In which things get really scary, as Vince Russo is in charge.

https://411mania.com/wrestling/halls-wcw-halloween-havoc-1999-review/

Dynamite
Date: November 4, 2026
Location: Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone

It’s Blood & Guts and what else do you really need? This is AEW’s version of WarGames and they’ll be having a men’s and women’s edition. While the WWE version is often obsessed with the weapons and such, this is going to be about the violence and, well, the blood. That should be enough to cover things so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

The double cage is lowered as we’re starting big here.

Don Callis and his Family are ready to win tonight and move on to win gold at Full Gear. Kyle Fletcher promises to lead the team on to victory and then become the World Champion.

Will Ospreay and company agree that they are a bit crazy and ready to fight. Training doesn’t matter here because you have to be at peace no matter what happens out there. Adam Copeland is wearing the same gear that he wore for his famous match with Mick Foley (the interviewer) and knows what this is going to be about.

Video on the women’s Blood & Guts match, which is basically a few feuds put together for a big double cage match.

Team Persephone vs. Team Aminata

Persephone, Thekla, Lena Kross, Megan Bayne, Julia Hart, Skye Blue
Queen Aminata, Jamie Hayter, Alex Windsor, Willow Nightingale, Harley Cameron, Kris Statlander

Bayne (whose team won the toss) and Statlander start things off and have three minutes, but after that the entrances are “every few minutes”. Bayne powers her into the corner to start but Statlander is right back with a running knee. They trade hard knockdowns and Bayne catches her on top with a super hurricanrana. A chair is brought in and Statlander pelts it at her head, followed by a harder shot to the back. Bayne is sent into a chair in the corner and Persephone is in at #2 for her team.

Some briefcase shots have Statlander in trouble and Bayne is back up with the chair to make it worse. We take a break and come back with Persephone using pliers on Statlander’s teeth (well that escalated). Aminata is in to even things up but gets knocked down, allowing Persephone to steal the TBS Title. That doesn’t last long and we get the Chocolate Kisses into a trashcan lid into Persephone’s head. Skye Blue is in third and cracks Statlander in the head with the light tubes.

Blue gets chaired in the head and is busted open but comes back to choke Statlander. Nightingale ties things up with a backpack, which she swings at Blue’s head. Back up and Blue kicks Nightingale into the cage and we take another break. We come back again with Nightingale hammering on a VERY bloody Bayne. Nightingale pours out Legos (which have to be called Colored Bricks) and it’s Thekla in at #4 on her team.

House is cleaned again until it’s Thekla getting in a showdown with Aminata. Nightingale and Persephone are in to break that up and it’s Alex Windsor with a barbed wire 2×4 in to cut at Blue’s head. A chair to the head has Blue in more trouble on the ramp but Thekla gets out of the cage to make the save. We take a third break and come back again with Lena Kross coming in at #5 to uneven things again and shrugging off Aminata’s kendo stick shots.

Kross and Bayne throw Windsor into the cage and here is Harley Cameron to come in and fight back. Cameron dives onto Bayne and Kross, the latter of whom gets hit with a guitar. Julia Hart completes her team and takes Statlander down for some scrapping on the mat. Thekla is back up with the spider superplex and we take another break.

We come back with Jamie Hayter, carrying a cooler, coming in at #6 to complete the field. That means it’s first submission to win and Thekla gets a trashcan put over her head for a beating from the Birds. Statlander is double powerbombed into the cage and falls out to the floor as Bayne is just COVERED in blood. Cameron gets dropped onto the smiley face trashcan lid a few times and then Thekla adds some choking.

Nightingale is back up with a trashcan lid of her own as we get the tables (plain and barbed wire). Aminata is laid out on the plain one so Persephone can climb the structure and drop an elbow. Bayne and Kross are put through the barbed wire so Cameron half crabs Hart. Statlander adds some barbed wire around the face and Hart gives up at 45:19.

Rating: B+. This was what you would have expected, with a bunch of time spent on violence for the sake of violence. Persephone and Aminata were added in at the last minute to add in two more people, which didn’t really help that much. Now that being said, Bayne, Statlander and others all more than held up their parts, with Bayne’s blood loss being quite the visual. If you like Blood & Guts, you’ll like this, as it was pretty much checking most of the boxes.

Video on Tommaso Ciampa vs. Andrade El Idolo this Saturday on Collision.

Andrade says the title is about the people who believe in him and he’ll never give up on them.

We look at some great Jacksonville moments in AEW history.

Austin Creed asks Swerve Strickland what was up with him attacking Bandido last week. Strickland says by any means necessary, and that was necessary. They head Kofi Kingston screaming as Bandido has attacked him before going after Strickland and Creed. The fight goes into the arena with Creed getting in a spear as Brody King is here too. Hangman Page tries to calm things down but Bandido says he wants to kill Strickland. Page says this is exactly what Strickland wants and Bandido calls for the Texas Deathmatch. And Page is finally in. That was a matter of when rather than if and that’s not a bad thing.

Last week, the Cut took out the Conglomeration.

Jon Moxley interrupted the Conglomeration to ask how many times they’ve fought together. Moxley doesn’t like asking for anything but he wants their help. He slides Orange Cassidy a fork, saying they can collect the debt that Jay White owes. The Conglomeration is apparently in for Anarchy In The Arena.

Here is Mercedes Mone for a chat. Mone wastes no time in calling out Marina Shafir, who thinks she is a killer. Shafir is ready to fight right now but Shafir says Mone has forgotten what it means to be afraid. When Mone attacked her, she was trying to prove she could, but Shafir says Mone hits like a “p**** a** b****.” A belt shot drops Shafir and Mone gets to beat her up a bit, including the Bank Statement.

We get what appears to be the same Nick Wayne video from Collision. Makes sense that they would show it twice.

Wayne is in the crowd and promises to be on the Jericho Cruise this weekend.

We recap the FTR vs. Motor City Machine Guns series.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Team Ospreay vs. Don Callis Family

Will Ospreay, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, Darby Allin, Steven Borden, Adam Copeland
Callis: Kyle Fletcher, Jake Doyle, Kazuchika Okada, Kevin Knight, Mark Davis, Wardlow

Fletcher starts for the Family (who won the toss) and we get a video of Allin and Borden, with the former being put in a body bag. Allin gets out of the bag in the arena and starts for his team. Allin tries to flip over him in the corner but is taken straight down and send into the ropes. That means a standing Coffin Drop off the cage and a skateboard shot to the back to put Fletcher in trouble for a change.

Fletcher drops him onto the skateboard though and it’s Knight coming in to make it worse. Something like a standing Doomsday Dropkick puts Allin down again and a monkey flip sends Allin, and the chair he’s in, over for a shot from Fletcher. Nick Jackson evens things up and clean house with the usual flippy kicks and punches. Doyle is in third for the Family, and dressed like a cross between Bunkhouse Buck and Henry Godwinn for some reason. House is quickly cleaned, including Shock Treatment, and we take a break.

We come back with Matt Jackson coming in but not being able to put the monster Doyle down. Davis (in the same gear as Doyle) is in to go after the Bucks so Allin climbs the cage. Davis and Doyle catch him falling from the top and slam him down with ease. Copeland is in with a chair to beat on the waiting Family, even as the fans sing his song. That doesn’t last long as Copeland is sent into a chair in the corner.

Wardlow is in as the next member of the Family and Copeland having to fight out of the corner. Wardlow’s Swanton puts Copeland through a table as Borden is here to clean house as well, including making Doyle’s clothesline hit Davis. The Stinger Splashes connect on the two of them and let’s pour out some thumbtacks. That takes too long and Borden is powerbombed onto them but the Bucks are back up. Okada is in to complete the Family….and brings a leaf blower to get rid of the tacks. Well that was brilliant. Borden is up with the dropkicks and we take another break.

We come back again with Ospreay coming in last, albeit with the Family waiting on him. Everyone gets up for the big staredown and slugout and it’s time for the parade of knockdowns. With everyone else down, it’s Fletcher vs. Ospreay and of course the fans approve of this one. They both escape powerbomb attempts until Ospreay takes over, only to get caught in the Tree Of Woe. Knight helps take over on Ospreay so Wardlow picks up Allin’s backpack….which explodes.

Then some double superkicks hit a chair into Okada’s face, with the shoes exploding too. The Bucks get some thumbtack shoes for more superkicks and it’s time for the barbed wire chair. Davis won’t give up so Ospreay gets brainbustered onto the chair. Allin slips through the cages to go after Don Callis so Wardlow rips the door off and throws it at Allin instead. Allin escapes a powerbomb and goes up top, with Wardlow following like an idiot. Wardlow picks him up for a suplex and walks around the top (quite the visual) but Allin slips out for a low blow.

Copeland fires off some spears but gets taken down by Okada. A thumbtack Rainmaker is cut off with a spear through a table in the corner but the Conchairto is broken up too. Copeland gets chained to the cage door and Wardlow powerbombs Allin on top of the cage. Fletcher tells Copeland to quit or violence will continue. Copeland surrenders to save Ospreay from the dreaded screwdriver at 48:00.

Rating: B. The ending felt like a copy of the ending of the Bucks surrendering to save Jack Perry (or some combination of that). The idea makes sense, but I wasn’t feeling this match as much as the women’s edition. This one felt a bit too planned out, with less violence and blood and more just….stuff. It still worked and Copeland sacrificing himself to save Ospreay is good, but I liked the women’s version that much more.

Post match Fletcher tells Wardlow to do it and Allin is thrown through a pile of tables. Ospreay is mad at Copeland, who doesn’t seem sorry for what he did, to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This felt like the Royal Rumble, with the two big matches filling up most of the show and a few other things there to just space them out a bit. That’s exactly as advertised and the matches worked for what they are. You know if you’re going to like these coming in most of the time and this didn’t do much to change the perception. It’s a total car crash show and in that sense, it worked rather well.

Results
Team Aminata b. Team Persephone – Double submission to Hart
Don Callis Family b. Team Ospreay when Copeland surrendered

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @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: November 4, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Robert Stone, Blake Howard

It’s another title week as Women’s Champion Nikkita Lyons ran her mouth and thought she could beat three challengers at the same time. Therefore, it’s time for her to try to do just that, as we’ll have a four way for the title. Other than that, Harley Riggins continues to look like a rampaging monster and that might be a problem for Harlem Lewis. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

NXT’s Charlie Dempsey is in the VIP section to scout some future opponents.

CJ Valor vs. Ulka Sasaki

They power each other around to start and Sasaki goes for a waistlock on the mat. Back up and Sasaki snaps off some armdrags so Valor just unloads on him with right hands. Sasaki gets in a hiptoss and knocks him outside as we take a break. We come back with Valor planting Sasaki for two and the Mog Squad now at ringside. Sasaki fights up and gets two off a spinning kick to the head. Valor’s bridging German suplex gets the same so Sasaki fights up, only to get distracted by the Squad. That’s enough for Valor to grab a spinebuster for the pin at 8:15.

Rating: C+. The Squad got to show off a bit here and it’s not like Sasaki had the match won before the interference took place. The spinebuster at the end looked good, as Valor isn’t bad as an average sized power guy. Sasaki didn’t really get to showcase himself very much though this was more about the villains getting some momentum back.

Post match Charlie Dempsey meets the Squad, with Max Abrams suggesting that he needs to leave due to pain in his taped up face.

Nikkita Lyons is ready to face three challengers and is not so subtle about being mad about Sloane Jacobs getting her into this.

Alix Brooks vs. Laynie Luck

Brooks, with Kale Dixon, is making her in-ring debut. Luck takes over to start and puts her down and goes to the ropes, where the springboard dive is loaded up. Dixon offers a distraction though and Aaron Rourke runs in to go after him, which is enough for the no contest at 1:28.

Post match the villains are cleared out and Rourke issues a challenge for the first ever mixed tag in Evolve’s history.

We look at Richard Adonis (I believe) getting a WWE ID contract.

Thea Hail, Wendy Choo and Skylar Raye talk about being the challengers for the Women’s Title, but they don’t agree on whether to team up or not.

Shido Ash vs. Chazz Hall

Hall kicks away at him to start and is quickly shoved down. Back up and Hall fights back without much trouble and even kicks Ash out to the floor. That doesn’t last long and it’s Ash coming back in to strike Hall down. Hall fights back but a running shooting star lands in a triangle choke.

That’s reversed into a flipping rollup for two and Hall enziguris his way out of the corner. Now the standing corkscrew moonsault can connect for two on Ash but cue Viktor Zanov for a distraction. Cappuccino Jones runs in to brawl with Zanov, who knocks him down rather quickly. The shooting star press misses and Ash grabs Fade To Ash for the pin at 4:28.

Rating: C+. They only had so much time to work here but the important part here was that Ash and Zanov felt like a couple of monsters. They worked well together here when they started as security and it’s still working now that they’re wrestling. I do rather enjoy seeing Hall get beaten up and Ash did that well enough, though keeping this short was probably best as it makes Ash look that much more devastating if he’s not working too long.

Harley Riggins interrupts Timothy Thatcher, saying he wants to be Evolve Champion since Harlem Lewis is gone. Thatcher doesn’t like the move but says that Lewis is back next week. If Lewis isn’t cleared to wrestle, we might look into a new champion.

Women’s Title: Wendy Choo vs. Skylar Raye vs. Thea Hail vs. Nikkita Lyons

Lyons is defending and gets a big introduction from Sloane Jacobs. The three of them beat Lyons down to start and Raye gets most of a crossface on Hail. Anya Rune shows up to brawl with Jacobs and we take a break. We come back with Lyons wheelbarrow suplexing Raye onto the apron and then going inside for Choo. Lyons gets two off a sitout powerbomb but Raye is back in to knock Hail down.

Raye’s flipping neckbreaker hits Hail and she faceplants Lyons for two. Hail gets a quickly broken Kimura on Raye and drops Choo, followed by a sitout Pedigree to Lyons. Everyone is down for a breather and Raye goes after Lyons, who shrugs it off. Hair springboards into Choo’s Dirt Nap but gets out rather quickly, leaving Choo to grab it on Lyons instead. Cue Vanta The Unknown to kick Choo down and Lyons retains at 7:13.

Rating: B-. The idea here was that Lyons was in trouble and she kind of was for the most part, with the ending seeing Vanta running in to save her. It didn’t feel like Vanta was there to save Lyons and now she can face Choo. It wouldn’t surprise me to Raye get another, possibly more serious shot at the title, which would be better than Hail getting another chance.

Vanta stares down at Choo as Lyons isn’t sure what to think to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. As usual, Evolve tends to focus on the one big match and the rest is just kind of there. That’s a formula that works well most of the time and they did it again here, as the title match left me wanting to see where Choo vs. Vanta goes. Just keep making something feel important and that’s all you need, especially given how long the show is most weeks. Good stuff here again, and we have another title picture to deal with next week.

Results
CJ Valor b. Ulka Sasaki – Spinebuster
Alix Brooks vs. Laynie Luck went to a no content when Kale Dixon and Aaron Rourke brawled
Shido Ash b. Chazz Hall – Fade To Ash
Nikkita Lyons b. Wendy Choo, Skylar Raye and Thea Hail – Kick to the head to Choo

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

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

NXT
Date: November 4, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s a big night around here as the show is taking place on a Wednesday due to the election coverage and going heads up against AEW Blood & Guts. Likely due to the latter, CM Punk, John Cena and Cody Rhodes are all here tonight, which should make for a lively evening. It’s also the show after Halloween Havoc so let’s get to it.

Here is Halloween Havoc if you need a recap.

Long Halloween Havoc recap.

Dragon Lee/Chad Gable/Rey Fenix vs. Vanity Project

Gable wrestles Drake down to start and everything breaks down so they can stare it down in the middle. The brawl is on with the Project being cleared out but Lee’s big dive is cut off. Fenix hits a huge springboard dive and it’s a rolling Chaos Theory for two with Baylor and Smokes making a save. The Project is knocked outside again and we take a break. We come back with Gable in trouble, including a moonsault double stomp.

Gable gets beaten down in the corner but comes up with a top rope belly to belly superplex. That’s enough for the tag off to Fenix, who comes in with the rope walk kick to Baylor. A top rope moonsault press gives Fenix two but Lee gets crotched on top. Gable suplexes Smokes into the corner to break up Baylor’s superplex attempt and it’s a triple finisher to finish the Project (with Operation Dragon to Smokes being the official fall) at 11:04.

Rating: B. This was a fast paced and entertaining match with Gable continuing to be friends with the luchadors. That worked well and it’s not like the Project losing to a bunch of main roster stars is some terrible result. Heck of a fun opener here, as Fenix and Lee can get any crowd going through athleticism and speed alone.

Shiloh Hill talks to CM Punk, saying he’d love a title shot when Punk wins the title. Grayson Waller comes in to say not so fast and reminding Punk saying to wipe your feet. Punk: “On your face.”

Women’s Title: Kelani Jordan vs. ???

Jordan is defending against….Paige. Yeah that works around here. Paige sends her into the corner to start and stomps away, followed by the knees in the ropes. Jordan is knocked down on the floor and we take a break. We come back with the two of them knocking the other down. Paige gets up for the clothesline comeback and a German suplex.

The Paige Turner gets two but Jordan goes right back to the neck. The 450 misses though and it’s a superkick into the Rampaige for two more. They trade rollups for two each until Jordan gets in a crossface. That’s broken up and Jordan hits a DDT but misses something off the top. Another Rampaige is loaded up but Paige’s neck is banged up and Jordan reverses into a small package to retain at 9:48.

Rating: B-. This was a perfectly good use of Paige, who feels like a big deal and put the younger champion over. Jordan is being treated like a star and having her get a win over an NXT legend/main roster star is a good idea. It’s also nice to see the NXT stars getting a win rather than being run over by the main roster wrestlers in back to back matches. Nice work here.

Sol Ruca is here and gives Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair a pep talk. Apparently Zaria wanted to talk to her but the invitation was actually from Izzi Dame, who brags about herself. Sinclair isn’t impressed and sneering ensues.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: Hank & Tank vs. Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno

Cody Rhodes is on commentary and here to award the trophy to the winners. Moreno dropkicks Tank to start but gets taken down by a spinning high crossbody. Dar comes in and gets caught with a quick backsplash. Everything breaks down and Hank & Tank collide by mistake but yell a lot instead. Dar and Moreno are planted and a top rope splash hits Dar, but he’s fine enough to reverse another into a triangle choke.

Tank gets guillotine choked at the same time but both holds are broken up and reversed for a suplex/powerbomb. They all slug it out and we take a break, coming back with Tank and Moreno getting the tags. Moreno clears the ring and hits a big springboard dive before Dar sends the two of them outside again. Back up and Tank launches Moreno onto the announcers’ table and it’s a top rope splash for two on Dar.

The heel hook has Hank in trouble and Tank is in an ankle lock but dives over to stop Hank from tapping. Hank gets in a spinning Boss Man Slam and everything breaks down again. Dar and Moreno hit stereo Cross Rhodes (Cody absolutely approves) and a high/low, with a bionic elbow, gives Moreno the pin on Tank at 11:32.

Rating: B+. This was a match where they came in with no personal issue but left it all in the ring for the sake of winning a prize. That’s all you need sometimes and it’s cool to see a new team win like this. Dar and Moreno work well together while Hank & Tank have figured out how to wrestle to their strengths. I got way more into this than I was expecting and it worked very well.

Post match Rhodes presents the cup and has a bonus: Dar and Moreno get a Tag Team Title shot next week.

Dion Lennox vs. Cruz Montana

Unsanctioned, with MMA fighter Michael Chander as guest referee. Montana jumps Lennox from behind to start and they brawl around the ring. Lennox sends him through the steps and gets caught with a suplex on the floor. Back up and Montana drops him onto the apron and it’s already time for the table. Naturally that takes too long though and Lennox sends him outside for a whip into some chairs.

A suplex onto the chairs is reversed into a suplex through the wooden wall. The concrete is exposed and Montana loads up a powerbomb off the steps. The second thought lets Lennox drop him onto the steps though and we take a break. We come back with Lennox still in control and pulling out the handcuffs. Hold on though as Chandler isn’t happy and gets in an argument with Lennox, allowing Montana to come back with the right hands.

Montana sends him into the corner for the big cannonball, followed by the big running flip dive to the floor. A curb stomp on the exposed concrete is loaded up but here is Darkstate for the save. The TripleBomb through the announcers’ table is loaded up but the lights go out….and 946 is here. The big brawl is on and 946 cleans house, leaving Montana to powerbomb Lennox through a table. Spin The Block finishes Lennox at 13:28.

Rating: B. It’s kind of amazing to see 946 as the mega heroes around here but this worked very well. Montana came off like a huge star and the fans loved him, which shouldn’t be a big surprise. Lennox and Darkstate were in over their heads here but the match was a violent fight between two people who couldn’t stand each other. Chandler didn’t really add much but he didn’t hurt the match either so we’ll call him a write off. Good match, with the crowd reaction being a great boost.

Post match 946 poses and the fans are very pleased.

Here is John Cena for a chat and the fans sing the song, which I don’t remember hearing before. Fans: “YOU CAN’T SEE JOHN CENA!” That’s a new one and Cena thinks they may have started something there. Cena is here to talk about the John Cena Classic and introduces the next invitee: Zilla Fatu. The fans seem to approve and Fatu says this is crazy.

Cena says he’s felt like an honorary Samoan at times and goes over his history with the family, including Fatu’s father Umaga (that seems to mean a lot to Fatu). It is Cena’s honor to give Fatu the chance to debut in the John Cena Classic. Fatu thanks Cena for that and he’s in. This was a heck of an endorsement and you could tell it got to Fatu a bit.

Tony D’Angelo stands on a bridge.

Kam Hendrix introduces himself to John Cena, who doesn’t seem overly impressed. Cena tells Hendrix that he should get ready for EK Prosper next week.

NXT Title: Grayson Waller vs. CM Punk

Punk is challenging and gets punched down in the corner to start. That doesn’t last long as Punk is up with a backdrop to the floor but the suicide dive is cut off. Back in and Waller grinds away with a headlock, followed by a running clothesline to the floor. Waller’s dive is countered with a tie up into the ring skirt so Punk can strike away.

We take a break and come back with Punk working on Waller’s ribs. Waller drops him down off the apron though and the referee pauses Waller, who gets in a posting to bang the neck up again. They go back inside as Vanity Project pleads their case with Robert Stone in the back. Waller knocks him down for two more but Punk gets in a suplex, meaning it’s time for a very wide smile.

They slug it out with Waller knocking him into the ropes for the knees to the face. A piledriver onto the apron is countered with a backdrop and Punk drops him again back inside. The swinging neckbreaker and shortarm clothesline put Waller down and the top rope elbow gets two. The top rope superplex drops Waller…and here is Kevin Owens for a distraction. Waller grabs a rollup with trunks to retain at 14:10.

Rating: B-. This took some time but they got going in the end, even if Punk didn’t seem to be that into it at the beginning. Waller hung in there though and that’s all it needed to be, even with the ending being one of the only ways they had to get out of there. Punk started to turn it up near the end, but this was more about boosting up Punk vs. Owens on Smackdown.

Overall Rating: B+. This show felt like a bigger event than Halloween Havoc, though granted bringing in three of the biggest stars of the generation certainly helped. It was a heck of a show too, with the fans bringing the extra energy to really boost things. NXT is on something of a roll right now and while that is going to be tested next week when these people aren’t around, it is working for now.

Results
Chad Gable/Rey Fenix/Dragon lee b. Operation Dragon to Smokes
Kelani Jordan b. Paige – Small package
Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno b. Hank & Tank – High/low to Tank
Cruz Montana b. Dion Lennox – Spin The Block
Grayson Waller b. CM Punk – Rollup with trunks

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

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

I’m sorry for the tech outage as from what I understand something was changed under the hood and the solution was coded improperly.  Thankfully tech support seemed to fix it and we should be back to normal.  I’ve got just about everything ready from the last few days (plus some extras) and I’ll have them up shortly.

KB

In which I talk about Kane for a bit.

https://www.smarkdownsblog.com/kane-wwe-career

Monday Night Raw
Date: November 2, 2026
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

It’s a special early show this week and it happens to be one heck of a show. We have the final Raw before this weekend’s Crown Jewel, but in addition, John Cena is in the house. There is a good chance it’s to deal with that still weird sounding tournament and I’m almost worried about what it’s all about. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Roman Reigns….slowly….taking his time….at his own pace….and after about three days, he talks about how everyone is coming after him lately. That includes the secondary champion Sami Zayn and 946, who took a beating from the Bloodline. Cue Zayn to interrupt and say that he meant what he said about Reigns being gone a lot. They’re both here now though, so they should talk family to family and champion to champion.

Reigns finds it interesting because the one who benefited from the Bloodline the most was Zayn himself. It’s due to the Bloodline that Zayn is making millions of dollars a year as WWE Champion because when Reigns found him, he was doing stuff with Johnny Knoxville. Zayn says people will remember that match ten years from now, but no one is remembering Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar Part 12.

The only thing people remember about Reigns is him getting hit with a chair and it was Zayn swinging it. Reigns gets more serious and says that he beat Lesnar to free that title so Zayn could win it. He’s tired of Zayn acting like he matters and Saturday is his last day on the Island Of Relevancy. They were both bringing it here and it’s by far the best thing to happen with this story.

We recap Ethan Page challenging Chad Gable for the Intercontinental Title. Page has been mocking and attacking Gable to get a title shot so now it’s time for the showdown.

Intercontinental Title: Chad Gable vs. Ethan Page

Page is challenging and immediately goes after Gable’s neck (as banged up by Page last week). A neckbreaker and some shots to the neck have Gable in more trouble but he knocks Page off the top. Gable clotheslines him to the floor and we take a break. We come back with Page rolling through a high crossbody for two, followed by Gable’s sunset flip for the same.

A hot shot gives Page two and we hit the chinlock. Gable is right back up to go after the leg, which is wrapped around the post. Some dragon screw legwhips set up the rolling German suplexes, followed by the ankle lock. Page gets outside so Gable gives him an Angle Slam onto the announcers’ table. Back in and the moonsault gets two and they go outside again, with Page getting dropped hard on the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Gable’s Swan Dive hitting raised boots to give Page two. They slug it out on their knees until a quick Twisted Grin gives Page two of his own. The ankle lock goes on and is broken up again so Page goes up top. Gable runs the corner and gets powerslammed back down for two and they both need a breather. Page catches him on top and gets powerbombed down again, meaning the ankle lock goes on again. This time Page kicks him into an exposed turnbuckle and it’s an EgoPlex to give Page the title at 18:13.

Rating: B+. Heck of a match here and it accomplished the rather necessary goal of giving Page something on the main roster. While I don’t see Page as the new top heel or really ever going much higher on the card than this (that’s not a bad thing), he had to win something to make him feel like a threat. They accomplished that here with a rather good match as Gable’s injury was played up throughout. Good stuff here and the right result.

946 is ready for Royce Keys to run the play on Solo Sikoa tonight.

Sikoa is ready and gets a pep talk from the Bloodline.

We recap Tiffany Stratton and Chelsea Green having issues with the Judgment Day, but they have Iyo Sky to back them up.

Judgment Day vs. Tiffany Stratton/Chelsea Green/Iyo Sky

Perez flips away from Stratton to start and the annoyance begins quickly. Rodriguez comes in for some running knees from Stratton and Green, the latter of whom is muscled up for a slam. It’s off to Morgan for a kick to the chest but Green escapes Rodriguez’s powerslam. Green hits a heck of a suicide dive and Stratton adds a suicide dropkick. Naturally Sky hits a big dive of her own and we take a break.

We come back with Sky in trouble but fighting out of a chinlock. The comeback is enough for Stratton to get the tag and start cleaning house, including a Swanton for two on Morgan. A springboard Stunner hits Rodriguez but she’s right back with a powerbomb. The corkscrew Vader Bomb misses though and it’s Sky coming in to wreck everyone. Everything breaks down and Green gives Perez the Unpretty-Her, with Rodriguez grabbing the leg for the save. Stratton is sent over the announcers’ table, leaving Green to try another Unpretty-Her. Perez makes the save this time and it’s the Oblivion to pin Green at 10:23.

Rating: B-. This was good enough, but it’s another case where a champion has to lose to build towards a match where a champion will lose and the titles won’t be impacted whatsoever. It’s the downside to this whole thing and Green vs. Morgan is only so interesting in the first place. At least Money In The Bank adds a bit of spice to the whole thing, but it’s still pretty lacking.

946 says there is strength in numbers and no one is safe.

Here is John Cena, who calls Alicia Taylor into the ring for the full proper introduction. Cena gets to the point because tonight is about the John Cena Classic. There are three major points to cover tonight. First up: it’s December 14…in Disney World. There will be two Raw’s in one night, with one airing live in Perth, Australia and another being live from Orlando, Florida.

Then we have the second point, which is something underneath a covering. Apparently the belt shaped object is the title going to the winner and it’s a title with his name and silhouette. The power to vote will be exclusive to Club WWE and that brings us to the third part: who will be involved?

This brings out Cody Rhodes, with Cena saying he’s going to be everywhere inviting people to be in the tournament. He’s happy to have Rhodes as the first invitee though because no one is more important to WWE…and here is Randy Orton to interrupt. Cena immediately leaves and Orton, eventually, brings up his Last Man Standing match with Rhodes at Saturday’s Crown Jewel.

It’s a kind of match where Rhodes has no experience but Orton brings up coming up 25 years ago with people like Cena, Brock Lesnar and Batista. They’re all gone and retired but he’s still right here in this ring. He has no aspirations to be a movie star or have his face on an ice cream cone. It’s in his blood to be in this ring and he broke his back doing this a few years ago.

Then he found the best surgeon in the world and the best neurosurgeon in the world (Orton: “Shoutout to Adam Kanter!”). If Rhodes breaks his back, Orton will get stitched up again like Robocop and come after Rhodes again. Orton brings up something that hasn’t been mentioned yet, which is that he beat Dusty Rhodes at the 2007 Great American Bash in a Texas Bullrope match. Orton retired Dusty and if Cody wants to be like his father, that can be arranged on Saturday. This was the kind of promo that has turned Orton good so many times over the years. As for the tournament….yeah whatever. It still sounds like a mess.

We look back at Bayley beating Roxanne Perez last week.

Bayley asks Adam Pearce about her future when Jade Cargill and the Baddies interrupt. Bayley isn’t happy and calls that disrespectful, with Pearce begging for peace for one night. That seems to actually be the case for once and Bayley leaves.

The Vision vs. Dragon Lee/Penta/Je’Von Evans

It’s a big brawl to start and the Vision clears the ring. Penta breaks up a Super Spear to Evans, who flips away from Theory and hands it off to Lee. Penta’s step up flip dive takes the Vision out on the floor and we take a break. We come back with Lee in trouble in the corner but he gets a boot up in the corner. Reed misses a backsplash and it’s off to Penta to start fighting back.

Breakker blocks the Penta Driver and Lee gets powerslammed. That lets Penta get in a superkick, only to be knocked down by Breakker. The spear hits post though and Logan Paul tries to slip in the briefcase, only to get cut off by Penta. Jagged Edge plants Lee on the floor and Evans is right there with the big dive. The OG Cutter misses Theory though and a spear cuts Evans in half for the pin at 9:10.

Rating: B. This was a pretty standard six man until things went nuts at the end, with Breakker’s spear being a sight to behold. There is something to be said about having Breakker just go through someone else and it’s part of why he’s this big of a star. There’s a good chance this means the titles change hands on Saturday and…yeah that’s the right move given that the Vision isn’t doing much with them.

We recap the John Cena Classic announcement.

Crown Jewel rundown.

Liv Morgan says the win earlier was just another day at the office for Judgment Day. Morgan loads up her catchphrase but is cut off by Jade Cargill and the Baddies beating Bayley down and injuring her arm. So that’s probably how Bayley gets into WarGames.

Solo Sikoa vs. Royce Keys

They stare at each other for a long time to start and then lock up, as per their blood feud. Sikoa ducks a right hand and chops away before knocking Keys outside. Back in and they take turns firing off right hands in the corner until Sikoa knocks him to the floor again. We take a break and come back with Sikoa in trouble and Keys talking a lot of censored trash.

A powerslam gives Keys two but Sikoa is right back up with a clothesline. Sikoa knocks him into the corner but the running Umaga Attack is cut off. The second attempt works just fine so the Samoan Spike is loaded up, only to be countered into a Sky High. Sikoa is sat on top but knocks Keys down for the Superfly Splash. Cue the rest of 946 to jump Sikoa for the DQ at 10:25.

Rating: C+. This was fairly slow paced but it was all a matter of time to see which side interfered for the DQ first. What matters the most is that Keys feels like he belongs around here as the 946 has felt like a heck of a threat. I could go for seeing more of this stuff, especially when it goes to WarGames as is a guarantee at this point.

Post match Sikoa gets to the floor so here is the Bloodline to even things up. They stare each other down and Jey Uso claps a lot and the brawl is finally on. Roman Reigns starts getting the better of things but we’ve got a masked man with a chair. Reigns is chaired and discus lariated down before the man helps Keys up.

It’s…CRUZ MONTANA from NXT and oh my this just got a lot more interesting. The Bloodline is destroyed with Jey Uso being handcuffed and Keys giving Reigns the USB. 946 bails through the crowd and Reigns sees what happened….as Sami Zayn sneaks in for a Helluva Kick to knock him sillier. Commentary is aghast at this to end the show. Montana is an outstanding pick for the spot, as he’s been one of the best stars in wrestling for the last few years and has nailed every spot he’s been in thus far. I’m excited for this and that’s a great feeling to have.

Overall Rating: B. That last surprise at the end boosted this up a lot and even canceled out some of the hardly interesting John Cena promo. The opener was very good and we took some big steps towards WarGames. That’s in addition to a good Reigns vs. Zayn exchange to build up Crown Jewel. This was an efficient show, but dang I’m not interested in the Cena tournament. At the same time, I’m rather interested in Montana so we’ll call it good overall.

Results
Ethan Page b. Chad Gable – EgoPlex
Judgment Day b. Chelsea Green/Iyo Sky/Tiffany Stratton – Oblivion to Green
The Vision b. Penta/Dragon Lee/Je’Von Evans – Super Spear to Evans
Solo Sikoa b. Royce Keys via DQ when 946 interfered

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

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

Halloween Havoc 2026
Date: October 31, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s the Halloween night special and it’s going to be quite the big one. In this case we have the NXT Title on the line as Grayson Waller defends against Tony D’Angelo. Other than that, we have the usual multitude of title matches and a big grudge match at least a few grudge matches. Let’s get to it.

The opening video talks about how this is the night to unleash havoc….or be CURSED, by host Danhausen. The card gets the usual rundown as well.

Here is Danhausen, with the Minihausens, to get things going. He thinks there might be some goblins in the crowd but he’s been paid a lot of human monies to be the host of the evening. They’ll spin the wheel but he has also turned some rooms of this building into scare rooms.

Tavion Heights vs. Myles Borne

Weapons Wild match, basically meaning street fight. They slug it out to start and Heights sends him outside, where Borne grabs a kendo stick. A few shots put Heights on the floor as well so he whips out a fire extinguisher out to blast Borne in the face. Borne is rammed into the apron and it’s time for the table. Borne’s chair shot hits the post and Heights throws him down as we take a break.

We come back with Borne Pillmanizing the ankle and chairing him into the corner for the stomping. Back up and Heights throws a trashcan at Borne’s head and pulls out a toolbox. Borne knocks him down and pours out a bag of nuts and bolts but Borne Again is knocked away. That leaves Borne to crash onto the nuts and bolts but he’s fine enough to powerslam Heights onto a chair for two.

A chair to the back knocks Borne into the steps and Heights loads up a Pillmanizing on the ankle. The Conchairto Pillmanizes the ankle and the ankle lock goes on but Borne rolls him into the exposed buckle. They fight up top at the same time and Borne grabs a camera to knock him off the top and through a table. Borne Again onto a trashcan finishes Heights at 14:45.

Rating: B. This was exactly what you would have expected, but at least there were some unique spots for a change. That being said, having Borne land on a bunch of nuts and bolts and then popping right back up was a bit of a stretch, as was some of the other fast recovering. Heights is pretty much done as a singles star for the moment though, as Borne has beaten him time after time.

Tristan Angels and some women go into the scary rooms in the back and Sean Legacy pops up to scare Angels. Then Legacy leaves with the women.

Shiloh Hill and Naraku get in a fight in the back, with some orange mist blinding Naraku. We go to what looks like a tunnel where Naraku is haunted by images and we’ve got a cinematic match. Hill, who was misted as well, wakes up surrounded by Jack-O-Lanterns, and runs off towards them in happiness. To Be Continued.

Zaria vs. Izzi Dame

Non-title. Zaria rolls to the ring in a big ball, which ties into the whole Wicked thing, which continues to be quite the stretch for a reason to see them fight. Dame mocks her some more after the bell and Zaria gives chase to the floor. Back in and Zaria grabs a double leg and hammers away but Dame slips out of a slam. Dame trips her down but a basement superkick is blocked as Dame can’t get anything going. Some whips into the corner have Dame in more trouble so she sends Zaria face first into the buckle instead and we take a break.

We come back with Zaria hitting some clotheslines and a German suplex. Zaria knocks her out of the air and gets two off a fall away slam. Back up and Dame ties her in the Tree Of Woe for a running shoulder. They go up top and Zaria knocks her down, only to miss a moonsault. A middle rope Codebreaker gives Dame two more and they slug it out again.

Dame gets in a chokeslam for two so Zaria hits a spear, only to have various Wicked things pop up around the arena. That’s enough for Dame to get two off a small package, and a Widow’s Peak gets the same. Dame grabs the belt but gets caught with a discus lariat. Zaria picks up the belt and it is quickly kicked into her face to give Dame the pin at 12:56.

Rating: B-. This was a weird one with the stuff from stuff from Zaria’s past being forced into the whole thing. I’m also not clear on why Dame made sure that this wasn’t for the title, as she just won the match and isn’t champion anyway. It’s a weird story, but at least Zaria should be able to come back and win the rematch, which should be the case. I think.

Hank & Tank and Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno have a meeting in front of the Dusty Classic trophy. Both teams are ready to win.

Robert Stone comes up to the Vanity Project and isn’t happy with their interference on NXT. As a result, they’re facing Dragon Lee, Rey Fenix and Chad Gable next week on NXT.

The pre-show hosts talk about hosting things.

Danhausen spins the wheel for the next match, which is a Very Nice, Very Evil match. This means no rules and falls count anywhere. Shocking I tell you.

Zilla Fatu vs. Charlie Dempsey

Anything goes, falls count anywhere and Birthright is here too. They slug it out to start with Dempsey getting the better of things and stomping him down. A gutwrench suplex gives Dempsey two but Fatu is back up with a slam. Dempsey gets pulled into the Tree Of Woe but misses a charge into the corner. Fatu is fine enough to knock Dempsey outside and it’s time to crush Dempsey’s hand in the steps.

That’s broken up by Birthright, who beats Fatu down, only for Fatu to steal a shovel from Lexis King. Fatu holds the team off and we take a break. We come back with Fatu getting two off a DDT and they take turns sending the other into shovels in the ropes. Fatu is dropped onto a piece of barricade in the corner, followed by a ram into the steps. A pumpkin shot misses and takes King out by mistake but Dempsey is fine enough to send Fatu’s hand into the steps a few times.

Back in and Dempsey uses a chain to tie him up in an octopus stretch, which is somehow escaped as well. Fatu gets in a running clothesline and takes out Birthright, followed by a spinebuster to Dempsey. The Triple Z hits a shovel but Fatu is right back to hit it with the second attempt. A Superfly Splash finishes Dempsey at 13:16.

Rating: B. This was a violent match and a good way for Fatu to overcome some odds and beat Birthright again. This should wrap up their feud as he fought through adversity and beat their best star on his own. It was another weapons based match and that’s kind of annoying to see so quickly after the first but the result went the right way.

Shiloh Hill keeps walking through the weird nightmare realm and is impressed by various creepy people/things. One guy looks like a better dressed Tristan Angels and Hill thinks Tatum Paxley would love the spooky woman with her baby. Then he finds a skull room and beats up three monsters before walking through some hallways. More on this later.

We look back at Cruz Montana attacking Dion Lennox and getting arrested as a result. They’re having an unsanctioned match this week on NXT and UFC fighter Michael Chandler has volunteered to be guest referee.

Earlier today, Montana and Lennox sat down, with Montana saying that Lennox has backed him into a corner. Lennox says he has pushed Montana past his breaking point, which was the idea the whole time. He wants the violent Montana so he can prove that he’s different. Montana’s daughter shouldn’t watch on Wednesday, because she’ll just see her daddy with a broken promise. Montana gets up, takes off his sunglasses, and says this is the first time Lennox has made a mistake his parents can’t get him out of. Then Lennox will be a thing of the past, forever. As usual, Montana is on another level when things get personal.

The women’s division is in a room full of mirrors, which Chantel Monroe doesn’t find scary. Then Lizzie Rain jumps her.

We recap the Women’s Title match. Wren Sinclair snuck into a battle royal to win the #1 contendership and now Kelani Jordan wants to stop her for good.

Naraku keeps looking for Shiloh Hill, ignores various creepy images, beats up some…we’ll say people, and talks to an evil king who tells him to look beyond a door.

Women’s Title: Wren Sinclair vs. Kelani Jordan

Sinclair is challenging and takes her down by the arm. It’s too early for the stomping though as Jordan is back up with a Regal Roll. Jordan sends her outside but gets tripped on the apron as we take a break. We come back with Sinclair missing a crossbody and getting kicked in the head. Jordan goes to try to take a bottom turnbuckle pad off before getting two off a standing legdrop.

A northern lights suplex gets two more but Sinclair is back with a butterfly suplex. Sinclair’s high crossbody gets two but Jordan jumps down onto the arm as we take a break. We come back with the two of them hitting stereo faceplants but Jordan is up with a shoulder breaker. The frog splash gives Jordan two and she grabs a Fujiwara armbar on the bad shoulder.

With that broken up, Sinclair grabs a rather spinning faceplant for two before grabbing the Final Wrench. Jordan gets out again and sends the arm into the exposed buckle. That and a 450 give Jordan two more but Sinclair blocks a moonsault with raised boots. Sinclair gets the Final Wrench again and wrenches away but gets rammed into the buckle. Jordan flips back onto her and puts a foot on the rope to retain at 18:40.

Rating: B-. This felt like it should have been a bigger deal, as they just kind of had a long match. There was only so much drama to the whole thing and Jordan winning with a fairly basic method of cheating felt a bit flat. It’s not a bad match by any standards, but it wasn’t quite what I was expecting.

We go back to the weird place where Naraku and Shiloh Hill find each other. What appears to be a zombie referee shows up and tells them to go so I think we’re having a match?

Shiloh Hill vs. Naraku

They immediately slug it out and go through a wall…and into the arena. The fight goes inside as Booker wants a bell, because even zombies have to follow rules. They both spray mist at each other and Hill’s belly to back neckbreaker finishes at 2:31. Ok then.

Kelani Jordan comes up to see Robert Stone and is told she’ll be defending the Women’s Title on NXT against someone from the main roster. Since it’s Halloween, it’s a mystery.

The pre-show hosts do their thing again. Tatum Paxley says she’s been called a mystery so she’s not sure if she’s the challenger or not.

TLC is coming in December. Cool. I think.

Kam Hendrix meets Danhausen, who thinks they should clone Hendrix and make sports teams to make a bunch of human monies. Danhausen leaves and various people in hazmat suits come in. One of them happens to be EK Prosper, who beats Hendrix down.

Here’s what’s coming on NXT, which again is on Wednesday.

We recap Grayson Waller defending the NXT Title against Tony D’Angelo. Waller returned as a much more serious version of himself and won the title, with former champion D’Angelo earning a shot to get his rematch. Then Waller went to D’Angelo’s house to make things really personal. Granted he didn’t do anything, but he was there.

NXT Title: Grayson Waller vs. Tony D’Angelo

D’Angelo is challenging. The brawl starts fast with D’Angelo getting the better of things and knocking him outside. D’Angelo throws him off of the steps and we take a break. We come back with D’Angelo fighting out of a cravate and muscling him up for a gutwrench suplex. Waller is right back with a neckbreaker over the turnbuckle rod and D’Angelo is in trouble again.

Some forearms in the corner have D’Angelo in more trouble and a leg lariat gets two. Another neckbreaker gives Waller two more and he tied D’Angelo in the Tree Of Woe. An armbar with a neck crank goes on for a bit before D’Angelo is sent outside. That’s fine for D’Angelo, who flapjacks Waller onto the apron.

A DDT onto the steps rocks Waller but he stops to yell at D’Angelo’s family and the comeback is on fast. We take another break and come back again with Waller firing off knees in the ropes. D’Angelo catches him up top with a toss belly to belly superplex. Waller is fine enough to hit a jumping stomp and a middle rope flipping…we’ll say Fameasser gets two.

A spear (or most of one) sends Waller outside again, where Dead To Rites is countered into a cutter through the announcers’ table. Back in and a rolling Stunner is countered into Dead To Rites for two so let’s grab the crowbar. Naturally the referee gets crushed and D’Angelo hits the spear for the visual but unofficial cover. Waller is up with the crowbar shot and the rolling Stunner retains the title at 22:37.

Rating: B+. This was a match that went far better than I was expecting, as the two of them beat on each other rather well until the finish. Waller got the pin to give him the big definitive win over D’Angelo, which puts the latter into a weird place. I can’t imagine D’Angelo going to the main roster, but he has nothing left to do in NXT. Good main event though, as Waller’s career re-invention is remarkable.

Post match here is Danhausen to say congratulations on the win, but he has a message from his good friend. Cue CM Punk on the screen, saying he’s tired of Waller running his mouth about him. That’s why this Wednesday, Punk is coming to NXT and challenging Waller for the title. Well then. That’s a big ending.

Overall Rating: B. As usual, they did a great job with the atmosphere and the Halloween feeling (Danhausen as the host was the biggest layup imaginable) but I’m a bit over Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal. It’s almost always some variation of a street fight/hardcore match and that’s not exactly inspiring watching.

Now, that being said, you can absolutely see the next generation rising up here. Look at the list of winners on this show: Borne, Dame, Fatu, Jordan, Hill and Waller. While Waller is the most experienced, this is a new and fresh version of him, with Jordan being the second most established of that list. That’s quite the turnaround and it’s not even factoring in names like Cruz Montana. As usual, NXT does a great job of building stars up in a hurry and it’s taking place again. The future has been built up in a hurry and you can see the positive results. Good show, and a sign of a brighter future.

Results
Myles Borne b. Tavion Heights – Borne Again onto a trashcan
Izzi Dame b. Zaria – Kick to the title to the face
Zilla Fatu b. Charlie Dempsey – Superfly Splash
Kelani Jordan b. Wren Sinclair – Rollup with foot on the rope
Shiloh Hill b. Naraku – Belly to back neckbreaker
Grayson Waller b. Tony D’Angelo – Rolling Stunner

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

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

Collision
Date: October 31, 2026
Location: Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Paul Wight, Tony Schiavone

It’s Halloween night and we’ve got the second half of this week’s Fright Night special. Hopefully this show has a bit more festiveness as the Halloween aspect seemed pretty tacked on with Dynamite. We’re rapidly approaching Full Gear and the card has only started coming together so we should get something else here. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

McGuinness is a vampire. That’s something at least.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Matt Sydal

Ciampa appears to be dressed as Kratos and misses a chop in the corker to start. A dropkick puts Ciampa out on the floor but he moves away before Sydal can dive. Back in and they try a test of strength with Ciampa breaking it up to stomp him in the ribs. Sydal is right back with a standing reverse Fameasser for two and the Meteora off the apron drives Ciampa onto the floor. It’s too early for the shooting star press though and Ciampa rolls outside again, only to be tossed inside for his efforts. One heck of a running knee catches Sydal though and we take a break.

We come back with Ciampa’s jumping knee knocking Sydal out of the air (that looked/sounded great) for two. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Sydal is up with more kicks to the head. Sydal dives out to the floor to take Ciampa down again and he reverses a super Air Raid Crash back inside. A running shot in the corner sets up the shooting star press, which hits raised knees. Project Ciampa is countered into a hurricanrana to give Sydal two more but the second attempt connects for Ciampa. The running knee finishes for Ciampa at 11:54.

Rating: B. This was a hard hitting match, but it’s another good example of a match that felt like it was going long for the sake of killing time. There was a grand total of no way that Ciampa was losing to Sydal, not matter where the match was taking place, and it got a bit long in the tooth at times. The match was good, but trim a few minutes off and it’s that much better.

We take a quick look at Swerve Strickland winning the World Title two years ago at Dynasty in St. Louis.

Hurt Syndicate vs. Soloroto

Soloroto actually jumps them to start and Lashley gets splashed in the corner as commentary insults each other. Lashley fights out of trouble rather quickly and knocks Comoroto outside. Benjamin comes in and toys with Solo before German suplexing him down. MVP beats up Griff Garrison on the floor and the running knee hits Solo inside. The fans want more so Lashley gives Solo a spear for the pin at 4:11.

Rating: C. There is something so fun about watching the Syndicate slaughter poor human beings. It works every time and while I knew there are some issues there, it would be great to see it more often. They’re big scary monsters and that is something that can be effective for a very long time.

Gabe Kidd swears revenge on the former Dogs. The team is used to being outnumbered and they’ll do it again, Claudio Castagnoli or not.

After Dynamite, Persephone ranted about losing her TBS Title to Queen Aminata and wants both of them in Blood & Guts.

Artist Of Stardom Titles: Trinity vs. Triangle Of Madness

The Triangle is defending against Hazuki/Koguma/Fuwa-Chan. Hart and Fuwa-Chan start things off with Hart taking her straight into the corner. Fuwa-Chan escapes a fireman’s carry and everything breaks down, with the champions being knocked into the ropes for some running knees to the face. A double suplex drops Blue for two but Thekla stomps Fuwa-Chan off the apron and we take a break.

We come back with Trinity hitting a double dive and then spinning Hart around in a choke. Thekla is back in to cut off the tag attempt but Koguma runs the ropes to bring Hazuki in instead. A crossface has Thekla in trouble but the champs get up for a triple Octopus hold. With that not lasting long, Fuwa-Chan and Blue slug it out until Fuwa-Chan gets an Octopus of her own.

That’s broken up as well and a top rope splash into a Shining Wizard gets two on Black as Hart makes the save. Thekla dives onto Trinity on the floor and Code Blue is broken up back inside. Blue mists Fuwa-Chan and the assisted swinging Side Effect retains the titles at 13:05.

Rating: B-. Ok then. I’m not sure what else to say as these titles don’t mean a thing around here and this was the first time two of the challengers have wrestled in AEW. Then again I’m sure all I have to do is watch a few years of Stardom and I’ll get why this matters. Titles were involved though and that’s what matters. Or something. I think. Either way, the match was fine, albeit rather meaningless.

Samoa Joe isn’t sure who is is causing the problem with the Opps but the monster is back and teases changes.

Ilja Dragunov vs. The Beast Mortos

Dragunov chops away to start but can’t get very far. That earns him the pop up Samoan drop for two but Dragunov is back with a running shot of his own. The missile dropkick in the ropes connects for Dragunov and we take a break. We come back with Dragunov muscling him up for some German suplexes and a top rope backsplash gets two. The D Bomb is cut off and a discus lariat gives Mortos two. They slug it out from their knees until Mortos hammers away in the corner. That’s reversed into a powerbomb and the Torpedo Moscow drops Mortos. The D Bomb finishes for Dragunov at 10:56.

Rating: B. They beat each other up rather well and the idea here was rather clear. This was Dragunov getting to fight against a monster and come up looking good, which has been his bread and butter for a long time. It wasn’t supposed to be a match with any drama about the result, but the fans still need to get to know Dragunov.

Post match Tommaso Ciampa comes out for the staredown with Dragunov.

Video on Nick Wayne bragging about beating Chris Jericho, who gave him some advice.

Wayne is on the streets of Miami bragging about his two wins over Jericho. Now this is more like it with him, as it plays into that punchable face.

Darius Martin vs. Mike Bailey

Commentary gets into it about Bailey’s mullet as Martin takes him down to start. Back up and they trade some flips until Bailey gets in a kick to the chest. Bailey sends him outside for a running dive but a Christopher Daniels distraction lets Martin get in a dropkick. A DDT off the apron drops Bailey again and we take a break. We come back with Bailey knocking him off the top and firing off the kicks for two. A standing Spanish Fly gives Martin two but Bailey knocks him outside for a triangle moonsault. Back in and Martin tries some rollups but Bailey reverses into his arm trap sunset flip for the pin at 9:02.

Rating: B-. It was another match with no reason to believe that anything out of the norm was going to happen here. Martin is half of a low level tag team and Bailey is on his way to a huge match on Dynamite. That makes for a fine enough match, but it’s not exactly something that is the most interesting.

Post match respect is shown.

Will Ospreay is ready for Blood & Guts.

Lena Kross/Megan Bayne vs. Nixi XS/Leela Feist

Bayne is in….Fred Flintstone style gear? The destruction is on quickly and it’s a pair of fall away slams on the floor. XS breaks up Divine Intervention so the monsters beat her down as well, setting up Divine Intervention to pin Feist at 2:01.

Queen Aminata is in for Blood & Guts. Willow Nightingale introduces the team, minus the Brawling Birds, who apparently will be there. This really does not need to be a twelve person match.

Adam Priest vs. Konosuke Takeshita

They go to the mat and fight over headlocks until Takeshita hits a jumping clothesline. Takeshita knocks him outside but Priest avoids a charge back inside. A dropkick has Takeshita in trouble and Priest knocks him outside for a change. Takeshita avoids a charge into the barricade and hits a DDT on the floor as we take a break. We come back with Priest tying up Takeshita’s leg in the ropes and striking away. A Blue Thunder Bomb gives Takeshita two but Priest is back with the half crab. That’s broken up as well and Takeshita wins a slugout, including the discus forearm. The Raging Fire pins Priest at 8:23.

Rating: C+. Priest is someone who continues to work hard and continues to feel like little more than someone who is never going anywhere. Maybe he could go somewhere in the ROH midcard, but that’s about it. It isn’t about his talent, which is indeed there, but rather just that he has lost a bunch and is on the smaller side and that is going to hold him back from anything significant.

The Triangle Of Madness and company are ready for Blood & Guts.

Video on Mercedes Mone vs. Marina Shafir.

The Cut vs. The Conglomeration

Everyone comes in for a staredown at the bell and it’s Robinson getting caught in the corner for the chopping. O’Reilly and Strong take turns firing off the right hands and even Cassidy gets in on the fun. The Conglomeration snaps off some suplexes and Austin Gunn gets caught in the ropes for the chops and kicks, as the Conglomeration tends to do. Robinson knocks O’Reilly into the corner though and the stomping is on as we take a break.

We come back with a high/low getting two on O’Reilly and we’re off to the chinlock. Everything breaks down with the other four brawling on the apron, meaning O’Reilly has no one to tag. It’s back to Strong a few moments later and house is quickly cleaned. Cassidy even gets a springboard flip dive to the floor but everyone is knocked down for a big breather. Robinson slugs away at O’Reilly but gets caught in the ankle lock. Jay White sends in the brass knuckles though and a big left hand gives Robinson the pin on O’Reilly at 12:48.

Rating: B. This was a fast paced match and it was nice to see a match that actually felt important. The Cut at least feels like one of the biggest stories going in AEW right now and it’s interesting to see what’s going on with the rather large team. Beating the Conglomeration is important, especially by playing the numbers game again.

Post match the beatdown is on, with the brass knuckles helping to leave the Conglomeration laying.

Overall Rating: C+. The show was fine, but my goodness it did not feel important. Look at the matches and outside of the main event, find something that felt like it mattered. I get that has to happen on occasion, but on Halloween night? This was the best they had? I would have had no idea that this was a holiday show and they didn’t exactly put in the work to change that mindset. It’s a good enough show, but egads this would have been so much better at half the length.

Results
Tommaso Ciampa b. Matt Sydal – Running knee
Hurt Syndicate b. Soloroto – Spear to Solo
Triangle Of Madness b. Trinity – Assisted swinging Side Effect to Fuwa-Chan
Mike Bailey b. Darius Martin – Arm trap sunset flip
Megan Bayne/Lena Kross b. Nixi XS/Leela Feist – Divine Intervention to Feist
Konosuke Takeshita b. Adam Priest – Raging Fire
The Cut b. The Conglomeration – Left hand with brass knuckles to O’Reilly

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

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AAA On FOX
Date: October 31, 2026
Location: Gimnasio Olimpico Juan de la Barrera, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Corey Graves, John Bradshaw Layfield, Rey Mysterio

So it’s week two of Heroes Inmortales and the big Mega Title match has already taken place. This week should feature Rey Fenix defending the Cruiserweight Title against Mini Vikingo but the latter is hurt so it’s open challenge time. The rest of the show should be fine as well so let’s get to it.

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

The opening video, which is at least very similar to last week’s, talks about the difference between being a hero and a villain. Either way, all that matters is being immortal. I’m assuming the people featured here are different but the narration seems to be the same.

Here is Laredo Kid to get things going. He’s the king of the cruiserweights and held the title for over 1,500 days. That’s why he’s here to take the title back and doesn’t need his brother to help him. Cue Jack Cartwheel to jump him from behind and say he wants the title. Takuma, of the Tokyo Bad Boys, comes in to say the same and it’s a three way brawl. Rey Fenix comes in to say he’s Kid’s daddy and he’ll beat all three of them tonight.

Psycho Clown finds Pagano in his dressing room. Pagano gives him one more chance to leave but Clown says no. Cue El Carnicero to beat Clown down.

Tag Team Titles: Los Vipers vs. El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr./Galeno

Los Vipers are challenging. Wagner shoves Histeria around to start and it’s off to Galeno to knock him down again. Taurus comes in as Histeria cheap shots Wagner, allowing Taurus to get in a clothesline. The chinlock goes on for a bit, with Wagner wasting no time in escaping. Galeno comes back in to clean house, including holding Histeria up for a rather ridiculous amount of time. The big running flip dive hits Taurus on the floor and it’s a Wagner Driver into the frog splash to pin Histeria at 6:27.

Rating: C+. This was short and to the point, with the Wagner Brothers getting to go out there and show what they could do. The Wagners are turning into a good team and definitely feel like the best around here, which is how the champions should seem. Los Vipers could as well have been any two warm bodies but the match worked well enough.

Psycho Circus vs. El Carnicero/Pagano

Dave and Murder for the Circus here. It’s a brawl to start and Dave suplexes Pagano. That doesn’t last long as Pagano is up to knock Dave into Carnicero, allowing Pagano to get in a running headbutt. Carnicero seems scared of Pagano’s tag but then takes it and hits a hard clothesline. The Circus is dropped again and we take a break.

We come back with Carnicero and Pagano continuing to wreck various clowns. Carnicero boots Pagano down by mistake though and Murder gets in a short DDT. A top rope splash gets two but Pagano low bridges Murder to the floor. That leaves Carnicero to Boss Man Slam Dave for the pin at 9:01.

Rating: B-. I’m not sure what to think of Carnicero, but he’s a good enough monster and that’s all he needs to be. At the same time you have Pagano, who fits so much better as a villain, with the personal issues against Psycho Clown being that much better. Good enough match here, but the story has a long way to go.

Post match Psycho Clown tries to come in for the save and is quickly crushed.

Cruiserweight Title: Rey Fenix vs. Jack Cartwheel vs. Takuma vs. Laredo Kid

Fenix is defending. They start fast with Takuma armdragging Fenix and grabbing a tornado DDT. Kid makes the save and chops Cartwheel in the corner. A nasty inverted Michinoku Driver drops Cartwheel and Kid hits a 450 for two, with Fenix making the save. Fenix’s springboard cutter hits Cartwheel and the running flip dive takes Kid out. Back in and Kid’s destroyer DDT gets two on Fenix and he drops a frog splash for the same, with Takuma making the save.

Takuma’s Backstabber gets two on Cartwheel and Fenix’s Angel’s Wings gets the same. Takuma is right back up with a crazy springboard dive to Fenix on the floor but has to dive in for a save of his own on Kid. Fenix Swantons the cover and then goes up but Cartwheel makes the save. Cartwheel hits a big dive to the floor, leaving Fenix to catch Takuma on top. The Mexican MuscleBuster retains Fenix’s title at 11:14.

Rating: B+. You knew what you were going to see here and that’s what they delivered, with a bunch of flying around and crazy saves/dives. That’s all it should have been and it worked like it always does. Fenix is on a roll right now and that has been spreading over multiple shows, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise if you’ve followed his career.

Dorian Roldan is on the phone and wants an answer next week.

Overall Rating: B-. It still messes with me that these specials are all top heavy with such a big drop in the second and third weeks. That being said, even if this show didn’t feel as important, it was still a perfectly acceptable week of TV. The action, especially in the main event, was good and there is enough being built up for the coming weeks. I want to see where the Pagano/Carnicero/Circus stuff goes and that’s enough to carry my interest for the time being. Perfectly acceptable show here, again.

Results
El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr./Galeno b. Los Vipers – Frog splash to Histeria
El Carnicero/Pagano b. Psycho Circus – Spinning Boss Man Slam to Dave
Rey Fenix b. Jack Cartwheel, Laredo Kid and Takuma – Mexican MuscleBuster to Takuma

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

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