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WWE KING AND QUEEN OF THE RING 2024
THE KING GENERAL
Gunther is the King of the Ring after an amazing match with Randy Orton, that was sadly overshadowed by a blown finish. It was impossible to miss, even on rear camera angles, so instead of ignoring it, Paul Levesque addressed it. Unlike the previous regime, where they would have carried on like nothing happened, WWE are going to take this controversy and make it part of the story. The match was a masterclass in how to get so much out of so little and make every single thing mean something. Randy Orton’s selling was top tier, as Gunther worked over his back, knowing his leg was also injured, before pouncing on that when the time was right. Just outstanding stuff from two of the very best. The Jeddah crowd were red hot for this too, which added to the spectacle. Gunther says he will be challenging for the World title at Summerslam. That raises a lot of questions about who the champion will be when we get there. Drew McIntyre will be the favourite to beat Damien Priest in Glasgow, but you have to assume that McIntyre vs CM Punk is the direction for Summerslam, and it doesn’t need the world title. Does Punk cost Drew at Clash of the Castle? Imagine the insane heat for that.
QUEEN NIA
There was little doubt that Nia Jax would win here, and set up a clash between her and Bayley at Summerslam. The tournament was a great way to heat up the much improved Jax. I was never much of a fan of her during her first run in the company, nor much of what she's done since her return, but her stuff throughout this tournament has won me over. Lyra Valkyria had the best performance of her career here, playing the small underdog flyer trying to chop down the much bigger Jax. It was the perfect opponent for Valkyria, as she could use Jax as a base to bounce off. The finish was as creative as it was brutal, and one that will be well remembered. Valkyria’s selling and facial expressions continue to improve with every outing, in what has been an excellent start for her on the main roster. The bodysuit is a look she should go with, as it suits the gimmick, how she wrestles and will stand out from the crowd. Lyra has had some interactions with Liv Morgan, so she could end up as a challenger for the new champion quite soon.
TRIPLE THREAT
The Intercontinental Championship match was full of creative spots and good storyline advancement, in front of a hot crowd that were extremely into Sami Zayn, who played up his arabic heritage. Bronson Reed, somewhat of a third wheel in this scenario, did all he could to stand out. It was a great performance from the big man. His suicide dive was truly insane to watch. The story of the match was all about Chad Gable and Otis. Would Otis help Gable? Well he tried to. Or did he? That will be the question coming out of this. Did he do it on purpose? I wasn’t a fan of some of their stuff on Raw last week, but this was much better and it looks like an attempt to rekindle the momentum Otis had that was sadly lost to the pandemic four years ago. The crowd love Otis, so when he finally snaps on Gable, it will be a big moment if it is executed well. I hope that we do get back to Gable vs Sami Zayn, because the IC title was the reason Gable snapped and there is a great story there that has yet to be told.
CODY VS PAUL
Logan Paul continues to be better at pro wrestling than a lot of people that have dedicated their entire lives to it. He’s a natural athletically, and more importantly, great at all of the aspects of wrestling that are more important than the moves. However, Logan Paul’s matches are starting to develop some tropes that are becoming repetitive. A Prime guy/influencer getting involved to get his ass kicked, being the main one. I had no idea who this was, and I’m not sure it was explained either. The same goes for the dude that interfered to help Cody, who seems to be a well known Saudi local comedian. It felt unnecessary. The spot where Paul almost got into it with Cole felt somewhat out of place too, unless it is leading to something. There was lots of great action and creativity, both in the ring and from a production standpoint. The drone shot of Paul launching off the top through the table was an all time great wrestling camera shot. Cody pulled out a Vertabreaker too, which I don’t think he has done since he was in AEW. Overall it was a main event that delivered, despite the limited time to build it into something really important. Unfortunately at the moment it is extremely hard to create any challenger that can believably beat Cody. We know he isn’t dropping the title any time soon.
NEW WOMENS WORLD CHAMPION
Liv Morgan winning the title with the help of Dominik Mysterio will be the big talking point in the weeks to come. Did Dom do it on purpose? My guess is that we will find out he did, because there have been some instances of Dom & Liv being seen together backstage on Raw. This of course will all come to a head when Rhea Ripley eventually returns, probably as a massive babyface. The groundwork is being laid. The question is, will this be the time for Liv? She has been champion before, but things have never clicked. This was a really good in ring performance, but a lot of her promo and character work has been pretty one dimensional and lacking in creativity. The silly laugh needs to go. But there is a great story here, and everything she needs to have a successful run. Where does this leave Becky? Rumours are that her contract is up soon. I have no doubt she will re-sign, but maybe some time off is needed so she can come back as a fresh character, because at the moment it feels like there is very little for her that hasn’t already been done.
I can be reached at matthewmacklin90@gmail.com
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