WWE SummerSlam Card Set! Roman Reigns Returns! Hangman’s Title Win & SmackDown’s Car Crash Chaos!

The latest episode of Wrestling Uncensored delivered another explosive two-hour breakdown of professional wrestling’s biggest storylines, with hosts Dave Simon and Pro Wrestler “Genesis” Johnny North dissecting everything from WWE’s questionable booking decisions to AEW’s extended Chicago run. Broadcasting live across YouTube, Rumble, Twitch, and Kick, the duo didn’t hold back their opinions on what’s working—and what definitely isn’t—in today’s wrestling landscape, including the recent Hangman’s title win.

SmackDown’s Confusing Car Crash Storyline

The hosts opened with a scathing review of Friday’s SmackDown, particularly focusing on what Dave Simon called “confusing nonsense poorly written poorly executed bullshit” regarding the bizarre car crash angle involving Solo Sikoa’s faction and Jacob Fatu.

“They did like a fake car crash thing at the beginning of the show where Tonga Loa was like bleeding, and it was so low getting talked to by police,” Simon explained, breaking down the convoluted storyline that saw Fatu arrested as a suspect before being mysteriously released later in the show.

Johnny North attempted to find logic in the booking, suggesting, “I think the idea was to accuse Jacob of doing it, but the video footage shows that Solo just set it up so that it looked like Jacob did it.” However, Simon wasn’t buying the explanation, pointing out that “they’re adding a lot of pieces that they did not give us.”

The segment highlighted WWE’s ongoing struggle with coherent storytelling, as the hosts questioned basic elements, such as what crime was actually committed and why Fatu was ever considered a person of interest in what appeared to be a simple car accident.

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SummerSlam Card Takes Shape

Despite the storytelling issues, the hosts acknowledged that WWE managed to book seven matches for SummerSlam in a single week, bringing the total card to eight confirmed bouts across two nights. The lineup includes:

As the excitement builds for the SummerSlam card, fans are also buzzing about the impact of the Hangman title win on the AEW roster.

• Solo Sikoa vs. Jacob Fatu (Steel Cage Match for US Championship)
• Naomi vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Iyo Sky (Triple Threat for Women’s World Championship)
• Gunther vs. CM Punk (World Heavyweight Championship)
• John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes (Street Fight for Undisputed WWE Championship)
• Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Judgment Day (Women’s Tag Team Championships)
• Becky Lynch vs. Lyra Valkyria (Intercontinental Championship)
• Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul
• Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill (WWE Women’s Championship)

“Three weeks out, they had one match, which was Cena-Cody, for a two-night show in a stadium,” Simon noted, criticizing WWE’s last-minute booking approach.

The John Cena retirement storyline took an interesting turn when Cody Rhodes essentially forced Cena to sign the contract while unconscious, leading to questions about the legality of such tactics. “In a court of law, somebody goes, Is this your signature, sir? And you go, no, that’s a scribble that Cody Rhodes made me do while I was unconscious,” Simon joked.

WWE Evolution: Women’s Wrestling Shines Despite Booking Issues

The hosts spent considerable time reviewing WWE Evolution, with both praising the in-ring action while critiquing certain booking decisions. The show featured several standout matches, including Tiffany Stratton vs. Trish Stratus and Rhea Ripley vs. Iyo Sky.

However, Johnny North took issue with the finish of the Women’s World Championship match, where Naomi cashed in her Money in the Bank briefcase immediately after competing in a brutal hardcore match. “She just went through a hardcore match, and then she comes out and no sells it when the title. I didn’t like that,” North explained. “Remember what happened during the match. You got punched in the head with a chain… in the head with a camera driven through a candlestick shots… chair shots. Table like what I want her coming out kind of clutch in the back of her head.”

Despite the criticism, Simon defended Naomi’s new “Proceed with Caution” character, calling it “a funny gimmick. She’s not like earnest. It’s like a cartoon villain.”

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The Case for Women Main Eventing Major Shows

Dave Simon made a passionate argument for women’s matches to headline major WWE events, citing the consistent quality of women’s wrestling compared to men’s matches on recent shows.

“Every big show from Toni Storm and Mercedes to Iyo and Rhea to Raquel and Rhea in Saudi Arabia, like every show we watch, we review. It’s always the women having the better matches. So, why aren’t they main-eventing night two of WrestleMania or SummerSlam, or whatever? Why aren’t they closing the shows? They’re better. The characters are more compelling,” Simon declared.

He continued his argument by highlighting the current roster’s depth: “Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Iyo Sky, Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill. It’s a golden era of women’s wrestling, and there are a bunch of them that I didn’t even mention right there, Tiffany Stratton, like it’s crazy how much talent is in the WWE, AEW, in the world right now for women’s wrestling. It’s never been better than it is right now.”

Johnny North acknowledged the quality but pointed to star power as the determining factor: “I think Cody’s bigger than Rhea… Sure, of course, but he still is like yeah, and look who he’s against.”

Simon argued that the women’s triple threat should main event one of SummerSlam’s nights: “If I were to book SummerSlam, I would book Rhea and Iyo and Naomi as the main event of night two. John Cena can go Cody and can go on night one.”

Roman Reigns Returns, Sets Up Potential Tag Match

Roman Reigns made his return on Monday Night Raw, coming to the aid of CM Punk and Jey Uso after Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker attacked them. The hosts speculated that this could lead to a tag team match at SummerSlam.

“I think it’s a tag match, right, Jey Uso and Roman versus Bronson and Braun,” Simon predicted, noting that while a singles match between Roman and Bron Breakker would be intriguing, it might work better as a tag bout for SummerSlam’s loaded card.

The hosts praised Bron Breakker’s recent performances, with Simon noting: “Outstanding and just getting better and getting better in his character, understanding what people want from him in a promo. The matches are high-impact. Every time you see him in these big spots, he shines.”

AEW’s Chicago Theater Residency and Hangman’s Championship Win

The conversation shifted to All Elite Wrestling, where Hangman Adam Page captured the AEW World Championship at All In, leading to AEW’s unique Chicago theater residency for multiple weeks of television tapings.

“It’s like a residency doing dynamite and collision in that little theater in Chicago for like several weeks, which is kind of cool. You know, it’s a cool concept,” Simon explained, defending the venue choice against critics who compared it unfavorably to All In’s massive Wembley Stadium crowd.

Johnny North added context: “I saw people complain like, oh, they go from 30,000 to like a thousand, like, yeah, but you understand that they’re there for four weeks, like that kind of makes sense.”

Hangman Adam Page’s Immediate Return to Action Criticized

Despite praising Hangman’s championship win, both hosts criticized AEW’s decision to book the new champion in a trios match just four days after his grueling Texas Death Match victory over Swerve Strickland.

“You’re just in a Texas deathmatch and BAM again four days later. You’re in a match with Mark Briscoe and Powerhouse Hobbs, Hangman Adam Page against Jon Moxley, Claudio Castanoli, and Wheeler Yuda in a Trios main event for no reason,” Simon complained. “Everything feels less special now. Everything feels like it means less.”

The criticism highlighted a recurring theme in AEW’s booking philosophy, where wrestlers often appear too frequently without proper time to sell injuries or build anticipation for their next appearance.

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Young Bucks’ Character Evolution Praised

One of the few AEW segments that received universal praise from the hosts was the Young Bucks’ new direction following their removal as Executive Vice Presidents.

“My favorite part of Dynamite was the Young Bucks. I thought they were hilarious. No longer EVPs, just no longer Matthew and Nicholas, just Matt and Nick,” Simon enthusiastically explained. “They have a crappy entrance video. They don’t have pyro anymore. They no longer have a nice room. They no longer have a limo. They have to drive their rental car to the building. They’re upset about it.”

The character work revealed a more vulnerable and relatable side to the Young Bucks that the hosts found refreshing, compared to their previous executive personas.

Toni Storm’s Promo Work Continues to Impress

Both hosts highlighted Toni Storm’s continued excellence on the microphone, with her promo work in the Chicago theater setting receiving particular praise.

“Women stealing the show once again, speaking of women stealing the show, Toni Storm with a great promo. That might have been my favorite part of the show. I did say the Young Bucks, but that Toni Storm promo was pretty cool, especially in that little theater on the balcony. Looks very old-timey, very nice,” Simon noted.

Johnny North agreed, emphasizing Storm’s consistency: “Tony’s always solid.”

AEW’s Ongoing Issues with Meaningless Matches

The hosts expressed frustration with AEW’s tendency to book multi-person tag matches featuring wrestlers without clear motivations or storylines.

There are so many guys in that match that AEW hasn’t given me a reason to watch like the Young Bucks. Okay, like sure, but then you have Hetchisser. Bro Josh Alexander Bandito Brody King Jet Speed… six out of the eight. I go. I don’t care,” Simon lamented.

He continued: “I don’t have a reason to care about what they’re doing. They’re all good at wrestling. They’re all athletic in their ways, but I don’t give a shit about anything they do, which is the booking problem, which is the AEW problem.”

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Viewer Engagement and Live Chat Highlights

The live audience remained actively engaged throughout the broadcast, with several notable comments making it into the discussion:

• Lior defended WWE Evolution, saying, “Johnny is being too harsh. Evolution was great.”
• Harold Schneider provided insight into AEW’s storytelling issues, noting, “AEW has better wrestlers but not two great storylines.”
• Doug Hepburn praised Dave Simon’s impressions, particularly his satirical take on Triple H’s booking decisions.

The interactive element continued to be a strength of Wrestling Uncensored, with the hosts seamlessly incorporating viewer feedback into their analysis.

Seth Rollins Injury Skepticism

Both hosts expressed doubt about the legitimacy of Seth Rollins’ reported knee injury, pointing to inconsistencies in his public statements about the situation.

“I don’t buy the injury at all. I was initially buying it, but then I saw him talk about it afterwards. And it didn’t feel right,” Simon explained. “You don’t know what you have. You don’t know how bad it is. You went to Birmingham, Alabama, for no reason. When that’s where you go to get surgery, we didn’t get surgery.”

The hosts speculated that Rollins could return at SummerSlam to interfere in CM Punk’s World Heavyweight Championship match against Gunther.

Goldberg Retirement Controversy

The episode included harsh criticism of Bill Goldberg‘s complaints about his WWE retirement treatment, with Simon delivering one of his most scathing commentaries of the night.

“The fact that he would complain and be mad and just such a such a dick such a piece of shit… He ended the career of the greatest wrestler of all time. He is forever a piece of shit, and for him to go out like this, where he complains about his retirement party given to him by WWE, and then the wrestling world proceeds to shit on him is exactly how he should go out,” Simon declared.

Johnny North offered a more measured take, suggesting Goldberg had legitimate grievances about WWE not airing his full retirement speech on television.

Women’s Wrestling Evolution Discussion

The hosts dedicated significant time to discussing the current state of women’s wrestling, with both agreeing that the division has never been stronger while critiquing WWE’s presentation and booking decisions.

“I don’t know. Naomi’s the one who proceeds with it, like a funny gimmick. She’s not like fully serious. It’s like a cartoon villain,” Simon said, defending one of the more polarizing new characters.

The conversation highlighted the ongoing tension between acknowledging women’s wrestling excellence and criticizing booking decisions that undermine the performers’ efforts.

“You have Rhea and Iyo and Naomi like three strong stars in the ring and the matches booked by them just like yelling over each other and just being like Yelly and you know, and then Adam Pierce having to come in be like ladies ladies,” Simon noted, criticizing WWE’s tendency to present women’s segments as chaotic rather than professional.

Baseball Tangent and Yankees Frustration

While the focus remained on wrestling, Simon couldn’t help but express frustration with his Yankees’ recent performance, providing a brief but passionate commentary on the team’s pitching decisions and trade deadline needs.

📺 Don’t miss next week’s episode live on YouTube, Rumble, Twitch, and Kick!

Looking Ahead to UFC 318

The hosts concluded by promoting their upcoming UFC 318 watch-along event, scheduled for Saturday at 10 PM Eastern Time, featuring the Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier fight.

“We’re going to be talking all about MMA. We’ll be watching the Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier fight and all the other fights on the pay-per-view,” Simon announced, encouraging viewers to join them for another live interactive experience.

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