blitzkrieg

Liked that with the second episode that we started to see some interaction between the WWEID peeps and the NXT/PC peeps. To echo my sentiment about the first episode, I appreciate them allowing wrestlers to actually dominate matches which didn't really happen on Level Up. Also a fan of having everything just flow from one segment to another. It allows the show to build up storylines and future segments without having to do a lot of backstage segments or interviews. I spent a good portion of the show wondering what an Evolve Face-Off was only to find out it was two people sitting down and talking to each other. That said hopefully Big Body Javi can finally get some actual momentum going. Will say that Riley and Oro just seemed to not be able to get on the same page in the main event. Also I really hope that someone had Riley burn those tights after that match. I think they might have been a bit of a tribute to Bea but they should never ever be worn again. Still fun little show that is a step up from Level Up.

I feel like the biggest takeaway from his TNA run for me was the feeling that most of his personality was heavily tied to how MLW handled him.

Thought it was a fun show. Felt like it did a good job of serving two masters featuring the PC crowd with the first two matches and then the WWE ID crowd with the main event. Quick thoughts: Dani Palmer looked really good in the ring, now if only she can stay healthy. Liked the intensity from Kendel as they really push either an Odd Couple relationship with her and Carlee Bright or have Kendel eventually murder her. Keanu Carver got to be a beast which is kinda refreshing because I felt like no one got to really dominate on Level Up. The main event was a fun introduction and also very much on a different level than the other two matches of the show. Do hope that in the future we start to see a bit more intermingling between the two sides. I will admit I laughed at this one:

Assuming that the three basketball players are Haliburton, Brunson, and Trae. Also going assume that one of the celebs is IShowSpeed.

I really wouldn't have expected Sol and Zaria to build as much chemistry as they have when they first started out. Did feel a little bad for Chelsea and Piper who it looked like took some live rounds in the match. The closing sequence with the Doomsday Device Moonsault Press, the F5 onto Chelsea, and the Sol Snatcher was great. Will be interesting to see if we get a US Title shot for Sol and also just the general women's tag team picture. I was actually really impressed by Jaida and Kelani. I think Kelani has gotten a lot better at working her athleticism with actual storytelling which gelled well with Jaida who is pretty fundamentally sound and has the character work down path. Another great closing sequence. Crowd kinda hijacked the Hardy segment for the worst. Like the continued chaos of the tag team division. Crowd was also highly annoying during Cora/Jordynne. On the plus side Cora is getting a negative reaction from the crowd but it also is completely separated from anything she's actually doing in the ring. Which kinda subtracts from what is Cora's strength in the ring which is just being a heel. Happy to hear that it doesn't sound like it was anything too serious with Cora. Next week's card is so stacked with the addition of Roxanne/Jordynne. Kale Dixon has a bright future of getting murdered in the ring. Eddy really is better in the pre-tapes than live. The Underground match seemed likely but could have used some better build Enjoyed the main event as Shawn Spears is always smart in the ring and Tony is always Tony in the ring. Liked them kinda subverting the usual Tony formula of him kicking out of his opponent's big shot and then hitting the spinebuster out of no where for the win with the spinebuster attempt ultimately costing him because of the back injury. There are also a lot more exciting opponents for Spears right now than there are for Tony, plus the title helps legitimize his stable. Really strong show that was able to stand on it's own with minimal build-up to next week's episode. Think the opening tag was probably my match of the show.

He was gifted the hardcore title by Triple H last year which is why he was carrying it.

I know she's been getting face reactions from the crowd but really not feeling or even buying Tiffany as a face. On top of that she just hasn't seem as comfortable or crisp in the ring for the past few weeks. Liked the three singles matches leading into the triple threat for the US Title contendership, even if it basically just got us back to where we started. It was a good way to use the extra time that the three hour format provides. I liked the tag team division chaos a little bit more this week than the previous week, if simply because I wasn't crazy about the Profits just taking everyone out. This week really made everyone look a bit more on the same level. Hopefully we just get some variations for the next few weeks and then a big multi-team blowoff at WM. The six woman was a good showcase for the women's Elimination Chamber. Liked the faces all being a bit one track minded when it came to the heels that they had issues with. Cool to see Roxanne pick up the win over Bayley. Also the post-match attack by Alexa was a good way to showcase her as the true X factor in the match. Both of the big talking segments were letdowns. The men's elimination match one just didn't seem to really land with the audience and had all the participants really just going over well traveled stuff. Then Logan Paul came out and killed things deader than dead. Agree that the backstage stuff with Cody was actually quite good for "we need to buffer this situation till tomorrow night." The gift and The Rock's video just seemed to do nothing for the audience. Hopefully the payoff is good enough that it makes up for these two weeks. Thought the show was enjoyable and most of the in-ring stuff was great outside of maybe the opener. Feel like the pre-PLE Smackdowns are usually a little more Smackdown centric but suppose that can be forgiven with how inter-brand the PLE is. That said they did a good job of making the US Title seem important, the tag team division exciting, and continuing the Solo/Jacob stuff.

Cool to see Poppy getting drafted from NXT to the main brand.

Karmen and Stephanie probably really sells one of the perks of big fish in the NXT pond as the rawer talent can really benefit with working with more experienced workers. Easily Karmen's best match to this point. I have to assume that there is no way we're getting a decisive victor at Roadblock, right? Moose and Lexis was a good introduction to Moose and Lexis continues to be game. I was starting to think that Roadblock was turning into Forbidden Door with all the mentions of title vs title matches but Ava seemed to walk it back later on saying that it would only be for the NXT Title. Also was it just me or did they go all gas and no brakes during this match and just skip a commercial break? Liked them setting up Roxanne as the next thing for Jordynne. Good way to wind down her time in NXT. Fun match between NQCC and the Hardyz. Tavion and Myles got to get in a little shine while the Hardyz got to hit all their spots. The ramp version of Poetry in Motion was a nice little twist. The reaction for Santino was a cool little moment and Fraxiom/Hardyz should be fun. Cool to see Arianna back in the ring on NXT TV. Nice to get to see some fire from here before Lola picking up the win. Liked the energy and vibe that Eddy brought in his video. Do we get a Last Man Standing match or an Underground match between him and Trick? Good TV main event and a good introduction of Ricky. Will be interesting to see when we get the final blow-off between Ethan and Je'von and where things go with Trick and Je'von. Liked Tyriek and Tyson getting liberally involved in things which kinda builds on what they and Wes have been doing in TNA. Hopefully we get a Wes/Ricky singles match in the upcoming weeks. They did a solid job building up next week, especially Spears/Tony next week. That said Roadblock is definitely a PLE level show on the CW. Will be interesting where things go with Stand and Deliver afterward.

Thought the opening segment was a good use of Punk and Paul. It really is great how many possibilities there are for the men's Elimination Chamber. It was great to see how over Penta was and Ludwig stealing the victory over Dunne was a great way to keep issues going. Del Toro and Wilde are so smooth in the ring, it's a shame that they're never given more to do. Loved the Gunther promo and match with Tozawa. The crowd was so into every time that Tozawa got any offense and Gunther choking out a dangling Tozawa was a great visual. Kai and Lyra have good in-ring chemistry and they did a really good job of making it look like a struggle. Liked Lyra teasing the suplex off the apron only for Dakota to counter it. Michael Cole finally called the Kaiopractor by name! Nightwing just doesn't look like an "It's over if I hit it move" but oh well. Match ultimately feels a little like it was just a detour to make the match to Lyra/Ivy a little longer but hopefully they can build Dakota up some before another shot. Look like we're building to another multi-man feud for the IC Title with Finn and AJ in the mix. Main event was a banger and the crowd was totally along for the ride. Show felt a little slow but I liked the light being shined on other talent now that the EC qualifiers are over. Wasn't crazy about the commercial break during both the triple threat and IC Title matches. Looking forward to Rhea/Iyo next week.

There wasn't anything remotely Suits like about Suits LA. I also think it was a pretty bad first episode, so it didn't even have that to save it.

I'm not sure if it was an instance of one mistake leading to just being off for the rest of the match but that's easily the most off I've ever seen Tiffy. Loved DIY getting to do the "moment of silence" bit in front of a live crowd. Street Profits looked buttery smooth in the ring. I know everyone is in love with Jacob nowadays but Solo really has learned how to do so many of the small things so well in the ring. Last night has me wanting a Solo/Priest match really badly.

With how people are talking about this year's draft pool, moving up might be a lot more difficult than normal. Honestly if you're the Spurs and you're now on the Wemby timeline, I'm not exactly sure the best strategy is getting more players that are going take two to three years to develop. To me it seems like a good time to potentially work out a trade to get another star player that they can just plug in next to Fox and Wemby.

Spurs weren't going any where, so outside of Fox and Wemby not getting to work on chemistry I don't think it's that big of a loss for the team overall. Honestly the Spurs small ball lineup with Fox is a lot more fun to watch. It does probably make the DPOY race an open competition since everyone was just giving it to Wemby at this point.

Give me a post-college years movie in a couple years.

It's almost crazy to think that Si Spurrier is the same person that wrote the first and second arcs of The Flash. The first 13 issues, or so, were completely not what I was looking for a Flash book while everything else has been super fun and must closer to what Jeremy Adams was doing with Wally. There's plenty of stuff that was introduced from the first arc that is being used but the tonal shift is great enough that I wonder if it was a bit of a conscious course adjustment.

Liked the opening segment and the swerve and surprise of Moose showing up. Should be a banger of a match in the future. Also liked the segment later with Lexis calling out Moose setting up an X-Division Title match next week. Should be a good introduction of Moose to those not familiar with him. The triple threat had a couple rough spots by Karmen, especially early on, but just kinda goes to show the wildly different levels everyone is on. Kelani busted out some cool new stuff. Liked the finish with Ashante saving Karmen from Kelani only then to put her back to take advantage of Jaida's high stepping. Interesting use of the PIP to have it include the Karmen/Ashante beatdown and Giulia/Stephanie coming out then coming back for Jordynne's save. MetaGirls vs. Sol/Zaria was fun. The back handspring into a pinning combination by Sol was definitely unique. Zaria and Lash got to have some great moments to show off their power game. Where is my women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic? Ricky Starks Saints does bring a different kind of vibe to his persona than really anyone else in NXT. He had a kinda effortless conversational feel to himself both in his in-ring segment and backstage. Feel like having Je'von in his orbit could be good. Things definitely heating up on the NXTNA front as they continue to build up to a Fraxiom/Hardyz match. NQCC/Hardyz should be fun. Evil looks good on Izzi Dame. Spears busted out some fun offense like slingshoting Stacks into the ring into a draping DDT and an absolutely nasty Ushigoroshi like brainbuster move. Hopefully Spears group finally gets some traction. Eddy vs. Chase didn't exactly keep the momentum going after him being Trick on Saturday. Do love Kale and Uriah getting some Tuesday night love. Wonder if we're back to the Implant DDT. Like the energy from Trick after the match even if I have no clue what it means. Main event was a good showcase for Jordynne while Fatal Influence looked respectable. Loved the camera catching Vic and Corey just staring at Book during Stephanie's headscissors apron smash move. Will be interesting where Grace sets her sights first. Liked them pulling back a bit with The Undisputed Shield of Nexus Retribution after Saturday night. Having them (assumingly) lay out people in the back, have the security around the ring, only for the show to end with catching them briefly as they leave Stone laying in Ava's office. Less is probably going be more with them at first. Post-PLE NXT seem to always be a bit of a resetting and slow burn, this kinda felt like that. It was a good show but they definitely seem to be packing next week's episode. Also interesting to see where things go with no Roxanne and no Cora this week.

Sami out rocking Original Penguin. Thought Adam Pearce delivered a good fiery promo to Sami which got the crowd into things with a "Let them fight" chant and Sami did a great job of throwing it back in his face. I'm afraid of what Sami and Kevin will do to each other if they face off at WM. Solid match back for AJ against Dom. Glad AJ was okay after the way he landed when Carlito interfered on his Phenomenal Forearm attempt. Liked Styles outsmarting Bron and look forward to what the two can do against each other in the ring. Dakota Kai is apparently going bring back calling people "whippersnapper" all by herself. Dakota and Ivy both had their working boots on and were game despite it being a little sloppy at times. Dakota also seems to be intent on taking at least one nasty looking bump a match. Do love the love that the Kairopractor gets on commentary every time Dakota does it. Ivy got really spiked on Dakota's stomp, do wonder if she's not tall enough to take it normally. Nice surprise with how much they've been building up Ivy facing Lyra to have Dakota get her rematch. Gunther coming out and mocking Jey's entrance was a nice change of pace. Who would have thought Gunther would get to be this good on the mic? Liked Jey coming out and brawling with Gunther for a bit and then his backstage interview with Cathy. The people on the aisle way are really getting used to throwing up Penta's hand sign when he comes out. Dunne's beating up Penta just resulted in the crowd chanting "Let's go Penta" even louder. I have no problem with more of Penta vs. Dunne and/or Ludwig. The crowd really didn't seem to care about Raquel/Roxanne with not much reaction to all of Raquel's power spots. They did get into it a bit more when Roxanne started to get some offense and nearfalls in. Brr, it must have been cold in there because there were some clovers in the atmosphere. Nice to see Roxanne get the clean victory off of the Naomi and Bianca distraction. Very cool Women's Elimination Chamber lineup. Love New Day getting some time to just talk and get boo'ed from the crowd. Cool to see the Rey-less LWO coming out and mixing it up with them. I'll more than happily take a Del Toro/Wilde match with New Day. No clue where the Kross stuff is going but happy to see him getting time to talk. Felt like Rollins and Finn went out there and did a match different from their usual which was cool. Liked them taking advantage of the new announcer table with Seth dropping Finn with a kneebreaker on it. Wasn't sure if the crowd was fully into it with both the "CM Punk" chant early and then the fireflies later in the match. But the crowd seemed to get really pulled into things after they started chanting Rollins theme. Oops on Finn not kicking out on time after Seth's Pedigree but in defense of Finn, he did hit a much better Pedigree on Seth earlier in the match. The crowd did seem to recover and pop big for the eventual Stomp finish. The Netflix era continues to be a lot of good shows but no great shows. I enjoyed the show, I thought it had great pacing but they really haven't had a lot of moments to talk about at the water cooler the next day either. Also I don't know if Cole is still under the weather or what but rough show for him.

OTM is also kinda a big miss on the NXT side, especially when you figure they've been around on NXT TV longer than Jaida who is in the game. Would have also liked to see Karmen in the game.

Thank you LFG for revealing to me that I don't get A&E So had to use means but I watched it today and thought it was actually really entertaining. Will say the emotional beats they hit did a good job of resonating with me. Will be interesting to see how the future episodes progress. Main Event is on Peacock, new episodes drop on Saturday at noon. Had Zoey vs. Maxxine and Penta vs. Waller this week. Post-match of the Penta/Waller match, George Kittle in a Kittle-themed Penta mask joined Penta in the ring. Roxanne was already announced for Raw in the last Elimination Chamber qualifier against Raquel. Also on Raw: Finn vs. Seth in an Elimination qualifier, Dakota vs. Ivy in a #1 Contender match for the IC Title, Penta vs. Dunne, Naomi and Bianca confronting Liv and Raquel, and Sami responding to KO.

IGN dropped their roster reveal: https://www.ign.com/articles/wwe-2k25-roster-reveal-ign-fanfest?utm_source=threads,twitter On the quick scan I'm pretty happy with it and you can certainly see where the cut-off probably was and figure who might make it as DLC. Wouldn't have minded more NXT inclusions but suppose that could be said every year.

The target score idea to keep things competitive does kinda fall apart when one team is blowing the other team out of the water. Still all and all less painful than the last few years, outside of way too much fluff during the broadcast.

My guess after last night would be some pairing from The Shield of Undisputed Nexus Retribution.

Vaquer and Fallon was probably the best singles match I've seen from Fallon. Will be interesting where they go with Fatal Influence as they've teased Jayce not being completely pleased with being second fiddle. Love Stephanie busting out the Spiral Tap and she hit it super cleanly tonight. Fraxiom do not know how to have a bad match. I wasn't sure what to expect with Briggs and Inamura being the opponents but I had no reason to doubt. Honestly killing guys smaller than him might be the road to go with Briggs right now. Inamura chopped his way to being over but I must say Axiom is one of the smartest guys in wrestling for hitting the Golden Ratio when Inamura put his arms behind his back waiting for a chop. I joked that the new group would be taking a page out of Undisputed Era's debut and they did with the beat down of both tag teams. That wasn't very neighborly of Cutler James. I feel like Thorpe gets a lot of mixed reaction online but crowds seem to hate him which I love. Thought they used the strap well throughout the match and told a pretty good story along the way. Loved Eddy using the (legal) shortcut with the strap low blow but hopefully the next Busaiku Knee he hits is a little cleaner. Loved the opening of Page and Evans with Page running away and Je'von just intercepting his path with the crazy dive. Je'von was great bringing the fire in the early path and then Page was great taking over after capitalizing on Evans mistake. Thought the finish was perfect with Page hitting a perfectly timed punch with the mouth guard flying and Je'von bleeding from the mouth afterward. Waller and Theory really have showed that they should be used more with their recent NXT stint and tonight was no different. Honestly I wouldn't hate them running Waller vs. Theory and giving the winner another crack at Oba. Oba is a beast. Will be interesting where things go with The Shield of Undisputed Nexus Retribution, I do know they probably could work on safer versions of throwing guys into each other and the heave-ho power bomb. The main was a little sloppy at times, with Giulia and Bayley really having problems together, but thought it was the right match to be the main with the crowd investment. Liked Cora and Roxanne telling a completely different story in the match than Grayson and Austin did the previous match. Was kinda surprised that Roxanne eat the pin but plenty of story elements with Roxanne having Bayley beat only for Cora to have Roxanne beat. Ending the show with Giulia, Stephanie, and Jordynne in the ring really got over how stacked the NXT Women's Division is going remain. Good show from start to finish but never really hit great show. I'm starting to think that we should just assume that if Oba is a three way match that it's going steal the show. Will be interesting where things go from here going into Stand & Deliver(and post-WM draft.)