Evan Luebbe

Balor’s Trend

Finn Balor may be at the forefront of an emerging trend in WWE. He is taking slightly less money by going back to NXT in exchange for more overall flexibility to spend time with family and have more free time to do things that contribute to his own personal happiness. I’d take that deal because it sounds like it would have a great likelihood of making a positive impact on mental and emotional stability.

NXT has an advantage from the perspective of how much time it requires. NXT superstars only work one event per week as opposed to four on the main roster, and it’s always taped in the same location: Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. Jon Moxley of AEW, who formerly worked for WWE as Dean Ambrose, made headlines recently complaining about WWE’s travel schedule and said that he thought it was too much. It may be smart for WWE to look for ways to reduce the travel schedules of its top superstars. This will improve their quality of life as well as keep them with the company rather than leaving for competing companies like AEW.

The cruiserweight division seems to be fully integrating as a part of NXT, which will significantly add to the depth of the roster. The Cruiserweight Championship has officially been recognized as an NXT title, so I would assume this means that 205 Live on the WWE Network will be scrapped. This is a smart business move because the show was simply lacking star power so even diehard fans didn’t have much of a reason to be interested. The in-ring work was fantastic, but it failed to engage fans in its storylines.

Rhea Ripley actually gives off the vibe of a credible challenger with the capability of taking the NXT Women’s Championship from Shayna Baszler. As for Bianca Belair, she has challenged for the NXT Women’s Championship before and has quietly built herself back into form over the past couple of months. My bet to win the title and begin a new era for the NXT women’s division is Rhea Ripley.

Tommaso Ciampa never lost the NXT Championship and he was a fantastic champion, so it only makes sense that he would return to claim what is rightfully his. In the meantime, it will be great just to see him in action again against Angel Garza next week.

Congratulations to Lio Rush on becoming Cruiserweight Champion immediately after seeking a 10-month hiatus from WWE. He will definitely provide the ability to cut excellent promos that hopefully strike a chord with the WWE universe – more so than Drew Gulak, and he is also every bit as good in the ring (hopefully they are not as annoying as those of Enzo Amore).

Categories NXT

Fury’s Star Power

WWE is most likely going to leverage the star power of Tyson Fury for Crown Jewel emanating from Saudi Arabia. The company is likely going to book a match between Fury and Braun Strowman in addition to Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar (one would think the WWE Championship will be on the line). The Saudi government pays WWE a whole lot of money for the two events per year that they host, so WWE makes sure to pull out all the stops and book shows very well at all reasonable costs.

This will be kind of like the 2008 match between The Big Show and Floyd Mayweather (except Fury and Strowman are about the same size).

The Lana-Lashley storyline is going to significantly aid Bobby Lashley in getting over with the WWE universe. She is engaging him in a storyline the audience cares about, has empathy for, and feels invested in. It leaves fans wondering “how could Lashley be so heartless and steal another man’s wife?” It might also create an opening for Rusev to officially turn babyface.

Am I the only one who thinks Lashley creates a feeling in the bedroom very similar to “Sexual Chocolate” Mark Henry? He is the last man anyone would expect to be timid in front of the camera and a mic in part because of his physique. Hopefully, this will serve to make him more comfortable, as he has never been overly comfortable on the mic.

The Viking Raiders have done absolutely nothing the past few months but quietly keep their heads down and impress on a weekly basis. It paid off this week with them earning a victory over the Raw Tag Team Champions Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler, who have clearly found a niche in the Tag Team Division. The Viking Raiders will receive a much-deserved opportunity at the Raw Tag Team Championships next week.

It’s somewhat surprising that Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross are still pursuing the Women’s Tag Team Championships. One might have thought that Alexa and Nikki would split after losing the titles and go their separate ways. I figured that Alexa might go to SmackDown on FOX and feud with Charlotte Flair, giving FOX a blockbuster rivalry that has not been explored that much. By the way, this was probably the biggest victory for Asuka and Kairi Sane over WWE’s top two women.

The overall direction of the company is very encouraging – many of the new employees are absolutely thriving, the storylines are in good shape (there will always be a fair share of complaints and room for improvement), and the new sets for Raw and SmackDown combined with the return of pyro creates very exciting vibes.

Categories RAW

Hell in a Cell 2019 – Menacing Fiend

Since 2009 when Hell in a Cell began, WWE has established this event as a slower-paced environment where superstars get the opportunity, and an adequate amount of time, to showcase their in-ring ability and properly tell stories. The event didn’t disappoint this time around as the matches were some of the best I’ve seen in WWE since WrestleMania 35. Not one of them disappointed in the slightest.

The Fiend’s demonic character fits perfectly in Hell in a Cell. Because of this, Vince McMahon may want to consider booking his match at WrestleMania to take place inside the Cell. This would be a special occasion because the last ‘Mania match in Hell in a Cell was the End of an Era Match between Triple H and The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVIII in 2012. I was in attendance for this, and The Undertaker’s streak was still in-progress.

Seth Rollins is going to be psychologically in a dark place for quite some time. He very arguably turned heel at Hell in a Cell. The entire match upset fans because it didn’t make much sense from a psychology standpoint. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough to overcome the Horror movie-like aura of The Fiend. The only superstar who I would dare compare him to is Kane when he debuted in the first-ever Hell in a Cell match in 1997 and he brought the Michael Myers Presence.

I personally thought the psychology of the match was fantastic. Seth Rollins’ character did a complete revolution around the merry-go-round in a matter of one match lasting about 20 minutes.

The match between Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch was also a barnburner. It served to kick off the show in an unbelievable way. There is a very plausible scenario where Becky Lynch holds the Raw Women’s Championship until ‘Mania next April, which will market one full year of her holding the title. She most definitely deserves it, as the energy she puts out clearly resonates with the WWE universe.

This victory for Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan appears to be the official starting point of a face turn and change of heart for Bryan. It could also be the start of a major push into WWE Championship contention for Roman right around WrestleMania time (I don’t feasibly see a scenario in which he’s drafted anywhere but SmackDown, as he is WWE’s top star and his character also fits perfectly with the sports atmosphere FOX intends to create).

It was refreshing to see the Kabuki Warriors undergo a character change and win the Women’s Tag Team Championships. They are too skilled of performers to not win these titles at some point. Asuka got a nostalgic pop from the crowd to finish the match by using the mist that Tajiri used to use back in the day.

I have only one thing to say about the 10-time Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair: Woooo! The OC also could not afford to take a clean loss, particularly Gallows and Anderson. Finally, Chad Gable seems to be embracing the “Shorty” moniker. He is someone to keep an eye on because Vince McMahon reportedly really likes him.

His victory over Ali may be a subtle hint that Randy Orton will get another major Title opportunity sooner rather than later, perhaps on Monday Night Raw since he has been on the SmackDown roster for a few years. The victory would definitely be a sign of an impending title match if we were talking about NXT, since wins and losses mean a whole lot more down at Full Sail University.

Brock Lesnar is reportedly scheduled to square off with Cain Velasquez at Crown Jewel on October 31 and is also scheduled to appear on SmackDown more frequently in the coming months. This completely makes sense. FOX probably demands it since they are paying WWE $1 billion to air SmackDown.

Feels Like a Sporting Event

FOX has their fingerprints all over the production of SmackDown and making it feel like fans are watching a sports game. This was shown in the people who were featured on the show, like Erin Andrews, Michael Strahan, and Terry Bradshaw. The introduction of major sports figures like Cain Velasquez and Tyson Fury can’t hurt either.

Brock Lesnar was simply too much for Kofi Kingston. He also adds more legitimacy to the format of SmackDown and the introduction of Cain Velasquez is the icing on the cake. Velasquez did make an appearance at AAA’s TripleMania 27 earlier this year. Velasquez vs. Lesnar is definitely a massive WrestleMania bout to start building which WWE very well may already have in the works. Cain also has a history with Lesnar, beating Brock for the UFC Heavyweight Championship in 2010.

My prediction is that Lesnar will lose the WWE Championship before that time comes so Vince McMahon does not have his hands tied and has to make this a title match. This can free up an opportunity for Kevin Owens to become WWE Champion, which the WWE universe will probably be more accepting of.

This could very well be the start of the build to a confrontation at ‘Mania between Tyson Fury and Braun Strowman, similar to the clash in 2008 between Floyd Mayweather and The Big Show. This makes perfect sense because Braun serves a very similar role within the company as Big Show did, almost as more of an ambassador, which is still very important.

This is a gigantic leap for Kevin Owens to go over on a McMahon. It would not surprise me at all if WWE elected to begin a big push for KO heading into WrestleMania, still possibly culminating with Owens winning the WWE Championship. I was wrong about the push beginning after SummerSlam, but I’m still confident that WWE could have major plans for Kevin Owens.

Ciampa and Balor Return

It’s looking like NXT could have some stiff competition in the form of AEW. The presentation of AEW on TNT is very similar to that of WCW back in the day, which makes sense because WCW used to air on the same network.

It’s a beautiful thing to see Tommaso Ciampa healthy, as he has sustained his fair share of neck injuries. Finn Balor will definitely challenge Adam Cole for the NXT Championship at Takeover: Wargames in November for the NXT Championship. Matt Riddle could possibly get involved because of how much Triple H loves his ability in the ring (as he should) since Tommaso Ciampa is not yet ready for in-ring action.

The return of Finn Balor to NXT after just over three years on the main roster is a lateral move now within the company. NXT, as far as I’m concerned, has elevated to the same level as Raw and SmackDown. It will then serve to create a significantly higher probability of more fans on the USA Network to tune in to NXT every week because they likely already know Finn Balor from Raw. This will also create some nostalgia because Balor is the longest-reigning NXT Champion in history.

So, this is what Vince McMahon had in mind for Balor when he took his hiatus from WWE after losing to The Fiend at SummerSlam. The reintroduction of Balor in NXT completely wrecks my own personal WrestleMania 36 plans for him, but whatever; this is way better.

My new plan for Balor is for him to do this for a year or two and subsequently come back to the main roster, this time winning the Universal Championship again and keeping it this time for an extended period. This is very similar to the plan when Balor first debuted on the main roster in 2016. He won the first-ever Universal Title at SummerSlam but had to relinquish it the next night due to injury, even though he was scheduled to hold the title for an extended run. This is much like WWE did with Kevin Owens instead.

Shane Thorne made a huge statement against the Heart and Soul of NXT Johnny Gargano despite the fact that he did not even lose to one of Gargano’s primary finishing maneuvers (casual fans won’t notice that). It’s a huge step for Thorne to be placed on the card for NXT’s first full episode on USA. It’s telling of how much trust Triple H has in him because his push is still relatively new.

Candice LeRae definitely deserves an NXT Women’s Championship rematch at Takeover: Wargames against Shayna Baszler because of how much she connects with the NXT universe. Shayna Baszler has been Champion for borderline too long and Candice LeRae seems to have the physical capabilities and charisma to carry the women’s division in NXT.

Categories NXT

Not Cool Lashley

This past week in pro wrestling was one of the greatest weeks in probably 20 years since the fateful week in January 1999 when Mick Foley won the WWE Championship. WWE never looked back, as WCW never beat them in TV ratings again and wound up being bought out by Vince McMahon in 2001. This week was headlined by WWE of course and the premiering AEW on October 2. Wednesday nights will definitely be the most competitive night of the week in wrestling, as NXT goes head-to-head with AEW Dynamite.

WWE is clearly entering a new era in which they are treating SmackDown as the Flagship A show of WWE. Raw is the B show with the new set, logo, and the younger and experimental announcing team of Vic Joseph, Dio Maddin, and Jerry “The King” Lawler. Lawler obviously serves as the veteran presence, and they did a rather excellent job on Monday night. SmackDown will have veterans like Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and probably either Byron Saxton or Renée Young.

It is very telling as to what WWE thinks of Rey Mysterio’s son Dominick if they are letting him get in the ring at this young of an age with Brock Lesnar, obviously a top guy. Lesnar’s quite clearly very upset that he lost his title to Seth Rollins.

I don’t think this will necessarily happen, but I could see a scenario playing out where The Beast challenges The Fiend in say January and wins the Universal Title. Seth could then challenge him for the title at WrestleMania and win it, retiring him for good. The only reason I mention this is because Brock Lesnar has discussed the possibility of officially retiring at WrestleMania 36 in 2020.

It’s safe to say that Alexa Bliss is officially a babyface after she received major cheers from the WWE universe on Raw.

Bobby Lashley also returned to WWE about a month earlier than expected and shocked everyone by making out with Rusev’s wife Lana right in front of him. This has caused much more speculation and interest surrounding the WWE product. Is Lana cheating on Rusev? It always brings a lot of eyeballs to the WWE product when Vince McMahon incorporates love into storylines.

Hell in a Cell this Sunday almost seems like an afterthought because of the fast-paced booking style which was reminiscent of the way Vince Russo went about pacing the show during the Attitude Era. So many major events that happened so close together that the audience barely had time to process what had just happened before another major event went down.

This was a great strategy to keep audiences interested in the product. It will be much more difficult to consistently duplicate that strategy of booking because Monday Night Raw now is a three-hour show rather than just two back in the late 90s. For that reason, it will probably be much easier to embody this style of booking on SmackDown since it is only a two-hour show.

Categories RAW

Big E Announcing for Boxer

How awesome is it that Big E did the announcing for Shawn Porter before his title fight with Errol Spence Jr. (Porter got beat though)? This opportunity probably came for Big E because, even if the Pay-Per-View event was not directly put on by FOX, it was closely affiliated.

WWE is obviously beginning their relationship with FOX starting on October 4. The event also took place from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and that is coincidentally the location SmackDown will emanate from on October 4. Big E may also have a future in announcing when he wraps up his WWE career (just saying).

Booking for Rollins vs. The Fiend

In my opinion, WWE has two options in terms of how they decide to book the Seth Rollins–The Fiend Bray Wyatt Universal Title match at Hell in a Cell. It depends on who the WWE creative team decides to put over at WrestleMania. Through my lens, the two options are for WWE to either double down on the push of Seth Rollins by having him beat Wyatt at ‘Mania (probably in the main event), or they could elect to put over a new babyface by having a returning Finn Balor take down The Fiend.

In the first scenario, The Fiend would squash Seth, causing Rollins to take a few months off from WWE to rehabilitate himself mentally. Rollins could most likely afford to be squashed without it hurting his credibility too much because he is so beloved and well respected by the WWE universe. It’s always at least a little bit of a risk to have a top superstar be squashed (it was even a risk to have John Cena be squashed by Brock Lesnar). The creative team can never be positive as to how this will be received. He could return in perhaps January, subsequently building to a WrestleMania main event match in which he takes the title from The Fiend. In fairness, this scenario would probably strengthen Wyatt’s new gimmick quite a bit.

The second option (and this is the one I like much better) is for Rollins and Wyatt to have a WrestleMania caliber match with Wyatt at Hell in a Cell, with Wyatt still becoming Universal Champion, and the two men simply go their separate ways afterward. This would open the door for Finn Balor to return to WWE in January, with he and Wyatt building to a match at ’Mania in which Balor ends The Fiend’s reign of terror. Balor is one of the few men who can say he has a history with The Fiend, as Wyatt debuted his new gimmick against Balor at SummerSlam a couple of months ago.

There are a few similarities in these two scenarios. The first is that The Fiend beats Seth Rollins and becomes Universal Champion at Hell in a Cell. The second similarity is that there is a big return in January, perhaps at the Royal Rumble, either Rollins or Balor. Finally, one of them wins the Universal Title from Wyatt at WrestleMania.

Pyro Returning

To a basic fan, it doesn’t seem like a big deal at all, but after seeing WWE operate with and without Pyro (fireworks), I can tell you it makes a serious difference in the overall production of shows. First of all, when fireworks go off at the beginning of Pay-Per-Views it sets the stage for large-scale events to transpire – it sets the stage. The second thing it does is that it enables superstars to change their entrances from time to time with outside-the-box entries rather than the same things all the time. By using Pyro, WWE will keep fans more engaged and eliminate boredom with current superstars; they will also be able to create distinct entrances for brand-new superstars.

WWE is surely reintroducing pyro now after having stopped using it in 2017 to eliminate unnecessary costs because of AEW. Since WWE’s competition with them on Wednesday nights will begin on October 2, and AEW won’t hesitate to use pyro to enhance the quality of its product, Vince McMahon is most likely reintroducing it to show he doesn’t fall behind the eight ball. This will begin on the September 30 episode of Raw.

Side Note: Paul Heyman also briefly mentioned Evolve’s use of pyro and how WWE didn’t have it at the Evolve event on the WWE Network back in July.

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