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WrestleMania 41 fallout: Five WWE matches we need to see in 2025
WrestleMania 41 is officially in the books, as WWE closed out its two-night stay in Las Vegas with an explosive, historic ending.
Championships changed hands, alliances were broken and even TNA champion Joe Hendry and Grammy Award-winning artist Travis Scott made in-ring appearances during the action-packed weekend.
Following such a wonderfully chaotic two-night event, the fallout from WrestleMania 41 will be felt for months to come.
Let's take a look at five matches that must happen in the wake of WrestleMania 41:
John Cena and Randy Orton share one last dance
John Cena and Randy Orton have a combined 40+ years of experience in the WWE and they've spent the better portion of it as bitter rivals.
Frankly, aside from The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, they may be the WWE's most storied rivalry.
Since 2005, the pair of future Hall of Famers have squared off in numerous televised and PLE matchups.
Oddly enough, should the two wage war in 2025, it could be the first time Cena enters as the heel with Orton being face.
With Cena now the Undisputed WWE Champion, following his historic win at WrestleMania 41, it feels almost mandatory for him to defend the title against his most bitter rival at some point this year.
The two could even square off at WWE's next pay-per-view event, Backlash, which will be hosted in St. Louis, Orton's hometown.
CM Punk and Seth Rollins settle the score
Few people harbor hatred as much as CM Punk and Seth Rollins despise one another.
For years, the two have taken jabs at each other in the ring and in the media. Now, after Paul Heyman betrayed CM Punk to help Seth Rollins prevail in the WrestleMania Night 1 main event, the two could (and should) collide again soon.
Judgment Day members go from friends to foes
One of the most shocking match results from WrestleMania 41 was Dominik Mysterio emerging victorious over Finn Balor, Penta and Bron Breakker to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
Even more surprisingly, Mysterio pulled off the upset by pinning his friend and fellow Judgment Day member Balor.
Now, with the faction seemingly fractured, we could see Balor challenge Mysterio for the gold.
Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley fight for dominance
Arguably, the best match of WrestleMania was the Night 2 opening match between Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky.
The match was insanely entertaining, filled with jaw-dropping spots and, most importantly, added fuel to the fire between the women's division heavyweights Belair and Ripley.
It feels more like a when, not if, they fight, but when the two juggernauts do battle, it will be must-see television.
The Hardy Boyz return
WWE and TNA agreed to a multi-year partnership in January, enabling wrestlers from both companies to appear on each other's programming.
This merge was evidenced by the shocking WrestleMania appearance by TNA champion Hendry.
Now, with wrestlers free to bounce between the two brands, the door is open for the return of WWE's most beloved tag team, The Hardy Boyz.
Should they return, as both Matt and Jeff Hardy have alluded to in interviews, they could take on The New Day for the WWE Tag Team Championships.
More must-reads:
- Five takeaways from WrestleMania 41: Lucky No. 17
- Watch: John Cena breaks WWE record for most world championships
- The 'Wrestler catchphrases' quiz
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Troubling news emerges on Bears QB Caleb Williams’ workout with HC Ben Johnson
It might have been a good thing the Chicago Bears didn’t play Caleb Williams on Sunday. The Bears might need to hide their second-year quarterback as he irons out his wrinkles in the pre-snap process and with accuracy issues. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft struggled with timing and accuracy during the Bears’ joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Friday. Caleb Williams was inaccurate in the red zone against no defenders On Sunday, head coach Ben Johnson chose not to play Williams against the Dolphins in the Bears’ first preseason game. Instead, Johnson led a workout with Williams and wide receivers Rome Odunze and DJ Moore before the game. Per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears ran a total of 87 plays during the workout. All of the plays were routes in the air with no defenders on the field for the scripted practice. Despite going against no defenders bringing pressure or guarding his receivers, Williams struggled to hit his targets in the red zone. "Williams would stand next to Johnson, who would give him the play," Biggs wrote. "Then, the quarterback simulated a huddle with the player (only one ran a route on each snap) and gave the play call. They’d break the huddle, go to the line of scrimmage, Williams would simulate pre-snap actions and then the play would be run… "Before ending the session with eight deep balls, there was a 25-play set of snaps in the red zone. One thing Williams struggled to connect on was out routes to Moore and Odunze near the goal line. Those throws were not close and Williams consistently led the receivers too much." A closed-door problem for the Chicago Bears The throws weren’t close during routes on air… in the red zone… seriously? Williams wasn’t ready to take the field for the preseason game. For all of the flak he’s been getting from practice reports, the quarterback would have been relentlessly mocked for having these issues shown during an NFL Network broadcast. Biggs’ report is troubling, with a month to go before the season. Williams has much to improve upon, and the Bears are very much trying to do so without cameras present for a reason.
Three teams that should take a flier on Odell Beckham Jr. for the 2025 season
Former New York Giants superstar and current free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. emerged in the headlines on Tuesday afternoon. The 32-year-old took to X (formerly Twitter) to shut down a fake report that he was retiring from the NFL. Beckham spent the 2024 season with the Miami Dolphins in a very limited role, recording just nine receptions for 55 yards in nine games. However, he was a solid contributor as a Baltimore Raven the year prior, showing that he can still provide some production at this point in his career. Given that OBJ has no interest in calling it quits just yet, let’s look at three teams that should take a shot on the three-time Pro Bowler to see how much juice he’s got left in him. New York Giants How about a reunion in the Big Apple? It would only be fitting for Beckham to finish his career in the place where it all started. Superstar wide receiver Malik Nabers runs the show on offense, but after that, there are plenty of question marks. Wide receivers Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton slot in as solid options behind Nabers, but it would not hurt to add a veteran like Beckham into the mix. He knows what it's like playing in such a big market and could mentor the Giants' young offensive weapons while providing some depth production when called upon. Las Vegas Raiders There may not be a team with more of a need at the wide receiver position than the Las Vegas Raiders. The targets are understandably funneled to superstar tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, but they need help beyond those two. Third-year wide receiver Tre Tucker and rookie wideouts Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr. are next in line. While those three may play big roles right from the start, the Raiders could certainly use another experienced pass-catcher, and Beckham is a nice option to fill that role. Perhaps he even shows himself to be worthy of the WR2 spot. Buffalo Bills The third team that could be in play for Beckham is the Buffalo Bills. With Josh Allen in his prime, they need to continue putting weapons around him whenever possible. Second-year wide receiver Keon Coleman and free-agent signing Joshua Palmer are atop the depth chart in Buffalo, while reliable wideout Khalil Shakir is nicked up with an ankle injury. Longtime Carolina Panthers receiver Curtis Samuel also remains in the mix but is dealing with a hamstring ailment and has had injury woes in the past. Outside of Shakir, it's hard to know what you're going to get from the rest of the position group. Beckham will likely want to join a contender or somewhere he can play more of a factor than he did with the Dolphins in 2024-25, so keep an eye on the Bills.
Jordan Love's thumb surgery comes at inopportune time for Packers
The Green Bay Packers have a cause for concern with Jordan Love in the preseason. The quarterback suffered a thumb injury during the Packers' 30-10 loss to the New York Jets on Saturday. Love went 1-of-5 passing for seven yards and took a sack for -3 yards in the defeat. Both of his drives ended in punts. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Love is set to have surgery on his thumb after seeing how it held up at practice on Monday. General manager Brian Gutekunst believes Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. "Gutekunst sounded adamant that Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Lions," Schneidman wrote. "Hit his left hand on a helmet on that half-scramble vs. Jets. Wanted to see how it felt at practice yesterday and decided to get it fixed to avoid future issues. Will be with team in Indianapolis. "Brian Gutekunst says Jordan Love is having a procedure done on his left thumb. It’s a 'ligament thing.' Hurt it in the preseason opener. Gutekunst hopes he returns to practice next week." The injury comes at an inopportune time for the Packers. Love and the majority of his receivers have not been in sync during training camp and in the preseason game. Like last season, Packers' receivers have dropped passes during practices and did so in the preseason opener against the Jets. Green Bay needs Love on the field, gaining chemistry with his pass-catching targets, including first-round pick Matthew Golden, before it plays the Lions.
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