WWE Highs And Lows- 1/12/2017
Here we go with the second edition of WWE Highs and Lows! It's been a week of solid action as we head towards the holiday season, so without further ado, let's examine the week that was
Highs
Roman Reigns vs. Elias (from Raw). Reigns is the new Intercontinental Champion, and wow what a first IC title defense! I wasn't expecting this, but Roman opened the show with a "take on all comers" type promo, and that segment and match was very reminiscent of John Cena's US Title reign two years ago. I was impressed by Elias, who got some big moments to shine, busting out a top rope elbow and spinning sit down powerbomb, and Reigns ultimately looked good too for being able to overcome that and retain his title. My match of the week.
Broken Matt Hardy (from Raw). Matt Hardy has been spinning his wheels since Jeff injured his shoulder, being a jobber to the stars. With this week's loss to Bray Wyatt, they appear to be incorporating Matt's recent bad luck into the storyline, keeping the camera focus on a forlorn Matt post-match, who eventually led a "Delete" chant with some fire. Since then, Anthem Sports have come forward to say that The Hardys (and any other former TNA talent) are free to use the personas that they cultivated in TNA/Impact. This will allow the Hardys to utilise their former "BROKEN" personas. Delightful!
Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro (from Raw). Two of the best wrestlers and pure athletes on the WWE roster got about 17 minutes to open Raw. Surprise surprise, it was a quality match. Definitely worth a watch.
Cruiserweight Fatal 4 Way (from Raw). Swann, Tozawa, Dar, and Daivari were given stakes for their match- a spot in a No. 1 Contender's match with a win. As a result, the crowd and myself were more responsive to the action, and the wrestlers seemed motivated to put on a better show than usual. How about that? And we get another one next week. Happy days!
Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens (from Smackdown). Owens got more offense than expected, Orton brought some fire and passion, and despite being banned from ringside, Zayn got involved- near the stage! Well done all around. I wasn't keen on the match announcement last week, but everyone involved delivered.
The Fashion Files (from Smackdown). The Saw-inspired segment made me laugh, and Breezango leaving the Ascension to die was some seriously dark humour for WWE... but it got a laugh out of me for sure!
The UK Tag Match (from NXT). For the second week in a row, the UK boys bring it. Dunne and Bate are always magic in the ring, Mark Andrews shined in some high spots- I appreciated the attention to detail highlighting why perennial fan favourite Andrews would team with the heel champ Pete Dunne. Tyler Bate wrestled like he had something to prove, and even Trent Seven had a little something extra in his step. Make the UK division a permanent part of NXT already!
Lows
205 Live- Raw did such a good job giving the cruisers some purpose, but the Tuesday night program returned to the meaningless half baked shite. The main event tag had a little story with the Cedric and Ali dissension, but it wasn't enough to be a High.
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And really, that's it for the Lows! Some great Highs through the week, and anything not listed was at least decent/watchable. A couple of honourable mentions- Smackdown's New Day vs. Gable/Benjamin and NXT's Kairi Sane vs. Peyton Royce. All in all, a very good week for WWE!
Until next time, take care,
Mick
