The WWE Society II
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Ah, that Enzo and Cass pay-off is disappointing. In an overly long segment to close the broadcast, it was revealed Cass had attacked his partner, given the reasoning that Cass was sick of all he has had to put up with through NXT and RAW. He basically accused Enzo's mouth of always running them into trouble - something completely true - after The Revival and Big Show were called out by Kurt Angle, who revealed they had cast-iron alibis. Corey Graves helped reveal all, though, but the pay-off was underwhelming. The segment was way too long, and Cass giving a bit boot to Enzo after an explanation was a misstep. WWE should have left it ambiguous, with Cass laying Enzo out flat before heading backstage. That way, the mystery extends to next week. But last night RAW gave us cause, motive and effect - all at once.
The night started with Roman Reigns declaring himself No. 1 Contender for the WWE Universal Championship. Reigns said he will take on the champion at Summerslam. He was interrupted by Samoa Joe, and the pair squared off in a singles bout later in the night, with the heel picking up the victory after interference from the returning Braun Strowman, who declared he and Reigns would face off at Great Balls Of Fire in an Ambulance Match. That booking is smart, because it lends itself to the two competitors' past. The sight of Strowman lifting the ambulance earlier in the year remains one of the best segments in WWE this year. Plus, the gimmick match helps Reigns lose while being protected. We all know WWE is loathe to give away Reigns vs Brock Lesnar at a PPV like Summerslam, instead preferring them to do battle at WrestleMania 34. If I was booking it, I'd have Reigns attempt to deliver a spear, only for Strowman to move out of the way and Reigns to career into the ambulance, thus losing. Reigns was excellent last night, full of arrogance during his opening promo, while Joe was booked like an opportunist heel, which is great when you couple it with the fierce monster we've seen take down Paul Heyman and stand toe-to-toe with Brock Lesnar recently.
In terms of other in-ring action last night, we saw The Hardy Boyz beat Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows in the opening bout. Jeff picked up the win over The Club, after Matt revealed on Twitter he may not be able to "contain" his broken persona for much longer. I'd personally like the Hardyz to leave the title scene for a while, giving Sheamus and Cesaro fresh competition. I think they elevated Sheamus and Cesaro at first, but we've seen the same booking every week since WrestleMania now. The Hardyz beat the duo in both tag-team and singles competition, until relinquishing the belts. The rivalry has got stale. Last night, we saw Sheamus and Cesaro beat Titus O'Neil and Apollo Crews, in a match which did nothing to benefit either duo. Earlier in the night, The Club - for so long misused by WWE - were booked strong vs The Hardyz, but this final match of the night was a letdown. The champions having to resort to dirty means to beat two perennial jobbers does nothing for them.
Elsewhere in the night, we saw Titus O'Neil further align himself with Akira Tozawa, who picked up a win over TJP in an underwhelming cruiserweight match. I felt a bout between two competitors with their athleticism and experience would have been better, but sadly, it let me down. After the match, Neville appeared and clashed with O'Neil, who backed Tozawa to beat him. Having a fresh opponent for Neville is smart, but I can't help feel the money is in an Cedric Alexander vs Neville feud right now. After all, he's on somewhat of a hot streak since returning from injury.
We also saw Bo Dallas twice last night - losing to Finn Balor, after Finn had interrupted Elias Samson's latest ditty (by the way, Samson is an incredibly heel - he's generating genuine heat) - and appearing disguised as a bear, alongside Curtis Axel, during the Miz and Maryse's in-ring make-up segment. The Miz finished the segment by delivering a Skull-Crushing Finale to Dean Ambrose, who again sparked further controversy between the Miz and Maryse by causing dissension between the duo over a spilled drink and damaged grandfather clock. I'm intrigued to see where the teased break-up between the Miz and Maryse goes, but we'll see. The silliness with the bears, and the goofiness of the overall segments between the duo recently, has undermined the good work they do in the ring and the chemistry they undoubtedly have.
The two biggest missteps of the night came when Seth Rollins announced himself as the cover star for the WWE 2k18 video game, before he was interrupted by Bray Wyatt. The pair delivered two boring, mundane promos we've heard time and time again. Wyatt is a false prophet at this stage, continuously making claims he can't back up in the ring. Rollins isn't the most over babyface anyway, and he needs an outright heel to go up against, but Wyatt couldn't be staler at this point. I wonder, with the ongoing divorce in the public eye, whether Bray should undergo a character shift a la The Undertaker, when he became Big Evil? I'm not talking American BadAss here, but I'm talking Big Evil. If we stripped away some of Wyatt's bells and whistles, changed his ring gear and made him stop talking in riddles, he could get over.
The other negative from an otherwise solid RAW was the farcical women's segment, which saw Alexa Bliss and Emma at the announce table as Sasha Banks and Nia Jax squared off. The two joined them in the ring, and targeted Banks, before Mickie James and Dana Brooke made the same, and Bayley hit the ring unloading on the heels, clearing the ring of Jax to end the segment. Why on Earth does EVERY woman on the RAW roster have to be involved in EVERY segment? There's three hours to play with, WWE. Three. That's enough time to concoct multiple, intriguing storylines. Not everybody has to crowd the title picture. Watch SmackDown and take notes.
The night started with Roman Reigns declaring himself No. 1 Contender for the WWE Universal Championship. Reigns said he will take on the champion at Summerslam. He was interrupted by Samoa Joe, and the pair squared off in a singles bout later in the night, with the heel picking up the victory after interference from the returning Braun Strowman, who declared he and Reigns would face off at Great Balls Of Fire in an Ambulance Match. That booking is smart, because it lends itself to the two competitors' past. The sight of Strowman lifting the ambulance earlier in the year remains one of the best segments in WWE this year. Plus, the gimmick match helps Reigns lose while being protected. We all know WWE is loathe to give away Reigns vs Brock Lesnar at a PPV like Summerslam, instead preferring them to do battle at WrestleMania 34. If I was booking it, I'd have Reigns attempt to deliver a spear, only for Strowman to move out of the way and Reigns to career into the ambulance, thus losing. Reigns was excellent last night, full of arrogance during his opening promo, while Joe was booked like an opportunist heel, which is great when you couple it with the fierce monster we've seen take down Paul Heyman and stand toe-to-toe with Brock Lesnar recently.
In terms of other in-ring action last night, we saw The Hardy Boyz beat Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows in the opening bout. Jeff picked up the win over The Club, after Matt revealed on Twitter he may not be able to "contain" his broken persona for much longer. I'd personally like the Hardyz to leave the title scene for a while, giving Sheamus and Cesaro fresh competition. I think they elevated Sheamus and Cesaro at first, but we've seen the same booking every week since WrestleMania now. The Hardyz beat the duo in both tag-team and singles competition, until relinquishing the belts. The rivalry has got stale. Last night, we saw Sheamus and Cesaro beat Titus O'Neil and Apollo Crews, in a match which did nothing to benefit either duo. Earlier in the night, The Club - for so long misused by WWE - were booked strong vs The Hardyz, but this final match of the night was a letdown. The champions having to resort to dirty means to beat two perennial jobbers does nothing for them.
Elsewhere in the night, we saw Titus O'Neil further align himself with Akira Tozawa, who picked up a win over TJP in an underwhelming cruiserweight match. I felt a bout between two competitors with their athleticism and experience would have been better, but sadly, it let me down. After the match, Neville appeared and clashed with O'Neil, who backed Tozawa to beat him. Having a fresh opponent for Neville is smart, but I can't help feel the money is in an Cedric Alexander vs Neville feud right now. After all, he's on somewhat of a hot streak since returning from injury.
We also saw Bo Dallas twice last night - losing to Finn Balor, after Finn had interrupted Elias Samson's latest ditty (by the way, Samson is an incredibly heel - he's generating genuine heat) - and appearing disguised as a bear, alongside Curtis Axel, during the Miz and Maryse's in-ring make-up segment. The Miz finished the segment by delivering a Skull-Crushing Finale to Dean Ambrose, who again sparked further controversy between the Miz and Maryse by causing dissension between the duo over a spilled drink and damaged grandfather clock. I'm intrigued to see where the teased break-up between the Miz and Maryse goes, but we'll see. The silliness with the bears, and the goofiness of the overall segments between the duo recently, has undermined the good work they do in the ring and the chemistry they undoubtedly have.
The two biggest missteps of the night came when Seth Rollins announced himself as the cover star for the WWE 2k18 video game, before he was interrupted by Bray Wyatt. The pair delivered two boring, mundane promos we've heard time and time again. Wyatt is a false prophet at this stage, continuously making claims he can't back up in the ring. Rollins isn't the most over babyface anyway, and he needs an outright heel to go up against, but Wyatt couldn't be staler at this point. I wonder, with the ongoing divorce in the public eye, whether Bray should undergo a character shift a la The Undertaker, when he became Big Evil? I'm not talking American BadAss here, but I'm talking Big Evil. If we stripped away some of Wyatt's bells and whistles, changed his ring gear and made him stop talking in riddles, he could get over.
The other negative from an otherwise solid RAW was the farcical women's segment, which saw Alexa Bliss and Emma at the announce table as Sasha Banks and Nia Jax squared off. The two joined them in the ring, and targeted Banks, before Mickie James and Dana Brooke made the same, and Bayley hit the ring unloading on the heels, clearing the ring of Jax to end the segment. Why on Earth does EVERY woman on the RAW roster have to be involved in EVERY segment? There's three hours to play with, WWE. Three. That's enough time to concoct multiple, intriguing storylines. Not everybody has to crowd the title picture. Watch SmackDown and take notes.
An excellent, excellent SmackDown - after a lukewarm Money In The Bank PPV. Carmella and James Ellsworth kicked off the night, and she delivered the promo of her life. The briefcase always fits heels better, and they used the controversy generated by her win to elicit genuine heat from the crowd. Many felt she may not have been ready for the briefcase, but she showed here she can really shine as a heel with it in tow. Unfortunately, it looks like we're set for a rematch - and Carmella will have to go through it all again. She remains the best pick to carry the briefcase, and I hope she retains in the rematch next week on SmackDown. Daniel Bryan - who returned to the show - booked the match after he was hounded by the women throughout the night, with them all putting forth their case for another shot. It can right the wrongs of the ridiculous finish on Sunday, but Carmella needs to go over. Tamina has zero momentum, Natalya and Charlotte don't need the leg-up, and Becky Lynch - while she cut a fantastic, impassioned promo last night - will need a heel turn to get the best out of the briefcase.
In terms of in-ring action, I have an issue. I don't think WWE should just be giving away Shinsuke Nakamura matches live on TV. He was featured in a six-man tag-team match last week, and booked like anybody else. Last night, we saw him go up against Dolph Ziggler in singles action. In many ways, this was better than their Backlash bout. Nakamura put in a tremendous performance after he was showcased on Sunday. WWE was very clever with how they handled Nakamura during the MITB match on Sunday. They haven't made him feel as special as they can thus far, but that was a start. Last night was a step back, though, and I want WWE to create some intrigue, mystique and allure around Nakamura. They keep giving away his entrance each Tuesday night, but it should be held back and made to feel special, a la Finn Balor's Demon gimmick. Still, it was a great bout - but he needs a new feud. I'd argue Baron Corbin would be the best pick, but he was curiously absent from proceedings. Sami Zayn was booked in a match vs Corbin for next week, though.
Elsewhere, we saw Big E pick up a win over Jimmy Uso in singles competition, after the heel champions once again teased leaving the ring and walking up the ramp. Next week, we will see the Hype Bros - who picked up a win over the Colons on the MITB pre-show - take on The Usos in a WWE SmackDown Tag-Team Championship Match. Big E is clearly the member of the New Day with the highest potential, and it was good to see him showcased. Speaking of MITB, we will see Lana get a rematch for Naomi's WWE SmackDown Women's Championship after the pair clashed backstage.
There were plenty of highs last night - not least the Kevin Owens Open Challenge, which saw a returning Chad Gable challenge for his US Championship. That's smart booking from WWE. It kept Owens relevant, and returned to one of the best gimmicks of being a secondary champion - the open challenge. It also reintroduced a fantastic athlete in Gable, and offered up a fresh matchup. It was similar to John Cena's Open Challenges in 2014-15, when he clashed with Sami Zayn, Neville et al. Owens, naturally, picked up the win, with AJ Styles on commentary, suggesting their feud will continue to Battleground and maybe even Summerslam.
I imagine Jinder Mahal vs Randy Orton III will take place at the next PPV, too, after the latter addressed his feud with the former in a backstage sit-down interview. In truth, he sounded stale and repetitive, which does the feud no favours. Mahal's monotonous booking - relying on the Singh Brothers to beat Luke Harper in the main event last night - does it no favours, either. With Battleground coming, it makes sense to book a match where the duo can't interfere to round off the feud before Cena faces Mahal at Summerslam. May I suggest a Punjabi Prison match?
On 205 Live, we saw Tony Nese beat Jack Gallagher in a fun opener, which came after Gallagher drove Nese off last week when coming to the aid of Austin Aries. Nese relied on dirty tactics - as he should - to gain a much-needed win. Later, Austin Aries teased a heel backstage by telling Gallagher they should be using dirty tactics to beat the heels, like they've been on the receiving end of recently. Gallagher refused to cheat, but the idea of them in an ungentlemanly alliance is intriguing. We also saw Mustafa Ali beat Drew Gulak, after the latter came to the ring spouting his no fly-zone stuff, in a continuation of quite a stale feud at this point. Both these men need something new to do. Before the main event, Rich Swann and TJP had a backstage segment where the former champions seemed to put their differences aside and rekindle a possible friendship. Then we saw Neville beat Swann in a fantastic main event, which was head and shoulders above anything else on the card.
In terms of in-ring action, I have an issue. I don't think WWE should just be giving away Shinsuke Nakamura matches live on TV. He was featured in a six-man tag-team match last week, and booked like anybody else. Last night, we saw him go up against Dolph Ziggler in singles action. In many ways, this was better than their Backlash bout. Nakamura put in a tremendous performance after he was showcased on Sunday. WWE was very clever with how they handled Nakamura during the MITB match on Sunday. They haven't made him feel as special as they can thus far, but that was a start. Last night was a step back, though, and I want WWE to create some intrigue, mystique and allure around Nakamura. They keep giving away his entrance each Tuesday night, but it should be held back and made to feel special, a la Finn Balor's Demon gimmick. Still, it was a great bout - but he needs a new feud. I'd argue Baron Corbin would be the best pick, but he was curiously absent from proceedings. Sami Zayn was booked in a match vs Corbin for next week, though.
Elsewhere, we saw Big E pick up a win over Jimmy Uso in singles competition, after the heel champions once again teased leaving the ring and walking up the ramp. Next week, we will see the Hype Bros - who picked up a win over the Colons on the MITB pre-show - take on The Usos in a WWE SmackDown Tag-Team Championship Match. Big E is clearly the member of the New Day with the highest potential, and it was good to see him showcased. Speaking of MITB, we will see Lana get a rematch for Naomi's WWE SmackDown Women's Championship after the pair clashed backstage.
There were plenty of highs last night - not least the Kevin Owens Open Challenge, which saw a returning Chad Gable challenge for his US Championship. That's smart booking from WWE. It kept Owens relevant, and returned to one of the best gimmicks of being a secondary champion - the open challenge. It also reintroduced a fantastic athlete in Gable, and offered up a fresh matchup. It was similar to John Cena's Open Challenges in 2014-15, when he clashed with Sami Zayn, Neville et al. Owens, naturally, picked up the win, with AJ Styles on commentary, suggesting their feud will continue to Battleground and maybe even Summerslam.
I imagine Jinder Mahal vs Randy Orton III will take place at the next PPV, too, after the latter addressed his feud with the former in a backstage sit-down interview. In truth, he sounded stale and repetitive, which does the feud no favours. Mahal's monotonous booking - relying on the Singh Brothers to beat Luke Harper in the main event last night - does it no favours, either. With Battleground coming, it makes sense to book a match where the duo can't interfere to round off the feud before Cena faces Mahal at Summerslam. May I suggest a Punjabi Prison match?
On 205 Live, we saw Tony Nese beat Jack Gallagher in a fun opener, which came after Gallagher drove Nese off last week when coming to the aid of Austin Aries. Nese relied on dirty tactics - as he should - to gain a much-needed win. Later, Austin Aries teased a heel backstage by telling Gallagher they should be using dirty tactics to beat the heels, like they've been on the receiving end of recently. Gallagher refused to cheat, but the idea of them in an ungentlemanly alliance is intriguing. We also saw Mustafa Ali beat Drew Gulak, after the latter came to the ring spouting his no fly-zone stuff, in a continuation of quite a stale feud at this point. Both these men need something new to do. Before the main event, Rich Swann and TJP had a backstage segment where the former champions seemed to put their differences aside and rekindle a possible friendship. Then we saw Neville beat Swann in a fantastic main event, which was head and shoulders above anything else on the card.
No idea who LaVar Ball is, but he was at the centre of RAW last night. He clashed with the Miz during an episode of MizTV, before the Miz - alongside Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel - picked up a win over Dean Ambrose, Rhyno and Heath Slater. It was a change of gear this week - and a welcome one - because I'm sick to death of seeing Ambrose trying to wreck his and Maryse's relationship each week. There's only so many times you can watch the same segment. Dallas picking up the win was a welcome change, and being a part of the Miz's entourage will add relevancy to two perennial jobbers. Smart booking all-round. I hope WWE aren't keen on breaking the Miz and Maryse up. They're entertaining as hell. Unfortunately, reports suggest WWE only want one 'It' couple - and that's set to be Mike and Maria Kanellis on SmackDown.
There was another really fun six-man tag-team bout, which saw the Hardy Boyz team with Finn Balor to beat Sheamus, Cesaro and Elias Samson. That's a great, fun, impromptu partnership - and I loved the bout itself. Balor picked up the win, and while some are panicking about him being in a feud with Samson, I welcome it. It's a fresh match-up, will elevate the heel, Balor will obviously go over, and at the minute, Samson is one of the best heels in WWE. Nobody is picking up the same reactions he is week in, week out.
There was plenty of gear-up towards Great Balls of Fire. Goldust ambushed R-Truth in a segment towards the top of the show, but the beatdown wasn't vicious enough - and didn't last enough. It was an all too brief segment, something which benefited Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman before it. The former - who is clearly loving his new 'tweener role - kicked off RAW, eliciting his ever-present polarising reception, before Strowman arrived in an Ambulance and carted him off in it. That suggests to me that Reigns will go over at Great Balls of Fire, but we still have the go-home show next Monday, so momentum could shift.
The best portion of the night came when Brock Lesnar was choked out by Samoa Joe. Joe has been booked like a monster and looked like a legitimate competitor. It makes zero sense to make Great Balls of Fire another Lesnar squash. WWE is apparently open to extending the program through summer, which I'd welcome. Joe has been a revelation in his role as an opportunistic beast, and the promos with Paul Heyman have added spice to the feud. As far as I can see, WWE has a few options: Lesnar retains, Strowman goes over vs Reigns and declares himself a No. 1 Contender, or Reigns goes over vs Strowman at Great Balls of Fire, and then the heel angrily costs Lesnar in the title match, setting up Joe vs Reigns and Lesnar vs Strowman. We shall see.
We also saw great progression in the Enzo vs Cass feud. The pair reunited - briefly - after Cass said he had regretted what he'd done. WWE even let them get up the ramp and their music hit, before Cass clotheslined him and threw him back down to the ring. It was perfectly executed. I've always questioned Cass' ability on the mic, but my God, he cut the promo of his life last week - and this was another stellar showing. Enzo clearly can't hang with Cass in the ring, so I expect WWE to book a squash at Great Balls of Fire, before Enzo recruits the Big Show to face Cass at Summerslam.
The weakest part of the night came when Seth Rollins beat Curt Hawkins, before Bray Wyatt cut yet another elongated, nonsensical promo on the TitanTron. I mean, Rollins is awesome - I'm such a fan of him - but he's just not a babyface. He's in the wrong role, and as for Wyatt? My God. It's hard to see where he goes from here. His words have no meaning, he loses every feud he's in... and he needs a character reset and shift, I think. Another weak aspect was the main event, which saw the women's gauntlet match end with Sasha Banks claiming the win vs Nia Jax. Jax was booked like a monster, disposing of Bayley, Dana Brooke and Emma, and Mickie James. It was a slow-paced, methodical match - which completely flies in the face of the gimmick. And, on another note, why was Bayley so chuffed with her number from the draw? She opened the bout ffs.
In something which was much better. Neville picked up a win over Lince Dorado with Akira Tozawa - part of the Titus Brand - side of stage. The Titus Brand is genuinely one of my favourite aspects of RAW right now. O'Neil has always been an underrated talker, and giving him the gimmick of a promoter is just money. It was a good show which adds development to the majority of angles before Great Balls of Fire - but next time somebody needs to tell WWE nobody wants to hear Josh Duhamel talking about Transformers over a Hardy Boyz/Finn Balor bout.
There was another really fun six-man tag-team bout, which saw the Hardy Boyz team with Finn Balor to beat Sheamus, Cesaro and Elias Samson. That's a great, fun, impromptu partnership - and I loved the bout itself. Balor picked up the win, and while some are panicking about him being in a feud with Samson, I welcome it. It's a fresh match-up, will elevate the heel, Balor will obviously go over, and at the minute, Samson is one of the best heels in WWE. Nobody is picking up the same reactions he is week in, week out.
There was plenty of gear-up towards Great Balls of Fire. Goldust ambushed R-Truth in a segment towards the top of the show, but the beatdown wasn't vicious enough - and didn't last enough. It was an all too brief segment, something which benefited Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman before it. The former - who is clearly loving his new 'tweener role - kicked off RAW, eliciting his ever-present polarising reception, before Strowman arrived in an Ambulance and carted him off in it. That suggests to me that Reigns will go over at Great Balls of Fire, but we still have the go-home show next Monday, so momentum could shift.
The best portion of the night came when Brock Lesnar was choked out by Samoa Joe. Joe has been booked like a monster and looked like a legitimate competitor. It makes zero sense to make Great Balls of Fire another Lesnar squash. WWE is apparently open to extending the program through summer, which I'd welcome. Joe has been a revelation in his role as an opportunistic beast, and the promos with Paul Heyman have added spice to the feud. As far as I can see, WWE has a few options: Lesnar retains, Strowman goes over vs Reigns and declares himself a No. 1 Contender, or Reigns goes over vs Strowman at Great Balls of Fire, and then the heel angrily costs Lesnar in the title match, setting up Joe vs Reigns and Lesnar vs Strowman. We shall see.
We also saw great progression in the Enzo vs Cass feud. The pair reunited - briefly - after Cass said he had regretted what he'd done. WWE even let them get up the ramp and their music hit, before Cass clotheslined him and threw him back down to the ring. It was perfectly executed. I've always questioned Cass' ability on the mic, but my God, he cut the promo of his life last week - and this was another stellar showing. Enzo clearly can't hang with Cass in the ring, so I expect WWE to book a squash at Great Balls of Fire, before Enzo recruits the Big Show to face Cass at Summerslam.
The weakest part of the night came when Seth Rollins beat Curt Hawkins, before Bray Wyatt cut yet another elongated, nonsensical promo on the TitanTron. I mean, Rollins is awesome - I'm such a fan of him - but he's just not a babyface. He's in the wrong role, and as for Wyatt? My God. It's hard to see where he goes from here. His words have no meaning, he loses every feud he's in... and he needs a character reset and shift, I think. Another weak aspect was the main event, which saw the women's gauntlet match end with Sasha Banks claiming the win vs Nia Jax. Jax was booked like a monster, disposing of Bayley, Dana Brooke and Emma, and Mickie James. It was a slow-paced, methodical match - which completely flies in the face of the gimmick. And, on another note, why was Bayley so chuffed with her number from the draw? She opened the bout ffs.
In something which was much better. Neville picked up a win over Lince Dorado with Akira Tozawa - part of the Titus Brand - side of stage. The Titus Brand is genuinely one of my favourite aspects of RAW right now. O'Neil has always been an underrated talker, and giving him the gimmick of a promoter is just money. It was a good show which adds development to the majority of angles before Great Balls of Fire - but next time somebody needs to tell WWE nobody wants to hear Josh Duhamel talking about Transformers over a Hardy Boyz/Finn Balor bout.
An excellent edition of SmackDown. Carmella won the Money In The Bank rematch - something which was inevitable, but also crucial. She has displayed great promise in these last two weeks, cutting extremely good promos. Having James Ellsworth, who is rapidly becoming a bona fide heel with his slamming of Daniel Bryan and dissing of his family, beside her can only benefit her. There was no other logical winner of the briefcase, bar perhaps Becky Lynch, but that would have required a heel turn. This way, Carmella keeps the briefcase - and she won it in a better match. I was concerned with WWE's booking of the initial match, and felt the rematch wasn't planned, and they booked it to fend off criticism. But it seems the women were holding back in the original match, and Dave Meltzer has hinted this was always the plan. Ellsworth had tried to interfere once again, after a long opening segment where he was banned from ringside by Bryan, but Lynch got her revenge before Carmella snaffled the briefcase.
Elsewhere, there was plenty of progression for Battleground storylines. Randy Orton cut of Aiden English, before delivering a promo. Shane McMahon said he would face Jinder Mahal for the third time at the upcoming PPV, only for Mahal to choose the stipulation: the Punjabi Prison match. We have only had two in history - the last of which was in 2007 - so it's a refreshing gimmick bout, something we haven't see too much of in WWE over the past few years. It could be hokey and hammy and overbooked, but we'll see. I'm willing to give it a chance, at least!
We also saw Mike and Maria Kanellis try to deliver a promo, only to be cut off by Sami Zayn. That hints at a decent midcard feud for both competitors, and it's something I'd definitely welcome. Zayn has been too preoccupied with Baron Corbin, who beat him on Tuesday night. Corbin's in need of landmark wins, but like the Miz vs Dean Ambrose, this match-up is nothing new at this stage and both superstars need to move on. Shinsuke Nakamura watched from backstage and suggested Corbin should be afraid of what he can do. That would suggest we're getting Corbin vs. Nakamura at Battleground. This can only benefit Corbin, who will surely learn so much from being in the ring with Nakamura.
Battleground will also undoubtedly see Kevin Owens vs AJ Styles again. We saw Bryan book an Independence Day Battle Royal for next week (remember John Cena's returning on July 4, too!) to determine the No. 1 Contender for the US Championship. Owens was livid when Styles declared himself an entrant, so he'll surely go over. Owens appeared on Talking Smack after to fume, alongside the Usos, who were booked in a Battleground bout with the New Day after the babyfaces challenged them following a quick match which saw the twins beat The Hype Bros. It was a quick match which served little purpose, with Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder quickly disposed of. Lana lost to Naomi in a rematch for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship in an equally swift match-up, but that's something I can accept. Lana is green and displaying her as an overzealous competitor is an intriguing gimmick.
There was also a mystery angle at play once again, with Breezango interrogating the Ascension backstage in a Fashion Files segment. They denied they had attacked Tyler Breeze, instead just saying they did so they could get on the MITB card. This hints at American Alpha - who have been so absent, alongside Erick Rowan, Luke Harper and Tye Dillinger - being outed as the mystery attackers, with a heel turn to boot. I'm looking forward to seeing how that plays out.
On 205 Live, we saw Neville and Akira Tozawa clash to end an average broadcast. The pair will square off at Great Balls of Fire, and I'd like to see the match end in a DQ finish so Neville retains but Tozawa is protected. Hopefully, Cedric Alexander - who lost to Ariya Daivari, following interference from Noam Dar - can move on into the title picture from the Dar/Alicia Fox angle which has outstayed its welcome. That way, we can have Neville vs Tozawa vs Alexander at Summerslam, and Neville can relinquish the belt whilst not being pinned/submitting. Neville can then help get other babyfaces in the division over, a la The Brian Kendrick, who is playing the role of the veteran. Kendrick and Jack Gallagher clashed last night, with a DQ finish to their opening bout after Kendrick had impersonated him, with umbrella/suit etc. This was the first bout of their feud and the rivalry has masses of potential. Gallagher is handy on the mic and great in the ring, and Kendrick is just a star. In the other match, Drew Gulak lost to long-time rival Mustapha Ali, who capitalised when Gulak missed a high-flying spot.
Elsewhere, there was plenty of progression for Battleground storylines. Randy Orton cut of Aiden English, before delivering a promo. Shane McMahon said he would face Jinder Mahal for the third time at the upcoming PPV, only for Mahal to choose the stipulation: the Punjabi Prison match. We have only had two in history - the last of which was in 2007 - so it's a refreshing gimmick bout, something we haven't see too much of in WWE over the past few years. It could be hokey and hammy and overbooked, but we'll see. I'm willing to give it a chance, at least!
We also saw Mike and Maria Kanellis try to deliver a promo, only to be cut off by Sami Zayn. That hints at a decent midcard feud for both competitors, and it's something I'd definitely welcome. Zayn has been too preoccupied with Baron Corbin, who beat him on Tuesday night. Corbin's in need of landmark wins, but like the Miz vs Dean Ambrose, this match-up is nothing new at this stage and both superstars need to move on. Shinsuke Nakamura watched from backstage and suggested Corbin should be afraid of what he can do. That would suggest we're getting Corbin vs. Nakamura at Battleground. This can only benefit Corbin, who will surely learn so much from being in the ring with Nakamura.
Battleground will also undoubtedly see Kevin Owens vs AJ Styles again. We saw Bryan book an Independence Day Battle Royal for next week (remember John Cena's returning on July 4, too!) to determine the No. 1 Contender for the US Championship. Owens was livid when Styles declared himself an entrant, so he'll surely go over. Owens appeared on Talking Smack after to fume, alongside the Usos, who were booked in a Battleground bout with the New Day after the babyfaces challenged them following a quick match which saw the twins beat The Hype Bros. It was a quick match which served little purpose, with Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder quickly disposed of. Lana lost to Naomi in a rematch for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship in an equally swift match-up, but that's something I can accept. Lana is green and displaying her as an overzealous competitor is an intriguing gimmick.
There was also a mystery angle at play once again, with Breezango interrogating the Ascension backstage in a Fashion Files segment. They denied they had attacked Tyler Breeze, instead just saying they did so they could get on the MITB card. This hints at American Alpha - who have been so absent, alongside Erick Rowan, Luke Harper and Tye Dillinger - being outed as the mystery attackers, with a heel turn to boot. I'm looking forward to seeing how that plays out.
On 205 Live, we saw Neville and Akira Tozawa clash to end an average broadcast. The pair will square off at Great Balls of Fire, and I'd like to see the match end in a DQ finish so Neville retains but Tozawa is protected. Hopefully, Cedric Alexander - who lost to Ariya Daivari, following interference from Noam Dar - can move on into the title picture from the Dar/Alicia Fox angle which has outstayed its welcome. That way, we can have Neville vs Tozawa vs Alexander at Summerslam, and Neville can relinquish the belt whilst not being pinned/submitting. Neville can then help get other babyfaces in the division over, a la The Brian Kendrick, who is playing the role of the veteran. Kendrick and Jack Gallagher clashed last night, with a DQ finish to their opening bout after Kendrick had impersonated him, with umbrella/suit etc. This was the first bout of their feud and the rivalry has masses of potential. Gallagher is handy on the mic and great in the ring, and Kendrick is just a star. In the other match, Drew Gulak lost to long-time rival Mustapha Ali, who capitalised when Gulak missed a high-flying spot.
Reckon American Alpha were the ones that attacked Breeze.
Original post by JTScrapes
Reckon American Alpha were the ones that attacked Breeze.
It's gotta be!
Here's how the Great Balls Of Fire card looks right now - it's shaping up to be a decent show, with Enzo vs Cass, the Hardy Boyz vs Sheamus and Cesaro, Goldust vs R-Truth and Finn Balor vs Elias Samson set to be added.
Universal Title: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Samoa Joe
Raw Women's Title: Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Sasha Banks
Cruiserweight Title: Neville (c) vs. Akira Tozawa
Ambulance Match: Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns
Seth Rollins vs. Bray Wyatt
Ain't nobody reading your essays of doom.
Original post by ozzyoscy
Ain't nobody reading your essays of doom.
Nobody has to. I'm not doing a pop quiz on them.
Original post by Mackay
Nobody has to. I'm not doing a pop quiz on them.
So you go through all that effort or copy/pasting for no purpose. Why are you even posting on a forum then, if you would be happy if no one read them? Just trying to save you time and effort, and the thread a bit of spam.
Original post by ozzyoscy
So you go through all that effort or copy/pasting for no purpose. Why are you even posting on a forum then, if you would be happy if no one read them? Just trying to save you time and effort, and the thread a bit of spam.
Which parts are copy and pasted?
Original post by Mackay
Which parts are copy and pasted?
When I pointed it out ages ago. I was suspicious, copy/pasted it into Google, and there it was on Bleacher Report or whatever. Maybe you don't do it any more, maybe you just reword it, but no one knows because they don't read because they either watched it themselves or can Google results themselves if they need to.
Every time I see a new post on here, I think it's someone with something new to say or an interesting comment or question or discussion, and it's just you stroking yourself.
Original post by ozzyoscy
When I pointed it out ages ago. I was suspicious, copy/pasted it into Google, and there it was on Bleacher Report or whatever. Maybe you don't do it any more, maybe you just reword it, but no one knows because they don't read because they either watched it themselves or can Google results themselves if they need to.
Every time I see a new post on here, I think it's someone with something new to say or an interesting comment or question or discussion, and it's just you stroking yourself.
Every time I see a new post on here, I think it's someone with something new to say or an interesting comment or question or discussion, and it's just you stroking yourself.
The omniscient Ozzyoscy speaking for everybody again. Don't like it? Don't read it. You don't speak for everybody, though, despite your overt abrasiveness.
To be fair, I had suspicions that Mackay was using Bleacher report as well, but whatever, it's not really harming anyone and I'm not bothered enough to look that deeply into it 
I am loving the road to Great Balls of Fire. Joe vs Lesnar is an all time dream match and very hard to get wrong, and Roman vs Strowman has been an excellent feud since Mania.
Some of the booking of the undercard has been a little wonky but still better than WWEs usual stuff with the lower tier guys actually having storylines that they're trying to make mean something and that progress every week without being forgotten. I like that.
The only thing that wasn't good build on RAW was the Enzo/Cass segment. Great last week, pointless rehashing this week!
Some of the booking of the undercard has been a little wonky but still better than WWEs usual stuff with the lower tier guys actually having storylines that they're trying to make mean something and that progress every week without being forgotten. I like that.
The only thing that wasn't good build on RAW was the Enzo/Cass segment. Great last week, pointless rehashing this week!
Original post by Hassan.b8
Sup guys, I haven't been following up on WWE for a couple of years now... seems I've missed a lot lol. Anyway is John Cena still there? 
He's back July 4, bud.
Original post by IanDangerously
The only thing that wasn't good build on RAW was the Enzo/Cass segment. Great last week, pointless rehashing this week!
The only thing that wasn't good build on RAW was the Enzo/Cass segment. Great last week, pointless rehashing this week!
Really? Man, I'm loving this angle. Cass looks like money as a heel. Great look and he's cutting promos better than ever.
Original post by Mackay
The omniscient Ozzyoscy speaking for everybody again. Don't like it? Don't read it. You don't speak for everybody, though, despite your overt abrasiveness.
You're so arrogant that you think people read it.
I'm betting more people have PMed me in the last 24 hours saying they're sick of you spamming threads with the same essay/get-the-last-post shtick than have read them.
I was the only ****er to give you feedback until now, another has since then, and neither were positive. Perhaps rather than having an egotistical hissy, save yourself the effort.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by IanDangerously
Some of the booking of the undercard has been a little wonky but still better than WWEs usual stuff with the lower tier guys actually having storylines that they're trying to make mean something and that progress every week without being forgotten. I like that.
Some of the booking of the undercard has been a little wonky but still better than WWEs usual stuff with the lower tier guys actually having storylines that they're trying to make mean something and that progress every week without being forgotten. I like that.
WWE seems to be going all-in on the mystery angles. Two on RAW - Cass and Kurt Angle's texts, which presumably will result in a Stephanie McMahon return and Angle vs Triple H match somewhere down the line - and on SmackDown, with Breezango's attackers. I had a suspicion the latter would be American Alpha, but perhaps a team from NXT will be called up? Can't see the Authors of Pain or Sanity getting the call-up anytime soon, though.
Original post by Mackay
WWE seems to be going all-in on the mystery angles. Two on RAW - Cass and Kurt Angle's texts, which presumably will result in a Stephanie McMahon return and Angle vs Triple H match somewhere down the line - and on SmackDown, with Breezango's attackers. I had a suspicion the latter would be American Alpha, but perhaps a team from NXT will be called up? Can't see the Authors of Pain or Sanity getting the call-up anytime soon, though.
Actually, Meltzer's reported that the current NXT Champs are due to be called up to the main roster's with Asuka and Roode due to be called up in the next month and the Authors of Pain in mid-Sep.
Original post by m.amina_
Actually, Meltzer's reported that the current NXT Champs are due to be called up to the main roster's with Asuka and Roode due to be called up in the next month and the Authors of Pain in mid-Sep.
I can't see Roode being called up soon tbh. He needs a long programme in NXT, arguably with Drew rather than Roderick Strong. I'd like the Authors of Pain on the main roster, though. They're a real fun throwback.
The Enzo/Cass feud is second to only Brock Lesnar/Samoa Joe right now. The babyface promo Enzo cut to kick off RAW last night was just excellent. Both of these stars have a legitimate argument - Enzo's mouth did make Cass, but he also runs his mouth and gets into trouble - which makes the feud more interesting. Enzo ambushing Cass backstage and looking dangerous is also smart, because it builds him up as more of a threat than he is. Sure, Enzo can't go toe-to-toe with Cass in the ring, but the fierceness of his promo and passion was second-to-none last night and I wonder if there's legs for Enzo in a crazy sort of gimmick. He's small and size is against him, but if he's booked as if he's slightly unstable and unpredictable, he could have legs as a singles competitor and pick up some wins.
Enzo vs Cass was booked for Great Balls of Fire, as was the Miz vs Dean Ambrose in a continuation of the feud which has ran forever. Last night, the Miz - flanked by his Miztourage, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel - cut a promo before Ambrose interrupted, alongside Rhyno and Heath Slater, with the latter challenging the Miz to a bout. Slater would lose, thanks to the help of the Miz's cronies, before they elevated themselves by delivering a post-match beatdown ahead of the weekend. The bout was fine, and it was refreshing to see the Miz lock up against somebody other than Ambrose. Sunday should be the culmination of their feud.
Neville warmed up for his bout by continuing his cruiserweight domination, beating Mustafa Ali in singles competition. He goes into Sunday's bout with Akira Tozawa full of momentum, but my issue is, despite Tozawa's W-L record and solid booking, I don't want Neville's reign to end. Tozawa doesn't feel like he should be the babyface costing Neville the championship. The reign shouldn't end - yet. In other cruiserweight action, Cedric Alexander beat Noam Dar as their grating feud - which has already outstayed its welcome - continued. Alexander is a money babyface. He's athletic, great in the ring and him feuding with Neville is a must.
I felt there were a few missteps last night. The Goldust/R-Truth segment was poor, and this feud has underwhelmed since the initial turn from Goldust, who can still cut the promo of his life. This feels like it will be wrapped up on the pre-show. But where they go after this? Who knows? The opening match of the night - Sasha Banks and Bayley vs Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax - was also a joke. Bayley was beaten bad and had to be taken backstage (WWE's handling of her is a joke), meaning Banks then beat the two heels (yes, beat them) 2-on-1. That's like Roman Reigns defeating both Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe ffs. Why book your heels so weak, WWE? Bayley needs a complete character reset at this point. She needs time away from the screen.
In the main event, Strowman beat Apollo Crews in a fresh match-up, before carting him into an ambulance and finding Reigns was the driver. The two brawled until neither man could get up. It was a solid way to end the feud going into Sunday, and leaves the result of the weekend difficult to predict. WWE did well to build up Crews, too, and showcased him well. The Titus Worldwide gimmick has money written all over it. If he steps away from the ring and is purely used as a talent mouthpiece, O'Neil could enjoy a renaissance. Elsewhere, we saw Finn Balor beat Cesaro before the Hardy Boyz and Elias Samson made their presence felt, with a chaotic brawl. The two tag teams will face each other on Sunday in a 30 minute Iron Match. Their feud has grown stale at this point. It elevated both teams initially, but like the Miz and Ambrose, we've seen the same thing week in, week out. As for Samson, he feels a level below Balor, but he's drawing genuine heat and I think they'll have a decent PPV bout on Sunday.
The other segments of note were a scattered video package of Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar interviews, culminating with a riled-up Joe being encouraged to try and find Lesnar, only for security to cut him off. Joe looks an absolute monster and WWE have done a wonderful job building him up before Sunday. I'm very excited to see what these two men produce. The feud is much hotter than Seth Rollins vs Bray Wyatt. Rollins beat Curt Hawkins in a squash on Monday night, before Wyatt cut yet another unwelcome, elongated and nonsensical promo.
Enzo vs Cass was booked for Great Balls of Fire, as was the Miz vs Dean Ambrose in a continuation of the feud which has ran forever. Last night, the Miz - flanked by his Miztourage, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel - cut a promo before Ambrose interrupted, alongside Rhyno and Heath Slater, with the latter challenging the Miz to a bout. Slater would lose, thanks to the help of the Miz's cronies, before they elevated themselves by delivering a post-match beatdown ahead of the weekend. The bout was fine, and it was refreshing to see the Miz lock up against somebody other than Ambrose. Sunday should be the culmination of their feud.
Neville warmed up for his bout by continuing his cruiserweight domination, beating Mustafa Ali in singles competition. He goes into Sunday's bout with Akira Tozawa full of momentum, but my issue is, despite Tozawa's W-L record and solid booking, I don't want Neville's reign to end. Tozawa doesn't feel like he should be the babyface costing Neville the championship. The reign shouldn't end - yet. In other cruiserweight action, Cedric Alexander beat Noam Dar as their grating feud - which has already outstayed its welcome - continued. Alexander is a money babyface. He's athletic, great in the ring and him feuding with Neville is a must.
I felt there were a few missteps last night. The Goldust/R-Truth segment was poor, and this feud has underwhelmed since the initial turn from Goldust, who can still cut the promo of his life. This feels like it will be wrapped up on the pre-show. But where they go after this? Who knows? The opening match of the night - Sasha Banks and Bayley vs Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax - was also a joke. Bayley was beaten bad and had to be taken backstage (WWE's handling of her is a joke), meaning Banks then beat the two heels (yes, beat them) 2-on-1. That's like Roman Reigns defeating both Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe ffs. Why book your heels so weak, WWE? Bayley needs a complete character reset at this point. She needs time away from the screen.
In the main event, Strowman beat Apollo Crews in a fresh match-up, before carting him into an ambulance and finding Reigns was the driver. The two brawled until neither man could get up. It was a solid way to end the feud going into Sunday, and leaves the result of the weekend difficult to predict. WWE did well to build up Crews, too, and showcased him well. The Titus Worldwide gimmick has money written all over it. If he steps away from the ring and is purely used as a talent mouthpiece, O'Neil could enjoy a renaissance. Elsewhere, we saw Finn Balor beat Cesaro before the Hardy Boyz and Elias Samson made their presence felt, with a chaotic brawl. The two tag teams will face each other on Sunday in a 30 minute Iron Match. Their feud has grown stale at this point. It elevated both teams initially, but like the Miz and Ambrose, we've seen the same thing week in, week out. As for Samson, he feels a level below Balor, but he's drawing genuine heat and I think they'll have a decent PPV bout on Sunday.
The other segments of note were a scattered video package of Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar interviews, culminating with a riled-up Joe being encouraged to try and find Lesnar, only for security to cut him off. Joe looks an absolute monster and WWE have done a wonderful job building him up before Sunday. I'm very excited to see what these two men produce. The feud is much hotter than Seth Rollins vs Bray Wyatt. Rollins beat Curt Hawkins in a squash on Monday night, before Wyatt cut yet another unwelcome, elongated and nonsensical promo.
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