Let's cover the back end first, since it was easy to: the Televisionental Champion Wade Barrett and Zach Ryder had a display of Perfectly Acceptable Wrestling. I wish they had more for Ryder, truly, but him going for a 10 minute sprint against the Baron of the Barrage was kinda ridiculous the week after Wade brought the Hammer down on a guy last week. I did like the fact the Steamboat run-in was brought up. Whether it's leading to a one-off for the Dragon again and/or a launching pad to debut Richie, I'm interested. It'll be really intriguing to see how much they give Barrett to work with in the Rumble, and that might launch his affair d'Steamboat proper.
The thing I like about WWEME is the same reason I have the same favorite bars and restaurants. I know what I'm getting, and I know it's going to be quality. Sometimes it's just above serviceable, sometimes it's awesome. Ziggler/Sheamus as the tentpole for the best episode of 2013 leaned way closer to the latter than the former. First of all, for the first time in seemingly eons we got Good Sheamus. No racial slurs, no intimating his opponent is a girl with a purse and a tampon string hanging out; just a desire to fight because he likes it and he's really good at it and oh by the way did you know anybody's who's wrestled for Stamford in the past thousand days has gotten Brogued in the face so I'm not that worried about tonight despite how damn good the Money In The Banker is. Hell, maybe if Good Sheamus sticks around he can help me figure out if I'm supposed to be laughing with or at Big E.'s promo. Negro, you are supposed to be intimidating (I'm assuming)! I know you're happy and all getting your first taste of real TV time but that shouldn't come across in your voice while you're running off hapless announcers. Again, I'm assuming.
In case you forgot how Vince McMahon gets to sleep at night, it's on a landfill made out of twenties and the first two-thirds of the show showed off why. Yes, even when this is the C, D, or Q show, The Point was made for newbies and seasoned salts alike. WrestleMania is absolutely crucial in the near future, and the Royal Rumble and the holder of the Money in the Bank briefcase just behind that. Shock of all shocks, I enjoyed Miz on commentary this week. He put over Big E.'s strength having experienced it firsthand. He did slightly self-aggrandizing things that still put over the big pay-per-views coming up (if he hadn't had #1 last year at the Rumble and lasted that long, he would've won it and the fact people were forced to pay even more attention to him once he was in a main-event orbiting the Rock and Cena). Not only that, he became the first announcer to bring up that Ziggler had now successfully defended MITB TWICE and that outside circumstances had acted up on a few attempted DZ cash-ins, thus going successfully solo against the "he's too scared to cash in" narrative that's developed for whatever reason.
Oh, by the way, Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus wrestled for 20 minutes. It was very, very good. I know, I was shocked too. (Again, that favorite bar/restaurant thing.) Ziggler is very good at his job and Sheamus was maybe a quarter-step behind. It was fun seeing some of the usual stuff but both of them getting some variance in their offense in with Sheamus starting off the contest with some chain moves and Ziggler firing off the rarely -- if ever -- seen Best MISSILE Dropkick In The Universe and a pop-up super D(Z?)DT that I would've been perfectly fine ending the match with. While the Brogue Kick lead to a countout victory for the Rumble favorite, the hat as usual must be doffed to Dolph. Forty minutes in the ring against the two biggest faces in the WWE on the same night? You didn't hear Amy Schumer complain about his stamina for a reason. And was Miz just vamping on the mic or was he floating a memory of the future about Ziggler unifying the belts at WrestleMania by cashing in his MITB on the same night he cashed in his Rumble victory and somehow got the WWE title? It was food for thought at any rate.
Speaking of amuse bouches for the mind, Main Event'll have Cesaro/Orton next week. That is going to be fun -- well, assuming I get my mancrush driving the Teflon Orton into the mat with a Neutralizer.
The thing I like about WWEME is the same reason I have the same favorite bars and restaurants. I know what I'm getting, and I know it's going to be quality. Sometimes it's just above serviceable, sometimes it's awesome. Ziggler/Sheamus as the tentpole for the best episode of 2013 leaned way closer to the latter than the former. First of all, for the first time in seemingly eons we got Good Sheamus. No racial slurs, no intimating his opponent is a girl with a purse and a tampon string hanging out; just a desire to fight because he likes it and he's really good at it and oh by the way did you know anybody's who's wrestled for Stamford in the past thousand days has gotten Brogued in the face so I'm not that worried about tonight despite how damn good the Money In The Banker is. Hell, maybe if Good Sheamus sticks around he can help me figure out if I'm supposed to be laughing with or at Big E.'s promo. Negro, you are supposed to be intimidating (I'm assuming)! I know you're happy and all getting your first taste of real TV time but that shouldn't come across in your voice while you're running off hapless announcers. Again, I'm assuming.
In case you forgot how Vince McMahon gets to sleep at night, it's on a landfill made out of twenties and the first two-thirds of the show showed off why. Yes, even when this is the C, D, or Q show, The Point was made for newbies and seasoned salts alike. WrestleMania is absolutely crucial in the near future, and the Royal Rumble and the holder of the Money in the Bank briefcase just behind that. Shock of all shocks, I enjoyed Miz on commentary this week. He put over Big E.'s strength having experienced it firsthand. He did slightly self-aggrandizing things that still put over the big pay-per-views coming up (if he hadn't had #1 last year at the Rumble and lasted that long, he would've won it and the fact people were forced to pay even more attention to him once he was in a main-event orbiting the Rock and Cena). Not only that, he became the first announcer to bring up that Ziggler had now successfully defended MITB TWICE and that outside circumstances had acted up on a few attempted DZ cash-ins, thus going successfully solo against the "he's too scared to cash in" narrative that's developed for whatever reason.
Oh, by the way, Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus wrestled for 20 minutes. It was very, very good. I know, I was shocked too. (Again, that favorite bar/restaurant thing.) Ziggler is very good at his job and Sheamus was maybe a quarter-step behind. It was fun seeing some of the usual stuff but both of them getting some variance in their offense in with Sheamus starting off the contest with some chain moves and Ziggler firing off the rarely -- if ever -- seen Best MISSILE Dropkick In The Universe and a pop-up super D(Z?)DT that I would've been perfectly fine ending the match with. While the Brogue Kick lead to a countout victory for the Rumble favorite, the hat as usual must be doffed to Dolph. Forty minutes in the ring against the two biggest faces in the WWE on the same night? You didn't hear Amy Schumer complain about his stamina for a reason. And was Miz just vamping on the mic or was he floating a memory of the future about Ziggler unifying the belts at WrestleMania by cashing in his MITB on the same night he cashed in his Rumble victory and somehow got the WWE title? It was food for thought at any rate.
Speaking of amuse bouches for the mind, Main Event'll have Cesaro/Orton next week. That is going to be fun -- well, assuming I get my mancrush driving the Teflon Orton into the mat with a Neutralizer.
