Written by: Kevin Berge (All Images Courtesy of: WWE.com)
WWE has thrown around the word historic too much over the past few years to represent the women's evolution, a definitive move toward inclusion of the women's division in WWE programming.
However, it felt appropriate describing this week's Evolution, a night where the women of WWE made up the entire card for the first time in the company's history. Even with lackluster build up, it felt like a special event.
I'll get into the specifics in a moment, but I just need to say one thing immediately to start: this should be a yearly tradition. In fact, feel free to do it multiple times a year. I'll gladly watch every one over another Saudi Arabia propaganda event.
However, it felt appropriate describing this week's Evolution, a night where the women of WWE made up the entire card for the first time in the company's history. Even with lackluster build up, it felt like a special event.
I'll get into the specifics in a moment, but I just need to say one thing immediately to start: this should be a yearly tradition. In fact, feel free to do it multiple times a year. I'll gladly watch every one over another Saudi Arabia propaganda event.
All the respect for THE champion of the WWE.
WWE Evolution 2018
The Best Character in WWE Right Now is Becky Lynch, and It's Not a Close Race
Overview: Becky Lynch fought Charlotte Flair in the final match of their rivalry, a Last Woman Standing match. In a brutal near-30 minute clash, the two battered each other with weapons before The Irish Lass Kicker caught The Queen on the top rope and powerbombed her through a table at ringside to get the 10 count.
Analysis: This match was great, and I'll talk about it more in-depth later. Right now, I think it is important just to focus on what matters most in WWE: Becky Lynch. Her transformation has been remarkable not because she didn't clearly have talent before but because she somehow raised an already high bar.
Now title The Man in WWE, the champ is putting on performances on the mic and in the ring that don't just match the men's work but exceed it. She was the star attraction on a brilliant night, and she should remain in that focus for years to come.
Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella Did Not Deserve to Be Main Event But Was Far Better Than It Had Any Right to Be
Overview: Ronda Rousey fought Nikki Bella in the main event with Brie Bella getting heavily involved at ringside to keep this even. Despite all the cheating though, The Baddest Woman on the Planet caught Nikki on the top rope and threw her to the mat into an armbar for the submission victory.
Analysis: This match felt dead in the water near the end of an incredible night of action. Everyone was delivering, and it felt like these two just could not hope to match. While they didn't match the best of the night, they certainly performed well enough to deserve recognition.
This was Rousey's second match with Alexa Bliss with more cohesion and a stronger plan for the entire match. It was on the level of the best singles match of the Raw Women's Champion's career against Nia Jax. Hopefully the feud is over, but I give the women credit for putting in one of their best efforts to date.
Toni Storm is the Future of the Women's Division, Eventually
Overview: Io Shirai fought Toni Storm in the finale of the Mae Young Classic, and both went all out in a physical and highly dangerous contest with each subsequent spot getting more impressive. In the end, Storm managed to get her knees up on the moonsault and hit a second Storm Zero for the victory.
Analysis: Whether she won the MYC or not, most everyone knew that Storm was going to become a star in WWE soon enough. Right now, she leads the NXT UK brand, but she may not stay there for two long. She and Rhea Ripley will be great lead stars for the short term.
The problem is that WWE cannot afford to keep such an obvious star who's so young hidden on a brand that's months behind in tapings. She defeated Shirai in a great match following up an even greater match against Meiko Satomura. The main division needs her even more than the main roster needs Pete Dunne.
Conclusion
I expected nothing going in. I hoped Evolution could deliver. I wanted it so badly because the women needed that moment, a chance to prove they deserve these opportunities more. The booking going in just had me skeptical that the division had a chance.
Great booking, impressive production, and a ton of genuine talent allowed this show to exceed even my wildest hopes. There was not a single bad match on the card. The middle part of the show was loaded with excellent clashes that could be among the best of the year. The semi-main between Becky and Charlotte was a showstopper.
This was the most fun I have had watching the main roster in a while. It was like an NXT TakeOver in construction and execution with everything getting time, and everything from the Trish Stratus and Lita tag match to the battle royal overdelivered.
Overview: Becky Lynch fought Charlotte Flair in the final match of their rivalry, a Last Woman Standing match. In a brutal near-30 minute clash, the two battered each other with weapons before The Irish Lass Kicker caught The Queen on the top rope and powerbombed her through a table at ringside to get the 10 count.
Analysis: This match was great, and I'll talk about it more in-depth later. Right now, I think it is important just to focus on what matters most in WWE: Becky Lynch. Her transformation has been remarkable not because she didn't clearly have talent before but because she somehow raised an already high bar.
Now title The Man in WWE, the champ is putting on performances on the mic and in the ring that don't just match the men's work but exceed it. She was the star attraction on a brilliant night, and she should remain in that focus for years to come.
Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella Did Not Deserve to Be Main Event But Was Far Better Than It Had Any Right to Be
Overview: Ronda Rousey fought Nikki Bella in the main event with Brie Bella getting heavily involved at ringside to keep this even. Despite all the cheating though, The Baddest Woman on the Planet caught Nikki on the top rope and threw her to the mat into an armbar for the submission victory.
Analysis: This match felt dead in the water near the end of an incredible night of action. Everyone was delivering, and it felt like these two just could not hope to match. While they didn't match the best of the night, they certainly performed well enough to deserve recognition.
This was Rousey's second match with Alexa Bliss with more cohesion and a stronger plan for the entire match. It was on the level of the best singles match of the Raw Women's Champion's career against Nia Jax. Hopefully the feud is over, but I give the women credit for putting in one of their best efforts to date.
Toni Storm is the Future of the Women's Division, Eventually
Overview: Io Shirai fought Toni Storm in the finale of the Mae Young Classic, and both went all out in a physical and highly dangerous contest with each subsequent spot getting more impressive. In the end, Storm managed to get her knees up on the moonsault and hit a second Storm Zero for the victory.
Analysis: Whether she won the MYC or not, most everyone knew that Storm was going to become a star in WWE soon enough. Right now, she leads the NXT UK brand, but she may not stay there for two long. She and Rhea Ripley will be great lead stars for the short term.
The problem is that WWE cannot afford to keep such an obvious star who's so young hidden on a brand that's months behind in tapings. She defeated Shirai in a great match following up an even greater match against Meiko Satomura. The main division needs her even more than the main roster needs Pete Dunne.
Conclusion
I expected nothing going in. I hoped Evolution could deliver. I wanted it so badly because the women needed that moment, a chance to prove they deserve these opportunities more. The booking going in just had me skeptical that the division had a chance.
Great booking, impressive production, and a ton of genuine talent allowed this show to exceed even my wildest hopes. There was not a single bad match on the card. The middle part of the show was loaded with excellent clashes that could be among the best of the year. The semi-main between Becky and Charlotte was a showstopper.
This was the most fun I have had watching the main roster in a while. It was like an NXT TakeOver in construction and execution with everything getting time, and everything from the Trish Stratus and Lita tag match to the battle royal overdelivered.
Grade: A+
Ambrose as a heel is just Ambrose as a face but less talking? I'm not opposed to that.
Monday Night Raw October 29, 2018
Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose is the Only Reason to Watch Raw Right Now
Overview: Seth Rollins came out demanding answers from Dean Ambrose, and The Lunatic Fringe appeared in the crowd. However, while The Architect pressed him to say anything, no words came from the fallen brother. Rollins promised to make Ambrose's life a living hell before his brother walked away.
Analysis: No offense to the rest of the Raw brand, but the storytelling all around is lackluster. There's no reason to get excited about anything. Luckily, there's two guys telling an engaging and nuanced story right now that makes some of the red brand worth watching.
Rollins' impassioned promo to Ambrose had so many layers. He mentioned all of his past transgressions even blaming himself for The Lunatic turning. However, he slowly turned frustrated as The Lunatic would not give him anything, not a single word of explanations. As a first act, it was brilliant.
Conclusion
I don't even have two points of discussion for this show. The whole night was pretty bland, and it felt like all the build to Crown Jewel was haphazard at best. I have gotten to the point where I don't even want to deal with that show anymore, so luckily WWE doesn't seem to care much either.
It's not like the show had any bad moments. It was just a dull three hours of TV. I was tuning out before the first hour was up, and nothing was delivered later to make me feel good about sticking around. We couldn't even get a quality followup to Evolution.
Overview: Seth Rollins came out demanding answers from Dean Ambrose, and The Lunatic Fringe appeared in the crowd. However, while The Architect pressed him to say anything, no words came from the fallen brother. Rollins promised to make Ambrose's life a living hell before his brother walked away.
Analysis: No offense to the rest of the Raw brand, but the storytelling all around is lackluster. There's no reason to get excited about anything. Luckily, there's two guys telling an engaging and nuanced story right now that makes some of the red brand worth watching.
Rollins' impassioned promo to Ambrose had so many layers. He mentioned all of his past transgressions even blaming himself for The Lunatic turning. However, he slowly turned frustrated as The Lunatic would not give him anything, not a single word of explanations. As a first act, it was brilliant.
Conclusion
I don't even have two points of discussion for this show. The whole night was pretty bland, and it felt like all the build to Crown Jewel was haphazard at best. I have gotten to the point where I don't even want to deal with that show anymore, so luckily WWE doesn't seem to care much either.
It's not like the show had any bad moments. It was just a dull three hours of TV. I was tuning out before the first hour was up, and nothing was delivered later to make me feel good about sticking around. We couldn't even get a quality followup to Evolution.
Grade: D-
SmackDown Live October 30, 2018
Daniel Bryan Absence Makes Crown Jewel Even Less Relevant
Overview: Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles got into an argument to start the show with two deciding to have their title match early, and Shane McMahon agreed. The Phenomenal One wore down the knee of The Beard before making him tap out to the Calf Crusher.
Samoa Joe assaulted Styles after the bell with the champ demanding one more match with his long-time rival at Crown Jewel from Paige.
Analysis: Crown Jewel's card is a bit awkward. There are some interesting matches, but most relied on older talent to deliver. The one big standout contest was supposed to Styles vs. Bryan, and it was a standout match. It just happened on SmackDown instead because Bryan has refused to go to Saudi Arabia.
I applaud him for that, but it does make the show even worse than it already was. There's nothing really to get hyped about. It's a bland show and bland card with Styles vs. Joe IV generically added on when the third was supposed to be a definitive end.
The World Cup Will Likely Amount to Less Than The Greatest Royal Rumble
Overview: Randy Orton and The Miz teamed up to fight Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy in the main event after Shane announced someone would be fired if the blue brand lost the World Cup to Raw. The faces won by pinning Miz with a 619 and Swanton Bomb combo before The Viper RKOed everybody.
Analysis: This whole tournament to crown the best in the world has been hyped as a far bigger deal than it will likely be. SmackDown should win because nobody's getting fired at this time in the year or moving brands, which means Orton or Mysterio is likely going to walk out as the "best in the world".
I just hope that once this is all over, the WWE Championship and Women's Championship can go back to being the center of the brand's attention.
Conclusion
It feels like cheating when you open with Bryan and Styles wrestling for 30 minutes, but you do what works. The rest of the show lived up to the hype of the opener by not having a down moment even though nothing got close to creating that same excitement.
From the silly Trick-or-Treat street fight to the solid matches that followed, the wrestling was all on point. Lynch carried most of the promo work for the night in an address to her future opponent Rousey. It was just the kind of night we should expect from SmackDown with the bonus of an incredible opener.
I just wish there were more genuine stories to get invested in right now for either brand. Maybe that will come after Crown Jewel.
Overview: Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles got into an argument to start the show with two deciding to have their title match early, and Shane McMahon agreed. The Phenomenal One wore down the knee of The Beard before making him tap out to the Calf Crusher.
Samoa Joe assaulted Styles after the bell with the champ demanding one more match with his long-time rival at Crown Jewel from Paige.
Analysis: Crown Jewel's card is a bit awkward. There are some interesting matches, but most relied on older talent to deliver. The one big standout contest was supposed to Styles vs. Bryan, and it was a standout match. It just happened on SmackDown instead because Bryan has refused to go to Saudi Arabia.
I applaud him for that, but it does make the show even worse than it already was. There's nothing really to get hyped about. It's a bland show and bland card with Styles vs. Joe IV generically added on when the third was supposed to be a definitive end.
The World Cup Will Likely Amount to Less Than The Greatest Royal Rumble
Overview: Randy Orton and The Miz teamed up to fight Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy in the main event after Shane announced someone would be fired if the blue brand lost the World Cup to Raw. The faces won by pinning Miz with a 619 and Swanton Bomb combo before The Viper RKOed everybody.
Analysis: This whole tournament to crown the best in the world has been hyped as a far bigger deal than it will likely be. SmackDown should win because nobody's getting fired at this time in the year or moving brands, which means Orton or Mysterio is likely going to walk out as the "best in the world".
I just hope that once this is all over, the WWE Championship and Women's Championship can go back to being the center of the brand's attention.
Conclusion
It feels like cheating when you open with Bryan and Styles wrestling for 30 minutes, but you do what works. The rest of the show lived up to the hype of the opener by not having a down moment even though nothing got close to creating that same excitement.
From the silly Trick-or-Treat street fight to the solid matches that followed, the wrestling was all on point. Lynch carried most of the promo work for the night in an address to her future opponent Rousey. It was just the kind of night we should expect from SmackDown with the bonus of an incredible opener.
I just wish there were more genuine stories to get invested in right now for either brand. Maybe that will come after Crown Jewel.
Grade: B+
Good of NXT to add some real star power to WarGames with Pete Dunne. How else would people be interested in this match?
NXT and NXT UK October 31, 2018
WarGames Could Be the Best TakeOver Yet
Overview: Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa vs. Velveteen Dream were announce for WarGames. Instead of the expected main event, The Undisputed Era and War Raiders fought through the backstage area with Ricochet helping even the odds followed by Pete Dunne.
William Regal then announced this would all be settled inside the WarGames double cell.
Analysis: While I don't know why EC3 was involved with Undisputed Era last week only to miss out on this match, this was a great main event segment to set up WarGames. UE won last year's WarGames, and now they face a focused resistance inside the structure.
That match is exciting, but the other two singles matches are the real selling point for the event. Gargano vs. Black and Ciampa vs. Dream could both be match of the year contenders, and it's likely we'll Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler III as well. It's going to be an awesome night that Survivor Series probably can't top.
Zack Gibson's Value to NXT UK Almost Rivals Pete Dunne
Overview: Noam Dar managed to wear down Zack Gibson early in this match, but Liverpool's Number 1 used his size and power to take over. Dar survived the Shankly Gates once while Gibson rolled out of a kneebar and ankle lock to connect with Helter Skelter for the win.
Analysis: Dar's match with Dunne was really good, but this now stands as the cruiserweight's best match to date. Gibson brought more out of Dar than I have ever seen, proving just how important the heel is to the brand. He's the best heel for the brand by a wide margin.
Also, as a bonus, I am glad we're getting 2 episodes of NXT UK each week now. It should help the brand catch up.
Overview: Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa vs. Velveteen Dream were announce for WarGames. Instead of the expected main event, The Undisputed Era and War Raiders fought through the backstage area with Ricochet helping even the odds followed by Pete Dunne.
William Regal then announced this would all be settled inside the WarGames double cell.
Analysis: While I don't know why EC3 was involved with Undisputed Era last week only to miss out on this match, this was a great main event segment to set up WarGames. UE won last year's WarGames, and now they face a focused resistance inside the structure.
That match is exciting, but the other two singles matches are the real selling point for the event. Gargano vs. Black and Ciampa vs. Dream could both be match of the year contenders, and it's likely we'll Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler III as well. It's going to be an awesome night that Survivor Series probably can't top.
Zack Gibson's Value to NXT UK Almost Rivals Pete Dunne
Overview: Noam Dar managed to wear down Zack Gibson early in this match, but Liverpool's Number 1 used his size and power to take over. Dar survived the Shankly Gates once while Gibson rolled out of a kneebar and ankle lock to connect with Helter Skelter for the win.
Analysis: Dar's match with Dunne was really good, but this now stands as the cruiserweight's best match to date. Gibson brought more out of Dar than I have ever seen, proving just how important the heel is to the brand. He's the best heel for the brand by a wide margin.
Also, as a bonus, I am glad we're getting 2 episodes of NXT UK each week now. It should help the brand catch up.
205 Live October 31, 2018
Mustafa Ali Has Reentered the Title Picture Too Soon
Overview: A bandaged up Mustafa Ali was quickly and noticeably hobbled against Tony Nese with the Premiere Athlete taking advantage. Despite his injuries though, Ali refused to stay down and managed to roll up his opponent for three to earn a title shot against Buddy Murphy.
Analysis: Ali is the best in the division and arguably the company. He should be cruiserweight champion sooner rather than later. Murphy just won the championship though. He can't lose it in his title defense. It's a shame that the Heart of 205 Live is fighting his best rival again so soon.
It should lead to another great match though if nothing else while likely setting up more for the longer term story of Murphy vs. Nese.
Overview: A bandaged up Mustafa Ali was quickly and noticeably hobbled against Tony Nese with the Premiere Athlete taking advantage. Despite his injuries though, Ali refused to stay down and managed to roll up his opponent for three to earn a title shot against Buddy Murphy.
Analysis: Ali is the best in the division and arguably the company. He should be cruiserweight champion sooner rather than later. Murphy just won the championship though. He can't lose it in his title defense. It's a shame that the Heart of 205 Live is fighting his best rival again so soon.
It should lead to another great match though if nothing else while likely setting up more for the longer term story of Murphy vs. Nese.
Match of the Week
Last Woman Standing: SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair, WWE Evolution (Rating: 9.75/10)
The main roster now has a new best match of the year. It is rare for any wrestlers to get a full 30 minutes to go bell to bell especially the women. The only exception is typically Iron Man matches. Here though the contest just called for it, and nothing about this match felt long.
Lynch vs. Flair has been an excellent rivalry throughout, but this was the moment that all the stories came together. The Queen refused to stay down. The champ never wasted time inflicting more punishment until she truly felt like she had it in the bag and her former friend still got back up.
It was not just the best women's match of the year but one of the best Last (Wo)man Standing matches I've ever seen. The stipulation has produced two excellent clashes this year, but this was the one that truly delivered, pacing the counts perfectly. This might be my favorite match of the year (with only one so far getting a higher rating).
Honorable Mention: WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan, SmackDown October 30, 2018 (Rating: 9.25/10)
Styles and Bryan can do anything in the ring. I knew that going in, but I still expected this to be a more energetic high-flying affair than it was. I was glad to be disappointed as it was two technicians going at it, putting on a masterclass on how to focus on a body part.
Styles went after the knee while Bryan went after the arm, and both got close to scoring a submission off their targeting. Usually, it is weird to see a babyface tap out, but this contest did such a great job selling the pain Bryan was in that he had to end up tapping.
Honorable Mention: NXT Women's Champion Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler, WWE Evolution (Rating: 9.25/10)
Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler's last two matches have been back-to-back excellent bouts with this standing as their best yet. They went all out and showed more variety and ingenuity than ever before. This was especially true of Baszler who showed she can do a lot more now than just focus on a body part.
That said, focusing on a body part is still what she does best, and she may be the best in WWE at it. Her focused technical assaults make her stand out above just about anyone. It is interesting that this ended with Baszler winning and allying with her fellow Four Horsewomen (minus Rousey) as it changes the complexion of NXT going forward.
The main roster now has a new best match of the year. It is rare for any wrestlers to get a full 30 minutes to go bell to bell especially the women. The only exception is typically Iron Man matches. Here though the contest just called for it, and nothing about this match felt long.
Lynch vs. Flair has been an excellent rivalry throughout, but this was the moment that all the stories came together. The Queen refused to stay down. The champ never wasted time inflicting more punishment until she truly felt like she had it in the bag and her former friend still got back up.
It was not just the best women's match of the year but one of the best Last (Wo)man Standing matches I've ever seen. The stipulation has produced two excellent clashes this year, but this was the one that truly delivered, pacing the counts perfectly. This might be my favorite match of the year (with only one so far getting a higher rating).
Honorable Mention: WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan, SmackDown October 30, 2018 (Rating: 9.25/10)
Styles and Bryan can do anything in the ring. I knew that going in, but I still expected this to be a more energetic high-flying affair than it was. I was glad to be disappointed as it was two technicians going at it, putting on a masterclass on how to focus on a body part.
Styles went after the knee while Bryan went after the arm, and both got close to scoring a submission off their targeting. Usually, it is weird to see a babyface tap out, but this contest did such a great job selling the pain Bryan was in that he had to end up tapping.
Honorable Mention: NXT Women's Champion Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler, WWE Evolution (Rating: 9.25/10)
Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler's last two matches have been back-to-back excellent bouts with this standing as their best yet. They went all out and showed more variety and ingenuity than ever before. This was especially true of Baszler who showed she can do a lot more now than just focus on a body part.
That said, focusing on a body part is still what she does best, and she may be the best in WWE at it. Her focused technical assaults make her stand out above just about anyone. It is interesting that this ended with Baszler winning and allying with her fellow Four Horsewomen (minus Rousey) as it changes the complexion of NXT going forward.
