WWE Musings

How Goes It, Enthusiasts? Well, last night was…like RAW can be at times, a bit of a mess with shining glimmers of hope here and there.  Last night’s saving grace came in the form of the opener, surprise-surprise.  Jeff Hardy finished out the “impromptu” Battle Royal with quite the flourish and is now in the Intercontinental Title hunt with The Miz.  That could actually be a fun back and forth and that goes down next RAW .  Looking forward to it.  Besides that, we had the inevitable showdown between John Cena and Roman Reigns and Cena definitely displayed his veteran status in this exchange where the bane of Reigns’ existence, promos, continue to plague him.  Now, since We know Reigns isn’t a natural on the mic, I can forgive this but it’s the tone I’m not feeling.  As much as there is a sense of tension and rivalry, there’s nothing story-wise to base it on.  It’s just what it is, the New Kid vs. the Old Hand.  The tone they’re utilizing to get us amped requires more head-to-h

Greetings, Enthusiasts! So, we await No Mercy at the end of next month and in the meantime it looks like we’ll be given other material to digest.   What appears to be the most attention grabbing bit is whether this Tennessee crowd will accept another John Cena and Roman Reigns pairing or a new contest perhaps.   Will they offer some Southern Hospitality or continue to spew the sentiment of “Down with the both of them!”   No idea, Enthusiasts.   Personally, I think this supposed lead-up to a hand-off could be a lot of fun if approached creatively.   I think they should definitely make fun of themselves and the situation.   If presented somewhat humorously, I think We the Audience would be more obliging.   Hard to boo when you’re laughing.   And who knows, the whole thing could become a playful inside joke.   They should try having fun with this.   It could go on for some time. Yet, don’t be surprised if they antagonize just ‘cause.   Depending on what direction they ultimately decide

How’s It Going, Enthusiasts! Well, I hope.  Goodness, RAW got some fallout all right out of SummerSlam and it appears to have come in the form of the fans.  We had ourselves a tag team match last night, one I feel WWE Creative would have thought a good premise for a contest yet the only problem, the crowd wasn’t having it.  We had John Cena and Roman Reigns paired up with The Miz and Samoa Joe for a shits & giggles tag team match.  Though the match was what it was, the crowd let it be known that they did not care for either “Face” of the company.  They were quite rude even for a New York crowd and to be honest, their detest for the scenario rivaled a scene of open rebellion.  For the most part, the crowd comes around for Cena to take the win but this display marks a potentially larger issue for the WWE.  The conflict between “What’s best for business” and what the Fans want has been greatly contested for years and last night seemed to mark more of a public, mild protest.  Sin

How Goes It, Enthusiasts! So, SummerSlam came and went and I have to say it felt a little predictable.  I wasn’t really surprised with any of the outcomes.  If anything I was more surprised at the match order and lack of content.  I didn’t think The Usos and The New Day would get Kick-off duty.   I also thought Shane McMahon would get more involved in the fisticuffs but I suppose that’s “unprofessional”.  I wasn’t remotely shocked at Brock “Gun Jack” Lesnar coming back from the dead to retain his title but that tactic is getting old.  Got him looking like James Brown out there now.  Just when you think he’s done he comes tearing back, does a half split and bounces back up into the ring.  I didn’t really mind the Main Event just thought they could have gone a little more nuts.  Too much of the place was still left standing.  What do you think, Enthusiasts?  Does WWE Creative need to get shaken up with some new blood?  That may make more sense than doing it to the Brands. Anywa

Greetings Enthusiasts! SummerSlam has begun!  And…well, I’m not that excited for the 2 nd biggest WWE event of the “season” but I am curious.  Curiosity is what grabs me most because I’m not really sure what’s going to happen.  Sure, we have the Fatal-4-Way that will most certainly secure the title to Brock “Gun Jack” Lesnar but, there are rumors circulating around that The Undertaker is floating about New York so, there could be some surprise in store.  Perhaps some angle for the Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Bálor match.  There are whispers that we may get our first WWE look at “The Demon” persona and that is going to be an interesting sell.  We the Audience are well aware of this being put together for our viewing pleasure.   Yet, we can also see how petite Bálor is.  The Demon makes sense but will we buy it?  We’ll see if they make it believable. There is also this John Cena vs. Braon Corbin match that I’m not sure how to feel about also.  With Corbin’s dumb cash-in attempt, I’m n

What’s Going On, Enthusiasts! Well, I don’t know what’s happening on with RAW , maybe someone’s sick or Ric Flair’s hospitalization distracted but last night felt just a touch phoned in.  Yet, it wasn’t all bad.  Mickie James turned in a solid match against Emma, solidifying her veteran status.  In addition, Akira Tozawa performed beautifully alongside Neville to give the CruiserWeights a well-deserved shot in the arm to win the title.  It was a gutsy performance that showed that this Tozawa can gain your interest if you let him.  I’m charmed by his energy.  Though I enjoyed the WWE's other displays,  I'm pretty sure   these 2 examples weren't exactly what the general Enthusiast would expect to be the defining moments.  That being said, the send off left Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman held back by the B-Players as they ampped up not being able to wait until Sunday to wring each other’s necks.  It’s a standard ploy the WWE uses and last night felt particularly so.  No

Greetings, Enthusiasts! Well, we last left RAW with Samoa Joe salvaging a poorly set-up contest between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman and let’s be honest, Enthusiasts.   This contest fell flat because it was set-up with lackluster promos.   Neither of these gentlemen are known for their mic skills which is why the timing for that sort of set-up should probably be reconsidered.   Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for pushing people into the pool.   They gotta learn to swim but, since we’re heading into Summer Slam, I would think the WWE would like to lead with strength rather than expose  weaknesses.   The goal should be drumming up business not driving it away.   Promo experimentation can happen at just about any other time.   I would stick to compelling confrontations for now.   Let those who can rock the mic, rock it and let others do what they do best.   You know, just sell this shit!   Sell it in honor of the festivities to come.   Retool/test after or well before, in my humble o

What’s Going On, Enthusiasts! So, not sure about this lead-up to SummerSlam but, they seem to have fail-safes if things go south.  Comforting.  Hats off to Samoa Joe for last night's save.  The Ladies also had RAW last night.  Sasha Banks displayed why she made it to the Big Leagues so, we’ll have to see who the shining star for SmackDown will be.  Let’s keep an eye out for those who earn their keep tonight. There’s talk of no title matches for this evening.  Jinder Mahal is set to face Randy Orton in a Grudge Match, could be entertaining but I’m kinda leaning towards an Orton vs. Baron Cobin match in the near future.  Naturally, it’ll probably have to wait until after SummerSlam but that appears to be the next piece of drama that could be cooked up.  They’re both kinda punk-ass so, it may be hard to choose a side but that could be the appeal.  Just could be interesting when it comes to pass.  Mahal I’d like to see face John Cena.  Strangely, I think the pairing would be

How Goes It, Enthusiasts! So, what’s going on?.....Well, it looks like this will be one of those “pull a name out of the hat” nights so, we’ll see how the pairings go.   Apparently, the WWE is doing a Canadian stint this week and t he only thing that appears set in stone for tonight is a Last Man Standing Match between Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns.   Now, if I didn’t know better, I would say this a sort of test match.   I say that because the long match is difficult to pull off, especially in the WWE Universe.   We the Audience can have fickle and short attention spans.   We don’t often have the patience to get into a match that could go over 30 minutes.   So, it is doubly on the wrestlers to present a compelling contest that keeps our interest. Since we have a Fatal-4-Way planned for SummerSlam which has in it 2 veterans and 2 relative up and coming wrestlers, I’m thinking this is a chance to take notes on what needs work now so that the Fatal-4-Way is guaranteed a solid m

What’s Up, Enthusiasts! So, I would have to say the high point of yesterday evening was RAW ’s light teasing of the demon that lies within. It was quite impressive.   Kudos to the set and lighting directors because they set a palpable tone yet, will Finn Bálor be able to step up to the set-up?   I don’t know.   I’ll be honest, I’ve been curious about this guy because of all the buzz he built in NXT.   I’m curious to see this demon persona yet, how to make it work with a WWE audience?   It is a puzzle but, given his petite stature, if he’s going to be a believable “heavyweight” he’s going to have to go “demon”.   Yet, they appear to be on the right track because the presentation landed but it gives Bálor some big shoes to fill.   If done right, he could be the next Undertaker.   True, he won’t have the same kind of presence but a chill is a chill.   If he runs it up your spine, you’re forced to reconsider him even if you can pick him up by the scruff.   We’ll see how this develops