Smackdown
Date: April 25, 2008
Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jonathan Coachman

It’s the go home show for Backlash and most of the show is set. We should be in for little more than a table setting show this week, as all WWE needs to do is hype up the pay per view a bit more. Undertaker isn’t going to be happy with Edge for helping to take out Kane on ECW, so vengeance may be required. For tonight though, he gets to defend the World Title against Batista. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Undertaker’s issues with Edge/Vickie Guerrero/La Familia, setting up tonight’s title match against Batista.

Opening sequence.

Here is La Familia to get things going. Edge praises Vickie Guerrero for everything she has done to get them here like the eye roll inducing villain that he is. Vickie announces that Undertaker vs. Batista is now No DQ, meaning they can beat each other up even more. Cue CM Punk to interrupt, with Edge mocking him for the King Of The Ring loss.

Punk holds up the Money In The Bank briefcase and says it’s a better way to the top than sleeping with the boss. He teases cashing in tonight, which doesn’t sit well with Edge. Not that it matters as Punk can beat Edge too, so Vickie makes the match for tonight. Edge promises to bankrupt Punk tonight. Good promo from Punk, as Edge seemed to remember the power of the briefcase.

The Miz vs. Shannon Moore

John Morrison is on commentary and Jimmy Wang Yang is here with Moore. Miz grabs a headlock takeover to start as Morrison goes on a rant about….saving the Earth? Anyway, Moore comes back with a headscissors but Miz pulls pulls him off the middle rope for a crash. A camel clutch keeps Moore in trouble and a hard clothesline takes him down again. The cobra clutch goes on but Moore fights up, only to get knocked right back down. The Reality Check is loaded up but Moore reverses into a backslide for the fast pin.

Rating: C-. Not much to this one as the feud between these teams continue, despite Miz and Morrison beating them multiple times already. I still like the Moore/Yang team, just for the sake of throwing two people together to see if they can get somewhere. If there was an actual tag division around here, it might make more of a difference, but this is about as much as you can expect right now.

We look at the Presidential candidates addressing Raw this week. Still a fairly cool moment.

Cherry vs. Natalya Neidhart

Michelle McCool and Victoria are here too. Natalya takes her down without much trouble to start and we’re in the chinlock fifteen seconds in. A series of slams drop Cherry again and Natalya slaps her in the face a few times. Cherry slaps back but Natalya goes to the leg to take over. A leglock has Cherry in trouble but she’s back up with a bulldog for two. That’s enough for Natalya, who grabs the Sharpshooter for the tap.

Rating: C-. Cherry is another of the long list of women who don’t exactly shine in the ring but since Deuce N Domino are nothing these days, what else is she supposed to do? Putting her in the ring as a punching bag works well enough for a short match, but she is going to need to be able to do more than slap and bulldog to matter much. Then again, it isn’t like the women’s wrestling on Smackdown matters in any meaningful way, so Cherry might not have many worries.

Video on Big Show vs. Great Khali.

Here is Matt Hardy for a chat with Michael Cole. We look at MVP injuring Matt’s knee five months ago but Matt says his knee is 100%. At Backlash, MVP is going to find out what kind of a threat Hardy is…but here is MVP to interrupt. MVP has Cole leave and accuses Matt of distorting the facts. Matt says MVP is scared but MVP isn’t having that. The reality is that he has accomplished more in a few months than Matt has in his entire career (that’s a stretch). MVP holds up the belt and then kicks Matt in the knee/hits him in the head with the belt, leaving Matt looking….I guess you could say confused?

WWE had a Reading Challenge for Wrestlemania. Nothing wrong with that.

Edge vs. CM Punk

Punk shoves Edge into the corner to start but Edge is right back with a hammerlock. That’s reversed into a cradle for one and Punk cranks on the arm as well. Back up and Edge kicks away at Punk’s ribs but Punk is right back on the arm. Punk goes up top but gets knocked out to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Edge working on a bodyscissors until Punk catapults him into the corner. They hit stereo crossbodies for a double knockdown but Edge rolls through a middle rope crossbody for two. The GTS doesn’t work so Punk settles for the knee into the corner into the bulldog back out of it.

Edge’s Edge-O-Matic gets two more but Punk scores with the springboard clothesline. Another GTS attempt is countered into the Edgecution for two but Punk is back up for the GTS. Edge rolls outside before the cover though and Punk is frustrated. He’s also distracted by an interfering Zack Ryder, allowing Edge to hit a spear for the pin.

Rating: B-. These two were having the main event style match and it got some time to make it better. What matters more in the bigger picture though is having Punk not only rubbing elbows with but being a threat to beat main eventers. He is on the way up from ECW and into the bigger picture and having matches like this will help that transition more than anything else. They even made it clear that Edge was beaten and only survived due to the luck of falling out of the ring in a nice touch. Good match here, and it should help Punk in the long run.

We look at William Regal winning the King Of The Ring. William Regal looking mostly insane while sitting on the throne is a great visual.

Vladimir Kozlov vs. Marty Garner

Kozlov easily takes him over with a headlock before headbutting Garner down with ease. The reverse DDT gives Kozlov the fast pin in another squash.

We look at Undertaker’s introduction of the triangle choke, which has been quite devastating.

Backlash rundown.

Batista goes to see Vickie Guerrero and promises to win the title back tonight. Then he’ll hurt Edge on Backlash.

We look at the Hilary Clinton vs. Barack Obama match on Raw, with Umaga saving us from what I’m assuming was Vince McMahon’s fever dream come to life.

Smackdown World Title: Batista vs. Undertaker

Undertaker is defending and this is No DQ. We get the Big Match Intros (the Big Gold Belt being held up as the prize is always cool) and Undertaker starts in on the arm. With that broken up, Undertaker is right back on the arm before Batista hits a spear. Undertaker is fine enough to go for the triangle choke before Batista can get up but the quick escape sends us to a break.

Back with Undertaker hitting the apron legdrop but Old School is broken up. Undertaker breaks up a superplex attempt and now Old School can connect. A quick spinebuster (or powerbomb according to Cole) gives Batista two but the Batista Bomb is countered with a backdrop. Batista blocks the chokeslam and a powerslam gets two more. Undertaker is back up with a chokeslam for two of his own but another spear cuts him down.

For some reason Batista rains down right hands in the corner, earning himself the Last Ride for another near fall. The steps are brought in (as I remember this is No DQ) but Batista spinebusters him onto said steps. The Batista Bomb is loaded up…and Shawn Michaels runs in with Sweet Chin Music to drop Batista. Undertaker Tombstones him for the pin to retain.

Rating: B. Mostly unnecessary stipulation aside, this did feel like an important match and that is always appreciated. These two have great chemistry together and they beat the fire out of each other until Shawn came in for the storyline advancing ending. Good main event here, as two monsters beating on each other for a long time is rather nice to see, especially on free TV.

Overall Rating: B-. The two big matches carried the show, especially with the first two shorter matches not exactly working. Backlash is feeling like a very top heavy show, but the three or so matches on top of the card should be more than enough to carry things. Good enough show here, and I’m wanting to see Backlash so we can call it a success too.

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.

Dynamite
Date: May 10, 2023
Location: Little Caesar’s Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

It’s a stacked night as we have quite the card, featuring Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley in a cage. This has been hyped up as a pay per view on TBS and with the card they have out there, it might not be too far from the truth. We are also less than three weeks away from Double Or Nothing and the card could use some attention. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Rey Fenix

This is a Double Jeopardy match, where the winner gets a shot at the other’s title (as in Claudio’s Ring Of Honor World Title and Fenix’s Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles), though this is non-title. Feeling out process to start with neither getting very far until Claudio powers him into the corner to take over. Fenix is right back with a springboard hurricanrana to the floor, followed by some hard suicide dives.

A third dive is cut out of the air though and Fenix is dropped HARD onto the barricade. Claudio loads up a suplex and tries to walk up the steps but can’t quite do it, allowing Fenix to walk the barricade for a heck of a hurricanrana. Back in and Castagnoli loads up a middle rope gorilla press but Fenix reverses into a rather springboardy hurricanrana.

They head outside again with Fenix being tossed hard over the barricade as we take a break. We come back with Castagnoli hitting a gutwrench superplex but Fenix kicks him in the face. The rolling cutter (that always looks good) plants Castagnoli for two but something like an Angle Slam drops Fenix. The Riccola Bomb finishes Fenix off at 14:20.

Rating: B. I like the stipulation here as it opens up some doors and gives Castagnoli, the favorite, incentive to win. Odds are that sets up a big Ring Of Honor match later (probably not on Ring Of Honor TV but take what you can get) with Castagnoli picking Yuta as his partner, but it should be good either way. Now just get Fenix on TV more and everyone can be happy.

MIRO of all people returns and walks into Tony Khan’s office. That’s his first appearance since September of last year.

MJF talks about the Four Pills concept and how all four of them were great stars with unlimited potential. The difference though? MJF has actually done something.

Video on Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley, who have fought for years and are in a cage tonight.

Here is FTR for a chat. They want Mark Briscoe out here for an apology but get Sonjay Dutt and company instead. Dutt gets to the point and asks about the challenge for a Tag Team Title match at Double Or Nothing. Harwood is in, with one condition: Dutt and company have to admit that they used Mark Briscoe to get to them.

Cue Briscoe with a thermos and a bunch of cups. Briscoe understands that these people have trouble holding their emotions, but he has an announcement: FTR vs. Jeff Jarrett/Jay Lethal at Double Or Nothing, with Briscoe as guest referee. Briscoe offers a toast but Dutt throws alcohol into FTR’s eyes, causing the blinded Dax to piledrive Briscoe. Another story where it could be solved by watching the tape back, but I’ll take what intrigue I can get for the match.

Chris Jericho is upset at Adam Cole for attacking him on commentary because this is an unsafe working environment. Jericho now has a court order saying that Cole is banned from any building he is in. Roderick Strong comes in and the falls count anywhere match is set for next week. Anywhere as in….outside? Where the court order wouldn’t count? Strong has his own legal order: the Jericho Appreciation Society is banned from the building next week. I want to see the credentials of a judge who would sign off on that under these circumstances.

Renee Paquette is trying to get an update on Miro when Thunder Rosa pops up to walk into Tony Khan’s office as well.

Video on Sammy Guevara.

Tony Khan promises a huge announcement next week, with hints of a new show. That sounds Collisiony.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Daniel Garcia

Garcia is challenging and we start with some grappling. Cassidy armdrags him into an armbar before casually escaping a drop toehold attempt. Garcia isn’t pleased and sends him outside for some drops onto the apron/barricade as we take a break. Back with Garcia hitting a curb stomp but posing instead of covering. A top rope superplex connects on Cassidy, who tries to reverse a suplex into the Stundog Millionaire, only getting part of it.

Garcia stays on him but gets caught in a quick Beach Break for two. The Orange Punch is broken up with a dropkick to the knee and Garcia is rather cocky. Cassidy’s hands in the pockets is broken up with a kick to the face and a piledriver gets two. The Dragon Slayer is countered into a small package for two and another Beach Break gets two more. Garcia is right back with the Dragon Slayer, which he switches into a triangle choke and then a crossface. That’s reversed into a rollup to give Cassidy the pin at 13:24.

Rating: B. What matters here is keeping Cassidy strong and this was one of the better matches during his title run. I could go with this version of Cassidy, but at the same time he is still around a bit too often for my taste. Other than that, these two had a heck of a back and forth match with Garcia doing his thing as well as he can, plus Cassidy hanging in there until he could escape at the end.

The Outcasts are ready to hurt Hikaru Shida next week.

Here are Christian Cage and Luchasaurus for a chat. Christian rips on Detroit and then brings up Wardlow’s father, who wasn’t famous and no one cared about him. Wardlow found Arn Anderson, whose son is wresting here in AEW. Then Arn saw Wardlow and jumped over to him for all of the success.

Christian mocks Anderson for being a legend, but maybe being the other guy in a team with Tully Blanchard or being Ric Flair’s lapdog is enough to make you a legend. Wardlow will never be a legend like Christian, and Christian is going to prove it. Fans: “EDGE IS BETTER!” This was some GREAT heel stuff from Christian, who is a heat magnet right now. Granted it was almost terrifying when I thought he was going to bring up Anderson’s recently deceased son but thankfully it didn’t go there.

Darby Allin is back home with his dad and talks about everything he has done to become a wrestler. Now he is willing to take any chance to become the World Champion.

Anna Jay vs. Julia Hart

Anything goes and Anna chairs her down from behind before the bell. They go to ringside where Hart gets in some kendo stick shots, followed by some rams into the barricade. We take a break and come back with Hart getting planted on some chairs on the floor. The chairs are brought inside but Hart superplexes her down. Hartless makes Anna tap at 9:17.

Rating: C+. It wasn’t a bad match but I was having trouble getting into this one. The feud hasn’t exactly been interesting in the first place and having them go into this big hardcore match (a good chunk of which was in the break) just felt like a quick escalation. Hart winning was a surprise too, and it was probably the biggest win of his career.

The Best Friends and Bandido don’t quite understand the House Of Black’s Open House rules. Orange Cassidy is tired though.

Trios Titles: House Of Black vs. Best Friends/Bandido

The House is defending and we have 20 counts/no DQ, with Julia Hart banned from ringside (as per the challengers’ choice). The lights are also turned down for a rather cool look. Black strikes away at Bandido in the corner to start and goes after the knee. Bandido goes to the ropes but has to crawl to the floor for the break and a needed breather.

Back in and Black gets caught in the wrong corner so the good guys can take over. We take a break and come back with Trent having to Stomp Matthews out of the corner, allowing the diving tag back to Bandido. Everything breaks down and Chuck comes in, only to get caught with Dante’s Inferno to retain the titles at 8:20.

Rating: C+. The lighting looked good and the action was good enough, but the rules might need some tweaking. The idea of having the first set of challengers being confused by what was going on isn’t a great sign, but it isn’t like the titles have anything else going on. Just get some more teams together to come after the titles, which is probably going to take some time.

Video on Jungle Boy, who has worked hard to get here, including his feud with Christian Cage.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Ricky Starks wants Jay White next week.

Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley

Bryan Danielson is on commentary, Don Callis is with Omega and this is in a cage. They start fighting in the aisle before the bell though and the fans seem to approve. Cue the Blackpool Combat Club and the Young Bucks for the double interferences. The Bucks go after Danielson but security breaks everything up as Omega is finally in the cage.

Moxley gets in as well and the bell rings, with Omega knocking him down fast. Omega hits the middle rope moonsault and whips out a chair wrapped in barbed wire. Moxley is quickly hit in the head and busted open, though Omega hurts his hand with the swing. The chair is put on Moxley’s back and stomped down to rip him open even more but Moxley gets creative by sending Omega face first into the TV camera. Omega is right back with a bulldog onto the chair but gets caught up top. Moxley superplexes him onto the chair and we take a break.

Back with the top rope having been broken up so Moxley can choke away. It’s time to bring out the broken glass but Omega grabs a fireman’s carry backbreaker. The One Winged Angel is countered into a choke but Omega flips him onto said glass. Moxley grabs a choke, which is reversed into a V Trigger and the dragon suplex. Another V Trigger sends Moxley through the cage wall and out to the floor, though Omega wrenches his knee. Moxley whips out the screwdriver but Callis takes it away. The V Trigger into the One Winged Angel gets two…..as Callis turns on Omega with the screwdriver. Moxley gets the pin at 14:29.

Rating: B. Your mileage may vary here as I’m not big on the weapons being used in a CAGE match. The big spot with the knee through the cage was awesome enough though and the big angle at the end, while still centered around Don Callis, was an important deal. It felt like a major match and I’m wondering what is going to come next at Double Or Nothing, so they’re doing something right.

Post match Callis loads up the screwdriver but throws Omega down instead. The villains leave to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. The show felt big and they lived up to a lot of the hype that they made for themselves. That’s a hard trick to pull off but AEW made it work with a stacked show. The announcement next week sounds important enough and having Miro and Rosa return made this week feel like something of a turning point. Now follow up on it and things can start to cook.

Results
Claudio Castagnoli b. Rey Fenix – Riccola Bomb
Orange Cassidy b. Daniel Garcia – Rollup
Julia Hart b. Anna Jay – Hartless
House Of Black b. Bandido/Best Friends – Dante’s Inferno to Taylor
Jon Moxley b. Kenny Omega – Screwdriver to the head

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.

NXT
Date: May 9, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

Things are going to be different around here as the Draft took away so many big name NXT stars. That means some spots are going to have to be filled, but in addition we have Battleground coming up in less than three weeks. We’re going to be in for a heck of a balancing act, including the Women’s Title tournament. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with Indi Hartwell vacating the Women’s Title due to her main roster promotion last week. A tournament was announced and chaos ensued.

The eight participants in the tournament are in the aisle and we’re starting fast.

Women’s Title Tournament First Round: Tiffany Stratton vs. Gigi Dolin

Stratton gets a promo before the match, complaining about being in the tournament and saying she needs this like she needs a pair of fat jeans. A clothesline doesn’t work for Dolin as Stratton Matrixes away, only to have her arm kicked out. Dolin hits a Bronco Buster in the corner but misses a second, allowing Stratton to start in on Dolin’s bad shoulder.

Stratton takes her down by the arm for two but Dolin manages a whip into the corner for two. Stratton’s snapmare out of the corner sets up a missed…I’m not sure, but she’s fine enough to block the abdominal stretch bomb. A Regal Roll sets up the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to finish Dolin at 4:30.

Rating: C. Stratton has to be a favorite to win the title, or at least be in the final, so it makes sense to have her win here. Dolin isn’t about to win here, though I was a bit relieved that Jacy Jayne didn’t interfere here. Let Stratton get her win to start the tournament right, as she very well could be the next champion.

We have brackets for the tournament:

Tiffany Stratton
Jacy Jayne/Roxanne Perez

Lyra Valkyria
Kiana James

Fallon Henley
Cora Jade

The Dyad is ready for their Tag Team Title shot but Joe Gacy is following Ava’s advice: he won’t be at ringside.

Earlier today at the barber shop, Trick Williams says he’s ready for Bron Breakker, with Carmelo Hayes thanking him for standing up to Breakker last week. Williams is ready for tonight alone, which is cool with Hayes.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus vs. Dyad

Dyad, with Ava, is defending, so Joe Coffey is here with the champs to even it out. Gallus takes over on Reid’s arm to start but Fowler comes in for a clothesline to take over. It’s back to Mark, who gets kicked in the face, setting up an enziguri into a Downward Spiral for two.

We take a break and come back with Mark fighting up on Reid and bringing Wolfgang in to clean house. A double Rock Bottom gives Gallus two but Ava offers a distraction, allowing Reid to get in a DDT. Cue Ivy Mile to go after Ava, allowing Gallus to hit the big boot/flapjack combination to finish Fowler at 11:00.

Rating: C+. Fine enough match, but what matters is that the Dyad didn’t win the titles. maybe they tie this into Gacy not being there and we get a rematch later, but anything with less Schism is a good thing. The tag division isn’t exactly deep right now, but Tony D’Angelo and Stacks would be fine. As for this match, it was fine enough for a title defense, though not quite some instant classic.

Gallus is off to drink.

Thea Hail wished she was drafted but Javier Bernal comes in to mock her. Duke Hudson comes in to say that Hail did well on her exam. Bernal thinks Hudson has a big plan, but Hudson says not so fast. He almost calls it Duke University again before a match is made for later.

A hooded figure is watching the various women who have been attacked in recent months. No word on who it is, but having that turn into something would be a good idea.

Javier Bernal vs. Duke Hudson

Thea Hail is here with Hudson, who shoves Bernal out to the floor to start. Hudson gets in a slam back inside but Bernal knocks him down for a breather. The chinlock doesn’t work and some right hands to the head trigger Hudson Dukes Up, including a side slam. A Razor’s Edge finishes Bernal at 3:54.

Rating: C. Hudson has come a long way in just a few months and I’m curious to see where this whole thing goes. You could have a story of him trying to take down Chase U or he could be telling the truth. That makes things all the more interesting, and that’s more than I would have bet on with him.

Mr. Stone and Von Wagner talk about their favorite foods until Stone whips out the picture of a baby who appears to have undergone brain surgery from last week. Wagner doesn’t want to talk about it and beats up Luca Crusifino for asking about it.

The Creeds want the next Tag Team Title shot and Gallus seems ready to fight.

Damon Kemp vs. Eddy Thorpe

Kemp takes him down to start but Thorpe is back with a headlock takeover. Back up and Kemp runs him over, only to get elbowed in the face. Thorpe’s half crab sends Kemp over to the rope so it’s a German suplex to drop Kemp again. A jumping elbow drop finishes Kemp at 4:59.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one as they weren’t exactly hitting on all cylinders out there. Thorpe winning is no surprise as he seems to be getting a strong start, though something other than a jumping elbow drop to finish people off might be advisable. Other than that, I’d still like to see more of Kemp, but this seems to be his ceiling for the time being.

Kiana James is ready for the hardest first round match in the Women’s Title tournament. She accomplishes her goals though and will do it again.

Bron Breakker says he hasn’t changed his attitude, but rather he just stopped caring. He carried the NXT flag for over a year and what did it get him? Tonight, he’s going to hurt Trick Williams and put him in the same hospital he put Carmelo Hayes in.

Dijak vs. Ilja Dragunov

Dragunov chops away to start so Dijak tells him to do it again. That’s not a good idea, as Dragunov chops him into the corner, setting up a middle rope knee drop. Dijak is fine enough to toss him off the top and out to the floor for the crash. Back in and Dragunov fights back up and slugs away, only to get caught with the Cyclone Boot for two. It’s time to grab a chair and after, after throwing the referee down, Dijak gets disqualified for using said chair on Dragunov at 4:23.

Rating: C+. I think you know one of the matches we’ll be seeing at Battleground now and I could certainly go for these two beating the fire out of each other in some kind of a stipulation match. Dijak is slowly starting to find himself again after such a long run of nothing and Dragunov works well with anyone. This is going to give us the ticked off Dragunov though, and that is just going to end in more violence.

Post match Dijak crushes Dragunov with the steps and stands on them for some choking.

Tyler Bate is meditating when Wes Lee comes in to thank him for the save last week. Lee says Bate is up next….and Bate wakes up from his meditation with no idea Lee was there. Everything is fine and he’s ready for his match.

Dani Palmer met Tank Ledger/Hank Walker and Brooks Jensen/Josh Briggs. The teams agreed to a respectful match.

Charlie Dempsey vs. Tyler Bate

Drew Gulak and Wes Lee are here too. Bate slips out of a hold to start and snaps off a suplex, only to have to flip out of a Boston crab attempt. Back up and they hit heads, giving us a double knockdown. Bate is up first with an airplane spin, but here is Joe Gacy for an argument with Lee. A big dive drops Gacy and Gulak, with the diving Bate going back in to hit Bop and Bang on Dempsey. Not that it matters as Gacy gets in a cheap shot on Bate to knock him silly. Dempsey grabs a dragon suplex for the pin at 3:27.

Rating: C+. There are a few places to go with this one and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends with Bate winning the title in a four way at Battleground. Bate has needed something more to do and while the meditation stuff is fine for him, some success would be even better. Dempsey as the evil wrestling machine works as well, and you can see a lot of the Villain in him.

Carmelo Hayes is on his way to help Trick Williams.

Noam Dar interrupts a Dragon Lee interview to invite him to be a guest on Supernova Sessions.

Brooks Jensen/Josh Briggs vs. Hank Walker/Tank Ledger

Walker and Jensen brawl on the floor to start before some double teaming takes over on Briggs inside. Jensen comes in and gets shouldered down hard but it’s back to Briggs for a big boot. We pause for Ledger to spit out a tooth (he puts it in his singlet), followed by a Hart Attack to finish him off at 2:41.

Respect is shown post match.

Video on Lyra Valkyria.

Nathan Frazer talks about how international NXT has become but focuses on Noam Dar.

Women’s Title Tournament First Round: Kiana James vs. Lyra Valkyria

They trade rollups to start with neither getting very far. Another rollup gives Valkyria two but she gets sent hard into the corner. We take a break and come back with James crushing the ribs but Valkyria knocks her away. A middle rope dropkick puts James down and Valkyria sends her outside for a dive. Back in and a suplex gives Valkyria two but James’ powerbomb gets the same. Valkyria shrugs it off and hits a spinning kick to the face for the pin at 8:50.

Rating: C+. They were working hard enough here and I’m a bit surprised by the result. James has been more prominently featured than Valkyria, who has yet to really find herself in NXT. Going with her into the next round is a way to go and she’s more polished in the ring than James, but it was still somewhat surprising.

Gallus is drinking at the bar when Tony D’Angelo and Stacks interrupt, saying they want a title shot. Joe Coffey isn’t having that but threats are made. Gallus’ friends get up and D’Angelo/Stacks are smart enough to leave.

Bron Breakker vs. Trick Williams

They fight to the floor in a hurry, with Breakker having to suplex him onto the announcers’ table to stop an early flurry. Back in and Breakker puts on a seated abdominal stretch but Williams fights up with a dropkick. A jumping clothesline drops Breakker again and a Rock Bottom gives Williams two. Breakker has had it with this and spears him down, setting up the Recliner for the win at 6:15.

Rating: C+. What else were you expecting here? Breakker is a machine about to get a title shot against Williams’ best friend so of course he’s going to crush Williams here. There wasn’t much else that could have been done, though Williams gave it all he had. He deserves more credit than he gets, as he has turned a basic hype man spot into something pretty good.

Post match Breakker goes for him again but Carmelo Hayes comes in. Breakker spears him out of the air (that looked GREAT) and grabs the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Much like Raw, this show felt like a chance for the bosses to go “ok, what do we have now?” while running the tournament matches to fill in a lot of the space. What we got was good enough, but it felt like they were trying to fill it in as well as they could, which isn’t exactly easy given that they lost almost 20 names. Still though, good enough show, but they need to come up with something better to fill up the show.

Results
Tiffany Stratton b. Gigi Dolin – Prettiest Moonsault Ever
Gallus b. Dyad – Flapjack/big boot combination to Fowler
Duke Hudson b. Javier Bernal – Razor’s Edge
Eddy Thorpe b. Damon Kemp – Jumping elbow drop
Ilja Dragunov b. Dijak via DQ when Dijak used a chair
Charlie Dempsey b. Tyler Bate – Dragon suplex
Brooks Jensen/Josh Briggs b. Tank Ledger/Hank Walker – Hart Attack to Ledger
Lyra Valkyria b. Kiana James – Spinning kick to the face
Bron Breakker b. Trick Williams – Recliner

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.

Make sure you check out some recent reviews.

Ring Of Honor TV – May 4, 2023

Impact Wrestling – May 4, 2023

Smackdown – May 5, 2023

Rampage – May 5, 2023

Backlash 2023

NXT LVL Up – April 21, 2023

NXT LVL Up – April 28, 2023

NXT LVL Up – May 5, 2023

ECW On Sci Fi – April 22, 2008

Monday Night Raw – May 8, 2023

That One? Surprising News On Top AEW Merchandise Seller

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/one-surprising-news-top-aew-merchandise-seller/

The Clock Is Ticking: Update On Drew McIntyre’s WWE Contract Situation

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/clock-ticking-update-drew-mcintyres-wwe-contract-situation/

Big Get? NFL CEO Claims WWE Is Bringing WrestleMania To His Team’s City

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/big-get-nfl-ceo-claims-wwe-bringing-wrestlemania-city/

Trust The Process: Triple H Reveals How New WWE World Heavyweight Champion Will Be Crowned

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/trust-process-triple-h-reveals-new-wwe-world-heavyweight-champion-will-crowned/

What Could Have Been: Original Plans For Injured NXT Star, Title Run Expected

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/original-plans-injured-nxt-star-title-run-expected/

He’ll Be Back: AEW Has Plans For Return Of Injured Star

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/hell-back-aew-plans-return-injured-star/

Good Advice: AEW Star Given Advice About Protecting Himself During Matches

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/good-advice-aew-star-given-advice-protecting-matches/

Big One: New WWE Champion Likely Set For Upcoming Major Title Defense

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/big-one-new-champion-likely-set-upcoming-major-title-defense/

Nostalgic Flashback: Former WWE Tag Team Champions Announce New Deal With The Company

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/nostalgic-flashback-former-wwe-tag-team-champions-announce-new-deal-company/

WRESTLING RUMORS: 26 Year Old Second Generation Star Not Coming To WWE After All

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-26-year-old-second-generation-star-not-coming-wwe/

They’re Up: WWE Shows Year To Year Increase In Two Important Areas

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/theyre-wwe-shows-year-year-increase-two-important-areas/

No More: 32 Year Old Former WWE Star Announces Retirement From The Ring

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/no-32-year-old-former-wwe-star-announces-retirement-ring/

WATCH: Backlash Crowd Gives WWE Star A Standing Ovation After Show Goes Off The Air

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-backlash-crowd-gives-standing-ovation-show-goes-off-air/

The Dozen: WWE Announces Participants For World Heavyweight Championship Tournament

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/dozen-wwe-announces-participants-world-heavyweight-championship-tournament/

Back Soon: Popular Star Set To Undergo Hernia Surgery, Expected Recovery Time

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/back-soon-popular-star-set-undergo-hernia-surgery-expected-recovery-time/

WRESTLING RUMORS: Major WWE Feud To Continue After Backlash, World Title Implications

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-major-wwe-feud-continue-backlash-world-title-implications/

It’s Hers: Bianca Belair Reacts To Setting Modern WWE Title Record

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/bianca-belair-reacts-setting-modern-wwe-title-record/

Go Your Own Way: Details On Rumored AEW Roster Split, New Television Setup

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/go-way-details-rumored-aew-roster-split-new-television-setup/

WRESTLING RUMORS: New WWE Star Has Backstage Support, Likely To Be Pushed.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-new-wwe-star-backstage-support-likely-pushed/

No More: 40 Year Old Former WWE Star Announces Retirement From The Ring

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/no-40-year-old-former-wwe-star-announces-retirement-ring/

It Would Make Sense: Surprise Network Reportedly Interested In Acquiring WWE SmackDown

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/make-sense-surprise-network-reportedly-interested-acquiring-wwe-smackdown/

They’re Next: Here Are The Likely Challengers For Roman Reigns On SmackDown

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/theyre-next-here-are-the-likely-challengers-for-roman-reigns-on-smackdown/

Well Done: WWE Reportedly Very Happy With Surprise Appearance At Backlash

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/well-done-wwe-reportedly-happy-surprise-appearance-backlash/

Goal In Sight: Monday Night Raw Star Wants To Face Roman Reigns In Champion vs. Champion Match

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/goal-sight-monday-night-raw-star-wants-face-roman-reigns-champion-vs-champion-match/

They Earned It: WWE Brags About Breaking Several Backlash Records

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/earned-wwe-brags-breaking-several-backlash-records/

LOOK: Missing AEW Star Reveals Remarkable Physical Transformation

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/look-missing-aew-star-reveals-remarkable-physical-transformation/

WRESTLING RUMORS: Two WWE Superstars Impress Backstage, Receive Praise After Backlash

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-two-wwe-superstars-impress-backstage-receive-praise-backlash/

As always, hit up the comments section to chat about what is going on and get on the Wrestling Rumors Facebook page.

Monday Night Raw
Date: May 8, 2023
Location: Vystar Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Kevin Patrick

It’s tournament time as we are getting at least two matches in the tournament to crown a new World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, we have the new Raw roster after the Draft so everything needs to settle in. On top of that, it’s also the first show after Backlash so we could be in for a very busy night. Let’s get to it.

Here is Backlash if you need a recap.

We open with a look at the people involved in the tournament, all of whom could be the first World Champion.

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat. He is happy to be back in Jacksonville, where he helped make a lot of memories during the pandemic. In addition, after Backlash, Cody knows what Brock Lesnar is made of. How you ask? It was all over his hands, but he won anyway. With Lesnar in the rear view mirror, it’s time for the tournament, which will not end until Rhodes is announced as the new champion. We see the brackets, and now, LET THE TOURNAMENT BEGIN!

World Heavyweight Championship Tournament First Round: Damian Priest vs. Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Before the match, we get a look at Bad Bunny beating Damian Priest at Backlash. As a result, Priest is ready to win the match because either he or Finn Balor is going to be the next champion. Priest starts fast and knocks both of them into a corner. Some running shoulders connect but Nakamura is back with a kick to the head. Rollins knocks Priest outside and a quick double teaming puts him down again as we take a break.

Back with Priest and Rollins slugging it out until Nakamura comes back in. Rollins knocks both of them outside and the suicide dives are on. They get back in and Priest misses a charge in the corner, allowing Nakamura to hit his running knee in the corner. Priest punches Nakamura down though and hits a lifting Downward Spiral for two on Rollins. Nakamura kicks both of them down but can’t followup and we get a breather.

Some kicks drop Priest and Rollins knocks Nakamura down as well. Priest is back up to crotch Rollins on top but seems to be favoring his knee a bit. Rollins is fine enough to Stomp Priest for two, with Nakamura making the save. Priest clotheslines Nakamura down and sends Rollins outside, only to get pulled into a kneebar from Nakamura. Rollins breaks that up and Pedigrees Nakamura to advance at 13:14.

Rating: B. It was a match that has been done better before, but what matters is that it felt like a match that mattered. There was an atmosphere to this one and it made the match that much more interesting. I’m not sure how much sense it makes for Nakamura to get pinned on his debut, but at least they got the most logical winner.

Imperium warns everyone that Gunther will arrive next week before running into Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens. They aren’t interested, but Imperium doesn’t like the disrespect. Sami says they can come back in five minutes but gets a finger in his face. Imperium says they can take the titles but Owens wants to know what is up with these people having henchmen and the challenge is on for tonight.

Otis vs. Mustafa Ali

Maxxine Dupri and Chad Gable are here with Otis, who shoulders Ali down without much effort. Ali fights back up but gets crushed in the corner again. Otis loads up the Caterpillar but Gable and Dupri argue over whether or not he should. Instead Otis misses a charge into the post, allowing Ali to hit the 450 for the pin at 2:16. We seem to get one step closer to Otis having to decide and that could make for an interesting moment.

The Miz promises to win the tournament and the title.

World Heavyweight Championship Tournament First Round: The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Cody Rhodes

They start fast with Balor clotheslining Rhodes, allowing Miz to get two off a rollup. Cody sends both of them outside for the big suicide dive and we take a break. Back with Rhodes dropkicking both of them down, setting up a double Cody Cutter (almost Cody Stunner). There’s the Disaster Kick for two on Balor but Miz is back in to take them both down.

The Skull Crushing Finale doesn’t work on Cody, who clotheslines Miz to the floor. Balor takes Cody down but misses the Coup de Grace, allowing Miz to hit the Finale for two. Rhodes breaks that up and hits the series of Cross Rhodes on Miz….but here is Brock Lesnar to pull Cody out. The F5 drops Rhodes, leaving Balor to hit the Coup de Grace on Miz to advance at 9:34.

Rating: B-. This wasn’t quite as good as the opener, but Balor vs. Rollins should make for a fine showdown. Miz was there to take the fall and Lesnar was there to take out Cody, which makes sense for him after Backlash. This was more about getting Rollins an opponent than anything else, but it worked well for what they could do.

Post match Lesnar grabs the mic and says look at this face (complete with stitches on the forehead) before asking what Cody wants to talk about. Lesnar wants to talk about ME ME ME because he wants a fight with Cody at Night of Champions. Lesnar leaves as Cody is tended to. That’s about par for the course from Lesnar, who is somehow one of the more logical people in WWE.

Rhea Ripley vs. Dana Brooke

Non-title. Ripley knocks her down to start and shrugs off a quick comeback attempt. The Riptide into the Prism Trap finishes Brooke at 1:39.

Post match Ripley hits another Riptide into the Prism Trap and…..Natalya makes the save. I have no idea who thinks Ripley having to face Natalya is a good thing, but that’s what we seem to be getting now, because Natalya must be around no matter what.

Video on the NXT stars coming up to the main roster via the Draft.

Zoey Stark doesn’t seem impressed by Nikki Cross’ general existence, setting up a match for later.

We look at last week’s European tour.

Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn vs. Imperium

Non-title. Sami works on Kaiser’s arm to start but it’s off to Vinci. A clothesline takes him down but Vinci hits one of his own to take over. We take a break and come back with Zayn kicking Vinci away, allowing the tag to Owens to clean house. The Swanton gets two with Vinci making a save, setting up a clothesline/legsweep combination for two on Owens. A double clotheslines allows….almost a double tag as Vinci knocks Sami off the apron just in time. The Imperial Bomb is blocked and Owens Stuns Kaiser to the floor. A superkick to Vinci sets up the Helluva Kick for the pin at 9:50.

Rating: B-. Another loss for newcomers, albeit to bigger stars. You don’t want Owens and Zayn losing, but it might not have been the brightest idea to have them facing Imperium in their first week on the new roster. Owens and Zayn need challengers and Imperium isn’t likely to be part of that list at the moment. Why burn someone off that fast?

Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green have a petition to get a Women’s Tag Team Title shot but Indi Hartwell, Dexter Lumis, Candice LeRae and Johnny Gargano (all previously part of The Way in NXT) aren’t convinced.

We look at the Bloodline defeating Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn/Matt Riddle at Backlash.

Zoey Stark vs. Nikki Cross

Stark starts fast with a hard clothesline and a springboard flip dive makes it worse. A chinlock doesn’t last long for Stark but she superkicks Cross back down. The Z360 (a flip into a knee to the face) finishes Cross at 2:20.

Rhea Ripley, with Dominik Mysterio, is asked about feeling pressure but Xavier Woods and Akira Tozawa interrupt. Dominik vs. Woods is made for later, with Rhea accepting on “Dom Dom’s” behalf.

Here is Trish Stratus (with a Becky Lynch missing person shirt on) to say she is concerned about how Lynch is missing. Everyone should be saying “Thank You Trish” for trying to find her, but at the end of it all, she is going to be found in some corner of Iowa, crying again. No one is going to steal Trish’s spotlight but here is Becky……’s music for a fake out. Trish talks about her daughter wanting a doll that she was going to call Becky Lynch, because she was pretty and….now the real Becky comes out to wreck Trish in a hurry.

Cody Rhodes is getting checked on in the trainer’s room with Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens staying with him.

Dominik Mysterio vs. Xavier Woods

Rhea Ripley is here too. Woods grabs a headlock to slow Mysterio down to start, followed by a dropkick to make it better. Dominik sends him into the corner and blows a kiss to Ripley, only to have Woods break up the 619. Woods’ running knees to the back set up a high crossbody but Dominik sends him over the top and down onto the steps as we take a break.

Back with Woods fighting back and hitting the Honor Roll to drop Mysterio. A springboard tornado DDT plants Mysterio again but Woods gets elbowed in the face. Woods manages to drape him over the top for a middle rope dropkick to the back. The Limit Breaker misses though and Dominik grabs a rollup (with tights) for the pin at 10:36.

Rating: C. Not much to see here as it was a thrown together way to get Dominik a win. That’s not a bad thing either, as he has to have something other than his feud with Rey to do around here. You also have to give him some wins over some credible opponents, such as here or the one over Johnny Gargano a few weeks ago. It might not have been the most exciting, but it can pay some dividends.

Jinder Mahal and Indus Shera are all menacing and evil.

Miz yells at Shinsuke Nakamura for not having his back. Nakamura sets up a match between them for next week, promising that it will be awesome.

Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville continue looking for signatures but run into Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. They two of them would be happy to sign, which has the villains rather happy. Apparently the petition is for a match with Damage Ctrl. Ok then.

Cody Rhodes is all upset but now Brock Lesnar has attacked him from behind twice for no reason. Is it because he’s all upset about not being the star anymore? That’s why Brock is attacking him, so let’s fight.

World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semifinals: Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins

Rollins grabs a hammerlock to start as commentary talks about their Summerslam 2016 Universal Title match. Balor fights back and takes him to the floor, where a powerbomb against the barricade (how Rollins hurt Balor in 2016) drops Rollins and we take a break. Back with Rollins getting in a shot of his own but the frog splash (while favoring the arm) only hits raised knees.

Balor goes to the Fujiwara armbar but Rollins slips out and hits a superkick for two. They head back to the floor and ram each other into the apron, with Rollins getting the better of things. Back in and an exchange of kicks to the head gives us a double knockdown but Balor rolls through for the double stomp to take over. The Coup de Grace is broken up with a superplex but the Falcon Arrow is countered into 1916 for two more. Rollins pulls him down and hits a one armed Pedigree for two, followed by the Stomp for the pin at 13:45.

Rating: B. These two having a good match isn’t shocking in the slightest as they’re both that talented. Rollins continues to feel like the logical choice to win the whole thing, if nothing else because of the resume that he already has. It would give the title some instant credibility, if nothing else because he is the one guy that Reigns hasn’t beaten during the title run. For now though, at least he had a heck of a match here with Balor, who can make almost anyone look good.

Overall Rating: B. This was a rather strange show as it was focused around the tournament, which was quite good, but everything else felt like they were hitting the reset button. Some new stars were introduced and a lot of them lost, while some of them were thrown into matches which were made earlier in the day. It felt like the setup for this show was “it’s tournament night” and the rest of the details were just kind of thrown together. The action carried this show well, but I’m not exactly thrilled with where everything else might be going in the next few weeks.

Results
Seth Rollins b. Shinsuke Nakamura and Damian Priest – Pedigree to Nakamura
Mustafa Ali b. Otis – 450
Finn Balor b. The Miz and Cody Rhodes – Coup de Grace to Miz
Rhea Ripley b. Dana Brooke – Prism Trap
Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn b. Imperium – Helluva Kick to Vinci
Zoey Stark b. Nikki Cross – Z360
Dominik Mysterio b. Xavier Woods – Rollup with tights
Seth Rollins b. Finn Balor – Stomp

WWE, 2023, Monday Night Raw, Otis, Chad Gable, Maxxine Dupri, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Imperium, Cody Rhodes, Damian Priest, Seth Rollins, Shinsuke Nakamura, Mustafa Ali, The Miz, Finn Balor, Rhea Ripley, Dana Brooke, Natalya, Zoey Stark, Nikki Cross, Chelsea Green Sonya Deville, Xia Li, Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae, Indi Hartwell, Dexter Lumis, Trish Stratus, Dominik Mysterio, Xavier Woods, Akira Tozawa, Indus Sher, Jinder Mahal, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez,

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.

ECW On Sci Fi
Date: April 22, 2008
Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Commentators: Tazz, Mike Adamle

It’s the final ECW before Backlash and there is a little twist on Chavo Guerrero challenging Kane for the ECW Title again. That would be the new monster bodyguard Bam Neely, who should make things a little more interesting. Other than that…well there is a grand total of nothing going on here, as tends to be the case. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tommy Dreamer/Kelly Kelly vs. Mike Knox/Layla

The women start things off with Kelly blocking a ram into the corner and kicking Layla in the face. It’s off to Knox vs. Dreamer, with the former hitting a hard clothesline. A kick to the face gets Dreamer out of trouble though and it’s back to Kelly to beat up Layla. Everything breaks down and Kelly Rocker Droppers Layla for the fast pin.

Post match Knox drops Dreamer.

We look at the Presidential candidates addressing the fans last night.

Jimmy Wang Yang vs. John Morrison

Shannon Moore and Miz (on commentary) are here too as they try to keep this long past its prime story going. Morrison hits a shoulder to start but gets clotheslined outside for his efforts. Back in and Morrison counters a leapfrog to take out the knee (that was clever) and Morrison goes after said knee. The knee is fine enough for a monkey flip but Morrison crotches him on top. Morrison misses the corkscrew moonsault though and it’s the moonsault press to finish for Yang in a big upset.

Raw Rebound.

Backlash rundown.

Kofi Kingston vs. Shelton Benjamin

Kofi picks up the pace to start and hits a nice dropkick. Benjamin isn’t having that and plants him with a shoulder breaker, setting up the logical armbar. With that broken up, Kingston sends him to the apron before dropping Benjamin out of the air. Benjamin is right back with the Fujiwara armbar, followed by a heck of a running shoulder to put Kingston down. A kick to the head misses though and Kingston hits Trouble In Paradise for the fast pin.

Rating: C+. The ending felt like Kingston caught Benjamin making a mistake and that is how he should be beating a more experienced star. Benjamin dominated most of the match with Kingston just getting in a little offense here and there. That made Kingston’s win feel even better, and it was a good surprise over a more established opponent than usual.

Raw Rebound.

Mark Henry vs. Nunzio

Henry runs him over to start and sends Nunzio to the top, only to pull a dive out of the air. A powerslam finishes Nunzio fast.

Video on the European tour.

Here are Edge and the Edgeheads for the Cutting Edge. This week’s guest is Kane, with Edge saying the Brothers of Destruction might be the most dominant family in wrestling. Edge brings up Kane’s parents, with Kane saying they’re dead and offering to have Edge join them. That has Edge bringing up Kane’s rather complicated backstory and brings up how many times their paths have crossed. Kane even saved Edge from marrying Lita, allowing him to be with Vickie Guerrero! Kane: “You thank me for that?”

Edge talks about La Familia, but things have gone south since Undertaker and Kane took the family’s most prized possessions. Those things are coming back at Backlash, but Kane promises that he and Undertaker will destroy everyone. Then Vickie will be left all by herself (Edge shakes his head no), but don’t worry because Kane and Undertaker will take great care of her (…..what could that possibly mean?). The fight is on with the rest of La Familia coming in and holding Kane down so Chavo can crush his leg with a chair. This goes on for a bit to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling was good to pretty good this week, but the big deal was the ending. WWE had to do something to add some spice to Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero and giving Chavo a bodyguard who helped hurt Kane’s knee is about as good as they are going to get. There wasn’t much here outside of the usual around here, which wasn’t exactly thrilling. They still need something more interesting for a top story, as Chavo just won’t go away already. It’ll do for now, but Backlash really needs to end the story.

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.

NXT LVL Up
Date: May 5, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

We’re done with the Draft and that means it is time to get on to the new NXT. Since there are so many wrestlers gone from NXT, it might be time for some of the new generation to rise up. NXT might find some of those new names around here as has been the case before. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Oro Mensah vs. Kale Dixon

Mensah takes him down by the wrist but Dixon reverses into a wristlock of his own. With that broken up, Mensah snaps off an anklescissors but Dixon forearms him in the back. Some backbreakers give Dixon two and we hit the hair pull on the mat. Mensah is back up with a kick to the head and a standing Lionsault. The running spinwheel kick in the corner drops Dixon for the pin at 4:35.

Rating: C+. Nice enough match here as Mensah manages to get a win after all of those losses. Granted it was against someone as low level as Dixon but a win is better than another loss. This was quite the run of mill LVL Up match, as you had two fairly talented stars who are not going to get a chance on the main show anytime soon.

Boa is back and ready to show who he is against Eddy Thorpe.

Thea Hail vs. Lola Vice

Duke Hudson is here with Hail. Vice runs her over to start and thrusts her hips a bit, only to get taken down. Hail misses a standing moonsault but goes after the arm instead. Some kicks send Hail into the corner for the running hip attack and we hit the cravate. Hail fights up with some forearms out of the corner and a headlock driver finishes Vice at 4:08.

Rating: C. Vice continues to show off her charisma, with that fire in her eyes likely being more than enough to give her a chance. Hail is the same way, as she leans into the whole crazy college girl idea so well. It might not have been a classic, but you can see the charisma and talent on display here.

Boa vs. Eddy Thorpe

Thorpe has to duck away from some kicks to start before grabbing a headlock takeover. Back up and Thorpe hits a quick spinning crossbody but Boa kicks him in the chest to take over. Boa stomps away for two and grabs a butterfly suplex for two. Boa’s chinlock with a bodyscissors is broken up but Boa puts it right back on to keep Thorpe down. Back up and Thorpe grabs a Saito suplex but gets kicked in the face for two. Thorpe fights up again, setting up a snap German suplex. A jumping elbow of all things finishes Boa at 7:09.

Rating: C+. Thorpe continues to look like someone who could do something in NXT as he has a unique gimmick and look while also being able to back it up in the ring. On the other hand you have Boa, who has not stood out in the slightest since he debuted and that continues to be the case. Pretty decent match though as Thorpe keeps up some of his momentum.

Overall Rating: C+. The action was a bit better than usual here but the lack of bigger names didn’t help things. Mensah, Hail and Vice are as run of the mill as you get around here and it left me wanting to see someone more interesting. Thorpe is growing on me decently enough, though he needs to be on the main show instead of this one. Decent week here, but it’s still full of the same problems it has always had.

Results
Oro Mensah b. Kale Dixon – Running spinwheel kick in the corner
Thea Hail b. Lola Vice – Headlock driver
Eddy Thorpe b. Boa – Jumping elbow

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.

NXT LVL Up
Date: April 28, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

The first night of the Draft is over and that is not going to mean a thing around here. As usual the show was taped far in advance of this one and that doesn’t mean much in the way of major developments. Other than NXT getting some names called up and some LVL Up stars taking their place, this show is more or less immune from the Draft. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tyler Bate vs. Luca Crusifino

Ok that’s not someone I was expecting. Luca offers Bate a business card to start as commentary talks about what a big deal it is to have Bate here (yeah pretty much). Bate takes him down and stretches the legs before luring him in with the business card to over stretch Crusifino even more. Crusifino manages to take him down and grabs a quickly broken chinlock. Bate is back with the long form airplane spin, setting up the Tyler Driver 97 for the pin at 5:11.

Rating: C. This is the kind of thing LVL Up needs to do: throw out someone who isn’t working on the regular NXT show that week and have them work a short match. Bate being here made the show feel more important, or at least interesting, and it isn’t like having him work five minutes is going to hurt anything. Nothing match of course, but Bate being there is enough of a benefit.

Hank Walker and Tank Ledger are old friends (they met over some nice meatloaf) and now it’s time to face the Dyad (“the green beans of the NXT tag team division”).

Ivy Nile vs. Lola Vice

They fight over a rather aggressive lockup to start until Nile rides her to the mat. Vice is right back with a kick to the ribs, followed by a running hip attack in the corner. A double arm crank is broken up though and Nile kicks her down again. Nile grabs a gutwrench suplex and the Diamond Chain Lock knocks Vice out cold for the win at 4:18.

Rating: C+. Vice has all of the tools in the world to be something, including the charisma that makes her feel like a star. Throw in the MMA background and all of the potential is right there. On the other hand you have Nile, who still feels like she could be something in the division as soon as she is given the chance.

Dyad vs. Hank Walker/Tank Ledger

The rest of Schism is here with the Dyad. Walker shrugs off Reid’s headlock to start and sends Reid flying into the corner. Everything breaks down and it’s off to Walker to slam Fowler. Reid comes back in to whip Ledger hard into the corner but the chinlock doesn’t last long. Walker fights up and brings in Ledger to clean house, including a hard shoulder for two on Reid. Everything breaks down again and a wheelbarrow into a reverse X Factor (cool) plants Reid for two more. Walker is pulled outside and the double Codebreaker finishes Ledger at 7:06.

Rating: C+. The match got a little more time than most matches around here and it made things that much better. Other than that, the Dyad got to showcase themselves a bit, even if they do not seem likely to be long for the promotion after their recent release requests. Ledger and Walker could be decent as a working man team, though that isn’t likely to work all that well with Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen around.

Overall Rating: C+. Better show this week, with the bigger names helping move things on a bit. You have Bate and the Dyad as bigger than usual names, plus the usual offering in the women’s match. That makes for a slightly better than average show, but as usual it is absolutely nothing that you need to see.

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.

NXT LVL Up
Date: April 21, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton, Mr. Stone

Who knows what we’re getting around here, but less of Schism would be nice. I know they’re names but egads they can suck the life out of a show like no other. It would be nice to see some other stars who don’t get the TV time having a shot, but that isn’t likely to take place. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Wendy Choo/Valentina Feroz vs. Jakara Jackson/Lash Legend

Jackson headlocks Choo to start but gets taken into the wrong corner for her efforts. It’s off to Feroz for a headlock of her own but Legend comes in to drop her on the ropes. Feroz can’t slip out of a suplex so Legend gets to pose as she put a foot on the chest for two. An elbow to the back gets a less arrogant near fall and Jackson comes back in for an aggressive chinlock. That’s broken up as well and it’s Choo coming in to take over. Everything breaks down and Choo hits a full nelson slam to pin Jackson at 5:19.

Rating: C. It’s nice to have Choo back, but there is only so much that can be done with her returning in this spot. She is one of the most unique gimmicks around, but she has to be used in the right way or it won’t work out. The other three were their usual selves, and it isn’t a surprise that Choo got the focus here, as she is by far the biggest star.

Javier Bernal and Kale Dixon are ready for the main event, though Bernal wants Dixon to work on his physique.

Oro Mensah vs. Damon Kemp

Kemp easily wrestles him to the mat but takes too long swiveling the hips, allowing Mensah to grab an anklescissors. Mensah sends him to the apron but gets his throat snapped across the top to put him back in trouble. Back in and Kemp elbows him down before swinging Mensah around by the neck for a crash. A bridging German suplex gives Kemp two and we hit something like a seated abdominal stretch. Mensah fights up and gets two off a rollup, followed by a kick to the face. That’s fine with Kemp, who grabs an electric chair into a suplex for the pin at 5:08.

Rating: C. I still like Kemp and there is something for him to do somewhere in NXT. He has the general heelish nature that makes you want to see him get beaten up and the amateur credentials to back it up. Mensah continues to be little more than “that guy who used to be a bit of something in NXT UK but never does anything here”, which might be his ceiling at the moment.

Edris Enofe/Malik Blade vs. Javier Bernal/Kale Dixon

Enofe takes over on Dixon’s arm to start and hands it off to Blade for a knee to the ribs. A facebuster from Enofe gives Blade two and it’s off to Bernal. Blade misses a kick in the corner and Bernal starts in on the leg, with Dixon getting in some cranking of his own. Bernal’s half crab is broken up and the hot tag brings in Enofe to clean house. Bernal is sent outside, leaving Dixon to walk into the Climax for the pin at 5:09.

Rating: C. Commentary was talking about how Enofe and Blade always feel like they could be the next team to break through but you can only be that for so long. There is a lot of truth to that, as the team has always been on the cusp but beating a makeshift heel team isn’t likely going to be their springboard. They could be something, though that isn’t going to matter if they never get a real chance.

Overall Rating: C. Choo’s return aside, there wasn’t much to see here as it was a lot of the familiar faces from LVL Up. By that I mean a bunch of people who don’t do anything on the main NXT show and there is no reason to believe that most of them are going to be much in the near future. Maybe one or two get to move up a bit if the Draft guts NXT, but that still sounds like quite the long shot.

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.

Backlash 2023
Date: May 6, 2023
Location: Coliseo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We are off the mainland with this show as WWE heads to Puerto Rico for its first major show in over eighteen years. The card is more than a little different this time as we have a double main event, featuring Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes and Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest in a street fight. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at the double main event, with Bad Bunny talking about how he is stepping out of his world but wanting to fight. The rest of the card gets some highlights as well.

We get the awesome drone shot, with the camera coming from outside and into the arena. That’s just sweet.

Raw Women’s Title: Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky

Sky, without Damage Ctrl, is challenging. Feeling out process to start with Belair getting a headscissors before dropkicking Sky down. Back up and Sky snaps the arm across the top rope before adding a top rope double stomp to the arm. Sky kicks the arm out again and works on an armbar, sending Belair crawling into the corner. Belair avoids a charge but what looked to be a Glam Slam is countered into a double stomp to the chest.

A headscissors is countered into a backbreaker but Belair bangs up the arm again. The delayed suplex drops Sky and Belair pounds away in the corner. The good arm is ok enough to hit a one armed gorilla press, though Belair drops Sky hard onto her face. Belair’s handspring moonsault gets two but Sky avoids a charge in the corner. The arm gets snapped over the top again and there’s the springboard missile dropkick to send Belair outside.

Belair shoves her off the top but the 450 hits raised knees. Sky crabs a Crossface but Belair powers up to her feet and muscles Sky up. The powerbomb is countered into an X Factor for a rather near fall. Belair tries another Glam Slam but has to counter another double stomp. The KOD is reversed as well with Sky sending her outside, setting up another kick to the arm. There’s the middle rope moonsault to drop Belair again and Sky drives shoulders into the ribs back inside.

Belair knocks her off the ropes to the apron but Sky is right back up. Her super hurricanrana is blocked and countered into a super sitout powerbomb….for two in a heck of a kickout. Cue Damage Ctrl for a distraction but Belair forearms Sky in the face. Dakota Kai gets knocked off the apron but Sky reverses the KOD into a rollup for a very close two. Bayley’s interference lets Sky send Belair into the ropes and Kai gets in a kick to the face. Bayley holds Belair’s hair as Over The Moonsault is loaded up. The referee cuts that off and the moonsault misses, allowing Belair to hit the KOD to retain at 17:57.

Rating: B+. Oh man they were ROCKING out there until the interference brought things down a bit. I know that’s going to be part of the Damage Ctrl split but these two were having one of the best matches of their careers. Awesome opener in front of a red hot crowd and you can’t ask for much more than that.

Rey Mysterio gives Bad Bunny a pep talk when Savio Vega of all people (that gets a heck of a reaction) to bring him a Puerto Rico themed kendo stick.

We look at the post Draft rosters.

We recap Seth Rollins vs. Omos, which isn’t much of a feud. Basically Rollins is on a roll, Omos is a monster, they’re having a match.

Omos vs. Seth Rollins

MVP is here with Omos, who breaks up Rollins conducting the fans before the bell. Rollins is ready to go and gets knocked down as the match officially starts. A chest first whip into the corner drops Rollins again and Omos mockingly conducts the crowd. They fight outside with Rollins managing to slip away and get in a posting. The second suicide dive is cut off though and Omos chokeslams him onto the apron.

Back in and Snake Eyes into the big boot drops Rollins again, with Omos not being able to hear the fans again. Rollins manages a superkick but the Pedigree attempt is easily blocked. Something like a bulldog onto the post rocks Omos again and a tornado DDT puts him down. The frog splash gets one, with the kickout sending Rollins flying. Rollins tries the Stomp but Omos just doesn’t go down, blocking it through straight power.

A chokeslam gives Omos two and the kickout leaves him stunned. Rollins flips up into a sleeper to slow Omos down but he shrugs things off. MVP tries to throw in the cane, allowing Rollins to hit a Stomp. The superkick knocks MVP off the apron and a second Stomp only gets two. That leaves Rollins stunned for a change so it’s a top rope Stomp (looked pretty good) to finish Omos at 10:31.

Rating: B. This match had me flashing back to HHH vs. Great Khali at Summerslam 2008 and that is a good thing. Omos doesn’t have the best reputation in the ring but he and Rollins had a pretty awesome match here. Rollins can hit the Stomp on anyone but he had to bust out the big one to survive here. Good stuff here as Rollins sold rather well and Omos is clearly getting better in the ring.

We look at Damian Priest and Bad Bunny getting into a fight at the press conference.

US Title: Bronson Reed vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory

Theory is defending. Lashley slugs away at both of them to start and sends Theory into Reed. A clothesline to Reed makes him DDT Theory, who has to save Reed from the Hurt Lock. Lashley is back up with the one armed delayed vertical suplex on Theory, who is smart enough to take Lashley’s leg out. Reed adds a splash to Lashley’s back and the basement rolling body block hits him again.

The double teaming doesn’t work for Reed, who runs Theory over instead. Lashley fights up and runs both of them over, setting up the spear to Theory. Reed breaks it up and superkicks Lashley on the floor. With that not working, Reed Vader Bombs down onto a standing Lashley on the outside (GEEZ that could have gone badly).

Back in and Theory breaks up the Tsunami but Lashley grabs the Hurt Lock on Theory. A climb up the ropes gets Theory out of it, allowing Reed to Tsunami Lashley, with Theory having to make the save. Theory hits a rolling Blockbuster on Reed but A Town Down is countered into a powerslam. Reed misses a moonsault and get speared down by Lashley, only to have Theory send Lashley outside and steal the pin to retain at 6:53.

Rating: B. It was a fast paced match with all action and Reed looked like a star, but the almost textbook ending didn’t help. I like Theory retaining the title here though, as he is rapidly improving in a lot of areas. Letting him steal a pin to retain the title fits in well and I want to see where he goes. Reed and Lashley will be fine going forward, and now I’m curious about what kind of role Lashley will play in the World Title tournament. Good stuff here again, as the show has been on a roll so far.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley vs. Zelina Vega

Vega, with Puerto Rico flag themed gear and tears in her eyes during the Big Match Intros, is challenging. The fans are entirely behind Vega as she starts fast but gets sent outside. Vega grabs a shoe, which apparently has some local significance, and throws it at Ripley. Back in and Ripley powerbombs her down hard to cut everything off.

A whip into the corner lets Ripley hit the Eddie Dance and the fans aren’t pleased. Ripley grabs a backbreaker into an over the shoulder backbreaker but Vega sends her shoulder first into the post. Some running clotheslines rock Ripley and Riptide is countered into a DDT. A 619 sets up a middle rope Meteora for two (as the Sasha Banks similarities build up) but Ripley kicks her in the face. Riptide retains the title at 7:14.

Rating: B-. This whole match was built around the idea of Vega only having a miracle chance at winning and that’s about all she had here. They tried and the comeback near the end was good, but it never hit that level that they were aiming for. To be fair, Vega was a fairly rushed challenger and this is probably the biggest match of her career, so it isn’t like she had anything to lose.

Post match Ripley leaves and Vega gets the crazy strong home island reception.

We recap Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest. Bunny saved Rey Mysterio from Dominik’s cheating at Wrestlemania so Priest beat Bunny up on Raw. That isn’t cool with Bunny and it’s time for a street fight.

Damian Priest vs. Bad Bunny

Street fight and Bunny is the hometown boy to a major reaction. Bunny brings the kendo stick but whips out a shopping cart full of weapons. Priest powers him into the corner to start but gets slapped in the face, with Bunny hitting a Michinoku Driver for two. Bunny grabs the kendo sticks but Priest knocks him down and breaks one of them. Back up and Bunny hammers away in the corner, only to get taken down again.

South Of Heaven connects but Priest pulls him up at two. It’s time to bring in an ax handle (single this time) but instead Priest loads up the springboard dive…which is cut off by a chair being thrown into his face. Bunny hits a big dive and drops him with a bunch of trashcan lid shots, giving us a Flair Flop on the floor. Back in and another Michinoku Driver gives Bunny two more but it’s time to head back outside.

Priest gets the better of things this time and smashes the Puerto Rico kendo stick across Bunny’s back. They head into the crowd and over to the tech area, where a Falcon Arrow sends Bunny crashing HARD through some tables. Adam Pearce comes out to say this needs to stop but Priest carries Bunny back to ringside. Priest misses a kick to the post and can barely stand, so Bunny blasts said leg with a kendo stick.

Bunny hits something like a Stunner to the leg out of the corner and the leg is wrapped around the post. A chain is wrapped around the leg to send it into the post again (with Priest begging him not to do it). Priest begs off from a chair shot and gets in a kick of his own, only to get hit low for his efforts. Cue Judgment Day to go after Bunny, with Rey Mysterio making the save.

With Rey beaten down, Carlito makes the save to an explosion, including the Backstabber and apple spit. Judgment Day gets back up but here is Savio Vega, who brings out the LWO to keep up the fight. With everyone else gone, Priest’s leg gives out on a kick to the head attempt, allowing Bunny to grab a Figure Four. Priest gets out so it’s a Sliced Bread for two (with Bunny almost landing on his head). A Canadian Destroyer finishes Priest at 25:05.

Rating: A. Yeah this was a total blast and played to the live crowd as well as anything else was going to. Bunny is as over as free beer in a frat house around here and they brought in the legends/current stars to make it feel that much bigger. It was fun and Bunny put in an all time celebrity performance, but Priest deserves all kinds of credit for holding it all together. Great stuff here, but egads how is anything supposed to follow this?

We recap the Bloodline vs. Matt Riddle/Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens. The Bloodline is showing cracks, including the Usos losing the Tag Team Titles to Owens/Zayn at Wrestlemania. Now it is more or less a “win here or you’re in real trouble” for the Bloodline as the other three are out to end the team.

Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn/Matt Riddle vs. Bloodline

No Paul Heyman or this one. Jey takes Sami down to start but Sami is right back up with a shot to the face. Jimmy comes in and gets taken down into the corner, allowing Riddle to come in and hammer away. It’s off to Sikoa though and this time Sami gets beaten down, with Jimmy getting to do the same. Sikoa has to tag himself back in to hammer away before Jimmy grabs a chinlock. Sami manages a shot to the face though and sends the now legal Jey outside.

Jey pulls Owens off the apron and slams him HARD into the steps (YOWCH). Sami has to fight out of the corner but can’t get around the numbers game, meaning Sikoa can come back in. A tornado DDT plants Sikoa though and the hot tag brings in Riddle to clean house. Everything breaks down and Riddle hits the backsplash, only to have what looked to be a Buckshot Lariat cut off by a superkick.

Riddle gets in another shot though and hands it back to Owens, with the Swanton hitting Jimmy for two. Jimmy superkicks Jey by mistake though and it’s a pop up sitout powerbomb for two on Jey, leaving Owens stunned. Owens and Jey slug it out but the Stunner is broken up. They trade shots to the face until Owens hits a big clothesline for the double knockdown.

Sami comes back in with the Blue Thunder Bomb for two but he has to fight off both Usos on top. The double superkick knocks Sami out of the air for two more and Jey has to yell at him a bit. Sikoa tags himself in before Jey can launch the running Umaga attack, only to have Jey tag himself back in as well.

The Helluva Kick knocks Sikoa to the floor and another hits Jey, with Sikoa having to make a save. Riddle comes back in and Sikoa takes him down, followed by a Spike to Owens. Sikoa almost Spikes Jey but Sami is back in. The Superfly Splash hits raised knees to give Sami two so here is Riddle to clean house instead. Sikoa tags himself in though and the Spike finishes Riddle at 22:03.

Rating: B. It was a main event level six man tag and they go the time, but anything was going to feel like a letdown after the previous match. They were all working hard, which is always nice to see, but it feels like we’re retreading past stories with this one. Though that being said, there is something entertaining about Riddle’s continued destruction, which certainly feels like punishment.

We recap Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes. Cody lost in the biggest match of his life at Wrestlemania and tried to team with Lesnar the next night. Lesnar turned on him in a heck of a beatdown, setting up this fight.

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

Cody dives onto Lesnar to start fast on the floor before the bell. Some steps and chair shots have Lesnar in more trouble and they head inside for the official start. Lesnar drives him hard into the corner to take over and it’s a German suplex to make it worse. There’s a fall away slam and now Lesnar is starting to look back to normal. More suplexes send Rhodes into the corner and Lesnar starts in on the leg. Lesnar fires off even more suplexes and a turnbuckle pad is ripped off.

Lesnar grabs a bearhug to stay on the ribs but Cody manages to send him into the exposed buckle. A Cody Cutter and the Disaster kick rock the bleeding Lesnar, setting up a knee to the face. Another Cody Cutter connects and a pair of Cross Rhodes gives Rhodes two. Cody tries it again but gets reversed into the F5 for two. The Kimura goes on but Cody stacks him up for the pin at 9:40.

Rating: B-. I wasn’t getting into this one as well as some others, but Cody getting the big win absolutely had to happen. They can play up the idea that Lesnar got caught rather than defeated, but it isn’t like it matters all that much for him anyway. Cody needed this one a lot more than Lesnar and they went with the right direction rather than Lesnar smashing him until the ending. The Lesnar dominance in the middle was annoying, but they got the ending right and that is what matters.

Cody immediately leaves and Lesnar isn’t happy.

Overall Rating: A-. For a show with little in the way of expectations and even less in the way of meaning as the rosters reset the day after tomorrow, this was a heck of a show with the crowd elevating it by several notches. The Bunny match stole the night and was a smash hit, but the two matches after that were never going to be able to live up to that hype and it became clear very fast.

That all being said, this whole show was a blast with nothing bad and a bunch of matches elevated by the audience. I had a great time with the whole thing, starting with an awesome opener, Vega’s emotional loss, the great Bunny ordeal and Cody winning as he should have. Awesome show here and they hit on almost every possible cylinder.

Results
Bianca Belair b. Iyo Sky – KOD
Seth Rollins b. Omos – Super Stomp
Austin Theory b. Bobby Lashley and Bronson Reed – Spear to Reed
Rhea Ripley b. Zelina Vega – Riptide
Bad Bunny b. Damian Priest – Canadian Destroyer
Bloodline b. Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens/Matt Riddle – Samoan Spike to Riddle
Cody Rhodes b. Brock Lesnar – Rollup

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.