The Raw Exposé: The Pinocchio Taught Roman Reigns How To Tell Bald-Faced Lies Edition (9-11-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. I want to use this space to remember the lives lost on 9/11 16 years ago and offer my thoughts and prayers to everyone dealing with Hurricane (now Tropical Depression Irma) as she battered the Southeastern United States this past weekend. The images and stories are harrowing and I hope the rebuilding process can heal some of the wounds this storm has left in its wake. Godspeed to you all.

On a lighter note, let’s brighten the mood by dissecting the craziness that went down on tonight’s show. Enjoy! J

·        After Roman Reigns accused John Cena of losing a step after it took him twenty minutes to beat Jason Jordan last week, Reigns encountered the same situation as he grinded out a tough win against Jordan in a very good match to kick off the show.

·        Reigns roughed up Jordan early on by delivering some stiff punches to the face until Jordan countered with a series of beautiful suplexes. Jordan almost made Reigns tap out twice when he locked in the Crossface, but Reigns managed to grab the bottom rope both times.

·        Jordan showed off his freakish strength by dropping Reigns with his signature back-to-back Northern Lights Suplexes for a near fall. Jordan went for his running charge, but the Big Dog moved out of the way which caused Jordan to slam into the ring post. The Big Dog took advantage by hitting Jordan with The Drive by, Superman Punch, and Spear for the win.

·        After the match was over, Reigns shook Jordan’s hand and praised him for pushing him to the limit. Jordan has had two impressive showings against the two biggest stars in WWE. His stock has risen a bit, but he’s still stuck in no man’s land because no one believes that he’s Kurt Angle’s long lost son. It’s a heat killer that will stunt his growth as a performer if the creative team doesn’t add dimensions to his personality. Here’s hoping Jordan’s recent losing skid results in him growing a thicker skin instead of smiling his way through life.

·        John Cena came out to gloat about Reigns failing to beat Jordan in quick and decisive fashion. Reigns retorted by stating that he has had more great matches in two years than Cena has had in his whole career. Cena acknowledged that Reigns has gifts that any wrestler would love to possess However, his arrogance prevents him from reaching true superstar status.

                                                             

·        Reigns has never experienced true failure in his career. Cena vowed to change that at No Mercy in a couple of weeks. Cena was about to leave when Reigns told Cena to get his bitch ass back in the ring.

·        Reigns claimed that Cena was riding the wave of his success because WWE business has never been better. The company is making more money than ever before. Tickets are moving at a brisk pace which means that Cena needs WWE more than WWE needs Cena. The E is Cena’s ticket to Hollywood. If he needed a hookup, Reigns knew a guy who could help. That was a very sly and shady reference to The Rock.

·        Instead of Cena going on a long spiel in order to destroy Reigns on the mic. He let this parting shot do the trick: “At No Mercy, consider me like a drug a test homes, you ain’t getting past me.” And with that, Cena dropped the mic and headed backstage while Reigns smirked in the ring.

·        This was another good talking segment, but I had a hard time taking Reigns’ promo seriously because it was filled with lies. The notion that Cena has had no great matches in his career is a complete load of bullshit. Reigns being a revenue driver is true, but he left out some important facts.

·        For those in the know, Cena is still the top merchandise mover in WWE. Also, he moves numbers when it comes to house shows and appearing on Raw and SmackDown Live on a regular basis. Without him, things take a tumble on the money and ratings front. Therefore, Reigns’ promo didn’t pass the sniff test in terms of believability.

·        Cena kept things short and sweet by stating the facts. Playing into Reigns’ drug test failure was a great dig to wrap up the segment. Here’s hoping their verbal shots have a bit more bite during the go-home show next week because this was their “worse” exchange so far.

·        Sasha Banks defeated Emma by making her tap out to the Bank Statement in a solid match. Emma got in a lot of offense, but the outcome was never in doubt.

·        Paul Heyman kicked off the second hour of Raw by asking Braun Strowman if he was better than 2002 Brock Lesnar. Heyman admitted that Strowman was more powerful than Lesnar, but he wondered if Strowman could notch a signature win under his belt by beating John Cena later tonight. In The Beast’s quest towards world domination, he defeated the likes of The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Rob Van Dam, and The Undertaker. Until Strowman piles up a similar resume, he’s not in Lesnar’s league.

·        Heyman challenged the Monster Among Men to fight his client. Strowman accepted and the fight was on. Lesnar dropped Strowman with a German Suplex, but Strowman popped back up which stunned Lesnar. Strowman laid him out with a chokeslam followed by the Running Powerslam as Heyman looked on in shock at ringside.

·        Strowman grabbed the Universal Championship and raised it high in the air as he placed his foot on Lesnar’s chest. He laid the belt in the same spot moments later and patted it three times to signal the pin count before leaving the ring.

·        This was another great segment. Paul Heyman was the perfect hype man that asked the right questions about Strowman’s badassery, but Strowman continues to make him eat crow by putting The Beast on his ass at every turn. Their match at No Mercy for the Universal Title should be a classic if everything goes according to plan.

·        Bray Wyatt defeated Goldust with Sister Abigail in a decent match. Goldust had a nice showing, but the outcome was never in doubt. See Emma vs. Sasha Banks as a prime example.

·        However, things took a dark turn when Wyatt wiped away Goldust’s face paint which was perceived as a sign of sacrilege amongst fans. Wyatt wanted to prove that Goldust was just a man without special abilities when Finn Bálor ran down to the ring to make the save.

·        Wyatt drawing legit heel heat for a change was refreshing to see, but I still don’t care about his match against Bálor at No Mercy next Sunday.

·        Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows vs. Sheamus and Cesaro never got underway because Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins brawled with their No Mercy opponents until Anderson and Gallows turned things into a six-way brawl. Tensions are boiling over in the tag team division.

·        Asuka is coming to Monday Night Raw. Something Wicked This Way Comes in the best possible way.

·        Elias defeated Kalisto with a Swinging Neckbreaker in an okay match. It went a bit too long despite the inevitability of Kalisto losing clean.

·        John Cena defeated Braun Strowman via disqualification after Strowman dropped him with a Running Powerslam on the steel steps. The match was fine, but it was a one-sided affair with Cena getting his ass kicked for 95% of the match.

·        It was a great showcase for Strowman while protecting Cena at the same time because he didn’t eat the pin. Hopefully, this match will be revisited in the future because I feel that both men can do more if the booking gives them more freedom to go all out in the ring.

·        Congrats to The Miz and Maryse on becoming first-time parents in the very near future. Miz’s quip on being there for his baby unlike Kurt Angle was great.

·        Miz TV was very newsworthy as Miz read Enzo Amore for filth regarding his behind the scenes antics as of late. The burn was so epic that Enzo couldn’t even clap back with a good response that would win the crowd over. They were surprisingly pro-Miz because he spoke the absolute truth. This might be the moment when Enzo’s star faded to dust because Miz demolished him on the mic and came off like a total babyface.

·        Enzo challenged Miz to a match which pretty much breaks the 205 Live rule of Cruiserweights not wrestling against heavyweights, but I digress.

·        Enzo Amore defeated The Miz via disqualification after The Miztourage attacked him at ringside. Both men traded insults on the mic while their match was in progress. The action was pretty bland, but the crowd was still pro Miz for the most part. I don’t think that was the intended effect, but it suited him well.

·        Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose & The Hardy Boyz defeated Sheamus, Cesaro Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows when Ambrose nailed Anderson with Dirty Deeds for the win. The match was solid as Ambrose played the babyface in peril throughout. There was a slight hiccup when Matt Hardy came into the ring to break up a pin attempt after Ambrose kicked out at two. Corey Graves did an excellent job covering for Matt by saying the referee saw him out of the corner of his eye which resulted in the pin being broken up. It was a bit far-fetched, but it was better than saying nothing at all.

·        Things got back on track when Ambrose made the hot tag to Rollins which quickened the pace of the match. Sensing trouble, Sheamus and Cesaro bailed on Anderson and Gallows during the closing moments of the match which led to the aforementioned finish. The show ended with the babyfaces standing tall while Graves proclaimed that he was heading to Sin City in the most enthusiastic way possible.

·        This was a fine way to end the show. The crowd wasn’t super-hot, but they popped for the key spots which ended things on a high note. The Raw Tag Team Championship match should be a good one if both teams bring something fresh to the table. Based on what happened tonight, don’t be surprised to see Anderson and Gallows play a role in the finish. Just saying…

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was middling at best. The in-ring action was so-so with the exception of the opening match between Roman Reigns and Jason Jordan and the Eight-Man Tag Team match that closed the show.

·        Braun Strowman dominating Brock Lesnar was fun, but the latest Roman Reigns-John Cena promo exchange left a lot to be desired. With next week’s go-home show taking place in San Jose, the double main event for No Mercy need to be on equal footing. Here’s hoping the creative team gets the job done.

·        The rest of the No Mercy Card looks good. It was wise of WWE to plan out the PPV well in advance. However, they failed to do the same thing for Raw this week. The return of Monday Night Football should’ve given the company added incentive to load up tonight’s show. Instead, they relied on social media to generate buzz which can be hit or miss at best. With SmackDown Live having a loaded show tomorrow night, it would’ve been nice to see that same synergy on the red brand. It’s a missed opportunity that might result in SD Live beating their red counterpart in the ratings this week. If that’s the case, Go, Blue Brand, Go!

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The Raw Exposé. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be back tomorrow night with a brand new installment of The SmackDown Files. See you later, boys and girls! 

The Raw Exposé: Braun Strowman Sent Me to the ER - A Roman Reigns Story (4-10-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York. After Vince McMahon’s blockbuster announcement from last week, The Superstar Shakeup officially gets underway tonight.

It’s night one of a two-night extravaganza where the General Managers from Raw and SmackDown Live trade talent back and forth in order to bolster their rosters during Post-WrestleMania season. The rumor mill has been running rampant about who is going where. How did the shakeup shakeout for Raw? Did SD Live suffer serious damage heading into night two? The answer to these pressing questions can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of Raw in no particular order.

·        The Superstar Shakeup got off to a hot start when The Miz, Maryse, and Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose made it known that they were traded to Raw.

·        Miz and Maryse continued their John Cena and Nikki Bella impersonations while Dean Ambrose pretended they were actually the recently engaged couple by ribbing them nonstop.  

·        Miz and Maryse ended their charade which allowed Ambrose to nail Miz with Dirty Deeds as the opening segment came to an end.

·        This was a fine way to kick off the show. With Ambrose moving to Raw, it appears that Kevin Owens is heading to SmackDown because is missing a secondary champion. We shall see if my theory checks out as the Superstar Shakeup continues.

·        It should also be noted that all three members of The Shield are on the same brand. Let the reunion speculation begin!

·        The Revival defeated The New Day when Dash and Dawson nailed Xavier Woods with the Shatter Machine in mid-air for the win. Woods’ top rope flying elbow from across the ring wasn’t pretty as his knees landed on the canvas before hitting the move. Outside of that spot, the match was solid for the most part. The Revival’s booking thus far has been strong. Let’s hope they continue to string together wins as they are the perfect contenders for the Raw Tag Team Titles whenever the opportunity presents itself.

·        Neville planting seeds of doubt in TJ Perkins’ head was a nice storyline development. A heel turn would do Perkins a world of good because the cocky personality he displayed during the opening round of the Cruiserweight Classic is far superior to the video game aficionado he portrays on television. That might be his hobby in real life, but it’s not clicking on the big stage. Let’s hope this backstage segment is the first step towards giving TJP a character revamp.

·        Curt Hawkins’ debut on Raw went swimmingly as he got knocked out by The Big Show. Here endeth the analysis.

·        TJ Perkins defeated Austin Aries with an inside cradle thanks to a distraction from Neville. Neville made his way down the ramp which caused Aries to hesitate for a moment which led to the finish. The action was solid, but it was too choreographed in spots. The lack of crowd heat didn’t help matters either as the match never got past a certain level in terms of excitement.

·        After the match was over, Perkins attacked Aries from behind and laid him out with the Detonation Kick. It appears that TJP is joining the dark side of the force after all. Neville is not only the King of the Cruiserweights, he’s also the King of Jedi Mind Tricks as well.

·        Seth Rollins will remain on Monday Night Raw after Kurt Angle stepped in to reassure Rollins that he was safe from the wrath of Stephanie McMahon. For now…

·        Rollins cut his best babyface promo since his de facto turn last fall as the crowd was hanging on his every word. He was very likable and made me want to root for him. Let’s hope this new and improved Rollins sticks around because he has the potential to get over as the top babyface on Raw.

·        After Angle’s announcement, Samoa Joe attacked Rollins from behind. Rollins and Joe had a back and forth brawl which ended with Rollins knocking Joe out of the ring with an enzuiguri. I think it’s safe to pencil in Rollins vs. Joe at Payback in a few weeks.

·        Unless my eyes are deceiving me, I think I saw The Drifter walking through the crowd during the Charlotte-Nia Jax match.

·        Nia Jax defeated Charlotte with a Samoan Drop in a so-so match. It was rough in spots and Charlotte’s foot nailing Jax on the side of the head during her top rope moonsault didn’t help matters either. This is probably Charlotte’s swan song on Raw because she has lost four matches in a row dating back to the WrestleMania go-home show two weeks ago. It’s almost a guaran-damn-tee that The Queen is heading to SD Live tomorrow night.

·        Finn Bálor picked up his first singles win since SummerSlam when he defeated Jinder Mahal with the Coup De Grace in a decent match. Mahal had a good hope spot when he drilled Balor with a sick forearm, but the outcome was never in doubt.

·        However, the top story was Bray Wyatt making a surprise appearance on the Titantron. Monday Night Raw is Wyatt’s new home and he announced that his House of Horrors match against Randy Orton is now set for Payback in three weeks. Unless this is an inter-promotional match, Orton being traded to Raw makes no sense because SD Live is already down one champion in the form of Dean Ambrose. Let’s hope this is a one shot deal in order to wrap up their storyline.

·        Wyatt also put Bálor on notice that he should watch his back. Balor and Wyatt would have an interesting feud if it’s not bogged down by supernatural nonsense.

·        Apollo Crews, Kalisto, Heath Slater & Rhyno have made the jump to Raw as well. Perhaps Kalisto will make his long-awaited debut on 205 Live after all…

·        Sami Zayn picked up the surprise win over The Miz when he pinned the Hollywood A-Lister with a roll-up. The match was decent, but it was nothing to write home about. Maryse pulling her husband out of dicey situations was a nice recurring theme that ultimately played into the finish of the match. Zayn is still a member of the Raw roster until Angle trades him to SD Live due to sheer annoyance.

·        Michael Cole’s exclusive interview with Roman Reigns was cut short when Braun Strowman attacked Reigns backstage. Strowman kicked his ass from pillar to post when he tossed Reigns through a table before slamming him against the garage door.

·        Strowman followed things up by dropping Reigns with a Powerslam onto a trunk. He proceeded to push another trunk against Reigns as backstage personnel tried to break things up.

·        EMTs put Reigns on a stretch and was about to load him into the ambulance when Strowman went on the attack again as he pushed Reigns off a ledge near the production truck area. The quick edit of Strowman pushing the crash test dummy instead of Reigns was hilarious.

·        The paramedics finally loaded Reigns into the ambulance, but Strowman still wasn’t finished. He climbed inside the vehicle to deliver a few more blows before flipping the ambulance over on its side as the segment came to a jaw-dropping conclusion.

·        Strowman damn near killed Reigns and none of his Shield brethren came to his rescue. So much for friendship.

·        In all seriousness, this was a great way to get heat on Strowman. However, the crowd treated him like a super babyface as they chanted “Thank You Strowman!” and “You Deserve It!” at Reigns in the most sarcastic way possible. It was a memorable segment that will be featured in Strowman’s highlight reel for years to come.

·        Drifter Sighting!

·        Cesaro & Sheamus and The Hardy Boyz defeated Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows and The Shining Stars when Jeff Hardy pinned Epico with the Swanton Bomb. The action was fast-paced and hard-hitting throughout which was a great way to fend off the 10:30 Lull Period of Death.

·        Alexa Bliss and Mickie James have also joined the Raw ranks, but things took a sinister turn when Nia Jax laid out James from behind.

·        Bliss pushed Banks in harm’s way which allowed Jax to take out The Boss as well.

·        Bayley was a sitting duck as Jax laid her out with a Samoan Drop for good measure. Jax grabbed the Raw Women’s Championship and warned Bayley that she was going to take her title.

·        Bliss did a great job breaking up the saccharine promo exchange between Sasha and Bayley. Bliss’ mic work will suit the women’s division well, but she might expose the weakness of the other ladies on the roster because cutting promos is not their strong suit. In any event, Little Miss Bliss will bring some much-needed sassiness to Monday nights.

·        In the battle of Champion vs. Champion, Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose came out on top as he defeated Kevin Owens with Dirty Deeds to cap off the main event segment.

·        Ambrose and Owens had a good match that featured some creative spots such as Ambrose’s sick clothesline to Owens while the US Champion was sitting between the ropes. The action spilled over onto the outside as Ambrose laid Owens out with a suicide dive and flying elbow. Owens took flight as well while keeping things on the ground as well.

·        The closing moments of the match featured both men countering each other’s finishers as Owens tried to hit Ambrose with Dirty Deeds only for The Lunatic Fringe to turn the tables by hitting his finisher for the win.

·        After the match was over, Chris Jericho came out and nailed Owens with a Codebreaker as Raw went off the air with Jericho standing tall in the ring.

·        The Jericho surprise was a nice way to end the show, but it should be interesting to see where he and Owens land when the Superstar Shakeup continues on tomorrow night on SD Live. As I mentioned earlier, the blue brand is missing a secondary title and one can only assume that the Face of America is joining the SmackDown ranks to fill that void. Jericho could join KO as a packaged deal, but it makes their US Title match another inter-promotional bout that continues to blur the lines of the brand extension. Fortunately, the next SD Live PPV is five weeks away which shouldn’t muddy the brand split any further. Hopefully…

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was decent. The Superstar Shakeup was the overarching theme of the show and the buzzword lived up to its moniker as Dean Ambrose, The Miz, Bray Wyatt, Alexa Bliss, and Mickie James joined the red brand.

·        Ambrose’s feud with Baron Corbin came to an abrupt end, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely over because Randy Orton will face Wyatt at a Raw exclusive PPV in three weeks. It’s weird, but it appears that the contractual obligations excuse might come into play to explain the inter-brand mingling.

·        The in-ring action ranged from serviceable to good with Ambrose and Owens winning best match of the night honors by a wide margin.

·        The most memorable moment was Braun Strowman’s attack on Roman Reigns. It was an instant Raw Classic that will be replayed for years to come. It was vicious and comical at the same time. Strowman got his heat back after hitting a rough patch in recent weeks. Here’s hoping his epic beat down on Reigns doesn’t result in another loss at Payback because he needs to be built up like an unstoppable monster who can go toe-to-toe with Brock Lesnar if WWE chooses to go in that direction. If so, Strowman needs to look strong by defeating the New Big Dog at a high profile PPV.

·        The fans were extra antsy tonight as they chanted for Zack Ryder and CM Punk early on, but they calmed down after the first hour. Roman Reigns getting sent to the hospital revved them back up as they made the segment with their celebratory chants. It’s the opposite reaction the company was going for, but it was awesome nonetheless.

·        Night one of the Superstar Shakeup is in the books. SmackDown Live lost some key players, but I expect Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan to replenish the cupboards to make things Even Steven. AJ Styles staying on SD Live makes me a very happy camper. We are one step closer to Styles vs. Nakamura. *Squeals* We shall see how night two of the Superstar Shakeup shakes out tomorrow night.

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The Raw Exposé. I hope you enjoyed it and I will back tomorrow night with a brand new installment of The SmackDown Files. See you later, boys and girls! 

The SmackDown Files: WWE Presents - The Art of Throwing Shade II Starring John Cena (3-28-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond was the final stop on the Road to WrestleMania. This is the final hard sell for the biggest show of the year. It’s time to put up or shut up time when it comes to putting the finishing touches on the Mania card. Did WWE leave fans wanting more or did they make the annual wrestling extravaganza feel less must-see? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of SD Live in no particular order.

·        Shane McMahon and AJ Styles signed their names on the dotted line to make their match at WrestleMania official. The promo exchange between McMahon and Styles was pretty paint-by-the-numbers, but the segment accomplished its goal by putting over the fact that their bout is a traditional wrestling match. There won’t be any smoke and mirrors to cover up Shane’s shortcomings as an in-ring performer. Styles is the best wrestler on the planet and it should be interesting to see if he can carry his boss to a good match at WM. It’s a tall order, but we shall see how it all plays out.

·        Becky Lynch vs. Carmella ended via disqualification when Mickie James’ brawl with Alexa Bliss spilled over into the ring. James attacked Carmella which caused the referee to call for the bell. James nailed Bliss with the Mick Kick while Lynch laid out Carmella with an Exploder Suplex.

·        The match between Lynch and Carmella wasn’t very good as it was sloppy in spots. Carmella is still green as a wrestler and that inexperience was on full display tonight.

·        Things got better when Lynch and James teamed up against Bliss and Carmella in an impromptu tag team. The action flowed much better, but the match still ended in controversy when Natalya tried to attack Lynch. Lynch cut her off at the pass, but the distraction allowed James Ellsworth to trip her which led to Carmella picking up the win with a roll-up.

·        Things got more chaotic when the heels attacked the babyfaces until a returning Naomi ran out to make the save. Naomi took out Natalya with a Hurricanrana on the entrance ramp followed by nailing Bliss with a forearm.

·        Naomi delivered a series of running kicks to Carmella before laying out Bliss with The Rearview.

·        Naomi announced that she will be a part of the SmackDown Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania as the segment came to a close.

·        I’m glad that Naomi has been medically cleared to compete in the Women’s Title match at WM. It was touch and go for a bit, but Naomi will be representing her hometown of Orlando at the biggest show of the year. WWE has a longstanding edict of wrestlers losing high profile matches in their hometown. Let’s hope Naomi doesn’t suffer a similar fate on Sunday.

·        Miz TV was another scorcher as The Miz and Maryse continued their Total Bellas parody. It was hysterical as they mocked John Cena’s house rules once again. The dinner scene featuring The Bella Twins, Daniel Bryan, and Cena was outstanding along with “Brie” and “Bryan’s” facial expressions during “Nikki’s” proposal to “Cena”.

·        However, things took a serious turn when Cena turned down Nikki’s proposal. He gave her the cold shoulder by saying he was only using her as a prop in order to make himself look good. Cena hustles the people in order to get ahead, he’s only loyal to himself, and he only respects the money his bank account.

·        Miz and Maryse ripped off their wigs and got dead serious when they warned John and Nikki that their world would come crashing down at WrestleMania. According to Miz, Cena had Hollywood to fall back on, but he was still a lumbering idiot. Maryse rubbed salt in the wound by saying that Nikki’s appearance at the Kids’ Choice Awards is the closest she’ll ever get to having children of her own.

·        John Cena and Nikki Bella made their way to the ring to respond to the Total Bellas “Finale.” Cena enjoyed the skit, but the fun and games came to a halt when he destroyed Miz and Maryse on the mic.

·        Cena put Maryse on blast for collecting a paycheck and taking up space while her female counterparts took care of business between the ropes by actually lacing up their boots to compete on a nightly basis.

·        He put her career in the proverbial trash heap by saying if fans searched for Maryse’s Greatest Moments on the WWE Network, it would turn up 0 results. Cena twisted the knife even further by stating that the only reason Maryse was back in WWE was because Miz begged the company to let her back in. By doing this, he was able to join the cast of Total Divas as well.  

·        Cena proceeded to put their marriage on blast by saying that Miz has followed in his footsteps by taking time away from the ring in order to shoot movies. However, Miz is only doing bootleg versions of movies Cena has already starred in.

·        Things got even deeper when Cena flipped Maryse’s claim about him and Nikki not having kids on its head. Miz and Maryse have been married for about three years and they still don’t have kids. Cena accused Miz of shooting blanks as the crowd oohed and ahhed after that epic burn.

·        Cena warned Miz about bringing a knife to a gunfight and goaded the A-Lister to punch him in the face. He encouraged Maryse to slap the taste out of her mouth but warned her if she made one move that Nikki would knock the Botox from her cheeks. Cena proceeded to call Miz a P**** before as the crowd continued to go off.

·        Maryse and Miz walked away as Nikki warned them that they were going to get their asses kicked at WrestleMania as the segment came to a close.

·        This was a mind blowing segment from start to finish. The Total Bellas Parody was awesome, but Cena read Miz and Maryse for filth with his promo. He was a surgeon general who carved up his victims from head to toe. It was a masterful performance that had the crowd hyped throughout.

·        This was a money WrestleMania segment in every sense of the word. The match is unconventional but it has exceeded expectations in terms of storytelling, heat, and shade. Cena has to propose to Nikki at WM because WWE is laying it on pretty thick with the proposal fake outs as of late. It’s the perfect fairytale ending to kick off season seven of Total Divas. If not, Miz and Maryse might come out of this feud feeling vindicated despite getting ethered by Cena tonight.

·        American Alpha, Heath Slayer & Rhyno, and Mojo Rawley defeated The Usos, Breezango, and Dolph Ziggler when Rawley nailed Tyler Breeze with a charging forearm in the corner for the win. The match started off a bit slow, but things picked up down the stretch as both teams did a parade of finishes that popped the crowd.

·        Rhyno goring Breeze was pretty sweet while Ziggler nailed Slater with a sick Superkick to keep the nonstop action going. This was a nice way to hype the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania. Sadly, The Usos won’t be defending their SmackDown Tag Team Titles at the PPV. I guess there wasn’t room on the card to accommodate the new Tag Team Champs in a meaningful way. L

·        Bray Wyatt defeated Luke Harper in a solid main event match. Harper’s revamped look suits him perfectly as he looks more clean cut and trim as of late. He was rocking the mini man bun like a champ as well. Harper and Wyatt worked hard and had a physical match that had great crowd heat throughout.  

·        However, Harper lost focus when Wyatt gazed into his eyes for a disturbingly long period of time. Harper broke the stare down and tried to nail his former brother with a Discus Clothesline, but Wyatt countered with Sister Abigail for the win.

·        After the match was over, Randy Orton taunted Wyatt on the TitanTron. Orton returned to the burned down shack and drove a staff into Sister Abigail’s burial ground to bring forth the apocalypse at WrestleMania as SD Live went off the air.

·        The ending was a bunch of hocus-pocus nonsense, but it's par for the course at this point. As I mentioned last week, the Orton-Wyatt feud has jumped the shark once again and I can’t wait for it come to a head at WM. The match should be good, but the buildup post-arson has been poor. This was a ho-hum way to end the final SD Live before WrestleMania.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was solid. The show had a clear sense of purpose with a few surprises sprinkled in for good measure as the Road to WrestleMania comes to an end.

·        Naomi’s return gave a much-needed boost to Women’s Division heading into WM, but the title match is on the preshow which sucks because Naomi’s entrance would have been pretty cool to watch at night. The match stipulation is still a mystery, but we shall see what WWE has up its sleeve on Sunday.

·        AJ Styles and Shane McMahon having a traditional wrestling match is an odd call. The hardcore stunts were a clear sign that we were heading towards a demolition derby at Mania. The magic 8 ball was wrong in this case and one can only assume that Styles and McMahon will try their best to make this match work despite being confined to the ring. Considering Shane’s age and history of injuries, that might be for the best.

·        The John Cena-Nikki Bella/Miz-Maryse segment was tremendous. Outside of a minor hiccup a few weeks, ago this has been the best feud in WWE outside of Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens. This storyline has been fun to watch and everyone deserves a round of applause for a job well done. The match itself won’t be a barn burner, but it should be entertaining nonetheless.

·        Noticeably absent from tonight’s show was Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin hyping their Intercontinental Championship match at WM. I guess their final hard sell took place last week, but it would’ve been nice to hear from both men one last time. The comedy segment featuring Daniel Bryan and Tyler Breeze cosplaying as Nikki Bella should’ve been left on the cutting room floor in order for the IC Title match to get some last-minute shine.

·        Despite that small quibble, the rest of the show breezed by as SD Live put the final exclamation point on things heading into the biggest show of the year. The blue brand hit a lull for a bit, but the show has come back with a vengeance over the past couple of weeks. The SD Live side of the Mania card is not perfect with the exception of the mixed tag team match, but I expect the wrestlers to show up and show out on Sunday. Move over Disney World, WrestleMania is about to slay the night away. Hopefully…

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The SmackDown Files. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be back next week with a brand new installment of The Raw Exposé. See you later, boys and girls!