Week in Review

Week of May 15, 2021

Each week, Graham "GSM" Matthews breaks down the latest Raw, SmackDown and NXT broadcasts as well as the occasional pay-per-view events for that respective show's highlights, low points and other noteworthy moments. Awards are also given to the week's best match, most impressive Superstar, and strongest show.

Match of the Week:
Kushida vs. Santos Escobar (NXT, May 11)

It was super cool to see the NXT Cruiserweight Championship take center stage this week on NXT. I mean, it was almost imperative given that it was a two-out-of-three falls match and nothing else was going to follow it. I had no doubt Kushida and Santos Escobar were going to kill it and they definitely did.

Escobar took the first fall, and almost immediately, Kushida stole the second. I would have spaced those out a bit, but I'm glad the third fall went a while. The action was exciting as they really brought the best out of each other. Ultimately, Kushida retained the title, which should pave the way for Escobar to move into the heavyweight division where he belongs.

Superstar of the Week:
Hit Row

It's been a long time coming, but it feels like Isiah "Swerve" Scott has finally found his footing in NXT. Don't get me wrong, he's been doing some solid work over the last two years, but he was fairly directionless as a babyface. Turning heel was the key and giving him his own stable was the cherry on top.

Collectively known as Hit Row, the stable made their official debut on Wednesday's NXT. Scott introduced all of the members, which include AJ Francis (now known as Top Dolla) and Ashante "Thee" Adonis. I don't know much about the woman, but she seems to be a good fit for the faction as well.

Show of the Week:
WWE NXT, May 11

All of this week's awards went to NXT and rightfully so as it was a strong show on the whole. The ratings may not reflect it, but I truly feel the black-and-gold brand has been on another level since moving to Tuesdays last month. A lot of the feuds have been clicking and there's been some great matches to boot.

That was once again the case this week as Kushida and Raquel Gonazlez both retained their titles in fierce battles. Additionally, Karrion Kross killed Austin Theory, MSK had a fun sprint against Breezango, Kyle O'Reilly vs. Oney Lorcan was a blast, and Hit Row debuted. We also found out TakeOver: In Your House is returning next week, which is exciting news.

Other Notable Highlights and Low Points

This Week's Highlights

Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley: Being that this was a rematch from WrestleMania 37, I appreciated that it was advertised one week in advance. It had that big fight feel and it was another entertaining encounter, which shouldn't have come as much of a surprise considering how strong their in-ring chemistry is. I also didn't have a problem with the non-finish because neither man should have lost and it gave Braun Strowman a much-needed momentum boost.

Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka: This was another WrestleMania rematch that took place on Raw. Unfortunately, this one was made official earlier in the evening and wasn't advertised as heavily. That just goes to show what WWE thinks of the women's division at the moment. On the bright side, it was one of their better bouts together and was enjoyable while it lasted. I liked the clean finish in this case because, at this point, Asuka doesn't really have much to lose.

Cedric Alexander vs. Shelton Benjamin: I feared this would be short on time, and although it didn't last more than five minutes, this was a really fun sprint. They've already held the Raw Tag Team Championship, so I honestly don't mind WWE splitting them up as long as both men get something out of it. Benjamin winning took me by surprise, so hopefully that means there are more matches to come from them because they clearly have chemistry together.

Cesaro vs. Jimmy Uso: The setup was simple in that Jimmy told Roman Reigns he didn't think he'll beat Cesaro at WrestleMania Backlash, so Reigns manipulated Jimmy into challenging Cesaro to a match in the main event of SmackDown. In theory, that would soften up Cesaro before Sunday. Brilliant. The match was well-wrestled, but this is in the "Highlights" column more so because of the progression of the storyline involving these men, Reigns and Jey Uso.

Raquel Gonzalez vs. Mercedes Martinez: I think we all assumed/knew Martinez wasn't winning the NXT Women's Championship on Tuesday night, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a hard-hitting, entertaining affair. Martinez is just terrific and she gave Gonzalez a hell of a fight before falling short. Gonzalez is off to a solid start as champion and it looks like her split away from Dakota Kai is coming soon based on what happened in that WWE.com video after the show.

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Oney Lorcan: You can put Lorcan in there with pretty much anyone and it's bound to be a fun match. Considering you can say the same thing about O'Reilly, you had to know this would be a blast of a bout. Sure enough, they beat the crap out of each other and I loved every second of it. Not only was that enjoyable, we also got the long-awaited return of Bobby Fish afterward as he helped O'Reilly fend off Lorcan and Pete Dunne. I'm curious where that will lead.

This Week's Low Points

Jinder Mahal vs. Jeff Hardy: Mahal is back following a long layoff due to injury and I couldn't care less. I'm sorry but I've just never been able to get into his stuff, including his dull WWE Championship reign four years ago. This stable of his might have potential, but time will tell. The worst part is that Hardy was the sacrificial lamb here. You know, the guy who is still extremely popular with fans and still has something to offer. I don't understand why he's booked like a loser.

Asuka, Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke vs. Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler and Charlotte Flair: All of this was terrible. Just terrible. Okay, so the match was passable, but it wasn't as good as it should have been given some of the talent involved. I'm talking about the ending, really. Alexa Bliss apparently using supernatural powers to give Baszler a leg cramp (or whatever the hell it was) was atrocious television. Needless to say, Baszler has never meant less since signing with WWE.

Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler vs. Natalya and Tamina: To their credit, this was a better bout than I was expecting from these four. That said, it wasn't a very high bar to surpass. Despite there being an abundance of teams, very few of them mean anything and therefore WWE's women's tag team scene is on life support. I doubt putting the titles on Natalya and Tamina will do anything to change that, but congrats to them for getting their moment after so many years, if nothing else.

King Corbin vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: There wasn't anything technically wrong with the match, but I have no idea why Nakamura continues to lose matches he should be winning. Assuming Roman Reigns is going to be Universal Champion for the foreseeable future, WWE should be building up more potential challengers, such as Nakamura (who has unfinished business with Reigns, anyway). Meanwhile, Corbin's king gimmick is death and he needs to drop it as soon as possible.

Intercontinental Championship Fatal 4-Way announced for next week's SmackDown: This was a minor nitpick (and I'm stretching because there wasn't a lot to complain about this last week in WWE), but I have no clue why WWE would do Apollo Crews vs. Big E vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens on SmackDown next week and not at WrestleMania Backlash on Sunday. That's definitely a pay-per-view-worthy match. Maybe WWE wants to keep the event under three hours?

MSK vs. Breezango: Although this was a fun match that I enjoyed, it's not in the "Low Points" column for its quality. It's because the Breezango act is so tired at this point and I have no clue what purpose they serve in NXT's growing tag team division. I'm glad they're helping elevate other teams, but the gimmick wore out its welcome a while ago. Hopefully these losses are leading something, but I'd personally prefer to see them go their separate ways. Tyler Breeze still has value.

Week in Review Archive

2012

Week in Review

Week of May 15, 2021

Match of the Week:Kushida vs. Santos Escobar (NXT, May 11)

Superstar of the Week:Hit Row

Show of the Week:WWE NXT, May 11