Archive for August, 2016
WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from August 24
On August - 24 - 2016
The first NXT episode after TakeOver: Back to Brooklyn took fans...back to Brooklyn, New York, for what was essentially a recap show, with two matches intertwined to keep things interesting.
The typically excellent WWE production team did not disappoint, providing fans with an emotional look back at the night's biggest matches, most exciting championship clashes, superb entrances and shocking defeats.
Bayley's war with Asuka was spotlighted, as was Shinsuke Nakamura's NXT Championship victory, but it was the future of the brand that took precedence in between.
Two bright young teams did battle, each jockeying for position in the crowded tag team division, and ...
The Miz Interview on WWE ‘Talking Smack’ Showcased His Hugely Underrated Talent
On August - 24 - 2016
Unleashed with no script, The Miz turned WWE's Talking Smack into a showcase of skills that have long been underappreciated.
The Miz's beginnings as a reality show star have always prevented him from garnering respect from diehard fans. He has always been an outsider, a pretender. Fans impatiently wait for him to drop the Intercontinental Championship to someone hipper, tougher and more deserving in their minds.
But in obliterating SmackDown's general manager Daniel Bryan on the mic late Tuesday night, The Miz provided definitive evidence of his mastery of the pro wrestling art form.
The Miz is an adept talker who has skillfully honed his cocky, ...
WWE SmackDown: Burning Questions to Address After August 23 Show
On August - 24 - 2016
On Tuesday's WWE SmackDown, it was Carmella, a pair of new championships and a challenger who just can't quite cross the finish line that left the audience asking questions.
The Princess of Staten Island, one of the many NXT stars drafted to the main roster last month, is already rearranging who she is. She made her mark on Tuesday's show by throttling Nikki Bella. Will a darker version of Carmella click?
The first SmackDown after SummerSlam also added to the brand's collection of titles. The blue brand now has its own tag team and women's titles.
That opens the door for newcomers from NXT ...
WWE SummerSlam 2016: Feuds That’ll Continue Through Backlash, Clash of Champions
On August - 24 - 2016
WWE SummerSlam 2016 was a night with historical implications, from the first pay-per-view meeting between Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton to the crowning of the inaugural WWE universal champion.
But as monumental of an evening as it was, it merely marked the beginning of WWE's New Era, and the stage has been set for the Backlash and Clash of Champions pay-per-views in the coming months. Both events are likely to feature the fallout from the biggest party of the summer this past Sunday.
Several storylines culminated at SummerSlam, but there are a handful of others that have yet to reach their breaking points. These ...
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship: Keys to Establishing Blue Brand’s New Title
On August - 24 - 2016
The newly created WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship can become a holy grail for the blue brand if nurtured properly.
The formula for bolstering the belts from the get-go isn't complicated. A blend of collective hunger, a flood of battles to seize them and a host of quality challengers will do the trick over time.
That process began on Tuesday's SmackDown.
SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon and general manager Daniel Bryan revealed the new championship belts to open the show. They announced that a tournament set to end at Backlash will decide the inaugural champions.
The arrival of those straps is a major step in developing SmackDown's tag ...
The Miz, Daniel Bryan Have Heated Confrontation on WWE ‘Talking Smack’
On August - 24 - 2016
Following Tuesday's episode of SmackDown Live, WWE intercontinental champion The Miz unloaded on SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan in a scathing promo on WWE Network's Talking Smack.
As seen in this video of the exchange, courtesy of WWE's official Twitter account, the former adversaries had a heated conversation about which wrestling style is the best:
Bryan called The Miz a coward for being "soft" and largely avoiding contact and high-risk spots, while the IC champ retorted that Bryan was the coward due to career-ending head injuries that forced him into a GM role and out of in-ring competition.
The Miz praised himself for ...
Why John Cena’s Absence from WWE SmackDown Was Best for Business
On August - 24 - 2016
On Tuesday, John Cena did not appear on SmackDown.
This is abnormal for the “Face That Runs the Place,” who’s usually at every house show, every reading challenge, every morning show and every Make-A-Wish promo appearance. The only time Cena misses anything is either when he’s injured or when he’s taking time off. And so, when he didn’t show last night, it would have been reasonable to assume that he was thousands of miles away from the arena in Connecticut, filming the second season of American Grit.
He wasn’t.
Cena was backstage, and he actually wrestled in the dark main event after SmackDown ...
Ryan Dilbert’s 10-Count: WWE Refuses to Learn Its Lesson with Roman Reigns
On August - 24 - 2016
1. Roman Reigns on Repeat
That sound you hear is WWE banging its head on the wall.
It doesn't matter how many boos fans fire at Roman Reigns or how loud the jeers get, WWE continues to present him the same way and in the same position on its stage. The company looks like the kid in Bad Santa who repeatedly asks Billy Bob Thornton if he wants him to fix some sandwiches despite the man cursing at him each time he does.
Fans have rejected Reigns as a headliner and a world title contender since the 2015 Royal Rumble.
WWE tried to pass him off ...
WWE SmackDown Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from August 23
On August - 24 - 2016
The MVP of sports entertainment in 2016 continued his phenomenal run Tuesday night as AJ Styles defeated Dolph Ziggler to become No. 1 contender to Dean Ambrose's WWE Championship at Backlash and in the process, earned himself "biggest winner" status from the August 23 episode of SmackDown Live.
Just 48 hours after a Match of the Year candidate against John Cena at SummerSlam, The Phenomenal One delivered another pay-per-view-worthy performance against Ziggler, pinning the former world champion after the Styles Clash.
The win bolsters what has been an unbelievable year for the former IWGP and TNA world champion, whose success in WWE ...
WWE SummerSlam 2016 Results: Biggest Missed Opportunities with Show’s Booking
On August - 24 - 2016
SummerSlam 2016 was one of those rare examples where an event had such a grandiose feel and not only didn't manage to live up to the hype, it almost seems like it was knowingly booked to be a disappointment instead.
WWE had a baker's dozen's worth of matches over the course of six hours of programming to work with and a hot crowd that was on the heels of a great NXT TakeOver event.
Brock Lesnar was on the card. A new championship would be revealed. What could possibly go wrong when there's such a perfect recipe for success?
Strangely, the writing team ...