WWE TV - 9/19 - 9/25/2022

[Kang]

I thought it was a good NXT episode. 

 

[DEAN]

Sorry I'm late!  Dishes, DARK. Showering- But. I AM SQUEAKY CLEAN!  It's Axiom versus Nathan Frazer!  Where is the Black and Gold?  WHAT THE FUCK?  This is LOT of stuff compressed into a very small amount of time.  This is 1993 All Japan Women.  They slow it down and work a headlock.  They take it to the mat so this isn't the same as their first match.  Fun dropkick to the MID SECTION after Axiom comes off the top!  Frazer goes on offense and it involves a lot of stuff in the ropes.  @Matt D is right about picture in picture.  All psychology of a match is pretty much fleshed out in picture in picture.  Here Frazer beats a wad of heat on Axiom.  Axiom makes a comeback with an Octopus Hold!  Nice Missile Lariat by Axiom.  GREAT Superkick by Frazer FOR TWO!  Crazy Toprope Belly To Belly by Axiom.  Axiom gets in four submissions in like eight seconds.  This match is fucking GREAT.  Frazer hits the fucking totally INSANE Superplex into another twisty Suplex into a sort of Skyytwister Press for the win!  That match was great.  Awesome! It's Toxic Attraction vs Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley.  Paxley is all athletic and shit.  She is our face in peril and Toxic Attraction is, of course, a good heel tagteam, in a Southern sense.  Ivy Nile is the kickiest Robert Gibson ever!  Nile and Dolin have an awkward few minutes.  That wasn't very long.  It's Edris Enofe and Malik Blade versus the Dyad.  Enofe is our face in peril early.  Blade hits a tope as SWEET as his sweater vest.  The Dyad and Joe Gacy GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT!  This match is edited straight to heck.  I can't imagine what this looked like live.  The Dyad win with a BIG RIG?  Dyad is the NXT ode to AEW, it appears.  I can get behind that.  Wendy Choo is back.  It's been what? Four weeks?  It's Cora Jade!  Wendy Choo is fun.  Where is Tiffany Stratton?  Evil Cora is so much better on offense.  NICE over head Belly To Belly Suplex by Choo.  Hey!  Cora Jade actually wins with a DDT!  That was quick.  It's Carmello Hayes and Trick Williams against Bodhi Heyward and Andre Chase!  CHASE U!  Andre Chase wins with a Seatbelt!  It's a night of AEW finishers!  That was perfectly fine.  And it's Sanga versus Von Wagner.  It's a HOSS BATTLE!  It's a pretty tepid hoss battle.  It wasn't very long.  Oro Mensah?  Geez, the WWE name generator is working overtime.  It's Grayson Waller.  This match is very DARK-like.  Waller hits the Blackpool Combat Club Hammer and Tongs spot.  I wonder if this stuff is on purpose tonight.  Oro Mensah gets the UPSET after Apollo Crews shows up with the Bleeding Eye!  That was a full WCW Wordwide Point.  Tyler Bate and JD McDonagh are ready to HOOK'EM UP!  McDonagh and Bate go completely Steve Gray versus Marc Rocco.  This match is very British.  It doesn't do the US thing of a heel beating on a babyface who makes a comeback.  This is more of a Japanese match where you have to get the most offense in.  McDonagh takes an Irish Whip over the top.  BEAUTIFUL EVEREST EXPLOIDAH! by Bate.  TYLER BATE WITH A FUCKING AIRPLANE SPIN!  IN 2022!  AWESOME!  Tyler Bate is my new favorite WWE wrestler.  McDonagh hits an Asai Moonsault and 450 Splash FOR TWO!   SWEET BRAINBUSTER BY McDONAGH!  JD McDonagh is now my second favorite WWE wrestler.  This match is fucking great.  The crowd chants for the AEW video game!  GREAT fucking FINISH.  What a fucking match.  The first and last match made this a great episode, with a lot filler in between.  HHH! HHH! HHH! HHH! HHH! HHH! HHH!  HEY!  It's Ilja Dragunov!  Well, things are going to get a lot stiffer. AIRPLANE SPIN!

[Eivion]

Axiom/Frazer was great. Loved the speedy mat work and later selling when things slowed down. Was nice to see Frazer more aggressive and Axion even have a slight dick moment  when he was  getting frustrated with how much trouble Frazer was giving him. So looking forward to match three.

Gigi/Jacy vs. Ivy/Tatum was short and fine if a bit off at times.

Enofe/Blade vs. Dyad was good fun. Was neat seeing Enofe so fired up and kicking ass for a bit.

Wendy/Cora was nice while it lasted witht he two just gelling so well together. Cora continues to get better and better. Looking forward to the rematch with Roxanne.

Chase/Bodi vs. Carmelo/Trick was decent fun. Always enjoy the Chase U gang and I love seeing people win with the Gannosuke Clutch.

Sanga/Wagner was short but fun while it lasted.

Oro/Waller was solid with Oro getting in a decent enough showcase.

Tyler/JD was good stuff as expected. The two have wrestled enough that most everythign they do flows with there still being some nice characters bits here and there. Would have preferred Bate winning whatever. Dragunov returning was nice. The ending hinted towards triple threat though I'm hoping the eventual title match we get is just Ilja/Bron.

[John from Cincinnati]

Been trying to watch some of this the last few weeks, and I think lost in how well the Rhea-Dominik stuff is playing is how well Finn is getting to play in this nonsense. When he called for the family portrait this week, hope sprung that maybe he'll get to present a side of himself that's been suppressed all these years. With all the still-stale acts hanging around these shows, glad to see Finn attached to something this fun. 

Liked most of Tyler's signature spots being countered in the main by a seasoned rival (even with Tyler getting the jab in once they collapsed). Devlin's new name sucks, but whatever. Maybe Hunter gives him his old one back if they're hanging on to him. 

If they were going to throw A-Kid under a mask, couldn't they pick one with a bit more character? The entrance plays on TV but has to be hot nothing in person. Very fun match though. 

Edited September 21, 2022 by John from Cincinnati

[RIPPA]

 

[Kang]

WWE development and release protocols 

https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1019221/wwe-svp-details-developmental-recruitment-and-release-protocols/

Don't expect everyone to survive and don't expect NXT become more Indy, it's staying developmental. More will be released over time if they're not improving.

[blitzkrieg]

7 minutes ago, Blue Dragon said:

WWE development and release protocols 

https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1019221/wwe-svp-details-developmental-recruitment-and-release-protocols/

Don't expect everyone to survive and don't expect NXT become more Indy, it's staying developmental. More will be released over time if they're not improving.

Watching the actual interview it was recorded Summer Slam weekend and says the current method was implemented with the NXT 2.0 launch. So not to say that they might not keep that direction but seems like if Triple H does plan on changing anything this interview was done before those plans would have been made.

[Kang]

There been no reported or leaked change to the system, so it still stands. They recently released many UK people, they're not afraid to cut more. Just this time around with no Vince they cut you before you hit Raw or SD.

[Eivion]

The emphasis seems to be more on a 2 year timeline to hit a certain level or you're out. That actually isn't super unreasonable when they will regularly be looking at people to bring in at least a couple of times each year. Guessing they are trying to avoid loading up the PC to a ridiculous extent like they had previously.

Does make me wonder if that might also be the timeline for how long some stick around in NXT after debuting or starting a push there. There are a few who could definitely move up already, but seem like they will stick around for a while.

[Kang]

The WWE website has added a Peacock shortcut on the navigational menu.  

They might put Ali and Shelton together as tag team from looking at this week Main Event results, they fought Otis and Chad. The other first match was Dana vs Tamina, non title.  I don't think they do those comedy skits and scramble for the 24/7 belt anymore on tv. Seems to be another Womens title for now.

Have to see what happens to Main Event. This was the supposedly the last one on Hulu if no renewal.

[Kang]

Theres a link in this link too but Triple H explains what he wants to do with NXT and other future NXT brands. More sports like but still developmental too.

https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1021015/triple-h-describes-his-vision-for-wwe-nxt/

I dunno when they change the setup. But they have few more NXT 2.0 logos on stuff to get rid off. 

 

[RIPPA]

In the new WON, this is how Dave wrote about the new "policy" around signing and releases (specific to NXT)

Quote

There is also a doctrine in NXT, it was said to be a new rule but he may be a strong recommendation as opposed to being a hard-and-fast rule, that everyone who is signed from this point forward, as well as those who have started out, has two years to become “good enough” to make NXT television or they will be cut. It was noted that a lot of people right now are “on the clock.

So basically what was said already

2 years is way more reasonable than that "6 months from their debut" thing that Vince had going

[Kang]

25 years of DX celebration set for Raw on Oct 10.

Hulu will only keep Smackdown on the service going forward. 

[Kang]

Very very good show.  Good crowd. Smackdown is probably the best wrestling show.

Noticed PowerBombs are back on the menu.

[DEAN]

Lacey Evans!  Liv Morgan!  Evans is fun.  She is a 1970s buttkicker and that makes her stand out in the women's division.  I love how she paces a match so that she can garner the most HEAT!  Evans is fucking great.  Who could boo Evans?  She is everything YOU love about Pro Wrestling.  Evans is Serena Deeb if Deeb played it much broader.  Morgan kinda brings everything to a close quickly.  Evans was awesome.  Morgan was very much THERE.  Postmatch, Morgan going crazy is awesome.  The SENTON THROUGH THE TABLE WAS FUCKING AWWWWWESOME!  Especially the camera angle.  That was fucking great.  I dug how Morgan went from passively accepting an ass beating from Evans to TRANSFORMING into a complete lunatic.  That's good character development.  Maximum Male Models!  The New Day!  I love that MMM wrestle all fancy but they also lay it in.  They are also bumping like maniacs.  That was over before it even began.  It's Braun Strowman.  It's Otis!  I assume this will be a HOSS BATTLE!  Strowman is the new Mike Knox!  Which isn't a bad thing.  This is good.  Strowman POUNCES to make Otis fly onto the announcer's table!  Strowman BEELS Chad Gable in a Keith Lee-esque way!  Fun nearfall as Otis hits an AVALANCHE FOR TWO!  Strowman POWERBOMBS Otis!  That was fun!  A true hoss battle!  Strowman sold a bunch in that match, which I wasn't counting on.  Otis was great manhandling the gigantic Strowman.  This is the best crowd in the history of Me Watching The WWE Again.  Salt Lake City, wrestling capital of the world!  I started watching at 8:38 and I caught up by 9:10.  Drew McIntyre/ Karrion Kross with the straps was good.  Scarlett should have hit a Canadian Destroyer on Drew instead of kicking him in the testicles.  I remember her doing that once in the indies.  Scarlett is a good little wrestler and wish would work a couple matches.  IMPACT! interviewer Gia Miller is a great Southern heel wrestler.  Dasha Gonzalez is good in the ring too, though I think she may have physical liabilities keeping her out of the ring now.  Dakota Kai takes on Raquel Rodriguez!  I assume Raquel is going to beat the crud out of Dakota.  And she does early.  Shotzi Blackheart runs down and distracts Kai!  Rodriguez Schoolboys Kai like it's 1986 and we are in Memphis!  Nobody does that anymore.  They always hit the Schoolboy but it's always a nearfall.  HERE'S TO HHH BRINGING BACK THE CLASSICS!  Postmatch was a train wreck but it established Shotzi and Raquel as allies- Dudes With Attitudes!- against DAMAGE CNTRL!  So that worked, I guess.  WWE is running Virginia State?  That's cool/odd.  If they are running the auditorium where I got my Covid shots,  it holds 3,000ish, I'm guessing.  (Yep, they are running the VSU Multi-Purpose Center.  It appears that it can seat between 5,100 to 6,100 people! PETERSBURG!  WRESTLING COMES TO P-TOWN!)  It's the Usos against Ridge Holland and Butch!  Butch mangles Jey's fingers.  Ridge Holland and Butch beat on Jimmy Uso with the clubbing thing that Sheamus does.  Butch does a thing where I couldn't really figure out what he was trying to do.   He is bumping all over the ring.  Ridge makes the hot tag and brings the THUNDER!  Or something.  Butch tags in he brings the THUNDER too!  Great double superkick on Butch mid-Moonsault!  FOR TWO!  This match is GREAT.  Imperiom comes down and distracts the Brawling Brutes!  The Usos take advantage and get the win!  That was fucking great.  That was a good episode of SMACKDOWN.

[The Natural]

Brilliant.

[The Natural]

Already looking forward to this. GUNTHER vs. Sheamus from WWE Clash at the Castle 2022 is my MOTY. Gave it *****.

[Peck]

Gen. Scarlett Akbar

[ChesterCopperpot]

17 minutes ago, The Natural said:

Brilliant.

 

Feud of the Year 2022

[Eivion]

The opening segment with the Bloodline ran long, but I loved the part with Roman gifting Sami the new shirt. I also loved Solo later absolutely mauled Ricochet and Moss for messing with Sami.

Lacey/Liv was pretty solid and lowkey one of Evan's best performances. Liv on the other hand was oddly running at half speed though she was go the post match where she fucked Evans up with a kendo stick and did the senton through the table. A part of me wishes they saved that for the match with Ronda, but that would also imply Liv actually wins that match.

New Day vs. MMM was alright while it lasted.

Otis/Strowman was a fun hoss fight. Loved how much Strowman sold for Otis here. Despite how dangerous Otis can come across this probably put Otis more over as a threat than any of his past squashes or demolishings of stars.

Raquel/Dakota was more of a segment than a match. Kind of disappointing since what little they did was nice.

Usos vs. Brutes was great. Butch looked great bumping around and going on offense. Holland was effective in his small role, and the Usos looked good as always while still pushing the Jey/Sami feud. That one botch Butch took on the ropes was scary as fuck, but it was good to see him able to shrug it off and keep going.

[odessasteps]

Could a New Day vs Models feud lead to the return of Mmmm Charles? 

[Greggulator]

What an insane time to be a wrestling fan. Otis/Braun ruled. Usos/Brutes was at such a high level. Sami getting the shirt was awesome.

One thing that HHH is doing that I loved is leaning into the extensive universe the WWE has created over the decades. There are references to NXT partnerships. 

 

But especially there was the awesome Usos historic tag run video. I was at the Raw where Ndw Day broke the record. But if memory serves correctly, there was no real build to it until that night. It was an awesome through line for the show, but not built to. Now this is being built. I hope they are building to a “New Day’s Last Stand” match where the two generational rivals do battle one more time where either Kofi/Woods keep the record or The Usos take it. Or someone weird (Sami and Solo?) take the titles from them at the last second. 

[Kang]

The ongoing White Rabbit thing has several clues so far, Coal, Who killed the World with the hangman game, and one for next Raw.

[caley]

9 minutes ago, Blue Dragon said:

The ongoing White Rabbit thing has several clues so far, Coal, Who killed the World with the hangman game, and one for next Raw.

"Who killed the world" is a Mad Max Fury Road quote, so I will only accept Nathan Jones (appeared in MM:FR) or Sid Vicious (Lord Humongous was his original gimmick which was lifted from Mad Max 2) as choices now and be super disappointed if it's anyone else.

[AaronMLuke]

You'll know who is beating the usos when Jey finally accepts Sami as an uce. Just saying.