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.