[Triple H] Then.
Now.
Forever.
Together.
[Cole] Earlier this year, WWE took over Indianapolis with the Royal Rumble,
and the Pacers took Indiana ride all the way to the NBA Finals.
Now the NFL's Colts are off to a hot start,
led by Daniel Jones, their quarterback,
and tonight this city hosts history,
the first ever WWE Premium Live Event on the brand-new ESPN app.
[pop music playing]
[Cole] Well, there they are,
one of the greatest tag teams of all time is back.
Jimmy and Jey, the Usos,
and they look to take out The Vision tonight.
Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed in tag team action.
World Champion Seth Rollins, the Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch,
self-proclaimed power couple of the WWE in a mixed tag team match tonight.
Against the returning AJ Lee and her husband CM Punk.
AJ in the ring for the first time in a decade tonight.
Well, Naomi was forced to relinquish the Women's World Championship.
Tonight, we crown a new champion.
Will it be Iyo Sky or Stephanie Vaquer tonight?
And the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes set for a massive title defense
against the Scottish Warrior Drew McIntyre.
Our main event tonight.
And now…
Wrestlepalooza.
[R&B music playing]
[crowd cheering]
And listen to the voices of America.
[TV announcer] Alien. Rated R.
[theme song playing]
[light music playing]
[singers] ♪ ESPN ♪
[Triple H] ESPN and WWE.
They weren't exactly titans of American broadcasting.
[rock music playing]
[announcer] Andre the Giant!
[Triple H] They were upstarts.
Welcome everyone to the ESPN SportsCenter.
From this very desk in the coming weeks and months,
we'll be filling you in on the pulse of sporting activity.
In just a moment we're gonna take you to the match, a very controversial match,
-and there is no doubt-- -[Triple H] Outsiders.
Now I'm still not sure just exactly how it works.
[Triple H] Oddities.
[TV announcer] And these are people that cannot be controlled.
[Triple H] But the stories they told,
the best of them anyway,
We have a full tribute--
were about peace.
[rock music continues]
[Triple H] All the way live.
Up to the satellite and onto your screen.
[Triple H] Ending on a bang…
but landing with a wink.
Where are my highlights?
If it's up to me, we're running these highlights every night on SportsCenter.
Aesthetically, there's a problem with them. Something. It's technical stuff.
[Triple H] Whatever the prevailing technology or the size of the screen,
they listened…
[The Rock] The Rock didn't even make The Rock.
[Triple H] …to you.
[The Rock] The people made The Rock.
[crowd cheers]
[Triple H] And that's how it happens,
how outsiders go mainstream.
Renegades morph into heroes…
Lawrence Taylor will wrestle in WrestleMania.
-Oh, yeah! -[Triple H] Those time-worn lines
between what's scripted…
[Lawler] Oh, here we go!
[Cole] Bukowski's in the ring!
[no audible dialogue]
[Triple H] …and what's not…
[commentator] And it is all over!
-[crowd cheering] -[shouts]
[reporter] Dennis Rodman, on Monday, he didn't show up for work.
[announcer] Dennis Rodman is here.
[Hogan] Some things are worth missing practice for, brother.
[Triple H] …between athletics…
[announcer 2] Kurt Angle of the United States.
[announcer 3] It's true!
[commentator 1] A wrestling-style takedown.
[commentator 2] Touchdown, Aaron Rodgers.
[Triple H] …and amusement…
-Can I get one more of those? -Sure.
[Triple H] …don't apply anymore.
Shaq welcomed into the world of the WWE.
-[Triple H] The biggest names… -Whoo!
-[McAfee] How are you doing that, Pat? -[Cole] Are they Super Bowl rings?
[Triple H] And the biggest games…
Big 12 Championship Game. Let's go!
[Triple H] …continue to cross over.
[Cole] Haliburton and Brunson with a staredown.
Y'all are just absolute experts in the world of entertainment.
I'm a huge fan.
[Cena humming]
[Triple H] Wrestling isn't a metaphor for the national condition.
[screams]
This is very, very entertaining. There's nothing bigger than the WWE.
[Triple H] Not a reflection of it.
-Best feeling in the world. -Amazing.
Best feeling the world, bro.
[Cole] This is the pinnacle of entertainment.
[Triple H] As are all games we play.
[commentator] The undefeated Terence Crawford!
[bell rings]
[Booker T] Oh, here we go!
Uso!
[music ends]
Sports is entertainment.
Always has been, always will be.
[upbeat music playing]
[crowd cheering continues]
Can you feel it?
[crowd cheers]
I said, can you feel it, Indianapolis?
[crowd cheers]
What you are about to witness
is the final form of sports and entertainment.
[crowd cheers]
If tonight is your first night,
let me welcome you to WWE.
[crowd cheers]
Let me welcome you to ESPN.
[crowd cheers]
Let me welcome you to Wrestlepalooza.
[R&B music playing]
[Cole] Ladies and gentlemen,
you are looking live at the sold-out Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Over 15,000 WWE fans are here tonight for Wrestlepalooza.
Hello again, everybody, I'm Michael Cole.
Wade Barrett at ringside. How psyched are you, Wade?
We are entering a brave new world. We've got a banging crowd.
We got a stacked card. What a night for our industry.
I just want to say how proud I am to be out here tonight
because this night is for me,
it's for Wade Barrett,
it's for all the WWE superstars, the production team, the office.
WWE has arrived. Wrestlepalooza live on ESPN.
What is this?
-[crowd cheers] -[Cole] Oh, yeah!
[Barrett laughs]
[Cole] I was wondering if he was going to be here.
I haven't heard from Pat in a while.
-[Barrett] It's Mr. Indianapolis himself. -["The Anomaly" playing]
[no audible dialogue]
[Cole] Did you have any idea?
[Barrett] I mean, if you gone on the Internet,
everyone's been talking about it. Pat was gonna be here.
[Cole] I don't go on the internet, Wade.
It said you were fired, and you're here tonight.
[Barrett laughs] Some people wish I was.
[crowd cheers]
[Cole] Oh, it's gonna be fun tonight.
[Barrett] Oh, we are going to Planet McAfee here at Wrestlepalooza.
[Cole] Oh, Wade, I got our audio guys setting some stuff up here next to us.
I think Pat McAfee may be joining us here at ringside.
[Barrett] Oh, hell yeah! Someone sane to talk to for once. Yes!
Hey, this is a good time.
[both laugh]
Yeah!
[Barrett] Oh, God, it's a love fest. You're making me sick.
I've never in my life seen Michael Cole
as happy as he is right now, jumping up and down
-like a five-year-old on his birthday. -What an electric night it's gonna be.
He's starting off early. It's gonna be one of those nights, Wade.
Still got the moves.
Get the cams off.
So… so listen, Pat…
[stammers]
-There's no swimming pool. -Okay.
Um, don't take your pants off.
I don't need to see any more of your junk today.
-Take your pants off. It's Wrestlepalooza. -[Cole laughs]
Wrestlepalooza is kicking off in Indianapolis.
It's an honor to be alongside of you boys again.
Great to have you back.
It's gonna be a night that's gonna go down in the history of the WWE
and this business. Lucky to be here. Thankful to be here.
Let's have a night in Indy.
-Let's go. -Hell yeah, Cole.
Oh, I'm a little winded. I'm a little winded.
[Cole] You looked in great shape on game day.
[McAfee] Thank you.
[Barrett] Nowhere to hide in those speedos.
-[Cole laughs] -[McAfee] They were small.
I had to make sure everything was in the car.
Thank you.
[crowd chanting] McAfee! McAfee!
That's very kind.
You guys had a seat extra there, so Cole came out for me. I appreciate you.
-[Cole] For once. -[McAfee laughs]
[McAfee] I watched last night. I'm happy you're okay.
[Cole] Me too.
-["Next Big Thing (V2)" playing] -[crowd cheers]
-[Cole] Yeah, I'll be back here folks. -[McAfee] Yeah, that's smart, Cole.
I don't know what you've been doing these last few weeks,
but it was not smart to get on this guy's bad side.
[Cole] Oh, my God.
[Barrett] Well, Michael Cole is currently hiding behind me.
I assure you, I will not be putting my body on the line
like Corey Graves did last night.
-Every man for himself. -[Cole] Pat. Up 200 pounds, Pat.
Brock Lesnar lifted me up, carried me around the ring,
walked up the steps with me and dropped me in the ring.
Gave Corey Graves two F-5s, sent him home.
[McAfee] I saw it all.
The alpha male of our species does what he wants…
-[Barrett] God, he's coming this way. -…when he wants.
And, Cole, if I were you, I would stay away.
[Barrett] I did make a request of management
if we could call this one from the skybox.
-It was shot down immediately. -[Cole] Good call.
[Barrett] And we are now in the line of fire.
[McAfee] I just made eye contact with The Beast, not a good place to be.
-[Barrett] Dead behind the eyes. -[McAfee] Absolutely.
Also behind his eyes, one of the largest heads in history.
That's on top of a body that is sculpted to be the most athletic ever created.
[Cole] John Cena's gonna earn his rewards tonight
if he can somehow survive The Beast.
[Barrett] It's a great point. I mean, the three of us were just petrified
of this man walking within 20 feet of us.
Imagine having to stand across the ring and hear that bell ringing.
And the fight begins.
[McAfee] I mean, look at this ape run back and forth in the ring.
[Cole] The eloquence of Pat McAfee is back.
[crowd chanting] Cena! Cena! Cena!
[Cole] You could show a movie on his back.
[McAfee] He looks bigger than he's ever been. This is unbelievable.
[Cole] Ten-time World Champion, main-eventing five WrestleManias.
-["The Time is Now" playing] -[crowd cheers]
[all cheering]
We're out here to have some fun!
[all] Yeah!
Hey. Come on, right?
[McAfee] This is awesome.
Let's go to work, Stu.
Right, you guys, form up.
[all cheering]
[Cole] Oh, boy.
[McAfee] Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
[Cole] Brock Lesnar does not look happy with the appearance of John Cena.
[Barrett] The sight of all those kids on the stage is incongruent
with the sight of The Beast standing at ringside.
The kids do not want to watch the massacre that is about to go down.
[Cole] Three months remain in the retirement tour of John Cena,
and hopefully it doesn't end prematurely here tonight at the hands of The Beast.
[Barrett] D-Day, John.
"I'm coming for blood," were the last words of Brock Lesnar last night,
after the carnage he caused on SmackDown.
[McAfee] And these two were just wee little boys in this business.
They trained about an hour and a half hour south of here.
[Cole] And they went on, Pat, to become two of the all-time greats.
[McAfee] It's apropos that this is happening right here right now.
-[music fades] -[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Let's head up to Alicia Taylor.
[bell rings]
[crowd chanting]
The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first…
He is The Greatest
of All Time.
The Never-seen 17,
celebrating with each and every one of you here tonight
in Indianapolis…
one final time.
The Last Real Champion…
John Cena.
And--
-[Heyman] Ladies and gentlemen… -[crowd boos]
[McAfee] Whoa! Whoa!
[crowd cheering, booing]
[Cole] There's something in the water in Indianapolis.
[McAfee] Wow.
[Cole] Wade, this must have been what Brock
and Heyman were talking about last night.
-Ladies and gentlemen… -[crowd cheering]
-My name is Paul Heyman. -[crowd] Paul Heyman!
Introducing…
The 17th-seeing, GOAT-slaying,
Cena-conquering,
former NCAA, UFC,
WWE Undisputed Heavyweight Champion
of the World.
The last real ass-kicker,
-Brock Lesnar! -[crowd cheers]
[Cole] It is a big-fight feel.
The atmosphere is electric tonight in Indianapolis.
Lesnar, Cena for the final time.
[Barrett] Talking about a big-fight feel. It might be a short-fight feel.
-Brock's got that look in his eye. -[bell rings]
[Cole] And we are underway.
Oh, and Brock goes right to the midsection of Cena.
And Brock Lesnar now pounding away on the 17-time world champion.
Pat, what does Cena have to do to try to stay in this match tonight?
[McAfee] Yeah, like many times before with The Beast, he's just gonna have to survive
because Brock is gonna batter him.
He's the last real ass-kicker is what Paul Heyman said, and that's what he's going
to be trying to do to Cena all damn night.
And what about Brock, Wade?
What does he need to do to just put Cena away tonight?
[Barrett laughs] He needs to be Brock Lesnar.
He needs to do exactly what he's done from the start,
and I would guesstimate in about 2 minutes this is going to be over.
[Cole] And there's the big shoulder to the midsection of John Cena and Cena trying
to fight back now with the right hands to Lesnar.
And Lesnar with a clothesline. Drops John.
[Barrett] John just pissed Brock Lesnar off, barely registered.
[McAfee] Yeah, woke him up. And look at him peacocking around.
What is he? 330 right now?
[Cole] Looks it. And Pat, you mentioned it as he walked out here,
the look in the eyes of Lesnar.
[McAfee] He's a very angry man, soulless man.
[Cole] Oh!
[McAfee] He's gonna try to take John Cena's fresh new hair right off his head.
[Barrett] What was it John Cena said?
"I never wanted the retirement tour to be a nostalgia act."
Well, John, you got your wish.
[Cole] Well, Brock Lesnar also told John, it ain't no retirement tour
until you face The Beast.
Remember in his career, guys, the greatest of all time,
John Cena only owns one pinfall victory over Brock Lesnar, just one, Pat.
[McAfee] Yeah, Brock Lesnar does have a lot of losses to a lot of people.
[Barrett] I'm surprised it's even one. I was expecting zero.
[McAfee] Exactly. Guy's been a champion literally everywhere,
and if he wanted to play in the NFL, he could have done that.
And he's letting Indianapolis go ahead and witness some greatness right now.
[Cole] Well, John Cena did say he was at the point in his career
where he should be afraid to fight Brock Lesnar.
But he's always ready for a fight. Not sure he's ready for this Brock though.
Look at the welts already building on the back of Cena and now Brock Lesnar
hoisting Cena up and marching around the ring with Cena on his shoulders.
Delivering a power slam à la the British Bulldog,
and Lesnar driving Cena through the mat.
[Barrett] Would we say when someone's out of competition for two years
like Brock Lesnar has been, normally you get a little ring rust, right?
Normal rules do not apply to The Beast Incarnate.
[Cole] In fact, this is the first time Lesnar's been in a match in two years.
And… Oh!
-Welcome to… -[McAfee] Suplex City, baby.
Wrestlepalooza has just taken an exit to Suplex City,
and Cena is about to get German suplexed right out of the United States of America.
[Cole] The first time these two men were in a match was 2001.
Ohio Valley Wrestling. It was a tag team matchup.
They'd meet a number of times up til 2004, and then the rivalry stalled for a bit
before it was picked up a number of years later.
The last time that they've actually been in a match together was 2015.
A triple threat match involving Seth Rollins.
And now the bear hug being applied by Lesnar, and he is massive.
[Barrett] It does appear to have been a targeted attack on the midsection
of John Cena from the start.
Cena trying valiantly to fight back.
[McAfee] And the alpha male of the species always has a strategy or plan.
[Cole] John Cena, though, as we mentioned before,
one of the most powerful men pound for pound in the history of WWE,
but just being worn down right now by The Beast.
[McAfee] And this is exactly what The Beast wants.
Beat you down so he can beat you up some more.
That's Brock Lesnar wrestling.
[Cole] If you were in there, Pat, what would you do against Lesnar?
[McAfee] Oh, yeah, I would jump out.
-[Barrett] Smart man. Fear. -[McAfee chuckles]
Two options, fight or flight. Flight is the correct one right now.
[Cole] Wade, have you ever been in the ring with Lesnar?
[Barrett] I've never been in the ring.
I got sent to split him and Undertaker up once, and I had to grab--
[McAfee] Hold on. John Cena…
[Cole] And Cena now with Lesnar up on his shoulders. John Cena--
Oh, and a clothesline by Ce… by Lesnar dropping Cena.
[Barrett] Clothesline to the face of John Cena,
just when it looked like a miracle AA was coming.
Take another look at this, Pat.
[McAfee] Yeah, Attitude Adjustment.
-[Cole] Bang! -[Barrett] Oh.
[McAfee] That might be the last real lariat too.
[Cole] And it's interesting that Cena went for what he now calls the AA.
He used to call it the F-U early in his career,
and that was a direct shot at Brock Lesnar early in the career.
The reason Cena named that move that.
[McAfee] Yeah, the F-5 obviously has been very devastating.
Changing it to the F-U is certainly rubbing salt in the big man's wound.
[Cole] And now Lesnar again with a release German.
-That's the second suplex of the night. -Two!
[Barrett] Here's what I think has pissed off Brock Lesnar.
This constant referral to John Cena as the greatest of all time.
There's a lot of metrics that can go into that claim,
but undeniably the greatest fighter of all time is Brock Lesnar.
[McAfee] I think Brock Lesnar understands
that he's not going to be in the GOAT conversation
because he had to go conquer other leagues and other sports and then come back,
but he will certainly be in the Mount Rushmore conversation
whenever it's done for Brock Lesnar.
[Cole] Pat, you used the proper word there, "conquer,"
because that is what Lesnar has done at every step of his career,
no matter the sport.
And now a kick right to the midsection of Cena.
[McAfee] I mean, just look at his mitts. I think those are 8X.
I mean, the guy's built to beat the hell out of people.
[Cole] Like grizzly bear paws.
[Barrett] I can't stop staring at Brock Lesnar.
He's like a modern-day caveman by choice.
[Cole] He looks better now than he did 15 years ago.
[McAfee] It's truly phenomenal, the amount of work you gotta put in
to look like that. Right now, he's having his way with a rag doll,
[Cole] But John Cena able to drive Lesnar into the corner,
and now John Cena with an opportunity.
Shoulder tackle bounces off Brock. Cena again bounces off Brock.
A third time. Brock's still on his feet somehow.
Cena finally drops The Beast, and now Cena with Lesnar on his shoulders.
An Attitude Adjustment.
-AA by John. -[Barrett] Straight back up.
[Cole] But John's got him on his shoulders again. Another AA by Cena.
[Barrett] And Brock is completely rocked here.
Go to capitalize, John.
[Cole] Cena's got an opportunity.
Looking for a third AA to The Beast, Brock Lesnar.
Cena delivers.
-Cover on The Beast. -[crowd] One, two…
And Brock kicked out at two.
-[McAfee] John Cena's not done. -[crowd cheering]
[crowd] You can't see me!
[McAfee] Brock can.
[Cole] Oh, and Brock did.
F-5!
And he's not done yet.
Another F-5.
[Barrett] Three AA's, and you bounce back like that.
[McAfee] Specimen.
[Cole] There's never been anyone like Brock Lesnar
-in the history of this business. -Get up!
[McAfee] In the history of this earth, and there never will be.
[Barrett] And we might be about to witness the CeNation's last stand.
Could be good night here, guys.
[Cole] Lesnar looking for a third F-5 to John Cena,
whose body is beaten, it's bruised, welts are forming on his arms
and his midsection and his back.
[Barrett] It is incredible that Cena's had the resilience
to last this deep into a matchup that has been almost one-way traffic.
[McAfee] I think Brock's kinda feeling it a little bit here, too.
Did you see that celebration?
[Cole] Well, again, two years since he's competed.
[McAfee] Three AAs.
[Cole] You see the condition that Cena's in.
Starting to become eerily reminiscent of SummerSlam in 2014
in one of the most lopsided matches of all time,
Lesnar slaying Cena just like he's doing tonight.
[Barrett] Complete barbarity and ruthlessness from The Beast Incarnate.
This is now a massacre.
[Cole] Isn't the retirement tour supposed to be a celebration?
[McAfee] I don't know why you would sign up for Brock Lesnar one last time,
if that was supposed to be the case the entirety of it.
Brock Lesnar is in full euphoria right now,
walking around John Cena's lifeless body in the middle of the ring.
[Barrett] Primed and ready to fight to the death. Kill or be killed.
[Cole] The grin on Lesnar's face.
[McAfee] Being tossed like a pizza from Papa John's.
[Cole] Mocking the over 15,000 here tonight in Indianapolis.
And now Brock again with Cena on his shoulders.
Lesnar will deliver another F-5 to John Cena.
And at some point, ladies and gentlemen, at some point…
-[Barrett] Just pin him. -[Cole] …our official, Dan Engler,
has got to get into this thing
and just tell Brock to put this away because this is becoming a massacre.
A career assassination of Cena at the hands of The Beast.
-Cover on John… -[crowd] One, two, three.
And Brock Lesnar destroys, and I mean destroys John Cena tonight.
[Taylor] Here is your winner, Brock Lesnar.
[McAfee] What a beast.
What an absolute species of a man.
[Barrett] You need to explain to someone how the law of the jungle works,
show them that match.
That barely even resembled athletic competition. Wow.
[Cole] That was a hellacious, uncomfortable beatdown.
The Beast was in prime beast mode tonight,
And what a road bump, Pat, on the retirement tour of John Cena.
[McAfee] Brock Lesnar has been a champion at the UFC.
He could have played in the NFL. Obviously he's the NCAA champion.
The ESPN and WWE partnership is kicking off
with the most badass human to ever walk this earth
picking up a dub against the GOAT, John Cena.
[Cole] And the frightening thing for everyone in WWE…
[McAfee] Yourself included.
[Cole] …is the fact that Brock Lesnar is back in peak and prime condition.
[Barrett] And he's gonna have to fight someone else next.
Hope to dear God, locker room, it is not you.
[McAfee] Once again, I do not know why John Cena would sign up for this.
[Cole] John Cena is defenseless now,
and Brock Lesnar is making his way back into the ring.
And Brock Lesnar now, assaulting the official.
First, it was commentators last night. It's officials tonight.
Somebody's got to throw the damn rule book and fine this guy.
And Lesnar not through yet. Cena can't protect himself.
Another F-5.
[shouts]
[McAfee] Everybody out here…
[Barrett] And Cena didn't even feel that one.
His body is completely numb already.
[Cole] And Brock Lesnar, Wade, doesn't give a damn.
[Barrett] A complete empathy void,
and that is just one of the things
-that makes this man terrifying. -[McAfee] Wait, wait, wait.
You talk about empathy void.
Okay, took the gloves off.
[Barrett] Zero human weaknesses, physically or mentally.
[Cole] You can almost feel like this…
a sigh of relief in this arena as Brock Lesnar walks out of the…
-[Barrett] I know what you're saying, -…Gainbridge Fieldhouse, right?
[Barrett] I'm not relieved till he has left the entire arena.
Okay.
[McAfee] There's quite an intimidating aura when this man is around.
[Barrett] Well, this was the moment
we thought John Cena was about to pull out a miracle.
There were three AAs connecting to Brock Lesnar.
He got a two-and-a-half count,
and things went downhill for Cena straight after that.
[crowd] You can't see me!
[Cole] Brock Lesnar so quick to his feet, and then this, Pat.
[McAfee] He's a jungle cat who has the strength of 1000 elephants.
[Cole] Look at the look and the intensity in the eyes of Lesnar
as he just sends Cena through the mat.
[McAfee] He'd been waiting for this moment to come back.
Training, waiting.
[Barrett] Complete destruction, and finally it seemed like
Brock Lesnar was satiated, at least for this evening, of course.
Further aftermath came along.
Dan Engler, helpless, that's not a fighter, that is an official,
completely wiped out with an F-5,
and then this, the final statement,
the pièce de résistance to a beaten, broken John Cena.
Who the hell is gonna step to Brock Lesnar next?
[Cole] Again, we mentioned this before, a retirement tour is supposed
to be a celebration.
[McAfee] This was supposed to be Cena Palooza. The sign's right there.
[Barrett] Look, I've never been John Cena's biggest fan.
I think we know that,
but I have all the respect in the world for that man
for stepping up to an unbeatable opponent this evening.
-[crowd chanting] Thank you, Cena. -[crowd applauding]
[chanting continues]
[crowd cheering]
-Hey. Hey. Hey! -[clamoring]
-Hey! -[shouting, clamoring]
Right now! Let's go!
I need a referee that's a little bigger, maybe a little stronger,
maybe a little ref… A referee that knows these four a little bit better,
a special guest referee, Jackie, that might be just a little bit pissed off.
The rules are going to be a little flimsy here tonight, boys.
So you can do anything you want.
You can beat the hell out of each other for all I care.
But here's the thing, my only job, my only concern is to count to three,
or if somebody says, "Uncle, uncle, I give up," then I'll ring the damn bell.
But there's one man who can do this job with two Usos, with two Brons.
There is and can only be one with everybody saying,
-LA Knight, yeah. -[crowd] LA Knight, yeah.
-["Welcome To LA" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Barrett] Yeah!
I got the authority.
[Taylor] Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome special guest referee,
LA Knight!
-[crowd] Yeah! -[Cole] Well, here's the situation, Pat.
LA Knight doesn't like anybody in this match.
Well, perhaps maybe Jimmy Uso, he likes a little bit,
but I think LA Knight might call this down the middle.
[McAfee] Is he wearing khakis, but he's wearing jeans? What…
[Barrett] He's got a cut-off ref shirt just like Sid Justice back in the day.
[McAfee] Nice reference.
[Barrett] Showed my age maybe.
[McAfee] Or your knowledge, brother.
[Barrett] It might be the greatest call of…
[crowd] LA Knight, yeah!
…Adam Pearce's career.
[Cole] Let's see what these superstars will pull off--
[McAfee] Hey! Call it down the middle!
[Barrett] Don't call it down the middle, just have fun in there, LA.
[Cole] Why doesn't anybody want to shake my hand?
[Barrett] I will tell you right now, LA Knight said very specifically,
the rules are gonna be enforced in a flimsy manner tonight,
whatever that means, we're about to find out.
[McAfee] He's got Timberland boots.
["Done With That (Day One Remix)" playing]
[Cole] Pat, I hope you're in shape because remember, Indianapolis,
this was the birthplace of
yeet!
Come on! Come on!
I'm crazy, dawg. I'm crazy, dawg.
[shouting]
-Come on! -Yeah, come on.
All right, cut the music though.
Cut the music. Cut the music.
Yo, Indianapolis.
Are y'all ready to party?
-[Cole] Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. -[crowd cheers]
I said, Naptown, are y'all ready to get down?
-[crowd cheering] -[McAfee] Yeah.
Well, I need something from y'all. Check this out.
I need every cell phone in this business, in this building. So pull them on out.
I need every cell phone to turn them flashlights on.
Pull it on out.
Yeah! Because what we're about to do tonight,
well, we're about to show ESPN how WWE get down.
I said help me out, Naptown.
Let's show ESPN how WWE get down.
Hey, Jey, you ready to party?
You ready to party?
[crowd] Yeet!
-Go ahead. Talk to him. -Hey, they already know.
Where you at, uce?
Four letters, one word…
-Uh, uh… -[crowd] Uh, uh. Yeet!
["Main Event Ish" playing]
[Cole] Well, Wade, McAfee's back, which means…
-Well, you know what it means. -[Barrett] He's on the table.
[McAfee] How could you not be?
[Barrett] What a spectacle.
[crowd chanting]
[Cole] Pat, I think Wade may be worse than me.
[Barrett] No, I got rhythm.
-[McAfee] I've heard that about the Brits. -[Cole laughs]
[Barrett] You're doing a double bounce, Cole.
There's no double bounce in the yeet. It's one, straight down, straight back up.
[McAfee] What do you guys got? You got the Beatles. You got Yungblud.
-Obviously you got Ozzy. -[Barrett] The Rolling Stones, come on!
-Okay, but you, I think it missed. -[Barrett chuckles]
[Barrett] My rhythm left me when I became an American citizen.
-[McAfee laughs] -That's what happened. Yeah.
[Cole] What a spectacle at the sold-out Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
[Barrett] I'm blown up already. Might've been that beer.
[McAfee] Yeah, the beer is pretty good. But the yeet is always fantastic.
[bell rings]
[Taylor] The following is a tag team match scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, the team of
Jimmy and Main Event Jey,
the Usos!
Yeet, yeet, yeet. Good to see you, man.
[Barrett] God, I love these two.
-[Cole] You miss these guys, Pat? -Yeah, a lot.
God, I didn't miss a moment of the yeet.
[Barrett] The day ones,
the greatest tag team in the history of this entire industry, reunited.
[McAfee] I've been yeeting at home every show.
-Me and my wife, "Yeet, yeet, yeet, yeet!" -[Cole, Barrett laughing]
[McAfee] I really like the addition of Jimmy to this yeet!
[Barrett] I do. He's brought his own personality to it, right?
[McAfee] Yeah, a little knockdown yeet. I like that.
-He was on rhythm obviously. -[Barrett chuckles]
[McAfee] Unlike, you know…
-[Barrett] All right. You can say it. -[Cole] Wade.
You can say it. I won't be offended.
[McAfee] Right. It's not the motion of the ocean,
it's just the size of the tide for you, Wade.
[Barrett] And to be clear, I was keeping an eye.
Everybody in this packed out arena has been yeeting, except for one man,
the guest referee, LA Knight.
[McAfee] I tried to give him my phone so he could be a part of the flashlight show.
[Barrett] He's just trying to be professional,
not show any favoritism to either side in this bout.
[Cole] Well, we know there's no love lost between LA Knight and Jey Uso.
BFT this past week. A spear a couple of weeks ago.
[McAfee] But to be clear, I like my refs to be human.
So if the entire arena is yeeting,
I wouldn't mind if you kind of caught the vibe a little bit.
[Barrett] I want my referees to be jacked, and LA Knight is certainly jacked.
-[McAfee] Yes, he is. -[Barrett] He's got the pythons out here.
[music stops]
[crowd clamoring, cheering]
[McAfee] I think they're asking for an encore yeet.
[Barrett] Give the people what they want!
[McAfee] They're looking for a yeet-apalooza, pal.
[Cole] I like that.
-One more time, spin it back! -["Main Event Ish" plays]
[Cole chuckling] God, you are so bad.
[McAfee] Just eat that, LA!
[Barrett] Well, that has really riled LA Knight.
Not impressed at all with the encore yeet.
One was enough for LA Knight.
[McAfee] I mean, anytime you get a second yeet sesh, you take that.
Anytime.
-[Barrett groans] -[Cole] Ah, buzzkill.
["Ready To Destroy" playing]
[McAfee] Oh, the dogs are barking in Indianapolis.
[grunting]
[Taylor] And their opponents,
accompanied by WWE Hall of Famer,
the Oracle,
Paul Heyman, representing the Vision,
the team of Big Bronson Reed
and Bron Breakker!
[Cole] Reed and Breakker have been dominating Monday Night Raw.
They've had their run-ins with Jey and Jimmy, of course.
Bron and Jey with a long history over the past couple of years.
And let's not forget what Bronson Reed did to Roman Reigns.
He sent him to the hospital with broken ribs a number of weeks ago.
[Barrett] Dynasty of the Usos against the destruction of the Vision.
And immediately a little head-to-head there
between Bronson Reed and the special guest ref, LA Knight.
That might not have been smart on the part of Bronson Reed.
[Cole] And Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed have been extremely focused
since joining forces with Seth Rollins
and of course, the Oracle, Paul Heyman.
[McAfee] And the Advocate.
[Cole] And I'll tell you what,
this city of Indianapolis has been a great city for Jey Uso.
Remember what he did here back in February, Pat,
when he won the Royal Rumble to go on to main event WrestleMania.
[McAfee] Right down the road at Lucas Oil Stadium.
I think it was 60,000 plus.
[Cole] Jey Uso, two years ago,
won the Undisputed Tag Team titles with Cody Rhodes in this city.
And three years ago,
the Usos became one of the all-time great tag teams
-when they beat The New Day. -[bell rings]
They would go on to hold those titles for a record 622 days.
But, Pat, for the first time in two years,
the Usos are teaming in a traditional Tag Team match.
[McAfee] It's an honor to see Hall of Famers, for sure,
do battle live, here in Indianapolis.
The Usos being back is great for everybody that has eyes.
You got Paul Heyman sitting right in front of me though.
You have to assume that Bronson and Bron Breakker are going to have a plan
because this man's brain is never-ending.
[Cole] The 330 pound, the Aus-Zilla, Bronson Reed,
who is so dominant, Wade.
[Barrett] Yes, he is. And we see that right off the bat.
The Dynasty of the Usos, this legendary tag team.
The question is, is that dynasty going to fade tonight with these
new, vicious young kids on the block from the Vision.
[Cole] Jey Uso delivers a kick to the ear of Bronson Reed.
And Jey makes the tag, and here comes Jimmy.
[McAfee] The Usos have been to the mountaintop.
Bronson and Bron trying to get there.
[Cole] And double team from the Usos.
[Barrett] Right off the bat, you see, it's power versus movement.
And it's the movement of the Usos that's winning out early here.
[Cole] Now the double team again.
[McAfee] This day-one chemistry that these Usos have.
[Cole] Oof!
[McAfee] Devastating if you're in a ring with 'em.
[Cole] Eight-time Tag Team champions.
But that back elbow by Big Bronson Reed.
[Barrett] All it takes when you're that colossal a human being
with so much malintent.
One shot wipes an opponent out.
[Cole] Now the unpredictable badass, Bron Breakker into the ring.
And, Pat, what an athlete.
[McAfee] Yeah, an absolute freak show,
whenever it comes to athleticism and explosiveness.
And the dogs are barking for him as soon as he hopped in between the ropes here.
[Barrett] Paul Heyman's really cultivated this lunatic streak within Bron Breakker
and laser focused it to where he can maximize damage on opponents.
[Cole] Breakker momentarily getting in the face of our special guest referee,
LA Knight, as Bronson Reed now goes outside the ring and, uh…
[Cole] Reed gonna drag out a steel chair.
[McAfee] What's the ref doing?
[Barrett] Oh, ref has his back turned, by Bron Breakker.
Oh, yeah. He's got eyes in the back of his head, yeah.
[LA Knight] You're not gonna hit him with that.
[Cole] Oh, and a kick right to the midsection by Jimmy
and now will Jimmy Uso?
[McAfee] He's right there, Jimmy.
-He's not there anymore, Jimmy. -[Cole] LA Knight turned his back
and allowing Jimmy Uso to use the steel chair.
[Barrett] Jimmy Uso is the one person that LA Knight likes and… Oh, God.
[Cole] And Breakker with a clubbing blow back of the neck now.
Jey Uso, top rope.
Here comes Main Event Jey Uso, taking out the Brons.
[Barrett] You saw, right off the bat, the flimsy enforcement of the rule book
by the referee LA Knight.
Perhaps all bets are off now.
[McAfee] That's the craftiness of the Usos, pays off,
as Bronson and Bron try to fight with Jimmy,
Jey Uso took to the sky.
[Barrett] Right from the start going high risk,
was Jey Uso connecting there.
[Barrett] Now we got a brawl on the wall, a brawl in the ring.
[crowd counting]
[Cole] Well, we figured, Wade,
that LA Knight would give a lot of leeway in this matchup tonight.
He really didn't care about any of these guys.
[Barrett] Leeway has been given to Jimmy Uso and Jimmy Uso alone thus far.
[Cole] Another chop by Jimmy to Reed.
Jimmy whipped into the ropes.
Misses wildly with a clothesline. And Breakker though
pulls the top rope down and it drops Jimmy to the floor.
And now that sick smile on the face of Bron Breakker,
who I've said on a number of occasions is a fry short of a Happy Meal.
[McAfee] Yeah, but he also grew up in a family of Tag Team greatness.
[Barrett] You… you should say that to his face, Michael Cole,
and see what happens.
[McAfee] I'm gonna tell him right now, actually.
-[Cole] I'm sure you will. -[Barrett] Cole, Cole… Oh, God.
[Cole] Oh, no. Look out.
[Barrett] A little speed check action right here.
[Cole] Jimmy struggling to his feet. Here comes Bron Breakker.
Oh! And what a shoulder tackle.
Launching himself into the air like a cruise missile.
[Barrett] Speed and explosivity…
colliding with the frame of Jimmy Uso.
Take a look at that.
[McAfee] You're talking about leaping 15 feet there.
Just with the greatest of ease, with the worst of intentions.
[Barrett] It's unfathomable athleticism.
[Cole] What's amazing is seeing the growth and the maturation.
Here's the cover now.
Oh, I thought he was gonna cover, but Breakker gonna do some more damage.
[Barrett] Yeah, he's not stupid.
He knows full well you're not going to keep a competitor
like Jimmy Uso down that easily. You have the advantage.
-Maximize the damage. -[McAfee] What's this?
[Cole] Oh, no!
Cover!
And somehow Jimmy Uso kicked out.
But the point I was making, Wade, under the tutelage of Heyman and Rollins.
it's amazing seeing the growth of Breakker and Reed over the past couple of months.
[Barrett] That's exactly what it is.
It's taking two rough diamonds with all the potential in the world
and someone like Paul Heyman can guide them to the very top.
Alone, they would get there. It would take them 10 years.
With Heyman, it takes about one year.
[Cole] And now Bronson Reed with a steel chair
and he's going to deliver a shot to the spine.
And I mean you've got to give LA Knight credit.
He let Jimmy get away with it. You gotta let Bronson get away with it as well.
[Barrett] That brawl…
I mean, I guess this is effectively
a No Holds Barred brawl at this point.
The referee, LA Knight, is not gonna disqualify anyone for using chairs,
then what is he gonna disqualify them for?
-[Cole] Oh. Great point, Wade. And… -[crowd] We want tables!
[McAfee] How about it LA Knight? How do you feel about tables?
[Cole] I'm not sure if you're noticing this,
but Jimmy Uso is really favoring his left knee.
[McAfee] Oh, Bronson Reed said, "To hell with you, Indianapolis."
[Barrett] That was dangerous by Reed because Jimmy Uso was left all alone.
He's clearly now the wounded duck on the Uso team.
Perhaps getting a little carried away there was Bronson Reed.
He had an opportunity to tag.
I think Paul Heyman's gone over there and just refocused Bronson Reed.
[Cole] Again, you made the point earlier that
LA Knight doesn't really like anyone in this matchup.
He doesn't care if they beat the hell out of each other.
And that is what he is allowing them to do. Double team by Breakker and Reed.
[McAfee] Breakker and Reed, since the last time I had a chance to see them,
very much on the same page,
which comes together with Paul Heyman's plan, the Vision.
Seeing the things the same way.
[Cole] And speaking of Vision, Pat, you've had a vision for a couple of years
about the super-stardom that awaits Bron Breakker.
[McAfee] Absolutely. As soon as you have eyes on him.
Back whenever he was playing football,
he's more explosive than everybody else on the field.
Now whenever he comes here, he's running through people at 25 miles an hour.
[Cole] You had him in the Thunderdome at one point, didn't you?
[McAfee] Yeah, and he sawed one of my guys, Deebo, right in half.
That's what he does, though.
So explosive, so powerful. He obviously grew up in the business.
[Cole] Great Suplex by Breakker.
[McAfee] He has everything you need.
[Cole] A cover and a kick out.
Oh, he actually just flipped himself off into a push-up
in the middle of the ring.
[McAfee] Well, that's that moxy and confidence that you have
when you grew up in this thing.
[Barrett] Well, it's been a procession thus far for Bron Breakker.
He's got to stay warm.
He simply hasn't had to get out of first gear.
Once Jimmy Uso was taken down, it has been a walk in the park for the Vision.
[McAfee] I didn't even think about the push-ups maybe being a warm up
-in the middle of a match. -[Cole] And a Senton by the Aus-Zilla.
330 pounds.
And again, we cannot forget what Bronson Reed did to Roman Reigns
a number of weeks back.
[McAfee] Or anybody else. Bronson Reed's body is very destructive.
I mean it breaks bones. It crushes souls.
[Barrett] Huge part of the motivation for the Usos
is to try and avenge the Tribal Chief, as he was taken out by these two.
[crowd chanting]
[Cole] It's becoming more…
Oh, it's becoming increasingly more difficult to stop Reed and Breakker.
And Jimmy Uso buys himself an opening here.
[Barrett] That's one way to do it.
Cranium first into a steel chair with all the momentum after hitting the ropes.
Bronson Reed in desperate need of a tag here,
and Jimmy inching closer.
[Cole] Jimmy trying to get to the corner trying to make a tag.
Bron Breakker's into the ring and so quick.
And went for the cheap shot. Connected.
Now outside the ring,
Bron Breaker going right after Main Event Jey Uso.
Driving him into the steps and this Breakker, he's completely out of control.
That's exactly what you need if you're Paul Heyman and the Vision…
[Barrett, Cole] Oh!
[Barrett] Straight into those upright legs on that steel chair.
[Cole] Pat, what Breakker creates is chaos, right?
[McAfee] Absolutely. So destructive, so chaotic, so unpredictable, so powerful.
[Cole] And now, well, you mentioned the…
-[McAfee] So many problems! -…Hall of Fame pedigree of the Steiners.
Bron Breakker!
Cover by Bron isn't enough to knock off the Usos here.
And Jimmy somehow kicks out.
[Barrett] Well, we know Jimmy Uso is double tough and he had to be there.
He has taken so much abuse in this match. Wait up…
-Too slow. -Slow, Bron?
[McAfee] It was a pretty good count by LA Knight actually.
-Do better next time. -Yeah, man. I'm doing my best.
[Barrett] Bron Breakker is just a confrontational intimidator.
I just don't think that's gonna work against LA Knight.
A lot of referees it will work with, not this one.
[Cole] Call it like it is, he's got an anger issue.
[McAfee] It is a confrontation business though.
If he can get it all lined up…
[Cole] And Bronson went for the Senton again.
Jimmy able to roll out of harm's way. The problem is
his brother, his partner, Jey Uso, not on the apron for a tag
after being ripped into the steps.
[McAfee] Good tag team wrestling here from the Vision actually.
-Eliminate one of the partners. -[Barrett] Oh!
[Cole] Oh! Jimmy using his quickness.
And Bronson Reed goes face first into the steel steps and he's in trouble.
[McAfee] Eat some seat, Bronson Reed.
[Cole] Right into the chair.
[Barrett] The lights are on for Bronson Reed, but no one is home right now.
Again, head first into the steel.
Here's your chance, Jimmy. Has to be now or never.
[McAfee] Jey's back.
[Cole] Yeah, Jey back up on the apron in position to make a tag,
if Jimmy can make it to his brother.
-[crowd applauding] -Come on! Now!
Jimmy gets there.
Breakker's legal as well.
And Main Event Jey Uso, a ton of history with Bron Breaker
over the Intercontinental Championship over the past few years and…
Now battling it out in Tag Team action.
[crowd exclaiming]
[McAfee] Silky smooth.
[Cole] Bang!
[Barrett] Jey Uso hitting those highs
that took him all the way to win the Royal Rumble,
and indeed the World Heavyweight Championship.
[crowd] Uso! Uso!
No!
[Cole] And now paying homage to the late great Umaga,
and also of course his father, Rikishi.
And now Jey launched out to the apron by Bron.
Oh, caught Bron with a big kick, and now Jey quickly headed up to the top rope.
Main Event gonna fly, cross body, lateral press
hooks the leg on Breakker who kicks at two.
Breakker simply is rocked right now.
Wobble has no clue where he's at, and if Jey Uso can pick up the pace here.
Victory is imminent.
And again, Pat, that was just a, I believe,
a very fair count by our referee LA Knight.
-…I think you've got-- -Come on!
[McAfee] Look, anybody else…
Chair?
Are we gonna get a table out here, Wrestlepalooza?
[Barrett] Ask, and ye shall receive, Indianapolis.
[McAfee] Has become tablepalooza because of the Usos,
and one of the all-time great tag teams made a living using tables.
Bubba Ray and D-Von.
Oh, from behind now Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker back into the fray.
[Barrett] That's the problem with setting up a table.
It takes so long that two top athletes like Breakker and Reed just bounce back.
-[Cole] Why are you yelling at me? -Everyone yells at you, Cole.
[Cole] Heyman is screaming at me about LA Knight allowing all this stuff
to happen in this matchup.
[McAfee] So why is he letting tables out here?
[Barrett] Paul Heyman's about to burst a blood vessel.
[McAfee] "The sportmanship," says Paul Heyman. Yeah, right, Paul.
[Barrett] Well, these are his charges.
This is the future that Paul Heyman has hooked himself to: The Vision.
He needs victory tonight.
This could be a statement for these two young men.
[Cole] I think Bron Breakker's about to break somebody in half.
-[stammers] And a spear! -[McAfee chuckles]
[Cole] And Jey with another super kick. This time, to Reed.
[McAfee] Air Force One's the jaws right now.
[Cole] Double team by the Usos.
Those double super kicks.
1D!
[McAfee] That's one and--
[Cole] No! Bowling his way is Bronson Reed
to save the matchup for his team.
[Barrett] And that's the terrifying thing about Bronson Reed.
So big, yet so quick. Take another look at this.
Game over right here for Bron Breakker, but this massive Antipodean right
in the nick of time, breaking up the pin and keeping this one alive.
-[Cole] Massive what? -[Barrett] Antipodean.
[Cole] Thank you. 15,000 plus at Cambridge tonight.
Indianapolis, historic evening.
This is Wrestlepalooza.
Me and Wade Barrett at ringside,
-joined by Pat McAfee. -[McAfee] Lucky to be here,
thankful to be here, and these boys are putting on
a classic here at Wrestlepalooza.
[Cole] Bronson Reed is so scary when he tries to climb the ropes.
[McAfee] How do the ropes hold him? None of us will ever find out.
[crowd chanting] OTC! OTC!
[McAfee] OTC chants raining through Indianapolis.
Wait a minute!
[Barrett] Oh!
[McAfee] Frankensteiner doesn't hit as cleanly as I think he wanted it.
[Barrett] Bron hurt himself in the process,
but wait… What the hell are you doing?
-[Cole] Bronson Reed! -Oh, my God.
[Barrett] The biggest moonsault ever!
-[Cole] And there's a Swanton by Jimmy! -[Barrett] The Moonsault didn't connect.
-Jimmy capitalized, but-- -[Cole] Oh! And a spear by Breakker!
I thought you said he was hurt.
[Barrett] Keep your head on a swivel, he is hurt, but he's fighting through it
-cause this guy is done. -[Cole] Spear by Jey Uso!
and Jey's going up top.
[Barrett] Everyone wiped out, one man left!
[Cole] How sweet it is!
Uso Splash!
[crowd] One! Two--
[Cole] Bron kicks out!
[McAfee] How?
[Barrett] I mean, it's a move that has put away all comers.
Bron Breakker is just a bit special, isn't he?
[McAfee] Super kick.
-Speared. -[Cole] Saw Jey perhaps…
You saw Jey Uso perhaps questioning the count of LA Knight that time.
And now a super kick to Reed.
[Barrett] I mean, I'll hand it to LA Knight.
I did not think there was a slow count, but…
-You can't be doing that. -I can do whatever I want.
-No, no. -I can do whatever I want.
-I'll do whatever I want. -You ain't gonna do…
-[mumbles] -[Cole] Oh, and Jey taking out
Bronson Reed, LA Knight.
-Was Jey aiming for LA Knight? -[Cole stammers]
-You coming for me? -Yes!
-Was that for me? -Yes!
-You've got to be kidding me. -Maybe.
No, no, no, no. You better watch yourself.
Get in the ring, okay? Look what you're doing.
-Don't go anywhere. What? Hey, no… -[Jey] I'm talking to you.
-You're being a disgrace… -[Cole] Meanwhile, guys,
Paul Heyman just tossed a steel chair into the ring to Breakker.
Just what Breakker needs, a weapon.
[Barrett] Jey Uso missed the entire thing arguing.
[Cole] Oh!
[McAfee] Boot to the jaw Jey Uso.
-[Barrett] Such great reflexes. -[grunts]
[Cole] Oh, no. No, no, no.
I don't think that was intentional.
[Barrett] Jey pulled it at the last second, thankfully. He almost hit…
-[Cole] Bang! -[Barrett] …the special guest ref,
LA Knight.
And this has gone horribly wrong this, man.
[Cole] Oh, and he just
whipped that chair into Reed.
[McAfee] Perfect accuracy like he's Danny Dimes here in Indianapolis.
[Cole] He's got the Colts rolling.
[McAfee] Might win a Super Bowl, should win a Super Bowl. Oh!
[Cole] Oh! And a spear by Breakker.
-Come on! -[Cole] Wade,
what an incredible spear by Bron Breakker.
He only had one step to take, and he still cut them in half.
[Barrett] Completely instinctive by Breakker.
Didn't have the full run up,
but might be a take two coming here, as he's covered it in blood.
[Cole] Yeah, Jey Uso's been busted open,
and Breakker now spearing both Usos through the table.
[McAfee] There's blood all over the place!
[Barrett] This is just total carnage, and I wouldn't expect anything less
from these two boys from The Vision.
[Cole] And now… Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no, no.
[Barrett] This might be the moment.
Tsunami!
[Cole] You're gonna have to peel Jey off the mat.
-[bell rings] -The Vision does it again.
[Taylor] Here are your winners, the team of
Bron Breakker
and Big Bronson Reed!
[Cole] Okay, Pat. You've been away for a little bit.
Give us your impressions of The Vision.
[McAfee] Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Paul Heyman.
When they're gonna operate like this, you're talking about unstoppable.
Add in Seth 'Freakin' Rollins…
Jey Uso's bleeding. Jimmy Uso's concerned.
We got medical out here. They put him through a table.
They busted steel chairs off their faces.
These are bad dudes.
[Barrett] This was the moment, perhaps, Jey Uso
was aiming for referee LA Knight, connected with Bronson Reed.
And this was almost a chair shot to the referee by Jey Uso.
Major tensions all the way through this one,
but it looked like Bron Breakker was wiped out with a steel chair.
[Cole] Indeed he was and Jey Usos busted open,
runs into the spear by Bron Breakker.
The explosiveness of Breakker on display here.
[McAfee] Yeah, double spear. Super spear.
Flying spear.
Everything Bron Breakker does is explosive and then, Wade…
[Barrett] This was the sternum crushing Tsunami!
That connects with anyone on planet Earth.
A three count is inevitable,
and what a statement victory for these two young, hungry upstarts in The Vision.
[Cole] We said it at the start of this match.
These young men are growing leaps and bounds, each and every week
under the tutelage of the Oracle, Paul Heyman.
["Bury Me" playing]
[Cole] The reaction…
to La Primera says it all.
Stephanie Vaquer has taken WWE by storm, Pat.
She debuted in WWE July of 2024, just over a year ago.
Tonight, an opportunity to win the Women's World Championship.
[McAfee] A lot of humans on Earth knew her before she got here.
Everybody on Earth knew her immediately upon arrival.
All she does is win, and she captivates the entire WWE universe from the jump.
[Barrett] Absolutely stunning first 12 months under the WWE umbrella,
winning two titles in NXT,
rapidly graduating out of there and forcing her way
into the world title bracket within months of being acquired by Raw.
This woman is the real deal, and tonight could be her biggest moment so far.
[Cole] Well, she won the Battle Royal back in July at Evolution
to earn this opportunity for the women's world title tonight.
Ladies and gentlemen, again, it is just an honor and a privilege
to be here tonight on ESPN.
Michael Cole, Wade Barrett and, of course,
-welcome back, Pat McAfee. -Hey.
Great to be here. Huge night, historic night.
WWE, ESPN, Wrestlepalooza. Lucky to be here.
Hey Spanish colleagues are here as well. Marcelo Rodriguez and Jerry Soto.
[speaking Spanish]
…Wrestlepalooza!
[McAfee] Oh, that sounds better than when we say it, for sure.
[McAfee speaks Spanish] …Wrestlepalooza!
[Cole] Not bad.
[McAfee speaks Spanish]
All right.
Trying to learn more Spanish.
["Tokyo Shock" playing]
[McAfee] This is Tyrese Haliburton's favorite wrestler.
[Cole] Well, she's mine too because I said it on the countdown show,
and Tyrese agreed earlier today.
I believe that you are looking at the greatest women's wrestler
on the planet today. Iyo Sky.
Looking to win back the Women's World Championship.
Now again, we arrived here tonight because Naomi and her husband Jimmy Uso, well,
they're having a baby and Naomi had to relinquish the Women's World Championship.
Vacated it, but she's reminding the world that she's coming back for it
sooner rather than later.
So one of these women will become the brand-new Women's World Champion.
[Barrett] Yeah, I'm fascinated
that you said that Iyo Sky is the greatest wrestler on planet Earth.
I actually agree with you. She's right up there with the very best.
So much harder for international superstars to connect
without the English language,
but pure talent is universally understood.
As Iyo Sky has proven for years.
[Cole] Let's head up to the ring.
And our great Alicia Taylor.
[bell rings]
The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
[crowd] One fall!
And is for
the Women's World Championship!
Introducing first,
from San Fernando, Chile,
Stephanie Vaquer!
[crowd cheering]
And her opponent.
From Tokyo, Japan,
Iyo Sky!
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Both of these women so accomplished on the international stage
before coming to WWE,
but they never met inside a wrestling ring
until they came to this company.
They've had a couple of matches over this year, but none more important,
none more prestigious,
than this one for the vacant Women's World Championship.
[Barrett] Let's tell it as it is right from the back.
Iyo Sky is a heavy favorite in this one. Why?
Because she is a proven commodity at this level,
and she's facing off against a woman who we all expect
to be at the top of the ladder for at least the next 10 years here in WWE,
but you don't get to claim that until you've proven it.
[Cole] And Stephanie Vaquer looking for her watershed moment here in WWE.
Looking to win her first major championship,
as she, uh, looks to break this waist lock of Iyo Sky.
[McAfee] Yeah, Iyo Sky is used to the bright lights. Used to the marquee.
Stephanie Vaquer, we all assume, to Wade's point, is gonna get there,
but it doesn't happen until it happens.
[Barrett] There have been many people over the history of WWE
who have been projected to be the top star in the future and did not make it.
I hope that isn't the case with Stephanie Vaquer,
but we're going to learn a lot tonight against Iyo Sky.
[McAfee] Yeah, tonight could be a part of the documentary,
Full time… First time World champ. Let's go do this!
[Cole] But it's a different ball game tonight.
You're under the bright lights. It's such a historic night,
and it's part of Wrestlepalooza.
Iyo Sky has much more experience than Stephanie does
in these big WWE moments. Does that matter?
[McAfee] The world's promoting this match.
This event, this evening.
-[Barrett] It's a match… -Maybe Stephanie's
just been waiting for it maybe though, Wade.
[Barrett] Yeah, it's a match that's been selling itself bell to bell.
Two of the most technical, precise and innovative women
we've ever seen fighting out for the biggest prize of all.
But I'm going to be critical of both of them here, especially Vaquer.
The build to this has all been pleasantly cordial.
Shouldn't have been if you're the… the up-and-comer.
You should have rattled the favorite in Iyo Sky.
You should have taken a cheap shot.
You should have thrown Iyo Sky off her game,
and I don't think Stephanie Vaquer took that opportunity when she had the chance.
[McAfee] They shook hands before the match, Wade.
[Barrett] I don't like that at all. That's not how it should be.
It's the very top level, Pat. You know it full well. It's dog eat dog.
[McAfee] Golly.
[Cole] And Iyo Sky controlling Stephanie here,
feeling out process, really, in the early going.
[Barrett] Yeah, well, the problem is these two women
are both so dangerous and so skilled,
you don't want to make an early mistake and give your opponent
the upper hand off the bat.
[Cole] Iyo Sky now with a great reversal.
-Look at that. -[Barrett] Oh!
[Cole] Great pinning combination by Iyo.
-Stephanie into one of her own. -One, two…
[Cole] Almost had her. That was close. Referee Eddie Arango right there.
[Barrett] Absolute technical brilliance.
[Barrett] And, Pat, you like this? You like these smiles?
-[McAfee] That's… -This respect? You enjoy that?
[McAfee] Yeah, they're sparring a little bit right now.
A little bit of one upmanship going on.
[Cole] Both of these women, uh, can be technical.
They can fly high when they need to.
[McAfee] They can be powerful if they need to, as well.
[Cole] Oh, and there's a great example of that.
Vaquer drops in on them.
-Back of her head and-- -[Barrett] Oh!
[Cole] Nope, Iyo Sky is not gonna allow the devil's kiss to happen.
Went into the cover. Stephanie able to take out the legs.
[McAfee] I'll tell you what,
good joust right now.
-It's… -[Cole] Yeah, very evenly matched Pat.
Iyo's… [laughs]
The great athleticism of Sky taking Stephanie out at the knee.
And now Iyo with that drop kick, that basement drop kick, to Vaquer.
[Barrett] Sky just looking a little step ahead of the curve,
perhaps that's the nerves in the less experienced superstar
showing early on here.
And all the experience of Iyo Sky giving her the upper hand.
[Cole] Yeah, both of these women, uh,
cut their teeth and became famous…
in Japan.
Iyo Sky, former Ace of Stardom.
Stephanie Vaquer actually won the Strong Women's Championship
in a victory over the current United States Champion,
over on SmackDown, Giulia.
And look at Iyo Sky now. Cover, hook of the leg.
Kick out by Stephanie!
[McAfee] That balanced handstand into the knees.
[Barrett] And this might be Stephanie Vaquer
realizing she's hit a ceiling in her career at this point.
This is a very, very different level to what she's used to.
This is the top level, does not get any higher.
And she's now being schooled by Iyo Sky.
[Cole] So, Wade, do you think there's nerves?
[Barrett] 100%. This is a brand new level.
It's the first time competing one-on-one for the Championship of the World
against arguably, and many would argue it,
the best on planet Earth, male or female.
[Cole] Pat, how about the first time in your career that you went to the playoffs?
I mean, were there nerves? Were you uptight a little bit?
You never know what the big lights are like until you're there.
Some people are built for it. Some people are not.
Stephanie Vaquer, I think, is built for the moment.
She's proven that since she's gotten here.
Stephanie Vaquer still has that new car smell about it.
-You don't quite know the full capacity… -Uh-oh!
-…of her skills, but… -[Cole] Has a five count here.
And will break,
but the damage may have been done on the arm of Iyo Sky by Stephanie Vaquer.
[Barrett] Brief opportunity to turn the tide and Vaquer has taken it.
-Now to capitalize. -[Cole] Yeah the Dark Angel, La Primera…
[Mcafee] Super talent.
[Cole] And the genius of the sky looked for the sunset flip.
And Stephanie…
-[Barrett] Rake of the eyes there. -The great counter!
there's that running leg drop, cover now, to try to win the Women's Championship.
But a kick out by Sky.
[Barrett] Some welts forming on the hip of Iyo Sky.
Taking a pounding early in this one.
And both women starting to hurt,
and this is where the gloves, perhaps, will come off.
[Cole] Stephanie was involved in the six woman tag team matchup
at NXT Homecoming.
Victorious along with Rhea Ripley and Lyra Valkyria.
[McAfee] We talk about a night like this for Stephanie,
her first time in, you know,
everything up until the bell ringing is different.
It's bigger. It's hyped, everybody's talking about it. It's…
You got billions of dollars in the building sitting ringside.
And then once the bell rings…
-[Cole] Oh! Nice suplex. -…and you find the water and it's level.
That's where Stephanie's at right now.
I think she realizes this is just another match.
[Barrett] I completely agree with you, Pat.
I think the adrenaline is now pumping.
It's overtaken the nerves for Vaquer,
and now Vaquer is starting to move through the gears,
and we're seeing the best of her.
[Cole] And the other thing is we talk a lot about Vaquer,
but Iyo Sky's had a lot on her mind as of late.
The situation between her friend Asuka and Kairi Sane, of course.
Uh, that's really weighed on her personally.
I had an opportunity to talk to Iyo earlier today,
and she talked about how that's really been in her head
over the past month or so.
[Barrett] I think you're probably right up until the bell rang
and somebody at the level of Iyo Sky
has that ability to compartmentalize those issues,
and at the end of the match she can go back to them,
but leave your baggage at the front door if you want to be the best.
-[McAfee] Oof! -[Cole] Look at this.
[Barrett] It's a ruthless move.
[Cole] Vaquer punishing the Genius of the Sky.
[Barrett] We're really get a glimpse into the difference
between these two great competitors.
-Iyo Sky, of course, it's the air game… -[McAfee] Hey!
…that's a specialty,
but it's the ground game and the submissions of Vaquer
that gives her the edge on the mat,
but right now Iyo Sky's showing all of her range.
[Cole] And that's…
Putting it perfectly, Wade. The range of Iyo Sky. She does everything.
[Barrett] It's her ability and the amount of women she's fought over the years,
the… the varying skill sets of all the women she's defeated, the…
[Cole] Oh! And a backbreaker knee right to the spine.
And Iyo Sky collapses as well. Both women are down.
Critical moment in this matchup.
[Barrett] Well it's the big durability question, isn't it?
Which woman gets up and which woman starts firing back first?
This backbreaker there,
but Iyo Sky perhaps spent herself in the process.
[Cole] Yeah, capacity crowd tonight at Cambridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Just over 15,000 for Wrestlepalooza.
The man to my left here tonight, Pat McAfee, uh, so critical in… in, uh,
getting the WWE in the forefront.
And one of the reasons we are here tonight,
-so thank you, Pat. -[McAfee] Lucky, thankful to be here,
especially with Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer battling right now.
[Cole] Oh! And face first goes Stephanie Vaquer.
Again, both these women battling it out for the vacant Women's World Championship.
[Barrett] Talked about that durability.
It really was Iyo Sky that got back into the firefight
quicker than Stephanie Vaquer.
-Again, that experience factor. -[crowd cheering]
Of Iyo Sky coming now forward, and now we're going airborne!
[Cole] Missile drop kick!
The charisma of Iyo Sky starting to shine.
[crowd cheering]
And Vaquer wisely rolling out of the ring,
but when you're in there with Iyo Sky, nowhere is safe.
[Cole] Iyo getting this capacity crowd pumped up.
Suicide dive to Vaquer!
[exclaims]
[Barrett] It really does go high risk, puts her own body on the line,
could have broken her left arm with that landing,
but clearly Vaquer ate the worst of it.
[McAfee] Tyrese and 15,000 people on their feet here
showing respect to Iyo Sky.
[Barrett] You know as well as anyone, Pat McAfee, this is a sports town.
They love their competition…
-Four! -…and they are eating this one up.
[McAfee] It's also a wrestling town, always has been, always will be.
[Cole] What a year it's been for Indianapolis.
Saw the Royal Rumble here back in February,
the first ever ESPN premium live event here tonight.
[McAfee] On the way a SummerSlam, and I do believe many more.
We're thankful that the WWE comes here to Indianapolis.
We're lucky to see this match.
[Cole] Stephanie and Iyo Sky with a well-placed kick
and it seems like Stephanie's off
just a bit here tonight.
[Barrett] Looks like she's running on--
-[Cole] Uh-oh. -[Barrett] Oh, my God.
Clinging on for dear life. Now this could be incredibly ugly for the Chilean.
[McAfee] Hold your tongue.
[Cole] Yeah, but a great counter by Stephanie.
As Iyo went for the sunset flip power bomb
and a knee right to Sky.
[Barrett] Well, it wasn't just a counter,
it was a devastating offensive move in return.
That perhaps swings the balance once again in this.
[Cole] And now leaping off the top rope and a cross body
to take out Iyo Sky.
And what we're seeing out of Stephanie Vaquer now
is one of the reasons she's called the Dark angel.
She's got an aggressive side.
She can get very, very vicious when she needs to, and she's turning it up a notch.
[Barrett] Gave Iyo Sky a taste of her own medicine there, Pat.
[McAfee] Now I think Stephanie is realizing what it's gonna take
to become world champion.
And Indianapolis is describing this perfectly.
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
[Cole] Again, off the top rope, another crossbody.
And that collision really took something out of Sky.
[Barrett] Talked about the range of Iyo Sky earlier
and now you're seeing the range of Stephanie Vaquer.
Well, this woman can do it all.
[Cole] Yeah, great stacked suplex.
Of the technical wizard.
Stephanie Vaquer.
[Barrett] An absolute assassin in there right now.
Now in the corner, nobody home, knee first, bottom turnbuckle
and Iyo Sky now with the German suplex and releases.
Again for the Women's World Championship now vacant.
-But it won't be after tonight. -[both grunt]
-[McAfee] Stephanie Vaquer out quick! -[Cole] With a German suplex of her own.
[Barrett] The ground game, the submission, the technical skills,
airborne and the power moves, both women throwing everything at this.
-[Cole] That evenly matched. -[McAfee] Absolutely.
Both these women worthy of becoming a world champion
with how they fought tonight.
Both of them taking to the sky.
[Barrett] It's an incredibly dangerous game of chess.
Both women going move for move and both women now laid out.
[crowd cheering]
[Barrett] Gasping for oxygen.
[Cole] And what a scene here tonight.
In Indianapolis.
Stephanie Vaquer, Iyo Sky
battling it out for the women's world title.
Is this the pace, Wade, you expected?
[Barrett] At this point in the match,
given the amount of offense that both women have absorbed,
I think there's no choice but to be operating at this kind of pace,
but who gets their second win?
The answer perhaps, Stephanie Vaquer.
[Cole] Maybe not, Iyo Sky tucks underneath. Uppercut by Sky.
[McAfee] The 15th round right now, the world championship fight.
[Barrett] It's all about how bad you want it!
[McAfee, Cole, Barrett] Oh!
[McAfee] Iyo Sky meeting her at the ropes with the huge right.
[exclaiming]
[Cole] Now Stephanie with a back suplex.
[crowd cheering]
-It looks… Oh. -[McAfee] Who's gonna survive?
[Cole] Standing ovation, capacity crowd
and again looking for the devil's kiss, but she got caught.
Iyo Sky with a stomp to the midsection.
Stephanie playing to the crowd just a little bit too much there
and Sky looking to take advantage and win the title.
[Barrett] Again, there's levels to this and what a transition there.
[Cole] Into a cross-face by Iyo Sky.
Stephanie center of the ring, is she going to tap?
Stephanie Vaquer just not used to this level of competitor.
Iyo Sky, who's been to the top many times
and may well imminently be about to get there again.
[Cole] And you made mention earlier just that one mistake could cost you
and maybe Stephanie made it there.
[Barrett] Yeah and it might be a learning experience tonight for Stephanie Vaquer.
Cannot take a beat against someone the level of Iyo Sky.
The blink of an eye will turn the game for Sky.
[Cole] What a knee.
[McAfee] Huge knee now Iyo Sky is saying, "Let's take it to the sky."
Yeah, the Genius of the Sky up to the top rope
perhaps was looking for the Over the Moonsault,
but Stephanie was able to block.
[Barrett] There's a little showboating there from Iyo Sky!
[Cole] Oh, no! Oh my God!
[Barrett] Oh, my God!
[Cole] That dragon screw.
-That might have popped the kneecap. -[screaming]
-[Barrett] Now that's a ligament shredder. -[screaming continues]
[McAfee] There's a lot of ligaments in that knee, the ACL, the MCO, the PCO.
I don't know how any of them are still surviving after that.
And now looking for the SVB, the Stephanie Vaquer Bomb,
but Iyo Sky able to somehow work her way out of it.
Iyo Sky's operating on one wheel at the moment.
[McAfee] Headbutt from Stephanie Vaquer…
[Cole] And now Iyo Sky!
What a takedown for the victory of the title…
-And a kick out by Stephanie. -[Sky exclaims]
Iyo with a kick now to the side of the head.
[Barrett] Ah, right to the temple, toe first.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] There's no breather. You can't catch a breather
with Iyo Sky in the ring.
[Barrett] Too quick, too tough.
Take another look at this.
Imagine this happening to your knee,
we know how devastating
an injury it is when your knee is taken out…
-[Cole] Oh, my goodness. -…and there was an attempt there
from Vaquer. It's done clearly major damage to Iyo Sky,
who is battling through the pain now, Pat.
[crowd chanting]
[Cole] And the bullet train attack to the corner by Sky.
All for the Women's World Championship.
Iyo Sky says that's it.
Steps over Vaquer, but again, having an issue with that leg.
[McAfee] I don't know how she's still standing, climbing.
How's she gonna hit the Over the Moonsault?
[Cole] Up to the top rope. Oh!
Boots up by Stephanie,
right to the midsection of Iyo Sky.
And now Vaquer has an opportunity.
[Barrett] Well, that knee injury to Iyo Sky
took a beat too long to get to the top rope for the moonsault,
which is allowing the Vaquer back into the match with her boots up.
And now Stephanie goes on offensive.
[Vaquer grunts]
-[Cole] More damage done! -[McAfee, Barrett] Oh!
[Cole] Did you see the way that the body contorted, of Iyo Sky?
[Barrett] Now, Pat, I've got to throw it to you. You know as well as anybody.
If you've got a busted limb,
you simply cannot operate at the top level athletically.
[McAfee] Especially with the knee,
but it's about to be a lot more than just a knee for Iyo.
[Barrett] Oh, here we go, we're going bouncy-bouncy.
[McAfee] The devil's kiss.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Where's Booker?
[Barrett] I would love to smooch with the devil, wouldn't we all?
[Cole] What?
[Barrett] Never mind, move on.
[McAfee] Well, it's called the Devil's Kiss.
[Cole] Right, got it. Oh, and a knee right to the spine.
Stephanie Vaquer, the Women's World Champion…
And then a kick out at two!
What a near fall!
Stephanie can't believe it!
[Barrett] Kick out of the SVB.
[McAfee] Tyrese is thanking the wrestling gods
that Iyo Sky somehow kicked out there.
We'll take another look at this with her feet up at the last second
by Stephanie Vaquer from the Over the Moonsault attempt.
And here we go, this is the second dragon screw
after the first one did so much damage to Iyo Sky.
And here we go, the Stephanie Vaquer Bomb
that's beaten everyone in WWE's it's connected with
and the blood just drained out of the face,
of Stephanie Vaquer because Iyo kicked out.
[Cole] Stephanie tried to hit it earlier, Iyo countered, but not that time around.
But how wise is Iyo rolling out of harm's way to the bottom row?
[Barrett] Total instincts
from a woman who's climbed to the top of the mountain so many times.
-[Cole] Oh! -And showed… Hey! Uppercut to the jaw.
[McAfee] I mean, that's a huge right from Iyo Sky. She needed it.
[Cole] I don't know how Iyo is still functioning
after suffering the devil's kiss and the SVB.
[Barrett] I mean, these women are showing out tonight
with the biggest prize of all at stake.
[Cole] Fighting high above the ring, high risk situation here.
It's all about the Women's World Championship.
[McAfee] Iyo Sky setting up something special here.
-To end this… -[Cole] Dangerous predicament.
Oh!
[Barrett] Spanish fly connecting at the knee of Iyo Sky,
hurting in the process.
Yeah, again, that's the leg that's been attacked by Stephanie Vaquer.
Beautiful Spanish fly by Iyo Sky, but she couldn't capitalize.
-And now a cover by Sky… -One, two…
-…and a kick out by Stephanie. -[shouts]
[Barrett] Such a game changer when you can't hit top pace
because one of your legs simply isn't cooperating.
Pat, imagine you trying to punt with shredded ligaments in your knee.
[McAfee] I had a dislocated kneecap in my right knee my last season.
I know exactly what this feels like.
Mind over matter at this moment.
The world championship is on the line.
[Barrett] You gotta push through, right? You gotta try and win it for your team.
All eyes are on you.
[Cole] And, again, a bullet train attack in the corner by Iyo.
[McAfee] We'll deal with that knee tomorrow.
[Cole] And now Iyo Sky exposing her knee,
taking down her knee pads,
and this obviously is for more impact
on the bullet train attack of Stephanie Vaquer.
[Barrett] Pulling out all the stops
against a great opponent who may now be spent.
Iyo Sky willing her way with a running knee.
[McAfee] Bare kneecap to the face.
[Cole] And, again, Sky now positioning Vaquer.
As she goes to climb to the top rope and look for Over the Moonsault.
[Barrett] The grand finale.
[Cole] Iyo off the top and nobody home!
And the exposed knees hit hard,
when she missed with the with the moonsault.
[Barrett] Oh, man, rolling down the knee pad doesn't sound like high risk,
but in this instant it was exactly that.
All the damage absorbed by that knee and weighed on.
-[crowd cheering] -Stephanie going up to the top rope.
-And she… she delivers a… -[McAfee] Whoa!
-…a version of a spiral tap! -One, two, three!
-[bell rings] -[Cole] Vaquer wins the championship!
[Barrett] What?
[Taylor] Here is your winner!
And new
Women's World Champion!
Stephanie Vaquer!
[Cole] A standing ovation
for the brand new Women's World Champion.
[Barrett] Oh, my God.
Just when it looked like all hope was lost for Stephanie Vaquer.
She adds a new wrinkle to her playbook,
something that nobody saw coming.
[McAfee] And hits it perfectly.
[Barrett] As crisp as you like, Pat.
[McAfee] The biggest match of her life,
the biggest night of her life.
[Barrett] While in the deep water, this was the Spanish fly that really added
extra damage to the knee of Iyo Sky.
But she used the knee there right to the cranium of Stephanie Vaquer
and it looked like she was closing in for the victory,
but this Over the Moonsault with the knee exposed
causing maximum damage.
-[McAfee] And then this. -[crowd cheers]
[Cole] A version of a spiral tap.
[McAfee] That's absolutely nasty.
[Barrett] God, in the deep waters of the match
it could not have been executed any better.
Flush on the Genius of the Sky.
Wow, Stephanie Vaquer.
[McAfee] What a world championship performance.
[Cole] And what a show of honor and respect
from the Genius of the Sky, Iyo Sky,
celebrating with the brand new Women's World Champion.
From humble beginnings as a dark angel,
a teenage wrestler in South America,
to the top of the game on every continent.
This is indeed a first
for La Primera.
The brand new Women's World Champion.
A very emotional Stephanie.
Her father is here tonight from Chile.
Hector in attendance to watch her.
His daughter Stephanie Vaquer conquered the world tonight,
winning the Women's World Championship.
[McAfee] He's gonna be incredibly proud.
[Cole] And again, a tremendous family.
Stephanie will tell you the story about how her dad and mom supported her
and, as a teenager, to follow her dream, which she has done tonight.
To become the brand new Women's World Champion.
[Barrett] Yeah, Hector has a hand in that championship.
Congratulations to the Vaquers.
[Cole] A new era has dawned on Monday Night Raw.
La Primera is on top of the world.
As the brand new Women's World Champion.
[crowd cheering]
[McAfee] It's been an honor to be here, boys.
[Cole] Thank you, Pat.
[McAfee] Love you guys.
-Congrats, champ. -[Barrett] We'll see you soon.
[Cole] Coming up next, the long awaited return of AJ Lee.
Her first match in a decade in WWE when she teamed with her husband CM Punk
against the self-proclaimed greatest couple in WWE history,
Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch.
[CM Punk] Seth Rollins, this war between you and me will never be over.
Now he's hiding behind his wife.
Becky Lynch?
Seth Rollins' wife saved the championship for Rollins.
[Lynch] Me and my husband got this business to where it is today.
We run both divisions!
-[crowd cheering] -What are you gonna do about it, huh?
What you gonna do? Huh? You gonna do something about it?
[CM Punk] You know I would never put my hands on a lady.
Thankfully, I got somebody who will.
[Cole] After a decade, AJ Lee,
CM Punk's wife is here!
[Lee] It's one thing to see your husband fighting Seth Rollins.
But it's another thing entirely to see him in the ring with Becky Lynch.
She put her hands on him.
She defamed him.
[Rollins] Let me tell you something you may not know about your husband.
He has a nasty habit of leaving when things let him down.
When my wife rips you into shreds,
you better hope to God
that he doesn't leave you too.
[crowd cheering]
No, I never put my hands on a lady.
Thankfully, I have someone who will.
[mouths words] Not me.
This is part of it. This is exactly what I meant.
I didn't agree to any of this.
This is your fault.
This is… Hey, hey, hey!
[no audible dialogue]
This is twice… You're doing things on your own!
You're going to need to beat him yourself!
No, I'm not…
[Cole] The Punk is going chasing Seth Rollins.
Well, wait a minute, wait a minute!
Manhandled!
[crowd cheering]
[Rollins] You want a match? You got a match!
At Wrestlepalooza you're both done for!
One step ahead!
-["The Vision" playing] -♪ Burn it down! ♪
[crowd vocalizing]
♪ Burn it down! ♪
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Well, they call themselves the power couple.
["The Vision" continues]
[bell rings]
[Taylor] The following is a mixed tag team match
scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, the team of the world heavyweight champion,
Seth "Freakin" Rollins,
and the Women's Intercontinental Champion,
The Man, Becky Lynch.
[music continues]
[Cole] It's not just Becky Lynch saying it.
It's Bleacher Report, it's Sports Illustrated,
calling her the greatest female wrestler in WWE history.
The current Intercontinental Champion.
Her husband, of course, Seth Rollins, the current World Heavyweight Champion.
And here's an interesting statistic.
You see it there on the screen.
They've teamed together three times in their career.
They've never been beaten.
[Barrett] Well, that all goes well
to a couple who are clearly at the top of their game,
carrying gold.
And I am just in awe of that entrance and the attire they are wearing.
You've gotta be pretty damn confident to pull that off,
and confidence sums up these two.
[music continues]
[Barrett] Seth and Becky Lynch believe it is they who have built this industry
to never-seen-before heights,
whereas their opponents,
they claim "abandon ship" when the going got tough.
[crowd clamoring]
[crowd chanting] CM Punk!
[rock music playing]
[crowd cheering]
Ready? Ready?
You know what time it is?
It's clobberin' time!
[pop music playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Taylor] And their opponents,
the team of CM Punk
and AJ Lee.
[Cole] You know, Punk and AJ have teamed together twice before.
They're undefeated as well, so something has to give here tonight.
But what a moment for AJ Lee returning to the ring
for the first time in over a decade.
Cervical issues, a lot of other things she was dealing with a decade ago.
Talked to her earlier on today.
I asked her, why now?
And she said it was time to begin a new journey.
She said everything felt brand-new around here,
especially with ESPN getting involved.
She felt like she needed a new chapter in her life,
and what a chance to team with her husband, CM Punk,
in this mixed tag team match at Wrestlepalooza.
[Barrett] Yeah, she also saw another woman, in Becky Lynch,
throw hands at her man and clearly was quite perturbed by that
and decided to take matters into her own hands and do something about it.
But regardless of what Becky Lynch may say,
the truth is, AJ Lee is the woman who put the first cracks in the glass ceiling
that was limiting women in this industry in the past,
and that glass ceiling was subsequently smashed to pieces
by the likes of Becky Lynch.
[Cole] AJ making the Chuck Taylors cool.
-[no audible dialogue] -[crowd clamoring]
[Cole] Triple H called this the most highly anticipated mixed tag team matchup…
[bell rings]
…since the debut of Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania a number of years ago.
Again, mixed tag team rules in this match. Men battle men, women battle women.
So for instance, if Seth and Punk start this thing,
and they tag one of their partners,
then the other woman has to come into the matchup to compete.
[crowd chanting] AJ Lee!
[Barrett] Partisan crowd here clearly behind
the duo of Punk and AJ Lee.
I just want to see how sharp AJ Lee is
after over ten years out of the game.
[Cole] Well, AJ Lee wanted to start this matchup.
Apparently, Becky Lynch wanted nothing to do with her.
[Barrett] The whole world wanted AJ Lee to start this matchup.
-Boo-hoo! -[Cole] So if Seth starts,
that means, uh, CM Punk must start the matchup for his team.
And we all know the history, uh, between Punk and Rollins and…
[crowd chanting] CM Punk!
[Cole] You know, Wade, we talked a lot about this
in the Countdown Show earlier today,
the fact that Rollins seems to always have CM Punk's number.
[Barrett] Yes, he does, he's been a menace to Punk's career
ever since Punk returned to WWE,
costing CM Punk time and again… Wait up.
[Cole] Uh-oh. Becky gonna make the tag. That is going to force AJ in,
although Becky seems to think she's gonna take on Punk.
[Barrett] Well, this is really smart from Becky Lynch and Punk…
and Seth Rollins.
You really want to fight the person who is potentially not sharp.
That's the person who hasn't competed in ten years now.
Punk has to step out the ring and send in AJ Lee,
and we're about to get some questions answered.
[Cole] Oh, Becky Lynch again trying to push Punk's buttons,
like she has for a few weeks now.
[crowd chanting] GTS!
[Barrett] Becky Lynch is a schemer, she's a plotter, she's a manipulator.
[Cole] And WWE fans want to see a GTS, but they're gonna get AJ Lee.
[Barrett] Let's not forget,
AJ Lee was wiped out by one manhandle slam a week ago.
First live round that AJ Lee has absorbed in over ten years,
and it completely poleaxed AJ Lee.
If that connects here, it's gonna be a very short match.
-And a cheap shot. -[Cole] Oh, yeah, to see out Punk.
And that's just going to draw the ire of AJ Lee,
who now, uh, chases Becky Lynch around the ring.
Tag made by Becky, and Seth Rollins is legal.
[Barrett] This is absolutely brilliant by Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins.
AJ Lee admits herself she is an erratic individual,
and from the off, she's now been thrown off her game.
-[Cole] Okay, uh-- -[Barrett] Smooching!
[Cole] Get a room!
And now CM Punk with a suicide dive,
driving Seth Rollins over the announce table.
[announcers chattering in Spanish]
[Cole] Yeah, Rollins…
Gonna be bounced off our table as well onto the floor.
[Barrett] CM Punk has simply seen enough, had enough,
and it's time to face some heavy consequences for The Architect.
[Cole] And now Punk to Rollins.
[Barrett] The referee yelling, "Get back in the ring,"
but giving a lot of leeway knowing the magnitude of this particular matchup.
Nobody wants to see a count out right off the bat.
There's a big welt forming already on the rib
of Seth Rollins.
Something to watch out for.
[both groaning]
One, two, three!
[Cole] And now look at Seth Rollins
burying his shoulder in the midsection of CM Punk.
Just loves to torture Punk. And now Becky Lynch…
The official, Jessika Carr, dealing with Rollins, and now a double-team.
[Barrett] AJ Lee is absolutely losing it in the corner.
She is being played like a puppet.
[Cole] Well, again, AJ has been out of the game for ten years.
[Barrett] And emotions are, of course, running high,
none more so with the woman who is returning,
after crowds have chanted her name
every time there's been a show that she hasn't been at
over the past ten years.
[Cole] Again, but ten years out of the ring, uh,
so hard to come back from that, Wade.
Oh, and now AJ Lee! A little bit of payback to Rollins!
[Barrett] And now it is Becky Lynch losing the plot.
[Cole] And CM Punk just mocking Lynch now.
[no audible dialogue]
[Cole] Rollins has kicked off. AJ Lee having some fun.
And now Punk!
Inverted atomic drop to Rollins.
Big chop!
[Barrett] Such interesting dynamics in mixed tag team matchup,
just so unpredictable,
so unusual in this game.
[Cole] And Punk now with the ax handle right to the head of Seth Rollins.
Again, uh, pointed at Becky with a big smile on his face.
Punk now gonna head up to the top rope.
CM Punk…
Oh, and again, down goes Rollins.
[crowd cheering]
[no audible dialogue]
[Barrett] Punk has just looked razor-sharp over the past six months or so,
shook off all that ring rust that was there when he first came back.
Question to see if AJ Lee will do the same. Ooh!
[Cole] Yeah, Punk went to the… Well, once too often.
Rollins with a kick setting up for a pedigree.
Punk's got him in position for a Go 2 Sleep!
Rollins fights out of it.
Telegraphed that one and paid for it.
-[Barrett] Oh, the mistake… -[Cole] Oh, and a kick!
…both men have been making is talking trash to the…
[Cole] From behind, Rollins.
…females on the corner, taking their eye off the ball.
[Cole] Becky Lynch paying dividends there, allowing Rollins to take control.
[Barrett] Any advantage you can take at this level, you have to take it,
and you don't need to ask Becky Lynch twice.
[Cole] Oh! Becky driving Punk into the steps.
[Barrett] I don't know if that was midsection
or thighs of Punk that ate the edge of the step.
[Cole] AJ Lee was going after Becky,
and Seth Rollins stepping, uh, in front of his wife to protect her.
[Barrett] AJ Lee has panic in her eyes, seeing her husband laid out
and perhaps about to be pounced on by Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
[Cole] Oh, we mentioned it earlier. Rollins just has Punk's number.
There's no doubt about that.
[Barrett] Some bitter resentment between the two of them.
[Cole] And now Punk bounced right off our announce table,
landing on our announce table now.
And Rollins simply having his way now with Punk.
[Barrett] Been too easy for Seth "Freakin" Rollins
ever since he got the upper hand.
Part of why this guy is…
-I'm the man, son. -[crowd booing]
…Mr. 2025 in this game.
Everything has gone right for Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
[Cole] Yeah, the current world champion, ahead of The Vision.
Sends Punk back into the ring.
Rollins, of course, pulled off the ruse of the century,
cashing in on CM Punk back at SummerSlam,
after Punk held the world championship just over five minutes.
[Barrett] I'll tell you, the athletic skills
of Seth "Freakin" Rollins are obvious,
but over time, we have learned just how smart and conniving that man is,
and that really is his superpower.
[no audible dialogue]
[crowd chanting] AJ Lee!
[groans]
[Barrett] It's just a full-body assault of CM Punk.
[Cole] AJ Lee looking outwards…
Rollins with a kick right in the face.
[Barrett] Punk looks defenseless now.
Gonna beat him to a pulp.
[kisses]
[no audible dialogue]
[Barrett] And this dream return for AJ Lee is slipping away before our eyes.
Question is, can CM Punk stay in the game?
-Come on, Punk. Come on. -…two, three, four.
[Cole] And now, uh, Punk hung up on the second rope.
And Becky Lynch with a slap.
Becky Lynch now having her way with Punk, as is Rollins.
[Barrett] This is just torture to AJ Lee,
who is completely helpless to do anything about it.
[Cole] And now Rollins…
Oh! Right to the back of the neck.
[Barrett] Really not the way CM Punk and AJ Lee dreamed this evening up.
This was not how it was supposed to go.
Come on!
[Cole] Punk trying to drag himself to the corner
to make a tag to AJ Lee.
And Rollins just having his way, Wade.
[Barrett] Just outmaneuvered once again.
That has been the story of Seth "Freakin" Rollins and CM Punk.
-[groans] -Come on!
[Cole] And Punk with the right hand.
Again, trying to get to the corner. Rollins not allowing it to happen.
[Cole] Another right by punk trying to create some separation here.
AJ wants in this matchup.
[groans]
[Cole] Almost there.
[Barrett] Tantalizingly close, but denied!
[Cole] Ooh, and Punk whipped into the corner.
[Barrett] It's almost a taunt that Seth Rollins allowed CM Punk
so close to AJ Lee and then pulled it away.
[Carr] …four! Now, come on.
[Barrett] Increasing that mental agony on AJ Lee.
[Cole] And again, another cheap shot by Becky Lynch on Punk
as Rollins expertly draws the official, Jessika Carr.
And you mentioned it earlier, Wade.
Two people who are at the top of their game right now,
Rollins and Lynch.
[Barrett] Yeah, it's a mistake to think this is a purely athletic endeavor in WWE.
It rarely is.
There's strategies, there's tactics,
there's skulduggery,
and no one specializes in that better than Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
[Cole] Both champions.
Rollins the world champ, Becky the intercontinental champion.
And now Seth, uh, counters Punk there.
Rollins lifts Punk up. Punk lands on his feet.
Something has to give.
And Punk with a suplex!
And now he has an opportunity, Wade, to make a tag.
[Barrett] Well, both men clearly feeling exhaustion.
They've taken 90% of this matchup to themselves.
It's supposed to, obviously, be a tag match,
and imminently, the tag part might come into play.
[Cole] Can Punk get to AJ Lee? Dying to get into this matchup.
[Barrett] Punk needs to get to AJ Lee, and if I was Seth Rollins,
I would not want to tag Becky Lynch, and he does not.
[Cole] Yeah, Rollins wisely cuts Punk off, doesn't allow him to get to his partner.
[Barrett] Do not want a fresh, fired-up, energy-infused AJ Lee,
with all the momentum of this audience pulling her along,
getting tagged into this one.
[Cole] Do you see the look of concern on AJ's face?
[Barrett] Well, AJ realizes this might be over
without her being legally brought into the match.
What a return that would be.
[Cole] Oh, it's been great strategy by Rollins and Becky.
[Barrett] Drawn up to perfection, masterful.
[Cole] And stalemate, center of the ring.
Rollins trying to hold up Punk,
who's now trying to move Rollins back toward the corner
so he can make a tag to AJ Lee.
Can Punk get there? He's close.
[Barrett] Inching closer, needs this in the worst way.
[Cole] Punk, fingertips away.
Becky Lynch in the ring. "Tag me! Tag me!"
[Barrett] Ref didn't see it! Ref didn't see it!
[Cole] Great move by Becky.
And now the double-team by Rollins and Lynch.
AJ Lee should be legal here.
[crowd booing]
[Barrett] They don't like it.
[Cole] Look at Rollins using his wife as a weapon.
Military press to Becky Lynch.
And tossing her onto Punk, who moves out of harm's way.
Rollins made a critical error.
[Barrett] Well, that completely backfired.
It's the first thing that has gone wrong for Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
[Cole] Becky in deep trouble.
Rollins can't believe that he just dropped his wife
as Punk moved out of harm's way.
[Barrett] Sheer comedy to AJ Lee,
and recovery time, importantly, for CM Punk.
[Cole] And Rollins letting his rage get the best of him.
Punk now, able to slip away, and now he's got a chance.
Can he make it to AJ Lee?
[Barrett] It really is now or never. CM Punk, make that tag.
And this thing is blown wide--
[Cole] Oh, no!
Becky Lynch again preventing AJ Lee from tagging into this matchup.
And this has been a master class, Wade, by Lynch and Rollins.
[Barrett] Everything you need to do behind a referee's back
is an absolute specialty for Rollins and Lynch.
[Cole] And a falcon arrow by Seth Rollins, cover now for the win.
And a kick out!
[Barrett] Can you imagine being CM Punk?
If you get pinned here, you lose the match,
and you never tag your wife in on her big return.
[Cole] Well, he's trying. It's not like he's--
-[Barrett] I'm not disputing that. -[Cole] It's not lack of effort.
[Barrett] But imagine that conversation in the car home.
[Cole] Yeah, that wouldn't go over well, huh?
[Barrett] There's gonna be a lot of silence.
[Cole] A long drive back to Chicago.
[Barrett] Some flowers bought in the morning perhaps.
[Cole] And now Rollins mocking AJ Lee here.
[Barrett chuckles]
-I mean, that's pretty funny. -[Cole stammers] I didn't think so.
-I didn't get the joke, but… -[Barrett] No, I get you.
All right, humor's an individual thing.
Welcome back, AJ.
[crowd booing]
[chuckles]
[Cole] A lot of words running through my mind right now to call Seth Rollins.
[Barrett] I mean, this has been so bitter, that's the point.
[crowd booing]
[Cole] I mean, this is ridiculous. It's embarrassing.
[exclaims] And he's gonna pay for it!
Punk scooping Rollins up.
-Putting him in the GTS! -[Barrett] Boom!
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] But Punk can't capitalize, physically spent.
Hey, wake up. Wake up. Wake up.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Wake up. Please, please.
Hey, hey, hey.
[Barrett] The goading, the mockery went on just a beat too long,
and running on fumes,
CM Punk hits his nuclear missile right to the jaw.
[Cole] And now Becky trying to wake her husband up
as CM Punk tries to drag himself across the ring.
Becky Lynch does not want the tag to happen. AJ Lee…
[no audible dialogue]
Becky hanging on for dear life.
-Tag! -[Barrett] Uh-oh!
[Cole] Here comes AJ!
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Thesz Press!
AJ Lee, pummeling Lynch!
For the first time in a decade, AJ Lee in the ring.
[Barrett] Ten years plus of pent-up offense
exploding in the face of Becky Lynch.
There's no escape!
[Cole] And you got to admit, Becky Lynch deserves all of this.
[Barrett] The one thing Becky Lynch desperately was trying to avoid.
…two, three.
[Barrett] And there's no way out now.
[Cole] AJ Lee, a former three-time Divas champion,
held the title, uh, over 400 days during those three reigns.
[Barrett] An absolute trailblazer who made everyone believe that more was possible.
[crowd] …three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine…
[Cole] Uh-oh. AJ in trouble.
And takes down Becky!
Oh, and a big spin kick.
[Barrett] Just seamlessly getting back to the level she was at in the past.
How impressive is AJ Lee?
[Cole] AJ sliding under the bottom rope, now going to climb up top.
AJ Lee gonna fly crossbody to Lynch,
lateral press, hooks both legs…
Kick out!
[Barrett] AJ Lee is looking razor-sharp.
Take a look at this offense from AJ Lee, fully committed to that lateral press.
[crowd chanting] You still got it!
[Barrett] Took the words right out of my mouth, Indy.
[Cole] Interesting, uh, here in Indianapolis,
Becky Lynch has never won a match in this city.
[Barrett] Wild swing to the face of AJ Lee there, bought a little room.
[Cole] And Lee now having fun paintbrushing Lynch here.
[Barrett] Payback for what Lynch did to CM Punk.
[Cole] And look at AJ go, that unorthodox offensive style.
[Barrett] Just windmilling.
-[crowd booing] -[Cole] Uh-oh.
[Barrett] That was about the only thing that would stop AJ.
Do you understand me?
[Cole] Oh!
And now AJ Lee taking the fight to Rollins.
[Barrett] The ultimate payback.
-[Cole] And Becky… -[Barrett] Uh-oh.
[Cole] Looking for the Manhandle Slam. AJ Lee lands on her feet.
Kick right to the midsection of Lynch.
And now look at…
Oh, AJ taking out both Becky and Seth!
[no audible dialogue]
[Barrett] Going for that wheelbarrow bulldog, but…
-[Cole] Oh! -[Barrett] Oh!
Sliced bread! Two for the price of one!
[Cole] That was one of the most unique sliced bread I've ever seen.
[Barrett] It worked to perfection, but didn't quite get the job done.
What else have you got, AJ Lee?
AJ simply rolling, taking out anything that moves.
This tornado DDT with a little assist from Seth "Freakin" Rollins,
and then this sliced bread taking out two,
not quite putting away the intercontinental champ, Becky Lynch.
[Cole] And now Punk and AJ talking strategy.
Rollins and Lynch in the corner in trouble.
And AJ with a patented Punk running knee.
-[Barrett] Synchronized. -[Cole] And now the bulldogs!
And the Shining Wizard. That's AJ's move.
[Barrett] That is one tight power couple, ride or dies.
-[crowd cheering] -And this is the pro-level skip.
[Cole] Exactly. Seth, this is how it's done.
Looked like she was going for that Black Widow submission move.
And Becky Lynch, though, looking for her Disarm-Her.
AJ rolls her off and a kick out.
[Barrett] Now going for a ground-based version, Cole.
[Cole] Yes, indeed, and Becky Lynch in trouble.
You wonder if Becky's gonna tap out to this,
but great counter by Becky, turning it into a pinning combination.
Now AJ Lee, Black Widow time on Becky!
Can she completely lock it in, center of the ring?
Perhaps! What's Becky gonna do? Is she gonna tap out?
Punk didn't run interference on Rollins.
Takes down Rollins.
Step through.
-[Barrett] Trying to slap on a Sharp-- -[Cole] And he does! Sharpshooter!
Sharpshooter! Black Widow! Sharpshooter! Black Widow!
[Barrett] We might get a double tap out here.
[Cole] Rollins trying to make it to the rope,
dragged back to the center of the ring.
Punk and AJ…
Wow, uh, Rollins able to escape.
[Barrett] So inventive is Rollins. Not quite sure how he managed it.
[Cole] I think he raked the eyes.
And now Rollins is gonna break up the Black Widow.
Oh, this is uncalled for.
And a Black Widow there on Seth! A Black Widow on Seth!
Rollins into the Black Widow by AJ!
[Barrett] Well, Seth Rollins in agony,
but luckily for him, wifey's here to save the day.
[Cole] And a backsploder delivered to AJ Lee.
[Barrett] Pendulum swinging back and forth,
but it might be about to swing one way for good.
[Cole] And now it's, uh, the couple's turn to deliver a double pedigree.
And the dream for AJ Lee may be over.
Double cover.
Kick out by Lee and Punk.
[crowd cheering]
[Barrett] Well, somehow this one is still alive,
and the game plan for Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch
may be coming apart before our eyes.
That was supposed to be the end.
Well, in sync, you see Seth Rollins getting out of that Sharpshooter,
then connecting with a beautiful superkick to the jaw,
and then this backsploder to AJ Lee
before we hit the in-synchro pedigrees.
Somehow, we're still going.
[Cole] Over 15,000 tonight in Indianapolis.
-[Rollins] They are here because of us. -[Lynch] Because of us.
We're the main event. We're the champs.
[crowd booing]
[Cole] And now Rollins and Lynch…
You've got her?
[Cole] Are they gonna use Punk's own move against him?
[Barrett] No greater insult to beat a man with his own finishing move.
[Cole] Lynch and Rollins looking for the GTS.
-[Barrett] What a statement this would be. -[Cole] The Go 2 Sleep.
Punk, though, slips underneath, drives Rollins up over the top rope.
Both men hit the floor! Punk hit hard.
And now AJ with Lynch.
And that's a backsploder delivered to Becky Lynch.
[Barrett] Now AJ has all the time in the world
to concoct whatever she wants.
[Cole] And Seth Rollins now grabbing AJ Lee.
-Face first, Lee, into the mat. -[crowd booing]
[Cole] And rightfully so, the groans and boos…
Stop! Stopped by Punk!
Cover on Ro…
No! He's gonna mount Rollins and pound away.
Punk taking out all his anger.
And now Becky Lynch with a slap and a…
Uh-oh.
[Barrett] Punk saw exactly what Seth did to AJ and came unglued.
Understandably so.
[no audible dialogue]
[crowd clamoring]
[no audible dialogue]
[Cole] Was he looking for the Sharpshooter there?
Right hand by Rollins, Becky Lynch from behind.
Lynch down, nice takedown.
And Becky's gonna stomp the midsection of Punk,
leave a step through, maybe, into a Sharpshooter of her own.
Rolls Punk over, center of the ring.
[Barrett] And this is an image nobody was expecting.
[Cole] Becky Lynch with a Sharpshooter,
locked in to CM Punk to try to fight his way out of this.
[Barrett] Gonna power out.
A look of determination on that face.
[groans]
[Cole] And Lynch taken down by Punk and now begging off.
No! No!
[groaning]
[Cole] And now it's CM Punk's turn, Wade.
[Barrett] This might snap the back of Becky Lynch.
[Cole] And Rollins is not gonna allow that to happen.
And Seth Rollins setting up Punk for a pedigree!
Get up!
[Barrett] Here we go. You know what he's going for here, Michael Cole.
Finish the job for good.
[Cole] Stop! The CM Punk.
[Barrett] KO. Out cold.
[Cole] Rollins into the cover.
AJ Lee with a stomp of her own!
-Becky Lynch with a manhandle slam. -[Barrett] Oh!
[Cole] Cover, for the win!
-AJ barely stays in it. -[Barrett] Oh!
Such a late kick out.
We know the damage the manhandle slam did to AJ Lee a week ago.
[Cole] CM Punk not sure where he's at.
[Barrett] Well, this is completely up for grabs now.
All four competitors completely wiped out.
This should have been the end.
A stomp to CM Punk,
and if not for his ride or die, AJ Lee, with a stomp of her own,
it really was game over.
[Cole] And till Becky Lynch hit a manhandle slam
that AJ Lee was able to kick out of.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Critical moment in this match. Everyone down.
Becky making it back to her feet first.
[Barrett] Just can't predict anything from here.
All four competitors completely, completely done.
[Barrett] Becky Lynch is the only one who's got any fumes left in her body.
[grunting]
[Cole] AJ blocks and delivers a right of her own.
AJ Lee starting to fire back now at the intercontinental champion.
[Barrett] Driven purely by bitterness…
and anger and frustration.
This is so personal.
[all grunting]
[Cole] Now Punk gonna separate Becky from AJ.
Seth Rollins now takes the fight to CM Punk,
and they're brawling in the middle of the ring.
This fight's been all over the place.
[Barrett] So much hatred between these competitors.
Should've been over a long time ago.
I got this!
[Barrett] Animosity is a powerful driving force.
[Cole] AJ Lee said, "I got this." She wants Becky Lynch.
Now they're gonna brawl in the middle of the ring.
AJ Lee, Becky Lynch, Rollins and Punk now.
[Barrett] We've got ourselves dual hockey fights.
[Cole] And Rollins sent outside the ring. Becky Lynch sent outside the ring.
[Barrett] Getting the upper hand and now needing to make it count.
And Punk now sending Rollins right over our announce table.
[Barrett] Rollins is completely wiped. There's nothing left at all in the tank.
[Cole] Now AJ Lee, uh,
trying to determine what she's going to do next.
Who knows what's in her mind
as she tears apart the Spanish announce table.
[Barrett] We all gave up second-guessing AJ Lee many years ago.
-[Cole] Well, how are we gonna do our job? -[Barrett] You heard Punk. She's the boss.
CM Punk just following orders now from the wife.
[Cole] Uh, you'll learn quick. [chuckles]
And now Rollins put on the announce table by Punk.
AJ Lee with Becky Lynch on the Spanish announce table.
This is going to be bad, Wade. This is going to be real bad.
[Barrett] Lean as far back as I can. I don't like it at all.
And I assure you,
Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch really won't like what's about to happen.
[Cole] And they're gonna use Rollins's and Becky's moves.
Looking for a Pedigree and a Manhandle Slam,
but Rollins and Becky fighting back.
[Barrett] Seth once again going right to the eyes of CM Punk.
[Cole] And Punk fighting back again.
And, oh! Punk's got Rollins on his shoulders.
AJ Lee taking everybody down!
[Barrett] AJ Lee was thrown into Punk and Rollins by Becky Lynch.
[Cole] And now Becky Lynch trying to drag AJ Lee out of this…
the fray here… get her back in the ring to try to put this match away.
[Barrett] Utter carnage. Carcasses everywhere.
AJ Lee is not moving.
[Cole] Can you blame her?
She bounced off the announce table as it collapsed.
And now Becky Lynch…
went for the manhandle slam.
AJ turns it around into a Black Widow, the Black Widow submission.
Punk and Rollins are out. It's down to AJ Lee and Becky Lynch.
[Barrett] This is how AJ won all her championships in her career.
-[Cole] Tap out, tap out. -[bell rings]
-[Cole] Punk and AJ win. -[crowd cheering]
[Taylor] Here are your winners by submission,
the team of CM Punk
and AJ Lee.
[Cole] Ladies and gentlemen, AJ Lee is back.
What a gutsy performance
and, Wade, she just tapped out the women's intercontinental champion.
[Barrett] AJ Lee immediately back to her best,
competing with the best of this era,
who have got to where they are today because they are standing on the shoulders
of a diminutive giant named AJ Lee.
[Cole] CM Punk, uh, doing the choke sign
made famous by Reggie Miller and, of course, Tyrese Haliburton,
who's here tonight at ringside,
as he celebrates with his wife, AJ Lee.
What a return, Wade, for AJ Lee, here at WWE.
[Barrett] What a crowning moment of the power couple
of professional wrestling, CM Punk and AJ Lee.
[Lynch shouting]
[Cole] Watch this. You mentioned it.
Becky Lynch just throwing AJ Lee into Rollins and Punk,
and the table collapsing.
[Barrett] Such a heavy landing for all three.
And it was Becky Lynch, who should have had it won,
but this incredible reversal into the Black Widow by AJ Lee,
pulls out the dub on her triumphant return.
[pop music playing]
[Cole] And Punk and AJ Lee celebrate the victory tonight
at Wrestlepalooza.
[crowd cheering]
[no audible dialogue]
[crowd cheering]
[Barrett] Who would have pictured this scene two years ago?
[Cole] Two years ago? How about three months ago?
AJ and Punk. Soak it in, guys. Soak it in.
[music fades]
-[bell sounds] -[crowd cheering]
Steph.
-That seat open? -Wanna sit down?
No, is that seat open?
[fan] We'll make room.
Hang on, hang on. Excuse me, Steph.
-Have a seat. -Okay.
[sighs] I've never sat on this side before.
It's really fun. I'd recommend it.
Okay. Hey, um, last week, I was in Vegas for the fight.
-Yeah. -I turned around, and there you are.
Mm-hmm.
Now here I am at Wrestlepalooza in Indianapolis.
[crowd cheering]
I'm just trying to steal a chair.
And I come out, and here you are.
-Again. -Are you following me?
[crowd laughs]
I have followed you for a very long time, Undertaker.
-We… [chuckles] -[chuckles]
We have known each other for quite a long time.
Many, many, many, many, many years.
-We want to leave it there, don't we? -Yeah.
[both chuckling]
[sighs] I've always wanted to do this part too.
Are you ready?
-[crowd cheers] -[chuckles]
I said, are you ready?
-[crowd cheers] -[cheers]
Because it is my esteemed honor
to be able to induct you as the first member…
in the class of 2026
WWE Hall of Fame.
Can you do that?
[no audible dialogue]
We got you.
[Cole] What an incredible moment.
Stephanie McMahon and everything that she has done for…
for all of us here in WWE over the years, the leadership she's provided.
Getting in the ring, putting her body on the line.
Always there for everybody.
Stephanie McMahon deservedly will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Stephanie McMahon!
[Barrett] Culmination of an incredible career.
Congratulations, Stephanie McMahon.
[Cole] Stephanie will join her husband, Paul "Triple H" Levesque
in immortality enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame.
On a personal note…
I cannot tell you, Wade, what that woman there has meant for my career.
Without Stephanie, I'm probably not out here today.
Congratulations, Steph. You deserve it.
You guys are in trouble. You're in trouble.
[Cole] Well, ladies and gentlemen, coming up next, it is our main event.
Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes
battle the Undisputed WWE Championship.
The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes, who has vowed to carry this company
as its quarterback, is once again WWE champion.
[McIntyre] I am not the bad guy.
But if you provoke me, I'm the real nightmare.
[Barrett] We have a major incident here. Cody is in a bad way.
You got to get yours while you can. I want that WWE title.
I've been screwed up more times than I can count.
[Cole] Wrestlepalooza.
Cody Rhodes, the Undisputed WWE Champion,
who put the gold on the line against Drew McIntyre.
[Rhodes] Drew McIntyre!
I understand who you are. You've been WWE Champion.
At Wrestlepalooza, your legacy becomes the man who lost to me
for the WWE championship.
-[Cole] And McIntyre with a cheap shot. -[McIntyre] I'm taking that bloody title.
I deserve it. I have earned it!
[Cole] McIntyre's going to do what he did to Rhodes five weeks ago.
I'm not going to kick your head through the announce table again.
This match is happening, and I'm taking the one thing that means the most to you.
[Cole] Cody Rhodes launching himself onto McIntyre.
[McIntyre] I am not the bad guy.
But if you provoke me, I'm the real nightmare.
[rock music playing]
[roars]
[Cole] An extremely bitter Drew McIntyre
claims that Cody Rhodes has become obsessed
with being WWE champion,
that a paranoia has started to creep into Cody Rhodes's life
as he tries to please everyone from company officials to WWE fans.
His incessant need to be champion.
And Drew McIntyre says he's out here tonight, Wade,
to save Cody Rhodes,
to take the championship from him, to save Cody from himself.
[Barrett] While I take umbrage of your use of the word "bitter"
to describe Drew McIntyre,
there is not a man in this industry who could have been put through
what Drew has been put through over the past three years,
who would not inevitably become bitter.
Time and time again, Drew McIntyre has had his fingertips on the world championships,
only to be screwed over
by the likes of CM Punk, The Bloodline, Damian Priest, and we could go on.
Tonight is what Drew McIntyre has always wanted.
A clear one-on-one shot against the champ.
No interference, Drew wins, the dark clouds leave this evening.
[Cole] Listen, some of that Drew McIntyre brought upon himself.
-[Barrett] In what way? -[screams]
[Barrett] McIntyre getting booed out of the building
when he carried this company on his shoulders during the darkest era in COVID.
Where's the gratitude? Where's the respect?
[Cole] Hey, you've got to give respect to show it, Wade.
[Barrett] McIntyre gave respect when he put the company on his back in 2020,
bled for this company.
[Cole] How long is he going to do that song and dance?
-[rock music playing] -[crowd cheering]
Yeah!
[bell rings]
The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
[crowd] One fall!
And is for the Undisputed
WWE Championship!
Introducing first, the challenger.
From Ayr, Scotland,
weighing in
at 275 pounds,
Drew McIntyre!
And his opponent.
From Atlanta, Georgia.
Weighing in at 222 pounds.
He is the Undisputed
WWE Champion.
The American Nightmare,
-Cody Rhodes! -[shouts]
[Cole] The tremendous Alicia Taylor
with the ring announcement for our main event tonight
for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
It had been quite the ride for Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.
The first time they shared a ring together was back in 2010.
[crowd chanting]
[Cole] Later on that year, they would become tag team partners.
They'd go on to win tag team championship gold together.
In fact, they defended the tag title successfully in this town of Indianapolis.
[no audible dialogue]
[Cole] Cody won the tag titles with Jey Uso here in Indianapolis.
He beat Kevin Owens in a latter match at the Royal Rumble earlier this year here.
And tonight, his first title defense since winning back the world title
from John Cena at SummerSlam.
Rhodes and McIntyre one-on-one for the title.
[laughs] Oh.
What are you gonna do? Let's go!
[shouts]
[Cole] And now a nice waistlock by Cody Rhodes.
Remember what McIntyre said coming into this matchup, Wade?
He wanted to do this the right way.
[Barrett] It certainly started out that way and there's a clean break.
[Cole] A clean break. The official, Ryan Tran,
asking Cody to come out of the corner.
Now McIntyre with that high elbow.
[Barrett] Cody who came out the aggressor in this one,
which really isn't in his nature.
He's a technician. He's a mover.
You don't want to go blow for blow with someone bigger and stronger
than you, like McIntyre.
[Cole] But let's not forget what McIntyre did.
The Claymore through the announce table cost Cody Rhodes five weeks of his career.
Oh, nice drop down and there's the right hand by Cody Rhodes,
aggressive out of the gate. And a nice takedown. Headlock takedown by McIntyre.
[Barrett] That's Cody's mistake, and Drew has completely suckered him into that.
It's one thing being angry, it's one thing trying to get vengeance,
but it's another thing to step out of what you are good at and into the world
that your opponent specializes in.
[Cole] Wade, you were brought up with these two.
Training, of course, down at FCW.
What went wrong between Cody and Drew?
[Barrett] The truth is what went wrong is far more recent than any of that.
They are both former punch lines in this industry, jokes ten years ago,
who both had to go away into obscurity and climb the mountain from the very bottom.
They've both done that, but in McIntyre's eyes, oh, he had the more arduous climb,
whereas Cody has been propped up thanks to his last name
and the WWE machine being behind it.
[Cole] That's one way to look at it, but the Bionic Elbow delivered
by the American Nightmare. Homage to his dad, the American Dream.
And Cody Rhodes fired up here tonight. Cody Rhodes has earned this.
-Cody Rhodes… Uh-oh, wait a minute. -[Barrett] Oh…
There's something off with Cody.
[Cole] Cody stumbling out of the box. Hit the Cody Cutter, however.
[Barrett] I saw this a couple of times. I didn't say it. There's something off.
[Cole] Cover by Rhodes,
and a kick out by Drew. What do you mean something's off?
[Barrett] Well, he's just a half-step behind where he normally is.
That wasn't the first time that's happened in the match.
There's been a couple of moments here where Cody wasn't as crisp and speedy
when he's had the upper hand.
[Cole] You think it has something to do with being his first match back
since being driven through the announce table by McIntyre?
[Barrett] There's an element of ring rust.
It is only five weeks, though, which for the most part,
a competitor at Cody's level, that isn't a huge deal.
It's something you can normally skip over fairly easily,
but I'm keeping an eye on this now.
[Cole] McIntyre fighting out of it.
Cody Rhodes still in control though.
McIntyre with authority. The arm drag.
McIntyre sent over the top rope. So agile for a big man.
Cody now!
[Barrett] Yeah, McIntyre is simply a cheat code.
280 pounds of rippling muscle that moves like a cruiserweight.
[Cole] Yeah, that Disaster Kick by Rhodes.
And now, Cody, with a Suicide Dive to McIntyre driving McIntyre to the floor.
[Barrett] He seems to be shaking off whatever cobwebs were there earlier on
and seems back in rare form.
And Cody again, Suicide Dive. McIntyre able to intercept him
and now driving Cody spine first to the post.
[Barrett] Cody just underestimating the size and power of Drew McIntyre
and now tasting it firsthand.
[Cole] McIntyre just swinging Rhodes over the Spanish announce table.
[Barrett] Practically cleared the table.
That was so effortless from McIntyre, and look at the dark pits of the eyes
after a slight bounce on the table,
catching the edge which may have caused some real damage
to the lower back of Cody Rhodes.
And remember, McIntyre understands Rhodes has the champion's advantage.
He's got to get him in the ring and pin and submit Cody to win the gold.
Right now McIntyre in control of Rhodes who again just collapses to his knees.
[Barrett] You know what, we saw what happened on SmackDown last night.
There was a boot to the face. There was a stomp to the head.
Rhodes, on the ground, and I think Cody is really showing some of that--
He got his bell rung yesterday and it's affected him in this,
and we're admiring the power of McIntyre, but that is not the full story here.
[Cole] You think that has something to do with what happened last night?
[Barrett] Well, Cody doesn't seem to be playing with his usual full deck.
[Cole] And now McIntyre again with a belly to belly throw, sending Rhodes across
the ring and Drew McIntyre is having his way with the WWE champion right now.
Drew predicted this. He said it was going to be a bad night for Cody.
[Barrett] Well, Drew has stacked the deck by the attack on Cody last night.
That stomp to the head against the ground I think
has left some lingering effects in the brain of Cody Rhodes,
and he's now fighting through the fog to try and get a little clarity,
and it's a fight he's losing.
[Cole] But, Wade… [stammers] …also McIntyre has made it very…
very clear about the fact that he believes Cody Rhodes
has stretched himself very thin.
All the media appearances and…
[Barrett] Oh, God. Look at Cody's schedule just this past week.
[Cole] Oh, and post!
Shoulder to the post for McIntyre, and Cody buys himself some time.
[Barrett] Cody needs time more than anything right now.
I'm looking at him. The guy's wobbly. He looks like he's had ten pints of beer,
and that is not a good thing in the early goings of
a championship matchup against McIntyre.
[Cole] Cody now with a kick to the face of McIntyre.
Rhodes has not lost a match since WrestleMania
as he's bounced face first off the apron.
[Barrett] Right on the hardest part of the ring headfirst,
and if there weren't issues before, there certainly are now.
And McIntyre's about to exacerbate the problem.
-[Tran] No, don't do that! -[Cole] With Cody Rhodes.
[Tran] Don't do it, no!
[Cole] Oh, no, not to the steps. Not to the steps, Drew.
Alabama Slam onto the steel steps.
[Barrett] And this is just a master class from McIntyre.
He knows the weakness. He smells it.
[Cole] Into the cover, smelling the championship.
And a kick out at two.
[Barrett] McIntyre doing exactly what you need to do against the best.
Spot the weakness and attack, attack, attack.
[Cole] Bob Holly would be proud of that as McIntyre now mounts Rhodes
and the big right hands from the Scottish warrior.
And look at Cody trying to cover up now from the attack by McIntyre,
just trying to protect himself here.
[Barrett] Living dangerously now is Cody Rhodes
who may, as you said, Cole, have stretched himself far too thinly
and completely underestimated the threat of the Scottish psychopath.
[Cole] Well, Cody hasn't been able to put together any sustained offense tonight.
I mean, he looked good for about two minutes in the early goings
and then the cobwebs came to the fore.
[Cole] And this right here is the pace that McIntyre wants.
Man goes 6'6", 280 pounds.
Cody Rhodes though climbs the ropes, hooks McIntyre.
And again, Cody's showing some flashes here in this match
-with a superplex. -[Barrett] Oh, no!
Oh, look, even if you execute that move, you take a hell of a landing yourself,
and Cody smashed hit the back of his head against the mat on the landing.
Don't watch Drew.
Drew takes an impact, but watch Cody's head.
That's what hit. And Cody hasn't moved since.
[Cole] And you're still concerned after the head injury
he suffered last night at the hands of McIntyre.
[Barrett] It's 100% it. Look, I've been in there before.
Normally that happens, you need at least a week off.
Cody didn't get that. He doesn't have that luxury.
[Cole] Twenty-four hours off.
This is for the… the WWE Championship,
Undisputed live at Wrestlepalooza in Indianapolis
in front of 15,000 plus at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
And now McIntyre and Rhodes exchanging blows in the middle of the ring.
Rhodes showing some fight.
[Barrett] Well, Cody's not thinking here. He's just reacting.
[Cole] He reacted well there, stunning McIntyre,
now up over the top for Rhodes again,
went right back to his head, but he was able to deliver a power slam.
[Barrett] It's like the worst migraine in history
buzzing through the brain of Cody Rhodes,
and somehow he's got to figure out a path of victory here
against one of the absolute best in McIntyre.
[Cole] And again, slow to his feet.
Cody Cutter… Oh, second rope caught him with a Disaster Kick instead.
Cody Rhodes is starting to build momentum now
against the number-one contender.
[Barrett] But it's a slow momentum
due to this mental issue that Cody apparently has.
Trying to stack offense is almost impossible in this condition.
[Cole] Off the second rope yet again.
Went for the Cody Cutter, and he was slammed down.
And he took out McIntyre.
What a move by Cody Rhodes
who once again could be closing in on the win in this matchup.
[Barrett] Yeah, you could tell McIntyre tried to power Cody in that one,
tried to hold him off. He just didn't have enough strength.
[Cole] Cody was able to capitalize.
And now Rhodes…
-McIntyre fights out of it. -[Barrett] Nice.
Nice knee to the head there again, rocking the brain of Cody.
[Cole] Kick to the face by Rhodes. Second rope now for the champion.
McIntyre with a Glasgow Kiss!
Remember, he delivered that last night, the end of the contract signing.
[Barrett] McIntyre knew exactly how to hurt Cody,
how to take Cody out of his game,
and it has worked a treat.
High above the ring, McIntyre and Rhodes.
McIntyre pulling out all the stops.
[Barrett] Not that common that you see McIntyre taking an opponent up top
or maybe a page out of Sheamus's playbook.
[Cole] It could be white noise time.
Cody high above the ring. White Noise by McIntyre!
-Cover now to win the WWE Championship! -One, two…
[Cole] And a kick out.
[Barrett] Sheamus just threw his can of Guinness at the TV in anger,
almost as an angry as McIntyre.
When Cody kicked out of that, what a massive impact again on the back
of the neck and the head of Cody Rhodes.
[Cole] Over 15,000 here tonight.
This is our main event for the Undisputed WWE title.
A kip-up by McIntyre, just an incredible athlete.
[Barrett] One man able to shake off the cobwebs, one man not.
[Cole] And McIntyre could be looking
-for the Claymore to put Cody Rhodes away… -[crowd] Three, two, one!
…and win the championship.
Rhodes, though, able to counter, stacking up McIntyre.
Kick out by Drew.
[Barrett] Attempted a power bomb, didn't get all of it,
but enough to get out the way.
[Cole] Oh, and again, a Glasgow Kiss by Drew.
And McIntyre with the Claymore.
Cody rolled out of harm's way.
Cody Rhodes now looking for the Figure 4.
[Barrett] And locked in. McIntyre a long way from any ropes here.
[Cole] Cody's got the Figure 4 locked in well.
McIntyre, the only thing he can do is perhaps roll on his belly and…
[Barrett] McIntyre close to tapping out here.
[Cole] Cody's got it locked in. Will McIntyre tap?
[Barrett] This is so good for Cody.
Not only has he put Drew in jeopardy. He's also buying
-a chance to mentally recover. -[screams] Come on! Come on!
[Cole] Cody's screaming at McIntyre.
[Barrett] Cody needs a tap out here in the worst way
and one jab to the jaw, and it looks like Cody got knocked out cold.
[Cole] Yeah, McIntyre caught him flush on the jaw.
[Barrett] I mean, normally I think Cody could shrug that off,
but he's so beaten up mentally.
He's really, really struggling tonight.
This is not the usual Cody Rhodes.
[Cole] The official, Ryan Tran, checking on the champion.
Cody's eyes are glassy.
[Barrett] Can't even defend himself. That is why the ref may need to step in.
[Cole] If the ref does step in, then we've got a new champ.
And McIntyre ripping the protective pad off the turnbuckle, exposing the steel.
I've gotta put it back on. Come on.
[Cole] The official's saying, "I've gotta put it back on."
-McIntyre tosses it out into the entrance. -What are you doing?
[Barrett] No respect for authority. Why should he?
He's on a mission tonight to win gold, not friends.
[Cole] Rhodes now hooks McIntyre.
Looking for the Cross Rhodes, and then into the corner.
The official rolls out of harm's way.
McIntyre's got Rhodes pinned. Back into the ring!
[Cole] And a kick out by Rhodes.
[Barrett] That was a count of eight! That was a count…
What did the referee get out of the ring for?
[Cole] He's trying to avoid disaster. And now Cody turns it into Cross Rhodes.
-Cover by Cody Rhodes. And a-- -One, two…
[Cole] A two-count and a kick out by McIntyre.
Just got the shoulder up.
[Barrett] McIntyre had this match won.
Let me see this again. What was this referee doing?
[Cole] The official had to get out of harm's way, saving himself there.
[Barrett] Well, Drew had the match won. That's a pin.
The referee should never have gone out the ring.
It's the first rule of refereeing.
You don't get out of the ring unless the competitors do.
[Cole] And Cody was able to use that exposed turnbuckle.
McIntyre though, still able to kick out of the Cross Rhodes.
[Barrett] Well, if McIntyre does not win this match,
he will have a major bone of contention with this official.
[Cole] Cody off the second row, and McIntyre slamming Cody to the mat
as he went for the Cody Cutter.
[Barrett] It's exactly what McIntyre tried earlier.
Didn't work back then, did the second time.
[Cole] McIntyre over the top. And he caught Cody hard.
[Barrett] Drew McIntyre was never designed to throw
that kind of offense, but it worked.
[Cole] Rhodes back into the ring quickly.
McIntyre looking to put Cody away, putting him in position
for a Claymore kick that connects.
-McIntyre crawls to the cover. -One, two…
[Cole] So close to winning the world title.
[Barrett] God, that Claymore practically knocked Cody Rhodes out of his boots.
How the hell did Cody kick out there?
[Cole] Looking for his fourth World Championship.
Almost pinned the Undisputed WWE Champ there.
[Barrett] But now McIntyre in despair. From despair to where
if you're gonna win gold tonight, Drew.
[Cole] But Drew's got to stay focused now.
He's got this match completely under control.
[Barrett] The dark clouds are all forming in the mind of McIntyre,
who is convinced the world is against him.
[Cole] And again he calls Rhodes paranoid.
Cody trying to regain himself on the Spanish announce table.
Drew McIntyre now with the right hand, and Cody can hardly stand, Wade.
[Barrett] Do not like the look in the eye of Drew McIntyre.
The eyes have narrowed and…
[Cole] Yeah, and he realizes where Cody is.
Remember what happened to Cody Rhodes when he was in this position last month?
And official Ryan Tran who witnessed that that night
is going to make sure that it doesn't happen again.
[Tran shouting indistinctly]
[Cole] Ryan Tran knew the damage that McIntyre did to Cody Rhodes
the last time he attempted this.
[Barrett] But wait, it's a legal move.
[Cole] Oh, no! Cody rolled out of harm's way!
Drew McIntyre kicked out the announce table and injured his right leg.
[Barrett] Why did the referee get in the way?
It was completely legal for Drew to attack.
[Cole] Human compassion?
[Barrett] Drew may have snapped his shin. Where's the compassion for Drew?
Drew McIntyre is the one that delivered the offensive move,
and he can hardly stand now.
And you're right, McIntyre could have a broken leg here.
[Barrett] That would have connected with the head of Rhodes
if not for this damn official once again.
[Cole] McIntyre can barely stand
trying to drag himself into the ring to beat the count.
McIntyre back to his feet.
Cody Rhodes second row. Oh, and a Glasgow Kiss caught Rhodes!
[Barrett] McIntyre can barely stand, but he's still throwing offense,
and he's still dreaming of winning that championship.
[Cole] Looking for the Claymore but his… his bad leg gave out on him.
Cody Rhodes with a Super Cutter!
[Barrett] Cody Rhodes does not need a second invite.
[Cole] Cody fired up.
Cross Rhodes.
Cover.
[crowd] One, two, three!
-[Cole] Cody retains! -[bell rings]
[Taylor] Here is your winner
and still the Undisputed
WWE Champion,
The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes!
[Cole] I get your point about McIntyre maybe having the match won,
but at the end of the day, you've got to applaud the fight,
the guts, the resilience of the American Nightmare Cody Rhodes
retaining the championship tonight.
[Barrett] No doubt about it.
Maximum respect for Cody Rhodes, as always, QB1.
For a reason, but the postmortem of this match, there are going to be
major questions for how Drew McIntyre is not currently holding the gold.
This was brilliant from Cody, kicking out from the Claymore.
We know how tough Cody Rhodes is.
[Cole] That's what McIntyre needs, something else to complain about.
[Barrett] Well, this is the referee getting involved for no reason,
taking a beat that cost McIntyre, almost broke his leg.
[Cole] Well, McIntyre would still get Cody Rhodes with the Glasgow Kiss.
He was going for the… the kill shot here, but his legs gave out on him.
[Barrett] Gave out because he smashed it through the table moments earlier.
And that window, when it was opened, Cody Rhodes knew victory was in sight
and made no mistakes.
One Cross Rhodes later and a successful retention
-against all odds for Cody Rhodes. -[crowd] One, two, three!
[Cole] Cody Rhodes wins his first title defense
since winning back the championship at SummerSlam.
[Barrett] McIntyre getting some urgent medical care from our doctor.
[Cole] Cody Rhodes celebrates a new era.
What a night. odes celebrates a new era.