Returning to France for the second consecutive year, WWE Clash In Paris was very much a show of two halves. While there was an interesting angle to close the show and a banger in the middle, this was an event that the crowd helped elevate from mediocrity.
When all was said and done at Backlash France back in 2024, the crowd was the biggest talking point of the whole show. Hot for every match and giving AJ Styles the biggest ovation of his entire career, few were surprised to see that WWE would be coming back to the European country the following year. Thankfully, the crowd did not let up all night, and provided an atmosphere that gave WWE some serious thought as to possibly bringing over a bigger event to the city soon.
With Roman Reigns not in the main event, The OTC kicked off the show with his match against Bronson Reed. Although both men tried to ramp up the intensity in the build-up with multiple beatdown segments, the match started very pedestrian with lock-up spots as both men soaked in the noise from the hot crowd. As expected, Reigns won the match and got revenge on Paul Heyman, and that appeared to be the end as The OTC signed his newly retrieved shoes to donate to the crowd. However, in a great piece of misdirection, Bron Breakker speared Reigns through the table and an extended beatdown began. While Reigns needed to be written off TV to film the new Street Fighter movie, this could have been done with one big move as opposed to an angle that very much outstayed its welcome. By the time all was said and done, the best part of an hour had passed, leaving a sense of fatigue as the show had just begun. Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker were ejected from the building shortly afterwards, setting up the prospect of a new member of The Vision later in the night.
Next was the surprise 6th addition to the card as The Street Profits challenged The Wyatt Sicks for the Tag Team Championships. The signs of dissension between Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins were on display and The Wyatts picked up the win thanks to interference, but ultimately this match could have taken place on the go-home SmackDown as it was very by the numbers.
Nikki Bella had her first PLE singles match since 2018 next as she challenged Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. While there is no denying that Bella is still popular among fans and is looking to have that final run, the match was clunky in more than one place. Along with the announce table spot that saw Lynch’s head nowhere near the table and Lynch calling out spots loudly, there was a major miscommunication issue as Bella tried to hit a second rope kick but missed by a mile. Either Bella mistimed her attack, Lynch was out of position, or a bit of both, but this was neither performer’s best night.
The card picked up with the match of the night next as Sheamus and Rusev looked to settle their rivalry in a Donnybrook match. This was a lot of fun with big hits, weapons and big spots to hype up the crowd even more. Rusev picked up the win, the right call, and was put over strong in what has been a sub-par return since WrestleMania. Hopefully, this will kickstart The Bulgarian Brute’s comeback and lead to better things for him down the road.
Next was the match that the 30,000-plus fans in attendance came to see as John Cena took on Logan Paul in his final match in Europe. Receiving a thunderous ovation from the Paris crowd, Cena acknowledged the reception and put on a match with Paul that featured multiple big moves that paid homage to rivals of the past. Paul got a couple of close calls, but the result was never in doubt as Cena picked up another huge win on his retirement tour. Getting the chance to soak in the admiration from the fans after, this was the best way for the 17-time Champion to call time on the European leg of his dates.
Shortly afterwards, an announcement was made that WWE had set a new gate record for the venue, dethroning pop icon Taylor Swift in the process. With Swift tickets being notoriously expensive and with WWE having less fans in the building for Clash in Paris, this gives you an idea of just how extortionate prices were for the show.
Then it was time for the main event as Seth Rollins defended the World Heavyweight Championship against CM Punk, Jey Uso and LA Knight. As expected, all 3 babyfaces attempted to eliminate Rollins before turning their attention to each other. With Rollins all alone, interference was inevitable to help The Visionary, and it came in the form of Becky Lynch, who delivered a low blow to CM Punk and helped her husband remain champion. While the match itself was fine from an in-ring standpoint, there was no doubt that Rollins was losing here and this ultimately will lead to something bigger, as was seen on the following episode of Raw.
WWE Clash In Paris Review: Final Thoughts
With a triple header of shows in France, the fans once again showed what they are capable of with loud chants all night and elevating every match on the card. If the same show took place in the States, it is likely that the action would not have been looked upon as favourably. If WWE had switched out the tag title match for Solo Sikoa vs. Sami Zayn or AJ Styles vs. Dominik Mysterio, this could have been a strong contender for show of the year. However, were it ot for the crowd, this could have been a more forgettable show, especially in the first half.
Featured image: WWE
