Right Hook Review (10/21/2024-10/25/2024)

I didn’t do a review last week, but I want to cover a few essential points. The Motor City Machine Guns debuted on SmackDown, and it was great to see them. I’m happy they are in WWE, and it looks like they want to make the tag team division more meaningful.

Monday Night Raw (10/21/2024)
Sadly, Samantha Irvin is leaving WWE. In her short time there, she created some memorable moments. I hope she returns because she is fantastic, but having Lillian Garcia return will work.

The feud between Seth Rollins and Bronson Reed is still going strong. Giving Reed a big match at Crown Jewel is a good move, and I’m looking forward to it.

I’m excited about what might happen with Final Testament and Wyatt Sicks. Some people aren’t thrilled, but this could make both sides more interesting.

Solo and the Bloodline interrupted Jey Uso’s title match and cost him the title. This follows Jey’s appearance in the previous week’s SmackDown and sets up a possible Bloodline family War Games match at Survivor Series. #BloodlineCivilWar

NXT (10/22/2024)
NXT had its ups and downs, leaning towards the disappointing side. The standout issue remains Wendy Choo, whose gimmick continues to drag down the show’s momentum; it’s seen as unappealing and repetitive, especially in the lead-up to Halloween. Tatum Paxley offers a more engaging version of a similar character.

The introduction of the tag team Hank & Tank has also raised eyebrows. Their mid-1990s style personas seem to fit the current presentation and fail to enhance the tag team division despite attempts to include popular names like Lola Vice or Nikkita Lyons alongside them, which will not make them likable.

On a brighter note, Oba Femi’s dominance over the Family showcased his potential as a star, highlighting the mistake of having him lose the North American title to Tony D’Angelo. Additionally, Zaria’s debut was promising, bolstered by impactful vignettes that positioned her as a significant player, particularly within the women’s division, which remains a focal point for NXT’s future.

AEW Dynamite (10/23/2024)
AEW continues to present a mix of frustration and occasional highlights. This week, Shelton Benjamin stood out with another impressive match, bringing a refreshing change of pace to the usual offerings. However, the Kyle Fletcher promo fell flat; despite his in-ring talent, his microphone skills are lacking, particularly in his developing feud with Ospreay. Don Callis’s involvement is preferable, albeit not a significant improvement but can understand the approach they are trying here.

Christian’s storyline as a patriarch worsens with the inclusion of Kip Sabian, who seems to add little value to AEW, or Christian himself, who struggles to generate genuine heat from the audience. In contrast, Adam Cole’s reunion with Roderick Strong and the group was all right but hopefully will do something positive for Adam Cole. MJF’s video appearance made the segment slightly more tolerable. However, the reasoning behind revisiting this storyline remains unclear.

Lastly, Chris Jericho’s victory over Mark Briscoe for the ROH title was met with disdain, as it seemed nonsensical and unproductive, further fueling feelings that Jericho has become a detrimental presence in the company. The chaotic main event saw Moxley and his play on the NWO on Temu attacking Chuck Taylor, which finally sparked anger from Orange Cassidy. This storyline resembles the classic WCW vs. NWO feud or a feeble attempt at it anyway. Still, if Tony Khan attempts to position Cassidy as his version of Sting, it only deepens the doubts about his direction for the company.

Friday Night Smackdown 10/25/2024

Triple H and Randy Orton’s segment was good, setting up the match at Crown Jewel between Orton and Owens, which should be a show-stealer. Gunther and Cody going back and forth was not a good outing for the WWE Undisputed champion because the Ring General owned him on the microphone on Friday Night.

The Motor City Machine Guns were the feature of this episode of Smackdown, from their excellent match with #DIY (which hopefully gives us a much-needed Ciampa turn, who is better as a single) to winning the tag team titles from the Bloodline in their third match can only provide us with optimism that on Friday Nights tag team wrestling will be presented more prominently to attempt to revive that style of wrestling without it being constant multiple team car wreck matches to do so.

The Bloodline situation is heading in the direction I hoped it would go, especially with Jimmy and Jey giving us the Uso reunion. It would be awesome if this led to a Usos vs. Guerillas of Destiny tag match. While it may not have happened when we expected it, we will get this dream match in the right circumstances, making it more meaningful.