Wrestling News Recap – July 21, 2025: TNA Sets Attendance Record, WWE Raw Returns to Houston

By: Voice MV Wrestling News Team

Executive Summary

Wrestling fans woke up to significant developments across multiple promotions this Monday morning. TNA Wrestling made history at Slammiversary 2025 with their largest North American attendance ever, while WWE prepares for a loaded Monday Night Raw from Houston featuring Roman Reigns’ return and championship implications heading into SummerSlam.

BREAKING: TNA Slammiversary Sets Historic Attendance Record

AJ Styles Returns Home After Decade Away

TNA Wrestling achieved a milestone moment at Slammiversary 2025, drawing 7,623 fans to UBS Arena in Elmont, New York – the largest North American crowd in the promotion’s 23-year history. The record-breaking attendance was highlighted by AJ Styles’ shocking return to TNA for the first time in over a decade.

According to multiple reports from Tier 1 sources, Styles’ entrance to his classic “Get Ready to Fly” theme sent the capacity crowd into a frenzy, marking his first TNA appearance since departing the company in 2014. The return had been teased through various channels but remained unconfirmed until the moment itself.

Key Slammiversary Results:

• X-Division Championship: Leon Slater (20) defeated Moose to become the youngest X-Division Champion in history
• Winner-Takes-All Match: Jacy Jayne (NXT) defeated Masha Slamovich to become dual Knockouts/NXT Women’s Champion
• TNA World Championship: Trick Williams retained over Joe Hendry and Mike Santana in a three-way match
• World Tag Team Championship Ladder Match: The Hardys defeated The Nemeths, The Rascalz, and Fir$t Cla$$

The WWE-TNA partnership continues to bear fruit, with NXT stars Jacy Jayne and Trick Williams both leaving as TNA champions. TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella announced he will address this situation on the upcoming WWE NXT episode.

Source: Multiple reports from PWInsider, Fightful, and official TNA Wrestling announcements

WWE Monday Night Raw Preview: Roman Reigns Returns to Houston

Championship Implications and SummerSlam Build

WWE Monday Night Raw returns to the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas tonight at 8 PM ET, streaming exclusively on Netflix. The show promises significant developments as the company builds toward SummerSlam.

Confirmed Segments and Matches:

Roman Reigns Addresses Paul Heyman
The Original Tribal Chief makes his penultimate Raw appearance before SummerSlam to confront Paul Heyman over his WrestleMania betrayal. According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter reporting, this segment is expected to set up major storyline developments for the premium live event.

CM Punk SummerSlam Promo
The Second City Saint will discuss his upcoming World Heavyweight Championship match against GUNTHER at SummerSlam, continuing the build for what many consider the most anticipated match on the card.

Championship Implications Match
World Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contenders Triple Threat: The New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) vs. The Creed Brothers (Brutus & Julius) vs. The LWO (Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro)

Featured Singles Matches:

• Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross (rematch following Kross’s backstage ambush)
• Rusev vs. Sheamus (settling their recent rivalry)

Becky Lynch’s SummerSlam Proposal
“The Man” will present a stipulation proposal to Lyra Valkyria for their SummerSlam encounter.

Source: WWE official announcements, PWTorch, and Fightful reporting

AEW Developments: All In Fallout and Roster Updates

Jack Perry Spotted Backstage, Creative Changes Discussed

Following AEW All In 2025, several significant developments have emerged from the promotion:

Jack Perry’s Status Update
According to WrestleVotes Radio, Jack Perry was spotted backstage at recent AEW events in good spirits after nearly six months away from television following his TNT Title loss at Full Gear 2024. While no return date has been confirmed, his presence suggests positive backstage relations.

Bryan Danielson on Creative Role
In a candid interview with Ringside News, Bryan Danielson revealed he’s “barely involved in AEW creative” despite his consultant title, joking about “a couple of a-holes” backstage while emphasizing his minimal input in story decisions.

Roster News:

• Thekla has completed her probation period and signed a full AEW contract following the Stardom controversy
• Colten Gunn suffered an injury during Collision tapings and was helped backstage for evaluation
• Hangman Adam Page added to July 23 Dynamite in Chicago against Wheeler Yuta

Ratings Update
Post-All In television ratings showed improvement, with July 16 Dynamite averaging higher cable ratings than WWE NXT, while July 19 Collision saw increased viewership following Hangman Page’s reconciliation with Swerve Strickland.

Source: WrestleVotes Radio, Ringside News, Wrestling Inc.

NJPW G1 Climax 35: Tournament Standings After Night 2

EVIL and YOSHI-HASHI Lead Their Respective Blocks

New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s premier tournament continues with significant developments through the first two nights:

A Block Standings (After Night 2):

• EVIL (2-0, 4 points) – Leading the block
• Multiple wrestlers tied at 1-1 (2 points): Yuya Uemura, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Callum Newman, Yota Tsuji, Ryohei Oiwa, David Finlay, Taichi, Boltin Oleg
• SANADA (0-2, 0 points) – Struggling start

B Block Standings (After Night 2):

• YOSHI-HASHI, Drilla Moloney (2-0, 4 points) – Co-leaders
• Six wrestlers at 1-1 (2 points): Shota Umino, Konosuke Takeshita, Ren Narita, Zack Sabre Jr., El Phantasmo, Great-O-Khan
• Gabe Kidd, Shingo Takagi (0-2, 0 points) – Early deficits

Injury Update:
Gabe Kidd suffered a shoulder injury on Night 1 and forfeited his match against Zack Sabre Jr. on July 20, impacting his tournament prospects.

Upcoming Schedule:

• Night 3: July 22 at 2:30 AM PDT/5:30 AM EDT
• Night 4: July 23 at same times
• Tournament runs through August 17 at Ariake Arena, Tokyo

Source: NJPW World, Fightful G1 Climax coverage, PWMania

Industry Notes and Social Media Highlights

Wrestling Observer Newsletter Insights

Dave Meltzer’s latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter (July 21, 2025) provided extensive coverage of the weekend’s events, including:

• Detailed AEW All In and WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event reviews with attendance figures and TV ratings analysis
• Bill Goldberg’s reflection on his announced “final match” at SNME, discussing his 30-year career spanning WCW and WWE
• Internal WWE SummerSlam planning details, including potential matches for Roman Reigns and creative direction for rising stars

Next-Generation Push:
According to WON reporting, WWE is accelerating development of Rhea Ripley, Jacob Fatu, and Bron Breakker as the next wave of main event stars, with specific focus on replacing John Cena atop the card following his retirement tour.

Social Media Buzz

• Kris Statlander announced her new relationship on Instagram, trending among AEW fans and receiving widespread support from the roster
• Mercedes Moné challenged fans regarding engagement with Toni Storm content, advocating for increased support of AEW’s women’s division
• New York Mets hosting special “WWE Night” at Citi Field featuring Jey Uso-themed bobbleheads and appearances by Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax

What to Watch Today

Tonight’s Must-See Programming

WWE Monday Night Raw – 8 PM ET on Netflix
Key storylines advancing toward SummerSlam with Roman Reigns, CM Punk, and championship implications

AEW Programming Updates
Dynamite returns Wednesday, July 23 from Chicago with Hangman Page vs. Wheeler Yuta

Tomorrow’s Coverage

Voice MV will provide complete Raw results and analysis, plus continued coverage of G1 Climax Night 3 and ongoing TNA-WWE partnership developments.

Source Attribution

This morning recap compiled information from the following Tier 1 and Tier 2 sources:

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter (Dave Meltzer)
• PWInsider (Mike Johnson)
• Fightful (Sean Ross Sapp)
• PWTorch (Wade Keller)
• Official WWE, AEW, TNA, and NJPW announcements
• WrestleVotes Radio, Wrestling Inc., Ringside News

All information verified through multiple sources following Voice MV’s editorial standards. Breaking news will be updated throughout the day.