Pro Grapplers

Roman is better (and back!), Batista's back to end Evolution forever, Blackochet is here and you better like it, KO took Kofi's spot and that's ... fine?, R-Truth is John Cena and that's ... also fine?, The Hardyz are back and probably for the last time, the UK brand spends another week in Phoenix, DIY is back (sadly), the women's tag champs are setting a fine example for everyone to follow, and Belair has been DUH. FEE. TET. Credit to Brandon Stroud for the alignment chart used as episode artwork for this episode. Find it here: https://uproxx.com/prowrestling/wwe-smackdown-highlights-this-week-fastlane-main-event-nxt-stars-return/7/ (under the top comments of the week)

The only thing better than the inevitable Raw women's title match at Mania is Kofi Kingston renaming it KofiMania and taking over the whole damn show. We also got a great title match on NXT this week, and four guys from the black and gold brand showed up on the main roster to raise some hell to mixed reviews. Also, Steve thinks AEW and NXT will go head-to-head on Tuesday nights in the near future. Lots to get excited about!

Before we get to our Elimination Chamber chat, we have to give the other WWE shows some love. Dijakovic, Street Profits, Cole, and Ricochet all impressed this week on NXT, and also showed how much fun it is when your non-feuding superstars interact with one another. NXT UK was in the U.S. for a filler but still good episode. And 205 Live brought back Gallagher's trunks and a no DQ match, so no complaints there, either. Concerning the chamber: can we stop putting 205 on the Kickoff, has Uce One cost Uce Two a chance at the tag titles, can Shane give us more of what we want and go punch his dad in the teeth, if Rush gets the pin will he be the champ (and can Lashley wear him like a sash), no one cares about Braun Strowman, Ruby should move to SDL and challenge the one person no one can seem to find, Jason isn't excited about the women's tag titles at all, and KOFI BY-GOD KINGSTON.

Steve was in attendance for SmackDown this week, so he gives his thoughts on that experience, including how awesome an appearance by THE MAN truly is, enjoying Daniel Bryan face reactions for one, fleeting night, the sonic dream that is the IIconics, and why his son still can’t understand what Rusev sees in Lana (it rhymes with buberty). Raw was fairly forgettable, but we know all the competitors of the women’s tag title match, that Elias has the “fight old guys” spot now, and that we probably won’t ever love Strowman the same way we used to again. All that, plus quick thoughts on AEW finally confirming Omega and Lucha Underground breaking all of our hearts.

It was a memorable Rumble weekend, and now … everyone’s leaving? After the guys discuss the functionality of a scorecard, they get to talking about the stellar week that was in wrestling. Among their topics: War Raiders had the best entrance of the week, no contest; Gargano is officially Johnny TakeOver; HALFTIME HEEEEEEEEAT; why special sets make special events more special; Jason forgot who the SDL Women’s champ was, but he’s fine now; Ronda’s promo skills fail her (again) (aw shucks); reforming the Wyatt Family with a Captain Planet vibe; R-Truth is now the champ, and that’s fine; and using history to explain things is great … right?

Man, these belts (sorry, titles) are getting so heavy! No wonder they keep getting forgotten at home. But we have bigger concerns this Rumble weekend, like: What will the women's title picture look like after Sunday? Is Ronda leaving? Fantasy booking is fun again with the creation of AEW! Are we really looking forward to Ryder/Hawkins vs. Roode/Gable? Can we just be ok with Shane and Miz winning? And, on the TakeOver side: Can we get rid of Ohno (in this feud)? Will the War Raiders look like money? Is Baszler main roster-bound? What about Gargano? Can't wait to have those answers, and more, after this amazing weekend of wrestling!

We're keeping score now, and Jason comes up shy, meaning he has to grapple with the future of Mandy Rose as a face against all odds. Plus, the guys were wowed by the first TakeOver for the UK brand, including how truly strong the boy, Bate, is, deciding what constitutes an aerial move, and how much of an afterthought Joe Coffey ended up being. Also, the guys talked about the rest of WWE's week, which left them with questions like: is Dosovic a greasy, horny troll now because Vince can't get enough beef? Can we just not (with regards to Mandy/Naomi/Uce 1/Uce2)? How great can Mysterio and Andrade get? How great is NXT? And can you handle yet another wrestler wedding?

We ran down the past week in WWE before giving our predictions for the first-ever NXT UK TakeOver event. Our discussions include: Seth burns it down by eliminating HHH's water intake; Sasha is up next and it's about damn time; the New Bryan is forcing hot dog throw sells; Shane still doesn't understand himself, though luckily Miz does; the women of SmackDown are still amazing; Alexander/Itami is yet another great 205 Live match you missed; Aleister scares Ciampa with a video; EC3 and Nikki bid NXT adieu (for nieu); the Street Profits can cut a promo anywhere on anything; Rowe and Logan are married vikings and that's canon; Worlds Collide should be awesome (when we get to see it); watching Ospreay vs. WALTER got us more ready for TakeOver: Blackpool than we realized; hoping for the best from Bate, Seven, Dunne, Gallus, Ripley, and the rest of the NXT UK crew. Can we go back to one episode a week now, please? Please?

It's a new year (YES IT IS), and a New Era has arrived to get us started off right! And once Vince leaves to make his XFL dreams a reality, we'll really be in for some new stuff. Until then, SmackDown, 205 Live, NXT UK, and NXT US will keep us warm until the Rumble. Among our highlights are: worrying about the food kids are eating while catching Big E's crotchcakes; searching for pictures of a secret wrestler wedding; Joe Coffey's bear-like stature and comforting, sexy voice; the architecture for diminutive dorks over in Europe; being curious how AEW is going to truly change everything. 

First things first, we have to talk about NXT: EC3 vs. Fish, Ricochet vs. Breeze (yes, THAT Breeze), and Black/Gargano in a steel cage next week? THAT is the WWE we care about. But TLC is tomorrow, so we have thoughts about that too, like: why the Corbin TLC match will go on last, how terrible will the New Bryan be to the Face That Runs The Camp, devising new rules for the Chairs Match, how many tables will have people on them, which Dean will show up on Sunday, will Lio pick the splinters out of Bobby's butt for him, and does anyone care about the Mixed Match Challenge at this point, eight years after it started?

Another week, another garbage Raw you should've probably skipped! It would have avoided questions like, how did they forget Dolph in the Dolph/Drew break-up angle? Who decided Dean should just be Bane now? And how the F*** decided the Lucha House Party rules? Once our blood stopped boiling, it was on to praise for SmackDown, NXT, and NXT UK, featuring moments like the New Daniel Bryan being too damn good at everything, the SDL tag trios being just delightful, Truth/Carmella and Hardy/Orton being better than they have any right to be, Io Shirai's vivacious hair, Ciampa playing GM for a week, men in pea coats fighting one another outdoors, and why you should watch the Edge and Christian Show.

The second War Games: TakeOver Edition was amazing, and Survivor Series was pretty good, too, so why has Raw sucked so much since then? The guys file their report. Also, will Shane reconcile with co-dad, the Miz? Will the SmackDown tag team division take an off week? If so, can Raw get ON? How surprising is it that Toni Storm is not the first NXT UK Women's champ? How GOOD was that Lee/Sullivan hoss match? Can Raw suck any more? Stay tuned this week for the answers to these questions!

After one of the most tumultuous, newsworthy weeks in WWE history, we're set for a very different Survivor Series than we had a week ago. Among our questions: will the only title up for grabs change hands, will the tag match by 11-on-12, will Cross join the SDL women, will Shane cheat to make the Blue Brand the A team, how far CAN Big Show chuck Maverick, can Seth please care about his match, what hairstyle will heel Bryan go with, and can Charlotte be THE MAN? On the TakeOver side of things, we know it will all rule, but can Dream walk the walk, is Gargano as dark as he says, how many women will get involved in Baszler/Sane, and how high can Ricochet climb? ENJOY ALL THE WRASTLIN

Before you poke fun at a wrestler's size, make sure you're taller than he is. Having learned that lesson, the guys talk about a bad Raw, a good SmackDown, a great NXT, breaking things that don't belong to us, why a strict show time limit breaks kayfabe, Alexa Bliss' future as a non-wrestler, why Styles/Lesnar II should rule, and how Zelina Vega is the best part of the Up Up Down Down channel.

What a week! Evolution knocked our socks off, including killer title matches and Jason's indifference towards the coming Storm. NXT, both UK and US brands, also killed it, with more resolution to the Black attack, Matt Riddle's first TV match, and the UK brand's best match thus far. The guys also discussed how mannerisms while carrying/presenting a title are key and why Crown Jewel was such a tragic event (outside of the expected reason). It had it all: Hulk Hogan, unsatisfying title matches, and a tournament won by someone who wasn't even in it. What possibly went wrong?

With so much going on, it's surprising there weren't more outstanding matches in WWE this past week. NXT UK is off to a good start, though, and Roman and Dean offered a very interesting night on Raw, alongside turns for both Elias and Strowman. Meanwhile, SmackDown was very nearly a rerun, Crown Jewel is moving on unabated (though possibly Cena and Bryan-less), and Evolution is already mostly an afterthought. Hope you have something to get excited about in there (and apologies for not mentioning the latest developments in the NXT/Black attack angle, but HOLY CRAP).

Boy, what a week! RAW got off to a Rousing start, featuring two turns and a genuine surprise return, SmackDown had a killer women's rematch and Miz TV with three of the best on the roster, and NXT gave us Ricochet/Dunne/Cole, and you know that was hot. However, we also got things like week 12 of Gable/Roode verus The Ascension and the WWE World Cup. Also, will WWE go through with the very bad, no good idea of having an event in Saudi Arabia? But really, who cares because THE KANELLISES ARE BACK WOOOOOOOOOOOO

Another week, another early morning show live from Australia. Wait, that's new! Jason has the Show-Down Breakdown, but first, find out why Ronda Rousey had the Match of the Night, why Roode and Gable are still Not on the Card, who had the Killer Gimmick this week, why the Legends nostalgia train holds No Heat for Jason, and why the tag division on RAW scores only a Near Fall.

We're back, and once again, there's way too much to talk about! There were plenty of good matches (Styles vs. Almas and Dunne vs. Ricochet of note), questionable moves (the main titles on SmackDown), upgrades (Rush partners with Lashley, Rusev Day continues to crumble), botches (Brie Bella continues to fail to impress), and near falls (Mixed Match Challenge is back and not nearly as good). See you all on the other side of the next big event (Super Showdown)!

What a card Hell in a Cell has in store for us this year! And with only two actual Cell matches, too! The Universal title is on the line! Becky Lynch is awesome again! Rusev Day are fighting for titles! There is reason for optimism on this night, let's hope they pay at least some of it off while we welcome Coach to the Kickoff team! Also, NXT laid some low to raise others high this week and the Mae Young Classic featured another eight competitors you should be keeping any eye on. Maintain a good attitude and #EnjoyAllTheWrastlin!