10 WWE Stomping Grounds Impulse Reactions

7. Samoa Joe Vs. Ricochet

A particularly stiff chop during this match moved Renee Young to note that the sound echoed off of the walls of the Tacoma Dome, but online fan shots of the giant curtain blocking off the hard camera side perhaps explained where the white hot crowd went during the early portion of this United States Championship clash.

The two, as many feared, were forced to work a moribund television tussle before battling out of the stifling formula much as the four in the stake-free tag fight were exactly one match earlier.

It's long been established that the "dream match" concept is a dying one in WWE as long as they continue to micromanage contests beyond the point of individualism, but the best wrestlers in the company in 2019 are now the ones that can somehow work around the rulebook. Ricochet's athleting bumping was the masking agent du jour here.

With a victory from virtually nothing other than a series stuck-together high spots, the 'One & Only' looked more like one of the rest, selling shock at his own athleticism in a way not exactly becoming of a man that can do what he can. It was charming as he toasted his new title, at least. Confidence, going forward, would be infinitely preferable.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett