My Favorite WWE Moments This Week
Another week has gone by, and it was a big one. I’d be remiss to not mention Night of Champions, but I want to consistently keep my picks from just the weekly shows. So here’s my quick roundup:
- Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill are the King and Queen of the ring. Absolutely no surprise there. I fully expect Jade and Naomi to come to an end with the title on the line. I’m just not sure if Jade takes the title from Tiffany, or if Naomi cashes in first, setting her up against Jade at SummerSlam.
- Jacob Fatu lost the U.S. title. I predicted a Solo win. Jacob’s reign was short, but Solo needs the credibility of the title more than Jacob does.
- SmackDown returned to two hours. I’ll reserve judgment, since this first episode was pre-taped.
One Match
I felt disconnected from a lot of the actual wrestling this week. Despite that, The Judgment Day vs. The New Day stood out and stuck with me all week.
Finn Balor and JD McDonagh put on a great match, showcasing their incredible chemistry as a tag team. The match was even better because the crowd made their support of Finn Balor impossible to ignore. After months of silence for Finn’s entrances, the momentum he had throughout the entire match heightened the spectacle.
The New Day dropping the titles was the right move—their booking has been pretty lackluster since their heel turn. And clearly the fans realize that Finn deserves gold around his waist.
Next up, Balor Two Belts? A guy can dream.
One Moment
Charlotte Flair absolutely needed her character to be brought back down to Earth. She couldn’t beat Tiffany Stratton at WrestleMania, and the fans clearly haven’t connected with her. She said herself that her character needs to change to be more appealing.
Enter Alexa Bliss, one of the most over women in the company—who does have a history with Charlotte. Charlotte tried to play it off like she didn’t need Alexa, but her smile before they entered the ring, and the hug after their match proved that she wants this partnership more than she’ll admit.
The two of them together are really going to bring Charlotte around, and I’ll take anything to get Alexa Bliss on my screen more often.
One Promo
I am absolutely struggling to come up with anything, so I’m giving this to Cody Rhodes. The show was filmed after Raw on Monday night, and he still had the crowd eating out of his hands.
Half of the show felt off, with a tired crowd, but King Cody opened the show and energized everyone in a way only he can.
There was nothing revolutionary in the promo. It was all pretty standard stuff from all three of the men in the ring, but Cody is such a natural on the mic that he could be in my recaps more often than not.
Honorable Mentions
- Blake Monroe making the save for Jordynne Grace was in my One Moment until Charlotte smiled at Alexa Bliss on the entrance ramp. I figured I shouldn’t make an early habit of my posts all being about how much I love The Glamour.
- Karrion Kross attacking Sami Zayn was excellent—and keeps Karrion on our screens. WWE needs to extend his and Scarlett’s contracts. Their new merch is amazing and his name hits the trending charts every week. #ReSignKross
- I love Bayley vs. Lyra in the ring together. They absolutely could’ve made it into my One Match if I didn’t love seeing Finn win.
- Izzi Dame and Tatum Paxley were great together against Sol Ruca and Zaria. I’m loving seeing where Tatum’s story is going, and Izzi is shooting up my ranks in favorites.
I absolutely struggled this week. Rhea’s promo was predictable, even if her match with Iyo is going to be great. I don’t mind Rhea getting another title shot, I just wish the promos didn’t seem so recycled.
NXT was a bit of a letdown with Luca Crusifino not picking a side.
But let me know what you loved this week. As always, leave a comment or reach out on my X @darkstarshady. I need more wrestling friends!
Darkstar Shady 
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