#in 2019 i really thought it was to make Rhea look bad so we can have the heroic music killing her
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Are we ever going to get an in-universe explanation as to why Rhea sets a city with civilians still in it on fire at the end of CF, or is it forever going to remain the "devs wrote Rhea doing something evil so the audience wouldn't feel bad about killing the final boss who'd done nothing wrong up to that point, regardless of how grossly out-of-character it is for her to do that" excuse?
:(
I was typing an answer, switched tabs, and what I already typed disappeared...
Anyways...
Watsonian wise, the game iirc tells us Rhea intends to use the "fiery tiles" as hazards to slow down the BESF's progression to rekt them - and I personally find nice how the devs picked peg knights to act as reinforcments - cementing the "strategy" aspect of the Berning, aka Rhea's own troops are immunte to tile hazards, but the BESF isn't.
Doylist wise, I feel like it was one of the moves the devs pulled out to illustrate how far Rhea fell from... well, what she once was.
It's the culmination of her breakdown, her point of no-return : we came from a Rhea who valued Fodlan and its people more than her own survival and who would refuse to sacrifice anyone to ensure her safety to... a Rhea who lost so much (her remaining family), is PTSD'ing hard and was betrayed by Billy and Humanity "again", she snaps and now will sacrifice Fodlan and its people to get a chance of surviving what she perceives as the second act of the genocide of her species.
Forget the "not feeling bad" aspect of this fight anon, because, at least with the Jp audio, every scene involving Rhea, before this fight when she lost Seteth'n'Flayn, is in Tailtean, or even in this fight laments in her battle quotes, conveys, kuddos to Inoue, anguish, desperation and anger.
The BESF pushes her - during the entire length of this short route - to her breaking point, she breaks (but it's not only a furious/angry breakdown!) and Firdhiad Berning is the consequence.
Imo, even if the gapmoe and the Supreme Court tries to act as if the BESF is "in the right" or wonder what's for dinner, the foes are much more humanised/developed/are mourning on screen that, save for some devoted people, I firmly believe Tru Piss wasn't supposed to be seen as a "Good Route", but more like the Tales games sometimes have a "Bad End" path.
The final close-up on Billy's dead eyes after they lost Nirvana is, imo, telling enough - even if gapmoe and the game mechanics + IS' obsession to sell you Supreme Leader as a S material waifu you can romance sort of killed this intent, since you can get your "and they lived happily ever after" ending and marry Supreme Leader.
Tl;Dr : Tru Piss is written in a way that would make anyone (even on a first PT!) feel bad about the people you're trouncing, from Judith crying about Ignatz'n'Leonie's loss of their future, to Hilda sacrifying herself to save someone against her former nature, aka when it comes to do the "right thing" Hilda will do it even if it costs her life, to Faerghus' desperation to defend themselves at the point of willingly make the ultimate sacrifice and turning into demonic beasts and Dimitri's tender scene with Dedue, or Felix and Rodrigue fighting side by side to defend their land (and dying together) - to ultimately, Rhea losing her mind, breaking down as she learns of her kin's fate and relieving her previous PTSD hard, ultimately telling the player that they betrayed the gremlin living in their head (even if game mechanics means that gremlin is the worst mother in the entire series) and ultimately, herself.
If you're not a first PT, but Tru Piss is your last PT and you know about Rhea'n'Billy's backstories... Well.
I don't like the "you made hit you" rhetoric because it fucking sucks and irl is used by scum, and while I don't think the Firdhiad Berning was made to make Rhea look "evil" so you wouldn't feel bad for rekting her... the game painfully reminds the player, each time, that they are the instigators of this war, they are the agressors attacking people who, in this last map, will do anything to defend themselves.
It's ugly but it's the War the BESF, aka the player in Tru Piss, started/supported.
#anon#replies#rhea stuff#this scene in Tru Piss always made me pause a bit#in 2019 i really thought it was to make Rhea look bad so we can have the heroic music killing her#but now after looking at the game and Tru Piss with more consideration#nope it's the final character warping or negative development#Rhea stops being her caring self and will now sacrifice her allies to survive#but it's only in this map#in Tailtean imo she still counted on her allies and relied on them#even if a certain someone doesn't understand what is a pincer attack#idk if Hubert or Supreme Leader supremely gaslight Billy about Rhea BaD she sacrificed the Kingdom#that's debunked by Rhea's own line when she arrived saying she was delayed by the rain or something#if the pincer attack worked the BESF would have been toasted#tfw plot armor means you have to win lol#that's the same thing with Xillia 2 when in the bad end Ludger kills everyone#Milla Muzét Gaius i mean those three all alone it's just nonsensical but when they're helped by their companions?#it works because the plot wants it to work#FE16
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Fusion (F!Byleth x Dorothea)
Challenge: Bylethea Week 2019 (Twitter)
Day 3: Fusion
A/N: I could’ve gone for the other easier prompt, but yolo, I wanted to take a spin on this unique one! Also, I seem to be writing more and more references for Edelgard x Ingrid for some reason...
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“Um, Dorothea, do you know where the professor went?”
“…”
“Dorothea?”
“She probably went to see Lady Rhea, Hubie.”
“Oh, okay then. Guess I’ll ask her later.”
“Can I relay the message for you?”
“Hm… just let her know that I’m looking for her.”
“…”
Dorothea, who had waved farewell to Hubert, felt an invisible tug pull upon her arm. A couple of steps were taken to the nearest bookshelves. Then, the opera singer reached out towards the thick covers, her fingertips brushing upon the spines. She frowned and harshly whispered,
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Then, from the same mouth, she said, “I’m looking for the solution.”
Although she was alone in the library, if anyone were to catch sight of her, they would have mistaken her as being mental. Just who in their right mind would speak to themselves? It didn’t help that Dorothea’s features would switch between expressionless and annoyance every ten seconds. She had spooked Bernadetta already by accident this morning. She didn’t want a repeat of it again with someone else. She wasn’t in the mood to explain their predicament either… if anyone would believe in them, that is. The student loudly sighed and lowered her head, her hand acting on its own accord.
“I still can’t believe this isn’t a dream, professor.”
“…”
This morning was rather eventful. The two females yesterday shared a late-night tea session. Since they were already in a relationship, both Byleth and Dorothea shared sweet romantic words to each other (though awkward) and cuddled in bed. When it had gotten too dark, the two parted ways, with Byleth taking her leave from Dorothea’s bedroom. By the time they woke up, Dorothea found herself staring in unfamiliar territory.
She was in Byleth’s room. A glimpse around told her that Byleth was nowhere to be found. The young lady had panicked as she had no recollection of what led her to the professor’s private quarter. It didn’t help that the instant she slammed open the door, Edelgard was in the midst of knocking on the wooden barrier. Seeing her classmate dressed in nothing more than undergarments invited a full red makeover of the noble’s face. Steam wafted from the top of her head as Edelgard excused herself from the premise.
It didn’t take long for Dorothea to figure out what sort of unintentional message was conveyed… and she didn’t appreciate it.
“Edie gave me these strange looks, you know!”
“It’s not my fault that I’m stuck inside of your body now.”
The opera singer shrugged in conjunction with Byleth’s thoughts. True enough, Dorothea was not only forced to deal with the flustered Edelgard whenever they made eye contact, she nearly got a heart attack when her mouth started moving on its own. It took a solid five minutes for Dorothea to believe in Byleth’s words, originally thinking she was possessed by a ghost.
“Ugh, and you saw everything when I had to get dressed!”
“Um… this isn’t the first time I’ve seen you naked though.”
“T-That’s—” A deep blush tainted her cheeks. “What are you trying to say?!”
“I still don’t understand what’s the embarrassment. We’ve seen each other naked when we were—”
“STOP RIGHT THERE!” She slapped over her own mouth, muffling Byleth. When her girlfriend stopped trying to talk, she removed her hand and quickly added, “That’s different! You really need to work on your social skills, you know.”
“People tell me that all the time.”
“And I think you should listen to them.”
“Father doesn’t have a problem though.”
“Captain Jeralt is… different.”
Dorothea shook her head and rubbed her temple. This is such a hassle. As much as she loves her teacher, this was inconvenient for the two members, especially when it came to more… sensitive and private matters. Then, she felt her hand slid down to her chin, cupping it. A faint hum slipped past her lips. Dorothea watched her control slip out of her reign as Byleth began to take their leave from the library. Their search— or rather, Byleth’s search, was fruitless. Not a single booklet contained the information they needed about their definition of bodily fusion.
“Oh, Dorothea, I want to talk to you.”
Byleth stared at the person speaking to Dorothea right outside of the hallways. She retracted her hand and observed the speaker through her girlfriend’s vision. It was a male guard. Though unlike the Gatekeeper that the professor has come to know and like, this one was a little rough on the edge.
“You still haven’t responded about the date.”
Her eyes widen. Okay, maybe he was more than rough around the edge. Byleth could feel Dorothea bubble from within her chest in order to regain control of her own body. Yet she didn’t allow it. There was a powerful force that pressed the host away from the panel. Dorothea resisted the temptation to exclaim. It’s unfortunate that their fusion didn’t allow the transmission of thoughts between each other. Though on second thought… It might be for the best. There are some things Dorothea prefers Byleth not to know and vice versa.
Dorothea was forced to remain silent as Byleth… crossed her arms. She almost wanted to slap herself on the forehead as the student rarely, if ever, would do so. It wasn’t part of her routine! Regardless, this professor’s habit went unnoticed as the guard approached them. Byleth narrowed her eyes. He was taller than them.
“I hope you understand that I’m already in a relationship.”
“With who?”
“Do I need to tell you?”
He clicked his tongue. Despite the blunt answers, his persistence stayed. The young man took another step forward, closing their distance to an uncomfortable degree. Dorothea nearly gagged when she felt his breath tickle her nose.
“Actually, you don’t need to. However, it wouldn’t hurt to go out with me just this once, right? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”
“SHE would mind.”
“Oh…” Byleth’s glare didn’t scare him away. The response she provided had fueled his next reply, making him sound even worse than he already did from the beginning. “She wouldn’t know how a man treats his lady. Let me teach you, yeah?”
Dorothea nearly took control of her body by sheer instinct when his hand snaked around her waist. From the distant, it would appear as though he was ready to meet their bodies together, his lips yearning to touch for hers.
“Can you stop!?” the student vocalized her objection. “Leave me alone!”
That didn’t budge him. Byleth widens her eyes and felt… a rush of emotions she has rarely felt: fear.
It’s clear that there was no consent between the two. Not that it lasted long anyway. Dorothea quickly took partial control and slapped him. But her ownership did not last long, the older female taking it away like previously.
Byleth hadn’t knocked his hand away. She kneed him. Hard. The guard instantly pressed against his abdomen and felt the wind knocked out of him. She didn’t let up, her elbow came crashing down onto his back. This forced him down onto the ground with a loud slam. As he groaned, the professor stared at him. If looks could kill, she would have murdered him ten times over.
“Since you pose a danger to her, I’m going to make sure you’re removed from the monastery.”
“H-Her?”
She didn’t answer. Byleth turned her back towards him and, to their luck, spotted Caspar and Ferdinand. One flick of her wrist was all it took to bring them over.
“Take care of him,” she mumbled and walked away. “I don’t want to see him ever again. Make sure he stays away from everyone.”
Ferdinand and Caspar had plenty of questions for Dorothea. Just what happened? However, the youngsters had their hands full with pulling the man up. Though the scenario was unclear, what was clear for sure were the outcomes. They know their comrade enough to heed her words. After all, Dorothea would never lie when determining how bad an individual is. She was never off the mark either.
“Byleth…”
“…”
Byleth had stepped back from the wheel and allowed Dorothea to regain full motor skills with her own body. The songstress curled and uncurled her fingers. She called out to her girlfriend again once they were in the safety of Dorothea’s bedroom.
“Byleth…?”
“…”
“…”
The brown-haired sat on the edge of her mattress when Byleth finally spoke up, alas in a small whisper.
“That man is disgusting.”
“I know, right?”
“I can’t believe you deal with this every day.”
“It’s normal.”
“Normal? I don’t want it to be normal.” She felt her grip ball into a tight fist. Oddly, her eyes became watery, Dorothea feeling her heartache from Byleth. “I’ve never felt so angry.”
“I could tell.”
“I… I don’t want this to happen to you anymore.”
“I would love that.”
Just because it's happened so many times doesn't mean she's gotten used to it. There is no "getting used to it" anyway. This sort of situation always invites disasters and trauma. History of men and women that proposed and attempted nonconsensual activities back during her opera era were always in for a beating. Yet that fear never went away. If she was unable to protect herself or if Byleth wasn't present... What would happen? Dorothea shook those hypothetical scenes off, her attention fully set on Byleth. This situation wasn't only affecting Dorothea.
Byleth bit the bottom of her lip.
“Just… why? Why would they do that to you?”
“My dear Byleth, oh, how much I want to hug you right now.”
Dorothea wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, even more tears falling from her eyes. Byleth was always publicly known as the Ashen Demon. Not a lick of emotions would be expressed. To be frank, it had worried everyone in the monastery. Some students and staff hardly paid attention to this part of the professor. Others, especially Edelgard, Mercedes, Raphael, and Dorothea, were concerned about it. They didn’t know if Byleth was repressing them or if she was actually THAT emotionless.
Turns out moments like this proved otherwise. Behind closed doors, Byleth would cry to herself, having no one other than her father to consult. Sometimes her father wasn’t even helpful, Jeralt either out of the monastery or his perspective was unhelpful for the situation. Dorothea felt her chest ache again, its impact doubled as she resisted the temptation to hug herself.
It was a mixed reaction as control wildly shifted back and forth. Comforting Byleth made her look silly on the outside. She was wiping her own tears and giving the occasional pat on the arm. Soft hushes ushered the poor adult to her normal state, her silent cries coming to a cessation.
“I’m sorry to show you that side of me," Byleth finally voiced, though it somewhat cracked. "I shouldn’t act this way.”
“Don’t be so uptight, professor,” Dorothea smiled. “I’m always here for you… just like you do for me.”
“Mhm…”
The rest of the day was spent in leisure within Dorothea’s bedroom. Since Byleth was physically absent, the Black Eagle’s lectures were canceled for today. It was safe to say that Rhea, Seteth, and Flayn were desperately calling for a search party to find the teacher. All three house leaders were forced to partake in the mission themselves. As for the other students, they were responsible for keeping their eyes peeled on campus.
Nightfall descend upon the land… and morning occurred before the two. The search results were futile. Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude returned exhausted after staying up all night with the soldiers and scouts. Jeralt himself was a bit frazzled for having lost his daughter. All participants, excluding Edelgard, hurried back to their dormitory for their long-desired sleep. (Thank goodness it’s the weekends too.)
Dorothea rose up from the bed, rubbing both her eyes. She yawned and dropped her hand on top of Byleth’s bareback. The songstress turned to the naked professor and— Wait a minute… Whatever drowsiness the student was inflicted with vanished without a trace. Dorothea blinked a few times at the sight of her sleeping instructor.
“…”
She leaned forward to get a closer look.
“Zzz…”
“Oh my gosh, we’re separated!”
Jolly, this is wonderful! This couldn’t be a dream, right?! The opera singer pinched her own cheeks, leapt off from bed, and ran to the bright windows. It was real alright, and the outcome was exactly what she wanted. Questions about the abrupt fusion from yesterday lingered in her mind. Yet those could be searched for later. Right now, she has to wake up Byleth and tell her about the good news!
Dorothea heard a few knocks on the door. Her ecstatic state rendered her capability to critically think to a lesser degree than normal. The young lady opened up the door for their guest.
There stood Edelgard… and Edelgard’s features were… completely red. Unlike yesterday, she rooted herself by the entranceway and coughed into her fist.
“D-Dorothea… I… um… wow, I’m surprised you’re not cold in those undergarments.”
“Under— Oh… Yeah, I don’t sleep with my clothes on.”
“…Anyway, I just wanted to stop by and let you know that we have yet to find the professor— !!!”
The redness that discolored her friend’s face darkened in its shades. Edelgard lost her ability to speak. Dorothea wasn’t sure what the cause was until she glanced over her shoulder.
“Is there something you need?” Byleth asked, her figure going full commando from behind the songstress, blanket just covering her nether region. “I’m sorry I was out of commission yesterday.”
“DOROTHEA…………………..”
‘ Oh goodness… I have a feeling I know where this is going… ‘
“Don’t tell me that the reason our professor went missing was that you were having… sex with her?”
‘ GOD DANG IT. ‘
Dorothea viciously shook her had. “N-NO! W-W-What kind of conclusion— Why— How did you—”
“I mean…” Edelgard motioned to the naked ex-mercenary. “She doesn’t have clothes on… and you don’t have most of yours on either… like yesterday… in her room…”
“#$@&%!!!"
"I know you both partake in these nightly activities... as Hubert and Ferdinand do... but I've never seen the professor out the entire day. You... didn't do her THAT hard, did you?"
"%#$@!!!!!!”
Meanwhile, Byleth tilted her head from behind, unaware of where the conversation was leaning towards. Common sense didn't apply to the warrior. If she casually joked about "night crawling" to Dorothea... there are already problems. Dorothea got down on all four and frantically tried to explain their situation to their house leader.
Least the fusion issue was over with. Sothis shortly stopped by to tell Byleth she accidentally screwed up their inner dynamics and, well, just happened to transcend Byleth into spirit form and inhabit Dorothea’s body. The short female earned a bop on the head from the professor. A very strong one.
As for Edelgard… Dorothea and Byleth found themselves in an awkward relationship with her. Edelgard can’t seem to see them in the eyes anymore…
"Is something the matter?" Ingrid questioned her girlfriend during lunchtime. The two sat right outside of the Mess Hall, their private meals shared with one another. As she took a bite from a slab of meat, the knight lightly elbowed the noble. "Did you both get into a fight?"
"...hardcore..."
"Excuse me?"
"...sex."
"El, just what is going through your mind?"
#loyalflutist#fire emblem#fire emblem three houses#dorothea#dorothea arnault#byleth#f!byleth x dorothea#byleth eisner#f!byleth#byleth x dorothea#fan fic#fan fiction#fanfic#fanfiction#one shot#oneshot#os#byletheaweek2019#day 3: fusion
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The week in review:
Raw 10/19
NXT 10/21
NXT UK 10/22
Smackdown 10/23
Hell in a Cell 10/25
Raw:
I’m here to give Alexa credit once more for making me give a shit about the Fiend. I do like his entrance, especially without a live crowd.
What a visual... them standing together hand in hand.
I love that they kept the monitors set on the graphics for this segment. No offense to the audience, but seeing them would’ve ruined this.
Amazing transition from Fiend and Alexa to the next segment/match. Major points.
Still a vicious elimination to Lacey by Natalya.
I intend to take this title match as seriously as wwe has - not within a football field of giving a shit. I know how this entire angle ends anyway (preemptive welcome back, Queen) but let’s watch it through. See how this face turn worked out for Lana.
Asuka really is insanely fast, I’ll give her that.
Great rollup attempt by Lana (shades of Nattie/Alexa), great counter by Asuka into the Asuka Lock, and great job to Lana for grabbing the ropes. Points.
I’m sure this is all rehearsed, but Lana obviously puts in the work. Do I think she’ll ever be a singles champion? Absolutely not, but at least she isn’t complacent.
Is it the tables? Is that what led to Lana turning face?
This was good for Asuka. This was good booking. She didn’t look like a chump giving Lana offense, and she looked both strong and smart post-match. Solid.
By that logic, ShaNia owns NXT’s division as well. Just saying.
Really wish they’d nix the “Mandy” intro.
Stop I never wanna hear Peyton’s theme again, plz.
So they really never did explain why Peyton and Lacey became a thing? Mk. They seem like genuine friends, it’s just too bad they aren’t a compelling tag team in the ring. Would much rather watch Sexy Muscle Friends, ngl.
Hi I like Riott Squad and have no problems with them theoretically being in this match, but why the fuck are they still here lmao. Go to SD.
This better get longer than 10 mins, there are way too many women here for y’all to rob them of time.
It’s nice to see more women give a shit about tag team wrestling/becoming a cohesive unit.
Lacey just cuz you can do a moonsault off the apron, doesn’t mean you should. That was dicey. Fine, but dicey. There’s a reason Charlotte goes up to the top turnbuckle when she does it to the outside (not that I’m suggesting that incredibly high risk spot but I’m js)
Wish Lacey wasn’t so wooden. Wish she was more trusting and flexible like Charlotte.
I’d bet anything Mandy and Dana actually could suplex Nia. Let them try.
Good break up by Shayna. Protect Dana and Mandy’s finisher. Also that was a WICKED knee strike by Mandy.
Everyone’s gonna get a move in now huh. Le sigh.
NICE interrupt again by Shayna, girl with the good timing.
Fair ending. How long was that? 5 mins to the second lmao. Mk, wwe. Mk.
Welp Alexa is officially on Firefly funhouse. Good. Now we get to blur some lines and have a bit more fun with her character.
Highlight: Asuka looking like a dominant champ without squashing Lana
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NXT:
Rhea Ripley #1 in nxt, these are the facts. She’s literally gone through them all. Throw her up to the MR, lesgo.
Watching her handle Charlotte and Piper is so impressive. Beast.
“Gone against Bianca Belair and Shayna Baszler,” so got squashed by Bianca and Shayna lmao. Hey, everyone’s got a role I guess. I remember when Alexa was enhancement talent that did a 450 splash and blew glitter all over the stage.
I don’t understand how Ember was wiped out after doing a mere roll off the ropes. It seems like a work since Jessi didn’t react and continued on as if she scored some offense (she didn’t) but that was a nasty landing on Ember’s lower back. Weird.
One count off an uppercut bahahaha
“You done messed up now,” Ember exclaims, after flipping off a fucking snapmare. I liked her better when she had no personality and just wrestled amazingly.
Is Ember a heel now? She’s acting like a heel. Why is she doing submissions? Why is she talking so much trash? Why is she so arrogant? Not a fan.
A springboard back elbow drop? Intriguing, Jessi. Intriguing. Points.
Jessi was too quick for Ember’s (now slow) setup into her codebreaker out of the corner. I’m gonna watch Charlotte vs Ember from 2019 after this, Ember was a lot quicker and cleaner - also cuz I miss Charlotte.
Yeahhh Ember used Jessi’s hair to pull her head back so she could do a crossface. She’s either a garbage babyface, or a heel.
Welp Dakota just turned babyface. Jeeze she be looking fine too. 10 points.
Dakota should be mad. She bumps like a motherfucker for every person she faces, and she made Ember’s botchy moves look amazing. Sucks she had such a stinker against Io, but there’s no way Ember should be rated higher than Dakota rn.
Interesting to note that Dakota came out on her own, as opposed to bringing - or even sending - Raquel.
Why does Xia have to win? Is there a kf contract that’s riding on her victory? Why is a random ass match against Kacy the biggest match of her career lol
Also this interviewer is gorgeous. Eyebrows on fleek, beautiful eyes and flawless hair.
*The Garganos prepare to Spin the Wheel* No.
Love Kacy’s speed. Always a joy to watch in the midcard.
Oh holy shit Kacy won, I did not see that coming. Where we going with this Xia stuff?
Xia gonna single handedly wreck both Kacy and Kayden?
WHY IS RAQUEL OUT HERE? What the fuck did Kacy and Kayden do to Raquel lmaooo
Commentator said Raquel sees Rhea Ripley in everyone she looks at. I say that’s the weakest explanation ever. Y’all just trying to find any reason to give her screen time, and this ain’t it.
“She’s sending a message to Ripley,” RHEA DON’T FUCKING CARE ABOUT THESE BITCHES. Also she’s like 3x the size of all of them lmao what?
“And next week? At Halloween? Havoc?” Girl stay backstage with your promos.
I don’t know wtf the wheel is, but I absolutely loved that segment with Io.
She’s such a special attraction to me. I miss her when she’s not on, and she’s so under saturated that I never get tired of seeing her.
Highlight: Segment with Io
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NXT UK:
Man I really like Nina’s theme song.
After seeing last week’s fucking wrist lock marathon, this aggression is such a breath of fresh air. Not really much of a match, as it a brawl... but that’s perfectly fine lol.
Ahh Nina’s a runner? Interesting, I wouldn’t have guessed that.
Not a fan of Amale’s boots with her gear. Pressing stuff, I know.
Lol thought Nina was about to do a dis-arm-her. Man, I miss Becky.
Nina is a bit awkward with her transitions, I’m noticing.
Beautiful landing of the back body drop by Nina. Practically a swan dive.
Amale did such a lackadaisical pin attempt, and then could barely muster the strength to kick out of one. Ma’am isn’t the worst, but with as green as she is, she should be limited to 3 min sprints.
Seems to be a popular complaint I have with UK, they get gassed insanely easy. wwe needs to build a pc over there or something.
Final Act is a really weak finisher, but considering the speed, I will give points for the way Nina holds her opponent’s neck forward. We like to see performers protecting their partners from getting whiplash.
Love Nina’s voice. Love her whole shtick tbh.
She wants Piper? *sigh* okay. Should’ve just done a tournament to determine KLR’s next opponent, but whatever.
Highlight: Nina’s backstage interview
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Smackdown:
lmfao Bianca’s reaction to being slapped. Ahhhh she’s funny.
Jeeze fucking tossed Zelina across the ring.
oof that speed by Bianca after flipping out of the hurricanrana. Whew.
Bianca straight threw Zelina into the air just to punch her in the throat lmao.
So this match was literally just “watch [Bianca] shine now” aye rep those lyrics, girl.
Confession: sometimes I fangirl over Bayley’s demeanor. She got BDE and you know what? Good for her, good for her.
Points for the chair, Bayley.
“[Sasha is] an ungrateful brat” you know... kind of accurate.
Tbf Bayley, Sasha’s name kind of is bigger than your title, cuz she’s kept herself as an A+ superstar for like 4 years without holding gold. That deserves respect and recognition. That’s a woman keeping solely her name relevant without even being champion. Now in all fairness, I think all 4 of the horsewomen are up to that standing now, but let’s give credit where it’s due.
Sasha deserves to be champion in a meta sense, this is a fact, but man her character is so unlikeable. Like Bayley is a coward and an absolute tool but she still comes off as more genuine. A face turn for Bayley will be so easy. Not asking y’all to rush it wwe, but I’m just saying.
“Just give me the title back and we’ll talk about it,” Bayley says, as if she won’t grab that shit and bolt out of the arena.
Oh that was such a good set up to the spot with Bayley caught upright in the chair. I saw that screenshot months ago, but watching it be set up makes it so much better.
Ma’am I feel like being physically forced and coerced into signing a contract automatically makes it null and void, but hey this is your universe, what do I know.
Vicious - Bayley falling over with a fucking chair wrapped around her neck. Whew what a bump.
“Go help her Cole” LMFAO legit the last person in the company that would come to Bayley’s aid. Good line, Corey. That was a great promo and segment. Mega points.
Highlight: Go home segment for Bayley & Sasha
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Hell in a Cell:
Kind of a weak video package for this feud, ngl. They didn’t bother with the Raw women’s championship, didn’t bother with 2019, Raw 2016/2017, nxt... Closest we got were a couple 2 second clips/screenshots.
By definition, this feud has to be one of the biggest disappointments in recent memory. It had the potential to blow Becky/Charlotte out of the water, and didn’t even enter the same stratosphere. Shame. This is a perfectly fine feud in a vacuum... until you remember it’s fucking Sasha and Bayley. Okay I’ll stop beating a dead horse.
If Sasha were a real babyface, she’d drop that awful Snoop remix.
Sasha looks amazing. Love the contrast of Sasha wearing white and Bayley wearing black. Gonna miss Bayley’s old gear though.
Love Bayley spray painting 1-0 on the chair, since we all obsessed over Sasha’s shitty record ahead of this match lmao.
This feud just never picked up that mountain of tension Becky and Charlotte had at Evolution I’M SORRY.
Why can’t everyone do a headscissors takedown as fast as Sasha can.
Such an innovative way of utilizing a table and the cell to deliver a meteora. POINTS FOR SASHA *applause*
So I like the concept of Sasha rolling under the table and pushing it up into Bayley, but the landing of the table near Sasha’s head made me uneasy. I like the concept of Sasha rotating her body on the apron before jumping straight into a meteora against the cell, but the way she landed against the LED was awkward. The ideas are there though.
Cool watching Sasha jump from the apron to scale the cell, then back to the apron, then jumping over Bayley onto the floor. She’s like a rabbit. I’m underselling this tbh, like 95% of the women in the company can’t do the things Sasha can do.
OOF at Bayley being dropkicked into the steps. What a landing.
At this point, I don’t even want to see a women’s hiac match unless Sasha’s in it, or at the very least has a hand in producing it. Ugh she’d be an amazing match producer, whew.
Ugly landing through the kendo stick onto the steps by Sasha. That’s a spot that would’ve received an audible gasp from a live crowd.
OOF a sunset flip powerbomb into the fucking cell. oof. rip Bayley.
OOF a sunset flip into the fucking chair. oof. rip Sasha.
Positive on Bayley’s botched kendo stick/tape spot: lends credence to how inexperienced Bayley is with handling weapons in kf, and Bayley did a great job vocally improvising - probably earned herself points backstage. A negative: what a disaster of a spot lmfao. Should’ve had it already created and ready to go beneath the ring, or used a broomstick/crutch for the spot instead. Having people handle tape mid match is stupid. Wasn’t Bayley’s fault, but the crowd would’ve shit all over that lesbireal.
If you’re a specified Sasha fan, you’ll probably deem this the greatest match of Sasha’s career, cuz my god did she look amazing in it (and she actually won) but if you’re not, I’ll tell you, they did not do a good job making Bayley shine at the end of her historic reign imo.
Sasha bout to have a breakdown. Good acting.
This match lacks cohesion. Very spotty, but most of the spots are fucking incredible, so it gets a pass.
I like the ladder on the chairs.
Sasha jumping off the set up ladder to do a meteora in the corner was nice. Sasha using a fucking Bayley to Belly onto the ladder was beautiful.
Sasha looking like she wants to cry. Man she’s amazing.
BEAUTIFUL counter out of the Bayley to Belly by Sasha; dropped Bayley into the chair to set up her Bank Statement inside the chair.
Mega points for that single chair being the center of their entire feud, as the rivalry began and ended with that chair. Bravo there.
That’s it, Bayley’s reign is finally over. This match’s review was hella long, but deservedly so. Extremely happy for Sasha. Took her 4 years on the MR giving people banger after banger before wwe trusted her with a legitimate title reign, but we’ve finally made it.
Highlight(s): Both sunset flips by Bayley & Sasha against the chair & cell, respectively
---
*hiac blew everything else out of the water by default thanks to Bayley vs Sasha, but both Raw & SD were very enjoyable to me this week as well.
#wwe#issa review#feel free to ignore these#cuz who tf cares lesbihonest#today's props goes to:#sasha banks
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DECEMBER 2020
PAGE RIB
Peace!!
*****
Joe Biden is the President elect with Kamala Harris as VP. Emily Murphy of the General Services Administration has finally allowed them to begin the transition.** A. Blinken will be the new Sec. of state. By the end of the month, Joe feel while playing with his dog and has a hairline fracture.
*****
Ken Burns is working on programs about LBJ, The American Revolution, the Buffalo and more.
*****
The airlines got a $50billion bailout then laid off $90,000 people.
*****
A bill has been introduced in congress that will reduce animal experimentation. Let’s hope.
*****
A 10- 12 ft. Metal Monolith was found in the Utah desert. By the end of the month, it was gone and another showed up in Romania.
*****
Come Away is a film that combines Wonderland and Neverland.
*****
John Mulaney has joined Late Night as a writer.
*****
Johnny Rotten was bitten by fleas on his penis after taking in some squirrels.
*****
American story: Impeachment, about the Clinton scandal is coming with Sarah Paulson, Clive Owen, Beanie Feldstein and Annaleigh Ashford.
*****
Price Wallace asked Mississippi to secede.
*****
Charles Koch and friends are filling the coffers of Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue in Georgia. Let’s remember that these candidates opposed the $ 1,200.00 stimulus. They outsourced their businesses to foreign workers.
*****
Brett Favre owes about 1.1 mil to Mississippi.
*****
An FCC complaint was filed against Mark Meadows for using campaign Pac $ for personal expenses.
*****
Johnny Depp lost his libel case against the Sun and the abuse complaints by Amber Heard were found to be credible.** Warner Bros. has cut ties with Depp but they will pay his full salary.
*****
Carly Hughes has left American Housewife due to a possible toxic environment. Julia Butters has also left and creator Sarah Dunn was sidelined.
*****
IHOP is on the way out.
*****
Lindsey Graham is the guy in the spy thriller or heist movie who double crosses everyone to save his own skin. –Barack Obama
*****
Castle Rock was cancelled.
*****
Sarah McBride of Delaware is the first openly Trans senator.
*****
Five more states have legalized weed.
*****
What is with all the CoverGirl product placement on Riverdale?
*****
Oh how I miss the sea captain on Seth Meyers!!
*****
Amal Clooney has received the 2020 Gwen Ifill Press freedom award.
*****
I can’t wait for Linoleum about a failing kids show with Jim Gaffigan in 2 roles, Rhea Seehorn and Tony Shalhoub.
*****
An example of the way Fox news helps to keep the public in the dark. A person I know who gets all their news from the station mentioned that she wished the news would inform us about Covid. She never hears much about it. I told her that other news talks about it all day every day. She was shocked . ** We can see why this country is so unhealthy when so many will not listen to science and Dr.’s even as this virus rages on.
*****
A report said that Stephen Miller wanted to end or modify birthright citizenship in the second term.** Mike Flynn represented Turkey back in the day and was pardoned for Thanksgiving with the Turkeys. You can’t make this shit up.** Trump said that he knows whether or not he will attend the inauguration but isn’t going to tell us. He really is emotionally stunted.** Scott Atlas is out.
*****
Trump has sued America but he warned us. How much executive overreach do we have to put up with??** SAP, the Save America Pac, or $ for the President is newly formed and gives about 20% to the RNC. The rest?**Word was that Rudy was trying to take over complete power, a coup within a coup. Scary Clown thought that Rudy was making him look bad. Oh my. And Sydney Powell .. Well, The Trump Presidency has really brought mental illness to our attention. ** It seems the recounts just seem to make Biden’s lead bigger. **C’mon news media, enough about the official President of those who hate manners. It is time to shift focus to real issues. The less coverage, the sooner we can move on, not forget but move on.** Let’s hope that this is the apex of the conspiracy mania and the better, calmer angels start to take over!!
*****
Super Intelligence is coming with Sam Richardson, Jean Smart and Melissa McCarthy.
*****
Gabourey Sidibe is engaged to Brandon Frankel.
Doctors without Borders have come to help us.** Moderna’s vaccine was funded in part by Dolly Parton with her donation to research at Vanderbilt University. Emory U and the National Institute of Allergy and infectious Disease helped too.
*****
Regina King directed the new One Night in Miami about Muhammed Ali, Malcolm X, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke.
*****
Look for Stardust with Marc Maron.
*****
Hooray for the pig in the fire video and hooray for the woman who was watching him online and saved him.
*****
Lisa Gordon- Hagerty, head of the Nuclear weapons agency has resigned. **Defense secretary Mark Esper is out. ** Barr ordered the DOJ prosecutor to investigate the election and Richard Pilger resigned.** Top US climate scientist Dr. Michael Kuperberg is out.** Top defense Dept intel official Joe Kernan resigned. Chief of staff to the defense secretary, Jen Stewart resigned.
*****
A 449 page report on sexual allegations against the Catholic Church commissioned by Pope Francis is out. Well known in the 90’s, Theodore McCarrick was not defrocked until 2019. We now know that Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict knew about allegations and promoted him anyway. Francis claims he presumed things had been dealt with until the archdiocese of NY told him different.
*****
What’s this about a massive arms transfer to the United Arab Emirates?
*****
Hooray for Kim Ang, the highest ranking woman in baseball.** And hooray for Sarah Fuller, the first woman to play in a power 5 college football game.
*****
There are over 81,000 sex abuse claims against the Boy Scouts.
*****
Hooray for Space X and NASA, even though with all that is happening, there wasn’t that much coverage.** Victor Glover is one hot astronaut.
*****
Jordan Peel will bring his next horror flick to us in July 2022.
*****
R.I.P. Eddie Hassell, Charles Gordon, Caro; Arthur, Elsa Raven, Alex Trebek, Bert Belasco, Gordon Joseloff, Ken Spears, Lawrence Clayton, victims of the Westhaven Veterans hospital explosion, Viola Smith, more Covid victims, Geoffrey Palmer, David Dinkins, Norm Crosby, Art Wolff, Jerry Hewitt, Ryan Brady and David Prowse.
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Things are definitely heating up in the WWE. Three very solid shows this week as we rev up to the Royal Rumble. Returning stars are definitely making their mark as we see The Big Show for the first time in two years, showing up on Monday Night RAW to help out Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe against Seth Rollins and the Authors of Pain. Plus, we get The Usos back in the ring on Smackdown as well as a helping hand by John Morrison to The Miz.
.@RealRobertRoode is BACK and he is laying waste to @WWERomanReigns and The @WWEUsos with #King @BaronCorbinWWE and @HEELZiggler on #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/i0DpasX040
— WWE (@WWE) January 11, 2020
Robert Roode is back from his 30-day Wellness Policy suspension, taking out Roman Reigns with help from King Corbin and Dolph Ziggler. You can see all the factions forming which should make a very interesting Royal Rumble later this month in Houston.
NXT continues to build on its very strong end to 2019 and start to 2020. With NXT TakeOver: Portland up next, we get a pair of matches confirmed as Finn Balor will tangle with Johnny Gargano while NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley will take on the winner of January 15th’s battle royale. It also looks like Daddy’s coming back for Goldie as Tommaso Ciampa is still looking for NXT Champion Adam Cole.
Add in an historic announcement from WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and we’ve got a lot to talk about.
But first, don’t forget, there’s a special LIVE from across the pond this Sunday on the WWE Network. Get your wrestling fix in before the NFL doubleheader later in the day.
NXT TakeOver: Blackpool II – Sunday, 12pm (EST) on WWE Network
WWE United Kingdom Championship: WALTER vs. Joe Coffey
NXT UK Tag Team Championship (Ladder match): Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) vs. Imperium (Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel) vs. Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) vs. Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster
NXT UK Women’s Championship: Kay Lee Ray vs. Toni Storm vs. Piper Niven
Trent Seven vs. Eddie Dennis
Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin
"Remember kids, snitches get stitches." – @WWEBrayWyatt #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/0G6QL7LSMV
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) January 11, 2020
Star(s) of the Week: The Fiend and Daniel Bryan
Kudos to the biggest feud on Friday nights for continuing to make their storyline move forward while also connecting the dots for the new audience on FOX that may not know of their past. By uniquely reminding us about Bryan’s past with joining Bray Wyatt’s family six years ago and The Fiend’s attempt at a Bryan makeover, the story is in the details. Plus, this week, a few killer lines. Bray’s “We love you – not you Daniel – we love the Fireflies.” Then, later, as Ramblin’ Rabbit is about to give Bryan the secret to beating The Fiend, Wyatt covers his mouth and declares “snitches get stitches.” Love it!
RAW
RESULTS
US Title Match: Andrade defeated Rey Mysterio, Jr. to retain title
Raw Tag Team Title Match: The Viking Raiders defeated The Street Profits & The O.C. (Gallows and Anderson) to retain titles
Erick Rowan defeated KJ Orso
AJ Styles defeated Tozawa
Drew McIntyre defeated No Way Jose
Aleister Black defeated Shelton Benjamin
Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, & The Big Show defeated Seth Rollins & AOP (DQ)
What we loved:
UNPRECEDENTED.@HeymanHustle just announced that #WWEChampion @BrockLesnar is entering the Men's #RoyalRumble Match…and he's doing it as the No. 1⃣ ENTRANT! #RAW pic.twitter.com/CzDfsQjkyD
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2020
Brock’s #1 – What a way to start the year for the WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar. Not only does he declare for the Royal Rumble, but Paul Heyman says he’ll start the match at #1. That just screams for numerous WWE superstars to meet an early exit by way of the Beast come Houston. What also screams out if for a surprise entry to take the Beast out somewhere in the match to set up a huge match at WrestleMania!
"I CAN BEAT YOU, ALEISTER!" – @WWE_Murphy #RAW pic.twitter.com/Kal5wtfFTT
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) January 7, 2020
It’s not over – When Aleister Black beat Buddy Murphy last week, we thought maybe it was over and done between the two. Yet, after Black squashed Shelton Benjamin in less than 3 minutes, Buddy Murphy returned to reignite the feud. And we are damn happy he did! Now, we can look forward to more brutal physicality between these two in what are becoming must see matches in 2020.
What’s in the cage – Are we finally going to see what’s in the cage? Mojo Rawley got an eyeful, something he’ll never forget! I for one am looking forward to Erick Rowan revealing it once and for all!
Take THAT
@WWETheBigShow has KNOCKED OUT @WWERollins on #RAW! pic.twitter.com/0NAgDcYexS
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2020
The Big Show – Welcome back after nearly two years of inactivity on the main roster, Big Show. It’s always good to see him and yes, he was a surprise we all didn’t see coming.
What was just ok:
Lana and Live, the follow-up – After an epic wedding one week ago, the “honeymoon” wasn’t all that great. So, we get a lot of talking between Lana, Rusev and Lashley to set up a match this coming Monday on RAW, but left out was Liv. Not until the next segment’s backstage segment did we even see or mention Liv Morgan, teasing that she might be in Rusev’s corner next week. That one could’ve been done better. Needed another face-to-face with Lana there, IMHO.
What we didn’t like:
Really, Rey? – Didn’t we already do the Rey Mysterio, Jr. loses the mask gimmick back in WCW thanks to the NWO? And of course, again in 2009 in the WWE by Chris Jericho? I’m glad he got the mask back the same night, but home it doesn’t head into a mask vs. title match in the future.
Fist Fight Match – After The Big Show’s return in the main event eventually led to a disqualification for Seth Rollins and the AOP, we get a fist fight rematch between the six this week. Huh? OK, we get that Show has a big punch, nailing Rollins down for the count. But now we get all six battling in fist fight rules? Is it first one down by a punch? Will Show, the easy favorite in this one, stay true or turn on Owens and Joe?
NXT
RESULTS
Candice LeRae, Rhea Ripley and Toni Storm defeated Bianca Belair, Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Match 1st Round: Imperium defeated The Forgotten Sons
Austin Theory defeated Joaquin Wilde
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Match 1st Round: Undisputed Era defeated Gallus
Mia Yim defeated Kayden Carter
North American Title #1 Contender’s Match: Keith Lee defeated Cameron Grimes, Dominik Dijakovic, & Damian Priest
What we loved:
NXT is #1 – Pound for pound, and it’s not even close, NXT delivers the most in-ring action each and every week. For that, we are thankful. With two very good Dusty Rhodes tournament matches this week along with the opening spotlight on the women’s division and ending with Keith Lee becoming the #1 contender to the North American Title, it’s two hours of pro wrestling at its finest in 2020. Well done.
.@RealKeithLee is the No. 1 contender to @roderickstrong's NXT North American Title!#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/O3clKz8afv
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 9, 2020
Keith Lee – With a tag-team pinfall victory over Roderick Strong already in his back pocket, we were glad to see Lee gain a one-on-one shot at Strong’s title coming up in two weeks. Lee’s been on fire the past three months and we’re hoping a title victory is coming soon!
Finn vs. Johnny – So, if Johnny Gargano, or Johnny Promo as Finn Balor would call him, can get cleared, we get these two battling at NXT TakeOver: Portland. Can’t wait to see that one.
#WWENXT @ImChelseaGreen @RobertStoneWWE pic.twitter.com/tPbH0raITl
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 9, 2020
Intrigued:
The Robb Stone Brand – So, Robb Stone’s a manger and has Chelsea Green as his first client. Is this the next stable in NXT about to form? And will it be a coed one at that? Questions abound and that’s good. Keep us guessing Robbie E!
Meh:
The start of NXT – For a moment or two, I thought I was watching Monday Night Raw. What started off as a show opening talking promo, a staple of RAW unfortunately, between Rhea Ripley and Toni Storm, we got superstar after superstar added in until we of course got a six-woman tag-team match. Very RAW-like creative there. Lucky for us, it was a damn good match with the faces going over. Hopefully, it’s just a one and done for that type of start to NXT.
SMACKDOWN
RESULTS
The Miz defeated Kofi Kingston
Mandy Rose defeated Alexa Bliss
Lacey Evans vs. Sasha Banks – never started Banks not there – Bayley & Lacey brawl backstage
Non-title match: Braun Strowman defeated Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura
The Usos vs. Dolph Ziggler & King Corbin – ended in DQ win for Ziggler & Corbin
What we loved:
WHAT'S IN THE BOX, @WWE_MandyRose?! #SmackDown
pic.twitter.com/nfAEK7LhXH
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) January 11, 2020
Mandy’s sorry – Otis and Mandy are simply one of the best things going on Friday nights! The “I’m sorry” cake Mandy made for Otis after letting Dolph Ziggler squash his Momma’s fruitcake over the holidays was a so sweet, awwww moment. Now, granted it was a little odd with Otis and Heavy Machinery walking to the ring with the cake, interrupting the match between Rose and Alexa Bliss, distracting Bliss to give Mandy the victory. But it moves the story forward. You have to wonder what Sonya Deville thinks of all this, right? Keep it going guys! Can’t get enough!
The Miz and Morrison – Thank you for not John Morrison for not letting The Miz not forget his “bad day” and get more shots at The New Day. With a flip off the top rope to nail Big E, Morrison lets The Miz get his revenge on Kofi with a skull-crushing finale pin fall win. Up next has to be a tag team match between these four which is will mean more good days for all of us in the WWE Universe. But first, we get Big E vs. Morrison next week on Smackdown.
The Fiend vs. Daniel Bryan – Stars of the week says it all! Poor Ramblin’ Rabbit!
Huh?
Braun Strowman vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – Don’t get us wrong, we’re happy for Strowman for getting the non-title win over Nakamura. What we don’t get it, is that Cesaro brought a chair in the ring, Sami Zayn brings Nakamura the I-C Belt to use and the ref sees it all, never calls for a DQ as Strowman avoids a head shot and gets the pin. On RAW, we get a double-team of The Big Show and the bell rings for a DQ. Double standard much, WWE?
Parting shots:
It may have been short and sweet between WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and Asuka this week, but it was effective. Becky showed doubt then strength, knocking out the current tag-team champ with a quick right hand. Looking forward to see what Asuka brings to the table next.
AJ’s a thief! Yes, that was AJ Styles doing a middle-rope DDT and an RKO Monday night. Will Randy Orton counter with a calf crusher or a top-rope forearm? Doubt it, but I do know that The Viper will have SOMETHING!
And finally, Alex Shelley will be on NXT as Kushida’s tag-team partner in the Dusty Rhodes Classic against The Grizzled Young Veterans. Yes, it’s a Time Splitter reunion in Shelley’s debut at Full Sail. That’s my friends, is must-see TV!
Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots and Red Sox fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND!
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The week in review:
Raw 09/28
NXT 09/30
NXT UK 10/01
Smackdown 10/02
Takeover 31 10/04
Raw:
*bell rings*, *Asuka runs straight at her opponent*, *gets punched once by some weak ass looking shot*, *collapses uselessly* PPPFFFFTTTTTTTT
I hate that elbow kick off thing Zelina does. Becky used to have a hold like that in nxt. Hated it then, too. Awful.
That hurricanrana where Zelina fell on her ass, though. Wow. Okay.
Is it just me that thought the modified grounded octopus took awhile to cinch in? That was in for so long lol.
Why are women barely jumping for these german suplexes lately?
Omg that one-armed suplex by Asuka was great.
That kickout by Asuka was incredibly well done. What a perfect stretch with perfect timing. Zelina even tucked the left arm. Points.
Oh nice didn’t know Zelina could do a moonsault. And right onto the knees so the Asuka lock can be set in. Nice. Good ending.
That was better than their Clash match, and Zelina showcased different things, even if I wasn’t a fan of some of it.
Ah the debut of Mandy and Dana as a tag team.
I really like Lana and Nattie together.
Oh wow decisions that make sense and are building toward something. What alternate universe have I stepped into? Please bring back GMs and stop being so lazy, please.
I really don’t understand why they moved these women like weeks before the draft.
Alright let’s swap momentum... it’s time Dana gets some comeback before tagging Mandy.
That full 180 flip Mandy did to Lana was really cool. Not sure if Lana was meant to land on her left knee or flat, but I think it was supposed to injure her left knee. Beautiful.
Points to Lana for the kickout, negative points to Nattie for jumping in after the three.
I wish Dana had hit a bigger move against Natalya at the end.
The pump knee strike by Mandy was a little messy, I would’ve ended it with her other finisher instead. Good match though. Glad to see Dana and Mandy pick up some sort of momentum, especially on their Raw debut.
Also good for Lana not having to go through the table for a week *applause*
Mandy is fine on the mic. It’s not awful, it’s not super compelling; totally serviceable. Dana though... always comes off like she’s acting rehearsed lines or reading off a script.
Nice transition into the next segment. Quarter point.
Whether I like the Bianca video packages or not, it’s always a pleasure to hear her song.
LOVED the incorporation of the hurdles. That’s what I want to see, that shows me an actual challenge. I have no doubt in her strength or speed; I in fact do believe she’s the strongest and the fastest. They just aren’t showcasing that right lol. Give me something more convincing. Girl was jumping over fucking hurdles, that’s convincing.
Highlight: Dana & Mandy vs Lana & Nattie
---
NXT:
Shotzi has too long of an entrance imo.
Dakota Kai is such a spoiled little shit lmao. She’s so annoying. Big fan.
Really didn’t like Shotzi trying to do her ballpit line so early. I really wish she didn’t take so long to set it up as well.
Wow I hate that submission move Shotzi, I’m sorry. Dakota sells it like death though, so she gets a point.
Dakota’s style is way too fast for her to play a slow, methodical heel in the ring.
A one count lmao ballsy. Love Dakota’s reaction too.
Such a fan of Dakota’s selling.
Chicken wing german suplex into a pin? That was beautiful Shotzi, I agree. Great near fall.
A common complaint I have with women - even on the main roster - is how they go to do like a spear halfway through the ropes just to set up some counter to their move (kick, a pump kick, the rope hangup Bayley does, Charlotte shooting through the middle to roll you up) and that’s fine, but it’s always easily telegraphed. Step up please @ everyone.
oof that landing by Dakota; hit her face right on Shotzi’s knee.
What does Dakota call that kick, Scorpion or something? On the apron? Awesome stuff.
Holy shit that... flipping backdrop - (?) I don’t even know what to call that - on the apron was amazing, but holy shit Shotzi that landing was terrible. The concept is there but man you might wanna practice/modify that one a bit more.
Cool Rhea came down to fuck with Raquel, distracting Dakota, but the rollup was weak. Also weak that Rhea merely pushed Raquel into the steps once before walking back. Good match though.
Stalemate after a bunch of pin attempts with zero offense. Could live without these spots tbh.
Very close range kick, could’ve been set up far better.
Li rolls out of the ring, heel 101.
Kacy you can’t just yell at Kayden to get up lmao plz.
This is the first time I’ve seen any personality from Xia Li.
Ballsy one counts, what’s with the one counts tonight lmao.
Kacy is a bad cheerleader, just getting that out there.
I love that roll through + side kick combo Kayden does.
Whoa idk how Kayden pulled that win out of her ass, but good for her. I can see this is pushing Xia deeper into frustration every loss. Won’t complain about it, love to see Kayden win. Good, short match. A rollup works here.
Highlight: Dakota vs Shotzi
---
NXT UK:
I love Xia Brookside’s music, but not with her or her entrance.
Now Jinny’s entrance/wardrobe/demeanor matches her music.
Sure Xia Brookside’s rolls were quick, but I’m not understanding why she rolled sideways lmao it’s like Link in Zelda.
If you’re not going to add an actual crowd or monitors, get rid of the hairdryer fans. If I can’t see them, and more importantly they don’t exist, then I don’t want to hear them.
Too many wrist locks. Also refs getting involved for no logical reason, just so the heel can take advantage, is annoying.
That back drop onto Jinny’s knee was ugly, hated the collapse. Took the impact out of it for me.
Nasty Irish Whip, points to both.
Nice flip off the hurricanrana.
Botched monkey flip. Perhaps Jinny didn’t think there was enough room for her to comfortably land; had she went for it and tucked her legs she definitely would’ve been fine. Feel like that was an amateur mistake, plenty of women would’ve just sold it with their legs getting caught up.
That was weird. Xia Brookside goes through all that trouble just to make sure she hit the monkey flip, just to lift Jinny’s head so Jinny could punch her. Weak.
Kick out was sloppy.
Xia Brookside is gassed and isn’t even doing any offense. Or selling. This match is odd. This would get booed on the MR.
Jinny stops to talk too much while wrestling. Obviously stalling. The dialogue isn’t even good for all of that noise.
Whatever. A match I could’ve lived without.
Lmao bow down? Queen of NXT UK?? Girl.... uh uh. Nah nah nah Go sit down.
Highlight: There was an Irish Whip into the corner that looked impactful
---
Smackdown:
Alexa’s pyro was better timed than last week, but it could use improvement. This is important to me damn it.
You know Alexa, my spine feels cold and my body goes numb every time I smoke my weed. Has anyone asked this girl if she’s on drugs? Could just be drugs.
Kevin/wwe, I don’t need you to tell me she’s brainwashed. WE CAN SEE that she’s brainwashed. This has been escalating for like... 2 months lmao.
The hairdryer crowd being piped in kinda ruins this. This is set up like a scene from a horror movie and the noise is taking away from it. A live crowd probably would’ve stayed silent for her, you could’ve lessened the mass effect.
Love how she just sits there watching Kevin pace around. That’s good. She’s good. Love how Kevin knew she was calling to the Fiend with that line. That’s good. This is good.
She sits there poised and unafraid, yet intrigued with him. Like his queen.
The power of this angle and the fate of it succeeding lies solely on Alexa and her selling of it. If she doesn’t sell this or believe in it, or fucks up once, it shatters the entire mystique. Man I’m a huge fan of this story rn.
Glad I didn’t bother guessing who this mysterious woman was. The glitz and glamour has got nothing compared to the moonwalking, trashtalking, Princess of Staten Island.
Love the rainbow on the polaroid camera though.
Decent enough promo but that music was awkward.
Why did y’all make Sasha just stand out there shifting her feet staring at the hard cam lol.
This is all solid Sasha but like Bayley already admitted all of this lmao.
Yes, we know you saved her title like 15 times, we ALL agree with you.
I actually like the emotion written all over Sasha’s face that comes across as ALMOST awkward.
What I don’t like about this feud: Sasha’s still an asshole, and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to buy her as a babyface in like 3 weeks. She has the sympathy vote in a meta sense, sure, and I’ve been saying I want her to run SD on her own since November 2019, but that doesn’t mean she’s automatically a babyface within kf. Also annoying that they haven’t had a brawl that ends on equal footing, via interruption by officials or something. Also not sure how much I buy the character of Bayley being “too scared” to come to SD. If I could’ve gotten a quick interview by her, even if it’s her leaving the arena just as she finds out Sasha has arrived, that would’ve tied this together better.
Why she still staring at the hard cam lmao. Walk away. Leave. Make your exit. Alright whatever.
Highlight: Alexa becoming the Fiend’s queen
---
Takeover 31:
Man true, I forget Io has beat both Charlotte and Sasha this year. What a big year for her.
Love how this entire “arena” is set up, but my covid-paranoia does not approve.
Lol that one single guy trying to start a chant, goodbye.
BEAUTIFUL corrected monkey flip by Io
The attempt at the springboard by Candice was there. Could’ve been cleaner.
Good transition having Candice counter Io into a backstabber in the corner, cuz that offense was taking way too long to set up.
Commentator attributed Candice being slow in the beginning because she’s sad Johnny lost. Tired of the Garganos being tied to each other.
Why is every female heel on every brand dragging people’s eyes/face across the ropes all of the sudden?
It was not a nice move, she needs to stop doing her poor woman’s version of Natural Selection. Done.
Y’all are losing me, give Io some momentum plz.
Every single heel wants to go slow and methodical. Ridiculous. Where’s Sasha.
This was not paced well, ESPECIALLY compared to their first match. Their first didn’t breathe enough and was a sprint with not enough selling, but it was still really good. This is paced on the complete opposite spectrum. And not good.
Io has the best dropkick in the division, especially when you consider how safe her landing is for her own body’s longevity.
Totally no sold that powerbomb, Io. That’s a yikes.
Lmao Io kicked out of Candice’s springboard moonsault. Haha.
Got a meteora, 2 backstabbers, and a crossface... again, where’s Sasha???
Lmfao 2 ref bumps and a fake referee. GOD I HATE HOW WOMEN’S MATCHES ARE BOOKED THIS YEAR. The first bump didn’t even look legit.
Io took a title shot to the face yet kicked out, and y’all out here calling Becky “Cena” for kicking out of a chair shot to the midsection? Annoying.
I’m now convinced Charlotte has the best Spanish fly in the entire women’s division.
Rich having Toni do a promo directly aimed at Io, considering Toni beat her to win the MYC. Also rich how unbothered Io seemed lmao.
Ahhh the nxt women’s champion that should’ve won her title by defeating Asuka. We remember her well. Injured herself chasing the 24/7 title back when they were running the Becky/Charlotte vs Sasha/Bayley feud. Good times.
Highlight: Io’s theme song
---
*NXT shined the brightest out of all the other shows, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t give major props to specifically Alexa Bliss.
#wwe#issa review#feel free to ignore these#cuz who tf cares lesbihonest#today's props goes to:#alexa bliss
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It seems like the WWE is much like the Holiday season for most of us these days. We’re all rushing around trying to meet a thousand different masters, some good, some bad and not always succeeding at mastering any of them. But, at the end of the day, we all will arrive on Christmas hoping for the best that everyone likes what we’ve given them enough to celebrate a wonderful with family and friends.
So, with that, we can easily divide the three WWE shows into the naughty, nice and Santa Claus categories.
On top, leading the way as Santa is NXT. While not playing in front of the same crowd numbers or audience, the product itself easily outdoes its mainstream counterparts on a weekly basis and this week is no exception. Two unbelievable championship matches from Adam Cole vs. Finn Balor and Shayna Baszler vs. Rhea Ripley highlighted by a returning fan favorite in Johnny Gargano show that NXT is getting really good at delivering those “moments” while continuing to bring solid, in-ring quality throughout the show. And to boot, NXT beat AEW in the ratings this week in both viewership and the coveted young demo for the first time. That’s something surely to hang their hat on and build on there.
Smackdown is our “nice” show. There’s enough there each week to keep us happy but still not enough there to break it into the out-of-the-box stratosphere. We expect more now that it’s on broadcast TV but it has yet to deliver anywhere near the viewers – 4 million – it did in its debut show. I will give them credit though this week. A better show from start to finish. Unfortunately for them, with the holiday weekend starting, it may not get reflected as such in the ratings.
What can we say about RAW? What was once the “A” show has now declined into a show that out of the three, is the one you could miss each week without not missing much. That’s something I would’ve never thought especially after Paul Heyman was put in charge of it. We need more attention, more personal development so that we can get that emotional payoff. Storylines, good ones with a touch of reality would go a long way. Rollins and the AOP could be the start of something good, so let’s see where it goes.
The good thing, just like in wrestling itself, is that things can change at the drop of a dime. So, in the spirit of the season, we wish all three shows a Happy Holiday Season ahead and lost of Season’s Beatings with good tidings ahead of the new year coming in.
She stands tall above the rest.
#WWENXT #NXTWomensTitle #AndNew @RheaRipley_WWE pic.twitter.com/afnm69A0C0
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) December 19, 2019
STAR OF THE WEEK – Easy choice this week and yes, we go chalk. Kudos to Rhea Ripley on her first NXT Women’s Championship. A shooting star has now landed and taken over NXT.
TLC PPV
RESULTS
Humberto Carrillo defeated Andrade
Smackdown Tag Team Title Ladder Match: Champions The New Day defeated The Revival
Aleister Black defeated Buddy Murphy
Raw Tag Team Title Match: Champions The Viking Raiders vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (double count out)
TLC Match: King Corbin defeated Roman Reigns
Non-Title Match: Champion Bray Wyatt defeated The Miz
Tables Match: Lashley defeated Rusev
Women’s Tag Team Title TLC Match: Champions The Kabuki Warriors defeated Becky Lynch & Charlotte
What we loved:
New Day, Great Start – Applause to both The New Day and The Revival for kicking off TLC in grand style with a ladder match that left both teams strong and made sense.
Action packed Aleister – Just as he’s done on Monday nights, Aleister Black continues to deliver a fast-paced, action-packed match. Black and Murphy kept the emotion and physicality from the ladder match brought it up a notch.
The Fiend vs. Bray Wyatt vs. The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan – Yup, a four way out of a single match. That’s well done my friends. After a more serious-looking match from The Miz that saw him take the clean defeat, the mind games continue with Wyatt being told by The Fiend to finish The Miz off with a giant, clown-like mallet only to see Bryan return, more clean shaven than in the past thanks to The Fiend’s clippers a few weeks back, to take out Wyatt. It’s not the last we’ve seen of this four-way I’m sure and that’s good for the entire WWE Universe.
What we didn’t like:
All downhill – After the first two matches, TLC simply fell flat. Starting with a double count out (seriously, a double count out on a PPV?) from The Viking Raiders and Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson to the en masse beatdown of Roman Reigns to a lackluster Tables Match from Lashley and Rusev complete with spots that simply looked out of pace to the TLC main event from The Kabuki Warriors and Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair that spent way too much time out of the ring, it just didn’t connect. Why was the Women’s Tag Team Title Match the main event in the first place? That made no sense to me. There was more intrigue in the Bray Wyatt vs. The Miz match, which while the match itself was nothing to write home about, the finish with Wyatt being confronted by The Fiend on screen led to a clean finish over The Miz and the re-emergence of a clean-shaven Daniel Bryan. That to me seemed more of an emotional connection to end a show than the women’s tag match that just seemed to meander through 20+ minutes and Asuka’s claiming of the belts at the finish. Now, kudos to Kairi Sane for taking some insane, concussion-inducing bumps, but the match as a while didn’t resonate.
The end – Why did we need to have a restart of the en masse brawl between King Corbin, Roman Reigns and what seemed like the entire locker room during and after the women’s match? Did we really need 30 more seconds to close the show? Not me. Consider me as one who is bored with Reigns vs. Corbin and we’ve been saying that for weeks. Corbin’s a great heel, but the feud is just going nowhere. Cut the losses and move on instead of doubling or tripling down.
RAW
RESULTS
Non-Title Match: The Good Brothers defeated RAW Tag Team Champions The Viking Raiders
Erick Rowan defeated Dante Leon
US Title #1 Contenders Gauntlet Match: Ended in no-contest when Andrade stretchered Humberto Carrillo (Akira Tozawa defeated R-Truth, Ricochet defeated Tozawa and Matt Hardy, Humberto Carrillo defeated Ricochet, Carrillo vs. Andrade went to no-contest)
Asuka defeated Deonna Purrazzo (submission)
Randy Orton defeated. AJ Styles
What we don’t get:
Proposals, Gauntlets, #RKO's outta nowhere and more…
These are your top ten moments from #Raw. pic.twitter.com/tQbQNzXpEO
— WWE (@WWE) December 18, 2019
Common sense – I thought with Paul Heyman in charge of RAW on Monday night, we were supposed to get better storylines, creative development and the details being more paid attention to. Yet, instead of that, we continue to get Erick Rowan’s cage with no payoff, a no-contest to a six-man gauntlet match that sees both Humberto Carrillo and Rey Mysterio, Jr. get punked out and many segments to Seth Rollins and the AOP. Please WWE, I’m begging you, please stop starting every non-NXT show with a person standing in the ring droning on and on for 20 minutes just to set up the night. It just makes me change the channel because they’ll be replaying it three of four more times over the next 2.5 hours. Heyman’s better than this product is delivering on Monday nights. Outside of Carrillo’s push and Rollins returning to a heel character he should’ve never left, what do we have? It seems like RAW is a show that’s lost its identity and not sure which way it should go. With the Royal Rumble and the road to WrestleMania about to begin, it’s high time they discovered their way again and do it fast, especially since this Monday’s RAW is already in the can having been taped last week.
Matt Hardy – We’ll say it again, Hardy deserves better. Just listen to the WWE Universe, they actually booed when Hardy lost to Ricochet. What does that tell you! Ricochet’s one of the top faces in the company and the crowd still isn’t happy. Listen to the Universe my friends! Remember that credo announced earlier this year by Stephanie McMahon and Triple H? It seems like they have not.
What we liked:
Wedding anyone? – Not that we love the Lashley-Lana saga being drawn out any further, but we do love a good wrestling wedding on TV! Can’t wait for the destruction and Lana’s tears coming in this one! BTW: I’m with CM Punk – put Lashley and Rusev together against Lana and a new young stud team to start the new year!
NXT
RESULTS
NXT Title Match: Champion Adam Cole defeated Finn Balor
Damian Priest defeated Killian Dain
Cameron Grimes defeated KUSHIDA
Io Shirai defeated Santana Garrett
Pete Dunne defeated Travis Banks
NXT Women’s Title Match: Rhea Ripley defeated Champion Shayna Baszler
What we loved:
Untouchable. Unbeatable. Undisputed.#AdamColeBayBay #UndisputedERA #AndStill pic.twitter.com/xMiN8fzCaX
— Adam Cole (@AdamColePro) December 19, 2019
Everything! – Honestly, not a damn thing to not like about this show. From start to finish, just an enjoyable show with hard-hitting action, a surprise return in Johnny Gargano and an absolute thrilling feel-good moment to end the show with Rhea Ripley becoming NXT Women’s Champion for the first time. Now, that’s saying a lot especially when you figure the show didn’t feature Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee or Matt Riddle.
His past is back.
This time… in the form of a FURIOUS @JohnnyGargano!!!#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/gwgoySpLqr
— WWE (@WWE) December 19, 2019
Welcome back Johnny – I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to see Johnny Gargano until 2020 and just when you thought Finn Balor was about to become NXT Champion again, Mr. Gargano changes the game. A look, a nutcracker and a cradle by Adam Cole and the new twist is here. BTW: awesome line by Mauro Ranollo sneaking in the anniversary of The Nutcracker in there after Cole’s nut shot on Balor. So, not only do we have a reason to see Balor vs. Cole again, but we certainly have Balor vs. Gargano to look forward to as we begin the new year. And again, it wasn’t forced. It all felt seamless.
All Hail the New Queen – We’ve been telling you for weeks that Rhea Ripley is truly a superstar in the making. Well, after defeating one of the baddest MF’ers on the planet in Shayna Baszler, Ripley has the gold to prove it. And talk about the way she does it! Ripley absorbs an assault from Baszler’s henchwomen – Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir – and turns what look like a championship retaining submission into a top rope stunning reversal and an avalanche riptide for the title! To boot, the NXT crowd fills the ring to make a special moment even more inviting. Kudos new champ!
Solid. Solid. Solid. – Week in and week out, it’s generally the in-ring performances that keep NXT at the top of the Wednesday night chain for me. This week, it’s even more important as Damian Priest, Io Shirai and Pete Dunne built a solid bridge between the epic title matches that kicked off and finished the show. Truly, it’s what turns a good show with some great moments into one of the most memorable shows of the year from start to finish. It’s also something that makes NXT stand out from RAW and Smackdown where silliness and things that absolutely make no sense seem to be more common place than not.
SMACKDOWN
RESULTS
Miracle on 34th Street Fight: Heavy Machinery defeated The Revival
Carmella defeated Sonya Deville
Non-Title Match: Smackdown Tag Team Champions The New Day defeated Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura
Non-Title Match: Smackdown Women’s Champion Bayley defeated Dana Brooke
Lacey Evans vs. Sasha Banks went to a double count out
The Miz & Daniel Bryan defeated King Corbin & Dolph Ziggler (submission)
What we loved:
NEXT WEEK on #SmackDown, a Triple Threat Match between @WWEDanielBryan, @mikethemiz and #King @BaronCorbinWWE will determine who will challenge #TheFiend @WWEBrayWyatt for the #UniversalChampionship at #RoyalRumble 2020!https://t.co/t9JfsYg2Ld
— WWE (@WWE) December 21, 2019
A triple threat treat for The Fiend – So, not only do we get The Miz and Daniel Bryan as contenders for The Fiend’s Universal Title, but after Friday night’s Smackdown, we get King Corbin added into the mix. For the final Smackdown of 2019, it’s a #1 contender’s match for The Fiend’s opponent at the Royal Rumble. Beautifully done to slide Corbin off of the Roman Reigns feud and onto the main event status. Corbin’s a perfect foil as the top heel on the show to face-off with his counterparts. Plus, when you add in Dolph Ziggler, you’ve got so many combinations to fuel the fire. All of that was fully evident in their tag team match and a final laugh from The Fiend to close the show.
We feel ya kid, we feel ya. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/C4cyB1QqJK
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 21, 2019
Lacey Evans, One Teed-Off Mama – A couple of weeks ago, we made Lacey our Star of the Week for bringing that personal touch to her feud with Sasha Banks and Bayley. This week, after saving Dana Brooke from a two-on-one attack, we get the next step as Sasha taunts Lacey’s daughter, enraging Evans and igniting a fire to this confrontation. We should plenty of Lacey, along with Brooke vs. Sasha and Bayley over the next few weeks.
Merry Christmas, @otiswwe! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/MqnzqeuGK0
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 21, 2019
Otis and Mandy – Heavy Machinery is just wildly entertaining week in and week out both in and out of the ring. Now, add in the sexy Mandy Rose (oh Mandy! – sorry couldn’t refuse all you Barry Mannilow fans!) to flirt with Otis (and his ham) is a juicy story we can sink our teeth into.
Braun’s next step – It’s been teased for weeks and now it looks like we’ll finally get Braun Strowman taking on Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. His save of The New Day to take a shot at Nakamura is a perfect way to kickstart a title run for the big man. Let’s see if it’s a slow burn or a quick shot for Strowman.
Addition by subtraction – Noticeable by his absence is one Roman Reigns. To me, that’s a good thing. It’ll help us forget the forgettable match at TLC and help him move on to whatever is next for The Big Dog.
What we didn’t like:
Carmella vs. Sonya Deville – Why only 90 seconds for them? Carmella danced with The New Day for longer than that. Deville’s talent is getting wasted at the moment. If they can’t use her right on Smackdown, I’d love to see Deville in NXT as an addition to Shayna Baszler’s team to take out Rhea Ripley.
Sheamus’ vignettes – There needs to be another layer to these vignettes. It’s the same thing week after week. I’d rather see Sheamus build up the roster rather than the tired “no one on Smackdown is any good” line of smack. It’ll be interesting to see who he physically attacks first.
Parting thoughts:
Food for thought – are we headed towards a surprise Rhonda Rousey entry into the Royal Rumble?
Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots and Red Sox fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND!
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It’s here. WrestleMania 36 Weekend! I hear it’s an event too big for one night!
So, no, not exactly the WrestleMania that we all envisioned a few months ago, but then again, our lives are very different now than they were a few months ago with the emergence of the on-going coronavirus pandemic.
Instead of a capacity crowd of nearly 70,000 fans in Tampa, we’ll now get a two-night WrestleMania based out of the Performance Center in Orlando in front of no fans and hosted by former Patriots and now WWE Superstar Rob Gronkowski.
With the card already reportedly taped, it’ll be interesting to see how the WWE lays it out over the two nights. With a pre-show staring at 6pm each night on the WWE Network, FS1 and various social platforms, the main card is expected to run anywhere from 7pm – 10:30pm according to the programming schedule on WWE Network. This year, fans will also be able to order the event on Fox Sports PPV and App due to this week’s deal with FOX.
We’ll get into our predictions for the event in a bit, but first, a quick look at how we got there this week with RAW, NXT and SmackDown.
RAW
RESULTS
Aleister Black defeated Jason Cade
Kevin Owens & The Street Profits defeated Seth Rollins, Angel Garza & Austin Theory
Asuka defeated Kayden Carter
Replay Matches:
WrestleMania 35 – Becky Lynch wins RAW/Smackdown Titles over Ronda Rousey & Charlotte Flair
Survivor Series 2019 – Brock Lesnar defeated Rey Mysterio, Jr.
You’ve done it now, @AJStylesOrg. You’ve gone and made a big mistake…#Undertaker awaits the #BoneyardMatch at #WrestleMania.#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/EswqJfcRqX
— WWE (@WWE) March 31, 2020
What stood out most of all on Monday night’s RAW was this – the promos, the storyline, the emotion. Finally, we got to really feel and hear WHY The Undertaker wanted to take out AJ Styles. It was more of the American Bad Ass than the Dead Man himself with some colorful language (i.e. “ass clowns”) when referring to The OC! Loved it!
.@HeymanHustle has a POWERFUL message for @DMcIntyreWWE when it comes to challenging @BrockLesnar for the #WWEChampionship at #WrestleMania!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/bIxGgieLjT
— WWE (@WWE) March 31, 2020
Also, Edge and Paul Heyman, as per usual, knocked it out of the park when setting up their respective matches with Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre. These are two matches in particular that really will get hurt by no fan interaction. The reaction to what we think will happen would’ve been HUGE!
Austin Theory replaces Andrade in the tag team title match due to Andrade’s “rib injury.” Nice spot for the kids in WrestleMania debuts for all involved in the RAW Tag Team Title match with The Street Profits.
Becky Lynch got attacked by Shayna Baszler to send one last message before WrestleMania and also to serve as a receipt for last week’s chair shot by The Man. It’s a good way to even things up headed into the PPV.
Finally, I wonder if, by replaying the Winner Take All match from Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey that they may be teasing a potential Rousey return by reminding us of that shaky 3-count pin by Lynch. Things that make you go hmmmmm…
RAW was the stand out show this week!
NXT
RESULTS
The Velveteen Dream defeated Bobby Fish
Dexter Lumis defeated Jake Atlas
2nd Chance Gauntlet Match for NXT Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Ladder Match: Dakota Kai defeated Deonna Purrazzo, Xia Li, Kayden Carter, Aliyah and Shotzi Blackheart
Kushida defeated Joaquin Wilde
NXT North American Championship Match: Keith Lee defeated Dominik Dijakovic and Damian Priest to retain title
.@Shotziblack throws caution to the wind as she looks to outlast @DakotaKai_WWE in this HIGH-STAKES #GauntletMatch on #WWENXT! pic.twitter.com/vGNBcpZxdP
— WWE (@WWE) April 2, 2020
Overall, a solid show but nothing really standing out this week from NXT. It seems like they are just biding their time with NXT these days. The matches were fine with Shotzi Blackheart being the star of the night, almost going the full gauntlet before being taken out by Dakota Kai and shooting down her chance to win an NXT Women’s Championship Match against Rhea Ripley in the future.
We got follow-ups on Ciampa vs. Gargano and Malcolm Bivens new tag team plus the re-emergence of Dexter Lumis. Both were nice touches to keep the program moving.
But, to me, there wasn’t anything to really sink your teeth into. Again, we are in unprecedented times and now is the time to think out of the box and not stick to the norms. I would’ve thought NXT would be leading the way in WWE on this, but it just really hasn’t been there the past few weeks.
We did get another “kidnapping” though as the masked men captured Joaquin Wilde. Is this NXT’s version of The Dark Order?
When it's over, 𝑰𝑻'𝑺 𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹.
Blackheart vs. Rebel Heart: One Final Beat. NEXT WEEK. #WWENXT@JohnnyGargano @NXTCiampa pic.twitter.com/YcD4ZBanyi
— WWE (@WWE) April 2, 2020
Having said that, I can’t wait for Ciampa vs. Gargano. I hope it delivers next week! And yes, Killer Kross is still coming! Tick. Tock. Apocalypse.
BTW: Can this be the last time that Sam Roberts does commentary, please! Just not a big fan.
Speaking of not being a big fan, not overly thrilled at Keith Lee’s booking lately. He was such a big factor in the rise of NXT through the final few months of 2019 and then at the Royal Rumble. Not, it’s like he’s an afterthought in this feud with Damian Priest and Dominik Dijakovic. I just think they’ve missed an opportunity to capitalize on that momentum from the mainstream audience.
OK, my NXT rant is over.
SMACKDOWN
RESULTS
Triple Threat Match: Tamina defeated Lacey Evans and Naomi
Otis defeated Dolph Ziggler (DQ)
Daniel Bryan defeated Shinsuke Nakamura (DQ)
Replay matches:
WrestleMania 24 – Shawn Michaels defeated Ric Flair to end his WWE career (LOVE THIS MATCH!!! Amazing storytelling!)
Not quite the home run, go-home show to make me want to and yes, need-to watch WrestleMania this weekend.
BREAKING NEWS:@Goldberg will now defend the @WWE Universal Championship against @BraunStrowman at @WrestleMania. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/dYFgw40tek
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) April 4, 2020
Braun Strowman taking the place of Roman Reigns was just kind of thrown out there. No rhyme. No reason. Nothing. It was just thrown out there by Michael Cole after an Elias injury update and then hit social media. No mention as to why Roman Reigns is out. There wasn’t even an explanation on the WWE website during Friday Night SmackDown. Why can’t the WWE just be honest with us during this pandemic. Just face the reality with the audience. We can take it! Announce Reigns is out because he doesn’t want to compromise his body and the loved ones around him. It’s a story that people would relate to, yet the WWE just runs from it. I don’t get it at all! I just shake my head!
He's here. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/qmHYIbtlSt
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) April 4, 2020
Despite that, there were a few good things. John Cena’s promo that seemed more about the coronavirus pandemic – with its fear and panic – than about The Fiend was very good. Cool twist at the end too with the Firefly Firehouse friends surround the ring, The Fiend in the balcony and Bray Wyatt behind Cena.
Sonya Deville being the one behind Mandy Rose stiffing Otis on their Valentine’s Day date is a good plot twist. I wish they would use more of “The Truth Will Be Heard” than they do, especially in these crowdless days. They could really get creative as to the identity of the mysterious hacker. Let’s hope it doesn’t go down the road of the “anonymous RAW GM.”
"The truth will be heard."
A mysterious stranger reveals WHO really texted @otiswwe during Valentine's Day… @SonyaDevilleWWE! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/JsPRoJMTAS
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) April 4, 2020
I could’ve done without the DQ finishes in the Tucker vs. Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan vs. Shinsuke Nakamura matches, but the story really was told more after the matches with the Deville unveiling and the beatdown of Bryan. So, it’s ok.
With reports that The Miz didn’t take part in the WrestleMania tapings, you have to wonder how that will play out in the tag team title match. Who knows, maybe the WWE won’t even acknowledge him much like the Reigns story. At least we got a small brawl with ladders Friday night between the six competitors (The New Day, The Usos and The Miz & John Morrison).
Sorry to be a downer, but I’m really disappointed in the showing on SmackDown. A huge missed opportunity to grab a huge audience this weekend is out the window. Don’t get me wrong, people will watch WrestleMania, but there was a chance to make it more interesting and thus, a bigger crowd watching from home.
And now, for those promised predictions you’ve been waiting for…
Updated WrestleMania Card (as of 4/4/20):
WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar vs. Drew McIntyre
Universal Championship: Goldberg vs. Braun Strowman
Boneyard Match: The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles
Firefly Funhouse Match: John Cena vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt
RAW Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler
NXT Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair
SmackDown Women’s Championship – WrestleMania Fatal Five-Way Challenge Elimination Match: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Lacey Evans vs. Tamina vs. Naomi
Last Man Standing Match: Edge vs. Randy Orton
Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins
RAW Tag Team Championship: The Street Profits vs. Angel Garza & Austin Theory
Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley
Elias vs. King Corbin
Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn vs. Daniel Bryan
Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Ladder Match: The Miz & John Morrison vs. The New Day vs. The Usos
Women’s Tag Team Championship Match – Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross
Predictions:
Drew McIntyre wins WWE Championship beating Brock Lesnar
Goldberg retains Universal Championship over Braun Strowman
The Undertaker wins Boneyard Match as the American Badass over AJ Styles
The Fiend gets his revenge on John Cena in the Firefly Funhouse Match
Shayna Baszler beats Becky Lynch to win RAW Women’s Championship
Sasha Banks wins Smackdown Women’s Championship
Rhea Ripley retains NXT Women’s Championship over Charlotte Flair
Edge wins Last Man Standing Match over Randy Orton
Seth Rollins defeats Kevin Owens
The Street Profits retain RAW Tag Team Championship
Aleister Black beats Bobby Lashley
King Corbin defeats Elias
Sami Zayn gets disputed win to keep I-C Title over Daniel Bryan
Before SmackDown’s “The Truth Will Be Heard” segment, I thought Dolph Ziggler cheats to beat Otis keeping the feud alive. But now, I think they fast track Otis to the win.
The Miz & John Morrison retain SmackDown Tag Team Championship (will The Miz be there with his reported illness?)
Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross beat Kabuki Warriors to win Women’s Tag Team Championship
Parting shot:
Enjoy WrestleMania for what it is this year folks. It’s history for all the wrong reasons, but at least we can have a distraction for a few hours from the harsh reality that we are all going through as a Nation and as a World.
Stay safe and healthy my friends!
Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots (yes, even without Tom Brady!) and Red Sox fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND!
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It’s time to turn the page for the WWE.
FINAL #SurvivorSeries SCORE:#WWERaw: 1️⃣#WWENXT: 4️⃣#SmackDown: 2️⃣#WWENXT has officially TAKEN OVER #SurvivorSeries! pic.twitter.com/xJk259DDS9
— WWE (@WWE) November 25, 2019
After a very successful Survivor Series weekend for NXT, between NXT: WarGames and NXT’s win at SS, it’s time for both RAW and Smackdown to pick up the pieces. And with that, we get some brand new storylines, new faces and some old faces returning. All which should make for an interesting final PPV of the year & decade with TLC coming up in December.
A heel-ish Seth Rollins should be good for business on RAW, especially if he brings the Authors of Pain into his fold to start a new faction. Sheamus returning to Smackdown, along with more of Daniel Bryan vs. The Fiend, is intriguing. Will he partner up again with Cesaro or go it alone? Meanwhile on NXT, Finn Balor seemingly made his choice NOT to follow Adam Cole and The Undisputed Era. What comes next should define the next few months at Full Sail.
N-X-T spells VICTORY.@RheaRipley_WWE @shirai_io & @CandiceLeRae SURVIVE for #TeamNXT! #WeAreNXT #SurvivorSeries pic.twitter.com/QDkUTy98T2
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 25, 2019
Star of the Week – Rhea Ripley
Hands down, she owned the week leading up to Survivor Series and cemented this week’s award by playing the underdog and leading herself and Candice LeRae to a 2 vs. 4 win over Shayna Baszler’s team at WarGames. Then, just for fun, Ripley survived the Survivor Series in an NXT win over RAW and Smackdown in the women’s elimination match, taking out Sasha Banks for the victory. Size, smarts and the “look” will certainly elevate Ripley who looks the part on any stage she’s been put in these days. Well done!
RAW
RESULTS
Lashley defeated Titus O’Neil (DQ when Rusev interferes)
The AOP defeated Ryder & Hawkins
Andrade defeated Akira Tozawa
Buddy Murphy defeated Matt Hardy
United States Title #1 Contender’s Match: Rey Mysterio defeated Ricochet, Randy Orton, & Drew McIntyre
United States Title Match: Rey Mysterio defeated Champion AJ Styles
Asuka defeated Charlotte
Erick Rowan defeated Bartholomew Kickpads
Kevin Owens defeated Seth Rollins (DQ when AOP interferes)
What we loved:
The town hall meeting – What better way to make Seth Rollins the bad guy than to have the entire (well, not the ENTIRE – we’ll get to that below in what we hated), RAW roster walk out on him as he takes them to task for losing Survivor Series. Lest we forget Seth, Keith Lee took you out. Remember what they say about people who throw stones, right Kevin Owens!
Not a word, as it turns out…#StunOwensStun #RAW @FightOwensFight pic.twitter.com/EIZjeZc5gq
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) November 26, 2019
AOP – Closing the show with a cliffhanger as to whether the Authors of Pain will join Seth Rollins was a good choice. The AOP took out Kevin Owens but did nothing to Rollins leaving us to believe there’s a deal there to be made. Yet, will they follow through or be their own men without Seth? Stay tuned!
Asuka vs. Charlotte – Always a classic of top notch, elite athleticism. Plus, how could we NOT love Charlotte getting the green mist? The expression alone is worth the price of admission.
VIVA LA RAZA!
An emotional @reymysterio celebrated with his son Dominik after capturing the #USChampionship from @AJStylesOrg on #Raw. pic.twitter.com/gHAMeX2WXU
— WWE (@WWE) November 27, 2019
Viva La Raza – Rey Mysterio Jr. is a WWE Champion again. This time, defeating AJ Styles for the United States Championship. Surprising. Deserved. And who knows, maybe a springboard to the final chapter and bringing son Dominik along into the spotlight after the Brock Lesnar beatdown?
What we hated –
The town hall WITHOUT Becky Lynch – Where was Seth Rollins’ girlfriend to point the finger at? Becky lost too at SS. Shouldn’t she have been there too? She certainly wouldn’t have taken the venom Seth was spewing without interjecting The Man’s point of view, right? Or would she? Maybe she knew what Seth was going to do and wanted no part? I hope there’s a story there with that one. Something to keep your eye on, I think.
Matt Hardy’s return – While we loved seeing Matt Hardy return to Monday Night RAW, there could’ve been more done to further his character. Is another deletion on the horizon? Having him lose to Buddy Murphy is fine, but having him lose with nothing to it makes for a lost opportunity.
NXT
RESULTS
NXT Tag Team Title Match: Champions Undisputed Era defeated Keith Lee & Dominik DIjakovic (Roderick Strong subs in for injured Bobby Fish)
Mansoor defeated Shane Thorne
Candice LeRae defeated Dakota Kai (DQ when Dakota Kai uses knee brace)
NXT Cruiserweight Title Match: Champion Lio Rush defeated Akira Tozawa
Xia Li defeated Vanessa Borne
Finn Balor defeated Tommaso Ciampa
What we loved:
Sit front row. Get your system SHOCKED.@RealKeithLee @AdamColePro #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/qrYKfJLwMl
— WWE (@WWE) November 28, 2019
Holy Keith Lee – Mr. Lee continues to impress week in and week out. And now, talk about your moves to talk about. Lee sent Adam Cole flying right out of Full Sail, into the crowd and Bobby Fish right out of the tag team match with one humungous body block.
Balor vs. Ciampa – I was a little disappointed we got this one so soon without buildup and anticipation, but the match itself delivered. Give these guys a good 30-40 minutes though and they’ll really impress.
The Prince stands alone.@FinnBalor #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/iw291A7bmd
— WWE (@WWE) November 28, 2019
Balor vs. Cole vs. Ciampa – Way to swerve, Bay Bay! Just when Adam Cole thought he was bringing Finn Balor into The Undisputed Era, Balor pele kicked him straight out of the Balor Club. So, now we have Balor vs. Cole vs. Ciampa in so many shapes and forms to come over the next few months. The possibilities are endless with these three!
A live music video, anyone? – The open with a live performance by Josiah Williams, cut to highlights from WarGames and Survivor Series while the whole NXT roster celebrated was well done. Nice reaction from the crowd, who later disappointed, made it special as well. A moment indeed!
What we hated:
Full Sail – I’ve said once and I’ll say it again. NXT has outgrown Full Sail as a week in, week out venue. Sometimes, in such a small venue, the dramatic twists and turns lose some of the crowd appeal. I thought there was a bit of a disappointing reaction, short and sweet and understated, to Balor’s kick to Cole in the main event. If NXT’s going to be the hot brand that is on par with RAW and Smackdown, it has to be put in front or larger crowds on a more regular basis. They deserve as m
SMACKDOWN
RESULTS
Roman Reigns defeated Robert Roode
Mustafa Ali defeated Drew Gulak
Nikki Cross defeated Sonya Deville
Open Challenge: Smackdown Tag Team Champions The New Day defeated Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro
What we loved:
WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED?!? #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/fM1NvHCq8F
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) November 30, 2019
The Fiend vs. Daniel Bryan, part 2? – Multiple Firefly Fun House episodes on one Smackdown is a treat, a Thanksgiving Day after treat. Great stuff, right Huskus! Love the homage to all of Wyatt’s characters. Well done. Let him in Daniel! The YES movement is back and possibly with a new look after The Fiend was left with a handful of hair from Bryan’s own body!
Welcome back Sheamus – I guess The Fiend isn’t the only Smackdown superstar to get the red-light treatment! “Smackdown will be mine” says Sheamus. But who will he go after? Sounds like everyone. Let’s hope he delivers. Sorry Elias, Sheamus was cooler!
Welcome back Alexa – Awesome to see Miss Bliss return to the ring to save her bestie, Nikki Cross against Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose. Here’s hoping Alexa stays healthy for a bit.
What we hated:
"There are some lines you just don't cross when it comes to @WWERomanReigns." – @WWEGraves #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/E1YhhaRG8i
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) November 30, 2019
Reigns vs. Corbin continues – Not really feeling it. While Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode against Roman Reigns has some fun qualities to it, Baron Corbin’s feud with the Big Dog is lacking a certain something. Maybe some physicality will be added at TLC to light a spark or maybe to end the rivalry once and for all.
Lacey Evans back and forth continues – Heel. Face. Heel. Face. Can the WWE please decide what they want us to do with Lacey Evans. Love her. Hate her. I just don’t get it. Now, after all those failed attempts against Becky Lynch on RAW, Evans somehow now gets a chance at Bayley and the Smackdown Women’s Title. Sure, she got a 10-second chant from the crowd, but they’re fickle.
Always Fun:
The New Day – Whether it be an Open Challenge or just Big E and Kofi Kingston on the mic, they always deliver an entertaining segment or two each week.
Parting Thought:
Stay strong Mauro Ranallo! We hope we see you soon back where you belong, calling NXT!
Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots and Red Sox fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND!
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