Between August 4th and 10th, the wrestling world showcased several standout matches across WWE and AEW programming, with AEW stepping up the quality compared to WWE’s dominance the previous week. WWE approached its highly anticipated Summerslam event with Raw and Smackdown delivering aftermath content and building toward an upcoming clash in Paris, while AEW continued its build-up to the Forbidden Door 2025 pay-per-view slated for later this month.
Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss defended their newly won female tag team titles against Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez in a rematch from Summerslam, delivering an exciting but somewhat sluggish first half that picked up in pace later. On WWE NXT, Sol Ruca retained the NXT North American Women’s Championship against Tatum Paxley in a match heavy on flashy moves but light on smooth storytelling. Raw’s main event featured Seth Rollins defending his new World Heavyweight Championship against LA Knight, with solid chemistry and pace but a controversial DQ finish following CM Punk’s interference.
AEW Dynamite’s closing bout between MJF and Mark Briscoe was a subdued affair marred by crowd impatience, though the technical work and finish successfully intensified their feud. AEW Collision showcased AEW World Champion Adam Page teaming with Jetspeed to overcome La Faccion Ingobernable, thrilling the crowd with high flying and technical prowess despite minimal story progression. Kyle Fletcher retained the TNT title against Tomohiro Ishii in a physical, hard-hitting contest that impressed fans technically but lacked storytelling depth.
The Young Bucks delivered a frenetic, high-level tag match against Brodide on Dynamite, sacrificing some psychology for speed and showcasing the Bucks’ growing frustration. AEW Dynamite also featured Jon Moxley versus “Speedball” Mike Bailey in a debut meeting that impressed with instant chemistry, contrasting styles, and a compelling underdog narrative. Bailey’s spirited performance built tension throughout before Moxley secured the win, marking the week’s best match overall.
Fan Take: This recap highlights the evolving dynamics between WWE’s storyline-heavy events and AEW’s increasingly high-caliber in-ring performances. For WWE fans, it signals the importance of balancing storytelling with match quality to keep audiences engaged and maintain wrestling’s competitive edge.
