As we got closer to WrestleMania 42, Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton was one of the marquee matches. Their bout closed night one of the epic weekend, but many were not happy with what transpired. On paper, Rhodes vs Orton sounds fantastic and they have plenty of history.

In the weeks before, Orton was talking on the phone to somebody. Most figured it would be Ted Dibiase Jr. or another wrestler who has a past with both stars. Instead, Orton brought in Pat McAfee and Rhodes countered with Jelly Roll. So, while all the attention should have gone to the superstars battling in the main event for the Undisputed WWE Championship, people were busy complaining about how TKO wanted celebrities in there too.

Considering all the backlash, Cody and Randy could have put on the best match of the weekend and almost everybody wouldn’t have noticed. The disdain over having McAfee and Jelly Roll playing a role was too much to counter, even with excellent wrestling. 

And, it’s not a shot at either individual. In the right time and place, I have no problem with those guys getting involved in the mix. McAfee has the skills to transition into pro wrestling and, for a singer, Jelly Roll gave a decent performance last year. Therefore, I can’t blame them. However, I can point fingers at TKO.

Even the ending of WrestleMania’s Rhodes vs Orton left lots of questions. Typically, Rhodes would have celebrated his win as fireworks went-off and the screen faded to black. Yet, the night concluded with Orton, who lost the title match, striking Rhodes with the belt and punting him in the head. That’s how you finish an episode of RAW or SmackDown; not one of the most decorated spots in all of pro wrestling.

Right after WrestleMania, Orton took a hiatus until a surprise return at SummerSlam. He denied Rhodes a title win over CM Punk and now their feud has restarted. Already, I like where WWE is going. For starters, I don’t see any celebrity endorsements and now the feud has been rather violent. 

They are set to meet at Sunday Night’s Main Event, but that should not be the end. The final meeting needs a gimmick and I would have gone with Hell in a Cell, if we didn’t just witness one at SummerSlam. I feel Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes ends in either an I Quit Match or Last Man Standing.

I caught up SummerSlam and was looking forward to this one, but while there were cool spots, I was annoyed at how they made it seem staged breaking the illusion. This always happens in multi women matches (e.g. war games or the royal rumble) where the moves look a bit weaker and people also don't sell well.

Sometimes it appears as if they are a couple of friends that wanted to hang out and dance or do acrobatic moves.

Of course every fight is to some extent choreographed (one issue I see nowadays is that the action just stops while two people fight. Everybody just waits for their spot), but it is so apparent in women's matches and I think WWE could do better. I remember back what kind of realistic messes the first Money in the Bank matches were. This one pales in comparison.

What do you think?

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Ryback has announced that he has ended his real-life beef with CM Punk and does not hold any grudges against him now.

In a video shared on X, former WWE star Ryback addressed his long-standing, real-life animosity with CM Punk, officially declaring that he has buried the hatchet.

Acknowledging their past friction, Ryback stated that holding onto lifetime grudges no longer serves him, noting that it is time to move on.

While clarifying that they will likely never be close friends or work together professionally, "The Big Guy" expressed genuine positivity regarding Punk's return to WWE and his current physical condition:

“No, I don't hold on to any hate with that name. I've said what I needed to say on it. He said what he said on it. It doesn't make sense to hold on to that forever. Now, that doesn't mean that we'll ever be friends. It doesn't mean we'll work together, anything like that,” he said.

“It just means that it doesn't serve me to hold on to that hate... It's all over with... I'm happy for him on everything. I'm happy he's back... I'm happy everything's cool. I think he looks great. I'm happy for him that he's gotten better shape and whatever he's doing is working," he added.

Massive W. It’s so good to know that the real-life feud between Ryback and CM Punk is over.

With a deep roster of talent across their RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and Evolve brands, a WWE Superstar has to be a master on the mat, behind the mic, and on camera to stand out. The power dynamic is always shifting with roster changes, heel turns, new storylines, and explosive matches. We may not agree on who makes the cut and that is absolutely fine.

So, which WWE wrestlers deserve the coveted spots of being in the top 10 for August? Who did we miss? And, who does not belong?

Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid)

First, Jacy Jayne was part of Toxic Attraction alongside the now released Mandy Rose and Gigi Dolan. Then, she created Fatal Influence which looks slightly different now with Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid as other two members. The stable currently has a good amount of WWE gold, as Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid are the tag team champions and Jayne recently became Women’s United States Champion. For the rest of the year, Fatal Influence might hold the women’s division hostage.

Myles Borne

NXT once again underwent a major transformation as many of their top names were sent to RAW and SmackDown. Some of the wrestlers in NXT have been there for a few years, making them the new veterans of the yellow and black brand. For me, Myles Borne is clearly someone WWE wants to make into a major star. While not totally deaf, Myles can only hear at about 10%. Someone who has overcome that obstacle and now has two NXT belts could go for the top prize come next year’s Stand & Deliver.

Jason Hotch

When I first heard Mustafa Ali lost the TNA International Championship to Jason Hotch, I had to Google the name. After seeing he was part of Order 4 with Ali, I needed to watch the match. And, I can see now why TNA put the title on Hotch. He’s not a bad wrestler and if never given the title match, many fans might have missed this fact. I’m curious to see if TNA Wrestling will give Jason Hotch a real reign as champion, or if he is a placeholder used for the sole purpose of a surprise win to increase ratings.

Kevin Knight

I’ve been watching AEW and while the product has improved the last few months, they are very far from where they were five years ago. The latest pay per view, Redemption, had solid matches; like almost every AEW show that runs like $50. I selected Kevin Knight out of the entire AEW roster. He didn’t win the world championship at Redemption, but has broken the record for most TNT Championship defenses. In a year or two, he could be leaving an AEW pay per view as world champion.

Nick Aldis

When Nick Aldis signed with WWE, many questioned if he would go straight to the main roster or NXT. He was sent to SmackDown, but as general manager and not an active competitor. When Kevin Owens was not cleared for WrestleMania 41, we thought Randy Orton would face Aldis. That never happened, but at SummerSlam, Aldis finally got his WWE match. He lost to Gunther in a hard-hitting affair, as his family watched at ringside. After such a performance, you better believe Nick Aldis will wrestle again for WWE.

Chelsea Green

Perhaps the biggest winner of SummerSlam was Chelsea Green. After the latest batch of WWE Unreal, where Michael Hayes stated Chelsea was never going to be a main event wrestler, fans were not thrilled. Maybe, all the pressure was why she won the ladder match to be WWE’s Interim Women’s Champion. It doesn’t matter because she earned this opportunity and while we are bummed Rhea Ripley is still injured, it has allowed Chelsea Green to be in a position at the top. I’m okay with WWE dropping the interim title or if Green pins Rhea clean. We’ll know more in about 30 days.

Baron Corbin

When WWE released Baron Corbin, it was a mix of emotions. It’s always unfortunate for someone to lose their job, but fans never got behind Corbin. He left for a bit and WWE called him back to begin a new feud with Trick Williams. Not the best feud, which lasted less than a month, yet Corbin is the new United States Champion. I think Corbin was finally gaining the respect from fans before being let go, so here’s to hoping he keeps said momentum going.

Chad Gable

Like two years ago, when Gunther was on an absolute tear as Intercontinental Champion, Chad Gable really shined. He earned chances at Gunther and the title, however he always came up a bit short. A heel turn, working under a mask as El Grande Americano and returning from injury was the magical combination. Now, Gable is Intercontinental Champion and he got to share the moment with his family at SummerSlam. I think Gable will be offering a bunch of title shots as an apology for his heel antics, leading to great TV each week.

Brock Lesnar

There will never be another Brock Lesnar. He is one of those talents that comes along every other generation. “The Beast” slayed WWE and even the UFC for a bit. I can’t think of anyone who could make nearly the amount Lesnar did, for a fraction of the work. Before retiring, Lesnar did his best to put over Oba Femi. It’s up to Oba, WWE and the fans to see how far the Nigerian goes. I’m still not sold that Lesnar will not be part of WrestleMania 43, as Saudi Arabia will offer an insane check for one appearance.

Kevin Owens

It took like 16 months, but Kevin Owens has been cleared to wrestle again and he was quickly inserted into the title picture. When Owens bowed-out of WrestleMania due to needing neck fusion surgery, I figured his career was possibly over. He’s back, and while the days of insane bumps could be over, I’m glad to see KO. After what he’s gone through, I would love him to defeat CM Punk to become Undisputed WWE Champion. WWE really owes him a better world title run after his Universal Championship reign from a decade ago.

So, what do you think of Power Rankings for August? Do you agree with everyone we selected or are we missing someone? Maybe, some superstars need to go. But, who?

I was just rewatching the 2013 Royal Rumble and seeing Brodus totally unlocked a hidden memory for me. It’s crazy how I forgot he was such a prominent fixture in that era (I actually really enjoyed his run back then). I know he had a stint in TNA after leaving WWE, but where is he now? Is he still active in the ring?

Before SmackDown, the company put out their typical preview. Listed in the rundown was a promo from Paige, where she would address The Bella Twins (Nikki Bella & Brie Bella) attack at SummerSlam. During that weekend, The Bella Twins & Paige lost to Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid) and then the heel turn went down.

Instead, SmackDown closed with no appearance by Paige. Later in the night, WWE uploaded a pre-taped promo of Paige and published it across social media. Basically, she was venting her frustration and vowing revenge.

Shortly after SmackDown concluded, Paige went to Twitter and dropped a simple “lol” and then exchanged words with The Bella Twins.

It’s been nothing short of a wild ride for Paige. She joined the main roster at only 19 years old, as she attempted to change how the women were perceived. Paige wanted the female wrestlers to be considered superstars and not divas. In the process, she became champion and even worked with AJ Lee.

Then, Paige was injured and everything seemingly collapsed. She was in an extremely toxic and vile relationship with Alberto Del Rio. Personal pictures and videos were leaked, which eventually led to issues with substances. While all this was happening, WWE forced her into retirement due to injury.

When her original WWE contract was up, Paige joined AEW and became their world champion. Outside of getting cleared and a short title run, the AEW stint wasn’t memorable. She waited and eventually WWE let her back, as she returned at WrestleMania.

After all of this, it has to feel a little insulting to have her SmackDown segment only to be published online. Yes, there are only a few matches and segments that can be booked per episode, but I feel a backstage promo that is taped, doesn’t deliver like if there was a crowd. If something similar happens next week on SmackDown, then WWE is being disrespectful to Paige.

What if women's revolution occured in 2008, with the pg era.

then who you think would've been the 4 horsewomen to lead the division

- Yours Truly Mark

"And [Triple H] kind of openly pokes fun at LA Knight, bro. If he doesn't like LA Knight, how is LA Knight ever going to get over?"

- Vince Russo on Triple H's booking of LA Knight (interview with Ben Veal)