Wuztrending New Zealand (2025)

08/11/2022

Barcelona vs Man United pick of UEFA Europa League draw

Gab & Juls react to the standout Europa League playoff clash between Manchester United and Barcelona. (1:30)

It was written that for the first season of these revamped Europa League knockout rounds — there’s now a playoff round between teams that finished third in their Champions League groups and teams that finished second in their Europa League groups — there would be a huge tie. And the draw didn’t disappoint!

– UEL Draw: Barca vs. Man United the pick of the round

Barcelona and Manchester United, two European giants chasing a way back to the top, will face each other for a place in the last 16. It means that one of the two managers, Erik ten Hag and Xavi, will be out of Europe very early, which will be another embarrassment and another thing for the club to deal with.

On paper, Barcelona are slightly ahead in their development and process, but United can also beat them. It will be a tactical battle, too; beyond it marking Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to the Camp Nou — as well as for Raphael Varane and Casemiro — it will be the Frenkie De Jong derby. It could be Sergio Busquets’ last-ever European action, too, which amounts to a potentially fascinating tie.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

As Xavi put it on Monday, “The draw has given us the most difficult opponent once again, but we will look forward to it and we will compete … It’s the worst draw we could have got. Once again. Sometimes it’s a plus to play against the best sides. Maybe it will bring the best out of us here and at Old Trafford. It’s a challenge.”

The rest is not as eye-catching by comparison, although there are still some compelling matchups. Three in particular have the feel of Champions League ties:

– Bayer Leverkusen vs. Monaco, or the Kevin Volland derby given he spent four seasons scoring goals in the Bundesliga before joining the Ligue 1 club in 2020. Monaco and Philippe Clement are hitting form and will hope to still be in top shape in February in order to give Xabi Alonso’s side a tough test.

Alonso, a legend as a player and now enjoying his first senior coaching job, still lacks experience and has to learn quickly. If not, the team from the principality could prove too tricky to overcome. Wissam Ben Yedder (nine goals) and Breel Embolo lead from the front for Monaco, while Alex Nubel has played every minute between the posts.

– Sevilla vs. PSV Eindhoven is going to be great, too. Jorge Sampaoli is trying to revive Sevilla’s season, but he has yet to find the right formula. However, the Europa League is their competition, having won four of the past 10 editions.

While Sevilla are struggling, PSV are flying. They beat Arsenal in the group stage even if they still finished second behind the Gunners in the end. Ruud Van Nistelrooy is building a young team with great potential and if Cody Gakpo is still in their squad by the time the first leg rolls around, they will be my favourites to qualify.

RB Salzburg vs. Roma is really the tale of two managers, the apprentice against the master: Mathias Jassle vs. José Mourinho. At 34, Jaissle has a great future ahead of him and his young Salzburg team matched up well with Chelsea and Milan in their Champions League group, drawing against both. At 59, Mourinho wants to add the Europa League to his trophy cabinet after winning the Europa Conference League last season, but he’ll have to rally the Giallorossi to their best form given inconsistent performances in Serie A so far this campaign.

Otherwise, Juventus have been arguably the luckiest side in the draw, with Nantes coming their way. The French Cup winners last season are very much among the minnows left in the competition and they wanted the biggest opponent possible — consider that wish granted! The players celebrated when they drew Juve, and they will have nothing to lose. For the Old Lady, the biggest pressure is that they simply can’t afford to lose, as it would be a proper humiliation if they did.

Ajax vs. Union Berlin is the clash of two extremes, putting opposing styles head-to-head in an intriguing battle. The Dutch side will have a lot of the ball, with the Bundesliga side all too happy to play on the counter. Ajax are favourites, undoubtedly, but Union keep defying the odds. Elsewhere, Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Rennes will be an attacking affair, though I believe the French side are the better team here. Finally, Sporting will go into their games against Midtjylland as the favourites too.

Games to be played Feb. 16 and Feb. 23

Barcelona vs. Manchester United

Juventus vs. Nantes

Sporting CP vs. Midtjylland

Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Rennes

Ajax vs. Union Berlin

Bayer Leverkusen vs. AS Monaco

Sevilla vs. PSV Eindhoven

FC Salzburg vs. AS Roma

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Gab & Juls react to the standout Europa League playoff clash between Manchester United and Barcelona. (1:30) It was written that for the first season of these revamped Europa League ...

07/11/2022

Don McLean: ‘American Pie’ singer on upcoming tour of NZ

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Don McLean is one of the great examples of a single song changing a life.

Back in 1972, American Pie launched him into stardom – and became a defining song of the 20th century.

That launched a multi decade career which included hits like Vincent, Castles in the Air and I Love You So.

And of course, we have the recent collaboration with Tyson Fury.

Now – he’s coming our way for a tour in May next year.

Don McLean joined the Mike Hosking Breakfast.

Ticket details

Tuesday 2 May – Trafalgar Centre, Nelson

Thursday 4 May – Civic Theatre, Invercargill

Friday 5 May – Town Hall, Christchurch

Sunday 7 May – Regent Theatre, Palmerston Nnorth

Tuesday 9 May – Town Hall, Auckland

Tickets on sale Friday 11 November from 9.00am from oneworldentertainment.co.nz

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you

Get more of the radio, music and podcasts you love with the FREE iHeartRadio app. Scan the QR code to download now.

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Follow the podcast on Don McLean is one of the great examples of a single song changing a life. Back in 1972, American Pie launched him into stardom – and ...

07/11/2022

Kathy Griffin suspended from Twitter for impersonating Elon Musk

Twitter has suspended comedian Kathy Griffin for impersonating the company’s new owner, Elon Musk.

Griffin appeared to be the first celebrity to lose her tweeting privileges after a wave of prominent users impersonated Musk over the weekend, with the goal of underscoring potential flaws in the social media company’s plans for a revised verification system.

Musk has made an $8 Twitter subscription plan his signature bid to bolster the company’s revenue. The new plan was hastily rolled out over the weekend before the company ultimately decided to delay the service until after the midterms.

The updated Twitter Blue subscription plan gives paying users the ability to get a blue check mark on their profiles, an option previously available exclusively to verified celebrities, politicians, journalists and other public figures. Musk proposed the new feature as a way to fight spam on the platform.

But the partially rolled-out plan faced widespread backlash, and in a display of defiance, some celebrities on the platform posed as Musk over the weekend, complete with a blue check mark on their profiles.

Comedian Sarah Silverman used her verified account to troll Musk, copying his profile picture, cover image and name. The only thing distinguishing a tweet coming Silverman’s account was the handle.

“I am a freedom of speech absolutist and I eat doody for breakfast every day,” Silverman tweeted Saturday. Her account also retweeted posts supporting Democratic candidates.

Silverman’s account was labeled as “temporarily restricted” Sunday, with a warning that “there has been some unusual activity from this account” shown to visitors before clicking through to the profile. The comedian then changed her account back to its usual form, complete with her own name and image.

Television actress Valerie Bertinelli similarly changed her account name to the Twitter CEO’s, tweeting Friday that “[t]he blue checkmark simply meant your identity was verified. Scammers would have a harder time impersonating you. That no longer applies. Good luck out there!” She then answered a follower who asked how the checkmark no longer applies, writing, “[y]ou can buy a blue check mark for $7.99 a month without verifying who you are.”

After changing her profile name to Musk, Bertinelli tweeted and retweeted support for several Democratic candidates and hashtags, including “VoteBlueForDemocracy” and “ .”

The actress changed her account name back to Valerie Bertinelli Sunday, tweeting, “[o]key-dokey I’ve had my fun and I think I made my point.”

On Sunday, Musk tweeted that, “Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying ‘parody’ will be permanently suspended.” He also tweeted that a name change on Twitter will “cause temporary loss of verified checkmark.”

Additionally, Musk said Twitter users will no longer receive warning before being suspended. “This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue,” he tweeted.

Griffin’s account remained suspended Monday morning, and it was unclear how long it would remain in effect. Musk mocked Griffin Sunday, quipping that “she was suspended for impersonating a comedian.” Musk also tweeted that Griffin could get her account back by paying $8 a month for Twitter Blue, although it wasn’t clear whether Musk was serious.

CNN fired Griffin in 2017 after the comedian was photographed holding up a bloody head resembling that of then-President Donald Trump. Griffin had co-hosted the New Year’s Eve program alongside Anderson Cooper for a decade.

The crackdown on accounts comes in the wake of Musk purchasing the company and pledging to restore the accounts of users who were previously banned from the platform, most notably Trump. Musk has also said he will limit the company’s content restrictions and require the paid subscription for account verification.

In recent months, Musk has shared conspiracy theories about the attack on Paul Pelosi, called Democrats the party of “division & hate,” compared Twitter’s former CEO to Joseph Stalin and warned that “the woke mind virus will destroy civilization.”

Read More => https://nz.wuztrending.com/2022/11/07/kathy-griffin-suspended-from-twitter-for-impersonating-elon-musk/

Twitter has suspended comedian Kathy Griffin for impersonating the company’s new owner, Elon Musk. Griffin appeared to be the first celebrity to lose her tweeting privileges after a wave of ...

07/11/2022

Selena Gomez’s “Shocking” Response To Her Kidney Donor Francia Raisa Being Snubbed In Her New Documentary Has Sparked Backlash

“As if the person who gave you their kidney is some random acquaintance.”

BuzzFeed News Reporter

selena gomez said that her only friend in music industry is taylor swift. francia raisa isn’t in music industry apparently so why get mad like that? selena said many times that she sees francia as her sister.

selena sees francia as her own sister so why would she say francia is her only industry friend?? also i believe selena was talking about the music industry not hollywood in general😭

But everyone is a 10, remember that fact while viewing

BuzzFeed News Reporter

Stephanie Soteriou is a Celebrity Reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in London

Contact Stephanie Soteriou at [email protected].

Got a confidential tip? 👉 Submit it here

Read More => https://nz.wuztrending.com/2022/11/07/selena-gomezs-shocking-response-to-her-kidney-donor-francia-raisa-being-snubbed-in-her-new-documentary-has-sparked-backlash/

“As if the person who gave you their kidney is some random acquaintance.” BuzzFeed News Reporter selena gomez said that her only friend in music industry is taylor swift. francia ...

07/11/2022

Selena Gomez Termed “Ungrateful” While Francia Raisa Is Being Called “Nasty B*tch” As Their Fans Indul

Home » Hollywood News

Selena Gomez has been making a lot of noise over her documentary, My Mind & Me. The actress focused on her mental health along with references to how the reports around Justin Bieber romance affected her. In the latest interview, she spoke about how Taylor Swift is her only friend in Hollywood and that irked her kidney donor, Franca Raisa. Scroll below to know how their feud has sparked a Twitter war.

It all began as Selena’s statement about Hollywood friends in the media industry went viral. The actress also spoke about how she could never fit into the gang of cool girls as she would often question her identity. She then went on and confessed that she considers Taylor Swift as her only Hollywood friend.

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Reacting to the same, Franca Raisa replied to a news portal in a now-deleted comment that read, “Interesting.” To clarify her statement, Selena Gomez went onto add, “Sorry I didn’t mention every person I know.”

The cold war has left the netizens talking and the internet is divided into team Selena Gomez vs Francia Raisa.

A tweet read, “If Francia Raisa wants to be a nasty b***h online then she should step up to the plate and do that! CALL SELENAS ASS OUT!!!! Do it big or don’t do it at all? Grow some bolas mija, none of this shady half assed s**t. So annoying, not real what’s so ever. At your BIG age.”

If Francia Raisa wants to be a nasty b***h online then she should step up to the plate and do that! CALL SELENAS ASS OUT!!!! Do it big or don’t do it at all? Grow some bolas mija, none of this shady half assed s**t. So annoying, not real what’s so ever. At your BIG age.

— ۟ () November 7, 2022

Another wrote, “RIGHT and people are being daft saying they’re not in the same industry like y’all it’s THE industry Francia is apart of of too I’d be so pi**ed if I gave her my kidney and then she proceeded to say Taylor was her only friend. Just so tasteless.”

RIGHT and people are being daft saying they’re not in the same industry like y’all it’s THE industry Francia is apart of of too I’d be so pi**ed if I gave her my kidney and then she proceeded to say Taylor was her only friend. Just so tasteless.

— samanthamcfarland () November 6, 2022

“Congratulations to Francia for ruining Selena’s moment. She didn’t want to be known as Selena’s kidney donor but then did everything possible to make the narrative about that,” another wrote.

Congratulations to Francia for ruining Selena’s moment. She didn’t want to be known as Selena’s kidney donor but then did everything possible to make the narrative about that.

— lexie () November 6, 2022

“already seeing people complaining about selenas response…” a user reacted.

already seeing people complaining about selenas response… pic.twitter.com/QA8grhYVMU

— ⋆˚𐐪𐑂˚｡⋆ () November 6, 2022

As most know, Francia Raisa was the one who donated her kidney when Selena Gomez went through kidney transplant. Old reports suggest that the pop star had started drinking a lot after Justin Bieber split and Francia had tried to school Sel over it, which led to their fallout.

Stay tuned to Koimoi for more Hollywood updates!

Must Read: Johnny Depp Paid Whopping $150 Million To Silence His Former Girlfriends, $1.25 Million To Ex-Wife After Repeatedly Using The “N-Word”?

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Home » Hollywood News Selena Gomez has been making a lot of noise over her documentary, My Mind & Me. The actress focused on her mental health along with references ...

07/11/2022

Samoa advance to semi-finals with thrilling win over Tonga

/

Toa Samoa are through to the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in history, after emerging 20-18 winners over arch-rivals Tonga in an intense quarter-final in Warrington.

After establishing an eight-point lead with 20 minutes to go, Samoa held on bravely as Tonga stormed home and threatened to steal a winning try in the final minute of the match.

In a game headlined by clashes in the forward pack, it was Samoa’s halves, Anthony Milford and Jarome Luai, who proved the difference, with Milford setting up two of his side’s three tries and Luai scoring the other.

It sets up a rematch of the tournament’s opening game, which saw England thrash Matt Parish’s side 60-6.

The Pacific showdown promised to be the game of the tournament so far, and from the pre-match Sipi Tau and Siva Tau war dances, to the hard-hitting defence and skill on the ball, it didn’t disappoint.

After opening the scoring four minutes in, it was Samoa who had the edge through the first 40 minutes and enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, but Tonga hung in the game to trail just 12-10 at the break.

After a free-flowing first half which saw plenty of scoring chances created, things tightened up in the second 40, with both sides trading penalty goals before Joseph Suaali’i broke the game open with a run which led to Brian To’o’s try.

In the end that was the play that won the game for Samoa, despite a late surge from Tonga which ensured this game thrilled until the very end.

Quarter Finals – Quarter Finals – Sunday 6 Nov

home Team

Mate Ma’a Tonga

away Team

Samoa

Venue: Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington

😳 Luai’s step!This game is living up to the hype so far – Samoa back in front thanks to this Jarome Luai effort. | | pic.twitter.com/hODUWIB116

🇹🇴 Game on. | | pic.twitter.com/gOH3uBPfvP

A huge run from the Roosters’ teenage sensation which rattled Tonga, and on the next play Anthony Milford and Brian To’o took full advantage of the extra space it afforded them. This was the play which ultimately won the game.

🤯 Try stop Suaali’i!Joseph Suaali’i with an incredible run to put Samoa in great position, before Brian To’o touches down to extend Samoa’s lead.This is some game! | | pic.twitter.com/9Fgz2SVW8Z

“There was nothing in it between either team. I thought our two halves were sensational and have to give Joey our fullback, at 19 years of age, a rap. I thought we had a couple of good performers. Going to enjoy this then will worry about [England] tomorrow].” – Samoa coach Matt Parish.

“I thought they were a little bit better than us. They beat us to the punch early… at the end of the day we had a chance to win it and just couldn’t quite make that happen. I thought we had enough opportunity at the end to win the game.” – Tonga coach Kristian Woolf.

Eighty minutes now sit between Samoa and a maiden World Cup final appearance, with host nation England their confirmed opponent at the Emirates Stadium in London. For Tonga, the dream of going one better than in 2017 is now over.

Match Highlights: Tonga v Samoa

Tupou tip-toes to the try line

Tonga go coast to coast

Luai has got all the moves

The Pacific Island showdown set to rock the world stage

Read More => https://nz.wuztrending.com/2022/11/07/samoa-advance-to-semi-finals-with-thrilling-win-over-tonga/

/ Toa Samoa are through to the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in history, after emerging 20-18 winners over arch-rivals Tonga in an intense quarter-final in Warrington. After ...

07/11/2022

What The Block 2022 auction results tell us about Australia’s housing market

Australia’s volatile property market provided both a record-breaking win and plenty of heartbreak during Sunday night’s finale of The Block.

After months of production, five sprawling builds in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges went under the hammer… or tried to.

The winning team walked away with more than $1 million in prize money, while other teams sweated through stalled auctions before deciding to pass it in.

So, what went under the hammer, and what does it tell us about Australia’s current housing market? Let’s unpack it.

All five properties on The Block were set with an auction reserve of $4.08 million and were advertised with a price guide of $4 million to $4.4 million.

Sydneysiders Omar Slaimankhel and Osman “Oz” Said were the first cabs off the auction rank, something they initially thought would be to their detriment.

But they had nothing to worry about, with their property selling for $5,666,666.66 – making them $1,586,666.66 profit.

Their huge margin gave them an unbeatable lead (more on that in a moment) and secured them an extra $100,000 in prize money.

Altogether they walked away with a total of $1,686,666.66, a record-breaking figure in The Block’s 19-year history.

But that’s where the bidding wars stopped.

Melburnians Tom Calleja and Sarah-Jane Wilson were visibly upset when their property sold for $4.1 million, giving them $20,000 profit.

House

Team

Reserve

Sold for

Prize money

1

Tom & Sarah-Jane

$4,080,000

$4,100,000.99

$20,000.99

2

Rachel & Ryan

$4,080,000

Passed in at $4,050,000.

Sold for $4,249,000.50 post auction

$169,000.50

3

Sharon & Ankur

$4,080,000

Passed in at $4,075,000

$0

4

Dylan & Jenny

$4,080,000

Passed in at $4,075,000

$0

5

Omar & Oz

$4,080,000

$5,666,666.66

$1,586,666.66 + $100,000

In a bid to avoid similar disappointment, the three remaining teams all instructed their auctioneers to pass in their properties as they began to stall dangerously close to coming on the market.

Sydneysiders Rachel and Ryan Carr were able to negotiate with serial Block buyer Danny Wallis (who just bought Omar and Oz’s winning build) after their lacklustre auction. Their property sold for $4,249,000.50, making them $169,000.50 profit.

Meanwhile, Sharon and Ankur and Jenny and Dylan’s homes still remain under negotiations.

Danny Wallis is a Melbourne IT entrepreneur and the chief executive of DWS Group, which he founded in 1991.

He’s no stranger to Block auctions as he’s spent nearly $30 million over the years snapping up multiple properties.

In 2018, Wallis sold a home for $18 million on the Sunshine Coast in what Domain called “one of the biggest real estate deals in Queensland in recent times”.

“The Block auctions represented so many interesting dynamics about where the housing market is, and the nature of housing demand in regional Victoria,” said Eliza Owen, head of research at CoreLogic Australia.

“It is worth noting The Block began filming in March 2022, in an already volatile market.

“By the time the homes reached auction in November, the cash rate was up 275 basis points, consumer sentiment had plummeted, and sales volumes across regional Victoria were trending around 16 per cent lower than in 2021.”

Ms Owen said despite these being beautifully presented, well-built homes, it is clear that even premium housing has been impacted by higher interest rate conditions.

“It is generally the more expensive segment of the market that is more sensitive to changes in lending conditions over time,” Ms Owen told the ABC, adding there’s no definitive reason the high end of the market is more sensitive to rate hikes.

“Some argue because higher debt levels are often required to buy more expensive properties, the high end of the market reacts quickly to rate or borrowing changes,” she said.

“There is also an argument that high-end buyers tend to have access to better information around the outlook for interest rates and property returns.

“With the cash rate unlikely to get back to 0.1 per cent, the profits envisioned for these properties at the start of production may have been eroded by rapidly changing financial and demographic conditions.”

Ms Owen said the fact that Rachel and Ryan achieved a profit of $160,000 over the reserve from private treaty negotiation “reflects the broader picture of sellers having to change tactics to get the price they want.”

“Auctions do not work as well for sellers in a market downturn,” she said.

Ms Owen described Oz and Omar’s $1.5 million profit as “an outlier from broader market trends”.

“This came back to a combination of factors, including the unique design of the home, the contestants working to find potential buyers who would be interested in the home, and a resulting bidding war between two potential buyers,” she said.

“Even in making a substantial gain above the reserve, the winner of the auction admitted he may have over-paid for the property, suggesting the price may not reflect where the market is at.”

Lengthy lockdowns pushed these three families out of Melbourne to the outer suburbs, regions and even interstate. Now stay-at-home restrictions are (hopefully) a thing of the past, will they stay put?

Real Estate Institute of Victoria CEO Quentin Kilian said there was an “unprecedented increase” in migration to regional Victoria during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

He said the trend has since stabilised, “though regions have not seen any major fall in prices and rental vacancy rates remain extremely low.”

“Regional houses have recorded their first fall in median prices since the June quarter of 2020 with 2.8 per cent to $603,000,” he said.

“Considering the growth for eight consecutive quarters, this is only a slight correction, as house value is 15.5 per cent higher than in the September quarter 2021.”

Read More => https://nz.wuztrending.com/2022/11/07/what-the-block-2022-auction-results-tell-us-about-australias-housing-market/

Australia’s volatile property market provided both a record-breaking win and plenty of heartbreak during Sunday night’s finale of The Block. After months of production, five sprawling builds in Victoria’s Macedon ...

07/11/2022

Alia-Ranbir welcome parenthood: Proud fathers to daughters – Mahesh Babu, Akshay Kumar & KJo – post specia

Here’s how Katrina Kaif got back at Ranbir Kapoor for using her hit song ‘Chikni Chameli’ in ‘Brahmastra’

Ranbir Kapoor says no to remakes of dad Rishi Kapoor’s movies

Alia Bhatt & Ranbir Kapoor’s first Diwali as a married couple was all about family

A post shared by Karan Johar ()

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Here’s how Katrina Kaif got back at Ranbir Kapoor for using her hit song ‘Chikni Chameli’ in ‘Brahmastra’ Ranbir Kapoor says no to remakes of dad Rishi Kapoor’s movies Alia ...

06/11/2022

Best and Worst Booking Decisions of WWE Crown Jewel 2022 Results

Every time WWE goes to Saudi Arabia, it is a spectacle, with Crown Jewel 2022 following suit.

But while there were certainly some bombastic moments and major successes along the way, there were also a few hiccups and questionable ideas.

As the dust settles and before Monday Night Raw might change our perception—for better or worse—let’s look back on what happened and break down some of the best and worst booking decisions of the show.

WrestleMania season will sneak up on everyone sooner than we know it, so it is important to make sure all the champions are in the right place.

Realistically, there is almost no way The Bloodline will drop their belts until at least April, if not after that. Having Logan Paul and The Brawling Brutes dethrone them here would have been all wrong.

Paul can put on a good performance, but is a featured celebrity guest, rather than the guy who could hold both world titles for the main roster on a regular basis.

Butch and Ridge Holland only needed to have a good enough showing to prove they deserved to be in the title hunt, rather than to actually capture the belts. After a few very close pinfalls where they were a centimeter away from becoming champions, they’ve shown how tough they are.

Likewise, Bayley’s lost so many matches to Bianca Belair that she never should have gotten another shot at the belt to begin with. If she had won the title, it would have called into question why she didn’t just win at Extreme Rules, instead.

Assuming the ultimate end goal is to have all of these champions still holding onto their titles past Royal Rumble, there was no need for any switches just for shock value.

Speaking of superfluous title changes, that is exactly what transpired this week with the Women’s Tag Team Championship.

Alexa Bliss and Asuka had a spontaneous challenge for Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky on Monday Night Raw that ended with a surprise and new champions crowned, only for Damage CTRL to win the belts back five days later, rendering all that pointless.

Not every title reign needs to last a full year or anything close to it. However, playing hot potato with belts can quickly devalue them.

Considering how many times this year the NXT and main roster women’s tag team titles have been given to a team just to have them lose within a few days, this is a trend that has to stop. The belts have already gone through a few years of poor booking and are in need of rehabilitation, not a continuation of the same mistakes with new Superstars playing old roles.

This feud’s been going on far too long and running out of steam, so WWE Creative must have thought two title changes in rapid succession would add more fuel to the fire prior to WarGames. Instead of reigniting any heat, it just shined a light on how lukewarm this is and how something else drastically more interesting needs to happen to reinvigorate this storyline for Survivor Series.

On a similar note to the Damage CTRL feud going on far too long with not enough proper twists and turns to keep it interesting, The O.C. against The Judgment Day has been stuck on a loop from the start.

The one and only thing that ever seems to happen in any of these segments are that Rhea Ripley interferes, the babyface men don’t want to do anything to her, so they get distracted or beaten down by her until The Judgment Day scores the win. Then, the commentary team laments that “somebody has to stop her” and nobody learns any lessons whatsoever.

Had this match involved someone coming to The O.C.’s aid to balance out Ripley, the story would have moved forward.

Instead, it was just more of the same but wrapped in a six-man tag team match package. It won’t be until at least Raw when someone can join The O.C. and fight alongside them, meaning if you missed out on Crown Jewel, you actually didn’t miss anything, as the story continues on the same from last Monday.

After their strap match at Extreme Rules, if Drew McIntyre had lost to Karrion Kross once more due to Scarlett’s interference, this feud would have hit a stalemate. It was time for The Scottish Warrior to score a win.

The trouble with that, though, was that Kross is the newer member of the main roster who hasn’t fully established himself yet. He couldn’t lose in any way that would put a damper on the momentum he’s been building.

Thankfully, the end of this steel cage match was the best of both worlds.

McIntyre technically won the match fair and square—admittedly, actually, with a handicap due to Scarlett spraying him in the face again—but since this finish was by escaping the cage, Kross avoided a pinfall or submission.

If need be, Kross can cut a promo about how he didn’t really lose, but McIntyre simply won by running away. That could even be an excuse to end the feud entirely if there isn’t a proper plan for a rubber match.

Your mileage may vary on the match between Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar, depending on your priorities.

If you were hoping to finally see these two juggernauts slug it out with all their might for real this time, after being teased with that from Day 1, Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber, you’re likely disappointed this was a quick match with a fluke finish.

After all, that just means you were suckered in by the dangling carrot, WWE pulled it away and will dangle it again in front of you when their next encounter happens, which will be treated as the “real” real match.

On the other side of the argument, though, some fans are happy about this outcome.

In their minds, getting caught off-guard with this surprise finish was more than enough entertainment to justify this build, and this questionable outcome only makes them even more interested in the next clash of the titans.

Lashley’s possible heel turn to come out of this remains to be seen as a positive or negative. If it happens, it leaves a lot of potential feuds off the table for now, such as Gunther and Reigns, but opens up more opportunities for stories with babyfaces like Johnny Gargano or Strowman.

Time will tell how this plays out, but either viewpoint has its credibility.

Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, Spotify and everywhere you find podcasts. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.

The latest in the sports world, emailed daily.

Read More => https://nz.wuztrending.com/2022/11/06/best-and-worst-booking-decisions-of-wwe-crown-jewel-2022-results/

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