Roman Reigns Still WWE's Top Guy, Clash in Paris Match Card Letdown, More Raw Fallout
On the next stop of WWE's European tour, Raw on Netflix aired on August 25 from bp pulse LIVE in Birmingham, England, delivering go-home build for Sunday's Clash in Paris.
Roman Reigns addressed the fans, questioning if he could still be a top man in WWE. The crowd clearly supported The OTC while Paul Heyman and Bronson Reed mocked him.
LA Knight fell short against Bron Breakker in the main event following a distraction by Seth Rollins. CM Punk and Jey Uso sent The Visionary and his group into retreat before Uso superkicked The Best in the World and stood tall in the ring.
Nikki Bella again interrupted Becky Lynch to mock her attitude and set the stage for their Women's International Championship match in France.
Stephanie Vaquer found out from Raw general manager Adam Pearce that she would not compete in Paris and would find out next week who she would fight for the vacant Women's World Championship.
Iyo Sky came to the aid of Rhea Ripley, helping her fight off Raquel Rodriguez after she defeated Roxanne Perez despite Asuka and Kairi Sane disapproving.
This was an eventful night that also set expectations for Clash in Paris at the weekend.
Roman Reigns Still a Bigger Star Than Cody Rhodes
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Few stars can claim to have reached a higher ceiling of success than Roman Reigns in WWE. His run as world champion over 1,316 days made him the undeniable face of the company.
Even as a heel, he was immensely popular due to his coolness factor. His promos, especially the longer and more involved stories in the ring, allowed him to craft a character fans always wanted to see.
While Cody Rhodes finally ended that reign, The American Nightmare has not found the same kind of success and consistent support as The OTC.
His matches and promos are usually praised, but he has rarely felt like someone fans are clamoring to see. He has not captured the same audience enamored with The Bloodline's "cinematic" style.
This is especially evident now, as Reigns is fully embraced as a fan favorite and gets the loudest reactions in WWE.
European audiences continue to fully support The Tribal Chief while Rhodes has received more mixed reactions, especially during his rivalry with John Cena.
Both Rhodes and Reigns are finding more success outside WWE, working various acting roles, which means The American Nightmare does not even have the advantage of availability.
WWE needs to find the next big star for when Reigns does decide to fully walk away, and multiple signs indicate Rhodes is not the one it needs.
Clash in Paris Card is a Major Letdown for French Audience
2 of 5On the heels of SummerSlam at the beginning of August, Clash in Paris had every opportunity to deliver an exciting show with major stakes.
Instead, Cody Rhodes has been nowhere to be seen. John Cena is feuding with Logan Paul while Brock Lesnar has remained silent.
Seth Rollins has multiple rivals, but none have been established as real threats. Roman Reigns has appeared sporadically, teasing bigger stories to come.
Evolution has been WWE's best-received show of the year, but the company has not kept the momentum provided by the women's division from that PLE.
Naomi vacated the Women's World Championship last week, and WWE delivered no follow-up this week, except to say Stephanie Vaquer's title shot earned at Evolution would not take place in Paris.
At this time, only one women's match has been announced for Clash in Paris. If that holds, WWE will have delivered just five women's contests in the past three main roster special events outside Evolution despite 22 bouts in total on those cards.
Outside of relying on John Cena's retirement tour, WWE has struggled to keep excitement around anything in 2025, and Clash in Paris is just the latest example.
Roman Reigns vs. Bronson Reed is a filler match with no drama. Sheamus vs. Rusev has almost no crowd investment. Becky Lynch vs. Nikki Bella has an uphill climb to feel relevant in 2025.
Last year's Backlash France in Lyon had a much stronger card and was elevated by an invested crowd.
Will the French fans remain invested when WWE has put so much less into building the 2025 card? If they are, it is based on brand loyalty over genuine excitement.
LA Knight is Biggest Loser of the Night
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LA Knight's move to Raw felt like a necessary step to revitalize him. The red brand was in need of a fresh babyface who could quickly rise in the ranks.
The Megastar had all the popularity and excitement around him to be the guy who could be a serious challenger for Seth Rollins.
However, with CM Punk, Jey Uso and Roman Reigns all looking for their own shots at The Visionary, WWE has positioned Knight as the least likely threat to the champion.
Just days before his shot at the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal 4-Way, LA Knight lost to Bron Breakker. He was left laid out while Punk and Jey Uso sent Rollins and his group retreating.
This was not the kind of booking that sells Knight as a real threat, especially while everyone else contesting Rollins is a former a world champion.
WWE should be protecting The Megastar more than anyone else as he stands next to former and current world champions.
Otherwise, there is no reason to even put him in the conversation.
Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky Will Be WWE's Next Major Tag Team
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Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss have become WWE's surprise breakout tag team of 2025, finding a crowd-pleasing dynamic that led them to the Women's Tag Team Championships.
It looks like the next team to make a splash in the women's tag team division could be Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky.
Previously, Ripley and Sky were more like acquaintances than friends. Recently, though, the latter has gone out of her way to help the former.
Especially since she is doing so in spite of Asuka and Kairi Sane's warnings to avoid The Eradicator, the stage is set for this to become a real team.
That is the best path forward for both women. They have great chemistry as opponents and partners while adding necessary big names to a struggling division.
The other option would be for Sky or Ripley to turn heel on the other, but that helps no one at this stage.
Ripley and Sky vs. Asuka and Kairi has all the potential in the world, especially if it leads to conflicts connected to the women's tag titles.
Bayley in Danger of Falling Into Natalya Role
5 of 5For several weeks now, Bayley has delivered eerie promos, highlighting her struggles with her own mental state after recent losses.
Each week, it becomes clearer what direction The Role Model will take upon her return to the ring.
This is a chance to give her a completely new character outlook, working with a violent and unpredictable style that should make her more interesting again.
Bayley is one of the best WWE has seen, but she has lost the interest of many in recent months, though.
She can come off too conventional and predictable in 2025, simply another veteran babyface on a loaded roster.
This is her chance to redefine how everyone sees her, much like the other Four Horsewomen have reinvented themselves over the years.
If this new characterization fails, though, even her connection to the famed quartet may not sustain fan interest in Bayley.
She could easily fall into a similar directionless role like Natalya, which would be a massive shame given her talent and history.
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