What we learned from WWE Live From Madison Square Garden

WWE returned to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night for a special that aired live on the WWE Network. The event was headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. The Big Show.

To be perfectly honest, we didn’t learn a whole lot from this live special! It was largely just a midpoint until the next pay-per-view, Hell in a Cell, which takes place in three weeks. Still, let’s run down what happened and see if we can shake any plot points loose.

This tag team match had, for a couple of weeks, been billed as two singles matches: Rusev vs. Ziggler and Orton vs. Sheamus. Putting all four men together in the opening match for the live special actually mixed things up and made these feuds seem the tiniest bit fresh. The perfectly enjoyable opener ended when Orton hit the RKO on Sheamus and picked up the pinfall for his team.

What we learned: Both of these feuds are still going on, I guess! Dolph Ziggler and Rusev are (PLEASE GOD OH PLEASE) hopefully heading to one big, final (FOR REAL THIS TIME) match at Hell in a Cell. Sheamus and Randy Orton probably aren’t going to have another match at Hell in a Cell, unless they will. They’re always in a constant state of wrestling one another, so even if they don’t have a match together at the next PPV, they’ll have a match together at the next PPV.

Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick on Rusev after the match, so maybe this is the beginning of the Rusev face turn? Anyone? Is this thing on?

The second match of the evening was not advertised ahead of time. Neville hit the Red Arrow and pinned Stardust in a short match.

What we learned: The superhero is still feuding with the super villain. These two work great together, but it would be nice if Stardust’s cronies in Cosmic Wasteland, the Ascension, would accompany him to the ring every once in a while. Maybe have Neville and the Lucha Dragons form an official faction?

On the other hand, Stardust mockingly wore Neville’s cape, so maybe it’s not time to really start complaining yet.

This was another unadvertised match and it was sort of weird, since Paige is once again tagging with Charlotte and Becky, despite already turning on them twice, basically. At the end of the match, Paige went for the tag and this time Charlotte and Becky turned the tables, jumping off the apron and leaving Paige alone to get hit with the Rack Attack and pinned by Nikki.

After the match, Paige cut a tearful promo about how she was Charlotte and Becky’s best friend and would never treat her partners like that. She, of course, just did that last week.

What we learned: haha none of this makes sense woooooo

On what was essentially the 25th anniversary of Chris Jericho’s pro wrestling debut, he lost to Kevin Owens when Owens poked him in the eye and rolled him up to retain his Intercontinental Championship.

What we learned: These two wrestlers should get another chance to work a much longer match together. It was short, but great while it lasted. Keep your fingers crossed that we get a rematch at some point, preferably on a pay-per-view.

In a pretty much exact repeat from last month’s Night of Champions, the Dudleys looked to have the match -- and their 10th WWE tag team title -- wrapped up, when Xavier Woods ran in to draw the DQ loss and allow The New Day to keep their belts.

What we learned: The road to the Dudleys’ 10th tag championship runs through Hell in a Cell, where they will likely face The New Day in a tables match. Woe be to those tables and woe be to The New Day on that night.

In the most heavily hyped match of the night, Lesnar was pummeled by Big Show early, but came back to give the giant the requisite German suplexes and F5 to get the win. After the match, he tossed Big Show around some more, because Big Show made disparaging comments about Jimmy John’s, probably. Next up for Lesnar: The Undertaker in Hell in a Cell.

What we learned: BROCK LESNAR IS A FEARSOME BEEFBEAST WHO HAS NO ATHLETIC EQUAL. ALL SHALL KNEEL BEFORE LESNAR.

Seth Rollins looked like he was about to escape the cage when THE DEMON KANE appeared and blocked his descent. Rollins instead turned his attention to Cena, but was unable to defeat The Face That Runs The Place.

After the match, Kane beat down Rollins and posed with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Belt

What we learned: Yes, Cena and Rollins still work great together. It’s kind of a shame we had to watch Cena win one more match against Rollins since their feud is already over for now, but a great steel cage match is always welcome.

Rollins now moves on to face Kane at Hell in a Cell, with Sheamus and his Money in the Bank briefcase lurking in the background.