El Dragon

Some thoughts on episode 2: You really have to do something I've never seen before for a pure spot match like Lince/Mustafa to get my attention, but I don't think I've seen much in the way of what Lince was busting out during that match. Some really cool stuff there.

Not only that, he went off screen saying "god damn woo" I'm in tears from laughing so hard.

And Smackdown also got Naomi. it was 3 for 3.

That Cesaro promo on the Network was a promo from a man who clearly has stopped giving a fuck. I'm not sure if there's anyone in the company who would be okay with being fired more right now.

They still have to draft some more from NXT before it's over though. They aren't going to call up Joe, Nak, or Bayley on the post show. Expect Dillinger, Rawley, and Bliss on the post show.

Can't wait for Kane to be drafted to Smackdown in the post show.

Raw got all the people I liked in the undercard, my favorite womens wrestler, and they are all canon fodder for Rollins, Lesnar, and Reigns. Smackdown gets Styles and Cena, and dick all else, and only have one tag team who I love but with nobody to face. They managed to kill my enthusiasm for both shows.

Nia Jax picked over Bayley or Asuka is insanity. Heck over Paige, Emma or Natalya too. Emma isn't eligible cause she's gonna be out for a long while. With Nia you can at least say "High Upside Pick" or something.

Now I'm really confused who is gonna feud with Becky. Or AA. Soooo many picks left... But no big name tag teams or women unless it's Natalya. And I'd think if Bayley, Nak, or Joe were going, they'd have already.

Now I'm really confused who is gonna feud with Becky. Or AA.

This was supposed to be a launch show for a brand new show set up specifically to bring interest to Smackdown. And they are actively talking about how Smackdown feels much worse off on the Network.

So Smackdown really needs to push NXT strong now.American Alpha, please come on down.

Maybe Smackdown trades someone to Raw for a grouping of guys? Ambrose after he loses the belt?

So... Corbin feud with Ambrose maybe?

Ambrose was their first pick.... Right. But 3 of their top 4 are getting up there. Quality guys, but they're gonna need some serious youth. I predict Sasha and Zayn are their two next picks. I think they need a heel rapidly. Owens seems likely over Sami.

Aries could fair just fine on Smackdown, assuming the talk of it being more the "smark" show built around Cena and, possibly, AJ is true.

So, thoughts. Raw doesn't get 2 for every 1, they get 3 for every 2. So, 6 out of 10, roughly. It makes sense, but I'm curious what direction that goes. No guys out with injuries are eligible, save Neville, which means I assume Neville is ready to come back. Only 2 "teams" eligible to break up in obvious means are the Lucha Dragons and Wyatts. I'm hearing the NXT thing is 6 "talents", not 6 picks. Which means I'm feeling Balor, AA, Bayley, Joe, and Aries.

He's over, and him winning sets up an actual interesting story going forward, something the company hasn't had since they pretty much botched the initial SHIELD breakup. We can think whatever we want of him as a wrestler, and I'm not crazy about him in his current role, but the crowd has been wanting him as champ for over a year. His title reign could end tomorrow, but putting the belt on him is the right.

Yeah, for as much shit as I give WWE bookers, they clearly knocked it out of the park in the main. Rollins winning clean gave the Rollins/Reigns storyline much more weight then it had before, because you were expecting Reigns to win still, and the Ambrose cash in, even though I'm far from crazy on Dean, was a wonderful call at the perfect time.

And legitimately stunned again. Wow.

Legitimately stunned they gave Rollins the win, and clean too. There was a ref bump, but Rollins didn't instigate it, so yeah, that's clean to me.

I would mark like a child for someone to bring that up and demand he take it off before a match.

I have no problem with the bad guy cheating. But the way the bad guy cheated just led to me rolling my eyes and actually soured my mood for the direction the feud is going. Because I've seen the "bad guy wins via dickery in match 1" run with Cena before, and the guy who won that is currently wrestling Titus O'Neil.

That jump off the ladder, springboard of the rope, into the Euro might be the most impressive spot I've seen in a while.

But that's the thing. It makes it really hard to get excited about future "big matches" when they constantly don't end in the way best to move the story forward, but to keep the story going on as long as possible.