SmackDown Welcomes Back Brock Lesnar...

 A Good Friday to You, Enthusiasts.

 

I hope you had a good one. There isn’t a whole lot going on in the wrestling world so let’s chat about what stood out. Game?

 

So, let’s start with AEW. Their ratings appear to be going in the wrong direction and interest in pro-wrestling across the board seems to be on the decline. Why? Social norms changing primarily. As I’ve been saying in this blog, the violence has to be validated in these times and in AEW’s case, they tend to cater to the sadist with their stunts. Cody Rhodes’ latest one is a case and point. I don’t need to see anyone maim themselves for my amusement. We all know that everyone out there are just doing their jobs and we want them to retire intact and happy. I like action but a lot of that comes from the comfort of knowing all the carnage I’m looking at is staged and not actual bedlam. You see how people complain when someone isn’t safe or how the mood changes when someone takes a bad bump. We generally don’t want to see the wrestlers get hurt and AEW kinda goes out of its way for the blood and barbed wire. I know there’s a market for it but it’s more niche than wrestling in general and I personally don’t think it’s necessary and it’s even harder to condone. They don’t have to go PG but they should rethink that “hardcore” edge. I’d rather they just fight. I don’t mind the use of kendo sticks, chairs or ladders though.

 

Over at NXT, Beth Phoenix made the decision to leave. Word is a lot of the staff/talent is peacing out due to the rebrand. Phoenix didn’t lean on that as being the reason in her statement but it made it clear her concerns are more on her family. That’s always understandable. I’ve been feeling the same way myself recently. It’s a valid reason. She’s got youngins at home and though they aren’t that young they’ll be venturing into young adulthood soon and these are years a parent tends not to want to miss. There are also rumors that Phoenix may pair up with Edge in a feud against The Miz and Maryse. Well, I still say she has to tag Seth Rollins back for that “home invasion”. Maybe Rollins and Becky Lynch are next? I’m not opposed to it if they can find a fun angle.

 

To bring it back around to WWE, Xavier Woods is winning by just being Xavier Woods as he makes the claim that he’s requesting time off at the end of next April to attend a Golden Girls convention. That sounds all kinds of awesome and if anyone can turn it into entertaining gold, it’s Woods. I keep saying how WWE needs to go for the laughs more. With their flagging ticket sales, they need to make attending a show more of a good time. I don’t know what they generally do but have music acts before or after and fun, fan participation bits during breaks. I’m just throwing things out there but they need to do something to make a WWE show/taping the place to be.

 

In any case, that brings us around to tonight’s SmackDown. Brock Lesnar coughed up the dough and is free to roam and wreak havoc again. Strangely enough, he’s supposedly lined up to take on Sami Zayn for the #1 Contender spot for the Universal Title. This has people talking because it’s a pairing no one expected from the WWE so, that’s a start. WWE has to switch things up just to maintain some interest. Like I keep saying, they should’ve seen this day coming. Let’s see if they’re actually thinking about it. We’ll have to tune in for whatever else is planned for the night. Funny tweets and Likes get retweeted. I’m rooting for someone to get the gold. Relax and have fun out there.

 

 

See You in a Bit,

-Nicole Alexis (^_~)