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, Dallas Allsopp, Robert DeFelice and Bodeen Green review the best and worst of WWE in 2020.
2020 was quite the year for WWE, with a sizeable mix of positive and negative events taking place. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, they dared to continue to hold shows and give fans something to look forward to during uncertain times. What was the best moment of 2020? What was the worst moment of 2020? And just who excelled this year?
Question 1: What was your favourite WWE moment of 2020?
ALLSOPP: My favourite moment of WWE programming in 2020 was easily the absurdity of the Money in the Bank match. Attempted murder, Asuka dancing, and a Vince McMahon cameo in which he made Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles look like fools. These were just a few of the insane and hilarious moments we witnessed. With the insanity that was 2020, I certainly feel this was a superb way to take the Money in the Bank concept in a fresh direction. I like my wrestling with a side order of silliness.
DeFELICE: Hands down, it was Edge returning at the Royal Rumble. Aside from the fact that he is my favorite wrestler of all time, the sheer fact that he could never wrestle again and battled through the neck injury that forced him to retire in order to come back is such a beautiful story, and I would recommend that all of you watch the WWE 24 special about his comeback. By far, no moment this year comes close to touching this one on the emotional scale.
GREEN: Without a doubt, Edge returning at the Royal Rumble was the best moment of 2020. While there were rumours heading into the event, it didn't seem possible. Then the familiar words of "You think you know me" rang and put every wrestling fan into a state of shock. Seeing the emotion on Edge's face cannot be put into words. An honourable mention has to go out to the boneyard match between The Undertaker and AJ Styles, who put on a great show helping us forget our troubles in these harsh times. Another honourable mention has to go out to the match between WALTER and Ilja Dragunov, which was easily my favourite match of the year, and arguably the most hard hitting WWE match in quite some time.
Question 2: What was your worst WWE moment of 2020?
DeFELICE: Wednesday, April 15th, 2020. So many people lost their jobs that day and it wasn't even a week later that the company reported record profits. Thank God that many of them landed on their feet and arguably in more prominent positions in other promotions, but it's still a moment that doesn't sit right with me.
GREEN: 2020 has been a tough year in wrestling, from tragic deaths to the mass firings that Rob mentioned. So to lighten things up, I'm gonna go for a in ring perspective and say Goldberg beating The Fiend at Super Showdown was the worst moment of 2020. In the end, it achieved nothing, and only made The Fiend look weak as he was defeated in a few moves, despite the fact he was booked so strongly in the past. It also made Goldberg look weak, proving his best years were behind him.
ALLSOPP: I have to agree with Rob. Releasing so many wrestlers and backstage personnel during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic was unforgivable. No-one knew just how bad the pandemic would end up, therefore the uncertainty was enhanced for these men and women in ways that I cannot even imagine. It left a very bad taste in my mouth that still doesn’t sit well with me today.
Question 3: Which WWE superstar had the best overall year? Who had the worst year?
GREEN: Without a doubt, Drew McIntyre had the best year. From eliminating Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble and winning it, to beating AJ Styles at at TLC to retain the WWE Championship, McIntyre has looked strong throughout 2020, with very few losses. We can only hope to see him as WWE Champion in front of a live crowd, especially for all the hard work he has done during this tough time for wrestling. A shoutout also has to be given out to Pat McAfee, who has been a huge breakout star and easily one of the best heels in the business, who I hope we see more of in 2021.
RETRIBUTION, without a doubt, had the worst year. While they did show some promise it quickly died out due to terrible and lazy booking.
ALLSOPP: Drew McIntyre carried the company on his back this year, but Randy Orton has to be highlighted for how he reinvented himself in 2020. Both men deserve heavy plaudits, as does Io Shirai in NXT. In terms of the worst year, I feel Ricochet has failed in his quest to become an elite WWE wrestler. He was a lamb to the slaughter against Brock Lesnar at Super Showdown, whilst he spent the rest of the year in purgatory against The Hurt Business and RETRIBUTION. He either needs to return to NXT or consider moving on from the company, as his stock fell considerably in 2020.
DeFELICE: Whilst I can tell you that Randy Orton was probably the MVP of the year, to me, there is no superstar that had a better year in 2020 than Bayley. When she first turned heel at the end of last year, I feared a bland and uninspiring character was going to replace the full of life babyface that once existed. However, the lack of an audience this year really forced her personality to shine through, and therefore, she ended up carrying six months of the pandemic along with Sasha Banks. Without a doubt, this was Bayley’s best year ever.
As for deciding who had the worst year, I would have to say that it's all of the members of RETRIBUTION. Imagine waiting your whole career to make it to the WWE main roster, only to be saddled with this gimmick. Truly sad, truly atrocious.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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