This week in pro wrestling, Royal Rumble fallout! Who will the Royal Rumble winners challenge? Edge comes back home! Jon Moxley has no fear! The winners of the Dusty Classic are crowned. Super SmackDown is revealed. Let’s dive in to the week in pro wrestling!
RAW:
Raw featured the initial fallout of the Royal Rumble. Who will Rumble champion challenge? A title holder is put out, Liv Morgan and Lana clash, and Drew McIntyre throws out a challenge. After winning the Royal Rumble, who will Drew challenge at WrestleMania? Let’s dive in and find out.
The Chosen One chooses. Throwback match. Black is back.
The gauntlet has been thrown down.
Royal Rumble winner, Drew McIntyre opens the show. The crowd is undeniably behind him as they chant “You deserve it”. McIntyre soaks in his much deserved pop and states teh half of the locker room is afraid of Brock Lesnar. Not him, Drew states that he knew he would eliminate Brock at the Rumble and he will beat him at Mania. The Scottish Psychopath then asks, “Who’s got the ball to fight Drew McIntyre?!” The O.C’s Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows answer the call. Not too smart guys..
Drew McIntyre vs The O.C (Karl Anderson/Luke Gallows). McIntyre wins via Claymore pin fall.
Drew just took it the once feared tag team with strikes and Suplexes. The so called Best Tag Team in the World became the best fodder for a Rumble winner. As McIntyre hits Gallows with a Glasgow Kiss and then, 3-2-1.. CLAYMORE! Not done yet, McIntyre hits another Claymore and draggs both men on top of each other for a double pin fall. Not to be outdone, Brock Lesnar arrives while Drew is celebrating and hits an F-5. Brock looks at his destructive first blow as he leaves the ring.
Fantastic opening! If Drew didn’t look like a god last night, he drove it in tonight. Finally the big guy who was cut from WWE, worked hard in the indies and came back. Now, Drew has a rightful spot at the top of the card and what better way to defeat the Beast.
Rey Mysterio vs MVP. Rey wins via Spring Board Frog Splash pin fall.
Yup, you read that right.. it’s like 2009! Unfortunately, these guys can’t move like they did in 2009. Even though I wasn’t a big MVP fan back then, I knew the guy could work. Tonight however, showed some that darn Father Time rust. This was basically Mysterio using MVP’s blind aggression against him. The last blind rush had Montel Vontavious Porter, catch an awkward looking 619 to his back. I am not sure if it was suppose to go done like that, but Rey finished him up with a Frog Splash.
Having the nostalgia feeling was good, but I can’t see this going any further. MVP seemingly back with the WWE and the Rumble wasn’t a one off. For how much longer and at what capacity is to be determined. If MVP is content with a pay check and put over other talents in the ring, it may be for a bit. Good to see him back again though.
Aleister Black had it wrong.
Aleister Black had a quick squash match with Kenneth Johnson. Kenneth competed in the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic, while not his first televised match it was his shortest. After a Black Sail pin fall, Black said he had it wrong. Aleister was wrong for someone to pick a fight him, instead he is going to bring the fight to them. This was great, it seems that WWE realized that they were using Black wrong finally. It only took almost a year, but baby steps.. baby steps.
Injury makes an impromptu match. Another “injury” may have taken out at title holder. The Queen reigns again.
Buddy Murphy/Set Rollins vs Kevin Owens/Samoa Joe. Buddy Murphy wins via Roll Up pin fall.
A promo by Seth Rollins is quickly interrupted by KO and Joe. Seth threw out a challenge, but the baby face duo were not too eager to join. Stating that AOP would just come down and attack them. Rollins rest assured that AOP was in the back locker room. Owens was still unsure and called it pre-taped footage. The Slayer proved it was live by asking Akam to response and he did. This led to the War Vikings to attack AOP, ensuring that they will interfere. This just great storytelling here, for the first time in a long time the baby faces were not big dummies. In fact, they pulled a fast one on a usually smart heel and it was refreshing.
The match was really great, with an unfortunate injury. Samoa Joe went for a dive outside a injured himself. It looked to be a work, because the three men did not miss beat in the ring. That is a testament to the men’s talent and knowing how to pull off a great match with improvisation. With Buddy getting the pin on Owens, keeps him strong. Having Owens almost pulling the win, keeps him strong as well. There is winners for everyone here, except Joe.. which a rare feat for WWE.
Andrade vs Humberto Carrillo for the United States Championship. Humberto wins via DQ.
Oh you two guys, you finally pulled off a match that made the crowd pop. Sadly, it is because WWE needed to write out Andrade for a Wellness test failure. That failed drug test has earned Andrade a month long suspension, what he failed for is not known at the time of writing. So what happened? Well, a better match then they had at the Rumble for starters.
Carrillo was very aggressive against Andrade, but the champ regain composure. This went on back and forth until Zelina Vega broke up a pin fall and getting Andrade a DQ, but keeps the title. An enraged Humberto viciously gives a stiff Powerbomb to Andrade. Carrillo then hits Andrade with Hammerlock DDT on the concrete. The crowd finally took notice to Humberto, albeit maybe too late. Humberto may have better crowd reaction as a tweener, then a straight baby face.
Charlotte Flair vs Asuka. Flair wins via DQ
Sigh, here we go again. The Queen asserts her dominance by literally taking out two of hte best workers in WWE, by herself. We have seen it done before and it’s never a good watch. This time the fantastic in ring chemistry between Asuka and Flair earns a disqualification. Remember earlier when I said WWE made everyone look strong in a match?
Not here, this only served Flair, I get it because she won the Rumble. However, to do it against a group that is known to dominate, is not good. Flair got Asuka in a Figure-Eight leg lock, Kairi then Insane Elbow Drops Flair to break the hold. Saving Asuka, but earning a DQ. Bad booking WWE.
24/7 title defense. Liv takes on Lana. Rown squashes. Edge comes back home.
Mojo Rawley vs No Way Jose for the 24/7 title. Multiple title changes with Mojo retaining title.
The fighting 24/7 champion, Mojo has an “offensive lineman” in Riddick Moss. I actually like the moniker, let’s see if this was the piece Mojo was missing. A standard 24/7 match, if you call defending that title standard. After a quick squash by Mojo, Jose’s Conga Line comes out for some reason. That reason was the ever lovable R-Truth was in the line and rolls up Mojo for the win! Before R-Truth can get away, Moss cuts him off and Mojo regains the title back. This was standard viewing for this title, but R-Truth always makes it fun. Hopefully Mojo can get some footing and will not need the gimmick title to lean on.
Liv Morgan vs Lana. Liv wins via Flatliner pin fall.
This was just an ultimate mess. Not on the ladies behalf, nope that accolade goes to WWE creative. What should’ve been a red hot match, turned in to Liv just decimating Lana. We know Lana is a very green worker, but they could’ve gave her some spots. Nope, it was a complete waste of time. This is unfortunate, because fans were clamoring for Liv to return. However, her return only earned a really confusing role in the Russev/Lashly/Lana story. Fans are over it, despite what the Youtube views say. Hey WWE just turn Liv in to Sister Abigail, give fans what they want, and call it a day.
Erick Rowan vs.. oh come on now you already know.
In what I thought was the absolute that RAW could show in the match before, WWE say “hold my Stevewieser”. Again, Rowan squashes a hapless jobber and walks away with his cage. This.. is… getting old. However, I’m wagering this will last till WrestleMania and when they finally show what’s in the cage. It’ll be something call Kevin or George.
He’s baaaccckk!!!
The Rated R Superstar makes his way to the ring. This was more of an emotional moment then the night before as the crowd would not let Edge speak for minutes on end. You can see Edge holding back his tears as he is soaking in the WWE Universe cheers. Edge states he refuses to live in a world of what if’s. So Edge said he got a second neck surgery, work his ass off and get in the best shape in his life, at age 46. Why? Edge states so he can end his career on his terms. That whole promo was just beautiful, especially when nine years ago if Edge took a bump, it would’ve killed him.
After Edge named off a list of WWE superstars that he would love to work with, The Viper Randy Orton enters. Orton gives Edge a big hug and states that when he was always down, Edge was the one to pull him back up. The Viper asks if the crowd would want a Rated RKO reunion and the crowd erupts! Just in a spit second, Orton RKO’s Edge and proceeds to beat him down with steel chairs.
The crowd is silent.
Mostly through the vicious beating Orton gave Edge, the crowd was silent. It was like Randy was crushing every single dream in the arena. I’m sure the audience at home felt the same way. After climbing to the top rope, with a steel chair in hand.. Randy just couldn’t do it. Looking upon his former best friend in complete pain, Randy climbed down. However, The Apex Predator came back to hit a One Man Conchairco on the defenseless Edge. Ending the show.. wow, still speechless.
Afterthoughts.
Let’s just eliminate about 2 hours and 50 minutes of the show and focus on the last segment. If we do that, Raw would’ve been the best Raw in the past decade. I stress that the interaction between Edge, the crowd, and Randy must be seen to feel the full emotional spectrum. There hasn’t been a segment as great as this since the Mark Henry fake retirement, and this one still tops it.
The fans always hope to see Edge back in the ring one day. It happened at Rumble, then again tonight. Only to be viciously attacked by his close friend. Thus setting up a WrestleMania program that is a must watch. I seriously implore you to seek out the footage of this segment. If you are not brought to tears and rage, then pro wrestling is not for you.-David G.
AEW Dynamite
This week on Dynamite, a big six man tag team match! Darby Allin/Private Party vs The Inner Circle. MJF puts a hit out on Cody Rhodes. Britt Baker continues her heelish path. Young Bucks take on the Butcher and Blade. Cody goes overzealous on Kip Sabian. Let’s dive in, because this is Dynamite!
Moxley is fearless. Reason why The Butcher and Blade are working with MJF. Number one contention match for AEW Women’s Championship.
Moxley vs everyone.
Jon Moxley opens the show, in his hometown. Moxley goes on about how Jericho is a bully, punching women, other bad stuff he did in the past, called him a bully. Jon does not like bullies and states that he will take the AEW title from him. Cue in Le Champion.. Jericho goes on to make pirate jokes due to Moxley’s eye patch and reference Jon’s mom, which got a big “oh!” from the crowd. After a few banters and an “O-H! I-O!” chant that Moxley always wanted to do. Jon goes to take on all of the Inner Circle.
However, Santana and Ortiz invited some their pals from the the Bronx to help. Now outnumbered ten to one, Moxley decides. Jon decides to say what the hell and goes to attack all of them anyways. Atlas security breaks up to fracas, Moxley Paradigm Shift one of the security guards and escapes through the crowd. Fine segment to further the championship storyline, both Moxley and Jericho know how to work off each other. The duo have known each other for a long time and their performance shows that off.
Young Bucks vs The Butcher and Blade. Young Bucks win via Meltzer Driver pin fall.
Before the match started a video package shows MJF and Wardlow entering a butcher shop. I guess somewhere in the arena or something like that. MJF hands The Bunny an envelope full of money, with the Young Buck’s name on it. So the Blade and Butcher I guess are bounty hunters along with running a meat shop. Ah, you gotta love pro wrestling.
The match was your standard Young Bucks match. However, this time The Butcher got to shine a bit. The Butcher display his strength against the smaller brothers. That was about it, as the talented Bucks took over with high spots and finally the Meltzer Driver for the win. This was really standard and again Butcher and Blade look like jobbers. I really don’t recall their last win, if any. Not a great way to promote talent, even for jobbers. For the story goes, it never made a difference. Just that cliche “I’m going to pay someone to take you out” story. A big meh from me.
Nyla Rose vs Big Swole for the number one contender for the AEW Women’s Championship. Nyla wins via Powerbomb pin fall.
A really strange match. No story to follow, the high stakes seem to come out of no where, and lack of in ring chemistry. Add all that up and you have a match that almost put me to sleep. It wasn’t a complete disaster match, the ladies hit their spots. However, you could see slight confusion with each other. With both needing to connect with the audience, whether it be as getting heat or praise, this match did no favors. With Nyla winning a shot at Riho again, it’s almost safe to say Riho will retain her title. I will receive bonus points if Riho gets a roll up pin… calling it now.
Cody goes above and beyond. Britt Baker shoots from the hip. SCU takes on Hybrid2.
Cody vs Kip Sabian. Cody wins via Crossroads pin fall.
I’m not sure what to take from this match. It progressed the stories of Kip and Cody, but stories that do not involved them. Kip and Penelope do their usual heel tactics. Getting Arn Anderson kicked out from ring side. Penelope then does her attacks on Cody, which included a nice step up Hurricanrana.
Also, the make out sessions between Kip and Penelope. However, their last kissed was intersected by Joey Jenella in the crowd. Comical but seemed out of place. Cody then takes advantage of the distraught Kip and hits with the Crossroads. Not once or twice, but three in succession. It was like Cody imagine Kip as MJF and buried Kip. So in all, good match but weird placement.
Britt needs work.
Britt is now interviewed again by Tony Schiavone and again she’s a heel. Also what did not change was Britt’s promo skills, which need to get better. What did get an “OH, SNAP!” reaction from me and the crowd was this part of her promo. In regards to good old JR “You sit there all smug and pretentious and judgment of my division, of my generation. And you sit there each week and collecting a very large pay check, while we do all the work. Be the legend I grew up on Jim. Not a sloppy BBQ sales rep, who can’t even get our names straight.”. Ouch, that hurt even for me to listen to. Not only that it was a huge jab at JR, but the delivery as well. Britt needs time to polish her promo skills, point blank.
SCU vs Hybrid2. SCU wins via SCU-Later pin fall.
Sigh.. I am a really big mark for Angelico and Jack Evans. When I heard they signed to AEW, I couldn’t contain myself. I thought to myself.. will Angelico top his Lucha Underground roof top dive in to the ring? Will Jack Evans be unleashed as a swarmy heel that he does so well? The hard reality answer is no. They are jobbers in AEW, a WWE like version of Luke Gallows/Karl Anderson or The Revival. Angelico and Evans has so much talent, but it is wasted so far in AEW.
Granted, this was probably the best the tag team have looked since their debut. However, this was a pickle of a situation. The crowd LOVES SCU and they just lost their title, Hybrid2 NEEDS A WIN to stay relative. What happens? AEW goes with the crowd reaction, just like every promotion and gies Hybrid2 another loss. There is really no winners here, if AEW give Evans a mic.. I guarantee he will cut a vicious promo that may make Heyman blush. Add in Angelico’s talent to wow a crowd and you have a great heel team. Just do it AEW, just do it.
Fun main event.
The Inner Circle ( Chris Jericho/Santana/Ortiz) vs Darby Allin/Private Party (Isiah Kassidy/Marc Quen). Jericho wins via Judas Effect pin fall.
I really was hyped for this main event, but left with a meh. Hear me out though, the action was great, but again.. why are these teams fighting each other? There is no current story going on with these factions. The only connection is that Darby Allin fought Jericho in a great title match, that’s it. With that being said, it was good action.
Private Party took most of the beatings, saving the hot tag for Allin. Every time that kid jumps in to the ring, the crowd loses it and me too. There was one big botch in my eyes though. AEW gets a lot of deserved criticism for their questionable tag team rules. You know.. like not tagging your team mate, being the legal man and still get the pin fall.
We can all suspend belief in pro wrestling, but darn it.. the in ring story needs rules. Alas, near the end Darby hits a Coffin Drop on Hagar and the commentary tried to explain that Darby tagged Kassidy beforehand. Yet the replay showed no such tag, even Isiah seemed a tad confused. Le Champion hit a Judas Effect on Kassidy, who over sold the move for the win.
The Inner Circle makes a statement and regrets it.
After the match, The Inner Circle attack Private Party and Darby. They grab Allin’s skateboard and drive it in to Darby’s throat. Then Sammy Guevara gets to the top turnbuckle to smash the skateboard on Allin. However, Jon Moxley runs in for the save wielding a baseball bat. Moxley takes out all of The Inner Circle and they retreat. This was a solid main event, but The Inner Circle does not need the win. The ones who could’ve benefited from a tag team win was Darby and Private Party. Good match, bad booking.
Afterthoughts.
This wasnot a show that AEW needed to be big and it showed. There was small story arc advances, but really small. AEW is not in the same schedule as WWE and does not have to fast track stories for a monthly PPV. However, AEW needs to realize that ever show counts, if they want to a real threat to WWE. This show was just an average show, hopefully we do not get this as a precedent.
NXT
The Dusty Cup is awarded and the majority of TakeOver:Portland is booked by the end of this week’s show. Plus some new faces got to further establish themselves.
The Prinxe Climbs a Mountain
Set up via a parking lot encounter at the performance center, the opening match of the night saw Finn Balor taking on Mustache Mountain’s Trent Seven. Balor had already done damage to Seven’s throat in the parking lot, and that played a role here. Balor went on the attack before his opponent could even get in the ring, so trent was far from 100% when the bell rang.
Seven managed to pull out a few small comebacks, but couldn’t maintain any of them for long. This was primarily a display of constant, aggressive assault from Balor. The former champ didn’t just want to win, he wanted to embarrass his foe. He finally put Seven out of his misery with the triple finisher that has come to be Balor’s norm lately. He hit a John Woo kick to set up the Coup de Gras and finished his opponent with a 1916 DDT.
Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne were interviewed backstage ahead of the Dusty Cup final. These character moments between the “Broserweights” are worth every moment of this odd couple pairing. I just can’t help but laugh at every interaction between the two.
Tank Girl!
Shotzi Blackheart made her way down the ramp via a tiny tank, and I instantly became a fan of this schtick. Her opponent Deonna Purrazzo wasn’t interested in fun and games though. She’s still mad about being eliminated by Shotzi in the battle royal a couple of weeks ago. They worked a mostly even match that allowed both women to look like future stars for show. Shotzi was more in need of a victory though, and she got it thanks to a top rope senton splash.
After the match Blackheart climbed back into her tiny tank and rode into the sunset (or the curtain technically), and I cheered once again at the cheesetastic glory of the moment.
North American Drama
Newly crowned North American Champion Keith Lee was out for a promo to celebrate his title win. his party was cut short by an interruption from Damian Priest, who made it clear he wants to TAKE the title. Priest was not alone in this desire though. Dominik Dijakovic thinks he deserves a title shot way more than “bootleg Marilyn Manson.” The champ decides to let his challengers settle this among themselves and quietly slips out of the ring.
An impromptu match was made official between Priest and Dijakovic. While never expressly stated, it’s assumed that this was essentially a #1 contender match. Priest tried to soften up his foe early with a crucifix bomb onto the ring apron. Overall, both men looked great in a match that featured plenty of the flipping and flying that we’ve come to expect from this current crop of big men. In the end, an Avalanche Poison Rana couldn’t keep Dijakovic down for the count. However, a Feast Your Eyes got the job done against the Archer of Infamy.
It should be great to see Dijakovic and Lee revisit their great feud with a title on the line.
Daddy Bleeds
Tomasso Ciampa gives a short interview in which he introduces us to a steel pipe. After a commercial break we see 3/4 of Undisputed Era out cold and Ciampa walking away from the scene with his pipe. The former champ walks all the way to the ring where he sets up a table and spray paints a giant “X” on it. When Adam Cole arrives on stage, Ciampa proceeds to tell him his plan to put Cole through that “X” and sign a contract for the title.
William Regal hits the stage with a prepared contract already signed by Cole. When Cole brings that contract to the ring and tries to bring the fight to Ciampa, the Psycho Killer does just as he promised and puts Cole through the “X” on the table. Ciampa then picks up the contract and, at the urging of the audience, signs it in the blood that’s dripping from his head. A final hug for Goldie closes the segment.
Brace Yourself!
Tegan Nox leaves her usual smile in the locker room as she comes to the ring to finally get some revenge on former best friend Dakota Kai. Kai makes her watch footage from Wargames to get into her head, but all it does is fire up Nox that much more. They quickly battle out of the ring and through the arena, nearly ending the match in a double count out.
It’s clear neither woman is interested in a straight up wrestling match as both tease the use of weapons multiple times. Almost every time they are stopped by the ref, however one attempted chair shot is halted by Candice LeRae. With the ref focused on LeRae, Nox goes ahead and hits Kai with the knee brace. She follows that up with a Shining Wizard for the win, but it’s clear this is not the last of this feud.
Chelsea Green finally got her debut match accompanied by manager Robert Stone. She was aggressive in her attacks on Kayden Carter, but she was also a little too arrogant. She eventually showboated a bit too much and carter took advantage with a roll up into an upset victory.
Dusty Cup Final
Even though this is technically only their 3rd match together, the Broserweights are now firmly established as a team. The Grizzled Young Veterans, the inaugural UK Tag Champions, serve as a great test of that partnership though. All four men displayed solid chemistry both within their own teams and with their opponents which makes them a worthy final match in the tournament.
Dunne sold a shoulder injury at one point allowing him to play “face in peril” and eventually get a hot tag to Riddle. Side by side ankle locks nearly got the job done for the Bros, but GYV managed to escape. Gibson tried to get Dunne to tap to the Shankly Gates while Drake prevented a rope break. Riddle did what he had to do to break up that moment though.
GYV used some tandem offense on Dunne outside of the ring in order to isolate Riddle inside. Alas, they just couldn’t seem to seal the deal against the MMA veteran. With Dunne recovered the Broserweights turned the tides by removing Gibson from the equation and picking up the victory on Drake.
Dunne and Riddle now go on to TakeOver where they can potentially walk away with the NXT Tag Titles currently held by Undisputed Era. Jason M.
Friday Night SmackDown
It’s Super SmackDown! All for the the last SmackDown before the Super Bowl. Braun Strowman chases singles gold. Will Otis win a date with Mandy Rose? Which tag team will challenge for the SmackDown Tag Team titles? Who will be served dog food, Roman Reigns or King Corbin? Let’s dive in to SmackDown!
Roman makes a challenge. Number one contender for tag titles. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross takes on Fire and Desire.
The challenge.
Roman opens the show with a video package of his win over King Corbin at the Rumble. The Usos join him in some banter. King Corbin and his cronies arrive and do their own banter, including the Usos jail stints. This was all for a build up to a rumored match in the past. The loser eats dog food, yeah we are at this point folks. The Main Event is the loser eats dog food and a rolling cart id brought out. This is just… awful.
The Dirt Sheets (The Miz/John Morrison) vs Heavy Machinery vs Lucha House Party vs The Revival for the number contenders for the SmackDown tag team titles. Morrison wins via Starship Pain pin fall.
This was probably the best match of the night. Everyone shined, even the overlooked Lucha House Party. The action was fast and to the point. The only thing I may have criticism about the match, was it was a bit too long. Heavy Machinery took control of the match early on. Then Lucha House Party showed their crispness in the ring. The Revival was the Revival, meaning the true heels of the match. What became predictable was the Dirt Sheets overcoming the odds and winning. If you saw the entrances, you already knew who was going to win.
Thinking about it, the right move was called. Both Morrison and Miz need gold now, unlike the others. The unsettling thing was that The Miz was easily the weak point of the tag team. Something WWE had many chances to hide and did. However, tagging with Morrison really exposes the Miz.
Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross vs Fire and Desire. Alexa wins via Twisted Bliss pin fall.
Before the match, Otis from Heavy Machinery apologizes to Mandy about letting her down at the Rumble. Mandy said it was ok, then the big lovable guy asks Mandy for a date this Friday!! Mandy turns him down because she had plans. However, Mandy states that she is free the next Friday.. Valentines Day! Now Otis has a date with Mandy on Valentines Day, bless you pro wrestling!
On to the match, well it was sub par. Typical match from the foursome, not a total bad thing, but we have seen this too many times. This match even exposed Mandy Rose, in which Rose does not need right now. Mandy and Otis’s storyline is probably one the most beloved angles going for WWE right now. Anyways, in the closing Nikki hits The Purge on Rose and Alexa hits the Twisted Bliss for the win. In the end, none won this match.
The Monster chases gold. Shorty G puts up another fight. Naomi sets her sights.
Braun Strowman vs Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship. Strowman wins via Powerslam pin fall.
Finally.. The Monster wins singles gold! It was not an easy journey for Braun, as Sami and Cesaro did all they could do to keep Shin’s gold. Despite the vicious hard strikes from Nakamura, The Monster was too much for all three men. After a missed spear to an exposed turnbuckle, Braun hits a Powerbomb on the Artist and gains his first singles title!
The match as a whole was just average. It was the same match Braun has had with Shin and friends. Sami and Cesaro took advantage of a distracted ref. Hoping to retain Shin’s title became futile. The main reason I rated this match a tad higher, was the true excitement and joy from Braun winning a title. The baby face Monster celebrate in the crowd and they ate it up, so did I.
Sheamus vs Shorty G. Sheamus wins via Brogue Kick pin fall.
A rematch from the pre show of the Royal Rumble, featured a better match. Shorty G actually took it to Sheamus this time. Gable took it to The Celtic Warrior in the Rumble, but this was more aggressive. Alas, it did not matter, Sheamus ended up in total control and hit the Brogue Kick to cement the win. This feud was good for both. Allowing Sheamus to ease back in, with good soft hands. Good for Gable to get exposure, but at some point Shorty G needs to get some big wins to stay relevant.
A new feud?
Bayley comes out cut a promo, but Namoi cuts her off. The Goddess of Glow states that Bayley never beat her. While Bayley wanted Charlotte to challenge her for her title, Naomi rose to the challenge. Bayley attacked first, but Naomi sent her packing. This is a very interesting match up. If the two can deliver a great match, then this feud may be something we needed, but never knew we wanted. Great booking in Naomi’s behalf and maybe Bayley’s too.
The main event.
Roman Reigns/The Usos vs King Corbin/Dolph Ziggler/Bobby Roode. Roman wins via Roll up pin fall.
Sigh… this was a rumored match for the Royal Rumble. Now the WWE will be using it as main event for SmackDown following the Rumble. You can guess how this ended up. The Usos took control in the beginning, the King’s Court regain control, Roman gets a hot tag. After some close pin falls by Corbin, The Usos go on a Super Kick party. Allowing Roman to tease a Spear win, Corbin counters but fall for the roll up.
Here is the thing, mostly everyone did not care about the dog food angle. Now in the start of the show, it was “Loser EATS dog food”. Yet what we got was dog food poured over Corbin, like what he did to Roman a month ago. Did I want someone to eat real dog food? Not really, but it could’ve been a mock up dog food. Instead, we got a baby face version of what Corbin and pals did to Roman. I hope this is the end of the Roman/Corbin feud, for this has gone on too long.
Afterthoughts
This was a decent show.. of course there was some low points. Especially for following the Royal Rumble. However, I was sort of entertained. With the recent shake up in the big wigs department, I hope it will translate in to a better show in this year and beyond. AEW is not even close to overtaking WWE, but it does have WWE thinking harder then it has in a decade. Competition is fantastic for pro wrestling and the fans usually win. I hope WWE will throw everything at AEW and AEW does the same, so we all win.-David G
PPV Schedule
NXT TakeOver: Portland: February 16
- Finn Balor vs Johnny Gargano
- NXT Championship: Rhea Ripley vs Bianca Belair
- NXT Tag Title Match: Undisputed Era© vs The Broserweights
- NXT Title: Adam Cole© vs Tomassso Ciampa
WWE Elimination Chamber: March 8
NXT TakeOver:Tampa: April 4
Wrestlmania 36: April 5
WWE Summerslam: August 23
