This week in pro wrestling, there was a big returns and lashings live on air. WWE is building towards the Super Showdown. AEW is building towards Revolution. Who returned, did Cody survive the brutal lashings MJF gave out? Was NXT a “Dream”? Big winner for Bayley’s title. Goldberg tells us “Who’s Next?!” Find out all you need to know, right here!

RAW:

Massive snowstorm doesn’t keep the WWE Universe away from Raw.

Salt Lake City, Utah hosted the program this evening at the Vivint Smart Home Arena on 2/3/20. Many of the WWE faithful braved warnings from the local government about state of emergency conditions. It didn’t keep them away from the show, so let’s hope for safe travels and a quality broadcast!

Randy Orton baited the crowd who booed him unmercifully for his actions against Edge that were recapped in the opening minutes. He was set to speak about why he did to Edge last week, but as he got started, the crowd stopped him. He finally began to muscle through the promo, but he decided to stop and left the ring without an explanation. This was fine, but too much time was wasted for nothing in my opinion. That’s valuable TV time that could be given to something else.

Riott Returns

Lana and Liv Morgan did business again this week. The result was the exact same as last week’s exchange. Lana sneak attacks and then as she gloats, Morgan recovers and hits her STO off the ropes for the pin fall. Whether or not this story continues is anyone’s guess, but Rusev needs a victory as well in this feud.

Ruby is back!

The big news coming out of this was the return of Ruby Riott! After Morgan celebrated her victory, Riott made her triumphant return, hitting Morgan with her finish to keep some of the old Riott Squad heat intact and to bring a very viable hand back to Raw and the women’s division. So happy to see Riott back on the red brand!

Drew squashes.

Drew McIntyre warned Mojo Rawley after a brief promo that three seconds later, he would Claymore his head off. He’s a man who keeps his promise. Apparently, the offensive lineman, Riddick Moss, will see his replacement drafted. This was over quickly. Rawley’s 24/7 title was not on the line thankfully for his sake.

Kevin Owens and Viking Raiders take on Monday Night Messiah and crew.

Buddy Murphy and the AOP take on Kevin Owens and the Viking Raiders in a six man elimination tag next and after some brief words from Buddy Murphy, the “Monday Night Messiah” Seth Rollins makes his presence known. He talks about a triple threat match taking place later against Ricochet and Bobby Lashley, where the winner faces Brock Lesnar at Super Showdown for the Universal Title. I expect Ricochet to win that match, but Rollins certainly made his case. Heel Rollins is so fantastic.

Kevin Owens gave it a go as Erik of the Viking Raiders was eliminated early and Ivar had to leave the ringside due to an injury suffered during the match. It wasn’t a legit one mind you, it just allowed Owens to go it alone for the sake of the story. He was able to eliminate Akem and Buddy Murphy, but the big Rezar of AoP was too much for KO, despite him handing stunners out at will. AoP and Murphy come away with the victory in the elimination match.

Ricochet cuts a promo before the big main event tonight and the crowd responded favorably to it.

Aleister Black made very short work of Eric Young with Black Mass and the enigmatic talent cut another solid promo talking about defying the odds and going against the norm when he was younger. He then ended the match after two Black Mass kicks, the latter for good measure.

Family Issues

Humberto Carrillo is out for singles action and they recap him putting Andrade out of action, at least for story line purposes.

Zelina Vega brings out Angel Garza! The former Cruiserweight champion is on Raw and they immediately play up the fact that the two men are cousins and it’s actual well delivered as it relates to the story. Garza slaps his cousin and he looks to put him on the shelf with a Hammerlock DDT, ala Andrade’s injury, but Rey Mysterio makes the save. Carrillo was put down without the major injury and it leads to a match between Garza and Rey.

Who is the true winner?

Rey Mysterio wins the battle, but loses the war. He comes away with a DQ victory after a fantastic bout and Garza really gave a great account of himself in this one. I don’t know if his arrival on Raw is a permanent thing or not, but this was well staged and it set the table for a good run if so. After the DQ, Garza planted Mysterio on the exposed concrete with a Hammerlock DDT and it seems that injuring the talent with that spot is the “in” thing to do. It was Rey’s turn to suffer that turn this week.

Queen is confronted.

Charlotte Flair is out to announce her Wrestlemania opponenet after a bait and switch last week. She talks about how she has beaten both Becky Lynch and Bayley and held both titles. This brings out Rhea Ripley who gets a massive ovation. Rhea says that while Charlotte has beaten the others, she hasn’t beaten her and in fact, Ripley holds a victory over her. Charlotte doesn’t give us an answer, but she gives us a “Whoooo” and sets the table for what she be an outstanding match that many of us expected to take shape.

Asuka vs Natalya.

Asuka and Natalya put together a quality bout and after a good back and forth that looked like Nattie might win, a well-timed distraction from Kairi Sane allowed Asuka to snap on the Asuka Lock and tap her opponent out.

The Empress calls out The Man after the bout and Lynch comes out to answer the challenge. She asks why she should defend the title after beating Asuka who apparently “ducked her” for a year. She said she felt like she had super powers after beating her and she says why the heck not? They agree to a title match and we find out that it takes place next week on Raw. Lynch strikes down Kairi Sane who tried to attack her from behind and Lynch leaves happy.

Next Man Up

As many expected, and after a very entertaining main event, Ricochet is heading to Super Showdown for a title match against Brock Lesnar. Lashley and Ricochet oust Rollins by dumping him over the top rope and then Ricochet heads to the top, coming down on Lashley for the three count. The crowd goes crazy and before Ricochet even has a chance to celebrate, the Universal Champion hits the ring and he delivers an F-5 on his new challenger.

Lesnar stands tall, smiling as the show goes off the air. It’s fantastic that Ricochet is getting a title shot and although this will be very similar to the match with Finn Balor, where we all expect Lesnar to retain, it’ll be a great contest as Lesnar always works well with talent as athletic as Ricochet and guys like AJ Styles, Rey Mysterio and Finn Balor. The Heyman Era continues with another excellent episode of Monday Night Raw. Stories continued and fresh feuds are ignited.-Joel M

 

AEW Dynamite:

This week on Dynamite, huge eight man tag match! PAC wants revenge on Kenny Omega. Moxley returns the favor to the Inner Circle. The distance between Adam Hangman Paige and The Elite grows. Live on air lashings on Cody from MJF. Will Cody survive the brutal stipulation? Did Omega answer PAC’s call? Let’s dive in, because this is DYNAMITE!

An eye for an eye. The Dark Order continues they attacks. Britt Baker turns to a vicious side.

Jon Moxley vs Ortiz. Moxley wins via Paradigm Shift pin fall.

This was a decent match, but nothing special, until the end. Le Champion rolls out his strategy on wearing down Moxley before their title match at Revolution. The match was well paced and I was actually surprised it wasn’t a draw. Having the match end in a draw would make perfect sense for the story arc.

However, AEW had something else in mind. After Jon fought back Ortiz and interference form Santana, Moxley hit the Paradigm Shift for the win. Santana hit the ring to attack Jon, only to get hit by another Paradigm Shift. Then Moxley takes out the keys to the Ford GT he took from Jericho and stabs Santana’s eye. Eye for an eye. The building towards the championship title match is going great so far!

SCU vs Best Friends w/ Orange Cassidy. SCU wins via Big Knee to Yoshi Tonic pin fall.

Really good match, but again what happened after the match made the whole thing better. It seems that AEW is still behind pushing SCU and with the crowd behind them, it’s hard not to. Nice mixture of technical and high flying spots between the teams. The closing minutes had Best Friends making a comeback an a hug out. That hug killed enough momentum for Scorpio Sky to hit a big knee sending Trent into Frankie’s Yoshi Tonic and the win.

After the bout, The Dark Order attack both teams. Making good on their promise of attacking Christopher Daniels friends. The uber relaxed Orange Cassidy had enough and stood in the ring confronting The Dark Order. Vastly outnumbered, Cassidy is beaten down, Daniels runs out for the save. The Dark Order decides to retreat, leaving Daniels unharmed. What do they want with Christopher? Why is he so valuable to them? These questions is what keep fans tuning in and is great story telling from AEW.

Yuka Sakazaki vs Dr Britt Baker. Yuka wins via Roll up pin fall.

Stop if you herd this from me before.. what happened after the match was the real meat of the match. Yup, AEW has decided to this three times in a row so far and it doesn’t get stale. Yuka returns to AEW since her match at Fyter’s Fest and took it to Baker. After a series of hard shots by Sakazaki, Baker looks to cinch in the Lockjaw. However, Yuka shifts her weight and rolls up Britt for the win.

Simple right? Nope… Baker is furious and frustrated now. The Doctor now goes into full American History X mode, attacks Yuka with a ring bell. Then puts Yuka’s mouth on the bottom ropes and hits a violent Curb Stomp. There was blood from Sakazaki mouth and she even spat a tooth out. This is aggression that we have not seen in Baker before. I’m tad surprised TNT allowed this level of violence to be aired in prime time. Alas, this is not the PG WWE we have been a costumed to.

Eight Man tag team action. Pac issues a challenge. Revenge match.

The Butcher/Blade/Lucha Bros. vs The Young Bucks/Kenny Omega/Adam Hangman Page. Lucha Bros win via Spiked Penta Driver pin fall.

While a fantastic match, one the main reasons to watch this match is the distance of Page and The Elite grow. The Elite came out with a combo entrance and Hangman just casually comes out alone. During the match The Elite hit a Triple Dropkick on The Butcher, the crowd erupts. While The Elite are hamming it up,you can see Hangman just stoically staring off. One the greatest moves was landed by Fenix, a beautiful top rope Plancha.

The match continued it’s breathtaking pace and Page is left in the ring. Hangman misses his Buckshot Lariat on Butcher, but turns Blade inside out. Page’s knee gives out from the damage earlier and the Young Bucks begged to be tagged in. However, Hangman refuses stating that he has this. The Cowboy was wrong, as Fenix and Pentagon Jr hits the Penta Driver for the win. The elite are baffled from Page’s actions, as Hangman grabs a beer and walks out. I am still loving this slow burn of a story. If done right, we may be getting a Stone Cold Steve Austin like character that the fans will cheer for no matter if Page is a face or heel.

What Pac wants, Pac gets.

After the match Tony Schiavone attempts to interview Kenny Omega, but Pac interrupts. I seriously need a take a stat on how many interviews Tony actually finishes. They seem to get interrupted, so when you see Tony expect an interruption. Pac threatens that something will happen to his good friend Riho if he doesn’t accept a rematch. Omega gives in and grants Pac’s request. Pac then states that he wasn’t going to hurt Riho and he may be a bastard, but not a beast. Pac states that she’s the beast and Nyla Rose attacks Riho, Powerbombing her into a table. Great way to further along the Pac/Omega feud and resetting the Riho/Nyla feud. Riho won the inaugural match for the AEW Women’s title from Rose.

Kip Sabian vs The Bad Boy Joey Janela. Kip wins via Roll up pin fall.

Who said that Jenela can not wrestle a technical match? With his indie reputation for hard core matches, most people did. Joey proved the naysayers as he worked a good tech match with Kip. Distractions from Joey’s former girlfriend and current girlfriend of Kip, Penelope.. was all that Kip needed to win. Every time Joey gets the upper hand, Penelope distracts him. Either slamming Joey’s head in to steel steps or planting a wet kiss on Kip. The later was the final distraction, as Jenela charges at them, knocking Penelope of the apron. However, that allowed Kip to roll up Joey for the win. This was a good continuation for the three, keeping this mid card feud going.

The ten lashes of Cody.

MJF had stipulations for Cody, if the American Nightmare wanted to fight him. This was one them, the others included not touching MJF until Revolution. the last one is fight and win a match vs Wardlow in a steel cage. This was emotional and anguishing to watch, yet it kind of still played out like a wrestling match.

The first belt lash, Cody took like a champ, while a welt was left on his shoulder. The locker room of heels then walk out to take a closer look. The second lash enraged Cody as it almost seem that Cody was going to attack MJF. The third lashing brought the fan’s hero to his knees. The American Nightmare looks to have bitten off more than he chew. Arn Anderson walks out to support his long time family friend.

The fifth lashing and agony of Cody brought out his brother Dustin Rhodes. The older Rhodes pleads to MJF to take the remaining lashes. Maxwell refuses and tells him to get out the ring. Lashes number six and seven brought out The Young Bucks as they give their moral support to the broken Cody. MJF now furious that Cody will not quit or pass out, hands the belt to Wardlow. The 6’2″ 249 lbs mountain of muscle lays a vicious eight strike from the belt. Number nine collapses Cody, the AEW Executive Vice President can not stand anymore.

Hope is not lost.

Brandi Rhodes makes her way out to the ring. Mrs Rhodes has dropped the heel act and went out to support her husband Cody. In what could be a scene from CW’s The Flash show, Cody took her love and used it for inspiration. Cody stands tall as MJF delivers the final lash across his chest. Cody survives the lashings, but the ultimate heel MJF delivers a kick to the crotch in anger. Wardlow and MJF high tail it out of there.

Only to anger the face locker room as they storm the ring and follow MJF through the crowd. Early on social media thought it was an upset fan attacking MJF as the camera cuts away. However, I watched it many times in replay and honestly think it was just Frankie Kazarian. Which makes sense due to MJF needing a few fights before Revolution and the commentators pushing Frankie earlier on.

Was it worth watching?

This was fantastic story telling. Remember how I said this played out like a pro wrestling match? The defiant hero takes on the villainous heel. The heel is complete control, the hero is almost down for the count. One last gasp from the hero and win the match! Only to have the villain take one last cheap shot and run. This was it, except without all the fighting and AEW that was superb! No other talent in AEW could have pulled that off.

This story is made and tailored for Cody. All the facial expressions, body language and the ability to garner crowd sympathy is the work of one Cody Rhodes. With every crack of the belt, the crowd wanted to rip MJF in half. The audience and crowd wanted to end their hero’s suffering. This was all due to fantastic work from Cody, MJF, and AEW creative. Was it worth watching? It may be difficult, but it provided such emotional impact to the story. So, yes.. it is worth watching.

Afterthoughts.

This was a fine episode of Dynamite. What really shined was the AEW’s ability to progress their story-lines towards the PPV Revolution. Not to say that other promotions can not do the same, but it is becoming AEW’s modus operandi. The quality of the matches have been upgraded by the story that followed after the matches. This was a great show, mostly because the way it progressed the entire promotion’s story-lines.– David G.

NXT:

Big returns for NXT tonight! Are The Broserweights mocking the NXT division? Angel seeks redemption and a beefy bout. Interviews between Finn Balor and Johnny Gargano. Queen comes back home! Was the ending of NXT a “Dream”? Let’s get started for NXT!

A promise. Fallen Angel seeks revenge. Big men clash.

Broserweights make a promise.

Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne came out for the opening segment. It was decent, but the whole Riddle making jokes and Pete not getting it has fell stale. This amazing tag team is in the danger of beong forgotten and/or despised. Anyways, the duo had their moments on the mic against Undisputed Era. However, it was not enough to garner attention.

Angel Garza vs Isaiah Swerve Scott. Garza wins via Wing Clipper pin fall.

I am at a crossroad here. I really am a huge fan of Isaiah and to see him becoming a jobber to the stars has me worried. Also, I am a huge fan of Garza.. seeing him climb to the RAW roster earlier invoked straight up marking out. Alas, only one could win and it was Garza. Was it bad booking? To a point in my opinion, but again I’m a Scott fan. For the overall picture.. no. This was a booking that NXT needed to happen. Garza lost to Mysterio on RAW, so the natural bad guy needed a win. I just wish Swerve can overcome his jobber status in WWE. Go watch his indie bouts, especially Lucha Underground.

Dominik Dijakovic vs Killian Dain. Dominick wins via Feast For Your Eyes pin fall.

A slobber knocker between two large slabs of beef! Dom actually earned the baby face status in this match. It was a decent big men bout, the ending is up for debate. While the duo crushed each other, Dom came up with the win. This.. for some reason lead for Keith Lee to come out and challenge Dom. Yes, we get it from a certain view and we love seeing Dom vs Lee. However NXT, do not water down what these to guys can provide. They have awesome in ring chemistry, we just do not want it to become a default.

Fuel for a fire match. Experience prevails. The Ace makes his debut.

Johnny Gargano and Finn Balor speak.

A great promo interview between two great workers happen. Yes, we all know we are getting a dream match between Gargonano and Balor. What we didn’t realize is that these two men can play off each other so fluidly. The interview between the two was just that. A quick paced segment that had the fans clamoring for more.

Mercedes Martinez vs Kacy Catanzaro. Martinez wins via Fisherman Buster pin fall.

An average match, with the vet gaining the win. It was not a big trash match, but this could’ve been handled a tad better. It is understood that the NXT women’s division needs a jolt from a vet. Yet, I don’t see this feud going any further than this match. It felt like a filler.

Jordan Devlin vs Tyler Breeze. Jordan wins via Devlin Slide pin fall.

Nice NXT introduction to a future star. That star is Jordan Devlin and the new NXT Cruiserweight champion. Prince Pretty did his best to embarrass Jordan in his first NXT match, but Tyler failed. Devlin took all of Breeze’s best shots and hit the Devlin Slide for the win. This was a great way to introduce Jordan to a bigger crowd and this was the best match for Tyler in awhile. Both men looked strong in this match. However, head my words… Jordan will be a superstar soon.

Will the Queen accept? Was it a Dream?

The EST will not be ignored.

Bianca Belair came out to cut a promo aon how she is the “EST”, Flair and Ripley should not overlook her. The Queen Charlotte came out and gave a back hand compliment to Bianca. Pretty much stating that she is above any NXT worker. Enter Rhea.. The NXT champion states that she is not overlooking Belair and knows that the duo will give each other hell. Also, Ripley reminds teh audience that “We are NXT!”. Right after that, Belair and Rhea attack Charlotte and stand tall. Good promo, if we haven’t seen done to death already. If we get a Rhea vs Bianca vs Flair WrestleMania fight.. this guy will be very happy.

The Dream is back!!!

In what could’ve been a Meltzer classic, turned into a one of the best returns! Undisputed Era vs Ciampa/Riddle/Dunne. The match was what you expected. Great sells, great moves, near falls, awesome in ring story telling. The match ended in a no contest and Undisputed Era took the “NWO” route in paint spraying Ciampa. However, the lights cut out.. AND VELVETEEN DREAM IS BACK!!! The Dream took out all of the Era and ripped off his tights. Once again, with a request proclaiming to be called up on his tights. The man is a genius. Where will Dream fall into this already huge feud? We will have to see. That’s all for this week and it was a blast!-David G

Friday Night SmackDown:

Tonight on SmackDown, we find out on who’s next! A race towards the SmackDown tag team titles! A Fatal Four-Way match for number one contender for the SmackDown Women’s title! The Dirt Sheets return just in time for the Oscars. Otis trains for his date with Mandy Rose. A changed Daniel Bryan after his brutal match with The Fiend. Let’s get this party started!

It’s Oscar time. Tag team contenders battle. The Drifter vs The Swiss Superman.

Return of the Dirt Sheets.

This amused me very much. I don’t if it was nostalgia or the parody of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood or both. Ok, it’s both.. with cameos of John Laurinaitis and Lance Armstrong, it hooked me. Proving that Morrison and Miz still have it. After their “Oscar movie contender” trailer we get the return of The Dirt Sheets. Only to be interrupted by The New Day, Usos, Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode. After a truly good start, the opening turned into a tired and stale set up for a match. Man, just give The Dirt Sheets back WWE, ok?

The Usos vs Dolph Ziggler/Bobby Roode. Jimmy Uso wins via Uso Splash.

This was a solid match.. action wise. Story wise, I am still trying to grasp the story line. I mean, I get it, just slightly confused. WWE wants to push The Usos towards a title fight, but want to make Miz and Morrison contenders. So what does WWE book? A match where Zig and Bobby continue to be overrated jobbers.. again. The action was great and it should be between these two teams. After nears falls. The Usos regain control and deliver many Super Kicks and an Uso Splash from Jimmy Uso for the win. From a story point, this may seem like a waste. However, if it builds towards an Uso vs Miz and Morrison for the the number one contention, it may be ok.

Elias vs Cesaro. Elias wins via Elbow drop pin fall.

I wanted to love this match more than what was presented, alas it was a standard Cesaro losing match. Elias goes to start his song, Sami interrupts, Elias makes a joke about interruptions. That was actually very funny.

Now to the match, it was  just a match. I would’ve love to see Elias gain in ring experience in story telling. However, the story teller was Cesaro and he does it so well, like always. Making Elias look strong, but at the cost of Cesaro’s stock. The smarks know that Cesaro is one of the best talents in WWE, but the jury is still out on Elias. The Drifter did not sway any opinions in this match, just only getting a win. That is that, Elias gets a push at the cost of Cesaro’s stock. Nothing more, nothing less.

The King is angry! WHO”S NEXT?! Daniel Bryan is a different Dragon.

King Corbin is angry.

A video package plays about King Corbin getting drenched in dog food. So the King attacks a video producer.. original (sarcasm). Next up King Corbin takes his anger to the ring, dumping a drink on a Roman fan. Reigns then arrives Superman Punches Corbin and challenges the King in a cage match. I honestly this feud was done, but WWE saud “But wait there’s MORE!”. I hope this newest match is the last, it fun for a bit. However, this story-line has worn out it’s welcome.

Breaking news from the Firefly Fun House!

Bill Goldberg has a satellite feed from his home and teases on who is next. Enter Bray Wyatt and the Firefly Fun House breaking the feed. In a fantastic parody of a news channel, Bray states that “He” has accepted. Goldberg then states that at Super Showdown, it will be The Fiend “Will be next!” Eh, ok… so it will be the match will be at the Super House Show. It deserves to be there, all I can see is Goldberg Spearing The Fiend about twenty times and ten Jackhammers. Only to have The Fiend to lock in the Mandible Claw and win. Spoiler alert, sorry.

Daniel Bryan vs Heath Slater. Bryan wins via LaBelle Lock submission.

Before the match, Slater tried to give Bryan an inspirational talk. However, Heath is not a great inspirational speaker and angers Daniel. So the American Dragon challenges him to a match and it was a look in to how Daniel has change. Slater really never had control, Bryan just took over. The American Dragon was just as vicious when he was against The Fiend. This was a fantastic look into Daniel’s psyche and how he has become more violent. The entire show could have used this type of character exploration. However, it seems that only Bryan can pull this off.

Daniel the Yes leader not only stomped Health head, but did it twice. Then Daniel cinches in the LeBelle lock after such a uneasy beating on Slater. This was by far the best character progression tonight. It had different takes on the story, the crowd seemingly praised the wrong wrestler. We ALL love Daniel, but this time he seems dangerous and beat down another beloved worker. I see Bryan becoming a heel again, but with the “Yes” movement as a back up.

Montage time! Sheamus continues destruction. Who will fight Bayley?!

Heavy Machinery is gold!

A montage is aired of Otis getting ready for his date with Mandy Rose. We are treated to an 80’s style build up to the date. Sit ups, lifting weight,  keg curls, jump roping, and eating pizza! At long last Otis dresses for the date, but Tucky decides it is best to rip off the sleeves on Otis’ blazer. It works, now Otis is ready for his Valentine Day date with Mandy Rose. Honestly, being an 80’s kid.. I LOVED THIS segment! It was almost every montage I grew up watching and the generic rock song nailed it. This story arc has been something great.

Sheamus vs Apollo Crews. Sheamus wins via Brogue Kick pin fall.

Yeah, what did you expect? Crews winning a match? Nope, the Celtic Warrior continues his destruction on SmackDown. Hitting The Brogue Kick for the win. I am VERY happy that we get to see Sheamus back in the ring after his injuries. However, “The Bar” fans have to suspend belief on why Cesaro and Sheamus are not back together again. Nice making Sheamus look strong. Bad in making Cesaro stock go down.

Fatal Four Way for the number one contender for the SmackDown Women’s title. Carmella vs Dana Brooks vs Naomi vs Alexa Bliss. Carmella wins via Super Kick pin fall.

This match served two things. Making Naomi/Bliss look strong and Bayley having a weak opponent for the title. In other words, bad booking. Why couldn’t Naomi and/or Bliss win? Because Vince loves swerves and still is booking WrestleMania, that’s why. After Carmella and Dana were tossed out from the match, Naomi and Bliss took over. It was a good match displaying both talents abilities. A back and forth battle, even when Carmella and Brooks returned, they were quickly subdued. Bliss went for Twisted Bliss, only to be met with Naomi’s knees. The Glow One, then hits a Rear View on Bliss. Only to get Super Kicked twice by Carmella and The Staten Princess steals the win.

Shortly afterwards, Bayley delivers a Russian Front Leg Sweep on Carmella. Making a statement on her newest contender for the title. This was an ok match with a slight swerve, we all know Carmella will not win the title. Setting up a possible WrestleMania match between Bayley vs Bliss and/or Naomi for the title. So.. meh.

Afterthoughts.

This was a solid SmackDown, was there some letdowns? Yeah, but no program is rarely perfect. Yet, SmackDown seems to be the weaker WWE brand out of the three. Also, NXT is quickly becoming the true WWE brand, with Raw gaining traction again despite being too long. Hopefully SmackDown can regain what made it great again. Until then, it is almost worth skipping lately. -David G.