SD Live 9.18 [Archive] - Steel Cage Forums

Jack-Hammer

09-19-2018, 07:12 AM

I thought SD Live was a really fun show this week. I felt Raw was also pretty good, overall, but the lack of an additional hour and just a general better product overall sets the blue brand apart.

Miz & Maryse were great assholes in the opening segment, the crowd was into it and Bryan ultimately coming out on top despite the attempt at deception was the right call. The build continues to their match at Super Show-Down which, on paper, looks infinitely better than the GRR did.

Kofi Kingston vs. Cesaro was a fun, 3 star 8 minute match. It reminded me of some of the matches they'd had in years past over the US and IC titles, some of which were pretty close to epic, in that they work really well together. Kofi sold the leg injury well throughout the match and Cesaro looked like a beast. The ending with Cesaro just picking Kofi flat off the mat and delivering the Neutralizer looked really good as it's just impressive deadlifting the dead weight of a 200+ pound man off the ground. Cesaro picking up the clean win was the right call as the Bar need the heat heading towards their tag title match at Super Show-Down and a reminder of their record against New Day.

The interview segments with Rusev Day, Randy Orton and AJ Styles were short and well done. The tension of Rusev Day was highlighted, which would play into things later. Randy Orton is the best he's been in years and watching the footage of him mutilating Jeff Hardy looked like watching a psycho enjoying a snuff film and Styles was...well he was Styles, just delivered a solid babyface promo.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev for the WWE United States Championship was a fun match, 3 stars, but did feel like it was a prelude to English turning on Rusev, which is what would happen. Rusev and Nakamura looked good, Rusev came off like a strong babyface challenger but because of the tension with English, Nakamura never really seemed to be in any danger to me. English "accidentally" cost Rusev the win and then turned on him by beating the hell out of him with the microphone while Lana screamed. This feud will go on for a few months, or at least until Vince gets tired of seeing Rusev ragdoll English.

AJ Styles vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas was a great, 4 star match worthy of being on a ppv. Almas continues to impress inside the ring, which is no surprise seeing how productive the last 10 months or so he spent in NXT were. He got in a lot of offense and his aggression made him come off like he felt that he had something to prove, like this match was important and not nearly enough WWE matches feel that way. Almas would ultimately come up short via the Styles Clash but Samoa Joe would immediately attack Styles afterwards, though Styles would rally and send Joe packing. To be honest, I would've enjoyed this all the more if Almas had picked up a win via Styles getting momentarily distracted by Joe. Joe jumps up on the apron, Styles blasts him with an enzuigiri, Almas catches AJ with a hard shot to the back of the head and hits the hammerlock DDT. Still, another great showing for Almas.

Asuka vs. Billie Kay was the dominant win from Asuka you'd expect. I have to say that I'm just not digging the IIconics,. I wasn't that wild about them in NXT either, they're just two ladies who's schtick is to act like a couple of mean, teenage girls from some Disney Channel sitcom who barely know how to apply a side headlock. They've have flourished during the Diva era and they're just two women who no longer really fit in WWE. They, along with Lana and Carmella should be valets or on Total Divas and that's about it.

Becky Lynch's Championship Cornoation as well done. Even though everyone would prefer Becky as a face and Charlotte a heel, Becky is still doing a good job with her character during the whole thing. It's just unfortunate the program has to be set back because Vince's stubbornness to manipulate, or attempt to manipulate, fans into doing what he wants because he thinks he knows what's best for them. The fight after the verbal exchange was solid and I was a little surprised to see Becky get the better of Charlotte here as it's usually the babyfaces who wind up spoiling these celebrations for heel champs. I'd love for Becky to stay champ for the rest of the year, I just don't see it happening as I fully expect her to drop it back to Charlotte at Super Show-Down or at Evolution.

Overall, a fun 2 hours that didn't drag and nearly everything on the show accomplished something. B+