This week was a huge week for WWE and Lucha Underground. There was Monday Night Raw, which had the return of Vince McMahon. On NXT we had a dream match between Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor. On the same night was the inaugural episode of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic, as well as the second part (of three parts) of Ultima Lucha Dos. To end the week, WWE had the last taped episode of Thursday Night Smackdown, before it goes live on Tuesdays starting next week. With such a huge week, what were the best (and worst) moments in the squared circle?
The Best
Vince McMahon Announces Commissioners, with a Twist
Going into Monday Night Raw, everybody assumed that after the brand extension, Shane and Stephanie McMahon would be in charge of Raw and Smackdown in some capacity. Vince McMahon showed up on Raw last week to confirm this assumption. Shane would be the commissioner, and the face, of a new, fresher Smackdown. Stephanie kept her position on top of Monday Night Raw.
Although the McMahons were chosen to be the head honchos of their respective shows, it was revealed that they would need to name a General Manager to run the week-to-week activities. Speculation is running wild for who will be chosen, from former commissioners like Mick Foley to fresher faces like the recently retired (and Cruiserweight Classic commentator) Daniel Bryan.
The Cruiserweight Classic Begins
After months of anticipation, the first-ever WWE Cruiserweight Classic started last week right after NXT. Top notch cruiserweight wrestlers from all around the world were brought to WWE to compete in a single-elimination tournament. In the first episode we saw impressive victories from Gran Metalik, Cedric Alexander, Ho Ho Lun, and the early favorite, Kota Ibushi.
The Cruiserweight Classic is a great way for wrestling fans to get excited about new performers, independent promotions, and the potential next wave of WWE signees. It is incredibly exciting to imagine that over the next year or so, we could see Kota Ibushi, Gran Metalik, and Zack Sabre Jr. perform regularly in a WWE ring.
Enzo Amore Shows His Insanity
WWE posted a video on YouTube of Enzo Amore being interviewed by Catherine Kelly about the current state of WWE. Because of the draft happing in two days, Enzo Amore could be split up from his seven foot tall compadre. Instead of addressing any of that, Amore rambles on and on about politics, apartheid, and Drake. It’s complete insanity, and part of the reason why everybody loves Enzo Amore.
Dario Cueto Kills Mr. Cisco
Speaking of insanity, we shift over to The Temple. At the end of Ultima Lucha Dos, Mr. Cisco was sent in undercover to try to get Dario Cueto to prove he was guilty (of what, we don’t know) enough to be arrested by Joey Ryan and Cortez Castro. Cueto quickly figures out that Cisco is wearing a wire, and to take Cisco out of the picture, Cueto bludgeons him with a figure of a red bull.
The Worst
Banks/Brooke III and Another Pay-Per-View Tag Team Match
I love Sasha Banks. In fact, she is probably by favorite wrestler right now. However, I am not too fond of Dana Brooke, and even if I was, this would seem a little excessive. Sasha Banks defeated Brooke two matches in a row, then challenges Charlotte for the Women’s Championship. Charlotte decided that instead of being a true champion and defending her championship for the first time since June 20th, she would hide behind her “protege” again. The Women’s Champion felt that Sasha would need to defeat Brooke again to earn a title shot.
Banks would go ahead and defeat Brooke for the third time on Smackdown, but instead of a title shot, there would be a tag team match at Battleground. Charlotte and Dana Brooke will face Banks and whoever she finds as a tag team partner. It’s great that there are going to be two women’s matches at Battleground, but the Women’s Championship should also be defended at every Pay-Per-View.
Thanks to the week being so important for wrestling, there was not a lot that was actually bad. There were some things I could have done without, but there was not anything offensively bad enough to put on “The Worst” section. With next week starting the brand extension and ending with Battleground, hopefully this trend will continue for a while.
