StatementGames Presents: This Week In Wrestling – June 14

This Week In Wrestling

In-ring wrestling was the main focus for WWE and AEW this past week. And I know that might sound strange but usually entertainment is the main focus, not the actual in-ring action. But for the first time in months, each of the shows this week featured a great match that was given time to tell a great story. Sometimes we get so caught up in the story-lines that we forget we became fans because the stories told IN THE RING. 

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NXT Takeover In Your House – Sunday June 7, 2020

NXT Takeover In Your House was without a doubt the wrestling show of the week. Like every Takeover before it, the show was entertaining from beginning to end and featured matches that will be talked about for the rest of the year. Karrion Kross made his Takeover debut and destroyed Tommaso Ciampa in a match eerily similar to the Brock Lesnar/John Cena match from Summerslam 2014. Finn Balor defeated Damian Priest in a match that many are calling Damien Priest’s best match to date. Also on this night, Adam Cole and Keith Lee both successfully defended their respective championships.

But In Your House was all about the NXT Women’s division. The women book-ended the show as they had the opening match and the main event. Tegan Nox, Shotzi Blackheart, and Mia Yim beat Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, and Raquel Gonzalez in a fast paced 6 woman tag match. It was a great way to open to the show. And in the main event, Io Shirai defeated Charlotte and Rhea Ripley to become the NXT Women’s Champion. In a match that will be in consideration for wrestling match of the year, these 3 women did it all. Go out of your way to see this match as soon as possible. 

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WWE Raw – Monday June 8, 2020

A night after having one of the best matches of the year, Charlotte followed it up with another great match against Asuka in the main event of Raw. Since Raw was uneventful besides that, I want to talk a little bit about Charlotte instead. While there are some people out there that say Charlotte is in her spot because of who her father is, she has proven time and time again that she is already the greatest woman wrestler EVER. Whenever she is put on the big stage, she delivers every single time. She is a big reason women get to have actual wrestling matches now. While Charlotte was having great matches on NXT in 2015, the women on the main roster were an afterthought. So instead of people complaining about her being overused, they should appreciate that they are witnessing greatness.

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All Elite Wrestling Dynamite – Wednesday June 10, 2020

FTR made their highly anticipated in-ring debut on Dynamite this week. They defeated The Butcher and The Blade in a great opening match. Afterwards, The Young Bucks properly introduced themselves to FTR and a scuffle ensued featuring many of AEW’s top tag teams. With the addition of FTR, All Elite Wrestling now features the best tag team division in wrestling. The match-ups are endless and each match could potentially headline a big show. But the match everyone wants to see and has been waiting for is FTR versus The Young Bucks. They have been setting up this match for years through social media and now it can finally happen. I just hope this is a match that can take place in front of actual fans due to its anticipation. 

Also on this show, Cody successfully defended his TNT Championship against Marq Quen. And while Cody will still be defending the title weekly, if he is still champion when Fyter Fest comes around, Jake Hager will be waiting for him. Chris Jericho against Orange Cassidy looks to be another match that will take place at Fyter Fest after Jericho and the Inner Circle left Cassidy a bloody mess on Wednesday. A match between Jericho and Cassidy could be the most entertaining thing in wrestling we see all year with those two personalities. 

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WWE Smackdown – Friday June 12, 2020

AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan had one of the best wrestling matches in Smackdown history this past Friday. The match was the finals in the Intercontinental Championship tournament and it did not disappoint. After a grueling contest that went over 40 minutes, AJ Styles came out on top and is now the IC Champion. With Styles now holding the IC Championship, the title feels like a bigger deal on Smackdown than the Universal Championship. Braun Strowman’s reign as Universal Champion has been mediocre at best and now with Styles on Smackdown, he will always be in the shadow of the Phenomenal One. Smackdown needs someone like Bray Wyatt or Daniel Bryan holding their top strap and until they get someone like that in that spot, the Universal Championship will not be taken seriously.