WWE Releases! Real Reason Seth Rollins Beat Cody Rhodes? John Cena Tributes! | WrestleTalk - video Dailymotion

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What did you think of WWE Crown Jewel 2025? Let me know in the comments. WATCH: https://youtu.be/XZEjZRKx1Hs  👀 Support WrestleTalk on Patreon 👉 https://www.patreon.com/wrestletalk More wrestling news on https://wrestletalk.com/ 00:00 - Intro 00:17 - WWE Releases 02:32 - Roman Reigns vs. Bronson Reed 03:31 - Tiffany Stratton vs. Stephanie Vacquer 04:03 - Brian Children’s Last Chance 08:17 - AJ Styles vs. John Cena 10:38 - Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky vs. Auska & Kairi Sane 11:33 - Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins WWE Releases! Real Reason Seth Rollins Beat Cody Rhodes? John Cena Tributes! | WrestleTalk #WWE  #WrestlingNews #WrestleTalk #WWERAW #AEW  Buy WrestleTalk Merch here! https://wrestleshop.com/  WT Newsletter 👉 https://mailchi.mp/wrestletalk.com/wrestletalk-newsletter WT Instagram Channel 👉 https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaJf1Emoh31q1kj/ WT WhatsApp Channel 👉 https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWjRis9WtC3S0zSQy0d  Sources used for research: https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/zayda-steel-wwe-id-contract-departure/ https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/kylie-rae-released-wwe-id/ https://www.f4wonline.com/news/nxt/stevie-turner-among-wwe-nxt-id-departures/ https://www.patreon.com/posts/fightfuls-big-h-140835311  Big Rock - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  Youtube Channel Comments Policy We appreciate the comments and opinions our viewers provide. Do note that all comments are subject to YouTube auto-moderation and manual moderation review. We encourage opinions and discussion, but harassment, hate speech, bullying and other abusive posts will not be tolerated. Decisions on comment removal are made by the Community Manager. Please email us at support@wrestletalk.com with any questions or concerns.

Transcript

00:00WWE released several names, John Cena and AJ Styles bust out all the tributes, and Seth

00:05Rollins beat Cody Rhodes to win the Crown Jewel Championship.

00:09Hi I'm Luko and welcome to WrestleTalk, this is my review of Crown Jewel 2025.

00:14But first, news.

00:20Fightful Bodyslam and The Wrestling Observer reported that WWE released several names from

00:24their contracts yesterday evening whilst not picking up some that were expiring.

00:28It's quite typical of WWE to release talents from their contracts on a Friday so that

00:32it gets buried in the Smackdown news cycle.

00:35The names include Jamar Hampton, Brandon, BJ Ray, Summer Sorrell, Hayes Jamison, Draco Knox

00:40and Jin Tala, with the most notable names being Lance Anawaii, Stevie Turner and Wes Lee.

00:45Anawaii was signed by WWE last year but got injured rather quickly.

00:48Fightful's Lake reported just last week that word was he'd picked up another injury that

00:53would keep him on the shelf for the rest of the year.

00:56In a Twitter post, Anawaii said, I didn't have the best of luck since I arrived.

01:00I will not let this stop me from achieving to be great.

01:02I've worked hard on the indies for 15 years now, let's get back to work.

01:06Stevie Turner posted, My time with WWE has come to an end.

01:10I've had a brilliant time and I'm so excited for the future.

01:13See you soon.

01:14Earlier this year she'd been made the general manager of the Evolve brand.

01:16Wes Lee formed the group High Rise in NXT with Tyreek Igway and Tyson Dupont, but the group

01:21hasn't done much of note since the start of the year.

01:23It is important to note that these are releases and thus they have 30 day non-compete clauses.

01:29Elsewhere, WWE ID prospect Zadea Steel announced that she's departing the company of deciding

01:34not to resign with WWE.

01:37She tweeted, I've decided not to renew my WWE ID contract.

01:40I'm incredibly grateful for all the knowledge, experience and opportunities I've gained along

01:44the way, but at the end of the day I have to do what's best for me.

01:47I'm only 21 and I've already done so much, but I'm just getting started, thank you.

01:52Unlike the releases, Steele is free to work wherever she wants, and has already been announced

01:56by House of Glory to be facing Indi Hartwell for their Women's Championship.

02:00Zahra Sackher has announced that her WWE ID contract has not been re-signed, and tweeted

02:04that she'll be taking a step back from pro wrestling.

02:07Perhaps the most surprising name of the lot though, is Kylie Rae, who was the inaugural

02:11WWE ID Women's Champion, a championship she had to vacate when she announced just a couple

02:16of weeks back that she was pregnant.

02:18Rey had previously worked for AEW, but requested her release.

02:21Their split was said to be amicable.

02:22Fightful Select report, in addition to the WWE ID contracts that have come to an end, we're

02:27told that some were extended.

02:29WWE continues to recruit talent for the program.

02:32But that's enough news, let's get into this Crown Jewel review, which kicked off with

02:35Roman Reigns taking on Bronson Reed in an Australian Street Fight which featured

02:39Aussie rules, footballs and cricket bats, which I understand might be confusing to some of

02:44our American viewers because, as we're all aware, you need to know what a crump it

02:48is to understand cricket.

02:50This was your standard WWE hardcore match, and featured Reed absolutely battering Reigns

02:54until he did a Samoan drop through a chair.

02:56He kicked out of a Death Valley driver and set up for a spear on the outside, but got caught

03:00by Brom Breaker.

03:01They hit the Shield powerbomb through the announcer's table, which brought out the Usos to make the

03:05save.

03:06But in the madness, Jay hit Roman with a spear through a table, and Reed hit the Tsunami

03:11to get the pin.

03:12Making him, as best as I and our Patreon backers could work out, only the second person in

03:16wrestling to pin both Roman Reigns and Kazuchika Okada.

03:20Very unique group, I'd say.

03:22The others Finn Balor, in case you were curious.

03:23We then got Bloodline Acting, as Roman Reigns told his cousins that while he loves them,

03:28he doesn't want to see them until Christmas.

03:31More on that later.

03:32Stephanie Bakker pinned Tiffany Stratton to win the Women's Crown Jewel Championship in a perfectly

03:36fine match that really felt much like the TV leading up to it, it didn't really build

03:40too much.

03:41It went just over 10 minutes, but those 10 minutes weren't spent telling a story in

03:44the ring.

03:45They just did some stuff, and then Stephanie won.

03:48Quite underwhelming considering that there was a decent story to be told, as this is Tiffany

03:52Stratton's first loss all year.

03:54Bakker cut a nice promo after the match, and the reported plan for Tiffany next is facing

03:59Jade Cargill again for the Women's Championship, where they might do a title switch.

04:03Before we get into the rest of the show, there's the small matter of Brian Children getting

04:07his shot at redemption.

04:09We tasked him with interviewing the top stars of Clash of the Comics, and if he didn't

04:13cause any screw ups, he might just get his job back.

04:17Well he handled the solo interviews with Phil Wang and Ed Gamble very well, but what will

04:22happen during the sit down interview with both men where they are contractually not allowed

04:28to touch each other?

04:29Over to you, Brian.

04:30I'm reading for you, pal.

04:31Hello, it's me, Brian Children, on behalf of WrestleTalk with my final chance, and I've

04:36got a huge question for these two who are going to be facing each other at the Clash

04:40of the Comics.

04:41Am I currently doing an alright job?

04:43Well, I don't know the context, I've never, never seen you work before, so, I mean, to

04:49me I'd probably give it a 6 out of 10 at the moment, but if you're normally worse

04:53than this, it's probably a 9 out of 10.

04:55So it depends who the alternatives are and if they would do better or if you're as good

04:59as it gets.

05:00Well, I'm as good as I get, for sure.

05:02Now it's very, very key that the two of you do not make any physical contact with each

05:07other because otherwise I will lose my job.

05:09That being said, Phil, I must ask you about Ed's comments from earlier.

05:13He called you a slug man.

05:14What do you think?

05:15Well, just because my mucus has healing properties, I don't take that as an insult at all.

05:20I might be a little slug to him, but he is a liar, a gambler and a delinquent.

05:25He's a thief who stole my belt and he might have my belt.

05:29He might have a cool pair of sunglasses.

05:32He might have a debilitating gambling addiction.

05:35What he doesn't have are friends he doesn't pay.

05:38Ed, that is a huge allegation and of course everyone's been saying that you have stolen

05:43this belt.

05:44I don't take any of what Phil said as an insult.

05:47People say I've got a debilitating gambling problem.

05:50I say I have a strong hobby.

05:52I've not stolen this belt.

05:53This belt was there, open for the taking.

05:56It was there.

05:57You've got to know when to hold them.

05:58You've got to know when to fold them, know when to walk away, know when to run.

06:02And that is the lyrics to a song about gambling, in case you didn't know.

06:06No, that is very true.

06:08Very true indeed.

06:09So who, Ed, do you think will come out on top if things are fair and square between the

06:13two of you?

06:14Well, I don't think I'm going to come out on top.

06:16I know I'm going to come out on top.

06:18I'm a dead sir.

06:20I'm the favourite.

06:21Imagine this is the Grand National.

06:23I am the horse who is still alive after all the other horses have died in a horrific crash

06:28on the M1.

06:29Strong words there from Ed and you must be feeling a little bit scared about maybe the

06:34Gambler's Anonymous gang that Ed has amassed.

06:39You worried about them at all?

06:40That gang of misfits.

06:41Grishy Ghosh, who I defeated for that title.

06:44And Bullet, who's just a hairy rock.

06:46No, I'm not scared of his so-called friends.

06:50Employees, really.

06:52Ed Gamble, when the fun stops, stop.

06:55And a clash of the comics, your fun's going to stop.

06:59It never stops for me, Phil.

07:01Kill Wang.

07:02It never stops.

07:03It's fun.

07:04Right through the night.

07:05The sun comes up.

07:06I've got tears in my eyes.

07:07I'm still gambling.

07:08I'm the better wrestler.

07:09I'm the better gambler.

07:10Right, we'll do it.

07:11We'll do it.

07:12We'll do it right now.

07:13Right, simple game.

07:14Simple gambling game.

07:15What number am I thinking of?

07:18Five.

07:19Well, I don't...

07:24How?

07:25This is...

07:27Come and get it.

07:29Come and get it.

07:30Come and get it.

07:31Ah!

07:32Ah!

07:33Ah!

07:34That's Brian Children from WrestleTalk.

07:36I think they just had a very aggressive couple.

08:06Well, Brian, you funked it, mate.

08:14Still, that clash of the comics sure looks fun.

08:16And speaking of fun, AJ Styles vs John Cena was so much fun.

08:21Like, this was a blast.

08:23It wasn't really a wrestling match per se, but more like being down the pub on a Saturday

08:27night with a really good tribute band playing all your favourite songs.

08:31But it's not just your favourite songs, it's the entire pub's favourite songs.

08:36So you're all just having a bloody lovely time.

08:38There's even a point where you start chanting at the band to play another of your favourite

08:41songs and they tease playing that one too.

08:44Off the bat, AJ Styles came out in his 2005 TNA gear, which felt like it was done to pop

08:49people like me.

08:50When I got back into wrestling in 2005, it wasn't really WWE that made me fall in love

08:55with wrestling again after a few years of not watching it.

08:58It was people like AJ Styles.

09:00I'd actually say Styles was the first new guy I properly got into.

09:04So seeing AJ Thiles back was rather delightful.

09:10And this crowd were super here to see John Cena.

09:13With the amount of yellow shirts in this blue arena, I felt like I was watching from the

09:16inside of an Ikea showroom.

09:18It's a totally original joke and not one I stole from Dan Layton.

09:21And speaking of stealing other people's material, this match had tributes to The Miz or Jeff

09:25Jarrett if you're cool, Sting, Rusev, Samoa Joe, Chris Jericho, Christopher Daniels,

09:29Hangman Adam Page, Randy Orton, The Big Show, Shawn Michaels, and one final tribute to The

09:33Undertaker with a hellacious tombstone.

09:36And before you argue with me in the comments, I think The Chokeslam was a showstopper chokeslam

09:41rather than the one Kane and Undertaker do.

09:43Don't at me, I'm not on Twitter anymore.

09:45And also, I don't know if The Dead Eye really was a tribute to Hangman Page, but I was just

09:49having so much fun that I started looking for things that might not be there.

09:53And this crowd were having the time of their lives.

09:56At one point they started chanting 619, and I laughed that one off because there's no

10:00way Mr Roboto John Cena is going to do a 619, so it was actually hilarious when he teased

10:06doing one.

10:07AJ even did AJ tributes of his own, like a Springboard 450.

10:11The most touching tribute, of course, was the one to Bray Wyatt.

10:14Cena hit the sister Abigail, and when it came back from the replay, the entire crowd were

10:18doing the fireflies and led a thank you Bray chant.

10:21It was a genuinely lovely moment.

10:24Cena won with a tombstone and won final AA and hugged AJ Styles afterwards.

10:28This was ridiculous fun.

10:30The commentators put over that Styles will be hanging up his own boots in 2026, and I

10:34don't know if I'm fully ready to accept that just yet.

10:37Despite the build for Rhea Ripley and Eosguide taking on Kabuki Warriors being around

10:40the drama between Sky, Asuka and Sane, because of the country this match took place in, it

10:45was all really built around Rhea Ripley.

10:47Not that Sky was particularly selling the drama.

10:49Michael Cole said during her entrance that he felt so sorry for her because of all the

10:52traumatic events that have happened to her over the last couple of weeks.

10:55Meanwhile, she's smiling, high-fiving fans and doing her finger point thing.

10:59It might be the happiest I've ever seen her.

11:01The Kabuki Warriors worked over Eosuke for an eternity to build to the Ripley hot tag.

11:05They all did some moves, and Rhea and Sky won.

11:08The crowd helped what was otherwise a perfectly cromulent match.

11:10I'm not saying that as a negative, by the way.

11:13Like Roncil, this did exactly what was on the tin.

11:15This is exactly what it needed to be.

11:17It was like the first in a series of matches.

11:20And it very well could be, as the Wrestling Observer is reporting that Sky and Rhea will

11:23be part of the Women's War Games match alongside AJ Lee, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss against

11:28Asuka, Kairi Sane, Nia Jax, Becky Lynch and Lash Legend.

11:31But the main event of this show was the excellently billed Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins match for

11:37the Men's Crown Duel Championship.

11:39The story that led to the finish was told right from the get go, as the insecure Seth

11:43Rollins could not get out of the blocks against Cody, and he let the crowd calling him a wanker

11:48rattle him.

11:49When the commentary pointed out he was being rattled, he rattled even further and had a

11:53go at Michael Cole and Wade Barrett.

11:55He had gear made up of the three previous gears he'd worn against Cody, but those mind games

11:59had no effect.

12:00He did the stardust pose, and again, it had no effect.

12:04So he went to get the watch.

12:06Boy, Triple H really does love wrist accessories and storyline crutches, doesn't he?

12:10But Seth didn't want to win this way.

12:12If he's going to be the man around here, the actual quarterback of WWE, he needs to do

12:16this the right way.

12:17Earlier in the night Paul Heyman told Bronson Reed and Brom Breaker to stay in the back,

12:21Seth needs to do this on his own.

12:23So he put the watch down and he gave it his all, but what he gave wasn't good enough.

12:27He did this wild coast to coast diving headbutt, he hit a crossroads of his own, he hit the

12:32manhandle slam, and Cody kept kicking out.

12:36So did Seth for the record, when Cody hit him with an avalanche crossroads.

12:40And in the end, Seth ended up back next to the watch.

12:43He picked it up and after a ref bump, punched Cody in the mouth with it.

12:47And because of the symbolism, it had a plus two damage buff.

12:50He then hit a stomp and a super stomp to get the win.

12:52And after weeks of insecurity eating away at him, he reverted right back to cackling Seth

12:58Rollins during his post-match promo on the fans.

13:01Seth is now the quarterback of this company, and he did it the only way he knew how.

13:06Now according to the Wrestling Observer, Seth is set for some big matches coming up, and

13:10that might explain why he won here.

13:13They report the next Saturday night's main event will be main evented by Seth vs CM Punk

13:17for the World Championship, before Punk teams with Roman Reigns, Jacob Fatu, Jey Uso and

13:22either LA Knight or Jimmy Uso in war games against Seth Rollins, Brom Breaker, Bronson Reed,

13:28Brock Lesnar and Austin Theory.

13:30Wait, what?

13:32I'm pretty sceptical about this report, not the least of which because Roman seemingly wrote

13:35himself off TV for the rest of the year with that Christmas line, but also LOL Austin Theory.

13:40Like I know he has connections to Seth, but LOL Austin Theory.

13:45According to Fightful Select, when Fightful enquired about this as it seemed out of left

13:49field, we were told it is actually one of the options moving forward.

13:55The Wrestling Observer say that those wargames planned were as of a few weeks ago.

13:59And as we saw on Unreal, there's every chance it's just an option that's written on the

14:02whiteboard, not an actual direction, because again, LOL Austin Theory.

14:08As for Cody, they report he's going to face the winner of Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu from

14:12Saturday Night's main event at Survivor Series.

14:14And given that Jacob is in that proposed wargames line-up, that sets up a Cody vs Drew WrestleBalooza

14:18rematch.

14:19And speaking of WrestleBalooza, well Crown Jewel was way better than that, wasn't it?

14:22The Cena Styles match was a huge part of it, and will likely be ranked highly as some people's

14:27favourite match of the year.

14:29The Lost TLC video for worst wrestling catchphrases, sorry that got taken down last week, will be

14:32live tomorrow, so catch up on the previous TLC video by clicking the one on screen right now.

14:37Now, the Avengers match was a great plan.

14:38Now we can see how the suits carried less.

14:42OK?

14:43Well done.

WWE Releases! Real Reason Seth Rollins Beat Cody Rhodes? John Cena Tributes! | WrestleTalk

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