Raw 7-26-21

            So Windham Rotunda, aka, Bray Wyatt, and Ric Flair have been released by WWE. I must confess that I am not terribly sad about either man being let go. I was not a fan of The Fiend character. And I hope that Ric rests a little despite wrestling being in his blood. Let the shockwaves continue while I catch up on wrestling. Now, on to the last Raw of July 2021.

            The evening opens with the new Women's Champion Nikki Cross in the ring armed with a mic. Yes, I am still calling her Cross. While I am a fan of Nikki, I am not a fan of her new name. 

            During her encouraging monologue, she gets interrupted by Charlotte Flair. The former champ claims that the gold was stolen from her and vows to take back the belt at SummerSlam. The queen's soapbox rant gets halted by another former women's champ, Rhea Ripley. Rhea thinks she should have the title opportunity at SummerSlam. DeVille and Pearce intrude on the jaw jacking and officially make a triple threat championship match at SummerSlam. But before that can happen, Nikki accepts a match against Charlotte later in the evening.

            When the match between these two female athletes takes place, I watched for the obvious outcome of the current champ retaining her gold but that didn't happen. The perceived underdog champion loses to Flair via a pin. Jaw jacking after the match ends with a rematch scheduled for next week.

            The first match of the evening is between Damien Priest and Sheamus. This is a United States Championship Contenders match. Priest focused on the face of the title holder and Sheamus focused on the lower back of his opponent. A kick to the face would allow for the mask to finally come off of Sheamus. Priest hits the reckoning and picks up the win. Sheamus screams that his nose has been rebroken and wants a doctor. I am so loving this storyline. Priest is a future champ and he will take the gold from Sheamus. The fella recently became engaged and will need time off for the wedding and a honeymoon. Remember how Seth Rollins went on paternity leave?

            A tag team championship match is next. The Viking Raiders go up against AJ Styles and Omos. Out of the gate, Erik flattens AJ with a pair of knees. The quick tags in and out by the challengers is an effective strategy. The current champs are an odd couple of a team but are gelling more and more. Omos is a man that can easily block out the sun. After he softens Eric up, he tags in his partner. Styles executes an impressive 450 to retain the titles.

            Vengeance is the flavor of the next bout between Drew McIntyre and Veer. Before Veer can make his way to the squared circle, Jinder, flanked by Veer and a "lawyer", runs his mouth and offers McIntyre the opportunity to apologize for his actions last week against Shanky. Drew's response, "Screw the lawyer and I'm going to beat Veer within an inch of his life,".

            As Drew is unleashing fury on Veer, Mahal is on the outside slamming a steel chair on the apron of the ring. It is enough of a distraction to turn things in the favor of Veer. Impressive skills by the challenger with ruthless rights and lefts followed by a vertical elbow drop. The former champ does ultimately turn things around but for a moment. Mahal gives Veer a steel chair and McIntyre claymores the foreign object into the face of Veer. And by disqualification, the former champ picks up the win.

           Veer and Jinder slowly back up the ramp, This leaves the attorney down at ringside. Drew throws him into the ring and proceeds to Claymore the lawyer after Stone Cold saluting him.

  

            A main event promo is next regarding Goldberg's challenge to Bobby Lashley. Thought Bill was going to make an appearance but instead the champ is interrupted by Cedric Alexander. Why hasn't he been released? And why is his ring gear black and lavender accented with white fur and a headband? Is he the new Velveteen Dream? Shelton Benjamin cancels Alexander's rant. Both offer Lashley a challenge. Bobby decides to take both of them on in an immediate handicap match. The champ dominates and retains. 

             Matt Riddle is up next against John Morrison. This is a light hearted feud. Also, I must confess that every time someone says "moist", I get a tangible wet willy feeling. The best part was when Matt drop kicks The Miz on the outside causing him to fall back onto the floor like an upside down turtle. True to character, Riddle playfully mocks. After commercial break, The Miz is again right side up in his wheelchair and the Original Bro is off his game because of the appearance from AJ and Omos walking the ramp to ringside. Omos breaks the handle of Riddle's scooter over his leg like a twig. This allows for John Morrison to hit Starship Pain and pick up the win. 

             I will continue to catch up on wrestling while indulging in my personal routine of re-watching every past SummerSlam. I do this with every pay-per-view event because often the color commentators will reference back to past matches and then I would make a note to go back and watch. Now, I just prep beforehand. 

#BringBackBraun

SmackDown 7-23-21

            There is a new episode of SmackDown tonight. But I am still catching up on wrestling, so this post will be talking about last week's episode.

            First, we are in Ohio and once again, I find myself exhaling at the site of a live audience. However, Cena opens the show and I find myself wanting a commercial. I understand what the company is doing now that the days of the ThunderDome are over, but his time is over, it is not now.

            Apparently, he has come back to challenge Roman Reigns at SummerSlam for the gold. If that happens, I'm rooting for Roman. Praise God, Paul Heyman interrupts Cena's monologue. The advocate assures Cena that he will get an answer, when and only when, the Tribal Chief decides. He then goes on to musically mimic John's entrance music. Heyman is a true master of his craft.

            First match of the evening is Finn Balor verses Sami Zayn. I never thought Balor would be back on the main roster. Now that he is back, I prefer not to see him as the Demon. Just show us fans why you're The Prince.

            Sami has the upper hand to begin with a wrist lock take down into an arm bar. Then a series of vicious lefts and rights only to have Finn return the favor. Sami turned things around again by slamming Balor's head into the ring post and then goes for the pin. Finn fights back with a sling blade. After some back and forth between these former NXT champions, Balor heads to the top rope for the Coup de Grace and the win.

            Now for Mr. Money in the Back. I love saying that! And I love hearing a live crowd chanting "You deserve it!" What I didn't like was the interruption from Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez. Then things turn around with another interruption from the tag team champions, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. The interruptions continue with Rick Boogs and King Nakamura. One more for good measure, here comes Cesaro. I thought I could smell where this is going. I was hoping for an eight man tag match. Instead, it was just momentary chaos in the ring.

            Next, we head over to the world's largest hip hop festival - Rolling Loud at Miami Gardens hosted by Wale. With over 200,000 fans chanting "We want the smoke!", here come the Street Profits. It's so good to see Montez Ford back after his recent surgery. But this is not a tag team match up. Instead this is a singles competition between Angelo Dawkins and Chad Gable. Gable's strategy was to target the left arm that Otis recently injured. With encouragement from Wale and Ford on the outside, Dawkins gets the win. 

            Next is a championship re-match between Bianca Belair and Carmella. Why? Am I the only one who feels like this is a place marker feud until some of the M.I.A. superstars come back. Carmella will never be the one who takes the gold from Bianca. With a K.O.D., Belair retains. Duh....

            Back to Ohio for the Rated R Superstar. From the center of the ring, Edge laments about how he should be the new Universal Champion. Calling out Seth Rollins, he proclaims vengeance on the one who cost him the win. Rollins answers the verbal assault and fires back. He declares his intention to end the fairy tale come back story with a boot to the back of the hall of famer's surgically repaired neck. Edge has had enough and puts hands on Seth. He tries to execute his signature spear but Rollins flees.

            Toni Storm is next and makes her debut on SmackDown in a bout against Zelina Vega. I just want to see Vega get her ass kicked. And sure enough she did. Storm gets the win via a Storm One. The red rooster wannabe still has not won a match since her return.

            The new tag team title holders, The Usos, make their way to the ring for a singles competition. Jimmy Uso will be facing Dominik Mysterio. 

            Dom goes right after Jimmy. The veteran Uso is able to turn things around when he causes the young Mysterio to fall awkwardly on the top rope. After the commercial break, Dom regains momentary control with a neck breaker followed by a 619. It would be counter for counter until Jimmy picks up the win with yet another assist from his twin.

            As the Usos are making their way back up the ramp, Roman Reigns' music hits. Here comes Roman making his way down to the ring to answer John Cena's challenge. The Universal Champion's rant had one of the best lines that I have ever heard. He said that listening to John upon his return to WWE was  "a nostalgic 2005 John Cena....... like missionary position every night". He says no to Cena's SummerSlam challenge, so The Prince, Finn Balor, serves up a challenge of his own. The crowd is chanting "Roman's scared!". Reigns answers with a simple "Challenge accepted." I'm going to love this. The first ever Universal Champion feuding with the current Universal Champion at SummerSlam.

#BringBackBraun

NXT 7-20-21

            Summer continues to be in full swing here in New England. Repainting the inside of my home and steam cleaning the rugs has me behind on my wrestling. Just finished watching last week's "provoking" NXT, so let's get to it.

            "Tick tock. Tick tock. Guess who's come to smash your clock!" An irate Samoa Joe has words with GM William Regal regarding Karrion Kross. With Kross on his way to the arena, Joe prophesizes that someone will be going to sleep.

            The first match of the evening was a tag team bout featuring Tyler Rust and Roderick Strong of the Diamond Mine. They get ambushed by their opponents Kushida and Bobby Fish on the way to the ring. Diamond Mine members have control of Bobby Fish to start the match. After absorbing much punishment, Fish is able to tag in Kushida with the help of a spine buster. This was a fast moving match-up. With former team member Bobby and Roderick on the outside, Rust taps out to Kushida in the center of the ring.

            Kyle O'Reily is up next and he squares up against Austin Theory. I loved that Theory came to the ring solo. His skill set is improving and I hope that leads him back to the main roster. Austin had an answer for most of Kyle's moves. I was happily surprised to see Theory in command for the majority of the match but it would not be enough. The Muay Thai experience of O'Reily gave him the win via a submission. I found myself wanting that upset win for Austin watching this feud. And I do hope that this is a feud that continues without the voices of The Way. 

            The Breakout Tournament continues with Andre Chase verses Odyssey Jones. Sometimes you can tell just by the way an athlete comes to the ring, who is going to win. I immediately got a Mark Henry vibe from Jones and truthfully predicted his win. Chase showcased an impressive in ring intelligence and took advantage of his environment. He slams Jones into a steel pillar. He then perfectly executes a moonsault. The way he landed on his opponent was like two puzzles pieces fitting together. Absolutely textbook. But in the end, it would be Mr. Jones that advances. He now joins fellow qualifier Duke Hudson. I wonder how long this tournament is going to run. 

            Yawwwwn......I mean Raquel Gonzalez is up next and she battles Xia Li for the gold. I don't know what it is about the NXT Women's Champion, but I find no enjoyment watching her in the ring. I think I find Raquel to be more of a brute than a wrestler. I am rooting for Xia all the way.

            Li focused heavily on the left leg of the champ. Smart strategy to take a tower off its base. However, Gonzalez comes off the second rope and crashes down on the challenger right across the mid section. There is a pause in the match so that medical staff can assess the situation and deems her fit to continue. Like a shark in bloody waters, the champ slams Li into the mat and picks up the win. 

            Now for my favorite part of the evening. LA Knight accompanied by his "butler" Cameron Grimes goes up against Drake Maverick. I am so happy to see Drake in action. It seems like forever since he's been in the squared circle. Grimes' only task during the match is to hold high the million dollar belt high on the outside. Multiple times, LA takes his eyes off his opponent to remind Cameron of his one and only task. It was this behavior that would cost Knight the match. While reprimanding Cameron, Knight's face is pushed into the diamond crusted belt by Maverick who then picks up the win.   

            Ever the sore loser, LA blames his butler and attacks Drake. Cameron comes to the aid of Maverick and tries to get Knight to leave the ring. Battling with his conscience, Grimes reluctantly follows the directive of his employer and punches Drake in the face. The CWC audience was not happy. Please don't turn on my Trevor Lee. The arch of this storyline will soon come and then we all will be going TO THE MOON!

            The evening ends the way it began. With an angry Samoa Joe in the center of the ring, Karrion answers the enforcer's call on the Jumbo Tron. Declaring that he can go anywhere and do anything he wants, we see Regal unconscious on the asphalt as Kross speeds off into the night. 

#BringBackBraun 

            

    

              

Raw after Money in the Bank

             I have always found the Raw episode after a pay-per-view exciting so let's dive in.

            John Cena has returned and he opened the show. I personally do not enjoy watching him but, love him or hate him, the man knows how to hype up a crowd. He called Roman Reigns an A-hole! Censors may have bleeped Cena but they couldn't silence the live audience. It will be curious what he has to say to the Universal champ this Friday at SmackDown. 

            The first match of the evening is the team of Matt Riddle and The Viking Raiders verses AJ Styles, Omos and John Morrison. Styles and Riddle start the contest. Great action but my favorite part was watching Morrison get sandwiched by the Vikings on the outside. Back inside the ring, AJ and Erik go at it with a phenomenal blitz of strikes. I can hear, and subliminally feel, just how powerful those leg kicks are. Incredibly impressive but after much energy spent, they each catch a reprieve from one of their respective partners. John and Ivar are now trading moves. Ivar is so powerful and agile for a man of his size. John tries to execute Starship Pain off the top rope but misses. Before a winner can be declared in this contest, a predictable event takes place. Morrison's sidekick, The Miz, "kind of "gets involved with his "drip stick".

            Riddle, comes around the ring, steals a water filled drip stick from Miz and squirts the giant Omos. When Omos turns around, Riddle is gone and Miz is left holding his stick. The big guy leaves the apron and slowly makes his way to Miz. Morrison gets in-between them only to get thrown back into the ring by an angry giant. AJ then tries to slow his irate partner down which leaves John alone in the ring with the Vikings who pick up the win.. 

            The queen is up next wearing her newly earned championship gold. Yada, yada, yada, "I can beat Rhea Ripley any night of the week..."... here comes Rhea. She issues a challenge for tonight which Charlotte quickly declines. However, Adam Pearce and Sonya DeVille come out and makes a title rematch official.

            But before that can happen, it's time for my favorite fella. The United States Champion Sheamus squares up against Humberto Carrillo. It was 2 months ago that Humberto broke the nose of the champ. Carrillo is showing a lot of fiery guts going after Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior turns things around after his opponent tries to take off his protective mask. Sheamus is so powerful. His strikes are just echoing throughout the arena. He goes for a second Dublin smile but his opponent is smart enough to bite the champ's fingers to change the momentum in his favor. It's an illegal but effective move. Carrillo then flies through the ropes to launch Sheamus over the announce table. This would all be short lived because the champ demonstrates why he is the champ. It takes a moment but the fella finds his way back. With one Brogue kick, he scores another victory over Carrillo.

            Succeeding this match is a promo by Bobby Lashley and MVP. I tuned out until Bobby asks "Who is it going to be to accept the open challenge?" Keith Lee is back!!!!!!!!! This powerhouse has been out of action since January 2021. And now he is going up against Lashley in a championship contenders match. 

            Keith is all power and glory and he is a fitting opponent for Bobby. Lashley had trouble muscling up Lee. He does, however, try to go for the Hurt Lock. There was no way he was going to hook it on a man of Lee's frame. It would be with a spear that the champ picks up the win. I'm not mad that Lee lost on his first night back. I'm just happy he is back. 

              The surprises didn't end there, While the champ is celebrating his win, Goldberg's music hits. The Hall of Famer has returned and he makes a bee line for Bobby Lashley. I am a huge fan of Goldberg. He gets directly in the face of  Lashley and delivers a simple and effective message: "I'm next!" This fan is so ready to see these gladiators go at it. 

            For those of you who follow me regularly, I mentioned in my May 7th post that I would share my disappointment regarding a promoted match between Mahal and Lesner that never happened. 

            It was 2017 and for the first time ever, I was dating a fellow wrestling fan. As we were driving to dinner, I mentioned that I was excited to see the feud between Jinder and Brock. His response: "It's never going to happen." Shocked, I asked "Why not?" and he just kept saying that is was never going to happen. And sure enough he was right. I don't know how, because he wouldn't explain, but he was right.   

            Speaking of The Monday Night Maharaja, as I like to call him, he is in the ring flanked by Veer and Shanky. Shanky is singing Happy Birthday to Jinder when Drew McIntyre comes up from behind and attacks Mahal with a steel chair. He then goes after Veer and then Shanky. Poor Shanky, he gets absolutely brutalized with the steel chair across the back while Jinder and Veer have made it up the ramp. This is where the genius of Corey Graves comes into play. 

            Graves: "Where's Tito and Jermaine?"

The chair is completely mangled. So the Scottish Warrior grabs a fresh chair from the outside and continues the slaughter.  Twenty times across the back of Shanky and there is instant bruising. 

            Now it is time for the Harbinger of Sorrow to make his debut on Raw sans Scarlett. His opponent is Jeff Hardy. The future Hall of Famer comes to the ring rejuvenated with the return of his "No More Words" entrance theme music. Karrion thinks he is going to dominate the veteran in this match but Hardy changes his plans. He sends Kross shoulder first into the ring post. That is enough for him to hit the Twist of Fate and then a power bomb to secure the win. It is inevitable that Karrion is moving up to the main roster. Did the NXT champ pick up a "L" at his Raw debut as a way to set up a losing streak storyline that has him parting with the gold?

             To cap off the evening, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley have their championship title re-match. From the bell, both athletes unleash fury on each other. Ripley wants the match over quickly but Flair is a chess player. The champ targets the knee of her opponent. Rhea fights through the agony and the pain. She even gets a the figure four on the champ and hits the Riptide and goes for the pin. The ring awareness of Charlotte allows her to get her foot on the rope to break the count. Flair would retain her title for a few minutes longer after she gets disqualified for hitting Rhea with the belt. After the bell, Nikki Cross runs to the ring to cash in her MITB contract. From the top rope, she flies with a cross body onto Charlotte Flair and just like that, we have a new champion. That was a fun and unexpected way to end Monday Night Raw.

#BringBackBraun 

NXT 07-13-2021

            It's summertime and I'm a week behind on my NXT. Just finished watching last week's episode via Hulu and here are my thoughts.

            The evening started off with a grudge match between Ember Moon and Dakota Kai. Back and forth side headlocks to begin the match. Kai tries to end the match earlier with 4 unsuccessful pin attempts. Ember soars through the ropes to slam Dakota into the barricade. Back in the ring the action continues with Gonzalez on the outside yelling "You're nothing without Shotzi!" One more kick to the face by Kai to Moon and she picks up the win. I appreciate both women's athletic abilities.

            The action didn't stop there. Xia Li comes out after the match and gets in the face of Raquel Gonzalez. Li issued the challenge for Raquel's gold. Let's see if Mr. Regal gives his blessing. 

            Next, a million dollar promo skit. Cameron Grimes debuts as LA Knight's butler. He gets a mini make-over before his duties start. I love Trevor Lee. He is so good at, not only his wrestling abilities, but also embracing the necessary qualities to get his character over. Even as domestic help, the man has style. He is still wearing his cowboy boots in a tux. Next we learn that the millionaire butler has delegated his chores to a young kid while he lounges poolside in his Calvin Klein skivvies, cowboy boots and white gloves. I didn't realize that was a fantasy I needed. Thank you WWE. 

            

          

            Following the fantasy is the match between Santos Escobar (accompanied by Wilde and Mendoza) and Dexter Lumis. I'm rooting for the unflinching Lumis. A man of action and no words. He is an athlete in the vein of The Fiend and Alexa Bliss but Dexter is the one that I can tolerate. 

            Early in the match, Santos goes to the outside to regroup, Dexter goes under the ring and travels to the other side to pull Escobar under by his feet. His efforts are fruitless thanks to Santo's entourage. Back in the ring, Escobar has control of the action. Lumis catches his breath and hits his opponent with punches and a clothesline followed by a running bulldog. With interference from the outside, Santos Escobar is able to regain control and win the match with the help of the phantom driver. 

              Next, Duke Hudson squares up against Ikemen Jiro in the first round of the Breakout Tournament. At the announce table, Wade Barrett comments that Duke looks like a younger version of himself and I have to agree. 

            Interesting to watch Jiro compete in one of his signature blazers. Hudson, on the other hand, is focused on getting the job done. Boss Man Slam wins the first round for Duke Hudson. 

            The main event of the evening is for the NXT Championship. Johnny Gargano challenges Karrion Kross with Samoa Joe as the special referee. Karrion has to drop the belt to someone before he moves up to the main roster. I'm okay with it being Johnny. Kross is such a beast of an athlete and I love that he has kept the gladiator attire that he debuted back at NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver. 

            Johnny lays into the champ before the bell. The challenger throws caution to the wind but the champ comes back with full power. He picks up Johnny like a ragdoll and slams his back into the announce table. Here's where my brain plays the "What If" game. What if one day Karrion Kross faces Bobby Lashley in the ring? That would be epic. 

            Back in the squared circle, Johnny executes a slingshot spear on the champ and sends him outside the ring into the barricade. Gargano's plan is all high risk and, hopefully, high reward. 

            The champion is able to get the Kross Jacket submission on his opponent who immediately counters with a submission of his own. Kross beasts out and gets the Jacket back on Gargano. Johnny gets to the ropes before passing out and the ref calls for the break but Karrion refuses to break. Samoa Joe pulls Kross off of Gargano. They lock eyes for a moment but the champ keeps his cool. 

            Action moves to the outside where Karrion repeatedly slams Johnny head into the plexiglass barrier. He then gives Joe a disrespectful gesture before picking up the steel steps to use on his nearly lifeless opponent. Samoa Joe blocks his efforts and now their nose to nose again. This opens up an opportunity for Johnny to attempt a pin. Champ counters with insane power bombs and one final European forearm to the back of the head of Johnny to retain his title. 

            The feud continues with Joe and Karrion after the bell. Joe tries to be the better man and leave the ring. Kross is determined to settle their issues with a Kross Jacket from behind. Samoa Joe is out. Until next week....

#BringBackBraun

Money in the Bank Results and Reactions

            I want today's post to end on a positive note, so let's start with the worst that WWE fed us last night.  

            PEACOCK SUCKS! PEACOCK SUCKS! PEACOCK SUCKS! Ever since WWE "leased" exclusive streaming rights to NBC Universal, there have been consistent hosting issues. NBC is still going through thousands of hours of WWE content and literally editing out wrestling history. Anytime there is a live pay-per-view, their stream always pixelates and then they go to black whenever something they deem "offensive" in real time happens. It was especially horrible last night right before the Men's Money in the Bank ladder match and Twitter was angry. The "glitch" lasted for at least 20 minutes. I suggested that WWE get a refund on their deal and then send someone over to NBC to choke slam a suit on behalf of the fans. Even Mark Henry was willing to kick someone's ass for the nonsense.

            WWE needs to have their lawyers go through their agreement with NBC with a fine tooth comb and find the loop hole that lets them out of this deal. 

Re-establish WWE Network in North America and put back all the content that NBC removed for arbitrary reasons and let wrestling history stand in its original state - warts and all. We are grown folks who can make decisions about what we want to view with our money on a paid streaming service. It pains me that I give money to such an inferior product and I want a credit on my account for the foreseeable future. This is unacceptable Peacock and I Stone Cold salute you. 

            The main event of the night was Edge v. Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. It was a slow burn of a match to start then the intensity began. A slugfest of blows from both athletes eventually led to Edge getting the cross face on Roman. Edge also gets in the first spear and sends the champ exploding through the barricade. The Rated R Superstar then carries Roman back into the ring for an unsuccessful cover. A Super Man punch sends the challenger into the ref. It was a weak sell but I understood the set-up. Sans a ref, the Usos try to interfere in the match but their efforts are thwarted by Dominik and Rey Mysterio. Then comes Seth Rollins out of nowhere and kicks Edge in the head which costs him a win over Roman. I am happy to see that this means Edge will be around for a little while longer in a feud with Rollins. What I am not happy with is what happened next.

            It was highly speculated that Goldberg would appear last night. Although he didn't, he will in the future per his contract. Instead, John Cena came out at the end of the final match and locked eyes with Roman. 

            WWE fans don't need Cena. We need Braun Strowman, Keith Lee, Randy Orton, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Brock Lesner, CM Punk, The Rock, Bray Wyatt, etc. I'd even take Doink at this point.

            Another championship match was between Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair. Before any action begins, Charlotte gives the middle finger to the crowd as they chant "We want Becky". Peacock fades to black for a few seconds because of this. If you can't shield the live crowd from such a moment, don't do it to us paying customers at home. PEACOCK SUCKS!

            Great action and counters in this bout. Charlotte focused on the left knee of the champ. At one point she wedges it between the ring post and steel steps before attacking it. How is this not a disqualification? Rhea Ripley is right when she says she is held to a different set of rules. The Queen is able to get the figure 8 leg lock on Ripley to win the gold via a tap out. Where are you going with this WWE?

            There was one other title change last night and it happened during the kick-off show. Rey and Dominik Mysterio defended their tag titles against The Usos. Jimmy and Dominik start the match with a collar and elbow lock up. Dom does a great job for his first pay per view in front of a live audience. At one point, he goes for a cross body off the top rope but gets caught by the twins who proceed to slam him into the barricade. Dom catches his breath and tags in his father. Super kicks, 619s and high flying action has the crowd chanting "This is awesome". My heart so wanted the Mysterios to retain but I said in a previous post that the the Usos were going to win the gold. Jimmy and Jey are known for dancing the line of disqualification and that is how they stole the gold last night. 

            Jimmy pins Rey in the corner and is able to keep him pinned with leverage of his brother's feet to his back out of sight of the ref. 

            Just two more feuds before I get to the ladder matches. The first has The Viking Raiders squaring up against AJ Styles and Omos for the Raw Tag Team Championship belts. 

            Omos executes pain on both Vikings to start. Both teams are equally matched and the WWE Universe showed equal appreciation. In the end, the champs would retain.

            The next match was between Kofi Kingston and Bobby Lashley. This was a very uncomfortable match to match. Lashley just absolutely discards and dominates Kingston like a rag doll. Despite the mauling from the champ, I kept waiting for that magical moment when Kofi would catch his second wind. Sadly, it never came. Bobby ruthlessly retains his title via a submission. Will Kofi-Mania 2.0 ever happen?

            Now for the two namesake battles. First up are the ladies. It is Asuka, Liv Morgan, Zelina Vega, Nikki Cross, Nattie, Taminia, Alexa Bliss and Naomi. Eight women vying for the briefcase that can change the course of your career. Before I get to the action, I want to visit the entrances and ring gear. 

            I heard crickets for the introductions of Nikki, Zelina and Tamina. Naomi had the biggest positive reaction of all the competitors. She also had the best outfit. The worst in ring gear goes to Liv Morgan. Those nipple chains ruined what could have been a decent look. 

            All women immediately go for a ladder except Alexa. She stays in the ring and tries to use "mystical powers" to bring the briefcase down to her. Is this getting over with anyone? She can hypnotize people to do what she wants them to do but can't get herself out from under a pile of ladders. 

            With Bliss out if the picture, 6 of the 7 other competitors climb the three side by side ladders in the ring. Six women are duking it out when Nikki scurries up the center ladder to claim the contract in the briefcase. Within my June 30, 2021 post, I said that I hoped that the metamorphosis Nikki was going through would all be worth it. Time will tell. I personally don't agree with the outcome of the match. Asuka should have won in order to set up a full circle moment with Becky Lynch. Oh well, not all wishes come true.

            The men's ladder match was my favorite of the night. I said yesterday that my heart wanted either Drew McIntyre or Big E to win but I was worried WWE would give the opportunity to Rollins. I should have gone with my heart on Draft Kings because then I would have gotten 7 of my 8 picks correct. 

            I re-watched this match today because I missed so much of the beginning due to Peacock's seizure last night. I loved seeing Ettore and Drew throw down something fierce. I love watching two bulls go at it especially when I love both individuals. I never know who to root for but I am very much glued to my screen. 

                                            

            The other moment that I appreciated was Jinder Mahal, Veer and Shanky getting involved and literally dragging McIntyre out of the arena. I am going to love this feud. 

            But the highlight of the evening was definitely Big E successfully getting his hands on the briefcase. With a Big Ending on Rollins from the top of the ladder, Ettore gets his long overdue push and recognition.

Maybe Goldberg comes back to fight E for one night? That would be enjoyable.

            Great job WWE!     

#BringBackBraun

               

SmackDown before Money in the Bank

            We're back!!! After 70 weeks of isolation, 14,496 members of the WWE Universe are ringside at a sold out Toyota Center in Houston, TX. Thank you Vince for strutting out like only you can to greet us.

            What a difference to hear a live reaction for the opening 6 man tag match. WWE SmackDown Champion Roman Reigns and the Usos square up against Rey, Dominik and Edge. This is Dominik Mysterio's first match ever in front of a live audience. 

            Jey Uso starts the match with an ambush against Edge. Quick tags by the challengers has the beginning of the match in their favor. Then Roman gets into the action and goes to work on Dominik. The champ power bombs his younger opponent into the announce table. After a commercial break, Edge gets in a spear on Roman on the outside. The competition comes to an end when Jey Uso gets the win over Rey with the help of a handful of tights. But that is not the end of the action. The Usos continue their assault on the Mysterios until Edge brings in the equalizing effects of a steel chair. Then a Super Man punch from the champ to Edge. But a second spear from Edge puts the big down into position for a cross face submission that causes Roman to tap. My heart wants Edge to win tonight at MITB but my gut says Roman will retain.

.    

            Sami Zayn is up next and his rant works so much better in front of a crowd. Thankfully we are put out of his misery by the interruption of the Prince Finn Balor. What a genuine surprise! But is The Balor Club back on SmackDown or is this just a stopover? I have always said that he fits better in NXT. With a brief beatdown on Sami, that's all she wrote folks.

            Now it is time to TANK care of business. Teagan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart come down the ramp and cannon a tee shirt into audience. They have a rematch between the SmackDown tag champs Nattie and Tamina. Zelina "Red Rooster" Vega and Liv Morgan flank Pat and Michael as they watch this match from the announce table. 

            Tamina and Shotzi start this tag championship contender match. The tag champs dominate the majority of the match. Nox gets tagged in and turns the momentum in her favor. However that is not the only fight happening. Morgan and Vega get into it on the outside. Morgan dominates the "yet to win a match since her return" Vega. Inside the ring, Nox rolls up Nattie for their second win in a row. The champs are not happy with the loss due to outside distraction and they go after Liv and Zelina. I appreciate the build up to MITB but Asuka is going to win the briefcase tonight. 

            The other women in action tonight are Carmella and Bianca Belair. This is a championship match that makes no sense to me. Bianca was originally scheduled to defend her title against Bayley until a knee injury took the challenger out for at least the next nine months. Taking it off of Sunday's card and seemingly picking an opponent at random doesn't work for me. Belair should have had to defend at MITB with a surprise challenger because a champ should be able to defend their title anywhere, anytime and against anyone. Instead, we have Carmella and Belair on Friday night. 

            The outcome seems obvious from the onset. The champ will retain and she does. There was nothing spectacular about this match. It just happened and now it's in the rearview.  

            Next we have Otis v. Cesaro. I still do not like Nikola's new look or attitude but he is successful in getting his Otis character over. My heart is rooting for Cesaro all the way. The match ends in a DQ in favor of Cesaro due to an interference by Chad Gable. Gable pays for his infraction by going for a swing compliments of The Swiss Cyborg. Otis comes to the aid of Chad and slams 330 pounds into Cesaro. Is this a new feud now that Seth seems to be going after Edge?

            Of all the promos tonight, my favorite had to be by Baron Corbin. He comes to the ring to make a special announcement. Since losing the crown to Nakamura, Corbin has faced many financial troubles. Introducing the Corbin Fund Me page. The WWE Universe can help Baron reach his $100,000 goal via online donation. He gets interrupted by the music of Kevin Owens. In true KO fashion, he plants a stunner on the former king. KO has business to take care of in the fatal 4 way ladder match next. 

            It's Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura, Big E and Seth Rollins. It was absolutely great to see the fans signing and dancing along with Nakamura during his entrance. It was equally nice to see Seth's new entrance. It's a refreshing update that I didn't realize was needed until I saw it.

            Right from the bell, Seth tells the other 3 competitors to have at each other because he's leaving. "Oh no you don't," says Big E. Rollins heeds Ettore's "encouragement" and joins a very chaotic fight. Action from bell to bell. The best part was the high flying action with the help of the 5th competitor - the ladder. From the top of a ladder, KO executes a flying elbow onto Nakamura through the announce table and takes out a camera man. Back in the ring, Seth pins Big E for the win. I hope this is not an omen for tonight. My heart wants Big E or McIntyre to win but my gut says the company is going to give the opportunity to Rollins. 

            I promised awhile ago that I would share my moment with Big E in the ThunderDome. So here it is....During the early days of a LED audience, superstars would "hype up" the fans backstage during commercial breaks. I was curious to know if they could really see us. So I blew a kiss to Ettore. He immediately acknowledged my actions and blew a kiss back. Wow....Made my night.

            I am so ready for tonight. Here are my predictions:

            1) Bobby Lashley v. Kofi Kingston - Bobby retains

            2) Roman Reigns v. Edge - Roman retains

            3) Men's Ladder Match - Praying for Big E or McIntyre but gut says Seth Rollins wins 

            4) Women's Ladder Match - Asuka wins

            5) AJ Styles & Omos v. The Viking Raiders - Vikings win

            6) Rhea Ripley v. Charlotte Flair - Rhea retains

            7) Mysterios v. Usos (Kick off match) - My heart wants Mysterios to win. 

#BringBackBraun