Reverse Hipster's WWE Highlights
5.(NXT) Osbourne vs. Carver
Osbourne and Riley are the first superstars in the men's breakout that have really grabbed my attention. Carver said to be inspired by Ray Lewis, commands the ring and brings to the match an exciting intensity. When he performed the crack block, the crowd went crazy. Carver sent Osbourne flying, but not to be outdone, Osbourne rebounded and hit a shooting star press to win the match. WWE must see something with Osbourne cause he has a love story with Thea.
4. (NXT) Nikkita & Lyra vs. Cora & Blair
This tag team match was good from an in-ring POV but even better from a story perspective. Nikkita returned and beat Blair's ass, but while she was doing that, Cora scored a pinfall victory over Lyra. Now Cora has a claim to enter herself into the title picture, and things are getting a lot more interesting.
3. (NXT) Melo Guilty No, He's Not
I've got to hand it to NXT. This who attacked Trick story has been going on since late October, and now it's December, and it's only gotten better. Carmelo was attacked this time, and he accused Dragonuv of being the culprit. It's pretty convenient for Melo that the NXT world champion did this attack. Now Melo can insert himself back in the title picture. But could Melo be so cold-blooded? It seemed like it when Melo Accidentally hit Trick with the title. What side are you on? Melo's Guilty, or no, he's not?
2. (RAW) Becky Lynch & Nia Jax
Becky is reigniting her feud with Nia. WWE is taking an interesting angle for the feud. Instead of framing it as Becky wanting revenge for the punch, she wants to beat up Nia and prove that she is bigger than that broken nose and that the Nia punch didn't make her. Becky pulled no punches, making fun of Nia for having double knee surgery and for being fired.
When Nia Jax came out, she had a lot to overcome, but she debatably won this promo battle. She said despite being fired, Becky and people like her couldn't stop talking about her. She said she was the woman who made the man. It wasn't just her words, but Nia's attitude feels so cocky condescending, and authentic it's like she just knows she is that bitch and she is comfortable in her own skin. Becky challenged Nia to a fight, but Nia said no, stating Becky needed it more than Nia did. She was right too, I love that Nia is making Becky chase her and remained above her in this feud. I'm loving Nia's return so far, and Becky is the premier woman to have a story-driven feud with.
1 (RAW) CM Punk & Seth Rollins Collision Course
This is what we have been waiting for. In retrospect, I'm glad Raw didn't have Seth and CM Punk interact when he first got here. I'm glad they let it simmer until CM Punk chose Raw. CM Punk had a great promo when he signed onto Raw. He talked about how he debuted in Cleveland and lost his title in Cleveland via WWE stripping him of it. And now he comes back and chooses Raw there. He even apologized to WWE fans who felt betrayed because he understood as a fan who saw his favorites go to WCW. It's amazing how things came full circle.
WWE could have ended the segment there, and it would have been enough, but then Seth came out to confront him. Seth proclaimed that he hated CM Punk and that CM Punk had no right to call WWE his home after leaving and bashing WWE. He said either CM Punk will implode and expose himself or Seth Will in the ring.
Seth is showing the most fire he has had since he won the title, and his position is understandable. If you have been waving the WWE flag, it's understandable that you would be mad at CM Punk. Ironically, it's what Drew tried to tell Seth about Jey. Just cause you change doesn't mean the damage you did evaporates. Seth said that maybe if CM Punk still had any gas left in the tank, he might be lucky enough to stand across from Seth and fight for the title. CM Punk let Seth talk, then declared he would be entering the Rumble and said maybe after he won, he would come for Seth. Seth and Punk are on a Collision Course This is the hottest feud in WWE.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this showed how much AEW fumbled the bag. Everything went haywire when Adam Page went into business for himself and dissed CM Punk, saying he wanted to save AEW from him. However, as a fan, Rob and I thought that was the best part of the CM Punk and Adam Page feud before it went backstage. This could have been a great on-screen feud. So it must suck to watch WWE not only take Punk but do the angle AEW should have done with CM Punk.
Rob’s Highlights (AEW/Impact)
5. Bryan Danielson vs. Brody King, AEW Collision
Another week, another highlight Bryan Danielson main event on AEW Collision. Brody King tried to brutalize Danielson by gouging his already injured eyes, and it looked genuinely painful. Danielson still found a way to make the babyface comeback, winning the match and keeping himself in contention for the Blue League of the Continental Classic.
4. NJPW on Impact, Impact Wrestling
Will Ospreay will face Josh Alexander at TNA Snake Eyes PPV in a rematch of one of my favorite TV matches of the year. Kazuchika Okada will also be on that card. In the main event of Impact, Alexander defeated Yuya Uemura in a competitive match. Having NJPW stars on Impact adds so much to the product because they have a relatively small roster otherwise. With NJPW stars in town, there are a lot of novel matches and stories at play.
3. Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia, AEW Collision
Eddie Kingston felt like he was fighting for his career in this match, as the story going in was that a loss would take him out of the running for the Continental Classic. Kingston fought his hardest, as he doesn’t want to lose the titles he put on the line. Daniel Garcia tied Kingston into knots, but he wouldn’t quit. In the end, Kingston hit his finisher to score the pin and keep him in the tournament.
2. Brody King vs. Andrade El Idolo, AEW Dynamite
AEW’s Continental Classic has done a great job building underutilized stars. Brody King has looked like a monster in this tournament, while Andrade El Idolo has been the leader in the Blue League after being largely absent on AEW since being signed. El Idolo got the win in a good match here, and more than that, he established himself as the star to beat in a Blue League that also features Bryan Danielson, Eddie Kingston, and Claudio Castagnoli.
1. Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander vs. Mercedes Martinez and Diamante, AEW Collision
This street fight delivered on a stacked Collision full of work rate matches. The women proved again that when they get time to tell a story in-ring, it pays off big time. Willow Nightingale was the all star of this match for me, she bled early in the match, used her power in big spots, and took a powerbomb through the table. Her sacrifice distracted Diamante for long enough that Kris Statlander hit her with a chain and got the win for the babyface team.
Rob’s Lowlights (AEW/Impact)
2. Jay Lethal and Mark Briscoe, AEW Dynamite
Weeks later, we are in the same situation where Jay Lethal and Mark Briscoe have not gotten a win in the Continental Classic. The commentators have tried to highlight how just being in the classic puts you in wrestling’s elite, but I am not sold. Lethal and Briscoe are losing all credibility by losing week after week.
1. Daniel Garcia, AEW Collision
While Jay Lethal and Mark Briscoe have each other as company in the 0 column, Daniel Garcia is all by himself in the Blue League. Arguably, Garcia’s position is harder to defend. Many were excited to see Garcia in this position, and he is one of the most promising and beloved young stars on AEW. Lethal and Briscoe can still lean back on their history in pro wrestling, but Garcia needed a win to be established. Perhaps this is just the necessary downside to booking a product where wins and losses matter.
Reverse Hipster's Lowlights
5. (SmackDown) Randy Orton vs. Jimmy
I just don't care about Randy vs. Roman's henchmen as the main event with nothing on the line. Solo tried to help, but then. LA Knight took him out, and Randy hit Jimmy with an RKO and won because, of course, he did.
4. (SmackDown) Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory
Both of these guys are ice-cold, and I couldn't care less about their match. If either one of them won, it wouldn't have changed much. The match was also standard.
3. (SmackDown) Karrion Cross
Cross dropped a cryptic promo about things changing forever, but he has had a lot of talk and not a lot of action. So, until he backs it up with his actions, I can't take Kross seriously.
2. (Raw) Cody vs. Nakamura
This match didn't have anywhere near enough heat to main event Raw. On top of that, the match just wasn't very exciting. Then, to finish the trifecta of awful, it ended in a DQ after Nakamura spit red mist on Cody. This had big middle of Raw energy.
1 (RAW) Maxxine vs. Rhea Ripley
I like Maxxine. Her first match was electric, but this match was terrible. It's so bad that I hope she doesn't get in trouble in the back and gets to remain with Alpha Academy. It was a squash match where Maxxine was supposed to get in a few surprising spots before being dominated by Rhea. However, Maxxine completely failed to execute her hurricane twice and even had trouble just getting picked up by Rhea, which made Rhea look bad to people who didn't know what was up.
Best Show of the week below
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I will be comparing the build up to wrestlemania 40 to the build up to wrestlemania 20. Each week I will compare Raw's and SmackDown's of each era. Follow this link to the Patreon to get access to it. Which era is better?
Reverse Hipster's Winner of the Week
My winner of the week is Raw. Seth Rollins and Punk bring it home with the most exciting highlight of the week. Plus, Between Nia and Punk, Raw's highlights were just on a different level. NXT was the next best show, with many different acts to enjoy. SmackDown was mid, and it has been for weeks. It doesn't feel like a show WWE tries very hard on.
Rob’s Winners of the Week (AEW/Impact)
AEW Dynamite actually put together a somewhat bad show this week, while AEW Collision was the most solid show of the week again. AEW has somewhat of a Continental Classic problem. While the tournament dominates most of the shows (and features some darn good wrestling), the rest of the product suffers, as we still don’t know any more about the Devil and the main event storyline. Week of 12.4 Rundown
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