October 19, 2019 - Evan Luebbe

Bruce Prichard’s Extremely Positive Influence

October 19, 2019 by Evan Luebbe

This week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown seemed to flow very well, and viewers could clearly trace one event to the next. This is an extremely positive sign of the influence of SmackDown’s new Executive Director Bruce Prichard.

I have a feeling SmackDown on FOX will become a must-see weekly wrestling show with the newfound creative influence of Prichard each week. One cannot completely discount the possibility that the early success of AEW may have played a rather large role in motivating WWE to make this switch of the SmackDown Executive Director.

The only aspect of the show that was somewhat disappointing was that Roman Reigns did not claim the Intercontinental Championship from Shinsuke Nakamura. When this match was first announced I thought to myself “If there is no outside interference, then I cannot feasibly see a scenario in which Reigns does not win the title.”

But because there was outside interference from King Corbin, it seems that a match will surely be announced for Survivor Series on November 24 between Corbin and Roman. Reigns is already the captain for Team Hogan at Crown Jewel, and Corbin will most likely be involved in the match as well.

It also seems that, because of the result of the tag team match that occurred later in the night, Daniel Bryan will get an opportunity at IC Champ Shinsuke Nakamura. This might not happen until Survivor Series, however, because Bryan has refused to participate in Saudi Arabia events citing his dissension over political issues and how the kingdom has dealt with issues.

Another Crown Jewel update is that The Undertaker will not be competing at the event. This will mark the first WWE event in Saudi Arabia that The Undertaker won’t be a part of. Maybe WWE is becoming aware of his diminishing abilities physically. Or, maybe they just figure that they already have enough part-time stars performing at the event since the likes of Cain Velasquez, Tyson Fury, and Brock Lesnar are already competing at the event. Or, maybe WWE is gaining trust in their current roster of full-time superstars. Regardless of the reason, this marks a change in the tide for WWE. It doesn’t necessarily mean The Undertaker is quite finished in WWE just yet, but it could very well mean he is inching closer to retirement.

The Women’s Division on SmackDown looks to be in much better shape than people might have guessed after the conclusion of the WWE draft. I personally thought it was a little thin, but after seeing the women in action in the six-pack challenge to determine the no. 1 contender for the SmackDown Women’s Championship I am rather confident in what I see. Dana Brooke and her flex appeal seemed to shine brightest of the six.

Nikki Cross will make a great next challenger for Bayley after apparently ending her partnership with Alexa Bliss. This was expected since they were drafted separately. But the most prominent story of the night was the fact that Bayley is doing a very good job of playing a believable heel who has a fractured and extremely bleak outlook on life. In addition, her new entrance suits her as well.

Ali also looks to have the makings of a big-time superstar. His major push got derailed in February when he was injured way before the Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View. The reason the WWE universe was okay with it was because #KofiMania began, which led to a much deserved six month stretch for Kofi Kingston as WWE Champion. This validated his 11 years of grinding and giving his heart and soul every night.

Side Note: The eight-man tag match was very entertaining and a great way for the guys involved to showcase their abilities heading into the World Cup match at Crown Jewel.

Shorty G is carving a niche for himself as an upper midcarder, even though he didn’t necessarily need the name change. The WWE universe was behind Chad Gable during the KOTR tournament as “Chad” and they will continue to love him as Shorty G.

Lastly, Drew Gulak deserves better booking than being fed to Braun Strowman for dinner. Unfortunately, Braun doesn’t care if Drew’s a former Cruiserweight Champion – The Monster’s gotta eat.

Why Ciampa Returned

October 19, 2019 by Evan Luebbe

It’s quite clear why Tommaso Ciampa returned to NXT: To wrap up his rivalry with Johnny Gargano which has lasted for years.

Gargano and Ciampa are both skilled and experienced enough to go to the main roster, but Triple H has built NXT so that it puts particular emphasis on long-standing storylines. He feels that the Ciampa-Gargano story deserves a proper ending after being told so well.

This story was nearly able to finish before Ciampa had to have another neck surgery back in March. He and Johnny Wrestling were beginning to make waves on the main roster as a tag team and it seemed their NXT Championship match at Takeover: New York would be their last. All this was postponed, though, when Ciampa sustained another neck injury. A story for Ciampa’s return had reportedly already been written when he sustained his injury. All Triple H and the other NXT producers had to do was await Ciampa’s return.

Here is my new hypothetical plan for the NXT Title and the Ciampa-Gargano feud. A championship match will occur at Takeover: Wargames in which Tommaso Ciampa wins it from Adam Cole. Maybe to add to the intrigue of the match Finn Balor and maybe even Matt Riddle are inserted. This could begin the build for a Takeover match in Tampa Bay to kick off WrestleMania weekend for the NXT Championship between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa for the final time in NXT.

Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic impressed yet again and will both get an opportunity at the North American Championship in place of the injured Velveteen Dream. It wasn’t as great as their first meeting, but it was still very good.

It’s also great to see Tegan Nox in an NXT ring where she belongs, and Damian Priest, The Archer of Infamy, will for sure be someone to watch for in the future. The booking of Imperium as a dominant force bodes well for the NXT tag team division as well.

WWE Draft – Night 2

October 19, 2019 by Evan Luebbe

The WWE universe will be wishing Sasha Banks all the best in her recovery from injuries to her hip and tailbone suffered at Hell in a Cell.

I will begin by stating the two picks in the draft which may be two of the most underrated.

The first is Buddy Murphy, who appears to be a perennial top-level superstar for the next decade.

The second is the final pick Liv Morgan, who is on hiatus after losing a big match in July and subsequently promises to be “real” when she comes back. She definitely has the look and charisma to be the next breakout star in the Women’s Division. Her in-ring abilities have also steadily improved.

There is also speculation that Liv may be incorporated into The Fiend Bray Wyatt’s conflict with Seth Rollins over the Universal Championship by portraying Sister Abigail. While this would be awesome, some members of the WWE universe may not feel this way, and the reaction that this may get from the WWE universe might be too risky even for Vince McMahon. It is unfortunate for the FOX execs that both of these choices went to Monday Night Raw on USA.

Seth Rolling staying on Raw is another big surprise. One would have thought FOX would have wanted him on their brand because he is so gifted in the ring. If Seth would have gone to Raw, that would’ve meant the WWE Champion Brock Lesnar could’ve come to Raw. The two major heavyweight champions in WWE switching brands would get a lot of people talking and also shift attention away from the success of AEW (since attention is the new currency).

Seth is also in the midst of a heel turn since he is quite clearly embracing the darker side of his personality. There have been gradual hints of this since WrestleMania 35, but the most recent example occurred this week when Rollins burned The Fiend to the ground. This would be welcome because he was excellent as a heel back in 2014-15, the most memorable aspect being that maniacal laugh. We’ll have to see if Seth turns into a full-blown heel by the time his next Universal Championship match with The Fiend rolls around.

Another reason this possibility would have been a good one to go with is that it would put Brock Lesnar on the same show as Bobby Lashley so the two former MMA fighters could potentially have at least one big match in the future. But now, with both men already being in their 40s and being on separate brands for what looks to be the next few years, WWE may have missed out on this big-money match. Let’s face it, one or both of them will most likely retire within the next few years. Lesnar has even said it’s possible he may retire as soon as WrestleMania in 6 months.

That is my own personal fantasy booking, now let’s get down to what actually happened. The Viking Raiders have done everything the right way on their way to winning the Raw Tag Team Championships, and the future of the tag team division on Raw looks extremely bright. Paul Heyman has to be ecstatic by the addition of Erik and Ivar as these two athletic freaks are guaranteed to give classic matches.

One would have to assume that WWE will hold brand-exclusive Pay-Per-Views for the foreseeable future. The Raw and SmackDown rosters are both plenty big enough to accommodate this.

WWE Backstage Premiere

October 19, 2019 by Evan Luebbe

The official debut of WWE Backstage on FS1 isn’t until November 5, 2019, but FOX Sports showed a special preview episode this past week on October 15 (it was very successful). This will go a long way towards changing the perception of generic sports fans to view WWE superstars as legitimate athletes. This is something Triple H (who was a guest on the premiere of WWE Backstage) has dreamed of since his wrestling days.

The first important piece of information which came from this episode was the fact that, after only holding the position for about three months, Eric Bischoff is no longer working as the Executive Director of SmackDown. He wasn’t very involved in the creative process. Bruce Prichard, a 40-year veteran in the business (he came up with the masterful idea behind the debut of Kane in the first Hell in a Cell match), will be very involved creatively. Bischoff served more as a figurehead to represent the company.

The second is that modifications have already been made to the original WWE draft.

Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross have been officially traded from Monday Night Raw to Friday Night SmackDown on FOX. This makes sense because the Women’s Division on SmackDown is just a little thin. Bliss and Cross also may, or may not, split as a team and perform as singles stars from here on out.

This move will help to give SmackDown some depth at the top of their Women’s Division, as Monday Night Raw clearly has the superior Women’s Division. This move is most likely to aid in positioning SmackDown as the A show in wake of its move to FOX.

NXT Possibly Touring

October 19, 2019 by Evan Luebbe

The possibility has at least been discussed internally of NXT touring around the United States and holding its events in venues that hold about 5,000 people. Currently, NXT is taped weekly from Full Sail University. This facility can only comfortably accommodate about 1,500 people. If this were to happen, it would begin in January 2020, and it would be a direct result of AEW beating NXT in ratings each of the first two weeks they have gone head-to-head.

AEW tours and holds events in arenas that hold between 5,000 and 10,000 fans. This large audience may dwindle as fans gradually get over the new feel of the product. AEW, however, will most likely continue to provide a healthy dose of competition to WWE for the foreseeable future. The competition will be good for both companies because they will be more motivated to make their respective products better.

Ember Moon Injury

October 19, 2019October 19, 2019 by Evan Luebbe

Ember Moon has been out of action since the September 23 episode of Monday Night Raw, and it has come to light that this is apparently due to either an Achilles or ankle injury. No matter what she will probably be out for a few months at least, but if the injury is indeed an Achilles tendon she could be out for up to a year. This will bring up an opportunity for WWE to portray her character in a different light when she returns. The WWE universe will definitely have Ember Moon in their thoughts over the next several months.