Wrestling news: Five takeaways from WarGames San Diego as Dominik Mysterio defeats John Cena

Saturday night saw the final PLE of the 2025 WWE calendar, Survivor Series: WarGames, take place in San Diego, with a new Intercontinental Champion crowned in John Cena’s last Survivor Series appearance and two WarGames matches headlining the show.

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Mosaddek Abu outlines five takeaways from the weekend’s action.

Dominant Lash Legend had a breakout performance

It’s safe to say that Lash Legend will be a big player in the women’s division as she immediately asserted dominance in San Diego, leaving many fans impressed by a breakout performance inside the WarGames cage.

When Legend came in, she took out Charlotte Flair, caught Alea Bliss in mid-air, and lifted Rhea Ripley for a pop-up powerbomb followed by a big boot.

Indeed, it was clear to see that Legend has star potential.

Saturday night was ultimately an opportunity to showcase her ability and talent, and Legend did not look out of place amongst some of the best.

Fans will want to see more from Legend and have her rub shoulders with the top stars in WWE.

Regardless, doing what she did on a PLE – and on a show like Survivor Series – gives the impression that Legend is the future of the division and the next big star. 

This weekend was just the start and the future looks bright.

Team Rhea winning was the wrong call

It was the fourth year in a row that the babyface team has won the women’s WarGames match.

This year should have belonged to Becky Lynch’s team because they had it all to lose – and you could have extended a few rivalries at the same time.

AJ Lee now has two victories over Lynch, but it would have been one apiece had her team lost, making the next match between them even more compelling.

That isn’t to say that Team Rhea winning was the worst decision in the world.

However, had the heels gotten the victory, there would have been more storyline options to come from it.

With Ripley’s team winning, it will be hard to carve out a path for what they all do next.

READ MORE: Wrestling news: WWE must scrap WarGames from Survivor Series or risk ruining the format’s legacy

Dominik Mysterio a star for the future

Make no mistake, “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio is a major player in WWE’s future.

He is a constant feature on Raw and is now coming off the biggest win of his career after putting in the work to improve himself, particularly his in-ring craft.

The fake injury angle at Survivor Series also showcased how excellent he has become in the heel role.

Cena thus helped to establish the future on Saturday night, because Dirty Dom is currently on the path to being a star. 

Mysterio holds AAA mega titles and is a two-time Intercontinental Champion, he excels at generating heat, he knows how to work the crowd, and he goes all in on being a heel – all of which has collectively turned him into one of the best young talents on the roster.

At just 28, Mysterio is undoubtedly one of the most popular acts in all of professional wrestling too, so it’s only a matter of time until he’s competing for the World Heavyweight Championship.

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The Vision winning was the right call

The Vision has been a focal point of Raw ever since the night after WrestleMania, so it was key to keep that momentum going with Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed, who are both still on the rise.

But that point had to be implanted when Seth Rollins got kicked out of the group. 

Had The Vision suffered a loss, it would also have hurt their presentation going forward, while a win continues their status as a dangerous group that can take out anyone on Raw.

Plus, the storyline options coming from a loss for Team Punk are far more interesting – Is the dissension with the Usos going to continue? Will we see Roman vs Cody at WrestleMania after what Reigns said post-match? When does Breakker face Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship? And who was the hooded mystery person who helped The Vision?

In the end, it’s getting fans talking rather than scratching their heads, which is good news.

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WarGames sadly missed the mark this year

This year’s WarGames matches were certainly not the most memorable.

There was a distinct lack of intensity, drama, chaos, and violence – the things you would expect from a stipulation such as this one.

Yes, Iyo Sky did her usual trashcan spot in the women’s match and Brock Lesnar was speared through a table, but it wasn’t enough to do justice to what is labelled ‘the match beyond’.

It felt like WWE ran out of ideas this year, which is what happens when you repeat the same concept over and over.

And it isn’t really about there being more ‘spots’ – there was simply no heat and no real animosity in any of the matches, especially when compared to those in previous years.

In fact, this year felt like a good time to take a break from the concept, with there no rivalry that called for the WarGames structure, for its anger and heat.

Saturday felt more like a massive five-on-five no-disqualification match, and WarGames should be more than that.

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The final word

This year’s Survivor Series event will go down as one of the weakest.

None of the matches outside of Dominik Mysterio vs John Cena really stood out.

Liv Morgan’s return, helping Dirty Dom in his win for the Intercontinental Championship, is likely the only memorable moment, coming as it did in Cena’s last PLE appearance.

WarGames was by all accounts at its weakest this year, and I think it’s time that WWE considered giving the match a break before it starts to lose its lustre permanently.

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