Wrestling News Recap – July 15, 2025: Roman Reigns Returns as CM Punk Earns SummerSlam Shot

Meta Description: Roman Reigns makes shocking return on WWE Raw as CM Punk wins gauntlet match for Gunther title shot. Plus AEW All In Texas results, WWE Evolution fallout, and more wrestling news.

Major Overnight Developments

The wrestling world experienced a seismic shift overnight as WWE Monday Night Raw delivered one of its most significant episodes of 2025, highlighted by the shocking return of Roman Reigns and CM Punk’s victory in a high-stakes gauntlet match. Meanwhile, the fallout from a packed weekend of premium live events continues to reverberate across the industry.

BREAKING NEWS: Roman Reigns Returns to WWE Raw

In the most shocking moment of the night, Roman Reigns made his long-awaited return to WWE programming during the closing moments of Monday Night Raw from Birmingham, Alabama. According to PWInsider’s Mike Johnson, Reigns’ return came after CM Punk’s gauntlet match victory, when Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed attacked both Punk and Jey Uso.

The “Tribal Chief” cleared the ring of the villains, standing tall alongside his former Bloodline stablemate Jey Uso and CM Punk as the show concluded. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that Reigns’ return adds a “massive wrinkle to the title picture” heading into SummerSlam.

Key Details:

• First WWE appearance in months for Reigns
• Reunion with Jey Uso creates intriguing Bloodline dynamics
• Potential impact on SummerSlam World Heavyweight Championship picture

WWE RAW RESULTS: CM Punk Earns SummerSlam Title Shot

CM Punk Wins Gauntlet Match for Gunther Championship Opportunity

CM Punk emerged victorious from a grueling five-man gauntlet match to earn the right to challenge World Heavyweight Champion Gunther at SummerSlam. According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Punk overcame Bron Breakker, who had already defeated Penta, LA Knight, and Jey Uso earlier in the match.

Gauntlet Match Results:

• Bron Breakker def. Penta (devastating spear)
• Bron Breakker def. LA Knight (gutbuster/spear combination)
• Bron Breakker def. Jey Uso (with Bronson Reed interference)
• CM Punk def. Bron Breakker (Go To Sleep after 35+ minutes)

Women’s Division Developments

Naomi’s Championship Celebration: The new Women’s World Champion opened Raw, having cashed in her Money in the Bank contract at WWE Evolution. PWTorch’s Wade Keller reported that Adam Pearce announced a Triple Threat Match at SummerSlam featuring Naomi defending against Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY.

Lyra Valkyria Earns Title Shot: In what many called the “match of the night,” Lyra Valkyria defeated Bayley in a 2-out-of-3 falls match to become the #1 contender for Becky Lynch’s Women’s Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam.

AEW ALL IN TEXAS RESULTS: Major Title Changes

AEW’s biggest show of 2025 delivered significant championship changes and emotional moments at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on July 12.

Key Results from All In Texas:

• “Hangman” Adam Page defeated Jon Moxley to win the AEW World Championship in a Texas Death Match
• Kazuchika Okada defeated Kenny Omega to become the new AEW Unified Champion
• “Timeless” Toni Storm retained the AEW Women’s World Championship against Mercedes Moné
• Dustin Rhodes won the vacant TNT Championship in a Fatal 4-Way
• MJF won the Men’s Casino Gauntlet to earn a World Championship opportunity

Emotional Moments and Storyline Developments:

• Adam Cole delivered a tearful promo announcing his forced retirement due to health issues, vacating the TNT Championship
• The Young Bucks lost their EVP roles after being defeated by Swerve Strickland & Will Ospreay
• Juice Robinson made his return from injury in the Casino Gauntlet

According to Fightful’s coverage, the event drew 25,671 distributed tickets and was praised for its strong build and emotional storytelling.

WWE EVOLUTION 2025 FALLOUT

The all-women’s premium live event from Atlanta delivered several memorable moments that continue to impact WWE programming:

Championship Changes and Implications:

• Naomi’s Money in the Bank Cash-In: Successfully cashed in during the Rhea Ripley vs. IYO SKY match to become Women’s World Champion
• Stephanie Vaquer won the Battle Royal to earn a World Championship match at Clash in Paris
• Tiffany Stratton retained the WWE Women’s Championship against Trish Stratus

Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer gave the Ripley vs. SKY vs. Naomi main event ****¾ stars, calling it an “instant classic” despite the cash-in finish.

INTERNATIONAL WRESTLING UPDATES

NJPW News:

• G1 Climax 35 preparations continue with the complete tournament schedule announced
• Hirooki Goto was pulled from the G1 Climax due to injury, leading to a Last Chance Play-In Gauntlet Match
• El Desperado successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Kosei Fujita at New Japan Soul

TNA Wrestling:

• Slammiversary 2025 approaches on July 20 at UBS Arena, featuring a historic Title vs. Title match between TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich and NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne
• TNA World Championship Triple Threat set for Slammiversary: Trick Williams vs. Joe Hendry vs. Mike Santana
• Continued WWE/TNA collaboration with talent appearing on both brands

INJURY UPDATES AND ROSTER NEWS

Significant Health Updates:

• Seth Rollins injury being evaluated in Birmingham, with Paul Heyman holding his Money in the Bank briefcase
• Tom Lawlor requires hip replacement and spinal surgery, raising concerns about his in-ring future
• Trey Miguel will undergo hernia surgery following TNA Slammiversary

UPCOMING EVENTS TO WATCH

This Week’s Key Programming:

• WWE SmackDown (July 18): Continued SummerSlam build
• AEW Dynamite (July 16): Chicago residency begins
• TNA iMPACT! (July 17): Slammiversary go-home show

Major Upcoming Events:

• TNA Slammiversary (July 20): UBS Arena, Long Island
• WWE SummerSlam (August 2-3): First-ever two-night event at MetLife Stadium
• AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door (London): Already among AEW’s highest gates in history

SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• Roman Reigns’ return dominated wrestling Twitter with #RomanReigns trending worldwide
• Fans praised Lyra Valkyria’s performance against Bayley as a “breakout moment”
• AEW All In Texas emotional moments, particularly Adam Cole’s retirement speech, generated significant fan reaction

LOOKING AHEAD

Today’s developments set the stage for an exciting build toward SummerSlam, with CM Punk vs. Gunther now official for the World Heavyweight Championship and the women’s division featuring compelling Triple Threat dynamics. The return of Roman Reigns adds an unpredictable element to WWE’s landscape, while AEW continues to build momentum following their successful All In Texas event.

Story Attribution: This recap compiled information from Tier 1 sources including Wrestling Observer Newsletter, PWInsider, Fightful, and PWTorch, with additional reporting from Tier 2 sources. All match results and quotes properly attributed to original reporting sources.

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