Highlights:
Triple H- Say what you want about WWE deciding to put the belt on a part-timer who's now more involved in the corporate, behind the scenes aspects of WWE than the in-ring wrestling product, but at the end of the day, there's a reason why HHH is a 13-time champ. We all know he can go in the ring, and last Monday night, he proved to us that he's still got it on the mic as well. He's got a way with words that few others do, and his work on Monday proved that, when given the opportunity, the man can deliver one heckuva promo.
Becky Lynch/Sasha Banks/Charlotte angle- Finally, it seems like we're getting the Divas Revolution fans have been hoping and praying for ever since these three NXT studs debuted last summer. While Paige, arguably one of the biggest catalysts for this revolution (see: Low Points) is nowhere to be seen, these three talented Divas are seemingly finally getting a chance to showcase their talents on a big stage. With Creative finally giving fans a reason to be interested in the Divas division, these ladies are taking the ball and running with it. Just imagine this: a triple-threat match at Fastlane where Charlotte retains in some wonky way. The next night, Becky and Sasha unite in a temporary truce in order to demand a rematch. While Charlotte seems reluctant at first, Stephanie McMahon then comes out and books a three-way Iron Man match for Wrestlemania. Finally, the next night on Raw, no matter who the champ is, Bayley finally comes out and makes her debut. Bam. Talk about exciting.
The Miz is...Awesome- I have to admit, as weird as it may seem, the Miz is one of the most underrated performers in all of WWE. They once again used the "returning superstar" angle to perfection by using him to swerve the audience, and he did a fantastic job selling himself as this cocky, delusional "movie star". Add to that his impressive performance in the match vs Kalisto, and it was a very solid night for Mike Mizanin. Side note: Miz does a great job of selling his aggression in the ring, some of those punches looked pretty painful to take. He doesn't get much credit for it, but Miz consistently plays his character fantastically, and, as far as I'm concerned, generally puts on pretty solid matches in the ring (not to mention his outstanding work as an ambassador for the company).
New Day ROCKs- Yet again, the most entertaining Superstars in WWE delivered a fantastic performance, showing that they can hang with even some of the most legendary performers this business has ever seen (although, you may want to check the Low Points category for more on that...). Going toe to toe with the Rock on the mic, the trio of Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, and Big E continued their amazing streak of stellar performances under this gimmick, delivering quality line after quality line after quality line ("I got that snipped"...I lost it). Considering how bland their act was at first, these three have done an absolutely fantastic job of grabbing that brass ring and running with it. All three of these guys have impressed so much, with all three guys really coming out of their shells, embracing the gimmick, and doing a fantastic job with it. The fact that they were given a segment with the Rock speaks volumes of what the backstage brass has come to think of them, and deservedly so, they were fantastic again Monday night.
Other brief notes: Did you hear the pop from the crowd when the Bray Wyatt vs. Kane match first flashed on screen? That was impressive. Also, the Goldust/Truth segment...I'm not sure if that was funny or just plain weird. It's too bad that they've been relegated to what are essentially comedy roles, because both of those guys are supremely talented in and out of the ring. Finally, the AJ Styles match was also very solid, Jericho did a great job of putting him over as a legit star. And the postmatch exchange was rather interesting as well...
Low Points
Rock's segment- Now, there are likely going to be a lot of fans out there who disagree with me. However, in my opinion, the Rock's segment last Monday night dragged on way too long, was a bit cringy at some points, and treated two of WWE's possible top future stars like jobbers. While the encounter with Miz may have been admittedly pretty funny (the "park the Rock's car" line was high quality), the majority of that segment was simply unnecessary and unentertaining. Firstly, the segment with Big Show was not funny, and it simply portrayed Rocky as a jerk. Next, while the segment with Lana and Rusev may have been funny at some points, I simply wanted to cringe at some points. A supposedly strong woman, one whom the WWE is reportedly very high on, was reduced to the role of an easy, dependant, object. She simply grinned and played along as the Rock insulted her and her womanhood, as well as her fiance. From a storyline perspective, this simply doesn't make sense (as well as how Rusev simply let Rocky walk away after that. A year ago, he was an unstoppable crushing machine. Now, he's simply a glorified jobber for Reigns as part of the League of Nations. It's a dang shame). Finally, despite the crowd's response, I was not a fan of his promo in the ring either. The quick detour to the fans at ringside was a bit odd, and slightly cringy, and even his confrontation with the New Day seemed to lack his usual gusto. Overall, while Rock certainly is a major star, and his return is big news, his return simply wasn't played out to perfection.
Total Divas—Total Flop- Don't get me wrong, in the minds of WWE's executives, the show is most likely a pretty big hit. Frankly, they have good reason to think that. By having a show on E!, not only does WWE expand its potential audience, but also increases revenue, as well as overall awareness of the company and its Superstars/Divas. However, the "flop" part comes into play when WWE tries to mix in Total Divas storylines into its regular weekly programming. Simply put, this goes against everything that the Divas Revolution is supposed to stand for. Paige is once again floating in Creative purgatory, with no visible direction, and Natalya, one of the most talented Divas in the company, is once again given no storyline, no discernible gimmick, and no reason for fans to care about her. While the likes of Becky Lynch, Charlotte, and Sasha Banks are finally being given the opportunity to show off their talents on the big stage, which is a step in the right direction, many others are simply being shoved to the side. If WWE truly wants fans to start caring about its Divas, it has to do a lot more.
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