The Squared Circle

One thing I really like about Royce Keys turning heel is that there’s actually a reason behind it.

We’ve seen so many random heel turns lately where someone just wakes up one day and decides to be a bad guy. This one at least makes sense.

The Bloodline left him beaten and bloody. Jacob betrayed him. Nobody came out when he needed help.

So now he comes back with OTM pi**ed off at pretty much everyone. I can buy that.

And honestly, I think this role suits him way more than being a babyface. He has the look and presence to be a legit monster heel, and now there’s an actual reason for him to be angry.

Hobbs… I mean Royce Keys 😂 might have finally found the character that fits him.

I think all this talk of “the future of WWE” is going to get messy when Bronson Reed explodes back onto the scene.

It’s too early for Breakker and Oba Femi to duke it out for us to decide who “the future” is.

On Sunday Nights Main Event, I think Bronson Reed is going to come back and he’s going to make his claim of being the future by forcing a DQ

And then Paul Heyman will have 3 monsters to meddle with

The Dragon has been released

What did you think of his run in WWE?

He had intensity, he had a good move set, he wasn’t the greatest with Promo work but it fit the character.

I think the WWE just couldn’t mitigate the Russian angle properly. They wanted him as a competitive heel at times and baby face at others but none of it had story behind it outside of wanting to challenge himself… and then they didn’t give him challenges or let him have the victories needed to advance that kind of story.

Why do you think this fell flat?

I’ve wanted to see Finn Bálor vs. GUNTHER for a long time, and I think the timing finally makes sense.

The problem before was that both guys were heels, so there wasn’t much reason to put them against each other.

Now Finn is a babyface, while GUNTHER is still GUNTHER, and that gives the feud a much clearer dynamic.

Finn can be the guy the crowd gets behind, while GUNTHER can simply do what he does best and make Finn work for every moment.

There’s no need to overcomplicate this. Two talented wrestlers, a simple story, and a matchup I’ve wanted to see for years.

I’m really looking forward to this one.

I really liked the Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton brawl on SmackDown.

What interests me more than the match itself is the change we’re starting to see in Cody.

Earlier in the night, he completely lost his temper with Sami Zayn. Then during the brawl with Randy, Cody hit him with a low blow. Those aren’t things I normally associate with Cody as a babyface.

And that’s what makes Randy such an interesting opponent for him.

Randy isn’t just another guy Cody is feuding with. He seems to be bringing out a side of Cody that we haven’t seen much of.

If WWE keeps going in this direction, I think the more interesting story will be watching how much Randy changes Cody rather than simply who wins their matches.

I’m really enjoying this version of Cody.

I’ve noticed that multi-match feuds work better in WWE when there isn’t a world title involved.

With longer title reigns becoming more common, it can be difficult to make a challenger feel like a real threat if everyone already knows they aren’t winning the championship.

That’s how I felt about Cody vs. GUNTHER. GUNTHER losing multiple times made the outcome of the feud easier to predict because it was clear the title wasn’t changing hands.

Compare that to Punk vs. Drew or Oba vs. Brock. Since there was no championship involved, either guy could win. Both guys actually did, which gave each match a little more uncertainty.

That’s why I think Cody vs. Randy could benefit from not having the world title involved.

Randy can win one match, Cody can win another, and WWE can let the rivalry develop without having to worry about protecting the champion every time.

If a challenger has very little chance of winning the title, I’d rather see WWE make that a one-match feud than stretch it out for months with predictable results.

Sometimes taking the title out of the story gives both wrestlers more freedom.

I have a feeling Penta is winning this tournament, and honestly, I think that’s the right call.

What makes it even more interesting is the possibility of Penta vs. Rey Fenix in the final. If WWE goes that route, they already have the history and chemistry to make it a really good match.

But more importantly, this tournament could benefit both guys.

Penta can continue building toward the main event picture, while Fenix gets the kind of spotlight he needs to establish himself as more than just a great tag team wrestler.

I’d love to see WWE use this tournament to elevate both of them instead of making it only about who wins.

If Penta vs. Fenix is the final, I’m all for it.

I like that WWE is bringing more live events back because it gives wrestlers a chance to build chemistry before the big TV matches.

That’s especially useful with Bron Breakker and Oba Femi. Having them work together in tag matches on house shows lets them get comfortable with each other, figure out their timing, and learn what works in the ring.

So when WWE eventually gives us their first singles match on the main roster, they won’t be starting from scratch. They’ll already have some experience working with each other and should have a better idea of how to make the match work.

I’ve always liked this approach. Let the wrestlers build the match before putting it on television.

Smart move by WWE.

I’m really enjoying the dynamic between Tatum Paxley and Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair.

There’s a little bit of Mickie James and Trish Stratus in this, but with Tatum bringing a completely different energy. She’s basically the goth version of that obsessed fan character. 😂

What I didn’t expect is how naturally she fits alongside Alexa and Charlotte. They’re very different personalities, but somehow that makes the group more entertaining.

Tatum’s presence adds something that neither of them has on their own, and I’m curious to see how far WWE takes this.

There’s definitely something here.

I’m starting to see a really interesting evolution in Solo Sikoa.

Some of his recent promos remind me a little of Rocky Maivia’s transition into The Rock. Not because I think Solo is going to become the next Rock, but because I see a similar shift in how the audience is responding to him.

Rocky was heavily disliked, but once he joined The Nation and started showing more personality, humor, and confidence, people began connecting with him differently. Eventually, that personality started showing up in his matches too.

The ridiculous kicks where he’d shake his foot first. The elbow drop that eventually evolved into The People’s Elbow. 😂 Those little character details helped make him memorable.

I think Solo could benefit from something similar.

The funny promos are working. The crowd seems to be enjoying this version of him. Now I want to see that personality make its way into his matches.

Give him a few signature spots that fit this character. Let him interact with the crowd. Make his wrestling style feel like an extension of who he is becoming.

The character is evolving. I’d like to see the in-ring work evolve with it.

That could make Solo a much more complete performer.