WWE's Fallout from Seth Rollins' Injury, Keeping Up AEW's Momentum, More Quick Takes

An extremely newsworthy weekend from WWE and All Elite Wrestling has left the wrestling world with much to discuss, reflect on and look forward to in the remainder of the summer and beyond.

AEW's recent string of strong shows culminated in a major way with its critically acclaimed All In event on Saturday, headlined by an all-time Texas Death main event between Jon Moxley and "Hangman" Adam Page.

Hangman finally regaining the AEW World Championship—and in satisfying fashion, no less—may have marked a much-needed turning point in the perception of the promotion from a fan standpoint.

As is always the case, it's now all about the aftermath and how AEW intends to keep up its momentum going forward, not only with Page as the top champ but also in general.

WWE had its fair share of highs and lows throughout the weekend as well, most notably with Seth Rollins suffering an injury during his Saturday Night's Main Event match with LA Knight. His status should become more clear by Monday's Raw, but until then, there's no telling how long he could be out of action for.

If it's indefinitely, WWE could be forced to pivot plans for SummerSlam, specifically as it pertains to Rollins' crew and what they'll be doing in his absence.

This installment of Quick Takes will examine the fallout from Rollins' injury, Evolution exceeding expectations, an exciting reunion in AEW's tag team ranks, and more.

How WWE Can Turn a Negative Into a Positive with Seth Rollins' Injury

Seth Rollins has been, arguably, the biggest focal point of the Raw brand since shockingly forming a partnership with Paul Heyman at WrestleMania 41 and subsequently recruiting Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed.

As Mr. Money in the Bank, he's had a significant presence toward the top of the card all year and has simultaneously been feuding with everyone from Roman Reigns, CM Punk and LA Knight to Penta, Sami Zayn and Jey Uso.

Rollins going down with an injury, possibly until after SummerSlam, would be a big blow to whatever WWE has planned. However, there is an opportunity for it to turn a negative into a positive and make the most of the situation.

Instead of being positioned as Rollins' lackeys, Breakker and Reed can step up as main eventers on Monday nights and be transitioned into formal feuds with Reigns and Punk. They can even assume control of the Money in the Bank briefcase in The Visionary's absence, though Rollins could just as easily hold onto it with him having a full year to cash it in.

If Rollins vs. Reigns was originally scheduled for SummerSlam, Breakker should slide into that spot and benefit from being put in a position to shine, ensuring he's an even bigger star once the group leader returns.

Cope and Christian Cage's Reunion Can Boost AEW Tag Team Division

AEW's tag team division was once its greatest strength, especially at a time when WWE valued tag team wrestling even less than it does now.

The newer company boasted some of the best teams in the world and the titles felt truly coveted and prestigious. Somewhere along the way, the scene took a considerable hit and has been dealing with a depth issue for at least the last year or two.

The Hurt Syndicate have been solid as AEW world tag team champions this year and FTR are still as excellent as ever, but more credible teams are needed to fill out the division. That's where the reunited duo of Cope and Christian Cage can be a big boost.

The former friends took a step toward reconciling at All In when Cope returned to save Christian from being beatdown by FTR and The Patriarchy. All signs point to them putting their differences aside on the sooner side so they can face FTR in their native Toronto at All Out in September.

Eventually, they'll be back in the mix for the AEW World Tag Team Championship and that will be an attraction as well. The two incredibly accomplished competitors still have plenty to offer, and as a tandem, they can help elevate the division to the next level and bring more eyes to the titles.

Evolution Excels as One of WWE's Best 2025 PLEs Despite Bad Build

Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images

WWE's poor build for the second-ever Evolution was well-documented and further reinforced that women's wrestling simply isn't as much of a priority to the company as it should be.

That didn't stop the supremely talented division from putting forth a phenomenal effort and showing out on Sunday night with an array of entertaining matches, resulting in one of WWE's best-booked and most enjoyable premium live events so far this year.

The emphasis on the in-ring action throughout the night was a refreshing change from the storyline-driven focus of most WWE PLEs. Storylines were furthered—and even blown off in some cases—at Evolution, but interference and outside shenanigans were largely kept to a minimum and instead the women were allowed to shine.

Although the must-see main event between Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky didn't have a clean finish, it did feature Naomi cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase and leaving as the new women's world champion in an exceptional closing moment.

Builds are always important as they give viewers an incentive to tune in, but the women managed to deliver in spite of that and leave the audience clamoring for Evolution to become an annual staple on the WWE calendar.

WWE's Counter-Programming Tactics Toward AEW Destined to Continue

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WWE has long had a history of wanting to sabotage its competition and that has hardly changed with the company being under new management in recent years.

Healthy competition can cause everyone to step up their game and the fans are ultimately the biggest beneficiaries, but many of WWE's repeated attempts to undermine AEW have backfired and done damage to its own product in the process.

That's especially true with NXT, which had to air opposite of AEW All In on Saturday afternoon ahead of WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event later that night. The Great American Bash was unfortunately an afterthought and was made to look far inferior because it aired at the exact same time.

Goldberg's grand sendoff, which should have had a night all to itself, was overshadowed by All In and cut short by time constraints on NBC.

As AEW has learned to do, WWE would be better off by focusing on its shows, running on different weekends and keeping the conversation about them by producing the best content it can.

WWE continuing to counter-program AEW will only expose the weaknesses with its product and add to the idea it is not, in fact, the underdogs Nick Khan once claimed it to be.

How AEW Can Maintain Momentum Post-All In

The buzz surrounding AEW seemed to peak around late 2021 with the arrivals of so many highly sought-after free agents, and WWE's subpar booking at the time couldn't compare to the magic its rival was making on a near-weekly basis.

After the infamous "Brawl Out" incident in September 2022, it was a long time until AEW found its footing again as a legitimate alternative to WWE, which began catching fire creatively under Triple H.

In 2025, though, the quality of AEW's shows has progressively gotten better and the storytelling is far more focused than at any other point in the promotion's history.

If it wasn't already apparent, AEW has successfully "restored the feeling," and it's imperative it carries that momentum forward and keeps capitalizing on it.

As AEW's "main character," Adam Page must be booked as a present and productive world champion against top talent. The reunion of Cope and Christian Cage is a step in the right direction for the tag team division, while Toni Storm is the perfect person to carry the torch for the women but she also needs credible competition.

Furthermore, The Elite being toned down considerably, the midcard scene being better off with Kazuchika Okada at the helm and honing in on the less-is-more approach—something WWE is oblivious to at the moment given the excessive amount of shows it's running—would all serve to improve the product even more.

Instead of the peak, All In 2025 should be seen as the show where AEW returned to form and marked the beginning of its strongest stretch yet.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.