Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.

This week, Robert DeFelice, Callum Wiggins and Jordan Chaffiotte will be giving their thoughts on all of the craziness that occurred at WWE's fall classic, as well as what they foresee in the future for WWE!

After a small holiday, the Smark Out Moment crew is back with another triad of terrific questions!


DeFELICE: My favorite match was Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles. It wasn’t the amazing, drawn-out battle that be opening six man tag match was, but it told an amazing story. They had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hand to me that’s proof that simplistic storytelling still matters in the industry. I really hope I get to see a longer rematch one day, but even if I never do, I was more than pleased with the dream match I thought I would never see.

WIGGINS: Despite the fact that it went rather long and probably included too many near-falls (even by WWE's standards), I was enraptured by The Shield vs The New Day. I was interested in how they would layout the match, considering how most people were convinced the Shield would win in the end (which proved to be accurate).

But the journey to get there was a testament to how much the New Day has evolved and grown since their lukewarm debut in 2014. Throughout they stood toe-to-toe with the Shield, feeling like their equals and even catching a few people off-guard with their false finishes. The six-man tag was a show-stealer right out of the gate and set the tone for what was (mostly) an excellent night of wrestling.

CHAFFIOTTE: Velveteen Dream vs. Aleister Black. Fight me. No really, this match was far and away the best match of the weekend and is a solid match of the year candidate.

But if you insist I keep it to Sunday, I was very impressed by Charlotte and Alexa Bliss. So impressed in fact, I finally bought myself a Charlotte Flair shirt because she really is the queen of women’s wrestling. I am disinterested in arguments that Alexa can’t hold her own because they are proven false over and over again. Not everyone is going to be a Sasha Banks or a Candice LeRae and if we as fans refuse to make room for the Alexa Bliss’ of the division, we are the problem here. It takes all types, and Alexa more than pulls her weight in storytelling and character work even if she needs to be guided through the technicalities. Charlotte was a great foil for her in this match and though some argue she sold too much for Alexa, let's keep two things in mind. One, I don't care how big and strong you are, if you can't breathe you can't fight, making chokeholds like the Guillotine ideal for little competitors like Alexa. Second, part of what made Ric Flair so great was how well he sold, that he could make you believe in anything he was doing. Charlotte can continue that part of his legacy.


WIGGINS: SmackDown has always been a spiritual home for me. It was the show that got me into professional wrestling all the way back in 2002, with the fabled SmackDown Six, the Undertaker and Brock Lesnar's ascent to main event superstar. So, I will always be biased to the underdog blue brand over Raw, which has always felt like more of a chore to follow than a pleasure, especially since switching to three-hour shows.

I don't think either brand stood out above the other overall. SmackDown had the stronger collection of champions, winning three out of the four of these matches, and arguably produced the best performances, with AJ Styles, The Usos, Charlotte and The New Day performing above and beyond all expectations. But, in the elimination matches, Raw were fundamentally dominant, with SmackDown stars Bobby Roode, Shinsuke Nakamura and Becky Lynch, in particular, feeling worthless after their matches. So, a mix of good and bad, with Raw inevitably standing tall on the night.

CHAFFIOTTE: It seemed that SmackDown presented a stronger, more unified front walking in, and so I was hoping to see them deliver on that story. There were certain wrestlers, Becky Lynch and the New Day to name a few, who really were all in on the concept. They sold me on it and I wanted them to finish the war they started Ironically, I hold a rather unpopular opinion that I honestly can't stand Shane McMahon, it feels like- at least in Kayfabe- he wants to play wrestler on TV and get in his sister's way even though she's put in the time on the business end. #TeamSteph. Walking out, we're right where we started. SmackDown goes back to being the B show, Raw continues to be a bit top-heavy and slow-moving. I'd like to see SmackDown win the Rumble, but I'm dreading a Kurt Angle vs. Triple H main event at WrestleMania

DeFELICE: I kind of feel like the concept of brand warfare gave away a lot of the endings, because the number of the match account had to remain even. I’m top of that, the phony brand warfare I feel never does anything for the brand, but it did succeed in revitalizing Survivor Series. I wasn’t rooting for a particular team, but I am glad that Baron Corbin picked up the win.


CHAFFIOTTE: The Royal Rumble is my favorite night of the year and honestly we've only got one show in between so I'm not too concerned about it under-delivering. Right now one of the most important things to me is Charlotte's title reign. I didn't mind the back and forth with Sasha too much because it was grounded in the story, though I would've made a few different decisions. Now, however, Charlotte needs to hold that belt for a long while. She is, by my estimation, the greatest women's champion in the greatest women's wrestling era (yes I know I know, Asuka, but time will tell) and they need to follow through here. She should hold it well through WrestleMania and take on all challengers who come her way. Defending against Sara Logan, Naomi, and Tamina? Yes, please. Her and Becky should absolutely get the WrestleMania spot.

Over on Raw, I have a theory. Braun Strowman is 11 from Stranger Things. He was probably raised in a lab, and began not understanding his own strength, but now he's learning the meaning of morality and friendship and teamwork. I mean, when he choked out Triple H, he might as well been screaming "FRIENDS DON'T LIE."

Regardless, Braun Strowman is a delight, he's possibly the most interesting person on the roster right now. Where does the monster go

DeFELICE: That main event was a cluster, but now I’m interested to see where they go with Hunter and Braun. It might be fun, but I hope they don’t take it all the way to WrestleMania. I’m also interested to see what John Cena does next. His appearance was very much a throwaway and I’m not all that pleased with his latest career turn.

Typically, the month of December is the month where I really tune out of what is happening because they always seem to bring their D game for the final month of the year. I doubt this year will be any different, but as is the case with every year, I hope I’m wrong.

WIGGINS: I mean, I'd like to be invested in WWE all of the time, not just contained in brief bursts of excitement. But December is historically a period of really lazy booking and delays before the Royal Rumble. End of year awards, Christmas shows, Tribute to the Troops - these are overwhelmingly atrocious shows that fans are better off skipping and waiting until January.

Honestly, none of the outcomes of Survivor Series excited me for upcoming matches. Braun Strowman vs Triple H doesn't really do it for me, as I'm not exactly pumped for months of Stephanie McMahon berating a giant and slapping him across the beard, leading to an overly long match at either Royal Rumble or WrestleMania. Frankly, it's insulting that the only two stories coming out of the Survivor Series main event revolved around Triple H - can't he just continue his great work in NXT behind the scenes and let new blood thrive on the main roster?

So I'm not anticipating any foundation-shaking stories to develop before 2018 arrives, but will eternally live in the hope that they exceed my expectations.