Good evening Straight Shoot family. As we head into a massive week for WWE, SmackDown gave us a focused, character driven show that sharpened the edges heading into Survivor Series. From Ilja Dragunov and Axiom lighting up the ring with one of the best US Title matches of the year, to Jey Uso and LA Knight advancing in Cena’s Last Time Is Now tournament, the blue brand brought the right blend of momentum and drama.

Sami Zayn is officially cleared and returned with backup. Jade Cargill continued her reign of dominance. Cody Rhodes put his title on the line with zero hesitation. And the final image of Drew McIntyre standing tall beside The Vision added real fuel to the WarGames fire.

And that is not all. In this special Sunday edition, MrTeshk breaks down one of the most unusual, polarizing, and historic title runs in modern wrestling: Mercedes Moné’s global championship avalanche. Thirteen active belts. One unstoppable superstar. And a long list of questions that the wrestling world is whispering.

Let’s get into the full breakdown.

P.S. Want to listen instead? Hit Listen Online at the top right of your email.

Location: MVP Arena, Albany, NY
Tone: A solid episode with one standout US Title match, a strong tourney outing from Zack Ryder, and a closing angle that finally made The Vision feel like a true WarGames level threat.

🔥 Opening Segment Rhea, Iyo, Alexa, and Charlotte Walks Out
Segment Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky set the tone with strong WarGames energy. Alexa Bliss stepped forward immediately to join the babyface side, which helped ground the segment. The spark came when Charlotte Flair refused to join the group, saying she did not trust Rhea and would not pretend otherwise. It created real emotional weight and vulnerability for the face team heading into Survivor Series.

🕛 Last Time Is Now Tournament Round 1 Jey Uso def Miz
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐¼

Miz jumped Jey before the bell and even mocked John Cena with the Five Moves of Doom. Strong nearfalls, clean structure, and a decisive comeback. Jey kicked out of the Skull Crushing Finale and finished Miz with authority. Exactly the kind of win he needs if he is going to feel like a real contender for Cena.

🇷🇺 Ilja Chooses Axiom Over Ciampa
Segment Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Ilja reframed the US Title as a belt with honor, not ego. Instead of choosing Ciampa, he picked Axiom for embodying the spirit of competition. Simple and effective. Elevated Axiom, nudged Ciampa toward bitterness, and reinforced Ilja as a champion with actual standards.

🏆 United States Championship Ilja Dragunov def Axiom
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Match of the night. Axiom leaned into precision and creativity, while Ilja answered with pure violence and grit. The springboard flip DDT and the Spanish Fly were believable near finishes. Ilja survived everything and closed with Torpedo Moscow into the H Bomb. No fluke. No shortcuts. One of the best TV matches SmackDown has had in weeks.

🧨 Sami Zayn Is Cleared
Segment Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Sami delivered heartfelt emotion, speaking about guilt, frustration, and being forced to watch the MFTs run wild while injured. Solo Sikoa responded with cold disrespect, calling Sami weak and selfish. Sami finally revealed he was cleared, and the fight broke out instantly. Nakamura, Rey Fenix, and the Motor City Machine Guns arriving for backup was a great TV moment. Later made official as a Survivor Series elimination match.

📜 Cody, Aldis, Heyman, and Bronson Reed
Segment Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Heyman flexed contract loopholes that allow Vision members to move across brands. Cody cut through everything and demanded a WWE Title match with Reed on the spot. Brave, reckless, classic babyface energy. Strong piece of connective tissue toward WarGames.

🕛 Last Time Is Now Tournament Round 1 LA Knight def Zack Ryder
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐¼

Ryder got a big reaction and wrestled like someone who has evolved since leaving WWE, but the presentation stayed fully Zack Ryder instead of blending in Matt Cardona. Knight closed strong with a sit out powerbomb into the BFT. Fun match, but WWE left a bigger moment on the table.

💥 Women’s WarGames Backstage Attack
Segment Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆

Nia Jax, Lash Legend, Asuka, and Kairi Sane blindsided the babyface trio backstage, leaving them laid out. Effective beat to re establish the heels as dangerous and justify the faces needing more backup. Solid progression for the women’s WarGames build.

👑 WWE Women’s Championship Jade Cargill def B Fab
Match Rating: ⭐⭐¼

A short, decisive showcase. B Fab got a brief flurry, but Jade crushed her with powerbombs and Jaded. Michin stepping in post match set up the next challenger, though the division still needs a true long term rival for Jade.

🔥 Undisputed WWE Championship Cody Rhodes vs Bronson Reed (Cody retains via DQ)
In Ring Rating: ⭐⭐
Post Match Angle Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Quick, physical TV match designed to lead to the angle. Reed dominated early, Cody rallied, and once they hit the floor, Bron Breakker blew it up. Logan Paul joined. Jimmy and Jey made the save. Then Drew McIntyre stormed in and destroyed everyone, closing the show by aligning with The Vision. Heyman presenting Drew as the new soldier of the group was the exact final beat this WarGames build needed.

📅 Next Week
Carmelo Hayes vs Bronson Reed
Penta vs Finn Balor
Fraxiom vs DIY
More Survivor Series progression

🥇 Performer of the Night Ilja Dragunov
Another fantastic US Title defense, another opponent elevated.

🥈 Match of the Night Ilja Dragunov vs Axiom
Creative, crisp, and filled with believable nearfalls.

🥉 Pop of the Night Zack Ryder’s Return
And it could have been even louder with a blended Cardona presentation.

❌ Biggest Miss Not Using Matt Cardona’s Persona
A guaranteed viral moment that WWE only half used.

📊 Final Straight Shoot Verdict
7.5 out of 10
Strong US Title match, fun tournament action, meaningful Sami Zayn development, and a closing angle that made The Vision feel like a real supervillain squad. With a stronger Cardona presentation and a real rival for Jade, this show would be close to must watch.

A Special Edition Deep Dive into Wrestling’s Most Puzzling Championship Run

Mercedes Moné is not just on a hot streak. She is on one of the most unprecedented, almost unbelievable, championship tears the wrestling world has ever seen. Thirteen active titles. Multiple continents. A trophy case bigger than some entire promotions. And a PWI Women’s Wrestler of the Year award to cap it off.

In any other era, we would be talking about the final chapter of a once in a lifetime career. A victory lap. A gold plated farewell tour.

But this is Mercedes Moné.
Formerly Sasha Banks.
Already a Hall of Famer in everything but ceremony.
Already cemented as a generational figure long before this avalanche of belts started.

Which leads us to the real question:
Why thirteen titles?
And what exactly does any of this mean?

This is the special edition you did not know you needed.
Let us break this down.

Mercedes built her legacy the hard way. Her WWE run alone rewrote the modern history of women’s wrestling. From the NXT revolution to the main roster classics, from WrestleMania main events to era defining rivalries, she earned every piece of her reputation.

When she left WWE, she did not need validation.

She did not need global title collecting.
She did not need to take championships from ten different countries.
She did not need to rack up belts like Infinity Stones.

But that is exactly what has happened.

Mexico. Japan. The United Kingdom. Southeast Asia. Canada. Denmark. Scotland.
United States indies. AEW. ROH.

Thirteen titles.
One wrestler.
Zero sign of slowing down.

Impressive? Absolutely.
Historic? Without question.
Confusing? Very.

Across the global wrestling ecosystem, a genuine debate has emerged.

Promotions want the Moné rub.
The name alone sells tickets and garners coverage.

She brings:

• Immediate worldwide attention
• A spotlight that smaller companies dream of
• Social media amplification
• Potential crossover exposure from AEW television
• Instant legitimacy to a lesser known championship

But here is the danger:

If she wins a title and only appears once or twice, the belt stops feeling important inside that promotion.
The division stagnates.
The local talent pool gets suffocated.

Popularity is great.
But prestige is earned by consistent presence and credible defenses.
Many of these belts are not getting that.

Some promotions are gaining a press release, not a champion.

At House of Glory’s SuperClash in Brentwood, New York, Mercedes defeated Nor Phoenix Diana to win the APAC Women’s Championship. It was a solid match. Diana hit her big signature. Mercedes fired back using her veteran savvy. The Moné Maker sealed it.

But the most striking part came before the match even started.

The ring announcer listed all twelve of Mercedes’ existing championships before announcing this thirteenth opportunity. The crowd buzzed. The commentators shook their heads in awe. It was a spectacle.

However, the conversation afterward was less triumphant and more puzzled.

Why is one of the largest stars in the world collecting belts from places she barely appears?

Why is every promotion in the world comfortable handing her their top prize?

And how many of these companies expected her to defend these titles regularly?

It was impressive, yes.
It was also deeply unusual.
Even for pro wrestling.

Here is the difference.

In AEW, Mercedes is booked like an actual champion.

She is:

• The TBS Champion
• The 2025 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Winner
• The Interim ROH Women’s Television Champion
• A central figure in a critically acclaimed program with Kris Statlander
• A frequent title defender
• An active cornerstone of AEW’s division

And this week, she has two massive matches:

Wednesday: ROH Women’s TV Title unification vs Red Velvet
Saturday at Full Gear: AEW Women’s World Title match vs Kris Statlander

These are meaningful.
These matter.
These are real stakes.

Outside AEW, the significance is harder to justify.

Mercedes Moné currently holds:

• AEW TBS Championship
• Owen Hart Cup Championship
• ROH Interim Women’s Television Championship
• CMLL World Women’s Championship
• RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Championship
• EWA Women’s Championship
• PTW Women’s Championship
• BestYa Women’s Championship
• Queen of Southside Championship
• Discovery Wrestling Scottish Women’s Championship
• BODYSLAM Women’s Championship
• Winnipeg Pro Wrestling Women’s Championship
• APAC Women’s Championship

Never in modern wrestling has a performer held this type of global portfolio at once.

Thrilling? Yes.
But structurally questionable.

The positives:

• Increased visibility for smaller promotions
• Mainstream eyes on indie scenes
• Opportunities for cross promotional buzz
• The prestige of sharing a ring with a world class name

The negatives:

• Local champions lose their shot at multi month programs
• Belts become ornamental instead of symbolic
• Divisions stall without their top title present
• Storylines collapse when the champion is unavailable

In AEW and CMLL, the run works.
In many other places, it muddies the waters.

Mercedes Moné is in the middle of one of the wildest, most ambitious championship runs ever recorded in pro wrestling. Thirteen titles. Thirteen stories. Thirteen controversies.

This is a landmark moment for her legacy.
But it is also a moment filled with contradictions.

A thirteen title run looks iconic on paper.
Whether it lifts the industry or dilutes it is still unclear.

One thing is certain:

Mercedes Moné has never been more powerful, more influential, or more intriguing. Her run will be remembered forever. The question is what the long term impact will be on every belt caught in her gravitational pull.

This is history in real time.
Chaotic. Complex. And very Moné.

More Two Sense breakdowns coming this week.
Stay locked in.

The ropes are tightening, the lights are dimming, and before we close out this edition of Straight Shoot Unfiltered, Darrion and MrTeshk have one final question for the entire community:

What do YOU want this newsletter to become next?

Straight Shoot started as a passion project. A space for fans who wanted honesty. A spot where storylines get dissected, chaos gets celebrated, and the truth gets told whether the internet loves it or hates it. This community has grown fast, louder than ever, and the energy you bring every day is what turns this into more than a newsletter. It becomes a movement.

So now it is your turn to take the book.

What do YOU want to see more of?

Do you want:

• Deeper storyline breakdowns and long-term booking analysis
• Behind the scenes reporting and injury updates
• More AEW, NXT, TNA, NJPW, STARDOM, and indie coverage
• Weekly power rankings and prediction columns
• Business-side insight into contracts, TV deals, and company strategy
• Fan stories, live event diaries, and community features
• Mailbags, Q&A sections, or spotlight segments
• Quick hitter recaps or full-length editorial features

You tell us the vision, and we will create it.

Straight Shoot has always been powered by the people reading it. Your reactions. Your debates. Your passion for this ridiculous, brilliant, emotional circus we all love.

So here it is. The official callout.

If you have an idea, a request, a gripe, or something you wish we covered more often, email us directly at:

[email protected]

Do not hold back. Tell us what stays. Tell us what changes. Tell us what you want us to build next.

Darrion’s Drop:
This whole thing works because of you. The memes, the moments, the madness, the heat, the hype. You shape the pulse of Straight Shoot.

MrTeshk’s Two Sense:
This community decides the direction. We deliver the product. And together, we turn this newsletter into the most must-read voice in wrestling media.

Your turn, Straight Shoot family.
What do you want next?

Yo Wrestling Fam! 👊

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Be Good People🤘
mr.teshk

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