SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Paul Heyman opening promo – HIT
This promo was outstanding to start the show. Heyman is in great form with his delivery and facial expressions. Sami Zayn is showing he’s no longer the stooge within the Bloodline and is a threat to defeat Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber.
Hit Row vs. Sheamus and Drew McIntyre – MISS
Very little to nothing from this squash match other than the post-match angle to set up Sheamus and Drew McIntyre vs. The Viking Raiders next week. The heel turn has not worked for Hit Row. Turning heel just because someone made fun of you for botch is undoubtedly in the Triple H playbook. The other option is to send Hit Row down to NXT and start from scratch again.
Lacey Evans squash match – MISS
The agents need better communication and not have back-to-back squash matches on the same show. The crowd could care less about Lacey Evans. This current version of Lacey as an MMA fighter and marine is a lousy gimmick. I admire WWE’s willingness not to give up on Lacey Evans, but at this point, they should most likely admit defeat. At this point, Lacey is a project. Would an NXT wrestler make better use of that time?
Braun Strowman Rocket vs. the Usos Tag Team Championship – HIT
Braun Strowman and Rocket have great chemistry together, and I hope WWE doesn’t split this duo right away. The last 5 minutes of this match were great! The crowd was utterly behind Jey Uso throughout the match. Jey Uso getting the pin off the blind tag was a fantastic finish.
Natalya promo – HIT
The Smackdown women’s division is a mess and needs help ASAP.
Ronda Rousey getting a very timid reaction from the audience is concerning, and we are at the point of no return with her character. The blame is 50/50. WWE didn’t do Ronda any favors with her overall booking through 2022–2023, and Ronda hasn’t done herself any favors with her overall performance. If the reports are accurate, Rhonda and Shayna going for the tag team titles is something to do, but if this is Rhonda’s ceiling, I’d have extreme buyer’s remorse if I were WWE.
Charlotte Flair Promo – MISS
I’m asking WWE to hire women to help write promos for the entire women’s division. The dialogue given to Charlotte was dreadful in this segment, and WWE still hasn’t adjusted the proper babyface heel dynamic leading up to the WrestleMania match between Charlotte and Rhea.
Fatal 4 way Intercontinental Title opportunity: Karrion Kross vs Rey Mysterio vs Madcap Moss vs Santos Escobar – MISS
The interactions between Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar were fun but other than that, this match was a total dud. My wrestling wish for 2023 is not to see Karrion Kross in a main event for the rest of the year. Karrion is listed at 6’4″ and 265 pounds, and he’s not a great worker or big guy, so I don’t know where Karrion fits on the WWE roster moving forward. Madcap Moss vs. Gunther is undoubtedly a choice. I have low expectations of Moss vs. Gunther as a television match.
FINAL THOUGHTS: If you’ve heard this before, please stop me. Anything related to the Bloodline was fantastic on this episode, and everything else on the show was very mid.
Did Ricochet change his name or did you?
Lol, who the heck is Rocket. Good lord. In the dumpster.