Opinion

8-Match Tag: WWE Network Evidence That Looks Can Be Deceiving

Published

8 years ago

February 8, 2018

Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to 8-Match Tag. I’m Sean. You’re not. This little house party jointly thrown by the Comer Codex and The Chairshot is your sensible portion of themed prime cuts from the WWE Network’s finest reserves, an eight-course meal conceived to introduce new wrestling initiates to the finest facets of the squared circle and satisfy a seasoned fan’s refined palate.

Professional wrestling is a visually nuanced storytelling medium. Despite some leeway for creative malleability with ideal pieces in place, such as a daring booker and the right performers to deliver a match’s narrative, there’s a certain inherent logic to pushing some workers based on their appearances. That being said, many observers could and would readily argue that Vince McMahon’s sweaty McBoner for any Big McLargeHuge that strolled past Titan Tower in the 1980s gave way to ingrained physique prejudices responsible for several generations of fans looking at certain individuals through some unfortunately strict blinders. Sometimes, the right man or woman in the right place at the right time chiseled at cracks they uniquely created in that aesthetic glass ceiling until it shattered. In other instances, the Cult of McMahonism dismissively waved off brilliant in-ring artists whose forms didn’t evoke daydreams of Superstar Billy Graham, Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior or “Macho Man” Randy Savage.

I present to you, the jury, these eight gifted performers whose bodies of work would give any skeptic grounds to question everything they have ever accepted about kinesiology, agility, strength and the core definition of “fitness.”

As (almost) always, in no particular order and paired individually with an essential-viewing recommendation from WWE Network itself…

1. TAZZ/TAZ

Pete Senercia stands an unremarkable 5 feet 9 inches tall. That distinctly average stature gives him an insignificant height advantage over his trainer, WWE Hall of Famer Johnny Rodz, but it left him awkwardly dwarfed by the vast majority of his wrestling peers. You would have enjoyed ample company if you wrote him off as being built too similarly to a fire hydrant for anyone to take the Brooklyn-born brawler remotely seriously as a plausible champion. In turn, he would have made you eat your words and love every bite.

In his prime, Taz was a tenacious 250-pound pit bull with a legitimate judo black belt, an Empire State Heavyweight Championship won as a young amateur wrestler and the jaw-dropping strength to hang with the likes of Chris Benoit, Sabu, Rob Van Dam and more among ECW’s stiffest, most physically gruelling performers. Every single night, he earned his nickname’s absolute believability as “the Human Suplex Machine,” often chucking men standing a full ahead above him halfway across the ring. What he lacked in inches, he made up in psychology and explosive power.

WHAT TO WATCH: TAZ vs. BAM BAM BIGELOW – ECW LIVING DANGEROUSLY, MARCH 1, 1998

(NOTE: For the record, Bigelow himself was an astonishing super-heavyweight whose 390-pound body could twirl effortlessly through flawless cartwheels and a gorgeous moonsault.)

2. CESARO

Yes, Cesaro. Hear me out.

When you picture John Cena, Big E and Mark Henry, you appropriately invoke an understandable description of men with bodies sculpted to bear the burden of Atlas himself upon their own shoulders. Every lean, outsized muscle ripples beneath tightly stretched skin, every inch of which might as well be tattooed with their personal-best bench presses and curl routines. Cesaro stands an impressive 6 feet 5 inches and weighs in at a sizable 232 pounds himself, but if forming an impression based purely on his physique’s definition, your average onlooker might never remotely dream that his functional athleticism could easily rival the lifting capacity of all three men listed above.

The key word? Functional. Cesaro himself has stated he doesn’t place a great deal of stock in how much dead weight he can press, row or squat. Not only has he twirled the mammoth Great Khali’s 7-feet-1-inch body suspended in the air for around 30 consecutive seconds without scarcely straining himself and scoop-slammed all 400 pounds of The Big Show over the top rope, but the Swiss Superman routinely dives through the ropes with the smooth trajectory of Sin Cara or Kalisto and has even developed an admirable take on Rey Mysterio’s 619. This bastion of perfect muscular efficiency possesses an unparalleled mastery of every fiber and nerve that pairs phenomenally with a genius wrestling IQ.

WHAT TO WATCH: 2 OUT OF 3 FALLS, CESARO vs. SAMI ZAYN – SAMI ZAYN: NEVER BE THE SAME (WWE NETWORK COLLECTIONS)

3. KASSIUS OHNO

Paired once upon a time with Cesaro (then wrestling under his given name, Claudio Castagnoli) as one-half of the Kings of Wrestling, WWE.com recently featured the knockout artist once known as Chris Hero in an eye-opening featurette memorable for stating exactly what I myself am only recently rising to appreciate: Ohno’s uncanny muscle memory allows him to continue nipping up, executing immaculate front flips, diving on a run into the ring through the bottom two ropes and executing other feats capable of making body-obsessed fans want to meekly apologize for even quietly thinking his 280-pound, fairly soft body has no place inside an NXT or WWE ring.
Rumors circulated after Ohno’s release from his initial NXT run in 2013 that he had run afoul of WWE brass by refusing to address criticism of his appearance. Just exactly what measure of truth that chatter held remains up for debate, but to be fair, he indeed was not quite the svelte young man who had first made his bones in Chikara, Ring of Honor, Combat Zone Wrestling and elsewhere around the world years prior. It didn’t help that Ohno has always favored wearing his hair long and pairing it with a full face of scruff. Also, he did continue to put on weight after leaving.

Remarkably, he somehow did so without sacrificing an iota of nimble maneuverability. His cyclone kick is a thing of beauty. He gets air and velocity beneath a running senton that would make Bray Wyatt and Samoa Joe proud. Let the record show, you sometimes never know just what a man can do between the ropes until the bell rings.

WHAT TO WATCH: NO DISQUALIFICATIONS, KASSIUS OHNO vs. HIDEO ITAMI – NXT, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

4. SAMOA JOE

Is he same prodigy who tore through a 21-month ROH World Championship reign followed by a 17-month undefeated streak in TNA? No. Samoa Joe is older, arguably heavier and barely a stitch less athletically remarkable than he was more than 10 years ago. He also happens to be a more seasoned in-ring storyteller.

Can you imagine standing outside the ring and trying to steel yourself for moment a 280-pound slab of beef rockets through the top and middle ropes in your direction? At 38 years old, Joe can still nail that exact spot every single time. That’s hardly all there is to him though. There’s the slick step-up enziguri. Throw in the unfathomable rate at which he covers ground across the ring. Don’t ever doubt that he can still go for 30 minutes or more on any given night. Finally, never underestimate his own judo, jiu-jitsu and wrestling pedigree.

He might not, as the late Dusty Rhodes once said of himself, “look like the athlete of the day is supposed to look.” He doesn’t need to, either. The man is flexible, fast and superbly conditioned by years of boxing, martial arts and wrestling tutelage. The Samoan Submission Machine defies every last notion of what a fine-tuned physical punishment machine should resemble. After all, the man has been stretching and wearing out leaner men since I was in college.

WHAT TO WATCH: NXT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH, FINN BALOR © vs. SAMOA JOE – NXT TAKEOVER: DALLAS, APRIL 1, 2016

5. BIG BOSS MAN

The late Ray Traylor has never and might never receive the appreciation his surprising versatility merits. That reality followed him his entire career.

Jim Cornette once told a story of the day Traylor arrived to work under Rhodes’ booking in Jim Crockett Promotions. Fresh from his earliest training, Rhodes paired the 300-pound-plus man soon to be known as Big Bubba Rogers with Tully Blanchard, a technical maestro who stood only 5 feet 10 inches and weighed a modest 200 pounds. For a finish, the 6-foot-6 Traylor insisted on taking Blanchard’s slingshot vertical suplex finisher. Cornette and Rhodes doubted the giant, stocky former prison guard’s ability to play his part in pulling the move off…right up until he actually did it.

Think about it: that wasn’t even his final form. Shortly after a 1990 face turn in the World Wrestling Federation, the Big Boss Man would drop a boatload of weight and develop the ability to zip under the bottom rope like Shawn Michaels, throw a gorgeous standing crescent kick, bump like Curt Hennig and throw punches like a heavyweight prospect. He was a physical marvel from the beginning who never stopped learning and became leaner, meaner and more mobile, agile and hostile than even the American Dream and Cornette would have likely supposed he could have.

WHAT TO WATCH: BIG BOSS MAN vs. THE BARBARIAN – WWF ROYAL RUMBLE 1991, JANUARY 19, 1991

(NOTE: OK, I can’t help but fudge my format a bit. Alternately, I would also throw in his Wrestlemania VII Intercontinental Championship match with Hennig or his SummerSlam 1991 feud-ending Jailhouse Match with The Mountie. I tend to favor the Barbarian match for this list mostly because it displays just how effectively Traylor could bump and sell and make anyone look like a million bucks, but all three are fine examples of everything fun he brought to the table.)

6. KEVIN OWENS

The Prizefighter once earned an unsavory reputation early in his career for a stubborn refusal to work himself into the kind of presentable trim that would allow him to work without a shirt. Cornette has often cited that exact obstinate state of mind as a driving reason he wanted Owens gone from ROH as soon as possible.

I’m a Cult of Cornette disciple through and through, but even then, that perception has never struck me as anything less than baffling hypocrisy from a man once wowed by the aforementioned Traylor’s own spryness. Granted, Owens has worked himself into greatly improved condition since arriving first in NXT and then WWE, but he was jaw-droppingly fast and smooth in the air even then. From his cannonball splash and masterful swanton to a rarely deployed top-rope moonsault after executing a jumping 180-degree turn, Owens’ 266 pounds don’t do justice to just how primed his body is for the ring.

Here’s what really gets me, though. It isn’t merely the acrobatics. You simply don’t look at a raw-boned fellow like KO and expect his endurance. From one match to the next, he rarely needs a prolonged “rest” spot or comes across as blown-up or sloppy. He hits a high, steady gear from the start and just never takes his foot off the gas. In any given era, he would be a walking, talking sack of money.

WHAT TO WATCH: KEVIN OWENS vs. JOHN CENA – WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER, MAY 31, 2015

7. BROCK LESNAR (RUTHLESS AGGRESSION ERA)

No. Nope. No way.

Yes, the South Dakota-born Beast Incarnate is every ounce as strong as you would expect from gawking at him. Let it surprise no one that, in only his second UFC bout, he caved in Heath Herring’s eye socket and quite literally chased the Texas Crazy Horse right out of the sport. Prior to that, this is the man who repeatedly ragdolled The Big Show from one corner of the ring to the other with a symphony of suplexes. We get it. He is a comic-book monster come to life.

However, nothing and no one built of hate, steel, hellfire and muscle in such massive quantities as Lesnar can actually jump flat-footed from the arena floor to the ring apron, vault over the top rope and land a Shooting-Star Press off the top rope. You know, that aerial move made famous by cruiserweight star Billy Kidman? Cruiserweight, as in, “weighs under 205 pounds?”

Human beings just don’t work that way, right?

Right?

WHAT TO WATCH: WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH, KURT ANGLE © vs. BROCK LESNAR – WRESTLEMANIA XIX, MARCH 30, 2003

(NOTE: Yes, I know he missed the Shooting-Star Press and could have damn near broken his absolutely everything. Two things: one, go ahead and marvel at the fact he finished the damn match and needed scarcely any time off after to heal; and two, verified accounts have him hitting that move consistently while training in OVW.)

8. THE UNDERTAKER

As if I would have chosen anybody else.

I can sum this up with a then-ongoing debate I once carried on with my good friend Jeremy many years ago. Watching TNA at one point, he marveled at Sonjay Dutt’s version of The Undertaker’s rope-walk. Wrench the arm. Walk up to the top turnbuckle. Walk along the top rope to the center and jump down with a fist drop on an opponent’s shoulder.

“He does that even better than The Undertaker,” Jeremy suggested.

“No, he really doesn’t,” I retorted.

“What makes you say that?”

“Let me ask you something, Jeremy: is Sonjay Dutt nearly 7 feet tall and around 300 pounds?”

“Good point.”

More than that, The Undertaker could flatout go. Even when he reached the mileage point of being able to break out his running vault over the top rope only at WrestleMania, you never truly appreciated his freakish endurance until you saw him paired with someone who, on paper, should have run circles around him. His staggering wind comes into greater context when one theorizes that he picked up more than a nifty late-career finisher from his many years as an ardent MMA and boxing fan. The Dead Man may have very well been a pioneer of wrestlers training like legitimate combat-sport athletes. I wonder if years worth of colleagues were simply scared to try and tell him, “You know bodies your size aren’t meant to do MOST of what you do, right?”

WHAT TO WATCH: WWE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH, KURT ANGLE © vs. UNDERTAKER – WWE NO WAY OUT, FEBRUARY 19, 2006

We’re going home, kids. Thank you all for joining me once again. If you have love, hate or respectful disagreements to share, drop me a line on Twitter @comercodex any time. Dig what you read and want to know what else I get up to when I’m not spilling my guts about the Sport of Kings here? I’m on Twitch nearly every evening from 6 p.m. CT at Twitch.tv/comercodex playing all manner of PS4 games to rush through my backlog.

I’m Sean. You’re not. Never dull your colors for someone else’s canvas. Time to tag out.

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Opinion

DeMarco: Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo, or Jim Cornette?

Greg DeMarco evaluates a $10 million dollar question (literally) – who would you choose if you were starting a new wrestling company?

Published

3 months ago

November 21, 2025

Greg DeMarco

Greg DeMarco evaluates a $10 million dollar question (literally) – who would you choose if you were starting a new wrestling company?

Social media has flipped the script on pro wrestling. The fans have more power than ever before—booking is done in real time, buzz is built or buried in seconds, and no one waits until Monday to cut a promo anymore.

Social media is also a place where ideas are shared and discussion takes place. The basis for this article was a question posted on social media, using this image:

It’s the Ten Million Dollar Question: If you are handed $10 million to start a wrestling company, and you have to pick one of the following as your partner, who do you pick? Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo, or Jim Cornette.

Ten Million Dollars?

Ten million dollars sounds like a lot—until you start pricing out weekly production, talent contracts, live event logistics, licensing, digital, and TV. That money will go fast when you realize you’re competing with billion-dollar conglomerates that can lose money just to win the culture war. To truly break through in today’s wrestling economy, $10 million is your entry fee, not your war chest.

You do have options, such as Roku TV (similar to the NWA), YouTube, and more. This should ABSOLUTELY factor into your decision–distribution is key. And all three options do have some connection, and that needs to be considered.

You already know the options…

You’re reading this article, so you already know all about Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo, and Jim Cornette.

Eric Bischoff broke all the rules—and made it work. He launched Monday Nitro, flipped the industry upside down with the nWo, and forced Vince McMahon to innovate. Bischoff turned WCW into a legit number one brand and changed the entire TV presentation of wrestling forever. Without him, do we have the Attitude Era? There’s no way to be certain.

Vince Russo brought the chaos—and a whole lot of ratings. He gave us Crash TV, blurred the lines between fiction and reality, and wasn’t afraid to throw the whole format into a blender. While the long-term storytelling often suffered, the shock factor he brought drove eyeballs and made every segment feel like “can’t miss” television. But you can argue that, without Eric Bischoff, there’s no Vince Russo.

Jim Cornette is wrestling tradition personified. He’s protected the business with his life, shaped generations of talent behind the scenes, and built up territories when no one else could. Cornette’s strength lies in his psychology, heat-building, and his unapologetic belief in what wrestling should be—even when the industry moves past it. Does that play if you’re starting a brand new company in 2025? In my opinion, the jury is still out.

But who do you choose?

To be fair, you can’t just pick someone and go. You need to pick someone who aligns with your vision.

If you’re trying to focus on “old school” and nostalgia, Jim Cornette is your guy.
If you plan to build on shock value, your product going viral, and outlandish reactions, you pick Vince Russo.
If you think distribution is important, and need to get your product out there, you choose Eric Bischoff.

For me? I am a business guy. It’s called “the wrestling business,” and your $10 million investment needs to see a return.

I choose Eric Bischoff.

Many of you will scoff at this, thinking Jim Cornette was the right choice. He has a brilliant mind, and he has a following to help get you started. Hell, its enough for me to second-guess myself. Cornette is a close second. Vince Russo? Not a fan in this scenario.

But my perspective is different. I am a wresting promoter–I book and promote successful wrestling events. Our biggest weakness? Distribution. Among the three options, Eric Bischoff is far stronger.

How do you leverage Eric Bischoff?

Remember how the table was set – you’re given $10 million dollars to start a wrestling company. THAT is the hook. To me, that sounds like two things: a wrestling promotion AND a reality show. Even if the wrestling portion is on a streaming platform, or our own distribution like YouTube–the behind the scenes content is what Eric can start shopping. That can give us more resources in terms of budget and production. He also has the connection to Conrad Thompson, which helps with the online community.

If Bischoff gets us a distribution deal, even if it’s for the reality show portion, we have more budget for talent. Two people I can hire? Jim Cornette and Vince Russo. They are reality show GOLD.

Do I have to pay Eric Bischoff? Sure, but he’s not a “salary guy.” You want to motivate Eric Bischoff to perform, appeal to his competitive side. Give him a piece of the business–when the business grows, so does his piece. That’s one of the biggest advantages to having the former head of WCW.

Welcome to the team, Eric! Now let’s to get ourselves a deal!

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Opinion

Greg DeMarco’s WWE SummerSlam 2025 Preview, Betting Odds, & Predictions

Are you ready for WWE SummerSlam? Greg DeMarco makes sure are with his official preview & predictions!

Published

7 months ago

August 2, 2025

Greg DeMarco

Are you ready for WWE SummerSlam? Greg DeMarco makes sure are with his official preview & predictions!

August 2–3, 2025 • MetLife Stadium

WWE is turning SummerSlam into the biggest blockbuster of the summer with a two‑night extravaganza, packing in title bouts, and celebrity surprise appearances. Let’s dive into the matches, the action that led us here, and the betting lines that tell us who the bookies think bets on.

And of course, the pièce de résistance, my predictions done in true form: Who Should Win? Who Will Win?

And as an added bonus, PC Tunney has sent along his picks, which will be included with each match!

WWE SummerSlam 2025 – Night 1 – Saturday, August 2

World Heavyweight Championship – CM Punk vs. Gunther (c)

Odds: CM Punk (−180), Gunther (+140)
Punk is favored at about a 64% win probability

Punk earned his shot in a gauntlet match, but remember that he came in last to beat a man in Bron Breakker who came in first. Regardless, the tension has been simmering ever since. Gunther’s technical dominance will test Punk’s recklessness, making this a high-stakes and high strikes match. Expect close calls, but if Punk pulls this off, he reestablishes himself at the very top of WWE’s hierarchy (although he doesn’t need it).

Who Should Win: Gunther
Who Will Win: Gunther

Look, I know CM Punk is the sentimental pick to win, but Gunther NEEDS to win here. Otherwise, what is he? Gunther is the type of wrestler whose character thrives on wins and losses, whereas CM Punk is a made guy.

PC Tunney’s pick: “CM Punk – If Seth isn’t hurt we likely see a cash in. I’ll stick with he’s hurt and Punk captures gold.”

Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed

Odds: Reigns & Uso (−1500), Breakker & Reed (+600)
Roman & Jey are favored at about a 94% win probability

The Bloodline team is an iron-clad force, backed by legacy and brutal efficiency. Breakker and Reed bring raw power and youthful fury, aiming to shock the world. This will hinge on teamwork vs. dominance—do the underdogs coordinate enough to upset the odds? The wildcard in all of this is the WWE’s efforts to build Heyman’s duo, and establish Bron Breakker as a leader, and a star for the new generation. Does that swing the booking? I think it might.

Who Should Win: Roman Reigns & Jey Uso
Who Will Win: Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed

Given the betting odds, it might actually be worth dropping a few bucks on this one (I won’t). I don’t think Seth Rollins appears here, but might we see a new member? I think we could. As far as my pick of Breakker & Reed, I’ll go a step further: Bron Breakker pins Roman Reigns. It won’t be clean, but it’ll be forever etched in history.

PC Tunney’s pick: “Roman & Jey – I don’t see Roman losing much.”

Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul

Odds: Orton & Jelly Roll (−500), McIntyre & Paul (+300)
Randy Orton & Jelly Roll are favored at about an 83% win probability

Jelly Roll’s wrestling debut has added real unpredictability, while Orton’s veteran savvy balances McIntyre’s muscle and Paul’s sheen. Expect social‑media chaos with a strong element of violencem This match plays to spectacle far more than to wrestling acumen.

Who Should Win: Randy Orton & Jelly Roll
Who Will Win: Randy Orton & Jelly Roll

Don’t overthink this one. Play it safe, go with the babyface celebrity.

PC Tunney’s pick: Orton & Jelly Roll – RK… Roll

WWE Women’s Championship – Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Jade Cargill

Odds: Jade Cargill (−600), Tiffany Stratton (+350)
Jade is favored at about an 86% win probability

Cargill has steamrolled challengers on her way to this pinnacle moment, while Stratton has proven she can hang with the elite (get it?). Will Stratton’s athleticism and swagger crack Cargill’s aura—or will Jade’s debutante dominance silence the critics?

Who Should Win: Tiffany Stratton
Who Will Win: Tiffany Stratton

I’m probably stupid, but I don’t think we’re done with Tiffany Stratton as WWE Women’s Champion just yet. Maybe Bianca Belair costs Jade, maybe it’s someone else.

Actually, I’m positive I’m wrong.

PC Tunney’s pick: Jade Cargill – Time to see what Jade’s got!

See, even Tunney knows that I’m wrong!

The Judgment Day (Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez) (c) vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss – WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

Odds: Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss (–400), Judgment Day (+400)

Charlotte & Alexa are an 88% favorite to win here

Rodriguez and Perez have held the titles well through their title defenses, but Charlotte and Alexa bring star power, chemistry and a storyline deeply rooted in reluctant alliances. If Flair & Bliss click at the right moment, they could steamroll Judgment Day’s dominance. But if the champions have hidden synergy? This could be their breakout moment.

Who Should Win: Roxanne Perez & Raquel Rodriguez
Who Will Win: Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss

It makes WAY more sense for Roxanne & Raquel to retain, but the star power and fan-pleasing title change has to be hard for WWE to pass up. That’s okay, The Judgment Day duo can regain the titles in a TV match that leads to the inevitable split for Flair and Bliss.

PC Tunney’s pick: Charlotte & Alexa – I want to see this happen, I really want to lol

I have no clue why!

Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross – Singles Match

Odds: Sami Zayn (–250), Karrion Kross (+180)
Zayn is favored with a 71% win percentage.

Zayn’s momentum has been on a roller coaster ride for, well basically his entire WWE career. Fueled by emotional storytelling and that Helluva Kick finishing move he’s perfected over years. Kross is the physical menace—the kind of throwback monster heel who wants to bury Zayn’s momentum once and for all.

Who Should Win: Sami Zayn
Who Will Win: Sami Zayn

Based on everything I say, you’d think I wasn’t a Karrion Kross fan…when in actuality I’m a huge fan of the performer. But the character stinks, in my opinion, anyway. He’s a legitimate bad ass, and should be featured as one. Sami Zayn, on the other hand, is beloved by many, and should be headed to a mega push on The Road To WrestleMania 42. And a win here only makes sense.

PC Tunney’s pick: Karrion Kross – “Kross was right.”

WWE SummerSlam 2025 – Night 2 – Sunday, August 3

Street Fight for the Undisputed WWE Championship – John Cena (c) vs. Cody Rhodes

Odds: Cody Rhodes (−300), John Cena (+200)
Cody expected to regain the WWE’s top title at a win probability of 75%

This is the culmination of years: WrestleMania rematch, street fight rules, and Cena’s impending WWE retirement looming. Cody is favored to reclaim the title, but Cena’s legacy and weaponized veteran instincts make this a volatile rematch. But it IS A rematch. Does Cody’s movie role have any impact on the booking? Recent WWE direction tells me no.

Who Should Win: John Cena
Who Will Win: Cody Rhodes

Seth Rollins cashing in on John Cena (after he wins) here would be golden, but I’m not betting on it. Instead, go with what we know: LOLCODYWINS.

PC Tunney’s pick: Seth Rollins – Another heist of epic proportions!!!

Hell yeah, Tunney. Hell yeah.

Intercontinental Championship – AJ Styles vs. Dominik Mysterio (c)

Odds: Dominik (−200), Styles (+150)
Mysterio expected to retain at 67%

Styles brings experience, speed and flash, but Dominik has equally mastered psychological warfare and home‑field advantage. Expect a tactical back‑and‑forth, with Dominik banking on interference and lineage to stay gold.

Who Should Win: AJ Styles
Who Will Win: Dominik Mysterio

I love the idea of Dominik Mysterio winning the AAA Mega Championship at TripleMania, and carrying that belt both in Mexico and on WWE Monday Night Raw. And I think that does happen. So why does he need the Intercontinental Championship if that’s the direction?

He doesn’t. But WWE likely wants to see him draped in gold, and having him hold both accomplishes just that.

PC Tunney’s pick: Dominik Mysterio – Looking forward to this match most. These two should steal night two.

Triple Threat Match for the Women’s World Championship – Naomi (c) vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Iyo Sky

Odds: Naomi (−1500), Rhea Ripley (+400), Iyo Sky (+750)
Naomi is a ….94% favorite to win? Seems crazy!

Naomi’s cash‑in and reign have been meteoric, but Sky and Ripley are hungry competitors who revitalized the division. This triple threat has finishers flying every which way—can Naomi dodge chaos and retain against the charging challengers? Or Ripley simply too popular to keep the title off of?

Who Should Win: Naomi
Who Will Win: Rhea Ripley

In an ideal world, this match closes Night 1. Of course, that ain’t happening, as it sits on the card for Night 2. It makes ZERO sense to take the belt off of Naomi so fast, but I think we are going to start seeing LOLRHEAWINS become a thing very soon.

PC Tunney’s pick: Naomi – Why cash in just to lose so soon?

Steel Cage Match for the United States Championship – Solo Sikoa (c) vs. Jacob Fatu

Odds: Solo Sikoa (−140), Jacob Fatu (+100)
Solo Sikoa sits as a 58.3% favorite to retain, the closest match odds of the weekend.

This grudge match in a cage is about revenge, incarceration-style brutality, and salvaging legacy. Fatu’s unpredictability (and recent arrest angle) ups the danger—so does Solo’s Bloodline backing and cunning brutality. The steel cage isn’t only meant to keep people out, it’s meant to be a weapon.

Which is good, because you know it ain’t keeping people out.

Who Should Win: Soli Sikoa
Who Will Win: Solo Sikoa

Jakob Fatu is meant for more than this program, and as we march into 2026, he will likely be headed down that road. But first, we need to see Solo and his MFTs victorious in a steel cage? Why? So they can ready San Diego, and the world, for the next chapter if Bloodline War Games!

PC Tunney’s pick: Solo Sikoa – Jacob should be moving on to bigger title scenes sooner than later.

Women’s Intercontinental Championship – Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria

Odds: Lyra Valkyria (−200), Becky Lynch (+150)
Valkyria favored to regain the title with a 66.7% edge

Becky is the veteran queen, Valkyria is the rising star hungry to dethrone her. Their recent matches have been technical showcases—this time divisional prestige, animosity and payback are dialing things even higher.

Who Should Win: Becky Lynch
Who Will Win: Lyra Valkyria

I am really torn on this one–at least on the “Who Will Win?” side. Personally, I don’t see the star power in Lyra that others do. Her promos still aren’t there, and let’s be honest. Is she all that much better than released stars like Dakota Kai and Shayna Baszler?

PC Tunney’s pick: Lyra Valkyria – Because Bayley.

TLC (Tables, Ladders, & Chairs) for the WWE Tag Team Championships – Wyatt Sicks (c) vs. Andrade & Rey Fenix vs. Fraxiom vs. DIY vs. Street Profits vs. Motor City Machine Guns

Odds: Andrade & Rey Fenix (+130 favorite, ~43.5%), Wyatt Sicks (+150), Fraxiom (+250), DIY (+500), Street Profits (+700), MCMG (+1000)
Andrade & Fenix are (surprisingly) at 43% favorite to win here.

This six‑team TLC match is WWE admitting a mistake by spotlighting its tag division now. Expect insanity—and the champions have to survive a flurry of stunts if they want to protect the belts at the elite level.

Who Should Win: The Wyatt Sicks
Who Will Win: The Wyatt Sicks

There really is no reason to move the tag titles here… instead this is all about spectacle. This match likely opens up Night 2, and it will deliver. But I see no reason why Joe Gacy & Dexter Lumis won’t retain.

PC Tunney’s pick: Street Profits – This match should be a highlight of the weekend.

Final Thoughts for WWE SummerSlam 2025

SummerSlam 2025 is shaping up as a historic two-night WWE spectacle where legacy meets fresh blood, celebrity meets spectacle, and titles are on the line in every direction. The odds give us a blueprint of what the bookies believe—but wrestling is scripted to take us on a roller coaster ride of surprises. Let’s sit back and enjoy the ride!