WWE Musings

  Hello, Enthusiasts! How is this Monday treating you?   Well, did you catch Payback?   To be honest, it was a lot cleaner show than I was anticipating.   Though the creative issues are still there, WWE is at least making the most of what is working which couldn’t always be said in the past.   There’s still a lot of work to be done but for the first time since I’ve started watching again, it appears that they’re actually going to take a shot at doing it. So, there were some pleasant surprises at Payback, the most underrated of which was probably the opening match with Apollo Crews and Bobby Lashley.   This was the best display of wrestling for the night.   I suppose we shouldn’t be too surprised but I certainly wasn’t expecting Lashley and Crews to come out and set the tone but they did and popular or not, they established themselves as true forces to be reckoned with in the WWE Universe.   Kudos to them! Also, a little side play from Buddy Murphy continues to prove interesting.

How Goes It, Enthusiasts? Good I hope.   So, right into Payback are we?   Well, I’m not sure what the reasoning is but I suppose it doesn’t matter. As usual for PPVs, I’m not going to comment on every match but I will give my 2¢ on the ones I find interesting so, naturally, I feel I have to start with the Women.   Again, they prove to be a blatant display of a lack of creative direction.   All this talent and WWE has no idea what to do with it.   It is a shame but let’s see what comes to pass anyway.   The biggest indication of this lack of direction is how the 2 obvious Tag Teams aren’t in the hunt for the Tag Team Title. Proof again of how Popularity rules in the WWE Universe.   The IIconics and the remainder of the Riott Squad are in a shits & giggles match that apparently gets Kick-Off status as Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler are pasted together to give Bayley and Sasha Banks some people to fight with.   What is that all about?   Well, it shows you who’s popular is all.   Not k

Happy Friday, Enthusiasts! I hope it treats you well.   So, what’s circulating in the WWE Universe?    I found it interesting that Wade Barrett found his way back to the WWE halls.   One of the aspects of the WWE Universe is that it is strangely forgiving.   Those who have left often can return…that is if they did so under the right circumstances.   And even in those difficult cases, with the right amount of apology and humility even the most outrageous can be forgiven.   I think CM Punk is a prime example.   When he left it seemed as if someone could get fired just by saying his name, now he’s back on the payroll.   The WWE Universe is the land of many chances. In Barrett’s case, it looks like he’s helping out with kids in NXT.   We’ll see if he ever challenges Baron Corbin to get the King of the Ring Title back. As for tonight’s Fallout/Go Home Smackdown , we have Roman Reigns’ return to television to look forward to.   I’ll admit I am one of the many who have missed his presence

H ow Are You All Doing, Enthusiasts? Enjoy Summer Slam? Before we get into all that, let’s get the current WWE Universe news/rumors out of the way.   So, it looks like it’s official.   Renée Young is leaving the WWE for greener pastures and I have to say, we were lucky to have her for as long as we did.    Her sweet disposition and lovely form could easily charm anyone and I’m sure she’ll find success wherever she ends up.   Naturally, there’s speculation that we may see her on AEW, making it easier to maintain her marriage with Jon Moxley but personally, I think she can do better.   There’s word that FOX Sports may have some plans for her and I hope that’s so, FOX or ESPN.   She should do some real world work, really build her resume and once she’s done some fit for real Journalism, maybe we could again be so lucky to be graced with her presence.   May she find the best in her future endeavors. Now, let’s get into Summer Slam.   It was actually a solid show.   It was like 90% dece

  How’s It Going, Enthusiasts? You ready for Summer Slam?   Well, I have to say I’m curious to say the least.    There’s a lot in flux in the WWE Universe at the moment and that makes it hard to feel completely confident about the evening’s fare but, I’m sure they’re going to make a good go of it.   We’ll be watching to see if they manage to land on their feet.   So, as usual, I’m not going to comment on every match.    I’ll just focus on the ones that capture my particular interest.   Sonya DeVille and Mandy Rose get a pass given the circumstances.   It’s highly speculated that Sonya DeVille will lose the Hair vs. Hair Match so that she can properly recuperate from her traumatic home invasion.   She’s being quite the professional playing through.   So, that leaves Asuka doing double duty with the matches to focus on.   She’ll battle both Sasha Banks and Bayley to see if she can take a title off one of them.   I think it’s highly likely she’ll get 1.    She’ll probably win the matc

  A Good Friday to You, Enthusiasts! Here we are at the Go Home Show for Summer Slam and we have a new Thunderdome experience to look forward to.   So far, the reports appear more favorable than not so it may not be a total loss.   We’ll have to see if they make good use of it.   It’s quite clear there’s some “housecleaning” going on for WWE.   It may not be until next year that we can get a clear idea of how things are going.   Be patient.   These are indeed uncertain times. In other WWE News, well we’ve all heard about Sonya DeVille and the home invader.   Ghastly, but there are rumors going ‘round saying that DeVille’s guest was Mandy Rose.   I hope this isn’t true, only because it makes the whole thing come off like a work and I wouldn’t want to trivialize an actually grave situation.   News outlets are sticking to “a guest” but wrestling sites are spreading around it was Rose.   If it was, I hope they never confirm. Now, back to Summer Slam, it’s hard to say what to expect.

Happy Monday to You, Enthusiasts! How is everyone?   So, I got to get right to it and eat my words as my presumption about the WWE filming location change was incorrect.   What is supposedly going on is that the Amway Center is supposed to allow for COVID filming essentially.   Since a big part of the wrestling experience involves crowd participation, WWE is trying to find a substitute for no live audience.   To have affiliated parties serving as a stand-in crowd kind of defeats the purpose.    Who knows how paying customers will respond.   If you work for the company, you’re naturally going to play along as instructed.   It’s hard to get a genuine response.     The Amway Center will better allow for a “virtual experience”.   The WWE can better fabricate a “live experience” or at least an engaging one as we wait out the pandemic.   I’ll have to see what they come up with before I can comment.   Someone being out there currently is better than no one at all but if they can throw in so

  How Are You Doing, Enthusiasts? Hang in there, however you are.   It’s all we can do.   Anyway, there’s nothing too thrilling going on in the WWE Universe but a little morsel that is interesting is the new filming location for RAW and SmackDown .   Orlando’s Amway Center appears to be the new spot.   Naturally, this is both encouraging and disconcerting.   With COVID still a threat, the question of whether it’s worth it to attempt live shows with fans arises.   Personally, I don’t know.   I sympathize with not minding taking the risk but at the same time, one doesn’t know the true cause and effect.   With people walking around asymptomatically, a person could have it and not know it and inadvertently transfer it someone who can’t combat it.   It’s not just about a person’s personal risk.   Simply attending could endanger who knows how many random people.   That’s why this pandemic is so frustrating.   You have to think of others and not just yourself.   I’m more than willing to ta

Hello Enthusiasts! How is everyone?   Hope you’re all doing well.   So, it looks like RAW has reclaimed the top spot because last week’s SmackDown was an absolute shit show.   Yeesh!   I’m all for paternity leave but Daniel Bryan, come back soon!   The creative problems are glaringly obvious...more so than usual .   Though it wasn’t all bad, The Fiend’s segment boiled down to bad theater as expected and the end with RETRIBUTION ransacking the place just came off lazy.   The WWE continues to show it doesn’t know what to do with itself but at least RAW has managed to hold our interest. So, tonight, we get another taste of RAW Underground and that's fine by me.   It’s clear that a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors is done beforehand but they act like it’s real.   This could be a place where up-and-comers can make a sudden name for themselves and established names can “blow off some steam”.   After a bad match or a string of losses, they can amble to the back to see if they can someho

A Good Friday to You, Enthusiasts. Everything going smoothly?  Still sane?  I hope so.  Well, the next chapter of The Fiend Experience is happening while I type so, let’s see what’s going on in the WWE Universe.  The rumor that caught me was the one on AEW and WWE being in a bidding war for Rey Mysterio.  Personally, I think he’s better off in the WWE but I don’t know.  With how they wrote him off, I wouldn’t be too keen to return.  If that’s all they got for him maybe AEW would make the use of his time more interesting.  Yet, AEW seems a bit gritty for his fare.  I feel he simply fits more with the WWE.  I feel the same about Rusev/Miro.  He just doesn’t seem to fit anywhere else.  I’m pretty sure Rusev’s coming back once the WWE financials even out.  As for Mysterio, it all depends on what he wants.  More than likely he’ll do both, a stint with AEW to retire with WWE.  That’s my guess. As for tonight’s SmackDown, we get some crumbs on what happens to Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman.

How Are You Doing, Enthusiasts? Well, before I get into everything I want to get into, let’s take a moment to discuss some interesting news that’s circulating in both the WWE Universe and the actual Media.   It appears The Rock along with some other partners, his ex-wife included, have decided to purchase the XFL at a steal for $15 million.   Challenging economic times make way for moves like this and this is some interesting information to consider.   It’s hard to say what the implications are with everything so uncertain.   This new league could now potentially rival the NFL by luring current players with better conditions than the NFL currently wants to offer.   Wrestlers who need new options could reconsider an old or new career path.   There’s some potential in this turn of events.   I’m curious to see how it will develop.   In other WWE News, the Bella Twins have had their babies.   The ladies had themselves a son each about a day apart taking “twinning” to the ultimate level