What a week in wrestling.
It all started with a jam-packed weekend I wanted to touch on quickly.
- Evolution was phenomenal. It delivered five-star matches across the board, despite the shaky build. Keep an eye on my X account for an article with my full thoughts in a few days, or subscribe to Mental Dimes to see it the moment it goes live. Real quick though—Blake Monroe’s heel turn is something I’ve been dying to see.
- NXT: The Great American Bash was another standout. Ethan Page vs. Ricky Saints was next-level incredible.
- Saturday Night’s Main Event…was technically a show. Hopefully Seth didn’t get too hurt.
- I have to mention it: AEW All In was an amazing but long show. Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Moné was nearly perfect. I’m glad Toni retained, and I’m curious to see what’s next for both of them.
With that out of the way, here are my top moments from the weekly shows.
One Match
How could anything top Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria in a 2-out-of-3 falls match? The two of them are magic in the ring, and this time a shot at Becky Lynch and the Women’s Intercontinental Championship was up for grabs. Bayley stole the first pinfall before eventually losing out to Lyra. I’m a little surprised that Bayley didn’t win to set up Bayley vs. Becky Lynch for SummerSlam, but it makes the moment that much bigger for Lyra.
Hopefully Lyra becomes the first two-time Women’s Intercontinental Champion. And that can lead to her having a proper feud against Bayley with the title on the line. All three women are incredible together once the bell rings, and these feuds are only giving Lyra and the title a bigger spotlight.
One Moment
Sol Ruca came out on NXT with her Women’s North American Championship draped across her body like a pageant sash. And she made it known that she is a double champion when she twirled around to show off the WWE Speed Championship across her back.
It’s the first time that one of the Speed titles has been shown off in the ring. Sol had snuck in her championship during backstage segments a few times, but the X-exclusive title finally got a big spotlight. Sol Ruca deserves to be shown as a double champion. Her athleticism is off the charts, and she’s become such a lovable character, both on her own and with her tag partner Zaria. She’s a major part of WWE’s future.
One Promo
I saw the reports and rumors before the show. John Cena and Cody Rhodes were opening the show, then there was a car crash that threw off the plans. Then the tweets came in: John and Cody would close the show, and it would be a street fight.
Then John Cena actually had me believing that he wouldn’t be at SummerSlam. He didn’t seem like a heel for a moment. He genuinely sounded sorry. He told Cody he could have his match any time he wanted, just not then. And when he tried to leave, Cody dragged him back to the ring and put him through a table before forcing him to sign the contract. This is going to be so much better than their WrestleMania match. Anything would be, as long as I don’t have to hear Fein again.
Honorable Mentions
- The entire first half of Raw. The women owned the show, which was the perfect call after Evolution.
- Charlotte vs. Raquel. The match was amazing, and Raquel lost, but was protected in the loss by interference from Alexa Bliss. Raquel deserves to look as strong as she did.
- Charlotte and Alexa again. I love seeing Charlotte getting cheered, because she and Alexa are thriving together.
- Carmelo Hayes looked phenomenal with Damian Priest in their match. Neither had wrestled in a while, but damn what a great showing.
What do you think? Let me know your favorites either here in the comments or over on X!
Darkstar Shady 
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