Wednesday Afternoon Rundown (WAR - Mar. 7, 2018)

Welcome to the Wednesday Afternoon Rundown, where we break down all the biggest stories from this week's Monday Night Raw and Tuesday's Smackdown Live. By the end, we'll determine which brand reigned supreme and delivered a superior product for their faithful audience.

With just over four weeks until their annual Show of Shows, WWE has switched into full gear on the road to Wrestlemania, setting into motion many of their high profile feuds. For Raw, this means weekly appearances by newcomer Ronda Rousey, the inclusion of Seth Rollins and Finn Balor into the Intercontinental Championship picture, and building an aura of invincibility around the undefeated Asuka. For Smackdown, the road to Mania is somewhat cluttered, the looming Fastlane PPV serving as somewhat of a detour for the blue brand, slowing down potential feuds which could otherwise be rapidly picking up steam. Without further ado, let’s break down the highs and lows, the ups and downs, and everything in between from this week’s episodes of Raw and Smackdown.

RAW

THE HIGHS

Ronda's Mania Match Becomes Official

                 This week’s episode kicked off with a bang, as Ronda Rousey officially declared who her opponent would be for Wrestlemania: none other than Stephanie McMahon. Kurt Angle reminding the audience that Stephanie also has a “Superstar’s Contract” was a nice touch, as we’ve all seen Steph wrestle plenty of times. The inclusion of Triple H and Angle, creating a mixed tag bout, ensures that the match won’t be a dud, as each competitor is still more than capable of telling a captivating story in the ring even at this late stage of their careers. This should also piggyback nicely onto what has thus far been a successful Mixed Match Challenge.

A Symphony of Destruction

                The featured gimmick match of the evening came in the form of a Symphony of Destruction match between Braun Strowman and Elias. These types of matches are often times very hit or miss, depending on the performance of the superstars involved. As usual, Strowman delivered. After yet another impressive feat of strength – lifting the rear of Elias’ car off the ground to prevent him from driving away – the Monster Among Men laid waste to everyone’s least favorite Drifter. Strowman finished Elias by first smashing a cello, and then an entire piano on top of his battered foe. With Elias soundly dispatched, and such little time until the Showcase of the Immortals, it will be interesting to see what direction Strowman goes in order to ensure his place on the Mania card.

It Takes Three To Tango

                There’s little debate that The Miz has become the top heel on Raw, if not all of WWE, and he showed exactly why again on Raw. A “Mizzies” segment which had no business being funny, was very much so. Miz is without doubt one of the best mic workers in the company, and it’s hard to not be impressed by what he has done with the Intercontinental Championship over the past year. The introduction of Seth Rollins and Finn Balor into the Intercontinental Title scene shows the level of performer that Miz deserves to work with at Wrestlemania, and there’s a very good chance this triple threat match could steal the show.

THE LOWS

Working Out The Kinks

                While the opening segment was a “High” in terms of star power and the match it confirmed for Mania, it was in many ways a Low as well. It come as no surprise that Rousey’s acting chops aren’t up to par, but Stephanie and Angle aren’t doing her any favors with equally painful performances. We can assume that by the time the match ultimately comes around, Ronda will be ready to perform in the ring, with Angle and Triple H leading a majority of the match. But until then, with Rousey scheduled to appear every week on Raw, something needs to be adjusted to make these segments less awkward and less painful for everyone involved.

Knocking Her Down To Build Her Up?

                With her undefeated streak still intact, Asuka has risen to the top of the division as the woman to beat on Raw. After failing to end Asuka's streak at Elimination Chamber, Nia Jax came up short once again on Raw in a match that seemingly diminished the stock of both women involved. Jax threw everything she had and then some at her undersized foe, but was unable to put Asuka away, ultimately tapping to a late submission. The fact that Jax limped away with an injured arm following the bout left her looking more like a bully who just got their comeuppance rather than a sympathetic warrior. As for Asuka, someone who is being presented as unbeatable, she sure took a beating for most of this match, before finally latching on the late triangle choke which forced Jax to tap. The undefeated Empress did not look strong whatsoever; resilient, sure, but not strong. Look for a rebound performance from Asuka to regain some of that aura of invincibility which has been fading of late.

A Bizarre Interaction

                Just days away from his World Championship match at Fastlane, John Cena appeared on Raw to plug the Smackdown pay-per-view, declaring he would win his record 17^th world title on Sunday. What followed was nothing short of bizarre, as Goldust would interject, stating his own desire to face Cena on the Grandest Stage of Them All. The segment seemed to come out of nowhere, and before we knew it, a match between the two was made (allegedly by Kurt Angle). As quickly as it had begun, Cena finished it with an AA, and that was that. The promo for Fastlane made sense, everything that followed left the audience scratching their heads. 

THE IN BETWEEN

Has The Bar Been Raised Too High?

                The Revival fell short against The Bar this week in a bid to earn a shot at the Tag Titles in New Orleans. With the win, The Bar continue their run of dominance over the Raw tag team division. Teams like Titus Worldwide, The Club, and now the Revival have been unable to stack up. While The Bar’s reign has been impressive, it will be tough to get excited for a Wrestlemania program without a formidable opponent to square off against them.

You Have Been Compoundly Invited...

                The seemingly never ending feud between Woken Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt may have finally taken a turn in the right direction this week, as Hardy invited Bray to a match at the Hardy Compound. While this feud has been spinning its wheels for months, this match may be the payoff fans have been waiting for. At the same time, it could be a massive dud. The introduction of the Hardy Compound, as well as the impending arrival of Brother Nero, make this feud one to keep an eye on.

The Big Dog and The Bitch

                The evening was capped off by a confrontation between Roman Reigns and the advocate for Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman. Last week, Reigns raised the interest level on this bout tremendously with a scathing promo calling Brock Lesnar “a bitch” for no-showing his appearance on Raw. The follow-up this week was average. Heyman did what he does best, reinforcing the prestige of the World Championship, even in the absence of his client. Roman again called Lesnar the “B word”, and that's as far as it went. With Lesnar expected to appear on next week's Raw, look for the feud to raise in intensity. For now, the audience's appetite for destruction by the Beast will remain unsatiated.  

SMACKDOWN

THE HIGHS

Sunday Will Be "Nakamura Day"

                The highs were few and far between this week for the blue brand. With Fastlane just days away, the PPV seems to be a hindrance slowing down the high profile feuds on tap for Wrestlemania. A backstage segment featuring Rusev and Aiden English in which the Bulgarian Brute challenged Shinsuke Nakamura to a match at Fastlane was undoubtedly one of the night’s high points. All three men were criminally absent from the rest of the night’s proceedings, so it was good to see them here and to know that the insanely over Rusev won’t be left off the Fastlane card. Nakamura also did an impression of Aiden English, singing that "Sunday will be Nakamura Dayy”, and it was phenomenal.

A Sneak Peek At Fastlane

                The night’s main event, a matchup between Dolph Ziggler and AJ Styles which was subsequently turned into a Fatal 5 Way, accomplished exactly what it had to. Involving all of the competitors scheduled for Fastlane’s World Championship Six Pack Challenge, sans John Cena, the audience received a taste of what’s to come Sunday, while the match helped to plant the seeds of dissension between longtime friends-turned-rivals-turned-friends, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. With the impending Wrestlemania matchup between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura all but guaranteed, it’s refreshing to know there will be other storylines to pay attention to during Sunday’s championship bout.

THE LOWS

Mediocre US Title Feud Needs Shot of Adrenaline

                 The pacing throughout the night was clearly an issue, as the show got off to somewhat of a clunky start and failed to shift into a higher gear from that point on. A confrontation between Charlotte and the Riott Squad was interrupted by Flair’s MMC partner and US Champion, Bobby Roode. The segment then transitioned directly into a match between Randy Orton and Jinder Mahal, with no definitive conclusion to the opening segment. The match was mediocre at best, with all the usual elements of a Mahal outing: long holds and interference from the Singh Bros. It seems that all three men involved are capable of better, but for some reason this feud hasn’t caught on. Look for WWE to build towards a US Title Ladder match at Wrestlemania, inserting names like Ziggler, Corbin and Rusev into the picture to liven things up.

What Do You "Bex"pect?

                With Charlotte preoccupied with the Riott Squad, the rest of the Smackdown Women’s division has hit a stand still. This was never more apparent than Tuesday night when Becky Lynch took on Carmella. A lack of storylines has led the women of the blue brand to become stagnant, many just treading water at this point. Lynch is without question one of the best female workers in the WWE, and Carmella still holds the Money in the Bank briefcase, though it is rarely teased or featured. The match, which saw Lynch win via her Disarmer finisher, achieved little for either woman involved, and it’s hard to see these women finding anything of relevance on the Wrestlemania card other than a rumored Women’s Battle Royal. 

THE IN-BETWEEN

Usurping the Queen

                Ruby Riott confronted the resident Queen of Smackdown, Charlotte, ahead of their impending clash for the Women’s Championship this Sunday. Stating that she had formed the Riott Squad with the intention of bringing Flair down, Ruby rehashed the same insults we’ve heard a million times from Charlotte’s past opponents, that Ms. Flair has riden off the coattails of her family name and has had everything handed to her. Flair responded as she always does, stating that she’s been forced to work twice as hard to get to where she is because of her name. Riott doesn't quite feel like she’s in the same league as the champ yet, and while the presence of Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan may be enough to cause Charlotte some worry, it’s hard to see the Queen leaving Fastlane without her title. The interesting story to follow Sunday will be whether Asuka decides to use her Royal Rumble victory to challenge Charlotte for the Smackdown title at Mania, rather than challenging Alexa Bliss for the Raw championship as many expect.

THE RUNDOWN

With Wrestlemania on the horizon, it’s clear that both brands are ready to put their foot on the gas. While several of Raw’s segments may not have hit their mark, the feuds we can expect to see at the Showcase of the Immortals are becoming clearer each and every week. Currently, the following matches are confirmed for Wrestlemania for Raw:

                Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar for Universal Championship

                The Miz vs Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor for Intercontinental Championship

                Triple H & Stephanie McMahon vs Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey

With three marquee matchups already confirmed, Raw needs only to bolster these feuds while finding matchups for The Bar, Braun Strowman, and Alexa Bliss.

Unfortunately for Smackdown, this week’s episode was never able to get off the ground. With everyone’s attention on Wrestlemania, the blue brand will look to get the Fastlane PPV over and done with so they can move on to their premier storylines. It’s hard to see any titles changing hands this Sunday, so expect definitive finishes to most of the matches, with the champions moving on to face bigger and better things in New Orleans.

                Raw takes the cake as the top brand this week, beating out Smackdown due to the fact that the storylines on Raw have better direction on the road to Mania. As stated above, the Fastlane PPV seems like nothing more than a formality at this point, and the blue brand will be far better off once the event is in the rearview. Thanks for reading, and tune in next week for another edition of the Wednesday Afternoon Rundown as we get one step closer on the road to WreSullMania!