Charlie M.

The advancements in analytics have helped the non-shot blocking rim protectors quite a bit. The Gobert deal was easy. Utah had to make it. OKC kinda has to go in on Adams and Oladipo as long as Westbrook is still there.

Bayley's promo work was really bad but I don't think having her overcome Nia before taking on Charlotte is the worst direction. It'd help if Nia was over but options are limited. Plus they have so many weeks to kill before the next RAW PPV. The real good news from RAW was BRAUN STROWMAN being on the Survivor Series team. I thought his exchange with Sami was really good too.

I think Perkins was feeling the pressure of everyone saying he and Kendrick weren't high flying enough for the division so he tried something spectacular and nearly died.

There's a really good one from Smackdown in January. I think they get slept on because people were generally down on the handling of the women and the push of Charlotte at the time. But Becky vs Charlotte is really what got the division moving in the right direction.

Too many people get that criticism but I actually do buy it with Barbaro because he does so much stuff where he lands right on his knees. A lot of his landings just look rough. The good thing for him is that he doesn't really need to do the flying in the future to stay over. I think the gimmick probably even works better as he gets older and meaner.

I think the caveman gimmick has tons of merchandising potential. If this were another era, WWE would just steal it and give it to someone else but they don't seem to do that much anymore.

The problem is that stupid fucking tag team title record. Cesaro and Sheamus make for a pretty cool fresh team but they can't win because New Day have to get their record that no one cares about.

I'm just not buying those as botches. The table didn't cooperate. They covered well enough. Maybe I've just seen too much wrestling from before everyone went through perfectly pre-cut tables that broke like nothing.

Tony Romo now locked in as the QB of the Jets next season.

The crowd popped huge when Sasha got up off the stretcher so I'd say it worked in the moment. I don't think the table botch was that big of a deal. Stuff doesn't go perfectly when people fall into stuff. It's not like someone botched a springboard or almost dropped someone on their head trying a power bomb. It was just a table not doing what you wanted it to.

I thought the Main Event was great. A physical and violent battle between two people who hated each other. They told a really good story with the back. Every move felt huge and impactful. Charlotte's character work is top notch. The finish was flat for the building but I can't put that on the performers. I'd easily have it in my Top 10 WWE matches for the year. The rest of the card was just okay.

Delightful. They better get to do their Christmas special.

So Tom Brady is winning the MVP this year, right? I feel like the suspension will now convince New England to "Duncan" him in future seasons and he'll play into his mid-40's.

The Cruiserweight Six Man on Superstars this week was pretty good. I'd use these more on RAW to help establish who the faces and heels are in the division. It also gives everyone a couple minutes each to show off their best stuff. Main Event had a short Alpha vs Vaudes match that was your typical fun little AA formula match. Hawkins vs Crews was okay.

The crowd has treated all of those matches like big matches, though. Nobody else on this card can say that recently. The fact that this has to go on last shows why you don't build your Universal Title feud around a guy who isn't on TV.

I'm not. WWE hasn't done an unsafe big bump in a cell match since Foley. Anything they approve will be very well thought out. There's lots of pressure on them to deliver a great match but that's what comes with the spot. That's why a guy like AJ Styles is so great because night after night he just churns out great performances. If you want to be thought of as one of the best, you go out there and you deliver.

They'll retroactively pretend like they promoted it as the Main Event the whole time. For the quality of the show, this is definitely the right move but that's been obvious to almost everyone but them for weeks.

Shane's return last year caused a big spike in Mania interest and we know how WWE likes to run things into the ground.

Anthony Davis puts up 50 and loses. The Pelicans lineup is criminally bad for having AD on your team. This Houston/Lakers game is wild. I hope Houston plays at this pace all year.

Watched this tonight and it lived up to your hype. The crowd was super hot for pretty much the whole thing and some of those dives looked brutal because there's barely any room between the ring and the barricade. Here it is for everyone who hasn't seen it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWil9JwMLA4

I get it now. They've been paying the talent in good will instead of cash this whole time. Those envelopes really weren't empty!

Inside The NBA off to a great start with Barkley burying the Knicks and EJ losing it over the overly tanned Blazers fan.

AJ vs Ambrose was very good. AJ brings something out of Ambrose that no one else does. AJ's baseball slide dropkick to Ellsworth was incredible. I loved the ending with Ellsworth losing it on AJ and hitting the No Chin Music! They're getting great mileage out of this. Orton in the Wyatts would be something different for sure. I hope he goes all-in and grows a big crazy beard. Alexa and Becky had a really strong segment. That's what a lot of us want from the booking of the women. It was just a strong angle between two wrestlers that happened to be women. I hope this isn't the end of the Spirit Squad. They're a solid tag team in the ring. Maybe Miz could give them a Hollywood makeover? Heath paying off the Shining Stars storyline was awesome. Remember SLATER GATOR? Imagine if Heath has also invested in the Titus Brand?! Heath getting swindled by all his old jobber buddies would be great TV.

Top 25 AJ Styles vs. Roman Reigns (Extreme Rules) Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Takeover Dallas) AJ Styles vs. John Cena (SummerSlam) The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler (No Mercy) Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks (RAW October 3) AJ Styles vs. John Cena (Money In The Bank) Chris Jericho & AJ Styles vs. New Day (RAW March 7) AJ Styles vs. Roman Reigns (Payback) AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose (Backlash) Fatal Four Way (Extreme Rules) Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (Battleground) Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks (RAW July 23) Gargano & Ciampa vs. The Revival (Takeover Brooklyn) TJ Perkins vs. Kota Ibushi (CWC) The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler (Backlash) Tajiri vs. Gran Metalik (CWC) Cesaro vs. Sheamus (Clash of Champions) Kota Ibushi vs. Cedric Alexander (CWC) Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins (Money in the Bank) American Alpha vs. The Revival (Takeover The End) The Miz vs. Cesaro (Smackdown May 26) The Miz vs. Dean Ambrose (Smackdown June 30) Alberto Del Rio vs. Kalisto (Smackdown January 14) Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch (Smackdown January 7) AJ Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler (Smackdown August 23) Looking through my list, it's pretty clear that AJ Styles is destroying the field in terms of Wrestler of the Year. I couldn't even find a way to fit in some of his other great TV match work. Contenders for the #2 spot would have to be Miz, Cesaro, Charlotte, and Roman. I'm probably lower on the CWC stuff than most and I seem to be lacking in NXT even though all the Takeovers have been strong shows.

Who is everyone's League Pass Team this year? It's trendy but I'm really interested in seeing what Minnesota does this year with Thibs. Actually the middle of the pack in the Western Conference could be a lot of fun. Lots of young players and exciting teams.