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| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 2:05pm On Aug 05, 2023 |
CoolUsername: She is still learning, she will get better, she has the attitude on lock tho. Ludwig Kaiser needs to do more mentoring. 1 Like |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 2:07pm On Aug 05, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS WWE decided the best way to build to the main event of SummerSlam in Detroit on the final episode of Friday Night SmackDown before it was to have Jey Uso, who challenges Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal championship and his status as Tribal Chief, take on Solo Sikoa. Makes sense. Before all that, though, they recognized a mistake they made and quickly corrected it — they explained exactly what Tribal Combat is and why it’s so significant to this story: Paul Heyman did say it’s likely we’ll never see Jimmy Uso ever again, which makes me think we’ll be seeing him at SummerSlam and that will play some kind of significant role in the main event. What that may be, I do not know. But I can absolutely imagine a scenario where he returns at just the right time, helps his brother, and gives us a memorable near fall where we all feel like maybe it’s really possible Jey wins the title. And then they break our hearts again. But we’ll see. Then, things got interesting again. Jey confronted Heyman but when Solo hit the ring with a head of steam, Jey got in his head by simply telling him the truth, the same damn thing Sami Zayn did for all that time to create the break in Jey that led to all of this. Sikoa seemed to maybe be buying in a bit, even calling off Heyman, but Jey laid him out with a superkick before anything could be settled verbally. That left them to settle things later physically. The match wasn’t anything to write home about, though it didn’t really need to be. All they needed to do was show that Jey could handle Sikoa, and he did just that in the form of a Spear followed by the Splash to get the pinfall. That’s the goal for SummerSlam too. Naturally, Solo attacked after the match but even with the element of surprise, Jey ultimately got the upper hand on him, ending the night standing tall. “Can Jey Uso do the unthinkable? Can Jey Uso knock off The Tribal Chief? Can Jey Uso win Tribal Combat tomorrow night at SummerSlam?” Those are the questions Michael Cole left us with as the show faded out. We can only hope the answer is yes, but they did a good job of building to it here. Your LA Knight segment of the week: “Give the people what they want,” Wade Barrett said as LA Knight was working the schtick to start off Friday Night SmackDown this week. You bet your ass the fans in attendance in Ohio absolutely blew the roof off for him. Then he got on the mic and did what he does best. He talked to ‘em. YEAH. (It’s never going to get old to me, and I don’t particularly give a damn who gets upset about it.) Naturally, though, the match with Sheamus, promoted as a way for one of the two to “gain momentum” heading into SummerSlam, ended up also being a way to get a few of the names involved in the Slim Jim Battle Royal some TV time before heading off to Detroit to, uh, royally battle. Thankfully, they simply stood around the ring, not getting involved in the match itself. They beat on each other, but allowed Knight and Sheamus to have a decent match in the ring. Barring a slip up (or two) on the top rope. Well, The Miz also acted as an unintentional distraction that helped Knight score the pinfall victory but we don’t need to talk too much about that. What matters here is LA won the match. YEAH. After, Karrion Kross and Grayson Waller tried to rush him, but he got away. What WWE did a great job of making clear here was just how much of a threat they all know Knight to be. The tides they are turning, folks. All the rest -After getting into it on the outside of the ring during Sheamus vs. LA Knight, The Brawling Brutes took on The O.C. in tag team action. The match was fine but no one will remember it because it ended without a finish when The Street Profits hit the scene, decked out in suits, and cleared everybody the hell out with an aggression we haven’t seen from the two in some time. It should be noted they were cheered for having done this. The roof really blew off when they stood up near the entrance and Bobby Lashley came out to stand with them. Here we go with a fresh new faction that could very well make a lot of noise on whatever show they’re on. -Cameron Grimes, who has been largely forgotten about since being called up to the main roster, had a pretty damn good showing here against Austin Theory in a straight singles match. He was dominant throughout, but got caught lacking on the ropes and pinned after Theory hit his finish. He lost but he looked as good as one could hope while doing so. After, Santos Escobar hit the ring to leave Theory laid out to build some hype for their U.S. title match next week. -Iyo Sky and Bayley were guests on “The Grayson Waller Effect,” where Waller asked Sky if she plans on cashing in the Money in the Bank contract at SummerSlam. Before she could answer, Bayley grabbed a microphone and answered for her, saying they would never reveal their plans ahead of time. Iyo, it should be noted, looked none too pleased with this. Finally, after another tease of as much, Shotzi showed up to torment Bayley once more. Someone rode out on her tank, and Bayley predictably sent Iyo to deal with it. That’s when Shotzi showed up from behind with her new look and attacked Bayley, chasing her around with clippers while laughing maniacally. Zelina Vega, by the way, was in the tank. It worked out because, hey, she had a match with Sky scheduled! And wouldn’t you know it, Vega scored another win after an assist from Shotzi, whose chase of Bayley helped distract Sky. -They promoted the women’s championship match at SummerSlam with three videos packages, one for Asuka, one for Charlotte Flair, and one for Bianca Belair. They were underwhelming. A good show, as usual. Grade: B- 1 Like |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 2:08pm On Aug 05, 2023 |
CoolUsername: Your push is still happening 😂🤭 1 Like |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 2:57pm On Aug 05, 2023 |
pu7pl3: The mat is sacred but America has its benefits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-OOYJ6GxRY 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 4:12pm On Aug 05, 2023 |
CoolUsername: Exactly |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 5:17pm On Aug 05, 2023 |
ValeeLove: Why did these guys attack each other?
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| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by COOL10(m): 12:11pm On Aug 06, 2023 |
I'm a huge Roman Reigns fan but honestly speaking, his reign(no pun intended) has now become annoying and extremely disgusting. I understand he's a heel champion but he literally cheats 99% of the time. Gunther is a heel champion as well but he's won some matches without outside interference. If Jey's not good enough to win the title, then who is? Cody Rhodes at next year's WrestleMania? 😏 |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 1:16pm On Aug 07, 2023 |
WWE SUMMER SLAM REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Pinto Well, that hurt. I don’t know what other word describes my feelings after watching Jey Uso almost overcome every odd thrown at him. But the one obstacle he never prepared for ultimately did him in: Jimmy Uso. Tribal Kombat—its proper name—started slow and a little too methodical for my blood. But that’s because Roman dominated the first half and relished the beat down. Everything changed when Jey found his edge. The key for any championship reign, especially one this long, is making the audience believe the champ will lose. With that in mind, Jey made the crowd believe an Uso can beat Roman. Besides the fact that Roman’s reign always involves outside help, Jey put Roman in weakened positions. He smashed him through a table after they teased who might fall through. He beat Roman like a bongo with a few chairs with Paul Heyman’s cries providing the tune. And he even found a leather strap under the ring and put lashes across Roman’s back. But Roman always has a plan. Solo Sikoa showed his face and did what he does best. Funny enough, this also made me side with Jey possibly maybe winning. Solo showing up when he did and staying involved with the match convinced me Jey might beat the odds. Especially when the commentators told us about Roman’s inevitable win. But through all that, Jey survived! He defended himself against two men, made Roman spear Solo, and avenged his brother in the process during my favorite spot. Jey Superkicked Solo onto the commentary table and asked a fan for support when he climbed the barricade. Props to that guy willfully becoming a prop. Jay crashed on top of his little brother in the name of his big brother. That one moment made Jimmy’s betrayal hurt even more. Jey had Roman dead to rights at that point but Jimmy showed up and kicked his little brother’s teeth down his throat. Jey, on the cusp of becoming the new Tribal Chief and vanquishing WWE’s chief villain, pulled a knife out of his back with his brother’s name on it. That sucks. Roman didn’t even see it coming as his shock mirrored my own. He got the W and lives another day, but he came close and he knows it. That’s why Paul gassed him afterwards with all those words of affirmation. They both saw the whole the empire slipping away and owe Jimmy their thanks and acknowledgement. But let’s get back to what matters here: Why, Jimmy? Why? Is it because he thinks the family moves better with Roman leading? Does it go back to his initial unspoken issues with Jey becoming the Tribal Chief? Whatever it is, I hope it makes iron clad sense because an emotional gut punch like that falls apart without logical motivation. Jimmy saved his little brother. He fired the first shot against Roman for his little brother. He stood against Roman all those years ago when this whole thing started.And the only reason we’re even talking about this is because Jey sided with Roman to save Jimmy. Why, Jimmy? Why? The fact that I’m asking that proves this match’s worth, and why The Bloodline is still the best thing going today. B-Sides Brickmile to Montana Finn Balor dropped the ball. I know Michael Cole tried broaching that argument’s other side, but it seemed clear what happened during Finn’s match with Seth Rollins. Damian Priest tried assisting Finn a couple times and the Prince misunderstood. He got so consumed with Damian cashing in on him if he won, he forgot the most important part of that equation: winning. Damian first, for some reason, used his fist instead of the green metal briefcase in his hand, and sucker punched Seth behind the ref’s back. Finn nailed Seth with a poetic pedigree, but Seth kicked out. Priest then tried handing said briefcase to his partner, but Finn said...nah. Finn bristled at that since it wasn’t “Plan A.” Damian handed Finn a weapon but Finn, I think, thought Damian wanted to cash in? I say I thin because it felt a little unclear and I’m sure they’ll clarify by the time I finish this sentence. We got an appearance from Dirty Dom and Mami, and for a brief moment, it looked like Finn’s night. Eventually, Damian tried one more after more bickering with Finn. Damian slid the briefcase into the ring right near Finn and got the ref’s attention. Finn’s paranoia apparently knows no bounds because he reacted slowly and barely got his hands on the briefcase before Seth stomped his face into it. Finn survived one Curb Stomp, but not this one. Damian’s face said it all: disappointment. He shook his head and looked at his friend in disbelief. I really dug this match although the ending had too much going on and, like I said, didn’t make everything clear. The one thing I got though is Finn’s paranoia took over and he missed his opportunity. I like that angle and it makes total sense given recent events. I just think the execution missed the mark. The other thing this made clear? The Judgment Day and their drama is more important than the World Heavyweight championship. That just makes me wish Damian or Finn held the belt but alas. Seth and Finn delivered here. They wrestled a brutal match with a lot of mind games and callbacks. Seth even rocked the gear he wore seven years ago, if only for a brief moment. But they deserved a better finish. And this feud between them certainly needed a better ending. Who Knew IYO SKY finally cashed in her briefcase. What’s more, she did it with Bayley’s help and welcomed back Dakota Kai. Damage CTRL finally accomplished their major goal right on their one-year anniversary too. Perfect timing. How’d we get here? Well, it started with Bianca Belair’s knee. During the triple threat match between Bianca, Charlotte Flair, & Asuka, Bianca favored her knee. During the bout, she crashed that knee into the steel steps. Prior to that, and after that, these three put on a hell of a show. Much like the story leading into the match, Asuka spent time reminding her opponents that she’s the champion since they seemed more concerned with each other. Only after officials took Bianca out the picture did Charlotte truly focus on the champ—because duh—and they paced themselves until Bianca’s Willis Reed moment. After hobbling back to the ring, Bianca hit the prettiest 450 splash onto Charlotte’s body while the latter held Asuka in the Figure 8. Great storytelling and a great moment. But possibly an even better moment saw Charlotte put Bianca in the Figure 8, with all that pressure on Bianca’s bad knee, only for Asuka to spit mist in Charlotte’s face. Once again, so focused on each other that they miss the champ. Charlotte broke the hold, Asuka went in for the kill on Bianca, but the EST rolled her up for the W and the championship. Or so she thought. So yeah, that’s how IYO SKY became the new champ after taking advantage of Bianca’s busted knee. I’m so curious how they play this out with IYO as champ and Bayley as support. And who gets the first shot at the new champ? So many questions and opportunities here. Good match with an exciting finish. Bumps and Bruises This was perfect. Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes told an incredible story about a man who never backed down. And yes, bending the knee made complete sense at several moments throughout brutal beating Brock administered. And yes, Brock dominated most of the way. But Cody kept coming back. Brock punished him with punches, clotheslines, and several trips to Suplex City. He dropped F-5’d Cody on the arena floor and through the commentary table. And Cody never said die. Brock begged, nay, ordered, Cody to stay down. This became Cody’s endurance test. If “finishing the story” matters that much, then Brock provided his crucible. WWE spent months building up Brock’s “combat athlete” status and how Cody stood no chance against that. That’s what we got; Cody won because he outlasted Brock rather than outfighting him. The more he got up, the more frustration showed on Brock’s face. Cody even survived the Kimura Lock, a particular genius touch since that same move broke Cody’s arm many moons ago. It all worked. It all flowed. And it all made sense. All that punishment made Cody’s eventual offensive flurry even more rewarding. Brock’s frustration took over and Cod y took advantage. He even slapped his own Kimura Lock on Brock, completing the circle. But it wasn’t beauty that slayed the beast; it was three Cross Roads’. Cody finally vanquished the man in his way, and got a handshake from the Beast for his troubles. After Cody survived that beating, Brock acknowledged Cody’s heart and extended his his respect. Fantastic. Boom You can read that title two ways. It represents the sound Ford Field made when L.A. Knight eliminated Sheamus and won the Slim Jim—snap into it—Battle Royal. It’s also the metaphorical sound that glass ceiling above L.A.’s head just made when he crashed through it. Yeah, the match continued some beefs, like between IMPERIUM and Alpha Academy. Sure, it created some new drama, like with AJ Styles and Karrion Kross. Oh, and Omos returned too. But none of that matters. L.A. Knight won, and is Slim Jim’s new spokesperson along with Bianca Belair. Boom. Selfish Maybe I’m selfish, but this MMA simulation between Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler killed the show’s momentum for me. Like I said, they simulated an actual MMA match and it just felt a little too clever with less than intelligent execution. Shayna won, which makes me happy because I predicted her W. But other than that? Waste of time. Maybe that’s just me though. Maybe I’m selfish. Forth and Back I don’t think anyone ever thought Drew McIntyre stood a chance here. If I have one complaint about this very physical match that did exactly what I assumed, it’s that GUNTHER never felt true jeopardy. Did he put Drew away easily? Of course not. But the prior narrative focused on GUNTHER not quite on his game. Chad Gable took him the distance a few days ago. I like the fact that Drew made him work, but we needed more drama. Drew standing toe-to-toe with him for a red chest contest is fun, but not exactly what I need here. Especially with GUNTHER approaching history. Make him scratch and claw for that record. More importantly, make me believe someone may beat him before he even gets the chance. Fine match but lacked the extra gear. What U See is What U Get Logan Paul and Ricochet killed it. I expected a lot of spots but surprise, surprise, they didn’t only rely on high maneuvers. And Logan keeps proving every time he steps in the ring that he belongs. I loved his heel work with Samantha Irvin before, during, and after the match. Praise whoever got the message that he’s a heel and not a face. Nobody wants to cheer that man, so let him cook with evil. And the ending? Perfect. Despite his skill, despite the fact he stood toe-to-toe with Ricochet, Logan still cheated. His frustration with Ricochet not going down boiled over and someone passed him some brass knuckles. You know the rest, and that was it for Ricochet. Samantha reluctantly announced Logan’s win, and looked extra mad when he told her to announce it again. Logan got the W, Ricochet looks good since Logan cheated, and they even got Samantha involved. No complaints. Logan and Ricochet set a high bar for the rest of the night. What an ending. What a start. And what a middle too...for the most part. SummerSlam lived up its lineage. So many questions going into the rest of the month and leading into Payback. But this was a great way to spend a Saturday night when it’s way too hot outside. But Jimmy has some explaining to do and I wait with bated breath. Grade: B+ 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 6:39pm On Aug 08, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS 99 Problems The Judgment Day continue their reign as the most intriguing faction in WWE. Yes, more than The Bloodline, if only because while I love that story, it’s getting just a little long in the tooth. But Judgment Day feels fresh and piles on more intrigue every week. How so this week? Well, first, they interrupted Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes’ stare down. Cody sees nobody better than him right now. Seth proposed they test that theory. The Judgment Day, sans Finn Balor, stopped all that before it started. But Finn showed. up with a sneak attack. Sami Zayn made it all even then Adam Pearce set up a six-man tag: Seth, Cody, & Sami vs. Judgment Day. Then it turns out that the sneak attack wasn’t exactly that. Finn acted on his own and changed the plan because he believes Damian went off script at SummerSlam. Rhea played peacemaker, as usual, and forced her two friends to get over it and “act like men.” While those two bickered and Rhea mediated, JD McDonnagh stood by. Damian interrupted he and Damian’s conversation and Finn insisted that he trusts JD enough for him to hear Judgment Day business. JD rightly observed the briefcase putting a wedge between friends so maybe it’s time for Damian to get rid of it. You know what? He’s right. The sooner Damian cashes in, win or lose, the sooner those two get over all this. They’re Bart & Millhouse and the briefcase is their Radioactive Man #1. But I digress. JD took out Sami for, at least in storyline, basketball reasons. That left a spot open on a team where Sami played peacemaker because Seth and Cody have bad blood between them. Without Sami, their whole thing falls a part doesn't it? Enter Shinsuke, who volunteered his services and Seth happily obliged. So let’s recap: Judgment Day aren’t on the same page, JD is tangentially involved, and they keep making enemies while coming apart internally. That’s a lot. Oh, and that’s not even acknowledging Raquel Rodriguez sneak attacking Rhea before the main event started! Nobody likes these cats and they have far too many outside antagonists for a group with internal strife. Before Raquel’s surprise, Judgment Day entered the arena and Finn kept his eyes squarely on Damian. And when the match started, Damian tagged himself in before Finn even got out the starters block. Dirty Dom tagged himself in while his partners bickered and tired playing peacemaker. And it actually worked. Eventually, their team got on the same page and they moved like they usually move. But then that briefcase got in the way yet again and they replayed what happened at SummerSlam only with a slight twist. Finn took the briefcase from Damian this time and understood his objective. But he still didn’t get the job done. While waiting to blast Cody with the briefcase, Finn ate a face full of it after Seth kicked him. One Cross Roads later and yeah, see you at the Crossroads, Finn. Damian never took his eyes off Finn when Judgment Day licked their wounds after taking the L. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark and it smells like fertilizer. B-Sides Jam 4 U Ricochet, rightly, took umbrage with how his SummerSlam ended. Adam Pearce felt him and agreed about the injustice. The world’s most semi-competent manager came with a solution: A Fatal 4 Way between Ricochet, Chad Gable, Tommaso Ciampa, and Matt Riddle. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? An Intercontinental championship match with GUNTHER. Not exactly a bowl of Lucky Charms but it sufficed for all four men. This was fantastic. Just a great match between four men who mesh really well. We got tons of offense, including a top tope four-way German Suplex. Props to Ricochet for taking the brunt of that and getting up. Now, with Raw in Minneapolis this week, obviously the crowd favored Chad. And the Alpha Academy hometown boy thrived under the spotlight. The best moment came when he Tommaso blocked Chaos Theory early, but then Chad went back to the well later during the third act. He went for it Matt, but Ricochet blocked it. Then he tried Ricochet but then Tommaso blocked it. He finally nailed the Tommaso with it and sent the crowd home happy. Great storytelling in the third act while telling a larger story between Chad and GUNTHER. I don’t know if Chad beats the Ring General, but I look forward to their magic together in the ring. Mad Rapper Shinsuke Nakamura is mad. Tired of everyone getting in his business but especially angry at Bronson Reed. They put on a solid contest under the circumstances. I mean, they followed that Fatal 4 Way. But Shinsuke got the win and the best moment came with Bronson missed the Tsunami. Why was it the best? Because it took all the wind out Wade Barrett’s sails. I chuckled. Part of me thinks they booked that spot just for that moment. Shinsuke’s clean W surprised me but that led into him attacking Seth after their win over Judgment Day in the main event. Shinsuke finally took control and called his shot. Shinsuke vs. Seth sounds like so much fun. I just wonder how Judgment Day factors into their proceedings. The Overweight Lover’s in the House I like this thing between IMPERIUM and Alpha Academy. It started last week when GUNTHER challenged Chad and insulted his crew. It continued during the Slim Jim (Snap into it!) Battle Royal with a few interactions. This week, we know it’s GUNTHER vs. Chad eventually, so it only makes sense that Ludwig Kaiser poke his nose into the fray. He tried spitting game at Maxxine Dupri, but to quote Wade, he’s got less game than Michael Cole. Although, most married men lose their game after a while. Ludwig’s recruiting pitch failed, and Otts stepped to him. A fun match that really displayed the philosophical differences between Alpha Academy and IMPERIUM. Otis has fun and shows off for the crowd. Ludwig? Nah. All serious, all business but also all cheating. When it became apparent Ludwig found himself in deep water, GUNTHER interfered and kicked Otis with his gigantic Flintstone boot. The ref missed it, and Ludwig got the W. You know wrestling, so obviously Chad came to his number one guy’s rescue and chased off IMPERIUM. Good stuff. Also? loved the moment where Ludwig tried again with Maxxine during the match. Yeah I rarely get to wax poetic about LA Knight. I don’t have the space for everything on my mind but just a few things here so it’s at least semi-coherent. 1. He and Miz are perfect foils. 2. Love Miz always seeing himself as the barometer for respect in WWE. 3. Both men cut fire promos, and clearly relished going toe-to-toe. 4. I wondered when the Attitude Era dig at LA might come. For the record, I don’t think it’s a bad thing that he sounds like a wrestler from WWE’s most successful period. Nor is it a problem that he feels like a combination of two of wrestling’s biggest stars ever. That audiences still find themselves entertained by such things says a lot about LA, that time period, and the fact that entertaining things never go out of fashion. 5. LA stumbled a bit during the promo but recovered well. Even showed his quick wit during a moment where the few Miz fans showed their appreciation for the veteran. 6. LA got the upper hand here with a BFT but I hope it’s not over between these two. Assassination Day The New Day returned! The Viking Raiders called out anyone who dare test them. They didn’t expect Kofi & Xavier but that’s what they got. And they did the favors too because taking the L on their first night back after five months wasn’t an option. Fun match. Pit Bull Fights I enjoyed Shayna Baszler vs. Zoey Stark.Really enjoyed it. And shoutout to Shayna for wrestling tonight after what transpired between her and Ronda at SummerSlam. Her face looked worse for wear and I can’t imagine doing anything, much less wrestling, with one good eye. But I’m intrigued by everything involving Becky Lynch. First off, she tried coaxing Zoey away from Trish’s side. Zoey didn’t bite but nice foreshadowing. Becky also sat ringside with a jar of lemonade, harkening back to her recent social media post about making lemonade from all those lemons. I love Becky’s sense of humor and she just does this professional sports entertainment wrestling correctly. After Shayna defeated Zoey, she told Becky that with Ronda in her rear view mirror, it’s time for the rest of her enemies list. And Becky sits somewhere on said list. I’m so intrigued. This show worked for me top to bottom. Stories flowed from one to the next and we got crisp matches. The main event scene gets more tense by the second, and the World Heavyweight champion finally sees a challenge not named Finn Balor. The tag team division got a shot of positivity, which helps since Sami & KO can’t defend their championships right now. Interesting and fun Monday Night Raw 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by samistry(m): 8:30am On Aug 09, 2023 |
Those tag team titles are cursed
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| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 9:43am On Aug 09, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Poppa Was a Playa I always love anything between Dirty Dom and Rey Mysterio. Besides the obvious tension between father and son, they’re so different and perfect foils for one another. Absolutely perfect. Even Rey’s presence gets Dom off his axis, and daddy dearest definitely kept himself busy this week. Rey gave props to Roxanne Perez and Thea Hail, which led to another frosty exchange between the latter and Andre Chase. While Rey handed out advice, Lyra Valkyria visited Dom & Rhea Ripley. Now, keeping it real, I didn’t understand why she came for Rhea. Lyra accused Rhea of manipulating her and then challenged her to let Dom win on his own. Why? She’s not wrong, but why all the hostility towards Rhea suddenly? More to the point, why does she care whether Dom wins or loses? Following the main event between Dom and Dragon Lee, it became obvious why that particular plot point played. But it still makes little sense. After a fun main event—which Dom won thanks to Rhea—Lyra showed up and attacked Rhea. She teamed aligned herself with Rey and Dragon, who just watched Dom skate away from losing again, despite their best efforts. This match did a lot for Dom’s character. It showed, despite the cheating, he has heart. He took Dragon’s absolute best and hardest hits but kept kicking out. They’re not only telling the story that says the kid comes with two aces up his sleeve, but he won’t go down easy either. That makes Dom not only dirty, but dangerous. A program with between Dom, Rhea, Lyra, and Dragon has merit. I still think how they picked the messiest route for Lyra to get there, but hopefully the ends justify the means. B-Sides Tyson vs. Ali Whew. For a little less than 15 mins, Mustafa Ali and Axiom tore it down. That’s it. I mean, I don’t know any other words for it. They raised the bar like Method Man in a cypher, setting the stage for everyone else. They told a story about two evenly matched cats where Ali only got the advantage when he “accidentally” went for Axiom’s mask. I put quotes around that because while Ali reacted like he didn’t do it intentionally, his NXT persona plays both sides on that good and bad spectrum. Axiom reacted like any masked wrestler would, and Ali took advantage. One 450 later and Ali won the opening contest, then declared himself the number one contender for the North American championship. Dope match with big implications. Watch it now. The only complaint on my mind is Reggie showed up with his goons in tow. It’s not that they showed up that bothers me but that they didn’t do anything. They didn’t affect the match at all. They caught Axiom’s attention for a couple seconds and then...nothing. So, yeah, less of that. STRONG FRIENDS A few things before I get into this “Heritage Cup match.” First, I love Meta-Four’s entrance. It makes them look like anime villains and it’s a cool aesthetic that gives them their own flavor. Secondly, with all that said, Noam Daar is a weak link; he’s a charisma vacuum. I like him in the ring but outside the ring? He’s human Zquil. Thirdly, Put the Women’s tag titles on Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend. I gotta agree with that; they’re the most interesting duo in the women’s division and exhibit the most personality. They need some excitement on the women’s tag team scene, so yeah. Why not? As for the match itself, another solid Heritage Cup matchup. They really figured these out after the first one and found a rhythm that keeps them compelling without sacrificing the inherent purity. And the found a way that kept Meta-Four involved as a whole without interfering or giving Noam the cheap W. In fact, he lost. Tyler later gave up the fake cup after Nathan gave Noam what he wants: a rematch for the real cup. But only after admitting the other cup isn’t genuine. Interesting that Noam threw Oro Mensah under the bus. He’s not wrong, but one wonders... On My Own I like what they’re doing with Trick Williams but I found the promo segment between him and Ilja Dragunov lacking. Trick sounded rushed and not his natural self. To be fair, Ilja didn’t give him much on the other end but this whole thing is a work in progress. NXT is developmental and part of this whole story is Trick developing. He wants a match with Ilja at Heatwave and I want to see it. Trick put a lot of pressure on his shoulders, which creates dramatic tension. He needs this win. What happens if he loses? Big Ego’s A match between Bron Breakker and Von Wagner does nothing for me. I never once thought Von might win, nor did I feel like he made Bron sweat. After Bron won, he added insult to injury and Von put him through the commentary table. Which, is exactly what Von promised before the match. I suppose this keeps the thing going because there’s no way Bron lets that go. Meh. Intruder Alert Schism ran roughshod this week. They beat up any and everyone for information on the Creed Bros. Hank & Tank found themselves on the wrong end of their wrath, which put them out of action for their scheduled tag match against Drew Gulak & Charlie Dempsey. Damon Kemp, once again, asked for their hands in partnership. Of course they said no. Jensen & Briggs stepped up and accepted their challenge. Solid tag match while it lasted but Damon interfered and ruined a good thing. He slammed Jensen on the floor and Drew & Charlie took advantage. They got the W and walked away with a new friend. Damon does nothing for me, but I do give him props for dressing like someone from Mugatu’s Derelicte campaign. Why Ivy Nile vs. Kiana James got weird. On one hand, it’s the logical conclusion to Schism’s search for Julius & Brutus. But having a bunch of people emerge like ghouls in the Thriller video and circle the ring looked weird. Then they all smoked the canvas during the match which just took away all my attention from the action in the ring. Kiana won but it also didn’t matter since she wants Gigi Dolin and the Schism chicanery took priority over everything else. Schism circled Ivy since she must know where her friends are, but Tony D’Angelo & Stacks made the save, connecting dots back to a backstage confrontation between Schism and The Family. I like the logic there although, again, the Schism stuff borders into the silly aspect I don’t like in my professional wrestling entertainment. So I ask...why? They throw so much against the wall in NXT. This week alone, we got Dijak coming for Melo with Wes Lee intervening, a segment with Los Lotharios connecting over text message about their deceased grandfather, all the Schism stuff, plus a match between Kelani Jordan and Blair Davenport that segued into Dana Brooke vs. Blair next week. They do the most in two hours. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes it falls right in the middle. This is the last thing. Not a show that particularly thrilled me but it didn’t bore me either. But I prefer weeks when NXT focuses on a through line and objective rather than swinging at every pitch thrown its way. 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 5:12pm On Aug 10, 2023 |
samistry: ACL injury claims another victim in women's sports |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Kaycee7(m): 10:32am On Aug 12, 2023 |
samistry:They should have Pastor Montez pray over them |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:46am On Aug 12, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Going into this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown, the major point of interest was how WWE would follow up on the main event of SummerSlam, where Jimmy Uso turned on his brother, Jey, to seemingly align with Roman Reigns once more. Or was he just acting in his own interests? As it turns out, no. He was acting in Jey’s interests. As Jimmy put it, he didn’t want to lose his brother to the perils of the position of being the Tribal Chief. It turns men vile and manipulative and egotistical and makes you an asshole, and one need look no further than Roman Reigns as proof of as much. So it was about protecting Jey. This was certainly an interesting way to go about this chapter of the story, at a time when it’s getting a bit long in the tooth and, well, something’s got to give here, right? They can’t just keep recycling the same themes and, wait, what the… Before you know it, Jey, who had turned his back on Jimmy, called him back and superkicked him in the face. That left everybody laid out. Jey ran through the entire Bloodline before saying he was out of the group, out of the show, out of WWE. He sure as hell sounded like he quit. And I’ll be damned if they didn’t once again change none of the players but find a direction to take the story to keep me interested and wondering what the hell is going to happen next. Tip of the cap to this one. Your LA Knight segment of the week: This time it was a match against Top Dolla and you know exactly how that played out without me even having to tell you. Despite plenty of interference from the rest of Hit Row, Knight easily took care of business, pinning Top Dolla after Blunt Force Trauma. After, he grabbed a microphone and electrified the crowd by simply playing the hits. It’s a tried and true formula that has been working for years. No reason to go against it now. Calgary ate it up. Having said all that, this is where I’ll say this, because it’s appropriate — WWE absolutely has to stop calling Knight’s rise “the Yeah movement.” Like, immediately. There is no “Yeah movement.” We just really like this character and all his catchphrases are fun. He’s cool. Let him do his thing, and don’t try to screw it up by giving it a goofy name that doesn’t fit with the character. The way WWE built up Santos Escobar, having him defeat Rey Mysterio, who they pushed as his mentor, to earn a United States championship match against Austin Theory, all signs sure seemed to point to his winning the title. Nope! Instead, Rey Mysterio took his place and he won the title. The thing about it, though, is that it really worked the way they put it together. Theory took Escobar out, injuring his knee and trying to weasel his way out of the match. Escobar, good guy that he is, wanted his LWO stablemate to take his place. So he did. And he won the damn title for himself. They embraced after in an open display of raw emotion. This is noteworthy because, well, it still seems obvious they like Escobar enough to want to set him up to succeed. To that end, wouldn’t it be better to have him win the title from his mentor in a veritable passing of the torch type of moment instead of beating Theory on an episode of SmackDown in August? Either way, this was well put together on its own for this particular show and seeing Mysterio win the title felt good even if there isn’t a bigger plan ahead. B sides -SmackDown kicked off this week with Charlotte Flair and Asuka “reigniting their rivalry,” as WWE put it. They were having a pretty good match, too, when Damage CTRL hit the scene later to get involved, which meant it never got a proper finish and Dakota Kai — who, thankfully, is still on television — told everyone to give it up for their new champion, Iyo Sky. It makes sense to keep these wrestlers orbiting each other right now but this was a bit of a strange way to go about that. -AJ Styles and Karrion Kross aren’t done with their feud just yet, as the latter was given a vignette where he said Styles taught him the value of brotherhood and we’re just going to have to stay tuned to see what that means for Kross. Here, though, they wrestled a straight up singles match that was interrupted only by Michin and Scarlett fighting it out with each other ringside, much to the delight of the live audience. Michin came out ahead on the outside and Styles followed up with the Styles Clash for the pin on the inside. Fun match, fun angle with Michin and Scarlett going at it as well. Also some intrigue with Kross’s prior statement. -Edge made an early return to television, showing up here to set up a match for his big 25-year anniversary celebration scheduled for next week in Toronto. It turned into an unexpectedly touching segment where he established a rich backstory with Sheamus, a man he’s never wrestled before but always wanted to. It turns out Sheamus is a big reason Edge had the idea to come back at all. Well, wouldn’t you know it, it also turns out Edge is a big reason Sheamus ever got to where he did in the industry when he gave Sheamus the time of day when no one else would. What a pleasant surprise this entire thing was. And the match next week should be great. Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits have decided there is a lot of power and success to be had, and together they can take what they want and give nothing back. And look damn good doing it. So that’s what they’re going to do. I’m in. This was a hell of a show. Grade: A- 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:46am On Aug 12, 2023 |
Kaycee7: Or beg Sasha Banks and Naomi to remove the spell 1 Like |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 7:27pm On Aug 12, 2023 |
pu7pl3: Maybe, just maybe Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn can finally get a fair shake |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:50pm On Aug 12, 2023 |
CoolUsername: Yea they deserve it and hopefully the curse doesn't get them too. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 6:42am On Aug 16, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Box in Hand Pulp Fiction famously features a briefcase at its center for a few segments. What’s in the briefcase? Who knows. Well, Quentin Tarrantino knows, but the mystery remains for the rest of us. What we do know is that, and what matters, is that it means a lot to one Marcellus Wallace. And because it means everything to him, it takes even more gravity for everyone else in his world. People die, partnerships dissolve, and people change their entire life trajectory over this golden briefcase. That’s where we are with Damian Priest’s briefcase. At least that’s what it looked like. Judgment Day opened Raw as per usual with Finn notably absent. Rhea Ripley and Damian both took turns on the mic, with the latter airing Judgment Day business in front of the world, much to the former’s dismay. This isn’t particularly new, but Damian going against Rhea so publicly does smell like a new car. The big man’s frustrations clearly boiled over, which put Rhea’s frustrations front and center. She noted the group lost their edge; too many distractions and too much drama. Damian, for his part, just wants all the beef off the grill; he loves Finn but also wants the Prince to take responsibility for his own shortcomings. Read into the next section to see how that all turned out, but just know Finn never showed. Instead, JD McDonagh walked to the ring. He spoke for his friend, but Judgment Day told him nah. JD’s motivation here remains foggy, at least for me. He obviously holds down his boy, Finn, but is it just that? Does he want in the Judgment Day? And if he wants in, does he want someone out? JD’s checkered history makes Damian rightly look at him side ways, and I do as well. He helped them big time during the main event when he repaid Sami Zayn in kind, which aided Judgment Day, but he still played an outsider. Yes, Cody Rhodes beat Finn. Even worse, Damian and Finn got their timing with that briefcase all wrong. Again. Damian slid it into the ring but it went right under Finn’s legs and into Cody’s hands. You know the rest from there. But Finn and Damian didn’t go to blows. Instead, they went off on Cody and showed a lot of Queen Latifah. Finn hit Cody with two coup de grace’s, Damian dropped him through a table, and everything seemed right with the world. JD watched the Judgment Day celebrate in the middle of the ring. They hugged, they smiled, they looked happy. For at least one night, Judgment Day regained their edge. For how long though? The JD McDonnagh plot point looms large, and that briefcase is still the devil. I didn’t imagine WWE using the briefcase like this but I’m happy they are. On an uneventful show that felt like a three-hour lullaby at times, the show ended strong with some mystery. B-Sides Shooter Sami and JD wrestled a certain wrestling sub-genre: the injured wrestler vs. the fully healthy cat. After that Judgment Day kick off that JD interrupted, Sami came through for a little revenge best served cold. Judgment Day let him handle his business since the Irish Ace clearly isn’t their man. Finn Balor’s appearance during the match juxtaposed that scene nicely. Oh, and also the fact that Finn stayed away when the group opened the show, but showed himself when JD got in trouble. Clearly letting his actions speak pretty damn loudly. As for the match itself, Sami gutted out the win in a solid affair. JD looked good and showed why he’s ready for the big stage. It is weird that he lost to a man with one arm so decisively. That’s something I’ll never fully understand in wrestling because Sami losing doesn’t hurt him at all since, you know, he only has one good arm. My disagreement with the finish aside, enjoyable opening match that set up more intrigue for the rest of the night. It’s Not Right Alpha Academy fought two-thirds of IMPERIUM this week. Chad Gable defeated Giovanni Vinci in the typical thing that happens when a challenger faces a champion with a couple underbosses. Giovanni put up a great fight and put in a lot of workout fell victim to a Chaos Theory that didn’t quite land perfectly. He actually landed a little awkwardly, but nothing damaging or life threatening. What I loved is the character stuff IMPERIUM did before that match and after, because yes, there’s more. Ludwig continues his advances on Maxxine. So much so that part of me thinks she might turn on her crew if they weren’t so popular together. He said the usual things about her not fitting in with Otis and Chad, but added a part about them both having perfect genetics. I wondered why Otis sat back while another man talked to his partner like that, and that point hit harder with Chad standing between Maxxine and Otis. But I got my answer: Maxxine speaks for herself and can handle her damn self. She slapped fire out Ludwig’s mouth. Great moment for her and for the group as a whole. Maxxine asserting herself not only in matches but in moments like that helps her along and makes Alpha Academy stronger. As for the next thing, GUNTHER, incensed about Giovanni losing, challenged Otis right there on the spot. Otis accepted and, of course, took the L. Necessary because it gave us the ending where Chad stepped in after the match and defended his partner by German Suplexing the Ring General. Chad sent a message through his actions and it sets up a compelling championship match. GUNTHER felt that message and challenged his boys after they disappointed him. Sounds like the Intercontinental championship match is happening next week. Is This Da Part This thing with Drew McIntyre and Matt Riddle confuses me. Matt asked Drew for his hand in tag team partnership. Drew reluctantly accepted when he saw Matt step inside the ring by himself with the Viking Raiders. And they won. But I expected Matt on his back and a knife in Drew’s hand. That didn’t happen and I guess that’s a good thing? They hinted at a betrayal that never came and I wish it did because it became a nothing segment. The best part happened backstage when The New Day approached them and challenged them with...folding chairs in hand. Fantastic. Everything they said after that didn’t even matter but just know they came with folding chairs. Double Hockey Sticks Rhea Ripley did what she does against Indi Hartwell, but got a taste of her own medicine afterward. Candice LeRae and Indi double teamed her for a little payback for how Rhea treated them last week. Okay, cool. Favor For a Favor What did Shinsuke Nakamura whisper in Seth Rollins’ ear? That’s the other news from their standoff in the ring. The big news? Seth gave Shinsuke the championship match he wants and Shinsuke laid the champ out for his kindness. When is the match happening? Who knows. That’s up to Shin and he didn’t say for what I can only assume are basketball reasons. I don’t really know what to say other than that. I do hope the whisper becomes a thing though and not just thrown aside next week. Superbad Yeah, this wasn’t great. All this build towards this big match between Trish Stratus and Becky Lynch and we got...a double count out. Steel cage match at Payback I’m sure. Fine, whatever, but not like this. You keep them off SummerSlam for this big match in Trish’s home country...then do that. I’m over it. I didn’t even get into the way Piper Niven crowned herself Chelsea Green’s new partner. It’s lazy and unimaginative. That mirrors my feelings for most of this show. Nothing besides the things I noted truly moved me and the show just lacked momentum. For the most part, it held serve and lacked excitement. 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 9:22am On Aug 17, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Some People Hate I wondered how they might sell Wes Lee vs. Carmelo Hayes in less than a week. Yes, they wrestled before so they have history, and their recent frosty interactions also have merit. But I didn’t expect what we got and I’m so glad we did. We caught glimpses of the champ signing autographs. This, coupled with a few mentions from Melo over the past few weeks, paint the picture of a very busy man who got more than what he expected. Heavy is the head, that sort of thing. He feels the pressure but he handles it. Not always well, but still. And he doesn’t think Wes can. Wes, disagrees. He talked about defying the odds his whole career. His commanding officer told him he “can't” when he joined WWE. And everyone in NXT told him the same thing. Those calls got louder when he lost his tag partner and became a singles star unexpectedly. What I loved here is that Wes looped his story right back to defeating Melo for the North American championship. That got under the champ’s skin but not for obvious reasons. It bothered him because Wes told an incomplete story; Melo made that belt into something coveted. Without him, Wes’ run doesn’t have the same weight. At that moment, we got two men writing their respective legacies but Melo believes Wes is building his on Melo’s shoulders. And he’s 1000 percent right. Wes noted that Melo was the chosen one; NXT gave him everything on a silver platter. And the champ feasted on every opportunity. It means more when Wes, a guy no one believed in, beats the guy whom everyone believes. What better way to continue his story than defeating Carmelo for the biggest prize in the territory? He did it once and he can do it again. Melo says otherwise. That’s why he said, “Melo can’t miss,” before signing the contract. The contract signing didn’t need a fight because these two verbally sparred and got real. But to satiate those who came to rock, Wes jumped onto the table and broke it just to prove a point. Whew, I cannot wait. B-Sides Grammy Family I watched Tony D’Angelo & Stacks defend their championships against the Dyad just waiting for the other shoe to come crashing down. The Creed Bros. wait in the wings so of course Joe Gacy’s boys weren’t winning. We got a solid match waiting for the final plot twist because both teams get violent. And yes, eventually Brutus & Julius struck, costing Dyad the match while Ivy Nile kept Joe, Ava, and the rest of their masked manipulators busy. It is a little weird that Schism came out for the match almost ignoring their paranoia from last week. Joe doesn't know who to trust, so why come out with the followers at all? That little logic issue aside, this moved the ball forward if only a little bit. Thankfully for my sanity, Bron made a similar point during a conversation with Baron. He’s not done with Von but Baron doesn’t care. You know what? Bron vs. Baron sounds a lot more fun. Da Journee This match felt less about the actual match itself and more about what happened during the match. Blair Davenport defeated Dana Brooke. I don’ think that shocks anyone. But we got some more character work from Dana and a foreshadowing a split between her and Kelani Jordan. Dana came out aggressive and maintained that aggression for quite a while. But when Blair got the upper hand, Dana eventually got desperate. Eventually, she went for the ring bell but Kelani stopped her. Dana’s taking a journey to the dark side but Kelani wants to stop her. Maybe this gets us to these two going blow for blow. Or maybe Dana pulls back from the ledge. Who knows? But it gives Dana the chance to do a bit more, while hopefully elevating Kelani. Tables Will Turn I gotta keep it real: Baron Corbin’s new thing bores me. BUT, throwing in Von Wagner and possibly getting some character out of him? Well that actually does something for me. Baron challenged Von to show some personality and talk on the microphone. Von accepted and showed promise. They did the right thing showing that it got under Baron’s skin since he swung on the big man after Von promised to put put Baron through a table. I do thin it’s weird that Von walks around crowing about putting Bron Breakker through a table even though he lost the match. That contradicts his point about moving up the ladder in NXT. Hard to move up anything when you’re flat on your back looking at the lights. Just need clarity for that part of his story. Baron is in his way? He didn’t beat Bron! The Magic Number Eddy Thorpe called Dijak out during an earlier video package. So, yeah, that foreshadowed Wes Lee’s win over Dijak and justice for a shot at Carmelo Hayes at Heatwave. That said, knowing the ending didn’t take anything away from the match. Wes and Dijak really performed well here for the most part. We had a couple missteps towards the end which resulted in a Dijak taking a nasty fall into the steel steps, but I liked what they did here. I initially thought both men having body parts go out on them (Wes’ shoulder and Dijak’s knee) seemed way too extra. But thankfully, they didn’t go overboard with the injuries. But Wes’ injury sets up the fact he’s less than 100 percent going into his championship match. That’s an interesting wrinkle and I’m curious what they do with it, if anything. Abandon Ship Thea Hail might finally split from Chase U. Although I’m not entirely sure what that does for her. She wrestled Jacy Jayne, who has nothing to do right now without Gigi Dolin, and blamed Andre Chase for the L. In reality, he saved her from running into an exposed turnbuckle that she didn't see, and she took it as him interfering yet again. IF they go this route, what next? She can’t wrestle Andre or Duke Hudson, and no one in Chase U seems vindictive anyway. Maybe an amicable split makes more sense. But it looks like we’re getting the opposite. Speaking of Thea, where’s Tiffany Stratton, you ask? We’ll see her at Heatwave. I don’t even know who gets a title shot based on everything happening or not happening in the women’s division right now. Interesting show with a lot happening. Not the usual 100 mph NXT thing, but it moved at a good clip. Trick Williams defeated Drew Gulak because of course he did and had to. That played into the show’s main task: set the table for Heatwave. Rhea & Dom challenged Lyra & Dragon Lee, and the Heritage Cup match is officially official. Like I said, a lot happened. Enjoyable show and Heatwave intrigues me for various reasons. 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:21am On Aug 19, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS This week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown was all about Edge coming home to Toronto for what he said would be the last match on his WWE contract and what could ultimately be the final match of his professional wrestling career. WWE commemorated the occasion by having various wrestlers — like John Cena, Charlotte Flair, Sami Zayn, and more — speak on the impact Edge has made on the industry. They also put together one hell of a video package for him: They really don’t miss with videos like this, do they? Finally, it was time for the match and Edge had his wife, Beth Phoenix, and their children ringside, themselves visibly emotional as he made his entrance. The crowd hit him with “you still got it” chants and I’ll be damned if he didn’t do his best to prove them right. They had what was undoubtedly one of the better TV main event matches I’ve seen in quite some time. To my surprise, Edge came out on top too, pinning Sheamus after a Spear. The industry isn’t what it used to be, certainly, but I’ve always liked the idea of the time honored tradition of going out on your back. If this was truly Edge’s last match, for WWE or otherwise, he goes out a winner, and that’s cool. But there’s something special about losing in the end. Not because you have to lose for it to be the end, but because it means giving back to the business that gave so much to you. Either way, this was done really well. Edge seemed to indicate he didn’t want them to go over the top and they struck just the right balance with how this show was put together. They paid tribute to him, made clear how much he has meant to WWE, and let him go out on a win after a great match with a wrestler who was sure to give him one. Everybody won here. Your LA Knight segment of the week: While Austin Theory was arguing with Adam Pearce about getting his United States championship back, the Megastar hit the scene to create an opportunity of his own — a number one contender match with Theory. He was well on his way to winning that match too, when The Miz got involved and provided enough of a distraction to help Theory score the roll up pinfall victory. It’s a pretty lame way for Knight to lose a top contender match but it’s hard to feel too upset about it, considering he really shouldn’t be focused on a title like that anyway. Plus, hey, it means more TV time for him, seeing as he’ll surely be booked for future episodes of Monday Night Raw while this feud with The Miz continues. It’s also worth pointing out that later in this show, Paul Heyman was sure to mention Knight in a hugely negative way, echoing the talking points The Miz has been hitting each week. We’ll have to wait and see if that means anything more but I’m cautiously optimistic. All the rest -Rey Mysterio won the United States championship from Austin Theory last week and followed it up by opening SmackDown as a special guest alongside Santos Escobar on “The Grayson Waller Effect.” Noted shit stirrer Waller did his best to stir it up by calling Mysterio a thief for taking Escobar’s opportunity and wanting to take all the glory for himself. Santos never took the bait, though, instead standing by his friend and mentor. That’s when they went into your LA Knight segment of the week. -Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair were tasked with teaming up to duke it out with Damage CTRL, and they were actually pretty great together! They were a cohesive unit and that teamwork ensured they scored the victory, with Belair pinning Bayley. Iyo Sky may be women’s champion but it hardly feels like it the way they’ve been booking her since she became champion a couple weeks ago. As a follow up, Sky and Bayley attacked Belair backstage when she was being interviewed, taking a chair to her previously injured knee. -The Street Profits, with a new look and feel to them, got to wrestle for the first time since joining forces with Bobby Lashley. They scored a win over The O.C. in a fairly straightforward match that was designed to get them just that, a win. After, Lashley showed up to put them over for their victory and Toronto seemed to be loving it. Commentary won’t stop talking about how much potential exists here, and this was just the latest step in that process. -In a rarity for the blue brand, we only got one segment related to The Bloodline — Paul Heyman having fun messing with Kayla Braxton before taking a phone call and telling us Jimmy Uso will be back on SmackDown next week. Okay then! This was a pretty slow show in points but it was dripping with emotion thanks to everything related to Edge. Grade: B+ 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 7:35pm On Aug 22, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS REVENGE IS SWEET I’m lukewarm on Raw’s ending this week. Not burying the lede at all here. The main angle involving the Judgment Day started strong and there’s still enough there, but nothing moved forward once the credits rolled. Let’s start at the top. Sami Zayn kicked off the proceedings. His hometown greeted him like royalty. Judgment Day spoiled the homecoming, as they often do, and Kevin Owens made his triumphant return. That set off a chain of events that got my attention and my curiosity. KO challenged Judgment Day to a tag match. Which two members? He didn’t say and he didn’t care; he just wanted a match. The weird thing here, and Wade Barrett pointed this out as well, is how Finn Balor & Damian Priest went from peaceful to painful in just one week. After seemingly patching up their differences on the previous Raw, they now distrust each other again. It makes more sense if they don’t stand triumphant together when Raw closed last week, which is one reason the ending here felt so lackluster. Finn and Damian argued which of them gets to face KO & Sami. Rhea Ripley told them if they can’t make a choice, she’ll choose for them. Are you going to argue with her? I know I’m not and neither did they. Meanwhile, JD McDonnagh lurks in the background. He clearly wants something from Judgment Day. If you ask me, and you’re reading this so I assume you did to a degree, he wants Damian’s spot. How he gets it intrigues me. And if that happens without Damian turning face really interests me because he works so much better as a heel. But that’s for a different week. Rhea put Finn & Damian together since they didn’t choose, and everything went well! No dissension in the group, no bickering, and neither one looked over their shoulders. The tag match ended in DQ when KO got caught using Damian’s briefcase. Cody Rhodes showed up after Judgment Day went to work on their opponents, and the tag match restarted as a six-man tag. But like the tag match, no drama between Damian & Finn. Yes, they lost, but Dirty Dom took the pin. And not because of anything his partners did or didn’t do. The hometown heroes and Cody stood triumphant while Judgment Day licked their wounds. But they did so together. Right now, this thing between Finn and Damian is just dragging. We need another gear for the story because even Raw’s endings feel the same. Judgment Day either wins triumphantly or they get beat and walk away mad. The NFL starts in a couple weeks. WWE needs its hottest angle and group on Raw to move into another level. But maybe they’re saving the fireworks for the first time they go head-to-head with Monday Night Football. Or perhaps I’m too optimistic for my own good. B-Sides Firing Squad The Viking Raiders sent a message to the New Day and whatever Matthew Riddle & Drew McIntyre call themselves. New Day eventually landed on McRiddle. I don’t hate it. I still prefer Highlanders. What started as Matt & Drew proving themselves as a “real tag team” turned into something with much larger implications. McRiddle clearly stood no shot against the New Day because, well, they’re the New Day. But they began establishing what their “same page” looks like. Maybe the Viking Raiders threat fashions them into something formidable and consistent. In fact, I’m sure that’s part of the story here; brothers forging a bond through combat. Will it be enough though? Especially with New Day in full effect and the Viking Raiders on the prowl. Honestly, I hope it leads to a breakup because their tandem still bores me. Runnin’ I’m torn on GUNTHER vs. Chad Gable. On one hand, fantastic match. They worked a similar story from the last time these two hooked up: GUNTHER punishes Chad, takes him lightly, and Chad’s resilience shines through. But then there’s the ending that made no sense. They sold the match as Chad’s big break; his possible crowning moment. After years, he finally gets his shot at singles gold. So I found it disconnected from that narrative when Chad celebrated like he won the championship when he defeated the Ring General by count out. Yes, GUNTHER showed his displeasure because to him, any loss is unacceptable. But it’s a weird moment for Chad and makes it seem like the Intercontinental championship didn’t matter when they told us it’s the only thing that mattered. Back 2x I initially rolled my eyes. Shinsuke Nakamura whispered he knows about Seth’s hurt back? That’s it? But the longer the video promo went, the more Shinsuke sold me. Seth’s weakness represents fragility. And the champ’s response signifies he understands just how fragile his back really is right now. It also means puts a time limit on his reign; Seth only has but so much time to truly make his mark with that championship. Shinsuke knows what that feeling does for a competitor and how it potentially plays into a big match. Simple but effective. Seth answered in kind when he got the chance. He delivered a passionate promo that made all of this personal. And he challenged Shinsuke to show up the next time Raw comes to us live. In the meantime, we got word that their match at Payback is officially official. The Bridge is Over Finally. It’s now time for Raquel Rodriguez vs. Rhea Ripley. Rhea plowed through Candice LeRae this week. Candice put up a fight with a hope spot that lasted all of five seconds. This gave way to Raquel making her triumphant return doing her best Willy Wonka impression. I actually think Wonka sold the injury a bit better but in Raquel’s defense, Wonka’s partially magic. Raquel gave Rhea something to fear and fans something in which to believe. Then told the world that she challenges Rhea for her championship at Payback. Which, according to my calendar, is right around the corner. I Cry LA Knight says Miz is what you get if Biff Tanen slept with a frog and pushed it down stairs. I cackled. Miz talked more trash about the megastar, challenged Akira Tozawa—who Miz says is better than LA in every way—and LA blessed us on commentary. This thoroughly entertained me, mostly because LA got some mic time, handed Miz some tissues for all his whining, and Miz took the L. He got so caught up focusing on LA that he took his eyes off the prize. Just book the match now. Please? Raw held serve this week. A competent show that produced solid wrestling but nothing truly exciting or newsworthy. It’s the equivalent of car that gets from point A to point B with no fancy bells, whistles, or horns. That’s not a bad thing at all, but it’s not a great thing either. 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:19am On Aug 24, 2023 |
WWE NXT HEATWAVE REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS ALONGWAYTOGO The most interesting thing related to Carmelo Hayes’ title defense came before the match. Trick and Melo spoke in the locker room with a little tension teased. Besides Trick eyeing Melo’s championship, we also got some miscommunication between the two on a supposed asterisk next to Melo’s win over Ilja Dragunov. Trick asked if Melo blames him for that but the champ quickly clarified that he doesn’t. While I don’t want a program between the two—and certainly not yet—it seems unavoidable. For some reason, we got more drama there than the championship match. That’s not a diss towards Melo or Wes Lee; they were fine and the match had at least two very big moments: Melo’s Fade Away onto the commentary table and Wes’ Cardiac Kick that almost got him the title if not for his slow recovery. And I even like the story beat in the end where Wes dove towards Melo on the outside, missed, and sealed his doom. It visualized Wes’ hunger and possible recklessness while also cementing his downfall. He got so focused on going all in for the championship that he took an unnecessary risk. But for the most part, this match didn’t move me. It’s actually indicative of the whole night: lots of potential with underwhelming results. Even when the match ended, it felt like an abrupt ending rather than an earned conclusion. I hate when matches end right when the wrestlers find their groove, and that’s what they gave us this week. In fact, this recap and analysis is shorter than usual because I don’t wan to spend a whole lot of words or your time simply complaining. Plus, they gave me very little which to work. B-Sides What You Think of That Trick went into this match with Ilja with something to prove. Whatever that “something” was, he accomplished his goal. Trick and Ilja put on a clash for the ages with the age-old tale about “going the distance.” Trick showed it’s not crazy imagining him in the same ring with someone that accomplished. He took Ilia’s best blows and kept coming. It took two falling sledges from Ilja for the win, and one came from the top rope. Perfectly, the match started with Ilja coming out like a buzzsaw. There’s no logical reason that this match starts with both men on equal footing. They showed Trick find his feet and earn his opponent’s respect in the process. They booked the match perfectly from beginning to end. Trick got stronger the longer the match went, testing Ilja’s resolve. If I’m focusing more on Trick than Ilja that’s because I know what I’m getting with the latter. Trick is the mystery here and this represents his biggest match thus far. He looked good, sold well, and Ilja helped him out along the way. Watch the match. If Trick takes this momentum and runs with it, there’s hope for him when/if he hits the main roster. Don’t Stop (YG Party) I never know what to write about these Heritage Cup matches. Mainly because I can’t get into them. I like them in theory but I don’t like WWE’s execution. There’s a “purity” they represent that WWE often spices up with their own ingredients. That’s why Meta-Four and Dabba-Kato interject while Nathan Frazer and Noam Dar go at it for multiple rounds. It’s a match based on in-ring storytelling, less so outside shenanigans. As anyone who regularly reads this space knows, I’m not above shenanigans. But putting them here only makes the juxtaposition between the two styles. And it sticks out even further when one realizes nothing else in NXT or on Heatwave works like this; it’s the odd duck. I do think the Heritage Cup belongs with Noam since it gives Meta-Four a cause. They as a whole need that trophy more than Nathan. Hopefully now we get development from the other three members. Blood Brothers It’s not the Creed Bros. fault, but this “reveal” fell flatter than those pancakes I made in elementary school. None of you were there but trust me, they were not fluffy. The problem is we all knew they hid under those masks! They gave away the secret weeks ago. Joe Gacy even spent an entire episode looking for traitors within his group! Then, for some reason, he just stopped. He kept letting the masked people hit the ring for Schism matches even though he knew about Brutus & Julius playing pretend. So the audience already knowing deflates a potentially big moment when they Brothers Creed take off their masks and hold Ava hostage. Meanwhile, the whole thing makes Joe look stupid because he didn’t see this coming. The cage match between the Creeds and the Dyad sounds dope, but I wish we got it here rather than the future. And maybe we get that if the people with pencils didn’t drag this out for far too long. And those shocked faces from WWE’s social media team only make it more comical. I Need Love Lyra Valkyria & Dragon Lee got their wish: Dirty Dom by himself with no Rhea Ripley. During their mixed tag match’s third act, Raquel Rodriguez showed up and pulled Raquel out of the match. Those two fought and Dom reached for his mami but got nothing in return. Dragon took advantage and pinned the North American champion. Not the best week for the champ. I dug this match. Just a solid tag match that showcased Lyra and advanced Raquel vs. Rhea. Also firmly sets up Dragon Lee as the next North American champion whenever that day comes. Table for 3 Well, that was certainly a thing. Anyone excited about Baron Corbin vs. Von Wagner left disappointed since the match never happened. Baron attacked Von during the latter’s entrance and they just fought around the ring for a few minutes. Von went for the commentary table, they jostled back and forth over who gets to throw whom through said table, and then Bron Breakker speared Von into the next century. Yeah, no thank you. Besides the fact that I don’t like the idea that Von seems more obsessed with putting people through tables than actually winning matches, this feels like something more appropriate for a normal Tuesday night, not Heatwave. I wanted Bron vs. Baron but we seem destined for a three-way dance. I’ll take it but I can’t promise I’ll like it. Ladies Brunch The big news here is Roxanne Perez, Gigi Dolin, Blair Davenport, & Kiana James all want Tiffany Stratton’s championship. We got a segment where each woman, including Tiffany, showed their personalities. Roxanne killed all that noise and showed hands when she hit the ring. Next week, we get a four-way match with a number one contender spot on the line. For my money, that spot belongs to Gigi right now. She and Roxanne are the clear faces but Roxanne doesn’t need a championship run right now. Or even a match. But perhaps this elevates Gigi, along with presenting a huge contrast between her and Tiffany. I also think that brings more out of Tiffany, who apparently caught Becky Lynch’s attention this week. If they put those two in the ring together with microphones in their hands, Tiffany needs another gear. I hope she finds it. Heatwave cooled me off in a bad way. While the show maintained a clear focus, only one match truly lived up to or exceeded expectations. Trick & Ilja set a bar that no one even halfway reached. Besides that match, everything here fits on a normal Tuesday night, which goes against the whole idea of branded episodes. But we’ll always have Trick & Ilja. 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by ValeeLove(m): 2:58pm On Aug 24, 2023 |
ONE REASON TO WATCH WWE AT THE MOMENT, ANYONE? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by ValeeLove(m): 2:59pm On Aug 24, 2023 |
CoolUsername:the answers are literally online. What are you asking? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by ValeeLove(m): 3:03pm On Aug 24, 2023 |
CoolUsername:also did you ever hear that these squabbles were televised in front of a live crowd? So why do we see that in WWE and AEW TV? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by CoolUsername: 11:53pm On Aug 24, 2023 |
RIP Bray Wyatt. This one hurts 1 Like 1 Share
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| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 11:58pm On Aug 24, 2023 |
1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Debroslink: 8:09am On Aug 25, 2023 |
Omo this one pain me o. Jesus!!!  1 Like |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Kaycee7(m): 8:44am On Aug 25, 2023 |
Even as I type, I still can't believe this. Was worrying that WWE was killing his momentum again and wondering when he'd return. Rest in peace, Windham. There'll never be another like you. You and Brodie Lee will definitely own the tag division in heaven. 3 Likes 1 Share
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| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Kaycee7(m): 8:45am On Aug 25, 2023 |
pu7pl3:Similar reaction to mine |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Kaycee7(m): 8:46am On Aug 25, 2023 |
Debroslink:E pain all of us. He had so much more to give |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:05am On Aug 25, 2023 |
Kaycee7: Omo what kind of illness could that have been? I just thought he was injured or something. Mtchew 😔 A really sad day. 1 Like |
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