Signal boosting WWE’s parody of corporate malfeasance isn’t something I want to do right now, though based on traffic statistics I can’t say it’s much of a boost.
Watching wrestling and writing about the wrestling I watched is just a thing I do, even if I don’t really feel like doing it right now, especially about this wrestling.
RAW (6/22/20)
Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair for the RAW Women’s Title was a good match, but WWE somehow made even this pairing feel overplayed. Bayley & Sasha Banks vs. The IIconics for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Title again did nothing to add to the Women’s Tag Title canon, though the RAW Tag Team Title canon isn’t looking much better. The Viking Raiders and Street Profits have fun matches together and I’m glad they’re buddies, but this isn’t RAW is Buddies!
I’m sure the 25 people who tested positive for COVID-19 will mess with some of RAW’s plans, but they seem like pretty bad plans. Dolph Ziggler is on RAW now and challenging Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton is managed by Ric Flair feuding with The Big Show, Natalya seems to be unhappy with Liv Morgan, and I think Nia Jax is about to have another feud where she puts someone (Charlotte Flair) on the shelf for a while and they don’t actually follow through with it.
Edge‘s promo was good and I guess I can appreciate the formula change-up with all the players in the U.S. Title feud, but I’m pretty sure Edge is about to be gone for a while and I still have no idea who Apollo Crews is.
The Mysterio Family and crew fighting with Seth Rollins and crew made for an alright finish to the show. Rollins/Rey might be the best thing going in WWE, and it’s not even that good.
NXT (6/24/20)
There’s a bunch of good parts here not adding up. Timothy Thatcher and Santos Escobar are fun additions to the roster. Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez are figuring it out. The Undisputed Era are earning their Sports Entertainment chops every week. And Keith Lee still rules.
As far as wrestling or angles or promos or anything actually worth watching though, I can’t say there was much here.
Cameron Grimes vs. Damian Priest was the usual NXT match that generally made sense but got nobody over. Escobar vs. Jake Atlas was about the same. I thought Gonzalez’ powerbomb/big boot combo was awesome, even if Dakota Kai as a heel still seems off. Karrion Kross throwing Bronson Reed around was fun. The hook to Dexter Lumis and Roderick Strong feuding is great, but it’s not hitting.
Keith Lee vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Finn Balor for the NXT North American Title is an exciting match if you haven’t kept up with NXT for the last few years – on June 25th, 2020, it just came and went. They did some fun spots and everybody looked all athletic but the Triple Threat is a match gimmick for when you don’t actually want to move anything forward. I wish NXT spent more time on stuff to care about and not cute Triple Threat stuff.
Lee vs. Adam Cole with both titles on the line is a fine deal that would’ve been a lot more exciting if a better effort preceded it.
MAIN EVENT (6/24/20)
NXT UK (6/25/20)
They had all women make the picks.
SMACKDOWN (6/26/20)
They re-aired the awesome Boneyard Match because half the SmackDown roster either got COVID-19 or decided they did not want COVID-19.
There was an 8-man tag that definitely could have just been Cesaro vs. Lince Dorado, while King Corbin vs. Jeff Hardy in the main event hastily became a Lumberjack Match – wrestling is fun as an escape, not an aggressive re-enforcement of everything wrong in society.
Nikki Cross challenging Bayley sure is neat, but not here – not at this Horror Show.
Why did they act like The Undertaker died at the end???
205 LIVE (6/26/20)
My Favorite Things
- Sasha Banks Challenges Asuka
- Swerve Scott and Tony Nese Let Loose
- Lashley Slams a Ninja
WWE TV Match of the Week: Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Tony Nese on 205 Live
WWE TV MVP of the Week: Sasha Banks
