SmackDown Kicks Any Stragglers Out for SummerSlam...

How’s It Going, Enthusiasts?

 

Welcome to SummerSlam weekend! So, there’s plenty to talk about in the Wrestling World. AEW prepares for the future while WWE solidifies its own. While they do this, We the Audience have some mixed emotions about the whole affair. Naturally, there are more complaints in the WWE Universe but I may have a theory on that. In any case, let’s get into it. I’ll try not to bore you but I’m gonna say what I’m gonna say.

 

In the Realm of AEW, things have been interesting, I’ll admit. The Redemption Fallout has produced some intrigue. Though I can comment on much, what I’ll focus on is what gained the most of my attention. With this being SummerSlam Eve, AEW didn’t try to compete so they had back-to-back Dynamite and Collision episodes. We knew that Will Ospreay renouncing his affiliation to the Riders of Death would have repercussions but they weren’t exactly what we were expecting, though PAC would have gladly gone there. What caught my attention is that in some “backstage footage” we see the Riders watch the exchange between Kenny Omega and Ospreay at the end of Redemption. We see that Our Man Moxley felt Omega would turn on Ospreay and was shouting at the tiny monitor for Ospreay to, of course, take Omega out first before Omega did so to him. From this point of view, Moxley proves right so, he may not be completely off his hinges.

 

Yet at the end of Dynamite, we find that it is Omega who is perhaps the paranoid one. He doesn’t trust his “friend” Ospreay given his decision to ride death and has gone on the offensive. He even went so far as to slap the insolence out of Ospreay. It’s clear Omega isn’t taking any mess going forward. Ospreay held his ground and the build to All-In is a juicy one. I’ll admit I didn’t expect to find this much meat on the bone. Good job, gentlemen.

 

As for the Future, well, we can see that Mox is idling at about a 5.5-6 at the moment. He had a match on Dynamite against the smaller Komander and participated in at 8-Man Tag with the male riders against the Bang Bang Gang on Collision along with some Commentary for Daniel Garcia’s match against Ospreay. That match was a lot better than I thought it would be so, kudos to Garcia. He’s also not bad on a promo and is having fun with providing the comedic relief so he’s lowkey winning me over. But to go back to the Future, the seeds do seem to be sprouting. Mox won his match but the Tag and Garcia’s match put Ls on the board. Regardless, Mox is doubling down on his philosophy. It’s what he lives for and if people want the Continental Championship, don’t be surprised if it takes a barrage of bullets to wrench it from his bloodied hands. We get a better idea as to why these fellows “ride death”. There is a sentiment of “ride or die”.

 

This doesn’t have to be used to support the implementation of “Strike 1” but it certainly could be. You see how Mox takes this “too seriously”. It’s pro-wrestling. Why does anyone have “to die” outside of natural causes? But as we can see, it’s what he lives for so, if you want to knock him off the perch, you better be ready to go all the way. Well, that’s why I suggested Strike 1 😉 He’s fucking psycho and it would take him off the board for a short while anyway. We’ll see if MJF returns in good time to ruin Mox’s day on a Title defense night. Oof, if they land that one right it’s going to be fun going forward. In the meantime, please proceed. The Future Looks Bright and it may just brighten.

 

On a couple side notes, I concur that the Triple Threat Match on Dynamite between Andrade, Jack Perry and Nick Wayne was a fine display. I knew Andrade was solid but Perry and Wayne were pleasant surprises, Perry especially. Way to be more than just Luke Perry’s kid. And the Motor City Machine Guns made their debut on Collision. I see they’re talented but when I saw how small they were when they debuted for WWE, I knew their days were numbered. We don’t care about pro-wrestling and we’re sure as shit not afraid of them so, it was only a matter of time. They’d have to be funny and/or extreme to have half a chance. I’m glad they were well-received by the AEW Crowd. They’ll be appreciated more there.

 

On the outskirts of the WWE Universe, a little buzz wafted up over an animated short released by Xavier Woods but could be a joint production with Kofi Kingston. From what I gathered from it, I can sympathize with their frustration. They were given a shit gimmick and turned it into gold only to be “held back” and eventually dismissed. Now, they colored it more as them being unicorns “breaking free” from the “circus” but notice how the abundance of sympathy comes more for the unicorn that we can only assume represents Big E given the larger stature and broken horn. This is my point when I first commented on their release.

 

We love them. We do…but at the same time, if they had nothing else, so to speak, there wouldn’t necessarily be a demand for them. Don’t get me wrong, we wouldn’t mind them back on the roster for the rest of their careers but if there’s no effort going to be put into keeping them fresh and relevant, perhaps letting them graze new pastures is the best outcome. With the Tag Team Division as it is, there would have to be a major drive to reinstate it to a degree. In that regard, they could represent the Old Guard much like Papa Christian and Uncle Edge do at AEW but there’s the age-old problem of interest. We don’t mind Tag Team action but we don’t exactly ask for it either and therein lies the rub. They’re an established tag team and WWE has the habit of throwing people together to have one just to give people something to do or further rivalries. I’m not against reinstating the Tag Team Division to full capacity but if there’s no real interest, don’t expect TKO/WWE to go out of their way. Regardless, I wish them well. Let’s hope the next chapter brings them happiness. If they invested well, it shouldn’t be too hard to find.

 

In the WWE Universe, out in the Commonwealth of NXT, we heard of Grayson Waller having a moment with a work/shoot on his state of affairs. Kinda interesting he referenced the New Day in how he was repurposed to play supporting character to them. Goodness, there seems to be some dissension within the ranks.

 

And to make matters worse, a lot of fans are bemoaning “bad creative”. When it comes to this, as I keep saying, I’m not going to complain because bad creative was basically 2000-2020. I remember that with me graduating high school and needing to focus on other things, I could see the product was just not what it used to be. It was a lot more soap opera-y back then and I found myself rolling my eyes and deciding I had better things to do. Due to challenges in my life, I returned around 2013 just to reconnect with something I once loved to recalibrate. To recenter more in who I am as a person. It was crap but I watched it anyway just to see what was going on.  I remember coming around to CM Punk but then he bailed so I was like, WTF?! I was just starting to get him. And then the Roman Reigns fiasco followed that so, that was fun.

 

I think one of the good things to come from the pandemic was forcing WWE to produce watchable content. Then when TKO bought them in 2023 it’s been decent television ever since. I think what people have a problem with is that it’s formulaic and repetitive which leads to boredom. You are, more or less, watching the same thing week in and week out. A person can rightly become tired of it. However, you see how We the Audience are. We want to be dazzled and entertained by engaging and talented performers but given the reality of what the business is, that’s easier said than done.

 

You can get people with charisma or sex appeal but who are shit in the ring. You can get people who are great technicians but boring as hell or no good on the mic. Outside of homegrown independent performers, WWE is the best thing we got to a “wrestler factory”. They’re trying to churn out performers for our viewing pleasure but it’s a process and they can only work with what they got. They can’t just get big athletes and throw them in the ring. I think the most recent examples of that have been in that Parker Boudreaux and Gable Steveson. Physically, they got the goods but I suppose they just couldn’t entertain. Getting the full package is a rarity, that’s why Oba Femi is such a big deal. It doesn’t often just click so when it does, they’re all over it. You could say you can’t manufacture it, it happens and that’s a big reason this stuff is such a special kind of entertainment. The best of it comes from genuine moments. So, with that in mind be realistic. Are your lives cracking and popping 24/7? I know mine isn’t. And if it is, you’re either the life of the party or are friends with someone who is. By default, there will be lulls as they craft and develop whatever comes next.

 

However, you’re entitled to feel bored or burned out. It may be best to take a break but I would say be honest and call it that. The creative could be better but it’s not “bad”. We’ve seen bad and this ain’t it. Just be glad their establishing a baseline. I still say, I never thought I’d see the day.

 

All right, that’s enough of all that. I’ve blathered on for long enough. So, we’ll get into tonight’s Go-Home SmackDown. For this evening, we can expect Trick Williams to try to shine up Baron Corbin so he can see those lemon-pepper steppers in his bald head. Giulia will see if she can muster up enough クレージー to best Lash Legend. The War Raiders will attempt to conjure their prowess to take the Tag Team Championships from Damian Priest and R-Truth. And Punk and Cody Rhodes will face-off one last time to see who blinks or gets shook.

 

Dinner isn’t my problem tonight so I’ll be nice and settled in for the evening but I gotta post the Matches of Interest so I’ll be right back to work after the show. Probably have to call it an early night just to get everything in. Got other things to do too. Enjoy the weekend everybody and I’ll…

 

See You in a Bit,

-Nicole Alexis (^_~)