The Ringside Report Network delivered an immediate post-show reaction following SummerSlam 2025’s conclusion, with hosts Dave Simon and Johnny North providing comprehensive analysis of both nights of WWE’s premier summer event. The show featured detailed match breakdowns, audience ratings, and significant discussion about Brock Lesnar’s shocking return.
SummerSlam 2025 Night Two Reactions and Analysis
Main Event: John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes – Street Fight for Undisputed WWE Championship
The main event dominated the discussion, with Dave Simon declaring it “match of the night” despite some concerns about pacing. “I thought it was a match of the night,” Simon stated, though Johnny North had reservations about the length and execution.
“It was better than WrestleMania, I just felt one it was just way too long, like that they had the moments and they drive things out way too much,” North explained. “I just thought it was one too many, like five crossroads to beat Cena, maybe even more finally. I think I lost count. I just felt it was just way, way too much. You didn’t need all that stuff, in my opinion. It was just one too many on the false finishes.”
The match concluded with Cody Rhodes defeating John Cena to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion, with both hosts noting the emotional finish despite technical issues with some spots.
The Wyatt Sicks Retain in TLC Chaos
Johnny North selected the six-team TLC match as his SummerSlam 2025 night one “match of the night,” praising its intensity while acknowledging safety concerns. “If we’re talking tonight, yeah, I’ll give it to TLC because I thought that was absolutely insane that match,” North said.
The dangerous nature of the match drew attention, with “was it Axiom that uh was a Spanish flight outside that was super dangerous oh my goodness like I thought he broke his leg I look very” scary moments throughout. “Candace going through the ladder was nuts,” Simon added, noting multiple frightening spots.
Steel Cage Showdown: Solo Sikoa vs. Jacob Fatu
The United States Championship match received mixed reactions, with Simon preferring it over the TLC spectacle. “I liked the cage match more than the TLC, I thought that was a better really, yeah,” Simon stated, though North was “disappointed with the cage match because the best part happened after the match was over,” referring to Jacob Fatu’s post-match moonsault off the cage.
Women’s Matches and Mid-Card Action
Becky Lynch’s retention of the Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Lyra Valkyria received attention for its controversial finish involving Bayley’s interference. The hosts noted the match’s placement after the TLC encounter hurt its reception, with “that was right after the TLC crowd was dead, yeah, so that’s a tough one, it’s tough to follow that, a lot of weapons.“
Dominik Mysterio’s victory over AJ Styles for the Intercontinental Championship featured criticism of the finish, with North stating: “Oh he took his boot off and they hit him with the boot like they kick each other like throughout the whole match you’re telling me this boot which isn’t loaded clearly because you just took it off that ended him that that that was weak as hell.”
Night One Analysis
SummerSlam 2025 Main Event Excellence: CM Punk Captures Gold
The hosts unanimously praised CM Punk’s victory over Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship as the SummerSlam 2025 weekend’s standout encounter. “Main event, CM Punk, I mean, two title changes in the main event, CM Punk beats Gunther in what I thought was the match of the night,” Simon declared. “I don’t know what you thought, but I thought that was the match of the night and possibly match of the weekend.”
North’s assessment highlighted Gunther’s injured condition: “I give it a lot of credit because I saw a lot of criticism for it saying that it actually wasn’t a good match but I feel it deserves a lot of credit because Gunther went into this match injured and apparently he’s going to be out for a little bit he’s going to get surgery so hmm the fact that he went into this hurt and still pull off a match of that quality I think is shows you how good he is.”
Seth Rollins’ Elaborate Deception: “The Ruse of the Century”
The celebration was short-lived as Seth Rollins executed his predicted cash-in, with both hosts having called this scenario well in advance. The “injury” storyline became a major point of discussion, with the hosts detailing how they saw through WWE’s elaborate deception.
“Seth Rollins faking his knee injury a lot of people thought uh he was really hurt right John weren’t you telling people yesterday that Seth was gonna lose Seth was gonna come back and you were telling people exactly what was gonna happen and we told everybody on Friday like that was our prediction we both predicted that we both figured Seth was faking and people thought you were crazy,” Simon explained.
North revealed the extent of WWE’s internal deception: “Why I feel why I just feel you know the people I talked to they talked to people within WWE and I think WWE was throwing that out to their people that they talked to that oh this is legit and um apparently they were throwing that out to actual wrestlers in WWE that’s legit injury so they were actually selling it within the company so it’s funny what they try to do but you still see through it.”
The hosts identified specific red flags in Rollins’ injury story that exposed the work. “We were talking about it for weeks and we weren’t the only ones a lot of people saw it coming a lot of people smelled a rat when Seth did that Rich Eisen show I think and he was hosting and he was talking about the injury and you’re like what you went to Alabama to see James Andrews but the swelling wasn’t down so you couldn’t diagnose what kind of injury you had you went to see the surgery guy without knowing what kind of injury you had and then you just went back home without having surgery that doesn’t sound like anything anyone has ever done ever,” Simon detailed.
“Seth showed up on crutches, ripped his brace off, and then went and cashed in on Punk and won and became the new champion,” with the commentators calling it “the ruse of the century,” according to the match recap.
However, both hosts noted some logical inconsistencies in Punk’s reaction: “I just think punk look kind of stupid though like he lets Seth like come out with the crutches then take off the crutches then run all the way down the ramp why do you stay in the ring he can only beat you in the ring like that because he’s not scared yeah but it’s just there’s so much time him just standing there it’s long.”
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Tag Team Excellence and Disappointing Mid-Card
Johnny North’s match of the SummerSlam 2025 weekend was the opening tag team encounter: “Roman Reigns and Jey Uso beating Braun Breaker and Bronson Reed in a tag match. I thought that was a fantastic match, great, just wonderful from start to finish.“
“It’s too bad that Braun got hurt but I think that was probably their best work they’ve done easily as a tag team I was caring for them like wanting to see them do well so I thought Roman looked very good for someone who hasn’t been in the ring for a while like he picks it up pretty well and Jey yes Jey got blown up easily on the entrance because that entrance is long as heck but Jey did all right for what he had to do,” North elaborated.
Simon noted specific impressive moments: “Braun breaker that’s like the spear he did where he just jumped in the air and like spiked Roman was nuts.”
Women’s Tag Team Championship: Charlotte and Alexa Triumph
Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship from Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez, though the match received mixed reviews. “That was kind of disappointing though like the finish is fine whatever but I found they focused too much on the story with the whole like Alexa accidentally hit Charlotte and leading to the finish that the match was kind of boring just kind of dragged a lot yeah they’re because they’re too focused on doing that kind of stuff that nothing inspiring happened and they’re very good wrestlers all four of them I think it could have been better,” North observed.
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross: Forgettable Mid-Card
This match drew particular criticism from both hosts, with Simon calling it pointless. “Sammy and Kross were a match I never needed to see. I didn’t need to see that last night. It was pointless.”
The hosts discussed Karrion Kross’s WWE tenure critically: “People there’s a segment of the audience that will cheer you if you cut a passionate promo about how you’re not being used and then as soon as you get used people see what you are and they go oh yeah we don’t like this guy that’s what happened with karen cross that’s what happened with Ronald Truth that’s what happens with so many people you go I’m not being used they don’t push me enough I don’t you know and what do I have to do I bust my ass and you do these promos and then people on the internet go oh yeah they WWE they’re not giving him a shot they should they should give him more and then you see more and you go oh he sucks maybe they were right not to push him,” Simon stated bluntly.
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Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill: Brief but Effective
The Women’s Championship match between Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill lasted only seven minutes but accomplished its goals. “The seven minutes they did what they had to do, that was it so it’s fine,” North noted, though he highlighted one notable botch: “Really the only true part that stood out as like awful was the part when Jade had jaded and put Tiffany’s foot on the rope herself yes clear as day.”
The Celebrity Tag Match Disaster: Logan Paul, Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton & Jelly Roll
The middle portion of Night One received harsh criticism, particularly the celebrity tag match featuring Jelly Roll. “How bad was Drew and Logan versus Randy and Jelly Roll? It was 17 minutes, which is ridiculous,” Simon noted, with North providing extensive criticism of the execution.
“That that’s a huge problem is the length like if it was like 10 or under I don’t think it would have been as bad and there was a lot of Jelly Roll in the match like they gave him a lot like he started the match and he ended the match and it was like a whole like he was down and out then he came back just just way too much and his his gear like he come remember like how he looks like on SmackDown like that’s what he wrestles in,” North detailed.
The hosts were particularly critical of Jelly Roll’s appearance and performance: “His gear like what he had on SmackDown he wears that to wrestle yeah like it’s how can you take this seriously when you see that like it just looks like a joke and he’s got a bit of like a hunchback too I don’t know if you noticed that with Jelly Roll like yeah because obviously he’s lost a bit of weight but I guess I really messed up his like posture a bit Jelly Roll.”
Simon made an unflattering comparison: “Jelly Roll looks like an out of shape Mick Foley, which says a lot… but like Jelly Roll looks like a really out of shape Mick Foley, like Mick Foley has no muscle, it’s Foley without muscles and like bumping ability and any kind of athleticism.”
SummerSlam 2025 Overall Ratings and Audience Reception
Host Ratings
The hosts provided detailed numerical scores for both nights:
Dave Simon’s Scores:
- Night One: 7/10
- Night Two: 7.5/10
Johnny North’s Scores:
- Night One: 7.5/10 (later adjusted to 8/10)
- Night Two: 7/10
Audience Reactions
Several audience members provided ratings through the chat:
- Harold Schneider: “I am going to give it a seven and a half tonight until Lesnar is still considering taking time off wrestling.”
- Antoinette: “Night one, eight out of ten. Night two, five out of ten”
- Angelo Kontagonis: “Overall, I‘ll give SummerSlam 2025 seven and a half out of ten.”
- Derek John: “Seven and a half night one eight night two”
Comparative Analysis
Both hosts agreed that SummerSlam 2025 surpassed WrestleMania 2025 in quality. “John says SummerSlam was better than WrestleMania. I agree,” Simon stated, with North confirming: “Yes, easily, yeah, no doubt it can happen, it doesn’t usually happen, but it has happened this year, yeah, it has happened this year.”
BROCK. LESNAR. IS. BACK.
— WWE (@WWE) August 4, 2025
HERE COMES THE PAIN! 👊 pic.twitter.com/uR2z9RVoZu
The Brock Lesnar Return: Shock and Controversy
Unexpected Comeback
Brock Lesnar’s return provided SummerSlam 2025’s biggest surprise, attacking John Cena after the main event with an F-5. “Pretty shocking return, a lot of people predicting Seth faking his injury and winning the belt last night, including us, and many others, not special, but didn’t see anybody predicting Brock Lesnar coming back. I didn’t see that one coming,” Simon admitted.
SummerSlam 2025 Mixed Reactions and Concerns
The return generated mixed emotions from the hosts due to ongoing legal allegations involving Lesnar and Vince McMahon. “My love for Brock has kind of soured in the past couple of years just hearing about potentially what he was involved in,” Simon expressed, referencing the allegations detailed in legal documents.
“I don’t know like it’s all alleged and in you know evidence and all sorts of stuff but it seemed pretty gross and if Brock was involved in that I mean if he is accepting a human being doing sexual favors for him as part of a wrestling contract you know I don’t know if I want to see him ever on TV if he’s doing that I don’t think we need Brock Lesnar but WWE whatever we’ll see what the crowd goes.”
North provided context for WWE’s decision: “I think it’s just for Brock to come up with Brock’s back, that’s it, rocks around Brock will just cause chaos now.”
Future Implications
Discussion centered on potential upcoming programs, with speculation about Lesnar facing Cena again and possible appearances on forthcoming shows. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see or hear pretty much be watching scene or maybe I’ll be there who knows but I expect the belt center to pop big for Brock on Friday when he shows up maybe they they love reactions like they love like oh it’s this big person coming up Brock’s a big guy like Brock’s just gonna cause chaos Montreal likes violence so that’s he’s gonna deliver that.”
Event Structure and Production Values
Pacing and Length Management
Both hosts appreciated WWE’s restraint in keeping shows to manageable lengths. “They didn’t go too long, too it was like three and a half hours, pretty good both nights, like did well on time,” Simon noted, contrasting favorably with previous lengthy events.
However, some individual matches were criticized for excessive length, particularly the main events, which both ran over 30 minutes.
SummerSlam 2025 Match Distribution and Stipulations
The hosts identified a structural issue with Night Two’s heavy reliance on stipulation matches. “The booking of the two nights they needed to fix, I think we talked about on Friday, they needed to fix it up a bit because there were too many stipulation matches on night two, yeah, and night one not so much.”
Final Verdict: SummerSlam 2025 was Solid but Not Spectacular
Overall Assessment
The consensus emerged that SummerSlam 2025 delivered a solid, entertaining weekend without reaching exceptional heights. “Nothing exceptional, but everything was, you know, pretty solid,” Simon summarized, with both hosts settling on scores in the 7-7.5 range.
“Well, that’s it solid and in the end, this might end up being the best PLE for WWE because there’s been some holes and certain ones this past year, but this is the one I think has been the most solid so it might be the best one at the end of the year,” North concluded.
Looking Forward
The hosts confirmed their satisfaction with the two-night format’s execution: “I was a little worried and you know two nights a summer slam do we need it, but it worked out fine.“
The post-show analysis provided comprehensive coverage of WWE’s major summer event, offering both critical analysis and entertainment value for wrestling fans seeking immediate reactions to the weekend’s most significant moments. With strong main events, solid mid-card action, and genuine surprises, SummerSlam 2025 achieved its goal of delivering a sports entertainment spectacle while leaving audiences satisfied but not overwhelmed.
No Wrestling Uncensored Next Week
WWE SmackDown will be in our city next week, on August 8th, 2025. As such, we will be in attendance, and as a result, there will not be an episode of Wrestling Uncensored. We shall return on August 15th. Dave will, however, touch on some wrestling talk during the August 7th episode of Ringside Report MMA at 8 PM ET on all of our live channels.
