Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown.
Good start to the show with Vickie setting up the main event.
That was a pretty crazy segment. I like Heyman putting over Lesnar's win and all, but this was kind of a trainwreck.
I'm glad this match is getting two segments of in-ring action. Cesaro and Swagger deserve the chance to shine.
Pretty good match to give Cesaro and Swagger an opportunity to show what they can do. Cesaro absolutely has a future higher on the card and I wouldn't count Swagger out yet.
That was actually kind of weird for The Shield to beat up Swagger for no real reason, but they made a statement by doing it.
I'm ready for Evolution vs. The Shield after that promo. I'm glad the older, more established stars are being used to take the promising current era guys to the next level.
I'm not really sure why we had that Vickie/Maddox segment, but hopefully there's an actual reason of them building to something.
Good promo from Paige. I'm glad we have something to sink our teeth into with her as a character now.
That was a good enough match between Natalya and Tamina. I hope Tamina vs. Paige puts the Divas' division on the map after the never-ending Total Divas feud.
Good stuff with The Shield wrecking 3MB. I hope they get over HUGE at Extreme Rules.
Good enough match to get over Axel as a challenger. His profile has definitely improved from when Otunga was his partner. Being paired with Heyman and winning the IC Title will do that for you.
Bray Wyatt remains one creepy and demented dude. I don't know how he keeps coming up with this crazy stuff, but it's working for him.
WOW. I thought that was quite the match/segment with the Wyatts vs. Cody and Goldust. They actually told a story out there and it moved things forward. I'm not sure if I'm QUITE ready for a Cody/Goldust feud, but if Goldust's really done at Summerslam, it looks like it's about that time.
$%*#!!! The Shield can just get away with anything, can't they? They made the right call in not splitting the group up yet as the three of them really gel well.
Damn, dude. I get they want to get The Shield over, but do they have to take out everyone? Obviously not every babyface needs to be morally upright, but there comes a point when it gets excessive and they've gotten the point across.
DAMN. The Shield really went all out for that one. There were some really big spots there. Everyone worked hard to make that one a really physical encounter and I applaud their efforts.
And The Shield continue to run roughshod over the WWE roster. They really got a big showing tonight.
More wrestling coming up.
I understand that WWE is trying to build up The Shield for two main reasons: 1) To help hype them as the future of the company and 2) To build up their match/feud with Evolution. That being said, I think that them dominating/winning a five-on-three handicap match, in which three of those guys are in position to potentially be in title matches in the next couple of weeks, is a bit much. I think it got the job done in continuing to build up The Shield, but it definitely detracted a bit from Ryback, Axel, and Barrett specifically in losing a match when they had two extra participants.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, 1) What is your current prediction regarding the Evolution v. Shield match and 2) Where Evolution goes from here. It's interesting to think about when two of the members are 40+ years old and the other member is focused on singles competition. I can see it as WWE having The Shield gain more traction, but why have a top guy in Orton be a victim in the process? It's definitely a double-edge sword regardless of what the outcome will be.
I mostly read the match as them building up The Shield as a really motivated, cohesive and strong unit facing some people who have been slumping lately. I certainly see how it could hurt the people in title matches, but I see it more as The Shield just being that damn good. They are facing three former top champions at Extreme Rules, so I see why they're being built strong.
ReplyDeleteIf the rumors of Batista going on sabbatical after the PPV are true, I think he eats the pinfall here. With two more or less part-timers in the group, it makes sense to shift the focus to The Shield. As hot as they are right now, there's no reason to try to curtail that unless there's a bigger plan where it makes sense for them to lose at this show.
Some have tossed around the idea of a younger talent being paired with Evolution in the role Orton had in the original group, which is an idea worth considering at least. If Batista is going off to promote his movie, they need to do something to keep Evolution strong. I don't see them putting the New Age Outlaws back in, so a younger talent or two would be a nice move.
They might cool off Orton a bit after him being in the title picture for so long. They've done Bryan vs. Orton to death, so to me at least it makes sense to move him into a different role for now. They can still protect him by having Batista be the one who's beaten.