Decided to use the end Go Home segment on 205 Live because quite honestly NXT matter more than 3 quick lines at the end.
RAW
Brock and Heyman come out... predictablely followed by Samoa Joe who walks right in to face Lesnar. The to begin fighting and Kurt Angle leads the locker room in pulling them apart. It was affective but I couldn't help thinking how Kurt Angle was leading the pull-apart after all the legendary battles and history he has with both men.
Speaking of Angle they keep leading to something being up with Angle and some secret. Again if it's just Steph's return it's lame but...
They also keep having Big Cass or Enzo getting attacked backstage. We aren't sure who it is. They hinted that it's the Revival, who have only appeared on Raw in regards to this issue. They teased it being Cass or even Enzo, or Big Show. But the one blow knocking Cass out suggests an eventually returning Braun Stroman? Look I don't know but between this and Angle thing which somehow Corey Graves knows about... I like that they are thinking more long term with story-lines and creating some mystery. They haven't had that in awhile.
Elias Sampson continued his heat with the crowd and faced Dean Ambrose. Miz Interfered but let's be honest. Ambrose is the new Dolph Ziggler... hear me out. A guy that's super over with fans, is a great and tireless worker, but they don't feel they were worth more than just brief titles reigns and now stick them in the mid card as either a viable opponent or a jobber to a new guy... whichever they need that week. Seriously dissect their careers and judge for yourself. I'm not hating either. The business needs guys like this. Established guys willing to do the job, but it's hard to care about their matches when you're 90% sure they are losing. Although interesting those same guys are only a couple weeks of wins away from "being on a roll" and us all having to take them seriously again.
Bray comes out and jabbers with Seth Rollins. Not sure why we should care about this. They have somehow taken 2 of the top performers in the company and made me just not care about this "feud." Look... we need Seth as a heel again. He's greasy and slimy and I miss his evil laugh. Bray was more believable and powerful with the family behind him, and why can't he have them? What else are they doing?
Miz approached Slater about joining his entourage ( an idea I LOVE!) and Rhyno entertains us with his spray cheese and crackers bit (notice he went with a more upscale cracker tonight rather than saltines... Raw checks must be paying him well! And so we're clear Slater's SD check gets him a pool, and Ryhno's Raw check gets him Ritz.).
That led to a match where Slater and Rhyno took on Miz and the bear from last week. Spoiler alert this time it WAS Dean. And for some reason this feud continues...
Last week I mentioned how much Gallows and Anderson must hate their choice to come to WWE and I think the complaints were somewhat heard. This time an injured Cass was no help and The Club scored the win over Enzo and Cass. Clearly a match they had to let them win. Be nice to see them get back in the tag title hunt but with Cesaro and Sheamus on top it might be awhile.
Speaking of the Tag TItles the main event was a best 2 out of 3 falls match for them. Sheamus and Cesaro got an early pinfall and the Hardys eventually evened it up. I gotta level with you I don't recall the ending. I think it was a double count-out or something stupid. Anyway the Hardys didn't win the belts back. The match wasn't that captivating to me... obviously. I like all these guys but I'm tired of this feud. If only there was some way to break it...
Smackdown
New Day comes out with a live band on horns playing their theme. Solid entrance befitting the New Orleans setting. Then the Usos come out followed by the Fashion Police and eventually the Colons. Yup... 4 on 4 tag match. It happened.
Next Tamina took on Naomi with Lana out to watch. The crowd started a "We want Rusev" chant which was awesome and so truthful. Where is that dude? He was supposed to be back by now. Meanwhile we have to suffer through Jinder as the champ? And are supposed to care about Randy Orton taking it back? This show needs help in the title picture. We want Handsome Rusev back! Naomi wins and then is ambushed by Lana. er finishing move is underwhelming despite the announcers saying it's devastating.
Speaking of Jinder he comes out. And all night it was sold as a face-to-face yet when Orton's music hits Jinder sends the SIngh boys dont the ramp to head him off like they didn't know he was coming. Shock of all shocks he sneaks in the back, hits an RKO, and goes back in to the crowd for a stare-down... Why does Randy Orton feel and need to run from two under 200 pounders? UGGGH
Charlotte and Natalya up next as clearly the card needed the ladies to work extra with the top 6 dudes in the main event (See also: upcoming MITB) Charlotte gets the win with her terrible Natural Selection finisher. Seriously... dissect that thing. it's a DDT from shin-height, it's not devastating.
The Fashion Police once again have their office attacked. Any chance this is the work of the same dude who is wrecking stuff on Raw? Either way the Fashion Police have been a huge boom for the comedy segments on SD which you would have assumed would be the territory for The New Day.
Lastly a 3 on 3 tag match featuring all involved in the MITB match. As the match started and I sort of tuned out I realized a bigger picture complaint.
Tag Match as main events when it isn't for the Tag Belts are dumb. This is a common lay booking for the end of the shows between PPV's. Get the competitors wrestling each other but not in the one-on-one contest you crave, or are forced to watch, in a couple Sundays. It automatically makes the main event not matter. There is no stipulation. The build-up for the PPV suffers because we have seen these two fight recently... it's just stale and I hate it.
From Shinsuke's perspective for awhile he was on NXT and only really wrestled in main events or squash matches. Watching him try to mix in during a tag match takes some of the luster off seeing him. I don't know... sometimes I like guys like Brock or old-school Bray that just wrestle once in awhile in big matches... it makes them special.
Anyway after the melee after the match Shinsuke ends up unhooking the briefcase which can't be a good sign for those of us that would like to see that on Sunday... me thinks not now... I wanted KO or Shinsuke with good vibes to a Zayn briefcase run... especially since Jinder is champ and obviously Zayn could believably beat him for the title.
NXT
Alright before I go through the show based on some of the stuff I just said I'll tell you why I like NXT more than the other brands. NXT has the enhancement matches (jobbers) and while you know where they are going, it doesn't hurt other name guys, and then when they have a match with a superstar vs. a superstar it means more.
Drew McIntyre beats up a jobber. Then The Authors of Pain do the same.
Promo for the return of Ember Moon next week. Well enough to return to action yet not in the main event for the night? Seems odd.. Promo for Aleister Black he has quickly become a dude you want to see each show.
Sonya Deville promo... wasn't she Daria something not long ago? And she's repackaged??? as the same thing with a different name? I think she will be good but maybe they think the name change will make us forget the early jobs she did to lesser ladies.
The Velveteen Dream out next... Look Patrick Clark is just odd... this character looks like Goldust and Shelton Benjamin had a love child that is obsessed with Prince. Not sure where they think this character is going, but I don't want to watch it go there.
What has been up with the old bald guy wearing a suit in the front row at this taping?
They announce form next week we will see not only returning Ember Moon vs. Peyton Royce but also Kassius Ohno vs. Aleister Black. Super show next week!
Main event saw a rematch from NXT Takeover but thos time elimination style for the women's title with Asuka vs. Ruby Riot vs. Nikki Cross. This match had some sloppy parts early, the camera cuts saved some otherwise botched spots. Side note: Ruby Riot is a nose job away from being "gothy hot" but that is no small job. She is the first eliminated when Nikki Cross scores the fall. Then Asuka and Cross battle outside of the ring until the ref calls the match and the two brawl backstage and then back to the AV area ringside. The brawl ends as Nikki hits the ironic Crossbody sending them both down through 2 tables. Fun stuff. Something different.
Time to go home with a 3 count from 205 Live...
1. Ariya Daivari is a solid heel and a great performer. Opening match with Cedric was good but muddled up by the Noam Dar and Alicia Phoooonex.
2. Austin Aries saying good bye for awhile was used to setup Tony Nese vs. Jack Gallagher next week. But honestly how long will be missing Aries?
3. Tozawa vs. TJP was a good main event. Clearly they are setting up Tozawa to be the next challenger to the crown of Neville.
Hit my music. See you Sunday for Money in the Bank!!!