WWE.com and Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly breaks down Raw and SmackDown with his "best" superlatives for the two shows.
RAW
BEST MIC MOMENT (Roman Reigns talking to Sami Zayn): There were so many layers to the opening interaction between Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn that it took us on a roller coaster ride to kick off Raw, reminded everybody of the storied past between them, while setting the wheels in motion for the matchup at WWE Crown Jewel. What stood out most was the manner in which Reigns showed condescension toward a Superstar he clearly views as beneath him. From the look The OTC gave Zayn in the parking garage as he walked past him on the phone, to the smug acknowledgments that they were equals. Reigns’ message was clear: He is still The Big Dog of the company, no matter what title is on his shoulder. “The man makes the title, not the title makes the man,” said it all. It took all of five minutes for Reigns to take Zayn from being on top of the world to being a guy who is lucky to even be Undisputed WWE Champion. Also, it gave hints that Reigns was scouting Zayn as a body against The 946 rather than as someone worried about opposing him in the Champion vs. Champion Match.
BEST MOMENT (Penta’s kickout after taking a mid-air Spear): Penta's match against Bron Breakker could easily have been the best match of the night, but it has to settle for Best Moment because, well, Chad Gable is on a heater when it comes to elite matches. Penta’s ongoing rivalry with Breakker went to a new level in the opening match on Monday, but Penta’s stunning kickout of Breakker’s mid-air Spear off a springboard was the highlight of the contest. It was executed so well that nobody thought Mr. Money in the Bank had a chance to kick out. The false finish stunned the crowd and Breakker and set up Je’Von Evans getting some payback from last week and Penta getting the win.
BEST MATCH (Chad Gable (c) vs. Dragon Lee vs. Rey Mysterio | Triple Threat Match for the Intercontinental Title): Chad Gable continues to prove himself as a fighting champion as he put his Intercontinental Title on the line for the fourth time since winning it at SummerSlam and the second consecutive episode of Raw. As expected, it was non-stop action from bell to bell, but what made this the best match of the night. The match was even more special with Rey Mysterio competing in front of his hometown crowd while facing some of the roster's best technical Superstars. Gable's counter to secure the win over Rey was a fitting end to the match against a WWE Hall of Famer in his hometown.
BEST SEGMENT: (Roman Reigns confronts 946): The 946 are human after all, and all it took to reveal that was The OTC. The highly volatile, ever-growing 946 faction, led by Royce Keys, finally got some pushback. Everybody thought Reigns left the arena for the night, but he was lurking. The only question: Where was Jacob Fatu? Hmmm, “ain’t nobody safe,” right, Jaida Parker?
MVP OF THE SHOW: (Roman Reigns): When the face of WWE shows up and takes part in three parts of the show and is fire in all three of them, the choice was made already. The in-ring promo to start the show and the backstage interview with Jackie Redmond where he said it was “back to the drawing board” after his surprise appearances to confront and dominate The 946, were, well, QB1-like.
SMACKDOWN
BEST MOMENT (Cody’s punt): Baron Corbin, and then Randy Orton, pushed Cody Rhodes to the brink before he finally snapped. Rhodes punting Corbin was not only the best moment of the show, but the most telling. He was pushed to cross that line and made you believe it's only a matter of time before he does the same to Orton. It’s on record now: Cody can have that killer instinct, steal his biggest foe’s signature move in front of him, and take one step closer to "Bad Guy" Cody.
BEST MIC MOMENT (Baron Corbin): Wow. Now, who saw that coming from Baron Corbin? Corbin’s surprise appearance at the end of SmackDown, prompted by Cody Rhodes trying to hijack the final moments, was a top-level mic moment. Corbin did his due diligence about Rhodes and emptied the chamber about his perceived phoniness as The American Nightmare. Corbin talking points about Cody whining and complaining about getting stabbed in the back and being targeted by his peers are getting old and predictable, at least for Corbin. But this wasn’t so much about Cody; it was about Baron Corbin trying to get into the main-event conversation.
BEST MATCH (Paige vs. Nikki Bella): This was was a solid match between two who have been in the ring together a handful of times. They spent much more time in the ring than the last time they met, and it wasn’t wasted. A hot start, with a spear from Nikki Bella and some outside-the-ring brawling, set the stage for their growing dislike. They traded a few subtle jabs, referencing outside-the-ring things, and it was a solid effort. Paige won off a bottom-rope assisted rollup, which will surely set up a rematch soon.
BEST SEGMENT: (Kevin Owens/CM Punk/Nick Aldis in trainer’s room): A brief backstage interaction in the trainer’s room between Kevin Owens and CM Punk, with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis moderating, but it was a good one that got Punk to refer to KO as a child. Their continued hatred streamed through the television and made for the 90-second segment. Aldis held off making a match right now, but that was secondary. Owens’ dismissive attitude toward Punk, calling him “Phil” and saying he keeps following him around, was the biggest dig, and it got under Punk’s skin.
MVP OF THE SHOW (Randy Orton): Short and sweet: Is there anything that Randy Orton touches that doesn’t make it better? Apply that to the final moments of SmackDown, and Orton made a huge impact despite barely being a part of the program. His reaction to Cody’s head punt to Corbin pushed Orton to the top of the MVP list because, first, it was a great reaction, and second, it came from one of the best whoever did it.
