RIShane

The Asuka booking is very frustrating. I get they're trying to prop up Carmella's title reign (and it needs the help), but its not working and its making Asuka look bad too. I'm sympathetic because I know most of the roster just got back from Japan/Taipei, but it was a pretty underwhelming episode on the whole. I'm not complaining about the Becky streak cause its nice to see her getting wins, but her match with Peyton was pretty mediocre.

The Women's Evolution collection (which is arguably a better set than the recently released Then Now Forever DVD) has some intriguing rarities, including a 2010 AJ Lee FCW match, Alundra Blayze's 1993 title win, Wendi Richter getting screwed out of the title in 1985, etc:

Yeah. that was pretty poor. The Braun stuff at the end dragged (literally), and the therapy segments weren't near funny enough to justify that being the follow-up to Bayley's beatdown last week.

So the Miz and Maryse's version of Total Bellas was accurate after all?

An analysis I wrote on Charlotte Flair's ESPN Magazine Body Issue shoot and its significance for the representation of women's wrestling.

Io Shirai officially signed. ?

Its striking, isn't it? You can tell when a writer truly gets it.

She also got a tattoo under her armpit two days before the MITB match.

A great and affecting profile of Charlotte Flair written for ESPN's Body Issue.

Up there with Big Cass going too far in his beatdown of a midget dressed as Daniel Bryan.

Fairly fillerish episode on the whole (and that Twist of Fate botch was bad), but the ending was sweet. Am also now curious where Becky's winning streak is going to go, she hasn't lost a match for nearly two months now so perhaps they're building her up for a big match.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it isn't just Bayley in counseling next week:

Apologies if this is NSFW, but its tasteful and has a great message. (And also recreates the ending of her WM match with Asuka for good measure.)

Charlotte Flair's ESPN Magazine shoot is now available online, and also includes an interesting interview on how she puts together her matches, her future aspirations, and more.

Cute. And now Brie doesn't have to worry about their child seeing Big Cass again.

I believe she mentions Alice in Chains on Stone Cold's podcast! As for Soundgarden: https://www.loudersound.com/features/wwe-s-becky-lynch-explains-why-wrestling-is-definitely-metal

Asuka's hair looking like an outtake cover for My Life in the Bush of Ghosts:

But this time he'll show us that he deserves it. I've also heard he was a pretty big wheel at Kent State. To return to the photos though:

And while it was kind of WWE to give him a promo-heavy feud that required little wrestling, they couldn't have given him a crappier one.

As did Charlotte/Asuka this year. But yes, the WM 32 match holds up very well (its even better in its alternate 'Wrestlemania Theater' presentation on the Network), and is such a historically significant match.

Moment aside, I feel the Wrestlemania XXXIII match needed a few more minutes to be great, it feels pretty rushed after the Nia elimination while still having some good moments.

The highlight of Bayley's WWE tenure is probably her 2/13/17 Raw main event with Charlotte (and her match with Alexa at Payback is underrated because of the shambles Extreme Rules was), but she's definitely become a less consistent and confident worker in general, sadly.