‘Rinse and Repeat’ is what my friend Chris Rose has said at times concerning the type of matches some wrestlers have all the time. Rinse and Repeat is the perfect phrase to describe this week pathetically average (at best) Monday Night Raw broadcast.
I didn’t think the WWE broadcast repeats, but that is what I watched last night, a repeat of last week’s broadcast.
I’m really too disgusted to have too much to write on the show, because it just doesn’t deserve it. Were there some highlights? Sure. Mostly they were the commercial breaks.
We started out with a Low Point: Seth Rollins apologizing to Paul Heyman for trying to cash in on Brock Lesnar and making it clear that no one in the authority had anything to do with it. Can we just release Rollins now before doing his career any more damage?
The WWE just turned Rollins into a massive pussy, who seem scared to death of Paul Heyman, much less Brock Lesnar. After that segment, I don’t even care about the Rollins storyline anymore. And the Rollins storyline dominated the show, again.
Once again, because of Rollins, we say Ambrose, Cena, Orton and Kane in matches. This time it was a tag match. What’s next, Ambrose versus Orton and Cena versus Kane just to switch it up?
Oh, yeah, other stuff happened, but most of it was mired in the muck.
Big Show tossed around Rusev and tore down the Russian Flag. Finally someone did that (no offense meant to anyone).
There were three Diva’s matches, none of which did anything. The Rosa/Layla match was another Total Divas tie-on, we had a Bella in a handicap match and Alicia Fox added to the Paige AJ Feud? All of that smack of a lack of imagination or thought and reeks of desperation.
Dean Ambrose was the only thing worthwhile on the show. Set the course around this guy and you may have gold. Dean wouldn’t apologize for trying to cash in on Brock.
Last night’s Raw was a chore to watch. The talent isn’t the problem. The three-hour format isn’t the problem. Not having any idea where they are going or how to handle their talent THAT is the problem.
Bring on TNA!
RATING: 4
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: The triple threat IC Match: Ziggler versus The Miz versus Cesaro
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: Dolph Ziggler
IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: An Impact can be negative, and this one is, Seth Rollins wussing out to Paul Heyman.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
CJ’s Sight NXT Review 09/25/2014
Bull Dempsey destroys Mojo Rawley in about 42 seconds
Mojo got squashed. I’m happy. Moving on . . .
Tyler Breeze pinned Justin Gabriel in about 4:02
Breeze won with the Beauty Shot. I never understand the concept of heel vs. heel matches. This could have been better, but it could have been worse.
In a backstage segment, Natalya approached GM William Regal and tried to convince him to give Tyson Kidd another opportunity at the NXT Championship. Regal was reluctant, but granted the request and gave Kidd a title opportunity with the stipulation that if Kidd loses he has no more opportunities as long as Neville is the champion. That stipulation needs to be made for John Cena and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Bayley pinned Alexa Bliss in roughly 3:30
Bayley wins after the Belly-to-Bayley. This was not the smoothest match you will come across since Bliss is still greener than a football field, but it could have been worse because the match looked like pseudo-lesbian foreplay.
After the match, Bayley demanded a rematch versus Charlotte for the NXT Women’s Championship. Charlotte came out to the stage and accepted because she said Bayley earned her respect. This will be another good match when the time comes. They set the bar pretty high with their Takeover II match. I feel that they will eclipse it.
A taped segment with Enzo, Cassidy, and Carmella occurred at the Performance Center. Carmella said that they owe her a job because it was Enzo and Cassidy that got her fired from her last job. Enzo did have a good line when he said he has never had a girlfriend because he doesn’t want to commit to failure. I did have a laugh at that. Enzo said she doesn’t have the body to be a diva. Carmella took off her tracksuit and showed her workout attire clearly proved Enzo wrong on that statement. I would rather watch Enzo and Cassidy do backstage and taped segments than their ‘’rinse and repeat’’ matches.
In a backstage segment, Kidd seemed displeased that Nattie got him a title shot. He said he doesn’t need his wife to fight his battles for him, but regardless, he will take the opportunity and win.
Lucha Dragons defeat The Ascension by pinfall in about 9:48 to retain the NXT Tag Team Championship
The finish came with Kalisto pinning Viktor after his Salida Del Sol finisher off a distraction from Hideo Itami. This was a very good tag team match. This surpassed what they did at Takeover II, and then some. This was more of a traditional tag team match because they were given more time as opposed to limited time and “get all of your stuff in” match. This allowed Kalisto to slow down and show a lot of promise with his style. I enjoy the Lucha tag team. They do some fun stuff, and I highly recommend watching them as they grow as a tag team. The Ascension looked good after finally seeing them in a match of this duration.
After the match, Konner tried to attack Itami and failed miserable. Itami looked very smooth with his strikes on Konner. I am looking forward to this feud.
Overall, this was an enjoyable edition of NXT. They progressed storylines. They are bringing up new guys. The backstage and taped segments were enjoyable. If you have an hour to kill, I recommend this as a time killer.
Final grade: 6/10
Mojo got squashed. I’m happy. Moving on . . .
Tyler Breeze pinned Justin Gabriel in about 4:02
Breeze won with the Beauty Shot. I never understand the concept of heel vs. heel matches. This could have been better, but it could have been worse.
In a backstage segment, Natalya approached GM William Regal and tried to convince him to give Tyson Kidd another opportunity at the NXT Championship. Regal was reluctant, but granted the request and gave Kidd a title opportunity with the stipulation that if Kidd loses he has no more opportunities as long as Neville is the champion. That stipulation needs to be made for John Cena and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Bayley pinned Alexa Bliss in roughly 3:30
Bayley wins after the Belly-to-Bayley. This was not the smoothest match you will come across since Bliss is still greener than a football field, but it could have been worse because the match looked like pseudo-lesbian foreplay.
After the match, Bayley demanded a rematch versus Charlotte for the NXT Women’s Championship. Charlotte came out to the stage and accepted because she said Bayley earned her respect. This will be another good match when the time comes. They set the bar pretty high with their Takeover II match. I feel that they will eclipse it.
A taped segment with Enzo, Cassidy, and Carmella occurred at the Performance Center. Carmella said that they owe her a job because it was Enzo and Cassidy that got her fired from her last job. Enzo did have a good line when he said he has never had a girlfriend because he doesn’t want to commit to failure. I did have a laugh at that. Enzo said she doesn’t have the body to be a diva. Carmella took off her tracksuit and showed her workout attire clearly proved Enzo wrong on that statement. I would rather watch Enzo and Cassidy do backstage and taped segments than their ‘’rinse and repeat’’ matches.
In a backstage segment, Kidd seemed displeased that Nattie got him a title shot. He said he doesn’t need his wife to fight his battles for him, but regardless, he will take the opportunity and win.
Lucha Dragons defeat The Ascension by pinfall in about 9:48 to retain the NXT Tag Team Championship
The finish came with Kalisto pinning Viktor after his Salida Del Sol finisher off a distraction from Hideo Itami. This was a very good tag team match. This surpassed what they did at Takeover II, and then some. This was more of a traditional tag team match because they were given more time as opposed to limited time and “get all of your stuff in” match. This allowed Kalisto to slow down and show a lot of promise with his style. I enjoy the Lucha tag team. They do some fun stuff, and I highly recommend watching them as they grow as a tag team. The Ascension looked good after finally seeing them in a match of this duration.
After the match, Konner tried to attack Itami and failed miserable. Itami looked very smooth with his strikes on Konner. I am looking forward to this feud.
Overall, this was an enjoyable edition of NXT. They progressed storylines. They are bringing up new guys. The backstage and taped segments were enjoyable. If you have an hour to kill, I recommend this as a time killer.
Final grade: 6/10
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Week in Review 9/21 to 9/27
Ah, the week in review. This is where I talk about the previous week in Pro Wrestling. I can only describe this past week like this: It was like a Mojo Rawley versus Bull Dempsey match on WWE NXT. It isn’t pretty, doesn’t last long and Dempsey destroys Mojo in a matter of seconds.
In this case, WWE is Rawley and TNA is Dempsey.
Yes, in terms of who put out the better wrestling product this week, TNA squashed the WWE. This is an impressive feat considering that WWE Produced 5 shows for approximately 8 ½ hours of programming. TNA produced 1 show for approximately 1 ½ of programming.
The WWE seems aimless and lost. Except for the Seth Rollins storyline, they don’t seem to have any focus on what they are doing. Don’t blame this on Roman Reigns being out, he isn’t that big of a loss. He was part of the Rollin storyline, and it is continuing without him. Plus, the WWE seemed aimless before his surgery, since Summerslam at least.
TNA was focus on a single goal this week. The show was tightly produced, kept in a proven structure and geared toward an endpoint. It delivered big time. Even the worse match of the night, Abyss versus Samuel Shaw, was a decent full tilt brawl.
That is the difference between the WWE and TNA this week. TNA is speeding down the highway at a cool 65. WWE is lost on the side roads trying to find its way, and refuses to ask directions.
MATCH OF THE WEEK: MVP versus Low Ki
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK: (TIE) Cesaro and Austin Aries
IMPACT OF THE WEEK: TNA IMPACT Broadcast.
In this case, WWE is Rawley and TNA is Dempsey.
Yes, in terms of who put out the better wrestling product this week, TNA squashed the WWE. This is an impressive feat considering that WWE Produced 5 shows for approximately 8 ½ hours of programming. TNA produced 1 show for approximately 1 ½ of programming.
The WWE seems aimless and lost. Except for the Seth Rollins storyline, they don’t seem to have any focus on what they are doing. Don’t blame this on Roman Reigns being out, he isn’t that big of a loss. He was part of the Rollin storyline, and it is continuing without him. Plus, the WWE seemed aimless before his surgery, since Summerslam at least.
TNA was focus on a single goal this week. The show was tightly produced, kept in a proven structure and geared toward an endpoint. It delivered big time. Even the worse match of the night, Abyss versus Samuel Shaw, was a decent full tilt brawl.
That is the difference between the WWE and TNA this week. TNA is speeding down the highway at a cool 65. WWE is lost on the side roads trying to find its way, and refuses to ask directions.
MATCH OF THE WEEK: MVP versus Low Ki
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK: (TIE) Cesaro and Austin Aries
IMPACT OF THE WEEK: TNA IMPACT Broadcast.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
SMACKDOWN Lowdown 9/26/2014
Smackdown was a more action orientated broadcast then Raw was this week, even if Smackdown did pick up where Raw left off.
The Rollin storyline was furthered and Rusev was front and center in the main event.
THE HIGH POINTS:
BATTLE ROYAL
Easily the match of the night! The battle royal was held to crown the #1 contender to Ziggler’s IC Title, the winner to face Ziggler later in the broadcast.
Cesaro rocked the battle royal again, dominated and showcased his strength. There were some nice spots and everyone in the match delivered. The right person won.
IC TITLE MATCH
Ziggler defended the IC Title in a Classic match against Cesaro that was great moment for both guys. Ziggler gained the pin fall win, but not without controversy. Cesaro had his hand on the ropes before the three count. The ref screwed up.
I hope this is the beginning of a feud between these two, and finally a good push for Cesaro.
Rusev versus The Big Show
We all knew this was coming, considering The Big Show and Mark Henry’s onscreen relationship lately. I don’t think anyone expected Big Show to keep his promise to knock out Rusev. I didn’t. I thought this would lead to another Rusev win.
The match itself wasn’t much. Big Show dominated, and won by DQ when Rusev hit him with the Flag Pole. Bad move, seconds later Big Show knocked Rusev the Hell Out!
Finally, someone takes it to Rusev. Nice way to end the show.
THE LOW POINTS
Rosa and Nattie versus Summer Rae and Layla
Do I really need to explain why? Ok. This was nothing more than an extension of the Nattie/Summer match on RAW and was more of a Total Divas promo tie-in.
Summer Rae and Layla won when Layla pins Rosa.
OTHER MATCHES:
Dean Ambrose versus Miz.
What a good match these two put on to open the show. The chemistry and physical they displayed was really good. Ambrose won the match by pin.
After the match was the real story, Rollins and Kane went after Ambrose, and were made to look like fools again as Ambrose made off with Rollins’ Money in the Bank briefcase.
Gold & Stardust defend the Tag Titles against the Usos
This isn’t over yet. The Usos cash in their rematch to go for the Title. They would fall short though when the Dusts would be DQ because Goldust broke up a pin fall by hitting Jay with a Title Belt.
Usos win, but Dusts’ retain. The feud continues. This is good.
THE PROMOS
Seth Rollins and Kane
In the Authority’s backstage office, Rollins bitched and moaned about Ambrose and threatened to destroy him.
Big Show
Big Show did an interview with Rene, speaking highly of Mark Henry and promising to knock our Rusev.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This might be the best show WWE has produced on TV in a while. It was the most in-ring focused show they have done in weeks.Seven matches, one of them a battle royal and two of them title matches. Only the Divas match failed. This was a good foot forward for the WWE, if they put out more like this broadcast, maybe they’ll get on track.
We can hope.
RATING: 6.5
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: BATTLE ROYAL
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: CESARO
IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: Big Show knocking out Rusev.
RAW REPORT: NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS FALLOUT
Two Night of Champions Rematches!
A title change!
The Bellas!
Seth Rollins start fires he can’t put out!
Are their cracks in the Authority?
Night of Champions fall out.
Last week I bemoaned one thought constantly, “This is your Go Home show?” This week I have no such thought to bemoan. This past Monday’s broadcast was a little better than the previous week and was a decent follow up to Night of Champions.
In fact it may have been the best RAW since Summerslam. Don’t get too excited, the bar has been pretty low recently.
The one thing some people seemed to be upset about was the lack of Brock Lesnar. I wasn’t. So what, the Champ wasn’t on the show, neither was Heyman. This is just fine and plays into Brock’s persona. Remember Brock is the Prizefighter that only shows up when he wants to. Brock not being on the show, fuels his gimmick.
Also, it makes the title mean more, the less the Champ is on the show. Make the appearance of the Champ mean something. This goes for anyone who wears the title, not just Brock.
THE HIGH POINTS:
Seth Rollins and the Fires he has set.
Seth Rollins was the main driving point of this show. We opened up RAW Hot with Dean Ambrose in the ring, calling out Rollins. Cue Cena. Cena wants Rollins himself, and claimed he was to cash in his ‘kiss your ass briefcase’ on Rollins.
Needless to say, Ambrose wasn’t too happy with Cena stepping into his turf. Before these two could go at it, the Authority appeared and hell broke loose. Cena and Ambrose attacked, beating on Rollins two-on-one all the way to the garage, where Rollins made his escape by stealing some poor guy’s car.
This had a number of ramifications for the night. Hunter made two matches, Kane versus Ambrose and Orton versus Cena. Orton also voiced his displeasure with having to put out the fires that Rollins starts. Hunter himself later would try telling Rollins he can’t keep doing this.
The Ambrose/Kane match was one of the better matches of the night. Until Rollins returned, attacking Ambrose. The fight would continue in the back until Ambrose was locked in the Janitor’s closet by security.
Orton versus Cena wasn’t much of a match, just an angle. Rollins and Kane came down to ringside, just before Orton. Jerry pointed out a moment before that a ‘surprise’ was brought down to ringside, a small table with a black tablecloth.
What match we did get between Cena and Orton was pretty good. The typical Cena and Orton back and forth with neither man gaining total control. Rollin and Kane ended that by joining in on a Cena beat down.
Before the match, Rollins promised Orton a surprise. Orton got one, so did Rollins. Under the black cloth and table wasn’t a set of cinderblocks, it was Dean Ambrose!
Ambrose and Cena sent the Authority packing and Rollins scurrying off into the crowd to end the show.
All of this really sets up where the WWE is going. It looks like the main event scene from now on will focus on Cena, Ambrose and Rollins. How will this play out?
Is it going to be Cena versus Ambrose versus Rollins? Will Cena and Ambrose form a loose alliance against Rollins and maybe the Authority?
Could the Authority possibly dump Rollins because of the fires he started? The seeds for that were definitely planted.
Dolph Ziggler’s Title Win.
Dolph cashed in his rematch and reclaimed the Intercontinental Championship from the Miz. Mizdow wasn’t much help. I liked this. It shows that anything can happen, and how hotly contested the IC Title is.
THE LOW POINTS:
The Bellas. ‘Nuff said.
The Bellas did a Promo, bashing each other again. Then AJ made Nikki tap out in a terrible match. Paige was on commentary. Nothing worth watching.
Henry/Rusev.
This was just disappointing and sad. This feud has followed the same format as the Rusev/Swagger feud, only it took less matches for Rusev to dispatch of Mark Henry. Henry came out, apologized to the masses and was goaded into an impromptu match with Rusev, this lead to Henry being destroyed and passing out to the Accolade.
OTHER MATCHES
Bo Dallas versus Jack Swagger
Swagger destroyed Dallas and made him tap. Zeb mocked Dallas. Loved it.
Nattie (with Rosa) versus Summer Rae (with Layla)
Nattie looked good, but over all this was a waste of a match because Summer is nowhere near ready for this level, and it showed. Nattie won by submission. Once again, this was more of a Total Divas promo, than a match. JBL and Cole barely commentated on the match, just talked about Total Divas issues between Nattie and Summer.
Sheamus and the Usos versus Gold & Stardust and Cesaro
Jimmy pinned stardust to win the match and gain a little bit of revenge for losing the titles. It was a good match, if a little odd. Cesaro seemed way out of place with the Dust Brothers and acting uneasy as well.
#BunnyMania
Adam Rose and the Bunny defeated SlaterGator. The only reason this didn’t make the low points is because of how many times JBL said #BunnyMania while claiming he wasn’t going to say it.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Raw did a really good job of setting up the Rollins angle with Cena, Ambrose and The Authority. Unfortunately that is really all they did.This show was way to promo/scripted heavy to be a good wrestling broadcast. The matches themselves were not too good and there weren’t enough of them.
RATING: 6
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Sheamus and the Usos versus Gold & Stardust and Cesaro
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: The Bunny.
IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: Dean Ambrose saying that what Kane and Rollins did to him was ‘Pretty cool.”
Friday, September 26, 2014
IMPACT STRESS TEST: NEW YORK CITY GOLD RUSH
(Photo credit TNAwrestling.com)
STRESS TEST:
PASSED
NYC: GOLD RUSH
TNA IMPACT passed the stress test with flying colors this week.
How good has TNA been these past few weeks: Awesome. The TNA shows have been better than what WWE has produced for the last month.
TNA wraps up its final night in New York and the Manhattan Center by holding the New York City Gold Rush.
The Gold Rush consists of ten men in five matches. The winners of those five matches go on to compete in a five-man match. The winner of that match gets a title shot for the championship of his choice.
At first, I was confused; I thought the five men they promoted were in the five-man match. They were MVP, Magnus, Robbie E, Abyss and Austin Aries. I also thought the winner received a World Title Match.
However, that was quickly cleared up when the first match, MVP versus Low Ki, tool place. Tenay and Taz explained that the five announced competitors wouldn’t know whom they were facing in their matches, but they had to win to go on to the five-man match.
Even though I like Robbie E, I found it odd they promoted him as s Marque player in the Gold Rush, considering there were bigger names involved.
I also like the fact that two of the promoted competitors, Magnus and Robbie E, lost their matches and didn’t even make it to the main event. That was a good move as it shows anything can happen.
The Main Event match up ended up being Abyss versus Anderson versus Aries versus MVP versus Tajiri. Aries came out on top, stacking up and pinning MVP!
Austin Aries is the best wrestler on the planet today. The sooner they get the World Title on him the better. I wouldn’t understand it if they had him challenge for anything other than the World Title.
I was hoping MVP would win, so we could see MVP turn on Lashley for the title.
HIGH POINTS: THE ENTIRE SHOW
LOW POINTS: No Bobby Rood.
FINAL THOUGHTS: TNA is delivering big time right now. But I still have my concerns I voiced last week, will this level of quality continue in Bethlehem, PA?
The best part of the entire show? No outside interference or screwy finishes. Yes, Tajiri used the mist twice and Shaw used a chair (and still lost), but that was it. For the most part, everything was clean.
Right now, TNA is schooling the WWE.
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: MVP versus Low KI
IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: TNA IMPACT itself.
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: Austin Aries. He won his match. He won the five-man match. He can know challenge for a Championship of his choice.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
The Diva Dish: NOC and Beyond
The triple threat match between the champ Paige, AJ Lee and Nikki Bella was surprisingly good in light of the clunky buildup and ill-advised merging of the Bella and Paige/Lee feuds.
As I predicted, AJ and Paige carried most of the action, showing their best in-ring chemistry to date as Nikki Bella was protected in Rybackesque fashion by being tossed from the ring on numerous occasions after brief bursts of action. Nikki deserves credit for improving on her once nonexistent skills as she was able work with what Paige and AJ gave her.
In the end, the match itself was something a fan of women's wrestling could enjoy. We were treated to a well-told story between the ropes, that was allowed adequate time to unfold. The match did, however raise questions about WWE's creative department and wasted potential.
(Paige tastes some knuckles at NOC. Credit: WWE.com)
AJ regained the title, which was the first head scratcher. I've always agreed with Triple H's notion that the champion makes the title, not the other way around, but if booking of the male titles over the last 15-plus years has often shown, the protagonist's chase for gold makes the eventual victory all the sweeter for fans. AJ is the main roster's most important Diva, and the belt around her waist ultimately makes sense, but why this soon? Paige could have been strengthened as an antagonist with an opportunistic pin of Nikki to retain, and fans could have fed upon an escalating animosity between her and AJ leading to an eventual mushroom cloud of a match at Hell in a Cell in which Lee could finally vanquish the powerful upstart. Also, the raw hatred between the Bella twins mandated that Brie come down to ringside and, via outside shenanigans, serve her sister up on a silver platter for the champ. AJ scrambling into the ring a breath too late as Paige twists Nikki up in her scorpion cross lock (or PTO) and forces the submission win gives us a far better story for both feuds going forward.
This past Monday's Raw gave us a solid match with the three time champ doing an excellent job of selling for Nikki to make her look more brutal, if not necessarily good. Paige sat at ringside and the ironic touch she has brought to the frienemy thing before the narrative derailed was back. Again, it would have been sweeter had she been the opportunistic champion looking on as a final showdown loomed in the distance, but at least she was not terrified of losing a skip-off. The match was fun TV, but earlier in the show we had to endure both Bellas talking to each other, as Nikki demanded Brie give up the Bella name. It a classic time to hit the thunder bucket with a copy of the Sporting News. It is a good idea at this point to separate the feuds once again, as the setup appears in place for the twins to clash at Hell in a Cell.
Unfortunately, whether on the mic or in the squared circle, both twins are at their weakest as an act when superior workers aren't there to carry them.
The upside to this is that WWE wants the Divas title to matter. How much it will matter is up to them. Paige and AJ are only behind Natalya as the most polished females on the main roster and it may be a pipe dream, but having their rematch within the diabolical cage at HIAC would indeed make history. Given that the triple threat was the first real show of lengthy chemistry between Paige and AJ doesn't make this likely, though. Even if it does not, Paige has emerged as a player on WWE TV still and merchandising with her new gloves as well as her tee shirt indicate she won't sink into booking oblivion as other Divas have in the past when the creative team doesn't know what to do.
Going against screwed up booking, one of the most fundamentally sloppy divas on the roster looks dangerous, and Paige/AJ still has us wanting to see more--in spite of the narrative pratfalls they have to work with.
As I predicted, AJ and Paige carried most of the action, showing their best in-ring chemistry to date as Nikki Bella was protected in Rybackesque fashion by being tossed from the ring on numerous occasions after brief bursts of action. Nikki deserves credit for improving on her once nonexistent skills as she was able work with what Paige and AJ gave her.
(Heheh. The most memorable high spot from the NOC triple theat. Source: WWE.com)
In the end, the match itself was something a fan of women's wrestling could enjoy. We were treated to a well-told story between the ropes, that was allowed adequate time to unfold. The match did, however raise questions about WWE's creative department and wasted potential.
(Paige tastes some knuckles at NOC. Credit: WWE.com)
AJ regained the title, which was the first head scratcher. I've always agreed with Triple H's notion that the champion makes the title, not the other way around, but if booking of the male titles over the last 15-plus years has often shown, the protagonist's chase for gold makes the eventual victory all the sweeter for fans. AJ is the main roster's most important Diva, and the belt around her waist ultimately makes sense, but why this soon? Paige could have been strengthened as an antagonist with an opportunistic pin of Nikki to retain, and fans could have fed upon an escalating animosity between her and AJ leading to an eventual mushroom cloud of a match at Hell in a Cell in which Lee could finally vanquish the powerful upstart. Also, the raw hatred between the Bella twins mandated that Brie come down to ringside and, via outside shenanigans, serve her sister up on a silver platter for the champ. AJ scrambling into the ring a breath too late as Paige twists Nikki up in her scorpion cross lock (or PTO) and forces the submission win gives us a far better story for both feuds going forward.
(AJ fights to break Nikki's sleeper hold on the 9/24 Raw. Credit: WWE YouTube)
This past Monday's Raw gave us a solid match with the three time champ doing an excellent job of selling for Nikki to make her look more brutal, if not necessarily good. Paige sat at ringside and the ironic touch she has brought to the frienemy thing before the narrative derailed was back. Again, it would have been sweeter had she been the opportunistic champion looking on as a final showdown loomed in the distance, but at least she was not terrified of losing a skip-off. The match was fun TV, but earlier in the show we had to endure both Bellas talking to each other, as Nikki demanded Brie give up the Bella name. It a classic time to hit the thunder bucket with a copy of the Sporting News. It is a good idea at this point to separate the feuds once again, as the setup appears in place for the twins to clash at Hell in a Cell.
Unfortunately, whether on the mic or in the squared circle, both twins are at their weakest as an act when superior workers aren't there to carry them.
(Pow! Right in the baby maker! Credit: WWE.com)
The upside to this is that WWE wants the Divas title to matter. How much it will matter is up to them. Paige and AJ are only behind Natalya as the most polished females on the main roster and it may be a pipe dream, but having their rematch within the diabolical cage at HIAC would indeed make history. Given that the triple threat was the first real show of lengthy chemistry between Paige and AJ doesn't make this likely, though. Even if it does not, Paige has emerged as a player on WWE TV still and merchandising with her new gloves as well as her tee shirt indicate she won't sink into booking oblivion as other Divas have in the past when the creative team doesn't know what to do.
(Paige sports her new gloves, possibly available on WWE's shopzone soon. Credit: realpaigewwe instagram)
Going against screwed up booking, one of the most fundamentally sloppy divas on the roster looks dangerous, and Paige/AJ still has us wanting to see more--in spite of the narrative pratfalls they have to work with.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Night of Champions Review
NOTE: WE here at Wrestlementary do this for the love of Pro Wrestling. We are all, especially me, trying to keep to the weekly schedule we laid out back in the Wrestlementary relaunch. Sometimes piece may be late due to work and personal issues and busy schedules. Please bear with us.
If not tonight, my RAW Report will be up tomorrow. My review of the AWF show last Saturday will now be up on Friday.
Thanks, Ace.
Here is the first question that needs to be addressed; did Night of Champions live up to its name?
Answer: Yes, it was a Night of Champions. Every Champion in the WWE (Main Roster) defended on the show, and we had three title changes.
Second question: Did Night of Champions live up to the hype?
Answer: No. The reason being that there was very little hype heaped onto the show itself. Most of the hype was placed on Henry versus Rusev and Brock versus Cena.
They did more to hype the Network, than Night of Champions.
Third Question: Did Night of Champions deliver?
Answer: Maybe. I wrote in my preview that the card was just okay, but that sometime okay cards can outshine spectacular cards. This card did, for the most part, deliver beyond what looked like an okay card on paper, but still felt a little flat.
Cue Dean Ambrose showing up in a taxi. Dean Attacked. Seth ran. Security dragged Dean off. Predictable, but enjoyable segment. This was probably meant for RAW, but moved over because of the Reigns situation.
2. Sheamus versus Cesaro. This was my match of the night. It was a hard hitting, bone crunching smash mouth event that could have went either way. Honestly, I think they crowd would have been happy no matter who won.
I wrote that this felt like a forgotten match, well these two did something about that. They both stepped up big time and delivered a great match. More of this feud, please.
3. Jericho versus Orton. These two delivered another stunning match. It is amazing the chemistry these two have. If not for the Sheamus/Cesaro match, this would have been my match of the night.
4. Lillian Garcia’s awesome rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.
1. Henry losing to Rusev. Come on, I think we all knew Henry was losing. I don’t think anyone thought it would be in such a dominating performance by Rusev. Part of why I consider this a low point is how they built this up as Henry’s redemption, and this loss came after Lillian Garcia’s awesome rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.
2. Brock Lesnar versus John Cena, again. So, you follow up the worst PPV main event in WWE history with this? The second worst main event in WWE history. Yes, Cena had much more offense, and so did Brock. Brock broke out the Kimora. Cena broke out the STF and hit the AA on Brock 4 times.
Still, it wasn’t that much better. I can’t believe some people are calling it a classic match.
I would have like to have seen a clean finish, instead of the Rollins interference and Cena DQ win. I get the storyline reason why they did it, and that it protected both Lesnar and Cena and neither guy was pinned or tapped.
World Tag Team Championship: The Usos versus Gold & Stardust.
A decent tag match that delivered on excitement and energy. Gold & Stardust were vicious and ruthless as they should have been. The Usos were low on the killer instinct and thirst for payback they should have had.
In the end, we crowned new World Tag Team Champions: Gold & StardustStardust
US Heavyweight Championship: Sheamus versus Cesaro. See my thoughts above. Sheamus retained in the match of the night.
Intercontinental Championship: Dolph Ziggler versus The Miz. This almost made the Low Points for the show, but it is an honorable mention. I thought it would be a comedy match, and it almost became just that. Country Act Florida Georgia Line were on commentary for some stupid reason. This lead to a confrontation with Mizdow, some odd moments, confusion and Miz winning the IC title.
Oh yeah, Miz also grabbed Ziggler’s tights for the win.
Mark Henry versus Rusev. See my comments above. One of the low points, disappointing. Rusev wins by submission.
Chris Jericho versus Randy Orton. The second best match of the night. Orton won by RKO after Jericho jumped off the top rope.
Divas Championship: Paige defended against AJ Lee and Nikki Bella. Good match, not the train wreck I was expecting. I am glad the finish came down to AJ Lee and Paige and that it was a clean finish. I still think it would have been a better match with just Paige versus AJ.
AJ won by submission over Paige to reclaim the title.
World Title Match: Brock Lesnar versus John Cena. See my thoughts above, low point of the night. Again. Cena won by DQ when Rollins interfered.
Rollins tried to cash in on Brock, the announcer even announced it, but Cena stopped Rollins before the bell could ring. Therefore, Rollins return the Money in the Bank briefcase.
I personally went 5-2 in my predictions. I predicted Brock would retain, but by winning the match. He retained, but loss by DQ.
Overall, it was a good show, slightly better than Summerslam, but not by much.
Every title was defended, three changed hands and we almost had a cash in.
RATING: 6.75
Match of the Night: Sheamus versus Cesaro
Wrestler of the Night: AJ Lee
Impact of the Night: N/A
If not tonight, my RAW Report will be up tomorrow. My review of the AWF show last Saturday will now be up on Friday.
Thanks, Ace.
NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS
Here is the first question that needs to be addressed; did Night of Champions live up to its name?
Answer: Yes, it was a Night of Champions. Every Champion in the WWE (Main Roster) defended on the show, and we had three title changes.
Second question: Did Night of Champions live up to the hype?
Answer: No. The reason being that there was very little hype heaped onto the show itself. Most of the hype was placed on Henry versus Rusev and Brock versus Cena.
They did more to hype the Network, than Night of Champions.
Third Question: Did Night of Champions deliver?
Answer: Maybe. I wrote in my preview that the card was just okay, but that sometime okay cards can outshine spectacular cards. This card did, for the most part, deliver beyond what looked like an okay card on paper, but still felt a little flat.
The High Points:
1. There was only one, yes one, in ring promo. Seth Rollins had that honor, and that was only because of Reigns’ hernia surgery the day before. This promo actually served a purpose. Seth buried Reigns, Ambrose and everyone else, then challenged anyone in the locker room to a match.
Cue Dean Ambrose showing up in a taxi. Dean Attacked. Seth ran. Security dragged Dean off. Predictable, but enjoyable segment. This was probably meant for RAW, but moved over because of the Reigns situation.
2. Sheamus versus Cesaro. This was my match of the night. It was a hard hitting, bone crunching smash mouth event that could have went either way. Honestly, I think they crowd would have been happy no matter who won.
I wrote that this felt like a forgotten match, well these two did something about that. They both stepped up big time and delivered a great match. More of this feud, please.
3. Jericho versus Orton. These two delivered another stunning match. It is amazing the chemistry these two have. If not for the Sheamus/Cesaro match, this would have been my match of the night.
4. Lillian Garcia’s awesome rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.
The Low Points:
1. Henry losing to Rusev. Come on, I think we all knew Henry was losing. I don’t think anyone thought it would be in such a dominating performance by Rusev. Part of why I consider this a low point is how they built this up as Henry’s redemption, and this loss came after Lillian Garcia’s awesome rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.
2. Brock Lesnar versus John Cena, again. So, you follow up the worst PPV main event in WWE history with this? The second worst main event in WWE history. Yes, Cena had much more offense, and so did Brock. Brock broke out the Kimora. Cena broke out the STF and hit the AA on Brock 4 times.
Still, it wasn’t that much better. I can’t believe some people are calling it a classic match.
I would have like to have seen a clean finish, instead of the Rollins interference and Cena DQ win. I get the storyline reason why they did it, and that it protected both Lesnar and Cena and neither guy was pinned or tapped.
The matches:
A decent tag match that delivered on excitement and energy. Gold & Stardust were vicious and ruthless as they should have been. The Usos were low on the killer instinct and thirst for payback they should have had.
In the end, we crowned new World Tag Team Champions: Gold & StardustStardust
US Heavyweight Championship: Sheamus versus Cesaro. See my thoughts above. Sheamus retained in the match of the night.
Intercontinental Championship: Dolph Ziggler versus The Miz. This almost made the Low Points for the show, but it is an honorable mention. I thought it would be a comedy match, and it almost became just that. Country Act Florida Georgia Line were on commentary for some stupid reason. This lead to a confrontation with Mizdow, some odd moments, confusion and Miz winning the IC title.
Oh yeah, Miz also grabbed Ziggler’s tights for the win.
Mark Henry versus Rusev. See my comments above. One of the low points, disappointing. Rusev wins by submission.
Chris Jericho versus Randy Orton. The second best match of the night. Orton won by RKO after Jericho jumped off the top rope.
Divas Championship: Paige defended against AJ Lee and Nikki Bella. Good match, not the train wreck I was expecting. I am glad the finish came down to AJ Lee and Paige and that it was a clean finish. I still think it would have been a better match with just Paige versus AJ.
AJ won by submission over Paige to reclaim the title.
World Title Match: Brock Lesnar versus John Cena. See my thoughts above, low point of the night. Again. Cena won by DQ when Rollins interfered.
Rollins tried to cash in on Brock, the announcer even announced it, but Cena stopped Rollins before the bell could ring. Therefore, Rollins return the Money in the Bank briefcase.
My Predictions:
I personally went 5-2 in my predictions. I predicted Brock would retain, but by winning the match. He retained, but loss by DQ.
Final thoughts:
Overall, it was a good show, slightly better than Summerslam, but not by much.
Every title was defended, three changed hands and we almost had a cash in.
RATING: 6.75
Match of the Night: Sheamus versus Cesaro
Wrestler of the Night: AJ Lee
Impact of the Night: N/A
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
CJ’s Sight NXT Review 09/18/2014
The show opened with recaps from the Fatal Four Way at Takeover II. Titus O’Neil came out to the ring blaming the NXT superstars for taking his ring time from RAW this past week, and said he would hold up the show. Sami Zayn entered to his “Ole” chants. The two traded verbal jabs until Neville made his way out to the ring. Neville said it should be him standing up for NXT and not Zayn since he is the NXT Champion. Tyson Kidd makes his way to the ring, and he starts taking verbal jabs at everyone. NXT GM William Regal makes his way to the ramp to announce a tag team match with Neville and Zayn vs. Kidd and O’Neil.
A good way to start off the show, but nothing ground breaking. They are definitely laying the seeds for the highly anticipated Sami Zayn vs. Adrian Neville angle. This will be a good slow burn.
Charlotte pins Emma in about 3:58
This was not the smoothest match by any means, but it wasn’t terrible. Most of the messy spots were on Emma’s end, which is something not said that often.
Hideo Itami pins Justin Gabriel in about 3:32
This was not a high profile debut from a high profile star. Itami seemed a bit nervous and unsure of himself out there. This didn’t have usual flow from Itami if you are familiar with his work. It is only his first match. I’ll give him time to settle before I make a judgment.
Baron Corbin destroyed CJ Parker in 38 seconds.
Not much needs to be said other than Baron Corbin is an animal out there. He has an awesome finisher.
Tyson Kidd and Titus O’Neil defeat Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn
Kidd got the pinfall on Neville. This was a decent match to watch. They are playing up the story between Zayn and Neville in a very entertaining way. Their spot of one upping each other was fun. Neville’s standing corkscrew moonsault was definitely something I had to rewind a few times to watch again. Zayn did some impressive stuff in his own right. I think Kidd and O’Neil are tagging along just as a way to prolong the Zayn and Neville slow burn feud.
Overall, this was nothing special of a show. The only main storyline here was the Zayn and Neville storyline. Nothing much notable happened on this show. I do recommend the main event just to see Zayn and Neville in action.
Final grade: 5/10
A good way to start off the show, but nothing ground breaking. They are definitely laying the seeds for the highly anticipated Sami Zayn vs. Adrian Neville angle. This will be a good slow burn.
Charlotte pins Emma in about 3:58
This was not the smoothest match by any means, but it wasn’t terrible. Most of the messy spots were on Emma’s end, which is something not said that often.
Hideo Itami pins Justin Gabriel in about 3:32
This was not a high profile debut from a high profile star. Itami seemed a bit nervous and unsure of himself out there. This didn’t have usual flow from Itami if you are familiar with his work. It is only his first match. I’ll give him time to settle before I make a judgment.
Baron Corbin destroyed CJ Parker in 38 seconds.
Not much needs to be said other than Baron Corbin is an animal out there. He has an awesome finisher.
Tyson Kidd and Titus O’Neil defeat Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn
Kidd got the pinfall on Neville. This was a decent match to watch. They are playing up the story between Zayn and Neville in a very entertaining way. Their spot of one upping each other was fun. Neville’s standing corkscrew moonsault was definitely something I had to rewind a few times to watch again. Zayn did some impressive stuff in his own right. I think Kidd and O’Neil are tagging along just as a way to prolong the Zayn and Neville slow burn feud.
Overall, this was nothing special of a show. The only main storyline here was the Zayn and Neville storyline. Nothing much notable happened on this show. I do recommend the main event just to see Zayn and Neville in action.
Final grade: 5/10
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Night of Champions Preview
If you didn’t know, and by watching RAW and Smackdown, you might not know, Night of Champions will begin in a little over half-an-hour. WWE’s GO Home broadcasts of Raw and Smackdown did little to really promote the show or build up the matches.
NO, graphics and having the commentators talk about the matches and the show do not amount to good build up.
There are basically two marque matches on the show, and one of them isn’t even a title match: Brock versus Cena and Henry versus Rusev. It is those matches, and then everything else. We’ve had good strong promos and confrontations between the participants of those matches to really build them up.
What do we get for the other matches? Tag team encounters? Paige defeating Nikki on Smackdown? Rollins versus Reigns on Raw? NOT good enough WWE.
On paper is looks like an Okay card. And I mean just Okay. It is not a spectacular line up, however this could play out well. Often when the card looks awesome, the show falls flats. Maybe this one will deliver beyond expectations.
The Matches:
Divas Championship: Paige Defends against Nikki Belle and AJ Lee
Thoughts: This should be a one-on-one match between Paige and AJ Lee. Nikki Bella waters this down and ruins the Paige/AJ angle. It also sets up for Brie and Steph to get involved somehow. The buildup this past week wasn’t really that good. A Tag match on RAW, Paige pinning Nikki on Smackdown, Nikki laying out Paige and AJ with the Title.
This should have been so much stronger; instead, it is mired in the Bella’s feud and now part of Total Divas.
ACE’S PICK: Nikki Bella.
REASON: This pains me, neither Bella should be anywhere near the title. Someone will get involved, perhaps Brie will accidently cost Paige the match.
US Championship: Sheamus defends against Cesaro
Thoughts: What happened to this match? Why has it been forgotten? It was barely built up at all. It is a title match at Night of Champions, WWE!
ACE’S PICK: Sheamus.
REASON: This is a toss-up. The lack of any attention on this match, or the US Title makes it seem like a second thought championship and match. It doesn’t seem like the WWE even cares.
World Tag Team championship: The Usos defend against Gold and Stardust.
Thoughts: What happened to this feud? It started out hot, but they fizzled it out this week. A six-man tag with Sheamus and Cesar on Raw, a week Uso/Stardust match on Smackdown. Where was the violence, the thirst for vengeance by the Uso, sneak attacks by the Dusts.
This could have been the feud to ignite the Tag Team division, but somehow the cosmic dust settled and the key was lost.
ACE’S PICK: GOLD & STARDUST
REASON: I like the Usos, but I love Gold & Stardust. I think they have earned a title run, and they can bring a new level to the titles. Plus, we could use heel tag champs for faces to chase, and the Usos can win the titles back down the road.
Intercontinental Championship: Dolph Ziggler versus The Miz.
Thoughts: I love both guys. I love the whole Miz stunt double gimmick, but this was degraded into a joke. I think this could be a good, exciting match, but I also expected it to be a comedy diversion.
ACE’S PICK: The Miz.
REASON: He’s awesome.
Chris Jericho versus Randy Orton
Thoughts: Match of the Night? Could be. Jericho’s last match in this run? Possibly. This match could go many different ways; the only real build up was Randy Orton attacking Jericho two weeks ago.
Jericho could get a sneak win, squeaking out the victory. Or we could see Orton legitimately return to the Apex Predator role and take Jericho out, sending him off on tour on his back.
ACE’S PICK: Randy Orton.
REASON: Orton is a full timer, have him look strong, and return him to the violent side. Jericho loosing, also give him fuel to return for payback.
Mark Henry versus Rusev.
Thoughts: The buildup for this match has been really good. Rusev is the invader. Henry is the home country hero seeking redemption. Henry rallies the country, Lana bashes.
ACE’S PICK: Rusev.
REASON: I want Henry to win. The Lana/Rusev angle is old. But they are high on Rusev and see an upside with him, and he is a lot younger. If you go by the old playbook, whoever has the upper hand going into the event, looses. So, Rusev wins.
World Title: Brock Lesnar defends against John Cena
Thoughts: John Cena and Paul Heyman have done a perfect job of building up this match since Summerslam. John Cena has been on fire the last three weeks, and even I, a Cena Hater, have to give him props.
Monday Night was a perfect set up for tonight.
But can Cena win?
Summerslam, I didn’t care about this match. This time I am looking forward to it.
ACE’S PICK: Brock Lesnar
REASON: Yes, I am going with Brock. Personally, I can’t stand Brock. Cena has been better without the Title, and he needs to be chasing right now.
NOTE: I didn’t cover the Reigns/Rollins match because of Reigns surgery. What will happen? Could Ambrose Return?
NO, graphics and having the commentators talk about the matches and the show do not amount to good build up.
There are basically two marque matches on the show, and one of them isn’t even a title match: Brock versus Cena and Henry versus Rusev. It is those matches, and then everything else. We’ve had good strong promos and confrontations between the participants of those matches to really build them up.
What do we get for the other matches? Tag team encounters? Paige defeating Nikki on Smackdown? Rollins versus Reigns on Raw? NOT good enough WWE.
On paper is looks like an Okay card. And I mean just Okay. It is not a spectacular line up, however this could play out well. Often when the card looks awesome, the show falls flats. Maybe this one will deliver beyond expectations.
The Matches:
Divas Championship: Paige Defends against Nikki Belle and AJ Lee
Thoughts: This should be a one-on-one match between Paige and AJ Lee. Nikki Bella waters this down and ruins the Paige/AJ angle. It also sets up for Brie and Steph to get involved somehow. The buildup this past week wasn’t really that good. A Tag match on RAW, Paige pinning Nikki on Smackdown, Nikki laying out Paige and AJ with the Title.
This should have been so much stronger; instead, it is mired in the Bella’s feud and now part of Total Divas.
ACE’S PICK: Nikki Bella.
REASON: This pains me, neither Bella should be anywhere near the title. Someone will get involved, perhaps Brie will accidently cost Paige the match.
US Championship: Sheamus defends against Cesaro
Thoughts: What happened to this match? Why has it been forgotten? It was barely built up at all. It is a title match at Night of Champions, WWE!
ACE’S PICK: Sheamus.
REASON: This is a toss-up. The lack of any attention on this match, or the US Title makes it seem like a second thought championship and match. It doesn’t seem like the WWE even cares.
World Tag Team championship: The Usos defend against Gold and Stardust.
Thoughts: What happened to this feud? It started out hot, but they fizzled it out this week. A six-man tag with Sheamus and Cesar on Raw, a week Uso/Stardust match on Smackdown. Where was the violence, the thirst for vengeance by the Uso, sneak attacks by the Dusts.
This could have been the feud to ignite the Tag Team division, but somehow the cosmic dust settled and the key was lost.
ACE’S PICK: GOLD & STARDUST
REASON: I like the Usos, but I love Gold & Stardust. I think they have earned a title run, and they can bring a new level to the titles. Plus, we could use heel tag champs for faces to chase, and the Usos can win the titles back down the road.
Intercontinental Championship: Dolph Ziggler versus The Miz.
Thoughts: I love both guys. I love the whole Miz stunt double gimmick, but this was degraded into a joke. I think this could be a good, exciting match, but I also expected it to be a comedy diversion.
ACE’S PICK: The Miz.
REASON: He’s awesome.
Chris Jericho versus Randy Orton
Thoughts: Match of the Night? Could be. Jericho’s last match in this run? Possibly. This match could go many different ways; the only real build up was Randy Orton attacking Jericho two weeks ago.
Jericho could get a sneak win, squeaking out the victory. Or we could see Orton legitimately return to the Apex Predator role and take Jericho out, sending him off on tour on his back.
ACE’S PICK: Randy Orton.
REASON: Orton is a full timer, have him look strong, and return him to the violent side. Jericho loosing, also give him fuel to return for payback.
Mark Henry versus Rusev.
Thoughts: The buildup for this match has been really good. Rusev is the invader. Henry is the home country hero seeking redemption. Henry rallies the country, Lana bashes.
ACE’S PICK: Rusev.
REASON: I want Henry to win. The Lana/Rusev angle is old. But they are high on Rusev and see an upside with him, and he is a lot younger. If you go by the old playbook, whoever has the upper hand going into the event, looses. So, Rusev wins.
World Title: Brock Lesnar defends against John Cena
Thoughts: John Cena and Paul Heyman have done a perfect job of building up this match since Summerslam. John Cena has been on fire the last three weeks, and even I, a Cena Hater, have to give him props.
Monday Night was a perfect set up for tonight.
But can Cena win?
Summerslam, I didn’t care about this match. This time I am looking forward to it.
ACE’S PICK: Brock Lesnar
REASON: Yes, I am going with Brock. Personally, I can’t stand Brock. Cena has been better without the Title, and he needs to be chasing right now.
NOTE: I didn’t cover the Reigns/Rollins match because of Reigns surgery. What will happen? Could Ambrose Return?
Week In Review 9/14- 9/20
Due to an extremely busy week that including helping fellow Wrestlementary writer Dave Parrish film a video for his NGO Operation Save the Earth (check out his website: http://www.operationsavetheearth.com)' I didn’t get separate reviews for Impact and Smackdown posted.
Therefore, I will include brief reviews of both shows in this week’s Week in Review.
WWE – Road to Night of Champions.
Ok, so apparently WWE doesn’t want anyone to watch this show, for just $9.99. Why else would they put on a pathetically week Raw and Smackdown on the air?
RAW was a 5/10 show and I think that was generous.
SMACKDOWN was better, with better overall matches, but suffered as well. Watching Smackdown without already knowing Night of Champion was Sunday, who would have known?
Neither show was good. As broadcasts to hype up Night of Champions, they were poor.
SMACKDOWN RATING: 5.5
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Heath Slater versus Adam Rose.
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: There wasn’t one.
IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: There wasn’t one.
TNA
This past Wednesday TNA Impact Wrestling lived up to its name for the first time in a long time. This show was Total Non-Stop Action that made an Impact.
One In-Ring Promo to open the show and 5, yes 5 matches. Three of them title matches and one with title implications.
Perhaps it was that this was the No Surrender broadcast. As Mike Tenay said, ‘PPV quality on TV.’ Of course, I think every broadcast should follow that formula.
This was without any doubt the best TNA Impact Broadcast in a long, long time. That is something, considering that the last month TNA has been putting on good shows and have turned a corner.
I only really have two complaints: 1) there was no EC3. So, his streak as the best part of Impact is broken.
2) This was one of the last, if not the last, Impact taped at the Manhattan Center. I think the venue, the fans, the energy and just the great vibe went a long way to affecting the show on a positive level. Even the talent seemed to be on a high in NYC, where many seemed disenfranchised before.
I am curious to see if they continue this level of quality. Also, how the fans will be in the Impact tapings from Bethlehem, PA
Rating: 8
Match of the Night: Three-Way Ladder match between The Wolves, The Hardys and 3D.
Wrestler of the Night: Bobby Lashley.
Impact of the Night: Impact Broadcast itself.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Last night, Chris Rose, Dave Parrish and I attended the local AWF (Arizona Wrestling Federation) show. It was an awesome show that blew away what the WWE put out this week. Full throttle action, great matches, two great women wrestlers and a great crowd.
A full review is planned for this coming Wednesday.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Impact ruled the airwaves this week. Their Broadcast far and away surpassed Raw and Smackdown in pure quality and it has been a long time since I felt like that.
WWE should have step it up on doing the go home shows, but instead it feels like no one on the company realized Night of Champions was THIS weekend.
MATCH OF THE WEEK: MAJOR UPSET – Match of the week is Chris Evans versus Alex Sinister from AWF Retribution.
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK: BOBBY LASHLEY
IMPACT OF THE WEEK: The Impact Broadcast itself.
Therefore, I will include brief reviews of both shows in this week’s Week in Review.
WWE – Road to Night of Champions.
Ok, so apparently WWE doesn’t want anyone to watch this show, for just $9.99. Why else would they put on a pathetically week Raw and Smackdown on the air?
RAW was a 5/10 show and I think that was generous.
SMACKDOWN was better, with better overall matches, but suffered as well. Watching Smackdown without already knowing Night of Champion was Sunday, who would have known?
Neither show was good. As broadcasts to hype up Night of Champions, they were poor.
SMACKDOWN RATING: 5.5
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Heath Slater versus Adam Rose.
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: There wasn’t one.
IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: There wasn’t one.
TNA
This past Wednesday TNA Impact Wrestling lived up to its name for the first time in a long time. This show was Total Non-Stop Action that made an Impact.
One In-Ring Promo to open the show and 5, yes 5 matches. Three of them title matches and one with title implications.
Perhaps it was that this was the No Surrender broadcast. As Mike Tenay said, ‘PPV quality on TV.’ Of course, I think every broadcast should follow that formula.
This was without any doubt the best TNA Impact Broadcast in a long, long time. That is something, considering that the last month TNA has been putting on good shows and have turned a corner.
I only really have two complaints: 1) there was no EC3. So, his streak as the best part of Impact is broken.
2) This was one of the last, if not the last, Impact taped at the Manhattan Center. I think the venue, the fans, the energy and just the great vibe went a long way to affecting the show on a positive level. Even the talent seemed to be on a high in NYC, where many seemed disenfranchised before.
I am curious to see if they continue this level of quality. Also, how the fans will be in the Impact tapings from Bethlehem, PA
Rating: 8
Match of the Night: Three-Way Ladder match between The Wolves, The Hardys and 3D.
Wrestler of the Night: Bobby Lashley.
Impact of the Night: Impact Broadcast itself.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Last night, Chris Rose, Dave Parrish and I attended the local AWF (Arizona Wrestling Federation) show. It was an awesome show that blew away what the WWE put out this week. Full throttle action, great matches, two great women wrestlers and a great crowd.
A full review is planned for this coming Wednesday.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Impact ruled the airwaves this week. Their Broadcast far and away surpassed Raw and Smackdown in pure quality and it has been a long time since I felt like that.
WWE should have step it up on doing the go home shows, but instead it feels like no one on the company realized Night of Champions was THIS weekend.
MATCH OF THE WEEK: MAJOR UPSET – Match of the week is Chris Evans versus Alex Sinister from AWF Retribution.
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK: BOBBY LASHLEY
IMPACT OF THE WEEK: The Impact Broadcast itself.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
The Diva Dish: This is the go-home for Night of Champions?!
This is a real comedown from what I saw at NXT Takeover II--from the Divas as well as the rest of the booking. The Divas on the developmental show get one match and sometimes some promo time spread out among the female roster, and good stories are told in entertaining matches. Coming out of Summerslam, the main roster was riding the momentum of an improving product with some surprises and general improvement across the board.
(More of this and less Springer please. Credit: WWE.com, Bella-Twins.net)
The AJ/ Paige feud took a turn for the weird that, while at times monotonous became interesting. We had a surprisingly good setup for a continuing scuffle between Brie Bella, Stephanie McMahon, and the evil twin Nikki. Then the twins talked. Then Total Divas premiered. Now the booking on the main shows has spiraled downhill squandering most of the momentum sparked by AJ Lee's return in June.
The Jerry Springer segment from the 9/8 Raw was kind of fun, but dragged as we knew what was coming – a less interesting rehash of the rehash that Springer's show has been for over a decade. What potentially could have been a fresh twist adding the undeserving Nikki Bella into a triple threat for the title has resulted in a buried championship and another abrupt scuttling of the narrative path to promote Total Divas.
The final Raw gave us pretty much nothing to be interested in for the Divas title match at NOC. AJ never even got in the ring, as Nikki bounced her head off the mat at ringside to enable Paige to pin her sister. I expected AJ after the bell rung to emerge as Nikki went up the ramp to lay a beat down on the Heel Bella, but Nikki just strutted back unharmed. AJ only emerged to skip around the ring making Paige afraid to step out between the ropes, which scuttles any of the story buildup between these two leading up to their burial into the twins thing. The most infuriating thing about this is that Michael Cole started referring to AJ and Paige as frienemies once again, when AJ long ago punched through that facade before they became a Bella Twins subplot.
(Angry, passive-aggressive skipping leaves this once vibrant feud flat on its back, much like Brie. Credit: WWE.com, Bella-Twins.net)
Later on, on the overall limp donkey dick of a Raw, we got a purely tangential match between Naomi and Cameron. I'll give Cameron credit. In recent weeks on Superstars, as well as the main show, she's improved enough to take what's given her by superior workers, but their feud was over, dead. WWE just will not learn from their mistakes letting Total Divas book the main shows. It should be there as a self-contained reality show in its own right that also promotes the Divas and WWE as a whole to lure in new audiences.
I will watch Night of Champions, but compared to Summerslam, there's not much Divas action to get excited about. Being the professionals that they are, however, I'm sure AJ and Paige will carry the double fun of Bella deadweight as best they can.
(More of this and less Springer please. Credit: WWE.com, Bella-Twins.net)
The AJ/ Paige feud took a turn for the weird that, while at times monotonous became interesting. We had a surprisingly good setup for a continuing scuffle between Brie Bella, Stephanie McMahon, and the evil twin Nikki. Then the twins talked. Then Total Divas premiered. Now the booking on the main shows has spiraled downhill squandering most of the momentum sparked by AJ Lee's return in June.
The Jerry Springer segment from the 9/8 Raw was kind of fun, but dragged as we knew what was coming – a less interesting rehash of the rehash that Springer's show has been for over a decade. What potentially could have been a fresh twist adding the undeserving Nikki Bella into a triple threat for the title has resulted in a buried championship and another abrupt scuttling of the narrative path to promote Total Divas.
The final Raw gave us pretty much nothing to be interested in for the Divas title match at NOC. AJ never even got in the ring, as Nikki bounced her head off the mat at ringside to enable Paige to pin her sister. I expected AJ after the bell rung to emerge as Nikki went up the ramp to lay a beat down on the Heel Bella, but Nikki just strutted back unharmed. AJ only emerged to skip around the ring making Paige afraid to step out between the ropes, which scuttles any of the story buildup between these two leading up to their burial into the twins thing. The most infuriating thing about this is that Michael Cole started referring to AJ and Paige as frienemies once again, when AJ long ago punched through that facade before they became a Bella Twins subplot.
(Angry, passive-aggressive skipping leaves this once vibrant feud flat on its back, much like Brie. Credit: WWE.com, Bella-Twins.net)
Later on, on the overall limp donkey dick of a Raw, we got a purely tangential match between Naomi and Cameron. I'll give Cameron credit. In recent weeks on Superstars, as well as the main show, she's improved enough to take what's given her by superior workers, but their feud was over, dead. WWE just will not learn from their mistakes letting Total Divas book the main shows. It should be there as a self-contained reality show in its own right that also promotes the Divas and WWE as a whole to lure in new audiences.
I will watch Night of Champions, but compared to Summerslam, there's not much Divas action to get excited about. Being the professionals that they are, however, I'm sure AJ and Paige will carry the double fun of Bella deadweight as best they can.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Ace's Answer - Raw Report 9/15- Night of Champions Go Home Show
This was your go home show leading into this Sunday’s Night of Champions?
This is how you are going to convince people to pay $9.99 a month for the network. It used to be upwards of $59.99 per monthly PPV, the price is an 80% drop for a lot more value.
It also seems that the creative forces in charge have started putting in 80% less effort.
Were there good thing about the show? Yes. However, they were outweighed by the bland effort.
The Matches
Jericho versus Kane in a decent match that saw Jericho turn the tables on Kane after Kane removed a turnbuckle cover and get a roll up pin.
Jack Swagger finally got his hands on Bo Dallas, making him tap out. An okay match, but a good ending as far as I am concerned. Let’s see Bo taping out more often. Why wasn’t this match held over for the Night of Champions, it had a good enough build?
AJ Lee and Brie Bella versus Nikki Bella and Paige. Just a standard pre-championship tag match they always do. Paige got the pin on Brie, who isn’t involved in the match on Sunday. Nikki attacks Brie post-match. Paige and AJ have a skip off, with Paige getting upset.
This added nothing to either feud, and doesn’t help promote the Paige vs AJ vs Nikki Title Match.
Bray Wyatt cut a short promo (pre-taped) leading into his match with the Big Show. Bray looked good in this match, impressing with a few moves that took Big Show to task, but in the end the Big Show proved too much, laying waste to Harper and Rowan while Bray looked on from his old man chair.
A six-man tag pitting Sheamus and the Usos against Cesaro and the Dusts. All of which will be in two title matches this Sunday. Again, this was typical booking to set up a PPV match. This was the match of the night to this point, good exciting, well timed with six guys who can go.
Jay Uso won the match with a pin on Stardust.
Waste of a Divas match between Naomi and Cameron, which Naomi won by submission.
Dolph Ziggler and R-Ziggler versus The Miz and Mizdow. Okay, this was a fairly good match and entertaining, but what did it add to the Ziggler/Miz feud? It really didn’t do anything to promote Night of Champions or their IC Title Match.
All this really did was promote the ‘Stunt Double’ gimmick. JBL, Cole and the King didn’t help any, all three claiming the guys can’t be told apart.
Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins both cut small backstage promos, Reigns earlier in the night, Rollins right before their match. Yes, Reigns versus Rollins on Monday Night Raw, before their marque match at Night of Champions.
Yes, the match was good. Yes, Reigns won. Having this match NOW before the special event was stupid. Why is there a need to tune in to see this match now? The Night of Champions match would have been their first televised match. I’m sure people liked it; it just didn’t make any sense.
The Promos
We opened the show with Paul Heyman mocking Cena, bringing out Cena to confront Heyman. Cena reminded Heyman that he is here to fight, if Brock doesn’t show, he’ll fight Heyman. Heyman claims Brock plane is delayed, but that doesn’t help his cause. Cena drags him to the back and has Khali stand guard to keep Heyman from leaving the locker room.
At one Point, Heyman tried to leave the locker room to get better cell reception, only to have Khali step on his phone, and then mock him for not having reception.
Half time! Cena drags Heyman to the ring. No Brock Lesnar. Time for Cena to . . . not fight Heyman? Cena backs off, not wanting to dirty his hands. Heyman begins with pushing the buttons, eventually bringing Cena’s mom into the equation.
Cena snaps and shoves Heyman.
Brock’s music hits. Brock dances around ringside, finally deciding to get into the ring. Belly to Back Suplex sends Cena to the floor. But it’s not over! A fired up Cena attacks Brock relentlessly until security rushes out to pull Cena off, as Brock slithers off to the back.
YES. This is how you build up and promote matches. Now this matchup has my interested. I didn’t care about the Summerslam match, and it turns out neither did the WWE. This should be a much different and better match.
Mark Henry Rallies America . . . I think.
We closed the show with Mark Henry and Rusev. Henry cuts a promo about how he loves his country and will represent it again this Sunday against Rusev. Lana and Rusev interrupt, with their own comments and bashing of the US and Henry.
A physical confrontation between Rusev and Henry doesn’t go good for Henry, at first. It ends with Henry laying out Rusev and proudly waving Old Gory!
Nicely done segment and a good way to promote their Night of Champions match.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Outside of Cena versus Lesnar and Henry versus Rusev, this Go Home edition of Raw didn’t do anything to really promote Night of Champions. Do we even know the final card? From what I understand there are two more matches announced on Smackdown.
Three tag team matches were held, with all involved (except for Brie) having matches at Night of Champion. And all of them are title matches! Tag matches are how you promote them?
This didn’t help the WWE any. I don’t see how anyone would be tempted to get the WWE network, based on this broadcast. You can do better WWE. You have to.
RATING: 5
Match of the Night: Six man tag: Sheamus and the Usos versus Cesaro and the Dusts.
Wrestler of the Night: I don’t have one this time.
Impact of the Night: Cena and Brock’s segment. This is what needed to be done.
This is how you are going to convince people to pay $9.99 a month for the network. It used to be upwards of $59.99 per monthly PPV, the price is an 80% drop for a lot more value.
It also seems that the creative forces in charge have started putting in 80% less effort.
Were there good thing about the show? Yes. However, they were outweighed by the bland effort.
The Matches
Jericho versus Kane in a decent match that saw Jericho turn the tables on Kane after Kane removed a turnbuckle cover and get a roll up pin.
Jack Swagger finally got his hands on Bo Dallas, making him tap out. An okay match, but a good ending as far as I am concerned. Let’s see Bo taping out more often. Why wasn’t this match held over for the Night of Champions, it had a good enough build?
AJ Lee and Brie Bella versus Nikki Bella and Paige. Just a standard pre-championship tag match they always do. Paige got the pin on Brie, who isn’t involved in the match on Sunday. Nikki attacks Brie post-match. Paige and AJ have a skip off, with Paige getting upset.
This added nothing to either feud, and doesn’t help promote the Paige vs AJ vs Nikki Title Match.
Bray Wyatt cut a short promo (pre-taped) leading into his match with the Big Show. Bray looked good in this match, impressing with a few moves that took Big Show to task, but in the end the Big Show proved too much, laying waste to Harper and Rowan while Bray looked on from his old man chair.
A six-man tag pitting Sheamus and the Usos against Cesaro and the Dusts. All of which will be in two title matches this Sunday. Again, this was typical booking to set up a PPV match. This was the match of the night to this point, good exciting, well timed with six guys who can go.
Jay Uso won the match with a pin on Stardust.
Waste of a Divas match between Naomi and Cameron, which Naomi won by submission.
Dolph Ziggler and R-Ziggler versus The Miz and Mizdow. Okay, this was a fairly good match and entertaining, but what did it add to the Ziggler/Miz feud? It really didn’t do anything to promote Night of Champions or their IC Title Match.
All this really did was promote the ‘Stunt Double’ gimmick. JBL, Cole and the King didn’t help any, all three claiming the guys can’t be told apart.
Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins both cut small backstage promos, Reigns earlier in the night, Rollins right before their match. Yes, Reigns versus Rollins on Monday Night Raw, before their marque match at Night of Champions.
Yes, the match was good. Yes, Reigns won. Having this match NOW before the special event was stupid. Why is there a need to tune in to see this match now? The Night of Champions match would have been their first televised match. I’m sure people liked it; it just didn’t make any sense.
The Promos
We opened the show with Paul Heyman mocking Cena, bringing out Cena to confront Heyman. Cena reminded Heyman that he is here to fight, if Brock doesn’t show, he’ll fight Heyman. Heyman claims Brock plane is delayed, but that doesn’t help his cause. Cena drags him to the back and has Khali stand guard to keep Heyman from leaving the locker room.
At one Point, Heyman tried to leave the locker room to get better cell reception, only to have Khali step on his phone, and then mock him for not having reception.
Half time! Cena drags Heyman to the ring. No Brock Lesnar. Time for Cena to . . . not fight Heyman? Cena backs off, not wanting to dirty his hands. Heyman begins with pushing the buttons, eventually bringing Cena’s mom into the equation.
Cena snaps and shoves Heyman.
Brock’s music hits. Brock dances around ringside, finally deciding to get into the ring. Belly to Back Suplex sends Cena to the floor. But it’s not over! A fired up Cena attacks Brock relentlessly until security rushes out to pull Cena off, as Brock slithers off to the back.
YES. This is how you build up and promote matches. Now this matchup has my interested. I didn’t care about the Summerslam match, and it turns out neither did the WWE. This should be a much different and better match.
Mark Henry Rallies America . . . I think.
We closed the show with Mark Henry and Rusev. Henry cuts a promo about how he loves his country and will represent it again this Sunday against Rusev. Lana and Rusev interrupt, with their own comments and bashing of the US and Henry.
A physical confrontation between Rusev and Henry doesn’t go good for Henry, at first. It ends with Henry laying out Rusev and proudly waving Old Gory!
Nicely done segment and a good way to promote their Night of Champions match.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Outside of Cena versus Lesnar and Henry versus Rusev, this Go Home edition of Raw didn’t do anything to really promote Night of Champions. Do we even know the final card? From what I understand there are two more matches announced on Smackdown.
Three tag team matches were held, with all involved (except for Brie) having matches at Night of Champion. And all of them are title matches! Tag matches are how you promote them?
This didn’t help the WWE any. I don’t see how anyone would be tempted to get the WWE network, based on this broadcast. You can do better WWE. You have to.
RATING: 5
Match of the Night: Six man tag: Sheamus and the Usos versus Cesaro and the Dusts.
Wrestler of the Night: I don’t have one this time.
Impact of the Night: Cena and Brock’s segment. This is what needed to be done.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
CJ’s Sight NXT Takeover II
Sin Cara and Kalisto defeat The Ascension to become the New NXT Tag Team Champions in 7:35
This was a very good match. It was not what you would call a “by the book” tag team match, but it was fun with everyone working hard. Kalisto was going 1,000 mph, which caused a few small botches. It was nice to see new champs crowned.
According to Kalisto in the post-match interview, they are going by the name of the Lucha Dragons. Not a bad name. I was happy with the match with my only gripe being that it didn’t go longer. I am happy that the NXT Tag Team division will be consistently competitive from top to bottom. This was a strong way to start the show.
Video promo with Adrian Neville narrating aired hyping the Fatal Four Way championship match.
Baron Corbin squashes CJ Parker in 27 seconds
Well they put Corbin’s debut over. There is never much to add about a less than 30 second squash. Corbin’s finisher is definitely pretty damn cool, though.
Video promo, with Tyson Kidd narrating, aired hyping the Championship match.
Hair vs. Hair match: Enzo Amore pins Sylvester Laforte in 5:39
This was an okay match between the two. There was sound intensity between the two competitors, but nothing to remember. I expected an Enzo win because they are an up and coming baby face duo. The two teams fought while Laforte was dragged up to the barber chair. Laforte ran away which left Marcus Louis to have a bucket full of ‘hair removal’ cream to be dumped on his head. That was a pretty weak post-match angle. Cassidy even shouted out to Enzo “Get the Bucket” in Dudley Boyz fashion. Lame.
Video promo, with Tyler Breeze narrating, aired hyping the Championship match.
William Regal came out and introduced KENTA to a huge Full Sail pop. They put over KENTA as the biggest international signing in WWE history while they put over his achievements. KENTA took the mic and spoke in English and Japanese. He said his new name is Hideo Itami, which is a tribute to one of his heroes. The Ascension appeared and attacked Hideo Itami. They demanded a rematch from Regal when Itami reappeared in the ring and kicked some Ascension ass. This was an exceptionally strong way to start Itami off in NXT. A very well done segment on all fronts.
Bull Dempsey squashes Mojo Rawley in 1:10.
That was bathroom break worthy, another squash that doesn’t belong on a special event.
Enzo and Cassidy find Les Legionnaires backstage. They catch up to Marcus Louis and drag him to ringside. They knock his towel off his head to show him with almost no hair and no eyebrows. Enzo took the mic after Louis split. Enzo then created a new word “B-A-W-L-D.” It’s okay to miss this segment.
A video package aired featuring the NXT Women’s Championship. This was a very well done package by the crew.
NXT Women’s Championship: Charlotte retains against Bayley in about 10:47
A damn fine match from the women. Charlotte won with the Natural Selection. The Full Sail crowd gave it a well-deserved “This is awesome” chant. I cannot say enough about how well this match went for the ladies. There was a sound pace with some very good near falls. There was definitely a story told here. Charlotte always comes up huge when she needs to. Well done, Bayley and Charlotte!
After the match, Sasha Banks came to the ring to assault Bayley. Charlotte came back and tossed Sasha from ringside in a show of respect to Bayley. This was a well done post-match angle as well. Give a big round of applause up and down for the match and the post-match with a storyline moving forward.
Sami Zayn narrated a video package for the Championship match later.
An announcement was made that KENTA, err . . . Hideo Itami will be in action next week. I will definitely be tuning in to see him in action as often as I can along with all of the NXT action . . . for just $9.99 a month!!!!!!!! I haven’t heard that plug yet, so I had to throw it in.
NXT Championship Fatal Four Way: Adrian Neville retains in about 24:24
Neville pins Kidd after a Red Arrow to retain the NXT Championship. This match has dethroned the WrestleMania 30 main event as my match of the year. An absolutely breath taking match. This match was absolutely astounding. Words cannot do this match any justice for how good it was. Do yourself a favor and watch this! Holy hell that was amazing!
Overall, minus about fifteen minutes worth of nonsense, this was an entertaining show. If I can pick out only about 15 minutes I could have done without, then this was a sure hit. I would recommend this show to any wrestling fan. This eclipsed much of what the main roster has done this year. The tag title match could have been longer, but it was still exciting. The Women’s championship and NXT championship matches are far better than a vast majority of what the main roster has given us. Bravo NXT on a night well done for the most part.
Final rating 7/10.
This was a very good match. It was not what you would call a “by the book” tag team match, but it was fun with everyone working hard. Kalisto was going 1,000 mph, which caused a few small botches. It was nice to see new champs crowned.
According to Kalisto in the post-match interview, they are going by the name of the Lucha Dragons. Not a bad name. I was happy with the match with my only gripe being that it didn’t go longer. I am happy that the NXT Tag Team division will be consistently competitive from top to bottom. This was a strong way to start the show.
Video promo with Adrian Neville narrating aired hyping the Fatal Four Way championship match.
Baron Corbin squashes CJ Parker in 27 seconds
Well they put Corbin’s debut over. There is never much to add about a less than 30 second squash. Corbin’s finisher is definitely pretty damn cool, though.
Video promo, with Tyson Kidd narrating, aired hyping the Championship match.
Hair vs. Hair match: Enzo Amore pins Sylvester Laforte in 5:39
This was an okay match between the two. There was sound intensity between the two competitors, but nothing to remember. I expected an Enzo win because they are an up and coming baby face duo. The two teams fought while Laforte was dragged up to the barber chair. Laforte ran away which left Marcus Louis to have a bucket full of ‘hair removal’ cream to be dumped on his head. That was a pretty weak post-match angle. Cassidy even shouted out to Enzo “Get the Bucket” in Dudley Boyz fashion. Lame.
Video promo, with Tyler Breeze narrating, aired hyping the Championship match.
William Regal came out and introduced KENTA to a huge Full Sail pop. They put over KENTA as the biggest international signing in WWE history while they put over his achievements. KENTA took the mic and spoke in English and Japanese. He said his new name is Hideo Itami, which is a tribute to one of his heroes. The Ascension appeared and attacked Hideo Itami. They demanded a rematch from Regal when Itami reappeared in the ring and kicked some Ascension ass. This was an exceptionally strong way to start Itami off in NXT. A very well done segment on all fronts.
Bull Dempsey squashes Mojo Rawley in 1:10.
That was bathroom break worthy, another squash that doesn’t belong on a special event.
Enzo and Cassidy find Les Legionnaires backstage. They catch up to Marcus Louis and drag him to ringside. They knock his towel off his head to show him with almost no hair and no eyebrows. Enzo took the mic after Louis split. Enzo then created a new word “B-A-W-L-D.” It’s okay to miss this segment.
A video package aired featuring the NXT Women’s Championship. This was a very well done package by the crew.
NXT Women’s Championship: Charlotte retains against Bayley in about 10:47
A damn fine match from the women. Charlotte won with the Natural Selection. The Full Sail crowd gave it a well-deserved “This is awesome” chant. I cannot say enough about how well this match went for the ladies. There was a sound pace with some very good near falls. There was definitely a story told here. Charlotte always comes up huge when she needs to. Well done, Bayley and Charlotte!
After the match, Sasha Banks came to the ring to assault Bayley. Charlotte came back and tossed Sasha from ringside in a show of respect to Bayley. This was a well done post-match angle as well. Give a big round of applause up and down for the match and the post-match with a storyline moving forward.
Sami Zayn narrated a video package for the Championship match later.
An announcement was made that KENTA, err . . . Hideo Itami will be in action next week. I will definitely be tuning in to see him in action as often as I can along with all of the NXT action . . . for just $9.99 a month!!!!!!!! I haven’t heard that plug yet, so I had to throw it in.
NXT Championship Fatal Four Way: Adrian Neville retains in about 24:24
Neville pins Kidd after a Red Arrow to retain the NXT Championship. This match has dethroned the WrestleMania 30 main event as my match of the year. An absolutely breath taking match. This match was absolutely astounding. Words cannot do this match any justice for how good it was. Do yourself a favor and watch this! Holy hell that was amazing!
Overall, minus about fifteen minutes worth of nonsense, this was an entertaining show. If I can pick out only about 15 minutes I could have done without, then this was a sure hit. I would recommend this show to any wrestling fan. This eclipsed much of what the main roster has done this year. The tag title match could have been longer, but it was still exciting. The Women’s championship and NXT championship matches are far better than a vast majority of what the main roster has given us. Bravo NXT on a night well done for the most part.
Final rating 7/10.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
The Diva Dish: Post-NXT Takeover II Edition
The Dish is late this time around to cover NXT Takeover. I'm still marking out. The good and bad with the Divas in WWE illustrate on a smaller scale what's going on with the company's direction as a whole. Takeover II was no exception. The card was packed with slam bang excitement, closure for some and new twists and turns for others. Charlotte's title match with Bayley was an integral part of this epic night. The buildup was expertly booked for two women who proved they were indeed up to the challenge when it was time for the payoff.
(Charlotte gives free hugs her way. Credit: WWE.com)
NXT Women's Champion Charlotte and Bayley came up around the same time to NXT, but their paths to Orlando were quite different.
Born Pamela Martinez, Bayley began training under Jason Styles in Northern California's Big Time Wrestling. Working under the name Davina Rose, she honed her skills in the indies, including Shimmer, until WWE signed her in December 2012.
She clicked with her doe-eyed fan girl persona-- an ingénue who was insufferably happy to just to be in the business-- dishing out hugs and big smiles as she took her lumps. Over 2013 and 2014, Bayley has shown more of an edge, while not abandoning the sweetheart motif that has connected with kids and grownup fans alike. Bayley is all smiles and love coming down the ramp but she has shown her solid technical skills and genuine toughness. She was embroiled in a feud with Sasha Banks that flowed into her championship match at Takeover II with her opponent, NXT's reigning queen, whose path was a little different to this point.
(There's always room for hugs, kinda like Jell-O. Credit: WWE Network)
Before Ashley Fliehr became Charlotte, she was a standout volleyball player in high school, going on to the college ranks at Appalachian State in North Carolina. She signed a developmental deal with WWE in May of 2012. The company hoped capitalizing on the daughter of Nature Boy Ric Flair would pay off and so far, it has big time.
Charlotte is already one of WWE's best female technical wrestlers, and she's demonstrated command of the storytelling end of the craft as well. What makes her remarkable is that she was completely groomed within WWE's current developmental system. She not only gives credibility to WWE's performance center paradigm, but also sets a high standard for what homegrown Divas should be able to accomplish as professional wrestlers. The match between the Nature Girl and the Queen of Hugs is a serious women's match of the year candidate and proof of what WWE can do with their Divas if they want to.
(Charlotte keeps Alexa Bliss's chiropractor in a job during the NXT go-home before Takeover-Credit: WWE.com)
As booking takes two steps back for every move forward on the main roster, core fundamentals on what a great match should be were demonstrated in this bout. Bayley has shown more grit and edge over the last six months, while not abandoning the big kid inside her. She earned the title shot after an entertaining feud with fellow emerging star Sasha Banks. Charlotte took notice and, channeling the confident arrogance that made her Dad the greatest heel of all time, she made no bones about her willingness to destroy Bayley, who she thought was too soft to contend. Prior to Takeover II, Charlotte wouldn't even shake the top contender’s hand, and only gave her a warning: "Don't make me destroy you." With a fraction of the TV time that the Bellas and Total Divas get, excitement was buzzing for this one on an already compelling card.
The seesaw battle gave us a demonstration of their excellent chemistry and technical skills. A couple small miscues were easily fixed in the moment early on and the ingénue was relentless while a somewhat shocked champ never lost her cool. What really made a solid bout into an excellent story were the little things toward the end.
(No bathroom break here. Credit: WWE.com)
Bayley sold the pain but kept fighting back. Charlotte's anger and frustration grew, as her opponent just wouldn't stay down. The end was sublime. The back of Bayley's skull impacted with a bottom turnbuckle and for a moment it looked like that was it. And, while the end indeed came within a minute after that, it was a surprise. A crowd who were chanting "THIS IS AWESOME" was enthralled as Bayley rose to her hands and knees after getting her bell rung, staring the champ down with defiance. We were left with the impression that she just might have pulled off the upset had Charlotte not immediately hit Natural Selection and knocked her out long enough for the pin. For those who don't remember how the Nature Boy reigned as NWA champion in his prime during the 80's, this was the kind of story told every night to packed houses across the territories during his reigns. The champ was insufferably hard to beat, but in the end the challenger looked tougher in defeat when the final bell rung. Charlotte and Bayley told that story in fine form at Takeover II. Also, unlike the main roster's screwy booking, the match launched new possibilities while giving some resolution.
(Defiant to the end. The glare that may have launched Bayley into the stratosphere of WWE's universe.-- Source: WWE Network)
Sasha Banks came down to the ring, still fuming over her inability to defeat Bayley, as well as feeling a sense of entitlement to a title match with her former BFF Charlotte.
She slid through the ropes to take advantage of Bayley who was still recovering from the concurrent headshots that floored her. Charlotte paused on her way up the ramp, watching Sasha kick Bayley over and over. The audience was unsure what she would do, until her eyes slid back toward the ring and she ripped Sasha off her fallen opponent. With that, this story ended with respect begrudgingly earned by Bayley (cemented in the Takeover post show later) and a new angle starting with Banks. What made this a satisfying ending and a new beginning at the same time was that Bayley was a viable threat and fans aren't entirely sure how Banks will figure into coming storylines. Will she feud with Charlotte in a new storyline while Bayley goes into a new story arc for a while, or will the arrogant champ and the relentless yet sweet up-and-comer have to enter into an abrasive alliance?
(Charlotte's the champ for a reason, but respect has been earned as Banks fumes. --Credit: WWE.com)
We received a great show of how and why professional wrestling--and WWE's brand of sports entertainment-- can hook old and new fans alike when workers use the solid fundamentals of the craft. Divas matches don't have to be bathroom break filler, and the once indifferent fan can be drawn in. Will this happen? Can it? That is entirely up to WWE itself. They have all the tools at their disposal. Charlotte and Bayley proved it.
- Wes Kozalla
(Charlotte gives free hugs her way. Credit: WWE.com)
NXT Women's Champion Charlotte and Bayley came up around the same time to NXT, but their paths to Orlando were quite different.
Born Pamela Martinez, Bayley began training under Jason Styles in Northern California's Big Time Wrestling. Working under the name Davina Rose, she honed her skills in the indies, including Shimmer, until WWE signed her in December 2012.
She clicked with her doe-eyed fan girl persona-- an ingénue who was insufferably happy to just to be in the business-- dishing out hugs and big smiles as she took her lumps. Over 2013 and 2014, Bayley has shown more of an edge, while not abandoning the sweetheart motif that has connected with kids and grownup fans alike. Bayley is all smiles and love coming down the ramp but she has shown her solid technical skills and genuine toughness. She was embroiled in a feud with Sasha Banks that flowed into her championship match at Takeover II with her opponent, NXT's reigning queen, whose path was a little different to this point.
(There's always room for hugs, kinda like Jell-O. Credit: WWE Network)
Before Ashley Fliehr became Charlotte, she was a standout volleyball player in high school, going on to the college ranks at Appalachian State in North Carolina. She signed a developmental deal with WWE in May of 2012. The company hoped capitalizing on the daughter of Nature Boy Ric Flair would pay off and so far, it has big time.
Charlotte is already one of WWE's best female technical wrestlers, and she's demonstrated command of the storytelling end of the craft as well. What makes her remarkable is that she was completely groomed within WWE's current developmental system. She not only gives credibility to WWE's performance center paradigm, but also sets a high standard for what homegrown Divas should be able to accomplish as professional wrestlers. The match between the Nature Girl and the Queen of Hugs is a serious women's match of the year candidate and proof of what WWE can do with their Divas if they want to.
(Charlotte keeps Alexa Bliss's chiropractor in a job during the NXT go-home before Takeover-Credit: WWE.com)
As booking takes two steps back for every move forward on the main roster, core fundamentals on what a great match should be were demonstrated in this bout. Bayley has shown more grit and edge over the last six months, while not abandoning the big kid inside her. She earned the title shot after an entertaining feud with fellow emerging star Sasha Banks. Charlotte took notice and, channeling the confident arrogance that made her Dad the greatest heel of all time, she made no bones about her willingness to destroy Bayley, who she thought was too soft to contend. Prior to Takeover II, Charlotte wouldn't even shake the top contender’s hand, and only gave her a warning: "Don't make me destroy you." With a fraction of the TV time that the Bellas and Total Divas get, excitement was buzzing for this one on an already compelling card.
The seesaw battle gave us a demonstration of their excellent chemistry and technical skills. A couple small miscues were easily fixed in the moment early on and the ingénue was relentless while a somewhat shocked champ never lost her cool. What really made a solid bout into an excellent story were the little things toward the end.
(No bathroom break here. Credit: WWE.com)
Bayley sold the pain but kept fighting back. Charlotte's anger and frustration grew, as her opponent just wouldn't stay down. The end was sublime. The back of Bayley's skull impacted with a bottom turnbuckle and for a moment it looked like that was it. And, while the end indeed came within a minute after that, it was a surprise. A crowd who were chanting "THIS IS AWESOME" was enthralled as Bayley rose to her hands and knees after getting her bell rung, staring the champ down with defiance. We were left with the impression that she just might have pulled off the upset had Charlotte not immediately hit Natural Selection and knocked her out long enough for the pin. For those who don't remember how the Nature Boy reigned as NWA champion in his prime during the 80's, this was the kind of story told every night to packed houses across the territories during his reigns. The champ was insufferably hard to beat, but in the end the challenger looked tougher in defeat when the final bell rung. Charlotte and Bayley told that story in fine form at Takeover II. Also, unlike the main roster's screwy booking, the match launched new possibilities while giving some resolution.
(Defiant to the end. The glare that may have launched Bayley into the stratosphere of WWE's universe.-- Source: WWE Network)
Sasha Banks came down to the ring, still fuming over her inability to defeat Bayley, as well as feeling a sense of entitlement to a title match with her former BFF Charlotte.
She slid through the ropes to take advantage of Bayley who was still recovering from the concurrent headshots that floored her. Charlotte paused on her way up the ramp, watching Sasha kick Bayley over and over. The audience was unsure what she would do, until her eyes slid back toward the ring and she ripped Sasha off her fallen opponent. With that, this story ended with respect begrudgingly earned by Bayley (cemented in the Takeover post show later) and a new angle starting with Banks. What made this a satisfying ending and a new beginning at the same time was that Bayley was a viable threat and fans aren't entirely sure how Banks will figure into coming storylines. Will she feud with Charlotte in a new storyline while Bayley goes into a new story arc for a while, or will the arrogant champ and the relentless yet sweet up-and-comer have to enter into an abrasive alliance?
(Charlotte's the champ for a reason, but respect has been earned as Banks fumes. --Credit: WWE.com)
We received a great show of how and why professional wrestling--and WWE's brand of sports entertainment-- can hook old and new fans alike when workers use the solid fundamentals of the craft. Divas matches don't have to be bathroom break filler, and the once indifferent fan can be drawn in. Will this happen? Can it? That is entirely up to WWE itself. They have all the tools at their disposal. Charlotte and Bayley proved it.
- Wes Kozalla
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Ace's Answer Raw Report 9/8
Last week I wrote that anytime Raw starts with Chris Jericho it is usually a good thing. That was proven true tonight as we kicked off Raw with Chris Jericho versus Bray Wyatt inside the steel cage.
Yes, even I who does not like Bray Wyatt will give him some credit for a good match tonight. Of course, it was with Chris Jericho. The match was good, well timed and played out. Both guys dominated at different times and the flow went back and forth.
Jericho had the match won at one point when he climbed over the top of the cage, but didn’t drop down because Harper and Rowan were there. Instead he did a cross body from the top of the cage! Spectacular crash and burn, he took out Wyatt and himself. Jericho injured his knee and that played a part in the ending.
I loved how the match ended, with Jericho and Wyatt fighting on the edge of the ring, inside the open steel frame doorway. Jericho trying got crawl out, Wyatt stopping him. Wyatt eventually rolled over Jericho to fall out of the cage and get the win.
This may have been Wyatt’s best match to date.
A good opening to Raw
Backstage, Randy insulted Kane and Seth Rollins and asked Hunter for permission to do something to Reigns that will make what Rollins did to Ambrose look like Sunday School.
Dolph Ziggler gets one over on the Miz and Mizdow by showing pictures of The Miz that are quiet embarrassing – but Miz claims were for medical purposes.
I wonder, what medical purposes are covered by Mizdow spraying tan on Miz’s naked rear end?
Score one for Ziggler.
AJ Lee and Paige team up for a match against Rosa Mendez and Nattie. Not much of a match, just a set up for more issues between AJ and Paige. Paige dominated most of the match. AJ tagged herself in, on Paige’s chest, and got the quick tap out on Mendez. Then both AJ and Paige took turns making out with the belt before AJ skipped off.
Not much, unfortunately.
Anyone who knows me knows I am not a big Paul Heyman guy; I am also less of a Cena fan. I’m part of the Cena sucks crowd. That said the segment with Cena and Heyman was the highlight of Raw to this point.
Both guys were on point perfectly, this was Paul Heyman’s best promo to date and worked great since Cena was in the ring with him. It was somewhat reminiscent of both Kane and Bray telling Cena to embrace the hate/monster, but in a unique way.
Paul was telling Cena that the only chance Cena has is to go dark, tell the fans to shut up, be the Thug again. Cena responded by given a passionate promo of why he is John Cena and won’t change. Cena’s promo was great, he did what he has needed to do for a long time, explain why Cena is Cena, and he did that.
Cena then told Paul he is ready to fight. If Brock shows up next week, he’ll fight Brock. If he doesn’t, Cena will fight Heyman.
Well done by both guys.
I’m a little in shock here. Sheamus, Seth Rollins and Cesaro are three of my favorite guys in Pro Wrestling, period. Not just the WWE. That said, I was not expecting a Seth Rollins victory, even when Cesaro came out.
That is what we got, off a distraction caused by Cesaro with Sheamus’s belt, Seth Rollins got in a drop kick and a curb stomp for the pin. Massive win for Rollins!
After that, Cesaro mocks Sheamus with a ‘FELLA,’ then neutralizes him.
Okay match, but nice segment to build up the Cesaro/Sheamus feud.
Lana and Rusev comes out and the escort cuts a promo on the National Anthem, singing it with words praising Russia, then having the Russian national anthem played as the real anthem.
Disrespectful segment. There’s getting heat, then going too far.
NXT match on RAW? Awesome. By that I mean that it is Awesome having NXT on RAW and that the match was AWESOME. Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Tyson Kidd and Tyler Breeze stole the show. Main roster now please.
This is how you promote the WWE Network, not with creative ways of saying $9.99.
Jerry Springer intervention or utter waste of space on an otherwise decent Raw. Uh, utter waste of space. This didn’t do anything other than promote Total Divas. If Springer was injured, then I guarantee he is still better off than those of us who watched this segment.
We go from Bad, too Weird with Gold and Stardust. This was great. The Dusts put on a clinic on how to dismantle a tag team by destroying Los Matadores. While celebrating their victory up the ramp, the USOs attacked the Dusts!
Good for the Usos! Show some fire and anger, you need it.
Adam Rose versus Titus O’Neal, following up the Rose/Slater match from last week. The bunny was hyper at ringside, and even super kicked Slater! This distraction lead to Rose pinning O’Neal.
Uh, the bunny did a top rope splash onto Titus? What the hell?!
Main event time! Summerslam Rematch!
Roman Reigns versus Randy Orton . . ., Seth Rollins . . ., Kane . . ., and the steel cage?
Yes, what started out as an actual match, degenerated into a three on one beat down inside the steel cage. The match ended when, right after a superman punch on Orton, Kane, Rollins and the ringside crew came running down. This lead to the cage being lowered.
Initially, Reigns turned the tables on Kane and Rollins, and it was just Reigns and Orton in the cage. This changed after a Rollins cross body off the top of the cage (better then Jericho’s earlier in the show. Sorry Chris).
After a choke slam by Kane, curb stomp onto a chair by Rollins, Orton pummeled Reigns with a chair, leaving him down at out.
This is what Orton said would be worse then what Rollins did to Ambrose? Disappointing.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that we almost saw Rollins impaled when the cage came down. I’m sure that was fun for Rollins.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Good edition of Raw, better than last week’s, but not as good as the two before that. I am hoping that next Monday’s Go Home show before Night of Champions will be better.
RATING: 6
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: NXT MATCH
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: Chris Jericho.
IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: NXT MATCH
Yes, even I who does not like Bray Wyatt will give him some credit for a good match tonight. Of course, it was with Chris Jericho. The match was good, well timed and played out. Both guys dominated at different times and the flow went back and forth.
Jericho had the match won at one point when he climbed over the top of the cage, but didn’t drop down because Harper and Rowan were there. Instead he did a cross body from the top of the cage! Spectacular crash and burn, he took out Wyatt and himself. Jericho injured his knee and that played a part in the ending.
I loved how the match ended, with Jericho and Wyatt fighting on the edge of the ring, inside the open steel frame doorway. Jericho trying got crawl out, Wyatt stopping him. Wyatt eventually rolled over Jericho to fall out of the cage and get the win.
This may have been Wyatt’s best match to date.
A good opening to Raw
Backstage, Randy insulted Kane and Seth Rollins and asked Hunter for permission to do something to Reigns that will make what Rollins did to Ambrose look like Sunday School.
Dolph Ziggler gets one over on the Miz and Mizdow by showing pictures of The Miz that are quiet embarrassing – but Miz claims were for medical purposes.
I wonder, what medical purposes are covered by Mizdow spraying tan on Miz’s naked rear end?
Score one for Ziggler.
AJ Lee and Paige team up for a match against Rosa Mendez and Nattie. Not much of a match, just a set up for more issues between AJ and Paige. Paige dominated most of the match. AJ tagged herself in, on Paige’s chest, and got the quick tap out on Mendez. Then both AJ and Paige took turns making out with the belt before AJ skipped off.
Not much, unfortunately.
Anyone who knows me knows I am not a big Paul Heyman guy; I am also less of a Cena fan. I’m part of the Cena sucks crowd. That said the segment with Cena and Heyman was the highlight of Raw to this point.
Both guys were on point perfectly, this was Paul Heyman’s best promo to date and worked great since Cena was in the ring with him. It was somewhat reminiscent of both Kane and Bray telling Cena to embrace the hate/monster, but in a unique way.
Paul was telling Cena that the only chance Cena has is to go dark, tell the fans to shut up, be the Thug again. Cena responded by given a passionate promo of why he is John Cena and won’t change. Cena’s promo was great, he did what he has needed to do for a long time, explain why Cena is Cena, and he did that.
Cena then told Paul he is ready to fight. If Brock shows up next week, he’ll fight Brock. If he doesn’t, Cena will fight Heyman.
Well done by both guys.
I’m a little in shock here. Sheamus, Seth Rollins and Cesaro are three of my favorite guys in Pro Wrestling, period. Not just the WWE. That said, I was not expecting a Seth Rollins victory, even when Cesaro came out.
That is what we got, off a distraction caused by Cesaro with Sheamus’s belt, Seth Rollins got in a drop kick and a curb stomp for the pin. Massive win for Rollins!
After that, Cesaro mocks Sheamus with a ‘FELLA,’ then neutralizes him.
Okay match, but nice segment to build up the Cesaro/Sheamus feud.
Lana and Rusev comes out and the escort cuts a promo on the National Anthem, singing it with words praising Russia, then having the Russian national anthem played as the real anthem.
Disrespectful segment. There’s getting heat, then going too far.
NXT match on RAW? Awesome. By that I mean that it is Awesome having NXT on RAW and that the match was AWESOME. Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Tyson Kidd and Tyler Breeze stole the show. Main roster now please.
This is how you promote the WWE Network, not with creative ways of saying $9.99.
Jerry Springer intervention or utter waste of space on an otherwise decent Raw. Uh, utter waste of space. This didn’t do anything other than promote Total Divas. If Springer was injured, then I guarantee he is still better off than those of us who watched this segment.
We go from Bad, too Weird with Gold and Stardust. This was great. The Dusts put on a clinic on how to dismantle a tag team by destroying Los Matadores. While celebrating their victory up the ramp, the USOs attacked the Dusts!
Good for the Usos! Show some fire and anger, you need it.
Adam Rose versus Titus O’Neal, following up the Rose/Slater match from last week. The bunny was hyper at ringside, and even super kicked Slater! This distraction lead to Rose pinning O’Neal.
Uh, the bunny did a top rope splash onto Titus? What the hell?!
Main event time! Summerslam Rematch!
Roman Reigns versus Randy Orton . . ., Seth Rollins . . ., Kane . . ., and the steel cage?
Yes, what started out as an actual match, degenerated into a three on one beat down inside the steel cage. The match ended when, right after a superman punch on Orton, Kane, Rollins and the ringside crew came running down. This lead to the cage being lowered.
Initially, Reigns turned the tables on Kane and Rollins, and it was just Reigns and Orton in the cage. This changed after a Rollins cross body off the top of the cage (better then Jericho’s earlier in the show. Sorry Chris).
After a choke slam by Kane, curb stomp onto a chair by Rollins, Orton pummeled Reigns with a chair, leaving him down at out.
This is what Orton said would be worse then what Rollins did to Ambrose? Disappointing.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that we almost saw Rollins impaled when the cage came down. I’m sure that was fun for Rollins.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Good edition of Raw, better than last week’s, but not as good as the two before that. I am hoping that next Monday’s Go Home show before Night of Champions will be better.
RATING: 6
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: NXT MATCH
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: Chris Jericho.
IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: NXT MATCH
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
CJ’s Sight NXT Review: Takeover II Go-Home Show
Charlotte pins Alexa Bliss in 2:19
Not much of a match. It was just a way to make Charlotte look strong heading into NXT Takeover II.
There was a confrontation between Bayley and Charlotte after the match with the Babyface vs. Heel dynamic taking place. Bayley extended her hand in sportsmanship Charlotte rejected it with a failed attack on Bayley. The bit ended with Bayley hitting her Bayley-to-belly signature.
In a backstage segment, Sin Cara and Kalisto were interviewed about the tag team tournament finals. Kalisto was playing translator to Sin Cara’s comments. They pretty much said that they will win out to become NXT Tag Team Champions.
Tyler Breeze pins Tye Dillinger in about 2:47
Another short squash putting over someone in a championship match at Takeover II. Not much to add here.
Backstage, Tyson Kidd gave us one hell of a promo about the fatal four way at Takeover II. This is a short and to the point promo. He put over his opponents, and put himself over even more. I recommend watching this. Great work!
Tyson Kidd pinned Adam Rose in about 4:08
This was a decent match for the time. In the end, it’s just another contender being put over. It was good for the time.
In the back, the Vaudevillians gave their thoughts about their tag team finals match later in the show. It’s obvious what they would have said about the manner.
Sami Zayn tapped out Marcus Louis in roughly 2:58
Rinse and repeat for the contenders looking strong.
Adrian Neville pinned CJ Parker in about 3:01
Champ looks strong in a go home show. Nothing much to add.
Sin Cara and Kalisto defeats the VaudeVillians in about 5:22
These teams could put on a phenomenal 15 minute match with ease. They are reduced to just over 5 minutes. This is a shame. They could have cut out many of the unnecessary squashes from earlier in the show, and given these teams plenty of time to “Wow” us, but they didn’t. It is still too early to tell if the right team won here or not.
Overall, this was an average go home show. The last I checked, WWE is synonymous with average go home show so I am not surprised. More time should have been given to the #1 Contender’s Tag Team match. The high quantity of squashes were completely unnecessary. However, I will end this on a positive note. Tyson Kidd put on an excellent promo so that is a good watch. Other than that, this was a skippable edition of NXT.
Final Grade: 4.5/10
Not much of a match. It was just a way to make Charlotte look strong heading into NXT Takeover II.
There was a confrontation between Bayley and Charlotte after the match with the Babyface vs. Heel dynamic taking place. Bayley extended her hand in sportsmanship Charlotte rejected it with a failed attack on Bayley. The bit ended with Bayley hitting her Bayley-to-belly signature.
In a backstage segment, Sin Cara and Kalisto were interviewed about the tag team tournament finals. Kalisto was playing translator to Sin Cara’s comments. They pretty much said that they will win out to become NXT Tag Team Champions.
Tyler Breeze pins Tye Dillinger in about 2:47
Another short squash putting over someone in a championship match at Takeover II. Not much to add here.
Backstage, Tyson Kidd gave us one hell of a promo about the fatal four way at Takeover II. This is a short and to the point promo. He put over his opponents, and put himself over even more. I recommend watching this. Great work!
Tyson Kidd pinned Adam Rose in about 4:08
This was a decent match for the time. In the end, it’s just another contender being put over. It was good for the time.
In the back, the Vaudevillians gave their thoughts about their tag team finals match later in the show. It’s obvious what they would have said about the manner.
Sami Zayn tapped out Marcus Louis in roughly 2:58
Rinse and repeat for the contenders looking strong.
Adrian Neville pinned CJ Parker in about 3:01
Champ looks strong in a go home show. Nothing much to add.
Sin Cara and Kalisto defeats the VaudeVillians in about 5:22
These teams could put on a phenomenal 15 minute match with ease. They are reduced to just over 5 minutes. This is a shame. They could have cut out many of the unnecessary squashes from earlier in the show, and given these teams plenty of time to “Wow” us, but they didn’t. It is still too early to tell if the right team won here or not.
Overall, this was an average go home show. The last I checked, WWE is synonymous with average go home show so I am not surprised. More time should have been given to the #1 Contender’s Tag Team match. The high quantity of squashes were completely unnecessary. However, I will end this on a positive note. Tyson Kidd put on an excellent promo so that is a good watch. Other than that, this was a skippable edition of NXT.
Final Grade: 4.5/10
Sunday, September 7, 2014
WEEK IN REVIEW 8/31 to 9/6
This week I wrote a few things I can’t believe I wrote:
Yes, those are all things I can’t believe I wrote. He is another thing that come this posting I know I won’t believe I wrote: TNA Impact was the best broadcast of the week. This is not something that I have thought in a year or more.
RAW and Smackdown coasted, barely delivering on anything. Raw was promo heavy with only one match of note, the Big Show/Henry versus Harper/Rowan match. There was JBL’s great line about putting down Adam Rose’s bunny as a menace to society after it attacked Heath Slater.
Smackdown was just a bad as Raw. One good match, a good Brie Bella performance and a Teddy Long impersonation from Hunter.
WWE impersonated a wrestling company this week.
TNA fired on almost all cylinders though. A Knockouts title match, a major new debut, X Division #1 contender’s match, World Title #1 contender’s match, Bobby Lashley versus Samoa Joe, EC3’s epic walk off after the Rhine/Spud match.
TNA’s had more and higher quality matches then the WWE this week, in one broadcast and everything served a purpose.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Here is another thing I can’t believe I am writing, TNA sweeps my Match, Wrestler and Impact of the week. Here they are:
MATCH OF THE WEEK: Eric Young versus Bobby Roode
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK: Bobby Roode
IMPACT OF THE WEEK: EC3 walking out on Spud after the Spud/Rhino match.
Cena threaten a lawsuit
I named EC3 as the Impact of the Night on TNA Impact for the third straight week.
That TNA had a good broadcast of Impact for the third straight week.
Hunter did a Teddy Long Impersonation.
That Brie Bella actually had a good match.
Yes, those are all things I can’t believe I wrote. He is another thing that come this posting I know I won’t believe I wrote: TNA Impact was the best broadcast of the week. This is not something that I have thought in a year or more.
RAW and Smackdown coasted, barely delivering on anything. Raw was promo heavy with only one match of note, the Big Show/Henry versus Harper/Rowan match. There was JBL’s great line about putting down Adam Rose’s bunny as a menace to society after it attacked Heath Slater.
Smackdown was just a bad as Raw. One good match, a good Brie Bella performance and a Teddy Long impersonation from Hunter.
WWE impersonated a wrestling company this week.
TNA fired on almost all cylinders though. A Knockouts title match, a major new debut, X Division #1 contender’s match, World Title #1 contender’s match, Bobby Lashley versus Samoa Joe, EC3’s epic walk off after the Rhine/Spud match.
TNA’s had more and higher quality matches then the WWE this week, in one broadcast and everything served a purpose.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Here is another thing I can’t believe I am writing, TNA sweeps my Match, Wrestler and Impact of the week. Here they are:
MATCH OF THE WEEK: Eric Young versus Bobby Roode
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK: Bobby Roode
IMPACT OF THE WEEK: EC3 walking out on Spud after the Spud/Rhino match.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Ace's Answer SMACKDOWN 9/5/2014
Wow, did we really start Smackdown off with a 15-minute promo to set up a ten man main event, and Hunter did a poor Teddy Long impersonation?
I get the whole point of the promo and the match. It involves all the players, save Orton, from the world title controversy Monday Night and the currently feuding Jericho/Bray and Big Show/Mark Henry and Harper/Rowan. Therefore, it serves to further a couple of different feuds and storylines.
The problem is, it was overly long and could have been cut in half. Cena starts out with a typical long-winded, boring Cena promo to talk about something that could have been done in two sentences and ended with Hunter Hurst Long.
Please Hunter, no more Teddy impersonations.
Our first match of the night is a stellar match between Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler. Sheamus was on commentary and had some great lines while on the mic.
The match started out slow, but then really ramped up to something good, especially when Ziggler countered Cesaro’s uppercut attempt into an impactful DDT. The ending was somewhat weird though, as Dolph countered a move into a roll up for the pin. I am not sure what Cesaro was going for, the neutralizer maybe? But, Cesaro put Dolph behind him.
After the loss, Cesaro attacked Ziggler, only to be stopped by a Brogue kick from Sheamus.
Speaking of odd, I assume Gold and Stardust have a tag title match at Night of Champions. Their promo made less sense than usual.
The Dust's promo was followed up by a match between Jimmy Uso and Heath Slater. This was actually a decent match, and both guys did well. Jimmy won after a great spot where he super kicked Heath as Heath came off the top rope.
Jay came down to ringside on a crutch (yes, one crutch). Cole questioned whether he will be able to wrestle at Night of Champions. Could this be a set up for the Usos losing the titles because of injury, adding more fuel to their feud with Gold/Stardust?
In a pre-taped segment, Stephanie announced that Paige will defend her title at Night of Champions against AJ Lee AND Nikki Bella. Expect Brie to be added to the mix somewhere in the next two weeks.
On a separate note, I wish the WWE would do more pre-taped segments. They can work very well and be better-managed then in-ring promos.
Mark Henry is right, Lana does run her mouth to much, and she does look like an escort. Or Russian Mail Order Bride as JBL commented. The problem with this segment, was that to get to the point, we have to listen to all the anti-American rhetoric, which is old and tired already.
Mark Henry actually saved this segment. At least we know that there will be a Henry/Rusev match at Night of Champions.
I can’t believe I am writing this, but I just witness Brie Bella have a good match against Paige, despite losing in the end. Nikki sat at ringside to watch the match. AJ Lee was on commentary, and admitted to enjoying the Bella drama.
AJ Lee eventually got in Nikki’s face, leading to Nikki shoving AJ and AJ kicking Nikki’s ass. Brie was distracted by this and actually saved Nikki from AJ, then lost the match.
The match was fairly good, and Brie saving Nikki actual adds a new dimension to this family feud.
Can Bo Dallas go away? Now. I mean NOW. This segment was horrible. Bo squashes Zack? Horrible. Bo on the mic? Horrible.
The main event 10-man tag team match (Big Show, Mark Henry, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho and John Cena versus the Wyatt Family, Seth Rollins and Kane) received a good amount of airtime and was actually a fairly good match.
The problem with these types of matches is they don’t really give the participants involved enough time and usually break down into brawls. This match was no different. The Wyatts and Authority dominated the entire match. Once Cena tagged in and went on a roll, the match broke down and was thrown out.
We ended the show with the faces standing tall, and the hells down low.
FINAL THOUGHTS: An average show at best, saved by the Cesaro/Dolph match and the main event. Most everything else felt like filler someone came up with on the fly. Nothing of any matter came out of this broadcast.
The main event felt more like it was to hype up Monday Night, then stand-alone.
RATING: 5
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Cesaro versus Dolph Ziggler
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: Dolph Ziggler
IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: There wasn’t one.
I get the whole point of the promo and the match. It involves all the players, save Orton, from the world title controversy Monday Night and the currently feuding Jericho/Bray and Big Show/Mark Henry and Harper/Rowan. Therefore, it serves to further a couple of different feuds and storylines.
The problem is, it was overly long and could have been cut in half. Cena starts out with a typical long-winded, boring Cena promo to talk about something that could have been done in two sentences and ended with Hunter Hurst Long.
Please Hunter, no more Teddy impersonations.
Our first match of the night is a stellar match between Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler. Sheamus was on commentary and had some great lines while on the mic.
The match started out slow, but then really ramped up to something good, especially when Ziggler countered Cesaro’s uppercut attempt into an impactful DDT. The ending was somewhat weird though, as Dolph countered a move into a roll up for the pin. I am not sure what Cesaro was going for, the neutralizer maybe? But, Cesaro put Dolph behind him.
After the loss, Cesaro attacked Ziggler, only to be stopped by a Brogue kick from Sheamus.
Speaking of odd, I assume Gold and Stardust have a tag title match at Night of Champions. Their promo made less sense than usual.
The Dust's promo was followed up by a match between Jimmy Uso and Heath Slater. This was actually a decent match, and both guys did well. Jimmy won after a great spot where he super kicked Heath as Heath came off the top rope.
Jay came down to ringside on a crutch (yes, one crutch). Cole questioned whether he will be able to wrestle at Night of Champions. Could this be a set up for the Usos losing the titles because of injury, adding more fuel to their feud with Gold/Stardust?
In a pre-taped segment, Stephanie announced that Paige will defend her title at Night of Champions against AJ Lee AND Nikki Bella. Expect Brie to be added to the mix somewhere in the next two weeks.
On a separate note, I wish the WWE would do more pre-taped segments. They can work very well and be better-managed then in-ring promos.
Mark Henry is right, Lana does run her mouth to much, and she does look like an escort. Or Russian Mail Order Bride as JBL commented. The problem with this segment, was that to get to the point, we have to listen to all the anti-American rhetoric, which is old and tired already.
Mark Henry actually saved this segment. At least we know that there will be a Henry/Rusev match at Night of Champions.
I can’t believe I am writing this, but I just witness Brie Bella have a good match against Paige, despite losing in the end. Nikki sat at ringside to watch the match. AJ Lee was on commentary, and admitted to enjoying the Bella drama.
AJ Lee eventually got in Nikki’s face, leading to Nikki shoving AJ and AJ kicking Nikki’s ass. Brie was distracted by this and actually saved Nikki from AJ, then lost the match.
The match was fairly good, and Brie saving Nikki actual adds a new dimension to this family feud.
Can Bo Dallas go away? Now. I mean NOW. This segment was horrible. Bo squashes Zack? Horrible. Bo on the mic? Horrible.
The main event 10-man tag team match (Big Show, Mark Henry, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho and John Cena versus the Wyatt Family, Seth Rollins and Kane) received a good amount of airtime and was actually a fairly good match.
The problem with these types of matches is they don’t really give the participants involved enough time and usually break down into brawls. This match was no different. The Wyatts and Authority dominated the entire match. Once Cena tagged in and went on a roll, the match broke down and was thrown out.
We ended the show with the faces standing tall, and the hells down low.
FINAL THOUGHTS: An average show at best, saved by the Cesaro/Dolph match and the main event. Most everything else felt like filler someone came up with on the fly. Nothing of any matter came out of this broadcast.
The main event felt more like it was to hype up Monday Night, then stand-alone.
RATING: 5
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Cesaro versus Dolph Ziggler
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: Dolph Ziggler
IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: There wasn’t one.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Impact Stress Test 9/3/2014
I just thought of this, MVP has gone from being a top wrestler to being ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is MVP.’ Yes, over the last few months, ever since he hurt his knee, he has become Paul Heyman to Bobby Lashley’s Brock Lesnar. All the parallels are there, except for Kenny King.
Hell, in the opening segment tonight, MVP even called Lashley the future Bellator MMA champion.
As has become a normal thing, we open Impact with MVP and crew. MVP dominated the mic and put Lashley over as the toughest guy in the city, state, even the world. (Similar to Brock Lesnar's baddest motherfucker on the planet promo).
This brought out Samoa Joe, who challenged Lashley to a match. After a three on one beat down, Lashley accepted Joe’s challenge for later in the night.
Decent opening that set up a pivotal match for the night and possible world title feud. But, could this be an angle to have Lashley squash Joe and make him look even tougher?
TNA Knockouts title match. Gail Kim defended against Taryn Terrell. A serviceable, but not great match. This was a much better make than last week’s Taryn versus Madison match. Definitely not the ‘This is Awesome’ match chant the crowd gave it.
Yes, there was one memorable spot where Gail did a neck breaker onto the steel steps, but I think she hurt herself more than Taryn.
In the end, Gail retained, as she should have. With all due respect to Taryn, she is not in Gail’s league and I don’t know why they are pushing her so much, she is the weakest of the knockouts.
The mutual respect shown at the end of the match was nice though, which was destroyed by the debut of Havok (didn’t know the character was female) who laid out both Taryn and Gail.
Havok has arrived . . . should the knockouts be worried?
Strong Promo from EC3 demanding that Bully Ray be fired and the words Hardcore and Extreme be eliminated from the TNA vocabulary. I love how he says ‘I disagree’ when the crowds chant ‘You can’t wrestle.’
Rhino gained some measure of vengeance, attacking EC3 after coming out of the crowd, which set up a match between Rhino and Rockstar Spud later in the evening.
This was a strong promo from EC3, the anger and malice dripped from him. As I have said before, EC3 has arrived. EC3 also had a great improve moment when the crowd started chanting CM Punk and EC3 responded, ‘I’d love to beat him too.’
In the back, Shaw apologized to Gunner for wearing his uniform last week, telling Gunner he wanted to know what it was like being a hero like Gunner. In the background, a woman kept staring at Shaw.
Don’t you love that it takes wrestlers a full weak to deal with issues?
This is follow by a decent tag match between Gunner/Shaw and Magnus/Bram, which saw Bram get the pin fall victory on Gunner. It was a little bit of an odd match, considering how Shaw become overly protective of Gunner twice in the match, once when Gunner was poked in the eye and once when he was clipped in the knee.
The Bro Mans matched up with the Beautiful People? Oh, no. this can’t end well.
#1 contenders match, Eric Young versus Bobby Roode!
I love Eric Young, but it’s freaking Bobby Roode. Bobby Roode! I expected a good match between the two, and the delivered. Fast paced, high impact, near falls, but Bobby won in the end.
The great part of this match? No swerve or heel turn for either guy.
Another X division six man match to crown a #1 contender for Samoa Joe. Didn’t they do this recently?
Homicide won the fast-paced match to become the new #1 contender, pinning Manic.
Post-match, Storm and Sanada come out and Sanada attacks and drags off Manic.
After the six man, Austin Aries is in the ring, calling out Storm and Sanada. (I know there was a commercial break, but why not have Austin come to the ring while Storm and Sanada were already there?) After some words back and forth, the action started, but Austin didn’t come alone, his help . . .
The Japanese Buzzsaw Tajiri!
This segment put over everyone involved and was a nice way to introduce Tajiri to TNA. The other thing that needs to be taking away from here is that Storm mentions that he now has Manic.
Rhino needed some butter and salt with his Spud as he ate the Rockstar Alive. The real story to take away from this match is EC3’s disconnect with the entire event and walking out on Spud as Spud reached out to EC3 after the match.
Now it is time for the Main Event. Bobby Lashley proved to Samoa Joe that he is the toughest man on the planet that has Kenny King running interference for him. ‘The King of the Night’ did one of the worst jobs of interfering in a match I have ever seen. He ran out, jumped on the top turnbuckle only to be knocked off by Joe BEFORE he could actually do anything.
The distraction did help Bobby get the spear and pin. Since this wasn’t about titles, what does Bobby get out of this, claiming himself as the toughest in the world?
FINAL THOUGHTS: Overall a good Impact, about on par with the last two weeks. That marks three good Impact broadcasts in a row! Shocking! Now, we just need to see if they can build on this and take it higher.
I like where EC3 is going, and I am intrigued by what James Storm is trying to do. Sanada and Manic, who next for Storm’s revolution.
RATING: 6
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Bobby Roode versus Eric Young
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: Bobby Roode
IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: EC3 walking out on Spud after the Spud/Rhino match.
Hell, in the opening segment tonight, MVP even called Lashley the future Bellator MMA champion.
As has become a normal thing, we open Impact with MVP and crew. MVP dominated the mic and put Lashley over as the toughest guy in the city, state, even the world. (Similar to Brock Lesnar's baddest motherfucker on the planet promo).
This brought out Samoa Joe, who challenged Lashley to a match. After a three on one beat down, Lashley accepted Joe’s challenge for later in the night.
Decent opening that set up a pivotal match for the night and possible world title feud. But, could this be an angle to have Lashley squash Joe and make him look even tougher?
TNA Knockouts title match. Gail Kim defended against Taryn Terrell. A serviceable, but not great match. This was a much better make than last week’s Taryn versus Madison match. Definitely not the ‘This is Awesome’ match chant the crowd gave it.
Yes, there was one memorable spot where Gail did a neck breaker onto the steel steps, but I think she hurt herself more than Taryn.
In the end, Gail retained, as she should have. With all due respect to Taryn, she is not in Gail’s league and I don’t know why they are pushing her so much, she is the weakest of the knockouts.
The mutual respect shown at the end of the match was nice though, which was destroyed by the debut of Havok (didn’t know the character was female) who laid out both Taryn and Gail.
Havok has arrived . . . should the knockouts be worried?
Strong Promo from EC3 demanding that Bully Ray be fired and the words Hardcore and Extreme be eliminated from the TNA vocabulary. I love how he says ‘I disagree’ when the crowds chant ‘You can’t wrestle.’
Rhino gained some measure of vengeance, attacking EC3 after coming out of the crowd, which set up a match between Rhino and Rockstar Spud later in the evening.
This was a strong promo from EC3, the anger and malice dripped from him. As I have said before, EC3 has arrived. EC3 also had a great improve moment when the crowd started chanting CM Punk and EC3 responded, ‘I’d love to beat him too.’
In the back, Shaw apologized to Gunner for wearing his uniform last week, telling Gunner he wanted to know what it was like being a hero like Gunner. In the background, a woman kept staring at Shaw.
Don’t you love that it takes wrestlers a full weak to deal with issues?
This is follow by a decent tag match between Gunner/Shaw and Magnus/Bram, which saw Bram get the pin fall victory on Gunner. It was a little bit of an odd match, considering how Shaw become overly protective of Gunner twice in the match, once when Gunner was poked in the eye and once when he was clipped in the knee.
The Bro Mans matched up with the Beautiful People? Oh, no. this can’t end well.
#1 contenders match, Eric Young versus Bobby Roode!
I love Eric Young, but it’s freaking Bobby Roode. Bobby Roode! I expected a good match between the two, and the delivered. Fast paced, high impact, near falls, but Bobby won in the end.
The great part of this match? No swerve or heel turn for either guy.
Another X division six man match to crown a #1 contender for Samoa Joe. Didn’t they do this recently?
Homicide won the fast-paced match to become the new #1 contender, pinning Manic.
Post-match, Storm and Sanada come out and Sanada attacks and drags off Manic.
After the six man, Austin Aries is in the ring, calling out Storm and Sanada. (I know there was a commercial break, but why not have Austin come to the ring while Storm and Sanada were already there?) After some words back and forth, the action started, but Austin didn’t come alone, his help . . .
The Japanese Buzzsaw Tajiri!
This segment put over everyone involved and was a nice way to introduce Tajiri to TNA. The other thing that needs to be taking away from here is that Storm mentions that he now has Manic.
Rhino needed some butter and salt with his Spud as he ate the Rockstar Alive. The real story to take away from this match is EC3’s disconnect with the entire event and walking out on Spud as Spud reached out to EC3 after the match.
Now it is time for the Main Event. Bobby Lashley proved to Samoa Joe that he is the toughest man on the planet that has Kenny King running interference for him. ‘The King of the Night’ did one of the worst jobs of interfering in a match I have ever seen. He ran out, jumped on the top turnbuckle only to be knocked off by Joe BEFORE he could actually do anything.
The distraction did help Bobby get the spear and pin. Since this wasn’t about titles, what does Bobby get out of this, claiming himself as the toughest in the world?
FINAL THOUGHTS: Overall a good Impact, about on par with the last two weeks. That marks three good Impact broadcasts in a row! Shocking! Now, we just need to see if they can build on this and take it higher.
I like where EC3 is going, and I am intrigued by what James Storm is trying to do. Sanada and Manic, who next for Storm’s revolution.
RATING: 6
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Bobby Roode versus Eric Young
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: Bobby Roode
IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: EC3 walking out on Spud after the Spud/Rhino match.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
The Diva Dish 9/4/2014
The Stephanie McMahon/Brie Bella feud had a surprisingly good match at Summerslam with a fun twist as Nikki turned heel on her twin sister, but the results have not only siphoned far too much TV time, but other better feuds as well.
Since WWE's second major pay-per-view, both Bella twins have had far too much mic time without the skill to warrant it. As events unfolded going into Summerslam, this problem was mitigated by Stephanie deftly carrying the load and feeding the opportunities for Brie without exposing her wooden acting skills too much. It worked out great for everyone, as Brie was able to garner sympathy and have the best match of her career. Stephanie McMahon carried that too, showing solid in-ring skills that establish her officially as the Authority's monster queen whose power goes beyond that vested in her by a board of directors. Unfortunately, the aftermath did not give us more of the "principal owner" stomping a mud hole in Brie, but lots of exposition from people who can barely give it. After Nikki Bella demonstrated over the last two weeks how genuinely awful on the mic she is – even compared to her sister – WWE creative apparently used their favorite crutch. When it doubt, bring AJ in.
The better Divas feud on Raw and Smackdown involved AJ reliving her love polygon days with CM Punk, Kane, Daniel Bryan, etc. by crawling inside Paige's head as she chases the title. This hadn't gotten nearly the time the McMahon Bella twin feud had, but now both stories came together. I'll give WWE credit in this regard. Two years ago they simply would have ignored AJ's claim to the title or any thoughts Paige had on the matter. The crowd on the September 1 Raw came to life as AJ and Paige came into the mix to give their say, and we got a stare down that showed the Diva's matchup we've been wanting but never knew it.
After Paige was knocked on her duff amidst a Bella shoving fight, AJ whimsically picked up the belt and her eyes locked with Stephanie's. McMahon towered over her, demanding the belt. AJ did so with a bitter smile before skipping away from the chaos. The crowd had not popped like this for any other Divas’ moment on the show. Whether it’s for the title or not, AJ vs. Steph can easily be the Divas match of the year. McMahon established that she can go, making Brie Bella look good on the PPV stage, and she's the ultimate despot queen. AJ's in-ring skills improved vastly since her debut on NXT in what seems a lifetime ago, and she is, as JBL put it, the queen of mind games. Book it!
Still, this great prospect does reveal how far the Divas have to go.
AJ vs. Stephanie could be the Divas Division's ultimate giant killer feud, but it's also emblematic of the problems. First, it only came about because of a huge of amount of time we're forced to watch the Bellas talk. Whatever sympathy Brie could organically cull from the crowd was used up in the last two weeks with the inept dialogue and some of the worst promo work this decade on WWE programming between her and Nikki. Secondly, it all comes back to AJ. She's the Swiss army knife creative uses when things stall, or they don't know what to do.
Paige got the belt the moment she came up, and they had not found a real enemy for her, nor a direction for her character--bring in AJ. It doesn't have to be this way, as Emma, Alicia Fox, Layla and Summer Rae have all shown they have potential beyond being filler or parts of poorly worked "Total Divas" bouts. If you're like me and not really looking forward to the big Jerry Springer intervention with the twins next Monday night, (unless of course, AJ and Paige show up) do yourself a favor and check out some of the matches on Superstars and Main Event. There are some good matches from those Divas who aren't on reality shows or cat fighting at the Authority's feet.
PERSONAL NOTE: The Dish didn't happen last week, due to much of the free time to watch the shows and write the column was taken by following up on my mom, Audrey Kozalla's hip joint replacement procedure. Thanks to those who have passed along their best wishes as Mom's recovery and physical therapy are on track!
- Wes Kozalla
Since WWE's second major pay-per-view, both Bella twins have had far too much mic time without the skill to warrant it. As events unfolded going into Summerslam, this problem was mitigated by Stephanie deftly carrying the load and feeding the opportunities for Brie without exposing her wooden acting skills too much. It worked out great for everyone, as Brie was able to garner sympathy and have the best match of her career. Stephanie McMahon carried that too, showing solid in-ring skills that establish her officially as the Authority's monster queen whose power goes beyond that vested in her by a board of directors. Unfortunately, the aftermath did not give us more of the "principal owner" stomping a mud hole in Brie, but lots of exposition from people who can barely give it. After Nikki Bella demonstrated over the last two weeks how genuinely awful on the mic she is – even compared to her sister – WWE creative apparently used their favorite crutch. When it doubt, bring AJ in.
(They're just talking--credit: WWE.com)
The better Divas feud on Raw and Smackdown involved AJ reliving her love polygon days with CM Punk, Kane, Daniel Bryan, etc. by crawling inside Paige's head as she chases the title. This hadn't gotten nearly the time the McMahon Bella twin feud had, but now both stories came together. I'll give WWE credit in this regard. Two years ago they simply would have ignored AJ's claim to the title or any thoughts Paige had on the matter. The crowd on the September 1 Raw came to life as AJ and Paige came into the mix to give their say, and we got a stare down that showed the Diva's matchup we've been wanting but never knew it.
(The giant killer story writes itself--credit: WWE.com)
After Paige was knocked on her duff amidst a Bella shoving fight, AJ whimsically picked up the belt and her eyes locked with Stephanie's. McMahon towered over her, demanding the belt. AJ did so with a bitter smile before skipping away from the chaos. The crowd had not popped like this for any other Divas’ moment on the show. Whether it’s for the title or not, AJ vs. Steph can easily be the Divas match of the year. McMahon established that she can go, making Brie Bella look good on the PPV stage, and she's the ultimate despot queen. AJ's in-ring skills improved vastly since her debut on NXT in what seems a lifetime ago, and she is, as JBL put it, the queen of mind games. Book it!
Still, this great prospect does reveal how far the Divas have to go.
AJ vs. Stephanie could be the Divas Division's ultimate giant killer feud, but it's also emblematic of the problems. First, it only came about because of a huge of amount of time we're forced to watch the Bellas talk. Whatever sympathy Brie could organically cull from the crowd was used up in the last two weeks with the inept dialogue and some of the worst promo work this decade on WWE programming between her and Nikki. Secondly, it all comes back to AJ. She's the Swiss army knife creative uses when things stall, or they don't know what to do.
(Jerry doesn't care either--credit: USA Network)
Paige got the belt the moment she came up, and they had not found a real enemy for her, nor a direction for her character--bring in AJ. It doesn't have to be this way, as Emma, Alicia Fox, Layla and Summer Rae have all shown they have potential beyond being filler or parts of poorly worked "Total Divas" bouts. If you're like me and not really looking forward to the big Jerry Springer intervention with the twins next Monday night, (unless of course, AJ and Paige show up) do yourself a favor and check out some of the matches on Superstars and Main Event. There are some good matches from those Divas who aren't on reality shows or cat fighting at the Authority's feet.
PERSONAL NOTE: The Dish didn't happen last week, due to much of the free time to watch the shows and write the column was taken by following up on my mom, Audrey Kozalla's hip joint replacement procedure. Thanks to those who have passed along their best wishes as Mom's recovery and physical therapy are on track!
- Wes Kozalla
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)