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| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by emmanex2000: 7:48pm On Jan 24, 2023 |
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| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 9:30am On Jan 25, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Can’t Knock the Hustle All throughout this episode, we got overt signs that Toxic Attraction was past tense. Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin gave separate interviews explaining why they were done with each other. It’s actually the best both women sounded since Mandy Rose’s forced Florida exit. Was it a ruse? It didn’t seem like it, which is a testament to both women. All of that toxic behavior spilt over into their summit with NXT Women’s champion Roxanne Perez. Booker T tried moderating but Jacy and Gigi just couldn’t help themselves. They threw insults at each other, said a lot of things I wouldn’t dream of saying to anyone, much less a former best friend, and elicited a bunch of oohs from the crowd as if they were a bunch of 4th graders. Perez enjoyed every moment of it and crowed how this might actually be a triple threat match at Vengeance Day instead of the two on one match she anticipated. Then when it looked like a fight might break out between Jacy and Gigi, they smiled in each other’s faces and, well, you see the video. Was this was always the plan or are Jacy and Gigi are just two toxic people who needed to get all of that out their systems and lucked into a moment where they caught the champ off guard? While I like that version, I know the music Shawn Michaels likes to play. He’s a huge fan of the angle where it looks like a group is imploding and the members can’t stand each other until we see the truth in a big reveal during the third act. It’s something he and Triple H did in DX, it’s what he and Mike Tyson did before WrestleMania 14, and it’s something the NWO did a lot in their heyday. I bought it not only because of how both women sold it, but all the other stuff happening with Toxic Attraction at the moment. Playing into that behind the scenes drama and using it as subtext for a breakup, along with the desire for NXT gold just makes sense. Even if I didn’t bite, I still think it’s a smart play. Especially because it puts the champ in true jeopardy. My only hope is that there’s not another turn and we find ourselves wondering whether Gigi & Jacy can coexist during the championship match. I don’t see Roxanne losing but I’m very curious how she overcomes the former tag team champs who, for now, are reading from the same sheet music. Extracurriculars Viral Sensation If you were on the internet Monday, January 24, you saw the video Grayson Waller and a bunch of other NXT wrestlers posted of the skirmish between Grayson and Bron Breakker. We got the follow up on this episode in the form of a pull-apart brawl. Grayson hit the ring with his replica NXT belt, complete with velcro, while an enraged Bron stood in his locker room watching on a monitor. Yeah, well, that wasn’t going to last long. Bron made his way to the ring followed by a sea of NXT wrestlers and officials. They tried getting between Bron and Grayson, emphasis on tried. It worked for a while but there’s only but so much holding back of Bron one can do before he turns into the Hulk. And then...well, words won’t do it justice so just watch the video. Yeah, that happened. A very cool moment that solidified Grayson firmly in Bron’s head and makes him formidable as a result. I really hope this cage match chooses violence at Vengeance Day. Sol Surprise Last week, I guessed Isla Dawn might come to Alba Fyre’s side in her match against Kayden Carter & Katana Chance. Tweeps said Dewdrop, another good guess. I was kinda right, but we’ll get to that. When Alba needed a partner, Sol Ruca answered the bell. Literally. Alba, of course, reluctantly accepted. She really wanted this match to herself and it showed in the early going. No willing tags on her part, and a scowl on her face. But Sol proved herself to Alba through her agility and moveset. If anyone can run the fast break offense with Chance & Carter, it’s Ruca. But the match changed once Carter came in with a hot tag towards the end. That’s when Carter & Chance hit Alba with one of their patented double teams from the top rope as Carter hung Alba out to dry on the ropes while Chance followed with a double stomp to her back. After surviving a pin count. Alba finally gave her partner a willing tag. Sol came in hot while Katana tossed Alba to floor, puts her in a headscissors, and Alba crashes into the steps. Sol checks on her partner, and, sadly, takes her eyes off the prize. Sol then found herself on the wrong end of a neckbreaker 450 splash combo, and that was all she wrote for this one. Alba walked away pissed with a cold stare for her partner. And who should appear but Isla Dawn, who seemingly walked out with Alba Fyre. I enjoyed this match and still want to know what’s happening with Alba and Isla. Sol is getting better but still needs to fill out that moveset, which I believe she will in time. Banana in the Tailpipe What I liked most about Tiffany Stratton v. Indi Hartwell, besides Tiffany’s moonsault finisher, was Indi attacking Tiffany before the bell rang. Indi’s newfound attitude, combined with her dislike for Ms. Stratton’s entitled behavior, made attacking early the smart move narratively. I like the chemistry between these two, and Stratton looked better than she did the last time we saw her in the ring. Stratton faked a knee injury, which got Indi off of her. While the ref checked on Tiffany, a trainer rushed out of the locker room. But it turns out the whole thing was a hustle. Tiffany’s knee magically healed and she took advantage of Indi’s mercy. Indi took a forearm to the face, got hoisted on Tiffany’s shoulders for a Finlay roll, and took a beautiful moonsault from the top rope that showcased Tiffany’s gymnast background. I’m still not sure what the plan for Indi is in NXT. She changed her attitude but the success isn’t coming. They clearly have bigger plans for Stratton so maybe this is just a case of two people going in very different directions. That said, this was a solid match that, based on the ending, possibly sets up a rematch down the line. Party Pooper JD McDonagh, clearly no fan of Gen Z, doesn’t like participation awards. McDonagh isn't high on my list (as a persona) but I’m with him here. JD crashed Thea Hail’s celebration ceremony celebrating her lone NXT victory. JD talked trash about Thea, Chase U students, and Andre Chase. You know Andre Chase, so you know he wasn’t having any of that. He stays ready so he never has to get ready. I want to focus on the match’s third act. JD went for the Devil Inside not once but twice. And both times, Andre countered. Once with a knee lift and then with a beautiful Destroyer, But Chase didn’t get the W off the Destroyer as he pinned McDonagh too close to the ropes. Chase, down but not out, went to the top rope but lost sight of his opponent. JD backed into the ropes, Chase lost his balance, and JD’s third attempt at the Devil Inside proved successful. JD takes a trip to the pay window. BUT, the story here is Duke Hudson. When JD interrupted the ceremony earlier, he talked about Chase U’s lack of success while expressing that he knew Duke felt him on that one. So when Chase lost his balance and the end was near, Duke walked out. This was a nice follow-up on the words NXT Anonymous caught him saying about Andre Chase. It looked shady but later, Duke said he only left because he wanted a talk with Shawn Michaels. Duke demanded Chase U get a spot in the Fatal 4-Way match. Shawn told him to talk to the New Day. After the New Day expressed their pleasant feelings for Chase U, they granted Duke his wish. Duke lives to fight another day but this implosion is coming. Right? Right??! Two Bosses As is the pattern with NXT, the Fallon Henley & Kiana James vs. Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley tag match wasn’t a long one. But it also didn’t need to be because the intrigue lied in whether or not Kiana and Ivy would get along. They got off to a rough start with some initial friction on who starts the match, and then exchanged some extra physical tags. But when Ivy put Fallon in her submission lock, Kiana pulled Ivy’s hair to break the hold. That same Kiana tripped Ivy up when the latter ran the ropes, and then took Tatum out of commission, which left Fallon with an advantage against Ivy and ensured her team picked up the W. This interests me if only to see whether or not Kiana is keeping it a buck or if she’s faking the funk. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop but what if there is no shoe? Maybe at Vengeance Day when they take on the tag champs for a shot at the titles. Hmmmmm. The match itself won’t make anyone’s best of list but the soap opera is juicy. And props to NXT for going the opposite direction here because Ivy & Tatum looked like a team on different pages while Kiana & Fallon looked like an oiled-machine. Not well-oiled but just enough to get from point A to the gas station. Gulak vs. the World Leave it to Drew Gulak to find himself and Hank Walker in a tag match against the Creed Bros. all because he got way too physical in a fun sparring session. The tragedy is he left his partner out to dry in a fight that he picked. This match got a bit messy at times in terms of pacing towards the end, but seeing Julius hit a standing Shooting Star Press, then seeing Brutus follow it with a standing moonsault was fantastic. I will give the match props though for making me think the Creeds might lose. More importantly, that the L would come at Hank’s hands. Hank hit a nice transition from a Wheelbarrow into a cross armbar submission. It was a very pretty moment from the man called Hank. That was about the moment his partner checked out because Charlie Dempsey showed up. Gulak jawed with Dempsey while also “coaching” Hank. Obviously, Hank was no match for the former tag team champs by himself, so his team took the L. A frustrated Gulak berated Hank after the match but c’mon, bruv. That’s on you. When does Hank get the message and dump Gulak? When do Gulak and Dempsey finally lock up in the ring? No answers to those questions but we do finally know when we’re getting the Creeds vs. Indus Sheer: next week. The Creeds thanked Ivy for putting up with their crap and getting them back to normal. Indus Sheer & Jinder Mahal walked out and issued the challenge, which Ivy accepted on behalf of her boys. Still Cheating and Trying Elektra Lopez wanted Valentina Feroz ringside for this one. After Feroz refused to cheat last week, Elektra decided more teaching was the answer. And that’s exactly what she did during her match with Wendy Choo. The match started pretty evenly but eventually, Wendy took control. Oh, and shoutout to Booker T and Vic Joseph for dodging Wendy’s pillow after Elektra launched it towards the commentary table. But I digress. Once Wendy got a slight advantage, Elektra went for the brass knux in her trunks. Valentina tried getting the ref’s attention to snitch but she actually helped Elektra because the distracted ref missed Ms. Lopez deck Wendy. Elektra gets the W and told Valentina that it doesn’t matter how you win, just that you win. Valentina wants friends but Elektra wants to win. Next Week... Stevie Turner makes her NXT debut next week! This was a weird segment where McKenzie thought she was conducting an interview with Stevie...only Stevie was in her studio. Rathe then let McKenzie ask questions, Stevie let “fans” submit questions and she answered those. A segment like this is weird but McKenzie’s so good at her job that she sold the whole thing beautifully. 4s a Crowd The NXT tag team championship match at Vengeance Day is now a Fatal 4-Way between Gallus, Pretty Deadly, the New Day, and Andre Chase & Duke Hudson! What of Nikkita Nikkita Lyons and that damn knee. Someone assaulted Lyons in that dangerous parking lot and it looks like she might be headed back to the injured list. Mean Girl is Not Going Shopping Cora Jade is sick of Lyra Valkyria. Lyra stuck a feather in Cora’s locker, which isn’t the same as sticking it in her cap. I assume that’s a bad thing because these two are fighting next week. Who’s the Boss? Tony D’Angelo and Stacks hit a Florida Italian restaurant and talked business. Tony has something, or someone, in mind for Stacks’ first task as an underboss. The Questionable ‘80s Flick Continues... Wes Lee met Dijak in the D man’s undisclosed, smoke-filled location. Funny how whenever we show this Dijak universe, the DIU, as it were, we get the grainy CRT filter. Wes is ready for the Vengeance Day challenge and Dijak is ready with corny one-liners. Still Wonder Why He Needs a Haircut Last but not least, Apollo Crews went to Carmelo Hayes’ barbershop, purely to mess with Melo. Seriously, as Trick pointed out last week, Apollo is bald. He doesn’t need a cut. Beard trim? Sure. But a cut? No, sir. Anyway, Melo and Trick showed up and things didn’t get violent. That set is only but so big so they really had no choice. After some verbal sparring (Melo said he’s the better and younger version of Apollo, Apollo said he might be the past but the past predicts the future) they agreed to a best two out of three falls match at Vengeance Day. Not trying to gas it or anything, but this might be the match of the show. Much like last week (and most weeks) they packed a lot into two hours. One thing I’ll always give NXT is that the show never sits still. It reminds me of Attitude Era wrestling in terms of pacing, which sometimes works in its favor and sometimes doesn’t. We got a lot of set up for Vengeance Day and next week’s show, with some solid wrestling in between all of that and an entertaining closing segment. Grade: B |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by MorataFC: 9:31pm On Jan 26, 2023 |
pu7pl3:Nice one👏👍 |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:00pm On Jan 26, 2023 |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 8:20am On Jan 28, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Sami Zayn wasn’t supposed to be at Friday Night SmackDown this week in Laredo, Texas, but he showed up anyway. As The Usos were arriving to the arena, Zayn stopped Jey to give him word, in person, just how much it meant to him that he stood up for him during his trial at RAW Bleep this past Monday night. Jey sent him off, but of course it wasn’t the last we heard from him. In fact, Jey gave him a call later in the show, asking him to come back around again after The Usos were booted out of the building. The result of that call, of course, was Zayn interrupting the main event in their place, where Kevin Owens was battling it out with Solo Sikoa. KO was on the verge of winning the match when Zayn showed up to drag Solo out of the ring. He ate a superkick for his troubles, as Owens avoided it and Solo laid him out. After, KO used a chair to take Sikoa out completely. But when he turned to Zayn, who was still down from the superkick, Owens left him there, tossing the chair to him before walking off while pledging to take the title from Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, Sami,” Owens stopped to say before disappearing to the back. “Where does Sami Zayn stand?!?” asked Michael Cole just after. There are only so many times they can yo-yo this thing but there was some clear story building here and plenty of intrigue heading into the Rumble. Almost as interesting as what happens with Zayn is what it means for Jey. Eyes open. LA Knight came in to Bray Wyatt’s old “Live in Fear” theme and I’ll be damned if it didn’t make me really miss that entire era of Wyatt. There was just something about that whole aesthetic that just worked. Back when the slick tongue could still hypnotize you. Knight cut a hell of a go home promo, saying he stood no chance on RAW Bleep because it was a 2-on-1 with Undertaker there too but when the lights go out at Royal Rumble he’s taking Wyatt’s “dumpy ass” down. That’s a pretty damn good line. Of course, Wyatt responded with a few words, but he wasn’t all that cryptic this time. It was finally more about just selling the match. “Tomorrow night, when the lights go out, you’ll see.” Then, to add to the intrigue, Uncle Howdy was shown out in the audience, looking over the scene, waving his hand like a puppet master pulling the strings. I’m still not the craziest about this story but I’ll be damned if they didn’t hook me just a bit at least in terms of the wanting to see what happens in the match. One thing I miss about the pre-brand split era was the fact that you could count on seeing the biggest stars on any given WWE show. We don’t ever really get that anymore. Until it’s time for Royal Rumble. Indeed, with everyone in town for the big event, that meant we got appearances from the likes of United States Champion Austin Theory, who was interrupted by NXT Tag Team Champions The New Day, only to end up verbally sparring with The Miz, only to see Bobby Lashley hit the scene to run through everyone, only for Brock Lesnar to run in through the crowd and lay Lashley out with an F-5. If there’s one thing pro wrestling is great for, it’s chaotic scenes like this. It doesn’t always have to mean the most — sometimes it can just be great fun. Here, it was both. Not only did we get some good mayhem, we also got Lesnar declaring his intention to enter the Royal Rumble match, where he’ll inevitably run into Lashley once again. It’s starting to feel like this is feud could go all the way to WrestleMania. Do we want that? Let’s see how the Rumble plays out. All the rest -Rey Mysterio scored a win over Karrion Kross in the opener of this show. After building up to this by making like Kross was coming to put Rey out to pasture, having Mysterio win like this sure made Kross look worse but like Rey has a lot left in the tank. We’ll see what that means going forward, but he’s definitely got at least one big WrestleMania program left in him. -Lacey Evans finally made her return and defeated Jazmin Allure in a squash match with the Woman’s Right and then the Cobra Clutch. That’s the submission they’re now pushing her with. She got some promo time after and was heeling on the crowd, who seemed to really enjoy booing her. There’s definitely still some potential here because she comes across as unlikeable as you’d hope. -They found a way to get Drew McIntyre & Sheamus out of the SmackDown Tag Title Contender’s Tournament, having them willingly forfeit their spot so they could run down The Viking Raiders for attacking them from behind. Ricochet & Braun Strowman took their place and immediately booked their ticket to the Final, later joined by Imperium. The way they pulled the bait and switch here makes me far less interested in the end result, even if I understand why they did it. -We got video footage of Sonya Deville crashing an interview with Charlotte Flair and that led to the SmackDown women’s champion telling Adam Pearce she wants to settle this once and for all next week, with the title on the line. So it’s official. There isn’t much to say about it, but the match should be solid. Yet another good show from the blue brand. Your thoughts? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:25am On Jan 29, 2023 |
WWE ROYAL RUMBLE REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Bloodletting “This is beneath you. You don’t need to do this!” With those words, my heart sank. I knew what was coming and I knew why. Sami Zayn sealed his fate and watching it unfold was the only option. Sami watched his former best friend and his Tribal Chief battle to a standstill until the referee took a fall. With the ref out of commission, Roman beckoned Sami for a chair. Sami hesitated and even talked back, replying that Roman told him not to do anything but watch. Roman shouted at him again to get the chair, losing his temper at one point and sound scary in a way that only Roman can. By the time Roman got his hands on the chair, Kevin Owens came to, the ref magically popped up, and the Universal champ found himself on the terribly wrong end of a Stunner. Fifty-thousand people almost lost their minds because for an instant, even if it was fleeting, it looked like KO might finally slay the kingpin. But Roman lived to fight a few more seconds. Actually, a lot more seconds. KO took another spear, and rolled outside of the ring where Sami, who looked conflicted the whole match, begged him to stay down. Sami wanted this thing over before it started, so the sooner the better for him. But Kevin refused because he’s stubborn and, of course, never says die. In a really touching moment, Kevin reached out to Sami and grabbed his leg for support. But Sami never reached back. While all that time passed, Roman got himself together and ambushed KO with a spear through the barricade. That truly was the start of KO’s ending. Roman took his brutality to another level, one that clearly repulsed Sami. Roman slammed the back of Owens’ head into the steel step stairs not once but twice. And both times, Sami winced while Paul Heyman cackled. Roman rolled Owens back into the ring, and pretty much toyed with his opponent for a few minutes like a lion playing with his food. One more spear did it and finally ended the match. But wait, there’s more. A lot more. This is where everything got great and truly elevated this match, this story, and everyone involved. Very few moments in wrestling get me emotionally involved on this level. There was horror movie level tension in the ring when the Bloodline joined the celebration. Jey Uso tried anointing Sami with a lei, but Roman said nah. Not yet. They weren’t finished with Owens, not by a long shot. Sami watched as the Usos brutalized Owens like rabid dogs. They pounded him into a pulp while Roman yelled for Solo. The Usos dropped Owens with a 1D and propped Owens in a corner for a ritual sacrifice. The dread intensified because we all knew the ending. Jimmy & Jey draped a chair around Owens’ neck, then Solo delivered the final body blow as he slammed into the chair at full speed. Again, we knew the outcome. The final blow was always coming from Sami’s hands. But would he? After watching all this brutality, Sami watched as the rest of the Bloodline handcuffed KO to the ropes. He paced as Jey and Jimmy issued Superkick after Superkick after Superkick. And then he stepped forward as Roman approached KO’s limp body with a chair in hand while talking his trash. Sami is his family, not Kevin’s. You mess with his family, then you mess with him. He’s improving Sami’s life and career while Kevin holds him back. Maybe that was the moment it all flipped for Sami. Maybe that was the cherry on top of the very ugly sundae he watched his oldest friend get decimated for what felt like 30 minutes. So Sami stepped in front of Roman’s chair shot. He begged Roman to cool out because this was beneath him. Roman agreed and handed the chair to Sami. These two had the entire crowd eating out of their hands. They begged Sami to intervene on KO’s behalf. They asked him to hit Roman with the chair and after so much pacing and deliberation, he did. The crowd erupted because it was so many months of pent up emotion. But they immediately went silent and feared for him because they, like all of us watching at home, knew what I wrote at the top of this page: Sami sealed his fate. Jey Uso instantly became the most interesting piece of the puzzle. Jey’s seen this story before. He saw his brother stand up to Roman and get beat down because of it. He became Roman’s right hand man out of fear, not just loyalty. And even without all of that, he truly loves Sami Zayn. Jey defending Sami at Raw Bleep and expressing his love for the Honorary Uce truly represented a turning point in this story. Even when Sami hit Roman with the chairshot heard round the Alamo, he apologized to Jey profusely. Jimmy, Roman, and Paul destroyed Sami as Jey watched on from the corner, clearly unhappy. And when given the chance to join in on the reindeer games and put boots to Sami, Jey walked away with tears in his eyes. It was the best. Even everything I’m saying about it doesn’t do it justice. The Bloodline left KO barely conscious and Sami laying in a makeshift bed of roses, while stewing about what’s left of their family and Roman seething as his empire crumbles. Look, I’ve said before that the Bloodline is the best story in wrestling but after tonight, this saga is one of the best stories in wrestling’s long history. The emotion, the way the dots connect, the character development, the catharsis, and the humanity. There are complex human emotions displayed here, which makes every other story in wrestling look pedestrian by comparison. Cody Rhodes has his date at Mania and its well deserved. But whew, Sami vs. Roman is truly where it's at. And what of Jey? Is he permanently leaving the Bloodline or is this just something for the night while he gets his head together? There’s just so much here and all of it tantalizing in its own way. I love it. I want more of it. This is why we watch pro wrestling and why we, when working at its apex, there’s truly nothing like it. Dreams and Nightmares First off, before we get to the winner and a couple other points from this very entertaining and well-booked Royal Rumble, let’s give GUNTHER several gold stars. The Intercontinental champ entered at numero uno and lasted right until the end. If I heard Michale Cole correctly, GUNTHER’s Rumble reign lasted a little more than an hour and 10 minutes. That’s an incredible performance from a man who, in the words of Tony D’Angelo, is now a made guy. The fact he got stronger in the final minutes and looked just as strong at minute 60 that he did at minute one says everything about GUNTHERi’s skills and promise. So, yeah, if you’re in Texas and see GUNTHER, salute him, dap him up, or just buy him a pint on principle. Okay, with that out of the way...Cody Rhodes. Some years, it’s easy predicting a Rumble winner. This was definitely one of those years. But predictable isn’t always a negative. The journey does matter as much the destination in wrestling, and Cody went on a hell of a ride. I initially clutched my pearls at him entering as number 30. The babyface winning from the 30 spot never feels right for me since it usually means no struggle on their part. A heel winning at 30? Sure. Heels like doing things the easy way at all times. But the faces are supposed to earn that W after enduring their personal crucible. But then it got down to Cody vs. GUNTHER and yeah, safe to say Cody earned every inch of this victory. GUNTHER punished Cody’s surgically repaired pectoral with devastating chops. dropkicks, punches, and clotheslines. The Ring General weakened Rhodes with everything in his arsenal since Cody walked into the ring with a giant bullseye literally on his chest. But Cody fought back. He fought through a Sleeper, he nailed GUNTHER with Cody Cutter out of desperation, and, more importantly, he never gave up. Like a goonie, Cody never said die. Even after almost eliminating GUNTHER one found particular moment, he wasn’t phased when GUNTHER turned his body sideways to stop Cody’s leverage and save himself from elimination. Nothing got in Cody’s way and he pulled out all the stops, even paying homage to his big brother with Shattered Dreams, which popped me and the crowd. Through all that punishment, Cody found an opening for Cross Rhodes, and eliminated a staggered GUNTHER over the top rope. Hell of a story and an incredible finish. Now? A two month story worthy of Cody, the Universal champ, Dusty Rhodes, and this particular Rumble performance. And now for some quick one hitters: Edge returned and eliminated Finn Balor & Damian Priest. Priest & Balor got their revenge and helped Dom eliminate Edge (still something I hate about Rumbles), only for Edge to go after both men as they left ringside. Rhea Ripley attacked Edge out of nowhere, providing Beth Phoenix the perfect opening for a surprise return. Phoenix stared a hole through Rhea and nailed her with a spear. Let’s. Do. It. Beth vs. Rhea not now but right now. Booker T and Logan Paul were the other two surprise entrants. Booker didn’t last long but we did get a spinerooni. Paul though? Paul was one of the final four, and even eliminated Seth Rollins. The irony here is the competitors forgot about Paul. Actually, even the commentators did, which definitely has a meta subtext. One thing hard to forget was Ricochet and Logan’s Dragon Ball Z moment where both men collided in mid air after launching themselves at each other with springboards. But Paul eliminating Seth when Seth told Cody, and the world, that this was his moment? Me smells a WrestleMania match between Rollins and Paul. Bobby Lashley eliminated Brock Lesnar and the latter went agro on everything and everyone ringside. Lashley found himself on the short end of the stick shortly thereafter thanks to Rollins. With both men on a collision course to each other, this is fine. Lashley in particular needs to stack Ls because it’s the only way we get to the Hurt Business being back in business. Getting Lashley to his lowest point probably pushes him in MVP’s direction and makes him a more willing listener. Those points, along with the third act story, makes this one of the finer Rumbles in recent history. And it was a hell of a way to start the night and get me, along with San Antonio, hype. Oh, and as an aside, we got 29 men, not 30. Why 29? Because Rey Mysterio never showed when his music hit, and the assumption is Dom did his dad dirty since ex-con Dom hit the ring wearing his father’s mask. One more curious thing: No Bloodline representation in this Rumble. Given Roman’s penchant for stacking the deck in his favor, that’s an interesting narrative omission. Didn’t take away from the match at all, but certainly worth noting. Speaking of Nightmares... Rhea Ripley seemed destined for this spot. Beth Phoenix’s earlier intervention put her Rumble win, and dominance, in question. Ripley ate Beth’s spear and then entered the match at number one! Would she survive? Well, yes, she did, and she did so in spectacular fashion. But let’s start at the point where the match truly gained steam: Asuka’s return. Not only did the Empress of Tomorrow comeback with new music, but she debuted her Murder Clown look for the WWE faithful. She changed the match’s temperature, and business certainly did the thing it does in wrestling. And that symbolizes the Women’s Rumble: big moments, everyone showing out, and sowing seeds for more discontent down the line. We got PIPER NIVEN returning, along with a bunch of awful “dew/do” “drop” puns, and some downright awful Keenan and Kel references that will haunt me for the rest of my days. Chelsea Green made her debut, while also broke a record for the quickest elimination ever at...five seconds. Michelle McCool, who the camera showed earlier in the match, entered the Rumble straight out of the front row while her daughters looked on with awe. McCool took off her hoodie and wrestled in Uggs. Look, wrestling in Uggs is an incredible feet, so give her all the props worth giving because c’mon. She wrestled in Uggs! For several minutes! And of course, we got a surprise at number 30: Nia Jax. Everyone left in the ring teamed up against her. It looked moot for a while there because Nia is a powerhouse. Raquel Rodriguez tried but failed, and even Rhea looked mortal against Jax. But eventually, it was just too much firepower against one person. Once Nia made her unceremonious exit, the match hit yet another gear as we whittled down to our final three. Why am I singling out three and not four? Because Nikki Cross didn’t really make much of a dent as one of the four people. The finish might be one of my favorite Rumble matches ever. Asuka went after both women, not worried about making an alliance or sitting back waiting for an attack. But all three women eventually went over the top rope and battled on the apron. Things got precarious with everyone in jeopardy, but Rhea proved the smartest. Asuka aimed her blue mist at Rhea, but the Nightmare ducked and the mist hit Liv and blinded her. Rhea eliminated Asuka and then took care of Liv. Mami goes to Mania after defying the odds from the number one spot in an excellent Rumble. The finish instituted the perfect amount of suspense, action, and fun. Extracurriculars Howdy Do Well, the Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight corporate sponsored match was definitely a thing. Have you ever been to a rave and wished a wrestling match broke out? Well, you got your wish this fine January weekend. Wyatt dominated this surprisingly short match. In fact, while I wondered why it was so short, the Uncle Howdy shenanigans percolated and I got my answer. Bray attacked LA after the match with a win already in hand, and beat him like he stole his lunch money all the way up the aisle. Knight fought back with a kendo stick, but, yeah, it was all in vain. As soon as they got to the production area at the entrance, guess who showed up. If you said Shawn Michaels, then you’re stuck in 1997. I wish I were you. Anyway, the correct answer is Uncle Howdy. Howdy showed up atop the very high scaffolding, locked eyes with Bray, and then dove onto LA Knight’s lifeless body. Well, actually he clearly missed and hit the pillows. And then we got fireworks, which I assume means Howdy blew up. Right? It was too silly for me and a terrible payoff, if you want to call it that. The problem with Bray’s stories is how they go on for way too long. Everything just goes a tad further than it needs. The fact we still don’t have a resolution to this thing between Howdy & Bray after months of tease is asinine. I like Bray a lot but the minute everything gets spooky with him, it goes off the rails for me. This one is on a different set of tracks entirely and I want off the train. Howdy Don’t Something about Alexa Bliss vs. Bianca Belair didn’t connect with me. It felt cut for time, and came to a very abrupt ending courtesy of Bianca’s KOD. And then we got to the end and I realized at least one reason it went short: more Uncle Howdy. Howdy showed up on the big screen, along with visions of playgrounds and the old Alexa Bliss, accompanied by a voice asking if she still feels in control. Didn’t like the match and just getting tired of the mystery here because we seem no closer to a resolution than we did several weeks ago. Well that was a show. Triple H’s first Royal Rumble is a memorable one. Even with the couple misses for me, the Rumble matches and the brilliance in the main event made this an excellent show. They did a lot right and very little wrong. Grade: A |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Gidah: 11:27am On Jan 29, 2023 |
The commentary’s was fire |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 12:46pm On Jan 29, 2023 |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:28am On Jan 31, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Royal Families Cody Rhodes opened Raw in a way only Cody can: an overly long promo. Don’t get me wrong, it had its moments, but in the words of GZA, make it brief, son. Half short and twice strong. After telling the story of first coming to WWE and recapping his journey from then to now, he got to business. Positioning his WWE family legacy vs. Roman Reigns’ WWE family legacy represents a dope touch and plants some interesting seeds for their eventual clash. Notice I’m not mentioning this match happening at WrestleMania and that’s because of the Sami-shaped elephant in the room. But I digress. Cody’s talking brought out the Judgment Day because Finn Balor had quite the chip on his shoulder. According to Balor, Cody stole everything from him. The Bullet Club, the Too Sweet, the spot in the Rumble, and the overall prestige. All valid complaints from Finn as a character and as an actual human. Finn challenged Cody because even one victory against Cody might go a long way to restoring some of what Finn believes he lost. And then came Edge, still hot for Judgment Day. He and Cody put the blows to Edge’s former crew, and Adam Pearce made the match between Cody and Finn official. This was the first time these two met in a WWE ring but it didn’t feel like it. The very different ring styles and approaches to their storytelling made for a very exciting match. Finn targeted Cody’s pec, because duh, and Cody eventually did himself more harm than good with a delayed vertical suplex from the top rope. Cody’s pec might serve as his main weakness the closer we get to his eventual date with Roman. There might be a story in Cody working himself back into ring shape and taking on different challengers for the next couple months while Roman does what Roman does between now and then. But that’s getting way ahead of myself. For now, the pec didn’t hurt Cody much despite those early misgivings. He hit Finn with a Cody Cutter but Finn kicked out. Balor then surprised Cody with a sling blade and looked like he had at least some of the momentum. Cody countered what was surely a turnbuckle dropkick from Finn with a superkick. The two battled back and forth for a bit until Finn kicked Cody to the ring floor. Judgment Day looked ready to pounce but I never believed in an actual attack because there’s no way they cost Finn this match. In fact, while I liked the match quite a bit, I think I like it more if Finn leaves the troops at home while goes dolo. He was that fired up about this match and a move like that would say tons about his character. But, of course, this match served multiple masters. While the Judgment Day surrounded Cody, Edge made his way out of the stands. Damien Priest spotted him first, made a beeline, and the two fought in the crowd until it spilled over back across the barricade. That’s when all hell broke loose. Edge handled Finn, told Dom Dom night night, and looked great until Rhea sucker punched him. Beth Phoenix emerged, speared Rhea again, which bought Edge just enough time to recover and distract Finn at the exact moment the Prince had Cody in the drop zone for his finisher. Finn missed on the coup de grace. Cody hit him with not one, not two, but three Cross Rhodes, and sent the people home happy. I already said I liked this match a lot. Cody going over is the right call and there’s enough shenanigans for Finn to cry foul if WWE goes back to this well. Does Edge take on Priest, Dom, and Finn at once? Or does he mow through them one by one while Beth gets her shot at Rhea? The configuration is actually the most interesting thing for me here, but I wonder how they keep this going until the first weekend in April if that is indeed the plan. Extracurriculars Elimination Chamber Qualifier 1 Let’s get the disappointing news out the way: This year’s elimination chamber match is for the United States championship. While a part of me understands keeping the big belt off limits until WrestleMania, the other part of me says that’s wack and provides lesser stakes. That said, this thing is only two weeks away so, hey, do what you gotta do. Seth Rollins defeated Chad Gable in a surprisingly psychological match. Gable worked Seth’s knee early and often, resulting in Seth getting the W by the skin of his teeth. Adding some psychology to a qualifier match may seem like putting a hat on top of a hat, but the extra drama worked for me. Suffering a knee injury against someone like Gable normally spells doom. Giving Seth one more thing to overcome, especially after seeing his dreams shatter at Royal Rumble, makes a lot of sense. Seth used Gable’s momentum against him when the latter went for a pinning combo and Seth reversed it into a smooth looking Pedigree. Of course he landed directly on that hurt knee and barely got to a cover in time. Curious to see if Seth’s knee plays a part in his journey between now and Elimination Chamber. Good victory for Rollins, very solid match between two pros, and a fun start for what might be a crazy two weeks. Post-match, Rollins bristled at hearing Logan Paul’s name and walked away from the interview. Paul is definitely his Mania opponent. As an aside though...Maxim Models want a piece of Otis?? I smell problems for Alpha Academy. Blame it on the Numbers Candice LeRae and IYO SKY wrestled a good match with plenty of drama outside the ring. Candice wanted this match as a bit of revenge on Damge CTRL, but she didn’t come alone. Michin has her own beef with Bayley, Kai, & SKY, so watching Candice’s back made sense. I really like watching these two in the ring together. There was one moment early on where they looked a little off but after that, everything flowed like a water stream. My absolute favorite moment came in the third act where LeRae reversed an Electric Chair into a Poison Rana. I saw it and have no idea how Candice pulled that out of her hat. But the drama. Bayley and Dakota got involved during Candice’s pin attempt, distracting the ref and possibly robbing Candice of a victory. Michin saw enough and threw hands at both women. And right when it looked like Candice had IYO right where she wanted her, Bayley got involved again. The Role Model approached the ring and verbalized some not so nice things towards Candice. Mrs. Wrestling took her eyes off the prize, put her hands on Bayley, and found herself on the wrong end of a sunset flip for a three count. So when do Candice & Michin get their title shots? HERE COMES A NEW CHALLENGER Rhea Ripley cut a short, sweet, and strong promo making it very clear who she chooses for her WrestleMania championship match. After telling the story of seeing Charlotte Flair on top for way too long and how she hates the natural order of things and fancies herself a disruptor (shoutout to Glass Onion), she uttered the words said by no Pokemon trainer ever: “Charlotte Flair, I choose you.” These two tangled set the house on fire the last time they tangoed at Mania, so sign me up. And Rhea is hotter than ever, so pencil in my prediction now that the Nightmare takes the title and brings gold to the Judgment Day. HERE COMES A NEW CHALLENGER PART II Adam Pearce, the world’s worst boss, announced a women’s elimination chamber match for a shot at Bianca Belair’s Raw women’s championship. The first four entrants are the four runner ups from the women’s Rumble: Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, Liv Morgan, and Nikki Cross. We’ll find out who gets the fifth spot next week when Candice LeRae, Michin, Piper Niven, and a returning Carmella compete in a Fatal 4-Way. My money is on Piper but I’m very happy for Mella. You know who isn’t happy for her? Asuka. The Empress of tomorrow showed up during Mella’s welcome back interview, said nothing, but smiled as blue goo dripped from her mouth. Yeah, that’s scary, no thank you. As an aside, it looks like Carmella is back to her Princess of Staten Island persona, which is my favorite version of her and really feels like a Triple H touch. Good call, Haitch. Elimination Chamber Qualifier 2 Johnny Wrestling is going to Montreal. Maybe it’s because of all the prior stuff with Dexter on Raw, but I just couldn’t get into this match. Oh, and the fact nothing about Baron Corbin excites me and this Modern Wrestling god thing just isn’t clicking. The match’s weirdest moment? Dexter pulling an axe out of his pants when JBL looked like he might interfere. Dexter also put said axe into the commentary table. This worked better for me in NXT than it does on the main roster where I find myself agreeing with Corey Graves way too often. But hey, the headline is still the headline: Johnny punched his ticket to the Elimination Chamber. Poor MVP Austin Theory paid a rather meandering visit to the MVP Lounge. He and MVP seemed out of rhythm and Theory repeated most of what he always does: He’s the past, everyone is old, and everyone needs to respect him. As I said before, hitting this character really needs to hit the next gear because all of his promos hit the same notes. Business picked up when he and MVP talked about Bobby Lashley. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. The All Mighty hit the ring, assaults Theory, and sizes him up for a spear. Theory pulled MVP in the way at the last second, so Bobby speared the wrong man! The only question I have is what does this do for Bobby, MVP, and their ongoing story? Does Bobby play close to P now knowing he hurt him? Does a reluctant partnership turn to something he wants? Welcome Back, Boogs! Miz stepped in the ring, complained about his Rumble performance, and found himself getting manhandled by Raw’s newest member, Rick Boogs. No real match to speak of, just a man in a double-breasted suit getting tossed around like a child for a few minutes. Just happy Boogs is back after suffering a very nasty injury almost a year ago. Steel Cage Re-do After a disappointing grand opening/grand closing to their cage match at Raw Bleep, Bayley Becky Lynch made it official for next week. Yes, next week, an honest to God cage match between the two. The only weird thing about the promo was Bayley putting Seth’s name in her mouth. Saying the only reason he married Becky is because he knocked her up was a weird shot. That’s not the tenor or tone of the beef so far, so throwing that in as the last minute move just for heat feels extra cheap. Didn’t offend me at all, just threw me for a loop. I did like the touch of Becky threatening Dakota as a means of convincing Bayley to say yes to the match. That’s perfectly in line with The Man character and it also shows Bayley truly does care about her girls. Fun segment overall. Well, Excuse Me Bronson Reed qualifies for the fourth spot in the men’s Elimination Chamber. But whew, he did it in dominating fashion against Dolph Ziggler. I didn’t expect a beatdown so thorough. Yes, Ziggler got his stuff in, but Reed kicked out of a Zig Zag and basically threw Dolph around like a child or a rubber ball. I really expected an appearance from Mustafa Ali. They cut to a backstage interview earlier in the day where Ali interrupted Byron Saxton and asked Dolph how it feels to have yet another opportunity handed to him. I’m not sure what’s happening between these two because, if memory serves, Ali got pretty violent with Dolph not that long ago. And yet, no match, Ali isn’t interfering in big moments for Dolph like this week, and he seemingly does more talking than action. Which never ingratiates anyone to the crowd ever. I love Ali, so I’m always interested in what he does, but we gotta make some moves here. My only true knock on this show is the lack of follow-up on Sami Zayn and the Bloodline. I know, I know, they’re saving it for Friday and this was clearly Cody’s night, but if I’m keeping it real, that’s the one thing I cared about the most heading into this week’s Raw. This show moved, set up a lot in three hours, established some potential matches, and got us ready for Elimination Chamber. Crazy that’s only two weeks away. Grade: B+ |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 11:13am On Feb 01, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS College Try The Chase U story fascinates me. I know I’m not the only one waiting for the other sneaker to drop when it comes to Duke Hudson. And for the past couple weeks, it looked like that finally happened. NXT Anonymous caught Duke on camera saying things hurtful behind Andre Chase’s back. JD McDonagh took pity on Duke for playing on a losing team. And then Duke walked out on Andre during a tag match! But it turned out Duke requested a tag team championship match for he and Chase. The New Day granted that request under the condition that Chase U defeats two other teams on the NXT before Vengeance Day. Surely, the sneaker drops here, right? In another twist, at least for me, the answer is no! Chase U took on The Dyad, and Malik Blade and Edris Enofe in a very fun and chaotic triple threat tag match. The Dyad, the only true heels, often looked like the more well-oiled machine because that gives the babyface a pretty big obstacle. Earlier in the match, Andre Chase found himself all alone against The Dyad with no one to tag because Joe Gacy’s boys took out everyone. But even then, Hudson looked like getting back on the apron was the last thing on his mind. Which looked extra shady. And maybe that moment comes back to haunt Chase at Vengeance Day, but it seemed irrelevant on this episode because of everything that followed. Edris & Malik, who keep getting better, got busy and took out The Dyad with high risk maneuvers, tandem offense, and sheer power. The more The Dyad looked out of sorts, Chase U gained strength. I say that literally because Andre Chase summoned Hercules’ strength for a double powerbomb off the top rope that sent The Dyad and Enofe tumbling down in the middle of the ring. After Andre fired up the Chase U section with a little call and response beatdown, the end started looking clear but I wasn’t sold. But I knew Chase U had it in the bag the minute Ava Raine got involved and Thea Hail said “nah.” Thea is dynamite in a bottle and it’s a big deal that someone finally stepped up to Ava. Duke and Andre took over from that point, hitting the Fratenizer tandem move, and getting their date with destiny at Vengeance Day. The fact that their tandem moment came at the end of the match and when it mattered most tells the story of their partnership. I still don’t trust Duke. I think this whole thing blows up and these two go one-on-one at Stand & Deliver, but I hope I’m wrong. Not because I’m enamored with the story, but because I like when any story plays against expectations and subverts. Maybe Duke really is down for the cause and the team. Maybe this is a meta thing about not excepting change or allowing growth from people we already pegged as villains. All of that would be cool. That said, Chase U becoming NXT tag champs feels right. Extracurriculars Big Strong Wow Ever so often, we get matches that defy words. I know I can't do them justice so I tell you to watch the match. Axiom vs. Tyler Bate is one of those matches. Stop what you’re doing now and watch it. Two evenly matched cats with different styles and a ton of respect between them. They wrestled in the name of friendly competition, much to Damon Kemp’s chagrin. And...nope, I’m not doing it. Just watch the match. Meaty Men Slapping... Cue the Big E gif. The Creed Bros. squared off against Indus Sher...finally. And it didn’t disappoint for the most part, but I wanted more time. As much build up towards this match, and as big as the men are, this really needs a big stage. Luckily for us (or just me) the ending sets up a future encounter. The Creeds played the speed game while Veer Mahaan & Sanga slowed everything down. They went high impact but very methodical and often cut the ring in half, isolating Julius Creed from Brutus Creed as Julius took most of the minutes. The highlight? Julius powerbombing Veer. It was truly a sight and if you see nothing else from this match, make sure you see that. Jinder got involved, Ivy Nile got in his face right on the ring apron but apparently at the wrong time. Julius collided into Ivy after Sanga reversed his Irish whip. Julius sat stunned after realizing he hurt Ivy and Brutus immediately rushed to her side. That left his brother all alone in the ring and Indus Sheer got the win thanks to a lariat followed by a mean choke slam. What of Indi? Indi Hartwell wrestled Zoey Stark this week and you know what? I have no idea what they’re doing with Indi. Every time it looks like she might get a push and go on a roll, they yank her back to earth. Zoey dominated this match. Sure, Indi got some stuff in and it wasn’t a squash, but it’s hard coming away from this match with any impression other than Indi isn’t on Zoey’s level, at least in kayfabe. Sol Ruca made the save after Zoey went agro on Indi post match, which furthers a beef between these two. Also seems like Sol is taking Indi’s spot in the NXT pecking order. Welcome to the Darkside Isla Dawn and alba Fyre completed a spooky ritual together, completing her heel turn. I like both of them separately so I’m very curious how this story plays out with them on the same team. And, of course, how they manage the eventual breakup. Live and in Living Color Two things standout about the interview between Roxanne Perez and Toxic Attraction. First, Gigi broke ranks and let the cat out the bag when she said “I” instead of “we” as it relates to becoming NXT Women’s champ. And two, I like when Roxanne realized talking over Toxic Attraction wasn’t happening. So, rather than going toe to toe with two people verbally, she let her fists talk for her. It’s indicative of the match itself. While Gigi and Jacy are busy congratulating themselves or competing with each other, she just wants a fight. The moment made her look strong, dominant, and smart. She emotionally manipulated Gigi and Jacy into thinking they stumped her and hurt her feelings. Then she attacked when they least expected it. Stevie’s Here! Stevie Turner made her NXT debut against Dani Palmer. And she looked good dominating with a mean pump kick, a pretty DDT, and a Side Effect finisher that looked very powerful. Stevie’s persona doesn’t completely work for me, but she’s not boring and I like what I saw in the ring. Let’s keep it going. Visionz Apollo Crews stood on a Charlotte rooftop taking about his visions. One thing raised my eyebrow. Crews said if Trick Williams gets involved, he’ll get handled. And then someone appeared in shadow just long enough to get my attention and my curiosity. Crews snapped out of it as if he saw a ghost. So yeah, seems like there’s a surprise coming at Vengeance Day. If anyone knows who that is or has a great guess, please drop it in the comments. Drew’s Shortcuts Charlie Dempsey and Drew Gulak put on a wrestling match. Which makes sense given the way both men present themselves. We got headlocks, takedowns, submission holds, sleepers, and just a lot of mat wrestling. It wasn’t all that way; Gulak hit Dempsey with a pump kick as the match wound down, but then found himself right back in a Chicken Wing. With Hank Walker cheering on his teacher while standing a little too close to the ring, Gulak used Dempsey’s own momentum, lunged Dempsey off his back, and right into Hank’s head. That provided Drew the opening he needed for a schoolboy pin and win. I really liked the match but didn’t like the finish. I get that it continues the story of Drew being an awful teacher and this toxic relationship with Hank, but the match’s quality deserved a more meaningful ending and a less cheap one. Justice Served? I throw in the question mark because a match between Dijak and Von Wagner feels like my kryptonite. I’m just not into these two, although I understand why Dijak needs a match before his North American championship match. No argument here at all. I’m not sure if wrestling Von Wagner is the wya to do it. It is, however, a good excuse for a hoss fight. But this wasn’t even a great hoss fight! Dijak got the win while Wes Lee sat at the commentary table, but I just didn’t care. There’s something that doesn’t connect with me about these big men. However, I do like the fact Wes instigated this match and played both men like fiddles. It shows his smarts, adaptability, and resourcefulness. Wes tried selling Dijak as this huge threat prior to this impromptu match but I just don’t buy it. The presentation doesn’t relay that info to me, meaning it’s a lot of telling and not showing. Sounds like NXT is on the same wavelength when it comes to Von Wagner’s character. Later in the episode, Robert Stone asked the million dollar question: Who is Von Wagner? He’s big, he growls, but that’s all he knows about the guy and it’s all anyone knows. Stone wants to know who Wagner is and that’s the only way he can make it to the next level. If we don’t know who he is, we don’t care and right now, Stone doesn’t even care. Stone followed all of that with Jerry Maguire’s famous words: help me help you. THANK YOU! Geez, that’s the one complaint I have about the guy. He’s dull as dishwater and I know nothing about him therefore nothing he does in the ring matters. Who Hurt Ms. Lyons? McKenzie Mitchell gave an update on Nikkita Lyons and then provided a thorough crime scene examination. Someone took Nikkita out on the NXT’s last episode. And almost every woman in the locker room is a suspect or at least an eyewitness. I like whodunit mysteries and it gives the entire locker room something to do. Zoey is the obvious suspect but I hope for a bigger reveal than that. Very few things truly excited me about this show. I didn’t find much to complain about either, but nothing really floored me. Maybe it’s also just the penalty of expectations because the last couple days spoiled us as wrestling fans. Especially Saturday. I am a lot more intrigued about the tag team championship match now than I was a week ago, so that’s a plus. Grade: B |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 11:51am On Feb 04, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Crumbling Bloodline There are so many little things WWE has done well in this story with The Bloodline. They continued that this week on Friday Night SmackDown when Roman Reigns was raging at Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa about Jey Uso having up and disappeared ever since Royal Rumble. When Jimmy didn’t do exactly as he pleased, as quickly as he did, Reigns ordered him to go find Jey. But when he did so, he said “I want to know where your brother is.” Not “our.” It speaks to Reigns and the way he chooses to control the group as a whole. You are in with him only when you’re actively an asset to him and when you are not, he doesn’t claim you. It’s a classic manipulation tactic that keeps those who care on a string, always looking for that approval, always being let down. Until they finally get out, like Jey did. Roman’s chief concern wasn’t Jey and how he’s feeling but the timing of this going down at all. It’s WrestleMania season and there are threats to the throne and he needs the family to be a cohesive unit now more than ever. “If we’re not, there ain’t no more of this.” When it came time, Reigns sent Jimmy and Solo off to eat catering so he could hit the ring himself and tell us how he feels about Sami Zayn. He wanted to talk Cody Rhodes — someone who actually deserves his attention, he said — but the fans wanted him to talk about Sami, so he told us what he learned when he looked into Sami’s eyes. That he’s greedy. He just wants more and more when Roman has already given so much. The bastard. Zayn, to the delight of everyone, showed up to attack him from behind. When Reigns got the upper hand, Sami hit him with a Spear. He grabbed a chair but before he could deliver another cathartic smack, the champ bailed out of the ring. Zayn made it clear with his words shortly after that he never wanted anything before but he damn sure does now. The championship. Jimmy and Solo showed up then, right there to do what The Bloodline always does. Before they could fully take Zayn out with a chair around his neck, Reigns put a stop to it and granted Sami’s wish, so that he could really send a message. They’ll fight for the title in Montreal at Elimination Chamber in front of Sami’s entire family, so he can take Sami away from them like Sami took Jey away from him. This was all really great, a perfect follow up to what happened at Royal Rumble. Bray Wyatt-ness You didn’t think this thing was over, did you? Of course it’s not! You didn’t think they would speed up the pace a little, did you? Of course they didn’t! Okay, I’m mostly messing about here. I’m not crazy about all this supernatural stuff but at least they’re telling an involved story that they’re making sure we know they’re going to continue on with. It’s a low bar but I’m giving them the credit for clearing it. And, hey, if that’s actually who we think it is playing Uncle Howdy there’s a LOT more potential in all this. So I’ll do what so many love to tell me to — wait and see. All the rest -Braun Strowman & Ricochet def. Imperium to win the SmackDown Tag Team Title Contender’s Tournament. They’ll get their shot at The Usos next week. This was the end result they had to get to, considering they weren’t going to book a heel program and they decided against having The Banger Bros go up against the champions right now. This match was fine, and next week’s match will likely be solid too, but it feels out of place with everything else going on around The Bloodline right now. They could use that to play into things, and I’ll give them credit if they do, but I’m not terribly excited about this one. -They shot an angle involving NASCAR with drivers backing Rey and Dominik Mysterio en route to the two racing each other on the track. This was just some good old brand synergy, with FOX getting promotion for both shows. Rey won the race after quoting Ricky Bobby and Dom claimed foul play while blaming the absence of Rhea Ripley on his loss. This was actually kind of cool, even though I've never been into racing. -Charlotte Flair successfully defended her SmackDown women’s championship against Sonya Deville, tapping her with the Figure Eight. The match was solid, and they’re still finding their way navigating Flair as a babyface champion. I’ll admit it didn’t feel all that natural, no pun intended, this week but if the idea is to just let her go out and have some good matches with talented wrestlers while actively defending her title, I’m not at all against that. -The Viking Raiders beat up The Brawling Brutes, and that was simply a way to get to The Banger Bros hitting the scene to put the boots to them. They didn’t go anywhere else with it beyond that, at least not yet, but it’s clear there’s more to come. And when it does, it should be a … sigh … banger. -Natalya won a Fatal 4-Way to earn entry into the women’s Elimination Chamber match later this month in Montreal. It was a pretty good 4-Way for being a TV match that was never going to get a ton of time. Nattie doesn’t seem to be a favorite to win the eventual Chamber match but they had to get her on the card in Montreal. I mean, come on, right? It’s pretty rare that SmackDown doesn’t deliver an enjoyable show. This was no different |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:32am On Feb 07, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Steel Cage Redux I never questioned this match’s quality. It’s Bayley and Becky Lynch in a cage! We missed out on this a couple weeks ago at Raw Bleep so fittingly (for me) we get it this week. I liked how vicious it got because Bayley made this personal when she mentioned Becky’s family. Becky talked a lot of trash and slammed her opponent’s head into the cage several times. Both women worked rather stiff and truly made the stipulation worthwhile. But things got interesting during the third act. Of course Damage CTRL got involved the minute Becky and Bayley battled on top of the cage. Bayley tumbled down faster than Humpty Dumpty and IYO SKY, the one member not on crutches thanks to Lynch’s actions last week, blocked Becky from exiting. Something about this match screamed for a big reveal at the end. Becky or Bayley winning isn’t a big hook for next week, especially during WrestleMania season. And that’s when a familiar tune blared out the speakers. Welcome back, Lita! Lita preened to the crowd a bit, jogged to the ring, and assisted Becky. She attacked SKY, snatched Kai’s crutch, and slammed the cage door on Bayley’s face. Bayley stumbled backwards into a Manhandle Slam, got the W, and sent the home crowd home happy as she and Lita embraced. These two interacted in Saudi Arabia almost exactly a year ago at Elimination Chamber in Saudi Arabia. I’m so curious how this story unfolds and they explain Lita’s change of heart. Becky idolized Lita and Lita felt incredibly disappointed that she possibly inspired such behavior during Becky’s Big Time Bex phase. Color me intrigued and it’s a nice wrinkle for this feud between Becky and Bayley that freshens it up. Flowers I don't know if Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman planned their promo. I hope they didn’t because that’s part of wrestling’s magic. At least they didn’t plan the beginning. Cody came out with Sami Zayn on his mind because, hey, things might change in Montreal. Cody, dressed like a railroad tycoon, gave Sami all the props in the world before Paul Heyman walked to the ring. And that’s where things shifted before shifting again, which is something Heyman does with ease. Cody got real, thanking Paul for giving Dusty Rhodes a job in 2000 when the family had about $100 in their respective bank accounts and Dusty did local car commercials in exchange for keeping his car. Heyman gave Dusty confidence and self-respect, while giving the whole family the life raft they desperately needed. A speechless Heyman stood stuck with tears falling down his eyes. Cody then thanked Paul for showing him how to disrupt the business when Cody started AEW—which he didn’t mention by name—and the crowd gave their own adulation for the man once known as Dangerously. Paul’s great because he takes something like that, gives a real reaction, and finds his way back to the business at hand. He talked about his admiration for Dusty and the Rhodes family, but he reminded everyone this is still about Cody. Cody has a chance to beat Roman and do something no one else in his family accomplished. Paul sowed doubt in Cody’s mind, as he should, and then got back to Dusty. He referenced Dusty training all these future WWE stars while working at the Performance Center. Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, and, yes, Roman Reigns. But he didn’t train Cody. While most people might take that as a diss, Heyman sees it as a compliment. Like I said, the man mixes sweet and bitter better than almost anyone. Sure, Dusty didn’t train him, but that’s possibly because he wanted Cody to be his own man and not live in Dusty’s larger-than-life shadow. Heyman loved Dusty more than words convey and Dusty told him personally just how much he loved Cody. Great, right? Well, yeah, then came the bitterness. Heyman remarked that during their last conversation, Dusty told Paul that Cody was his favorite son...but Reigns is the son he always wanted. Whew, Lord have mercy. That perfect mix of real and wrestling worked beautifully here. I love Reigns’ promo skills but Heyman was and is the perfect foil for Cody because of his connection to Dusty. More importantly, he exploits that relationship and history in a way Roman would never. It doesn’t give their feud as much juice as Sami vs. Roman, but it’s a great start. Heyman is WWE’s clean-up hitter for a reason. Extracurriculars Four Hours Later... Brock Lesnar cut a hilarious promo tonight. After greeting Orlando with “good evening,” Brock explained why Bobby Lashley stays on his mind. The best part was how he noted that Bobby’s on his mind when he crawls into bed with his wife. Of course, Bobby only creeps into his psyche four hours later. Brock, you sly dog. Lesnar wants Lashley at Elimination Chamber and even has the contract ready for the All Mighty’s signature. Not so fast, according to Lashley. He wants his agent, manager, and lawyer to put eyes on that piece of paper before he signs anything. But Lashley literally poked the bear before he left the ring, poking Lesnar’s nose as part of his oneupmanship. Unsurprisingly, Brock’s temper got the best of him. He dished out not one but two F-5’s to Lashley and left the contract on his chest. Fun segment that leaves me wondering how Bobby responds. The Omen: Damian Every show runner or head writer has their signature style. For Aaron Sorkin, its rapid-fire dialogue often said on the move. For Triple H, it’s an opening promo segment that segues into the episode’s first match. That’s how we got to Angelo Dawkins vs. Damian Priest this week, with the two squaring off after Edge and Beth Phoenix called out Judgment Day. Edge applauded the fact that his plan for Judgment Day kinda worked. Each member, including Dom Dom, is in a better position now than they were a year ago, even if that success came at his expense. He’s 1000 percent correct too. Count me as one of the naysayers of this group once Edge exited stage left as the entire thing relied on Edge’s image. But I’m so happy I was wrong as the group steals the show almost every week. But enough about that. After Beth and Edge challenged Finn Balor & Rhea Ripley to a tag match at Elimination Chamber, Finn accepted while Dom said yes on mami’s behalf (Rhea was absent tonight). The three men surrounded Hall of Fame couple and a fight broke out. Cue Angelo Dawkins, who rushed the ring like ring with the fervor of me at a sneaker drop. A couple punches later and their Elimination Chamber qualifier match commenced. Whew, we got an absolute brawl. Whether it was Dawkins launching Priest across the commentary table, Priest uppercutting Dawkins in mid-air, or just the absolute bombs they threw at each other towards the end. These are big men and they wrestled the appropriate match for powerful men their size. We also got a Swanton Dive from Angelo, who improves every week. Very cool opening match that Priest won with the South of Heaven. Which makes sense because Judgment Day needs representation in Montreal. Also, the idea of putting the Profits against each other in the chamber just feels wrong. At least for now. Speaking of Which... Montez Ford defeated Elias, solidifying his spot in the Elimination Chamber. Solid match, nothing worth crowing about or even writing that much about. Plus, no diss to Elias, but this was a forgone conclusion. Austin Theory joined commentary and then found himself on the wrong end of a Seth Rollins attack post match. Everyone wants the champ. Mela..Is..Money I don’t know if I said it here before but I’m a big Carmela fan. I thought her character work on SmackDown Live in 2016 was fantastic and her wrestling improved on the regular. While I’ll never call her the best wrestler, she understands just how much personality matters and gets that personality over every time she’s in the ring. Returning to her original gimmick only enhances that. Seeing her return in a 4-Way dance for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match felt good, if only because of the personal trials and tribulations she endured during her hiatus. That said, I’m happy she won! Battling against Piper Niven, Michin, and Candice LeRae, Mela did what she does best which is outsmart her opponents. It worked because all four women, especially Piper, Michin, and Candice, punished each other. Piper’s name change brought out her aggression, while Michin and Candice tried preserving their friendship, which is a bit impossible in this situation. Carmela put Candice in the corner, put the boots to her, talked a lot of trash moonwalked, and dodged Piper Niven’s cannonball, which pummeled LeRae. Mela super kicked Niven out of the ring and pinned a dazed and confused LeRae for the big W. Business... Bottomline? Shelton Benjamin & Cedric Alexander defeated Alpha Academy handedly and cleanly, with MVP in their corner. Nothing else matters, people! We’re getting closer to the Hurt Business... Resident Velociraptor Interrupts Woman Calling Manager WWE doesn’t often do pop culture things well as of late. I’m sure a lot of that has to do with the dirty, old man who ran creative. Triple H seemingly has a better handle on these things though, and Chelsea Green’s Karen character illustrates it best. Green’s interactions with the world’s worst manager, Adam Pearce, are pitch perfect. This week, she pulled that “call your manager” threat one time too many. Green demanded a match...or else. Well, Pearce gave it to her and unfortunately for Chelsea, Pearce picked Asuka. Asuka decimated Green with rest of the women’s elimination chamber participants standing ringside. That got a little wonky because they weren’t there as lumberjacks nor did they show any inclination to interfere. We found out after Asuka’s victory that the women amassed for a short and sweet Bianca Belair promo. Bianca entered the arena, put over all six women, and told them she’ll see the winner in Cali. Psycho God First off, Kevin Patrick said swinging a hatchet at someone, which Dexter Lumis did last week, is not a crime. Bruv, swinging a hatchet at someone is definitely a crime. I digress. This match between Baron Corbin and Lumis wasn’t much of a match. Corbin’s taking mad L’s since hitching his wagon to JBL. Lumis is yet another who showed the modern day wrestling god that he’s barely a demigod much less a full blown deity. JBL looked like a man ready to rescind Corbin’s godhood after his protege fell victim to yet another three count. Which is exactly what happened later in the show but whew, I didn’t expect that level of severity. JBL said he was “must see television” while Corbin is “channel changing television.” That hurt me! And I don’t even like Corbin! Corbin said he can do better but JBL says you can’t polish a turd. Ouch. If that’s not burying Corbin then I don’t know what the term means. Really dope show. The first hour flew by, the middle dragged a bit, but the last hour found its momentum once again. Elimination Chamber is shaping up nicely. Grade: A |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by samistry(m): 12:53pm On Feb 07, 2023 |
Please gather here to pay last respects to Dijak's fingers |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by Debroslink: 1:51pm On Feb 07, 2023 |
samistry: Please post viewers' discretion next time. It's really disgusting! |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by samistry(m): 2:12pm On Feb 07, 2023 |
Removed Debroslink: |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:59pm On Feb 07, 2023 |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 2:47pm On Feb 08, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Toxicity Well, I never expected to hear “hobo banged a Chucky doll” on my television this week, but here we are. Bayley visited NXT this week for a special “Ding Dong, Hello” with Toxic Attraction. Toxic Attraction without Mandy Rose was a fascinating experiment and as of now, it looks like that experiment is over. Bayley showed up with hopes that she might heal the bonds between Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne after they came up short at Vengeance Day. For a moment, it looked like she might. After Jacy got that Chucky doll line out the way, and Gigi retorted that looking up at the lights on your back is the Jacy Jayne position. Whew. But Bayley talked sense into both of them and they relented. They apologized to each other and seemingly made up. Jacy said she gets nasty when she’s competitive. Gigi acknowledged they need each other since they ostracized everyone else. Bayley agreed! Toxic Attraction talked about going after the WWE Women’s tag team championships and of course Bayley shot all of that down immediately. But she patted herself on her back nonetheless as Gigi & Jacy stood together and raised each other’s hands. Then, of course, the Shawn Michaels-Marty Jannetty moment. Jacy super kicks Gigi into the “Ding Dong, Hello” door. Unfortunately, the door didn’t pop openor break down but hey, I got the point. Jacy as the heel here makes sense. But Gigi, even in this segment, shows she has the most talent between the two. I can’t imagine Jacy as the face though. I can’t fathom feeling empathetic for Jacy or hoping she conquers any odds. But Gigi? Yeah, I can do all that for her. Some people are just natural heels and Jacy fits that mold perfectly. However...I do think recreating the barbershop moment feels a tad lazy and on the nose. I know, I know, Shawn’s running things. But it feels unearned for these two. I’m looking forward to next week because the most important step is always the next step. Extracurriculars Dragonheart Carmelo Hayes’ road leads to Bron Breakker but said road has quite a few bumps. JD McDonagh made an appearance this week, telling the former A-Champ that he’s not ready for the big belt nor can he lead the brand. All of that is funny coming from JD, a man who already lost to Bron and proved he isn’t ready to lead the brand or carry the big belt. But I digress. To my shock, this match started the show’s second hour rather than main eventing. And I kept wondering why. Yes, even through the really good match these two put on, I wondered why so early. Even when the match showed continuity as JD attacked Melo’s ribs after Apollo Crews went to town on said ribs at Vengeance Day, I wondered why. And then Ilja Dragunov’s music hit and I finally got my answer. Dragunov made a beeline to the ring, manhandled Trick Williams, and distracted JD long enough for Melo to catch him off guard with an inside cradle and get the W. For all the trash JD talks, he still wants none of Dragunov and Ilja still has unfinished business with the methodical madman. Melo got out of dodge as Dragunov attacked JD. Unfortunately for him, and us McDonagh ran off before Dragunov really got to him the way he wanted. I like heating up Melo by having him face JD, which also gets the crowd more on Melo’s side. I even questioned if they’re turning Bron heel or just turning Melo more into a face or at least a tweener. Facing JD this week, plus sweeping Apollo with busted ribs? That’s the type of stuff the crowd loves and turning that Stand & Deliver audience against Melo might prove difficult. Sol Survivor I didn’t see this coming. I didn’t see Zoey Stark defeating Sol Ruca. Sol looks a lot better in the ring than she did months ago, as she should, and it helps having a solid dance partner like Stark. But I figured they keep Sol’s momentum going with a big W here. What we got instead was NXT splitting the proverbial baby. Stark got the win but didn’t leave well enough alone. She attacked Sol post match, adding insult to the other thing, but ended up regretting it almost immediately. Sol snatched Zoey’s soul and left her lying in the middle of the ring. I’d prefer they just let Stark get the W rather than letting her look like the loser at the end of it. Or just give Sol the flukey win. Never really a fan of someone losing the battle but winning the war, as it were. Pick on Someone Your Own Size! Grayson Waller disrespected Shawn Michaels after Vengeance Day and Tyler Bate took it very personally. So much so that he challenged Waller to a match next week since the Aussie is currently “suspended.” Domination Remember when Dante Chen was a thing? NXT probably doesn’t because they used him as cannon fodder this week. Chen went one-on-one with Dabba Kato, who didn’t actually look Chen in his eyes until the big man got to one knee. That was Chen’s best chance at a W, but even then, c’mon. This was academic and yeah, the returning big man got the W. Apparently Apollo Crews did something that pissed off the big man. During a very short post match interview, he told us all that Crews “knows what he did” and that’s why he “dropped his ass.” I guess Apollo didn’t see that, did he? Stack Bundles I keep waiting for Odyssey Jones to pop but maybe my eyes should look at one Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo. He is, after all, the underboss. It’s crazy how Jones seemingly tumbled out of favor tough. But Stacks wining makes sense given that prior to this match, he and Tony D’Angelo approached Wes Lee about the help they gave at Vengeance Day. Their beef with Dijak benefited Lee and they expect full compensation. We’re getting a North American championship open challenge next week, and both men want to play. So, yeah, making Stacks look good going into that feels right. This or That? Wendy Choo and Elektra Lopez are battling for Valentina Feroz’s soul. During Feroz’s match with Lyra Valkyria, Lopez showed up ringside and slid Feroz some brass knuckles. Choo, who accompanied Feroz to the ring, begged her friend not to use the foreign object. Feroz hesitated but ultimately said nah. Either because she refused to cheat or because she took her eyes off the prize, Feroz took another L. Lopez shook her head in disappointment while Choo consoled her friend. Spilt Something During Briggs & Jensen’s surprise party for Kiana James & Fallon Henley, Pretty Deadly and Chase U got into it. And I mean, they really got into it because Andre Chase cursed up a storm. Pretty Deadly looked terrible since apparently they haven’t slept since they lost yet another chance at tag team gold. Since this is a wrestling, someone scheduled a match between two teams. I like the idea of a disheveled Pretty Deadly. They looked awful and didn’t even bother wearing ring gear. In fact, during the match, one of them even asked “what’s the point?” Great touch that I really appreciated. Thia Hail didn’t accompany her boys this week. Why? Glad you asked. Ava Raine kidnapped her after Thea verbally berated Tiffany Stratton for the way she talks about Chase U. The wild part? It didn’t happen in the parking lot. Chase U took an L once Thea returned screaming and clearly upset. Whatever Raine did to her clearly upset her. If not for that brief interruption, Chase U gets the win here and that’s my main takeaway. Gallus showed up afterward in the Crow’s Nest with their eyes set on Un-Pretty Deadly, but Chase U deserves a run with these tag titles. Even if it’s a short one. Rox-C No Mates? Kayden Carter & Katana Chance are pissed. They got cheated out of their championships and believe nobody cares. They’re so mad, they even interrupted Roxanne Perez’s victory interview. The former champs came at Perez hard, telling her she has no friends and challenge her to a match next week if she can phone a friend. Turns out Roxanne has some dope friends in high places because next week, it’s Carter & Chance vs Perez and...Meiko Satomura. The former champs might regret sticking their noses where they don’t belong, which feels like the theme this week. Diamond Clarity So Isla Dawn thinks she’s Enola Holmes now? I’m confused why someone like Dawn cares about who injured Nikkita Lyons. Nothing in her character screams “concern for others” or that she’s some champion for justice. Accusing Tatum Paxley before their match came off as weird. Maybe she did it to get into Tatum’s head? Possibly creating a rift between she and the Diamond Mine, with whom her affiliation seems tenuous or...honorary? My guess is the latter since Paxley hit the ring sans Ivy Nile and after Dawn got the W, it looked like she and Alba Fyre had nefarious plans for Tatum. Ivy made the save, but I think Isla & Alba have designs on making their twosome into a trio, and Paxley is the target. I like that idea. I also reserve the right to be completely wrong. The match itself was short and didn’t do much for me because I spent most my time wrapping my head around the why. This felt like a much better paced show than usual. A solid show from top to bottom that maintained its sense of urgency throughout. Those are my thoughts. Right or wrong, it’s just how I felt at the time. How do you feel? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:08am On Feb 11, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Remember when Sami Zayn was a conspiracy brained madman running about aimlessly trying to convince anyone who would listen that WWE had it out for him? Now he’s the voice of reason, left to be the only man willing to stand in front of the great Paul Heyman on Friday Night SmackDown this week and break down all the ways Roman Reigns is gaslighting and manipulating everyone in his family. My oh my, how times have changed. Meanwhile, they went the only route they could in regards to how to handle the fact that Cody Rhodes is already scheduled to face Reigns for the title at WrestleMania — they simply had Zayn acknowledge as much by saying “tell Roman don’t worry about him, I’ll be taking the titles off his hands before he ever gets that far.” Hey, it’s better than nothing. I will admit this would all hit a lot harder if the Cody match wasn’t looming over it, but it’s not the worst problem to have two hot as hell programs to shuffle. Then again, imagine how much harder they could have hit this with an emotional Sami promo if they were truly committed to it. But they can’t be. What could have been. The other half of the story of the split within The Bloodline played out with The Usos. Jimmy couldn’t get a hold of Jey, even all this time after Royal Rumble. Even Heyman and Jimmy were left bickering a bit about how everyone else was gone and they didn’t even have each other’s backs. Where was Jey? Right there, as it turned out. And wouldn’t you know it, he showed up to help defend the titles and made sure his brother was okay. And then he went and won the damn match, saving his brother along the way. And then he made it clear with his words that he’ll always be there for Jimmy. But what about Roman and the rest of The Bloodline? “I don’t know.” Later still, Jey ran into Sami backstage. Zayn thanked him for what he did at Royal Rumble, and made his best pitch to his friend — we are on the verge of something special, Reigns is going down, and Jey doesn’t have to go down with the ship. He wants this, deep down in his heart, as much and maybe in some ways even more than Sami does. A choice will have to be made. Maybe not now. But soon. And because they probably won’t get to talk again before the big moment, Sami had to make this plea now. He had to state his case and hope for the best, and that’s all that’s left to do on his side. “I acknowledge you.” He offered his fist for a bump. Jey was hesitant but ultimately reciprocated. Even later, Heyman told Jimmy to stay home next week because “sometimes you see things on TV that you don’t see when you’re here live.” Indeed. Elimination Chamber can’t get here soon enough. All the rest -Hit Row complained about mistreatment to Adam Pearce before the show, so they were thrown into a match against the Banger Bros, Sheamus & Drew McIntyre, which was originally scheduled for the tag title contender’s tournament before the Banger Bros forfeited their spot just to chase after The Viking Raiders. That still doesn’t make much sense, especially since they decided to just go ahead with this match here anyway. Hit Row were destroyed, of course, and couldn’t be colder on the blue brand. We’ll get the Banger Bros vs. Viking Raiders match next week. -Lacey Evans was back this week, beating up a local athlete, who was there to put her over as much as possible. That’s what happened too, with Evans winning easy with the Cobra Clutch. The fans love to hate her, and while they’re taking their time, there’s obvious potential here. -Natalya called Shayna Baszler a “knock off Ronda Rousey,” which incensed Baszler, who made sure everyone knew she’s been doing everything Rousey has done even before Rousey was doing it. That brought Rousey herself out, for the first time in weeks. A feud with Baszler maybe? Nope! They linked up to put the boots to Nattie, and then Shotzi when she tried to hit the scene to save Natalya. -Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green complained to management about not making it into the women’s Elimination Chamber match, so they were thrown into a tag team match against two women who did make it, Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan. You don’t even need me to tell you how this played out. It was fine for what it was. I don’t know how much they can get out of a “Karen” character but Green is great doing it. -Charlotte Flair was given a backstage interviewer for her TV time this week and her message was to say she taught Rhea Ripley a hard earned lesson a few years back. Now, all this time later, she’s going to put her in her place. This was a little more in line with the Flair of old, and I didn’t hate seeing this kind of fire from her after seeing her playing nice recently. -Madcap Moss won a Fatal 4-Way match to become top contender to GUNTHER’s Intercontinental championship, defeating Karrion Kross, Santos Escobar, and Rey Mysterio. I’m a bit confused by how all of this played out — Moss winning at all, the fact that he pinned Mysterio, who just beat Kross and is probably going to be involved in a major WrestleMania match, Escobar branching off and seemingly starting something up with Kross and both getting protected. I’m no fan of doing multi-person matches out of nowhere to find new title contenders for precisely this reason. For that matter, Moss is still struggling to find his identity as anything other than a big dork, and that’s even with Emma by his side. Next week is shaping up to be a bloodbath. The blue brand is always worth your attention, and this week was no different. Another solid effort. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:35am On Feb 11, 2023 |
Unpopular opinion:- I think clean shaven Sami Zayn should come back and bring back the old theme. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:40am On Feb 14, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Sami & Cody Guess who has a crisis of confidence? Sami Zayn. Guess who he approached as an elixir? No, not Kevin Owens and not a church. He went to Cody Rhodes. Sami showing up on Raw with a hoodie dropped over his head surprised everyone. Calling out Cody surprised me even more. But like the direction the whole thing took because, as per usual with anything Bloodline-related, it added depth to character while enhancing a match. If only all wrestling worked this way. Sami doesn’t fully believe because he knows how Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, etc. operate. As he pointed out, he knows how the Bloodline thinks, he knows how they move, and he knows every dirty deed in their bag. And of course he knows because he helped make them stronger. It’s one thing to have a familiarity with your opponent but it’s something very different when that familiarity comes from being a part of the crew. Cody pointed out that Sami made the Bloodline weaker. Effectively, he made a god king bleed. So why not focus on that rather than doubt himself? Well, again, Sami’s seen bigger and stronger cats miss when going at the king. But Cody doesn’t buy that even a bit. I’m not sure if Cody and Sami is a thing but I do appreciate adding this wrinkle to make us think it might. And if it does, they planted plenty seeds. Cody put his money on Sami even if Sami isn’t quite sure. Cody doesn’t want to see Sami on Raw next week; he wants to see him at WrestleMania. Cody gives a hell of a pep talking using him as Sami’s fan club president plays into what Cody does best. Both men fully believed every word they said and that got me into it as well. Sami walked away with his head up just a bit more but he’s obviously not fully there yet. Will he get there by Saturday? That’s the ultimate question and the main reason Sami and Roman might break Montreal. Status Quo The six women competing in the Elimination Chamber for Bianca Belair’s title got the shock of their life. Raw kicked off with Adam Pearce making a triple threat match between Belair, Becky Lynch, and Bayley. If Becky or Bayley picked up the W, then they get a seventh spot in that Chamber. But if Bianca wins, then nothing changes. Yeah, well, nothing changed and I’m a tad confused. While we no doubt got an important and impressive main event, I’m left wondering what was the point. Damage CTRL, along with the six contestants, took advantage of the no DQ stipulation. The six women didn’t want Becky or Bailey anywhere near the Chamber while Damage CTRL lent Bailey a hand because duh. It felt like a lot of unnecessary chaos but also provided the perfect conditions for a Bailey or Becky win with all the commotion. But here we are with Bianca pinning Bailey for the W after Becky dropped Bailey with the Manhandle Slam and Bianca dropped Becky on top of Bailey with the KOD. This match, and the lack of follow up with Lita’s appearance last week just puzzles me. Now, maybe Lita shows up at Elimination Chamber and we get more on that. But until then, I don’t know where this leaves Becky and Bailey. Nor do I see how this helps either woman. Bianca vanquishes her two biggest threats going into Mania, so she’s cool and the gang. The six contestants have one less threat on their plate, so they’re golden as well. But Bailey and Becky are adrift at the moment. Why do this match if nothing changes? I really don’t get it. Extracurriculars Mami’s Valentines Gift Get you someone who loves you the way Rhea Ripley loves Dom Dom. After the Judgment Day defeated the Street Profits, they tried adding insult to injury because they’re jerks. Edge’s music hit and the Rated R Superstar rushed ringside followed by Beth Phoenix. Beth positioned Dominik for the Glam Slam but not so fast said Rhea. Mami surprised Beth, and Brooklyn, saved her boo thang, and left Beth lying in the middle of the ring as Edge consoled his wife. Good way to add some more juice to this match at Elimination Chamber. The only thing that might make the match better is Dom replacing Finn Balor. A man can dream. Hook, Line, and Stinker Of course Bobby Lashley signed the contract for a match with Brock Lesnar. The fact Brock fell for Lashley’s trap as the All Mighty sat at his table on the entrance ramp says Lesnar still isn’t that bright. We like him because he’s the proverbial bull inside the China shop, but Lashley is smarter. I’m not sure how or if that plays into the match but I do look forward to whatever happens that gets us closer to the Hurt Business. Lashley worked a little heel for this segment and that does interest me going forward. Breakdown Asuka, Carmella, & Nikki Cross battled Liv Morgan, Roxanne Rodriguez, & Natalya in what was effectively an Elimination Chamber preview. It broke down early eventually turned into Asuka laying out everyone, including her teammates, and getting the submission W over Liv. If that was the plan. I’d prefer they just have the women beat each other up in a locker room brawl. Baron..Whew Baron Corbin tried recovering from JBL verbally knocking him out last week, but I’m not sure he did. Besides the fact he found himself in an impromptu match with Cody, who handled Corbin easily while still wearing dress pants, he was also rocking his “modern day wrestling god” t-shirt. You can’t decry JBL, call him a has-been, and kick dirt on everything about the man but still wear the t-shirt associated with JBL. But, seeing as how he got beat by a man wearing dress pants, I guess that’s par for the course. Ali, I have Questions Bronson Reed destroyed Musatafa Ali in a match Ali wanted. He claimed if he faced Bronson, he’d be in the Elimination Chamber instead of Dolph Ziggler. Yeah, that didn’t happen. But more importantly, what are we doing with Ali? He comes off like a whiner and complains way too much. Taking the Ls aren’t helping either. So what’s the breaking point and when does he finally get Ziggler in a match? The fact Ziggler isn’t even asking for a match shows just how insignificant Ali truly is on Raw at the moment. Seth, Miz, & Austin Seth Rollins curb stomped Miz in Astro Boy boots. That’s all that matters. Okay no, we also got Austin Theory showing up during Miz TV. But only after Miz and Seth Rollins went awry. Miz wanted to know why Seth keeps ignoring Logan Paul. In fact, he refuses to even say Logan’s name. Clearly this is more set up for Seth and Logan at Mania, which I really want to see. OTIIS Maxim’s Models finally made a move towards Otis and I love it. Calling him OTIIS (not sure if you get the inflection) and sowing dissension seeds in the Alpha Academy is great comedic fodder. This was a fine go home show but the main event really left a bad taste in my mouth. Not because of the wrestling, but because I don’t understand the logic. That said, we got some good things going into Elimination Chamber as well. A mixed show with smiles on one hand and question marks on the other |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 11:30am On Feb 15, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS The Champ Every championship reign needs a story. Mandy Rose’s reign told a story about everyone overlooking her while she racked up victories. Bron Breakker’s reign tells the story of a man finding control and not beating himself. I’m not sure what Roxanne Perez’s story is at the moment, even though she impresses me every time she wrestles. But maybe that’s by design since NXT made her champ sooner than they planned, and her first big title match wasn’t really about her. But after NXT’s most recent episode, I still don’t really know where we’re going with her story even if I enjoy her matches. But is that enough? That’s the ultimate question. Do we know enough about Roxanne or get enough promos from her to truly know who she is and what she’s about so she keeps that connection with the audience? Roxanne teamed with Meiko Satomura against Kayden Carter & Katana Chance. The former tag team champs apologized for being in their feelings last week and admitted they were wrong for coming at Roxanne sideways. But they both wanted a chance at wrestling the Final Boss. And wrestle they did. This match got physical in ways Carter & Chance’s match usually don't go. Satomura added that element and props to every woman for committing and matching her blow for blow. Perez pinned Carter with a Satomura providing a big assist, which tracks given what happened prior to and after the match. The Final Boss hinted she wants a favor for her favor, and after the match, she made her intentions quite clear. Before Roxanne gets to Stand & Deliver, she must defend her title against Meiko. In fact, Roxanne can’t wait to do so and is honored she asked. While I’m excited for the match, I still don’t know what Roxanne’s core story is outside of being a prodigy. She and Meiko will probably tear down the house in whatever house this match takes place, but her reign needs more than this. I’m still on board but like I said, I wonder how long we can go with the “happy to be here” babyface with the girlhood dream. If anyone knows how that act gets old really fast, it’s Shawn Michaels. Extracurriculars Get Out Grayson Waller showed a newfound aggression this week. Sure, he needed it for Tyler Bate, but it makes perfect sense after Grayson’s previous two weeks. After losing the NXT championship match at Vengeance Day, he ran into Shawn Michaels’ office, which resulted in a suspension. I like giving Waller a big chip on his shoulder since he’s focused on proving he’s “the guy.” Waller warming up the band for his version of Sweet Chin Music might be the moment of the match as it played Waller’s dislike for Michaels and Bate’s admiration for the Heartbreak Kid. But even with all that aggression, Waller found himself on the short end of the stick because he took a shortcut and the ref caught him. Looking for shortcuts got him an L in the biggest match of his career, and it’s part of the reason he took an L this week in his first match back. Putting Grayson on a bit of a losing streak, while furthering his beef with Shawn, gives Grayson something interesting and should help his character. Revenge of the Notepad I love an angrier Apollo Crews. I love that they started with him journaling and then he threw it to the ground. He wants Dabba Cato, that’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. If this program gets extra physical, and hopefully personal, they might have a winner. Jacy Goes Shawn Michaels I’m torn on Jacy’s promo. I didn’t actually like her delivery because I didn’t believe anything. She seemed a bit rushed and just sped through it rather than talking. But, she’s so easy to hate because of how she carries herself in the ring. While Jacy may not have the talking part down just yet, she knows how to walk like a heel. Calling Gigi “Jannetty” was way too on the nose for me and misses the larger point of that barbershop moment. Anytime WWE tries recreating it, someone points out the fact they recreated the event. Which actually pulls me out of the moment and reminds me why that moment worked so well and why most remakes aren’t on that level. Her “screw you” at the end of it didn’t quite land either just because she said worse about Gigi prior to that moment. Distracted Tiffany Stratton defeated a very distracted Thea Hail. We still don’t know what transpired between Hail and Schism but it clearly shook Hail. The Dyad & Ava Raine showed up during this match and got under Hail’s skin. Light work for Stratton. What? I know some people will dig this but Isla Dawn taunting Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley through a big speaker conveniently in the Diamond Mine training room is not my type of silly. I spent too much time asking why and what is this to even engage with it on the level NXT desired. No bueno. Damn Damon Remember when Damon Kemp was a thing? Or at least in meaningful matches? Apparently neither does NXT. Axiom ran through him like a blowtorch through butter. Damon Kemp is effectively a nobody on the roster. Hindering Jinder A couple things here. The crowd seems sour on Bron Breakker. Which is...interesting. I like the fact he and Jinder Mahal acknowledged that during their segment. Yes, you read that right, Jinder Mahal. The former WWE champ got in the NXT champ’s way with Bron looking squarely at Carmelo Hayes. NXT realizes Melo and Bron won’t happen for at least another month and a half, so keeping both men busy before that time serves a purpose. I even like the idea of a former WWE champ heating up Bron on his way to Melo. But not this former champ. Jinder never truly got it going in the ring, and I’d much rather see Bron and Veer or Sanga because that’s meaty men slapping all kinds of meat. But the crowd seemingly doesn’t care much about Jinder, and the last thing any championship match needs is apathy. Drew Dumps Hank! I mean, that’s it in a nutshell. Charlie Dempsey beat Hank and Drew left with the winner. Help Me Help You I wanted forward progress on Von Wagner’s story. Instead, we got stasis. Von challenged Wes Lee for the United States championship. He lost, and threw a fit in the locker room. Mr. Stone basically said what he said last week: No one knows who Von is and Von doesn't even know who he is, which is why he lost. All of that sounds great but we played this note already. In fact, I wish Wagner went solo this week and Stone said in the locker room since it looked like the pair split last week. I guess breaking up really is hard to do. Billards Pretty Deadly challenged Gallus to a game of Billiards. Or Pool. Or whatever each team called the game. Pretty Deadly wagered a tag team title shot and they, of course, lost. But Gallus likes to fight and they’re “not the New Day” so yeah, they get their tag team title match. Gallus boys are not only on top, but apparently nice boys. Trick Dropped Dragunov Like a Mixtape So, last week, Ilja Dragunov beat JD McDonnagh so bad that he detached his retina. But before Dragunov gets his proper revenge on JD, Trick Williams has something to say. Actually, Trick has a lot to say. Trick dropped Dragunov after JD distracted the former NXT UK champ, which means we’re or a one-on-one between Trick and Dragunov. Now, I’m not sure if Trick is ready for that, so I’d prefer a triple threat that protects him a bit and lets him work in and out of spots. I’m sure Dragunov can do the heavy lifting in a one-on-one battle, but I don’t know if anyone believes Trick whoops Dragunov with all things equal. Sitcom Shenanigans Brooks Jensen’s lips never kissed anyone else’s lips. He planned on changing that during his Valentine’s date with Kiana James. Hilariously, he got closer to kissing his tag partner than Kiana! And, in typical sitcom fashion, Fallon Henley rushed the scene at Kiana’s house, told Brooks that Kiana is cheating on him because she overheard her phone conversation with “Zack.” If you know ‘80s or ‘90s sitcoms, you knew Zack was either a cousin or brother. Turns out he was the latter and we even got an appearance from Zack, apparently Kiana’s roommate. I really like giving everyone something to do but the sitcom storytelling here is dated in sitcoms so it feels even worse here. Clearly Fallon mistrusting her tag partner is a problem for the champs, but this can’t be the only way to show that. And definitely can’t be the best way. It’s corny and predictable. I wasn’t really feeling NXT this week. I really wish they slowed it down post-Vengenace Day and told some deeper stories. Maybe that means less wrestlers on the show, which I know kinda defeats the purpose of developmental, but it makes for a more engaging two hours |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 7:51am On Feb 18, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Sami Zayn in Montreal. That’s damn near all that needs to be said about this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown. The reception this man received from the hometown crowd was something truly special. We’ve seen this kind of thing many times before, sure, but the story that goes along with this makes it that much better. My man was in there getting emotional while laughing at the sheer absurdity that he has done enough in his career to mean this much to all the people who paid money to go to the Bell Centre to show it to him. He let the moment breathe, just the way he should have, and I’ll be damned if that alone wasn’t enough to make me as excited as I can ever remember being for a PPV that wasn’t Royal Rumble or WrestleMania. When he finally spoke, he didn’t say much. He didn’t really need to. “Roman, you are going down!” I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted someone to win a match more than I want Sami Zayn to win this match. This segment was masterfully done too. Really great just to allow us to feel the atmosphere and know how much harder it’s going to hit when it comes time for the match itself. Let’s hope Peacock doesn’t censor the crowd this time either. Uncle Howdy do? I might be easy to please these days, but I actually liked Hit Row hopping the ring without an entrance and running down Montreal and everyone in the crowd. If they’re going to continue getting TV time, this is probably the best way to use it. It’s as entertaining as they’ve been since they arrived. Naturally, they were used to get Bray Wyatt and Uncle Howdy over, as the two of them, now together and doing swell thanks to Wyatt accepting his nature, put the boots to Top Dolla and Ashante Adonis. Then we got an interesting promo from Wyatt making clear that whoever wins in the Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley match at Elimination Chamber “should run.” That would seem to indicate to me they want to do a Lesnar vs. Wyatt match at WrestleMania, and I am utterly fascinated at the idea of a feud between those two. In fact, I’m downright giddy at the thought of how WWE would tell a story like that. All the rest -Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler kicked off this show doing their tag team thing against Shotzi & Natalya. Remember when Rousey explained she didn’t do a great job selling Shotzi’s apron DDT at Survivor Series because she was so concerned with making it safe for Shotzi? She got comfy enough to do it proper here and deserves credit for just how brutal she made it look. In the end, she tapped Shotzi with an armbar after Baszler intercepted Nattie. It’s clear WWE wants to push these two, and I can’t imagine it will be long before they get a title shot. -Drew McIntyre & Sheamus defeated The Viking Raiders in a banger of a match that was a lot more fun than I expected it to be. I’m not sure why I would have ever assumed it would be anything other than that, but hot damn is pro wrestling arguably at its best when big beefy dudes are just throwing their weight knocking each other around. -I love the idea that Karrion Kross was really strongly considering becoming a father and then he saw how Dominik Mysterio treats Rey and decided against it. I genuinely want to take him at his word on that, because it’s so much funnier that way. Having said that, I hope he keeps doing the “do something about it” line because it’s a lot more badass coming from him. -Asuka def. Liv Morgan in a singles match with all the Elimination Chamber participants ringside. After the match, they all hopped in the ring to do some fighting, the usual preview of the big match bit. -GUNTHER successfully retained his Intercontinental championship, defeating surprising challenger Madcap Moss. They very much wanted to get Moss across as at least something of a legitimate threat, and they had a decent enough match, but the crowd wasn’t having it the longer the match went and if they really wanted to better establish Moss they probably wouldn’t have put him in a position like this. He looked good, but nothing stood out to me overall. Yet another solid show from the blue brand. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 7:53am On Feb 20, 2023 |
WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Rocky Can Sami Zayn do what no else could for a three years and defeat Roman Reigns? More than the mob boss story, more than said mob boss’ paranoia at now, this was the most prescient question surrounding the Elimination Chamber main event. The real world question was how WWE might handle what is possibly the best story in their history? They fell backwards into something special, and the match taking place Zayn’s backyard, in front of his friends, wife, and a 17,000 extended family members is icing on their well portioned sundae. Given all those variables, WWE handled this as well as possible and gave us something memorable, emotional, and, an answer for anyone who wonders why we like professional wrestling. Look, most of us knew the WWE Undisputed Universal championship wasn’t changing waists in Montreal. But we had hope. I’ll bet all the money in my pockets—$0—that Montreal knew that too. But they believed in the impossible. They started the match at a 10 and stayed there until the closing credits. Roman and Sami fed into that emotion early and let the crowd do all the work before they even touched each other. Sami soaked it in while Roman soaked it in, shrugged it off, then showed it got to him. Him telling Zayn’s wife that he didn’t want it to be like this and that he wanted them all to be one big happy family was incredible character work from a man who truly is the best in the world right now. Roman so thoroughly understands his character that he adapts to any situation and plays it accordingly. Exchanging “pleasantries” with Mrs. Zayn and the rest of Montreal in a way that conveyed his hurt, frustration, and condescension isn’t easy but he made it work. Sami is a great heel but this match showed why he’s an even better babyface. He sold Roman’s early offense beautifully and truly looked like a man in over his head. But not since Michael Jordan’s 1995-96 season have I seen a better comeback. Sami came alive at just the right moment and gave the crowd hope when they needed it most. He took Roman’s best shots and kept getting up. But Roman took his best shots and kept getting up as well. And with that attention to detail, we got the answer to the main question: Yes, Sammi Zayn can beat Roman Reigns. But there’s an addendum to that, one Sami knew going into the match and one he mentioned to Cody Rhodes. Beating Roman is one thing but beating the Bloodline is an entirely different beast. After the first ref went down and Sami missed his best chance for a victory, Jimmy Uso showed up and did his best to get the Tribal Chief a W. When the second ref hit the ring after Jimmy’s superkick and splash, Sami kept going! He didn’t stay down, even after taking all of that. Sami even took out Jimmy with a Helluva Kick and found his second, third, or fourth gear. And yes, the second ref went down too. That’s when the storytelling hit another gear as Jey Uso showed up. Jey stood between Roman and Sami, as the former looked ready to smash the latter with a steel chair. I figured that was the moment where Jey made his allegiance clear and healed all wounds within the Bloodline. Apparently I was wrong because all they did was add more intrigue when Roman handed Jey the chair and Jey hesitated far longer than Roman wanted. Their old dynamic returned instantly, with Roman berating his younger cousin and disrespecting him in ways that usually call for someone to throw hands. Jey had enough and got into Roman’s face but the champ quickly moved as he saw Sami barreling toward him. Zayn speared possibly his only friend in the world and my heart broke into a million and one pieces. Nothing else in wrestling moves like this story and handles all of its angles with this much aplomb. I’m a broken record saying that but it seems like they top themselves every month. There’s so much human emotion here between everyone involved that it’s hard understanding why nothing else gets the same attention to detail or breathing room. This story just sings and it hits every note at the right pitch, tone, and tenor. Even the ending, while deflating, only felt that way because of the disappointment. I knew the winner before the bell rang yet my heart sank when Roman went to town with multiple chair shots and a final spear to win the thing after the match’s first ref miraculously came to at just the right moment and counted three. Montreal still went home just a little happy when KO’s music hit. I’m not sure if Kevin Owens saved Sami from a post match beatdown as much as he got his revenge. Things are still incredibly complicated between those two and their eventual rekindling needs a very slow burn. They didn’t embrace after KO saved Sami and served up Roman on a silver platter for another Helluva Kick. They didn’t shake hands either. Instead, we got two old friends looking at each other from afar, sizing each other up and figuring out what it all meant. Sami and KO’s relationship might be the most realistic thing WWE has going for it at the moment. After all the words and actions exchanged between them, their reunion can't happen swiftly or feel unearned. We six weeks until WrestleMania so I fully expect a “will they/won’t they” scenario between both men for the bulk of that time. As for the Bloodline, Roman and Paul will get in Jey’s head because it’s what they do best. I hope it doesn’t work but I fear it will because of the sentence I typed preceding this one. We’re a long way from any cohesion in the crew and the tag team champs aren’t exactly on the same page or in the same book at the moment. But that’s for later. For now? Bask in what everything revolving around this story because it truly is everyone operating on a different level. This is what happens when people have genuine emotion in what they see in the ring. It’s what makes a match go beyond “this is awesome” chants because everyone is too riveted form any words or sounds other than “ooooh,” “ahhh,” or anything else that comes out when the mind just can’t find the words so the body reacts. Extracurriculars Rocky III Well...I’m speechless. Of all the possible finishes for Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar III, Lashley getting the DQ win thanks to Brock’s low blow wasn’t one of them. While I don’t like the finish at all, I do like the implication. Brock can’t beat Lashley. That’s the story in front of our faces. The All Mighty won the first match, Brock got extremely lucky in the second match, and now Lesnar goes low because, once again, the Hurt Lock is too much for him. Brock took his frustrations out on the referee post match, and then did extra work on Lashley. He F-5’d both men through the commentary table and left Montreal cheering his name. That sounds like a suspension coming Brock’s way, which keeps him off television at least until WrestleMania. I dig this story more with this uncertainty coming from the Beast. Seriously, does he even want Bobby again? Prior to that, I always appreciate the texture of Brock Lesnar matches. They’re like playing Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat and both players doing nothing but special moves. Lashley fits perfectly into that style and there’s something special about watching Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah in real life. Queen of Sugar The women’s elimination chamber match was a great opening track to the album that is Elimination Chamber. it was fun, filled with energy, and even told a little story with Carmela and Asuka. Carmela, for basketball reasons I assume, kept picking fights with Asuka while the Empress watched from her pod. Mela taunted, teased, poked, and prodded like a little sibling towards a big sibling. Or like Mobb Deep against Def Squad back in the day. Well, much like Prodigy back in the day, that didn’t go well for Mela. Asuka entered the chamber last with Nikki Cross as the only eliminated participant. But no matter what happened in the match, before Asuka entered and certainly after, the story was about her and Carmela. Naturally, it came down to those two for a trip to WrestleMania, which makes perfect sense. Asuka and Carmela are perfect foils. Their personalities clash, their styles clash, their outlook on the world clashes. Them teaming up and eliminating Raquel Rodriguez served as a nice moment too. And despite how I feel like Raquel’s booking gives the crowd no reason to really rally behind her or make her look anything but bland, the fact that it took two women to put her down is a big deal. Despite the fact it came down to Mela and Asuka, the Empress made quick work of Staten Island’s princess. Asuka getting the W here is absolutely the correct call because she and Bianca Belair at WrestleMania might light SoFi Stadium on fire. Date Night I look forward to the amounts of digital ink spilt on Edge and Beth Phoenix beating the Judgment Day via the Shatter Machine. Whew, these are the moments that make me glad I’m not addicted to Twitter. Anyway, outside of one near pinfall miscue, this match rocked. I didn’t expect a Judgment Day L because I figured they wanted more heat on Edge’s former crew. Heat that might finally erupt in a Rated R Superstar WrestleMania triumph. But I suppose this fits because Rhea Ripley didn’t take the pin, and Finn Balor clearly wants more of Edge. Edge looked pleased with the W and waved bye-bye to his former crew. Which makes me wonder how Finn goads match into a match at the Showcase of the Immortals. That said, Finn screamed that the Grit Couple cheated and he’s not entirely wrong. While it’s rich that Finn made that accusation after Rhea used brass knuckles, the WWE hall of famers did violate the rules the minute they hit that Shatter Machine. If Finn wants an in, maybe that irritates Edge enough to grant him that one-on-one. Chaos Theory Austin Theory entered the match after Seth Rollins and Johnny Gargano started. Theory stopped fighting and told his former partner/father figure that the crowd only cares about Rollins. They don’t care about Johnny, Austin, or anything “they had” together. Theory extended his hand in solidarity but Johnny not only slapped it away, but did the exact opposite of what Theory wanted. I absolutely loved that moment and loved what happened next even more. Seth and Johnny tag teamed against Theory, who hid in his pod for safety. That moment was the moment of the match. I mean, it held that title for at least 15 min. And it signaled a mini partnership between Seth and Johnny that warmed my heart. But the moment, and the match, belonged to Montez Ford. And even then, someone might disagree with me and I can’t be mad at that. Ford climbed to the very top of the cage, pulled himself up, and dropped on his opponents from above like a bomb. It was the illest thing I’ve ever seen in an Elimination Chamber match and scared me while watching. Tez didn’t win but he clearly came out stronger than he did when the match started. He even got the crowd chanting his name during an injury spot. I’m not sure if they’re writing him off TV for a while or just engineered something so the man could get his props from the crowd. But either way, as I wrote for seemingly months, the expiration date on the Street Profits fast approaches. Outside of that, the other big moment, besides Bronson Reed being Bronson Reed, was Logan Paul costing Seth the United States championship. It was obvious, it was the right move, and it logically gets us to a Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul match at WrestleMania. Thankfully, they finally settled on Paul’s alignment: heel. No matter what he does in the ring, people want to boo that man, so let them. Austin Theory now heads to WrestleMania without an opponent but I’m guessing someone from this match fills that void. A+ I don’t need to say anything else 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 6:26am On Feb 22, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Championship Tribulations Going to talk about Cody Rhodes for a bit so indulge me if you will. For starters, through no fault of his own, anything between he and Roman pales when compared to Sami. But that puts Cody and everyone else in a tight jam. How do you make his angle with Roman just as if not more compelling than everything happening around them? Well, you need another gear but so far, the best we have is Cody’s whole “finish the story” thing. Which is fine for a couple weeks but given the elephant in the room, it’s not enough. To say nothing of the fact we have an entire month of storytelling left. Honestly? I’m not sure they can handle that right now. And it’s not because of anyone involved. Paul Heyman did his best, which is always pretty good, but count me underwhelmed. So much so that Cody only semi-acknowledged Heyman’s words. I like the angle Heyman took: schooling Cody on the champion’s responsibilities and how the job strains a family. Heyman using Dustin Rhodes’ reflection on how Dusty’s commitment affected their home life was a beautiful touch. While Cody sold the words through his body language and facial expressions, his words said otherwise. Even he is bored with Heyman already and wants Roman face to face. We need that because these two are practically on different planets at the moment. But even when they do meet, what’s Roman’s motivation? After dealing with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn for the past few months, and all that comes along with those two, getting involved with Cody can’t possibly hold the same weight. Sure, defending the championship is always his goal, but Roman’s character works better when there’s something personal at stake. And Roman’s matches function at such a high level in that arena as well. This is personal for Cody as it goes back to his dad and finishing his family’s story. Cody brings the fire and passion of a man who believes his family got the short end of the stick for far too long. However, with the Bloodline in disarray, Roman seems concerned with the people he believes put his family in jeopardy. And yeah, Cody isn’t on that list. I wish I had the answer. For one, that’s more commas in my bank account because I’d be working for WWE. But I also just wish I knew. A month is a long time and if the best we’re getting for 31 days is “finish the story” then I vote for the end of that chapter right now. Extracurriculars Another Enemy, Not Even a Frenemy Sami Zayn started the show overwhelmed and unsatisfied. While he didn’t defeat Roman at Elimination Chamber, burning down the Bloodline remains high on his priority list. But between all the “thank you’s” and declarations, Zayn had one person on his mind: Kevin Owens. After the Elimination Chamber, I said Sami and KO’s eventual reconciliation needs time. The way these two left things after Survivor Series, a quick fix and a handshake doesn’t suffice. KO confirmed that this week. After Sami acknowledged their tribulations, their wars, and their unforgivable actions toward each other, KO said he won’t ride on the Bloodline with Sami at his side. KO also confirmed that he saved Sami at Elimination Chamber for him, not for Sami. KO did it for his family, who watched on helplessly at the Royal Rumble, and in hopes that Sami’s family won’t suffer the same fate. KO suggested Sami hit up Jey Uso if he wants a partner for his crusade against the Bloodline. So, yeah, that’s cold. But also appropriate. They played this perfectly. Sami extended the olive branch knowing he might get smacked with said branch. KO looked nonplussed and truly emotionless as he listened to his former friend. The Jey Uso thing, while cold, acknowledges that brotherhood and reminds Sami that he has work to do if he wants any friendships in that locker room. Give it time, let it cook, and get us where we need to go. Conclusions Maybe someone realized that they went a little too far with how JBL and Baron Corbin ended their partnership. JBL buried the guy on national television and no, he didn’t go into business for himself either. This week, we got some of a Corbin reclamation project. While no one believed Corbin might defeat Sami Zayn in Ottawa 48 hours after Elimination Chamber, Corbin at least looked competitive. That’s the most important thing for him going forward. Yes, he picked this fight because he felt Sami disrespected him last week (he didn't) but again, Corbin looked competent and powerful. That’s a whole lot better than anything else he’s done for the past few months by JBL’s side. Stand by Your Woman I love Dom. Absolutely love him. Everything he and Rhea touch turns golden, and their sit-down interview with Byron Saxton showed why. Dom plays his cheerleader role perfectly, chiming in with comical tough talk every now and then with idle threats. He enhances Rhea as well, which doesn’t take a lot to do but still. Rhea quickly moved on from Beth Phoenix, although acknowledging their unfinished business, and turned her attention towards Charlotte Flair. I don’t know how WWE plays this in April, but Rhea needs that championship. She’s the hottest woman in the territory right now and is a lot more interesting than Flair. Hopefully we get these two together rather than Byron playing telephone and relaying messages. Ali! I have no clue what they’re doing with Ali. Dolph Ziggler gave him a pep talk last week and the two wrestled this week. Ali countered the Fameasser rather dopely and surprised Dolph with crucifix pin. It wasn’t a long affair, which works when it’s a surprise victory, but hopefully this puts an end to Ali’s current complaining character. While I think his arguments hold tons of weight as it relates to his career and behind the scenes machinations, those arguments come off as whining without aggressively doing something about it. Stone Cold Steve Austin turned years of frustration into something tangible that the crowd got behind in a major way. I’m not comparing Ali to Austin, but just using him as an example of someone taking their real-life frustrations and using it for character accentuation. Whether they plan on pushing Ali to the moon or not, it better serves his character if he shows more assertiveness, aggression, and anger rather than using sarcasm as his chief tool. Just my thoughts. Asuka x Crazy Nikki Cross is the perfect opponent for Asuka this week. Asuka has her date Bianca Belair but Nikki battling Nikki presents a different type of danger. Cross has no scruples or rules; she does what she does and hopes her opponents hurt as a result. So it’s no wonder that Asuka hurt her foot or shin at one point in the match when Nikki ducked a kick and Asuka connected with the ring post. While it didn’t have long-lasting effects, it did illustrate how unpaved Asuka’s rode to Bianca is for the next month. Asuka got the win but it took a lot out of her. She tried getting into Bianca’s head with some post match mind games, but she’s got Carmela on next week’s plate. So maybe, just maybe, focusing on the people in front of her rather than the person behind the WrestleMania sign might serve her better. Bianca’s the champ but seemingly Asuka has the bullseye on her back. You’ll Do Seth Rollins using Miz as a Logan Paul surrogate makes so much sense. It’s well-done storytelling through matchmaking with both men acknowledging what’s happening. Seth almost let Miz get the better of him on several occasions, proving his emotions ran hotter than New York City pavement in August. So what’s the big deal here? Well, the ending. Seth set up Miz for a Curb Stomp. Cool, match over. Right? Nah. Seth paced around the ring, listened to the crowd, and stomped Miz’s face into the mat one more time. Then, he paced the ring some more with visions of Logan dancing in his head, ignored the ref, and hit Miz with a third Curb Stomp. The ref stopped the match, called it in Seth’s favor, and WWE’s Joker walked away with a win. But he clearly wants Paul and this match served as a nice appetizer. LITA! Let’s just keep this one simple: Becky and Lita challenged Damage CTRL for their tag team championships. When? Next week. Once again, Bayley answered for her teammates and probably got them in more trouble than they wanted. The best moments for this Ding, Dong, Hello? Bayley laughing at Becky for having no friends, Bayley telling Becky and Lita to use the door, Bayley telling them they can’t come in, and lastly, Bayley telling Lita she doesn’t work here anymore so she can’t come in the door. So, yeah, Bayley. I clearly chose the wrong headline. Snacks Shoutout to Corey Graves for the line of the night when Maxxine Dupri showed up during Chad Gable’s match with Bryson Reed: “Otis is a man easily distracted by snacks.” I mean, I get it, Otis. I completely get and feel you. Bronson Reed’s domination tour continues. While Gable gave him some go, and even lifted the big man for beautiful German Suplex, this was all about Bronson and Otis. Bronson got the W while Maxxine’s eye for Otis got bigger. Edge’s Judgment Edge vs. Judgment Day is a long feud. The more Edge said he put the group in his rearview mirror, the more we all knew the reality. Edge did the equivalent of saying he’ll be right back in a horror movie. Sure enough, Finn Balor crept ringside, proverbial knife in hand, with designs on ruining Edge’s United States championship match against Austin Theory. Before the match, Edge spoke on getting back to his original goals, with championship gold sitting at the top of the list. Again, they telegraphed the ending, but that’s not a bad thing. Well, that depends on your feelings about this feud overall and whether you want Finn vs. Edge, possibly at WrestleMania. The fact Edge came this close to defeating Austin Theory makes it sting even more for the R-Rated One. I wonder if Edge goes back to another persona or channels something different since I’m positive his anger towards Finn knows no bounds right now. Meanwhile, he and Theory wrestled an entertaining match, with both men cutting some corners for the W. As always, I appreciate the fact Edge’s matches incorporate his entire WWE history. Yeah, No As part of vengeance for Bobby Lashley, and to get in his good graces, MVP challenged Brock Lesnar to a Mania match with...Omos. Nope, don’t want it. But I look forward to whatever way they wiggle out of that one and into Brock’s actual Mania match. It’s also weird that MVP pulled that move with no pushback from Bobby, who was in the building and clearly pissed. Really weird. Raw was, as it is usually these days, a solid show. Nothing spectacular, nor was it awful. The truly out of this world great shows don’t come often. But after years of haphazardness, Raw finally does all the basics right and simply builds on those weekly. That’s my thoughts. Right or wrong, just how I felt at the time. What are your thoughts |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 10:35am On Feb 23, 2023 |
WWE NXT REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS To What End? That’s the question I keep asking myself when it comes to Shawn Michaels and Grayson Waller. After Bron Breakker narrowly defeated Jinder Mahal in an okay match designed to heat up Bron before Stand & Deliver, Carmelo Hayes made his way to the NXT Crow’s Nest with what looked like a microphone in hand. Before he uttered even a syllable, a tv interface showed up on screen, like on an Amazon Fire Stick or a Smart TV, and selected the Peacock app. From there it went to the WWE Network, then Stand & Deliver, then cut back to a feed of Waller in the production area. Now, setting aside the fact that all of that didn’t really look like the way any television production handles itself in 2023, I like Waller pulling a Shawn move. Grayon’s whole thing is he’s doing everything Shawn did back in the day, good or bad, and believes Shawn’s actions are hypocritical at best and insidious at worst. But Grayson, a man who received two title matches in the span of a few weeks, also believes Shawn has it out for him. It’s not Shawn’s fault Grayson didn’t know the rules of his cage match with Bron at Vengeance Day, and it’s definitely not Shawn’s fault that Grayson stormed his office during a “media scrum” and acted like a child. L Yes, Grayson is a heel so blaming someone else is always the move, but when put in that light, his issues look more like he’s whining rather than doing what a good heel should, which is present an argument that rings true even if we kick and scream while admitting they have a point But all that aside. All my issues with the plot points aside, I just don’t get what beefing with Shawn Michaels in 2023 does for anyone. Nor do I get the endgame. Shawn already chucked his retirement aside once but that was five years ago and he has regrets. To say nothing of the fact the man is three years shy of 60. Maybe this is me showing my incredulousness at the idea of my favorite wrestler of all-time coming back again when he left things so perfectly the first time. But it’s also me knowing how beefing with authority figures normally works, and I don’t see that here. Llb When Steve Austin beefed with Gorilla Monsoon, he did things that clearly went against WWF’s rulebook. So, Monsoon threw him out the building several times and suspended him, even if the fans hated it. When Austin tangled with the dirty old McMahon, well, yeah that was magic. But Vince used his goons as canon fodder and when that failed, he got into the ring himself. They built up heat between McMahon and Austin, then turned that release valve at the right moments. The world watched an employee fight his evil boss and win. An evil boss who tried screwing him out of his just rewards on numerous occasions and flexed his power without hesitation. Even to a lesser extent, “Authority Era’ Triple H often loosened the tie and threw off the blazer when his employees came at him, plus he also had goons on standby. But how does this thing end with Grayson? He won’t hold the show hostage again since he made he made his demands clear. Once he gets Shawn on the Grayson Waller Effect at Roadblock, then what? Shawn doesn’t have an army at his disposal and Tyler Bate already stepped up, fought, and won on Shawn’s behalf. I know Stand & Deliver is a big deal and hey, maybe the bright L.A. lights entice Shawn for one more match. But not only do I not see that right now, I don’t want it either Waller gains nothing defeating a 57-year-old Shawn Michaels who last wrestled before any of us new Covid-19 was a thing. Shawn defeating Grayson is an awful idea as well. I hope I’m wrong and there’s some larger plan here that satisfies and elevates. Especially since NXT seemingly can’t help but tease or put every...roadblock...they can between us and Bron vs. Melo. And this week, that includes Grayson cutting the feed and taking over before NXT’s biggest titans verbally clashed. Extracurriculars Trick Willy! Geno and I are big Trick Willy fans. We loved the fact Williams got this spot against Ilya Dragunov this week even though we knew the outcome. What impressed me most in this battle, at least as it relates to Trick, is he looked like a serious threat to Dragunov. He came out saying he’s more than talk and while his mouth wrote the check, his skills cashed in at the bank. Which feels like a dated saying since writing checks seems like a History Channel relic. Eitherl, Trick looked great in defeat, which was the main goal here outside of more prep for Dragunov vs. JD McDonagh. With JD ringside, Trick held his own against Dragunov in a pretty physical contest. Whatever happens with Carmelo Hayes post-WrestleMania, I hope Trick remains a part of the plans. Remaining in those plans means knowing he’s more than just the funny guy behind the guy, and this match shows that’s a big possibility.P9 This led to a later segment where Melo and Tyler Bate gave Trick props for his showing, while also hinting at something between Melo and Bate on Melo’s journey to the big belt, which comes to fruition next week. That should be very dope.[size=8pt][/size] OH! They changed Illya’s music and that’s a crime against nature. Why can’t we have nice things? One Root, One W Schism looked great tonight. Whether in the ring, outside of the ring, or just their presentation, I dug them. Joe Gacy’s group surrounded Tyler Bate during Bate’s promo, and talked their usual talk about their way of live vs. everyone else’s. This segued into their match with Chase U, who wanted revenge on Thea Hail’s behalf. The Dyad looked great. They wrestled a more aggressive match and came off as threats rather than...however I normally view them. The match took a turn when Ava Raine approached Thea and Andre Chase intervened. Chase left Duke Hudson all by his lonesome, and Hudson took the fall because two beats one every time. Interestingly, they’re still playing the dissension in Chase U angle. Duke yelled that Thea needs to grow up and fend for herself. And he believes Chase coddles her. I’m not sure how I feel about that if only because I have no idea where it’s going. But, look, either do the breakup or don’t because the actual story behind the potential breakup just isn’t that compelling. The Return Just when I thought Jacy Jayne’s match against Indi Hartwell put its focus squarely on making Jacy’s newest iteration put some steak behind her sizzle, Gigi Dolin returned. Gigi attacked Jacy and almost kicked off her head. Gigi looked great as the fiery face out for revenge, while Jacy leans into the cowardly heel who only shows aggression when the odds line up on her side of the ledger. M I can’t wait for the day Gigi dominates and destroys Jacy, which means mission accomplished. Pretty Deadly The tag match between Gallus and Edris Enofe & Malik Blade was sloppy in spots. Not awful but missed a few key spots. But the match also didn’t last long since two guys showed up with a cake for the tag champs. After Gallus defeated Enofe & Blade, surprise surprise, we found out Pretty Deadly sent the cake. To make a long story short, Pretty Deadly showed up and destroyed the Gallus boys. I kinda loved it because it showed a very different side of the former tag champs. They attacked Gallus with chairs, they slammed them repeatedly against steel steps, and used said steps as deadly weapons. Going against Gallus, it’s extremely important that Pretty Deadly looks like stiff competition. We know Gallus pulls no punches in the ring and stay on top thanks to the fact they don’t play. Put another way, the Gallus boys are killers. Pretty Deadly need that same energy for a compelling match rather than looking like pushovers more concerned with their hair and side plates. Jailhouse Street Fight! That’s a word salad match if I ever saw one. A couple things here, starting with Von Wagner. We need another gear with this story. Mr. Stone keeps asking for something Von clearly doesn’t comprehend. Von accepted a match with Tony D’Angelo this week, against Stone’s wishes, and the Don put him away rather quickly. Adding to Stone’s point, almost on cue, the crowd collectively told Wagner he can’t wrestle. So, yeah, they’re just as bored as Stone but I’m not sure pointing out that fact week after week does anyone any favors. Secondly, we’re finally ending Tony D vs. Dijak. Tony challenged the big man to a Jailhouse Street Fight at Roadblock. After Dijak’s Vengeance Day showing, sign me up for that. Who Did It?! Nikkita Lyons showed up this week on crutches after a successful surgery. And we still have no idea who assaulted her but we do know Tiffany Stratton doesn’t care. They teased a program between the two, which I assume means Nikkita returns ahead of schedule because who knows how NXT looks a year from now. Diamond Crumbling Speaking of who did it, Tatum Paxley still looked sus. And she looked unsure of this partnership between she and Ivy Nile. Is she Diamond Mine? Is she truly family or just extended company who stays over and doesn’t know she wore out her welcome? That lack of confidence played into their tag match with Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn, who made quick work of their competition. It wasn’t a squash but they painted a clear picture of one team on the same page while the other wasn’t even close. Alba broke Ivy’s finisher by ramming her into Tatum standing on the apron illustrated their issues very well. Hmmm We got multiple segments between Roxanne Perez and Meiko Satomura training together. I understood the point, which is Meiko showing respect to the champ and believing that a great training session helps the will as much as it helps the biceps, but I can’t say I liked the segments. They threw off the show’s pacing for me, and, like I said last week, I want more character development from Roxanne. I like everything about her but can’t get with the persona while wearing the championship. I didn’t enjoy this week’s show as much as I hoped. Grant it, they set up a lot of pieces for Roadblock and that takes time, but the show plodded from one thing to the next without any real sense of rhythm or reason. The opening contest and the first tag match got ample time and proved worthy of said time, but everything else felt weightless. Those are my thoughts, right or wrong. Just how I was feeling at the time. What are yours? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 8:12am On Feb 25, 2023 |
WWE SMACKDOWN REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Jimmy Uso spent the majority of Friday Night SmackDown this week agonizing over his brother Jey and how things have changed, first at the Royal Rumble and then again in Montreal at Elimination Chamber. Paul Heyman delivered a message from Roman Reigns that Jimmy needed to deal with it before next week, or he’ll deal with it himself. He cut an impassioned promo talking about being there for his brother, always, no matter what, just like he needs Jey to be there for him now. But Jey wasn’t there. Instead, Sami Zayn showed up. He told Jimmy how much all of this has hurt, that he felt like they were brothers too and when Jimmy took him down with no hesitation at Royal Rumble it really hurt him. Jimmy seemed conflicted but then quickly made clear where he stands. “You so damn selfish!” It was Sami who had the chair, and Sami who made the choice, and Sami who tore everything apart. It was going just fine without him and then he came along and everything changed. Zayn, of course, made the same appeal to Jimmy that he made to Jey. And then Jey showed up in the arena, walking in through the crowd, and Jimmy used the distraction to launch an attack on Sami. Zayn got the better of the ensuing confrontation — in part because Jimmy was looking to Jey — putting him down with a Helluva Kick. Jey simply stood in the crowd and watched all this happen. Sami was run off by Solo Sikoa, but what we ended up with here were more questions. Jey is undecided. It’s an impossible position to be in, having to choose between two people he loves, but it’s clear a choice must be made and he’s running out of time to make it. Soon, that choice will be made for him. This story isn’t over, not yet by a long shot, and I’m still right at the edge of my seat for all of it. For the first time since the match became official, SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair and her challenger at WrestleMania 39, Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley, came face-to-face. That was the plan, at least. And then the one and only Dominik Mysterio hit the scene to have a back-and-forth. It was incredible. Dom held his own verbally sparring with Flair, allowing Charlotte to get in some nice shots about the much thicker Latino heat she has at home — accent, of course — and Dom to bring their fathers into it. They’ve both had to make the most of themselves under that shadow. Putting the two opposite each other in this way worked wonders to showcase just how well Charlotte has actually done for herself. Ripley only hit the scene when Charlotte was about to put the boots to Dom. They had a brief staredown before he pulled her away. I like the idea — keep them a bit distant, and make us want to see them confront each other more and more as we go along. Dom really helped make that work here. The Firefly Fun House returned and it didn’t look like we’re used to. I don’t know what the hell to think of any of that. At the very least, it does indeed appear as though Wyatt vs. Bobby Lashley is looking like the play at WrestleMania 39. All the rest -Madcap Moss may have teased a heel turn with Emma after TV last week but he started this week’s show teaming up with Braun Strowman & Ricochet in a six-man tag team match against Imperium. He ended up taking the fall for the team, so it’s worth keeping an eye on how he reacts to that. Meanwhile, Drew McIntyre walked out about halfway through and watched the match, seemingly making it obvious he plans to go after GUNTHER and the Intercontinental championship. The Viking Raiders hit the scene to interfere before anything could get kicked off in that direction, but they started the tease for it here. There’s plenty of time to flesh that out between now and WrestleMania 39. -I will never stop laughing at Dominik Mysterio having gotten himself over the way he has, doing the bit about how hard his time in prison was. It just works for the character so very, very well and Rhea Ripley, who doesn’t even need it, benefits from being there with him because she’s the real muscle. The whole thing is beautiful. -After spending some time down in NXT putting over its tag team division, The New Day are back on the main roster. They showed up here to interrupt LA Knight talking about making his moment at WrestleMania 39, and some bickering led to a match pitting Knight against Kofi Kingston. They were given a surprising amount of time — two commercial breaks! — and Kingston won via pinfall. -Shayna Baszler had a match with Natalya and they had her enter to Ronda Rousey’s music. I’m not sure what that says, if anything. Earlier in the night, they had Nattie pleading with WWE medical to let her wrestle and she was cleared to do so but they still recommended against it. Tegan Nox was there to say she would provide backup as needed. It wasn’t much of a match, with Nattie getting distracted by Rousey and quickly submitted just after. The attempted post-match beatdown was thwarted by Nox. Rousey’s response to this was “who is this? You’re done next week, Skittles. You’re gonna be tasting the rainbow next Friday!” I’ll let that speak for itself. -How does everyone feel about the full Karrion Kross entrance? I go back-and-forth on it but I definitely think it should be a PLE thing and never on TV. Meanwhile, Kross got a win back on Rey Mysterio thanks to Dom interfering and stopping him from hitting the 6-1-9. After the match, Dom pushed his dad around and demanded Rey “be a man, hit me.” Rey finally got in his face and cocked back his fist — but he couldn’t do it. The fans chanted for it. And still he couldn’t. This whole story has been fantastic and they’re going to blow the roof off when dear old dad finally decides to teach his son a lesson he so badly needs. This show was largely about setting things up for later. Still a strong effort from the blue brand |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 11:52am On Feb 28, 2023 |
I couldn't concentrate and calm down to make any review on RAW abeg. This country just dey annoy the fvck out of me. |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by samistry(m): 8:03am On Mar 01, 2023 |
This is what it feels like  pu7pl3:
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| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 11:51am On Mar 01, 2023 |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 12:49pm On Mar 07, 2023 |
WWE RAW REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS The Choice is Yours I’m hurt. Straight up and down, I need consoling. One part of this Bloodline story that works so well is how it manipulates the audience’s emotions. And yes, manipulation is a good thing. Starting with the show’s opening minutes, WWE threaded this beef throughout the show. If you read beyond these words, you’ll see how that played out in the first match and the pressure on Jimmy Uso’s shoulders. After that opening bout, Paul Heyman pulled Jimmy aside and made it clearer than white crystal that if Jimmy doesn’t bring Jey back into the fold by week’s end, that’s on him. I especially liked Paul pointing at Jimmy’s chest with a finger gun. Paul didn’t make it into a big deal but the subtlety made his words that much more menacing. Jimmy knows Roman’s wrath all too well, so he knew the deal even without Paul’s words. With KO still standing, it fell on Jimmy to not only eliminate Sami but fix things with Jey. No pressure. Jimmy started the match with Sami extra aggressive. Both men, who bonded and created a beautiful friendship, found themselves at odds now with nothing but bitter feelings for each other. But Jimmy’s desperation showed in the early goings. He not only explained his actions verbally but pounded away at Sami whenever he got the chance while giving Solo several openings for interference. Jimmy almost took a count out victory! That’s how much beating Sami,or at least getting Sami into prime beatdown position, meant this week for one Jimmy Uso. Fittingly for the story but unfortunately for Jimmy, the ref dismissed Solo as the street champ tried asserting himself one time too many. And that’s when everything changed. That’s when the reasoning behind this match main eventing Raw revealed itself literally with a spotlight. Jey Uso appeared in the stands and hit the ring with the swiftness of someone rushing to a sneaker drop. Jimmy and Sami laid down and out in the ring while Jey yelled encouraging words. But for whom? Well, we got that answer after Sami eked out a victory and left Jimmy stunned in the middle of the ring. Jey stepped in the ring and looked at his brother. He pulled his brother’s shirt, he looked conflicted, he looked hurt. Jey then literally turned his back on Jimmy and walked out of the ring where Sami stood in awe just like everyone in Boston and me from my couch. Jey and Sami locked eyes like two characters in a romantic comedy. Would they hug? Would they fight? Would they make a dinner date that one of them misses due to a misunderstanding? After teasing and maximizing the tension in the arena, Jey told Sami he trusted him and they inched towards each other. And then they hugged! It was the best. It’s the one thing I wanted from this whole story and Boston felt the same way. But when the show didn’t flash the credit on screen and the two looked at a heartbroken Jimmy in the ring, my heart sank. I got my hopes up that Sami and Jey might walk into the sunset together, one’s held high and a beautiful friendship solidified. But I felt the gut punch coming. And when it did, it looked and sounded a lot like a Superkick to Sami’s chin. You broke my heart, Jey. You broke my heart. Jey told Sami “this is family sh*t” and no way he picks Sami over his brother. Everything after that just rushed by because that hurt. Solo showed up again once Jey threw Sami into the ring and a three on one beatdown commenced. Then, surprisingly but smartly, Cody Rhodes made the save. Cody showing up makes perfect sense given his brief interactions with Sami, KO’s feelings, and the fact that tying Cody into this story only accentuates his own. He had Roman’s attention before. Now he has his curiosity. Only for Roman, curiosity feels a lot like ire. This whole thing hurt and props to everyone involved for breaking my heart into a million pieces even though I knew better. It’s like that University girlfriend who I kept forgiving even though I knew better. The problems of being a naive optimist. Extracurriculars Teaser Raw used most of its first half hour advancing Bloodline vs. Kevin Owens. Which, of course, meant getting inches closer to the moment Sami Zayn and KO hug it out. So how did they accomplish all of that? KO faced Solo Sikoa in a one-on-one which evolved into two-on-one when Jimmy Uso hit the scene. Solo owned KO for the most part because Solo’s dominance is its own mini story inside of the larger story. KO held his own, another reason Jimmy emerged, but keeping Solo looking like the biggest bad ass this side of badassery meant KO leaving Boston with an L felt like the best bet. Except we can’t do that either going into Mania, especially when this feud isn’t really about wins and losses as much as it’s about eradication. Jimmy hit the ring because Roman Reigns gave him and Solo orders to solve all of their problems. Tonight. Solo’s face rarely shows any sense of...well, anything really except anger. But Jimmy beautifully portrays fear and anxiousness when it comes to losing or not doing what the Tribal Chief commands. That’s why when KO found his third wind doing the third act and almost got the W, Jimmy interfered and gave KO the DQ win. But, like I said, this is about eradication. Jimmy and Solo execute a beautiful post match beatdown, then dragged KO’s lifeless body to the commentary table for a Solo attack. The calvary showed up looking a lot like Sami, and he chased away the Bloodline with a chair. Anyone looking for a handshake moment between Sami and KO walked away sorely disappointed. Sami extended his hand, once again, but KO isn’t feeling it yet. Later on Raw, Sami tried appealing to KO’s logic, yet again. Regardless of the odds, regardless of how smart teaming with Sami sounds, KO wants no affiliation with his former best friend. Even Sami saying they don’t need to travel together or even hang out casually, KO didn’t budge. And I loved all of it because it feels real. It’s storytelling one does when using real life context and turning up the volume. You know, when pro wrestling works at its best. Light work? I initially thought about Bianca Belair taking Carmella lightly since she seemed more focused on showboating than showing up and showing out. I even thought about going with Chelsea Green’s appearance because she and Mella together entertained me and elicited several hearty chuckles. But then Green interfered, Bianca still got the W even while dealing with that extra pair of hands, and then Asuka made the save after Green and Mella showed they’re sore losers. And then it hit me that this build for Asuka and Bianca just isn’t working for me. It feels like WWE relying on the championship and the names involved as the selling point rather than finding an actual narrative. Almost like a repeat of AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania a few years ago. I predict the next step is Bianca & Asuka tagging against Mella & Green, the two have some sort of misunderstanding or keep showing how much they respect each other and then it continues into Mania. Both women, and that championship, deserve better. Strange Days I generally like whatever Mustafa Ali does. I think he’s one of the most creative cats in wrestling and said creativity often goes nowhere due to things out of his control. But this passive aggressive positive character misses me entirely. He got Dolph a match with Omos, who, of course, disposed Ziggler in no time. Omos looking hot going into Mania against Brock makes sense but whew it’s just tough watching Omos. Even tougher watching him beat Ziggler with Mustafa sitting ringside with fans and a sign in his hand. This whole segment felt like a black hole for me. Fuego I have a hard time explaining what John Cena did this week in Boston. Cena came out and Austin Theory quickly followed. Yes, we have a match between the two at Mania for the United States championship but whew...at what cost to Austin? Speaking for myself, Cena said everything I feel about Austin Theory. But I’ll let him do the talking because you gotta see this for yourself. No matter how much time he spends in Hollywood, or how big that bald spot gets, Cena still has it. The Edge of Reason Edge is tired of games. He interfered in Finn Balor’s match against Johnny Gargano and cost Finn a win in a match he demanded. Edge wants Balor in the middle of the ring next week because now they’re affecting their careers so let’s cut the games and get with the program. I like Edge cutting through the normal wrestling rigamarole and cutting to the chase. In fact, that’s one thing I really like about Edge since his comeback. He mostly operates outside the tropes and on the occasions where he finds himself inside of one, he elevates it and moves away. Really curious how this plays out next week since we all know the ultimate destination. Crush on You Piper Niven beat up Candice LeRae backstage, then went to the ring and decimated her old friend Nikki Cross. Yup, that’s all you need to know. Poor (Un)Righteous Teacher Maxim’s Models really want Otis but know Chad Gable stands in the way. Corbin continues his bum ways and somehow thought Maxxine, Mace, and Mansoor had eyes on him instead of Otis. Maxxine, offended of course, made a deal with Baron: eliminate Chad and maybe he gets a spot in the crew. Yeah, well, he didn’t. Baron works best as a bum and it’s fun watching everyone tear him down. Especially MMM since all three members teed off on the guy’s lack of hair, style, charisma, you name it. I still want to know how this all ends for Alpha Academy. My fear is they drag this thing out too long or it goes nowhere. Visionary vs. Social Media Miz TV rocked this week as we finally got Seth Rollins and Logan Paul in the same ring at the same time. I’ll let them speak for themselves because, much like Cena and Theory’s segment, it demands your attention. Bottomline? Paul vs. Rollins at Mania is official. Damaged Speaking of official, Damage CTRL vs. Becky Lynch, Lita, & Trish Stratus...might happen at WrestleMania. The tag champs and Trish issued the challenge, Bayley accepted on her team’s behalf, but we got no official announcement. Always a weird thing WWE does where wrestlers make a match or issue challenges but they take forever to make it official. On the other hand, some times matches get made in the ring and become official instantly. Just asking for some consistency. The Bloodline stuff, Cena, and the main event specifically rocked my world this week. Raw featured a bunch of solid matches that never truly got to “great” or even “very good” status because this week really focused on story. As someone into wrestling for the stories, that pleased me. Even though some of the stories don’t work for me or seem absent, props for putting a lot of things in motion as April 1 & 2 gets closer. How do you feel, people? Did Raw work for you as we head to Hollywood or did it leave you wanting? And are your feelings as hurt as mine? |
| Re: Purpl3's WWE (and Pro-wrestling in general) Discussion And Banter House by pu7pl3(m): 8:42pm On Mar 08, 2023 |
WWE NXT ROADBLOCK REVIEWS RECAPS AND REACTIONS Outwork Everyone Roxanne Perez needed a victory against Meiko Satomura more than anything. It meant more than just avenging her loss from six months ago; a win solidified her as a true champion in her own eyes. But therein lies an issue with her reign. While a champion obsessed with a challenger works, the champion feeling like the plucky underdog in that situation rarely does. I sound like a broken record but as much as I like Perez in the ring, her character feels stagnant which makes her reign feel less than. And I hate that feeling because she and Meiko wrestled their asses off at Roadblock. This match hit hard, used that physicality as a building block, and, more importantly, as a storytelling device. Perez trained with Satomura and thought she knew all her tricks but things feel different with speed than in sparring. I like that idea. I like the champ going to another level physically or enduring more after realizing it’s different watching a shark from behind the glass than swimming with one. Make no mistake, Perez survived this match. Yes she won, but at great cost and she barely got that W. The Final Boss dished out kick after kick after more kicks to Perez’s head. But she didn’t stay down until after the bell rang and the ref raised her hand. That’s where things got weird for me. NXT played the concussion angle for Perez as she collapsed in the middle of the ring and the stretcher came out with tons of officials in tow. The Heartbreak Kid even showed up and checked on his NXT Women’s champion while helping her get to the ambulance. Booker T put down the headphones and got in the ring as well. Maybe it’s because I don’t know the plan but this just feels off. Within context of taking those repeated headshots, I get it. But I’m lost on the bigger picture. Maybe it goes back to Perez’s scattered direction right now. What defines her character? What defines her reign? If it’s her outworking her opponents and surviving, that’s not enough. Especially headed to the territory’s biggest show of the year. And who is she? She’s a prodigy, yes. She’s talented as hell in the ring, of course. But what makes Roxanne Perez? Even the concussion spot hits harder for me if I connect emotionally to the person. I hope this goes somewhere cool and does a lot for Roxanne. But as of now? I’m down on it and don’t think it serves her well at all. However, as always, I hope I’m wrong. Extracurriculars History of (Choosing) Violence NXT didn’t need psychology or storytelling in this jailhouse match between Tony D’Angelo and Dijak. The match already rocked the Performance Center in ways beyond any word I choose. And yet they did. Running with the “family” theme so hard that Vin Diesel might blush, Dijak put Stacks between himself, the cell door, and Tony D. If Tony D wanted the match, then it meant slamming the door on his brother. Tony hesitated and Dijak took advantage. Dijak threw Stacks over the barricade and pounded away on the Don. Just before Dijak closed the cell door on Tony, Stacks leapt in from nowhere and sacrificed his body. The door didn’t close and the match continued. Little did we know, Stacks did more than just keep his boss in the game. Stacks passed Tony a crowbar and Tony used said crowbar against Dijak. Repeatedly. Eventually Dijak relented because there’s only but so many times one withstands crowbar blows to the head. D’Angelo closed the door and won a hellacious match that got me more emotionally invested than I ever predicted. M-E-A-T-Y M-E-N Indus Sher dominated early, which makes sense narratively. When going against a team of which the NXT champ is a part, you gotta look great off break. It also showed the lack of fear from Sanga, Veer, and Jinder Mahal. NXT showed Mahal can hang with Bron, even in a weak match overall but that’s the narrative. While I don’t quite buy that narrative, nor do I buy that the Creeds needed another man because of Jinder. But hey, here we are. Once the match really focused on the Creeds vs. Sanga & Veer, it got fun. Bron is always fun in these situations but also not normally a tag team artist. Carmelo Hayes on commentary didn’t really add much for me either even though I get it. He came for Bron and just watched. The best moment for me came when for a Doomsday Device on Veer! The Creeds pulled out all the stops and did something new for an opponent who put them on their heels several times. Great storytelling even in its subtlety. About That... So Bron came back to the ring later in the show and finally got to the inevitable. He called out Melo and they finally made their Stand & Deliver match official. I liked the fact both men acknowledged they kept tabs on each other for 18 months. Bron saying he felt disappointment every time he didn’t hear Melo’s music during one of his title defenses said a lot without saying too much. Melo got the most interesting moments though. He turned the cockiness down a few notches and showed another side. He even left Trick Williams and stepped to Bron dolo. We got a Melo who respects his opponent and I didn’t hate it. Well I did at first, I won’t front. But Melo flashing a bit of that trademark attitude, even after extending his hand for a handshake made me smile. “Melo is secondary to no one” and just like that, they sold me on something. It’s a different story for both men and I hope we get more shades of their characters for the next few weeks mixed in with the mutual adoration society. J. Wrestling I love that Shawn Michaels poked holes in Grayson Waller’s theory of the case. Grayson just got two championship matches while most people hustle for one. He isn’t “held back” by any standard let alone the fictional one in his head. Grayson took a shot and missed. It happens. I get he’s the heel here so delusions of the grandeur variety come with the territory. But Grayson’s story just felt hollow. Even in the segment, he claimed ground as NXT’s biggest star who deserves a championship while also eclipsing the brand. He’s held back in NXT but NXT holds him back. That’s a lot of “is it ‘Black Girl Lost’ or ‘Shawty owe you for ice?’ logic. And it hurts my soul referencing that as an avid Nas fan but hey, a dope line is a dope line. Once the angle switched to Waller running down NXT, and of course challenging Shawn to a match at Stand & Deliver, the intensity turned up several notches. Shawn had some great lines about the amount of times WWE asked him to comeback for a Mania match. Or the wrestlers who begged him for a Mania match. But he’s not doing that for Grayson because someone else bleeds NXT more profusely and wants Waller just as much if not more: Johnny Gargano. Johnny vs. Grayson at Stand & Deliver makes sense and feels like the right spot for both men. The segment itself took a minute for me but once they found the emotion, I got on board. Good Friends... I thought they picked the wrong tone for Gigi Dolin vs. Jacy Jayne. Initially. I wanted a fight, which we got at the beginning, but then it evolved into a wrestling match. I think there’s way too much bad blood between these two for a wrestling match. And they wrestled a clean, solid match. But the form didn’t fit the emotion. And then it ended rather abruptly too but then I saw why. Gigi got the W and Jacy reacted like a heel. A post match beatdown, complete with Jacy going for the patented chair spot where it looked like she might severely injure her former partner’s neck. The fact the ref’s intervened and forced Jacy to the back means we’re getting another match and hopefully it's befitting the animosity between these two. Chase Who? Duke Hudson vs. Andre Chase looks like a thing. Finally. After weeks, we finally got an outburst from Hudson after Chase lost his match against Joe Gacy. Hudson not only griped about the loss but the fashion in which it came. Thea Hail finally overcame whatever Schism did thanks to some mediation lessons from Tyler Bate. During the match, she got in Ava’s face and finally stood tall in her bully’s face. Great for her but bad for Chase as he took his eyes off Gacy and congratulated his student. Like I said, this thing between Hudson and Chase feels overdue. Although, without an actual match announcement, this is just me wishing. Right? Dragon Style For anyone hoping Dragon Lee might debut against Grayson Waller on Shawn’s behalf, sorry. Lee debuted at Roadblock but as part of the audience. That’s definitely a choice. Poor Boys Pretty Deadly isn’t smart. They walked into a Gallus buzzsaw this week when they talked trash against the champs. No match set yet but it’s surely coming. Roadblock was a mixed bag for me. We got a lot happening with only some of it truly standing out or sticking. The opening match remains the standout due to nailing the whole package. The main event match impressed but everything after the bell rang made me scratch my head. The road to Stand & Deliver intrigues me. What say you? |
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