The wrestling world is buzzing as WrestleMania 41 looms just a week away. While WWE gears up for its biggest show of the year, there’s a noticeable lack of energy in the final stretch. Meanwhile, AEW’s recent Dynasty pay-per-view delivered major shakeups and stellar matches, leaving fans with plenty to discuss. Join Dave and Ben Simon from Ringside Report’s Wrestling Uncensored as they break down the latest happenings in WWE and AEW, including live commentary from the viewing audience.
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Catch the whole discussion on Wrestling Uncensored Episode 728! Watch the replay on YouTube, Rumble, Twitch, or Kick. You can also listen to the audio podcast on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Consider supporting the Ringside Report Network at membership.ringsidereport.net and visit the website at ringsidereport.net.
Table of Contents
SmackDown’s Lackluster Final Stretch
The final SmackDown before WrestleMania left many fans disappointed. Dave Simon summarized it bluntly: “SmackDown tonight has been bad, right? They’ve done nothing.” Ben agreed, labeling the episode “pretty mediocre.” WWE Champion Cody Rhodes delivered another repetitive promo about facing John Cena at WrestleMania, highlighting WWE’s current creative rut. Dave remained confident in Rhodes retaining, while Ben intriguingly suggested Cena’s victory could create fresh storylines involving legends like Steve Austin.
The women’s tag team gauntlet match to determine WrestleMania contenders also underwhelmed. Dave critiqued the match’s quality harshly, noting Maxine Dupri’s performance as “terrible” and felt the match overall was tedious. Despite Bayley and Lyra Valkyria securing their WrestleMania spots, the segment failed to ignite excitement.
Other segments further showcased WWE’s struggles, such as Randy Orton and LA Knight’s poorly received setup for their tag match against Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga. Dave humorously criticized Solo’s promo skills as “such a stooge promo,” while audience members online echoed these frustrations, questioning WWE’s creative direction.
A recurring topic of dissatisfaction was WWE’s current creative direction. Including comedians Tony Hinchcliffe and Bert Kreischer on Raw drew significant backlash, particularly Hinchcliffe’s inappropriate joke about Big E’s career-ending injury. Dave lambasted Hinchcliffe as “unfunny Joe Rogan ass-kissing hack,” expressing frustration with WWE’s focus on entertainment over wrestling.
Dave elaborated, lamenting that WWE has seemingly abandoned its wrestling roots: “WWE has ceased to be a pro wrestling company. They’re not wrestling. If you work for WWE, you’re not a wrestler. You’re a sports entertainer.” Ben added that even the live audience rejected the comedians, noting, “the audience sees them and boos them,” emphasizing a growing disconnect between WWE management and their fanbase.
The overall WrestleMania build lacks heat and excitement, particularly evident in some major feuds involving Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Roman Reigns, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins. Although Rollins’ promos hinted at a possible alliance with Paul Heyman, WWE has struggled to create genuine animosity and anticipation heading into WrestleMania. Even segments involving legends or big names seem uninspired and repetitive, further frustrating longtime fans hoping for thrilling storytelling as WrestleMania approaches.
Audience feedback online has been overwhelmingly critical, echoing the hosts’ concerns about WWE’s prioritization of celebrity appearances and scripted entertainment over compelling wrestling content. Fans voiced their frustrations clearly, feeling that WWE’s creative direction is out of touch with what wrestling fans genuinely want to see.
AEW Dynasty 2025 Brings Action and Surprises
Contrasting WWE’s struggles, AEW Dynasty delivered impactful moments that energized fans. Jon Moxley retained the AEW World Championship against Swerve Strickland, aided by interference from a returning Young Bucks. Kenny Omega’s victory over Ricochet and “Speedball” Mike Bailey was praised as “match of the night.” Bailey’s momentum continues, further enhanced by a potential alliance with Don Callis.
AEW Dynasty Additional highlights:
- Bandido defeated Chris Jericho for the Ring of Honor World Championship, leading Jericho into a hiatus.
- Timeless” Toni Storm retained her AEW Women’s World Championship, maintaining her dominant run.
- Kyle Fletcher advanced in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, defeating Mark Briscoe.
- Mercedes Moné continued her strong showing, and speculation of a major match against Toni Storm at All In was described as “the match to make.”
- A concerning moment occurred when Hook visibly suffered an injury during Dynamite’s main event, leading Dave to criticize AEW’s handling of the incident as “irresponsible” and “unsafe.”
WWE’s Creative Direction and Lack of Edge
A recurring topic of dissatisfaction was WWE’s current creative direction. Including comedians Tony Hinchcliffe and Bert Kreischer on Raw drew significant backlash, particularly Hinchcliffe’s inappropriate joke about Big E’s career-ending injury. Dave lambasted Hinchcliffe as “unfunny Joe Rogan ass-kissing hack,” expressing frustration with WWE’s focus on entertainment over wrestling.
Dave further elaborated, lamenting that WWE has seemingly abandoned its wrestling roots: “WWE has ceased to be a pro wrestling company. They’re not wrestling. If you work for WWE, you’re not a wrestler. You’re a sports entertainer.” Ben added that even the live audience rejected the comedians, noting, “the audience sees them and boos them,” emphasizing a growing disconnect between WWE management and their fanbase.
The overall WrestleMania build lacks heat and excitement, particularly evident in significant feuds involving Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Roman Reigns, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins. Although Rollins’ promos hinted at a possible alliance with Paul Heyman, WWE has struggled to create genuine animosity and anticipation heading into WrestleMania. Even segments involving legends or big names seem uninspired and repetitive, further frustrating longtime fans hoping for thrilling storytelling as WrestleMania approaches.
Audience feedback online has been overwhelmingly critical, echoing the hosts’ concerns about WWE’s prioritization of celebrity appearances and scripted entertainment over compelling wrestling content. Fans voiced their frustrations clearly, feeling that WWE’s creative direction is out of touch with what wrestling fans truly want to see.
Predictions and Uncertainties for WrestleMania 41
Dave and Ben provided bold predictions and discussed unresolved storylines:
Confirmed Matches:
Confirmed Main Events:
- Night One: Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
- Night Two: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Cena (WWE Championship)
Other Confirmed Matches:
- Night One: Gunther (c) vs. Jey Uso (World Heavyweight Championship)
- Night One: Tiffany Stratton vs. Charlotte Flair (WWE Women’s Championship)
- Night Two: Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley (WWE Women’s World Championship)
- AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul
- LA Knight (c) vs. Jacob Fatu (United States Championship)
- Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Bayley & Lyra Valkyria (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
- Jade Cargill vs. Naomi (A match Dave predicted could be “all-time awful” )
- Bron Breakker (c) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Finn Bálor vs. Dominik Mysterio (Intercontinental Championship)
- Rey Mysterio vs. El Grande Americano (Chad Gable)
- Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre (Sin City Street Fight)
- The War Raiders (c) vs. The New Day (World Tag Team Championship – Raw Titles)
- Uncertainties:
- Randy Orton’s match: Will he face Solo Sikoa, Nick Aldis, or be part of the US Title match? The hosts prefer the Fatal Four-Way option.
- Sami Zayn’s status: His absence is strange, given his prominence last year. Could he be injured?
- SmackDown Tag Team Titles: The Street Profits vs. Motor City Machine Guns is happening on SmackDown, not Mania.
- The hosts discussed potential finishes, like Heyman aligning with Seth Rollins and Cena possibly winning the WWE Championship. While the card looks solid on paper, the build has lacked excitement.
Unresolved Questions:
- Randy Orton’s match: Singles against Solo Sikoa, Nick Aldis, or included in the US Title picture?
- Sami Zayn’s notable absence.
- Street Profits vs. Motor City Machine Guns on SmackDown, not Mania.
The hosts expressed enthusiasm for potentially exciting twists like Heyman aligning with Rollins, adding intrigue despite WWE’s current creative shortcomings.
Key Takeaways:
- WWE SmackDown’s final show before WrestleMania 41 was largely considered disappointing and lacking urgency.
- AEW Dynasty featured significant events, including The Young Bucks’ return/interference and Kenny Omega retaining his title in a show-stealing match.
- The hosts expressed strong dissatisfaction with WWE’s current direction, particularly its celebrity integrations and perceived shift from pro wrestling to “sports entertainment.”
- AEW faced criticism for perceived safety issues following an incident with Hook on Dynamite.
- The card for WrestleMania 41 is mostly set, but questions remain about Randy Orton’s opponent and Sami Zayn’s absence. The build-up has felt flat despite potentially good matches.
