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placetobenation · 4 years ago

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Are you ready for the busiest week of the year in the WWE? That’s right, it’s time for WrestleMania week where the WWE has something going every single night for the WWE Universe.

On Monday, it’s RAW. On Tuesday, it’s the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony. Wednesday and Thursday bring the live NXT TakeOver: Stand & Delivery two-night event. Friday brings a special SmackDown with the return of the Andre Giant Memorial Battle Royale. Finally, on Saturday and Sunday, it’s the extravaganza we know as WrestleMania back in front of live fans at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.

Damn, I’m tired already. So, before we recap the week that got us this far, let’s see where the cards stand as of Saturday morning.

WrestleMania 37 – Updated card:

Night 1:

Bad Bunny vs. The Miz

Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro

Steel Cage Match: Braun Strowman vs. Shane McMahon

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day vs. AJ Styles & Omos

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair

WWE Championship Match: Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre

Night 2:

The Fiend vs. Randy Orton

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley

Intercontinental Championship Nigerian Drum Fight: Big E vs. Apollo Crews

SmackDown Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan

Expected to be added: WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs. TBD (winner of night 1’s four-way match between TBD)

NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver updated card:

Night 1:

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Io Shirai vs. Raquel Gonzalez

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: MSK vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Legado del Fantasma

NXT North American Championship #1 Contender’s Gauntlet Eliminator Match: Leon Ruff, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Bronson Reed, Cameron Grimes, Dexter Lumis, LA Knight

NXT UK Championship Match: WALTER vs. Tommaso Ciampa

KUSHIDA vs. Pete Dunne

Night 2:

NXT Championship Match: Finn Balor vs. Karrion Kross

Unsanctioned Match: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly

NXT North American Championship: Johnny Gargano vs. TBA

NXT Cruiserweight Championship Unification Ladder Match: Jordan Devlin vs. Santos Escobar

NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell

For sure, there will be surprises along the way over the next 7 days. If I’m the WWE, I’m starting off the event with something that will make its first live crowd in over a year pop so loud it will feel like a packed crowd instead of about 25,000 fans at Raymond James Stadium. Yup, I’m starting WrestleMania with Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair. They’ll get the night off to an awesome start and set a standard for all those to follow. Now, will the WWE do it or will they save them for the main event? Time will tell, but as those that have fought in the ring say, if you’re not last, you want to be first.

Finally, before we get to the show recaps, let’s talk about Friday’s shocking announcement from the WWE: Chris Jericho is going to be the next guest on Steve Austin’s Broken Skulls Session Podcast Sunday, April 11th immediately after night two of WrestleMania. That’s a jaw dropper my friends. After all, Jericho is currently one of the founding fathers of All Elite Wrestling, the WWE’s main rival these days and he’s been none-too-shy about blasting the WWE at any given chance since leaving the company to embark on his journey through New Japan Pro Wrestling and AEW. It will be fascinating to watch and yes; I applaud Vince McMahon for letting it happen on his watch.

RAW

RESULTS

United States Non-Title Championship Match: Sheamus defeated Riddle

Braun Strowman defeated Jaxson Ryker

WWE Championship Non-Title Match: Bobby Lashley defeated Shelton Benjamin

Xavier Woods defeated AJ Styles by DQ

Naomi defeated Shayna Baszler

Drew McIntyre defeated Ricochet; McIntyre defeated Mustafa Ali

Needless to say, RAW felt a little flat for me with just under two weeks to WrestleMania.

As far as @Sheltyb803 and @CedricAlexander go, The #HurtBusiness is OVER.#WWEChampion @fightbobby is looking out for no one but #TheAllMighty on The Road to #WrestleMania! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/KFyCjxWPiY

— WWE (@WWE) March 30, 2021

King @BaronCorbinWWE of #SmackDown shocked everyone by showing up on #WWERaw to take out @DMcIntyreWWE! pic.twitter.com/kWnAPj6lOg

— WWE (@WWE) March 30, 2021

I didn’t quite understand the need to break up The Hurt Business before the PPV. Pitting Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin against WWE Champion Bobby Lashley doesn’t make much sense to me. Who knows, maybe it’s a big rouse by MVP. And speaking of Lashley, if he’s such a badass, why does he need the help of King Corbin, fresh off SmackDown, to beat down Drew McIntyre to end the show. Now, while we’re at it, why would it be Ricochet and Mustafa Ali as the ones to take a shot at McIntyre and not a guy like Braun Strowman, who was just begging for a title shot a few weeks back. A little thing like a match with Shane McMahon shouldn’t sidetrack him.

Want more?

Why have Rhea Ripley and Asuka fighting as a tag team less than a week before their RAW Women’s Championship match? Well, because that’s what the WWE does – put all their challengers in a tag team with each other. Done. Too. Death. Oh yeah, it’s also because the Women’s Tag Team Champs, Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler have such little interest, they’ll just throw a bunch of teams in against them with no storyline. YAWN.

Need a US Title Match? Here’s Sheamus to beat Riddle.

Want more? Need to fill a few segments.

Well, here’s The New Day Game Night and a DQ win by Xavier Woods over AJ Styles to whet your appetite. How about seeing Omos actually wrestle ONCE in a ring before WrestleMania? Nah.

The less said about The Miz and John Morrison’s “Hey Hey Hip Hop” music video the better.

The same can be said about McMahon’s report card flashback to make fun of Strowman. Damn, Shane, you can’t even read the words that are on the card to match the screen. It’s amazing that the WWE, with all its anti-bullying messages allows this storyline to go any further.

NXT

RESULTS

Cameron Grimes defeated Roderick Strong

NXT Cruiserweight Championship Non-title match: Santos Escobar defeated Tyler Breeze

Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell defeated Gigi Dolan and Zeda Ramir

Raquel Gonzalez defeated Zoey Stark

Xia Li defeated Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter

LA Knight wins NXT North American Championship Gauntlet Eliminator Battle Royale

Needless to say, NXT is the show that I hoped RAW would and could be. Instead of the non-sensical booking and wasteful segments, NXT was all business Wednesday night with the go-home show before the historic two-night NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver event coming up this week.

Cameron Grimes vs. Roderick Strong turned out to be a case of two guys going in opposite directions. Grimes has his money on his mind and distracted Strong just enough with that The Undisputed Era armband to get the victory. Yes, Roddy’s been down lately and it looks like he’s walking away.

Kudos to Santos Escobar and Tyler Breeze for continuing to raise the bar in the cruiserweight division. Breeze proved more than just a warm-up match in Escobar’s Open Challenge before his unification match against Jordan Devlin at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more impressed by someone losing three matches than Zoey Stark. In dropping decisions to Io Shirai, Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez the past three weeks, Stark has looked up to the task and the moment’s not too big for her against some of the best in NXT. There are good times (and wins!) ahead for Stark.

Xia Li continues to be a badass, that’s for sure. But, what’s also evil is Tian Sha and the stronghold she put on Kayden Carter before blowing that mysterious mist into Carter’s face. Whatever that force is between the two, I’m ALL IN! Li gets the win in the ring over a returning Kacy Catanzaro while her friend gets taken out on the ramp. This story gets better and better each week.

This brawl does not, and will not, end.

#WWENXT @RaquelWWE @shirai_io pic.twitter.com/UvGkbfHIDX

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) April 1, 2021

The third time definitely was not the charm for Io Shirai. All night long, the NXT Women’s Champion tried to attack Gonzalez heading into their NXT TakeOver match, but all three times, she got the worst of it including finally being thrown through a wall to seemingly end her night. Yet, still we get Shirai in the ring to end the show, flying off the top rope to take out Gonzalez and most of the women’s locker room as well. Beware of the female giant Gonzalez, my friend. She’s coming for your NXT Title!

It's GOOD to be LAST. #BattleRoyal #WWENXT Wednesday's Night 1 #NXTTakeOver: Stand & Deliver #GauntletEliminator Order: 1. @LEONRUFF_ 2. @swerveconfident 3. @bronsonreedwwe 4. @CGrimesWWE 5. @DexterLumis 6. @LAKnightWWE pic.twitter.com/XOErxHZz8M

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) April 1, 2021

How about that Battle Royale? Can we make Austin Theory look any sillier with that elimination of himself? Dexter Lumis made it to the final six by standing in the corner like a statue. Heck, he didn’t move until the final 3. It’s a shame that KUSHIDA and Pete Dunne eliminated each other to miss the final six. But at least we’ll get a solid match added to NXT TakeOver night 1 between them. I like LA Knight getting the win, taking out Lumis after going through the middle ropes instead of over-the-top rope like Lumis did. Now, it’ll be Lumis and Knight starting off the gauntlet match Wednesday night to see who fights Johnny Gargano for the NXT North American Championship on Thursday night. And oh yeah, is Roderick Strong really leaving? He didn’t even make it into the battle royale as expected.

That Prime Target setting up Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly was intense! It’s definitely worth a watch if you missed it and a second look if you saw it live.

What’s up with the dog? Well, it’s the debut of Taya Valkyrie folks! Or should we same Franky Monet?

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Otis, Chad Gable, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode defeated The Street Profits & The Mysterios

Natalya defeated Shayna Baszler

Bianca Belair defeated Carmella

Street Fight: Daniel Bryan defeated Jey Uso

The road to #WrestleMania hasn't been easy for @WWEDanielBryan, but he makes one hell of a statement after his victory tonight to @EdgeRatedR AND @WWERomanReigns! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/BsHDdQPboa

— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2021

I’ll be honest, when I saw them previewing yet another Daniel Bryan vs. Jey Uso match, I was like again, really? But a street fight with one week to go before WrestleMania isn’t a terrible idea. It lends itself to an anything can happen atmosphere. Granted, it wasn’t as brutal as it could’ve been but it left no doubt that it lifted the stock of Bryan. First, he gets the win over Uso by making him tap out. Then, he knocks some sense into Edge, banging his head into the ring post before taking aim at the Universal Champion himself by putting Roman Reigns into the YES lock to end the night. They’re doing a really good job at building this triple threat match into one that we have no idea who’s the favorite going in and coming out of Tampa.

Good job by the tag teams to start the night. Otis got the flying bulldozer on Montez Ford to get the win for his team of Chad Gable, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode over The Street Profits and The Mysterios. They made me believe that anyone can walk out as champions when they face off in a fatal four-way on the night before WrestleMania.

What’s the point of having a 30-second match between Shayna Baszler and Natalya when you know it’s only there to set up the post-match melee between all the women tag teams? There’s got to be a better way. Speaking of a better way, how do Carmella and Bayley NOT have a match at WrestleMania? At the very least, put them together to win the titles.

Good to see Cesaro given a bit of mic time in the middle of the ring against Seth Rollins. Here’s hoping the push continues even after next weekend.

All @SamiZayn wanted was a calm red carpet experience with @LoganPaul. @FightOwensFight wasn't about to let that happen! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/5z0WjSc0rG

— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2021

Justice for Sami? More like Stunner for Sami! That Red Carpet Premiere with Logan Ryan didn’t exactly go how Mr. Zayn planned did it? Either way, we’ll have Ryan at WrestleMania in the middle of the Kevin Owens/Zayn match.

Can Corey Graves drool over Carmella any more on the mic? Just admit they’re a couple off camera already! In the ring, Carmella held her own but couldn’t avoid being pinned by Bianca Belair, who then shielded off a surprise attack from Sasha Banks. At this point, there’s nothing more to be done between these two, let’s get to the match.

What exactly is a Nigerian Drum Fight? Looks like we’ll find out when Apollo Crews takes on Big E for the Intercontinental Championship.

Parting shots:

So long Charly Caruso, we’re going to miss you! With Caruso’s WWE contract expiring and a full-time move to ESPN announced, it’s the end of the line to Caruso’s time in wrestling. It’s a shame that Angel Garza and Charly never got to take things a bit further than their backstage flirtation. Now, she gets more time to hang out with Stephen A. Smith and the gang at First Take.

Coming up this week:

RAW: WWE Women’s Tag Team Non-title Match: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs. Asuka & Rhea Ripley Drew McIntyre vs. King Corbin WWE Championship Non-title Match: Bobby Lashley vs. Cedric Alexander

NXT: NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Nights 1 & 2 (Wednesday and Thursday)

SMACKDOWN: Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royale SmackDown Tag Team Championship Fatal Four-Way Match: Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode vs. Chad Gable & Otis vs. The Street Profits vs. The Mysterios

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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gossipnetwork-blog · 7 years ago

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Must-Watch New TV Series in Fall 2017

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Must-Watch New TV Series in Fall 2017

Brace yourself, fall is coming! As a bunch of new scripted series arrives, you may be having a hard time to choose which freshmen to watch. But you don’t have to worry, we have selected some of the most-anticipated titles and provided a quick preview for each of them to help you pick ones which suit your taste.

For sci-fi lovers, you’ll get a plenty of choices, from the ambitious “” to the new installment of the famous “” franchise. In comedy department, you may find “” and “” pretty enjoyable. Meanwhile, those interested in gritty and more serious stories, the likes of “” and “” are definitely for you.

THE DEUCE

Premiere Date: September 10 on HBO

Moving from the war of drugs, “The Wire” creator David Simon is joining forces with longtime collaborator George Pelenacos on a new HBO porn series titled “”. “The Deuce” will take you to the world of 1970s porn industry in New York’s Times Square. It follows the legalization and ensuing rise of the porn industry at that time as well as explores the rise of HIV, the violence of the drug epidemic and the resulting real estate booms and busts that coincided with the change.

The show taps Oscar-nominated actor in leading role. Known for his wide range of acting talent, Franco takes a dual role, twin brothers Vincent and Frankie Martino. Joining Franco on the series is , who was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role in “Secretary”. She will play Times Square sex worker named Candy, who will cross path with the Martino brothers through her porn business.

THE ORVILLE

Premiere Date: September 10 on FOX

presents a comedic take on the hit sci-fi franchise “Star Trek” with “”. Set four centuries from now, the apparent parody follows the adventures in the final frontier of the USS Orville, as its human and alien crew tackles the battles, politics and workplace drama of galactic travel. While “Star Trek” has Klingons, “The Orville” features its own version of the alien, including a “single-gender” alien.

“” creator Seth MacFarlane stars as Capt. Ed Mercer, who will lead his crew to new worlds in space as they battle a terrifying villain called Krill. However, don’t expect “Family Guy”-ish jokes on the series as MacFarlane, the mastermind behind “” and “”, promises “to break some new ground” through the upcoming series.

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY

Premiere Date: September 24 on CBS All Access

After five decades, “Star Trek” is returning to small screen through a new prequel series “”. CBS All Access’ ambitious new series is set a decade prior to the original “Star Trek” television series and will feature all-new characters, Starfleet ships and adventure. With new technology, the new series promises better visuals, something that the previous “Star Trek” shows didn’t have.

Poised to be a game changer, the highly-anticipated series will introduce the very first openly gay character in the franchise’s 54-year television history. “Rent” actor Anthony Rapp will take on the role, with Wilson Cruz playing his character’s love interest. Led by “” star %Sonequa the 15-episode series is set to debut through a special broadcast premiere on Sunday, September 24 at 8.30 P.M. on CBS, before moving to its home on CBS All Access.

YOUNG SHELDON

Premiere date: September 25 on CBS

Those who want more of “” must be on cloud nine. A prequel of the long-running CBS comedy series, titled “”, is coming to the small screen, chronicling the life of young Sheldon Cooper (). Having been referred to several times on “Big Bang”, Sheldon’s childhood is as colorful as his life as an adult as we know it. Despite going through a hard childhood as the bullies’ target, Sheldon, a very gifted yet peculiar child, enters college at the age of 11 and gets his first PhD at 16.

The prequel is also poised to highlight Sheldon’s relationship with his grandmother, Meemaw (Annie Potts). The character has been referenced multiple times on the flagship series and now fans will see more of her on the new series. Interestingly, the show cast Zoe Perry as Sheldon’s mother, Mary Cooper. Perry is the daughter of , who plays the older version of the same character on “The Big Bang Theory”.

MARVEL’S INHUMANS

Premiere Date: September 29 on ABC

Meet the Royal Family of Inhumans, and of course Lockjaw, on ABC’s new series “”. Following the success of “”, the network is trying its hands at another series set in Marvel Universe. ABC shows its ambition with “Inhumans” by filming it on IMAX camera and launching it with a two-hour premiere on IMAX theaters.

“Inhumans” will introduce the Royal Family in Attilan. Peace in the faraway land is disrupted after Maximus () starts an open coup d’etat, forcing his brother Black Bolt () to run away to the Earth with 2,000-pound teleporting canine companion Lockjaw. How they will interact with the lush world and humanity around them can provide a light break amid the serious theme. “Inhumans” will premiere its first two episodes on Friday, September 29 at 8 P.M. on ABC, before later airing on its regular slot every Friday at 9 P.M.

THE GIFTED

Premiere Date: October 2 on FOX

Following in the footsteps of its sister network FX which has gained success with “”, FOX brings to the small screen another X-Men-related series, “”. Unlike other superhero shows, however, the upcoming FOX series is set to heavily center on how the lead characters and the mutants fight for families against villainous Sentinals Service and its spider-like machines.

“The Gifted” follows a suburban human couple whose ordinary lives are rocked by the sudden discovery that their children, Lauren and Andy, possess mutant powers. Forced to go on the run from a hostile government, the family joins an underground network of mutants led by Eclipse to fight for survive. Comic book fans will be treated to the live-action version of familiar faces from the original comics, such as dimention-warping portal creating mutant Blink, Magneto’s daughter Polaris as well as Thunderbird, who possesses superhuman strength, speed and stamina.

THE MAYOR

Premiere Date: October 3 on ABC

Amid the frequently frustrating political situation in the U.S., “The Major” offers a comedic approach on political campaign. It centers on a young rapper, Courtney Rose (played by Brandon Micheal Hall), who plans to use a mayor election as a chance to generate buzz for his music career. But when least expected, he won the election, and soon his life won’t be the same.

Created by Jeremy Bronson, “The Mayor” is definitely at the right hands. Bronson is no stranger to the genre, with “”, “” and “” on his resume. The series also marks the return of to comedy scene after “” and “”.

DYNASTY

Premiere Date: October 11 on The CW

Revival is a thing nowadays, and The CW won’t miss the trend. Despite going strong as ever with its slew of DC’s superheroes shows, the network doesn’t forget to add diversity to its shows. They challenge themselves with a new modern take on classic soap drama “”, which was the #1 show in the United States by the spring of 1985.

On the reboot, Fallon Carrington () thinks she will be announced as the new COO of her father’s, Blake Carrington (), global energy empire. But much to her horror, Fallon is horrified to learn her promotion is still far away, if not impossible, with the arrival of her stepmother-to-be, Cristal (Nathalie Kelley). Family dynasties flow through blood, and Fallon would sooner draw blood than call Cristal “mom.”

MINDHUNTER

Premiere Date: October 13 on Netflix

After “”, David Fincher is taking you on another sinister odyssey with “”. The “Fight Club” director is bringing out a new crime thriller series in the midst of a vast ocean of sci-fi and superheroes shows. For those who enjoy “”, make sure to mark the date to binge-watch “Mindhunter” this fall.

Based on John Douglas and Mark Olshaker’s 1996 book titled “Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit”, it follows two FBI agents in the serial crime unit, who set out on a sinister investigative odyssey. They attempt to discover how psychopath thinks only to find brutal answers. It will explore how the term “serial killers” are made and who made the term exist.

MARVEL’S RUNAWAYS

Premiere Date: November 21 on Hulu

Another Marvel series is coming to small screen. Amid the already packed plate of sci-fi shows with FOX’s “” and ABC’s “”, “” on Hulu is looking to attract viewers of a certain range of ages.

Targeting younger demo, “Runaways” follows a group of six young heroes with (“”) playing one of them. The six youngsters, who initially are not even friends, face an unexpected truth of their parents being members of a supervillain cabal called The Pride. They decide to go on the run and learn that they are not just ordinary teenagers they think they are. It takes no time for the awkward relationship to fade and be replaced by friendship, offering them the warmth of family.

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placetobenation · 4 years ago

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The Road to WrestleMania is in full force my friends. We’ve got 2 weeks left to an epic week of wrestling as the WWE welcomes fans back for the first time in over a year at Raymond James Stadium. It’s been a year filled with the pandemic and now it’s time for the fans to return.

But, first things first. FastLane gave us a compelling story where Edge snaps and solidifies his main event match for the Universal Championship with Roman Reigns. In doing so, Edge robbed Daniel Bryan of completing his prediction of tapping out Reigns and winning the title. Heading into Friday night SmackDown, I didn’t think it would stay a one-on-one match though as I think with Edge’s attack, Bryan has earned his way into a triple-threat dance to end the two-night event. We’ll get to how that unfolded in our show recaps. I’m all for it as Bryan is truly gold in the ring these days. Edge and Reigns bring the marquee but Bryan could steal the show and will be a great compliment.

Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair can now hone their targets on each other instead of the tag team championship. That’s a good thing. It was merely a sidetrack the whole time. We’re getting ready for an all-time classic my friends. I hope it lives up to the hype.

On the RAW side, Bobby Lashley looks dominant and The Fiend is back! Things are looking up as they always do at the end of March.

WrestleMania 37 – Updated card:

Night 1:

WWE Championship Match: Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre

Bad Bunny vs. The Miz

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair

Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro

Braun Strowman vs. Shane McMahon

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day vs. AJ Styles & Omos

Night 2:

The Fiend vs. Randy Orton

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn

Intercontinental Championship: Big E vs. Apollo Crews

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley

SmackDown Championship Triple-Threat Match: Roman Reigns vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan

RAW

RESULTS

WWE Championship Non-Title Match: Bobby Lashley defeated Sheamus

RAW Women’s Championship Non-Title Match: Asuka defeated Peyton Royce

The Miz defeated Jeff Hardy

Kofi Kingston defeated AJ Styles

2-on-1 Handicap Match: Drew McIntyre defeated Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin to keep The Hurt Business barred from ringside at WrestleMania

WWE Tag Team Championship Non-Title Match: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler defeated Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke

Braun Strowman defeated Elias

Alexa Bliss defeated Randy Orton

#TheFiend and @AlexaBliss_WWE have made their intentions clear.#WWERaw #WrestleMania @WWEBrayWyatt pic.twitter.com/K0DYwI6eHa

— WWE (@WWE) March 23, 2021

OK, first things first. Holy hell, The Fiend is back and he’s hideous! We all knew he was coming, but still it paid off. The Fiend looks like a guy who was left to burn and now the demonic soul is back to help Alexa Bliss beat Randy Orton. Now, can he get the job done at WrestleMania?

Speaking of the grandest stage of them all, RAW got to work right away setting up their side of the card. WWE Champion Bobby Lashley has Drew McIntyre firmly in sights for night one of the two-night event. Lashley took care of McIntyre’s buddy Sheamus for the second straight week before McIntyre send Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin to banishment for WrestleMania. The champ is none too happy with his teammates after first trying to interfere in his match with Sheamus and then failing to take out his latest rival.

BREAKING: @sanbenito will make his @WWE in-ring debut against @mikethemiz at #WrestleMania!https://t.co/z5SUZ983b3

— WWE (@WWE) March 23, 2021

Surprisingly, Bad Bunny is going to go one-on-one with The Miz at WrestleMania. We all thought it would be a tag match with Damian Priest and John Morrison being involved. Who knows, maybe it will get to that but first, it’s an insufferable music video coming on MizTV this week with the debut of Hey Hey Hip Hop.

Kofi Kingston and AJ Styles put on a good match with Kofi getting round one. I loved the back-and-forth with The New Day trying to poke fun at Styles and Omos’ relationship too. Maybe we’ll get a turn and see Omos dancing with Kofi and Xavier Woods someday?

BREAKING: @WWEAsuka will defend the #WWERaw #WomensTitle against @RheaRipley_WWE at #WrestleMania!@peacockTV pic.twitter.com/NGUFiCxwSs

— WWE (@WWE) March 23, 2021

With Charlotte Flair out with COVID-19, a fact the WWE shockingly admitted on live tv (and I like that they did), Rhea Ripley steps up and challenges Asuka for the RAW Women’s Title. If Flair’s cleared, maybe she gets involved in this one too for a triple threat. At least Peyton Royce got her match with Asuka though after a solid promo on RAW Talk.

I think the WWE is dropping the ball by not continuing the build of Shayna Baszler and her frustration with Nia Jax. I thought by now, the boom would’ve been lowered and the champs at each other’s throats. Instead, they played nice this week and get an easy win over Dana Brooke & Mandy Rose.

Braun Strowman and Shane McMahon are still on a collision course at WrestleMania, sadly. I still find it hard to believe that a company that’s built a strong anti-bullying message is having someone related to the owner of the company continually come out and call someone st*p*d. And yes, I truly despise that word.

NXT

RESULTS

Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez defeated Io Shirai & Zoey Stark

Bronson Reed defeated LA Knight

Karrion Kross defeated Oney Lorcan

NXT UK Championship Non-Title Match: WALTER defeated Drake Maverick

NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart defeated Mercedes Martinez & Aliyah

Jordan Devlin defeated KUSHIDA

William Regal is one busy dude these days in NXT! Between announcing matches, new champions and settling disputes between the now defunct The Undisputed Era, Regal is making HUGE moves although it doesn’t look like Johnny Gargano is none too pleased about 12 guys having a shot at his NXT North American Championship. That fun begins with the Gauntlet Eliminator Battle Royale Wednesday night with the final six going head-to-head at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. This week’s NXT was all about building to the two-night event and damn, did they do that in spades.

.@RaquelWWE 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 tall and 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔. #WWENXT #NXTTakeOver @shirai_io pic.twitter.com/mhKY2qSBlQ

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 25, 2021

Ouch! Io Shirai slammed on to the announce table by Raquel Gonzalez and part of a losing team all in one night. That’s one way to put some intrigue into Shirai and Gonzalez for their NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night one main event match for the NXT Women’s Championship. That was a nice bit of business to start the night as all four women, along with Dakota Kai and Zoey Stark put on a good show.

I did not see Bronson Reed beating LA Knight coming. But, I don’t hate it. It keeps Reed strong and Knight, who reminds me more and more of The Rock each week on the mic, will rebound quickly. Expect a big win coming at Stand and Deliver.

Which option will @WWEKarrionKross go with when he faces @FinnBalor at #NXTTakeOver? pic.twitter.com/UfYJ7FLa2Q

— WWE (@WWE) March 25, 2021

Leave it to Karrion Kross to destroy the NXT Tag Team Champs. Last week, he took out Danny Burch with a shoulder injury leaving the champs to vacate the titles this week. Wednesday night, Kross took care of business over Oney Lorcan as well. Up next: Balor’s on the clock. Tick. Tock. Kross on the mic for an extended time for the first time in awhile was very good and you can just feel things getting personal with Balor.

WALTER vs. Drake Maverick. Short work (pun intended). Things won’t be as easy when he takes on Tommaso Ciampa for that NXT UK Title. It took a beatdown from Imperium but Ciampa finally gets his match.

That was a strong first title defense for Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart. Even with Mercedes Martinez subbing for Jessi Kamea, the tag team champions got their defense on to a successful start. Standing in the weeks, a rematch with Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell.

KUSHIDA and Jordan Devlin sure put a ton into just under than 10 minutes. Imagine what they could do with 30-60 minutes! Devlin gets the expected win with a pretty cool finish, rolling up KUSHIDA after KUSHIDA helped Devlin fight out Legado del Fantasma’s attack. Not to be outdone, KUSHIDA then takes out Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde outside the ring leaving Escobar and Devlin to square-off in the ring before a surprise appearance by Shawn Michaels, who was there to add a ladder match stipulation to their match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.

.@ShawnMichaels wants to, literally, raise the stakes.

#WWENXT #NXTTakeOver @EscobarWWE @Jordan_Devlin1 pic.twitter.com/LJK6SdLNt6

— WWE (@WWE) March 25, 2021

Speaking of HBK, nice glance walking by old friend Adam Cole.

COLE. O'REILLY. #NXTTakeOver. UNSANCTIONED MATCH. #WWENXT @KORcombat @AdamColePro pic.twitter.com/KZ25HPb4vz

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 25, 2021

As for Cole and Kyle O’Reilly, we’re headed for a non-sanctioned match on night 2 of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. If their contract signing is any indication of how intense that match will be, we’re headed into a heck of a battle for WrestleMania week. I’m sure that Cole’s not too unhappy about knocking Regal down either after the show went off the air.

Well done Mr. Regal!

NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver updated card: Night 1:

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Io Shirai vs. Raquel Gonzalez

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: MSK vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Legado del Fantasma

NXT North American Championship #1 Contender’s Gauntlet Match: Final Six Competitors from the Battle Royal

Night 2:

NXT Championship Match: Finn Balor vs. Karrion Kross

Unsanctioned Match: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly

NXT North American Championship Ladder Match: Johnny Gargano vs. TBA

Not assigned yet:

NXT Cruiserweight Championship Unification Match: Jordan Devlin vs. Santos Escobar

NXT UK Championship Match: WALTER vs. Tommaso Ciampa

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Seth Rollins defeated Shinsuke Nakamura

Apollo Crews, Otis & Chad Gable defeated Big E & The Street Profits

Bianca Belair defeated Natalya

Rey Mysterio defeated Dolph Ziggler

.@EdgeRatedR has SNAPPED!

#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/K6mMRWfVjT

— WWE (@WWE) March 27, 2021

Can you blame Daniel Bryan? He just wants what he has earned. Bryan won the Elimination Chamber, beat Jey Uso in a steel cage, tapped out the Universal Champion and got brutally attacked by Edge with a chair and still has nothing to show for it. I thought his two-night idea for the Universal Championship was brilliant. In the end, Adam Pearce’s announcement of the Universal Championship being defended in a triple-threat match at WrestleMania was a big anti-climactic, but we all will win with come Sunday night, April 11th. Plus, who would’ve thought it would be Edge that would’ve snapped and be booed going into this match? It’s shades of the old Rated-R Superstar and his evil ways coming out in full force.

SETH SWINGIN' ROLLINS@WWECesaro @WWERollins #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/dsKdSwnujt

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) March 27, 2021

Needless to say, we’ve been asking for a huge Cesaro push and now we’ve now got it. Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins is officially on for WrestleMania after Rollins rematch win over Shinsuke Nakamura Friday night. The King of Swing granted his acceptance with a another full swing job of Rollins backstage.

You could spot that Apollo Crews pinning Big E in that six-man tag team match a mile away. Despite the obvious, The Street Profits along with Otis and Chad Gable made it an entertaining match. Damn can Montez Ford fly!

I know it’s been done so many times in the past, but Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn in the ring makes me smile. It never disappoints no matter how many times they turn on each other. Needless to say, I could do without Logan Paul for the red carpet premiere for Zayn’s documentary on the final SmackDown before WrestleMania, but it will get a ton of social media publicity for the WWE, so it makes sense.

After picking up a victory, @BiancaBelairWWE is attacked from behind by @SashaBanksWWE! Does "The Boss" have all the momentum going into #WrestleMania? #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/FdYhyTGtme

— WWE (@WWE) March 27, 2021

Bianca Belair may have gotten a win over Natalya and a nice right hand to Sasha Banks’ face, but it was The Boss who left Belair squirming with the Banks statement to end her night. I don’t need any more hype between these two. Just give me 45 minutes and a tremendous match in two weeks!

Looks like we’ll be getting Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode defending the SmackDown Tag Team Championship against The Mysterios at WrestleMania after Rey upset Ziggler Friday night. Sounds like a good feel-good family moment coming, right?

Parting Shots:

Andrade is now a free man after getting his release earlier this week from the WWE. It’s a shame. Think back to one year ago. The pandemic was just starting and the trio of Andrade, Zelina Vega and Angel Garza were on tv every show, sometimes two and three times a show giving us entertaining segments. Now, a year later, Vega and Andrade are gone and Garza is a blip in the mirror. Things move fast my friends. Can’t wait to see where Andrade shows up next, whether it be AEW, Ring of Honor, Impact Wrestling or internationally in New Japan or CMLL. Who knows, maybe he’ll do it all in this new wrestling world.

The WWE on Peacock was a win-win for me watching FastLane. Easy to use and no interruptions with a crystal-clear picture. Sure, I know that some folks are upset at the no pause and rewind buttons that they were accustomed to on the WWE Network. That will come with time I’m sure as will the option to watch LIVE or watch from the beginning. All-in-all, I like it plus now I get the WWE and everything on Peacock all for the same price I was paying for the WWE Network for and that’s a quality buy.

Kudos to Kane and The Great Khali, the latest announced inductees to the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Class.

Coming up this week:

RAW: Contract signing for Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley Bobby Lashley looks for help in taking out Drew McIntyre The Miz & John Morrison music video premiere

NXT: Gauntlet Eliminator Battle Royale to determine challenger for NXT North American Championship Match

SMACKDOWN: Sami Zayn Documentary Red Carpet Premiere with Logan Paul

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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placetobenation · 4 years ago

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Welcome to ThunderDome – WWE style!

Friday night began a new era for the WWE as they continue to find their footage through the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve officially moved out of the Performance Center, where they’ve done fanless shows for the past six months and now taken up residency at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. It’s a return to a big arena set-up and will be surrounded by digital fans who will join RAW, SmackDown and PPV’s from the comforts of their own homes each week.

I thought the look and the feel of it was awesome! The bigness of a WWE event has returned somewhat and now it will be tweaked as they move forward. I did think they might have shown a few more close-up shots of the digital crowd, but it’s something they will surely take a look at it. When it comes to production, the WWE is the leader in the game. Add in the pyros and the longer, familiar entrance and it was a home run for me. Well done!

All this comes at a great time for the WWE as life at the Performance Center got stale and looked a bit too cozy and of course, looked the same each and every show. This weekend sees the WWE with four straight nights of live programming with SmackDown on Friday night, NXT TakeOver:XXX Saturday night, SummerSlam on Sunday night and RAW on Monday night. That’s a lot of folks and the WWE better be at its best to stand out.

Finally, I’m sad to see Renee Young go. She’s reportedly set to leave the WWE after SummerSlam. There’s no question that she was a bright spot from the announce team and even though WWE Backstage was never given a 100% chance to succeed with a late-night spot on FS1, Young, along with CM Punk, make it entertaining. Plus, Young did it all. From the sidelines, hosting and even some play-by-play too, she shined. Now, whether it’s a future with more mainstream gigs like her cookbook, podcast and other projects, another network gig or possible a reunion in AEW with hubby Jon Moxley, Young will do amazing things. She is very good at what she does and we wish her nothing but the best.

SummerSlam PPV – Updated Card:

WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton

Universal Championship Match: Braun Strowman vs. The FIend

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Sasha Banks vs. Asuka

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Bayley vs. Asuka

United States Championship Match: Apollo Crews vs. MVP

Hair vs. Hair, No DQ, Loser Leaves WWE Match: Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits vs. Andrade & Angel Garza

Street Fight: Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio (Mysterio can bring weapons)

NXT TakeOver: XXX – Updated Card:

NXT Championship Match: Keith Lee vs. Karrion Kross

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Io Shirai vs. Dakota Kai

North American Championship Ladder Match: The Velveteen Dream vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Bronson Reed vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Damian Priest

Adam Cole vs. Pat McAfee

Finn Balor vs. Timothy Thatcher

Kickoff Show: NXT Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza vs. Breezango vs. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch

RAW

RESULTS

United States Championship Non-Title Match: Apollo Crews defeated Shelton Benjamin

24/7 Championship Shelton Benjamin defeated R-Truth to win title

Angel Garza defeated Ivar

Natalya defeated Mickie James by count-out

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Non-Title Match: Asuka & Shayna Baszler defeated Sasha Banks & Bayley

Peyton Royce defeated Ruby Riott

MVP, Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin defeated Apollo Crews, Mustafa Ali & Ricochet

24/7 Championship Match: Cedric Alexander defeated Shelton Benjamin to win title

24/7 Championship Match: Cedric Alexander defeated Akira Tozawa to retain title

24/7 Championship Match: Shelton Benjamin defeated Cedric Alexander to win title

Montez Ford defeated Andrade

Loved it:

.@reymysterio & @35_Dominik just BLASTED @WWERollins & @WWE_Murphy with a pair of Kendo sticks on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/6jyoMRJIHb

— WWE (@WWE) August 18, 2020

Revenge for the Mysterios – Giving Seth Rollins a double dose of kendo stick revenge was as physical as it was heartening. Good for Dominik and Rey Mysterio to get their pound of flesh back from the beatings on both father and son. Should be slobber knocker come Sunday at SummerSlam.

A new duo – Putting foes Shayna Baszler & Asuka together is a pair that I like. They’re just crazy enough to fight Sasha Banks & Bayley on their terms and also fight each other at any moment.

Huh?:

Viper. Strikes. Again.#WWERaw @RandyOrton pic.twitter.com/O6Duzue1WZ

— WWE (@WWE) August 18, 2020

HBK – You mean to tell me that Randy Orton’s RKO and punt to the head takes out everyone except Shawn Michaels? It seems a bit farfetched and a mistake IMHO. I mean the RKO to Drew McIntyre was sold beautifully to end the show. I loved the back-and-forth between McIntyre and The Viper but HBK’s performance just didn’t cut it for me and could’ve been done a bit better to sell the upcoming WWE Championship Match.

All it takes a slither. @DMcIntyreWWE never saw it coming.#WWERaw @RandyOrton pic.twitter.com/laAUvOeDdM

— WWE (@WWE) August 18, 2020

A lot to digest:

The @WWEUniverse nearly witnessed @NiaJaxWWE vs. @QoSBaszler in #RAWUnderground!

#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/PPQ6DFE08N

— WWE (@WWE) August 18, 2020

RAW Underground – There was a ton going on at RAW Underground this week. Almost, a bit too much. Between Dolph Ziggler and The Viking Raiders going at it or the debut of the Marina Shafir fighting with fellow Four Horse Women Jessamyn Duke by her side to Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler going at it to the ending (why?) to the Riddick Moss fight that didn’t need to be stopped, it was a lot to take in. We still need some details as to why their fighting, what do they get to fight, is there a point to them fighting and just what do you have to do to win other than Shane McMahon saying it’s over? I love the grit of it, it just needs some more details explained. I don’t want complete structure, but maybe a title or maybe just some explanations here or there will do it for me.

Too much:

24/7 Championship – Do we really need four matches with three title changes? I think not.

MVP and crew vs. Apollo Crews and crew – I think we’ve all but exhausted all the possibilities but I think we’ll get 100 more matches between these 6 over the next month.

Welcome back:

The Smoke – We not only find out that Zelina Vega did indeed poison Montez Ford a few weeks back, as expected, but we also get Ford back in person to entertain. A welcome sight for our Monday night eyes!

Mickie James – Seriously, a count out? I expected much more from Natalya and the returning former WWE Divas Champion. That’s some seriously bad booking there my friends.

Better left unsaid:

RETRIBUTION – But we’ll say it anyway! What a waste. You mean to tell me that RETRIBUTION takes over the TV production truck but then allows them to do a three-hour show without interruption. Non-sense! Complete rubbish.

NXT

RESULTS

North American Title Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Johnny Gargano defeated Ridge Holland

Dakota Kai defeated Jessi Kamea

Legado del Fantasma defeated Isiaah “Swerve” Scott & Breezango

Rhea Ripley & Shotzi Blackheart defeated Mercedes Martinez & Aliyah

North American Title Ladder Match Qualifying Match: The Velveteen Dream defeated Finn Balor

Killer set-up:

"400 and something days you were undefeated. It took me one minute to knock your a** out." Those are fighting words @PatMcAfeeShow… #WWENXT #NXTTakeOver @AdamColePro pic.twitter.com/1P0Jbnut7t

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) August 20, 2020

"This Saturday at #NXTTakeOver, I'm gonna make you my b****." – @AdamColePro You did this to yourself, @PatMcAfeeShow. #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/1maGXxwUjM

— WWE (@WWE) August 20, 2020

Cole vs. McAfee – Hands down, Pat McAfee and Adam Cole served up the personal side to the match up on a silver platter. Awesome job on the mic (or lack of one in Cole’s case) to not only explain McAfee’s purpose in all this but also to make us want to see Cole kick his ass as well. I’m hoping for an all-out brawl between these two. It’ll be short, but unique.

Tick tock. An eruption is coming…

@RealKeithLee defends his #NXTTitle against @WWEKarrionKross this Saturday at #NXTTakeOver XXX streaming at 7ET/4PT on @WWENetwork! @Lady_Scarlett13 #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/zegDqe9t6B

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) August 20, 2020

Lee vs. Kross – Anytime you add in Metallica to a WWE production piece, you know it’s going to be good. Four minutes of pure “make me want to see it” and that’s all you can ask for heading into a PPV.

What a CF:

EVERYBODY has their sights set on the NXT #NATitle!! Will @FinnBalor or @DreamWWE punch their ticket to #NXTTakeOver: XXX???#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/4ivk4honTW

— WWE (@WWE) August 20, 2020

Balor vs. Dream – I understand wanting to make us believe in the other four participants for the North American Ladder Match at TakeOver:XXX, but it seems like Balor vs. Dream was just an ordinary match due to the interference of Cameron Grimes, Damian Priest, Bronson Reed, Johnny Gargano and then TImothy Thatcher that ultimately cost Finn Balor the match. I was disappointed and wanted to see TVD and The Prince tear down the house and what we got was many levels below it. Do I really need to see Thatcher vs. Balor?

Solid:

"All Heart" isn't just a catchphrase. You only lose when you quit and I got a Ladder match to win in 3 days.

#NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/SKZdMC0anE

— Johnny Gargano (@JohnnyGargano) August 20, 2020

Tag teams – Good, solid matches from Rhea Ripley & Shotzi Blackheart (a fun pairing if you will) along with the cruiserweights in the six-man tag keeps NXT at its traditional roots in the ring. Week in and week out, it’s the best “wrestling” performances on WWE programming. You rarely get a sticker from the effort in the squared circle. That’s never an issue. It’s only a matter of time before we get Ripley vs. Martinez one-on-one too.

Nicely done:

Women’s NXT Championship Match – The return of Raquel Gonzalez gives us a glimpse into what Dakota Kai could have in store for Io Shirai and their title match Saturday night. If you didn’t think Kai had a chance, you have to rethink it now.

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Big E defeated Sheamus

SmackDown Tag Team Title Match: Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Lucha House Party

Beat the Clock Challenge: Sasha Banks defeated Naomi in 3:39

Beat the Clock Challenge: Naomi defeated Bayley 1:50 – Bayley will face Asuka first at SummerSlam

Intercontinental Championship Match: Jeff Hardy defeated AJ Styles to win title

Loved it:

Welcome to #WWEThunderDome! pic.twitter.com/HcbHe1d9Ug

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) August 22, 2020

ThunderDome – Loved the new look as we said above. Great start to a new era in the WWE.

Your winner and the NEEWWWW Intercontinental Champion: @JEFFHARDYBRAND! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/r13bKX8mBl

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) August 22, 2020

Hardy’s hurt and a champ – Jeff Hardy using his knee brace to beat AJ Styles and win the Intercontinental Title after Styles sneak attack at the top of the show during the RETRIBUTION chaos was ironic. Good to see Hardy a champ again and yes, we’ll see a rematch very, very soon I’m sure.

Sunday. All bets are off. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/oQZaDWgJ3I

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) August 22, 2020

The Fiend – First, he starts his night stalking the chairman of the board, Vince McMahon. Then, he avoids the RETRIBUTION attack. Finally, after his alter ego Bray Wyatt gets attacked by Braun Strowman to end the show, The Fiend comes out of the ambulance unscathed. He’s impervious to anything and that’s a good thing heading into SummerSlam. Suspend your reality for The Fiend and enjoy the ride. And yes, we’ll have more to say about that ambulance and Bray Wyatt below.

"Hair or no hair, i'm sick of looking at your face!"@SonyaDevilleWWE wants @WWE_MandyRose in a No DQ, LOSER LEAVES WWE Match at #SummerSlam!!!#SmackDown #WWEThunderDome pic.twitter.com/P7h0d9q5Lc

— WWE (@WWE) August 22, 2020

Sonya ups the ante – After an olive branch by Mandy Rose was thrown out there to set their differences aside, not only does Sonya Deville reject it, but trumps it. Deville not only wants the Hair vs. Hair match Sunday at SummerSlam, but she wants it to be a No DQ, Loser Leaves WWE match to boot! Now, we all know about the real-life news about Deville and her stalker/kidnapping attempt this week. That’s very real. But I wonder if there’s a reason there to take her off TV for awhile and maybe she returns at a later date or maybe as part of RAW Underground? Either way, our thoughts and prayers are with Sonya in this difficult time.

Trouble brewing:

Lucha House Party, 3’s a crowd? – It seems like the returning Kalisto is none too happy with his LHP mates, especially Gran Metalik, after their tag team title loss Friday night. Expect a high-flying feud coming soon to a Friday night near you.

#RETRIBUTION quickly interrupted #TheFiend @WWEBrayWyatt and @BraunStrowman's tense standoff. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/eps3f3dYZw

— WWE (@WWE) August 22, 2020

The Miz – Did anyone else notice that The Miz was the last one to the dance during the RETRIBUTION attack to start the show? Me thinks that was not a coincidence and bears watching!

Sasha & Bayley – The tension continues to ride high heading into SummerSlam and the double duty defense for the BFF’s against Asuka. Kudos to Naomi (and Corey Graves) for upping the ante with the Beat the Clock Challenge to allow Sasha to secure a second slot spot against Asuka as Naomi’s win leaves Bayley up first to take on the Emperess Sunday.

Worst paramedics ever:

Oh no…#SmackDown @WWEBrayWyatt pic.twitter.com/kkphT78FNB

— WWE (@WWE) August 22, 2020

Bray Wyatt – After being pummeled by Braun Strowman and thrown off a loading dock, the paramedics taking care of Wyatt just manhandle him on to a stretcher, no checking of the neck, back or even putting a brace on him. Yikes! At least, try to make it look real guys!

Parting shots:

It’s time for predictions for this weekend’s two PPV’s – in quick fashion. Remember, with Payback just one week later after SummerSlam, I expect some surprises that need immediate attention. Plus, with the only match announced for Payback being Sasha Banks & Bayley defending their Women’s Tag Team Titles, there’s sure to be some tension caused to be at a premium for that match. Maybe Asuka will walk away with ALL the gold!

SummerSlam PPV – Updated Card:

WWE Championship Match: Randy Orton defeats Drew McIntyre

Universal Championship Match: The Fiend defeats Braun Strowman (with help from Alexa Bliss)

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Asuka defeats Sasha Banks

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Asuka defeats Bayley

United States Championship Match: Apollo Crews defeats MVP

Hair vs. Hair, No DQ, Loser Leaves WWE Match: Mandy Rose defeats Sonya Deville (maybe Sonya shows up on RAW Underground?)

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: Andrade & Angel Garza defeat The Street Profits

Street Fight: Seth Rollins defeats Dominik Mysterio

NXT TakeOver: XXX – Updated Card:

NXT Championship Match: Karrion Kross defeats Keith Lee

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Io Shirai defeats Dakota Kai

North American Championship Ladder Match: The Velveteen Dream defeats Cameron Grimes, Bronson Reed, Johnny Gargano, Damian Priest

Adam Cole defeats Pat McAfee

Finn Balor defeats Timothy Thatcher

Kickoff Show: NXT Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza defeat Breezango and Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch

Coming up this week:

RAW: ThunderDome / SummerSlam aftermath

NXT: TakeOver:XXX aftermath

SMACKDOWN: ThunderDome / SummerSlam aftermath

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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placetobenation · 5 years ago

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As we head to the middle of February and Valentine’s Day now in the rear view, let’s take stock of the hottest things in the WWE these days.

On RAW, it’s Edge vs. Randy Orton. That story is white hot my friends, especially now that Matt Hardy has been thrust into it too! But, you could make a case for Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler as a distant second after this past Monday night. That one has legs if they do it right. Add in the Monday Night Messiah, Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens and Friends, the Latin battle for the US Title and oh yeah, Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar and RAW’s as good as its been in months.

On NXT, it’s Adam Cole vs. Tommaso Ciampa. Close behind is Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair and the addition of Charlotte Flair to the mix. And then, lots of supporting storylines from Keith Lee to Finn Balor vs. Johnny Gargano to The Undisputed Era vs. everyone and on and on we go. Solid each and every Wednesday night.

On Smackdown, it’s… it’s… it’s Mandy and Otis! Now, nothing against the lovebirds, but that’s the problem with what should be the standout show of the WWE trying to deliver to a broadcast base that could and should beat the other two shows handily each week, but doesn’t. It’s an undefined show at the moment and that shouldn’t be when we’re this close to WrestleMania. Friday nights on FOX should be the big ol’ mouthpiece to the World for the WWE.

Maybe The Miz and John Morrison can pick up the slack. Where does Roman Reigns go next, if and when his feud with King Corbin mercifully ends? Will Sheamus do better than Shorty G? What’s in store for Daniel Bryan, who’s out of the mix until after Super Showdown due to his political beliefs. And how about Braun Strowman and King Corbin – shouldn’t that be a feud? Or maybe Strowman and Elias as a team going into the tag team title mix to make Strowman Braun-Two-Belts?!

You know the WWE is a bit concerned when they bring back Goldberg and Hulk Hogan for guest spots, albeit via satellite, in back-to-back weeks. I’ll grant you, having Bray Wyatt be on screen with Hogan is good and was fun for the TV audience, but did it do anything for the Vancouver live crowd? Slapped in the middle of Smackdown, it took a little wind out of their sails. Thankfully, they rebounded well! Cowbell, anyone!

Finally, what happened to FOX wanting Smackdown to be more like sports? Just three matches this week. Gotta give me more!

Star of the Week:

.@SimoneGJohnson, the daughter of 10-time world champion @TheRock and @DanyGarciaCo, has begun training to become a WWE Superstar at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla.https://t.co/vlSuRRMa0M

— WWE (@WWE) February 11, 2020

Simone Johnson – The Rock’s daughter is bound for the Performance Center after being signed to a WWE contract. You gotta think there’s something coming soon, maybe as soon as WrestleMania in Tampa perhaps?

RAW

RESULTS

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Becky Lynch defeated Asuka to retain title

The Street Profits defeated Mojo Rawley & Riddick Moss

Riddick Moss defeated Mojo Rawley to win 24/7 Championship

Angel Garza defeated Cedric Alexander

Non-title match: NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley defeated Sarah Logan

Ricochet defeated Bobby Lashley

Aleister Black defeated Akira Tozawa

Seth Rollins, Buddy Murphy & Authors of Pain defeated Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe and The Viking Raiders

Overall:

Even though I would’ve started the show with Becky vs. Asuka, it was still a hot show. They kept the in-ring starting promo to a minimum before clearing way for a very good RAW Women’s Title Match that climaxed after 20 minutes with the shocking, brutal beatdown of Becky by Shayna Baszler (more to come below!). Good follow by Ricochet’s win over Bobby Lashley to build him up more heading into Super Showdown too. Who’s next for Aleister Black? Smells to me like a heel turn.

What we loved:

SHAYNA CAME TO PLAY.

@QoSBaszler is on #Raw making a STATEMENT at the expense of @BeckyLynchWWE! pic.twitter.com/YWadnRnNpB

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 11, 2020

Baszler’s beatdown – We all know that the former NXT Women’s Champion is a true bad ass, but who knew she was a vampire too? What was up with biting a hole into the back of Becky’s neck about? Can’t wait for the explanation on that one! Sure, it’s odd, but it surely got your attention right?

After demanding answers for the attack on @EdgeRatedR, @MATTHARDYBRAND fell victim to a vicious assault by @RandyOrton. pic.twitter.com/d2rFRO6za6

— WWE (@WWE) February 11, 2020

Matt vs. Randy – Loved that Matt Hardy came out to confront Randy Orton on his attack on Edge two weeks ago. Hardy brought emotion, truth and reality to the story. And now, we get a no-holds barred match between these two. Sign me up!

No Rowan squash – Thankfully, we got a week off. The squash quotient was filled by Garza vs. Alexander. We also got MVP squashed by Drew McIntyre in the return of the VIP Lounge. Here’s hoping MVP sticks around to try to get some revenge on Drew.

What we hated:

Hey, Buddy – Hey, WWE. Stop dropping first names! We in the WWE Universe can handle someone having a full name and don’t need you to shorten Buddy Murphy to Murphy just like you did Mustafa Ali to Ali, Erik Rowan and Luke Harper to Rowan & Harper for a while. Give us a little credit folks!

What made us think:

Becky stealing an ambulance – Someone needs to explain to me why, how and what was the reasoning behind Lynch stealing the ambulance after her attack by Baszler, heading to the hospital, getting treated and then getting back to the arena to address the crowd. None of it makes any sense and surely, limits the brunt of that attack by Baszler.

NXT

RESULTS

Roderick Strong defeated Bronson Reed

Dakota Kai defeated Candice LeRae

Johnny Gargano defeated Cameron Grimes

#1 Contender’s Match for NXT Cruiserweight Championship – Lio Rush defeated Angel Garza

Bianca Belair defeated Santana Garrett

Non-title match: NXT Champion Adam Cole defeated Kushida

Overall:

It’s all about the set-up for TakeOver: Portland this Sunday for this week’s edition of NXT. Nothing was over-the-top, OMG. But, then again, nothing was bad. It was your normal, every Wednesday solid performance from Full Sail. Having said that, everyone did a very good job in setting up the PPV for this weekend. Between the matches, vignettes from Tommaso Ciampa, promos from Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley and more, I was sold on why I should be invested in TakeOver. After all, that card looks absolutely stacked from top to bottom.

NXT TakeOver: Portland Card:

NXT Championship: Adam Cole vs. Tommaso Ciampa

NXT Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair

NXT Tag Team Championship: The Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly) vs. The Broserweights (Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne)

NXT North American Championship: Keith Lee vs. Dominik Dijakovic

Finn Balor vs. Johnny Gargano

Street Fight: Dakota Kai vs. Tegan Nox

What we loved:

.@DreamWWE just made this VERY personal. #WWENXT@roderickstrong @MarinaShafir pic.twitter.com/O77pkPUVIX

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 13, 2020

The Dream’s ode to Rude – Velveteen Dream’s tights with Roderick Strong’s family brings backs shades of Rick Rude and Jake the Snake’s wife Cheryl. Way to make it personal quick TVD.

.@itsLioRush is pulling out all the stops to earn a shot at the NXT Cruiserweight Title!#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/FdG2nu2SbO

— WWE (@WWE) February 13, 2020

Rush to an upset – Count me as surprised that Lio Rush got the duke over the recently surging Angel Garza. Rush vs. NXT Cruiserweight Champion Jeremy Devlin should be fun! Makes me thing there are bigger things for Garza and that a longer stint on RAW could be coming for him.

MESSAGE = SENT.@BiancaBelairWWE is COMING for @RheaRipley_WWE's NXT Women's Championship THIS SUNDAY at #NXTTakeOver: Portland! pic.twitter.com/WlxPWKsRmj

— WWE (@WWE) February 13, 2020

No Queen – I’m glad they kept Charlotte Flair off NXT tv this week, keeping the focus on Ripley vs. Belair. There’s plenty of time to rev up the Road to WrestleMania for the Queen and the NXT Championship. Bianca stepped up and proved that she COULD possibly win.

The road to Portland – Loved the comedy bits from The Broserweights, Pete Dunne & Matt Riddle. Trying to get cross-country to Portland to face The Undisputed Era was hilarious until the boys finally hopped a ride on Triple H’s plane! Good stuff.

What we didn’t love:

Same ol’ story – You knew it was coming. Full Sail. Big brands need a big showcase. You’ll see it at TakeOver: Portland where the crowd will be off the hook! NXT deserves that big-game feel each week and they’ll get it in a few weeks when Full Sail has a booked commitment, according to Triple H. So, we’ll see if that leads to more changes ahead.

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Smackdown Women’s Championship Match – Bayley defeated Carmella to retain the title

Sheamus defeated Shorty G & Apollo Crews

Roman Reigns & Daniel Bryan defeated The Miz & John Morrison

Overall:

Heavy on the sports entertainment and not much of the wrestling this week. Just two matches of any consequence as the night gave us just three overall.

What we loved:

Oh, Canada! – Lovin’ that Vancouver crowd! They were into everything all night!

Naomi’s hair – Holy glow indeed! That hair is beyond words! That thing should have its own Twitter account!

"I don't need luck, I have 'The Fiend'." – @WWEBrayWyatt to @HulkHogan #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/WTwRekUAEb

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) February 15, 2020

FWO – The Firefly World Order was, well, fly! Bray Wyatt going toe-to-toe on the mic with Hulk Hogan was Too Sweet trying to hype up The Fiend vs. Goldberg at Super Showdown. Here’s hoping it’s not the last we see of these two together.

C’mon Man!

We took a DNA test and @HEELZiggler is 100% THAT guy.#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/UcgE5b8FUk

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) February 15, 2020

No love for Otis – So much build up just to see Otis walk out on his date with Mandy because Dolph Ziggler was there! Sorry, but I needed more! I get they’re building up to a major moment, but on Valentine’s Day, you must give me more than the 60 seconds we got. Still, breaks my heart!

Main event, huh! – I know Roman Reigns is the chosen one and the face of Smackdown. But how do the #1 contenders to the Smackdown Tag Team Titles, with a title match looming, lose to a team that’s been together only once or twice? Makes little sense to me.

Parting shots:

WrestleMania goes Hollywood again! WrestleMania will be in Los Angeles in 2021 in the new SoFi Stadium. Expect the WWE and FOX to go all out for that one!

Killer Kross signs with the WWE. It should only be a matter of time before we get Kross and Scarlet Bordeaux in a ring together, right!

Charlotte Flair and CM Punk talking on WWE Backstage was really good stuff. I wish they would give Punk a meatier role than just one-liners. I could’ve listened to more of Punk and Flair one-on-one for the full hour. That insight into the nerves and also Simone Johnson was really good! Too bad no one sees the show with it being on FS1 each week to the tune of under 200,000 viewers a week. Why not give it a weekend spot on FOX too?

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots and Red Sox fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND!

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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placetobenation · 5 years ago

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WOW! What a week it’s been for World Wrestling Entertainment. The end to the draft as night two takes place on RAW, the debut of WWE Backstage on Fox Sports 1, another very solid NXT and a new leader at the top of Friday Night Smackdown on FOX.

If you look at the hierarchy of what the WWE is these days, it’s clearly Smackdown has top priority, with RAW and NXT following respectively. But honestly, this week, the show that stood out to be is clearly NXT. No BS is a perfect slogan for them as week in and week out, they are delivering at top notch caliber. The best “wrestling” of the week is done on Wednesday and clearly, the most energy is there as well.

We will get to the specifics on each show, but what left me shaking my head the most this week was how much lack of common sense there is on Monday Night RAW. For the second straight week, I just didn’t get IT. Sure, the wrestling and the effort was fine, but why we delivered the show we got to watch just didn’t have a continuity sense to me. I’d love to know what you thought!

As for Smackdown, another solid show with an awesome Miz TV that really gets the Bayley heel turn over! More action off the top is a plus and it will be interesting to see what new executive director Bruce Prichard brings to the table moving forward.

For a “preview” first effort for WWE Backstage, count me as one who enjoyed it. Clearly, Renee Young is the star that FOX is betting on (for good reason). She’s really good, especially at being that being a traffic cop that can change topics on a dime. Booker T, Christian and Paige added good “company” talk, but if the rumors of CM Punk coming aboard are true, that would truly be the foil that would make this a must-see TV show. Love the look back at classic matches and the look at “breaking news” with Bruce Prichard and the RAW/Smackdown trade. If it’s truly a show that goes backstage, it has to be a little critical and give me something I can’t get elsewhere. Fingers crossed!

One last thought before we get to the shows – I’ll be happy when Crown Jewel is over! It’s a great card with little build since it’s stuck right in the middle of two PPV’s (Hell in a Cell & Survivor Series), but it’s a card that will be LIVE at 1pm on Halloween Day. Not exactly the prime viewing spot for a card that’s better than some WrestleMania’s and one that the WWE is getting a boatload of money from the Prince to put on. I’m sure most will be watching on delay on the WWE Network after a bit of trick or treating. It would be better served though to have those high profile, mainstream matches with Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez and Tyson Fury vs. Braun Strowman at big 4 PPV like Survivor Series or WrestleMania instead of a quick build. But, money talks!

RAW

Becky Lynch defeated Charlotte – RAW gets #1 draft pick for the night

Andrade defeated Ali

RAW Tag Team Title Match: The Viking Raiders defeated Champions Bobby Roode & Dolph Ziggler

Aleister Black defeated Eric Young

Ricochet defeated Shelton Benjamin

Buddy Murphy defeated Cedric Alexander

Non-Title Match: Champions The Kabuki Warriors defeated Natalya & Lacey Evans

Draft – Night 2 Results

Drafted to RAW Seth Rollins Charlotte Flair Andrade and Zelina Vega The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) – WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles defended on both shows Rusev Aleister Black Cedric Alexander Humberto Carillo Erick Rowan Buddy Murphy Jinder Mahal R-Truth Samoa Joe Akira Tozawa Shelton Benjamin Rey Mysterio Titus O’Neil Liv Morgan

Drafted to Smackdown Brock Lesnar The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E., and Xavier Woods) Daniel Bryan Bayley Shinsuke Nakamura (w/Sami Zayn) Ali Bobby Roode and Dolph Ziggler Carmella The Miz King Corbin Shorty Gable Elias

What we loved:

JOIN THE CHAMPS. The #VikingRaiders @Erik_WWE & @Ivar_WWE are your NEW #RAW #TagTeamChampions! pic.twitter.com/qssrTQn2ub

— WWE (@WWE) October 15, 2019

The Viking Raiders are new RAW Tag Champs! – Well deserved by TVR. Awesome match where all four guys looked good. Crowd was really into it and they loved the result! There’s something to get behind and go forward with this one. Either a rematch with Bobby Roode & Dolph Ziggler or taking on all-comers, the Raiders will do well if given enough time in the top spot in the RAW tag team division.

Quality in-ring wrestling: Ricochet vs. Shelton Benjamin. Aleister Black vs. Eric Young. Buddy Murphy vs. Cedric Alexander. Give me those type of matches every week. Sure, they’re not part of any feuds, just quality matches made to show off the talent. With a bit more effort, they could be woven into storylines to get my emotional investment.

What we hated:

The main event was the main event why? – Why exactly would Natalya pick Lacey Evans, after a month’s long feud and Evans being drafted to Smackdown, as her tag team partner in a match with the Kabuki Warriors? Why are they getting the match in the first place? Why is it the main event? It all made no sense to me. It was like Paul Heyman just needed something to fill up the time.

The Draft – same as night 1 on Smackdown. No emotion. No reaction from the superstars being drafted. It was just rolled out there to do it. Clearly, Smackdown is getting the high-profile talent with Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, Bayley, Sasha Banks, The Fiend and The New Day amongst those going blue. That’s OK. FOX is paying a billion dollars for it.

Hey Lucy, can you explain this to me? – If The Fiend is going to Smackdown, why is there no explanation as to why Seth Rollins is burning the Firefly Fun House down? I get that they will face each other at Crown Jewel, but I thought rosters were supposed to be exclusive moving forward? So are we getting vignettes from Rollins and Bray Wyatt to come on each other’s show without any face-to-face? I’m just confused by it all. NXT

RESULTS:

Tommaso Ciampa defeated Angel Garza

Imperium defeated Burch & Lorcan

Io Shirai defeated Kayden Carter

North American Title #1 Contender’s Match: Dominik Dijakovic vs. Keith Lee – no contest

Matt Riddle defeated Bronson Reed

Tegan Nox defeated Taynara

Killian Dain defeated Boa (submission)

Damian Priest defeated Pete Dunne

The. Greatest. Sports. Entertainer. Of. All. Time. Daddy’s Home

pic.twitter.com/g28Y8v8KjW

— BLACKHEART (@NXTCiampa) October 17, 2019

What we loved:

No BS – Week after week, NXT delivers with non-sense, quality. The build for Ciampa vs. The Undisputed ERA is going to be red hot! Kicking off the show with that was the right move. Add in a few squash matches to make Io Shirai, Matt Riddle and the returning Tegan Nox look strong is smart.

The main event – A little surprised that Damian Priest goes over here, but it wasn’t at the expense of Pete Dunne. Both men can walk away in a positive direction.

"Next week, my future will be my past."@FinnBalor is #WWENXT.

pic.twitter.com/w2w9bWtGAD

— WWE (@WWE) October 17, 2019

Finn Balor – “My future will be my past.” Best promo he’s done in quite some time. From the heart, talking about mistakes & missteps and how he’ll make it right. Well done Demon!

Looking ahead: Kushida could be out for a month after reaggravating his wrist injury. We could surely see a rematch with WALTER down the line.

Velveteen Dream being put out might add a little twist into the North American Title Picture now that champion Roderick Strong’s attempt to not face Dominik Dijakovic and Keith Lee has backfired into a triple threat match. A very heelish move by Strong that gets the desired result for Lee and Dijakovic.

Smackdown

RESULTS

IC Title Match: Roman Reigns defeated Champion Shinsuke Nakamura by DQ when King Corbin interferes / Daniel Bryan saves Reigns

Shorty Gable defeated Curtis Axel (submission)

The New Day & Heavy Machinery defeated The Revival, Dolph Ziggler, & Robert Roode

Smackdown Women’s #1 Contenders Match: Nikki Cross won 6-pack challenge over Dana Brooke, Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose, Carmella & Lacey Evans

Braun Strowman defeated Drew Gulak

Daniel Bryan & Roman Reigns defeated King Corbin & Shinsuke Nakamura

It's every woman for herself in a #SixPackChallenge on #SmackDown!@CarmellaWWE @DanaBrookeWWE @NikkiCrossWWE @SonyaDevilleWWE@WWE_MandyRose @LaceyEvansWWE pic.twitter.com/VAWRxYT2CT

— WWE (@WWE) October 19, 2019

What we loved:

Getting right to it – Starting the show right off with an I-C Title Match between champions Shinsuke Nakamura and Roman Reigns instead of a long-winded in-ring promo is a step in the right direction. Action over words!

Miz TV with Bayley (and Sasha Banks) – One of the best segments of the night. Not rushed. No fluff. And at times, a bit off the cuff with The Miz getting to the bottom of Bayley’s heel turn. Well done, including the shot at Brock Lesnar, “a champ that doesn’t talk” that I hope they use down the line.

Squash matches – The continued use of squash matches to make talent look good. Braun Strowman, not that he needs it, and Shorty Gable both get strong wins in a short amount of time. Gets the point across and moves the story forward.

What we hated:

Why is Daniel Bryan a face now? – Just like Bayley, we need to told a reason why Bryan has turned from the top heel on Smackdown to a babyface. Sure, we get that he wanted to help Reigns at first after being attacked by Harper and Rowan, but that’s now done and he’s sill helping him. Explanation please guys!

No Alexa Bliss – Sure, not showcasing her in the 6-pack challenge #1 contender’s match is ok since you want to prop up others (Brooke, Deville, etc.) that don’t normally get the TV time, but how about using her on commentary to balance out Bayley & Sasha Banks? Just a bit to show she’s still part of the scene. Miss Bliss is a star that needs to be recognized.

Kofi Kingston – another week and no real emotion from the former WWE Champ about his 10-second loss to Lesnar. One line about the power of positivity with Heavy Machinery doesn’t cut it for me. Give me cutting edge interview with Corey Graves to do it. Maybe integrate with Graves’ new podcast?

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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placetobenation · 5 years ago

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THAT. JUST. HAPPENED. #WWEBackstage pic.twitter.com/TDd5n0qk25

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) November 13, 2019

“Just when they think they have all the questions, I change the culture. I’ll see you next week.” – CM Punk on WWE Backstage Tuesday, November 12

In less than one minute of air time on Fox Sports 1 Tuesday night, CM Punk returned and blew up the wrestling industry once more! Not since the pipe bomb incident and his subsequent leave from WWE back in 2014 have we seen the man named Phil dominate the conversation. FOX Sports and WWE confirmed that Punk will now be a contributor to WWE Backstage on a regular, but not every week basis. This is huge news for WWE on two fronts. One, it gives the immediate buzz during Survivor Series build and two, it keeps Punk away from AEW, which reportedly did meet with him and offer a big-money contract. Now, since Punk’s contract is reportedly with FOX and not WWE, it will be interesting to see if the WWE plans to try and use him in a role other than on WWE Backstage, which unfortunately for them, is seen of the least watched platform they are on, as opposed to the USA Network and FOX. I for one, like many of you, have been waiting for Punk to return as he is one of the generational talents that you will stop what you’re doing to watch or listen to on a weekly basis. I’m hoping they use him well, let him speak his mind and make it an awesome experience for him and us as fans and viewers. Because if they do, hold on to your hats. If they don’t, it will be very short lived!

Now, as for the week that was in the WWE, it continues to be centered around NXT’s involvement in the Survivor Series. After a very disappointing, and yes, taped, RAW from Manchester, England, we got solid shows from NXT and Smackdown. I think what the WWE has to do in the final week leading up to Survivor Series itself on November 24 in Chicago, home of CM Punk of course, is to do more than the run-ins it has been doing the past couple of weeks. Give me more storyline and emotion. Introduce the NXT superstars to those in RAW and Smackdown that may not know them. It may eventually get more eyeballs on to the product on Wednesday night, which is one of the big benefits if done properly.

We’re going to start a new feature to TWITW (This Week In The WWE). It’s the star of the week and this week, it’s an easy one.

Star of the Week – CM PUNK

For obvious reasons stated above. Punk sent shockwaves through the industry not so much for what he did, appear on screen for less than a minute, but what could be in the near and extended future. Count me in! Who knows, maybe a reunion with Colt Cobana could be the next near impossible thing we’ll see.

Now, on to the shows!

RAW

RESULTS

WWE Women’s Tag Team Title Match:: Champions The Kabuki Warriors defeated Becky Lynch and Charlotte

Drew McIntyre defeated Sin Cara

WWE 24/7 Title Match: R-Truth vs. The Singhs went to a no contest

Seth Rollins defeated WALTER @ 4:20 (DQ)

Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, & The Street Profits defeated Imperium

Andrade defeated Cedric Alexander @ 3:50

Erick Rowan defeated Nigel Kickpads @ 1:00 via pin

Non-Title Match: RAW Tag Team Champions The Viking Raiders defeated Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews

Randy Orton, Ricochet, & Humberto Carrillo defeated The OC

What we loved:

Humberto finally wins – We’ve been harping on this for a few weeks now and it was great to see Humberto Carrillo finally get a win on television. Albeit, it’s in a six-man tag match, but a win is a win.

NXT UK – Great way to introduce the mainstream audience to NXT UK’s most powerful entity, Imperium and its leader, WALTER, especially with the show coming from Manchester, England. Too bad WALTER vs. Seth Rollins fell apart after only four minutes only to lead to the predictable tag team match.

What we didn’t love:

The vibe – Because RAW was taped last Friday after a Smackdown taping in Manchester, you could tell the crowd just wasn’t into it, especially towards the end of the show. It’s almost as if the WWE was treating it as a throwaway show. That’s something they should NEVER do, especially when they treat Monday nights in such high regards.

Where was Natalya – I know they gave the obligatory Natalya couldn’t be there due to family obligations, but why not throw in there that Natalya and Charlotte Flair are getting a tag team title match soon. It seems as if they are defaulting to Becky Lynch and Flair as a team when ever they need a quick fix. I don’t like it especially since we’ve seen them as a team a lot lately. Make your champions special. I liked the team of Flair and Natalya together and it gave them a purpose, a storyline to get behind. Stick to it.

NXT

RESULTS

NXT Cruiserweight Champion Lio Rush defeated Angel Garza

Xli Li defeated Aliyah

Non-Title Match: Keith Lee defeated North American Champion Roderick Strong

Swerve Scott defeated Bronson Reed

Ladder Match for The Advantage in War Games: Io Shirai defeated Mia Yim

#SmackDown Women's Champion @itsBayleyWWE just DROPPED @QoSBaszler on #WWENXT! pic.twitter.com/ONpe5pxjGp

— WWE (@WWE) November 14, 2019

Yeah. We're ready for this.@FinnBalor @SuperKingOfBros #WWENXT #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/Da8aeb15NT

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 14, 2019

What we loved:

Climbing the ladder – Kudos to Io Shirai and Mia Yim for delivering another awesome NXT main event. Every week, these main events have given us quality matches that leave us wanting more. Yim getting busted open with a broken nose and the closing run-in by NXT Women’s Champ Katie Lee Ray, put the WOW in this one. And then to boot, we get what seems to be a thumbs up to KLR for her spot on Shayna Baszler’s Survivor Series team leading to…

Welcome home Bayley – It was short, sweet and effective. Bayley returns to Full Sail as the former NXT Champion takes out the current NXT Champion Baszler on the stage to avenge Baszler’s beatdown of Bayley on Smackdown. Straight to the point and well done.

Balor vs. Riddle – Yes, please. More of this! Talk about your way around not having Balor vs. Johnny Gargano, well here it is. This could be an epic match to come!

Keith Lee – Not only does he continue to get better and better each week, but now his win solidifies his team for WarGames and sets himself up for a future North American Championship title shot down the road. Really good stuff.

What we didn’t love:

Balor’s spotlight – Kill it already. Whoever is following Balor with the spotlight, it ain’t working! It makes it look minor league, especially in a small building like Full Sail.

Got us thinking:

Angel Garza and Lio Rush’s wife – Something watch as we could get more in this cruiserweight battle that saw round one goes to Rush.

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

For Spots on The Survivor Series Team: Mustafa Ali & Chad Gable defeated Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler

Smackdown Tag Team Title Match: Champions The New Day defeated The Revival (DQ after interference by Undisputed Era)

Heavy Machinery defeated Jimmy & Johnny Kickpads

Non-Title Match: Bayley vs. Nikki Cross (No contest after NXT interence)

Team Smackdown (Nikki Cross, Sasha Banks, Dana Brooke, Carmella) defeated Team NXT (Dakota Kai, Rhea Ripley, Mia Yim and Tegan Nox) – Nikki Cross wins spot on Team Smackdown for Survivor Series

What we loved:

The dog mascot – Sure, we thought, probably like most of you, that it was going to be Roman Reigns in the mascot costume. But, pleasantly surprised when it wasn’t as Reigns came straight down to the ring in the middle of the match. Maybe we’ll get a surprise reveal to a returning star later at Survivor Series. That would be a nice payoff. Either way, some unpredictability is good.

#TheNightmare can't scare #TheBoss. #SmackDown @SashaBanksWWE @RheaRipley_WWE pic.twitter.com/nhfc2oSp4G

— WWE (@WWE) November 16, 2019

Highlighting the SS teams – A lot of the time was devoted to building out the Smackdown teams, including forty minutes at the top of the show for the men and then the main event before MizTV for the women. It’s nice to see spots getting earned in the ring for Survivor Series rather than just being thrown together in a promo or graphic reveal.

At #SurvivorSeries, @WWEDanielBryan will willingly step into the darkness when he battles #TheFiend @WWEBrayWyatt for the #UniversalChampionship. https://t.co/d2iqO0jp2E pic.twitter.com/9Fgqb5GNAx

— WWE (@WWE) November 16, 2019

Someone says YES – It wasn’t Daniel Bryan that says YES, but Universal Champ Bray Wyatt that says YES! to a match with Bryan at Survivor Series. We still get Bryan in that clunky not a face, not a heel position, but we’ll get a great match between these two at SS while the fans try to decide who to cheer for as both are well liked at the moment. The possibilities are there and let’s not forget how Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura could still get involved with all this.

What we hated:

It’s not that we really hated anything this week, it’s more of a wish. With Smackdown moving to FOX, we expected something really different and we just haven’t seen it. Outside of the NXT invasion that was brought about due to “travel issues,” we haven’t really gotten the creative changes we thought were coming. Maybe with the change from Eric Bishoff to Bruce Pritchard, things are delayed. But much like we haven’t really seen too many Paul Heyman changes on RAW, maybe we are expecting too many drastic changes to a company that can’t really deliver that “edge” we may be looking for since it is, after all, sports entertainment, and it’s a public company that delivers to major, national sponsors on major, national networks so a pushing of the envelope has to be pushed softly and not with a Myles Garrett over-the-head helmet shot.

Parting shot:

Aside from Triple H, isn’t it refreshing to see a brand supremacy battle not being waged with a McMahon vs. McMahon vs. McMahon as the theme? While we love Stephanie McMahon as the ultimate heel villain when she really turns it on and not trying to be a brand ambassador, it is nice to see the superstars telling the story. Kudos for not defaulting into a tired storyline WWE. Thank you!

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots and Red Sox fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND!

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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placetobenation · 5 years ago

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What a strange week it’s been in the WWE! A trip to Saudi Arabia not only gives us The Fiend as your new Universal Champion, crowned on Halloween no less, but it also sets up an historic Friday Night Smackdown! When I first heard most of the Smackdown talent couldn’t make it to Buffalo for the LIVE show, I cringed at what we’d see. But, for the first time in a while, a show not named NXT delivered the one thing it needs: UNPREDICTABILITY! And we got it in spades!

Brock Lesnar quits Friday Night Smackdown to search for revenge on Rey Mysterio, Jr.on Monday Night RAW.

NXT takes over the night on FOX!

Not only do we get NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler punking out Smackdown Women’s Champion Bayley & Sasha Banks, but we get Tomasso Ciampa challenging and beating The Miz! And to boot, NXT Champion Adam Cole cleanly defeats Daniel Bryan, 1-2-3 in the main event!

You heard it here first… @TripleH warns #Raw and #SmackDown because #WWENXT is coming for a BATTLE at #SurvivorSeries. pic.twitter.com/ZXDJNpbqOE

— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2019

Then, just to put the cherry on top of the Smackdown sundae, Triple H declares this the first blow in the new war. RAW vs. Smackdown vs. NXT – what do you got next RAW & Smackdown? The build to Survivor Series is set. Now, keeping all shows strong over the next three weeks will be interesting. I’m just not sure if I have enough faith in the creative to pull this one off. But, I’m hoping and can’t wait for the next week of WWE programming. And with pro wrestling and/or sports entertainment, that’s all you can ask for.

My biggest question going forward is this: with Triple H being “the authority face” of NXT, who will that person be for RAW and Smackdown? Will it be the executive directors Paul Heyman and Bruce Pritchard or do we get the McMahons vs. Triple H in an all in the family feud? The other question for the night is where was Finn Balor? Wouldn’t this have been the perfect chance to get back at the bigger brands? Or, will he be a hand played later in the build? And just how will War Games play out in all this, especially if NXT is fighting with themselves during Survivor Series weekend’s kick-off show and then back together to fight RAW and Smackdown? Food for thought indeed!

Kudos for stepping out of the box! When challenged, at least for a night, the WWE delivered.

RAW

RESULTS

RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch defeated Kairi Sane in non-title match

Buddy Murphy defeated R-Truth

Ricochet defeated Drew McIntyre by DQ when Randy Orton interferes with RKO

Non-Title Match: The Viking Raiders defeated The Chicago Cubs

Andrade defeated Sin Cara

Charlotte & Natalya defeated The IIconics (submission)

Falls Count Anywhere Non-Title Match: Champion Seth Rollins defeated Erick Rowan

United States Champion AJ Styles defeated Humberto Carrillo in non-title match (submission)

What we loved:

Holy RKO – You would think one move would get old after nearly two decades, but Randy Orton’s RKO delivers time after time. This time blindsiding Ricochet to give him the DQ win over Drew McIntyre.

Women’s Tag Team – I like the pairing of Charlotte and Natalya and hope they get a nice run together. Maybe a title pairing in future against the Kabuki Warriors would be some nice business! Plus, it’s nice to see The IIconics on TV once again. They’ve been wasted thus far on a tag team title run that went nowhere.

As the Paige Turns – Love the turn on Paige by the Kabuki Warriors! Solidifies them as top heels and gives the opportunity to have Paige seek out a new tag team to bring up to fight against them. Give me more of the green mist!

Becky vs. Kairi – Quality match to start the night off on RAW. The match got better as it went along and builds Kairi Sane as someone as more than just a tag team partner for Asuka.

What we didn’t love:

The vibe of RAW – Monday nights used to be the destination for WWE. The night where “anything” was possible. It seems like the show has turned into jus a run of the mill outing just to fill three hours on the USA Network. For a Falls Count Anywhere match that Vic Joseph kept hyping could go anywhere in St.Louis, the match went to the concession stands and back to the ring. Ho-hum. Plus, we get a King’s (Divorce) Court with Jerry Lawler, Rusev, Lana and Bobby Lashley in the main event. Heading into a PPV, Crown Jewel, it’s not quite what we should get. This is more of mid-night filler than something to pay off the night, especially when they don’t have a huge one-on-one match at the PPV. And now compared with what NXT and Smackdown delivered this week, it clearly comes in as the #3 show of the brand.

Humberto Carrillo gets another title match – I surely get trying to build up the younger, newer talent. But, in losing to both Seth Rollins and AJ Styles, it’s not quite the way to do it. Sure, he gets the rub on in-ring combat, but at the end of the day, all we’ve seen him do on TV so far is lose.

NXT

RESULTS

Io Shirai defeated Candice LeRae

Bronson Reed defeated Shane Thorne

WWE Women’s Tag Team Title Match: Champions Kairi Sane and Asuka defeated Tegan Nox and Dakota Kai

Cameron Grimes defeated Tyler Bate

Non-Title Match: NXT Tag Team Champions Undisputed Era defeated Matt Riddle and Keith Lee

What we loved:

Bronson Reed vs. Shane Thorne – For a match with no hype, this one was a barnburner filled with physicality. Kept me on the edge of my seat! No BS. True NXT type match here.

WAR GAMES x 2 – Not only do we get an historic announcement from NXT GM William Regal that the women will battle it out in War Games for the first time, but we also get Tomasso Ciampa declaring war on the Undisputed Era and putting his quest to get his “Goldie” back, the NXT Championship, on hold. For the women, we’ll get Shayna Baszler and Rhea Ripley as team captains in what should be an epic throwdown at the War Games Takeover Special Survivor Series Weekend.

The women’s division – When you talk about where the best is, it’s clearly here! From Bazler to Bianca Belair, from Io Shirai to Dakota Kai and from the Four Horsewomen to Candice LeRae, the women of NXT are outshining their counterparts on Wednesday night at AEW, but also outpacing the women of RAW and Smackdown, and that’s saying something! Kudos ladies!

What we didn’t love:

Finn Balor’s promo – While we welcome Balor Club getting the spotlight to try and explain what his latest heel turn is about, we didn’t really get a full explanation as to why Johnny Gargano was the target. Sure, we got a shot at Bray Wyatt being “cool,” but it needed some more depth especially when there are new eyes on NXT since the debut on the USA Network. They don’t know the backstory.

Full Sail University – Sure, NXT Arena is quaint and cozy, but if NXT really wants to take on AEW’s new momentum on Wednesday nights, it has to get out to bigger crowds. The NXT action and storyline progression speaks for itself, but the perception of the crowds in something the mainstream fan will need to see improved. Perception vs. reality folks. Time to check that box off Triple H! And with what we would see later in the week on Friday Night Smackdown, we now know they, as well as the crowds, can handle it.

CROWN JEWEL

RESULTS

Battle Royal For a US Title Shot: Humberto Carrillo

WWE Championship Match: Champion Brock Lesnar defeated Cain Velasquez (submission)

Tag Team Turmoil World Cup Match: Winners: The Good Brothers

Mansoor defeated Cesaro

Tyson Fury defeated Braun Strowman by countout

WWE United States Championship Match: Champion AJ Styles defeated Humberto Carrillo

Natalya defeated Lacey Evans (submission)

Team Hogan defeated Team Flair

WWE Universal Championship Falls Count Anywhere Match: The Fiend defeated Champion Seth Rollins

There's no stopping @WWERollins and #TheFiend @WWEBrayWyatt. Literally, though. Absolute carnage raged through #WWECrownJewel tonight! #FallsCountAnywhere pic.twitter.com/o43HHqGUIW

— WWE (@WWE) October 31, 2019

What we loved:

The Fiend winning the Title on Halloween – What better way to put The Fiend over then on Halloween! It’s something people can remember easily even if they didn’t watch it LIVE.

Uncertainty – With The Fiend winning the Universal Title, RAW doesn’t have a major championship at the top of its show and I, for one, is happy to see where this one goes. I’m hoping they let it linger for more than a few minutes and have some fun with it.

The INCREDIBLE story of the WWE's Women's Evolution continues as @NatbyNature and @LaceyEvansWWE competed in the FIRST-EVER Women's Match in Saudi Arabia at #WWECrownJewel. The #QueenofHarts got the win over the #SassySouthernBelle with the Sharpshooter. https://t.co/snXKQ5cbil pic.twitter.com/MpcG4atCo6

— WWE (@WWE) November 1, 2019

The women debut – History in the making as Lacey Evans and Natalya hold the first women’s match ever in Saudi Arabia! The pure emotion of the match takes precedence over anything else. Great to see and well done.

Mansoor – A solid match that gives the hometown pop with some raw emotion. Perfect pairing with Cesaro who absolutely made the kid look good.

What we didn’t love:

Only two minutes for Lesnar vs. Velasquez – OK, we get it was going to be short with Velasquez’ knee injury that he could reportedly have surgery on, but I don’t think it helped anyone out other than to say that Lesnar gets the win and now an eventual third bout between the two is coming.

Fury vs. Strowman – Count me as one who wasn’t a big fan of this pairing. It’s a no-win situation as neither side was going to get a clear victory and that’s exactly what we got. A countout by Fury and a slam by Strowman that gives each man with what they walked into the match with, nothing more, nothing less. It gave the WWE some mainstream media and that’s what they wanted.

The red lighting for The Fiend – I get what the intent is with trying to make The Fiend’s matches look different, but let’s be honest, it’s just tough to see through the red tinge in the lighting. Drop it already. It doesn’t work.

MEH – Team Hogan beats Team Flair. Solid effort with Roman Reigns pinning Randy Orton, but no real payoff with the two biggest stars, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan.

FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Smackdown Women’s Title Match: Champion Bayley defeated Nikki Cross

Tommaso Ciampa defeated The Miz

Rhea Ripley & Tegan Nox defeated Fire & Desire (Sonya Daville & Mandy Rose)

NXT Title Match: Champion Adam Cole defeated Daniel Bryan

THE #WWENXT WOMEN'S CHAMPION @QoSBaszler IS HERE AND SHE IS TAKING EVERYBODY OUT!!!!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/IsISDyZHdT

— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2019

What we loved:

NXT! NXT! NXT! – No brainer here! The WWE takes a negative in the travel delay from Saudi Arabia that left all of the Smackdown superstars minus Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar left overseas and turns it into a HUGE positive! With Survivor Series coming up with RAW vs. Smackdown vs. NXT, the men and women of Wednesday night take the spotlight starting with Women’s Champ Shayna Baszler taking out Smackdown Champ Bayley & Sasha Banks to NXT Champion Adam Cole BAY BAY getting a clean 1-2-3 over Daniel Bryan in the main event! Unpredictable, smart and most important for us the fans – FUN and ENTERTAINING!

.@HeymanHustle just announced that @BrockLesnar is QUITTING Friday Night #SmackDown and going to #RAW… Watch out, @reymysterio. #BrockLesnar is coming for you. pic.twitter.com/QNRVRa0lSx

— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2019

Brock Lesnar quits Smackdown – Sure, I would’ve loved to see how RAW would figure out its next champion with The Fiend defeating Universal Champ Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel, but Brock quitting Friday nights to find Rey Mysterio, JR. settles that. The WWE Title is coming home to Monday nights and that’s a good thing for business.

Pat McAfee – On-point, effective and put his stamp on this historic night! He was Paul Heyman-esque on the mic getting the brand and the talent over. Plus, he got in his plugs in too for people to know to watch on Wednesday nights. Brilliantly done!

What we didn’t love:

The downside to a beatdown – Yes, NXT looks awesome, but in the same show, you’re making Smackdown look a little weak. The building them back up will be in the pudding as we ramp up towards Survivor Series. I’m sure Roman Reigns, The Fiend and crew will have an answer.

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear you comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots and Red Sox fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND!

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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