FREE SHOW: SRS talks WWE Raw, Fright Night, Collision, SD, SNME.

Hey guys, SRS here. I think you all know I don't like missing shows if I can avoid it. The last week, we've been taking care of our gravely ill kitty, Jenny. I'd like to thank my Fightful team for stepping up and helping, but I'm always looking for ways to give our subscribers their money's worth. I've caught up on wrestling the past week and put my notes, as well as some exclusives in there, as well as a short review. We're leaving this one for free for all subscribers.

Again, I'd like to apologize for missing these shows.

A note for free tier subscribers: Now is a fantastic time to re-subscribe, because we have some major Fightful Select news coming in the next number of weeks. Also, it helps me pay for these insane vet bills!!!

AEW Fright Night

• AEW showing clips of past Halloween highlights was a good move.

• Wheeler YUTA went from getting what people thought was the wrong kind of heat to getting indisputably the right kind of heat. The day when Bryan Danielson comes back and wrestles him will hit hard.

• I'm very glad Daniel Garcia getting fooled with a skateboard wasn't the finish, because he doesn't need to be getting beat with that. Darby Allin using the Scorpion Death lock is absolutely the move. Establishing that as his finish with decades of history being passed on.

• Jurassic Express have certainly had potential on their own, but the tag team is the right move. It's time to establish the tag team division the way it was years ago, where it was a top tier level situation where people out of the World Title picture could go. I think it's getting there.

• I'm all for Mel Coleman getting work, because she rules, but I think AEW has overdone the Don Callis painting thing.

• The Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita build is going really, really well. I think Takeshita should win the Continental Classic, win the double title match at the Tokyo Dome, and ALSO beat Okada in a winner take all match. Put the rocket ship on him to the most disgusting level. Firmly establish him as the guy. The rap on Okada is that he "isn't motivated" on screen, and someone finally taking his spot could change that.

• Kyle O'Reilly being Jon Moxley's kryptonite is a great angle. Even if O'Reilly hasn't beat Moxley, the fact that Moxley can't beat him plays on psychological levels and is fresh. Moxley has been the top guy in AEW for years, Kyle is a familiar, midcard guy that garners emotion really well.

• I really expected Alex Windsor and Jamie Hayter teaming up, but now I'm hoping that this leads to a Jamie Hayter vs Queen Aminata feud because they would beat the brakes off of each other. I think it's a good idea to have the established team of Sisters of Sin go over. Establishing Mercedes and Athena as even more title hungry to establish a common ground is good stuff.

• We still can't get more than one women's match on Dynamite? Why???

• Marina Shafir replacing the injured Penelope Ford was a really good move. I think Shafir can thrive in the tag team division. Jon Moxley endorsing them was a really good touch. Him on commentary on Collision was a really great, and booking them against familiar talent like Tegan Nox and Miranda Alize was also good booking. I wanted AEW to bring in more familiar faces for this division.

• I can't believe people thought Lashley yelling at Hook was a shoot.

• If there's one thing the Hurt Syndicate will do, it's chasing people to the back after costing them matches.

• The Hangman Page reveal as Tony Schiavone was great stuff.

• I'm just glad to see an iteration of the Bang Bang Gang together.

• The Blood & Guts women's lineup is PSYCHOTIC. I can only speculate, but with TV numbers hurting with the new format, and needing to put buttcheeks in seats, this is an incredible way to help increase that. The OC announcement was funny.

• Mercedes wrestling on Collision is great. The match with Olympia was okay. I wouldn't call it a PPV level Mercedes match.

• This Anthony Bowens/Max Caster situation just hasn't been good. Two very talented performers. One got over really well, the other never really got a chance, and was presented completely wrong. I like the idea of them realizing their success is as a tag team, I just haven't enjoyed it.

• Bandido vs. Mascara Dorada was incredible. A must watch. But what incentive is there to watch the ROH TV show?!? Bandido defends in 20+ minute bangers everywhere but ROH TV. There is no motivation to watch that show.

• AEW, tell people at or right next to your announce table to STOP CLAPPING! We hear it over the broadcast.

WWE Weekend

• For all of the talk about ticket sales, including here on Fightful, it was Halloween. Going up against that and the World Series, I can see people not being keen on going to a wrestling show. Certainly the insane prices of tickets can discourage people too, but there are also other budgeting things that will likely be affecting wrestling ticketing in the near future considering the social landscape.

• Ilja Dragunov is on a different level than everyone else on WWE's male roster. That isn't an insult to anyone else. But immediately he's shown that WWE was missing something by not having him for a year. I always remember Vince McMahon calling Taz ECW's "sawed off monster." That's Ilja

• KIT WILSON WITH A WIN?! I can't say I ever knew what his finisher....oh wait he just lost! Probably a good idea. Carmelo Hayes certainly needed that win more. He doesn't need a feud with the Miz, but I'm confident that both are going to try to prove a point with their match.

• Jade Cargill was presented as well as she's ever been on SNME. At this stage, you know what you've got with her.

• I like Tama Tonga's version of the Hidden Blade, I used that on the indies and SHINDIES like 10+ years ago!

• Saturday Night's Main Event: I reviewed it., but come on, game 7 for the Jays was on. I loved that it was just a clean show. Four finishes, no "getting heat back" after the match. Just some wrestling, man. That's good.

• I heard it was a "ghost town" backstage because there weren't a lot of people brought in for the show.

• The clip of the botched Jey Uso/CM Punk neckbreaker went viral. Shit happens. I thought all things considered it was right in line with the WWE style main events that work: finisher, finisher, opponent's finisher, opponent's finisher, pin. As far as Jey Uso in-ring singles matches go, I found it on the better side. Cardio has certainly been a concern, a

• PSA: stay out of wrestler's personal lives. Who they're dating isn't your business!

• Cody Rhodes' suit game is on another level.

• I loved adding John Cena's tournament announcement to SNME. It made the show feel way more important, and wasn't expected. I think if they would have advertised it, it would have helped.

WWE Raw

• Why......why would CM Punk ever trust Logan Paul? Just because he got his ass kicked by the Vision earlier in the night?! That makes your top babyface look dumb. Did Logan just voluntarily get his ass kicked to FOOL Punk? Or did the Vision just bring in someone they knew they could easily dispatch?

• Punk's new shirt is really cool. I would imagine he had some input on it considering most wrestling shirts are not!

• I know a lot of people wanted Jey Uso to turn heel, but WWE cares way more about money than general show quality. The guy is massively over as a babyface live at the venue and with kids and also adults that like to dress like kids.

• A double countout in a Raw main event! Never could have guessed it!!

• They've really managed to get good life out of Bayley and Lyra's program to keep it fresh. Kabuki Warriors are at the top of their game right now and they needed a win for it to make any sense that they're getting tag title shots after losing to Rhiyo.

• There's a thing called "telephone hands," and it was one of the first things many people were taught not to do. It's when you're circling someone to lock up and for some reason your hands are shaped like a telephone. Don't do it. It makes you look like you're playing pretend. Nobody actually does that.

• Roxanne Perez continues to rule. Her getting these wins is a good move. She's a big part of WWE's future. Nikki Bella really isn't. This gets Judgment Day wins for the tag scene, AND helps justify a Raquel Rodriguez title shot. Her having won a couple of singles matches recently helps too. Give winners the title shots!!

• Rey Mysterio is FINALLY back. I'm in Sting mode with him, where I'm just enjoying whatever time it is with him in the ring. We're very fortunate to still have him wrestling. Rey vs. Dominik makes a ton of sense for Survivor Series in San Diego, and that's what I hope happens. I'd rather John Cena be in WarGames. Dominik's Eddie line was amazing.

• Becky Lynch continues to be among the best performers in the world. I love a good Breaking Bad reference.

• For a show that had no Rhea Ripley, Seth Rollins, John Cena, Roman Reigns, I thought this flowed pretty well. I dunno what the "new landscape" was though, because no it wasn't.