I don't know if he has it or not. I don't know if he handed it back to Cody Rhodes, but it has played a part in that story as well. But he wraps it around his wrist. Cody puts him in the crossroads, reaches up. I mean, clocks him across the jaw, clean across the jaw. The referee has got the wind knocked out of him. Cody Rhodes takes a watch around the fingers to the jaw. And as he's trying to get up, the referee is now looking and Seth hits a super stomp off the top.
27:26one, two, three, Seth Rollins wins the crown jewel championship. It was definitely a very different scene than the scene was when Stephanie Vaquer got it. Triple H almost seemed like proud papa Triple H when he was putting the title on Stephanie Vaquer. I felt like the interaction between Triple H and Seth Rollins was more sad. I mean, first he threw Kathy out of the ring, didn't even let her ask him a question, but I thought it was far more like put it on, put it on Triple H going, okay, you got it. Okay, hey, you did it, Seth. You know what I mean? But I have to wonder, man, once again, the hospitality of Cody Rhodes, Cody Rhodes wanting to be the nice QB.
28:12Cody Rhodes wanting to be the type of QB that lifts his entire team up with him has come back and bit him again. Cody Rhodes got hit with the watch that he gave to Seth Rollins. I mean, instantly I'm thinking to myself, that's literally the worst gift I've ever given anybody. Yeah. Cody Rhodes was looking to be the history-making, first ever, two-time, crown jewel winning, the crown jewel champion winner. I mean, you don't think that Cody was looking, who does Cody compare himself to? Brady, right? Does Brady have one ring? No, he has seven. You don't think Cody wanted to fill his hand up? Of course he did.
28:51Cody will do. And Cody, look, Cody is a great guy. And Cody, I think, does. Cody wants to be the guy because he wants to be the guy to lift everybody up. And that's for a shoot. Cody wants everybody to succeed. Cody wants this company, WWE, to be the best WWE that it has ever been under his, no pun intended, but I'll accept it, watch.
29:23but make no mistake about it. Cody wants to be the guy. Yes. And Cody wants to have a, now that those rings are there, Cody wants a handful of rings. He doesn't want like, well, I was the guy this year. Seth was the guy the next year. Punk was the guy the year after that. Roman was the guy the year after that. No, like there is no question. You know why Cena's getting this tour right now? Because there's no question. It's called the Cena era in my mind. He was the guy. There was no question about it to the point that it frustrated people. It was one of CM Punk's frustrations. It was one of Randy Orton's frustrations.
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29:57It was one of Edge's frustrations. But John Cena was, honestly, it was one of Seth Rollins' frustrations. But John Cena was the guy. And that's who Cody Rhodes wants to be. And because he gifted a watch to Seth Rollins, Seth Rollins has taken that ring for himself. Well, Seth Rollins is done helping others. He's done. Unless you fall in line. That's right, unless you're part of the vision. But let me, okay, now let me ask you this. First of all, do you think Cody looks at it that way? Like, I gotta stop giving people gifts, or am I being pessimistic?
30:39I don't know if he looks at it that way yet, but I do think he should. Okay, nice. I do think when Cody Rhodes looks at himself in the mirror. Right. He needs to, you know, sometimes good guys finish last. Oof. Sometimes. It has happened. Yes. It has happened. And sometimes when you're a good guy, people take advantage of you. That's right. I believe that Green Day was the artist that did the song for Crown Jewel. They once said, nice guys finish last. They said it. I think they were the first. The first ever to say that. Ever. Ever. I said, wow. Shout out Green Day. I heard this song. I go, I can't believe it.
31:14I never even considered that, but they're right. They're right about that. They do sometimes, sometimes. Sometimes. Not all the time. We love when good guys finish first. It's like me. Yeah, good guy on top. You know, I acknowledge you. I love the hesitation. I guess you're a good guy. We were talking about Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Green Day, and, you know, just throw Knott's Am into the mix. I mean, somewhat, I suppose. Yeah, you're a good guy. Yeah. As opposed, I guess. You're a good guy. And look, you got an action figure. The whole thing. life couldn't be any better no it couldn't be better it's never been better but for cody i do think at some point he needs to look himself in the mirror and ask himself am i too nice yeah do i need to is now the time to lift everybody up around me or is now the time to make sure that i'm firmly positioned as number one and then then i'll spend some time lifting up people around me you know i don't know it's very very interesting but regardless okay here's my other question then in regards to this so there are regards it's not regardless so here's some regards um uh the vision does seth's dynamic with that group change because it does feel like they've been splintered it feels like bronson brom breaker paul hayman have been over here dealing with roman reigns business while seth has been dealing with cody roads business paul hayman telling them not to come out and help seth rollins is it as simple as well seth wanted to do this on his own we were letting him do it on his own or is this an instance where Seth now comes back and says I told you guys I was the man now it's time for you guys to have a slice of humble pie it's tricky because I Seth didn't need their help tonight right no he did not need their help now if he was in a situation where he did need their help and they weren't there I think the dynamic within the vision could change but how could the dynamic change within the vision when everybody is walking out of Perth Australia as a winner yeah but do you think that they thought Seth was going to win truly do you think they fully had faith in Seth Rollins because that's the difference when you can win without the group you can hold absolute power when you win but with the group that's when things are not quite as autonomous yeah so my question is did they really have full faith in Seth Rollins or was there doubt?
33:42And if there was doubt, does Seth bring that back to haunt them? I don't know. I mean, it's hard to doubt him now after the fact, right? You can't now. And that may be the problem for them. Listen, a lot of massive moments. We always talk about these moments that happen on these PLEs. A lot of massive moments tonight. And of course, who captures these massive moments? Tops. Tops now, baby. Tops now. They capture major milestones, viral moments from the biggest events. You know, we've seen incredible cards from WrestleMania, from Money in the Bank, from Wrestlepalooza. I just got a notification.
34:20My Dominic Mysterio wins the mega championship card is on its way right now. So hopefully I got the one-of-one signed version. Better get that sleeve ready. Oh, it's ready. It's always waiting. I got the mag case ready for it. listen, tonight at Crown Jewel is no different. They always do this before PLEs, right? Tops put out a Crown Jewel poster card that featured Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes and John Cena and Rhea Ripley, just to name a few. Collectors who buy the base card will have the chance to receive rainbow foil short prints or even gold super short prints that are limited to 25 copies, but it's only available until Monday at 3pm Eastern.
34:58As always, make sure that you're following at Tops on social and sign up to notifications on tops.com for the big moment cards from crown jewel and and tune into our podcast raw recap for more info and card graphics coming up on Monday I was really hopeful that we were going to get a Roman Reigns tops now card but I don't think that that's in Not after tonight. Unless there's a Tops Now card that says, Jey Uso screwed up. Ooh. Because that's what the caption would have to say. Jey Uso screwed up. And he did. He's spearing his cousin into the table. The table was set up there, and you and I are watching together, like, oh my gosh, Roman is going to spear Bronson Reed into the table.
35:48Right. And that's not what happened at all. And then the moment, it was almost like once Jey went airport, I was like, oh no, he's going to. whoops my bad i mean you don't think a my bad ooze will fix this one my bad ooze no oh no no no i heard the words that were being said after that match no my bad ooze is not going to work at all there wasn't one feeling of oozeyness coming out of that match i mean what was left of the bloodline family looked like it disintegrated after this crown jewel match so you got uh look bronson reed got a hometown reaction, but nothing compared to what the tribal chief got.
36:26Walking to the ring with his two Ula Falazan, and he had that red and black wristband on. I pay attention to all those little details. Of course you do. You know what I mean? Because it felt like there was a connection between him and Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso going into this. It was the Australian street fight, which I wish had been called the Aussie rules street fight, but Australian street fight nonetheless, because we saw Roman was chucking rugby balls of Paul Heyman and Bronson Reed, which is what, like in 2K, you can make them throw footballs and stuff at each other, which is great. It's great that we had rugby, right?
37:01Yeah. And then we got Cricketbat, Roman Reigns going to town with a Cricketbat, Bronson Reed. And you know, Bronson Reed definitely came back strong at parts, but for the most part, the first, not two thirds, really, of this match was pretty heavy Roman. Like Roman teaching Bronson Reed a lesson. And that's what I really wanted to see in this match was Roman teaching a lesson, right? Because especially after what happened in Paris, Roman wins the match, but that's not what we're talking about when that match is over. We're talking about the fact that Roman Reigns got hit with a tsunami when he was on a stretcher.
37:37Yeah, I remember. I was hoping it. I wouldn't have to remember because we would get to taste that beautiful, sweet taste of vengeance. Well, it felt like we were going to taste that. I know! The beginning part of the match. I know! And then Braun Breaker showed up. And that's really when all hell broke loose. But you had to know he was going to, right? It's an Australian street fight. No rules. Like, there's no way he's not going to. And Roman Reigns had to know he was going to. Roman Reigns caught a very S.H.I.E.L.D.-esque powerbomb through the commentary table. Roman laid out by Bronson Reed and Brom Breaker.
38:09And that was the moment I said, it's done. Roman can't get up from that. But he did, though. And it was with the help of the Usos. Here come Jimmy and J. Uso. So for a moment, it seemed like they were on the same page, which they haven't. They've only been in bursts. They get on the same page for bursts, but it doesn't last. They were on the same page, taking out Bron Bron all as well until Bron Bron end up getting the better of the Usos. And you're like, oh, no. Oh, no. And now and now Roman gets back in to this thing. And it's like, OK, well, now Roman they've taken they've at least even the odds enough so that Roman can get control again.
38:47and Paul Heyman is reacting to everything. I mean, the emotions that this guy was going through throughout the match, I can't imagine. It can't be good. It can't be good for your health. But then it happened. We were about to see a spear. I thought we were gonna see a spear through the table, right? But Bronson Reed is able to get out of prone position. He and Roman are fighting over it. Jay goes to spear Bronson Reed through the table. messes up he spears his cousin the tribal chief the head of the table Roman reigns through that very table ironically and when Perth was chanting we want tables this isn't what they wanted you have to be careful of what you ask for as soon as they started chanting we want tables and then booing Bronson Reed Bronson Reed put the table away well then you can't have tables is what he said I said that's cruel that's cruel and unusual hits a tsunami Bronson Reed beats Roman Reigns and Cole said it was the first time that Roman had been pinned in a singles match since Cody it's the first time he's been beaten two people since the beginning of this whole thing have beaten Roman Reigns one on one Cody and Bronson Reed and people want to doubt Bronson Reed and Paul Heyman did say it after the match this isn't braun breaker is the future and bronson reed is the muscle bronson reed is the future we saw honestly we saw what bronson reed did to seth rollins a few months ago now not only did it was one thing to be like well bronson reed laid out roman reigns in france i'm telling you you get that big galoot overseas you're in trouble because in australia he pinned roman reigns he beat roman reigns with a tsunami straight up and that's tough for me i don't like to see that I was mad I was on the radio all week saying what do I want to see I want to see smash and stack I want to see Roman go back to being Roman you wanted him to stack Braun Braun stack everybody stack everybody on the roster remember when Roman just used to come out and beat everybody it was a foregone conclusion Roman's on the show well he's going to beat everybody the only reason to even have a podcast was just to discuss how is he going to beat everybody but Roman's beating everybody and now it doesn't happen anymore he goes to I mean he beats Solo in January at Netflix, but then what does he do after that?
41:15He goes to the Royal Rumble. He loses. He goes to WrestleMania. He loses. He goes to SummerSlam. He had a win, but he didn't get the penalty. He's not the one who got it. It was Jay who got it. Yeah. He goes to France. I guess he won, but didn't look like it. Nope. And now he's sitting here on the revenge tour. And he lost. And then, you know, I thought I thought it was really telling. To me, I mean, coming off of that match and Roman sitting there in the ring and just like, you know, when this whole bloodline started, it started during the pandemic era. And one of the things that made it different was because there were no fans in the audience, it was what was said, but not into a microphone that was so compelling.
42:02And that hasn't changed now that you have an arena full of people in Perth, Australia. There's still a hush to listen to what is being said in the ring between this family because it's so important to what's going on. And Roman, you know, there was a time when Roman said, I call the plays. And this was villainous Roman Reigns. This was height of the bloodline Roman Reigns. That wasn't what he was saying. He said, nobody thinks I can do this on my own. I told you guys not to be out here. like when he said nobody thinks I can do this on my own why are you guys keep doing it I told you not to do this and he did say it on Monday so what he's saying now he's actually getting into like maybe he's gone through some kind of therapy or something because he seems more in touch with his emotions because that's a moment of honesty and clarity when he goes I am telling you guys not to interfere in my match not because well I'm the boss and I make the rules and I say it's because the perception is that I only win matches due to interference and that is not who i want to be and so i don't want you guys out here and by the way i didn't even win you screwed this up because he said this only work well i said this you know what he let him expletive out this expletive only works one way and i'm going huh one way and i and so i'm going like i wonder exactly what he is referring to when he says this stuff only works one way is it this only works if i can prove that i can do it on my own or is it there is no democracy here if you guys are gonna have my back it's a dictatorship you have to do exactly what i say and you don't want to do exactly what i say you don't want to be back in that relationship yeah because when you were in that relationship Jey Uso you weren't the world heavyweight champion and you left and Jimmy you're over here on raw saying I don't want Jay to be like you well then good then but then we can't have it halfway no such thing as halfway crooks you can't have it halfway we're either doing this or we're not doing it and you guys are the one who doesn't want to do it and I don't want to put you through that if you don't want to do it but then you can't come in and and and and pretend that we can do this differently that's how i read it and maybe i read it differently than roman intended it i don't know but that's how i took it well and then i think back to monday and when roman told jay who's speaking at the top of the hour and reminded him of that and it's almost like he's sort of in this maybe mentor role for jay like this is what the top guy should be doing you should be focused on that why are you thinking about me right why aren't you thinking about yourself and it seems like Jimmy and Jay continuously think about Roman obviously because their family and everything they've been through with the bloodline but if it only works the way the old bloodline worked it needs to end if they all need to move forward okay here's the other thing it only works one way what if it only works with the wise man that was another thing that occurred to me look I'm interpreting that was the way that it worked when they were all together so this might be a crazy question to ask hit me you of all people but if it only works one way can roman do it alone well that's i think now what roman has to prove that roman can do it alone the bloodline was the launching place for roman reigns because roman reigns was supposed to be the man in WWE and we didn't accept him fans booed him out of the building he didn't become the guy until the bloodline started so he couldn't he it didn't click before the bloodline it clicked during the bloodline when he wasn't doing it alone so now coming off of the bloodline the question is are you the man without the bloodline during his entrance it looks like he's the man I think he is.
46:25But you can't be losing matches like that if you're not. And you can't have the Usos out there. It just is what it is. And we got a taste of it at WrestleMania, but Paul Heyman turned on him. You know, there was this feeling at WrestleMania when he came out with no red on, when he came out with white and black on, when he came out by himself and his family was on the monitors and he's still doing it for his family, but ultimately he's a man who stands on his own. And in that moment, you were like, yeah, I'm behind this. This is my guy. but things aren't just like are just not lining up that way that's what i want to see from roman reigns is this this is the new incarnation of who and what roman reigns is we we need roman reigns is three acts the first act is trying to get there the second act is the bloodline now we need act three where roman is truly i you know what it has to be the island of relevancy has to be an island it has to be an island of one roman has to be he has to go from being a member a person who leads the island of relevancy to a man who is the island of relevancy now i wonder what this does for jimmy and jay usso does this push them further apart it seemed like it it seemed like it because jay walked out on jimmy after it Jay said he's done I'm done too that's not the first time Jay has quit on his family but he said he's done I'm done too and he walked out on Jimmy and it seemed like I mean it's really odd it seemed like Jimmy's trying to keep the family together but also wants to do it in a context that's not necessarily accurate in the sense that like well Roman is who Roman is you can't fight that so I don't know it's getting very very interesting to me A lot of layers.
48:16A lot of layers. I do want to tell you, speaking of big events, that a big announcement was made for WWE fans and for sports fans in general that it's coming back. The world's number one sports fan festival, Fanatics Fest, is making its return to New York City. This is the place where moments are birthed. You never know what's going to happen. We got to be a big part of Fanatics Fest this year. so much fun remember my John Cena hug? oh how could I forget? I'll never forget that was one of those key Fanatics Fest moments Fanatics is bringing you closer to the league's team's superstars and athletes you love across four action packed days in July meet your favorite WWE superstars get your hands on exclusive merch catch live podcasts let's try to angle this one on there and interact with the biggest names in sports tickets are going to go on sale this November soon That's next month.
49:15So mark your calendar and don't miss out. Full information at fanaticsfest.com. Let me tell you something about those. Four days this year? Four days. An extra day. Extra day. And let me tell you something about those tickets. You know what they make? Great stocking stuffers. They're going on sale in November. That's the move. Stephanie Vaquer. She's it. She is her. That's it, huh? She's it, right? You go across the country and they're still going, ah, ah, ah. Not counting. So proud. of the WWE universe. So proud of Stephanie Vakir, right? I mean, you talk about emotion and feelings and I think we all had those when Triple H is standing in the ring with La Primera.
49:56I believe it's Primavera. Okay, Chelsea Green. Oh, sorry. Standing there with La Primera, awarding her the crown jewel championship and it's just, stephanie vaccare has had a year unlike any other wwe superstar that's right becoming a double champion in nxt to what she did at evolve to becoming the women's world champion to now doing it on this stage internationally in perth and none of us have any doubts any questions about who she is or where she belongs and we just want to see more yeah of stephanie vaccare i mean I think when we had her on the show it feels like this all happened quick but the emotion from her and her telling her story about leaving her country and coming over and how hard she worked just to get to WWE it's a dream come true for her and you feel that every time she's in front of us.
50:55I love when these moments happen especially for the first time for different superstars looking at them and figuring out if they're ready for it and like there's no moment that's been too big for stephanie vaquer when she won the women's world championship it was like you look at her and you just feel like yep that's where she should be and now you see her i mean cole said it on commentary 15 months in the wwe and not only is she women's world champion she's crown jewel champion she's champion of champions she's la primera and she defeated Tiffany Stratton who perth australia loves and that's where tiffy time was really born.
51:36I would agree. And this is a Tiffany Stratton who hasn't lost in 2025. That's a good point too. And she was, I mean, there were, I mean, there were a couple of moments in this match, man. Tiffany finding her way to that Alabama slam was nuts. Like just the, just the spins and the flips and the everything. It was, it was, I don't even understand how bodies move like that, but it was, it was awesome to see the build to the Devil's Kiss. Wade Barrett's favorite move Booker T's favorite move Australia's favorite move the build to that move where midway through the match it was teased and Tiffany escaped it you go huh?
52:14oh and then you go oh my god it's happening twist ah ah ah amazing uh Tiff at the end misses with that prettiest moonsault ever which I love the prettiest moonsault ever it's so pretty I think it's an incredible finisher I do too But then when Stephanie Vaquer gets to the top rope and hits her SVP, I go, whoa. I mean, just, yeah, just corkscrewing. Yes. Like nuts. In midair, I'm trying to figure out the degrees and the rotations to it and everything. I had my protractor out. That's right. You had that compass? Yes. Okay, let's see. Which angle is that? We both look like Magellan trying to figure out what the angle and the dynamic.
52:58Like, how many degrees did that spin? You always got to keep a protractor in your pocket. Well, you have to. You really do have to for moments like this. Yeah, you never know. No, you're right. You're 100 % right. Yeah, but now I got pencil marks all over my television. But yeah, having that moment happen, Triple H coming out, kind of putting the stamp on that. And like, it's wild because the future of the women's division becomes the present of the women's division. but the present of the women's division is already what the present of the women's division is. If that all makes sense. Like it's, it's, it's a, the women's division itself moves so quickly that I feel like it almost becomes like a multiverse that slams into each other in the sense that you're like, you, you start with these sort of like, you're watching NXT and you go, you know, one day this superstar who just started in NXT will have a match with this person.
53:55Who's like a world champion level superstar on the main roster. And like eight months later, you're there. You know what I mean? The one days are just like rapid fire. They're like you at a marathon. They're just speeding right by. Well, I feel like the women's division has really arrived, right? It's like you think back and everything Trish and Lita did. And then you think of the four horse women and you think of really this women's evolution that's happened. And now I think this combination of you have Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair and you have Tiffany Stratton, you have this combination of wrestling backgrounds and athleticism.
54:28and it's all together. And we're seeing these women who have experience at the top of their game, but then we're seeing some people who have more of an athletic background taking well to this, and it's all meshing so beautifully together. And I think it's creating a division with a lot of depth. I think every time I do a podcast, they say depth in the women's division. I'm like so sick of saying it because it seems like a cliche, but you just look up and down the roster and that's exactly what you have in different types. of women's wrestlers. You're looking at, especially as it's ever changing, like Tiffany Stratton has only been here for a minute herself.
55:05But like you look at a Stephanie Vaquer or a Julia or a Sol Ruka or a Zaria and you look at everything that's happening around all of them and I think that it's a huge disruption in the division in the best possible way. But I truly think that Stephanie Vaquer is the biggest disruptor of all. because you don't look at her and go, oh boy, this is quick. Oh, I didn't think she'd win the title this quick. You look at her and you go, the top tier of the women's division has changed. Stephanie Vickere is now in the conversation for that top tier of the women's division and she's not going anywhere.
55:48When you talk about the women that are going to main event WrestleMania, not 43, not 44, not 45, this within months in Las Vegas at 42, Stephanie Vaquer is the name you should be talking about. It's ridiculous to think that she won't be in the mix for the main event as far as the women are concerned for WrestleMania 42. And I think that, and we'll get to the tag match in just a second, but when you look at that tag match, nobody in that tag match would you go, Stephanie Vaquer doesn't belong in the conversation with them. she's in that conversation and then to get back to the depth of it right and we're going to talk about this match but you have someone like Asuka who's part of the past, present and future of this women's division still performing at the highest level which is how rapid the women's division goes right let's get into the tag match right you had Kyrie and Asuka versus Io and Rhea Ripley and we were all waiting for it I mean listen it's kind of it's one of those like you know oh, duh, type of observations.
56:55But you still, it bears repeating, as the White Stripes would say. Rhea Ripley might be the biggest, I mean, star in wrestling. There's just something about, it's the children call it aura, the star power, the magnetism, the what it is. There is nobody like it. You could take anybody. You could take somebody that's never watched professional wrestling a day in their life. And here are the people that they're going to look at and go like, got it. Roman Reigns. Anybody sees Roman Reigns, it's like, oh, that's the guy. Cody Rhodes. Anybody sees Cody Rhodes, they go, I get the connection. I think that's what Cody Rhodes exudes.
57:43He exudes his story, his journey, and his connection. And Rhea Ripley. the minute the purple lights go up and the camera pans up and she just turns around you become a she's one of those people that I guarantee anybody in the world, you folks at home experiment with this anybody that's in your life that doesn't watch wrestling just put on Rhea Ripley's entrance and I guarantee this is what the response will be I think I like wrestling now that's the power that Rhea Ripley has maybe more than anybody else on the roster it's the slightest movement of her her eyes when she looks up during her entrance yes after she does the stomp yes she looks up you know the look you're sold you know what i'm talking the fact that you know exactly the millisecond that i'm talking about says it all doesn't it yes like we all are like oh like you're transfixed stomps the leg looks up at the camera yes and she's in australia so the crowd's going like bananas for her as they should and they look like bananas in those yellow t-shirts but it's crazy cole said the biggest superstar to ever come out of this country yeah continent yeah it's it's inarguable bigger than luke or butch of the bushwhackers inarguable right yes 100 100 outback jack Luke and Butch, Bronson Reed, Grayson Waller.
59:15It's Rhea. Now, look, Rhea Ripley's never beaten Roman Reigns. Bronson Reed did. But, yeah, it is 100 % Rhea, and she exudes that, and she carries it, and she owns it, and it is an amazing thing to see. We spent a lot of time building towards Rhea Ripley getting into the match. You know, we were waiting for it, waiting for it, waiting for it. Of course, while we were waiting for it, we get treated to Eoskai being like maybe the best wrestler in the world. Yeah. And the thing, look, Kyrie took a lot of the offense. Poor Kyrie. She's been abused. There's no abuse. She's an adult. She's a wrestler.
59:56Teaming with another wrestler. Okay? They're a great tag team. What is this abuse? Okay? She's in a top level tag team match at Crown Jewel. One of the biggest PLEs there is. There's only a five match card. And Kyrie is on one of the biggest matches. But because she. And she's, by the way, in there kicking ass. So like, you know, because they're doing this on commentary, doing this all over. Michael Cole's over there going like, whoa, you know. She hid behind Michael Cole at the kickoff show. I know anything about the kickoff show. I know anything about that. I saw her in the ring. Maybe she's got stage fright.
1:00:35Kyrie has been abused by Asuka There's no abuse But she can't get out She shouldn't get out She was great in this match She was excellent But she had to be excellent Otherwise she has to face the wrath of Asuka And listen Everybody has to be excellent This is the WWE Everyone has to be excellent If you're not excellent Get to stepping Go someplace else And on top of that she has to deal with the wrath of oscar which no one is ready for oscar historically no one has been ready for oscar you're right and it would appear that even in the present tense you remain correct nobody is ready for oscar and i wonder if oscar will be very upset because kairi is the one that took the pin yeah and and io was the one who pinned kairi were you surprised by that um when i think of the story no tell me why if you just put it on paper it's like oh uh i would say real ripley's going to get the pin because it's in australia and this is going crazy this is what the people want give them what they want but the story of this entire match was that eo had to leave her family her family is the kabuki warriors and so if eo needed to prove a point to her family that she can do this without asuka that she can do this without kairi that she can be on her own that while asuka mentored her and while asuka opened the door for her eo took that and ran and Io should be credited with the success that she has earned and that she has created for herself so for her to get the pin over the Kabuki Warriors I think was crucial in the story of Io Sky I like that I like that reasoning and I'm and and with that reasoning it does make me glad I think there is a bigger story to be told with Io being the one that gets the pin and the continuous build of Io Sky right and the and the sort of uh continuous way to showcase the fact that she is that good, that she is once in a lifetime, once in a generation, however you want to phrase it.
1:02:35Now, I love the idea of Rhea getting the pin in front of Australia. That's a moment for her. But at this point in time, given the story that we're telling heading into this tag match, I think it was important that Io gets the pin. What do you think about the fact that Rhea Ripley can't beat Io Sky and Io Sky is the one that got the pin in the tag match? Well, this is what I've been pointing out to you. I think it's interesting that Rhea is just such a good friend of Eos. She's a good person. And she had Ria. She's a nice guy. What happens to nice guys? They finish last. Sometimes. Ria had on her face paint Rio.
1:03:07Rio. That's right. I like that. That's right. Although historically when she paints other people's names on her face it doesn't end well. What? I mean it didn't end well for your guy Dom? For her. She lost Dom. I mean Ria seems to be doing just fine. She's probably pretty upset about it. I would be. She doesn't look upset today at all. Didn't look. I'll give you that. She actually looked pretty thrilled today about how everything had panned out. Well, I was pretty thrilled about it. Great show. Great hang here on the Crown Jewel Recap Show. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast across all audio platforms.
1:03:43We'll be back on Monday with Raw Recap. And that'll be another early show because Monday Night Raw will be at 8 a.m. Eastern time. So I'll be able to wake up early, pour our lucky charms in a bowl, watch Dominic Mysterio beat Penta, and just get Monday started off right. But we'll be here to recap Monday Night Raw. If you're watching on YouTube, leave comments, hit like, and we will see you very, very soon on Raw Recap.
From the publisher
John Cena and AJ Styles delivered a spectacle after the WWE Universe asked for one last match, Bronson Reed and Rhea Ripley shined in their home country, and more! Sam Roberts and Megan Morant bring you the Crown Jewel Recap: A WWE & Fanatics Original Production.
John Cena Perth Collection: https://shop.wwe.com/en/john-cena/o-3488322559+t-6722742934+z-9-3516777785?_s=bm-WWEShop-WWEcom-John_Cena_Perth-Podcast-2025
Rhea Ripley Merch: https://shop.wwe.com/en/rhea-ripley/o-3488098126+t-2367448231+z-9-2722605134?_s=bm-WWEShop-WWEcom-Rhea_Terrifier-Podcast-2025
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