I enjoyed this show quite a bit. On paper it was your run of the mill WWE international PLE, but it not only had really good matches across the board, the angles and storylines coming out of the matches were top notch and seemingly direct where WWE is headed this fall.
Here are my Brass Ring Ratings for the event and here’s how they work … I call it like I see it and grade accordingly. Period.
Roman Reigns vs. Bronson Reed
Exactly what it needed to be and exactly what was expected. Reigns took a beating for the majority of the match, which put over Reed’s size and dominance. He then won the match after a traditional babyface comeback. Surprised that Reed didn’t get a big kick-out moment of some kind, but that’s being saved for Bron Breakker. Speaking of, the post-match angle indicates that a Breakker vs. Reigns match is still in the cards. It also indicates that we won’t be seeing Reigns for a little bit here. Reigns was strongly over as a babyface and looked like he was enjoying himself quite a bit.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO
The Wyatt Sicks vs. Street Profits - WWE Tag Team Championships
Solid, but nothing that anyone will remember in a month. The two acts don’t have much chemistry together and both got babyface reactions from the audience. Not great ingredients for a match that fans are invested in. That said, they popped for big Street Profit moves and strange Wyatt Sicks moments.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/4
Becky Lynch vs. Nikki Bella - WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship
On the very low end of expectations and the worst match on the show. Lynch tried hard to build a match that made Bella relevant, but Bella was gassed out just minutes in and couldn’t really do much other than throw forearm strikes for the majority of the match. There were big time botches in this and it really showed just how much of a gap there is between Bella and Lynch. Lynch winning was the only way to go, so even in what was a bad match, they got the booking right. More on Lynch later.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - O
Sheamus vs. Rusev - Good Ol Fashioned Donnybrook Brawl
Money. It was violent. It was stiff and featured lots of weapons — a bar, whiskey barrels, and more. That’s all this needed to be. The crowd was invested in a Sheamus win, so they were able to build drama throughout the match. Sheamus tapping out was a surprise, but the Rusev win tells you Triple H at least has something planned for him in the coming months.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOOO
John Cena vs. Logan Paul
Excellent match. Cena did his thing throughout this match, but Paul carried the responsibility of being the heel very effectively. The audience was wild and into Cena the entire way and Paul played off of that and fanned that investment with facial expressions and body language. Crazy to think John Cena was a heel a month ago. This is a much better way for him to end his career.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOOO 1/4
Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk vs. Jey Uso vs. LA Knight - WWE World Heavyweight Championship
A good match, but an even better finish. Lynch’s facial expression after she revealed herself to be Punk’s attacker was just tremendous. This will heat up the AJ Lee return rumors. Punk and Lee vs. Rollins and Lynch is a helluva match for WWE to put on. Hopefully, Lynch and Rollins are interested in getting real heat together as heels.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO
What did you think of WWE Clash in Paris? Let us know in the comments!
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