Round two. Wrestlemania has come and gone and now it is time for…another show with Wrestlemania in the title. Just like last year, WWE has flat out said that this is going to be the Wrestlemania fallout show, even if some of the matches have little to do with what went down in Texas. It also doesn’t help that they have changed the main event from something somewhat interesting to something almost entirely uninteresting, but maybe they can pull something out here. Let’s get to it.

Bobby Lashley vs. Omos

This is a Wrestlemania rematch (smart move) and the wild card here is MVP. Lashley beat Omos back at Wrestlemania but MVP was not involved, which is what caused MVP to turn on Lashley and join Omos. Then Lashley proceeded to beat Omos clean in arm wrestling as I try to figure out what in the world this story is supposed to be going. It’s going to a rematch here and there should be an obvious result.

In theory, this should be Omos’ big singles win and that would make the most sense. Omos has done a lot of things but he doesn’t have that big signature singles win. Beating Lashley with the help of MVP would be a good way to start and that is what we’ll say happens here. Odds are we see some kind of a rematch next month, but Omos needs this win after he lost a lot of momentum last month.

Madcap Moss vs. Happy Corbin

Yeah this is happening too and no I’m not entirely sure why. This is a feud that has gone on for a few weeks now and I don’t think it has had quite the impact that WWE was expecting. At the same time though, Moss has come out of Corbin’s shadow quite a bit and it isn’t like there is anything else for him to do. Corbin is also a good choice for a person to make someone new look good and maybe that is the case again here.

I’ll go with Moss winning here as there is no reason to have Corbin win. Moss isn’t likely to become the next big breakout star but he isn’t going to get anywhere if he loses his first big match after the face turn. Maybe this is the start of a nice midcard run for him, but it needs to be the end of the feud. I have no reason to believe that it will be, but that is what needs to happen here, starting with Moss winning.

AJ Styles vs. Edge

It’s another Wrestlemania rematch and another match that isn’t all that interesting. I’m still not sure if Edge is working in this role of not but he and Damian Priest seem in line for a pretty big push. That being said, there is no Priest at ringside here and even if there is, Finn Balor seems there to cancel him out. Edge won the first match so that should tell you where this is going, with the emphasis on should.

I’m going with Edge here, probably through some means of cheating. Edge and Priest haven’t been a thing for that long now and having the bigger name lose in his second match as part of the team doesn’t make sense. Styles is going to be a star if he loses the rest of the matches in his career and Edge/Priest need the win here. If you want to throw in a real curve, have Balor become the third member, as it isn’t like he has had anything going on lately. But yeah, Edge wins here, as he should.

Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins

Rhodes returning at WrestleMania was a great moment, but I’m not sure how much I care to see the rematch. While Rhodes’ return has gone well so far, this isn’t a match that has been well built. Granted that might be due to Rollins becoming a near parody that it is hard to take him seriously, but there is something here that isn’t getting my interest going so well. At least the match should be good though.

WWE seems all in on Rhodes at the moment though and that means it is time for him to win again here. Much like Styles, Rollins is someone who can lose on a regular basis and still be a top star so Rhodes winning here is the right call. I’m not sure how far Rhodes is going to go in WWE, but it is way too early for him to lose here so I’ll take him to get the win in his first scheduled WWE pay per view match in years.

Drew McIntyre/RKBro vs. Bloodline

I guess the idea of unifying the Tag Team Titles scared someone off (possibly USA) so this is what we’re left with as one of the show’s big matches. I’m not sure why this is something that I would want to see, but odds are it sets up something down the line. That isn’t the worst idea for a Raw main event, but it’s a very odd way to go for a pay per view headlining match.

Give me McIntyre and RKBro to win here, as the Bloodline winning doesn’t really leave us with anywhere to go. McIntyre would seem to be the next big challenger to Reigns, who seems likely to hold the title for several more months to come. Let McIntyre get a pin on Reigns so he can become the new #1 contender and we can go from there, preferably with the Tag Team Title feud coming later.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte

I Quit match. Remember a few years ago when Rousey debuted and it was one of the coolest things to happen in women’s wrestling in the better part of ever? Well this second run isn’t going nearly as well and that isn’t a good sign for Rousey’s future. I’m not quite sure what it is, but things aren’t working out for her here and it feels like it really doesn’t matter. Maybe that changes here, but I’m not convinced.

In what is likely the coin flip pick of the show, I’ll take Rousey to win the title. Rousey has not been interesting this go around but maybe not chasing Charlotte will do her some good. She certainly needs something and if that means winning the title and Death Staring everyone else down is what it takes, then maybe that is where they need to go. Or Charlotte wins and people groan again.

Overall Thoughts

You have to think that something else is going to be added to the card as a six match pay per view with one title on the line isn’t much to write home about. What strikes me the most is just how unimportant this show feels, as it comes off like there is almost no reason to care about what happens on the card. The good thing is that these no pressure shows have a tendency to be among WWE’s best, so hopefully the quality makes up for the lame build.

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Dang it feels like we only did one of these things yesterday. It is time for the second night of Wrestlemania XXXVIII and they’re actually going to have their work cut out for them to do better than the first night. While I doubt anything is approaching Steve Austin actually having a match, there is a major main event that is going to have a lot behind the whole thing. Let’s get to it.

Johnny Knoxville vs. Sami Zayn

This is an Anything Goes match so Knoxville and his friends can get together and do a variety of wacky things to Zayn. That isn’t the most interesting way to go if you aren’t a Jackass fan, but this is a celebrity appearance that might work out. The point of Jackass seems to be seeing things happen to its cast so having Knoxville in a match is as good as anything else.

I’ll take Knoxville to win for the “feel good” moment, as Zayn has long since proven that he can take a loss like few others. I’m not sure how well the match is going to be but it should be a heck of a spectacle, all things considered. Now just find something else for Zayn to do after this, as he deserves something a bit more serious. This should be a one off, but it is going to be a weird one.

Bobby Lashley vs. Omos

In the non-existent tradition of the Colossal Jostle, we have a battle of monsters. Omos is the unstoppable force and Lashley is the thing that can stop an unstoppable force. Therefore, they have a big showdown here with the two clashing in a match with all of six days’ build. Omos seems to be the next project monster though and that should give you an idea of what is coming.

Alas, I’ll take Omos here, though I have no idea how much long term potential he really has. What bothers me here is the fact that Lashley is going to lose after coming back from his injury, all for the sake of pushing Omos as the new monster. That might not be the worst idea in theory, but does it really have to be Lashley putting him over here? There was nothing else for Lashley to do?

AJ Styles vs. Edge

Now this one has my attention based on name value alone. I haven’t exactly cared for how Edge has been portrayed coming into the match, but come on. It’s Edge vs. Styles at WrestleMania with a personal story. That is about all you are going to need and the match should be a potential show stealing contender. I can buy these two as having a classic and that is a nice feeling to have.

I’ll go with Edge to win here, as he seems to have more going on at the moment than Styles. I’m sure Styles will give this everything he has, but this is Edge’s to win as he seems likely to move on to something bigger. You can probably expect a lot out of this match though and that should make for one of the best things about the show, which makes me interested in this one.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Carmella/Queen Zelina(c) vs. Liv Morgan/Rhea Ripley vs. Natalya/Shayna Baszler vs. Sasha Banks/Naomi

To recap, we have some thrown together challengers facing off with champions who can’t get along, but one of them has a reality show to promote. This is where you throw out any and all wrestling logic because almost anything ridiculous is probably going to take place, like it or not.

I’d like to say Morgan and Ripley win the titles here, but this is probably heading towards the champions retaining. It is basically what happened in the NXT Women’s Title match and WWE likes to use the same idea over and over. These titles continue to mean very little but you know WWE isn’t dropping the things, leaving us with kind of a big mess to cover, though odds are this sees the champs retain. Lucky audience.

Raw Tag Team Titles: RKBro(c) vs. Alpha Academy vs. Street Profits

This is another situation where an entire division is put into a single match. RKBro got the titles back only a few weeks ago and now there is a strong chance that they lose them again. That does make things a bit more exciting, but I don’t know if it is time for them to lose the titles. The Profits are also freshly heel, which means almost anyone is in play to leave with the titles.

While RKBro retaining would be the people’s choice, I’m going with the Profits winning here. They are the only one of the trio not to get the belts during this story and that means they are overdue. It helps that they are having good matches at the moment as the heel turn continues to take hold. This could be a rather exciting match though and that is about all you can ask with so many people involved.

Pat McAfee vs. Austin Theory

This is probably the most confusing match on the whole show. So Vince McMahon sets Theory up, but then doesn’t have much to do with Theory after. At the same time, Theory is regularly beating the Intercontinental and United States Champions yet hasn’t been able to do anything about it because of McAfee. That is a weird way to set this up and WWE hit it on all points.

WWE loves to push the celebrities but McAfee is already in the tent so WWE will probably need to have him take a loss, meaning I’m taking Theory. As for Theory, he needs to win here and move on to take either the United States or Intercontinental Title in the next month at most. He has already done well against the champs so far but for reasons of WWE, the title matches haven’t gone yet. Let that happen after Theory takes out McAfee here.

WWE Title/Universal Title: Brock Lesnar(c) vs. Roman Reigns(c)

Yes it’s Winner Take All, for at least the next few weeks or so. Again, WWE wants to unify the titles, because that worked so well the last time they tried it and Lesnar happened to be involved. This is the undisputed main event of the night and probably the weekend, though I don’t think it quite lives up to the hype that WWE has been giving it. Now if only they can live up to the pressure.

Despite it being a year and a half long, I don’t think it’s time to take the title off of Reigns yet, meaning he gets the undisputed moniker. That being said, I don’t expect the undisputed aspect to last more than a minute, maybe five at most. Lesnar has been very entertaining in recent weeks, but I don’t know if he is going to be around long term like he has been in recent weeks. Now just make it work here.

Overall Thoughts

There is some potential on this card, assuming you don’t mind celebrities wrestling and multiple teams getting Tag Team Title shots at the same time. Neither of these make for the most interesting moments, but that has never stopped WWE before. Hopefully the show winds up working, as it certainly has its work cut out for it coming off a pretty sweet first day. It’s Wrestlemania day though and that’s a great thing.

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In the words of new WWE Hall of Famer Vader, it’s time. It is time for Wrestlemania XXXVIII and that means the card has finally (and I do mean finally) been set. We now know what to expect on each night and the card is…well it certainly exists. There are some interesting matches on both nights, though I’m not sure what to expect from the show. That can make it fun though so let’s get to it.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Usos(c) vs. Rick Boogs/Shinsuke Nakamura

Since the New Day is busy, the Usos actually need someone else to fight for once. That opens the door for Boogs and Nakamura, who at least seem like a team. How can you not be ready for a title match after doing Toyota commercials together? This should be good enough as Nakamura knows how to work well with anyone and Boogs is basically an ox with a guitar.

I’ll go with new champions here, on the grounds of “well, someone has to beat the Usos.” They feel like they have held the titles forever, so let the new team get the belts off of them and have a big guitar celebrity. It isn’t like there is anything else for them to do, so go with what makes sense and change the titles already. I’d call it overdue, but we passed that point months ago. New champs crowned.

New Day vs. Sheamus/Ridge Holland

Speaking of the New Day, we might as well get rid of them here. This is a feud that had already started before Holland accidentally broke Big E.’s neck, but since WWE has some decency, they haven’t used that as a major story point in the feud. I’m not sure what to expect from their match, but there is a story here, even if WWE isn’t actually using it (as they probably shouldn’t).

In theory there is no reason for New Day to lose here so I’ll take them, even if WWE logic would seem to go otherwise. WWE likes having weird results like New Day losing here, even if it makes no sense. Hopefully WWE is going to figure this out (work with me here) and give us the New Day win that it should be, as Holland has already taken out their best friend. Is another loss necessary?

Seth Rollins vs. ???

Now I know what you’re thinking (ok I don’t but work with me here): it’s Cody Rhodes. I know that’s the working theory and it’s probably accurate, but what if it is some other surprise? Like say….Undertaker, who teased wrestling one more time and was inducted into the Hall of Fame this weekend by Vince McMahon. Would it be that big of a shock to see him again?

Yeah probably so we’ll say Rhodes is the opponent and….he wins. I’m not sure what the idea of the whole thing will be, as Rhodes winning means he beat a loser who couldn’t get on the show, but Rollins winning means Rhodes is almost dead in the water upon return. I’ll go with Rhodes winning as it has a bigger upside, but it has been such a strange story for so long now that it’s hard to tell.

Rey Mysterio/Dominik Mysterio vs. Miz/Logan Paul

This match feels like it was thrown together for no apparent reason other than to get Paul on the show. Does anyone care about his issues with the Mysterios? It hasn’t been a terrible story, but my goodness does it feel forced. Paul has a following, but is that following going to buy WrestleMania to see him fight a wrestler they have probably never heard of?

This should be a win for the Mysterios as Miz and/or Paul finally get what is coming to them. I say should because I could also see Miz winning to gloat some more, though it would make more sense to go with the family win. While the two of them need to split up at some point, they need to win to make that matter, so we’ll go with the Mysterios winning here to get rid of Paul (again).

Happy Corbin vs. Drew McIntyre

Let’s get this one out of the way too. I have no idea why this is the match we are getting from McIntyre at WrestleMania, as he has been beating up Corbin and Madcap Moss for months. There is almost no chance of Corbin winning here and even WWE does not seem crazy enough to try something like that. I can only hope that something better is coming for McIntyre, but you really can’t tell.

Of course I’ll go with McIntyre to win here, as there is zero reason for him not to. Sometimes the best way to go with the most logical and that is the case here, as there is no reason to not see what you have with McIntyre back in the main event scene. That means taking out Corbin in short order, which is all that this needs to be. Don’t make it any more complicated than that.

Raw Women’s Title: Becky Lynch(c) vs. Bianca Belair

I’m scared. This is a match that should be all about Belair getting her win and the title back. That is what they seemed to be teasing….but then Monday Night Raw came along. That was the night when Belair cut part of Lynch’s hair off, which makes me think that Lynch could keep the belt. It would be weird to see Lynch humiliated and beaten in the span of a week, but that might be where we are heading.

For the sake of my sanity, I’ll say Belair gets the title back here, as it is far past the point where Lynch needs to put someone over for the belt. Belair is already popular and successful, so let her get her second WrestleMania title win in two years and be done with Lynch. Either that or make it a hair vs. title match next month, even if that might not be the best idea in the world.

SmackDown Women’s Title: Charlotte(c) vs. Ronda Rousey

Much like the previous Women’s Title match, it is time. Charlotte hasn’t done much as champion and it would be nice to see her get far, far away from the title picture for a long time. She already has lapped the field when it comes to title wins and it wouldn’t make sense to have her keep it any longer. Certainly not if WWE wants Rousey to be a big star down the line.

I’ll go with Rousey winning here, as WWE doesn’t have much of a choice. Despite Rousey not having anywhere near the same spark that she had in her first run, it is time for her to get the title back so we can see where things take her. Maybe that means a showdown with Lynch for the title, but at some point she has to win and Charlotte has to lose, which is where we are here.

Overall Thoughts

While the show might not look great, there are parts of it that feel awesome. That would include the Women’s Title matches, the Rollins mystery opponent, and of course Steve Austin’s return, which should be a major highlight. Sure it might just be Austin brawling for a bit, but you never know what kind of insanity you might see from the thing. What matters is that it is Wrestlemania, which should be a very fun night. Please be a very fun night.

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Welcome back to not quite Takeover and we have an especially big card. Rather than having the usual five match card, this one already has seven, plus some mixed tag thing that doesn’t seem to be an official match. NXT is starting to get somewhere in recent weeks and now they need to translate that to a big show. Granted that might be easier said than done but you never can tell around here. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Women’s Tag Team Titles: Toxic Attraction(c) vs. Dakota Kai/Raquel Gonzalez

This was added to the show on Tuesday as Kai and Gonzalez reunited in a moment that might not have been as emotional as WWE was hoping it to be. That being said, they are a team with some history and that is more than almost anyone else in the division (assuming there is one) at this point. It isn’t like there are any other challengers so maybe this will work out.

I’ll go with new champions here, as Toxic Attraction aren’t exactly awash in challengers and it would be weird to do the big reunion and then have the new faces just lose in their first match back together. The match probably won’t be much, but new champions is always a good way to get the crowd going. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the champs retain, but it makes more sense to do the switch given how they set it up.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Tony D’Angelo

I’m not sure what to make of Ciampa at this point but I don’t think that’s what they’re going for here. Either way, it seems like Ciampa is done with NXT after this match (barring a big surprise) and that could mean he’s going up to WWE or just heading elsewhere. I’d like to believe it’s to the main roster, but you never can tell around here. D’Angelo is an interesting choice for a final opponent and that could go either way.

As much as I don’t want to, I’ll go with D’Angelo winning here, as Ciampa seems like the kind of guy who would put someone over on his way out of the territory. Ciampa has done it all in NXT and has nothing left to prove, so they might as well let him make someone on his way out. The match should be good enough as Ciampa can carry the majority and D’Angelo is decent, but this is going to be the big NXT farewell for one of its legends.

LA Knight vs. Gunther

While it isn’t official, it would not surprise me at all to see this be Knight’s NXT farewell. He was ready for the main roster the day he arrived and there is no reason for him to not move up to the main roster. Granted that has been the case for a lot of NXT stars who have either not shown up yet or have been complete misfires up there (often not their fault), but it might be the case again here.

That being said, Gunther seems ready for the NXT Title picture almost immediately and there is almost no way Knight has a chance here. I could see Knight getting in some good shots and maybe even the BFT, but Gunther isn’t and shouldn’t be losing in NXT for a LONG time to come. Knight is a good meal for him at this point, because Gunther should be devouring him after breaking a bit of a sweat.

Tag Team Titles: Imperium(c) vs. MSK vs. Creed Brothers

The tag team division is trying to fight back after it went into a coma for so long but it isn’t quite there yet. Imperium are great heels but you need something to spice the division up a bit. I’m not sure if the Creeds winning is that spark, but it isn’t like MSK was lighting the world on fire as champions either. There are a few ways this can go and somehow that has made this match a lot more interesting than I would have expected.

I’ll go with the Creeds winning here, with the attackers showing up next week to be their first challengers. There is always the chance that the attackers show up here, but ultimately I think this is about the Creeds winning the titles, as there is no real reason not to have Imperium keep the belts. That leaves MSK to get the belts back and…yeah I think we’ve all been through enough of that for a long time. Creeds win, I think.

North American Title: Carmelo Hayes(c) vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Santos Escobar vs. Solo Sikoa vs. Grayson Waller

Naturally it’s a ladder match because that’s how things go in WWE/NXT/AEW/pretty much everyone these days. I’ve never been a fan of these big multiman ladder matches as a new champion didn’t pin the old champion and it’s so many of the same things that has been done time after time. There are multiple possible winners here though and it should be exciting, but it’s a little hard to get invested in this happening again.

Since he has found a pretty good story in recent weeks, I’ll go with Grimes to take the title here. Grimes has been a fan favorite for a long time now and needs a win that actually matters (the Million Dollar Title barely counted). I really don’t want them to take the title off of Hayes, who has been outstanding, but I don’t see how they can keep having Grimes lose, especially after some of his recent promos. I’d like Hayes to win and I’d be happy if he did, but Grimes REALLY needs this or he might never break through.

Women’s Title: Mandy Rose(c) vs. Cora Jade vs. Io Shirai vs. Kay Lee Ray

This is a tough one as you have Rose as the star NXT clearly wants to push as the big thing, but you also have Shirai and Ray who are two of the best around and Jade as the sentimental favorite. That makes things a bit complicated, not to mention that this is the THIRD multi-challenger title match on a seven match card. That’s not the best structured card, but I’m not sure if Rose can handle a big time singles title match.

As much as I’d like it to be Ray, I think they keep it on Rose here. Shirai and Ray cross each other off and Grimes/Jade both winning on the same show (plus a certain other likely title change) seems to be a bit too many good feelings. Rose retains here and drops the title to one of them in a few weeks, which isn’t the worst thing in the world as she is really starting to get a feeling for what she is doing.

NXT Title: Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. Bron Breakker

I think we can cut to the point with this one, as this is the biggest layup on the show by a few miles. Breakker is obviously the next big thing and close to a prodigy at this point and NXT wants to give him the win on the big stage, though it might have been more interesting to have this be his first win. They could have held the title on Ciampa for a little while longer and then done the same setup for this one and Breakker gets the really big moment.

That being said, there is no logical reason to not put the title back on Breakker here so of course we’ll go with him winning. The good thing is that Ziggler is the kind of a guy who can walk Breakker through a match and make him look better than anyone else ever could. That’s why Ziggler is in NXT and like him or not, this has been a great idea for both NXT and Ziggler himself.

Overall Thoughts

I’m not sure when it happened but NXT has become a rather entertaining show. This card actually looks pretty good, though it could use a match or two taken off. They’ll probably have to rush through a lot to get everything in on time. It’s no Takeover, but what we have here should be an entertaining show with the hope for some very cool/emotional moments if they pull the right strings.

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It’s back to the pay per view schedule for AEW and that is a great thing to hear. AEW has a pretty awesome track record for pay per views and there is a good chance that it will do the same here. This time is a bit different though as there is a staggering twelve match card with three matches taking place on the Buy In. The positive thing is that the matches look good, but dang that is a lot. Let’s get to it.

Buy-In: QT Marshall vs. Hook

We’ll start off with one of the fun ones here as Hook has taken AEW by storm in his still short career. What seemed to start off as little more than a big joke has turned into a pretty great run from Hook, who has smashed a variety of people without overstaying his welcome once. I believe this will be his first live match though and that could make for a new challenge.

I mean, I say challenge as seriously as it can be meant as it’s Marshall across the ring from him, meaning Hook wins this in a walk. There is no reason to expect this match to go longer than about four minutes, with Hook grabbing Redrum for the win. Marshall should be good for helping Hook get to an ok match, but that’s about the extent of his usefulness in this spot.

Buy-In: Leyla Hirsch vs. Kris Statlander

This one is already more interesting as you have two such different styles. Statlander has taken the gloves off to insult her former friend while Hirsch continues to look ready to maul various humans at any given time. That should make for a showdown, though I’m not entirely sure how well these two are going to work together. Statlander can do well, but there are also times where she doesn’t quite click.

I’ll take Hirsch here, as she is rather perfect in her role as the tiny killing machine who could pull Statlander into a variety of knots. Statlander has promised a new version of herself, but that does not necessarily mean she is going to win. Neither would seem likely for a future title shot, but a Hirsch push sounds like the better option of the two. Either way I would expect at least one rematch, but Hirsch takes the first one.

Buy-In: House of Black vs. Pac/Penta Obscuro/Erick Redbeard

I’m not sure why this match is on the Buy-in, as it feels like it could headline either a Dynamite or Rampage and get more attention. Redbeard is substituting for the injured Rey Fenix, so while I can understand wanting to keep the feud warm until Fenix is back, it would seem that there are some better options than going this way. Still though, it should be a heck of a fight.

There is no reason for the newly expanded House of Black to lose here so we’ll say they make up for their loss in the recent tag match. If nothing else, Redbeard can be there to take a fall while keeping Pac and Obscuro strong on the way to Fenix’s return. This should be a wild brawl if they stick to what works best for them, but hopefully it gets the time that it needs and deserves.

TBS Title: Jade Cargill(c) vs. Tay Conti

The Cargill express continues as she mows down one challenger after another. That is going to make for a special moment when someone finally dethrones her and the question becomes who gets be the giant slayer. Conti is certainly a popular star and needs to win something big at some point, but I’m not sure if this is the spot where she finally breaks through.

I’ll take Cargill to retain here, as that is the more logical result. While I could see Conti being the one, Cargill seems more destined to eventually win the Women’s Title. I don’t know if she drops this title first, but she needs to be kept strong on the way there. At this point that means defeating Conti, who continues to be able to stay crazy popular despite rarely wining anything important.

Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match

Well of course it’s a ladder match and this time the winner gets a shot at the TNT Title. The appeal here is the amount of hosses involved in the thing, which should serve for some interesting options. For once I don’t think there are any names who can be immediately eliminated, which makes this all the more interesting. It’s the sign of a well put together match and AEW has set this up well.

I think I’ll take…Christian Cage to win here actually, as he really needs something to do. Keith Lee is a viable option as well as he came in with such fanfare, but he hasn’t exactly done much since his big debut toss of Isiah Kassidy. Neither of the Team Taz members make the most sense and Wardlow already has a story with MJF. Orange Cassidy….please no, so that leaves Cage in a prediction that is likely to go wrong.

AHFO vs. Sting/Darby Allin/Sammy Guevara

There is something very telling about this match. Earlier tonight I watched Andrade El Idolo, Sammy Guevara and Darby Allin tear the house down in an amazing triple threat that served as the main final push towards this match. That was great, but the idea of Matt Hardy being involved drags the rest of it down. His recent Jeff Hardy teases make it even worse and I’m not exactly interested in seeing the match.

The good thing is that it shouldn’t be a hard pick as I’ll take Sting and company for the win. You don’t have someone like Kassidy involved here to have his team win, so I’ll go with Allin pinning Kassidy so Sting can celebrate his first match in Orlando in however many years it is since he left Impact. This is another match that feels like it could be on Dynamite though and that isn’t a good sign for the show.

Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson

This was all but set for Full Gear last year when Moxley had to step away for rehab. That was far more important, but I still want to see what these two can do. Moxley may be a brawler most of the time, but he knows how to make a match feel big. They have done that here, as there is almost a will they or won’t they vibe to the whole thing. The question is can Danielson get Moxley to join up with him, and we probably find that out here.

I think they do get to that point eventually, so we’ll go with Danielson winning here, likely through cheating. I’m not sure if they are going to be able to come up with a way to get the fans to boo Moxley, but it might work out if he gets to cut the right kind of promo. As much as I don’t want some new heel power alliance, it might be the best thing for everyone with Danielson having already run through his World Title shots and Moxley needing something to do.

Women’s Title: Britt Baker(c) vs. Thunder Rosa

We’ve been waiting for this one for about a year now, as these two went to war against each other back at St. Patrick’s Slam. Rosa won there, which should mean that she is able to do it again and get the title that she never picked up before. This is the match that has been set up for so long now that it has kind of hurt Baker’s reign, as you knew the rematch with Rosa was hanging over everything.

Despite an instinct to say otherwise, I’ll go with Rosa winning the title here. It’s kind of interesting that the match feels like it is coming in cold despite the history, as Rosa hasn’t done much lately. Other than pinning Baker this week on Dynamite, I can’t think of any major win that she has had in recent weeks. Then again I’ve never quite gotten how the rankings work, but Rosa’s 4-0 is better than Hirsch’s and Deeb’s because…well because she’s Rosa and is winning the title here.

Tag Team Titles: Jurassic Express(c) vs. Young Bucks vs. ReDRagon

I’m not sure what to think of this one but the Bucks getting another title shot is one of those things that shouldn’t be a big surprise. At the same time, it doesn’t feel like it is soon enough to put the titles back on them, making them more of a possible spoiler or road block than anything else. That leaves you with two potential winners, either of whom could leave with the titles.

I think I’m going to go with Jurassic Express retaining here, as they just haven’t held the titles for very long yet. If they lost here, they would have the shortest reign in the history of the titles to date and that is not something you want to see. ReDRagon will probably get the championships one day, but for now I think Jurassic Express retains. They can even do so with the Bucks costing ReDRagon the fall to continue the Bucks’ emotional issues that are oh so interesting.

Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston

Here we have another grudge match for Jericho, who thankfully has turned heel after so many weeks of seemingly being ready to make the jump. That should make for an interesting showdown, as Kingston can bring it on the mic and does well enough in the ring to back it up. At some point he has to win something though, and that seems to be the point we are reaching now.

I’ll go out on a limb here and say they give Kingston the win here, as it is LONG overdue to give him a big victory, which has even been the story of the feud. At the end of the day, Jericho does not need to win another match in his career and will not lose a step, so have him put Kingston over and give him his big win merit badge. It needs to happen and this is as good of a time as any.

World Title: Hangman Page(c) vs. Adam Cole

I know the tradition is that the World Title headlines the show, but come on in this case. There are only so many ways you can present Page vs. Cole as the biggest match on the card and it seems to be the case. This just does not feel like a main event match, as Cole has felt like just the next challenger instead of some big moment. Maybe it was having him lose to Orange Cassidy and then moving into the title feud?

Page retains here and I don’t think there is all that much drama. There is almost no reason to believe that Cole is taking the title here as Page gets to retain the title on pay per view. The match is probably going to be a good one, assuming they don’t go all the way with one of Cole’s ridiculous long matches. I really hope this doesn’t headline, because there is something that is just flat out better.

CM Punk vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Like this could have been anything else. This has been one of the best feuds AEW has presented yet (if not its best in history) and I want to see these two get so violence that they cannot go much further. Some of the angles that have taken place have been nothing short of amazing and now they need to stick the landing (or at least this part of the landing) to set up the big blowoff match. That means this needs to have a winner and I’m not sure where to go.

I’ll flip a coin here and go with Punk, as his win sets up the big blowoff, unless they have some other way for MJF to cheat and steal another win. What matters here is the violence and blood that need to come with a dog collar match and we should be in for a great one. Every important step in this feud has been pure gold and if they can find that again on the big stage, we are in for a treat.

Overall Thoughts

There is a lot of potential on this card, but it might be a hair too long. AEW has a tendency to try and cram in too much and that might be the case again here. That being said, the top part of this show is looking pretty awesome and there are several matches that could be nothing short of great. The dog collar match seems to be the big feature attraction, and if that works out, this show is going to be the latest on AEW’s incredible list.

It’s time to head back halfway around the world as WWE is returning to Saudi Arabia. This time is a little different though, as the show will feature the Elimination Chamber rather than some generically titles event. The card could look a lot worse as there are three women’s matches and two Elimination Chamber matches, including one match where those two categories cross over. Let’s get to it.

Miz vs. Rey Mysterio

We’ll start with the match voted Most Likely To Be Demoted To The Kickoff Show as these two are fighting over Miz’s treatment of Dominik Mysterio. Yeah that’s a pretty lame reason to have the match but that has never stopped WWE from setting something up. This feels like a feud that has some legs to it and hopefully that could be a good thing, though it kind of hinges on the first match.

I’ll take Miz to win here, as it should give you a reason to get to Miz vs. Dominik. That might not be the most interesting match but it is something that we have to do at some point. WWE seems intent on getting Dominik over and that means they need to do something like have Miz beat Dominik’s dad to set it up. Miz goes over here, as it means someone needs to take him out later.

Madcap Moss vs. Drew McIntyre

This is the continuation of this feud for reasons that I don’t want to know, but odds are it leads to a showdown with Happy Corbin at WrestleMania. I have no idea how that is the best thing WWE can come up with for McIntyre, but what else could it be setting up? This is Falls Count Anywhere as a way for McIntyre to have some more fun, but I don’t know if that changes the result.

I’m going to go with what makes sense here and say McIntyre wins here, though I’m almost scared of the idea of Corbin cheating to help Moss win. McIntyre should be ready for something huge after WrestleMania but we have to get through Corbin and Moss first. That right there kind of sums up one of WWE’s biggest issues: there might be something good down the line, but you have to get through WWE’s lame idea first.

Universal Title: Roman Reigns(c) vs. Goldberg

You know what’s annoying about this match? I mean in addition to the fact that it is happening? WWE just might be crazy enough to put the title on Goldberg for some sort of conquering hero deal, as they have been nuttier than that before. As much as I’d like to believe that reigns slays Goldberg here to FINALLY let them get this match out of their system, I can’t help but think there is a chance they do otherwise.

That being said, I’ll still take Reigns here, at least partially for the sake of my own sanity. There is no logical reason for Goldberg to take the title from Reigns and then drop it back a few weeks later, but stranger things have happened. For now though, I’ll go with Reigns to win here and set up his match with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, because that is just what everyone wanted from Reigns: back to back showdowns with Goldberg and Lesnar.

Women’s Elimination Chamber

These matches are almost always a mix of dumb luck and eliminating some of the least likely candidates. This time around, you can write off Liv Morgan, Nikki Ash and Doudrop, as they aren’t challenging for anything at WrestleMania. That leaves Rhea Ripley, Alexa Bliss and Bianca Belair as potential winners and that means we have three viable options for this one.

I think I’ll actually take Ripley, who would be a fresh and interesting match with Lynch (and who might actually have a chance since she isn’t facing Charlotte). Belair is also an option due to needing revenge after the Summerslam title change, but I think that ship might have already sailed. Bliss could be in there as well, but this return screams some kind of screwy finish involving that dumb doll. Ripley wins here, in what is likely my false hope pick of the show.

SmackDown Tag Team Titles: Usos(c) vs. Viking Raiders

This would be your tag defense of the month for the Usos as they face one of the only other regular and successful teams on SmackDown. They have even pulled out all the stops by having the teams trade singles wins on SmackDown. That should be more than enough to set this up (at least in the modern WWE style) so maybe we can get something out of the pure talent involved.

In what should be the least dramatic match of the night, I’ll take the Usos to retain here. There is no reason to suggest that the Vikings are going to be able to defeat the best team in WWE today (and one of the best ever) so I’m not sure what kind of suspense this one is going to have. The good thing is that the match itself should be good with the speed vs. the power, but there is almost no chance of a title change here.

Ronda Rousey/Naomi vs. Charlotte/Sonya Deville

There is nothing wrong with a match that combines two feuds into one and they have done a nice enough job of it here. The twist this time is that Rousey’s arm will be tied behind her back because she ran her mouth a few weeks ago about how easy it should be to beat Deville. That should be enough of a way to let Charlotte get in some cheap shots as she and Rousey head on to WrestleMania, which is the main point of this match.

I’ll go with Rousey/Naomi winning as Naomi pins Deville. You don’t want the champ or the challenger taking a fall and since Naomi has already gotten the better of Deville, there is no reason to go back and mess with things again. Naomi could use another win to keep up her momentum and Rousey/Charlotte can be on their own while Naomi gets another pin on Deville.

Raw Women’s Title: Becky Lynch(c) vs. Lita

I’m not sure if this is supposed to be some big time competitive match where Lita is seen as a real threat or a “wouldn’t it be cool if” come to life. Lynch has been the champion for the better part of ever and there are very few people that I buy as having a chance to take the title. Lita isn’t exactly one of those people, but the cool thing is that she should be able to have some kind of a great match under any circumstances.

In case it isn’t that clear of a choice, I’m going with Lynch to retain before she finally drops the title in a pretty big match at WrestleMania. This is probably it for Lita (for now) as she is usually best in small doses. The match should work out well due to both of the women being very good at what they do, but I can’t bring myself to believe that Lita is potentially winning the title here.

WWE Title: Men’s Elimination Chamber

This one has some higher stakes and that is a nice thing to see. It also has a few potential ways to go, as there are more than a few options here. Again, we’ll eliminate those with no chance first. Riddle, Austin Theory and AJ Styles (I think) have no chance so we’ll write them off already. That leaves us with the defending champion Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar, meaning you have at least two viable options and one kind of longshot.

I’m really not sure where to go here as I don’t want Lesnar getting the title back but I also don’t know if I can picture him losing. I’ll go with some sort of shenanigans leading to Lashley retaining, which could range from Roman Reigns interfering (perhaps after Lesnar did the same to him to make up for the Royal Rumble) to MVP cheating to a bunch of people going after Lesnar at once. I’m probably wrong, but I’d like to see Lashley get another good run with the title. That being said, I can’t shake the idea of Rollins winning either. We’ll go with Lashley just to pick one of the three.

Overall Thoughts

There is the potential for a good show on this card, despite there being more than a few matches without that much drama. Since WWE has decided this is the way their calendar works, this is going to be the last stop on the Road to WrestleMania, meaning that it is time to get things going as well as possible. I’m hoping this show can pull that off, but you never know with this company anymore. The Chambers should work, but as usual, it is all going to depend on which direction they take.

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It’s time for things to get serious in WWE and that makes things feel better. WWE tends to know how to get the bigger things right, at least when it comes to the build. That is the case again this time, as the card for the show is looking great. The Rumbles themselves will be fine, but you also have some good looking World Title matches and a pretty stacked mixed tag. Let’s get to it.

Edge/Beth Phoenix vs. Miz/Maryse

This is a match that you probably saw coming a few weeks ago as Maryse has been around from the start and Edge kept talking about Phoenix. The story itself has been a bit hit and miss though, as I’m not entirely sure why the four of them are still feuding. The idea of seeing Beth crush Maryse is appealing, though seeing Edge vs. Miz again isn’t the most thrilling.

I’ll go with Miz/Maryse stealing a win here, as it seems to set up a final blowoff match. I’m not sure when that would happen as I can’t imagine stretching this all the way out to WrestleMania, but Elimination Chamber could be a possibility. There is more than enough talent to get through this and the match should be pretty good, but I’m only kind of wanting to watch it.

Raw World Title: Brock Lesnar(c) vs. Bobby Lashley

Now things get interesting as we have a match that people have been wanting to see for a good while, with Lashley himself having pushed for it for years. When Lashley debuted in OVW, he was billed as Brock Lesnar Times Ten, which is close enough to how the match is being built. Lesnar isn’t going to be able to overpower or maybe even out wrestle Lashley so we’re a bit closer to a stalemate this time around, which takes away what Lesnar is used to.

But dang who in the world wins here? I still can’t imagine that we’re getting Lesnar vs. Reigns title for title at WrestleMania so someone has to lose….and I just don’t think it happens here. We’ll go with Lesnar retaining here, though it’s the one I have rather little confidence in picking. Lashley winning the title back would make sense, but I’ll say Lesnar holds onto the title, at least for now.

Women’s Royal Rumble

The more I think about this one, the less sure I am. WWE has done such a job of making the division so focused on Becky Lynch and Charlotte that it is hard to fathom someone else becoming a big star. While Charlotte is in the Rumble, I’m not sure I can picture her winning while still champion, which should set up a new challenger for either her or Lynch. That leaves a few options….and they are rather slim.

As much as I want to go with the big rumored return or Lita for the sake of setting up the teased Lita vs. Charlotte match, I’ll go stupid and pick Bianca Belair to win a second in a row. She is one of the few women in the match who doesn’t feel like a joke or at least someone there to fill in a spot and that is worth a look. Rousey or Lita might be more likely, but I’ll take what might be a safer pick with Belair.

Raw Women’s Title: Becky Lynch(c) vs. Doudrop

This is an actual fresh matchup which is almost hard to fathom in modern WWE. I’m glad to see Doudrop basically turning into Viper, because that is an interesting person to watch. Sometimes you need a monster who can wreck some stuff in short order and that is what Viper can do. If nothing else, it is nice to see something different so maybe we could have a better match as a result.

I’ll go with Lynch to retain of course, as Doudrop feels like a monster of the month for her at worst. That is a weird situation for a heel, but ultimately this does not seen to be anything serious for Lynch. It should be a good match though, as Doudrop has done quite a few things well during her time in WWE. Granted the Doudrop run has not exactly gone great overall, but maybe things are changing in a good way.

Smackdown World Title: Roman Reigns(c) vs. Seth Rollins

This is one of those matches that makes me wonder how the whole thing is going to go, because you know someone is going to get involved with one of the World Title matches. If Reigns attacked Lesnar to cost him the title, the same thing is likely happening here. Or there is the chance that Lesnar interferes here anyway. That is all beyond the idea of the match itself, which should be rather good.

I’ll go with Reigns retaining here, but again I’m coming into the two title matches completely confused. The Elimination Chamber leaves the option of a last minute change, but we could be in for a couple different options. The good thing is that these two have some great chemistry together and hopefully they can do that again here. We need something good from these two and I can believe it will happen.

Men’s Royal Rumble

I’d like to believe that one of the Royal Rumbles ends the show but that might not be the case this time. For the sake of sanity though, we’ll go with the show’s namesake match actually taking the main event slot. This match is pretty wide open as well, and I’m not sure where that is going to go. There is one name that stands out a bit more than most, but it might be pure false hope.

For some reason, I can’t shake the idea of Big E. winning, even if that might not be the most likely case. I’ll take him to win, but there is also a strong possibility of either Reigns or Lesnar losing their World Title and entering here to set up WrestleMania. It wouldn’t be the most satisfying finish, but ultimately it is a strong chance. From who we have confirmed though, I’ll go with Big E.

Overall Thoughts

The more I look at the card, two things stand out. First of all, the top of WWE’s roster is stacked and they can put on some great combinations. This show is looking good as a result and I’m wanting to see what happens on the show. At the same time, the Rumble matches show you just how weak the rest of the rosters are, as neither match is exactly full of names who could pull this off. The show should be good, but WWE really, really needs to rebuild its roster. Assuming they don’t just release more people instead. For now though, the show looks good and that’s enough hope for one night.

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We’ve got a new show this week and this time it is based around a new year. I’m not sure how interesting that is for a full pay per view, but WWE has set things up around flimsier premises before. The good thing is the card looks pretty solid and we could be in for a nice event. That is assuming the Coronavirus pandemic doesn’t wreck anything at the last minute. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Ricochet/Cesaro vs. Sheamus/Ridge Holland

This was added earlier in the week and it sounds good on paper. If nothing else, it is nice to see Ricochet and Cesaro getting some kind of a spot, as they so often feel like people just there to fill in time on television when no one else is available. Sheamus and Holland could make for a nice mentor/mentee twist on the Bar, which seems to be the focal point of how we got here in the first place.

As for the match, I can’t imagine Sheamus and Holland losing when they seem to be a bit of a project for the future. It doesn’t help that Ricochet and Cesaro are the definition of jobbers to the stars at this point and I can’t imagine that is going to change in the span of a Kickoff Show match. That’s more than a bit depressing, but both of their ships seem to have sailed a long time ago.

Edge vs. The Miz

Let’s get one of the bigger ones out of the way first as we have what could have been a much more interesting match that just never made it to that next level. These two had some outstanding promo battles but after that it turned into a much more standard WWE build towards a big match. It still feels like a pretty good showdown, but there is something missing from the whole thing.

I’ll go with Miz winning due to some Maryse interference, which brings us to the missing thing: Beth Phoenix, who seems rather likely to come back and make this a mixed tag, maybe even at Wrestlemania. I don’t know if it’s interesting enough to go that far, but it’s hard to imagine that we don’t get the tag match at some point. You have a pretty hard time getting there with Edge winning, so Miz takes the first match.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Usos(c) vs. New Day

Yes, we’re at it again, as these teams seem destined to feud forever. The good thing is you can more or less guarantee a near classic with this one so it isn’t like it’s a bad idea. I’m sure the match will be very good, but it is a little hard to get excited when it seemed they were building to King Woods vs. Roman Reigns for the Universal Title and instead we’re getting a match that has been done nearly to death.

The more I think about it, the more I could see New Day winning here so we’ll go with that. It’s not like they need another title reign, but the Usos have held the things for a long, long time now and it might be smart to shake things up a bit. Throw in Paul Heyman being fired by Reigns and the team might be a little shaky by comparison. Either way, this should be a near classic, as these four tend to have.

Raw Tag Team Titles: RKBro(c) vs. Street Profits

I’m not sure how, but this feels like a heck of a showdown between two teams that are quite the big deals. RKBro has held the titles for about four months while the Profits are one of the better teams going today. That should make for a showdown and they worked well together in their previous match. That’s a nice feeling to have for a Tag Team Title match for a change, as it doesn’t happen on the red side very often.

I’ll take RKBro to retain, but they’re getting into a weird spot with their title reign. They are all but out of teams to give them a run for their money (save for the Profits here) and I don’t know who takes the titles from them if they make it out of this one. There aren’t many other options so while there is a chance they do a switch here, I think there is enough left in RKBro to validate them holding the titles.

Drew McIntyre vs. Madcap Moss

Here’s the easiest match on the show, as you have a former multiple time World Champion against a literal comedy guy. Somehow this match is taking place over a sword that was stabbed into a desk, which has to be up there for the weirdest/weakest reasons to have a pay per view match. I think we all know what to expect here and in this case, that is not a bad thing.

McIntyre wins here, in what should be dominant fashion, as even Happy Corbin’s interference isn’t enough to keep Moss around. It would not be out of the question to see McIntyre challenging for the Universal Title at Wrestlemania and there is no sense at all in having him lose what feels like a squash. Then again, it makes little sense to have him in this match in the first place, but at least he should win it pretty easily.

WWE Title: Big E.(c) vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley

They are in a pretty awkward spot here as Lashley is looking like the star of stars on Monday Night Raw at the moment but Big E. has already gone over him twice. It also doesn’t help that Lashley was such a dominant champion and had cleared out the main event scene, so it isn’t like they have many other options for him should he get the title back. That leaves Rollins and Owens as the underdogs, which could open some doors for them.

I’ll still go with Big E. though, as Rollins doesn’t seem likely to get the title back and Owens is probably there to take the pin. Big E. has been badly overshadowed by Lashley in recent weeks and I’m not sure how much longer he is going to keep the title. It seems like Lashley’s to win, unless they find something else for him to do in a hurry. Big E. retains for now though, even if it is just keeping it on him for a short while.

Raw Women’s Title: Becky Lynch(c) vs. Liv Morgan

Man alive I wanted to get into this match but, as usual, WWE has managed to take away almost everything that made Morgan interesting in the first place. The fans got behind Morgan because she was an underdog who probably shouldn’t be here but kept fighting anyway. Now she is being presented like a main event star and it has taken me pretty far out of the whole thing.

As much as I would love to see Morgan win the title, I can’t imagine they pull the trigger on anything that doesn’t involve one of the already established big stars. That has plagued WWE for a long time now, even if Morgan taking the title could be a heck of a feel good moment. Lynch is likely to retain here, probably in a more definitive manner than before, and then WWE will wonder why the division is falling apart right in front of them.

Smackdown World Title: Roman Reigns(c) vs. Brock Lesnar

Oh boy I’m not sure where to go with this one and that makes for a pretty fascinating main event. The Paul Heyman factor changes everything, and now the question is not so much when Heyman returns but rather does he do it here. That would be a heck of a fast turnaround for him to be back though and I don’t think it happens so soon. That gives us a problem though, and unfortunately I think I know where it’s going.

I think they actually do the title change here, as Reigns isn’t good enough to beat Lesnar without Heyman in his corner. That is going to open up a long list of issues, but for now I think Lesnar takes the title, likely setting up some big showdown at Wrestlemania for when they really want to do something new. These two are forever joined at the hip, and this time I think it’s Lesnar taking the title again.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, I’m liking what we’re seeing with this show and it could be a good one. Now that being said, this is WWE and there is always the chance that they are going to screw something up. I’m not sure how big of a show this is going to be going forward, but the first edition is a stacked card that could be quite good if it lives up to its rather high potential.

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Since it’s NXT 2.0, this is pretty much a Takeover without being a Takeover. We still have the double WarGames matches, which have been set up about as well as can be expected. I’m not sure how the whole thing is going to go, but we could be in for a heck of a fight. That being said, NXT’s expectations have more or less plummeted in recent months so I wouldn’t quite get my hopes up as much. Let’s get to it.

Cameron Grimes vs. Duke Hudson

I like Grimes a lot and Hudson is slowly growing on me, but what is working for this match is Grimes’ talking over the last few weeks. Grimes has been cutting some old fashioned wrestling promos about Hudson taking away his hair and beard, which apparently meant a lot to him. That’s the kind of thing that has worked in wrestling for the better part of ever and it worked again to set up this hair vs. hair match.

I’m not sure on this one, but I think I’ll take Grimes. If nothing else, we have already been through the “Grimes loses over and over” deal so having him do it again here would seem counterproductive. Let him get the win and send Hudson on to something else, as Grimes should be fine enough with just the trimmed hair. Getting rid of the caveman look was a big change, but if it gets him higher up on the card where he belongs, I’m all for it.

Cruiserweight Title: Roderick Strong(c) vs. Joe Gacy

So this is a Cruiserweight Title match with a non-cruiserweight because WWE has given up on the title (again). This will be Strong’s first defense of the title since September so the cruiserweight deal is either being dropped or…well what other option is there really? Gacy is claiming weight discrimination or fat shaming or something similar and gets a title shot as a result, because NXT 2.0.

Therefore, we’ll go with Gacy to win, as it is pretty clear that WWE has no interest in keeping the title on Strong. I’m hoping this leads to the title either being dropped completely or turned into some kind of TV Title, the latter of which would be unnecessary in NXT when the North American Title is around. There’s a good chance that the title is done for after Gacy holds it for a bit, so we’ll say he starts his reign here.

Tag Team Titles: Imperium(c) vs. Kyle O’Reilly/Von Wagner

I had to think for a second about who held the titles coming into this show and that is rarely a good sign. This seems to be more about O’Reilly and Wagner’s future than the titles and that does not bode well around here. O’Reilly and Wagner haven’t exactly done much to get much momentum going here and I don’t think I can see that changing in the near or far future.

Give me Imperium to retain here and that is about the only good choice they have here. Wagner and O’Reilly seem destined to lose and split up, with O’Reilly probably putting Wagner over on his way out, likely with an Undisputed Era reunion in his future. That gives us Wagner and Imperium as the real winners in NXT, because…egads because that’s really where we are these days.

Women’s WarGames

This is Toxic Attraction/Dakota Kai vs. an assortment of heroines, because when you think WarGames, you think of Mandy Rose and pals. As little need as there is for this to be a WarGames match, it might be better to have them do a bunch of spots with weapons than trying to have a long form regular match. Leave the big spots to Kai and Io Shirai/Kay Lee Ray and it should lower the risk for a horrific injury.

I’ll go with the villains winning here, as Toxic Attraction needs another big win and I fully expect Ray to embrace her inner villain and turn on the rest of the team. That being said, if she does, it is going to leave NXT rather heel heavy and I don’t know how good of an idea that would be. Toxic Attraction needs challengers, but I’m not sure if either of them are in this match. Therefore, we’ll go with the champs and Kai winning.

Men’s WarGames

This is old vs. new, which is about as good of an idea as NXT has right now and should make for a good WarGames match. As usual, this is going to be about seeing what kind of carnage Bron Breakker can wreck on the rest of the field, as this is the kind of match where he could thrive. There is a lot more talent and success on the old side though and that could make things interesting.

This is where the good guys win, as you have either Grayson Waller or Tony D’Angelo to take the fall for the villains. Breakker is going to wreck people and likely get the NXT Title before the end of the year, but at least he should have a good run in this match to get him there. I’m looking forward to this one, as the DIY reunion alone should be worth a look, but the good/old guys win here.

Overall Thoughts

On paper, this show doesn’t look bad. The problem is that for every good thing they have, there is something else on there that feels like some kind of a joke or a half thought out idea that doesn’t belong on a major show. I do like that they dropped the Takeover name and are just going with the name of the show, because that is the only reason to make this a special at the moment.

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What in the world happened to this show? Fans have not exactly seemed thrilled with the Battle For Brand Supremacy for a long time now, but this year even the wrestlers have been complaining about how worthless the show really is. There is nothing of value here as the show is all about bragging rights, without even as much as a title on the line. Maybe the action can make up for the lack of…well everything else. Let’s get to it.

Shinsuke Nakamura (SmackDown) vs. Damian Priest (Monday Night Raw)

We’ll start it off with a battle of the midcard champions in a match that is kind of appealing. Nakamura has come a very long way since winning the King’s Crown and then the Intercontinental Title. At the same time, Priest is one of the few people to be called up from NXT and then actually do something good on the main roster. The fact that these are two of the exceptions tells you a lot about WWE, but that’s for another time.

I think I’ll go with Priest here, but I had to keep myself from writing Nakamura. You can’t go wrong with either choice here and that is always a good situation to be in. These two are going to hit each other rather hard, though I’m still not sure what is next for either of them after this. Priest has been gone from TV a bit as of late so it would be nice to have him get a win here to re-energize him a bit.

Usos (SmackDown) vs. RKBro (Monday Night Raw)

This is a great illustration of the usual different kinds of tag teams in WWE. You have the regular team vs. the odd couple team who happens to be great together. It’s the kind of thing that could be interesting if there was something on the line, but the quick deal they did on Monday Night Raw isn’t enough to carry it over the line. That leaves us with little more than a match with big names, which is where Orton tends to shine.

Maybe it’s the purist in me but I’ll take the traditional team and go with the Usos here. They’re a better team and one of the most successful teams of all time. RKBro is great and you can’t ignore the RKO, but I’m hoping that this winds up with a Superfly Splash to Riddle. The Usos need to win here to keep Roman Reigns happy, and that’s about as important as you can get these days. We’ll go with the twins.

Battle Royal

They were going to have to add in one more match for the sake of giving us an odd number and this works as well as anything else. The match will have twenty five people included to tie in with the Rock’s debut from 25 years ago, so at least they added a tiny bit of flavor. A Rock video wouldn’t surprise me here, and that’s about the extent of excitement I can muster.

For a winner I’ll go with….Otis for a random surprise. It’s not like this is going to be anything more than one match on the scorecard so why not have a little fun. Otis has been treated as a bigger deal as of late so give him a win that they can brag about for a bit. There isn’t much of a chance of him winning but it’s not like this is the Royal Rumble or anything huge.

Monday Night Raw Women vs. SmackDown Women

I’m not sure I could remember the lineups for this match if I had to and that’s a good illustration of what is wrong with the match. These women were thrown together and there is no real reason to get excited over what we’re seeing. Odds are it’s a bunch of fast falls with no one getting much of a showcase, which would be the norm around here. At least Toni Storm is getting a shot on a bigger stage for once.

I think I’ll take the SmackDown women here, as their lineup is just a bit stronger. We should be in for some good action, at least while it lasts, but you’re only going to get so far with little drama and a bunch of women trying to get their stuff in. The women’s matches have been decent in recent years, but things have changed so much that it is hard to get my hopes up here.

Monday Night Raw Men vs. SmackDown Men

Here we have the show’s other namesake match and another match where the teams might as well have been drawn out of a hat. There is little connecting these people other than their matching shirts and I don’t know how much drama they will be able to produce under these conditions. Then again you can always get SOMETHING out of one of these matches so maybe they have some hope.

I’ll go with the red ones here as that is a pretty awesome group. Then again that is assuming Kevin Owens doesn’t turn on the rest of the team, which certainly wouldn’t be out of the question. The match should work out well due to who is in there, but it’s another one that doesn’t quite excite me. Maybe if the teams hadn’t been added to their new shows about a month ago.

Becky Lynch (Monday Night Raw) vs. Charlotte (SmackDown)

I could actually see this headlining the show. This is the match that is built off of the backstage altercation the two of them had which hasn’t actually been mentioned on TV, but WWE is assuming that we all know what they’re talking about. While it would be nice to have something fresh in this spot for a change, I can get the special feeling they’re going for with these two.

The match is basically a coin toss but I’ll take Charlotte due to reasons of her being Charlotte. Lynch is still the biggest star in the Monday Night Raw women’s division but Charlotte winning sounds about right. I’m almost scared about how they’re going to end the match though, as this could be a prime target for some kind of a screwy finish to protect them both.

Roman Reigns (SmackDown) vs. Big E. (Monday Night Raw)

This one got a lot more personal this week and that’s a good thing. Anything involving serious Big E. feels like a boost and that is what we are getting now that Reigns has attacked King Woods. I’m not sure how much doubt there is about the winner here, but this is actually feeling like a clash of two guys who could do some serious damage to each other if they get the chance.

With that said, of course Reigns wins, likely thanks to an Usos distraction. Things seem to be setting up for Woods vs. Reigns at Day One in Atlanta so having Big E. win here wouldn’t make a ton of sense. It also isn’t likely that Reigns is going to lose a match that doesn’t have any meaning, as WWE has built him up far too strong. Reigns wins here, but only after he takes a beating.

Overall Thoughts

I think you get the idea of how Survivor Series isn’t what it used to be. Ultimately there is nothing on the line here and everyone but WWE seems to know that is a problem. I have no reason to believe that will change next year, but for at least this time we’re stuck with another show that feels like two TNA One Night Only specials got melted into each other. Maybe it will be good, though don’t expect much that happens here to matter, even in the short term.

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AND

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