WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event 2025 Recap & Reactions

Like the ’94 feud, two belts represent the same title, even if Cody has been vocal about how Owens got that strap. Owens took offense with some of Cody’s wording on taking shortcuts to his current position—challenging for the world title in just a week.

K.O. pump-faked his signature a few times and reminded Cody that ‘he could have taken the easy way out at our match at “Bash in Berlin.” Shawn told Owens that he sounded jealous and that is when he directed his venom at “The Heartbreak Kid,” referencing the infamous day HBK ‘lost his smile.’ Without getting into the details of what was going on in Shawn’s life at the time, it was a ruthless remark.

The segment did not elevate the storyline much, but the subtext is brilliant. In Cody, you have WWE’s idea of a polished future that can prosper with the kind of longevity that the NBA, MLB, and NFL have enjoyed. In the other corner, you have a superstar with that piece of the ‘Attitude Era’ in him rebelling against the corporatization of wrestling. It is genius creative.

Jacob Fatu Slays A Monster

Jacob Fatu left the match picking at the bones of ‘The Monster’ they called Braun Strowman. The match was intense, and Strowman took some massive bumps, leaving him bloody. They crashed through barricades, and Strowman ran around the ring, which are all the typical spots you’d consider. It was more of a match than expected, but it was the right call after Strowman’s recent work with Bronson Reed, where they worked more spots in the arena than a Boiler Room Brawl.

The real spot was after the match, when the winner, Jacob Fatu, dropped numerous Moonsaults on Strowman, who was coughing up blood before Fatu went back for a few more. It is hard to deny Fatu’s greatness, but this felt very similar to the creative used to get Reed over last year.

Rhea Ripley Retains

In the opener, Rhea Ripley defended her title successfully against Nia Jax. It was not a surprise, considering Nia had already ‘declared’ for the Royal Rumble despite having a title match secured. Still, Rhea was booked strong and received a great response from the crowd. However, they used the powerbomb spot far too early, and the finish fell flat. The riptide was enough to secure the victory as Rhea searches for a potentially worthy opponent to emerge from the Rumble, or maybe a returning Charlotte Flair—unless those are one in the same?

Gunther’s Reign Continues…

Jey Uso did his job tonight. He went out there and got the crowd on their feet—sending children of all ages home happy. Gunther did his job as well by successfully defending the WWE heavyweight title. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done to make Jey Uso a believable threat to Gunther’s title.

There were several near falls, and the closest moment was after he hit the spear and then splashed off the top rope. But Jey never made a believer out of anyone in the lead-up to this match, and still, the crowd cheered him on. He was over heavy enough to imagine him winning his first heavyweight title but with Rumble a week down the road, and the likelihood that Cody goes into Mania as champ means they need a “face-chase” for a ‘heel’ held title. Jey was a victim of circumstances, but his career will be defined by the number of titles held when it’s all said and done.

Other In-Ring Action

Bron Breakker successfully defended his IC title against Sheamus.