What’s up, CF’ers? It’s time for the 24th straight edition of Week in Review! I’m going to be testing out a new format this week, where instead of the “Talking Point of the Night” and “Honorable Mentions” segments; I’ll talk about each storyline under a separate head. We’ll wade through the less important stuff, though, and focus on the best (or the worst) events of the week. So, do tell me if you like the new format, or if I should go back to the old one.
We had an excellent week of action this time. While RAW and SmackDown trudged along in a slow pace, the “secondary” shows were all really good. It’s been the norm for many, many weeks now, though, so it shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Being so close to WrestleMania, it’s not easy to not expect WWE to deliver, but as it turns out, this is one of the coldest WrestleMania seasons I can ever think about. After last year’s glorious run, it feels weaker. My enjoyment comes from many sources, though, so let’s begin another edition of…
(Credits to Wrestlinsight Gav!)
Week iN Review
RAW Reactions
Recoil Velocity -- I’ve gone on record to mention that I wasn’t a fan of the way WWE treated Randy Orton upon his return at Fastlane. I felt that his momentum was severely hurt because of WWE wanting to slowburn a painfully transparent turn. However, I must admit that the happening of this week’s RAW have made me a believer.
Randy Orton’s promo at the start of the night, calling The Authority a bunch of ass kissers and whatnot, was really well done. It really built the audience’s excitement as we all were expecting a turn right at that moment. The bait and switch stung a bit, but most perhaps knew that something was definitely wrong. The methodical expulsions of, first, Kane and Big Show, and then J & J Security, didn’t feel convoluted at all, and it all played out like one great episode of a TV drama. The main event, a Handicap Match between Roman Reigns, against Orton & Seth Rollins was only biding time until the fury emerged. The pop when Randy finally pulled out his hand from Rollins’ tag attempt proved that this night was a success. Orton’s vicious beatdown of Rollins only put an exclamation point to that fact. I’ve seen murmurs from many parts that the beatdown was payoff enough, and there’s not much to look forward to in this feud.
I can’t disagree more. Only one chapter was closed on Monday. This beatdown was extremely necessary to put Orton on the right path, and he has become one of the hottest faces on the roster once again. Having to take some time off right when the #RKOOuttaNowhere memes’ popularity was rising, was really detrimental to Orton’s cause, but the way this beatdown worked out has salvaged all of it. What do you look forward to? Rollins’s answer! The latter is one of the best heels in the company, and in the world, today, so I’m sure they’re going to have enough gas in this tank to continue the momentum for the next two weeks. Orton’s sit down interview with Michael Cole was solid as well, and the scripted environment allowed him to be more fluid. This was a winner in my book, and it has made me truly excited for their match at WrestleMania.
Cena Has His Way with Rusev -- Two things I didn’t like about the segment(s) related to this. First, Curtis Axel was squashed once again, even though it seemed like he’ll be allowed to have a little shine. I guess we all saw it coming, though, so this will get a pass. But, John Cena explicitly making this an America vs. Rusev issue didn’t really stand well with me. I thought this feud had the traction to become more personal than that, but we’re going the obvious route here. That, however, doesn’t mean that I’m not excited about this, though. Cena’s STF here was the best he has ever applied it, and him making Rusev conscious by throwing some water on him, and then applying the hold once again was totally badass. We should all keep our hopes of a Cena heel turn in check, though, as that’s never happening; but, as a one off, it was quite good. This has also led me to believe that their feud will extend beyond WrestleMania, and that Rusev will come out of ‘Mania as, still, the United States Champion. I could be completely wrong there, but I sense that we’re going to see more character build here that we couldn’t possibly get in the next two weeks. More on this as the issues develop.
Bray Summons the Dead -- The Pittsburgh crowd was stupid! No offense to any Pittsburgh-ians reading this, but they should read the dirtsheets more often. Anyway, the atmosphere during Bray’s promo was top notch. I especially liked how the lighting turned all the white ropes to black. It gave all of it a funeral/witchcraft kinda feeling, and it looked damn awesome. Wyatt’s motivations have been kinda twisted in all of this, but I like the notion that he wants to resurrect The Undertaker, so that he can put him to sleep once and for all. Bray has always been about psychologically breaking his opponents down, but what can he do to a man who has got no soul? The setting of ‘Taker’s response; the smoke, the chair, the lightning bolt, etc. were all really well done, and more kudos should be given to WWE’s production department. When they get it right, they can make for some great images indeed. The recorded “Rest in Peace” message felt a bit light to me as I thought ‘Taker would be unsure in approaching this match, but since he’s not going to appear before ‘Mania at all, the onus lies on Bray now, and I’m sure he’ll succeed. This feud doesn’t need much build beyond this, though, as ‘Taker’s name alone is draw enough, and Bray being given this opportunity – after a period of consistent push no less – is rather great.
Lucha Lowdown
The focus shifted right back to the in-ring action this week as the show featured 3 very solid matches.
Pentagon Jr. Continues Impressing His “Master” -- After breaking the arm of 3 relatively unknown names, Pentagon Jr. had to face a more credible athlete in Sin Cara’s brother, Argenis. Early off in the match, it seemed that the latter had caught the former off guard and was closing in on downing his opponent. But, as soon as Pentagon hit a running dropkick, the tone shifted considerably. After that, Mr. “Cero Meso” took total control of the proceedings, and Argenis had no answer. A minor slight I had with this match was that Pentagon attacked his opponent probably a little too much, even when he knew that he had the match in his grips. I get that his gimmick is all about “aggresivity” (Vampiro ©) right now, but less should be more for him; in that, he should put all the aggression he has in a select few moves, and not unnecessarily elongate a match. With that being said, the Package Piledriver is a thing of beauty and Pentagon added another broken arm to his résumé with that vicious armbar.
Girl Issues -- With Son of Havoc serving as Special Guest Referee, Ivelisse approached her match with Angelico with a lot of confidence. And even though the South African Dean Ambrose was trying to act like a complete prick, the Baddest Bitch in the Building surprised him numerous times during the match up. We got a great look at Ivelisse’s skills here as her MMA background came to the forefront and she used a nice looking Guillotine Choke at one point. Angelico obviously started to feel her up during the hold, and it had to be broken. This kind of suggestive acts actually played a big part of the match up and SoH had a hard time keeping it under check. In the end, after saving his girlfriend from a Razor’s Edge, SoH ducked an Angelico kick, but it accidentally hit Ivelisse. The pin wasn’t a nice sight for Havoc and he had to make a fast count which didn’t sit well with his girl.
“Hunter” Hunted -- In the main event, Johnny Mundo and King Cuerno settled their issues once and for all in the first ever Steel Cage Match in Lucha Underground history. A nice dynamic in the match was that the cage actually negated the high flying offense the Luchadores tend to have, so this became a stiff fest right from the get go. Mundo came into the match with an injured knee, and that became an immediate target for Cuerno. The only criticism I have of this match is when, earlier on in the match up, Cuerno tried to escape the cage. He’s supposed to be a “hunter”, so trying to run away from his opponent made no sense whatsoever, especially when it was being done so early on in the match without much damage, it at all, done to Mundo. A great spot, however, was when Cuerno had almost escaped the match towards the end, but Johnny was somehow able to grab a hold of his mask. And, as you must know, a Luchador might give away his life, but not his mask, so Cuerno had to come inside.
After that, it was an all out war between the two with Mundo even hitting a nice Spear. The end, fittingly, came from the top of the cage when Johnny was evidently on the verge of escaping. But, he had come to end Cuerno, and he hit an insane Starship Pain from the top of the cage to pin his opponent. The longest, and one of the best matches in LU till date!
Upcoming -- Next week, Fenix and Mil Muertes will face off in a Coffin Match. There were two excellent backstage segments this week with Catrina appearing as a figment of imagination of both the guys. Their issues are excellently interwoven and next week shall be a brilliant closing chapter to the rivalry between the Man of a 1,000 Lives and the Man of a 1,000 Deaths! Will Fenix rise from the ashes once more? Or will Muertes save himself from returning to the dark once again? Can’t wait to find out!
NXT Narrative
New #1 Contenders -- The Realest Guys in the Room finally got an opportunity to contend for the Tag Team Titles as they battled the former champions, Lucha Dragons. The Certified Gs were, like always, perfect in their pre-match promo comparing Lucha Dragons to Geico Lizards. They wanted 15% savings on car insurance, or their ways to the titles cleared. And that’s what they ended up doing; the latter, that is.
Enzo Amore was able to show more of his skills this time, competing against two guys of a stature similar to his. The team still depends a whole lot on Colin Cassady in the ring, but Enzo more or less held his own this time. The Dragons were their usual fluent selves here, but the crowd chanting “Botch Cara” to Hunico made me really sad. It’s not the same guy under the mask, dammit! In a glorious spot, Cassady dragged Enzo to their corner when he was in huge trouble, and tagged himself in. After hitting the East River Crossing, Amore was launched from the top rope, reaching almost 10 feet in the air, for a huge splash that got TRGITR the victory and the #1 Contendership.
The Fairy Returns -- Alexa Bliss made her in-ring return this week, and had a nice match with Carmella. Aggression seems to be the key for all the women of NXT and it was on full display for both the combatants here as well. Bliss showed a lot of athleticism that we weren’t seeing from her for a long time now. With the title scene cleared now, it’s nice to see some new people getting victories. Carmella looked rather unsure of herself here in trying to ground her opponent with bodyscissors and whatnot, but she struggled to transition between moves because she didn’t really have much to do. Bliss hit a good looking Sparkle Splash for the victory, and when she faces Sasha Banks next week, she better bring this aggression once again.
The Passion of Riley -- In a very heartfelt backstage promo, Riley claimed that while Kevin Owens was doing this for his family, the former had no family! For over 2 years, he was told that there was nothing for him to do and he waited and waited for this opportunity. He rather thanked KO for allowing him this platform.
The match with CJ Parker was nice for its length. Riley’s physique looked rather odd to me, but he’ll surely get into proper shape once he starts wrestling more regularly. Also, the male pattern baldness woes have started to affect him as well. The kickass theme song is still there, though! Anyway, Riley was all “Rage” here as he promised, and though CJ tried to put up a fight, Riley was too much for him on the night. A CrossRhodes and Top Rope Blockbuster (which is really odd for a man of his size) gave Riley the victory, and he was then interrupted by Owens. The latter let Alex know that he was the dumbest guy on NXT for quitting the commentary job because KO was going to end his in-ring career as well. So, we’re already getting this match? What happened to Riley having to impress Regal? I look forward to it, but I really thought there was going to be more build to it.
Vicious vs. Gorgeous -- After their excellent curtain jerker at RIVAL, Hideo Itami and Tyler Breeze squared off to finally put their tussle to an end. The theme here was that Breeze had scouted Hideo really well and played the waiting game versus the latter’s non-stop offense. The stalling in the beginning infuriated Hideo to the point where he wanted to finish the match as soon as possible, but Tyler had the better game plan here. The match was excitingly back and forth with the crowd also cheering themselves up with dueling “Itami is Gorgeous” and “Tyler’s Ratchet” chants. Some elements did call back to their previous encounter with Breeze trying to lock Hideo across the ring post, but this time, Itami got the better of him and met Tyler’s face with the post. Towards the end, Itami built his momentum with a lot of his trademark kicks. He went for a hesitation dropkick, but Breeze cunningly moved out of the way and Hideo walked into a Beauty Shot. Great rematch and I wouldn’t be averse to seeing more of them together.
SmackDown SentiMents
Potty Jokes -- The Intercontinental Title scene cleared a bit this week, with the field for the Ladder Match at ‘Mania being – hopefully – finally set. Daniel Bryan made his intentions clear about joining the match, claiming that, although he’s not going to repeat his world conquering title win from last year, he’s going to follow the footsteps of the many greats that have held the IC Title in the past and create a new WrestleMania moment. He also noted that this is the one title he’s not held ever since he has arrived in WWE, so winning the Ladder Match would make him a Grand Slam Champion. Chaos followed with the arrival of all the other participants, and that led to a 6 man main event with Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose and Bryan teaming up against Bad News Barrett, Luke Harper and Stardust.
It was an alright main event, with Ambrose and Stardust having the best performances. The Rhodes Brothers’ break up storyline being sidetracked because it wasn’t working (Geez; I wonder why!) is exactly the kind of thing that WWE should avoid. It makes the audience care about the characters less and less. That being said, I’ve firmly been in Cody’s camp right from the start, so I like his involvement here. But, when they were involving so many faces to this already, what’s one more? This storyline is still a convoluted mess, but I at least hope that they get the proper time at ‘Mania.
The face team won the match after Bryan tagged himself in following a Zig Zag on Harper, and hit the Running Knee Plus for the win. Ambrose and Dolph then showed some jealousy towards Bryan, calling him a turd! Hilarious, right? The actual TV segment came off totally weird. During the taping, the crowd actually chanted “No!” when Bryan asked them if he was, indeed, a turd, but WWE obviously cut it out. Good going with sabotaging Bryan’s momentum, WWE! It’s working really well!
Reigns Can? -- Like it or not, I’m also in the camp of those that didn’t really enjoy Paul Heyman’s promo on RAW. It’s not because it wasn’t good – it was – but, it didn’t add anything to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at ‘Mania, and was another waste of a Brock Lesnar appearance. Seriously, the big event is 20 days away and you don’t have a single interaction between the champion and the challenger? It’s apparent that the relations between Vince and Brock have deteriorated, and it doesn’t bode well for the main event of ‘Mania at all. Reigns should be kept far away from the mic as well. The promo he delivered on SmackDown was cringe worthy, and he looked lost in the lights once again. Had Mark Henry not appeared, it would have been a total fail. But, Reigns’ spear through the barricade on Henry, after being provoked to attack with the claims that he’s no match for Lesnar, looked really good. That’s exactly where the focus on Reigns should lie; on his badassery! That, however, was undone when Henry forcibly put Reigns over later on, saying that the latter proved him wrong. I mean, it can’t get more obvious than this, can it? Henry would have been a solid opponent for Reigns to put away next week in the absence of Lesnar, but they had to blow it all away. I’m pretty sure we’re going to get a match anyway, but after this, what would be the point?
Moving Forward in Reverse -- It seems, just like last year, we’re going to get another Fatal 4 Way for the Tag Team Championships at ‘Mania this year, with The Usos, The New Day and Los Matadores challenging Cesaro & Tyson Kidd. Initially, I wasn’t a huge fan of this concept as the Usos vs. Cesaro & Kidd feud hadn’t fully developed, but with the division needing a bit of a refresher; this could actually be a good way to spruce things up. This is different from the IC Title scene because The Usos had already lost their opportunity to contend for the belt, so it’s not like we’re losing out on logic here. The 4 teams actually put on a nice 8 man tag with Los Matadores and Cesaro & Kidd defeating Usos and New Day. The Matadors have actually looked really good in the ring in the past two weeks, and it’s surely ‘Mania season when everyone starts showing up. What I hope, now, is that, just like last year, this 4 way leads to a more concerned approach to the division’s booking and we get another great summer of tag team action. With more names hopefully coming out of NXT in short duration, the division’s future can be really good.
Impact Insight
Three personal issues were settled this week. Three pairs of brothers/friends/partners turned enemies got to slug it out with each other. And, man, did it deliver or what!
Last Man Standing -- Ever since being cost the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, Bobby Roode has been on a quest for revenge against Eric Young. He has been on the verge of exacting it at times, but EY has always gotten the better of him. This time, though, somebody had to pay. The match wasn’t anything spectacular, or a genre redefining affair, but it was still fairly solid. It’s the kind of match that you can’t poke holes in and it keeps your attention throughout its duration. Both the combatants were up in each other’s alley right from the start, and it was evident that they were here to settle their issues once and for all. Recently, Roode was put out of action for many weeks after EY Piledrived him on the stage, and the latter tried to execute that move on the steel steps this time, but Roode had him scouted. The steel chairs, which have played a pivotal part in the feud so far, were then taken out, but those couldn’t get the job done as well. After Roode answered a Piledriver in the ring, EY showed signs of being a human for the first time after many months. He attempted the same move on the chair, after hitting Roode repeatedly on the back and stopping the ref from making the 10 count, but Roode countered and gave Eric a taste of his own medicine.
What I really liked here was how both of them didn’t waste any time and were relentless in their attack. The end came when they both jostled for position on the apron, but Roode got the upper hand and Roode Bomb’d EY through a table placed at ringside. The latter got back at 9, but EY was down for the count. I would have perhaps wanted like, a 100 chair shots from Roode to EY for all the pain caused to him, but I can’t say that this wasn’t enjoyable.
Family Man Magnus -- Bram and Magnus’ story is one of professional jealousy. There are certain factors to this feud that aren’t going to be apparent quickly. It can seem cheesy as all hell, but I like the bit of character building both the men have had here. Magnus, especially, needs to connect with the audience more if he wants to get back into the title picture once again, so I’m looking forward to see this one develop. This week was just another step in that direction. Magnus wanted a piece of Bram, and the “match” turned into a brawl almost immediately. You could sense that Bram was holding something back, and while these two did look good together, they definitely need more time. Mickie James (The mother of Magnus’ child) emerged from the back when Magnus was in a bit of a bother, even after the latter had warned her not to do so. Eyeing an opportunity, Bram disqualified himself with a low blow, and then assaulted his former best friend with a chair. He’d then ziptie Magnus to the ropes and get a hold of Mickie (who did slap Bram), and ordered Magnus to kiss his feet if Mickie was to remain safe. In order to protect his family, Magnus would begrudgingly do it, and Bram would let James go saying that he was disgusted by his former partner. It’s not a “new” storyline, but it has the potential to make Magnus meaningful again, though it’s a thin line to tread between drama and comedy.
Hair No More -- After being repeatedly embarrassed by EC3, Spud vowed to end his streak, but also, to shave him bald. EC3 was shocked by Spud’s initial emotional storm, and was Spud laid some offense thick and fast. But, Ethan was quick to weather it with a vicious spinning clothesline. He was, of course, braced with a tough ass sling in his left arm. Spud threw caution to the wind with a Suicide Plancha on the outside, but his efforts were proven futile when Tyrus attacked with a powerbomb on the floor. EC3 felt the job was done, but Spud wasn’t going down that easily on the night. Mr. Anderson then put Tyrus out with a mic check, but got hit by EC3 for his troubles. A sling shot to Spud busted him open, and he bled all over the floor as Carter destroyed him on the turnbuckles, and on Jeremy Borash’s feet. The latter hit a low blow on EC3 as the ref’s back was turned, and that allowed Spud to get back into the match again.
As Spud’s face became a crimson mask, EC3 countered with a TKO. The former still fought back, with some nice looking forearms and a Shining Wizard, but Ethan had some fight in him as well. A hard shot with the arm brace wasn’t enough as well, and everyone showed amazement when Spud kicked out. Especially EC3. Spud crawled up to Carter’s knees, and was put down with a One Percenter, but rather reluctantly. When everybody expected EC3’s normal, cocky demeanor to return, he showed appreciation instead, and put Spud over on the mic. He went as far as to call his opponent a future World Champion, and said that he had proven on the night that he belonged. He wasn’t going to do any hair cutting tonight, but instead extended his hand to Spud for a shake, and the latter agreed…
Only to be struck down again!
Motherfucker!!! Holy shit; that was awesome or what!!! The crowd boo’d heavily, but I can see people who were marking out of their boots! This was so well done, and so well acted… damn! This is right up there with the best single match performances I’ve ever seen, and both of them deserve massive kudos for pulling this off so perfectly. Many have criticized EC3, but he proved once and for all that he is simply perfect in what he does. Spud also deserves a huge recognition for his effort here. He was hanged upside down on the turnbuckle, and EC3 proceeded to shave his head proclaiming that the wrestling business was his now. Just a fucking masterful performance which has become my favorite of the year so far, if not ever.
Sub’s Recommendations
1. Randy Orton Destroys Seth Rollins All Over the Arena
2. Steel Cage Match: Johnny Mundo vs. Prince Puma
3. Hideo Itami vs. Tyler Breeze
4. Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and Dean Ambrose vs. Bad News Barrett, Luke Harper and Stardust
5. Last Man Standing Match: Bobby Roode vs. Eric Young
6. Hair vs. Hair: Rockstar Spud vs. EC3 (Post Match Link)
Hey, Sub, Who Impressed You the Most This Week?
Ethan. Carter. III! I’m still wowed by his performance this week, and it would be truly hard to match. What he did was so unexpected that everybody was truly led to believe it because of it. And then the bait and switch… dammit! Pure excellent stuff!
Hey, Sub, Which Was The Best Show Of The Week?
Impact... once again! Those that still aren’t giving the company a chance are only fooling themselves. Just see this week’s show as proof, ok? But, really, the quality has only gone up ever since the relaunch, and there’s still potential for more.
That’s it for this week, guys! Watch out for the ColuMania festivities of the week as we’re fast approaching the CF vs. LPW main event! Should be a good one! I’ll see you next week; same Sub time, same Sub place! Take care!