#kacy catanzaro imagines

[purple-ash27]

This team up ever cross anyone's minds? Team shortie's 😍

[hazyheel]

NXT 4/24/19 Review

First match of the night was Jaxon Ryker against the cruiserweight Humberto Carrillo. Ryker was immediately up in Carrillo’s face, but Carrillo used his speed to get the better of Ryker in the first few exchanges. That was until Ryker got mad, and he absolutely destroyed Carrillo with a throw into the corner. Carrillo landed right on the back of his neck. Ryker hit the widowmaker, only for Carrillo to roll out. Ryker then threw Carrillo around ringside until the two got counted out. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch ran out to make the save, fending the Forgotten sons off.

Grade: B. Love how the Forgotten Sons are being booked. Blake and Cutler are a great tag team that love chaos, but Ryker is something else. He is like a psychopath, and is scary to look at. They seem like they’ll have a great run in NXT. Excited for the inevitable 6-man tag that this is gonna spout.

Backstage, Adam Cole talked about the main event of Gargano vs Strong, saying that Gargano wasn’t man enough to fight the leader of the Undisputed Era. Matt Riddle was nearby, and accused Cole of being jealous. Cole tried to intimate Riddle, but he Riddle was having none of it and stood right up to him. I would so be down for for the two having a match.

Next match was Vanessa Borne and Aliyah against Candice LaRae and Kacy Catanzaro, making her debut. Catanzaro climbed the ringpole to get into the ring, similar to her spot in the Women’s Rumble this year. Aliyah was jaw jacking Catanzaro from the beginning, really selling their “general mean girl” gimmick. The heels actually had some brutal looking tag team moves. LaRae has a wicked hot tag, looking the best that I had ever seen her. She hit an awesome springboard moonsault for the win.

Grade: B-. I really liked this, surpringly enough. I hated Aliyah and Borne, but this was pretty good! I was hoping to see more of Catanzaro, but I’m sure I will in the future. This tag team looks like it will stick around.

Io Sharai was interviewed backstage about Baszler’s attack last week, but before she could say anything of note, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir attacked her, and left her laying. I don’t think the next TakeOver is until August, so it’ll be difficult for this feud to continue until then, but I’m sure they will do it.

William Regal was putting over Kushida for his debut next week. Kassius Ohno came in and asked to be Kushida’s debut opponent. Regal books it. Should be a great match, right out of the gate.

Street Profits then went up against the War Raiders. So happy to see them back to their real names. This was a non title match, but the profits took it very seriously, with Ford hitting a suicide dive before the match. Dawkins hit a huge spear and spine buster, followed by a splash from Ford to Rowe for a huge near fall. Hanson was able to tag himself in, and swung momentum back to his side. Ford and Hanson had a great sequence during the match, where Hanson just refused to go down. He eventually did after a dropkick, with Dawkins then assisting with a moonsault for a near fall. War Raiders was able to take out Dawkins with a springboard lariat assisted German suplex, and then hit Ford with Thor’s Hammer for the win.

Grade: B+. The match had a hot start, and even though it fizzled a bit by the time the match ended, it was still very good. The street profits showed that they were a serious contender for the tag titles in the future. I don’t know if they will win them necessarily, but I imagine that the chase will be very entertaining.

Mia Yim announcer her intentions for a title match against Baszler, saying that everyone else has had too many chances. So this is how they get Sharai to Toronto. Cool.

And the main event was a non-title match between Johnny Gargano and Roderick Strong. In a little video before the match, showing the Undisputed Era talking to Strong about his match, Cole was very clearly in a bad mood, noticeably having his arms crossed and being a bit dismissive of Strong’s comments. Interesting. The two were very quick in their mat wrestling, not taking any time to breathe. Strong was all over Gargano, landing strikes whenever they were standing, and engaging in violent chain wrestling on the mat. It’s been so long since I’ve seen Strong in a singles match, that I forgot how rough it looks to really fight him. He is brutally stiff. At one point, Gargano ate several rough chops, asking for them as the blows continued. Gargano got him back with chops in the corner, sending a bunch of spit into the crowd, which made they go wild for some reason. They both kept countering each other’s offense, with Gargano slipping out of backbreakers, and one awesome spot where Strong countered a slingshot spear with a butterfly backbreaker for a near fall. Gargano was able to lock in the Gargano escape, with Adam Cole running down to distract him. Fish and O’Reilly came down as well, but Matt Riddle ran to the ring to make the save. Strong tried to get Cole’s attention, but he nailed Strong with a blind ensiguri. Johnny then hit Cole with a suicide dive, and then a slingshot spear on Strong for the win. After the match, Cole tried to apologize, but Strong walked away without his teammates. He attacked like things were amicable, but the tension was thick.

Grade: A-. Awesome match. The action was so fast that I could hardly keep up. Roddy is really great as a singles star, and whether or not he splits from the Era, he deserves gold. Gargano puts up another great match for his title reign, and is looking like a real star above the rest of the division. Loved the dissension, loved Riddle getting involved because he is a good dude in general. I’m into this story on all fronts, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. Just, try to be careful Roddy. You beat the shit out of your opponents

Overall Grade: B+

Pros: Forgotten Sons’ booking; Profits vs. Raiders; main event

Cons: not enough Catanzaro

[placetobenation]

6 months into the COVID-19 pandemic and this is the week that the wrestling world was hit all around with positive tests. Most affected seems to be NXT and AEW. While no cases have been publicly confirmed on the NXT, RAW or SmackDown roster this week by WWE, reports are that there was quite a bit of movement with storylines being rewritten and some superstars not being in attendance. Meanwhile, on AEW, #1 contender Lance Archer is out due to the coronavirus.

It’s hard to believe that the NXT #1 contender’s match was supposed to be KUSHIDA vs. Cameron Grimes, Bronson Reed, Timothy Thatcher and Kyle O’Reilly. No disrespect intended to those 5, but the lack of superstar talent is quite striking. It would be hard to believe that the folks running NXT (yes, you Triple H and Shawn Michaels), wanted it to be that way. Unfortunately, there’s no transparency in the WWE, so we’ll never really know. The WWE should be very transparent and honest when dealing with the pandemic and its effects on the product. But then again, this is the same company that still hasn’t come clean on why Roman Reigns wasn’t around during WrestleMania and the months afterwards.

The other thing that’s really bugging me these days about the WWE? Disqualifications. It’s lazy booking and the WWE is relying on it 2-3 times a show these days. It’s unnecessary. Please stop!

Finally, what the hell was that with RETRIBUTION! Yikes! We’ll discuss more in our RAW recap! But first, some PPV’s to attend to first.

Clash of Champions – UPDATED CARD

WWE Championship Ambulance Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton

WWE Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Bayley vs. Nikki Cross

WWE Women’s Championship Match: Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax vs. The Riott Squad

Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Lucha House Party

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

WWE Undisputed Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Jeff Hardy vs. AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn

WWE United States Championship Match: Bobby Lashley vs. Apollo Crews

RAW Women’s Championship Kickoff Show Match: Asuka vs. Zelina Vega

NXT:TakeOver – UPDATED CARD

NXT Championship Match: Finn Balor vs. Kyle O’Reilly

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Io Shirai vs. Candice LeRae

NXT North American Championship Match: Damian Priest vs. Johnny Gargano

Star of the Week:

Alexa Bliss – A rockstar to be sure! Whether it’s been as a face or a heel, in the ring, out of the ring, on the mic or just being there, Miss Bliss is fabulous! And now, with this tweener chartacter with influence from The Fiend, she’s rocking it in every way! The glances and facial expressions are on point and we can’t wait to see where it goes next!

RAW

RESULTS

RAW Tag Team Championship #1 Contender Match: Andrade & Angel Garza defeated Humberto Carrillo & Dominik Mysterio and Seth Rollins & Murphy

Non-title WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre defeated Keith Lee via DQ

RAW Women’s Championship #1 Contender Match: Zelina Vega defeated Mickie James

Apollo Crews defeated Cedric Alexander

RAW Underground: Dolph Ziggler defeated Arturo Ruas

Non-title Women’s Championship Match: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler defeated Natalya & Lana

RAW Underground: Riddick Moss defeated Erik

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

RAW Underground: Braun Strowman defeated Dabba-Kato

The Hurt Business vs. RETRIBUTION went to a no-contest

#RETRIBUTION has spoken on #WWERaw. pic.twitter.com/aKMKxThhSG

— WWE (@WWE) September 22, 2020

Straight-up POWER from MACE and T-BAR.#WWERaw #RETRIBUTION pic.twitter.com/WTSZdYyweK

— WWE (@WWE) September 22, 2020

There was absolutely NOTHING I loved about RAW this week. So utterly disappointed in how the go-home show before Clash of Champions was laid out. From the start of the show where it’s announced that RETRIBUTION has contracts to their ridiculous names (T-BAR, Mace & Slapjack) and masks (childish!) to the cluster of a chaos #!* that was the main event, it has now set up RETRIBUTION for utter failure! The five main members of Dominki Dijokovic, Dio Maddin, Shane Thorne, Mia Yim and Mercedes Martinez has been undercut and has little or no chance to survive without a major happening at Clash. How do they have credibility when they called out WWE superstars for their contracts and greed and then they agree to a WWE contract? Ridiculous! How do they have any credibility when they can’t even take on the Hurt Business to get a victory in their first match? Absurd! Can you imagine the NWO or Hall/Nash not going over at Bash at the Beach?

"@reymysterio … you are NOT THE FATHER!" – @WWERollins

#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/YBaQf6831a

— WWE (@WWE) September 22, 2020

Seth Rollins dragging up a redux of the Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio feud from the past with news that maybe Rey’s not the father of Dominik is tired, old rehash. Then, Rollins send his wrath towards daughter Aalyah. The writing is on the wall my friends, Aalyah will be a minion with the Monday Night Messiah before we know it.

A fired-up @RandyOrton is READY to face @DMcIntyreWWE in an #AmbulanceMatch at #WWEClash of Champions THIS SUNDAY for the #WWEChampionship!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/HrfM44973M

— WWE (@WWE) September 22, 2020

Elsewhere, Drew McIntyre vs. Keith Lee has been a utter waste of time as a backdrop for Randy Orton, who continues to be doing some of his best work of his 20-year career. That promo, including a nice catch of himself, was spot-on. I like him going over this Sunday!

What a HUGE victory for @BraunStrowman in #RawUnderground!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/S4Bj3evqMn

— WWE (@WWE) September 22, 2020

RAW Underground had its moments with Braun Strowman having a good night and even Dolph Ziggler getting a victory. The right team, Andrade & Angel Garza got the tag team title match against The Street Profits Sunday night.

All in all, not an enjoyable night for me for RAW. A ton of wasteful opportunities.

NXT

RESULTS

NXT Women’s Championship #1 Contender Battle Royale: Candice LeRae wins shot at Io Shirai at NXT: TakeOver

Tommaso Ciampa defeated Jake Atlas

Danny Burch & Roderick Strong defeated Fabian Aichner & Raul Mendoza to win a spot in #1 Contender Match for NXT Tag Team Championship

Non-title NXT North American Championship Match: Damian Priest defeated Austin Theory

Ridge Holland defeated Antonio DeLuca

Gauntlet Eliminator Match: Kyle O’Reilly defeated Bronson Reed, Kushida, Cameron Grimes & Timothy Thatcher to win shot at NXT Championship

Best show of the week!

G O L D E N P R O P H E C Y The winner of the AMAZING 'Gauntlet Eliminator' and challenging @FinnBalor at #NXTTakeOver is @KORcombat! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/C4fcbLvrYJ

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) September 24, 2020

Kudos to Kyle O’Reilly. i don’t think anyone saw him running the table and winning the Gauntlet Eliminator Match. Plus, let’s be honest, no one saw him being in the match to begin with. But, having said that, while the five-man match lacked star firepower, the match itself was very good. I, personally, saw KUSHIDA going over but it’s nice to see O’Reilly got his day in the sun vs. Finn Balor at NXT:TakeOver. It’ll be an enjoyable match with a predictable outcome. Time will tell just how much COVID-19 affected the booking here and who was available, but NXT, as usual, made the best of a bad situation.

We see you, @KacyCatanzaro!

CC: @TrueKofi @NaomiWWE @TheRealMorrison #WWENXT #BattleRoyal pic.twitter.com/Rz49y8gOco

— WWE (@WWE) September 24, 2020

The Women’s Battle Royale for a shot at the NXT Women’s Championship was entertaining as hell! Yes, I”m a Kacy Catanzaro mark, so it was fun to see her make the final four with all the fancy footwork and antics that should make her an annual entrant into the Royal Rumble. Having Candice LeRae go over to win it to makes absolute sense! Now, with LeRae having a title match at NXT:TakeOver and husband Johnny Gargano ready to face Damian Priest for the NXT North American Championship has the makings of a double-gold night for the Gargano Way. Maybe we’ll get an Edge/Lita type celebration.

What a supportive husband.

#CoupleGoals #WWENXT #BattleRoyal @CandiceLeRae @JohnnyGargano pic.twitter.com/83CsVcET8z

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) September 24, 2020

Squash matches for Tommaso Ciampa and Ridge Holland made sense. Plus, having Fandango make an interesting #1 Contender match of his own for the tag team titles was out of nowhere, but was needed with the unavailable superstars.

The TakeOver is theirs… but 𝘸𝘩𝘰 are they?

#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/KaAy6QABtM

— WWE (@WWE) September 24, 2020

Who is they? What former NXT Champion is the Insurgent coming back at NXT:TakeOver? Is it Bobby Roode, Bo Dallas, Ember Moon

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Triple Threat Match: Sami Zayn defeated AJ Styles & Jeff Hardy

Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Gran Metalik

King Corbin defeated Matt Riddle

Lacey Evans defeated Alexa Bliss by DQ

LOVED IT:

"Uce vs. Uce. Cuz vs. Cuz." THIS SUNDAY at #WWEClash of Champions! #SmackDown Jey @WWEUsos @WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/ipUCRebFQj

— WWE (@WWE) September 26, 2020

"You're gonna take the payday. You're gonna take the ass whooping that comes with it but you will NEVER take my title." – @WWERomanReigns /w @HeymanHustle to Jey @WWEUsos #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/Tt2M1kNY4R

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) September 26, 2020

Family affair – Roman Reigns being blunt that “It will never be you, because it will always be me” line was killer. But, Jey Uso’s reaction, with emotion and desparation was fantastic. I’m invested! Short, sweet and no in-ring fisticuffs. And then, one Superman punch and the tonuge-lashing from the Universal Champion. When Reigns said he’ll feed my family with this title and told Uso that he should take the payday and the ass-whooping, he’s not far from the truth. The most impactful 3:00 of Friday night.

#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/uk3Bl9SYwl

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) September 26, 2020

Alexa Bliss – First off, the match with Lacey Evans was very good. Secondly, the addition of The Fiend’s red lighting causing Bliss to absolutely lose control was fitting. Then, the look from Bliss to Roman Reigns on the ramp was the cherry on the SmackDown sundae. Delicious!

Wasted effort:

LHP feud – We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, NO ONE wants to see a feud between the members of the Lucha House Party. Wasting it while in the midst of a tag team championship squirmish with Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura is just a pure waste of everyone’s time.

Otis vs. The Miz – Really not feeling the lawsuit vibe here at all. I’d rather see either team in the mix for the tag team championships.

Good stuff:

Matt Riddle – Every time he’s in the ring, this time in a losing Payback rematch against King Corbin, Riddle doesn’t disappoint. He’s on the rise and good things are ahead for the Bro Show.

A sign of things to come this Sunday at #WWEClash of Champions?? #ICTitle@SamiZayn picks up the win on #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/rWKXRkRynY

— WWE (@WWE) September 26, 2020

Triple Threat IC – While I’m not a fan of having the same 3 guys face off in a match two days before a PPV, Sami Zayn and AJ Styles put their best foot forward for Sunday’s Intercontinental Title Ladder Match at Clash of Champions. It makes me thing Jeff Hardy and his new contract will walk away with all the gold!

𝒰𝒩𝒯𝒪𝒰𝒞𝐻𝒜𝐵𝐿𝐸.

The mystery continues… #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/W4MZjonauD

— WWE (@WWE) September 26, 2020

Untouchable – So, if reports are true that it’s really Carmella and her tattoo in these vignettes, it’s not a bad thing. I just wonder if they give reality to her relationship with Corey Graves too. BTW, I didn’t think anyone still owned a polaroid camera these days!

Bayley – As usual. Solid and getting better on the mic. Can’t wait for the Sasha feud to go full blown.

Parting shots:

#RIPAnimal.

#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/Dwt2U6z1AZ

— WWE (@WWE) September 26, 2020

RIP John Laurinaitis – Road Warrior Animal passed away much too young this week at age 60. The Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal, changed the sport and tag team wrestling forever. Long live the Road Warrior pop!

Clash of Champions – Predictions

WWE Championship Ambulance Match: Randy Orton defeats Drew McIntyre to win title

WWE Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns defeats Jey Uso

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Nikki Cross defeats Bayley (thanks to Sasha Banks) to win title – Alexa Bliss comes out to congratulate her and gives her a Sister Abigail

WWE Women’s Championship Match: Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax defeats The Riott Squad to retain title

Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura defeats Lucha House Party to retain title

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits defeats Angel Garza and Andrade to retain title

WWE Undisputed Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Jeff Hardy defeats AJ Styles & Sami Zayn to win undisputed title

WWE United States Championship Match: Bobby Lashley defeats Apollo Crews to retain title

RAW Women’s Championship Kickoff Show Match: Asuka defeats Zelina Vega to retain title

Coming up this week:

RAW: Clash of Champions Fallout

NXT: Shawn Michaels hosts face-off between Finn Balor and Kyle O’Reilly Shotzi Blackheart vs. Dakota Kai

SMACKDOWN: Clash of Champions Fallout

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. 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

[placetobenation]

This is the week that COVID-19 hit the wrestling world hard. Among those confirmed with the coronavirus are Renee Young, producer Adam Pearce and Kayla Braxton. With Young having the virus, All Elite Wrestling was also affected as AEW Champion Jon Moxley, Young’s husband, was forced to sit out Wednesday night’s live show in Jacksonville as was QT Marshall, who was also exposed to someone who had COVID-19. On Friday night SmackDown, we even got some superstars wearing masks for the first time, yet no mention of it by Michael Cole or Corey Graves.

Man. What a few days. My show gets cancelled and I get Covid. Wear your masks and wash your hands. Stay safe, everyone

— Renee Young (@ReneeYoungWWE) June 25, 2020

It’s no surprise that the wrestling biz has been touched by the virus, all segments of our society have been. It’s now a matter of how the business reacts to it and keeps all in the various companies safe. Any talk of fans entering the arenas is probably now off until this latest crisis is contained. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the deadly disease.

I just wish the WWE would be more transparent when dealing with this pandemic. It makes no sense for the WWE to hide it at all. We are all dealing with the deadly virus. Showing us how it affects the WWE Superstars would lead to a better connection with the WWE Universe. I even reached out to the powers that be in the WWE on Twitter for an answer as to why they continue to hide what they are doing to protect their employees and also those who haven’t been seen in months – Roman Reigns chief amongst them.

@wwe @StephMcMahon @TripleH Why aren't you more transparent with fans about how you are dealing with the #Covid19 pandemic? We can handle the truth. Plus, it would be good to hear from @WWERomanReigns @FightOwensFight @ReneeYoungWWE and more on how they are dealing with it.

— The Crowe's Nest (@thecrowesnest) June 26, 2020

They always say that storylines are best when they are closer to reality. Well, the WWE has missed a golden opportunity to stand out on this issue and be a leader. Unfortunately, I don’t think their stance will change since it’s only voice that is being heard and only one voice that matters in Stamford, CT.

Now, onto the week.

RAW

RESULTS

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits defeated The Viking Raiders to retain titles

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Asuka defeated Charlotte Flair

24/7 Championship Match: R-Truth defeated Akira Tozawa

Natalya defeated Liv Morgan

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Sasha Banks & Bayley defeated The IIconics

United States Championship Match: Apollo Crews defeated Shelton Benjamin

Loved it:

Will @SashaBanksWWE join @itsBayleyWWE in being a DOUBLE champion at #ExtremeRules when she challenges @WWEAsuka for the #WWERaw #WomensTitle? https://t.co/B8pIjvcikO

— WWE (@WWE) June 23, 2020

Ladies Night – From the swerve of Sasha Banks teasing a match with Bayley for the SmackDown Championship to the Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair title match to the Liv Morgan vs. Natalya with Lana (edited, but still good) storyline and more, we got an interesting night from the Women of WWE. Sasha vs. Asuka could be a classic if they give it enough time and breathing room. We’ll miss Flair not that she’s been taken out by Nia Jax and will be having surgery (elective or not). Where Liv, Nattie and Lana go next is intriguing too! Although, I’m not too pleased to see Morgan jobbed out lately. She deserves a bigger push than that.

Anything you can do, we can do better … right?#WWERaw @AngeloDawkins @MontezFordWWE @Erik_WWE @Ivar_WWE pic.twitter.com/YewJ36fES3

— WWE (@WWE) June 23, 2020

Clean Finish – Full golf clap for the clean finish between the Street Profits and the Viking Raiders tag team match. Dug the honor and respect notion portion of their feud. Now, will they be allies when it comes to taking out Andrade and Angel Garza?

Predictable:

24/7: Sure, we knew that the Ninjas and Akira Tozawa were going to take the title from R-Truth, with help from Bobby Lashley of course. I just hope they continue with the antics out of the ring because that’s where the 24/7 fun really begins.

WE HAVE A TRADE

@HEELZiggler fills us in: He and @RealRobertRoode are coming to #WWERaw in exchange for @AJStylesOrg's move to #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/P1PqaxkoKL

— WWE (@WWE) June 23, 2020

Time will tell on this trade:

Dolph traded to RAW – So, we now know who SmackDown traded to RAW for AJ Styles. It was Dolph Ziggler and the Glorious Bobby Roode heading to Monday night. How convenient too in that Drew McIntyre needed an opponent for Extreme Rules and Ziggler is here to collect. They’ve got history, but it doesn’t seem like enough to get for The Phenomenal One.

The Legend Killer continues:

The Viper vs. The Big Show – I’ll be honest, I half expected Randy Orton to go crazy and take out Ric Flair instead of the tried and true of taking on The Big Show down the road. That would’ve been fun and a nice twist that Orton really wants to relive the Legend Killer days. Maybe down the road. But for now, it looks like Show is the next victim.

Not all in:

Monday Night Messiah vs. Mysterio – I’ll admit, after weeks of back-and-forth, I’m still not fully buying in to the whole Seth Rollins vs. Rey Mysterio and Dominick feud. There’s just not a lot there for me to take a bit out of. Maybe it will get some more sizzle at Extreme Rules, but I’m not holding my breath.

NXT

RESULTS

Cameron Grimes defeated Damian Priest

NXT Cruiserweight Championship Non-Title Match: Santos Escobar defeated Jake Atlas

Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez defeated Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro

Karrion Kross defeated Bronson Reed

Rhea Ripley defeated Aliyah

Dexter Lumis defeated Roderick Strong (count-out)

North American Championship Triple Threat Match: Keith Lee defeated Finn Balor & Johnny Gargano to retain title

Loved it:

There can only be one. #WWENXT @RealKeithLee @AdamColePro pic.twitter.com/mZI2u2oenS

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) June 25, 2020

Lee rides tall – Keith Lee is now THE man and next in line for the NXT Championship. A very solid triple threat main event leaves everyone strong and a huge title match in two weeks between Lee and Adam Cole. It wouldn’t shock me if we are basking in the glory of the NEW NXT Champion on July 8th.

What a BATTLE between @RealKeithLee, @JohnnyGargano & @FinnBalor! This is your #WWENXT MAIN EVENT! pic.twitter.com/f95Dpq7ufa

— WWE (@WWE) June 25, 2020

Rhea Ripley – Dare I say that Rhea Ripley is funny! It’s nice to see the “other” side of Ripley as we all know she’s a beast in the ring and has some depth to her as well. Next week, Robert Stone will be on more than just the trashy side of her physicality. Maybe he’ll throw a shoe again!

The end came for @bronsonreedwwe.

#WWENXT @WWEKarrionKross @Lady_Scarlett13 pic.twitter.com/zBn8UhsfGh

— WWE (@WWE) June 25, 2020

Karrion Kross vs. Bronson Reed – Oh sure, we knew there was no way that Reed was going to pull off an upset, but to see these two brutes wage battle against each other in a very physical matchup was entertaining.

THE BASH. IS. BACK!

The tradition of the #GreatAmericanBash comes to #WWENXT NEXT WEDNESDAY on @USA_Network! #NXTGAB pic.twitter.com/XR1wHCdgt9

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) June 25, 2020

The Great American Bash – Bringing back tradition is a good thing. First In Your House and now this WCW/WWE Summer Special. I just hope we get a few vignette highlight packages too of GAB of yesteryear. Those were some really good cards!

Fun and productive:

Kayden & Kacy vs. Raquel & Dakota – I like the build-up with Carter & Catanzaro in their mini-feud with Kai & Gonzalez. Both teams look stronger coming out of it too.

Dexter Lumis – Strong, silent and looking quite deadly. Roderick Strong, even after his Undisputed Era Therapy breakthrough, wanted no part of him but will now be strapped to him in next week’s first ever Strap Match at The Great American Bash.

SMACKDOWN

Due to the COVID-19 positive tests, we got a special tribute to The Undertaker on this week’s SmackDown. They are saying that the Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36 was UT’s final match. That will remain to be seen. The full first hour was devoted to special vignettes (taken from The Undertaker’s Last Ride WWE Network special) and the broadcast premiere of the Boneyard Match between The Undertaker and AJ Styles. Quality stuff even if you were watching for the second time.

.@WWEGranMetalik picks up the win for #LuchaHouseParty and #NewDay on #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/bvJGfq2Ovg

— WWE (@WWE) June 27, 2020

NIKKI DID IT! It will be @NikkiCrossWWE vs. @itsBayleyWWE for the #SmackDown Women's Title at #ExtremeRules: The Horror Show! pic.twitter.com/4gF4jjavWZ

— WWE (@WWE) June 27, 2020

As for the rest of the show, a fun second hour with in-ring action. We got Nikki Cross gaining her first PPV shot at Bayley’s SmackDown Championship at Extreme Rules. Really enjoyed the eight-man tag team match and it was nice to see Lucha House Party get the tv win as well.

"What do you say we go back to the swamp?"#SmackDown @BraunStrowman @WWEBrayWyatt pic.twitter.com/I79FHvSnx9

— WWE (@WWE) June 27, 2020

Universal Champion Braun Strowman set up his “swamp match” with Bray Wyatt for Extreme Rules. After asking for more to the storyline last week, I’m glad we got it out of Strowman by acknowledging his dark side past and inviting it back into his present. We can only imagine what kind of goodies we’ll get in that cinematic match with Wyatt’s twisted mind at work.

#ThankYouTaker.#SmackDown @undertaker pic.twitter.com/7nqJ0hzoWl

— WWE (@WWE) June 27, 2020

In the main event, it was an interesting sight to see all the SmackDown superstars at ringside to support Hardy’s tribute to The Undertaker against Corbin. LOVE the “Corbin sucks” chants too! A fitting end to the night too with Hardy, Strowman, Big E and Matt Riddle all getting their finishing moves over on Corbin. It was a nice nod to what used to happen at the house shows of yesteryear.

One question though – why was Riddle at ringside but nothing done to build on his win over AJ Styles last week until the final minute of the broadcast with a passing mention by Cole. And oh yeah, what happened to Styles vs. Drew Gulak for the Intercontinental Title? Details people!

RESULTS

Fatal Four-Way SmackDown Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Nikki Cross defeated Alexa Bliss, Dana Brooke & Lacey Evans

8-Man Tag Team Match: Lucha House Party & The New Day defeated Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, The Miz & John Morrison

Jeff Hardy defeated King Corbin

Extreme Rules PPV – Updated Card

WWE Championship Match – Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler

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

Universal Championship Match: Wyatt Swamp Match – Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt

SmackDown Women’s Championship – Bayley vs. Nikki Cross

PARTING SHOTS:

Sorry to see WWE Backstage get cancelled. Although, I’m not surprised. The 11pm eastern timeslot never gave them a chance! Signing CM Punk to pair with Renee Young was a nice coup, but not having him there every week hurt. When he was on, ratings went up. Plus, it never quite achieved the insider status it hope to get. Production-wise, the show was good. There just wasn’t enough of it at good spot and oh yeah, not too many TV viewers have or know of FS1. Put on a real network, it may have succeeded. For now, now that it’s been downsized in the pandemic age, we’ll see it again around the major PPVs.

Wear you masks people! It may be awkward, but it saves lives!

COMING UP THIS WEEK:

RAW:  Double Contract Signing WWE Championship – Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler RAW Women’s Championship – Asuka & Sasha Banks

NXT – Great American Bash – Night 1 Aliyah & Robert Stone vs. Rhea Ripley Fatal Four-Way NXT Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Candice LeRae vs. Mia Yim vs. Dakota Kai vs. Tegan Nox Strap Match: Dexter Lumis vs. Roderick Strong

SMACKDOWN: Sheamus Toast to Jeff Hardy

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. 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!