RAW Now Prepares Us for SummerSlam...

How’s It Going, Enthusiasts?

 

Welcome to a new week. So, there’s not much to chat about at the moment. It’s kinda quiet as the Top 2 promotions prepare for bigger things. I believe AEW has it’s Redemption PPV coming up next weekend and WWE has SummerSlam of course after this past weekend’s Saturday Night: Main Event. There are a few speculations hovering around so we’ll chat about that and get into tonight’s action. How’s that sound? Here we go.

 

The Realm of AEW is relatively quiet as the road to the future is being paved. The goal appears to be get Will Ospreay into “Top Guy” shape but what kind of Top Guy will he be? A Major Face or a Huge Heel? It’s hard to say. I get the feeling he wants to be the “Good Guy” but you should be able to play the villain just the same so, we shall see.

 

To look at it, I think Omega is going to go out a Face so perhaps Ospreay could have an “Identity Crisis” to start and as the sun sets on Omega’s career, he can come around? However, I have no qualms about gentlemanly combat. AEW is more or less a Face Company so that would fit.

 

As for the Future, the crumbs are there and that’s all that need be right now. It is early yet but the Future Looks Bright. Please, proceed.

 

On the outskirts of the WWE Universe, we hear that Good Sheamus’ contract doesn’t officially expire until October so, he’s been starting his personal rebranding online with social media posts showing he’s in top physical condition and ready to go to work.

 

This is still bittersweet to me. I do hope some compromise can be reached. As much as we love Sheamus, I’m just not sure where else he can go and if he does go, would he even get the same amount of money? AEW can probably pay him but how does he fit? Word is they don’t make the most of what they already have. Would they be paying him just to retire? It’s doubtful TNA and MLW have the cash. It would be just to get out the house and play if he goes there. Some feel he could do well with New Japan but that’s a whole new ballgame with the language barrier on top.

 

There has to be a diplomatic way to get both sides to reconsider. There’s still a part of me hoping this is some drawn out work but hopefully he finds something that fills the void. The way this went down leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

 

Another veteran that keeps finding herself in the “What next?...” conversation is Bayley. With her booking coming off as an afterthought of late, many think she’ll be on the chopping block next. Many also think that Mercedes Moné is not so subtly beckoning her as well but I’m not so sure. Bayley can put on a solid match and with a new crop of kids coming up the ranks, they need some vets to teach ‘em the ropes.

 

If she did go to AEW, she’d be top of the Women’s Division immediately but I feel she’d just be boxing Moné all the time. Maybe get mixed up with Tekla but their Women’s Division is no match for what’s going on for WWE. She’d hold Titles and whatnot, though so if it’s for that sort of glory, I don’t know why not but I feel she should have a last hurrah if that’s going to be the case. She could snag a US Championship on her way out. The only real thing against her is popularity. She’s a fine practitioner but not as many seem to care. Well, I’ve always been a fan of Our Arya Stark. She does deserve more but it’s that whole “who cares” aspect I can’t do anything about.

 

In any case, that brings us to tonight’s RAW. I guess we’ll see what, if any, Fallout comes from the weekend’s Saturday Night: Main Event. It went to plan, if you ask me. JD McDonagh had to make the most of playing the foil and Bayley took the L against a “distraught” Lyra Valkyria yet I was not disappointed. I would have gone in a different direction but now Creative has to validate its decisions. That may be the theme in general for at least the rest of this month as commenters are bemoaning things are “boring” and “predictable” with the same old players vying for the same old things.

 

Personally, I didn’t mind the show. We see we’ll have to come to terms with Fatal Influence and Sami Zayn isn’t going anywhere and neither is GUNTHER. It’s more a matter of whether Cody Rhodes can continue to be the consummate “QB1” while CM Punk makes up for lost time.

 

I’ve sat through worse, however it’s a good time to rotate the roster a bit and get some different people some airtime just to mix things up and give the audience something else to look at. This sort of thing is a bit of a double-edged sword because people aren’t familiar with he new lot, but if we don’t see fresh blood we’re stuck filtering and recycling the old.

 

I’m not so bored with the offerings. There is some hope with Oba Femi coming up the ranks. The New Vision does need direction. And we cannot forget the primary directive of setting things up for Summer Slam.

 

That said, this evening we can expect the New Vision in action as they see what Je’Von Evans and Dragon Lee have got. Chad Gable will pair up with Penta (Lucha-Mitsu) to take on Rusev and Ethan Page. And LA Knight will limber up courtesy of Jacob Fatu. I’m seeing that Seth Rollins makes a guest appearance as does Solo Sikoa so we’ll observe those implications.

 

We’ll get started around 6:30pm PDT as I’ve generally been doing but it does look like I’ll be back to “West Coast” time come August. No fooling. There have been a lot of stops and starts but we’re finally getting started and I am looking forward to it. I think I’ve earned this change in affairs. I’ve been working towards it for a long time. Nice to finally get some recognition.

 

So, help me close out the month in style. Let’s get comfortable and see what sort of sports entertainment we have in store.

 

See You in a Bit,

-Nicole Alexis (^_~)