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| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 9:46am On Mar 11, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Jey Uso returned to Friday Night SmackDown this week next to his brother, Jimmy, as a united front with The Bloodline. He came to explain why he turned on Sami Zayn. Because he had to. “I ain’t want to do it. But I didn’t have a choice. Because (Jimmy) is my blood.” That says it all, doesn’t it? As much as anything else, it means Kevin Owens was right all along. No matter how much Sami wanted to be a member of the group, he was never their blood and he never would be. Jey repeated those same words on this very show. He blamed Sami for everything, saying if he wasn’t so selfish none of this would have had to go down this way. But he stayed human because he also lashed out at the fans because “y’all don’t know what I’m going through.” There was something deeply personal here that added so much to the character, and the story overall. It was great. Eventually, they turned their attention to Cody Rhodes, who, wouldn’t ya know it, was in the building and made an appearance once he heard his name. They tried to goad him into a fight, and that’s when Zayn hit the scene to kick off a big brawl that spilled out into the crowd. They made it back to the ring just so the babyfaces could clear out the heels and stand tall as the show was going off the air. Commentary wondered if Rhodes made a critical mistake by involving himself in this side of The Bloodline’s business. Owens, for his part, was nowhere to be seen. They’re doing a fine job of weaving the two stories together, and it’s looking more and more like WrestleMania 39 could be where we see the fall of The Bloodline. But I’m still struggling to see how they get Owens back involved and on Sami’s side considering where he still stands as of now. They’ve got six shows left to do it. Wouldn’t it be something if Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens closed WrestleMania holding all the gold? All the rest -This show opened with the Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus vs. Karrion Kross vs. LA Knight vs. Xavier Woods Fatal 5-Way to determine who would move on to challenge GUNTHER for the Intercontinental championship at WrestleMania 39. I want to start by pointing out that Knight once again got a real nice ovation and I would hope the right folks are recognizing the potential there. He didn’t win here but he’s got Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner written all over him. The actual winner was, well, both Drew McIntyre and Sheamus, who scored a pinfall win at the exact same time. The referees argued over what to do while the two men argued about it and they eventually said Adam Pearce would have a decision to make about it. The decision he came to was McIntyre vs. Sheamus next week to determine who earns the title shot, which is actually a good way to get there considering it means they will have heated up enough to earn it proper. -Rey Mysterio was announced as the first official inductee into this year’s Hall of Fame class. Naturally, his son Dominik showed up to antagonize him before he could even give thanks for the honor, saying he’s ashamed to be his son. That brought out Legado del Fantasma, with Santos Escobar sticking up for a man he’s been standing by as a legend he’s looked up to. A six-man tag ensued, a match The Judgment Day won because Dom kicked his dad, who tried to respond and inadvertently created a distraction that Damian Priest took advantage of. After, Dom once again called his dad a deadbeat and even went so far as to say he should have been Eddie Guerrero’s kid. We got a bit closer to Rey retaliating, but he once again reiterated “I’m not going to fight you!” This story continues to be great, and Rey has been wonderful as the tortured dad who doesn’t want things to be like this with his son. -The Viking Raiders defeated Ricochet & Braun Strowman in a match that got more time than you might have expected it to but was absolutely much better than you’d think you’d get out of a TV tag match like this. They’ve been flirting with the Raiders as top contenders since the fresh coat of paint, and this could help send them on their way to being challengers post-WrestleMania. Meanwhile, is it time to start wondering about splitting Strowman and Ricochet? -Charlotte Flair asked Adam Pearce for a match on this show, considering we’re so close to WrestleMania, so he put her up against Shotzi. Shortly into the match, Rhea Ripley showed up to hang out ringside to watch it all go down. What she saw was Flair tapping Shotzi with the Figure Eight. After, she hopped in the ring and called Charlotte insecure while promising to take the one thing that makes her feel important, the SmackDown women’s championship. Flair’s response? That while Ripley has improved, so has Charlotte and she will outwork anyone, male or female, because she takes this business seriously. It was good to see these two come together but am I the only one who doesn’t feel the kind of tension they need for a big title match? Hopefully that changes in the coming weeks. This was an interesting show if only because they didn’t spread themselves too thin on everything, doing less segments but giving those segments more time. It was a good show |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 5:43pm On Mar 14, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS A Little Push Kevin Owens made it clear during Raw that he wants nothing from Sami Zayn. Despite the fact the Bloodline turns up the heat seemingly every week, he’s good. He even acknowledged he probably needs some help at the moment but it is what it is. KO’s firm stance on the issue keeps me wondering how WWE closes this loop. Even after losing tonight’s street fight because, once again, Solo Sikoa had math on his side, I don’t see KO listening to reason. And any solution I see hurts his character as far as I’m concerned. I don’t want another street fight match between Solo and KO. I don’t want another match between KO and Jimmy or Jey Uso either. If the ultimate goal is Sami & KO singing “reunited and it feels so good” then it calls for a drastic inciting incident. It calls for the Bloodline going further than just leaving Owens mildly physically hurt with his pride taking the bigger beating. The bigger the threat the bigger the force needed against said threat and as of now, these losses and beatdowns are well within KO’s pain threshold. Fortitude makes Owens’ character work so well. No matter what happens to him, he always gets up and begs for more. If we want him and Sami on the same page, then it demands something so vicious that he can’t get up anymore. This demands a Bloodline attack so vicious that Sami has no choice but to help. We need escalating action rather than simply remixing what came before. While I’m all for a street fight between Owens and Solo, and this match reminded me why, it’s still an extension of what came before as it relates to the Bloodline and KO. They beat him up, they cost him a match, and they never truly finish the job. No, I’m not advocating for death or anything close, but week after week, the options dry up as we see KO withstand pretty much everything except a kitchen sink. I know a KO & Sami reunion is on the horizon. I just have no clue how we get there without it feeling cheap or perfunctory rather than a natural progression. Extracurriculars Lurch & Pugsley vs. Wrestling & the Psycho All these months later, I still find myself engaged with Rhea Ripley’s commitment to portraying Dom Dom’s lover. The way she positions herself on the apron whenever he wrestles so she looks like someone overcome with puppy love gets me every time. Besides that, I really enjoyed Raw’s opening tag match between the Judgment Day and the Family Wrestling. Dexter Lumis & Johnny Gargano, with Candice LeRae at ringside, proved no match for Dominik Mysterio & Damian Priest. They had no answers Rhea either. The only true story here happened before the match. Edge called out Finn Balor, as he promised, and put some compelling talk into the air. Besides comparing Rhea, Damian, and Dom to Wednesday, Lurch, and Pugsley, respectively. Or maybe it was Morticia. Either way, it worked for me. But the best moment came when Edge acknowledged the light at the end of the tunnel getting brighter and the time wasted since his comeback. Judgment Day took up a year of his life. Moving on from these cats becomes imperative for the rest of his career because he has goals he can’t achieve with them gnawing at his heels. There’s a weight to Edge’s words and demeanor that I’m not sure this feud with Balor can handle, but I hope I’m wrong. Then again, Finn’s not so subtle hint that he’s bringing the Demon out to play at WrestleMania means that seriousness probably isn’t happening. I Ain’t Afraid of No Omos On paper, I like the idea of the Brock Lesnar and Omos segment. The two met face to chest in the ring and Omos overpowered Brock, then dismissed him from the ring. If this match works on any level, it’s because the audience believes Omos has an edge if only a slight one. But commentary is a part of that story too. They tell us WWE’s intent and inform how we should feel and underline the biggest takeaways. Yeah, about that. Graves & Patrick said Brock looked hesitant and afraid to tangle with Omos as Lesnar walked away from the wring looking more amused than stunned. I know what fear looks like on Brock’s face and I don’t envy the person selling the audience on the idea that Lesnar fears Omos. LA Dreamin’ For the record, I love the guy. Love his character, his attitude, his mic skills, and he knows what he’s doing between those ropes. I hope his stock keeps rising and with his show this week against Cody Rhodes, it probably will. Knight made Cody look strong and made him fight for that undefeated streak he loves so much. The crowd’s love for Cody apparently knows no bounds, which is perfect with Mania only a few weeks away. Cody got on the mic after his victory and explained why, despite Paul Heyman’s advice, all of this is very personal. He mentioned wearing a suit as a coat of armor and not because he is somebody, but because one day he wants to be somebody. Look, Cody leans into the dramatic every single time but it works because he’s so believable. His sincerity seeps through the tv screen, something uncommon for wrestlers these days. I’m on record saying I have no issue with Roman Reigns retaining but how in the world can I root against Cody? Dope promo that put the finning touches on a fun segment. Guess Who’s Coming to Raw? Someone who had no fun with it at all? Paul Heyman. Heyman told Cody Rhodes that he gets a chance at acknowledging his Tribal Chief next week when Roman shows up to Raw in St. Louis. Acknowledge your hype! Tsunami Bronson Reed dominated Elias as we build toward an eventual match between Elias and Rick Boogs. That’s where this is headed right? Theory’s Alive Before I get into this match between Angelo Dawkins and Austin Theory, I have a quick diatribe: Ban the word “opportunity” within WWE. Just put it in a box and let’s never use it again. Everyone uses it, everyone says it, Charlotte Flair even used it as a moniker. Besides lazy, they rely on the word for character motivation now. And not just one wrestler but multiple wrestlers. How many wrestlers want their “opportunity”? How many complain about someone else getting multiple “opportunities”? It’s their version of Mad Libs and the backstage segment between Theory & and the Street Profits used it so much that anyone playing a drinking game is probably in the hospital right now. Just know if/when the word rears its ugly head again, my annoyance might show. But I digress. Theory rebounded after John Cena sonned him in Massachusetts. And WWE spun it that despite Cena’s verbal jabs, Theory got what he wanted. In fact, maybe he used a Jedi mind trick on Cena for the WrestleMania match. I don’t buy that entirely but I like the effort. I did like the match though. Theory looked strong against Dawkins, someone the crowd adores, while Dawkins continued his improvement as a solo wrestler. Protecting Montez feels like a priority at the moment, while sharpening Dawkins so he’s not adrift whenever the Profits split. Solid business all around from everyone involved. Angelo challenged Theory and he paid the price. While not a Cena substitute, it’s a start. Poppa Was a Rolling Stone We’re getting Dom vs. Rey at WrestleMania. Dom, once again, interrupted his dad basking in his Hall of Fame glory. He challenged Rey to a match in LA, but not before hilariously bemoaning the fact that Rey bought him a BMW for his first car at 16 instead of a Benz like the rest of his friends. And it wasn’t even an M series! The unmitigated gall. That took some of the emotion out of it for me and while Dom excels at this smug villain role, I do think playing it a bit more straight against Rey, who is completely earnest about the whole thing, works better for the whole. Bum Ass Corbin Another week, another bum ass Corbin sighting. Corbin challenged Seth Rollins and lost quicker than I finished this sentence. Miz involved himself, again as the Logan Paul proxy, and felt. Seth’s wrath as well. Of everything that happened this week, this is the one thing that really did nothing for me at all. Lost and Otis First off, shoutout to the Heavyweights reference during Otis’ photoshoot. Chad Gable, who searched for his friend all night, found him taking photos with MMM. Gable stood in front of the camera and apparently broke it. I chuckled. Otis looks fully on board with the model life and the end might be near for Alpha Academy. Underwhelmed This is the build for Asuka and Bianca Belair? It can’t be. There’s another gear here. Right? Bianca wrestled Chelsea Green in a match that had its moments but the two lacked chemistry for the most part and never looked on the same page. After Bianca’s W, Carmella and Chelsea double teamed Bianca. Asuka came to her rescue and then held the Raw Women’s championship hostage. She danced with it, she played keep-away, and then spat up some of the blue goo again. Nothing malicious happened but she did laugh a lot around the ring while blue dripped from her mouth. Bianca looked less afraid than annoyed. Like I said last week, these two, this match, at this event deserves better than this. And next week, we get the prerequisite tag team match between two foes. “Can they coexist?!” Whelmed On the flip side, we have the Women’s tag team title saga which I highly enjoyed this week. It started early with Damage CTRL beating the snot out of Trish Stratus in the locker room area. Props to everyone involved for making this beatdown look nastily violent and real. Lita & Becky Lynch, absent since the beatdown happened before they arrived, made a beeline to the training room and checked on their friend. All three emerged with vengeance on their mind, with Lita vowing to “kick some heads in” and I can’t wait. This show moved like running water for the first two hours and then slowed for hour number three. I left the show with more questions than answers, while also lamenting the fact we have two more weeks till the big show. And that’s no BS. Raw is...a mixed bag this week. But I predict the pace picking up next week. What say you, good people? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 8:29pm On Mar 15, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Mutual Admiration Society Bron Breakker can’t go toe to toe with Carmelo Hayes on the microphone. The two finally signed their contract for the Stand & Deliver main event and verbally jousted for a bit. Bron got in some good digs about Melo making the North American championship the A championship in his mind because he knew he wasn’t ready for the NXT championship, but he stumbled through parts and didn’t sound as convincing as his opponent. For my latest Raw recap, I noted that Cody Rhodes’ superpower is his sincerity. The audience believes him because he believes it and his conviction emanates from his pores. Bron doesn’t have that skill yet and they rarely use him in this fashion. Yes, he has mic skills and does his fair share of mic work, but he rarely goes back and forth with someone in this setting. And definitely not someone as polished as Melo in terms of understanding his character and believing every sentence. I trace that back to his prior feuds not prepping him for this moment from a character standpoint or truly pushing his limits as a wrestler. Bron talks with his fists and feet, and he does it fluently I might add. Putting him in a showdown with Melo in front of a crowd that might not love him as much as they used to doesn’t sound like putting talent in a position to win. Accentuate his strengths rather than making him look inferior to his opponent. That said, the mutual admiration society of which Melo and Bron belong works because the obvious tension. Not saying they really dislike each other because I don’t believe that at all, but like Austin and Rock back in the day, they clearly see each other as competition and that makes their moments together pop. I’m normally against a feud where the two opponents talk about how much they respect each other and throw in side jabs, but they made it work this week. But my thoughts still go to Los Angeles on April 1. I’m not sure if that crowd gives Bron the flowers and applauds. Even this week, a pretty loud “save us, Melo” chant broke out the more Bron spoke. Whenever Bron goes to the main roster, whether it’s April 3 or months later, WWE needs to make him more well-rounded. One trick ponies normally become glue when they show up on Raw or SmackDown without much character or anything compelling about them. After 18 months, the NXT crowd seems a little bored but those Raw and SmackDown crowds, especially the after Mania crowd on April 3? In less than 5 minutes Bron might be bbq chicken in their eyes. Both Melo and Bron are ready for the main roster but one of them is just a tad more ready than the other. And in this game, that counts for a lot. Extracurriculars Home Alone Johnny Gargano set off the show talking directly to Grayson Waller. Waller, as it turns out, had other plans. Vic Joseph interrupted Mr. Wrestling with news that Grayson was at Johnny’s home. Because of course Grayson live-streamed it. It takes a very vain man to livestream his potential felony, but that’s a great character touch for Waller. Johnny bolted from the arena and headed home where his wife and child waited in blissful ignorance. Once he finally showed up, he and Grayson got into a very brutal fight outside Johnny’s “main roster” money house. The video speaks for itself but I liked seeing Waller’s vicious side. Johnny excels at vulnerability and Grayson excels at jerkdom. Mix the two together and baby, Pretty Physical This is my favorite Pretty Deadly match since they showed up in NXT proper. They showcased their physicality and hung with Gallus every step of the way. That’s an important development for them as it takes them beyond pretty boys and shows an adaptability to any style. That said, the irony in the story is they loss the match thanks to reverting to their old ways. Even once they gained an advantage! But cheating is in their blood and they paid the price. Gallus barely held on as the face team in jeopardy. Gold stars all around with a dope opening tag match that showed how versatile both teams are. After losing, Pretty Deadly decreed themselves the hosts for Stand & Deliver. I’ll allow it. As for Gallus? Tony D’Angelo & Stacks, in another touching moment, set their sights on the NXT Tag Team championships. Tony D believes Stacks needs gold after all his hard work and sacrifice to the family. I love these two. First to the Ladder We’ll get into the Roxanne Perez angle later since I have several thoughts, but the long and short is she’s out of commission after passing out last week. As a result, we get several qualifying matches where the winners face each other in a ladder match at Stand & Deliver. Zoey Stark crosses the threshold first after besting Sol Ruca. Solid match where Sol showed improvement against a seasoned pro. Hear me out, but I actually think Zoey winning is the wrong move here. Yes, she’s more polished than Sol and adds a particular presence, but we miss seeing Sol in a ladder match. I think that’s a missed opportunity. I liked the match but disagree with the decision. Diamonds Aren’t Forever Tatum Paxley finally erupted. For weeks, Paxley felt like Ivy Nile’s unnecessary appendage. Even last week, Ivy celebrated the the Creed Bros.’ win without Tatum in tow. That said, the storytelling felt haphazard. We needed some key beats to get to this point, like Tatum asking to join Diamond Mine and showing us the aftermath. Or perhaps show us what happens if Tatum tries joining in the afterparty reindeer games. That said, Tatum ditching Ivy during their triple threat tag match against Kayden Carter & Katana Chance and Isla Dawn & Alba Fyre still shocked my system. And they made the turn mean something since Tatum pummeled Ivy, threw her back in the ring, and changed the match’s direction. Tatum practically fed her former parter to the wolves and as a result, Alba & Isla are now number one contenders for the NXT Women’s tag team championships. The road getting here felt sloppy but the end results felt meaningful. Plus we got a fun match out of it with chaotic triple threat action. Batman x Joker First off, and I know I said this before, but whoever changed Ilya Dragunov’s theme music is a war criminal. Straight up and down, they belong in the hague. With that out of my system, let’s get to what transpired between Dragunov and JD McDonagh. Both men got on microphones and told their respective versions of this years long dance towards and around each other. JD quoted the Joker saying he believes they’re destined to do this forever. Dragunov forcefully disagreed of course because much like Edge when dealing with Judgment Day, he’s tired. JD also said like a scalpel to the eye, it's hard to watch. They can’t all be winners. The talking stopped and they brawled like two men sick and tired of each other. That brawling went into the locker room and persisted despite officials breaking them up.... Closed Challenge It even spilled into the Wes Lee’s open challenge! JD went for Lee with gold on his mind only for Dragunov to tell him “nah” and the punches continued. Of course, they represented just one facet of a major brawl for a chance at Wes. And, sadly for the challengers, the match never happened because no one got a chance to enter the ring. Well, cleanly anyway. Axiom almost got there but...SCRYPTS interrupted. Yes, Scrypts. After weeks away, the masked Reggie is back with his sights set squarely on Axiom. NXT Anonymous coincidentally caught Wes chatting with Shawn Michaels backstage. Shawn loves Wes but hates the chaos brought about from the open challenges. Wes wants all the smoke because he still has this chip on his shoulder and need to prove himself. Shawn disagrees with all of that but Wes says Shawn of all people know what it’s like to win and only feel more pressure to compete. It’s an interesting angle for Wes and also foreshadowing his possible downfall. He wanted 10 opponents at Stand & Deliver which...yeah, no, not happening. Instead, Shawn negotiated a Fatal Five Way and Wes picks the five. I can’t wait for this but also I’m so invested in Wes’ story now. Second to the Ladder Gigi Dolin defeated Kiana James and punched her ticket to Stand & Deliver. They only got about six minutes but Gigi continues her hot streak. I actually expected a Jacy Jayne interference since they interviewed her earlier. Yes, she had an arm in a sling and said she’s taking time off as a result of a separated shoulder, but I still believed! But if Jacy is truly out of commission for a while, putting Gigi in a title match on the biggest stage makes sense. Even without seeing the third member of this ladder match, I put my money on Gigi. She’s ready for the big belt and her ascension fittingly ends the Toxic Attraction tale. But there’s also trouble in paradise for the Women’s tag champs. Fallon Henley and Josh Briggs broke into Kiana’s office and found some potentially incriminating evidence. Apparently, Kiana engineered this relationship with Brooks just to worm her way into a tag team with Fallon for tag team gold. And, she’s meeting or dating some cat named Sebastian. With Fallon snooping out of the building, that left Kiana all alone and susceptible after her loss. Alba & Isla took advantage and only left the scene when Brooks showed up. Brooks, Kiana, Fallon, and Josh met backstage after the match and, frustratingly, Fallon and Josh revealed nothing about their findings. If there’s a right time for the reveal, it’s then during a discussion about who was wrong for not showing up for whom and the added pressure of a championship match at Stand & Deliver, but it’s odd Fallon just keeps that info to herself given her animosity towards Kiana and her love for her friend. Dragon Sighting! NXT keeps slow rolling Dragon Lee. Last week they showed him in the crowd and this week he did a backstage interview. Interesting moves indeed. Chase Ava After everything seemingly went left in Chase U, this week’s edition saw Andre Chase mending fences. Or at least trying. Chase shined here giving a moving speech about Chase U’s importance and how it affected his life. He also noticed how it affected Duke Hudson’s, giving Duke a passion he lacked during his days as a card shark fighting Cameron Grimes. Chase handles the serious just as well as he handles the comedy, and I hope NXT uses him more in the former role. Ava Raine showed up after Andre’s speech, just being creepy and getting into Duke’s head, but Chase owned this segment and moment. Really enjoyed NXT this week. A LOT happened but the two hours moved like pulp across a kitchen table. Two more weeks until Stand & Deliver and I can’t wait for the nest couple shows |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 11:37am On Mar 18, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Cody Rhodes came to Friday Night SmackDown this week and while he opened with the usual words on his upcoming championship match in the main event of WrestleMania 39 against Roman Reigns, he wanted to handle some other business. The reunion of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. He called both of them to the ring, an act Owens was none too pleased about. Cody softened that by making clear to everyone it was Owens who introduced him to those friends he got AEW going with many years ago, and therefore owes a debt to him. But what would happen with the conversation Cody so hoped for? Again, Owens was resistant but Cody and Sami both did what WWE babyfaces tend to do — they appealed to the crowd. It’s not about what they want, it’s about what we, the fans, want and why can’t they just come together and make that happen? Where the rubber met the road was when Zayn repeatedly mentioned that they didn’t even need to be friends to fight and take down The Bloodline and Owens made clear that that was precisely the problem. Why would he come together and fight for a man who doesn’t even care about being his friend? What went unsaid was that it was this man in particular who was saying these things. It seemed to have one hell of an impact on Zayn, who watched Owens walk off with the look of devastation that only comes to a man who understands how much pain he’s caused someone he loves. After a commercial break, we saw Sami running to Kevin, who was trying to leave. “You’re wrong — we are friends. We’ll always be friends. We’re not just friends, we’re brothers. If you never want to talk to me again, that’s fine. But I just wanted to let you know I love you. That’s it.” Owens shook his head, turned, got in his car, and drove away. A showdown with Jey Uso loomed large later in the evening. That showdown came and they wasted no time getting down to it. Jey went over everything, how he never liked or trusted Sami, but then things turned around and he came around and accepted him. But then Sami turned on the family, the same family Jey always swore to protect, and that made him an embarrassment, like being made a fool of in front of everyone. So now he has no choice but to do what he’s gotta do. Sami fired back and said no, Jey does have a choice. He chooses to take the abuse from Roman Reigns every week. Maybe he’s really just mad that Sami was the one to put the chair in his back first. That’s when the beating started. Jimmy quickly joined Jey in attacking Zayn. In a 2-on-1 he stood no chance. But then that familiar music hit. And then Owens was there in the ring, fighting off The Usos, powered by vengeance but by something else too — the need to protect someone he loves. And that someone is Sami Zayn. When the ring was cleared, Sami finally stood up, across the ring from his dear friend, a man he called his brother just an hour before. He made no move, because it wasn’t his choice at that point. It was Kevin’s. The crowd hardly got very far into their “hug it out” chants before Owens had charged across the ring and wrapped his arms around Zayn to a thunderous ovation. Finally, they’ve reunited. They cut to the back to show Rhodes watching on a monitor backstage, a smile on his face as he nodded his head at what he was witnessing. This was a beautifully executed set up for what is shaping up to be the ultimate babyface team collectively taking down The Bloodline in two separate matches for all the gold at WrestleMania 39. They have to close the show with those three celebrating together. And it’s going to feel damn good when they do. All the rest -Rhea Ripley & Dominik Mysterio came to the blue brand to beat up on Zelina Vega & Santos Escobar. I say that, but Zelina actually had a good showing, even if she was always going to do the job for Ripley. Then, Dom hopped on the microphone and started running down his father before Rey made his way out. It was the same thing they’ve been doing — Dom ran down how bad of a father he has been. This time, Rey copped to that, saying he wasn’t there as much as he should have been but he was doing everything he could to make life better for his family. For Dom. And now it’s just pain because all he wants is for Dom to be there on stage with him when he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. But maybe it’s too late for that. If it was any other pathetic, disrespectful, punk ass kid, he would beat their ass at WrestleMania. But he can’t do it. “It would be a disgrace.” Dom kept trying but Rey walked off once more. This has been one hell of a slow burn, and I’m ready for Rey to finally tip over the edge. I’m still invested in how they’ll do it too. -They announced two Fatal 4-Way matches for WrestleMania 39 in the women’s and men’s tag team divisions, then said the next match would be a qualifier. Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan defeated Emma & Tegan Nox in said match. It was as good as you could expect from a TV match like this. -Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley came together for another promo to try to talk folks into their match and they largely went over the same points. Flair beat Ripley once before and she’ll do it again. Rhea, meanwhile, took note of Charlotte staring her down with no fear in her eyes and how “that pisses me off.” I quite enjoyed that line. Then she said she needs to become a star on Flair’s level and that means she needs to win the title from her. So after WrestleMania, she’ll learn to call her champion and “you’re gonna learn to fear me.” Then Dom, the little bastard, came into the picture and popped off at the mouth, giving Ripley the chance to lead a cheap shot. Flair let it ride for a second, then ditched the shoes and the title and went sprinting into a big brawl. This was pretty damn good! The crowd was hot for it and it felt like two big stars going at it. -Xavier Woods and Madcap Moss were doing some gaming earlier today and LA Knight came along and talked some trash. That led to Woods and Knight getting together for a singles match. There wasn’t much to it. Woods rolled Knight up for the win after just a couple minutes and they made fun of LA losing too much. Booooooo. Then he was shown backstage telling Rey Mysterio he would call himself LA Mysterio and beat up Dominik for him at WrestleMania. So he got dropped with one punch. Booooooo! -Drew McIntyre and Sheamus had their singles match to determine who would go on to WrestleMania 39 to wrestle GUNTHER for the Intercontinental championship. It was one hell of a back-and-forth battle, as you would expect from these two, and they made the case for just letting them duke it out forever. The crowd rewarded them with justified “this is awesome” chants for their efforts. Ultimately, they hit a double finisher, and were about to get counted down together when GUNTHER charged the ring pissed that neither was going to win. He wanted a singles match, but then got them both disqualified. So Adam Pearce finally booked the long rumored triple threat. This one has real potential to steal the show. One thing I’ve really enjoyed about SmackDown lately is how tight the shows have become. They aren’t wasting a lot of time on any kind of fluff, instead giving extended time to all the programs that matter heading into the big show. Grade: A You damn right. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 7:57am On Mar 21, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Big Brother Whew...where to start with this one? Raw laced its backbone with the Bloodline saga as it ran through the entire three hour program. The overarching idea is foreshadowing the Roman Empire’s fall. Raw archived subtly, with some ways more obvious than others never becoming obnoxious. And they all preyed on Roman Reigns’ insecurity, something evident since the Tribal Chief’s birth. Since writing that opening I decided starting from the beginning works best, so walk with me for a bit. Starting Raw with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens made perfect sense and I’m glad we got it. The two built off their momentum from SmackDown and officially challenged The Usos to a match at WrestleMania. But before we even got there, Jey Uso sowed dissension seeds between the two, as he he noted their complicated history and Sami turning his back on his chosen family. Jey is still hurt by what he sees as Sami betraying their bond. Jimmy may feel pain as well, but it’s most evident with Jey. One gets the feeling if he had his way, he, Jimmy, and Sami would conquer WWE on their own as a new brotherhood. That fact becomes even more obvious when three three different people, including Roman, questioned Jey’s loyalty to Reigns. First Sami, to which Jey loudly protested, then Roman, to which Jey somewhat hesitantly affirmed his Bloodline status, and then Cody Rhodes when he predicted what happens to Roman on April 3. When WWE telegraphs something so much, it’s usually a matter of when not if. Even the fact that Jey accepted the tag match after Jimmy turned it down spoke volumes. It not only showed Jimmy & Jey on different pages but also meant Jey made a big decision without Roman’s consent. In any mob family, the boss of all bosses makes the decisions, not the capos. Jey stepping out and making a decision on his own about his team without consulting the Chief speaks volumes about Roman’s waning power over his cousin. That’s one reason Roman questioned Jey’s loyalty, in similarly to how he questioned Sami’s many moons ago, and got the answer he sought. In another masterstroke of storytelling, Roman made the same face he made in January when Paul Heyman asked him that same question about Sami’s loyalty. Some might say Roman’s playing possum for the cameras but I’m not one of those people. But it’s not just Jey who poses a problem for Roman. We all know Jimmy’s history during this whole story. I’m not a gambling man but I put high odds on him leaving Roman before anyone else. We saw some of that this week too as Jimmy got emotional about the past few weeks without Jey and who he blames. Sure, he said Sami’s name at the end, but everything he said fits Roman as well, and seemingly everyone in the room, including Roman, knew it. Roman sent Jimmy & Jey home for the night but kept solo, effectively isolating the big brothers from their little brother and creating yet another rift in this supposed family. It’s almost a rerun of how he isolated Jey from Jimmy so many years ago, which brings this whole thing full circle. But then Cody muddied the waters and that tested Solo Sikoa as well. Roman talked about Cody as a problem because he represents something from the past: a “professional wrestler.” Roman didn’t call himself a superstar but he called himself a fighter, which is how he became a megastar. LA Knight might take offense to that but hey, here we are. Anyway, Roman acknowledged—no pun—Cody’s tendency to run. He ran from WWE when things got tough, ran from AEW when he “couldn’t get over” and then his body quit on him in WWE right when he finally got over. I mention all this because the exchange perfectly encapsulates the Tribal Chief character. He’s a fantastic frontrunner and an even better bully. But like any bully, he crumbles the minute you punch back. Cody threw haymakers aimed right at his fragile ego. Cody predicted the thing we all see coming: The second he loses those championships, everyone leaves him. Jey? Gone. Jimmy and Solo follow, while Heyman “becomes an advocate again.” Roman looked deflated, and the “Cody” chants he first laughed at now made him shake. It’s like Frieza whenever Goku hits yet another level of Super Saiyan that the prince didn’t think possible. Cody baited Solo earlier saying the street champ might think he’s ready for someone like Cody, but he’s nowhere close. Well, as Roman dropped the microphone and left the ring dejected from Cody picking at his soul, Solo got in Cody’s face. Roman called him off multiple times and when he finally listened, Cody baited him again. Roman interjected himself before things got bad for Solo and promised him a match with Cody next week, but now even Solo flashes disobedience. And Roman already knows Heyman’s loyalty lies only with power and he who has that power. We are in the end times and everyone involved gets a standing ovation for handling it beautifully. Extracurriculars Future Shock Watching Austin Theory vs. Montez Ford inspired future visions in my mind. Hopefully, with fingers and toes crossed, these two represent WWE’s future. They click in the ring and both bring enough fire that they look like two people in constant competition with each other. I was wrong last week when I mentioned WWE protecting Montez. Even though he looked great in a loss, just like Angelo Dawkins last week, Austin beat him pretty cleanly. While I wish he cut at least one corner for the W, I understand the logic. John Cena waits in the WrestleMania wings, so making Theory look supremely up to par is paramount. For Theory’s sake, and especially after he cut his very short promo post match about making Cena a believer in Hollywood, the man better walk out of Cali with his United States championship in his carry-on bag. Omos Had Him Omos squashed Mustafa Ali. Shock. Dolph Ziegler looked on from seemingly the only position wrestlers watch television—standing at a weird angle and by himself. Good for Omos! Still not digging Ali’s positivity gimmick although I think there’s a satirical element which I do appreciate. After toiling in WWE for years, pitching ideas, getting saddled with some very meh material, and seemingly hitting his ceiling, this meta gimmick of a guy who puts on a smile and takes the generic advice to “be positive” has a little merit. However, Ali isn’t a Brock Lesnar equivalent. In fact, no one is his equivalent. Therein lies the problem, or at least some of it. How do you make Omos look like a serious threat beating up on people so much smaller than him and when he still can’t wrestle a complete match? I’m sure that last part perfectly suits Brock, who probably wants out of SoFi Stadium as soon as the check clears. All in all? Not impressed and the build just isn’t working for me. Let Them Fight Shoutout to Ken Watanabe. While he didn’t have Seth Rollins and Logan Paul in mind when he said that in 2014, it still applies. At least as far as St. Louis feels. Paul’s segment entertained for the most part. His initial remarks about him loving WWE but the fans not loving him? Less of that. A whole lot less. But him trolling Seth and adding commentary to Seth’s theme music while the former WWE champ hit the ring? More of that. Everything hit a fever pitch when Seth attacked Logan. People love boring Logan and the more he leans into that side, the better for everyone. Loved this break apart brawl and underlining the point that all it takes is one punch from Logan and the game entirely changes. Dirty Dom I really liked Dom vs. Johnny Gargano. In fact, this is my favorite Dom singles match. Previously on NXT, Grayson Waller injured Gargano’s ribs something serious. We saw a vicious and even intimidating Dom as he went in on Johnny’s ribs. The man even ripped off the injury tape. Somewhere, DDP wept. Beating up on a someone so beloved works perfectly for Dom. The crowd deplores him and that hate increases weekly. The fact he beat up on an injured Gargano only made the boos louder. Johnny fought back because that’s what he does. But there’s only but so much a barely breathing person can do or withstand. But that works both ways as Dom looks hungry and focused as he awaits his father in Cali, while reinforcing Johnny’s heart and garnering even more sympathy for a man who paid the price for protecting his family. It’s simple storytelling but it’s human. And humanity goes a long way with me. What’s Your Damage? Before we walked into Bayley vs. Rhea Ripley, Rhea took the microphone and got some things off her chest. And I liked her making this match against Charlotte more than just a championship. It’s not just about beating Charlotte for her spot but defeating someone who, in her words, never respected her and represents terrible leadership for anyone coming behind her. Bottomline? Rhea thinks Charlotte fakes a lot of the funk and wants her position. How did Bayley and Damage CTRL get involved? They came ringside as Bayley took offense at Rhea not mention her leadership or even asking for advice from someone who owns a WrestleMania victory over Charlotte. Of course, the real reason led back to the Women’s tag champs and Trish Stratus. Lita, Becky Lynch, and Trish walked ringside and had Rhea’s back when it looked like the numbers game might work against her. After Rhea picked up the W—and after a little chaos broke out—Rhea acknowledged the three women who held her down and showed some respect. I found that interesting for one, a heel, and two the Judgment Day version of Rhea. But not in a bad way either. It shows character depth while also emphasizing what she meant in her promo about leadership and someone looking out for her. She never felt that from Charlotte, Bayley just disrespected on her and tried shutting her up, while the other Horsewoman lent her some support. Even if only a little help, that clearly meant a lot. Short match but still did the job. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It Edge’s promo creeped me out. Which means it worked. Just look at it. While I’m still leery on the Demon returning after that Extreme Rules debacle in 2021—remember the heartbeat?!—I have faith Edge and current creative know what they’re doing. Poor Master Gable Chad Gable and Otis still aren’t in the same book, much less the same page. Gable caught Otis getting a manicure and enjoying the good life while he prepped for a match against Ricochet. Gable wanted the Number One Guy in his corner, which made sense until Maxxine Duper enticed the big man with hand modeling tales and big promises. Dupri tried dragging him one direction while Gable tried dragging him to the ring. While Otis chose Gable at first, all that changed as the match wound down. Maxxine snatching Otis away from the ring played perfectly. I love her character as a whole but I really like how she goes for what she wants and holds back nothing. How can you not like Maxxine? Well, Gable probably doesn’t and I wonder how the affects their WrestleMania 4-Way tag match. Ricochet is certainly ready as he got the W after putting on a hell of a match with Gable. Even though they tore down the house, the drama outside the ring just got me more. They Did Not Coexist We finally found out how Asuka and Bianca Belair faired as a tag team. They got the W, sure, but while Bianca celebrated, Asuka ended that partnership just as quickly as it started when she attacked Bianca from behind. I’m curious if this means Asuka works the heel role at Mania or just something for this week and ignored next. St. Louis booed her for the sneak attack and she reveled in the moment. While I don’t see a heel turn in Asuka’s future, I do like the fact they finally added some heat to this feud. However, I think the move means more if it stops their team from getting the W. Piper Niven replaced Carmella as Chelsea Green’s partner, and giving even one of them a cheap victory over the champ thanks to her partner’s betrayal kinda writes itself. Right? This reeks of having your cake and eating it too. But like I said, I’m happy someone finally lit the dynamite stick between these two even if it’s not in the method which I prefer. Raw rocked my world tonight. From beginning to end, I enjoyed mostly everything. Everything with the Bloodline killed and making that the bulk of the show certainly worked in everyone’s favor. Grade: A |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Moneyboyz: 11:24pm On Mar 21, 2023 |
I would rather watch BKFC for some REAL action. Wrestling is like the comedy of sports. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 6:28pm On Mar 22, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS I Gotcha Back Thank whatever god to whom you pray. Carmelo Hayes and Bron Breakker both acknowledged the “can they co-exist” trope and said they wanted no parts of that this week. Trick Williams made a match where Bron & Melo faced off against Pretty Deadly. The shock came when Trick said “Bron Breakker” and not his own name. So why do it? Why put his best friend in a tag match with his upcoming opponent? Why not take the spot himself? Trick gave a simple answer: Siding with Bron gives Melo a cheat code on how the champ moves. Now, one might argue doing commentary during a Bron match accomplishes that but this puts a spin on an age old, and kinda tired, wrestling storytelling device. Bron only accepted the match because he wants Melo at his best. He doesn’t want excuses, he doesn’t want anything less than Melo at 100 percent. And tagging with Melo ensures Bron plays Kevin Costner to Melo’s Whitney Houston. Early during the tag match, Bron kept his word. When Elton and Kit tried taking the action outside and either tossing Melo into steel steps or the barricade, Bron interjected with the quickness. That ensured they kept the action in the ring for the most part and it remained a regular wrestling match. Meanwhile, Trick gets the Oscar of the night for looking deep in thought while scribbling notes in his notebook. Who doesn’t want to see Trick’s scouting report? This played out much more interestingly than their contract signing last week as it put Bron in a much better position. He showed his strengths—pun fully intended—rather than amplifying his weaknesses. We even saw that these two really do work well together as a team, which solidifies their spots as NXT’s cream of the crop. Defeating former tag champs on their first night teaming together is kind of a big deal. But what happens after this? Next week’s show provides one last chance at really selling this thing for anyone not already on board. The go-home show for the biggest event of the year normally has that much significance. I don’t think they finally throw hands at each other because neither man wants that. We got the tag match, we got the contract signing, and we already got dueling promos in the ring. It’s possible Trick mucks up the works somehow, as Bron alluded to this week. Trick might force Melo’s hand and the former A-champ may restrict his best friend from coming ringside at Stand & Deliver. Maybe. Honestly, I have no idea where this goes next week so I’m just grasping at straws. What about you, dear reader? Do you have an idea for the last angle before the big show? Extracurriculars LA Tiffany Tiffany Stratton and Indi Hartwell got physical. Some of it possibly a result of bad timing, some of it coordinated. But I liked the end result in a match that had more strong moments than weak. I do wonder what this L means for Indi. She talked a lot of trash to Tiffany and invited her wrath. The fact the lost this qualifier match for Stand & Deliver means she goes back to square one in kayfabe, but possibly in real life as well. NXT Anonymous caught her meltdown and brief brush with Zoey Stark. So, is Zoey next on the list? And by that, I mean next on the list to hand out an L. Indi gets another shot next week in a triple threat match for the final spot in that ladder match. Maybe she beats Ivy Nile and Sol Ruca. Or maybe, just maybe. she loses again. Indi’s in this weird spot where important parts of her story led the territory and she never found her footing without those pieces. She seems lost in NXT so I can’t imagine what happens if she gets to the main roster. It’s Not Business, it’s Strictly Personal If Stratton and Hartwell got physical, then Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh almost killed each other. Surprising no one, these two killed it in my favourite television match this year. Just watch the clip on twitter or better yet, go find the match. This is what happens when two cats know each other over so many years through so many battles and work so well together. Even the non-finish didn’t bother me because I know exactly where it’s going. Dragon Lee provided the one wrinkle. Lee finally made his proper NXT introduction as Wes Lee talked about his Stand & Deliver challenge. Wes picked Dragon as one of his five competitors. JD wants in but Ilja stood in his way. Dragon sat ringside during the affair and, of course, found himself involved in the finish. The match spilled outside and JD threw a punch at Dragon and Ilja bumped into him accidentally. Wes, Randy Orton style, came from nowhere and attacked everyone with a huge Swanton. So, yeah, Ilja and JD get the two spots in the North American championship match. If you’re counting at home, that leaves one more spot. And next week, a battle royale decides who goes to Stand & Deliver for a shot at the title. I love it. Fantastic chain of events all around. Unsanctioned Business Big Body Javi catching Johnny Gargano’s wrath worked for me. Why? Because Javi is great at his job and plays the fall guy perfectly. But that’s not the most important thing. Johnny came with a contract for an unsanctioned match at Stand & Deliver. Grayson says he’s only signing it next week if Johnny stays out of the building. Escalating the feud to this level works. Grayson crossed the line last week going to Johnny’s house and that’s not even mentioning their history. When someone steps to someone’s family, a regular wrestling match just feels insufficient. We know Johnny works well in these situations but this is another proving ground for Grayson. He displayed a vicious side last week but it must magnify for an unsanctioned match. Especially one with Johnny Gargano. Does he have a gear that sustains that violence for an entire match? We shall see. Oh and Grayson rocking a Candice LeRae t-shirt turned everything up several notches. Props to him! That Was Unexpected Lyra Valkyria and Ivy Nile wrestled a quick but impressive match. That wasn’t the surprising part. I really expected a Tatum Paxley interference. The camera cut to her watching the match...in an actual locker room and not weirdly. But that was it. And that’s not a bad thing either because I like a clean finish for a match with this much weight on it shoulders. Lyra fills a spot in the NXT Women’s championship ladder match at Stand & Deliver, and that’s the right call. Ivy has Tatum on her radar, and that story needs resolving before she goes elsewhere. Especially since, as she said this week, Tatum’s moves caught her off guard. She always considered her a part of Diamond Mine even though Tatum felt otherwise. Tag Team(s) Back Again Gallus hanging out at a bar makes me smile. The fact other teams go to this bar and break bread and potentially pool sticks with them makes me smile even wider. The Brothers Creed showed up this time and challenged the tag champs to a match at Stand & Deliver. After a game of pool and darts, Gallus agreed. But then Tony D’Angelo and Stacks showed up with tag team business on their minds. Stand & Deliver gets a triple threat match for the NXT tag titles. Risked it All Call me crazy but the debate between Chase U and Schism entertained me. It furthered some character development too. Duke Hudson showed his lack of belief in the university, Thea Hail conquered her fears in a very motormouth way, and Tyler Bate made an appearance as well. I questioned whether Tyler’s passionate Chase U defense meant he enrolled a couple weeks ago. But when Andre Chase challenged Schism to a match at Stand & Deliver, he said “Chase U & Tyler Bate.” Bate has a weekend pass for the school. Anyway, Duke upped the ante and made it worth Schism’s while when Joe Gacy rightly pointed out Schism owns Chase U in the ring right now. If Chase U & Tyler lose, Schism gets the school. This makes me nervous as it might mean the end of Chase U with how Duke carries himself at the moment. And I just don’t want that. Secrets & Lies Fallon Henley threatened to blow up Kiana James’ spot this week. She almost made it to Brooks too, but Isla Dawn & Alba Fyre cut her off at the past with “magic” and then physicality. I like to think the magic was a flash grenade but it looked more like a light flash with a firecracker sound effect. So, one might say they...blinded her with science. Kiana came to her partner’s rescue and asked that she get the chance to tell Brooks herself the bad news about Sebastian. While the tag champs have their issues, Fallon granted that request. And you know what? I like that moment between both women. Besides the fact that Kiana had her back, it showed mutual admiration and some growth on Fallon’s behalf to let Kiana talk to her boyfriend. It’s a little thing but I do enjoy subtlety. Stand & Deliver might rock my world on April 1. There’s a legitimate chance it overshadows WrestleMania night 1. We have almost everything in place with this episode with only a few puzzle pieces waiting on the side. I enjoyed this week as a solid build the next step. And it got me excited for next week, which is always a good sign. But that’s my story and my feelings. What say you? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 12:13am On Mar 24, 2023 |
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| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 9:43am On Mar 25, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn headlined this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown in a heartwarming edition of “The KO Show.” It was nice to see the two of them together again, cracking jokes, ribbing each other, and ultimately Owens revealing he had a new shirt made for Sami now that he doesn’t need to affiliate with The Bloodline anymore. WRESTLEZAYNIA! The shirt also features KO-Mania on the back. It just fits. Of course, they were interrupted by The Usos hitting the ring to launch a sneak attack, because that’s just how these things go. They were ran off fairly quickly and the show ended not long after. It was always going to be difficult to follow up on the segment they had last week, but introducing the shirt a week ahead of the biggest show of the year makes sense and I’m still so over the moon for these two and what they’re about to do that I can’t complain about any of this. I’m so ready for WrestleMania. This show featured an interesting promo from Charlotte Flair. Everything about Charlotte exudes stardom, from her look to her name to the way she carries herself. Naturally, she kind of hit on that a bit in this promo, speaking on having some insecurities about reaching her own potential. As she was talking about this, the crowd hit her with a “WHAT” chant and she went out of her way to call attention to it, telling the fans to listen because it’s important to her. Then she said she’s “built this house on every brick that you have thrown at me for the last seven years.” It felt like a bit of a strange disconnect between the babyface Charlotte we had been getting and the one fans are so used to booing for her streak of excellence. Is that because of her name? She addressed that too, saying she’ll never regret carrying on the greatest legacy in the history of sports entertainment. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this one, especially considering Rhea Ripley, the opponent Flair is selling a match with, is so clearly ready to take the ball and run with it herself. Well, it happened. That little punk kid — shout out to Michael Cole — Dominik Mysterio went after not just dear old dad, he got right in his own mother’s face and screamed at her to shut up. If there was ever going to be something that would send Rey over the edge, it would be Dom disrespecting his mother like that. Damn, that felt good. “You pushed me to do this! You don’t disrespect your mother like that! That’s my wife!” And then he finally accepted the challenge for a match at WrestleMania 39, to a thunderous ovation from the fans in Las Vegas. What I liked best about this was how both men reacted after the fact. Dominik walked out holding his head looking worried about what he may have gotten himself into — may have bit off more than he can chew here — while Rey still looked tortured by it. There’s nothing to feel happy about here, not for him. For us, though, it’s everything we’ve been waiting for. All the rest -This show kicked off with Cody Rhodes — that WHOA-OH during his entrance at WrestleMania is going to cause a damn earthquake in LA — taking on Ludwig Kaiser of Imperium. Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman watched from ringside, with Solo looking entirely unimpressed the whole way, while Rhodes pinned Kaiser clean. Giovanni Vinci was also ringside but did nothing but walk his teammate out. A bit odd, but also they weren’t there to be the center of attention this time. After, Heyman hopped in the ring to tell him he would be wrestling Sikoa on Monday Night Raw next week and then meeting Reigns one final time on SmackDown next week before the big match at WrestleMania. Cody responded by promising to show the world Solo isn’t ready and, actually, Roman isn’t ready for this ass whooping he’s got coming either. It was a solid answer. They continue to do well presenting Rhodes as a legit threat in a way it hasn’t felt like anyone else has been. I’m definitely curious to see what they do about Solo being undefeated if they’re doing this match on Monday. -Xia Li & Lacey Evans took on Shotzi & Natalya in a qualifying match for the “WrestleMania Showcase Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match” at WrestleMania 39. I quite enjoyed how open commentary was about what exactly this was all about. “Quite an opportunity to get on the card at WrestleMania,” said Michael Cole, while Wade Barrett talked about how anyone not on the card this late in the game is panicking about how to get there. Transparency is all we can ask for, right? Anyway, the match wasn’t very good and Shotzi & Nattie won without much issue. After, Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler showed up to announce they’re just going to go ahead and be in the match too. -The Street Profits made fun of Ricochet and Braun Strowman for being bald. Strowman said Angelo Dawkins is “pretty thin up top yourself.” Yep. This definitely is a thing that happened on this show. -A contract signing was held for the triple threat Intercontinental championship match at WrestleMania 39. Sheamus complained about Drew McIntyre stabbing him in the back while he’s been working so hard to become the Ultimate Grand Slam Champion. McIntyre called him a sensitive little guy who needs to log off Twitter and just fight already. For his part, GUNTHER was just pissed at Adam Pearce for putting him in a match where he can lose his title without being pinned or submitted himself. It’s a valid criticism! Pearce had no answer, so GUNTHER simply vowed to do whatever he has to, including beat both McIntyre and Sheamus and, hell, Ridge Holland too. And what the hell is BUTCH looking at? So BUTCH, the absolute mad lad, attacked and GUNTHER screamed Pearce into making the match right then and there. The match, even shortened for TV, was predictably awesome and made me want a proper showcase for these two. Here’s to hoping BUTCH can become the Bruiserweight Pete Dunne again soon enough. They were never going to be able to top last week, but they still put together a fun show that advanced quite a bit toward WrestleMania. Grade: B 1 Like |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by dahmie2013: 12:52pm On Mar 25, 2023 |
Hello everyone, hope we're doing well? It's been a while. The elections didn't allow me check this thread. Hope we're preparing for wrestlemania? To be honest, I'm not looking forward to an interesting one this year. The matches booked for this year are not so interesting. Brock Lesnar vs Omos, Omos is the challenge, he is not interesting to watch. I'll just settle for our Tribal Chief vs Cody Rhodes. WWE is really promoting Cody Rhodes & it's very good. But should the Tribal Chief lose at wrestlemania? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 8:29pm On Mar 25, 2023 |
dahmie2013: welcome back bro I think there are some intriguing matches on the card that would actually steal the show this year. We have the IC title triple threat which I want Sheamus to win There is the tag team fatal 4 way showcase There is the Rhea Vs Charlotte absolute banger etc Not to mention all the goodies NXT has cooked. I think Roman would drop the titles and take a long hiatus. 1 Like |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 7:45am On Mar 28, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Go Home Times changed and everything evolves, but I really miss the days when the Raw before WrestleMania got me hyped. The Raw before Mania, at least for the last few years, usually feels quite pedestrian. With the storytelling mostly in the books and the matches set, WWE goes into cruise control now rather than full throttle so many moons ago. I often think about the Raw before WrestleMania 15. You know the one even if you don’t remember the full episode because it’s when Stone Cold Steve Austin drove a beer truck to the ring and hosed down The Corporation. The Rock tumbled in beer as Austin got one over on the champ, while they both created another indelible moment from an era filled with them. And that’s how they started the show! We also got a title for title match between the New Age Outlaws, Rock vs. Mankind with some actual stakes involved for the Mania main event, a street fight, and a main event featuring the biggest star in the company with an entire deck stacked against him. As I said, things evolve. WWE has more programming now than in 1999 and even more avenues for story development. But that Raw meant something while this week’s Raw in 2023 felt anything but essential. The biggest development, and the best move, came in the main event where Cody Rhodes pinned Solo Sikoa clean in the ring for Solo’s first true L. Cody defeating Solo, with Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens keeping Jimmy & Jey Uso from interfering, laid some solid track going into the big show. But other than that, nothing about this episode felt any different than an episode from mid-February. Christening this week’s show “WrestleMania Raw” comes with expectations. And maybe WWE’s current production model calls for resetting said expectations since SmackDown serves as the Mania lead these days. But it’s a bummer when WWE’s first salvo during WrestleMania week leaves no impression. If not for all the stated reasons than mostly because sitting through three hours of a program with so little muscle behind it is bad for business. Even if the whole show isn’t a home run, at least make the opening and ending memorable. I completely understand why Raw doesn’t need to be what it was back in the day but a man can dream. This week and this weekend are always special. Raw, the fans, the wrestlers, WWE, and even the USA Network deserve something that feels worthy of the WrestleMania lineage and name. Extracurriculars Awesome Sky I usually prefer PPV opponents stay away from each other on the weekly shows. Even in a tag match situation, like the one between the Women tag champs & Trish Stratus and Damage CTRL, I prefer some distance. Totally goes out the window when they deliver a match like this. Becky Lynch and IYO SKY set the standard for this episode, creating a very hard act to follow. If anything, it actually helped set the table for their big WrestleMania collision. If Becky and IYO battle like this and on this level, then what happens when four other women join the fray? I don’t know if it helped more excitement for the match as I really wanted a big brawl between the ladies after Becky defeated IYO in a very close matchup, but it didn’t destroy any hype either. It’s the old “do no harm” creed. Hmmm I don’t know how Seth Rollins handily defeating Mustafa Ali right now does anything for him going into Mania. Yes, Seth needed his heat back after Logan Paul decked him last week, but Ali has no juice right now and he’s a poor stand-in for Paul. Especially since Seth grabbed a microphone after delivering two massive curb stomps and getting the W. I loved Seth’s fire on the mic and so did the crowd. Son is ready, If there’s one other criticism here it’s Logan’s absence. But on the flip side, it might be better considering topping last week’s segment feels like quite the tall order. What? That’s it? A weigh-in, which is pretty much guaranteed shenanigans, ended with no shenanigans at all! Omos stepped on the scale, showed us all he’s a big boy over 400 lbs., and Lesnar makes his entrance. He goes for the big man but the big man uses the bigger scale as a weapon. Really? This is the go-home segment for this match? Weeks ago, I wished them luck selling this. Apparently I picked the wrong star because the sell never quite found a rhythm. This illustrated that better than anything else. Want vs. Need Rhea Ripley needs Charlotte’s championship to take her throne as the biggest star in wrestling. At least that’s what she said during her backstage interview. I loved her Dom Dom t-shirt but that’s about it. Six-Man Fun This was fun but felt too meaningless for WrestleMania Raw. Hey, they called it that, not me. The Street Profits & Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. Alpha Academy & The Viking Raiders provided a nice jolt of energy in a show that needed it at this moment. We also got a little foreshadowing with Maxxine Dupri post match as she fumed not only at Otis’ side losing, but his continued relationship with Chad Gable. She clearly sees Chad as an anchor around Otis’ feet, so hopefully she makes her move in Hollywood. Goodfellas Cody Rhodes’ backstage interview? Adequate and serviceable babyface fodder before his big match against solo. The best moment, however, came when Cody teed up the Bloodline Goodfellas parody Mania promo when he referenced their “Samoan Goodfellas” aesthetic. I looked forward to this parody because obviously I love Goodfellas. And Bloodline rocks the world, so a marriage make perfect sense. But it underwhelmed me quite a bit. KarenMania I love Adam Pearce putting Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville together because he just can’t anymore. I’m not surprised they defeated Michin & Candice LeRae for a spot in the Mania Fatal 4 Way because of the entertainment factor. Daddy Issues I dug Dominik’s heel promo before Damian Preist’s match against Rey Mysterio. He understands that character so much and knows every right note. Damian and Rey wrestled a good match as well, which ended as it should in a disqualification. Legado del Fantasma made the save as Priest and Dom beat up on Rey. Really like the build for this match because Dom blossomed while Rey played the sentimental role and favorite. The fact Dom and Damian tried ripping off Rey’s mask tonight only makes Dom’s future comeuppance that much more sweeter. Biggest Tag Team Match of All-Time Guess what? Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens cut incredible babyface promos. I mean, what else is there to say? They set the stakes perfectly for their tag match against Jimmy & Jey Uso, established Los Angeles as another important city in their long story, and kept the energy high for Mania. However, it was yet another backstage promo segment on a show filled with them along with pre-taped segments. Weird. (No) People Power On a show filled with pretty standard fare, Raw took a chance with Austin Theory’s pre-taped promo in an empty arena. They used the empty arena to underline Theory’s point that he doesn’t care about the crowd and doesn’t do it for them. Interesting idea that while not the most exciting, still goes for something a little left field. This is another feud that suffers from reality, as John Cena’s schedule keeps him off television. And the one time we got him? He pretty much tossed Theory to the wolves. Theory never got his chance at payback or at least truly showing he’s on Cena’s level. I don’t think that hurts the match overall and I’m sure LA goes crazy the minute Cena’s music blares through SoFi Stadium, but the build left me wanting. Speaking of Wanting What in the world is up with the Raw Women’s championship build? No Asuka tonight, no Bianca either. We got hype packages for each woman and that’s it. If there’s any match on the WrestleMania card that really needed another shot in the arm, it’s that one. And yet, we get no shots. We barely even get arms since the two ladies never showed up. boooo. GUNTHER As much as I love seeing GUNTHER on the show and think his triple threat match against Sheamus and Drew McIntyre might break my brain’s pleasure center, I can do without him beating up on Dolph Ziggler. I get the why: Ziggler sells like a million bucks and makes GUNTHER look like a monster. But GUNTHER doesn’t need that at this point. Especially on the go home show before the biggest event of the year when we already know he’s legit. For the most part, Raw bored me this week. I dislike that on principle but I really dislike it a few days before WrestleMania. This by no means portends a bad weekend, but it puts a sour taste in my mouth. The opening match rocked, Seth did his thing on the promo, and the main event presented more solid storytelling. But that’s all I got as far as bright spots |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 8:12pm On Mar 29, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Full Effect There’s something poetic about Johnny Gargano getting a grudge match at Stand & Deliver. As Grayson said this week, it’s a full circle moment for him and Johnny. Grayson wants Johnny’s spot, bottomline. He craves that adoration and love, even if his anger hides it. Grayson called him the “greatest big match superstar in NXT history” and Grayson used Johnny as his own launching pad 15 months ago when he blasted him with a steel chair and became the man we know today. Johnny essentially created Grayson. Johnny “made” Grayson on his way out the door and when he walked back into that door, his family paid the price when Grayson stalked them at their home. After all the time away, I doubt Johnny foresaw an unsanctioned match with Waller at Stand & Deliver. And yet, it makes sense. Props to everyone involved for making this seem like long-form storytelling and reading this much emotion in a pretty short time. We all expected Johnny at Grayson’s contract signing because, duh, wrestling. But that didn’t make it less fulfilling seeing him put hands on a guy who deserves more than what he got in that moment. Carmelo Hayes and Bron Breakker might get all the hype but there’s a chance these two steal the show right out from under their feet. They had the more effective build, an easier heel vs. face dynamic, and it got extra personal. And hearing Grayson put the whole story together this week, starting from that one chair shot all those moons ago, put the finishing touches on some solid storytelling over the past month. If they choose the right type of violence, win or lose, this does wonders for Grayson’s career and gets him one step closer to the main roster. Extracurriculars Axiom Delivers The Battle Royal coming down to Axiom and Nathan Frazer felt inevitable. Battle Royal’s get chaotic and this one lived up to that as the perfect way to start the show. The booking worked out really well in that we got some new beefs (Dijak and Odyssey Jones), old faces forgotten (shoutout to Xyon Quinn and Quincy!), and some surprises (Apollo Crews not lasting into the final minutes). But it all built to Frazer vs. Axiom. These two put on a mini clinic which, in story, makes so much sense with the North American championship on the line and a big match in the future. Whoever survived that battle truly earned their spot at Stand & Deliver. Axiom stood victorious and that alone makes an already must-see match into a bigger deal. Roxanne, Roxanne I don’t like this Roxanne Perez angle. While I understand the aim, I don’t think it’s the right move. Roxanne coming back and truly defending her title at Stand & Deliver works for me. Despite my criticisms of her character, I’m a fan and she’s so young with so much room to grow. But revealing she suffers from “crippling anxiety” after already showing out in some pretty big spots, including beating Mandy Rose for that title one night after outlasting tough competition in the first match of its kind? That’s a hard pill for anyone because it contradicts. It potentially makes her the sentimental favorite and shining up her babyface even more, but it also feels like the first draft idea that no one argued down because they had nothing better. Indi! Last week, I pondered what’s happening with Indi Hartwell. This week, I got my answer. Indi survived the last chance match against Sol Ruca and Ivy Nile. I loved the ending as it signified Indi’s story. Ivy had her in her finisher, Sol caught Ivy in a beautiful Sol Snatcher, and Indi capitalized on the opening. She kicked Sol out the ring and blasted Ivy with a forearm to the head for the W. Count her out and she shows why that’s foolish. I dig it! 🤔 Elektra Lopez defeating Valentina Feroz makes sense but I don’t like the fact she won cleanly. Besides giving the angle more room for growth, it just further Elektra’s point while giving Valentina a bigger hill. Impressive I expected a hype video about Bron Breakker vs. Carmelo Hayes this week. I predicted something underwhelming but I came away impressed and, well, hyped. It told a succinct story of two guys on an inevitable collision course and the sacrifices happening on both sides before Stand & Deliver. We also got juxtaposition between who they are as people and how those differences influence their approach to training and to the match. It’s worth your time, especially since it doesn’t take up that much time. NXT DEBUT! Eddy Thorpe looked pretty good during his debut match this week. I like his energy, like his look, and he’s got a pretty sweet move set. He didn’t get a lot of time against Myles Borne, but he showed he belongs. Schism vs. Chase U Tyler Bate defeated Von Wagner and my number one question concerned Von Wagner. What’s happening? What are we doing? Weeks ago, it looked like maybe something in the air related to Von and Mr. Stone. Then they kept repeating the same beat with no follow through. Now he’s losing in pretty decisive fashion with his angle seemingly lost to time whole becoming an actual footnote in someone else’s story. On the other hand, Schism appeared on screen after the match and spooked the audience with their plans for Chase U. I think Chase U has something here with Tyler in the fold and it looks like a potential endgame with Tyler on one side of the ring and Duke Hudson on the other. Maybe Tyler takes his place and keeps elevating that stable. Gulag Cheats Hank Walker keeps looking better even though he’s still rough around the edges. Working with Drew Gulak helps him and judging from the ending, that working relationship isn’t over yet. If the story isn’t really showing Gulak that Hank is on his level but that he’s taking Hank lightly and that his former student truly took those lessons to heart, then Charlie Dempsey helping Drew cheat for the W makes sense. It’s not the most compelling story but it makes sense. First Base! I’m two minds about Briggs & Jensen vs. Tony D’Angelo & Stacks. On one hand, Briggs & Jensen not winning means the tag team triple threat at Stand & Deliver remains a triple threat. And we’re no closer to Kiana James revealing her secret, while Fallon Henley keeps going back on her own word to tell Jensen herself. But on the other hand, we saw Tony D & Stacks as a true team against tough competition before their big match. Plus, Kiana kissed Jensen, meaning the big man finally got on a base. And while I liked the match a lot since I believe these two teams work really well together and their styles complement, I’m not sure how I feel about this larger story with Jensen, Kiana, and Fallon. Fallon keeps threatening to do the right thing then Kiana steps up to do it, only for Fallon to then change her mind and Kiana intervenes again. Then we repeat the situation again. Hopefully it comes to a head during a backstage segment at Stand & Deliver because it’s maddening from a story standpoint. Very solid go home show. Not a lot of pomp and circumstances, a surprise return from Roxanne Perez, and the night ended on a blood feud. This card is stacked and, like I said last week, might rule Saturday when it's all said and done 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 9:35am On Apr 01, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS If you’re wondering what Cody Rhodes would decide to talk about during his promo on the WrestleMania 39 go home episode of Friday Night SmackDown in Los Angeles, would you believe me if I told you he started rapping 2Pac’s part in the 1996 hit “California Love?” Soon as he stepped on the scene. He came off it quickly enough, just in time to do a little bit of shooting on Roman Reigns, and making clear that he’s left all the other personas in the past behind him, and now is the time for him to be The Guy. Now is the time for him to finish… Before he could say “the story,” Roman’s music hit. Foreshadowing? Probably not, but I really liked it nonetheless. I also quite liked that Reigns didn’t even bother telling LA to acknowledge him, because he doesn’t care about any of them. Instead, he turned to Rhodes and said “it’s not their turn — it’s your turn.” “Cody Rhodes — ACKNOWLEDGE ME!” His music hit, and the credits rolled with the two of them staring each other down. It was understated but I absolutely loved it. They’ve said all they need to say. There’s nothing left to do but fight it out in the ring. Soon. The Usos kicked off the show this week, and they were quickly joined by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn so they could lay it all on the line in one last talk before they get to throw down at WrestleMania 39. It got a bit heavy. Owens looked up to Jimmy and Jey for being there for him early in his WWE run. But then they started doing Roman Reigns’ bidding and everything changed. He’s still a bit conflicted — he won’t like what he has to do to win the tag team titles from them. But he’s damn sure going to do it. When Jimmy and Jey got to respond, they spoke of family and everything it means. When Zayn cut in, it was with one hell of a line. “Blood isn’t the only thing that makes family — loyalty is too.” This offended the hell out of Jey, but Sami kept talking and you could tell his words were getting to him. There’s always been that sliver of doubt within Jey when it comes to Reigns. We’ve all seen it. Foreshadowing, perhaps? Zayn promised to bring it all to an end at WrestleMania. They’re taking the tag team championship and The Bloodline will fall and maybe The Usos can go back to being the guys they were when Owens first showed up, the good guys they spoke of just minutes before. “Nah, it’s gonna be the same thing it always is — you’re going to lose the big match and Kevin Owens is going to stab you in the back. AGAIN!” This was one hell of a back and forth, and set up the match just as well as they possibly could with one final opportunity to do just that. All the rest -With a Fatal 4-Way men’s tag team match set for WrestleMania, what better way to give us a preview for it then by having a member of each team work a Fatal 4-Way singles match just one night before? That’s what we got here, with Montez Ford vs. Ricochet vs. Chad Gable vs. Erik. It actually served its purpose well, considering they had a plainly fun match that saw Ricochet take advantage of a Ford splash on Gable following up with a big moonsault to score the pinfall and the victory. -WWE went the predictable route, booking Bobby Lashley to win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. As far as battle royals go, it wasn’t bad. They got the tag teams out in pairs, did an elimination save spot for BUTCH, gave us a couple of interesting mid-ring square offs featuring big beefy men, and an impressive performance for a guy who didn’t win in Bronson Reed. This could very well be all the Lashley we get during WrestleMania weekend, and that would be a bit of a shame but he at least got to shine here. Having said all that, LA Knight was very clearly the most over guy in that battle royal — with a special shout to Maximum Male Models, who also got a nice response for their spot in the match — and it would also be a real shame if Knight isn’t involved in WrestleMania in some form or fashion. -With a Fatal 4-Way women’s tag team match set for WrestleMania, what better way to give us a preview for it then by having a member of each team work a Fatal 4-Way singles match one night before? That’s what we got here, with Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Sonya Deville. They weren’t given nearly the same amount of time as the men were, and the match wasn’t given a chance to be anywhere near as good either. Sadly, it could also be a preview of what’s to come at WrestleMania, just for the wrong reasons. -Another big trope WWE made sure to hit on this show — WILL THEY GET ALONG?!? Drew McIntyre and Sheamus will be involved in a triple threat match for the Intercontinental championship at WrestleMania 39 but they had to team on this show against Imperium. Wouldn’t you know it, they couldn’t get along! Despite this, they managed to put differences aside just enough to hit their finishers on Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci, with Sheamus scoring the winning pinfall for the squad. Then, a staredown as GUNTHER watched on a monitor backstage. Nothing terribly noteworthy in any of this. They focused on building to the two biggest matches at WrestleMania, but spending time on two Fatal 4-Way matches for two time filler WrestleMania matches over doing literally anything for Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley felt like a misstep to me. Still, it was a good show. Grade: B 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 7:23am On Apr 02, 2023 |
WWE wrestlemania night 1 REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS The Social Network The first and only time I got chills down my spine from wrestling was Chris Jericho’s WWF debut. Something about that moment just ran through my soul and created that physical reaction. And since it never happened after that, I figured it never would. Then came Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens vs. The Usos. I got a little water in my eye, felt the tingle up and down my spine, and actually sat back in my chair smiling. When wrestling works, I mean really works, it creates emotional moments through character. It defines their struggle, it makes them persevere, and then eventually rewards them with an often hard fought victory. I can’t think of another match in recent history that accomplished that better for me than WrestleMania 39’s first main event. Sami made his overtures to The Bloodline almost one year ago exactly. And everything that happened between April 2022 and April 2023 bled over into this match. It started with Sami and Jey Uso, as it should. While Jimmy Uso felt betrayed, Jey’s pain runs deep. Every punch, elbow, or kick from Jey felt different. Sami hurt him and The Bloodline overall, so they made sure they isolated Sami from KO early. In fact, most of the match featured Sami getting Superkick after Superkick from both Usos and never staying down for a 3-count. Any time it looked like Kevin might make a save, Jimmy & Jey shut it down. They even slammed the man through the main commentary table just for more time with Sami! But Sami never stayed down. He withstood Superkicks, Uso Splashes, and became the first man in WWE history to kick out of the 1D. That’s as the 1D or the 3D, he’s the first. While that might not mean a whole lot separately, it means a whole lot in context. By that point, Sami looked like a dead man barely walking. He kept kicking out of things on pure instinct and looked awful as the match progressed. The more punishment he survived, the harder Jimmy & Jey went at him. It was professional with KO but extremely personal with Sami. Jey even screamed at Sami that he should’ve never left The Bloodline and he called him brother. That’s real emotion! I always praise this Bloodline saga because of the humanity. Yes, the wrestling works well and it's often above average, but it’s the wrestling combined with the emotion and character that truly make these matches memorable. They tell complete stories from beginning to end with giant emotional swings that work completely because of all the work done prior. That’s why Jey yelling at Sami between kicks works. That’s why Jey nailing Sami with a Helluva Kick elicited an audible gasp in my house. Jey didn’t do the kick to mock Sami; he did it because he’s hurt and he wants Sami in as much pain if not more than he is at the moment. But around the third act, things shifted for Sami and KO because KO found himself on that ring apron right after Sami found an opening. Jey let that emotion get the better of him and took too much time for a follow up attack after that Helluva Kick. Sami nailed an Exploder into the turnbuckle, and gave KO the tag he so desperately craved. It looked like, for a moment, that Sami & KO might walk out of L.A. at that moment with the tag titles in hand, but Jey kicked out of KO’s Stunner. That threw everything in disarray and more emotion bubbled over as the four men squared off in the ring on wobbly knees. After taking all that punishment, KO & Sami showed they still wanted a fight when they started throwing fists at Jimmy & Jey. But even that didn’t give the Canadian best friends the advantage because The Usos handed out more invitations to their Superkick Party, then followed with a double Uso Splash afterparty on KO. AND HE KICKED OUT! Only in a match like this can we have so many false finishes and kicking out of finishers. Sure, the tag titles on the line helps, but it goes back to the emotion. The wrestlers earned the ability to play with the art form in this way and defy expectations for the sake of great storytelling. That’s why Kevin kicked out and that’s why The Usos went for a home run and possibly got greedy in the process. They put Kevin on the top rope for what I assume was a big 1D. But they ignored Sami. Actually, they forgot about Sami. They got so frustrated with their opponents’ resilience that they lost sight of the Sami Zayn problem. True to his word, Sami became a problem for Jimmy & Jey. He pulled Jimmy out of the ring, launched him over the oh so reliable Spanish announce table, and got his third wind. Once Sami got the tag from KO, he went to work. And finally, the story ended the only way it should: Sami vs. Jey. Sami nailed Jey with not one, not two, but three Helluva Kicks. But the way he took his time, it clearly hurt him. He even apologized to Jey after the first one. Sami never wanted this and there’s a part of him that still dreams of that day when he, Jey & Jimmy can ride together and die together again. But in this moment, he did what he had to do to fulfill his mission: eradicating The Bloodline. After the third Helluva Kick, Sami finally pinned his former brother in the middle of the ring and we got new Undisputed Tag Team champions. I don’t know what else to say. If WrestleMania night one is a perfect sundae, then this match is the ripe cherry on top. It’s the art form working at its highest level and sets an incredibly high bar for anyone who dares follow it. B-Sides Rocky II Wow. That’s it, just wow. Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley made WrestleMania Night 1 theirs. I’m still in shock and utter awe from what I saw and the show these two women provided. These two put on a heavyweight fight. And I mean that in the most literal sense. They fought stiff, they both walked away with bruises, and they threw bombs. They made poetry in the ring together and, if you follow this site’s Bird app account, took it personally that someone else got the main event spot. It came down to who needed the match more and that was Rhea Ripley. Seriously, I got nothing else other than these two tore it up, deserve all the props in the world, and put on one of the best matches in WrestleMania history. Unforgiven I knew the Make-A-Wish kids showing up meant bad things for Austin Theory but I didn’t know how. Turns out, John Cena was right: Win or lose, Theory loses. WWE protected Cena in several ways during this United States championship match. Theory bit Cena to escape the STFU, we got a ref bump, Theory tapped to that same move with no ref in sight, and then Theory set up the A-Town Down with a low blow. It’s the kind of ending that leaves me indifferent. Cena takes the very questionable L while Theory doesn’t really disprove anything Cena said about the man many weeks ago. Plus? If you watched Stand & Deliver you saw this finish almost verbatim. While the match itself had its moments, it also met the bar (but it wasn’t the Bar) for what I expected from a John Cena match in 2023. I just wish WWE fully committed to giving Theory the W rather than providing Cena—and the fans—several excuses and reasons to not believe Austin’s theory of the case. The Rock Anyone thinking Michael Bay is all Transformers needs a serious education. Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Pain & Gain, and Ambulance prove he’s more than robots in disguise. But if there’s one movie that truly illustrates Bay’s particular brand, it’s The Rock. An action movie that ramps up the pressure and stakes scene-by-scene, with interesting characters, clear motivations, and even a few choice quotes. What happened between The Street Profits, Ricochet & Braun Strowman, Alpha Academy, and The Viking Raiders is the wrestling equivalent of The Rock. The spots started slow but whew they ramped up and seemingly topped themselves. Strowman jumped from the top rope, Ricochet hit an impossible Shooting Star Press, and Angelo Dawkins showed the Strowman Express isn’t unstoppable. Which is a Tony Scott movie, not Michael Bay. I say all that to point out that you should watch this. It was spot after spot after spot and just a lot of fun. The Street Profits won and get their shot at the tag team champs, but on the real, we all won. Rebel Without a Cause Logan Paul is a phenomenal professional wrestler. Straight up and down, he only gets better every time we see him. Imagine if he really did this as a full-time gig? Of course he doesn't have to with things like Prime, his very own sports drink. Speaking of Prime, someone dressed in a Prime bottle sauntered down the ring with Logan before his match with Seth Rollins. I earlier thought it was Jake Paul that wore the disguise but as this amazing match went on, we got our answer: KSI. Now, full disclosure, I had no idea who that was before Twitter informed me. I go to YouTube for very few things and Logan Paul content isn’t on that list. But KSI involved himself and helped Logan create a streaming viral moment. Logan placed Seth on the Spanish team’s commentary table while KSI pulled out the phone for a livestream. KSI talked his trash while Logan climbed the top rope. Problem? KSI did too much talking and Logan took too much time. Seth switched positions with KSI and Logan went airborne then crash landed on top of his boy. That’s one of several moments worth remembering from this match that told the story I assumed: Seth may not feel Logan belongs but Logan proved he does. Seth got the win after countering Logan’s Coast-to-Coast attempt with a hellacious Superkick, followed by a Curb Stomp. Watch this match as soon as you can. And if you watched it live? Watch it again. If you watched it in Cali? I hope you caught your breath. Blast from the Past First off, “back to the future” doesn’t mean what WWE thinks it means when they keep repeating it. It’s not about bringing the past to the present or future. Even within context of the film it doesn’t mean that; it simply means sending someone back to the future. That’s it. Okay, rant over. Trish Stratus still handles her business in the ring. That and the fact that Damage CTRL might be redundant at this point. But yeah, Trish looks like she retained all her steps. Grant it, it’s a small-ish sample size, but she looked really impressive. Hopefully we see more of her going forward even if it’s limited. I like that the match started as a match but turned into something else thanks to Becky and Bayley. Their beef took the match to another level and, of course, created an environment for several all out brawls. During one of those brawls, Lita & Becky gave Trish a boost that made it possible for Trish to put Dakota Kai in a beautiful head scissors takedown that launched her onto her teammates. In the end, it came down to Bayley and Becky after Lita & Trish dispensed Dakota & IYO SKY from the ring with their patented moves. Bayley went for a Bayley-to-Belly on the top rope but Becky countered into an emphatic Manhandle Slam. The faces walked off victorious while I wonder what happens with Damage CTRL. They can withstand this loss but I’m not sure how many more they can take before losing all credibility. Big Fish Dom is incredible. The opening for this match rocked my world. The short video featuring Dom behind bars, getting into a police van, and then getting a police escort to the ring? Put all of that in my veins. I talk about this every Monday but the character work and progression for Dom is a thing of beauty and often the most entertaining thing in the territory. Rey almost topped that entrance showing up in a Low Rider with Snoop Dogg behind the wheel and “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” bumping through SoFi Stadium. Look, if you want to win my heart, just play some well-honed ‘90s Hip Hop. Rey then transitioned to Eddie Guerrero’s theme as he and Snoop entertained the crowd and showed love to his fallen friend. All seamless, all logical, and all great. But then the match lived up to the very high bar the opening set. We got action with Dom and Rey going back and forth in the ring. We got emotion when Dom disrespected his moms and sister at ringside by spitting water in his sister’s face and getting in his moms’ face. We got drama when Judgment Day showed up and tried tilting the scales in Dom’s favor. We got excitement when the LWO (YES!) saved Rey and evened the odds for Rey. And, we got a last second twist when Bad Bunny, who joined the Spanish commentary team, interjected on Rey’s behalf when Dom grabbed a chain big enough for a dinosaur and sat his sights squarely on his father. The WrestleMania Backlash host snatched the chain out of Dom’s hands, and Rey finished off his son with a 619 and a Frog Splash. So much fun, great storytelling, and a finish that sets the stage for the next big event as I foresee Bad Bunny, Rey, and Dom involved in some tag match configuration. The Longest Yard Two things: Pat McAfee’s surprise showings never get old and the DX chop will never go out of style. The Miz “wanted” a match and Pat McAfee answered the call. George Kittle, 49ers Tight End for those of you who don’t watch the NFL, sat in the front row and got involved when Miz got in his face. Pat Mac beat Miz with help from Kittle, and they celebrated with a couple DX chops. A nice breather after Charlotte and Rhea tore down the house. Plus nobody takes a beating quite like Miz. This was an incredible night. Just like 2022, WrestleMania Night one set an example for the rest of the weekend. Even the match lineup was perfect! Grade: A 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by jerrykk(m): 7:36am On Apr 02, 2023 |
pu7pl3: Rhea Ripley and Charlotte was my match of the day That riptide was wow |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 11:23am On Apr 02, 2023 |
jerrykk: The match was definitely 5stars🔥🔥🔥 1 Like |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 1:16pm On Apr 02, 2023 |
WWE NXT stand and deliver REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS HIM When they write the story about NXT 2.0, the tale starts and ends with Bron Breakker & Carmelo Hayes. While the short-lived rebrand created a few stars and several dope moments, it’s those two who stood out above the rest. Excluding Mandy Rose, of course. When the 2.0 era, at least in branding, ended several months ago, NXT made their endgame obvious: Bron vs. Melo at the biggest show of the year for the biggest prize in the territory. Bron reigned supreme as 2.0’s champion, ushering the brand into a different philosophy and style than what came before. But anyone with even half a clue knew his future lied on either Mondays or Fridays. Melo, on the other hand, still needed that validation. Yes, he reigned supreme as the A Champion with the North American title, but a championship reign as the guy solidifies his run and paves the way for his future. One thing painfully obvious, even if the storytelling only hinted at it, was is the fact Melo can’t be the man with Bron standing in his way. They either cancel each other out or Bron’s pedigree blocks out the sun. That made this match inevitable and its result rewarding. As he often did during his North American championship reign, Melo tried wrestling his opponent’s style. Matching Bron strength for strength is a stupid move, which Melo learned the hard way very early. Bron, to his credit, stayed in his game. But the story settled on a tale of an immovable object vs. an unstoppable force. They worked psychology a bit with Bron targeting Melo’s lower back and Melo going after Bron’s right shoulder. yet neither of those moves really got either man that far. At a certain point, with both men spent, they resorted to throwing bombs in the middle of the ring. Thankfully, they played it honest with Melo only withstanding but so many punches from Bron before falling to his butt and then throwing kicks. Again, you’re better off going blow for blow with Tony Montana than Bron Breakker. But then came parts of the story that felt unnecessary. The ref ejected Trick Williams early after Trick saved Melo from possible destruction at Bron’s hands. That early decision made sense but then we got a third act ref bump for basketball reasons. While Melo tapped to a Steiner Recliner, Trick Willy appeared Randy Orton RKO style and nailed the champ with the NXT title. See? That I don’t like. I don’t think Bron needs all that protection in the loss and moving to the main roster. Especially since Bron kicked out of Trick’s cheap shot. The hilarious part came when the crowd voiced their disapproval for the ref’s two-count. Even when cheating, the crowd loves Melo. But I digress. The match continued, sans interference, and Melo won by exerting the one obvious advantage he has over Bron: quickness. He maneuvered his way out of a Military Press Slam, reversed it into a Codebreaker, and went to the top rope. From that point, Melo don’t miss. While not the event’s best match, it still delivered on its high expectations. Less booking shenanigans with Trick and the ref give it a higher grade but hey, there’s nothing wrong with not attaining perfection when one firmly grasps greatness. And, of course, the bottomline is we have a new NXT champion, and his name is HIM. B-Sides And...NEW.. For a couple weeks, I wondered about Indi Hartwell’s NXT career and WWE career overall. She seemed trapped in that endless “fits and starts” loop that dooms so many wrestlers to mediocrity or life in the mid-card. And even in this ladder match for the NXT Women’s championship, she looked like an afterthought. Yes, she definitely got her spots in and dished out punishment as good as she got, but this looked like Tiffany Stratton or Roxanne Perez’s night. Roxanne specifically moved on a different level. She looked crisper, stronger, faster, and just steps ahead of the competition. Stratton showed off her raw power, and even Zoey Stark just womanhandled everyone, truly choosing violence for a match that calls for it. But then a couple things happened. Gigi Dolin found herself at the top of the ladder with everyone spent and no one in her vicinity. But guess who popped up and ruined Gigi’s dreams? If you said Jacy Jayne then you either watched the event or took a great guess. Jacy knocked her former partner off the ladder and crushed Jacy’s WrestleMania weekend dreams. Obviously this thing between these two never settled, but picking this moment for Jacy only puts more heat on her and the feud itself. Smart move. The next moment came Stratton found herself all alone too. Or so she thought. With everyone laid out on one side of the ring, Tiffany climbed the ladder and it looked academic. But the one person Tiffany ignored, the one person everyone ignored, the one person that only one Cageside member picked (see, Sean? Sometimes you’re right), and the one woman with the most on the line showed up at the very last minute: Indi Hartwell. Indi pushed Tiffany off the ladder and onto the floor. With Indi all alone and with her dreams finally in her grasp, something still held her down. With all the energy spent during the match, along with all the physical punishment, Indi didn’t have much in the tank. She stumped going up the ladder and it looked hopeless. In fact, that moment, along with Tiffany forgetting about her, illustrated her NXT career thus far: Always close but no cigar and forgotten about during big moments. But in one of the best story moments of the night, and one of the best since NXT’s rebrand started 18 months ago, Dexter Lumis appeared seemingly out of nowhere as he usually does. Dexter slid under the ladder as his wife kept falling. Dexter gave her the thumbs up and put her on his shoulders as her climbed the ladder. InDex worked in unison. Indi grabbed the championship and celebrated while her husband made sure she got all of the spotlight. Beautiful moment, great storytelling, and a great match to boot. Accreditation Continued Well, well, well. Duke Hudson finally showed his true colors: black and red. Before we get there though, let’s talk about a few crucial moments in the story. First, Tyler Bate and Duke bumped heads once or twice, foreshadowing a collision that seems unavoidable because wrestling. Secondly, Ava made her NXT in-ring debut! Ava didn’t get much time with Thea Hail, but she showed some potential in the very short time she received. Not enough to make an impression, but just enough to look like she belongs. Hopefully we get more of her in the future even if that doesn’t come in matches with Thea. And why is that you ask? Thirdly, Duke flirted with the dark side. While I never bought into the idea that he believed whatever Joe Gacy whispered into his ear, it at least built on Duke’s previously acknowledged frustration. Schism put down each Chase U member, and Tyler, one by one, with only Hudson remaining. Duke launched back into the ring and put himself between Schism and his school. Gacy held the wolves at bay and tempted Duke with membership and a t-shirt, no doubt right on par with the serpent whispering into Eve’s ear if you believe in that sort of thing. Duke put on the Schism merch and took their side in a standoff that looked like Chase U’s demise. In the least shocking, but very emotionally rewarding move, Duke ripped off the Schism shirt, attacked Schism from behind, and the rest of Chase U joined in the attack with four simultaneous “Chase U” stomps. Very dope moment that signified the beginning of the end for Joe and co. Chase U lives another day and for now, Duke looks fully onboard. Coffey on Top The Gallus boys seemed overconfident going into a match with the odds stacked against them. Then Joe Coffey showed up and provided the “why.” The match didn’t do much for me because it really didn’t get that much time. We got a few fun spots, but nothing that felt worthy of this event. And maybe that’s because of the time, plus the twist ending. Joe showed up, wrecked Tony D’Angelo, and then Gallus flattened Stacks for the W. Gallus boys, still on top but not without some help. Cardiac FTW There are certain matches that defy words. And certain matches that live up to all their insurmountable expectations. The five man dance for the North American championship is one of those matches. Wes Lee, Ilja Dragunov, JD McDonagh, Axiom, and Dragon Lee put on a perfect match. Perfectly paced, laced with story, filled with violence, and several moments not thought physically possible on this planet. I can give you clips but truthfully, fire up Peacock and watch it. Just know Wes pinned Dragunov to retain, Dragunov and McDonagh almost let their hate for each other blind them to the bigger picture, and Axiom vs. Dragon Lee needs to happen not now but right now. Standing ovation for everyone involved. This is The Way Thoughts and prayers for Grayson Waller’s back. Seriously. I said beforehand that even a loss puts Waller on firm footing. After his unsanctioned match with Johnny Gargagno, Waller is on incredibly solid ground. He showed another level of violence, sadism, and fortitude as well. Johnny wore his emotions on his sleeve, starting early with a super kick right to Waller’s dome before the bell rang when Waller tried a sneak attack with a chair. That emotion carried over into the rest of the match, most notably when Candice LeRae got involved. Now, adding Candice at ringside with their baby Quinn might not work for everyone. It’s exploitative to the core but professional sports entertainment wrestling never shies away from it’s ridiculous roots. Waller goaded Candice before the match and during the match, so with no rules, it makes complete sense that Candice exerted herself because she doesn’t need her husband to fight for her when she’s more than capable. I liked the moment and loved her tearing up Grayson’s body with a kendo stick. Eventually, Waller’s back, along with his ego, just gave out. Once he set Johnny on the commentary table and took his sweet time climbing the top rope, that was it. Johnny moved, attacked, and then hoisted Grayson on his own petard with a Powerbomb through that same table. After a little back and forth, Johnny’s emotion erupted in the form of several chair shots. The best moment? Johnny wrapping a chair around Grayson’s neck like a horse collar and then hitting that chair with another chair. Grayson spun like the Tasmanian Devil before collapsing in the middle of the ring. No escape from the Gargano Escape and that was it. And yeah, that happened. And...NEW Kiana James & Fallon Henley lost their tag titles to Isla Dawn & Alba Fyre. A foregone conclusion for anyone paying attention, but the “how” raises questions. Kiana needed help as she and Fallon struggled. She begged Brooks Jensen to give up her purse. Traditionally, Kiana finds plunder in said purse, so Brooks knew the deal. But a beleaguered Fallon and Josh Briggs told Brooks “nah.” Repeatedly. With Kiana distracted and no equalizer on her side, Isla & Alba took care of business. While Briggs, Jensen, Kiana, & Fallon stood together at the end of the match, even without championships, one wonders whether Brooks blames his two best friends for this loss. One also ponders what this means for Kiana & Fallon’s tenuous partnership. Kiana never realigned herself as a face just because of her partner or her other partner; she’s still a heel. It was only a matter of time before her ways clashed with Fallon’s ways. Throwing Brooks in the middle makes for an interesting story. While the match itself felt adequate, the drama after proved juicy enough for interest. If you’re into that kinda thing. Stand & Deliver did its namesake. I made that same joke last year but hey, if they keep doing their thing, the joke works. Even if NXT didn't put on a flawless show, they still executed at a very high level. Great appetizer for the rest of the weekend with three new champions, several interesting stories going into NXT’s next phase, and Bron officially passing the torch as he heads to the big time. Grade: A- 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Calibrator: 1:57pm On Apr 02, 2023 |
Charlotte vs Ripley looks more like a street fight than a pro wrestling match  1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 3:43pm On Apr 02, 2023 |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 8:28am On Apr 03, 2023 |
WWE wrestlemania night 2 REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS The Fighter I thought this story was about Roman Reigns seeing his kingdom crumble before his eyes. Or Cody Rhodes achieving something his legendary father never accomplished. I figured WWE penned a tale with both plot points co-existing, along with The Bloodline seeing its fortunes change over the course of two days in the City of Angels. Everything set up for that. The ref ejected Solo Sikoa after the Street Champ tried his usual tricks one too many times and got caught. Jimmy & Jey Uso no showed leaving Roman all alone. Cody kicked out of a Superman Punch, a Spear, and broke the Guillotine! No one gets out of the Guillotine but Cody found a way out where others failed. That felt like a microcosm for a larger story and a Cody W. Then we a ref bump, followed by the Usos coming out of hiding and helping their cousin one more time until Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens stopped their shenanigans. WWE even sweetened the story when KO hit Reigns with a Stunner and Sami delivered a well-deserved and so necessary Helluva Kick. Everything I know about wrestling and everything I know about storytelling pointed in one giant direction. But that’s nothing compared to what happened after all that: Cody hit Dusty Rhodes’ patented Bionic Elbow, complete with Dusty’s shimmy. I mean, what more do we need? Cody, realizing one Cross Rhodes won’t cut it after Roman kicked out from that earlier in the match, went for the hat trick. He finished one with fury on his face and fire in his eyes. He went for the second and everything seemed academic. Then he went for the third and backed into the corner as Paul Heyman distracted the ref. At this moment, I smelt something funny. And then it hit me—not as hard as it hit Cody—SOLO! I forgot about Solo just like Cody did because of all the emotion. I bathed myself in the moment, much like Cody, and ignored the fact that the youngest Uce still ran free. Solo crept to the ring in all black, delivered a Samoan Spike, and Roman finished it off with another Spear. Against all odds, logic, and momentum, Roman Reigns left Cali with both titles in hand. Heyman didn’t turn in his Wiseman card for an Advocate hat, Solo enforced like he always does, and everyone went home stunned. While I’m sure these comment sections and others like it will roar for days about this decision. They positioned two babyfaces with enough heat and credibility who might finally burn everything on the Island of Relevancy. Sami walked so Cody could run but no one saw him running into a brick wall. They built Cody as Roman’s equal, and this match’s finish doesn’t refute that one bit. They made him Roman’s antithesis and the one person with enough power to not only stand nose to nose with the Tribal Chief, but bloody that nose and end this reign of terror. And yet, here we are. The status quo remains mostly unchanged and Roman’s dominance remains the story. Now, while those pianos played during Roman’s intro, I told anyone within earshot that I kinda don’t want him to lose. While Reigns isn’t my favorite wrestler at the moment, he’s definitely in my top five. And there’s something special about his matches and every moment surrounding him. There’s an aura he has that no one else on the roster comes close to right now. But when the bell went ding ding and reality hit, I felt shocked. Like I said, everything pointed in one direction and then it didn’t happen. Roman billed this match as “the wrestler vs. the fighter” and the wrestler looked like the next champion. In fact, I give WWE props for finally building up someone not named Brock Lesnar as a credible challenger to Roman’s throne. That said, this one feels weird. I’m not saying it’s the wrong decision but I’m not saying it’s the right one either. Even with all that storytelling during the match, WWE put a lot into The Bloodline. Destroying them in one weekend does feel hasty when we now have a Bloodline with Jimmy & Jey failing not once but twice in consecutive days. Solo proved his worth while his brothers dropped the ball. There’s a story there. Cody didn’t get the job done. What happens now? I spent so much brain power processing Cody as champ that I never wondered how he handles not only his first loss but a very big one at that. There’s a ton of story there. And his eventual path back to the championship comes with its own twists and turns as well. The Bloodline won’t last forever and neither will Reigns’ run. While I talked myself into one side of the “right or wrong” equation, I still believe watching it play out makes the most sense. There’s enough goodwill and thoughtfulness with this entire saga that everyone involved earned my benefit of the doubt. The fighter one and defied expectations once again. The fact that I, like many wrestling fans, reacted so emotionally to this match says so much about everyone involved. We care and that’s the most important part of making this whole wrestling thing work. B-Sides Speed Racer The build for Bianca Belair vs. Asuka didn’t exactly set the world on fire. For weeks, I said both women deserved a whole lot better because they’re two of the best. Why not give their championship match all the pomp and circumstance we know WWE loses in couch cushions. But everything that came before didn’t stop Bianca and Asuka from absolutely killing it. They wrestled stiff and got into a fight. Not as much of a fight as the Intercontinental triple threat, but still a very worthy successor. They told the story of Asuka’s speed vs. Bianca’s raw power. Bianca used that power almost immediately and tried ending the match very early. Almost like she worried the longer the match went, the more dangerous Asuka became. And maybe there’s something to that logic because Asuka countered a few of Bianca’s trademark moves with her speed and quickness. She turned Bianca’s spring backflip into a submission hold not once but twice. The fact Bianca went for the move a second time after Asuka countered on her first go round showed her stubbornness but also that desperation to finish this thing as soon as possible. That little moment signified the big difference between the two women: Bianca’s urgency next to Asuka’s relative calm. I say relative because the third act saw them flip sides. Asuka maneuvered out of a KOD and her momentum pushed Bianca into the ref. Thankfully, no ref bump but the ref turned her back on the action for a bit. Asuka, now the desperate one, sprayed blue mist but Bianca ducked. Bianca went for another KOD but Asuka, using that quickness, countered into an arm bar. And then one of the most amazing things I’ve seen in a wrestling ring happened: Bianca squatted Asuka from her knees. If I’m not explaining it well, hopefully the video does the job but Bianca, from a kneeling position, hoisted another grown human being on her shoulders. One KOD later, the champ remains the champ. Fantastic match! One of Bianca’s best title defenses and Asuka’s best match in WWE in a long time. Bianca needs new challengers on Raw though because there’s kinda no one else left. Hopefully we get some NXT call-ups or a surprise return or two. Oh, and let me mention the Divas of Compton. Those young ladies showed up and showed out. I let out an audible “aww” watching them dance to Bianca’s theme and then dance with her when she hit the stage. Gladiator Surprisingly, I enjoyed Brock Lesnar vs. Omos. They kept it short enough that it never overstayed its welcome, and watching Omos manhandle Brock for most of the affair proved entertaining. Seriously, Brock sells beautifully and watching him vulnerable for that long made everything worthwhile. Plus? Brock F5’d Omos. I mean, that’s no easy feat. And it’s more impressive considering the context in which Omos worked on Brock’s back the entire match. Consider me sports entertained. Working Girl Well, that was certainly a thing that happened. The Women’s Showcase between Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler, Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez, Natalya & Shotzi, and last but certainly not least, Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville, actually worked really well for a while. It didn’t get the most time, but the women did their thing with the time they got. But that lack of time makes the ending leave the sourest taste in my mouth. Ronda came into the match injured, so she and Shayna basically did the least. And by the least, I mean kinda nothing. And yet...Ronda got the W for her team. Shayna’s footwear gave her an issue so maybe that played into the ending too, but Ronda did nothing, came into the ring, soaked up the boos, and submitted Shotzi. That’s it. No thanks. Three the Hard Way No wrestling here. GUNTHER, Drew McIntyre, and Sheamus gave us a fight. This type of thing raises everyone’s profile, along with the Intercontinental championship. All three got their own moment: Sheamus almost went for 30 Beats of the Bodhran on Drew. Drew joined in Sheamus’ initial 10 Beats and showed his usual resilience. And GUNTHER? Well, GUNTHER Powerbomed Sheamus on top of Drew then Powerbombed Drew. All of that in rapid succession and in the blink of an eye. This was Meaty Men Slapping All of the Meat. Brutal, unflinching, violence. And I loved every moment of a match not for the faint of heart. If you missed it, watch it now. The Exorcist III Despite the hiccup around the midway point when Edge busted open The Demon with a ladder, this match really delivered. Grant it, the violence can only go but so far these days given the PG restrictions, and the fact a major studio film starring Russell Crowe sponsored the match. Stopping the match for Finn’s blood loss—and it was a lot of blood because blood splatters littered the ring—while weird, didn’t hurt the match. And that’s a testament to Edge and Finn Balor because two people with less experience probably don’t handle that situation as well. Ultimately, Finn redeemed The Demon persona after whatever that was the last time we saw him. Edge got the necessary W, Finn actually looked tougher after the injury and the big moves he sustained from Edge. Fittingly, the move that ended Edge is the same move that put Beth Phoenix on the shelf: a concerto. Plus, with Finn’s head injury, him not surviving that makes a lot of sense. Old School First off, I hope Shane McMahon is okay. We got Snoop Dogg and Miz again. This time, Snoop called out Shane for a match with Miz and then things took a turn. Shane went down like a ton of bricks on a non-contact injury. Which probably means that was the last time we see Shane in a wrestling ring. That it happens at what might be the last WrestleMania of the McMahon era owning WWE is tragically ironic. But, on the plus side, Snoop and Miz called a perfect audible. Snoop took Shane’s place, decked Miz, hit the Doggfather Elbow, or the C-Walk Elbow, and walked out victorious and the one member in his family with a WrestleMania victory. That’s crazy right? What a main event. Cody and Roman wrestled a match that history might deem one of the greatest of all time. I’m no historian so I won’t go that far but I will say it elevated a pretty good night into something great. Grade: A 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Nobody: 11:40am On Apr 03, 2023 |
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| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 5:53pm On Apr 03, 2023 |
"And then he thought he'd just come back and we'd put the belt on him" 1 Like
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| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:00pm On Apr 03, 2023 |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Debroslink: 10:50pm On Apr 03, 2023 |
pu7pl3:And why do you always write GUNTHER's name in capital letters?  |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 11:17pm On Apr 03, 2023 |
Debroslink: Cos that's how I hear it whenever Micheal Cole pronounces it |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 11:12am On Apr 04, 2023 |
pu7pl3: 👆👆👆👆👆 2 Likes 1 Share
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| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 5:23pm On Apr 04, 2023 |
WWE RAW after wrestlemania REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Amerikaz Nightmare The Raw after Mania brings certain high expectations. Sometimes too high, but WWE set that bar pretty consistently. While they do that fake season premiere crap in the fall, this is the real season premiere. This Raw sets the template for the rest of the year with new stories, new feuds, and a clean slate for everyone. The show’s unpredictability breeds excitement because what person doesn’t like new toys? This particular Raw after Mania felt dull, slow, unimaginative, and hardly necessary. But we’ll get to that later in drips and drabs. The big hook for this show is Brock Lesnar effectively turning heel and treating Cody Rhodes like those dudes treated Ricky in Boyz n the Hood. How did we get there? Glad you asked. The show kicked off with Roman Reigns basking in the afterglow of another victory. Cody hit the ring and demanded a rematch. The champ, through his counsel, said nah. Cody, who wanted static with Solo Sikoa as well based on Solo interfering at WrestleMania, challenged the both of them to a tag match because he wanted anything. Cody begging the champ for a match is certainly a choice, but it fits Cody’s character and he’s pretty teflon at this point. Begging for something on behalf of the people only ingratiates him more. The champ agreed to the tag match but only if Cody finds a partner who wrestled on WrestleMania Night two and the person understands that they will never get a shot at the Undisputed Universal championship so long as Roman remains the champ. Well, that narrowed the potential partners down to one. Brock...Lesnar. Brock hit the ring and I felt uneasy. To paraphrase Sincere in Belly, Brock is a livelier and can be ill when he wants. Brock will hug you just as soon as he’ll hit you with a chair. But he shook Cody’s hand and we got a match. Brock had nothing to lose because he hates Roman and can’t challenge Roman for the title anymore anyway after their SummerSlam 2022 match. So, yeah, this made sense. We got some hints at dissension between Paul Heyman and Roman as the champ questioned whether the Wise Man knew about Brock. Heyman hilariously pointed out that Brock normally takes months off after Mania and leaves Heyman high and dry, so of course he didn’t expect this. Reigns sounded convinced, then said smashing Brock is kinda his thing anyway, so one more time won’t hurt. But he set up the match as a true test for Solo. Roman’s still in his feelings about Cody defeating Solo. Despite Solo saving Roman’s championship at WrestleMania, the Tribal Chief still wants the Street Champ to prove himself. If I’m Solo, that rubs me all types of wrong ways. And maybe it does but in the moment, he played the good soldier role. Especially since Roman Solo’s older brothers home early. And with that, we headed into what WWE billed as the biggest main event in Raw history, and certainly the biggest tag team match in Raw history. Only it never happened. Right after the introductions, Brock spent about 20 minutes beating Cody into a pulp. Chair shots, suplexes, shots to Cody’s injured ribs, and of course an F5 on top of the steel steps. Adam Pearce and the rest of his Keystone Cops eventually made Brock relent but the Beast left them, and the audience, with a clear message in the form of the double bird as Raw ended. Stone Cold Steve Austin he ain’t. Now, besides wondering why Brock did it, I felt nothing. The show to that point built no momentum. No NXT call-ups, no new major feuds of which I should care, and then the bait and switch on the tag match. WWE laid a lot of track for that tag match with Reigns & Solo foreshadowing some beef, Jimmy & Jey getting their walking papers for the night, and just the fact Brock detests Roman. Not saying they won’t “finish this story” and give a reason because of course they will. I just need a really compelling reason for Brock dismantling Cody over Roman. That felt like a theme tonight too: why? Why waste the Street Profits’ title shot already? Why give Damage CTRL two losses back-to-back? Why tease Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair rather than give the champs new challengers? Why not infuse the show with new blood? And why on everything that is holy do they give us Omos vs. Elias as the first match on this episode? After a stupendous weekend and a new beginning for the company, Raw seemed like an afterthought. B-Sides Operation Lock Down After an eventful and exciting opening, Raw shifted gears and slowed down a bit for Omos vs. Elias. Even if you didn’t see it you know how this ended and you get the gist. Justice 4 Elias! The World is Yours Austin Theory felt himself this week. Rey Mysterio came out for adulation and a mini victory lap after his storied WrestleMania weekend. Theory, for basketball reasons and general bullying, challenged Rey. I guess Austin fancies himself the new legend killer after “defeating” John Cena. I enjoyed the match quite a bit though because Rey is Rey and Theory keeps getting better in-ring and as a heel. Of course, this really just set the stage for Ex-Con Dom’s entrance. Dom interfered and helped Theory get the W. So in a couple days, Theory has victories over Cena and Mysterio, Cheap victories yes, but still victories that work in his favor. Dom attacked Bad Bunny, who sat ringside, wanting a little revenge for Bunny interfering at Mania. Bunny had all the smoke for Dom and laid him out with a hell of a punch. But, sadly, that same punch didn’t land on Damian Priest. The big man dragged Bunny over the barricade and Choke Slammed him through the commentary table. Good action and good continuation on the foundation laid at WrestleMania. Rey & Bad Bunny vs. Damian & Dom? Sign me up because that has the makings of a very fun match with an even better build. Especially since Dom and Bunny are boys. Father against son, homie against homie. Give Up the Goods (Just Step) I’m torn on Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens’ first tag team title defense. On one hand, they and the Street Profits put on an incredible match that showcased chemistry, fluidity, and more than enough reasons why we need more than one battle between these four. But then there’s the fact that the Street Profits took their best shot this early and missed. After surviving their WrestleMania battle, they felt they deserved a shot at the champs. And they did. But they didn’t answer when destiny called. While this provided an incredible first title defense for the new champs and showed they know each other just as well as Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford know each other, I wonder what this does for the Profits of the Street. Their last few tag title defenses ended in close but no cigar fashion so at what point do they either stop trying or just disband? There’s always some hotter team or better story in front of them: The Usos, RK-Bro, and now Sami & KO. I’ve never been a bridesmaid but I imagine constantly playing that role and never the bride gets tiresome. Right now, the Street Profits are constant bridesmaids in search of someone to put a ring on it. Children’s Story Ali picked the wrong moment. Bobby Lashley, fresh off a disappointing WrestleMania where he simply showed up and smiled, Bronson Reed poked the bear. After Reed insulted Lashley and bounced, Ali showed up with his whole positive gimmick. Lashley snapped because of course, and dragged Ali out the locker room area into the ring. A ref showed up, the bell dinged, and Lashley got a very quick win. Lashley vs. Bronson Reed has potential. That’s a lot of meat and a lot of slapping. But this thing with Ali and Lashley? For the Raw After Mania? No thanks. Even worse? This followed Seth Rollins simply coming to the ring and letting the crowd sing his song. That’s it. Extinction Level Event This might be it for Damage CTRL. They suffered another big loss following their WrestleMania loss. This time, Raquel Gonzalez & Liv Morgan gave them the L, which hurt doubly since a shot at the tag team championships hung in the balance. This ultimately functioned as a Raquel showcase, as she got the big moments through bullying Dakota Kai & IYO SKY. Kai & SKY looked out of sorts in the ring with Raquel. I do wish we got some meaningful interplay between Raquel and Dakota just because there’s so much history there. But I can’t get excited for Raquel & Liv vs. Lita & Becky Lynch next week. But here’s the really weird thing: Rhea Ripley interrupted Bianca Belair’s promo before this match. Rhea interrupting isn’t weird on its own, but the fact both women acknowledged a future battle between them...some day. That made it weird. Rather than setting up an immediate challenger for either champion, we got foreshadowing to something that has no meaning at this moment. I pontificated about Bianca’s next challenger and the fact there’s no immediate candidate. Maybe this little business between the two champs acknowledges that fact and just put them both on TV until all those cooks in the writer’s kitchen figure it out. Going Back to Cali Miz got upset about surprises and the whooping he took at WrestleMania. Right on cue, Matt Riddle made his return. Miz went for the sneak attack, Riddle recovered and turned Miz into a punching bag. Meh. Raw disappointed me big time this week. Coming off two very dope nights of wrestling, I expected a lot more than a plodding show with no rhythm and very little important happenings. Maybe they're saving the firepower for SmackDown now but when you specifically label something “Raw After WrestleMania” and make it a big deal, then I expect a show worthy of that hype. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Calibrator: 2:34pm On Apr 05, 2023 |
Wetin Cody steal from Brock to warrant such beating? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by badinfluence: 3:17pm On Apr 05, 2023 |
In one night Vince has ruined all the good job Triple H has been doing. I understand his attachment to the company, but he should trust Hunter, atleast the work is showing. 1 Like |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 7:10pm On Apr 05, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Betrayal Now I know why that Bron Breakker call-up never materialized. For weeks, I noted the reactions to Carmelo Hayes and Bron Breakker flipped a bit. Melo became the fan favorite while Bron received more mixed reactions. I even figured Melo might go into Stand & Deliver like Jesus going into Jerusalem while Bron might get greeted like the 2001-03 Sacramento Kings during their heated rivalry with that era’s Los Angeles Lakers. While it never got that bad for Bron in the building formerly known as Staples Center, the boo birds still crowed pretty loudly. Bron took his loss, passed the torch, and let the world know Melo got next. But then he didn’t show up on the Raw after WrestleMania and I scratched my temple. What’s that about? Then again, based on my feelings on that show, Bron dodged a pretty heinous bullet. So when Melo and Trick Williams hit the ring this week for a “Melobration” I wondered about the endgame. I knew Melo’s first challenger might show up and wreck the proceedings. After Melo basked in the crowd chanting his name and Trick gassing him, he gave Bron his props. Melo reiterated he doesn’t know what the future holds for Bron, but he sees the former champ as his most formidable opponent and the respect is real. Melo, showing more of this new-ish version of his character, called Bron out. Not for a fight, but to thank him eye-to-eye. Bron played the good guy role for a while, said the good guy things and did the good guy dance. They exchanged pleasantries and Melo’s music played. But Melo told everyone to chill and wanted one more show of love between he and Mr. Breakker. That’s when they shook hands one more time and Breakker, well, broke. He attacked the champ and his hype man, left them both crawling in the ring and basked in the boos. If I have one negative thing to say, it’s that they let the segment go too long which made the turn even more obvious. Melo asking Bron back in the ring for the handshake really set it all off but there’s no reason why Bron held back until that moment. That minor issue aside, this makes sense for both men. Melo needs a heel as his first opponent and there aren’t many credible solo heel guys in NXT at the moment. And of that bunch, most of them are busy elsewhere. This gives Melo an immediate challenge and a big threat out the gate. For Bron, it gives him a chance at operating on a different level. He became stagnant as a face and even more as a face champion. Showing more versatility only helps him going forward. Everybody wins and hopefully, with all that respect thrown out the window now, we get a very different Bron vs. Melo build and match than we got the first time around. B-Sides Resurrection We got our first look at how Indi Hartwell functions with a target on her back. Indi opened NXT and received a hero’s welcome from the NXT faithful. She’s a perfect babyface champ in that the crowd believes in her so much and wants nothing but good things for her. Her championship celebration lasted all of five minutes before Zoey Stark crashed the party like Full Force. Zoey disrespected the champ in so many ways, but mostly saying she got lucky and will go down as the NXT Women’s champ with the shortest reign in history. Zoey challenged Indi for that championship this week and Indi accepted. The match possibly set the blueprint for Indi’s matches going forward, at least until she fully gains her swagger and confidence. She got in her blows but mostly works from underneath. The heel gets the better of her but gets overconfident and Indi takes advantage. Zoey nailed Indi with the Z 360 but the champ fell out of the ring. After Zoey rolled her back in the ring and went for a very arrogant pin, Indi reversed it and got the 3-count. “Surviving” and outsmarting people who take her lightly makes a lot of sense for now and I hope they build off that and give her some growth outside the ring and inside of it as well. We may see all that sooner rather than later because someone interrupted Indi’s celebratory moment: Tiffany Stratton. Tiffany made it clear she wants that belt but someone else made her intentions crystal as well: Cora Jade. Cora retuned and got physical with the champ, leaving her lying in the middle of the ring. Cora exchanged words with Tiffany, meaning they may need to go through each other before they even get to Indi. Cora provides some necessary heat at the top of this division so I’m ecstatic she’s back like she never left. Everyone feels like the champ is BBQ chicken right now and they want to eat. Perfect chance for Indi to prove them all wrong and provide a little indigestion. Enjoy Da Ride Axiom and Wes Lee are perfect dance partners. They work seamlessly together and lift each other up. After the hell they went through at Stand & Deliver, wrestling each other after a few days after for the North American championship makes sense. Wes still believes there’s something to prove while Axiom wanted a one-on-one shot at the champ. And much like Dragon Lee and Nathan Frazer earlier in the episode, they put on a show. It’s rare I get two matches that I feel are worth your time immediately but we got that tonight. I wondered if they might pull the trigger and give Axiom the title, but Wes retained. Eventually though, at least from a story standpoint, burnout is on Wes’ horizon. I love how he altered the Cardiac Kick midway through for a double stomp that countered the Golden Ratio. And, in turn, Axiom countered the Cardiac Kick with a body scissors. Again, these two just get each other in the ring and it’s beautiful. After both men gave each other their well-deserved props, Reggie SCRYPTS set his sights on Axiom...again. And Axiom put his foot through SCRYPTS’ teeth. So we’re getting that soon, at least I think. We got a weird cut from the action while Vic Joseph explained what Axiom said to his fallen assailant. Knuckleheadz I rarely have issues with NXT tag team matches. This one between Pretty Deadly and Tony D’Angelo’s Family didn’t disappoint. Tony D & Stacks losing doesn’t bother me either because this is truly their second match as a tag team and Pretty Deadly went nefarious for the W. And, even better, Tony D & Stacks didn’t look dumb. During the third act, Tony D and the ref chatted as the ref checked on him with Elton tied up in the ring apron. Pretty Deadly, always the smart team, played a little okie doke when Elton and Kit switched places. Tony attacked who he thought was Elton, only to find Kit. Elton creeped up from behind and slammed Tony’s head into an exposed turnbuckle. So yeah, a cheap finish from a cheap team that keeps them on the track towards Gallus while putting more sympathy on Tony & Stacks. Damage Ivy Nile finally got her hands on Tatum Paxley. I do wish we didn’t have to wait three weeks for it. And I wish we got a little more business between the two after their initial breakup. And given the bad blood between them, the match felt like it never hit the right level. It felt too much like a normal match and not something between two former friends with equal amounts of hurt over their eroded relationship. Don’t get me wrong; they wrestled a fine match in the technical sense. But it missed the emotional level that commentary, and the ending, clearly wanted. Ivy got the W by submission and celebrated with the Creed Bros. All that told us how cathartic this was for Ivy but the match itself didn’t reflect that. But that’s not their fault, that’s on the booking. Real Big Dijak vs. Odyssey Jones. Not the longest match or the cleanest, but certainly physical. Dijak keeps impressing while one wonders about Jones’ status. He loses his first match on tv in quite some time and even got slammed! Props to Dijak for all that strength but Odyssey seems lost in the sauce at the moment. Although, the last time I said that about someone, that person won a championship. Verbal Intercourse Little insight: WWE is in their new season so I’m switching things up. All the headlines and subheads this season are music related. Normally the title has some connection to the match or segment. If you got this far, you see “Real Big” and “Knuckleheadz.” The former is a Mannie Fresh song and the latter is Raekwon. I don’t think any match involving Odyssey Jones and Dijak needs a reason why I chose that song. And seeing as how Tony D & Stacks got outsmarted, that makes them “knuckleheadz.” Plus, Tony got his head smashed into a turnbuckle. “Verbal Intercourse” is some of the best rapping on any song. Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Nas defy gravity on the song with perfect rapping and standout lyricism. Nas in particular gives a performance for the ages with textbook rapping that also says a lot about the societal conditions he saw in 1994 and 1995. Dragon Lee and Nathan Frazer did the wrestling equivalent to that 1995 song. It was perfectly designed, made both men look competitive, and set a very high bar. Noam Dar returned with the Heritage Cup in hand, announcing he wants competitors for a new Heritage Cup tournament. That meant impressing Dar became the number two goal, which is still possible with a loss. If both men show up in this tournament, that’s a win for everyone. After the mess that was the most recent Monday Night Raw, it feels great suggesting a match for your consumption. Get You Home Briggs finally knows! Kiana James blamed him for the loss she and Fallon Henley sustained at Stand & Deliver. he While he apologized, Fallon and Jensen popped up like a couple Jack-in-the-Boxes and finally told Briggs that Kiana is cheating on him. Of course, Kiana makes a very good point about their exclusivity or lack thereof. However, she definitely manipulated him saying that their kiss changed everything and she thought she could trust him until he let her down by not helping her cheat. Yeah, everyone put on your rubber boots. Briggs bought that completely though and said it’s his fault for not making them exclusive and demanding his friends stay out of his love life. Too bad Kiana & Fallon face Isla Dawn & Alba Fyre next week with the tag titles on the line. NXT made me happy this week. Not a spectacular show but good across the board. Two very dope matches, solid wrestling, and logical stories. As I often say, the basics work for a reason. And with all the rumors about who controls what on Monday and Friday nights, NXT might serve as the one bastion we have as it relates to WWE for a long time. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. What’s yours? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 7:11pm On Apr 05, 2023 |
badinfluence: I swear even though it's just rumours, it's very obvious he booked it. I dunno why he just wouldn't stay gone. 😓 |
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