Welcome back to another round of Quick Takes—a post that indulges in the topics that aren’t worth dedicating a full article to, but are still on my mind.
Each week, I try to cram in as many smaller talking points as I can via a speedier process, and I invite you to chime in with your own thoughts about these topics and anything else by keeping the discussion going in the comments below! Drop some more talking points in there for everyone to chat it up about, too!
Without further ado, let’s get into this week’s topics.
Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke Traded to Raw BEFORE WWE Draft
What the hell is wrong with WWE where such illogical things happen on such a regular basis that it’s not all that surprising that Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke were traded over to Raw basically 2 weeks before the WWE Draft?
You mean to tell me they couldn’t wait until October 12th to move them over?
I don’t dislike the pairing in general. They look like they match and the women’s division could use more tag teams. Of course, I’d like for them to have an actual tag team name, but it’s the first week, so I’ll cut them some slack. But I don’t think this is going to be a long term thing in any case. It never is. This will be like Naomi and Carmella, who had potential to be a decent team and went nowhere.
But I think it’s ridiculous WWE moved Mandy to Raw and then moved Dana like this. At least with Mandy, it was part of a story. With Dana, it just happened for the sake of happening. Why couldn’t Mandy just win a couple singles matches and then Dana get drafted and start the tag team on October 12th?
That makes me incredibly nervous about the draft. WWE can’t possibly have a solid game plan about this. Once they mess it all up with horrible moves that aren’t thought out, they’ll have to start turning people heel and face at random in a month or so just to compensate and it will be a mess. Any time WWE does something and says “we’ll figure it out later”, the only times it ever works out is when they fall ass-backwards into something good out of pure luck. It’s never from actually doing the work and finding a solution to the problem.
MJF Replacing Sammy Guevara in The Inner Circle?
At first, I was thinking MJF vs. Chris Jericho was in the works. This week, with MJF “forgetting” a jacket for Sammy Guevara, it switches things up. Is that a sign that the game plan is actually for MJF to replace Sammy as a member of The Inner Circle?
I’m not entirely sold on the idea happening at all, or being a good idea, for a few reasons. However, I see a lot of potential positives in it, too.
Why don’t I think it will happen? Because MJF doesn’t need it. He does just fine on his own and it would mean Wardlow would either have to split from him or join Inner Circle, too. If Wardlow’s there, why have Jake Hager? And if you’re replacing both Hager and Guevara, then there must be a reason to boot them. Maybe Hager’s deal is up and he doesn’t want to do it anymore and maybe Guevara’s a liability they want to punish?
Just speculating on some random things, what if this is their means to turn Guevara babyface, actually? It sounds ridiculous at first, but hear me out. He gets booted from Inner Circle, takes some time off and comes back a renewed man who has gotten over his childish ways and wants revenge on the group that was a bad influence on him. That could work.
Downside if you team MJF and Jericho is that you’re bypassing a feud between the two for a while. Positive is that you get to see them partner and eventually, MJF can overthrow Jericho. Think of The Rock in Nation of Domination style.
I wouldn’t be opposed to Jericho vs. MJF or a partnership. Both have their benefits. I just hope this is actually going somewhere and not just a tease for the sake of getting people talking, just to swerve into a completely different angle no one saw coming that is lesser.
Jerry Lawler Replacing Mean Gene on WWE Story Time
This isn’t a big story, but it’s something worth tossing into a Quick Takes.
The show WWE Story Time will be returning. Since we’ve lost Mean Gene Okerlund, who was the narrator for that show, he’s being replaced by Jerry “The King” Lawler. I think it’s a fitting switch. Lawler doesn’t have Okerlund’s voice, but that’s not what this is necessarily about. It’s not like this is a movie trailer that needs the “In a world..” vibe.
Lawler might bring even more levity to it, actually. He has a different brand of silly than Mean Gene, who was more of a straight man act.
I’m curious what stories they have to tell, now that there are less older superstars to tap for ideas. Here’s hoping there are some gems and not just stuff we’ve heard 100 times or stories that aren’t actually interesting or funny, like some other episodes have had.
What are your takes on these topics? Keep the discussion going in the comments below!
