WWE Wrap-Up
This week in WWE: Sami Zayn makes a statement before Fastlane
Mar 7, 2018, 1:01 pm
Sami Zayn surprised everyone when he pinned Kevin Owens in the main event of SDL. Photo by WWE.com
This is a weekly look at the action in the WWE:
Raw
An upset Kurt Angle opened Raw. He wants an apology for Triple H’s sucker punch last week. Of course, Stephanie McMahon came out instead and insisted Angle “use his head” and “know his role.” Ronda Rousey came to the defense of her friend. McMahon tried to get back on Rousey’s good side, but the former UFC Champion was not having it. Rousey revealed that her contract states she can have whatever opponent she wants at ‘Mania, and she wants Stephanie McMahon. Triple H rushed to the ring to try to prevent that match from happening. Angle, then, used his pull as GM to issue a tag match-Triple H and McMahon vs Angle and Rousey. The “Power Couple” tried cheap shots, but Rousey got the upper hand after hitting McMahon with a Samoan Drop. Asuka defeated Nia Jax after trapping her in an Arm Bar that Jax could not break, despite her best efforts. The Bar defeated The Revival after Cesaro hit Dawson with the Goch Neutralizer.
John Cena came to Raw to explain how he will break Ric Flair’s record for World Championship titles at Fastlane. That will be his path to WrestleMania. For some reason, Goldust interrupted Cena, and it led into a match that Cena won after an Attitude Adjustment. Bayley came out to explain her issues with her friend Sasha Banks, but was interrupted by Absolution and her opponent of the night, Mandy Rose. Bayley defeated Rose with a roll up. Absolution began attacking Bayley after her match as Banks raced down to the ring to save her friend. Banks tried to embrace her, but was rejected by Bayley who chose to leave the ring instead. Alexa Bliss consoled an upset Nia Jax backstage.
A “Symphony of Destruction” match between Elias and Braun Strowman was scheduled to begin the last hour. Elias tried to escape the arena, instead. Strowman caught him and chased him back. Strowman defeated Elias after collapsing a piano over him and pinning him at the top of the ramp. Matt Hardy teased a visit to the Hardy compound for Bray Wyatt. The Mizzies made their triumphant return. Of course, Miz used these awards to insult people like Balor, Rollins, and Angle. Rollins, followed by Balor, crashed the award show, much to Miz’s chagrin. The Intercontinental Champ, therefore, challenged them to a Handicap Match against Him and the Mizterouge. The two had issues working together, but were eventually able to defeat Miz and the gang. Angle came out after the match to announce Miz will be defending his Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania in a Triple Threat Match against Rollins and Balor. Paul Heyman responded to Roman Reigns’ comments last week. He explained Brock is not the “bitch,” but the Universal Title is “Brock’s bitch.” Reigns, then, closed the show telling Heyman to inform Brock to show up to Raw next week ready to fight, not to talk.
SmackDown Live
Ruby Riott and Charlotte opened the show exchanging words before their championship match at Fastlane. Riott called for her squad when things began getting too personal, but nothing came from it as the Riott Squad left the ring when Bobby Roode came out to watch the first match of the night, Randy Orton vs Jinder Mahal. Orton shoved Mahal into Roode when the two were brawling outside. As Orton was trying to set up for the RKO, Roode pulled up to the rope and caused a distraction allowing Mahal to win the match. Sami Zayn reiterated that he will allow Owens to win at Fastlane if the opportunity presents itself. Backstage, Rusev challenged Nakamura to a match on Sunday. Nakamura accepted, claiming that Fastlane will be Nakamura Day. Becky Lynch submitted Carmella with a Disarmer. Backstage, Naomi challenged Natalya to a tag match at Fastlane, Naomi and Becky Lynch vs Natalya and Carmella.
AJ Styles came to the ring to talk about Cena’s promo on Raw about taking his WWE Championship at Fastlane. He explained that he will walk into ‘Mania a champion, so he can have his dream match against Nakamura. Dolph Ziggler came to the ring to tell Styles he was full of it. The two were scheduled for a match in the main event, but Styles decided he wanted to fight Ziggler then and there. Owens and Zayn raced down to the ring to attack the two. The attack was successful, but it lead to Shane McMahon scheduling a Fatal Fiveway featuring those four men and Baron Corbin. Bodies flew around and eventually the match was won by Sami Zayn, who pinned none other than his best friend, Kevin Owens.
Boy, oh boy, was this week about scheduling matches.
Raw started the week scheduling two huge matches for WrestleMania. I am not sure I want to see anybody wrestle in the tag match with Rousey and Angle, but there is no denying it is a big match. On the other hand, the Triple Threat Match for the Intercontinental Championship should be one of the biggest matches on the card. Raw did a great job at beginning to form the ‘Mania card, and, man was it exciting.
SmackDown did the same thing, only for the less anticipated Fastlane. The show should be fine, but, frankly, I am ready for the show to catch up to Raw and begin building to WrestleMania. The matches on the card will be good, but except for a few of them, they will not matter in the grand scheme of WrestleMania.
Come next Monday, we will be getting down to the nitty-gritty. More matches will be announced for 'Mania as we turn our heads to New Orleans. Hopefully, SmackDown finds momentum the way Raw has.
How 3 major x-factors could tip the scales in Texans-Colts: Week 1
Sep 5, 2024, 7:27 pm
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.