Elias should be able to return to action after suffering a broken ankle in September. His last match was a victory over Ali in the quarterfinals of the King of the Ring tournament, and he had to be replaced by Shane McMahon in the semifinals WWE doesn’t really seem sure of what to do with Elias – the company seems a little wishy-washy up to this point in terms of whether or not to give Elias a substantial push. This is an exact case of another WWE superstar receiving 50/50 booking.
Evan Luebbe
Young Superstars Shining
This episode of NXT (in my humble opinion) went down a bit just a few weeks before Takeover: War Games. The aspect of the show that stuck out most was the fact two young superstars: Taynara and Angel Garza, proved their worth in NXT by picking up victories which typically are signs of good things to come on the black and gold brand. Garza even earned a title opportunity against Lio Rush. Never mind the obvious fact that he won’t win – it just means a lot at this point that his push is starting even a little.
Garza is reminiscent of an Eddie Guerrero type (Sasha Banks has to be a fan of that). On the other hand, while I have never personally been a big fan of Taynara, I can’t deny that she is improving in the ring in a major way. She doesn’t do a whole lot to “wow” the NXT universe; rather, she is just there.
I must say that this was the first week where even I have to admit that the episode of AEW on TNT was clearly better than NXT. Particularly the main event of AEW stuck out, with two major matches for AEW Full Gear on November 9 in Baltimore, Maryland being promoted. Chris Jericho and Cody built up their title match as well as Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley brawling a little.
The three judges being present at ringside for the AEW World Championship match between Cody Rhodes and Chris Jericho will take fans back to the match back in the 80s between Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair in WCW.
Side Note: Triple H may want to recruit someone like Tyler Bate or Velveteen Dream, who may return somewhat soon after dealing with a lumbar injury, to put over Damian Priest in the coming weeks/ months.
Rollins Heel Turn
When Seth Rollins returns to NXT in the future, as one would think would be the case, it would be fitting for him to turn heel as well. He was a heel the last time he was allied with Triple H, so it would make perfect sense for him to make this character switch when he aligns with The Game again.
Another reason this will be a fitting possibility (or probability) is that the original plan for the Universal Championship match at Crown Jewel was for Seth and Bray Wyatt to execute a double turn. This would mean Rollins would turn heel and Wyatt would turn babyface. This probably did not transpire because Vince McMahon could have talked himself out of a pretty good idea.
Rollins has also not done himself any favors on social media or in interviews in terms of carving a clean public image. Maybe he could take some advice from guys like his brother Roman Reigns or Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. All Seth needs to do to repair his public image is to consistently keep his head down and put in the work while ignoring the noise. All the rest will take care of itself.
Seth simply cannot allow other people to trigger an emotional response out of him when they offer criticism. I myself have made great strides in the last couple of years to work on this. The thing I learned was to be content with who I am and to not care so much what others think. Seth Rollins probably knows this better than anyone because he has done podcast episodes delving into these deep, esoteric concepts about the purpose of life and whatnot.
Saudi Arabia Shows Could come to an End
WWE’s fourth – and likely their best show in Saudi Arabia may very well be their last. The event showcased a major title change and the first-ever women’s match in Saudi Arabia. This has not been confirmed by anyone. The reason I mention this is because a few major superstars who were involved in all of the key storylines at the event have recently expressed their displeasure to Vince McMahon regarding the travel issues getting home from Saudi Arabia.
Some of these names include Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston. Would WWE really go to Saudi Arabia without their best talent? Probably not. It’s a shame too because WWE originally signed a 10-year contract with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to put on shows there for the next decade. It’s a shame that they may have to quit after fulfilling only 20% of the contract.
Saudi Arabia officials also reportedly want out of the deal, maybe due to cultural issues. Or perhaps they just don’t really see it being financially advantageous to be paying WWE as much as they are.
In Fairness, the shows did seem a little less organized than would have been preferred. It also probably rubbed the superstars the wrong way when they found out Vince McMahon purposely left the show early, as if he may have sensed that there would be some issues in getting home.
Triple H Parental Figure
It seems to be a distinct possibility that Seth Rollins will be headed over to NXT within the next couple of months; possibly before ‘Mania. This move could provide a resurgence to his career similar to the one Finn Balor recently experienced with his official move to Full Sail and subsequent heel turn. In my opinion, Rollins should definitely consider a character change because it would be a refreshing turn of events in WWE.
In the world of WWE, Triple H serves almost as a father figure to Seth, because every time Seth lacks direction or motivation on what to do next in his career, he always turns to “The Cerebral Assessment” to provide some direction for him. Triple H pointed out about five examples of this from the past seven or so years to Rollins.
This is such a great story because there really are kids like this who always look to their parents to tell them what to do next in life when they are not sure. This is no fault of their own; their consciousness is not completely ready to handle the sense of full autonomy that adulthood brings.
Perhaps Seth and “The Game” could draw up architectural plans to build a new Shield on the third brand, which is rapidly gaining traction btw.
Brock Lesnar will be bringing the WWE Championship to Monday Night Raw as well as his star power; two things the show at this point seems to be lacking. Dio Maddin was his first victim. Dio is obviously much bigger than Rey Mysterio. Brock will need to be mindful to leave at least a little piece of him after Survivor Series.
It’s fitting that The OC will be receiving a pretty sizable push in the coming months, primarily because they received sizable contract extensions not too long ago. They might as well be pushed if they are making so much. AJ Styles has gotten pretty good treatment from WWE booking since debuting in the Royal Rumble match in 2016.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Gallows and Anderson. They have been lost in the shuffle probably two or three times in their time with the company. None of that matters anymore, however. Maybe WWE is turning over a new leaf in terms of the way they view these very talented performers.
I have to say I’m most excited about the women’s match at Survivor Series. It’s between the newly heel Bayley, The Queen of Spades and longtime NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler, and The Man Becky Lynch (it’s amazing Becky never comes across as cocky; just extremely sure of herself). This match could very well be the greatest match of the night, and I believe it definitely deserves strong consideration for the main event spot on the card.
WWE in Great Hands for the Foreseeable Future
WWE will clearly be in excellent hands when Triple H gets the torch passed to him by Vince McMahon and begins running the entire company. The main roster may start to be run a little more like NXT. WWE recently had its best episode of SmackDown since the show’s debut on FOX, and part of what made it so great was the fact that it wasn’t over originally planned. The NXT superstars gave the production an authentic feel.
It’s a very simple formula; but you know what, it works. It was also foreseeable that WWE’s next move (in storyline) would be to have minimum roster superstars “invade” NXT to get “revenge.” Something that would be an intriguing possibility in the future is for stars from both the main roster and NXT, to become interchangeable; to have the freedom to move laterally across the company between brands.
NXT Intro
Travel issues on the way home from Saudi Arabia? No big deal; NXT covered in a great way for the SmackDown superstars and probably delivered every bit as good of a show as the originals would have, maybe even better. This was by far the best episode of SmackDown since its debut on FOX. The show follows a simple formula and each segment just seems too low right into the next; because of that, it’s a very easy episode to write about.
NXT as a third brand will add an entirely different and fresh feel to the Survivor Series Pay-Per-View. This is something the Survivor Series event is badly in need of; over the course of the last couple of years, the event has become somewhat stale and had a predictable feel. It was a very smart decision for some NXT superstars to show up on SmackDown and go 3-0 in matches against main roster superstars; the biggest being NXT Champion Adam Cole retaining his title against Daniel Bryan.
Even Pat McAfee showed up and filled in as a commentator for Aiden English after about 30 minutes, and he did a rather excellent job. It’s also so cool that he is a former NFL player; who knows, maybe his recently retired teammate Andrew Luck could get involved with WWE in the future. His dad, Oliver Luck, is the Commissioner of Vince McMahon’s XFL that will begin play in February 2020.
November 1, 2019 had to be a proud day for Triple H, but let’s also address Brock Lesnar. He and Paul Heyman quit SmackDown so Brock could go after Rey Mysterio on Monday Night Raw. This may be a way for WWE to compensate for the fact that both major champions are now on FOX; or I could be totally wrong, and WWE could be setting up for another major trade between brands.
This will also free up time for Paul Heyman to devote himself exclusively to the production of Monday Night Raw since he is the Executive Director and Bruce Prichard is the Executive Director of SmackDown.
NXT at Survivor Series
NXT’s inclusion at Survivor Series officially marks, at least in my mind, that NXT is now viewed on a level playing field with the main roster in WWE. NXT superstars already feel that way, and they definitely should because the black and gold brand has always had excellent in-ring work. Superstars are also protected in terms of their booking; not to mention they don’t have to travel nearly as much (at least for now).
It seems like Vince McMahon is guilty of over-planning at times for events. Triple H seems to be slightly better about being a little more relaxed about preparation and not stressing himself out too much.
WWE’s next step with regard to the incorporation of NXT into its product may be to interchange superstars across brands. Just a thought.
Crown Jewel 2019
The first-ever women’s match in Saudi Arabia signifies a major cultural shift in terms of the way women are viewed in society in the Middle East. This societal leap matters way more than the result of the match. It also makes perfect sense as to who was featured in the match. Natalya is a well-respected veteran who has helped the women’s division in WWE make massive strides, and Lacey Evans is a former Marine.
WWE probably didn’t have The Fiend win the Universal Championship at Hell in a Cell because they wanted a major title change to take place in Saudi Arabia (likely due to the insane amount of money WWE receives from the Saudi government – it’s a courtesy to have big, interesting things happen at this event).
Tyson Fury looked good in his match with Braun Strowman. That’s to be expected since he has openly stated his desire to get involved in the sports entertainment industry. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Cain Velasquez. He looked almost uncomfortable to a degree in his match with Brock Lesnar.
So, Humberto Carrillo’s great start to his WWE career continued at Crown Jewel with a United States Championship opportunity. At this stage in his career, it’s not that important if he wins; but just to get the opportunity is significant.
AJ Styles will begin to be featured in a more prominent role on Monday Night Raw because he is now the only champion on Monday nights (which suits his gimmick by the way).
Speaking of The OC, Gallows and Anderson are beginning to solidify themselves as a dominant tag team on Raw, as they should be. WWE booked the tag team match perfectly in terms of the final two teams, The Viking Raiders and The OC. It didn’t matter who won between those two teams so much because either one would have been hurt by the loss (The Viking Raiders will surely be booked to gain back their momentum relatively quickly).
Congratulations to the hometown boy Mansoor on beating Cesaro. WWE may have a real gem in this superstar; he is young, at just 24 years old. The company might be wise to explore his potential.
The primary purpose of the 5-on-5 tag team match was to give the Saudi Arabia crown some nostalgia to cheer for because the kingdom of Saudi Arabia always makes it clear that they want some stars from the past to be in a featured role at the events. Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair certainly satisfied in that department.
First Women’s WarGames Match
I think it’s safe to say most members of the WWE universe saw the announcement of the men’s WarGames match coming. However, it’s a huge announcement that the women of NXT will get the opportunity to make history in the first-ever Women’s WarGames match. This segment definitely could have been the main event, but it’s not a huge deal that it wasn’t. Fortunately, it was still featured at the top of the 9 o’clock hour, which is usually the time slot of the second biggest segment of the night.
Finn Balor just carries himself in a way that creates the aura of a top superstar. His clash with Johnny Gargano will surely draw a lot of eyeballs. As he claimed on WWE Backstage this past week, the Prince is back (referring to his name several years ago in Japan).
Bronson Reed, “NXT’s Resident Thick Boy,” is starting to make a name for himself and develop his in-ring persona. His push, which I believe is imminent, has been spring-boarded with the first in what should be in a long line of victories. He has the natural ability to connect with fans, and this is obviously one of the most important characteristics a superstar can have.
It is rather unfortunate that Shane Thorne is not getting TV time, but with as deep as NXT’s roster is, I don’t know if there is a way to work him in. I could definitely see in the future Thorne leaving and seeking a brighter spotlight in AEW.
Everyone should absolutely meditate like Mauro Ranallo mentioned Tyler Bate does. I want to double down on this because I myself meditate daily and am experiencing surprisingly profound realizations during meditation myself.