Greg DeMarco’s Three Stars Of The Night: WWE Evolution (10/28/18)

A look at the Three Stars Of The Night for the first all-female PPV put out by WWE, Evolution!

WWE Evolution is “in the books,” and for me it will be remembered as a show that greatly exceeded my expectations, and is currently my pick for WWE pay-per-view event of the year for 2018. Picking three standout performers is one tall order, and I will cheat on that today, but Three Stars is what this show was all about.

The Third Star:
Nikki Bella

I know she’s not the most popular performer in the world, and one of the least popular on this show. YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LIKE HER. She (and her sister) played her role to perfection. That role was to be the heel foil for Ronda Rousey, and Nikki Bella did that and more.

What’s the “and more?” Well, she gave Ronda Rousey her best match since joining the roster, which is no small task. Nikki Bella delivered in a big way, deserving of the main event spotlight. I don’t know if she’ll ever get the appreciation she deserves from most fans, but she’s getting it from me.

The Second Star:
Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair (tie)

Who knows if this is the end of their feud, but to me it seems apparent that Charlotte is headed to a showdown with Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania. If this was the end, it sure was a fitting one.

Honorable Mentions:
Umm…everyone? if I must choose:

• The IIconics for playing their roles to perfections
• Alexa Bliss for standing out in a match with three legends
• Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler for delivering their best match to date
• Everyone involved for delivering one of the best WWE battle royals seen in quite some time
• Stephanie McMahon for not hogging the spotlight at all

And now… a distinction usually reserved
for the top performer of the night …the first star!

The First Star:
Toni Storm and Io Shirai (tie)

The desire to win and take the next step in your career is what this match was all about.

And that was all the material Toni Storm and Io Shirai needed to deliver in this match. Both performed at the top of their game, delivering what I felt was the best worked match of the night. This was all winnig the field of 32 and taking hold of the opportunities that trophy has to offer. On this stage, Toni Storm and Io Shirai became WWE-level stars. Both deserve every bit of success that is surely coming their way.

Who are your Three Stars of WWE Monday Night Raw? Comment on social media @ChairshotGreg, @theCHAIRSHOTcom, and use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

In hockey, a game’s “Three Stars Of The Night” represent the top three performers of the night. For more clarification, I defer to this Pittsburgh Gazette explanation:

“The tradition dates to the 1936-37 season, when Imperial Oil became the principal sponsor of Hockey Night in Canada radio broadcasts and was seeking a way to promote one of its products, Three Star gasoline. The idea of doing so by selecting the top three performers in a particular game purportedly came from a Canadian advertising agency.

Many clubs do recognize the player with the most three-star selections with an award or trophy, usually in conjunction with a corporate sponsorship, at the end of the season (or sometimes, each month). All six Canadian franchises, for example, have an affiliation with a well-known brewery.

The NHL keeps track of its own Three Stars Of The Night selections, but that is done on a league-wide basis. The league employs a system that awards 30 points to a first star, 20 to a second star and 10 to a third – a running total can be found on the league’s website – but it does not present an award based on them.”

In hockey tradition, the first star represents the best of the three, but all three are considered to be receiving a high honor.