Reverse Hipster's What Mattered
4. (WWE, SmackDown) InZayn
Sami Zayn spoofing Jackass genuinely made me laugh out loud. Sami is hilarious, and I love how he played with the audience teasing the Johnny Knoxville spot throughout his promo. Also, I think the attack by Boogs and Nakamura was great. Sami got to advance two feuds at once.
3. (WWE, SmackDown) Women's Division
The women's division had some awesome moments this week. Aliyah got the fastest win in WWE history, pinning Natalya in three-point one seconds after Natalya beat her up before the match. I usually would complain about a short women's match. However, there was a purpose to it. Also, I like Aliyah, and hopefully, this means we will see more of her.
Lita returned to confront Charlotte. The segment between them was okay, but it's just great to see Lita back. However, the pop would have been bigger at the Royal Rumble.
Sonya finally revealed why she hates Naomi, and it was because Naomi dared to believe in herself. It's kind of a petty reason that makes it seem like Sonya's real problem with her is something else. Also, Naomi pulled a neat trick by messing with the thermostat to make Sonya take off her jacket so Naomi could beat her up. But Adam Pearce stopped her, and he gave Naomi a rematch with Charlotte.
2. (AEW, Rampage) Goth Phase
The Acclaimed made a diss track to Darby and Sting, and it was awesome. They scored a back-to-back style hit against Sting and Darby. I loved the song, and the creativity and flow from the Acclaimed. Get that song on Spotify.
1. AEW Rampage
Rampage was awesome this week. First, Adam Cole versus Trent Beretta. The match was phenomenal because these two kept on one-upping each other until the surrounding crews started brawling, including Britt Baker and Statlander. Adam used the chaos to hit a low blow and won the match.
Jurassic Express put on a PPV level match against the Dark Order and got a victory. They pulled out so many creative tag team spots. If Jurassic Express fights like this every week, they will be the top champs on the brand. Speaking of champs, Jay Lethal challenged Ricky Starks for his title in a fiery segment. Rampage just had so much good stuff this week. This week's Rampage is my favorite Rampage, thus far.
Rob's What Mattered
5. Viking Raiders Number One Contender, WWE SmackDown
You can never go wrong with the number one contender's matches. SmackDown kicked off with a Uso promo and this fatal four-way tag team match. To be honest, none of these teams had any real momentum (Cesaro and Mansoor were just thrown together), but I thought this match built momentum for all teams. The Viking Raiders are too good to be floundering in the tag division, so I was excited to see them win, and they should have a great match with The Usos.
4. Sheamus vs. Ricochet, WWE SmackDown
Sometimes, it IS as simple as letting good wrestlers go out there and wrestle. There was a reason for this match to existing, and they gave the two enough time to tell a good story. Sheamus came out on top, and we can look forward to him being a formidable part of SmackDown's upper-mid card. Hopefully, Ricochet doesn't fade back into obscurity because every time he gets a match like this, he delivers too.
3. Jurassic Express vs. the Dark Order, AEW Rampage
This was a great, fast-paced tag match with high energy and chemistry among and between the teams. Even though the Dark Order lost, I think they proved they could hang with the champions, and they deserve to be considered in the top 5 AEW tag teams. John Silver is insanely underrated, and Alex Reynolds compliments him well. Jurassic Express is starting their title reign off great, defending them in the main event of Rampage.
2. Lita Returns, WWE SmackDown
I think it was a miss to pretend like Lita hasn't been back multiple times and competed in the Royal Rumble already, and I think she's competed in every Women's Royal Rumble. Still, I popped when Lita made it sound like she was back for good, and it would be awesome to see her do a "one more run" angle in the style of Edge and so many other men. Whether the Lita/Charlotte storyline is a red herring or the actual WrestleMania feud, I think it has enough steam to add intrigue to the results of the Royal Rumble and road to WrestleMania.
1. InZayn, WWE SmackDown
All hail the content king of SmackDown, a character so good that creative consistently pairs him with celebrity guests. Sami Zayn set out to prove anybody could be Johnny Knoxville in his mini-show InZayn. When he bailed out of his attempt to jump the ring in a shopping cart, it was entertaining and funny, but it was a mega heel move too because literally, EVERYBODY wanted to see him try it. The crowd got some satisfaction when Rick Boogz threw him over the top rope into the crash pad. Sami Zayn was again the clear winner of this segment in terms of sports entertainment, though.
Rob's What Didn't Matter
3. Shawn Spears, AEW Rampage
Shawn Spears went to AEW on a quest to prove to himself that he was worth more than WWE gave him credit for. So far, I don't think he's proven himself at all. I feel like I've hardly seen him on TV, and the only thing he got this week was a squash match to "prove" he was ready for CM Punk. The whole segment feels like it missed the mark, and Spears has to make some changes if he wants to be more relevant in AEW.
2. Aliyah beats Natalya in record time, WWE SmackDown
This could end up being a great feud for Aliyah and Natalya, but this creative approach was not it. Aliyah disappeared off television for months since before Survivor Series, so she had zero momentum. She hasn't been on the main roster long enough, so I want to see her compete in an actual regular-length match. Natalya is an active legend, but WWE doesn't even take her seriously, so winning here means nothing. Any win like this is clearly a fluke win regardless. Hopefully, they do something more meaningful with the feud from here.
1. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, WWE SmackDown
I couldn't figure out why I couldn't care less, and then it hit me. Aside from the Shield angle, these two are both heels, and I'm not supposed to care. This face-to-face didn't help me care at all. It was just two guys throwing out their catchphrases and waiting for the crowd to pop. They both threw out a "Woah, that's not kayfabe!" line when Roman Reigns said Seth Rollins wasn't even the biggest star in his household and Rollins, said he was wrestling while Reigns was on the bench in the CFL. The whole angle felt soulless to me, and I really can't buy into this match while still knowing that there's no world where Rollins will beat Reigns and take the title to Raw while a Reigns/Lesnar match is still on the horizon.
Reverse Hipster's What Didn't Matter
Nothing on either show this week was noteworthily bad.
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