Because this was a massive weekend in wrestling. Please tune in tomorrow for our coverage of The First Dance, Summerslam and NXT Takeover 36. If you want CM Punk chat, come back tomorrow. We’ve got a lot to say.
Vishal Gullapalli: So this weekās kind of a big one, huh? Iāve heard it said that Summerslam is Wrestlemania for people who regularly watch wrestling, and while I think that comes off more pretentious than I personally like, itās not too far off – Summerslam is often more exciting than Mania. But because of how absolutely jam-packed this week is, since AEWās decided to preempt any Summerslam discourse with Rampage: The First Dance, weāre gonna do like we did a few months ago and split this weekās coverage into two parts. Part 1 is all the standard weekly shows!
Charlie Davis: They really are trying to do it to us this week. Summerslam is exciting, but the pace at which AEW is climbing this mountainā¦I cannot wait to see what happens after this week.
Forrest Hollingsworth: Iāve been mainlining the dirt sheets all week and I have things to say!
Monday:Ā RAW, Being the Elite
Charlie: I donāt wanna talk about Raw. I never want to talk about Raw? Does someone wanna talk about this show before I talk about Being the Elite?
Forrest: Theyāre doing a really good job with RKBro. Thereās something a little fourth wall breaking about someone like Riddle earning Randyās respect that works for me, kind of a continuation of the affably moody Pete Dunneās appreciation for the Stallion. I wish I liked watching either of them wrestle more.
Either way, no Asuka means I havenāt been watching much of Raw lately (and I was watching Raw by fast forwarding to her parts before that, too).
Charlie: All I have to say about this week’s BTE is that it was pure joy. The Elite have started to harken back to the vlogs of old and I for one could not be happier. I fell in love with them fast when I started watching those early episodes. They may be heels, but they are MY heels and I will love them forever and ever. Obnoxiously slurping milkshakes into the camera or not.
Tuesday: NXT
Charlie: NXT may be at the end of an Era here and I donāt mean just be user Adam Cole may be having his last match at Takeover 36 this weekend. I donāt want to believe what weāve been hearing. I donāt want any of those things to come true. I have no want for NXT to break down and eventually implode, but I donāt make these choices.
Sadly. NXT hasnāt been doing much for me recently and with this being the go home show and nothing really hitting for meā¦I donāt know what to think really.
Vishal: There were some good parts for me this week – Carmelo Hayes has been a surprising delight, and I look forward to seeing him face Odyssey Jones after Takeover (although the finals should have been on Takeover). The Way and InDex continue to be a delight (but Iām sad that Johnny Takeover is no more). Ilja and Roddy had a nasty match where Ilja broke his own nose delivering a german suplex to Roddy! But as you can see with all the caveats Iām adding, this is a wobbly show. I will likely be distraught after Takeover.
Wednesday: AEW Dynamite
Charlie: After the teases and the heavy anticipation in the air for WEEKS. This week’s episode was great, but it wasnāt showstopping for me outside of the tag match, but Iām me so of course Iām gonna tell you the Young Bucks match was incredible. Because it was. So, so incredible. Everyone else can have an opinion now. š
Vishal: The tag match was good, 2point0 are fantastic (and All Elite!), Sammy vs Shawn was a nice little hometown working match, and MJF vs Jericho had a weird finish (I think Aubrey was supposed to have turned around by the time Jericho was going to go for the judas effect?) but was interesting. Iām excited for the tag team eliminator tournament, I always love tournaments.
I do feel like I have to mention this MMA dudeās promo was one of the worst things AEW has okayed on Dynamite. Having an old dude come out and complain about censorship and cancel culture doesnāt generate heat, it just makes me want to change the channel. Everyone involved (except maybe the MMA dude) should know better, and I hope they keep this from happening in the future.
Forrest: Say what you will about the percentage of former WWE talent now at AEW, but 2point0 (formerly Ever Rise) have certainly had the biggest glow up of all of them, and I think that speaks to AEWās genuine efforts to create a different company and card both now, and sustainably into the future — Jericho is gonna retire and probably soon.
I also appreciate Mox taking the time to reassert himself with a promo that was ostensibly about Daniel Garcia, but also very much about the future of the company, CM Punk and Bryan Danielson included. That Hangman line wouldāve gotten serious heat had he been in the ring, and the setup of not only that but a number of future feuds was really masterful even if his pacing makes both myself and the cameraman anxious.
Thursday: Impact
Vishal: Christian retired the TNA Championship, and for the time being will go down as the last ever TNA Champion. That seems sweet. I donāt really have impact thoughts apart from that though, I donāt even go here.
Forrest: It was a really respectful, genuine segment that cemented Christian as the right choice for those titles. Leave it to them to retire the better looking of the two, though.
Charlie: The Christian moment was really nice. I do regret to inform everyone that I will no longer be tuning into the Impact Zone now that Kenny is gone. Tragic, I know.
Friday: SmackDown
Vishal: Mostly rematches, but Boogs went over Apollo clean, so Apolloās push is completely done. Which is a bummer, because he was doing great work until they saddled him with a crony who made him look weak. Edge did some cool Brood stuff that I missed because I was eating a late dinner, and Roman said if he loses to Cena heās leaving WWE. I feel like thatās mostly confirmation that Romanās winning but they could also easily just have him not appear until the New York show or something.
I do have to say though, āBum Assā Baron Corbin continues to be one of my favorite parts of the week every week. Corbin is one of those wrestlers a lot of people hate because WWE throws him at any babyface they have, and heās just an insufferable heel. Itās deliberate, but because heās omnipresent there is a lot less goodwill afforded to him. But this complete change to his gimmick has revitalized him as a character and let him show that heās got some really good acting chops. I saw a take that itās making fun of poor people, but itās not – heās a jerk who got whatās coming to him and even when heās begging for help heās a jerk. Itās great stuff, at least for me.
Forrest: For all the Brood fans keeping track at home (me), no theyāve never called it a ābroodbathā before, its always been ābloodbathā. Itās kind of weird to see WWE become even more sanitized in real time. ALSO, how does Edge do that with his face? I donāt want to suggest heās an actual vampire but folks…
All kidding aside, I am beyond happy that Intercontinental Champion King Nakamura has found something that works for him. He is one of my most favorite wrestlers of all time (the 2018 Royal Rumble was very good to me you mightāve gathered) and seeing him regain his passion for something that isnāt surfing is just…heartwarming.
Charlie: I was too nervous, anxious and excited about Rampage to watch Smackdown. Itās fine, but go home shows should be more exciting than this, right?
(Charlie: We did some SummerSlam predictions before the show. See how we all fared.)Ā
Saturday: Summerslam Predictions
Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. John Cena
Charlie: I was pretty sure I knew this outcome a few weeks ago. Then I was unsure. Now there is a weird stipulation. WWE canāt get out of their own way. Roman wins LOL.
Vishal: Like I mentioned, they could use the stipulation to take Roman off the show for a month or something, but I doubt it. Roman wins.
Forrest: Iām now fully convinced this is leading to The Rock intervening. Roman retains.
WWE Championship: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Goldberg
Charlie: I donāt wanna be like this butā¦Goldberg beats Bobby.
Vishal: Iām honestly really scared of that, Charlie – WWE has this really weird love of Goldberg that I donāt understand. My hope is that they donāt do the really bad idea, maybe because he doesnāt have another appearance scheduled this year. Please. Bobby wins.
Forrest: Not to be entirely too pragmatic about it, but this is Goldbergās second – and reportedly only remaining – contracted match of the year. He either loses, or he wins and Big E cashes in. As much as I want to see the New Day reunited, the E storyline isnāt really solidified yet so Iāll go with Bobby here. What a surprisingly good and protected run it has turned into for him!
Raw Women’s Championship: Nikki A.S.H. (c) vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair
Charlie: Why is this whole card a mess? Why do we have to watch Charlotte and Rhea wrestle again? Why is this all so boring! It shouldnāt be. Nikki retains.
Vishal: I hope Nikki retains this one, so Iām gonna predict it. Rheaās still missing a little bit when she wrestles anyone except Charlotte, and Iām tired of Charlotte.
Forrest: Iām kind of surprised they havenāt put (almost) superhero Nikki up against (almost) supervillain Alexa yet, and Iād be genuinely surprised if they take the title off Nikki before getting there.
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair (c) vs. Sasha Banks
Charlie: Provided this still happens. Sasha wins.
Vishal: Sasha wins to provide an angle for a big return.
Forrest: This is a weird one given the rumors. If thereās any validity to Sasha being too unwell to realistically compete, Bianca either retains or the match is changed. It canāt be worse than the time Lacey exited and they just didnāt have a match for Asuka.
Raw Tag Team Championship: AJ Styles & Omos (c) vs. Randy Orton & Riddle
Charlie: RKBro have been probably the best thing on RAW. I see a double RKO winning this one. Randy and Riddle are your new tag team champs.
Vishal: Agreed with Charlie – RKBro have been great and now is the right time to give them the titles.
Forrest: As I said above, I agree that theyāve done a good job with RKBro up to now and theyāre due for the win, but Iām also interested in where they could possibly go from here. The main roster has like…3 tag teams. Allow me to also say that we all recognize that it sucks that one of the few things WWE is doing well right now is pushing an alleged abuser.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship: The Usos (c) vs. Rey & Dominik Mysterio
Charlie: Again with the rematches. Can I just sayā¦I DON’T CARE? Usoās retain.
Vishal: Uh, yeah. Usos. Unless they want to run with Roman banning the Usos from the match because they lost? IDK.
Forrest: I do think theyāre going to pull the trigger on something like that soon, Vishal. Or on Roman losing and the Usos bossing up to say theyāre in charge now. Either way, Dominik and Reyās previous reign was a nice statistical gimmie, not a genuine angle like the Bloodline is, and the Usos retain.
United States Championship: Sheamus (c) vs. Damian Priest
Charlie: Damian Priest absolutely needs this win. Thatās gotta be the outcome here. Heās done NOTHING since Bad Bunny left.
Vishal: Similarly, because Priest has done nothing since Bad Bunny left, I canāt imagine him winning the US title here. Sheamus retains.
Forrest: Rumors abound that Priest has actually been performing injured since WrestleMania. I admire that, and canāt see a future for him on the card unless he wins here. Sheamus will be fine.
Edge vs. Seth Rollins
Charlie: This is the match Iām looking forward to the most. This is one with history, with continuity with STORY. Edge wins. Seth is bulletproof at this point.
Vishal: Edge wins, as he continues to keep his momentum outside of Roman going.
Forrest: Fuck yeah, Edge. I donāt know why theyāve decided to start pushing the Brood stuff once Christian has left (maybe they think theyāre punishing him in their own way?) but Iām here for it.
Drew McIntyre vs. Jinder Mahal
Charlie: I donāt know what to think about this one. They could have told an awesome story here bringing up the history they have together, but instead, this story is about Drewās sword. Sigh. Drew wins.
Vishal: Sadly, Drew wins. WWE just has to hinder the Jinder.
Forrest: Iām going against the grain here! I think theyāre trying to grind Drew down to a base level to give him some kind of meteoric ascent angle in the future, and losing to his former best friend is a great way to forward that.
Alexa Bliss vs. Eva Marie
Charlie: I donātā¦ugh. Alexa wins, hopefully.
Vishal: I cannot tell why this is happening, but Alexa will win probably. Who really knows.
Forrest: Iām curious to see if they introduce some supernatural elements to this or if they play it straight, a perilous place to be now that fans have returned (you can see AEW shying away from all of the cinematic elements already). I kind of suspect Alexa is going to use Doudrop to win.
Sunday: NXT TakeOver 36 Predictions
NXT Championship: Karrion Kross (c) vs. Samoa Joe
Vishal: Samoa Joe takes this. Kross has been semi-called up already. Scarlett isnāt in his corner. No one wants him to still be champion. Iām generally not super into Joeās initial NXT run, so Iām not the happiest that heās the one to do it, but he will be the new champion.
Forrest: Weird place to be with NXT reportedly reverting back to a more traditional developmental environment and having a champion Samoa Joe, but thatās where weāre at.
Charlie: I would have cared far more if they just hadnāt botched this whole thing on Krossās side. I still canāt believe how much they screwed this one up. Joe wins because lord god if he doesnāt.
NXT Womenās Championship: Raquel Gonzalez (c) vs. Dakota Kai
Vishal: NXTās been in a rough stretch since TakeOver: Stand And Deliver, since Raquel and Kross won the top two titles. Raquelās infinitely better than Kross, but sheās far less of a workhorse than what we come to think of with NXT champions, and I really hope Dakota wins this.
Forrest: Dakota deserves this.
Charlie: I want Dakota to win. Raquel takes it.
NXT UK Championship: WALTER (c) vs. Ilja Dragunov
Vishal: I cannot imagine they bring this to the US unless the plan is to have Ilja win. He already faced WALTER and lost, if they were going to do it again theyād just keep it in the UK.
Forrest: Better yet, Vishal, theyāre doing it here so the US can keep WALTER this time around. Congratulations to Ilja who will have upwards of (checks NXT UK roster)…two challengers!
Charlie: I donāt know about this one but Iām excited to watch. Ilja wins.
Million Dollar Championship: L.A. Knight (c) vs. Cameron Grimes
Vishal: Cameron Grimes finally gets one over on LA Knight, and Ted DiBiase doesnāt have to be anyoneās butler.
Forrest: I begrudgingly admit that LA winning the first time around was a good call. Theyāre going to turn Grimes into a genuine hero goddammit.
Charlie: I can see this going either way really. If Grimes loses he can free Ted by losing all his money. Heroic. If he wins, great job! Cameron wins.
Adam Cole vs. Kyle OāReilly 2 out of 3 Falls
Vishal: In what will very possibly be Adam Coleās last match in NXT, Kyle goes over. If we want to get a little more detailed, they each win their own stipulation and Kyle wins in the steel cage. Why couldnāt they have done anything more interesting, though? Like, why didnāt Kyle pick a submission match? Why didnāt Adam Cole pick a type of match heās actually won before? Why couldnāt the final stipulation be a surprise? Sigh.
Forrest: I wouldnāt be surprised if they announce a loser leaves NXT stipulation before this. The angle is creatively bankrupt, and I donāt think it leaves Kyle in a very good place in victory, but I do hope the two of them have a sort of cathartic fun wrestling for what may be a final time.
Charlie: I want to believe this will be a show stealer. I want to believe that these two can have a match that I will enjoy watching. Everything my friends have said above, is a sentiment I share. Adam needs a refresh, one that I believe can only come from him leaving WWE. Kyleā¦well I donāt think even if he wins heās set up for success. Only time will tell, but if this is Adam Cole’s last match in WWEā¦let me be incredible.
Charlie Davis is the worldās premier Shatterstarologist, writer and co-host of The Match Club.
Forrest is an experimental AI that writes and podcasts about comic books and wrestling coming to your area soon.
Vishal Gullapalli is highly opinionated and reads way too much.
