Drew McIntyre vs. AJ Styles was a fun way to kick things off. Will it be the kind of match you’ll remember five or ten years from now? Probably not. But there were some innovative spots here, including the Calf Crusher assisted by a ladder and a chair. Overall, the match seemed to go a little long but that was likely to set up The Miz’s swerve. Not a bad title defense.
I actually enjoyed Sasha Banks vs. Carmella a lot more than I thought I would! Carmella has improved significantly since her last run, and it made for a fairly compelling matchup. While I didn't think Banks' title reign was necessarily in danger.... there were a few moments there.
The New Day vs. The Hurt Business was a fun match. I thought these guys had kind of played their act out, but not the case here. While I could have probably done without the mini-dissention between Alexander and Benjamin, it makes The Hurt Business that much more powerful a faction.
Asuka and Charlotte Flair vs. Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler was fine, though I saw the surprise of Flair coming a while away. Not much to say about this one, but it was fine.
Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns was exactly what I hoped it would be - a competitive and rowdy title match. Owens has never been more in his element here (at least, not as a babyface), fighting back against adversity and looking better in the process. Reigns just has his act down to a T at this point; he's just killing it in his current incarnation. Even Jey Uso played an important role in the match. Tremendous outcome for everyone involved here. Literally the only thing they were missing was a live crowd to play off this drama. Unlike McIntyre-Styles, this is one I probably WILL remember for a long time.
I'll be honest: I didn't like the idea of Randy Orton vs. The Fiend closing off the show; it feels like a very 2020 thing to do. Don't get me wrong - the inferno was a very impressive visual (and one of the few things you couldn't pull off in front of a live crowd) and the ending was pretty insane. But after the rest of a solid show, I may not have opted to put it on last.
Good effort, overall!
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