Reverse Hipster's What Mattered
5. (AEW, Rampage) Lambert
Dan Lambert came back and verbally ripped Cody Rhodes and Tony Khan's new one. He said AEW was turning into late-stage WCW. Dan's promo was so good that I wish Cody would have responded to it. It was cool that Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara came out to help to even the odds against Dan, Scorpio Sky, and Ethan Page. However, it would have been cooler if Cody had responded to the criticism.
4. (AEW, Rampage) Tay Conti
Tay Conti absolutely delivered in her submission match. She defeated Penelope Ford, and it was refreshing to see a submission match again. The Bunny tried to interfere all match, but she could not save Ford from the whooping Tay had planned. The Bunny hit Tay with brass knuckles after the match, so Tay will have to deal with the Bunny next week.
3. (WWE, SmackDown) Toni Storm
Toni Storm tagged with Sasha Banks against Shotzi Blackheart and Charlotte Flair. However, Toni Storm won the match for her team, pinning Charlotte Flair. Toni Storm finally has given the audience and Charlotte a reason to take her seriously. Toni can beat Charlotte, and she proved it.
2. The Undisputed Superkliq vs. Orange Cassidy, Best Friends, and Rocky Romero
This was the best match of the weekend. The match was filled with excellent sequences and impressive spots. Also, we got a happy ending when the Orange Cassidy team got the win. Afterwards, Orange Cassidy went over the top and took out everyone, except Fish and Trent. Trent then finished Bobby Fish and got the win for his team.
1. (WWE, SmackDown) Roman Fires Paul Heyman
Paul finally showed his true colors last week when he told Brock he would be Universal Champion again. Roman fired Paul, and then Superman punched him in the head. Then, before the Bloodline could lay waste to Paul with chairs, Brock came out and F-5s every single member of the Bloodline. So it appears Brock and Paul are together. My only criticism of this segment was that Brock just no-sold everything, chair shots and superkicks, and it didn't make him look stronger. It made everyone else look weaker. Brock can be the beast and look strong, but there are better ways to do it than just no selling.
Rob’s What Mattered
2. Tag Team Wrestling, AEW Rampage
I am writing once again to profess my love for AEW Rampage: 1 hour of varied and great in-ring matches is can't miss TV as far as I'm concerned. This week's show highlighted tag team wrestling, the chaos of a multi-man match, and the layers of stories you can tell with that many people involved. The opening match saw the continuation of stories between Adam Cole/Bobby Fish/Young Bucks and Orange Cassidy/Best Friends/Rocky Romero. They had comedy spots, showcased teamwork, and commentary highlighted the connection of everyone on their respective teams. In the main event, 2.0 and the Acclaimed got the win, but I'm continually amazed by everything the Lucha Bros can do in-ring. If I could inject a Rey Fenix comeback into my veins, I'd take it over coffee to wake me up every morning!
1. The Queen Falls, WWE SmackDown
SmackDown opened with a tag team match combining a feud I thought they forgot about and a feud that desperately needed some new direction. If you read our reviews every week, we got everything we’ve been asking for. Toni Storm pinned Charlotte Flair, and it gave her credibility heading toward their match and finally we can say to some extent Flair put someone over. The chemistry between everyone in this match was crazy, and they are all such talented wrestlers that the ring work was an extra treat for a perfect result.
Rob’s What Didn’t Matter
2. Drew McIntyre vs. Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss, WWE SmackDown
I respect that Drew McIntyre needs to stay away from the championship picture for a while, but this is not the way to do that. The feud is so silly that it feels beneath him. In kayfabe, there’s no reason McIntyre should get distracted by this side quest when the actual thing he should be hunting down is the management who left him out of the battle royal.
1. Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, WWE SmackDown
When this feud restarted, Paul Heyman promised WWE fans to expect a crazy twist and turn story. I don’t really think it’s been that at all. The whole story has been where does Heyman’s allegiance lie, and there were really only two options. The whole time Heyman has stood with Roman Reigns while teasing he was with Brock Lesnar, so either what looks to be is true or it was a strategic red herring. Either way, I don’t think this story has been that exciting. We already knew Reigns and Lesnar can have a slobber-knocker of a match, so I don’t know what else to look for in this upcoming one.
Reverse Hipster What Didn't Matter
2. (AEW, Rampage) 10-Man Main Event Match
I felt this match was sloppier than the other multi-man match. Also, Eddie Kingston seemed to be the one the crowd wanted to see and the most relevant feud. However, he was completely outshined by his teammates and wasn't able to make much of an impact. Also, the match ended on a whimper roll-up instead of a bang.
1. (WWE) Most of SmackDown
I really like what SmackDown did with Xia Li's debut. However, many people felt that it was one step too far in extending the Sonya/Naomi feud. I'm afraid I have to disagree, but I definitely think they needed something worthwhile this week to keep people invested in the feud. Instead, Naomi beat Shayna in a blink and you missed it match, and none of it mattered. It wasn't fresh or interesting, and if you skipped it, you wouldn't need a recap. Then, there was Ridge Holland and Cesaro, a feud that doesn't really feel important. Ridge got a win against an injured Cesaro, and it did nothing to boost his stock. The Happy Corbin segment was a complete bust as well. Corbin has been drowning ever since the Happy Corbin segment, and Drew McIntyre is starting to go under as well now that he has no worthy opponent and isn't doing the open challenges anymore. Viking Raiders beat Jinder and Shanky, but they don't even feel like they are in the same division as the New Day and Usos. Also, I don't know why they decided to give away the New Day vs. Usos Day 1 match on free tv. It was lazy booking.
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