WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:03.759 The bad old days are back. Sure feels that way, 2 00:00:03.799 --> 00:00:07.679 doesn't it. With each passing week watching this show, I 3 00:00:07.719 --> 00:00:13.519 am getting flashbacks to twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen. It has 4 00:00:13.560 --> 00:00:18.359 gotten very bad. SmackDown sucks. And if it wasn't for 5 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:21.719 Ilia dragon Off and these US title and sammy' z 6 00:00:21.719 --> 00:00:24.920 ay before him to give Sammy credit, But if it 7 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:28.039 wasn't for them and these US title open challenges that 8 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:31.079 we've been having, there would be absolutely no reason to 9 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:34.439 watch these shows. You know, I cover them here, but 10 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:37.240 I cannot tell you how many people I've heard from, 11 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:40.320 and this has been you know, over a period of 12 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:43.159 many months, but especially lately when it comes to the 13 00:00:43.159 --> 00:00:46.359 weekly shows, and SmackDown is usually cheap among them, more 14 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:50.840 so than Raw who say I don't even watch the show. 15 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:53.200 I just you know, tune into the review to find 16 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:56.479 out what happened, and if there was anything good that 17 00:00:56.560 --> 00:00:59.640 happened on the show, then I'll check out the clips. 18 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:04.079 But I cannot stomach sitting through the weekly shows anymore. 19 00:01:04.079 --> 00:01:10.079 It has gotten just that bad. SmackDown is an empty show. 20 00:01:11.560 --> 00:01:15.439 There is no life to this show. There is no soul, 21 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:20.040 There is nothing of any real redeeming value. They have 22 00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:22.319 the talent. I mean, the talent is there, but of 23 00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:25.400 course it's always how you utilize the talent that you have. 24 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:28.920 You can have the greatest roster in the world, and 25 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:31.079 it doesn't make a difference if you're not fitting the 26 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:34.640 pieces where they belong and actually putting together compelling stories 27 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:37.959 and compelling matches week to week. So the talent being 28 00:01:38.040 --> 00:01:40.920 there really doesn't mean anything. They don't give you any 29 00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:46.400 compelling reason to really care week to week to tune 30 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:49.000 into these shows, to want to tune in the following 31 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:51.239 week to find out what's going to happen next week 32 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:54.959 or see some big match that maybe they announce in advance. 33 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:03.480 SmackDown has become the worst type of television, boring television, 34 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:07.599 because when the television is really great, it's great, right. 35 00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:10.199 I Mean there's been times where we've gone through periods 36 00:02:10.199 --> 00:02:13.919 where and I go back to the pre WrestleMania television 37 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:17.479 heading into last year's WRESTLEMANI in Philadelphia, When the television 38 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:21.800 is exciting or interesting or really good, things are great. Right. 39 00:02:22.840 --> 00:02:26.120 No nobody's ever gonna like everything one hundred percent of 40 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:28.199 the time, but you know when the show is good, 41 00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:30.639 and you know when the show is bad. And I 42 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:34.680 think there's this, I don't know, misguided belief that when 43 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:38.199 the shows are good, you know, people like to complain 44 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:40.879 and rant and rave, and so they don't like the 45 00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:43.400 good show. Like that's complete bullshit. Anybody who tries to 46 00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:45.280 tell you that as a fucking idiot, Okay, they don't 47 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:47.800 know what they're talking about. When the shows are good, 48 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:52.639 they're great. When the shows are really really bad, but 49 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:55.960 like bad in a way where it's so bad it's 50 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:59.759 good or it's like hilariously bad. For someone like me 51 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:03.159 who comes on here and talks about this stuff, it 52 00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:07.199 could be very entertaining when you're talking about bad television 53 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:09.919 that's so bad it's good. That's not what this is. 54 00:03:10.439 --> 00:03:12.560 This is in the middle. This is in like this 55 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:15.560 this purgatory. I just got done watching a show on Netflix, 56 00:03:15.639 --> 00:03:20.120 the season three Alice in Borderland. This is like borderland 57 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:23.360 is what this is. This is like the in between between, 58 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:26.439 like life and death, and you're kind of stuck in 59 00:03:26.479 --> 00:03:32.639 the middle where it's really not good and it's bad 60 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:35.080 but in a way that's just boring and doesn't really 61 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:39.039 make you feel anything. That is the worst kind of 62 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:44.919 television that you could produce. It's just like, Okay, we 63 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:47.280 have a show to do this week. We have our 64 00:03:47.319 --> 00:03:50.039 format that we're gonna stick to. We're gonna do the 65 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:53.360 bare minimum that we need to do, and we're gonna 66 00:03:53.400 --> 00:03:57.240 slow burn this and we're gonna slow cook that. And 67 00:03:57.319 --> 00:03:59.520 that'd be one thing if you actually had stories that 68 00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:01.680 were kind of interesting. But when you don't and you 69 00:04:01.800 --> 00:04:04.280 slow burn and slow cook it, that's even worse. But 70 00:04:04.319 --> 00:04:08.960 that's what SmackDown has become every single week. The supposed 71 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:12.400 creative help that we read about weeks ago that was 72 00:04:12.439 --> 00:04:15.840 going to be given to road Dog because road Dog 73 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:18.759 is like the uh, the head writer or whatever his 74 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:21.560 fucking position is one of the lead writer's lead creative 75 00:04:21.639 --> 00:04:25.439 voices on SmackDown. I mean, we all know where it 76 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:28.879 starts at the top. Not to excuse him from any 77 00:04:28.920 --> 00:04:32.000 of this, but there were reports that, you know, they 78 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:34.480 were going to be providing road Dog with help because 79 00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:37.360 they recognize that the shows can be more enjoyable than 80 00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:41.240 that they have issues on SmackDown. Yeah, no shit. The 81 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:45.000 cracks have been showing for many months and there were 82 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:48.199 some little minor changes they made that gave me hope, like, oh, okay, 83 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:50.639 they recognized the issues with this show, and maybe we 84 00:04:50.680 --> 00:04:54.279 will incrementally begin to see some real changes on this 85 00:04:54.360 --> 00:04:56.439 show that will make the show more exciting to watch. 86 00:04:57.800 --> 00:05:00.519 And that was just a few weeks ago. But I 87 00:05:00.519 --> 00:05:03.240 can tell you from watching this show so far, it 88 00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:07.360 hasn't made a difference. It hasn't made a difference. It 89 00:05:07.399 --> 00:05:09.759 is very clear to me right now that if any 90 00:05:09.879 --> 00:05:12.480 change is to be made, that change will have to 91 00:05:12.519 --> 00:05:17.319 come from the top. Make of that what you will, 92 00:05:18.439 --> 00:05:22.360 but until that changes, the show itself will continue to 93 00:05:22.439 --> 00:05:25.279 exist in its current form. It doesn't matter. Oh, we're 94 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:27.199 going to add this person in that person and try 95 00:05:27.240 --> 00:05:30.560 to help out the people who are already writing the show. 96 00:05:30.920 --> 00:05:35.680 It doesn't matter. It's an issue with the vision. No 97 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:39.639 pun intended to our friends on Monday Night. It's the 98 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:43.800 overall vision of this show. It's just not good. It's 99 00:05:43.879 --> 00:05:46.720 not working. And I'm not even gonna be one of 100 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:49.800 these people who throws out there, Oh, no, MILLI last week, right, 101 00:05:49.800 --> 00:05:54.319 they dropped under a million viewers for SmackDown last week. Yes, 102 00:05:54.360 --> 00:05:57.199 it was Halloween, you had a World series game. Whatever, 103 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:01.360 take that number throw to I don't even give a shit. Right, 104 00:06:01.399 --> 00:06:06.160 people will point to that, but again, it comes down 105 00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:11.079 to creative for a company that constantly batters the idea 106 00:06:11.160 --> 00:06:14.600 into your brain that they tell stories. And Triple H 107 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:16.519 was just at a conference this past week and was 108 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:20.079 talking about we don't book matches for the sake of 109 00:06:20.120 --> 00:06:22.920 finding out what are the best matches to book. We 110 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:26.480 don't do that here. We come up with matches that 111 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:30.759 are going to tell the best stories. Well, what he's 112 00:06:30.800 --> 00:06:35.360 doing right now is he's failing miserably. Now. They don't 113 00:06:35.399 --> 00:06:38.399 see it that way because to them, everything they touch 114 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:41.160 turns to gold. Look at all the money been making. 115 00:06:42.279 --> 00:06:44.079 But I don't know how you can sit here honestly 116 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:47.199 week to week and tell me with a straight face 117 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:49.800 that they are putting their best foot forward with the 118 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:54.600 talent that they have at their disposal. It's just an 119 00:06:54.600 --> 00:06:57.839 out and out lie. You say that to my face. 120 00:06:57.879 --> 00:06:59.519 I call you a liar to you right back to 121 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:05.000 your face. I don't understand how people can put shows 122 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:07.879 like these together and say, you know what, this is 123 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:10.360 our best effort. I'm proud of what I put down here. 124 00:07:11.240 --> 00:07:14.879 I would be ashamed. I wouldn't want my name on this. 125 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:21.439 We have Drew McIntyre, who lost to Cody Rhodes again 126 00:07:22.360 --> 00:07:26.240 at Saturday Night's main event. Right second time, we had 127 00:07:26.279 --> 00:07:28.079 Drew McIntyre come out at the very end of the 128 00:07:28.079 --> 00:07:32.160 show tonight and he interfered in the main event. The 129 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:35.279 main event was a match between Cody Rhodes and Alistair Black, 130 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:38.639 which was good in that at least that was a 131 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:41.600 fresh match that we had in the main event. Of course, 132 00:07:41.639 --> 00:07:44.240 it went to a non finish. Drew McIntyre runs in, 133 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:49.360 Drew McIntyre reeks havocy, attacks a referee, causes a no contest. 134 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:52.680 Nick All just comes out at the very end and says, 135 00:07:52.680 --> 00:07:56.079 I've had enough. I give you an inch, you take 136 00:07:56.120 --> 00:08:03.600 a mile. Therefore, Drew McIntyre, you are suspended. And I said, boy, 137 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:06.480 that sounds awfully familiar. And then I remember that it 138 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:10.240 was last year, a little over a year ago, that 139 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:15.199 Drew McIntyre was suspended by Adam Pierce. So now he 140 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:18.439 has a matching suspension to go with the one from 141 00:08:18.600 --> 00:08:22.560 Raw last year. He's got one now on SmackDown from 142 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:27.040 the other general manager. And what that means for his future, 143 00:08:27.360 --> 00:08:32.320 his immediate future anyway, is in doubt. I know he's 144 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:34.360 got a movie he's going to be filming soon, although 145 00:08:34.360 --> 00:08:35.879 I think that might have been pushed back to the 146 00:08:35.879 --> 00:08:39.960 beginning of next year at Highlander movie. I don't expect 147 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:43.759 this suspension to last very long. It still feels to 148 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:46.240 me like they're going to go to a third match 149 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:50.080 I guess technically a fourth match between McIntyre and Cody 150 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:53.320 at Survivor Series. I still think that this ends up 151 00:08:53.320 --> 00:08:55.840 extending out to Survivor Series and maybe at that point 152 00:08:55.960 --> 00:09:00.679 Drew McIntyre will actually win the WWEE Championship. But at 153 00:09:00.679 --> 00:09:08.360 this point, who cares? Seriously, who cares? We've seen the 154 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:12.120 match twice, We've seen what they've done here with these matches. 155 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:16.080 They are telling the story the McIntyre is constantly getting screwed. 156 00:09:16.120 --> 00:09:17.559 He said it at the end of the show tonight. 157 00:09:17.639 --> 00:09:20.360 My back's against the wall, My backs against the wall. 158 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:24.080 So let's say he goes in there at Survivor Series 159 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:29.600 and wins the championship. Fine, doesn't change the fact that 160 00:09:29.639 --> 00:09:31.919 they still have much bigger issues here to deal with 161 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:34.879 on this show. But at this point, I mean, can 162 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:37.320 you honestly sit here and say that if that was 163 00:09:37.399 --> 00:09:39.559 something you were hoping to see that if it does 164 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:42.960 finally happen in San Diego in a few weeks, not 165 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:45.200 that you wouldn't be happy for Drew that he finally 166 00:09:45.240 --> 00:09:47.960 has the belt after all this time, but like the 167 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:53.440 excitement for it. Yeah, it's like a flame that's been extinguished. 168 00:09:54.600 --> 00:09:56.600 You know. Sometimes you wait a little too long and 169 00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:59.120 it just doesn't hit the same way. That is, of course, 170 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:01.039 if he even gets a show. God it's Survivor series. 171 00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:03.519 We don't know exactly when that's going to happen, but 172 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:07.600 obviously that story is continuing. We have a new women's champion, 173 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:10.320 Jade car Gill. She won the belt, which was the 174 00:10:10.360 --> 00:10:13.399 right call Saturday Night's main event last weekend. She came 175 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:15.679 out tonight cut the shortest promo in the history of 176 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:20.960 mankind cool, didn't have a whole lot to say. What 177 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:24.240 else is there to say? Right, She's the baddest bitch 178 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:29.159 and they tease the future match with her and Charlotte Flair, 179 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:31.000 which is something they've done before. Of course, they have 180 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:34.360 to go to Jade and Charlotte at some point, and 181 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:38.879 Jade and Alexa, because who else do they have on SmackDown. 182 00:10:39.399 --> 00:10:41.919 For all the bad things I could say about SmackDown 183 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:45.080 right now, of which there are many, the biggest mark 184 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:48.480 against this creative team, right now is their inability to 185 00:10:48.600 --> 00:10:52.159 do anything with their women's division on Friday nights. It 186 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:57.919 is their lack of effort to actually take what should 187 00:10:57.960 --> 00:11:01.679 be a strong, healthy, like what they have on Monday 188 00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:03.879 Night or what they have an NXT at the moment, 189 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:08.879 and they refuse to do so. They refuse. Now. Tonight 190 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:12.000 was the first sign that maybe we're actually going to 191 00:11:12.039 --> 00:11:15.080 get some new life injected into this division because we 192 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:18.279 saw lash Legend made her debut on SmackDown tonight, which 193 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:20.200 is good. Whether you think it should have been her 194 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:24.080 or soul Ruka or Jordan Grace or Zari or whoever, 195 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:27.399 doesn't matter. That's at least a step in the right direction. 196 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:31.559 But the way they have neglected this division for so long. Again, 197 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:34.759 I said this before last weekend, whether Tiffany retained, whether 198 00:11:34.840 --> 00:11:38.120 Jade won the championship, they have a major, major, major 199 00:11:38.240 --> 00:11:42.960 issue with this division where Jay doesn't have any credible 200 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:46.080 challengers unless you take people in the tag division like 201 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:49.320 Charlotte and like Alexa and have them work with Jade 202 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:52.279 until Bianca is ready to come back, And that sounds 203 00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:54.759 like that's being pushed off now until early next year. 204 00:11:55.919 --> 00:11:57.960 So what do they do in the meantime, of course 205 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:01.720 they have to go to a Jaid Cargill Charlotte Flair match. 206 00:12:02.440 --> 00:12:05.639 We'll probably get that by next month. In the meantime, 207 00:12:05.720 --> 00:12:10.279 Jade will be wrestling Beefab on TV next week. Set 208 00:12:10.279 --> 00:12:13.200 your stopwatch. I don't expect that to go very long. 209 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:18.200 But speaking of stopwatches, we had another women's championship match 210 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:23.240 on this show tonight. As you know, Julia is the 211 00:12:23.320 --> 00:12:26.840 Women's United States Champion. She has had a horrendous run. 212 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:30.440 She has been the champion since June. This to me 213 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:33.679 is the biggest indictment of this creative team because I 214 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:37.279 think back to win Julia and then Stephanie Vicaire almost 215 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:41.639 at the same time showed up in NXT and there 216 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:43.759 was a lot of excitement around it, and they were 217 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:46.360 having some great matches even against each other, even as 218 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:53.039 recently as earlier this year. Remember Roadblock right, Madison Square Garden, 219 00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:55.320 the theater at Madison Square Garden, right, I think that 220 00:12:55.399 --> 00:12:58.759 was the night that if I remember Oba defended against 221 00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:00.799 Moose and I think that was then they had Julia 222 00:13:00.840 --> 00:13:05.480 against Stephanie, and I think back to that and I say, 223 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:10.279 how is it possible that that Julia is the same 224 00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:13.080 Julia that we have seen here on the main roster 225 00:13:14.120 --> 00:13:17.600 in the months since then. How is it possible that 226 00:13:17.639 --> 00:13:25.159 these are the same person? How? I mean? Is it 227 00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:27.600 really just a case of the booking being so much 228 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:31.440 better in NXT with the women as compared to the 229 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:34.879 booking under Paul Avec on the main roster at least 230 00:13:34.919 --> 00:13:38.399 on this show. Is Shawn Michael some kind of genius 231 00:13:38.480 --> 00:13:44.000 or wizard as compared to Triple H. Has he unlocked 232 00:13:44.039 --> 00:13:46.480 some special codes? Could crack some kind of code that 233 00:13:46.519 --> 00:13:48.440 Triple H has been unable to do. I mean, I 234 00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:51.799 don't understand it. This run that Julia was on as 235 00:13:51.799 --> 00:13:55.440 the United States Champion was absolute garbage, and in her 236 00:13:55.480 --> 00:14:00.320 third title defense tonight, she lost the championship to the 237 00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:06.639 former champion, Chelsea Agree. I love Chelsea. I don't have 238 00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:10.960 any issue with Chelsea. But I'm watching this show tonight 239 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:14.240 and I see Julia the jobber in the ring losing 240 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:17.679 the title in ninety seconds, and I say, how could 241 00:14:17.720 --> 00:14:22.200 this be? How is that possible? How do you fumble 242 00:14:23.240 --> 00:14:31.399 in that way? Because that's exactly what they've done. No 243 00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:36.559 good answer. Thank god, we have Dragonov in the US 244 00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:39.440 Title Open Challenge. That's all I'm going to say the 245 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:44.799 only redeeming part of this show each in every single week. 246 00:14:45.240 --> 00:14:47.360 Where there may be glimmers of hope here and there, 247 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:49.720 Oh hey, that was a good segment, they are few 248 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:53.200 and far between these days. And considering that this is 249 00:14:53.240 --> 00:14:55.759 the biggest wrestling company in the world and we have 250 00:14:55.879 --> 00:14:59.200 this gigantic roster of people and people in the developmental 251 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:02.519 that are waiting to be there is no excuse for 252 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:06.080 these shows to be as lackluster as they are. People 253 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:08.600 are giving you two hours of their time on Friday Night. 254 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:14.360 This is what you give them. This is the best 255 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:22.519 you can do. And we're getting the mis against jay 256 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:25.480 Usso next week in the John Scene of Retirement tournament. 257 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:34.519 That says it all. The Miz against jay Usso next week. Great. 258 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:39.240 This is your Friday Night SmackDown review. It is Friday Night, 259 00:15:40.159 --> 00:15:45.200 hence Friday Night SmackDown. It is November seventh, twenty twenty five. 260 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:53.039 I am a very frustrated, defeated Solemn Monster. Remember last 261 00:15:53.080 --> 00:15:57.879 Friday Halloween, the Macho Monster was here. We had more 262 00:15:57.919 --> 00:15:59.519 time on that stream than we did with the show 263 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:03.679 last week. Macho Monster, he's back in the box. We 264 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:05.759 ain't going to see him again for another year. I 265 00:16:05.799 --> 00:16:08.919 wish he was here right now. That'd be more entertaining 266 00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:12.440 than this show. Start from the top of this show. 267 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:16.879 They opened with the WWE champion, Cody Roads, fresh off 268 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:24.960 yet another win over Drew McIntyre, coming to the ring Greenville, 269 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:29.159 South Carolina. What do you want to talk about? How 270 00:16:29.159 --> 00:16:31.240 about how bad this show is? Can we talk about that? 271 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:35.679 He said that we could talk about what happened on 272 00:16:35.720 --> 00:16:39.279 Saturday Night's main event last weekend, saying Drew McIntyre was 273 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:42.320 the one who introduced the WWE Championship into the ring 274 00:16:42.360 --> 00:16:45.679 as a weapon. He said that his reluctance to pull 275 00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:48.759 the trigger has cost him dearly from time to time, 276 00:16:49.240 --> 00:16:53.080 something that McIntyre obviously had no issue with. That being said, 277 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:56.639 he called Drew the most self sabotaging athlete in this business, 278 00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:00.279 which meant the Scotsman was now behind him. He's in 279 00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:03.799 the rear view, which of course means the exact opposite. 280 00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:06.839 And wrestling speak, Cody said that he wanted to do 281 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:09.680 something a little bit different tonight. What he wanted to 282 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:11.519 do was he wanted to go sit in the crowd 283 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:14.720 amongst the fans, like John Cena, WRESTLEMANI at thirty four. 284 00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:17.079 He was going to go sit in the crowd and 285 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:19.079 get a feel for who they might want to see 286 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:23.039 him go up against next for the WWE Championship. And 287 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:27.039 at that point the lights went out and Alistair Black's 288 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:30.559 music interrupted. He walked out with Zelena Vega said that 289 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:32.759 he's been ready for something new ever since he set 290 00:17:32.839 --> 00:17:36.599 Damian Priest on fire. He got in the ring. He 291 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:38.440 said that he had a chip on his shoulder that's 292 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:42.599 about the size of the WWE Championship. Cody started to 293 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:45.279 remove his tie. He turned around. He was loosening his tie. 294 00:17:45.319 --> 00:17:48.240 When he turned back around, Zelena was standing right in 295 00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:53.559 front of him, between him and Black, and she told 296 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:56.519 Cody that his nightmare begins now. And then she hauled 297 00:17:56.519 --> 00:18:00.240 off and she smacked the shit out of him, him 298 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:03.920 a good slap across the face. Nick all This walked 299 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:05.640 out and said he could see where things were headed, 300 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:08.400 so he made it official for tonight's main event it 301 00:18:08.440 --> 00:18:11.640 would be Cody Rhades one on one against Alistair Black. 302 00:18:12.599 --> 00:18:14.240 And at that point, I said, you know what, I 303 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:17.880 like that at least because it is something fresh. There's 304 00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:20.400 a match that we haven't seen yet. In WW now 305 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:23.640 we've seen him multiple times in ADW. There is history 306 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:27.039 here between these two men. In fact, the biggest win 307 00:18:27.319 --> 00:18:33.359 of Alistair Black's AW run as Malachi Black was probably 308 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:36.039 when he first debuted in the company and he beat Cody, 309 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:38.599 one of the EVPs right one of the biggest stars 310 00:18:38.599 --> 00:18:40.599 in the entire AW roster. It was a hell of 311 00:18:40.599 --> 00:18:43.200 a way for his run there to begin, and the 312 00:18:43.240 --> 00:18:45.359 two of them ended up having three matches, two of 313 00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:49.960 which were won by Black. Unfortunately, the peak of his 314 00:18:50.119 --> 00:18:54.279 run was that early win over Cody. It was sort 315 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:57.920 of like grand opening, grand closing in many ways. Not 316 00:18:58.039 --> 00:19:01.599 that he didn't have some success Trios, champions and all that, 317 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:04.000 but he never quite got back to that peak that 318 00:19:04.039 --> 00:19:05.880 he was at at the very beginning of his run there. 319 00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:08.759 But it was also very clear based on what Cody 320 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:12.400 said that he was lying to us and the issues 321 00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:15.279 with him and Drew McIntyre were going to continue and extend, 322 00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:21.640 likely into Survivor Series. Now after this was the highlight 323 00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:24.880 of the night because Iliya Dragonov was on his way 324 00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:26.640 out to the ring for the next defense of the 325 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:31.200 United States Championship in the Open Challenge, not before a 326 00:19:31.400 --> 00:19:35.200 quick run in backstage with Tomatonga on his way to 327 00:19:35.240 --> 00:19:38.359 the ring, but Dragonov came out and he asked who 328 00:19:38.440 --> 00:19:43.400 the challenger was going to be, and it wasn't Tomatonga. 329 00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:46.960 Tomatonga keeps confronting this man and grunting at him and 330 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:51.119 staring at him. But evidently he's not all that interested 331 00:19:51.160 --> 00:19:54.000 in challenging yet for the championship because he didn't come out, 332 00:19:55.279 --> 00:19:58.960 and I'm okay with that. Did instead we got Tomaso Champa. 333 00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:03.519 He entered with Gargano and Candice Lay. Champa recalled wanting 334 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:07.559 a title shot last week and Dragonov calling him a jackass, 335 00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:11.359 so Champa called the fans jackasses and said the title 336 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:15.400 would be his. Dragonov said that he accepts the challenge 337 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:21.039 from that guy, and he pointed over to Johnny Gargano, 338 00:20:21.319 --> 00:20:23.599 and Champa said the Dragonov was ducking him and he 339 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:26.240 could only do that for so long, so we were 340 00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:31.920 gonna get Dragonov and Gargano for the US title. After 341 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:35.480 a break, Dragonov blasted Gargano with an uppercut, and the 342 00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:38.279 challenger he matched the effort with an uppercut of his own. 343 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:43.200 We got the Constantine special by Dragonov that connects and 344 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:45.640 with Gargano stunned in the corner, he was opened for 345 00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:48.680 a big boot. Gargano, though used the ropes to assist 346 00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:51.559 himself back to his feet. He stopped Dragonovs dive off 347 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:54.359 the top with a kick right to the gut that 348 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:57.119 was followed by a poison RNA for a near fall. 349 00:20:57.759 --> 00:21:00.920 Gargano lifted dragon off to the top. Champion, though lit 350 00:21:01.000 --> 00:21:04.599 him up with chops followed by a headbutt. Dragonov left 351 00:21:04.599 --> 00:21:06.680 off the top rope with a diving sent on that 352 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:09.880 was not enough though to put Gargano away, and with 353 00:21:09.960 --> 00:21:13.039 Gargano days, Dragonov went for the h bomb that got 354 00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:17.079 counter though with an upkick right to the face. Gargano 355 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:20.839 could not escape Dragonov standing urinagi, though there was another 356 00:21:20.839 --> 00:21:25.519 attempt at a Constantine's special that got foiled by Candice 357 00:21:25.559 --> 00:21:29.039 Lay outside. The ring referee was distracted, so this opened 358 00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:31.799 Dragonov up for a Tornado DDT out on the floor 359 00:21:31.799 --> 00:21:34.519 by Gargano and then back inside the one final beat 360 00:21:34.599 --> 00:21:40.720 DDT and Dragonov kicked out at two. Gargano tried for 361 00:21:40.759 --> 00:21:44.000 a dive from the apron that got stopped by a kick, 362 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:47.039 and the champion lifted him up in the middle. On 363 00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:50.000 the middle rope for a super plex and then one 364 00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:53.839 final h bomb to put things away, and in his 365 00:21:54.039 --> 00:21:59.039 third defense, unlike Julia and the other US title, Dragonov 366 00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:03.119 is successful. He retains the championship. You know, we don't 367 00:22:03.160 --> 00:22:07.839 often get to see the black and Gold Johnny Gargano 368 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:12.119 very often, the guy that went out there and headlined 369 00:22:12.200 --> 00:22:14.880 so many of those takeover shows and had just great 370 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:19.680 matches with people like Champa and Adam Cole and Andrade 371 00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:23.599 and countless others. Right there was that core group of guys, 372 00:22:24.440 --> 00:22:27.279 and Gargano and Shampa were really right there. They were 373 00:22:27.319 --> 00:22:30.200 the nucleus of that show for a few years. There. 374 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:34.000 We got to see a little bit of that Gargano 375 00:22:34.039 --> 00:22:37.240 here in this match. It was very good, not one 376 00:22:37.240 --> 00:22:40.400 of the better ones, if only because there was really 377 00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:43.720 no drama, you know, as to the outcome, and we 378 00:22:43.799 --> 00:22:46.200 know that Shampa's going to get his shot maybe next week. 379 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:50.200 We know Toma Tonga is waiting in the wings. But again, 380 00:22:50.200 --> 00:22:53.279 the Open Challenge continues to be the highlight of an 381 00:22:53.400 --> 00:22:57.799 otherwise dreadful show every single week. I hope they keep 382 00:22:57.839 --> 00:23:01.599 this gimmick going forever, or at least until they pull 383 00:23:01.640 --> 00:23:04.480 their heads out of their asses, because right now. This 384 00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:08.039 is all they got. Just keep it going now. Eventually 385 00:23:08.039 --> 00:23:09.920 they're going to run out of people. That's the problem. 386 00:23:10.119 --> 00:23:12.119 So this is going to end soon. We just don't 387 00:23:12.119 --> 00:23:14.279 know what, you know, exactly which week it's gonna be, 388 00:23:15.240 --> 00:23:16.880 but they're going to run out of people at some point. 389 00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:20.440 Unless the idea is to debut somebody new from NXT. 390 00:23:21.480 --> 00:23:24.039 I mean, I've mentioned you know, Oba Femi in the past. 391 00:23:25.240 --> 00:23:27.160 I don't know if they have any plans to involve 392 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:29.839 Oba and the John Cena stuff, but if not, I 393 00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:31.559 still think this would be a great place at the 394 00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:34.240 end of all this for him to debut and go 395 00:23:34.279 --> 00:23:36.839 in there and be the man to strike down the 396 00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:40.240 mad Dragon, you know, and win the championship. But hopefully 397 00:23:40.759 --> 00:23:45.519 not for a while now, nick All, this was backstage. 398 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:47.480 He was talking to a referee. We could see the 399 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:51.160 tumbler in the background that they are using to select 400 00:23:51.240 --> 00:23:55.599 names for this John Cena tournament. Sammy Zain walks in 401 00:23:56.319 --> 00:23:58.519