The Goldberg Match Nobody Wants, Classic Era of WWE Is Ending Soon, More Raw Fallout
The June 16 edition of Raw on Netflix continued WWE's journey to Night of Champions with multiple first-round King and Queen of the Ring matches.
Asuka returned to defeat Stephanie Vaquer, Raquel Rodriguez and Ivy Nile to advance to a match next week against Alexa Bliss for a spot in the finals of Queen of the Ring.
Jey Uso overcame the dangerous trio of Bronson Reed, Sheamus and Rusev to earn his own shot at a finals place in a match with Cody Rhodes next week.
Goldberg returned to WWE to make a clear challenge to the world heavyweight champion Gunther for Saturday Night's Main Event.
One week after returning to action, Bayley and Becky Lynch exchanged words on their past and future in conflict.
This was a building-block show highlighted by a pair of great Fatal 4-Ways and some major teases for matches to come.
WWE Has Impossible Task Ahead With Goldberg Feud vs. Gunther
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Goldberg's return has been expected ever since Da Man interacted with Gunther at Bad Blood on October 5 last year.
However, no one was anticipating how much WWE could put behind this matchup, which is expected to be the last of the veteran's career.
The Ring General will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Goldberg in the main event of Saturday Night's Main Event on July 12.
Many eyes will be on the challenger in his attempt to deliver at a high level at the age of 58 despite his last few matches nearly ending in serious injuries for his opponents.
While John Cena is already delivering his own retirement tour and showing he has slowed down considerably at 48 years old, there is no reason to get seriously excited about Goldberg's retirement match.
The 2022 contest at Elimination Chamber against Roman Reigns would have been a fine end to Goldberg's career and avoided seeing what he could do after a three-year layoff.
On the CarCast podcast on June 5, Goldberg revealed he can no longer run or use one of his shoulders anymore due to extensive injuries.
These are not issues he can work around to deliver a match that fans will want to see and could lead to serious injuries for either man if something goes wrong.
Nothing about this contest sounds like it should be a world title match or a major main event in 2025.
Last Chance for Asuka to Solidify Her Legacy
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Asuka is regarded as one of the greatest women's wrestlers of all time. Early in her WWE career, she was heralded as one of the great in-ring workers of her time, regardless of gender.
While she has had success at a high level, she never fully solidified herself as the star of her era and was often lost in the shuffle with The Four Horsewomen.
This is not a bad thing on its own as those five women changed the business in WWE forever, but it has seen The Empress of Tomorrow's legacy wane in recent years.
At 43 years old and coming off a serious knee injury that kept her out for a year, this may be the last run of Asuka's career.
Even if she plans to wrestle for five more years, she cannot keep up with the top athletes WWE is producing for more than another year.
Her win in the first round of Queen of the Ring over Stephanie Vaquer, Raquel Rodriguez and Ivy Nile is a good sign that she is still seen on a high level, but she was also not given the full star treatment with a generic hype vignette to herald her return last week.
If her return and win on Raw had been delivered as a surprise, it would have made her a bigger deal coming into the tournament and set up a real threat in the competition.
Asuka has one last chance to remind the world why she should be heralded among the greats, and WWE should give her a full spotlight for that rise, perhaps even becoming Queen of the Ring.
Becky Lynch vs. Bayley is End of the Four Horsewomen Era
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While stars such as AJ Lee, Paige and Emma heralded the rise of women's wrestling in WWE, it was The Four Horsewomen who truly drove the Women's Evolution.
As the company approaches its second-ever Evolution event on July 13, the Four Horsewomen era truly looks to be coming to an end.
Sasha Banks leaving WWE to become Mercedes Moné in All Elite Wrestling was certainly a major blow to their longevity, but the rest of the group has also begun to lose impact.
Charlotte Flair is struggling to find her place in the modern WWE landscape, more a veteran name than true top contender on SmackDown.
Bayley got a WWE Women's Championship reign in 2024 that almost felt like a career-achievement award than a serious run as the top name in the business.
This has only been backed up by a lack of spotlight on The Role Model since Nia Jax dethroned her at SummerSlam in 2024.
Becky Lynch has the strongest argument for main event star power left in the group, but even she seems more content to play the star-building heel in the Women's Intercontinental Championship scene.
While stars like Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton, Liv Morgan, Iyo Sky, Bianca Belair and others form a new top star base and others rise like Stephanie Vaquer, The Four Horsewomen are becoming more a memory in WWE folklore.
A definitive feud between Lynch and Bayley is the last strong story for the group. They are the stalwart veterans hoping to define a new championship in WWE.
Hopefully, the company will give them a chance to tell a complete story that celebrates their past and solidifies their legacy with memorable matches on major stages.
When their feud is complete and a newer star takes the women's IC belt, it's likely The Four Horsewomen will never play a strong role in the main event scene again, especially as a group.
While WWE can throw strong labels on many eras, women's wrestling was clearly and indelibly changed in NXT around 2014 when The Four Horsewomen took over.
It is sad to see the era end, but no one will forget what Lynch, Bayley, Flair and Banks have done for women's wrestling in WWE.
Jey Uso's Future as a Solo Act Will Be Determined By Cody Rhodes Match
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Next week, two friends and former world champions will collide for another shot at a world title as Cody Rhodes faces Jey Uso.
This is likely the next step in The American Nightmare's journey to a King of the Ring victory and a rematch with John Cena.
However, the presentation of this contest and moment will matter much more to his opponent, who is coming off the toughest loss of his career.
Fifty-one days after his WrestleMania 41 moment, Uso lost his gold clean to Gunther, the man he beat in Las Vegas in April to win the title.
This is the match where he can show he belongs, competing with WWE's top babyface. Even if he does lose, Main Event must look like he belongs.
A great match could silence lingering doubters and set the stage for him to even challenge Cena later in the year.
A forgettable bout may lead to Jey going back to teaming with Jimmy Uso and permanently defining his legacy as a tag team guy.
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