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Some weeks, it’s a chore to be positive about the WWE product. Others, the good vibes write themselves. Luckily for me, this week was the latter. Both Raw and Smackdown provided stellar content from beginning to end, and my number one event of the week came from a surprisingly source. Without further ado, here’s what I liked in WWE this week. 10. Another Epic Showdown. If the first couple of weeks to the Reigns/Cena storyline are an indication of what is to come, this will be the runaway storyline of the year. I loved what they did this week. Cena was A+ on the microphone again. He absolutely torched Roman for the second week in a row. On the other hand, I thought Reigns response was telling. By challenging Cena to fight him right then and there and accusing him of being all talk when he didn’t, I felt that the WWE was doing a bit of foreshadowing. Roman is going over at No Mercy. Make no mistake about that. The WWE had Roman plant the seeds to the idea that Cena is too old to hang with him, and that everything else is just window dressing. Part of the reason that this feud is working so well is that the WWE is allowing both men to do their thing without worrying about who is getting cheered and who isn’t. Everything that has been done as of yet has been simply fantastic. I can’t wait to see more. 9. Trouble in Paradise? I’ve loved the pairing of Carmella and James Ellsworth. I never took Carmella seriously as a credible MITB winner, and I was dead wrong. Her and Ellsworth garnered nuclear level heel heat. They’ve cooled off due to a questionable storyline suspension and a bit of inactivity. That changed this week on Smackdown. I was surprised see Carmella berate Ellsworth and kick him to the curb. I was even more surprised when she made up with him and kissed him backstage. It was a wacky series of events that has brought the focus back onto them. I’m not sure when the cash in is coming but I know this: when it does – a star will be born. 8. A Quality Smackdown Main Event. I haven’t been huge on Nakamura’s in ring work since he joined the Smackdown roster, but I thought his match with Orton this week was fantastic. Orton was motivated and it showed. Because the match was for the #1 contender spot and because both men had already been given a chance, the outcome was legitimately in doubt. I believe that the uncertainty as to the winner added to the match. People can complain that Nakamura hasn’t been booked well, but the evidence doesn’t back up that assertion. He’s gone over Cena and Orton clean in the last month. That doesn’t happen. Jinder v Nakamura inside Hell in a Cell is intriguing to me. Could this finally mark the coronation of Shinsuke? Time will tell. 7. A Clean Win for The Miz. I sure didn’t see this coming. I thought there was a legitimate chance that Jeff Hardy was going to win the Intercontinental Title on Monday. He’s a huge star and the WWE tends to pander to aging legends such as he. If the Miz was going to keep the belt, I expected it to be via Miztourage shenanigans. Instead, we got a clean win by the Miz. I was floored. The Miz has always been a cowardly heel. I can’t remember the last time he went over anyone of any kind of significance clean. It was the kind of statement win that his intercontinental title reign needed. The Miz has regained some momentum. I’m very interested in seeing what’s up next for him. 6. #GiveEmmaAChance. The WWE called an audible regarding the women’s title again this week on Raw. They executed a simple yet excellent one night storyline on Raw to set up a fatal four way match at No Mercy. The three currently major players are involved, but the pleasant surprise was the inclusion of Emma. Emma is finding her niche with her delusional Twitter based gimmick. She’s always been a rock solid wrestler and someone that myself, as well as many others, have been clamoring to see get a push. It looks like we’re finally getting our wish. The division was so well booked this week. It made sense that Sasha would get an automatic rematch and it made even more sense that Nia would be upset about it and want her shot. I thought the stipulation for the strange bellow tag match made for a far more interesting production that would have otherwise been. This feels like a fresh match that adds to an already stacked No Mercy card. The Raw women won’t be my bathroom break at No Mercy. That is a major step in the right direction. 5. Dolph Ziggler Entertains Again. Testing testing. Is this thing on? No, you’re not going senile. For the second week in a row, I’m going to say something positive about Dolph Ziggler. He crushed it again this week. I was legit laughing out loud when he came out as John Cena. His Macho Man impression left something to be desired, but he had my peeing my pants again when he came out twerking as Naomi. Look – I’ve been hyper critical of him. This angle is likely going nowhere. Nonetheless, he’s speaking from the heart and it’s been entertaining as hell. At the very least, Dolph has given me a reason to care about what he does again. I really hope Rich Latta and The Doc aren’t reading this. I’ll never hear the end of it. 4. Jason Jordan’s Best Night. Was this so hard? After weeks of spinning their wheels trying to figure out what to do with Jason Jordan, the WWE finally got it right. They let him go out and wrestle. He had a GREAT match with John Cena. 15 minutes in the ring with Cena did more for him than anything else he’s done in the last month. I really like Jordan. He has tremendous athleticism. People want to cheer for him. He reminds me of the Rock when he was young prior to finding himself. There are plenty of great workers to put him in the ring with. If the WWE continues to showcase his strengths while hiding his weaknesses, I expect Jordan to make tremendous strides. Monday night was a great first step. 3. Braun v Brawn. Monday Night was yet another reminder as to what REALLY draws ratings and sells tickets. It’s not the IWC’s Indy flavor of the week. It’s larger than life superheroes going toe to toe and creating a tremendous spectacle. Make no mistake about it, the Steel Cage match between Strowmann and The Big Show was exactly that. This was the best steel cage match in years. It was physical and brutal. There were huge spots. I couldn’t believe my eyes when The Big Show channeled his inner Randy Savage and landed a top rope elbow drop. Strowmann won and that was to be expected. The power slam through the cage was amazing and a great way to end Monday Night Raw. Strowmann is being booked like the legitimate monster that he is. Nights like Monday are why Strowmann is now perceived to be a credible threat to Lesnar. For all of the whamboo bamboos who don’t think the WWE creates stars, look no further than Braun Strowmann. 2. Vinsanity. The boss is back! Life is always better when Vinnie Mac is around. His impending return seemingly came out of nowhere. I didn’t see it coming. I am excited to see him on my television again. Aside from whatever he may do on screen, I love what this means for Smackdown. Smackdown is often called the “B” show. It is occasionally treated like Monday Night Raw’s red-headed step child. The fact that Vince is going to be on Smackdown elevates Smackdown’s importance in the eyes of the casual fan. Many more eyes will be on Smackdown because of Vince. I’m curious to see what they can do with it. 1. The Cruiserweights Are Finally Relevant. I’m going to give some love in the top spot this week to a division that has been much-maligned. The cruiserweights are on fire right now and it’s all because of Enzo Amore. He elevated everyone in the six man tag match through his verbal antics on Monday. Everyone else’s character is more interesting because he’s around. The Fatal Five Way on 205 Live was straight fire. This was easily one of my favorite matches of the year. I’m glad to see Enzo win, as it sets up the best feud that the Cruiserweight Division can put forth. I’ve been a fan of cruiserweight wrestling forever and I’m beyond thrilled to see the division return to prominence. That’s a wrap kids. What was your favorite thing in the WWE this week? Sound off below! Email: [email protected] Facebook: David Fenichel Twitter: @FFFightLeague
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