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We publish a whole lot of content here at Cageside Seats. We’re also [looks around and whispers so the bosses can’t hear] not the only place producing wrestling content on the internet. So, as a service to you on the weekdays, we’ll be producing a wrestling newsletter, "Rude Awakening." Well, it will be a newsletter eventually: for now, it’ll just be part of your experience here at Cageside, collecting the news, recaps, and social moments from the greater wrestling universe daily so you won’t fall behind, with a newsletter format to come.
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As far as we can tell, the main event of Roadblock: End of the Line is going to feature Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE Universal Championship. That might be acceptable should the United States Championship also be on the line, but it’s just the big red strap up for grabs. Given that, there’s no reason for Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair to have the first women’s Iron Man match in main roster history as a secondary main. WWE has already broken the seal here, having Sasha and Charlotte main event Hell in a Cell, and they should do so again here with the final match of the top feud the brand has going.
Owens’ primary story line is his bubbling feud with former best friend Chris Jericho. Reigns is already US champ and has never been one to be held back from an opportunity, so this feud just sort of exists within a larger story that’s being told. That’s good and all, and said story has been enjoyable, but it’s secondary to what Sasha and Charlotte have been doing for months now, trading back the RAW Women’s Championship in a feud that’s seen the violence and stakes rise throughout. Hell, the subtitle of Roadblock is "End of the Line," and this is the admitted last bout the two will have against each other in this specific instance of their feud: what’s more fitting than letting the titular End of the Line match be the end of the show?
It’s possible Reigns is going to win and become a double champion, and they’re concerned about the fan reaction to that moment existing anywhere besides the very end of the show. It’s also possible that they’re concerned about their treatment of the still-new Universal Championship, which has been secondary (or worse) to every wrestler and feud it’s been attached to for some time now. The last, least pessimistic thought is that the ending of this match will do a lot more to drag people to their televisions again on Monday for RAW: Charlotte vs. Sasha is the end of the feud, not necessarily the immediate start of something new. The final image of Roadblock, whether it’s interference or the final dissolution of JeriKO or something else we haven’t thought of, might be the real reason the Universal title match will go on last. If that’s the case, whatever is planned better be worth bumping the obvious, worthy choice.
- With Spandex is up to Spring Stampede 1997 in their retro WCW recaps, aka the one where Booker T delivers an infamous accidental line.
- WWE unveiled a United Kingdom tournament and championship early on Thursday morning, with the two-day, live tourney set for January of 2017.
- Today’s Rumor Roundup looks at Chris Hero’s status as well as the (lack of) plans for the Slammy Awards in 2017.
- NXT began its mini tournament to determine the new number one contender on Wednesday’s episode, and Sean Reuter has the full recap for you.
- Total Nonstop Deletion is Thursday, and here are five questions to ask about that chaos.
- Lucha Underground saw the Battle of the Bulls progress and more on this week’s episode.
- Tribute to the Troops actually had some important moments, a surprise considering it was a taped holiday show. First, there was a backstage Shield reunion, and not even because there was an opportunity to powerbomb someone hated through the announce table. Then, Cesaro and Sheamus won themselves a chance to take the RAW Tag Team Championships from The New Day this Sunday at Roadblock.
- Shawn Michaels says he hasn’t been contacted about participating in the next Royal Rumble, so either he’s lying or we’re just using that idea to keep hope alive for another year.
- Linda McMahon now has a job in the federal government as the head of the Small Business Administration, and the reactions are varied. Vocativ ran a piece breaking down her history of killing small business in the wrestling industry. The Washington Post ran an op-ed explaining how, unlike many of Donald Trump’s pick, at least McMahon isn’t a joke.
- The Young Bucks have managed to succeed financially without WWE’s help, and Vice Sports details the brothers’ success.
- So it turns out that the turtle didn’t touch Paige after all.
- TNA is reportedly trying to get Jeff Jarrett back, and 205 Live is being run by Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn. Sorry to end on a downer like that.