IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: October 18, 2019
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

This is an important show as we are officially into the new era with unique rosters for both Raw and Smackdown. That means they need to have something special here as they are running at half power and don’t have many excuses yet if the audience isn’t there. I’m not sure what to expect here but Roman Reigns is getting an Intercontinental Title shot against Shinsuke Nakamura. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Intercontinental Title: Roman Reigns vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Nakamura is defending and has Sami Zayn with him. Sami sits in on commentary as Roman drives the champ into the corner to start but Nakamura is right back with the knees. The slugout easily goes to Reigns though and he plants Nakamura with the Samoan drop for two. That’s enough to bring Sami off commentary to help his buddy, which includes pulling Nakamura away from the apron kick.

Nakamura hits a kick of his own and we take a break. Back with Reigns fighting out of a sleeper and hitting the running clothesline. Nakamura goes for the cross armbreaker, which is muscled up into a powerbomb for two. The Superman Punch draws Sami to the apron for a distraction and Nakamura hits a kick to the back of the head. There’s the sliding German suplex but Reigns is right back with the Superman punch for two. The spear is loaded up but here’s King Corbin, who Reigns had argued with on social media earlier today, to hit Reigns with the scepter for the DQ at 11:55.

Rating: C. This worked well enough, even if the title never really felt in jeopardy. It’s nice to have Nakamura wrestling actually defending the thing against some bigger competition for a change, but it is still clear that Nakamura isn’t exactly giving his best effort in WWE. The Zayn connection helps though and what we got was a nice enough match, even if it seems to be setting up something else.

Post match Corbin hits Deep Six but it’s Daniel Bryan running in for the save. The numbers get the better of it though and Nakamura hits the running knee to the back of Bryan’s head.

New Day is singing in the back when Tucker brings in a table. After Kofi says he’s fine with losing the WWE Championship because of the power of positivity, Otis brings in a bowl of pancake mix and protein powder, which he pours into his mouth. Big E. does the chant and I’m really glad this segment is over.

Corbin has nothing to say about Reigns.

Shorty Gable vs. Curtis Axel

We actually get a video on why Gable is now named Shorty. If you don’t get why someone is named SHORTY, you might want a low level of intellect in your entertainment. Gable armdrags him to start but gets sent into the corner. The Hennig necksnap gives Axel two and we hit the armbar. Gable fights up, knocks Bo Dallas to the floor, and finishes Axel with the ankle lock at 1:55.

Post match Gable says be who you are, even if it means being short. He isn’t even Shorty Gable anymore. Now it’s Shorty G.

Seth Rollins is out of Team Hogan vs. Team Flair as Rollins has to defend against Bray Wyatt.

Hulk Hogan is on Skype and seems to announce Ali and Shorty G. for his team. The new captain will be announced tonight and he wants to beat up Ric Flair once and for all.

New Day/Heavy Machinery vs. Robert Roode/Dolph Ziggler/Revival

Tucker and Ziggler grapple for a bit to start until Tucker dropkicks him down. Roode tries to run in but it’s a double suplex from Heavy Machinery. Everything breaks down and Big E. and Otis seem to realize that they’re soul mates. Roode plants Woods with a spinebuster on the floor and we take a break. Back with Woods fighting out of Wilder’s chinlock and enziguring Dawson.

Ziggler and Roode are smart enough to break up the hot tag attempts and it’s Wilder coming in for something like the Demolition Decapitator (or at least its cousin). Woods gets in a dropkick to Ziggler and it’s the double tag to bring in Otis and Roode. House is cleaned and Roode’s chops just make Otis jiggle (though that may be automatic). We get some Caterpillarizing but Ziggler saves Dawson from the Compactor. Instead, Otis picks Dawson up for a suplex and hands him off to Big E. for the Midnight Hour and the pin at 10:25.

Rating: C-. Just a preview for the Crown Jewel Tag Team Turmoil. That isn’t something I’m going to get behind as there are all kinds of teams in the thing and it’s going to be a lot of filling in time on the already long show for a token prize. If that’s the best they’ve got for the division, normally I would say it’s a waste of time show, but that’s been the case since the Saudi Arabia shows began at last for the fans.

Bryan rants about Corbin and Nakamura and tonight he’s teaming with Reigns to face the two of them.

Video on Ali.

It’s time for MizTV with special guest Bayley, flanked by Sasha Banks, the latter of whom surprises Miz. Bayley and Sasha brag about the title change last week and we see a clip of Bayley’s new attitude, setting up the win over Charlotte. Thankfully the viral clip of the child crying is included. Miz asks Bayley what was up with that but she doesn’t owe anyone an explanation. Miz: “Are you Brock Lesnar? Is this your Paul Heyman?”

Banks brings up Miz being a fifth rounds draft pick, which Miz laughs off because he’s always relevant. Bayley talks about crying after losing the title to Charlotte but no one was there to hug her. She has put herself second for years to be a role model but they weren’t there when he needed them. The reality is that Bayley has outgrown these people so here’s some reality: life sucks and then you die.

Cue Nikki Cross to interrupt and say that she is going to be the #1 contenders after winning her match tonight. This brings out Dana Brooke to say she is motivated by being underused and tonight is a new beginning. She’s bringing the Flex Appeal but here’s Lacey Evans to interrupt and it’s time for a #1 contenders match.

Carmella vs. Nikki Cross vs. Dana Brooke vs. Lacey Evans vs. Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville

The winner gets a shot at Bayley for some point in the future. Lacey goes outside to start, leaving Mandy and Sonya to start taking over on everyone else. Cross’ comeback is cut off by Mandy’s clothesline, leaving Mandy and Sonya alone. Brooke takes them down on the floor, only to get run over by Lacey. Carmella crossbodies Lacey down though and we take a break.

Back with Mandy and Sonya in control again, this time beating on Carmella but she pops back up with a double Bronco Buster. The suicide dive takes Mandy and Sonya down again and Nikki dives onto a bunch of people. Back in and Dana powerbombs Lacey to set up the Swanton for two as Mandy and Carmella make the save. The Code of Silence is broken up and it’s time for the parade of strikes to the face. Cross grabs the Purge to finish Rose at 9:01.

Rating: C-. The match was the usual messy insanity that these things can be but at least they have a fresh challenger in there for a change. You can only do the Horsewomen stuff for so long and it is a good idea to find someone who hasn’t been in there for a long time. I doubt Cross gets the title but at least they are trying something new.

Video on Braun Strowman.

Video on Seth Rollins vs. the Fiend inside the Cell, followed by Rollins burning down the Firefly Fun House. The graphic for the rematch now says “cannot be stopped for any reason.” They seem to know that they screwed up, but I don’t think they’ll do anything to make it better.

Braun Strowman vs. Drew Gulak

Strowman scares him into the corner so Gulak grabs a mic. He declares himself an historian in the world of combat sports and if Strowman is too aggressive at Crown Jewel, he’ll get knocked out. Gulak has a 345 slide PowerPoint presentation to walk Strowman through his match against Fury. That earns him a toss across the ring and a big boot. A headbutt puts Gulak on the floor and there’s the running shoulder. The running powerslam ends Gulak at 3:05.

Rating: D-. I know the cruiserweights mean nothing but did we really need to have Gulak go back to doing the same stuff that he did for months? It was really goofy stuff back then and he moved on to a more serious character and won the Cruiserweight Title. Now he’s just a comedy guy again? And there was no one else on the roster to take this loss? Not a single one?

Daniel Bryan/Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin/Shinsuke Nakamura

Reigns is named the new captain of Team Hogan and Sami Zayn is here with the villains. Corbin gets punched in the head and face to start and it’s quickly off to Bryan for the running dropkicks in the corner. Nakamura comes in for the slugout with Bryan, who knees him in the ribs for another knockdown. A low bridge from Sami sends Bryan to the floor and we take a break.

Back with Bryan backflipping out of a double belly to back suplex. A kick to the head should allow the hot tag to Reigns but Corbin pulls him off the apron for a ram into the steps. Corbin puts Reigns on the steps but throws the other set away thanks to a threat from the referee. Bryan dropkicks Corbin down and gets the LeBell Lock on Nakamura. That’s broken up by Corbin, who is speared through the barricade for his efforts. The YES Kicks have Nakamura in trouble and the running knee gives Bryan the pin at 9:01.

Rating: B-. I can certainly go for Bryan vs. Nakamura for the title and it could make up for a lot of the idea of Corbin vs. Reigns. This feels like Corbin getting moved back up towards the main event scene and while that isn’t as terrifying as it had been before, I don’t trust WWE to not push him way too far. The match itself was energetic as Reigns feels so much more acceptable as an upper midcarder who pops into the main event from time to time instead of the focal point of the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They kept the show moving fast enough and that’s the best thing that they could have done here. You don’t want to give the fans a reason to check out during the show and they kept things going here. What mattered most here was setting up some matches for the future and I’m looking forward to seeing some of the things they have coming up. It was a fun enough show and hopefully we can get on to the more normal shows instead of the special editions almost every week.

Results

Roman Reigns b. Shinsuke Nakamura via DQ when King Corbin interfered

Shorty Gable b. Curtis Axel – Ankle lock

New Day/Heavy Machinery b. Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode/Revival – Midnight Hour to Dawson

Nikki Cross b. Carmella, Dana Brooke, Lacey Evans, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville – Purge to Rose

Daniel Bryan/Roman Reigns b. King Corbin/Shinsuke Nakamura – Running knee to Nakamura

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

It’s that time of year again.  You all get to pick the Survivor Series I redo this year to be inserted into the countup.  As usual I’ll be doing last year’s show so it is ineligible, along with the following shows which I’ve done recently enough:

1989, 2003, 2004, 2016, 2017

Everything else is eligible.  Vote in the comments.

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: October 17, 2019
Location: Brentwood Centre, Essex, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

We’re still in England here and that means….well nothing really as most of the shows so far have been in England. Last week saw a pretty bad show with almost nothing interesting going on, which can be a problem around here. This week is going to focus on the Tag Team Titles as Gallus gets their shot at Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at the Tag Team Title match. The word “transitional” seems appropriate here.

Opening sequence.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Saxon Huxley

Dragunov elbows him in the face to start and hits a quick backsplash. Back up and Dragunov tells him to bring it on so Huxley picks him up for a slam, only to get elbowed in the head for the break. A second attempt at a slam works better for Huxley and a crossbody against the ropes gets two. The chinlock goes on for a bit but Dragunov is right back up with some kicks in the corner.

A bottom rope dead lift superplex drops Huxley again, followed by a bridging suplex for two as Alexander Wolfe is out watching. Huxley gets in a heck of a clothesline for his own two but Dragunov sends him outside for a dive off the top. Back in and the top rope backsplash sets up Torpedo Moscow to finish Huxley at 5:24.

Rating: C-. Dragunov is someone who should be a big deal going forward as he has one of those presences that makes you pay attention to him. Putting him against Imperium down the line could be interesting and that’s the kind of promotion that he needs. You know, as in not losing to Kassius Ohno again.

Post match Dragunov stares at Wolfe but here are Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner for their tag match. Wolfe motions for Dragunov to come with him and Dragunov follows.

The Hunt vs. Imperium

Aichner and Primate start slugging it out in a hurry with Primate hitting a running clothesline in the corner. Boar comes in and gets what might be a low blow from Aichner as the villains take over. Everything breaks down early on and it’s everyone but Boar being knocked outside.

Barthel gets in a right hand to Boar to bring him outside as well, leaving Primate to dive onto Aichner….who catches him for a drive into the steps. We settle down to Barthel clotheslining Boar for two with Primate still down on the floor. Boar gets hung upside down in the corner for the stereo running dropkicks and we’re off to the chinlock.

That’s broken up and the hot tag brings in Primate, who just made it up onto the apron. Everything breaks down with Aichner sending Primate into Barthel for White Noise. Boar is back in for a spear and the double diving headbutts get two on Aichner. The control doesn’t last long either though and it’s the European Bomb to give Aichner the pin at 7:54.

Rating: C. These two are both solid teams as the tag division around here is getting better and better all the time. The Hunt has gone from what should be a lot level gimmick team into a pretty dependable pairing. They have a good enough gimmick and I could go for more of them. The same is true of Imperium, who are likely to be a big deal for a long time.

After the end of last week’s show, Piper Niven thanked Rhea Ripley for the help. Ripley doesn’t like Niven but she doesn’t like the other two later. She can co-exist with Piper for a week if the tag match can be set up.

Nina Samuels vs. Xia Brookside

Nina can’t spin out of a wristlock to start with even the rolls and flips not working. A hard tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gets Nina out of trouble though and we hit a seated full nelson. Brookside fights up so it’s a reverse suplex to put her right back down. Nina tries the full nelson again but gets reversed into a rollup for two. Back up and Nina tries another rollup, only to get reversed into a cradle to give Xia the pin at 4:12.

Rating: D+. This didn’t have a lot of time in the first place and a good chunk of it was spent in that full nelson. Brookside fighting from behind and winning with a quick pin in the end was a good idea as it shows Nina up, which would hurt her more than anything else. Brookside seems like she could move up to the title picture one day, though she has a way to go to get there.

Nina is ticked.

A-Kid is coming.

Video on Trent Seven vs. Noam Dar. They’ll meet again next week.

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

Gallus is challenging and get dropkicked to the floor at the bell. The champs hit stereo flip dives for the cool start and a suicide dive hits Wolfgang for a bonus. Back in and a moonsault/inverted Swanton combination gets two on Coffey, who pops up with a heck of a slam to plant Andrews. Wolfgang comes in for a running seated clothesline and it’s back to Coffey for a knee to the spine. Andrews gets rammed ribs first into the top turnbuckle and we hit the chinlock.

Cue Joe Coffey to watch as Andrews rolls out of the chinlock and dives over for the tag. Webster gets to clean most of the house, including a hurricanrana around the post to take Wolfgang down. A big flip dive off the top takes Gallus down again and there’s a running Sliced Bread to Coffey. Wolfgang pulls Webster to the floor though and drops him face first onto the apron. A Samoan drop/middle rope moonsault gets two on Webster and the referee gets poked in the eye.

Andrews slugs away at Coffey as the referee is back up and everything breaks down. Everyone gets knocked down and that’s good for an NXT chant. With everyone back up, they charge at each other for the slugout with Wolfgang catapulting Andrews at Coffey, who gets caught in the Stundog Millionaire.

The fans are VERY impressed as Webster hits a Swanton to Coffey’s back for two. Andrews’ suicide dive is blocked though and Wolfgang throws him HARD into the post. Webster misses a 630 and it’s an enziguri into a powerslam to crush Webster for the pin at 12:31, with Coffey holding Andrews down with his boot for a nice bonus.

Rating: B. Power vs. speed is the most basic professional wrestling story in the world and that’s what you got here, albeit at a pretty high level. Webster and Andrews weren’t looking like long term champions and transitioning them to Gallus is a fine enough way to use them. It’s a rather strong main event and that’s what this show was needing.

Overall Rating: C. This was a big upgrade over last week’s rather horrible show with the big title change in a hot match to close things out. As is always the case, it’s a very good sign that the shows can work when the main event talent isn’t around. With Walter appearing in NXT for the time being, the rest of the card is left to hold down the fort and they’re doing it well enough….sometimes.

Results

Ilja Dragunov b. Saxon Huxley – Torpedo Moscow

Imperium b. The Hunt – European Bomb to Boar

Xia Brookside b. Nina Samuels – Cradle

Gallus b. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews – Enziguri/powerslam combination to Webster

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: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: October 11, 2019
Location: Sam’s Town Hotel And Gambling Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

The long march towards Bound For Glory continues, but more importantly the march towards AXS TV continues as well. Things are actually looking up around here as last week’s show may not have been the best on its own, but it made me want to see what happens at the pay per view. That’s ultimately what matters most so hopefully they can continue that this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

X-Division Title Qualifying Match: Ace Austin vs. Eddie Edwards

Austin has a new shirt: Ace Austin 3:16 on the front and I JUST BANGED YOUR WIFE on the back. Eddie isn’t wasting time and knocks him to the floor for the slingshot dive. Some kicks against the barricade has Eddie in trouble and Austin kisses a groupie in the front row. Back in and they take turns choking in the corner until Eddie takes him outside for more chopping. A drink to the face slows Eddie down and Ace gets to choke in the corner some more.

Ace gets in a kick to stagger Eddie on the middle rope but Eddie crotches him on top instead. The belly to back superplex connects so here’s Reno Scum for a distraction. Eddie is fine enough to get two off the Blue Thunder Bomb but Ace kicks him in the head for the same. The Boston Knee Party gets another near fall but this time Reno Scum pulls the referee out at two. That means it’s Kenny time, only to have Austin hit the Fold. That’s good for two so Austin loads up a piece of metal in his arm brace and spinning backfists Eddie cold at 10:45.

Rating: C. I’m more than a little surprised that this match took place here as you would think that it was a perfect grudge match at Bound For Glory. I’ve been more interested in this feud than in almost anything else Impact has been offering lately and I really hope that they’re not thrown into a ladder match (or Heaven forbid it’s Eddie/Tommy Dreamer vs. Reno Scum) at the biggest show of the year.

Taya Valkyrie is panicking about having to face Havok when Rosemary comes in. Rosemary is looking forward to watching and doesn’t seem interested in helping.

The announcers preview the show.

We look back at Brian Cage being arrested for going after Sami Callihan last week.

Desi Hit Squad vs. Rascalz

Gama Singh introduces Mahabali Shera first and the rest of the team as his soldiers. Trey gets triple teamed to start and it’s a legsweep into a jumping stomp for two. Raj blocks a diving tag attempt and suplexes Trey for two more. Heel miscommunication finally allows Trey to get over for the tag and everything breaks down. The Rascalz start cleaning house but Shera blocks a double suicide dive. Back in and the triple teaming doesn’t work on Shera, who World’s Strongest Slams Wentz and puts Raju on top for the pin at 7:31.

Rating: D. The Desi Hit Squad is one of the least interesting acts I’ve seen in years as they’re just not fun to watch in any way. Their offense is generic, their gimmick is that they’re from India and the whole team exists to make Shera look good. That doesn’t help when Shera isn’t exactly thrilling on his best day and the team doesn’t help things. Throw in the fact that the Rascalz have a match at Bound For Glory and lose here and this was a big waste of time.

Katie Forbes arrives and tells Jordynne Grace to park her car. A fight is set instead, with Grace promising to kick Forbes’ a**. Forbes: “You mean this one?” And she pulls up her robe.

Knockouts Title: Jessika Havok vs. Taya Valkyrie

Taya is defending and it’s James Mitchell/John E. Bravo as the seconds. Hold on though as here’s Tenille Dashwood to join commentary. Havok powers her into the corner to start and gets two off a knee to the head. The threat of a right hand has Taya grabbing the ropes but she does manage to take Havok down and knee her in the face.

The choking in the corner just makes Havok mad enough to hammer away and bend Taya over her knee. Taya climbs down the post to get out of a superplex attempt and manages to knock Havok into the ropes. That means the top rope double stomp but Havok is right back up with a clothesline and the chokeslam….but Bravo pulls the referee out for the DQ at 5:07.

Rating: D+. I’m still not sure why things are going in this direction for the Knockouts Title. It still feels like there are three or four stories going on at the same time and Havok losing like this would suggest that she should be in the title match at Bound For Glory. Giving Dashwood the title shot is fine, but they’re doing a weird job of setting it up.

Post match Havok beats up Bravo but gets a belt shot to the face. Dashwood comes in and beats Taya up to send the champ running.

Sami Callihan says Brian Cage belongs in jail because he’s an animal. He’s taking the World Title at Bound For Glory.

The North is ready to defend the Tag Team Titles at Bound For Glory. Rich Swann and Willie Mack come up and say they’ll win. Rhino and Rob Van Dam come in to say they’re old and awesome. The North bails while the other teams argue.

Moose vs. Stephan Bonnar

Frank Trigg is on commentary. Moose throws him down to start and messes with Bonnar’s face so Bonnar gets in a knee to the ribs. A toss puts Moose on the floor as Trigg talks about how awesome Moose is. Back in and Moose hammers away some more until Bonnar gets in a spinwheel kick. Bonnar, with a cut next to his eye, hits a spinebuster and goes up….but Moose shoves the referee into the ropes to crotch Bonnar for the DQ at 4:29.

Rating: D-. This gets a hearty “well that happened” as we have our second DQ for attacking a referee in two matches. The idea of having Moose get into the MMA side of things and fighting mixed martial artists is fine but could they at least have the match be interesting? Bonnar isn’t anything in the ring and while he’s been trained, that doesn’t mean he’s ready to be in a spot like this. Bad match, and it’s setting up what could be a major disaster with Ken Shamrock getting back in the ring.

Post match Moose beats on him even more and grabs a chair. Shamrock comes out for the save and ankle locks Moose as Bonnar won’t let Trigg interfere.

Katie Forbes vs. Jordynne Grace

Forbes has a money gun and enjoy shaking various things. Grace headscissors her way out of a headlock takeover and manages some pushups at the same time. A crucifix gives Grace two and a middle rope dropkick puts Forbes on the floor. Back in and Forbes chokes with a boot in the corner but hold on because hip shaking needs to take place. Grace pulls Forbes’ trunks up rather hard and sends her shoulder first into the post. A Vader Bomb gives Grace two but Forbes grabs a tornado DDT for the same. That’s enough for Grace, who hits the Grace Driver for the pin at 5:40.

Rating: D. Another pretty bad match as the rather terrible show continues. Forbes is rather curvy and that’s the extent of her appeal, as wrestling isn’t exactly her strong suit. It’s like they’re trying to recreate Scarlett Bordeaux without most of the things that made her work in the first place. Bad match here, as Forbes didn’t belong on the show.

Johnny Swinger and Forbes compare physiques. She isn’t interested because she’s with Rob Van Dam and walks away. Grace comes in and shoves Swinger down.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Ultimate X at Bound For Glory 2009.

Daga and Tessa Blanchard talk strategy but Tessa isn’t happy with Daga having her back.

Fallah Bahh has to exercise while TJP eats donuts. Next week: Bahh vs. Michael Elgin.

Next week in an X-Division Title qualifying match: Sabu vs. Rohit Raju. WOW that sounds like a nightmare.

Madman Fulton/Jake Crist vs. Daga/Tessa Blanchard

Daga and Jake start things off with an early standoff so it’s a double tag in a hurry. Blanchard is fine with waistlocking Fulton but stops to suicide dive Jake instead. Back in and Tessa walks into a bearhug but slips out for a tag to Daga. Fulton catapults him throat first into the bottom rope and the beating is on with Fulton not exactly looking worried. Daga slips out of a powerbomb though and hits….I think a one kneed Codebreaker, allowing the hot tag to Tessa. Jake comes in as well and gets tornado DDT’d for two with Fulton making a save. Some double teaming puts Fulton on the floor and Magnum finishes Jake at 5:32.

Rating: C-. Not bad here as Fulton continues to look like a monster and Tessa’s rise to singles success keeps going. They’re doing a great job of keeping Tessa from looking ridiculous in hanging with men and that’s a very hard trick to pull off. It’s working fine here though and the match was watchable enough.

Post match Fulton cleans house but we cut to the back where Cage is arriving. Cage storms into the arena and hits the ring for an F5 to Fulton. Sami Callihan comes in for a chair shot to the back….which does nothing at all. A low blow works a bit better and it’s the rest of OVE getting up to beat Cage down. They handcuff him to the ropes and Sami pulls out a baseball bat but here’s Melissa Santos. That’s fine with Sami, who piledrives her as Cage has to watch to end the show.

Overall Rating: D. This was….not good, almost at all. The opener and the closing angle were solid but there were so many just bad matches in the middle that it didn’t work. I’m not sure if it felt like they were trying to do too much or if it was more that they didn’t focus enough on Bound For Glory but the middle three quarters of this show were almost painful to watch. Sami vs. Cage is looking good for Bound For Glory and really, that’s about it.

Results

Ace Austin b. Eddie Edwards – Spinning backfist

Desi Hit Squad b. Rascalz – Chokeslam to Wentz

Jessika Havok b. Taya Valkyrie via DQ when John E. Bravo interfered

Stephan Bonnar b. Moose via DQ when Moose shoved the referee

Jordynne Grace b. Katie Forbes – Grace Driver

Daga/Tessa Blanchard b. Madman Fulton/Jake Crist – Magnum to Crist

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

You either have the theme song playing in your head or have no idea what I’m talking about.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-kofi-kingston-needs-care-bear-stare/

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: October 16, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Beth Phoenix, Nigel McGuinness

It’s a big night as we have the return of Tommaso Ciampa to in ring action. That’s quite the get for NXT, as they are in for a fight against Dynamite. There are only so many people you can throw out there and Ciampa is already a legend around here. Speaking of legends, the advertisements for the show have featured Finn Balor so we could be in for another major appearance. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Angel Garza

Ciampa gets the hero’s return welcome. They start fast with Ciampa running him over but they both miss kicks to the ribs, allowing Garza to kneel for a handshake over. Ciampa kicks that away but gets enziguried for his efforts. Back in and the Fairy Tale Ending is blocked and Garza dropkicks him in the corner for a trip to the floor.

That means a big flip dive but hang on, because GARZA HAS TO TAKE OFF HIS PANTS. Ever the pants fan, Ciampa snaps and stomps away in the corner, before stomping on the Mexican flag in the corner, including a kneeing knee. He even loads up the Fairy Tale Ending on the flag but stops to hit the Willow’s Bell (hanging DDT) to finish Garza at 3:17.

Rating: C. The stuff with the flag was a little weird but at least they didn’t go into anything too strange and it didn’t become a mess. It’s good to have Ciampa back and there was no reason to have him break a major sweat in his first match back. I’m a bit surprised by having Garza be the one to take the fall here, but Ciampa is what matters the most.

Post match here’s the Undisputed Era to stare Ciampa down. Ciampa grabs his chair and crutch but hang on a second as Kyle O’Reilly goes over to the announcers’ table and throws Mauro a USB drive. The Era walks out without saying or doing anything else.

Post break we see what is on the USB, which shows the Era in the back, having laid out the Velveteen Dream and Strong BREAKING HIS SUNGLASSES.

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Imperium

Marcel Barthel/Fabian Aichner for Imperium and they have Alexander Wolfe as a bonus. Aichner literally throws Burch into the corner to start so Burch runs him over with a shoulder. It’s off to Lorcan for a double elbow so Barthel comes in, only to dive into a headbutt from Burch.

It seems to mess with Burch even more though as Barthel hits a sliding dropkick in the corner as we take a break. Back with Burch hitting Aichner in the face and bringing Burch in for the house cleaning. Uppercuts into a slingshot dive to the floor sets up a big dive onto both of them. Back in and Burch German suplexes Aichner, followed by a powerbomb into a jackknife cover for two.

The assisted elevated DDT is broken up by Barthel so it’s Lorcan and Aichner chopping it out. Barthel dives on Burch on the floor, leaving Aichner to hit a double springboard moonsault for a close two on Lorcan. That leaves Lorcan to get beaten up with a series of strikes and the European Bomb gives Barthel the pin at 8:32.

Rating: B-. This was about four people beating the heck out of each other and that’s exactly what we got. Lorcan and Burch are not looking like a team who will ever win the titles, though that tends to make them guaranteed champions around here. Imperium being on both NXT and NXT UK adds a fresh change of pace around here and it’s an interesting twist.

Video on Johnny Gargano. He has wanted to wrestle forever and is living his dream by staying in NXT.

Gargano isn’t sure what to think about Ciampa being back and won’t know what to think until they see each other face to face.

Io Shirai vs. Kayden Carter

Carter starts fast but flips around once too often and gets shouldered down. Something like a sunset flip gives Carter two and Shirai bails to the floor. That doesn’t go well for Carter as Shirai hits her in the face, setting up a springboard missile dropkick for two back inside. Carter sweeps the leg though and a kick to Shirai’s chest staggers her a bit. A low superkick gets two on Shirai but she’s right back with a hard release German suplex. The moonsault finishes Carter at 2:37. That was a rather entertaining match for so little time.

Post match, Shirai says she only wants Shayna Baszler and not Rhea Ripley or Bianca Belair. Cue Ripley and Shirai is looking a bit nervous. Rhea is ready for Belair next week but she’ll shut Shirai up too. Shirai teases a fight but bails instead.

We look back at Killian Dain distracting Boa so Cameron Grimes could beat him in about five seconds. Dain destroyed Boa after the match for a bonus.

Boa wants revenge on Dain.

William Regal says Velveteen Dream is out of action for the time being due to the attack. Therefore, Strong needs a new #1 contender so Keith Lee vs. Dominick Dijakovic is now for a title shot.

Keith Lee vs. Dominick Dijakovic

The winner gets Strong for the North American Title next week. The exchange of shoulders goes nowhere to start so they try it again for the same result. They try a test of strength with Lee going to one arm and lifting him into the air in a nice power display. Lee shoulders him down and stays on the arm with a splash for two.

Back up and Dijakovic gets in a clothesline with the good arm and we take a break. We come back with Lee hammering away in the corner before tossing him across the ring. The Pounce gives Lee two and Dijakovic’s sitout chokeslam gets the same. Dijakovic can’t hit a superplex though as Lee shoves him down and hits a middle rope splash onto the arm. The Spirit Bomb sends Dijakovic rolling out to the floor but he’s right back with the cyclone boot for two back inside.

That means it’s Lee’s turn so he muscles Dijakovic up (on the third time in a crazy strength display) for a suplex and the big crash. Lee loads up what looked to be a Vader Bomb so Dijakovic gets him in an electric chair, which is countered into a reverse hurricanrana for the big knockdown. They get to the corner with Lee loading up a super powerbomb, only to have Strong come out and hit both of them at the same time for the no contest at 15:23.

Rating: B. It was good, but they were under the pressure of their previous outstanding matches and it didn’t hold up as well as they were shooting for. What we got was good, though the ending is the same heel idea that has never worked before and hopefully they get to the point and do the triple threat. We don’t need to see these two again in another singles match for a long time though, because the impact isn’t as strong anymore.

Hold on though as Regal wastes no time in saying that isn’t going to work and next week it’s a triple threat match for the title.

Matt Riddle vs. Bronson Reed

Riddle’s shoe flip misfires this time for a somewhat funny moment. We get a quick bit of respect before Riddle hits him in the face. The Final Flash sets up the running forearms in the corner and a t-bone suplex makes it even worse. Reed runs him over though and drops a backsplash for a fast two.

Riddle is right back with a powerbomb and the second Final Flash for two of his own. The Floating Bro is countered into a sitout powerbomb to knock Riddle silly and the straps come down. Reed tries a suplex but Riddle reverses into a sleeper. That’s escaped as well and Reed tries to jump over Riddle in the corner, only to get caught on Riddle’s shoulder in a rather nice power display. The Bro Derek finishes Reed at 3:04.

Rating: C. This was a fired up Riddle, who threw everything he had at Reed and took the big guy down. Reed looked good as well though as you can always use a monster who can move. It was more about Riddle here though and this should get him back on tract after the loss to Cole.

Video on Bianca Belair, who is ready to beat Shayna and is tired of people jumping in front of her.

Kushida has a fractured wrist and will be out for a month.

Taynara vs. Tegan Nox

Nox starts fast with a kick to the face for two but a bicycle kick puts her on the floor in a heap. Back in and Taynara gets in some rolling judo throws into some running knees in the corner for two. Nox is right back up and a running knee and a chokeslam, followed by a Willie Mack style reverse Cannonball. The Shiniest Wizard finishes Taynara at 2:55. Mauro:” Tegan Nox it out of the park!” She did look good here and just seeing her getting to wrestle again without having her knee explode is a good sign.

Post match Dakota Kai comes out to hug Nox but here are the Horsewomen to interrupt. Baszler doesn’t like the idea of Nox jumping into the title picture because she’s running out of limbs to rehab. When she does something important, come see the champ.

Finn Balor talks about needing a new path to take so he’s taking the one he took before. He’s in the ring next week.

Boa vs. Killian Dain

Rating: D+. Just a squash here for the most part with Dain dominating, as he should. Boa is someone with a good look though he is just one of the warm bodies around to take beating at the moment. That can change in the future though and he looked good for the first thirty seconds or so.

Pete Dunne comes out for his match but gets in a staredown with Dain. For some reason Dain thinks it’s a good idea to point his finger at Dunne, who snaps it to send Dain running.

Pete Dunne vs. Damien Priest

Priest goes with an elbow to the face to start before winning a battle of the kicks. With that not working for Dunne, he grabs the finger and gets in the stomp to the arm to take over. They head outside with Dunne working on the arm even more, including another stomp on the steps. Priest kicks him off the apron though and a right hand puts Dunne down again as we take a break.

Back with Dunne hitting a superplex and striking away with lefts and rights. An enziguri sets up a middle rope dropkick to the knee and Priest heads outside again. That doesn’t go well either as Dunne hits the middle rope moonsault for another knockdown. Back in and a Liger Bomb gives Dunne two more so he loads up the stomps, only to get kicked in the head.

Dunne can’t get a cross armbreaker so he tries a triangle, which Priest counters into a rollup with feet on the ropes for two. Priest sends him shoulder first into the post and gets two of his own off a Razor’s Edge (somehow without a Razor Ramon reference from Mauro). Dunne is sent outside for a crazy running flip dive from Priest, followed by the South of Heaven chokeslam for another near fall.

They slug it out with Priest turning him inside out with a clothesline. The Reckoning is blocked but Dunne can’t hit the Bitter End. Another chokeslam is countered with an enziguri so Priest hits a spinning kick to the head. They’re both down but Dunne gets up first, only to have his moonsault hit knees. Dunne slips out of a powerbomb though and cranks on the finger, with the referee getting between them. That’s enough for a low blow from Priest and the Reckoning gives Priest the pin at 14:20.

Rating: B. This worked very well with two guys beating the heck out of each other and one of them taking the shortcut to win in the end. Dunne doesn’t lose anything here and you can almost guarantee a rematch here, perhaps in the form of a tag match with Dain joining Priest against Dunne and….Riddle maybe? If that’s still a thing?

Overall Rating: B-. The main event helped a lot here but the show hasn’t felt quite as special since the show moved up to two hours. The shows are still quite good though and we are getting some big stuff in the future, though it doesn’t have exactly the same spark that it had for all those years. Good show here, though it was missing a little something.

Overall, AEW wins this week but as usual it’s just by a hair. They had a tighter show with better matches up and down the card. The big tag match on Dynamite was the best thing all night and I liked how they were setting up Full Gear. NXT worked rather well too, though it lagged a few times and it hurt things just enough to give Dynamite the win.

Results

Tommaso Ciampa b. Angel Garza – Willow’s Bell

Imperium b. Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan – European Bomb to Lorcan

Io Shirai b. Kayden Carter – Moonsault

Keith Lee vs. Dominick Dijakovic went to a no contest when Roderick Strong interfered

Matt Riddle b. Bronson Reed – Bro Derek

Tegan Nox b. Taynara – Shiniest Wizard

Killian Dain b. Boa – Seated abdominal stretch

Damien Priest b. Pete Dunne – Reckoning

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: All Elite Wrestling

Dynamite
Date: October 16, 2019
Location: Liacouras Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

We are in for a big night here as the AEW World Title is going to be defended for the first time as Chris Jericho defends against Darby Allin in a street fight. Odds are the winner will face Cody for the title at Full Gear so there is certainly a lot on the line. Other than that, we are likely to get more in the Tag Team Title tournament so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Title Tournament First Round: SCU vs. Best Friends

It’s Christopher Daniels/Kazarian for SCU, meaning they are the two that the Lucha Bros jump from behind and lay out, including a piledriver on the ramp. Scorpio Sky runs out for the save and Daniels is taken out on a stretcher. Sky says he’ll take Daniels’ spot and throws some trainers’ tape around his wrist to get ready. Chuck and Kazarian start things off with the former taking over, allowing Trent to come in and hit a sliding knee to the face.

Sky comes in and gets his street shoe taken off and sent into the crowd, allowing Chuck to bite his toes. It’s back to Kazarian, who gets beaten up on the floor and superplexed for a bonus back inside. Kazarian kicks his way out of the corner as Sky comes in off the hot tag. Everything breaks down and Chuck misses a flip dive, landing on Trent by mistake. Kazarian’s slingshot hurricanrana drops Chuck and Sky hits the big flip dive, landing on his feet of course.

Sky gets back in and someone throws him his shoe back, followed by an assisted tornado DDT for two on Trent. Kazarian comes back in but gets caught with Soul Food. The big hug is broken up so Chuck knees Kazarian down and NOW we get the hug. A Doomsday knee gets two more on Kazarian but he’s fine enough to counter a piledriver on the apron. Back in and a powerbomb into a Backstabber, or at least what is supposed to be a Backstabber but wound up being more of a dropkick to the head, for the pin at 9:58.

Rating: C+. I’m not big on the Best Friends but Sky showed off very well here, as he tends to do. He’s just an athletic guy who knows how to do almost anything in the ring. The stuff with him being thrown in here was a nice story for the match and the fans throwing the show back was just cool. I’m much happier with SCU moving forward as it could bring the Freebird Rule into effect, which can always offer a bonus story.

Santana/Ortiz vs. Jon Silver/Alex Reynolds

Santana kicks Silver in the head to start and it’s Ortiz coming in as the beatdown is on in a hurry. Santana beats up Reynolds on the floor as Ortiz doesn’t seem worried by Silver inside. The Street Sweeper (sitout powerbomb/Blockbuster combination) finishes Silver at 2:02.

Post match Chris Jericho pops up on screen to say that’s why Santana and Ortiz are in the Inner Circle. The two of them want to beat up the Young Bucks so they’ll be facing off at Full Gear.

Video on Cody as he gets ready to challenge Jericho at Full Gear. This includes comments from Diamond Dallas Page, Brandi Rhodes, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone and Michelle Rhodes, Dusty’s widow. Winning the title means a lot to him and it would validate everything he has done over the years. Page talks about how you need to win your first World Title, as apparently the NWA World Title doesn’t count anymore.

Women’s Title: Riho vs. Britt Baker

Baker is challenging. Feeling out process to start with Riho taking her down by the arm, only to have an armbar blocked. The Lockjaw doesn’t work either so Riho heads to the apron and slugs away, followed by a running dropkick to the head. A double stomp to the ribs keeps Baker down but the top rope double stomp misses.

Baker hits a Sling Blade and a TKO, followed by a low superkick for two more. Riho’s bridging northern lights suplex gets two more and it’s off to a half crab. Britt makes the rope so Riho hits some sliding knees for another two. Baker ripcord forearms her down though and Lockjaw is loaded up, only to have Riho reverse into a cradle to retain at 8:12.

Rating: B-. It’s Riho’s most interesting match yet but it’s still missing for the most part. I get that she’s Kenny Omega’s project but it just seems like they have so many other options to pick from. The match was better, though Riho doesn’t really have a character other than she’s small. That doesn’t have the best track record, but it’s all we’re getting here.

We look back at the Lucha Bros attacking SCU.

Tag Team Title Tournament First Round: Lucha Bros vs. Jurassic Express

It’s Jungle Boy/Marko Stunt here, with the latter replacing the injured Luchasaurus. Pentagon and Stunt start things off and Pentagon tells him CERO MIEDO, because he isn’t scared of someone who looks to be eleven years old. Stunt shoves him away and does the Floss Dance, which isn’t well received. Pentagon takes the glove off and throws it at Jungle Boy, so Pentagon bites the finger.

A toss into a hurricanrana drops Pentagon and everything breaks down in a hurry. Another toss into a DDT puts Fenix on the floor and Stunt hits the big suicide dive. Boy adds an Asai moonsault to Pentagon, who also takes a wheelbarrow suplex into a splash/legdrop combination for two back inside. Stunt hits a 619 into Boy’s German suplex for two but Pentagon finally gets back up with the superkicks.

Fenix comes in, only to get superkicked by Boy. That doesn’t go anywhere as Fenix starts the dives, leaving Stunt to take the Pentagon Driver for a rather close two. Pentagon yells at the referee and we take a break. Back with Stunt kicking Pentagon in the face and bringing in Boy as everything breaks down. A reverse powerslam into moonsault knees to Fenix gets two, followed by a running shooting star press for the same. Pentagon comes back in for the running Canadian Destroyer, followed by a swing around by the hair. Stunt’s arm is snapped and it’s the spike Fear Factor for the pin on Stunt as Fenix dives onto Boy at 11:24.

Rating: C+. Stunt’s limited charm is rapidly wearing off for me and I can’t bring myself to care about him just because he’s small. Throw in the eternally annoying Floss Dance and my tolerance for him falls more and more every week. At least they didn’t go ridiculous by having an upset here, as I don’t think I could have taken another underdog story.

Pac/Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega/Hangman Page

During the entrances, Moxley says you don’t write him off after one injury because he is still the top of the food chain. The fans give Omega a HAPPY BIRTHDAY chant before the match and it’s Omega jumping Moxley from behind to start things off. Moxley gets the better of it but Omega is right back with the jumping Fameasser from behind. Pac gets in a cheap shot though and the villains (?) take over.

That doesn’t last long as Omega gets over for the tag to Page, who stars fast with the clotheslines. A top rope version looks to set up the Deadeye but Moxley makes it to the ropes. That’s fine with Page, who goes up but gets shoved down onto the apron thanks to a Pac distraction. Back from a break with Moxley grabbing a Texas Cloverleaf on Page, drawing Omega in for the fast save. A discus lariat drops Moxley and the hot tag brings in Omega for the house cleaning.

The Regal roll into the middle rope moonsault hits Pac and it’s a Snapdragon to both Pac and Moxley. The running flip dive takes Pac down on the floor but Moxley suicide dives both of them. Page moonsaults from the top onto Moxley and Pac so Omega can take Moxley back inside. A buckle bomb into a discus forearm into a Sky High gets two as Pac has to make a save.

Moxley hits a swinging Boss Man Slam to Page but gets his head knocked off by Omega. Pac’s slingshot cutter plants Omega but it’s a nasty suicide dive from Page to drive Pac into the barricade. We get the big showdown into the forearm off from Moxley and Omega and a V Trigger rocks Moxley. He’s fine enough to blast Omega with a clothesline though and they’re both down.

And now, with the wrestling being covered, it’s time for a barbed wire broom for Omega and a barbed wire bat for Moxley. The referee gets sent outside and it’s Moxley hitting Omega in the ribs with the non barbed wire part of the bat. Pac yells at Moxley and gets dropped with the Paradigm Shift. Moxley leaves and it’s a Buckshot Lariat into the V Trigger from Omega. Deadeye (with Pac’s head not coming close to the mat) finishes Pac at 15:04.

Rating: B. The barbed wire stuff was a little silly (though it is something that has been there before) but the rest of this was very entertaining stuff with both teams beating the heck out of each other and a few different stories being tied together into one match. I could go for a pair of singles matches out of this and that’s a distinct possibility for Full Gear.

AEW World Title: Darby Allin vs. Chris Jericho

Street fight with Allin challenging and skateboarding to the ring. Jericho is in Painmaker mode this week but Allin takes him straight down and hammers away. The champ gets sent outside for the suicide dive but Jericho takes over back inside. The confidence starts to come up, even as the fans chant for Allin. Jericho sends him hard into the post and Allin comes up holding his knee as we take a break.

Back with Jericho beating and choking with a kendo stick but the middle rope stick shot is knocked out of the air. That means Allin can unload with his own stick shots but has to get out of a Walls attempt. The referee counts to five, though I’m not sure why that would matter here. Allin uses Jericho’s argument with the referee to hit a high crossbody for two but Jericho knocks him down again.

A chair is brought in but Allin grabs a quick Stunner for two instead. Allin has to get to the ropes to get out of the Walls again so Jericho duct tapes Allin’s wrists together. Just because he can, Allin hits a moonsault press onto Jericho, followed by a suicide flip dive to the floor.

Back in and something like a Whisper in the Wind (again with the hands taped) gets two on Jericho, who clotheslines the heck out of Allin. Jericho has had it and tiger bombs Allin onto the skateboard for two, without much energy on the kickout. Allin dropkicks the chair into Jericho’s face and loads up the Coffin Drop, only to have Jake Hager come in for the save. The Walls retains the title at 15:45.

Rating: B-. This was a bit of a downgrade for Allin, who usually gets to show off a little more than he did here. The taped wrists was a good idea, though the ending felt a bit rushed with Hager just coming out for the win. That isn’t the strongest ending, though it does help keep Allin strong. It’s a good match, though it didn’t break through to the other side.

The Inner Circle comes out to celebrate with a little bit of the bubbly to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. I might have liked this show more than any they’ve done so far as it a fast paced show with nothing remotely bad. It’s good that they have something to build towards now and you can probably imagine a good chunk of the Full Gear card. This was a very fast paced and entertaining two hour show with some solid wrestling and angle advancement. It might be their best show yet and hopefully that continues to be the case.

Results

SCU b. Best Friends – Powerbomb/dropkick combination to Trent

Santana/Ortiz b. Jon Silver/Alex Reynolds – Street Sweeper to Silver

Riho b. Britt Baker – Cradle

Lucha Bros b. Jurassic Express – Spike Fear Factor to Stunt

Kenny Omega/Hangman Page b. Pac/Jon Moxley – Deadeye to Pac

Chris Jericho b. Darby Allin – Walls of Jericho

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: May 16, 2005
Location: Qwest Center, Omaha, Nebraska
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

It’s time to wrap up the Gold Rush Tournament as Edge faces Kane for the #1 contendership to Batista’s Raw World Title. Normally that would be enough, but we also have Christian vs. Ric Flair in what should be a good one and Chris Jericho/Shelton Benjamin vs. Muhammad Hassan/Khosrow Daivari. They’re certainly bringing it for what was likely sweeps week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence, now prominently featuring Shawn Michaels superkicking Shelton Benjamin out of the air.

The announcers run down the big card.

Muhammad Hassan/Daivari vs. Chris Jericho/Shelton Benjamin

Thankfully it’s just Daivari, which has a better ring than his full name. This was set up last week when Hassan and Daivari jumped both of them at separate times. It’s a brawl to start with Jericho whipping Shelton into the corner for a double Stinger Splash. We settle down to Jericho chopping Daivari and suplexing him down. Shelton comes in for a clothesline but Hassan grabs a backbreaker. It’s already back to Daivari for a double arm crank and then a chinlock to keep things slow.

Back up and Shelton’s clothesline isn’t enough for the tag thanks to Hassan’s diving save and it’s back to cranking on the arms. A Samoan drop gets Shelton out of trouble and Jericho comes in to clean house. The enziguri sets up a high crossbody for two on Hassan with Daivari making the save. That’s enough of a distraction for Hassan to hit his Downward Spiral for the pin.

Rating: C-. Hassan has certainly gotten a lot more watchable in recent weeks and a good portion of that is due to cutting down his mic time. It isn’t like the promos he’s giving have a lot of depth or variety to them so it’s a case of less being more. Daivari has been a big help as well as he can do a lot of the work in the matches, making this a good example of the pair being better than the solo act.

Post match Jericho storms off and Shelton is confused.

Chris Benoit and Tajiri are in the back. They’ve both been invited to ECW One Night Stand so tonight they’ll have an ECW Rules match for old times’ sake. William Regal comes up to find out what is going on so Tajiri explains in Japanese. Regal gets the whole thing but doesn’t care for the violence. Tajiri can go do it if that’s what he wants though.

We look back at the frustrated HHH leaving last week.

Coach literally runs into Eric Bischoff’s office with Ric Flair to tell him about the ECW Rules match. Bischoff doesn’t want to hear about it because Flair has to talk about how great HHH is. Flair demands Bischoff call HHH but that isn’t happening. If HHH wants to come back, HHH can make the call. Flair leaves and runs into Batista, who he blames for everything. How dare Batista cause HHH this many problems when HHH brought him into the business? Batista says it isn’t his fault and Flair got him started. They trade WOOs, with Batista’s being comically quiet.

Ric Flair vs. Christian

Feeling out process to start with Christian hitting a shoulder and offering his own strut. That just gets him a slap to the face so Christian grabs a backdrop. The slam off the top and a clothesline to the floor let Tomko get in a cheap shot. JR refers to this as physical molestation as Flair is thrown back in for two. A missed charge lets Flair chop away and it’s a Flair Flop from Christian. Tomko gets in a shot to break up the Figure Four so Flair grabs a rollup, the tights and the rope for the pin.

Rating: D+. This was a Flair showcase as he got to do all the greatest hits and show that they still work. The problem is that he pinned Christian, who was seemingly ready to break through to the other side and has lost twice in a row since. I’m not sure why WWE bothered setting him up like that to bring him back down, but WWE has done more questionable things before.

Post match Flair is cornered by Christian and Tomko so Batista comes out for the save.

Lita fires Christy up for her lingerie pillow fight until Edge interrupts. He tells Lita to warn Kane about what’s coming tonight, and you can bank on it.

Christian limps around backstage so here’s Maria to ask if he’s hurt. Christian: “Where did you get your journalism degree from? A box of Cocoa Puffs?” This isn’t over with Batista.

Here’s Chris Masters for the Masterlock Challenge. This time the prize is $6,000 and a one way plane ticket to anywhere in the United States, because anywhere is better than Omaha. The fan loses in near record time so here’s Steven Richards to go after Masters and chase him off with a chair. So yes, after a month plus of these things, their best idea is a Steven Richards feud.

Kane grabs Edge by the throat and says stay away from Lita.

Chris Benoit vs. Tajiri

ECW Rules and weapons are provided at ringside. Tajiri starts fast with the Tarantula as Lawler goes off with the insults on ECW as only he can. The handsprings elbow is countered into a German suplex but Tajiri flips out and kicks him in the head. They go outside with Tajiri going face first into the steps and that means it’s ladder time. Tajiri is laid on the table and Benoit climbs the ladder in the ring….but here’s Coach to stop the match on Bischoff’s orders. Bischoff comes out as well to officially end the match. Not long enough to rate but it was there to advance an angle more than anything else.

Post match Bischoff trashes ECW and bans any mention of ECW on Raw whatsoever. You can’t even chant for it! Also, the Raw wrestlers are forbidden from appearing at ECW One Night Stand. Bischoff is even going to show up with a bunch of Raw volunteers to end ECW once and for all. This is an expected reaction from Bischoff and should set up something fun at One Night Stand.

Christy Hemme vs. Candice Michelle

Lingerie pillow fight so the bed is in the ring. They fight and feathers go everywhere, including a trip to the floor just because. Christy wins with a sunset flip.

With the women still in the ring, cue Viscera in a suit because the pillow fight has turned him on. The hip swiveling sends Christy and Candice running, but Viscera would rather talk about Lilian Garcia. Viscera sees the two of them and that bed and he has an idea. He kisses a fan at ringside to get her cotton candy, with JR not liking the idea of Viscera having more sugar.

Lilian gets in the ring and Viscera tells her to put some of the pillows on the bed. He lays down and offers her some cotton candy, which he licks rather, uh, suggestively. Viscera has a surprise for her, including a pickle in his pocket. He pulls out a hotel room key and Lilian isn’t sure about this. Viscera: “Room four sixty nine.” That’s enough to make Lilian to fall off the bed and end a rather horribly entertaining segment. Yeah it’s bad but it’s the overly cheesy bad where they know what they’re doing.

Kane and Lita breathe at each other a lot and kissing ensues.

We recap the Gold Rush Tournament.

Shelton comes up to Jericho to make sure everything is cool. Jericho lists off some of his accomplishments and everything he has going on at the moment, including a plug for a Fozzy album.

Tag Team Titles: Hurricane/Rosey vs. Simon Dean/Maven

Hurricane and Rosey are defending and debut Super Stacy as their new manager. Rosey slams Maven with no problem to start as Lawler tries to figure out what Stacy’s name should be. Hurricane comes in and gets pulled into the wrong corner with Dean taking him down by the neck. A double suplex lets Maven get in some situps but Hurricane fights up and brings in Rosey to clean house. Stacy offers the distraction and it’s a side slam/Eye of the Hurricane combination to finish Maven.

Rating: D-. The champs won the titles ice cold and now they have Stacy Keibler as a manager. Stacy is one of those people whose value was pretty limited in the first place and it has gone through the floor over the last few years. Putting her on this team seems like an act of desperation and it really doesn’t bode well for the champs’ future.

Smackdown Rebound.

Here’s the still injured Randy Orton for a chat. People have been asking him if he is coming back to Raw or going to Smackdown. After telling the fans to shut up, he says he can’t be drafted because he’s injured. That’s because of Batista and the Undertaker, so Orton wants Batista to keep the title until he gets back to take it from him. Orton goes to leave so here’s Vince McMahon to cut him off.

Vince: “What the h*** has happened to you?” He mocks Orton for losing weight but Orton blames the shoulder surgery. Vince doesn’t want to hear about the injury because no one is exempt from the Draft. The Draft begins three weeks from tonight and it’s going on for a whole month this time around. Orton might be standing in a Raw ring for the last time so gain some weight and let your hair grow out again.

Gold Rush Tournament Finals: Kane vs. Edge

Lita is out with Kane. An early big boot drops Edge with JR saying it’s going to be a quick one so don’t make a sandwich. Kane grabs a suplex and chokes away but Edge hammers away in the corner. They fight to the floor with Kane taking over again as they’re firmly in first and a half gear.

Edge takes over with some forearms to the back and the referee gets bumped for a second, allowing Edge to hit a low blow. Back from a break with Edge working on the knee and taking it outside again to stay on said knee. The leglock goes on as this is hardly exciting stuff. Kane fights up and uppercuts him out of the air for two, setting up Snake Eyes for a bonus. The Edge-O-Matic cuts Kane down again but the spear is countered with a grab of the throat.

Edge grabs the referee to escape and the Edgecution gets two more. Kane tries a Tombstone but the ref gets bumped for real this time. The spear barely keeps Kane down and he kicks the briefcase out of Edge’s hands. Lita takes it away but slides it to Edge as Kane goes up, allowing Edge to knock Kane out of the air with a shot to the face. Lita wakes the referee up and Edge gets the pin and the title shot.

Rating: D. This wasn’t very good for the first place but the ending was good with the result, and the way they got there, being what they needed to be. Edge is the bigger star and putting him with Lita should be a great match. Kane is now more of a sympathetic face, or at least as sympathetic as you can be given how he and Lita got together in the first place.

Post match Lita jumps into Edge’s arms and goes evil, which always worked very, very well. Given what was going on in real life, they would have been crazy not to go this way. The big kiss on the stage ends the show as Edge and Lita channel their inner Christian and Trish from last year.

Overall Rating: D. There were some nice storyline additions on here but the wrestling was REALLY bad with the best match being a short and not very good tag match to open the show. I was thinking that this one would be the big show that made up for some of the previous weeks but we’re still waiting, which is becoming quite the problem.

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: All Elite Wrestling

AEW Dark
Date: October 15, 2019
Location: Agganis Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross

I’m not sure what to expect here and that’s kind of the point of the whole thing. Last week’s show was completely watchable but at the same time, it isn’t exactly something that you needed to watch. We could be in for a lot of different things around here tonight, but I would bet on wrestling being a focal point. Let’s get to it.

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

Before Dynamite, the Young Bucks were getting ready when Kenny Omega came in. Instead, he’ll face Joey Janela in an unsanctioned match on Dark. Tony Schiavone repeats what we just heard.

Schiavone is in the studio and introduces us to the first match.

Kip Sabian vs. Sonny Kiss vs. Peter Avalon

Yes they’ve managed to get the Librarians on the show and Avalon isn’t happy with the crowd disrespecting him. Therefore, sports jokes ensue, none of which make this any better. The bell rings and Avalon shushes the crowd, earning himself a double dropkick to the floor. That leaves Kip and Kiss to flip around a lot with Kiss getting the better of it and striking a pose. Kiss does his big series of flips into a slap and hits the splits but Avalon is right back in to knock him down. Shushing ensues and we hit a seated full nelson on Kiss.

Sabian dropkicks Avalon to the floor and hits the springboard flip dive, only to hurt his hand in the process. The doctor comes out and checks on him, showing a large section of empty seats, though this is before the show officially started so it’s a lot more forgivable. Avalon suplexes Kiss but Sabian is back up for some running kicks to the head in the corner. Sabian gets thrown at Kiss, who hits a DDT as Avalon adds a neckbreaker for two each. Now it’s Kiss popping up for a double facebuster to both of them. Avalon knocks him outside but walks into the Deathly Hallows to give Sabian the pin at 6:07.

Rating: C. Now this was a different kind of presentation as you had a flamboyant character, a gimmick and a standard wrestler. That’s a good mixture of everything being thrown together at once and getting a good enough match as a result. This made a lot of sense as a dark match to opening the night and Sabian gets some momentum while keeping Kiss strong.

Dark Order/Hybrid Two vs. SCU/Cima

Hold on a second though as Jack Evans needs to hold up an SCU Sucks sign and then throw it into the crowd. Angelico and Cima start things off and that could be interesting. Cima gets hiptossed down but nips up into an armdrag. A crucifix gives Cima two and it’s off to Daniels to stay on Angelico. Actually make that Grayson, who walks into an armbar for his efforts. SCU and Cima get Grayson in the corner and it’s a series of dropkicks in the corner to really knock him silly.

A Stunner/DDT combination takes the Dark Order down and Kazarian follows up with a slingshot hurricanrana to the floor to take Grayson down again. The parade of dives begins until Grayson takes Sky back in for a torture rack into a backbreaker. Kazarian grabs a slingshot Stunner though and it’s now the parade of finishers. Sky starts cleaning house until the Hybrid Two get in a double low blow. Evans backslides Sky and flips over for the pin at 9:51.

Rating: C+. This was the designed showcase match with eight people doing a bunch of stuff, though they made sure to get in a heat segment, which does help things a lot. It was a match we have seen better several times before but it was entertaining and had some good looking dives. I wasn’t exactly thrilled with two boring teams winning, but that’s something they can work on over the next few weeks.

Cody sits down with referee Audrey Edwards to talk about her road to where she is now. WWE tried her out a few times but wasn’t signed for unclear reasons. The undeniable moment (which seems to be the theme here) is when she is holding up the title and everyone knows it is the main event. This was a fine enough interview with someone you don’t usually hear from.

Highlights of Young Bucks vs. Private Party, which works for me.

Quick look at the Tag Team Title tournament brackets.

We look at the end of Dynamite, with the battle lines being drawn between the Inner Circle and everyone else.

Kenny Omega vs. Joey Janela

Unsanctioned match and yes they do turn the lights out for a second in some nice symbolism. Joey goes straight to the floor and it’s time to grab a chair. Omega isn’t having that though and hammers away in the corner but a hurricanrana sends him outside. Of course that means the suicide dive and Janela smiles a lot. That means it’s time to throw in more chairs and a ladder as we’re getting close to three minutes in.

Omega tries to fight back but gets a chair pelted at his face. He’s fine enough to hit the running Fameasser onto a pile of chairs, which Janela was kind enough to pose in front of. A running flip dive to the floor connects with Janela’s but Omega’s legs crash into the barricade, meaning it’s time from the sanctioned doctors. The table (of course) is thrown in and Omega nails a top rope missile dropkick to the back of the head.

The Regal Roll into the middle rope moonsault gets two and the snapdragon makes it even worse. They slug it out on the apron until Omega hits another snapdragon out there and Janela is looking a bit dead. The One Winged Angel onto the steps is broken up though and Janela German suplexes him onto the floor for the next OW spot. Janela bridges a table between the steps and apron but stops to whip Omega into the ladder in the corner.

A hard German suplex sends Omega into the ladder for two, only to have Omega pop up with a V Trigger. They’re both down for a bit but Omega gets up top, only to be superplexed right back down. Janela can’t Russian legsweep him through the bridged table (which is face up) so he backdrops him onto another upside down table instead. The Death Valley Driver into the ladder rocks Omega again but Janela misses a frog splash off the ladder through the table.

Omega gets two off a Sky High and there are two more V Triggers, into Jon Moxley’s Paradigm Shift for two. A missed charge lets Janela send him over the top and through the table for the big crash. Janela puts him in a chair and knocks him right back out of it, which seems a little counter productive. Omega is right back up and loads up a pair of chairs back to back. Just because Janela is kind of out there, he gets slammed off the top, back first onto the top of the two open chairs. The One Winged Angel through a chair gives Omega the pin at 26:31.

Rating: B+. Yeah this was a blast, even if you ignore a lot of the problems with the lack of a story, the violence for the sake of violence and Janela still not being able to do much outside of hardcore stuff. I had a good time with it though and that’s all it needed to be. Omega gets the big win, though it isn’t over the highest level of competition.

Tony gives us a quick sendoff to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a very different kind of show with two pretty standard matches to open things up and a match that you could have seen on a top pay per view to wrap it up. I liked the big main event though and it’s the kind of showcase match that the company was looking for. Good show here, and completely different than what I was expecting to see from this series, in a positive way.

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: National Wrestling Alliance

NWA Powerrr
Date: October 15, 2019
Location: GPB Studios, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Joe Galli, Jim Cornette

This show debuted with a bang last week and made its way onto the must watch list. It is a completely different kind of wrestling show and that’s a good thing after so many of them looking so similar. Instead we’re getting a bunch of short matches which showcase the talent, which is exactly how you should start things off with a new series. Let’s get to it.

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

Since the show is broadcast on YouTube, there is a bit of a delay before it starts. In a smart move, that time is filled with Tweets from fans and wrestling personalities praising the show and how good last week’s debut was. The last one shown? The Rock.

We open with a recap from last week, including part of Nick Aldis’ promo about how the NWA has gone from a joke to a resurgence. One of the best things (if not the very best thing) about this show is the promos, as it’s a bunch of people looking into the camera and telling you what they’re doing and what they have going on. No overly flowery language, no ridiculous ideas and nothing that doesn’t need to be there. Just words and then actions backing those words up. It worked for years and it could work again if they’re given the chance.

Also of note: Kamilla Kaine not being allowed to respond to a question is given an extra focus. That seems rather important.

Opening sequence, again featuring shots with names of the people featured on this show. You don’t need a full bio or anything like that. Just a name with a face to get a foot in the door.

The announcers welcome us to the show and tell us who will be on the show tonight.

Aron Stevens (Damien Sandow) won’t shake Dave Marquez’s hand greets the NWA. He’s had some success in Hollywood and entertainment and that has taken him away from professional wrestling. Then he heard a rumor that the NWA and professional wrestling were back. Therefore, he is back too and has an announcement, provided that Marquez avoids eye contact with him.

Marquez: “Who are you going to face first in the National Wrestling Alliance?” Fans: “DON’T LOOK AT HIM!” Stevens talks about how there are stars and a supporting cast in wrestling. His response tells you which one he is, so he’ll pick a supporting cast when he needs one. Oh and “They love me, they really love me.” I’m not a big Stevens guy but this was fine and made me more interested in seeing him than I have in a good while. Also: notice how they take a detail about his life and turn it into a big aspect of his character. It’s not that complicated.

Trevor Murdoch vs. Ricky Starks

They’re both names in this case. The much bigger Murdoch drives him into the corner to start and sidesteps a dropkick, allowing him to strike a quick pose. The chop off goes to Murdoch, who knocks Starks’ head off with a big boot. A middle rope legdrop misses though and Starks kicks him in the face for two, followed by a neckbreaker for the same. The middle rope dropkick gets two more with Murdoch having to put his foot on the rope but a springboard tornado DDT is blocked without much effort. Back up and Murdoch punches away but gets crucifixed to gives Starks the pin at 3:30.

Rating: C-. This was a good idea and the kind of thing that needs to be done. Murdoch isn’t the biggest deal in the world but it is a good idea to have him put in there against a rookie. Beating someone who once held a title in WWE is going to help make Starks a bigger deal and that’s what they need to do.

Post match Starks goes for an interview but Murdoch stops him and shakes his hand, saying that it just wasn’t his night. With Murdoch gone, Starks says he could go after any title but he’s also about raising this up. He knows he looks great and God ran out of good looks after he made Ricky Starks, but he loves you no matter how you look. Yeah he looks a little funny but at the end of the day, he’s counting your money. Not bad in the ring and he has some charisma so maybe he has a little future.

We get a special segment with Joe Galli, talking about how he wasn’t looking for clickbait when he talked to Kamilla last week. He wants to talk to Aldis and Kamilla in a sitdown interview so he can continue to be a fair and balanced journalist.

The NWA is back on pay per view on December 14. Cool.

Here’s Colt Cabana for a chat. James Storm took the National Title from him when he wasn’t at 100% but now he’s ready to go and has a mystery partner for tonight. Cue Ken Anderson to say Cabana could have chosen anyone to be his partner but he picked this a******. Anderson loads up his catchphrase but Cabana jumps in to say his name too, which leaves Anderson stunned.

Colt Cabana/Mr. Anderson vs. Sal Rinauro/Jordan Kingsley

Cabana and Rinauro start things off and it’s a wristlock to keep Rinauro in trouble. Anderson comes in with a side slam so it’s off to Kingsley, who gets chopped straight into the corner. A backdrop makes it even worse and it’s Cabana dancing in for some chops. Anderson Regal Rolls both of them in a row, setting up Cabana for a running hip attack in the corner. The Mic Check finishes Rinauro at 3:45.

Rating: C. Just a squash here but it was an entertaining one with Anderson and Cabana being a fun team. They beat up the jobbers without much trouble and the Mic Check looked better than usual. I know neither may be everyone’s cup of tea but they’re bigger names and could be used to put some people over, or be made into some stars around here. It’s nice to have options like that.

Earlier today, Nick Aldis left and wasn’t happy with the sitdown interview with Galli, because the questions had nothing to do with wrestling and he wants nothing more to do with it.

Tony Falk wants you to come to Tony Falk’s Waffles And Tire Irons. Seriously.

We look at last week’s showdown between the Wild Cards and Eddie Kingston/Homicide.

Kingston and Homicide say no team is anything until they beat the two of them.

Allysin Kay vs. Ashley Vox

Kay’s Women’s Title isn’t on the line. Vox works on the bigger Kay’s arm and gets knocked down in a hurry. Kay misses a charge into the corner but catches Vox coming off the top for a slam. The fall away slam gives Kay two but Vox is right back with chops in the corner. There’s a wheelbarrow suplex to crush Vox for two but she pops up for a dropkick into the corner. A headscissors out of the corner has Kay down again and Vox Cannonballs her for two. Kay has had enough of this and catches her in a belly to back kneeling piledriver for the pin at 3:48.

Rating: C. I liked this one more than I was expecting to as Vox got in a lot. There is only so much you are going to be able to do in less than four minutes and Kay looked like a star. Vox is someone who could become a bigger deal in the future and that’s what they were going for here.

Post match Kay tells Vox that she did good but her good wasn’t good enough today. Vox’s future is bright but it doesn’t have Kay’s title.

Some fans liked the show last week.

We look at the end of last week’s show again.

After the end of last week’s main event, Tim Storm couldn’t say anything.

Here’s National Champion James Storm for a chat. Storm takes the mic and says the National Title is a prop to get him back in the World Title picture. Now that Tim Storm is out of the way, it’s time for James Storm to take over. Unlike the boys in the back, he is a real man and we hear the lyrics from his TNA theme song.

He works in the field Monday through Thursday, drinks Friday and Saturday and sings in church on Sunday. Cue Eli Drake to say being National Champion is a big deal because it makes Storm next in line for the World Title. Maybe Aldis is ducking him so Storm needs to hurry up and get his shot. If Storm wins the title, just remember your boy Eli Drake. Pretty simple stuff here but it worked well.

Go to the Austin Idol Wrestling College.

Tag Team Titles: Wild Cards vs. Outlaw Inc.

Outlaw Inc. (Homicide/Kingston) is challenging. Latimer and Kingston start things off with a fight over a lockup. Everything breaks down for a bit and the champs get run over until Homicide takes over on Isaacs. Latimer comes back in and slugs it out with Homicide, including a suplex for two.

We hit the chinlock for a bit, followed by Latimer’s powerslam for two more. Isaacs comes back in for a belly to back suplex and the champs take over, as Latimer grabs a chinlock to keep Homicide down. Homicide crotches Isaacs on top though and the hot tag brings in Kingston. Everything breaks down again but here are the Dawsons for the double DQ at 6:11.

Rating: D+. This had some quick spurts but it wasn’t exactly thrilling given the chinlocks and the ending to set up something else later on. The match wasn’t terrible but it is more about getting things ready down the line. I can go with all three of these teams, though hopefully not in the same match in a triple threat.

We get the sitdown interview with Aldis and Kamilla. Aldis did have some say in when the rematch with Tim Storm was set up and if that was Storm’s last chance at the title, he went out with a great performance. As for what happened with Kamilla, Aldis doesn’t like feeling like he’s on 60 Minutes. He talks about losing the title at All In to an inferior athlete so he got an insurance policy.

Other than dealing with Brandi Rhodes at All In, when has Kamilla ever interfered in a match? One time she tried to interfere but Kamilla called her off. Kamilla is asked a direct question about what it means to work with Aldis but doesn’t say anything. Aldis never wants to hear about this again.

Roll credits.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a downgrade over last week’s show but it’s still a VERY easy hour of wrestling to watch, mainly because it does something so completely different. They didn’t have anything like the main event last week, though there was enough to keep me interested. We’re still in the phase of setting up the talent for later on and then we can get to their clashes against each other. Good show here, as they’re still off to a very strong start.

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