The Post’s Joseph Staszewski brings you around the globe of skilled wrestling in his weekly column, the Post Match Angle.
It’s Gunther’s time and WWE must cement it.
It’s why the “Ring General” must beat Cody Rhodes to develop into the inaugural Crown Jewel champion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday. While the title itself is essentially meaningless — irrespective of how hard WWE tries to treat it just like the Stanley Cup — a victory over Rhodes just isn’t, even when Gunther gets some outside help.
We’ve got seen Gunther, 37, truly come into his own as a performer. He has long been among the finest and most intimidating in-ring staff on the earth, but his promo skills have risen to that special level over the past two years.
He’s witty, menacing, confident and condescending, all of the stuff you need in a monster heel.
Gunther, currently the World Heavyweight champion, has greater than held his own during his compelling promos with the Undisputed WWE champion Rhodes. He can belittle and bully you in a way that could make even the grandest of performers — even one who ended Roman Reigns’ historic reign — feel just like the lesser man.
While short, it’s develop into my favorite feud Rhodes had had since becoming champion.
WWE has a shortage of compelling monster heels as in addition they try to construct Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed.
Gunther is on the trail to develop into the most important of all of them, filling a hole left since Brock Lesnar turned babyface.
Gunther has some similar characteristics as a performer to Lesnar, especially the power to believably impose his will on an opponent throughout the match, physically and mentally beating you without the necessity for out of doors help or shenanigans.
It’s why he has to beat Rhodes.
Gunther’s loss to Sami Zayn at WrestleMania was already a slight dent in his armor of invincibility and a defeat by the hands of Rhodes would signal him being the lesser champion — not yet able to hang with the most important stars. Beating Gunther does nothing for Rhodes, who possibly needs the sensation of vulnerability more.
(The ladies’s champions match between Nia Jax and Liv Morgan appears like time for Tiffany Stratton to money in her Money within the Bank contract, but WWE will probably have the try and accomplish that on a beaten Morgan get cut off one way or the other.)
Defeating Rhodes, likely with help from the Bloodline or Kevin Owens, will allow Gunther to hold each belts around and boast about his win over the good Cody Rhodes.
More importantly, he’ll give Rhodes an insurmountable heel who already has a win over him to square off with down the road when he is finished with The Rock and The Bloodline, whether he’s champion or not.
It’s why Gunther should leave Saudi Arabia with two belts and a rocketship price of momentum,
A Knight’s Fail
L.A. Knight, wearing his United States championship while serving as special guest referee, completely sabotaging Andrade and Carmelo Hayes’ Game 7 match felt like something right out of the Steve Austin playbook to establish a triple-threat match at Crown Jewel. It just didn’t seem as effective on this scenario and era.
Knight isn’t as over as Austin was, and Hayes and Andrade aren’t hated heels that fans will easily excuse the babyface screwing them — and himself in the long run. Also, on this era through which match quality is appreciated, we got robbed of a clincher of a series the audience was invested in. You’d think WWE was attempting to turn Knight heel.
The ten Count
Say what you wish about Chris Jericho, but he’s out here having these physical matches with crazy bumps at some extent in his profession where he doesn’t must prove anything.
R-Truth decking Miz after his betrayal was so essential because you wish the reminder that he just isn’t an entire joke and can seriously fight back if provoked.
Is it me, or is WWE just becoming full of too many matches, including essential ones, that need to depend on outside interference and shenanigans within the finish? We got it on SmackDown within the primary event and on the other hand in Raw to permit Dominik Mysterio to roll up Damian Priest for the win.
Jordynne Grace losing her Knockouts World championship to Masha Slamovich at TNA Sure for Glory felt predictable and proper with the assumption she shall be heading to WWE when her contract is up. Grace already was back in NXT on Tuesday.
The TNA world championship booking has been anything but. TNA continues to maintain the title away from Joe Hendry. This time JBL hit him with a Clothesline from Hell to cost him the win, despite a crowd wanting to see it. Possibly they’re hoping it turns champion Nic Nemeth heel and builds more heat for Hendry to beat it and at last be crowned champ.
Rhea Ripley goes to cost Liv Morgan her match with Nia Jax at Crown Jewel now after Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez left her bloodied within the NXT car parking zone. Like with CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, WWE grudges travel across oceans.
(Also, this appears like time for Tiffany Stratton to money in her Money within the Bank contract, but WWE will probably have her attempt on a beaten-down Morgan get cut off one way or the other.)
Queen Aminata pushing Kamille and the look of concern on Mercedes Mone’s face will go a protracted solution to raising her profile with the audience. Mone’s bump after Kris Statlander hit her made the previous TBS champion appear to be the powerhouse she is.
Hook and Kip Sabian each getting a refresh while working with Christian Cage appears like a win. Sabian had been an under-used asset, so a move to the Patriarchy for relevance make sense.
Orange Cassidy really has no selection now but to be an AEW leader after the brand new Blackpool Combat Club’s attack on Chuck Taylor. Can we ever get a moment where the Elite actually don’t run and conceal from them?
Nearly as good as Ricochet’s matches were against Nick Wayne and particularly Lio Rush, he really ought to be a man who isn’t overexposed within the ring on television.
Didn’t have William Regal returning on NXT TV to assist Lexis King versus his son Charlie Dempsey on my bingo card. King, whose booking has been suspect at best and hasn’t gotten much traction, now appears to be trying babyface after refusing Regal’s brass knuckles.
Wrestlers of the Week
Matt and Jeff Hardy, TNA
The Hardy Boyz are carrying major gold for the primary time since 2019 as they defeated The System (Brian Myers and Eddie Edwards) and Ace Austin and Chris Bey to develop into the TNA tag team champions in a wild Full Metal Mayhem match at Sure of Glory. At this stage of their careers you don’t understand how many more title runs they’ve left, so getting yet another while they will still deliver feels special.
Social Media Post of The Week
Match to Watch
Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens, Crown Jewel (Saturday, 1 p.m., Peacock)
Triple H added plenty of additional drama to this one, warning Orton on SmackDown of a unique level of viciousness and hate coming from Owens — enough for him to fret in regards to the Viper’s safety. From a storytelling standpoint, this one will go a protracted solution to setting a foundation for where each of them and Cody Rhodes go moving forward. Owens has only one win in five tries against Orton in television singles matches.
The Post’s Joseph Staszewski brings you around the globe of skilled wrestling in his weekly column, the Post Match Angle.
It’s Gunther’s time and WWE must cement it.
It’s why the “Ring General” must beat Cody Rhodes to develop into the inaugural Crown Jewel champion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday. While the title itself is essentially meaningless — irrespective of how hard WWE tries to treat it just like the Stanley Cup — a victory over Rhodes just isn’t, even when Gunther gets some outside help.
We’ve got seen Gunther, 37, truly come into his own as a performer. He has long been among the finest and most intimidating in-ring staff on the earth, but his promo skills have risen to that special level over the past two years.
He’s witty, menacing, confident and condescending, all of the stuff you need in a monster heel.
Gunther, currently the World Heavyweight champion, has greater than held his own during his compelling promos with the Undisputed WWE champion Rhodes. He can belittle and bully you in a way that could make even the grandest of performers — even one who ended Roman Reigns’ historic reign — feel just like the lesser man.
While short, it’s develop into my favorite feud Rhodes had had since becoming champion.
WWE has a shortage of compelling monster heels as in addition they try to construct Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed.
Gunther is on the trail to develop into the most important of all of them, filling a hole left since Brock Lesnar turned babyface.
Gunther has some similar characteristics as a performer to Lesnar, especially the power to believably impose his will on an opponent throughout the match, physically and mentally beating you without the necessity for out of doors help or shenanigans.
It’s why he has to beat Rhodes.
Gunther’s loss to Sami Zayn at WrestleMania was already a slight dent in his armor of invincibility and a defeat by the hands of Rhodes would signal him being the lesser champion — not yet able to hang with the most important stars. Beating Gunther does nothing for Rhodes, who possibly needs the sensation of vulnerability more.
(The ladies’s champions match between Nia Jax and Liv Morgan appears like time for Tiffany Stratton to money in her Money within the Bank contract, but WWE will probably have the try and accomplish that on a beaten Morgan get cut off one way or the other.)
Defeating Rhodes, likely with help from the Bloodline or Kevin Owens, will allow Gunther to hold each belts around and boast about his win over the good Cody Rhodes.
More importantly, he’ll give Rhodes an insurmountable heel who already has a win over him to square off with down the road when he is finished with The Rock and The Bloodline, whether he’s champion or not.
It’s why Gunther should leave Saudi Arabia with two belts and a rocketship price of momentum,
A Knight’s Fail
L.A. Knight, wearing his United States championship while serving as special guest referee, completely sabotaging Andrade and Carmelo Hayes’ Game 7 match felt like something right out of the Steve Austin playbook to establish a triple-threat match at Crown Jewel. It just didn’t seem as effective on this scenario and era.
Knight isn’t as over as Austin was, and Hayes and Andrade aren’t hated heels that fans will easily excuse the babyface screwing them — and himself in the long run. Also, on this era through which match quality is appreciated, we got robbed of a clincher of a series the audience was invested in. You’d think WWE was attempting to turn Knight heel.
The ten Count
Say what you wish about Chris Jericho, but he’s out here having these physical matches with crazy bumps at some extent in his profession where he doesn’t must prove anything.
R-Truth decking Miz after his betrayal was so essential because you wish the reminder that he just isn’t an entire joke and can seriously fight back if provoked.
Is it me, or is WWE just becoming full of too many matches, including essential ones, that need to depend on outside interference and shenanigans within the finish? We got it on SmackDown within the primary event and on the other hand in Raw to permit Dominik Mysterio to roll up Damian Priest for the win.
Jordynne Grace losing her Knockouts World championship to Masha Slamovich at TNA Sure for Glory felt predictable and proper with the assumption she shall be heading to WWE when her contract is up. Grace already was back in NXT on Tuesday.
The TNA world championship booking has been anything but. TNA continues to maintain the title away from Joe Hendry. This time JBL hit him with a Clothesline from Hell to cost him the win, despite a crowd wanting to see it. Possibly they’re hoping it turns champion Nic Nemeth heel and builds more heat for Hendry to beat it and at last be crowned champ.
Rhea Ripley goes to cost Liv Morgan her match with Nia Jax at Crown Jewel now after Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez left her bloodied within the NXT car parking zone. Like with CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, WWE grudges travel across oceans.
(Also, this appears like time for Tiffany Stratton to money in her Money within the Bank contract, but WWE will probably have her attempt on a beaten-down Morgan get cut off one way or the other.)
Queen Aminata pushing Kamille and the look of concern on Mercedes Mone’s face will go a protracted solution to raising her profile with the audience. Mone’s bump after Kris Statlander hit her made the previous TBS champion appear to be the powerhouse she is.
Hook and Kip Sabian each getting a refresh while working with Christian Cage appears like a win. Sabian had been an under-used asset, so a move to the Patriarchy for relevance make sense.
Orange Cassidy really has no selection now but to be an AEW leader after the brand new Blackpool Combat Club’s attack on Chuck Taylor. Can we ever get a moment where the Elite actually don’t run and conceal from them?
Nearly as good as Ricochet’s matches were against Nick Wayne and particularly Lio Rush, he really ought to be a man who isn’t overexposed within the ring on television.
Didn’t have William Regal returning on NXT TV to assist Lexis King versus his son Charlie Dempsey on my bingo card. King, whose booking has been suspect at best and hasn’t gotten much traction, now appears to be trying babyface after refusing Regal’s brass knuckles.
Wrestlers of the Week
Matt and Jeff Hardy, TNA
The Hardy Boyz are carrying major gold for the primary time since 2019 as they defeated The System (Brian Myers and Eddie Edwards) and Ace Austin and Chris Bey to develop into the TNA tag team champions in a wild Full Metal Mayhem match at Sure of Glory. At this stage of their careers you don’t understand how many more title runs they’ve left, so getting yet another while they will still deliver feels special.
Social Media Post of The Week
Match to Watch
Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens, Crown Jewel (Saturday, 1 p.m., Peacock)
Triple H added plenty of additional drama to this one, warning Orton on SmackDown of a unique level of viciousness and hate coming from Owens — enough for him to fret in regards to the Viper’s safety. From a storytelling standpoint, this one will go a protracted solution to setting a foundation for where each of them and Cody Rhodes go moving forward. Owens has only one win in five tries against Orton in television singles matches.
