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A traditional English proverb states, “One man’s loss is another man’s gain.”
Although professional wrestling is not the competitive sport it portrays, never doubt that wrestlers are truly in competition. On the mic, at the gym, and in the ring, wrestlers that perform best are destined for stardom, while those that stumble are headed for obscurity.
Whose recent performances stand out? Let’s take a look:
Rising Star of the Week: Yoshiki Inamura
One of the joys of watching NXT is being able to see something different. Unfamiliar wrestlers with distinctive presentations and fresh moves. Some wrestlers stand out more than others.
Enter Inamura: a Japanese wrestler signed to Pro Wrestling Noah since 2018, wrestling on NXT since November.
Inamura incorporates his judo and sumo skills into his wrestling style in a truly unique and exciting manner. His sumo squat and rapid open hand strikes are more reminiscent of Street Fighter’s E..Honda than Yokozuna.
Even his conventional moves are executed with vigor. His leaping elbow drops have impressive height, and his Irish whips appear so forceful that he throws himself to the mat. Most impressive of all, Inamura seems to shake the entire ring while perched on the top rope before delivering his soaring Frog splash finisher in a manner the Ultimate Warrior would have envied.
On last week’s NXT, Inamura faced LFG winner Jasper Troy on last week’s program in a NXT World Championship number one contender’s match. Given the way Troy had been protected and presented in recent weeks, most fans expected a non-finish (a la Bailey vs. Lyra Valkyria) to set up a three-way match with champion Oba Femi.
It was therefore a pleasant surprise when Inamura instead pinned Troy clean, putting him in line for a one-on-one NXT World Championship match against Femi on Saturday’s Great American Bash. Given the caliber of the two athletes, the match promises to be a spectacle, albeit one which likely sees the champion retain.
If you haven’t seen Inamura wrestle, you’re in for a treat.
Runner-up: Drew McIntyre
Welcome back, Drew! The Scottish Warrior makes every TV appearance count, so his month-long absence from WWE felt like far longer. His return to last week’s SmackDown saw Drew return to form, inserting himself hilariously into a confrontation between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. He successfully sowed mistrust between the two friends, building the case and anticipation for an Orton heel turn.
Drew’s promos are as consistently engaging as his ring work, and his 2024 feud with CM Punk was an underappreciated element in CM Punk’s career resurgence. McIntyre consistently overperforms in every role he’s given. A feud with Rhodes, Orton, or both may be just the thing to prepare him for a long overdue main-event run.
“Thank God the alpha has returned!”
Second Runners-Up (tie): Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair
A legacy act beloved by fans, Bliss was greeted with a thunderous ovation when she ended a two-year hiatus with a surprise return at January’s Royal Rumble match. Her fan reception eclipsed all others, most notably that of Charlotte Flair, an arguably bigger star returning from a year-long absence of her own to win the match.
Since the Rumble, Charlotte was thrust into the spotlight while Bliss has been relegated to a background role. Charlotte wrestled for the title at WrestleMania, while Bliss was left off the card.
Despite her top billing, Charlotte wilted in the spotlight, seemingly losing her nerve when rejected by fans in promos during the WrestleMania buildup. Conversely, Bliss comes off as a consummate professional, shining during promos and embraced by every audience.
Pairing the two is a natural fit. Bliss is at her best when she has a partner to play off and possesses the acting chops to bring out a side of Flair’s personality which fans can relate to.
After weeks of teasing a partnership, the two finally joined into a tag team at last week’s SmackDown, defeating both the Secret Hervice and B-Fab & Michin to qualify for the Fatal Four-way Tag Team Match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship at Evolution.
Whether the duo will win the titles or even stay a team is uncertain. They may be feuding within weeks. However, this is the most entertaining either has been in years, and I look forward to the story of the Goddess and the Queen.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Fading Star of the Week: Tiffany Stratton
Gifted with fashion-model looks and remarkable athleticism, Stratton has the making of a generational star in WWE. The fans clearly want to embrace her. However, her run as WWE Women’s Champion has only brought her weaknesses into sharp focus.
Stratton’s promos are sub-par at best. Delivering her obviously scripted lines in a discordant tone, she relies far too heavily on her catchphrase “Tiffy time,” which is rapidly reaching its expiration date.
Despite her gymnastic ability, her matches consistently fall short of main-event caliber. Neither Trish Stratus nor Jade Cargil has the in-ring skill to carry their upcoming matches with Stratton to justify their place on their respective Evolution and SummerSlam cards.
Only 26 years old and less than four years from her debut match, Stratton is still very early in her career. A few more years of practice (hopefully in a lesser role) would likely allow her to up her ring game and mic skills, and truly earn a main event spot.
For the time being, it would take a successful Money in the Bank cash-in to save the SmackDown Women’s division. The sooner, the better.
1st Runner-up: Fraxiom
Nathan Frasier and Axiom have proven themselves time and time again of phenomenal tag team matches. The team’s elevation to SmackDown in April was more than promising. With the likes of DIY and the Motor City Machine Guns, the SmackDown tag team division is the best of any WWE promotion, at least on paper. Fraxiom enjoyed an early push, gaining momentum with wins over the likes of Los Garza and the Street Profits.
After failing to capture the titles from the Street Profits in late May, it’s been a slow downward slide for Fraxiom. They have effectively merged into traffic, joining a number of other teams on a roughly equal status. Most recently they’ve been relegated to a minor role in the entire division’s failing alliance against the Wyatt Sicks.
Last week’s SmackDown saw Fraxiom defeated cleanly by the new team of Adrade & Rey Fenix. While a match with a clean winner was a welcome change, the loss seemingly solidifies Fraxiom’s position on SmackDown as just another team.
Transferring a few SmackDown tag teams to Raw would benefit both brands. SmackDown’s remaining teams would have a chance to stand out, and Raw’s teams would enjoy some real competition. A shift like that could give teams like Fraxiom the spotlight they so clearly deserve.
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