The Post’s Joseph Staszewski explores the world of professional wrestling in his weekly column, “Post Match Angle.”
(Postgame angles return on May 21st.)
Tiffany Stratton’s performance at Backlash and the recent WWE Draft reminded me of some thoughts I had watching the past two years of NXT when Shawn Michaels was in complete control.
This class of NXT stars joining the main roster is the most ready since 2015-16, a group that included Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch. and may be in the best position for high-level success. We all know what happened to that group.
This time, in addition to Stratton, Kiana James, Lyla Valkyria, Carmelo Hayes, Bron Breaker, and Ilya Dragunov, the Creed Brothers, Santos Escobar, and Grayson Waller will also appear a while ago. There are many players in this group who could become future world champions.
There are other reasons for this besides the immense talent of each individual.
Each has a distinct on-screen persona that they have cultivated, grown accustomed to, and found success in NXT, and that has remained unchanged, and in some cases only enhanced, on the main roster. This shows that the company trusts them and isn’t letting them try new things while adapting to life on the main roster like Vince McMahon once did.
Most have spent meaningful time working with the talent on the main roster. For Stratton and Valkyrie, it was Becky Lynch. For Carmelo Hayes, it was Owens, Austin Theory, Dominik Mysterio, and Finn Balor. Breaker clashed with Seth Rollins, Dolph Ziggler, and Jinder Mahal.
Stratton looks completely at home in the environment at Backlash, keeping pace with veterans Bayley and Naomi, and knows when and how to connect with the audience.
Dragunov and Valkyrie won a very good match in a tournament match between King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring this week on Raw.
Finally, unlike the days when NXT talent often got lost in the shuffle under McMahon, Triple H almost always had a clear storyline for his NXT call-up. Hayes is a cocky former big fish in a small pond who has already been given a rub by Cody Rhodes and appears to be in a story with Bobby Lashley. Breaker is booked like the next Goldberg.
Stratton is already considered the frontrunner to dethrone Bayley as WWE Women’s Champion. Escobar was placed in the LWO storyline with Rey Mysterio, and Waller is already a tag team champion. Gunther’s next big feud after ending his NXT UK Championship reign is expected to be Valkyria alongside Lynch and Dragunov.
You can tell WWE has high hopes for this group, but they also count guys like Roxanne Perez, Cora Jade, Trick Williams, Oba Femi, and Joe Gacy who are still in NXT. not.
Shawn Michaels and the team at the Performance Center have done the job of putting WWE in a position to reap the fruits of their labor at a level not seen in nearly a decade.
drawn battle lines
As long as Kenny Omega is able to return to the ring, he will be a huge babyface opposite his buddy The Young Bucks.
His health concerns from diverticulosis are serious and real. Omega said he will die in 24 hours and doctors have told him he may have to live with a colostomy bag that will prevent him from wrestling.
The physical nature of the show-closing angle gave hope that AEW believed Omega would have a chance to return to the ring at some point.
He told his rival Kazuchika Okada to give him a few months before returning, and he hit a snap dragon suplex on Jack Perry before taking the EVP trigger from Bucks. Rookie Elite then punched him and FTR backstage, and Omega was taken away in an ambulance.
The story of Omega’s health and then his willingness to fight back will resonate with viewers, even if he is relegated to the role of worst-case manager. “Hangman” Adam Page will eventually return to the FTR side, and it looks like Omega will be the next domino in this story.
ten count
CM Punk and Drew McIntyre may set record for longest pre-match build-up on screen as Scottish Warrior also suffers injuries that keep him out of King of the Ring tournament . Monday’s corner was good, but I actually would have liked to have seen McIntyre call out to Punk and then rush back to the arena to try and find Punk.
NXT did a really great job with these underground matches. The atmosphere of the talent joining forces and cheering at ringside adds a different level of intensity to what’s happening in the ring. Natalya and Laura Vice brought a lot of variety to keep the matches from being completely groundwork and strikes. No one is more committed to attracting young talent than Natalia.
Considering the champion defeated Nick Wayne and lost at Wembley, Christian makes a lot of sense as Swerve Strickland’s first challenger. More importantly, AEW has combined two of its best storytellers at the top of the card.
Easter is not a set date, so it doesn’t happen every year, but WWE has booked the second night of WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas on Easter Sunday and April 20, which is the unofficial marijuana smoker’s holiday. There is nothing you can do about it. On a more serious note, it could mean skipping Easter celebrations to go to WrestleMania, or having a tough family discussion about what to play on TV at family and friends’ homes that day.
The match between Chris Jericho and Shibata was a huge success, going from hard hitting to almost slapstick comedy in the second half. Whether you like the “Learning Tree” gimmick or not, Jericho is set to potentially boost Hook and Big Bill when this is all over.
Toni Storm throwing in the towel on Mariah May is interesting in two ways. While this will ensure that Serena Deeb will challenge for the AEW Women’s World Championship, May will likely drop down the rankings and away from facing her mentor.
One thing NXT does better than anyone else right now is that it makes you ask questions like: Why and what happens next? We find out in the mysterious envelopes Rush Legend gave NXT Champion Trick Williams and Fallon Henry, and after the match, he turns on Thea Hale for seemingly no reason. I made it.
I’ve always believed that Danhausen could be a good sympathetic babyface, but the angle GCW ran with him recently feels like more evidence. Danhausen drew huge cheers after defeating Blake Christian, but suffered a come-from-behind loss less than three minutes after new general manager Matt Cardona restarted the game. Fans weren’t happy in the best of ways.
Warning: Adult language
Paul Heyman hasn’t talked to Roman Reigns because WrestleMania is so important. This confirms that either Solo Chicore is making a power play in the void, or that someone like The Rock is pulling the strings behind the scenes. Both would put Reigns back in an interesting situation.
I’m glad WWE isn’t treating The King and Queen of the Ring like a throwaway event. When big stars like Gunther, LA Knight, and now Jey Uso come on board, it immediately becomes more important and feels like a potential gateway to a world championship program like it once was.
Extra: The appearance of University coach Dan Hurley was a fun surprise on Raw. He was usually enthusiastic and focused, and even a national championship-winning coach could not keep a straight face in front of R-Truth.
Wrestler of the week
Bianca Belair, WWE
It was refreshing to see Belair outside of the World Championship program, and she could become the ninth Women’s Triple Crown Champion in WWE history when she and Jade Cargill defeated the Kabuki Warriors at Backlash. She has accepted the challenge of supporting Cargill. She’s also a babyface that former AEW stars are putting at risk in order to get attention. The two strive for a very fruitful relationship, working against each other and ultimately against each other, and it feels like they have a real bond.
This week’s social media posts
match to watch
Ilya Dragunov vs. Jey Uso, King of the Ring Quarterfinals, Raw (Monday, 8 p.m., USA Network)
Something has to give. Uso was a replacement for the injured Drew McIntyre in the tournament, but is a protected babyface, and Dragunov appears destined to face the veteran Gunter in the semifinals. Will WWE cost Uso this time by interfering with McIntyre, will Bloodline interfere across brands, or will WWE keep Uso moving? This is a big stage for Dragunov, who was recently called up to NXT
