The Royal Rumble used to my favourite WWE event. However, recent years have seen it drop down my rankings. A few listless efforts have led to worries that they’ve lost their magic. As you settle into this show, you better hope not because we’re getting two of the buggers. Let’s dish out some stars.
I was dreading TLC. The combination of a pumpkin vs Norman Bates, a powerpoint presentation and a stupid main event didn’t do much for me. Then illness hit WWE (get better soon everyone), and it got interesting. Suddenly, two former leaders of The Bullet Club were going head to head. There was still a lot wrong with this card, but at least I now wanted to watch it. Let’s dish out some stars.
No Mercy has, for the longest time, been a nothing PPV. One that is purely there to fill a gap. Then, this year, WWE got a bit excited, and we suddenly had a card headed up by two potential WrestleMania main events. It was a strange move, and the fact that the show wasn’t sold out a few days beforehand spoke volumes as to how successful it was (WWE reported it as a sellout on the day, but who knows if that was true). No Mercy felt like it had been given the chance to shine, and it was floundering. All of that would, however, be forgiven if it delivered in the ring. Let’s dish out those stars.
My God, that was long. I watched three wrestling shows over the weekend (TakeOver and ROH’s show in Edinburgh being the other two), and I could have watched both of those again in the time that it took me to watch all of Summerslam and its pre-show. But, I survived and have come out the other end a wiser and more cynical man. Let’s hand out some stars.
NXT Takeover: Respect felt like a strange show going into it. It was lacking the hype of previous NXT shows. Despite on paper, looking like it could be fantastic. It featured two women main eventing an NXT Special for the first time and the conclusion of the Dusty Roads Classic. Throw in the debuting Asuka and this show should have felt huge. Thankfully what it lacked in hype, it more than made up for on the day.