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Notes In Observance – WWE Raw 8/22/16: The Hugger Section Comes Alive
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
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 8/22/16)
The Hugger Section Comes Alive
– With the six-hour marathon that was SummerSlam finished, we were down to the last show of the Barclays Center trifecta – the Raw after SS. Last year, it provided a big shift in creative direction. Braun Strowman debuted, The Dudley Boyz returned and Sting pretended to be a statue. It was iconic stuff. This year opted to tell a different story, pretty much because they were forced to. They didn’t go immediately into it though, as the opening video simply focused on WWE Universal Champion Finn Balor, in full “Demon King” attire, overcoming “The Man” Seth Rollins in scintillating fashion to become the first-ever Universal Champion. Of course, it did make sense to focus on it, as it was Raw’s biggest development. It was the success story.
WWE SummerSlam 2016 Reaction
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
Within the “New Era” has been an attempt by WWE to showcase new talent on the precipice of an ever-growing content generator known as the WWE Network, where fans can not only tune in to live Pay-Per-Views (seven of more which were announced to be added to the already-stacked yearly 12 to make an absurd 19) but go back and watch almost everything WWE has ever produced.
That said, sometimes more new content isn’t necessarily the best scenario.
If you count the two-hour pre-show, SummerSlam clocked in and six hours and three minutes with 13 matches.
On a stacked Supercard, only a third of it was deemed excellent. The rest of it couldn’t have been more filler if we tried.
SummerSlam was the personification of having too much of a good thing and not knowing how to properly utilize it.
Notes In Observance – WWE Raw 8/15/16: Finding Demon King
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
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 8/15/16)
Finding Demon King
– The opening video made it apparent Raw’s biggest storylines were that of the quarrel between WWE United States Champion Rusev and Roman Reigns as we saw last week when Reigns ruined a “Celebration Of Love” and Lana ended up covered in cake. Also seen was Seth Rollins’ new quest to find out who his SummerSlam opponent Finn Balor really was. Alrighty then.
Notes In Observance – WWE Raw 8/8/16: Botched Vows
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at then bottom of the post.
(Aired 8/8/16)
Botched Vows
– As SummerSlam inched closer, Raw’s big stories were the Finn Balor-Seth Rollins feud over the WWE Universal Championship, the Roman Reigns-WWE United States Champion Rusev and the interbranded clash between Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar, as each man trespassed each other’s show to deliver their finishing move. The opening video highlighted last week’s happenings in regards to these feuds.
Notes In Observance – WWE Raw 7/4/16: Independence Dud
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
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 7/4/16)
Independence Dud
– WWE and holidays never mix if you seek quality television. It was the Fourth Of July and America celebrated it’s 240th birthday with greasy grilled goodness and such. WWE threw on a three-hour Raw with the agenda of half-assedly pushing Battleground with holiday filler. It worked in some ways and was missable in many others. Case in point – the opening segment was your general locker room food party. The Golden Truth performed on stage before The Vaudevillains forced them off and then Aiden English had food thrown at him. WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz/Maryse warned everybody not to let it end in a food fight and sure enough, that’s what happened. Kevin Owens also got pied by someone in the face off-camera, Heath Slater went through a table, Darren Young sat with other heels and we knew we were in for one of “those” nights.
WWE Money In The Bank 2016 Reaction
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
When the words “Money In The Bank” are uttered within earshot of a wrestling fan, few things will come to mind.
Edge’s opportunistic cash-ins, the chaos itself of the MITB ladder match, past winners and probably the easiest tie to the phrase – 2011 – when CM Punk shocked the world and “left” the company with the WWE Championship after a money match with John Cena.
MITB has become a tradition itself and what does one do with tradition? They carry it on with new generations.
What happens when “The New Era” (wink, wink) collides with this concept?
Thanks to a tightly packed uppercard with three WrestleMania-worthy matches and a crazy ending, it was easily high on the list for Pay-Per-View of the Year.
Calling it the “Greatest MITB in history” before the show even streamed live was a bold statement, but one that could be hard to argue.
Notes In Observance – WWE Raw 5/30/16: A Day To Remember
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
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 5/30/16)
A Day To Remember
– It seemed like Creative went into the first segment with no idea what to do, so they threw out Shane, Stephanie McMahon and WWE World Tag Team Champions The New Day to kill time and address SmackDown’s move to Tuesdays on Jul. 19 when it’ll go live via a “brand extension.” The thing about this was that it merely glossed over what many fans already knew when the show started. We got hints of Shane’s desire to run things himself and Stephanie’s attempts to steal the spotlight. New Day was over with the crowd, but even their material didn’t gather life here. They’re the World Tag Team Champions, why would they get split up if they’re active Champions? Was it also a good idea to establish that Shane/Steph hadn’t “made decisions” that regarded the brands yet? No worries, because a silly dance contest would fill up the rest of the time, because a Shane twerk was definitely on our bucket list. Luckily, The Vaudevillains came out before Steph could bust her move and it was back to business. What a dud that was.
Notes In Observance – WWE SmackDown 5/26/16: Bankers Trust
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
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 5/26/16)
Bankers Trust
– With “Money In The Bank” season upon us, it was fresh to see that the opening video focused on that and the competitors thus far – Sami Zayn, Cesaro, Dean Ambrose, Chis Jericho and Kevin Owens. They could’ve gone the “high road” and focused it on the feud between Seth Rollins and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, but they didn’t. Yay?
WWE Extreme Rules 2016 Reaction
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
Cautiously coined as the night where WWE loses its proverbial white hat and embraces the “extreme,” this allows for existent feuds to flourish in stipulations that can either offer help or harm.
We had instances of both scattered throughout the show, but needless to say, what was best remembered was the fatal four-way WWE Intercontinental Championship match and the Extreme Rules main event match between WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and AJ Styles.
The rest fell a few crowbars short of a hardcore slobber-knocker.
Notes In Observance – WWE SmackDown 5/19/16: Combustible Elements
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
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 5/19/16)
Combustible Elements
– A rare kudos to the opening video that actually highlighted the four-way feud for the WWE Intercontinental Championship between Champion The Miz, Kevin Owens, Cesaro and Sami Zayn. While the Shane McMahon/Stephanie McMahon duo were briefly in the package and we thought that it’d go in a different direction and showcase their “different creative directions,” it went back on course to arguably Extreme Rules’ best feud.
Pro Wrestling Opinion 