Sometimes I wonder about wrestlers who reject criticism from fans of wrestling, as if they are immune to it because their profession is cast in a dye of a century-old secret society that cannot be penetrated.
There’s a large amount of groupthink when wrestling is talked about no matter which corner of the Internet you find yourself on. And some of it is objectively bad. But a lot of it is valid.
Even if it isn’t some thesis on the finer points of what makes a wrestling match or angle work, its’ appearance in the world means that it is now out there in the world, that now some person who has decided to spend any time on this crazy pro wrestling thing has made their opinion on it known.
That’s not to say there aren’t dumbass fans who talk about wrestling – wrestling is made for dumbass fans.
That’s not to say I’m no smart fan either – I’m as dumb as the rest.
But I do talk about wrestling and I rate wrestling and I discuss what I like and dislike, like many fans of this great sport.
And when a fan does critique and talk about wrestling, sometimes they are articulating to wrestling promoters and wrestlers themselves what they want out of wrestling.
What’s wrong with that?
RAW (7/2/18)
This show sucked but at least there was that Shield vs. Dolph & Drew tag.
Roman Reigns was all over this show – opening promo, two tags, a couple beatings. There might be something to a long-term story with Roman becoming more and more psychotic while he gets his ass kicked weekly and wastes time with Bob Lashley and The Revival, all while he’s the rightful Universal Champ – but it sure is brutal to watch play out.
Roman/Seth vs. Dolph/Drew was a 20-minute tag team wrestling match with a lot to love. The Shield building to a hot tag gets me feeling real jacked, baby. As does Roman vs. Drew. As does Drew running full speed into a Roman uppercut. As does Drew headbutting Roman. As does Roman selling for Dolph and Drew. As does Dolph leaping into an uppercut from Reigns, which was THE BEST.
Seriously great hot tag build – there was so much good basic tag work that had the crowd going crazy for The Shield boys. I liked Drew getting knocked outside by Seth but tearing Roman off the apron and Roman’s corner work highlighted by the exasperated “Two?” after Ziggler’s Fameasser near fall. Rollins craaaaawling for the hot tag, fending off Drew with a superkick and Ziggler with a buckle bomb, only for THE REVIVAL to come in was a great blue balls finish.
Roman/Seth and Dolph/Drew are all clicking as big acts – would be nice to see it all capitalized on.
The rest of the show? Shit.
The Revival tag was just a weak angle: Roman took a beating, refused to tag Bob, and The Revival got DQ’d for a double team as Bob stormed off.
I’m sure Michael Hayes or some shit will say “They’re getting to show personality!” but I am positively perplexed on how The B-Team going from lovable underdog idiots to guys impersonating two guys the crowd likes a lot better en route to a Tag Title match that everybody knows they will lose is supposed to get anybody over.
Matt Hardy vs. Curtis Axel sure was some moves, yes. Maybe whoever called for a 30-second match last week was a genius.
The Authors of Pain are heating up but tonight’s win over Titus Worldwide was not very hot.
The Return of Dr. Shelby was nice. That’s about it for this thing so far.
Question for Kevin Owens: Does your rental car insurance cover Braun Strowman Attacks? I mean that car was totaled.
Finn Balor is Very Bad on the microphone and him popping jokes on Constable Baron Corbin made for bad TV.
Ember Moon vs. Liv Morgan was kinda shit but damn what an Eclipse bump.
No Way Jose vs. Mojo Rawley is continuing. Would come off better if part of a better show.
Michael Cole’s “hell yeah” when Natalya came out to backup Nia Jax might have been rock bottom for professional wrestling.
Mickie James working Nia Jax’s leg was probably not something that this show needed. I wonder if we get Nia/Nattie vs. Alexa/Mickie next week. The fuckin’ intrigue.
The show ended with Kevin Owens hiding in a Porta Potty and Braun Strowman tipping it over.
Legitimately just shit.
SMACKDOWN (7/3/18)
It may lack buzz and I don’t like how 25% of its roster just disappears for weeks at a time, but SmackDown is Good Again.
Daniel Bryan and Kane bringing their two-man comedy routine to WWE television is very nice: Bryan’s deadpan read-through of all the atrocities Kane has committed, Kane’s deadpan reaction and apologies. That there was Another Great Usos Promo tacked on to the end of the opening segment was very nice too – “Yo what up KANE?”
Jeff Hardy vs. The Miz was a good solid 2-commercial break match that got over based on each guy punching and signature move-ing away. Great finish – Miz uses the ropes for leverage on a pin and is convinced he wins, so he argues with the ref which leads to him eating a Twist of Fate and Swanton Bomb. That’s how you professionally wrestle, baby.
Kind of liked the over-the-top New Day Pancake Eating Contest intro leading to a SAnitY beatdown, but still not sure SAnitY is going to work. Maybe they appear scary and credible to kids. To me they just look like goofs.
Asuka vs. James Ellsworth was fine comedy wrestling highlighted by Asuka tearing Ellsworth’s cheek off with that slap.
Kane: Look – you’re like a brother to me.
Bryan: You set your brother on fire.
AJ Styles vs. Aiden English was such a wonderfully decent 3-minute wrestling match.
As was Becky Lynch vs. Peyton Royce.
Team Hell No vs. The Usos was a fun 10-minute tag. It really felt like each team had to work for any stretch of offense, and The Usos and Bryan are just some of the more fun wrestlers to watch… wrestle. Kane blocking topes and the Knee+/chokeslam finish were sweet too.
205 LIVE (7/3/18)
This was a great one-hour wrestling show because half of it was a great half-hour wrestling match.
Poor Noam Dar still having to be on 205 Live… that pop was just a bit less than what he got in the U.K., wasn’t it? On one hand, him beating TJP in 20 seconds is hilarious. On the other hand, it cements the TJP thing as another gimmick/push going nowhere.
Tozawa vs. Jaysin Strife was a fine squash with Strife keeping up with all of Tozawa’s stuff. Lio Rush cut another good promo post-match too. He’s such a shit.
Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy was a wild one. It told a classic story – underdog good guy fighting against this juggernaut motherfucker who wants to break his back – while blowing everybody’s minds at the same time. You had Ali’s crazy dives and bumps and selling contrasted with Murphy being this spectacular guy who hits really hard. The first half had some crazy thing every few minutes: Ali’s somersault plancha 20 seconds in, Ali being ripped off the barricade and landing on his back on the floor, and the rolling X-Factor in the ropes with Buddy landing directly on top of his head.
And then the STAIRS. What does Buddy Murphy hold over WWE management that they willingly let him take bumps on his head AND do crazy shit with steel steps? Sometimes in WWE it’s not the ideas, but that you have proved to (or blackmailed) management that you deserve to use those ideas. Ali just getting launched into the steps and Buddy taking that rana full force into them made even this desensitized wrestling fan gasp. The superplex off the steps was crazy, the Spanish Fly off the barricade onto the commentary table was transcendent. Ali getting caught in the ropes and fighting through endless V-Triggers before he managed a jaw-dropping tilt-a-whirl tornado DDT off the steel steps was one special finish. Epic, crazy fun match.
NXT (7/4/18)
Solid show, though the slow crawl to TakeOver Brooklyn begins.
Santana Garrett is the girl who comes to Full Sail once in a while and looks just like a person with a WWE contract, but just does not have one. Here and Dakota Kai had a fine match. Dakota Kai being a scared wittle girl as her debut wasn’t handled very well, but her emergence out of it seems promising.
Danny Burch is good in-ring but awkward backstage. That stuff with Undisputed Era was rough.
The Otis Dozovic vs. The Mighty Handicap Match had some fun stuff from Otis, but it was a nice way to tell me not to take The Mighty seriously in any situation moving forward.
Velveteen Dream vs. Chris Dijak was ideal NXT TV, a win-win match for both. Dijak looked like a badass hitting hard and throwing Dream around and shouting stuff, while Dream got to look like a badass for surviving it. Oh and Dijak took a bump on the steel steps like a crazy person – good week for those steel steps, I tell ya.
Johnny Gargano is having a good year, the match with EC3 was just OK though. More a storytelling match for Johnny Badass. EC3 is the blandest dude in-ring that still works because of what he can do out of it. Guy sure can take a superkick though.
MAIN EVENT (7/4/18)
I am not going to say I am a better person for watching Rhyno get beat up for 5 minutes by Konnor and Viktor of the Ascension. I just can’t see the argument for it. Konnor and Viktor beat Rhyno and Slater too, which seems weird.
Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal vs. Zack Ryder was a fine Main Event match. Not exactly Worth Watching, but a fine Main Event match. Good guy threw a dropkick. Bad guy did a chinlock. The crowd knew what was up.
WWE TV Match of the Week: Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy, No DQ
WWE TV MVP of the Week: Those steep steps in the Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy match
It stinks that the longest show of the week was the worst. Everything else was pretty good. Still – WWE cooling stuff off so hard in the midst of such a stock price boom is a wild deal.
RAW: 2/10
SmackDown: 6/10
205 Live: 8/10
NXT: 6/10
