Opening segment
- Dolph Ziggler is being interviewed in the parking lot.
- Kevin Owens pulls up in his car, very loud and obnoxious in his car. They come to blows and Owens doesn't wanna hear Ziggler's promo.
- Shane McMahon bans KO from the venue, and Owens isn't happy.
- Owens shows up during the start of the show, and cuts a promo about how sick he is of Shane McMahon being on TV so much after Vince said WWE was going to be about the fans.
- Kevin Owens cutting a hell of a promo right out of the gate. He says Shane McMahon calling himself the Best in the World is a slap to the face of everyone on the roster.
- Kevin name drops Apollo Crews, Murphy, Ali, Kairi Sane, Asuka as all having television time taken away from them by Shane.
- Kevin Owens cut a promo that @pawlowskithe4th has written for three years.
- You can't do a quick turn much better than WWE and Kevin Owens did over the past week or so
- Just like that, Kevin Owens is mega over as a babyface. A fantastic turnaround, capitalizing on a lot of the legit disdain over seeing Shane McMahon on TV.
Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Finn Balor
6/10
- Nakamura vs. Balor for the first time!!!!!!!!!! Besides that time on NXT TV, and the several live event matches they've had, and the New Japan Cup.
- It's just good to see Nakamura back in the fold, but why do we need this here? Why can't Nakamura beat some other people in convincing fashion and earn a title shot? It takes a couple of weeks.
- Nakamura gets a nice sliding German suplex.
- Balor counters a Kinshasa with a Slingblade, but Nakamura gets one outside anyway.
- Another hits, and Balor is laid out at ringside. He gets in before the count, but gets kicked back outside.
- Another lands inside and Nakamura wins.
- Okay. Cool. So a re-match. Neat.
Backstage Crappenings
- We see a Kofi Kingston/Samoa Joe video, followed by a good, stoic Samoa Joe promo where he says he sees through Kofi, and will take the WWE Title.
- Kofi Kingston cut a promo saying he was in Samoa Joe's head last week. Paul Heyman appeared after.
- Peyton Royce says Billie Kay has Mad Cow Bird Flu Disease and can't wrestle tonight. Paige goes off on the IIconics and slaps them, since they're sick and can't slap back. She says the match is coming. Why'd they put her in heels?
- Ember Moon says she kicked Fire & Desire's ass last week, but they're over it. They challenge Ember & a partner next week.
- Black doesn't care who it is, but it's Cesaro, who wasn't going to reveal himself at first. This was super lame.
- Shelton Benjamin doesn't say anything again.
Contract signing
- Nikki Cross is representing Alexa Bliss.
- Alexa isn't there, she's been ill (legit).
- We see the same thing out of Bayley as always, but this time she makes Nikki wonder what will happen when Bliss blames Nikki for a loss
- Nikki Cross says all of Bayley's friends abandoned her.
- Nikki Cross says she and Alexa Bliss are going to become co-champions at Extreme Rules.
- Lots of people referencing LayCool as co-champions like Chyna and Chris Jericho didn't do that a decade before.
Nikki Cross defeated Carmella
4.5/10
- Nikki Cross is very aggressive to start off.
- Carmella rocking the pony tail and singlet.
- This really isn't great work, as they're about a step off. Both are capable, maybe they just need more work.
- Carmella gets a Bronco Buster and a kick, but falls victim to the Purge.
- This was a good win for Nikki.
Otis defeated Xavier Woods and Daniel Bryan
6/10
- Big thanks to @WWEBigE for all the @BlueChew segues on my podcast. He mentions a different type of three way and touching their championship tips together.
- Daniel Bryan puts over New Day as athletes, but says nobody takes them seriously. Xavier says Rowan takes orders from Bray, Harper and Bryan and asks who his daddy is. That got over.
- Heavy Machinery come out and try to get "blue collar solid" over. I don't think it'll work. Tucker cuts a pretty generic scripted promo.
- Based on the vests, the shirt, and the repeated catchphrase, I'm guessing Heavy Machinery are Blue Collar Solid.
- Otis hits an amazing double delayed vertical suplex.
- Rowan gets involved, because why not? He gets pushed over the table by Tucker and Big E, though. They're all ejected.
- This is all to RESET THE MATCH.
- We come back to see Xavier in the Lebell Lock, but Otis breaks it up.
- Otis lands his slam and the Caterpillar on Bryan.
- Xavier has some underrated power, and press gutbusters Bryan.
- Otis wins with a pop-up World's Strongest Slam. I love that as a finish for him.
- Heavy Machinery has really delivered of late.
Roman Reigns defeated Dolph Ziggler
5.75/10
- Elias and Drew McIntyre are backstage with Shane McMahon. Dolph Ziggler approaches and says he lost his main event, so he gets booked against Roman Reigns.
- I like that Ziggler as a heel wasn't terrified of facing Roman Reigns. He was happy he had the main event, because that's what he always talks about.
- WWE can do Reigns a lot of favors by not having people interviewing him say "the obstacles keep on coming!"
- Drew, Elias, Shane are out by the commentary table.
- Ziggler hits the Heart Stopper Elbow on Reigns.
- I'm very glad that Ziggler blocks the opponent's hip off during his chinlocks, and puts people in position where they just can't sit out of it.
- Ziggler capitalizes off a distraction from Elias to hit the Zig Zag for two.
- Superman Punch is kicked out of, and Roman Reigns was dangerously close to eating it on that dive. Shew.
- Owens shows up and Stunners Shane McMahon. THE CROWD IS HOT.
- Spear. Win.
Rating guide
10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor
Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a "star rating," which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive "TV match" lands at a 5. The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones. Don't take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!
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