SmackDown Offers Us the Last Live Show Until Day 1...

 Happy Friday, Enthusiasts!

I hope it is treating you well. So, there are a few things of note going on in the Wrestling World this week. I’ll touch on a few that caught my interest. Care to join me?

 

First item of note is Bryan Danielson and Hangman Page performing an unofficial Iron Man Match which resulted in a draw. I haven’t seen the match yet ‘cause it’s hella long but I will get around to it because I’m sure it is a stellar match. Yet, for all that to end in a draw says a lot. AEW clearly doesn’t want to diminish anyone but keeping everyone “even” isn’t any fun either. WWE usually defaults to some DQ or No-Contest finish in those cases which can at least demonstrate character. The heels are punk-ass and Faces become appalled which makes sense. In AEW, with Kenny Omega and with Page, it seems like they’re just being too nice in a way. Omega needed to go get surgery and that’s fine. Page and Danielson have just begun but is this the first in a slew of no-decisions with time running out? To be honest, I’m not really sure I care but at some point they’re just gonna have to flip a coin and have a winner. Draws can be construed as a cop out. Not saying that’s what it is but people can easily take it there.

 

In the WWE Universe, the big news is that Kevin Owens re-signed. The response is mixed to this but I’m glad he stayed. Jumping ship could have made more sense if AEW was more established. They still haven’t made it to the 5 year mark and there’s no guarantee they will. If they had 10 years in this could have been a harder decision but I can see Owens feeling it’s more a step back. He gets it. He understands how to be a Heel. He knows how to get you to like “hating” him and that’s a big part of being in the WWE Universe. It is a Heels’ World because it is a “Heel” company. AEW is already doing a good job of countering by being a “Face” company. With that said, why would Owens be over there 😉 or Chris Jericho’s salty ass for that matter. On a side note, I can see Jericho retiring with WWE because of that but I digress. The point is, as much as Owens could get released, as long as he nails his character out there and doesn’t do anything stupid, he’s secure. He already worked his way up through the Indies to get to the Big Time. True, it may not have glittered as much as gold but it’s still pretty shiny and gives you enough money to buy/invest in a few gold bars. Owens is right where he belongs and he earned it.

 

The other bit of news is rather minor but I was kinda surprised at the amount of talk it drummed up. Cageside Seats has an article out on how this is the 3 year anniversary of the McMahons coming out to say they’ll start “listening” and give us what we want and alas, there is plenty yet to be desired. This may have just been filler for a slow news day but I never took their statement seriously. Now, I believe it because the ratings and low ticket sales have given them no choice but to rethink things but back then, they could still live in a sort of denial. I believe AEW was but a whisper then and there wasn’t much they had to worry about outside of placating the networks.

 

Now, there’s actual competition and they can no longer be caught with their pants down. That’s the sort of thing that turns things around. They’re Heels. They don’t want to have to cater to fans. They, to a certain degree, want to do what they want and have us like it. That’s harder to get away with when a person has options. They now have to go from carrot to stick and give people a reason to partake. That’s the only way to turn anyone around, poor results. If a person seeks success, they either up their game or find ways to cheat. One of the redeeming qualities of the Wrestling World is that it is very honest. You either hit the mark or you don’t, doesn’t matter the promotion or if you’re Heel or Face. Good work always stands for itself. WWE can’t really profess they’ve been churning out the best work. But it’s clear they’re trying to establish a new normal. Just take note that it’s only because they had to. They will never outwardly placate a crowd but don’t think they won’t find a way to give the baby its bottle.

 

So, that brings us to tonight’s SmackDown. The big draw is supposed to be Roman Reigns since he had the week off last week. Many felt that this was a missed opportunity with WWE being in Los Angeles and all but I don’t think Reigns has to be there to get scouted out. Besides, showing up in Chicago given all the recent events may be more of an “event”. There’s not much advertised but it’s safe to assume it won’t be too much different from last week. That should start to change next week but we’ll see. The last episodes of the year are set to be taped so we’ll have to see if WWE keeps track of itself. Day 1 is supposed to be a big deal. Would be a shame if a few oversights keep that from happening. Funny tweets and Likes get retweeted. Let’s take it easy and ease into the Holidays. Keep an eye on things and we’ll see if it’s all worth the first day of whatever lies ahead.

 

 

See You in a Bit,

-Nicole Alexis (^_~)