source: WWE
This week, we witnessed the brutal mutilation of Shane McMahon, more demolition of the Bludgeon Brothers, and a near face-off between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura.
source: WWE
AJ Styles vs. Rusev
Winner: AJ Styles
Styles comes out to the ring, reminiscing of his feat at Fastlane, where he retained his title in a Six Pack Challenge. He notes that Shinsuke Nakamura might be WWE’s most popular Japanese superstar ever, but when AJ steps in the ring, he’s phenomenal.
Nakamura interrupts, telling the champion that he respects him, but at WrestleMania, he will become champion. Rusev’s music hits, and after commercial, a match between Rusev and Styles begins.
The men go back and forth at the start of the match, and Rusev shoves AJ to the ground. He drops Styles with a couple punches, but AJ fights back. Rusev hits AJ with a spine buster and launches him in the air before dropping him.
Styles picks up Rusev, but Rusev slips out and floors him with a kick to the side of the head. He goes for the Matchka kick, but AJ dodges and counters with a Pele kick. Styles attempts a Calf Crusher, but Aiden English intervenes, attacking Rusev’s opponent.
Nakamura comes to AJ’s aid, attacking English and Rusev with Kinshasas. He looks down at AJ, who’s sitting in the corner, and then he leaves the ring.
Backstage, AJ tells Nakamura that his help wasn’t needed after the match. Shinsuke assures him that he will help him get to WrestleMania just so he can kick him in the face and take his title.
I feel like WWE is building AJ vs. Shinsuke as the dream match it deserves to be. They aren’t quite enemies yet, but they aren’t friends, and this feud is strictly about being the best. Also, WWE included Rusev and Aiden English, which is good, but makes me nervous as they don’t have a path to Mania yet.
Number of signs pointed at in this segment: 3
source: WWE
Big E and Jimmy Uso vs. Bludgeon Brothers
Winners: Bludgeon Brothers
Even though E and Use come out individually, they work together to attack Harper and Rowan before they can make it into the ring. They go to get steel chairs, and the Bludgeon Brothers get their mallets.
Big E and Jimmy Uso avoid being hit with the mallets by using their chairs. The match officially starts, and it’s not long until Harper and Rowan are double teaming Big E in their corner. The team fights back, though, and Jimmy gets an advantage on Harper before being knocked down with a big boot to the face.
Rowan sends E into the steel stairs before he’s tagged in, and they double power bomb Uso before getting the pin. Its not over, though. The Bludgeon Brothers attack Big E once more before picking up their mallets and exiting the ring.
Based on last week’s domination and this week’s easy win over two good competitors, Harper and Rowan are looking really strong. The tag title picture is still unclear for WrestleMania, but it’s clear that the Bludgeon Brothers will be involved. Perhaps a three-way tag match?
Number of signs pointed at in this segment: 0. The Bludgeon Brothers are too ominous to point at a sign.
source: WWE
Charlotte comes face to face with Asuka
Charlotte comes to the ring, saying it’s an honor to face Asuka before Asuka interrupts. The Queen tells her that iron sharpens iron, and she wanted Asuka to pick her to face at WrestleMania.
Charlotte tells Asuka that she’s never faced anyone like her before, but Asuka has never faced anyone like Charlotte before either. Asuka replies, saying that she likes a challenge. She’s the queen, but Aska is the empress, and she bows to no one.
This match needs little hype, because these are probably the best two women in the WWE. However, Asuka needs to work on not smiling while she’s trying to be menacing. It kind of kills the vibe.
Number of signs pointed at in this segment: 0, surprisingly.
source: WWE
Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal
Winner: Jinder Mahal
Randy Orton comes out to the ring and tells fans that he made it onto the list he cares about: the list of Grand Slam Champions. He’s interrupted by Bobby Roode, who tells him that he wants his rematch at WrestleMania, and it will be absolutely glorious.
Jinder Mahal enters like the lingering pest he has been in the rivalry. He reminds everyone that he beat Randy last week, and he was going to beat Roode this week. Their match begins, and Jinder tries (and fails) to off Roode right away.
Roode goes to the top rope, dropping Mahal with a clothesline. He goes for the Glorious DDT, but Jinder drives him into the corner to avoid the finisher. Roode exits the ring, only to reenter and be hit by a boot to the face.
Bobby gives Mahal a spine buster, but can’t get the three count. Sunil Singh distracts him on the apron, and after Roode shoves him off, he climbs to the top rope. Jinder shakes the top rope, knocking him off, following up with a Khallas to get the victory.
Randy Orton stops Jinder’s celebration with an RKO, reminding him who’s the champion.
It looks like these three will face off at WrestleMania. There’s not much else to say about this rivalry.
Number of signs pointed at in this segment: 1
source: WWE
Naomi vs. Carmella
Winner: Carmella
Carmella starts the match with an advantage, standing on Naomi’s hair and pulling it around the rope. She doesn’t stop screaming about how she’s money and how she’s the best, but as soon as Naomi pulls her hair, she starts screaming and whining at her.
Every time Naomi takes control of the match, she whines and cries, telling her to stop. Mella dodges three kicks to the head, but Naomi catches her in a kick to the face. When Naomi goes to hop off the second rope, Carmella capitalizes by pulling her down and yanking her to the floor. Carmella gets a rollup pinball.
Carmella is fantastic—it’s clear that she capitalizes on the mere concept of the Women’s Evolution. However, instead of using it as a platform to promote wrestling ability, she elevates her character in the opposite way. She’s one of the biggest personalities in the Women’s division, and her character is based on the idea that she’s definitely not as good of a wrestler as the other women. Carmella is a weasel who can only get victories in cheap ways, and it makes her so hated that everyone loves her.
Number of signs pointed at in this segment: 0. Neither of these women really have a reason to point, though.
source: WWE
Shane McMahon makes an announcement
Earlier in the night, both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn give angry interviews, blaming one another for losing out in their opportunities for the WWE Championship. Shane McMahon comes out to the ring, noting that he has had several obvious issues with Owens and Zayn.
Shane admits that some of his behavior is unbecoming, and after talking to Daniel Bryan, he says that he has put himself on indefinite leave as Smackdown’s commissioner. But first, he has decided to make a match: Kevin Owens against Sami Zayn at WrestleMania.
Before he leaves, KO interrupts him, saying he finally agrees with a decision of McMahon’s. He says that he can beat up Sami Zayn whenever he wants. Zayn interrupts Owens, coming out to the ring and confronting Shane. Sami thanks God that he’s leaving.
McMahon is confused, telling them that they should be thankful that they get a match at the grandest stage of them all. Owens says that he is thankful, and that Shane should be thankful too, before Kevin and Sami attack Shane.
Sami gives him a Helluva Kick, and Kevin delivers a pop-up powerbomb. When referees intervene, they get attacked by Owens and Zayn too. KO and Sami wedge Shane’s neck in a chair, and then they send him into the post.
Owens and Zayn drag Shane to the back, where they pick him up and KO gives him another pop-up power bomb onto some backstage equipment. SmackDown ends with Shane hyperventilating as officials try to put a neck brace on him.
This segment was fantastic, of course. This could be the last time we see Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens working together, as the only connection they have anymore is their hatred for Shane McMahon. McMahon seemed in a lot of real pain, and his breathing sounded pretty bad by the end of the show. I wouldn’t put it past Sami and Kevin to inflict pain on Shane, especially after that brutal chair shot.
It is possible that Shane enters their match instead of having his own with Daniel Bryan. Sami and Kevin’s rivalry started because of Shane’s involvement, and he both brought them together and tore them apart.
Number of signs pointed at in this segment: 2
Total number of signs pointed at this week: 6
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