WATCH ROADBLOCK 2016 PRO

It’s rare, and parts are formulaic, but it’s WWE main event style wrestling with some actual pro wrestling mixed in and that’s OK by me. It’s fun when Triple H works a straight wrestling match (i.e.: not anything he did with Undertaker or Lesnar). The main event – Triple H defending the WWE Title against Dean Ambrose – was really good. And this week after listening to Cody Rhodes and Xavier Woods on Talk is Jericho I was not in the mood to say Cody Rhodes could do any wrong either. Zayn sold great – and I love his alternating fists 10-punch count – but parts of this were really slow and it just had the aura of a Superstars match – technically solid but no tension or reason. Stardust was a very by the books WWE match. It was lots of German suplexes and had a great presence about it. I was disappointed we weren’t getting Brock/Harper as was originally advertised to this show, so when we got it I was all for it, but with Wyatt lurking on the outside and not participating this never really felt like it actually got started. A bait-and-switch to a Handicap Match and then Wyatt never gets in the ring. Handicap Match: Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman vs. Sharpshooter near fall was tremendous too. This felt like the most legit fight and struggle on the card, and Brock Lesnar was working this show. There were times I felt like they were just repeating their match from the first NXT TakeOver and that match ruled. Natalya was my favorite match on their show. WWE Divas Title: Charlotte w/ Ric Flair vs. Enzo & Cas I don’t think will ever be the best wrestlers, but they’re gonna have a fun run. Not quite the level of their London match, but a good version of their match in front of a WWE audience. But a match like this showed the cons of this being a house show, in that the roster is depleted and you get a competent but heatless match between a freshly turned heel from Canada wrestling in Canada against a babyface people have started to forget about who is basically Mr. Jericho getting “Asshole” chants in Canada = money. Jericho definitely tried his hardest to get the Swagger match over, and he succeeded until the match actually began. Fun tag team wrestling with a really hot finish, along with all the New Day tricks. Sheamus & Wade coming out made me love the entrance ramp more, as they looked like bigger stars than they have in years. New Day is treading territory where they are just as good inside the ring as they are out. It didn’t quite end up that way, but there was plenty of good wrestling. Thought it was a sign of things to come, as they were working their match like the camera wasn’t even there. Watching the Booty-O’s promo made me reflect on how amazing the three guys’ in New Day’s life has to be right now. The New Day got the show off to a hot start. WWE Tag Team Title: The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) w/ Xavier Woods vs. Everyone coming out looked like a bigger star with the camera closely following them to the ring while they pass nearby the fans. Really spent the whole show wondering why that can’t just be the set all the time.

Watch roadblock 2016