Recap and Review of WWE Day 1
Tonight, WWE decided to hold a pay-per-view on New Year’s which is the first time that WWE held a pay per view on New Year’s. There hasn’t been a pay-per-view since Survivor Series, so it’s been great to see some of the stories develop over time. I enjoy the fact that there was a break in between show. I hope WWE sticks with that trend and allow stories to build and saturate more so they are more significant when they get to a pay-per-view. Here is what went down at Day 1.
-Sheamus and Ridge Holland defeated Cesaro and Ricochet
-The Uso’s defeated The New Day to retain the Smackdown Tag Team Championships
-Drew McIntyre defeated Madcap Moss
-RK-Bro defeated The Street Profits to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships
-Edge defeated The Miz
-Becky Lynch defeated Liv Morgan to retain the Raw Women’s Championship
-Brock Lesnar defeated Big E, Bobby Lashley, Kevin Owens, and Seth Rollins to win the WWE Championship
The Kickoff Show featured Sheamus and Ridge Holland taking on the team of Cesaro and Ricochet. This match changed on the fly quick after Ridge Holland had his nose broken early on. Sheamus deserves a lot of credit for continuing and carrying part of the match. I was really shocked that they didn’t change the finish because it didn’t seem believable that Sheamus could beat two world class performers on his own. I’m guessing the story will change with Ridge having his nose broken.
Two of the greatest tag teams of all time kicked off Day 1. The Uso’s defend the Smackdown Tag Team Championships against The New Day in a rivalry that’s been renewed in recent months. I don’t these two teams have ever had a bad match. This match really could have gone either way. I am always in awe when these two teams face each other because I know they are going to deliver something special every time. The Uso’s are heading into WrestleMania Season as the tag team to beat right now. If the New Day can’t defeat them, I am not sure who can.
Next up was Madcap Moss versus Drew McIntyre and this was one match I just couldn’t get into. I’m not a fan of the Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss pairing. I also think it’s time for McIntyre to be a heel again. His face run has last two years now, and I feel like it’s gotten very stale. I know he’s out there having fun with everything that’s given to him, but something must change for Drew heading into WrestleMania season otherwise he may get lost in the shuffle. I was surprised that Madcap Moss got as much time and offense that he did. I really thought the last match going to be three minutes or less. Moss getting time means good things for him for the future.
Another tag team that has the potential to go down as an all-time great team are The Street Profits. They have been great ever since their days in NXT. Much like Drew McIntyre, I feel like the Profits need a change in their attitude. The fun-loving party atmosphere has run its course and they need to get angry and more aggressive than what they are right now. As for Orton and Riddle, they have been an absolute blast to watch since they’ve been together as a tag team. It really makes me wonder who will dethrone them and what will happen when they do finally lose the championships. For now, I am going to keep enjoying RK-Bro.
One of the most intriguing matches on the card was The Miz versus Edge. The Miz was hitting his strides just as Edge was retiring and they never really worked a program together. Both were looked at underdogs in the beginning of their careers who were not suppose get as far as they did. I loved how the feud escalated as quick as it did, and it got very personal with their mic work against each other. Most of the match, Maryse kept saving The Miz, but in the end, Maryse met her match in the form of Beth Phoenix. I have no doubt that this is going to lead to a mixed tag team match between the two married couples. This match was as an excellent match that surprised me with how technical it got. Both men really put all their heart and soul into this match, and it showed through the camera.
One of my biggest complaints is that it’s the same women in the spotlight all the time. Tonight, Liv Morgan finally got into the spotlight by challenging Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship. Liv really keeps stepping up her game every time she gets in the ring. With her failing to win tonight, it really does show that they don’t trust anyone outside of the Four Horsewomen. The WWE Women’s division continues to lose momentum because it’s always Becky, Charlotte, Sasha, and Bayley before she got injured. They can’t allow anyone like Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, or anyone else to have any long-term success. I was hoping they would break the cycle by pulling the trigger and giving Liv a chance to run with the championship
Originally, Roman Reigns versus Brock Lesnar was supposed to happen, but Reigns tested positive for COVID-19 so the match was off. Lesnar was then added to the WWE Championship involving Big E, Bobby Lashley, Kevin Owens, and Seth Rollins. I think adding Lesnar to the match was excellent, but I did not think he was going to win the WWE Championship. This was a wild, fast pace, and hard-hitting match that I thought Big E would overcome. With Lesnar as WWE Champion, what becomes of his feud with Roman Reigns? Tonight, through a tailspin into WWE’s plans and I am genuinely curious to see what happens going into the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania season.
WWE Day 1 gets an 8 out of 10 for me. The match quality was excellent, and they adjusted well after the Reigns news broke. It really does make me have a lot of questions as to what happens next, which is what a pay-per-view should be doing anyways. It was a good Day 1 for WWE, but now we are on the match to the Royal Rumble where it’s every man for himself.
