WWE Week in Review (8/6/18 – 8/12/18)
Welcome to this week’s WWE Week In Review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have a great match of the week. We’re going right into the best and worst of the week, which will also include new categories. We’ll end with a variation of Jerry Springer’s “Final Thoughts” which I call “Final Verdict”, because I like to sound pretentious and stupid at the same time.
Worst Trend Of The Week:
Pointless matches plagued RAW and Smackdown this week and let all of the air out of the room, so to speak. Nearly every match this week was a cheap attempt to continue the various story-lines they have in place for Summerslam. It is mundane at best and pathetic at worst to have the same wrestlers constantly wrestle in ancillary matches that simply remind you of who has a problem with who. I don’t need to see Seth Rollins fight Dolph Ziggler in short tag bouts each week to keep me abreast of the fact they are going to compete for the Intercontinental Title at Summerslam.
Best Trend Of The Week:
The women took the main event for RAW and NXT and found success on both occasions. Ronda Rousey may be having her every move planned by a booking committee, but she has the panache to tie it all together into a match people want to see. The fact that there are so many women between both the WWE and NXT rosters that can wrestle has really set a fire under Vince’s ass that can’t be extinguished, as much as he may actually want to stop this movement before it consumes his master plan, as it is. I hope we get more women in the main event and with the same respect that is allotted to the men.
Worst Move Of The Week:
The Halliburton, as the WWE put it, was the rotted cherry on the dry, crumbling cake that was the Braun Strowman/Jinder Mahal match that ended in disqualification. It was a lousy match that did no one any favors.
Best Move Of The Week:
Ronda Rousey’s arm-drag was a fantastic bit of progress that was marvelously sold by Alicia Fox, who may not be one of the great wrestlers, but is gradually becoming one of the great opponents.
Worst Moment Of The Week:
The Jinder Mahal/Braun Strowman match was terrible.
Best Moment Of The Week:
Ronda Rousey made her free television debut in the main event and with Vince McMahon’s full attention.
Worst Match Of The Week:
The Braun Strowman/Jinder Mahal match was terrible and it wasn’t the wrestlers fault.
Best Match Of The Week:
5. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre versus Seth Rollins – Handicap Match: RAW
4. Ronda Rousey versus Alicia Fox: RAW
3. Taynara Conti versus Vanessa Borne: NXT
2. The New Day versus The Bar: Smackdown
1. Hideo Itami versus Mustafa Ali: 205 Live
These two had a hell of a match that likely won’t do much for Itami, who had drawn a lot of money as KENTA, just a few short years ago. Ali is being made into the martyr of the cruiserweights which may actually be working for him.
Final Verdict: This week’s WWE programming was a bit on the timid side, in terms of what happened in the ring, but at least the women had some valuable time in the RAW main event. The Summerslam card is as good as any that has come along, but if you were to go on just the build from the television shows then you would be hard-pressed to find a real reason to think any-thing would be happening other than talking. Vince needs to get a little more inspired for Summerslam’s build, because this great card they have is putting me to sleep.
