Day: October 27, 2019

Crown Jewel Prep

This week’s episode of SD almost exclusively featured segments that included preparation for Crown Jewel. It wasn’t the most entertaining TV, but there were ups and downs just like any episode of WWE TV. It was subtle, but in the main event it was very unselfish of Roman Reigns to allow Ali to pick up the pin in the six-man tag match.

Cesaro’s value to the company can also never be underestimated. Maybe he could use a little work on the mic and from a character perspective, but in terms of his in-ring ability, he is absolutely incredible. It would be a shame to see a man with this much ability not get the opportunity he deserves to be WWE champion at some point.

Nikki Cross feels very authentic in the brand of crazy she brings to SmackDown. Because of this, she may be a champion on the main roster sooner rather than later. The WWE universe really connects with the fact that she is not afraid in the slightest to let her personality completely shine through. I was somewhat perplexed by the fact that she was so over in NXT, but it was probably because of this unspoken and authentic aura that permeates out of her.

It also has to be valued that Alexa Bliss, an established superstar, has helped her ingratiate her character into the WWE universe.

Brock Lesnar seems to be superhuman. It’s very nice to see Lesnar being booked very similar to the way he was during his first WWE tenure (2002 – 2004), as a soulless animal. The victims he demolished this week were Cain Velasquez along with Rey Mysterio, and his son Dominic. We also saw what may have been the greatest episode yet of Firefly Funhouse, in which Ramblin’ Rabbit came back to life, very similar to Kenny on South Park. Bray Wyatt is so bizarre that fans can’t help but like him. His character has gone from deranged cult leader during the first few years of his WWE career to children’s TV show host.

Rollins Off TV for a While

The dynamic between Roman Reigns and the entire WWE fanbase is a blatantly obvious demonstration of how the company should elect to push superstars going into the future. WWE cannot seem to create the next John Cena with any one particular superstar. Instead, the company will probably need to alternate between anywhere from 5-8 Superstars. This has been evidenced most recently because the WWE universe is beginning to turn on Seth Rollins.

A very similar situation with his former Shield brother Roman Reigns occurred because they could not get over the fact that WWE chose him to win the 2015 Royal Rumble over the returning Daniel Bryan. The universe clearly doesn’t want just one top person in the company if they have turned on its two biggest stars. It’s now up to people like Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Kevin Dunn, Paul Heyman and Bruce Prichard to listen to the advice of the audience.

WWE may want to scale back on Seth’s push by making the decision to have him drop the Universal Title (maybe or maybe not to The Fiend). Then, a good strategy to deflect some attention away from Rollins might be to remove him from TV for a month or two to freshen up fans’ perception of his character.

Return of The Usos

The Usos’ return will be great for obvious reasons. I still have not yet given up hope that they could one day form a Samoan Shield by teaming with their storyline relative Roman Reigns (The Usos themselves aren’t related. One of them isn’t even Samoan). Obviously, they would need to return to SmackDown to make this possibility a reality since Roman Reigns is a member of the blue brand.

“The Fiend” Analogy

It seems to me that Bray Wyatt’s “The Fiend” character is reminiscent of Hedwig, one of James McAvoy’s many different personalities in the M. Night Shymalan movies “Split” and “Glass.” Hedwig is the innocent personality of a 9-year-old boy who has been figuratively imprisoned by the other personalities of Kevin, McAvoy’s primary personality in the movie.

The same thing could be happening to the character of Bray Wyatt as perhaps he was figuratively held hostage in the Firefly Funhouse by The Fiend. Maybe we will see a new, liberated version of Bray Wyatt when he challenges Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship at Crown Jewel.

Just food for thought. The Fiend is also very comparable to “The Beast,” Kevin’s 24th personality in the movie. The Fiend and The Beast or so similar because they are both superheroes – like in terms of their aura and abilities, and almost have a supernatural appearance. Maybe WWE could reveal that Bray Wyatt has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), or multiple personalities.

Balor Heel Turn

So, this is what Finn Balor meant when he said that his future in WWE would not be like his past. I have to say it’s a refreshing character change for him because he’s never been a heel during his WWE tenure. It seems WWE set up two matches for Takeover:

  • Wargames in the main event of NXT TV this week: Tommaso Ciampa challenging Adam Cole for the NXT Championship, most likely in a Wargames match, and
  • The newly heel Finn Balor taking on Johnny Gargano in a separate match.

I have one word to describe the main event this week … WOW. The best part about it was the fact that Triple H made the smartest decision he could’ve made from a booking perspective by having Roderick Strong retain the North American Championship; keeping The Undisputed Era draped in gold. The undisputed Era is way more over than either Keith Lee or Dominik Dijakovic (but both of these guys are definitely on the rise).

It was also nice to see Triple H showcase the ability of the Women’s Tag Team Championships to cross brands by orchestrating for Tegan Nox and Dakota Kai to challenge The Kabuki Warriors. One has to assume this match will take place at Survivor Series since women are not allowed to compete at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. It’s a very distinct possibility that Nox and Kai could win the titles considering that WWE wants both Asuka and Kairi Sane to work singles programs with Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship.

Cameron Grimes is a great athlete and had a fantastic match with Matt Riddle, that cannot be ignored. But GOOD LORD IS HIS HAIRY BODY DISGUSTING! I almost died choking on my dinner when I heard my mom’s reaction to seeing him for the first time. And for Breezango, a change of scenery hasn’t done them any favors in terms of getting over, as they are still viewed as a gimmicky comedy act.

Categories NXT

Xavier Woods Injury

it is extremely unfortunate that Xavier Woods of The New Day appears to have suffered an Achilles injury at a WWE live event, and it appears to be serious and has the potential to put him on the sidelines for up to a year. You have to take these things with a grain of salt because the superstars know going into this profession that injuries are a part of the lifestyle. We just need to be grateful that all three members of The New Day have managed to stay very healthy for the most part. They will tell you that it’s because of the power of positivity.

As for Big E and Kofi Kingston, WWE may want to explore each of their potentials as singles competitors while Xavier is on the shelf. Big E as WWE Champion would not be the worst thing in the world. I thought he was a great intercontinental Champion back in 2013 or 2014. And we all know that Kofi Kingston can be a legitimate champion as was evidenced by his recent WWE Title reign.

I can fully understand if WWE elected to still include The New Day in the tag team turmoil match at Crown Jewel simply because Woods’ injury occurred so close to the event and there wasn’t enough time to make this change to the card.

The State of Monday Night Raw

Quite a few members of the WWE universe are complaining about the quality of the product. In fairness, they always do, and to a small degree, it gets on my nerves. I admit, the quality of the content that WWE was putting out wasn’t the best say six months ago.

Now I think people are complaining more so because the roster, particularly on Monday Night Raw, is relatively young and many of them are still in the embryonic stages of their pushes. Once they become top stars and establish themselves a little more, I think that WWE product will be in a fantastic place. People are so quick to complain, but they just need to have a little more patience.

McIntyre’s Return

The Street Profits have finally gotten their well-deserved opportunity to have a main event match on Monday Night Raw. This team of Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford has an infectious energy that is far greater than either one of them could ever produce on his own.

I can only think of one thing Kevin Owens could possibly want with AJ Styles, and that is a United States Championship opportunity. This would make perfect sense given that AJ and KO feuded over the United States Championship throughout the summer of 2017 (the quality of this rivalry was a little bit overshadowed by the presence of Shane McMahon).

Drew McIntyre and Ricochet kicked off the night with one of three fantastic matches (the other two were Andrade vs. Sin Cara and Seth Rollins vs. Humberto Carrillo). McIntyre proved in his return to Monday Night Raw exactly why he is deserving of a top spot in WWE and, ultimately being Universal champion. He will be a welcome final addition to team Flair in the 5-on-5 match at Crown Jewel.

Drew suffered a mild injury a couple of months ago. WWE doctors advised him to get it cleaned up now so he could be fully ready to go heading into WrestleMania season. Kevin Owens meanwhile has not been in action since forcing Shane McMahon to leave WWE a few weeks ago. Both of their characters should begin to pick up steam as the WWE draft has concluded and everyone will be focused on moving into ‘Mania season.

My idea for the immediate future is that WWE could book a match between McIntyre and Owens to determine the No. 1 contender for the Universal Championship when Seth Rollins finishes his rivalry with The Fiend. Maybe Survivor Series would be appropriate. Ric Flair also needs to manage Drew McIntyre – because they are a perfect fit for each other.

I would guess that Drew McIntyre would be booked to win this match for two reasons:

  • many WWE fans believe that McIntyre should already have a title around his waist and has the potential to do some great work as a major champion, and
  • WWE may already have something planned for Kevin Owens at WrestleMania.

It is huge for WWE to grant Humberto Carrillo with the opportunity to be able to claim that his sights are set on becoming Universal Champion one day, and to subsequently be given an opportunity against Universal Champion Seth Rollins. Seth also seems to be setting the stage for his imminent heel turn. Hopefully we will see the final transformation against The Fiend at Crown Jewel.

 

I can’t be the only one who thinks that Aleister Black is very reminiscent of CM Punk. Obviously not in terms of the hair, but with their muscle structure and the almost cult-like aura and following they both create. Not to mention they both sit cross-legged in the middle of the ring.

It would be very cool if CM Punk were to return to WWE at some point in the future and face Black at WrestleMania in the future. I’m not necessarily saying it will happen, I’m just throwing it out there as a hypothetical possibility. Punk did say publicly not too long ago “I wouldn’t talk to them,” which is a back-ended way of keeping the door open for a potential return to the squared circle.

It’s great to see Shelton Benjamin playing a prominent role in a WWE storyline, even if it means he has to take a beating from Cain Velasquez. Rusev and Bobby Lashley are also guaranteed to have excellent matches in the future. This isn’t the greatest story, but it’s a good way to involve Lana and the audience has sympathy for Rusev.

Categories RAW

Shinsuke Bigger Role

With SmackDown getting its footing on FOX, Shinsuke Nakamura will have an opportunity to play a significant role on WWE TV – the most prominent position he has been thrust into since his debut on the main roster back in 2017. Daniel Bryan will provide significant credibility to Nakamura’s Intercontinental Title reign, even if he manages to win it. They will also provide great matches considering how much their in-ring styles mesh.

Next to Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, Braun Strowman and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt (who will still be featured on Monday Night Raw throughout the month of November), Nakamura along with The Miz will be thrust into the spotlight as one of the top male superstars on SmackDown.

The Miz has been the recipient of this type of booking before, but this will be a massive step in the right direction in terms of Nakamura’s WWE career. Speaking of Miz, it will be great for him to get back in the picture as a serious contender, maybe even for a title.

He hasn’t been involved in a meaningful storyline since his rivalry with Shane McMahon, which ended in May. He has still been featured on WWE programming because he has the benefit of being so good on the mic that he doesn’t necessarily need a compelling in-ring storyline to remain relevant.

Menu
Disclosure: This site is not affiliated with WWE – just a diehard fan writing commentary on events.
 
Copyright 2021 Evan Luebbe. All rights reserved.