Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House - TV/Movies (289) - Nairaland
Nairaland Forum / Entertainment / TV/Movies / Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House (290532 Views)
Games Of Thrones: House Of The Dragon Official Discussion Thread / Nigerians Storm Gotv Facebook Page Over WWE / Rachel Johnson Goes Topless On Live TV Show During Brexit Discussion (2) (3) (4)
(1) (2) (3) ... (286) (287) (288) (289) (290) (291) (292) ... (298) (Reply) (Go Down)
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 1:12am On Jul 05, 2023 |
The Shield: Where are they now? 1 Like
|
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 7:30am On Jul 05, 2023 |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:07am On Jul 07, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Dangerous I thought this section might get into Carmelo Hayes and the Judgment Day. Thereās a hook there related to Judgment Dayās current drama, the state of the NXT Championship, and WWE truly integrating NXT into bigger storylines with bigger wrestlers. And theyāll do that next week. But Bron Breakkerās promo that ended the show caught my attention. Besides the meta component that I think WWE does too much but nailed here, it showed Bronās growth. I canāt imagine Bron cutting this (relatively) calm promo a few months ago. Not even when he made his heel turn. This built on his Raw promo last month. He showed menace, clarity, conviction, and used the audienceās reactions. The long and short of it is Bron saw no new mountains. He climbed every peak and his match with Seth Rollins crystallized it all for him. While we never heard his ultimate point, I donāt need many guesses to figure it out. He wants a new challenge but clearly forgot about someone he attacked many moons ago: Ilja Dragunov. Ilja and Bron never got to tango because Dijak filled up Iliaās dance card for quite a while. Ilja wanted the NXT Championship and saw Bron standing in his way. Ilja seems less concerned about roadblocks and pathways at the moment and just wants to fight the man who jumped him. I feel that. How this feud plays out ultimately tells us a lot. Bron believes heās the big fish in a small pond. If Ilja defeats him, then heās at least one of several big fish in that same pond. Itās a weird if the guyās whole storyline revolves around him moving on only for someone to come along and say otherwise, and might cut off Bronās legs before he even finds them on the main roster. But what about Ilja? He clearly wants that NXT championship eventually but Iām not sure losing a big feud with Bron strengthens his argument for a match with the champ down the line. That also touches on something related to Melo and Judgment Day, but Iām saving that. I see lots of potential here between these two, and I really have no idea how it plays out. But it feels important and possibly a crossroads for both men. B-Sides Wild Out Itās wild what the Creed Bros. do in the ring. Julius Creedsā exploits need no further ink, but Brutus does more than just...drop bombs. This week, he hit a picturesque springboard somersault splash in their do or die match against The Dyad. He also took a mean spill out the ring when the Dyad turned him inside out in a semi Doomsday Device. On the outside of the ring! Itās moves like that, combined with their storytelling ability (Julius worked a bad knee this week) that show why theyāre leaving NXT for presumably Raw or SmackDown. Make no mistake, The Dyad cheated for this W. A āmasked manā emerged from the crowd and butted heads with Julius. Iām using quotes because Joe Gacyās absence felt conspicuous. Itās time for Julius & Brutus. And Diamond Mine resembled a shell of its former self for quite some time. This also gives Ivy Nile more time for her own stories and more character development. Which is great for her and NXTās womenās division. The Creed boys add a different degree of homicide to the main rosterās tag team scene on the mic and in the ring. Their energy feels different compared with everyone elseās, and their move set breaks the mold a bit as well. Props to Julius & Brutus. Canāt wait to see where they land and what they do. Pop 4 Roc Roxanne Perez had Blair Davenport on the ropes. Almost literally but not quite. Roxanne started the match before the bell rang, which longtime readers know I love. It shows urgency and establishes personal stakes in a beef. Itās appropriate for Roxanne and Blair because these two really donāt like each other and Roxanne owed Blair several receipts. They only got about 15 minutes in but they did their thing within that time frame. Despite her early advantage, Roxanne let her emotion get the best of her at one crucial moment. And thatās the difference in the match for both characters: Roxanne is all emotion while Blair plays things cool and calculated. Both women got physical and that played into the ending as well when Blair repeatedly needed Roxanne in the head and got the W. Solid affair that sets the table for more. If I Die 2nite Baron Corbin is done with the gimmicks after last week. He dipped back into the Lone Wolf persona and it paid no dividends. So he wants to find something new and ditch everything we know about him. Heās tired of his status as ājust good,ā and even threw in a CortÄs reference about burning all the boats and no going back. Fun times and props for the line. Iām intrigued. American Hustle We all knew this, right? Mustafa Ali wants his shot at Wes Lee and he challenged the North American champ this week after defeating Tyler Bate in a very dope match. These two work well together but I also presume we got more coming from Tyler on this front. No way he just lets this title shot happen. Right? Iām asking a lot of questions! Slum Beautiful Kelani Jordan impressed with her gymnast background. Itāll take some time to truly get into her rhythm, flow, and character, but she showed promise against Tatum Paxley. And the way she hit the Stundog Millionaire made me smile. I donāt know if she gains anything siding with Dana Brooke at this point but weāll see how it works. Cora Jade challenged Kelani afterward, while also insulting Dana because of course. The match with Kelani happens on Coraās time though, as most heels usually handle things. Apparently her time is next week. Mama Said Knock You Out I never dug Raw Underground but I got into NXTās version. I really liked the atmosphere that contributed to the violence, as Eddy Thorpe and Damon Kemp fought. I donāt even know how to explain it, although I will point out Gabe Stevenson thinking his gold medals held magical powers like a Mario mushroom is the funniest thing Iāve seen in quite some time. The suplex showcase Gabe engaged in following Eddyās TKO added to that violence. Just look at that clip! Thatās wild. I donāt know, maybe it just caught me in a good moment this week. No Song Nope, I got nothing for As the Don Turns. Stacks visited Tony DāAngelo this week and denied betraying the Don. He said he made a deal with Joe Coffey that he said works for all of them: If he beats Joe next week, all charges against the Don go away. If he loses, then the Don stays in jail until trial. As Tony aptly pointed out, thatās basically three on one. Which makes me think someone returns and helps Stacks. Perhaps Two Dimes? Because, yeah, this looks like an easy win for Coffey and Gallus. The story is getting a little too goofy for me so hopefully they land this plane sooner rather than later. The Promise Lyra Valkyria is showing promise. She had her moments along the way but never really put it together. This feud with Jacy Jayne might do wonders for her as it relates to character and in-ring skill. They didnāt get a lot of time this week since the feud is no way over, but Lyra picked up the first W in chapter one. Skinny Suge The NXT champ chose violence: He invited Judgment Day to NXT next week. Finn Balor responded in kind and in the affirmative. I doubt he comes alone and I canāt wait to see it. Stop the Violence Iām still not on the Von Wagner train, but I give the man his due for getting over. Von demolished Big Body Javi this week after Big Body talked trash. The crowd loved it and seem fully on board the Von express. Solid show packed with plenty of storytelling. Not all of it worked for me (the Family/Gallus saga) but most of it did. Plus, we got a big farewell to a bedrock NXT tag team. The Creeds left their mark in a hell of final match in the territory. Next week looks hot as well, so what are you excited for? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 11:10am On Jul 08, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS āHe got beat.ā Thatās what The Usos started off telling us all on Friday Night SmackDown at Madison Square Garden this week and boy oh boy was it just what we needed to hear to remind us of the fact that Roman Reigns did indeed get pinned by Jey Uso at Money in the Bank in London. 1. 2. 3. Hell yeah. Naturally, they couldnāt even enjoy that victory for a few minutes before Paul Heyman, flanked by Solo Sikoa, interrupted. And then, confusion. Heyman called himself the lead defense for Reigns in this trial of the Tribal Chief and no one can tell him to shut up ā¦ which is when Sikoa took his mic and tossed it out of the ring. Reignsā music hit the speakers, and he hit the scene, and they went to a commercial break. Just to come back to Heyman in the ring next to Reigns with a microphone back in his hand. Okay! āYou got pinnedā chants rang throughout the arena. Itās worth noting that Reigns said Jimmy āsure as hell isnāt The Tribal Chiefā before saying Jey also isnāt but adding āyet.ā It would appear that thread is continuing. Meanwhile, New York showered Reigns with a āyou bleeped upā chant after they showed a video package called āExhibit Aā that more or less ran down all the ways heās been a selfish, manipulative, tyrant of a leader. Of course, he claimed thatās not who he is but who he was forced to be. He didnāt do it because he wanted to, he did it because he had to. He did it for the family. He did it for The Bloodline. He turned it around on Jey, claiming he was using his low moments to embarrass him in front of his own daughter, who was backstage, and acted as though it was everyone else who was wrong. A masterclass in manipulation. Then, because thatās what the types do, he threatened to take it all away. āI donāt need all this. Iām done. Iām done with all of it. I donāt want it anymore. You want it, itās yours. Iām done.ā And then he took off the lei and he put it around Jeyās neck, looking tortured while doing so. He cried. Heyman cried. Then he even took the title off and threw it down. And bent to one knee. And then both. Sobbed. Jey reached out to him. And Reigns hit him with a low blow. Jimmy attacked. Solo ripped him off and threw him to the other side of the ring. At three corners laid Roman, Jey, and Jimmy. Solo stood in the center, over the lei that was now on the mat. He stared at it. The crowd swelled in anticipation. Jimmy rushed, but was Spiked. Then Solo picked the lei up himself and examined it. Fans asked for him to put it on. Reigns approached, his hand outstretched. More seeds planted, more questions raised on Soloās loyalty and just how deep it runs. But when The Usos attacked again, Solo again fought by Romanās side. For now, itās clear this was just another ploy from a manipulator who would do anything to be the number one guy. If it wasnāt clear, commentary said it and then Reigns himself screamed it in Jeyās face. You will never be him. You will never be Roman Reigns. Some trial. It ended with The Usos needing to be helped out of the place, with Jimmy even doing a stretcher job and leaving in an ambulance while Jey rushed to be with him. But that wasnāt all. No, Jey left with Jimmy but he came back later looking for Reigns and it became clear what was about to happen. Jey got the better of Sikoa, then got the better of Reigns, then when Solo came back with a chair he took that from him and laid into him with his own damn chair. Jey was like a man possessed. Like the man who pinned Roman Reigns. The WWE Universal championship was left in the ring, so Jey picked it up and got on the mic to say what weāve all been waiting for ā heās challenging Reigns for his championship. They didnāt make clear that it was for a match at SummerSlam, and Reigns didnāt even accept, as they left it open ended here, but we know where this is headed. Time to get our hearts broken all over again. Iām so ready. All the rest -Sheamus and Austin Theory had one hell of a match for the United States championship, one of the better matches I can remember Theory having in his time on the main roster. Of course, it broke down into an absolute clustermuck with Pretty Deadly getting involved and ensuring Theory scored a rollup victory after Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick on Kit Wilson. This was a hell of a lot of fun. -The powers that be see something in Grayson Waller and if that wasnāt obvious the returning Edge outright said as much during his time on āThe Grayson Waller Effect.ā They basically acknowledged that they used Edgeās return to ensure Waller could rub elbows with him. The story was Waller wanting Edge to announce his retirement on his show, but instead Edge got a match booked between the two. -AJ Styles and Karrion Kross got to have another match and it felt entirely too rushed and like they just wanted to get to Michin helping take out Scarlett when she tried to assist Kross in another victory. This time, because he had the equalizer, Styles scored the win. Just like he said he would. They just didnāt have enough time to make this feel meaningful. -WWE was obviously pressed for time after the opening Bloodline segment, because they were sprinting through other important segments. Like, for example, setting the table for the WWE womenās championship match at SummerSlam. Asuka got a microphone and hardly said a couple words before Bianca Belair was sprinting in to fight followed by Charlotte Flair sprinting in to fight. They all but said a triple threat will be booked for Detroit early next month. Then, IYO SKY tried to cash in the Money in the Bank contract and failed because it was too chaotic and Belair pulled Bayley out as she was trying to give the briefcase up. This seemed almost bizarre, considering Iām not sure what it did to have SKY fail a cash-in like this. The show was hurt by The Bloodline eating up so much time and having to rush through segments but the big stuff is still so good. Grade: B |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 11:46am On Jul 11, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Chef Dreds The Judgment Day continue their reign as the best thing on Monday Night Raw. And more importantly, they give others that shine. They got the main event spot tonight thanks to some events covered below these words so just be patient. But letās focus on their cohesiveness and whether or not the drama is truly over. Iām leaning towards no because it felt too neat. They cleared the air during a backstage segment, Damian said something that confused Finn and me, then everything looked copastiteic during the six-man tag against Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, & Seth Rollins. They even won! I do believe a drama-free Judgment Day presents a more formidable task for Seth. And since they invade NXT this week, you gotta present them as a solid unit to raise the stakes for Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams. And I do like Damian saying he never meant to hurt Finnās chances at Money in the Bank, but he didnāt answer why he came to the ring or why he stood up when Finn climbed the top rope. I donāt know if thatās purposeful or a mistake but given the recent attention to detail we get from WWE, Iām guessing itās the former. Iām on record saying I donāt want a Judgment Day breakup but I also donāt know where the group goes when two members have the same goal. Finn said he still wants Seth. Damian says thatās cool. I donāt believe WWE takes the title off Seth this soon, but Iām a lot more interested in what happens if Finn defeats Seth. Does Damian go back on his word? Or does he just hold that briefcase until his friend loses the championship? That last option makes no sense but I canāt see the first thing happening without destroying the group. Thatās one of the reasons I dig this story; itās unpredictable and every option presents something different. It says a lot about the work WWE put into each character and the whole group since they kicked Edge to the curb. Like everyone in the Bloodline, Judgment Day gets the advantage of being real people. The storytelling isnāt on the same level but I appreciate the effort. B-Sides Back At You Drew McIntyre made his in-ring return this week. So yeah, even though this tag match with him, Matt Riddle, and Imperium was, in fact, a tag match, it still showcased Drew. He and Riddle worked well together and complement each other. Of course Matt & Drew picked up the W, after Drew pinned Giovanni Vinci courtesy of the Claymore Kick. That L drew GUNTHERās ire, along with a dirty look from Ludvig Kaiser. Giovanniās on thin ice with his crew at the moment, which gives a little more intrigue going into a presumed match between GUNTHER and Drew. Fast Eddie The Judgment Day pulled a fast one on Seth Rollins. The show opened with Finn Balor all by his lonesome, and airing his grievances against his Judgment Day partner, Damian Priest. The two squashed things a bit later because Rhea Ripley told them to do so. I mean, if Rhea told you to do something, wouldnāt you? Yeah, you know you would. And all this happened after Dirty Dom asked for a rematch against Seth Rollins. I doubted an actual match happening so I got excited when Dom attacked Seth before the bell rang. They battled into the Buffalo audience and eventually Finn and Damian got in on the reindeer games. Besides shoring up any dissent in the crew (for now) it established Seth as their common enemy. It also brought Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn into the fold, as Rhea challenged them on behalf of her crew only a few moments prior. Thatās pretty seamless storytelling and it paid off later. Cruiser Weight Coke Honestly? The less Logan Paul and Ricochet use the microphone, the better. I didnāt dislike either of them per se here, but the approached bored me. Ricochet wants to impress the audience every night and Logan believes he just wants to go viral. Logan doesnāt care about going Viral because heās a WWE guy now. Ricochet did an incredible somersault out of the ring and Logan says thatās great for Tik Tok. Logan said nah, then went for a sucker kick, and Ricochet walked out on top after executing a pretty Slice Bread. Yeah, just get to the match. Brutus Iām a little shocked they gave Zoey Stark the win over Becky Lynch but I applaud them for doing so. Yes, we got a little chicanery here as both women tried holding the ropes for a W, but that cancels it out. The story pretty much said that Becky got too distracted by Trish and in that moment, Zoey took advantage. Obviously this isnāt over but thatās a big win for Zoey and a solid match to boot. No complaints. Right Now I love Alpha Academy and anything they do. Maxxine shined in her graduation ceremony, even though Otis threatened to upstage everyone. And right when Otis and Chad Gable presented Maxxine with her lettermanās jacket, the Viking Raiders interrupted and pillaged the jacket! We all knew this wasnāt over after last week but the Alpha Academy needed a reason for war. Well, they got it. Pavement Emma and Shayna Baszler did a thing this week. I say it that way because I barely turned away for a moment and it ended. This week is mostly story based, so this followed that same pattern as the quick āmatchā gave way to a Ronda Rousey sighting. Ronda deserved her revenge for last week so we got a brief brawl between the two former friends and tag champs. Much like the Logan & Ricochet stuff, the more physical they are, the better. Let. Them. Fight. Goodnight Tommaso Ciampa didnāt count on Bronson Reed showing up. Neither did I. Bronson interrupted a perfectly fun, violent No DQ match. Ciampa showcased his brand of violence (chairs, tables, throats into chairs and turnbuckles) but no stripping the padding off the ring mat. We didnāt have the time for that and Iām not sure if thatās a spot for Raw. Miz used Bronson for muscle before so this is a great call back, plus it gives Bronson something to do now that heās done with Ricochet and Shinsuke Nakamura. He and Tommaso sounds violent to me so bring it on. Sunday School So thereās a lot happening with this womenās tag team championship scene. First, the tag champs sat ringside during Chelsea Green & Sonya Devilleās match against Kayden Carter & Katana Chance. Before that, Rhea Ripley stepped to the tag champs and told Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan to stay out of her business after what they pulled last week. Besides getting a nice moment where Liv chuckled to herself and then told the champ she and her partner donāt fear her, itās another tease for Raquel vs. Rhea. As for the match itself? Fine. Not a lot of time although I donāt quite like the finish. While I like making Kayden & Katana look strong through Sonya & Chelsea cheating, it contradicts last weekās turmoil where those two ran through everyone pretty fairly. We established they donāt need to cheat but they do it here with the champs sitting ringside. A solid night of Raw. Solid storytelling with a few matches sprinkled in and one long match that ended the show but still revolved around storytelling. We also got a Cody promo that really didnāt do much for me because it illustrates how difficult it is building anything with Brock Lesnar when heās just not in the building. That changes next week so hopefully these two regain their momentum when I assume Brock accepts Codyās SummerSlam challenge. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by ValeeLove(m): 4:43pm On Jul 13, 2023 |
CoolUsername:haba, courtesy demands that you at least render each men same playing field. The other 2 have championships and are seen celebrating while Mox is bleeding in a match up. You sef. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 9:01pm On Jul 13, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Four Minutes to Lockdown Rhea Ripley is the star on Monday nights. Raw is her show and I donāt understand any argument that disagrees. But she takes her talents to Orlando this week and meets Tuesdayās star, Carmelo Hayes. Iām happy Judgment Day didnāt dominate the show. They opened the show, as they should, and let Finn talk his talk. Melo & Trick Williams showed up, talked their talk, and set up the main event: Trick Melo Gang vs. Judgment Day. Judgment Dayās next appearance came when Dirty Dom challenged Wes Lee to a North American Championship match next week. Once again, spreading the Judgment Day out but using them correctly. Dom vs. Wes? I donāt predict a wrestling classic but I see something fun that provides Mustafa Ali an opening on his future opponent. And we saw or heard nothing from Rawās main event until, well, NXTās main event. While everyone looked good, Trick shined. I say this a lot but we need more of him in the ring because he has a spark. He handled his own against Damian Priest, showed some great tandem moves against Finn, and even took a nasty Power Bomb on the commentary table. Extra nasty because the table didnāt break and those always look painful. But the story here, besides Judgment Day running Tuesdays, is the fact it took all four members to defeat Trick & Melo. After they wiped out Trick, Rhea & Dom ran a runaround on the ref, with Dom distracting with a chair while Rhea handed Damian his briefcase. BUT WAIT, THEREāS MORE. Before Damian unloaded on Melo, Ilja Dragunov stopped it. Why him? Youāll have to read on for that but itāll make sense. I promise. Melo & Ilja miscommunicated and Melo went South of Heaven, then Finn finished him from the top rope. This keeps Judgment Day strong while telling the world Melo & Trick are for real since it took four people to beat two. This puts an end to this chapter for now as Melo focuses on his Great American Bash opponent, and Judgment Day turn their attention to Mr. Wes Lee. But donāt be shocked if they revisit this down the line based on how it ended and the styles at play. B-Sides Powaful Impak Look, I donāt get to do this that often these days but go watch Bron Breakker vs. Ilja Dragunov. Watch it now. Donāt even read the rest of this recap before watching it. These two fought. They put on a match filled with big shots, big suplexes, and a lot of stiffness. Bron actually looked like a few chops agitated him if only a bit, but it never threw the match off track. As far as number one contender matches go, this is one of my favorites in quite some time. Their battle put so much importance on the NXT Championship, and the fact Bron didnāt go down easy makes him look good while also making Ilja look like a dragon slayer. The Big Payback Two things stick out to me about the tag match between Chase U and Charlie Dempsey & Drew Gulak. First, Andre Chase looked great. Grant it he didnāt work an Iron Man match, but he hit his spots and looked smooth. Secondly, I loved the ending with Thea Hail turned the tables on Drew. Yes, itās cheating and the ref missed it, but itās a great moment where she uses Drewās teaching against him and stops him from helping his partner, thus taking the L. By Any Means We got more from Kelani Jordan this week and I still like her. Cora Jade is a great dance partner that provides Kelani the chance to work from underneath, get her comebacks in, but ultimately build up equity and compassion from the audience. The match ended a bit abruptly though. Kelani left to the ropes for a springboard attack but Cora caught her for the second time and kicked the ropes right form under her. One DDT from Cora later and that was that. Yes, NXT matches usually get rushed for time purposes and this is still developmental, but that didnāt feel like the natural endpoint. Dana Brooke got some action in the post match when Cora went after Kelani with the kendo stick, which obviously points to a Dana vs. Cora bout. Which I get but Iād rather Kelani get another shot at redemption rather than the veteran battling on her behalf. Alone In Vegas Ivy Nile looked weird entering the arena without her boys. Still no word on where Brutus and Julius show up, but I found it interesting that Ivy hit the ring with the Diamond Mine sound effects and even kept her ārepresenting Diamond Mineā billing. Maybe itās nothing or maybe it says that Julius and Brutus might find a way back to NXT. I didnāt expect Ivy to defeat Tiffany Stratton but she gave her some go. Thereās a potentially interesting story here about Ivy finding her footing as a solo artist and finally handling her business rather than focusing on Creed business. That might get harder with Schism knocking at her door and tempting her, but weāll see. As for Tiffany, her business with Thea remains unfinished as the Chase U section reminded her the whole match hat she tapped out. And when Tiffany took the mic after her narrow W over Ivy and sounded shook. With everyone saying she tapped, which came right before a segment with Thea reminding Andre about the tap, I smell a rematch. Freedom This thing with the DāAngelo Family and Gallus is silly. Everyone commits their all so props there but itās silly. This week, we got McKenzie interviewing Tony D...from prison, and Tony made a collect call...from prison...into the arena during Stacksā match with Joe Coffey. Yes, they played a collect call through the arenaās sound system as the Don encouraged his friend and told the Gallus boys that he and Stacks set them up. Thereās video for those who missed it. Stacks won, Tony D gets his freedom thanks to the worldās worstāor bestāDistrict Attorney. This DA makes Harvey Dent blush. I donāt have anything else to say because it just didnāt work for me. The crowd loved it and I like everyone involved, but this stretched too far for me. Much like this weekās Raw, NXT focused on a lot of story. We got a video segment with Von Wagner with compelling imagery and storytelling, but the performances left me wanting. We also got more from Baron Corbin as he searches for a new gimmick. Heās an aimless Florida man now, so everyone in the Sunshine State keep watch. Oh and this new angle to Gigi Dolin and Kiana James? I dig it. Gigi revealed some photos of Kiana that contradict Ms. Jamesā current image. Gigi says Kiana is more like her than she lets on and that Kiana needs to stop fronting. I enjoyed the show. Solid wrestling with a lot of story and Judgment Day didnāt overwhelm the show. I love them but Iām glad they kept their presence to a minimum. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 6:13pm On Jul 14, 2023 |
pu7pl3: Ilja Dragunov is world class. His selling and ring psychology remind me of Shawn Michaels. He always delivers great matches without having to use blood, thumb tacks, top rope fuckinators, or finisher spam. With the amount of talent in NXT right now, the future of pro wrestling is looking bright. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 9:56am On Jul 15, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Poor Asuka. WWE didnāt even try to hide the fact that she is not even the focus of the womenās championship program at the start of this weekās episode of Friday Night SmackDown. She is the champion. Bianca Belair cut a passionate promo saying sheās tired of waiting and being patient and she wants to win the title she feels is hers. She was interrupted by Charlotte Flair confidently proclaiming Belair would win tonight and she hopes that happens because then they can wrestle each other. Belair told her she could have the match at SummerSlam, and they literally shook hands over it. Again, Asuka is the champion. Her only appearance in the segment was a brief shot of her shaking her head backstage while watching the two bigger stars set up a major match at the next pay-per-view. And this is before she would defend her title in the main event of the evening. Later, Flair was about to leave the arena to let the match play out how she believed it would when Bayley and Iyo Sky showed up to remind everyone of the latterās Money in the Bank contract. Flair, naturally, decided to stick around. Which is why itās so baffling that when they got to the match, they made a big show of Bayley, Sky, and Flair showing up ringside with tickets they purchased. This makes no sense, considering we never got a segment with Pearce barring them from the arena to create a need for them to buy tickets. They were all already at the show working. Theyāre usually pretty good about addressing details like that lately, so it was a bit disappointing they failed to do so here. It also makes no sense to do because they were always going to get involved in the match and this means they have to jump the barricade to do it. If theyāre just ticket buyers and not talent, doesnāt that mean security should stop them? Anyway, they did indeed get involved, leading to a disqualification and yet another failed cash-in attempt from Sky. Thatās her second now, and letās hope that doesnāt continue because sheās going to start looking worse and worse for it moving forward. Add it all up and we have a story where there are three women chasing after the championship and the actual champion is the least relevant part of the story. If she didnāt have the title, she wouldnāt be here at all. Not great! This Bloodline story didnāt need any more depth, or should I say Jey Uso challenging Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal championship at SummerSlam didnāt, but they gave it that this week. Jimmy Uso, we learned, is out indefinitely with āruptured rib cartilageā following Reigns & Solo Sikoaās attack last week. Jey, then, showed up good and pissed off about it this week. āWhen my brother hurts, I hurt.ā And now heās going to go scorched Earth on those responsible for it, even though it means putting the boots to his own family. Naturally, Paul Heyman showed up to muddy the waters, claiming Jey is already acting a bit like a Tribal Chief. But also itās his fault that Jimmy is in the hospital right now. And no one is ever going to forgive him for what heās done, and continuing to do. To drive it home, Sikoa took the mic himself and spoke clear as day. āIāll never forgive you either.ā Ouch. It was a great setup for the fight that kicked off right after, one that included Jey finally getting to superkick Heyman in the mouth. He sent both Heyman and Sikoa packing tending to the wounds he left them with. Reigns returns next week to āgo over the rules of engagementā for their match. They continue to surprise me with how well they pace these things and how each segment can have as much impact as it still does. Theyāve really got me going again, even though I know where this is headed. Iām going to be upset again all the same. God, I love it. The LA Knight section of the show: Listen to the reception that man gets. It doesnāt matter where WWE travels, the audience responds with pure glee when he shows up, and they absolutely love playing along when heās speaking. Iām not going to act like heās anywhere near the level of Stone Cold Steve Austin or The Rock, and I absolutely understand anyone claiming heās a ripoff of the two. But I donāt give one single solitary damn about it because heās just that good. One way itās absolutely fair to compare him is in just how eager fans are to go along with him with the catchphrases. I can remember being younger and wanting to go to shows just so I could give Stone Cold his āHELL YEAH.ā Now I want to be one of the everybody saying... Never underestimate how powerful a draw it is to have someone in a prominent position at a show so fans can do his gimmick with him. Itās pro wrestling, man, itās supposed to be fun. And LA Knight gives you exactly that. YEAH! All the rest -Pretty Deadly exposed a turnbuckle to cheat to defeat the Brawling Brutes after a decent match. Itās been a tough few weeks for the Brutes, who consistently look good but canāt stop taking losses, no matter how theyāre taking them. -Grayson Waller very publicly got into it with The Rock on social media, so of course WWE made sure to have him call attention to it on this show. Then again, he also made sure to talk about Rock coming to find him if he has a problem with him. It wasnāt long ago that the big boss of the company wouldnāt go for saying things like that if it wasnāt going somewhere. Maybe Iām just being hopeful this means Rock will finally come back around to verbally smack down Waller before maybe bumping into the family againā¦ -Bayley defeated Zelina Vega in a straight up singles match. It was fine for what it was, which was a way to lead into a pre-taped promo from Shotzi, who said sheās the one in control, not Bayley, and she showed that by shaving her head and calling herself weird. This is finally a bit of direction for Shotzi beyond throwing her in a random tag team, at least. -The first of two Fatal 4-Way matches to determine Austin Theoryās next challenger for the United States championship saw Santos Escobar emerge victorious after an incredibly fun match. Whoever laid this out deserves a ton of credit, and Escobar, AJ Styles, Grayson Waller, and BUTCH did a hell of a job in the execution. Waller, despite WWE seeing so much in him, took the pin. Hey, heās a heel, he can be beaten quite a bit before it really starts to hurt. This is also probably good for next weekās winner, considering who is in the field for that one (cough, LA Knight). -Hey, Bobby Lashley showed up! And he came in style, showing up in a limo to take The Street Profits off somewhere so they could talk. The birth of a new Hurt Business, perhaps? Really fun show overall but the main event was a bit of a mess. Grade: B- |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 9:57am On Jul 15, 2023 |
CoolUsername: You're damn right |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 11:50am On Jul 18, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Da Art of Storytellinā Finn Balor and Seth Rollins hit their stride a few weeks ago when Finn demolished Seth on sight at the drop of a dime. They hit another level this week during Sethās sit-down interview with Byron Saxton. I complained about Sethās character not allowing the serious Finn brings to the table right now. Well, this week proved me wrong. Finn interrupted the interview and Seth got deadly serious. He looked like a man who not only understood Finn, but feared him. Seth recognized something in Finnās eyes and knew it meant nothing but trouble. He said as much when he empathized with Finnās feelings but told him to stop living in the past and try his best to move forward. Obviously, Finn said nah, but the way he said it got me shook a bit. Finn wants everything from Seth that he feels owed and showed no remorse for anyone in his path. Seth told Finn that to leap if he felt froggy and Finn happily obliged with a sucker punch that any wrestling fan saw coming from three country miles away. Seth relayed the favor during the main event and took Finn out the picture before the bell even rang. Great stuff but Iām awed with how they turned this thing around after that first encounter many moons ago. Everyone adjusted and figured out the best way forward, then simply executed. Seth showed a new angle tonight that plays perfectly against Finn, while illustrating heās more than just a Joker impression in fashion choices louder than a football field littered with cicadas. I like the fact Finn forced everyoneās hands into this rematch too. It says Seth realized that getting rid of this problem sooner than later helps him. Itās dangerous letting Finn go unchecked, so he did the only logical thing. Strong storytelling that built on everything, got beyond the shouting, and just put two guys in a room with nothing but air and opportunity. Their story comes full circle at SummerSlam. Do I think Finn wins? No. But I hold out hope he does and still think itās the best move for the tale. Thatās my story and Iām sticking to it. B-Sides Fighting While I enjoy a good fight, and please believe Matt Riddle and GUNTHER gave us a fight, Iām not really sure if it served a point. Drew McIntyre suggested Matthew hold off fighting the Intercontinental champ until Drew comes back from handling WWE business elsewhere. Matt forged ahead and WWE barred the rest of IMPERIUM from ringside. And then GUNTHER did what GUNTHER does. While much more competitive than their Money in the Bank match with Mattās ankle no longer being of the bum variety, nothing really changed. GUNTHER got on the mic afterward and told Drew to come get all this heat if he wants it. But we already know Drew wants it. And beating Matt fair and square wonāt suddenly increase Drewās animosity. Itās a perfect time to let GUNTHER get ahead through chicanery and truly stoke Drewās ire. But, yeah, I want it to be one way but itās the other way. Call of Da Wild Iām glad Brock Lesnar showed up fasionably late because I didn't want another week with Cody pulling this thing by himself. After Cody welcomed everyone to the show and shouted out his moms and family in the front row, Brock showed up with violence on his mind. He used a chair but mostly his fists, the F-5, and the Kimura Lock. Oh, and he accepted Codyās challenge. Great opening that set the tone for the rest of the night. I said it before but everything with Brock just looks different because heās such a scary looking human. It all looks real and feels real. Number One Spot I knew it. I knew after Rhea Ripley āinjuredā Raquel Rodriguezās knee during their dust up in the back that those tag titles had a new destination. Also, shoutout to Rhea for head butting Liv into...oblivion. Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville are the new tag champsāwell deservedābecause they capitalized on Raquelās knee injury. They essentially wrestled a handicap match with Raquel hopping on one leg and Liv doing her best. While I initially disliked the idea that Liv took the pin since Raquelās the hobbled one, I understand why Liv took the L. This represents another brick in the wall for Raquel vs. Rhea, so keeping her shoulders off the ground makes sense. Plus, Liv doesnāt look bad losing to two people in that fashion while her partner screamed in agony on the floor after taking a mean chop block. I like the title change and think itās time for Chelsea & Sonya. Goodie Bag Kevin Owensā temper almost wrote a check too big for the Undisputed Tag Team champs. This non title match morphed into a title match simply because he has no chill. The Judgment Day almost took those tag titles if not for Liv showing up and getting a little revenge on Rhea. That distracted Dirty Dom because heās a great boyfriend, and gave the tag champs just enough time to put the finishing touches on the match and retain their titles in a really dope main event. Hear me out though: I donāt like the result. Sami & KO rock but Iām over them as champs right now. More to the point, I think Judgment Day does more with the tag titles than the current champs since their biggest moment came when they won the championships at WrestleMania. I canāt think of a hotter heel team more deserving and with a better story at the moment. To say nothing of the fact that Dom going into a championship match with Wes Lee with one belt draped around his waist sounds like a good story. But alas, the champs retain and the status quo remains. Though I believe WWE made a mistake here, one I hope they soon rectify. I do like throwing Liv back into the mix though. Great touch that sets up a grudge match between her and Rhea. Players Ball (Remix) A couple things: The Viking Rules match? Insane. Fun, but insane. Two, Maxxine got her jacket and then took an awkward looking but effective spear through a table from Valhalla. Ms. Dupri keeps showing and proving, and I enjoy every second. The Viking Raiders got the W, thanks to Valhalla giving a huge assist that went unchallenged with Maxxine out of commission. I mean, thatās really it. Actually, one more thing: This isnāt over by a long shot. At least I hope not. Trap Muzik Shayna Baszler defeated Nikki Cross in what felt like record time. So, yeah, letās talk about Ronda Rousey, who showed up in the press box with a lot of words. Ronda still lacks smoothness on the microphone and rushes through everything to the point that it feels rehearsed. Like I said before, more fighting and less talking. But the good thing is they finally made the match official: Shayna vs. Ronda at SummerSlam. Jeopardy One step closer to Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch at SummerSlam. The Miz Tv segment overall didnāt do much for me as it seemed a little disjointed with no energy, but it got to its logical conclusion and set some stakes. If Becky beats Zoey Stark, then she gets Trish. If not? Well, she gets on her knees and thanks Trish, and gets a matching tattoo. Iām curious what obstacles they throw in front of Becky during her match with Zoey. Obviously she gets the win but the āhowā matters since Trish set the terms. But thereās another big issue here: Why did Trish accept this after dismissing Becky? Yeah, Becky threw a few insults Trishās way after Trish declined, but they were light and nothing new from Becky. I donāt think anyone understood how to move this thing from point a to point b, so they found the thinnest reasoning. Thereās no emotion here that feels earned and no story that serves anyone well. Everyone deserves better than this. Splash Waterfalls Tommaso Ciampa got in Shinsuke Nakamuraās way this week. Shinsuke got another shot at Bronson Reed, but Tommaso showed up and got Shinsuke disqualified. Both men want Bronson for their own reasons but now Shinsuke wants Tommaso. Or at least he better because I canāt imagine Tommaso letting Shinsukeās attack go unanswered. I like Shinsuke acknowledging the fact everyone keeps butting into his business. He needs to bring back some aggression and get back that edge he had back in NXT. And putting him against Tommaso feels like the perfect moment for bringing that old thing back. We got a lot of fun matches tonight and WWE treated Atlanta very well. Great storytelling with everyone involving the Judgment Day, a home run from Finn and Seth, and some intrigue in the womenās division. Oh, and people wrestled on a semi viking ship 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 3:32pm On Jul 19, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Up North Trip Mustafa Ali warned him. Mustafa told Wes Lee that he made a mistake accepting Dirty Domās challenge. Wes felt insulted. Mustafa thinks Wes canāt beat Dom? Dominick Mysterio? Really? Of course, Wes missed the whole point even though Mustafa told him his feelings reflected Judgment Dayās modus operandi and not Wesā considerable skill. No matter how good Wesā talents, heās not beating four people. But thatās the way this whole thing works with Wes. The longer his reign continued, the more his confidence grew. And the more his confidence grew, the more challenges he accepted, just to prove a point that nobody but him felt needed proving. Wesā chip on his shoulder turned into arrogance and that fatal flaw wrote his reignās last chapter before he even realized. Dom and the Judgment Day did Wes dirty. And itās all his fault. Now, as far as the match goes, these two lacked a certain chemistry. And Dom, though very much improved, still has some rough edges. He came really close to making the match shorter than planned when he dropped Wes awkwardly on his head. Although, is there a non-awkward way to drop someone on their head? But this really came down to the last couple minutes. Wes, just like so many times before, set up Dom for his eventual trip back to Mondays sans North American championship. But then, just like Mustafa predicted, Damian Priest & Finn Balor popped up like Jack-in-the-Boxes. Finn distracted the ref, Damian got physical but it looked like Wes might skate when he nailed Damian with a Cardiac Kick. Then along came Mami. Rhea Ripley nailed Wes with her championship belt and Dom did the rest. 1-2-3. We have a new champion. Mustafa wanted Wes at The Great American Bash because he wanted the best ever and not Dom. Well, not everyone gets what they want but they do get what they deserve. Wes let a bunch of things cloud his judgmentāno punāand got what he deserved. I love Dom as the North American champ. Working in NXT should help him a lot, while further integrating Judgment Day into NXTās fabric and the rest of WWE. It truly makes the territoryās most dominant faction just that. And if we do need get Mustafa and Dom at the Bash, I hope Dom comes out on top. Letās ride this thing out and see where it goes. Oh, one more thing: Booker T compared Dom to Kobe Bryant and Tupac. That will not stand and it better not happen again. B-Sides Face Off 2K1 I don't have much to say about Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov this week other than they killed their opening promo segment. It started a bit slow when they got through the mandatory mutual appreciation stuff. Once they got over all that, they found a rhythm based on pure competition and proving the other just isnāt ready. Melo does the āgood guy respectā thing better than most and Iljaās intensity plays well off Meloās calm demeanor. They teased more tension between the two when Ilja popped up while Melo and Trick Williams talked to Schism. A fight broke out and next week, well, you watch wrestling, you know how the ācan they co-existā thing works. Twinz (Deep Cover ā98) I dug this opening match so much. Mostly because it shows one of NXTās main talking points rather than just telling: Thereās something popping in NXTās tag team division now. Los Lotharios and Nathan Frazer & Dragon Lee got plenty of time and told a back and forth stor that showcased maybe, just maybe, the two cousins arenāt on the same page. Or they took NXT for granted and imagined a Florida cake walk. I also dug the different flavors we got during the match. It started fast paced with Nathan & Dragon on top, then slowed down just a bit and became a slug fest when the Lotharios took over. Which makes sense as heels should slow down matches and punish the heroes. Ultimately, Dragon & Nathan got the W thanks to a little miscommunication from their opponents. While they celebrated, Angel & Humberto argued about said miscommunication. Headed for a split? Possibly. But I hope not. Especially after this week. But giving them a little story never hurts. Nann Last week, Bronco Nima & Lucien Price made their debut. Not in-ring, but they showed up and put their noses in Reggie (yup not calling him the other thing) and Axiomās business. Reggie booked a tag match for the teams this week, against Axiomās wishes. Didnāt take long for the ultimate reveal either: Reggie turned heel. He set up Axiom and his former partner caught a hellacious beatdown from Bronco & Lucien. Iām curious where this is going because I give them points for maintaining the fact Reggie and Axiom never really dug each other, as Axiom reminded us before the match. Not much of a match at all though. Unless you like seeing Axiom get beat up by two guys. But why, Reggie? Why? Or, maybe itās simple: Like Booker T said, Axiom aināt from the hood. Fish The Tony DāAngelo welcome home thing started weird for me if only because, as I always note, I donāt dig the angle. And thatās despite how much I enjoy Tony D and Stacks together and individually. But luckily, the family reunion didnāt last long before Gallus crashed the party. I liked the emotion everyone showed. Gallus felt misled and Tony still believes Gallus snitched on him. These werenāt exactly the best promos though, but they fit the situation, which feels rather cartoonish at times. Long story short, Gallus puts their tag championships on the line against The Family at The Great American Bash. I fully expect a title change here. What They Do Thea Hail finally got her rematch against Tiffany Stratton. It came after Thea made pretty short work of Electra Lopez. I expected a longer match if only because Electra seemingly has a story now. Or at least the remnants of a story. But Thea made her tap, called out the champ, and the champ showed that insecurity and fakeness. She really doesnāt think sheās better than Thea. Making matters worse? Thea forced her into a submission match. Good touch establishing the champās weak spot, and putting her in a match that doesnāt fit her strengths. Will she adapt? I think thatās a good story, especially early during Tiffanyās run. I like Theaās energy and character but I donāt think sheās ready for the championship yet. But this hopefully gives us a different flavor from Tiffany. Judgement Day I like using this song for a segment not about Judgment Day. Itās actually referencing Dijak, who interfered during the very weird match between Oro Mensah & Eddy Thorpe. Why weird? Glad you asked. We got Noam Dar in a wheel chair because heās unwell over losing his cup. Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend wheeled him out while Oro fought in his place. The two battled outside and while Jakara distracted the ref, Lash rolled a seemingly comatose Noam into the ring. The ref, confused like me, tried getting the pathetic man out the ring. And then boom! Dijak comes through, kicks Eddy upside the head, and runs off like a thief in the night. Eddy barely beats the count out, and Oro gets the W. Weird. Like I donāt even know how Iām supposed to feel much less how I actually feel. Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up) Meh. We did this before with Roxanne Perez: She does a sit-down interview with her opponent, they start talking over her, insult her a bit, and she storms off. BUT, unlike last time, she didnāt reappear with her fist or foot in Blair Davenportās face. They set it up for that but they played against expectations. While I always like my expectations subverted, I donāt understand making your face and former champion look like she canāt take the heat. In fact, it only makes Blair look correct when she calls Roxanne a little girl. Purse Snatchaz The Gigi Dolin and Kiana James saga continues beyond this week. Kiana went for her purse during their match, and Gigi had the same thought. The ref stopped her and Kiana defeated her with the 401 (K) on the bag! I do wish these two did more talking before wrestling and they saved everything for a big blow up rather than these mini matches we get. A very busy show this week! Itās almost like they remembered the PLE coming up in a couple weeks so they put everything into overdrive. It worked for me for the most part, although I felt the pacing just ran a breakneck pace. Oh and next week, Gabe Stevenson comes to town and announces his future plans. Iām betting itās wrestling since heās doing it on a wrestling show, but hey, he could surprise us and say heās going to the olympics. The Great American Bash looks solid so far though. 1 Like |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by ValeeLove(m): 10:26pm On Jul 21, 2023 |
Who here watches Collision? What do you think of it? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by PurpLChi: 10:23am On Jul 22, 2023 |
ValeeLove: |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by PurpLChi: 10:47am On Jul 22, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Immortal Tribal combat As it turns out, all that talk about Roman Reigns and Jey Uso setting the ārules of engagementā was just a cool military sounding way to say they were going to have a contract signing on Friday Night SmackDown this week in Orlando. Hey, I appreciate the creativity. But it wasnāt just a contract signing, it was a way to add yet another layer to the story. Jey informed everyone, including Reigns himself, that, well, to hell with a contract, theyāre blood and that means this would be TRIBAL COMBAT, which, as Jey himself explained it, essentially just means anything goes. So theyāre going to beat the ever loving trash out of each other with all manner of weaponry. Then, he said it again, that this is Tribal Combat, and Reigns took the Lei off his neck, something that pained him greatly to do, before placing it on the WWE Universal championship. The symbolism seemed clear enough ā theyāre fighting for two titles. WWE Universal Champion. The Tribal Chief. If it wasnāt clear, Michael Cole came right out and said it. I quite like stories like this without explainers but it was fair of them to have commentary make clear exactly what the stakes for this match will be. To really drive it home, after a customary hand shake, Solo Sikoa tried to attack Jey but Roman stepped in before the Spike could land. Jey responded not by backing off but by laying Solo out with a Superkick while Reigns was still holding him. When Reigns looked to him with concern, the message seemed equally clear. What was it Paul Heyman said last week? Jey is looking and acting more and more like a Tribal Chief all the time. The clock ticks. Not the knight LA Knight did not win the Fatal 4-Way match to advance to next week to face Santos Escobar for the right to challenge Austin Theory for the United States championship. But you know what? They handled this as well as they could have to mitigate any issue fans may have had with him losing. And thatās because they actually bothered to tell a story that makes sense with a wrestler we simply wouldnāt be turning on. But they also made clear they know Knight is a star in the making. After all, he was the only one to get time on the mic before the match: YEAH. Then, they had Theory sitting ringside and getting involved to screw with Rey Mysterio, leading to Escobar hitting the ring to help his fellow LWO stablemate and mentor. But that didnāt include cheating for him to win. No, Mysterio overcome the outside attack to win anyway, and fans cheered for that victory despite Knight taking the loss (after he was taken out with a Brogue Kick). It works because they were very clearly setting up a āMentor vs. Protegeā match between Mysterio and Escobar, one where Mysterio could and likely will do the job for Santos and give him a big endorsement on his way to a title match that he should probably win. You couldnāt ask for a better story to tell there. And even if youāre an LA Knight fanatic like myself, you canāt be mad about them telling it. His time will come. Later in the evening, Theory demanded a non-title match against Escobar and had it granted. The two had a damn good showcase match, one that saw Escobar take advantage of an angry Theory and pin the champion clean in the middle of the ring. The fans sure sounded behind Santos to me! It may finally be time for the uber talented star to get a push at the level he can work at. Next week is a big one. All the rest -Iyo Sky is still the Money in the Bank contract holder so in order to keep that fresh on everyoneās mind, they had her wrestle Charlotte Flair in a straight up singles match. Bayley, who thankfully looks like she survived injury and her knee is okay, was fantastic on commentary putting down the man she hates more than anyone, Michael Cole. She also tried to coach up Sky but Shotzi again used the Titantron to get in her head, which led to Bayley completely bailing on Sky. It was still one hell of a competitive match, and absolutely served to show us this is what the future looks like. But not just yet. Flair pinned Sky clean. Asuka attacked her after the match, itself a good thing because, again, sheās largely taken a backseat even as champion. This was really well done all around. -Oh, whatās this? Bobby Lashley hoping he would run into NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams while in town for this show? And the two meeting for a talk? Whatever could this be about?!? Intrigue! -Dominik Mysterio defended the North American championship for the first time not his show, defeating BUTCH thanks to multiple assists from his lady friend Rhea Ripley. They also did a comedy spot with Pretty Deadly during the match, so those two are staying on TV despite Elton Princeās injury, which bodes well for them. There isnāt much to say for Dom vs. BUTCH, other than itās good they had Mysterio pick up a victory in a title defense before he heads off to The Great American Bash to square up with Mustafa Ali. You could tell this was an FS1 show. Thatās not to say it was bad ā quite the contrary, actually ā just that they didnāt overdo anything here and focused on a few key segments. I quite enjoyed it. Grade: B+ |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 12:09pm On Jul 22, 2023 |
pu7pl3: The Ivar moonsault, seeing Otis catch Ivar in mid-air like nothing, watching everything Gable did. Yup, I was indeed sports entertained 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 12:12pm On Jul 22, 2023 |
ValeeLove:āļø
|
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 5:30pm On Jul 26, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Accident Murderers Is Trick Williams a liability? Thatās the question on my mind after NXTās go home show. During the six-man tag between the aforementioned Trick, Carmelo Hayes, & Ilja Dragunov and The Schism ended controversial. Ilja accidentally launched himself into Trick and almost severely injured him. Melo got in his feelings a bit but let it go because they got the W and because their upcoming match provides the opportunity for some payback. But Trick wanted his vengeance. He ignored Meloās pleas for professionalism while Ilja told Melo ānahā when the champ indirectly asked him for a little mercy on this one. But Ilja also commended Meloās brotherhood with Trick. That, combined with Meloās new perspective with that championship on his shoulder got me thinking that maybe these two arenāt reading the same sheet music anymore. Or maybe itās not different music but different verses for the same song. They underlined that fact before the show ended because Trick called out Ilja. Heās a man of his word. Trick got the upperhand but it didnāt last long. Who expected anything less? Trick sold the beatdown pretty well and looked lifeless towards the end. He made Ilja look like a vicious killer who only knows one speed. It got pretty brutal after a while and even felt like overkill. But right when I told them to end it, Ilja propped up Trickās lifeless body in the corner. He went for the final blow but Melo emerged out of nowhere and sacrificed himself for his friend. Ilja got on the mic and commended Melo for his loyalty and called him a good man. He once again spoke glowingly about Trick Melo gang but told Melo to hold on to that friendship because the championship is his. Now, I donāt think loyalty makes their friendship a liability. But I do know thatās not how Melo planned entering the Bash. Whatever momentum he got from winning that tag match went away the second Ilja knocked him out cold. And the only reason he ate mat when the show went to black? Trick. Perhaps Melo begging his friend for professionalism had more to do with protecting Trick than anything else, but how long can one do that? How long can he keep stepping in front of shots meant for his friend? Melo isnāt the same cat who held that North American championship but Trick remains Trick. If they donāt break up any time soonāand I hope they don'tāwe at least have seeds sown if they ever go that route. Itās also possible Trick complicates the upcoming championship match. If that happens, then the brown stuff hits the fan. B-Sides Show Me What You Got Rhea Ripley likes Lyra Valkyria. And Rhea doesnāt like many people. She showed just how much Lyra disappointed her with a loss a few weeks ago, and the two finally wrestled this week in a match built around the master pushing the student. Rhea wanted proof she bet on the right horse. Well, Lyra definitely showed her something. Lyra got in a remarkable amount of offense considering Rheaās recent matches. That in itself proved Lyraās worth. Thereās never shame losing to the champ, especially the way Lyra went down. She almost got the job done in a hellacious match. Lyra looked great here, although I imagine looking bad against Rhea is impossible right now. We didnāt get a lot of great wrestling this week but this match proved the exception. Danger Zone They really donāt know what to do with Bron Breakker do they? After Von Wagner disrupted Big Body Javiās existence rather quickly, Bron surprised the big man with an incredible Spear. So now itās Bron vs. Von? Besides the fact that rhymes, I donāt see the point. Just send Bron to the main roster already. Heās a dangerous man in NXT but itās a pond for him when he deserves an ocean. My Name Is Hi, kids, do you like violence? Then watching Cora Jade & Dana Brooke pull splinters out each one of their eyelids is for you. I enjoyed this Kendo Stick match quite a bit. Who doesnāt enjoy a chaotic anything goes match? Kelani Jordan added a wrinkle since she assisted Dana at several junctures. Together-ish, they took down NXTās mean girl. That makes me wonder if thereās something bigger for Dana or Kelani down the line. Suckas Need Bodyguards Bronco Lima & Lucien Price picked a fight with Tony DāAngelo & Stacks. They had a match but Iām not going there yet. I want to talk about this new angle for Reggie, who apparently hails from the streets now. Only people from the hood can call him āScrypts,ā which includes Booker T. Now I have no issue with this idea in general, but with Reggie? The former sommelier? The guy who then dressed up like a superhero? And the guy who married Dana Brooke for five minutes? Le sigh. I donāt buy it and will never get my wallet out my back pocket for this cause. The match itself felt serviceable. Bronco & Lucien definitely work well together but I never thought they had a shot against The Family. Especially after Axiom came through and kicked Reggie into next Tuesday. The distraction got NXTās newest tag team off their axis and they lost the match. I donāt think booking this new team in this match makes sense. Tony & Stacks have a date with Gallus for tag team gold so losing made no sense for them. And even the finish made it more about Reggie than Bronco & Lucien. Iām not down on them but I am down on the booking here. Back Down(never) I didnāt like how they handled Roxanne Perez last week at all. They rectified that this week when she got extra violent against Blair Davenport. Public beatdowns can get a little silly but this one in some Florida convenience store worked for me. Mostly because we got at least two real-life reactions: The guy behind the counter recorded with his cameraāpart of their footage, and one woman bolted the minute the fists flew. Roxanne bounced when the cops came but she sent a message and warned Blair. Good moves all around. And no, itās not Booker T and Steve Austin but a nice homage nonetheless. Oh No Gabe Stevenson needs some work, people. Physically he looks fine and obviously does an incredible Suplex. But that mic work? Letās hope he improves there. Heās certainly not natural. Either way, we never found out his future plans because Baron Corbin interfered doing and saying Baron Corbin things. Gabe caught him in a Suplex and now the two have a match at the Bash. The one thing I really didnāt dig into because it doesnāt require a shovel, is that the North American championship match at The Great American Bash is now a triple threat match. Mustafa Ali & Wes Lee got in each otherās way and Dirty Dom slid into the moonlight with Mami. It was that kinda night where a lot happened. We got vignettes for other matches, backstage segments featuring Los Lotharios, and a silly Supernova Sessions. Not to mention the Creed Bros.āstill in disguiseāfinally made their move on The Dyad during that six-man tag. Just a lot happening. Which brings me to my ultimate point that the show felt rushed and crammed this week. Just way too much for two-hours. Still a fine week in the NXT territory, but not one of their best from a wrestling and pacing standpoint. What did you think about this show? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by ValeeLove(m): 4:52am On Jul 29, 2023 |
CoolUsername:so? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 5:17pm On Jul 29, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS We came into this weekās episode of Friday Night SmackDown still curious about some of the details related to āTRIBAL COMBAT.ā We know itās a No DQ, Anything Goes match where Roman Reigns will defend the WWE Universal championship AND his status as Tribal Chief against Jey Uso at SummerSlam next week. What else is there to it? Why did Reigns prevent Solo Sikoa from attacking Jey last week? Instead, what we got was Jey opening the show, Roman getting terribly upset about it, and more accusations that Jey wants to be the new Tribal Chief. Power hungry and all that. But no. Jey never wanted that, and he was content being the right hand man because he believed in the cause. He believed in Reigns. But Reigns broke the family, and then he broke Jimmy, and now Jey has to get him. Thatās just what has to happen now. Itās his fault. Reigns, ever the gaslighter, tried to turn it around and claim that, well, actually, itās Jeyās fault and he screwed over his own brother Jimmy. Also, he never would have been in the position he was in if Jimmy wasnāt hurt. So after SummerSlam, heās done. Completely out of the picture. Reigns was perfectly foul here, the obnoxiously powerful leader no one wants but everyone has to deal with. He knows heās going to win, and he canāt stand the idea that anyone could possibly think otherwise. Why would Jey even think he has a chance? āItās because I already beat you. I pinned you.ā Damn right he did. This was everything it needed to be. Jey did nothing but speak the truth, and Reigns has never looked so uneasy about it. Theyāre working hard to get us to buy in again. And damn it, itās working. Shortly after all this, Grayson Waller decided to rub elbows with Jey backstage and he got punched in the mouth for it. It was glorious all on its own, but of course it was a setup for a match later. Jey won that match, of course. Right in front of Reigns, who then sent Sikoa in after him. Solo got dealt with so Roman himself jumped in and he ate a spear. HUGE pop for all of this, by the way. The people want Jey Uso to be the guy who dethrones Roman Reigns so very, very much. Itās not going to happen, and there are plenty of reasons for that, all of which make perfectly good sense. But that isnāt going to stop any of us from hoping for it, and being so crushingly disappointed when we donāt get it. Sure enough, the show ended with Sikoa and Reigns eventually getting the better of Jey, and leaving everyone hoping that wonāt be the scene next Saturday night. Even though we all know it will. Sigh. Iām going to hope anyway. Your LA Knight segment of the week: Hit Row once again showed up just to be the crew Knight got to run down before running through and I aināt mad about it one bit. Knight called Top Dolla Uncle Phil from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, then beat Ashante Adonis in a singles match with no issue. Notably, Michael Cole was laughing like an idiot in that fake way he does when they really want to get someone over. This is a very good sign for the future of L. A. Knight. YEAH. Later in the night, he campaigned to be added to a battle royal match that will take place at SummerSlam and Adam Pearce agreed. He will indeed be on the card at Ford Field and I canāt imagine just how loud that place is going to be when his music hits. All the rest Santos Escobar defeated Rey Mysterio to earn a shot at Austin Theory and the United States championship. Well, the match was stopped due to injury, as Mysterio appeared to hit his head hard on the floor taking a bump on the outside. They simply announced he could not continue and Escobar was declared the winner. He appeared fine after this, hugging Escobar and endorsing him, but it absolutely looked like his head hit pretty damn hard. Assuming this was a legitimate stoppage, I would commend WWE for doing it. I would far prefer safety measures like this, especially when it comes to head injuries. If it was a work, well, it was a pretty damn good one but Iād rather they not work injuries like this unless it also acts as a way to set up for potential stoppages when it needs to happen for a legit injury in the future. Bobby Lashley is indeed taking The Street Profits under his wing, calling them major players and big stars who need to present themselves as such. That means new suits. They were more than happy to oblige him. Itās worth noting he also said Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes spoke highly of Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins, so we may very well be looking at a full blown faction at some point. With five members like this, how could it ever go wrong? Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair responded to some trash talk by new Womenās Tag Team Champions Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green by teaming up to wrestle the duo in a match. It was your standard āthey wrestle for the title soon, letās see if they can co-exist as teammatesā type of deal. They couldnāt, but they won the match anyway. Bayley and Iyo Sky had a bit of an argument but they appear to be remaining on the same page for now. Meanwhile, Shotzi is still terrorizing Bayley like The Riddler from Batman Forever back in 1995 and shit. But also Asuka showed up to get in Skyās face, and we got the weekly reminder that the Money in the Bank contract looms large over everything. Karl Anderson really wanted to go it solo against Karrion Kross, telling the rest of The O.C. to hang back and let him handle things. He was soundly beaten in short order and needed to be saved by them post-match. Tough scenes for Anderson, but Kross is building some momentum, finally. It should be pointed out Grayson Waller was once again very publicly making reference to The Rock, even doing so during a match against Jey Uso with Roman Reigns watching. I donāt know if itās going anywhere, but it would be kinda weird if it didnāt at this point. This was a good show. Grade: B- |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:17am On Jul 31, 2023 |
WWE NXT GAB REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS The Reign Wow. Thatās really all I have for Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov. Iām thinking about other words but none of them seem worthy. But let me give it a shot. The match started with Melo on top and wrestling a slower pace than usual. Then Ilja took over and sped the pace up a bit. Thatās when everything went to the point where words donāt work. However, the one thing I want to analyze is everything happening between Trick and Melo. McKenzie interviewed Trick before the match and he reiterated the bond he and the champion share. Wrestling 101 says thatās protesting too much and the foundation for a heel turn. We didnāt get it during the match but instead got Trick showing his loyalty. He coached Melo, used the championship for motivation, and even returned the favor and took a shot from Ilja meant for Melo. I thought for a second that Trick might take umbrage with the fact his best friend didnāt push him out the way, but...he didnāt. Trick happily took one for the team and Ilja possibly hit his head on the championship in Trickās hands. Maybe there arenāt seeds sown here for a breakup and Iām just a wrestling fan playing off history and expectations. Like I said before, I donāt want these two apart. At least not yet. I want them together on the main roster first before a breakup, although Iām not sure WWE thinks Trick is ready for the next step. Actually, I donāt think Trick is ready for the next step. Until then, watch this match. Watch it several times. Ilja just gave Melo the best match of his title reign and I have no idea where the champ goes from here. But I canāt wait to find out. B-Sides Phone Tap First off, the rats in The Familyās entrance video? Nah. That bugged me out. But whew, this match sparked a little fire. Tony & Stacks came out motivated with fire in the belly. But it took more than belly fire to defeat Gallus. The champs returned fire in the second act and even isolated their challengers from one another. for a brief period if only brief. That said, I knew a fair fight wasnāt in the cards. Gallus tried the same chicanery they pulled at Stand & Deliver, using the sawed-off baseball bat for good measure. Or should I say ātriedā using, because the ref caught them this time. Tony & Stacks saw it coming as well, as the Don came prepared with a crowbar. Turnabout being what it is, the crowd didnāt care and neither do I. The Family got the W the nice and legal way too, which is a good booking move after they made everything fair. This is the right call. Tony & Stacks need some gold as part of a long-term payoff to a promise the Don made many moons ago. Evil Twin 1. I don't like when they involve family members. It works sometimes but it didn't in this case at all. Roxanneās mom and little sister sat ringside so of course, they participated. I donāt like when they ask non-actors to āact.ā Roxanneās little sister eventually found some water works, but itās just weird asking a non-professional to pretend sheās worried about her sister when logic dictates her sister already assured her sheās fine. 2. Love Blair attacking Roxanne from the crowd. Smart booking that played on Blairās recent past and their beef filled with surprise attacks. 3. This win does a lot for Roxanneās character. We know all about Blairās dark side, but Roxanne needs another gear besides nice girl prodigy. She showed it here. Bullsh*t Thatās how the crowd felt about this finish and so do I. Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin ended in a double countout, and then a bunch of violence afterward since both men kept fighting each other and security. The Texas crowd never got into Gable. In fact, they kinda rejected him as cheers for Baron rained down. I donāt think Gable looked awful but he didnāt look great either. Heās in his element with suplexes but heāll get better with time and reps. Again, thatās why heās in NXT. The BS finish, however, means this thing aināt over by a long shot. Canāt say Iām thrilled about that fact. Oh, one more thing: Baronās entrance video made me chuckle. I know he talked about burning the boats but I didnāt think that meant building his whole new entrance package around it! Cradle Rock I donāt particularly like Wes Lee kicking out after a Riptide through a table. When did that happen you ask? Well, during the North American championship triple threat, everything broke down as per usual. It started when Mustafa Ali showed his crazy and went for a 450 Splash on his two opponents hanging outside the bottom ropes. After that, Rhea enacted her āplan,ā which meant putting herself between Wes and Dirty Dom. Wes jumped over her though and nailed Dom with a beautiful Senton. Yeah, well, Rhea didnāt like that. I loved her reaction because it delivers on a promise she often makes: Don't mess with her man or else. Wes found out one of those āor elseās,ā which leads back to my initial statement. Wes kicking out is fine if we put some time between the move and the pin attempt. Itās a Riptide through a freaking table. That Wes kicked out of it hurts the move and hurts the impact of doing the move through a table. Dom eventually got the W after Rhea interfered a few more times: once with a belt and the other when she pulled Mustafa off Wes after the former hit the latter with a beautiful 450 Splash. Dom hit a Frog Splash and covered Wes for the W. I had more on my mind for the match but the shenanigans and the Riptide thing took up all the real estate in my mind. I liked the match a lot but I disagree with whomever made that call. As an aside, Dom and Dragon Lee interacted backstage, setting the stage for a future confrontation. I have no idea if Dom is ready for that but we shall see. It Aināt My Fault Know why I picked this song for this match? Because I donāt like it and Silk the Shocker canāt flow to save his life. I didn't like Tiffany Stratton vs. Thea Hail, and it really had no flow. They tried hitting big spots that didnāt work, and at least one of them almost ended badly. It was sloppy all around. And the finish made everything worse when Tiffany locked Thea into a weird Single Leg Crab and Andre Chase threw in the towel. Yup. No thank you. Change the Game Fun pre-show match although I really think Meta-Four needed the W. But Valentina Feroz, & Yulisa Leon made their PLE debuts and got to show off for the crowd. Meta-Four showed off their skills in the ring and their personalities, but I still think they need some wins for at least a little credibility. Iām mixed on The Great American Bash. The main event rocked my world and the weapons match delivered. But everything else felt worthy of a regular Tuesday night. Speaking of which, NXT this Tuesday sounds potentially fun, and I want to see how certain stories continue, the next people in line for the big championships, and what Chase U does with its fearless leader. Grade: C+ |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:01am On Aug 01, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS A Week Ago Outside of Fridays, Judgment Day as a whole is WWEās main character. Even the World Heavyweight champ plays second fiddle. Much like The Bloodline, each wrestler displays their humanity rather than simply playing stereotypical villains. Nothing epitomizes this more than everything happening between Finn Balor and Damian Priest. Despite weeks where the two best friends seemed on the same page, the cracks showed this week. And SummerSlam just got better because of it. Let me set the stage for you. Judgment Day showed up and talked about their dominance. They congratulated Dirty Dom on his championship win at The Great American Bash, bigged up Rhea Ripley for crippling Liv Morgan and making Raquel Rodriguez turn tail, then celebrated Seth Rollinsā potential demise at SummerSlam. Raquel even interfered and got her knee bashed in for good measure. Now, Adam Pearce promised Raquel she gets her shot at Rhea when sheās 100 percent healthy, so we got that going for us. But thatās for another day. This week focused on Damian & Dom taking on Seth & Sami Zayn. Of course the match rocked the world because these four know their roles and play them well. For me, the match wasnāt the thing; the intrigue around Sethās championship gets me going. And no sooner that I thought about it, Damian looked at his briefcase after putting Seth to the ground with a devastating Razorās Edge. Damian saw that briefcase standing tall on the commentary table and I saw the wheels turning in his head. He put Seth down and out; this was his moment. He looked at Finn and told his best friend to give him the briefcase. Finn not only hesitated, but he did so multiple times within a few seconds. He took his time grabbing it, then slowly approached the ring apron. Then, after what felt like minutes, he finally put it in Damianās hands. The wheels in his head turned too and when he came to, he encouraged his friend to go get his. Yeah, too late. Damian barely put the briefcase in the refās hands before Seth recovered and spoiled Damianās crowning moment. Not only that, but he took the pin as well after Seth stomped his face into the first circle of Hell. They played this tune before; Finn puts his ambition and hatred in front of his friendās success. But this time felt different because the group asserted its dominance so much this summer, plus the upcoming SummerSlam main event. Itās not enough that Seth gets beat in Finnās eyes. It only matters if he does the beating. Itās also inevitable, right? With everything on Finnās soul and everything he said about Seth, this felt academic. We didnāt get Damianās reaction since he laid flat on his back when the show went off the air, but I doubt heās peachy. Like I said, they rule because theyāre complex. If Damianās angry, that makes sense. Even what Finn did makes sense because itās all relatable. Who canāt identify with any part of Finnās story to this point? And who wonāt see Damianās side if he goes off on his best friend, or even cashes in at SummerSlam just to spite him? And to think it was all good just a week ago. B-Sides Time Ludvig Kaiser beugt himself some time this week. GUNTHER gave his own but assessment and told Ludvig to get the W...or else. Heās not happy with Giovanni Vinci either, but thatās for another week. Do or die for Ludvig this week against Matthew Riddle and luckily for the IMPERIUM member, he succeeded. Great opening match that told a succinct story of one man fighting for his life. Ludvig showed aggression and desperation early and kept Matt on his heels. Literally since the man wrestles barefoot. And donāt get GUNTHER started on that. But I digress. I like that Ludvig controlled everything until he didnāt. The third act really put him in jeopardy and turned the match into a compelling opening with two guys who work really well together. Matt made Ludvig sweat but not enough. Ludvig got the W and lives another day. Raw put its best foot forward. Peep this match when you can. U.N.I.T.Y. Maybe Iām just hypnotized by the Alpha Academy as a whole but I dug Maxxineās first match! Especially the ending where Valhalla put her in jeopardy but Maxxine reversed it and finished the match with an impressive bridge suplex. They didnāt get a lot of time, which makes sense with Maxxine still learning the ropes, no pun intended. But it accomplished its goals with flying colors. This war between these teams isnāt over and I do hope something pops off for SummerSlam. Cheat On You Something felt off about Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tommaso Ciampa. Almost like it stayed in first gear and never got going beyond that. Bronson Reed looked on from the back in that way that only wrestlers watch television, but nothing came from it. Yet. Shinsuke got the W thanks to holding Tommasoās tights, so, good for him. But the match didnāt do much for me and it lacked urgency. Five Minutes of Funk GUNTHER ran up on Alpha Academy and disrespected Chad Gable. Why? Well, besides his current inferiority complex, he felt Maxxine disrespected the ring when she wrestled right after Ludvig. He also found himself puzzled at why someone like Chad, with all his accolades, runs with Maxxine and Otis. The Ring General said he only needs five minutes to take care of Alphaās leader. Chad happily obliged and then took him the distance. Chad basically survived the first five minutes, since thatās all he needed. I like that touch; he tried a few offensive moves but he really just showed his toughness. Once GUNTHER argued for more time, we got an actual fight. Chad showed more toughness but also strength with an incredible German Suplex on the big man. GUNTHER eventually got the win but Chad made him work for it, which doesnāt bode well for SummerSlam. Iām surprised how well they built this match with Drew McIntyre MIA for two weeks. Just through establishing that GUNTHER isnāt on his A game and knowing that Drew is, well, Drew, it raises the stakes for the Intercontinental champ. Very effective work from everyone involved, including Chad. Weirdos This whole thing with Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus is weird. I assumed after Becky beat Zoey Stark last week that her eventual match with Trish had SummerSlam written all over it. Iām sure Iām not the only one. But...it happened here. Actually, no, it didnāt happen because Zoey interfered as soon as the bell went ding. Then they did the two on one beatdown thing and walked away smiling. What? Is there really a world where Becky isnāt on SummerSlam? Is there a universe where Becky and Trish end up on the show spur of the moment? Apparently yes because their actual match takes place in two weeks in Winnipeg, Canada. What?! I have no more words. Actually, I lied. This whole thing sucks for both women. Why is this not happening in Detroit? The one thing that makes sense is if Trishās nose is actually broken. And I think it is since it bruises way too easily for a work. And if thatās the case, then cool, give her nose more time to heal. Itās unfortunate but understandable. Okay, now Iām done. Shake Down Cody Rhodes and Brock Lensar make beautiful music together. Brock called out Cody this week for a simple handshake. I love the touch that Cody didnāt interact with the crowd when he walked to the ring. No posing or preening; he looked at one man and walked with purpose while the crowd sang his song and pyro went off behind him. I wish WWE did this a lot more often but hey, at least we got it. After the handshake, Cody apparently poked the bear and Brock lost his mind. Codyās a wounded animal going into SummerSlam while Brock looks ready to fight a bear. Great segment that established the even bigger hill in Codyās path if he wants Brock firmly in his rear view mirror. Hell of a go home show. The video packages for Brock-Cody III and Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler really worked. They presented the stories compactly and emotionally, especially with Ronda and Shayna. Those videos typified the focus shown this week as so much worked well. Iām ready for SummerSlam. What about you? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 11:26am On Aug 02, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Breakinā the Rules I suspected this but not the way it happened. Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams pulled a Journey and went their separate ways. But they didnāt fight. Trick didnāt turn heel, Melo didnāt curse him out. They didnāt even really ābreak up.ā They sat down like lifelong friends and just...talked. Trick wants out of Meloās shadow. The champ sees him as his best friend, not a sidekick, but everyone else sees the latter. And that matters to Trick. Especially when it comes to someone like Ilja Dragunov, with whom Trick has simmering beef. The news surprised Melo, but he understood it, even if he didnāt like it. I loved the whole thing because it not only broke the traditional wrestling rules, but it felt appropriate for their relationship. Trick and Melo truly ride or die for one another, so donāt ruin that. This also makes it easier for the day Carmelo takes off for red or blue pastures. Trick isnāt quite ready for that yet, so letting him strike out on his own and start his own story frees up Melo while giving Trick more solo reps. And judging from the way the show ended, his tale starts with Ilja next week. Theyāre throwing him into the deep end but thatās a perfect dance partner for anyone. How did Carmelo fair on his first night without his partner-in-crime? Well, he got his next opponent and I know he didnāt predict the whom. Wes Lee, feeling all out of sorts over his last few weeks, clashed with Melo soon after Trick left his side. Emotions ran high on both sides, with Wes taking umbrage with pretty much everything Melo said, and then Meta-Four made it worse. Youāre reading this and you watch wrestling, so you know what happened next: Wes & Carmelo vs. Oro Mensah & Noam Daar. Melo & Wes ran hot most of the match. They tagged each other in and out with a little aggression here and there, reluctantly tagged each other at times, and didnāt always get along. Dealing with Lash Legend & Jakara Jacksonās antics didnāt help either. Eventually, the match broke down because itās wrestling. Melo handled Oro in one corner while Wes lined up Noam for the Cardiac Kick in the adjacent one. Once again, you watch wrestling, so you know how this ended. With Carmelo knocked out and Wes in shock, Noam took advantage and got the win for his squad. Good for them because Meta-Four need Ws. Melo & Wes argued afterward with the latter really giving it to the former. So yeah, this isnāt over, even if thatās what the NXT champ prefers. He saw it as a misunderstanding while Wes clearly saw something else. I will say the ending felt a little sloppy since Melo clearly pushed Noam out of the way when Wes readied the kick. Something felt off there because what we got made no sense. But I digress. Wes with a chip on his shoulder battling Carmelo for the NXT championship interests me. I do think a Wes heel turn might make it better, so hopefully thatās the plan. B-Sides Childās Play Color me impressed. After Lyra Valkyria hung with Rhea Ripley last week, she looked dominant against Jacy Jayne. That was the point, right? These two put on a solid match that exhibited Lyra firmly controlling everything. Props to Jacy for making her look that good, but they made the right call here. After going the distance with Rhea, everyone else should look like childās play. Victory Lap Valentina Feroz & Yulisa Leon carried their momentum from The Great American Bash. No, they didnāt win, but they looked solid and crisp in the ring. Elektra Lopez still has some off moments but Lola Vice did her thing. Plus that kick she landed to end the match? Beautiful. I felt that from here and Iām nowhere near Florida. Thank God for that. Give It Up Fast I dug this match between Baron Corbin and Andre Chase. Mostly for the storytelling, although they wrestled a sound affair. Thea Hail isnāt feeling Andre right now. He threw in the towel during her match and she resents him for it. I get it. Iām sure we all do. Baron interrupted Chase Uās backstage interview, insulted Thea, Andre stepped in for his girl, and we got a match. The intrigue came when Andre started nursing his back the same way Thea nursed hers at The Bash. She juggled that towel in her hand and once Baron slapped on the same submission Tiffany Stratton put on Thea, she threw in the towel! But Baron caught it, threw it back at her, and the match continued since the ref never saw it. Oh, but that just prolonged Andreās misery for a few moments. He lost the match and apparently Thea, who walked out of the match and ignored Duke Hudsonās pleas. Iām very intrigued on where this goes from here. Still donāt really care for Baron but hey, heās a person. Been Around the World Sigh. I hate when territories stretch out a story. Especially when they make it extra goofy. We all know the Creed Bros. attacked Dyad. We know they hid in plain sight under those masks. So them obviously lying to Schism this week just prolongs the inevitable for basketball reasons. I didnāt even enjoy the segment because it felt completely anticlimactic and silly. Youāre still in NXT, Bros. Creed! Just admit it so we can move on already. Back 2x Gallus jumped the tag team champions when the show kicked off from sunny Florida. Tony DāAngelo & Stacks barely got out their car before the Gallus boys got on top...of them. Tony D made a phone call for a third man. Now, I initially assumed a former Family member. Technically, I wasnāt wrong. But I didnāt expect this family member: Santos Escobar returned to the bingo! This match ruled. Not a technical masterpiece, not something that got the crowd calling anything awesome for minutes on end. Just a fun time seeing Tony & Stacks team with a man they once despised. And, of course, seeing Santos back in NXT. My only gripe is him not using his old theme song, which just feels like a missed opportunity. The best moment came after The Family & Santos won when Santos did the Italian hand gesture thing Tony D does that I know from watching way too many mafia movies. No analysis. No deeper thoughts. Just a fun main event that sent everyone home happy, including me. Interesting show this week. Dom and Dragon Lee is official for next week with Rey Mysterio in Dragonās corner, continuing his father of the year streak (I joke). Bron Breakker talked more crap about Von Wagner and I only ignored it because, once again, Bron belongs elsewhere. Mustafa Ali has his hands full with Axiom if he wants another shot at Dirty Dom, and I think Cora Jade left the territory! That remains TBD but thatās one of many storylines worth paying attention to in the next few weeks. A solid show with several fun matches and curious developments. What say you? 1 Like |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by ValeeLove(m): 10:09pm On Aug 04, 2023 |
Can someone explain why Brock attacked Cody? And most importantly, why he wasn't fined for it. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 1:25am On Aug 05, 2023 |
ValeeLove: Why did a pro wrestler attack another pro wrestler on a pro wrestling show? At least put some effort in the trolling. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 1:31am On Aug 05, 2023 |
pu7pl3: Funny how Tiffany Stratton can pull off top rope fuckinators but can't hold a Boston crab for 10 seconds without tripping over her own feet |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 1:34am On Aug 05, 2023 |
Watching Smackdown live and LA Knight just botched a top rope spot and nearly hurt Sheamus. Yup, Damien Priest as Mr MITB was the right call. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 3:54am On Aug 05, 2023 |
pu7pl3: Funny how Tiffany Stratton can pull off top rope fuckinators but can't hold a Boston crab for 10 seconds without tripping over her own feet |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Debroslink: 8:13am On Aug 05, 2023 |
CoolUsername: It was Sheamus who was already gassed after rolling to the top of the ring all by himself. Sheamus then lost his right foot when Knight got to him. Watch the clip properly before jumping into conclusions. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by ValeeLove(m): 9:23am On Aug 05, 2023 |
CoolUsername:the question was directed to non-fanboys. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 12:54pm On Aug 05, 2023 |
Debroslink: You are correct. I initially thought it was LA Knight who caused them to fall especially after his failed top rope jump during the live broadcast. After reviewing the clip, I saw was Sheamus who slipped and then I forgot to edit my comment here. My bad, I botched that post, kill my push. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Debroslink: 1:06pm On Aug 05, 2023 |
CoolUsername: One love my brother 1 Like |
(1) (2) (3) ... (286) (287) (288) (289) (290) (291) (292) ... (298) (Reply)
Cuando Seas Mia: 'When You Are Mine' / ARROW and THE FLASH fan page....... / Top 15 Nollywood Stars Who Have Passed Away In Recent Years
(Go Up)
| Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 318 |