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Well, that was certainly quite a week in the WWE.
WWE Stomping Grounds certainly exceeded its low expectations on Sunday night. It might have been a very predictable show but it was filled with many fan pleasing moments.
The rest of the week provided some real true surprises, shocking moments and dramatic changes that will certainly affect the weekly programming for a long time to come.
WWE needed some real change and this week certainly provided it for the rest of the summer.
As I am still figuring out why Vince McMahon is turning to guys from the 1990’s to help his current product, I will try to distract myself and present my list of the top five WWE moments of the week from June 23-June 29, 2019:
#5 Stomping Grounds Exceeds Its Low Expectations
Stomping Grounds certainly looked like a true disaster in the making. The card was full of rematches and matches with little significant build. The low ticket sales and numerous photos of covered sections at the Tacoma Dome didn’t help set up the show for a lot of success.
The show certainly exceeded those low expectations. Every match on the card was solid to good. All the matches were over ten minutes and this gave the performers some real time to shine.
It didn’t matter what people think of the storytelling, the Superstars are still great if given some time to tell a story. WWE Stomping Grounds was a solid show and that makes it a big moment in this interesting week.
#4 Ricochet Wins the United States Championship
I am sure a lot of wrestling fans were worried about Ricochet’s place on the main roster since his debut in February of this year.
Sure, The One and Only had a few good matches with Cesaro, but he was in danger of getting lost in the ever shrinking mid-card of the WWE. That changed in a major way this week.
First, he was able to win his first major title by beating Samoa Joe for the WWE United States Championship. It was clearly the best match on the show with a wonderful clash of styles. It was a little surprising to see Samoa Joe lose the title so quickly, but it showed that WWE was getting behind Ricochet.
They spent a lot of time focusing on the wrestlers backstage celebrating with Ricochet. His title win was presented as a big deal.
The moment continued at WWE Stomping Grounds when AJ Styles congratulated Ricochet backstage. This led to a dream match between Ricochet versus AJ Styles on Monday Night Raw. It was only eleven minutes, but was a good showcase of the classic feud the two could have.
I am sure all wrestling fans are waiting for a twenty minute plus classic between these two in the near future. This was the week Ricochet was on his way to becoming a major WWE star.
#3 Samoa Joe Chokes Out Kofi Kingston
WWE Stomping Grounds didn’t seem like a very good night for Samoa Joe. He lost the United States Championship so quickly after winning it back from Rey Mysterio. Where would he possibly go from here on Raw?
As Kofi Kingston was wrapping up his matches with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, everything dramatically changed. Samoa Joe attacked Kofi Kingston from behind and choked him out. It is certainly surprising to see the Samoan Submission Machine go from losing a mid card title to jumping right into a WWE Championship match at Extreme Rules.
Judging by reactions, it certainly seems like fans are ready for Samoa Joe to get another chance at the WWE Championship. It was an unexpected moment that help to push a new feud for the summer months.
#2 The Undertaker Returns
Well, that was a real surprise.
It is doubtful many WWE fans were expecting The Undertaker’s gong to go off in the middle of the Roman Reigns versus Shane McMahon/Drew McIntyre handicap match. The Phenom does have some history with Roman Reigns and Shane McMahon, but it hasn’t been a recent storyline in WWE programming.
It is possible The Undertaker just wanted another match after his Super Showdown showing with Goldberg. Putting him in a tag match at Extreme Rules in 2019 is certainly a real shock.
Judging by the Raw fans reaction, he is still a very welcome surprise in this day and age. Seeing him show up on a Raw unannounced and wrecking havoc on heels is certainly one of the top moments of any week.
#1 Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman named Executive Directors of Raw & SmackDown Live
It might have not occurred on WWE programming itself, but it is one of the biggest moments of this week or possibly the entire year.
It was a shocking moment to hear that Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff were named the Exective Directors of Raw and Smackdown respectively.
They will both be in charge of writing and controlling their respective shows. They will still report to Vince McMahon, but it is doubtful they would take this job if they didn’t have some level of true creative control.
The possibilities of this moment are endless. It could help make each show have a very separate look and feel.
The WWE had a bad week in terms of attendance and the television ratings are significantly down this year.
It might seem like a bit of a gamble to bring in two icons of the 1990s to run the WWE in 2019. But it is a moment that will likely impact the WWE weekly programming for months or years to come. I cannot wait.
