Reverse Hipster Highlights
5. (Impact) Trinity
Trinity beat Jody Threat in a great match that showed how deep the roster is. Even in a random exhibition match, Trinity had to stay on her toes to narrowly avoid losing to Threat. This match served both women well because it showed that Jody could compete at a championship level, but it also showed why Trinity is a cut above.
4. (Impact) Crazy Steve
Crazy Steve has finally broken and declared that he couldn't be the antidote to violence, so he will be the plague. Crazy Steve's portrait of a wrestler tortured and unleashed onto the world is very interesting. I'm excited to see where this story goes.
3. (Collision) Hook Returns
Jack Perry tried to destroy the FTW Championship, which is the ultimate disrespect to everyone who wore it before him. Also, it's a wonderful example of the consequences of letting a heel win a title. It should feel like an evil dictator has seized control. Hook saved the title from destruction, dumping Jack all over the ring. This is a great spot for Hook. This FTW feud is definitely helping him grow as a character by asking more of him.
2. (Collision) Eddie Penta and Orange Cassidy
Ahead of All in Orange, Cassidy and Penta beat Butcher, Blade, and Kip Sabian. The match was fun, and it proved a point. It showed how well the three most random members of the Stadium Stampede could work together ahead of their match.
1. (Collision) CM Punk Pays Tribute to Terry Funk, RIP
Say what you want about Punk, but behind all of the backstage reports and sour grapes from other wrestlers, CM Punk always delivers on screen. Once again, he showed the kind of guy he is by making sure to honor the late Terry Funk and remind everyone to appreciate our legends while they are here.
I can't say that I grew up on Terry Funk, but I can say that to me, Terry Funk was the standard for longevity. They could collect social security and have a death match. He seemed inhuman like his body just didn't age and take damage like everyone else. He seemed like the exception. RIP the legend Terry Funk
Rob’s Highlights (WWE)
5. Women’s Division, NXT
NXT Heatwave’s main event was a Fatal Four Way between Blair Davenport, Gigi Dolin, Kiana James, and Roxanne Perez. The match showed again how deep the NXT Women’s Division is. Booking went with the most surprising contender by letting James win the match. I will be curious to see the payoff of a Tiffany Stratton/James feud.
4. Global Heritage Invitation, NXT
The Heritage Cup already has an advantage of a unique format for their matches. Now, they are taking on a unique tournament format in the style of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s G1 Climax. This should be excellent for all the participants involved. The matches we saw at Heatwave were good, and I’m looking forward to more from NXT’s best wrestlers.
3. The Creed Brothers vs. the Dyad, NXT
To fans, it has been obvious that the Creed Brothers are the stars of the NXT Tag Team Division. While they have put over other teams, it seemed like they were main roster-bound. The longer they stayed on NXT, the more that frankly their stock went down. Now, they got a huge win against the Dyad in a Steel Cage, and there is an opportunity that they could go back to the top of the tag division.
2. Gunther vs. Chad Gable, WWE Raw
Usually, I hate non-finishes, but this was executed perfectly. Gunther and Chad Gable showed us they were capable of having an elite match, and Gable showed he could beat Gunther. The countout win means Gable didn’t win the title, and it sets up a rematch with a possible stipulation to avoid the same result. Gunther’s historic title reign means the Intercontinental Championship means more than it has in years. Will Gunther continue the reign or will this be Gable’s coming out moment that hardcore fans have been predicting for years?
1. Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt, WWE SmackDown
This week, WWE lost two legends, and WWE did the classy thing by transforming SmackDown into a tribute show. Cody Rhodes told a great story about Terry Funk, and a tag team extreme rules match paid homage to Funk’s contributions in extreme wrestling. Throughout the night, WWE showed highlights of Bray Wyatt’s career. The devastating and sudden loss was felt by the entire wrestling community, and WWE honored Wyatt’s legacy as the modern creative storyteller by using videos and creative imagery infused throughout the night. The main event between LA Knight and Finn Balor, which could have been a gimmicky match, instead showed the men behind the gimmicks. While the loss of Wyatt in wrestling is tragic, stories have poured out about what a good person Windham Rotunda is, and the night turned into a beautiful tribute of the humans that make wrestling what it is.
Rob’s Lowlights (WWE)
3. Rhea Ripley, WWE Raw
We are months into Rhea Ripley’s reign and about the only thing I can remember from it is being a heater for NXT North American Championship Dominik Mysterio and facing Zelina Vega at Backlash in Puerto Rico. Ripley’s star-making performance defeating Charlotte Flair has been wasted by WWE’s refusal to book her in competitive matches. Now, about all the momentum from that win is gone.
2. Women’s Tag Teams, WWE Raw
WWE called up approximately a dozen NXT stars in the WWE Draft, and from what I can tell from booking, they didn’t need or want any of them. Some of them haven’t been featured at all. Great wrestlers like Katana Chance and Kayden Carter had spotlight matches months ago, and this week, they were fed in a glorified squash match to Piper Niven and Chelsea Green. While I’m glad to see the latter team thrive, Chance and Carter are one of the only true Women’s Tag Teams on WWE’s roster. Again, the repeated lowlights for women’s tag teams are all about WWE’s refusal to book them favorably and not about the women’s talent. In fact, it’s precisely because NXT and WWE have shown how talented these women are, that it’s an obvious shame how they are booked.
1. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and the Judgment Day, WWE Raw
The year is 2034: Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and the Judgment Day have opened and closed Monday Night Raw for the 540th consecutive show. Because every town in the World has seen this match live, the crowd rings out a hollow cheer. I have given up writing wrestling.
Reverse Hipster's AEW & Impact Lowlights
2. (Dynamite) The Young Bucks
FTR were really selling their match with Young Bucks as the defining tag team match of a generation. The young bucks, on the other hand, did a terrible job promoting it. They sandbagged the interview, saying they didn't even need to win this match like the title of best tag team didn't matter, like being tag champs didn't matter. After seeing that they lose at All In, it looks pretty selfish of them to dampen the moment.
1. RIP Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt's death was the number one lowlight in all of wrestling. In such a short time, Bray Wyatt became a phenomenon. He's been my favorite wrestler since 2013 because the way he carried himself was unparalleled. The creativity he brought to wrestling will be captivating minds for generations to come. He was right. He is immortal. He has his fireflies, friends, and his family. Bray Wyatt still has THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD IN HIS HANDS!
Rob’s Winner of the Week (WWE)
While Raw and SmackDown had higher highs, my winner of the week goes to NXT. The Heat Wave show was entertaining throughout with good wrestling, good feuds, and a reason to tune in future weeks. NXT is again proving that it doesn’t take a star-studded roster to make a good wrestling show. A good show can be earned with good booking, good character work, good wrestling, and a roster with a wide range of talents in both of those realms.
Reverse Hipster's Winner of the Week
Collision takes this week. It was a pretty close competition because each of the three shows were holding back in preparation for a PPV, but Collision was the show that walked that line the best.