Reverse Hipster's Highlights
5. (SmackDown) Cena and LA KNIGHT
Cena and LA Knight had a great showing on Smackdown. Cena is still one of the best promos in the game, and in a single promo, he got me invested in his storyline. John Cena pointed out the fact that he hasn't won since 2018. Can he still win? Also, this journey for redemption is the perfect reason for John Cena to start winning again, and if he does, what does that build to? Could Cena win another World Championship?
LA Knight is still white-hot. LA Knight going at Paul Heyman and Bloodline just reaffirms that he belongs in the main event picture, and he's right. Roman hasn't faced anyone like LA Knight before. I doubt LA Knight will win the title because it's not a Wrestlemania program, but what if?
4. (SmackDown) Iyo vs. Charlotte
IYO and Charlotte had a banger, and even though it wasn't clean, IO finally got the win over Charlotte that she couldn't get in NXT because she pinned someone else in their triple threat for the NXT Title. The highlight of this match had to be Charlotte doing a fallaway slam from the top rope. I can't believe IO took that move. These women go hard.
3. (SmackDown) Bianca Returns
Bianca is back, and the WWE is just better when Bianca is here. I hope she spins off into a feud with Charlotte soon because they have both been champs a lot and need some new ground to cover.
2. (NXT) Melo Wins the Triple Threat
Melo beat Corbin and Dijak in an exciting triple threat match where Melo hit Corbin Nothing But Net outta nowhere after Corbin had just delivered the end of days to Dijak. In addition to Melo triumphantly returning to the title picture, there is Trick Williams. Somebody attacked Trick, and it looks like Carmelo was the one who attacked Trick because he had the most to gain from it. Carmelo was blindsided by Trick's participation, and he would be the most invested in getting Trick out of the way. But could it really be that obvious?
1. (Raw) Drew McIntyre Catches Lighting In a Bottle
Seth and Drew got in each other's faces ahead of their World title match, and Drew definitely got the better of Seth on the mic. Drew talked about how he's caught lightning in a bottle several times, but then something went wrong. He became champion by beating Brock in the main event, but no fans were there. When fans returned, his moment had passed, but still, he built himself back up and got another chance in front of his home country, and the Bloodline cheated him. So he isn't taking any chances this time. Drew's promo made a lot of sense and made me want to root for him to recapture the title and finally get his moment.
Seth's promo, on the other hand, did him no favors. He told Drew not to get involved with the Bloodline like he was trying to help him out, but it wasn't altruism. Seth didn't want the Judgement Day to screw Seth like the Bloodline screwed Drew. Also, Seth had the nerve to tell Drew to just get over the Bloodline ruining the most significant moment of his career while at the same time complaining about Judgement Day.
Seth's whole just get over it; I'm going to beat you for your own good schtick was horribly tone-deaf. I can't tell if this is WWE's Brett screwed Brett mindset seeping out or a conscious effort to make Drew the hero of the story. What do you think?
Rob’s Highlights (AEW/Impact)
5. Will Ospreay, Impact Wrestling
Will Ospreay is on my shortlist for Wrestler of the Year. It was huge for Impact to secure him for this PPV and go up against Mike Bailey, one of the most underrated wrestlers of the past couple of years. This is the match to watch at Bound for Glory for my money.
4. Kenny Omega vs. Kyle Fletcher, AEW Dynamite
Kyle Fletcher claims he took this match as a favor to Will Ospreay, but his match against Kenny Omega could be a turning point in his career as well. In Fletcher’s singles matches, he has looked like he could become a legitimate single’s star. While Omega won, it makes one think about the potential of some of AEW’s stars we don’t see as much.
3. Dynamite Dozen Battle Royal, AEW Dynamite
This was a fun main event and an opportunity to feature some AEW staples who don’t always get their due. I was rooting for Daniel Garcia, who seems to be lost in the shuffle right now. From a storyline perspective, however, I loved the final two of Max Caster, who has a strange undefined relationship with MJF, and Juice Robinson, Jay White’s main partner from Bullet Club Gold, who has terrorized MJF the past few weeks. Robinson won and set up a multi-faceted main event next week.
2. Toni Storm, AEW Dynamite
Toni Storm is putting her own unique spin on Sammy Guevara’s signs during the picture-in-picture commercial break. In tandem with her new golden era actress persona, Storm is doing silent pictures during the commercial breaks. I love this new character. Storm is already one of the best in AEW’s women’s division, so adding a unique gimmick that pushes her creatively adds a whole other dimension that no one else in AEW’s women’s division has right now.
1. Bryan Danielson vs. Andrade El Idolo and House of Black, AEW Collision
Sometimes, AEW Collision feels like a PPV. With no major story going in, Bryan Danielson and Andrade El Idolo paced themselves, but it still got to the point of a great match. Danielson won the match, but there is still room to build upon it in the future should they choose. Malakai Black came out and laid out Danielson after the match, setting up what will likely be another great match in Danielson’s run as the glue holding Collision together. Later in the night, House of Black attacked FTR, meaning they collectively have their sights set on multiple top stars.
Reverse Hipster's Lowlights
There were no overly bad things on WWE TV this week.
Rob’s Lowlights (AEW/Impact)
3. Squash matches, AEW Dynamite
I’m rarely a fan of squash matches, but even more so when they are used to establish talent that we already know. If you care so much about getting Wardlow and Lance Archer over with the fans, give them a big win against somebody else who is established. Don’t just trot out AEW Dark talent and local jobbers to waste our time.
2. Go home show, Impact Wrestling
Impact Wrestling built a solid card for one of their biggest PPVs, Bound For Glory. However, the card from their go-home show was lacking in a lot of that excitement, filled with predictable booking tropes like guy with a match at the PPV has a match on this show he will clearly win, a sitdown interview where the two guys cannot have a physical altercation (they still do), and how will the two women fighting at the PPV coexist in this tag team match.
1. Battle of the Belts, AEW Collision
AEW is filling their cards with squash matches, and inconsequential matches, but they still insist on having a Battle of the Belts card every couple of months. It could completely replace one of the weekly shows or Rampage but with better matches. I hate to pick on it every time, but it always has a card that is underbuilt, underpromoted, and all the champions retain, meaning it’s ultimately inconsequential.
Rob’s Winners of the Week (AEW/Impact)
Although AEW Dynamite had the most highlights this week, I have to give this week to AEW Collision for having the match of the week. Even matches that didn’t make the highlights list had a big match feel and set up future weeks for the show. This could have been an easy win for Impact Wrestling, who gave us nothing creative this week instead.
Reverse Hipster's Winner of the Week
My Winner of the week is Raw. Raw was the only show that had a tier-one highlight. The Other shows could definitely step their games up. Every show could step up their game. Everything in WWE feels interesting but not a must-see. WWE needs to make some more must-see moments.
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