Roman Reigns vs. Penta Steals WWE Mexico City as First Black Champ Debates Money in the Bank

Roman Reigns and Penta Deliver in Mexico City

The latest episode of the First Black Champ Podcast saw J.R. Bang and Camp From The Port break down a major week in WWE, led by Roman Reigns’ standout clash with Penta on Monday Night Raw in Mexico City.

J.R. Bang called the matchup the best in-ring WWE performance of Roman Reigns’ career. While he acknowledged that Reigns’ Hell in a Cell match against Jey Uso had a stronger storyline foundation, Bang said the Penta match stood apart because it was simply great wrestling from bell to bell.

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Roman Reigns took high-impact offense from Penta, including a Mexican Destroyer, while still presenting the power and presence that defines his main-event character. The match also leaned into the energy of Mexico City, where Penta received a massive reaction from the crowd.

Camp From The Port agreed that the contest belongs among Reigns’ best WWE matches, though he stopped short of immediately declaring it match of the year. He pointed to Roman’s matches with Jey Uso, Kevin Owens, and Seth Rollins as other major entries in the conversation.

Dragon Lee Makes His Case

While Reigns versus Penta dominated the discussion, J.R. Bang gave Dragon Lee a major endorsement. He argued that Dragon Lee versus Chad Gable may have been the best match across WWE’s Mexico City events.

Bang praised Dragon Lee as one of WWE’s most consistently strong television performers, saying he has delivered quality matches for more than a year. The hosts also noted the depth of WWE’s current Mexican talent, specifically naming Penta, Rey Fenix, and Dragon Lee as wrestlers capable of producing high-level matches on a regular basis.

Cody Rhodes Gets Darker

The hosts also examined Cody Rhodes’ developing character following his tense exchange with Michael Cole and Randy Orton. Cody was shown footage of former allies, including Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Randy Orton, and John Cena, turning on him after he “finished the story.”

Rather than framing Cody as a traditional heel, the hosts suggested WWE may be building him into a darker, more isolated version of himself. Camp From The Port compared the direction to Sting’s post-Surfer Sting era: a performer who becomes wary of everyone around him after being repeatedly betrayed.

J.R. Bang’s preferred version is a lone-wolf Cody Rhodes, less colorful, less trusting, and focused only on himself and his family.

Money in the Bank Predictions

The conversation closed with speculation around Roman Reigns, LA Knight, Drew McIntyre, Trick Williams, and Royce Keys heading toward Money in the Bank.

Camp From The Port predicted Trick Williams would win Money in the Bank and cash in successfully for a world title. J.R. Bang offered a bigger scenario: LA Knight shocks Roman Reigns, only for Royce Keys to cash in immediately afterward and leave the event as a new Black world champion.