After absolutely action-packed weekend, it's time to start picking up the pieces though the schedule gives us no relief, as it's already Monday! Still, the quick turnaround won't stop the Wrestling Inc. staff from trying to figure out exactly how the fallout from this weekend's dramatics is going to go. And we're starting with "Saturday Night's Main Event," which came to us from Atlanta,Georgia, for Goldberg's last match.
To be fair, we already know where we go from here for one "SNME" match. The Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre contest ended up leading directly into Randy Orton and Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul being announced for SummerSlam, so that's pretty much all set. For the other three matches, though, we have plenty of speculation and WWE already announcing a blockbuster contest for "Raw" didn't make anything less interesting! Like Goldberg's career, "Saturday Night's Main Event" is over; unlike Goldberg's career, it's now time to ask: Where do we go from here?
Jimmy Uso failed to wrest the United States Championship from his younger brother, Solo Sikoa, thanks to a heap of interference from The Bloodline at Saturday Night's Main Event. Though Sikoa would be left retreating with his tail tucked between his legs after the return of Jacob Fatu, signaling that things are about to continue between them. Sikoa took the title Fatu had won at WrestleMania 40 thanks to the pair of returning Tonga Loa and debuting Talla Tonga formerly Hikuleo at Night of Champions, prompting Fatu and Uso to join forces on the following "WWE SmackDown" for a tag team bout against Sikoa and JC Mateo. The babyfaces got the win on the night, though they quickly fell prey to the numbers game and Fatu was triple powerbombed through the announcer's desk. Thus, Uso was alone in his battle against The Bloodline and stepped up to challenge for the title.
Now that Fatu has returned, Uso is sat in a precarious position, assuming that the "Samoan Werewolf" gets a rematch against Sikoa on the path to SummerSlam. He has had a continually rough time at the hands of the faction splintered from the one that brought him his last great success, and the door for his return has been increasingly left ajar by Sikoa over recent weeks. Uso was left alone on Saturday, with Fatu only returning once he had lost his title shot due to outside interference, and wrestling has seen resentment harbored for much lesser reasons. The road coming out of Saturday Night's Main Event appears laden with Bloodline bumps for Fatu, but he is surely going to get another bite at the cherry before long. The question is with which side Uso will choose in the coming weeks.
Written byMax Everett
LA Knight defeated Seth Rollins in a quick fashion following an incredibly unfortunate injury to the Money in the Bank holder when he landed awkwardly on his feet off a moonsault. The men took the match home early and Knight hit Rollins with a quick BFT for the victory. Rollins' injury, which is hopefully not severe, but as of this writing, his status is currently unknown, could help elevate Knight to that final little push "The Megastar" needed to fully go over, something his fans have been begging for, for what feels like years now.
Knight is not going to go out there and say he "ended Rollins" or anything, since he is a massive babyface, but like the unfortunate injury to Liv Morgan, Rollins' injury could be used to elevate everyone around him to attempt to make the best of a really bad situation. It almost feels like WWE has been holding back on Knight over the last few months to get him to the status that fans, many of whom are posting all over social media, are being incredibly loud about him both online and in arenas, a la Ron Killings. It's likely the powers that be in the company are doing that so fans feel in control and feel as though their voices are being heard when "The Megastar" finally gets that mega push.
After this victory over Rollins, audible or not, it seems like a really good time to finally pull that trigger, though that requires Knight officially moving to "WWE Raw," as there's really no one left for him to feud with on the blue brand.On "Raw," the opportunities for fresh feuds for Knight are vast, from CM Punk to Rusev and Sheamus, to possibly even World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER. WWE announced Knight as being part of a "Raw" four-way Monday night to determine GUNTHER's SummerSlam challenger; he's a dark horse, but given the circumstances, he can't be counted out.
It's also possible that Knight could stay where he is, storyline wise, and go on to feud with Bron Breakker, who may take over as the leader of the stable alongside PaulHeyman perhaps a bit earlier than planned. Due to Rollins' injury, we didn't get to see any interference from the others in the stable on Saturday night. A feud with Breakker would make both men look great, and while the stakes aren't necessarily high, it would give Knight something to do. And, if God forbid, Rollins is on the shelf for long enough to have to vacate the Money in the Bank contract, Knight, Breakker, and Bronson Reed fighting over the briefcase would make a lot of sense.
Written byDaisyRuth
GUNTHER has never been a "who's next" type of person (unlike his Saturday Night's Main Event opponent, Goldberg), having disregarded questions about possible contenders since recapturing his world title for a second career run. However, now that he has put Goldberg to sleep to continue his 35 day reign with the title, the question is undeniably on "The Ring General's" mind, especially with SummerSlam less than a month away. Which member of the "WWE Raw" roster will stand up to one of the most dominant in-ring workers on WWE's roster? With New Jersey just a few weeks away, where does GUNTHER go from here?
The immediate answer to that was made clear when WWE announced a gauntlet match for Monday's "Raw" to determine GUNTHER's SummerSlam challenger. All four options represent very interesting directions. We already talked LA Knight earlier on this column."Main Event" Jey Uso didn't get his nickname for no reason, and while GUNTHER put Uso away on the June 9 episode of "WWE Raw," there is no reason that WWE can't run their feud back yet again to give both men something to do at SummerSlam. Is it the most inspired choice? Not really, but it is a choice that involves two of their top guys, and is bound to generate buzz if it is announced for the card. A storyline involving Uso trying to reclaim his title is a fairly easy one to book, and if the build-up to WrestleMania 41 tells us anything, Uso's charm lies in his position as the underdog.
BronBreakker and Penta, on the other hand,are both newer stars who have the momentum to stand toe-to-toe with GUNTHER at SummerSlam, though Penta would perhaps be the biggest stretch. Breakker challenging GUNTHER would give The Vision something to do while Seth Rollins, the stable's leader and the current Money in the Bank briefcase holder, nurses his own injuries outside of the ring. And if not, Punk is currently not doing much on the red brand after losing to career rival John Cena at Night of Champions, and his star power would make booking a SummerSlam main event against GUNTHER quite easy. Narratively, this makes sense as well: Punk is loose, scrappy, while GUNTHER reeks of stiffness and apathetic professionalism. Call it a collision course written in the stars.
With a first-ever two-night SummerSlam on the way, GUNTHER is under pressure to show up and show out. As GUNTHER himself said, however: he holds the prize, and it is up to everybody else to step up to "The Ring General."
Written byAngeline Phu
