BRM Reviews the 2/28/2017 Smackdown

[Big Red Machine]

SHANE, BRYAN, AJ, & HARPER BACKSTAGE- fine, I guess. It announced the main event and let Harper have a moment where he really did act like a babyface for the first time, but I really don’t like it when they make a heel look foolish for no reason other than the laugh.

MIZ TV WITH SPECIAL GUEST JOHN CENA- an excellent promo by Miz, but poor execution of the general concept.
Miz cut an excellent promo on Cena. I really hated Cena’s response, though, because it kind of felt like he quite listen to Miz and so his response didn’t address Miz’s criticism (most importantly on the issue of Cena’s hypocrisy vis-à-vis his recent taking time off to do Hollywood stuff and his issues with The Rock in their feud.)
I also really didn’t like how they got to their desired mixed tag team destination. Firstly, Maryse’s response just didn’t feel heavy enough after all of the things Cena had just said about Miz. I was expecting Miz to jump Cena from behind and beat the crap out of him for a real heavy heat angle. Maryse saying Cena has a small penis and then slapping him in the face felt like it was multiple orders of magnitude below what was called for.
Then we had Nikki’s involvement. Since almost the first day she came back Nikki has been getting assaulted constantly, and yet we have never once seen John Cena check on her wellbeing… but now that another female lays a hand on Cena, Nikki comes rushing out to protect him? This makes Cena look like a terrible boyfriend, doesn’t it?
If I were doing this I would have done the above scenario with Miz jumping Cena from behind as he left the ring and had him beat the sh*t out of Cena and have Cena get stretchered off. Nikki would hop in the ambulance with him (hopefully the severity of the beating avoids the above comparison that exposes Cena for being a terrible boyfriend). Then I’d come back next week with Nikki getting in Miz’s face and Maryse ambushing her from behind and we’d build to our Mania match from there.

2 OUT OF 3 FALLS MATCH: Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James- 6.5/10
Becky wins the final fall when Alexa Bliss! shows up to try to help Mickie but winds up bumping into her at a key moment instead.

LUKE HARPER PROMO- this stupid room he’s in with the lightbulbs is utterly terrible.

BRAY WYATT PROMO- isn’t he going to cutting another promo later? So why is he talking now?

DASHA INTERVIEWS ALEXA BLISS!- Alexa was great. Then Nattie showed up to say that she is coming for the title.

RENEE YOUNG INTERVIEWS AJ STYLES- great promo by AJ

WINNER CHALLENGES FOR THE WWE TITLE AT WRESTLEMANIA: AJ Styles vs. Luke Harper- 7.5/10
Well… that was basically the exact opposite of what I expected to happen once Shane came out to restart the match.


RENEE YOUNG TRIES TO INTERVIEW CENA & NIKKI- they are interrupted by Carmellsworth, who were hilarious. Then Cena and Nikki decided it would be a good idea to kill simple dialogue with an over the top, terrible delivery.

AJ STYLES & DANIEL BRYAN BACKSTAGE- AJ snubs Bryan on a handshake for no reason, then says that he’ll interrupt Bray’s promo tonight. At least that second point is good news.

DEAN AMBROSE & CORBIN PROMO SEGMENT- Dean was awesome. Corbin started off shaky but got better as the segment went on.

CHAIRS MATCH: Dolph Ziggler vs. Apollo Crews- 5.75/10
This is one of those times when the babyface jumping the heel from behind doesn’t bother me at all. The match was mediocre.

WWE JETSONS DVD COMMERCIAL- at one point Jane told George “we’ve got to stop Big Show from conquering the world!”

CLOSING SEGMENT- Terrible.
Bray rambles on for a while, saying all of the stupid, meaningless sh*t that has made his character so insufferable. He is interrupted by Randy Orton on the TitanTron at the Wyatt compound. Stupid camera effects and gratuitous shots of worms happen. Randy says that he’s a babyface again now. Then I’m pretty sure he admitted to having used a pickaxe to murder Sister Abigail, who I guess was a real person all along? Or maybe Bray killed her and Randy dug her up? I give up.
Randy says he will “burn the spirit of Sister Abigail to death.” How can you burn a spirit to death?
Dear G-d this music is so stupid.
Anyway, Randy rambles on and makes these threats and then starts to douse the Wyatt compound in gasoline, while Bray watches, helplessly, from thousands of miles away. Poor Bray. If only he had magical powers of teleportation so that he could teleport to the Wyatt Family compound (which is apparently just one little shack) and stop Randy. Oh well.
Maybe some of the other Wyatts, who are probably living at the compound could stop Randy? You know… those guys who showed up at the end of the New Day thing? Or do they all have the day off? Or maybe Randy sent them all out to get ice cream.
So Randy starts a forest fire. What a good babyface he is. Randy BURNED DOWN BRAY’S HOUSE, AND DESECRATED HIS SISTER’S GRAVE. Does anyone else feel like Randy is suddenly about five or six leagues on the wrong side of the line here?

So yeah, the worst feud ever is back.

A very good episode of Smackdown with lots of news coming out of it but what a terrible ending.

[KILLdozer]

I didn't really like Shane telling AJ he was "lucky" to even be getting a shot at the number one contendership. Why? What's that have to do with the referee or anyone else being able to make the right call?

Of course Cena doesn't look like a great boyfriend. He's not supposed to be made to look very well at all through this whole big angle-which I see as a continuation of the AJ feud, as well as part of a smaller part of long running angle: the revelation of the true John Cena.

[KILLdozer]

Cena is not "one of the greats"

IDC how you size it, but it literally bothers me to even hear him mentioned in the same sentence as the rest of those guys. Cena's comment about the Undertaker as well...Would actually mean a lot more if, in my opinion, he wasn't a washed up shell of his former self. You know, 23-1 as well now. I really didn't like the part where Nikki, IMO, talked like Cena.

[cero2k]

Cena is not "one of the greats"

IDC how you size it, but it literally bothers me to even hear him mentioned in the same sentence as the rest of those guys. Cena's comment about the Undertaker as well...Would actually mean a lot more if, in my opinion, he wasn't a washed up shell of his former self. You know, 23-1 as well now. I really didn't like the part where Nikki, IMO, talked like Cena.

i hate to say it, but he IS one of the greats now. Dude has done more for WWE money wise than most of the ones we consider 'great ones'

that last segment bummed me, Bray was so happy to see Randy

Bray: RANDY~~
Randy: Hey Bray, I'm going to burn down your house and also desecrate a grave
Bray: wtf

[KILLdozer]

I'd like to know how SD was reviewed before RAW though lol.

[Big Red Machine]

I'd like to know how SD was reviewed before RAW though lol.

Haven't seen it yet. Had a big project for Tuesday that I had to prep for on Monday night, so I prioritized watching Evolve. Also, I figured that it's the go-home show so nothing much will happen. Is it worth me going back and watching it?

[KILLdozer]

I'd like to know how SD was reviewed before RAW though lol.

Haven't seen it yet. Had a big project for Tuesday that I had to prep for on Monday night, so I prioritized watching Evolve. Also, I figured that it's the go-home show so nothing much will happen. Is it worth me going back and watching it?

Hm. The ending moment between Strowman and Reigns was pretty unique and attention grabbing, Sheamus and Cesaro Actually had a cool moment, Stephanie was Stephanie, The women did well of course, but the best part was the ending. I've literally never seen anything like Strowman and Reigns did.

[cero2k]

I'd like to know how SD was reviewed before RAW though lol.

Haven't seen it yet. Had a big project for Tuesday that I had to prep for on Monday night, so I prioritized watching Evolve. Also, I figured that it's the go-home show so nothing much will happen. Is it worth me going back and watching it?

Hm. The ending moment between Strowman and Reigns was pretty unique and attention grabbing, Sheamus and Cesaro Actually had a cool moment, Stephanie was Stephanie, The women did well of course, but the best part was the ending. I've literally never seen anything like Strowman and Reigns did.

Cesaro vs Joe happened, I skipped everything else

[KILLdozer]

Haven't seen it yet. Had a big project for Tuesday that I had to prep for on Monday night, so I prioritized watching Evolve. Also, I figured that it's the go-home show so nothing much will happen. Is it worth me going back and watching it?

Hm. The ending moment between Strowman and Reigns was pretty unique and attention grabbing, Sheamus and Cesaro Actually had a cool moment, Stephanie was Stephanie, The women did well of course, but the best part was the ending. I've literally never seen anything like Strowman and Reigns did.

Cesaro vs Joe happened, I skipped everything else

You missed that ending?

[Big Red Machine]

I'd like to know how SD was reviewed before RAW though lol.

Haven't seen it yet. Had a big project for Tuesday that I had to prep for on Monday night, so I prioritized watching Evolve. Also, I figured that it's the go-home show so nothing much will happen. Is it worth me going back and watching it?

Hm. The ending moment between Strowman and Reigns was pretty unique and attention grabbing, Sheamus and Cesaro Actually had a cool moment, Stephanie was Stephanie, The women did well of course, but the best part was the ending. I've literally never seen anything like Strowman and Reigns did.

So I should watch it then?

[KILLdozer]

Haven't seen it yet. Had a big project for Tuesday that I had to prep for on Monday night, so I prioritized watching Evolve. Also, I figured that it's the go-home show so nothing much will happen. Is it worth me going back and watching it?

Hm. The ending moment between Strowman and Reigns was pretty unique and attention grabbing, Sheamus and Cesaro Actually had a cool moment, Stephanie was Stephanie, The women did well of course, but the best part was the ending. I've literally never seen anything like Strowman and Reigns did.

So I should watch it then?

Definitely. The Only truly disagreeable stuff was the using crap-Stephanie and the new day. Everything else was continued build as well as enjoyable matches.

[cero2k]

You missed that ending?

i saw that turnbuckle thing and decided i needed to take a walk and think about my life decisions

[KILLdozer]

You missed that ending?

i saw that turnbuckle thing and decided i needed to take a walk and think about my life decisions

I knew right then and there that the show was guaranteed over after that lol

[Big Red Machine]

Alvarez pointed out that we saw Randy leave the shack but we never saw the camera-person who was filming him inside leave, so Randy also murdered a camera-person.

[cero2k]

Alvarez pointed out that we saw Randy leave the shack but we never saw the camera-person who was filming him inside leave, so Randy also murdered a camera-person.

well, unless he had several cameramen there, who was recording him outside the shack?

[Big Red Machine]

Alvarez pointed out that we saw Randy leave the shack but we never saw the camera-person who was filming him inside leave, so Randy also murdered a camera-person.

well, unless he had several cameramen there, who was recording him outside the shack?

A second camera-person. It was a pretty smooth shot, if I recall, which implies two camera-person.

[KILLdozer]

So the FB page just told me it's gonna be RKO v AJ Tuesday to decide the challenger at WM.

I guess technically I see it, but Orton already pretty forfeited the shot AJ rightfully won. Enough already. No one really wants to see AJ v Shane which I've seen a lot of people predict.

Unless Harper runs in, then who knows what will happen. More of the same, IMO.

[cero2k]

had a thought, Surely ortons' attack was a huge shot at Bray Wyatt, but I was thinking right now what it meant for Harper and Rowan, and to a lesser extent Strowman. I'm really hoping that WWE would not ignore the fact that even though they're not officially a stable right now, that all other 3 Wyatts would not take it lightly that their former compound was burned to a crisp.

do you guys think Harper and Rowan rejoin?

[Serujuunin]

do you guys think Harper and Rowan rejoin?

Probably not Harper, given the promo he cut earlier in the show about being free from Wyatt. We haven't seen Rowan in a while, is he still around?

I don't think Strauman is going to either, since they also seemed to emphasise his split from Wyatt a while ago when they were in the ring together.

I think it would be neat for Wyatt to try to rally them against Randy for doing that to their "sacred place", but having them all kind of say "no thanks", and for the first time in a while we might get the sense that Wyatt is completely alone. And since they seem insistent to imply that since the compound was destroyed that Wyatt has lost his "powers", it would make Wyatt feel especially vulnerable going in to the match with Randy in the future. Or even the match with AJ for the title.

I'm interested to see how his in-ring stuff changes with the "development" of his character.

[KILLdozer]

Enter Bo Dallas...Or Maybe Bo Wyatt.