Bully Ray On WWE Women Outshining The Men, How Women's TLC Compared To His TLC Matches, ROH WOH
The Women's Superstars of WWE received top billing on the TLC pay-per-view as the triple threat tables, ladders and chairs match for the SmackDown Women's Championship was the main event. Asuka defeated Becky Lynch and Charlotte and walked out of the event as the new SmackDown Women's Champion.
The match received great reviews from fans and wrestlers alike, including Bully Ray. On the latest WINCLY podcast, Ray even took things a step further and told Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman that the Women's Superstars are currently doing a better job than the male roster.
"I think the WWE women right now are outshining the WWE men," said Ray. "I think Becky, Charlotte, Asuka and Ronda are doing a phenomenal job. I'm so happy to see Asuka back in the mix because she is the real deal. I mean this is a girl that had matches with Minoru Suzuki in Japan. You wanna talk about bad MF, that's what Asuka is.
"Charlotte is the best female athlete and one of the best athletes, period, in the entire WWE and Becky is the chosen one right now. Becky is the people's champion. So when you have a warrior like Asuka, a phenomenal athlete like Charlotte, and the people's champion with the emotional investment in Becky?now you bring the badass Ronda Rousey? You have four top stars there. I don't care if they're male, female ? they are getting the job done.
Along with the triple threat TLC match for the SmackDown Women's Title, there were two other TLC matches on the card. But Ray says it's not fair to compare any tables, ladders and chairs matches to the first two TLC matches involving him and D-Von Dudley vs. The Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian.
"When comparing TLC matches, you compare them to every other match that is not the original two TLC matches," stated Ray. "I don't think you can [compare]. Right place, right time, right guys, planets lined up, stars in the right position? everything was perfect. People have been trying to top those matches forever."
Bully also says people come to him for advice on TLC matches and he tells them to not try to top those two matches which took place at SummerSlam 2000 and WrestleMania X-Seven.
The conversation then shifted to Ray's current promotion, Ring of Honor, which also recently had its own pay-per-view in Final Battle. Final Battle featured a women's match that didn't quite garner the excitement of the TLC women's match, and Ray was asked what ROH could do to improve its women's division.
"I think the women of Women of Honor could use some more time in the ring and some more reps," said Ray. "They all go in there and bust their ass and try very hard. Trying very hard doesn't always mean your going to be successful though. But I didn't see [the Final Battle WOH match], so I really can't comment on it."
Final Battle was unique in that it had ROH's core of superstars who will be returning in 2019 as well as many stars such as Cody and The Young Bucks who are heading out the door. Ray was asked if the pay-per-view felt like a transitional event or if it had a big show feel.
"I think every Final Battle, I don't wanna say is a historic show, but it's a big show especially in that building," stated Ray. "I listen to the matches ? I really don't watch. Listening tells me everything I need to know. Listening to the whole night, I thought the whole night built very well.
"I thought Cobb and Page tore it down. I thought Marty and Daniels did a great job. I'm obviously very proud of the job I was able to do with Flip. Cody... you can't have a bad match with Jay Lethal ? Cody and Lethal did great. Ladder Wars? how can you have a bad ladder match with The Briscoes, The Bucks and SCU? When you sit back and you look at those matches, it's impossible for the show to fail."
You can catch Bully Ray on Busted Open Radio which airs weekdays at noon EST on SiriusXM Fight Nation channel 93.
Subscribe to Wrestling Inc Audio on iTunes, or listen to the embedded player below, to hear Bully's full interview with Wrestling Inc. including his in-depth thoughts on his I Quit match against Flip Gordon at Ring of Honor, AEW and more. This week's WINCLY also includes an interview with ROH TV Champion Jeff Cobb discussing his ROH ambitions going into 2019 as well as his Final Battle bout against Hangman Page.