- 5 months ago
Bron Breakker STEALS the ring from Roman Reigns Raw Recap, July 28, 2025 - WWE
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00:00:00CM Punk beats Gunther on the microphone.
00:00:05Big E is going to be on the show.
00:00:07Stephanie Vicar is going to be on the show.
00:00:09Roman Reigns gets left laying and his shoes get stolen.
00:00:15This is the last Raw recap before SummerSlam,
00:00:19and it's a WWE and Fanatics original production.
00:00:30I'm telling you right now, I am telling you right now,
00:00:35I am not going to MetLife Stadium,
00:00:40walking through the turnstile,
00:00:42having my ticket torn,
00:00:44sitting down in my chair,
00:00:46so I can watch Roman Reigns not destroy people.
00:00:51I did not like...
00:00:53See, I mean, listen, listen.
00:00:55I'm not prepared to see my tribal chief get laid out in any situation,
00:01:04and I'm not happy to see my tribal chief get laid out in any situation.
00:01:09But you better buckle up because Braun Breaker has a plan.
00:01:12Well, apparently his plan was to double spear Jey Uso and Roman Reigns through a barricade.
00:01:17And by the way, if that wasn't enough,
00:01:19here's the...
00:01:20It's the disrespect.
00:01:22The message was sent,
00:01:23and then Bronson Reed takes the tribal chief's shoes off his feet.
00:01:32And as a sneakerhead, that was offensive to you.
00:01:35Listen, as somebody who went to New York Public School,
00:01:38that's offensive to me.
00:01:39Because there's two things that happen, okay?
00:01:41Listen, the people can see all of the action figures,
00:01:45but they can't see all of the shoes.
00:01:47Sneakers, as far as the eye can see.
00:01:49And the fact is that if you come to school with a nice pair of sneakers on
00:01:54and you get in a fight and you lose the fight,
00:01:57okay, you lost the fight, you come back tomorrow.
00:01:59If you lost the fight and somebody took your shoes,
00:02:02if you don't get those sneakers back and that guy's wearing your shoes,
00:02:06transfer schools, move to a different town.
00:02:09You're done.
00:02:10There's no coming back from that.
00:02:11It was like the full-on message was not only are we taking out Roman Reigns,
00:02:19because it started with Braun Breaker after taking out Roman Reigns,
00:02:25citing that Roman Reigns no-microphone promo that I've talked about before.
00:02:30I don't know if it was here or on Sirius or on the Not Sam podcast.
00:02:34Maybe it was everywhere, because I love to talk about it.
00:02:36Roman Reigns, on his way to face Logan Paul, saying,
00:02:41this is my ring.
00:02:42These are my fans.
00:02:44That's my camera.
00:02:46That's right.
00:02:46Braun Breaker, tonight, Monday Night Raw, saying it used to be yours.
00:02:53Now it's mine.
00:02:54But did it in an insulting way.
00:02:57Oh, yeah.
00:02:58Like, not only am I declaring, because you're right.
00:03:02You're right.
00:03:03It's an insulting way, because he's not just saying it's all mine now.
00:03:06He's saying, I've taken it from you.
00:03:09Roman Reigns, when he said this is all mine.
00:03:11He said he built it.
00:03:12And he backed it up through numbers.
00:03:14He backed it up through metrics.
00:03:16I make a difference.
00:03:18I'm the difference maker.
00:03:19If you put me on a show, more tickets get sold.
00:03:24If you put me on television, there's more eyeballs on the screen.
00:03:29I put us on Netflix.
00:03:30Yes, straight up business metrics.
00:03:34What Braun Breaker is saying is not now what was once true for you is true for me.
00:03:40What Braun Breaker is saying is it's mine because I've taken it from you.
00:03:45I've taken the role from you, and I've taken everything that comes along with that role from you.
00:03:50And there's nothing you can do about it as you're laying in a heap.
00:03:54Over the last three weeks, it's been fascinating to watch Braun Breaker.
00:03:57Even before Seth Rollins was out with an injury.
00:04:02I mean, we saw that interaction.
00:04:04It was Heyman, it was Braun Breaker, and it was Seth Rollins in the ring.
00:04:07And Braun Breaker asked for the microphone.
00:04:11And Seth looked shocked by it.
00:04:12I don't even know if he asked for it.
00:04:14He went for it.
00:04:14Cooked the microphone.
00:04:15Yeah.
00:04:15And then we see him tonight in this leadership role.
00:04:19We see him backstage saying that he has a plan.
00:04:22We see him cutting the Roman Reigns promo.
00:04:26When has that been a strength of Braun Breaker's?
00:04:28When have you ever heard, no, no, no, he's the guy who comes up with plans.
00:04:31Braun Breaker is the executioner.
00:04:33He's the guy that spears people.
00:04:34Right.
00:04:35And gets them in half.
00:04:35He follows orders.
00:04:37He's the soldier.
00:04:39Now, all of a sudden, he's like, no, no, no, I got the plan.
00:04:42And Heyman, I don't know if Paul Heyman is just in survival mode, because there's nobody
00:04:47who survives in this world of professional wrestling the way Paul Heyman survives.
00:04:52But he's not remotely stopping it.
00:04:55If anything, when Braun Breaker is saying it's mine now, Paul Heyman is saying, yes, it is.
00:05:00Yes, it is.
00:05:00And that's the, what was the word?
00:05:01Because he's the oracle now.
00:05:03Oh, he said that he's the oracle.
00:05:06And it's, uh, that's not a prediction.
00:05:08That's a prophecy.
00:05:09A prophecy.
00:05:11So he starts the show telling Jey Uso, you can't count on your family.
00:05:16Family.
00:05:17Family shmamily.
00:05:18That's right.
00:05:19Is what he says.
00:05:20Yes.
00:05:20He said, your family is always going to get you in trouble.
00:05:22Right.
00:05:23They're always going to let you down.
00:05:24They're going to let you down.
00:05:26They're going to lie to you.
00:05:27And he tries to bring up the past of Jey Uso.
00:05:29But here's the thing.
00:05:30This is what I think.
00:05:31The thing about family is it has to be real egregious for it to stick.
00:05:37Usually.
00:05:38Yeah.
00:05:39You know, you're going to have family members that'll let you down here or there, but you
00:05:41know who you forgive?
00:05:43Your family.
00:05:43Right.
00:05:44And then they got your back at the end of the day when it's all said and done.
00:05:48Your family has your back.
00:05:50Now, Paul Heyman saying, and then Paul Heyman going through step by step to Jey Uso.
00:05:55Talking about how this wasn't like your family's not going to have your back.
00:06:00He said, your family is going to lie to you.
00:06:03And then he says, and I'm telling you this because Jey, I love you like family.
00:06:12And you're like, you rat.
00:06:13What do you mean like family?
00:06:15So what are you saying?
00:06:17Read between the lines.
00:06:18Are you just saying straight up you're lying to him?
00:06:20But it didn't affect Jey at all.
00:06:22Jey goes, no, I had to go back on my own man.
00:06:24And he's explaining the dynamics.
00:06:25Well, and I love Jey's like family.
00:06:26Well, where's yours?
00:06:27Where's your family at, dude?
00:06:29We let you into ours.
00:06:30Where's your family at?
00:06:31It's not your family.
00:06:32It's not your family.
00:06:33No.
00:06:34No.
00:06:35It's Sammy's family.
00:06:36It's Jimmy and Jey's family.
00:06:37It's Solo's family.
00:06:38Not your family.
00:06:40So, but, but, and it seemed like in that moment when Jey got the better of them that they
00:06:46had it all.
00:06:46And like, even the idea of this plan, it's like some plan, Roman Reigns comes out and destroys
00:06:52everybody.
00:06:53That's what he does.
00:06:53He dismantles everybody.
00:06:55Roman Reigns is the guy who went to WrestleMania 37 in a triple threat and stacked his opponents
00:07:02on top of each other.
00:07:03I mean, just went WrestleMania to WrestleMania to WrestleMania, just destroying legends.
00:07:09SummerSlam to SummerSlam to SummerSlam.
00:07:11Destroying legends.
00:07:14Brock Lesnar tipped a ring over.
00:07:16It had a tractor.
00:07:17Wasn't enough.
00:07:18Not for Roman Reigns.
00:07:19No.
00:07:20And now we're in this position and maybe it's because there's no wise man and maybe it's
00:07:25because the full bloodline isn't intact, but Jey's there.
00:07:29And still the numbers were evened and Roman Reigns and Jey Uso are left laying Roman in his
00:07:38socks.
00:07:40While Braun Breaker stands triumphantly and Bronson Reed holds those shoes over his head
00:07:46and victory.
00:07:47And I'm telling you, this better be a gateway to absolute pure and utter vengeance from Roman
00:07:57Reigns.
00:07:58Because this isn't, I'm not ready for this.
00:08:01This isn't what I want.
00:08:02Roman has what?
00:08:04Five days to figure this out?
00:08:06Yeah, he's at Summer.
00:08:07I was listening to this great podcast called the SummerSlam Match Reveal Show.
00:08:12Oh, I've heard of that.
00:08:13On the Raw Recap Podcast feed.
00:08:14Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:08:15And I saw, yeah, Saturday from, I found out from those two.
00:08:17Yeah.
00:08:18Is when, is when the match is.
00:08:19Yeah, five days.
00:08:21Five days till Saturday.
00:08:22And I, maybe it's one of those situations where Roman is not, uh, like he's, he's so used
00:08:29to being the best that he hasn't fully gotten to a place yet where he's like, oh, because
00:08:36here's the thing about leaving.
00:08:38And that's the one thing about Roman.
00:08:40He will leave.
00:08:41And he'll, you know, and he doesn't feel guilty about it.
00:08:43He'll go, no, I go and I do what I need to do to be.
00:08:46Well, he is raising the bloodline.
00:08:48The future bloodline.
00:08:50And, and as, by the way, as long as you're the man, it doesn't matter.
00:08:55You get to do whatever you want.
00:08:57When you're the man, you get to set your own rules.
00:08:59Like, unless what you're saying I'm not doing is stopping me from being the man, you just
00:09:04need to get out of my way.
00:09:06Except when you're gone for periods of time, dynamics change.
00:09:11Things change.
00:09:12I mean, Jay Uso is a totally different person than when Roman was there.
00:09:17Yeah.
00:09:17Luckily, Jay's on Roman's side.
00:09:19You know?
00:09:19I mean, Roman needs people on his side at this moment.
00:09:22Yeah.
00:09:22And now I just wonder, Braun said that he has a plan.
00:09:25We saw that backstage.
00:09:27Obviously, he had a plan for tonight.
00:09:29And it worked in his favor.
00:09:30I wonder if, if the plan that he was speaking of was specifically for tonight in Detroit
00:09:35on Monday Night Raw, or if the plan extends to SummerSlam.
00:09:38I don't know.
00:09:39I mean, if the plan is just like, we'll let him get a couple of shots.
00:09:43Like, it felt like a rope-a-dope situation.
00:09:45If the plan is just, we'll let him get a couple of shots in.
00:09:48And then I'm going to spear him real hard.
00:09:50And then you're going to tsunami him real hard.
00:09:52If that's the plan, it's probably the SummerSlam plan as well.
00:09:56It seems like it's a plan that, like, historically has worked.
00:09:59If that is the plan.
00:10:01If that felt like that's what the plan was tonight.
00:10:03It worked.
00:10:04And it did work.
00:10:05I mean.
00:10:06No notes.
00:10:07No, no.
00:10:08I mean, 10 out of 10 for what it was.
00:10:10I'm telling you.
00:10:11I'm not watching shows to see Roman Reigns get laid out.
00:10:15I'm watching shows to see Roman Reigns wreck people.
00:10:19We did get a treadmill video of Roman Reigns this past week, which I love.
00:10:23I love the treadmill videos.
00:10:24Because then you realize, like, what if he's just in this zone all the time?
00:10:28You know what I mean?
00:10:29What if he's just in tribal chief mode constantly?
00:10:32Because you want to believe, you know, he leaves.
00:10:35And he's just like, maybe you'll see him at the Publix.
00:10:39You know what I mean?
00:10:40Maybe you'll see him at the grocery store.
00:10:41Maybe you'll get a Publix up.
00:10:42Maybe you'll see him at the Wawa's, wherever.
00:10:45And it's like, no, no, no.
00:10:46He's still in pure and utter beast mode.
00:10:48He's in God mode still.
00:10:49Even just the way he, like, the treadmill was literally created to be a torture device.
00:10:54And Roman's walking on it.
00:10:55That's why the treadmill was created?
00:10:57Yeah, it was a torture device.
00:10:59Not, like, just, like, for fitness?
00:11:00No.
00:11:01They used it, like, in the medieval days in prisons.
00:11:03They had treadmills?
00:11:04I don't know, medieval.
00:11:06But they used, it was created to be a torture device.
00:11:09I mean, I believe it.
00:11:09That's how it's felt to me.
00:11:11But, you know, people call me names when I say stuff like that.
00:11:13Well, anyways, Roman makes walking on the treadmill have aura.
00:11:17For sure.
00:11:18He makes the treadmill super cool.
00:11:19Yeah.
00:11:20Like, most of the time you need, like, if you want to be cool in the gym, you just need,
00:11:24like, plates and bars and stuff like that.
00:11:26Roman's like, no, no, no.
00:11:27I mainly do calisthenics.
00:11:28And you're like, that's so cool.
00:11:29He doesn't even need to put it on an incline to be cool.
00:11:32No, he doesn't.
00:11:33No, he doesn't.
00:11:33It's just flat.
00:11:34Yeah.
00:11:35And he's like, but look at me.
00:11:36Look at how I walk.
00:11:37You were saying something when Roman walked in and just commenting on, like, how still
00:11:43just in the walk.
00:11:45And it's a different walk to the ring depending on what mission he's on, right?
00:11:49Like, this week's walk to the ring was very, very different from last week's walk to the
00:11:53ring, which was different from the week before his walk to the ring.
00:11:55But there's just something in the way that he presents himself, that there is, from the
00:11:59minute he passes through the entryway, there's a story being told.
00:12:05There's an attention that you need to stare at this person, regardless of what kind of
00:12:11action is going on in the ring.
00:12:12There's an attention that is commanded when that guy shows up.
00:12:15It's the way he carries himself.
00:12:17I mean, he was certainly walking with more of a purpose today, but there was also a pacing
00:12:22to it, right, when he entered.
00:12:27Yeah, it's all of the nuances, right, with Roman?
00:12:32Yes.
00:12:32It's just, I don't want the camera to ever cut away from him.
00:12:35No, unless people are stealing his shoes, then film something else.
00:12:38I don't want to see it.
00:12:39I don't want to see it.
00:12:40I'm not interested in that.
00:12:41That's not something.
00:12:42They were pretty cool shoes, too.
00:12:44I know.
00:12:44I know.
00:12:45And he probably had, I don't doubt he had doubles.
00:12:47But don't you worry, because I know you're going to be excited for Saturday.
00:12:51Roman's been, he's been walking on the treadmill, so we know he's in excellent shape.
00:12:56He's always in excellent shape.
00:12:57He's in god mode.
00:12:58We haven't seen the shirt off yet.
00:13:00Oh, and you know, that's when you're in for it.
00:13:03That's when you're in.
00:13:04You know, I was at Comic-Con, and I was in the Mattel booth, you know, looking at the
00:13:07new action figures.
00:13:08They literally, I'm not kidding.
00:13:10They made a Roman Reigns action figure where they had to make a brand new torso to fit
00:13:16Roman Reigns.
00:13:17Yeah, I mean, he's in shape.
00:13:18That's the level of greatness that this guy's on.
00:13:22Guys, we'll get right back to it.
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00:15:05You were telling me that you were very much tonight looking forward to CM Punk and Gunther.
00:15:11That's right.
00:15:11Also, by the way, part of SummerSlam Saturday.
00:15:14That is going to be a loaded Saturday.
00:15:17Not only do you have this tag match that was set up for tonight, but your CM Punk Gunther
00:15:22World Heavyweight Championship match is also a Saturday match and we got to see it.
00:15:29Starts with Gunther in the ring.
00:15:30Yeah, and so I walked into your house today and I said, I'm so excited to hear Punk on
00:15:36the mic tonight.
00:15:37By the way, you should have said I walked in your house because then it would have been
00:15:41like the show in your house.
00:15:42All right, let's.
00:15:43Okay, everybody cut this.
00:15:45Alex, you got it.
00:15:46You're going to cut it.
00:15:46All right, right.
00:15:47Three, two.
00:15:47So Sam, earlier today I walked in your house.
00:15:50Oh, that's so cool.
00:15:51Like the pay-per-view.
00:15:52That's right.
00:15:53And I said, I cannot wait to see Punk in the ring.
00:15:57I want him to cut a 15-minute promo and I want Gunther to walk out and just look at
00:16:03him, smirk and walk away.
00:16:07That's what I thought was going to happen.
00:16:08We wanted to see it.
00:16:10So when Gunther started in the ring, I go, this is going way different than I had imagined.
00:16:16Gunther was feeling good at first.
00:16:18He was checking to see if it was clobbering time on his watch and he wasn't getting any
00:16:21messages.
00:16:21What was the moment it went bad when Punk called him kid?
00:16:24I think the moment it went bad was when Gunther said enough.
00:16:33I'm tired.
00:16:34You need to shut and CM Punk put his hand over Gunther's mic because then it was like we saw
00:16:40the look in Punk's eye.
00:16:41Listen, Gunther said, he started by saying that the so-called best talker in the world
00:16:51is CM Punk and last week I beat him on this microphone.
00:16:57So Punk came out and first he explained where he's coming from.
00:17:03He doesn't want the world title.
00:17:05He needs the world title.
00:17:06He took it back to his straight when WWE relaunched ECW and this brand new character called CM Punk
00:17:14appeared on our television sets for the very first time.
00:17:18CM Punk said, I'm straight edge.
00:17:20I don't drink.
00:17:22I don't smoke.
00:17:23I don't do drugs.
00:17:25My addiction is wrestling.
00:17:28It's something that we revisited in that amazing entrance at WrestleMania 41.
00:17:32Love that.
00:17:32That OG promo and he reminded again that as much as things change, as much as CM Punk has
00:17:40changed over the years, he's still CM Punk.
00:17:43He's still addicted to this.
00:17:45He's addicted to wrestling.
00:17:47He's addicted to making sure the fans know that he appreciates.
00:17:52Especially after they chanted his name for 10 years.
00:17:54When he wasn't even here.
00:17:55And so he's saying that he needs that world heavyweight championship.
00:18:01And that's when Gunther tries to interrupt him and Punk puts his hand over the microphone.
00:18:07And I thought that's when it started to go bad for Gunther.
00:18:10But you are right.
00:18:11When he said there's levels to this kid.
00:18:15You were like, oh boy.
00:18:18Somebody just called Gunther kid.
00:18:20I thought CM Punk.
00:18:21First, I was like, he's going straight into Terry Funk mode.
00:18:24Well, it's funny because, you know, you opened this show and you said Punk beats Gunther on
00:18:29the mic.
00:18:29And to me, I'm like, yeah, but Gunther doesn't care about the mic.
00:18:32What does Gunther care about?
00:18:34Winning.
00:18:35Winning, except if you're not, if you're not in the ring, that that's for Saturday.
00:18:41Yeah.
00:18:42Tonight, this is a win or lose scenario.
00:18:45And he lost.
00:18:45And he lost.
00:18:46And Gunther started this right.
00:18:48He lost.
00:18:48And Gunther started by saying, I beat the best in the world.
00:18:52CM Punk is known for being the best talker and I beat him.
00:18:54And then Gunther lost on the microphone.
00:18:57Now, this is a battle in the war.
00:18:59It's not the war.
00:19:01But Gunther doesn't like, doesn't like that taste.
00:19:04And I even saw, and I don't know if CM Punk did this on purpose.
00:19:08This is one of these little details that I just go nuts for.
00:19:10You know how I love these little details.
00:19:12Tell me.
00:19:13I don't know if Punk did this on purpose or it was whatever.
00:19:17But CM Punk said that at the SummerSlam, I'm going to beat you, Gunther.
00:19:23He didn't say at SummerSlam.
00:19:24He said at the SummerSlam.
00:19:25Right?
00:19:27And I'm not calling him out for it because there's one person.
00:19:30There's one person in history that always said the SummerSlam.
00:19:36And I mean, and I watched it as a kid.
00:19:38And I would go, why does he always say that?
00:19:40And there wasn't ever any reason.
00:19:41It was just how he said it.
00:19:43Except if you watch this person and he built up multiple SummerSlam's saying the SummerSlam.
00:19:49I'm talking 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, like, I mean, 96, 97.
00:20:00He won the title in 97.
00:20:03Brett the Hitman Hart.
00:20:06Every SummerSlam promo.
00:20:08Go back and watch him if you've never noticed it.
00:20:11Every promo for SummerSlam.
00:20:14Brett the Hitman Hart always said at the SummerSlam.
00:20:17The SummerSlam.
00:20:18At the SummerSlam, it's going to be me and you.
00:20:20And he's the only person that's ever said the SummerSlam.
00:20:23And I couldn't help but wonder if maybe it was just a slip and it was just a coincidence,
00:20:31which is totally possible.
00:20:32You know, you're in the ring.
00:20:33You're live TV.
00:20:33There's emotions are flowing.
00:20:34And I'm not critical of a slip like that.
00:20:37But also, what if it wasn't a slip and it was just a little nod to be like, because
00:20:43Megan, when Bret Hart would go into a SummerSlam, I mean, ask Mr. Perfect about Bret Hart at SummerSlam.
00:20:51Ask the British Bulldog about Bret Hart at SummerSlam.
00:20:54Ask The Undertaker about Bret Hart at SummerSlam.
00:20:57Bret Hart was a different beast at SummerSlam.
00:21:00So you're thinking we're going to see a different Punk, potentially.
00:21:04I'm saying, I don't know any bigger Bret the Hitman Hart fan than CM Punk.
00:21:09I'm saying he may have put the SummerSlam in there on purpose.
00:21:13And I'm saying that Gunther would have been a perfect opponent for Bret the Hitman Hart.
00:21:19And CM Punk would probably see himself in that role.
00:21:22Not too long ago, we saw Punk call out Bret the Hitman Hart, saying that it was his second favorite wrestler after Bill Goldberg.
00:21:28You mean Gunther?
00:21:29Yeah, Gunther.
00:21:29You said CM Punk called him out.
00:21:31Gunther.
00:21:31I was like, wait, what did I mean?
00:21:33Gunther called out Bret the Hitman Hart not too long ago.
00:21:36And look, maybe CM Punk is sitting there with an iPad going, and I took that personally.
00:21:41You know?
00:21:41Yeah.
00:21:42You know?
00:21:43That's true.
00:21:43We don't, I don't know.
00:21:44I know that he has a love for that, for Bret the Hitman Hart, and who could blame him?
00:21:49But I don't know.
00:21:50And again, I have been accused of looking into things.
00:21:55You?
00:21:55Yeah, here and there.
00:21:57Here and there.
00:21:57You're not noticing details?
00:21:59Here and there.
00:21:59But I swear I heard him say the SummerSlam.
00:22:01And as soon as I heard him say the SummerSlam, it's literally written down right there.
00:22:05I see it.
00:22:06I said, he said the SummerSlam.
00:22:08That's a Bret Hart-ism.
00:22:09I love it.
00:22:10It's crazy.
00:22:11It's nuts.
00:22:12Okay.
00:22:12Everything counts.
00:22:13Everything does count.
00:22:15He shut down Gunther.
00:22:16So we go into SummerSlam.
00:22:17Punk has shut down Gunther.
00:22:20Braun and Braun.
00:22:22Braun Braun.
00:22:23Have shut down Roman Reigns and Jey Uso.
00:22:24That's how we leave Monday Night Raw for those two matches going into SummerSlam.
00:22:29It is going to be nuts.
00:22:31However, we saw a lot.
00:22:33Before we get there, before we get to our guest real quick, I do want to tell you that when we're talking about CM Punk, we got new CM Punk merch.
00:22:40And CM Punk has the best merch.
00:22:44I've gone through, over the years, so many different CM Punk t-shirts.
00:22:48But CM Punk has two new designs available at WWE Shop and Fanatics available in men's, women's, youth, and tank tops for the summer.
00:22:59Sun's out, guns out, baby.
00:23:00Yeah, get them out.
00:23:01So all new CM Punk shirts are up now on WWE Shop and Fanatics.
00:23:06As well, SummerSlam is right around the corner.
00:23:09You can get official event merchandise, tees, hats, pro sphere shirts, and jerseys.
00:23:15And those are up now at Fanatics and WWE Shop.
00:23:18You know that the Superstore is going to be loaded for SummerSlam.
00:23:21So if you can't get there, or if you want to get it now, if you want to make sure that it is secured, go to WWE Shop or Fanatics.
00:23:28Get that SummerSlam merch.
00:23:31On Monday Night Raw tonight, there was an amazing eight-woman tag team match.
00:23:36I loved it.
00:23:37And our first guest on tonight's Raw recap welcomes us now.
00:23:43Coming off of a remarkable eight-woman tag match, Stephanie Vaquer.
00:23:49Welcome.
00:23:49And I've got to say, we were just watching.
00:23:53You are in the ring with seven of the best women, not just in WWE, but across the world.
00:24:01And, I mean, that was represented by that entire match.
00:24:04There was so much.
00:24:06The roster has become such an international roster.
00:24:10But for you to be in there with the best, and at the end of the night, you're the one who gets the pinfall.
00:24:17You're the one who gets the one, two, three.
00:24:18You're the one who stands tall.
00:24:22What was it like?
00:24:22A great victory today, and I'm so happy because you said a big superstar, and I think tonight is really important teamwork.
00:24:36So I'm so happy with this great victory.
00:24:39It's been a whirlwind for you this year and this calendar year, but really, like, in the last year, all of this has kind of happened.
00:24:50It was only months ago that you were at Madison Square Garden winning the NXT championship.
00:24:56And since then, you've made it onto the main roster.
00:25:01You've accelerated to the point that at the end of the summer in Paris, you're getting a shot at the women's championship.
00:25:07Have you had time to kind of take all this in, or has it just been go, go, go, go?
00:25:17I love challenge.
00:25:19So sometimes I don't have time for a thing a lot, but I enjoy a lot of my work.
00:25:25I enjoy a lot of wrestling.
00:25:27Wrestling is my life.
00:25:28It's my language.
00:25:29It's my everything.
00:25:30So, yeah, maybe you think last year is a lot, but my career, 10 years, and I sacrificed a lot for my dream, and my dream is now in WWE.
00:25:44So I really enjoy everything, every day, every class, every promo, every match, every day.
00:25:53I enjoy a lot here in WWE.
00:25:57It's my home now, and I'm excited for the future, and I'm excited for my next matches, and I keep working hard.
00:26:10So I'm so happy.
00:26:12I'm really enjoying it now.
00:26:15How confident were you walking into WWE and the connection that you were going to be able to make with the audience?
00:26:21Because like you said, you've had this amazing career, and you've made a name for yourself around the world before you got to WWE.
00:26:29But the reality is that there are a lot of people that watch WWE, that that's really all that they watch.
00:26:36And there have been people that have come in from other promotions, other countries, that for whatever reason don't connect with the WWE audience.
00:26:45But for you, in front of an audience that I would imagine a large portion had not seen you wrestle before, you've instantly connected with the audience.
00:26:56You instantly connected when you were in NXT.
00:26:59And then for the people that didn't watch NXT, you instantly connected when you got to the main roster.
00:27:05Is that a surprise, or do you think that there's something about the way that you wrestle that kind of speaks internationally?
00:27:12I think I need to say thank you.
00:27:18Thank you for everyone, because I remember my first Royal Rumble.
00:27:25I remember exactly when my entrance, the crown crazy.
00:27:30And I need to say thank you, because people really make me feel so happy here, so excited, and support me, love me.
00:27:42I'm so happy.
00:27:43I can say I'm so happy with that.
00:27:47The crown really supports me, and it's motivation for me.
00:27:54It's for training every day.
00:27:57It's a big motivation.
00:27:59People really support my work, my job in the ring.
00:28:03And I think, yeah, in the beginning, I think maybe people don't know about me.
00:28:09But when you go to the ring, and you pour your soul in the ring, and you really, I don't know the word in English, sorry.
00:28:21But it's like you really try to experience a person, or really you pour your soul in wrestling, people appreciate that.
00:28:33So I think for that reason, the crown really support me, because they can see my 100% in the ring, almost.
00:28:45And I think, too, that there's an authenticity to you that is coming through in this conversation.
00:28:50But also, and it's interesting, because there's so much presentation in Stephanie Vaquer, the music, and the smoke, and the horns, and everything.
00:29:00But in reality, there is this kind of human connection, I think, that's made, and that goes beyond language.
00:29:07And I think fans connect with that.
00:29:09I also think they connect with what you do in the ring.
00:29:13And I think specifically, having a move like the Devil's Kiss.
00:29:19It's our favorite.
00:29:20Right here on the Raw Recap Show, the Devil's Kiss is our absolute favorite move in all of wrestling.
00:29:26Yeah, I would say so.
00:29:28It is.
00:29:28I mean, it's mine.
00:29:29I think it's yours, too.
00:29:30You love it.
00:29:31I absolutely love it.
00:29:32But Stephanie, you know, we're introduced to you at NXT.
00:29:35You do the Devil's Kiss.
00:29:37Booker T has the entire crowd at the Performance Center in Orlando.
00:29:45And they're going, ah, ah, ah, ah.
00:29:49And everyone thinks their car alarm is going off.
00:29:52It was incredible.
00:29:54Right.
00:29:54So you come up to the main roster.
00:29:56And all of a sudden, you do the Devil's Kiss.
00:30:00And I couldn't help but notice the crowd started counting.
00:30:04And I found that very disrespectful to Booker T.
00:30:09Now, tonight, it seemed like Detroit, Michigan was reacting properly.
00:30:14What were they doing?
00:30:14They were doing, ah, ah, ah.
00:30:17Is that the proper way to embrace the Devil's Kiss?
00:30:23I really miss Booker T.
00:30:25Me, too.
00:30:26I really miss.
00:30:27I love Booker T.
00:30:28And I love this because he just feel, and ah, ah, ah, and people now really feel that.
00:30:38So I love it.
00:30:39And in NXT, the crowd all the time remembers that.
00:30:44And here, people remember that.
00:30:45So I love it.
00:30:47My favorite was when you pointed to Booker T as you were about to hit the Devil's Kiss.
00:30:52Yeah.
00:30:53Yeah.
00:30:54I really miss Booker T.
00:30:55Yeah, I mean, there has to be something about, like, you hear Booker T do that the first time.
00:31:01And you're like, what is he doing?
00:31:03But then within a week, I mean, one week later, it's caught on like that.
00:31:08But when you hear people, right, because sometimes there's two different responses.
00:31:12I think that's what you were saying, Megan, that sometimes instead of saying, ah, the crowd starts going, one, two, three.
00:31:19When you're doing that, right, when you're in the middle of the Devil's Kiss,
00:31:22and you're attacking your opponent with all the muscles in the legs, and you're hearing the fans chant,
00:31:29is there part of you that's going, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that's not how you do it.
00:31:33You got to, ah, you got to, ah.
00:31:35I love when people start, one, two, three, because I calm down, one, two, with the people.
00:31:48Yeah, I love when Booker T say, ah, ah, because it's a different expression, and I think people love that, so I like to.
00:31:56Well, Stephanie, you've been doing this for 10 years, WWE's the dream for you.
00:32:02You get signed by WWE.
00:32:04Did you ever think all of this would happen so quickly, that you would have a title opportunity at the end of the summer in Paris,
00:32:11that you would be on the main roster, that you would be a double champion and make history in NXT?
00:32:16I mean, it all happened so fast.
00:32:19Um, I understand, because I have one year here in WWE, but really, for me, it's not fast,
00:32:29because I made a tryout for WWE seven years ago, and I'm so green at that time, like not ready.
00:32:40I know I'm not ready at that time, and it's okay.
00:32:44I think after the tryout, say, okay, I go to Mexico training, I go to Japan training, I go to London training for all the world,
00:32:54training with different, uh, teacher and coach, and a different style, different, in seven years.
00:33:02So in seven years, prepare for, for WWE.
00:33:07So for me, it's not fast.
00:33:09I'm here, and when I'm here in WWE, for me, it's like, okay, seven years later, I did it.
00:33:18So now, for me, it's not fast, but I understand people think that, because I have just one year here.
00:33:26But really, I, I train hard every day for 10 years for this dream.
00:33:32Dream, so, uh, not just enjoy my dream.
00:33:37I, I really, I really know I, I can do a lot here.
00:33:43So for me, it's not fast, and, but I, I understand people, and people look that last year, but support me a lot.
00:33:54So I'm, I'm so happy.
00:33:56What was it, was it the dream, what was it about WWE that made you know that was the right move?
00:34:03Because you got to a place in your career where, all of a sudden, you weren't green anymore.
00:34:08It wasn't seven years ago anymore, and you were in a position where you could have pretty much gone wherever you wanted to go.
00:34:15How did you know WWE was the spot?
00:34:16Because WWE is always my dream.
00:34:20When I was a kid, I, my first time I watched TV, and I watched WWE, and say, okay, I know.
00:34:29When I was, I don't know, 15, I say, I know what I, what I do forever, wrestling.
00:34:36So, um, I'm, I'm sure for my dream, I'm just, keep going hard, working hard, because long time, but I'm, I'm just, I want to be the best, and I want to be the best in WWE.
00:34:54Well, and, you know, Stephanie, we talk a lot about, like, the transition, coming over to WWE, what you did in NXT, then coming up to the main roster, two totally different things.
00:35:04But we also have to remember that you're adjusting to life, I assume, down in Orlando, and that's a big adjustment for you as well.
00:35:13Who has helped you around the PC handle, you know, all of the changes that you've sort of been thrust into in the last year?
00:35:22Yeah, it's a lot of change.
00:35:23But I think, uh, for me, when I was 19, I go out for my country, so, uh, and my life changed a lot.
00:35:32I live in Japan, I live in Mexico, so, um, I know wrestling, you need to sacrifice the family sometime, uh, your culture, uh, your language.
00:35:45So, change everything, if, if, for wrestling, for me, it's okay, because wrestling is my life.
00:35:53Uh, now I live in Orlando, and I feel really good, uh, because close to PC, uh, NXT people, I love NXT, and my home, too.
00:36:05So, um, really, I meet really nice people here, so I have a new family here, and American people really support me and help me a lot.
00:36:17So, yeah, it's, uh, I think, big, big change, big change.
00:36:23I change everything, my, my home, my place, and my language, I change everything, but I, I'm, I'm happy.
00:36:32I'm enjoying a lot.
00:36:33Many people help me, uh, all the time, so, uh, thank you.
00:36:38Thank you, everybody.
00:36:40What's it?
00:36:40Help me a lot and make me feel at home.
00:36:42Yeah, what's it been like to work, uh, over the last couple weeks with, a legend, with Nikki Bella, for you?
00:36:50She's amazing.
00:36:51She's so nice.
00:36:53She's so funny.
00:36:54So, uh, I'm so happy.
00:36:56We talk a lot, and she speaks Spanish.
00:37:00So, now we try to speak Spanish, and this is really nice.
00:37:05She's amazing.
00:37:06That's awesome.
00:37:07Well, Stephanie, I mean, we, we appreciate you making some time for us on this, on this busy evening.
00:37:12But a victorious evening, nonetheless.
00:37:15And, man, I can't wait.
00:37:17You know, everybody's counting down the days till SummerSlam.
00:37:19But the reality is, you're looking past SummerSlam and realizing that in Paris, you know, everybody's talking about how much you've accomplished already.
00:37:29But there's something that you haven't accomplished, and you get the opportunity to do that in Paris.
00:37:32And, and I can't wait to see it.
00:37:34I'm, I'm, I'm so happy for you.
00:37:36We're fans of you here.
00:37:38And, uh, we appreciate you giving us some time.
00:37:40I can't wait till all of Paris is going, ah, ah, ah, ah.
00:37:44Yeah.
00:37:45Let's go.
00:37:46Paris and, yeah, Paris, ah, ah, ah, soon.
00:37:52Thank you, Stephanie.
00:37:53Excellent.
00:37:54Thank you so much.
00:37:56Oh, what a great conversation.
00:37:58That was awesome.
00:37:59Big thanks again to Stephanie Vaquer.
00:38:01Hey, I did want to tell you that Fanatics Casino is partnering with WWE for the Ultimate Tag Team.
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00:38:33I know that's where I'm going to find you.
00:38:35At the casino?
00:38:36Oh, yeah.
00:38:36Got to get ready.
00:38:37WrestleMania countdown's on.
00:38:39We're back in Vegas.
00:38:40That's right.
00:38:41That's right.
00:38:41I, uh, I can't wait.
00:38:43So, yes, definitely check it out.
00:38:44Fanatics, uh, casino, partnering with WWE.
00:38:47Um, as we, uh, speaking of, of WrestleMania, we saw a sullen, I'll say, Bayley, on Monday Night Raw, who, after missing WrestleMania, is now also missing SummerSlam.
00:39:03And now, actually, I wonder, right, because, so she missed WrestleMania because Becky Lynch took her out before a match.
00:39:12And, I mean, there's no, she did do that.
00:39:16She did, yeah.
00:39:17Okay, all right, good.
00:39:18Yeah.
00:39:19Yeah, she did it.
00:39:20Yeah.
00:39:20I haven't even, I haven't even cast judgment on it.
00:39:22I just, nothing, just, she did that.
00:39:24She did.
00:39:25You know how I know she did it?
00:39:26Because she told us she did.
00:39:27She said it.
00:39:28She did.
00:39:29Okay.
00:39:30But she missed, Bayley missed WrestleMania.
00:39:32She did.
00:39:32Because of that.
00:39:33Now she's missing SummerSlam because, A, she lost to Lyra Valkyria in the number one contenders match.
00:39:42And then, B, she didn't win the tag team championship with Lyra Valkyria, the women's tag team championship, last week, which would have brought her into the match with, I guess, Charlotte Flair.
00:39:53I was waiting for you to try and blame Becky for this again, but thank you for not doing that.
00:39:57Well, I want you to know, you were waiting for me to do that because you're a negative person.
00:40:00And I'm not like that.
00:40:01So, like, for you to just, like, wait to be like, oh, I'm going to just wait because there's going to be conflict instead of just a nice conversation is negative.
00:40:09I just have to have my guard up.
00:40:11You don't.
00:40:11Because you always come after my girl, Becky Lynch.
00:40:14She's imperfect.
00:40:15She's great and happy Gilmore, too.
00:40:17Fantastic.
00:40:17Okay.
00:40:18All right.
00:40:19It's all good.
00:40:19Okay.
00:40:20We're good.
00:40:21I mean, she got the you-know-what kicked out of her with that kendo stick today.
00:40:24I mean, Lyra, unprovoked, just attacked her for no reason.
00:40:28She's the one who brought out the, Becky brought out the kendo stick.
00:40:31And she was holding it?
00:40:32And Lyra broke it across her ribs.
00:40:34Lyra destroyed Becky with, she even, at a moment, right, she tried to use that.
00:40:38She's completely unhinged, this Lyra, wearing her Becky stompers.
00:40:42She did wear those Becky stompers.
00:40:43They worked, too.
00:40:46Today.
00:40:47Yeah, today.
00:40:48She took that.
00:40:49She took, and just when Becky thought she had the kendo stick back, which I wouldn't have
00:40:52wanted to trap that kendo stick under my arm the way Becky did, because it had already
00:40:56broken.
00:40:57That's going to pinch you and stuff.
00:40:58That's going to be very painful.
00:40:59Right.
00:41:00But Lyra was still able to get her up and send her flying right out of the ring.
00:41:04Well, she's the bird lady.
00:41:05Flying is her specialty.
00:41:07Well, yeah, but Becky's the one who went flying.
00:41:10Yeah.
00:41:10Becky did go flying, but it was an unprovoked attack.
00:41:14I mean, Lyra was standing out there and looking for Becky, and Becky just standing, and Lyra
00:41:20completely goes nuts.
00:41:22Well, she snuck up behind her with a kendo stick.
00:41:25Didn't, did she use it?
00:41:27She didn't have the opportunity to use it.
00:41:31Maybe she was just out there to check in, see how everything was going.
00:41:34You have to have a weapon of self-defense these days.
00:41:36I mean, you don't know.
00:41:37Oh, it's just, it's more of a, it's a societal thing, not a Becky Lynch thing.
00:41:40Listen, there's a lot of, as Naomi told us, there's a lot of,
00:41:44raggedy heifers back there in the locker room.
00:41:46Lyra.
00:41:48What?
00:41:48What?
00:41:49Who?
00:41:49I don't know.
00:41:50Naomi said there's a lot back there.
00:41:52I don't know who she's talking about.
00:41:54I mean, she said it.
00:41:55There's a lot of them.
00:41:55She did say that.
00:41:56She brought up the heifers again tonight.
00:41:57She did.
00:41:58So, and I'm sure, but that's like, but listen, you think it knocked Becky off her game a little
00:42:04bit?
00:42:04The fact that her strategy failed?
00:42:06It's been a big week for Becky, you know?
00:42:08She was like.
00:42:09Movie premieres.
00:42:11Yeah.
00:42:11And now she's got to defend her title.
00:42:13It's a big week.
00:42:14So.
00:42:15But yeah, but like you said, you think all champions should be just defending their titles all
00:42:18the time.
00:42:19Otherwise you're very critical.
00:42:20Well, especially the intercontinental championship.
00:42:22You know, it's like the, the workhorse title.
00:42:24It'll be defended.
00:42:25Both.
00:42:25Both of them are being defended at SummerSlam.
00:42:27They are.
00:42:28So we're fine.
00:42:30We're fine.
00:42:30By the way, the men's intercontinental champion didn't have a great night either.
00:42:34However, he ended up with a switch too.
00:42:40So whose night was better?
00:42:43Would, would you rather win or get a switch?
00:42:46Would neither one of them?
00:42:48Well, it depends.
00:42:48Is it non-title?
00:42:51I'll lose non-title if I get a switch after it.
00:42:54Non-title?
00:42:56Wow.
00:42:56Because then you get a title and the switch.
00:42:58Otherwise, what do you got?
00:42:59A victory?
00:43:00Your title.
00:43:01No switch?
00:43:02You see what I'm saying?
00:43:04I think it was played actually pretty well in Dominic's part myself.
00:43:07Pretty well.
00:43:07And what a, what a bro Finn Balor is just setting up Dominic like that.
00:43:11Had a nice tan tonight.
00:43:12That Finn Balor.
00:43:13Great tan.
00:43:14Successful tag team championship defense.
00:43:16But let's get back to Bailey.
00:43:19She's now not at SummerSlam.
00:43:21She's at a loss for words.
00:43:23She looked completely heartbroken.
00:43:24Completely heartbroken.
00:43:25But remember last week we were talking and I was like,
00:43:29why is Bailey all of a sudden friends with Lyra Valkyria?
00:43:34Why does she so badly want to win the tag team championship with Lyra Valkyria?
00:43:37I think that that question was answered tonight.
00:43:40Because she wanted to find a way to get on SummerSlam.
00:43:43Yeah.
00:43:43I think that's what it was.
00:43:44It was like, oh.
00:43:45I mean, she was like desperate at that point.
00:43:47My options are running dry.
00:43:49And so I, I, I got to get on here.
00:43:52And, but that, but it didn't, it didn't succeed.
00:43:55So I don't know.
00:43:57Do you think Bailey will find a way to get?
00:43:59Into that building?
00:44:01With the demeanor that I saw tonight?
00:44:05Yeah.
00:44:06I don't think so.
00:44:07Oof.
00:44:08I mean, that didn't look like someone who's, you know, trying to figure it out.
00:44:13That looked like someone who was hopeless.
00:44:15Submitted.
00:44:16Yeah.
00:44:17Yeah.
00:44:17I mean, look, it's one of the, like I said about Roman, I said earlier, you know,
00:44:22people have to change.
00:44:23People have to evolve because everything changes around them.
00:44:25Maybe that's a lesson Bailey's learning.
00:44:27I know that that's a lesson Naomi learned.
00:44:29Who's no longer passive aggressive.
00:44:31She's aggressive, aggressive.
00:44:33Proceed with caution.
00:44:34That's right.
00:44:35That's right.
00:44:35She said the match tonight, the eight woman tag was going to be a cautionary tale.
00:44:40Unfortunately for her, her team was not successful.
00:44:42She was not successful alongside Chelsea Green and the secret hervis, but a big win nonetheless.
00:44:48Now, it was interesting though, the Rhea and EO do have, and I, I'm sure it was built
00:44:56over evolution, but they do have a respect for one another.
00:45:00Of course, because Rhea is arguably the best women's wrestler in the division.
00:45:09EO is one of the best wrestlers in the world.
00:45:11I think many would say, and maybe myself included, Rhea Ripley is the biggest superstar in the
00:45:19women's division.
00:45:20I would agree with that.
00:45:21And EO Sky might be the best wrestler in the women's division.
00:45:24Yes.
00:45:24I would agree with that as well.
00:45:25And Rhea Ripley has never defeated EO Sky.
00:45:28No.
00:45:28But she has to respect her.
00:45:29No.
00:45:30But I wonder if EO knows, had it not been for the cash in, evolution would have been it.
00:45:36You know what I mean?
00:45:37Yeah.
00:45:38It's like it wasn't, but I wonder if, I wonder if she's aware.
00:45:41How about Nikki Bella doing the, doing, doing the EO thing tonight?
00:45:44So much fun.
00:45:45And then Piper Niven doing it in a mocking way.
00:45:48Yeah.
00:45:48For both of them.
00:45:49No, it's, it's, it's a contagious thing to do.
00:45:50It was great to see Nikki Bella have, um, have the match that she did tonight.
00:45:55We talked to her right here on the Raw Recap show a couple of weeks ago and, and things
00:45:59didn't really go her way.
00:46:00She was, she was bummed out.
00:46:01She was open about it though.
00:46:02And she was, um, and I love seeing it.
00:46:04I mean, she talked to us a little bit about how important this was coming back for her,
00:46:08having her son watch her.
00:46:09I think there's a lot of narratives.
00:46:11It's like, you know, once you become a mom, it's like, maybe you can't compete at that
00:46:14level, but she's really starting from the bottom and she's working her way back up.
00:46:19She's continuing to grow and this is all in a way it's not new, but it is new.
00:46:25That's right.
00:46:25Right.
00:46:26I mean, she's a new Nikki Bella.
00:46:28So I'm, I love watching her continue, um, to go on this journey.
00:46:32Who do you think leaves SummerSlam as the women's world champion?
00:46:39Especially after everything that went down tonight, because that's the thing.
00:46:42And I know you, on one end, you're like, oh my God, Eos guy's the best.
00:46:48On one end, you're like, Rhea Ripley, she's the goat.
00:46:50And then what's better than Naomi right now?
00:46:54Yeah.
00:46:54I mean, my initial reaction, you asked me who's leaving.
00:46:57My brain just instant, instinctively says Rhea.
00:47:02Because it's a title match on a, on a PLE.
00:47:05Yes.
00:47:06And that's what happens.
00:47:07But when I really take more than five seconds to think about it, I think it has to be Naomi.
00:47:12I don't think Naomi's losing the title.
00:47:14I don't think so either.
00:47:15I think Naomi is operating on a different level than everybody in the locker room.
00:47:19I also think that Naomi is the chaos that the division needs right now.
00:47:23Naomi is that thing that like, just when you think you've got it all figured out, here's
00:47:29Naomi in complete control of this division.
00:47:32Well, there's a lot going on at SummerSlam.
00:47:34And, uh, uh, why don't, what, what, what do you say we bring in another guest to help
00:47:38us break it all down?
00:47:39Let's do it.
00:47:40Um, yes, our great friend, Big E is back on Raw Recap E.
00:47:47First of all, I was, uh, how are you is the greeting question, but I do need to tell you
00:47:52that you got me into a little bit of trouble here on, on, on the recap show.
00:47:56Yeah, you did.
00:47:58Well, well, you know, sometimes I don't know when, you know, conversations are just between
00:48:03us and I don't need to share them, but I might have asked you or we, I don't remember which
00:48:12one of us, but we asked you like a, uh, maybe two, three weeks ago, whenever you were last
00:48:17on about your former teammate wearing, uh, uh, short shorts instead of long tights in
00:48:23the ring, you know, and, and you might've said, you know, I don't know what he's thinking
00:48:29and kind of made reference to some kind of a midlife crisis scenario.
00:48:35And I then was like, oh, okay.
00:48:38You know, well now I know.
00:48:40And then we had them the new day.
00:48:43We had them on the show last week and they had been, well, they had not been terribly
00:48:47polite to me the entire interview.
00:48:49So I did ask if it was indeed a midlife crisis and both, both Kofi and Xavier were really upset
00:48:58about the question.
00:48:59It's because the truth hurts.
00:49:01Yeah, that's right.
00:49:02That's why.
00:49:03Good.
00:49:03That's why.
00:49:04Good.
00:49:05He knows, he knows he's going through some things and, uh, this is not the man that I
00:49:09once knew.
00:49:10Uh, but look, he's, he's got the thighs out.
00:49:13Um, the, the, the hoochie mama, uh, trunks are a thing now.
00:49:18Um, but it, it, it's, it's because there's a lot going on in his life.
00:49:22And I think he just needs to realize that he is going through this transitionary period
00:49:26in life and, uh, he'll be okay.
00:49:29Maybe he just needs to buy a Corvette or something.
00:49:30I hear like doing that point in life.
00:49:33I don't know.
00:49:34I feel so much better now.
00:49:36Okay.
00:49:37For once you were not wrong.
00:49:38Okay, great.
00:49:39We have a lot to talk to you about, but I feel like we're just, we're, we're taking care
00:49:42of some housekeeping right now.
00:49:43You are the expert on a body scouting in the men's locker room.
00:49:48Yeah.
00:49:48I was waiting for this conversation to come up.
00:49:50Let's go.
00:49:50Yeah.
00:49:51There's a El Grande Americano was spotted today in the audience and I couldn't help but notice
00:49:58it was much shorter than El Grande Americano that, that, that we saw over the weekend.
00:50:05Right.
00:50:05As the body expert.
00:50:07Who is it?
00:50:09What's the Grande American?
00:50:10That's a great question.
00:50:11That is a great question.
00:50:12Um, I, my guess is I'm going Pete Dunn.
00:50:17What?
00:50:17But I think so.
00:50:19That's, that's, that's just a wild guess.
00:50:20It's a wild guess.
00:50:21Uh, the last El Grande Americano that we saw come out was, it was hard because he was pretty
00:50:27covered up.
00:50:27You know, he had long sleeves.
00:50:29We haven't seen Pete Dunn in a while.
00:50:32Uh, I'm, I'm going with Pete, AKA Butch.
00:50:34That's my guess.
00:50:35I don't call him Butch.
00:50:37I'm so, I'm so sorry, but that's how I knew him.
00:50:39We were in the ring together and I knew him as Butch, but, uh, I, I don't have a good
00:50:44lead on this.
00:50:45I need to see more skin.
00:50:46Uh, I need to, I need a more revealing outfit next time.
00:50:50Um, but I'll keep working on this.
00:50:52Okay.
00:50:52I'll keep working on this one.
00:50:53This feels very disrespectful.
00:50:54Grande Americano is a traditional luchador.
00:50:56He's going to, he's gone for the triple A mega championship at, at triple mania.
00:51:00I mean, they wouldn't just let some random wrestler in a mask, you know, you're throwing
00:51:04around names.
00:51:05Not in wrestling.
00:51:06We would never do that.
00:51:07By the way, did, did we go over your, uh, you, you saw the, uh, it was referenced on
00:51:12Raw, the Chad Gable interview at the baseball game.
00:51:15What are your thoughts, Sam?
00:51:16Well, he's, he's the thing though.
00:51:17Like Chad Gable's injured.
00:51:19So, and Grande Americano is not injured.
00:51:22So clearly it can't be.
00:51:24That's because he can do better.
00:51:27No, I think, listen, listen, I think, you know, I don't know if it's a pharmaceutical
00:51:33issue.
00:51:34If there was, I think it was a confusion thing.
00:51:37You know what I mean?
00:51:38I don't know if maybe, cause Chad's a big fan of Grande and maybe there was a vicarious,
00:51:43vicariously living.
00:51:45Cause to my knowledge, Chad Gable has not actually had a one-on-one.
00:51:49WrestleMania match as was cited, you know, while he was sitting up in the stands, but
00:51:54I mean, I'm sure you can shed light on this, you know, I mean, when you're fresh, when
00:52:00you were first fresh out of the ring, you know, just dealing with what you were dealing
00:52:04with, I'm sure you were just saying crazy stuff.
00:52:08I was not.
00:52:09No?
00:52:09My, my mental, he didn't have a head injury.
00:52:12That's not the reason he's out.
00:52:13Oh, okay.
00:52:13Maybe it was a dark match.
00:52:16Dark match?
00:52:17At WrestleMania?
00:52:18I don't know.
00:52:19No, I mean, I didn't see Chad Gable on the card.
00:52:21There had to be something.
00:52:22We can do the pre-show.
00:52:23We, we have a clear view of the ring.
00:52:25We know there was no dark match at WrestleMania.
00:52:28Okay?
00:52:28There was no, in fact, if the two of you were detectives in my local town, I would never
00:52:33report a crime, a murder, nothing, because it would never get solved.
00:52:37I would lay all the facts in front of you, and he would say, I don't know, maybe it's
00:52:41the guy that looked, no, no, no.
00:52:44We all know it, and I won't, I won't put up with this anymore, all right?
00:52:49Stop it.
00:52:50Stop it.
00:52:50I don't know.
00:52:50Plus, Pete Dunne's British.
00:52:53We didn't hear the man speak, okay?
00:52:55Well, Grande Americano's from the Gulf of America.
00:52:57Yeah, I did.
00:52:59I, I heard him cut a promo in Spanish over the weekend, so.
00:53:02Spanish.
00:53:03Right.
00:53:03There are people who are, who are not born in Mexico who can speak Spanish, and in case
00:53:08that's, there's any confusion there.
00:53:09See.
00:53:10That's true.
00:53:10I mean, Stephanie, if I care, is, they're born, and she's Chilean.
00:53:13Mm-hmm.
00:53:14That's right.
00:53:14You know, that's your, you know.
00:53:16Anyway, SummerSlave, SummerSlave, you're right about the dark match thing, though.
00:53:20This is a three-hour pre-show, you know what I mean?
00:53:22Like, you'd think, you'd know.
00:53:24That's a huge window to have a dark match in.
00:53:26But, but, listen, I feel we're getting way off track.
00:53:31Big E, you're saying some wild stuff.
00:53:33I think most people are going to hear this and go, man, Big E was, was really nuts on
00:53:39Raw Recap this week.
00:53:41But, but I, I will say, and by the way, I mean, you're still making an impact on the
00:53:48show, Grayson Waller, uh, uh, Big G, getting into, uh, contact, a reference to the, the Seamus,
00:53:56your pal, Seamus, who you've done such a wonderful job of shouting out here on Raw Recap multiple
00:54:01times, shouting you out with a big meaty men slapping meat reference on Monday Night Raw.
00:54:06That had to, that had to warm your heart a little bit.
00:54:09No, it was lovely.
00:54:09I sent him a text, uh, and we had a brief convo.
00:54:13Uh, very lovely.
00:54:14So, so interesting, too, because Seamus and I, I feel like early in his career, when he was
00:54:18riding high, I don't know if we always saw eye to eye, but we got to share the ring together.
00:54:21And there really is something beautiful about getting to share the ring with someone.
00:54:24You get to understand each other by beating the hell out of each other, but there's a
00:54:27kinship that's formed, uh, and he and I have built quite the kinship.
00:54:31So I, I appreciate that shout out.
00:54:33Uh, but I, I don't know where this new day Grayson Waller thing is going.
00:54:37I wasn't mad at the shirt though.
00:54:38That, like that black lace shirt, but I'm a sucker for black lace.
00:54:41Usually on women, but he was rocking the lace.
00:54:44He was rocking the lace.
00:54:45He did.
00:54:45He pulled, he did.
00:54:47He pulled it off.
00:54:47I will say that.
00:54:48I will say he pulled it off.
00:54:50Body talk with Biggie.
00:54:51Yeah, man.
00:54:51Well, Biggie is an appreciator.
00:54:54You know what I mean?
00:54:54Like if he sees, if you see something like you appreciate it, uh, let, let's talk about
00:54:58SummerSlam.
00:54:59Okay.
00:54:59Let's talk about, uh, a match that we haven't really gotten to talk about much because it's
00:55:04a SmackDown match.
00:55:05But while we're talking about SummerSlam, John Cena, Cody Rhodes, you've got this match where
00:55:13Cody Rhodes has made it a street fight.
00:55:16You've got this match where now Cody Rhodes is asking for the old John Cena.
00:55:21He's asking for talking to Stu John Cena.
00:55:24He's asking for running down the aisle John Cena, colorful, you know, Tron going crazy cartoons
00:55:31over here.
00:55:31He wants the real John Cena to be there for the real John Cena's last SummerSlam.
00:55:39What do you make of what direction this Cody Rhodes, John Cena match could go in?
00:55:47Uh, look, I get where, where Cody's head is at.
00:55:50That's, that's the John Cena that we have known to be Super Cena.
00:55:54That's the Cena that we've known to be at the top of his game, at the top of the industry.
00:55:59And also, I just think for fans, this is the last year we're ever going to see Cena
00:56:04wrestle in a WWE ring.
00:56:06This is, this is it.
00:56:07And, and I've known Cena for as long as I have, I'm not going to claim that we're the
00:56:11best of friends, but I, you know, we've known each other fairly well for quite some
00:56:15time now.
00:56:16Uh, and I will say, I think he's a man of his word.
00:56:18So if this is the last run for us as fans, and I think that's what Cody's alluding
00:56:23to is like, give us the Cena we have relied upon.
00:56:26Give us the Cena that has main evented, uh, PLE and pay-per-view after pay-per-view.
00:56:30That's the version that we want to see.
00:56:31This, this version is unrecognizable and for better or worse, that's not the Cena that
00:56:37people want to see.
00:56:38And I think that Cody beating anyone to become WWE champion, to be a world champion is amazing,
00:56:45but you want to beat the legends when they're at their very best.
00:56:48And I think that version of John Cena that Cody is alluding to, that's the version of
00:56:52Cena that's at his best.
00:56:54That isn't looking for a Travis Scott to come down the ramp.
00:56:57That isn't looking for a rock.
00:56:58He is locked in and I, I, he's like, his mindset is I'm the best at my craft.
00:57:05I'm going to beat you one-on-one.
00:57:06I'm not looking for a shortcut.
00:57:07I'm not looking for a way out.
00:57:09That version of John Cena, I think is the most laser focused.
00:57:12I think he's the most determined.
00:57:13And I think that's the version that all of us would like to see as well.
00:57:16So I like where Cody's head is at.
00:57:18I hope we get that John Cena again, but man, time, time is ticking.
00:57:22And I also think that this match is, is so vitally important for Cody.
00:57:28If Cody loses at SummerSlam, I don't know where he goes.
00:57:33I don't know who he is.
00:57:34Is he a guy now that is just kind of a plug and play guy?
00:57:39We see him in fun tag matches.
00:57:41We see him go after mid card titles, or he's, is he going to reassert himself as the face of
00:57:47the company?
00:57:48That's the Cody that I want to see.
00:57:50I think he's the guy that we put the company on his back and we send him around the world
00:57:55to, to be the, and he's still doing that.
00:57:57Don't get me wrong, but it has a different feel when you're wearing that world championship
00:58:01and you're, you're doing Fallon, you're doing a late night, you're doing, uh, you know,
00:58:06just all the things that he is doing.
00:58:09And, and that's the, that's what I hope.
00:58:11I hope that at SummerSlam, we see the John Cena of old, and I hope that we see Cody at
00:58:17his very best because, uh, I, I, I don't know if there's any coming back for Cody if
00:58:23he loses at SummerSlam.
00:58:24Yeah, Sam, you brought this up, but you know, he's still wearing the QB one.
00:58:27Well, that's, that's exactly right.
00:58:29Like, and that's what I think is really interesting.
00:58:32Both of you are, are, are right on the money about this.
00:58:34Cody is that like for the longest time he was defined as the person trying to finish
00:58:39his story.
00:58:40His pursuit of the WWE championship was how he defined himself.
00:58:44And then once he got that championship, he defined himself as the guy, as the captain,
00:58:50as QB one.
00:58:51So you're right.
00:58:52If he can't wear that title, if he can't get the title back, then you go, well, then
00:58:58who is he?
00:58:59Do we need to redefine who and what Cody Rhodes is?
00:59:02What did you make?
00:59:03Cause I know you pay attention to all the details like we do.
00:59:06What did you make of Cody saying sometimes doing the right thing does not look like the
00:59:13right thing?
00:59:14I, you know, I think there, that has a lot of people talking about what Cody does at
00:59:19SummerSlam.
00:59:20And look, this is, this is a match.
00:59:21That's not going to have, there's no DQ, so he can do dastardly things and that's all
00:59:26within the rule set.
00:59:27But it makes me wonder if we see, we seen Cody in the past be gun shy on like using the
00:59:35chair or using the title in a match.
00:59:37We've seen a virtuous Cody and him being virtuous has actually hurt him.
00:59:42It has caused him to lose titles.
00:59:45It has caused him to lose in main events.
00:59:47So I think Cody realizes he needs to put that aside.
00:59:52If he wants to be the guy, he's got to get his hands dirty.
00:59:55And I think oftentimes in this industry, you do your best to stick to your guns, to stick
01:00:01to your principles, to be the kind of person that you can look yourself in the mirror day
01:00:04in and day out and be proud of who you are.
01:00:06But the problem is far too often, as you both know, our industry does not reward virtues.
01:00:14It does not reward you being the very best.
01:00:16It does not reward you being someone who women and children and families can all look up to
01:00:22at sometimes.
01:00:23And sometimes doing the thing that people see as immoral or as a shortcut, that's what
01:00:29allows you to stay at the very top.
01:00:31And you referenced the QB one and I love that he has that mindset, but I think of actual
01:00:36football and I think they oftentimes they tell you as a backup quarterback, you need
01:00:40to prepare like your QB one.
01:00:42You might be QB two or three, but when you go into camp, you need to have studied tape
01:00:46like you're the starting quarterback.
01:00:48You need to have been on the field before and after practice.
01:00:51You need to put those reps in.
01:00:52If you want to be the guy, you need to prepare like you're already the guy.
01:00:55But the problem is if you never take a snap in the game, it doesn't matter how well you
01:01:00prepare, how much you, you put QB one on your shirt or on your jacket.
01:01:04None of that matters.
01:01:05And in many ways we talk about Cody finishing his story and to a degree he has, but there
01:01:12have been many champions like me who hold that title one time it's gone and that's it
01:01:17truly to me, finishing that story means not just becoming WWE champion, but having a reign
01:01:24that people talk about for a very long time, it means staying there, getting there is very
01:01:29hard.
01:01:29It is so hard to get there, but legendary status, the way they talk about you being amongst
01:01:34the greats is holding it, not for a month, not for two months, but for years, being the
01:01:39guy for years and years.
01:01:40And that's what made the John Cena that we know and love and some people boo right now,
01:01:45but the John Cena that we speak so highly of that we talk about as the greatest of all
01:01:49time, he is marked as that because he's not a guy who just had one great world title run
01:01:56and then that was it.
01:01:57He was a guy who stayed at the very top.
01:02:00So that to me is finishing the story.
01:02:02When Cody's done with his career, we're talking about a guy who was a six-time world champion,
01:02:07a seven-time world champion.
01:02:08He had a run like puncted for over 400 days.
01:02:12That's what to me truly finishing the story is.
01:02:15And that's what I think Cody, he's that caliber of talent.
01:02:18That's what I want for him is to be a guy who stays at the top for a very long time.
01:02:24And he's yet to do that.
01:02:25And when you talk about legacy, I'm sure it's on Cody's mind now more than ever that we've
01:02:31lost Hulk Hogan and everybody's talking about that legacy as a WWE superstar and what he did
01:02:37and the fact that he's so closely associated with that championship.
01:02:40I think that's a lot of good points.
01:02:41E, as much as you know about WWE championship matches, you also know about tag team championship
01:02:48matches quite a bit.
01:02:49And SmackDown put down a huge one at the end of the show on Friday.
01:02:55Six-team TLC match.
01:02:59Wyatt's, Motor City Machine Guns, DIY, Street Profits, Fraxium, and Andrade and Rey Fenix.
01:03:07What are your thoughts on that one?
01:03:09Just purely from a bell-to-bell standpoint, that might be my most anticipated.
01:03:17That's at least like my dark horse match.
01:03:19I'm telling you, I mean, we saw the post-mania, a TLC match that they had on SmackDown.
01:03:26I love that match.
01:03:28That's probably my favorite men's match of the year so far.
01:03:30And I know those guys have been killing it week in and week out.
01:03:37But I think too often we don't talk about that.
01:03:40We don't talk about the work that they're putting in.
01:03:42And I love that they're finally getting the stage.
01:03:44They're getting this platform to go out there.
01:03:47I feel like all six of those teams, we have a lot of very hungry guys who feel like they have yet to get their due.
01:03:52They have yet to get the real spotlight.
01:03:55And I feel like they're going to go out there and work with that chip on their shoulder.
01:03:58I look at the work that Montez has put in, the work that Dawkins has put in.
01:04:02For, you know, time and time, so many people have clamored for, like, when are you guys going to get that big push?
01:04:07When are you guys going to, whether it's singles, titles, whatever it is.
01:04:10And I feel like that's what I think of when I think of the SmackDown tag team division.
01:04:14I think that way of the Motor City machine guns, so talented, but it is, you know, it is a pool of sharks getting TV time, getting the acclaim, getting spotlights.
01:04:26We, unfortunately, we haven't seen the tag teams really be spotlit on these PLEs.
01:04:31So that's what I'm really excited for is because I know all six of those teams will go in with a big chip on their shoulder.
01:04:37And they'll have that mentality of, I'm going to show you.
01:04:40Like, I think of the Usos, we wrestled them on a SummerSlam pre-show.
01:04:46Right.
01:04:46And our rivalry was already cooking then.
01:04:49And as soon as we found out we were on the pre-show, we were all upset.
01:04:53Like, it's an opportunity, so we're grateful for it.
01:04:55But we all thought, like, this is, we are main event caliber talent.
01:05:01We have a main event caliber feud.
01:05:03And we're going to show you.
01:05:04So we went out there with that chip on our shoulder.
01:05:08We went out there with that, y'all going to see.
01:05:11And I feel like that SmackDown tag team division, which has not gotten enough love, which has not been talked about enough, which they have just quietly been working and working and working.
01:05:22And I feel like a lot of their work has not been through, you know, tons of time to talk or tons of time to get who they are over on the microphone.
01:05:30And it's been, let's put the work in, in the ring, week in and week out.
01:05:35And I love that hunger.
01:05:36And I feel like because of that, they're going to really show a lot of people who haven't been paying attention what they can do.
01:05:42Sam, you and I watch a lot of NXT.
01:05:45We love it.
01:05:45I'm excited for the world to see what Frazier and Axiom are all about.
01:05:49Yeah, Fraxium.
01:05:50They're really good.
01:05:51In a multi-team ladder match?
01:05:52Yeah, absolutely.
01:05:54Absolutely.
01:05:55E, one more thing.
01:05:57Do you think for AJ Styles that the loss will be something that really sets him back?
01:06:04Or do you think that AJ Styles will get credit just for being able to hang in there with one of the greatest ever doing?
01:06:09So wait, are you already checking the box?
01:06:12AJ won tonight.
01:06:14No, I'm talking about SummerSlam.
01:06:16I'm talking about SummerSlam.
01:06:16Do you think it'll be enough that it's like we'll have that respect because look at the way he hung in there with one of the best ever?
01:06:23I need you desperately to put some damn respect on.
01:06:28Listen, we're talking about AJ Styles.
01:06:30Oh, I know.
01:06:31No, I, yeah.
01:06:32But I mean.
01:06:34And for you just to automatically check the, oh, Dom's going to win box?
01:06:38Wow.
01:06:39Find some shame immediately.
01:06:42We're talking about on the, I think, on my Mount Rushmore of in-ring workers.
01:06:47Okay.
01:06:48Now we're talking the same language.
01:06:50He's someone that needs to be at least considered, if not like a shoe-in.
01:06:57AJ Styles is one of the best to ever do it.
01:07:00We're not talking about Dom, okay?
01:07:01Okay.
01:07:02We were confused.
01:07:03That was.
01:07:03As much as I love Dom and I, look, I was there at WrestleMania on that countdown desk after he won the IC title.
01:07:11So seeing the adoration he got, this dude is a superstar.
01:07:13Seeing the pop that he got in AAA, incredible, incredible.
01:07:17I am not taking anything away from Dominic Mysterio, but I'm saying AJ Styles has done this for decades now.
01:07:23He is a master of his craft.
01:07:26And for you to, someone who is supposed to be a trusted voice that people, our fans, are supposed to listen to you for top-tier analysis, for you just to write him off like it's already over?
01:07:39Only in this, I mean, just in this scenario, not most scenarios.
01:07:42You're right about it, but it's just his opponent is, you know.
01:07:45Well, Sam was actually saying this could be like the miracle on ice, but of wrestling, because Dominic's coming back from this injury, you know, one of the biggest shows of the year.
01:07:56He's been out for a long time and going against one of the best wrestlers in the history of the business as well.
01:08:02So, I mean.
01:08:03Feel good story coming to New Jersey.
01:08:05Except the fact that it's a fake injury.
01:08:08That's not true.
01:08:09There was a doctor's note.
01:08:10From who?
01:08:11Doctor.
01:08:12I don't know.
01:08:13That's a HIPAA thing.
01:08:14I wouldn't know.
01:08:15I would never violate somebody's HIPAA rights like that.
01:08:18I wouldn't know.
01:08:19Those details are very, very private.
01:08:21I'm an outstanding human.
01:08:22Well, man.
01:08:24Biggie, I can't wait to catch even more analysis like this from you on the SummerSlam Countdown Show, and I'm sure you'll be all over the place SummerSlam weekend.
01:08:37It is always a pleasure having you here on Raw Recap, sir.
01:08:40I appreciate it.
01:08:41Thanks for having me.
01:08:41Of course.
01:08:42Anytime, and that's going to be it.
01:08:45Megan, the next time the fine folks will see us recapping, it will be Saturday night, as, of course, we will be recapping both Saturday and Sunday of SummerSlam before we get to next Monday's Raw Recap.
01:09:00I cannot wait.
01:09:01It's going to be a tremendous weekend, and to be there for all of it is going to be outstanding.
01:09:07Biggest party of the summer, baby.
01:09:09I can't wait.
01:09:10And Cardi B.
01:09:10Maybe we can get Cardi B on the recap.
01:09:12We're trying to get Cardi B on the recap?
01:09:14Okay.
01:09:14We'll see what happens.
01:09:15Tune in on Saturday.
01:09:16Tune in on Sunday.
01:09:17Tune in next Monday.
01:09:19We'll see you guys soon.
01:09:20We'll see you guys soon.
01:09:20We'll see you guys soon.
01:09:22We'll see you guys soon.
01:09:24We'll see you guys soon.
01:09:30You
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