WWE Wrap-Up
This week in WWE: Sasha Banks and Samoa Joe earn the final spots in their respective MITB matches
May 30, 2018, 3:27 pm
Banks qualified for MITB after a thrilling performance in the Gauntlet match. Photo by WWE.com
This is a weekly look at the action in the WWE:
Raw
Braun came to the ring to explain his plan to win the MITB match, so he can cash in on Brock Lesnar to become Universal Champion. Finn Balor followed him out to remind him who was the first Universal Champion. Strowman stated that Balor was, in fact, good, for a little guy. A disrespectful slap from Balor led to a match between the two. Balor looked like he was going to win the match until Kevin Owens got involved forcing a DQ. Seth Rollins interrupted Elias’ song in order to start his IC Title defense against Jinder Mahal. Rollins dominated the match until Samir Singh distracted the referee, allowing Mahal to attack Rollins with a chair. Rollins was not happy as he retaliated with a chair of his own causing a DQ. Elias surprised Rolllins by breaking his guitar on his back.
Nia Jax took an interesting approach in her match against an enhancement talent. Ronda Rousey, her opponent at MITB, watched from the stage, all the while, Jax explained just how she will defeat Rousey in Chicago. Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt defeated The Ascension as The B Team looked on in laughter. Kevin Owens surprised Bobby Roode with a roll up to win a match. Braun Strowman did not forget about his actions earlier in the night, though, as he congratulated him with a Running Power Slam. He, then, surprised Roode with one, as well.
Sami Zayn came to the ring to “apologize” to Bobby Lashley for his antics last week. Ashley challenged Zayn to a match at MITB, which he accepted. Chad Gable got his chance at redemption against Drew McIntyre. Unfortunately, Drew was not having it and defeated him with a Claymore. The B Team held a Memorial Day BBQ which ended with all the irrelevant tag teams having a food fight. An upset B Team put Rhyno through a table to end an excruciating segment. A Women’s Gauntlet match to decide the final entrant in the Women’s MITB match saw Bayley start the match and handle Liv Morgan quickly. She, then, rolled up Sarah Logan to eliminate her. Unfortunately for her, the two Riott Squad members teamed up to attack her and leave her on a silver platter for Ruby Riott, who eliminated Bayley. She continued on a roll eliminating Dana Brooke and Mickie James. The final entrant was Sasha Banks. Despite The Riott Squad’s efforts to help Ruby, Banks was able to put her away with The Banks Statement.
SmackDown Live
Samoa Joe opened the show name-dropping Daniel Bryan’s family. This, of course, upset Bryan who came down to the ring. Before the two even began scrapping, Big Cass made his return and attacked both of them with a crutch. Backstage, Paige announced the Daniel Bryan vs Samoa Joe qualifier would now be a Triple Threat featuring Big Cass. Nakamura defeated Tye Dillinger in the first match of the night after hitting him with a Kinshasa. He kneed Dillinger again after the match to ensure he would stay down for a ten count, just like he hopes Styles will at MITB. For some reason, Lana and Naomi had a dance off. It ended when Lana attacked the former Women’s Champion. Naomi got the last laugh, though, as The Usos and herself cleared the ring of Lana, Rusev and Aiden English.
The New Day took on The Miz and The Bar. Bodies flew everywhere, and Big E eventually pinned The Miz to win the match. Sonya Deville attacked Asuka on her way to the ring for her match against Mandy Rose. Unfortunately for Rose, that did not stop Asuka from submitting her via the Asuka Lock. The Triple Threat match for the last qualifying spot in the MITB match closed the show. The crowd exploded after Bryan hit Cass with a Running Knee, it appeared to be over. Joe snuck behind Bryan and chocked him out with a Coquina Clutch to qualify for the match.
After the final two qualifiers, we finally know who will be in the MITB matches. Well, sort of. The New Day probably will not reveal which of their members will be in the match, but I do not expect whoever it is to win anyway. My hope is that it is Kofi Kingston, we are all aware of what he can do around a ladder. The addition of Samoa Joe was the right call. I do not care to see Bryan in this match if he is not going to win it. His redemption story is still getting heated up. I can not even wrap my head around who I think will win this match yet. I just know anyone in it would be a great contract holder.
The Gauntlet match was my favorite match of the week. Sasha winning was going to happen, but the way she did it in that match was great. Ruby and Sasha absolutely stole the show.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
After finishing up with the Guardians the Astros have a rather important series for early May with the Seattle Mariners heading to town for the weekend. While it’s still too early to be an absolute must-win series for the Astros, losing the series to drop seven or eight games off the division lead would make successfully defending their American League West title that much more unlikely.
Since their own stumble out of the gate to a 6-10 record the Mariners have been racking up series wins, including one this week over the Atlanta Braves. The M’s offense is largely Mmm Mmm Bad, but their pitching is sensational. In 18 games after a 4-8 start, the Mariners gave up five runs in a game once. In the other 17 games they only gave up four runs once. Over the 18 games their starting pitchers gave up 18 earned runs total with a 1.44 earned run average. That’s absurd. Coming into the season Seattle’s starting rotation was clearly better on paper than those of the Astros and Texas Rangers, and it has crystal clearly played out as such into the second month of the schedule.
While it’s natural to focus on and fret over one’s own team's woes when they are plentiful as they have been for the Astros, a reminder that not all grass is greener elsewhere. Alex Bregman has been awful so far. So has young Mariners’ superstar Julio Rodriguez. A meager four extra base hits over his first 30 games were all Julio produced down at the ballyard. That the Mariners are well ahead of the Astros with J-Rod significantly underperforming is good news for Seattle.
Caratini comes through!
So it turns out the Astros are allowed to have a Puerto Rican-born catcher who can hit a little bit. Victor Caratini’s pedigree is not that of a quality offensive player, but he has swung the bat well thus far in his limited playing time and provided the most exciting moment of the Astros’ season with his two-out two-run 10th inning game winning home run Tuesday night. I grant that one could certainly say “Hey! Ronel Blanco finishing off his no-hitter has been the most exciting moment.” I opt for the suddenness of Caratini’s blow turning near defeat into instant victory for a team that has been lousy overall to this point. Frittering away a game the Astros had led 8-3 would have been another blow. Instead, to the Victor belong the spoils.
Pudge Rodriguez is the greatest native Puerto Rican catcher, but he was no longer a good hitter when with the Astros for the majority of the 2009 season. Then there’s Martin Maldonado.
Maldonado’s hitting stats with the Astros look Mike Piazza-ian compared to what Jose Abreu was doing this season. Finally, mercifully for all, Abreu is off the roster as he accepts a stint at rookie-level ball in Florida to see if he can perform baseball-CPR on his swing and career. Until or unless he proves otherwise, Abreu is washed up and at some point the Astros will have to accept it and swallow whatever is left on his contract that runs through next season. For now Abreu makes over $120,000 per game to not be on the roster. At his level of performance, that’s a better deal than paying him that money to be on the roster.
Abreu’s seven hits in 71 at bats for an .099 batting average with a .269 OPS is a humiliating stat line. In 2018 George Springer went to sleep the night of June 13 batting .293 after going hitless in his last four at bats in a 13-5 Astros’ win over Oakland. At the time no one could have ever envisioned that Springer had started a deep, deep funk which would have him endure a nightmarish six for 78 stretch at the plate (.077 batting average). Springer then hit .293 the rest of the season.
Abreu’s exile opened the door for Joey Loperfido to begin his Major League career. Very cool for Loperfido to smack a two-run single in his first game. He also struck out twice. Loperfido will amass whiffs by the bushel, he had 37 strikeouts in 101 at bats at AAA Sugar Land. Still, if he can hit .225 with some walks mixed in (he drew 16 with the Space Cowboys) and deliver some of his obvious power (13 homers in 25 games for the ex-Skeeters) that’s an upgrade over Abreu/Jon Singleton, as well as over Jake Meyers and the awful showing Chas McCormick has posted so far. Frankly, it seems unwise that the Astros only had Loperfido play seven games at first base in the minors this year. If McCormick doesn’t pick it up soon and with Meyers displaying limited offensive upside, the next guy worth a call-up is outfielder Pedro Leon. In January 2021 the Astros gave Leon four million dollars to sign out of Cuba and called him a “rapid mover to the Major Leagues.” Well…
Over his first three minor league seasons Leon flashed tools but definitely underwhelmed. He has been substantially better so far this year. He turns 26 May 28. Just maybe the Astros offense could be the cause of fewer Ls with Loperfido at first and Leon in center field.
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 YouTube: stone cold stros - YouTube with the complete audio available via Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.