#thank you dana and the team you the real mvps

[bubblegumlefty]

My thoughts on MITB... (Warning: VERY long post. Maybe.)

I was going to post them earlier, but after watching the first chapter of the last ride documentary, I needed a couple minutes to contain my emotions. (My head hurts from crying now 😂)

So anyway, I'd say it was pretty good. It was also the first MITB pay per view I have seen in years (the last one being when I was 'bout 8 years old). I'll go through a rundown of some of the matches and rate them on a scale of 1 to 10, including the main event(s).

Kickoff

Cesaro VS Jeff Hardy: 8/10

Overall, it was a solid good. There were obviously a few moments that were questionable. Examples include:

· Cesaro licking his finger and using it to rub off Hardy's face paint, which is kinda gross, pandemic aside.

· Unzipping his mesh shirt and giving a slap towards his chest.

· His overall dominance that just gives vibes that feel less then family-friendly...

(Whether this can be considered shipping or fanfic material or not is up to you. Take your pick.)

At least Jeff won in the end, so everything's all good. He really should get some medical attention though, it sounded like he fractured a rib from slamming into the apron.

Smackdown Tag Team Championship: 6/10

I'll be honest, I didn't pay much attention to this match. It's not bad or anything, I'm just not able to watch Smackdown thanks to our crappy cable service not providing FOX. And no, we can't switch over. I live in an apartment complex. So I wasn't too invested. 😂

MVP Lashley VS R-Truth: 5/10

Not much to say here. Just a short comedic breather. Lashley obviously won. Kinda suprised me that Lana didn't show up. At least Truth is still singing his own theme song despite there being no audience to recite it with. I just wish the commentators would've at least given some sort of response and not left him hanging. #Missed Opportunity. WWE apparently still has upcoming plans for the 24/7 belt, so that'll be something interesting I guess.

Smackdown Women's Championship: 6/10

This once again shows that I need to catch up on Smackdown, cause I wasn't as polarized as some fans with the finish. The commentary was pretty funny though, 'specially when both girls went up to the commentators and pressured them to clap. Overall OK match.

Universal Championship: 8/10

First off, why did Brey choose to fight in his firefly funhouse attire? That looks very uncomfortable. Also puppets. Puppets everywhere. He also seemed to be going through some sort of Vietnam flashback trauma (bad joke). Brawn pulled a fast one on him though and managed to retain the title. Also there was a moment where a few glitches appeared, which tells me that something in Brey has just snapped, triggering the fiend.

WWE Championship: 9/10

The banter between Drew and Seth was just perfect. Also loud groans and yelling. Lots of it being from Seth. He almost got himself disqualified at one point from attempting to bring a chair into the ring. Both men also managed to nearly kick each other's heads off back and forth at one point in perfect timing. In the end, Drew retained, and somehow managed to have Seth shake his hand in mutual agreement even after defeating him. It really shows how good of a person he is and I love it.

Main Event: Corporate Ladder Match(es): 10/10

I really don't know how to describe this. It was the most unique mitb ladder match I have ever seen, and they had managed to hit it out of the park. It started off very nicely with all the competitors coming out only for shenanigans to immediately ensue. Highlights include:

· Asuka standing on top of the balcony above the elevators, and basically pulling a Jeff Hardy onto the other girls.

· Corbin pinning AJ down with a barbell, causing him to call for Rey to help him. When he looks like he is considering it, he decides to just run off and leave him there.

· Corbin smashing a giant mirror and immediately pulling a look that basically translates to "Oh crap!". There's something about bad luck from smashing mirrors apparently.

· Several cameos including a couple wrestlers from the 80s/90s like Doink and Brother Love, a general manager, Stephanie, Paul Heyman, and Vince.

· AJ getting spooked by a picture of the Undertaker and having a vietnam flashback. He also gets trapped inside an office by Aliester Black, which I should mention the office has a casket. He does manage to get out though.

· Dana mistakes the office briefcase for the real briefcase and ends up with her upper body being trapped in a picture frame as a result. She also slips on the floor from a mop.

· There's a point where both the men and women run into each other and get caught off guard in a buffet. A food fight ensues, with Shayna almost nearly knocking Rey out in a sleeper hold, and he does get knocked out from Nia and Otis running into him. (I feel very sorry for the poor smockes who have to clean all of this mess up.) We also get a beat from Nia and Otis for a few seconds, which is interesting.

· Otis gets distracted in a cafeteria and pie face's a general manager.

· Both Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles ending up in Vince's office, and getting scolded like kids in a principal's office. They slowly exit, but not before pushing the chairs back in, because good manners. They blame each other for getting scared and immediately resume to fighting.

· Both Rey and Aliester potentially "kayfabe" died from being shoved off the roof.

· Asuka managing to fight the briefcase off Corbin, and giving him a kick to the face. It does make me question why Corbin was trying to grab the wrong briefcase though.

The winners in the end were Asuka and Otis, which are the two I least expected to win, and I was pleasantly surprised. Though tbh, the only reason Otis won was because AJ's freakin butter fingers dropped the briefcase after fighting for it from Corbin. He needs to make a mental note for leaving his gloves off during a match like this.

So after all of this, I'd give the pay per view an 8/10. This was probably one of the more ambitious matches WWE has put on and I think it pulls it off almost perfectly. I really wouldn't mind if they decide to turn this into a thing that happens every couple of years. I think the crowds would be very entertained. I'll probably fix any mistakes or typos in the morning. Now to mark my calender for Backlash. 👍

[placetobenation]

Welcome to the week that was in the WWE. But before we get to the show recaps, there’s few things to get to during the week.

Paul Wight is now in AEW. That’s right. The superstar formerly known as The Big Show and The Giant is now All Elite. After 22 years, he’s left the WWE for what he hopes are greener pastures on a multi-year deal. You see, it seems like Wight feels like he has more left in the tank than the WWE thinks he does. As one who lives in New England, it’s a familiar story involving someone you might have heard of, you know, one Tom Brady. He not only left the Patriots but won his seventh Super Bowl at age 43 while the Patriots missed the playoffs. Wight had a great run in the WWE but his last memory in the company will be that in the Randy Orton storyline as a washed-up legend. His Netflix show, produced with WWE Studios, was canceled late last year as well. So, now it’s on to a return to Turner and TNT where he started as The Giant in WCW nearly a quarter century ago. We wish him nothing but the best. He’s a good guy who I met once in person doing radio in Providence, Rhode Island. His first assignment will be doing commentary with Tony Schiavone on Monday night’s AEW Dark: Elevation on You Tube followed by an appearance on Dynamite on Wednesday night. It should be very interesting in what is a very big signing (pun intended) for AEW and Tony Khan’s crew.

What’s up with the flurry of non-title matches?

On RAW, we got three non-title affairs. On NXT, we got another three matches with champions battling not with the championships on the line. What happened to the days when it was unique that champions even appeared on tv to wrestle? Now, it’s like a weekly thing. Seems to keep the luster off when a title is defended.

What happened to follow-up on storylines? Details people? Could we get an update on Keith Lee and why he’s not around? Could we get some closure on Lacey Evans’ pregnancy announcement from her side?

Elimination Chamber Thoughts – It’s been a long time coming, but Bobby Lashley is finally making his way back into the main event scene and I like it! If someone’s going to legitimately take down Drew McIntyre, Lashley’s a perfect candidate to do it. Plus, if The Miz was going to have a successful cash in with his Money In The Bank contract, he needed an underhanded, sure thing to get it done. MVP brokered the deal and got it done. All in all, a solid PPV that got us to Edge vs. Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania. Job done and kudos to Daniel Bryan and Cesaro for being stars in the chamber.

Star of the Week:

Bobby Lashley – Sure, Lashley did lose his United States Championship to Riddle. But he didn’t get pinned to lose it. And sure, The Miz did win the WWE Championship, so maybe he might deserve the spotlight. But we all know it was only because of Lashley that The Miz could’ve cashed in his Money In The Bank contract to get the victory over Drew McIntyre after the Elimination Chamber match. Plus, Lashley did get a dominant win over Braun Strowman to boot to keep his title match this Monday night against The Miz a one-on-one affair. Things are looking up for The Hurt Business’ top guy!

RAW

RESULTS

Non-title United States Championship Match: Riddle defeated John Morrison

The New Day defeated RETRIBUTION (MACE & T-BAR)

Non-title RAW Tag Team Championship Tornado Tag Team Match: Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin defeated Lucha House Party

Damian Priest defeated Angel Garza

Non-title WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler defeated Charlotte Flair & Asuka

Sheamus defeated Jeff Hardy

Naomi & Lana defeated Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke

AJ Styles defeated Ricochet

Bobby Lashley defeated Braun Strowman to deny Strowman of WWE Championship Match opportunity

A DOMINANT victory by @fightbobby and a massive SPEAR for #WWEChampion @mikethemiz!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/ZsL04N1dEL

— WWE (@WWE) February 23, 2021

Coming off the Elimination Chamber PPV, RAW was heavy on The Miz/Bobby Lashley storyline. That was to be expected and as expected, we got The Miz trying to weasel his way out of his deal with The Hurt Business to give Lashley a title match after hand-delivering The Miz the title on Sunday night with Lashley’s attack on Drew McIntyre after his Elimination Chamber title defense. Did we need Lashley having to beat Braun Strowman to keep it a one-on-one match, probably not. But it gets Strowman reintroduced to in-ring action and it makes Lashley look stronger going into this Monday’s match with The Miz.

"Go home. I am thankful for the doors you have opened. I am thankful for everything you have given me. But let me try to be Charlotte Flair. I love you, Dad." Spoken with her tears on #WWERaw, @MsCharlotteWWE just wants to put all of this in the past and move on. pic.twitter.com/oM3X3JgV5T

— WWE (@WWE) February 23, 2021

Elsewhere, the biggest thing coming out of Monday night was Charlotte Flair and Asuka. They get yet another match with the tag team champs and after Flair inadvertently knocks Asuka down, the RAW Women’s Champion is pissed, doesn’t take Flair’s apology and walks off. Meanwhile, we finally get a decent, detailed interaction between Charlotte and Ric Flair with both sides trying to explain their sides in the Lacey Evans mess. This comes a couple of weeks too late for me. It explained it, but it was out of context now that they have nowhere to go with Lacey, who’s now out due to her pregnancy.

Somebody get @sanbenito in next year's #RoyalRumble after that!#WWERaw @ArcherOfInfamy pic.twitter.com/jItNbxbVY0

— WWE (@WWE) February 23, 2021

Bad Bunny and Damian Priest continue to shine as we expect them to get a WrestleMania match with The Miz and John Morrison after The Miz drops his title to Bobby Lashley. It’s a good, entertaining pairing that has some upside.

I don’t exactly understand why we needed AJ Styles against Ricochet again in short fashion just to have Omos beat up Ricochet after the match. Seemed like just a time filler. The same can be said of Sheamus vs. Jeff Hardy and the ladies tag team match.

What … just happened to @RandyOrton? #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/39gN3EUxHg

— WWE (@WWE) February 23, 2021

Randy Orton getting choked up on some nasty black goo was interesting. Yes, Alexa Bliss is up to her fiendish ways again. I love that she doesn’t have to actually appear in order to affect a storyline. That’s good tv right there.

Maybe, finally, we get the end to the wretched RETRIBUTION angle after Mustafa Ali walks out on them when they lose yet again to The New Day. He’s better without them but they’ve wasted months trying to get a group over that never had a chance.

Riddle and The Hurt Business get non-title wins. I hope they give Riddle a bit of a stretch as champion to prove himself. As for THB, I’m not sure if they’re going to continue the dissension angle or keep the group together when Lashley becomes WWE Champion. After all, the champ will need some coverage in fending off new challengers, right.

Rhea Ripley is coming soon!

NXT

RESULTS

Non-title NXT North American Championship Match: Dexter Lumis defeated Johnny Gargano

Leon Ruff vs. Tyler Rust went to a no-contest

Non-title NXT Women’s Championship Match: Io Shirai defeated Zoey Stark

Xia Li defeated Kacy Catanzaro by referee stoppage

Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Killian Dain & Drake Maverick

No DQ Non-title Cruiserweight Championship Match: Karrion Kross defeated Santos Escobar

That was kind of a strange, yet entertaining edition of NXT.

Dexter Lumis gets a non-title (of course) win over Johnny Gargano. But the real news is after the match as there could be some differences of opinions in The Way with Austin Theory and Indi Hartwell taking some shine to Lumis. Theory didn’t hit him with a chair as Gargano wanted him too and Hartwell is enamored with him apparently. Hmmm….

If 𝙨𝙝𝙚 wants you to continue, you continue. @wwekayden is next. #WWENXT @XiaWWE pic.twitter.com/4wm9ogvJzP

— WWE (@WWE) February 25, 2021

Xia Li continues to be a badass, beating up her former bestie Kacy Catanzaro into a referee stoppage victory. I like the match that gave both a bit of time to shine. Will Kayden Carter be next on her list?

Having Io Shirai take on Zoey Stark was just a means to a way to announce a championship match with Toni Storm. Executed and answered.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?! #WWENXT @NashCarterWWE @WesLee_WWE @ZackGibson01 @JamesDrake_GYT pic.twitter.com/o1pVgUcZya

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 25, 2021

What are we to make of the Grizzled Young Veterans attacking MSK and seemingly braking Wes Lee’s hand? Is their title match still on for this upcoming Wednesday night or are the GYV trying to sneak into the match?

Michael Bivens and Tyler Rust picking on “injured” stars hoping to get easy wins is getting old, especially now when they claim wins in a match in which it never starts. They can thank Isaiah “Swerve” Scott for taking out Leon Ruff for that one.

SAITO SUPLEX INTO THE TABLE.

It's @WWEKarrionKross' time now. #WWENXT @EscobarWWE pic.twitter.com/ELlYmIMTAA

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 25, 2021

As expected, Karrion Kross picked up a win over Santos Escobar in a non-title (of course), No DQ match. That was never going to be in doubt. But, by having Legado del Fantasma continuously beat up Kross for a 3-on-1 match gives Escobar some cred for his smarts in at least trying to take out Kross, who ultimately puts Escobar through a table and gets the victory. Where does Kross go next?

And just like that, @AdamColePro has cemented the #EndOfAnERA. #WWENXT @roderickstrong pic.twitter.com/PIaO8qP7W7

— WWE (@WWE) February 25, 2021

Adam Cole, as Pat McAfee says, is a terrible human. He continued his attacks on his former teammates in The Undisputed Era. Last week, it was Kyle O’Reilly. This week, it’s Roderick Strong getting a low blow after a feigned emotion plea from Cole, who also gets a superkick in on NXT Champion Finn Balor to boot. We’re going to get Cole vs. Balor at some point. Maybe it comes as WrestleMania? How does Kross factor in? He wants his NXT Championship, something he never lost, back soon and Scarlett is lurking!

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Otis & Chad Gable defeated Rey & Dominik Mysterio

Apollo Crews defeated Shinsuke Nakamura

Tamina defeated Liv Morgan

The Street Profits defeated King Corbin & Sami Zayn

Daniel Bryan and Jey Uso went to a double count out

That'll teach him. #HeadOfTheTable #SmackDown @WWERomanReigns @WWEDanielBryan @HeymanHustle @WWEUsos pic.twitter.com/HHEbVK4cbx

— WWE (@WWE) February 27, 2021

Just like RAW, SmackDown leaned on the “win and you get a title match” storyline with Daniel Bryan having to beat Jey Uso in order to get a one-on-one shot at Roman Reigns and his Universal Title. And just like Braun Strowman, Bryan didn’t win, instead missing out on a title shot with a double count out finish. I was surprised Edge didn’t come down to help save Bryan from the Reigns post-match attack.  All in all though, I’m with Edge. I don’t like the Fastlane title defenses either. Things would be better without that PPV impeding the Road to WrestleMania. Even despite being someone we’ve seen a lot already in 2021, Uso vs. Bryan did give us a decent main event before the disappointing ending.

I was screaming at my tv for Corey Graves and Michael Cole to at least throw out there that what was the reason for the change in Otis and Chad Gable? They were together for over a month being Mr. Positivity, along with Daniel Bryan, and then we get a spur of the moment heel turn last week. I don’t mind the change in attitude, but at least have them explain why! Having Graves spout off that Otis is now more aggressive with Gable makes no sense when he’s been with him for the past six weeks or more. Details people! The WWE Universe is not that dumb.

.@WWEApollo picks up the win on #SmackDown. pic.twitter.com/60pmzfIK4V

— WWE (@WWE) February 27, 2021

Apparently, Apollo Crews is going to follow Roman Reigns is following and celebrating his heritage. I can dig it. By far, that promo Friday night was the best of his WWE career. Let him get personal and shine! That was one creative way to use a scarf too to get a victory over Shinsuke Nakamura.

Tamina gets two victories in two weeks. I don’t not like it. At least Tamina can somewhat wrestle which is more than I can say for Nia Jax.

WrESTleMania can't come soon enough. @BiancaBelairWWE will challenge @SashaBanksWWE for the #SmackDown #WomensTitle at #WrestleMania!!!

pic.twitter.com/evfGaEPH7h

— WWE (@WWE) February 27, 2021

There was only ONE choice Bianca Belair and you made the right one. Belair vs. Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women’s Championship will be epic! I find it interesting that SmackDown, with Belair vs. Banks and Edge vs. Roman Reigns, has the two main event matches for WrestleMania’s two-night event. It speaks volumes doesn’t it!

Speaking of Belair, I’d love to see her in a mixed tag team match with her husband Montez Ford! Ford and Angelo Dawkins are back in the win column too this week with a victory over the squabbling Sami Zayn & King Corbin. Corbin is just a guy lost from storyline to storyline these days. That’s a shame.

Seth Rollins and Cesaro are about to put on a string of matches you won’t want to miss. That is, if given the time to do it.  I like that Rollins introduced the longtime friend card too. Well, at least before Cesar sent him swinging. Let it breathe Vince! This could be special.

Coming up this week:

RAW: WWE Championship Match: The Miz vs. Bobby Lashley Drew McIntyre returns

NXT: WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch vs. MSK

SMACKDOWN: TBD

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND

[placetobenation]

Well, we asked you the question last week on how long it would take the WWE to break its own Draft rules. Well, it didn’t take long for our answer.

One week!

Just one week into the new landscape of RAW and SmackDown, we get SmackDown stars on RAW that weren’t supposed to be there. Otis, as El Gran Gordo, showed up to help his former Heavy Machinery partner Tucker. The Riott Squad, Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott took part in a fatal-four-way challenge to Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler.

But, in the very same season premiere episode of MNR, we are reminded that Big E can’t be with his New Day teammates due to the draft, so Big E shows up in the ThunderDome crowd to cheer on Kofi Kingston against Sheamus. Mixed messages? Damn straight.

See, that’s the thing about the WWE lately, especially on Monday Night RAW. They EXPECT you to not remember (or care) about the rules and the common sense. Storylines should, at the very least, be able to make sense and have us follow along at home. That’s how we get invested. It’s not that hard. NXT and SmackDown, along with other wrestling companies, understand this. I’m not quite sure why Monday nights don’t work the same way. But, then again, I do. It’s three words: Vincent Kennedy McMahon.

Enough said.

Now, it’s on to the week that was as we head straight to Hell (In A Cell)!

Star of the Week:

Love at first fright.#WWERaw @WWEBrayWyatt @AlexaBliss_WWE pic.twitter.com/on2qkL09H0

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) October 20, 2020

The Fiend & Alexa Bliss – Just one week in, they’ve taken over Monday nights. And we LOVE IT!

RAW

RESULTS

The Hurt Business defeated RETRIBUTION

AJ Styles defeated Matt Riddle

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Asuka defeated Lana

Non-title WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler defeated The Riott Squad, Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke and Peyton Royce & Lacey Evans

Kofi Kingston defeated Sheamus

El Gran Gordo (Otis) & Tucker defeated The Miz & John Morrison

Braun Strowman defeated Keith Lee

LOVED IT:

#TheFiend didn't forget.#WWERaw @WWEBrayWyatt @AlexaBliss_WWE pic.twitter.com/WfE0olSIdq

— WWE (@WWE) October 20, 2020

Opening segment(s) – Gotta be honest, I haven’t been a big fan of the RETRIBUTION storyline, but having them mingled between The Hurt Business and The Fiend with Alexa Bliss to open the show Monday night is a chance to give them new life. Granted, having them lose cleanly to The Hurt Business again isn’t helpful, but hopeful it’s just the beginning of the storyline. The Fiend and Alexa Bliss are megastars and having them in multiple segments on Monday nights will make it more watchable. Also, kudos to Mustafa Ali for a well-done promo giving some backstory to RETRIBUTION. It’s something we thought we were getting last week, but good to see they didn’t forget about it entirely.

No #HurtBusiness for @TitusONeilWWE. Just hurt.#WWERaw @fightbobby @The305MVP @Sheltyb803 @CedricAlexander pic.twitter.com/cxNUpwXI3f

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) October 20, 2020

The Hurt Business – Speaking of the strongest faction going in the WWE right now, The Hurt Business continues to be strong and do what they do best – whatever the hell they want. This week, it’s beating down Titus O’Neill after he wanted to bring his Worldwide brand to THB. THB is starting to remind me of the Four Horsemen, if only Bobby Lashley was the World Champion. And let’s be honest, MVP could outwrestle JJ Dillon any day.

Raise your hand

if #ElGranGordo is your new favorite @WWE Superstar.#WWERaw @tuckerwwe pic.twitter.com/hF1MVkNRWi

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) October 20, 2020

El Gran Gordo – Yes, I know, having Otis break the one-week old draft rule is worrisome, but I’ll take the entertainment of the storyline over the common sense for now. Having Otis, as El Gran Gordo, don a luchador mask to be Tucker’s tag team partner against The Miz & John Morrison is throwback to the days of the Machines (Andre, Roddy, Hulk, etc.), The Big Yellow Dog (JYD) and The Midnight Rider (Dusty Rhodes), not to mention Tommy Rich in mask in Atlanta.

Fun – Monday Night RAW has missed some of its fun, comedic elements of late and having El Gran Gordo and The New Day around will help fix that. The New Day can bring levity to any segment and it’s a nice breather in a three-hour long show. Plus, they can still bring it in the ring as the tag team champs. Good to see Big E in the ThunderDome crowd! Again, why can Otis, The Riott Squad and others appear on RAW but Big E can’t? Hmmm…..

Go home segment – Randy Orton’s final segment promo inside of the Hell in a Cell was gripping. As he went through of his HIAC matches with the likes of John Cena, The Undertaker, Daniel Bryan and others, it reminds us how good Orton truly is. One more notch on his belt I think is coming this Sunday to capture his 14th WWE title with a win over current WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. Great way to end it too with McIntyre cutting his way into the cell and yelling “your ass is mine” to Orton as the final shot of the night. It sets up a MUST-SEE match Sunday night.

Why?

Lana – We told you it was a complete waste last week to have Lana win the Battle Royale to face Asuka and the match proved it. It was a complete waste of time, only there to set up Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler and a fatal-four-way tag match. Asuka deserves better than this. It’s like having a non-title match on WWE Challenge back in the day.

Elias – Another concert and another guitar shot. At what point do we get more from Elias than just the singer who gets interrupted gimmick. The ironic thing is that the Jeff Hardy vs. Elias feud could be pretty decent.

Big things to come?

To say this was a HUGE win for @AJStylesOrg would be an understatement. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/q9FyGwHRc0

— WWE (@WWE) October 20, 2020

AJ gets a bodyguard – Well, it looks like the end of RAW Underground is here (thank God!) as the official bouncer of RU, Omogbehin, is now AJ Styles new bodyguard. It’s more of the old school coming back in 2020 and I like it! It’s so striking the size difference between Styles and Omogbehin. Unfortunately, I don’t think Omogbehin is going to be that good in a ring to ultimately turn on AJ and face him in a match. But then again, one never knows in the WWE world of booking. Very good rematch by the way between Styles and Matt Riddle, who continues to shine win or lose.

Battle of the low blows – Who’s the good guy? Who’s the bad guy? I can’t tell at this point between Braun Strowman and Keith Lee. Both of been tweeners, complete with a couple of low blow spots (look familiar Roman Reigns?). Not quite sure where this one is going or if it’s going to help either guy and just go the way of 50-50 matches for a few weeks. Speaking of 50-50, it was no shock to see Strowman get the win after being submitted, or is it passed out, by Roman Reigns last week on SmackDown.

NXT

RESULTS

Triple Threat Match: Kushida defeated Tommaso Ciampa & The Velveteen Dream

Ember Moon defeated Jessi Kamea

Bronson Reed defeated Austin Theory – twice

Legado Del Fantasma defeated Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Jake Atlas & Ashantee “Thee” Adonis

Ever-Rise defeated Drake Maverick & Killian Dain by DQ

Kacy Catanzaro defeated Xia Li

NXT Tag Team Championship Match:  Danny Lorcan & Oney Lorcan defeated Breezango to win the titles

LOVED IT:

𝑲 𝑼 𝑺 𝑯 𝑰 𝑫 𝑨 !@KUSHIDA_0904 gets the better of @NXTCiampa & @DreamWWE on #WWENXT on @USA_Network! pic.twitter.com/oTpajmfYmy

— WWE (@WWE) October 22, 2020

KUSHIDA – It keeps getting better and better for KUSHIDA. I hope they push it all the way to him vs. Finn Balor for the NXT Championship! Sure, he got a little help from The Velveteen Dream’s armed cast, but a win is a win, especially over Tommaso Ciampa!

*STOPS ON BURIED ALIVE* "WHY DOES THIS WHEEL WANT ME DEAD?!" #WWENXT (via @WWENXT)pic.twitter.com/YIzr9bewFU

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

"Spin the wheel, and FEEL the pain." – @ShotziWWE

#HalloweenHavoc #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/2ixrDrIsJv

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) October 22, 2020

Halloween Havoc build – Spin the wheel and feel the pain! Brilliant from your host Shotzi Blackheart. Plus, now we get a Haunted House of Terror match between Dexter Lumis and Cameron Grimes. Should be a tasty treat come Wednesday night!

Six-man tag – It’s no surprise that they killed it again, but Legado Del Fantasma simply brought it against Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Jake Atlas and Ashantee “Thee” Adonis. The cruiserweight division is no afterthought with Santos Escobar and his boys at the top. Quality each and every week!

Beat-down to a build-up:

IS THIS FOR REAL?!?

@PatMcAfeeShow is BACK! #WWENXT #NXTTagTitles @ONEYLORCAN @strongstylebrit pic.twitter.com/cj3Zi34NHr

— WWE (@WWE) October 22, 2020

The Undisputed Era/Pat McAfee – Nice twist to the tag team title match between Breezango and TUE. First, Bobby Fish gets beat down. Then, Roderick Strong gets beat up. So, in goes Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch to sub for them. And the mystery man, Pat McAfee gets revenge on Adam Cole & TUE by getting his boys, Lorcan & Burch the tag team gold. Brilliantly done. Never saw it coming! Now while I liked Breezango as entertaining champs, this keeps them in a mix for the titles with a bigger feud and higher profile storyline. It works on every angle.

Friends and foes:

Kacy vs. Xia – When Xia Li needed a match, her one-time friend Kacy Catanzaro stepped up for the fight and to Li’s surprise, beat her. Then, as Li attacked after match, Raquel Gonzalez tore in Li, Catanzaro and Kayden Carter to give her a boost heading into next week’s Halloween Havoc match with Rhea Ripley. A good use of all four, plus Kacy gets a surprise victory.

Bye-bye:

"That's it. I'm done… I QUIT." – @austintheory1 #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/ox4OEwX58P

— WWE (@WWE) October 22, 2020

Austin Theory – Did he really quit after getting beat (twice) by Bronson Reed? Probably not. Probably a re-dux coming.

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens & The Street Profits defeated Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura

Bianca Belair defeated Zelina Vega

Lars Sullivan defeated Short G

Seth Rollins defeated Murphy

LOVED IT:

We will never be equal. Never bite the hand that fed you. #BossoftheCell pic.twitter.com/5ICEaF4N3e

— $asha Banks (@SashaBanksWWE) October 24, 2020

Sasha seals the deal – So, Bayley wouldn’t sign the contract for Hell In A Cell? No worries. Sasha Banks just beat her senseless into submitting to it. Well done as the infamous chair takes center stage once again! I can only imagine the carnage that will come Sunday night inside the Hell In A Cell!

They got you, @WWERomanReigns. #SmackDown #HIAC @HeymanHustle @WWEUsos pic.twitter.com/6rMqaRPuSJ

— WWE (@WWE) October 24, 2020

Double Trouble – Jey Uso brings out Jimmy Uso to try and dupe Roman Reigns. Jey’s physicality gave us a little belief that he could have a chance in the family feud come Sunday. As for the consequences for the I Quit Match inside Hell In A Cell that Roman promised? Reigns puts the family on the line if things don’t fall into line from Uso on Sunday night.

Watch her shine, now!

#SmackDown @BiancaBelairWWE pic.twitter.com/K5T9oZRKn8

— WWE (@WWE) October 24, 2020

Bianca Belair – She’s a superstar folks! Nice start to her SmackDown career with a victory over Zelina Vega.

Didn’t we see that before?

Shorty G is no longer. It's GABLE now, CHAD GABLE. #SmackDown @WWEGable @ScrapDaddyAP pic.twitter.com/qtg9upfXKs

— WWE (@WWE) October 24, 2020

Shorty G – So, Shorty G quits..well, at least he quits his name. He’s back to being Chad Gable again, which is a good thing. Gone is the gimmick that needed to go a long time ago. But, hey, didn’t we just the quit angle on NXT two nights earlier? Seems a little forced but a nice way to put forth another Lars Sullivan squash match to build him up.

Wild and fun:

8-man tag – Anytime you can get the amount of in-ring talent that the opening match gave you – Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens & The Street Profits, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura – it’s going to be good. I like the idea of Owens and Bryan joining forces too to go after the tag titles. Plus, having The Street Profits get the pin makes perfect sense.

ORDER IN THE COURT.

Per Judge @JCLayfield, @otiswwe will battle @mikethemiz this Sunday at #HIAC! The winner will 𝒈𝒆𝒕 and 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 the #MITB contract! #SmackDown @tuckerwwe @TheRealMorrison pic.twitter.com/pb5n9ieoFQ

— WWE (@WWE) October 24, 2020

Court TV – While not as wild as the tag team match to start the night, Otis vs. The Miz inside a courtroom with JBL as Judge and Ron Simmons as bailiff in an APA reunion was some comedic relief for the night. Not only did we get a pay-off from The Miz to win the trial, but we get a pay-off in a match for this Sunday as Otis has to put his Money In The Bank contract on the line against The Miz. But, again with the draft breaking rules with Asuka showing up on SmackDown as a witness. She’s funny, but can’t we just abide by the rules at any point?

Same ol’ story:

Seth vs. Murphy – Different night. Same storyline. Same result. Count me as one who is no longer interested in Murphy vs. Rollins with the Mysterio family as the sidebar. It’s time for Rollins to turn Aalyah or move on.

Parting Shots:

Having Talking Smack follow SmackDown was a nice idea. Probably would’ve been a better idea for WWE Backstage to be in the timeslot back when it started though. If it did, it might still be around. The Paul Heyman segment/shoot about what makes a true Heyman guy was fantastic. So much realism and truth there. No scripts needed and a breath of fresh air. Again, something we thought WWE Backstage was going to more of, but wasn’t.

Hell In A Cell PPV – Updated Card

WWE Championship Hell In A Cell Match: Drew McIntyre vs Randy Orton

Universal Championship Hell In A Cell I Quit Match: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso

SmackDown Women’s Championship Hell In A Cell Match: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Money In The Bank Contract Match: Otis vs. The Miz

Jeff Hardy vs. Elias

Predictions: Randy Orton takes his 14th WWE title. Roman Reigns remains at the head of the table. Sasha Banks gets her revenge in the match of the night. Otis keeps his MITB contract. Elias takes part 1 vs. Jeff Hardy.

Coming up this week:

RAW: Hell In A Cell fallout

NXT: Halloween Havoc Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal NXT North American Championship Match: Damian Priest vs. Johnny Gargano Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal NXT Women’s Championship Match: Io Shirai vs. Candice LeRae Haunted House of Terror Match: Dexter Lumis vs. Cameron Grimes Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Gonzalez

SmackDown: Hell In A Cell fallout

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