In the middle of June, the Wall Street Journal dropped a bombshell that felt like it was coming years ago, reporting on investigations into Vince McMahon’s… Jesus Christ, all of it. But mostly, apparently, his fondness for both the women who work for him and using Non-Disclosure Agreements to keep them quiet after they do.
Lacking in decency can keep you in charge for thirty-five years, but using publicly traded company money to keep the charade going was an accusation even Mr. McMahon – still wealthy – did not seem capable of defending.
As they did right through the COVID-19 outbreak, WWE’s shows went on. In fact, Vince McMahon cut a couple promos on some, even with a stench of speculation on future reporting hanging above him that was so thick I think I saw it.
WWE still did some wrestling matches in June too, and here were ten that stood out.
1. Triple Threat Match – RAW Women’s Title: Bianca Belair [c] vs. Asuka vs. Becky Lynch (Hell in a Cell 6/5/22)
For 20 minutes they ensured another WWE show kicked off strong. For 20 minutes they somehow kept a rapid pace while maintaining character and avoiding contrivance. For 20 minutes they kept the action moving, action taken up another level with bits of timing, strategy, and three people who are so good at this, whatever that is.
2. Losers Join the Other Gang: Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde & Cruz del Toro vs. Tony D’Angelo, Two Dimes & Stacks (NXT In Your House 6/4/22)
WWE was two for two in June on PLE openers at least, this 6-Man Tag kicking off NXT 2.0’s In Your House with big stakes and impressive sequences. Joaquin Wilde and Cruz del Toro have found this weird good spot in WWE where they barely wrestle but usually get to go off every few months, as they did here with Stacks and Two Dimes (RIP) who impressively blended in. The eventual Escobar/D’Angelo showdown got a huge reaction as did the eventual spot where both sides ended up in the ring, made angry faces at each other, and charged with punches.
3. Hell in a Cell: Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins (Hell in a Cell 6/5/22)
It is still stupid that working with a torn pec was necessary to make a memory in today’s professional wrestling, but hey: Cody Rhodes made a memory. The crowd’s uncomfortable silence after he revealed the injury’s deep purple lasted longer into the match than he and Seth probably would’ve liked: wrestling can be a lot of things, but rarely do you get to take in a crowd going through a crisis of ethics. Everybody powered through and what came out was visceral, compelling, memorable, and stupid.
4. If Riddle Loses, He Can Never Challenge Roman Reigns Again – WWE Undisputed Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Riddle (SmackDown 6/17/22)
The build-up, setup and stipulation all felt like a lot of work for what ended up being a SmackDown main event that was quickly moved on from, but as a stand-alone match this did hit on some excellent babyface/heel notes that felt like Jericho/Triple H from 2001, if not more over-manufactured.
5. Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn (SmackDown 6/24/22)
Sami and Shinsuke have both settled into this era where they have more zero’s on their W2’s than great matches a year, but the last few years of downtime gave their bodies rest and are probably the reason we can still get these random little gems on TV.
6. NXT Tag Team Title: Pretty Deadly [c] vs. The Creed Brothers (NXT In Your House 6/4/22)
Pretty Deadly and The Creeds are both throwbacks to a simple dynamic of wrestler, the obnoxious and brightly-colored but objectively gorgeous pretty boys against the Steiner-esque hard-working former amateur wrestlers who turned pro and have their parents in the crowd. The good guys used suplexes and the bad guys used shortcuts, and Julius Creed has some things to figure out around selling a beating but he did do a brilliant Shooting Star Press at the end. Hot match, hot finish, Brutus Smash!
7. Triple Threat Tag Match – NXT UK Tag Team Title: Moustache Mountain [c] vs. Oliver Carter & Ashton Smith vs. Teoman & Rohan Raja (NXT UK 6/2/22)
If this happened on another show, people might have talked about it. I’m just saying.
8. RAW Tag Team Championship Contender’s Match: The Usos vs. Street Profits (RAW 6/6/22)
Another good one from the Usos/Profits, a group of wrestlers who manage to keep it pretty fresh despite being attached at the hip all the time. It’s almost as impressive as Ford’s kickoff to bulking season.
9. NXT Breakout Tournament – Final: Roxanne Perez vs. Tiffany Stratton (NXT 6/7/22)
Two bright additions to the very crowded NXT 2.0 have been Roxanne Perez and Tiffany Stratton, young talents who are babyface and heel personified and were given a decent platform here to show that.
10. Sam Gradwell vs. Von Wagner (NXT UK 6/2/22)
This match ended when Wagner lifted out of a sleeper hold with Gradwell still on his back, then withstanding Gradwell punching at his head as he powered through into a fireman’s carry for his finisher. Better than another Drew/Sheamus match, I thought.
Honorable Mentions: Money in the Bank Qualifier: Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (SmackDown 6/10/22), Money in the Bank Qualifier: AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins (RAW 6/13/22), NXT UK Women’s Title: Meiko Satomura [c] vs. Ivy Nile (NXT UK 6/9/22), Riddle vs. Sami Zayn (SmackDown 6/10/22), Money in the Bank Qualifier: Asuka vs. Becky Lynch (RAW 6/20/22), Money in the Bank Qualifying Last Chance Battle Royal (RAW 6/27/22)
WWE Intercontinental Title: Ricochet [c] vs. Gunther (SmackDown 6/10/22), Rey & Dominik Mysterio vs. Finn Balor & Damian Priest (Main Event 6/22/22), Malik Blade & Edris Enofe vs. Javier Bernal & Dante Chen (Level Up 6/3/22), Nathan Frazer vs. Santos Escobar (NXT 6/7/22), NXT Tag Team Title: The Creed Brothers [c] vs. Malik Blade & Edris Enofe (NXT 6/14/22), Indi Hartwell, Cora Jade & Roxanne Perez vs. Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne (NXT 6/14/22)
