Raw was a pretty good show this week. Let's see if the blue brand can keep up the pace.
Heath Slater is working double duty again this week, getting up in Randy Orton's grill just like he did with Lesnar the previous night. I like what they're doing with Slater here. I hope it goes somewhere. The poor guy has suffered through some ridiculous angles during his time with the 'E. I'd like to see him get his shot at a midcard title. He's funnier as a lone wolf than as ringleader of a group like 3MB or the Social Outcasts.
Dolph Ziggler made my night with that Super Kick OUTTA NOWHERE on Dean Ambrose during the MizTV segment. He's showing a lot of fire in this feud and Dean might have bitten off more than he can chew when it comes to going move for move with Mr. Ziggles. Also, Miz's role on Smackdown with Maryse by his side parallels what they're doing with Rusev and Lana on Raw. Midcard champs with sexy valets are back!
Apollo Creed came out to spoil Miz's fun during the commercial break. Oh shucks, did I say "Creed"? I'm not sure how I feel about them taking Daniel Bryan's little verbal slip-up from last week and running with it, but hey--that what they do in WWE. They make lemonade. I like Crews, but I don't know where he's headed right now. The rosters on both shows are pretty stacked; it might serve him better to lie low on NXT for a while . . .
The entire Smackdown tag division was split into heels and babyfaces for a six on six tag match. Fun stuff, even if its not that substantial. Just a chance for everyone to get their stuff in. It was almost like a live highlight reel for Smackdown's tag team potential. The good guys win thanks to American Alpha's team Perfectplex-type move. A lot of potentially great match-ups here. Expect Smackdown to get their own tag title belts sooner than later.
(Man, remember when The Ascension ran roughshod over NXT for nearly a year? Neither does the WWE, lol.)
Naomi has a cool new glow-in-the-dark bodysuit and entrance to match. Eva Marie was unable to compete due to being "stuck in traffic". I hope this gimmick of her working her way out of matches gets some heat, otherwise it could backfire. I like the angle, though.
Randy Orton got himself disqualified for beating on poor Slater a little too much. Then he mocked his Summerslam opponent Lesnar by suplexing Heath a few times and mocking his mannerisms. It's been a nice build up to their match, but the real star here is Slater. Like I said before, hopefully this leads to bigger things for him.
Dean Ambrose defeated Eric Rowan while Bray Wyatt looked on. Wyatt ditched him after his defeat, setting up a feud between the two. Just two weeks ago, I was expecting Wyatt to insert himself into the Ambrose/Ziggler title match, but it seems they have other plans for the Eater of Worlds. They've tried this kind of thing before with Rowan, but it didn't stick.
Beck Lynch and Carmella faced Natalya and Alexa Bliss. It was a decent tag match. Eva Marie tried to sneak in and pick up the scraps, but her would-be opponent Naomi ran back out to chase her off. It went all Looney Tunes for a minute like the tag exhibition earlier, but hey, at least everyone here has a part to play. Raw and NXT definitely have the stronger Women's divisions for the time being.
Baron Corbin is still picking on Kalisto backstage. What a bully. I feel like Corbin is another guy who was moved up from NXT a little too fast. I think they're trying to hide his somewhat limited in-ring work, but to what end? I still like his entrance with the red spotlights, so he's got that going for him.
The show ended with a nice main event between John Cena and Alberto Del Rio, with Cena's Summerslam opponent AJ Styles on commentary. (I forgot they were having a match this Sunday; man, there's too much going on in WWE right now.) It was a valiant effort by both guys, but I think Roman and Rusev put on more of a spectacle. AJ tried to sneak attack Cena and got AA'd through the announce table for his trouble. I take back what I said yesterday about Enzo & Cass vs. Owens & Jericho. THIS match will steal the show.
This was fun. Both Austin and Corpus got some great wrestling, and even with Summerslam less than a week away, it didn't feel like anybody was holding back. The WWE has been firing on all cylinders since the brand split, and I hope the hard work by all involved pays off in the form of some stronger TV ratings. This is NOT the 'E for 2010. There's plenty to enjoy, and you have to be trying pretty hard to be a hater right now.
(Garsh, maybe I'm just too optimistic for my own good?)
Thanks for reading! If you like, hit me up on Twitter (@ChrisBComics) or via e-mail (backissuechris@gmail.com).
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