A different kind of SummerSlam

SummerSlam is the big money show of the weekend, but this honestly feels like one of the strangest iterations of the event. None of the "main events" really feel like a main event to me, although I suppose Raw's offering is probably the strongest of the three. But with a double digit number of matches on the card, it promises to offer some interesting battles. And if Battleground was any indication last month, the more varied matches with smaller pre-match packages actually worked really well. Here's a rundown of the card.

Image credit: WWE.com.

• Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins: I'm not sure this will actually main event, but the crowning of a Universal champion is momentous, even if the title's name is painful. I suspect this will be Rollins to win, although it does feel foolish to debut the Demon King in action and have him lose in his first outing. But it was even more foolish to have the Demon King appear days before the pay-per-view. Still it would take a momentous shift in WWE booking to have Balor win the title a month into his run as a member of the main roster.
  
• Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler: Ziggler's push to main event status still doesn't quite feel cemented, which makes this feel like the weakest of the three big matches. Still, I suspect it will have strong storyline potential. I suspect a heel turn for Ziggler is in the future and with the right booking, he could be a strong new heel main eventer on the brand, not unlike Shawn Michaels in the early 90s. But it remains to be seen if WWE will really pull the trigger on Ziggler.

The draft... happened: a few underwhelmed thoughts

I know I am certainly not the only person that found the WWE Draft a bit underwhelming. While far stronger than the version we got from WWE way back in 2002 or the random lottery of later years, the order of so many of the picks were so random. Midcard champions not going until the sixteenth and seventeenth overall pick is certainly insane, while the number one contenders to those titles are treated like also-rans drafted on the secondary show.

Despite much ballyhoo about WWE trying to make Smackdown as strong as Raw, the action of the night really didn't bring that out. Raw seemed programmed to the future with Zayn, Cesaro, Owens and Balor all in strong places while Smackdown feels like it will have to be built around Ambrose, Styles, Wyatt and Cena simply because the roster isn't very deep beyond them. Orton could be a wildcard but he likely will be looking few live events, similar to Cena's new schedule. That especially makes Smackdown an incredibly weak touring brand.

The NXT signings were mostly underwhelming. Balor went high and should get a massive main roster push. American Alpha should be the focus of the Smackdown tag division going ahead, although if that comes with no title belts who knows how important that will really feel. Nia Jax feels way too soon. Alexa Bliss, Carmella and Mojo Rawley could all work on the main roster, but none really feel like they've accomplished enough in NXT to make the call-ups sensible. Other NXT veterans like Tye Dillinger would be more sensible, while Austin Aries, Samoa Joe and Bobby Roode have already showed they can be main event players. However one shimmer of sunlight: it does seem likely we will see the Hype Bros finally start a strong run on Smackdown, though whatthey can accomplish is anyone's guess.

Of course, the real question of the future will be built around the writers. Raw continues with the same writer it has had for quite some time, a man without a real good sign of knowing how to freshen things up. Smackdown looks to be in the charge of Ryan Ward, former NXT head writer, which could mean a stronger simpler booking method for the show. More storylines built around strong athletic competition seems sensible, but without so many of the superstar NXT alum like the aforementioned Zayn, Cesaro, Owens and Balor, it feels more like rehabilitation for older stars (Dolph Ziggler) and continued Ward pet projects (Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews.)

Next week, we will see with the beginning of a new era for the two brands. Here's hoping they give us the future WWE deserves with the talent it now possesses.

The New Era finally begins at Money in the Bank

I have to be honest: the undercard of Money in the Bank was not as good a show as it could have been. But it did do a lot to cement the new era of WWE. Two new stars in Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews scored pay-per-view wins. The three new tag teams challenging The New Day all had chances to win the belts. Natalya might not be new, but she displayed a new and wholly different attitude. But they were just the prelude for the rest of the card, with three big matches that could very well signify a better future for WWE.

AJ Styles and John Cena wrestled an instant classic, with a nearly twenty-five minute battle that allowed both men to show why they are two of the best in the business. While both agreed to wrestle a clean match, a ref bump and injuries to both men allowed Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows to insert themselves into the match. It is clear this is a set up for a match that will go for several more months of WWE television.

The Money in the Bank ladder match was pretty much everything you could expect from the six men that entered. Every man made a name by putting their bodies on the line and it was no different tonight as Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Alberto Del Rio, Cesaro, Chris Jericho and Dean Ambrose each pulled out the stops to make this MITB one of the best in history. It doesn't hurt that unlike previous Money matches, no one felt out of place in a ladder match. But when Dean picked up the win, it clearly spelled implications for the main event.

Rusev and Titus O'Neil took the bathroom match spot, but they surprised me with how good they worked together in their eight minute encounter. I am not a huge fan of Titus, but he definitely looked great as he wrestled the Bulgarian Brute in front of his kids. While he didn't win, the taunting of Rusev's children post-match almost certainly mean this feud isn't over, which could spell some great wrestling from both underrated talents.

The main event was supposedly two years in the making, even though Reigns and Rollins did meet in solo matches before this one. But those battles didn't have the stakes of this one, with both men doing everything they could to take the other man down. Like the Cena/Styles match, a lot of time was spent with both men knowing each other's moveset and countering them, the biggest highlight of which was a spear reversed into a hopping Pedigree. Ultimately another Pedigree put down Reigns and won Seth Rollins his second WWE championship.

But it wasn't to last. Rollins' reign was measured in seconds as Ambrose came out, cashed in his briefcase and hit Dirty Deeds to become the new WWE World champion.

Image credit: WWE.com.

It was a glorious sight for the fans that have waited anxiously for WWE to pull the trigger on one of their most over stars. It also allows WWE to make some unpredictable moves at the championship level as unpredictable is pretty much Ambrose's calling card.

Whether or not WWE uses this to streamline into better storytelling remains to be seen, but it finally is starting to feel like we have a new WWE to follow for the next few years.

Previewing Extreme Rules 2016

Image credit: WWE. 

I’m still not quite sure what to make of this year’s Extreme Rules card. While this is the ‘new era’ of WWE, the card feels even less “extreme” than previous years. But the ongoing feuds offer some great match potential along with a few intriguing storylines.

The pre-show gives us Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin for the second month in a row, this time in a no disqualification match. (If you’re wondering how this is different than the Extreme Rules main event, the answer is they’re not at all different in modern WWE.) This feud still makes little sense to me as an ongoing storyline. Ziggler should be at a higher level than Ziggler, but Corbin should be winning if the company wants to establish him as a main roster star.

As an aside, this is the second month since his debut Apollo Crews doesn’t appear on pay-per-view. Dude has too many skills to not be used in a stronger feature.

Wrestlemania Predictions

Wow, the injury list in the WWE has grown bigger than the roster. John Cena. Seth Rollins. Cesaro. Daniel Bryan (Retired), Tyson Kidd (probably retired), Sting (probably retired), Randy Orton, Nikki Bella, Sheamus, and I am sure there are a few more I am forgetting here.

Hell, if it wasn't for the remaining members of The Shield, Kevin Owens and AJ Styles, the WWE wouldn't have a show.

So what is left for Wrestlemania?

My guess is, given the current state of the roster, the WWE is going to play it safe. Due to their terrible booking the last few months, they don't have big enough heels to pull off huge matches. This has always been my biggest complaint with the WWE this past year and why I prefer Lucha Underground; the whole concept of babyface and heel is outdated. They can play that role, but the booking should be based on talent, not role. I want to see Del Rio against Sheamus, not Kalisto five times in a row, or Brock Lesnar vs Rusev. These kinds of matches earn respect and build careers, not throwing every heel against Dolph Ziggler repeatedly.

Over in NXT there are a ton of great stars ready to make the jump to prime time. But the WWE can't push new wrestlers this close to Wrestlemania, it is too risky. We'll be lucky if they put AJ Styles in.
Instead they are going to have to go with what they got now, I doubt they'll bring anyone up for the big show. Some great wrestlers include Samoa Joe, Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin. Corbin against Bray Wyatt would be one hell of a match, but since the WWE doesn't put heels against heels, there is almost no chance of that happening. We were lucky to get Finn Balor VS Apollo Crews on an episode of NXT.

I believe they'll play it safe and have Brock Lesnar beat Triple H for the WWE title at Wrestlemania. Crowds love Brock and he's a guaranteed sell. This is the safest and most logical route for the WWE to take. Even though we've seen these two go at each other in passed, they are, like it or not, the two top dogs in the WWE.

Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns will end up facing off against each other, with perhaps one of them turning heel (because the WWE is obsessed with the heel/babyface concept). I'd love to see a clean rematch between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar and it might happen, but then they would have to build a new storyline for Ambrose, which I don't think they have the ability to do this close to Wrestlemania.

And where is the Undertaker?

Do they even have enough wrestlers to fill the show? Do guys like Chris Jericho still have the star power for one more Wrestlemania? Will Vince give a guy like Kevin Owens a main event spot?
I am sure we'll get Calisto against someone, or maybe Del Rio, if he takes back the belt at Fastlane. Or maybe they'll just face each other again, a match we've already seen five times.
Having Ambrose carry the Intercontinental title is a waste at this point since he doesn't need it to make the main event. Would have been better to let Ryback keep it and give him a good match at WM, but Ryback seems to be falling hard.

Strange as it may sound, it appears that one of the Social Outcasts might actually get a WM match. Thanks to injuries the guys who six months ago were looking at unemployment might have a shot at the mid-card slot, if the mid-carders have to main event. Interesting times, either way.

NXT has a midcard problem

So having been almost a month behind on NXT viewing, I've been playing catch up on the post Takeover: London editions of the show. And watching the roster in action, I have to say WWE's second brand has a huge problem in the middle of the roster.

For the last few months, WWE has lost the men and women that filled the middle of the roster, whether to call ups, removals from television or outright poor booking. Talents like Tye Dillinger and Bull Dempsey that once could be considered micarders have long ago become jobbers.

Sasmson is racking up wins but it remains to be seen how far he can go.
Image credit: WWE.com. 

With a solid main event picture featuring Baron Corbin, Samoa Joe, Sami Zayn, NXT Champion Finn Balor and NXT newcomer Austin Aries, once you move under that spot, WWE doesn't have many non-tag team talent to fill out any cards. Apollo Crews and the recently debuted Elias Samson are the only real talent WWE has to fill the card, although unsigned wrestler Tommaso Ciampa seems to be getting some wins actual signed talents like Dempsey can't seem to receive. And while Crews has tons of potential, both Ciampa and Samson have a lot to prove before they can be regularly taking seriously on the NXT roster.

Outside those three men however, the company seems to bank on a few main eventers and a few too many jobbers. It makes the company read a bit too much like WWE's main roster instead of teh solid across the card booking that once made NXT work so well.

The women's roster had a much wider hole in their roster after Takeover: Respect, but the company started to rebuild that roster at the end of the year. But while folks like Nia Jax, Carmella, Eva Marie and even Peyton Royce and Billie Kay are starting to get booked with wins, the women's division is still clearly built around only two figures. Asuka and Bayley are the only actual stories of the women's division with their opponents only getting time against them or against others to prepare them to face the two top stars. With the two women seemingly on a collision course for the NXT Women's championship, it could put the rest of the women's division on perilous footing.

Billie Kay and Peyton Royce looked dangerous earlier this month, but more
consistent booking could turn them into huge stars. Image credit: WWE.com.

NXT can certainly fix these issues. The women's division has all the talent it needs (with Adrienne Reese also now filtering in) while the men's ranks desperately need a few new talents to start picking up wins. Rich Swann and Chris Girard can both fill those roles, but only if they reach television as more than just job talent.

NXT Advent Calendar Day 24: The NXT Top 10 for the end of 2015

Another Takeover is behind us, and that means it is time to take a look at the top ten stars in NXT once again. Last time Bayley took the top spot. This time several new stars and teams have changed the complexion of the list entirely. Just a reminder: The first number in parentheses is the wrestler's previous rank (a U means unranked) and the second number is their number of times ranked on this list consecutively.

1. Sami Zayn: Having just returned to NXT during the UK tour, Zayn's position as part of NXT's future is still a bit unclear. But just his presence changes the complexion of NXT for the better. (U/1) 
2. Apollo Crews: After an amazing run since Takeover: Brooklyn, it is hard to argue that his first in ring loss to Baron Corbin hurt a lot of Apollo's momentum. It remains to be seen whether he can pick himself up again and re-enter the NXT title picture sooner rather than later. (5/2)
3. Emma: Takeover: London can only be described as a success for Emma, even in a loss. For the first time since Arrival, she looked like a seriously contender for the NXT Women's Title. She might not be first in line, but that opener cemented her as an important part of the current NXT roster. (U/1)
4. Jason Jordan & Chad Gable: The mat wrestling masters are in a great place now as the fan support since Takeover Respect has transformerd them into a team everyone wants to see. They have nothing but upside going into 2016 and the Assistplex is easily the move of the year in 2015. (6/2)
5. Dash & Dawson: Dash & Dawson proved their ability as an old school wrestling machine in their battle against Enzo & Cass in London. And while they might not be the biggest stars NXT currently has, more moves like the amazing Super Shatter Machine they pulled off could up their profile even more. (U/1)
6. Baron Corbin: Love him or hate him, Baron Corbin finally looks like a superstar rather than a man being forced down fan's throats. While his attitude both in ring and out of it (as shown on Breaking Ground) is the kind of thing that rubs people the wrong way, he certainly seems ready to take his place in a main event feud with Finn Balor. (9/2)
7. Asuka: The fans love her, she's completely convincing in the ring and her crazy demeanor makes every move work to perfection. The former Kana is poised to innovate women's wrestling in WWE come 2016. After a potential battle with Nia Jax, she seems poised to challenge Bayley at Takeover: Dallas come Wrestlemania weekend. (7/2)
8. Bayley: After two classic matches against Sasha Banks, her match with Nia Jax can only feel like a demotion. But her fight from behind babyface win over Jax continues to help Bayley grow as a top star and finally gives her a submission move to match the other Four Horsewomen. (1/2)
   
9. Samoa Joe: Samoa Joe looked dominant against Finn Balor with only luck seeming to allow the champ to walk out as the winner in London. While it is anyone's guess where their feud goes next, I suspect Joe and Balor are not done by a longshot. A future program with Apollo Crews could also serve to make both men shine brighter in 2016. (4/2)
10. Finn Balor: Back atop the NXT roster firmly after his Jack the Ripper entrance and astounding victory over Samoa Joe, Finn is in a strange place in NXT. No one can argue he's not ready to become a massive star on the main roster with an entrance second only to the Undertaker at this point and a wrestling style that could make him the next Daniel Bryan or CM Punk in ring. Now it seems to be just a waiting game for Finn to take his place as a top star of the main brand as he has NXT. (3/2)

Finn takes on Jack the Ripper. Image credit: Uproxx via WWE Network.

NXT Advent Calendar Day 17: Takeover London review

Takeover London closed out NXT's special event schedule for 2015 with five explosive matches. And while the show lacked for surprises or big reveals, it did bring two full hours of solid wrestling action from top to bottom.

Image credit: WWE.com.

The show opened with an impressive fifteen minute battle between Emma and Asuka. While Emma and compatriot Dana Brooke tried to pull out every shady tactic they could to pick up the win, including a chain and a distraction during the Asuka Lock, but Asuka continued her streak of dominance in NXT with a win after an explosive kick.

NXT Advent Calendar Day 15: Takeover London preview

Takeover London finishes up the NXT event calendar for 2015, but much like R Evolution last December, it looks to send out the WWE's top brand with a huge end of the year event.

Image credit: WWE.com.

The card is shorter than most recent Takeover cards, shortened from the usual six matches to five despite a longer showtime of 2 hours 30 minutes. This could mean an added match or it could mean an extended Sami Zayn return segment or it could really mean just about anything. But with only five scheduled matches, I would expect each of the announced contests to get at least ten minutes of in ring time, certainly up from a lot of match times at recent NXT supercards.

Is Nia Jax the second coming of Kharma?

Kharma was a failed experiment by WWE, mostly due to a lot of unwanted media attention in the aftermath of her failed pregnancy. But most fans agree that Awesome Kong could have been great in the WWE Divas division, maybe even giving the current "Divas Revolution" a jumpstart years ahead of time. But it wasn't to be.

Image credit: WWE.com.

Last night on NXT, Nia Jax made her in ring debut in a brutal takedown of Shimmer regular Evie. It was a great match with the much smaller and more seasoned Evie selling like a million bucks for the massive new Samoan star. In all the right ways, Nia reminded long time viewers of the dominance of Awesome Kong in the early days of the TNA Knockouts. She looked like a monster, which was a smart way to book her first onscreen match.

The NXT Top 10

The Wednesday Top 10 is back and this time we check in on the aftermath of NXT Takeover: Respect with a list of ten best wrestlers or tag teams in NXT. In the aftermath of the Dusty Classic, the women's title match main event and the continued dominance of Apollo Crews, there's a lot to talk about. But who will take number one? Better start reading to find out!

The Vaudevillians. Image credit: WWE.com.

NXT's roster earns their "Respect"

I've spent two days talking about the importance of last night's NXT Takeover: Respect main event but Sasha Banks and Bayley were not going to sit idle with their shot at the top of the card. They put on a match every bit as epic as their 18 and a half minute classic in Brooklyn.

Image credit: WWE.com.

While Bayley retaining against the now main roster star Sasha Banks wasn't overly surprising, the result didn't matter as much as the quality of two women clearly forming a rivalry that will last for years to come. Bayley and Sasha have been perfect opponents and I suspect we will see much more of both women when Bayley eventually gets her main event call up.

For now, Sasha has the WWE Divas title to focus on, while Bayley has threats from Alexa Bliss, Dana Brooke, Emma and Asuka. It looks like Alexa will be her next major foe, which may prove interesting if Blake & Murphy get involved from the outside.

The other big story of Respect was the Dusty Classic. Finn Balor & Samoa Joe overcame Dash & Dawson while Baron Corbin & Rhyno beat Jason Jordan & Chad Gable in a match that should put Jordan & Gable into bigger roles in the near future.

The finals brought a big win for Finn Balor and Samoa Joe and a touching speech about his father by Cody Rhodes, speaking publicly for the first time about the loss of his father. It was a fitting tribute to the late American Dream.

Apollo Crews got a somewhat surprising win over Tyler Breeze in a match that felt a bit too thrown together to be as good as it should have been. But both men are so athletically gifted that they both have a strong future as both opponents and major NXT stars, so I suspect we will see this matcch again.

My favorite match of the night though was witnessing the WWE in ring debut of Asuka. For all her weaknesses of a few months ago, Dana Brooke has improved leaps and bounds in the last few weeks. She worked as a great foil to Asuka, but everyone knew the results of this one going in. Only interference by Emma gave Dana any advantage, while Asuka picked apart her foe before making her tap to the Asuka Lock in a stunning debut for perhaps the most athletically gifted star now in WWE.

Takeover: Respect was an amazing card from top to bottom, giving us yet another amazing special event for WWE's secondary brand. With one more Takeover before the end of the year, it will be anyone's guess if the amazing stars of NXT can top their already amazing 2015 events.

Previewing NXT Takeover: Respect

NXT Takeover: Respect hits the WWE Network tonight and it looks to be an amazing card featuring six big matches in an expanded two and a half hour card.

The show is of course anchored by Sasha Banks and Bayley and for more on that you can check out yesterday's post. The 30 Minute Ironwoman match promises to be amazing and may very well top their already stunning match in Brooklyn.

Image credit: WWE.com.

The semi-finals and the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic are also in store with Samoa Joe & Finn Balor taking on the team of Dash & Dawn while Rhyno & Baron Corbin take on Chad Gable & Jason Jordan. It would mean a heel-heel match-up but I would personally like to see Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder take on Gable & Jordan in the finals, but I strongly suspect the two thrown together units will win instead and move on to the finals, where Rhyno and Corbin will overcome the super-face team.

Asuka makes her wrestling debut as well as she takes on Dana Brooke. Brooke continues to develop well, but I personally would have rather seen Asuka take out Emma in her first match. Still the former Kana can have a great match with a paper bag, so I suspect this one to work out pretty well.

Image credit: WWE.com.

The show will almost certainly open with Apollo Crews and Tyler Breeze. Both men have been inspiring in their performances of late, but I think Breeze needs the win over Crews here. It's high time Breeze actually get a main event title feud and beating the undefeated Crews would be a good first step in that direction. The Apollo Nation can certainly weather the loss, because Crews seems poised for bigger matches and stronger feuds after the Dusty Classic wraps up.

Overall, I'm looking forward to the show, especially with appearances by the entire extended Rhodes family: Dustin, Cody and even Eden Stiles. It should be another stellar night when NXT Takeover: Respect hits this evening.

Thoughts on the WWE's Current Roster

Did anyone else notice that every champion who walked out of Night of Champions was a former NXT star? NXT is creating great WWE wrestlers faster than they can be absorbed into the main company, but that's okay, because they are also raising the bar across the board as far as skill and talent goes. Between Kane and Undertaker moving into the end of their careers and all the guys just getting started, we're at a point where things can change quickly and anything can happen. Here is what I think should happen.


THE DIVAS

Bayley should be in no rush to move up and would be best served by remaining the NXT Women's champion for a year or so. The kids love her, she's got a great babyface attitude and could really pull up the rest of the division. If she moves up to the WWE, she'll be sitting at the back of the line behind the other four horsewomen. Bayley needs to cement her place and her personality so that when she does finally make the leap to the Divas division, she will do so as a top superstar. Asuka and Dana both need to a few good matches against Bayley as well, especially Dana, who comes across as a great heel with a great physique, she just needs the right focus and story to build her up. I don't know much about Asuka but I am sure her skills are top notch. Why is the WWE even wasting our time with Eva Marie matches? Especially when Bayley seems to be the Hulk Hogan of women's wrestling. If she isn't now, she soon will be. I also can't wait to see who this Nia Jax woman is.

Who will main event NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn?

There is no doubt that NXT will present the biggest event in their history when the stars of WWE's developmental brand play in front of a sold out 13,000 person arena. But on a packed card, it remains to be seen if the powers behind the brand will play it safe on Saturday night or if they will continue to push the Divas Revolution forward with a bold move. 

The show has been advertised repeatedly as having a double main event: Finn Balor and Kevin Owens in a Ladder Match for the NXT Title and Sasha Banks vs. Bayley in a NXT Women's Title match. Both matches promise to wow fans, but only one could create an incredible marketing and news coverage push for an already intriguing brand. 

Image credit: WWE.