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Joe vs Lesnar: last night's episode has made me the most excited for a feud since Taker vs Lesnar WM30. I really hope Wyatt doesn't have something to do with their fight at GBOF. That was the best I've seen Joe so far, and Heyman was stellar as always.
Reply 6121
Original post by AR_95
Joe vs Lesnar: last night's episode has made me the most excited for a feud since Taker vs Lesnar WM30. I really hope Wyatt doesn't have something to do with their fight at GBOF. That was the best I've seen Joe so far, and Heyman was stellar as always.


+1

That Joe/Heyman segment was just electric. Genuinely edge-of-the-seat stuff when Joe walked up to Heyman and started whispering. WWE needs more of this. I think Joe vs Lesnar could be exceptional. The only rub is all the hints that it'll be a short programme. I want it to stretch through summer!
Reply 6122
Lana's back! SmackDown saw her return to cost Naomi a victory in a six-women's tag-team match, as Tamina Snuka, Carmella and Natalya capitalised to pin the champion, after Lana's interference. The match was preceded by an in-ring segment involving all five Money In The Bank competitors - including Becky Lynch and Charlotte, too - and saw Lana demand an opportunity from Shane McMahon. It seems we're headed for a Naomi vs Lana match at MITB, with all reports suggesting WWE is keen on two women's match at the forthcoming PPV. If that happens, it adds depth to the division with SEVEN women involved in storylines, which is a massive step forward from Creative.

"Opportunity" was a running theme of SmackDown, with Mojo Rawley demanding a chance to impress Shane McMahon. He has been curiously absent since winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Trophy Battle Royal, eliminating Jinder Mahal to win, and he took on the WWE Champion last night. Mahal - in a lofty position - shouldn't need the Bollywood Boyz to be picking up wins over midcarders, even if Rawley is the only man to have beaten Mahal since he moved to SmackDown. The match itself was unspectacular, but Mahal's promo post-match was more assured and vengeful than it has been previously, which is a welcome sign.

In truth, the in-ring action was unremarkable all night. We saw The New Day beat the Colons in their SmackDown debut, with the Usos calling them out post-match. The Usos have been delivering excellent, excellent promos of late - and that's great to see. A heel turn has really revitalised that group, and I'm so happy they are feuding with the New Day. The matches promise to be spectacular. All WWE needs to do now is utilise Breezango, who were caught up in a great backstage segment with Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods. Using Tyler Breeze and Fandango effectively to help capitalise on their momentum should be high up on WWE's agenda.

Elsewhere, we saw AJ Styles beat Dolph Ziggler - eradicating the momentum the latter got last week for beating the babyface in the main event - and Shinsuke Nakamura pinned Kevin Owens AGAIN in the main event. These two provide great action in the ring, but how many times can Owens suffer clean losses? The match wasn't stellar - it seemed like both superstars knew this was a match on free TV, so didn't put in all the bells and whistles. Obviously, Nakamura and Owens are capable of a match of the year - but this wasn't it. The broadcast aired with Baron Corbin, a somewhat forgotten member of the MITB match, delivering End of Days to Nakamura to remind everybody he's a threat after he sat in on commentary. SmackDown seems to be showcasing a couple of superstars a week, and after Ziggler stood tall last weekend, it was Corbin's turn. That's smart and adds intrigue heading into MITB. That came after Corbin battered Sami Zayn backstage, too.

On 205 Live, Neville made TJP tap out in their clash for the Cruiserweight Championship, somewhat bringing an end to their feud. It was an odd match, and the crowd seemingly didn't know who to cheer for. I want Neville to head into a programme with Cedric Alexander, personally. We saw the returning babyface return and beat Noam Dar in the opening match, after the Scot's promo recounted their history together. Alexander said he was done with the feud post-match - which is good to hear - and suggests he's en route for bigger things. For me, the next challengers to Neville should be either Alexander or Akira Tozawa. In the other match of the night, Drew Gulak came out to congratulate Mustafa Ali on a win, which he earned against a jobber (surprisingly) without using high-flying moves.
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 6123
Original post by Longshot100000
Samoa Joe though


The way he called him "Paul E"

Loved it.
Original post by Longshot100000
Samoa Joe though, never seen anything like it, that deathly calm warning followed by complete aggression with Paul Heyman screaming "I'm just an advocate." like an Alt Right bully screams free speech, Joes just like "Nah Fam, I'mma kill ya.".


Reported. You are banned here. Get a clue, you will always get rebanned.
Original post by Longshot100000
Samoa Joe though, never seen anything like it, that deathly calm warning followed by complete aggression with Paul Heyman screaming "I'm just an advocate." like an Alt Right bully screams free speech, Joes just like "Nah Fam, I'mma kill ya.".


So good to see them pushing guys like AJ and Joe that made their name in TNA, never thought I'd see the day. Been a fan of both since their early days, Joe's undefeated streak in TNA was good days and he works best as a killer heel, so it's good to see WWE using him in that sort of role.

Looks like Wyatt and Rollins are gonna be feuding.
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The fans slam WWE elevating Jinder into the title picture.

Same fans chant "we want Lana!" and demand her a title match vs Naomi, when she has zero live matches to her name.
Original post by Longshot100000
Brock is probably gonna destroy Joe though.


I disagree on that one. Seems like they're really going out of their way to build Joe up as a monster and I think they've learned their lesson when it comes to putting over part timers after building a guy up. Of course, Vince could get cold feet on Joe by the time the match comes around but currently, I think the plan is to at least make Joe look like a force, maybe even have him go over.
Original post by WoodyMKC
I disagree on that one. Seems like they're really going out of their way to build Joe up as a monster and I think they've learned their lesson when it comes to putting over part timers after building a guy up. Of course, Vince could get cold feet on Joe by the time the match comes around but currently, I think the plan is to at least make Joe look like a force, maybe even have him go over.


I hope Joe does win, but I don't see it.

Only guy I see beating Brock is Roman.
Original post by Longshot100000
I hope Joe does win, but I don't see it.

Only guy I see beating Brock is Roman.


Yeah, whether he wins or not is unknown, but I imagine it'll be a very even match.
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It seems to me Lana will go over. Why else have her debut on a PPV? She'll steal a win for sure.
Original post by Mackay
It seems to me Lana will go over. Why else have her debut on a PPV? She'll steal a win for sure.


Because they need everyone else in the MITB.
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RAW is in a really healthy state right now. The main event is hot - and the other subplots are creating intrigue ahead of Great Balls Of Fire. We saw Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar brawl with superstars holding them back last night, which was a red-hot way to open the show after weeks and weeks of dull talking segments. Paul Heyman throwing down the "you're a punk" card was enjoyable, and I can't wait for them to meet at the PPV now. The rest of the show was very good, too.

Elias Samson picked up a win over Dean Ambrose in the opening match. Samson has been booked perfectly by WWE as of yet. The company is striking gold with him, yet farcically, floundering when it comes to the likes of Bayley, Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor, three standout NXT alumni. Samson has been allowed to breathe, be natural, and get over as a result. Alongside the Miz, he's probably the standout heel on the roster right now - because he\s getting classic heat. Speaking of the Miz, we saw him team with a "Bear" for a tag team match later in the night, going up against Heath Slater and Rhyno. The babyface duo picked up a win after Ambrose, in the bear costume, laid out the Miz as revenge for costing him vs Samson earlier in the night.

In the cruiserweight division, Cedric Alexander defeated Noam Dar in a continuation of the feud nobody cares about. Neville was also showcased later in the night, defeating Rich Swann, but he doesn't seem to be en route for an Alexander feud. It seems much more likely he will face Akira Tozawa, who was ringside to see Apollo Crews go over Kalisto earlier (in another continuation of another feud nobody cares about) in the night. We saw Tozawa appear to buy-into the Titus O'Neil Brand, so I'm not sure where this feud goes but I'd rather see a heel trio of Tozawa, O'Neil and Crews, rather than see the former refuse the latter duo's advances.

There were a few missteps - namely Bray Wyatt (who's been having an affair with JoJo and is getting a divorce, if you believe the Daily Mail) calling out Seth Rollins and resorting to supernatural bells and whistles. The issue with Wyatt is that all his threats sound hollow at this stage. He has fallen flat too many times, and once too often, for the fans to take him seriously. I was also less than enthused with the depiction of Nia Jax. Jax lost a six-man tag-team match alongside Emma and Alexa Bliss (who walked out) vs Mickie James, Dana Brooke and Sasha Banks. It's great to see Banks back in the title picture, and the chaos which preceeded this match (which saw Bliss address the crowd before all the competitors interrupted) had shades of the current SmackDown women's roster.

We also saw two other tag bouts - Enzo teaming with Cass, who was laid out backstage but resiliently battled through - against The Club, with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows picking up the win and The Big Show saving Enzo from a post-bout beatdown. Cass looked on enviously of their friendship to close the segment. It's clear we're headed for a Cass heel turn, and he'll have been the one attacking Enzo. The insertion of Big Show into the segments is clearly as a way of having Cass face him rather than Enzo, because let's be honest, nobody wants an Enzo vs Cass match. The main event saw the Hardy Boyz battle Sheamus and Cesaro in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match for the WWE RAW Tag-Team Championships. The Hardyz went 1-0 down early, but Matt picked up the second fall before the match ended controversially, with the referee counting out both teams.
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That was one of the most action-packed episodes of SmackDown Live yet - and that's a great thing. My only concern is: did WWE give us too much? In the main event, we were treated to the image of Shinsuke Nakamura picking up the briefcase and retrieving it, after he picked up a win in a six-man tag-team match alongside Sami Zayn and AJ Styles, against the heels from the Money In The Bank match: Baron Corbin, Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler. All six competitors were showcased in what was a brilliant taster of the weekend, but the sight of Nakamura holding the briefcase aloft was just too good - and I'm disappointed because this means he won't be winning Sunday.

We saw pretty much everybody from MITB in some sort of action with their opponent, which is good for a show like SmackDown, but makes the upcoming PPV feel less special. In the opening match, the New Day teamed with Breezango after a fun and breezy entrance, full of humour and energy, to beat the Usos and the Colons in an eight-man tag-team match. The Colons, naturally, took the pin - and the all teams were given spots. Later in the night, we saw an all too brief Fashion Files segment between Breeze and Fandango. Tyler was laid out on the floor and tried to describe his mystery attackers after Fandango discovered him. For me, there's two options: either American Alpha, who have been absent for far too long, or the Hype Bros, who returned on Talking Smack. Either side would have to turn heel because Breezango are so over right now. This is good, though. SmackDown are creating intrigue and mystery like RAW is currently, with the Enzo Amore/Big Cass storyline and Kurt Angle's mysterious text messages. It also adds depth and credibility to the tag team division, by orchestrating a secondary feud away from the title picture and keeping Breezango hot.

Speaking of Talking Smack, Shinsuke Nakamura appeared and naturally struggled in conversation with Renee Young, before Jinder Mahal featured. On SmackDown, Mahal and the Singh Brothers were part of an in-ring segment and celebration, before Randy Orton delivered an RKO and stalked off into the crowd. Mahal's character is clicking, but the athlete in the middle of the storyline feels out of place. Orton, too, is just treading water and seemingly phoning it in every single week. He's often secondary in his feuds - aside from when he was a Wyatt Family member - and he's often a placeholder champion, so this is why the feud lacks heat for me right now.

In terms of other ring action, we saw Charlotte beat Natalya in a fantastic match between two skilled female competitors, before both women feature in the SmackDown Money In The Bank Women's Ladder Match later this week. 50/50 booking dictates Charlotte, like Nakamura, won't be going over. There was a lack of Becky Lynch and Carmella last night, I felt. My tips to win the briefcases are Corbin - who was highlighted massively in the main event - and Carmella, whose character would fit the briefcase. It's a heel shtick, and doesn't suit the likes of Zayn, Lynch et al. Earlier in the night, Lana had hit a sit-out powerbomb on Naomi, after she beat Tamina Snuka, another MITB competitor. It's smart to tease Lana's in-ring ability at this stage, because she hasn't beat anybody and needs to seem fierce.

On 205 Live, we saw Akira Tozawa - with Titus O'Neil in tow - beat TJP in the main event, after Rich Swann had backstage given TJP a pep-talk in a "come on, we know you're a good person deep down" sort of way. The main event was good but the broadcast ended with Neville telling O'Neil that Tozawa isn't on his level, which I agree with. Neville is the best heel and best booked superstar on the roster, with WWE booking itself into a corner somewhat because nobody seems good enough to relinquish him of the belt. We shall see. I still think the best options long-term are either Jack Gallagher, who interrupted Tony Nese's interruption of Austin Aries' in-ring segment, or Cedric Alexander, who beat Ariya Daivari in the opener. Speaking of Austin Aries, he said he isn't clear to medically wrestle - and it was refreshing to see Nese showcased by interrupting.
Colons def. Hype Bros - If this was on the main card I would say Colons win for sure, as I hope they're going to tie up this loose end and break up the Hype Bros turning Zack heel in the process to give Mojo something to do that isn't a backward step. Pre-show, not so sure.

Usos def. New Day - Don't know which way they'll go so stick with the champs, also forsee a tag tournament or Gimmick Name Challenge Turmoil match soon to decide next title match.

Baron Corbin or Sami Zayn wins MITB - This match is made for Corbin: a guy they want to push to champ but can't do it by booking or talent alone, so take a gimmick shortcut, leading to him being a 1x champion with a weak run. My second pick is Zayn as a swerve and so that Corbin can later beat him in a match for the briefcase, or simply lose a cash-in because it's Zayn.

Carmella or Becky Lynch wins MITB - Becky would create an incredible dynamic for the next few months, with her and Charlotte's and Naomi's history, different relationships and dynamic, and Becky with a potential heel turn on either that would escalate things. If Asuka is then added to that, it would be intense. However I don't trust the writers to be that smart if Becky wins, they've ruined so many other it-writes-itself stories. Carmella is the best other choice as she's got more momentum than she'll ever have again, so give her the ball and see if she can run with it. If she can, all good, star made. If she flops, she doesn't have to become champ, she can lose the cash-in or even the briefcase, it's zero risk.

Naomi def. Lana - If Lana is being a proper wrestler now, let her get her **** in then lose. If not, 3-second squash. I wouldn't hate if Rusev keeps his word to tantrum and returns to help Lana get the win and be her heavy. That could work.

Mahal def. Orton - easy heat, also Hulk Hogan mk II returns on Independence Day and it makes more sense if it's to do with Evil Foreigner Guy than Boring Handsome Relative.
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 6135
Hype Bros, Usos, Corbin, Carmella, Lana, Mahal.

I'm backing Carmella unless the rumours are right and there's a sixth MITB women's competitor.
Reply 6136
Shout out to WWE for literally having a man win the first ever women's Money In The Bank briefcase. FFS, I see the point of landing the briefcase with Carmella. She needs the leg-up most. She's a heel, she's young, and this gives her credibility. But relying on James Ellsworth? I wasn't a fan of the finish - and, to be truthful, I felt the entire match was far too quick. There was a severe lack of spots, and the ending just made me so, so mad. But, as aforementioned, Carmella is the right choice to go over - but didn't Tamina look good? She dominated in the early stages, and cut an impassioned promo post-bout on Talking Smack.

Speaking of finishes - what on Earth was going on? We saw the Usos retain the WWE SmackDown Tag-Team Championships against the New Day. But the match ended in a count-out. Now, I don't necessarily mind that finish - it was similar to Neville dragging the referee to cost Austin Aries the Cruiserweight Championship at Payback - but it still felt cheap, and on a night where finishes weren't the best, I can feel the fans' anger. This felt like a stepping stone to a couple of matches down the line - Battleground and Summerslam, you imagine - but the match let me down somewhat. I felt the pacing, like the women's MITB, was slow and awkward, and didn't live up the hype.

Speaking of other low points, we saw The Ascension revealed as Breezango's secret attackers. What a missed opportunity. It should have been American Alpha, who remain mysteriously absent from WWE programming. It's an absolute farce what has happened to them, given they were the tag division's next great hope when they got called up to the main roster from NXT. Breezango beat the Ascension in a quick bout, which is good because it keeps them in the public eye, but this belonged on the pre-show. The issue with a win like this is that the Ascension have zero momentum. They are a nothing team and beating them does nothing to elevate Breezango. That said, the backstage promo - which was a clear Miami Vice homage - was terrific, and as entertaining as they've ever been. They remain my favourite team on either show.

In other news, we saw Mike and Maria Kanellis debut. Like the tag division, the SmackDown midcard really, really lacks a good heel. Hopefully this pair can act as the Miz and Maryse of the blue brand. I'd personally like to see Mike go up against the likes of Sami Zayn and Tye Dillinger. Dillinger was absent last night, as was the likes of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. Couldn't WWE have fitted them onto the pre-show, perhaps in a US Championship No. 1 Contender's Match? The pre-show itself was a dud, full of nothing, bar the Hype Bros running over the Colons in a glorified house show bout.

The other three matches of the night were the most intriguing. Jinder Mahal retained his title vs Randy Orton, which wasn't a surprise. What was more of a surprise was the way he looked while doing so. The ending was ridiculous - and pretty much a carbon copy of the Backlash bout - but Mahal really impressed me during the match. Mahal looked methodical, and he received genuine heel heat - something so many, including Bray Wyatt, Kevin Owens, AJ Styles and Dolph Ziggler - have failed to do.

In the other title match, Naomi did brilliantly to carry the bout with Lana, who looked decent, if a little green. It's things like pacings which seemed off with her: she was going too slowly at times, too quickly at others. But Naomi - who, essentially, has a gymnastic background and isn't necessarily a 'worker' a la Natalya or Charlotte - did brilliantly carrying the match, using mat wrestling and getting the best out of her opponents. WWE was smart to tease a Carmella cash-in, but keeping the belt on Naomi is the right choice for now. Carmella can carry the briefcase for a while. She's undoubtedly the right choice: Charlotte doesn't need the rub, Becky Lynch would have been good - but she'd need a heel turn, Natalya has the least potential of all six at this stage of her career, and Tamina has never really been booked as a legitimate threat.

For those reasons, I'm glad Baron Corbin won the men's briefcase, after a fantastic main event. Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles teased a singles bout between the pair - something I'd pay three figures to see - and Kevin Owens took great bumps, while Sami Zayn looked fierce. Every man was showcased and did themselves justice, but Corbin - a young heel - is the right choice to go over. The only question is: what happens now? Presuming Mahal goes onto face John Cena for a while, I'd like a Randy Orton heel turn, and hopefully a feud with Nakamura, Zayn or Styles. Owens can pre-occupy himself with somebody like Dillinger - a fresh new competitor, who will be elevated by being in a title programme.
Decent show. I only liked the Mens MITB match. It was alright. I think the ending for Corbin winning should've been better. I think when he pushed the 2 of the ladder he should've done End of Days on both superstars to make him look really strong. Then go to the top and win. But still, I agree with the Corbin win!

I actually think the New Day vs Usos was pretty good to. Again I dont agree with the ending. It was back and forth, you never knew who was gonna win the match. At the end I think the Usos should've win by pinfall with a good ending but losing by DQ was quite bad.

I really hope Raw is gonna be good. I think Joe should whoop Lesnars ass again to make him look really strong! And I kinda want Joe to win. He looks like a badass lol.
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 6138
Original post by King_786
Decent show. I only liked the Mens MITB match. It was alright. I think the ending for Corbin winning should've been better. I think when he pushed the 2 of the ladder he should've done End of Days on both superstars to make him look really strong. Then go to the top and win. But still, I agree with the Corbin win!

I actually think the New Day vs Usos was pretty good to. Again I dont agree with the ending. It was back and forth, you never knew who was gonna win the match. At the end I think the Usos should've win by pinfall with a good ending but losing by DQ was quite bad.

I really hope Raw is gonna be good. I think Joe should whoop Lesnars ass again to make him look really strong! And I kinda want Joe to win. He looks like a badass lol.


Lesnar isn't schedule for this week's RAW, but he'll be on next week and all the way until the RAW post-Great Balls of Fire.
Incoming: weak Corbin title reign before he gets bumped down to the midcard and tag teaming for a few years before quitting.

Hopefully they do something incredible on Smackdown to make the finish of the women's MITB not a waste. Ellsworth helping was inevitable, but it should've been like in a previous ladder match where he piggybacks her up the ladder or something.

Carmella actually cashing in on Naomi and winning to add to the confusion would've saved it a bit, but creative were probably just seeing what reaction she got and don't even know themselves what they're gonna do yet for sure.

For everyone's probably first ever multi-person ladder match it was ok. I wonder if not seeing something like a Snuka splash or Charlotte move off the ladder or Becky missile dropkicked a ladder into James' face is because of them being told not to do any dangerous spots, which was the case for the hell in a cell and probably cage match too. This match could've got Tamina over.

Also this is yet another step in the build to Becky v Ellsworth.

Ascension was pointless, and I'm not big on Mike Bennett being a sap now and Maria being some sort of love preacher. If you hire them, especially hire them back, use what made you want them in the first place...

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