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This was a memorable week of WWE programming. Though Raw lacked most of the graces as usual, there was still a big development. The rest of the content delivered. It was an unusually strong September in the company, to say the least, as this is where it often goes into autopilot mode with the return of the NFL to American television.
Instead, it's seen the return of the Shield, which, despite my own distaste, has the approval of many fans. It's seen a surging SmackDown, an NXT that continues to deliver, and another successful Mae Young Classic that is now half over.
In the final week of September, these were the moments that were the most memorable.
#5 "That one night in Milwaukee"
SmackDown is on such fire that even its non-title, lower mid-card feuds have delivered. That's something the main roster usually doesn't do very well these days, but the blue brand hit it out of the park with this segment.
Aiden English not only explained his motivations in attacking Rusev the week before, but he accused Lana, with no small degree of truth, of being the thing that ruined a great act that everybody loved.
He didn't stop there, though. His biggest revelation was not only that there occurred some incident on "that one night in Milwaukee." Not content to stop there, Aiden English then revealed that he had video evidence of that incident during a backstage interview. While these segments are normally wooden, he again knocked it out of the park.
Who doesn't want to see what video evidence he has to present to us this coming Tuesday? It's just one of many things that will make the next edition of the blue brand must-see TV, something I'm not used to saying about WWE programming.
#4 "Take the champ's photo"
"Stone Cold Becky Lynch" was at it again this week, killing it in all her segments on SmackDown. The night started with an ambush of Charlotte Flair that occurred before the show. Who cares about Charlotte's photo shoot? People want to see the champ, Becky declared.
The ending of this feud remains to be seen. With Becky looking this dominant every week, the typical WWE thing to do would be to give Charlotte the title back, perhaps at Evolution. That would be ill-advised, however. It goes without question that Becky's title reign, short as it's been, has been the best SmackDown Women's title reign in over a year.
#3 "Daddy's home"
Not to be outdone, SmackDown gave us another cliff-hanger, this time during the ending of the show. For the first time in a long time, I can't wait to see another edition of a main roster show.
Samoa Joe threatened to go to the Styles home a few weeks ago, but it looked like he'd backed off that threat. It only lulled us all into a false sense of security, because last week, he went.
As AJ Styles was in the ring, far, far away, he could do nothing except beg Joe to depart. Samoa Joe wasn't keen on that, taunting Styles as he slowly went up to the porch and rang the doorbell. That's where the show cut off.
What happened? Nobody knows yet!
#2 Where do Dean's loyalties lie?
In a moment that has longer-term implications, Dean Ambrose was entreated by his enemies all night on this week's Raw. They repeatedly tried to tell him that he felt like the odd man out of the Shield, being title-less compared to his two brothers.
Fans have been clamoring for a Dean Ambrose heel turn for a long time, and while it remains to be seen if it happens, this opened the door to that possibility.
In contrast to SmackDown, Raw's storytelling was the cudgel you'd expect it to be, but it at least left open an exciting possibility on a show that badly needs it.
#1 The ace arrives
The event with the longest term implications for WWE, though, was the long-awaited debut of Io Shirai on Wednesday. Buckle up, women's division, because the ace of women's wrestling is here!
Widely regarded as the best female wrestler on the planet today, Io Shirai showed us why she's earned this reputation in only three short minutes, while leaving the door wide open to all of us wanting much, much more!
With a jaw-dropping in-ring skill set and magnetic charisma inside the squared circle, Io Shirai is set to take the NXT women's division by storm in short order, and given her command of the English language, might well do so on the main roster, too.
One thing's for sure - women's wrestling in WWE is never going to be the same again. You saw the next phase of the "evolution" begin this week.
