APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE FOR THE LONG POST:
I went to the WWE House Show in Pensacola, FL last night with the wifey. We were probably 3 rows up from ringside. Excellent seats.
Wasn't sure where to put this but since it was the Smackdown roster side of things (of course being that it's the Uso's and Roman's hometown), thought this would be the best place for it
I think at House Shows, you can see who really has "it" versus who doesn't thru their ringwork and promos and last night really show that. Especially in small markets like your Pensacola's/Tallahassee, FL markets. The matches were as follows:
Ridge Holland (Sheamus ringside) vs Rick Boogs: I was already tight about seeing Ridge with the incident with Big E so I he really got the boo's from me. Boogs wasn't too over when he first got to the ring but them FL Panhandle white's ate up his guitar playing hook, line, and sinker. He did his usual sticht on the mic and they got underway. Ridge and Boogs are still very green as you can tell with how they threw their punches but it seemed as time went on they got comfortable and started laying their stuff in. Boogs has pretty decent charisma and it seemed like Sheamus got more heat for Ridge than Ridge did for himself. He has to work on that area. Boogs won with some type of power slam-esque type of move and he got very good cheers
Shayna, Natalya, and Sonya vs Aliyah, Naomi, and Sasha: The match started as a one on one with Shayna and Aliyah but Natalya was ringside and interfered which brought Naomi out with the "I'm Amazing" theme song, dance, and run-in. Naomi did the "this isn't how we do it in (insert city). let's make it a tag-team" promo which started the tag team match. Rinse and repeat with Sonya and Sasha (Sasha cut the same promo which was kinda sad to me being that she could've said something a little more unique). Aliyah is decent in the ring but you can tell that she's still green and needs to develop a character like yesterday. All the heels did their job in the match and got their s*** in, especially Shayna with the joint manipulation and stomping on the elbow stuff. Naomi and Sasha were over AF, especially with Naomi and Jimmy living in the area. Naomi did decent with her promo work and you can tell that Sasha was the glue that held everything together. She was a ball of energy from the moment she ran in, outside the ring work cheering on her tag team or reacting to the heels working over her partners. She's the standard for a reason. Faces got the victory via Naomi with the split-legged moonsault
War Raiders (I think that's their name right...) vs Angel Garza and Humberto Carillo (Los Lotharios): shout out to the Lotharios. During their walk to the ring, they were kissing the cheeks of special needs kids ringside. Thought it was a cool touch. I'd be scared to do so with COVID but that was something they'd never forget which I thought was a great gesture. This is when the ring work kicked up a notch. Both of those teams in-ring work were excellent. Both got their s*** in and it looked great to the live crowd. If/When Lotharios get a manager to talk for them they are going to be good to go (hopefully that would be Zelina Vega). War Raiders was over with their "Raid" chant that they did throughout the match. War Raiders won with their finisher
Sami Zayn vs Ricochet: Both of them boys were over. Sami came out and cut a promo on Pensacola calling them hicks and everything lol. Ricochet and Sami in-ring work was spectacular. Them boys have really perfected their craft and looked real to the live crowd. Sami can be in that World title picture if it wasn't held by a heel. Ricochet seemed like he was going only 1/2 speed for the crowd (i guess it's because we all know how much he can really go in the ring) but was still hitting a few flips, innovative head scissors, and frankensteiners to wow the crowd. Ricochet his a shooting star press for the win which he hit perfectly. Ricochet also needs a manager to get over with the mic work (doesn't need to go heel for this, maybe be used like how Lucha Bros use their manager in AEW just to cut promos)
Kofi, Xavier, and Drew vs Uso's and Roman: this one had me a little tight at first because this should've been the New Day reunion that I wasn't expecting if things didn't happen on Friday to E. Wifey was really looking forward to seeing E, but it was a nice surprise to see Woods out their in the ring. Wasn't expecting to see him b/c of his injury. Drew McIntyre a big boy and cut as f*** in person. At least 275lbs with his height bro. New Day came out with the normal dancing and Drew with his entrance was over AF. Uso's theme hit so hard in person. New Day, as always, dancing to their music while they came out (it seems Xavier and Kofi be trying to make Uso's break kayfabe and laugh but they wasn't going for it lol). That Roman theme hit and everybody put them 1's up lol. That theme hit hard in person as well and of course New Day was dancing through it as well as chirping to the crowd. You can tell all six people in the ring has respect for each other, have fun with each other, and are friends outside of the ring because they all had underlying smiles before the match started. During the match Jimmy did the most in-ring work for the heels and Roman would work the faces over on the outside and get cheers rather than boos. Main Event Jey did a few Young Buck superkicks and once that tag to Roman happened, the place went bananas. Roman actually did his face comeback moves on Xavier which wow'd the hometown crowd. He also got his drive-by, 3 superman punches to the faces, & spear. Uso's won the match by hitting the Dudley Death Drop on Xavier. After the match Roman broke character and did a heartfelt promo to the hometwon crowd letting them know it's always great to be at the crib doing what they love, the Anoai/Fatu P-Cola family was at ringside so he said a few things to them as well and closed it with a "Pensacola, we acknowledge you".
Sidenotes: Jimmy a lucky man bro. I didn't know Naomi was that cute in person and y'all know that thang was thanging last night. Even wifey was like "GOTDAYUM". Sasha so damn little, can't be over 125lbs lol. I don't see how she be taking all of them huge bumps. Respects to her. War Raiders still gotta find their footing. Feels like they're in the same phase that the Uso's were in when they had face paint. Over but still need a little something extra. That 6 man with Roman and the Uce's and New Day and Drew was great from start to finish. It's a reason that they are the main event for Smackdown. No wasted motion and all gas no breaks by 6 of the best the E has to offer. Very good house show