WWE LFG: Episode 5 Recap
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The world of professional wrestling is about to welcome a new era of talent with WWE’s newest show, WWE LFG, premiering on A&E. This groundbreaking series provides an inside look at what it truly takes to make it in WWE. It also features legendary mentors guiding the next generation of superstars vying for a WWE NXT contract.
Helmed by WWE executives and Hall of Famers Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Shawn Michaels, LFG boasts a stacked coaching lineup. It includes The Undertaker, Booker T, Mickie James, and Bubba Ray Dudley. Each week, these industry veterans will mentor a group of aspiring wrestlers. They will offer invaluable guidance on both in-ring performance and the all-important mic skills. With their wealth of experience, they will shape the future of WWE one match at a time.
Season 1, Episode 5: ‘Speak Your Truth’
The fifth episode, Speak Your Truth, aired on March 16, 2025, at 8:00PM ET on A&E. The contestants received a visit from controversial and charismatic WWE Superstar CM Punk. “The Best In The World” joined the Legends to try and push the Future Greats on the mic and in the ring.
The episode kicks off with the contestants fired up, doing push-ups. Early on, Tatyanna reveals she sprained her wrist. Bubba Ray gives her some tough love, telling her to have a bad day on her own time.
CM Punk then enters, introducing this week’s focus: cutting promos. He asks the Future Greats to step up and deliver one. Jasper Troy jumps in first, beating Zena Sterling to the mic, and delivers a promo that leaves everyone in awe.
Next, Tatyanna Dumas steps up with an emotional promo about her grandfather. She channels the negative emotions she felt at the start of the episode, using them to fuel her performance. Leigh Laurel follows, and while Punk sees potential, he feels there’s more to pull out of her.
Cutler James goes next, but his promo falls flat in Punk’s eyes. Then, out of nowhere, BJ Ray arrives late, grabs the mic, and immediately commands attention. He mimics Punk’s iconic seated position from the Pipe Bomb promo and calls out his classmates. He talks about getting injured and no one checking in on him, then takes shots at several Future Greats. He ends with Cutler James, calling him a “replacement” and saying he’ll make him his bitch—just like he did at Duke University.
BJ then turns his attention to Bubba Ray, using the earlier moment when Bubba refused to shake his hand as fuel for his promo. He declares that he’s now in the competition for himself and walks off. Bubba, caught off guard by BJ’s arrival, admits that he cut one hell of a promo but believes BJ learned a valuable lesson about why he didn’t shake his hand in the first place. Punk, while impressed, warns that throwing people under the bus isn’t always the best approach in promos and wants to see if BJ can back up his words in the ring.
Tyra Mae Steel closes the promo class by boldly cutting Bubba Ray off while he’s visibly agitated. She speaks about being underestimated in the Olympics and struggling with anger issues as a child. Then, she proudly boasts about her Olympic gold medal. Her promo turns emotional in the best way possible, leaving even The Undertaker blown away.
As the class wraps up, Jasper Troy repeatedly calls out Chris Island, challenging him to step up and cut a promo. He argues that if Chris carries himself with a certain aura, he should back it up in front of everyone. However, Chris ultimately chooses not to. Meanwhile, The Undertaker is visibly frustrated that Shiloh Hill didn’t take the opportunity to speak. Mickie James also addresses her team, expressing disappointment that more of them didn’t step up. Troy Yearwood admits that he didn’t feel confident enough in his character to deliver a promo.
CM Punk awarded the points this episode, giving one to Tyra Mae Steele and Jasper Troy. Afterwards, Shiloh was interviewed about not cutting a promo and the faith Undertaker had in him. In response, he delivered a promo of his own, dismissing the competition as a “pissing contest” and expressing that he didn’t care about the emotions the other contestants were showing in their promos. He then walked off.
The point breakdown is now as follows:
- Team Booker: 4 Points
- Team Mickie: 2 Points
- Team Undertaker: 2 Points
- Team Bubba Ray: 0 Points
The Matches on Episode 5
Jasper Troy vs. Chris Island (w/ Sirena Linton)
The match started off slow, with the Legends debating who was the babyface and who was the heel—Booker T, in particular, defended Jasper. Sirena played her role well as a manager, getting involved at the right moments once the match started. However, Mickie James took issue with Jasper’s inconsistency in selling his injury, noting that it seemingly disappeared before he went back to selling it later. His ring psychology will need improvement.
Jasper secured the win after choke-slamming Chris. Overall, the Legends had mostly positive feedback. They believed Chris had the potential to be a convincing heel. But, Bubba Ray criticized Sirena for stepping up to Jasper too aggressively, saying she should have played more scared.
Tyra Mae Steele vs. Dani Sekelsky
The Legends wanted to see more versatility from TMS, challenging her to start as a babyface and transition into a heel during the match. This was a rematch from Episode 1, and it was clear that TMS was having fun in the ring. At one point, after forcing TMS to roll out, Dani mockingly did jumping jacks, which the Legends loved.
TMS eventually flipped the switch as instructed, bringing more aggression. Throughout the match, Undertaker kept yelling for her to stay on Dani, urging more urgency. In the end, TMS secured the win by holding Dani’s tights while pinning her.
Despite the victory, Mickie James felt TMS spent too much time showboating and didn’t seem fully comfortable in a heel role. CM Punk, however, appreciated that both women had clearly defined characters. But, he wanted TMS to lean more into her identity as the Olympic gold medalist. Undertaker thought the story was told well but noted there were still areas to improve.
Leigh Laurel vs. Tatyanna Dumas
This was another rematch, as both women originally faced off in Episode 2. This time, they switched roles, with the opposite playing the babyface and the other the heel.
Before the match, Bubba Ray emphasized that Tatyanna needed to sell her arm injury, as it hadn’t fully healed. However, she struggled to shake off her frustrations, and it showed in her performance. Despite this, she managed to secure the win with a roll-up.
Overall, the match was solid but lacked standout moments. CM Punk felt Leigh was holding back and needed to show more confidence. Mickie James thought Tatyanna stood out but felt the match was rushed. Bubba Ray didn’t hold back, stating that neither woman seemed fully invested—not just in the match, but in their overall approach to the competition.
Cutler James vs. Shiloh Hill
This was Cutler’s first singles match on WWE LFG. It started strong, with CM Punk praising his execution of textbook wrestling moves.
Early on, the match nearly ended in shocking fashion when Cutler landed a right hand that seemingly knocked Shiloh out for the second time this season. However, it was all a swerve—Shiloh faked the injury and blindsided Cutler, officially cementing his heel turn.
Despite the setback, Cutler fought back, even as his back turned bright red from the punishment he endured. He eventually regained momentum and sealed the victory with an impressive finisher, overcoming the odds to secure his first singles win.
Undertaker thought the injury angle was well executed, while Bubba agreed, admitting that it even made him question whether it was real. Booker T was fully convinced by the punch. Mickie James, however, felt the heel turn could have been executed slightly differently. CM Punk agreed, suggesting that Shiloh should have waited until Cutler’s back was turned to make the attack more impactful. That said, Punk loved Shiloh’s missing tooth, adding to his character’s authenticity. Overall, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
Why You Should Watch
As part of their journey, four competitors will step into the ring for matches that could determine their WWE futures. With everything on the line, these hopefuls must showcase top-tier athleticism, ring IQ, and charisma to make their mark. The pressure is immense—every move matters as they fight to prove they have what it takes to succeed in sports entertainment.
With a dynamic mix of fierce competition, mentorship, and drama, LFG is shaping up to be a must-watch. Whether you’re a longtime WWE enthusiast or new to the world of sports entertainment, this series offers a behind-the-scenes look at the intense journey to superstardom.
But it’s not just a challenge for the competitors—it’s also a test for the coaches. Combining the best elements of The Voice and The Ultimate Fighter, the competition will ultimately reward one man and one woman with an NXT contract, while securing a win and bragging rights for their mentor.
Be sure to tune in every Sunday at 8:00PM ET on A&E to see the next generation of WWE superstars in action.
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