Tomorrow is the 4th of July—which, in the world of professional wrestling, has nothing to do with America’s 249th birthday and everything to do with the season premieres of WWE and ULW. That’s right: Independence Day isn’t just fireworks and forced family cookouts anymore. For nearly half a decade, it’s marked the official kickoff of the wrestling year.
This year, two of the Big Three return to the ring (AEW, fashionably late, returns Monday, July 14 with Dynamite 50: Clash of Champions). It’s the second season of the 7th Era, and both WWE and ULW have dropped just enough details to get us speculating wildly.
Armed with those press releases, as well as what transpired during W.O.W. Week at the 2025 Draft and Starrcade IV, I’m ready to lay out exactly how I see this season starting. You’re welcome in advance.
(I know, I know. You’re wondering what happened to my Mop-Up of Memorial Mayhem; but to borrow a phrase from Lady Love… “Like a crocodile, I cannot move backwards.” We’ve just got to move on.)
WWE:
WWE is set to kick off the season with an Independence Day Smackdown Special, which will be not only the company’s first show of the new season, but also the first under the recently rebranded (and rebranded, and rebranded) parent company, Final Boss Media. Here’s what we know (and what we think) based off initial reports:
Jesse “The Body” Ventura—never one to miss a spotlight or a well-timed trend—decided to ride the same wave of retro buzz that made Slammu a breakout act last season in ULW. During his Hall of Fame Induction Speech at Starrcade IV, Ventura announced he’s got “one final run” left in the tank of his historic career.
He’s promised an announcement regarding the previously announced 30-date farewell tour this Friday on Smackdown, and while I won’t pretend to know what he’s going to say (that’s his job, not mine), I will go ahead and gift you this obvious prediction: whatever The Body’s got planned is going to be interrupted by whoever he’s about to feud with. That’s Day One booking, folks.
If I had to guess—and I do, because that’s literally the point of this column—I’d put money on Batista. The rarely-seen, barely-acknowledged, yet notably exempted WWE Legends Champion seems like the obvious pick. And with Ventura sniffing around, that belt almost feels… relevant.
Is Jesse about to go on one last world title run? Let’s be serious. No, probably not, though I do think he could work as a brief holdover World Heavyweight Champion. But a mid-card reign with a red-hot mic and a gold belt over one shoulder? Absolutely. He got a monster pop at Starrcade, and if WWE has even a sliver of booking sense, this farewell tour could be a masterclass in nostalgia done right.
Also on the docket for tomorrow night: the WWE debut of Mistico, fresh off being scooped up in the draft like a hidden gem no one remembered they had. Mistico, for the unfamiliar, is the cousin of Krusader Batman and Dragonfly — and while he’s flirted with success in the dying days of PWI and the early chapters of ULW, he’s yet to scale the same metaphorical mountain that his more decorated relatives have already planted flags on.
In Mistico’s defense (and without throwing shade at Krusader or Dragonfly…), the current landscape is just a different beast. The level of competition now makes the first and third eras look like recess. Krusader got to cosplay as Gotham’s chosen one in a field full of mall cops, and Dragonfly rose during a time when being a good promo, wearing a mask, and flipping was enough to get you a title shot by lunch. [That’s not to say these men wouldn’t have shined in any era, and more to say they had fewer individuals to initially contend with. Both have earned their places in the history books, but they had an easier path toward ascension than Mistico has.]
Still, Mistico’s debut is nothing to sneeze at—he’s facing Rey Mysterio who is “lucha libre royalty.” And let’s be honest, there’s no way this match ends clean. Whether it’s Doc Brown teleporting in with a wrench or Chad Gable showing up to remind us he’s still in the middle of a one-man war against masked wrestlers, expect interference. Mistico sliding into the Intercontinental Title picture makes too much narrative sense, especially with Gable’s obsession with putting down every luchador who dares cross his path.
And in the main event of Smackdown, ahead of the main event of… Saturday Night’s Main Event… (branding isn’t dead, it’s just lazy) — we’ve got a contract signing between Brock Lesnar and WWE Champion/CEO/franchise-saving demigod, The Rock.
You’ll recall these two shared some less-than-friendly words at the draft, and then Lesnar followed up with a little punctuation at Starrcade in the form of an F-5 that left The Rock flatter than a Hollywood script rewrite. It was a great moment, sure… but let’s not kid ourselves. Lesnar is not walking out of SNME with the title. Not when The Rock is inches away from breaking the all-time longest title reign record. That milestone’s practically tattooed on WWE’s calendar in permanent marker, and for good reason!
Still, I fully expect Lesnar to do what Lesnar does… destroy furniture, scare the shit out of people, and leave a trail of broken bodies and legally binding documents in his wake. Momentum has been on his side all summer, and WWE knows better than to cool him off just to keep The Rock’s crown polished, especially because if this is done right, this feud could carry them through the summer and into the early fall.
The real challenge for WWE this season? Creating challengers who feel credible and threatening, while never actually intending to make them champ. The company wants opponents who can push The Rock to the brink but never quite shove him off. It’s a delicate balance. We’ll see if they can pull it off.
And speaking of high-wire acts, immediately following Smackdown is the world premiere of WWE’s newest foray into the prestige TV meets wrestling family drama genre: a reality show starring Jeff Murrey and his son Pete. The show promises “family antics” and introspection, which in wrestling usually means a broken table, a tearful confession, and at least one shoot comment that turns into a storyline three months later.
Episode one is titled “It All Started With a Dream,” and apparently revisits the historic Jake Roberts vs. Ted DiBiase feud. Whether Jeff can keep a straight face while earnestly discussing this legendary program remains to be seen — but you know I’m watching. Also, and only tangibly related… has anyone heard from Nikki Bella?! Should I ask for a welfare check?!
ULW:
Going head-to-head with Smackdown is the season premiere of ULW, creatively titled The Premiere. Man, that Lenny Mouse sure is cooking! That’s still what the kids say, right? Or is it “he’s in his bag” now? Either way, the man has fired up the oven and slapped a ULW logo on whatever came out.
To his credit, Lenny didn’t waste time. He rolled out the full cards for both The Premiere and Monday’s Shockwave—a name that, yes, still stings a bit, considering AEW announced Aftershock first. But hey, imitation is the sincerest form of “we forgot to trademark it.” In the hours following Starrcade, Lenny was in full-on press release mode, practically live-tweeting through the ULW corporate office. And then… silence. Like someone unplugged the hype machine mid-sentence. We’ve not heard from him since the conclusion of WOW Week.
The truth? Lenny had a rough go at the draft—not because he botched anything, but because he became a very public punching bag. All three companies walked away feeling good about their draft nights: fresh rosters, focused strategies, the usual PR buzzwords. But Lenny also walked into a verbal buzzsaw courtesy of his youngest brother, Benny Mouse, who delivered what many are calling the best promo of his career.
Lenny attempted a rebuttal at the end of the night… only for the crowd to begin literally leaving mid-sentence. Then came the unintentional comedic cherry on top: Dave Matthew (not to be confused with the singer/songwriter) sauntered out and offered Lenny a fresh mic mid-promo, like this was amateur hour at the county fair.
To be fair, Lenny did claw back some dignity at Starrcade, making a surprise appearance before the Undisputed Championship match and finally getting to air his rebuttal with a crowd that, this time, was at least seated and facing the ring. So if Lenny shows up on The Premiere tomorrow night—and really, how can he not—I’d wager he won’t be in the mood for comedy bits or crowd work.
As for what to actually expect in the ring tomorrow night, ULW’s served up a full card, and there’s plenty to dig into.
First up: The ULW Tag Team Championships are on the line as The Rascalz defend against FTR, the walking definition of tag team wrestling credibility, who were part of that eyebrow-raising 3-for-1 trade that sent Randy Orton back to BWM Inc. ULW landed one of the best duos in the game, and I wouldn’t be remotely surprised if they strap them up right out of the gate. Title changes on season premieres are catnip for bookers, FTR is obviously championship-worthy, and a Rascalz/FTR feud writes itself. Plus, who doesn’t love a little “welcome to the company, now here’s some gold” energy?
Meanwhile, Ricky Starks will defend his League Championship against Adam Cole—who, for the second straight year, found himself drafted in the first round. Last year, AEW scooped him up and then immediately lost the plot. (Sources tell me they spent months flip-flopping on whether to push him as a solo act or reunite him with Roderick Strong in a tag team. And in classic indecisive fashion, they landed on “neither.”)
But here’s the good news for Cole: ULW seems to have a slightly better track record with shiny new toys. I think he’ll get a proper chance to remind people why he was a top pick in the first place. That said, I don’t see him ending Starks’ reign just yet. Ricky’s got too much momentum, too much swagger, to drop the title on night one. This feels like Cole’s statement match, not his coronation.
Then we’ve got what easily could have been the main event—Alexa Bliss challenging Ronda Rousey for the ULW Women’s Championship. Bliss is chasing her fifth reign, because apparently collecting titles is her version of scrapbooking, while Rousey is finally enjoying a run that doesn’t feel like a contractual obligation. This is the most relevant she’s been since she first stormed through the Knockouts Division, and I’d hate to see that end.
But of course, there’s a wild card—Sister Abbigail, who made her ominous presence known at Starrcade. The truth is, this match could go either way, and whichever direction it takes, Abby’s probably pulling the strings. Bliss could win with a little help (or distraction) from the shadows. Or she could eat another loss and end up deeper down the spooky rabbit hole. Either way, if you don’t think Sister Abbigail shows up here, you haven’t been paying attention.
As for me? I’m rooting for Ronda’s reign to continue—not because I’m on Team Armbar, but because longevity adds legitimacy, and this division desperately needs a champ who doesn’t feel like a revolving door in glitter boots. (Jade not withstanding; credit where it’s due, her initial reign last season was top notch.) When Rousey finally does drop the belt, I want it to be to someone fresh, someone who actually needs it. Right now, the women’s division has plenty of talent… and very few new faces hoisting gold. That’s a problem, but the roster is deep, and there are solutions in waiting.
And finally, we’ve got the main event: Chris Jericho defending the Undisputed Championship against Dragonfly. Jericho stunned absolutely everyone by ending CM Punk’s title reign at Starrcade just as it was beginning, as Punk now has two brief, unremarkably title reigns under his belt. I’ve tried to make sense of this company’s booking around the Undisputed Championship, and let me tell you: it’s like trying to decode a manifesto written on napkins by candlelight.
I didn’t love the hot potato booking last season, mostly because it cut short what could’ve been a legendary reign from The Ladies Man. But I let it slide because it all crescendoed into that beautiful 10-man chaos at Memorial Mayhem. For a minute, it looked like ULW had a long-term plan.
Now? We’re back to hot-shotting. CM Punk vs. Dragonfly would’ve been a marquee main event on any card. Jericho vs. Dragonfly feels more like a scheduling compromise. Sure, it’s a big match, and it’ll do good business. But after dangling a dream match in front of me and yanking it away, this feels like being handed a backup entrée when the special runs out.
As for the match itself? I don’t see Dragonfly winning. He’s still one of the most iconic stars across CME and its predecessor, MMouse Enterprises, and yes, he’s only a year removed from a record-setting reign—but that’s exactly the point. He doesn’t need the belt anymore.
The problem is, when Dragonfly’s not in the title picture, this company historically has no idea what to do with him. And with Matt Cardona now over in AEW, Dragonfly’s best ongoing feud from last year has vanished into the Forbidden Tunnel. So what’s next if he doesn’t win the title? That’s the real question. Maybe we’ll get an answer tomorrow night… or maybe we’ll just get another title change and a new set of questions.
As for Shockwave, I’m going to reserve my opinions until later in the weekend, to see the outcome of Friday’s premiere.
World Of Wrestling: Murrey Universe 