Fierce Friday Edition of SmackDown 7-2-21

             On this day...Edge opened the show with a promo of visions and predictions. Declaring that obstacles don't stop him, he shows photographic evidence of him successfully putting Roman in a cross face submission at WrestleMania 37. Living rent free in the head of the current Universal Champion, the Rated R Superstar vows to claim the gold. I can't wait to see Roman humbled. 

            The first match of the evening was a tag match of King Shinsuke Nakamura and Big E verses Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin.  It was interesting to note that the graphics during Baron's entrance still say "King Corbin". Reminds me of when they introduced Drew McIntyre in his early days but the graphics still read Drew Galloway. Oops...

            Tom is so great at portraying Baron Corbin. He was sporting a pouty face like a pro. The former king is now a pauper. He was sullen and reluctant to start. Then Apollo tagged Corbin in and the juices started flowing until....Rick Boogs. The hype man of Nakamura interrupts like an emcee at a wedding to announce that a White Mercedes SUV with the license plate KING-CR-BN, is being towed. This distraction allowed Big E to utilize the Big Ending on Corbin and win the match. But that was not the best part of the match. Nope...it was when Pat McAfee sat on Michael Cole during the Nakamura's entrance.

These two gentlemen work well together but my brain is always playing the "What If" game. "What If" one day Michael Cole gets a little cold that prevents him from working that night and Corey Graves was the only one available to sub. Can you just image McAfee and Graves doing play by play color commentary! I wouldn't be able to stop laughing and my brain would short circuiting the entire time. 

            I'm going to save the ladies for last so let's move on to the Last Man Standing match between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. This is also a qualifying match for the Money in the Bank pay-per-view later this month. KO was on fire right from the start. At one point, he throws Sami over the barricade and slams his face into the LED audience. The fans play along by putting up their hands to "protect" themselves from getting hit with Zayn's face. Gotta love the WWE Universe. We're passionate!

            Punishment continues to the climax of stereo tables being stacked up on one another outside the ring. Owens planned to throw Zayn threw the tables but it backfires on him. Kevin gets pushed into the tables that he introduced. But that isn't enough to keep Owens down. Back to a vertical base, he power bombs Zayn threw the announce table, then again threw a table and finally on the ring apron. With the ref's count of 10, KO now has the opportunity to get his hands on the briefcase on July 18th.

            Another current punisher is Otis. He is definitely rocking a Vader vibe. He goes up against Angelo Dawkins. With brute power, he repeatedly flattens Dawkins. The clean shaven mammoth of an athlete, sans the ponytail, flies off the top rope to crush Angelo and pick up the win.  

            The last segment of the evening has the recently arrested Jimmy Uso in the ring calling out Edge.

Edge comes down the ramp unhinged and sends Jimmy into the ring post. Jimmy gets in a couple of good licks after hitting the super kick on Edge. Tables turn and now the Rated R superstar pounds all of his aggression into Uso and makes him tap. With still no sign of Roman Reigns, Edge connects with his signature spear. He leaves the ring, finds a chair and breaks off a rod to use as a weapon in the mouth of Uso. All I can say is: Fear The Beard.

            That's it for the men, now for the ladies. I remember the segment earlier this year when Adam Pearce spoke so rudely to Sonya DeVille that I immediately thought this was the storyline opening for her to get back in the ring. Still hasn't happened yet, but DeVille's actions lately regarding Liv Morgan might have the WWE Universe seeing her back in action soon.

            SmackDown has been announcing their female participants for MITB instead of having them qualify. The first named entrant was Carmella. Now, the second entrant is Zelina Vega? WTF??? WWE released Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Buddy Murphy and Killian Dain in exchange for Vega?! No bueno. The company has just let a fox back in the hen house and it will backfire on them. And what's with the Red Rooster look? 

            Liv goes up against Zelina to prove that she is worthy of being in MITB. She beat Carmella last week and beat Vega this week. I think that Liv will get so frustrated with Sonya DeVille to the point of issuing a one on one challenge. 

            Lastly, let's look at the beef with Bayley and Bianca Belair. Their match at MITB will be an "I Quit" match. This will be the third pay-per-view in a row that these ladies are squaring up. My gut says that because WWE has a couple of superstars currently on the sides of milk cartons, Bayley will lose again to Bianca. This opens the door for either Sasha Banks or Becky Lynch to return. Enjoy your time off Bayley.

#BringBackBraun  

NXT Before The Great American Bash

            When I was growing up, I remember the adults around me complaining about the cost of cable and wished there was a way to only order the channels that you knew you were going to watch. Well, that is sort of what I did when I cut the cord in 2004 and went to streaming services. One of the streaming services that I have is Hulu Basic. Hulu Basic costs me $5.99 a month. I do have the add-on subscription of HBO Max bringing my monthly total, with state tax, to $22.24 a month. I used to pay over $200 a month for cable. Because I have the patience of Job and am not in front of my tv 24/7, this is the best financial decision for my family. However, this decision comes with a price of a different kind. 

            I do not know how it is decided, but not every match or segment that is shown on live tv is shown next day on Hulu. I have written about this in previous posts. This fact applies to this past Tuesday's NXT mixed tag match between Xia Li and Boa verses Mercedes Martinez and Jake Atlas. 

            Mercedes suffered a concussion as a result of a spinning heel kick from Li. I only became aware of the injury because of my Google feed. I also watched a portion of the match on YouTube. I think Mercedes was meant to kick out of the pin attempt but just couldn't. Great call by the ref and many prayers of healing for Ms. Martinez.

            This past Tuesday also marked 7 days until NXT's Great American Bash. The opening match of the evening was to determine the #1 contender for the Women's Tag Championship. Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon vs. Zoey Stark and Io Shirai vs. Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai were the three teams vying for the opportunity. 

            It was a fast and furious fight from the bell. Raquel opened the match with an explosion of power. She and Kai were probably the favorites to win. Conversely, the team of Stark and Shirai were the team least likely to win. They just do not a familiar history with each other. It was interesting to see whether or not they would overcome such an obstacle. And overcome they did. Io pins Dakota and she and Stark will now face Indi Hartwell and Candance LeRae this Tuesday for the gold. My prediction is that Candance and Indi retain their belts.

            There was also some smack talk leading into this Tuesday's Great American Bash from former friends. Kyle O'Reily calls out Adam Cole. Yet, before Cole could respond, Samoa Joe interrupts with a fleet of security. Joe stands with both men in the ring while security keeps the top of ramp warm. The jaw jacking intensifies to the point where we see Kyle put Adam in a leg submission. Cole cries in pain while Samoa Joe looks on unimpressed. "Get him off me Joe!" screams the former champ. Joe exits the ring and calls for security to separate the pair. 

            The last time these two faced off in singles competition was at NXT Stand and Deliver where O'Reily defeated Cole. We are "2 sleeps" (thank you Pat McAfee) away from Cole v. O'Reilly II. I have run multiple outcomes in my head. This match can go so many different ways. Cole could win and even up the score. O'Reily could win showing the company's investment in him. The match could also be a count-out or disqualification prolonging the storyline. I'll just have to watch to find out.

            The men's tag championship belts will also be on the line. MSK will square up against Ciampa and Thatcher. I personally miss Ciampa on top as a singles performer and I don't know if I buy into his pairing with Thatcher. It's a feud between the young guns verses the veterans. MSK is definitely going to give Tomasso and Timothy an aerial workout. I'll give this one to MSK.

            Before I get to the last match of this week, I want to talk about the upcoming Million Dollar Championship fight between Cameron Grimes and LA Knight. Grimes should have won the title at TakeOver: In Your House earlier this year. I am crossing my fingers, toes and eyes that he captures the gold this Tuesday because if he loses, he has to become Knight's butler. Cute storyline but a waste of Cameron's insane talent.

            The last match of this week was the impromptu fight between Isaiah "Swerve" Scott and the NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed for the title. Now, Reed recently made his debut on Main Event where he defeated Drew Gulak. This the first sign for many fans that he is getting ready to move up to the main roster. The second sign came at the conclusion of this contest. 

            Bronson was powerfully impressive as usual right out of the gate. Swerve gets in a plethora of moves against Reed prior to the interference of Hit Row members Adonis and AJ Francis. Yeah, I said AJ Francis and not Top Dolla. I'm not Nike...I just can't do it.

            Anyway, Adonis pulls Bronson off the apron. This opens the door for AJ to bulldoze towards Reed. However, it all backfires on him because Reed sends Francis through the plexiglass barricade. It is while Adonis is checking on his mate that the champ sends him over the barricade to join his friend.

            As Reed is making his way back into the ring, he receives a kick to the face by his opponent. This is then followed by Swerve's signature 450 off the top rope down on the champ. One, two, three and just like that, NXT has a new North American Champion. I am eagerly looking forward to the upcoming draft. Until then, I'll be enjoying The Great American Bash this Tuesday. 

#BringBackBraun

Monday Night of Second Chances

             My Monday night in the ThunderDome opened with the taping of this week's Main Event. The first match was Veer squaring up against Drew Gulak. 

            Drew seems to be the standard of Main Event. Just last week, Gulak went up against Bronson Reed in his Main Event debut. It's an intangible sense that performing on camera with Drew is a way to gauge future potential. And Gulak's opponent this week, Veer, is all power and potential. 

            Veer made an impressive debut on Main Event. Quite the specimen of a human that there was no way for Gulak to overpower him. Drew instead focused on the knees of his opponent, trying to take the beast off his base. But it was not to be because Veer picks up the win. 

            Main Event's second match was Lucha House Party verses T-Bar and Mace. These athletes are familiar with each other. Size is often a factor to be considered in David and Goliath matches, however, I don't think Lucha House Party ever lets their size stop them from giving it their all.

            High flying action sends the Dominant Duo of Mace and T-Bar out of the ring and onto their backs. Soon, however, they would be back in control to pick up the win,

            Next on to Monday night Raw. I was so happy that the evening didn't open with a 15 minute promo. Instead, there was a over the top battle royal to see who would replace a missing Randy Orton later in the evening for a last chance triple threat match. Matt Riddle weasels his way in as the replacement and wins. His character might be having a little bit of an identity crisis because he demands that Orton's music plays and then he strikes Randy's signature pose. Seemed like a predictable outcome all the way. There was more interesting things happening during this battle royal than seeing who would win.

            Damien Priest is back! He has been away for several weeks dealing with a back issue. I loved seeing him and Jinder Mahal in the same ring. At one point, they went after each other. I have said it more than once and I'll say it again - "Bob" should drop the belt to either Mahal or Priest and then have McIntyre reclaim the gold against one of them. 

            The next entertaining thing about the opening match was Omos coming down the ramp to settle a score with the Viking Raiders. He pulls both men out of the ring and proceeds to send Erik into the barricade and Ivar into the LED apron. Lastly, the 24/7 title changed hands 4 times on the outside of the ring. Tozawa loses to Drew Gulak. Gulak loses to R-Truth and then Truth loses it back to Tozawa. All this happened in less than 2 minutes. 

            Earlier I talked about Matt Riddle's character having an identity crisis. I think Nikki Cross is going through something similar. While being interviewed moments before her match against Shayna Baszler, she starts rambling on about being "almost a super hero". Nikki A.S.H.? Graphics down the ramp still said Nikki Cross but there was a lot of promoting from the announce team in referring to her as Nikki A.S.H. Oy Vey! What a 3-week whirlwind she has had. First she debuts a new look. Following week, her husband gets released and now Nikki A.S.H. I hope this will all be worth it in the long run. Until then, she continues to be on a winning streak.

            Second chances seems to be the theme of the night. The re-match between Asuka and Naomi against Piper Niven and Eva fits such a theme. The cracks with Piper and Eva have been evident from their debut. Yes, I keep saying Piper. I refuse to say the "D" word. Anyway, Eva got a taste of her own medicine when she went for a tag and Piper jumped off the apron giving Eva her first loss since her return.

            Continuing with the women, we see a 6 woman tag match between the team of Tamina, Nattie and Charlotte against Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose and Rhea Ripley. Mayhem erupts before the bell. Quite the brawl but I wasn't invested in the match because of the yawn inducing personalities of Mandy and Dana. Just not a fan. I think they try too hard to get their personas over instead of becoming their persona. For example, Sheamus is the Celtic Warrior. Mark Calaway is the Undertaker. Corey Graves made a good point during the color commentary of the match. 

            Graves: You know what Saxton. I can stand in a batting game for 6 months straight doesn't mean I can play for the Yankees.

            Despite their training, Dana and Mandy do not have what it takes to be main eventers. My point is proven when Charlotte pins Mandy for the win. 

            Still scratching my head at the surreal reality that Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Buddy Murphy and Killian Dain were the ones released. 

            The triple threat match between McIntyre, Riddle and Styles was a second chance opportunity to qualify for the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Physical dominance on display right out of the gate from Drew. Suplexes, thunderous chest slaps and belly to bellies across the length of the ring were unleashed from his arsenal in an attempt to end the match early. 

            AJ and Matt came back with viciousness of their own. They form a temporary alliance to put Drew through the announce table. This puts the titan out of the equation for a moment. AJ takes the submission game to Riddle where he focused on torturing the ankle of his opponent. But Riddle dug down deep and gifted a knee to the face of Styles. Back and forth it goes with Styles hitting a brain buster and going for the pin to no avail. McIntyre from the outside pulls AJ out of the ring where he repeatedly body checks Styles from the apron to the barricade. Back in the ring, Drew takes out his frustration out on Matt Riddle. Eventually, all three competitors are on the outside. Riddle goes for a kick to AJ and instead meets a foot full of steel. He is lead out of the ring area with a "possible" broken foot.

            Riddle would eventually make his way back to the match with a taped up foot. He hits the RKO on Styles but Omos saves his tag partner from being pinned. Drew takes advantage and with one Claymore Kick, secures the victory.

            Now there were two matches that were not shown next day via Hulu. Nor are they available on Peacock  Peacock is a travesty of a company for many reasons. One reason is the fact that they are still a month behind on uploading current episodes of Raw and SmackDown.

            Regarding the missing matches, unless you watched it live in the ThunderDome or via cable or satellite, you missed the strap match between Elias and Jaxson Ryker. Elias debuted new entrance music and Jaxson debuted new ring gear. No bueno to both, especially Ryker's gear. He was dressed in mustard yellow and ketchup red ripped trucks reminiscent of Hulk Hogan. Despite the gross gear, he did beat the tar out of Elias for the win.

            The other match that did not replay on Hulu was between Ricochet and John Morrison. High flying match start to finish but the highlight happened outside the ring. John is already on the outside when he jumps over the barricade to protect himself from Ricochet. If you watch carefully, you can see Morrison walk and then take two steps up before sitting on the edge of the barricade. Ricochet flies out of the ring with a cross body. Impressive and impactful move that cause both men to be counted out.

            Great evening in the ThunderDome. I am going to miss it when it is gone. I think WWE should give away SummerSlam tickets to some of the LED audience members in appreciation of our loyalty. Many a Monday night, I was an active member in the ThunderDome from my living room for the entire 3 1/2 hours of taping. What do you say WWE?

#BringBackBraun

SmackDown of a Surprise

             The night opens with a mixed tag match between Bianca Belair and Cesaro verses Bayley and Seth Rollins. Great match highlighting the power of both Cesaro and Bianca. Bayley wore her ferengi shirt while focusing on Belair's arm and shoulder. Seth got swung at least 15 times. In the end, Bayley picks up the win for her team compliments of the Rose Plant. Despite all the great action, I mostly day dreamed about a match up between Seth and Becky against Bianca and Montez. Fingers crossed. Until then, prayers for a safe and speedy recover for Montez. 

            I am going to save my two favorite segments for last. Moving on to the next match we see Big E and Apollo Crews in a Money in the Bank qualifying match.I am team Big E all the way. I have a tidbit of a story about my experience with Big E in the ThunderDome which I promise to share in a future post.

            Neither one of these superb athletes have ever been a MITB contender. The majority of the first half of the match goes to Apollo. Excellent standing drop kick. frog splash and a trifecta of suplexes gives Crews a fighting chance at the opportunity. But never count Big E out. With 3 belly to bellies, Ettore changes the momentum. However, before he can claim victory, he has to deal with interferences from Commander Azeez. Luckily, the ref catches the second one and kicks Azeez out of the ThunderDome. With the road cleared of any obstacles, E hits the Big Ending and advances to Money in the Bank.

            One more men's match-up before the only women's match of the evening. 

            Jimmy Uso takes on Dolph Zigler. I just need to talk about Dolph for a moment here. On the June 16th edition of the Twitter-verse, Wrestle Critic posed a question which I offered an answer to.

            WC: When it comes to Dolph Zigler, what do you think his legacy will be in wrestling? Do you think he'll be fondly remembered in the future?

            OL: Yes he will be remembered fondly. He is a consistent hard worker. From his days in the Spirit Squad, to singles to tag team. He is highly decorated and he gets his character and storylines over.

I just hope that when they show his highlight reel, that his hair has its own separate reel. 

            During his match with Jimmy Uso, Dolph hits his signature move that was tough to watch. Outside the ring action allowed Zigler to hit the Zig Zag on Uso. It was when the center of  Jimmy's back came down hard on the corner of the steel steps that was absolutely cringe worthy. How that man got back to a vertical base inside the ring to pick up the win is beyond me. Incredible job Jey....I mean Jimmy.

            The only women's match was between Carmelo and Liv Morgan. Sonia DeVille has already named Carmella as a contender for MITB but tells Liv to prove herself worthy of the opportunity. I'm stunned that Mella didn't have to qualify like the female athletes on Raw. And even though Liv picked up the win, she is still not a contender for MITB. Just weird.

            Now onto my two favorite segments of the evening.

            First, the coronation of King Shinsuke Nakamura. I have been saying for weeks that Shin would be the perfect sovereign for the common people. He is hilariously entertaining especially with his 80s hair band hype man Rick Boogs. Baron Corbin did a great job wearing the crown for 2 years. I hope Nakamura gets a full year of authority

. 

            The highlight of the evening came at the end with the State of the Universal Championship Address. I initially rolled my eyes something fierce when I heard about this segment. I'm a little tired of the same old speech from Roman. Luckily, he never got to speak. Paul Heyman did all the jaw jacking. No sooner did Heyman declare that "there's no one left," the music that WWE Universe hasn't heard since WrestleMania 37 shook the ThunderDome.

            On this day...Edge is back! Edge is back!

            The Rated-R superstar makes his way intensely down the ramp and unleashes a beat down on the champ. At one point, Edge goes for a con-chairto but Jimmy Uso prevents the move. Edge sends Jimmy into the steel stairs for the second time this evening before spearing him through the barricade. By this time, Roman and his advocate are at the out of the ring and at the top of the ramp. Looking dead center into the hard camera, Edge bellows "Where you at Roman! I'm right here!" 

He looks amazing and I hope the beard is still present when they meet next month at Money in the Bank. What great news as we are three weeks away from WWE being back on the road in front of a live WWE Universe.

            Friday was not all good news. Once again, WWE released more superstars. So far this year, 38 superstars have been released. Compare that to 2020 with 21 superstars released. 2019 saw 7 superstars being released and 2018 had only 5 superstars saying goodbye. 

            This latest round of terminations held some surprises. For this fan, I was surprised at the release of Killian Dain. I'm just at a loss as to what to think. Every business has a short and long term plan and I'm stunned at some of the decisions. Is this the Nick Khan era of the WWE?

#BringBackBraun  

  

                

Braun and NXT

            So I'm going to start today's post the way I usually end it - talking about Adam Scherr, aka Braun Strowman.

            Yesterday on Instagram, Adam posted some photos of him at Doc Antle's Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina. Many followers commented on the infamy associated with Antle because of Netflix's Tiger King. Adam responded "Don't believe everything you read." Should we not believe CNN when they report on him being indicted on wildlife trafficking charges as recently as October 2020? Two of Antle's daughters, Keith Wilson and Wilson's nephew were also named in the indictments. The trial date for Wilson and his nephew has been scheduled for June 21-25, 2021. 

            Other reputable outlets reporting on the current indictments include the state of Virginia's website, NBC12, MSN, National Geographic, Huffington Post and Vanity Fair. Since 1989, Doc Antle has been charged at least 35 times with crimes against animals from state attorneys, USDA and USDOJ. 

            It seems that as a result of the backlash, Adam has deleted his Instagram account. I could no longer find it. Others could not find it.

 Here are my two cents:

            I like Adam. I find him to be a great athlete and human being. And like all humans, sometimes he's not going to make the best decisions. This man was let go by WWE on June 2, 2021 to the shock of many. Since then, he has documented himself working out in the gym, enjoying dinner, working on cars and hanging with friends - not isolated in a dark room with a nearly empty bottle dangling from his hand. I'm still rooting for him.

            #BringBackBraun    

            Now onto this week's NXT. The night opened with Adam Cole. He states that he is not going to pick an opponent for tonight. Hit the music because here comes Carmelo Hayes. He challenges Cole with "Ruthless Aggression". It was a great match with each competitor going move for move and counter for counter. However, in the end, it would be a Panama Sunrise that secured the win for Adam Cole.

            Next the women are in the ring. It's Io Shirai teaming with Zoey Stark against Aliyah and Jessi Kamea. Decent match but the most exciting action happened after Io got the win over Jessi Kamea.

            The tag champs Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell watched the match from the ramp and then the other female tag teams joined the party. They all let the verbal bullets fly. Quicker than you can say NXT, chaos erupts in the ring. Raquel Gonzalez, Dakota Kai, Ember Moon, Shotzi Blackheart, Zoey Stark and Io Shirai are destroying each other when Samoa Joe comes down the ramp to "enforce" order with the help of security. As a result of the mayhem, there will be a triple threat match next week to determine the number one contenders to face the champs at NXT's Great American Bash.

            Before I get to the last two matches, I'm going to talk about Karrion Kross. Earlier this week, I shared the fact that both he and Bronson Reed would make their Main Event debut. Thursday night, everyone saw what I saw being taped on Monday night. 

            When Karrion made his debut, it was sans Scarlett and his usual NXT entrance. I was happy that Scarlett wasn't there. Not because I don't like her. She has a professional wrestling background. I would like to see her in action. I just never understood the need for a goth Federette. 

            As far as his entrance goes, it lacked the energy that Kross is known for. I'm sure creative will get things right when he moves up to the main roster by, if not at this year's draft. He and Scarlett did appear on NXT this week but it was to only talk to Samoa Joe.

            The second to last match of the evening had Pete Dunne and Oney Lorkin squaring up against Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory. If there was ever a night to feel bad for someone, tonight was Theory's night.

            Earlier in the evening, he suffered some joint manipulation at the hands of Pete Dunne. This injury was further amplified during the match. Austin had his joints bent and his chest mercilessly slapped by Dunne and Lorkin. Theory found redemption with the assistance of his tag partner. Johnny pins Oney for the win. The celebration was short lived however because Kross comes down the ramp and attacks Gargano from behind. Hmmm...dropping the belt to Johnny Gargano before the move up to the main roster....that works.

            The last match of the evening was the highly anticipated Kyle  O'Reily verses Kushida. I tend to cheer for Kushida but I decided to invest in the match with an open mind. My respect meter went off the charts. These athletes are equally matched and they brought the best out of each other. Superior match that had to have only one winner. That honor goes to Kyle O'Reily. 

            The celebration of respect ends when they are ambushed in the ring by the now unveiled Diamond Mine. 

            The teasing of the Diamond Mine for these past couple of weeks had me thinking it might be something akin to Raw Underground. Thank goodness it's not. The stable of  the Diamond Mine consists of Roderick Strong, Tyler Rust and Hideki Suzuki with Malcolm Bivens as their manager. Interested in seeing where this goes.

                        

Major Monday Night

             I am so happy be an active part of WWE's ThunderDome. Never so more than last night. 

            Monday night is when WWE tapes Friday night's Main Event. If you weren't part of the ThunderDome, then you missed two epic surprise matches.

            By the end of this week, fans will see the Main Event debut of NXT champs Bronson Reed and Karrion Kross!

            Bronson Reed goes up against Drew Gulak. The 330 pound colossal North American champion gave the technical terminator a run for his money. At one point, Reed swats Gulak out of the air like an annoying fly. Drew is nothing to sneeze out. The man is an excellent wrestler. However, Bronson Reed proved resistant to all of Drew Gulak's skills. A Samoan drop and then a tsunami off the top rope was the winning combination for the champ.

            Just when I thought Bronson was the stellar surprise of the evening, here comes the opponent for Shelton Benjamin...Karrion Kross! My jaw hit the floor. What the greatness is going on? Two NXT champs debuting on Main Event! This was an awesome match that I would never have dreamed up. I have said on more than one occasion that we will see Kross on the main roster by, if not, at the WWE draft later this year. Amuse-bouche action for fans everywhere. Signature Kross jacket secured on Shelton and it was over. One glaring note about the match was the absence of Scarlett.

            Scarlett is the real life girlfriend of Karrion. She usually accompanies him to the ring in dramatic fashion but not last night. I have always wondered about Scarlett. Despite having a professional wrestling background, she currently serves as Kross' valet. Other than being lead-in eye candy who sometimes speaks in promos, what purpose does she really serve? I have no memory of her ever getting involved in her boyfriend's matches. Maybe WWE is setting up to have her join the main roster as a competitor. Now onto Monday Night Raw.

            What an evening of mind-blowin' and head-scratching moments. Raw opens with the VIP Lounge. MVP, Lashley and his ladies enter the ring to toast Bobby's previous night's win at Hell in a Cell. I am over the ladies but I understand why they are part of the champ's storyline. As long as they keep appearing on tv, I'm keeping an eye on Mia Lantz. According to her Twitter account, she is a professional fitness life coach. Let's see if the company does anything with her besides using her as a hand model for Bobby's shoulder.

            Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods interrupt the celebration by coming down the ramp with a catering cart of dry toast. They frisbeed the "toast" into the ring as their way of celebrating Lashley. I love their playful sense of humor. After all the jaw-jacking, it is so declared that Woods will have a Hell in a Cell match later in the evening against Lashley. Kofi, on the other hand will face "Bob" at Money in the Bank next month. 

            More than having a Hell in the Cell match on prime time tv, it was also an evening of Money in the Bank qualifying matches. 

            First qualifying match was AJ Styles v Ricochet. Both men thrive on an up tempo style. The first half goes to AJ. Every time Ricochet picked up some momentum, AJ countered. Things changed in the second half when the Viking Raiders made their way down to the ring and immediately go after AJ's tag partner, Omos. Ivar and Erik send Omos through the barricade. This was enough of a distraction for Ricochet to pick up the win and become the first qualifier for next month's pay-per-view.

            Second men's qualifier match was between John Morrison and Randy Orton, sans the goatee. The viper is molting. The goatee was a welcomed facial feature in his storyline with Riddle but I have a suspicion that going back to his classic look will soon result in Randy giving his tag partner a RKO. As much as I enjoy the odd couple team of RK-Bro, I miss Orton on his own. 

            Morrison's strategy was to exploit the well documented shoulder injuries of Orton. Yet, Randy is still able to repeatedly slam John's head into the announce table. Clotheslines and slaps across the chest reminds John he is in the ring with the viper. Just when Orton is about to hit the RKO, the Miz and his "drip stick" get involved prompting Matt Riddle to come down to the ring. It was a hysterical low speed chase around the ring with Riddle on his scooter and Miz in his wheelchair.

            Back in the ring, Morrison executes his signature Starship Pain to get the upset win over Orton. John Morrison is the second superstar to qualify for Money in the Bank. 

            Matt Riddle would make another appearance later in the evening when he faced Drew McIntyre in the third men's qualifying match. Although I would have booked Riddle v Morrison and Orton v McIntyre, I was pleasantly surprised with the matches. 

            Drew in a qualifying match 24 hours after surviving a brutal Hell in a Cell match assured him the title: Lion of Scotland. Riddle's obvious strategy was to target Drew's battered back. I felt the pain in his face every time he arched in agony. Despite feeling uncomfortable watching one of my favorite superstars suffer for his craft, I knew he would get in a few good licks. Belly to bellies, powerbombs and good old fashion slaps were released from the reserve of McIntyre onto Riddle. Valiant effort by Drew but he loses in an upset. Matt Riddle earns a spot in next month's Money in the Bank. 

            The mind-blowin' events continued with the ladies. However, I want to touch on some thought provoking mic drop moments.

            First, the "D" word was dropped. Piper Niven of NXT UK fame was dubbed Doudrop by Eva Marie. The look on Piper's face was priceless. I don't see it lasting long because Niven tried to say her name when Eva interrupted her. What an epic day it will be when she truly walks away from Eva and screams "My name is Piper Niven!"

            Their MITB qualifying match against the colorful duo of Asuka and Naomi, was over quickly. Eva starts in the ring but quickly tags in her partner before any action begins. Piper does what she does best and just when she is about to fly off the ropes, Eva tags herself in. Thinking Naomi was out for the count, she attempts to reap a win from the hard work of her partner. Not having it, Nivens jumps off the apron, leaving Eva with a check mark in the loss column. Naomi and Asuka are heading to Money in the Bank. 

            Second, Nikki Cross is now a superhero. She debuted her new look fully loaded with cape and mask. Initially, I thought it was a step down but then she got in the ring and she was still Nikki. Her chaotic and positive energy is all she needs to be forever entertaining to watch. Nikki inexplicably teams up with the villain herself Alexa Bliss. Their opponents are Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. 

            My brain was short circuiting during this MITB qualifying match. Nikki has a new look. Alexa has new entrance music. And in the end, they pick up the win against the former tag champs. 

            Final moment with the women touched on the disqualification of Rhea Ripley at her Hell in a Cell match with Charlotte Flair. Rhea was DQ'ed because she used the apron of the announce table as a weapon against Charlotte. Since when is that a disqualification? Randy repeatedly slammed John Morrison's head into that same announce desk tonight and the ref didn't call for the bell. Rhea is right when she says that she is being held to a different set of rules. As a result, a rematch has been granted for next month's pay-per-view.

            The main event of the evening was a Hell in the Cell match between Xavier Woods and Bobby Lashley. Bobby is 24 hours removed from his Hell in a Cell match against Drew McIntyre. What a specimen of an athlete to have two cage matches two nights in a row. This man has boulders where us mere mortals have muscles. 

            Lashley was the aggressor right out of the gate. Be that as it may, Woods brought the fight to the champ. Compliments of Xavier, "Bob" found himself dancing with chairs, tables, kendo sticks and ring posts. So happy this wasn't a one sided match but it did have a predictable ending. A chair to the head, a spear and a Hurt Lock submission gives Lashley the win. All around an epic night.

            I cannot wait for WWE to get back on the road in front of live audiences. Just 24 more days to go. The energy of the fans instead of piped in audio. A tangible WWE Universe instead of LED screens.  And the anticipation of big storylines, momentous surprises and eagerly awaited returns. 

#BringBackBraun

Hell in the Cell Recap & Results

            It was a great night for the last pay-per-view in the ThunderDome despite many fans having viewing issues with Peacock.

            The night kicked off with a pre-show match between Natayla and Mandy Rose. Mandy's past accomplishments include being a fitness and bikini model. Nattie's past accomplishments include being a graduate of the Hart Dungeon. Adorable storyline but does anyone really think Ms. Rose could ever beat a Hart? Mandy did display evidence that she has been training and showed off some moves, including a dropkick off the top rope. She also tried multiple pin attempts to throw Nattie off her game. Nice effort but in the end, it was fruitless. Nattie picks up the win with a signature sharp shooter.

            Now for the main event matches. Hell in the cell began with a championship match. Current SmackDown Women's champ Bianca Belair successfully defended her title against former champ Bayley. I don't understand why but my brain goes Freudian whenever these two fight each other. Last month at WrestleMania BackLash, I said that Bianca came dressed to win in her azure and gold gear. Bayley on the other hand had on what I initially thought was 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.

            Well, Freud would have a field day with these two because once again Ms. Belair came dressed with confidence while Bayley seemed more focused on making a questionable fashion statement. Bianca came dressed in white gear accented with flames and Bayley wore that same Picasso like shirt. I don't know what subliminal message she's sending us but someone should tell her that shirt is unlucky. But that's not what I tuned in for so let's get to the action. 

            It was brutal. Bianca gave as good as she took in her inaugural hell in a cell. At one point it was a "hair v chair" match. That braid of Bianca's is both a weapon and a hazard and needs to go. Then Bayley ties her opponent's hair to the bottom rope. At another point, Bianca purposefully ties her braid to Bayley's wrist for an attempt at a strap match. An intense match with one low point. Bayley bites Bianca. I don't get it. Tyson v Holyfield, Shayna Bazsler v Becky Lynch and now Bayley v Bianca Belair. The squared circle is not the name of a buffet! Biting an opponent undoes years of hard work, skill and credibility. 

            Continuing with the ladies, the match between Shayna Baszler and Alexa reminded me of a quote from Sun Tzu: "The greatest victory is that which requires no battle." That seemed to be the Mistress of Mind Games' strategy. The prolonged maniacal stares of Alexa appeared to put Shayna and her corner colleagues under a controlling spell. At one point, she had Nia in a trance resulting in Reggie receiving a slap from the irresistible force. In the end, Ms. Bliss picks up the win. 

            The last women's match was for the Raw Championship title. Of the thousands who participated in the Draft Kings pool, 59.74 % picked Rhea to win and 40.26 % chose Charlotte. Participants also had a chance to speculate as to how the match would be won. 58.87 % selected pinfall, 24.64 % chose submission and 16.49 % guessed disqualification. The least predicted winning move rose to the top. 

            The match began with Charlotte going for an immediate pin attempt. Rhea then turns things around with her trademark brutality. Ripley shines on offense and Charlotte can be equally cruel. The wicked queen helped Rhea become familiar with the turnbuckles. However, it was the action outside the ring from these two superstars that caused a perplexing ending. How many times have we seen wrestlers use the apron from the announce desk as a weapon? So, it was a little jaw dropping when Rhea did the same thing only to have the ref call for the bell and rule the match a disqualification. I'm just happy that Ripley retained.

            Next was Cesaro v Seth Rollins. I was team Cesaro all the way. A sneak attack by Rollins before the bell is how it all began. Cesaro's strength was on full display last night. He powers out of Seth's Falcon Arrow and swings him at least 15 times. Despite all his efforts, Rollins rolls up Cesaro into a small package to pick up the win. 

             The showdown between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn didn't go the way I predicted yesterday. Sami won. The color commentary really played up the Nigerian Nail attack from 48 hours ago to explain why KO wasn't at peak performance. After the match, KO took to Twitter to issue the following statement: "I fought like hell. Now, I need a little break. I'll be back soon. Thank you, guys." Does this now open the door for a Sami Zayn v Apollo Crews storyline? Time will tell.

            Now for the main event. It's Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley inside the sadistic structure of the menacing red steel cage. This was the other match that Draft Kings participants had the opportunity to weigh in on. Lashley was favored to win with 60.19 % of the votes and Drew garnered 39.85 %. One of the other questions was as to how the match would be won. 73.72 % of fans said pinfall and 26.28 % selected submission.

            This match was vicious from bell to bell. Drew is one of the few that can match power with Bobby. One prime example is when McIntyre launches Lashley across the ring with a belly to belly. Hellacious beatings back and forth between the competitors. By the end, both men's bodies wore the battle scars of war but only one walked out the winner.

            Before I get to the outcome, I would like to share a common experience I often have with people who give me grief for being a lifelong wrestling fan. Here is how the conversation usually goes with a non-fan:

            Me: I like to watch wrestling. 

            Random Human: You like that crap?! You know it's fake right?

            Me: Okay boss, what do you like to watch?

            Random Human: Walking Dead.

            Me: You know it's fake, right? Totally scripted.

Random human is stunned silent. There are no stunt doubles in wrestling. Their skin is really ripped open, bruised and bleeding. Broken noses and neck surgeries are also real.

 O.K., jumping off my soapbox now. Time to get back to Drew and Bobby.

            It is with an interference assist from MVP, that Bobby Lashley retains his title. I accurately predicted this outcome yesterday. My forecast went on to envision Lashley losing his title at SummerSlam. This, I think, would open the door for McIntyre to go after the gold again in front of a live crowd. I would love to see the current champ drop the belt to either Damien Priest or Jinder Mahal.

            No matter who steps up next, I still miss Adam Scherr, aka Braun Strowman. Adam recently posted a video to his story on Instagram that gives me some hope. He recently stated how much fun he had in the Carolinas and was now on his way to Orlando. That's the same town as the WWE Performance Center!!! Are the suits correcting another mistake? 

            #BringBackBraun