Rampage
Date: March 25, 2023
Location: Cable Dahmer Arena, Independence, Missouri
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone

It’s a rare Saturday Rampage this week due to the NCAA Tournament. The show is coming off a pretty strong Dynamite this week so it has its work cut out for it. You never know what you might get on Rampage, which can make the show that much more interesting a lot of the time. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

TNT Title: Penta El Cero Miedo vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

Hobbs, with the QTV crew, is defending and they strike it out to start. Miedo knocks him to the floor but the dive is cut off, allowing Hobbs to hammer away. There’s a posting to drop Miedo again before Hobbs whips him hard into the corner back inside. Hobbs slowly beats him down and plants Miedo for two as we take a break.

Back with Miedo hitting a Sling Blade and a Backstabber out of the corner gets two. Hobbs isn’t having that and runs Miedo over before starting to get serious. Town Business is broken up though and Miedo superkicks him to the floor, setting up the big flip dive. A top rope double stomp on the apron sets up another one inside for two as Hobbs barely kicks out. QT Marshall offers a distraction though and Miedo has to deal with Aaron Solo. That lets Hobbs hit a belt shot into Town Business to retain at 10:35.

Rating: C. So now Hobbs has gone from a monster to needing QT Marshall to win the title to needing distractions from Marshall/Solo and a belt shot to retain. How any promotion can manage to screw up something like this is beyond me, but at least QTV is getting some extra attention. Why not just give Marshall the title and call it a day?

Post match Hobbs goes after Alex Abrahantes but Rey Fenix makes the save with a hammer.

We recap the Young Bucks getting attacked on Dynamite and Don Callis being up to some shenanigans after Kenny Omega beat Hijo del Vikingo.

Jeff Cobb wants Omega on Dynamite.

Here is Ricky Starks for a chat. He feels like he has been talking enough lately and now he wants Juice Robinson out here for a fight. Cue Robinson to say he is being called out so it’s time for Starks to take a beating. Robinson changes his mind so Starks comes after him, only to have Robinson bail into the crowd. They’re not fighting in Missouri, so they’ll do it in two weeks in New York. This story still isn’t exactly clicking.

Jay Lethal praises Jeff Jarrett, who wants respect from the delusional AEW fans. Sonjay Dutt says they’re coming for the Tag Team Titles. Satnam Singh stands there.

Brody King vs. Jake Hager

Julia Hart is here with King. They shove/knock each other around to start with neither getting very far. An exchange of running forearms to the face doesn’t work so King chops him hard to the floor instead. King whips him into the barricade but Hager does the exact same thing (just to King instead).

We take a break and come back with King hitting a Boss Man Slam for two. King clotheslines him in the corner but misses the Cannonball. The Vader Bomb hits King’s raised knees though and King hits a clothesline for two. Cue Anna Jay to post Hart and Hager rolls King up for two. That just annoys King enough to Samoan driver Hager for the pin at 7:17.

Rating: C+. Hager still doesn’t feel like the most important member of the roster but at least he put King over here to make up for some of last week’s loss to Daniel Garcia. King is someone who could be a big monster and now he needs to be built back up to make it more of a possibility. This is a nice start, but the Jericho Appreciation Society beating him a few more times wouldn’t stun me.

Swerve Strickland is ready to finish Dustin Rhodes and Keith Lee when he wants to. For now, he has a fresh affiliate (Tec-9?) and is coming after them.

Leila Grey vs. Taya Valkyrie

Jade Cargill and Mark Sterling are here with Grey. A lot of trash is talked to start before Taya runs her over with a clothesline. Some right hands set up the Road To Valhalla to finish Grey at 1:13.

Post match Sterling yells at Taya and gets the Road To Valhalla too.

Video on the Kingdom vs. Acclaimed.

Here’s what’s coming on Dynamite.

Kingdom vs. Acclaimed

Matt Menard, with Angelo Parker, is on commentary, Maria is here with the Kingdom and Billy Gunn is here with the Acclaimed. Maria offers a fast distraction so Taven can knock Caster into the corner. Bennett comes in, decks Bowens, and goes back to Caster, who gets in a forearm of his own. It’s off to Bowens for a neckbreaker on Bennett and there’s Scissor Me Timbers. Scissoring ensues and we take a break.

Back with Taven kicking Caster in the face for two and the Kingdom gives Billy a crotch chop. Maria tries to slip in a shoe but Billy chases her off. Cue Top Flight (because this match needs a team on commentary, a team interfering and two managers) to chase her off. Bowens comes in off the tag and starts to clean house, including a running Fameasser from behind to Taven. Bennett is sent outside and it’s the Arrival into the Mic Drop for the pin on Taven at 9:50.

Rating: C+. Pretty good here as it’s nice to have a team as talented as the Kingdom around, but they were only around to help reheat the Acclaimed. It’s a shame to see the Acclaimed fall as fast as they have. They’re still talented and popular, but they have gone from the most over team in AEW to main eventing Rampage against a team who haven’t really been established around here. Oh and they get Menard and Parker next, just in case they needed even weaker competition.

Scissoring ensues after the match, with the Jericho Appreciation Society approving to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. It wasn’t a bad show but it felt like a rather typical Rampage, with little in the way of important stories. This week didn’t even have anything resembling a great match, making this feel like a rather hard punt. That’s fine for the tournament show, but it would still be nice to have this show feel a lot more important. Or for Hobbs to not be playing second fiddle to QTV, but that is looking more and more like a lost cause. Anyway, decent show this week, but absolutely nothing you need to see.

Results
Powerhouse Hobbs b. Penta El Cero Miedo – Town Business
Brody King b. Jake Hager – Samoan driver
Taya Valkyrie b. Leila Grey – Road To Valhalla
Acclaimed b. Kingdom – Mic Drop to Taven

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.

Make sure you check out some recent reviews:

Impact Wrestling – March 23, 2023

Smackdown – March 24, 2023

BREAKING: World Champion Injured, Record Title Reign Ends.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/breaking-world-champion-injured-record-title-reign-ends/

It’s On: Grudge Match Officially Set For WrestleMania 39 After Months Of Buildup.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/grudge-match-officially-set-wrestlemania-39-months-buildup/

Kickoff: WWE Makes Special Announcement For WrestleMania 39.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kickoff-wwe-makes-special-announcement-wrestlemania-39/

Back On: WWE Considers WrestleMania Appearance For Injured Star.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/back-wwe-considers-wrestlemania-appearance-injured-star/

Ouch: Vince McMahon Loses Millions Of Dollars To WWE.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/ouch-vince-mcmahon-loses-bunch-money-wwe/

Working On It: Injured AEW Star Offers Update On His Recovery, Out Several More Weeks.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/working-injured-aew-star-offers-update-recovery-several-weeks/

WATCH: WWE Presents WrestleMania By The Numbers (This Is Awesome).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-wwe-presents-wrestlemania-numbers/

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

Smackdown
Date: March 24, 2023
Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

We are eight days away from Wrestlemania and there isn’t much left to get ready for the show. The big things remaining is finding out who will be in the women’s showcase tag match, as there are three spots remaining. Other than that, expect a lot of hard pushes towards what is already announced. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens reunion which set up the Tag Team Title match at Wrestlemania.

Opening sequence.

Cody Rhodes vs. Ludvig Kaiser

Giovanni Vinci is here with Kaiser, who doesn’t get an entrance. Cody suplexes Kaiser to start as Paul Heyman comes out to watch. A running knee sends Kaiser outside and we take an early break. Back with Rhodes hammering away against the announcers’ table but the Cody Cutter is broken up back inside. Cody fights out of a chinlock but gets the rope kicked into his arm to put him back down.

A Disaster Kick gets Cody out of trouble as Solo Sikoa comes out as well. That’s enough for Kaiser to take out Cody’s knee and send him into the steps as we take a break. Back with Cody fighting up as Heyman and Sikoa aren’t pleased. Cody powerslams him for two but gets hit in the face. Kaiser gets pulled out of the air but Cross Rhodes is blocked. Instead the Cody Cutter connects and Cross Rhodes finishes at 16:28.

Rating: C+. The well done builds continue as Cody racks up another win despite the Bloodline’s presence. That’s exactly what it needed to be as Cody broke a sweat and beat someone associated with Gunther, who he will likely be seeing later. This might not have been some classic, but it did what it was supposed to do without any problem.

Post match Sikoa gets on the apron but Heyman holds him back. Heyman owes Cody an apology and handles the proper ring announcement for the win. Cody is STILL the challenger for the REIGNING, DEFENDING champion Roman Reigns but he has a big obstacle in his way on Raw when he faces Sikoa. After that, all roads lead to Roman Reigns, who will be live on Smackdown last week for the final face to face showdown with Cody.

That’s fine with Cody, who says he beat Seth Rollins with one arm and promises to show Sikoa that he isn’t ready. At Wrestlemania, Reigns is going to find out that he isn’t ready either. That has Heyman glaring as Cody throws the mic down. They’ve done almost everything right so far and now it’s all about sticking the landing at Wrestlemania. If they do that, it’s a home run.

The opening match of Wrestlemania Night One: John Cena vs. Austin Theory. That’s one way to start it.

Here is Charlotte for a chat. She is a 14 time champion and that isn’t because of insecurity or nepotism. Wrestling wasn’t built on fear but rather respect, which is what she has for Rhea Ripley. She respected Nikki and Brie, the Four Horsewomen and almost every other woman of the modern era. She gets annoyed at the WHATing so the fans switch to WOOing. Charlotte loves her dad and diamonds are forever, just like her. This has been Charlotte Is Awesome theater for the week.

Rey Mysterio vs. LA Knight

Rey’s family is at ringside and he hammers away in the corner to start. Knight takes him down and stomps away before hitting the jumping neckbreaker. A headscissors sends Knight outside though and Rey dropkicks him through the ropes. Back in and Rey goes up but cue Dominik Mysterio for a distraction, allowing Knight to crotch him down.

We come back with Knight kicking Rey in the face but missing the big elbow. Rey grabs a DDT but the 619 is pulled out of the air. Another headscissors takes Knight down again so Dominik offers a distraction to break up another 619 attempt, allowing Knight to get the rollup pin at 11:01.

Rating: C. The finish wasn’t a clean one (and it shouldn’t have been) but I’ll take Knight getting a win that might matter a bit for a change. The ending also probably sets up the post match shenanigans to get the Mysterios to Wrestlemania as they continue to take the right steps. Rey isn’t hurt by losing this way and Knight gets a bit of a boost so well done all around.

Post match Dominik gets in the ring to challenge Rey again but Rey rolls away. Dominik asks his mom what it’s like to have such a coward for a husband. He calls his mom a deadbeat too and says his sister is too stupid to understand. His mom (Angie) pulls the mic away but Dominik tells her to shut up. That’s too far for Rey, who FINALLY punches Dominik out. As Dominik looks terrified, Rey says you don’t disrespect your mother like that and the match is on for Wrestlemania.

Andy Kaufman is going into the Hall Of Fame.

Lacey Evans/Xia Li vs. Natalya/Shotzi

The winners go on to the Wrestlemania showcase match and Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez are at ringside. Lacey takes Shotzi down to start and Li does the same. It’s back to Lacey or a handstand Bronco Buster in the corner and a clothesline gets two on Shotzi. Everything breaks down and Lacey punches Shotzi out by mistake. Natalya kicks Lacey to the floor so Shotzi can hit a suicide dive, leaving Li to get hart Attacked. The Sharpshooter makes Li tap at 3:31.

Rating: C-. Yeah fine sure whatever. This match is already feeling like the least important thing on Wrestlemania in a very long time and having Evans/Li as a team trying to make Wrestlemania doesn’t make it better. Natalya being there is no surprise as she is always around, but my goodness it is almost impossible to care when they’re basically saying “there’s no story here and we’re just doing this to have people in the ring”.

Post match Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey are here to mock the two teams who have already qualified. They’re in the Wrestlemania match too, just because.

It’s time for the contract signing for the Wrestlemania Intercontinental Title match. Drew McIntyre is here when Adam Pearce starts the introductions. Cue Sheamus and the Brawling Brutes to interrupt with Sheamus talking about how much he has done for McIntyre over the years. Sheamus is ready to beat McIntyre up but McIntyre cuts him off for whining too much. They used to beat each other up and Sheamus can’t tell the difference between business and personal these days. McIntyre knows he can beat Sheamus and Gunther, the latter of which Sheamus can’t do.

Pearce tries to calm things down and gets them both to sign (with McIntyre throwing the pen to a fan because he knows how to be popular). Cue Imperium, with Gunther saying he wants to know why he is being treated to this. He signs, but says whatever he does at Wrestlemania will be justified. He’ll beat Sheamus and McIntyre and the rest of the Brutes if he has to, so Butch jumps him. Gunther DEMANDS a match with Butch right now (and absolutely launches the table over the top in a really impressive display) and here we go.

Gunther vs. Butch

Non-title. Joined in progress with Gunther kicking him in the face and hitting a hard slam. A butterfly suplex (and a good one) drops Butch again before Gunther starts with the chops. Butch tries a choke but gets chopped back down. Some enziguris work a bit better for Butch but Gunther suplexes him into the corner.

The boot choke in the corner makes it worse and we take a break. Back with Butch working on the arm, only to get pulled into the sleeper. With that broken up, Gunther takes it outside for a staredown with Sheamus and McIntyre. The brawl between everyone not in the match is on, with Gunther hitting the Last Symphony to finish Butch at 9:33.

Rating: B-. Ok so it wasn’t Butch vs. Walter but for an impromptu match that didn’t have a lot of time, this was probably the best action on the show. They beat each other up for a bit and Butch was acting rather Pete Dunne like (as he has been for his more recent appearances). Gunther gets to remind people that he’s a monster and that should make the Wrestlemania match all the better.

Post match the staredown is on with McIntyre Claymoring Gunther down.

The Street Profits are fired up but Ricochet and Braun Strowman come in to request the smoke.

It’s time for the KO Show with Kevin Owens bringing out Sami Zayn. They talk about whether they should have come out together or apart, with Owens thinking Sami just wanted his own pop. That’s ok though because Owens gets it. It’s time to talk about Wrestlemania, where they have the chance to make history. Owens has a present for Sami though, because a few months ago, he said Sami needed a new shirt. That means we see the new KO Mania shirt, which says WrestleZAYNia. Sami puts it on and goes for a hug, but Owens says one a year. They do hug but here are the Usos to jump them and run off to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a good example of a show where they weren’t trying to do anything too drastic or make anything major (save for maybe finally making Rey vs. Dominik) and just hold things in place for Wrestlemania. There are two major shows left before then and there isn’t much of a reason to believe that anything huge is coming. Sometimes you just need to keep things where they are and WWE has reached that point with Wrestlemania. Don’t do anything stupid next Monday and Friday and they can roll into SoFi ready to nail it.

Results
Cody Rhodes b. Ludvig Kaiser – Cross Rhodes
LA Knight b. Rey Mysterio – Rollup
Natalya/Shotzi b. Lacey Evans/Xia Li – Sharpshooter to Li
Gunther b. Butch – Last Symphony

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.

Impact Wrestling
Date: March 23, 2023
Location: Sam’s Town Live, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It is the night before Sacrifice and we are eight days away from Multiverse United. That means it is time to build up both shows at the last minute, as there is still some work that needs to be done. The good thing is that both shows already have quite a bit set and now the final touches can be applied. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at Steve Maclin vs. Josh Alexander, including Maclin costing Alexander/Rich Swann/Frankie Kazarian a six man tag last week.

Opening sequence.

The Design vs. Time Machine

Callihan is here with the Design. Kushida squares up to Kon to start but Sabin comes in as well, allowing Kon to clothesline both of them down. Deaner comes in and gets struck down by the Guns, only to take Sabin into the wrong corner. It’s off to Angels to trade chops with Sabin before a leg lariat puts Sabin down. Sabin ties Angels up though and Kushida/Shelley kick Angels’ arms out to take over.

There’s a running hesitation dropkick in the corner to hit Angels again and Shelley stays on the bad arm. Kushida snaps the arm across the top and it’s off to a double arm crank. Sabin comes back in but gets taken into the wrong corner so Angels can choke a bit. A sunset flip gets two on Deaner and Sabin dives over to Kushida for the tag. House is quickly cleaned and everything breaks down, with Kushida and Shelley taking over on Deaner’s arm for a change.

The handspring kick knocks Kon off the apron and Kushida hits a big dive to the floor to take out a variety of people. We take a break and come back with Angels (favoring his arm) and Kushida trading their forearms. Deaner kicks Kushida in the head and Kon’s spinebuster sets up Angel’s frog splash for two. A double clothesline Doomsday Device gets two on Kushida as Shelley makes the save.

Everything breaks down again and Angels is left alone, setting up a triple Dream Sequence. A triple kick in the head looks to set up Skull And Bones but Deaner makes the save. Hold on though as Callihan gets in to protect Deaner, leaving Callihan to get taken down as well. Angel’s dive is loaded up but he gets pulled into the Hoverboard Lock. Sabin kicks the arm away from the ropes and Angels taps at 18:50.

Rating: C+. Well that was….long. I’m not sure why anyone thinks there is a need for a Design match to go nearly twenty minutes but thankfully Time Machine was there to balance things out a bit. The action was fine but I can’t understand what is supposed to be interesting about the Design. It would be great to finally get to whatever they’re setting up with Callihan, because there has been almost nothing interesting so far and I have no reason to believe that is going to change.

The Coven is happy to be the new Knockouts Tag Team Champions and like magic.

Raj Singh and Shera are rich and like it in Las Vegas. The former is so rich that he’s now Champagne Singh as we just keep up the stereotypes.

Eddie Edwards is in the back with Kenny King and talks about how he has to get rid of PCO. That’s why he has brought in help, with King talking about how they realized they needed each other at Jay Briscoe’s mama’s house. PCO was never family like them, so King is going to take PCO out at Sacrifice.

Savannah Evans vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Gisele Shaw and Jai Vidal are here with Evans. Purrazzo slugs away to start but gets shoved down without much effort. There’s a running splash to crush Purrazzo in the corner and Evans throws her right back out. Purrazzo manages to snap off a running hurricanrana though and Evans crashes out to the floor. The baseball slide drops Evans again but a Shaw distraction lets Evans send Purrazzo into various things.

We take a break and come back with Purrazzo still in trouble as Shaw is rather pleased. A running shoulder in the corner sets up a butterfly suplex as Purrazzo is getting crushed here. The chinlock goes on as Shaw’s slapping the mat over and over again sounds like someone knocking on a door.

Purrazzo fights up and gets a boot up in the corner before going after the arm. That doesn’t work so Purrazzo hits a running knee into a Russian legsweep. Now the Fujiwara armbar can go on, with Evans making it over to the rope. Back up and Evans snaps off a suplex but gets kicked in the head. Evans is sent to the apron but the distractions are on. Evans accidentally kicks Vidal down and Purrazzo gets rid of Shaw, setting up a crucifix to pin Evans at 13:51.

Rating: C. This was another long match and mostly a squash until Purrazzo beat up two people at once to beat Evans. Purrazzo is geared up for her match with Shaw at Sacrifice and now we should be in for a showdown tomorrow night. Evans continues to look like a monster for most of her matches but then comes up short in the end, which could go somewhere in the future.

Post match Evans lays Purrazzo out and Shaw helps out with the beating. This goes on for a bit and no one saves Purrazzo.

Flashback Moment Of The Week (They still do these?): The Motor City Machine Guns b. Team 3D and Beer Money at Sacrifice 2010.

The Death Dollz are mad at losing the Knockouts Tag Team Titles with Taya Valkyrie trying to calm the other two down. They need a new plan! Jessika isn’t having that and goes after the Coven right now, only to find….a casket. Jessika opens it up and finds….well we’re not sure as Taya slams it shut. A hand reaches out of the casket and pulls Taya in. Where to you ask? AEW.

Bully Ray/Masha Slamovich vs. Tommy Dreamer/Mickie James

For those of you who needed a preview of Dreamer vs. Ray. The men start things off with Ray going after Mickie instead. Ray wants Mickie to come in and she does exactly that after about a minute of staring. Slamovich comes in for the slugout about two minutes in but Mickie plants her with a flapjack. It’s off to Dreamer for some arm cranking before Mickie comes back in, only to have Ray pull her down by the hair.

Ray comes in for a slam as commentary is quiet for a lot of long stretches. Mickie slips away though and hands it back to Dreamer for right hands in the corner. A cutter gives Dreamer two with Slamovich making the save. The top rope seated senton drops Slamovich and Mickie plays D-Von with a WHAT’S UP (ax handle version). Everything breaks down and Ray loads up a table as Mickie dives onto Slamovich. The distraction lets Ray hit Dreamer low, setting up a piledriver for the pin at 9:26.

Rating: C. This worked when Mickie and Masha were in there, with Ray being ok enough. I’m completely with caring about anything Dreamer does, but at least his stuff was kept short. What mattered here was having the two matches set up, as strange as it is that seeing Ray pin Dreamer before they have a first blood match. Then again having them in what is very possibly the main event of a show in 2023 is strange enough.

Post match Ray loads up a powerbomb on James but here is Jordynne Grace to break it up. Grace and Ray stare each other down and Grace spears….Mickie by mistake as Ray moves.

Rich Swann and Frankie Kazarian are in the back with Swann being upset about last week. Kazarian wants him to go find Josh Alexander and settle this now. Post break Swann goes into Alexander’s locker room and finds Steve Maclin. Swann yells, with Maclin saying maybe Alexander wanted him here. Swann is confused.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Dirty Dango/Joe Hendry vs. Moose/Brian Myers

Before the match, Dango insists that we believe in Hendry and the fans seem pleased. Hendry headlocks Myers to start and then runs him over with a shoulder. A delayed suplex drops Myers and Dango comes in as Myers rolls into the corner. Moose comes in and takes Dango into the corner but Hendry comes in to clear the ring. Hendry and Dango have two words for us….but Dango has to be reminded that they aren’t SUCK IT.

We take a break and come back with Moose sending Dango into the corner and knocking Hendry off the apron. Myers drops Dango as the alternating beatdowns continue. Moose charges into a boot in the corner though and a middle rope corkscrew uppercut gives Dango a breather. The tag brings in Hendry to clean house and a pop up powerbomb gets two on Myers. Everything breaks down and Moose spears Hendry down. Myers’ Roster Cut finishes Hendry at 13:44.

Rating: C+. Nice tag match here which set up the title match on Friday. Hendry continues to feel like a star and someone who could be a big deal if he is given the chance at some point down the line. Seeing him get pinned in a tag match is kind of a big deal as Hendry has been such a star, but he’ll be fine if he retains the title at Sacrifice.

Josh Alexander goes into his locker room and finds Rich Swann, who wants to know why Steve Maclin was here. Alexander, who is remarkably calm about two people apparently having been in his locker room, is off to find out what is going on here.

Here is Josh Alexander to talk about Steve Maclin. Alexander has seen Maclin leave a trail of bodies around here and he can respect that. What he can’t respect is the allegation that he is ducking Maclin. All that makes Maclin is someone complaining and a…..forgotten son. Cue Maclin to say that yes he is afraid to fail because he doesn’t want to go all the way back to the bottom.

He is obsessed with winning the Impact World Title and we see clips of Maclin watching Alexander’s matches from the shadows during his title reign. Alexander says he respects Maclin so bring it on right now. Maclin says nah, because he’s going to do it in Alexander’s hometown at Rebellion.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling wasn’t great here but it did a nice enough job of building up Sacrifice. That is trickier than it seems though, as the show isn’t the biggest in the world. The main event very well may be Dreamer vs. Ray, as the only other real option is Mickie vs. Grace. Once that is out of the way though, we’re on to Rebellion and that should work well.

So……you might need to forget a good bit of this show, as both Josh Alexander (torn tricep) and Mickie James (undisclosed) are injured and have been forced to vacate their titles. The Knockouts Title will be determined at Sacrifice and the World Title at Rebellion, with Steve Maclin facing Kushida. No word on what happens to the Multiverse United card. Egads that’s horrible, as they might have just lost their two top stars at once.

Results
Time Machine b. The Design – Hoverboard Lock to Angels
Deonna Purrazzo b. Savannah Evans – Crucifix
Bully Ray/Masha Slamovich b. Mickie James/Tommy Dreamer – Piledriver to Dreamer
Moose/Brian Myers b. Dirty Dango/Joe Hendry – Roster Cut to Hendry

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:

NXT LVL Up – March 17, 2023

Wrestlemania XXIX (2015 Edition)

Dynamite – March 22, 2023

Smackdown – April 11, 2008

Wrestlemania XXX (2018 Edition)

Ring Of Honor – March 23, 2023

LOOK: Paul Heyman Shows Off The Perks Of Being Roman Reigns.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/look-paul-heyman-shows-off-perks-roman-reigns/

See Where It Goes: Trish Stratus Offers Interesting Stance On Her WWE Future.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/see-goes-trish-stratus-offers-interesting-stance-wwe-future/

A Little Later: Shawn Michaels Offers Update On NXT Europe’s Launch.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/little-later-shawn-michaels-offers-update-nxt-europes-launch/

It’s Risky: AEW Team Agrees To Put Their Careers On The Line For One Last Title Shot.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/risky-aew-team-agrees-put-careers-line-one-last-title-shot/

Long Time Coming: Former World Champion Set For First Match After Nine Month Absence.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/long-time-coming-former-world-champion-set-first-match-nine-month-absence/

RK-Uh Oh? Major Update On Randy Orton’s Potential Return To WWE.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/rk-uh-oh-major-update-randy-ortons-potential-return-wwe-tv/

Serious Condition: Alexa Bliss Reveals She Had Skin Cancer Removed, Situation Cleared Up.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/serious-condition-alexa-bliss-reveals-skin-cancer-removed-situation-cleared/

WATCH: WWE Star Unmasked On The Masked Singer.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-wwe-star-unmasked-masked-singer/

WRESTLING RUMORS: Former WWE Champion Reportedly Considered Retiring At WrestleMania 39.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-former-wwe-champion-reportedly-considered-retiring-wrestlemania-39/

Friends Know: Johnny Gargano Offers Update On Tommaso Ciampa’s Recovery From Surgery.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/friends-know-johnny-gargano-offers-update-tommaso-ciampas-recovery-surgery/

There It Is: Naomi Reveals Current WWE Status.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/naomi-reveals-current-wwe-status/

Call His Name: 39 Year Old Former WWE Superstar Willing To Return At WrestleMania After 12 Years.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/call-name-39-year-old-former-wwe-superstar-willing-return-wrestlemania-12-years/

WRESTLING RUMORS: Big Update On Bobby Lashley’s WrestleMania 39 Status, New Match Discussed.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-big-update-bobby-lashleys-wrestlemania-39-status-new-match-discussed/

Oh Boy: CM Punk Claims AEW Wanted Him To Wrestle Injured, Jon Moxley Refused To Lose To Him, More.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/oh-boy-cm-punk-claims-aew-wanted-wrestle-injured-jon-moxley-refused-lose/

He Tried: The Rock Was Approached For Legend’s Final Match Earlier This Year.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/tried-great-muta-tried-get-rock-final-match/

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

Ring Of Honor
Date: March 23, 2023
Location: Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We continue the rapid fire build towards Supercard Of Honor with week four of this show, which hopefully continues to have solid action. At the same time, things need to loosen up a bit as the show is so packed that it is hard to remember much of what happens week to week. Odds are they won’t slow down but you have to have hope. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with Samoa Joe telling anyone to come get a TV Title shot because it’s an open challenge.

Opening sequence.

Tony Nese vs. Mark Briscoe

Mark Sterling and Josh Woods are here with Nese. Briscoe gets jumped to start but fights back as they head outside. The Bang Bang Elbow connects from the apron but Nese knocks him up against the apron. Woods tries to get in a cheap shot but Briscoe knocks him away, only to have Nese snap off a suplex.

Back in and Nese kicks him in the face for two and the bodyscissors goes on. A springboard moonsault misses for Nese though and Briscoe strikes away. The Iconoclasm gets two on Nese and the hangman’s neckbreaker is good for the same. Nese is fine enough to strike away and he flips out of a German suplex for a bonus. Briscoe clotheslines the heck out of him though and the Froggy Bow finishes Nese at 8:52.

Rating: C. This is exactly what it needed to be: Briscoe fighting through some adversity and finishing Nese clean as he continues to build up wins before what should be the title win at Supercard Of Honor. Briscoe is going to get a big reaction from the fans and you know he is going to bring the energy so starting the show with him is a good idea. Nese being relegated to losing here is good as well, as he is talented in the ring but rather horribly dull, so this is about as high as he needs to be going for the time being.

Trustbusters vs. Metalik/AR Fox/Blake Christian

Mark Sterling is with the Trustbusters. Ian: “In what has become something of a grudge match.” WELL WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU CALL IT??? Ian on Metalik and company: “What a combination this team has made!” You mean the team that hasn’t wrestled together yet? Kay headlocks Fox to start and then snaps off a dropkick for a bonus. Fox is right back with a neckbreaker though and it’s off to Christian, who is quickly taken into the wrong corner.

Christian is fine enough to slap on a seated abdominal stretch but Daivari sends him into the corner. Slim J comes in to stomp away as the villains start taking turns on Christian. A quick comeback finally allows Christian to bring Metalik in for the rope walk into a top rope splash. Metalik gets taken into the wrong corner as well though and it’s Slim J taking over. Kay grabs the chinlock and a splash gets two.

An enziguri gets Metalik out of trouble and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker allows the hot tag to Fox. Everything breaks down and Fox hits a bunch of cutters to take the villains down. The springboard flip dive takes out Kay and Slim J on the floor, followed by Christian’s big dive onto all three. Back in and Sterling gets kicked off the apron, allowing Kay to superkick Fox for two. The Tower of Doom, with a double Spanish Fly, knocks out just about everyone, leaving Fox to cutter Daivari. A 450 gives Fox the pin at 13:20.

Rating: C+. I’m sure that’s going to be enough to get Metalik and company a Six Man Tag Team Title shot as the titles continue to be among the most worthless in all of wrestling. Somehow a team winning their first match together over a team beating a team who is teaming together for the first time on this show is supposed to mean something. While the match was fast paced and gave us the right result, the only thing the next step shows me is that there is absolutely zero need for Six Man Tag Team Titles.

Post match the Embassy runs in to beat down Metalik/Christian/Fox.

Lady Frost vs. Skye Blue

Blue works on a wristlock to start but can’t get very far. Frost sends her into the corner and we pause for a breather. A hard kick to the face in the corner rocks Blue and a handspring Cannonball connects, allowing Ian to make Frozen references. Some knees to the back keep Blue down and Frost kicks her hard to the floor.

Back in and Blue kicks her down for a change but can’t follow up. A middle rope hurricanrana drops Frost again and a kick to the head gets two. Frost is right back with an Air Raid Crash for two, only to get slammed off the top. Blue hits a quick high crossbody into Skyfall for the pin at 7:19.

Rating: C+. They were both working hard here and Frost looked rather good in defeat. She was hitting some nice spots but Blue is the one who seems ready to move up a little bit on the AEW/ROH ladder. That isn’t going to change until Blue wins a bigger match but for now, at least she got a tough win.

Rush/Dralistico vs. Tracy Williams/Rhett Titus

Rush and Dralistico jump them to start and send the other two outside, setting up the double pose. Back in and we settle down to Dralistico striking away on Williams. Rush takes his shirt off and chops away at Titus, who gets tied in the ropes. That means the top rope legdrop can give Dralistico two but Williams suplexes his way out of trouble.

It’s off to Titus to slug it out with Rush, who is fine to strike back. A running boot in the corner rocks Rush and Dralistico gets knocked down as well. Everything breaks down and Dralistico hits a springboard Codebreaker on Williams. Rush’s Bull’s Horns is cut off by Williams’ spear but Dralistico sends him outside. There’s the big flip dive, leaving Titus to get Bull’s Horned for the pin at 5:34.

Rating: B-. This was energetic while it lasted but it was almost a squash for Rush and Dralistico. Williams and Titus could be something in the tag division but for now it seems that La Faccion is getting the focus. Odds are they’ll be in the ladder match for the Tag Team Titles, which might make Rush interesting for the first time….well ever around here actually.

We get a sitdown interview with Claudio Castagnoli and Eddie Kingston. Castagnoli has said that Kingston is without honor and thinks his words speak for himself. Kingston only cares about winning the title and lists off some wrestlers who have held the title and served as his mentors. Castagnoli doesn’t think much of Kingston referring to himself as a fighter, because Kingston is the one who ran away when it became hard.

Kingston doesn’t like that but Castagnoli is scared for him. That makes Kingston challenge for the title and Castagnoli is in, because he can win and leave Kingston blaming everyone. Oh and then he’ll quit. It’s on for Supercard Of Honor. This was all but set weeks ago but it’s nice to have it made official.

Matt Taven vs. Darius Martin

The rest of the Kingdom is here but there is no Dante Martin. Darius armdrags him down to start and Taven needs a quick breather. Back in and Darius grabs a headlock before drop toeholding him down without much trouble. Bennett and Maria offer a distraction though and Taven takes over for the first time. Another Maria distraction lets Bennett hit a hard forearm on the floor and Taven’s double underhook backbreaker gets two back inside.

Taven misses the springboard senton though and Just The Tip doesn’t do much better. Darius atomic drops him out of the air though and a slingshot Downward Spiral gets two. A Spanish Fly gives Darius two more but they trade enziguris for a double knockdown. Back up and Just The Tip gives Taven two but Darius German suplexes him down. Taven is sent outside, where Darius dives onto Bennett. Maria grabs the boot though and Taven Climaxes Darius for the pin at 8:35.

Rating: C+. The more I see of Taven on his own, the more I like him. Taven is someone who works well on his own but his stuff with the rest of the Kingdom works well too. I’m not sure why the team (or just Taven) hasn’t been featured on AEW a bit more but at least they’re getting to do some stuff here. I’ll certainly take Kingdom vs. Top Flight in a bigger feud and we might be on our way there.

Post match the beatdown is on until Dante Martin makes the save. Where the heck was he two minutes ago???

Tony Deppen vs. Brian Cage

Prince Nana and the Gates of Agony are here with Cage. For some reason Deppen slaps him in the face to start and is quickly knocked to the apron for his efforts. The apron superplex plants Deppen and Cage drops an elbow into some pushups (must be a Scott Steiner fan and yes the jokes are too easy).

Deppen manages to catch him on the ropes and hits a Backstabber to send Cage outside. That means the big dive drops Cage again and the running knees connect back inside. Deppen’s top rope double stomp gets a close two, with commentary going NUTS on the cover. Back up and Cage blasts him with a clothesline but gets small packaged for two more. Cage spinebusters him though and a Drill Claw finishes Deppen at 4:27.

Rating: C+. They packed a lot into about four and a half minutes with Deppen showing some great energy. Commentary had me buying the chance of a big upset on that double stomp and the small package almost got me there too. At the end of the day though, Cage is a much bigger star and a champion isn’t going to get pinned so close to the big event (and likely title defense).

Post match the 3-1 beatdown is on until Metalik, Blake Christian and AR Fox (with pipes) make the save.

Silas Young vs. Shane Taylor

This could be interesting. They fight over a lockup to start until Young slaps him in the face. That’s not a great idea as Taylor shoulders him down but misses the apron legdrop. Young knees him in the back and drops a backsplash for two. A bunch of elbows give Young one but Taylor BLASTS HIM with a clothesline.

Taylor’s neckbreaker is broken up and Young knees him in the face. A DDT gives Young two, only to have Taylor pull him into a release Rock Bottom. The big splash gives Taylor two but Young knees him again. Young can’t hit his moonsault out of the corner though, allowing Taylor to hit a knee of his own. The package piledriver puts Young away at 6:46.

Rating: C+. Another hard hitting match here as Taylor gets a win over someone with a name in his own right. Pushing either of these guys would make sense, as they both have ties to the old Ring Of Honor but also have a lot to offer now. I’m not sure about putting them together so fast, but at least someone won definitively.

Billie Starkz vs. Miranda Alize

Alize is a luchadora who was around in the last phase of the old Ring Of Honor. The fans are behind Starkz and the lockup goes nowhere early on. Alize bails to the floor and the fans are already getting on her nerves. Back in and Alize bites the hand to take over but a dragon suplex gets Starkz out of trouble. Starkz has to roll out of a dive off the top though and Alize takes her down for two.

A running slap to the head (rather than the signature Shining Wizard) lets Alize brag a bit before grabbing the Miranda Rights (Crossface). With that broken up, Starkz elbows and kicks her in the face. Starkz charges into a shoulder to the ribs though and Alize grabs a hurricanrana driver for two. A cutter looks to set up a Shining Wizard but Starkz blocks it and hits the Starkz Driver (Tombstone) for the pin at 6:58.

Rating: C. Starkz is rather talented or her age but she needs some more seasoning. Hopefully she can get some of that on a slightly bigger stage like Ring Of Honor before getting in over her head elsewhere. Alize is a fine midcard villain, but I’m not sure I can see her going much further than that.

Aussie Open vs. Christopher Daniels/Matt Sydal

Sydal takes Fletcher down to start and grabs a quick rollup for two. It’s off to Daniels to take over on Fletcher’s arm before Davis comes in. Daniels takes the leg out and nails a clothesline to the back of the head. Sydal comes back in and flips Daniels onto Davis, setting up a standing flip of his own for two. Daniels is even smart enough to slide between Fletcher’s legs and pull him to the floor for a right hand.

Back in and Davis decks Daniels, setting up a slingshot cutter. Sydal gets dropped as well and it’s Davis hitting Daniels in the face again. The hand off suplex is countered into a small package to give Daniels a breather but Fletcher kicks Sydal off the apron in a smart move. Daniels manages to send them into each other though and grabs a middle rope Downward Spiral to Davis. Sydal comes back in with a hurricanrana driver on Fletcher but Davis slows Sydal down.

Daniels is back in and sends Davis outside, leaving Fletcher to get powerbombed/top rope Meteoraed for two. Everyone gets dropped for a breather until Sydal gets tossed into Fletcher’s boot to the chest. Daniels Downward Spirals Fletcher though and clotheslines both of them. The Blue Thunder Bomb gets two on Fletcher, who accidentally kicks Davis in the head. Sydal tries to come back in but gets Tombstoned, only to have Daniels release Rock Bottom him down. The double clotheslines stagger Daniels though and Coriolis gives Fletcher the pin at 14:10.

Rating: B. Best match of the night so far and it’s nice to see the Aussies get a win after losing so often on AEW. Daniels and Sydal were built up (as much as a team can be in one match) to be fed to them and odds are we’ll be seeing the Aussies at Supercard Of Honor. They had a heck of a match here as it even overcame my lack of taste for Sydal.

Post match Daniels and Sydal tease leaving but come back and shake hands.

TV Title: Samoa Joe vs. ???

Joe is defending against….Cheeseburger. Joe hammers him down in the corner and gets annoyed at Cheeseburger swinging at him. The MuscleBuster retains the title at 1:01. That’s a relief, though the lack of Cheeseburger would have been a better one.

Post match Joe wrecks Cheeseburger but Mark Briscoe makes the save to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The show had its usual setup problems but I think we’ve covered those enough forever. I’m aware they’re not going to change because this is what Tony Khan likes to do but they’re by far the show’s biggest problem. It was another show with good action and a lot of talented people, but I’m looking forward to a few weeks from now when Supercard Of Honor is over and the show can breathe a bit. Or just keep piling stuff in until the good stuff is overwhelmed by the sheer volume. For now though, another perfectly fine show, with the Aussie Open match being rather good.

Results
Mark Briscoe b. Tony Nese – Froggy Bow
Metalik/AR Fox/Blake Christian b. Trustbusters – 450 to Daivari
Skye Blue b. Lady Frost – Skyfall
Rush/Dralistico b. Tracy Williams/Rhett Titus – Bull’s Horns to Titus
Matt Taven b. Darius Martin – Climax
Brian Cage b. Tony Deppen – Drill Claw
Shane Taylor b. Silas Young – Package piledriver
Aussie Open b. Christopher Daniels/Matt Sydal – Coriolis to Daniels
Samoa Joe b. Cheeseburger – MuscleBuster

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

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Smackdown
Date: April 11, 2008
Location: TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jonathan Gresham

We are on the road to Backlash and believe it or not, Edge is already getting his rematch after losing the World Title at Wrestlemania. Undertaker isn’t overly pleased and that rarely works out well for anyone else. Other than that, Batista isn’t happy with Raw’s Shawn Michaels, which almost has to be better than the last time he fought someone from Raw. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Great Khali is in the ring with a bunch of dancers and two shirtless guys. Apparently this is a Punjabi Peace Offering to Big Show. One of the men explains the concept and is about to quote Gandhi when Big Show comes out. Show isn’t interested as the ring clears, save for one of the men and the giants.

The offering is some sort of spiritual water, followed by a bottle of the world’s finest scotch. Show drinks it but cringes before being given….a black chicken so he will never be hungry? Finally Show is presented with a goat, so he will never be thirsty. Show says words can’t describe how he feels and he shakes Khali’s hand. Then the big right hand knocks Khali silly. That looked good.

John Morrison/The Miz vs. Jimmy Wang Yang/Shannon Moore

How many times are these teams going to fight? Non-title but we do see a clip of Miz and Morrison mocking Yang and Moore on the Dirt Sheet. Moore works on Morrison’s arm to start and Yang comes in with a dropkick for two. It’s off to Miz, who can’t get a belly to back suplex, as Yang kicks him in the face instead. Moore comes back in but gets sent throat first into the middle rope to cut him off. The slingshot elbow hits Moore and Morrison grabs the armbar.

Morrison stomps away as commentary questions Miz and Morrison’s ethical standards. We hit the chinlock with a knee in Moore’s back, which is enough to set up the comeback. Moore gets over for the tag to Yang so the pace can pick way up. The missile dropkick puts Morrison down for two but he’s back up with a kick to the face of his own for two of his own. A blind tag brings Miz back in though and a jumping neckbreaker finishes Yang.

Rating: C+. These teams work well together and it’s a shame that Moore and Yang didn’t get more of a chance. That’s one of the flaws with having a division that is about two teams at most and there just wasn’t room for a makeshift pairing. Miz and Morrison continue to roll though and I’m not sure who could take the titles anytime soon.

Teddy Long watches Edge and Vickie Guerrero get a couples massage. They’re both been so stressed out and Edge is so happy to be here instead of being at the arena.

Finlay vs. Matt Striker

Hornswoggle is here with Finlay and goes underneath the ring at the bell. They grapple against the ropes to start, where Hornswoggle sprays Striker with a water gun. The annoyed Striker kicks Finlay down and starts in on the arm. Finlay fight sup for the Regal Roll, setting up a catapult into the corner. Striker ties him up on the apron and hammers away, as he is known to do. Coach: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone use the apron like that.” Cole: “Then you haven’t been watching Smackdown because Finlay does it every match.” Point to Cole.

Now it’s Hornswoggle with a bucket of confetti (Striker: “Get out of here Sky Low Low!”) but it doesn’t work so well. Another bucket, this one of water, works better but Striker avoids a charge into the post. Hornswoggle’s shot with an inflatable hammer (called a shillelagh but it looked like a hammer) just annoys Striker, who is distracted enough for the real shillelagh shot to knock him cold for the pin.

Rating: C-. The match wasn’t exactly there for the back and forth action, with the commentary being the best part. This was much more about having Finlay get back on track after his Wrestlemania loss and he got as much as he could out of beating Striker. It was a nothing match as expected, but Cole burning Coach was funny.

Post match Hornswoggle hits the Tadpole Splash.

Victoria vs. Michelle McCool

Before the match, Victoria introduces us to her new best friend: Natalya Neidhart, so we get a look at Natalya’s father Jim. Natalya says it’s about her and “When you mess with the best, you go down with the rest. Yeah baby.” With that thankfully out of the way, Michelle takes Victoria down and starts hammering away. A basement dropkick sends Victoria outside but she’s right back in with a hard clothesline. Victoria grabs a superplex for two but McCool fights back up. Natalya gets in a jacket shot though and Victoria grabs a rollup, with tights, for the win. Bad ending aside, that was a better women’s match than usual for Smackdown.

Michael Cole is in the ring and talks about how personal the issue between Shawn Michaels and Batista has become. We get a recap of their troubles, which stems from Michaels retiring Flair. Since the wrestling world can’t exist without Flair, Batista is mad at Shawn for not letting Flair win. That’s not what Flair wanted but Batista just wants Flair around (they make it sound like he’s dead). Here are Batista and Shawn to go face to face, with Shawn saying everyone, including Flair, has moved on. Well, except Batista that is, which has Shawn thinking.

Batista’s problem isn’t with Flair, but with Shawn himself. That’s true, and what Shawn did at Wrestlemania opened Batista’s eyes. The blood on Shawn’s hands isn’t getting washed out and Batista doesn’t like how Shawn got to the top. Batista was up front, which Shawn says is a luxury he had at 6’5, 280lbs. Shawn couldn’t do that and yes he did take shortcuts when he had to. He’ll knock Batista’s teeth down his throat at Backlash but for now he has to escape the Batista Bomb. The match will be good but Batista acting like the world is ending because Flair is gone is still a lot to take.

Vladimir Kozlov vs. Matt Logan

Kozlov tosses him around and finishes with the reverse DDT in less than a minute. Total destruction.

Back to the spa, where Edge and Vickie have face masks on, complete with cucumbers over their eyes. Teddy Long brings them their drinks and has to take the cucumbers away. They’re even getting matching pedicures! Teddy’s disgusted look is great.

Matt Hardy vs. Chuck Palumbo

MVP is on commentary. As MVP calls out Coach and Cole for being ranked the worst commentary team of all time (with Cole no selling it), Matt reverses a headlock into a hammerlock. With that broken up, Palumbo kicks him in the back and cranks on the neck. Matt fights up and enziguris his way to freedom and they both crash out to the floor. That of course means an MVP distraction so Palumbo can jump Matt from behind and take over.

We take a break and come back with Matt fighting out of another neck crank. Palumbo suplexes him down and grabs a third neck crank, followed by a fourth because Palumbo seems a bit limited in the ring. Another comeback lets Matt grab a Side Effect to take over and Palumbo’s missed charge goes into the post. There’s the middle rope elbow to the back of the head but Palumbo plants Hardy for two. Not that it matters as the Twist of Fate finishes Palumbo off.

Rating: C. Palumbo’s usefulness continues to be putting others over as angry biker only has so much of a shelf life. Hardy is on a bit of a roll and is getting somewhere on the way to his US Title shot against MVP. Taking the title is going to be a bit easier said than done, but at least we are FINALLY getting to that point.

Post match MVP poses at Hardy and walks off.

Jesse and Festus are nervous about the latter’s match against Undertaker tonight.

Backlash rundown.

Undertaker vs. Festus

Non-title and Jesse is here with Festus. Undertaker starts fast with a big boot before going after the arm, including Old School. Festus manages a powerslam for two and hammers away in the corner. Another boot to the face and a clothesline give Undertaker two and they fight to the floor. Festus rams him into the barricade a few times and they head inside, where Festus’ right hands send Undertaker outside again.

Undertaker isn’t having that and sends him into the steps, setting up another kick to the head. Back in and Undertaker hits the running DDT and starts hammering away in the corner. They slug it out until Undertaker has to escape a fireman’s carry and grabs the chokeslam for two. Festus fights up and slugs away but the referee gets bumped. With the referee down, Undertaker grabs the triangle choke and, after a good while, the referee comes back in to say Festus is out.

Rating: C+. Undertaker gave Festus a lot more than I would have expected here, as Festus got to beat Undertaker up for a few minutes. The ending was a good way to make Undertaker’s choke feel dangerous, which is quite the upgrade for someone who is already such a monster. Festus showed something here though, and that is how unnecessary Jesse is to his success.

Post match Jesse runs in and breaks it up to protect Festus. Undertaker looks down at them and doesn’t appear happy before posing to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. They kept this show moving despite very little actually happening. Undertaker being in the ring always feels like something special, even if he was facing someone like Festus. Other than that, Backlash is pretty much set and now we need to just get to the show in a few weeks. Some of the stories still need some more polish though and we could be getting some of that until we get to the pay per view. Not a great show here, but it held things in place well enough.

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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Dynamite
Date: March 22, 2023
Location: Cable Dahmer Arena, Independence, Missouri
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Taz

We have a dream match this week as Kenny Omega is facing El Hijo Del Vikingo in what should be a heck of a showcase. Other than that, the big question coming out of last week is what is going on with the Elite and Hangman Page, as that is going down again. That should be enough to carry things for a week so let’s get to it.

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

We open with Hangman Page outside an ambulance as the Young Bucks have been attacked before the show. Page gets in the second ambulance as it leaves.  Oh dear.

The ropes are red, white and blue, ala the WWF in the 80s.

Sting/Darby Allin/Orange Cassidy vs. Butcher And The Blade/Kip Sabian

Penelope Ford is here with the villains and this is fallout from a fight at the House Rules show. Cassidy frustrated Blade to start and it’s off to butcher to forearm Sting. With that not working, Sting sends him into the corner for the Stinger Splash. Everything breaks down as Sting tries for the Scorpion and he winds up getting caught in a double suplex.

Sabian goes up top so Sting does the slow motion Orange Cassidy roll to escape. Allin comes in and gets taken down by Sabian and we take a break. Back with Allin escaping and handing it off to Cassidy for the tornado DDT. Sabian takes Cassidy down but gets tapped on the shoulder by Sting, who does his own lazy kicks. Blade and Butcher eventually break up the Scorpion but Allin makes the save. Sting is back up and hits the Scorpion Death Drop to finish Sabian at 11:15.

Rating: C+. Sting matches aren’t going to be anything serious but they are going to let the fans have a good time watching a legend. Putting him in a bunch of tag matches so he doesn’t have to carry the load is a good idea. Let them go out there and have some fun against villains with nothing to lose and get the crowd going for the show.

Post match Allin stares up at the Double Or Nothing banner.

Video on last week’s Four Pillars showdown, with MJF talking about how he has already beaten all three of them.

Video on Kenny Omega vs. Hijo Del Vikingo.

Excalibur has gotten a text from Brandon Cutler accusing the Blackpool Combat Club of attacking the Young Bucks.

Tag Team Titles: The Gunns vs. Top Flight

Top Flight is challenging and the Guns are cleared out to start. We settle down to Dante vs. Austin, with the former backflipping over him, only for a hair pull to put Dante in trouble as we take a break. Back with Dante hitting a swinging half nelson suplex into the Nose Dive. Cue the Kingdom to make the save though, allowing 3:10 to Yuma to retain the titles at 7:05.

Rating: C+. Another match that felt like it could have been a lot better if we could have actually seen most of it take place. The Gunns are on the road to facing FTR and it wouldn’t shock me to see FTR go down again. Top Flight still feels like a team who could be champs later on, and if that is the case, it would be nice to have them not lose like this so often.

Post break the Kingdom gets chased off but here is FTR to interrupt. The Gunns don’t want to see them and yell about how no one wants to see them. FTR offers their AEW career as a team for a title shot but that’s not good enough either. Instead, Dax offers the two of them leaving AEW if they lose. Deal, with the Gunns spitting on them and bailing before violence ensues.

Mark Sterling has issued a cease and desist order against Taya Valkyrie using Jaded. Oh and the open challenge is over so there’s no title shot for Taya.

Stokely Hathaway vs. Hook

Non-title, No DQ and Hathaway is described as having the wisdom of an owl. Hold on though, as Hathaway isn’t medically cleared to compete so he is retiring. Hathaway: “Special thanks to my fans, all 12 of y’all!” He even has a doctor’s note…which is apparently a receipt for Wingstop.

The referee says ring the bell so Hathaway runs into the crowd, only to be tossed right back. A running elbow to the jaw doesn’t phase Hook, who sends Hathaway flying with a suplex on the floor. Hook grabs some weapons from under the ring but Hathaway manages a blast with a fire extinguisher. Hook is fine enough to block a chair shot and blast Hathaway with it over and over. Another suplex onto a piece of barricade in the corner gets two, with Hook pulling him up. Redrum finishes for Hook at 3:07. Exactly what it should have been.

Rating: C+. The match itself was just a joke but watching Hook smash through a loud mouthed manager is a good idea. Hook is someone who could go a long way around here and letting him get another win like this works well. Just get him into another feud so he can have some more training matches and he could get even better than he already is.

In the back, Matt Hardy says Ethan Page is the man to beat Hook.

Here is Adam Cole for a chat. He’s back in the ring in seven days and right now, he feels great. Now he wants to know who he is facing, so cue Daniel Garcia (in a lot of leather) to say it’s time for his own story time. Garcia lists off everyone he has beaten while Cole has been playing video games on Twitch. Garcia almost calls himself a wrestler before asking what makes Cole special. Cole: “When they ring the freaking bell.” He actually praises Garcia but asks about the company Garcia has been keeping. The match is on for next week, with Cole getting in a BOOM to wrap it up.

Kenny Omega is upset about the Bucks being injured and not going to the hospital with them.

Stu Grayson vs. Jon Moxley

The Blackpool Combat Club and Dark Order are here too. Grayson charges to start but gets taken down as we hear about Grayson’s kickboxing career. They head outside with Grayson getting in a few shots, followed by a hurricanrana back inside. A belly to back suplex puts Grayson to the apron, setting up a running charge to send him into the barricade. We take a break and come back with Moxley stomping at the head for two and getting frustrated.

Grayson fights up and starts elbowing away, followed by a springboard spinning Swanton for two. The teams get in an argument on the floor so Grayson moonsaults out onto them for the big knockdown. Moxley dives onto Grayson but gets kicked in the face back inside. A 450 looks to set up the Knightfall but Moxley flips over into the bulldog choke. Grayson manages to fight up and sends him into the corner to escape, setting up a Pele. Moxley catches him on top though and hits a super Death Rider for the pin at 10:02.

Rating: B. This was a lot easier to accept than last week (the lack of a spike piledriver on the floor helped) as Grayson got a heck of a rub out of Moxley. It wasn’t so much that Moxley was in danger but more that he had to do a lot of work to put Grayson away. They were working hard here and it was a much better showcase for Grayson than anything he did last week.

Ricky Starks is ready for Juice Robinson on Rampage.

QTV shows us Powerhouse Hobbs beating Rey Fenix on Rampage. Apparently Aaron Solo has stolen Wardlow’s identity (and house and car)…..and hacked some Observer’s Twitter account. As for Hobbs, he’ll be defending again in another open challenge on Rampage. Hobbs wasn’t even in the segment and that might be a good thing.

Skye Blue vs. Toni Storm

The rest of the Outcasts are here too. Blue starts fast and sends Storm outside for a diving hurricanrana. Some Outcasts cheap shots take Blue down though and we go to a break. Back with Blue hitting a high crossbody and snapping off a headscissors to send Storm into the ropes. Storm is back with a DDT for two but misses the running hip attack. Ruby Soho’s distraction means code Blue doesn’t get a count, meaning Storm can dropkick her into the corner. Now the hip attack into the Storm Zero finishes Blue at 8:13.

Rating: C+. Blue has come a long way but is still needing to get an important win. Other than that, this was more about the Outcasts beating up their rivals as the story continues to meander. If this story is going to mean something, they need to have the Outcasts win some gold, because otherwise they’re just kind of annoying NWO knockoffs.

Post match the beatdown is on but Willow Nightingale and Riho (with a pipe and looking ridiculous while trying to be intimidating) make the save.

Stu Grayson is getting checked out by the medics when Jon Moxley, with the Blackpool Combat Club, attack him again.

Kenny Omega vs. El Hijo Del Vikingo

Vikingo’s AAA Mega Title (which he won after Omega vacated it) isn’t on the line. Vikingo dives onto him before the bell but Omega is back with his own right hands. The bell rings and Omega stays on him, only to get hurricanranaed to the floor. Vikingo hits a big dive, setting up a springboard 450 for two back inside. Omega is back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and sends Vikingo into the barricade. A table is set up at ringside and we take a break.

Back with a strike off on the apron until Omega plants him hard onto said apron. Vikingo fights back up and climbs onto the post for a super dragonrana. Back in and another super hurricanrana drops Omega on his head, setting up a springboard Phoenix splash for two. Another springboard hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb and the V Trigger gives Omega two.

Omega adds another V Trigger but Vikingo is back up with a springboard poisonrana to drop Omega on his head again. With Omega on the table, a step up 630 drives him through it and gives the fans their next loud chant. Back in and a Code Red gives Vikingo two more but Omega avoids a 630. Omega hits another V Trigger and the One Winged Angel finishes Vikingo at 16:53.

Rating: A. Yeah this was a blast and that’s all it was designed to be. This was about telling two people to go out there and go nuts with one highlight reel move after another. There’s no story (not a significant one at least) to it and there didn’t need to be. It was about the crazy spots and letting Vikingo do his insane flips. From that perspective it was a blast and that’s all it needed to be.

Post match the Blackpool Combat Club interrupts Omega to beat him down. Cue Hangman Page in the ambulance (with a board with nails in it, because that comes with every ambulance) for the save. Don Callis goes to check on Page, who pulls away before stopping upon seeing who it is. Callis does quite the fall (without being attacked in any way) and Omega checks on him while looking confused at Page to end the show. Because the Elite must have drama you see.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a heck of a fun show as they seemed to drop a lot of the more serious stuff and just let the matches be entertaining. Nothing on here (save for QTV) was bad and the main event is going to get a lot of attention. Very good show here and probably the most engaging show they’ve done in a lot of Wednesdays. I have no idea if they can keep it up but for now, this was back to the AEW of old.

Results
Sting/Orange Cassidy/Darby Allin b. Kip Sabian/Butcher and the Blade – Scorpion Death Drop to Sabian
Gunns b. Top Flight – 3:10 To Yuma to Darius
Hook b. Stokely Hathaway – Redrum
Jon Moxley b. Stu Grayson – Super Death Rider
Toni Storm b. Skye Blue – Storm Zero
Kenny Omega b. El Hijo Del Vikingo – One Winged Angel

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

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NXT LVL Up
Date: March 17, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Blake Howard

Last week’s show was a good example of how much better this show is when the bigger names are around. While you won’t be getting any major star power, it can help to have some decent sized NXT names on the show. Hopefully that is the case this week, as it can be a rough sit otherwise. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Dani Palmer

Valkyria grabs a front facelock to start but Palmer fights up for a standoff. They go to the pinfall reversal sequence for two each until Palmer’s backslide has Valkyria frustrated. Palmer rolls her down into a basement dropkick for two and Valkyria is a bit stunned. Back up and Valkyria strikes away to take over until a forearm to the face gives Palmer two more. The chinlock goes on until Valkyria drives her into the corner, setting up a spinning kick to the head for the pin at 3:56.

Rating: C+. All things considered, this was an entertaining match with Palmer continuing to show some potential. She still has a long way to go but there are some tools there and that is a good start. Then you have Valkyria, who WWE seems ready to move into the next level of the division, which could have some benefits. They had a much better match than I was expecting here though so well done.

Eddy Thorpe is happy to be 2-0 and he’s ready to be 3-0. He is ready to life up the Native American people tonight.

Eddy Thorpe vs. Xyon Quinn

Quinn powers him around to start and grinds away on a headlock. Thorpe tries to pick up the pace but gets muscled into a fireman’s carry. That’s broken up and Thorpe hits a middle rope crossbody for an early breather. Quinn knocks him into the ropes for some choking though and some right hands stagger Thorpe again. A backbreaker and splash to the back give Quinn two and we’re off to the chinlock. With that not working, Quinn pulls on both arms and puts a boot on the back of Thorpe’s head. Thorpe powers up and grabs a Saito suplex for two of his own. Quinn misses his running punch, gets German suplexed, and the suplex neckbreaker finishes Quinn at 5:38.

Rating: C. You can tell that WWE sees something in Thorpe and is protecting him well enough around here. Let him get out there and get his feet wet in WWE before he moves on to something more important on the regular NXT. WWE needs some fresh blood and if Thorpe can offer that, good for him.

Oro Mensah vs. Charlie Dempsey

Drew Gulak is here with Dempsey, who grabs the cravate to start things off. Mensah fights out and uses a headlock takeover to get to the mat. Back up and Mensah kicks him out of the corner, only to get his arm wrenched for his efforts. A back suplex plants Mensah and Dempsey is right back on the arm. Mensah fights up and his springboard missile dropkick connects for two. Dempsey isn’t having this though and grabs the leg, only to switch into a cross armbreaker, followed by an ankle lock and then that nasty neck and leg crank (that needs a name) to make Mensah tap at 6:36.

Rating: C. There is something fun about watching Dempsey rip people apart and he does it very well, especially against someone like Mensah. This was a fine showcase for him and he destroyed Mensah here. Mensah got in a few shots here and there, but there was only so much he could do when Dempsey was picking him apart limb by limb.

Overall Rating: C+. This show had more of a variety than most episodes of the series so this could have been a lot worse. Thorpe continues to feel like someone who could become a star and it is good to see him taking people down. Valkyria also comes off as having potential and Dempsey as the wrestler who hurts people worked well too. Solid show from LVL Up, mainly due to the featured stars.

Results
Lyra Valkyria b. Dani Palmer – Spinning kick to the head
Eddy Thorpe b. Xyon Quinn – Suplex neckbreaker
Charlie Dempsey b. Oro Mensah – Neck and leg crank

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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