This week in wrestling delivered major shockwaves! Andrade pulled off a stunning victory to qualify for Money in the Bank, sending ripples through WWE. Meanwhile, AEW’s paths to All In are becoming clearer, with massive championship clashes on the horizon. And if that wasn’t enough, the tension between John Cena and Cody Rhodes exploded on SmackDown! Get ready for a full breakdown of these pivotal moments and much more, as Dave Simon and Johnny North dissect all the action from a massive week in professional wrestling.
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WWE: The Bank Looms Large!
The countdown to WWE Money in the Bank is on, and the qualifying matches are delivering shocking outcomes and intense new rivalries. SmackDown was in full swing during the episode, providing live-action drama!
SmackDown’s MITB Shocker: Andrade Qualifies!
Andrade’s Unexpected Victory and Bloodline Tensions
In a stunning turn of events during a live SmackDown Money in the Bank qualifying match, Andrade emerged victorious, punching his ticket to the high-stakes ladder match. Dave Simon called the action as it happened: “Holy shit, Andrade just won.” Johnny North added, “We did not expect that whatsoever.”
The finish was marred by interference from Solo Sikoa. Dave explained, “Andrade just won a Money in the Bank qualifier because Solo tried to like help Jacob, and it backfired. Jacob got distracted by Solo, and then Andrade managed to pin Carmelo Hayes. It was Jacob Fatou.” He detailed the chaotic scene: “Carmelo bumps into Jacob, who then bumps into Solo, who bumps off the apron, and then Jacob’s distracted by Solo. Andrade hits something on Carmelo, one, two, three, Andrade wins.”
This victory adds another intriguing name to the Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. Dave, initially skeptical of Andrade’s chances, admitted his surprise: “And I was just saying to you before the show, I was like, there’s no way Andrade’s gonna win, like Jacob’s for sure winning. And then Andrade wins, so Andrade’s going to Money in the Bank.” However, he quickly added a new prediction: “And I’m gonna repeat it, and it better not backfire on me, but there’s no way Andrade’s winning Money in the Bank, right?” Johnny North reminded everyone of past surprises, “Strange that things have happened, no?… Remember, once upon a time, Otis won Money in the Bank, so it’s impossible.”
The aftermath also saw continued friction within Solo Sikoa’s camp, as “Jacob and Jeff Cobb continue to yell at each other with Solo in between them, because they hate each other for some reason.”
Men’s MITB Field Taking Shape
Five Competitors In, One Spot Remains
With Andrade’s win, the Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match is nearly set. Dave Simon listed the current entrants: “Solo Sakoa, LA Knight…Penta, Seth Rollins, Andrade, and someone else will be in the Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match, five of the six.”
The final spot will be determined on Raw in a blockbuster triple-threat match. Dave announced, “CM Punk, AJ Styles, and El Grande Americano, in a triple threat, will compete on Raw for the final Men’s Elimination Chamber spot.” Johnny North highlighted the intrigue of a potential Punk vs. Styles encounter: “When we were talking about this, was it a couple of years ago? Like, CM Punk coming back to wrestle AJ Styles, that’s never gonna happen. Because of the issues they had. I mean, that’s quite a heated rivalry just on social media alone.” He added, “Well, AJ said that he doesn’t mind doing business with them regardless of the issues they had. Because I think he knows, like they could do good business together.”
Regarding the winner of this qualifier, Johnny leaned towards Punk: “I mean, again, you’ve got to put star power. And didn’t I say I wanted Punk to win Money in the Bank? So, I got to go with Punk.” Dave agreed that “Punk and Seth and money in the bank would be pretty good.”
Rollins’ Power Play & Punk’s Potential Path
Who Will Ascend with the Briefcase?
The hosts speculated on who might win the Money in the Bank briefcase itself. Dave felt, “Feels like Seth might win MITB though.” He also posed, “Don’t you think Seth might be the next world champion at some point on Raw?” Johnny conceded, “Sure, but I don’t think he needs to play in the bank.” Instead, Johnny favored a CM Punk victory and a specific cash-in scenario: “I would rather have Punk use it, cash in on Cena, but he’ll do it like in a fair way, being like, I’m challenging you, like RVD, I’m challenging you at SummerSlam, I’m cashing in. But he openly says it. I think that’s what Punk should do. And it’ll go back to their history where Punk has defeated Cena for the title at SummerSlam in the past.”
Dave also saw merit in Seth Rollins winning: “I could also see Seth carrying the Money in the Bank briefcase with his whole crew with Braun Breaker and Bronson Reed and Braun Heyman altogether, or Paul Heyman, I guess.”
🚨🚨🚨 CODY RHODES IS BACK! 🚨🚨🚨
— WWE (@WWE) May 25, 2025
CODY RHODES IS BACK TO STOP JOHN CENA FROM SCREWING OVER JEY USO! #SNME pic.twitter.com/FUh1dObQVW
Saturday Night’s Main Event Recap
Key Matches and Controversial Moments
The discussion shifted to the recent Saturday Night’s Main Event.
- Rollins & Breaker vs. Punk & Zayn: Dave recapped, “Seth and Braun Breaker got the win over CM Punk and Sami Zayn with help from Bronson Reed at Saturday night’s main event.” He found it to be a “pretty good match.” Johnny North agreed, “I mean, the opener was great, and I thought, you know, great way to start it…It was probably the best match I think we saw on that show.” Bronson Reed’s interference was noted, as Johnny mentioned he “helped cause a distraction, which led to a victory.”
- Zelina Vega vs. Chelsea Green: This match had a rough moment. Dave described it: “Zelina Vega sets up Chelsea Green for the 619, completely misses, and then to make up for it, just kicks her right in the nose and breaks her nose. For real.” Johnny called it “five minutes of, pretty bad. Pretty bad match.” He added, “And in the end, too, with that kick that Zelina whiffed on, and then stiffed on.” Despite the injury, Johnny gave Chelsea credit: “…it didn’t stop her from doing the finish…Chelsea still did it, regardless.” Dave was “pretty disappointed in Zelina for just throwing that kick. What was she thinking?” Johnny’s take was, “She panicked…Everyone makes mistakes, and that’s the worst way how to handle it, and she’ll learn, and sadly, Chelsea has to learn that too, where it’s gotta be like, well, I better protect myself, because I gotta watch out for the old stiffy afterwards.”
- John Cena vs. R-Truth: This match didn’t impress the hosts. Dave stated, “John Cena beating R-Truth, I mean, it was what it was. It wasn’t much of anything.” Johnny was more critical: “Oh, talk about garbage again. Five million garbage. It was short.” He continued his critique of Cena: “He talks about ruining wrestling. I think watching him ruins wrestling for me right now…It’s huge, R-Truth, so bad. It is bumping. You can’t be a heel if you can’t bump. He’s the worst bumper right now, easily in wrestling.”
- Damien Priest vs. Drew McIntyre (Steel Cage): The finish of this match drew commentary. Dave recapped, “Damien Priest beat Drew McIntyre in the Steel Cage match by walking out the door.” He added, “Jesse Ventura didn’t like it. I didn’t like it either. As a babyface move, how do you win like that?” Johnny agreed, “It’s like, that’s kind of ridiculous. You’re a baby face, and you just walk out like that. The way he did it seemed kind of cheap.”
- Jey Uso vs. Logan Paul & Cody Rhodes’ Return: The main event saw Jey Uso defeat Logan Paul. Dave mentioned, “And there were all sorts of shenanigans and people coming out to help Logan Paul, including John Cena.” This led to a major return: “And then Cody Rhodes made his return and chased off Cena and hit the crossroads.” This set up a huge tag team match for Money in the Bank: “Cody Rhodes and Jay Uso versus John Cena and Logan Paul.” Dave called it a “big tag match. And it’s cool to see Cody back.”
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SmackDown Live: Cena & Cody – Under One Roof!
Tensions Rise Ahead of Money in the Bank Tag Clash
As SmackDown continued live, Cody Rhodes appeared. Dave noted, “Cody is walking out to the ring. As we speak on Friday Night SmackDown…Good to see Cody back.” Cody cut a promo addressing his WrestleMania loss, with Dave summarizing: “Cody’s saying John Cena forced him to make a choice and he hesitated and that’s what cost him a WrestleMania. And he says Cena’s gonna try and ruin wrestling and he’s gonna try and stop him.”
The hosts then speculated on who might eventually dethrone John Cena. Johnny thought, “It’d be really cool if Punk did it, but I think more than likely Cody’s gonna do it.” Dave offered another possibility: “I think Roman might do it. I would love that.” He elaborated on a scenario: “Maybe waiting for Cody to get the shot and not do it, and then everybody’s like, ‘Oh no, no one can beat Cena.’ … and then Roman Reigns saves the day.” Johnny could see this if “Cody has the shot in Saudi Arabia, fails, then Roman would show up.” Dave felt this “would be good for the Cody Roman story…I think Roman is a better move. Why just give it back to Cody after all this? I would give it to Roman, because Roman hasn’t been a champion for a while. Cody had the belt for a long time. Give Roman a little run.” Johnny agreed, “I think Roman OTC right now, that’s huge. He might be more over now than he’s ever been if you think about it in terms of a baby face.”
Later in the SmackDown broadcast, John Cena appeared. Dave described a fan with a unique T-shirt: “Well, there’s a person in the audience with a T-shirt made of John Cena’s face…It’s Chairman Mao…the former Chinese dictator. But it’s John Cena’s face on the picture. So it’s like bald head with the scullet, but in the military Chinese uniform, which is, I think, a comment on his hair and a comment on his allegiance to China.” Cena then cut his own promo, with Dave relaying, “He says Cody and Jey Uso, they all wanna be just like him. They all wanna be him. They want the fame. They want the money. But they won’t get it. Because they’re not cool like John Cena.” Logan Paul then joined Cena in the ring.
The show ended with a brawl: “Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul and John Cena and Jey Uso, they all started fighting and Cody and Jey Uso stand tall…Cody’s standing there with it [WWE Championship] and Jey Uso standing there with the world title.”
Women’s MITB Qualifier & Division Dynamics
Naomi Shines, Tensions Brew
Earlier on SmackDown, Naomi qualified for the women’s Money in the Bank match by defeating Nia Jax and Jade Cargill. Dave described the “cool finish there. The Tower of Doom is in the corner. Nia then stacks Naomi and on top of Jade Cargill to do the bonsai drop…Nia goes to do the bonsai drop. Naomi moves out of the way. Boom, she lands on just Jade Cargill. And then Naomi does a crucifix pin to roll up Nia for the one, two, three. And Naomi wins.”
There was also an “interesting moment between Bianca and Jade.” Dave explained the developing storyline: “At the top of the show, Bianca cut a promo and then Naomi came out…Bianca was like, ‘We got nothing to talk about. You attacked Jade Cargill.’ And then Jade Cargill comes out and attacks Naomi, looking briefly at Bianca. And it seems like Bianca and Jade aren’t on good terms…Because Bianca refuses to take sides. It seems like Jade and Naomi are both mad at her.” Johnny North felt that Naomi had gone too far tonight by making personal comments about Bianca’s family.
SmackDown Tag Team Turmoil
The Wyatt Six Make Their Presence Felt
The SmackDown tag team division saw multiple teams vying for a shot. Dave outlined the segment: “The Street Profits…cut a promo about the Wyatts attacking them last week. And then Fraxium came out…And the Street Profits are like, ‘Nah, nah, we were gonna beat you anyway.’ …And then a Motor City Machine Guns comes out…And then DIY led by Candice LeRae comes out…And then the Wyatts come out and attack everybody.” Johnny thought, “People want the Wyatt Six to show up. They needed some teams to steamroll.” However, he felt “Fraxium looks bad though in this. They’re the new Babyface team, and they took all the beating from the Wyatt Six. It doesn’t ultimately look good for them. It should have been a heel turn. It should have been DIY.”
Lyra Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch at MITB
Personal Feud with High Stakes
A new match was set for Money in the Bank: “Lyra Valkyria versus Becky Lynch in a match that they set up this week on Raw, where they mentioned each other’s spouses and it got people excited.” Dave shared some of the promo barbs: “Becky says she goes home to her hot husband while Lyra goes home to her weird-looking fiance…And then Lyra was trying to be shooty. She’s like, ‘Your husband, the only talented thing about you.'” Johnny felt “they’re just trying too hard with that.” The match has stipulations: “It’s a last chance match for the women’s Intercontinental Championship. If Becky loses, she can never challenge Lyra for the Intercontinental Championship again. And if Lyra loses, she has to raise Becky’s hand and recognize her as the better opponent or whatever.”
AEW: Aftermath of Double or Nothing & The Road to All In
AEW delivered a “solid pay-per-view” with Double or Nothing, according to the hosts and audience. Patrick Danno from the audience commented, “Great week for AEW, the wrestling is going strong right now.”
Double or Nothing Highlights & Critique
Anarchy, Title Matches, and Length
Johnny North found the pay-per-view “quite solid, extremely long. But that might be my only negative, really, about the show. I think it was definitely one of their best ones this year.” He was “very impressed with anarchy in the arena.” And thought “Mercedes Monet, Jamie Hader, solid opener.” He also “enjoyed offspring Hangman as well.” Dave Simon agreed it “worked. The pay-per-view worked.” He specifically liked “Okada and Speedball, Hangman and Osprey, obviously fantastic. Anarchy in the arena was nuts.” The length was a common critique. Dave stated, “It worked a little too long of a pay-per-view. Like, they give you way too much. They need to shorten it up, you know?” Johnny echoed this for several matches, including the FTR match, saying, “Again, way too long.”
“Hangman” Adam Page’s Path to All In
Victory, Promos, and Tensions with Swerve & Osprey
“Hangman” Adam Page won the Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, securing a world title shot at All In. Dave, who “wanted Hangman to win,” was pleased: “So the fact that Hangman won was like, wow, even better.” Audience member Patrick Danno also predicted, “Hangman will be champ soon enough.”
On Dynamite, “Hangman cut a promo, good emotional promo…about his journey and the fans.” This led to a confrontation. Dave detailed, “And then Swerve came out and was like, I’m not letting you be champion. I think that you stopped me from being champion because the Young Bucks attacked me when I had my title shot. And then they said they did it for you. Do you have anything to do with that? And Hangman’s like, ‘ Well, you must be an idiot if you think that. ‘ And they get in each other’s face.” Will Osprey then intervened: “…Osprey has to come out and he’s like, whoa, whoa, whoa, Swerve, we got to take out Jon Moxley. He’s really evil. We’ve got to get rid of him as champion…I think it’s Hangman. Hangman is the one to do it. We’ve got to get behind Hangman…And Swerve is like, I’m not doing that.” Dave speculated, “So I think maybe Osprey and Swerve will wrestle over that.” Johnny thought it might be for “the number one contender spot.”
The hosts strongly believe Hangman should win at All In. Dave stated, “Moxley would still be champion… No, but it really should end it all in because I think everybody’s tired of Moxley being champion.” He later reiterated, “So Hangman Page, Jon Moxley, official for All In, he’s gotta be the champion, man. He’s gotta beat the Moxley. It’s enough with Jon Moxley.”
Mercedes Moné vs. Toni Storm: A Dream Match for All In
The CEO vs. Timeless Toni
Mercedes Moné also won her Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, setting up a monumental clash with AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm at All In. Dave described it as “one of the biggest matches you can make in all of women’s wrestling right now…Mercedes Monet, undefeated TBS champion going up after winning the Owen Hart Cup Tournament to face Tony Storm. One of the greatest, if not the greatest, women’s wrestlers going today.” He praised Toni Storm: “Tony Storm is one of the most entertaining people in all of professional wrestling. Her matches are great…Her promos are some of the best in all of pro wrestling. She’s got one of the best characters in the whole business. She’s incredible.” With Mercedes Moné being a “mega star,” the match is “the irresistible force meets the immovable object. It’s a massive match for the world title. I love it.”
Despite Mercedes’ momentum as TBS Champion, Dave predicted a Toni Storm victory: “I think Tony might win, though. I think Tony should win.” His reasoning centered on AEW promoting its own homegrown star: “No, I think this is the biggest show. This is the time to lose to Tony Storm, who is the real AEW product. Timeless Tony Storm is an AEW homegrown gimmick superstar. Mercedes Monet is just Sasha Banks for AEW…She’s still more known for being Sasha Banks, WWE superstar…And Tony Storm is, you know, she wasn’t a big star in WWE. She truly became a major star and a prominent figure in AEW. And I think that they should reward that and promote that.” Dave argued, “You buy those people from WWE to put over your people…But when push comes to shove…you put over your own person. You put over your homegrown talent. That’s how you grow the company.” He felt that not doing so sends a “really bad sign to send to the locker room” and the fans, suggesting that “no matter how good you are in AEW, still the WWE star is bigger and better.”
Johnny North saw the parallel to the men’s situation: “Like the way I’m looking at it, it’s kind of like Osprey and Hangman. Like, I don’t think there’s a wrong answer here. It really could work either way.” He pointed out, “Mercedes hasn’t lost yet in AEW… No matter what happens off this, she still has a championship. Do you have to give her every championship?”
Other AEW Developments
Dangerous Spots and Talent Movement
The show touched on some dangerous in-ring moments. Dave mentioned Kyle Fletcher’s powerbomb on Adam Cole: “Kyle Fletcher power bomb Adam Cole this week on Dynamite hit him on the edge of the apron with his head…It was just the top of his head went clunk right off the metal apron…Bad, very bad.” Johnny observed, “…if you’re watching this slow-mo, it’s more his arm hits the apron…his arm takes all of it.” This was part of a “rough week” with “a lot of botches this week, a lot of dangerous botches,” including “Pentagon doing that thing to Chad Gable, dumping them on his head on Raw.”
Regarding talent, Johnny North discussed Mariah May: “I think Alex, you’re talking about Mariah May, if I’m not mistaken. And well, her contract expires, I think, in the summer. So if she wants to leave, she can leave.” He alluded to a personal story about her but didn’t elaborate, simply saying, “If Mariah wants to go wherever she wants, good luck. But when you cause problems, beware, because it might come back to bite you in the butt.”
The hosts also briefly touched on Shelton Benjamin’s resurgence in AEW. Johnny noted, “You saw him in his late WWE run, couldn’t win a match. Now he’s one of the toughest guys in AW, one of the strongest champions.” And Ricochet has also “really found new life in AW.”
Key Takeaways
This episode brought a whirlwind of action and speculation. Andrade’s surprise Money in the Bank qualification has shaken up the WWE landscape, while the impending Cena/Rhodes and Uso/Paul tag match promises fireworks. Over in AEW, the path to All In is paved with high-stakes championship encounters, with “Hangman” Adam Page and Mercedes Moné gunning for the top titles against established AEW champions Jon Moxley and “Timeless” Toni Storm. The hosts lean towards AEW elevating their homegrown talents on their biggest stage.
Final Thoughts from the Hosts
The energy is palpable as both major promotions head towards massive summer events. Key questions remain: Who will be the last man standing in the Money in the Bank match? Can Andrade actually win the briefcase? Will “Hangman” Page finally dethrone Jon Moxley? And can Mercedes Moné overcome the phenomenon that is “Timeless” Toni Storm? This episode laid out the battle lines, and the coming weeks are sure to be electrifying.
