#than the top contenders are Cass and Jason

[mzminola]

Fascinated and disturbed by the trend in Preboot era of Bruce repeatedly stating he does not want Dick to be Batman, that Dick is better than that or shouldn’t be burdened by that, while also making it clear he sees Tim as Batman someday and is trying to mold him into that role, despite Tim making it just as clear that he actively wants to never be Batman.

[littleeyesofpallas]

I always really liked, in Death Note, that when they introduces M and N as L's two competing protégée, they just took a list of L's traits and quirks and split them down the middle: L was both logical and intuitive, passionate about justice and personally enraptured by solving puzzles, sat like a child, played with his food, and had an insatiable sweet tooth? Mellow gets the passion, the justice bordering on vengeance, the intuition, and the sweet tooth. Near gets the childlike demeanor, the play habits, the cold logic, and personal investment in puzzles for puzzles sake. And together they make one functional L.

I want that for the Batfam. Bruce has his giant obnoxious hyper competent repertoire, but instead of every Batkid being just a mini version of Bruce, give them each a SUPER distinct specialty. Something actually discernably different from their peers, rather than just slapping the same onesize fit all batbrand competency on all of them. The martial arts expert, the ace parkour/acrobat, the detective, the gadgeteer, the batcomputer data analyst, the criminal profiler, the vigilante, the master of disguise, the urban legend, the avenger, the ninja/assassin, etc... Obviously theyre each well rounded and versed in all these archetypes, but each one ought to have a specialized category where if it ever really came down to its, they could beat Bruce in a contest of that one set of skills. (Except Damian. Damian should just be a tiny Bruce with maybe a bit of an ethics problem, and the promise of being better than Bruce at EVERYTHING, just given a bit of time to grow into it while Bruce loses a bit of edge to old age)

(and frankly i really just want this for a bunch of hero families -the WWfam could have different fields of specialty from diplomacy to archeology and magic artifacts, to mythological beast tamer, to proper soldier and commander, etc...; the Flashfam could have radically different approaches to what elements of how they approach processing at superhuman speed and their atomic level of finite control; the Arrowfam could have a whole spread of survivalist vs hunter/tracker vs sport archer vs esoteric historical martial arts, etc skills to set one another apart.- but that's several whole other cans of worms...)

Dick is far and apart the best in the air, fastest maneuvering both around obstacles and on the run, in and out of the fray, sheer 0 to 60 from ground to air on a grappling line, fastest all around reaction time, and contender for most well honed raw athleticism right next to Cass.

Babs has the information network, the batcomputer sciences, and organizational and tactical perspective that comes uniquely from not just being a bat kid but from being so closely acquainted with GCPD's structures and systems. When it comes to cross referencing and pinpointing precise information, Babs is unmatched by a substantial margin.

Jason has the I Am Vengeance, I Am The Night down. The raw passion for crime fighting, and indeed the fixation on crime specifically. He and Steph are the most personally acquainted and invested in Gotham's underworld and the actual humans working, living, struggling and thriving in it.

Ill be honest I m actually never quite sure where the hell either Helena fits into this structure... Bertinelli feels like she should fit a niche almost too similar to Jason's, but lacking in the fanfavorite melodrama of being a dead robin. And Wayne ought rightly to fit a role not dissimilar to Damian or just Bruce himself... Consider this one unresolved...

Tim is of course is everyones favorite ace boy detective. I feel like theres always a temptation to make him Babs' equal in the tech department but outside of the laughable 90s hackerkid aesthetic I just dont see it. He's great at trivia and detective's intuition, and of course his near shamanic level of insight into Gotham itself.... He does strike me as one of the family's top gadgeteers; not a full blown engineer like Luke, but quick to pick up and make unconventional use of existing tech and hardware, matched and even surpassed in that respect only by...

Steph, who as Cluemaster's kid and one time potential protégée has had a thorough talent for tinkering and sabotage from and early age. Maybe she cant tap into the same depth of trivia or strictest logical deductions that some of the more thorough bred bats can, but no one can pinpoint the most vital areas, or dismantle a deathtrap more quickly than Steph, both by way of knowing the mechanics, but also by way of intimating a super villain's psychology and behavior. Where someone like Tim or even Bruce might fixate on knowing the exact layout or schematics or logistics of a hideout, a machine, or a plan before taking action to dismantle it, Steph knows at a glance where the most volatile parts of a machine or a plan are so that even if she doesn't have the time or the specific knowledge to work out every detail of what it does and how, she can figure out how to break a mechanism or topple a plan at its most central pillar(s) of support. I've always wanted her to be essentially the family's espionage expert, right next to Catwoman's breaking and entering expertise.(Ric Grayson eat your dman heartout)

Then there's Cass, and obviously, at her peak she's the family's (and frankly the world's) top martial artist. But even with her first language of combat fluency stripped down/away she's more than a match for anyone else in the family.

Luke kind of predictably taking his dads role as engineer, utilizing the full extent of the high end bat arsenal unlike really anyone else. People joke about comparing batman and Ironman but really if anyone should have a shtick comparable to Ironman it's Batwing. The rest of the bat fam can operate and maybe maintain the vehicles and hardware fine, but no one can design, upgrade, and see through the actual fabrication process of the tech better than Luke...

...Runner up in this same category is Harper, who is lacking in the straight up manufacturing department but built her whole vigilante arsenal by juryrigging salvaged battech.

Ill be honest, a bit like Huntress, I dont fully known what to make of Kate. Her background is unique among the batfamily as having been strictly military. She has a penchant for the noirsy side of the detective shtick, but thats more of a genre thing than a skill set; what does it really mean for her shtick inworld? I dont really have an answer...

Duke is a bit of a weird case in that the obvious answers are all baked right into his existing profile: he's the meta, he works in the light, he's supposedly more above board and less broody. And that all feels fine, but it also feels like he doesn't actually fit into the whole schema of batskills at all as a result. I would like to see him use his experience with We Are Robin to create a kind of PR or outreach branch of the bat fam. Like, a bat that Gotham can actually sort of get to know and learn to trust, beyond believing in a boogeyman or not. Like, i dunno, give him some airtime with Vicky Vale or Jack Ryder...

And I already mention Damian is just small Bruce waiting to grow into his dad's shoes. The whole benefit of being ras' heir is that he's the one kid who doesnt need Batman to train him. He can fight and think and ostensibly even gadget without Bruce, what Bruce gives him is what Ras and Talia cant: A moral compass. Plus it's a fun change of pace for Bruce to have a protégé where he isn't filling the time with teaching combat and shit to, so that he really has no choice but to learn to connect with Damian emotionally, for both Damian's sake and his own.

I'm not touching Gotham Girl with a 20ft pole...

Did I forget anyone??

People like Owlman, and Ghostmaker are all just the same shtick... Bruce's same character build stats but without the ethics. The Talons are cool but skillswise still just sort of amount to Nightwing knockoffs, ala the whole Owlman origins of the Court of Owls plot in the first place. Similarly the Batman Inc crew are just discount batmen; same basic skill tree but lower point values, so to speak. Not really worth investigating. (unrelated but has Catman fought Green Arrow before? I feel like they could have a really cool survivalist rivalry thing going on)

Not counting people like Clown hunter, or Harley, or Scarlet, or Raptor as parts of the family...

OH! Jace! Boy what a weird case. I wish we got more of an actual motive from him. It honestly doesn't feel like he has a particularly good reason to even be a vigilante, least of all a direct successor to Batman of all things. And I wish they hadn't just shipped him off to NYC... Other than that his shtick feels super weird in the scope of the general bat repertoire. Like Kate, it's weird that his background is really just (para)military rather than the more eclectic spread that Bruce has made the standard bat regimen.

[aingeal98]

The thing about the "who has the worst writing" question is that yeah Jason's writing has been terrible since his resurrection. But unlike before when the writing was terrible in a way to shit on him and prop up Bruce and Tim, now there are far more comics where the writing is terrible but every character around him suffers because the bad writer wants everyone to believe Jason is the coolest edgiest antihero ever. Don't get me wrong, the number one biggest culprit of this will always be Bruce. Jason and Damian both get terrible writing designed to prop up Bruce, and it sucks. But compared to the others their bad writing is a mixed bag of shitting on them and trying to make them better than everyone else.

(Jason gets this more than Damian, who often gets stuck in this place where the narrative wants you to believe he's better than all the other Robins but still needs to be dragged down in order to prop up Bruce? As if Damian is the problem in these situations and not his emotionally constipated father. If Didio had properly succeeded in making Damian a villain with that godawful future of dc plan he had then yeah he'd probably be a top contender. But thankfully they've moved away from that so hopefully he'll never get the Cass OYL treatment.)

And if you compare that to Steph's writing and how the narrative treats her in the majority of her appearances, if you compare it to everything that was done to Cass where they took one of the best written characters in the family and pushed writing so awful on her that she's only now really starting to get her groove back, if you compare it to how Babs has been stripped of most of her character in order to make her a more generic "girl of the squad" and the high levels of ableism that still appears all the time in her writing... Yeah it's not even a competition.

The majority of badly written comics for these three were designed in Steph and Cass's case specifically to put them down in favour of other characters, generally with disgusting amounts of misogyny and racism, and in Babs case designed to put her down in favour of the Joker and Bruce at first, and then after spending years fixing that terrible impact on her character, they destroy her and put her down again in favour of this new Babsgirl character they tried to push. All the evil oracle plotlines that Babsgirl got? Atrociously written with even worse thematic value.

So yeah. When it comes to bad writing everyone's a victim but the batgirls are specifically victims in how badly the terrible writing targets them over the others in that story, and the impact is had/has on their characters.

[felinemotif]

7 for tim and 18 for steph from the character ask game?

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

i actually really enjoy the fanon take of tim’s robin/hero/first crush being jason. those fics are guilty pleasure reads for me jeje.

i do love how in canon tim couldn’t care less about jason at first beyond what he symbolized as robin—it’s groundwork for an interesting dynamic and tbh given the choice, i would usually choose to read a jaytim or jason & tim fic with that background instead of “jason was my hero” but for the days that i’m craving smth bittersweet, it’s fun to read about jason realizing that he beat the hero-worship out of a teen who once admired him (or, even worse: said teen still loves him despite the beat down,, this is another dose of fanon tim actually bc canonically he does have a tendency of liking someone more after they beat on him a bit lol or just straight up not caring abt it at all).

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

this is such a difficult question for me to answer because we have the very obvious contenders of cass and tim, both of whom have been great partners (wink nudge) to steph but tbh cass is too obvious a decision. also, i am not in the habit of choosing male friends/partnerships over women bonding so unfortunately that strikes tim out.

stephanie is social, and worms her way under people’s guards whether they like it or not; she’s been shown to do this with just about every caped friendship she’s made but this is most prevalent with dinah lance.

dinah was a (reluctant) mentor to steph. they had excellent banter, and dinah’s approval meant a lot to steph (unless, of course, steph needed smth more than she wanted dinah’s approval; this was shown when she tricked/manipulated dinah into revealing the riddler’s location back in the robin comics when steph was trying to figure out what the connection was between nygma and her father… also i think this was after dinah stopped training steph? i remember their convo being a bit stilted on dinah’s side and i believe that was why but it’s been a bit since i read it).

steph has had some great female mentors over the years, but her bond with dinah was just so very special to me. dinah thinks of her as being brave and spunky, and steph hounded dinah to teach her bc she thought the black canary was kickass and was desperate for training.

i almost chose helena for this question, just because their first meeting in blunt trauma is one of my favorite reads, however the scene where dinah marched inside of steph’s house and kicked the cluemaster + his shitty friends out on steph’s behalf really sealed dinah’s place as one of my top canon friendships for steph.

also!! in batgirls i remember that steph was shown wearing a black canary shirt which i found super cute.

ask game

[bigskydreaming]

Your take on Damian and Jason bonding fics where they met in the League of Assassins?

Depends on what you’re talking about, since I see two types of those fics typically. The first - I’m not a fan. These are the ones where Jason and Damian met back then and formed a bond BEFORE either returned to Gotham. I dislike these because I’ve yet to read one that didn’t blatantly feel like an attempt to just replace the bond Damian has with Dick in canon with the same kind of bond with Jason, before he even meets Dick....and thus never ‘needs’ to form that bond with Dick....the strength of which is a defining catalyst for when and why Damian begins to change as a person.

Like, any time you just kinda....switch up a dynamic involving two characters by simply cutting and pasting one character out for another, its always going to feel to me like its just your attempt to have the dynamic you like with one character, but without having to be ‘saddled with’ the other half of the canon dynamic, a character you don’t like.

I’ve said many times that I don’t like the tendency to play favorites with the Batfamily, like, to have THEM play favorites with each other....not even when its Dick that’s the favorite lol, or like, people saying in a fic that Dick is Bruce’s favorite. Nah. No family benefits from favoritism. So its not that I want Dick to be the only ‘real’ or strong bond Damian has within the family, or that he can’t or I don’t want him to have connections with others....its that this particular dynamic is Dick and Damian’s and its that way for a reason....and if you just change things up in fic so that Damian STILL only has one REALLY strong bond within the family, its just now its with Jason and coincidentally, Damian and Dick are no longer that close here because there was never any reason for them to become close.....that’s when I side-eye.

Because also, too, there’s the fact that these characters are not interchangeable. A big part of the problem I have with fandom’s seeming contempt for Dick is that they then go on to write these versions of Jason or Tim that essentially feel just like they’re Dick Grayson with some Jason or Tim superficialities slapped on top. What I mean is, there’s a REASON that Dick is the first real bond other than with Bruce that Jason, Tim, AND Damian each all formed when they joined the family - just like there’s a REASON the myth of “Dick was an asshole to Jason at first” never made sense in terms of Dick’s actual characterization. 

And that’s because Dick, of all of them, is the one most likely to make the attempt to reach out and befriend the newcomer, welcome the new addition to the family. And it has nothing to do with him innately being ‘better’ than the others or anything like that, its purely to do with where these characters came from, the instincts that were hardwired into them years ago. I just don’t see Jason ever making the first move to bond with Damian then way Dick did in canon, because Jason is more territorial by nature, and with reason. He’s too cautious in a lot of emotional ways to be the one to open Damian up to the perks of being emotional, the way Dick did by literally just....letting himself be open emotionally with Damian, even though it left him vulnerable. 

And Tim, even without the way he and Damian were initially at odds - well, actually, BECAUSE of that, like as in for the same reasons the writers played it that way - Tim’s not really secure enough in his place in the family SPECIFICALLY, to take the lead in welcoming Damian into it and helping him feel secure in it, the way Dick the eldest did. 

Dick, by contrast, is hardwired to be welcoming. I make a big deal about his roots as a performer, because too often we only hear it mentioned that he was raised in the spotlight to hype up how self-centered or egotistical he is, as though insecurity and overcompensation are the only reasons ANYONE ever becomes an entertainer, even those born to a family of entertainers.....whereas I look at Dick’s roots and early childhood and see a guy who was born and raised to be INSTINCTIVELY inclined to put people at ease, to make people feel welcome, to defuse tension with a laugh and a smile. Dick was a child entertainer, and his first inclination is to ENTERTAIN. 

Because just like when seeing Jason as Robin, unsure and insecure, and just like when he saw Tim that way, seeing Damian that way when it comes to his new family, despite all his bluster....Dick is the one who was always going to be most likely to - and most likely the best at - putting that kid at ease. Putting aside his own gripes or feelings and doing what comes most naturally to him....putting on his performer’s mask and entertaining, disarming, charming the crowd, even the crowd of one, until they’re relaxed and secure enough for Dick to get through to, essentially.

So flat out - I just don’t see any scenario where as reserved and emotionally defensive as Damian was initially....that Jason or Tim or Bruce was ever going to have as much success being the FIRST one to really get through to Damian the way Dick did. (Which incindentally, is also part of my reservations about reverse-age AUs...particularly the ones where the family is almost closer than they are in canon, despite the fact that the most infamously reserved member is now the oldest and the most welcoming people pleaser among them is the last, with him having no influence on how successfully the others ended up integrated into the family. Too often, these smack of “see how much better others could have handled being the eldest and how much better it would have been for the family” and I’m just like.....uh.....I do not know that I agree with your logic.

So basically, fics that have Damian and Jason bond back in the League of Assassins, and then end up in Gotham sharing the kind of dynamic Damian usually has with Dick - AT THE EXPENSE of Damian having any similar kind of dynamic with Dick now, or any reason to develop one......meh. Not a fan.

THAT SAID:

There is another type of fic that could be referred to here, one where at some point AFTER Damian joins the family, he and Jason start to bond over shared experiences with the League or remembering having encountered each other in passing....THESE I have no problem with, and am even all for, as long as they’re used to like...again, add to the connections Damian has, rather than supplant or replace the ones he already has in canon. 

Because like I said, I’m not in favor of favoritism within the family, and that cuts both ways - even as much as I like Dick and Damian’s bond, I’m not a fan of necessitating that be the ONLY strong bond Damian forms. And a past with the League is something that’s unique and distinct to both Jason and Damian. Its a niche they both occupy and can occupy with each other without taking away from anyone else, because it is very uniquely THEIRS....and thus very uniquely a way in which ONLY they can fully bond. 

Not to mention, I reeeeeeeeeeally dislike fandom’s tendency to write that Damian is ‘spoiled’ as though being raised the Heir to the Demon was sunshine and puppy dogs, instead of murder and punishments. Damian’s status within the League gave him an ideal mask to hide behind when protecting himself emotionally - his haughtiness is as much an act, a defense mechanism as Jason’s abrasiveness, Tim’s aloofness, or Dick’s performances. In reality, Damian’s childhood in canon was abusive as heeeeeeeeeeeeell. We are talking about a kid who was literally raised to kill people, denied affection, and taught even not to expect or accept affection. THIS is what Dick had to break through, and its why Dick was ideal to break through it...Dick’s GOOD with kids like this....look at his teams and mentoring of various young heroes as much as his interactions with his family.

But once he HAS broken through to Damian and gotten him to open up to the idea of family....Jason is perfect for forming his second strong attachment, because Jason of all of them, is the one who will always be able to look at Damian’s arrogance and spoiled child ACT and see it as the mask it is - because he KNOWS the League in ways none of the others will, and thus has the clearest picture of what Damian’s early life had to have been like, what he went through, and how the spoiled prince routine was not at all consistent with the reality of being raised among the League that Jason himself is familiar with.

Plus, of course, Jason has his own extensively abusive childhood to contend with, that carries tons of paralells to Damian’s in ways that again are distinct to the two of them, even though all of the others had massively unpleasant childhoods in various places, times and ways as well. He’s the one who’s most going to understand the slight twitch heralding when Damian is expecting a punishment or a beating to follow a verbal reprimand, as well as understand just how important it is to Damian that this NOT be called out and addressed as what it is....even though Jason knows from his own experiences that it NEEDS to be addressed, for Damian’s own good. Thus Jason has ingrained instincts that enable him to navigate a lot of the minefields Damian’s issues create, in areas and ways where even Dick is going to come up short, for lack of personal experience or frame of reference. 

Bottom line is I’m ALL for Damian having more bonds than just with Dick, and I’m sick to death of stories that are just like “Dick and Damian vs Jason and Tim and also Cass exists probably but sorry I don’t know Duke well enough to write him I haven’t read a comic written in the last five years” (Isn’t it funny how often we’re told people don’t know Duke well enough to write him but also told the reason people write Jason/Kory/Roy is because the recent comics are ALL they’re really familiar with as opposed to the older stuff? HMM, FANDOM, HMMMMM - BUT I DIGRESS).

So yeah, I’m allllll for stories that give Damian new dynamics as well....as long as they’re not doing so just to have an excuse not to give any attention to the dynamic Damian ACTUALLY already has with Dick in canon. Like, gimme more Batfamily connections that ADD to their existence as a FAMILY, rather than just....cycle through and replace the connections that are already there in a never-ending dosey doe that never does shit to actually develop them as a family because writers prefer pretending key members of the family don’t exist or at least aren’t that relevant if they do.

[renaroo]

This is so completely random, but you're very probably the only Batfam Stan that also loves the Superfam and knows the various members of both families. I was wondering, in your mind, which members of the Superfamily match up with which members of the Batfamily? Like for instance, I've always firmly believed that Linda-Mae matches up with Dick, while Karen goes with Helena. As far as Babs goes, they share her.

If I’m reading you correctly, you’re asking who roughly inhabits the same spots in the Superfam that the Batfam has, yes? It’s really a fascinating question because I think there are lots of comparisons to be made, but it’s also interesting because of the ways they don’t line up perfectly. Like there’s a big difference in their structure just by the fact that Lois is the clear matriarch of the family and almost none of the Superfam have been without a relationship with her. So getting comparisons for some positions does tend to get a little fuzzy. So, I’m just going to go through the family one by one, starting with the most obvious which is Clark and Bruce. 

Clark Kent: Obviously as the central family patriarch and the one who basically inspires everyone else to come into their own while attempting to live up to his impossible image, Clark is the most Bruce-like in comparisons. Which of course, their similarities are as strong as their differences which has been the source of their mutual respect and friendship over the decades and just make them incredibly fascinating characters to play off of each other in almost any circumstance. 

Lois Lane: In recent years Kate has kind of stepped up to be the momma of the Batfam in a sense, and to be Bruce’s equal which would be representative of Lois and Clark’s equal footing in their relationship, but Kate’s got much less of a background for this position and for obvious reasons her relationship with Bruce is nothing like Lois’. In that way I would put Lois much more as a Selina Kyle. They share a street smarts and sassiness, prefer to look out for themselves but can’t help but fall into the same circles as their romantic interests, and in most realities end up married. It’s not a perfect fit, but I would argue it on more than a few grounds. 

Jimmy Olsen: Definitely the Dick Grayson of the Superfam. Not only is he Superman’s pal, but he’s sort of the emotional bond that keeps a lot of the Superfam connected. He’s not only trusted by both Clark and Lois and inspired by both of them, but he’s also a confidante and romantic interest for Kara, was a friend to Linda, and in general is someone who is just by definition associated with Superman. It’s an iconic duo in a lesser sense than Bruce and Dick. 

Martha Kent: Originally I was going to say Pa is the Alfred, but honestly Martha Kent is most definitely the Alfred Pennyworth of the Superfamily. She is a supportive and endearing voice, full of wit, and is the first person Clark goes to when he needs advice or solace. She is beloved by all of the Superfam members and has ben denmother/actual mother to nearly all of them in one sense or another. 

Jonathan Kent: The more I think about it, the more I find that Pa is really a lot like Leslie Thompkins in Clark’s life. He has a bit of a harsher vibe to him and his disappointment is something that Clark is more conscious and fearful of, but it all stems from firm morality and a fear and protectiveness of his son. He is the guiding light for Clark’s humanity and is the sort of man that Clark tries to live up to without ever feeling he can fully achieve it. And all that despite clearly having well defined flaws of his own. 

Lana Lang: Hilariously enough, I would put Lana on the level of a far more important and far more relevant and updated Vicki Vale. Again this seems like a strained comparison (because it is) but she’s a former romantic interest and friend to Clark who loves him but also couldn’t deal as well with realizing that he is Superman or at least that he’s something beyond her comprehension. And there’s still some pining and nonsense there, fortunately Lana is with John Henry now and written much better. Speaking of which...

John Henry Irons: A less murdery and more accepted member of the Superfam than his Batfam equivalent, John Henry Irons is a lot like Helena Bertinelli in that they both were inspired by the “patriarchs” of the family, but did things in their own style and in their own ways. He relies on his background and heritage as much as Helena does and it has influenced him to where he is today. 

Kara Zor-El: An apt comparison for Kara is actually Barbara Gordon. Not only were they good friends in the Bronze Age, but they were similarly motivated. Despite both of them having just as much heartbreak and tragedy in their lives as Batman or Superman, they make the choice to not be defined by that and instead to invent their superhero identities as a way of fulfilling an obligation they feel either to law and order or to the sense of not wanting to lose their adopted new home to the same forces that took their old one. 

Natasha Irons: Is absolutely the Superfam’s Stephanie Brown for better or worse. Nat is selfmade, has a family history of criminal activity but chooses to follow her uncle and Superman’s influences instead to make herself a superhero. Despite all she achieves, for absolutely no reason that makes canonical sense to... anyone who’s read it, basically, John abruptly decides she’s undeserving of her suit and takes it from her? That causes her to make some mistakes and play into a trap by one of the family’s worst enemies and get held hostage and tortured. Fortunately she wasn’t needlessly killed like Steph, but she did come back in spectacular fashion. 

Mae Kent: Mae is a completely different character from Linda Danvers. Mostly. Kind of. So I’m going to treat them as such on this list. Mae is actually Clark’s adopted sister in the preboot and was taken in and cared for by Ma and Pa Kent. She’s fairly independent, making a name for herself outside of Clark even if they continued to have a good relationship. When Clark dies for a year, she is one of the top contenders for taking his place and becoming a surrogate Superman herself. In this way she most reminds me of Kate Kane, self-made while deeply connected to the family patriarch and sharing a family bond. 

Karen Starr: Completely depends on which version you’re going with but if you’re going with the most common, the preboot, I think Karen is the most like Harper Row. She’s a solid member of the family, but she’s also beyond the family, and it’s not in a bad sense. She’s still connected to everyone, and every inventive and set apart almost purely based on her industriousness (making her business empire!) but as much as she does team up with everyone and join frays, she’s mostly off on her own adventures these days and most of her drama comes from civilian life rather than just her time as Power Girl.

Kon-El: This is going to be so freaking controversial but here we are. If I was to pick any analogue in the Batfam for Kon it would not be his best bud Tim, but his fellow leap-before-thinking, bit of a bad boy, fellow leather jacket wearing Jason Todd. They both like coming back from the dead and having inexplicable genre jumps throughout their histories and their main angst comes from a conflict of ideals and perspectives with their parental figures. Kon also is constantly concerned with going over the edge and turning to a villain because of his “bad genes” which reminds me a lot of how Jason felt judged for growing up and being born into a situation outside of his control. 

Linda Danvers: It’s a bit of a cheat since they’re my favorite heroes I grew up with at the time, but when I think of Linda I always think of Cassandra Cain. Linda was not born into an abusive home life, but she was part of an abusive relationship and made mistakes that eventually led to a death. Unlike Cass, however, Linda’s death was her own. That was the turning point in her origins and from that point on she was led to being Supergirl out of not just a weird combining with Mae but through discovering a deeper level of morality and humanity than she had once seen inside of herself. And that became such a strong light in her life, she was even able to inspire the redemption of the very demon that had been responsible for her murder. 

Traci Thirteen: It might be a bit early to call this, but I think Duke Thomas is the most positioned in the Batfam with Traci. Traci initially was a pretty independent character who mostly worked under the “advisement” of Clark and came into her own with her own identity and style. They both have good families they lose to tragic circumstances and slowly find their place within the gaggle of other children in their families. 

Maggie Sawyer: Like I’m not saying it’s a purely lesbian thing, but it’s kind of the lesbian friend detective in the force who goes above and beyond and may or may not be a hero in their own right thing that I compare Maggie Sawyer and Renee Montoya. It’s a thing. And it’s a thing that unites them because they both have banged Kate Kane. Which is the real dream.

Cir-El: My poor sweet daughter is of course far too similar and too unused much like my other dear sweet daughter, Helena Wayne. They are both daughters of the matriarch and patriarch of the family from alternate futures that may or may not ever happen. They hold their father’s values and their mother’s attitudes and they both have awful terrible first costumes. 

Chris Kent: Even though their personalities are starkly different, there is definitely a common thread between Chris and Damian Wayne. They come from troubling childhoods and have difficulties with the concept of unconditional love. Their only aspirations are to live up to expectations and take the mantles of their respective fathers. And for as much trouble as it may cause them they stand up against the villains they fear most in the final hour even under threat of pain or death. They both have a “I choose my real family” moment with a parent that mistreats them, too. 

Jon Kent: This may seem like an odd comparison for now, but I get a Tim Drake vibe from Jon. Hear me out, there’s a lot of superhero worship and naivety about what his new superhero identity is going to bring with it. And while he’s much younger and less detectively minded than Tim, Jon draws on his knowledge of his father’s legacy as well as what he observes from his friends and other superheroes around him to creatively get himself out of jams. Not to mention he loves giving those moralizing speeches. 

Perry White: He’s Jim Gordon. Next.

Krypto the Superdog: THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY MATTERS. Ace doesn’t go out much into the field anymore so the most apt comparison here is actually Goliath the Bat Dragon. Aaaaand that’s what I’ve got.��

I hope this all made sense I had fun writing it out lol

[smocatoff]

WWE Summerslam 2017 Review

Well...it turned out a little better than I hoped. 

Let’s break it down. 

Jason Jordan and The Hardys vs The Miztourage: n/a (Miztourage wins)

Didn’t watch. Can’t speak on it. Won’t be considered in the overall score.

Neville vs Akira Tozawa for the Cruiserweight Championship: n/a (Neville wins)

Didn’t watch. Can’t speak to it. Won’t be considered in the overall score

The Usos vs The New Day for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship: 4.5 out of 5 (Usos Win)

A great tag match from these guys. But what makes it better than the last one they had was those final minutes of the match. Both guys look great throughout the match, but that last leg had some of the best spots I have seen from both those guys. Excellent showing.

John Cena vs Baron Corbin: 3 out of 5 (Cena wins [lol])

Cena wins lol. They put on a good match, with Baron looking good against Cena for awhile, then Cena won for no good reason. Fuck that. Corbin is dead in the water. 

Natalya vs Naomi for the Smackdown Women’s Championship: 3 out of 5 (Natalya wins)

Serviceable women’s match. Both divas got their schtick in and they did it well. Nothing new. Glad Nattie won though. Good for her. 

Big Cass vs Big Show with Enzo in the shark cage: 3 out of 5 (Big Cass wins)

Good match. Both guys looked good, there was some decent psychology to it, it was solid. Enzo trash talking was both annoying and amusing, and then him stripping and greasing up to get out of the cage had me kekking a little. Cass gets a good rub out of all this. Hope he gets better and goes places. 

Randy Orton vs Rusev: 0.5 out of 5 (Orton wins)

What a fucking travesty! STOP MAKING YOUR TOP HEELS LOOK LIKE FUCKING GEEKS! JESUS FUCKING CHRIST! The only reason it isn’t a 0 is the RKO is always a fun finisher to watch...

Sasha Banks vs Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship: 3 out of 5 (Banks wins)

Again, serviceable match. Nothing too exciting, some good work put forward from both divas. Sasha winning was the right move. Hope Sasha turns heel soon. 

Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt: 3.5 out of 5 (Finn Wins)

A very good outing by these guys. The spectacle of the demon entrance is always a sight to behold, and the aura and story it can bring to a match is palpable. Both these guys did their schtick well and there was some good storytelling. 

The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro) vs The Shield (Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins) for the Raw Tag Team Championship: 4 out of 5 (The Shield win) 

4 stars simply because Cesaro ripped up that fucking beach ball. Holy fucking based. But it was also a really good tag team match. Some great psychology and tag moves, and that final sequence was very good. 

AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens for the United States Championship, with Shane McMahon as the guest referee: 5 out of 5 (AJ wins)

What can I say?...they told a perfect story. All the elements were there. Amazing psychology, great work by both performers, and a cohesive narrative that hit its beats amazingly well. There’s a reason why AJ is one of the best in the world. Loved this match. Though I would say its a soft 5 compared to...another match.

Jinder Mahal vs Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship: 3.5 out of 5 (Jinder wins)

Kind of a disappointing outing. I don’t know what it is, but Shin hasn’t had an exciting match since the second Roode match at Orlando. A shame. But it was still good. Both guys did their stuff really well. But I have to question why Jinder won...are they saving Shin’s moment for later? Who knows. 

Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman vs Samoa Joe for the Universal Championship: 5 out of 5 (Lesnar wins) 

Holy titties, what a fucking hoss fight! It was a god damn beautiful car crash, with everyone getting a chance to shine. The spots were all amazing and well performed, the match moved at a great pace, it was genuinely unpredictable, and no one looked weak coming out of it. An absolute masterpiece and a top contender for match of the year. Brilliant! 

WWE Summerslam 2017 overall rating: 4/5

A weak undercard, with some baffling blunders in the booking department, but it had a solid main event section, with two especially stellar matches. A good show that exceeded my low expectations. 

[gutwrenchradio-blog]

Around the Ring with TCB “Summer Slam Edition”

By: Tom Block, contributor to Gut Wrench Radio SummerSlam, the WWE’s second biggest PPV, is descending on Brooklyn NY this Sunday evening. You have a kickoff show starting at 5 p.m. ET and the main show starting at 7 p.m. ET. There’s so many matches with this co-branding event, let’s get down to the matches and the predictions. Cruiserweight Championship — Akira Tozawa (c) vs. Neville (Kickoff Show) I’ll be honest, I’m one of those who doesn’t pay much attention to this division. Neville has done a tremendous job as the champion but it’s clear his time has come with the surprising decision to have Tozawa win on RAW. The rematch occurs and I can’t see a reason to do another title switch. I wouldn’t be surprised if Neville moves up the card. Prediction: Tozawa Jason Jordan & The Hardy Boyz vs. The Miz & The Miztourage (Kickoff Show) Strung together at the last minute since the Hardy’s had no challengers with Scott Dawson out with injury and you could tell Monday night on RAW this was probably going to happen. Make no mistake, Jason Jordan isn’t getting the rub WWE hoped for with this stupid Kurt Angle story. The Miztourage is too good to be in this match. WWE still wants to ride on this train with Hardy’s and Jason. Prediction: Hardy’s & Jordan SmackDown Tag Team Championship — The New Day (c) vs. The Usos (Kickoff Show) I love The New Day and the crowd loves The New Day. Don’t get me wrong, The Usos have very much stepped up into this role of being a great heel tag team but they just aren’t there yet for an extended run. You had them win clean against TND on Smackdown Live so I don’t see the title changing hands. The rivalry will continue though. Prediction: The New Day Big Show vs. Big Cass with Enzo Amore This is a match that should be on the kickoff show. The shark tank gimmick is stupid. Unless a heel turn from Amore is coming, I hope this is quick. Prediction: Big Cass and his big dumb entrance music Randy Orton vs. Rusev Remember when everyone thought Rusev would be a legit world title contender before his injury? Good times. Him and Lana have something in common in storylines, and that’s being losers and terrible gimmick’s. Orton isn’t jobbing on another PPV to someone who isn’t going anywhere currently. Prediction: Orton SmackDown Women’s Championship — Naomi (c) vs. Natalya Naomi has not been a great woman’s champ. The only GLOW I’ve been feeling is GET LANA OFF WRESLTING the champ for zero reason, which has set up where we are today. That and these multi-women matches for contenders. Anyway, Natalya wins and I don’t think Carmella comes out and cashes in her MITB. Seems too obvious but if she does I bet she Baron Corbin’s it. Prediction: Natalya John Cena vs. Baron Corbin Corbin got the LOL emoji’s after Tuesday night’s failed cash in. Corbin doesn’t excite me as a champion so I’m glad he doesn’t have that briefcase. If the rumor of Cena going to RAW is true, then give the win to Corbin for the heat as he “got rid of John Cena on SD Life” narrative. Prediction: Corbin Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt The demon king finally has been awoken for this match. He lost clean to Bray on Monday night so I see no reason to go for all this trouble in getting Balor in his makeup to loss again. I wouldn’t mind seeing this result create a new supernatural heel tag team. Prediction: Balor Raw Tag Team Championship — Sheamus & Cesaro (c) vs. Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins Sheamus and Cesaro have done a great job as tag champs. Probably far exceeding anything I ever expected when it first came up. That time has come for them to drop the titles. You’ve had a tremendous build up to Ambrose and Rollins reuniting. I don’t see the WWE throwing a curve after all that. 2/3’s Shield winning seems like the direction needed and the money draw would be fantastic. Prediction: Shield Reunion Raw Women’s Championship — Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Sasha Banks I’m happy this isn’t Bliss vs Bayley. I’m tired of Bayley. Her character is stale and watered down. This match is now the two best women on the Raw brand in a title match I really don’t know who to pick. I could see Bliss winning and staying as champ for a few more months and Banks getting her chance to really shine as champ. I just don’t see WWE done with Bliss in the spotlight but Banks wins in some fashion that keeps Alexa hunting her down. Prediction: Banks United States Championship — AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens with Shane McMahon as the special guest referee Here’s a wild statement – there will be controversy in this match. This will easily be the match of the night. And as much as I enjoy them, this is where the train needs to stop. AJ needs to retain and move on with KO probably fighting Shane in an upcoming PPV. Prediction: AJ WWE Championship — Jinder Mahal (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura Everyone who reads the dirt sheets, knows the WWE is coming up on a tour of India and the biggest draw for that money will be the Canadian Mahal. I love how Nakamura has been built up since his main roster debut. He deserves to be in the title spotlight but I can see Jinder continuing to sell the narrative that he needs to cheat to win. These two will continue on and I’m willing to bet after the India tour, the title will change. Prediction: Mahal Universal Championship — Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman vs. Samoa Joe I want nothing more than Samoa Joe to win this match. That’s a guy who has since day one on the main roster, done what has been needed to make him a legit top heel threat. I don’t see Lesnar losing and at the same time there’s too much money to be made on a Lesnar – Stowman match. Roman Reigns can go away. I feel bad for Joe in all of this because of how deserving he is. Prediction: Lesnar

[placetobenation]

August 14, 2017 From the TD Garden in Boston, MA Your hosts are Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Booker T

We get a video package on Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins as it recaps their relationship over the past few weeks.

Ambrose comes out to the ring as we kick off the show. He yells for his music to get cut then tells us he is wondering what is going on between Rollins and himself, much like the rest of us, before bringing Rollins to the ring. Ambrose tells Rollins he is sick of playing games and wants to know what he is doing. Rollins wants to know why Ambrose keeps showing up to save him then says deep down Ambrose wants to team with him and that the two of them can own the place. Rollins sticks out his fist as the crowd goes nuts while a conflicted Ambrose paces around. Ambrose then says last week Rollins burned him and that leads to Rollins saying he cannot even trust him and thinks it might be a stupid idea for them to team up. Rollins then says maybe their differences make them such a great team and how together, no one can touch them. Rollins is about to leave but Ambrose grabs his arm then looks around before sticking out his fist. Rollins makes a fist then goes to leave but Ambrose grabs his arm again then the two have a shoving match ending with Ambrose taking him down. Ambrose yells “what is your problem” before the two spill outside. However, Cesaro & Sheamus run out and beat them down. Ambrose is tossed over the barricade then the champs drag Rollins inside and beat him down. Ambrose gets up and runs in but is quickly outnumbered. Rollins manages to hit a crossbody onto Sheamus then they fight back and clear the champs from the ring. Ambrose and Rollins stare each other down then Ambrose starts looking crazed and sticks out his fist but pulls back as Rollins does not reciprocate. Rollins then sticks out his fist as he apparently wants to be the first one to initiate this and the two briefly go back-and-forth until finally bumping fist as the crowd goes mental. GM Kurt Angle then comes out and tells us that Rollins & Ambrose vs. Cesaro & Sheamus for the RAW Tag Team Titles will happen at SummerSlam.

Good segment. Rollins seemed to struggle a bit on the mic at the beginning but the crowd was red hot and they built up a lot of interest in these two teaming up again over the past few weeks. The fist bump got a huge reaction and they now have a big title match for this Sunday. 

Back from break, Michael Cole tells us that Ric Flair is facing multiple medical issues at the moment but did have successful surgery today.

RAW Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Nia Jax vs. Sasha Banks

Alexa Bliss comes out and sits in a lifeguard chair that is in the middle of the aisle. Nia runs over Sasha then we head to break. We return with Nia in control but Sasha fights back. Sasha tries to hit a hurricarana on the outside but is caught and flung hard into the barricade. Nia rolls her inside for a two count then works a bearhug. Nia tosses Sasha around a few more times then gets a nearfall with a leg drop. Sasha counters a possible chicken wing gutbuster attempt with a rollup then gets on Nia’s shoulders and works a rear chinlock. Nia breaks that up with a Samoan Drop that gets two then she hits another one but Sasha rolls outside to avoid getting pinned. Sasha gets back in and manages to avoid an elbow drop as we head to a second commercial. The action returns with Sasha hitting Nia with rapid-fire knee strikes in the corner. Nia catches Sasha with a big boot though then tries to pick her up but Sasha pulls her down and locks on the Banks Statement. Nia almost makes it to the ropes but Sasha spins around and locks it on from the other side. Nia gets up and tries a side slam but Sasha flips over and takes Nia down with a DDT then locks on the Banks Statement in the middle of the ring as Nia has no choice but to tap out (14:54) **.

Thoughts: I thought this started off painfully slow but picked up towards the end with Sasha finally getting Nia down in order to lock on the Banks Statement. With Bayley out due to injury Sasha is the best choice as a replacement.

Backstage, Angle is happy about what he just saw. We then see the Hardy Boyz as Angle tells them that Scott Dawson’s injury means they will not be facing them at SummerSlam. Matt talks about having a “delightful” time at SummerSlam but Miz and The Miztourage interrupt. They are upset over being attacked by Brock Lesnar as Miz tells Angle he will be facing Jason Jordan tonight instead of Axel but then a referee runs over to say there is a problem between Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt as we head to break.

After commercial we see Balor and Wyatt brawling as several officials are trying to separate them. They refuse to wait until SummerSlam to wrestle then Angle says that means SummerSlam is coming early.

Elias Samson is in the ring. He then asks who wants to walk him in then talks about Fenway Park being a dump but it did inspire him to write a song. Elias sings about the people in Boston being disgusting and how he cannot wait to leave because it is “wicked cursed” but R-Truth interrupts. Elias then attacks R-Truth as soon as he entered the ring. Elias then asks for his guitar and puts hit over his shoulder as his theme plays. Elias got a lot of heat here and does a great job doing so with his prematch routine but needs to work on maintaining that from bell-to-bell.

Big Cass comes out as the shark cage that Enzo Amore will be suspended above ringside at SummerSlam is in the ring. We are shown a replay of Big Show knocking him out last week then Cass tries to talk but is booed whenever he tries to speak as the crowd is ragging on him something fierce. Cass keeps stopping when the booing gets loud and says he will stay all night. He finally speaks and talks about facing Big Show at SummerSlam as the booing continues, which Cass says he’ll talk over them. Cass then tells us how Enzo Amore needs to stand behind someone so they can defend him from all the people he pisses off in the locker room. Cass then says Big Show needs his “jester” to come out in order to stay relevant. Cass then makes fun of the crowd for laughing at Enzo’s awful jokes then talks about Enzo getting to see Show get destroyed while locked inside of a shark cage. Cass then promises to prove how he is the “best big man” in the game today but Enzo interrupts. Enzo does his shtick then mocks Cass by speaking then stopping as he says Cass is rambling like a man that has been knocked out two weeks in a row. Enzo starts mocking Cass by dancing in the aisle as Cass tells him to come and say this to his face. Enzo then asks Cass if he is seeing “stars” but jokes that he is looking at one right now before bringing out the Big Show. Both men are behind the cage as Cass knocks Enzo off of the apron. Show attacks Cass but then Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson run out and attack Show, who fights them off until getting hit with a big boot from Cass. Cass ties a belt around Show’s wrist and Gallows holds it as Cass slams the door on the hand then starts stomping it as Anderson has grabbed the legs of Show to help hold him down. Cass then holds up his arm as the crowd boos while a few officials check on Big Show.

Cass ended up getting a ton of heel heat here. I really liked the end with Cass targeting the hand that knocked him out as with Gallows & Anderson helping out its clear what Cass’s plan was when suggesting Enzo get suspended above the ring. 

Clips of last week’s Last Man Standing match between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman that saw Samoa Joe choke out Reigns to cost him the match.

Graves lets us know that Titus O’Neill has gotten Akira Tozawa a Cruiserweight Title match tonight against Neville.

WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match: Akira Tozawa w/ Titus O’Neill vs. Neville

Tozawa manages a quick rollup for two then they end in a stalemate. They get in each other’s faces before Tozawa catches a kick and follows with a dropkick. Tozawa hits several chops but Neville boots him in the gut. Tozawa dropkicks Neville off of the apron after a reversal sequence then knocks him down with a right after Neville prevented a dive attempt as we head to commercial. The action returns with Neville hitting a missile dropkick for a two count. Neville targets the shoulder an arm while Booker T talks about Tozawa being trained by Ultimo Dragon. Tozawa escapes and hits a Saito suplex then flies out with a tope. Tozawa heads back inside for a second one then rolls Neville in as that gets two as Titus is all fired up now too. Tozawa avoids a dropkick then kicks Neville in the face. Tozawa heads up top but Neville cuts him off and they fight up top until Neville hits a superplex as both men are down.  Neville hits a few kicks but Tozawa snaps off a hurricarana then hits an enziguiri. Tozawa heads back up top but Neville gets to his feet. Neville then uses the ref as a shield before yanking Tozawa down by the shoulder. Neville targets the shoulder for a bit longer then heads up top for the Red Arrow but Tozawa moves out of the way and climbs up top slowly and hits the senton for the win and the Cruiserweight Championship (11:29) ***1/4. After the match, Apollo Crews runs out to join the celebration as Graves compares this upset to Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson as Titus parades around the ring with Tozawa on his shoulders.

Thoughts: Neville’s dominant title reign ends here on RAW. The match was good but a bit slower paced than you would expect from the two. The crowd gave Tozawa a good ovation after his victory too. A nice moment for Tozawa and the Titus Brand.

Replay of Cass, Gallows, and Anderson destroying Big Show’s hand. After that, we see Show & Enzo in the trainer’s room as Show learns his hand is broken. Enzo tells Show not to worry about SummerSlam but he tells Enzo that he has fought bigger and hurt worse before as he will be wrestling at SummerSlam. I liked Show’s promo a lot as a worried Enzo will have to watch his new friend while locked inside of a cage.

Emma and Mickie James are in the locker room. Emma is upset over social media blowing up about Sasha’s win as she was screwed out of the title opportunity last week. Emma then rambles on about being part of the “Women’s Revolution” until Mickie cuts her off. Mickie reminds Emma that she tapped out last week and likes to write her own history. She then tells Emma to put her phone down and challenges her to a match for tonight.

Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor

Balor starts kicking the legs of Wyatt then grabs a side headlock as he is starting off in an aggressive manner. Wyatt cuts off a springboard move with an uppercut then taunts the crowd after a shoulder tackle. Balor uses Wyatt’s momentum to take him outside then hits a soccer kick from the apron as we head to break. The match returns with Wyatt taking Balor down with a side headlock. Wyatt hits a gutbuster for two as the announcers talk about him being threatened over Balor’s “Balor Club” because he believes he is a god. Wyatt uses a chinlock but Balor escapes. Balor hits a few kicks in the corner then runs wild. Both men collide and are down for a bit but Balor comes back with a sling blade. Wyatt sidesteps a shotgun dropkick attempt and gets two with a senton. Wyatt taunts the crowd then sets up for the Sister Abigail but Balor escapes then hits a stomp. Wyatt rolls outside but Balor runs out and dropkicks him into the barricade. Back inside, Balor heads up top but Wyatt cuts him off and hits the Sister Abigail for the win (11:31) **1/4. After the match, Balor tries to pull himself up by Wyatt’s leg but gets hit with another Sister Abigail instead. The lights go off then turn back on with Wyatt is holding a bucket of red paint that he pours all over Balor, who is rolling around while Wyatt screams then laughs.

Thoughts: Man, the crowd was dead for this match. In a show where Big Cass and Elias got a lot of heel heat, Wyatt could not get much of anything. Plus, having Balor lose clean was moronic. Its obvious the end was leading to The Demon being brought back but at least have a screwy finish that sees Wyatt cheat to win instead of losing clean as a sheet. While Wyatt’s promos are repetitive, his ring work has taken a noticeable step back this year.

Emma vs. Mickie James

Emma works a side headlock to start. Mickie escapes and lands a few kicks then a pancake but gets cut off the top rope and spills outside. Emma rolls Mickie back in and covers for two as the announcers talk about SummerSlam. Emma locks on a full nelson but Mickie escapes. Emma takes her back down with a clothesline and follows with some mounted punches before pulling the hair. She hits a double underhook suplex for two but runs into a super kick. Mickie heads to the middle rope but gets yanked off as Emma tries a few pin attempts but cannot get the win. Mickie then ducks an attack and hits a roundhouse kick for the win (4:08) 3/4*.

Thoughts: This was rough. The match was disjointed and the crowd was silent and did not care one bit. For someone who has been regarded as underutilized, Emma has shown nothing at all while on the main roster to show she is worth getting a bigger opportunity.

We get a special look at the film “The Hitman’s Bodyguard.” They used clips of WWE partners that disagreed with each other to supplement the film clips.

Balor leaves Angle’s office and is interviewed by Charly Caruso. He talks about having a rematch against Wyatt at SummerSlam then mentions that he has his demons too. The sooner this feud ends the better for Balor because feuding with Wyatt is going nowhere.

Miz w/ Maryse & The Miztourage vs. Jason Jordan

Cole says a win tonight could put Jordan in contention for the Intercontinental Title. Jordan uses his amateur wrestling skills to take control early. Miz reaches the ropes then Jordan sends him outside with a dropkick. Miz huddles with the Miztourage but Jordan avoids a sneak attack then spears Miz in the corner. He sets up for his pop-up neckbreaker but The Miztourage run in for the DQ (1:33). They beat down Jordan until the Hardy Boyz make the save as we go to break.

Thoughts: Just a set up for what we saw after the break.

Miz w/ Maryse & The Miztourage vs. Jason Jordan & The Hardy Boyz

This match was made by Angle during the commercial break. The Hardy Boyz work over the arm of Axel to start as the crowd does “delete” chants when Matt is in the ring. Jordan gets in and also works the arm until Axel knees him in the gut. Bo is in and is taken quickly taken down. Matt hits a DDT then works the arm too as the announcers talk about Matt Hardy using the word “woken” and how they put The Revival out of commission. Miz is in now as Jordan works him over. Jordan charges in the corner but Axel yanks Miz out of harms way as we head to break. The match returns as Matt is beating on Axel. Matt gets distracted and knocks Miz & Bo off of the apron but that allows Axel to attack from behind. The Miztourage cuts off the ring then Miz tags in and knocks Jordan off of the apron. Miz runs into a clothesline then is able to tag out as Jeff runs wild. He gets a nearfall with the Whisper in the Wind then heads back up top but Miz cuts him off then Bo hits a draping Roll of the Dice but Jordan makes the save. Jordan runs wild then Jeff hits Bo with the Twist of Fate that Axel breaks up. Jordan is in and tosses around Axel and Miz then the Hardy Boyz put Bo away with the Twist of Fate/Swanton combo (14:19) **.

Thoughts: The crowd loved the Hardy Boyz but this was a really slow match until the final minutes. Jordan showed great fire but really proved to me that he is better suited in a tag team running wild off of a hot tag than he is a singles performer. At least now anyway. He is still not over though and the storyline remains poor as Angle and him have barely been on screen together since the reveal. The other story being played up was Miz being afraid of Jordan and his amateur ability.

Cole then breaks the news that “The Demon” Finn Balor will be back at SummerSlam. Hopefully that gets over with the crowd because the feud is ice cold.

Tomorrow night on “205 Live” we will see Tozawa’s championship celebration. Also, Neville revoked his rematch clause and will be facing Tozawa at SummerSlam. I really hope this was not done just as a “moment” so Neville can win it back at SummerSlam.

Angle is in the ring. He has security surrounding ringside as he welcomes out those involved in the Universal Title Fatal Four Way match at SummerSlam. Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman are out first as Heyman talks about no matter how much security there is all hell will break loose. Heyman then tells us that Lesnar will take care of all three challengers. Samoa Joe comes out next and even shoves a security guy in the back before entering the ring. Joe tells Lesnar he does not fear him and at SummerSlam he will rip the Universal Championship from his hands after putting him to sleep with the Coquina Clutch. Braun Strowman comes in now sporting a new shirt as he tells both men he is always the last man standing. Joe interrupts to remind Strowman that he was the one who put Reigns out and that Reigns was beating him down before that happened. Joe then says Strowman was barely able to stand up as he was putting Reigns down. Reigns comes in and immediately spears Joe but Strowman hits Reigns with a powerslam. We are left with Strowman and Lesnar in the ring now as security runs in to stop any potential confrontation. Security struggles to keep the guys apart then get tossed outside until its just Strowman and Lesnar. The locker room empties as they separate the two. Both guys each break free to land a few punches then the show ends. I liked the mic work by Heyman and Joe here and the pull apart between Lesnar and Strowman. It looks like they are going for Reigns/Joe and Strowman/Lesnar as post-SummerSlam feuds.

Final Thoughts: The first half of this show was solid but it really died down after that. Tozawa winning and the Ambrose & Rollins fist bump were great to see and they did hype up a few other midcard matches at SummerSlam. However, the Wyatt/Balor stuff was poor and deflated the crowd.

As far as SummerSlam is concerned on the RAW side, the Universal Title match should be a blast as they’ve built up all four men as credible threats. Its also the biggest match on the show. The Tag Title match should be another good one and I’d say the same for the Cruiserweight Title match too. Alexa and Sasha had a good match last time out and hopefully their chemistry continues.

Anyway, the direction that RAW heads after SummerSlam is intriguing with the rumors of another “Superstar Shakeup” on the horizon and especially with the stipulation of the Fatal Four Way where Lesnar has to leave the WWE if he loses the title.

[wwe-videos-blog]

Top 10 WWE SummerSlam2017 - Full Match Card Prediction

Subscribe To Our Channel: https://goo.gl/M8vqLr

Universal Championship -- Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman (Fatal 4-Way): These four men are very much capable of destroying one another. More than 1,200 pounds of mass will be colliding in this match at SummerSlam; it has to see who walk as a WWE Universe Champion.

Win Prediction: Roman Reigns

Raw Women's Championship -- Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Bayley: In defeating Sasha Banks on Raw, Bayley earned the No. 1 contender ship for the RAW Women’s title. She has an opportunity to make this title to her name once again but as per our prediction, Alexa Bliss will still walk out as a Winner.

Win Prediction: Alexa Bliss

SmackDown Women's Championship -- Naomi (c) vs. Natalya: Natalya earned this match after winning a Fatal 5-Way match at Battleground. Natalya will look to win her first "women's" championship after previously being divas champion for two months.

Win Prediction: Naomi

The following matches have not been made official for SummerSlam and are simply speculation.

WWE Championship -- Jinder Mahal (c) vs. John Cena: Considering the patriotic rhetoric Cena immediately began using upon returning, it would make sense that WWE is setting this match up for Cena to win his 17th WWE heavyweight title and break the record of Ric Flair. But before this match to happen, John Cena will have to beat Shinsuke Nakamura for the opportunity on Tuesday.

Win Prediction: John Cena

SmackDown Tag Team Championship -- The New Day (c) vs. The Usos: New Day won the titles at Battleground, so a rematch is very much on the cards. There are no other tag teams on the show really deserving of the spotlight anyway.

Win Prediction: The New Day

Raw Tag Team Championship -- Sheamus & Cesaro (c) vs. Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins: With no other face tag teams on Raw, WWE needs to figure something out, and it seems like the Ambrose/Rollins pairing -- either as a team or opponents -- is where WWE is going in the near-term. My guess is they pick up another impressive tag team win and then get a title shot.

Win Prediction: Sheamus & Cesaro

Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt: Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor Is Perfect Feud for Both WWE Superstars. When Bray Wyatt attacked Finn Balor during the main event of Raw Monday night, he set up what should become one of the most genuinely entertaining feuds of 2017.

Win Prediction: Finn Balor

Intercontinental Championship -- The Miz (c) vs. Jason Jordan: It appears that Miz is moving on from Ambrose and Rollins, and Jason Jordan is his next guest on MizTV. With general manager Kurt Angle on his side, Jordan could get a quicker title shot.

Win Prediction: Jason Jordan

Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles: Stage is set for Kevin Owens and AJ Styles to fight for a US title once again after AJ winning the triple threat match for US title in SmackDown.

Win Prediction: AJ Styles

Big Cass vs. The Big Show: Big Cass vs. The Big Show is now surely a match on the card, which is also going to be a very interesting. It will be interesting to see how fast WWE decide to push Big Cass after this current feud.

Win Prediction: Big Cass

I hope you would like this video. Do share your views and your SummerSlam match card predictions in the comment section below.

Do share this video on social media with your friends.

Do not forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get more such video updates:

Subscribe To Our Channel: https://goo.gl/M8vqLr

Also, connect with us on social media channels:

Like Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/24x7Universe Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/24x7Universe Follow Us on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+24x7Universe

[placetobenation]

July 31, 2017 From the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA Your hosts are Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Booker T

The show starts off with a video package hyping up tonight’s triple threat match between Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe, and Braun Strowman.

Kurt Angle comes out to start off the live show. He gets a great reaction from his hometown crowd. He talks about planning an incredible show with Big Show vs. Big Cass, Miz TV with guest Jason Jordan, and tonight’s triple-threat match. Angle then tells us today is the 21st anniversary of when he won an Olympic Gold Medal then thanks the crowd and is about to leave but Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman come out to the ring. Heyman says he knows what Angle is trying to do and that is doing everything he can to take the title off of Lesnar by putting him in a Fatal Four Way match at SummerSlam. Heyman puts over the other competitors and suggests Angle wants the title off of Lesnar in order to protect the RAW brand. Heyman says they might as well name SummerSlam after Lesnar losing the title then says if Lesnar loses the title, he will leave the WWE and Heyman will follow suit. Heyman then tells Angle that Lesnar will not lose his title and storms off with his client.

Solid start to the show with Heyman adding another storyline heading into the Fatal Four Way match at SummerSlam with Lesnar leaving the WWE if he losses. With Lesnar and Jon Jones calling each other out it is very possible that Lesnar can leave the company and compete in UFC after SummerSlam. 

Hardy Boyz vs. Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows

The Revival are on commentary. Anderson and Matt start off the match as The Revival puts themselves over on commentary, stating they are the #1 contenders for the Tag Team Titles. The Hardy Boyz work over Anderson now as the announcers ask The Revival about their Twitter exchanges with the Hardy Boyz. The Hardy Boyz clear the ring after Gallows runs in then we head to commercial. The match returns with Gallows beating on Jeff as we saw him take control during the break with a super kick. Jeff hits Gallows with a Twist of Fate and tries to make a tag but Anderson cuts him off after a tag. However, Anderson misses a charge then Jeff tags out as Matt runs wild. Matt gets a nearfall with a bulldog. Side Effect gets two. Gallows kicks Matt in the back of the head from the apron but Jeff breaks up a Magic Killer attempt. Anderson then gets dumped as Matt hits Gallows with the Twist of Fate then Jeff puts him away with the swanton bomb (9:06) *1/2. After the match, The Revival have words with the Hardy Boyz near the ramp then start brawling. Gallows & Anderson join in as this ends with the Hardy Boyz cleaning house.

Thoughts: The match was disappointing as both teams looked sluggish and appeared to be going through the motions. They spent a lot of time trying to put over The Revival on commentary but the team did not impress all that much on the mic. Anyway, these teams are all feuding with each other and a triple threat tag match between them at SummerSlam is certainly a possibility.

Renee Young is backstage with Dean Ambrose. She shows him footage from last week where he teamed with Seth Rollins to defeat Miz & The Miztourage. However, Dean shoved Seth away after a hug then left him hanging after Seth tried to give the Shield fist bump. Dean said he felt good then is about to answer if he will get back together with Seth, who interrupts. Dean tells Seth he still does not trust Seth and even though the WWE Universe wants it to happen and maybe a small part of him does too, its not going to happen.

After the break, Seth is shown walking backstage where Sheamus & Cesaro confront him as Cesaro says he wishes he could relate to his experience but they are now the best of friends because they trust each other, unlike Seth who stabbed his former friend Dean in the back. They remind Seth that he is alone and could not even be on an episode of “Ride Along” as they suggest he have a show called “Ride Alone.” Seth then says if they want to pick a fight, then to fight and challenges either of them to a match tonight. Sheamus says he will fight Seth.

Cedric Alexander & Rich Swann & Akira Tozawa w/ Titus O’Neill vs. TJP & Tony Nese & Ariya Daivari

Nese and Alexander start off with Alexander getting the best of him. Swann and Daivari are in now as Swann gets a two count with a headscissor takedown. Cole tells us that Daivari is calling himself the “Sheik” of the Cruiserweight Division as Tozawa hits him with a senton. Daivari attacks Tozawa’s injured shoulder as Tozawa screams at Titus, stating he is okay as we head to break. The match returns with Daivari continuing to work over Tozawa’s shoulder. Tozawa comes back with the Shining Wizard then tags as Swann runs wild on TJP. Nese breaks up the pin after a standing frog splash then the match breaks down with Swann & Alexander hitting dives to the outside. Tozawa then flies out with a tope to take down Daivari. Back inside, Swann and TJP mix it up then Swann makes a blind tag and hits a roundhouse kick before Tozawa hits a top rope senton for the win (8:46) **1/4.

Thoughts: The action was decent but the crowd was dead for this match. Tozawa got the win as he heads into tomorrow night’s match on “205 Live” against Daivari to determine who gets to face Neville for the Cruiserweight Title at SummerSlam.

Miz TV with guest Jason Jordan. Miz tells us how he hates Pittsburgh then welcomes Jordan to the ring. He asks Jordan how he feels and about the fans booing him. Jordan says will do what they want and that is cool but when it comes to boos, Miz is the expert. Miz tells Jordan he is great in the ring, similar to his father, then asks Jordan if he can guide his career. He offers Jordan a spot in his Miztourage but Jordan declines. Miz tells Jordan he has main-evented WrestleMania and has the knowledge to keep him from being taken advantage of by the others in the WWE but Jordan still passes. Miz then calls out Jordan for having his dad hand him out opportunities as Jordan says he has talked with “Kurt” and will be earning his opportunities. Jordan then says he would rather take his chances and get chewed up and spit out rather than join the Miztourage. Miz then goads Jordan by ragging on his dad for making bad life choices and gets in another dig at Pittsburgh. Jordan gets up and tells Miz if he says one more word about “Kurt” he will make him regret it then hits Miz with an overhead suplex that wipes out the Miztourage.

The Miz was good here but Jordan really struggled. The crowd is not reacting to him and so far he has been unable to prove he has the chops to thrive in this role. That and the fact he fails to show any personality when given the opportunity. The storyline is bad to begin with and they are playing it straightforward and its just too boring to care about. 

We get a video package promo from Reigns as he talks about taking out Strowman and Joe while reminding us that this is his yard.

Sheamus w/ Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins

Sheamus overpowers Seth to start. Seth fights back then they fight in the ropes with Sheamus landing a cheap shot. Seth dropkicks Sheamus outside then sets up for a tope but Cesaro ran interference long enough for Sheamus to cut him off as we head to commercial. The match returns with Sheamus still in control as Cesaro tells Seth that he does not have any friends. Seth is able to send Sheamus into the corner then fights back. He takes Sheamus outside with an enziguiri then flies out with a tope. Back inside, Seth hits a springboard clothesline then starts to run wild. He heads up top then knocks Cesaro off of the apron. Sheamus attacks Seth from behind but Seth comes back with a rollup for the win (8:27) **1/2. After the match, Cesaro runs in to take out Rollins as the crowd chants how they want Ambrose as the champs walk away after beating down Seth. The champs head back in after Seth got up but Ambrose does run out for the save. The champs outnumber Ambrose and beat him down now with Cesaro hitting the Neutralizer as the crowd boos. Ambrose tells tries to get them to come back and gets destroyed.

Thoughts: Solid TV match as it appears they are setting up these four to face off at some point with the Tag Titles on the line. The story of Cesaro & Sheamus taunting Rollins about being on the same page and friends while not stabbing each other in the back can work well with the current Rollins/Ambrose dynamic.

Now, we get a video package promo from Samoa Joe. He talks about how he took Lesnar to the limit and has Reigns’ number. He then promises to make Strowman pay for interfering in his business before saying someone will be going to sleep tonight.

Bray Wyatt heads out to the ring. He tells us there is no escape for us, our children, and certainly not for Finn Balor. Bray starts getting the “what” treatment from the crowd as rambles on for a bit before calling out the Balor Club for trying to live vicariously through Balor. Bray tells us that Balor is just a “putrid shell of a man” that is on borrowed time. He then talks about beating down Balor last week then poses to the crowd but we then hear the Demon song as the lights go out. The lights come on with Balor standing with his back turned to Bray with his arms extended. Bray laughs then paces around before trying to attack but Balor catches him with a Pele Kick then clears him from the ring before posing to the crowd. I liked Balor getting revenge on Bray but the Bray promos are just the same old stuff and you can tell the crowds are getting sick of them too. This feud has not started off hot.

Braun Strowman is now shown with his video package promo as he talks about doing what he wants, when he wants. He promises to destroy both Reigns and Joe so he can have Lesnar all to himself at SummerSlam, where he will prove that he is a champion among men. All of these promos from tonight’s triple threat competitors have been really good.

Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns

Strowman cleans house to start then screams how this is his yard as we head to break. The match returns with Strowman missing a corner charge as Joe & Reigns rough him up before tossing him outside. Reigns then runs wild on Joe until Joe sidesteps a clothesline and takes Reigns down with an armbar. Joe rolls over to switch arms as Reigns almost grabs the ropes but Strowman drags Joe outside and rams him into the barricade. Reigns heads out and attacks Strowman then they brawl into the crowd. Strowman tosses Reigns back towards the ring but Joe locks him in the Coquina Clutch. Reigns breaks up the hold but Joe reverses an Irish whip and sends Reigns into the barricade. Joe drops Reigns with an enziguiri then tosses him into the ring. Reigns fights back and drops Joe. He then takes Joe down outside with a Superman Punch off of the steps then charges towards Strowman but gets booted in the face. Strowman is still selling the effects of the Coquina Clutch but is able to beat down both men. Strowman tosses Reigns into the ring over the middle rope and tosses in a set of stairs but Joe gets up and fights back. Joe runs inside and almost puts Reigns away with a senton then wedges the stairs into the corner. Joe locks Reigns in the Coquina Clutch but Strowman runs them both over then hits Joe with a running powerslam but Reigns breaks up the pin. A “this is awesome” chant breaks out as Strowman destroys Reigns in the corner. Strowman grabs the steps as the crowd starts a “Yes” chant but Reigns drops him in a Superman Punch. Reigns then whacks Strowman with the stairs and sends him out of the ring before hitting Joe with the spear for the win (13:55) ***1/2.

Thoughts: These three showed why they are at the top of the RAW roster here. Really good TV match the guys beating on each other with Strowman showing off his power. Reigns finally got a pin against Joe and I expect them to face off in another singles match before SummerSlam.

We get a video package of the Enzo Amore/Big Cass/Big Show saga. After that, Enzo approaches Show backstage and thanking him for his help after apologizing for dragging him into his feud with Cass. Show tells Enzo it is fine and he promises to teach Cass some respect tonight.

Elias Samson is in the ring. He tells us his song is inspired by Pittsburgh as he puts down the city despite the fact it is his hometown.

Elias Samson vs. Kalisto

Kalisto works a side headlock to start. And that last for a bit. Kalisto lands a few kicks but Samson tosses Kalisto into the ropes after a headscissor attempt as we head to break. We return with Samson working a chinlock. He hits a backbreaker and a vertical suplex that get nearfalls. Samson works a backbreaker submission but Kalisto escapes. Kalisto hits an upkick then starts to run wild but Samson hits a knee smash then hits the Drift Away for the win (7:25) *.

Thoughts: The announcers were just referring to Samson as “Elias” here as he might be losing his last name. He got some heat with the song but once the bell rang it all went away. Samson showed nothing here and the crowd could not be bothered to care about Kalisto’s comeback. It appears that Samson is someone the company is high on based off of the praise he was getting from the announcers.

Charly Caruso is backstage with Alexa Bliss. Alexa talks about she beat Bayley for the title and how Bayley was afraid to get “extreme” before being upset those are accusing her of intentionally getting herself disqualified at Great Balls of Fire against Sasha Banks. Alexa then tells us Sasha is not here to save Bayley from Nia Jax.

Ambrose & Rollins are in the locker room. Rollins thanks Ambrose for his help but Ambrose says he did not help Rollins and only came out because Rollins is the “architect” and devised a plan to make him look like the bad guy if he did not come out. Ambrose leaves as Rollins looks sad. They are continuing to show how Ambrose still does not trust Rollins, even if his reasoning here for making the save was convoluted.

Bayley vs. Nia Jax

Bayley lands a few kicks but Nia tosses her outside. Bayley heads right back in but Nia takes her down with a headbutt. Bayley remains resilient but gets overpowered and tossed outside right before the break. We return with Bayley escaping from a full nelson but ending up getting slammed down hard. Rough landing for Bayley there, courtesy of Nia being sloppy. She rolls outside where the ref checks on her as Nia mocks Bayley by putting her hair in a side ponytail. Bayley rolls back inside as Nia roughs her up. Bayley fights back and takers her down. She sends Nia onto the apron with a dropkick then takes her off with a knee smash. Bayley takes her down with a plancha from the apron but Alexa runs out and attacks. Bayley fights her off but Nia breaks that up and asks Alexa if she is okay. Bayley then is able to avoid a charge as Nia hits the steps as Bayley rolls herself in and gets the win via countout (8:48) 1/2*. Bayley is able to escape from Nia & Alexa after the match ends.

Thoughts: Bayley tried but this was one of Nia’s worst performances on the roster. The crowd did not care about this match at any point and the finish was terrible too. Why was Nia not disqualified after Alexa ran out to attack Bayley? Bayley got a weak win as she is still an ice cold babyface character heading into her title match at SummerSlam.

Renee is backstage with Big Cass. He says its not possible for Big Show to teach him a lesson in respect since he hangs out with Enzo. Cass then tells us his grandmother told him you are judged by the company you keep. Cass did not impress here whatsoever.

Enzo comes out to the ring. He talks about Cass doing awful things but that he has done some bad stuff too. Enzo then has some bit about not eating the “bruised brown part of a banana” then tells Cass that Show will write him a reality check and will leave him black and blue. Not Enzo’s best work.

Big Show w/ Enzo Amore vs. Big Cass

Cass has new theme music, which still sounds generic. Show attacks Cass as he entered the ring. The ref steps between then the bell rings as Show chops Cass in the corner. Show hammers away then tosses Cass outside. Show tries to drag Cass back inside but Cass fights back and snaps his neck off of the rope. Cass heads back in but Show hits a shoulder tackle. Show drops an elbow for a two count and follows with a suplex. Show signals for the chokeslam but Cass kicks his knee. Cass dropkicks Show’s knees then hammers away. He works the legs on the mat then tries to come off the middle rope but Show chops him down. Cass comes back with a big boot but Enzo jumps on his back for the DQ (5:30) *. After the match, Cass takes Enzo down and charges at Show but runs into the knockout punch.

Thoughts: Forgettable match with a dumb ending. Why they ran this to close the show is beyond me but the finish was weak as Cass did not show anything here to make you think he can succeed as a singles heel act. I guess this storyline continues into SummerSlam.

Final Thoughts: The triple threat match was really good, the Lesnar news was huge, and the Rollins/Ambrose stuff is interesting but the rest of the show was not and the final hour was terrible. They are trying to push newer acts but they all had off nights on this show and this Jordan/Angle stuff is not connecting. The top RAW match at SummerSlam should be awesome but the rest of the feuds on the show are flat for the most part. They have three more weeks to heat things up before the PPV.

[placetobenation]

July 24, 2017

From the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.

Your hosts are Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Booker T

The show starts with a video package from last week where Braun Strowman ran down and interfered in the Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe #1 Contender Match for the Universal Title.

Kurt Angle comes down to the ring to kick off the live show. Cole reminds us how last week it was revealed that Jason Jordan is Angle’s son. Angle talks about how he revealed the fact Jordan was his son as it was consuming all of his time over the past few weeks and even interfered with his ability to work. Angle talks about trying to make up for last time and he will get an opportunity to wrestle tonight. He then addresses last week’s #1 Contender Match and has come to a decision on who Brock Lesnar will be facing but Strowman interrupts. Strowman tells Angle he better get that title shot “or else” as Strowman talks about not fearing Lesnar and even claims Lesnar fears him. Joe interrupts now and tells Strowman he does not fear anyone and says all Strowman did last week was save Reigns from losing to him for a third straight time. Joe then tells Angle he wants the title match but Reigns now interrupts. Reigns tells both men they have not done anything here was Reigns puts over how in five years he’s been Tag Team Champion, U.S. Champion, World Champion, Royal Rumble Winner, and has main evented three straight WrestleManias. He then motions towards both men but Angle stops him and says he has changed his mind again because at SummerSlam, it will be Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at SummerSlam. He leaves as Joe yells about wanting Lesnar 1 vs. 1 while Strowman only cares about “piling bodies” but Reigns tells Strowman to shut up and uppercuts him. They all brawl with Reigns & Joe gaining up on Strowman. They head outside and dump Strowman over the barricade then Joe cheap shots Reigns and they brawl in the ring. Strowman comes back in as Angle yells for security to come out but Strowman tosses them all out. Joe puts Strowman in the clutch then the locker room empties to separate them. Reigns spears Strowman as Joe had him in the clutch then Reigns clears the ring but Strowman gets up and attacks Reigns before hitting a powerslam.

The promo was alright and the Fatal Four Way announcement was not a surprise. However, the brawl was fantastic and all three men looked like threats who are worthy enough for a title match. 

  Elias Samson is in the but the crowd starts a “we want Balor” chant. Samson dedicates the song to Balor but is cut off shortly after he begins.

  No Disqualification Match: Elias Samson vs. Finn Balor

Balor tosses his jacket at Samson then hammers away. He takes Samson out with a baseball slide then rolls him inside. Samson rolls out where Balor hits him from behind with a flying forearm as we go to break. The action returns with Samson targeting the injured shoulder of Balor. He does that for a while but Balor fights back. Balor heads outside and grabs a chair but Samson boots him in the gut. Samson whacks Balor in the shoulder with the chair as we head to another break. The match returns with both men going back-and-forth. Samson targets the shoulder again then gets a nearfall with a shoulderbreaker. He grabs a chair and sets it up in the corner and tries an Irish whip but it gets reversed as Samson’s head slams off of the chair. Balor hits an upkick then fights back with his good arm. He trap Samson between the ring apron then stomps away. He then drives Samson into the barricade with a shotgun dropkick before grabbing a chair. He targets Samson’s back then climbs up top and hits the Coup De Grace but the lights go off and it returns with Wyatt in the ring as he hits Balor with the Sister Abigail then watches in the corner until Samson drapes his arm over Balor for the win (18:27) **1/4. After the match, Wyatt stalks Balor then lays over him.

Thoughts: Really underwhelming for a DQ match. I guess they gave these two this stipulation in order to protect Samson and move Balor into a feud with Wyatt, whose act remains ice cold. I have no idea what they do with Samson now but it appears they think enough of him to not get buried so a midcard feud seems in the works.

  Clips from last week where Angle revealed that Jordan was his son and there interview that aired on the WWE Network immediately after RAW went off the air.

  Renee Young is with Angle and asks about Jordan wrestling Curt Hawkins tonight. Angle thinks he will be a successful singles competitor and has butterflies in his stomach. Emma interrupts and asks when is it going to be her turn as she does not get opportunities. She then suggests dating Jordan so Angle then tells Emma she will get an opportunity tonight against Nia Jax.

  Big Show asks Enzo Amore if he really wants to fight with Big Cass tonight. Enzo claims to have a plan but then acts nervous and says he just has to go out and do this.

  Enzo comes out to the ring. He tells us about having a tank full of “passion” and the crowd is the key that starts his engine. Enzo then says he is not a pit stop and

  Enzo Amore vs. Big Cass

Enzo dropkicks Cass’s knee then jumps on his back but Cass shoves him off. Cass tosses Enzo across the ring but Enzo fights back. Cass breaks up a sleeper then catches Enzo with a slam. He beats on Enzo in the corner then stomps a mudhole before getting the win with a big boot (3:38) 1/2*. After the match, Cass inflicts more punishment until Big Show runs out for the save.  Cass then holds up Enzo and promises to snap his neck if he steps inside. Show steps in so Cass shoves Enzo at him then hits a big boot on Show and beats on him for a while.

Thoughts: Not much different than their match at Great Balls of Fire. The post-match beatdown took a really long time but Cass did get some heat out of the deal as the next step appears to be a match against Big Show, who will likely have Enzo in his corner.

  Renee is backstage with Alexa Bliss. She asks her about who she would rather face: Sasha Banks or Bayley. Alexa does not care as she is too happy over the fact their friendship can be destroyed.

  Emma vs. Nia Jax

Emma avoids Nia then lands a cheap shot. Nia comes back and runs Emma over but Emma gets pissed and hits a pair of dropkicks. Nia then tosses Emma across the ring and hits an avalanche before getting the with with a flipping senton (1:24).

Thoughts: Nia dominated Emma here and showed off a new finishing move, which looked impressive. I don’t know where they go from here with Emma or if she actually does try to play mind games with Angle and Jordan but she is floundering at the moment.

  Charly Caruso is backstage with Akira Tozawa. His shoulder his all bandaged up as we are shown clips from last week where Ariya Daivari attacked his shoulder. Titus comes in to tell Tozawa he is here for his health and went to both Angle and the medical staff to cancel his match tonight against Daivari. Tozawa is pissed and says he is going to the ring now and heads out, saying he is fine with Titus trailing behind trying to stop him. They are in the ring now where Tozawa slaps Titus and says not to touch him as we go to break. We return with Tozawa telling Daivari to come out and face him now. However, Neville comes out instead. Neville mocks Tozawa, who wants to fight, but Neville tells Tozawa that the false promises from Titus have gotten him nowhere. Neville mocks Tozawa for being a joke but Tozawa knocks him down then climbs up top and hits a senton. Tozawa grabs his shoulder but Daivari runs in to attack him. Daivari then yells at Neville and takes him down before motioning that he will be the next champion.

I liked the confrontation between Neville and Tozawa but this did not appear to get over with the crowd. I also do not know about shoehorning Daivari into this angle as he does not stand out in any way I can think of but hopefully it does not interfere too much with this feud. 

  Bayley and Sasha are backstage. Sasha is backstage and upset what that “troll” Alexa said about her and that nothing can hurt their friendship. They then promise to tear the house down with Sasha saying the best woman will win their match tonight.

  We are shown Angle making the Fatal Four Way Universal Title match for SummerSlam that took place earlier tonight.

  Renee is with Jordan and asks him about his first match on RAW. He talks about being nervous and how everyone will be watching him before saying he is focused on winning the match.

  We see Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins backstage. Rollins wants to come up with a game plan but Ambrose still does not trust him. Rollins says they have to worry about three men tonight. However, Ambrose says he has to worry about four men as he continues to distrust his former partner. Good finishing line from Ambrose as he continues to not trust his former partner.

  Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Alexa comes out to join on commentary. The match starts with both mixing it up. Bayley avoids a dropkick and gets two with a rollup. They trade arm drags then Bayley works a front facelock. Sasha escapes but runs into a backdrop as Bayley gets two. Bayley heads up to but Sasha cuts her off as Bayley falls out to the floor just before commercial. We return with Sasha working a stranglehold. Sasha then tosses Bayley into the corner but Bayley fights back. Sasha sends Bayley into the corner and hits a double knee smash then puts on the Banks Statement. Bayley almost reaches the ropes but Sasha takes her to the middle of the ring. Bayley fights out of a chinlock then they trade slaps before hammering away. Sasha wins that battle then heads up top but Bayley ducks an attack then they trade Shining Wizards with both women down. They both get up and slug it out until they knock each other down again. Bayley runs into a knee smash then Sasha heads up top as we get a dueling chant from the crowd Bayley cuts off Sasha. They fight up top where Sasha dumps Bayley then hits a frog splash but Bayley rolls through and gets the win (12:13) ***1/4. After the match, Alexa heads into the ring and taunts Bayley with the belt.

Thoughts: Good, hard-fought match as Bayley gets another win and will once again face Alexa for the Women’s Title.  Hopefully, the match at SummerSlam is better than what we saw earlier this year.

  Renee is with Curt Hawkins, who is sick about hearing of Jason Jordan. He plans on ruining his RAW debut and smacking him right in the mouth.

  Curt Hawkins vs. Jason Jordan

Hawkins slaps Jordan across the face before the bell. Jordan takes Hawkins down when the match begins then hammers away. He gets two with a Saito suplex as a happy Angle watches backstage. Hawkins fights back and yells at Jordan, who fires up then runs wild. Jordan lowers his straps and hits a spear in the corner before putting Hawkins away with a lifting neckbreaker (1:43).

Thoughts: Jordan showed great fire in the ring here and he needs to as his mic work is lacking. My only compliant is his finisher. It’s clunky and will be difficult to do against larger opponents. Hawkins remains a fine enhancement talent.

  Tomorrow night on 205 Live we will see Rich Swann & Cedric Alexander vs. TJP & Tony Nese and Neville vs. Ariya Daivari

  Charly Caruso is in the ring and welcomes out The Revival. Dawson tells Charly she is great at her job but they are professionals and can handle things themselves as they ask her to leave. Dash talks about dominating NXT and showing they are the greatest tag team today. Dawson brags about how they sent New Day packing to Smackdown and beat the Hardy Boyz then put themselves over some more but Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson interrupt. They talk about Washington D.C. being a “good brother town” and how they beat up the New Day and Hardy Boyz before them then laugh over The Revival thinking they are top guys and calls them nerds. Gallows & Anderson came off as babyfaces here but have not officially turned on TV while The Revival did okay on the mic but there best work is in the ring.

  The Revival vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson

Dawson and Anderson fight over a lockup. Anderson slaps Dawson after getting shoved but The Revival are able to trap Anderson in their corner. Anderson fights back and tags out as we see Sheamus & Cesaro watching the match backstage on a monitor. The Revival beat on Gallows for a but but Gallows fight back then The Revival get dumped outside as we head to break. The action returns with Dawson working the arm of Anderson. Dash tags in but runs into a kick the Gallows tags and runs wild. Dash breaks up a Boot of Doom attempt then Dawson chop blocks Gallows but the Hardy Boyz come out on the ramp. Gallows & Anderson are distracted and that allows The Revival to hit Anderson with the Shatter Machine for the win (8:35) **. After the match, the Hardy Boyz run out and beat on The Revival.

Thoughts: Really an average TV match with almost half of it taking place during the commercial break. The next step now is a feud between Revival and Hardy Boyz but with Cesaro & Sheamus watching the match backstage it could signal a multi-team title match for SummerSlam.

  The Miz is in the locker room as he gives his Miztourage a pep talk while referring to Ambrose & Rollins as a “Box Office Bomb” waiting to happen.

  Next week, Jason Jordan is the guest on “Miz TV.” Also, Reigns vs. Strowman vs. Joe.

  Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins vs. Miz w/ Maryse & The Miztourage

Miz immediately tags out to avoid Ambrose as Axel gets beat down. Rollins tags himself in and beats on Axel for a bit as we once again see Sheamus & Cesaro watching from backstage. Dallas is in as Rollins works him over too. Bo comes back with a tackle then tags out as Miz targets the back of Rollins then works a chinlock. Rollins escapes then tags out but Miz rolls outside. Ambrose chases Miz around then fights off an attack by Axel. Rollins tags as he and Ambrose work together to clear the ring before the break. The match returns with Dallas hitting Rollins with a back suplex. Miz tags in and once again targets the back while taunting Ambrose. Rollins remains in trouble but eventually makes it to his corner and tags out as Ambrose runs wild. Rollins is shoved outside as the Miztourage are alone with Ambrose, who fights off a double-team move. However, Miz makes a blind tag and hits the Skull Crushing Finale but Rollins makes the save. The heels are all on the outside then Rollins & Ambrose fly out with topes. Back inside, Rollins hits Miz with a springboard knee smash then Ambrose hits the Dirty Deeds for the win (17:21) **3/4. After the match, Rollins offers a fist bump but Ambrose bails and celebrates by himself on the ramp.

Thoughts: This got a lot better in the second half. Ambrose & Rollins were able to get on the same page and even did some nice double-team stuff but the story remains Ambrose unable to trust Rollins, who is doing everything to show he has changed.

  Final Thoughts: The opening segment was effective and set up for next week’s main event. Plus, there were a couple of good matches. However, the rest of the show mostly fell flat. They still have a few more weeks until SummerSlam to build up and announce other matches but this was not the most inspired start.