WWE Wrestlers Of The Week (16/11/18): Becky Is Boss

What a week this has been. Title changes, broken faces, and Brock Lesnar trying to find inner peace; this week’s WWE shows really had a bit of everything.

And so let’s get on with the list. Remember, a superstar only makes it onto WWE Wrestlers of the Week if they win matches, cut fire promos and be generally good noodles in the world of sports entertainment.

 

10. Brock Lesnar

Do you remember when we thought WWE were going to give us Jinder Mahal Vs. Brock Lesnar at last year’s Survivor Series? Well, we got a little look at how that match would’ve played out this week on Raw.

Jinder came down to the ring offering to help Brock Lesnar find his centre, and fair play to Brock for actually going through with some of this; I thought he was incapable of showing any character. After a few seconds, the Universal Champion got bored and terrorised Mahal & the Singh brothers. Lesnar ended the segment by F-5ing Mahal outside the ring.

I was surprisingly entertained by this segment. Sure, it wasn’t much, but I like it when Lesnar shows a bit of character because it reminds me of his first run with WWE. “The Beast Incarnate” has properly earned his spot for once on Wrestlers of the Week, thanks to his Shanti-ing (if that’s a word) and for looking like a wrecking ball before his big match at Survivor Series.

 

9. Rey Mysterio

And so here’s another Rey Mysterio appearance on Wrestlers of the Week. Fighting for his chance to stay on Team SmackDown at Survivor Series, Mysterio squared off against team captain, The Miz.

The problem I’m starting to have with the multitude of Mysterio/Miz matches is the same issue I have with Usos/New Day; they work great together, but it’s becoming a go-to match all too often. As per usual, the match was very good and I don’t have anything really to complain about. Mysterio picked up the win with a swift and sneaky crucifix roll-up.

After the bout, Randy Orton came out to attack Mysterio, but the WWE’s biggest little man found an escape route. And poor ol’ Miz ate an RKO for no reason.

A decent showing from Rey, but I think he needs to go straight into this Randy Orton feud now. The cruiserweight legend has to get his teeth into something soon, or he may fall off the list for the first time since his return to WWE.

 

8. Bianca Belair

The EST of NXT remains un-de-fea-ted after toppling the new comer to the women’s division, Mia Yim.

These two put on a fairly good match. Ideally, it could’ve gone on for a few minutes longer as they are already crowd favourites in their own right. Belair was able to get the win with a Burning Hammer — now being referred to as the KOD — but she had to fight hard for that win.

Bianca Belair is quickly becoming an important part of NXT’s women’s division, and it’s great to see that her undefeated streak didn’t end at the hands of a new comer, even if Mia Yim is a popular competitor. The time still doesn’t feel right for Belair to become the No. 1 contender to Shayna Baszler’s title, but the day when she is ready is looming ever nearer.

 

7. Braun Strowman

If Braun Strowman has taught me anything, it’s that the Raw tag team division is weaker than a watered down pint of Carling. That said, he made himself look like an absolute unit.

After destroying 10 men in one go, Braun held the show hostage, demanding Corbin come out to “get these hands.” Stephanie McMahon, being the real-life incarnation of Beelzebub, marched fearlessly to the ring to tell Strowman to sling his hook. “The Monster Among Men” held his ground and struck a deal with McMahon. If he can lead Team Raw to victory at Survivor Series, Strowman will get a match against Baron Corbin, a rematch for the Universal Championship, and he’ll get to pick the match stipulations.

All in all, I’d say Braun Strowman managed to get himself a pretty good deal. As you’ll find out later in the article, I don’t think Braun will lead the team to a win, but at least he’s riding high for now.

 

6. Drew McIntyre

If Drew McIntyre isn’t holding either the WWE Championship or the Universal Title by the end of 2019, I will officially stop watching WWE. Last week, McIntyre proved he can tell a wonderful tale in the ring while dismantling a legend, and this week, his time on the mic cemented him as the company’s biggest future prospect.

“The Scottish Psychopath” lived up to his moniker as he bragged about putting Kurt Angle down last week. He looked enraged at the thought of Angle crying and being the shell of the man he used to be. Finn Bálor then came out to shut Drew up, but McIntyre put “The Demon” in his place, arranging a match between Bálor and Dolph Ziggler, before clocking the Irishman with a massive headbutt.

He can walk the walk and talk the talk. Drew McIntyre is the future of WWE. McIntyre is heading into Survivor Series this Sunday, and I expect he’ll leave his entire team in the dust while taking out the SmackDown superstars, too. This is a bit of fantasy booking on my part, but I can see Drew leading Raw to victory and then telling Stephanie McMahon to make him the No. 1 contender to the Universal Championship.

 

5. Kyle O’Reilly

Thanks to Kyle O’Reilly, the Undisputed Era will have the man advantage for their match at NXT TakeOver: War Games.

O’Reilly squared off against War Raiders’ Hanson to determine who would have the advantage at War Games. O’Reilly had a game plan to take out the much larger opponent: work the leg. Kyle’s plan worked brilliantly as he was able to counter Hanson’s power. As you’d expect, Adam Cole soon got involved, which led to Rowe coming out to aid Hanson. Things broke down pretty fast, and O’Reilly was able to pick up the three count.

I’m gonna make a bold prediction and say Undisputed Era will be victorious at War Games. The group stood tall to end NXT this week, but more importantly, they were the only guys standing, as they also took out Pete Dunne and Ricochet.

 

4. Zack Gibson

Liverpool’s No. 1 continues to be the highlight of NXT UK. This week, he took on Trent Seven in a decent match, and picked up the win thanks to an old friend.

Like most Gibson matches, the crowd helped elevate this bout by showing much disdain for the Scouser. Tyler Bate came out to support Seven early in the match, but by the end, the first ever WWE United Kingdom Champion was seeing stars. James Drake came out and threw Bate into the steel steps. This caused enough of a distraction that it led to Zack Gibson getting the cheeky win.

As incredible as Pete Dunne is as the UK Champ, I think it’s time he relinquishes the title to the Liverpudlian. Gibson’s wrestling skills and conniving attitude make him the perfect heel champion, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets his rematch with Dunne.

 

3. Cedric Alexander

Not only has Cedric won a top spot on WWE Wrestlers of the Week, he also picked up two new nicknames on 205 Live – Sad-ric and Egg Salad. Watch the match, it’ll all become clear.

But if you can’t watch the match, allow me to summarise. After their beef over the last couple of weeks, Alexander and Lio Rush finally went head-to-head. This was a great back and forth match, with plenty of flips, strikes, and technical prowess. Alexander was able to hit the Lumbar Check after failing earlier in the match and handed Rush his first one-on-one loss on 205 Live.

This match worked well as it got Alexander back on the winning side, and Lio Rush looked like a million dollars. This win might not lead to another Cruiserweight Title opportunity, but it sure as hell entertained.

 

2. Becky Lynch

How ironic, the best part of Raw this week was SmackDown’s invasion. Becky Lynch led the charge against the Raw women’s locker room, and even though she had a rough ride, Becky-Mania is still running wild.

Becky started the segment off by locking in the Dis-Arm-Her on Ronda Rousey backstage, before coming out to take on the Raw women’s Survivor Series team. Becky brought the SmackDown team out, and chaos ensued. As I’m sure everyone and their mums knows by now, the SmackDown Women’s Champion took a brutal punch to the face from Nia Jax, and it left “The Irish Lass Kicker” bloodied and bruised. But even a broken nose and severe concussion couldn’t stop Becky from clearing house.

The Raw Women’s Champion, Ronda Rousey, joined the fray, but she too was taken out again by Becky and the SmackDown women. Team SD left Raw in a broken state, and the ladies took through the crowd to exit the arena. Becky took one last look at Ronda Rousey in the ring, and raised her arms in victory.

This was so f’n good. I can’t remember the last time a Raw segment had me so thoroughly hooked. The punch from Nia Jax has left Becky Lynch unable to compete at Survivor Series, but this could be a blessing in disguise for the Lynch. Rumours are now circulating that the bad blood between Lynch and Rousey could lead to the first ever female main event at WrestleMania. Although I’m disappointed we’re not getting the Becky/Ronda match this Sunday, all will be forgiven if everything leads to the Grandest Stage Of Them All.

 

1. Daniel Bryan

Just when you thought there couldn’t be a bigger story this week than Becky Lynch’s smashed up face, Daniel Bryan turns heel to win the WWE Championship.

The match came about through a weak as hell promo featuring Bryan, AJ Styles and Paul Heyman, but the bout itself was a real barn-burner. Referee Charles Robinson took a light bump, which left AJ Styles’ balls vulnerable to a knee shot from Daniel Bryan. Bryan then hit “The Phenomenal One” with a huge running knee to pick up the win and the WWE Title. After the match, the new WWE Champion stomped AJ’s head into the ground, cementing Bryan as the new top heel on SmackDown Live.

Fans always say WWE is too predictable, but I never would’ve guessed SmackDown was going to end with a new WWE Champion. This heel turn is something Bryan needed as his recent feud with The Miz was a bit hit-and-miss. Hopefully, Daniel Bryan won’t get absolutely decimated this Sunday as he goes on to face the Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar, in a Champion Vs. Champion match at Survivor Series.

What an incredible week this has been for WWE. The end of Raw and pretty much all of SmackDown was worth watching. The SmackDown Vs. Raw element to Survivor Series might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Becky Lynch has made the show must-see and she’s not even on the card anymore. Furthermore, Daniel Bryan going up against Brock Lesnar; yes please, WWE.

Make sure to check back with us next week as we have all the fallout from WWE Survivor Series and NXT TakeOver: War Games.