WWE Evolution Preview and AEW All In 2025 Build-Up Analysis

Dave Simon and pro wrestler “Genesis” Johnny North returned with their most comprehensive wrestling breakdown yet, covering WWE’s packed weekend ahead and AEW’s massive All In pay-per-view. With WWE Evolution set for Atlanta and Saturday Night’s Main Event creating a wrestling overload, the hosts didn’t hold back on their opinions about booking decisions, title changes, and the state of both major promotions.

From dissecting SmackDown’s quick turnaround after Night of Champions to breaking down the controversial stipulations heading into AEW’s biggest show of the year, Episode 740 delivered the unfiltered commentary wrestling fans demand. The hosts tackled everything from Cody Rhodes’ King of the Ring victory to the questionable build for WWE Evolution while providing insider perspective on the industry’s current direction.

Whether you’re looking for honest takes on championship booking, behind-the-scenes insight into WWE’s Hollywood priorities, or detailed analysis of All In’s stacked card, this episode provides the comprehensive coverage that makes Wrestling Uncensored essential viewing for serious wrestling fans.

WWE Evolution Build Criticized for Lack of Direction

The hosts opened with sharp criticism of WWE’s approach to next week’s Evolution pay-per-view in Atlanta, particularly questioning the last-minute nature of several matches.

“This is the dumbest thing in the world. We have two world champions, and they’re gonna say, like, I wanna face somebody, and I’m gonna announce who I’m gonna face. These are main events, by the way,” Johnny North said about the booking approach for Evolution.

Dave Simon expressed frustration with the rapid changes to storylines: “I saw people talking about that. Where are Iyo and Kyrie, right? No, it was Asuka. Was it Asuka? I thought it was Kyrie.”

Johnny clarified the timeline: “Yeah, no, it was Asuka. Remember Asuka was going for Queen of the Ring for the finals? I don’t know. Who’s the only person she’s ever faced for that championship that she has right now? Really? She’s only defended against Rhea. Yeah.”

The hosts pointed to injury issues disrupting original plans, with Johnny noting: “Well, again, I think injuries screw things up. I think she’s supposed to do other things. I think this card got changed around, too, so that doesn’t help as well.”

Championship Overload Concerns

A significant point of discussion centered on WWE’s current championship situation, with Johnny raising concerns about the sheer number of titles: “But that’s what happens sometimes. And another problem too, 14 championships, maybe there’s too many.”

When Dave asked for clarification, Johnny explained: “I mean, I might be a little bit off on that, but I don’t think I’m too far off when I think about it. Like total in the WWE? Man and women? Yeah, I think it’s about 14. I might be counting the speed championships as well.”

The conversation highlighted how the abundance of championships might be diluting their importance and creating booking challenges for significant events, such as Evolution.

Evolution Card Analysis

Despite the criticism, the hosts broke down the announced matches for Evolution, including Tiffany Stratton defending the WWE Women’s Championship against Trish Stratus and Iyo Sky facing Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship.

“Trish Stratus and Tiffany Stratton, they announced that on SmackDown tonight for the WWE Women’s Championship, taking place next week at WWE Evolution in Atlanta, next Sunday,” Dave noted.

The show will also feature a battle royal where “the winner gets a title shot at Clash in Paris against, I guess, the champion of their choice. Clash in Paris, August 31st in Paris, France, not Texas. So, you know, the Battle Royal is going to mean something.”

Night of Champions Fallout and King of the Ring Results

The hosts provided their analysis of the previous weekend’s Night of Champions results, with particular focus on Cody Rhodes winning the King of the Ring tournament.

“Cody Rhodes, King of the Ring, Johnny North, King of the Matts, how are you?” Dave opened, acknowledging Cody’s tournament victory.

However, the hosts were highly critical of the match quality and booking decisions from the Saudi Arabia event: “But man, that WWE show was not good, John. It was not good. Five, five and a half on 10. It was pretty mid.”

Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton Criticism

Dave Simon was particularly harsh about the King of the Ring final between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton: “The finish to Orton and Cody was so lame with like Cody cheating. Like he pushed Randy into the exposed buckle. But, like, why is Randy, who’s Cody’s friend, at a certain point, going to get a steel chair to hit Cody within a match that the ref will see him hit the chair, and it’ll be a disqualification?”

The storytelling approach frustrated Dave: “This whole story with like Cody has to learn to cheat to beat Cena. So whack. And what else was on that card? Punk and Cena were just a total mess, total mess with everybody showing up, Seth and all his goons, just everybody, and then Cena and Punk teaming up to take out the guys and then Punk, Punk dropping his guard entirely and hugging Cena.”

Match of the Night Recognition

Despite the overall criticism, both hosts agreed on the standout performance: “Rhea versus against the Cal—match of the night for sure. I mean, I told you I said it was going to be good,” Dave noted about Rhea Ripley’s street fight victory over Raquel Rodriguez.

Johnny admitted his surprise: “I was surprised. I didn’t think it’d be as good as it was. And but to be fair, the bar was not very high and be matched tonight when you say that.”

SummerSlam Implications and Championship Picture

Cody vs Cena Rematch Set

With Cody Rhodes winning King of the Ring, his championship match against John Cena at SummerSlam is now official. However, Dave expressed skepticism about Cody’s chances: “Jade Cargill beat Asuka. She’s the queen of the ring. She will wrestle Tiffy Time at SummerSlam. Cody Rhodes is the King of the Ring. He will wrestle John Cena at SummerSlam, as we expected. The rematch is on. Cena and Cody. I don’t think Cody is going to beat Cena, though, in the rematch.”

Johnny questioned this perspective: “Really? I mean, if Cody doesn’t do it, who does do it? I’m starting to think, like, how is this going to all end with Cena? I feel like Cody needs to beat Cena at this point because then what is Cody after that? He needs this title back, actually, I think.”

Dave offered an alternative scenario involving Roman Reigns: “And then where does Roman Reigns fit into all this? Because I assume he’ll be back. I feel like. Cody doesn’t quite get it done. Roman shows up, and he goes after Cena. It’s kind of what I’m hoping for. Like, I feel like that would be the move. Cody can’t beat Cena. Roman can beat Cena. Roman does.”

Hollywood’s Impact on WWE

A significant portion of the discussion focused on WWE’s changing priorities, with Dave criticizing the company’s Hollywood focus: “Do you realize what the fucking wrestling show is going to look like without Cody or Roman for months and months? It’s not very good. Do you think Cena is still going to be around at that point? No, because he’s almost done.”

Dave connected this to broader industry changes: “This is what happens when you let Hollywood take over a wrestling company. Hollywood takes precedence over the wrestling. So you could book Cena and Cody and Roman and Dwayne and whoever in the same movie, and then none of them will be in wrestling for months and months.”

The hosts discussed how wrestlers now prioritize movie careers: “That’s not how the WWE works anymore because now the ultimate goal of a WWE superstar is not to be WWE champion. It’s not the main event. WrestleMania. It’s to graduate to movie star status. It’s to be like Batista and Cena and Dwayne.”

AEW All In Preview and Analysis

Stacked Card Overview

The hosts provided comprehensive coverage of AEW’s upcoming All In pay-per-view, breaking down the announced matches and their implications.

“They have timeless, timeless Toni defending against Mercedes Moné, AEW World title, Jon Moxley defending against Hangman Page, Texas Deathmatch, which was made official this week, which is very cool. AEW World title Kazuchika Okada, continental champion versus Kenny Omega in a winner takes All Intercontinental championship match,” Dave outlined.

Additional matches include: “Men’s casino gauntlet for a future AEW men’s world title match. Women’s casino gauntlet for a future AEW women’s world title match. Tag team match. Swerve and Will Ospreay versus the Young Bucks.”

High-Stakes Stipulations

The Young Bucks vs. Ospreay and Swerve match carry significant consequences that initially confused Dave: “Yes if Ospreay and Strickland lose, they can’t challenge for the AEW World titles for one year. And if the Young Bucks lose, they will be stripped of their EVP status.”

After clarifying the stakes, Dave changed his prediction: “They can’t challenge for the world title for a year. I hope they win then. Well, they have to win that. OK, hold on. I’m changing my whole thing, John. I misunderstood. I’m very sorry—world titles. Yes, I miss Dynamite this week. I was on vacation. I didn’t see Dynamite, so I don’t know all the details.”

Additional Matches and Concerns

The card also features Adam Cole defending the TNT Championship against Kyle Fletcher, which drew little enthusiasm from Dave: “That’s a match I don’t need to see at all ever. And the hurt syndicate Bobby and Shelton defending the AEW tag team titles against Jet Speed. Kevin Knight and Speedball Mike Billy.”

Despite some underwhelming additions, Dave maintained optimism: “Don’t need to see that the card is good the way it is. They don’t need to add anything. They probably will. But, you know, for my liking, I think it’s enough. There are only three matches I want to see. So I think we’re good.”

WWE’s Counter-Programming Strategy

Weekend Wrestling Overload

The hosts criticized WWE’s aggressive counter-programming against All In, with Dave noting the scheduling conflicts: “They’ve put it together about as well as they put together that Saturday night’s main event. I mean, they did the Gunther Goldberg thing that’s got a bit of a build, but everything else is just like, let’s throw this together. They’ve got a big weekend next weekend trying to counter All In for AEW, which is just. You know, it isn’t nice. And unnecessary, I feel like.”

Johnny defended the competitive approach: “If there’s going to be a biggest show, the baby’s got to do something. Why? Because they don’t want AEW to succeed.”

However, Dave questioned the effectiveness: “But like All In is Saturday afternoon. Right? So, for us, anyway, how is this counterprogramming for WWE if all their shows are happening after like Saturday Night’s Main Event is Saturday night after All In will be over, and then the Evolution shows on Sunday?“

Quality Concerns

Dave expressed skepticism about WWE’s hastily assembled weekend: “Yeah, they’re, I mean, they’re aggressive on that front right now. They’re trying to give us what they’re giving us is kind of. I mean, it’s not as good as the AEW card on paper.”

Johnny acknowledged the limitations: “Yeah, you say aggressive. This won’t be as good as SummerSlam. I think SummerSlam is shaping up to be the biggest card of the summer, making it the biggest event of the season. This is more of like, well, this is what we have in the meantime kind of thing.”

SmackDown Analysis and Bloodline Developments

Quick Turnaround Programming

The hosts discussed SmackDown’s unique presentation, noting its shorter runtime on Netflix: “I think the most remarkable part about SmackDown tonight was that it was so short, it was like an hour 20. And, like, I tuned in at eight o’clock because I thought that’s when it would start on TV in the US, so that it would be only available on Netflix.”

Johnny provided technical details: “Well, I was keeping my eye on it because I know that they taped it after because it was on Netflix at 6 p.m. this week, right? For us, the Eastern Standard Time. So they taped SmackDown after Raw, and it was only available to us on Netflix at 8 PM, but the whole show starting APM was available.”

Bloodline Storyline Continuation

The hosts tracked the ongoing Bloodline saga, with Dave noting Solo Sikoa’s US Championship victory and subsequent developments: “Solo beating Jacob Fatou, which I called as well. John, by the way, I called. That was the only one we we differed on right in our predictions.”

Dave also predicted the involvement of Hikuleo (now called “Taller Tonga”): “I called the what’s his name? Big man. Who are they calling? Taller Tonga? What are they calling him now? Taller Tonga. It sounds like Taller Tonga. So there’s Tommy Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Taller Tonga. Who’s the tall one? He’s tall Tonga, Taller Tonga. He was Hickeleo. But I even said that, John; I was like, yo, Hickeleo is going to debut. He’s been seen in Saudi. He’s going to help Solo win the US title. I called the whole thing.”

However, Johnny questioned WWE’s confidence in the new addition: “And to me, that showed that I don’t think they have a lot of confidence in Taller Tonga yet. Because, like, if you need a second run, there were three run-ins in that match. Yeah. To beat Jacob. To me, that suggests they’re not big on Taller Models yet, I think. Three run-ins to beat somebody.”

Tag Team Division Struggles

New Day’s Disappointing Run

The hosts expressed frustration with WWE’s handling of The New Day’s recent tag team championship reign: “Judgment Day winning the tag team titles back, which was disappointing. Like, is that it for the new day? Like, what’s with the run? That’s it.”

Johnny was particularly critical: “Like, I know you love the new day, but you can’t deny that was beyond disappointing. They didn’t do much with those tag teams. Once they build them up.”

Dave defended the team while criticizing WWE’s booking: “Who are they supposed to wrestle, man? Well, who are the baby face tag teams on Raw? It’s not their fault. Yeah. Well, that’s what they do with the new day. You know, it happened with Kofi’s World title run. It happened with Big E’s World title run. They give you the belts and then they do nothing with you. And then they take the belts off of you, and everybody goes, oh, you had a bad run. And then, and it’s like, well, it’s not their fault. It’s how they were booked.”

Division Depth Issues

The conversation highlighted broader problems with WWE’s tag team divisions: “Well, they needed to build up more babyface tag teams. They do have Alpha Academy, don’t they? Their heels. Oh, that’s American-made. Oh, right. Alpha Academy, really, Tozawa and Otis, that’s that. That’s what we’re going to, Otis, Otis, like you could have made some with Otis, but they never pulled the trigger on that.”

Johnny summarized the division’s problems: “All right. It’s WWE with the bad booking, too. It’s no doubt about that. But the Raw tag team division is a mess. It’s not good. And that’s rough for the new day, but that’s not a great way to end them. You build them all the way just to lose the judgment day. A heel tag team as well. Yeah. Not good, man.”

Future Booking Speculation

CM Punk’s Championship Path

The hosts speculated about CM Punk’s future championship opportunities, with Dave suggesting a potential four-way scenario: “And you go, okay. Well, Gunther, unk, Seth, something’s going on there. And then LA Knight attacks Seth. And then LA Knight has a brief confrontation with Punk afterward. I could see a four-way between those guys. Punk, Gunther, Seth, LA Knight, world title.”

However, Johnny felt Punk needed to settle his feud with Seth Rollins first: “But this goes back to what happened at Night of Champions. Seth cost Punk the match. So now there needs to be repercussions for that. So now we need a match for that. Cause like he can’t win the championship, any championship unless he deals with Seth.”

Roman Reigns Return Timeline

Regarding Roman Reigns’ potential return, Dave set expectations for the timeline: “What you’re saying, though, would involve Roman coming back in the next three weeks because SummerSlam is four weeks away here. They’ve got four weeks of TV before SummerSlam. So he would have to come back, I would say, in the next couple of weeks.”

The hosts debated whether Roman would be involved in the Cena-Cody storyline or remain focused on his Raw-based feuds with Seth Rollins and CM Punk.

Women’s Division Evolution

Battle Royal Implications

The upcoming Evolution battle royal drew analysis from both hosts, with Dave noting its significance: “You know, I could tell. I mean, it’s not a great spot for Nikki, but that battle Royal is going to have to be something special because they did announce a battle Royal where the winner gets a title shot at Clash in Paris against, I guess, the champion of their choice.”

He outlined the excluded competitors: “We know that Rhea Ripley is not in it. We know that Tiffany Stratton is not in it. We know that Iyo Sky is not in it. We know that Charlotte Flair is not in it. You know, like Jade Cargill and Naomi aren’t in it. So they’re going to have to fill that with some other people.”

Championship Match Analysis

The hosts discussed the upcoming title matches, including Jade Cargill’s Queen of the Ring victory, setting up her SummerSlam opportunity: “Jade Cargill beat Asuka. She’s the Queen of the Ring. She will wrestle Tiffy Time at SummerSlam, as we expected. The rematch is on. Cena and Cody.”

They also analyzed the Naomi-Jade Cargill backstage segment: “I liked when Naomi attacked Jade Cargill backstage, and then she told her you didn’t proceed with caution.”

Show Production and Viewer Engagement

Live Audience Interaction

Throughout the episode, the hosts acknowledged their live audience across multiple platforms. Angelo Kontagonis, a long-time supporter, contributed questions that the hosts addressed, including inquiries about Trump’s proposed UFC event at the White House.

“Angelo has a question. He’s been a member for 53 months. He’s worth answering our man, Angelo. He’s a great guy. Angelo Kontagonis is a member of the team at join.ringsidereport.net. He’s been a member now for 53 months, which is several years. Thank you, Angelo. He says, did you guys hear Trump? Yeah, clapping up for Angelo.”

Upcoming Schedule

The hosts outlined their coverage plans for the busy wrestling weekend ahead, with Dave noting the challenges: “I got a huge question for you. So, are there any post-shows like next week? There’s a lot of shows. Are there any post-shows for these shows? I think All In.”

Dave expressed concerns about the workload: “But like All In is Saturday afternoon. Right? So, for us, anyway, how is this counterprogramming for WWE if all their shows are happening after, like Saturday night’s main event is Saturday night after All In will be over, and then the Evolution show on Sunday?”

Industry Analysis and Future Concerns

WWE’s Direction Under New Ownership

Dave provided commentary on WWE’s evolving priorities under TKO ownership: “And all of this path has been cleared for them. They see it. And now they’re owned by the biggest talent agency in Hollywood. The entire WME agency oversees TKO, and Ari Emmanuel is its head. So if he wants them in a movie instead of a ring, that’s where they will be.”

He expressed concern about long-term implications: “This is what happens when you let Hollywood take over a wrestling company. Hollywood takes precedence over the wrestling. And I think long term, it’s going to hurt the WWE.”

Championship Picture Predictions

Looking ahead to SummerSlam and beyond, the hosts debated potential championship scenarios and the roles of top stars. Dave’s preference for Roman Reigns’ involvement reflected his desire for compelling storylines: “Roman’s got the belt again, and then Cody is chasing Roman in a different way. Maybe as the heel with Roman as the baby face this time.”

The discussion highlighted the complex booking challenges WWE faces with multiple top stars potentially absent for movie commitments while trying to maintain compelling television programming.

Final Thoughts

Episode 740 of Wrestling Uncensored delivered comprehensive coverage of wrestling’s current landscape, from WWE’s packed weekend to AEW’s All In preparations. The hosts’ willingness to criticize booking decisions while providing insider perspectives made for engaging commentary that wrestling fans value.

Their discussion of industry trends, from Hollywood’s influence on WWE to AEW’s growing ambitions, provided context beyond just match analysis. The authentic reactions and detailed breakdowns continue to establish Wrestling Uncensored as essential viewing for serious wrestling fans seeking honest commentary.

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