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Welcome to my ongoing blog for tonight's WWE Saturday Night's Main Event from Salt Lake City, Utah!
The broadcast opened with the now typical "everyone walks" to preview the main events.
They aired a cool throwback opening video.
Lots of pyro and this time around, less of a throwback entrance and stage and more of what you'd expect to see on Raw or Smackdown.
No Jesse Ventura by the way. He never promoted he would appear, which was telling and I believe this is the first of the revived SNME run he has missed.
Michael Cole and Wade Barrett are the announcing team.
Lilian Garcia is the ring announcer.
Our opening bout is Cody Rhodes defending against Drew McIntyre with the title able to change on a DQ or count out. If McIntyre doesn't win HERE, it doesn't speak well for how his standing in my opinion. He's one of, if not the best heel in the company, yet is always secondary. Cody gets a big reaction and pyro coming out.
No ads on the ring apron, just the SNME logo.
No throwback referee gear.
Drew was announced as the "Real American Dream", which was pretty funny.
They battle it out early with chops and Cody caught the challenger with a suplex. McIntyre heads to the floor and dares Cody to follow. Cody doesn't and eventually, Drew returns to the ring. Drew tricks Cody into almost knocking into a referee with Drew reminding the ref he can DQ Cody. Drew takes control and even bites Cody while hiding it from the referee. Cody gets pissed and stomped away at Drew but almost losing it, teasing he might get himself DQ'd, which would be a title change.
Drew nailed Cody and dumped him outside near the barricade, demanding he be counted out. Rhodes returned before a ten count. Drew rained down with strikes on the mat. Rhodes was covered but kicked out several times. So far, it's OK. Drew went to the top but Cody attacked him. They battled on top but Cody connected with a superplex. He was too spent to immediately make the cover. Cody began to nail some offensive signature moves, including the Disaster Kick. He went for the Cody Cutter but Drew caught and slammed him for a two count.
Cody began clubbering but McIntyre caught him with a spinebuster and a powerbomb for a near pinfalls. McIntyre grabbed the title belt and gave it to Cody. He dared Cody to use it on him but when Cody tossed the belt aside, Drew hit him with the Claymore Kick for a close two count. Cody rolled to the outside where Drew teased kicking him in the announcer's table as he did on TV. Cody nailed him but was then knocked off the apron. He crashed through the announcers' table and was almost counted out but made it right before ten. That was a nice near fall.
Drew started looking furious and frustrated. He set up for the Claymore Kick but Cody ducked it. He nailed a top rope Cody Cutter for another two count but began grabbing at his knee from all the earlier attacks and damage. Cody played a great babyface fighting through the pain. He went for CrossRhodes but Drew kicked him. Drew shoved Cody into the referee with the idea being that Drew didn't realize he did it. He then nailed Cody with the Glasgow Kiss but there was no official to make the count.
Drew brought the WWE title belt back into the ring. He missed using it and they collided mid-air as they each attempted a high cross body-block. The referee was still out. They battled over the belt with Cody catching Drew with a DDT down onto the title belt. Rhodes nailed CrossRhodes and pinned McIntyre.
This was good 24 minutes or so and the crowd was REALLY into this, but man, they need something strong for McIntyre or he's about to become a toothless shark. There's no denying Cody is the man of the people today, though. They gave McIntyre enough to complain about coming out of this, but that can only go on for so long.
They aired a video package on Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill, which is second. Nick Aldis gave Tiffany a chance to back out but she refused and insisted she was ready. I can see a title change here if they do the deal where Tiff is hurt and still tries to surpass the kickass Jade.
Tiff immediately went after Jade but when she was kicked down, looked as if her knee was still hurting. Cargill attacked and mauled her with a chokeslam. Jade nailed a big pumphandle slam for a two count. The champ is already on the defensive. Jade missed a charge in the corner but Stratton's knee wouldn't let her capitalize. Jade was tied to the tree of woe and stomped away. It's all Jade thus far.
Jade slammed her on the apron and then argued with the referee. She went to drill Tiffany with a kick into the stairs but Tiff tripped her into them. Tiffany went to the top but Stratton was met by Jade. Tiffany knocked her to the mat and hit a beautiful swanton bomb. Jade kicked up and destroyed Jade but Tiff kicks out of Eye of the Storm. Jade's been dominant but Tiffany is fighting back. Jade nailed several more big moves including a Fall Away Slam and a sit-out powerbomb but Tiff kept kicking out.
Jade nailed a few more powerbombs, then hit Jaded and that was it.
NEW CHAMP.
They told a good story and Jade looked dominant while Tiff played the babyface fighting to the end. They absolutely established and ascended Jade.
They plugged a 1/23/26 Smackdown and 1/24/26 SNME for Montreal.
WWE Intercontintental Champion Dominik Mysterio vs. Rusev vs. Penta is up next. I don't see a title change here but this could be a lot of fun on paper. All good action early. Penta hit a dive on Rusev but was caught by Domink shortly after. Rusev was in control but Dom took over. He went for the 619 but Rusev caught him and went for The Redeemer. Penta broke it up. He nailed a series of kicks on Rusev but Rusev got more and more pissed and finally attacked him. He nailed several big rights and placed Penta on the top. They battled on the top. Rusev was knocked down but he nailed Penta, who crashed to the mat.
As the referee checked on Penta, Dom tossed a chair at Rusev, who caught it. Dom tried to lie, cheat and steal but the referee reminded him there was No DQ. Rusev smashed him across the back with the chair. OOPS DOM! Penta attacked Rusev and hit a Destroyer and a tornado DDT. He went for another but Rusev avoided it and went for the Machka Kick. Penta avoided and nailed a Penta Driver for a two count. Fun sequence of events. Penta came off the top but Rusev kicked him and locked in the Redeemer.
The bell rang but it was Dom doing it, so no real finish. This enraged Rusev, who attacked him. Don took the beating but was able to shove him face-first into the stairs. Dom tried to return with the ring bell hammer but as he entered the ring, Penta grabbed it. He went to hit Dom, who moved and Rusev was nailed with it, KOing him. Dom attacked the shocked Penta and pinned him with a frog splash. Good stuff.
One day, when Dom turns babyface, he's going to be a tremendous top draw for the company.
They aired a Cena video. He says 12/13 is the end for him in the end.
The main event is Jey Uso vs. CM Punk to determine the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. While I think Jey would be the right call here, just to strengthen him even more, my gut says CM Punk goes over. It's a good problem for WWE to have, choosing between these two. Big entrances for each and big reactions.
They are taking their time and doing a feeling out process early. They are being very methodical early. Some solid wrestling and near falls early. Punk bridges out of a pinfall attempt and nailed a GTS but it bounced Uso out of the ring. They battled to the top, where Punk went for a superplex but Uso blocked it and knocked him into the ring. Uso came off the top but Punk ducked. Uso cleaned house with a series of strikes and kicks. He sent Punk into the corner. Punk goes for the GTS but Jey avoided and nailed a superkick, then a Superfly splash for a two count.
They battled to the corner. Punk made a comeback and called for another GTS. Uso nailed him and hit a dive to outside. Uso speared Punk through a barricade, which looked great and like it hurt like hell. Uso went for another top rope splash but Punk pulled his knee up and drilled him with the GTS, but NO, kickout at the last second. Punk looked like he didn't know what to do after that.
They continued to battle with some nice near falls. Punk nailed the GTS. Uso collapsed on Punk's shoulders but slipped out and clinched a sleeper on Punk. The announcers pointed out this is how he beat GUNTHER at Wrestlemania. Punk slipped out and locked in the Anaconda Vise. Uso was in a bad way but made it to the ropes. Lots more near falls and they are leaving it all in the ring. Punk kneed a charging Uso and nailed a pair of GTS moves for the pin.
NEW CHAMPION!
Post Malone was at ringside and looked like he was loving the hell out of this and with good reason, it kept getting better the longer it went.
They noted on commentary Punk dedicated the match to his MMA Coach Duke Roufus, who recently passed away. The show closed with Punk celebrating.
Solid two hours but they have moved far away from the type of feeling of nostalgia that made this a fun return to the WWE pantheon. None of the essense of what made the original series was featured here, so it was just another chapter of WWE TV, not really anything groundbreaking to make this feel unique or different from the massive amount of content we see every week, beyond the title changes.
Interesting to note that as soon as the stream ended, Peacock automatically began playing Megan 2.0 for me. That's never happened before. It's also interesting to note that despite paying for the non-commercial premium version, I got every commercial during the breaks tonight, another first.
If you are done with SNME, I am told the Bandido vs. Mascara Dorada match that will close AEW Collision is great, so go check that out and see for yourself!
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