Moustache Mountain is back and Roman Reigns remains the Head of the Table.
Interesting possibilities all around us, though quarterly financials, a trainwreck product, and thirty plus years lacking morality will keep dragging those down.
Working Man’s Recap
Good Work: Asuka, Sarray, KUSHIDA, Kyle O’Reilly, Cameron Grimes, Tyler Bate, Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan
World: RAW Still Bad, Quieter Tuesday NXT’s, SmackDown Steps Up
Wrestling: Daniel Bryan & Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins & Jey Uso (SmackDown 4/23/21), Moustache Mountain vs. Noam Dar & Sha Samuels (NXT UK 4/22/21), Sarray vs. Zoey Stark (NXT 4/20/21)
Entertainment: Cesaro challenges Roman Reigns (SmackDown 4/23/21)
RAW (4/19/21)
Byron Saxton says there are a “lot of questions” around why the tall Retribution guys are going after Drew McIntyre on MVP behalf, but I really can’t think of any.
Alexa Bliss has got an evil doll named Lilly now, because the Thunderdome is but a bubble within a bubble.
On Monday nights, these things aren’t important: Riddle beat Randy Orton. Elias beat Kofi Kingston. Viking Raiders beat the guys who were the tag champs last month. The main event was Asuka/Charlotte Flair. Charlotte beat up all the referees afterwards.
NXT (4/20/21)
NXT seems good again, probably because my brain waves aren’t translating it alongside AEW all the time. It’s still lacking a soul and direction, but also doesn’t seem to be trying so hard.
The Way is good TV, even if it’s associated with a Dexter Lumis/Eli Drake match. Gargano is such a quality dipshit.
Sarray made her debut in a freaking war with Zoey Stark, a promising debut in a world that can’t help but create cynicism. There is a tag division here now, kind of. Io Shirai doesn’t like dogs. Mercedes Martinez is after Raquel Gonzalez. That dang Ted DiBiase!!!
KUSHIDA (who’s barefoot now) defended the Cruiserweight Title against Oney Lorcan on a low key dream match, then Kyle O’Reilly beat Cameron Grimes in a good main event that ended with a top rope kneedrop – gorgeous.
MAIN EVENT (4/21/21)
This week Mansoor undefeated streak continued with Akira Tozawa as the victim, then Lince Dorado beat Drew Gulak and Gulak has to do Lince’s laundry or something. I’m all for stipulations on Main Event but let’s add some urgency to the dang match then.
NXT UK (4/22/21)
Tyler Bate and Trent Seven teamed up against Noam Dar and Sha Samuels in this week’s main event, and it was sad to see Moustache Mountain emerge from the curtain to the cheers of the vague void that is the BT Arena but those two having a tag match is still better than most things going right now. Bate’s dive over the top was crazy.
Joe Coffey and Eddie Dennis had a match, most notable thing was Eddie Dennis looks super skinny. Dave Mastiff and Sam Gradwell had a match, most notable thing was big Sam beat bomber Dave!
Jinny and Joseph Conners got themselves into another mixed tag feud. Kenny Williams and Amir Jordan got themselves in a loser leaves town match next week.
SMACKDOWN (4/23/21)
This show ruled, no regrets. SmackDown has at a minimum 10 great wrestlers just Doing Their Thing right now, Daniel Bryan as Cesaro’s microphone proxy up against the Tribal Chief machine for most of the show was awesome.
No fucks Bryan makes the 20-minute WWE TV opening promo seem normal, while Roman Reigns just exudes evil right now – a mean, mean man. Contrast that with Cesaro telling Bryan he had to take Roman’s offer of a championship match at the end of the show – this is a whole story!
There was a whole match too, Bryan & Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins & Main Event Jey Uso. Rollins/Bryan + double heat + Bryan hot tag + hot finish = good to great wrestling.
Bayley laughed at Bianca Belair, Aleister Black is back (at least in vignette form), and Kevin Owens and Big E don’t like each other now too —because SmackDown’s midcard also gets layers.
205 LIVE (4/23/21)
RAW and 205 Live really ensure WWE’s week of TV starts and ends pretty cold, eh? The Bollywood Boyz vs. Ariya Daivari & Tony Nese and August Grey vs. Ashante “Thee” Adonis with interference from Ariya Daivari – (extremely Costanza voice) THAT’s the show!
