Welcome to the Raw and Smackdown Live after WrestleMania edition of the Quick Hits Recapatory. Unlike other reviews that often fill its readers with nonsense and useless content about Oreos, we’re here to highlight just the facts, ma’am. As our recaptaory merry-go-round takes us on behalf of co-editors Mark Blake and Brandi Wagner, this edition will be one where surprises plenty will fill the unsuspecting readers.
Opening segment – Rollins came to the ring as highlights aired of him capturing the title the night before. It was an enthusiastic crowd. With ‘You deserve it’ chants ringing throughout the Barclay Centre, Rollins addressed the crowd. ‘Thank you Rollins’ chants followed and he could speak barely a sentence before a new chant would ring out. He then mentioned how Lesnar was heading ‘to Las Vegas,’ which implied that ‘The Beast’ is going back to the UFC. The New Day interrupted, including new WWE champion Kofi Kingston. Kingston proposed a title for title match right there. The challenge was accepted. Mrs. Madison was already afraid that everything that was done the night before will be undone on Raw.
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Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins defended their newly won Raw tag team titles against The Revival. The win the previous night has been a bone of contention for some online, as the decision to give a team that has never won a title match, and then have them win said match, was questioned. That said, once again trickery led to a win by Ryder and Hawkins as a roll-up gave the hometown New Yorkers the victory.
Lars Sullivan has arrived. After disappearing for months, after having been hyped to be competing on either Raw or Smackdown Live, ‘The Freak’ came out and wiped out Kurt Angle in an unprovoked attack that is meant to send a message. The fans were chanting ‘a**hole’ which makes us wonder if that was the message he wanted to send.
The MAN is here. Becky Lynch comes out at the top of the second hour with both championships in tow. Fans were unglued. Images were shown of the previous night’s main event, and fans welcomed Lynch with ‘You deserve it’ chants. She referred to herself as Becky 2 Belts and made everyone aware that the woman that came in with nothing left with everything. Lynch was embracing everything the fans were coming at her with. It was at this time that Lacey Evan interrupted as Lynch was headed to the back. The two engaged in a brawl that ended with the referees breaking it up.
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Ricochet and Aleister Black are now officially on the main roster and took part in a tag team match next. The duo faced off against Gable and Roode, who appears to have turned heel. When Gable said they will use any means necessary to win that hardly seemed like something fan favorites would say. After Ricochet and Black won, Roode jumped Ricochet, showing that the heel turn was well and truly underway.
Dean Ambrose’s final match in WWE was up next. It is quite unique to have it openly advertised as such. Before the match could begin, Ambrose’s opponent Bobby Lashley said he’d take care of his wife in his absence. The comments made Ambrose unhinged and he attacked Lashley. It ultimately ended with Ambrose being put through a table and Renee Young checking on his health and well-being.
Sami Zayn returned and made an open challenge which was answered by Finn Balor. Balor put the Intercontinental title on the line, and successfully defended it successfully. After the match, Zayn cut a heel promo that ensured the fans don’t support his cause and jeered him instead.
The Undertaker returned and interrupted Elias’ performance. Appropriately, this was after said the next person to interrupt him was a dead man. The result was exactly what one would think would happen when you have no place being in the ring with The Phenom. Let’s just say Elias didn’t walk afterward.
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The show ended with the winner take all champion vs champion match up of Kofi Kingston facing Seth Rollins. At this point, there are twenty minutes left in the show, which meant a great deal of time was going to be dedicated to the match. Unfortunately, the match was interrupted by The Bar. It ended up being turned into a tag team match between The Bar and The Gamers. Rollins and Kingston walked away as the winners, and the two champions showed mutual respect as the show went off the air.
Smackdown Live kicked off, representing the fourth consecutive night that WWE was doing a show in New York. In the wake of WrestleMania, the show began with the New Day coming out and celebrating Kofi’s accomplishment. As the New Day members got into the ring, images of Kofi Kingston’s WWE Championship win were shown. ‘Kofi’ chants rang out as the champ. Big E got on the mic and boasted about Kofi’s accomplishment and recognized him as an A+ player. They also gave kudos to Becky Lynch and her accomplishment. Kingston spoke on the mic and pointed to his family and said how much they mean to him, and all they have given to him. However, then, The Bar came out to spoil the celebration. Cesaro and Sheamus were greeted with ‘shut the f*** up’ chants from the fans, which was actually awesome. The duo set up a six-man tag match that included themselves and a ‘friend,’ Drew McIntyre.
Rusev, Andrade and Shinsuke Nakamura faced Ricochet, Aleister Black and Ali. The six men gave a formidable performance. It was interesting to see two female valets at ringside since that role isn’t commonplace in WWE. Strikes, spots, and finishers were coming from all over the place. It was interesting to see Ali use a 450 splash to finish as opposed to the 054. After the match, Randy Orton hit Ali with an RKO, and Kevin Owens came out of nowhere to hit Rusev with a stunner.
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After a seven-second dance break by R-Truth and Carmella, an angry Samoa Joe came out and wiped out Truth. After doing so, he bragged about beating Rey Mysterio in less than a minute. That was when Braun Strowman came out and made a beeline for Joe. Strowman broke out of the coquina clutch and scared off the United States champion. What a jam-packed episode, as Strowman didn’t even make it to the back before the IIconics came out to the ring, as they would be defending the women’s tag team titles after a commercial. They put their titles on the line against The Brooklyn Belles, who they said the best tag team in Brooklyn. Kay and Royce make mincemeat of their opposition. Afterward, Paige was interviewed backstage and said she would be presenting two women to challenge for the tag belts after the Superstar Shakeup.
To begin the second hour, Shane McMahon came out as highlights of his WrestleMania win over The Miz were shown. McMahon discussed the events that took place this past Sunday. He harassed ring announcer Greg Hamilton about how to introduce him with conviction, and in the end, dragged him to the back by his tie.
The Hardy Boyz and The Usos squared off for the WWE Smackdown Live tag team championship. It was strange to see the Usos not getting an entrance and simply appearing in the ring with the titles in tow. That may have been a sign, as Matt and Jeff Hardy became tag team champions for the eighth time in WWE. After the match, Lars Sullivan came to the ring and wiped them both out.
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The Man, Becky Lynch, came out and talked about her win. Afterward, as she headed to the back Lacey Evans again clocked her, wiping her out.
The six-man tag match between the New Day and The Bar with Drew McIntyre resulted in a win for the New Day. After the match, Kofi Kingston brought in his family to celebrate the win.
If anything can be anticipated, to quote how Sting once put it ‘The one thing that’s sure is nothing is sure.’ That couldn’t be truer than how it pertains to the Superstar Shakeup. There are many questions to be answered as talent are shuffled, and if there is anyone luckier than Brandi, who gets to cover it, we’d like to meet them. Could tag teams be split up? Possibly. Could champions be displaced? It’s likely. And fans can be assured that there will be another vignette of a box with a buzzard puppet popping out of it.
On behalf of Mark Blake and Brandi Wagner, this is Marc Madison saying tag Blakester, you’re it, mate.
