pu7pl3:
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS


Let’s talk Raw!
The hunger. That’s what Bayley says she, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY believe they brought back to the women’s division. A hunger to be the best and a hunger that all of the women in the locker room need. Bayley says—rightly—that the women’s division got complacent in her absence. And the next step in their takeover is Dakota & IYO fighting for the tag team championships.
Bayley was great here. She normally is, but I mention that because of one particular moment. After referring to Dakota Kai as “Dakota Sky,” Bayley pivoted and blamed the crowd for her flub. Told them she can’t think properly with them making all this noise and they should all just shut up. She took that moment and turned it into a meltdown, causing Dakota to takeover after telling Bayley to relax. It was hilarious, furthered everyone’s characters, illustrated group dynamics, and showed their chemistry. It wasn’t perfect but it shows why these three are together.
Once Alexa Bliss, Asuka, and Bianca Belair showed up, the temperature in the ring changed. The confrontation set up a potential match, as Asuka & Alexa are in the tag title tournament as well, but also a trios tag match at Clash at the Castle. Why then and not now? Well, besides the fact WWE needs a big match for this event, Bayley doesn’t believe Cleveland matters enough for a match that size. Tried and true heel tactics.
Bianca wanted static. Bayley wanted to keep control this week but Bianca wanted to lose control. A brawl broke out and made my heart happy. A big brawl setting off a show always makes me smile. Especially when it’s set up in this fashion.
Bayley, Kai, and SKY made their presence known throughout the show, appearing in a few backstage segments and flexing muscle over the other women in the division. I love that. It makes them omnipresent and shows instead of tells. WWE is great at telling us what someone’s goal is but not always great showing it. If anything, my only “complaint” is that it’s not threaded throughout the show because, this is the most interesting story on Raw at the moment. But I’m being greedy.


Extracurriculars
Luminosity
Speaking of running threads through the show. During a couple backstage segments, WWE showed a crashed car in the background while people gave interviews or just talked trash to one another. The first time, it was crashed with officials around the car and a couple women wrestlers. The second time, a tow truck lifted the car and cops rushed past the camera as if they were chasing someone.
Those same cops appeared at the end of the main event, but this time with someone in their custody. Or at least trying to get someone in their custody. The cops tussled with the individual, the crowd looked on, and eventually there was a quick glimpse of the person dressed in a black hoodie: Dexter Lumis!
And that was it. He left, the commentators acknowledged it but didn’t dwell, and attention turned back to the victor in the ring.
This was a tease hopefully setting up something larger. I like the execution during the show even if the actual “reveal” didn’t seem to do much for the crowd. But I’m also not sure what the desired outcome was. What I do know, however, is I’m very curious where this is headed.

Freakin’ 0-2
At a certain point during Angelo Dawkins’ match with Seth Rollins, the ref ejected Montez Ford. Which is exactly what Seth wanted. Dawkins impressed me during this match. Not to say he doesn’t always impress, but he had an extra fire this week. Even wrestled without his shirt! Story wise, this didn’t progress anything. Seth won fair and square—thanks to a pedigree—then added insult to injury at the end with a curb stomp. But the obvious real world implication is testing Dawkins for a solo run. I don't know if his ceiling is as high as Montez—he can’t jump that high—but he held his own with one of the best. That bodes well for his future.

That’s All She Wrote
I wondered what Kevin Owens looks like under Triple H. Well, we got an emphatic answer this week. Long and short of it: KO ain’t with the BS.
Aside from one small slip on the ring steps, KO was all business. He decimated Ezekiel/Elias/Elrod as soon as the bell went ding. Then, in a nod to his past, power bombed that man on and ring apron.
And that was it. Match over. The ref called it due to Zeke’s inability to compete—rhyme intended—while Owens looked on with malice, menace, and another m word to finish off the alliteration. KO is, hopefully, done with this Zeke business and entering the next phase. Zeke even did a stretcher job, so who knows what this means for his future.
KO reminded us later that this is still the KO Show and I’m down for all of that.

Champing at the Bit
I thought Ciampa had it in the bag. I really believed the Black Heart, who dedicated his United States championship match to Harley Race, was walking out of Cleveland with that title in hand. While he didn’t get that, he did get something just as valuable: Elevation.
Bobby Lashley said he wants to put on great matches and elevate people on the roster as U.S. champ. That’s exactly what he did tonight. Lashley and Ciampa put on a hell of a fight with plenty of suspense. At times, it really looked like Ciampa might do the impossible and beat a man who looks unbeatable. Ciampa showed everything that made him the man in NXT, along with an ability to work with someone Lashley’s size. And the juxtaposition in styles was perfect for the story. Lashley is all power and high impact. Ciampa is scientific, methodical, and dastardly.
WWE didn’t forget about AJ Styles either. AJ ambushed Miz during the match. The two brawled around the ring and even through the ring—without touching Lashley or Ciampa—which took Miz out of the picture after he helped Ciampa several times during the match. Ciampa went from the guy who only survived due to Miz putting his foot on the rope or distracting Lashley, to someone who put the champ on the ropes by himself. The man even survived the Hurt Lock longer than most, refusing to tap initially but ultimately giving in because duh. There’s no shame in losing to the champ. Losing like this though? Looking really competitive and showing he belongs in a title picture? That’s huge for Ciampa.
This was just a really good bout between two guys working at a high level way beyond eye level. If you missed this match, you owe it to yourself to watch it not now but right now.

Segue!
The skirmish between AJ and Miz led to a no DQ main event match. And it was fine. Maybe I was a little let down because this was the main event, but it was a perfectly fine no DQ match between two cats who don’t like each other. Ciampa interfered but his appearance didn’t keep his friend safe. AJ prevailed in a match that used kendo sticks, chairs, tables, and mild violence. The match itself felt like a half-measure. I dislike when no DQ matches don’t take full advantage of that stipulation. Go wild! Make it really violent. Like I said, it was fine, but nothing to truly write home about. And, probably worse, it wasn’t the best end to a pretty solid night of sports entertainment professional wrestling.
Me thinks this is the end of AJ and Miz’s short-lived feud, which feels appropriate too.

Cats in the Cradle
I’m a sucker for this father/son intrigue between Rey and Dominik. Last week, Raw’s final image was Edge spearing Dom and Rey tending to his fallen son while putting the pieces together. This week, Edge apologized to both men. Rey forgave his longtime friend and former tag partner. Dom though? Well, let’s just say he doesn’t believe Edge is “family.” That’s a Fast and Furious reference for anyone playing at home. Dom shoved Edge and barked on his father for taking Edge’s side.
Edge offered his help but Rey truly believed in his son. But during his match with Finn Balor, Rey walked to the ring alone. I was actually riveted. I get where Dom is coming from, I get where Rey is coming from. They’re actual human beings with feelings that go beyond cliche stuff. It helped that Finn and Rey put on a good match filled with counters, reversals, near falls, and big moves. Through all that, I thought about Dom. Where is he? Is he showing up in the third act with a knife for his father’s back? Will he realize it was just a mistake and maybe the old men are right? Edge even chased Damian Priest into the crowd, clearing the way for Dom’s return!
Well, Rhea Ripley had other plans. The Nightmare showed up with Dom draped over her shoulder like a pillow, beaten within an inch of his life. Ripped shirt, cuts and bruises on his face, and even some “blood” for good measure. Rey stopped caring about Finn because duh, and lost the match as a result. We ended with Rey, on the mat, reaching out to his bruised son, while The Judgment Day glared and did other things bad guys do.
I dug it! It’s a simple story told effectively and with some heart.

What Have You Done for Me Lately
IYO SKY & Dakota Kai flew high. These two beat Tamina & Dana Brooke in a match that...yeah, it wasn’t great. It wasn’t awful, but it was just very meh. This was the first match in WWE’s Women’s Tag champ tournament and was pretty much a cakewalk for Kai & Sky, Which sounds a lot like Kaientai.

SMASH
Omos squashed a couple of hometown guys.
Which was all I planned on saying until it hit me that there’s really no need on this show for Omos. Especially if it’s pointless squashes on a show where most matches meant something.

We Can Go Blow for Blow...
This match between Chad Gable and Dolph Ziggler, too. Because everything else around it revolved around titles or established beef, this one felt hollow. Both guys are great at what they do in the ring but Ziggler is aimless now with Theory in witness protection. So what are we doing here? On the strength of no emotional investment, it gets a meh.

Raw moved this week. I barely noticed the three hours and most of the matches had purpose. We got a bunch of solid bouts and a really good one between Lashley and Ciampa. Raw also ended a couple feuds, added layers to others, and started...something..with a returning Dexter Lumis. Very solid and enjoyable show.

Grade: B+

luizpippo:


Purple

Eh?

ValeeLove:
E make sense?

pu7pl3:


Wetin be this?

samistry:
It's the soon to be released AEW game. Gameplay appears to be more arcady as opposed to WWE slower simulation style games. Although WWE2k22 gameplay was a bit different from previous iterations.

ValeeLove:
Meanwhile there's good news for the wrestling world. The god of wrestling, Kenny Omega, in back!!! I never thought I would be this excited for his return. Wow.
Who watched Punk's promo on Dynamite this week?

pu7pl3:
Incase y'all forgot why The Miz is my favourite WWE superstar
Induct him into the hall of fame already


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fqEnczRuno

Gidah:
Smackdown was fun

Gidah:
Boss drop raw review to titillate our reading pleasure

pu7pl3:
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS


Welcome Back, Wrestling
Johnny Gargano is back. That’s a big deal if you frequent this site or any other wrestling site on internet dot com. It was also predictable as Triple H begins remaking WWE in his image and bringing back those the former guy banished to an island of irrelevancy. The Toronto crowd greeted Johnny like he was Jesus riding through Jerusalem. The only pop louder was for Edge, so props to Mr. Wrestling. Johnny talked about fatherhood, his love for wrestling, reminded everyone why he was a big deal in NXT.
And then Theory happened. Props to WWE for not ignoring their NXT history, referencing The Way in a few clever if not subtle...ways, and furthering this idea that Theory has a chip on his shoulder the size of Las Vegas casino. Pointing out that he has everything Johnny wants is a nice touch as well. Johnny wants to win championships. Theory won them first. Johnny wants big matches in bigger spots. Theory has that too. This sets up an interesting master vs. apprentice story, where the learner surpassed the teacher in a very short time. How does the master feel about that? For all intents and purposes, Johnny was Theory’s father. The moment a son overtakes a father in a contest, that relationship changes. And not always for the better. Want proof? See the way Johnny kicked Theory’s teeth down his throat when Mr. MITB offered “peace” after running down his former tag partner. Either because of jealousy, being in his feelings, or just a lack of trust, Johnny left Theory laid out in the middle of the ring.
Gargano facing Theory as his first opponent makes a lot of sense given their history and the potential for longterm storytelling. But who ultimately prevails? That might be WWE writing themselves into a corner. If Theory truly is next, he can’t lose. A returning Gargagno, especially one the audience adores, can’t lose either. At least not so soon.
This almost feels like a proxy battle between Vince McMahon and Triple H. Theory was Vince’s project—no pun—while Gargano was one of Haitch’s prized pupils. I mean, duh, the man came back because his poppa is in charge. Theory fits Vince’s idea of what a WWE wrestler is and should look like. Gargano, well, does not. Haitch took a chance on guys like Johnny while Vince barely gave them the time of day. Philosophically, this might be the most important feud in WWE once it gets going. It might paint a clearer picture of how Haitch sees WWE and the type of athletes he wants in the company. But if Theory prevails, it just shows the old man is still in charge even if he’s “retired.”

Back Like She Left Something
Trish Stratus was all over Raw this week. She even instigated a match between Aliyah and Bayley! Yes, this was Bayley’s first match in God knows how long. And it was just...fine. Nothing awful yet nothing great. Bayley won after Aliyah put up quite the fight in her hometown and looked good while losing. But how do they not advertise Bayley’s first match on Raw in forever? This needed more pomp and circumstance and just felt like another match rather than the big deal that Bayley is in the division.

Grade: B+

Kaycee7:
I'm pretty sure Johnny must've discussed terms and gotten himself a sweet deal before leaving Baby Wrestling to return to WWE. So I'm definitely positive he's going to get a decent push sooner rather than later. Too soon for #DIY reunion?

Really thought Bayley would pull a swerve and have Kota or Iyo get in the ring with Aliyah instead. Her return match really should've been a bigger deal.

Also, just like the crowd, I couldn't really get into Lashley and Aj's post match beatdown of Ciampa. Having Ciampa attack Bobby while outnumbered seemed a bit off for his character.

pu7pl3:
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS

No Way Out
Bron Breakker is on his way out of NXT. Don’t quote me on that since but call it a hunch. Tyler Bate told Bron why he showed up at Heatwave: title unification. With NXT Europe becoming a thing and NXT UK going the way of the Dodo, Bates believes in one belt to rule them all. Bron, always itching for a fight, agreed. Therefore, it’s title for title at Worlds Collide.
Since I don’t foresee Bron defending that belt across Europe or repping the continent as great as someone like D’Lo Brown did, this might be the start of his ending on the paint splat brand. And you know what? I’m cool with that. Bron’s running in place as champion. Whatever that thing was with Joe Gacy showed there’s really nothing interesting for him to do as champ in the territory. Or at least WWE can’t find anything creative for him to do. There are a few cats on NXT ready for the main roster and if Bron isn’t at the top of that list, he’s definitely near the top.
This is a great time for it too, because the company as a whole is going through a lot of changes. The men on SmackDown and Raw need more competition because Reigns is running out of challengers, therefore making the main event scene a bit stale at the moment. Bron obviously brings a whole bunch of big booty uncle energy to the proceedings, along with a desire to punch any and everything that moves. It also transitions the entire NXT brand to its next phase, whatever that looks like. Plus, the segment set the tone for the rest of the night, as the show’s overarching story set the table for World’s Collide.
This is a lot of words to say I think this is a great move if it’s happening and in fact, I think it should happen. Bron moves on, Tyler moves up, and it clears the board everything creatively. This is Haitch getting up and hitting that reset button on the Super NES—or Sega Genesis—that is NXT. No blowing necessary.



Hard Core
The best moment in the Lights Out match between Tiffany Stratton and Wendy Choo was Wendy pouring lego blocks out of her pillowcase. After hitting Stratton with the loaded pillowcase, Choo showed us why Stratton hit the mat with a thud. the pain from stepping on a Lego is universal. Thumbtacks are one thing but very few of us can say we never stepped on a Lego or saw someone step on one. It’s a pain I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Making it even better, it was perfectly in character. Wendy is a big kid with a mean streak so it’s only right Lego is her weapon of choice. And it’s perfect storytelling inside of a match that delivered beyond anything I thought possible with the premise.
Stratton and Wendy quietly built one of NXT’s most compelling rivalries. They’re diametrically opposed forces and those differences turn their dislike for each other into straight up hatred. This Lights Out match is presumably the end of their beef and the best way to do it. Wendy showed a more serious side of her persona. She let everyone know what time it was when she ditched her onesie on her way to the ring. Subtle storytelling that says a lot! Tiffany used hair spray! There was a spot using Wendy’s bed! Tiffany even brought out the tennis racket!
The match just worked from start to finish. Saying anything more about it feels like a disservice to the match itself. Jus know that Wendy won—which shocked me—and this came after she survived several slams into the lego pit she created. The match was fun, violent, character-based, and came with a surprising ending. What more can you ask for?
Oh, and Tiffany? No cornrows ever again. Ever.



Extracurriculars
Ironman
Apollo Crews represented himself incredibly well this week. He guested on an episode of The Grayson Waller Effect and verbally jousted with Waller. Yes, he called him a low budget Miz, yes he repped for Nigeria regardless of his accent, and he thanked the NXT crowd. But the best moment was taking Waller’s most poignant barb and making it sound like a boss move. Waller asked Apollo what he tells his kids when he goes home and tells them he couldn’t cut it on Mondays of Fridays so now he works Tuesdays. Crews’ response was perfect: “I tell them daddy was a champion on Monday, a champion on Friday, and now he’s soon to be a champion on Tuesday.”
When he puts it like that, it sounds like the best thing ever. Right? And just like that I’m intrigued by a feud between these two.

Hard to Earn
Jiggs & Brensen can’t catch a break. Thankfully, no sex jokes this week, but they had their hands full with two teams from across the pond who want what they have. During their match with Gallus, Pretty Deadly attacked them. Before they even got to the match, Lash Legend got in Fallon Henley’s face! Those country boys got a lot of beef right now. Those championship belts are really just targets, and a bunch of people are practicing their shots.
Gallus has their own set of problems with Diamond Mine. The Mine showed up to repay Gallus in kind, then stood tall as the boys from the UK went running.
Okay match with logical action at the end of it. Although, really weird it took the ref that long to call for the bell once Pretty Deadly interfered. Dude...that’s a DQ.

Extinction Level Event
It looked like the story of Blair Davenport vs. Indi Hartwell was the latter taking another L. Seriously, the woman’s life is a roller coaster. Pray for her.
Anyway, the actual story is Blair Davenport, after winning, calling out the NXT Women’s champion. Out came Mandy to demand respect on her name. Before she got the next few words out of her mouth, Meiko Satomura walked to the ring, with her NXT UK championship in hand. Let’s just cut to the chase here: Mandy wants respect on her name so she wants to kill a legend. Meiko wants to further her legend, while Blair is the rightful number one contender. What’s that equal? A triple threat title unification match at World’s Collider.
All of it logical, all of it on point.

Ill Na Na
True love conquers all...except arrest warrants.
Remember that whole about Indi not catching a break thing? Guess who showed up to literally give his estranged wife a pick me up? Dexter Lumis! After her loss, Indi bore her soul on the mic in front of the crowd. She was a mess. She was beside herself. Then along came her favorite psycho. He carried her out of the ring and to the lobby of the building. Gave her a...goodbye note, walked out of the building, and surrendered to the keystone cops who told him to put his hands behind his head.
So that’s the official end of Index? And was Dexter arrested for kidnapping Miz on the most recent episode of Raw? Also...where is Miz?!
While it’s a kick in the gut for fans of romance and Indi, it’s great seeing these brands connected.

Roc La Famila
While I wasn’t a huge fan of the match between what’s left of Legado del Fantasma and the Dyad (it was okay), I popped for Santos Escobar showing up at the end. LdF walked out of the building dejected after losing their match and just being aimless. An SUV pulled up—that parking lot is always dangerous—and Santos Escobar was behind the wheel.
“You think I’d leave without you?”
So subtle and so good. LdF is out of NXT and finally ready for the main roster. I cannot wait to see Santos and crew on Mondays or Fridays.

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
Tyler Bate looked great tonight. Von Wagner continues his role as a charisma and fun vacuum. The fact Bates got something decent out of Wagner is a testament to his skill. An okay way to build some momentum towards his fight with Bron, if only because Wager isn’t exactly the threat he thinks he is. And there’s no reason for the audience to believe in him on that level either.

Capital Punishment
We’re still doing this Joe Gacy and Cameron Grimes thing? Le sigh. Grimes defeated Javier Bernal with, you guessed it, The Schism perched up high. They’re just distracting at this point and I’m not interested.

The main event really boosted this show for me. It trended solid this week and then that happened. That, plus the set up for future matches that will legitimately change the fate of the territory? All part of a winning formula. NXT balanced introducing the audience to a lot of NXT UK talent they may not know while advancing their own storylines. Not an easy thing to do.

Grade: A

samistry:
The recent news of NXT UK coming to a close is already a giveaway for the title vs title match.
Bates vs Bron will be a good match but we already know the winner, which will be Bron. The ladies triple threat match on the other hand is unpredictable.
I can't wait to see LDF on the main roster.
The story with Gacy and Cameron grimes continues to unfold. Reminds me of Bray white and Daniel Bryan feud.
I wonder which teams will compete for the tag team unification title bout. Briggs and Jensen still haven't sold me as repping the UK brand

samistry:
Valeelove abeg wetin happen to best in the world?

Gist me abeg