Previously on the GBU, Shelton Benjamin made his AEW debut (good), Jimmy Uso lost yet another match (bad), and the Miz showed up with scantily clad wrists (ugly). But another week of professional wrestling means another batch of fresh developments and advancing storylines, so we’re here to bask in the highlights, pinch our nose at the pungent lowlights, and look on with disgust at the ugly.
Let’s begin with…
The Good
Solo Sikoa shines in brewing Jey Uso feud
It’s been a year for Solo Sikoa. The current Tribal Chief stepped into the spotlight after WrestleMania to help legitimize his iteration of the Bloodline. Now, Roman Reigns left some big boots (and an ula fala) for Sikoa to step into and we’re witnessing his evolution right before our eyes.
Since beginning the year amid a horrendous losing streak, Solo is looking stronger, cutting quality promos, and walking around with what the kids call “aura.” He’s had quality matches every month since Mania but it’s not watering him down — there’s a big fight feel when he’s in action.
That’s not to mention the quick humorous moments we’ve seen in Sikoa’s recent promos, from mocking “YEET” to arriving to sabotage Jey with chaotic, “Dark Knight” Joker-esque energy. Personally, I’d love to see Solo built to be a legitimate threat when he’s, no pun intended, solo. Give him some big singles match wins (perhaps without interference).
Right now audiences know Sikoa has strength in numbers, but if you can fully convince fans that he’s capable of beating anyone right now, that takes things to the next level.
Bronson Reed annihilating a table in a manner we’ve never seen before
This is the first time a table took a bump.
Like, just watch that table burst like a balloon. It’s remarkable and it really makes the six Tsunamis Reed landed on Seth Rollins, one, age well, and two, feel like attempted murder.
If big Bronson Reed can make me feel bad for a piece of furniture, imagine what he can continue doing with the WWE’s top beloved babyfaces.
Ricochet vs. AR Fox
Personally, I think wrestling fans are far too fixated on Ricochet’s mic skills, because his in-ring performances speak for themselves — and more importantly, he’s getting better.
After a fantastic Collision match against AR Fox, Ricochet’s post-match speech was just fine. Could he iron out the wrinkles a bit? Absolutely. But when his catchphrase is cleaned up from the clumsy, “Ricochet is not from this planet, I am not from here. Ricochet, I, am out of this world,” to simply, “I’m not from this planet, I’m out of this world,” there’s no reason why it can’t be printed on shirts and yelled in unison by fans.
Motor City Machine Guns make their debut
If remarkable displays of chemistry via tag team action is your thing, you’re really going to enjoy the Motor City Machine Guns, who debuted on “Smackdown” with a victory that should put the entire tag division on notice.
Want to see how smooth they are? Go to the 2:18 mark of the video above and tell me that sequence doesn’t look like a couple Avengers landing quick, coordinated combat against Thanos.
Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio having a hockey hang
Kayfabe is alive and well, baby!
The Bad
Carlito’s 2004-ass joke
As Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane walked past Carlito, he said, “I gotta learn Chinese.”
Sky and Sane are Japanese and Carlito is lazy, stale, and perhaps a bit corny for that one.
Jacob Fatu had his first singles match and LOST to Cody Rhodes but it didn’t even air on TV
Listen to the crowd when Bron and Jacob Fatu had a stare down and then realize they both debuted on the WWE roster a few months ago. That’s proof that WWE is developing STARS. pic.twitter.com/R4xMZ2CvI4
— Triple H’s Thoughts 💭 (@TripleHHHPaulL) October 22, 2024
Jacob Fatu loves Solo, but everybody loves Jacob Fatu. His charisma and in-ring abilities have drawn fans in and Fatu is already perceived to be a top dog who audiences are eager to see more involved in confrontations.
The crowd response in the clip above of Fatu staring off with Bron Breakker? His star is blindingly bright — all WWE has to do is handle it with care, right?
Well, they did something a lot of fans (myself included) found appalling:
A dark match after “Raw” with Cody Rhodes, during which Fatu got pinned.
Why? What was the reason? Who does this benefit? First of all, Fatu versus Rhodes is a match that should be reserved for a premium live event. Second, Fatu in a singles match is what the people want, so why make their first sampling of that a phone recording from someone in the audience posted on social media? Third, Cody Rhodes doesn’t need a win over Fatu. He’s already the top guy, we know this. It doesn’t build him up, but it does diminish Fatu. Bad. Bad, bad, BAD.
The Ugly
Jey’s title reign abruptly ends
Look, I understand that this is probably going to play out in a way that makes a lot of sense story-wise, but right now it’s hard not to wonder why WWE didn’t just have Solo and company cost Jey an Intercontinental Championship match so that his eventual win would be even more satisfying — and more importantly, it’d last longer.
Bron with the title is great, but just a 28-day title reign for Jey? Ugly.
The wild bumps Lillian Garcia used to take
This is some retroactive ugly, but with Lillian Garcia returning to her WWE ring announcer role this week, some old clips resurfaced — and one of them was a reminder that at one point in the 2000s, she got jumped by 3-Minute Warning and took some hideous looking bumps.
That’s the equivalent of getting jumped by this era’s bloodline and Garcia took it like a champ, holding up even better than the Bronson Reed table did.
Chris Jericho beat Mark Briscoe to win the ROH World Championship
*Sigh.*
Everything about 2024 Chris Jericho is giving 1999 WCW vibes.
With all due respect to Jericho’s many successful self-reinventions in the past, I’m become, I’m become, I’m becoming exhausted with his presence.
Until next week, may the good outweigh the bad, and the bad avoid being full-on ugly.
