Opinion

News From Cook’s Corner 6.29.20: Whatever You’ve Heard, It’s Worse

Cook brings us the highlights from the “slow news week”.

Published

6 years ago

June 29, 2020

Hi, hello & welcome to News From Cook’s Corner! This column has had two previous runs, one lasting from until 2005 until 2007 and the second from 2009 until 2012. There was a phenomenon that would pop up from time to time during each of those time periods that we haven’t seen here in months.

It was called the “slow news week”.

Sometimes things just wouldn’t happen. Or stuff would happen that would be a re-run of something that happened before and I wouldn’t have much interest in writing about it. I would sit in front of my computer for hours at a time (I had nothing better to do, and if it wasn’t for streaming services I’d be saying “some things never change”.) wondering what in the blue hell I was going to write about this week. Writer’s block can be a mother.

That isn’t the problem anymore. Now, it’s trying to decide what I’m going to feature in this column and what’ll have to wait for another time. There’s also the fact that between the time I finish writing and the time the column gets posted here on The Chairshot, another fifteen major events end up happening. Things happen faster than ever now, and if you miss a day to try & do something else, you miss everything.

Much of it is worth missing, to be honest. But it’s my duty to be here yapping about it, which I’ll continue to do as long as the Chairshot brass wants me around. I assume they do. The point I’m getting at here is that now instead of wondering “What should I write about?” because there’s nothing going on, I wonder “What should I write about?” because everything is going on. And these aren’t the old days where five thousand words was a short news column. Or where I only had one column to write a week, for that matter.

So. Let’s start with something I wrote about in last Monday’s column that exploded days later.

Told ya there was a pandemic.

OK, I know that I wasn’t sounding alarm bells to anybody last week that didn’t already know the deal. I’ve always had a very intelligent audience during my time as a wrestling writer. People that read me regularly know what’s going on. I’m preaching to the choir when I tell people that THERE’S STILL A PANDEMIC GOING ON AND PEOPLE ARE DYING MAYBE YOU SHOULD WEAR A MASK OR STAY INSIDE OR AT LEAST NOT BREATHE ON ME. I know you all get it.

WWE does not get it. We’ve known this since the McMahon family bribed the Governor of Florida to hold events there. WWE cares about holding events for their networks and satisfying those contracts. The health of their independent contractors…well, that’s somewhere on the list of priorities, but it’s pretty low.

You wanna tell me it’s not? Ask Renee Young. She got one of those covid tests from WWE, was good, went home, felt ill and needed another one. Once she tested positive & let her husband & everybody else know, WWE couldn’t get farther away from it. Maybe they’ve contacted her by now, but it was at least three days when the news was broke. At least three days too many. Who do these people think they are? I read news bites about how WWE is mad at Renee for making her test public. Who in the hell are they to get mad about that? My blood pressure rises with my rage at these people.

Kayla Braxton let us know she’s got the virus twice. Adam Pearce has it now. WWE shut everybody down after that. Now we just have to guess based off of who isn’t currently on TV. AJ Styles vs. Drew Gulak didn’t happen on SmackDown? Well Drew must have the virus because AJ doesn’t think it exists. Daniel Bryan wasn’t on SmackDown? Well hopefully he flew the coop before getting it and doesn’t have it, since he has a baby on the way.

These are scary times. WWE isn’t making them any less scary by re-testing the Raw roster because they didn’t like the results the first time. Like…what? We’re just going to keep going until we get results we like is some right-wing nonsense. Listen, I don’t know how many people tested positive once WWE finally bothered to test people. I do know that WWE had its head in the sand for a long time, passed some money to the corrupt Florida Governor to keep that going, and now are trying to hide test results. Is there anyway somebody can spin this as good? Probably, but I’m not somebody capable of it.

Apparently “fans” were allowed to wear masks on Friday. Goody! After however many tapings they weren’t allowed to. Awesome.

WWE’s blame in this is undeniable. They followed their President, and they’re reaping what they sowed. It’s been a shambolic series of events. They deserve every ounce of blame they get. However, I do feel the need to pass blame on to other quarters, since there’s plenty to go around. For example, AEW felt pretty good about hosting parties with their talent posing with Mike Tyson, and they even let a WWE-contracted talent attend, even though WWE testing is much less stringent than AEW’s. AEW at least has a COVID testing site at their football stadium, so it’s easy to get their wrestlers & fans tested. I can’t deny that I feel a little worried when they have lumberjack matches and have everybody in the ring at the same time. Also, I feel like Britt Baker should be in a Popemobile until further notice.

However, it should also be noted that many wrestlers seem unconcerned. Perhaps it’s based off what Big Daddy Vince tells them. But we’ve all seen wrestlers violate social distancing guidelines. We saw Billie Kay’s big Vegas birthday, along with other social events. That’s the tricky thing when trying to pin everything on the company. You can lead the horse to water but you can’t make them drink. Wrestlers are bound to break the rules, its their nature.

Then there’s the fans. I’ve been doing ROH reviews for the past several weeks for 411mania. A common trend in their comments: when will ROH do shows again? As a lapsed ROH fan I’ve enjoyed the best ofs because it’s stuff I haven’t seen before. But the diehard ROH fans are asking for more. Understandable, especially since ROH avoided doing a Best of Dalton Castle show during Pride Month. Seems like an easy show to do, but somehow they missed it. Honestly, that’s the one reason Sinclair should be asking me to get on board, I would have seen that as an idea when apparently nobody else there did. Delirious & Marty had their minds on other things, obviously. They need somebody on staff concerned with entertaining the people.

Now I see & hear people wondering why this isn’t a bigger story. Certainly, we’ve reached the point where this whole WWE pandemic is bigger than wrestling media, right? Heck, throw in AEW if you want, and maybe some tabloid reporter can blow up the IWA Mid-South show and equate it with how the whole business works. That’s what they did all the time back in the late 1990s. 20/20 equated backyard wrestling with pro wrestling to make the business look bad. Why aren’t we seeing this sort of thing right now?

For one thing, most of the mainstream media doesn’t care. Let’s be honest, most of your TV news & newspaper folks have spent most of their lives looking down on pro wrestling. They don’t care if Vince is doing some other stupid thing, it’s just one of many stupid things that’s not their problem. It’s not even worth tearing down to them. A bunch of people get sick or die? Eh, they’re just wrestlers. Fortunately for these folks, wrestling is low enough on the totem pole and has such a poor reputation that they can get away with this malfeasance.

As for the mainstream media folks that are outspoken wrestling fans? Well, they’re not going to bring Vince down either. Either they’re fanboys for the product and wouldn’t dare say anything to cross the man that’s given them so much entertainment over the years, or they’re going to keep their heads in the sand because they don’t wanna hear about it. They’ve gotten enough crap from their peers over the years, right? Better just to ignore it and hope nobody notices. I hold these people in lower regard than their colleagues that just don’t care, because all they really care about is being entertained, and they won’t do anything to put that selfish need of theirs in jeopardy.

I’d like to be surprised, but it’s going to take even more than what’s transpired so far for the media to give a hoot. Or for the people in the media that care to use their platform & say something.

Impact Wrestling had an eventful week.

Tessa Blanchard’s contract was terminated and she was stripped of the Impact World Championship. Reasons that leaked out included her refusal to send in a pre-taped interview, or to travel across the border from Mexico to work for the company. While Tessa’s been the subject of multiple complaints from fellow workers & wrestling companies, there is one gaping hole in this whole narrative from Impact Wrestling: Tessa’s contract was set to expire on June 30. Impact was advertising her for a match on July 18 when they had to know that Blanchard had no intention of re-signing with their company. Whoops.

Perhaps they thought that she would go along with the flow & show up & drop the title anyway…but am I going to blame her for not wanting to travel from Mexico to Nashville and risk the possibility of being stuck in the country afterwards, far away from her fiance? Nope. She could have done an interview, sure. Impact could have also booked a match with her prior to her contract expiring. Plans go awry sometimes.

Personally, I like my idea of having everybody act like Moose’s TNA World Championship was the main title all along. It’s more likely they’ll just put the title up for grabs at Slammiversary in the King of the Mountain match.

As for Tessa, I was unsure where she would go at first, but after a day or two to think about it I know somebody will sign her. I know we hear all of these things about attitude problems, and there’s been some allegations of racism & bullying towards her, but she’s got talent and she’s young. She’s got plenty of time to figure it all out. I’m not surprised Uncle Dave is telling us that WWE has already reached out. Heck, if those allegations are true, that just might help her win WWE management over.

Michael Elgin also got released from the company and everybody thought it might have been due to some allegations that resurfaced last week. Nah, it had more to do with him & Sami Callihan getting into a fight backstage over a match they were planning. Joey Ryan’s dismissal, however, does seem to be due to the mounting allegations against him. As far as I know, he didn’t get in a backstage fight with Sami or his pals. I can see Elgin working in Japan for the rest of his career, and maybe Ryan’s best strategy would be to hope that nobody over there knows about his problems either.

Once you burn your Impact Wrestling bridge, there aren’t many places to go.

Speaking Out Fallout So Far

As I wrote about on Thursday, allegations against Mike Quackenbush & some of his trainers/wrestlers led to CHIKARA being shut down. Quackenbush promised to address the allegations, and boy did he ever. Quack posted a thirteen minute video on YouTube where he spoke out about each allegation, taking responsibility for some and denying others. He definitely put a lot of thought & work into it, you gotta give him credit for that.

If we’re ranking sincerity of apologies, I would rank Quack below Sammy Guevara, who I think has done the best job of expressing his remorse so far. He’d be ahead of Marty Scrull, who ripped off Kobe Bryant’s statement after Colorado for his apology. And everybody in the world would be ahead of Joey Ryan. Some compared Quack’s statement to the in-character diatribe that Kevin Spacey posted after his allegations, but I have to disagree because at least Quack admitted to some wrong-doing. We’ll see where it goes. I can’t see Quackenbush fronting an indy fed again. Can I see him training wrestlers again? Maybe.

Speaking of Marty, Ring of Honor announced on Thursday that they have launched an investigation into the allegations concerning their contracted talent. Some on social media have pointed out that ROH has launched a number of investigations in recent years that never led to anything. I mean…well…we’ll see what happens.

Matt Riddle continues to be featured on WWE television, and is being built up for a feud with King Corb-wait a minute, we’re supposed to believe feuding with Corbin is a good thing? Well, that’s news to me. While we’re on the topic, there’s no chance in hell that this news floating around with Corbin being mad at this Riddle feud is true. Somebody is getting worked, and frankly I’m here for that. While still hoping that the Riddle allegations aren’t true because if they are it’s completely ridiculous to push him the way they are.

David Starr hasn’t been heard from since, except possibly on Tinder? I doubt we that talk about pro wrestling will hear from him again. That boy got cancelled good enough that I doubt I’ll ever mention him again in this column. The guy didn’t even accomplish enough to be good joke material.

WWE has been acting on some of the NXT UK allegations, releasing El Ligero & Travis Banks. There’s been a lot of speculation on whether or not NXT UK will continue as a brand, and personally I’ve been wondering that since the pandemic started. I haven’t seen much evidence of NXT UK helping WWE grow their brand in the United Kingdom since it started. If anything, it’s hurt the brand. Why wouldn’t WWE just take Pete Dunne, WALTER and the rest of Imperium & call it a day? I feel like WWE always drew better in Europe on a limited basis anyway. Germany loved Bret Hart because they only saw him once every few years. Maybe Triple H sees it as a passion project and will keep it going beyond reason, but all logic tells me that we’ve already seen the last NXT UK live event. So WWE will probably book one pretty soon because that’s how they roll, amirite?

Jim Cornette did a podcast where he denied any and all allegations because that’s how he rolls. Corny’s smart enough to know he has that Donald Trump fanbase that loves him no matter what he does, and he makes enough money off of them that he doesn’t have to work for anybody else. So we’ll never know the truth there. I did see where somebody else confirmed the allegations after being silent, and I also saw a promo with that person, Synn & Jim Cornette where some of Synn’s lines felt like shoot comments. I take Jim’s commentary with 10,000 grains of salt, which is a shame because back in the day he seemed like the greatest wrestling historian I had ever heard.

David Lagana resigned from his position with the NWA, which has led to their programming on YouTube being suspended until further notice. The main thing I will miss from their YouTube content is Eddie Kingston promos. His last two at the start of Carnyland episodes on the status of the NWA, then about the #BlackLivesMatter protests made him seem like the conscience of the promotion. Very powerful stuff, as you would expect from the War King.

We’ll see whether or not Billy Corgan finds somebody to fill Lagana’s shoes. I think he will, there are a lot of diehard fans out there. Maybe not with the same television knowledge that Lagana has, but definitely a similar love for pro wrestling. And not the same baggage.

Dream Over?

Overused subtitle, I know. But every time Velveteen Dream appears in the news these days, it’s for nothing good. In addition to his name popping up with more sexual misconduct allegations involving minors last week, Dream was involved in a car accident on Friday. Fightful reported that he was released from the hospital after receiving treatment. I don’t know all of what’s going on with this guy, but as an outside observer it looks like a case of somebody self-destructing at a fairly rapid pace. If WWE isn’t going to release him, and I’m not telling them whether they should or not, somebody there needs to be doing something to help him out. Otherwise, this story is heading towards a really bad ending.

Or his friends should be trying to step in. I know some people are beyond help, and maybe this is one of those cases.

Who is the GOAT?

In wrestling? Easy answer; when I was 15 (broke & evicted) this man let me live with him in Nashville 🙏🏾
Downtown Bruno.
Most don’t know who Bruno is but a few do.
My brother @steveaustinBSR comes in a very close 2nd 🤣
Cheers to life’s wild and unpredictable journey 🍻#goat https://t.co/quc12kXqys

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) June 27, 2020

Downtown Bruno/Harvey Whippleman as the GOAT is something I can get behind. Maybe we can discuss that at a later date if things calm down, Until then, keep your stick on the ice,

About Chairshot Radio Network

Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

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WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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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

4 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!

About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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

8 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!