Randy Orton Called Out WWE Champion Drew McIntyreWhen it was advertised coming into the show that Orton would be announcing his next target, all signs pointed to it being McIntyre and thus I (and probably everyone else) wasn't surprised when he revealed here that he has his sights set on the WWE Championship. It's the biggest match that can be done over the WWE Championship right now, so I'm in full favor of it. There's a good chance Orton will be the one to take the title from him, too. Nia Jax vs. Shayna Baszler Ended in a Double Count-OutOn paper, I didn't have any interest in seeing this match and I still don't, but I am curious what will happen with them coming out of this contest. It felt like it was being teased that they're going to join forces. I really hope that won't be the case as Baszler is better on her own. As for Jax, we oddly haven't seen her on Raw since she injured Charlotte Flair over a month ago and I honestly forgot she'd been gone.
0 Comments
Drake Maverick def. Leon RuffThis was promoted as Maverick's return to 205 Live, as he hasn't appeared on the program since giving up his duties as the show's general manager earlier this year. He hasn't won in a while, so this was a necessary victory for him. He straight-up squashed Ruff and it was refreshing because usually he's the one getting squashed. I appreciated that he was all business and was extra aggressive. I'd like to see him get another shot at the NXT Cruiserweight Championship eventually, but he has to be built back up first. Mansoor, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch def. Tehuti Miles and Ever-RiseAlthough the outcome was never truly in doubt, this was an entertaining six-man tag team affair where everyone got to shine at one point or another. The pace was consistent throughout and the final stretch was especially great. With Mansoor having beaten Miles three weeks in a row, I hope he can now move on to bigger and better competition. Between 205 Live and what he's done on the Saudi Arabia shows, his win-loss record is pretty impressive and, from a storyline standpoint, should probably be next in the line for a shot at the Cruiserweight title, not Isiah "Swerve" Scott. He did beat Dolph Ziggler back in February, after all.
Nikki Cross def. Alexa Bliss in a SmackDown Women's Championship No. 1 Contender's MatchBayley said that the only way for Cross to earn another shot at the SmackDown Women's Championship was by beating Bliss. I'd say that Bayley and Sasha Banks were trying to drive a wedge between them here, but they've already doing that on their own for weeks now. With Bliss' latest loss, I fully expect her to cost Cross the title next week. This was a solid match that benefited from having something at stake. Matt Riddle def. Tony NeseThis could have been a kickass match with more time, but I understand wanting to give Riddle a quick and straightforward showcase coming off his loss to AJ Styles last week. It served its purpose. Riddle's post-match promo was fine, but as I've said time and time again, the King Corbin character has long worn out its welcome. He's a perfectly logical first foe for Riddle on SmackDown, but the king crap makes me infinitely less invested in whatever he's involved in.
Bianca Belair def. Jessi KameaIt's been a weird situation with Kamea. She was trying out this newer darker persona after playing a nerdy character of sorts. She then went back to being a bubbly babyface for her match last week against Shayna Baszler, and now she's a heel again apparently. I realize they probably don't have any plans to push her any time soon, but it's hard to care about her if she is constantly changing her character. Similar to last week, she scored more offense than I thought she would, but it was a decent match on the whole with the right result. Riddick Moss def. Humberto CarrilloThis was the rematch that nobody asked for. Moss beat Carrillo last week and I was sure Carrillo would avenge that loss here, but no such luck. You can tell Bruce Prichard (who's currently writing Raw) isn't nearly as high on Carrillo as Paul Heyman (who previously wrote Raw) was. He's a hell of a hand in the ring but has had minimal character development. This was a fine match, but as I said last week, Moss remains a work in progress and I have no idea why he was moved up to the main roster ahead of others.
|
Categories
All
Archives
April 2024
|