Category: Wrestling

Here we go again with more fist bumping.  WE GET IT!  You like to fist each other!  Meanwhile, Smackdown had it’s go home show prior to Hell In A Cell and on RAW we saw Miz form an alliance with Sheasaro, Bray became Sister Abigail before our eyes, and Kalisto became the cruiserweight savior that we didn’t want and didn’t need.  Poor dude.  We talked about this, plus much more on this week’s episode of Are You Not Kentertained and give our picks for Hell In A Cell.

For the month of October, if you see this logo, click on it to go see the updated list of my 100 Horror Movies In October Marathon.

Please check us out at 9 Deuce Wrestling on Facebook , on Twitter @official9deuce, or Instagram at Official9Deuce.  Share this, like this, write us an email with a question at wrestling@9deuce.com.  Thank you.

The 9

1. Do you honestly pay attention to the breast cancer awareness segments that they air during the month of October?  Also, does it take you a bit out of things when both heels and faces are in the ring just hugging it out?  Also, thoughts on the women’s tag team match.

Russ:  I am of two minds on the whole breast cancer awareness segments done in October.  On the one part of my mind I think, this is a great thing that WWE does.  It is a noble cause and I’m glad WWE is giving back and a little bit of grandstanding gets the money flowing.  On my other mind, I just don’t care enough to pay attention.  If I can I will definitely fast forward these segments because I don’t care about it.  WWE I am aware and I know you are aware so that’s enough for me.    As for the women’s tag match, I don’t know I fast forwarded that too.  

Keri:  I find myself kinda tuning out during this segment which I feel kinda bad about doing now that I think about it. I think it’s great all the charitable things that WWE is involved with and promote on their programming. Also, I think it’s great the fight that these women display against the disease that plagues or has plagued them. It’s very inspirational. Still, for some reason, I just can’t get myself invested in the segments. Something must be wrong with me. As for the tag match, the recap video was decent and I’ll leave it at that.

Kent:  Alicia tried snatching Sasha bald.  I mean….what is there to really say?  I really liked the match and actually thought it was the match of the night, for me at least.  Let’s face it, there were 2 good matches, but I preferred this one over the Roman vs Miz match.  Honestly, I fast forward through this stuff all the time.  I think WWE should seriously consider getting Dana Warrior on screen more often.  She has a lot of very positive energy and I think that she has a really good presence.  This video is backstage with Dana.  She seems genuine.

http://www.wwe.com/videos/dana-warrior-becomes-overcome-with-emotion-following-surprise-honor-wwecom-exclusive-oct-3

2.   With Jeff out for awhile with injury, how should WWE utilize Matt?

Russ:   The good thing about Matt is that he doesn’t need his brother to shine.  He can do a lot of things right now and none of them sound too awful.  First,  have him mentor a younger guy, which it seems like they are doing with Jordan.  This benefits everyone especially the younger guy.  Second, have him go after a belt.  The only belt that is around is the IC belt so I guess that would be it, but having Hardy and The Miz put on a classic isn’t out of reach and something the IC belt desperately needs as it feels really irrelevant right now.  The best part is that Matt doesn’t have to win the belt.  He just has to make it seem like a prize worth winning.  Finally,  you can have him start a feud with a current top tier star.  Matt can produce in the ring give him someone else who can produce in the ring and that’s all you really need.  Give us a quick story to back it up and let the fans enjoy a good match.  

Keri:  Well let’s see here. We could put him with Miz. Wait a second. He’s in his thing with Roman and possibly the other former members of the Shield?  Ok then. What about Bray? Oh, he’s still dealing with Finn and introducing us to Sister Abigail. Ok, how about Elias? Oh, he’s taking on Titus Worldwide. Well shoot. Wait a minute, I can’t believe I forgot about Braun. How could I have done such a thing? Ok, so hear me out what if we put him in a temporary feud with Braun. It could work and would keep Braun relevant until Roman gets the belt (you know it’s happening don’t kid yourselves). Because you know he’s not finished with Roman yet.

Kent:  This would be a really good time for Matt to win the IC championship.  He could do whatever for a character.  Then when Jeff returns, Matt promptly loses and that could cause all kinds of storylines.  Miz doesn’t need the belt anymore, it’s a prop for him for the immediate future.  Miz really never needs that belt ever again, he’s a main event player.  Matt could put on some fun matches and win with his veteran knowledge.  He’s still more than capable if he likes what he’s doing.

3.   Is the Miz being rewarded with his feud against Roman and inevitably the Shield reunion, or is this more of a case of no other heels that Roman hasn’t feuded with?

Russ:   I’m going to say rewarded.  If anyone can make the Roman haters cheer him on it’s The Miz.  He is just that damn good at being a heel.   It makes perfect sense.  Two things that will get Roman cheers: 1.  Have him face off against the ultimate heel character and get a beat down, check!  2.  Put him back in the Shield, check!  Smart move by WWE.  I just wish they didn’t rush this Shield reunion.  They could have let this play out a couple more weeks to build it up, but that is WWE for you.  They blow their load quick and then usually end up feeling ashamed afterward.  Yet, they will not learn from their past mistakes and do the same thing again and again.

Keri:  A possible reward. Let’s face it the Miz has been killing it for over a year now. It’s about time they give him something substantial. Yes, I know,  it means getting fed to the new chosen one (and his former Shield brethren) but it’s better than nothing (or the pre-show in front of an empty arena), right?

Kent:  I hope that it’s a reward.  Over the past 5 years, it’s tough to name many people that have consistently performed at such a high level.  Yes, even Wrestlemania 27 was better than anybody gave him credit for. Also, if the WWE had an ounce of intelligence, as soon as this Shield thing is over, they should have Bray bring Luke and Rowan over and give us an absolutely great main event.  Also, build Bray as the man to take the red belt off of Brock.  Please, on a side note, I need weeks of “Will they or won’t they fist each other”.

4.   Did Bray just make this feud interesting again, or shall I say Abigail?

Russ:   The logical progression for this feud is astounding!  Kudos to WWE for bringing this in a direction I didn’t think was even remotely up for consideration.  Think about it.  Bray got beat by the Demon.  In order for Bray to beat Finn he knew he had to goad him into not being the demon.  So he forces Finn into a Man vs Man match.  He then loses again.  Confused and defeated Bray decided that if The Demon is the alter ego of Finn, then it is finally time to unleash Sister Abigail.  All along we thought Sister Abigail would be a different person, instead it is just Bray’s alter ego!  Brilliant!  Now give Bray the win at the next PPV.  Survivor Series: Bullet Club vs Wyatt Family, then finally at the December PPV we finish this feud off once and for all with The Demon vs Sister Abigail.  They just took care of these two guys for the rest of the year.  

Keri:  I’m very intrigued now. At least now I won’t turn my TV off when these two come on my screen. So there is that.

Kent:  I am a sucker for really bad, silly feuds, so for me, I hate to admit this, but they just made me care again.  Fucking hell.  Is he going to be Braybigail?  When Bray is Sister Abigail, does that make his finisher name Bray Wyatt?  Will anybody be able to kick out of Bray Wyatt?

5.   Okay, first of all, how big of a dud was that Kalisto signing?  Secondly, is Enzo finally making good on all of his potential?

Russ:  “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…. Oh man Kalisto?”  That was my reaction.  Not that Kalisto is bad.  It’s just that he isn’t that big of a star or a promising up and comer.  He is just Kalisto.  He can help Enzo get over in the  ring I guess, but don’t make this like it was some big deal that we will all be talking about the next day. “HAHAHA… oh man, get the fuck out of here WWE.”  My end thoughts on the whole thing.  As for Enzo, I am starting to remember the reasons I liked him when he first debuted on the main roster.  

Keri:  I’m going to start with the easy part of this question. Enzo has been killing it the past couple of weeks. I’m enjoying his character and this storyline immensely. Not too bad for a guy who the three of us wrote off no more than a month or two ago, huh?  As for Kalisto, seriously WWE stop it and put him back with Sin Cara and bring back the Lucha Dragons. While you are at it, put Jordan and Gable back together too. This single star experiment is over for all involved except for Enzo because that may actually work.

Kent:  Johnny Gargano should have been called up, or so I thought.  But Kalisto is a good in ring hand that can put on a good match and keep this going.  You don’t bring Johnny up to job.  Unfortunately, this was the hand that WWE had to play I guess.  Perhaps they should have had somebody not hit Enzo last week.  Finn also could have joined in this feud to spice it up.  Still, kudos to Enzo because he’s in a position to do something special and he’s nailing it.  Admit it, he had some really good lines.  I don’t know if he’s a heel or a face, and I like that.

6.  Why isn’t Tye in the US Championship match at Hell In A Cell?

Russ:  Simple,  WWE doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the perfect 10!  AJ, Corban and Tye would make for a hell of a match.  Instead we will have to wait to see how they will screw up things for Tye at a later date.  

Keri:  Because reasons. He has been a big part of the build up for this match but there is just no payoff for him? Seriously? This is just lazy booking. By the way, why do I have to wait until Sunday for my Fashion Files? I was promised fashion files on this week’s Smackdown and I want fashion files.

Kent:  I don’t know.  If they want to put it on Baron, having Tye in the match would allow for AJ to not get pinned.  Baron has been booked so oddly the past 8 weeks or so, that I have no idea what they are doing, but I truly consider his momentum squashed.  I don’t want him to win the belt on Sunday.  I do wish Tye was in the match though.  Maybe he can hang out with Gallows and Anderson.  By the way, G&A’s theme song is surprisingly good if you listen to it without the crowd.  It’s called “Omen In The Sky”.

7.  Were you satisfied with the build to the New Day vs Uso’s match basically being: “we have great matches, so watch us”?  Also, should this match be the main event over KO vs Shane?

Russ:  While I wouldn’t say I’m not satisfied by the build, because I am stoked for this match based on their previous matches, but I would say that they could have elevated things a bit more.  Maybe they could have gotten a bit physical.  Or maybe had a singles match and then have a promo-down (is that what you would call it?)  Still, I definitely expect this match to deliver in spades and can’t wait.  As for if this should be the main event… Absolutely!  This is for a belt so it should headline the show over a grudge match.  

Keri:  I’ve enjoyed everything both teams have done over the past two months. This feud was booked perfectly. I’m looking forward to Sunday’s match. You know what else I’m looking forward to on Sunday the potential return of the fashion files.

Kent:  Here’s my big issue.  They could have made this really good.  After Summerslam, the Uso’s could have sneak attacked New Day and handcuffed them because they are in the Uso Penitentiary.  From there, they injure a member of New Day, to quintessentially let us know who would be representing New Day, and add some animosity to it.  It could have been a cool way to end a Smackdown.  They blew it, and so the answer is no, because it’s like they didn’t really try.  I can’t sit here and say with 100% certainty that the tag match will be better than the Shane match.  It should be, and I think it should main event, but I’m not going to argue one way or the other, for once.

8.  Let’s face it, Smackdown’s women’s division feels boring, dull, uninspired, insert your own adjective.  Pick one reason why and elaborate please.

Russ:  It is a simple reason no direction.  It feels like they put the women in a holding pattern for whatever reason.  Maybe it is because of the 4-Horsewoman thing that WWE seems to have a hard on for.  Also, they aren’t really building any stories.  Sure we have Carmella and Dogsworth, but instead of letting that flesh out into an interesting story they cut it dead in its tracks.  Also, the champ is not very interesting.  Nattie can be great she has shown flashes, but as soon as she got the belt she stopped being interesting.  WWE has a habit of giving the belt to someone and making them boring immediately afterwards.  

Keri:  Another adjective is bland. Kinda like the writing for the division. It hasn’t been the same since Alexa left. Wait a minute. That’s what killed the division everyone, no Alexa and no one with enough charisma to take her place. You know what else can’t be replaced? The Fashion Files. They better be back on Sunday.

Kent:  They really, really needed Asuka for this show.  I know, I am beating a dead horse, but she would have been must see TV and revived this thing.  We have a multitude of problems, the obvious one is Carmella is lurking but never really appearing like a threat.  Still, I’ll offer something different since I know neither of my colleagues will be stupid enough to copy me….right?  The girls aren’t really allowed to create much with their characters.  Naomi and Natty were bland champs, not because of their talent, but rather their characters never got a huge chance to shine.  If only there was a show, say after Smackdown, where the wrestling talents could talk to the WWE audience and really get their character over.  Gosh, that would be amazing.  You can have all the talent in the world, but if you have no character, nobody will give a fuck.  So character is my choice.  The funny thing is that the only character that there were doing great with was Tamina with Lana.  That seems to just be shoved to the side.  Paige, return ASAP.

9.  Aside from the 2 HIAC matches and the US Title match, does any of the other matches intrigue you at all?  They include Rusev vs Randy, Natty vs Charlotte, Bobby vs Dolph, Shinsuke vs Jinder (I seriously had forgotten this until I looked it up), and Hype Bros vs American Beta or American Omega or any other name that you can come up with.  

Russ:  I will say that the only other match on this list that I’m remotely interested in is Bobby vs. Dolph.  Randy vs. Rusev holds very little interest for me.  I have never really liked Randy and he has not been involved in too many great matches lately (same could be said for a lot of the WWE.)  While Rusev has been hitting it out of the park lately as a character, but his perpetual losing of feuds has made it so I just don’t get excited for his matches anymore.  Back to why I’m interested in Bobby vs. Dolph.  Simply put this will be Bobby’s first time to showcase his in-ring ability.  I want to see if he and Dolph can put on a show stealer.  They both have the potential given enough time, but will they produce.  This is a big make or break moment for Bobby and I think for sure he will be successful.  Plus I’m intrigued to see how Dolph will make his entrance.  

Keri:  Dolph vs Roode has potential. I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out on Sunday. That and I’m wondering what type of entrance we get from Dolph. Oh, and the potential return of the Fashion Files. Seriously, whar Breezedango whar?

Kent:  I expect everybody to say Rusev vs Randy, and potentially some to say Bobby vs Dolph.  Unfortunately, Dolph is now the Jericho of Smackdown on the heel side, and Randy seems to be taking on that role as a face.  Every other name I have for Chad and Shelton seems to involve cookies and race, like the Black and White Cookie, or Oreo, or even Hydrox.  I want cookies!!!  As bad as the women’s division has been, the Jinder feud has somehow been worse.  PLEASE, make the title change and have Baron cash in MITB immediately afterward. (Russ: Are you living in fantasy world?  Did you forget Baron already cashed in and failed?)  (Kent:  Say WHAT? I think I would have remembered Baron Corbin cashing in his briefcase and being the world champ.  You sir, live in a fantasy world.)  That’s how you solve this BS.

Bonus Deuce

1. Rate RAW

Russ:  Raw was completely skippable this week.  Sure they had a few things going for it, but at the end of the day if you missed it you would be filled in ad nauseum the following week.  Rating: 3   (Kent: That’s not remotely true.  IF somebody had watched it, they would have seen that Miz and Sheasaro are teamed up despite no foreshadowing, that Bray is going to turn to Sister Abigail despite no foreshadowing, that Alexa and Nia are back to being cool with each other despite no foreshadowing, and that Kalisto would be the savior to the Cruiserweight division despite absolutely no foreshadowing.  In the words of every millennial ever, Russ that was an epic fail and therefore you deserve this.)

Keri:  This was a good RAW. I love what they are doing with Mickie and Alexa. Enzo, dare I say it, is killing it. The matches were decent. And I have to be honest, seeing the Shield “back together” kinda gave me goosebumps. Rating: 5  (Kent: Those aren’t goosebumps.)

Kent:  Good for Elias on his Alice in Chains parody! (Keri: Thanks Kent! For the life of me, I couldn’t remember who sang the original version of that song.)  Unfortunately, he chose a really fucking depressing song called Nutshell.  Even worse, this song reflects how I feel when I watch RAW most of the time.  Uhmmm, Give it a 3.5 because of Sheasaro, Miz, Enzo, Elias, and the women’s tag match.  I’m deducting points if we are due for another “will they or won’t they fist bump” story.

2.  Rate Smackdown

Russ:  For a go home show this sucked a big one.  I was bored most of the night.  When did WWE forget how to do a go home show?  This one and RAW’s two weeks ago were just terrible.  I did enjoy the promos by New Day and the Uso’s  and the last segment of the night was good, but the rest of the night was completely forgettable.  That isn’t how you get someone excited to see a PPV.  Seriously, does anyone even care about the WWE Title match?  I love Shinsuke, but since he is fighting Jinder I’m just not excited by the match.  Rating: 3

Keri:  Well it was a go home show and it happened. It had its high points and super low points. Mostly low points though. With that said, it did just enough to get me excited about KO vs. Shane and the Tag Team HIAC match so I guess it did its job. Rating: 2.5 (I deducting a half point for lack of Breezedango)

Kent:  Remember 2 weeks ago when we blasted WWE’s RAW go home show for No Mercy?  Yeah, they only did a slightly better job here.  At least people showed up, but it was super weaksauce.  Rating: 2.7

Final Thoughts – Also, name 3 matches that you would like to see Brock in before he retires?

Russ:  WWE has ruined their championship belts.  The Universal and WWE Championships have been reduced to garbage all in the name of trying to make a few bucks.  Brock has the belt, barely on the show and is not the draw he used to be.  Instead of giving it to a talent that deserves it and is there all the time they have decided it would be better to keep it on Brock for an entire year.  Somehow that will elevate the belt?  Then when Roman wins it at Mania we are supposed to be excited?  Why?  He won a belt that has been mostly absent the past year, big deal.  As for the WWE Championship.  Jinder has that belt and the only reason he has it is to get the India market to keep tuning in.  Except Jinder isn’t a good champion, at least WWE has not made him into one.  His matches are second or even third fiddle to other matches.  They don’t let him just be a heel, he has to be the foreigner heel, which in this day and age is starting to get offensive.  Lastly, he just isn’t exciting in the ring.  I keep hoping I’ll be wrong and he proves himself, like I will again this weekend, but he keeps disappointing.  The belts just aren’t what they used to be.  

Keri:  Whar Breezedango whar? Seriously, I miss the Fashion Files. You know what? That’s it, I’m protesting. From this moment on until I see a Fashion Files segment on my TV screen, all my responses on this blog will have some reference to the Fashion Files in it. As for Brock matches, hasn’t he pretty much wrestled everyone at this point? Wait he hasn’t wrestled AJ Styles, has he? If not, then I say AJ Styles.

Kent:  The more I see and hear Dana Warrior, the bigger a fan I become.  I think she is 100% legitimately the person that we see on screen.  If she wasn’t in the role that she is in, which is a good will ambassador of sorts, I would say that she could be the next Vicky Guerrero.  Enzo was the star of the week after Neville was last week.  How odd.  I would like to see Brock take on the following 3 or more guys in no particular order…okay some particular order: Bray Wyatt, Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, Rusev, Sheamus, Cesaro,  Luke Harper, Finn Balor, Enzo, Shinsuke, and oddly enough, if booked well I would actually enjoy Jason Jordan or Apollo Crews.

All pictures used in this blog are for review purposes. They are property of WWE and wwe.com.

This week, we talk about the Fistourage as well as Smackdown”s compelling build to Hell in a Cell.  Not only that, but on this week’s Are You Not Kentertained we really tear down No Mercy’s morale and pray for Cesaro’s teeth.  We apologize for the lateness of this, but tech issues suck.  Also, Russ and Kent reviewed No Mercy here.

2017 No Mercy Review

For the month of October, if you see this logo, click on it to go see the updated list of my 100 Horror Movies In October Marathon.

Please check us out at 9 Deuce Wrestling on Facebook , on Twitter @official9deuce, or Instagram at Official9Deuce.  Share this, like this, write us an email with a question at wrestling@9deuce.com.  Thank you.

The 9

1. Does Mickie still have what it takes to carry a feud, both inside and outside the ring, if she needs to?  How long before we get the Sasha heel turn?

Russ:  I think Mickie may still have what it takes.  I thought her Mic work on Raw was pretty good and she handled herself pretty well against Miss Bliss.  In the ring? I’m not so sure, it’s been awhile since she has had a high profile match.  Still I think she will be fine in the ring against The Goddess.  I’m glad they are giving us this feud, it is at least still fresh.  As for Sasha and a heel turn all I’ll say is that since WWE seems very high on a 4-horsewomen of WWE and MMA match I don’t see her turning any time soon.  

Keri:  Mickie absolutely still has what it takes to carry a feud. She’s still strong in ring and stronger than she was before on the mic. It looks like WWE is finally giving us the feud we have been asking for so don’t question it. As for Sasha and any potential heel turn. Honestly, I just don’t care anymore. She just bores me now.

Kent:  First and foremost, how poorly did WWE just treat Emma?  Like, they barely showed her on offense aside from a few kicks.  Fucking ridiculous that everybody else got their shine, but not Emma.  Fuck that.  Shame on WWE!  I think Mickie is criminally underutilized and can still be a big time player in any women’s division.  She still puts on good matches and still can cut a good promo.  That’s better than most of the women.  She’s in the upper echelon still.  Her combination of skills elevates her above every female on Smackdown except possibly Becky.  She better than all the girls on RAW with the exception of Bliss at the moment.  As for Sasha, I think she holds off a bit because I truly believe that we get a women’s Royal Rumble this year and Bayley will eliminate Sasha.  That will be what flips the heel switch.  So January.

2.   Which member of the Shield had the best night?  How many weeks until we get a Shield reunion match?

Russ:   I’m going to say Seth.  There are several reason for my pick.  My first reason:  He won his match against Sheamus.  It was a decent match, nothing to write home about, but it was serviceable.  Dean’s match was much more fun, but he lost and I just can’t pick a loser like that.  Yes Roman won his match too, but at the end it didn’t look like he was much of a winner i  My second reason:  This should have been obvious from the start, but it’s because he is MY FAVORITE WRESTLER!   Anytime I can pick him over any one else I WILL!   HAHAHA the best part:  there is nothing you readers can do to stop me!  I’m mad with the infinitesimal amount of power I have from this blog!   

Keri:  I’m going to get booed for this from a lot of different sides but honestly Monday night was Roman’s coronation. He held his own in a promo with Miz, which isn’t an easy feat. And he didn’t have to do much to get a match with the Miz which he, of course,won in great Cena 2.0 fashion. The other two guys did well but really the focus last night was on Roman and Roman only. He had the best night. Why? Because he’s the chosen one now and we all have to live with it.

Kent:  Well, it’s sure as shit not Roman.  The question is, do wins matter for this question, or does match quality, or who put on the best show, or who won?  I love seeing Sheamus improve each and every week.  That guy is a star.  I hate that Seth did jack shit all match, just like Sunday, but then gets the cheap win.  That’s the Cena way and fuck that.  Dean was admirable in defeat and the match was well done.  Dean did his job and I enjoyed his segment the most on RAW aside from the Mickie and Enzo segments.

3.   Man, just when I thought that GREAT story and feud between Bray and Finn was over, I mean because it was so great and told such a logical full story, how SHOCKED are you that this great and logical feud appears to be continuing?

Russ:   Well shocked isn’t exactly the word I’d use.  More like groan inducing.  Look I actually enjoyed this feud and I honestly thought it came to it’s logical conclusion at No Mercy.  Finn winning proved that he doesn’t need to be the Demon in order to overcome adversity.  I was ok with it.  Sure I wanted Bray to get an actual freaking win over somebody, but I know how this goes with him now.  So when Bray had some creepy ass kid sing Whole World for us to Finn my first thought was “Oh come on!  We don’t need this.  There is nothing Bray can do to make me believe that he still has some kind of power over people.”  So now I guess we will see where this feud continues to go.  I can tell you this it doesn’t seem to be heading in a positive direction.    

Keri:  This storyline is the reason why I need to break up with watching the WWE. This storyline should have ended Sunday night. The ending Sunday night kinda made sense (Yes Kent, I concur with Eric’s point on this). (Kent: That’s about as surprising as Russ picking Seth in a multiple choice question.)  But alas, here we are and where is that you ask? A point where if Bray and/or Finn come on my TV I turn it off. Good job WWE. You made me hate Finn. I hope you are proud of yourself.

Kent:  Man, I could have sworn I heard some guy on Sunday tell me that this story made sense and he elaborated it to me, and I said that he missed the point.  So Eric, how you doin?  Yeah, this fucking feud isn’t done and now look who is on top of the mountain, looking down and saying that you book things like WCW circa late 90’s?  The FACT is that once they decided to have Bray injure Finn, one of two things should have happened.  Either Bray should have won cleanly by working over the injury, plus he has shown that he can beat Finn clearly, or did we forget the week before Summerslam?  The other option would have been to have both men tire themselves out and had an ending that led to a last man standing matching at TLC.  That way they don’t take up one of the 4 precious match spots with the TLC stips.  So yeah, the story isn’t over.  It never made sense Sunday night and it still doesn’t make much sense.  They have failed to engage the audience, and for that, WWE, like my friend with the WCW booking strategy, have failed miserably.  Have a nice day.

4.   Enzo’s celebration…..discuss.  Did Neville just become a star or will this be quickly forgotten?  

Russ:   I really enjoyed this segment, way more than I ever thought I would.  Heel Enzo is just like Face Enzo, except he amped up the obnoxiousness.  This is the Enzo I’ve been waiting for since they debuted way back in 2016.  Enzo played all of his parts well, the scathing promo, the weasley way he got the no contact clause and the ego the size of Big Cass.  When I thought it couldn’t get better Neville decided to come out and he was on point.  Attacking Enzo was brilliant because now Neville can’t compete for the belt which will get him away from the belt for a bit to build him up.  This is WWE’s chance to make him a star and they took a great step in the right direction.  I look forward to nexts weeks 180 when they blow this.  

Keri:  I have only one question for you all. Do you want the Cruiserweight division to become relevant? Well apparently you put the belt on Enzo and the division becomes relevant. It even helps to elevate a stale guy like Neville.Honestly, I am surprised by this stunning turn of events and the fact that the WWE deems the division now main event worthy. It’s all interesting very very interesting. I’m also now intrigued but not intrigued enough to watch 205 Live. Sorry WWE, I watch enough wrestling already.

Kent:  Wow, the cruiserweights finally main event due to Enzo.  I liked every aspect of how this played out.  I don’t know if there is a face or a heel in this case.  There are two guys with valid points that are right in their own way.  That’s when feuds work best.  This was actually a brilliant segment.  They missed the mark on one thing, in my opinion.  After Neville hit Enzo, I feel like everybody should have performed their finisher on Enzo.  That was everybody would essentially have lost the right at the belt, forcing management’s hand to either bring in new talent, or to give everybody a chance again.  Still, IF they want, they could make Neville into a star.  They just raised the Neville level.  I doubt that they take true advantage of it.  

5.  What interests you most: John Cena passing the torch, Gallows and Anderson nowhere to be found on RAW, Goldust still being involved in storylines on RAW, Jeff Hardy’s injury and impending surgery, or Elias and Titus possibly developing a feud?

Russ:  I’m going to say G & A missing in Action was the most interesting part for me.  How did they go from right in the thick of the Tag Team title hunt right before the PPV, to pictures on milk cartons since.  It boggles the mind how badly they are mistreated.  Or maybe McMahon didn’t want G & A on because of the whole Bullet Club thing that went on outside the arena.  Either way I hope we see them next week start working with Dean and Seth.  

Keri:  I’ll be honest here for a second.  I’m most interested in what was happening outside the arena earlier in the day than anything on this list. We had the Bullet Club (Cody Rhodes, the Young Bucks, and others) try to “invade” RAW. That is so much more interesting than anything WWE related right now. But if I had to chose something WWE related, I’ll pick the Elias and Titus feud. I’m interested to see where it goes and if it means more TV time for all involved.

Kent:  Elias and Titus is very interesting to me.  Goldust still being utilized is great.  I think the Cena thing is what has my attention though.  I feel like there is something bigger happening here, or something that we don’t know yet.  Cena isn’t done, he can still go.  It wasn’t time to pass the torch, especially to the greased up deaf guy named Roman.  The WWE had a few golden eggs that they have been sitting on.  Taker’s streak, Taker’s final match, Cena’s torch, Brock’s torch, belt, and possible final match.  So they fucked the streak by putting over that youngster Brock.  They had Roman, a guy who really needed the Taker’s Final match rub, and then minimized it in it’s entirety on No Mercy.  In the process of doing that, they passed Cena’s torch to Roman.  They refused to give Braun the belt, and as has long been rumored, it appears that Roman vs Brock at Mania AGAIN is what we will be getting in Brock’s possible last match and also for the belt.  So let’s revisit history.  WHat has been the #1 issue with wrestling the past 12 years or so?  It was that every time there was a big moment, rather than spread the wealth to various wrestlers that could utilize that rub, it all went to Cena.  The fans turned on him.  Vince couldn’t understand why.  Here we are making the exact same mistakes.  When you have only a few great rubs to give, you MUST spread them out in order to make stars.  Getting one win over Cena does not make you a star.  Bray should have gotten a rub, Dean could have benefitted from one, Braun or Joe could have, even Dolph could have been legitimized by a rub.  Wade Barrett is at home shaking his head.  And the worst part of all of this is that we can’t sit here and say that WWE hasn’t given other people chances, as much as we want to.  RVD was given the biggest push of his career, beats Cena for the belt, then gets caught with drugs.  Daniel Bryan finally gets his moment, had one of the biggest and best build ups ever in WWE, then gets hurt too many times and it was all for nothing.  Even a guy like CM Punk, was given that ridiculously long title reign, but rarely had great people to work with, and it was all wasted to get the belt on the Rock so he could put over…..you know who at Mania.  Fuck, I hate wrestling.

6.  Did Dolph need to win a feud before getting in a feud to help get Bobby Roode over?  Is Bobby working as a face for you?

Russ:  When was the last time Dolph actually won a feud?  That is the better question!  At this point in his career just being in a high profile feud is good enough.  Can he help get Bobby over?  It really depends on how much effort Dolph puts in.  I love this gimmick that he is doing currently and I hope that it has reinvigorated him.  A motivated Dolph is one of the best in the ring, which will help Bobby shine.  Though, I’ve said this before Bobby doesn’t really need someone to help him get over he just needs time in the ring and mic and he can do it himself.  As for is he working as a face?  Well I can’t say yet.  I know that is Kent’s favorite answer, but this time I have to say it.  He has barely been on TV.  I’ll reserve judgment until WWE has put him on TV for more than 5 seconds.  

Keri:  I called this Bobby-Dolph feud two weeks ago when the whole entrance gimmick began. I said to Eric you know who would be perfect to answer Dolph on this gimmick. Bobby Roode would be perfect. And you know what I predicted correctly. With that said, I think at this point it doesn’t matter if Dolph wins a feud or not.  I think we are past that even mattering for him. He will put over Bobby and we will all cheer because it’s Bobby. I miss cocky heel Bobby Roode though. This whole face thing looks too stiff if you ask me.

Kent:  Maybe not even a feud, but like 2 matches perhaps.  It’s not like Mike Kenellis was too busy, aside from knocking up Maria, kudos to you sir.  Dolph has no momentum, so him putting over Bobby doesn’t necessarily help the feud or Bobby’s standing, now does it?  In order to become hot and move up the charts, you should beat other hot acts.  This is common sense and why 50/50 booking is beyond fucking retarded.  I legitimately worked with clients at an ARC who could book this shit better.  Bobby can work as a really good face, but with this gimmick, it’s tough.  I think if he stopped doing the strut stuff, that would help.  The strutting is more heel unless you have slept with over 10,000 women and you are the dirtiest player in the game, still. Wooo!

7.  Will you remember to celebrate Rusev Day next year?  Discuss the segment.

Russ:  No I won’t.  Mainly because I didn’t get to see it.  Though I hear Aiden English and Rusev were great out there.  I may just watch this one on Hulu.  My memory isn’t what it used to be and it was crap to begin with.  So when Kent reminds me about this next year I know I’ll say something like… “Oh yeah, now I remember.” and give an excuse as to why I forgot… Ahh, old age!  

Keri:  I have already marked it on my calendar. That was an entertaining celebration. Too bad Orton ruined it. Cue the damnit Orton guy. Not to be confused with sad Bayley guy. Watch No Mercy and see if you find him. I think we now may have competition for shocked taker guy. Anyways, as I said good celebration and now Rusev can avenge that loss from Summerslam again at HIAC. Also, should one exchange gifts on Rusev day? I think they should. Thoughts?

Kent:  As long as my Google calendar doesn’t let me down, then yes, I shall.  This segment was pure gold.  Aiden is getting time to shine and he is making the most of it.  He’s one of the few things that WWE is doing right, at this moment.

8.  Several stories were furthered this week.  Which one interests you more: The AJ/Baron/Tye feud, the New Day/Usos feud, The Hype Bros not being on the same page, Natty and Charlotte’s tiff, or Ellsworth on a leash?  

Russ:  I’m going to pick New Day/Usos.  First can I say that Big E needs to become a singles star as soon as possible!  I’ve been saying that for almost a year now, but truly he is a man that knows how to entertain a crowd.  Just watch him eat the popcorn!  This has been one of the best feuds in WWE in terms of wrestling.  They have yet to put on a disappointing match together and now that they will meet in a Hell in a Cell match I am psyched!  This could be the match of the PPV.  

Keri:  Ellsworth on a leash. How is that PG? How hasn’t the media been all over that like they were for the Jinder promo from last week? Seriously, there are kids in the audience. Parents should be outraged. Well they should, right? As for the other storylines, I’m Kentertained but i don’t have questions about them like I do this Ellsworth situation.

Kent:  First of all, Baron’s new theme now has lyrics.  I am trying to find the newest updated version of it so I can rock out with my cock out.  One of those 2 things is already true.  Woo woo woo, you know it!  Which doesn’t lead me to the Hype Bros because this is happening and all of their momentum is gone because they are trying to accomplish something at the wrong time.  This should have been 2 months ago.  Ellsworth on a leash should be this year’s #1 Halloween costume for couples, and does Carmella’s tits look bigger or am I seeing things?  Can I see those things.  I will deal with gimpy Mr 7 Feet tall if I can.  I mean, even though he’s gimpy, he would end me, but I just want to see those tits.  Did I answer any question?  Probably not.  Oh wait, I did just answer that question!  Yay.  Also, no more Joker and Harley costumes.  You losers know who you are.   Go be the Crow for the 7th time.  Bunch of fucking Humanoids.

9.  Kevin Owens is killing it right now. Are they building up a Sami Zayn heel turn?

Russ:  I don’t know about a Sami Heel turn, but I can definitely see them building him up as a strong face off of KO.  KO is definitely in top form.  This would be an excellent opportunity to finally get Sami where he belongs.  As a top face of the company.  I know KO and Sami have wrestled forever, but they usually do not disappoint.  If KO can help Sami shine as a face I think he will get over big with the crowd.  This will help elevate him to the next tier and hopefully get him some title shots.  

Keri:  I liked the segment with KO and Zayn. But then again, I always enjoy when these two lock up verbally or physically even if it may be for the 10 millionth time. This feud is almost as good as Omega and Okada. I said almost. As for a Zayn heel turn, I doubt it. They are probably planning for the future so they have something in place for when this thing with KO and Shane is over.

Kent:  Without Cena, is Smackdown ready for a new big heel or face?  Really, that’s a tough question.  Is Corbin out of the doghouse, is Rusev going to be taken seriously, how long are they going to continue the worst push on Smackdown in Jinder?  KO,Shinsuke, AJ, and Randy aren’t losing their spots.  Is Bobby going to stay face?  Is Dolph going to be a factor?  Sami should be the guy to take the belt off of Jinder.  He could have great promos about how he is Syrian and it could be a really refreshing feud on the mic, just not in the ring.  Still, this could be the storyline of the year.  Sami keeps getting dragged into this feud and he doesn’t want to be, but it gets worse and worse until this week when things play out the way that they did.  Then you remember, Sami specifically ask that Shane not get involved and when all is said and done, Shane didn’t and ended up hurting Sami.  These are things that WWE does when they want to turn a face heel in a smart way.  Can Sami handle being a heel?  Could him and KO for a great stable with the help of another underrated team that wears their red and black colors, one of which is trying to lose the sympathy weight.  If any guys could help the Ascension rise to prominence, KO and Sami could   This could be excellent.  Imagine Jinder and KO on the mic.  It would be golden, like a shower.

Bonus Deuce

1. Rate RAW

Russ:  This week had some very interesting segments and matches and some missed opportunities (read as: Garbage).  I am enjoying this side of Enzo, I laughed with Roman when The Miz compared The Miztourage and The Shield and Braun continues to be the greatest Kentertainer WWE has to offer.  Of course on the flip side, Bray and Finn don’t seem to be done and Emma is just getting squashed now that Bayley is back.  Overall it was an ok night.  

Rating: 5.8

Keri:  I was not impressed. Average post PPV RAW. Yawn. Rating: 4

Kent:  It’s Wednesday.  I don’t remember RAW aside from Mickie/Alexa, Enzo/Neville, Dean/Braun, Sasha/Bayley backstage and in match, Elias/Titus, and Miz/Roman.  OK, actually, I’m proud that I retained that much without scrolling up to read what I wrote yesterday.  I would say it had more positives than negatives, plus Seth and Sheamus.  Shit, I’m on a roll.  Rating: 5.3

2.  Rate Smackdown

Russ:  I only got to watch the first 45 minute of wrestling before my cable box decided that it was time to stop working.   So rating this week would be unfair.  On the other hand if I know my WWE I’m pretty sure I could guess a rating and be pretty accurate.  So before Kent and Keri answer I’m going to put down my rating as: 4.2.  Now go read Keri and Kent’s ratings to see how close I was.  

Keri:  I’m just not that impressed lately with either show. Smackdown had its good points. KO and Zayn, Dolphtaker, Ellsworth on a leash (Again how is that PG?), and the tag division. But for some reason I’m still not impressed or excited by it all. You what does impress and excite me though? The Fashion Files returning next week. That makes me temporarily happy. Rating for this week: 3.5. It would have been higher if they would stop giving Jinder the damn microphone.

Kent:  The KO and Sami stuff is worth 3 points for me.  The Baron/AJ/Tye is worth a point, Baron’s song a half point, Dolph as Taker and challenging Bobby is half a point.  New Day and Usos didn’t move the needle for me one bit, nor did the women, but Ellsworth on a leash and Carmella’s rockin tits gets a half point, Charlotte negates a full point, Jinder’s promo negates a half point, Rusev and Aiden are worth a full point, Hype Bros falling out is negating a quarter of a point for blandness and a case of being too late baby now it’s too late.  That leaves me with….Rating: 4.75.  Russ, you were pretty close.

Final Thoughts

Russ:  Brawlhala is a fun free multiplayer fighting game.  I recommend it to anyone who likes Smash Bros.  It’s a great way to pass the time while watching wrestling.  (Kent: Playing with other people?  Ewwww, fudge that.)

Keri:  Is it me or is every week worse than the last? Ok,it’s not me. Good. I feel better now. In other news, at least Nikki Bella is doing very well on Dancing with the Stars. So that’s also good. I guess.

Kent:  Snoop Dogg’s rap for the new WWE game is really good.  I enjoyed the hell out of it.  Also, I really want a Mania match of Finn vs Sheamus.  It would steal the show if given the time and story.  Sheamus is the most improved male wrestler so far this year.  Damnation strikes me as a decent show by the way.  

http://www.wwe.com/gallery/wwe-superstar-double-exposure-photos#fid-40133489

http://www.wwe.com/article/roman-reigns-top-5-wins

http://www.wwe.com/videos/bray-wyatt-vs-aiden-english-wwe-nxt-july-11-2012

All pictures used in this blog are for review purposes. They are property of WWE and wwe.com.

Kevin Owens decided to attack Vince this week and WWE is handing out first time matchups like it was trick R treat season.  Morons!  Russ, Keri, and Kent are here to sort through the rubbish and find that sweet silver lining that isn’t Steph’s attire.  Not only that, but on this week’s Are You Not Kentertained we did a RAW and Smackdown re-draft.  It’s better than our blog quite frankly.

Please check us out at 9 Deuce Wrestling on Facebook , on Twitter @official9deuce, or Instagram at Official9Deuce.  Share this, like this, write us an email with a question at wrestling@9deuce.com.  Thank you.

The 9

1. Asuka is on her way to RAW.  Was this the right move?

Russ:  In the current environments I am going to say yes!  There are several reasons why this is the right move so let’s take a look at them.  First, the rosters.  Honestly, right now the best roster is the Raw roster.  You have the Goddess Bliss who can be a great antagonist for Asuka.  You have Sasha who can put on a good match given the right opponents.  You have Emma, depending on how she does at No Mercy we could see her emerging as a top star, though her loss on Raw doesn’t make me feel too good about that.  Finally, you have Nia, who continually improves and gets better each week.  That would be a great feud to watch Nia vs. Asuka.  Smackdown has some greats, but they are being squandered right now.  Another reason is that Raw is still the flagship of the company where most of the performers want to be and the company’s real money maker.  You want a top performer like Asuka on that program because she will draw eyes to the show.  

Keri:  I had to think a bit on my response to this question and probably longer than I should have. While I would have liked to have seen Asuka give some much needed star power to Smackdown, I  also understand why she is RAW bound. She is already a star and her reputation proceeds her so Smackdown’s promise of a land of opportunity is kinda lost on her. Also, look at the current state of each division. The RAW women’s division is thriving at the moment. The storylines are interesting and going somewhere. It would be the perfect place to unleash Asuka. As for Smackdown, the women’s division is lost in the shuffle at the moment. Bring her in there and you risk a repeat of what happened with Bobby Roode.

Kent:  Well, in theory, you should put Asuka on the weaker division.  Let’s see, RAW has Alexa, SAsha, Emma, Nia, Mickie, Alicia, Bayley, and possibly Paige.  Smackdown has Becky, Carmella, Natty, Naomi, Tamina, Lana, and stupid ass.  Rumors are swirling that Ronda Arouseme will be feuding with Charlotte inevitably because WWE is mildly retarded….majorly. That tells me that RAW is where she will be better built up and surrounded by legit talent.  WWE is really missing the mark though,  Asuka vs Charlotte in a passing of the torch and Ronda vs Bliss, somebody who can actually talk, would be smarter.  Ohhhh well.  Really, this all goes to shit because of WWE’s insistence on trying to make Charlotte seem a notch above everybody else when she isn’t even in the top 5 in ring on the main roster.  

2.   Should WWE be giving away first ever match ups as frequently as they have this year?

Russ:   Well it would be nice if WWE actually saved some of these first time ever match ups for the PPV’s.  Lets face it the PPV’s have sucked a lot lately.  Maybe if they gave us some of the first time match ups on them we may have something to look forward to, even get a little excited about.  Instead all the first-time matches are ending up on Raw and Smackdown leaving matches that have worn the tread off for the PPV’s.  

Keri:  On one hand, you should have always have a few of these match ups to keep the audience hyped and interested in the weekly product. However, what Creative has done the past two years is they have saturated the weekly programming and have neglected to save anything for the PPV. They really have gone from one extreme to another instead of finding a nice balance.

Kent:  No, just no.  This pisses me off beyond belief.  You don’t give away an attraction like a first ever big time match up on free TV unless it goes like a minute and chaos ensues.  Any other answer is the wrong answer.  Joe vs Roman, Cena, and a few other guys have all been on RAW for the first time.  Braun vs Cena is another big one.  You MUST leave these first time match up for PPV’s to build up interest and not kill off the intrigue of another boring ass 4-7 hours, depending on the event.  Why do PPV’s suck so much?  Because they make the matches feel unimportant in the build up and the week after.

3.   Is the Jason Jordan experiment starting to pay off for you yet?

Russ:   I think the last two weeks have been great showcases for Jordan.  We all had issues with his abilities.  He looks like a dead fish out there in promos and when he was first introduced we were iffy on his in-ring skills.  Now I can say that given good opponents he can definitely put on a good show.  Now he needs to prove that he can give us a decent promo.  He could be the next Benoit: the in-ring technician with no charisma, not the messed up in the head due to concussion part.  

Keri:  I’m going to go with a big fat nope here. The storyline fell flat and now the crowd doesn’t care. Jordan went from a member of a championship caliber tag team to a member of the job squad.  Great job WWE. Glad you thought that one through.

Kent:  Not for me.  Any guy his size with his background should be able to have those types of matches.  Cena and Reigns are capable of these matches on a weekly basis if they choose to, mainly Cena as Roman puts in the work.  I will say this, if Jason Jordan beat Jinder right at this moment for the belt, the belt would be in a better situation.  That’s not to compliment Jordan, but to point out how bad Jinder’s run has been.Jason will never get too far if he can’t add some character and charisma, just like his daddy.

4.   In a night full of adequate matches and Brrrrock Lesnar, did the 8 man tag make sense to you as the main event?

Russ:   Unfortunately,  my power went off just as the match was starting so I didn’t get to see it.  It was a really weird thing.  The power flickered so I had to wait for the cable box to reboot, which takes forever.  It was just about to come back on and then the power flickered again and had to start the whole process over.  I was done at that point and as i went to shut the TV off for good the power went out and stayed out.  Fantastic!  I will say that I have noticed WWE has been taking careful strides to rotate who is in the Main Event each week so I guess in that regard it makes sense.  

Keri:  It was refreshing to see something not involving Brock in the main event segment. They have really been playing up the tag team division the past few weeks. It would make sense that they would showcase it in the main event at some point. Look at you RAW Creative using logic. I think I may need to bring back my gold stars if you keep this up. (Kent: I would say that since Mania, we have seen Brock more often in non main event segments than in the final spot on RAW.  He usually kicks things off or is at the top of hour 1 or 2.)

Kent:  As Russ said, the WWE has been meticulous in who gets main event spots, and that is a GREAT thing and is helping RAW feel fresh.  The match was fine for what I saw of it.  More important, anything that gets the vast majority of these guys in the main event is a good thing.  They all have merit in some capacity, so kudos.  Sheamus and Cesaro may be the best thing that WWE currently has going behind Braun.

5.  Aside from everything else mentioned, any other segment work well for you?

Russ: I really enjoyed watching Braun destroy Cena.  (Kent: See question #2 that we already mentioned. GAWD!)  That was a fun segment because it is so rare to see Cena get taken behind the shed and beaten mercilessly.  Oh, The Miz and Maryse are having a child!  That was a nice feel good moment.  The fans cheered and for a second were taken out of Kayfabe.  Then promptly thrown back in when Enzo came out.  Do they seriously not have anything for the Intercontinental Champion to do other than to interview the Enzo’s of the WWE?  

Keri:  The Braun-Brock segment worked for me. Surprised I said that one, aren’t ya? (Kent: See question #4 that we already mentioned. GAWD!.)  Yeah, I didn’t think so. Between that segment and the match with Cena, Braun has been booked over the past year to perfection. The only thing missing is the cherry on top of the sundae. Come on Creative. The time to act is now. But the belt on the man, will ya?  He looked really good holding it on RAW. Just saying.

Kent:  Uhmmmm, I legit just had to read the recap.  Bray vs Goldust happened.  Emma lost.  The Miz knocked up Maryse and destroyed Enzo.  Yeah, let’s just congratulate Miz and Maryse and wash my hands of this question.

6.  We have new tag team champions on Smackdown. Good or bad decision?

Russ:  I really don’t know if it is a bad decision or not, but I will say that New Day and The Uso’s have some major chemistry!  Each match they have had has been a treat!  This was no exception.  While this was definitely not their best match it was still fun and exciting.  Loved how The Uso’s basically kept a two on one advantage most of the match by being intelligent in their attacks.  Loved the big spots and overall just a fun match.  It may look bad shotgunning the title back and forth, but I’m not going to complain when I get to see these two teams fight.  Hopefully, this will culminate in a HiaC match at… Hell in the Cell PPV.  

Keri:  I’m at a loss for words while at the same time experiencing serious deja ju. Are we seriously watching Creative put together another hot potato belt storyline? Didn’t we just see this a year ago on RAW with the women’s title? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Recycled storylines are so exciting. I’m just wondering when the first time evers and historics are going to come into play. With that said, unlike the Sasha-Charlotte hot potato game, I’m enjoying this one a lot more and don’t mind watching it a bit longer. Just not too much longer.

Kent:  Rumor has it that WWE is trying to pad NEw Day’s number of championships, and here we are.  Sasha Banks is telling herself that someday she will get a long run like New Day had too.  She is delusional.  I like the Uso’s as champs a lot.  I am shocked by how much I enjoy them.  The match seemed a tad sloppy.

7.  Natty and Naomi had a match. Compared to their SummerSlam match, Tuesday’s match was ________?

Russ:  Not worth my time.  I started watching it and then they went to commercial and that is where they lost me.  I started playing a video game because the match was boring and I’m really not interested in watching a crap match during the commercial. Naomi usually puts on a decent match.  This was not one of those times.  

Keri:  I think the word you are looking for is mediocre. Because that is the word I would use. Also, Smackdown, did you want Asuka? This is why you did not get Asuka.

Kent:  “Freshly squeezed garbage juice” is my response.  I suspect that Naomi isn’t fully healthy and working through some nagging injury.  She was off during this match and has been lackluster lately.  Now, it could have a lot to do with Irma, I don’t know, since she’s from Florida.  It was a bad match considering how much I enjoyed their Summerslam match.

8.  Is Smackdown doing a good job as far as getting their roster screen time?

Russ:  Nope.  this was always going to be a problem for Smackdown due to it only being two hours. The two hours isn’t the problem (please WWE do not make it three hours!)  It’s the WWE’s fault.  I mean just look who wasn’t on Smackdown this week:  Bobby Roode, Breezdango, Randy Orton, Shinsuke, Luke Harper, and Eric Rowen.  While I certainly can understand having a superstar or two not on the show (there is no way we can fit everything and everyone, I get that.)  However,  Leaving Roode off the show makes no sense!  Two weeks now he hasn’t been on the show and that is criminal!  He just got moved up from NXT he needs to be on screen consistently each week or how else will people get to know him.  This isn’t how you treat an emerging star!  Trust me he is an emerging star.  He has all the tools.  It just seems WWE is squandering them.  I don’t even want to get started on the mistreatment of Luke.  

Keri:  Another question where I can give the answer of a big fat nope. My reason for saying nope is two words, Bobby Roode. Where was Bobby Roode? I’m ready to start a milk carton campaign for him. Seriously you bring up the guy and then do nothing with him. Bad form WWE especially considering he would be perfect answer to Ziggler’s new making fun of gimmicks gimmick. Sigh. I would mention others that have already gone missing but I have milk carton campaigns out for them already and I’m getting nowhere with those so right now they are not worth mentioning.

Kent:  No.  When Ginger Rhynos have substantially more screen time ove rthe past 3 months than Harper and Rowan and Hype Bros and Mike Kanellis combined, and the Ginger Rhynos are the least used tag team on RAW, well, you do that math.  Something bad is happening on Smackdown.  It’s becoming the weekly show that I dread….sigh.  Every single title division is stagnant as fuck.  Jinder gets time weekly, as does AJ, KO, usually New Day and Usos, Carmella, and usually Shinsuke and Baron.  Remember when Smackdown was rotating the acts all around so that it was nice to see everybody get time?  It was only a year ago!  Sigh.  Go Aiden!!!  Go Sami!!!

9.  Vince McMahon returned to deal with Kevin Owens. Vince announced the Hell in a Cell match and promptly got beat up. Steph returned in a terrible outfit. Discuss all of this and is this leading to HHH vs KO?

Russ:  This was definitely a highlight of Smackdown.  The Vince beat down served its purpose perfectly.  While Vince is definitely not a sympathetic character watching a 70 year old man get his ass handed to him by a man that is much younger definitely seems unfair.  This feud was already personal, but this just made it a McMahon Family affair!  Well done.  During the entire beat down I kept on thinking that McMahon must really like or at least have faith in KO to let him do the amount of damage he did.  Let’s face it McMahon shouldn’t be taking these types of beatings at his age, yet he allowed KO to go nuts on him.  Finally, this solidified KO’s status as one of the top heels in the business and he deserves it.  

Keri:  I have a few comments about this segment. First, isn’t Vince getting too old to get beat up like he did on Smackdown? I mean good for him but at some point you have to take a step back and say maybe I shouldn’t do this anymore. Second, it looks like we are getting another wrestler vs McMahon storyline and I’m honestly not sure how I feel about that. Those storylines are always so annoying because they take up so much air time. Lastly, I noticed Kent made a comment about Stephanie’s outfit on Smackdown. And I didn’t think it was too bad. It was kind of flattering for her figure. Oh yeah. I almost forgot the answer to the Triple H question. Yes, yes it is leading to a KO vs. Trips match. It couldn’t be more obvious.

Kent:  Yeah, I immediately asked outloud: “What the fuck is Steph wearing?”  Anyway, I said on Monday that I figured either Vince would order the match or get beat up which would prompt Daniel to order the match.  I honestly didn’t foresee both of these things happening, and for that, I will give them kudos.  Vince shouldn’t be taking this type of punishment anymore, but you know damn well that he told KO to do it and was probably smiling on the inside the whole time.  Vince knew what he’s doing and it worked really well.  I was so exhausted, but I forced myself to stay awake.  Yes, I think HHH vs KO is a cool Mania idea, or possibly before then.  HHH is obviously a KO fan, and he must have won Vince over as well.

Bonus Deuce

1. Rate RAW

Russ:  Another above average Raw!  Granted the average isn’t very good, but I’m not complaining in this case.  The matches were good, especially Roman vs Jordan and Braun vs John.  A slight downside that I have noticed over the past few weeks is how the WWE has decided that the worked shoot is the best thing since sliced bread!  Seriously, ever since John and Roman did their worked shoot a couple of weeks ago WWE has gone back to beat that horse more times than Kent and I beat the Paige/ Xavier horse on the podcast!  They are like kids in a candy store they are very excited about doing these worked shoots and just can’t stop.  Rating: 6.5

Keri:  It was another good RAW. The only problem I had with this week’s RAW is that it seemed they over focused on this Cena and Reigns feud. There was too much time spent on it and I think it took away from some of the other stuff going on. But, I guess I’m just being overly critical at this point because I did just offer RAW creative gold stars. So, rating: 6

Kent:  I don’t feel like I am suited to rate it this week.  I watched it half awake and it’s my fault.  I simply don’t want to go back and rewatch it, so I will say that it wasn’t as good as last week, but it was above average with no rating.

2.  Rate Smackdown

Russ:  Another adequate show by Smackdown.  The tag match and final segment were definitely highlights.  I enjoyed the Tye vs AJ match.  While Tye lost it was still a strong showing by him.  I could have lived without the women’s title match and while i liked the last segment they spent too much time on the KO Shane stuff.  Rating: 5

Keri:  I’m just not impressed by Smackdown anymore. It just seems like Smackdown is moving into year ago RAW territory. Everything so haphazard and pointless now. I really dread watching it. Rating: a begrudging 4

Kent:  I will giev Smackdown a 5.1 as there are some things that I would absolutely rewatch, mainly the tag match and the final segment.  Both were well done.

Final Thoughts

Russ:  Pizza is great!  It tastes delicious and comes in a square box as a circle and when eaten turns into a triangle!  So many shapes in such a small package!  Wrestling has a small package.  Pizza = wrestling.  

Keri:  I want everyone to answer a question for me. How can I be behind less than 1 week into a new semester? Bad planning is the answer just in case you couldn’t come up with one. This is going to be a long semester. Guess I should not have watched wrestling this week, huh? It’s not like I would have missed too much anyways. Sigh. Back to sticking my nose in a book.

Kent:  Hopefully I will be more awake next week.  Go see teh remake of IT.  Very well done, and as you know, I am a horror fanatic.

All pictures used in this blog are for review purposes. They are property of WWE and wwe.com.

Back to back solid RAW’s?  Has Hell frozen over?  Did our protest really make a difference?  Vince McMahon returning to our screens to do an angle with a guy who looks like Kevin Owens?  Yes is the answer to all of those questions.  It’s a good week.  Not only that, but on this week’s Are You Not Kentertained we did our first top ten list, and it was pretty solid.  Yeah, we’re feeling the GLOW.

Please check us out at 9 Deuce Wrestling on Facebook , on Twitter @official9deuce, or Instagram at Official9Deuce.  Share this, like this, write us an email with a question at wrestling@9deuce.com.  Thank you.

The 9

1. Better match: Cena vs Jordan or Jeff vs Miz?

Russ:  I thought both were good matches, but I’m going to have to say that Jeff vs Miz was the better match.  In Cena vs Jordan I liked how they made the connection back to how Cena wanted to take out his “ruthless aggression” out on Jordan’s “father” 15 or so years ago and now it was Jordan being the scrappy newbie.  In all honesty I thought Jordan did a pretty good job against Cena. It was just unfortunate that the end result was so predictable. On the other side Jeff vs Miz was very entertaining as well.  Miz and Jeff have some pretty good chemistry and the use of Matt and the Miztourage was done well.  Again the ending was a bit predictable, but this one had a few near falls that I thought felt more exciting.  Cena vs Jordan:  4.8 and Jeff vs Miz: 5  

Keri:  I’m going to be different and go with Cena vs. Jordan. Yes, the ending was predictable. However, everything leading up to that ending was damn good. Cena did a great job of making Jordan look really good in this match. And in turn, Jordan got to show off the skill set that we knew he had but kinda forgot he had after weeks of bad matches. The Miz and Hardy match was ok but nothing really exciting for me. It seemed like the typical Miz vs anyone match.

Kent:  Miz vs Jeff was more entertaining to me.  I do want to give Jordan props for the rolling Northern Lights Suplex maneuver.  Both were good TV match I felt.  This is something that appears to be a recurring thing, which is great to me. Look at me starting off with positivity.

2.   Emma is now in the Women’s title match at No Mercy!!!  So is Nia.  Emma has yet another new song.  Nobody has had more theme songs that Emma this calendar year.  Does the 4 way match interest you more than a simple one on one between Alexa and Sasha?

Russ:   As soon as I saw Emma get the pin on The Boss I wanted to text Kent and let him know about how much he would love this women’s match.  I thought better of it because I knew he wouldn’t be watching it in real time (only schmucks do that.)  This 4-way match is much more interesting to me than the original plan.  Emma is getting a mild push here and she has been taking the ball and running with it.  Nia has just gotten better and better in the ring and out.  Adding these two to the match can only enhance the match. Also, it provides an easy out for Alexa to pin someone that isn’t named Sasha.  This match went from I’ll watch it because it is on my screen but don’t expect me to pay attention to it to mild interest where I’ll pay attention for a little bit until I start playing a video game.  I know it doesn’t seem like it, but that is a big jump up in standards.  

Keri:  I like the idea of the fatal four way match. It’s about time that Emma got a chance to do, well anything. I would like to see something come out of her involvement in this match. Perhaps, a feud for the belt? If not, Nia is a good second choice for me. She has done extremely well over the past few months. I wouldn’t be mad at a Nia title run in the future. Basically what I’m saying is I’m firmly in the anyone but Sasha camp. And before you say anything, I like Sasha but there are others that deserve the opportunity before she gets one again.

Kent:  Emma has had 4 songs this year.  She had her original, Emmalina, last week’s, and this week’s.  She is awesome, and I am so happy for her right now.  I wish there was a way that Mickie and Alicia could be working with  Dana.  Dana needs it so badly.  I am super excited for the 4 way match in all honesty.  I don’t want Nia to win, and I don’t want to get my hopes up, but what if……what if Emma pulled it off.  Hello goosebumps.

3.   With Enzo officially a member of 205, who benefits more: Enzo or the 205 division and show?

Russ:   Well, right now I would say it benefits Enzo.  Mainly because it may actually get him back into the locker room.  On a serious note, he can now showcase not just his big mouth, but also how good he is in the ring against guys more his size.  This will be better seen once he gets his inevitable match against Neville in the coming weeks. If he can put on a good match against Neville then we may just see good things in store for Enzo and 205.  

Keri:  Kent is going to yell at me for this but I’m going to go with both with Enzo getting a slight edge. Enzo moving to the cruiserweight division ultimately benefits him because he is still employed. Lets all think about what would have happened if Cass didn’t get injured. He would eventually be released and we would see him on GFW at some point. This move also benefits the division because now there is someone in the division who is over with the fans. Lets face it before Enzo moved over to 205, who was the only 205’ers that were over with the fans? I’ll wait a minute while you come up with an answer that is not Neville or Aries. Yeah, that’s what I thought. None of the guys in the division other than those two individuals are over with the fans. Granted they haven’t been given time to get over but still it just seemed like something was lacking with that group. Is Enzo the answer though? Not sure but right now it’s a good temporary solution.

Kent:  I have gone back and forth on my answer.  Let’s make this clear, this is a question where we won’t know the answer for another 3 months realistically.  We have to really ask some questions.  Would Enzo have continued getting screen time had they not made this movie?  If yes, against who?  On the other hand, 205 wasn’t getting much time on RAW, and although the time may have not improved much, it feels way more watchable now.  I think the answer is Enzo..Also, Enzo’s finisher is delightful.

4.   RAW showcased it’s tag team division.  Which tag team raised it’s stock the most on this Monday’s edition of RAW?

Russ:   Gallows and Anderson showed us that they are still contenders.  Sure they lost their match, but they put on a good match.  Also, after the match they gave Sheasaro what for.  I really like how they are portraying the Tag division lately.  It is less Heel vs Face and more about the actual title and all the teams wanting it.  That is the way a division should be.  

Keri:  I’m going to say Gallows and Anderson. They showed Monday night that they are still contenders and should be taken seriously by Creative. So, Creative, your move?

Kent:  While Sheasaro looked great, they were worth something, a known quantity.  Ginger Rhynos on the other hand, they proved to us that they were still in business.  They were penny stock, at best.  We weren’t sure if the company had gone under.  Now we know that they didn’t close down shop.  Yes they jobbed, but I feel their stock theoretically increased the most.

5.  Who cut the better promo: Big Show or referee John Cone?  Also, talk about the match because it was really good.

Russ:  Who was Big Show looking at when he was talking to Braun?  Cause he sure as hell wasn’t looking at us in the camera.  It looked like he was giving an inspirational speech in a movie.  Go ahead watch it again it’s kind of weird.  As for the match.  Holy crap!  I have to say that Braun is a great performer.  Seriously, when was the last time he was in a bad match?  I’ve seen Big Show in a lot of matches most of which I can say have severely underperformed in the entertaining department.  Yet the past two matches he has had with Braun have both just been fantastic!

Keri:  I didn’t see either promo so I can’t comment on it. However, I did see the match. And it was an awesome match. Both guys really do get the best out of the other. There were so many good aspects to this match. Show’s elbow off the top rope and the post match Braun opening the cage with Big Show were my moments of the match. I would like to see these two wrestle again before Big Show retires in a few months.

Kent:  While John’s promo surprised me, I haven’t heard Big Show that hype in awhile.  Has he been hanging out with Mojo?  Great match!  Seriously, these 2 guys know how to tell a story in the ring.  Shame to know that Big Show won’t be around for much longer.  It’s the veteran’s jobs in the locker room to pass along the knowledge that they have gained.  Big Show got to learn from Hulk, Macho Man, Taker, Austin, Foley and Flair just to name a few.  Braun clearly has a mind for the business and is being allowed to run with.  Now, more than ever, am I upset that Braun didn’t get to face Taker at Mania.  

6.  Does Vince’s involvement in this KO and Shane feud actually make this more compelling for you as a viewer?

Russ:  I was already in favor of this feud.  Adding Vince can only make it more interesting.  I just can’t wait to see how hypocritical he will be in all of this.  If you remember way back in the attitude days he would have lost his company for the things he did.  He would attack his employees, sexually harass his employees (that includes the men too, I mean how else would you classify the Kiss My Ass Club?)  So this should be a great round of WWE Logic coming our way.  If it didn’t happen in the past month…you aren’t supposed to remember it.  

Keri:  It does add another level to what was becoming, what I feel was an already stale storyline. And I’m curious to see what this additional level does for this storyline. So, I guess I’m intrigued by this development especially since it is Vince.

Kent:  Yeah, it is actually one of the best things that could happen, unless they want to involve Sami more.  Let’s face it, we should be excited any time that Vince makes an appearance at this point, so yes, it will have my full attention.

7.  Is the Carmella and Ellsworth thing going to all be a big ruse, or is it the beginning of the break up of the century?

Russ:  I don’t think it is a ruse because in the end Carmella told him that they are going to be doing things her way from then on.  She then proceeded to kiss and slap him.  So to me it seems like they are already back together.  

Keri:  This is all a big ruse. I mean think about it. What better way to catch everyone off guard than by staging a fake breakup. Carmellsworth is smart and they are using something I like to call strategery.

Kent:  Big Ruse for the girl of Big Cass.  And you can’t teach that.  If they break up, I will be sad.  At least for another month or two.  Carmella cut a hell of a promo by the way.  She has come so far.  Major props to a girl that most of my readers think isn’t that good or important.  Well, you people are foolish.  Oh, you disagree?  Then leave a comment.  Don’t be a little whiny bitch.  Step up and tell me just how wrong I am.

8.  Baron Corbin has had an odd month.  Do you think that he is still in the doghouse?  Also, is Sami in the doghouse?  Is Dolph Ziggler there as well?

Russ:  Baron is still probably in the doghouse, but I think the worst is over for him.  He went through an embarassing couple of weeks and now seems to be righting the ship.  It does seem like he is on his way to working with AJ Styles and any time you can work with someone like him can’t be all that bad.  As for Sami, I’m not so sure about him.  I don’t think he is in the doghouse.  I just think they don’t have a good direction for him.  Or maybe the best of both worlds he is going to be starting a program with Aiden English!  Aiden is awesome I really hope he can make the jump to singles mid-card guy.  He is one of those guys who deserves it.  As for Dolph.  Dolph is where he always is…In obscurity.  

Keri:  I wouldn’t say Dolph or Sami are in the doghouse. I just think that Creative has nothing much for them right now. As for Corbin, well he may have deserved some of what is happening to him right now if the latest rumors are to be believed. We all have a right to our opinion on stuff at work but we also need to maintain a certain level of professionalism at the same time. I think someone forgot to tell that to Corbin.

Kent:  I’ll tell you who is not in the doghouse, Aiden English.  I am so happy for him.  Baron is treading water but he can step outside of the doghouse at least now.  I don’t foresee him beating AJ Styles, but a good effort series of matches could do wonders for him.  I just don’t feel the energy and potential flowing through him at the moment.  Even scarier is Sami Zayn’s place in the company.  He is not being given a chance to do much and they build him up just to get others over, but because he is never officially put over big time for a stretch of time, he’s not able to get others over as big as he could be.  As for Dolph, poor, poor Dolph.  

9.  Did the Randy vs Shinsuke match provide all the final proof that you needed to know that Jinder shouldn’t be a world champion anymore?

Russ:  So both Shinsuke and Randy went up against Jinder.  Randy’s matches against Jinder were uninspired boring pieces of garbage.  Shinsuke’s match against Jinder wasn’t bad it was just boring.  Then Randy went up against Shinsuke for a number 1 contenders match and holy cow, what a fantastic match.  So the only remaining variable is Jinder.  He just isn’t that good.  I’ll give him a little credit his promo’s are coming along and I’m glad he is starting to move away from the I’m a foreigner so I’m a heel stuff, but he is still far far far off in the ring.  I’m going to give him to Hell in the Cell.  If by then he doesn’t have at least a decent fun match by then I’m calling his championship run a complete disaster.  

Keri:  I’ve been saying for months that the Jinder experiment has been a flop. So, the answer to your question is yes. With that said, both guys put on a really good match and showed that it is Jinder and not them. I think it’s time someone, anyone, hinders the Jinder.

Kent:  Yeah.  We saw that when Randy or Shinsuke have somebody competent to work with, either can have a really good match.  Name the last time that you saw a really good Jinder match.  Oh, you can’t?  Yeah, that’s a problem.  Guys who can’t wrestle above average matches should never get the belt unless they have an absolute can’t miss gimmick, and even then, it should be a month or less for the title reign.  I’d rather Randy get the belt back than for Jinder to keep it.  That’s where we are at.

Bonus Deuce

1. Rate RAW

Russ:  Good: The matches.  A lot of good matches throughout the night kept things interesting and fun.  Story Development: The major feuds got a big push in story as well and everything actually seemed to make sense.  The bad:  It is still a 3 hour show.  Rating:  8 best Raw I think I’ve seen all year.  If they can keep this formula going for a little while it would really increase my joy of wrestling.  

Keri:  As our readers know, I have a tendency to fall asleep during RAW and usually I’m not mad about it. I’m actually mad I missed this one. What a RAW to miss. Good matches and work by Creative. It’s almost Twilight Zoney. Which means this will return to normal next week and I’ll be sad again. Rating: 7

Kent:  7.5  It was a very well put together episode with several good matches, better than PPV’s as far as matches go.  The stories made sense.  Best RAW of the year perhaps from top to bottom.

2.  Rate Smackdown

Russ:  I enjoyed the night.  I liked all the KO and Shane business that was going on.  As a father I understood where Shane was coming from when he attacked KO so I could relate to this.  I am curious to see where they are going with Carmella and Ellsworth.  I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Natty looks like she belongs as champion and kudos to her for looking and acting the part.  Finally,  really enjoyed the Main Event those two can definitely wrestle again and I’ll pay more attention to it.  Rating:  6

Keri:  It was a decent show. It just felt like something was lacking for me. As i said last week, what happened to the Smackdown of last year? Sigh. Rating: 4

Kent:  It wasn’t bad.  Everything was fine for what it was.  It only had one really good match though, as far as I’m concerned.  It was more story driven.  I felt like things progressed positively though.  Nothing I would go out of my way to rewatch, but from top to bottom, solid night.  5.0

Final Thoughts

Russ:  It was a fantastic week of wrestling.  I don’t know if is something they can keep up, probably not, but I’d like it if they at least tried.  I’m just glad that it didn’t suck because there is nothing else on TV right now.  I miss you Game of Thrones.  

Keri:  I think this is finally the week that I’m glad I came back to the blog. It was a good week and I was able to be positive for a chance. It was very refreshing but I fully expect things to go back

to normal next week. Also, go check out the Mae Young Classic if you haven’t already. You will be glad you did. Trust me.

Kent:  I am simply enjoying the break in between PPV’s right now.  Like, this is how wrestling should be, not every 2 weeks, a new PPV.  This is a comfortable pace for me.

All pictures used in this blog are for review purposes. They are property of WWE and wwe.com.