TFG WWE Roadblock review: Isolated Pleasure of the Art form

WRESTLING IS ESSENTIALLY an art of telling stories. The stories happen in two layers. The first layer composes of the long-running storylines which serve the purpose of weekly television and the pay-per-views that we see on a monthly basis. This layer is what make or breaks a wrestling promotion.

The second layer is what comes to play when a match is put together. It consists of the story that the wrestlers tell in between the ropes. A perfect combination of these two layers is what makes up a classic match or an epic show.

WWE’s Roadblock had only the second layer, and this is why, as an isolated show, it made the fans happy, but as something that preceded WrestleMania, it was an utter failure.

Two matches from the show made it excel in the second layer of storytelling: Charlotte vs. Natalya and Triple H vs. Dean Ambrose.

Natalya, who had to wait for almost two years to get a shot at the Divas title, showed that the real Divas revolution lies within the heart of a Woman wrestler. She was the real winner today.

To an extent, it felt like Roadblock was designed to appreciate the talent of Natalya. WWE booked a string of matches under the Divas Revolution over the past few months, but it’s safe to say that none of those matches in the main roster could beat what Natalya and Charlotte produced at Roadblock, especially, when the match is treated as an isolated entity.

Natalya showed so much ‘Hart’ today and she deserves every bit of credit that is going to come her way for the next few days. Charlotte deserves credit to, but for now, she has something bigger to worry about in the form of WrestleMania.

Triple H vs. Dean Ambrose, as mentioned earlier, did not have an impact on the larger context. However, for the 25 minutes that it lasted, it was enjoyable. The pacing was perfect and Triple H managed to put over Ambrose even though Ambrose ended up on the losing side.

While it stamped that Ambrose is probably the most over babyface near the main event scene, it also showcased why Triple H is considered as a legend in the business. He might not wrestle week in and week out, but Hunter still hasn’t lost what took him so far in the business: the ability to tell tales in the squared circle.

If WWE had booked the show a bit more intelligently, it would’ve worked wonders in the first layers as well. But for now, let’s appreciate Roadblock for what it gave us and look forward to WrestleMania.

Results of Roadblock 2016:

• Triple H beats Dean Ambrose
• Sami Zayn beats Stardust
• Brock Lesnar beats Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match
• Charlotte beats Natalya (Divas Championship Match)
• Chris Jericho beats Jack Swagger
• NXT Tag Team Champions The Revival beats Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady
• WWE Tag Team Champions Big E & Kofi Kingston beats Sheamus & King Barrett