WWE Wrap-Up
This week in WWE: Champions of Raw and SmackDown Live to face-off at Survivor Series
Oct 25, 2017, 11:06 am
This is a weekly look at the action in the WWE:
“You still got it” chants welcomed Kurt Angle to the ring to open Raw. The general manager, who last wrestled for the WWE eleven years ago, made his return to the ring as an honorary member of The Shield. Angle announced that at this year’s Survivor Series the champions of Raw would be taking on the champions of SmackDown Live. Additionally, the traditional five on five tag match will take place. A woman’s five on five tag match will happen, as well. The Miz raced to the ring to explain his displeasure with Angle. He explained that he had no business replacing Reigns when he could not compete at TLC, and he was going to make him pay for it. As Miz and The Mizterouge surrounded Angle, The Shield came down through the crowd for the save. Angle, then, announced Miz, Cesaro, and Sheamus would be facing Ambrose, Rollins, and AJ Styles, who stayed an extra day after filling in to replace Bray Wyatt in his match against Finn Balor. That six man tag match was the first match of the night. Booker T explained this fast paced match is something fans should be looking forward to at Survivor Series. The tag champs would dive onto The Miz and Sheamus outside of the ring allowing Styles to finish Cesaro with a Phenomenal Forearm. All of the lights turned red as Kane came down the ramp to lay out the winning team and end their celebration. After a commercial break, Kane remained in the ring to explain why he attacked his partner at TLC, Braun Strowman. Kane was tired of sitting back and watching another man dominate Raw. He, “will always be the only real monster” on the red team. He, then, asked real competition to come down to the ring. Finn Balor answered his challenge.
Kane dominated the early part of the match, but Balor found a glimmer of hope when he tripped him up into the steel steps. Balor attempted to go for his Coup De Gras finisher, but Kane would catch him from the top rope. Three Choke Slams later, Kane would pin Balor to win the match. SmackDown Live commissioner, Shane McMahon, met up with Kurt Angle backstage. The two exchanged jokes about how much better their respective brand is. Asuka made her debut on Raw after Emma asked for a rematch after their match at TLC. Emma attempted to roll up Asuka, but she would counter the pin and submit Emma with her Asuka Lock finisher. Woman’s Champion, Alexa Bliss, talked about her match at Survivor Series against SmackDown Live’s Women’s Champion, Natalya. She, then, went on to insult fans for their lack of appreciation for her. Mikey James grew tired of Bliss and laid her out in the center of the ring. Elias had his rematch with Jason Jordan after the controversial finish to their match at TLC. Just when it looked like Jordan was gaining the upper hand, Elias shattered his guitar into Jordan’s shoulder causing him to lose the match via disqualification.
Brock Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman, had a lot to say about the WWE Champion, Jinder Mahal. Last week, Mahal challenged the Universal Champion to a match at Survivor Series. Heyman explained that he respected every single opponent who challenged Lesner, but he does not respect Mahal. He is nothing but a “conciliation prize champion”, and Lesnar should have no problems with him in four weeks at Survivor Series. The captain of the Raw Woman’s team for Survivor Series was decided in a triple threat match between Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Alicia Fox. Banks would place Fox in the Banks Statement, but Fox would find a way to escape. She would, then, shove Banks into Bayley, and pin Bayley to win the match. Alicia Fox will captain the Raw team. The team of Kalisto, Gran Metalik, Mustafa Ali, Rich Swann, and Cedric Alexander took on Enzo Amore, Noam Dar, Dew Gulak, Tony Neese, and Divari. The baby face team would clear the ring of Enzo’s goons allowing Kalisto to pin Amore with the Salida del Sol. Kurt Angle came to the ring to close Raw by announcing who would be representing the brand at Survivor Series. Before he could even speak, Shane McMahon and several SmackDown Live competitors came to the ring through the crowd. “Under Siege”, said McMahon into the mic as his team raced backstage to attack who ever they could find from the Raw roster.
Highlight of the Night: The SmackDown Live invasion. Is it confusing to see the moral compass of the blue brand, Becky Lynch, ambushing who ever she could find backstage, sure. But it was the moment where the build for Survivor Series began.
Shane McMahon opened SmackDown Live boasting over the blue brand’s ambush on Raw the night before. He would, then, face off with Sami Zayn for the first time since Zayn got involved in McMahon’s match with Kevin Owens. Zayn told McMahon that Owens and him would represent the blue team at Survivor Series because they know how much he needs them. McMahon would, instead, explain to Zayn that he will only represent the blue brand if he defeated Randy Orton. The New Day took on Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable in the first match of the night. Benjamin and Gable would win the match after Benjamin blindsided Woods with a kick to the back, allowing Gable to pin him for the win. Breezango and The Ascension returned with another episode of Fashion Files and another tribute to Quintin Tarantino with a parody of Reservoir Dogs. Daniel Bryan expressed his frustrations with Shane McMahon. He was not too fond of SmackDown Live’s attack on Raw. Baron Corbin would lose via disqualification for the second week in a row to Sin Cara. After the loss, Corbin dragged Sin Cara to the outside and hit him with his End of Days finisher.
Jinder Mahal responded to Paul Heyman, or, as he put it, “The Human Walrus.” AJ Styles interrupted Mahal and faced off against Sunil Singh. The match ended almost as soon as it started as Styles submitted the Singh Brother with The Calf Crusher. Becky Lynch, Naomi, Tamina, Carmella, and Charlotte Flair participated in a fatal five way to determine who would captain SmackDown Live’s Women’s team at Survivor Series. Becky Lynch would be named captain after submitting Carmella with her Disarmer finisher. Bobby Roode challenged Dolph Ziggler to a Two out of Three Falls match on next week’s episode of SmackDown Live. Sami Zayn took on Randy Orton in the main event. Kevin Owens tried to get involved in the match, but it ended up costing Zayn. Orton returned Zayn’s low blow from last week and finished him off with an RKO. He will be the first member of the blue team at Survivor Series.
Sami Zayn’s exchange with Shane McMahon. He has new found confidence. Genuinely, he’s filling the roll of the guy who broke bad really well. He’s an accessory to Kevin Owens, and we are seeing a side to him we have never seen in a WWE ring.
Raw gets the edge this week, but only because of the invasion from Shane McMahon and the SmackDown Live roster. Just like the blue team invaded Raw, we should see the red team ambush SmackDown Live. This should lead to some awesome brawls and face-offs like we saw this week. I am fairly confident that we will see several weeks of consistent television with all the meshing between the brands. That is going to make it harder for me to choose who had the better week, but it will, without a doubt, make the build to Survivor Series stronger.
Each football game of a season carries much more weight than one game in a 162 Major League Baseball schedule. That reality, combined with the National Football League campaign opening and with it the most anticipated season in Texans’ history, the Astros are relegated to second banana this weekend. Just the way it goes despite the Astros’ phenomenal extended run from 10 games out of first place in mid-June to now having control of the American League West race and a likely (though definitely not yet certain) eighth consecutive year of postseason play.
It is reality that getting swept out of Cincinnati cost the Astros two games in the standings to Seattle the last two days and trimmed their division lead to four and a half games going into this weekend. There was nothing shameful about getting swept. It’s not as if they choked. They got outplayed and beaten in all three games. Stuff happens within a 162-game season. The 2019 Astros were vastly better than the 2024 Astros. The 2019 ‘Stros posted the best record in franchise history at 107-55. In Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole they had the two best pitchers in the AL. The Reds finished 75-87 in ’19. In the lone Astros-Reds series five years ago, Verlander and Cole started two of the three games. The Reds swept the Astros out of Cincy by scores of 3-2, 4-3, and 3-2. Stuff happens. The following week the Astros called up Yordan Alvarez. There is no Yordan coming to fortify the offense now, but wait! Is that Kyle Tucker's music?
The Astros host the NL champs this weekend
It’s highly unlikely but it’s still a possible World Series preview at Minute Maid Park this weekend with the Astros home for three games versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. The reigning National League Champions woke up under .500 July 11, but since then have been sizzling with 33 wins against just 15 losses. Over the same time frame the Astros are 27-21. The Diamondbacks by a large margin have scored the most runs in MLB this season, and that’s while playing the last nearly three weeks without Ketel Marte because of a high ankle sprain. Marte has been far and away the best second baseman in the game this year. He may return this weekend in a designated hitter role. The Arizona offense overall has been sensational, however it has vulnerability against left-handed pitching, in significant part because it typically takes lefty-hitting platoon beast Joc Pederson out of the lineup. The D’Backs are 55-35 in games facing right-handed starters, just 24-27 in games started by opposing southpaws. The Astros have lefties Framber Valdez and Yusei Kikuchi set to go in the first two games this weekend. While the Astros deal with the Diamondbacks the Mariners are in St. Louis for three against the Cardinals.
Eleven Diamondbacks have had at least 200 plate appearances this season. Only one of them has an OPS below .725. The Astros also have 11 guys with at least 200 PAs. Five of them lug around sub-.715 OPSes: Jeremy Pena (.714), Jake Meyers (.664), Mauricio Dubon (.645), Jon Singleton (.697), and Chas McCormick (.566).
Maximizing Tucker's return
Speaking of returns, Tucker fiiiiiiinally should see action for the first time since his June 3 bone bruise. Oh wait, broken leg. Shame on the Astros for their BSing over this and other injuries. Yeah, Alex Bregman slept funny. Whatever. To boost the lineup Tucker doesn’t have to be the .979 OPS MVP candidate he was when felled. Ben Gamel has done some good work, but over time he’s Ben Gamel. Same for Jason Heyward. If Tucker's legs are under him his power is a B-12 shot and only Yordan is in his league in on-base percentage. Joe Espada has decisions to make as to how slot the batting order. Against a right-handed starter Jose Altuve, Tucker, Alvarez, Yainer Diaz, Bregman one through five makes sense with Tucker dropping down below Yainer against a left-handed starter. No question those are the top five in some order. How much of a workload Tucker is ready for bears watching. Presumably he doesn’t initially play the outfield day in day out. When Tucker DHs obviously Bregman (and Yordan) can’t so Alex’s ailing elbow holding up is key. One might say hopefully the bone chips don’t fall where they may. Tuesday the Astros start a stretch playing 16 days in a row.
Keep hope alive!
If you’re an Astros fan holding out hope of chasing down the second seed to avoid having to play the best-of-three Wild Card series, say it with me, whatever nausea it may induce: “Go Dodgers Go!” Hurt as it might, business is business. The Dodgers play host to the Guardians. The Astros trail Cleveland by five games with just 22 to play, but do finish the regular season with three games at Cleveland. It's pretty much over for the Astros to catch both the Orioles and Yankees.
Season-long trends mean nothing once the playoffs start, and that’s a good thing for the Astros provided they are in the playoffs. They continue to flat out stink in close games. Thursday’s 1-0 loss to the Reds has the Astros record in one-run games at 15-24. In two-run games they are 10-14. Correlatively, the Astros also continue to routinely fail late in close games. The Astros have played 14 games that were tied after seven innings. They have lost 11 of the 14. In games tied after eight innings they are 7-13. Every team loses an extremely high percentage of games when trailing after eight innings, but the Astros haven’t pulled out a single game they’ve trailed going to the ninth. 0-50. Oh and fifty. But hey, the White Sox are 0-92!
*Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and I discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.