Bound For Glory 2023
Date: October 21, 2023
Location: Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s the biggest show of Impact’s year and things are getting interesting around here. The main event here will see Josh Alexander challenging Alex Shelley for the World Title that he never lost. Other than that, we have Trinity defending the Knockouts Title against Mickie James, who never lost her title either. Let’s get to it.

The opening video talks about the quest for glory through victory. The main matches get attention of their own.

X-Division Title: Chris Sabin vs. Kenta

Kenta is challenging and is driven against the ropes for a clean break. They go to the slugout with Kenta getting the better of things and sending Sabin outside. The dive is knocked out of the air though and Sabin hits a high crossbody for two back inside. Kenta bails to the floor and manages to drive Sabin back first into the apron.

Back in and Kenta gets four straight near falls before we hit the chinlock. Sabin gets up and they slug it out until Sabin hits a running shot to get a breather. The missile dropkick puts Kenta down again and a middle rope tornado DDT gets two more. The Cradle Shock is broken up though and Kenta hits his tornado neck snap across the top.

Some running kicks in the corner rock Sabin again but he kicks Kenta in the face. Kenta has to grab the referee to escape the Cradle Shock and then knocks Sabin down for a double stomp. The GTS is blocked and Sabin scores with a superkick. The missile dropkick to the back sets up Cradle Shock to retain the title at 11:28.

Rating: B. As usual, the X-Division stuff is a good choice for an opener as the matches are fast paced and hard hitting enough to get the audience into things. It was a good test for Sabin as Kenta is a known star and now I wonder who is next to come for the title. This worked well and as usual, Sabin can go with anyone.

Here’s what’s coming on the show.

We recap Monster’s Ball, which is a hoss fight that was mainly started over who was supposed to get the Feast Or Fired briefcase. Rhino cost Maclin the case, which Moose wound up getting. PCO is there because he’s a monster and Bully Ray is lurking around as well.

Moose vs. PCO vs. Steve Maclin vs. Rhino

Anything goes and they do the whole “they’ve been locked up for twenty four hours” deal. It’s a brawl before the bell and Moose beats people up with the briefcase. As the spear is loaded up, here is PCO to brawl with Moose instead. Moose backdrops PCO over the top and through a ladder but the other two get back in to keep up the brawling. Maclin Death Valley Drivers Moose into a trashcan in the corner and hits PCO in the back with a chair.

Back in and PCO chokeslams Maclin and hits a suicide dive on Rhino. A middle rope legdrop hits Maclin and the Deanimator makes it even worse. Moose is back in with some release Rock Bottoms to PCO, who keeps popping right back up. With that not working, Moose plants CO onto some cinder blocks covers with thumbtacks (because that’s a thing).

Rhino is back up and wants tables, which the fans seem to like. Naturally it’s a barbed wire table but Maclin posts Rhino to cut him off. Cue Bully Ray to shove Maclin off the top and through the barbed wire table for the huge crash. Back in and PCO DDTs Moose, who catches him on top with some chair shots. Rhino Gores the chair that Moose is holding but it’s enough to put Moose down so that the PCOsault can finish him off at 11:11.

Rating: B-. This was exactly as advertised and that is not a bad thing. Sometimes you need to just let some big people go out there and hit each other really hard which is what we got here. PCO winning is a bit of a surprise but it does make sense given how much this match would suit him. Fun stuff here and they did what they needed to.

Mickie James is ready for Trinity.

We recap ABC challenging the Rascalz for the Tag Team Titles. ABC got cheated out of a title shot and the Rascalz won the belts, but now it’s time for the rematch.

Tag Team Titles: Rascalz vs. ABC

ABC is challenging and this is Chris Bey’s Feast Or Fired cash in. The Rascalz try to jump them to start and we settle down to Miguel vs. Bey with neither being able to hit their big kick. Austin comes in to kick Miguel down for two but Wentz is back in with a neckbreaker. A standing shooting star press gets two on Austin and Miguel neckbreakers him on the apron for a nasty crash. The chinlock goes on back inside but Austin manages to send both champs to the floor for the big dive.

Back in and it’s Bey getting the tag to clean house, including a Downward Spiral/reverse DDT combination. A brainbuster gets two on Wentz and a torture rack neckbreaker/springboard kick to the head combination gets the same. The 1-2-Sweet is broken up and a backbreaker puts Bey down for two. Miguel hits a top rope Meteora so Wentz’s Swanton can get two more. Wentz loads up the spray paint but sprays Miguel by mistake, setting up the 1-2-Sweet to give us new champions at 9:48.

Rating: B-. These guys work well together and we get some history to make the show feel more important. It was a good results too as ABC getting the titles back feels right as they are probably the best team in Impact today. They get their nice moment to win the titles back while having a good match in the process. Nice stuff here, which tends to be the case for ABC.

Quick video on Will Ospreay vs. Mike Bailey, which is more or less Ospreay being a big star and coming in to face one of Impact’s best.

Will Ospreay vs. Mike Bailey

Ospreay takes him up to the ropes to start so Bailey kicks away. A monkey flip puts Bailey down but he knocks Ospreay out to the floor for the moonsault dive. Back in and a hot shot into a big boot puts Bailey on the floor and Ospreay hits a dive of his own. The abdominal stretch goes on for a few seconds before Ospreay chops the heck out of him. Bailey is right back with a missile dropkick into some strikes for two.

A delayed kick to the head rocks Ospreay again but it’s too early for the Flamingo Driver. Ospreay isn’t having that though and scores with a spinning kick to the head for a breather. The Cheeky Nandos kick looks to set up the Oscutter but Bailey backslides his way out of trouble. A poisonrana puts Ospreay on the apron but he’s fine enough to kick him in the head.

The Oscutter connects to send Bailey outside with quite the crash. Back in and the regular Oscutter gets two but it’s too early for the Hidden Blade. Bailey gets back up for a hard exchange of kicks and forearms until the Hidden Blade puts Bailey back down. A top rope Oscutter is cut off by knees to the back though and the Ultimate Weapon gives Bailey two.

Ospreay elbows him in the head but Stormbreaker is countered into a hurricanrana for two more. They go up top where Bailey’s super fisherman’s buster gets another near fall. The tornado kick connects for Bailey but Ospreay pulls him into the Styles Clash of all things for two of his own. Ospreay’s Storm Driver 93 gets two more and the Hidden Blade into another Stormbreaker finishes Bailey at 17:28.

Rating: B+. Yeah this worked, if nothing else because it was two people beating the fire out of each other. They didn’t really need a story here as this was about tearing the house down in something close to a dream match. Bailey was bringing it here and Ospreay is one of the best in the world at the moment so it was going to be a heck of a match no matter what they did. Very good stuff here and worthy of a spot on the biggest show of their year.

Various wrestlers are ready for the Call Your Shot gauntlet.

Call Your Shot Gauntlet

This is basically a 20 person Royal Rumble (two minutes for the third entrant, one minute for every other entrant, regular match when they get down to two) for the title shot of your choice. Jake Something is in at #1 and Eddie Edwards is in at #2. Edwards chops away and Something tells him to keep going before hitting some running shoulders. Something has him in trouble and it’s Kenny King in at #3.

Edwards and King double team Something down until Juventud Guerrera of all people is in at #4. Guerrera takes over on King and Edwards but the former hits a spinebuster to put him down. Johnny Swinger is in at #5 but King plants him with a fireman’s carry facebuster. Guerrera tosses King for the first elimination but here is Crazzy Steve (not in the match) to jump Swinger from behind.

Gisele Shaw is in at #6 and tosses the banged up Swinger. Cue Tommy Dreamer to brawl to the back with Steve as Jody Threat is in at #7. Shaw gets dropkicked off the apron but her goons are there for the save. KiLynn King is in at #8 as Edwards knocks out Guerrera. The debuting Sonny Kiss is in at #9 and gorilla presses Shaw out as Bully Ray is in at #10. Ray and Kiss….have a dance off until Ray punches King.

Matt Cardona is in at #11 as a big surprise but Kiss plays D-Von for a What’s Up. Jordynne Grace is in at #12 as the ring is getting too full. Brawling ensues along the ropes and it’s Eric Young in at #13. Young gets to clean some house and even knocks Edwards out. Joe Hendry is in at #14 and grabs a delayed suplex on Cardona. Brian Myers is in at #15 and quickly gets rid of Hendry. We get the Cardona/Myers reunion and they toss Kiss.

Heath is in at #16 and Wake Up Calls abound…until Myers throws Heath out. Frankie Kazarian is in at #17 but he gets double teamed as well. Rich Swann is in at #18 to save Kazarian and Jonathan Gresham is in at #19. Gresham knocks Threat out but has a staredown with Grace (his wife). Dirty Dango is in at #20 to complete the field…and is immediately eliminated by Something.

That leaves us with a field of Something, KiLynn King, Ray, Cardona, Grace, Young, Myers, Heath, Kazarian, Swann and Gresham. Hold on though as Dango’s goon Oleg Prudius gets to wreck a bunch of people, allowing Myers and Cardona to dump Kazarian. Swann is tossed as well and Young follows him as the field thins a lot. There goes Gresham as well but Something fights out of a double suplex and gets to clean house.

Myers hits Something low to save Cardona though and Something is out. Cardona then tosses Myers and we’re down to King, Cardona, Ray and Grace. King and Cardona are tossed as well so now it’s Grace vs. Ray in a regular match for the title shot. Grace forearms away but gets put down by a single chop. It works so well that Ray does it again but the elbow misses. Instead Grace strikes away and manages the Juggernaut Driver for the pin at 28:57.

Rating: C. This match has yet to be anything that would be seen as good and that was the case again here. Instead, we had another long match with some nice moments and a heck of a reunion between Cardona and Myers. At the same time though, Kiss was only so interesting and that’s about it for the surprise entrants. There were a lot of people here who could have had another match on the show and it isn’t so interesting to see them coming in, doing nothing and then being eliminated. Finally, this match just takes up so much time on the show and it always makes me wonder what else they could have done.

Post match Grace says she’s getting the Knockouts Title shot at Hard To Kill. Well at least they didn’t waste time.

We recap Mickie James challenging Trinity for the Knockouts Title. James had to vacate the title earlier this year due to injury and Trinity has become champion in her absence. Now James wants the title back, though they’re cool with each other.

Knockouts Title: Trinity vs. Mickie James

James is challenging and they fight over wrist control to start. Trinity tries to pull her down into Starstruck but James is right out with with a headscissors. James powers her way off the mat and kicks her in the head but charges into Trinity’s kick to the head in the corner. Back up and they strike it out with stereo crossbodies putting both of them down for a breather.

They crash out to the floor and both beat the count back in with a less than dramatic moment. Trinity hits the Rear View for two and does that annoying wiggle in the corner. James is back with the finger lick to even (?) things up before Trinity hits another kick to the head. The split legged moonsault gives Trinity two but the Mick Kick gives Mickie the save. Trinity’s Bubba Bomb into some rollups get two each so Mickie catches her with a tornado DDT. A slingshot X Factor misses for Trinity and Mickie plants her down again. The MickDT is countered though and Trinity pulls her into Starstruck to retain at 11:24.

Rating: B-. It was good but this didn’t feel like a big time title showdown. They were doing the big moves and felt like they were trying to have the epic fight but it just didn’t work. It didn’t help that they didn’t have any personal issue and went with a straight match. That makes sense for the story but it doesn’t make for the most interesting match.

Respect is shown post match.

Moose is going to cash in his Feast Or Fired briefcase at Hard To Kill. There are two of the biggest matches on the card covered, though having them be cash in matches might not be the best idea.

We recap Alex Shelley defending the World Title against Josh Alexander. Yet again, Alexander never lost the title and is trying to get it back. At the same time, Shelley seems to be insecure despite being an Impact legend who won the title. Alexander is playing into that and Shelley is getting a little edgy.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Alex Shelley vs. Josh Alexander

Alexander is challenging. They go to the mat to start with Alexander getting the better of things before they’re back on their feet. It’s too early for Shell Shock as Alexander sends him outside for a breather. Back in and Alexander grabs a front facelock but Shelley reverses into an armbar. That’s broken up and they forearm it out until Shelley goes after Alexander’s arm (the one that caused him to vacate the title).

A backbreaker gives Alexander two and we hit the double arm crank. Shelley breaks that up as well and stomps on the arm, followed by a backdrop to break up a C4 Spike attempt. The bar arm gets posted and Shelley wraps it around the post again. Alexander chops his way out of trouble and grabs Bret Hart’s Hartbreaker Figure Four around the post. With that broken up, they head back inside where Alexander rolls some German suplexes.

Shelley breaks them up but can’t get the Border City Stretch. Shelley ties up both arms instead but Alexander powers out again. That earns him a face first ram into the middle buckle and Shelley loads up Sliced Bread. That’s countered into another German suplex to give Alexander two and it’s time to go after Shelley’s leg.

They head outside with Shelley Shell Shocking him into the barricade. Back in and a frog splash sets up the Border City Stretch, which is reversed into a quickly broken ankle lock. Shelley hammers away and, after countering a C4 Spike attempt, hits a pair of Shell Shocks to retain at 22:33.

Rating: B+. They had a personal issue here and it helped a lot, though they also kept the match pretty much completely clean. What matters is it felt like a showdown between the two tops tars and now Shelley doesn’t have Alexander’s shadow hanging over him. It might not feel like the biggest match of the year, but it was a heck of a match on the big stage and that worked well.

Post match Alexander puts the title on Shelley and leaves in peace.

Oh and one more thing: Impact is going to be TNA Wrestling again starting at Hard To Kill in January. Because if there is one thing this place was missing, it’s nostalgia for the days when they felt like the most inept promotion in the world a good deal of the time. This is announced in a big video showing a bunch of wrestlers saying they need a change, meaning it’s time to go back where it started.

Scott D’Amore and a bunch of wrestlers are in the ring, with Scott saying WE’RE BACK to end the show with TNA chants. I’m sure there’s some ridiculous branding argument to do this change but….egads man this feels like a very unnecessary step.

Overall Rating: B. As usual, the wrestling worked, which has become the new norm around here. It felt like a big closing point for a lot of stories while also setting up things for Hard To Kill. We still have about two and a half months until the show but there will likely be some smaller shows to bridge the gap. What matters is they delivered on the biggest night of the year and there was only one match that wasn’t rather good. Now just find a way to move forward from here, which is often their biggest problem.

Results
Chris Sabin b. Kenta – Cradle Shock
PCO b. Moose, Steve Maclin and Rhino – PCOsault to Moose
ABC b. Rascalz – 1-2-Sweet to Wentz
Will Ospreay b. Mike Bailey – Stormbreaker
Jordynne Grace won the Call Your Shot Gauntlet last eliminating Bully Ray
Trinity b. Mickie James – Starstruck
Alex Shelley b. Josh Alexander – Shell Shock

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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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

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As always, hit up the comments section to chat about what is going on and get on the Wrestling Rumors Facebook page and follow us on Twitter (featuring news stories written by ME).

Battle Of The Belts VIII
Date: October 21, 2023
Location: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone, Kevin Kelly

We’re back with another one of these and this show is extra packed with four title matches in one hour. Granted I’m not sure how much of a difference that is going to make when there has not been a title change at a Battle Of The Belts in over a year and a half. Maybe that changes tonight though so let’s get to it.

We open with Jon Moxley leaving the ring and going to the back, where he runs into International Champion Orange Cassidy. They bump shoulders (Cassidy seemed to be the instigator) and the fight is…not on as the rest of the Blackpool Combat Club and a referee breaks it up.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. John Silver

Cassidy is defending and Silver has Alex Reynolds with him. Silver puts his hands in….Cassidy’s pockets so Cassidy puts his own hands on Silver’s head for a headbutt. Cassidy dives onto Reynolds, who had taken the sunglasses before the match. Back in and Silver misses a kick to the head but manages a heck of a toss into the corner. Cassidy manages to ram him into the buckle a few times but Silver is right back with a delayed superplex for two. They head to the apron where Silver hits a one armed gorilla press (that’s not bad) to the floor.

We take a break and come back with Cassidy hitting a Michinoku Driver for two, followed by some harder than usual lazy kicks. The spinning DDT is countered into a small package to give Silver two but Stundog Millionaire gets Cassidy out of trouble. Beach Break gets two but Reynolds offers a distraction and gets in a belt shot for two of his own. The Spin Doctor gets another near fall on Cassidy, who is right back with the Orange Punch to retain at 9:30.

Rating: C+. I know it’s a minor show and not exactly worthy of a big name challenger, but it was really hard to get into Silver coming for the title. He felt like someone thrown out there for the sake of having a title shot and that doesn’t make for the most interesting match. Cassidy vs. Moxley seems destined to take place again sooner rather than later so Cassidy losing was a very long shot at best against almost anyone, but there wasn’t a more serious challenger available?

Andrade El Idolo is banged up after his loss to Bryan Danielson but CJ Perry comes in to offer her guidance. Andrade seems intrigued, apparently not knowing what this means for his future health.

Ring Of Honor TV Title: Samoa Joe vs. Tony Nese

Nese, with Mark Sterling, is challenging and we get their traditional “you’re all fat and need to exercise” bit before the match. Joe hammers away in the corner, avoids a moonsault (as only he can) and finishes with the MuscleBuster to retain at 1:17. Total squash.

Post match Joe says MJF can give him what he wants or he can take it, but he’ll be the next AEW World Champion.

TBS Title: Kris Statlander vs. Willow Nightingale

Nightingale is challenging. They trade shoulders to start and neither can get very far. Statlander sends her to the floor and hits a moonsault off the apron for a crash. A posting cuts Statlander off (despite a visible gap between her head and the steel) and Nightingale Cannonballs her against the steps.

We take a break and come back with Nightingale launching her into the corner but Statlander hits a running knee. The Blue Thunder Bomb gets two but Nightingale is right back with a Pounce. A quick DDT gives Statlander two and she goes up top, only to get super Death Valley Drivered back down. The Cannonball crushes Statlander but she’s fine enough to powerbomb Nightingale out of the corner. The 450 retains the title at 10:23.

Rating: B-. They went with the hoss fight here and the two of them beat the fire out of each other for about ten minutes. It was an exchange of one big shot after another and it made for a good match. Statlander is still clearing out the division and is going to need a new challenger. Right now though, I’m not sure who that is, though she almost needs to move up to the Women’s Title sooner or later. At the same time, Nightingale continues to lose in big matches, which is quite the sad thing to see for her.

Post match respect is teased but Skye Blue runs in to break it up. Nightingale does shake Statlander’s hand as Blue isn’t pleased.

Orange Cassidy doesn’t like the Blackpool Combat Club (Cassidy: “I don’t care about Yuta.”) but if they want to fight, Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson can fight him and…..Kazuchika Okada on Dynamite. Well that elevated quickly.

Trios Titles: Acclaimed/Billy Gunn vs. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker/Daniel Garcia

Menard and company, with Anna Jay, are challenging. Hold on though as the Memphis Grizzlies’ mascot is here for a pre-match scissoring. Caster grabs a hammerlock on Garcia to start before pulling him down into a headscissors. Garcia gets up and teases the dance but Menard breaks that up again. More dancing is teases but this time Anna breaks it up and gets ejected for her efforts.

Bowens slugs away at Menard and kicks Parker out to the floor. Gunn comes in (the fans approve) and we get the scissoring double elbow. It’s already back to Caster, who gets stomped down in the corner as we take a break. Back with Bowens getting punched down, allowing Garcia to step over him a few times. Bowens manages to kick the villains away but Garcia decks Caster before the tag.

A rolling tag brings Gunn in though and house is quickly cleaned. Scissor Me Timbers hits Menard and we get the three way scissoring. Garcia is back in and tries the dancing but has to beat up Caster instead. Now the dancing can ensue, but it takes too long and Gunn is back in with the Fameasser. The assisted Iconoclasm retains the titles at 10:48.

Rating: C+. This was more of a fun match than anything else and there is nothing wrong with wrapping up with that sort of thing. The fans are going to cheer for the Acclaimed and Gunn pretty much no matter what and Garcia’s dancing is crazy popular right now. There was even a hint of some drama over a title change here so this was a nice way to go to wrap up the show.

Overall Rating: B-. As can be the case around here, the wrestling was fine but there is a grand total of no need to watch this show. There hasn’t been a title change on one of these shows since last April and it’s not like there was anything great on this one either. It’s worth a look if you are completely out of anything to see, but don’t expect much of anything that matters in the grand scheme of things.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. John Silver – Orange Punch
Samoa Joe b. Tony Nese – MuscleBuster
Kris Statlander b. Willow Nightingale – 450
Acclaimed/Billy Gunn b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker/Daniel Garcia – Assisted Iconoclasm to Parker

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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Collision
Date: October 21, 2023
Location: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone

It’s the first part of a double shot this weekend as we have the usual Collision plus Battle Of The Belts as a follow up. This week’s show has a pair of big matches as the Blackpool Combat Club gets a shot at the Tag Team Titles, plus Andrade El Idolo vs. Bryan Danielson in what should be a heck of a match. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Bryan Danielson vs. Andrade El Idolo

Feeling out process to start with neither being able to get very far. El Idolo can’t get a Gory Stretch as Danielson slips out, earning himself a running shoulder. Neither can get much of an advantage so they shake hands instead. Danielson pulls him into a bow and arrow but Andrade slips out for a failed Figure Four attempt. Andrade takes him into the corner for the exchange of chops but Danielson slips out and fires off the kicks to the chest. Danielson sends him to the floor and hits the running knee off the apron as we take a break.

Back with Andrade fighting back and dropkicking him off the top to the floor. There’s the moonsault to the floor but Danielson headbutts him of the top. The shotgun dropkick hits Andrade but he gets away from the LeBell Lock attempt. Andrade knocks him down again and tries the double moonsault, only to hit raised knees.

The LeBell Lock is countered into the Figure Four but Danielson gets to the rope before the Figure Eight. Back up and they collide but Danielson hits a kick to the head. The running knee misses and they trade rollups for two each until Danielson finally crucifixes him for the pin at 18:57.

Rating: B+. It was an awesome back and forth match, even if it isn’t exactly the dream match they advertised and has pretty much nothing to do with storylines at the moment. That being said, Danielson is as much of a guarantee of a good to great match as there is in the world at the moment. I’m curious to see what happens when he’s not there to fill in twenty minutes of this show every week, but I’ll certainly take it for now.

Post match respect is shown and Andrade leaves, only to have Malakai Black pop in to kick Danielson down. The Blackpool Combat Club makes the save.

Darby Allin isn’t worried about what has happened to Nick Wayne and can’t wait to see the special gift for Sting on Dynamite.

Skye Blue vs. Hollyhood Haley

Haley takes her down to start and hits a running knee to the back. Blue catches her in the corner and hits a powerbomb. Code Blue finishes Haley at 1:58.

The Gunns vs. Outrunners

The Gunns beat up Magnum to start and throw Floyd into the same corner. 3:10 To Yuma finishes Floyd at 2:04.

Post match the lights go out and we see the Devil in the back.

Kris Statlander squats interviewer Lexi Nair to warm up. Orange Cassidy is ready too.

Eddie Kingston vs. Jeff Jarrett

Non-title Memphis Street Fight (weapons provided), Jay Lethal gets a title shot if Jarrett wins, and Memphis legend Dave Brown is on commentary. They go straight to the weapons and since there was once a concession stand brawl near Memphis, they have a bunch of food, including ketchup and mustard. The brawl heads to the stage where Jay Lethal cutters Kingston off the stage and through a table.

We take a break and come back wit Jarrett doing various horrible things to Kingston’s knee. The Figure Four goes on but Kingston turns it over, only to have Lethal miss something off the top. Jarrett brings in the guitar and hits the Stroke for two. Lethal and Satnam Singh come in to beat the fire out of Kingston, with the Lethal Injection giving Jarrett the pin at 13:00.

Rating: C. This is going to be the definition of “your mileage may vary” and it’s not going to surprise me to see the reactions being all over the place. It was a wacky brawl and Kingston getting beaten down because he has no friends is a fine plot device to set up the title match. I could go for less of the concession stand stuff though, as would could have dropped the Memphis from the title and avoided the goofiness entirely.

Miro vs. Action Andretti

CJ Perry is at ringside as Andretti hits some dropkicks to start. Miro tosses him down though and we take a break with Andretti going into the steps. Back with Andretti fighting up and sending him to the floor for a running flip dive. Miro takes him down back inside and tries Game Over, which is flipped out of for the escape. Andretti manages the torture rack but Miro powers out and kicks him in the face, setting up Game Over for the win at 9:04.

Rating: C. Miro is a monster but he’s going nine minutes to beat low level tag guy Action Andretti. That doesn’t seem to be going with the point of Miro being angry at anyone for wanting to work with his wife but I guess they had to fill the TV time somehow. Odds are this is part of a longer story for Miro, though it could have gotten off to a better start.

The former Jericho Appreciation Society is still arguing and storm off. Ruby Soho comes in for the next interview and says she understands families falling apart. Angelo Parker says he’ll be a champion at the end of the night but Soho tells him to get out of her shot. Soho wants a title shot against someone, which doesn’t make a ton of sense given the graphic that shows her getting a title shot on Dynamite popping up during her promo.

Rush and La Faccion Ingobernable are on the way back.

Eddie Kingston goes on a rant about Jay Lethal losing his way and tells him not to bring his goons to their title match. Also something about Lethal’s parents being disappointed in him for referring to someone who isn’t blood as his uncle.

FTR vs. Bad Thad Brown/Darien Bengston

FTR wrecks them to start but the lights go out. Malakai Black is here so the lights go out again (four times tonight) and the House of Black is here to jump FTR for the DQ at 1:02.

Post match the beatdown is on.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Tag Team Titles: Big Bill/Ricky Starks vs. Wheeler Yuta/Claudio Castagnoli

Bill/Starks are defending. Yuta takes Starks to the mat to start and the champion is quickly frustrated. Bill comes in instead and it’s actually not Castagnoli coming in (commentary is surprised too). The power sends Yuta to the apron and Bill knocks him into the barricade for a crash.

We take a break and come back with Bill dropping an elbow for two, followed by a Boss Man Slam for the same. Yuta manages to avoid a charge in the corner though and hands it off to Castagnoli. House is quickly cleaned, including Old School of all things for two on Starks. The running uppercut against the barricade connects and we take a break.

Back with Bill big booting Castagnoli for two but having to escape a fireman’s carry. Yuta comes in with a missile dropkick Hart Attack for two on Bill but Starks comes in to cut him off. The Roshambo is blocked but Bill hits something like a powerbomb to give Starks two. Yuta manages to get back to Castagnoli so the pace can pick up, including the Swing into the dropkick. Bill makes the save and the Fastball Special is loaded up but cue the House of Black to break it up. Starks hits the spear and the Roshambo to retain the titles at 21:22.

Rating: B. This got a lot of time and they were able to do something with Yuta getting beaten down for such a long time before Castagnoli could come in to even things up a bit. The House Of Black ending does tie things together throughout the show but it might have felt like a bigger shock if this was their first appearance of night. Starks and Bill continuing their reign is a good sign as well, as you don’t want them to feel like they lucked into the titles with a short run.

Post match the beatdown is on so Bryan Danielson comes in for the failed save attempt. FTR comes in as well but Bill and Starks help beat them down. Cue Jon Moxley for the real save and the big brawl ends the show. Well after one more Swing to Starks to leave the fans happy.

Overall Rating: B. That’s certainly the Collision formula: good stuff to start and end the show without much of value in between. The opener and main event were both rather good TV matches, but I could have gone with something better in the middle. Save for the Blackpool Combat Club stuff, this wasn’t the most important show, but two matches totaling about forty minutes of that quality are more than enough to carry AEW through two hours.

Results
Bryan Danielson b. Andrade El Idolo – Crucifix
Skye Blue b. Hollyhood Haley – Code Blue
Gunns b. Outrunners – 3:10 To Yuma to Floyd
Jeff Jarrett b. Eddie Kingston – Lethal Injection
Miro b. Action Andretti – Game Over
FTR b. Bad Thad Brown/Darien Bengston via DQ when the House Of Black interfered
Ricky Starks/Big Bill b. Blackpool Combat Club – Roshambo to Yuta

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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Monday Night Raw
Date: August 2, 1993
Location: Castle Recreation Center, Alexandria Bay, New York
Attendance: 1,000
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan

We’re back to the old Raw’s with another short month. The build to Summerslam is on so this is going to be a show focused on Lex Luger again. Other than that, we’ll need to build up the rest of the card, which doesn’t exactly have the best reputation. Maybe the build will be better though. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Doink The Clown challenging Randy Savage and having two more Doink’s pop up for the mind games.

Opening sequence.

A very patriotic looking Randy Savage is ready for all the Doink’s and says he might have a little surprise of his own.

Steiner Brothers vs. Duane Gill/Barry Horowitz

Non-title. The shots of the arena during the Steiners’ entrance shows you just how tiny the venue really is. Scott powers Horowitz around without much trouble to start but misses a charge in the corner. Horowitz pats himself on the back for the dodge and is promptly caught in a Boston crab. Rick comes in and Barry yells a bit before Gill comes in to hammer away. This earns him a quick clothesline and it’s back to Scott for the Frankensteiner and the fast pin. Total squash, as it should have been.

We get the first part of a series to help us get to know Lex Luger on his way to the Summerslam title match. He talks about how important it was to get a good education to go with athletics. His friends made fun of him when he was working so hard at school, even though he moved around a lot as a kid. To this day, his friends are amazed to see him doing what he does today. He’s always nervous and he fights it to this day. Thrilling indeed. Far better than, I don’t know, having him wrestle.

Adam Bomb vs. Tony Roy

Johnny Polo is here with Bomb. A waistlock takes Roy down without much effort as Bobby talks about knowing Marilyn Monroe. Polo thinks his parents deserve applause as Roy is sent hard into the corner. A drop across the top rope and a top rope clothesline set up the Atom Smasher (powerbomb) to give Bomb the pin.

Next week: Tatanka vs. Mr. Hughes. Oh yeah it’s 1993.

Doink The Clown vs. Randy Savage

Hold on though as Savage wants to check on the floor for extra Doinks before being ready to go. Doink bails into the corner to start as the fans are rather behind Savage. A rake to the eyes slows Savage down so he goes outside for a chair, which is enough of a distraction for Doink to get in a cheap shot. The Boston crab has Savage in more trouble and Doink even grabs the rope for a bonus. With that broken up, Doink wraps the leg around the rope and hammers away in the ropes.

Savage gets away and hits the running knee to send Doink outside. A posting cuts Savage down though and we take a break. Back with Doink hitting a dropkick and we hit the neck crank. That doesn’t last long either and Doink grabs an abdominal stretch. Doink slams him down but misses the Whoopee Cushion. Savage gets sent outside, where he crawls outside….and is replaced by a miniature version. Doink is so confused that Savage small packages him for the pin.

Rating: C. This got some time but that didn’t exactly make it good. Doink worked on the back for a good while until the screwiness came out. Savage was pretty clearly just kind of there until Crush came back and this wasn’t exactly great to see. Doink was a bizarre character but he could make it work. Just not with the “funny” stuff at the end, which really didn’t work

Post match the Mini Savage bites Doink and poses with the big version.

It’s time for the Summerslam Report. We run down the card with Gene Okerlund pointing out that we don’t know what a Rest In Peace match is yet.

Ted DiBiase calls in to complain about the 1-2-3 Kid. We see a clip of Razor Ramon costing DiBiase a match against the Kid on Wrestling Challenge, causing DiBiase to hang up in disgust.

Heenan is upset over DiBiase….but gets very happy as he sees someone in the ring. That would be the debuting Jim Cornette from Smoky Mountain Wrestling, with Heenan asking the fans if they know who he is. Heenan calls him the greatest manager in wrestling but Cornette says he’s only the best because Heenan retired.

We talk about Smoky Mountain Wrestling and how great Cornette is, but now he’s here with his knockout blow. Cornette, already dripping with sweat, hypes up the Heavenly Bodies, who will be answering the Steiner Brothers’ open challenge for the Tag Team Titles at Summerslam. The thing here is that while Cornette might not have been known in the WWF, all he had to do was be friends with Heenan and the fans knew they shouldn’t like him. That’s so simple and uses Heenan’s status to someone else’s benefit.

Mr. Perfect vs. Barry Hardy

Jim Cornette is on commentary and Vince asks him about various other teams in Smoky Mountain (including the Rock N Roll Express, which is bizarre to hear from Vince’s mouth). Perfect starts fast with a dropkick to the floor, leaving Cornette panicking at a person flying at him. Back in and Perfect works on the leg and rips off part of Hardy’s gear. The PerfectPlex finishes fast.

Another Lex Express video.

Commentary previews next week’s show to wrap it up.

Overall Rating: C. Well, stuff did happen here and that’s a rare thing for this show. That being said, it wasn’t exactly all positive, with stuff like the Lex Luger interview being pretty awful. The long match wasn’t exactly my taste, but Cornette’s debut and watching the Steiners wreck small humans is always worth a look. This isn’t the best time for the WWF though and odds are that isn’t changing anytime soon.

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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Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Make sure you check out some recent reviews:

Survivor Series 1987 (2022 Edition)

Ring Of Honor – October 19, 2023

Smackdown – October 20, 2023

Rampage – October 20, 2023

NXT LVL Up – October 20, 2023

WATCH: Former Champion Makes Surprise Return To End WWE SmackDown.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-former-champion-makes-surprise-return-end-wwe-smackdown/

On The Card: Two New Title Matches Added To WWE Crown Jewel Including Likely Main Event.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/card-two-new-title-matches-added-wwe-crown-jewel-including-likely-main-event/

He’s Off: 26 Year Old Second Generation Star Reportedly Leaves AEW.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/hes-off-26-year-old-second-generation-star-reportedly-leaves-aew/

Maybe Not? Tyson Fury Gives Strong Praise To WWE, Calls It “Too Hard”.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/maybe-not-tyson-fury-gives-strong-praise-wwe-calls-hard/

Not That: Interesting Detail On The Rock Potentially Returning At WrestleMania 40.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/not-interesting-detail-rock-potentially-returning-wrestlemania-40/

WRESTLING RUMORS: Missing WWE Superstar Getting New Story “In Full Gear” Soon.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-missing-wwe-superstar-getting-new-story-full-gear-soon/

Down For Now: NXT Star Reportedly Out Of Action With Broken Wrist.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/now-nxt-star-reportedly-action-broken-wrist/

As always, hit up the comments section to chat about what is going on and get on the Wrestling Rumors Facebook page and follow us on Twitter (featuring news stories written by ME).

NXT LVL Up
Date: October 20, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Blake Howard

Things were actually a bit different last week as there were only two matches with a slightly shorter run time. It made things a bit easier to watch, though granted having the best match NXT LVL Up has presented in months helped as well. I could go or more of the new format as it did make for a tighter show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Edris Enofe/Malik Blade vs. Boa/Dante Chen

Blade works on Chen’s arm to start but Chen reverses into a headlock. That’s broken up and Blade hits a dropkick before Enofe comes in to elbow away. It’s off to Boa, whose armbar doesn’t work in the slightest. Enofe has to fight out of the corner, allowing Boa to get in a kick to the ribs.

Chen’s belly to back suplex gets two as commentary actually gives us a backstory for the villains (Boa has been around since Chen’s tryout and kept his eye on him the whole time). Enofe backflips out of another suplex attempt and hands it back to Blade to pick up the pace. A high crossbody takes Boa and Chen, setting up an assisted Blockbuster to finish Chen at 6:08.

Rating: C+. Not exactly a surprising result but Boa and Chen worked well enough together as a makeshift villainous team. Blade and Enofe continue to be a team that feels like it has a lot of potential but this is about all they’ve gotten to do in recent months. For a quick opener though, there were far worse options.

Fallon Henley, with Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen, is ready for Lash Legend, who is loud and annoying.

Fallon Henley vs. Lash Legend

Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen and the rest of the Meta Four are here too. Legend shoves her against the ropes to start and talks a lot of trash before firing off an elbow to the face. A hard slam puts Henley down again for two. Henley tries to fight up but gets caught with a right hand to slow her back down.

A pump kick sends her to the floor and Legend sends her face first into the apron back inside. Legend grabs a delayed suplex before putting on a torture rack (a move that needs to make a comeback), only to be reversed into a sleeper. With that broken up, Henley gets in a facebuster, leaving the others to brawl on the floor. Henley hits the Shining Wizard for the pin at 6:12.

Rating: C. Legend isn’t great in the ring but she’s a good bit better than she was a year or so ago. Letting her get in the ring more and more often is the best thing or her so even a six minute match can help her advance. I still see something in Henley and could go for having her around a lot more often but that doesn’t seem likely to happen anytime soon.

Overall Rating: C. It’s not just the shorter run time but I like the new format a good bit more. This lets the matches get a bit more focus instead of trying to get three matches and two commercials into half an hour. It also might help keep things feeling a bit fresher around here as it’s one less match to have each week, which could help things out nicely. For now it’s not exactly a game changer, but it is an improvement, which is long overdue around here.

Results
Edris Enofe/Malik Blade b. Boa/Dante Chen – Assisted Blockbuster to Chen
Fallon Henley b. Lash Legend – 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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Rampage
Date: October 20, 2023
Location: Fort Bend Epicenter, Rosenberg, Texas
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

We are less than a month away from Full Gear and the card is starting to come together. This week is all about CMLL’s Mistico star though, as he will be facing Rocky Romero in a match for the (unofficial) Pound For Pound Title of Mexico. That alone should be enough to carry the show so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Rocky Romero vs. Mistico

Neither Romero’s CMLL World Historic Welterweight Title or Mistico’s CMLL World Middleweight Title is on the line and this is 2/3 falls. They fight over a lockup to start as commentary talks about an NFL game. Romero takes him up against the ropes to start and they trade Eddie Guerrero dances. A running shoulder puts Mistico down but he’s back up with a Tajiri handspring elbow out to the floor. The big corkscrew dive takes Romero down again and the fans are rather pleased with Mistico. Back in and Mistico ties him up in something like an Octopus on the mat for the fast tap at 2:42.

The second all starts fast as Romero takes him outside for a ram into the steps as Excalibur lists off previous holders of their titles. Back in and Romero goes after Mistico’s mask and we take a break. We come back with Romero hitting some running clotheslines before grabbing a one armed camel clutch. Mistico is back up and snaps off a headscissors before running the corner for an armdrag to the floor.

They slug it out on the apron until Romero snaps off a suplex to take over. The suicide dive sends Mistico sprawling up the ramp and a superplex brings him back inside for two. The two arm camel clutch goes on but Mistico slips out, earning himself a stomp to the back. Sliced Bread gives Romero the pin to tie it up at 9:52 total.

We take another break and come back again with Mistico kicking him to the floor, setting up a big dive off the top. Back in and a springboard spinning crossbody gives Mistico two. A moonsault hits Romero’s raised boots but Mistico snaps off a powerslam for two. Romero is placed on top but he comes back with a super Sliced Bread for a rather near fall. Romero goes up top again, only to get pulled down with a super Spanish Fly for two more. One heck of a running Canadian Destroyer plants Romero and La Mistica makes Romero tap for the win at 18:35.

Rating: B. It was a good match and it did feel special, as commentary was making Mistico seem like one of the biggest stars around. His high flying did look good and at times he came off like a superhero, which seems like something they’re shooting for. On the other hand you have Romero, who can wrestle a good match with anyone and its into these spots when he’s working in the right spot, which was the case here.

We get a face to face talk between Jay Lethal and Eddie Kingston. Lethal pitches his case for a Ring Of Honor World Title shot but Kingston doesn’t say anything. Jeff Jarrett calls him the Bronx B**** but ROH boss Stokely Hathaway (oh yeah that’s a thing) makes Jarrett vs. Kingston. If Jarrett wins, Lethal gets a title match. Works for Kingston, who gets in Jarrrett’s face and talks about how much he knows about Memphis wrestling. He’ll eat Jarrett alive.

John Silver vs. Kip Sabian vs. Brother Zay

For an International Title shot at Battle Of The Belts and there are a bunch of people at ringside. Silver gets knocked outside to start leaving Sabian to get armdragged by Zay. Some right hands in the corner are broken up by Silver, who gets caught by Zay’s dropkick. Zay dives onto Silver but Sabian breaks up another one with a kick to the head. We take a break and come back with Zay firing off some kicks, setting up an Asai moonsault onto Silver.

A springboard flipping Stunner gives Zay two on Sabian but a Twist of Fate is broken up. Silver German suplexes Sabian for two but misses a charge and falls outside. That lets Sabian hit an Arabian moonsault but the seconds get in a fight, allowing Zay to hit a springboard dive. Back in and Zay hits a Swanton on Sabian, only to have Silver kick Zay in the face for the pin at 8:08.

Rating: B-. Good match here with Silver getting the kind of surprising win. It’s a bit hard to imagine Silver being a serious challenger to a singles title but he’s the best choice of these three. They kept the action going here though and it was another entertaining match, thankfully with the seconds not doing much to screw things up.

Video on Mike Santana vs. Ortiz, which will take place next week.

Wheeler Yuta/Claudio Castagnoli vs. Exodus Prime/Bryan Keith

Keith knocks Yuta into the corner to start and unloads with forearms. Yuta isn’t having that and snaps off a German suplex, meaning it’s Castagnoli coming in to clean house. Prime gets gorilla press dropped before Castagnoli goes outside for a running uppercut to Keith. The Swing into the dropkick sets up the Fastball Special to finish Prime at 1:44. Nearly a squash here, though Keith continues to feel like trying more than most people.

The former Jericho Appreciation Society argues again, with Jake Hager storming off. Anna Jay tells them to get it together because they can win the Trios Titles.

The Young Bucks and Hangman Page say they’re the Ring Of Honor Trios Titles (not Six Man, despite the words that can be seen on the belts) and issue an open challenge for Dynamite.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows, including a “dream match” between Andrade El Idolo vs. Bryan Danielson on Collision.

Video on Skye Blue vs. Ruby Soho.

Skye Blue vs. Ruby Soho

Saraya is here with Soho, who takes her into the corner for some chops. Blue gets annoyed and tells her to keep chopping before firing off her own chops. Soho sweeps the leg to put her down and then hits a standing clothesline. Back up and Blue kicks her into the corner, only to charge into an elbow. They fight to the apron where Blue faceplants her down. A knee to Saraya distracts Blue enough for Soho to hit a kick from the apron though and we take a break.

Back with a double clothesline putting them both down, setting up the exchange of forearms. Blue is back up with some running clotheslines and a running knee against the ropes has Soho in more trouble. A kick to the head and a swinging neckbreaker give Blue two each but Saraya grabs the leg for a distraction. Blue has to deal with Saraya and walks into No Future for two. Another No Future is blocked but Saraya hits her with the spray paint can, allowing Soho to get a rollup pin at 10:03.

Rating: C. This wasn’t much to see as Blue’s matches are only so good in the first place and then it didn’t get much better. The ending here was lame as it was just a can to the head rather than a spray. It’s also hard to imagine Soho actually getting anywhere after another win as she never seems to get to the next level, but at least she didn’t lose here.

Post match the beatdown is on but Kris Statlander makes the save but Blue doesn’t want the help to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This started good but then went down in pretty quick fashion. There is only so much you can get out of a bunch of matches that don’t seem to have much to do with major storylines at the moment. Silver getting an International Title shot is the biggest story going here, though the Mistico vs. Romero match was quite good. Check out the first two matches, but then move on to some Munsters or Welcome Back Kotter.

Results
Mistico b. Rocky Romero 2-1
John Silver b. Kip Sabian and Brother Zay – Kick to Zay
Wheeler Yuta/Claudio Castagnoli b. Exodus Prime/Bryan Keith – Fastball Special to Prime
Ruby Soho b. Skye Blue – Rollup

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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Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Smackdown
Date: October 20, 2023
Location: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Kevin Patrick

We’re just over two weeks away from Crown Jewel and as expected, Roman Reigns defending against LA Knight has been made official for the show. That takes care of the main event, but there are still some other things that need to be set up. There is also a good chance that we will be seeing something from Jey Uso tonight after his brother Jimmy cost he and Cody Rhodes the Tag Team Titles on Raw. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long recap of LA Knight/John Cena confronting the Bloodline last week.

Here is Paul Heyman to get things going. Knight talks about how Jimmy Uso cost Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes the Tag Team Titles on Raw before moving on to LA Knight vs. Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel. Heyman insults the Texas crowd and says everyone here is a fan of Knight, just like him. Therefore, you must watch Crown Jewel because Knight is going to get smashed for the last time.

Cue Knight, to say he isn’t here to talk to Heyman, so get Reigns out here right now. Heyman goes to leave (as Knight said he could) but Knight calls him back in here right now. Knight asks what Reigns is going to be doing to him but won’t let Heyman answer. As Heyman goes to leave again, Knight threatens to knock his hair back to gray. The word on the street is last week’s spear was just a warning shot and Knight knows Reigns is scared. As fast as Knight has risen up through WWE is as fast as he’ll take that title from Reigns.

Knight tells Heyman to say YEAH. Heyman: “Yeah.” Knight: “You’re pathetic.” Knight wants to know whose game this is and tells Heyman to tell Reigns whose waiting for him at Crown Jewel. Heyman calls Reigns as Knight leaves. This was straight fire from Knight and he has the eyes to back it up. Those are the eyes that you would see from people like Steve Austin, where you can feel how serious he looks and it works so well.

Bobby Lashley and Angelo Dawkins fire up Montez Ford.

Santos Escobar vs. Montez Ford

The rest of the LWO and Dawkins are here too. Ford starts fast and runs him over for an early two, followed by a heck of a dropkick. This allows commentary to say that Carlito is back in WWE for the first time in a decade as last year’s return is already being erased from history. Escobar tries to fight back but gets knocked to the floor as we take an early break. Back with Ford coming off the top with a backwards bulldog (that was different) but Escobar knocks him to the floor. There’s the big dive to take Ford down but Dawkins pulls him to the floor. The fight is on outside, allowing Ford to grab a rollup with tights for the pin at 8:51.

Rating: C+. This was a way to get Ford and the Street Profits a needed win to calm Bobby Lashley down. At the same time, it makes me wonder how much longer it is going to be before Escobar turns on the LWO. He keeps losing and that is likely going to result in him snapping, which is almost long overdue at this point.

Post match the beatdown stays on but Carlito runs in with a chair for the save.

Post break Rey Mysterio says the LWO is family (despite not being out there for the match) and says he has to deal with Logan Paul. Zelina Vega offers to be there wit him but he respectfully declines.

Pretty Deadly have a spa day and brag about winning last week. They’re sure they’re done with the Brawling Brutes, who then jump them from behind.

Jimmy Uso brags about costing Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes the Tag Team Titles last week but Paul Heyman sees John Cena arriving on the monitor.

Here is John Cena for a chat. The fans give him the usual THANK YOU CENA chant, which seems to get to him a bit more than usual. He says he had a rough day with some honest truths hitting him. Cena talks about how Reigns has had an incredible streak as Universal Champion, but Cena has a streak of his own: 2,002 days since he last won a televised singles match.

That’s all the way back in 2018 and he’s been talking a lot about retirement. It’s time that we all face facts. The fans say he still has it….and Cena says he still believes in all of this and says it’s time to turn the math around. He wants someone to come through that curtain right now and they’re going to get smoked.

John Cena vs. Solo Sikoa

The fight is on (no bell or referee) but here is Jimmy Uso to jump Cena. Jey Uso (in disguise) comes in to to after Jimmy but security and referees beak it up (with Jimmy calling for a time out). Sikoa loads up the Spike but gets caught with the AA. No match.

We look at Logan Paul winning a boxing match last weekend.

We look at Judgment Day regaining the Tag Team Titles on Raw.

Jimmy Uso is brought to Nick Aldis’ office, where Adam Pearce is here too. Aldis fines Jimmy $10,000 and has him thrown out of the building. Pearce can be thrown out too. Pearce: “Let the games begin.”

Here is Logan Paul for a chat. He talks about winning a fight in London six days ago, even if it was a pathetic excuse for a fight. If he wanted real competition, he should have come here. He got to beat up someone who hides behind the mask of the internet, and speaking of here with people who wear masks…..but no he isn’t here for Rey Mysterio. See, he already beat Mysterio in his first ever WWE match.

The last time he beat Rey Mysterio, Dominik was still Rey’s son and Roman Reigns actually showed up to wrestle. Mysterio does have one thing that Paul wants though and that is the coveted US Championship. Paul beat up a deadbeat dad last week and he’ll have to do it again at Crown Jewel.

Cue Mysterio to say Paul reminds him of Dominik. There is all of the natural ability in the world, but he needs some humbling. He was a little hesitant to beat some sense into Dominik but he won’t hesitate to do it to Paul. The title match is on for Crown Jewel. Rey says something in Spanish, with Paul responding with “Good luck friend” in Spanish. They tentatively shake hands. As usual, Paul is an absolute star and him winning the title isn’t the craziest thing in the world.

Video on Charlotte vs. Iyo Sky.

Cameron Grimes/Dragon Lee vs. Austin Theory/Grayson Waller

Lee takes over on Waller to start and everything breaks down with all four heading outside. The villains are sent into various things and we take an early break. Back with Grimes kicking away and sending Waller to the floor. Lee hits a big flip dive and the flipping powerslam gives Grimes two on Theory. Waller sends Lee into the announcers’ table and grabs the rolling Downward Spiral on Grimes. A Town Down finishes Grimes off at 6:01. Not enough shown to rate but this was mostly a squash until the ending.

Earlier today we got a sitdown interview with Kevin Owens, who is upset at being split up from Sami Zayn so soon after losing the Tag Team Titles. That being said, he’s glad to be back on Smackdown with a clean slate. He has a history with the Bloodline and yes the Yokozuna shirt is just a coincidence. Owens talks about the names that he hasn’t faced around here and asks Cathy Kelly who she wants him to punch. She says she has to be professional….but people do say that Austin Theory and Grayson Waller have punchable faces.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Iyo Sky vs. Charlotte

Sky, with the rest of Damage CTRL, is defending and is knocked to the floor for a break 17 seconds in. Back with Charlotte being sent into the corner but managing to kick Sky in the face. Bayley offers a distraction though and Sky kicks Charlotte to the floor, setting up a big dive. Back in and Sky grabs a chinlock but Charlotte suplexes her way to freedom. Charlotte misses a charge in the corner though and Sky strikes away before leveraging Charlotte out to the floor. Sky follows her out and gets dropped face first onto the apron as we take another break.

Back with Sky hitting a sunset bomb for two more, followed by the running knees in the corner. A crossface goes on to put Charlotte in more trouble but she reverses into a wheelbarrow suplex. Charlotte hits back to back fall away slams, followed by a super Samoan drop for two. Sky slips out of the Walls of Jericho and avoids a knee to her own knee. Over The Moonsault hits raised knees though and a spear gets two, with Bayley putting the foot on the rope. Charlotte goes after Bayley so Dakota Kai offers another distraction, allowing Sky to use the title to block the spear and retain at 16:08.

Rating: B-. This was the kind of match you would expect from them and it was kind of nice to avoid Charlotte getting the title back. Sky went a good bit more heelish to retain the title here and that could set up a rematch down the line. For now though, it was a solid main event and Charlotte couldn’t overcome the odds so we’ll call it a success.

Post match the beatdown is on but Bianca Belair returns for the save to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a very talking heavy show and thankfully the talking was mostly good. That being said, I could go for more than three matches in two hours with one of them not even being long enough to rate. The good thing is they added some stuff to Crown Jewel or at least build up the card a bit more. Overall though, this just wasn’t a great show as it had such a long stretch between matches. I’m fine with a focus on things other than matches, but having nearly an hour without a match is a bit much to take.

Results
Montez Ford b. Santos Escobar – Rollup with trunks
Austin Theory/Grayson Waller b. Cameron Grimes/Dragon Lee – A Town Down to Grimes
Iyo Sky b. Charlotte – Belt shot

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Ring Of Honor
Date: October 19, 2023
Location: Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Things changed the slightest bit last week as the World Champion actually showed up. Eddie Kingston defeated Serpentico and then gave Angelico a title shot for the sake of he felt like it. Other than that, it’s likely going to be the usual free for all around here, which is up and down at best most of the time. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Gravity vs. Angelico

Gravity’s headlock doesn’t get him very far to start so they go to the mat with Angelico working on the arm. With that broken up, Angelico switches to the leg but Gravity sends him outside. The big flip dive drops Angelico again but he’s fine enough to tie Gravity’s legs up back inside. Gravity gets some boots up in the corner though and plants Angelico again for a double knockdown. Some rollups give Gravity two and a powerbomb gets the same. Angelico is right back with a spinning faceplant before something like Konnan’s Tequila Sunrise makes Gravity tap at 8:19.

Rating: B-. This was the opening high lying match that has worked in wrestling forever. Gravity is one of those stars who still has enough status that a win gives Angelico some momentum towards his title shot. The match was entertaining as well and will probably get more time than most tonight, which is a good thing as it served a purpose.

The Righteous talk about how they tore about Adam Cole and MJF and now are coming for something else.

Shawn Dean vs. Peter Avalon

Trish Adora and Ryan Nemeth are here too. Dean grabs a headlock takeover to start and then snaps off some armdrags. Back up and Dean sends him into the buckle a few times but Nemeth grabs the ankle. Adora chases him off but Dean fights Avalon off and grabs a DDT for two. Avalon’s superkick into a Death Valley Driver gets two more but Dean knocks him off the top. A top rope splash finishes for Dean at 5:05.

Rating: C. It wasn’t a bad match but there is only so much you can get out of two people who are so low down on the totem pole around here. The action itself was fine but at the end of the day it’s two low level stars having a five minute match on the secondary show. At least Dean won, as he’s certainly a bigger star than Avalon.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Marti Belle

Martinez headlocks her over to start and bounces out of a headscissors to slap Belle in the face. Some stomping in the corner sets up a ripcord lariat for two on Belle and Martinez knees her in the face. An anarchist suplex gets two and Martinez rains down some right hands. Martinez kicks and stomps away but Belle grabs a jawbreaker. A running kick to the chest gives Belle two but Martinez gives her a chokebomb. The OG Lock makes Belle tap at 6:44.

Rating: C. This was an extended squash as Martinez mostly wrecked Belle and shrugged off her limited offense. As usual, Martinez seems to be built up towards a title shot but at some point it has to actually happen. On the other hand, Belle was treated as something of a special return, only to have her get destroyed in a slightly extended squash.

Athena yells at the Minions In Training and wants Billie Starkz to be more violent tonight. Lexi Nair still isn’t impressed.

Tony Nese vs. Ethan Page

Nese, with Mark Sterling, says he has to beat up Page and can’t do his group training. We pause for Nese to pose, allowing Page to lounge on the top. A chase lets Nese slide back inside and do some jumping jacks, followed by a headlock. Nese gets scared out to the floor and Page knocks him into the barricade, where he grabs a fan’s “TONY NESE SUCKS” sign.

Back in and a shoulder puts Nese down but Sterling’s distraction breaks up the slingshot cutter. Nese ties him in the Tree of Woe and stomps away, setting up the chinlock. Page fights up and hammers away, setting up a powerslam for two. The cradle belly to back suplex sets up the slingshot cutter for two, leaving Page surprised. The Ego’s Edge is loaded up but Sterling offers a distraction, allowing Nese to grab a rollup with feet on the ropes for the pin at 9:09.

Rating: C+. Sure. Page has been built up for the last month or so as he seemed ready to get a title shot and then he loses to TONY NESE, who has been doing the exact same stuff for so long that I don’t even hear him talking most of the time. I’m sure Page will come back and win later, but egads man. It’s TONY NESE.

Post match Nese wants the Code of Honor but Mocks Page instead. Page goes after both of them but the villains escape.

Billie Starkz vs. Diamante

Athena and Mercedes Martinez are here too. Starkz sends her outside and hits a dive but Martinez offers a distraction. Back in and Diamante hammers away before sending Starkz into the corner. A neckbreaker gives Diamante two and a running dropkick to the back gets the same. Starkz manages a kick to the face out of the corner and a rollup gets the pin at 5:14.

Rating: C. Starkz gets another win as what feels like the eternal build towards what is likely Athena vs. Starkz for the title continues. We’re probably going to get a tag match between these four as the big match on next week’s show and it should be good enough, but this was just two people having a match. At least it likely sets up the next step, but it would be nice to get to something that feels important.

Post match Martinez and Diamante jump Starkz and Athena until the latter clears the ring with a chair.

Cole Karter gives Maria Kanellis-Bennett a shirt, which she’ll wear during Karter and Griff Garrison’s tag match.

Josh Woods vs. Pat Buck

Pure Rules. Woods grabs a wristlock to start but Buck slips out. The threat of the Gorilla Lock sends Buck over to the ropes and Buck’s attempt at a leglock makes Woods do the same. A rollup is broken up with Woods’ second rope break so he punches Buck in the face for his official warning. Woods has had it and gutwrench powerbombs Buck, setting up the Gorilla Lock for the tap at 3:58.

Rating: C. It wasn’t quite a squash but Buck was brought into Woods’ world last week and then taps out in less than four minutes. This was the latest part of Woods’ incredible slow climb back to a Pure Title shot. Odds are that’s at Final Battle, so we only have to wait about two more months to actually get to the point.

Griff Garrison/Cole Karter vs. Myron Reed/Ren Jones

Karter knocks Jones down to start but he elbows Karter in the jaw. A brainbuster gives Jones a fast two but Garrison comes in with a discus forearm. Garrison decks Reed on the apron as Karter hits a spinning DDT so Garrison can get the pin at 2:07. Total squash.

Dalton Castle’s slow descent into madness continues as he wants to give the fans what he deserves.

Allysin Kay vs. Kiera Hogan

Hogan starts fast by sending her throat first into the ropes for a running hip attack. A kick to the head misses for Hogan so Kay takes her down and hammers away. Kay misses a charge though and Hogan kicks her into the corner for another hip attack. Now the kick connects for two but Kay is back with the AK47 for two. Not that it mattes as Hogan hits a shotgun dropkick into Face The Music for the pin at 4:02.

Rating: C. Here’s the latest match on the show that came and went rather quickly without much of note. Commentary was hyping up Hogan as a potential title challenger, even though we’ve done that multiple times and it was only ok. Kay is someone who could add a lot to the division if she was around full time, but maybe she is too busy elsewhere to do anything. Granted it won’t matter if she is added into the endless loop of people fighting for a title shot that they never get.

Righteous vs. Kevin Matthews/Rod Lee

Autumn Sunshine finishes Lee in 48 seconds.

Lady Frost vs. Zoey Lynn

Lynn rolls her up for two and is kneed in the ribs as a result. Frost unloads with stomps in the corner and a spinning kick to the face makes it worse. Frost Bite finishes at 1:37.

Komander vs. Metalik

Metalik starts fast with a boot to the mask in the corner and the reverse Sling Blade. The rope walk dropkick puts Komander down again and Metalik strikes away in the corner. Komander is back up with a rope walk anklescissors and Metalik is knocked to the floor. Back in and a Code Red gives Komander two, followed by a top rope hurricanrana for the same. Metalik snaps off a springboard hurricanrana into the Metalik Driver for two. Komander is right back with a fireman’s carry gutbuster, followed by the rope walk shooting star press for the pin at 4:50.

Rating: B. Yeah it was short but man alive did they pack a lot of stuff in there. This was the kind of match where they were told “you’ve got five minutes, go totally nuts”. It was entertaining, action packed and the kind of fun high flying stuff that is what you would want to see here. Awesome stuff.

Darius Martin/Action Andretti vs. Gates of Agony vs. Workhorsemen

Drake chops Martin to start but a dropkick gets Martin out of trouble. It’s off to Andretti for a high crossbody but some shots to the arm don’t work very well. Henry comes in but Toa runs Henry and Andretti over at the same time. Martin comes back in and hits a double DDT on the Gates. Andretti gets to forearm away at Henry, followed by a springboard Downward Spiral to give Martin two on Drake. Everything breaks down and the double standing clothesline gives Kaun the pin on Henry at 4:16.

Rating: C+. There’s only so much you can get out of a match with six people getting just over four minutes. What they did was fun and fast paced, but it was a three way match for the sake of having a three way match. There’s no feud here and nothing on the line, which doesn’t make for the most interesting match.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a show where two or three matches bailed out an otherwise uninteresting show. Final Battle has been officially set for December and all that means is we have two more months of this meandering show with one or two stories. The other problem is how many matches will be put on the Final Battle card with no major story from this show, making it feel all the more like a waste of time. Some of the matches were worth seeing here, but even cutting off about half an hour from the previous few weeks’ runtimes, the show had too many points where I was wondering why a match was taking place.

Results
Angelico b. Gravity – Arm trap half crab
Shawn Dean b. Peter Avalon – Top rope splash
Mercedes Martinez b. Marti Belle – OG Lock
Tony Nese b. Ethan Page – Rollup with feet on the ropes
Billie Starkz b. Diamante – Rollup
Josh Woods b. Pat Buck – Gorilla Lock
Griff Garrison/Cole Karter b. Myron Reed/Ren Jones – Spinning DDT to Jones
Kiera Hogan b. Allysin Kay – Face The Music
Righteous b. Kevin Matthews/Rod Lee – Autumn Sunshine to Lee
Lady Frost b. Zoey Lynn – Frost Bite
Komander b. Metalik – Rope walk shooting star press
Gates Of Agony b. Workhorsemen and Action Andretti/Darius Martin – Double standing clothesline to Henry

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.