SmackDown after Crown Jewel

            The night after a pay-per-view is always exciting. Let's see if the SmackDown after Crown Jewel is no exception.

            Universal Champion, Roman Reigns is accompanied to the ring by his cautiously looking advocate Paul Heyman. Reigns lists his accolades to the point that he beat Brock Lesner so bad that now he is tweeting about beating up the champ. The champ stands in the middle of the ring waiting for Lesner to show up. And show up he did. The Beast is back and so are Heyman's acting skills. Keep your eyes on Paul throughout the entire assault. Brock is a man of his words, few as they are. The Usos come out to the unsuccessful aid of their cousin. Others get involved only to get demolished by Brock. You know what I often think about during segments like this? If refs, camera operators, etc get hazard pay or is it just the nature of the business. 

            After the commercial break, Adam Pearce is in the center of the ring, announcing that Brock is indefinitely suspended due to his actions. Brock comes back to the ring with nothing to lose. He sends Adam on a trip via a F-5, twice. Poor Pearce is lying in the ring mangled with a ripped pair of dress pants. I hope this is not the last we see of Lesner.

            The first official match of the evening is between the newly drafted Drew McIntyre and the longest tenured member of SmackDown, Sami Zayn. Drew is not in the mood for any of Sami's games. Zayn gets in a couple of good shots but that only enraged McIntyre straight into a victory via a Claymore.

            Now it is time for the official crowning of Xavier Woods. Kofi Kingston is in the ring to officiate the coronation ceremony. I am so happy for King Xavier. WWE fans, we have come a long way since the days of Harley Race and Jerry Lawler.

            The second match of the evening has Mansoor squaring up against Mustafa Ali. The newcomer gave the veteran a run for his money. Mansoor wins and Ali picks up another loss.

            Hit Row has moved up to the main roster from NXT. I have been saying since May of this year that I was over this group the moment they debuted. I am only interested in seeing AJ Francis in one on one competition. Re-read my posts from May 11, 2021 and Aug 3, 2021. Sadly, my wish of seeing Francis and Bronson Reed in a match will not happen. Maybe AJ can face Big E, Apollo Crews, Commander Azeez, etc. Until then, he and his posse pick up the W tonight on their SmackDown debut. 

            Shinsuke Nakamura is back in action against Happy Corbin. Their storyline is continuing as is their character evolution. Shin is no longer a king and Corbin is no longer down on his luck. I have a feeling that their rivalry is the springboard for Rick Boogs and Madcap Moss. Sure enough, the action outside of the ring was just as inviting as the action inside of the ring. This distraction would cost Nakamura the win.

            Two champs are in the ring to exchange titles since being drafted. Supervised by Sonya DeVille, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair are suppose to just simply switch titles. The exchange happens but not as smoothly as it should have been. And to add to the drama, Sasha invites herself into the ring. Becky relocates herself to the locker room so Charlotte and Sasha can establish a new storyline between the two of them. Becky doesn't need to get involved until Survivor Series.

#BringBackBraun  

Crown Jewel Recap and Results

            Crown Jewel wasted no time getting right into the action. The first match of the evening had Edge meeting Seth Rollins in Hell in a Cell match. Five tons of steel is the third opponent in this storyline ending contest. Edge wastes no times and pummels Seth into the corner. Shortly thereafter, chairs, tools, chains and other instruments were utilized by both athletes unforgivingly. Poetic justice would end the match as Edge delivers a final stomp to pick up the win. Now that this storyline appears to over, I am eager to see what's next for the Rated-R Superstar.

            Just like Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks made history at WrestleMania 37, Mustafa Ali and Mansoor are about to do the same. These two superstars are the first two Muslims squaring up at a pay-per-view. Mansoor has never lost at a pay-per-view that has been hosted in his home country of Saudi Arabia. I am going into this contest fully expecting to see his hand raised. And win he did. Despite camel clutches, tornado DDTs and verbal berating by Ali, Mansoor once again picks up a win in front of his countrymen. But hold on folks, there's more. After the bell, Ali attacks Mansoor and then music hits. WWE has just introduced us to Olympian silver medal winner Tareg Hamedi as he comes to the aid of Mansoor. 

            Next, we have the first championship match of the evening. AJ Styles and Omos will be facing RK-Bro in a standard match for the Raw Tag Team Championships. AJ and Omos are on a mission of vengeance to reclaim the gold from the odd coupling of Randy Orton and Matt Riddle. Before we get to the action, let's talk about the entrance. Matt comes to the ring on a camel while Randy walks alongside. I can't help but remember Bobby Heenan making his entrance at WrestleMania IX.

Oh, the memories. Now back to the action.

            This was a great match. The crowd was cheering all the way for the champs. Orton and Riddle retain the gold with the assist of a RKO and a Floating Bro off the top rope. 

            In addition to 4 championship matches tonight, we also have the final round of both Queen's Crown and King of the Ring. First up are the women. The first finalist is Zelina "Red Rooster" Vega. Her opponent is Piper Niven. The size difference between these two is hard not to notice. Tiny Vega tried repeatedly to pin the bigger Niven. It was her third attempt using her signature move, Code Red, that secured the crown for Zelina.  I'm not happy and I hope that it doesn't take a year before she is dethroned.

            I am really looking forward to this next match between Bobby Lashley and Bill Goldberg. It is a falls count anywhere, no holds barred match. Even though Goldberg is not known for having long matches, I am praying he gives us a little bit more tonight. And I'm thankful this is his third match in 2021 despite reports that Bill was only contracted for two. 

            As the match begins, Lashley pulls a chain out of his tights, wraps it around his fist and immediately assaults Goldberg. Then he retrieves a steel chair to continue his dominance. Next comes a table into the ring. It was meant for Bill, but Bobby's own momentum sends him through the table. Goldberg catches a second wind and spears the Almighty followed by a jackhammer. Instead of going for the win, he literally takes his gloves off and continues his quest to destroy Lashley. The Hall of Famer sends Bobby through the barricade on the outside. Viciousness continues as Goldberg repeatedly slammed Lashley into everything and anything. A trip up the ramp reveals the presence of Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander armed with kendo sticks. With Lashley's cohorts quickly dispatched, Goldberg spears Lashley off the ramp and through a table to pick up the win.

            Now it is time for the King of the Ring tournament final. Finn Balor or Xavier Woods would be a great king. But in the end, it would be Xavier Woods crowned King of the Ring.

            From one New Day member to another, it is now time for Big E's match against Drew McIntyre. These two bulls always give a great performance. As much I love both athletes, I must confess that I was rooting for Drew all the way. But not all prayers are meant to be answered in the affirmative. Congrats to Ettore for retaining his gold. And to Drew, don't quit before the miracle. You will have gold around your waist again. 

            Women are up again with a triple threat match between Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair. I truly do not know who this match favors. This trio of alpha female athletes gave a fist flying and trash talking exceptional match. When all was said and done, Becky Lynch would retain her title. 

            The final match of the evening has to be the most anticipated match of the evening. The Beast Brock Lesner is facing the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns for the Universal title. I was all set for Brock to capture gold, as well as, a plot twist. While Paul Heyman came to the ring with Reigns, the question is: will he leave with Reigns? The other question that will be answered tonight is whether or not, Roman will wake up tomorrow morning as the Universal Champ for the 504th straight day. 

            As the bell rings, Brock goes right after the champ and executes a suplex within the first 5 minutes of the match. Roman catches his breath and takes the action outside the ring with a superman punch and a high flying takedown over the top rope to the arena floor. Back in the ring, Reigns hits his first spear against Lesner. The Beast is down but not for long. Roman goes for a third superman punch but instead kisses the ring post. This allows for Brock to hit two more suplexes and an F-5 leading into an unsuccessful pin attempt. Then comes the plot twist. Lesner goes for a F-5 and "inadvertently" sends Roman into referee Charles Robinson. Second plot twist comes when Paul Heyman throws the championship belt into the ring evenly between both superstars. Lesner get a hold of the belt only to have it knocked out of hi hand when he is super kicked by the Usos. This is followed by a strike to the skull of Brock by Roman while holding the championship belt. Then another ref runs down the ramp to count 1-2-3 resulting in Roman retaining his title. 

            Including the kick off show, it was a great 5 hours of entertainment. With Crown Jewel in the rear view, tomorrow night is the first night when all the draft picks go into effective. Bring on the new feuds and returning superstars. Prayers to all of WWE for a safe flight home. See you Friday night.

#BringBackBraun

SmackDown Oct 1, 2021

            The wait is over! It is the first night of the WWE Draft. Adam Pearce and Sonya DeVille are at the podium and they get right to it. The first pick has Roman Reigns remaining on SmackDown. The second pick has Big E staying on Raw. The third pick for SmackDown has them taking the queen Charlotte Flair, and her belt, off of Raw. The fourth and final pick of the first round has Bianca Belair going over to Raw.

             Not only is this the first night of the draft, but it is also the first Friday Night SmackDown since Extreme Rules. With Roman Reigns in the ring, I am very interested in seeing how the champ explains the controversial ending to his pay-per-view bout against Finn Balor. Well, the champ didn't explain. Paul Heyman did the majority of the talking. I still do not know how he is still by Roman's side since the return of Brock Lesner. Speaking of Brock, here comes the Beast! Good God! The man is fine! Brock is back and he sent the champ to Suplex City twice before taking care of the Usos.

            From one fighting machine to another, Kevin Owens is next. He will be squaring off against Happy Corbin. Corbin comes to the ring with Madcap Moss. Moss is already annoying. Now Corbin doesn't need Moss, but it is a decent storyline to re-introduce us to Moss since his ACL injury. By the end of the match, Corbin is the winner with Moss standing by his side.

            Adam and Sonya are back at the podium for round 2 of the draft. SmackDown is taking Drew McIntyre from Raw. Ohhh....this could be very good. I still have to find out where Jinder Mahal ends up, but my first thought was McIntyre V. Lesner. For the second pick of round two, RK-Bro will be staying on Raw. Next SmackDown selects Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, taking them off of Raw. The final pick in the second round has the Rated R Superstar going from Friday nights to Monday nights.

            Speaking of the Rated R Superstar, here comes Edge to confront Seth Rollins. He calls out Rollins. However, Seth is on the jumbo-tron and he is apparently at Edge's home. As he is touring the Copeland's home, Edge is on the phone with his wife instructing her to go to her brother's house with the kids. I do not like storylines involving family where young children are concerned.

            Moving on, Carmella is in the ring wearing wedding night attire. She is set for a re-match against Live Morgan. Not invested in either athlete at all. I think Carmella won. It was just weird.

            Back to the draft. In the third round, SmackDown keeps Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss. Raw chooses to keep Rhea Ripley and Nikki Cross. SmackDown shakes things up when they pick NXT's Hit Row. I like that all four superstars have moved up to the main roster. What I really want to see is AJ Francis go solo. For the final pick of the third round, Raw selects Keith "Bearcat" Lee. I am happy to still see Keith is still with the company. I am not sure about the "Bearcat" part but I am already envisioning Lee v. Francis.

            There is action in the ring with the Street Profits teaming with New Day as they face the Alpha Academy and the Dirty Dawgs. Eight man tag matches are like mini royal rumbles. Too much going on to truly appreciate until you are down to the last two athletes in the center of the ring. Xavier Woods of the New Day pinned Robert Roode picking up the win for his team.

            Before we get to the long awaited SummerSlam re-match between Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks, Adam and Sonya will tell us about the superstars in the fourth round of draft picks. First up is SmackDown and they select Naomi. Raw steals away Rey and Dominik Mysterio from Friday nights. Back to SmackDown who chooses to bring back Jeff Hardy. The final pick of night one of the draft has Raw bringing back NXT's Austin Theory to the main roster.

            Now for the main event of the evening. Bianca v. Sasha. First, props to whoever designed the ring gear for Sasha. Such a long overdue upgrade. UGHHH!! Before any action can take place, Becky Lynch makes her way down to the commentator's table to enjoy the match. Predictably, Becky gets involved and costs Belair the win. However, the night would end with Charlotte Flair standing in the center of the ring with her Raw Championship belt high in the air as Becky Lynch holds high her SmackDown Championship belt. This is an old rivalry. Maybe, if Lynch isn't drafted to Raw, we could see Becky "Two Belts" Lynch again. 

#BringBackBraun

NXT 9-28-21

            The theme of tonight's show is Ladies Night. Hit Row is in the ring hyping up the crowd in the newly revamped NXT 2.0. B-Fab's opponent, Elektra Lopez, interrupts it all. The first match of the evening between these two women is a no disqualification match. A decent match with Lopez picking up the victory. 

            Toxic Attraction is up next and they square up against tag champs Io Shirai and Zoey Stark. Before I get to the match, I just need to say that Toxic Attraction reminds me of an updated version of the Riot Squad. Ok, now that I got that out of the way, let's get back to the match. There was a notable amount of high flying by the defending champs. The other notable thing came from the commentator's table. Beth Phoenix made the observation that people are watching Jayne and Dolin because of Mandy rose. Glad someone stated the obvious. And tonight, I watched Io and Zoey retain their gold.

            The third match of the evening is between two male athletes. Rodderick Strong is set to face Grayson Waller in a championship match for the cruiserweight title. This was an excellent match. Both men took risks and gave everything. While I could have seen either athlete winning, it would be Rodderick's hand being held high in the end.  

            A fourth and final match of the evening is between Raquel Gonzalez and Franky Monet. I am not a fan of the champ. I have said before that Raquel comes across to me as more of a brute than a wrestler. Monet, on the other hand, reminds me of a thicker, glammed up version of Luna Vachon. Am I wrong?

Anyway, Gonzalez retains her title with one bra strap still in tact. After the match, Toxic Attraction makes an appearance. They not only go after Franky, but they also decimate the champ in the ring. 

            By the end of the evening, I felt that this particular episode of NXT 2.0 was more about championships and less about the ladies. Yes, I know that three of the four matches featured female athletes. But 75% of the matches had titles on the line. My other thought focused on NXT 2.0 itself. Since the re-branding two weeks ago, the show is definitely brighter. However, it is still what I have always said it was - an updated version of WWE's Tough Enough. Now with the removal of the colors black and gold, it is a more vivid experience.

#BringBackBraun  

Monday Night RAW after Extreme Rules

            A BIG beginning to kick off RAW. Big E defends his title against an irate Bobby Lashley. An intense bull verses bull match up, however, a winner would not be declared. During the match, Benjamin Shelton and Cedric Alexander made their presence known. Chaos would erupt when Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods run down the ramp to even the odds. Referee had no choice but to call for the bell. According to Adam Pearce, the match would continue later on in the show in a steel cage match for the gold. 

            From one champ to another, Damien Priest is up next for a bout against the former United States champion, Sheamus. Both superstars took full advantage of the no holds barred rules. Priest introduced a table and with White Noise from the Celtic Warrior, both men obliterate the table with their bodies. After the commercial break, both athletes are taking turns slamming each other into the barricade. Back in the ring, Sheamus slams Damien's face into a steel chair. With his ring awareness regained, Priest retains his title. 

            Matt Riddle is up next in a singles match against AJ Styles. Randy Orton is apparently missing again. As good as he is, I am just not a fan of Riddle. Praise God, Styles won.

            The queen Charlotte Flair is set to square up against Piper Niven. Yep, I'm still not using the "D" word. This is a championship match. As much as I would like to see Piper become champ, I don't think it will happen until a pay-per-view event. And just like that, with the interference of Eva Marie, Charlotte picks up the win and her title all the way back to the locker room. Eva then gets on the mic to brag only to have Shayna Baszler come down the ramp to shut her up. 

            Monday Night RAW continues with a message from Bill Goldberg to Bobby Lashley. I must admit that I am a little surprised that he is still present in WWE. It is well known that his contract requires him to compete in 2 matches a year. Goldberg has completed the terms of his 2021 contract. He went against Drew McIntyre in the ThunderDome and against Lashley at a PPV. The Dude of Devastation is vowing to hurt the former RAW champion. I'm semi interested in seeing where this goes. 

             Now, we end the show the way that it began. Bobby Lashley will be going up against the champ, Big E, for the gold. Bobby didn't even wait for Ettore to get into the cage when he starts attacking him. What a cheap way to try to get an advantage. But as the old adage goes, cheaters never win. With a big ending off the top rope, Ettore retains his title. But wait, it's not over. Drew McIntyre's music hits. McIntyre has his intentions set on removing the belt from around the waist of Big E. I am so happy that Ettore is the champ. Now I anxiously wait for the day that Roman is dethroned. 

#BringBackBraun

Extreme Rules Recap and Results

            The kick off match was between Liv Morgan and Carmella. I have said many times that you can often tell who is going to win a WWE pay-per-view by what a superstar wears to the ring. Carmella wore wedding night gear while Liv came to the ring dressed as Marvel's newest super hero. In an earlier post, I predicted Liv winning and win she did. That was expected. What was not expected was Peacock running both English and Spanish commentary at the same time. Oh, wait, it's Peacock. I guess sub par streaming was expected. PEACOCK SUCKS!!!

              The audio issues continued when English and French commentary played simultaneously at the beginning of the 6 man match between the New Day v. AJ Styles, Omos and Bobby Lashley. It was a decent contest with the New Day going after Lashley, as well as, Omos dominating his opponents. It is also important to note Jimmy Smith and Corey Graves speculating whether or not Omos and AJ will be separated as a result of the upcoming draft. I think that would be a good idea. Omos is now well established and AJ doesn't need an insurance policy. Back in the ring, Big E pins Bobby Lashley to pick up the win for his team.

            The Street Profits squared up against the Usos. I predicted the Usos retaining because the Bloodline story hasn't reached its apex. Anyway, the match starts with a very visible bullseye on Montez Ford. His ribs are heavily taped because of the actions of Roman Reign and the Usos this past Friday night. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened. Smelling blood in the water, the Usos hit Ford with multiple forms of aggression to the ribs and pick up the win to retain their titles. With the draft looming on the horizon, I am interested in seeing if the Street Profits will be split up. Montez would be a great singles competitor. I don't know about Dawkins future. I wonder if the Street Profits will go the way of Heavy Machinery. 

            Playtime is next as Alexa Bliss takes on Charlotte Flair for the title. The evil pixie could not overcome all the veteran moves of Flair to become the new Raw Women's Champion. The queen retains her gold. Charlotte decided to celebrate her win by destroying both Alexa and her doll "Lilly". I think this feud is over and a new one is starting. Alexa seems to come mentally undone at the site of her ripped apart doll. It could have been a good sell if we all didn't see the Alka-Seltzer tablet on her tongue causing her to foam at the mouth.

            From evil to enigma, Jeff Hardy finds himself in a triple threat match against Damien Priest and Sheamus. As much as I love Hardy, he is only in this match as a momentary x-factor here and there within the true feud between Sheamus and Priest. It was while executing an Alabama Slam on Hardy that Sheamus lost his protective face mask. This allowed Damien to target the still healing broken nose of the Celtic Warrior. Marry that with Sheamus' showboating and the Archery of Infamy retains his title.

            Back to the women as Becky Lynch defends her title against Bianca Belair. Bianca was dressed ready to win while Becky looked washed out in all white gear. A literal and physical tug of war match with Bianca's long pony tail being used as a hazardous rope of sorts. Many times, each athlete had a hold of the champ's braided packs of hair. I am still praying for Belair to rock a new hairstyle come 2022. Until then,  it will be Becky Lynch retaining her gold thanks to the interference of Sasha Banks. Thank you Sasha and I love your new gear. 

            Now it is time for the main event of the evening. Finn Balor squares up against the Tribal Chief, and defending champion, Roman Reigns. I have to be honest, the first thought that came to mind when I saw Finn Balor dressed as his alter ego, The Demon, was Peacock's decision to omit the WrestleMania VI match between Roddy Piper and Bad News Brown. Peacock defended the decision to remove the match because they felt Roddy was in "blackface". However, no suit over at Peacock seemed to have a problem with Finn's look tonight. Peacock, you are consistently inconsistent. WWE, you need to take back your house and put back accurate wrestling history, warts and all, before the bird brains "white wash" away all the facts. Puns heavily intended. Readers, what do you think?

            Back to the match. It was insane and intense from bell to bell. We saw kendo sticks, chairs and bodies going through tables. We even saw Roman put on a mask while fighting amongst the WWE Universe but take it off when he was back in the ring. That was a little surprising. What was not surprising was the Usos getting involved in the match. But wait, another shocker is on tap. After Roman savagely spears Finn through the barricade, the lights go red and we hear the "heartbeat" of the Demon. The air was full of New Jack flavor as Finn's music plays during the closing moments of the match. While perched on the top rope for the Coup-de-Grace, the rope snaps, house lights go back to normal and Reigns defeats Balor. 

            A decent pay-per-view with no title changes. My prediction tally was 6-1. Over on Draft Kings, I got 6 out of 10 right regarding the Roman v Finn match. Now, I get to look forward to Crown Jewel on Oct 21, 2021.  

#BringBackBraun

SmackDown before Extreme Rules and Predictions

            "Big Time" Becky opened this past Friday's SmackDown before Extreme Rules. She would soon be joined in the ring by the EST of WWE, Bianca Belair. A great verbal build-up to tonight. I am predicting the Becky will retain the gold.

        

            King Nakamura is next in a championship match against Apollo Crews. An obvious outcome with Nakamura winning the contest. Equally obvious was the drama on the outside between Commander Azeez and Rick Boogz. 

            Next is a match that I could care less about. Zelina "Red Rooster" Vega squares up against Liv Morgan. I am still dumbfounded that WWE released Alisteir Black and brought back his wife, Vega. Black is the better athlete and the bigger draw and headliner. An absolute headscratcher. The head scratching continues with Zelina picking up a win over Morgan. 

            Now it is time for something that I am completely invested in. It is the debut of Happy Corbin on the premiere episode of Happy Talk. True to character, his first guest is himself. However, Kevin Owens would have none of it. As Owens is making his way down the ramp, he is attacked by Riddick Moss. The happy host joins in on the chaos. And there you have it folks. Within 10 minutes, Happy Talk is now a segment and Moss has returned.

            It is back to women's action with the contest between Nikki Cross and Natayla. And in less than 5 minutes, Nikki wins. But wait, there's more. Shotzi Blackheart and Teagan Nox make their presence felt. How long before we see a championship title match between Shotzi and Nox verses Rhea and Nikki?

            I am torn about the storyline of the next superstar. Naomi got in the face of Sonya DeVille last week. Will that interaction lead to Sonya getting back in the ring? Or will Naomi join her husband and brother-in-law within the Bloodline? According to Naomi's speech in the ring, she wants a one on one with Deville who is at the top of the ramp exercising her duties as Naomi's boss. She refuses Naomi's challenge and has two security guards escort her out of the arena. 

            Moving on in the evening, it is Montez Ford in a bout against Roman Reigns. In my opinion, this was a filler match with the predictable ending of Roman winning. The Tribal Chief goes into tonight's pay-per-view as champ for the past 391 days. I predict Reigns will retain tonight against Balor. At the same time, I am wondering how long it will be before we see Lesner v. Reigns.  

            Here are all my predictions for tonight's Extreme Rules.

• Roman Reigns (C) v. Finn Balor - Roman retains
• Becky Lynch (C) v. Bianca Belair - Becky retains
• Charlotte Flair (C) v. Alexa Bliss - Alexa wins the title
• Damien Priest (C) v. Sheamus v. Jeff Hardy - Damien retains
• Usos (C) v. Street Profits - Usos retain
• Liv Morgan v. Carmella - Liv wins
• Usos (C) v. Street Profits - Usos retain

#BringBackBraun