THE WRESTLING REPORT
WWE actually turns in a solid week of programming
Jun 19, 2019, 6:26 am
THE WRESTLING REPORT
Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio, Sports. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio shows www.nerdthugradio.com!
Raw started off with a bang with Seth Rollins attacking Elias with a chair after Elias announced he would be the special guest referee for Baron Corbin vs Seth Rollins championship match at Stomping Ground. Seth then proceeded to spend the rest of the show stalking anyone who even considered being the special guest referee for Baron's match. The five man match for the right to challenge Samoa Joe for for his title was nothing special and the list of the five guys who competed is basically that same list of five guys who have been in the mix for everything lately.
While the rise of Ricochet has been great and fun to watch, putting him on par with Straun Browman and The Miz feels artificial and honestly over reaching, but then again maybe not, Kofi is doing great as the WWE Heavyweight champion.It was nice to see Hulk Hogan back on Raw even if it was for a video segment cheering on the Women's Soccer Team in the World Cup. If you think WWE, you think Hulk Hogan if you're over a certain age and it was sly of WWE to promote a live sporting event on future networking partner FS1. Alexa Bliss is absolutely one of the best women's stars in WWE and I'm glad she's back to getting into the ring. I don't know if its injuries or whatever but I'm glad she's back at it.
Smackdown started off with some of the great mic work from Legendary mic champions, The New Day. The Alexa Bliss and Bayley rivalry continues to build very well, and it feels like a natural fight coming between the two of them and it's exciting. Aleister Black keeps cutting these interesting promos and honestly I don't understand why they haven't started booking him into a feud of some kind, is he hurt? Is there no one for him to fight? Also, when are they going to bring back Bray Wyatt? I have questions, as you can tell.
The continued evolution of Shane McMahon as a new authority figure who is rewarding the guys he works with who loyally serve him isn't a new concept, but it's working really well here and this roster of guys working together to further Shane and their own goals is fun to watch. It gives guys like The Miz and Roman Reigns someone else to fight against, although incorporating the 24/7 title into the story continues to make that title so annoying, it's clearly a joke title at this point. Overall this week was a lot better than ones in recent memory, but Stomping Grounds doesn't seem that exciting and honestly I'm just not feeling it.
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The Houston Astros host the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night looking to keep momentum rolling and hand the Jays their fifth straight loss. First pitch is set for 7:40 p.m. EDT at Daikin Park.
Both teams enter the matchup with nearly identical records—Houston at 12-11, Toronto at 12-12—but they’re trending in opposite directions. The Astros have won six of their last ten and boast an 8-6 record at home, while the Blue Jays have dropped four straight and are just 4-7 on the road.
Ryan Gusto gets the start for Houston, entering with a 2-1 record, a 3.18 ERA, and 17 strikeouts across three appearances. He’ll go up against Bowden Francis, who brings a 3.13 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP into the game, along with 20 strikeouts in his four starts.
Jeremy Peña continues to spark the Astros lineup with three homers and three doubles, while catcher Yainer Diaz has added timely hits despite a recent slump. For Toronto, George Springer leads the team with a .333 average, and Bo Bichette has been steady at the plate, going 14-for-45 over his last 10 games.
The Blue Jays have found success when they out-hit opponents, going 10-3 in those games—but Houston’s pitching staff has held opponents to just a 2.86 ERA over the past 10 outings.
The betting line has Toronto as slight road favorites at -120, with Houston at +100 and the over/under set at 8 runs.
Here's a look at tonight's lineup. Cam Smith gets the night off in right field, with Zach Dezenzo filling in. It appears Dezenzo's thumb is fine after banging it up sliding into second base a couple of night's ago.
Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot.
Jake Myers is also getting the night off as Chas McCormick gets the start in center. And Mauricio Dubon is getting the nod, starting over Brendan Rodgers at second base.