Casual Friday, 5/20/2022

 Hey, we made it to Friday! Since I don’t watch any wrestling on Thursdays I like to do a li’ recap of the week, highlighting some good matches, some interesting storylines, and whatever else happened on WWE and AEW programming. I call it…Casual Friday!

Some stuff worth talking about from the week of 5/14-5/20

Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of Monday Night Raw!  I wrote about this on Wednesday but details continue to trickle out. A lot of wrestlers on Twitter were very supportive. There were also some backstage reports that the women were viewed as “selfish” and “divas”. I just…that bothers me so much. It seems like the kind of thing that’s said to keep your spot. Or like the kind of thing WWE tells a journalist to say so they still seem like they’re in the right.

I could be wrong, though! Maybe the opinion of the tag champs was never that high. Sasha has left the company before, and Naomi has been in the company a long time, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t had issues.

To me, it just feels like they did what they felt they had to, to make a point. It’s possible they didn’t actually intend to do it, but somebody called their bluff and they stuck to their guns. Until we actually hear from Sasha or Naomi, everything is hearsay and guesses, so I guess I’m as right as anyone.

People were pretty unhappy with the Jokers in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, from what I’ve seen online. Maki Itoh and Johnny Elite were definitely not my guesses, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t surprising when they made their entrances. In hindsight, both make sense. Britt Baker HAD to move on to continue her rivalry with Toni Storm. Maki Itoh has worked with AEW in the past, and happened to be in the US for a match with Mia Yim later this week. They had a fun match with no real long term repercussions, and that was that. You put someone like Athena (Ember Moon) in there and then you’re obligated to build a story around her. Right now, that’s not what AEW needs. If anything, they’re overstuffed and don’t have time to build more stories.

It’s a little less straightforward for Samoa Joe. Sure, Joe could lose to Cesaro if that’s who was brought in. Joe has the Ring of Honor TV title, and an ongoing issue with Jay Lethal and his pals. But what do you do with Cesaro after that? Adam Cole is the heavy favorite to win the tournament, and if you bring a world class talent like Cesaro in, the last thing you want to do is have him lose his third match in. And if Joe was to win in their match, you’re “stuck” with Cesaro in an already overcrowded roster. 

I’m glad they chose to wait on bringing in big names that will stay around. That said, I do hope once the booking settles down they can bring in some new faces as well.

The build to Double or Nothing continues, as some good matches were announced and more were developed. Dynamite had a good promo between challengers Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland and Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs. Christian Cage and the Jurassic Express then entered the conversation, and Cage essentially booked the next two matches for his guys - a triple threat next Wednesday between Jungle Boy, Swerve, and Starks, and then a tag team triple threat at Double or Nothing for the gold. 

CM Punk and Hangman Adam Page were able to heat up their rivalry on the back of an amazing match between Page and Konosuke Takeshita. I think putting Punk on commentary is always a treat, although I don’t think it’s quite as effective when AEW puts Hangman out there. Still, this feud continues to split the crowd and I’ll be happy with either outcome at the pay per premium live event. 

MJF maintained his hold as the best heel in wrestling today with some brutal strap work against rival Wardlow. The (possibly overlong) lashing segment on Dynamite led to a low blow, ring assisted punch, and a C4 from Spears. All showed the depths MJF will sink to to keep his employee in check. Is it a metaphor for employers in 2022? WHO’S TO SAY?

I cannot believe Kevin Owens is still able to maintain his energy for this goofy Ezekiel battle. He’s consistently hilarious in every backstage segment and guest spot on commentary. Owens is a boon for WWE, a guy who can take what he’s given and turn it into quality television.

Cody Rhodes has found a perfect home for his style of professional wrestling. This current version of his American Nightmare character is best suited for WWE crowds, and WWE seems to be willing to let Cody realize his vision of what a WWE superstar is. Long, heartfelt promos that aren’t dragged down by an impatient crowd. Possibly jingoistic character traits. Solid, well paced matches that tell a story. These aren’t necessarily what AEW fans want in their shows, but the reaction in WWE is solidly positive. I’m amazed at the journey Rhodes has gone on since he initially left WWE, and it seems like his drive and determination has paid off for him and his family. Good on him, I say!

We’ll close out the week with some matches I highlighted throughout the shows, in case you didn’t get a chance to watch the stuff I did. If you have any that I missed, or any that you’d like the Pequeño-verse to know about, please pop them in the comments!

Matches of the Week!

AEW Rampage: Ruby Soho and Riho put on a great match for an exhausted crowd. A problem with these early Rampage shows is that they’re recorded after Dynamite, which is a solid two hours of crowd popping action. Unless you’re putting out established superstars putting on an insane match, you’re simply not going to get the energy back. It’s not the fault of Ruby and Riho, and this is a great example of trying to get over despite what’s happening outside the ring. I thought it was great work by both women, with some creative reversals and a cool finish.

WWE Monday Night Raw: Asuka vs Becky was a really good fight that probably wasn’t what was intended going in. We’ve discussed the unexpected events of that night ad nauseum, but the ability of Asuka and Lynch shouldn’t be overshadowed by the walkout. A good story, an actual finish, and enough wiggle room for both contestants to have reason for a rematch down the line. The fact that they pulled this off with no prep time just adds to the impressiveness. 

WWE Monday Night Raw: Lashley vs Olmos in a steel cage match was a good cage match! The interference by Cedric Alexander got him involved and let him take that sick bump from the top of the cage. MVP was able to do a little damage, and he got comeuppance for his repeated shenanigans. Olmos never looked weak, powering out of the Hurt Lock and tossing Bobby around. Bob got the win, but it wasn’t definitive so the feud probably continues.

AEW Dynamite: Britt Baker DMD vs Maki Itoh was a comedy match that did that type of match right: it was silly, it didn’t have any stakes, it was funny, and it was short. Plus it featured the Cutest in the World! (I have biases. I admit this.)

AEW Dynamite: Hangman Adam Page vs Konosuke Takeshita was good, stiff, quality wrestling. The commentary by CM Punk helped advance the story between him and Hangman, but never distracted from the match of the week quality the fellas in the ring displayed. I’ll keep saying it: Takeshita is a superstar and the proverbial rocket should be strapped to the guy as soon as possible!

I appreciate you stopping by, and would love it if you drop your thoughts in the comments section below. You can also follow me on Twitter @ElOsoPequeno, where I try to remember to post whenever I update the blog. I recap Raw, Dynamite, and Rampage weekly, and recap anything else I happen to watch. There’s also this weekly wrap up on Fridays, and I’ll do predictions before any big AEW or WWE pay per premium live events.

Have a good one!

I leave you with this, and I hope your weekend is fantastic!