• “I literally thought they were gonna kiss” – WWF Veteran Is Confused By Rhea Ripley’s Booking
On last week’s RAW, IYO SKY thanked Rhea Ripley for having her back. IYO said Asuka and Kairi Sane are her family and they are not happy about what happened last week, so they have to keep their distance. Rhea understood. IYO thanked her and they hugged. Asuka and Kairi saw this from behind and Asuka got mad.
On this week’s RAW, Rhea Ripley said she will do anything it takes to earn a Women’s World Championship shot. Asuka showed up and questioned Rhea wanting a title shot before IYO SKY has even won the title. Asuka told Rhea to stay away from IYO. Rhea told Asuka to not push her. Asuka said she has been making history for 10 years, she will push whoever she wants. Rhea told Asuka to try her. Asuka said nobody is ready for her, not even Rhea.
Former WWF writer Vince Russo is confused by Rhea’s booking and said the following on the Legion of RAW podcast:
“Bro, I swear to God, I’m watching this, and is it just me, or are they turning Rhea Ripley into a regular person? Remember, they had the vignette last week with her and IYO SKY, where I literally thought they were gonna kiss. I really thought there were. I was waiting for that. And then here, she’s got no crazy makeup. She’s tame. What are we doing with her? I don’t understand it.”
• Randy Orton Might Have Pi$$ed Someone Off In WWE
During an interview with The Escapist Magazine, Ric Flair once again claimed that his daughter, current WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Charlotte Flair, is the best wrestler in the world.
Flair went on to say that the only wrestler on the WWE roster that is close to Charlotte’s level is his Evolution stablemate, Randy Orton.
Here’s what The Nature Boy said:
“The only person who I think is close to her, when he is on and healthy, when you think about in ring timing and knowing where you are all the time, is Randy Orton.”
Flair then went on to say the following about Orton’s current status on WWE TV:
“Randy’s really underutilized. I don’t know. I think maybe he made somebody mad along the way. Randy’s not afraid to say what he thinks and that’s not always popular.”
Orton is currently in a feud with Drew McIntyre on SmackDown.
• Top AEW Star Won’t Return To TV This Year
All Elite Wrestling will be without one of its top stars for the foreseeable future. According to Fightful Select, Jay White is not expected to make his return to AEW TV at any point this year.
White was originally sidelined with a hand injury that was expected to keep him out for several months. While that recovery alone would have allowed for a return by now, ongoing issues with his shoulder have forced the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion to undergo additional treatment. The decision to finally address the shoulder problem has extended his absence significantly, ruling him out for the remainder of 2025.
The prolonged layoff is another blow to the Bang Bang Gang, the Bullet Club Gold faction that White has led since arriving in AEW. The group has struggled with injuries throughout the year, making it difficult for the stable to maintain consistent momentum on television.
There is currently no timetable for White’s eventual comeback, though the expectation is that his focus will remain on long-term recovery to ensure full health before stepping back into the ring.
• Major Spoiler For Wrestlepalooza & Crown Jewel
Naomi recently vacated the Women’s World Championship due to pregnancy. As seen on this week’s RAW, Adam Pearce announced that the new champion will be crowned at Wrestlepalooza on September 20, where IYO SKY will face #1 contender Stephanie Vaquer for the vacant title.
While IYO and Stephanie are competing for the title at the next PLE, the eventual plan is to put the title back on Rhea Ripley.
According to Billi Bhatti, WWE plans to book Rhea Ripley to win the Women’s World Championship at Crown Jewel: Perth in her home country of Australia on October 11.
Also, WWE plans to make this happen by having Rhea finally defeat IYO SKY. It should be noted that the ongoing angle in the RAW women’s division is that Rhea has never defeated IYO in a singles match.
This would mean that IYO SKY is going to defeat Stephanie Vaquer to become the new Women’s World Champion at Wrestlepalooza.
