It’s Tuesday, and you know what that means…Rusev Day!
Heading into tonight’s action, we already have a few announced matches to look forward to. In a tune-up for Clash of Champions, AJ Styles will face both of the Singh Brothers in a 2-on-1 handicap match. Kevin Owens and Randy “Wet Paint” Orton will face off in a match that I can only hope Owens wins, and a couple intriguing cliffhangers are looking for answers from last week. Where does the Ruby Riot led women’s faction go from here?
Last Week’s Smackdown:
Smackdown Live commissioner Shane McMahon kicked off last Tuesday’s show (again) before being interrupted by best friends Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens (again). It’s not that I don’t love the three men, it’s just that it seems that they start the show every week. Why not a match?
Why not Rusev?
Regardless - after a near-firing from Shane and an interruption from Daniel Bryan, a lumberjack match was made for the main event. Shane, in fact, was so pleased with this decision that he decided to head home for the night. There truly wasn’t much to the match, nor the rest of the storyline, but the end result is an Owens/Orton match scheduled for tonight.
In a near-mirror image of Monday Night RAW, the women’s division was shaken by the debut of a new faction. Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan made their first appearances on the main roster, destroying Naomi and Becky Lynch in a backstage segment. Later, the three interrupted Charlotte Flair and Natalya’s match. Do the three have ties to Absolution? What’s their motivation? What’s next for the three women? I genuinely can’t wait to find out.
State of the Belts:
We didn’t get the advertised AJ Styles/Jinder Mahal rematch last week; the two will now meet at December’s Clash of Champions PPV. Instead, Styles was attacked by the Singh Brothers, of whom he quickly dispatched. I really can’t wait for the Mahal experiment to be over; at the very least, a bump down the card is needed, soon. I have no issues with Jinder being a mid-card heel, but there’s absolutely no way he should (still) be in the main event scene. Here’s to hoping a new challenger emerges ASAP.
Charlotte Flair has defeated both Alexa Bliss at Survivor Series and Natalya at Starrcade - what’s next for the Queen? While her steel-cage title defence wasn’t televised, you’ve got to assume they’ll set Flair up with a new challenger sooner rather than later. Could we see one of the NXT debuts go for the title, or will we see one of the longer-tenured members of the roster earn their shot? For what it’s worth, I feel as though Tamina could be a logical next challenger, especially after being the sole survivor for the women’s team at Survivor Series.
As per usual, Baron Corbin has done literally nothing over the last few weeks. Other than a win over the Miz at Survivor Series, the Lone Wolf has been his usual boring self, only this time he’s bringing the title down with him. During last week’s lumberjack match, Corbin and Bobby Roode got into an altercation; is the Glorious One Corbin’s next challenger?
Gable and Benjamin have defeated the Usos in singles action over the last two weeks. It appears as though American Alpha - the Sequel is gearing up for a title opportunity, but will they make the best of it? Here’s to hoping not - Rakishi’s sons still have miles left in their championship reigns.
Here and There:
BLUDGEON BROTHERS!
While I was initially upset that WWE Creative couldn’t find anything better than to simply pair up Harper and Rowan again, I love the Bludgeon Brothers. Silly gimmick? Yes. Ridiculous costumes? You bet. But wrestling is supposed to be silly, and especially for Harper, I can forgive a lot.
Breezango still doesn’t wrestle all that often, but at least they’re getting screen time. Tonight’s edition of the Fashion Files has a Saw motif; entertaining, but get these guys wrestling soon.
Did Dolph Ziggler get cut? I swear he still exists, but he’s making about as many appearances as Emma is making for the company lately.
Three Things to Watch For:
- The MITB briefcase has really been lost in the shuffle of the NXT debut’s and Survivor Series build-up. With no clear challenger for the title after Natalya’s official rematch takes place, could they pull the trigger on a Carmella cash-in?
- I miss you, Tye Dillinger. Could he perhaps make his return to Smackdown Live tonight? Talk about an under utilized character.
- WWE is teasing tension between Shane O’Mac and Daniel Bryan; could we see further development of this tonight?
That’s the show! Who’s watching? I certainly will be, so get ahold of me at @SpennyLove or @WCSportsCA!
WWE: Last Five
- This Week in Wrestling: November 24th
- Three Misconceptions about Jericho/Omega
- NXT Preview and Predictions - November 22nd
- The Real Revolution - Paige’s Return and What’s Next?
- Smackdown Live Preview: November 21
