Pre-Show:
Alpha Academy vs Street Profits
This was one of the better matches of the night actually. Alpha Academy and Street Profits have good chemistry. It may come from them fighting each other a lot…I don’t know, but I enjoyed the match.
Main Card:
Six-Women Tag Match: Damage Control (Bayley, Iyo Shirai, and Dakota Kai) vs Asuka, Alexa Bliss, and Bianca Bel-air
To be honest, this match unfortunately was just meh. I absolutely love everyone in this match (except for Alexa Bliss) in the ring, but the match kinda felt–disjointed. I don’t know if it’s cause I’ve seen these ladies go full balls to the wall in amazing matches in the past, or maybe it’s because they’ve had some form of this match playing out for the last month or so, but this iteration of this matchup felt a bit off. I did love how regardless of how much Bayley tried to heel it up, the crowd was still signing to her. That just showed how amazing Bayley’s legacy has lasted in this industry. I know that if allowed, Damage Control will ride a bullet straight to the top, but this match didn’t really show what 80% of the participants are capable of in the ring. Also, I REALLY hope that they give Asuka more to do, and get her away from Alexa Bliss, and in a proper storyline. She has been languishing under Vince’s rule, so I’m really hoping that Triple H can bring one of my favorite wrestlers to the relevance and dominance that she deserves frankly.
The Intercontinental Championship Match: Shaemus vs Walter (I refuse to call him Gunther)
For me, this was the match of the night. I’m glad that Imperium is back together. It really made no sense to break them up (or change each wrestler’s name for that matter), but I’m excited to see what this reconstituted group can do on Triple H’s main roster. Also, please give Pete Dunne his name back!!! Calling him Butch is frankly garbage, and honestly devalues him, and makes him look like a joke.
Now, the match was amazing, I could really feel the weight of these two brawling bruisers in the ring. Shaemus has always been one of my favorite WWE wrestlers since his debut, and he has really matured and grown during his time in the ring. Any wrestling fan knows the prowess of Walter and his chops, and he was on full display in this match. They really left nothing in the ring, and I actually liked most of the false finishes. I honestly think that my only issue with the match is that it felt like the match was going a little long On the whole, the match was great….just wish Shaemus would have won the match and gotten his grand slam.
The Smackdown Women’s Championship: Liv Morgan vs Shayna Baszler
I’m gonna be real honest–this match was way better than it had any business being. Until this match, I didn’t believe the story or the psychology of this match. In the real world, there is no way that Liv Morgan should be able to beat former MMA fighter Shayna Baszler. That being said, it’s a credit to both wrestlers that by the end of this match I was a believer. This match had flourishes of gritty ground and pound along with flash and kept me entertained throughout. They did a great job, and I really enjoyed the match
Judgement Day vs Edge and Rey Mysterio (with Dominik Mysterio)
I did not care about this match at all. Pretty much knew that Edge and Rey Mysterio were going to win, and I’ve known for weeks that Dominik was going to turn on his dad. Nothing in this match wowed me at all, and all I was thinking during this match was “When is Rhea Ripley finally going to get back into the ring?”
Matt Riddle vs Seth Rollins
This is another match that I didn’t care about. Pretty much knew Seth Rollins was going to win, and nothing that’s happened leading up to this match has changed my mind on that. This match was typical Seth Rollins and typical Matt Riddle with a couple trading of signature moves.
The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre
This match was meh at best. As much as I have always loved and respected Roman from the day he debuted in the Shield, as a heel, he is borderline “five moves of doom”, and this match didn’t do anything to change my mind on that. Drew McIntyre is a great talent, and I’ve seen him do some amazing things in the old “Black and Gold” days of NXT, but for me, though he did great, this was a bit of a step down for me in this match. I wanted Drew to win, cause I really feel like Reigns has had the belt for too long–but I knew…I knew Roman was going to win. I think JD from NY is right…they are gonna keep that belt on Roman until Cody comes back and takes it from him, even though they have amazing wrestlers like McIntyre and the returning Karrion Kross that can carry those titles with great renown and prestige. At this point, Cody, Drew, and Karrion are the only ones…with maybe Owens on the outside who the previous administration under Vince hasn’t run into the group, and made the latest meal to feed “the Head of the Table.”
On the whole, if I had to give this Pay per…I mean Premium Live Event a score out of five, I’d give it a…3 out of 5.
