Firstly, I apologize to my regular readers for being a couple days late with The NXT Report. I’ve started work at a new 9-5 job in the real-world, and have yet to figure out the best schedule for writing an adequate review of the WWE’s best show.
The Raw Review will arrive as usual on Tuesday, but I'm still deciding exactly when The NXT Report will be written and posted.
For now, I’m happy I had a few days to process what took place at NXT Take Over: Rival.
Read MoreTwo weeks in a row I’ve been somewhat stumped as to what to write about in The Raw Review. Last week, after several false starts and actual drafts, I created what was, for me, a less than satisfactory nitpick of the WWE’s ongoing booking woes.
I very much want to write about the symbolism and themes of various WWE scenes and matches, but when the performances are subpar, when the booking and the creative and the script looms like a dark, inescapable cloud over the proceedings, it’s hard to get to the goods and even harder to write about the goods.
Read MoreWhat was the last pay-per-view you remember where the main event was set well in advance and the WWE expanded upon that main event story for several weeks?
SummerSlam. 2014.
I remember the build into that now-infamous and incredibly satisfying SummerSlam encounter between Brock Lesnar and John Cena. It was consistent, enjoyable, and straightforward. There was never any doubt that you were going to see John Cena defend his championship against Brock Lesnar. Even if you hated the idea of Lesnar vs Cena, you had seen the promotional packages for a solid four weeks.
Read MoreNXT offered an episode that was even better than usual this week, building upon the various top rivalries and serving up a variety of excellent pro-wrestling matches.
Wesley Blake & Buddy Murphy, a team that’s made occasional appearances, scored an upset victory over Tag Champs The Lucha Dragons. The match wasn’t particularly memorable apart from the fact that Blake and Murphy were victorious. The win isn’t dissatisfying because Blake and Murphy don’t deserve the win because they haven’t been on-screen much. It’s mostly a dissatisfying win because The Lucha Dragons didn’t have a very impressive run.
Read MoreNine.
That’s the number of times the word “respect” was used in the final RAW interview segment featuring Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, and the 2015 Royal Rumble winner, Roman Reigns.
“Respect”, the word of the snow-day, slithered into your subconscious thanks to the oratory stylings and the storytelling savvy of Paul Heyman (and anyone else who may have contributed to the structure of that interview). That word was purposefully planted in the back of your brain, and there that word remained throughout this interview.
Read MoreRoman Reigns has won the 2015 Royal Rumble. As a result, the relationship between the WWE and the WWE's fans is as strained and contentious as ever.
I'm a fan of Roman's. I've always liked him and always thought he could be exactly what the WWE wanted him to be so long as they booked him properly and emphasized his strengths. This is a common perspective among many long-time pro-wrestling fans. It's truly a shame to watch his career, and the future of the company, be negatively affected as a result of bad booking and not consistently creating a character that could convincingly face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania.
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