WWE’s RAW’S Hell In A Cell Preview Commentary and Predictions

The Card

Pre-Show

Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado and Sin Cara versus Drew Gulak, Tony Nese and Ariya Daivari

Main Card

Bayley versus Dana Brooke
Enzo & Big Cass versus The Club
RAW CRUISERWEIGHT Title Match: TJ Perkins (c) versus Brian Kendrick
RAW Tag Team Title Match: The New Day (c) versus Cesaro/Sheamus
HELL IN A CELL US Title Match: Roman Reigns (c) versus Rusev
HELL IN A CELL Universal Title Match: Kevin Owens (c) versus Seth Rollins
HELL IN A CELL RAW Woman’s Title Match: Sasha Bank (c) versus Charlotte

OVERALL COMMENTARY

On paper this look like a good card, with the exception of Enzo and Dana. I love the fact that all five of RAW’s Titles are on the line. That really make this seem like a big deal event – and three of them are Hell In A Cell matches.

The last two RAW broadcasts have been their best shows since the Brand Split. With this past Monday’s Go Home Show a massive improvement over the previous Go Home Show for Clash of Champions. Of course, RAW has been anything but good for the most part since the split (I will cover this more in the October EOM on Tuesday).

The main focus of this PPV is the Hell In A Cell matches of course, all three title matches, all three major feuds and all three given the majority of time on RAW over the last two months.

The New Day/Cesaro, Sheamus and Perkins/Kendrick have had nice builds, but what the Hell is Bayley/Dana and Enzo & Cass/The Club doing on this card? Seriously these two matches are just an afterthought. They seem like filler matches to round out the card and fill out a 2 ½ hour slot.

As I wrote above, I love that all the titles are on the line that this feels like a big deal event but there is still one big massive drawback to Hell In A Cell: IT’S A RAW SHOW.

MATCH SPECIFIC COMMENTARY AND PREDICTIONS

Pre-Show: Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado and Sin Cara versus Drew Gulak, Tony Nese and Ariya Daivari

Commentary: The only person in this match I am not a fan of is Sin Cara, and that is more the gimmick then Hunico. Cedric is a longtime favorite of mine (ROH), Nese is just awesome, Gulak’s Old School and the younger Daivari is vicious and growing on me.

I expect this to be an eclectic affair of high flying, ground and pound and smash mouth.

Prediction: Gulak and crew win.

Main Card

Bayley versus Dana Brooke
Commentary: I like Bayley, but not as much as most. However, this is really beneath her, for a PPV at least. This is a RAW match. Even though Dana did get an upset win two weeks ago, she isn’t in Bayley’s league . . . and honestly isn’t in the WWE’s league.

Bayley should win in a squash match. If Dana does win, it better be because the WWE plans on giving her a major push, otherwise it hurts Bayley and wastes the match.

Prediction: Bayley wins.

Enzo & Big Cass versus The Club
Commentary: I truly don’t give a #$%^ about Enzo. No, I take that back – I do give a @#$% about Enzo. I CAN’T STAND HIM. Cass is okay, but Enzo . . .  Stupid.

The Club came in with a lot of fanfare, but has been misused so far. This match is really a filler match that should be on RAW, not a PPV.

This match is truly a Toss Up.

Prediction: The Club (Please!!!)

RAW CRUISERWEIGHT Title Match: TJ Perkins (c) versus Brian Kendrick
Commentary: TJ Perkins has finally made it. Not that he hasn’t had a good career, but now he is the TOP Cruiserweight going. For now. I have to be honest, I haven’t always been a big Perkins fans, but I like the guy.

Kendrick I never used to like. He’s a great talent, but I never liked him. Spanky? Spanky?! What grown man calls himself Spanky?! Spanky?!?!?!?!?!

That has changed now, this Kendrick, what he did in the CWC, I’m loving it. Kendrick had a good run his last go around, and a great run as Tag Champs with Paul London. They may have been the best tag team going then.

This match though, something feels off. Kendrick lost the first match, but won a (Non-Title?) rematch. There is why this feels off, Kendrick should be champ. Their RAW match was promoted as a Title Match, yet when the match ended, it was Non-Title. WTF?

Prediction: This could steal the show. Let’s rev this feud into high gear. Kendrick wins the title, but cheats to do so.

RAW Tag Team Title Match: The New Day (c) versus Cesaro/Sheamus
I am not sure if what Cesaro and Sheamus have been doing is entertaining, just sad or a little of both. Probably Both. The New Day are defined as entertaining.

Cesaro and Sheamus beat New Day on RAW, so they should be on the same page at Hell In A Cell. Will Mick Foley’s experiment work? Probably not, and it probably shouldn’t . . . both these guys should be vying for the Universal Tile, but I wouldn’t mind them as Tag Champions.

Prediction: I love all these guys, but I’m going with The New Day. I want to see the Day they eclipse Demolition’s record.

HELL IN A CELL US Title Match: Roman Reigns (c) versus Rusev
Commentary: Rusev may be my favorite wrestler on the card. Reigns, my least favorite. This feud has gotten a lot of air time and a lot of buildup and it was the first match announced as a Hell In A Cell Match.

They have really made this match personal, involving Lana (Rusev’s real life wife) and making mention of Rusev (possible fictional) and Roman’s family (real).

Truth is, Rusev is better, but I see this feud as a way to put over Roman. Problem is Roman, like with every feud, seems disinterested.

Prediction: Reigns wins in a hard fought match. This should be the most violent match of the night.

HELL IN A CELL Universal Title Match: Kevin Owens (c) versus Seth Rollins
I can’t wait to see Seth Rollins versus Chris Jericho in Hell In A Cell . . . what an awesome match that will be.

Oh, wait . . . sorry. Chris has been carrying RAW so much lately, and carrying the build up to this match that I forgot he isn’t in it.

Sparkle Crotch has had more interaction with Rollins in the last month then KO has, and KO is in the match!

They really haven’t built this match up the way they should have. This should be a major deal. The two tops guys going at it in Hell. Two guys with a storied history outside the WWE.

Think about this: Two former RING OF HONOR WORLD CHAMPIONS FIGHTING FOR THE WWE UNIVERSAL TITLE!

Prediction: KO wins when Sparkle Crotch interferes.

HELL IN A CELL RAW Woman’s Title Match: Sasha Bank (c) versus Charlotte
Sasha Banks and Charlotte are arguably the biggest stars on RAW. Maybe in the WWE as a whole. While it is too soon to label either a legend or “Greatest Ever” it is not too soon to say this: They may have had the biggest impact on the WWE this century.

This is the first time two women have faced off in Hell In A Cell. This is History. Lita, Trish, Mickey, Beth, AJ, The Bellas, Ivory . . . none of them have done that since Hell In A Cell’s inception as a match.

Every time Sasha and Charlotte have faced off it has been the match of the night, and they keep toping each previous. I have to agree with Wes (http://wrestlementary.blogspot.com/2016/10/glitter-and-slam-1.html) this match should have been built up a little better – ramp up the personal animosity, make it about more than just the title.

Problem is, Foley #$%^ &* everything he touches. Monday Night’s signing seem more like he was scolding them for daring to be in Hell In A Cell, like he didn’t want them in there. It didn’t help the build, it killed it.

Charlotte and Sasha can overcome that though. They have to. This is history. They need to put on a historic match. This match needs punishment, viciousness, it needs blood.

This has to be the best, darkest and damn grueling match they have ever had. Point blank – This needs to be Flair versus Steamboat. Anything less is a failure.

Things is, they can do it.

Prediction: Flair’s bleed. We will find out in this match if Charlotte is truly worth of the name Flair. Charlotte, by hook or crook.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Well the card looks good, this is a RAW Show. I want this to deliver. I want this to be a good show. I am going to watch it live, but because of how RAW has been lackluster and how they do things, I can’t say that I expect it to be good.

It has the potential to be good. It should be good. But it is RAW . . .

The major saving grace is Sasha and Charlotte. They have always delivered. In this structure I expect them to deliver more. Right now, they need to deliver a match that outshines all the others.
I have faith in those two.

Sasha and Charlotte for the Main Event – anything else is Unacceptable.

GLITTER AND SLAM #1!!!! WELCOME TO HELL, LADIES

In this edition of the rechristened Glitter and Slam we examine why Sasha Banks and Charlotte need to have the match of both their careers – and what is working against them since they became the first women ever to step into Hell In A Cell. A mélange of booking, marketing and the wrestlers themselves factor into why their match must be more than great.

(The oddly congenial hatred found the audience wondering, like Foley, if they knew what they were getting into. Source: Sky Sports)

Hell In A Cell is WWE's most brutal stipulation match. No disqualifications, no count-outs and the ring is enclosed within a steel cage. It is regarded as WWE's most violent, most personal, way to settle the most heated rivalries. In contradiction to the match, its structure and history, WWE made it a pay-per-view themed event in 2009.

As in the past, we have feuds that haven't had the buildup to justify getting into Hell rounding out this year's edition of the pay-per-view, simply because this is the event on the schedule. This doesn't mean the Banks/Flair rivalry doesn't have potential to culminate in Hell In A Cell. In fact, it has more going for it than Reigns/Rusev or even Owens/Rollins. WWE just hasn't turned up the intensity enough.

(Charlotte brings the pain with her customary glee at Summerslam 2016. Source: WWE.com)

Once Teammates in the BFFs, Charlotte and Sasha Banks have a personal rivalry dating back to NXT, involving burned bridges, championships and at times anger boiling over into a raw need to just pummel one another. WWE has capitalized on this by incorporating Sasha's real-life back injury – and even a botched spot – into the feud.

We were introduced to an even darker, more brutal side of Charlotte as a crippler who wanted to be certain she not only defeated Banks, but also caused her injury. This angle played out well when Charlotte's second title reign ended on Raw as The Boss stood triumphant, fighting through the pain for victory.

Inexplicably, the personal element that made the feud up to this point compelling has been muted leading up to their forthcoming showdown.

(A rivalry since NXT. Banks flexes her power, defending the NXT women's title in a rematch with Charlotte in 2014. Source: WWE Network)

Beyond the notion of giving women a fair shake in terms of ring time, and more complex storylines, was that the desire to be the best took priority over soap opera tropes as the driving force in women's division feuds.

The road to Hell is one time that the personal issues need to override dreams of championship glory, yet that has not been explored since Banks regained her title. There is fertile ground to make this the ultimate grudge in the women's division. Their friendship, then rivalry dating back to NXT, Banks winning the developmental brand's title from Charlotte and confrontations on the main roster. Then there is the recent tug-of-war with the RAW title as Charlotte crossed the line into wanting to not only beat Sasha, but put her away for the long term.

(Spots like this in Sasha's second title win on Raw, has shown Charlotte's relentless streak. Source: USA Network)

This could have been the bedrock for Sasha's promo lobbying for their rematch to take place in the structure known as The Devil's Playground. She could have said this was personal, about not only the belt but so much more. If Charlotte wanted to put her away, then she could come get it inside the Cell.

The focus, however was still on the belt and has been as of this writing leading into the October 30th show. This doesn't mean the women come off weak or that we're not going to be treated to a breathtaking experience when the bell rings. It simply means if it was about who's the best and nothing more, another stipulation match would have been a better coda to this chapter in Charlotte's and Sasha's epic rivalry. 2 out of 3 falls, a ladder match, even falls count anywhere would be excellent given the buildup as presented.

Instead, we're in Mick Foley's corner, left to wonder if within story context the combatants know what they're getting into. If you want to see a championship rivalry that is playing the personal angle well in WWE right now you'll have to follow the yellow line to Smackdown and Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss.

(So far it’s been Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch who have shown fans how to make a title feud personal. Source: Sky Sports)

That said, outside of the buildup, Charlotte and Sasha are two of WWE's best pressure performers right now and they have made fans take pause as they continue to push the envelope with each big match they have. Technically speaking they have always been solid and even recently we've seen them fix botches midstream so the in-ring narrative still flows smoothly. We will get that in Hell In A Cell as long as they can incorporate it into the match as the great ones before them have. Hopefully we will see them exceed expectations once again, and make the clunky buildup a mere afterthought.

(In the end we'll be treated to making history as well as another exciting match, regardless of how we got there. Source: Sasha Banks twitter.)

Finally, my prediction: The Boss retains. In the next edition of Glitter and Slam, we'll examine where the women of Raw will go after Hell In A Cell and more insight on the women of WWE's programming.

 - Wes Kozalla

A WRESTLEMENTARY NOTE

Hello All,

This is just a quick note on the recent no blogs the last two weeks and upcoming blogs.

October has been a very busy month, both personal and wrestling wise. Work and home renovations (now done), took up a lot of time. The Crew also had 5, count that 5, wrestling events to attend in the last three weeks. 3 Indie events, SD Live in Phoenix and Extreme Midget Wrestling (yes, this is a thing; yes, I can prove it).

I will cover the missed RAW and SD LIVE! commentary in the Wrestlementary EOM piece next Monday. I will also post my No Mercy Commentary on Sunday, before RAW Brand’s Hell in a Cell. Also, expect to see pieces on this month’s Lucha Unleashed, AWF and PHX Wrestling Show and Extreme Midget Wrestling, this weekend.

This will get everything caught up and back on track for November.

Ace Masters.

SD LIVE 200 – NO MERCY GO HOME SHOW

It sound redundant, and almost hateful, to write that once again SD LIVE put out a far better show then RAW.

What they presented on Tuesday Night was a good – but not great – Go Home Show for this Sunday’s No Mercy.

All the matches were set up in one way or another. Some in an old school way: Alex Bliss pinned the Champ Becky in a Tag Match; Beauty and the Man-Beast rushing to the Ring to save American Alpha from the USOs, who challenge for the tag titles this Sunday.

The Miz even did a tribute to Dolph Ziggler career, which ended in the tragedy of the Return of Mickey and Kenny of the Spirit Squad.

I love The Miz . . . but Why Miz? Why?

SD LIVE even did two things I am amazed at: it made Orton v Wyatt almost interesting, and gave Cena some passion.

On SD Live Orton delved into the head of Wyatt and took control of the Mind Games, leading Wyatt to being locked in a Cell. However, through the security cam we see Wyatt greet and off-camera Sister Abigail. (?) When Orton came to claim Wyatt, Wyatt was gone from the locked cell.

Does this mean the imminent arrival of Sister Abigail?

In the Main event Segment we had a face-off between the World Champ AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose and John Cena. I loved this, Cena never got a word in. Instead both AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose spoke for him, both saying that they knew what he was going to say (and they were right), then ripping into him (again, right.)


Cena snapped, punching Ambrose and chaos ensued! A little typical, but a great set up and finally showed some passion from Cena.


FINAL THOUGHT:
Good Go Home Show. SD LIVE is the superior Brand.

RATING: 6.75

RAW 300 – 10/3/2016

(This was a sign at RAW, it is the only image worth posting this week.)

I can’t believe it. I just can’t.

I can’t believe that some people think that this past RAW was good. Maybe the Hulu edited version . . . maybe. Not according to my friends who watch RAW on Hulu though.

This may have been the worst RAW since the Brand Split. On paper, the show looked great. Kendrick versus TJ Perkins, Tony Neese, KO/Jericho versus the New Day, Sasha and Charlotte for the Title? YES.

If they had just broadcast that, in a 90-minute show it would have been great. Problem is, it wasn’t great . . . the execution just wasn’t there . . . but hey Ashley Kisses and Danny Masterbat . . .  (finish that yourself) were there! So, Dude it was great? Right?

We opened the show with a confrontation between the Booed Roman Reigns and the cheered Lana. Lana did everything she could to save this, she showed passion, anger, told Roman Reigns to go to Hell (I wish), while Roman killed the segment with his ‘this is stupid smile’ and inability to talk.

After a brief fight with Rusev, a rematch for the title is set for Hell in a Cell, in the Hell in a Cell Match. I hope Rusev wins, but I fear he is nothing but fodder for the Lame Dog.

The show never really recovered from there, and it did go to Hell. There was a Susan G Koemen segment I wish I could say something about, but honestly I skipped it because of Enzo.

I want to praise KO and Jericho. I want to say how much I would look forward to a KO/Jericho and New Day feud, but I can’t. The whole KO/Jericho and New Day storyline was destroyed by Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson. Why were they even there? They were terrible on commentary and only dragged the entire show down.

They did tease the soon-to-be break-up of KO and Jericho, but that too was ruined by Ashton and Danny.

There were three saving graces to this show: Kendrick versus Perkins (which oddly was non-title, when it was promote at title), Tony Neese and Sasha versus Charlotte for the title – which is the best RAW match since the Brand Shit.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Watch both Cruiserweight matches and the Woman’s Title match – skip the rest.

RATING: 5 – 0 for everything other than the Cruiserweights and Woman’s.

Wrestlementary September 2016 End of Month

I haven’t posted in the last two weeks due to dealing with a major infection in my right arm. The infection, combined with some powerful meds to fight it, knocked me on my ass like a knee from Seth Rollins.

However, I am current on RAW, SD LIVE, watched Clash of Champions, and have my EOM thoughts in order . . . Let’s start with TNA.

I’m still behind, but I have thoughts on the general direction and the big news this past week . . . and no, that news isn’t Cody Rhodes to TNA.

The overall direction of TNA is still terrible. The only reason it is afloat at all is because Billy Corrigan poured money into the company and found other funding. Yeah, he is part owner and current President, but that means nothing.

He’s been with the company for over a year at least and nothing has changed. Corrigan was seen as the savior, and that hasn’t happen. I don’t think that will change if he gains complete control of the company.

This past weekend is a perfect example of this. This past Sunday’s (10/2) Bound for Glory barley happened. According to reports it was up in air until Saturday afternoon as to if it was going to happen, because of funds. Reports had it that the show needed funding to go on. Beyond that, the next round of TV tapings need to be funded as well.

The show did go on, and it seems like the tapings will happen, because of last minute funding from an unnamed source.

None of this is good. What use is bring in Cody Rhodes if you don’t have the money to put on the damn shows?

And what about the WWE? Just how interested are they in TNA? Some reports say it is just their tape library, but new reports say that the WWE has some legit interest in buying TNA. What would this mean for wrestling in North America?

Honestly, not a whole lot. TNA is barely a blip anymore, a buyout by the WWE wouldn’t be a seismic shift, just a fade out. Truthfully, I think the WWE would just keep a handful of guys, put the video history on the Network and let TNA fade.

With the CWC done and gone, we are back to our normal WWE.

As it has been over the last two years, NXT is the best thing going for the WWE. It is still amazing to me, how the D-League of talent not-ready-for-prime-time is being used better, and is putting on better shows then the main roster.

It is not just the talent, but also creative. For whatever reason, creative in NXT has a better handle on wrestling and putting together a show. NXT is one hour, and tends to be better and pack in more action then a three hour RAW.

RAW is really living up to its name RAW . . . Really, watching RAW is like eating raw meat, just not good for you.

RAW this past month has just coasted and not done anything. I wrote before that KO being champ could be the game changer, but somehow they found a way to keep the game the same, only tells us it has changed.

I, like others, had great hopes for the Cruiserweights, but those hope have already crashed and burned. Mick Foley killed the Cruiserweight Division the same night he announced them to RAW. Foley didn’t just kill the cruiserweights, he spat on their corpses as well.

First he flubbed the quote “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog,” twice. Twice! Then he couldn’t even be bother to know the names of the talent, except for Brian Kendrick. He had to read their names off a card, and still flubbed it.

How insulting – here’s your GM, he can’t even be bothered to know your name. I wonder when Jeff Harvey is coming back?

The first step toward making RAW better? Get a new GM.

It everything about RAW bad? No. We have KO, Jericho, Rollins, Rusev, Charlotte, Sasha and Bayley. But, we also have Enzo Amore who is as terrible by himself as the before mentioned are great combined.

All that aside, it isn’t the talent that’s the problem (Not even Enzo and Reigns), it is how they are being used. RAW would be better served to go back to two hours . . . the only thing three hours is doing is showcasing that creative doesn’t have much creativity.

I really don’t know what to write about SD LIVE. It’s very confusing to me how SD Live can be so good, and RAW so lackluster when they are both produced by the WWE and the split is just marketing. The odd things is, it was this way during that last Brand Split as well.

SD LIVE hit gold with Heath Slater and the tag team tournament, which went very well. Ambrose and AJ Styles has been on fire, the Miz and Dolph has been an emotional rollercoaster, and the USOs have stepped up their game to a whole new level.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
I am basically sick of writing the same EOM everything month: RAW Bad, SD LIVE Good.

But, it is true and I don’t see it changing anytime soon.

SD LIVE and crew seem to know how to use the talent they have. SD LIVE’s two hours fly by, and never seem to be enough, where as RAW seems to drag on forever, and seems to be too much.

The Dish September 2016

In this edition of the "soon to be renamed" Dish, we're going to examine how NXT can best repopulate Asuka City, the viability of two women's titles on main roster programs, Becky Lynch finding her edge beyond the mat.

(Asuka isn't just number one, she's also numbers 2-10 as NXT books the rebuilding of the developmental women's division around her. Source: WWE Network)

Once The Empress of Tomorrow became champion of the now, WWE moved up the best women in NXT with urgency to round out the brand split. After Asuka defeated Nia Jax, the latter moved to the main roster. Bayley, after losing her rematch for the title at Takeover: Brooklyn II, got her long overdue call-up to Raw. Finally, the last of the NXT veterans joined the main show's ranks as top heel Alexa Bliss, fan-hate machine Eva Marie and Carmella were summoned. This leaves a giant vacuum in WWE's developmental incubator to fill when booking compelling feuds for the champion.

The men's roster is rebuilding as well, but WWE can wait for rookies at the Performance Center to elevate their skills for TV. Champ Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe, Austin Ares, The Revival and the recently returned Hideo Itami are all ready to keep butts in seats and eyes on screens until homegrown talents emerge. The women have some solid wrestlers, interesting personalities and evident long-term potential, but there's a dearth of wrestlers whose personas and mat skills are in sync enough to hang with the champ.

(Seeing Red: Ember Moon's skills and eye-catching persona make her the only candidate who can step in now as a genuine threat to break down the walls of Asuka City. Source: dailywrestlingnews.com)

Asuka faces a ring general's challenge that no other title holder in WWE faces. She must elevate all the women around her as she mows them down, until the day there is one worthy of the belt when Asuka is eventually called to the main roster. Ember Moon, with her rich pedigree in Shimmer and other promotions, is the only woman on the NXT roster who can plausibly approach Asuka's level. There is no doubt she can join Asuka in continuing the tradition of epic female title bouts across WWE's brands, but pulling the trigger will have to wait as she establishes her presence. No problem there, but the first challenger to laugh at danger is a head scratcher.

(Asuka dispatches the bubbly Liv Morgan in short order. The NXT women's division as a whole faces a steep challenge in stepping up to not only be worthy of storylines and title shots with the champ, but also with each other.)

Liv Morgan called out Asuka with emerging chutzpah on the mic after stomping a mud hole in Rachel Fazio. One would think the bout would have involved either some sort of run-in by one or more roster heels, or by Morgan herself in defeat. No one can reasonably expect the green Morgan to get into a protracted title feud and be a serious threat on skill alone. A heel turn for Morgan wouldn't solve the booking problem, nor would it elevate the New Jersey star, as doing so would cut against the grain of her positive reception from the NXT fans. After the match, Peyton Royce and Billie Kay added much insult to Liv's injuries, taunting her in passing while the challenger was looked over by a trainer. This at least shows a booking springboard for either a secondary feud for Liv, or for one of these heels to step up for an Asuka program.

(Peyton Royce's guile and ever-emerging skills make her a solid choice for a feud with Asuka, even if she may not be ready to carry the torch herself yet. Source: WWE.com)

All signs point to either Royce or Kay getting that first long term feud for gold. Audiences, however, are just getting to know them as their gimmicks are freshly dialed in. The ring skills are there to a greater degree for these Aussie imports, but they also have to do their parts to make fans believe that Asuka needs to keep her head on a swivel or she could end up on the wrong end of a run-in or group stomping at any time. However these talents get there, it has to happen and they must keep Asuka and Ember Moon separated as long as possible to maintain the division's high standard as well as elevate themselves and each other.

(Ember Moon has all the tools for an epic feud with Asuka, but it’s up to her peers like Mandy Rose to step up and set the stage. Source: WWE.com)

The ladies of NXT are still evolving but on the main roster –particularly Smackdown Live – the distaff element are as well. Alexa Bliss gets her first title match against Becky Lynch at No Mercy. Lynch showed during the inevitable contract-signing fight on the Sept. 20th Smackdown an edge in her promos that finally match her intensity in the ring. She has always shown her love for wrestling and joy every time she runs down the ramp. Her endearingly dorky puns and demeanor warmed fans up to her when her place in the new women's booking was that of a sidekick. Organic popularity found her without the chance to build a full presentation the way Sasha Banks and Charlotte had prior to reaching primetime.

("I'll rip your head off!" Becky showed Alexa Bliss that No Mercy is more than just a cute PPV title. Source: WWE Youtube)

For the first time, when she ended her formative promo with "I wasn't born to be champion I fought to be champion," we were treated to an intensity in the Lass Kicker we had yet to see on the mic. She has always been a force to be reckoned with, but her words, along with the charge up the ramp to get some payback on the sneaky and delightfully evil Bliss after eating the contract folder, showed us the ass kicking machine we have seen glimpses of. A week later on the September 27th Smackdown Live, Bliss retaliated showing us the vicious yet cowardly heel drawing heat, derailing Becky's match by sucker punching her on the ramp.

(Becky is taking no prisoners, but Alexa Bliss is craycray like the honey badger. Source: WWE.com)

This is the right way to start of the Boulder Shoulders era on Smackdown. It's also what's needed given there are only seven women on Team Blue's roster – six right now until Eva Marie's wellness violation suspension ends. We have seen how a rash of injuries can harm WWE's card. We all remember the bareness of 2016's Wrestlemania as well as Sasha Banks' current back problems cutting her first title reign short.

(Lynch finally brings this caliber of intensity to the mic. LOVE LIVE BOULDER SHOULDERS! Source: WWE.com)

I've never been a big fan of having two world champions on WWE TV, but the roster of men is deep. WWE hasn't had a lack of talent in decades, their problems have arisen from periods of not knowing how to utilize their talent. The women, while finally getting the chance to put on quality matches and have at least one feud that's supposed to matter, are not nearly as deep-- seven wrestlers on each main roster show. It’s up to Becky Lynch to be the ring general and leader to help greener charges like Carmella and Alexa Bliss, as well as veterans like Naomi find their way and to tell in-ring stories that compel fans but don't shorten careers. Otherwise, Smackdown's going to look a lot like Asuka City does now.