Opening Segment:
Bully Ray and Bobby Roode start off the show. They claim they will not to see Jeff Hardy again. Roode makes a comment to get England upset, and then calls out James Storm. Storm comes out and Ray yells at him. Sting says Hardy will be ready for Against All Odds, and books Storm vs. Ray and Storm vs. Roode in separate matches.
What I Liked:
Very solid microphone work from everyone here, especially Ray and Roode. They really gained instant heat from the crowd, getting them going from the very beginning. I also enjoyed that Sting set up the matches once again, thus showing his authority figure. Hardy being teased but not seen was a good thing, as his return and mystique of when he will attack will make it much better and a bigger pop. The crowd started off hot, which is a good sign for a long night ahead.
What I Disliked:
I wish there was some sort of physical altercation, an attack on Storm. I feel like the brawl from a few weeks ago was great and added to the continued story progression. They need to keep these feuds hot and in the front of our minds. For the most part, they did that here, even without seeing Hardy. I also wish Sting would look more like an authority figure at times, but I understand how they want to keep him as the insane character.
Grade: B+
Buckingham Brawl: Samoa Joe and Magnus def. Matt Morgan and Crimson
What I Liked:
Overcoming adversity is one of the best ways to get your faces over. It is an angle that is used time and time again, but seems to work here. I really enjoy the unique offense from Crimson, especially his exploder suplex to gain the offensive in the match. He continually improves offensively, and seems to be a guy who can carry the tag team, while Morgan is the power. Giving Joe and Magnus the clean victory was perfect, setting up their pay off match. It continues to give us the "bigger" picture. A threat for the tag titles, which always is a good thing. Shouldn't WWE take a page out of their books here? Absolutely.
What I Disliked:
Show some sort of dissention between Morgan and Crimson. They just lost and should be really upset about it. I want to see more aggressiveness post match from them. Also, the match was a "brawl," so why not go to the outside, into the crowd, and backstage. Give it a few more minutes overall and make these adjustments. Its like a Ladder Match with no Ladder. Brawls need to be more unpredictable.
Grade: B-
Eric Bischoff comes out to talk about his son and his trainer. Eric says his trainer will never back up Garrett. Garrett comes out, and says he should listen to his trainer, who calls him and says he wants to meet Eric in the ring later tonight.
