Reverse Hipsters Highlights
7. (NXT)Tiffany Stratton Returns
Tiffany Stratton didn’t get anything from the crowd in her return, and I think it threw her off a bit. However, It's still a highlight for me because I missed Stratton. Tiffany is on a short list of the best women in NXT, and it hasn’t been the same without her. She has the look, the character, and out-of-this-world in-ring talent. She is the full package, and I’m glad she is back in NXT.
6. (Impact Wrestling) Moose, Eddie Edwards & Maclin vs. Joe Hendry, Rich Swan, & Jonathan Gresham
This was a star-studded main event. You are pretty much guaranteed to get great results when you put together some of your biggest stars for match. These six delivered both in match and story. Joe Hendry made a fool of Moose last week with the video of Moose dancing. Moose got some much-needed credibility when he pinned Hendry to win the match. After the match, the lights went out on Eddie Edwards. Could PCO be coming back for his revenge, or could it be someone new entirely?
5. (Dynamite) Adam Cole Returns
Adam Cole is finally back. It seemed like he may never wrestle again, but he has defied the odds and returned. His return was so hush-hush that most people in AEW didn’t even know about it. Adam Cole got such a warm reception from the crowd that It may be hard for him to go back to being a heel.
4. (AEW Dynamite) Hook & Jungle Boy vs. Lee Moriarty & Big Bill
This was an excellent match for Hook and Jungle Boy. Jungle Boy has finally moved on from Christian and is back in the tag scene with one of the hottest up-and-coming stars in AEW. Plus, Jungle Boy got the win over Lee with the Snare Trap. Hook really needed this tag team as well. His squash matches were getting boring, and if he was ever going to capitalize on his potential, he needed to face better opponents and stay relevant. Being with Jungle Boy definitely keeps Hook relevant. Also, Hook was great against real competition. Hook had the spot of the match when he slammed the seven-footer Big Bill.
3. (AEW Dynamite) Saraya & Toni Storm vs. Jaime Hayter & Britt Baker
This match was very physical. The disdain these women had for each other was packed into every punch and power slam. Saraya nearly reinjured Britt’s nose with a wicked kick to the face. Toni Storm tried to take Britt’s head off her shoulders with a crazy hip attack in the corner. However, Britt got her revenge when she took out Toni with an Avalanche Air Raid slam off the top rope. Then Hayter took care of Saraya on the outside and ganged up on Toni with Britt. Surprisingly Shida threw a kendo stick in the ring that Britt used to thwack Toni and get the winning pin, Shida acted like it was an accident, but I’m not so sure.
3. (AEW Dynamite) The Elite Win the Trios Titles
The only con of this title change was that it was predictable. I think everyone knew the Elite would win the belts, and it would have been cool to let Death Triangle keep the belts and swerve everyone. However, the match itself was insane. It was spot after spot after spot till the only wrestler competent enough to climb the ladder and grab the belts was Kenny Omega. If you missed this match, it's definitely worth going back to.
2. (Rampage) Ana Jay & Tay Conti vs. Ruby Soho & Willow Nightingale Street Fight
This was an absolute war. AEW has cornered the market on Extreme Rules in women’s matches. Anna choked Willow with barbwire around her arm. Willow Powerslammed Ana off the entrance ramp and onto the hard floor. Tay Conti jumped off the ring apron, and piledrived Ruby Soho threw a table on her neck. Ruby Soho, who was covered in blood, won the match by slamming Tay’s face into a bed of tacks. These women went for it and had maybe the best AEW street fight in the women’s division.
1. (Raw) Judgment Day
Judgment Day won Tag Team Turmoil on Raw. They had an amazing match with the Street Profits, which highlighted that the Street Profits are one of the best Tag Teams in the World. Dawkins and Ford were diving all over the place and doing seamless tag team power moves, but it wasn’t their time to win. However, the Street Profits are two of the most dynamic and athletic wrestlers in the company.
Judgment Day won when Prison Dom caught Ford from behind with a surprise pin. Dominicks stole the match for his team when he illegally gained leverage by putting his feet on the ropes to make sure Ford couldn’t kick out of the pin. Judgment Day is now in line for an Undisputed Tag team title shot. Personally, I have been waiting for this match. I have wanted Judgment Day to challenge the Bloodline ever since they started invading Raw. Watching these two heel factions go at it will be like watching the Wyatts and Shield feud in 2014.
Rob’s Lowlights
2. Indus Sher and the Creed Brothers, NXT
There was no reason to extend this feud. A non-title feud isn’t really high profile on NXT, and it’s clear that this feud is meant to build Indus Sher while the Creed Brothers move on to better things. Jinder Mahal is a good addition to the Indus Sher faction, but it was not a good enough rationale to put off this match.
1. Grayson Waller Counted Out, NXT
Smart fans could smell something was up when Bron Breakker and Grayson Waller were not the main event. This was an intentionally unsatisfying finish, but it was the one match on NXT New Year’s Evil that felt this way. The middle rope breaking looked like an unsafe bump, and it was hard to explain in kayfabe. NXT officials and commentators seemed apathetic to the fact that this cost Waller the match. Breakker didn’t even seem satisfied with this result.
Rob’s Winners of the Week
6. NXT New Year’s Evil was such a well-built card. It was a shame that the more exciting bouts didn’t really happen, and consequently, there were no real highlights of the show.
5. WWE Raw was lukewarm this week, with only a few segments, no outright lowlights, and nothing that really stood out.
4. Impact Wrestling put on a show that was simply meant to promote Hard to Kill this weekend. They have built a great card and didn’t have to do much work to promote it.
3. AEW Rampage put on an okay show this week. Their matches stood out more than usual.
2. WWE SmackDown continued their streak of making a show with meaningful matches and storylines. When SmackDown is on like this, their show flies by.
1. AEW Dynamite put on a PPV for free this week. Dynamite had three great matches and a huge return this week. It would be hard for any company to compete with this show on weekly television.
Reverse Hipster’s Winner of the Week
6th Place NXT
Can’t believe NXT fumbled New Year's Evil the way they did. The women’s rumble got too cute. Gigi and Jacy won in a fluky finish. Also, it was disappointing to see them win over so many talented singles wrestlers. Grayson Waller losing the match by ring malfunction was genuinely the worst moment of the week. Who did that help in any way? Then Jinder comes in and ruins the match with the Creeds and the reputation that Veer and Sanga have built up for weeks. Then Jinder comes in and beats Julius, one of the brightest young stars in NXT. It was bad.
5th Place SmackDown
SmackDown wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great, either. There was nothing I could point to that was a highlight. There were many things that made me want to tune in next week but nothing that you need to go back and watch if you missed this episode.
4th Place Impact
Impact Wrestling had a decent show, but outside of their main event, there was nothing to write home about. This is mostly because they were in a holding period till their PPV Hard to Kill.
3rd Place Rampage
Rampage had a good show. They had a fun show with the Tag champs and a celebrity segment, as well as a TNT title match and Women’s street fight that was one of the best matches in any company for the week. Rampage is becoming a top show.
2nd Place Raw
Raw was carried by Tag Team turmoil and the possibility of a Judgement Day and Bloodline feud. The rest of the show was decent, but Tag Team turmoil was the best highlight of the night.
1st Place Dynamite
Dynamite is the only show that had multiple entries on the highlight list. There was no other competition for the number-one spot this week.
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