Welcome to another edition of the Quick Hits Recapatory for 5/15/19! We here at Pro Wrestling Post like to give you the must-see moments from five hours of WWE programming. There is a lot of negativity shared about Raw and SmackDown Live, so it is our goal to shine a positive light on them. If you missed last week and need to get caught up first, check out that Quick Hits Recapatory here. So, get your popcorn, your drink of choice and your spellcheck ready! This will be the go-home episode of Raw prior to Money in the Bank on Sunday.
1. Opening Segment – The show opened with Miz TV and the Miz’s guest was Roman Reigns. Traditional it seems RAW always starts with a talking segment. However, what made this one special to me is that it reinforced the Miz as a babyface. It also didn’t seem to take a long time from that segment to the opening match. The Miz was very entertaining and Roman wasn’t bad either. Not a bad way to start the show!
2. You’ve Got a Friend in Me – This segment may seem innocuous on the surface. We see Alexa Bliss on the phone and based on the conversation, her luggage has been lost. Her wrestling gear was in that luggage. Alexa had been scheduled to take part in a four-way match later in the night. Nikki Cross appears and it’s not the same Nikki we’ve seen in the past. She is soft, approachable and friendly to Little Miss Bliss. With Nikki allowing Alexa to get her frustrations out, an idea is born. Nikki will take Alexa’s place in the four-way match. As Alexa skips away to share the news with the McMahons, Nikki cracks a smile. This is an interesting way to shift Nikki’s character onscreen and I enjoyed it.
Quick Hits Recapatory for 5/15/19
3. Dual Contract Signings – Becky “Two Belts” Lynch had a dual contract signing with her opponents at Money in the Bank. Michael Cole hosted the segment and all three women cut promos. Becky’s were cheeky, sarcastic and everything the Man always does. Charlotte was very much her typical heel Charlotte, but Lacey surprised me. Lacey spoke quite eloquently and engaged in good banter with Becky. Upon commenting on Becky’s casual dress, Lacey was rebuffed by the Champ-Champ: “You’ve never had one of these before, have you?” A cute, tongue-in-cheek reference that all contract signings eventually break down into a fight. It built Becky’s vulnerability going into Sunday well, as the heels dominated in a two-on-one situation.
4. Four-Way Match – This is the match that was changed by the previous Alexa/Nikki segment. In addition to Nikki Cross, in involved Natalya, Dana Brooke, and Naomi. The ladies would get nearly ten minutes and put on a great match. Everyone had an opportunity to get their stuff in and look the best they could. A great high spot was Dana takes the other three competitors down with a cross-body from a ladder. Nikki was able to surprise the ring general Natalya and pick up the victory. Alexa Bliss was on commentary and really talked up her new friend Nikki. After the match, Alexa poses on a ladder with the MITB briefcase.
5. Cesaro vs. Rey Mysterio – Later in the show would be this match. On paper, it is a gross mismatch between the huge Swiss Cyborg and the much smaller King of Mystery. Cesaro did himself no favors prior to this match, talking Rey down about always bringing his son around. Rey attacks Cesaro and the two had to be separated by officials. If you only check out one thing from this lengthy episode of Raw, it would be this match. Both Cesaro and Rey really went hard and pulled out all the stops. It highlighted Cesaro as a monster and as an athletic guy as well. Rey also proved that he can take on any opponent, no matter their size compared to his. Quality match throughout!
Moving onto SmackDown Live from Tuesday! This is the final go-home program before WWE goes into Money in the Bank on Sunday. Smackdown has also been on the lips of many fans after confirmation came from Fox about their new time slot. Let’s get to the Quick Hits for the blue brand.
1. Opening Match – SmackDown’s first match was quite fun. They had a four-way match between Finn Balor, Andrade, Ali, and Randy Orton. Andrade and Orton had had a little tiff in a segment prior to this match. Zelina Vega was also ringside in Andrade’s corner. Much like the women’s four-way match on Raw, this served as a great moment for these guys. Each had time to get some of their signature moves in and look good. Those who are also participants in the Money in the Bank match are rolling in hot after this. Andrade proved to be the most tranquilo on this night, as he picked up the win.
2. What’s in a Name? – Asuka and Kairi Sane were also in action, taking on Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose. They also revealed their new team name, the Kabuki Warriors. Many fans online were upset or unhappy with the name. However, Asuka took to social media to explain the meaning behind their new name. Both women are going with the original connotations of Kabukimono: “Sengoku or Edo-period eccentric who attracted public attention with their eye-catching clothes, peculiar hairstyle, and weird behavior”
Kabukimono 傾奇者
Sengoku or Edo-period eccentric who attracted public attention with their eye-catching clothes, peculiar hairstyle, and weird behavior pic.twitter.com/HcdruoYQti— ASUKA / 明日華 (@WWEAsuka) May 15, 2019
With this definition in mind, it fits both Asuka and Sane, as well as their manager Paige. The Kabuki Warriors got the win over Deville and Rose. This continued to build them as a strong team and potential challengers for the Women’s Tag Team Championships.
3. Last Looks – The final segment was reserved for Kevin Owens and Kofi Kingston. Owens cut a promo backstage talking about how his journey didn’t take 11 years and that he took John Cena out on his first night. Kofi then calls Kevin out, saying he’s tired of talking. Owens comes out and then attempts to leave, but Kofi doesn’t let him. Kingston is then blindsided by Sami Zayn. Zayn and Owens beat down the champ until Xavier Woods makes the save. The two Canadians beat Xavier down as well until Kofi makes a comeback. He takes out Owens and Zayn. This helps build for the big match between KO and Kofi Kingston on Sunday. Another interesting bit to chew on is Owens and Zayn said that “Maybe they weren’t alone.”
As far as what to expect for next week, it’ll be the fallout from the pay-per-view. I don’t anticipate any title changes, but they very well could. I believe that we will continue to see more build for Nikki Cross on Raw as well as for Bray Wyatt. On Smackdown, the Kabuki Warriors will probably continue to be built for an eventual title shot against the IIconics. We’ll also be treated to a feature on whoever walks away with the Money in the Bank briefcases. Until next time, we’ll see you right back here for more of the Quick Hits Recapatory. Next week’s Quick Hits will be by Pro Wrestling Post’s head honcho, editor-in-chief Marc Madison. Bring your Oreos! This was the Quick Hits Recapatory for 5/15/19.
