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Cook’s WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event 1.25.25 Review
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hey kids! I’m Steve Cook, here with you for the second edition of the new Saturday Night’s Main Event Era! As I recall, I wasn’t too enthralled with the first episode of this production. When I look at the card for tonight, I feel that we’re headed in the right direction. I am fairly hyped for this card, and I hope y’all are too. Let’s hook em up!
Cook’s WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event 1.25.25 Review
We’re at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas! Joe Tessitore talks over what appears to be the Spanish announce crew in the background. Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens, Shawn Michaels, Rhea Ripley (aye carumba), Nia Jax, Jey Uso, Gunther & the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase are all shown walking backstage prior to the show theme.
Pyro & ballyhoo! Joe Tess is joined by Jesse “The Body” Ventura, who says he sent some Minnesota weather here early in the week. Can’t the Governor of Texas handle some cold weather? Jesse is excited about the Intercontinental Championship match. He was there when Sheamus catapulted his career by winning a battle royal. Jesse will be at ringside assisting Michael Cole & Pat McAfee with the call of that match later.
Women’s World Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax: Cole & McAfee are not accompanied by the dulcet tones of the Spanish announce team. Lilian Garcia introduces the competitors with an old school microphone hanging from the ceiling. Nice touch! Nia interrupts Rhea’s intro with a headbutt. Rhea with a dropkick, then a tilt awhirl DDT on Nia! Cannonball off the apron into Jax! Back in the ring, Nia hits a popup headbutt to send Rhea down. Rhea is set up top, Nia follows her and hits an avalanche Samoan Drop for two.
Back from commercial, Rhea flips out of a back suplex attempt, hits some strikes and a clothesline. Rhea tries a springboard into a rana, Nia blocks, but Rhea hits a Code Red for two! Rhea goes for the Riptide, but Nia hits a Samoan Drop instead. Nia hits a second rope legdrop for two. Nia goes back on the ropes, but Rhea gets up in time and powerbombs Nia! Rhea goes for the Prism Lock, but Nia shakes her off. ST-Joe in the corner by Nia. Nia sets up for the Banzai Drop, Rhea gets up and sends Nia over the ropes to the floor. Rhea up top…flying bodypress to the floor! Nia shifts her weight on the Riptide and ends up on top for a near-fall. Banzai Drop by Nia Jax! She sets up for another one, but Rhea’s back up and hits the electric chair drop on Nia! Both women slow to their feet…big kick by Rhea and a Riptide ends things!
Winner: Rhea Ripley (6:32 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **3/4
Impressive showing! Rhea pulled out everything she had in her playbook to defeat Nia, who didn’t look bad at all in defeat. I know it probably sounds like a backhanded compliment to say Nia has improved her work, but it isn’t! Nia’s been good in her role and deserves some kudos. Rhea, of course, deserves any and all flowers sent her way.
Alundra Blayze & Mark Henry are ringside!
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Bron Breakker (c) vs. Sheamus: Jesse lives up to his word and joins Michael & Pat at ringside. This is the first IC title match on SNME since 1992! Tieup into the corner, no clear advantage there. Sheamus clotheslines Bron and forearms him in the corner. Clothesline sends Bron down. Bron hits a Northern Lights suplex. Bron off the ropes, hits a Breakkerline at high speed. Outside, Bron runs into a lift from Sheamus, who sends Bron into the ring announcer’s area! Sheamus goes up top, hits a clothesline for one. Sheamus knocks Bron to the floor, then tries to vault off the steps into Bron, but gets speared for his efforts!
Back from commercial and Bron is working Sheamus over. Gutbuster by Bron, and another one. Cover gets two. Sheamus looks angry and uses some foul language. Big knee from Sheamus gets two. Bron to the apron, so Shamus hits sixteen shots to Bron’s chest. Celtic Cross gets two! Jesse is suspicious of the referee’s count. Bron gets a two count on Sheamus, but gets kicked in the corner. FrankenBreakker off the top rope! Bron runs into a Brogue Kick! A foot on the ropes saves Bron’s championship! Sheamus sets up for another Brogue, but Sheamus’s ribs hurt. Spear by Breakker, and he retains the IC title.
Winner: Bron Breakker (7:54 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***1/2
Solid little match here with some good spots, but one gets the feeling that these two are saving a true & proper banger for a later date. I’m down with that; you can’t give the people everything the first time. Gotta have an appetizer before the main course.
Jesse’s really pushing this as a disputed decision, and he’s doing a good job trying but I don’t think it was as disputed as he claims. We see some classic clips of this Shawn Michaels fella, who will moderate a contract signing next!
Ted DiBiase, Dory Funk Jr. & “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan are ringside!
Undisputed WWE Championship Contract Signing: Cody Rhodes (c), Kevin Owens & Shawn Michaels: Shawn is sweating through his suit since he’s been dancing around the last three minutes. His job tonight is to get the signatures of Cody Rhodes & Kevin Owens on the contract for their ladder match at the Royal Rumble next Saturday night. Kevin gets the first introduction, wearing a classic “Cody Sucks Eggs” t-shirt. Cody enters second, wearing a dark suit. We got ladders outside the ring at a contract signing…I can’t see this ending well, but it’s useful for Cody’s entrance. Cody & Kevin stare at each other and reject Shawn’s request to be seated. Shawn talks about how we’ve enjoyed watching Cody & Kevin batter each other for months, but tonight he needs those signatures on the contract. Cody obliges first. Kevin decides he wants to talk instead. Cody lied when he said that Kevin always takes the easy way out. Kevin cared more about their friendship than Cody ever did. Kevin mentions when Cody quit the company, and Cody cuts him off. He’s done worrying about KO and needs to concentrate on who he’ll be defending the championship against at WrestleMania. Kevin almost signs the contract, but says that Cody won’t be done worrying about him. He’ll prove he’s the rightful WWE Champion, and everything Cody got when he came back will be his. Shawn says that Kevin sounds jealous. Kevin needs him to repeat that. Kevin says that Shawn quit just like Cody did, and Shawn’s jealous that Kevin made the Winged Eagle belt mean more than he ever did. The only person losing their smile and title at the Rumble will be Cody. Kevin signs the contract and hands it to Shawn quite roughly. Shawn calls a referee in to take the championship belts from both men and hang them above the ring. Shawn wishes both men luck, but Kevin cheapshots Cody and tries to package piledrive Shawn! Cody blocks that with a superkick, and Shawn hits one of his own to knock Kevin out of the ring! Play Cody’s music!
Contract signings kinda are what they are, but we got to see HBK superkick somebody. San Antonio always likes that sort of thing, so it worked for the audience and provided sufficient hype for next Saturday.
Jey Uso warms up backstage for his match with Gunther later.
Michael & Pat hype the next match pitting Braun Strowman against Jacob Fatu. Two big men with big measurements, we see the tale of the tape video shown on last night’s SmackDown episode.
Braun Strowman vs. Jacob Fatu: Jacob talks some smack before heading to the ring. Braun wins the first tieup, sending Jacob to the mat. Jacob hits a punch, runs into a back elbow from Braun. Jacob is sent outside, but he snaps Braun’s neck on the top rope before sending him outside. Tope suicida by Jacob, and we go to commercial.
Jacob runs into a sidewalk slam shortly after we return. Big boot sends Jacob flipping kinda like Rikishi back in the day. Braun pounds Jacob in the corner and beals him across the ring. Jacob rolls outside, and it’s time for the choo choo train! Jacob gets launched into the barricade. Braun runs all the way around the ring and Jacob gets launched over the announce table! One more time? Nah, Jacob catches him and backdrops him on the table. How is that thing still standing? Braun gets sent into the steps and back into the ring. Ass smashes in the corner by Jacob. Braun looks pretty out of it after six. The referee tries to stop Jacob and gets tossed out of the ring. Two more ass smashes before the referee calls for the bell.
Jacob finds a chair outside the ring and takes out two security guards. Braun oozes blood out of his mouth while a horde of officials try to stop Jacob. Moonsault by Fatu! The fans want one more as Tama Tonga tries to talk some sense into Fatu. That doesn’t work and there’s another moonsault! The fans chant “Fatu”, as these are some bloodthirsty sons of guns. Another moonsault!
Winner: Braun Strowman via disqualification (I think? I also lost track of the time because of the after-match shenanigans.)
Match Rating: **
Maybe two stars for the match, which kinda drug a little, but a lot more for the after-match that further established Jacob Fatu as someone not to be trifled with. You beat & bloody a seven-footer and people will take notice.
Gunther warms up backstage, his World Championship defense is next!
Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard are ringside! I wonder if any other Andersons or Blanchards will show up in WWE at some point.
Joe & Jesse are in what Michael Cole calls “the Okerlund position”. Makes sense as a tribute to Gene, but there’s a joke there somewhere. Something like “I thought the Okerlund position was the far corner of the bar”, but I wouldn’t say that about good ol’ Mean Gene. Jesse’s never seen anything like what Jacob Fatu did to Braun Strowman.
Michael & Pat run down the Royal Rumble card. Triple H talks to iShowSpeed. I’m way too old to even act like I know who that is.
World Heavyweight Championship Match: Gunther (c) vs. Jey Uso: Can Main Event Jey win his first singles World Championship tonight? I wouldn’t throw too much money on it, but stranger things have happened. (I did throw some money on Madison Keys winning the Australian Open this morning and that worked out pretty well.) Gunther attacks right away and chops & forearms are exchanged. Gunther’s chops are loud, but not as loud as the Yeets from the fans. A chop sends Jey outside and we go to commercial.
Gunther blocks a superkick and clotheslines Jey for two. Slam by Gunther. Kick by Gunther, Jey fights back with forearms. Chop, then more strikes by Jey. Jey whipped hard into the corner. Gunther stomps on Jey’s arm, then applies a modified chinlock. Jey gets out and gets chopped. More strikes are exchanged. Both men slow to their feet, Gunther hits a front dropkick, then a powerbomb gets two! Gunther with a stomp to Jey’s chest, and chokes him with his boot on the apron. Boot to Jey’s head as we go to commercial.
We’re back and strikes are being exchanged. Jey has the upper hand until he gets German suplexed. Never mind, Jey hits a superkick for two. Gunther misses the dropkick and Jey hits the ass smash in the corner for two. Shoulda done a few more like Jacob Fatu did earlier. Jey goes up top, Gunther cuts him off and sets up for a superplex. Jey blocks. Slips down and hits a sit-out powerbomb for two! Gunther tries a powerbomb, Jey ranas his way out and hits a spear for two! Superkick by Jey, another spear, and Jey goes up top for the Uso splash! 2.85! Gunther blocks the spear, hits two powerbombs and retains the World Heavyweight Championship.
Winner: Gunther (10:05 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***
I don’t really feel great about rating this match because of the two commercial breaks that took a good chunk out of it. It was probably better live! Pretty good title defense for Gunther though, and Jey didn’t look out of place in there.
Gunther & Jey exchange stares, possibly of respect, as the show comes to an end. Have a good night, everyone! I’ll be back pretty darn soon…
