Breaking Down the Best and Worst of the WWE for Week of February 9
NXT dominated the WWE week, producing stunning and stellar matches in the midst of crowning two new champs.
NXT TakeOver: Rival showcased Kevin Owens' rapid rise and what women's wrestling can look like without a leash around its neck. The storytelling at the latest live event at Full Sail University was top-notch.
Meanwhile, SmackDown offered a strong narrative of its own, and Raw welcomed Sting (sort of).
There was nearly enough excitement to forget just how many Superstars WWE kept out of action. A number of names of various repute remained idle despite being healthy and ready to compete. Idle is also a good way to describe the excitement level for a letdown of a bout at Rival.
Those hiccups didn't come close to ruining what was an invigorating stretch for WWE. With its eyes on Fastlane and the horizon far beyond that, the company delivered reasons to be excited going forward.
Best: Sting's Supernatural Acceptance
1 of 6Sting accepted Triple H's challenge to meet him face-to-face at Fastlane. WWE could have gone about that any number of boring, uncreative ways. Instead, it added to Sting's mystique and composed a visual feast.
When Triple H called out The Stinger on Raw, the lights went out, crows began to caw, and dark figures in trench coats appeared around the arena. Sting invaded the ring and the big screen, scaring Triple H and broadcasting haunting images in the process.
It was imaginative and fun, and it fit Sting's aura perfectly.
WWE continues to work Sting into the product at just the right time, revealing just enough of him to keep buzz crackling around him. Fans are beginning to forget about how old and past his prime he is and focus instead on the power of his character.
If this moment and Sting's first two appearances are an indication of where WWE is going with this angle, the build toward Sting vs. Triple H at WrestleMania promises to be a hell of a ride.
Worst: Leaving Guys on the Bench
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The roster wasn't as deep as it should have been.
Bo Dallas, Heath Slater, Darren Young and Randy Orton all failed to appear on Monday's Raw despite working the house-show circuit over the weekend. They were all healthy scratches.
Slater did end up appearing on SmackDown, but none of those other men did. Superstars and Main Event both went by without Slater, Dallas or Young being a part of them.
WWE is clearly saving Orton's return in order to make it a huge moment, but it has missed some key opportunities to do that already.
The other inactive wrestlers aren't big stars but could be vital pieces of the puzzle. When the company goes this non-inclusive route, it leads to repeats of matches and gives these wrestlers no chance to advance.
A Dallas comeback match would have been better than going with Fandango vs. Adam Rose on SmackDown again. And it would have been smarter to make at least a medium-sized deal about Slater coming back.
Best: Divas Rock NXT TakeOver: Rival
3 of 6Sasha Banks emerged from the Fatal 4-Way at NXT TakeOver: Rival with the Women's Championship, but she wasn't the only winner. Every woman involved put on a great performance.
It was Becky Lynch's best NXT effort to date, a showcase of her mat skills and tenacity. Bayley was once again the ideal babyface—compelling, gutsy, connected with the crowd.
The bout featured more highlights than we have seen from the main-roster Divas all year.
Banks flew over the rope. Charlotte crashed into an LED board. Bayley hit a hurricanrana that had the crowd bellowing in joy.
NXT has now made a habit of delivering matches that inspire visions of what women's wrestling can be if given a proper stage. The division is respected at WWE developmental, which has led to excellence.
Banks will be a tremendous champion as she has the ideal blend of mat skills and showmanship. Her peers will be chasing her, providing a look at women's wrestling filled with heart and guts that are almost never displayed at WWE proper.
Worst: No One Steps Up in Tag Team Championship Match
4 of 6NXT TakeOver: Rival wasn't all successful. The battle for the tag team titles was a belly flop of a bout.
Awkwardness permeated much of the action. Kalisto slipped on the ropes. Wesley Blake botched an arm drag and then stood bent over, egg sliding down his face. It was an off night for everyone involved.
The match didn't have the energy and electricity that the majority of the card did. As a result, the crowd grew restless or disinterested, depending on the section. You can't blame it.
As most of NXT continues to up its game, the tag team division has sagged as of late.
The Lucha Dragons haven't been nearly as fun as they should be. Buddy Murphy and Blake start their title reign with a whimper. The door is open for a team to set that division on fire. Someone just has to start lighting matches.
Best: Kevin Owens Devours Sami Zayn
5 of 6The NXT Championship bout created a monster and elevated a hero. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, a referee, stunned audience members and the NXT title all starred in this captivating drama.
Finn Balor and Adrian Neville had the better match; Owens and Zayn created the more lasting image.
This was a display of Owen's power and lack of mercy. He assaulted Zayn to the point that fans forgot the bout's scripted nature, and one could see the concern in their eyes. At the end of the night, powerbombed into a stupor, Zayn was even more of a sympathetic character, even more of a babyface with no quit in him.
Their feud gets jettisoned forward with added animosity—more motivation for Zayn. Their rivalry promises to be 2015's best, one built on their long history dating back to their Ring of Honor days and given a glossier, brighter stage to work on.
There is no better selling point for the WWE Network than grab-you-by-the-heart theater like this.
Best: A Narrative Runs Through Tag Team Turmoil
6 of 6SmackDown didn't feel like the "B" show on Thursday night. Thank a Tag Team Turmoil match that accomplished a number of things for that.
The gauntlet-style bout showed The Usos to be incredibly tough. They lasted the longest against Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns, and it took a bum arm to knock them off. The Ascension looked more savage than it has since debuting on Raw, throttling both Reigns and Bryan with no regard for the rules.
The order of the teams entering the fray played up The Authority's wickedness. It also allowed Bryan and Reigns to put on a showcase of their skills.
Reigns clocked many a man in the jaw; Bryan kept wrenching people's bodies.
Rather than the narrative-lacking ho-hum bouts that usually show up on SmackDown, this one had purpose—several to be exact. That made it feel important, a precursor to the future. It built up both Reigns and Bryan, upping the anticipation for their showdown at Fastlane.
