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Csonka’s WWE Stomping Grounds 2019 Preview

June 23, 2019 | Posted by Larry Csonka
Seth Rollins Baron Corbin WWE Stomping Grounds

WELCOME back to column time with Larry! Today, I am going to discuss and preview WWE Stomping Grounds 2019, the newest PPV from WWE. So today I will breakdown and preview the event. Feel free to make your picks in the comment section. Thanks for reading! It’s wrestling, we love it and will disagree. The only rules are “have a take, be respectful, and don’t be a dick.”

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Smackdown Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Rowan vs. Heavy Machinery: Following a few weeks of teases, this tag match was made official on Tuesday’s Smackdown. Bryan & Rowan are a better team than I would have expected, and it feels like there is a lot of potential with their title run. Heavy Machinery are a fun duo, they have charisma and have played well off of Bryan & Rowan. I think that the match has potential to be fun and will be a big test for Heavy Machinery. I wouldn’t rule out a title change, but don’t expect it as I felt here is a lot of meat left on the bone with the Bryan & Rowan title run. WINNERS: Daniel Bryan & Rowan

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Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese vs. Drew Gulak vs. Akira Tozawa: On the June 11th episode of 205 Live, Drew Gulak & Akira Tozawa were in a #1 contender’s match that ended with the two doing a superplex into a double pin finish. This week on 205 Live, it was announced that both would receive the title shot. Nese wanted to prove himself against Tozawa, and has a ton of history with Gulak, who has returned to the brand with a new attitude, not wanting to make a better 205 Live, but instead wanting to be the best Drew Gulak by any means necessary. Nese has been a fine champion, but hasn’t exactly been given the chance to set the world on fire. With that being the case, I could see a title change here, and Gulak finally winning the title in what has the potential to be a really good match. WINNER: Drew Gulak

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Big E & Xavier Woods vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn: This match was added on Monday’s Raw, and has some solid background & story to it as Kofi beat both Sami & Kevin, Kevin infiltrated the New Day to turn on them, and he also allegedly attacked Big E during his first attempt at a return. Bu even more important than that, for me at least, is that this looks to be a positive addition to the card in terms of delivering in the ring. Kevin & Sami have a ton of history as a team and are great when given the chance, and Woods & Big E deliver on PPV when given the chance to do so. If they get the time and some freedom, this could be very good to great so I am looking forward to it. Kevin & Sami have largely been beaten like a drum since their returns, and are in desperate need of a win here to really maintain some credibility as heels. WINNERS: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

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US Champion Samoa Joe vs. Ricochet: On Monday’s Raw, Ricochet won a fatal five-way match to earn this title shot. While obviously not deep in background story, I find this a welcomed addition to the card. It’s a fresh match up, Joe will likely be motivated to deliver with someone new, and Ricochet is getting his first major singles PPV match, and you know that he’ll be out to impress. I am really looking forward to this one, and feel that it has potential to be very good or even great. With Joe just getting the title back following Rey’s injury, I don’t think that a title change is very likely, but wouldn’t be opposed to it; Joe retains. WINNER: Samoa Joe

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Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre: This is part of the Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon feud, following several attacks on Reigns by Drew McIntyre and then McIntyre costing Reigns to lose to Shane at SaudiMania III. On the surface I’m not very thrilled with this match, as the Shane vs. Roman feud is a poor attempt to recreate Austin vs. McMahon. It’s failing, and while the Mania match between Reigns & McIntyre wasn’t bad, I did feel that it was a disappointment. On the surface, you’d think that Reigns gets the rebound win here, but McIntyre can’t afford another major loss. Hopefully this is better than the Mania match, but I’d expect Shane and possibly Elias to get involved, setting up a McIntyre win and handicap match with Reigns vs. Shane & McIntyre at Extreme Rules, where Reigns finally overcomes. I still feel like the handling of Reigns since his return has left a lot to be desired, and that they completely whiffed on a chance to reinvent him. WINNER: Drew McIntyre

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SmackDown Live Women’s Championship Match: Champion Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss: Bayley won the championship at MITB, and now revisits an old rivalry as wildcard Alexa Bliss earned a title shot when visiting Smackdown. This feels like it’s designed for Bayley to get some redemption, as her feud with Bliss on Raw was when the Bayley character was cutoff and nearly destroyed through it’s poor booking. Bliss winning the championship really makes no sense tome right now, and I feel that there’s still a lot to explore with Bliss and Nikki Cross’ partnership. Either Bliss is just an evil bitch using her and will turn Nikki and make her even crazier, or this will actually be a babyface turn for Bliss, and the odd couple relationship continues to be fun and they make a run at the tag titles. WINNER: Champion Bayley

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Raw Women’s Championship Match: Champion Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans: Back at MITB, these two had an ok match with Lynch retaining clean via submission. Evans later cost Lynch her Smackdown championship vs. Charlotte and that has kept this feud going. Lacey is still rough around the edges, and has potential, but isn’t ready for a title run. Also, it isn’t the time to take the title off of Becky. But on the other hand, WWE has booked themselves into a corner, Lacey already lost clean, and if she loses again, simply comes off as a loser. I wouldn’t do it, but a title change wouldn’t surprise me here. There will likely be some sort of shenanigan filled finish to set up another match at Extreme Rules. WINNER: Champion Becky Lynch

WWE Universal Championship Match: Champion Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin: This is a rematch from SaudiMania III, which was solid with a dead crowd and poorly done finish where the babyface got help to win, setting up this match. I have no desire to watch another Corbin “main event” match, he tries and I suppose on some level I appreciate WWE not giving up on him, but I just don’t buy him in any way, shape, or form as a top guy. Hopefully, with a livelier crowd, and having worked together more we get a better match here. I guess Brock will be in play for a possible cash-in, but Rollins should beat Corbin and hopefully put this feud to rest. I am sure that the special ref stuff will be really “creative” and not take away at all from the match… WINNER: Champion Seth Rollins

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WWE Championship Steel Cage Match: Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler: SaudiMania III. Where valiant babyface Dolph Ziggler was screwed out of winning the title by the nefarious heels, the New Day. Seriously, that’s what happened in an instance of back asswards booking, which leads to this rematch, inside a steel cage. I don’t think that I am going out on a limb when I say that 90% or so of regular WWE cage matches suck. The have no structure, they don’t keep anyone out, there is no heat and everyone dances around so that we don’t get accidental blood. I am perfectly fine with not having guys blade in 2019, but when you have guys tiptoeing around and working like they are afraid, it kills the flow & energy of what should be a heated match. I hope that I am very wrong here, and that they can succeed and have an absolutely great match. But even if they overcome the handcuffs of a WWE cage match, the thing they need to overcome is the lack of believability I have in Ziggler winning. If they can do that, the match will certainly have a chance to succeed, but Kofi should retain here. WINNER: Champion Kofi Kingston

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 29. On the show, the good brother, Jeremy Lambert, joins 411’s Larry Csonka; the guys will preview the WWE Stomping Grounds 2019 PPV, and then dive into the great matches that the NJPW G1 Climax 29 has to offer. The show is approximately 89-minutes long.

* Intro
* WWE Stomping Grounds 2019 Preview: 1:50
* NJPW G1 29 Thoughts: 43:55

You can subscribe and listen to the 411 on Wrestling Podcast via the above player on Transistor, or on the following platforms:

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