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.
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.
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