![This week in WWE: Shield hints at reunion](https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODc2OTM4MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTc2MDk5ODQyN30.LOxnazyEKFtjz240yWk339x4oswV_gQbtYKyW2EURDM/img.jpg?width=980&quality=65)
Rumors of Shield getting the band back together are swirling. Photo by WWE.com
This is a weekly look at the action in the WWE:
Raw
Braun Strowman vs Seth Rollins opened Raw from Denver, Colorado this week. Rollins would see an opening to bring down Strowman, but it would not be enough. Strowman would recover and defeat Rollins with a Running Power Slam. He would continue to attack Rollins until his tag team partner, Dean Ambrose ran down to attempt to save Rollins. Strowman would, eventually, get the best out of Ambrose and lay him out. The Bar, Cesaro and Sheamus, would, then, come out to beat Ambrose and Rollins while they were down to end the segment. Mickie James would hunt down Alexa Bliss backstage after she pranked her by leaving a walker and adult diapers for her in her locker room. Bliss would refuse to take on an “older woman” in the ring. Her friend, Nia Jax, on the other hand, had no problem with it at all. Elias’ feud with Titus World Wide continued this week as he defeated Titus O’Neil. Nia Jax vs. Mickie James would close the first hour. James would hit Jax with a Tornado DDT, but, before she could even go for a pin, Alexa Bliss would get involve to prevent James from winning. James would go on the outside of the ring and brawl with Bliss before walking away on top.
Renee Young attempted to interview Cruiserweight Champion, Enzo Amore. Instead, Amore would only stand there, speechless, reflecting on how Neville and the rest of the Cruiserweight division attacked him the week before. Matt Hardy and Jason Jordan tagged again. This time, it was against Gallows and Anderson. The latter team would go on to win via their Magic Killer finisher. Roman Reigns would challenge for The Miz’s Intercontinental Championship. The Miz continued to mock Reigns and The Shield by recreating the entrance of the faction. Reigns would eliminate The Mizterouge from the equation by attacking them before the match began, leaving him and Miz alone. Just when it looked like Reigns would win the title, The Bar came from the crowd and aided The Miz in his attack of Reigns. The Miz would, again, mock The Shield. This week, it was with the help of The Bar, though.
Finn Balor made his way to the ring to call out Bray Wyatt. He has been playing mind games with Balor for months now, and Balor is tired of it. Wyatt would respond via a video package. He would tell Balor that Sister Abagail never lied to him, and that she is dying to meet Balor. Bayley and Sasha Banks teamed up again this week to take on Emma and Alicia Fox. They would win the match after Emma would walk away on Fox leaving her to take the pin from Bayley. For the second week in a row, Enzo Amore closed Monday Night Raw. He made that known to the crowd and went on to criticize how weak the division is. The whole division made their way to the ring to attack Amore, but, before they could even touch him, Amore announced that any one who touched him would be fired. Kurt Angle made his way to the ring to confirm that not one of them could touch Amore, except for his newest signing to the Cruiserweight division. Kalisto raced to the ring and laid out Amore with the Salida del Sol. Raw would, then, close with Roman Reigns sitting in his locker room still recovering from his earlier attack. Suddenly, Ambrose and Rollins walk into his locker room and nod their heads leading fans to believe their reunion will in fact happen.
Highlight of the Night: The Bar getting involved in the match between The Miz and Roman Reigns. Their involvement was completely unexpected, and it finally gave Ambrose and Rollins a reason to help Reigns and reunite as The Shield.
SmackDown Live
SmackDown Live opened with Shinsuke Nakamura in the ring to talk about his match with WWE Champion, Jinder Mahal, at Hell in a Cell. Before he could get too far into his promo, he was interrupted by The Signh Brothers. As they “introduced” Mahal, he snuck up behind Nakamura attacking him. The first match of the night saw Becky Lynch and Charlotte tag against Natalya and Carmella. The latter team would end up victorious after Charlotte tapped out to Natalya’s Sharp Shooter. After a commercial break, a package aired to hype up Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens at Hell in a Cell. Bobby Roode defeated Mike Kanellis almost immediately with a Glorious DDT. Dolph Ziggler, then, made his way to the ring mocking Roode’s entrance. He explained to Roode that he would expose him for what he was, “nothing more than an entrance”. The Usos closed the first hour of the show shouting how they were the tag team to elevate the division on the blue brand. The New Day would, then, make their way to the ring to agree with The Usos. They have, in fact, elevated the division together, but that will not stop The New Day from retaining their Tag Team titles.
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal would talk backstage about his attack on Shinsuke Nakamura to open the show. He explained that this attack was very much a sign of the things that are to come. Tye Dillinger took on Baron Corbin while United States Champion, AJ Styles, watched from backstage. Dillinger would roll up Corbin and surprise him and win. Styles would then come on the big screen to explain how nothing will be handed to Corbin. He is not going to be able to take short cuts against AJ Styles. Rusev and Aiden English made their way to the ring to discuss what Orton did to them the week before. Orton would interrupt Rusev and make his way to the ring for his match against English. Orton would go on to win the match after hitting English with an RKO. Shane McMahon made his way to the ring to talk about his match against Kevin Owens. Owens came down through the crowd but would refuse to face him in the ring. So, McMahon followed him into the crowd where Owens blindsided him with an attack. Owens would go on to explain how he would destroy him this Sunday. All the while, McMahon struggled to make his way back to the ring. Owens would close the show with a Pop Up Power Bomb to a defenseless McMahon.
Highlight of the Night: Every once in a while, Orton will hit an awesome RKO on his opponent. This was definitely the case, for the second week in the row with the RKO that finished the match with Aiden English.
How do they compare?
Raw kept the ball rolling this week. Since they began to build for No Mercy, the show had been relatively good. The same cannot be said about SmackDown Live, though. The show has had some great moments, but it is unfortunate that they have not built up the feuds in the mid card as well as they did the main event scene. For a “go home” show, this weeks episode of SmackDown Live did not do as much as it should have to get Hell in a Cell over. It does not feel as big as No Mercy felt for Raw two weeks ago. For now, Raw has all the momentum. TLC is not scheduled until the end of the month, but I can already say I am more excited for it than I am for Hell in a Cell.
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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.