Last weekend saw the long awaited WWE LIVE event come back to Abu Dhabi for its third instalment and it is safe to say that the Superstars did not disappoint.
Fans flocked in to the UAE capital city’s Zayed Sports City Tennis Stadium across three nights (February 12-14) in order to see their favourite WWE wrestlers in the muscly flesh.
– VIDEO: WWE Superstar Jack Swagger trains Sport360’s Barny Read
– INTERVIEW: Sami Zayn – Flying the flag for WWE in the Middle East
– WWE Live Abu Dhabi – Relive the action
While we may have struggled with some minor media malfunctions, the WWE juggernaut delivered where it mattered most: in the ring.
The likes of John Cena, Seth Rollins, Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger (an honourable mention for his efforts ‘training’ this scribe) were in impressive form, delivering three shows that were centred around developing new WWE storylines, introducing acts to the crowd and, most importantly, engaging a fervent following in the Middle East.
There were a number of highlights from the trip, but here we look at the ones that caught Sport360’s eye.
BIGGEST WINNERS
Without a doubt it was A New Day. The combination of Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods brought the crowd to their feet at every sight of the threesome. Their mix of power and energy are a perfect match inside the squared circle, while their ‘New Day’ chant was perfect for the Arab audience that, like fans in the US, revels in a simple, catchy hook. They managed to win each and every bout against Goldust and Stardust, a feat repeated on the following Monday Night Raw.
BIGGEST LOSER
Curtis Axel did not have the best of times in Abu Dhabi. He was pitted against Ryback and Erick Rowan which is pretty top billing for Axel but the persistence of his Royal Rumble fascination and his poorly cut promos meant that he was pretty forgetful amongst such talented peers. He also lost every match.
STAR MEN
Undoubtedly John Cena was the man of the hour and his entrance to the ring was electrifying even on the quieter first night. He did not disappoint and his performance in the ring and interaction with the crowd was superb. Top marks from a top man who, despite the increasing boos, is still the WWE’s biggest draw.
Other than Cena, however, there were a number of Superstars who lit up the crowd and who each have immensely bright futures ahead of them. Dean Ambrose’s mental instability delighted, Dolph Ziggler’s heroic star continues to rise and Seth Rollins is becoming one of the most interesting and well played characters in recent history. Sami Zayn doing a spot in Arabic and getting a very positive reaction from his ‘home crowd’ was also an absolute highlight.
BEST FIGHT
The Thursday night that kicked things off couldn’t entice the biggest crowd with it being the end of the working week, but it delivered the best fight of the weekend. Rollins took on Cena in a street fight that had a little bit of everything. The former getting the crowd to cheer for Cena before lamping him with the mic that he was goading supporters with was a triumph but the match’s ending was utter brilliance. We’d already seen chairs, finishers, tables and railings all put to the test before Cena lifted Rollins above his head on the top rope and delivered his Attitude Adjustment through a table to secure victory.
THE SETUP
The WWE were keen to try out some new storylines and in-ring rivalries while in Abu Dhabi, which was made more evident on this week’s Raw. Stardust and Goldust were constantly at each other’s throats, tension which culminated in Monday’s meltdown, while Cena and Rusev were given valuable time against each other in the ring ahead of their clash at Fast Lane. Ziggler and Rollins also paired off (another match that then featured on Raw) in what might well shape a great rivalry over the course of the next few months.
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
How about that @WayneRooney dive vs @PNEFC? He won’t need to dive when I catch up with him.. #BullHammer #BNB
— Bad News Barrett (@WadeBarrett) February 17, 2015
.@WayneRooney you and @steveaustinBSR Vs me and @Kevin__Davies at Wrestlemania in 6 weeks. Get it booked @VinceMcMahon.
— Bad News Barrett (@WadeBarrett) February 17, 2015
@WayneRooney @WadeBarrett @steveaustinBSR @VinceMcMahon 6 week training camp starts now!! Ha
— Kevin Davies (@Kevin__Davies) February 17, 2015
@Robbanks1979 @WadeBarrett @WayneRooney @Kevin__Davies @VinceMcMahon Embrace the baldness. And that’s the bottom line…
— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) February 17, 2015
@steveaustinBSR that’s the bottom line. Cause stone cold said so
— Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney) February 18, 2015
AND FINALLY…
The #RealAmerican @RealJackSwagger was training hard and pumping iron in #WWEAbuDhabi! http://t.co/PTSI4JQCO4 pic.twitter.com/8Q3txPCJKL
— WWE (@WWE) February 14, 2015
