IMG Credit: WWE

Takeover: Cardiff
Date: August 31, 2019
Location: Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s been a long time since we’ve had one of these things and that might be best. NXT UK is getting the hang of things but they’re still a long way away from being ready to do regular big time specials. This time around we have a big main event in the form of Tyler Bate challenging Walter for the United Kingdom Title. Let’s get to it.

The opening video shows a shot of Cardiff but the feed is cut off by Imperium, who run this place. The rest of the matches get the regular attention.

Travis Banks vs. Noam Dar

They’ve been glaring at each other lately. Banks takes him into the corner to start but gets taken down by the arm. It’s too early for the ankle lock and they both miss some kicks to the face. The threat of a kick to the face gives us a standoff as the fans are behind Banks. A hard kick sends Dar outside as Banks takes over for the first time but the threat of a running shot in the corner has Dar rolling around.

Dar starts going after the arm and snapmares him into the ropes to mess up the shoulder even more. A bridging German suplex gives Banks a fast two but Dar is right back with some more kicks to the head. They fight for arm control on the mat until Banks gets in a cobra clutch/Crossface combination, sending Dar over to the rope. Dar slaps him in the face to sucker Banks in, allowing him to get in a kick to Banks’ leg.

A very spinning Unprettier gets two but the Nova Roller misses. The Slice of Heaven does as well and Dar grabs the ankle lock. Banks rolls over and slips out so Dar hits a basement clothesline to the back of the head for two. Back up and another Slice of Heaven attempt misses as Dar ducks so Banks hits a double stomp instead.

The suicide dive connects and Banks hits most of the Slice of Heaven off the barricade. Back in and the top rope double stomp gives Banks two more. The slugout goes to Banks with a discus forearm and a running knee to the face but Slice of Heaven misses again (dude, get the hint already). The Nova Roller finishes Banks at 13:55.

Rating: C+. I know they really want to push Dar but this was another case where I was waiting on his match to end. It was good enough (though you can only take so many Slice of Heaven attempts) and the fans were into Banks, but the story wasn’t that strong and it felt like something that belonged on the Kickoff Show.

Cesaro is here with an open challenge and we have an answer.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Cesaro

Works for me. Dragunov hits a running boot in the corner to start but Cesaro is right back with some chops. A powerslam doesn’t work for Cesaro so he dodges a chop and it’s a standoff. Dragunov chops away and hits a backsplash for two so Cesaro picks him up and tosses him outside. Sometimes the simple approach works best, such as dropping Dragunov throat first across the barricade.

Back in and a legdrop sets up the chinlock on Dragunov, which is broken up in short order. Dragunov reverses a belly to back with a crossbody but Cesaro grabs him for a 30+ second swing to make Dragunov’s eyes even screwier. A Crossface doesn’t last long and Dragunov scores with the 61-Line. Dragunov gets fired up and throws Cesaro with the suplex for a roll to the floor.

That means the big suicide dive and a Coast to Coast as Cesaro gets back in. Cesaro is right back up and knees him in the ribs, setting up a running seated uppercut for two. Fans: “ARE YOU WATCHING? ARE YOU WATCHING? ARE YOU WATCHING VINCE MCMAHON?” Dragunov hits a Death Valley Driver into the corner. Dragunov hits a top rope backsplash for two and it’s Torpedo Moscow time. That’s broken up with Swiss Death and Cesaro Neutralizes him for the pin at 12:31.

Rating: B. This was the Finn Balor appearance from Blackpool and I’m not sure they needed to go this way. Dragunov is still recovering from the bizarre loss to Kassius Ohno and Cesaro doesn’t need the win. At the same time though, Dragunov might not have been ready to beat Cesaro here. Hopefully Cesaro sticks around here as he seems a lot better suited to the UK than whatever they’ll have him do next on Raw or Smackdown.

Post match Cesaro teases hitting a clothesline but sticks out his hand for the handshake instead.

Adrian Street and Miss Linda are here. That documentary does sound good.

We recap the Tag Team Titles. Grizzled Young Veterans are the first champions but Gallus want the titles. Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews, both from Wales, won singles matches to get into the match.

Tag Team Titles: Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. Gallus vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

The Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake) are defending and it’s Andrews sunset flipping Gibson for two to start. Drake comes in for a double hiptoss into a standing moonsault/standing flip dive from Andrews and Webster. We settle down to Webster not being able to sunset flip Wolfgang so it’s a six man staredown. The champs are knocked to the floor and a hurricanrana/moonsault takes down Gibson and Coffey.

Back in and a moonsault press gets two on Gibson as the champs are in trouble. He’s right back up with a backbreaker on Webster on the floor with Drake slingshotting down into a forearm to Webster’s chest. Back in again and everything breaks down again with Andrews cleaning house, only to get jumped by Gallus. That means stereo flip dives from the Welsh guys to both other teams and the fans are rather pleased.

Back in and Andrews’ assisted 450 gets two on Gibson, only to have Gallus come back in to start cleaning house. A catapult into a Samoan drop gets two on Andrews but it’s a reverse hurricanrana/running knee strike (cool) for two on Wolfgang. Andrews is back up with a shooting star to take out Gallus and Gibson. As the fans again ask about Vince’s viewing habits, it’s Stundog Millionaire into a Swanton from Webster for two on Gibson. Helter Skelter into the 450 gets two on Andrews, with the crowd literally getting to their feet on the kickout.

The champs and the Welsh guys are all knocked down but it’s Gallus coming back in to clean house. Coffey hits his own big dive to take everyone out, followed by the enziguri into the powerslam for a delayed two on Andrews. Everyone gets back in and Gallus gets beaten down until Webster is catapulted into a Canadian Destroyer on Coffey. Gibson takes Wolfgang to the floor for an electric chair, with Drake adding the suicide clothesline for a Doomsday Device.

That means the big showdown between the champs and Andrews/Morgan with the Welsh guys getting the better of it. Webster hits a 630 on Drake with Gibson making the save. Andrews tries to dive on him but gets hit in the throat on the way down. Back in and Ticket to Mayhem hits Webster but Drake goes to deal with Gallus. That lets Andrews come in with Fall to Pieces to Gibson to give Webster the pin and the titles at 20:10.

Rating: B. This was WAY too long and felt like it just kept going and going. That being said, there were some very good near falls and some awesome near falls before the perfectly done feel good moment at the end. If you cut off five minutes, it’s even better, but the length held it back a lot. Andrews and Webster winning is completely the right call though and it felt like a special moment.

Post match the champs celebrate in the crowd in a pretty cool moment.

We recap Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey. They’re both big monsters and went to a double countout before. Therefore it’s Last Man Standing so they can beat on each other a lot.

Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey

Last Man Standing. Coffey brings in a chain but Mastiff comes straight at him anyway to start the brawl in the aisle. They get inside with Coffey hammering away but Mastiff whips him into the corner….and the top rope comes off the buckle. Mastiff shrugs and hits Coffey in the back with the turnbuckle rod before putting it in Coffey’s mouth. Coffey slugs back with some liver shots and a belly to back suplex.

That doesn’t even get a count as Mastiff is right back up with a German suplex of his own. They head outside with Coffey busting out a pool cue to knock Mastiff down. There’s a bag of weapons under the ring but Coffey goes to set up a table. That lets Mastiff hit him in the back with a cricket bat but Coffey is right back up with a headbutt to the ribs to put Mastiff through the table.

It’s chain time again so Mastiff hits another German suplex on the floor. Another table is set up against the barricade and, after giving up a tug of war over the chain, Mastiff cannonballs him through the table. They fight into the crowd with Coffey’s chain shot getting eight. Mastiff has two chairs so he throws one to Coffey, who backs way up. They both get running starts and collide in the aisle for a double knockdown.

With that not working, they wind up by commentary with Dave hitting a Regal Roll onto the announcers’ table for eight. Just to mix it up a bit, they go to the balcony and slug it out before crashing down onto some tables. They both use anvil cases to get up but Coffey kicks Mastiff’s away for the win at 15:59.

Rating: B-. I hit you, you hit me, we do a big spot and get up until the big spot at the end. That’s precisely what they should have been doing here and Mastiff is protected a bit by the ending. I’m a bit surprised by Coffey winning but it’s hardly the worst idea. You could easily put him in as a challenger of the month for Walter and that’s a good spot for him. That could go for either of them and Mastiff can easily be built back up.

Tegan Knox is here.

We recap the Women’s Title match. Toni Storm has held the title for months now and Ray won a battle royal a good while ago to become #1 contender. Ray made it personal by talking about their previous friendship and how Toni drives everyone away. Toni hasn’t been as focused coming into this but she was fine in the last showdown so we could be in for a good fight here.

Women’s Title: Kay Lee Ray vs. Toni Storm

Toni is defending and we get the Big Match Intros. Ray bails straight to the floor so Storm dives onto her, setting up a big forearm to the face back inside. Ray knocks her right back down though and we hit a seated abdominal stretch. Toni goes off with shots to the face and a superkick to put Ray down. A running clothesline can’t set up Storm Zero so its’ a Code Red for two instead.

Now Storm Zero connects for two so Ray is right back with her own superkick. The Gory Bomb gives Ray her own two so they head up top. Neither can hit a super version of their finisher so Toni grabs a release German suplex for two more. Storm gets sent outside so Ray hits a top rope flip dive for a nasty landing, sending the referee down to check on them. Back in and the Gory Bomb onto the top rope sets up a regular Gory Bomb to give Ray the title at 9:58.

Rating: C. This felt sloppy and rushed, the latter of which is probably true due to it not getting that much time. Storm didn’t have a lot of life or fire here and it was causing some issues. Ray winning is a good thing as Storm had held the thing long enough but I was hoping it was in a better, or at least bigger feeling, match.

We recap Tyler Bate vs. Walter for the United Kingdom Title. Walter took the title from Bate’s friend Pete Dunne and then formed Imperium to clean up NXT UK. The team attacked Bate and Trent Seven so Bate is back for revenge, his friends and the title.

United Kingdom Title: Tyler Bate vs. Walter

Walter is defending and there are no seconds here. Bate ducks an early shot and starts going after the knee as the fans sing a lot. A test of strength goes to Walter but Bate powers up to send him into the ropes. Walter’s headlock grinds Bate down a bit as the songs are now rather anti-Walter. Bate is right back up with a delayed slam though and Walter needs a breather on the floor. The suicide dive is blocked though and Walter’s big chop sets up an apron bomb.

A big boot rocks Bate hard and a toss powerbomb….is left short, sending the back of Bate’s head into the post. After a check from a trainer, Bate is back in to get beaten up more as his back is giving out. As the fans chant some rather mean things about Walter, Bate collapses while trying a fireman’s carry. Walter pulls on the arms and puts a boot in the back as the slow grinding down continues.

A running seated splash gets two on Bate and the big chops knock him into the corner. Bate looks a little dead but manages to pull himself up, only to get laid on the top turnbuckle. Walter knocks him to the apron but Bate gets him up for a fall away slam to the floor in an impressive toss. Back in and Bate’s middle rope uppercut is chopped out of the air, setting up the big Boston crab. Make that a Liontamer into a Crossface, with Walter pulling backwards for a change of pace.

Bate finally makes the rope and somehow manages to block a suplex, setting up one of his own to bring the fans back into it. A bunch of clotheslines don’t put Walter down but a rolling Liger kick staggers him into an exploder suplex. Bate nips up and Nigel can’t believe what he’s seeing as a standing shooting star press gets two. The Tyler Driver 97 is blocked a few times and a running dropkick sends Bate into the corner.

Bate manages to counter the powerbomb into a sunset flip for two more. They get to the top with Bate loading up a superplex….and looking down at the floor. Walter isn’t having that and chops him down but Bate is back up with a finger snap. That means an exploder superplex for two as the fans are dying on these near falls. The slugout goes to Walter but he charges into Bang and falls onto Bate…..who is face down on the mat so there is no cover.

Walter is back up with an exploder suplex of his own but Bate manages the airplane spin until Walter makes the rope. That’s fine with Bate, who puts him into a torture rack for the Burning Hammer. Bate can’t cover so Walter rolls outside, meaning it’s a suicide dive from behind. The no hands dive drops Walter again and Bate manages a bridging German suplex for two. The Tyler Driver 97 is countered into a backdrop for two but Bate bridges up into the Tyler Driver 97 for two, sending Nigel over the moon in shock.

Spiral Tap gets two more so Bate unloads with rights and lefts, sending Walter into the corner to cover up. A chop cuts him off and a big boot knocks Bate silly, setting up the sleeper. Bate stands up with Walter on his back (because he just can) and drops back but Walter puts the hold right back on.

Bate gets up AGAIN and gets to the apron where he pulls Walter over the top and elbows his way out. Walter grabs him right back for a sleeper suplex onto the apron to kill Bate dead. The top rope splash….gets two and the fans are alive again. Another sleeper suplex gets another two and Walter powerbombs him….for one. Walter chops him down and hits a heck of a lariat to FINALLY finish Bate at 42:11.

Rating: A+. And that’s your match of the weekend with Bate looking like he could somehow survive out there until finally coming up short. This felt like it was half as long as it was and even though I didn’t buy Bate as having a chance coming in, I was buying that he might hang on and survive in the end. It’s going to take something special to take Walter down and as special as this was, I’m not sure who is going to do that. This was an incredible story that made you believe the impossible could happen, which is as hard of a thing to do as you can get. Watch this and have some fun.

Imperium comes out to pose and leaves Bate to get the big hero’s ending with Seven and Dunne coming out to help him up.

Overall Rating: B+. The main event pulled this one up several notches and somehow made me forget about the great moment off the Tag Team Title change. The rest of the show was good but the main event completely stole the show (and weekend, if not year). Watch that one for sure and the Tag Team Title match if you have time. It’s not as good as the regular NXT Takeovers, but it’s an incredible main event that holds up with anything NXT has done for a long time. Outstanding main event and I’m looking forward to seeing what is next around here.

Results

Noam Dar b. Travis Banks – Nova Roller

Cesaro b. Ilja Dragunov – Neutralizer

Mark Andrews/Flash Morgan Webster b. Grizzled Young Veterans and Gallus – Fall To Pieces to Gibson

Joe Coffey b. Dave Mastiff – Coffey kicked a case from underneath Mastiff

Kay Lee Ray b. Toni Storm – Gory Bomb

Walter b. Tyler Bate – Lariat

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: March 31, 2019
Location: Reliant Arena, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 5,500
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler

It’s the very last show before Wrestlemania and that can’t come soon enough. This week’s Raw was a great example of what happens when the show is set in stone and there is nothing worth doing to get us to the pay per view. Hopefully that isn’t the case this time around but I don’t have the highest hopes. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Danny Basham

There’s no Rey Mysterio, which seems to be at Eddie’s request. Danny starts in on the arm as Jerry (replacing Tazz who is having family issues) gets in the LATINO HEEEAT line. Eddie spins up so Danny poses at him, earning a poke to the eye. You don’t need an eye for a powerslam though as Danny is already showing more fire than Muhammad Hassan did in his match with Shawn on Monday.

Basham misses a splash in the corner and gets dropkicked as the comeback is on. Right hands in the corner draw Doug up for a failed save attempt, meaning it’s time for Three Amigos. Now Doug’s cheap shots can work though, drawing out Rey for the save. Rey kicks Eddie by mistake though, knocking him into a rollup to give Doug the big upset pin.

Rating: C. There was some fire in the match but what mattered here was the story advancement, which was better than I would have guessed. Eddie and Rey’s issues have been slowly simmering over the last few weeks with Chavo starting to get inside Eddie’s head, which can make for quite the match on Sunday. Who knew that Danny, another of the OVW stars who was great on his own, could hang here? It’s almost like it should have been obvious while he and Doug were wasting time trying to get Shaniqua over.

We look at last week’s JBL vs. John Cena debate.

JBL yells at Theodore Long for letting it get out of control last week. It better not happen tonight or the Wrestlemania main event is off.

Cruiserweight Title: Battle Royal

Spike Dudley, Akio, Scotty 2 Hotty, Nunzio, Funaki, Billy Kidman, Paul London, Chavo Guerrero

We’re down to Kidman, Scotty, London and Akio as London stomps on Akio’s back. Scotty gets sent to the apron and a middle rope kick from Akio is good for the elimination. Kidman gets all aggressive and pounds on London but can’t get rid of him. London gets in a dropkick to both of them and Kidman accidentally backdrops Akio to the apron. A dropkick gets rid of Akio and London headscissors Kidman out for the title.

Rating: D+. London is as good of a choice as any here as the fans react to him and it’s not like the title has any real value at the moment. I can appreciate them getting a spot like this, though I can imagine it isn’t living up to a Wrestlemania payday. Hopefully they got thrown onto the DVD as an extra for the sake of an extra payout or something.

Akebono arrives.

Dirty Harry Wrestlemania trailer.

Carlito comes in to see Theodore Long and has an idea: he can get back in the ring tonight but Long says no. He isn’t medically cleared, so Long has a better idea. Some Carlito protests get him back in the ring….against John Cena.

Eddie comes up to Rey, who tries to apologize but Eddie knows it was an accident. Eddie is just frustrated, so Rey agrees to wrestle Doug Basham tonight, even though he’s not scheduled. Just to make Wrestlemania fair you see.

Booker T. vs. Luther Reigns

In the back, Sharmell gives Booker a pep talk about how he needs this win. Reigns powers him into the corner to start and then hits Booker in the face a few times. Booker’s hook kick to the face drops him but a missed side kick crotches him on the ropes. The side slam sets up the chinlock but Booker’s comeback doesn’t take long. A superkick sets up the Spinarooni into the scissors kick for the pin.

Rating: D. Booker goes from a Heidenreich feud to facing Reigns? What did he do to deserve something like this? With everything else that he can do, you put him against those numskulls? The match was every Reigns match, as he can’t do anything in the ring other than generic power stuff. Booker deserves better.

Long finds Bob Orton in his office. Bob is worried about what Randy is going to be doing and wants to talk to the Undertaker about it. Long is cool with it out of respect for Orton.

Classic Steve Austin Moment: the zamboni.

Here’s Bob Orton for a chat. He’s honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and he’s honored to have a World Champion son, but Randy is taking it too far. Bob calls Undertaker out and after the full entrance, Bob talks about how he has no problem with Undertaker. Randy has taken it too far though and Bob nearly begs Undertaker to not kill him. Undertaker says Randy’s fate is sealed and he will rest in peace at Wrestlemania. Cue Randy for a quick RKO so he and his dad can leave. It’s not a sign if they need to bring in Randy’s dad to make this work. It was going fine enough with just the two of them.

Doug Basham vs. Rey Mysterio

Eddie and Danny are both at ringside and a Danny distraction lets Doug get in a cheap shot from behind. A ribs first drop across the top rope sets up the abdominal stretch but Rey gets out in a hurry. The standing Lionsault gives Rey two and the 619 connects but Danny’s distraction draws in Eddie, who accidentally crotches Rey. Doug steals the pin to even things up between Rey and Eddie.

Post match Rey accepts that it was just an accident.

Braveheart Wrestlemania trailer.

Kurt Angle doesn’t like being told that he failed on Raw. He beats up Josh Matthews and carries him to the ring due to a bad case of being Josh Matthews. Angle beats him around the arena, including on the stage and at ringside. Josh actually gets in a right hand so it’s the ankle lock with a grapevine. After letting go, Angle says he’ll do the same to Shawn on Sunday and sets up a video package about his career. The highlight reels alone from these two have been worth everything else.

Classic Hulk Hogan Moment: the Saturday Night’s Main Event match against Paul Orndorff.

Cole is in the ring for the weigh-in between Big Show and Akebono. They both come out and Cole explains sumo wrestling. Show weighs 493 and Akebono (barefoot) weighs 504, which surprises Show, who last week said he expected Akebono to weigh more. He says this is the first time in his life that someone has weighed more than him, meaning he has forgotten the match with Loch Ness (which wasn’t all that bad). Show talks about how big of a deal Akebono is in sumo but this is the WWE. Akebono is looking forward to their match on Sunday and wants a match right now.

Akebono vs. ???

Thrust to the chest and a squatting cover is good for the pin. For Akebono that is.

Wrestlemania rundown.

John Cena vs. Carlito

Carlito hides in the ropes to start, which is probably the best thing he can do. The chase goes badly for Carlito as well so he pokes Cena in the eye for what is likely the peak of his offense. Cena explodes with the clothesline and sends Carlito head first into the buckle over and over. The FU is loaded up but here are JBL and the police to arrest Cena as the match is thrown out.

Cena is arrested for destroying JBL’s limo and the trash talk is on as the cops take Cena away. JBL does put a hand on Cena so Cena can get a shoulder to the ribs. That earns him a low blow and a You Can’t See Me from JBL to end the show. JBL had to get in a little something on Cena before Wrestlemania.

Overall Rating: D+. The Rey/Eddie stuff was good but other than that, they were out of ideas for Wrestlemania a few weeks ago so it’s quite the relief to finally get to the show. The stuff that has nothing to do with Sunday plus the sumo wrestling thing made me want to fast forward instead of see Wrestlemania. They did a good job with one match though and Eddie vs. Rey needed the help. The last few weeks have not been kind to Wrestlemania, but Sunday is all that matters so it might be all right in the end.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #72
Date: August 24, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

We’re on the road to Dallas and War Chamber, meaning things should start picking up around here. That being said, it’s picking up at some odd spots as the World Champion is in the big team gimmick match and everything else has been the focus of the show. It has made for a different direction around here and that’s not exactly a great thing. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Mance Warner has been arrested on unspecified charges. More later.

Opening sequence.

Promociones Dorado may know something about Warner being arrested so we’ll be hearing from them later.

Hijo de LA Park vs. Zenshi

Salina de la Renta is at the police station giving her statement on Warner (who was arrested for aggravated assault over last week’s chainsaw incident) so Park is on his own here. Zenshi is from Chile and we’ve seen him before. Park starts with the hip swivel so Zenshi flips over him and it’s time for an exchange of evading. Zenshi slides to the floor and gets caught with the suicide dive for the first major contact. The 619 on the apron doesn’t have much effect on Hijo, who sends him into the barricade and gets in a powerbomb onto the apron.

Back in and a release German suplex gives Park two but Zenshi sends him hard into the corner. That means a diagonal Coast to Coast (that’s a new one, albeit in a smaller ring), which made me think “there’s no way he’s doing that” and then he did it). Hijo is right back with a Code Red Canadian Destroyer for his own two and a pop up powerbomb for the same. Back up and Zenshi hits an awkward looking running flip cutter (think a running headscissors but with a cutter) for the pin at 5:58.

Rating: C-. Zenshi has talent but needs some more experience and a little bit more time to get established. That Coast to Coast looked awesome and the spinning cutter could work as a finisher, but he needs to hit it faster and snappier. It’s always cool to see some fresh stars though and with the AEW crew leaving sooner rather than later, this is what they need to be doing.

Post match Park hits him with a chair ala his dad.

The Hart Foundation is ready for Maxwell Jacob Friedman tonight.

Buy MLW gear! How did it take that long to get to something like this?

There will be an MLW/The Crash show in October. Nothing wrong with that.

Video on Low Ki’s run of knockout wins.

Low Ki, now a middleweight, wants a shot at Teddy Hart and the Middleweight Title. As for Contra, they’re about to be introduced to his professional presence.

Contra warns Tom Lawlor about coming after Fatu again. Fatu says this isn’t a podcast or the octagon, so the beating is coming. The Von Erichs haven’t been forgotten either and will get what is coming to them in the War Chamber. Maybe after that we can do something with the title again, because the thing has almost been forgotten since Fatu won it.

Saturday Night Super Fight is coming.

Salina de la Renta and Jimmy Havoc (I guess last week wasn’t Loser Leaves MLW) don’t want to talk about Mance Warner but they’ll be waiting for him when he comes back.

War Chamber Control Center with nothing new. They might want to add some more stuff as the show is in less than two weeks.

The Von Erichs and Tom Lawlor are ready for War Chamber but won’t reveal their fourth member. Is there really any secret about it being Low Ki at this point?

Lawlor is ready for his rematch next week because Fatu stole his title. He didn’t steal Lawlor’s warrior heart though so Lawlor is ready for another fight.

Alexander Hammerstone won a match in Japan.

The Dynasty is happy with all of their gold and Holiday has made a pillow saying “Life If Beauty Full”. They talk about the people they don’t like (fat people, ugly people and Brian Pillman Jr.) and are ready for their matches with the Harts. Hammerstone is ready to conquer Germany and they put their fists together.

Some big shows are coming up.

Austin Aries is coming for the Middleweight Title. That’s becoming the hot division and that’s how you do it: have people talk about wanting the belt. Tonight alone, we’ve heard Low Ki, Austin and MJF talk about wanting the title, plus a middleweight match. That’s how it works and it works here too.

Middleweight Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Teddy Hart

Hart is defending and Aria Blake is with Friedman (whose belt is HUGE). Before the match, MJF has a mic but we need to stop for a lot of booing. He talks about being smarter than everyone and being better than Bret Hart, because he never lost the Middleweight Title. That’s enough to bring out Teddy (with Mr. Velvet of course) and we’re ready to go. Well after a pose off with the fans being quite a bit more behind Teddy.

They shake hands and hug but a quick spank is too much for MJF. Hart is a bit friendlier with Project Ciampa as the announcers compare the history of the two stables. Back up and Teddy snaps the arm around the ropes, setting up the Dungeon DDT for two. Aria gets up for a distraction so Teddy literally kicks her to the floor. Serves her right, though she might have just wanted some information on buying a cat.

With MJF on the floor, Hart loads up the Asai moonsault but Blake gets in the way. That earns her a seat in a chair but Hart walks into a superkick to put the champ in trouble. MJF tosses him into the post before it’s time to go back inside. This time Hart gets in a shot to the knee but gets sent into the buckle to slow things right back down. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a belly to belly into the corner for two on the champ. Hart is back up with Code Red for two and a running Canadian Destroyer rocks MJF again.

The springboard Arabian moonsault to the floor drops MJF again, followed by a rather nice top rope DDT. The moonsault elbow gets two but a lower version hits raised knees and they’re both down again. MJF hits something like a curb stomp onto the turnbuckle and, say it with me, puts on the Sharpshooter. With that broken up, MJF hits the Heat Seeking Driver for two and can’t believe the kickout. Blake throws in a shoe (honestly) and the distraction lets her get in a low blow but the referee ejects her before a cover. That’s enough of a distraction for Hart to hit the super Canadian Destroyer to retain at 12:00.

Rating: B-. This was almost every Hart match you’re going to find: a lot of flips and rather exciting, but very little in the way of selling, storytelling or anything associated. That being said, why would you want something like that in a Hart match? The point here was to have Hart do his thing and MJF cheat a lot but come up short. Hart won’t hold the title forever and whoever beats him is going to get quite the rub.

Overall Rating: C-. The main event was good but I wasn’t feeling this one for the most part. The World Title situation continues to be a sore spot as there is nothing going on with the title and it is starting to show. Instead, the Middleweight Title is what matters most these days and while that is fine, it feels like a step down from the World Title. It’s like the Harts vs. the Dynasty and Salina vs. Konnan are all that matters around here and if that’s the case, they’re going to be in trouble sooner rather than later.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: AEW

It’s time for AEW Part Four but the question now is how much this event really matters. Other than the huge main event, I’m not sure how much of an impact a lot of this show is going to have. We’re still about five weeks away from what really matters with the debut on TNT, though that doesn’t mean AEW can’t knock it out of the park again. After the big NXT to USA announcement, AEW needs something to get some momentum back and they could do that with this show. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Casino Battle Royal

They’re REALLY into this gambling theme aren’t they? It’s actually an important match again as the winner qualifies for the first Women’s Title match on TNT. The idea here is four groups of five women hit the ring one group at a time and then there is one person who gets to come in last. The problem though is that as of Friday night, we only know ten of the names included. With so few names known, it’s almost anyone’s best guess as to who is winning, which is kind of what I’m doing here.

Since we don’t know how the other wrestler will qualify for the title match, a heel makes more sense here. However, since AEW isn’t really down with faces or heels, I’ll go with the main established female heel in Brandi Rhodes. It would make sense to hide her limited in-ring skills in a match like this and you can have Awesome Kong help her in the title match against one of the top faces in the division, likely Britt Baker. Go with what makes sense here, as Rhodes is a great villain and her bragging would be more than worth it.

Kickoff Show: Private Party vs. Jack Evans/Angelico

This is going to be little more than a showcase match and that’s a very smart way to go. Private Party looked great in their limited appearance so far and it would make a lot of sense to give them a win over a team that some people know. These teams can put on an outstanding athletic display and that’s the way you can build up a Kickoff Show. Not that AEW has figured that out as of yet but maybe this is where it works.

I’ll go with Private Party here for the logical move as the two of them could be contenders to be the first Tag Team Champions. They work well together and can do some great high flying stuff, which is going to get the fans ready for the rest of the show. Evans and Angelico can get along just fine with another loss and I’m sure we’ll be seeing them around here again. Private Party wins here and do so in an impressive performance.

Riho vs. Hikaru Shida

We’ll get this one out of the way to start as it’s not one of AEW’s strong points. Not the action itself that is, but rather who these women are. I know we’ve seen both of them before, but AEW has done very little in the way of explaining anything about the. Other than they’re from Japan and Kenny Omega is impressed by them, we know very little about them to make them stand apart from each other. That can change in time, but for now, nothing has been done to set them apart yet.

I’ll take Riho here, as she seems to have been presented as the bigger star so far. What I would like to see though is some kind of a feature on either of them, just so we can get to know them a bit better. They don’t need some kind of a gimmick or anything, but something where we can get to know them a bit. Until then, they’re this company’s version of WCW’s luchadors, which is far from a bad thing. It just won’t work permanently.

Dark Order vs. Best Friends

The winners get a first round bye into the Tag Team Title tournament, which is going to be wrapping up on October 30, meaning they aren’t going to have a lot of time to set things up. What we have here is a team that is trying to be edgy vs. a team that is trying to be funny and those things haven’t gone so well thus far. Neither team has overly impressed me and I’m not sure I see that changing here.

What I do see is Dark Order winning as you don’t give faces like the Best Friends a first round bye in a tournament. Faces need to be up against the odds while heels get a chance to cheat, so why in the world would you go with the Best Friends here? I’m sure they’ll do their hug and various other spots that they’ve done for years that will pop the crowd, but it will be fairly entertaining to see them get beaten up, as it tends to be.

AAA Tag Team Titles: Lucha Bros(c) vs. Young Bucks

This is a ladder match and really the only thing left for the teams to do. Since AEW doesn’t have any titles of its own yet, it makes some sense to have them fighting over another promotions titles. They’ve traded them a few times already and while the matches have been entertaining, they haven’t exactly been the highest quality in the world with a bunch of spots after another. Hence why making this a ladder match is a good idea, as that’s the entire point of such a match.

I’ll go with the Lucha Bros to win here, as they’re going to wind up as champions in the end and we don’t need to do another match to decide things between them. Let the Bros win as the Bucks are likely to go far in the tournament anyway. The Bros aren’t as big of a team as the Bucks (it helps when you founded the company) so going this way is what makes the most sense.

Cody vs. Shawn Spears

Spears is going to have Tully Blanchard in his corner for the odd yet cool pairing. I’m still not sold on Spears as a top name but he’s far from being written off. They can get somewhere with this match and hopefully show that they’re capable of turning someone WWE didn’t use very much into a big star of their own. That’s going to be tricky, but not impossible.

I know I’m doing this a lot but I’ll go with the heel again. Cody is already going to be a top star no matter what he does and as mentioned, Spears needs that bump up the ladder. Let Blanchard interfere to give Spears the win or something, but either way, Cody loses. Much like the Bucks, Cody is already a made man because it’s his company, so Spears needs this a lot more than he does.

A Boy And His Dinosaur/Marko Stunt vs. SoCal Uncensored

I know this has been said many times now, but they have something with A Boy And His Dinosaur. The name alone gets your attention and they’re great for the little man/big man combination. It’s one of those things that has worked forever in wrestling and that is going to be the case here too. Stunt is….well he’s there too and try as he might, it’s still hard to take him as anything other than a novelty act.

This time around there isn’t much of another option as Stunt and company have to win this one. They’re the more popular act and while SoCal Uncensored can get in some good lines, they belong on their backs at the end. Let Stunt and/or Jungle Boy sell for a few minutes and then have Luchasaurus come in and wreck everything. Again: it’s a formula that has worked before so why mess with it?

Darby Allin vs. Joey Janela vs. Jimmy Havoc

This is a Cracker Barrel Clash which just makes me want chicken and dumplings. AEW certainly loves their three way matches and it’s no surprise to see one on this show too. Allin has looked like a bigger star than the other two, though Janela did main event one of the smaller shows against Moxley. That being said, Havoc and Janela are both more niche performers than Allin and that is going to hold them back.

Therefore, I’ll go with Allin here as he is starting to become a player around here. It’s another case of AEW trying to make a star and coming close early on. They have a long way to go with it, like giving him a big win, so maybe he can get a medium one here. Janela and Havoc are going to be able to get over with their presence and character stuff so going with Allin makes the most sense both in the short and long terms.

Pac vs. Kenny Omega

Pac is substituting for the injured Jon Moxley in a match that was supposed to take place at some point after Double Or Nothing. Since Pac is no longer Dragon Gate Champion, he can wrestle and potentially lose here. Omega is one of the top stars in the promotion and Pac isn’t far behind him, but the question here would be is Pac close enough to him to win?

I’m thinking no on that one as Omega wins, likely setting himself up as a World Title contender down the line. The other problem with pushing Pac is the same as before: if he’ll leave due to winning a title elsewhere, how far can you push him in AEW? This one should go to Omega, which I’m sure it will, just after about 18 V Triggers, 19 reverse hurricanranas and 20 stars from those Philistines who don’t use letters.

AEW World Title: Adam Page vs. Chris Jericho

Is anyone else not that interested in this one? They set the match up all the way back in May and now that it’s taken this long to get here, I kind of don’t care who wins. Page took a lot of time winning his most recent match and Jericho has wrestled once since then (on June 9 in Japan). The promo and segment they had at Fight For The Fallen was good, but I need a little more than that to get me interested.

I’ll go with Jericho to win the title, though I can’t shake the feeling that we’re getting the surprise win. Jericho is the one who is going to make this company a lot more appealing to fans from outside the AEW bubble and that’s what they’re going to need. Jericho isn’t likely the long term champion so it can go to Omega or Moxley, but for now, he’s the biggest star they have by a mile and the right choice for the first champion.

Overall Thoughts

I don’t know if it’s the NXT move or the lack of running shows but AEW doesn’t feel as hot as it was just a month ago. Maybe they can get that back at All Out, but it’s not the best thing to have happen so close to the big TNT debut. That being said though, they’re cooling down a bit before getting a live, weekly show on TNT. That’s some rare air for a wrestling show and I can’t imagine any major trouble, at least not for the first few weeks. October 2 is what matters now and once we get there, we’ll see where things really are. For now though, holding steady is more than acceptable.

Oh and Punk doesn’t show up but MJF trolls the fans about it.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

How can they go seven months between major shows for a promotion these days? Somehow they’ve managed to do it around here, though in this case the company has done a lot of growing up in between. The card is rather stacked and one that I could go for almost anything on the show. There are some interesting looking matches around here so let’s get to it.

Travis Banks vs. Noam Dar

Ok so they can’t all be winners. This feels pretty tacked on for the sake of getting both guys on the card and it’s not like there is anyone else who needs to be on the show (certainly no Irish Ace). Dar is a rather nice smarmy heal (as I continue to go back and forth on him) and Banks is someone who looks like he could be a big deal but is trying to get out of the blocks.

Since they both need a win, I think I’ll go with Banks here, but I’m already not the most confident. Dar is someone they really like to push and I can get why, but Banks seems to have a lot more potential as a top star. This feels like a match used to let the crowd come down from a bigger one later, though it still seems like it would be better suited as a dark match.

Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey

These two are victims of some bad timing as they get to have a big man hoss fight three days after Keith Lee and Dominick Dijakovic tore the roof off of Full Sail. This is a Last Man Standing match to give it some flavor and there is actually a decent history here. They fought to a draw earlier, though what you might not remember is Coffey defeating Mastiff in last year’s #1 contenders tournament, which I believe is Mastiff’s only televised pinfall loss in the company. They’ve protected the heck out of him and that could pay off here.

I think I’ll actually go with Mastiff here as Coffey can bounce back better from a loss. Mastiff is someone they have treated like a special monster and under the right circumstances, he could have a big time TV match against Walter for the UK Title down the line. Giving him a win over Coffey here would go a long way towards that and I don’t think they’re going to pull the plug on Coffey just yet.

Tag Team Titles: Grizzled Young Veterans(c) vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. Gallus

This match doesn’t feel like it has much of a story but at the same time, I have no idea who wins here. You have the heat magnet champions, the young home country stars and then the established team who could become monster heels if they win the titles. While the Veterans have a great point that Webster and Andrews got into the match by winning singles matches (which is weird), this really could go any of the three ways.

I’ll take…dang I’m not sure here. Uh….Webster and Andrews I guess, though I don’t have much confidence in it. They seem like they would be transitional champions (maybe dropping the titles to Gallus or Imperium) at best and that’s fine, but give the fans something to cheer for here with the improbably win. It would make the most sense, and hearing Zack Gibson rant about how they got cheated out of the titles could be some great stuff.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm(c) vs. Kay Lee Ray

This has had a nice build, though I’m still wondering what was up with that weird promo where Storm seemed to be drunk or whatever it was. Ray has done a good job of getting inside Storm’s head, though I still don’t feel like I know anything about her. She isn’t really developed in any way and that’s a bit of a problem (although that’s the case with a lot of people on this roster). Storm isn’t much better but she’s an established star.

We’ll say Ray wins here to give us another new champion, though I’m not sure where that leaves Storm. She’s easily the top star in the women’s division and doesn’t have many real challengers, though she could be used to help bring some new talent up (without putting them over that is). Ray needs the title more than Storm does at this point and while I expect to see Storm in regular NXT by this time next year, I think she loses here as she needs to be away from the title for a bit.

United Kingdom Title: Walter(c) vs. Tyler Bate

Walter is the undisputed monster champion of the promotion and that means he needs someone to slay him. Who better than the former champion and eternally undersized Bate? These two had an instant classic in London for Progress with Bate coming this close to winning the Progress World Title and sending the fans into a full on riot but can they do that again here? And with a different ending?

In short, yes and no, as I think the match is great but Walter wins in the end. It’s going to take someone very special to take the title from Walter and while Bate is special, I don’t think Walter has had enough of a reign to drop the title just yet. Bate is going to fight his heart out but come up short in the end. That is going to give us some incredible near falls though and that is going to carry the whole thing.

Overall Thoughts

The more I look at this card, the less sure I am of the whole thing. Bate’s push towards the title should be good and the Welsh guys winning the Tag Team Titles could be a great moment, but the rest of the card looks a little shaky. Now if they do put Cesaro vs. Pete Dunne on as rumored, things will be that much better in a hurry, because those two will beat the fire out of each other. The card should be good, but it is far from a guarantee of a great show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

By request.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-oh-yeah-aew-still-thing/

IMG Credit: Ring Of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: August 28, 2019
Location: Mattamy Athletic Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman
Hosts: Quinn McCay, Ian Riccaboni

The slow decline of this show and possibly the promotion continues as they try whatever they can to get Matt Taven over as World Champion. This time around it means Alex Shelley as the veteran challenger with no chance of winning the title. It’s not like they have anyone else that Taven hasn’t already beaten, other than Rush, who seems to be the one to take the title off of him. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

We look at Shelley injecting himself into the World Title picture.

Clips of Alex Shelley/Jay Lethal/Jonathan Gresham beating the Kingdom at Mass Hysteria when Shelley made Marseglia tap.

Shelley is ready to take the title from Taven in Toronto.

We look at Tasha Steelz pinning Angelina Love twice in a row but needing Kelly Klein to save her from the Allure.

Clips of Klein retaining the Women of Honor Title over Steelz at Summer Supercard. Angelina jumped them both after the match. Just put the title on her already and get it over with.

Klein jumped Angelina in the back.

Lifeblood is ready for Villain Enterprises. Again.

We see Flip Gordon attacking Tracy Williams, which seemed to cost Williams the TV Title match later in the night.

Taylor is tired of not being promoted as a big star.

Highlights from Ladder War in Toronto with the Briscoes defending against Guerrillas of Destiny, which has to be clipped due to violence. It certainly does look carnagey.

The announcers give a quick Top Prospect Tournament preview.

Ring of Honor World Title: Matt Taven vs. Alex Shelley

Taven is defending and OF COURSE we have all the time in the world for him. They go to the mat to start with Taven holding a headscissors until Shelley blows his nose on him for a standoff. It’s back to the mat for a rollup on Taven and they stare at each other again. That works so well that they do it again for yet another standoff. A third rollup into MORE STARING lets Shelley do some pushups as they’re staying in first gear.

Taven bails to the floor to change things up a bit before coming back in for….another rollup for two. Back from a break with Shelley’s Sliced Bread off the post attempt being shoved through a table as something finally happens. Shelley dives back in to beat the count so Taven hits a backbreaker for two. The back is bent over Taven’s knee, followed by a butterfly backbreaker for two more. A Liontamer makes the back even worse but Shelley makes the rope in a hurry.

Taven goes with a rolling neckbreaker for two but Shelley is back up with a slingshot DDT onto the apron for the double knockdown. Sliced Bread onto the barricade rocks Taven, who pops right back up with the dive over the barricade. Back in and Jay White’s Blade Runner gets two on Taven, followed by a pair of superkicks. Sliced Bread gets two more but Taven hits the Climax. The cover is countered into a rollup to give Shelley two but Taven knees him in the head and hits the Climax to retain at 15:22.

Rating: C+. The ending got better but all of the stuff with both guys’ backs being banged up just came and went. Taven’s seemingly never ending title reign continues with another pretty good but not great match. The problem is everything in between as the whole thing just keeps going, whether or not anyone wants to see it continue. Shelley never felt like a real threat to the title, but that is the case a lot of the time when Taven defends.

Overall Rating: C-. Well at least they finally moved forward to a slightly newer show. That being said, having the show focus on Taven isn’t an interesting way to go and I don’t quite see things getting much better. The whole company is searching for bright spots these days and that has been the case for a long time now. The problem is they’re getting further and further apart and that’s not going to work in the long term. The show wasn’t bad, but it isn’t something that makes me want to keep watching. Given their attendance issues of late, that is the case for a lot of people.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: August 28, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Beth Phoenix, Nigel McGuinness

We’re down to three weeks to go before the big switch over and tonight we have what might be the last title match on the hour long version. That would be the Street Profits defending the Tag Team Titles against the Undisputed Era as the Era’s quest for all the gold continues. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Quick look at tonight’s title match.

Opening sequence.

Io Shirai vs. Cami Fields

Shirai hits a running dropkick at the bell and loads up what looks to be a package piledriver. Cami backdrops out but Shirai lands on her feet and hits another dropkick. The moonsault gets two with Shirai pulling her up, followed by something like a reverse Koji Clutch to make Fields tap at 1:43.

Post match Shirai pulls out the kendo stick but Candice LeRae makes the save.

Video on Kushida.

Keith Lee vs. Dominick Dijakovic

Hold on as Lee has to conduct the crowd for an OH BASK IN HIS GLORY chant. Lee shrugs off some kicks to the ribs to start and hits a big shoulder. That just earns him the cyclone boot but Lee blocks a suplex attempt and hits him in the face. Lee gets sent to the apron but Dijakovic won’t let himself go face first into the buckle. Instead Lee hits a slingshot crossbody for two, followed by one heck of a lariat for the same. They fight to the apron with Lee spinebustering him down onto the apron, but this time Lee isn’t settling for the countout.

Dijakovic gets in a boot and Lee heads outside again, meaning it’s a big running flip dive (Nigel: “If he flies, he flies.”) because OF COURSE HE CAN DO THAT. Back in and Dijakovic tries a top rope flip dive but Lee catches him in the air. The powerbomb is countered as Dijakovic backflips out, setting up the toss suplex. The moonsault gets two on Lee so they head up top, with Lee busting out a super Spanish Fly. This time it’s Lee going up and, after elbowing Dijakovic off the top, getting superkicked in the leg to bring him back down. Feast Your Eyes finally finishes Lee 11:19 for the standing ovation.

Rating: A-. It might not have been the highest quality or anything like that, but this had more HOW DID THEY DO THAT moments than anything I’ve seen outside of some crazy lucha stuff in a long, long time. I was sitting here wondering how in the world they could keep doing these big spots and then they just kept doing it. This was incredible stuff and I had as good of a time watching it as I’ve had in probably a year watching a regular TV match.

We get a career retrospective on Johnny Gargano, who seems ready to leave. We start with a look at DIY’s success before moving on to the split, the matches with Andrade and then the classics with Ciampa, capped off by him finally winning the NXT Title in the match with Adam Cole. If that had been the finally victory over Ciampa, it would have been an all time feud. We also see part of his big farewell after Takeover: Toronto.

Shane Thorne comes up to commentary and asks why we’re talking about Gargano and not his win streak or his devastating kicks. Focus on the present people.

We look back at Mia Yim going after Shayna Baszler last week.

Mia begged William Regal for another title shot and was told no because she already had her chance. Fair point.

Here are Shayna and the Horsewomen for a chat but Rhea Ripley of all people shows up and takes the mic, saying Shayna hasn’t beaten her b****. The trio bails.

Video on Pete Dunne, who wants the North American Title and will break anyone who tries to stop him.

Next week: Jordan Myles vs. Adam Cole for the NXT Title.

Tag Team Titles: Undisputed Era vs. Street Profits

The Profits are defending after pinning the illegal man at Takeover. The fans want the smoke as Fish grabs a wristlock on Ford to start. O’Reilly comes in for a headlock and some spot calling, one of which seems to be bringing in Dawkins to take O’Reilly down. Everything breaks down for a bit with Ford hitting the crazy high dropkick and getting tossed onto Fish for two.

Ford gets taken into the corner for the hard strikes from O’Reilly, with the leg being twisted around the rope to make it even worse. A cannonball down onto the leg is broken up but O’Reilly pulls the leg down so Fish can hit the slingshot hilo. Ford gets back up and manages to get over for the tag to Dawkins, who cleans house. A spear gets two on Fish but O’Reilly is right back with Chasing the Dragon for a rather near fall.

O’Reilly grabs the kneebar until Ford makes the save and everyone is down. We get the four way slugout until Dawkins hits a Sky High on Fish. The Rock Bottom into the frog splash (from Dawkins for a change) gets two on O’Reilly with Fish making the save. Ford hits a running flip dive but misses the real frog splash. Dawkins’ spear hits a raised knee and it’s High/Low to Ford for the pin and the titles at 11:31.

Rating: B. Good match here with the Street Profits going down in a hot one. The Era getting the titles back might not be the most exciting way to go but it comes at the end of a reign that saw the Profits grow up before our eyes. They went from the fun, goofy team to actual stars on this show and that’s how you make someone matter. They’ll be fine with the entrance alone and if their matches keep getting better, they could be quite the force for a long time.

The rest of the Era comes out to celebrate to end the show.

Overall Rating: A+. Yeah that’s probably higher than it should be but who cares. I had a blast watching this whole thing and it was one of the best, most entertaining hours of TV I can remember in a long time. There wasn’t a single bad thing on the entire show and it set up a few very interesting things down the line. I’m almost scared of where things are going on USA but they’re going out with a heck of a taping and one of the best shows I can remember them doing.

Results

Io Shirai b. Cami Fields – Reverse Koji Clutch

Dominick Dijakovic b. Keith Lee – Feast Your Eyes

Undisputed Era b. Street Profits – High/Low to Ford

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: August 28, 2019
Location: Plymouth Pavilions, Devon, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the go home show for Takeover: Cardiff, which feels like it was announced a very long time ago. Last week’s show saw Tyler Bate and Walter have their big showdown, which makes me wonder what is left for this week’s show. The good thing is I have some confidence that they could pull this one off so maybe we’re in for a strong last show. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Tyson T-Bone

Dragunov’s music is still awesome. T-Bone grabs a headlock and runs Dragunov over with a shoulder. That earns him a knee to the face and a backsplash (make sure you get in your backsplash) so T-Bone is back with a right hand. The armbar goes on with Dragunov giving T-Bone the crazy eyes.

T-Bone slaps on a nerve hold instead, which lasts as long as any standard nerve hold. Dragunov fights back with the collection of clotheslines and a German suplex, but a second attempt is knocked down with a right hand. A missed charge sends T-Bone’s shoulder into the post and it’s a top rope backsplash to crush him. Torpedo Moscow gives Dragunov the pin at 5:38.

Rating: C-. How in the world is Dragunov not on Takeover? Normally I would ask how in the world he isn’t a heel but with that kind of intensity, it’s easy to see why he’s cheered so soundly. You can imagine him turning heel somewhere down the line though as he could be a heck of a monster heel despite his size. Just don’t have him lose to Kassius Ohno of all people again.

Video on Toni Storm’s path to the Women’s Title and Kay Lee Ray wanting to take it from her. Ray has made it personal, including bringing up their past friendship and Toni’s dad walking out on the family.

Jack Gallagher asks the fans who is the better British wrestler: Kassius Ohno or himself? Ohno pinned him despite the foot being underneath the ropes, so he’d like a rematch next week.

Joseph Conners vs. Oliver Carter

Nothing to get you in the mood for a big show like a Joseph Conners match. Carter is from Ghana but lives in Switzerland for a pretty unique mix. Some early strikes set up a backdrop to Conners, who is tossed outside in a fast start. Back in and Conners pulls him down by the hair and forearms away at the chest. Conners runs him over for two as the fans are trying to get into this. Carter fights back with more shots to the face and scores with some top rope knees to the chest. An overhead belly to belly into a kick to the face gives Carter two but he misses a Lionsault. Don’t Look Down finishes Carter at 6:26.

Rating: D+. Carter is someone with some potential as he looks fine and had some good fire, but my goodness what do they see in Conners? He’s been around since the beginning of the show and is little more than a gatekeeper, so he wins here? Conners has been one of the few true misses since the promotion debuted and this match could have fit into any spot in his history. The matches aren’t even that bad but they’re so uninteresting that I was checking the clock to see how much longer it could possibly go.

Takeover rundown.

Cesaro says he’s coming to Cardiff to take a more hands on approach.

Video on Piper Niven vs. Rhea Ripley. They meet next week.

Kenny Williams vs. Jordan Devlin

Feeling out process to start with Williams taking him down by the arm, followed by a backdrop and a clothesline to the floor. That’s enough for Devlin but Williams isn’t letting him walk so easily. Devlin sends him back first into the barricade though and it’s a suplex back inside to bang Williams up even more. With Devlin saying that he isn’t breaking a sweat, it’s another shot to Williams’ back.

Devlin kicks him in the back and says he’s the ace to Kenny’s joker, which brings Williams up to hit Devlin in the face. Another kick to the face gives Williams two but Devlin is back with a shot to the ribs. They head to the apron but Devlin can’t get a Spanish Fly to the floor. Back inside and Williams hits a great looking top rope elbow to the face. Devlin counters a charge into a wheelbarrow suplex (fans: “YOU KILLED KENNY!”), followed by a Spanish Fly for two.

What looks like a super Regal Roll is countered into a springboard hurricanrana to bring Devlin back down and a wheelbarrow faceplant gives Williams two more. Williams gets sent chest first into the buckle though and Devlin hits a moonsault onto the back for another near fall. Devlin has had it with this and pulls Williams in for the Saito suplex and the pin at 12:33.

Rating: B-. Williams is good for a completely passable if not above average performance every time he’s out there and you have Devlin who is one of the best all around performers on the show. The problem is that this felt like the least important match since the previous one, which has been the case for the entire show. Devlin could be a big deal around here but they keep putting him in matches like this one and it’s getting repetitive.

Long video on Tyler Bate vs. Walter, with Walter winning the UK Title and forming Imperium to go after British Strong Style. Walter injured Pete Dunne so Bate is fighting for the team’s honor. And the title.

Here are the Grizzled Young Veterans to complain about Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews qualifying for the Tag Team Title match by winning singles matches (fair point). Cue Gallus and Webster/Andrews for the big brawl to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. Oh this didn’t work. Other than a few parts here and there, this felt like they ran out of ways to build up Takeover last week and threw everyone not on the show out here to fill in time. It’s a perfectly watchable nearly hour long show but it took a lot of the energy out of the build to Takeover. The show itself is all that matters, but what we had here wasn’t working in regards to setting up Saturday.

Results

Ilja Dragunov b. Tyson T-Bone – Torpedo Moscow

Joseph Conners b. Oliver Carter – Don’t Look Down

Jordan Devlin b. Kenny Williams – Saito suplex

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: March 28, 2005
Location: Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas
Attendance: 7,300
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

It’s the go home show for Wrestlemania and odds are that means a lot of final pushes towards the show. You might see less action than usual as well as WWE won’t be wanting to risk any unnecessary injuries before the biggest night of the year. Batista and HHH are going face to face tonight so we’ll see where they go with their last chance. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Chris Jericho is in the ring for the Highlight Reel and of course there is a ladder in the middle with the briefcase above it. Jericho talks about making history by becoming the first Undisputed Champion and he’ll do it again by winning the first Money in the Bank ladder match. He knows what it feels like to be World Champion and he wants to feel it again. That brings him to his guests: Chris Benoit and Shelton Benjamin.

Jericho says the three of them are kind of friends but he’ll do whatever it takes to win the briefcase. That’s fine with Benoit, but what isn’t fine is Jericho saying he wants to win more than anyone. Shelton interrupts to say that he’s never been World Champion but he’s the only one with gold right now. Cue Christian and Tyson Tomko to say that they’re all lame and that Christian is winning on Sunday. Christian asks what will happen when he gets his first World Title shot. Shelton: “Probably get your a** beat by Batista or HHH.” That was funny.

Christian takes credit for winning two ladder matches at Wrestlemania so here’s Edge to interrupt. He had something to do with those wins but on Sunday, he’ll be winning his third on his own. Edge doesn’t want to hear about Intercontinental Titles or broken necks because he’s done all of that. He’ll do whatever it takes to win the title so Benoit lunges to start the brawl.

Chris Jericho/Shelton Benjamin/Chris Benoit vs. Tyson Tomko/Christian/Edge

Joined in progress with Christian coming in to hammer on Jericho in the corner. Jericho grabs a suplex and brings Shelton in for two off a very fast running shoulder. Benjamin fights out of the corner without much effort but Tomko catches him with a Boss Man Slam. The villains start taking over on Shelton as Lawler explains the details of the MITB contract. That sounds like old hat now, but explaining that someone could cash in on an injured champion at a moment’s notice was a new concept back then.

Shelton powers over to the corner but the referee doesn’t see it and the trouble continues. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Shelton fights up for a double clothesline. The diving tag brings Benoit in for a quick suplex into the Sharpshooter with Christian having to save Edge. Therefore, Benoit German suplexes Christian over and over but Edge crotches Benoit on top. A superplex brings the bloody Benoit (busted open off a headbutt to Tomko) down and we come back from a break with Benoit covered in blood.

He’s also fighting out of a chinlock and getting elbowed in the face for two with Benjamin making the save. Benoit is fine enough to headbutt Christian off the top and hit the Swan Dive, setting up the real hot tag to Jericho. Everything breaks down and Edge spears Tomko by mistake, only to have Shelton Dragon Whip Benoit by mistake. The exploder plants Christian but Tomko hits a heck of a big boot on Shelton. Jericho doesn’t mind and puts Tomko in the Walls for the win.

Rating: C+. This was your standard “get (almost) everyone in the big match in this match for a preview” and the talent in there made it worked. Tomko was a good enough Kane substitute as he was only in there for the power stuff. The good thing about having this much talent is you can throw them into any combination and get a nice match, which is what they had here.

Post match Christian brings in the ladder but here’s Kane to take everyone out.

When Harry Met Sally Wrestlemania trailer.

Eric Bischoff comes in to see Batista and makes him promise a lack of physicality when he and HHH face off tonight. Bischoff can’t afford an injury, so Batista says HHH shouldn’t get injured. Batista promises to not start anything tonight, but he’ll finish anything HHH starts. That’s enough for Eric, but he comes back to ask about Batista’s used car salesman last week. Bischoff brings up Batista’s movie trailer and thinks he could be a Hollywood star (the man knows talent). Batista appreciates that and thinks Bischoff reminds him of someone in Pulp Fiction. That would be the Gimp.

Trish, Christy (in a dress, with Lita), arm wrestling, Christy wins after delays, Christy wins a rematch, Trish nails Lita in the leg. Every one you’ve ever seen of these things.

Classic Steve Austin Moment: the beer truck.

Here’s Randy Orton for a chat. We see a clip of him attacking Stacy Keibler last week, earning Orton a mixed reaction. Perhaps from fans who are glad Stacy is gone? Last week, Stacy hesitated when Orton asked if he could beat Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Orton isn’t waiting because you’re either with him or against him and he wants no distractions. Undertaker is undefeated at Wrestlemania because everyone is beaten before they get into the ring. His future involves a Hall of Fame plaque, which says he beat Undertaker at Wrestlemania. The Undertaker is a legend but Orton is a legend killer.

The lights go out and we see a video counting down the Undertaker’s victims at Wrestlemania over the years. These Wrestlemania videos are always well done and they played a big part in making the Streak feel so important. Back in the arena, the posts catch on fire and Orton is scared to death on the floor. These segments have been good, but I’m not quite buying Orton as a threat after how far he’s fallen in the last few months.

Post break Kane comes up to Orton and sees through his confidence. Kane was lucky to escape two Wrestlemania matches against Undertaker. Orton says he knows what he’s getting into but Kane says Orton needs to prove that he isn’t scared of Undertaker. He has six days to prove it. So there’s a Smackdown segment.

Tag Team Titles: Simon Dean/Maven vs. La Resistance vs. William Regal/Tajiri

Regal and Tajiri are defending and it’s one fall to a finish. Dean and Maven hit a double hiptoss on Tajiri to start so Regal comes in for a double elbow to Maven. La Resistance make their own save so Dean can hit a swinging neckbreaker on Regal. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Grenier gets in a cheap shot from the apron but Regal is right back with a snap bell to back suplex. The hot (though you wouldn’t know it by listening) tag brings in Tajiri for a bunch of kicks, including a big one to pin Maven and retain the titles.

Rating: D. So that didn’t do much. These four were thrown on the show because they had nothing to do at Wrestlemania (save for maybe being in the battle royal), which doesn’t seem to matter despite Regal and Tajiri being champions. I know they’ve been around forever, but would dropping them be the worst thing? Just for now? Other than house show matches, do they really serve an important purpose?

Bischoff tries to convince HHH to stay calm tonight but HHH says Bischoff is forcing him into the ring tonight. HHH will stay calm but if Batista blinks at him in the wrong way, it’s on. These segments feel like filler but what else are they going to do on this show? Promote something else for Wrestlemania?

Smackdown Rebound.

Muhammad Hassan vs. Shawn Michaels

Hassan and Daivari do their usual stuff before the match and it’s a bit more over than usual in Texas. Hassan goes with a knee to the ribs to take Shawn down early and hammers away with right hands. Back up and Shawn is smart enough to stomp on Daivari’s interfering fingers as we take a break.

We come back with Shawn’s back in trouble as Hassan’s offense continues to not be impressive in any way. A back elbow gives Hassan two and the chinlock goes on. There’s a hard whip into the corner to hurt the back even more as they’re managing to kill a Texas crowd in a Shawn Michaels match.

More whips into the corner have Shawn’s back in more trouble and the USA chant proves Hassan’s point all over again. The camel clutch (loose, to be countered version) is broken up with a grab of the ropes and the fans….don’t seem to care. Shawn’s comeback is on with the atomic drop into the forearm into the nipup into the top rope elbow. Sweet Chin Music is loaded up for a very long time but Kurt Angle runs in for the DQ.

Rating: D. This was a great example of what happens when you’re just not that good. Hassan tries but his whole appeal is his gimmick, which isn’t that good either. It’s such a one note promo and idea and while it can work in small doses, we’ve heard the same promo about prejudice time after time. Then he gets in the ring and is so boring that there is no reason to care about anything he does. Even Shawn couldn’t lift him up so who else can make it work?

Post match Angle hits Muhammad by mistake and Shawn fights him off, sending Angle into the crowd as security comes out.

Bischoff tells security to be ready for the Batista vs. HHH brawl.

Wrestlemania Taxi Driver trailer.

Bischoff is in the ring to moderate the big showdown so here are HHH, Flair and Batista. HHH gets to go first and takes his time (shocking) to call Batista ungrateful. After everything HHH has done for him, this is how Batista repays him? No one knew who he was before he met HHH and now Batista is a star.

This goes on and on (shocking) until Batista gets to talk about how he’s going to win on Sunday. He does make sure to throw in some compliments to Flair, because we must praise Flair. Batista promises to take HHH out on Sunday so there goes the table. HHH slaps him in the face (so much for Bischoff’s warning) and security has to be dispatched, leaving Batista standing tall to end the show. That was about as uneventful as you could get, with Batista doing everything he has done before and HHH saying everything he has said before. It changed nothing for Sunday, but the match has been set for so long now that it doesn’t matter.

Overall Rating: D. I wasn’t into this one as they basically shut down everything for some of the same builds toward Sunday, which we’ve covered extensively in the last few weeks. The six man was good but that’s not enough to carry things. This was what happened when the big show is already set and has been for months now. I’m no more interested in watching Wrestlemania than I was before and I felt like I needed to get through this show more than enjoying it and that’s not good with six days to go.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6