Happy Monday (or, Tuesday) readers! It’s time for the red brand show immediately after the Super Show-Down event, and I can tell you one thing-I do not envy any of the talent or staff who were in Australia on Saturday and are back in the States now. That is a 20+ hour flight, give or take. With that out of the way, there is plenty of loose ends left over by the events of the Super Show-Down, but everyone on RAW (and WWE) will no doubt be focusing on Crown Jewel and Evolution. The opening round of hype for Crown Jewel starts now. Let’s crack open this Nutshell and see what the night had in store for us.
Best Match of the night:
I guess I will take the main event. Though honestly, I felt as though the show was more about segments. Lots and lots of return segments.
Worst match of the night:
I was not fond of another match between some combo of Roode/Gable and The Ascension.
Crowd Chants of the Night:
I know the crowd was loud most of the night, but either they drowned each other out or audio on my end was bad. Most were hard to make out.
Burn it down
Let’s go Rollins
We want Ambrose
Star of the Night
I have so many options here, don’t I?
At the end of the show, I wanted to give it to a few different choices.
Kurt Angle, for returning and joining the fun for the World Cup tournament.
Lita, just because…well, it’s Lita.
Spot of the Night:
I have seen it before, but it’s still worth calling out. A guy like Roman Reigns, flying over the top rope? It’s still awesome to see.
Jobber of the Night:
Almost all of the international battle royal participants. I say almost, because, well, one of them was not quite what it seemed. But with guys like the Belgian Waffler? Come on, that match was LOADED with jobbers.
Upset of the Night:
When the golden clad and masked Conquistador defeated Baron Corbin and won the spot in the World Cup. Of course, we later learned the masked man wasn’t really a masked jobber, but scroll down for more on that.
Holy Sh** Moment of the Night:
Oh, let’s see…..because tonight was loaded
Opening the show, the rumors came true. Shawn Michaels is out of retirement, reuniting with Triple H to form D-Generation X one more time. The team, just a duo for now, will seek to avenge their attack in Melbourne. They face The Undertaker and Kane in Saudi Arabia as part of the Crown Jewel event.
Then there’s the Bellas turn…and Lita…and Angle…
Botch of the night:
For me this was super easy, and super bad. Forgive me for not knowing which Bella twin it was on the outside for this one, but there was a spot where Rousey was in the middle of the ring and had locked in the arm bar, and two members of Riott Squad were going to be cut off from making the save. On the bottom of the screen, that looked fine as one Bella grabbed Liv Morgan and prevented her from breaking up the hold. Sarah Logan was at the top of the screen, and there’s where the botch happened. Either Bella was not ready, or Logan was out of position…but when Bella should have been grabbing the ankle to prevent the interference, there was no grab. But, sure as anything, Logan dropped as if she had been grabbed.
LOL Moment of the night:
The names and participants (save one) of Baron Corbin’s farce of an international battle royal.
Noteworthy Moment:
Wow, let’s see what happened tonight…
D-Generation X reunited, back again to face The Brothers of Destruction.
Trish Stratus was there, but she didn’t come alone. Her singles match at Evolution has become a tag match, with Lita joining forces.
Nikki and Brie Bella turn on tag partner Ronda Rousey. After the post-match attack, we’ve since learned that Nikki will be getting a title shot against Rousey at Evolution.
Kurt Angle returned, though not as RAW GM. He entered the international battle royal and claimed the spot for the World Cup tourney.
As WWE continues to tease a Shield break-up, just as soon as they’ve re-formed, we saw the trio lose in the main event and Ambrose walk to the back without his brothers.
Overall lowlights:
Some of my audio was bad, so I missed some chants. Minor complaint.
Overall highlights:
Well, we certainly had a bunch didn’t we?
The return of DX. The return of Lita, and finally knowing what she will be doing at Evolution.
The return of Kurt Angle.
The long awaited heel turn by Nikki and Brie Bella
After the final bell:
Well, just as Super Show-Down gave us a stacked card, it certainly appears as though both Evolution and Crown Jewel will be as stacked, if not more so. Crown Jewel already has the World Cup tournament, and with only two known entrants-Cena and Angle-it’s looking good, (and that’s before the rumor of Hogan presenting the title to the winner).
On the other hand, however, these overseas super shows? They may actually sour people in a fashion. Think about it…Undertaker for years was exclusively a featured act at WrestleMania. He made a rare SummerSlam match a few years back but otherwise nothing. Now, in the span of less than a year-a year in which we thought he was finally retired-we have him in a weird match at WrestleMania, and then in the Greatest Royal Rumble, Super Show-Down and Crown Jewel. It would seem the international shows have some serious financial backing (not from Vince), and it’s enough to get ‘Taker and Michaels to work.
I say it could sour people, because WrestleMania next Spring is going to need even bigger names and matches to move the needle. Names like The Rock perhaps.
