By Nicholas Jason Lopez

“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post. 

(Aired 6/1/15)

Third Match Is The Charm 

– The opening video highlighted the “dusty finish” from Elimination Chamber as perfectly as possible with trusty slow-motion capture.

– The opening segment with The Authority and Roman Reigns was almost booked perfectly. First, you had the momentum coming from the Elimination Chamber which brought out everybody’s favorite heel stable trying to get their Championship back. Ambrose didn’t even show up and his presence was all over this thanks to Reigns, who spoke on his behalf and riled up Rollins enough to make him agree to a ladder match at Money In The Bank for the Championship. Rollins was really good here as he stormed out of the ring and insulted his fellow mates. Stephanie McMahon and Triple H did a good job with Reigns after, with Triple H hanging a stipulation that Reigns would be out of MITB if he lost and him finding an opponent was a perfect commercial hook. Finding out who it’d eventually be was a letdown though.

– The King Barrett-Reigns match was definitely competitive, but this felt predictable from the get-go, given that we can’t take Barrett too seriously, even as King Of The Ring. Perhaps Sheamus would’ve been better fit for this role.

– The Triple H-Stephanie-Reigns backstage segment saw Trips stack the deck against Reigns further by booking him to fight Mark Henry later on, as we began to see the theme of the night.

– The Nikki Bella backstage interview had her talk about being the longest running WWE Champion and she was proud of her accomplishments and to be part of the divas division. Paige stepping in to announce her case at a one-on-one match for the Title with Bella accepting for later on made sense, but could that staredown have been any more awkward?

– We had to wonder just what The Miz did to earn an Intercontinental Championship shot, but then we remember the match was made “per The Authority” which should’ve been a hint to Big Show coming out and making a challenge. That said, this feud at least shows some promise as Show is a credible name for someone to beat. With Ryback just getting the title, we have to believe this feud is designed for him to go over. Ryback’s promo work here was pretty strong in both putting over the title and marking the memory of his return last year in the same arena.

– NXT Champion Kevin Owens and WWE United States Champion John Cena again stole the show – no, not with another stellar match, but with a memorable promo exchange. Owens’ promo carried off his victory momentum and gave us a clearer picture of why he fights for his family; to be the image of the role model for his son that Cena took away for all these years. It’s a genius idea that is as personal as you could get. Owens has this way of taking the “internet” perspective of things and using elements of the truth as a way of making his character sound more detestable. Cena was unbelievably on fire here, matching Owens’ intensity word for word. This feud is finding new ways to heat up. Not sure if it was by luck, but Cena finding that “I’m beating Cancer” sign really helped to add a legitimately emotional layer to things and cemented his status as a “superhero” as the kid was decked out in his merchandise. This made us want to see them go at it again. Owens walking away after almost getting physical was a perfect tease that also fit his character as we’ve seen in the past of him picking his moments.

– The New Day promo ripped on Tim Duncan in San Antonio for funny cheap heat and had them back Kofi Kingston in the MITB. The Kingston-Dolph Ziggler match was a bit short to be anything great, but the finish was set up well after a killer-looking DDT. Since Lana is a face now, shouldn’t she break out more “American” attire and do away with the Sarah Palin-inspired political power suits? The Prime Time Players making the save once Big E and Woods attacked Ziggler was pretty good too. The impromptu six-man tag that followed with everyone was a general crowd-pleaser that saw PTP score a pinfall over New Day, putting them into a better position for a Title shot. Completely absent from the scene was Tyson Kidd/Cesaro, which was strange considering they were taken out of the Elimination Chamber match by PTP. Will this be swept under the rug?

– The Reigns-Mark Henry match with Reigns’ MITB spot on the line was okay for what it was, despite the ho-hum countout finish. Henry’s post-match attack might’ve been signs of a heel turn, which is about right, considering he turns heel around this time of year anyway. So much for the WrestleMania endorsement, huh?

– The backstage segment with Trips/Steph/Reigns had them reveal to him that he’d face Bray Wyatt later on. Theme of the night.

– The Divas Championship match between Paige and Nikki Bella served as somewhat of an athletic encounter. It appears longevity serves to be the root of the division, as Nikki Bella is regarded as a “fighting champion,” but seeing “twin magic” used again, perhaps the Bellas are leaning more towards their usual heel roles. It’s hard to decipher what’s what anymore. Paige lost two title shots in two nights and yet it still looks like she has the case for a third one. Guess Naomi had the night off.

– The Randy Orton-Sheamus match served as an indirect way to hype the MITB match, though not really explaining why these two were fighting in particular. If anything, it served as something different, but even then, not really, considering the thousands of times these two have worked each other previously. For that reason, the DQ finish with the chair on Orton wasn’t too bothersome. This made Sheamus look ruthless, while Orton had his moments to shine in the ring.

– Rusev’s backstage segment saw him talk about his current state of mind without Lana, being finished without her as a broken man and was determined to get everything he had back. This “emo” Rusev is something fresh, but he’s far from the kick-ass guy he looked like heading into the year. This guy could’ve marched right to the World Championship with the push he had. Is Lana’s turn going to benefit in the long run considering the damage done to Rusev’s character in the process?

– The idea that Owens is holding an “open challenge” for his NXT Championship is a hilarious shot at Cena and will make for great TV on Smackdown.

– The Bo Dallas-Neville match reassured us that Dallas’ place on the main roster is still there, as they used this feud to carry up more TV time, with Dallas in a more irate mood than usual. This was more or less a replay of the Elimination Chamber match. The Red Arrow finisher is way over in that it makes people get out of their seats. How about that.

– The Wyatt-Reigns match with Reigns’ MITB spot on the line told the story of Reigns being put through hell as the night went on with just enough gas in the tank to stand. Wyatt brought enough aggression to the match and Rollins’ appearance with J & J Security and Kane gave you the sneaking suspicion this would finally be where Reigns would get screwed. If anything, this looked believable since Wyatt was an acceptable replacement in the MITB match and this could be a way to have Reigns turn on Ambrose down the road, since he’s being singled out because of Ambrose’s actions. Not what they ended up doing, so of course, The Authority tried, but failed, as Reigns looked very good here. The pop for Ambrose was big as he appeared on the announce table and helped Reigns clean house. The ending of the show was solid and sets up the question of just what The Authority will do to try to get the title back.

Quick Results

– Reigns’ Money In The Bank Match Spot On The Line – Roman Reigns def. King Barrett via pinfall

– Dolph Ziggler (w/Lana) def. Kofi Kingston (w/Big E, Xavier Woods) via pinfall

– The Prime Time Players/Dolph Ziggler (w/Lana) def. The New Day via pinfall

– Reigns’ Money In The Bank Match Spot On The Line – Roman Reigns def. Mark Henry via countout 

– Divas Championship – Nikki Bella def. Paige via pinfall

– Randy Orton def. Sheamus via DQ

– Neville def. Bo Dallas via pinfall

– Reigns’ Money In The Bank Match Spot On The Line – Roman Reigns def. Bray Wyatt via pinfall