So here we are, just one set of TV tapings before WrestleMania 35. Next week the entire article will be a preview/predictions post running down all 451 matches scheduled for the show. For now though let’s discuss about a few of the hot topics from the previous week.
The biggest news of the week was Charlotte winning the SmackDown women’s title. Just when you thought the main event angle at WrestleMania couldn’t get any more convoluted Vince strikes again. It appears that they felt Charlotte was becoming a bit of a third wheel the last few weeks and acted. This move now does of course confirm what we knew already, that Asuka tapping out Becky at the Rumble was for absolutely nothing. Ronda continues to be the most interesting character going in to the show, but there is a week left for Becky to try and get some momentum back.
At this point if you are thinking to yourself, “Wait a minute, Becky got momentum on Monday by winning the gauntlet!” I urge you to stop reading and take another sip of your WWE kool-aid because that segment was a nonsense. What we need this coming week is Becky being a bad ass. A genuine bad ass, unlike the comedy cripple we have seen in recent months. There has been talk the last few days that WWE is planning on having the Four Horsewomen (Becky, Charlotte, Sasha and Bayley) closing the Mania show doing a modern day curtain call. The worrying part is that it sounds bad enough to be true. The only acceptable finish is Becky standing tall. SOLO. Any curtain call type move would be self congratulatory bullshit and furthering the fake agenda that WWE is revolutionizing women in sport. Women have been taken seriously in sport for decades and the WWE’s propaganda is insulting.
Lastly on the SmackDown women’s title change. IF this results in them unifying both women’s belts at Mania all this shit booking will be worth it in the end, but unfortunately the last I heard was that both titles will be on the line and it will be a case of whoever gets pinned loses their belt. This will no doubt add to the fears that Becky pins Charlotte instead of Ronda but I still don’t see any other finish than Lynch pinning Rousey.
I think the Rey/Joe/Dominic storyline has some potential, but it does feel a little out of nowhere. It seems pretty obvious that Dominic is going to turn on Rey and align with Joe and at that point it will depend how well the kid is able pull it off. As I write this it was just announced that Rey will face Andrade again on SmackDown. It’s a real shame Andrade’s push didn’t stick. He is one of the most talented guys on the roster and the pairing with Zelina is so good. It’s widely known that Vince doesn’t watch NXT. While that is mostly a plus, it does mean he doesn’t know what he has on his hands during call-ups.
I’m really not feeling this Kofi Kingston push. I like Kofi, always have. But when you have been slotted as a midcarder for a decade it’s very hard to all of a sudden take the guy seriously as a main event talent. The constant gauntlet matches hasn’t helped either. Two weeks ago Kofi defeats about 5 guys all by himself and Vince throws a spanner in the works to stop him. The next week it’s his New Day teammates in the gauntlet. What does Big E & Xavier winning matches have to do with Kofi getting a title shot? Why didn’t Vince come out and make the Uso’s fight? Why did Vince seem ok with the Mania match at the end of the show after all the hurdles he had previously thrown in to try and stop it happening? All these questions and more will likely remain unanswered because unfortunately in 2019 continuity in WWE doesn’t seem to matter.
Lastly this week I wanted to touch on Kurt Angle. I just want it to be over. I was of the opinion when he returned to WWE in 2017 that he should have one last match and retire. Instead he has been used way too much and at times treated like a jobber. The guy is one of the all-time greats and instead of one final big match and a nice send off he gets BARON CORBIN. Worst of all he is booked on TV to act like it was his choice. His farewell tour took a depressing turn last Monday and Tuesday with two truly awful performances. Angle has given his body to the business and unfortunately he just cannot go anymore. I really hope this scheduled match with Rey on RAW tonight doesn’t go ahead. The less he is in the ring the better. As for WrestleMania, despite Meltzer, Keller and others stating Cena isn’t set to be involved with Angle and has another match that is being kept top secret I expect Big Match John to come out on the night and somehow end up involved giving the match a more satisfactory feel.
That will do it for this week. I will be back towards the end of the week with my WrestleMania predictions post so keep a look out for that. Until then enjoy RAW and SmackDown this week. Poor build or not, this is wrestling Christmas. So let’s try and enjoy it!
