Returns, Debuts and new Champions: This weeks RAW and Smackdown LIVE Highlights

Hello everyone and welcome back to Talk Wrestling World, I hope you are all well and good and have had a great week so far! Okay, so the past seven days have been jam-packed full of a lot of professional wrestling with the WWE being the focal point. We had NXT Takeover: War Games set the bar this past Saturday where the biggest and most promising stars of the WWE's developmental territory proved yet again that the future of this company is more than in safe hands. The following night RAW and Smackdown went head to head in their own war of brand supremacy in what was yet another epic show! Both live events delivered to a high standard and both reviews will be linked bellow at the end of today's post but of course, we have plenty to talk about today. Reaching the middle point of another week it's time to once again take a look back at the latest episodes of RAW and Smackdown LIVE. Now, I don't know about you but I always look forward to the fallout shows of a pay per view with the majority always impressing and usually are some of the best episodes of the year, this time around that really was the case. With new champions crowned, new arrivals and returns, we have plenty to get through today as an exciting new season in the WWE kick starts with the road to Wrestlemania officially on the way! I have had a lot happen in my personal life this week and so trying to upload on time this week is going to be difficult and there may be changes being made so just bear with me. For now, however, any recent blog post will be linked bellow including my NXT Takeover War Games and Survivor Series reviews and you can let me know what you thought of this weeks episodes of RAW and Smackdown LIVE by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me over at @TezangiVictoria.

Paige makes her Much anticipated WWE Return

Okay, so I just had to kick start today’s blog post off with the segment that got me and pretty much everyone else most excited, the much a return of former WWE Divas Champion, Paige, for months we have all been sitting back waiting for the first ever NXT Women’s champion to make her return to the WWE after spending a year away from the ring. The past four weeks or so we’ve all been following the updates regarding her return and with pictures and videos showing Paige to be back training in the ring and working towards arriving back on the scene for Monday night it’s been a waiting game but this past week we saw the once anti-diva finally make her return! Interrupting a fatal four way between Alicia Fox, Mickie James, Sasha Banks, and Bayley Paige made a huge impact when she introduced NXT stars and former tough enough competitors Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville attacking all four women and in a backstage segment minutes later taking out the champ herself, Alexa Bliss. The entire segment was done and received very well. The moment Paige’s music hit the crowd woke up, everyone was on their feet and very very vocal. It was clear her absence was really felt, and Paige has more than been missed. I’m glad the WWE has thrown Paige right into something big and hot, regardless of what happened in her personal life she really does deserve this push. As for Mandy and Sonya, despite not being in NXT for too long or making many NXT TV appearances they both got a great reaction with the crowd welcoming the NXT stars. The future for all three of these women is looking very bright and this is an exciting time for the women’s division.

Roman Reigns is Crowned the new IC Champion

If you read yesterday's blog post you would have seen me list potential opponents for both the Miz and Baron Corbin over the next few months and one of the names I mentioned was Roman Reigns. Of course, as I mentioned in that post, it was a pre-posted piece and so I had no idea that Reigns was going to be booked this week to take on the Miz in an Intercontinental Championship match but he was and the big dog walked out the brand new IC Champion. Honestly, I'm satisfied. There is no denying that the Miz will forever go down as one of the best IC Champions in WWE history and I'm confident at some point he will have that title back on around his waist, for now, however, Reigns is a good pick for the next champion. He has a lot of momentum and regardless of what you personally think of him he is one of the biggest stars in the WWE today. I'm confident he is going to bring a lot to the title and his position in the company does mean he is bringing a lot to this championship.

The King and his Many Enemies 

This past Sunday at the Survivor Series pay per view many things were brought to light and made clear but in the main event Triple H was noted as a many with many enemies at the moment. Both Kurt Angle and Braun Strowman made their feelings perfectly clear this week with Strowman attacking Hunter moments after the five on five men's elimination match and on Monday night Kurt Angle made his feelings perfectly clear also, threatening to retaliate against Triple H. Now, it does appear as though the WWE will be booking Kurt Angle vs Triple H for Wrestlemania and that is a match and storyline I'll be talking about in more detail over the next few months but I'll also be talking about Braun Strowman and the direction he's heaading in during his babyface run.

New Arrivals Shake up Smackdown LIVE Women's Divison

This week really has been the week of new arrivals. The women's division on both RAW and Smackdown LIVE were shaken up drastically when Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville assisted Paige in her return to the WWE debuting for Monday night RAW while over on the blue brand, last night we witness Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan debut for Smackdown LIVE. The choices of call-ups were interesting. Live Morgan has been touring with the main roster on and off for the past year and I've been expecting her arrival to either RAW or Smackdown LIVE to take place pretty soon but as for the likes of Sarah Morgan, Sonya Deville, and Mandy Rose it really did come as a surprise. We haven't seen much of these three on NXT TV at all and so getting them over may be a little tougher and we will be able to tell very soon whether or not it was too soon to call them up. They all did get a brilliant reception with Ruby Riot looking to have the most promising career of the three at the moment if we are judging by fan reaction. I was also surprised to see that some of these women were chosen to get the call up before Billie Kay and Peyton Royce who I'm hoping is next up!

Final Thoughts

Both shows this week really did deliver. For me, I enjoyed Monday night RAW a little more. Paige's return was the highlight of the week for me personally followed by Roman Reigns being crowned the brand new Intercontinental Champion. I know it was controversial and wherever Reigns is concerned there will always be a great discussion but with the Miz due to head off and film for a movie, Reigns was one hundred and ten percent the right man for the job and I do believe he will bring a lot to the title and keep going all the amazing things the Miz has done and brought to that title. Over on Smackdown LIVE the new arrivals in the women's division is exactly what was needed for the blue brand and the shake-up will work in the favor of the division greatly! We also saw Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn isolated on the roster following their actions at the Survivor Series pay per view. This is something I really am interested in and was yet another highlight of the week.

I have had a lot happen in my personal life this week and so trying to upload on time this week is going to be difficult and there may be changes being made so just bear with me. For now, however, any recent blog post will be linked bellow including my NXT Takeover War Games and Survivor Series reviews and you can let me know what you thought of this weeks episodes of RAW and Smackdown LIVE by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me over at @TezangiVictoria.

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