Matches - Some Great...Some Missing

            Last week's Monday Night Raw opened with MVP in the ring sans the cane. He introduces Bobby Lashley and his mini ho train. Luckily both Drew McIntyre and Kofi Kingston interrupt. After a couple of minutes of smack-talking, Adam Pearce makes official a match between the two former champs and the winner will face Bobby at June's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. 

            It was a great match of athleticism versus power. Drew had an answer for everything Kofi threw his way. But in true WWE fashion, Drew gives a Stone Cold salute to Bobby who is watching from the top of the ramp causing an irate Lashley to come down to the ring. As a result, Bobby and MVP enter the ring creating mayhem and prompting the ref to call for the bell and no winner being declared. Looking forward to the rematch tonight. Bobby and MVP cannot interfere or be anywhere near the ring lest they suffer consequences.

            Rhea versus Nikki Cross was an interesting and confusing match. Nikki is back and it's about time. Yet, the nonchalant way Ripley approached the match was disappointing. In this 2 minute beat the clock challenge, Nikki has to last two minutes to win but Rhea repeatedly wasted the 120 seconds she had to pin her opponent. Nikki and her insane energy win the match.

            Charlotte interrupts Nikki's celebration and is about to face her one time tag team partner Asuka. The dark and damaged queen versus the empress is a compelling match. Both technically sound with their respective finishing moves. Charlotte focused on Asuka's left leg. After a couple of haymakers and moonsaults, Asuka gets Charlotte into an Asuka lock but Charlotte counters and picks the win.

            The match between Matt Riddle and Xavier Woods showcased great grappling and ring awareness from both competitors. Woods was effectively frustrated by Riddle. These two against each other work beautifully. Matt wins via a RKO. I always said that Matt didn't need Randy Orton to get over but what if the long term goal was to get rid of the surfer dude attitude and have Randy's influence be a more calculated wrestler. I would very much welcome a new attitude from Matt Riddle. I would also like to see him go up against Aleister Black. It might be a better match than Black verses Murphy.

            The rematch between Tamia and Nattie vs. Nia and Shayna was very one sided until Reginald comes to ringside. Eventually Nattie bodyslams Shayna giving her the opening to tag Tamina. Shayna then tags Nia. Fierce fighting between the two with frequent tags between Nia and Shayna. Tamina is on her way back and tags in Nattie. Insane chaos from all four women when Reggie gets on the apron causing Shayna to lose to Nattie. Reggie is sent up the ramp which explodes in fire again. Shayna is so angry that she challenges Reggie to a match. I am looking forward to seeing that tonight. 

            As a member of the WWE ThunderDome, I got to see matches live that I did not see on replay via Hulu. Some of you might have seen them live on USA Network. The ones that did not show up next day on Hulu were Shelton Benjamin vs. Cedric Alexander, AJ Styles vs. Jaxson Ryker or Sheamus vs. Humberto. Yes, Humberto is back!!!! I could have done without the match between Rhea and Nikki and Charlotte vs Asuka and definitely put in Sheamus vs Humberto. Just a fan's perspective.

            

             

Monday after BackLash

            What an opening tonight. Apparently, Bobby Lashley thinks he's The Godfather with a little bit of Rick Flair arrogance. He entered the ring with 5 barely dressed women to join MVP. Mr. Porter does a great job as a Don King like manager. And here it comes...another open challenge. Yet before he can finish, Drew McIntyre's music starts playing. However, MVP's open challenge includes a stipulation that excludes Drew or Braun. Currently, it is being reported that Braun is out with broken ribs. By the end of the show, Kofi Kingston answers the open challenge. I would love to see Kofi as champ again. Kofi pulls out a win in this non-title match with an assist from Drew at the end.

            The next match was Elias vs. AJ Styles. It is obvious that AJ and Omos are now babyfaces. AJ has shaved down his face making him look younger and more innocent. A severe contrast with Elias and Jaxson Ryker who look like grizzly mountain men. My heart is a little torn because I am an Elias fan especially since he lost the bohemian robes. All 4 men are impressive athletes.

            It looks as if Angel Garza and Drew Gulak have moved off of Friday night's Main Event to Monday Night Raw. As a member of the ThunderDome, I was a little confused when the moderator told us to cheer Garza and boo Gulak. Huh? In their last match, Angel shoved a rose down the backside of Drew. In tonight's match, Drew offered up no offense leading to Garza picking up the win and shoving a rose in Drew's mouth. Sorry Mr. Moderator, I will not be cheering for Angel.

            Another storyline that has me head scratching is Randy Orton and Matt Riddle. I think I understand the business point of view with what appears to be helping Randy helping Matt get over but does Riddle need the help? And this Fast Times at Ridgemont High persona is nerve grating. I don't remember him being like this during his NXT days. Randy's character is definitely fed up with with the partnership. I, as a fan, would welcome the separation.

                Next is one of my favorite feuds. Sheamus met up again with Ricochet. I love the new look of Ricochet. With a pair of simple black pants and belt, he entered the ring wearing Sheamus' coat and hat. Sheamus met him with unbridled aggression. Great match-up with both men showcasing speed, strength and stamina. A Spanish fly off the top rope gave Ricochet a fighting chance but Sheamus picks up a win after issuing a Brogue kick. I want to see where this goes but I'm always thinking of Humberto. 

            Before I get to the women, let's talk about Damian Priest. He has what it takes to be a superstar but the company is not pushing him the way I think they should. Put Priest up against Jeff Hardy. That would be an insane, high flying match. Thankfully Damian made it clear tonight that his beef with Miz and Morrison is over and he's setting his sight on the championship.

            The rematch between Nattie and Tamina vs. Nia and Shayna felt like a filler match meant to give a plug to Alexa Bliss. Scary Miss Bliss made an appearance during the match with an implication that she caused fire to come out of one of the ring posts. This caused Reginald to go flying off the apron and allowed for Nattie and Tamina to retain. I think that since Nikki Cross is back, that she and Alexa need to have at it again. Maybe Nikki can exorcise the demon with Alexa. I would wholeheartedly welcome the old Miss Bliss.

            This is where some of you might want to stop reading because I am going to spoil tomorrow's Friday night's Main Event. 

            The first match was a women's tag match between Many Rose and Dana Brooke vs. Naomi and Lana. I'm going to be brutally honest. The only one that I am interested in seeing compete is Naomi. She is a headlining solo superstar. Lana has definitely grown since her husband went over to AEW but her character acts overly gregarious with only one friend. She has potential but I'm not seeing it yet. Mandy and Dana are yawn inducing. They're filler athletes. Both need to get rid of the bad hair extensions and wear gear that helps them show off their talent instead of having them "pop" out.

            The second and last match had Mansoor going against Cedric Alexander. Now we haven't seen Cedric since the dissolution of The Hurt Business but Mansoor is the one I want to focus on. I loved him at WWE's 2018 Greatest Royal Rumble. The current storyline has his colleagues saying he's too young to have the success he's enjoying. All I could think about was Rhea Ripley. She has earned so much success and championships all before the age of 25. Mansoor is on that same page. He could easily headline a pay-per-view. Team Mansoor all the way. 

WrestleMania BackLash Results

            WrestleMania BackLash kickoff included great commentary and an open challenge by Sheamus.

            I was hoping that Humberto was going to answer the call. However, it appears that he is still on the injured list so Ricochet stepped up to the plate. Ricochet is a former United States champ himself and gave Sheamus a run for his money. It was a non-title, action packed match with Sheamus ultimately capitalizing on the win. However, Ricochet wasn't finished. He attacked Sheamus during his post match speech effectively robbing, and then wearing, Sheamus' coat and fedora.

            The main show started off with the Women's Tag Match. Charlotte channeled Cruella DeVille with her in ring gear. Her dark make-up and attitude has truly turned her into an icon of evil. Asuka and Rhea Ripley rounded out this triple threat match. Asuka fought like she wanted the win. Charlotte was cold and calculating and Rhea seemed to be an after thought. I think she does better one on one. As predicted, Rhea retained the title.

            History was the theme of the next title match. Dolph and Roode attempted to skew the night's event in their favor by attacking Dominik during the pre-show event. Rey took on the Dirty Dawgs solo for the majority of the match. He did an outstanding  job dressed in his Adam West inspired Batman gear when Dom came down the ramp holding his side and grimacing. Now the dynamic duo was fighting hard together to capture the tag titles. Dominik flew off the top rope with a frog splash to cover Roode and make history with his father as the first ever father/son tag team champions.

            I was not happy with the bout featuring Damian Priest and The Miz. I understand the cross promotional aspect of the business but having zombies as the lumberjacks destroyed any joy I would have experienced seeing Miz get pummeled by Priest. I couldn't watch it. I listened to the color commentary and I'm happy that Priest came out the victor.

            For the next match, fans on DraftKings had the odds almost split evenly. Bianca convinced 51.51% of fans that she would retain and 48.49% believed the title would change hands to Bayley. However, I want to first touch on the in ring gear of these superstars.

             Bayley came out first and she wasn't dressed like she was going to hold up the belt in the end. I initially thought she had a picture of a ferengi on her shirt. It wasn't until the camera tightened in that I saw it a three headed Picasso like drawing. Still didn't make sense. Now Bianca Belair's azure and gold gear identified her as a winner ready to defend. An excellent match with displays of power ala British Bulldog from Bianca. My one and only consistent gripe is her hair. Far too many packs of hair braided into both a weapon and a hazard. As a fan, my wish is for it to be gone by year's end and have Bianca start 2022 off with a wavy high pony tail. I'm thinking J-Lo during her fly girl days.

            The battle of the titans was my favorite match of the night. Before I get to the highlights, let's check out the odds as reported by DraftKings. Bobby led with 38.33 % of the votes followed by Drew with 36.03% and 25.64% for Braun. 

            Three insane athletes totaling at least 900 pounds gave their all. The triple threat match was brutal and intense from bell to bell accented with jaw dropping moments. One prime example was when Drew sent Bobby sailing through a LED board creating sparks. This allowed for action between Braun and Drew. There were pinfall attempts between Braun and Drew when out of nowhere, Bobby re-emerges ending the match by pinning Braun and walking out the reigning champ.

           Roman Reigns and Cesaro capped off the evening. Cesaro came down the ramp first smiling confidently ready to walk out victorious. Roman's entrance had a Conan the Barbarian feel to it primarily because of his new entrance music which he debuted last month. 

            The match started off with the competitors feeling each other out and then into a clinic before the champ zeroed in on Cesaro's right arm. The challenger definitely gave 110%. kicking out of multiple pinfall attempts at a one count. Twice Cesaro powered out of guillotines. Yet, and once again, Roman walked out the winner when a purple faced Cesaro could not get out of the third guillotine.

            The action didn't stop there. First, Jey Uso came out to adorn Roman with a red ceremonial lei and then focused his attention on inflicting further damage to Cesaro. Next, Seth Rollins came out looking like he was just thrown up on by Dutch Boy. He also went after Cesaro.

            I was really hoping that Cesaro would win. Recently I re-watched the first ever Broken Skull Session where Steve Austin interviewed Vince McMahon. Part of their conversation focused on Cesaro. I also re-listened to After the Bell on Spotify where Cesaro was interviewed by Corey Graves. Both were interesting to experience again. Cesaro should have won so that Daniel Bryan could come back at some point for a fair title opportunity. 
 

            

Friday Night Smackdown & WM BackLash

            Friday night's SmackDown opened with Jey Uso in the ring introducing Roman Reigns. Their storytelling was interrupted by Jimmy Uso. There was a lot of verbal manhood measuring and Jimmy challenged Cesaro to a match. Cesaro accepts. The cracks are visible and the penitentiary will soon re-open.

            Congrats to the new Women's Tag Team Champions, Nattie and Tamina.

I think it is time for Nia and Shayna to go solo again. It is always in the back of my mind that, in theory, Becky Lynch will be coming back. Remember her feud with Shayna?  

            Apollo Crews made an appearance in order to give Commander Azeez the Medal of Honor. This was as confusing as the Nigerian Drum match at WrestrleMania 37. Apollo should have never adopted an accent. It will be interesting to see how it disappears when his character evolves. Might want to schedule a sit down with Kofi.

            Commander Azeez will, in no time soon, be competing in singles competition. I wish WWE would have re-introduced us to Azeez as his more recent incarnation as Dabba-Kato. Maybe when his storyline with Crews has him tired of being a sidekick, he will throw off the name of Azeez and re-emerge as Dabba-Kato.

            One other note worthy match before I get to my WM BackLash predictions was Baron Corbin vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. I would never have dreamed up this match but I am loving were it is going. Corbin won the title of king back in 2019. There was no King of the Ring event in 2020. But the end of Friday's match has Shin putting on Baron's crown and he looked as if he was born to wear the crown. WWE needs to bring back the King of the Ring Tournament. I will be rooting for Nakamura to win it because I think, based on what I saw this past Friday, it would be a hilariously fun ride under he's reign.

             We are now hours away from WrestleMania BackLash. I fully expect a great show with jaw dropping surprises. Below are my predictions.

• Bobby v. Drew v. Braun - My heart wants Drew to win but I think Bobby will retain.
• Roman v. Cesaro - Cesaro wins
• Bianca v. Bailey - Bianca retains
• Dolph & Roode v. Dominik & Rey - Rey & Dom make history as the 1st father/son tag champs
• Damian Priest v. The Miz - Priest wins
• Asuka v. Rhea Ripley v. Charlotte Flair - Rhea retains

                    

NXT 5-11-2021

             I am a cradle WWE fan. Watching last night's NXT had me not only thinking of former wrestlers but considering personal dream matches and storylines.

            Karrion Kross and Austin Theory kicked off NXT in a non-title match. Karrion debuted a new look last month at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. The new gladiator look works for him and he reminds me of the Barbarian. Seeing him in a bout with Austin Theory wasn't enjoyable. He is a gnat compared to Kross. In two weeks, we'll see Kross go up against Finn for the NXT title. I predict the title will stay where it is for now. I think that the champ has another 3 to 6 months before he will be ready to move up to the main roster. The superstar draft of 2021 would be the ideal time for him to embrace a new chapter in his career. Possible opponents for Kross to make his mark would be Damien Priest, Braun Strowman, Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Jinder Mahal, Randy Orton or Roman Reigns. I think there is a better storyline for Finn to be involved in so let's explore that next.

            Finn and Kross has been an enjoyable intense feud but it has run its course. The most obvious match-up would be Finn vs. Adam Cole. During NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, Cole super kicked Balor followed by the March 10 episode of NXT when Cole was defeated as a result of a distraction by O'Reily. This feud is not over but has been put on the back burner. Adam Cole will be back and his first target should be Finn Balor. 

            Before I get to the women's division, I want to briefly touch on Swerve's return.

            It's been 3 months since we've seen Isaiah "Swerve" Scott. Now he is back with a new attitude and a posse called Hit Row. AJ Francis, Ashante "Thee" Adondis and Briana Brandy make up Swerve's stable. Having a posse is a decent way to bring back Scott but I hope they disband soon. 

            I can easily see AJ Francis going up against Bronson Reed when he's done with Gargano. 

            Ashante "Thee" Adonis could turn on Scott putting them in a respectable rivalry. 

            Briana Brandy would be the perfect opponent for Raquel Gonzalez.

            Raquel Gonzalez is the current NXT Women's Champion. I'm personally not buying, and therefore, not enjoying the matches between her and Mercedes Martinez. They're not fluid. Their rhythm is out of sync. Mercedes could use some more training. She's still lacking some confidence and character believability. 

            Raquel, on the other hand, is ready for a better rival. Briana Brandy could be that opponent. Raquel reminds me of Chyna. There are currently no female competitors in NXT that I can think of that would be a threat to the title reign of Gonzalez. Rooting for you Briana.

            Finally, last night's main event saw a rematch between Santos Escobar and Kushida. It was a two out of three falls match for the Cruiserweight title. I am team Kushida all the way. Kushida retained his title and I would like to see him move up to the main roster and team up with Rey Mysterio. This is plausible because I think after Rey and Dominik win the tag team title belts at this Sunday's WrestleMania Backlash, the younger Mysterio will be ready to fly solo after a respectable reign with his dad. Hopefully Dom's first solo match will be against Humberto Carrillo. 

Monday Night Raw and Main Event Spoiler

            Last Friday, I expressed joy over Jinder making his return on Friday night's Main Event. The joy continued during yesterday's Monday night episode of Raw. He made a promo clip before entering the ring for a rematch against Jeff Hardy. It appears official that he, as well as, Veer and Shanky are part of Monday Night Raw.

            During the 6 woman tag team match, I noticed the transformation of two wrestlers. First, Charlotte Flair's character has become more malevolent. Her in ring gear has gone from bright greens, blues and purples to a dark bordello red and black. The shoulders of her robe are now accented with spikes and chains. It triggered a memory of Rhea Ripley sharing how when she first started in the WWE, she was often compared to Charlotte due to their similar features. It seems now, one can make the argument that Charlotte looks like Rhea.

            Then there is Alexa Bliss. Not too long ago, she was an "apprentice" of The Fiend. Ever since her disturbing distraction at WrestleMania 37 during The Fiend's match with Randy Orton, she has now become a fully separate, and unsettling, entity. 

            Just when you thought mayhem was about to break out when all six women were in the ring smack talking, Alexa made an appearance along with the bride of Chucky she calls Lilly. Scary Miss Bliss made it known that she was out there to keep an eye on one of the female superstars. It is my opinion that either Asuka or Charlotte is the one in her crosshairs. 

            Another multi superstar match was the 8 man tag team. Omos is physically imposing, but I'm not buying the mean streak he's selling. He reminds me of Giant Gonzalez. Both are physically formidable wrestlers, but it's not in their eyes and both always seem to have a slight smirk peeking out from their sneers.

             Tonight's main event was between my new favorite author, Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley. Right out of the gate, both men went for their signatures moves. The intensity between the two of them was tangible through the television. Predictably, no winner was declared because Braun interrupted the match. 

            I do have an observation to make and two questions for MVP. Why are you still wearing the chain containing the letters THB since The Hurt Business is now dissolved? Wouldn't it make more sense to go back to your adornment with the letters MVP?

            One last thing before I get to Friday night Main Event spoilers. Please keep Humberto Carrillo in your prayers. Unless you watch last night's episode live via a cable or as a member of the WWE ThunderDome, you won't see the match between Humberto and Sheamus in any next day or future airings. During the match, Humberto seemed to go for a power bomb type move that would have both competitors going from the ring area to outside on the floor. In the clip below, it looks as if all of Sheamus' weight landed awkwardly on Humberto. Something definitely went wrong. The ref's decision to declare Sheamus the winner is both confusing and insignificant. Heal soon Humberto

            Now for spoilers. Unless you are a part of the ThumderDome on Monday nights, you will not be aware of the matches or outcomes for the upcoming Friday night Main Event. Stop here if you want to be surprised on Friday.

            The first match revealed the return of Nikki Cross. Nikki hasn't been seen since Feb 1, 2021 on Raw. The fact that she returned on Main Event is a slight concern for me. The familiar vernacular within WWE seems to be that you are moved up to the main roster of either Raw or SmackDown from NXT or Main Event. The opposite would be that you drop back down to either NXT or Main Event from Raw or SmackDown. I hope that Miss Cross is coming back in the same vein as Jinder Mahal and not of Ember Moon, Finn Balor, Drew Gulak, Angel Garza, etc. In the meantime, I am digging her return and new look of the refined makeup and the braid keeping the hair out of her face.

            The second match was between Ricochet and Mustafa Ali. I adore both athletes but I am not digging the storyline. "I'm better than you!" seems to be the theme of the feud. All I can think of are two little boys fighting over something frivolous.   

               I am very excited for this Sunday's WrestleMania Backlash. I will post my predictions in the next couple of days.

            

Jinder, Jimmy and Just Plain Nostalgia

            Tonight's Main Event and Smackdown exceeded my expectations. I saw the return of Jinder Mahal and Smackdown went old school.

            Back in October 2020, WWE held its 15th edition of the superstar shakeup. I watched it live as a member of the WWE ThunderDome. When I saw Seth Rollins get drafted from Monday night to Friday night, I immediately started screaming at my computer screen. In the hopes that the moderator and/or producer of the ThunderDome would hear me, I began to insist on the return of Jinder Mahal. "Seth can be the Savior of Smackdown and Jinder can be the Monday Night Maharaja! Bring back Jinder!"

            I have always been a fan of Jinder Mahal and I was sad when he became inactive due to injury. I was also disappointed when he didn't have the promoted match with Brock Lesner back in 2017. That is a post for another day.

            Tonight's Main Event saw the return of Jinder Mahal in a match against Jeff Hardy. That alone made it pay-per-view worthy. What increased my elation was seeing him come to the ring flanked by Indus Sher. 

            Back in January 2021, I watched Superstar Spectacle on the sorely missed WWE Network. I tried to re-watch it on Peacock but sadly, yet predictably, it's not on Peacock. Indus Sher, now individually known as Veer and Shanky, have moved up to the main roster from NXT. Let's hope it stays that way. (Side note, if you listen closely, you can hear a member of Indus Sher cheer encouragement to "Raj" during the match.)

            Tonight's Smackdown was equally as exciting but for different reasons. It was my childhood with the old school logo (minus the F), music and graphics. The nostalgia I felt from hearing the voice of Lord Alfred Hayes and watching old commercials for Ico Pro and ice cream bars warmed my heart. 

It was additionally nostalgic to see Michael Cole and Pat McAfee in retro blue attire. Blue is my favorite color.

            Within tonight's wonderful time travel experience, current storylines grew with a few surprises. First, the camera caught Roman losing it when Paul Heyman began his 10 bell salute to Daniel Bryan. He does get his laughter under control but it was nice to see him break character and be relatable for a moment. Second, Jimmy Uso is back! I have been waiting for this moment because Jey being Roman's lackey was getting seriously old. Time to re-open the penitentiary boys!

            And the "Playa" himself made a cameo. Yes, Teddy Long came out and invoked stipulations and made a 10 man tag team match.

            One thing that I saw tonight that frightened me a little was Bailey. Don't get me wrong, she is a great talent and her love of the business is evident. However, I think I am watching her character turn into Leilani Kai. 

            Since Bailey turned heel, she has cut her hair and changed her make-up drastically. During tonight's episode, her eyes were made up very dark and heavy with the current exaggerated black eyeliner near the tear ducts. Her hair had this frizzy, crimped look. I tried to pay attention to her salute to female wrestlers who have held the title but all my mind wanted to do was wonder if Bailey's character was somehow morphing into Leilani.  

 

Maybe it's just me.....

            Thank you so much WWE for tonight's Main Event and Smackdown's throwback episode. It was greatly appreciated as we come out the other side of quarantines, lockdowns, travel bans and mask wearing.