WWE News Roundup: Megastar will retire from wrestling after 14 appearances, Huge return confirmed for AJ Styles, Brock Lesnar banned?

AJ Styles (left) and Brock Lesnar (right) [Images from WWE.com]
AJ Styles (left) and Brock Lesnar (right) [Images from wwe.com]

Welcome to the WWE News Roundup for July 20, 2025. In today's edition, we'll look at topics about AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar.

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Plus, the latest viral video of Rhea Ripley and a retirement update. Let's get started:


#4. Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY go viral after WWE SmackDown

You may remember Rhea Ripley's stinkface on Nia Jax from a live event in March 2024, which grabbed a lot of attention (for obvious reasons). Interestingly, they re-created that spot following the latest episode of WWE SmackDown. IYO SKY also played a role this time.

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On Saturday, July 19, Ripley teamed up with SKY to face Jax and Naomi at an untelevised event in Corpus Christi, Texas. The babyfaces went viral with a double stinkface on Jax. You can see the moment below:

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SKY and Ripley won the opening match in Corpus Christi. Full results:

  • Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY defeated Nia Jax and Naomi
  • LA Knight defeated Bronson Reed
  • Charlotte Flair defeated Raquel Rodriguez
  • The Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Dexter Lumis, and Joe Gacy) defeated Fraxiom (Axiom and Nathan Frazer) and The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley)
  • WWE World Heavyweight Championship match: Gunther (c) defeated Penta
  • Lyra Valkyria defeated Bayley
  • Street Fight: Jimmy Uso defeated Carmelo Hayes
  • Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Jacob Fatu defeated Solo Sikoa, JC Mateo, and Tonga Loa
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#3. AJ Styles is finally returning to TNA

It is official. For fans who grew up watching TNA at its peak, Slammiversary 2025 will be PHENOMENAL.

After TNA Wrestling President Carlos Silva dropped a massive hint on X, the company has confirmed that WWE's AJ Styles will be part of Slammiversary tonight. The news of his return comes during an ongoing partnership between the two promotions, with other talent crossing over before this.

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While it remains to be seen what Styles will do at the event, other current and former WWE Superstars will also appear. You can check out the full Slammiversary 2025 match card below:

  • Steve Maclin, Jake Something, and Mance Warner vs. Ropebreakers (Real1, Zilla Fatu, and Josh Bishop) - Countdown to Slammiversary 2025
  • TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championship match: The Elegance Brand (Ash by Elegance and Heather by Elegance) (c) vs. The IInspiration (Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay) - Countdown to Slammiversary 2025
  • TNA X Division Championship match: Moose (c) vs. Leon Slater
  • Darkstate (Dion Lennox, Osiris Griffin, Saquon Shugars, and Cutler James) vs. Matt Cardona and The System (Brian Myers, Eddie Edwards, and JDC)
  • Tessa Blanchard vs. Indi Hartwell
  • Mustafa Ali vs. Cedric Alexander
  • Ladder match for TNA World Tag Team Championship: The Nemeths (Nic Nemeth and Ryan Nemeth) (c) vs. The Hardys (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy) vs. The Rascalz (Myron Reed and Zachary Wentz) vs. Fir$t Cla$$ (A. J. Francis and KC Navarro)
  • Winner Takes All match for the TNA Knockouts World Championship and the NXT Women's Championship: Masha Slamovich (TNA) vs. Jacy Jayne (NXT)
  • TNA World Championship match: Trick Williams (c) vs. Joe Hendry vs. Mike Santana
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#2. John Cena is inching closer to WWE retirement

John Cena's farewell tour was announced to include 36 appearances. After the latest episode of SmackDown, just 14 more appearances remain.

With less than half the initial dates left, WWE SummerSlam 2025 could mark a pivotal shift for Cena. On SmackDown, it was confirmed that the Hollywood megastar will defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes in a Street Fight. Many fans and experts are tipping Rhodes to become the new titleholder.

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The following dates have been confirmed as future SmackDown appearances for Cena this year: August 1 (Newark, New Jersey), August 8 (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), August 22 (Dublin, Ireland), August 29 (Lyon, France), and September 5 (Chicago, Illinois). He will also show up on the September 15th episode of WWE RAW (Lowell, Massachusetts).

In addition to SummerSlam (Newark, New Jersey) on August 2/3, Cena is also confirmed to appear at three other premium live events: Clash in Paris (Paris, France) - August 31, Crown Jewel (Perth, Australia) - October 11, and Survivor Series (San Diego, California) - November 29. He will have his retirement match at some point in December.

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#1. Brock Lesnar might be on the WWE/TKO "ban list"

In a recent interview, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier was asked about potentially facing Brock Lesnar in WWE. It does not seem to be a realistic possibility anytime soon.

Lesnar has not wrestled for the company since losing to Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam 2023. Cormier said something interesting about his current status on the Mightycast podcast:

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"I mean, Brock [Lesnar] is on the ban list right now. Oh, dude, Brock got into so much trouble."

Cormier added:

"You know what Brock did? I ain't telling you on air what Brock did. Brock is in so much trouble."

Brock Lesnar faces accusations in the Janel Grant lawsuit against Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment, making an in-ring comeback unlikely as of this writing. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda for further updates on the situation.

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Edited by Pratik Singh
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