Houston’s Wrestling Spectacular
Location: Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas
Commentator: Paul Boesch

This is a DVD released by Jim Cornette a few years ago and I have very little idea of what to expect. As you can probably guess, this is all from Paul Boesch’s Houston Wrestling and mostly from the late 70s/early 80s. I have no idea what to expect here but there are some very talented names on the lineup. Let’s get to it.

We open with what looks like the opening from Houston’s TV show in a nice touch.

From April 16, 1982. I’m not completely sure on the date as only the year is accurate but that seems to be the most likely option.

AWA World Title: Nick Bockwinkel vs. Dick Slater

Bockwinkel is defending and Slater’s Southwest Title isn’t on the line. Slater takes him down with a hammerlock to start and it’s time for some early cranking. Bockwinkel has to get up and go to the ropes for the escape and we reset things a bit. They go to the test of strength until Slater hits a headbutt, setting up a headscissors on the mat. Back up and Slater plants him down for two, followed by a small package for the same. Slater goes with the Indian Deathlock as Boesch talks about Bockwinkel’s father losing his ear in a match.

Bockwinkel grabs a forearm around the face for the break and hammers away at the chest. That’s fine with Slater, who headbutts his way out of trouble as Bockwinkel can’t get anything going here. We’re back in the front facelock for a bit until Bockwinkel gets up for some shoulders in the corner. One of them misses though and Bockwinkel hits the post to put Slater right back in control. Bockwinkel backdrops out of a piledriver attempt but Slater is right back with an armbar.

They get up but Bockwinkel hits him in the ribs, only for Slater to go back to the hammerlock as the arm cranking continues. The arm is tied up in Slater’s legs but Bockwinkel makes the ropes. Bockwinkel tries to hammer away but gets sent face first into the mat, which is enough to send him backing to the floor. Back in and they ram heads for a double down, giving Bockwinkel a much needed breather.

Slater slams him down but misses a middle rope knee drop to FINALLY give Bockwinkel an opening. The Figure Four goes on and Slater is in trouble but he’s able to roll over to the ropes. Bockwinkel wraps the bad knee around the post before snapping Slater’s throat across the top rope for the first fall at 15:18.

We get a one minute rest period between falls before Bockwinkel goes right after the leg again. Slater kicks him down though and sends Bockwinkel outside, followed by a bunch of kicks on the way back inside. A falling headbutt and a knee drop have Bockwinkel in trouble and Slater puts on his own Figure Four. The rope is reached again so Slater wraps the leg around the post (just as Bockwinkel did to him). A top rope elbow to the back of the head gives Slater the second fall to tie it up at 19:49.

We get another rest period before Slater starts fast with a piledriver to send Bockwinkel outside again. Back in and Slater hits a suplex for two but Bockwinkel slugs his way out of a spinning toehold. The referee gets bumped though and there’s no one to count as Slater gets an O’Connor Roll. The very delayed count gets two but Bockwinkel reverses into a rollup of his own and uses the tights for the pin to retain at 22:09.

Rating: B. This took some time to get going but eventually turned into Slater being good, but not quite good enough to win the whole thing in the end. That’s a nice story to tell and shows just how much better Bockwinkel was here. Bockwinkel absolutely takes some time to get used to, but when he’s showing what he can do, it absolutely works.

Post match Slater gets in a bonus shot to knock Bockwinkel off the apron.

From December 21, 1979.

Jimmy Snuka vs. Ken Patera

2/3 falls again and JJ Dillon is here with Patera. The fans rather approve as Patera gets his warmup pants off and commentary talks about how Snuka got his physique by doing the simple things in life. Such as climbing coconut trees. They lock up to start and Patera shoves him away before they go to a crisscross. Snuka leapfrogs him into a crossbody and Patera already wants a breather.

Back in and Boesch says Snuka has “hit the highspots”. Ok so it’s in a different context entirely (he’s talking about going to big cities) but it sounds so strange anyway. A slam sends Patera bailing to the floor again, followed by a headlock from Snuka back inside. Patera powers out and poses, earning himself a quick dropkick in a funny bit. Snuka grinds away on the headlock again as Dillon is rather anxious on the floor.

Patera finally sends him into the ropes for the break but gets caught in another headlock. Back up again and Patera tries to squeeze the ribs to escape but settles for backing him into the ropes instead. Patera gets up and starts in with the clubbing forearms, plus a knee to the ribs to really stagger Snuka. The chinlock goes on and Patera, like a villain, pulls Snuka down to prevent the escape.

Snuka fights out but gets dropped with another knockdown. A top rope ax handle to the back and an elbow give Patera two, with Boesch sounding rather proud. Snuka gets in a shot to the head and starts the comeback, including a jumping…uh…something to the face. A big chop drops Patera again but he gets in a shot of his own for a breather. Snuka is back with a crossbody but Patera rolls through and his feet land on the rope for the pin and the first fall at 13:23.

We get a longer than usual rest period between the falls, which is at least partially so Dillon can say there was NO cheating. The second fall begins and Snuka is not exactly pleased. Some chops in the corner have Patera in more trouble and a slam makes it worse. The running diving headbutt has Patera rocked and a jumping headbutt gives Snuka two. Another headbutt gives Snuka two, with Patera having to get his foot on the ropes. A quick shot staggers Snuka and Patera gets his full nelson.

Snuka flips Patera forward for the escape (which you don’t see very often) and he makes another comeback with the classic technique of hitting someone in the face. That means it’s time to start doing a comeback dance but Patera gets his knees up on a splash. The rollup cover gets three, which doesn’t count as the referee sees Patera’s feet on the ropes. Instead Snuka gets an O’Connor roll to tie it up at 20:01.

The annoyed Patera forearms away in the corner to start the third fall but Snuka atomic drops him down. Back up and Patera gets a bearhug to slow things back down. That’s broken up as well and they crash out to the floor, where Dillon grabs Snuka. A headbutt cuts that off (the fans approve) and Snuka chases Dillon until it’s a double countout at 24:31 (the fans disapprove).

Rating: B. Again, it was a bit slow at times but I was wanting to see where this went. That’s a good sign as I don’t have any connection to the story or the wrestlers at this point but it worked anyway. If nothing else, it’s always interesting to see the pre-prison version of Patera, as he really was good as a power villain. It’s easy to see how he became such a big star in the WWF not long after this.

From July 27, 1979.

Jack Brisco vs. The Spoiler

2/3 falls again and Gary Hart is here with the Spoiler (a fairly tall masked man who has impressed me before). A headlock doesn’t get Spoiler very far to start so he tries it again to some better success. They fight into a top wristlock but Spoiler pulls him right back into the headlock. Brisco can’t get very far by grabbing the leg and Spoiler keeps grinding away, with Boesch talking about how Spoiler doesn’t like Hart cheating for him.

The referee catches the cheating though and makes Spoiler break it, which he does…with a facebuster in a smart move. We’re right back on the headlock and Brisco is in more trouble, even as he’s on top of Spoiler on the mat. Brisco starts kneeing away at the back to escape and we hit a reverse chinlock. Now it’s Brisco grabbing a headlock of his own, with Spoiler stacking him up to escape.

A big boot sends Brisco outside but Spoiler misses a dive off the top, which is what Boesch said made Brisco World Champion. That’s remarkably specific. Brisco punches him down again and grabs a chinlock, with Spoiler getting a foot into the ropes. Some knee drops have Brisco down again and a rollup with trunks gets two, as Brisco’s feet are in the ropes. The Claw hold goes on and Spoiler grinds away, with Brisco looking all wobbly.

Another comeback has Brisco on his feet and he finally gets out with a shinbreaker. Brisco stays on the leg and puts on a half crab, with Spoiler tapping, albeit about 15 years before that meant anything in wrestling (with a useful graphic before the match reminding us that it doesn’t matter). Spoiler eventually manages to grab the claw again but Brisco goes back to the leg. The Figure Four goes on and Spoiler grabs the referee, who KICKS SPOILER for the break (that has to be cheating).

Hart’s distraction makes Brisco let go and he charges into a boot in the corner. Spoiler rolls him up but Hart gets caught helping on the pin and that’s a DQ for the first fall at 18:11. Hart and Spoiler both hammer away between falls so Brisco decks Hart and rolls Spoiler up for the pin at 19:13.

Rating: B-. They had a nice story here with Boesch telling us that Spoiler was getting sick of Hart’s cheating and then Hart cost him both falls. At the same time, Brisco is still one of the best of all time and can work well with anyone in there. I always get something out of his matches and this was no exception. The Spoiler continues to look like someone who should be just kind of there but does well every chance he gets.

Post match Brisco chases Spoiler off.

From November 30, 1979.

Dusty Rhodes vs. Ken Patera

2/3 falls again and James J. Dillon is with Patera again. Patera grinds away on the headlock to start and hammers away a bit before grabbing it for a second time. A snapmare makes Rhodes get funky like a monkey though and it’s time to work on a wristlock. An armbar has Patera down and Dillon is right there on the apron to accuse Rhodes of pulling the tights.

Dillon’s distraction lets Patera get out so Rhodes starts the flip, flop and fly (as only he could ever really do right). Patera fights back and gets a chinlock to slow Rhodes down a good bit. Rhodes gets up as well and starts firing off the elbows, including the Bionic Elbow for the first fall at 8:27.

After the required rest period, Rhodes wastes no time in knocking him out to the floor for another hard elbow. Back in and a snapmare sets up a missed Bionic Elbow and Patera goes up top, only to be slammed back down. Rhodes puts on a chinlock of his own, with Patera going to the ropes for the break in something you don’t see very often. Patera starts in on the leg and cranks away, with the fans wanting some elbows but commentary pointing out that it won’t make a difference.

Rhodes slips out but gets sent into the buckle to cut him off. The full nelson goes on, with Rhodes immediately running for the ropes in a smart counter. Instead Patera grabs the bearhug and cranks away until they go down for a two count. Rhodes finally gets up and slaps the ears for the escape, only to get bearhugged again, this time for a pin at 18:33. Rhodes gets up after the rest period and chases Patera outside, where he pulls Rhodes outside as well. They slug it out on the floor, where Dillon grabs the leg on the way back in, which is enough for the DQ to give Rhodes the win at 19:56.

Rating: B-. I’ve been overly harsh on Rhodes over the years but you can definitely see the charisma, which was more than enough to make him into such a big star. The action here wasn’t quite as good as the rest of the stuff so far but Rhodes’ charisma was carrying him here. Patera continues to be someone who can be a good villain, with the interference being a nice way to keep him safe in defeat.

From January 9, 1981.

Chavo Guerrero vs. Black Gordman

2/3 falls again and of course this is Chavo Sr. (Classic), whose International Junior Heavyweight Title isn’t on the line. They trade standing switches to start until a flying headscissors brings Gordman down. Back up and Gordman gets a full nelson, with Guerrero reversing into one of his own. That’s broken up and Gordman works on the arm for a big before getting taken down by the leg.

Guerrero cranks away before letting up, allowing Gordman to pull him into the same leglock. This one doesn’t last as long so Gordman goes with some shots to the face instead. Guerrero is sent into the corner and seems to slip off what looked to be a crossbody attempt, instead settling for a springboard version and the first fall at 7:04.

After the rest period, Guerrero forearms him into the ropes to start the second fall before winning a slugout. Gordman gets in a cheap shot to take over and grabs what looks to be a nerve hold but is really a choke. The referee holds Gordman back but he manages to get in a shot on Guerrero anyway, as the officiating here leaves something to be desired. A pair of DDTs (Boesch: “That bulldogging headlock.”) and a running backsplash tie it up at 10:48.

The rest period sees the referee yelling at Gordman, who starts the second fall with an STO (that’s a big move for this time). It works so well that Gordman does it again for two before choking with the tape. That wakes Guerrero up and he strikes away in the corner, setting up a monkey flip. Gordman sends him over the top rope though and that’s a DQ to give Guerrero the win at 13:55.

Rating: C+. Weakest match of the set so far and even then it was completely fine. The ending seems to be a way to set up a rematch for the title (which is exactly what happened) but there wasn’t much here that would make me want to see them fight again. Gordman had some stuff that would become more commonplace later, but for 1981, it was insane to see some of this stuff.

From October 24, 1980.

Dusty Rhodes vs. Ivan Koloff

This is an interesting match which happened a bunch around the territories. To spice this up a bit, this is a Texas Death Coffin match, meaning it’s a Texas Deathmatch, which means you have regular falls and rest periods after, but apparently you win by regular coffin/casket match rules. Rhodes and Koloff argue over whether the coffin is in the ring or on the floor, with Rhodes (inside) getting his way.

They take their time to start, with Rhodes promising to lay him in the coffin (which sounds like threatening murder). Koloff seems squeamish of the coffin (because, you know, coffin) and keeps yelling about it while Rhodes dances a bit. Some hard shots in the corner have Rhodes in some trouble but he throws Koloff over the coffin instead. Koloff steps away from the coffin and kicks him down to take over. A middle rope knee (the Sputnik Dive) connects but Rhodes gets a small package for the fall at 4:09.

Koloff is perfectly fine so this was little more than a breather for Rhodes, which makes sense. The USA chants start up and Koloff (a proud Canadian) isn’t happy. Rhodes slugs away with elbows but lowers his head and gets kicked in the face for a fall at 6:17. They’re both back up again and the USA chants are on again, because they went so well for Rhodes last time.

They go outside this time and Koloff gets sent into various things to bust him open. Koloff takes off a boot to knock Rhodes silly, followed by a chair to the head. That’s not enough to put Rhodes (also bleeding) in the coffin so he fights up, only to miss the elbow for two. A piledriver gives Rhodes the pin at 11:26 but he can’t get Koloff into the coffin.

That doesn’t count anyway as it’s during the rest period so once that is out of the way, we can start up again. Rhodes goes for the coffin again but Koloff still isn’t having that. Now it’s Rhodes who won’t go in, but Koloff does drop a knee on him for the fall at 12:28. The rest period ends and Koloff rams him into the side of the coffin, only to miss a knee drop. Rhodes knocks him into the coffin and that’s enough for the win at 14:12.

Rating: C+. This was a bit weird as it felt like they were trying to do two different matches at once. The coffin deal was fine enough but the Texas death match and the falls didn’t add anything, as they just served as ways to give the two of them a breather. It wasn’t a bad match, but it was a bit more complicated than it needed to be.

From June 16, 1978.

Dick Slater vs. Alberto Madril

Another 2/3 falls and Madril is usually known as Al (as he’s listed on the DVD case). Slater walks away from some threats of right hands in the corner and kicks Madril down. Madril’s armbar works a bit better, including taking Slater to the mat to crank away even more. Back up and Slater drives him into the corner, earning a rather big shove. An armdrag sets up another armbar, though this one doesn’t go as well for Madril. Back up and Madril gets two off an O’Connor roll, setting up another armbar. This time Slater stands up and climbs over the ropes, which works for a break.

Slater punches him down and grabs a quickly broken front facelock, with Madril reversing into a hammerlock. That’s broken up as well and Slater hammers away, allowing him to use the hair and pull Madril into an armbar of his own. A knee onto the arm has Madril in more trouble and his comeback is cut off by a shot to the throat. Slater’s Russian legsweep gets two but Madril punches him down for two. Slater forearms him in the back for two more but the piledriver is countered with a backdrop. Madril gives him an atomic drop for a hilarious sell, only to get small packaged for the first fall at 11:32.

The second fall starts and Madril immediately chases him outside, with Slater coming back in and bailing right back to the floor. Back in again and Slater elbows him out to the floor so the beating can begin. The sleeper goes on back inside for two arm drops but Madril fights out and slugs away.

Slater gets tied in the ropes and punched a few times for two, with the fans not liking the speed of the count. Back up and Slater sends him to the floor, only for Madril to come back in for a rollup to tie it up at 18:50. We get what feels like an extended rest period as Madril’s shoulder seems to be hurt. It’s so hurt that the referee stops the match and awards it to Slater at 20:45.

Rating: B-. The ending didn’t help things but there is only so much that can be done if Madril is too banged up to continue. Slater continues to be someone who feels like he could be a star in just about any promotion. He works well and comes off like a heel you want to see lose. That’s a valuable thing to have and it worked here, even with a less than optimal ending.

From April 8, 1977.

Bruiser Brody vs. Dusty Rhodes

2/3 falls again and I believe that’s the right date, as it seems like this might be April 1, especially with a pre-match announcement that Brody will face Fritz Von Erich the following week. They circle each other to start, with Rhodes (who is SLIM here) chasing Brody out to the floor. Back in and Rhodes hammers away, which has Brody bailing to the floor again.

After a lengthy stay outside, Brody comes back in and gets his arm cranked. Brody fights out and takes over on the mat, only for Rhodes to take him into the corner. What looks like a low blow takes too long to set up though and Brody knocks him down again. Some running boots to the head and a knee drop finish Rhodes for the first fall at 6:08.

Rhodes rolls to the floor and sneaks back in to hammer Brody from behind. An elbow to the face sets up the big elbow to tie it up at 7:18. We pause for Brody to get up (those were some BIG elbows) as the rest period is far longer than after the first fall. Rhodes is right on him to hammer away as soon as the bell rings and Brody is sent outside. A dancing Rhodes follows him out but then goes back inside to chill in the corner.

Some elbows to the head rock Brody again but the big elbow misses. Brody knocks him down and claws away at Rhodes’ head on the mat, which is enough to fire up the comeback. That’s cut off again and Brody hammers him down in the corner, followed by some big boots for two. Rhodes is back up for a headbutt and they’re both down, with Rhodes calling on the fans to help him up (and that’s a big part of why Rhodes was a star). Rhodes, powered by the fans, gets up and hammers away, only to get backdropped over the top for the DQ to give Rhodes the third fall and the win at 14:34.

Rating: B-. This was starting to get somewhere with the fans getting behind Rhodes, as they’re supposed to do when a hero is fighting a monster like Brody. The thing that caught my attention here was how well Brody could sell. He was a big guy, but he made Rhodes’ offense look like a superhero by staggering around like that. You could see a lot of Brody in Undertaker’s selling later on and that’s because it works very well.

Post match Brody ties him in the ropes and keeps up the beating, including a bunch of kicks, both running and standing. Rhodes escapes and fires off some elbows to send Brody skedaddling.

From September 19, 1980. This is described as “Surviving Footage” so we’re likely not getting close to the full match.

Bruiser Brody vs. Ivan Koloff

2/3 falls again and we’re joined in progress with Koloff begging off in the corner and Brody hammering away. Brody sends him into the corner and starts kicking away as the fans are WAY behind Brody here. A slam plants Koloff again and they go outside where Koloff is posted rather quickly. Back in and the bleeding Koloff gets in a shot of his own for a knockdown, setting up the top rope knee drop for the second fall to tie it up at 3:07 shown. That would mean we missed about the first eight minutes, assuming the times I can find are accurate.

Koloff hammers away to start the third fall but Brody sends him face first into a boot in the corner to start the comeback. Commentary acknowledges that Koloff isn’t going to win a slugout here, which is exactly what happens. Brody blocks a kick to the ribs and spins him around, setting up a one armed slam.

The slow beating continues, including a neck snap to send Koloff sprawling. They head outside where Brody uses a chair (the referee doesn’t mind) and then get back inside for another slam to drop Koloff again. A fist drop gets two on Koloff but he avoids a charge into the buckle for the big crash. With nothing else working, Koloff grabs a shovel and comes off the top to knock Brody silly for the DQ and the third fall at 9:39 shown.

Rating: C. This was a slower paced brawl with the ending seemingly designed to keep the feud going. Koloff had something with the shovel/burying deal and this was about six weeks before the Coffin Match with Dusty Rhodes. It’s nice to see things tie together like this, as we’re waiting to see someone conquer the heel, which is what we got earlier in the set (which is some weird structuring but oh well).

From August 7, 1981.

Tony Atlas/Tiger Conway Jr. vs. Tank Patton/Colonel Buck Robley

2/3 falls again. Atlas signs a bunch of autographs before the match, only stopping for the introductions. That’s not something you see very often but it works rather well. There are also two referees here for a weird but logical visual. Atlas and Patton start things off but don’t do much of anything before it’s off to Robley. Conway ducks a right hand and fires away on Robley, who goes down in a hurry. Patton gets beaten up as well before Conway starts in on Robley’s arm.

Atlas comes in and Robley panics, apparently worried about getting beaten up even worse. A rather grinding headlock has Robley in more trouble and the dropkick has him down again. Patton comes back in and gets taken down by the dancing Atlas. Conway and Atlas take turns working on Patton’s arm until he manages to send Atlas into Robley’s knee in the corner. Atlas easily powers out of a cover so Robley goes with the bearhug to wear him down.

That’s broken up but Patton is there to cut off the tag attempt. Another bearhug goes on for a bit longer before Patton slams Atlas down. It’s back to Robley for another bearhug and Atlas ax handling his way to freedom still isn’t enough for the tag. Some shots out of the corner are enough to bring in Conway to quickly clean house. Everything breaks down and Patton drops Conway with a clothesline for the first fall at 10:53.

The second fall starts with Patton working over Conway before handing it off to Robley for a knockdown of his own. A piledriver attempt is blocked though and it’s back to Atlas to clean house. Headbutts abound and Atlas bearhugs Robley to even things up a bit from earlier. That’s broken up so it’s back to Conway to clean house again. A flying headbutt finishes Patton at 16:03 and we’re tied up.

Tiger Conway Sr. is at ringside cheering for his son, who takes Patton down by the arm. It’s back to Robley, who gets punched down with some big right hands. Robley comes back with a sleeper as Conway Sr. and Patton argue. It’s back to Patton to slug away, including a knee drop for two. Robley kicks him down again for one, with Conway’s foot getting on the rope. Back up and a kick to the face allows the tag to bring Atlas back in.

House is cleaned in a hurry, with some gorilla presses dropping Robley. Atlas misses a headbutt though and it’s back to Conway for a Boston crab. The kickout sends Conway into the referee though and the brawl goes outside. Robley grabs a chair but Conway takes it away and starts swinging. That’s enough for the referee to throw the third fall out and the match is a draw at 24:55.

Rating: C+. This took some time to get going but it was working well by the end. It was a match that should have been a bit shorter than it went, but the fans were going nuts for Conway and Atlas. You could see the star power in Atlas no matter what he was doing and I could imagine Robley and Patton being an annoying heel team. That makes for a good pairing, but it only worked out so well, mainly due to the match going long.

Conway and Atlas want to keep going but that’s not going to happen.

From 1966.

Johnny Valentine vs. Bull Curry

2/3 falls and no time limit. Valentine was a huge star and Greg’s father. He’s also the United States Champion but the title isn’t on the line here. Assuming the 1966 date is right, this would put the match at some point from June to August, though that’s assuming quite a few things. Valentine goes after the arm to start but Curry (the crowd favorite) slugs away to bang up Valentine’s ear. Commentary mentions Curry wanting revenge about Valentine hurting Curry’s son so there’s something personal here too.

They go with some grappling and Valentine grabs a front facelock, which is switched into a chinlock to keep up the grinding. Curry fights up and slugs away as the crowd gets back into things. Back up and Curry backs him into the corner, where Valentine manages a shot to send Curry out to the floor. They go back to the apron and Curry is knocked right back down again. Curry tries another slugout, earning a third trip to the floor. Yet another slugout actually goes to Curry, who is quickly rolled up for the pin at 9:46.

After the rest period, Curry wastes no time in punching him into the corner and then doing it again for good measure. The slugout is on again and Valentine is in trouble, mainly due to being busted open. More right hands have Valentine rocked, with maybe the best “no one is home” look I’ve ever seen. Valentine is knocked down and collapses, which is enough for a countout at 13:17. Curry is right there to start slugging away after the rest period and Valentine is in BIG trouble. The referee gets knocked down and the fight goes to the floor where it is thrown/counted out at 15:47.

Rating: B. This was a fight rather than a match and that’s a good way to go. The idea of Curry (known as Wild Bull) being someone who can’t be controlled, especially when someone has done something to his family, fits perfectly and it was working here. The beating that Curry gave him made Valentine look like he was dead on his feet and it was quite the sight to behold. I might have enjoyed this as much as anything on the set so far, which is a nice bar to clear.

Post match Curry keeps up the beating and has to be held back. Curry gets back in the ring and the fans go NUTS.

From November 30, 1979.

American Title: Bruiser Brody vs. The Spoiler

Spoiler is defending in another 2/3 falls match. They fight over a lockup to start and Spoiler’s knees in the corner don’t seem to do much. Brody shrugs that off and knocks Spoiler down before ripping at the face in the corner. The brawl heads outside with Brody hammering away and they grab a chair each. One of the chairs is brought in and Brody cracks him, which is fine with the referee. A slam and the big knee drop give Brody the first fall at 3:20.

Brody wastes no time in going right after him (the rest period is cut out here for some reason) but has to block the Claw attempt. Spoiler snapmares him down but still can’t get the Claw. Eventually it goes on, only for Spoiler to let it go and hit an elbow to the head. Another Claw attempt is blocked so Brody kicks his way out of the corner. Brody misses a charge into the corner though and the Claw goes on again and Brody is pinned to tie it up at 7:14.

After another missing rest period, Spoiler knocks him into the corner and goes up top for an elbow. They go outside and Brody gets posted, only to come back with some big microphone shots to the head. Brody tries to rip the mask off but Spoilers gets in a top rope forearm. A Claw attempt misses though and Brody goes simple with straight choking. Back up and Brody hammers away but Spoiler goes to the throat to take him down. Some elbows to the head set up the Claw for two, even with Spoiler grabbing the rope. Brody finally slams his way to freedom and another knee drop is good for the pin and the title at 14:38.

Rating: B-. It’s nice to save the title change for the end and they were beating each other up rather well. Spoiler continues to be someone worth a look, while you can definitely see Brody’s influence on a lot of modern brawling. Good enough stuff here, even with things going a bit slowly at times.

We get what appears to be the TV closing to wrap things up.

Overall Rating: B. I had a really good time with this as you could tell that there was a lot going on with the Houston territory. Boesch was one of the better received promoters of his day and it makes sense given how good some of the stars were around here. There is nothing close to bad and the better action featured some very high quality stars. Pretty awesome set here and I could go for seeing a lot more stuff like this, both from Houston and beyond.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

We’re already back on pay per view after Wrestlemania and that isn’t feeling like quite enough time. That’s something that can be a big problem, but in this case the show being in St. Louis is going to help. It instantly boosts up the main event and the reaction alone should be enough to carry quite a bit. There is another short form card this time around and those have a hit and miss record. Let’s get to it.

Intercontinental Title: Dominik Mysterio(c) vs. Penta

What does it say that the least interesting match on the card might be for the Intercontinental Title? The good thing about having someone like Mysterio as champion is that the title feels like it is in jeopardy at any time. While I’m not sure if Penta is going to be the one to dethrone him, it feels like there is at least a chance, which is going to make things all the more interesting.

The more I see from Mysterio, the more I think he might be in for a long run as champion, meaning I’m expecting him to retain here. There is a good chance that we are going to be seeing him do something with Finn Balor in the near future, so having him go over Penta here, likely with Judgment Day’s interference, makes sense. Penta needs to win a bit more, though it isn’t happening here.

Women’s Intercontinental Title: Lyra Valkyria(c) vs. Becky Lynch

I feel sorry for Valkyria, who is trying as hard as she can and she isn’t failing, but she’s in over her head with Lynch. There are no women bigger than Lynch in wrestling history and it is hard to find anyone who can step up to her level. Valkyria is trying and the story of Lynch being her idol is a good way to go, but there is only so much that she can do given the circumstances.

I can’t imagine a world where Lynch loses here, as it makes sense for her to win the title. It’s still a new championship and that means it needs something to make it feel more special. There isn’t much that can be done better than by having Lynch win it here and eventually put someone over for it. Valkyria is going to try, but I can’t imagine her leaving as champion, as she shouldn’t.

United States Title: Jacob Fatu(c) vs. Damian Priest vs. LA Knight vs. Drew McIntyre

I had forgotten McIntyre was part of this match and that makes things a lot more interesting. Having just Knight and Priest as challengers doesn’t feel as important, but McIntyre is one of the bigger stars in WWE these days and feels like a threat to win anything. I’m not sure I can imagine him winning here, but having him around makes the title feel like it is in a lot more jeopardy.

That being said, I’ll still take Fatu to retain the title here, which is what makes sense. Fatu feels like he should be on the way to a long, dominant reign as champion. At the same time, I want to see McIntyre get a singles match against Fatu, as that feels like it could be quite the showdown. For now though, Fatu gets to smash a lot of people, probably pinning Priest to retain.

Gunther vs. Pat McAfee

Somehow this is the second biggest match on the show and that is because of McAfee’s rather strong promos setting it up. Yeah they have gone on for a long time and he has sucked up to a few towns on the way there, but this is a story that anyone can get behind: he’s standing up to a bully for a friend. That’s an easy to understand concept and even if he’s going down, he’s going down swinging.

That being said, barring one heck of a surprise run in (and by that I mean Goldberg), Gunther is going over here and he should. McAfee is one of the better celebrity wrestlers but he isn’t going to beat someone who was defending a World Title at Wrestlemania less than a month ago. Odds are Michael Cole gets involved in some way, but it isn’t going to matter as Gunther will win here, despite a few nice hope spots from McAfee.

Smackdown World Title: John Cena(c) vs. Randy Orton

This is the match that makes the show feel like an In Your House and that is not a bad way to go. I know this feud has been done to death and I’ve gotten horribly sick of it over the years, but if Cena is done after this year, it would be insane not to have him face off with his greatest rival one more time. Orton is one of the few people who feels close to Cena’s level and having the show be in Orton’s hometown makes it that much better.

And no, I can’t imagine Cena losing here so we’ll say he retains, likely through cheating. The interesting thing about Cena’s title reign is that it has a firm end date, meaning he has to lose before then. I’m not sure when that is going to happen, because he could lose it on his last night in the company, or he could lose it and then have some fallout over the ensuing months. Cena isn’t losing here, but the pressure is going to start building soon and that’s when things get really interesting.

Overall Thoughts

The more I think about the show, the more interested I am about seeing how it goes. The matches are good enough with limited weak spots, which is kind of the point in having the five match card. What matters the most is getting things going as we head towards the summer, which could go in a few different ways. I want to see how this goes and that means they’re doing something right.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Smackdown
Date: May 9, 2025
Location: Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

It’s the last show before tomorrow’s Backlash event and that means we might be getting one more match added to the pay per view card. Other than that, John Cena is in the house and that means we should be in for a little more hype up between Cena and Randy Orton. Let’s get to it.

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

Damian Priest is ready to get his US Title back but LA Knight comes in to say he wants the title. They’re willing to work together tonight though.

LA Knight/Damian Priest vs. Solo Sikoa/Jacob Fatu

Sikoa jumps Priest to start things fast but Priest runs him over without much trouble. A rebound lariat misses for Priest though and Sikoa bails to the floor, where Fatu offers a distraction. Knight and Priest argue until we take a break. Back with Priest fighting out of a chinlock but Sikoa knocks Knight off the apron in a smart move.

The Samoan drop gives Sikoa two and hands it off to Fatu, which the fans seem to like. Priest fights up and drops Sikoa, allowing the hot tag off to Knight to clean house. The spelling elbow hits Fatu and Knight loads up the top rope elbow, only for Priest to tag himself in. Knight does the same to break up the South Of Heaven and the BFT plants Sikoa for the pin at 10:08.

Rating: B-. Perfectly nice story advancement here and that’s what it needed to be. The story of the title match seems to be Knight and Priest needing to get together to beat Fatu but not being able to work together. This match showed how well it can work when they are on the same page, but that isn’t likely to be the case tomorrow.

Post match Fatu takes out Knight and Priest but gets Claymored by Drew McIntyre. My goodness McIntyre vs. Fatu one on one sounds glorious.

A rather pro-John Cena R-Truth is in the back (complete with a sign) when Jimmy Uso comes in to ask what he’s doing. R-Truth still isn’t convinced that Cena has really gone bad, leaving Uso confused.

Drew McIntyre isn’t sure why Damian Priest is getting a title shot when McIntyre already beat him at Wrestlemania. He doesn’t think much of Knight either, and Fatu being all gas and no brakes means he’s going to hit a wall at some point. That wall is McIntyre as the US Champion. Good stuff here from McIntyre, as usual.

We recap Chelsea Green’s recent issues.

Green and the Secret Hervice held a funeral for her title reign when Nick Aldis and Zelina Vega came in. The three of them imply that Vega has no friends, so Aldis made a tag match for later tonight.

Video on Aleister Black.

Chelsea Green/Piper Niven vs. Zelina Vega/???

Vega’s partner is….the returning Alexa Bliss. Yeah that works. Vega takes Niven down to start but gets caught with a release World’s Strongest Slam. It’s quickly off to Green, who misses a splash, allowing Vega to hit a double 619. Green is back up to cut off the tag though and Niven elbows Vega as we take a break.

Back with Niven cutting off the tag attempt again but Vega plants her with a DDT. The tag brings in Bliss to clean house, including a running Blockbuster for two on Green. Bliss catches her in the Tree Of Woe for a running dropkick and Twisted Bliss connects but Niven makes the save. Bliss’ superkick sends Niven into a Code Red but Niven rolls out to the floor. Vega takes out Niven and it’s a Sister Abigail DDT to finish Green at 8:17.

Rating: C+. It’s nice to have Bliss back and hopefully she can just be herself without all of the Wyatt Sicks stuff. She’s a big enough star on her own already and doesn’t need to do all of the supernatural nonsense on the side. If nothing else, there is always the chance that she could go after Vega for the title, which isn’t a bad idea for both of them.

Rey Fenix cuts Santos Escobar off because he already beat Escobar last week. Legado del Fantasma runs in to jump Fenix until agents and Andrade come in to clear things out.

We look at John Cena vs. Randy Orton in the Cell in 2014.

Here is Charlotte for a chat. She’s fresh off the greatest women’s match in Wrestlemania history and she took Tiffany Stratton to the limit. Now she’s here to announce her path back to the title. The fans aren’t pleased and she wants to know why they are so disrespectful to her. If they don’t lighten up, she’s leaving and never coming back to this town. Charlotte goes to leave but gets cut off by Jade Cargill, who is here for a #1 contenders match. Cargill even tells her to go to the back of the line, which isn’t likely to go well for her.

Post break, Charlotte goes to leave but Alexa Bliss is waiting in her car for a staredown.

Jade Cargill vs. Nia Jax

For a future Women’s Title match so here is Tiffany Stratton to watch from ringside. They trade lockups to start with Jax shoving her down. It works so well that she does it again so Cargill fires off her own running shoulder. The Samoan drop cuts Cargill off for two and we take a break.

Back with Cargill powering her up for her own Samoan drop (nicely done) and grabbing a regular suplex. Some superkicks into a spinebuster give Cargill two but Jax is back with a sitout powerbomb for the same. For some reason Jax goes up top but gets slammed down (there’s your reason), setting up Cargill’s frog splash for two more. A pump kick gives Cargill two more…and here is Naomi to jump Stratton at ringside. The distraction lets Jax run Cargill over and hit the Annihilator for the pin at 10:03.

Rating: B. This turned into a heck of a fight because Cargill was getting to show off her power stuff, which not many people can do with Jax. I was getting into seeing these two hammer on each other until one of them couldn’t get up. Unfortunately they had to go with the screwy ending, but at the end of the day, you can’t have Cargill take a clean fall and Jax needs to get the title shot.

Michin and B-Fab praise the Street Profits for their TLC match.

Here are the Street Profits for a chat. They’ve been the talk of the town in recent weeks and just had the greatest TLC match of all times (eh….) and it even involved a prosthetic leg. Cue Fraxiom to interrupt and say they’re happy to be here. Now they want a title shot, but the Profits are a bit shocked after Fraxiom has only been around for a few weeks.

Street Profits vs. Fraxiom

Non-title and we’re joined in progress with Dawkins (with his bad arm) flipping over Frazer. A headlock takeover takes Dawkins over with a headlock but he’s right back up to tackle Frazer onto the announcers’ table. Ford (with his bad ribs) comes in to take over on Frazer and it’s quickly back to Dawkins for a running splash.

Dawkins’ spinning splash in the corner gets two but Frazer spins up to hit a dive to the floor. Axiom hits his own dive and we take an early break. Back with Frazer and Dawkins making a double tag, with Ford hitting a hard clothesline to Axiom. The standing moonsault gives Ford two and it’s back to Frazer, who gets superkicked down.

Frazer fights back but gets caught in a Doomsday Blockbuster for two, with Axiom making the save. Axiom superkicks a diving Ford in the ribs and super Spanish Flies Dawkins down. Frazer adds the Phoenix splash but Ford dives in for the save, taking out Axiom as well. Ford kicks Frazer down, only to miss the frog splash and bang up the ribs again. A missile dropkick/legsweep combination finishes Ford at 13:32.

Rating: B. Fraxiom continues to have one good match after another and that was the case again here. It’s great to see them getting out there and doing their thing with the better teams, because there was nothing left to do in NXT. There’s a good chance we’ll see this again soon and I’ve heard far worse ideas.

Respect is shown post match.

Tiffany Stratton is looking for Naomi but finds Nia Jax instead. Jax is ready to win the title back, but Stratton is going to send her to the losers’ table with Charlotte.

Video on Gunther vs. Pat McAfee, including a long recap of how they got to Backlash.

Miz gives Carmelo Hayes a pep talk before he faces Aleister Black. Granted this one should go better, because Miz won’t be out of place like Hayes was last week.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Aleister Black

Miz is here with Hayes. Black chills in the corner to start before pulling him into a headlock. Back up and Hayes strikes away in the corner, earning him some glaring from Black. They head outside with Black hitting a middle rope moonsault but Hayes kicks him over the barricade.

We take a break and come back with Black hitting a running boot to the head to catch Hayes on top. One heck of a jumping knee to the head drops Hayes again and it’s time to trade forearms. Black gets the better of things and hits a springboard moonsault but Hayes knees out of a suplex. Back up and Black grabs a brainbuster for two so Miz gets on the apron. Black sends them together and rolls Hayes up for the pin at 9:11.

Rating: C+. I was expecting a bit more, as Black still has one of the coolest finishers in wrestling. That makes a heel collision and a rollup finish a bit less than optimal, especially so soon after Black returned. Not much to this one, but at least some of the spots before the ending were impressive.

Post match Black gives Miz Black Mass. That’s better.

Solo Sikoa says he and Jacob Fatu need a game plan, but Fatu just wants to wreck people. Sikoa: “Ok.”

The Motor City Machine Guns are proud of Fraxiom and they know they’ll face each other one day. DIY runs in and lays both of them out.

Los Garza vs. Rey Fenix/Andrade

Fenix cleans house to start fast, including a cradle for two on Garza. Berto comes in to take Fenix into the corner and a dropkick gets two. Fenix rolls over for the tag off to Andrade to take over without much trouble. We take a break and come back with Andrade grabbing a poisonrana on Berto, allowing a double tag. Fenix hits a quick rope walk kick to the head, plus a wristdrag, to take both of them down.

Andrade comes back in for a knockdown but gets kicked in the head by Berto to leave everyone on the mat. Berto is back up with a moonsault to Fenix with Andrade making a save. Fenix grabs a hurricanrana but gets reversed into a sunset flip, only for Escobar’s distraction to take the referee away. Fenix’s rope walk kick takes out Garza and Andrade hits the Message to pin Berto at 10:25.

Rating: B-. This was more fun stuff and that’s what you would expect from these four. It made for a good showcase of Fenix and Andrade, the latter of whom usually does well when he is given the chance. Los Garza might not win very often, but at least they look good while they are out there.

Post match Escobar yells at Los Garza, with Berto standing up to him and leaving on his own. Garza isn’t sure what to do.

Backlash rundown.

Here is John Cena for the big closing. After getting his corrected introduction, Cena says everyone’s childhood dies tomorrow. Randy Orton is not here tonight and that is because he took Cena’s advice from last week. Cena goes over his history with Orton and how much success they have had. If you are part of this generation, you have picked one of them over the other but tomorrow, everything ends.

Everyone has to pick one more time and the reality is Orton has been lying to himself for years. Orton has never been held accountable for any of failures. He is the greatest of all time at not living up to his potential. Cena is the greatest of all time at hustle. Orton is a Laz-E-Boy and coasts, which is what he describes as loyalty. Cena is the greatest of all time at being loyal.

Orton has to beg for respect because no one knows Bob Orton Sr. and the only thing Bob Orton Jr. ever accomplished was knocking up Orton’s mom. The only thing Randy has ever done is ride on Cena’s coattails. Tomorrow, Randy kills his own legend, by being just like his 2006 drug test (that gets a gasp): a FAILURE. Cena is the greatest of all time because he IS respect.

Someone in a mask comes in to try an RKO but gets caught with an AA. Then the real Orton comes in for an RKO to leave Cena laying. I’m not sure what to make of Cena’s promo, but given that it’s the last time he’ll probably ever talk about Orton (barring a rematch), he probably wanted to get in every line he had about him. I’m not sure the whole thing worked though, as this felt like something Cena would say as a hero rather than a villain.

Overall Rating: B-. As usual, this was a good example of how Smackdown does not need to be three hours. There is a strong go home show to Backlash in there somewhere with stuff being made for later, but a lot of it feels like filler because they had too much time to cover. It could have been a lot worse, but cutting this down by about 30-45 minutes would have been so much better. I’m fairly interested in Backlash and this show boosted it up a bit, so we’ll call it enough of a success.

Results
LA Knight/Damian Priest b. Solo Sikoa/Jacob Fatu – BFT to Sikoa
Alexa Bliss/Zelina Vega b. Chelsea Green/Piper Niven – Sister Abigail DDT to Green
Nia Jax b. Jade Cargill – Annihilator
Fraxiom b. Street Profits – Missile dropkick/legsweep combination to Ford
Aleister Black b. Carmelo Hayes – Black Mass
Rey Fenix/Andrade b. Los Garza – Message to Berto

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Ring Of Honor
Date: May 9, 2025
Location: Adrian Phillips Theater At Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We are closing in on Supercard Of Honor, which means that Ring Of Honor will likely not bring the show up for about another month. That doesn’t make for the most thrilling show, but at least this one is on Friday so maybe they’ll try something different. You never know around here though so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

We run down the card.

Jay Lethal vs. Atlantis Jr.

They trade armdrags to start and Lethal is sent to the floor, where he gets taken down by a fast dive. Lethal is right back up for a dive of his own, only for Atlantis to move before the second. Atlantis’ dive connects for two but Lethal knocks him down again. It’s too early for Hail To The King though as Atlantis rolls outside. Back in and Atlantis catches him on top for a superplex but Lethal starts going after the leg. A dragon screw legwhip sets up the Figure Four, which is broken up rather quickly. The cutter drops Atlantis, who is right back with a powerslam. The frog splash gives Atlantis the pin at 7:46.

Rating: C+. I’ve said it before and it’s still true: Atlantic Jr. is not very interesting. Technically he’s perfectly competent and his matches aren’t bad, but he’s a more generic luchador than El Generico could ever dream of being. That was on display here, as it was a completely fine match which did very little to pique my interest in either of them.

Leila Grey vs. Marina Shafir

Shafir starts fast by kicking her down and then choking in the corner. A throw takes Grey down again for some near falls before Shafir ties up various limbs on the mat. Grey fights up with a dropkick but gets kicked down again. Shafir grabs Mother’s Milk for the win at 4:59.

Rating: C. So Shafir is the big mighty guardian of the World Title belt (which she didn’t have here) and gets to smash through someone like Grey to prove that. It seemed like Grey was starting to become something around here, but instead here she is, mostly getting squashed by Shafir. As usual, the Death Riders take over just about everything else and dominate whatever they touch, because we’re just lucky that way.

Lee Johnson/Blake Christian vs. Spanish Announce Project

Angelico works on Christian’s arm to start but Christian slips out and dances a bit. Serpentico comes in and gets hiptossed onto Christian, followed by some running shots in the corner. The villains send Serpentico into the corner for some running shots to the head before Christian twists away at the neck.

That’s broken up and a hurricanrana out of the corner gets Serpentico over to Angelico. House is quickly cleaned and la majistral gets two on Johnson. A Downward Spiral into a Swanton gives Serpentico two with Christian making the save. Johnson cuts Serpentico off and holds him up for a super Canadian Destroyer. The brainbuster onto the knee finishes Serpentico at 8:55.

Rating: C+. As usual, the tag division around here is nothing short of soul crushing. The matches are fine enough, but it’s really hard to believe that any of these matches matter. Johnson and Christian are the latest team being added to the mix of teams who aren’t going anywhere and are having the same matches week after week. Meanwhile, Rhodes and Guevara now have the longest title reign in about ten years. Again, lucky us.

Deonna Purrazzo vs. Ashley Vox

Pure Rules, a first for women in ROH. Purrazzo spins out of a wristlock to start but can’t get a triangle choke. Vox gets pulled into an armbar and has to use her first rope break. Back up and a springboard Downward Spiral gives Vox two but she walks into a backbreaker. Purrazzo grabs a half crab, sending Vox over to the ropes for her second break. Purrazzo’s hanging DDT on the arm gets two and a clothesline gets the same. A powerbomb into the Venus de Milo finishes Vox at 5:56.

Rating: C. Yeah as has been the case since the whole tournament was announced, I absolutely cannot fathom why this title needs to exist. We’re literally going from women’s Pure Rules matches not existing to a champion being crowned in a few months. The Women’s Title hasn’t been defended since February, but we’re getting a third title. That doesn’t seem like the best idea, but tournaments a go-go baby!

Queen Aminata is preparing for the Women’s Pure Title tournament.

Red Velvet vs. Laynie Luck

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning if Luck wins or survives the ten minute time limit, she gets a future title shot. Lucy starts fast with a suplex but a wheelbarrow suplex is countered into a Downward Spiral. Velvet ties her up in the ring skirt and chops away, followed by some rapid fire stomps in the corner. Luck pops up with a quick Death Valley Driver for two but Velvet’s spinning kick tot he head gets the same. The flipping faceplant finishes Luck at 5:11.

Rating: C. Maybe I’m just missing it, but Velvet is only doing so much for me at the moment. She’s fine enough as a heel and getting better in the ring, but it’s only so much. Again, it doesn’t help that it feels like she’s a champion because Athena isn’t defending her title very often, but there’s only so much you can get out of doing just that.

Nick Wayne is ready to win the Best Of The Super Juniors in New Japan.

Satnam Singh vs. Lord Crewe

Singh unveils a Detroit Pistons jersey because this show is taped in multiple locations. Crewe can’t slam him to start and gets hiptossed down in a hurry. The loud chops in the corner connect and Singh tosses him around some more. The nerve hold goes on for a bit, followed by the chokeslam to finish for Singh at 3:39.

Rating: C-. The key to a giant like Singh is to get him in and out of there quickly and pushing four minutes is going longer than it needs to. You’re only going to get so much out of having him there doing his thing for a slightly extended match. I do like Singh being more of a crowd friendly guy, but keep him out there as an attraction rather than a wrestler and it’ll be a lot better.

Gringo Loco vs. Bandido

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning if Loco wins or lasts the ten minute time limit, he gets a future title shot. They run the ropes to start but then stop for a dance off. A running hurricanrana sends Loco to the floor and Bandido takes him down out there as well. Back in and a springboard spinning crossbody is dropkicked out of the air, setting up a springboard split legged moonsault for two.

A spinning sitout powerbomb gives Loco two but Bandido is back up with a spinning DDT. Bandido’s frog splash gets two but the 21 Plex is blocked. They both go up top and Loco hits a super moonsault Angle Slam (or whatever you would call….that) for two. Bandido is right back up with a super hurricanrana into a Shining Wizard for the win at 6:16 (with Justin Roberts saying he’s the TV Champion).

Rating: B-. This was good stuff, as you probably expected based on who was in there. It’s nice to have Bandido being a fairly regular presence on the show, but it would be nicer to have him do something that feels like a feud. Loco was his usual entertaining self, even if there was no reason to believe he was going to win here.

Overall Rating: C-. This was the bad kind of Ring Of Honor, as it felt like a show that was just there because it had to be. Nothing on here felt like it was building to anything in the future, there are still FAR too many titles running around and it doesn’t feel like anything is going to change based on what we saw here. It’s just a dull show and that seems to be the case by design, which astounds me to no end.

Results
Atlantis Jr. b. Jay Lethal – Frog splash
Marina Shafir b. Leila Grey – Mother’s Milk
Lee Johnson/Blake Christian b. Spanish Announce Project – Brainbuster onto the knee to Serpentico
Deonna Purrazzo b. Ashley Vox – Venus de Milo
Red Velvet b. Laynie Luck – Flipping faceplant
Satnam Singh b. Lord Crewe – Chokeslam
Bandido b. Gringo Loco – Shining Wizard

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Impact Wrestling
Date: May 8, 2025
Location: Bren Events Center, Irvine, California
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re getting closer to Under Siege and that means we should be in for a card being set up sooner rather than later. One of the bigger matches is likely going to involve NXT’s Trick Williams, who has been going after TNA World Champion Joe Hendry. Other than that, there are a lot of holes to fill in so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Trick Williams, the #1 contender to the TNA World Title at NXT Battleground on May 25, to get things going. After bragging about his attractiveness, Williams brings up taking out Joe Hendry last week. He isn’t bothered by the booing and yells at a fan, before saying that Hendry wants to be liked while Williams wants to be respected. Williams is ready to take everything from Hendry, who comes to the ring for the brawl. Security breaks it up so Hendry beats up a guard to blow off some steam (that’s a bit out of character for him).

Robert Stone complains to Victoria Crawford about tonight’s card, because Santino Marella is bad at his job.

Rosemary vs. Lei Ying Lee

Xia Brookside is on commentary. Lee starts fast with a running crossbody for two but Rosemary takes her down and hammers away. A fall away slam gives Rosemary two and she bites the hand to cut off some chops. The Upside Down makes it worse for Lee, with Brookside thinking Rosemary is doing this to prove a point. Lee fights back and hammers away in the corner (Brookside approves) so Rosemary tries some brass knuckles. Brookside takes them away though and Thunderstruck gives Lee the pin at 4:29.

Rating: C+. They only had so much time here and Brookside continuing to stay on the good side, much to Rosemary’s chagrin, continues to set up their eventual showdown. That opens up a nice possibility, as Brookside has been needing something interesting for a long time now. It would be nice to see that go somewhere, and Lee is getting a bit of a rub of her own on the way.

Trick Williams and Mike Santana cross paths backstage. After a staredown, Santana moves on to Sami Callihan and a guy in a goblin mask. Santana appreciated the barbed wire massacre a few weeks ago, which gets a handshake from Callihan. First Class comes in and says they’re here to talk to Callihan. They want him in First Class but he leaves with the goblin instead. Santana doesn’t seem impressed.

By Elegance gives Maggie Lee a makeover. Full results coming later I’m assuming.

Great Hands vs. Aztec Warriors

Before the match, the Great Hands say Mustafa Ali has changed since Rebellion. They’re sorry for what happens next. Kid and Hotch run the ropes to start until Kid slaps him in the back of the head. Octagon comes in for a spinning high crossbody and a rather springboardy wristdrag.

Skyler gets in a cheap shot from the apron though and a neckbreaker gets two on Octagon. That doesn’t last long as Octagon rolls over and gets the tag off to Kid to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and the Warriors hit some dives to the floor. Back in and a driver puts Hotch down, setting up a handstand springboard moonsault to give Octagon the pin at 4:16.

Rating: B-. Good stuff here, with the Warriors being the local lucha team. That is something which is going to work no matter what and that was the case here. At the same time, the Great Hands are a team who can make anyone look good, which suits their name rather well. I can’t imagine the Warriors get to go very far, but at least they’re doing something in the short term.

Post match Mustafa Ali runs in to jump the Warriors but the Rascalz make the save.

Trey Miguel vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali forearms away to start and rolls over into a powerbomb to plant Miguel. An uppercut drops Miguel again but he sends Ali to the floor. The baseball slide is countered into a hanging DDT onto the floor though and they head back inside. A standing corkscrew moonsault gives Ali two and a bridging suplex gets the same. The rolling neckbreaker is cut off with a cutter though and Miguel gets to strike away.

The top rope Meteora gives Miguel two but Ali knocks him outside. That lets the seconds get in a brawl, with Wentz hitting a moonsault onto the Great Hands. Ali posts Wentz to take him out but the distraction lets Miguel come back with a diving tornado DDT. Tasha Steelz offers a distraction though and the Great Hands cut Miguel off. Ali’s swinging Downward Spiral is good for the pin at 7:19.

Rating: B. As usual, TNA knows how to use its talented wrestlers to put something good together. That’s what we got here, as Ali is one of the best talents on the roster and Miguel can hang with anyone. I could have gone with a bit less in the way of shenanigans, but it’s rather easy to watch these two in the ring together.

We look at Mustafa Ali successfully defending the X-Division Title against Ace Austin at Under Siege 2024. A little over half of the match, which ran 16 minutes in full, is shown.

Steve Maclin is ready to face Eric Young in a dog collar match for the International Title. It’s time to finish this.

Indi Hartwell talks about everything she has done to get here, including how much she loved TNA Wrestling. She doesn’t want to be a Knockout, because she wants to be THE Knockout. Not a bad line. I can go with giving Hartwell a try, as she never really got one on the main WWE roster.

Here are the Hardys for a chat. They lost the Tag Team Titles to the Nemeths and it makes them feel like they let the fans down. That doesn’t work for them, but now it’s time to fight, scratch and claw their way back to the titles. They are on the Hardy Soul Train and it’s time to DELETE the new champs’ title reign.

Cue the Nemeths to say they are going to make this fast because they have a plane to catch. They think the Hardys are legends but sometimes legends fall. The rematch can take place at Under Siege and they can make it a ladder match…but never mind because Jeff can’t go to Canada. This brings out Santino Marella to make Jeff vs. Nic next week and Matt/a partner of his choice vs. the Nemeths for the titles at Under Siege. If nothing else, I’ll take this over another Jeff beatdown just before the Canadian excursion.

We look at Nic and Jeff in a hardcore match years ago on Raw. Next week is their first regular singles match.

Victoria Crawford vs. Brittnie Brooks

Robert Stone is on commentary. Crawford knocks her into the corner to start and hits her always good bridging northern lights suplex for two. A headscissors out of the corner sets up the ax kick to give Crawford the pin at 1:27. Keeping this short might have been a good idea.

Post match Masha Slamovich comes out to brawl with Crawford but Tessa Blanchard comes in to drop Slamovich. Santino Marella comes out to make a tag match for next week but Stone is going to pick Slamovich’s partner: Nikkita Lyons from NXT. Uh, yay.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Arianna Grace tries to calm things down between Robert Stone and Santino Marella. Tessa Blanchard comes in to yell at her about the proper way to build on your family’s legacy.

International Title: Steve Maclin vs. Eric Young

Young, with the Northern Armory, is challenging in a dog collar match and Matt Cardona is on commentary. They pull each other closer with the chain and Young gets the better of a brawl. Maclin is already busted open and Young chokes away in the corner as Elijah is watching backstage. The blood is GUSHING and the Armory rubs it on their white shirts as Young chokes with the chain on the post. Young hammers away and throws Maclin back inside, where Maclin cuts them all off with a dive.

Back up and Young uses the chain to pull him throat first into the post and we take a break. We come back with Young choking away on the incredibly bloody Maclin as Ace Austin is now watching with Elijah. Maclin fights up with the clothesline comeback and whips Young with the chain. An Angle Slam gives Maclin two and a running knee drops Young again. Mance Warner and Steph de Lander are watching from the stage as the fight heads outside.

Maclin has to fight off the Armory again though and Young pulls him off the apron for a crash. Back in and Maclin catches Young on top and beats up the Armory. The distraction lets Young (either also bleeding or covered in Maclin’s blood) hit a piledriver for two but Maclin uses the chain to pull him off the top. KIA retains the title at 14:26.

Rating: B-. Your taste in blood may vary here, but it was more about violence than insanity like the Barbed Wire Massacre a few weeks back. Hopefully this lets Maclin move on to someone else, because there are a lot of possible challengers out there. Maclin looked good in surviving here, even with all of the blood, which was excessive even by TNA standards.

Maclin celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. For a show that had a lot going on and a lot to set up, almost everything was working here. The action was good, with the main event looking and feeling very important. Other than that, you had some things set up for Under Siege, which could use the boost given how much has been blown off recently. Solid show here, which is something TNA has been needing.

Results
Lei Ying Lee b. Rosemary – Thunderstruck
Aztec Warriors b. Great Hands – Handstand springboard moonsault to Hotch
Mustafa Ali b. Trey Miguel – Swinging Downward Spiral
Victoria Crawford b. Brittnie Brooks – Ax kick
Steve Maclin b. Eric Young – KIA

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

At first glance, betting on soccer and betting on professional wrestling might seem like two branches of the same tree: place a bet, hope to get it right, and celebrate when it’s all over. But look into it just a little deeper, and you’ll find two completely different worlds. One is placing your bet on a live real time sport event with real world unpredictability; the other follows great athletes with a script that’s been carefully written behind the scenes.

Soccer Betting is a dance of chaos

Soccer betting is grounded in competitive sport, where every match is a living, breathing contest. No one, not even the players or managers knows how it will end. The variables are numerous and even deep data can’t predict life.

This is how to bet on soccer with Betway: dive deep into stats: recent form, head-to-head history, injuries, weather conditions, even referee tendencies. And that’s all in case you don’t have emotional involvement in the match at hand. You can spend hours studying and still be blindsided by a 90th-minute wonder goal or a surprise red card. And that’s the beauty of it.

The betting options are somewhat endless. You can predict match winners, number of goals, correct scores, first goal scorers, even how many corners or cards there will be. To add another layer is to try live betting, where odds shift second by second, thus reflecting the unpredictable nature of the match unfolding.

Wrestling Betting is to know the story

Professional wrestling, by contrast, is scripted entertainment. The outcomes are decided long before the bell rings, and have been crafted by writers and producers to fit ongoing storylines and with a vision to the future.

We all know how athletic and exciting wrestling is. Wrestlers perform physically demanding matches night after night and are most likely in better shape than your gym instructor. But from a betting perspective, you’re not wagering on athletic competition. You’re betting on creative decisions made behind the scenes.

With that being said – because the results are known to a small circle of insiders, sportsbooks offering wrestling odds usually place strict limits on how much you can bet, and what you can bet on. The risk to the house is simply too high. And the markets offer a lot less options; mostly predicting winners, types of finishes, or sometimes guessing on surprise appearances.

So what betting are you in for? Which One’s Better?

Better depends on you.

First of all, these 2 sports have somewhat of a different crowd. If you enjoy real strategy, deep research, and the thrill of true unpredictability, and enjoy soccer in general – soccer is your playground. Every match is a surprise, especially when you bet on it.

If you love the entertainment, the drama, and the stories around the event – and you want to try making guesses based on storytelling trends, betting on wrestling offers a playful, lower-stakes alternative. Maybe it’s a good ring for friendly wagers around the table at home.

Collision
Date: May 8, 2025
Location: Masonic Temple Theater, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

We’re live on Thursday for the sake of this weekend’s WWE Backlash event and that’s a nice thing to see. Thursday is a far better night to air the show, just for the sake of not having it on the weekend for a change. Hopefully AEW has a big lineup to take advantage of the opportunity that they have. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Here is Toni Storm, in a box seat and naturally with a spotlight on her. Storm: “So many men have taken a shot at me in here, I feel like Abraham Lincoln.” She talks about her first time being messy but it was something she wanted to do more often. Eventually it resulted in objects being added and filthy perverts watching. Of course she’s talking about fighting for her Women’s Title so get her someone ready for next week, because she isn’t waiting for a Hayter or a CEO. That makes sense as All In is a long way off before Storm can have another big title shot.

Paragon is disappointed with their loss to FTR last week but they’re still a great team. Adam Cole is glad they know they’re still great but the Grizzled Young Veterans interrupt. The Veterans think the Paragon has gone soft so they’re ready to fight anytime. The Veterans still work here?

Ricochet vs. Angelico

Serpentico is here with Angelico. Ricochet takes him down for an early rollup but Angelico is back up to crank on the arm. Angelico even rubs the bald head and grabs something like an abdominal stretch. That’s broken up and Ricochet sends sends him to the floor for a rather nice dive.

We take a break and come back with Ricochet missing a charge into the corner. A spinning lifting Downward Spiral gives Angelico a breather and the comeback is on. Another modified abdominal stretch lets Angelico slap him in the back of the head, followed by a half crab. Ricochet makes the rope and is right back up with a springboard clothesline, followed by the Spirit Gun for the win at 9:23.

Rating: C+. Angelico is someone who can work an entertaining style and make anyone look good, which was the case with Ricochet here. That’s something Ricochet can use and it made for a nice opener here. It’s not like this was ever in any serious doubt, but it could have been far worse.

Post match Ricochet mocks the fans, who should be cheering for him. He’s only been here for less than a year and has already beaten most of the AEW favorites. Ricochet sees Zack Gowen in the crowd and remembers being a big fan growing up. We get some one legged jokes and then beats up security, offering commentary at the same time. Ricochet whips out the scissors and cuts one of the guards’ hair, which brings Gowen into the ring. Gowen takes the scissors but gets dropped as well, with Ricochet ripping off the prosthetic leg. Ricochet mock limping using the leg is quite the heel move.

Don Callis Family/RPG Vice vs. Outrunners/AR Fox/Bandido

Bandido and Fletcher start things off with Fletcher shrugging off some chops and running him over. A headscissors and dropkick work a bit better for Bandido but Beretta comes in to take Bandido down. Romero comes in and gets taken down by Fox, who gets to clean house. The Outrunners get in their double teamings as well but Archer plants both of them with a double chokeslam as we take a break.

Back with Floyd fighting out of trouble and grabbing a small package for two. Bandido comes in and gets taken down by RPG Vice as everything breaks down. Fox comes back in and steps onto Magnum’s shoulders for a big flip dive to the floor. Back in and the Mega Powers Elbow hits Fletcher, with Bandido’s frog splash getting two as Archer makes the save.

Fletcher plants Bandido for the double down and it’s back to Fox to pick up the pace again. A hanging DDT drops Archer and a skinning the cat into a slingshot dropkick hits Beretta in the corner (that was sweet). RPG Vice is back up with a double jumping knee to Bandido and Archer chokeslams Bandido off the top. A Jackyl Driver (something like a double piledriver) from RPG Vice finishes Fox at 10:42.

Rating: B-. This was quite the lineup for a match and at least Bandido didn’t lose. I could absolutely see Bandido defending against one of the members of the Family at Supercard Of Honor and there are far worse ideas. Maybe this is just a one off match, but at least we got to see that rather cool finish from RPG Vice. It’s not like they have much else going for them so maybe it’s a new way for them to go.

Video on Samoa Joe vs. Jon Moxley next week on Dynamite.

Moxley is ready to fight inside the cage. There is no one on the planet better at taking a beating than him. How long will it last? Moxley can take it and he’s coming out as the champion because he isn’t like the rest of the world.

Anthony Bowens vs. Lee Johnson

Billy Gunn and Blake Christian are here too. Johnson doesn’t seem to think much of Bowens to start, earning himself a bunch of chops in the corner. They go outside where Johnson backs into Gunn for some fear. Bowens strikes away again and a top rope Fameasser connects back inside. A Christian distraction lets Johnson get in a running flip dive though and a superkick back inside takes Bowens down again. Bowens fights back but gets distracted by Christian, allowing Johnson to get two off a rollup. That doesn’t seem to matter though as Bowens hits the discus forearm for the pin at 4:26.

Rating: C. Not much to see here, but Bowens stacking up wins is a good way to go. I’m not sure if he’s going to be a star, but he’s certainly at least worth seeing what’s there. He has a good look and is solid enough in the ring so maybe there’s something around. Just give him a slightly better caliber of opponent.

Post match Christian goes in to go after Bowens and gets tossed by Gunn. Bowens talks about his five tools and we get an old school scissoring.

Here are the Gates Of Agony for a chat. They waste no time in calling out Big Bill and Bryan Keith for the fight, which is on in a hurry. Liona misses a charge and goes over the barricade but Kaun crucifix bombs Keith off the ramp and through some tables. Security comes out but Kaun spears Bill off the ramp through some more tables to wrap it up.

Video on Megan Bayne vs. Anna Jay, with Harley Cameron and Penelope Ford there too.

Video on Kris Statlander vs. Willow Nightingale. They were friends, then they were fighting, now it’s kind of in the middle.

Kris Statlander vs. Willow Nightingale

Nightingale powers out of a headlock to start and throws Statlander down without much trouble. Statlander takes out the leg and hits a basement crossbody before it’s time to trade big chops. A pinfall reversal sequence gets two each until Statlander knocks her down for two. Nightingale sends her outside and hits a Cannonball off the apron to send us to a break.

Back with a double clothesline putting both of them down for a double breather. The fans think it’s awesome as Nightingale spinebusters her down for two, followed by the rapid fire clotheslines in the corner. Statlander’s ax kick gets two and Nightingale’s Death Valley Driver gets the same. Statlander grabs a top rope superplex and they’re both down again. One heck of a clothesline takes Statlander down and she gets knocked outside. Cue Marina Shafir to choke Nightingale with a chain (Statlander didn’t see it) so Staturday Night Fever can finish Nightingale at 12:21.

Rating: B. Dang this was starting to get good when one of the Death Riders managed to screw it up. That’s the story of AEW over the last few months and Shafir did it again here. Hopefully one of these two (or both) gets to move up the ladder, because they’re far too talented to be stuck in the middle of the pack for so long.

Skye Blue is back next week.

We look at Hangman Page and Will Ospreay’s face to face meeting last night on Dynamite.

Don Callis Family vs. Dark Order

The Family jumps them before the bell and the destruction is on fast. Even Callis himself gets in some choking on the floor, leaving Reynolds to get dropped face first onto the apron. Alexander’s running crossbody to the back sends Reynolds to the floor. Back in and the Blue Thunder Bomb is broken up and Reynolds dives over to Uno for the tag. That earns him an electric chair toss into a flying knee from Takeshita and the C4 Spike finishes for Alexander at 2:30. Total destruction.

Video on MJF trying to join the Hurt Syndicate.

Mike Bailey vs. Dralistico

Dralistico slaps away in the corner to start before Bailey jumps around a lot and kicks him in the chest. Bailey knocks him to the floor for an Asai moonsault but Dralistico grabs a running hurricanrana into the steps. We take a break and come back with Dralistico choking him on the ropes. Bailey strikes away in the corner but Dralistico is right back with his own forearms.

The bouncing kicks rock Dralistico and a superkick puts him down, with Bailey needing a breather. The running shooting star press gives Bailey two but Dralistico kicks the leg out and gets two off la majistral. A crucifix bomb puts Bailey down but he pulls himself up and hits a quick Canadian Destroyer. Dralistico sends him to the apron, where Bailey is right back with the moonsault knees to the ribs. Back in and the tornado kick finishes for Bailey at 9:00.

Rating: B-. This was the video game match of the show, with both of them getting to do their rather ridiculous spots. Dralistico is someone who can be put out there without losing his status so it works well for Bailey. Odds are Bailey is going to be getting a bigger spot in the near future, which makes sense as he’s perfect for AEW, even if his style can be a bit tough to buy at times.

Post match Rush comes out to stare Bailey down.

Daniel Garcia vs. Dax Harwood

Cash Wheeler and Stokely Hathaway are here with Harwood. Garcia drives him into the corner to start for a mostly clean break before Harwood does the same to him. This time it’s a right hand to drop Garcia, who tackles him down and hammers away. A running neckbreaker cuts Garcia off again but the piledriver is blocked. Another attempt on the floor gets the same result, but this time Garcia catapults him into the post.

Harwood is busted open and Garcia hammers away, setting up the running shots against the barricade. Wheeler offers a distraction though and Harwood is back up with a clothesline for a breather. Back in and Garcia grabs a quick Dragontamer but Hathaway offers a distraction, allowing Wheeler to hit a quick DDT on the floor. Cue Matt Menard to chase Wheeler to the back and we take a break.

Back with Garcia firing off a bunch of chops against the ropes and hitting a running clothesline. Some right hands in the corner rock Harwood but the turnbuckle pad gets pulled off. Another Dragontamer attempt is cut off and Garcia is kicked into the corner, setting up the slingshot powerbomb to give Harwood two. For some reason Harwood goes up top so Garcia superplexes him from the top, then rolls his hips and takes Harwood up for two more top rope superplexes for two, with Harwood getting his foot on the rope.

A fired up Garcia kicks him out to the floor and they fight out into the crowd. Harwood goes over to the commentary desk and slaps Nigel McGuinness’ headset off. Nigel gets up and teases fighting but backs down, saying he isn’t a wrestler anymore. Harwood shoves him into his chair and leaves, which is enough for Nigel to get in the ring. Wheeler is back and the big brawl is enough for the match to be thrown out at 17:39.

Rating: B-. Much like the women’s match earlier, they were having a good match but then it kind of fell apart at the end. What matters the most is that the ending keeps things going and the story has a few ways to go. It might not be the most thrilling story in the world, but Nigel being involved does make things more interesting.

Nigel, Garcia and Menard clear the ring to end the show, giving us one of the weirdest trios I’ve seen in a good while.

Overall Rating: B-. I’m not sure what to make of this show. The action was good and a bunch of stories were advanced, but there was pretty much nothing on this show that felt important. You had matches involving Angelico, RPG Vice/AR Fox, Lee Johnson, the Dark Order and one half of FTR. That’s not exactly a top level lineup and I’m not sure why you would keep things that low level when you have such a better time slot than usual. It’s not a bad show, but I was expecting a lot more given the opportunity that they had.

Results
Ricochet b. Angelico – Spirit Gun
Don Callis Family/RPG Vice b. Outrunners/AR Fox/Bandido – Jackyl Driver to Fox
Anthony Bowens b. Lee Johnson – Discus forearm
Kris Statlander b. Willow Nightingale – Staturday Night Fever
Don Callis Family b. Dark Order – C4 Spike to Reynolds
Mike Bailey b. Dralistico – Tornado Kick
Dax Harwood vs. Daniel Garcia went to a no contest

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

Evolve
Date: May 7, 2025
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone

Things very well may be picking up around here as we have a special announcement from Stevie Turner. That could go in a variety of directions as this show is still young enough that it has a lot of options. If nothing else, we might be seeing some new faces in the coming weeks after the recent string of releases/departures. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Here is Stevie Turner for her big announcement: the Evolve Men’s and Women’s Titles. The Women’s Title will be crowned in a four way match in three weeks, with Kali Armstrong, Kendal Grey, Wendy Choo and…someone else who will be determined. The Men’s Title will be crowned in four weeks with Sean Legacy facing three others.

Keanu Carver isn’t happy about not being included and gets in the ring for a showdown with Harlem Lewis. The Vanity Project runs in and are quickly cleared out. Cue Gallus to brawl with them out to the floor. Armstrong and Grey get in a fight of their own, with Armstrong taking out her knee. So we’re going to have Evolve Titles AND ID Titles? That sounds excessive.

We run down the card.

Video on Wendy Choo tormenting Kylie Rae.

Summer Sorrell is scared of facing Wendy Choo but she’s motivated to succeed. Maybe she needs a buddy.

Video on the ID Program, and some names who will be coming to Evolve, including It’s Gal, Marcus Mathers and Jordan Oasis. That has to happen sooner or later.

Nikkita Lyons wants a big match tonight and Stevie Turner announces that she’ll be facing Kendal Grey in the main event. Zayda Steel comes in and wants to be in the Women’s Title match. Turner isn’t convinced but Lyons thinks she could collaborate with the Vanity Project.

Summer Sorrell vs. Wendy Choo

Sorrell, who is rather athletic (believe it or not), cartwheels away from the smiling Choo to start. They run the ropes a few times and Sorrell hits a crossbody for two. Choo runs her over and hits a running shot to the throat. Sorrell gets planted again and the Dirt Nap finishes her off at 2:33.

Post match Choo goes after Sorrell again but Kylie Rae runs out for the brawl. The Dirt Nap is broken up with a snapmare and Choo bails.

Lexis King arrives.

After a break, here is King for a chat. King talks about wanting to come to Evolve back in the day because it was a way to get to the big time. Now it is a portal to NXT and no one knows more about the spotlight than him. He wants the spotlight around here but here is Sean Legacy to cut him off.

Legacy welcomes him to the show but King mocks Legacy for being a pretend locker room leader. That doesn’t work for Legacy, who has paid his dues and been through the sleepless nights for a $20 payoff and a handshake. Legacy isn’t going to let King run over Evolve and the match is made for next week. We get the aggressive handshake and the staredown. Legacy is all but guaranteed to go to NXT sooner or later so this is a preview of things to come

Kendal Grey insists that her knee is fine. Carlee Bright comes in to ask if Grey can fight tonight, which she insists she can.

Keanu Carver is looking for Gallus and Harlem Lewis joins him to do the same. Stevie Turner makes the match for next week.

Drako Knox vs. Jackson Drake

The Vanity Project is here with Drake. Knox gets powered into the corner to start but comes back with a running shoulder. A t-bone suplex sends Drake flying again but he knocks Knox’s hat off to take over. The chinlock goes on but Knox backdrops his way out of trouble. Drake takes him down again but gets crucifixed for two. Drake’s Lethal Injection is countered into something like a Blue Thunder Bomb for another knockdown. A kick to the leg cuts Knox off though and now a Lethal Injection cuts him down. The running knee gives Drake the pin at 5:08.

Rating: C. The Vanity Project getting a win is fine and Knox continues to be someone who can lose without being too damaged. Granted it helps when you don’t have much in the way of status to start. Drake isn’t exactly a star, but the Vanity Project needs a singles star to push rather than just the Swipe Right team over and over.

We get a sitdown interview with Javier Bernal, who had to deal with an eight month injury layoff. Now he’s back to hit the ground running in Evolve but he isn’t Big Body Javi anymore. He never really was Big Body Javi, but now he loves metalcore music. That’s the kind of unity he wants to bring here but It’s Gal comes in to mock him. This would mean a bit more if Bernal wasn’t already gone.

Lexis King runs into the Vanity Project as he leaves and he’ll see them next week.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Nikkita Lyons vs. Kendal Grey

Grey’s leg is very banged up. The leg gives out early to start and Lyons is right on her, with some mocking thrown in for a bonus. A legdrop on the apron crushes Grey and Lyons wraps the bad leg around the rope. Something like a half crab goes on but Grey kicks her way to freedom. A spinning kick to the face gives Lyons two and she sits down on the leg a few times.

The half crab goes on again but this time Grey makes the rope to escape. Lyons misses a running splash and Grey goes for a cross armbreaker, with Lyons powering her up for the escape. A choke on the back works a bit better for Grey and a middle rope shoulder puts Lyons down for two. Grey tries something off the ropes but the leg gives out again. A Vader Bomb finishes for Lyons at 6:13.

Rating: C+. Perfectly fine story to the match here with Grey trying to fight through the injury and showing heart but coming up short against the more experienced star. At the same time, this continued to enforce Lyons’ status of “not exactly great”, as she didn’t show anything here that makes me think otherwise. I get that she has something in the way of star power, but it isn’t clicking for me so far.

Post match Kali Armstrong runs in to go after Grey’s knee again. Grey is in trouble to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show wasn’t exactly great, but it did a nice job of setting up the title matches. That’s the big story the show has been needing and I’m curious to see where it goes. Hopefully the titles wind up on people who can make the show more interesting, but what matters is there is a structure around here. Now just make the things that have been set up work out, which is the tricky part.

Results
Wendy Choo b. Summer Sorrell – Dirt Nap
Jackson Drake b. Drako Knox – Running knee
Nikkita Lyons b. Kendal Grey – Vader Bomb

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

Dynamite
Date: May 7, 2025
Location: Masonic Temple Theater, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Taz, Excalibur

We’re less than a month away from Double Or Nothing, but before we get there, we have a World Title showdown between AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and Samoa Joe. That’s going to take place inside a steel cage next week in Chicago, so it’s time to really set things up a bit more. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Opening sequence, I believe with a new theme song. Thankfully not I’m So Excited again.

Here is Hangman Page for a chat. He has no idea why anyone would cheer for him after everything he has done but they certainly seem happy to see him. Page talks about the horrible things he has done to Swerve Strickland and how he was so close to closure but it never came. He didn’t know why, and then he channeled that anger at everyone around him. While he can never forget what Strickland did, he can put it behind him. That brings him to Double Or Nothing, where he will face Will Ospreay for a World Title shot.

Cue Ospreay, who says this is the first time they have ever actually met. Ospreay understands what this means to Page and talks about Page’s history here in AEW. Then he lost it and things went bad, but last week, for the first time in a good while, Page smiled again. While a lot of people want to see Page be happy again, Ospreay isn’t losing at Double Or Nothing. Ospreay has been doing all of Page’s jobs, from meet and greets to media to photos with kids. Just because Page is smiling again doesn’t mean he can take that spot back, because that doesn’t mean cowboy s*** to Ospreay.

This is about his ascension…and here is the Don Callis Family to interrupt. Callis calls Ospreay an idiot for leaving the team so Ospreay issues the challenge for a tag match…but Page doesn’t seem interested. That’s fine with Callis, who says the match is on for next week, assuming Page doesn’t have another mental breakdown before then. The Ospreay vs. Page stuff was good with Ospreay’s promo being rather strong, but as usual, Callis brings everything down several notches.

FTR and Stokely Hathaway comes up to commentary and mocks Tony Schiavone, who is almost ready to fight Hathaway. FTR cuts that off and is ready to beat up Daniel Garcia on Collision. They’ll see Nigel McGuinness tomorrow night too.

Harley Cameron and Anna Jay have the T & A (tenacity and aggression) to win tonight. Jay thinks they have the more common definition as well, with Cameron agreeing.

Toni Storm vs. Thunder Rosa vs. Anna Jay vs. Penelope Ford

Non-title eliminator match and there’s no Cameron, even though Jay was riding her to the ring. Jay and Ford brawl to the floor to start and Rosa hits a running dropkick against the ropes for two on Storm. Back up and Storm hammers on Jay until Ford breaks it up. Ford takes both of them down with a moonsault to the floor but Rosa hits a dive onto all three.

We take a break and come back with Jay dropping Rosa for two before suplexing Ford on the floor. Ford is right back up to dive onto all three of them but Storm hip attacks Ford and Jay in the corner. Cue Megan Bayne to take out everyone but Ford, including a sitout powerbomb to Jay. Harley Cameron comes in with a pipe to clear the ring but Storm gets the TCM Chickenwing to make Ford give up at 10:53.

Rating: B-. It wasn’t bad, but Storm running through three potential challengers is quite the interesting way to go. At the same time, having two people interfere in the match made it even messier than it was coming in, which wasn’t exactly necessary. Having Storm in the ring so often because she doesn’t have a match (yet) at Double Or Nothing is kind of an odd move, but at least she’s not losing.

Cru is in the crowd.

Here is the Hurt Syndicate for a chat. They are the best tag team in AEW so who is here to challenge them? Cue Top Flight to interrupt, saying they know they’re underdogs but they’re ready to show they belong again. MJF, far less formally dressed than usual, jumps Top Flight from behind and lays them both out. Lashley, who looks pleased, seems to be ready to give MJF an answer next week. It’s nice to see the big moment coming up and I’m not sure where it’s going.

The Elite and Ricochet are ready for their matches tonight.

Ring Of Honor TV Title: Nick Wayne vs. ???

Wayne is defending against someone from Christian Cage’s (here with the rest of the Patriarchy) past. In this case it’s…hometown boy Rhino! Wayne actually takes him down and grabs a chinlock, only to miss a standing moonsault. The Patriarchy’s distraction doesn’t work as Wayne walks into a spinebuster, only to avoid the Gore. The Killswitch gives Wayne the clean pin at 3:20.

Rating: C. Well that was certainly a thing. I’m not sure why you would bring in someone like Rhino and have him lose clean like this but odds are this is only going to be a one or two off appearance for Rhino. The match was nothing, but Rhino continues to be someone who can do his basic stuff well, with the fans being behind him of course.

Post match Cage goes to put the belt on Wayne but then throws it down before leaving on his own.

Rush wants revenge on Kevin Knight for costing him $100k on Collision.

Mike Bailey/Swerve Strickland/Mark Briscoe vs. Young Bucks/Ricochet

Strickland and Ricochet start things off with Strickland striking away. Bailey and Briscoe come in for some shots of their own but the villains fight up and strike a pose. That earns then a trip out to the floor but the Bucks leave Ricochet on his own in a pretty on point move. Stereo dives take out Ricochet and the Bucks, setting up Redneck Kung Fu on Ricochet back inside. The Bucks are right back up with stereo dives to the floor and we take a break.

Back with Briscoe fighting out of trouble and bringing Bailey in to fire off the kicks. The shooting star press misses though and everything breaks down. We hit the parade of knockdowns and after a breather, Bailey’s diving tag is cut off. Bailey kicks the Bucks away though and it’s off to Strickland to clean house. Ricochet gets powerbombed and a series of knockdowns sets up the Froggy Bow for two on Matt, with Nick making the save. With the other four on the floor, Matt rolls Strickland up for the pin at 14:16.

Rating: C+. And that’s a Young Bucks match. They get to do all their stuff, the survive a bunch of moves, and they win in the end. This comes after they get to do their usual promo about being awesome and then they still don’t get much in the way of comeuppance. But I’m sure it’s coming any day now.

MJF interrupts Will Ospreay and they argue a bit, with MJF wanting to face him again to show that Ospreay isn’t on his level. Ospreay says he is on another level.

We get a sitdown interview with Jamie Hayter, who doesn’t think Mercedes Mone is much like Owen Hart. She wants to know the real Mone, who says that Hayter is like her. That doesn’t work for Hayter, who doesn’t have the same resume as Mone, but she has integrity, grit and truth. This is about showing Mone that she isn’t everything she thinks she is because Mone is looking past her. Mone runs in for a cheap shot and the chase is on. They brawl out into the arena and Mone runs off again, only to come back and grab the Bank Statement. They’re trying with Hayter but this match still doesn’t feel very important.

Willow Nightingale wants a title shot but Kris Statlander interrupts. Nightingale doesn’t want to talk to her, but they can have a match on Collision.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Kevin Knight

Non-title eliminator match. Hold on though as Rush jumps Knight from behind during the entrance and beats him down but here is Mike Bailey to interrupt. Granted that means posing at Rush while he chokes Knight, because Bailey isn’t all that smart. Knight wants to fight anyway and Okada hits a DDT for a fast two. A Flapjack gives Okada two more and he sends Knight outside as we take a break.

Back with Knight grabbing a quick powerbomb for two but Okada slams him down again. The top rope elbow connects and Okada gets to flip off the crowd. Some rollups give Knight two each and he scores with a dropkick. Okada dropkicks him out of the air though and the Rainmaker finishes Knight at 8:30.

Rating: B-. They didn’t have time to do much here and the story was that Knight was banged up to start. The match wound up being pretty good as they’re both talented, but there is only so much you can do with that little time in the first place, plus a break. Okada still seems destined to face Kenny Omega at All In, so this was just a week to give him something to do on the way to the big showdown.

Post match the beatdown stays on but Bailey runs in for the save.

The Don Callis Family tells the Outrunners to get some partners to face the Don Callis Family.

The Hurt Syndicate’s lawyer tells Bobby Lashley to not say anything about MJF.

Samoa Joe vs. Claudio Castagnoli

After conducting the fans in their JOE’S GONNA KILL YOU chants, Joe drives him into the corner and then takes it to the floor. Castagnoli gets sent into the barricade but then does the same to Joe to take over. Joe fights back and they get inside again where the beating continues on Castagnoli.

An arm snap over the top rope cuts Joe off though and we take a break. Back with Joe fighting out of a cobra clutch and hammering away. A powerslam into a running big boot gets two on Castagnoli, who is right back with the springboard spinning uppercut. That’s fine with Joe, who pulls him into the Koquina Clutch for the tap at 10:42.

Rating: B-. Much like the previous match, they only had so much time here and the match was more about setting up Joe for next week’s title match by having him take out a member of the Death Riders. Granted that’s pretty much what happened with Cope but Joe is a bit more intimidating. I don’t buy Joe having much of a chance to win the title, but at least he makes for an intimidating presence.

Post match the Death Riders come to the ring but Powerhouse Hobbs runs in with a chair for the save. Castagnoli gets beaten up to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This wasn’t so much a big show as much as it was the show getting us ready for the big show and that’s not a bad thing. It helps when most of the matches were good and they set some things up for later. With so many major events coming up, including next week’s Dynamite, you need a show like this and it worked well enough.

Results
Toni Storm b. Thunder Rosa, Anna Jay and Penelope Ford – TCM Chickenwing to Ford
Nick Wayne b. Rhino – Killswitch
Young Bucks/Ricochet b. Mike Bailey/Swerve Strickland/Mark Briscoe – Rollup to Strickland
Kazuchika Okada b. Kevin Knight – Rainmaker
Samoa Joe b. Claudio Castagnoli – Koquina Clutch

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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WWF House Show
Date: April 22, 1985
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Attendance: 18,000
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Gene Okerlund

This is one of those random house shows that was put up on the WWE Vault channel and there is a good chance that it was put up forty years to the day. We are just a few weeks after the first Wrestlemania and that means it is time for the fairly unexplored fallout period from the then biggest show of all time. Let’s get to it.

Junior Heavyweight Title: The Cobra vs. Barry O

Cobra is defending but doesn’t have the belt here, which has commentary confused. O (short for Orton, and he has a nephew named Randy) jumps him to start fast, with a slam and jumping elbow getting two. Cobra gets sent outside, followed by a neck crank back inside. A running in place powerslam gives O two and we pause for O to grab his own head. Cobra breaks out of a front facelock and slugs away, setting up a slam int a legdrop for two.

O kicks his way out of a sunset flip but gets caught in a headscissors, which has Monsoon annoyed at the referee for checking for a choke. That’s broken up and O hammers away, only to get backdropped into an armbar. As commentary talks about the various champions and contenders, O breaks out but gets caught with a top rope forearm to the head. A middle rope knee gives Cobra two but O gets in a shot of his own.

O’s rope walk splash misses and Cobra just starts slugging away with forearms, setting up a jumping spinwheel kick (that was a big spot in this era). A stomp to the stomach has O bailing to the floor for a needed breather before coming inside to beg for mercy. O grabs the leg for a spinning toehold but Cobra is right back up with another spinning kick. A dropkick puts O on the floor, setting up the slingshot dive. Cobra suplexes him back inside but misses a top rope backsplash. Back up and Cobra grabs a jumping hurricanrana for the pin to retain at 13:20.

Rating: B. Oh man this was starting to get really good in the end but they went home when they should have. The biggest issue here was the clash of styles, as Cobra was wrestling a more lucha style match while O was your traditional heel. Cobra was WAY different than almost anything you would see here and O kept up with him as well as he could. This was a lot of fun and WAY better than I would have expected.

Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Matt Borne

You know, because we needed another big international star. Fujinami isn’t interested in a handshake to start so they fight over a lockup and go to the ropes. Some forearms have Borne down as commentary talks about Fujinami’s footwork. A headlock takeover lets Fujinami crank on him a bit, with Borne getting up. Fujinami backflips out of a suplex and we’re right back to the headlock takeover.

Back up and some shots to the face have Fujinami in trouble for a change, allowing Borne to yell at the referee. The chinlock goes on, allowing Borne to yell at commentary for a change. The choking continues so commentary talks about Jack Nicholson (Okerlund: “One of the biggest athletic supporters in southern California.”). Fujinami fights up, only to get pulled back into a headscissors as I’m not sure if this is the best way to use his talents.

Borne cranks away for a bit before hammering away in the corner. A front facelock keeps the bored fans all the more bored, as does Borne cutting off the comeback attempt. Fujinami finally fights out of a chinlock and hits a dropkick for two. A clothesline puts Borne down again and a bridging German suplex finishes him off at 11:31.

Rating: D+. Gah what was that? This was the clash of styles I was expecting in the opener and it was rough to see as a result. Borne was wrestling a basic style and didn’t let Fujinami do much of anything. You’re only going to get so much out of any legend when you have Borne holding him in a front facelock for so long and it killed anything they could do here.

Jimmy Hart is ready for King Kong Bundy to wreck Swede Hanson. Bundy says Hanson is tough but he’ll look small when they’re in the ring. Then it’s time for Hulk Hogan.

Swede Hanson vs. King Kong Bundy

Hanson is a big guy from North Carolina. They fight over a lockup to start as we hear about Bundy’s nine second win at Wrestlemania, because timing isn’t wrestling’s strong suit. Hanson gets in a shot of his own to rock Bundy and the fans rather approve. Back up and Hanson is rocked with a running forearm but he comes back with a forearm to stagger Bundy again.

Bundy rakes the eyes though and slowly hammers away before sending Hanson face first into the buckle. The slow beating continues as commentary lists off the reasons this company is so awesome. Hanson starts Hulking Up (as Monsoon puts it) and some chops put Bundy in the corner. That’s cut off by a quick Avalanche into a big elbow to give Bundy the pin at 4:38.

Rating: C-. While still not a good match, this was Hanson making Bundy sweat a bit more before Bundy put him away. You could clearly see that Bundy was being built up for something bigger down the line and that would probably be someone in red and yellow. Having him beat various people over and over would build him up and that’s what we saw here.

British Bulldogs vs. Rene Goulet/Johnny Rodz

This is the Bulldogs’ MSG debut as the new generation is coming in. Rodz and Kid start things off but we pause for Goulet to do his thing with his glove. Actually Goulet starts and they lock up after nearly a minute of shenanigans. Kid’s headscissors doesn’t get him very far so he spins around into an armbar to take Goulet down instead. Smith comes in and actually gets shouldered down before Rodz throws her over the top.

Back up and Smith hits a quick dropkick before a knee to the ribs cuts him off again. Kid comes in with a missile dropkick for the save (that didn’t look great) into a nipup (that looked better), followed by a gutwrench suplex for two. Rodz breaks up the chinlock and Goulet comes back in for a knee drop. Kid avoids a diving headbutt though and it’s back to Smith, who is taken down as well.

Rodz elbows Smith down but misses a legdrop, meaning the vertical suplex can connect for two. It’s back to Goulet, who grabs a test of strength on the mat, only to get monkey flipped away. Smith muscles Rodz up for the running powerslam and then fireman’s carries Goulet. Kid climbs onto Goulet’s back and hits a top rope headbutt to pin Rodz at 8:12.

Rating: B-. Not a great match, but you could tell the Bulldogs needed some better opponents. They were a great example of a team with a nice balance of power and speed and it worked well. The finishing sequence alone felt like something different than anything else you would have seen around this time and if you get them the right competition, it would go great.

Ricky Steamboat vs. Moondog Spot

Steamboat starts fast with a hiptoss into a pose into a chop to the floor as the fans seem to like Steamboat so far. Spot stays on the floor long enough that Steamboat goes outside and counters a headlock into a posting. Back in and Spot takes over with a shot to the face and an atomic drop, setting up the chinlock. That’s broken up and Steamboat gets his usually great looking sunset flip which is blocked with a shot to the head.

It’s back to the chinlock as you can see why the Moondogs aren’t so well remembered in the ring. Back up and they collide for a double down, with Steamboat not being able to slam him either. Spot’s shoulder breaker gets two so he goes up, only to get slammed back down. Steamboat strikes away, setting up the high crossbody for the pin at 7:25.

Rating: C+. Steamboat knows how to make a comeback like no other and that was the case again here. Spot wasn’t exactly great in the ring but at least he was able to be a good opponent for Steamboat. Granted it helps when you’re in the ring with one of the best ever, as Steamboat was certainly able to make anyone look good.

WWF Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Magnificent Muraco

Hogan is defending (shocking I know) and Muraco has Mr. Fuji with him. There are no entrances here, which means they didn’t want to edit out Eye Of The Tiger for Hogan. The place is just nuts for Hogan, even if he’s in the always weird looking white gear this time. A hiptoss and jumping knee send Muraco outside, followed by an armbar back inside.

That’s reversed into a slam but Hogan pulls him back down into a hammerlock (which didn’t seem to be the plan but they made a bit of a botch work fine). A legdrop onto the arm keeps Muraco in trouble and another armbar has what’s left of the arm in pain. Back up and Muraco seems to go low, setting up a pull of the leg to take Hogan down.

Muraco starts cranking on the leg but Hogan fights up and hits the corner clothesline. The big elbow misses though and Muraco drops some knees to keep Hogan down. The piledriver doesn’t work for Muraco and it’s time to Hulk Up, even though Hogan doesn’t quite have the sequence down yet. Muraco gets kicked out to the floor and Hogan follows, only for Fuji to offer a distraction. A ram into the apron/post keeps Hogan down for the countout at 13:36.

Rating: C+. This was a way to set up the rematch for the next month and that’s a fine way to go. Muraco is someone who was just big enough to feel like a threat without actually being one, though the fact that he wasn’t on Wrestlemania is a bit odd. Nice enough match to set up the ending though, with Muraco surviving most of the Hulk Up, which will make beating him all the better next time.

Post match Hogan grabs the belt and wants to keep fighting but cuts Muraco off from getting the title and chases him away.

Iron Sheik vs. Mike Rotundo

Freddie Blassie and Lou Albano are here too as Rotundo starts fast, taking Sheik down with a slam before he can even get his gear off. Sheik gets choked with his robe and sent outside for a needed breather. Rotundo grabs a headlock on the mat and cranks away a bit, followed by a sunset flip for two.

Back up and Sheik gets in a suplex before knocking Rotundo outside in a heap. A chinlock into a hammerlock doesn’t last long on Rotundo, who is back up with an atomic drop. Rotundo grinds away on a front facelock before sending Sheik outside for a change. Back in and Rotundo keeps it on the mat with a headlock, which makes sense for two people with deep amateur backgrounds.

Sheik comes back with some choking and sends him to the floor for a chair shot, which is fine with the referee for some reason. The abdominal stretch goes on, followed by the gutwrench suplex (which someone needs to bring back) but Rotundo manages his own suplex for two. Sheik misses a running knee in the corner and gets rolled up for the pin at 14:32.

Rating: B. This wound up being a heck of a match and probably the best Rotundo match I’ve ever seen. Sheik is best known as being almost a caricature for most of his career but he could have a good outing when he had the chance. This was a good example of two people having similar styles and meshing well together and that’s not a bad way to go.

Barry Windham vs. Nikolai Volkoff

Ah so it’s this kind of a show. Albano and Blassie are here again too. Windham works on the arm to start and cranks away at a wristlock. A rollup gets two on Volkoff and he claims a pull of the trunks. To be fair, there is quite a bit of trunk to pull. The arm cranking resumes with an armbar having Volkoff down but he comes back with a shot to the face. Some stomping has Windham in trouble and one heck of a gorilla press sends him flying.

The bearhug stays on the back, with Volkoff lifting him up and smiling about it like an evil powerhouse should. Windham fights out and grabs a sleeper, followed by a dropkick and atomic drop. A headbutt gives us a double down before Volkoff misses a charge into the post. Windham hammers away in the corner but the Iron Sheik comes in for the DQ at 12:29.

Rating: B-. This was another match that took me by surprise as the idea of Volkoff wrestling a good one is quite the odd thing to see. What matters the most here is that both guys were working hard and it was a solid showdown that made me want to see these teams fight again. Which they would, with Windham and Rotundo winning the titles back in about two months.

Post match the beatdown is on until Rotundo makes the save. Not bad for about thirty minutes between two singles matches to set up a tag rematch here. Though a six man tag with the managers would have been fun too.

The Fink hypes up the next MSG show on May 20. We run down the card, with Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff defending against the US Express (Windham/Rotundo) and Muraco vs. Hogan II. There is a bonus match too though, as Brutus Beefcake and Johnny V will team up against David Sammartino (the fans know what’s coming and are more than up for it) and….BRUNO SAMMARTINO (and there’s the monster pop).

Tito Santana and Junkyard Dog are ready for Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake.

Tito Santana/Junkyard Dog vs. Brutus Beefcake/Greg Valentine

Johnny V and Jimmy Hart are both here with the villains. It’s a brawl to start with Beefcake and Valentine being knocked to the floor in a hurry. We settle down to Dog and Beefcake running the ropes to start with Dog knocking him down without much trouble. Valentine’s cheap shot from the apron doesn’t work as Beefcake runs into him, allowing Santana to come in.

Santana whips them into each other again and grabs a chinlock on Beefcake. That’s broken up and it’s off to Valentine for a gutbuster to drop Santana. The chinlock goes on for a bit before Beefcake sends Santana outside. Back in and Valentine slowly hammers (there we go) away before Beefcake uses the trunks to cut off a tag attempt. Santana fights up and hammers away, which brings in the other two.

Okerlund is begging for a double DQ but we settle back down. That doesn’t last long as Santana crawls around and gets over to Dog for the house cleaning. A falling headbutt gets two on Valentine but a second one misses as we settle down a bit. Beefcake and Valentine work on Dog’s leg but he gets over to Santana to slug away on Valentine, which just feels right. Santana’s big clothesline gets two on Valentine as everything breaks down again. The flying forearm is enough for Santana to pin Valentine at 13:14.

Rating: B-. There are certain pairs who are going to work well together no matter what they do and that is the case with Valentine and Santana. Those two could have turned a boat race into an exciting match and they made this into an entertaining tag match. If nothing else, it’s interesting to see what very well may have been the future Dream Team’s first match, only a few months before they would win the Tag Team Titles. Solid main event here, as Santana goes from starting Wrestlemania to closing the follow up show.

Post match the villains beat the winners down.

After a break, the arena clears out and the ring is swept of trash as commentary wraps us up.

Overall Rating: B. This was a heck of a show with some rather good matches (the opener, the Tag Team Title singles matches and more) and stuff to make you want to come back later. It’s interesting to see this period as well, as you pretty much don’t have much outside of Saturday Night’s Main Event to tide you over between the first two Wrestlemanias. The crowd was certainly still hot and it made for a good show here. You could definitely get the Wrestlemania fallout vibes here and that is a good sign for the coming months. I had a lot of fun with this and could definitely go with more from this era, which is critically overlooked.

Results
Cobra b. Barry O – Hurricanrana
Tatsumi Fujinami b. Matt Borne – German suplex
King Kong Bundy b. Swede Hanson – Elbow drop
British Bulldogs b. Rene Goulet/Johnny Rodz – Swan dive to Rodz
Ricky Steamboat b. Moondog Spot – High crossbody
Magnificent Muraco b. Hulk Hogan via countout
Mike Rotundo b. Iron Sheik – Rollup
Barry Windham b. Nikolai Volkoff via DQ when Iron Sheik interfered
Tito Santana/Junkyard Dog b. Brutus Beefcake/Greg Valentine – Flying forearm to Valentine

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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