SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The go home show before Survivor Series was an all-around solid show. However, there were a few glaring Misses this week that simply can’t be overlooked. Even though the show was taped, it had a good energy to it, and I honestly forgot that it was a pre-taped event until I saw the Mario and Luigi hats again! That’s neither here nor there. That’s not what you came for. So, let’s get to the hits and misses! As always, I’m Chris Adams and you can reach me at cadamsowj@gmail.com if you think I’ve missed!
HITS
Cody Rhodes Educates Carmelo Hayes
This match crackled within angry energy, energy that you could feel jumping off the screen. We saw something come out of Cody Rhodes last week, a kind of anger that we’ve yet to see here in WWE. Contrast this with their first match months ago, which felt like a friendly contest. These two men were fighting for the right to be recognized as ‘Him,’ to play on Melo’s self-identification. Cody is ‘Him’ as the WWE Champion. Cody is ‘Him’ as the Quarterback. Cody is ‘Him’ in that he understands how rich and nuanced stories can be told within the squared circle. The story we got last night was pitch perfect. The hot head learned a bit of humility. That’s the hope at least. Will Melo learn from this mistake? Will he keep Cody’s name out of his mouth? Only time will tell. But, if they continue to have this dynamic with an ongoing series of matches, we would be blessed with amazing wrestling and rich storytelling. What a match!
Jacob Fatu, Unleashed
There was some part of me that expected Jey Uso to go over tonight. But, there’s simply no conceivable way he could take out Jacob Fatu, especially with his limited move set in comparison to Fatu’s. Listen, we all love Jey Uso, but tonight, he was fed to a monster. I suppose this was the payoff of the interaction they had a few weeks ago in the ring, but if I was on Roman Reigns’s team, I might’ve gone with someone else. As I watched Fatu do his springboard moonsault, it was clear who the real main event is.
Nakamura Returns
Briefly, I was glad to see the return of Shinsuke Nakamura. The IWC sees him only as a washed former New Japan performer. It seems like this new direction has little fire with tighter, striking and more intentional movement. Hopefully he can regain some of his earlier shine!
Michin For the Win
Michin has long been a favorite of mine and it’s heartening to see the sustained push she has received. She has a look and vibe like no one else on the roster. She doesn’t seem like a character, either. There’s a realness to her that comes across very well, and I would be ecstatic if she took the US Championship. Shout out to Lash Legend, who has held her own being thrown into the main roster
Check out this special WWE Survivor Series PLE Preview episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
MISSES
The Promo Train is Off the Tracks
As soon as I saw Bianca Belair remain standing near the entrance, I knew we were in for it. While not a traditional promo train, it nevertheless resulted in the same dynamic. Forced, unnatural conversations, standing in a straight line with everyone turned towards the hard cam was the wrong decision to build excitement for this match. They needed to let the promos breath, and had they created dynamic motion with the five bodies in the ring, it could have come off more substantially and made for better TV. WWE, in this new era with vibrant camera work, can do better than this.
Roman and Punk in a Contrived Sit-Down
On the opposite side of the promo train we have another filmed vignette. Similar to that with Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, this video aimed to transcend traditional pro wrestling face-to-face conversations. However, something felt off with this video. It was strange to see CM Punk in one of these filmed vignettes, as part of Punk’s appeal is the unscripted nature of his promos. In this vignette, he thrice repeated the same words and reasoning for joining the Bloodline, and I found it rather reductive. If they’re going to continue with this kind of thing, they need to work harder to make it feel less like cheap HBO.
Stay right here and keep the flow going. We think you’ll like to read this next…
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: WWE Smackdown results (11/29): Barnett’s review of Roman Reigns and CM Punk, Jey Uso vs. Jacob Fatu in a WarGames advantage match, the final push for WWE Survivor Series WarGames
(You can always reach PWTorch editor Wade Keller at kellerwade@gmail.com. You can also send live event results and news tips to pwtorch@gmail.com. Also, we’re always looking for volunteer contributors to help us round out of coverage of the pro wrestling scene.)
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