Good evening, wrestling fans 👊

The road to Survivor Series and Full Gear was a wild one. SmackDown turned Denver into a crime scene with Cody bleeding on his own bus, Drew McIntyre losing his mind, and Ilja Dragunov putting on yet another clinic. AEW countered with its signature carnage — thumbtacks, ladders, blood, and a Mark Briscoe redemption arc that reminded fans why the man bleeds for this business.

But before diving into all that, the Straight Shoot crew wants to take a moment to thank MrTeshk — who somehow found time to write two full reviews before playing quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tonight. We appreciate the grind, Baker… sorry, Teshk. Just make sure you’re watching out for those blitzes.

Now buckle up — we’ve got MSG-level chaos, AEW insanity, and one more massive highlight to close this week: Anime Empire has officially joined the Straight Shoot team. The visuals, storytelling, and art direction are about to go nuclear. Welcome aboard.

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Location: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
Tone: Chaotic, violent, and locked in on WarGames. A gritty 7.8 out of 10 with real momentum heading into Survivor Series.

💥 The Vision’s Power Play and Drew’s Cold Attack
Segment Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

SmackDown opened with Heyman preaching destruction while Breakker, Reed, and Logan Paul stood behind him like soldiers waiting for orders. The Vision felt dangerous before anyone threw a punch. Then everything snapped into place when cameras cut outside to Cody Rhodes dangling from his bus, blood pouring down his face. Drew McIntyre stood over him like a man convinced he is the hero of his own story. No escape. No hesitation. Just spite.

Cody got his receipts later, but the message was sent. One week from WarGames, Drew looks more unhinged and motivated than ever. And that is exactly what this build needed.

🇷🇺 United States Championship
Ilja Dragunov def JD McDonagh
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Another week, another Dragunov masterclass. Thirteen straight TV defenses and every one feels different. JD pushed him to the edge with crisp counters, a wild moonsault, and a nasty over the top rope suplex. Ilja wrestled like he loved the pain, bleeding, smiling, and begging for more.

Hard hitting, violent, dramatic. Best match of the night. Dragunov is carrying this brand.

🕛 Last Time Is Now Tournament
Carmelo Hayes def Bronson Reed
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐¼

Athleticism versus mass. Interference versus survival. A proper go home style tournament match. Melo fought from underneath all match and Reed looked like a freight train until Cody limped back out, still bleeding, and hit CrossRhodes on the floor to swing momentum. Melo capitalized clean.

Chaotic, messy, and exactly the tone you want one week before WarGames.

⚙️ Fraxiom vs DIY
Match Rating: ⭐⭐¾

A fun, chaotic sprint with plenty of flash. Fraxiom still wrestle like a highlight reel more than a team, but DIY kept everything grounded with timing and ring IQ. The Candice mask pull finish was clever and kept everyone strong. Not essential viewing, but a good TV match.

🩸 Tournament Round 1
Penta def Finn Balor
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐¼

A big win for Penta and a strong match for both. Balor controlled the pacing early, Penta fired back with creativity and impact, and the closing stretch flowed well. The Mexican Destroyer sealed it clean. Penta advancing gives the bracket real intrigue heading into next week.

👑 Women’s WarGames Build
Becky Lynch Turns Heel
Angle Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

This landed perfectly. Rhea Ripley kept things steady with a grounded promo, AJ Lee walked out to back up the babyfaces, and then Becky struck. A blindside assault that shocked the crowd and instantly shifted the power dynamic.

Heel Becky is money.
AJ as the emotional anchor works.
The heel squad standing tall was the right call one week before WarGames.

🥇 Performer of the Night
Ilja Dragunov
Another brilliant, violent, top tier title defense.

🥈 Performer #2
Penta
Pulled off a clean, meaningful win over a major name.

🥉 Performer #3
Cody Rhodes
Blood, fire, and a defiant return in the middle of chaos.

❌ Biggest Miss of the Night
Drew not appearing in the arena after the ambush.
The attack ruled. The follow up could have hit another level if he walked into the building like nothing happened.

📊 Final Straight Shoot Verdict
7.8 out of 10
Ilja delivered again. Penta stepped up. Cody poured gasoline on WarGames. The tournament stayed entertaining. But the real win was energy. SmackDown felt dangerous, unpredictable, and fully locked in on the final stretch before Survivor Series.

Next week, the cage closes. Someone is about to step up and become the face of this brand.

— MrTeshk | Straight Shoot Unfiltered

Location: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Tone: Bloody, chaotic, overstuffed, and absolutely AEW. A violent 8.0 out of 10 with three matches carrying the company on their backs.

💀 TNT Championship War
Mark Briscoe def Kyle Fletcher
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐¼

This was the match AEW sickos live for. Metal folding, bodies breaking, thumbtacks raining, tables snapping. Mark Briscoe does not wrestle matches; he survives them. Fletcher brought brutality, Briscoe brought soul. The massive ladder Froggy Bow into the Jay Driller was an all time AEW moment. The fans wanted Briscoe to finally get his due and he delivered one of the most emotional wins of the night.

A war. An exorcism. A career moment.

🔥 AEW World Tag Team Championship
FTR def Brodido
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Match of the Night

A violent symphony of double teams, high speed chaos, and enough illegal men in the ring to make a Lucha referee sweat. Bandido was superhuman. Brody King was a monster. But FTR are inevitable when AEW needs order restored. This was world class tag wrestling and one of AEW’s best matches of 2025.

🩸 AEW World Championship
Samoa Joe def Hangman Page (Steel Cage)
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐¼

This was a blood-soaked fever dream of chairs, interference, ref bumps, and betrayal. Hook screwing Hangman landed exactly as expected, and Joe reclaiming the title breathed life back into the main event scene. The match itself was solid, but the post match chaos and Swerve’s massive return gave it its real weight.

Joe’s House is open again.

🕷 Darby Allin vs PAC
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Darby wrestles like pain owes him rent. PAC wrestles like revenge is a religion. This match was violent art from bell to bell. PAC cheating in a pure rules environment was perfectly poetic. Darby bumping like he is trying to outrun the Grim Reaper is why AEW crowds stay loud for him no matter what.

Gritty. Fast. Ugly. Great.

⚡️ Omega & Jurassic Express def Bucks & Josh Alexander
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐¾

This had classic AEW DNA: nonstop motion, wild combos, and six men tearing through their toolkits. But the real drama was the story. The Young Bucks slowly turning face. Kenny collapsing with a leg injury that looked too real. And the final handshake that felt like a rebirth.

AEW is trying to restore the magic of the original Elite era. This was step one.

👑 AEW Women’s World Championship
Kris Statlander def Mercedes Moné
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½

Both women worked hard. Both delivered strong sequences. But AEW’s marathon runtime killed the crowd’s stamina. Mercedes’ extended suplex chain deserved a hotter reaction, and Statlander retaining was the right call. The wrestling was very good. The energy suffered.

♠️ Casino Gauntlet — Ricochet Wins the AEW National Championship
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½

A fun, chaotic, overstuffed spectacle. Ricochet winning is the fresh coat of paint the midcard needed, but too many bodies lying around between spots kept this from hitting that next level. Crowd loved the finish though.

🩸 Kyle O’Reilly def Jon Moxley (Again)
Match Rating: ⭐⭐⭐¾

Forks. Chains. Blood. Moxley. The usual menu. Kyle tapping out Moxley again is huge and cements him as a legitimate danger in AEW’s landscape. Mox killing him afterward guarantees this feud keeps going — and it should.

⭐ Top 3 Performers of Full Gear

🥇 Mark Briscoe
A violent, emotional, career-defining performance.

🥈 FTR
The best tag team on earth doing best tag team on earth things.

🥉 Samoa Joe
A dominant regain that resets the world title picture.

❌ Biggest Misses

Show length
Four and a half hours again. AEW refuses to cut runtime and top matches suffer.

Too much blood too close together
Blood is a tool. When every match looks like a crime scene, the impact disappears.

📊 Final Straight Shoot Verdict
8.0 out of 10
Full Gear delivered what AEW always delivers: breathtaking highs, rough edges, buckets of blood, and moments fans will replay for years. Trim an hour from the show and this becomes a contender for PPV of the year. But even with the flaws, this was AEW at full power.

AEW does not always hit clean.
But when they hit, they hit with violence.

— MrTeshk | Straight Shoot Unfiltered

By Anime Empire

John Cena has always been the closest thing WWE has ever had to a real-life anime protagonist — a figure whose determination, heart, and unwavering belief in doing the right thing mirrored the spirit of Goku himself. For two decades, Cena stood as WWE’s symbol of hope, rising every time he was knocked down and inspiring millions with every comeback.

When Cena walked through the curtain, the arena didn’t just react — it ignited. Kids cheered, adults debated, but everyone felt that aura. That’s the mark of a true hero. Cena didn’t just perform; he lived out a journey defined by resilience, loyalty, and a refusal to ever quit.

A Farewell Fit for a Saga

With Cena stepping away, the WWE Universe loses a rare kind of energy — the type only a true main-character figure brings. Like Goku’s emotional farewells in Dragon Ball, Cena’s final salute feels less like an ending and more like the closing chapter of a legendary arc.

A Legacy That Transcends Eras

Cena elevated countless stars, carried WWE through eras of change, and embodied what it means to be the face of a global brand. His influence will echo through every locker room promo, every “Never Give Up” sign, and every young wrestler who grew up wanting to be the next Champ.

The WWE Universe moves forward, but without John Cena, it shines just a little less bright.

The Champ fought his last battle — and like every great anime hero, he leaves behind a legacy powered by heart, courage, and an unmatched will to rise.

Be Good People🤘
mr.teshk

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