Latest news with #EliminationChamber2025
Time of India
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Rock WWE Return: Veteran writer says 'The Final Boss' should be at SummerSlam — But only on one condition
The Rock WWE return: The Rock has not been seen on WWE programming since Elimination Chamber 2025 in March where he joined forces with John Cena to destroy Cody Rhodes. With SummerSlam 2025 around the corner, fans are eager to know if 'The Final Boss' will make his presence felt at the Premium Live Event. In an exclusive interaction with Indiatimes, a veteran writer weighed in on the possibility. Vince Russo has THIS to say about The Rock appearing at SummerSlam Vince Russo is a popular name in the pro-wrestling business. The writer, who rose to fame in the 1990s, has worked with promotions like WCW and WWE. Speaking on Indiatimes. He weighed in on the possibility of The Rock appearing at 'The Biggest Party of the Summer'. He said that it can't be ruled out but added that the Stamford-based promotion should advertise it in advance to create a hype. 'Anything is possible. If it were me though, I wouldn't have him there unless I PROMOTED IT!!!,' said Russo. Storyline-wise, it would make sense for The Rock to appear at SummerSlam. John Cena is set to defend the Undisputed Championship against Cody Rhodes at the event this August. This is a rematch of their poorly received encounter at WrestleMania 41. The first match saw Cena win the title after nailing 'QB1' with a low blow and the championship belt. Hypothetically, The Rock could help 'The Franchise Player' retain the gold. There is also a possibility of him aligning with Cody instead and helping him win. This will also pave the way for the eagerly-awaited John Cena face turn. That said, this is purely speculative as nothing has been announced yet. Here's why fans were disappointed with The Rock after WrestleMania 41 The Rock was an integral part of John Cena's heel turn, a moment that redefined the tenets of the industry. Fans expected him to complete the arc by coming to a heel Cena's aid at WrestleMania 41. This, however, did not happen. Instead, rapper Travis Scott interfered in the match These developments did no go down well with expers and fans alike. Russo even called the finish 'horrible' and added that Scott's involvement only made things worse. It remains to be seen wether The Rock appears at SummerSlam 2025 and makes up for his absence.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'That Continues to Cheer for Him'– ECW Legend Points Out a Chink in John Cena's ‘Heel' Armor
John Cena (Image via X/@WWE) John Cena 's heel turn at Elimination Chamber 2025 was really a turning point in professional wrestling folklore. Many compared it to the generation-defining turn of Hulk Hogan back in 1996, and for good reason. The 17-time world champion has been the poster boy and the evergreen good guy for the WWE for over 20 years. However, the twist in his final year of in-ring action has surely generated massive buzz. And with such a turn, that famous 'heel heat' is the dream of every superstar. But ECW legend Tommy Dreamer believes that Cena's heel turn has not worked the way it should have. But why? Tommy Dreamer Says John Cena Has Not Been Able to Adapt the 'Heel' Side of Things In a recent episode of Busted Open Radio, Dreamer explained his take: 'I still don't think the heel turn has worked because they just cheer for him…But it has given him different opponents. He is going out there and doing his best, and it's you, the fan, that continues to cheer for him." He admitted that this reaction would not have erupted if it was anyone other than Cena. 'If there was someone just coming up, if it was Austin theory – not that they're just coming up — and/or Grayson Waller doing the same thing John Cena was doing, they'd probably be the biggest heels in the business. But because it's John Cena, they are reacting that way." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Sharp Design, Smoother Drives. Toyota Glanza Learn More Undo The former ECW champion is right on point. Cena's recent rivalries with Randy Orton and CM Punk have garnered praise and immense pop from the crowd, even though the WWE champion vows to 'ruin wrestling' forever and claims to be 'the last real champion'. His recent iteration of Punk's famous 'Pipebomb' promo from 2011 on SmackDown garnered ballistic reactions from the crowd. Dreamer even mentioned that Cena should stay in his heel persona both on and off the screen. "Here's a difference, the thing that John can't do that I would do… Like I would stop doing the things that I do. If somebody approached me in a grocery store, I would heel them. I would go 100% all in on social media. I even said this, I probably would quit this show, because why would I want to talk to people?… I couldn't say, 'John Cena, stop doing all these commercials. '… His social media is still uplifting. I don't think he can do that." It is safe to say that the veil of the professional wrestling setup has already fallen and it is nowhere near in terms of being secretive as it was in the 1990s and even the late 2010s. Everyone knows that it is a work and so fans are paying their tribute to perhaps the greatest wrestler of all time. And yes, even as a heel! Also read: John Cena shares hilarious meme on social media to spread awareness about skin cancer Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Cody Rhodes Aims to Fix the ‘Underwhelming' Mess That Was WrestleMania 41 Main Event
Image via WWE At WrestleMania 40, Cody Rhodes well and truly finished the story as he unseated Roman Reigns to become the WWE Undisputed Champion. And even if one takes out the emotional and storytelling element from the critically acclaimed match, the in-ring action was top-notch—a fitting ending to Reigns' 1316 title reign as the company's top dog. One year later, Rhodes could not replicate the same magic at WrestleMania 41. The main event against John Cena for the gold disappointed many despite Cena's generational heel turn at Elimination Chamber 2025. However, Rhodes has not promised to rectify the errors made at the biggest show of the year. Cody Rhodes Doubles Down on Winning the Gold at SummerSlam 2025 Rhodes recently beat Randy Orton at Night of Champions in Riyadh to become the 2025 King of the Ring winner and will now have the chance to challenge Cena at SummerSlam for the title. And in a recent appearance on the Busted Open podcast with legendary tag team champion Bully Ray, 'The American Nightmare' said, ' SummerSlam, I don't wanna go as far as making any promises, but I can tell you the goal with SummerSlam is if people felt a certain way about WrestleMania, I will put that all on my back and take all the credit and responsibility for perhaps not feeling satisfied. The former WWE Champion added, 'I'd like to get 'em to the finish line with SummerSlam. Very much looking forward to doing this dance again.' For the unversed, the Las Vegas main event got a poor reception from fans and critics alike. The match saw a run-in and an assist from Travis Scott, but had one element missing. And his name is Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. After all, Johnson was a driving force in pushing Cena and convincing him to turn heel for the first time since 2003. And his absence from the main event of WrestleMania made the entire storyline go into limbo. Moreover, Rhodes is aware of what the fans want. The WWE universe was not mad about the result. In fact, the majority of them cheered when Cena lifted his 17th World title, but what irked them is the action and booking choices that led to it. And what better way to rectify this than the biggest party of the summer? And for the first time in history, SummerSlam will be held as a 2-night PLE at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on August 2 & 3. Also read: For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here . Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Hindustan Times
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
CM Punk to Charlotte Flair: 7 wrestlers missing from the WWE Money in the Bank 2025 list
WWE Money in the Bank (MITB) is back. John Cena and Cody Rhodes will be in a massive tag team as part of the show and a Women's Intercontinental Championship between Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria has also been announced apart from the traditional ladder matches. Despite these progresses, a couple of key names seem to be missing from the roll of players who will have a shot at grabbing the briefcase on top of the ring. CM Punk Perhaps the biggest shocker for MITB fans came when WWE legend CM Punk was missing from the list of those scheduled to compete. Punk's decades-long feud with Seth Rollins could be a potential contributing factor to this, although no confirmation has been provided for the same. Sami Zayn Sami Zayn's defeat in Saturday Night's Main Event has led to him being kicked out of the MITB championship this year. However, his creative team's claims of preparing him for something much bigger leave room open for Zayn to be part of a tag team against Seth Rollins' faction at SummerSlam. Charlotte Flair Although there are no personal feuds pending to Charlotte Flair's name, her loss at the qualifying match on the blue brand and dearth of matches in the ring have left MITB out of her plans this year. Jacob Fatu United States breakout champion Jacob Fatu has things going as well as they could be. His work on the blue brand and recent performance left many puzzled as to why Fatu was left off the roll for no reason but he doesn't seem to be in any urgent need of MITB fame as well. Finn Balor Finn Balor lost his qualifying match to Seth Rollins. Despite his numerous television appearances, the industry still hasn't granted him sufficient premium live event opportunities. Fans are still hopeful of the possibility that WWE might include Balor in the SummerSlam. Liv Morgan As one-half of the reigning Women's Tag Team Champions, Liv Morgan's absence from MITB seems to stem from her Judgement Day drama. Reports suggest that the possibility of Dominik Mysterio betraying her to partner up with Roxanne Perez is not off the table. Morgan is scheduled for a feud against Iyo Sky soon. Jade Cargill A feud with Naomi and Tiffany Stratton and a loss in the qualifying match against the former seems to have put MITB out of Jade Cargill's cards. Her return at Elimination Chamber 2025 and a blue brand moment at WrestleMania were recent successes in Cargill's career. Many speculate that she may still be present at the MITB match to lower Naomi's chances of winning. The championship is scheduled to take place on Saturday (June 7) at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California at 7:00 PM ET (4:00 PM PT).
Hindustan Times
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
7 players missing from the WWE Money in the Bank 2025 cards
WWE Money in the Bank (MITB) is back. John Cena and Cody Rhodes will be in a massive tag team as part of the show, and a Women's Intercontinental Championship between Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria has also been announced, apart from the traditional ladder matches. Despite this progress, a couple of key names seem to be missing from the roll of players who will have a shot at grabbing the briefcase on top of the ring. Perhaps the biggest shocker for MITB fans came when WWE legend CM Punk was missing from the list of those scheduled to compete. Punk's decades-long feud with Seth Rollins could be a potential contributing factor to this, although no confirmation has been provided for the same. Sami Zayn's defeat in Saturday Night's Main Event has led to him being kicked out of the MITB championship this year. However, his creative team's claims of preparing him for something much bigger leave room open for Zayn to be part of a tag team against Seth Rollins' faction at SummerSlam. Although there are no personal feuds pending to Charlotte Flair's name, her loss at the qualifying match on the blue brand and dearth of matches in the ring have left MITB out of her plans this year. United States breakout champion Jacob Fatu has things going as well as they could be. His work on the blue brand and recent performance left many puzzled as to why Fatu was left off the roll for no reason but he doesn't seem to be in any urgent need of MITB fame as well. Finn Balor lost his qualifying match to Seth Rollins. Despite his numerous television appearances, the industry still hasn't granted him sufficient premium live event opportunities. Fans are still hopeful of the possibility that WWE might include Balor in the SummerSlam. As one-half of the reigning Women's Tag Team Champions, Liv Morgan's absence from MITB seems to stem from her Judgement Day drama. Reports suggest that the possibility of Dominik Mysterio betraying her to partner up with Roxanne Perez is not off the table. Morgan is scheduled for a feud against Iyo Sky soon. A feud with Naomi and Tiffany Stratton and a loss in the qualifying match against the former seems to have put MITB out of Jade Cargill's cards. Her return at Elimination Chamber 2025 and a blue brand moment at WrestleMania were recent successes in Cargill's career. Many speculate that she may still be present at the MITB match to lower Naomi's chances of winning. The championship is scheduled to take place on Saturday (June 7) at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California at 7:00 PM ET (4:00 PM PT).
