Roadblock

It’s the end of the line and quite possibly the end of WWE’s fan patience when it comes to 2016’s PPVs. There are a lot of pointless WWE events, but Roadblock is battling out for that top spot and has seen 2016 flutter out like a deflating balloon. So, with that in mind, today’s review is going to be split into two sections. PPV Worthy and Raw Worthy. Let’s see how much of this show needed to be filmed on a Sunday night.

PPV Worthy

Charlotte beat Sasha Banks to win the World Championship

Argue all you want about whether the belt should have been moved between these two women yet again, it doesn’t change the fact this was a great match. Sasha and Charlotte went out there and stole the show, and it’s got to the point where it’s not even surprising. I do question why the belt has bounced between the two of them as often as it has but as long as that is a gimmick which is retained for these two and doesn’t become a fixture of all women’s matches then it should be okay.

A small botch on Sasha’s first fall aside, these two outdid everything they’ve done before, and both women come out of this feud feeling like stars. Charlotte is the best heel in the company, and while Sasha hasn’t clicked as a face, the crowd loves her anyway. The only worry is where they go next.

Cesaro and Sheamus beat The New Day to win the Tag Team Championships

The second The New Day broke the Tag Title record we knew the countdown clock was on as to how long they were going to keep the belts. I did wonder whether WWE would hold off a bit longer than this to retain an element of surprise, but ultimately this was the right choice. Having Cesaro and Sheamus lose another title match would have been one too many.

The match was good fun with an inventive finish. I know some of Cesaro and Sheamus’s shtick is cheesy but I enjoy it, and I’m looking forward to someone else heading up the tag division for a bit.

Seth Rollins beat Chris Jericho

Jericho and Rollins are great workers, so it is hardly a surprise to see the two of them go out and put on a cracking match. Was it a five-star classic? No. However, it was very good and would be at home on the mid card of any show. It was a bit strange to set the two men up as being equal until Owen’s interference turned the tide in Rollins direction (particularly if the plan is to have Seth go on and get his hands on Kev and Triple H), but it made the match all the better for it.

Neville Heel Turn

Having Neville pop up in any form would have been interesting due to WWE’s inability to do anything of value with him since he came up to the main roster. Having him come out and turn heel was a stroke of genius. We saw a sliver of Neville’s ability to work heel in his feud with Sami Zayn down in NXT when he began to wrestle a slightly different style, and I think his build and intensity make him a perfect fit for the top heel in this division. His promos need a bit of work, but if they let him be an ass kicker who does his talking in the ring then this could be a highlight of the next few months.

Raw Worthy

Kevin Owens beat Roman Reigns by DQ to retain the Universal Title

A World Title match is, of course, PPV worthy. A World Title match with a dodgy DQ finish is not. It screamed Raw main event and seemed to be done to set up a tag match between Owens and Jericho and Reigns and Rollins (which happened on Raw last night). I don’t hate Reigns the way that many do, but there is no denying that having him at the top of the card is madness. I don’t care if he gets a ‘reaction’, having your top face booed and your top heel cheered is a problem.

Sami Zayn survived against Braun Strowman

Zayn survived, but he was also in a position where Strowman could have pinned him at least twice. I have no problem with Braun dominating, but if we all know he could have won, then Zayn making it to ten minutes loses some of its shine. If you want to show his heart, could he not have had a few last second kick outs?

Throw in Mick Foley’s over acting and this feud screams second rate. I like everyone involved, but as of yet they haven’t clicked together, and I need something new before I want to see this again.

Rich Swann beat Brian Kendrick and TJ Perkins to retain the Cruiserweight Championship

While the aftermath of this match was great, the encounter itself was just there. Which kind of sums up the Cruiserweight Division at the moment. The fans react to the big spots, but no one seems to care, least of all the writers. All three of these men are very talented, and they have a division behind them that might be even better. However, as I’ve said before, if you don’t give them a story that doesn’t matter.