A few weeks ago I started jotting down some thoughts around the intricacies and flaws in the current WWE product, including the logic behind some of the booking, story lines and characters. I have in fact, decided not to publish it. I actually started thinking that it’s all well and good writing about what I think could be done differently but there must be lots it’s doing right because without fail every week, I religiously tune in to Raw and Smackdown.
So instead of what could be perceived as a long rant about questionable booking and how I desperately wish they would do something meaningful with Finn Balor, here are some thoughts around what is going well right now. This is the second installment in the ‘It’s not all doom and gloom’ series. (Please see my previous blog www.theroxsays.co.uk for previous work)
First off, the Universal Title is finally getting some air time. Whether you love or hate Roman Reigns, the fact that he is champion and that belt is on TV gives us something we haven’t had in a long time….optimism. We can sit and dream up potential opponents and story lines. It’s been a long time coming but we can actually let our imaginations run wild a little, we can speculate and theorize as there is more possibility now that something might actually happen. I don’t know about anyone else but for me, as a wrestling fan, there is nothing more fun than talking through potential twists and turns, debating who could do what and what might happen if. My hubby and I can lose hours chatting about the possibilities and we do it more now that the belt is back on TV. We now have a real, present and tangible champion, who like him or not, has re-ignited our ability to speculate.
Speaking of champions… AJ Styles is amazing as the Heavyweight Champion. He is solid in every possible way. He is a technically gifted and captivating in-ring performer. He’s solid on the mic, speaking with conviction and confidence. I have seen him perform live a few times this year and he’s one of Smackdown’s highlights every week. I can hand on heart say that he is one of THE best wrestlers in the world right now and an absolute delight to watch. You have to remember that whilst we were all getting upset and twitchy about Brock Lesnar holding the Universal title hostage, AJ was there week in week out, showing us what a fighting champion really looks like.
Corey Graves!
The tag division across both brands is hot hot hot! Did you guys catch AOP & Strowman v the Shield? It was brilliant booking and it gave those guys a really strong showing. Dolph & Drew add a new depth and complexity to the division and I am so looking forward to the day The Revival lift those belts above their head. Smackdown is equally as strong, if not better. The New day provide us with comedic relief but they always put on a great show. The thing I like about them is they don’t take themselves too seriously yet it doesn’t take away from how incredibly good they are in the ring. Sheamus and Cesaro, The Uso’s, Gallows & Anderson all make for some great storytelling and great matches. The creative production of some of the Smackdown tag matches of late has been nothing short of spectacular.
The women. Where do I start with the women? Alexa Bliss… I just adore that girl. Ever since she was drafted from NXT she’s gone from strength to strength. I know a lot of people think that Seth Rollins’ transition from NXT to the main roster has been the most successful but I would happily argue that Alexa’s has been just as noticeable. Her character development has been one of the greatest success stories of the last two years.
Badass Becky Lynch. I didn’t think it was possible for me to love this girl any more but as the weeks go by I become more and more invested. We all wanted her character to turn and I believe she was, at some point, destined for a full heel turn but that didn’t happen which is really smart. Her twist has been cleverly done to the point where you still cheer for her because you want her to succeed yet she can get away with being a bit of a bitch, which makes her even more like-able and even more fierce. This character turn has been one of the highlights of the year.
The Riott Squad, Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose have all made excellent starts in their main roster career. We have a female General Manager on Smackdown, which is actually the perfect role for Paige to be in. We also have a full-time female commentator on Raw in Renee Young. We also have Evolution on the horizon, which granted may not be booked all that well but you know what? It’s happening! An all women’s PPV is happening.
What a year for the women’s division. I had the privilege of attending this years Rumble. I saw the first ever women’s Royal Rumble match. How awesome is that?
It’s also worth reminding ourselves of Daniel Bryan’s story. He was told his brain injuries were so severe, he would never wrestle again yet here is bouncing around the ring every week.
Finn Balor’s entrance!
The Shield are reunited. You love it. I love it. We all love it. It’s OK to admit it. Regardless of how you feel about the individuals within the Shield, the fact they are back together in their SWAT gear, fist bumping their way across our TV screens every week makes our fangirl hearts flutter. It’s OK, me too.
Seth Rollins. Everything about Seth Rollins. From his technical move set, to his mic skills, to his work ethic, his Instagram and the big ole smile he wears week in and week out. If you don’t like Seth Rollins, you are wrong! Fact!
I don’t know where this R-Truth push is coming from but I can’t get enough of it. He is a comical genius.
WWE gives a platform to some hugely important causes such as The Special Olympics, Connors Cure, breast cancer survivors and many many more. WWE take their social, charitable and community involvement seriously and they showcase their support with passion and enthusiasm. That in itself, should be celebrated.
Rusev Dayyyyyyyyyy
So what does the future hold?
Kevin Owens, Elias, Finn Balor, Bobby Roode will eventually do something interesting. Their time will come, we simply have to keep the faith. Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton, Nakamura all have an important part to play in the Smackdown upper mid-card.
Will Samoa Joe take the belt off AJ? Who knows
The Miz and Daniel Bryan. I could watch this story unfold over and over again and happily be invested in it up to Mania.
Carmella, The Iconics, Naomi, Lana and Auska have a great climb ahead of them as they take the Smackdown women’s division to the next level. It’ll be interesting to see who emerges as the next contender to the women’s title.
Are we going to see any NXT call ups? I actually don’t think there’s any need to right now as NXT continues to build for the future of this company. If you don’t watch NXT, go watch it…. right now!
Also now that 205 live is gathering momentum it’s definitely worth keeping up to date with. Some of those matches of late have been brilliant.
Survivor Series is on the horizon and before you know it, we’ll be on Rumble countdown and around we go again.
In closing, I will finish by emphasizing that there is a lot WWE is getting right at the moment and it is a brilliant product for the most part. There is no doubt in my mind it will be something I’m forever invested in.
On the flip side, I also think there’s a big difference between disagreeing with something and just flat-out complaining about it. As a fan, especially if you’ve watched for a long time, I think it’s normal to disagree with how something or someone is booked. I think it’s healthy to not love it all the time, it keeps it interesting. I think it’s OK to speculate about different ways something could be done or how it could have ended. I also think it’s OK to debate your thoughts with like-minded and sometimes none like-minded people. As long as you are open-minded and respectful of others thoughts and opinions I say, carry on. And this doesn’t just apply to wrestling, it applies to pretty much everything. Be excellent to each other!
