-Did you catch that Michael Cole slip up to start the show this week? Listen, Cole almost never messes up. It’s beyond amazing, but he introduced Jey Uso walking into the arena when it was really Iyo Sky. He isn’t a robot after all!
Zayn goes old school
-Sami Zayn sure can cut a helluva babyface go-home promo. He was brilliant and old school this week. Good for him. Navigating the mine field that is triple threat matches, Zayn did a very nice job of not only tying his opponents together, so that beating them both finishes a story, but he also articulated why he was ok with a triple threat to begin with. Zayn was passionate and likable as usual, but he really used his time to elevate the match itself. Very good stuff.
-Chad Gable getting a win of Zayn makes perfect sense going into the PLE on Saturday afternoon. Zayn is likely to retain and this win for Gable keeps him at the top of the contender list coming out of Saudi Arabia. Sorry, Bronson Reed, but it’s looking like you’re set to be the dedicated job man in this one.
-The Gable and Alpha Academy stuff is steadily moving forward and will crescendo when Otis finally has enough abuse and attacks Gable. At this point, I see that moment as the height of Gable and Otis. The story has legs because the two are attached, but whatever angle takes place doesn’t feel like it will launch either guy to a new level in WWE and on Raw.
-I’m not sure why it took so long to see Bron Breakker the way we did this week, but better late than never. That was an excellent presentation of a new star. Breakker looked dangerous and uncontrollable. The audience ate it up. More of this.
Valkyria push ahead of crowd reactions to her
-Iyo Sky and Lyra Valkyria had a good match in the Queen of the Ring semifinal this week. No question about that. If this match takes place six months from now, it’s probably better received in the audience because they’d have a stronger relationship and investment in Valkyria. Iyo and Lyra clearly had chemistry, but the come from behind win didn’t exactly pop the crowd huge because Lyra is so new. Still, booking her to reach the finals is a strong indication that she’s someone to pay attention to. She certainly didn’t hurt her momentum or position with what she did out there this week.
-Valkyria vs. Nia Jax is where I’d go for the tournament final. Lyra can play the underdog well and opposite Jax, the investment in her is likely to be elevated.
-Look, the Awesome Truth comedy just isn’t for me at this point. It’s not funny and at times it’s unbecoming for R-Truth. They certainly get strong crowd reactions, though. Truth and Miz beating Judgement Day to retain the titles got one of the biggest pops of the entire show, so you can’t ignore that there are fans out there that enjoy the act. To that end, keep it going until the wheels fall off.
Perfect contrast
-I liked the Gunther empty arena promo a lot. Artistically, it captured him as a character that doesn’t need audience support — after all, he was alone in the arena. That opposite Jey Uso and his entrance with fans is a smart and fun contrast. Plus, this did a good job of framing up the match as a very big deal. Thumbs up.
-So, Damian Priest was pretty depressed this week, eh? Priest telling his Judgment Day guys that he doesn’t recognize the group anymore was pretty dark. This will go one of two ways, either Priest helps the group find it’s identity again and they all turn babyface, or, the group has disdain for Priest and his take on where they’re at and turns on him to make him babyface alone. Either way, this storyline will lead to dramatic shift in The Judgement Day ranks.
-Welcome back Sonya Deville! Here’s your mid-card spot again. Are we seeing Deville attempt to recruit members of a faction? That’s where I’d put my money at this point. Look, I kid a little as to where Deville will land on the show each week, but she can talk. Carrying a faction is a fine way to utilize her moving forward.
-That was awkward … again! What’s with the Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch promos lately? They haven’t been able to gel together during promo segments, so they end up feeling like yelling contests. Lynch working with a clear heel in Morgan is the right call, but it hasn’t boosted her momentum as champion yet. With a Rhea Ripley return looming and Morgan riding high as a newly turned heel, a title win can help solidify her future, while giving Ripley a clear feud when she returns. It also gives Lynch something to chase after.
Again?????
-There has to be a better way to find number one contenders for tag titles than random fatal four-way matches. We saw one last week for the men and now this week with the women. The tag titles are on television a lot. Invest in them. You could see Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler winning from a mile away this week due to the champions being Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair — babyfaces. I don’t know if this match ends up making the PLE on Saturday, but it might once Belair loses to Nia Jax on Friday in the Queen of the Ring tournament. Surely, WWE will want Belair on the Saudi Arabia card.
-I told ya! The King of the Ring is Gunther’s to lose. He and Jey Uso had a nice match that surprisingly ended pretty clean. It’s important to keep Gunther strong as there are world championship matches on the horizon for him in the very near future. There isn’t any shame in losing to Gunther, so Jey is going to be just fine. That entrance is such a spectacle and WWE shoots the hell out of it each week. He’s still in line for a big back of the year.
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