Mr. WrestleTalk is doing the news all of next week while Mr. Davis is off, so I’d better
make the most of this news while I can.
Sigh.
At next weekend’s Clash of Champions - Gold Rush, the one night of the year that every
main roster champion will have to defend their championship, WWE Champion Drew McIntyre will
defend his strap in an ambulance, wait no sorry, a local medical automobile match against
Randy Orton.
Drew has been pretty dominant as champ, never really looking in serious threat of dropping
the title, but if all the signs and speculation are to be believed, his reign could be coming
to an end in the back of an ambulance.
Writing in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer pointed out that Randy’s previous
clean losses to Drew and Keith Lee would point towards Randy possibly picking up the belt
next weekend, because nothing says momentum like two clean losses.
Classic WWE booking.
What we also know is that there are at least thoughts of Randy facing Edge at WrestleMania
again next year, and that this match is planned to be for the title, so WWE is running out
of opportunities to put the belt on Randy, if this is the plan.
Drew dropping the title in an Ambulance match would also allow him to potentially be protected
in defeat, not taking a pinfall or submission loss.
Think back to Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman at Great Balls of Fire, when Roman just missed
a Spear into the ambulance and Strowman won.
And speaking of Roman, we’ve now got a little bit of a better idea of where they’re planning
to take his character, which continues to be the best thing in WWE right now.
The similarities between Roman’s ‘Show Up And Win’ character and Paul Heyman’s
other client Brock Lesnar are pretty apparent, with Lesnar also showing up and winning.
Even in matches he’s not a part of.
However, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is keen to distance
Roman from any further Brock Lesnar comparisons.
“The plans are to make the Reigns/Heyman dynamic as different as possible from Lesnar/Heyman.
The idea is that everyone knew that while Lesnar was a mercenary, he was also friends
with Heyman.
He smiled at his promos, laughed at his jokes, and long-time fans knew the relationship dated
back to Lesnar’s start on the main roster in 2002.
With Reigns it is the opposite.
There is no friendship.
The idea is that with Reigns, he is completely in charge of the relationship.”
Now THAT is a character I can really get behind...but also, ooo what a heel, boo Roman.
Last night, PWInsider reported that former WWE Women’s Champion and our best friend
Melina, I once played Smash Bros. with her, had signed a contract with WWE, and would
be returning “within the next week”.
However, Melina herself has responded to the report saying:
“I AM NOT signed with the WWE.
But that doesn’t mean it is not a possibility.
My reason for this post is that it bothers me that these sites lie to fans.
If I potentially get signed, don’t forgive them for lying to you.
I know there are those that aren’t a fan of mine, but I still will care about them
as I do my own fans.”
She went on to say that she was incredibly grateful for any kind of contact with WWE,
but reiterated that no contract had been signed.
Melina to WWE confirmed.
But now it’s time for a review of last night’s episode of SmackDown in about 5 minutes!
The show opened up with an episode of The Dirt Sheet, where Miz revealed he was the
one who had sent Mandy Rose to Raw, and it was all because she was the only thing holding
Otis back from ascending to the top of the SmackDown totem pole, something something
lies.
This brought out Otis, who promptly murdered both Miz and Morrison, and then went back
for some more.
Miz was wearing tighty whities.
Comedy.
But then backstage, Miz revealed it was all part of the plan.
He got on the phone and said “did you see that?
Is it enough?” before smiling and walking away.
Later in the show, it was revealed that he’d hit Otis with a lawsuit, for some reason,
because it’s so rare for people to get beaten up on a wrestling show, which would force
Otis to relinquish the Money in the Bank briefcase.
He has one week to decide what to do, which is convenient, because I think he might do
it on next week’s show.
Weirdly, when Otis turns to Tucker and says ‘we’re in trouble’, Tucker then says
‘no, you’re in trouble’.
Dick move Tucky.
Dick move.
How could you possibly abandon your friend.
I wouldn’t know anything about that.
Well at least this story has a point now, even if it’s not great.
After that it’s time for more tag team dissension, because in a match between Gran Metalik and
Cesaro, Kalisto and Lince Dorado argued and got themselves both ejected, allowing Cesaro
to beat Metalik.
So naturally, Lucha House Party are challenging for the titles at Clash of Champions - Gold
Dust.
After that came a Moment of Bliss with Nikki Cross as Alexa’s special guest.
Nikki of course is facing Bayley at Clash of Champions - Goldmember, so she cut a quick
promo on her to attempt to further that story, but the real story here is Alexa still referring
to Nikki as her best friend and attempting to explain her actions before Lacey Evans
interrupted and said Nikki Cross doesn’t have a mean streak.
Former member of Sanity, Nikki Cross, doesn’t have a mean streak.
Aight.
This led into Nikki vs Lacey, which Nikki just won!
She had a really cool fire up spot leading into the finish, and maintained...neck control?
After hitting a tornado DDT, leading into the neckbreaker for the win.
But Lacey saw Alexa on commentary - Alexa’s Uncool Podcast launches this Tuesday didn’t
you know - and crawled over to her saying “what, are you going to get The Fiend”,
which prompted Alexa once again to glaze over, hit Sister Abigail on Lacey and walk away.
I like this story, but I think something else needs to happen now instead of Alexa just
hitting Sister Abigails.
Sasha Banks was interviewed remotely from the Performance Center next, and after cutting
an emotional promo about how her and Bayley used to walk the halls of the Performance
Center saying they were going to take over WWE some day, Bayley attacked her again from
behind, wrapping another chair around her neck, but she was stopped before she could
do it again.
My only complaint with this segment is that Bayley should have done it again.
It would have been so good.
But this was still great.
Remember that Bayley vs Nikki Cross is happening at Clash of Champions, though it doesn’t
really feel like it.
It’s all about Nikki and Alexa and Bayley and Banks.
In the “matchup I didn’t realise how much I wanted until it began” of the month, AJ
Styles took on Sami Zayn next, in a quick but fun match, with both working well with
the heel vs heel dynamic.
The finish was spot on, with Zayn attempting to use the tights, which the referee spotted,
before Styles used the tights, which the referee didn’t spot, for the win.
Zayn is getting no love, and it’s great for his character.
Jeff Hardy came out afterwards though, beat them both up and declared that at Clash of
Champions - Goldeneye, it’s going to be a Triple Threat Ladder Match for the Intercontinental
Championship.
I am very much excited for that match.
Big E backstage got his own back on Sheamus, sort of, with him instead putting the security
guy who tricked him through a car windshield, and then putting him in the trunk of a car.
Serious Big E is genuinely incredible.
And finally, after an awesome video package earlier in the night going over the history
of Roman and Jey’s family and what they mean to the wrestling industry, it was the
main event of Roman & Jey vs Corbin & Sheamus in a Samoan Street Fight.
This match was pretty much perfect.
It felt like a really big deal that Roman was wrestling, and they gave you just enough
so that you were left wanting more.
Roman was taken out relatively early over the commentary table by both Sheamus and Corbin
so that Jey was left alone and put through a table, but Roman fired back, Spearing Sheamus
through the barricade, but then Jey Uso, of all weapons, used the Universal Title to hit
Corbin, who turned around into a Spear from Reigns.
Reigns then had to scramble out of the way with a look of panic on his face as Jey had
already leapt off the ropes to hit a splash on Corbin, and he pinned him for the win.
Afterwards, Jey teased celebrating with the title, before chucking it to Roman.
The two smiled and embraced, and as Jey walked away, Roman’s smile turned to a scowl, and
you know, shit’s going down at Clash of Champions - Golden Boot.
All of this was perfect.
The facials, the wrestling, the timing of the spots, Jey using the title, his tease
afterwards, their smiles and Roman’s smile turning to a scowl, man, I cannot wait for
Clash of Champions - Goldy Wang.
Roman is going to kill him.
I’M SO INVESTED IN ROMAN, GUYS.
He feels like a superstar.
He feels like a main event draw.
He is...the guy.
Oh god I’m a Roman mark aren’t I?
Yes.
I am.
I’m a Roman mark and proud of it.
Long live the Roman Empire!
So that was the show, let me know what you thought in the comments below, because I’ll
be replying to people FROM OUTTA THE TRUNK OF THE CAR WHERE BIG E PUT THAT DUDE AFTER
HE’D PUT HIM THROUGH A WINDSHIELD.
This was a great show, and really built towards the next PPV.
All the stories were furthered, even if some of them aren’t the best stories *cough*
Otis & Miz *cough*, but some of them are fantastic stories, and I cannot wait to watch them play
out.
This show gets a SmackTastic 4/5.
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