This was a better week than others.
There are questionable things going on in this country of mine all the time, but at least a majority of my fellow citizens went to the voting polls this week and said to this corrupt misery parasite that sits the Oval Office a couple hours a day: “Nah – we’d rather not.”
There’s also wrestling!
And I’ll take this week of WWE TV over many others. RAW was bad but at least Drew McIntyre is becoming a genuine main event talent and that’s a process that is always fun to see. He’s not the greatest wrestler in the world but he is capable and has a presence, and that’s a solid scenario for a WWE main event talent.
And SmackDown just straight-up ruled.
RAW (11/5/18)
It might have taken 3+ hours of bad TV to do it, but Drew McIntyre is gonna be a star.
This was another crap RAW with some solitary highlights: Drew getting put over, Kurt Angle being a selfless veteran, Elias being a star, Ronda Rousey cutting a 3-minute promo vs. a 15-minute promo, and a newsworthy moment in The Authors of Pain winning the RAW Tag Team Titles.
I guess I should note that it was taped in the U.K., though that’s become a less defining characteristic as time goes on as these shows seem like all the others.
The opening Baron Corbin/Alexa Bliss/Kurt Angle/Braun Strowman (what a cast) promo was a pretty busy way to get us on the road to Survivor Series. The whole roster on the entrance ramp thing is overplayed at this point… everybody doesn’t need to look like a geek every few months. At least Sasha Banks seemed to be having fun with the Angle “you suck” gimmick.
Sasha/Bayley/Natalya vs. The Riott Squad was a severely basic 6-woman tag with a bizarre finish that saw Ruby Riott snapping Natalya’s sunglasses which were apparently her dead dad’s followed by Nattie crying and the match just ending. I’m all for heat in wrestling, but this just felt forced and awkward.
Apollo Crews beat Jinder Mahal in a few minutes which is good for Apollo. Jinder has a role to play as the disliked former champ who puts new guys over – it’s just amazing how quickly he was slotted into that role.
Honestly, I’d be for Jinder Mahal as champ over Brock. There’s intrigue with him vs. Drew and he could finally get his Champion vs. Champion Survivor Series match that AJ robbed from him last year!
Seth Rollins dropping his and Dean Ambrose’s RAW Tag Titles to The Authors of Pain in a Handicap Match wasn’t the prettiest or well-executed thing but Seth is over and him flying around to try and survive them was good fun.
Dean attacking Seth again was OK, but Dean didn’t need to talk yet. This feels like Ciampa vs. Gargano with a lot less juice right now.
Elias in the UK = OVER. Actually, Elias is kind of over everywhere. That Seven Nation Army deal got that crowd HOT though.
Elias vs. Dolph Ziggler was real pedestrian stuff but it doesn’t really matter because Elias is over. He needs a few more moves of doom if this is gonna work though. Dolph’s cover of the one flub – Elias dropping him on the sit-out powerbomb – was smooth as silk.
I was very much into the straight and to the point Ronda Rousey promo on Becky Lynch. These Champion vs. Champion deals are kind of great because they can’t really muddy it up with time-killing angles and matches on each show… it’s a few straight promos and then the match.
Nia Jax vs. Ember Moon was only a few minutes but Ember got enough in for it to be alright. I’d be way more into Nia in a monster tag team if it wasn’t with Tamina… 8 years on and I just don’t see it. Still, I bet Nia Jax/Tamina vs. Sasha/Bayley is pretty good.
Bobby Lashley showing off his ASS MUSCLES was a thing that happened on this Monday Night RAW.
Bob vs. Balor Part 3 felt like Bob vs. Balor Part 300.
Drew McIntyre entering, completely alpha male-ing Lashley, then laying out Balor was good television. On some planet Balor vs. McIntyre would’ve been a big deal but I don’t think that planet exists in the WWE Universe.
Loved all that was Kurt Angle vs. Drew McIntyre, because in between Drew’s armbars these guys told a story.
Loved that this was basically a straight-up McIntyre beating, with Angle using the Angle Slam as a last ditch hope spot. Loved Angle’s “shiiit” face after that Claymore out of nowhere. Loved the last few minutes, with Angle down on the mat tearing up, Drew offering his leg so he could try the ankle lock, the crowd chanting for Angle, and Angle finally getting the ankle lock on only for Drew to escape and end him with his OWN MOVES: the Angle Slam and ankle lock.
The story in the ring was Angle not able to go with the young and hungry McIntyre. The story out of the ring was Angle being a completely selfless vet and actually putting someone over as opposed to whatever the hell Triple H and The Undertaker are doing these days with their half-hour masturbation sessions. Way to be an absolute legend, Kurt.
SMACKDOWN (11/6/18)
God DAMN was this a show.
The Miz and Daniel were bickering, Nikki Cross was debuting, The Usos and New Day were wrestling, Rey and Almas were blowing my mind, and Becky Lynch was being a bad motherfucker.
The New Day and The Usos went at it for old time’s sake and casually had another classic. They brought the fun and they brought the crazy and what else do you want in your wrestling besides that? The double suplex to the floor tease followed by Big E’s tope spear and the top rope powerbomb were highlights of the crazy. With them both being fan favorites there really wasn’t much of a heat segment – these guys just kept things moving with fast-paced smooth work the entire time. Tremendous chemistry, tremendous match.
I was very much into the straight and to the point Becky Lynch promo on Ronda Rousey. These Champion vs. Champion deals are kind of great because they can’t really muddy it up with time-killing angles and matches on each show… it’s a few straight promos and then the match.
But then there was more, as Becky laid out an Open Challenge and Nikki Cross made what I think is her debut. And the POP for her appearing in the shadows amidst everyone’s confusion at the SAnitY entrance was massive.
The Becky vs. Nikki match itself was a classic tale of a person you’re heating up facing person you might want to heat up because it’s their first match. It was a fun 5-minute TV match with Nikki maximizing her time, but I’m not sure it really did anything for either of them.
Let’s talk about Rey Mysterio vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas.
There are four reasons as to why I enjoyed this match so much:
1) The Move. Let’s talk about that thing where Almas got Rey up in an electric chair, Rey headscissored him over the top, Almas HELD ON to the electric chair, and Rey reversed a rana onto the apron. What WAS THAT? Incredible, impressive move that was completely insane but somehow felt realistic.
2) The Wrestling. These guys match up perfectly – everything is so smooth and perfectly timed. They go so hard and so fast that it all feels real even if they’re doing hurricanranas and armdrags. It’s special stuff.
3) Andrade “Cien” Almas. This guy is just an otherworldly wrestler who should be on TV way more than once a month. He’s having not just everybody’s best TV matches but AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, and Rey Mysterio’s best TV matches.
4) Rey Mysterio. How is he doing it this well at this stage? He has been one of the GOAT’s for a long time but this trimmed down inspired early 40s Rey is awe-inspiring. How is he jumping off the apron, getting caught and thrown into a guardrail? How is he hitting that baseball slide tornado DDT so perfectly? The guy is amazing – he felt like he lost a step before he left in a few years ago and here we are in 2018 and it’s like he’s gotten a decade younger.
The Women’s Survivor Series Team announcement was highlighted by two things: Graves’ “oh my God” when Mandy’s music hit and Sonya’s proud nodding for Mandy’s dig at Charlotte.
Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Hardy was a fine conclusion to this show with Jeff bumping like a lunatic. Sweet finish too with Joe putting his knees up on the Swanton and choking Jeff Out.
MIXED MATCH CHALLENGE (11/6/18)
This is the most useless weekly show WWE is producing right now.
B’N’B vs. Country Dominance – The Bayley-to-Belly on Lio Rush was a nice payoff but otherwise this was some basic bullshit.
Day One Glow vs. The Fabulous Truth – This was a rap battle and then some dancing and wrestling moves.
Only a month left…………………..
205 LIVE (11/7/18)
At the end of the day, at least 205 Live has Buddy Murphy.
Lucha House Party vs. TJP and Kanellis was a match that had its moments but also a lot of TJP and Kanellis offense. Lince having a mask under his mask was a nice gimmick, Lince flossing not so much.
Lio Rush tossed a very game jobber around on this show.
Buddy Murphy vs. Mark Andrews was a little exhibition-esque but still good fun and had some incredible spots. The lift-up electric chair to a reverse rana, the somersault plancha into a rana on a floor… wild. The springboard Code Red was a nice idea that didn’t work, otherwise Andrews is an excellent flyer and Buddy is an excellent base and this was a heck of a match.
NXT (11/7/18)
The Johnny Gargano thing is finally making sense to me and Velveteen Dream rules, otherwise this was a very very very OK show.
Otis Dozovic is a very fun professional wrestler but Heavy Machinery vs. Forgotten Sons was very ehh. The NXT tag division has a lot of acts that don’t really work in NXT but might find a niche on the main roster.
Dakota Kai vs. Taynara Conti was ultra-basic stuff. Conti needs work and her “Are you crazy!?” thing is “Respect meeee” levels of forced.
If Mia Yim is going to use “HBIC” and say the “B” is for baddie then this just isn’t going to work. You go all in or you don’t – no middle.
Johnny Gargano was kind enough to send a cell phone video that explained why he attacked Aleister Black and you know what it kind of makes sense. I mean it’s a long way to get there, but I get him now. He hasn’t turned heel or anything – he just knows he has to be a bastard sometimes. And this is the arc he is following on his way back to the NXT Championship. It is the message WWE sends again and again – there is no room for nice guys on our fucking show
I need to stop fantasy booking Johnny and Candice reuniting ala Macho Man and Elizabeth at a TakeOver.
Velveteen Dream vs. Lars Sullivan was a match all about watching Velveteen Dream. This is a guy that pays attention to how he moves and looks on everything – his punches, his selling, even his dive over the top which was so fluid and graceful but also not. It’s just fun to watch this guy do his thing. His gimmick and now his ring movement really does scream Macho Man and after this second Macho reference I’m really thinking about a world where Macho is still around running the PC. What an awesome world that would be.
The Lars toss into the apron was NASTY too. Dream and Ciampa brawled and Dream raised the NXT Title to end the show, yadda yadda.
MAIN EVENT (11/7/18)
About once a year, Main Event randomly has two actually good matches. I really didn’t think it’d happen this year, but here we are.
Tyler Breeze vs. Mojo Rawley was soooo Actually Good. It felt unique compared to the usual Main Event match… there was a chinlock or two but Mojo attacked Breeze right away and was vicious the whole match, while Breeze kept kicking out or countering his finishes. There was actually some kind of psychology besides armbars and a comeback too, as early in the match Breeze hit a crossbody but Mojo rolled through for a move. At the end of the match it happens again, but Breeze rolls through again and wins. This was a Main Event Match Worth Watching.
The Revival vs. Bobby Roode/Chad Gable was a better go than last week’s already good match. It was basically a Revival sprint with classic tag work and Gable running around like a man possessed. They kept things moving with great pro wrestling and the Shatter Machine at the end is a keeper. This was also a Main Event Match Worth Watching.
WWE TV Match of the Week: Rey Mysterio vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
WWE TV MVP of the Week: Rey Mysterio
En route to Survivor Series, the wrestling is suddenly kind of interesting again.
RAW: 5/10
SmackDown: 10/10
205 Live: 5/10
NXT: 6/10
