Smark Out Moment

Tonight's episode of WWE Monday Night Raw for July 31, 2017 is coming to you live from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. Follow along here for ongoing coverage of the results of the show to find out what happens as things occur and chat with fellow WWE fans in the comments below!

The home of Raw GM Kurt Angle will continue to see the build to the Biggest Party of the Summer. A triple threat between 3 of the 4 men in the SummerSlam main event face off tonight as Braun Strowman takes on both Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns. Jason Jordan will face his "dad's" home crowd for the first time since the big announcement, and will do so on the set of MizTV.

PROMO (In-Ring): Kurt Angle comes in and talks up SummerSlam, and gives us a rundown for tonight. Big Show vs. Big Cass, The Miz hosts Jason Jordan on MizTV, and the big triple threat main event. Before Angle can leave the ring he is greeted by Brock Lesnar and his advocate Paul Heyman. Heyman starts off by saying he knows what Angle is up to, and its that he has to take the Universal Championship off Brock Lesnar. He questions why he puts his client in a fatal four way, and then talks up the three other men involved in the match. Heyman knows that Angle wants Joe as champ, and its because he has pressure from the bigwigs above that they need to see the title on Raw more. They want Lesnar to pay the ultimate price, but if Lesnar loses the belt at SummerSlam he will leave WWE and Heyman goes with him. But he lets him know that he will not be losing the belt, and that his client will retain and defend his Universal Championship.

*Commercial Break*

MATCH: The Hardy Boyz vs. Anderson & Gallows

The Revival is on commentary for this one.

RESULTS: The Hardy Boyz win via pinfall.
THOUGHTS: Really fun match, and The Revival was real good on commentary.

After the match, The Revival and Hardy's battle on the stage and Anderson & Gallows get involved. The Hardy Boyz stand tall.

PROMO (Backstage): Renee Young interviews Dean Ambrose and asks about his match alongside Seth Rollins last week. She asks if the two are getting back together. He said even though the two looked good together, he hints at him saying no. Then Seth shows up saying it felt like old times. Dean says he still has no trust for Seth Rollins. Even though everyone wants it, even a little bit of him, he isn't getting burnt twice.

*Commercial Break*

PROMO (Backstage): Cesaro & Sheamus brag about the trust they have for one another in front of Seth, and rub it in his face that he is all alone. Seth eventually challenges the duo to a handicap match, and then Sheamus says that he should stop digging the hole he is in.

MATCH: Ariya Daivari, Tony Nese, & TJ Perkins vs. Rich Swann, Cedric Alexander, & Akira Tozawa (w Titus O'Neil)

RESULTS: Swann, Alexander, and Tozawa win via pinfall.
THOUGHTS: A lot going on here, and it really wasn't bad. I'm still not a fan of Tozawa.

*Commercial Break*

PROMO (MIZTV WITH JASON JORDAN): MizTV stars Kurt Angles son, Jason Jordan. Miz starts off by saying he hates Pittsburgh, and then introduces Jason Jordan. He asks how this whole thing with Kurt has been, and then asks why he thinks people boo him. He says that The Miz should know all about boos. The Miz hints that he gets more opportunities than most, and offers him a proposition. He wants to guide Jason Jordan's career because the comparisons to Angle are uncanny. He wants JJ on the Miztourage. Which, of course, he says no. The Miz keeps trying to talk him into it, but he still shoots him down. The Miz says that he isn't surprised because the GM is his dad and will hand him everything. Jordan says that he doesn't want any preferential treatment, and he will not get it. He will earn it. He would rather be destroyed than associate with someone like The Miz. The Miz then absolutely trashes Kurt Angle, and Jordan says that no one talks about his dad like that. The Miz attacks, but Jordan gets the better of Miz and leaves with a smile after launching him into the Miztourage.

VIDEO PACKAGE: Roman talks over a highlight reel and says he will win not only the triple threat match tonight, but the Universal Championship at SummerSlam.

*Commercial Break*

MATCH: Seth Rollins vs. Sheamus (w Cesaro)

RESULTS: Seth Rollins wins via pinfall.
THOUGHTS: Meh match between two solid guys. More time would've been better.

After the match, Sheamus and Cesaro attack. Cue Dean Ambrose? Yep, there he is. Ambrose for the save. Both Dean and Seth get beat down by the tag champs one by one.

VIDEO PACKAGE: Now its Samoa Joe's turn for talking over his highlight reel about winning at SummerSlam.

*Commercial Break*

PROMO (In-Ring): Bray Wyatt says that this place is not safe for Finn Balor. Finn is nothing but an ordinary man who does extraordinary things. Bray sees him for what he truly is, a shell of a man that never was. Soon enough, Finn shows up in the ring and hits a Pele kick. This was a long winded snooze.

VIDEO PACKAGE: Finally, it's Braun's turn to hype himself up over a highlight video.

*Commercial Break*

MATCH: Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe

RESULTS: Roman Reigns wins via pinfall on Samoa Joe.
THOUGHTS: This alone could've been a viable main event on a PPV. But now at SummerSlam you add Brock Lesnar into this? We are in for a total treat as fans.

PROMO (Backstage): Enzo apologizes to Big Show about getting him into this mess with Cass, and says he would be a lot worse off if not for him. Big Show says he appreciates that, and Cass needs a lesson in respect.

*Commercial Break*

PROMO (In-Ring): Elias Sampson, now known solely as Elias?, sings a crappy song about Pittsburgh and its not good. I love Elias, but they need to stop this singing before every match.

MATCH: Elias Sampson vs. Kalisto

RESULTS: Elias wins via pinfall.
THOUGHTS: So is it Elias or Elias Sampson? Either way, I like him.

PROMO (Backstage): Charly asks Alexa Bliss about Bayley getting another title shot, and she says she's glad. She has already proven she can beat Bayley multiple times. She didn't want to face Sasha again anyway, and she's glad she'll be watching from home.

*Commercial Break*

PROMO (Backstage): Seth thanks Dean for helping him, and Dean said it wasn't for him. Dean says the only reason he came out there is that Seth put him in a position that if he didn't come out that he would've looked like the bad guy. So he better be able to handle the next fight he picks.

MATCH: Nia Jax vs. Bayley

RESULTS: Bayley wins via pinfall.
THOUGHTS: Yawn.

After the match, Alexa comes after Bayley but Bayley gets away.

PROMO (Backstage): Big Cass is interviewed by Renee Young, but I honestly have no clue what he said. I was distracted by his AWFUL spray tan that I got lost. Holy crap.

*Commercial Break*

MATCH: Big Cass vs. Big Show (w Enzo Amore)

RESULTS: Enzo gets involved for a DQ.
THOUGHTS: This is our main event? I'm a little surprised by this. UPDATE: It wasn't worthy. You send the crowd out with this and not the triple threat that has your top three everyday guys in it? This show ended with a dud, and a big one at that.

Episode #296 of the Smark Out Moment wrestling podcast SMACK TALK includes the wrestling trivia question of the week (ASK HIM), the Smark My Words fan-submitted comment choice as well as IWC OUTREACH promotional information and more.

Make sure to subscribe on whatever platform you're listening, leave your comments on the videos or this post, share this edition with your friends and smark out with us!

This week's episode of WWE Main Event was taped on July 31, 2017 before Monday Night Raw and is coming to you from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. The following are the results of what transpired during the show:

• Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik defeated Brian Kendrick and Drew Gulak
• Emma defeated Mickie James

Welcome to another edition of Power Rankings from Smark Out Moment! Each week, we will break down the current roster and examine who has gone up the WWE hierarchy and who has unfortunately taken a step down the ladder. Factoring in things such as wins and losses, suspensions, injuries, making a name for one's self, being humiliated, and more, who is at the top of the food chain and who needs to make up some ground next week?

The Usos were one of the many casualties of the Battleground PPV, as they lost their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against The New Day. But, because that match was basically the only redeeming feature of the entire show, the brothers deserved a spot on this week's list.


Chris Jericho - you just made the list! Y2J is back to save SmackDown Live from its miserable run of shows, and showed he hasn't lost a step in a fantastic triple threat match against Kevin Owens and AJ Styles. Sadly, Jericho suffered the pin in his attempt to recapture the United States Championship.


It's a Perfect 10 at Number 23 this week, but at least he made it on! Tye Dillinger suffered somewhat of a shock defeat to Aiden English on the Battleground Kickoff Show. However, he was able to redeem this on SmackDown, teaming with Sami Zayn to defeat English and Mike Kanellis.


Credit to Roman Reigns, he threw the first punch in the epic brawl that kicked off Raw this week. But, he also fell the hardest, as Braun Strowman squashed him to the canvas with yet another running powerslam.


Former best friends turned bitter enemies turned best friends again, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, were unable to earn a SmackDown Women's Championship opportunity at Battleground. But, with their powers combined, they toppled the tandem of Tamina Snuka and Lana on SmackDown Live.


A win on PPV for Aiden English? Well, it was the Battleground Kickoff Show, but when you've been jobbing for over a year, you take what you can get. English scored the monumental upset over Tye Dillinger, but then suffered defeat in a tag team clash against the Perfect 10 and Sami Zayn with his partner Mike Kanellis.


In his first week since being shockingly revealed as Kurt Angle's illegitimate son, Jason Jordan launched his Raw career with a victory over Curt Hawkins. Then again, everybody beats Curt Hawkins, so the jury's still out on this family drama.


Samoa Joe's string of successful segments continued in the opening of Raw, as he battled and brawled against Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman. Joe had the Monster Among Men in his clutches toward the end of the brawl, only for a Reigns spear to break his hold.


Squash matches are Nia Jax's specialty, so she was right at home on the latest edition of Raw. She dispatched of Emma in just a few short minutes, flattening her with a rolling senton splash.


Before SmackDown Live, Kevin Owens would have been sitting near the summit of this list after regaining the United States Championship from AJ Styles. What a difference two days can make though, as Owens saw his third title run come to another abrupt end, as Styles pinned Chris Jericho in a triple threat match for the belt.


Out of nowhere, Ariya Daivari has established himself as one of the standout stars of the Cruiserweight Division. After laying out both Neville and Akira Tozawa on Raw, Daivari toppled the King of the Cruiserweights by countout on 205 Live, suggesting a title opportunity could be inbound for The Persian Lion.


Mark this down in the history books - Elias Sampson defeated former Universal and NXT Champion Finn Balor in 2017. It may have an asterisk of a Bray Wyatt assist, but the Drifter scored a victory against a former world champion. Now that's something to sing about.


The Revival's winning streak continues as they plough through Raw's tag team division. After defeating the Hardy Boyz last week, they toppled more former champions this week in the form of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. With so few tag teams around right now, this run will have Sheamus and Cesaro looking over their shoulders.


The tentative reunion of Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose seemed to take a big step forward on Raw, as their combined efforts overcame the entire Miztourage in a handicap match. However, Rollins ended the night with his head hung low, as Ambrose refuses to forget the treachery of his former Shield brother.


In a longer, slower and far less compelling repeat of last week, Big Cass once again decimated Enzo Amore in a match, before pummeling the Big Show and leaving him sprawling on the mat. Obviously an impressive feat, but if I see the same impressive feat two or three times in a row, it starts to get a little stale.


Dean Ambrose gets bonus points over Seth Rollins for the duo's victory over the Miztourage due to displaying one thing that far too many superstars don't seem to possess - a long-term memory. Ambrose isn't ready to forgive Rollins for dividing the Shield, and this is resulting in a very compelling dynamic between the unlikely allies.


Back-to-back wins for Sami Zayn in his current state of purgatory, as he floats around the lower midcard for the time being. At Battleground, Zayn inflicted Mike Kanellis' first defeat in a SmackDown Live rematch, and then on Tuesday he scored another decisive pinfall over Kanellis in a tag team match. I think we can safely say that Sami Zayn has conquered love once and for all.


For the second consecutive week, Braun Strowman stood tallest in the build-up to arguably the biggest Fatal Four-Way match of all time at SummerSlam. Despite being ganged up on by both Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe, Strowman withstood their efforts and crushed Reigns with a running powerslam. That, as well as launching a security guard over the top rope in one of the most stunning bumps in recent memory.


Americans can sleep easy in their beds once again after Battleground, as John Cena was somehow able to overcome the mighty threat of Bulgaria and Rusev in their Flag Match. Defending America's honor like never before, Cena was rewarded with an opportunity to challenge Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. Only one man stands in his way of this goal - Shinsuke Nakamura.


Out of nowhere, Bayley finds herself back in the Raw Women's title picture after defeating Sasha Banks in a great match on Raw. With her previous encounters against champion Alexa Bliss doing very little to help her broken character or excite the fans, this upcoming SummerSlam clash will need to be a massive improvement to leave a positive lasting impression.


Two matches, two wins for Shinsuke Nakamura, although only one of these was a positive experience for the Japanese star. His Battleground battle with Baron Corbin ended with Nakamura clutching his kintama in a DQ victory. His SmackDown Live victory over Corbin was decidedly more convincing, and set up a dream showdown with John Cena next week, with a WWE Championship shot on the line.


In a bizarre turn of events, Natalya shocked everyone by winning the five-way elimination match at Battleground for the right to challenge Naomi for the SmackDown Women's Championship at SummerSlam. While the match will likely impress, the story leading into it will be a test for both performers, but they're off to a good start.


The putrid Punjabi Prison and presence of the Great Khali was too much for Randy Orton to bear at Battleground, as Jinder Mahal's reign of terror continued. Mahal will walk into SummerSlam with the prestigious belt, with an encounter between John Cena and Shinsuke Nakamura set to determine who the Maharaja's opponent will be.


It appeared as though AJ Styles' United States Championship run would be brief to say the least, as he lost the title to Kevin Owens at Battleground. But, only two days later, Styles was back with the belt on SmackDown Live, besting Owens and Chris Jericho in a hectic triple threat to become champion once again. While frequent title changes are far from ideal, the intensity of Styles and Owens could lead to a renaissance for the blue brand.


The New Day rocks this week's Power Rankings after becoming the first tag team to win both the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships. The latter of these was captured at Battleground after a thrilling match with the Usos, Xavier Woods scoring the pinfall after a flying elbow drop. While their intended celebration on SmackDown Live was cut short by the Usos, the talented trio continue to make history in the WWE's tag division.

Welcome to another edition of Cheap Pop and Cheap Heat from Smark Out Moment! Each week, we break down the world of professional wrestling and examine two of the polar opposite ends of the spectrum: one thing that was by far the worst thing (Cheap Heat) and the best thing (Cheap Pop) to happen over the past 7 days in sports entertainment. So, what went down this week that we loved and hated about the business?

Sometimes it is the smallest things that can make the biggest difference. For the past two weeks, Monday Night Raw's cruiserweight matches have not used purple ropes, but have been sticking with the tried and tested reliant red.

They were already going in a good direction by having Titus O'Neil's involvement with Akira Tozawa, but this one little change has made me care that little bit more about the matches and stories of the division. Purely psychological, but the purple ropes made fans feel that what we were watching was not actually part of the main show. It was almost instructing us not to pay too much attention, and that the outcomes had no bearing on the rest of the program.

WWE has either cottoned onto this, or decided that the changing of the ropes was getting to be too much hassle, but whatever the reason might be, this a very good step going forward.

By all means, keep it purple for 205 Live, but red on Raw is absolutely the right decision. Well, that and having more of Akira Tozawa going off on mad rants. Brilliant stuff.



This might seem an odd choice for a heat topic, especially given how much of a fan I am of his, but I cannot but help think that Chris Jericho should not have returned just yet.

It has been barely three months since we saw last him on a televised match, and Chris Jericho himself said that it would be a very long time before he returned. Of course, this could have just been him throwing us off the scent, but this does change that this was not the Y2J return that we have become accustomed to.

Where was the cryptic messages and countdown clock? The handful of times he has done this before have always been major talking points or done to massive pops. Between the subdued crowd reaction and weak response to AJ Styles being put on the list, something here tells me that this needed a longer break to make us fully appreciate his return. I would hate for anyone to ever take for granted that he is here, like what happened with the The Dudley Boyz.

Make no mistake about it, the United States title triple threat match on SmackDown Live was stellar stuff. Chris Jericho did a masterful job of putting the other two over, but I just hope that this not a rushed return, and there is actually a program waiting in the wings for him after Kevin Owens.

However, for all my grumbles over saving this for a bigger time, let us just accept that is he back, and drink it in while we can maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!


So there you have it, my two choices for the week. What do YOU think are the Cheap Pop and Cheap Heat this week in professional wrestling? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Welcome to another edition of WOMEN'S WRESTLING WEEKLY—a rundown of the events which have transpired in the world of women's professional wrestling over the past several days not just with the Superstars on WWE programming, but with GFW's Knockouts, Lucha Underground's luchadoras, and even a glimpse at the women on the independent circuit.

Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Natalya vs. Tamina vs. Lana (SmackDown Women's Championship No. 1 Contender's match)

The general consensus of Battleground was that it was awful and quite possibly the worst pay-per-view of 2017 so far. And as much as I dislike being overly negative, I'm inclined to agree. The women put on a perfectly acceptable match that accomplished what it needed, but not much else. And that isn't a criticism of the women, so to speak.

Natalya emerged victorious, but unfortunately, her victory was far from the most interesting wrinkle in the story of SmackDown's women's division. Tamina took a fall because of protecting Lana, who did not last much longer than she did in the match. Charlotte and Becky both looked fantastic. And Natalya was...there. Now, Natalya is a fantastic wrestler. She's crisp and her strikes are great, and she grasps how to put together a good match. But her story, her character, has been virtually nonexistent. And it really hurts her. She has no character other than being a Hart, and because of that her promos are the same thing week in and week out. She is better than that.

Despite my misgivings, Natalya is probably the only choice other than Lana or Tamina who could be booed against Naomi at SummerSlam. Even if Charlotte turned heel, she would be cheered. I'll let the story develop before I pass any more judgment on it.

Winner: Natalya
Rating: 2.5/5



Nia Jax vs. Emma

Emma's social media crusade to get some airtime on Raw resulted in her being thrown to the beast herself, Nia Jax. She attacked, showing her signature aggression, but Jax was, well, Jax, and had her pinned in no time.

I've said it so many times, but I much prefer multiple singles matches to a single tag match. It puts talent like Emma on television (more of her, please) and establishes Jax more solidly than a limited performance in a tag match not about her.

Winner: Nia Jax

Rating: 1.5/5

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women's Championship No. 1 Contender's match)

Sasha Banks and Bayley are a match made in wrestling heaven. Their in-ring chemistry shines through when they wrestle each other more than any time they tag together. Banks' fearless physicality and Bayley's heart and grit work magic, and Monday's match was no exception. While it wasn't on the level of any of their title matches by any means, both women brought their game in a match that was a highlight of Raw.

Bayley took the victory with a lateral press, which was a surprise to many fans, who expected Banks' rivalry with Alexa Bliss to continue to SummerSlam. However, I think Bayley is a wise choice, if she either wins the belt or looks ready to win it but is foiled by Nia Jax or Sasha Banks. WWE must begin repairing the damage they did to Bayley's character and credibility both, and a title program might be just what the doctor ordered.

Winner: Bayley

Rating: 3.5/5



Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch vs. Lana & Tamina

It seems that even Tamina has her limits.

She and Lana faced Lynch and Flair in a match that did a surprising amount to highlight Tamina's ferocity and strength. It was Lana who ate the pin, falling to a mere big boot from Charlotte.

Tamina was infuriated with Lana for allowing herself to be pinned, and it was the most interested I've been in Tamina in a very, very long time. She looked like a monster unhinged, a rabid dog finally let off a leash, and she didn't even attack Lana! It was fascinating and an interesting storyline to follow.

Winner: Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch
Rating: 3.5/5



Sienna vs. Rosemary (Last KO Standing title match)

When Impact is bad, it's awful.

But when it's good, it can usually be attributed to giving its women the opportunity to showcase their physicality and skill at character work.

Rosemary has taken her dedication to a truly odd character and turned herself into one of the most fully realized, unique characters on GFW's entire roster. Her physicality and rawness were perfectly suited to both Sienna's brawling style and a Last Knockout Standing match. She and Sienna put on a truly enjoyable battle, full of thrilling spots that did wonders for both women. Sienna, though she only won with help from KM, looked like a complete badass, surviving a wicked Red Wedding to a chair and delivering an equally stunning AK47 to the ground.

Sienna and Rosemary are the kind of characters a division thrives on. I look forward to seeing where both women go next.

Winner: Sienna
Rating: 4/5



Ember Moon vs. Lei'D Tapa

The Eclipse and a few kicks downed the former Knockout, and Ember Moon followed her swift victory with a deliciously hungry promo declaring herself the competition Asuka so desired.

Ember Moon has wisely strayed from being just a mysterious, mystical character, and embraced the wolfish aspect of her character. Her ferocity and eagerness to fight are what makes her exciting. Clearly written characters get over, mysteries are a nuisance more often than not.

The promo was enthralling, and Moon's intensity was electric. She's destined to be Asuka's next challenger in Brooklyn, and that thrilling match cannot come soon enough.

Winner: Ember Moon
Rating: 2/5



This section includes recaps of matches from around the world in various lesser-known independent promotions throughout the week.

OVW

Match: Jessie Belle vs. Jaylee
Winner: Jessie Belle

Tokyo Joshi Pro

Match: Yuka Sakazaki & Yuu vs. Nodoka-Oneesan & Shoko Nakajima
Winner: Yuka Sakazaki & Yuu

STARDOM

Match: Mayu Iwatani vs. Viper
Winner: Mayu Iwatani


What else can be said? This match had blood and guts and intensity, and made both women look like absolute beasts. There's no other match that can beat this match this week on television.


Though she won by shady means, Sienna looked dominant and as on top of the game as she's ever looked, and her grasp on her title remains firm as ever.

So there you have it, the breakdown for the week in women's wrestling. What were some of your favorite and least favorite moments from these women? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

What's been going on this week in the world of professional wrestling? On the latest HOT TAGS edition of the Smark Out Moment wrestling podcast SMACK TALK (episode #296), the panel discusses the following topics and more:

Make sure to subscribe on whatever platform you're listening, leave your comments on the videos or this post, share this edition with your friends and smark out with us!

Welcome to another edition of Battle of the Brands from Smark Out Moment, where we compare this week's episodes of Raw and SmackDown and determine which one of the two was the better show.

BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:

RAW vs. SMACKDOWN

FACTOR 1: CROWD

Both crowds were hot, but SmackDown had some really good moments thanks to the return of the GOAT, Chris Jericho.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 2: COMMENTARY

I don't know what its been about the Raw commentary team as of late, but I've loved them. Booker T, even though I really dogged on him before, has really stepped them up and is much better than David Otunga(no shock there). But during the opening segment where Strowman, Reigns, and Joe ended up beating the crap out of one another, Booker T was on fire. At one point, Strowman had thrown a "security member" literally out of the ring to the ramp and in middle of the poor man soaring like a lopsided bird Booker T spits out the line, "We need more security!" and I just couldn't help but laugh.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 3: MATCHES

I loved the return of Y2J. He is easily one of my top 3 all-time alongside the likes of HBK and The Undertaker. However, about all SmackDown had to offer in terms of matches was the triple threat main event. They had a solid storyline build with Shinsuke, Cena, and Jinder, but other than that it was a dudfest in matches.

Raw had Elias vs. Finn in a no DQ battle that was fun to watch. Sasha and Bayley had a match that wasn't their NXT Takeover level stuff, but still good. The Revival had a match, so of course it was good since they are seemingly incapable of a bad match. And then the main event wasn't as great as I was hoping, but still entertaining.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 4: PROMOS

The opening promo for Monday Night Raw is truly one of the best of the year so far. It had everything you needed for an A+ promo. The heat seemed true, and throwing Brock Lesnar into this will only make it better.

John Cena cut one of his classic promos as well, really going after Jinder Mahal before finding out he has to go through Shinsuke first. SmackDown had a good opening promo as well with the return of the legend that is Y2J and his "You just made the list!" moments.

Other than these, there were just short random interviews of little to no importance. SmackDown wins where it counts.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 5: STORYLINES

Is the return of Chris Jericho a longer term thing, or was it a one night only? Because that changes the face of SmackDown Live, but it seems to be a one night thing after the promo that KO cut after his match saying it was unfair that he was even there to begin with. I hope he stays a while, but I'm not guessing that'll be the case. The John Cena vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for a shot at Jinder is a cool thing that has a seemingly obvious ending but it is fun nonetheless.

Raw has a better tag team scene due solely to The Revival, and their women's division is heating up with what seems like a Sasha Banks heel turn on the horizon. The fatal four way for the Universal Championship is the biggest story so far and they are absolutely crushing it.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 6: SCHEDULING / PACING

Way too many commercials for a three hour show from Raw, and I just cannot look past that.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 7: VISUAL PRESENTATION

It's odd that the win comes down to this category. But that opening promo from Raw had some incredible visuals. Like Braun Strowman literally tossing actual human beings in what could be record distances.

WINNER: Raw

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

The surprise return of Y2J give SmackDown .5 more points.

POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+0 / -0) / SmackDown (+.5 / -0)


Raw wins what could be the closest BOTB we've had by 4-3.5 tally. Both shows were really good in my opinion, it's just that SmackDown has the roster to have better matches on TV than what they're showing. That's what is costing SmackDown wins right now, and I'm hoping that they step up with better pairings and better matches in the future.

Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.

This week, Robert DeFelice, Callum Wiggins and Wes Keefer will be giving their opinions on the fallout and repercussions of WWE Battleground 2017.

It is full speed ahead on the road to SummerSlam, and following a somewhat lackluster Battleground, the Smark Out Moment crew is here to talk what's next for the big blue.

DeFELICE: To say that I was surprised by the ending of the Fatal Five Way at WWE Battleground would be a great understatement. I was expecting a win by Becky Lynch leading to a babyface vs. babyface encounter that would maybe see the Lass Kicker turn heel. Instead, we got Natalya turning chaos into opportunity by picking up the upset victory. The only time that she had ever crossed my mind as a possible victor was during her entrance when Tom Phillips set on commentary that she has one pay-per-view appearance away from tying Trish's record. While the victory was a surprise, I am more than okay with this and this is a long time coming.

Natalya and Naomi are the perfect pair to light a fire in the SmackDown Live Women's Championship picture. These are two tremendously athletically gifted women who both have chips on their shoulder because they have felt like they're the best respectfully for quite some time even before a lot of people cared what the girls were doing with their television time. If they can tap into that bitterness and couple it with their athletic ability, then they can easily steal the show at SummerSlam.

WIGGINS: The decision for Natalya to win the Fatal Five Way is baffling, and one I can only assume that was done for shock value more than any long-term planning, although I'll be happy to be proved wrong on that. Natalya is a very good wrestler, and I don't feel that every major women's match in WWE today has to include one of the Four Horsewomen. But, she has no character at the moment, zero momentum since WrestleMania and hopeless promo skills. This match screams SummerSlam Kickoff Show to me, and that is a shame for one of the two women's title matches on the second biggest PPV of the year.

Will this match be good? More than likely - Naomi and Natalya are both very athletic and talented in the ring. But will anyone care? I'm not confident about that, but anything is possible. After such a shocking outcome I'm going to give it a chance, but after how Battleground as a whole went down, I feel like I'm going to eventually be left thinking "Charlotte was the right choice all along."

KEEFER: Natalya getting the victory was something that I did not expect, especially with all of the other competitors involved. I even expected Tamina to win before Natalya did. Natalya is not really on a path right now in WWE and seems to be soon bringing her career on its final leg. Now that we are "stuck" with her as the number one contender, what will happen next?

Natalya is a fantastic competitor in the ring and deserves an excellent send-off for the end of her career, but I just don't think she should be competing for a title over the likes of Charlotte or Lynch at this point. The SummerSlam title match will be worth watching, as both women are talented. We can only hope that this match does not show up on the Kickoff Show and lasts longer than eight minutes. I was shocked at Battleground, but I will be baffled and utterly up in arms if Natalya comes away with the title. She is just stale right now with minimum momentum in her favor.


WIGGINS: Asking who out of John Cena and Shinsuke Nakamura is being utilized more effectively at the moment is like asking which brand's tag division is most credible right now - the answer is neither. It was quite evident that Cena was checked out of his feud with Rusev, and just going through the motions before he can leave to film another movie. Ah, the American Dream. On the other hand, Nakamura has gone from an international sensation in NJPW and NXT and become your typical babyface in peril on SmackDown. He's wildly charismatic, has hard kicks and an amazing entrance, and those are the only things that separate him from a Sami Zayn or Chad Gable at this point as far as booking goes.

Should one of them be the biggest star on SmackDown Live? I think it's pretty cemented that John Cena is still the biggest star in WWE today, and that won't change until he leaves for good. As for Shinsuke Nakamura, I'm not convinced yet he will make it as the top draw of the blue brand - AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn are all just as talented in the ring going by the WWE style, and all have the advantage of strong promo skills that Nakamura arguably will never live up to. However, I'll say that going forward I expect Cena to be pushed closer to the summit of SmackDown Live, as he appears poised to end Jinder Mahal's reign of tedium.

KEEFER: The blue brand certainly has plenty of top talent as their disposal, from Randy Orton and AJ Styles to Kevin Owens and "Jinder Mahal" (The WWE Champion has to be at least in the talk of the top talent, otherwise you just stew over the fact that WWE put a jobber at the top of the ladder. John Cena is the face of the company, as always, and Shinsuke Nakamura is a fresh face for the company who is an international sensation.

John Cena is being used more effectively than Shinsuke, which is sad in a way since Cena seems lost himself. He is having a lackluster feud with Rusev as SmackDown is milking it with all the stereotypical characters and matches. Cena recently mentioned his days are numbered and deserves the same swan song Natalya is experiencing- chasing a title. It wouldn't even have to be the WWE Championship. When he held the US Title and conducted open challenges, that was some of his best work in recent memory. Shinsuke, on the other hand, may never be named in the list of the best on SmackDown. At 37, Shinsuke is nearly the end of his career as well. But he is being wasted with WWE. His debut feud with Dolph Ziggler teased a lot of promise from the international star and he was quite impressive in NXT. He is not being booked strongly, keeps coming up short in big matches, and keeps getting wins via DQ and interference.

DeFELICE: The blue brand definitely has its fair share of stars. Randy Orton, Baron Corbin, Charlotte, and AJ Styles just to name a few. However, perhaps the biggest names on the roster belong to John Cena and Shinsuke Nakamura. Both men are coming out of somewhat awkward situations following the Battleground pay-per-view, John won a very competitive, albeit hokey Flag Match against Rusev. Meanwhile, Shinsuke picked up a DQ victory after Corbin kicked Nakamura in his sackamura. I don't think it's arguable that both men could be doing much more important things on the brand right now. But, if I had to choose one that they should stay the course with, it would be Nakamura.

John has made it clear that this isn't his full-time gig anymore. Therefore, I think his time should be used to benefit the top of the card. Nakamura, on the other hand, is doing the best he can in the main roster environment. The thing that would make his time better is if he was more scarcely shown but that would make him a part-time guy. The things that would make Nakamura better would require a whole new format for the main roster television shows and time to re-educate the audience to the new format. That being said, I think he just needs a major match, like AJ, at SummerSlam. John needs that WWE title but more on that below.


DeFELICE: As soon as I heard Jinder's theme hit as Randy was climbing, I groaned. I knew exactly what was coming and 20 seconds later, he lumbered back onto our screens. "We couldn't get through one of these without this fucking guy?!" Is the message I sent out to most of my friends. I really hope we're not supposed to be getting excited for Randy vs Khali at SummerSlam. I really hope that all it is one RKO on SmackDown and that's it. I'll take Randy in a Handicap Match against the Singh Brothers in Brooklyn, hell he can even grab a partner in AJ Styles or Sami Zayn. Just please do not tell me to get excited for The Great Khali on any card in 2017.

Jinder Mahal is a totally different story. He has more than proven his worth and continues to bust his ass every time I see him. He should go one on one with John Cena at SummerSlam. It would really solidify him as a top guy and it would allow John to work a more traditional main event style like he used to. I would ultimately like to see John be champion now and hold it for a very long time but Jinder Mahal has impressed us all. That was a pretty sweet rhyme but it's also the truth. He's the man right now and working with John will only elevate him in the long run. Hell, even if it all ends right after Brooklyn, he's had one memorable run and I'm sure that's all he was looking for.

WIGGNS: I like Mr. DeFelice and credit his excellent writing style, but I completely disagree with his assessment of Jinder Mahal. The raspy-voiced, dull-as-dishwater Canadian motherfucker has been an absolutely atrocious WWE Champion. If he was back to being the jobber that he deserves to be or even in the midcard scene, Mahal would be more tolerable because the creative team wouldn't have to place so much focus on him. But because he's carrying what used to be considered the most valuable championship in WWE, he gets 20-30 minute segments and matches that badly expose his numerous flaws. And now we have to look forward to seeing the Great Khali, three years older and even less mobile than his last appearance, feuding with Randy Orton, in what I can only presume is a punishment from some all-powerful entity.

I have plenty of ideas about what I'd like to happen next with Jinder Mahal and The Great Khali, but I'm worried typing them out here could be viewed as evidence somewhere down the road. So, instead, I'll just say that I hope whoever Mahal defends the title against at SummerSlam, be it John Cena, AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura or the Gobbledy Fucking Gooker, he drops it and tumbles down the card faster than it takes a Singh brother to plummet through an announce table.

KEEFER: Both of my colleagues have excellent points and have taken a stand at each end of the spectrum when it comes to Jinder Mahal. I also hate to fall for the gimmick of "middle man", but it is where I stand. First, I must say that while the return of Khali was a surprise and a nice twist to the match, it does put a dent in Mahal's future. He already had the Singh Brothers, fair enough. Bringing in Khali hurts Mahal with the fact that it shows Mahal to be weak and that he needs more muscle to defend his title. When, not if, Mahal drops the belt this year, all of this will end up backfiring and slingshotting Mahal back to jobber status. I dislike his gimmick very much, as WWE is just using him to enter the scene in India. God forbid TNA and GFW take over India (they can barely get in competition in the States, so WWE could throw them a bone and least give them one area where they can get some popularity). While none of Mahal's gimmicks have struck right with me, not all hope is lost.

Here comes my middle-man status. Yes, Mahal is slowly sinking back down the ladder. It doesn't have to be that way. I agree with Mr. DeFelice in that Mahal has actually been showing improvement as a wrestler overall. He has given better promos and he does work his ass off every week in the ring to prove he can be a champion. Can he be a top guy? Most likely not, but he can be a solid wrestler a few tiers down from the likes Cena, Orton, and Styles. However, he needs a fresh gimmick and needs to end the run as the stereotypical Indian. He has proven he can least make a run for a midcard title, but him losing the title to Cena could be a good thing for him. He can lose the title one on one in a hard fought match with the future Hall of Famer and can be repackaged and at least be successful in the midcard and not as a jobber.

Do you have a question that you want to ask the minds over at Smark Out Moment? Our version of the WWE Inbox is the Smark Out Moment Mailbag. Once a month, we set aside some time to answer any of the questions on your mind, whether they be wrestling related, trivia to try to stump us, or just general questions to get to know Tony Mango and the other members of the team better.

Here are your submissions for this month:


Question: "All right. Have it out. Tell us about your first times."

Answer: Good looking girl that I really, really liked at the time, I had fun, she had fun. A few orgasms later, she said to me "well I guess our sex life isn't going to be a concern then, Jesus Christ" so I had no complaints haha.

Question: "What are you, culturally, ethnically, etc? Does that actually effect how you act and live your life, or are you just a collection of random white people."

Answer: Painfully white is a category, right? I'm actually Italian, English, French, German and Polish. For the most part, none of that has affected me outside of the Italian side as I picked up some stereotypical stuff from that, like my love of pasta.

Question: "Who do you think personally is the most attractive wrestler of the opposite sex of all time? Same sex?"

Answer: A few names that come to my mind are Sunny, Maryse, Trish Stratus, Mickie James, AJ Lee, Alexa Bliss and honestly, the person I might put above the rest is Kimberly Page. Same sex, maybe John Morrison.

Question: "Who do you most wish would have pictures leaked about them? Not necessarily for your enjoyment, but just out of morbid curiosity. For instance, a few questions were answered with the Charlotte leaks. Did you see the Charlotte leaks? What did you think? I hope Drew is on for this one. And if he is and hasn't seen them, make him."

Answer: As far as wrestlers I'd like to see leaked goes, all of them, but just to throw a few of them out there, how about Alexa Bliss, Alicia Fox, Peyton Royce, Sasha Banks, Carmella, and Cathy Kelley, but really, all of them haha. If you count other people, I'd throw out Amy Jo Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Chloe Bennet, Emma Stone, Jane Levy, Mila Kunis, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Summer Glau and Taylor Swift.


Question: "Who will be the first to retire? Big Show, Mark Henry, Kane Or The Undertaker?"

Answer: The Undertaker seems to be retired already, with Kane a possibility as well. Mark Henry said on his recent Table for 3 that he's basically in full transition to being retired, and we know Big Show said next year's WrestleMania would be his last, so I think that's the order we're going with.


Question: "Have you been keeping up with MPW?"

Answer: Not outside of what Paden's informed me about. I never have any time to really check it out since I do the Hot Tags after Raw and I write up more articles than before.


Question: "What feuds does Rusev start after Cena and Mahal after Orton?"

Answer: Somewhere in 2017, he'll fight Shinsuke Nakamura, if not just because they'll have nothing for the two of them to do. I could see Rusev against Tye Dillinger and Chad Gable, too.

Question: "When will WWE use true midcarders like Harper, perfect 10, English, Mahal, Gable in the US title picture? because they have main eventers in a mid card title picture"

Answer: Aiden English is a lost cause, I think, despite winning at Battleground. Luke Harper is an odd case as he almost was in the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania, but then fell off the face of the planet. Once Jinder Mahal loses the title, I think he can be in US title contention, easily. Gable is a guarantee I think, and while I'd like to say the same is for Dillinger, he's going to have a harder time than Gable in getting that spot. I think we're in a bit of a transition period for SmackDown's midcard, as Mojo Rawley, Zack Ryder, Rusev and maybe even Shelton Benjamin should make a splash soon.

Question: "Are stipulation PPV's the reason we no longer see stipulations that actually make sense in storylines?"

Answer: That's definitely a HUGE factor, but I think another problem is that the writing team either doesn't want to put in the effort to think about those options, or they actively don't want to go down those routes. Something like Hell in a Cell probably means more to the fans than it does to Vince McMahon, who sees it as JUST a gimmick and not a prestigious match-ending stipulation.


Question: "What is your opinion on Rusev's tweet about Shane McMahon's helicopter emergency landing? As Rusev's number one fan, I'm worried that WWE night bury him when they should set up a match between him and Shane at Summerslam."

Answer: Hilarious. WWE better not bury him for that. Far many people have done far worse and gotten away with it unscathed, so if he catches anything but a stern "yo, don't do that" then that's ridiculous.


Question: "Why was there a Slammivsary chat in The Mega Maniacs group and why did it have more comments than the Smackdown Live ones?"

Answer: I put it there as a joke since none of us watch TNA and this was supposed to be the end of it, but I never expected it to get more than the regular SmackDown chat. I still don't get why nobody watches WWE on Tuesday nights, particularly if that's more of the wrestling show and everyone complains that there isn't enough wrestling.

Question: "Tony why do you do the hot tags after raw instead of smackdown I always wondered? If you want to do an ask him how about at the end of hot tags?"

Answer: I used to record the Hot Tags on Monday night to be up for Tuesday, the IWC Outreach stuff on Tuesday nights after Talking Smack to go up Wednesday afternoon, and then the main event of the week sometime between Wednesday afternoon and Friday night, but now that Talking Smack is gone and I'll be getting rid of the IWCO content, I'll probably move the Hot Tags to after 205 Live. As far as the Ask Him being moved around, it's more of a matter of it being another thing to do rather than not wanting it to be its own separate video. Adding the Ask Him to the Hot Tags isn't going to get the Hot Tags any more views, and it ends up just being a waste of my time to research stuff and edit that bit into the videos. We're going to try to transition that to a Facebook and Twitter thing instead.

Question: "Are Eric Rowen and Luke Harper still employed by WWE? Also I've heard conflicting rumors about Eva Marie what's up her?"

Answer: Harper and Rowan definitely still are, but just aren't being used on television. They seem to be just house show filler, which is a shame. Eva Marie's situation is basically that she's waiting for her contract to expire and then she and WWE will officially part ways. She has her clothing line and modeling projects she's invested in now that she's made a name for herself, which was probably her main goal from the start of trying to get a job with the company.

Question: "Did James Elsworth fail the Wellness policy test? He got suspended for 30 days odd number or not"

Answer: Nope, that was just WWE's attempt to make it seem like the redo of the ladder match was worth it and had some kind of resolution. Very sloppily done and needless.

Question: "Do you count That Brian Kendrick's WWE title reign? Technically the rules of The Championship Scramble you make a pin you are champion and he did get a pin"

Answer: The scramble match was weird, as it had "interim champions" instead of true title changes, so his and all other pinfalls don't count as official reigns. Still, he could technically say he was the WWE champion for a placeholder, which is more than most people can say.

Question: "Which Tag Team that never won the gold do you wish would have? The Awesome Truth and I'll cheat and say Generation Me (Young Bucks) in TNA because New Japan"

Answer: A few that stand out to me are Enzo and Cass, The Bushwhackers, The Rockers and Cryme Tyme...maybe The Real Americans as well.

Question: "Which Tag Team has no Marty, but both are Shawn's? Shield, Beer Money and Hardys I thought of"

Answer: The Mega Powers, New Age Outlaws to an extent (but I'd say Billy Gunn was the HBK if I had to pick), John Morrison and The Miz were both pretty great even though The Miz has had a better career overall.

Question: "Which Tag Team break up is your favorite, saddest and most unexpected?"

Answer: The Rockers is definitely the best, with The Mega Powers being a very close second.

Question: "Use the current roster who do want to see start teaming? I want to see Titus World Wide to join the Miztarage Titus being Miz's agent"

Answer: I joked about Darren Young joining up with The Velveteen Dream, but I can honestly actually kind of see that working pretty well. I still want Ryder and Hawkins back together. Gallows and Anderson need to turn face to join Finn Balor. I wouldn't mind The Lucha Dragons reforming, along with maybe Harper and Rowan getting back together but obviously not calling themselves The Wyatt Family (so what would their new name be?) and maybe a team of Tye Dillinger with Roderick Strong (Perfectly Strong?)

Question: "Who do you will be hurt by not having pyro?"

Answer: I don't think anybody is going to be particularly hurt, so long as they keep pyro for the big shows, but I think almost everybody's entrance seems so much more entertaining if they do have pyro, so it's basically not a necessity yet a welcome addition if monetarily feasible. It'll be weird as hell if Jericho doesn't get it when he comes back, though.

Question: "Callen did you search for Unknown in Pokemon Go or find it by dumb luck? Also did you evolve Tyrouge into Hitmontop? Last two I need to complete my New York Pokedex (I'll leave a comment if anything changes sending this in 7/20)"

Answer: (I'll have him answer this on the show or elsewhere).

Question: "Are you making Play The Game into a board game? Take my money"

Answer: I didn't have any plans for that, but hey, investors, give me money to make it and I will lol.

Question: "Do you think Summerslam will be hurt by to many triple treat and fatal 4 way matches? I except The Universal, IC, Raw Tag and Raw Woman's will 3 or 4 way"

Answer: DEFINITELY. The pay-per-view will be way too chaotic and haphazard if there are too many matches without rules. We'll have to see if WWE makes that mistake or if they actually planned this out better and will avoid it without creating other problems, like leaving important people off the card.

Question: "What show would you like to be brought back or canceled on the WWE Network?"

Answer: Breaking Ground would be my top choice, with Legends House being #2. I wouldn't mind more Legends with JBL, too.

Question: "We know Renee is use to the cold being from Canada, but does she have heat on her? Points Unfiltered canceled, Total Divas kicked off, Talking Smack canceled"

Answer: You know, I wouldn't think too much about it, but being kicked off Total Divas does seem a bit suspicious. I doubt they'd cancel Talking Smack if they just disliked her, as they'd probably have Charly Caruso take over instead, but Unfiltered is something that can be a punishment and no more Total Divas is something that directly affects Renee herself. Maybe she did kind of piss someone off. More than likely, though, it's just a matter of her being involved in a lot of things and those things happened to unluckily get the axe, cause she's still doing other work for WWE and not diminished in her role too much.

Question: "How is The Undertaker's retirement sitting with you know that you have some to take in? After 11 years I'm starting to think Taker isn't my favorite, but my new favorite well You Know It the hype is around The Miz is sitting tied for one with Taker. I haven't made up my mind yet I want a second opinion"

Answer: I don't think I'll ever be okay with Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker no longer wrestling. The sting isn't as strong over time, but there's always going to be part of me thinking that it just sucks and I miss my favorites, and then I get sad because I miss when I was a kid in way more ways than just that, too haha.

Question: "When someone ask who is your favorite superstar is do they mean singles superstar? I like Beer Money better than Miz and Undertaker, but I like Miz and Taker more than singles Roode and Storm"

Answer: Definitely singles superstar, cause they would specify "tag team" or "stable" if they were open to lumping people together.


Question: "Are you starting to feel like The New Day's character is getting stale?"

Answer: They're in a little bit of a slump instead of at their peak, but I don't think they're getting stale enough to need to adjust anything too drastically or break up by any means.

Question: "With knowing about the results of the future tapings for NXT, what are your opinions so far of NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 3?"

Answer: To be honest, I'm underwhelmed. I don't really have a lot of excitement to see Drew McIntyre as the one to fight Bobby Roode, I think Asuka vs. Ember Moon could be good but I'm not sure about the tag title match. I'm most interested in Gargano vs. Almas, oddly enough. We'll see how it all pans out, though.

Question: "Do you think we'll see a United Kingdom Championship Match at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 3?"

Answer: There's a chance, but I don't think so based off the tapings.

Question: "What's your impression on Oney Lorcan as of late? He's really been impressing me as of late, especially with his match against Danny Burch."

Answer: Lorcan vs Burch was pretty damn solid, yeah. I still think Lorcan is really odd in a few ways, but I'd on board with him coming up to the main roster as a member of the cruiserweight division.

Question: "Brie Bella announced that she'll be returning to the WWE ring again, in 2018. What would you do with Brie Bella in 2018, meaning how would you book her?"

Answer: To be honest, I'd tell her to stay home. There's nothing I can think of that I'd want to see her do that would be a better option than just being there for her kid.

Question: "When Jinder Mahal loses the WWE Championship, will WWE just drop him back down into a state of being a jobber?"

Answer: I think he'll have a long stint as a decent midcarder at the very least, but I can't imagine him getting a second title win. Then again, I didn't expect him to get the first, so...

Question: "What's your favorite dessert?"

Answer: I'm partial to chocolate chip cookies as my favorite junk food, but if I'm at a restaurant and I get dessert, I go for cheesecake or some kind of chocolate peanut butter type dessert. Vanilla soft serve with Reese's peanut butter cups and Butterfinger is amazing, too, though.

Question: "I wanted to talk some Big Brother here. Are you happy Cody is back? Would you rather bang Alexa Bliss or Jessica? Do you love it how Big Brother puts jingle bells and funny hashtag pons about Christmas? BTW, Paul all the way. #Friendship!"

Answer: Cody being back sucks, as I want Paul to win. Alexa and Jessica is tough because I like Alexa's face better but Jessica's body, so I'd still pick Alexa, but damn that's a hard pick. Big Brother is such a trashy, shitty show, but I  can't help but love it haha.

Question: "Do you still watch The Flash?"

Answer: Yes indeed. I don't watch Arrow or Supergirl, but I watch The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow and I'll be checking out Black Lightning and Titans.

Question: "Is NXT starting reload again with talent? We now got Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish, & Lio Rush."

Answer: I hope so. Plenty of people in NXT are ready to move up to the main roster and we need an influx of wrestlers to offset that.

Question: "Are you a fan of Ruby Riot? What about Nikki Cross or Ember Moon?"

Answer: Ruby Riot in the ring is okay, but I hate her looks and I don't like her promos. Nikki Cross is better in all regards than Riot, but I like Ember Moon the best out of the three in all regards (even though Moon's promos are bland too).

Question: "Do you go on Vacation?"

Answer: I can't remember the last vacation I went on as it was over a decade ago.

Question: "Why do you think Rey Mysterio is so overrated?"

Answer: To me, Mysterio is someone who happened to have a few tools that nobody else had at the time and he received his push because of his positioning. Rey's good, but he's a spot monkey that stopped doing spots, and road the coattails of his previous work to make people act like he was still doing that later in his career. I don't picture him as a world title winner, but one time, sure. By the second time, he was a shell of his former self and was just a legacy wrestler who nobody wanted to admit was slower than before.

Question: "Finally, if you had to choose eight wrestlers right now, who would you put on the poster of Summerslam?"

Answer: The four in the Fatal 4-Way for the Universal Championship, AJ Styles, John Cena, Alexa Bliss and Bayley.

The July 25, 2017 episode of WWE SmackDown scored a 0.77 rating (roughly 2.5 million viewers) for adults aged 18-49 according to Nielsen Media Research. This is down from last week's 0.81 rating and ranked #2 for cable programs on Tuesday evening.

This week's episode of WWE NXT was taped on July 12, 2017 at the Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. The following are spoilers of the results from the original tapings. WWE may choose to edit things differently, rearrange or add other supplemental content.

• Ember Moon defeated Lei'D Tapa
• The Authors of Pain come out to face Damon Ramos and Timothy Bumpers but are cut off by SAnitY, who destroy the jobbers before the match starts and then brawl with AOP
• The Velveteen Dream defeated Cezar Bononi
• Drew McIntyre cuts a promo about Bobby Roode and their upcoming title match at TakeOver: Brooklyn III
• Kassius Ohno defeated Hideo Itami by disqualification after Itami low-blows him

The WWE United States Championship has changed hands as AJ Styles defeated Kevin Owens to win the title on the July 25, 2017 edition of SmackDown Live.

My immediate reaction: So that title change at Battleground was either pointlessly done just for the sake of a shock (and poorly executed) or it was a mistake that they needed to correct tonight by putting the title back on Styles. I'm not opposed to Styles holding the title again, but I really want to know what WWE's plan is here before I criticize or praise this.

Click the following links for the full list of title changes for this year and the list of current champions and my predictions for who will take the belts away from them.

Episode #295 of the Smark Out Moment wrestling podcast SMACK TALK includes the wrestling trivia question of the week (ASK HIM), the Smark My Words fan-submitted comment choice as well as IWC OUTREACH promotional information and more.

Make sure to subscribe on whatever platform you're listening, leave your comments on the videos or this post, share this edition with your friends and smark out with us!