The past week has had several WWE Network additions hit the service. We had mostly the usual content that we see each week such as NXT, Main Event, RAW, etc. However we also had the latest edition of WWE 24 along with the debuting series WWE Ride Along. How were these shows? Let’s take a look and find out.
It should be pointed out that aside from these uploads we also had the usual weekly Superstars. This episode of Superstars was reviewed elsewhere on the site which you can find here. Additionally, we had the Royal Rumble along with the Kickoff show which we reviewed here. Needless to say, both feature results from the shows so go in at your own risk. If you want a non-spoiler preview for the Royal Rumble, check out our predictions here. Now enough of the delay, let’s check out what’s been added:
RAW Pre-Show
RAW Pre-Show is what it is. It’s a show that doesn’t lean far from the regular format. If you’ve seen one episode in the past few months then you have a rough idea of what you’d be in store for. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The show’s format works and the panelists have good chemistry. As always, the show features Scott Stanford as the primary host with the panel being Corey Graves, David Otunga, and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. While this won’t win any awards, the show is a fun way of inspecting talent and feuds in the company and definitely worth having on in the background at the very least.
WWE Ride Along
The debuting WWE Ride Along hit the service and.. I’m conflicted. The show was excellent. I honestly liked it a lot and it was a great look into the life of the WWE talents as they live on the road. However with two different groups being followed, the show still only reached twenty minutes in length. While they did recently start promoting it as short form, I can’t help but feel disappointed at how short it is. Especially when you take into account how little original content we are getting regularly.
Regardless, this episode featured two different cars headed from Boston, MA to PA. These two cars were The Miz and Dolph Ziggler in one, with The New Day in the other. Xavier Woods, Big E, and Kofi Kingston are entertaining in whatever they do and Ziggler and Miz also were interesting together. The show definitely screamed being “Table For 3 In A Car” but that isn’t a bad thing. Table For 3 is excellent and this was also quite good. I am very much so looking forward to future episodes. I just hope they don’t get much shorter.
WWE 24
WWE 24 is a great show. There is no denying that. Every single episode we have seen thus far has delivered and this is no different. This edition focused on Wrestlemania 31, with the major stories going in. In particular, it followed the main event along with Sting and Triple H. There was surprisingly a lack of Roman Reigns but with him having a WWE 24 special in his honor in the past, I suppose it wasn’t necessary.
The episode was also fairly long, almost reaching forty minutes. That helped tell a more complete story. This one definitely doesn’t have the amazing story Wrestlemania 30 had with the Streak ending and Daniel Bryan’s rise, but it was extremely serviceable with Rollins in particular coming across as very likable. Good show, and definitely one to be seen.
This Week in WWE
This Week in WWE hit the WWE Network as always. And like always, it is completely skippable for those who watch all of the happenings in the company anyway. Despite that, the show still is fun for what it is. It is also extremely useful for either families with children or for those who just can’t follow all of the programs each week. Obviously this episode focused on the past week in WWE, but it also focused on the Royal Rumble which was airing not too long after it was added to the service. Not necessary viewing, but not bad.
NXT
NXT is such an interesting show. The way they do business is just so different than anything we’re used to with modern day WWE and as a result even the most basic of shows feel interesting. Let’s take this one for example. The main event has Samoa Joe vs. unsigned independent stand out Johnny Gargano in a competitive match. Beyond that, we have Sami Zayn in action along with the in ring debut of Rich Swann. Oh and Apollo Crews. This show couldn’t be more indy if it tried.
With that said, the show is also good thanks to a few other acts. Most notably, Chad Gable and Jason Jordan cut a very fun promo establishing themselves as American Alpha. Oh, and perhaps most importantly, we get to see Emma. So yeah, that is a major plus. Watch NXT. Every single week. The worst shows are an hour of fun and the best shows are fantastic.
Match List
Adam Rose vs. Sami Zayn
Tye Dillinger vs. Apollo Crews
Rich Swann vs. Baron Corbin
Alexa Bliss and Emma vs. Bayley and Carmella
Johnny Gargano vs. Samoa Joe
Main Event
This episode of Main Event aired on January 5th of this year and as a result was the first Main Event of 2016. While this show wasn’t loaded with star power, it did have Tyler Breeze and the Usos, which was nice. Besides that, it had a lot of the regulars. With that said, the Social Outcasts now being together makes them stand out far more and their promo to start the show was very entertaining. This wasn’t must see by any stretch, but perfectly acceptable wrestling. As always, skip the recap.
Match List
Titus O’Neil vs. Stardust
Tyler Breeze vs. Zack Ryder
The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) vs. The Social Outcasts (Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas, with Heath Slater and Adam Rose)
RAW
This RAW aired on December 21st of last year. It was also the 1,178th episode in the show’s history. Of course, it was an important show as you can tell being it was the 2015 Slammy Awards. The Slammys may lead to mixed opinions, but they almost always get people talking. Unfortunately the theme for the show seemed to be people not available to accept the award. Beyond the Slammys, the show is also memorable for the cage match between Sheamus and Dean Ambrose. This episode isn’t must see, but it’s still worth checking out if you haven’t seen it already.
Match List
Kane vs. Bray Wyatt (with The Wyatt Family, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, and Braun Strowman)
The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, and Braun Strowman) vs. Kane and Team ECW (Bubba Ray Dudley, D-Von Dudley, and Tommy Dreamer)
Jack Swagger vs. Alberto Del Rio
3 vs. 2 Handicap: New Day (Xavier Woods, Big E, and Kofi Kingston) vs. The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso)
Neville vs. Rusev
Brie Bella vs. Becky Lynch
Steel Cage: Dean Ambrose vs. Sheamus
Smackdown
This edition of Smackdown aired on Tuesday, December 22nd and was part of “WWE Week” on the USA Network, thus airing live on Tuesday night instead of the usual Thursday showing. The hook for this show was two different championship matches taking place. We had the New Day defending their WWE Tag Team Championships against The Lucha Dragons, while we also had a Triple Threat main event for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. This was a fairly strong episode and one definitely worth checking out if you haven’t seen it already.
Match List
WWE Tag Team Championship: The Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara) vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Big E, with Xavier Woods)
The Dudleys (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley), Ryback, and Kane vs. The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, and Braun Strowman)
The League of Nations (Alberto Del Rio and Rusev, with Sheamus and King Barrett) vs. The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso)
The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor, with Stardust) vs. Neville and Titus O’Neil (with Santino Marella)
Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch
Intercontinental Championship: Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Dean Ambrose
Closing Thoughts
Thanks to WWE 24 returning with a really solid edition and the debuting WWE Ride Along, we had a solid week. At the very least, it was stronger than usual. Add in the Royal Rumble event and there is very little to complain about. Looking ahead, the rest of the week looks slow with only typical WWE Network additions such as Superstars and NXT. At the very least, we are likely to get a lot more WCW Nitro episodes, which is a plus. Knowing the Edge and Christian Show isn’t debuting for nearly a month certainly makes the next few weeks worrisome in terms of original content. We’ll get a better idea when the schedule comes out later this week.
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