Monday Night Without Braun

            This past Monday night was the first episode since Braun Strowman was released on June 2, 2021. Still a good show but knowing that Adam Scherr is no longer on the roster is all I could think about while in the ThunderDome. 

            The show opened with a tag team, over the top rope Battle Royal. A lot of jaw-jacking by the competitors, as well as, interruptions by both Miz and Morrison and AJ and Omos before the bell. Three RKOs to start but ultimately, the Viking Raiders won the match. I literally jumped out of my chair and screamed with excitement! They have now earned a future tag team championship opportunity. I am so glad they are back.

            Another superstar who is back with a new look is Jaxson Ryker. New haircut and trimmed down beard has him looking damn hot. As a fan, I am happy to see the company investing in him. What hasn't changed is his excellent ass kicking skills, just ask Elias. Jaxson's former tag partner fully felt his rage. Jaxson was absolutely relentless with Elias scrambling for a meaningful offense. However, he fled the ring, up the ramp and Jaxson secured a W as a result of a count out. Jaxson is a titan worthy of fan attention.

            The other titan that has my attention is Drew McIntyre. It was a night of contract signing but I knew this was going to be a little different. Drew usually leaves his sword at the top of the ramp but this time he brought it with him to the ring. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it would be used. Sure enough, it was dramatically used to cut the table in half. Check out the clip below.

        (13) Drew McIntyre will see Bobby Lashley inside Hell in a Cell: Raw, June 7, 2021 - YouTube

            Next it was time for Drew's best mate, Sheamus to make an appearance. Poor fella, he comes out to the ring ala Cody Rhodes. Remember in 2011 when Cody would come to the ring with a clear protective face covering. Well, Sheamus suffered a legitimate broken nose at the hands of Humberto Carrillo on May 31, 2021. I watched it live as a member of the ThumberDome. It was a vicious forearm. You could see not only the bridge of his nose go flat but blood instantly flowed. However, a week later, Sheamus sat at the announce table with black eyes and protective gear on his face to watch Humberto and Ricochet have a match. These two superstars are really good and dangerous on the ropes. At one point, Humberto sends Ricochet to the floor compliments of a Spanish Fly. Both men were counted out. High risk didn't pay off this time.

 

            Many superstars are known for their high risk moves. One such veteran is Jeff Hardy. Jeff had a match with Cedric Alexander. I love Jeff Hardy but not Cedric Alexander. Don't get me wrong, Cedric can wrestle but there is something about him that makes me uneasy. I had the same feeling with Lars Sullivan, Velveteen Dream and Alberto Del Rio. It's in his eyes. Something is hidden. As with all truths, it will be revealed in time. For now, Cedric remains his own worst enemy and Jeff picks up the win.

            From veterans to newcomers, Mansoor is someone to watch. I first became aware of Mansoor during WWE's 2018 Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He has gone on to win 2019's Super ShowDown and 2019's Crown Jewel. If you haven't seen them, or want to see them again. you can stream them both on Peacock. This past Monday, Mansoor had a match against Drew Gulak, Despite Gulak focusing heavily on Mansoor's left leg, he earned his win.

            Before I get to the women's division, let's look at Kofi's match against Matt Riddle. Both men draw from unconventional playbooks. High flyers with equally matched aggression. Randy Orton comes to the ring half way through  the match to offer support and advice, However, Matt failed to listen to his mentor and instead showed off. This was a mistake and as a result, Kofi picks up the win. 

            The women's division needs a little overhauling. There is no clear face of the women's division on Monday night. Rhea was moved up from NXT to Monday Night Raw and is the current champ. Despite being a force to be reckoned with, she doesn't seem to be defending the belt the way a champ should. There is no strong storyline of anyone coming after her title. When is Becky Lynch coming back? I would love to see Rhea and Becky go at it. I would also like to see a little more investment in Rhea Ripley.

            This past Monday, there was a tag match between the team of Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley versus Asuka and Nikki Cross. I instantly knew that Charlotte and Rhea would implode on each other. The current storyline has them severely disliking each other. Nikki Cross and Asuka on the other hand compliment each other. Nikki takes advantage of the hatred between Charlotte and Rhea to pick up the win.

            Additionally, what is going on with Alexa Bliss? I do not like this current evolution of her character. The evil and scary Miss Bliss doing a lot of talking and being creepy is not the best of use of her talent. She has definitely gotten over but I am not the type of fan who enjoys storylines that include mind games and witchcraft. However, I am happy that Shayna seems to be going solo and focusing on setting Scary Miss Bliss straight. 

            I remember WrestleMania 31 when I saw Shayna in the front row when Ronda Rousey was being highly pushed. It is joyfully interesting that Shayna is still here and Ronda left well before she announced her pregnancy. Shayna is someone that I enjoy watching and the ending of this past Monday Night Raw saw the beginnings of a storyline with Alexa and her doll Lilly coming after Shayna, Pyros up the ramp, equipment and  structures falling from the ceiling eventually led to a mind game where Lilly would appear in a mirror but not in the room itself. Shayna can't take it anymore and she breaks the mirror before everything fades to black ending in a scream of frustration.

            One other thing that I greatly appreciate with Shayna is her intergender matches with Reginald. WWE has done women vs. men in the past. The one that immediately comes to mind is Chyna v. Eddie Guerrero. Then there was the tag match with Sable and Marc Mero v. Goldust and Luna Vachon. I enjoy intergender matches but they need to remain sporadic in order for them to remain a "special feature" and not the norm. 

        Before I get to my closing, I am going to drop a couple of spoilers. Friday Night Main Event is taped on Monday nights. So I saw what is going to happen tonight because I saw it as a member of the ThunderDome. Without any further ado, here are the matches and results. 

            First match is between Mustafa Ali and Angel Garza. This is the first matchup between these two superstars. Angel is the aggressor but Ali turns things around and picks up the win with a submission move.

            Next match is between Jinder Mahal and Shelton Benjamin. This was a PPV worthy match.  As a lifelong WWE fan, I have watched Shelton "grow up" and improve as an athlete. However, my favorite, the Monday Night Maharaja, won the match. 

            I am going to end today's post the way that I started -  talking about Braun. I was so upset with the asinine move to release Braun that I did something that I said I would never do. I joined Instagram and Twitter. Yes, OpinLytical is now on IG and Twitter. I am a huge fan of Adam and I am curious to see what the future holds for him. So far, he has maintained his fitness routine, severely trimmed his beard, worked on cars and has displayed a joyful and mature attitude with travel, good food and whiskey. This man will not fail. I personally do not want to see him wrestle anywhere else. Hopefully, WWE and NBC Universal will recognize their mistake and bring him back. #BringBackBraun 

             

2021 Releases....More Questions than Answers

             I managed to stay off my phone until 4 pm today when I went to check the headlines on Google. The very first headline was the release of Braun Strowman and others. WTF??? Braun, Aleister Black, Ruby Riot, Buddy Murphy and Santana Garrett were all released today.

            Braun is a money making titan. One of my favorite wrestlers. I am dumbfounded that he was let go. And what about all the teasing with Aleister's return. Last month, during a fatal 4-way, Black interrupts the match with a black mass kick to the head of Big E allowing Apollo Crews to retain his IC belt. 

            Earlier this year, there were a couple of other shocking releases. Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan, The Big Show, Kalisto and Buddy Murphy were all let go.  Absolutely head-scratching. Now there are some releases, as a fan, that I fully support. Lars Sullivan, Velveteen Dream, Lana, Billie Kay, Ruby Riot, Chelsea Green and Andrade never held my interest.

            Now let me focus on the color commentators. First, it was a mistake to take Samoa Joe off the desk. Second, thank you Adnan Virk for stopping by. While I am interested in seeing how Jimmy Smith will fair, I never understood why Corey Graves hasn't been made lead commentator. He does most of the talking, he's great at calling matches and a superb interviewer.

            A lot of these changes have been attributed to budget cuts and restructuring. I can understand that but as a fan, WWE could have made better decisions. For example, I very much agree with the release of Lana despite her obvious hard work and improvement. It just wasn't enough. I can also do without Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke.

            There is a part of me that thinks WWE joining with NBC has a lot to do with the current roster decisions. Peacock, in my opinion, has far too much influence on the content that I grew up loving. It was an asinine decision to get rid of WWE Network in America and stream exclusively on Peacock. If it were not for WWE, I would have no use for their streaming services. It pains me to give my money to a company that has been re-writing wrestling history by removing content. I am the only one who can make the decision as to what I enjoy on TV. If you don't agree with the historic cultural content that played a prominent part of many fans childhood, then add a disclaimer, don't cancel the content.

            To the relevant suits at WWE: one, bring back Braun. Two, the moment this agreement with NBC Universal expires, take back your house and put it back to its original state. Even if you agree with some of the recent censoring, it should be shown in its entirety. Adding a disclaimer should satisfy the standards and practices guidelines on a paid subscription service. Furthermore, your full library still isn't available on Peacock. 

            I'm a little frustrated but will always be a cradle WWE fan. Thank you superstars for keeping the show going through a pandemic. Look forward to seeing you on the road again.

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.