• Ricochet Reacts To WWE Counterprogramming AEW PPVs
AEW’s All In: Texas PPV will take place this Saturday and WWE will be doing two shows on the same day: NXT The Great American Bash (which will go head-to-head with All In) and Saturday Night’s Main Event. The next date for WWE vs. AEW is going to be August 24. NXT’s Heatwave PLE will take place on this date in South California. Earlier on this same date, AEW will host their Forbidden Door PPV in London, England. WrestleVotes reported the following reason for this move:
“This is definitely something WWE wants to do where hey, if NXT is on the road and booking for arenas, they want to do it somewhere where they’re gonna have the last word of the night. AEW’s gonna be having All In in the afternoon and WWE’s gonna be coming in there after with Saturday Night’s Main Event, so at the end of the day you’re not just talking about the fall out from AEW, you’re talking about what WWE is doing as well.
Controlling the narrative and momentum online. So there’s no coincidence, there’s definitely a directive coming from WWE with the behest of TKO behind, they’re all for it. They want to do more of these things.”
AEW star Ricochet tweeted the following about this report: “B*tch move.”
• Celebrity Debut Match Planned For SummerSlam 2025
Jelly Roll is stepping into the WWE spotlight once again, and this time, it might be more than just a cameo. The chart-topping artist is confirmed for this Friday’s SmackDown in Tampa, Florida. But according to WrestleVotes, this appearance might be part of something larger. The outlet reports that WWE insiders expect it “to be the start of something more.” There’s also “anticipation the music superstar will make additional appearances in the near future.”
In an update from PWInsider, Jelly Roll has been training to have his WWE debut match at SummerSlam 2025.
At SummerSlam 2024, Jelly Roll got physical in the ring, delivering a chokeslam to Austin Theory. A longtime wrestling fan, he’s talked openly in interviews about wanting to do more inside the ring, especially after focusing on weight loss to make that dream a reality.
• Solo Sikoa’s U.S. Title Opponent For Saturday Night’s Main Event Announced
SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis has announced that Solo Sikoa will defend the United States Championship against Jimmy Uso on Saturday Night’s Main Event. Below is the updated match-card for this weekend’s show:
– World Heavyweight Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Goldberg
This will be Goldberg’s retirement match, unless he wins the World Title.
– Mr. Money In The Bank Seth Rollins vs. LA Knight
– Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre
– United States Championship: Solo Sikoa (c) vs. Jimmy Uso
• WWE’s New Nickname For Roman Reigns Revealed
Behind the scenes, WWE has started laying the groundwork for Roman Reigns’ highly anticipated comeback. WrestleVotes previously reported that new merchandise and marketing materials are already in development, signaling that the company is getting serious about bringing The OTC back into the spotlight. WWE is also exploring variations of the “Tribal Chief” moniker, hinting at a possible refresh or evolution of his character when he resurfaces.
In a new update from WrestleVotes, the main plan is to introduce Roman Reigns as “Tribal Chief One” or “OTC1” when he comes back to television. Roman will return to WWE TV before SummerSlam 2025 and will set up a match for the biggest event of the summer. Since this will be the first two-night SummerSlam in history, WWE wants all of their active top stars to be a part of this event.
Word going on is that Roman could return at Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12, since Seth Rollins will also be a part of this event (he’s scheduled to face LA Knight). Rollins, along with Bron Breakker, took out Reigns on RAW after WrestleMania 41. Roman recently celebrated the birth of his 6th child.
Also Read: Not All WWE Women Wanted Evolution 2, Felt Set Up For Failure
