Evan Luebbe

NXT Takeover: Portland 2/16/2020

Adam Cole successfully defends his NXT Championship against Tommaso Ciampa with the aid of The Undisputed Era; and most importantly, Johnny Gargano

This match was great as the main event, despite me being worried about Ciampa’s neck every bump he took. The reason for this booking decision by Triple H might have been because he didn’t want to create another version of himself. Ciampa’s attitude surrounding the major title on the black and yellow brand was starting to become reminiscent of that of The Game back in the day; the attitude of “I need the title because that’s one of the only things I care about other than those I love.”

Ciampa’s obsession with Goldie was starting to turn him into another version of his boss. His longstanding rivalry with Johnny Gargano didn’t necessarily need to be resurrected to accomplish this, but I can’t complain because the entire WWE universe (including me) is extremely emotionally invested in Ciampa’s seemingly never-ending story and his ridiculous amount of chemistry with Gargano.

Adam Cole can, in my opinion, definitively say he is the greatest NXT Champion in history because he has now beaten the most recent champion. He is already at 261 days as NXT Champion, and he will pass Finn Balor’s record reign of 292 days before the next Takeover the night before WrestleMania on April 4. I was thinking he would defend the title at least one more time before then, but he now has a legitimate claim when he says he is the greatest champion in NXT history.

The Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly) lose the NXT Tag Team Championships to The Broserweights

Adam Cole is now the only champion left standing for The Undisputed Era. This title change was a case of two men in the form of Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne who have been working to improve their repertoires as performers for a long time. This statement holds true for them both in WWE and outside the company; fans have grown to have a great deal of respect for each of them. This is a great example of the phenomenon of “If you work hard enough, patiently and diligently, great things will eventually happen.”

Rhea Ripley retains her NXT Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair and is attacked after the match by Charlotte Flair; the WrestleMania match between Ripley and Flair is officially confirmed, and they can now solely focus on each other

One has to have a high level of respect for “The EST.” Several women on the main roster have publicly acknowledged that she is a superstar and the aura she creates is special, but this is The Nightmare’s time to shine. Rhea Ripley has truly connected with fans in a way that very few superstars can. She is so young, I could easily see her becoming a female version of Daniel Bryan, whereas the crowds have unwavering support for her.

 

Keith Lee retains his North American Championship against Dominik Dijakovic

The two big men kicked off Takeover: Portland with an unbelievable match that delivered everything the NXT universe has come to expect from them and just a little more; we saw a couple of moves that the universe has never seen from these guys – for example… a corkscrew moonsault from Dijakovic.

Lee just needs to keep doing what he’s doing, and he will one day become a massive star. As of now, he is much more over than Dijakovic simply because Dominik has not had a lot of time on the mic to give the audience an opportunity to get to know him and what he stands for. I have no doubt he can get there, but for now it was the right call to keep the North American Championship on Lee.

Finn Balor defeats Johnny Gargano, Dakota Kai defeats Tegan Nox

Both heels needed to win these matches to propel respective storylines forward and give them momentum to continue. If Gargano or Nox would have won, it could have been the end of their story and fans would no longer have a reason to care anymore. In the women’s match there was also the debut of a new superstar to NXT in Gonzalez, who is now firmly entrenched as a heel after helping out Kai. Another layer was successfully added to the story between the two women. The rivalry between Gargano and The Prince, however, is easily interesting enough by itself.

SmackDown 2/14/2020

John Cena Returning

Renee Young announced on WWE Backstage on FS1 this week that “The Champ” John Cena will be coming to SmackDown for the first time since it moved to Fox on 2/28 the day after Super Showdown. Cena is very likely to begin a buildup to a WrestleMania match on April 5. WWE fans will also be curious to find out if he will make an appearance – or even wrestle a match – at the Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View on March 8.

The Fiend to go over on Goldberg and Retain Universal Championship

“The Fiend” Bray Wyatt is expected to retain the Universal Championship against Goldberg at Super Showdown. WWE is still planning on booking a Universal Title match between The Fiend and Roman Reigns for ‘Mania. Thankfully… I might faint if Goldberg became Universal Champion again. WWE needs to focus on making this current era as great as it can be – not on reliving the “good ol’ days.” I, quite frankly, thought it was a mistake to put the championship on Goldberg by having him win it from Kevin Owens and subsequently dropping it to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33 in 2017.

Mustafa Ali Lacking Direction

One has to wonder why Mustafa Ali has become lost in the shuffle in recent months. Vince McMahon had big plans to significantly push him up until February 2019 when Randy Orton injured him to derail those plans.

He was replaced in the Elimination Chamber match by Kofi Kingston as a result of a great performance in a gauntlet match shortly before the PPV, thus starting KofiMania which led to his eventual title victory from Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35 and his subsequent six-month long reign with the WWE Championship.

Perhaps Ali could ultimately emerge as a contender for the Intercontinental Championship and end up taking the IC Title off Braun Strowman. This would go a long way toward getting the former police officer over as an ultimate babyface. It may even help Strowman too, as it would demonstrate his respect for the hierarchy of WWE and his willingness to build younger superstars and contribute to their success down the road.

Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan defeat The Miz and John Morrison, with an attack from King Corbin coming Immediately after the Pin

I think I speak for most everyone when I say that we are looking forward to the story between Reigns and Corbin hopefully ending at Super Showdown, and this result appeared to be a step in the right direction. There has been too much TV time devoted to this same storyline in recent months. It’s not that either of them is doing a bad job – there’s only so much they can do with this particular story.

Bayley defeats Carmella to Retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship

I figured this match might take place at Super Showdown, but that’s okay. On a positive note, Bayley is defending her title again on a regular basis after going about three months without doing so, from October through January. Unfortunately for Carmella, who Booker T accurately described as being “the female Miz in WWE,” Naomi appears most likely to get a victory over her next week and receive the next title match against Bayley. Naomi has a little more momentum right now since she just returned.

Elias on the Rise

It may take a little while for Elias to bring his in-ring scale up to par. It’s a little rough at times, but I guarantee he is a future star in WWE. He may not ever be the face of the company, but he’s made the audience care about what he does and sometimes that’s the hardest part.

Sheamus defeats Apollo Crews and Shorty G

Sheamus is getting a whole lot of fan favoritism again. He may have at least one more major championship reign left in him before he retires. He could be a potential Universal Champion before the end of 2020 if fans continue to respond to him at the level they have in the last few weeks.

Dolph Ziggler steals Otis’s Date and Breaks his Heart

This was just outright mean, but it was a great way to keep the WWE universe confused in whatever transpires next in this story. It left fans feeling dejected and wanting more, which is exactly what Vince McMahon wants.

AEW Dynamite 2/12/2020

Dynamite Continues to Win the Wednesday Night Wars in 2020

AEW Dynamite is establishing a regular routine in 2020 of garnering over 900,000 viewers each week on TNT, while NXT on the USA Network is averaging about 150,000 less viewers per week. Even though WWE is currently losing the Wednesday Night Wars, NXT’s move to the USA Network is still considered by most to everyone in WWE to be largely successful.

Jon Moxley defeats Santana and is Immediately Attacked by The Inner Circle and their Mercenary, Jeff Cobb

This beatdown accomplished its intent of getting as much sympathy as possible for Moxley before his title match with Chris Jericho at Revolution. AEW’s newest signee, Jeff Cobb, will be a major acquisition because of his versatility, which is virtually a prerequisite in this era of professional wrestling.

The 2004 Olympian has been around in the pro wrestling business since 2009, competing for PWG (Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, which Excalibur helped found), Lucha Underground, ROH (Ring of Honor) and NJPW, as well as multiple other independent promotions. Cobb could wind up joining The Inner Circle, but then again maybe not because that would essentially eliminate the need for Jake Hager. Both men would fill basically the same role, and two of the same almost never works in wrestling.

Cobb should be given the freedom to carve his own path in AEW. The Hawaiian will be unstoppable if he is allowed to be what he naturally is – a no-nonsense, nose-to-the-grindstone athlete.

Nyla Rose wins the AEW Women’s World Championship from Riho

This was a great match from Riho, showcasing strength on multiple occasions to lift a woman literally twice her size. She just might not have the level of raw charisma required to carry the AEW Women’s Division. There is no shortage of talent with Asian wrestlers – they just don’t talk, so it’s hard to connect with them and get insight into what is going through their minds. Nyla Rose, however, will create the aura the Women’s Division desperately needs of a dominant and intimidating champion everyone fears.

The Story between Kenny Omega and “Hangman” Adam Page got a Chance to Breathe

There was a successful title defense. The segment was largely building toward the number one contender’s battle royal next week on Dynamite.

MJF (Maxwell Jacob Friedman) Defeats Jungle Boy Jack Perry, Wardlow Attacks him after the Match

People like these two guys are the future of AEW since they are all in their early 20s. It makes sense for MJF to build up as much heal heat as possible leading into his match at Revolution with Cody (which I fully assume Cody will win and close the book on this chapter of his career). MJF doesn’t need a victory of this magnitude yet at this stage in his career because, while he is on the right track, he hasn’t reached the level of true superstardom.

Dustin Rhodes defeats Sammy Guevara and Challenges Jake Hager to a Match at Revolution

Very solid match. No complaints about the execution or the result considering it was in Rhodes’ hometown. Sammy comes across as being very entitled and annoying, but he is excellent in the ring – that’s what makes him so effective as a heel. It’ll be nice to see Jake Hager finally do something other than stand around as protection for Jericho – and it will be so easy to root for the 30-year veteran Dustin (who is still surprisingly athletic). Darby Allin should have a fantastic match with Guevara at Revolution.

Dr. Britt Baker’s Feud with Tony Schiavone

It will be interesting to see if anything comes of Baker constantly knit picking at Tony. I find myself almost feeling bad for him because he just sits there and takes all the Starbucks criticisms so convincingly. Maybe he will eventually choose a woman to represent him and face Baker, but it’s very entertaining for now.

WWE Raw 2/10/2020

This past week’s episode of Monday Night Raw was very low-key and didn’t get any major pops from the audience. This is most likely because neither Champion was present on the show. Brock Lesnar did not show up as WWE Champion, but he deserves some credit because he has been in every episode of Monday Night Raw except this past week. He also gave a performance in the Royal Rumble match that lasted over 25 minutes. The missing United States Champion’s (Andrade) presence is due to his violation of the WWE wellness policy and he is not eligible to wrestle. No one can be positive, but this may be his last to return to Super Showdown.

Becky Lynch defeats Asuka and is subsequently attacked by Shayna Baszler to set up what will be a Huge Clash come WrestleMania 36 in Tampa, FL

The rivalry between Becky Lynch and Asuka that lasted over a year has been a good example of long-term storytelling. It was an excellent idea to have it come to an end because the audience’s attention span could have started to grow thin since there are no real stakes anymore. This feud produced excellent matches while it lasted, but there’s no more story to tell.

Shayna Baszler has finally made her presence known on Monday Night Raw to build for a WrestleMania encounter with The Man, as has been speculated for weeks. Baszler’s loss of her NXT Title was not only to give the NXT universe a fresh Champion but also to free her of all ties to another brand so she could solely focus on building to a ‘Mania match with Becky. It was a good segment on Monday night with Baszler attacking Lynch’s neck in Hannibal Lecter fashion, except the blood was clearly fake.

A Baszler Title victory at WrestleMania could give the WWE universe a fresh face as Raw Women’s Champion. It would also free the engaged couple of Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch to each take a hiatus from WWE for a few months after ‘Mania to recharge. They are both workhorses for the company combined with the fact that Becky will have been the face of the Women’s Division in WWE for an entire year. Shayna has been booked to have a presence like a female Samoa Joe.

Seth Rollins, Murphy & The AOP Defeat Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe & The Viking Raiders

Seth Rollins and his disciples got another cheap victory… surprise, surprise! This result was never in doubt, but it did its job of gaining more heel heat for the stable. Vince McMahon has shortened yet another name. The latest man to have his name shortened is Buddy Murphy, as he lost his first name and is now referred to as just Murphy. It will be interesting to see if he ever gets his first name back like Erick Rowan and Mustafa Ali did.

Matt Hardy Questions Randy Orton

Matt Hardy more than accomplished his job on Monday night of garnering sympathy for Edge. He was able to do this so well because the WWE universe lost both he and his brother. One can only guess what Matt’s contract situation looks like. There was some speculation that he may be going to AEW, and there still is, but he continues to make appearances for WWE. No one can be sure, but this may be his last one – Randy Orton’s attack may have given him an avenue through which to exit WWE.

Ricochet Defeats Bobby Lashley

The “One and Only” proved to Lashley without much doubt that he is the rightful number one contender to Brock Lesnar’s WWE Championship for now. However, I would be shocked if there is not a highly anticipated bout between the two former MMA fighters. Lashley has publicly stated in the past that he believes the act of coming back to WWE for another three years would be a waste of time if he isn’t booked in a match with The Beast Incarnate.

WWE has a little time to build to this match before Lashley’s contract expires in April 2021, and there is not much doubt (from me) that this will ultimately happen. This potential match has money written all over it because of the sheer size of Lesnar and Lashley. Both men are in their 40s, but it seems it could happen.

Angel Garza Defeats Cedric Alexander

Angel Garza further established his name on Monday Night Raw as a force to be reckoned with, using his innate and almost nonchalant sense of charisma. The thing he does with ripping off his pants in the middle of matches is also a hilarious touch.

Aleister Black Defeats Akira Tozawa and Disposes of him Quickly

If WWE is interested in a long-term storyline with Black as I suspect they are, management may want to book him to continue his undefeated streak all the way through the year 2020. He’s a guy who Paul Heyman is extremely high on and is looking to give every potential opportunity to succeed, along with Ricochet, Murphy, and Drew McIntyre. However, he does deserve a competitive rivalry that will intrigue fans. This will also serve to get him over with the WWE universe. Fans are growing tired of seeing him squash opponents.

Perhaps a feud with the United States Champion Andrade and his real-life wife Zelina Vega would be appropriate. It would create an avenue for him to get to that next level of stardom because fans would feel more connected to him if they knew he had personal ties in the regulatory.

The 24/7 Championship has returned to obscurity now that it’s out of the hands of Mojo Rawley and Riddick Moss is the titleholder.

Categories RAW

The Revival turned down Sizable Contract Offers and EC3 Uptake

Both Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder of The Revival seem dead-set on leaving WWE and opting to bet on themselves by exploring new endeavors. The team has reportedly turned down hefty offers from the company of $700K per year. Vince McMahon obviously cannot force them to stay with WWE so both men will most likely leave the company when their contracts expire (one of their contracts reportedly expires in March or April 2020 and the other’s deal expires in August 2020).

Perhaps AEW could be a potential destination where the tag team could be better utilized. AEW is known to focus heavily on their tag team division (The Young Bucks – Matt and Nick Jackson – are executives, so this would make one think that maybe this is why the company focuses so prominently on its tag team division). The wrestlers in AEW’s tag team division appear to be treated more like legitimate stars rather than just a part of the show that is of slightly lesser value than singles superstars.

Speaking of underutilized WWE talent, former TNA World Heavyweight Champion EC3, who is currently signed with WWE (but drastically underutilized and not viewed as a star), could also have a future with AEW since he has recently been spotted in public with Chris Jericho. He also posted on social media that he received some excellent advice from Le Champion.

Rusev’s Contract Negotiations

Rusev is engaged in contract negotiations with WWE. Vince McMahon would reportedly like to keep him, but maybe he wants something WWE is not willing to give him. Otherwise these negotiations would probably be settled. This is possibly the reason he was kept off TV on February 3rd.

Shayna Baszler & Ronda Rousey News

Former NXT Champion Shayna Baszler is reportedly set to make her debut on Raw soon (definitely before WrestleMania 36). This will give her a chance to adequately build for a confrontation at the biggest show of the year with Becky Lynch. Meanwhile, Ronda Rousey will in fact return to WWE and it’s a matter of “when” not if, because she is under contract until WrestleMania 37 and 2021.  WWE fans should not expect her to return on a full-time basis again. She is not willing to necessarily put her family through that again.

Because Shayna and Ronda are such good friends from their days in UFC together (in part two of the Four Horsewomen of UFC), the WWE universe shouldn’t be surprised if Ronda Rousey ends up playing a pivotal role in Baszler’s match and potential title win at ‘Mania.

Raw Superior to SmackDown Currently

Since SmackDown moved to FOX in October 2019, the quality of the programming has been up and down. The February 7th show was all over the place shifting focus between about 10 different stories. The continuity of Monday Night Raw with Paul Heyman in charge has probably been the best incarnation of Raw since the Attitude Era.

Every segment on the show over the past few months has felt very meaningful, and Heyman has done a very nice job of pivoting within storylines. The stories resonate with the WWE universe when certain superstars have suffered unexpected injuries. Maybe all he needed was for Brock Lesnar to come to Raw so Paul could gain a little more star power to work with and not have to divert his attention from Monday Nights.

Plethora of WWE News

WWE has announced that Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson’s (The Rock) daughter Simone has officially started training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL. She will give the sports entertainment industry a go. She most likely feels the sports entertainment industry is embedded in her blood, since her father, grandfather, and great grandfather all achieved success with the company. She will endeavor to become the first-ever fourth-generation superstar in WWE history at just 18 years old.

WWE has also officially announced that WrestleMania 37 will be held in the Los Angeles Rams / Chargers new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in 2021. The stadium, which is scheduled to open in 2020, has the capability to seat 100,000 people. Expect a potentially record-breaking crowd about as large as the crowd that was in attendance for WrestleMania 32 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

Matt Riddle reportedly had a verbal altercation with Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble which did not do him any favors in the match (the reason he was in the match was because Triple H lobbied for him to be in it). He was eliminated from the match, however, in less than a minute. He was at it again on Saturday night had an NXT live event in Las Vegas, guaranteeing that he would one day retire Brock Lesnar.

I can’t say I’m surprised, because The Bro’s been making comments like this for nearly 3 years. He may want to tone it down and have some respect for the hierarchy of the business and his day will come eventually (assuming his mouth doesn’t get him in trouble first).

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Disclosure: This site is not affiliated with WWE – just a diehard fan writing commentary on events.
 
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