Vintage WWE John Cena Has Finally Returned, the Vision's New Addition, More Reaction
Although John Cena's retirement tour took an underwhelming detour for a few months, he's finally back on track if his excellent outing against Logan Paul at WWE Clash in Paris 2025 was any indication.
Cena returned to form at SummerSlam in his Undisputed WWE Championship clash with Cody Rhodes, and subsequently cut one of his best promos in years on Paul on the Aug. 22 edition of SmackDown. He continued his hot streak by besting the social media sensation in a thriller in the French capital on Sunday night.
Now it becomes a question of whether he can keep delivering the goods once he battles Brock Lesnar, presumably at Wrestlepalooza on Sept. 20.
Clash in Paris also saw The Vision add a new member, and the timing couldn't have been better. Fans have slowly started to sour on the Seth Rollins-led faction, and it was necessary to give the group some sort of a boost to reignite interest.
With The Vision playing a pivotal role in Raw's key storylines moving forward, it's imperative WWE correct course with the stable to ensure they don't fizzle out before they can really get going.
From fixing The Vision to why there's no hope left for a certain All Elite Wrestling star, these are the top takeaways from the week that was in wrestling.
Becky Lynch Breathes New Life into the Vision
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One can argue it wasn't necessary for The Vision to add any more members until they found their footing as Raw's top heel act.
The stable showed serious promise when Seth Rollins linked up with Paul Heyman at WrestleMania 41 before recruiting Bron Breakker to their ranks on Raw that Monday. The addition of Bronson Reed soon after was wise, but the group hasn't exactly lived up to hype in the months since.
Becky Lynch, who helped her husband retain the World Heavyweight Championship at Clash in Paris, may be able to bring what's been missing.
The Vision has existed solely to further spotlight Rollins, yet his current character isn't dramatically different as a heel than it was as a babyface. Breakker and Reed have also felt more like lackeys than true equals to the world heavyweight champion.
Ideally, Breakker and Reed should be elevated by being aligned with Rollins and Heyman and be booked accordingly instead of losing when it matters most. Meanwhile, Lynch can expand The Vision's influence to the women's division and boost the stock of the Women's Intercontinental Championship she holds.
The Man is already an established star and has little to gain by being a part of The Vision. However, the stable will benefit hugely from having her on board, specifically on the promo front where they've struggled to stay compelling.
Booking the Next Logical Step of CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins Rivalry
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CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins has run its course over the last two years, and fans are understandably fatigued by the feud.
Since rekindling their rivalry at the onset of 2025, Rollins has bested Punk on almost every occasion, most notably at SummerSlam where The Visionary successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Punk to become world heavyweight champion.
Rollins then pinned Punk at Clash in Paris on Sunday night to retain his title with an assist from Becky Lynch.
A big blowoff is imminent, and while it originally appeared to be on tap for Wrestlepalooza on Sept. 20—an event that will air opposite of AEW All Out—it looks like WWE has an even more exciting attraction in store instead.
If The Second City Saint is in need of a female ally to counteract The Man, no one makes more sense than Punk's wife, AJ Lee.
Fans have been burned by the possibility in the past, and even after a decade, it has yet to materialize. If there was ever a time for it to happen, though, it would be now for a mixed tag team match pitting the two married couples against each other at Wrestlepalooza.
A win for Punk and Lee might be enough to earn The Best in the World one more opportunity at the world title at Crown Jewel in October, when he and Rollins can settle their score once and for all.
Why There's No Hope Left for Wardlow in AEW
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Lost in all of the noise at AEW's Forbidden Door event was the return of Wardlow, who hasn't been spotted on AEW TV in almost a year and a half.
Even at that point, there was minimal faith among fans that the company had any interest in doing something of significance with him following his failed pushes on his own and with Undisputed Kingdom.
AEW bringing him back in the fashion it did wasn't an encouraging sign for his future with the promotion.
In the wake of his attack on Swerve Strickland at Forbidden Door, the suited Wardlow was relegated to ringside as a background player during the "All-Star" tag team match that took place on that Wednesday's Dynamite, with no explanation offered for why he joined The Don Callis Family or the reason for his absence.
Wardlow organically got over with the AEW audience in a major way in 2022, but he hasn't quite captured that same spark since. A move to WWE whenever his contract expires would be his best bet at getting a serious shot at singles stardom, but until then, he's doomed to obscurity until AEW realizes how to better utilize him.
U.S. Title Is Merely a Stepping Stone for Sami Zayn
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In the span of a month, Sami Zayn finished his feud with Karrion Kross, jumped ship to SmackDown and secured the United States Championship for the first time in his career.
His recent string of successes came after months of being bested by The Vision, left off WrestleMania 41 and being told he wasn't world championship material. Returning to SmackDown not only wipes his slate clean, but it also provides him with the chance to start his ascent toward the top of the card where he belongs.
Zayn is no stranger to wrestling in main events, but the top titles have always alluded him. There's a simple story to tell with him in the months ahead, though, culminating in winning the world title at WrestleMania 42.
Although he's been positioned as the ultimate underdog his entire career, his occasional triumphs are met with a surprising amount of negative fan feedback online and his U.S. title win on SmackDown was no exception.
Despite that, the Lyon crowd responded more than favorably to the moment, and Solo Sikoa's abysmal reign was ready to end.
The star-spangled prize is merely a stepping stone for Zayn en route to bigger and better things, and it will hardly be worse off from him holding it.
John Cena Doing His Best WWE Work in Years
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What WWE fans have been treated to from John Cena since SummerSlam was what many expected from him when he kicked off his retirement tour earlier this year: Passionate promos, motivated in-ring work and engaging storylines.
The shocking heel turn was an admirable attempt to switch up what was once considered a stagnant act in his final year as an active performer, but outside of the initial angle, the execution was poor and he never truly felt authentic in the role.
Every aspect of Cena's character suffered, including his matches and mic work. It also caused his historic 17th world title reign to fall flat on the whole.
Having him revert to his roots as a babyface was the smartest decision WWE could have made, and not a second sooner.
Logan Paul proved to be the perfect foil for him at Clash in Paris and brought the best out of him in promos leading up to the event. That should bode well for future Cena appearances in the remainder of his retirement tour, including against Brock Lesnar if they do wage war at Wrestlepalooza.
This is very much the vintage version of Cena WWE fans loved—and loved to boo—for years, and so it's only appropriate he go out the seemingly invincible hero he'll be forever remembered as.
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.
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