NXT
Date: August 11, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph Booker T.

As can often be the case in wrestling, we need a new #1 contender for the title and we’ll be finding a one tonight. Cruz Montana will be facing the resurgent Grayson Waller for the right to challenge Tony D’Angelo for the NXT Title. That’s in addition to Kendal Grey needing a new challenger so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Lizzy Rain is nervous in the back when the Culling comes up. They mock her for not having help so she’s going it alone.

Lizzy Rain vs. Culling

So there’s no Shawn Spears to team with Rain as originally planned. Rain charges at Dame to start and we get the opening bell, with Dame being dropkicked into the corner. Dame pulls her out of the other corner though and they trade forearms until Rain hits a quick elbow. Vance comes in so here is EK Prosper and we do indeed have a tag match. Vance can’t get a suplex back inside and everything breaks down with the Culling getting chopped in various corners. Dame trips Rain down onto the apron though and then drops her onto the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Rain grabbing a super hurricanrana for two on Dame as Vance makes the save. Everything breaks down again and Vance’s top rope headbutt gets two on Prosper. Rain tries Thunderstruck on Vance but gets launched into a sitout powerbomb to give Dame two more. The second Thunderstruck hits Vance and a Shining Wizard takes him down again. Prosper drops a moonsault for the pin at 10:48.

Rating: B. For a thrown together match with a replacement partner, this wound up being rather good stuff. Rain has grown on me a bit and while I’m still not big on hearing her talk, she’s getting better in the ring. Dame continues to feel like she should be ready to break through but it hasn’t happened just yet.

Last week, Tavion Heights and Myles Borne celebrated winning the Tag Team Titles and told the tag division that they were ready to defend the titles. This was rather well received.

EK Prosper and Lizzy Rain are asked about their win but Kali Armstrong takes the microphone and goes into the arena, where she says she wants her Women’s Title shot. Kelani Jordan comes in to say the same thing she always says, with Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair interrupting as well. Grey is tired of hearing from Jordan so she gives her a contract for a title shot. Jordan would use it next week but that would be a waste on these fans so we’ll do it at Heatwave. Armstrong doesn’t want to wait so the brawl is on with Grey and Sinclair being left laying.

Keanu Carver interrupts Cruz Montana over getting thrown into a #1 contenders match. They stare each other down and Carver tells Robert Stone that he hasn’t seen anything yet.

Dion Lennox vs. Saquon Shuggars

Darkstate is here with Lennox. Shuggars starts fast and gets knocked into the corner but comes back with a backbreaker for an early two. A Darkstate distraction lets Lennox send him throat first into the ropes though and the chinlock goes on. Lennox’s northern lights suplex gets two and we’re right back to the chinlock. That’s broken up as well and Shuggars gets in an elbow to the back of the head but has to threaten Darkstate with the baseball bat. They send him into the announcers’ table though and that’s enough for the sitout slam to give Lennox the pin at 4:56.

Rating: C. That’s it? They’ve been feuding for months and the big finale is Darkstate interferes and Lennox gets an easy win in less than five minutes? I wasn’t expecting some Wrestlemania level match but I was expecting something a bit better than this. Shuggars’ revenge didn’t even mean anything in the end and Darkstate just wins. What a weird piece of business.

AAA GM calls Robert Stone, who announces a four way next week for a Cruiserweight Title shot in two weeks. EK Prosper and La Parka will be involved with more names to come. Interestingly Mysterio suddenly had to go, which is similar to how he had to leave last week on AAA, with no explanation.

Grayson Waller yells at at Saquon Shuggars (something about messages on a phone) and tells him to do something. Shuggars grabs his bat and limps away.

Women’s North American Title: Zaria vs. Wren Sinclair

Zaria is defending and Sinclair’s Women’s Speed Title isn’t on the line. Sinclair starts fast with some rollups for two each but gets kicked in the head in the corner. Zaria starts in on the arm but Sinclair elbows out of a choke in the corner. We take a break and come back with Sinclair getting a sunset flip out of the corner, only to walk into a spear. Cue Saquon Shuggars beating on Dion Lennox with the bat and their brawl coming into the ring. The distraction lets Zaria grab the F5 to retain at 9:38.

Rating: C+. This was a weird one as Zaria pretty much had the match won before the interference and then she won anyway. It’s not like that really changed much but it did indeed take place. Zaria retaining is fine as it evens their series and hopefully lets them move on. Either that or it’s a winner take all match, which isn’t a bad idea if they unify the belts.

Shiloh Hill sends in another update, revealing that he is healing far faster than expected and could wrestle on live events wearing a mask, and of course he has about five on at once. He also promises to find out more about the poison mist and might do some experiments.

Mason Rook vs. Kam Hendrix

Rook backdrops him to start but gets hit in the face, allowing Hendrix to stomp away. A nice spinebuster plants Rook for two but Rook is back up with some shots to the face. Rook’s release German suplex and Blue Thunder Bomb get two as a turnbuckle pad has been ripped off. Hendrix sends him into the buckle, setting up a Showtime Kick for the pin at 3:33.

Rating: C+. It was fun while it lasted but it didn’t last very long. I’ve been a fan of Hendrix since he started in Evolve (all that time ago) and it would be good to see him getting a chance to showcase what he can do. If nothing else, him getting more time on the microphone would be a great thing, assuming it actually happens.

The Vanity Project want their Tag Team Titles back but Tavion Heights and Myles Borne come in. Robert Stone makes Jackson Drake the same deal: if he can win next week, he gets a North American Title shot and the Project gets a Tag Team Title shots. The Project wants both matches at Heatwave but Stone says the dates will be determined. Borne is fine with wrestling twice in one night and Drake’s opponent next week is…Shiloh Hill.

Lexis King vs. Lucien Price

Non-title and Birthright is here too. King’s right hand just annoys Price, who knocks him into the corner for a rather hard chop. Birthright’s distraction lets King (whose chest is bleeding from that chop) get in a cheap shot and go after the arm. A spinning high crossbody gives King two and he hits a running forearm to the back of the head. Price gets back up and takes out Birthright, followed by a one armed powerbomb for the pin out of nowhere at 3:27.

Rating: C. I can certainly go with OTM getting some wins of their own as they have felt like a team ready to break out for a long time now. That has to start somewhere and the show can always use some fresh blood in the bigger spots. At the same time….dang I like King but he feels like a doormat here, Speed Title or not.

Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey come in to see Robert Stone with Sinclair wanting to face Zaria again. She offers the Speed Title in a unification match, which is enough to get Stone to sign off. Next week, the two of them are facing Kelani Jordan and Kali Armstrong.

Jaida Parker and Thea Hail are happy with their win last week. They’re happy to be friends.

Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno are happy with Moreno getting a spot in the four way for the #1 contenders match next week. Tristan Angels comes in to say he’ll win the match anyway, despite never being a cruiserweight before.

Cruz Montana vs. Grayson Waller

For a title shot against Tony D’Angelo, who is on commentary. Montana tells him to bring it to start before grabbing a suplex. Waller is right back with some shots to the face and a suplex of his own as things slow down a bit. Cruz comes back with some running chops in the corner into a backsplash to send Waller outside. The suicide dive sends Waller crashing over the announcers’ table and we take a break.

We come back with Montana hitting a clothesline into a sitout F5 to drop Waller again. Waller ducks an enziguri and gets caught with a rolling Buck Fifty (backflip into a cutter) for two. Montana charges into an elbow to the face and a running stomp to the back gives Waller two of his own. Waller tries his rolling cutter but walks into Spin The Block (discus lariat). Hold on though as Zilla Fatu (named as such) runs in and lays out Montana for the DQ at 12:49.

Rating: B. They were getting going by the end here and the ending is a way to get them out of having one of them get a pin. That’s a good thing, as you don’t want Waller, who has been labeled as a joke, losing so soon and you definitely don’t want Montana losing here. Good stuff here, with the ending being the smart way out.

Post match Fatu lays out both of them and hits a top rope splash on Montana. Fatu stares down at D’Angelo and says he needs that to end the show. That’s a big deal, though I would hope that they acknowledge that Montana won by DQ and don’t go with the “no contest” thing. If someone runs in and attacks one wrestler, it’s a DQ by definition. Acknowledge it.

Overall Rating: B-. I liked most of the show, though there was a stretch in the middle that felt like they were just jumping through things really quickly. There were good parts and the main event angle was a nice surprise, plus a solid opener. Heatwave is starting to come together and a four way for the NXT Title is far from the worst idea. Nice job here and it would have been even better if the middle of the show had been a big better developed.

Results
EK Prosper/Lizzy Rain b. Culling – Moonsault to Vance
Dion Lennox b. Saquon Shuggars – Sitout slam
Zaria b. Wren Sinclair – F5
Kam Hendrix b. Mason Rook – Showtime Kick
Lucien Price b. Lexis King – One armed powerbomb
Cruz Montana b. Grayson Waller via DQ when Zilla Fatu interfered

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

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: August 10, 2026
Location: Scope Arena, Norfolk, Virginia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re starting something new here and this time it’s taking the form of a #1 contenders tournament for a shot at Roman Reigns. The catch though is there are a lot of luchadors in the field, with the title match taking place in about a month in Mexico City. LA Knight wants the title shot too though so let’s get to it.

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

We recap LA Knight confronting Roman Reigns last week and calling Reigns a fraud. Rather than Reigns sending the Bloodline after Knight, instead he gave the Bloodline another target. This resulted in Jacob Fatu going after Royce Keys and taking him out in a rather violent street fight. Keys is out indefinitely.

Here is Solo Sikoa, coming through the crowd, and kind of singing the Usos’ theme. He’s here to deal with the Bloodline so here is Jey Uso, through the entrance, to interrupt. Uso asks if Sikoa is sure he wants to do this and then tells him to fall in line. Sikoa finds that funny and asks if Uso fell in line. Sikoa: “Cause it looks like you fell off.”

The reality is that Uso was a World Champion who won the Royal Rumble and beat Gunther at Wrestlemania (and yes, Sikoa does do his own yeeting along the way). But now all of that is gone and Uso has nothing. Sikoa isn’t coming back to the family because he loves where he’s at right now.

Uso says he raised Sikoa, who has his big house because of the rest of the family. Uso wants to face Sikoa tonight and if Sikoa loses, he’s back in the Bloodline. He calls that a warning shot so Sikoa turns around and asks if everyone behind him is ok. Sikoa is in for tonight, but when he wins, the family is done with him. That’s Uso’s warning shot, and yes he makes a finger gun sound. When did Sikoa grow a personality? It’s working for me.

Penta is ready to win the tournament but he can’t look past Laredo Kid.

Laredo Kid is ready to show what he can do in the spotlight.

Jey Uso runs into Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu, the latter of whom isn’t sure what Jey is thinking. Jey says it’s just him running a play but Fatu accuses him of ignoring the rest of the team. That’s not cool with Jey, who says he’s getting Solo Sikoa back, so what has Fatu done lately? Fatu brings up taking out Royce Keys last week and says Jey better win, with Jimmy agreeing.

#1 Contender Tournament First Round: Penta vs. Laredo Kid

Kid isn’t shaking hands to start so Penta grabs a headlock instead. What looks to be a monkey flip attempt from Kid is countered with a kick to the ribs but he knocks Penta outside. That just earns Kid a kick to the head and Penta snaps off a running headscissors to the floor. Kid is right back up with a shot of his own, followed by a moonsault to drop Penta again. A moonsault Swanton hits Penta as well and we take a break.

We come back with Penta kicking him in the knee and grabbing a reverse Sling Blade. A slingshot dropkick in the corner hits Kid for two more but he hurricanranas Penta down. The 450 gives Kid two so Penta Backstabbers him out of the corner for two more. They strike it out for a bit until Penta sends him outside for the big running flip dive. The Penta Driver gets two back inside but Kid drivers him right back. Kid can’t hit a corkscrew moonsault so Penta is right back with a Mexican Destroyer for the pin at 10:45.

Rating: B+. It shouldn’t be a surprise that these two had a good match together as they have the talent and experience to make it work well. Penta getting the title shot is absolutely not out of the question and he very well could be the favorite for the whole thing. Beating Kid is a nice start and we got to see some of the stuff that makes both of them feel like major stars.

Logan Paul (with the Vision but without the arm brace) calls the Alpha Academy a bunch of jokes. Maxxine Dupri agrees, because Akira Tozawa has no chance against Austin Theory, who is apparently rather attractive. Bron Breakker does not seem to approve of any of this, but it turns out that he’s focused on Oba Femi. Yeah that works.

Akira Tozawa vs. Austin Theory

Theory charges into a boot in the corner to start and a hurricanrana takes him back down. That’s fine with Theory, who pops back up with a clothesline to put Tozawa in early trouble. The chinlock keeps Tozawa down as Bron Breakker is in another world at ringside. A full nelson backbreaker lets Theory go outside to pose with his teammates, leaving Breakker at least somewhat interested as we take a break.

We come back with Theory getting a kiss on the floor but Tozawa gets in a Shining Wizard. The backsplash gives Tozawa two and he fires off a bunch of kicks. Back up and Theory just blasts him with a spinning forearm (which is apparently called the Off Switch) for the pin at 8:28.

Rating: C+. I’m still trying to care about the Alpha Academy in this spot and it’s still not working. Otis is a lot more interesting than Tozawa, but Tozawa has been treated as a joke for years now. That makes it kind of hard to just flip a switch and make it work here. He’s good in the ring when he gets the chance, but it’s hard to care about him all of a sudden.

Post match Theory teases doing more but Adam Pearce comes out to cut him off. Bron Breakker gets inside and that’s enough to summon Oba Femi, which is just what Breakker wanted. Theory is quickly dispatched and a bunch of people have to hold Femi and Breakker apart. The fans seem WAY into this one

AAA GM Rey Mysterio is excited about the tournament and Dragon Lee comes up to thank him for the spot. Dominik Mysterio pops in to ask why he’s not in the tournament when he is the king of the luchadors. Rey: “I didn’t think you wanted another handout because that’s how you became a jackass in the first place.” With that great line out of the way, Lee tells Dominik to show his father some respect and he’s ready for a match later tonight.

We look back at Stephanie Vaquer being injured back in the spring at the hands of the Judgment Day, setting up returns from both Vaquer and Becky Lynch last week.

Here is Vaquer for a chat. She’s glad to be back and has missed everything about being around here, including the fans. Above all else though she has missed seeing Judgment Day getting scared every time she shows up. That’s why she’s ready to take them out one by one and she knows Liv Morgan isn’t ready for her.

Cue Lynch to interrupt, with Vaquer asking what she wants. It’s probably the same thing Vaquer wants, including giving Morgan one heck of a beating. Lynch has worked too long to see the title go back to the mid-2000s and that isn’t going to happen. As for Vaquer, she’s a bit more of an enigma, but she seems to be gone more often than she’s here.

So is Vaquer this bada** or does her body give up so her mind doesn’t have to. Lynch is fine with Vaquer giving Morgan a beating but Lynch is getting the title. Vaquer isn’t impressed and leaves so here is Morgan, who is quickly dispatched by Lynch. Vaquer comes back in and almost (but doesn’t) hit Lynch by mistake. They go nose to nose and talk a lot of trash until Lynch storms off. Nice segment here and Vaquer getting involved with Lynch is absolutely a big deal.

LA Knight is ready for Roman Reigns and he’s fine with winning the tournament to get the World Title shot. He’s told that it’s a luchador tournament so he can’t enter, which Knight finds very convenient. Solo Sikoa comes in to say that if he loses tonight, Knight is all alone. Knight doesn’t seem overly interested.

Dragon Lee vs. Dominik Mysterio

Mysterio’s AAA Mega Title isn’t on the line. Mysterio chops away in the corner to start but gets taken down with a headscissors. A double stomp gives Lee two but Mysterio is right back up with a running clothesline. Mysterio backdrops him to the floor, with Lee’s leg landing in the ropes, allowing Mysterio to hit a big dive.

We take a break and come back with Lee superkicking him into a tornado DDT, setting up the big flip dive to the floor (that looked great). Back in and Lee hits another superkick but charges into a Michinoku Driver. Lee is fine enough to tie him in the Tree Of Woe for the double stomp but Mysterio is back with a 619. The frog splash hits knees though and Operation Dragon gives Lee the clean pin at 10:23.

Rating: B-. Well that was surprising. I wasn’t expecting the AAA World Champion to lose a thrown together match, but hopefully this isn’t due to reports of Mysterio being unhappy with his booking on Raw. It’s hard to believe that Lee is in line for a big push, but Mysterio losing isn’t something that should be happening in a spot like this.

Post match Big Cass comes in to lay Lee out. Je’Von Evans runs in and gets a few shots on Cass, who knocks him out of the air. The big boot (that looked great) leaves Evans laying. That doesn’t make beating Mysterio look much better.

Sol Ruca is ready for revenge on Judgment Day and has a partner. Danhausen comes in to offer to do it for a…..well a little discount. Ruca says she has this covered and leaves, with Danhausen asking Byron Saxton for money. That’s a no as well so Danhausen leaves too. Wacky as usual.

LA Knight says he can get a lucha mask to enter the tournament but Adam Pearce turns him down. Once the tournament is over though, they’ll find a way for Knight to earn a title shot. With Pearce gone, Jacob Fatu pops up to threaten Knight, who tells Fatu to go get a permission slip to fight from Roman Reigns. Fatu hits his catchphrase and leaves.

Judgment Day vs. Sol Ruca/???

The mystery partner is…Iyo Sky, which is probably better than a random NXT debut. Ruca ducks Rodriguez out of the corner to start but a headlock is easily shoved off. Rodriguez sends her into the corner for the elbows to the face so Perez comes in to hit Ruca in the face. It’s off to Sky for a basement dropkick into an elbow as everything breaks down. Rodriguez catches Sky’s dive so Ruca dives onto them, with Perez adding one of her own.

We take a break and come back with Ruca still in trouble but she reverses a suplex into an X Factor (well close enough). Sky gets to take over on Perez, with a shotei knocking Perez silly. The Bullet Train to Perez sets up a great looking missile dropkick as everything breaks down. Rodriguez has to save Perez before being knocked outside, leaving Perez to kick Ruca down. Sky reverses Perez’s Shining Wizard and hits the Bullet Train in the corner but Rodriguez is back to break up Over The Moonsault. That earns Rodriguez an Asai moonsault so Ruca flips out of Pop Rox, setting up the Sol Snatcher for the pin on Perez at 11:51.

Rating: B-. This got rolling near the end as it was a bunch of flying around and saves until Perez got caught with the Sol Snatcher. The ending felt like it was a question of when the Sol Snatcher would connect rather than when, which is ok. Hopefully Ruca gets to move on from now, though I’m not sure what is next for Sky.

Bron Breakker comes up to Paul Heyman (Why is he here?) and talks about the showdown with Oba Femi. Breakker asks Heyman who he thinks the future of WWE is, with Heyman saying he respects both of them. That’s not what Breakker asked and he gets a bit more serious before asking it again.

Heyman says he’s starting to think Breakker is starting to think Femi is the future, which is the problem. Heyman is going to keep respecting Femi until Breakker says Heyman that Femi isn’t worthy of that respect. That has Breakker thinking and he walks away, with Heyman realizing he dodged a bullet.

Rey Mysterio praises Penta for his match earlier and Chad Gable comes in to do the same. Penta leaves and Gable says he wants to defend the Intercontinental Title against Mysterio. Works for Mysterio and Gable will talk to Adam Pearce.

Sol Ruca and Iyo Sky are happy with their win but run into Lyra Valkyria (who is looking more and more like a….whatever she is right now). She thinks Ruca is getting close to the Women’s Intercontinental Title, with Valkyria bringing up Bayley. Valkyria tells her to stay out of the way of her title. Sky isn’t sure what Valkyria is at this point and I can’t help but agree.

Jey Uso vs. Solo Sikoa

If Uso wins, Sikoa is back in the Bloodline. After a rather lengthy Uso entrance, they shove each other around a few times until Sikoa clotheslines him out of the corner. A running headbutt gives Sikoa two and he elbows Uso down to cut him off. Sikoa sends him crashing out to the floor and we take a break. We come back with Uso sending him outside for the suicide dive and Sikoa is in trouble for a change. That’s cut off with a clothesline out of the corner and they’re both down.

A kick to the face just annoys Sikoa, who grabs a Samoan drop. The running Umaga Attack in the corner gets two but another Samoan drop is countered into the sleeper. That’s broken up and a spinwheel kick breaks up Uso’s spear attempt. Cue Jimmy Uso for a distraction though and the spear gives Jey two. Sikoa fights back but goes after Jimmy, allowing Jey to hit another spear. The Superfly Splash sends Sikoa back to the Bloodline at 12:06.

Rating: B-. This was a match that felt like it should have been a bit deal but instead it just came off like a thing that happened. At the same time, having Sikoa be in the Bloodline against his will could be interesting if they go that way, but odds are it’s just business as usual again. That’s not a great thing, and the result here was kind of disappointing.

The Usos celebrate to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show was a good use of a bunch of stuff that didn’t feel the most important. You had one tournament match and a bunch of people talking about what they’re going to do later. Next week feels like the show where some more top level stuff happens, but I’ll take a show that does a lot with only so much.

Results
Penta b. Laredo Kid – Mexican Destroyer
Austin Theory b. Akira Tozawa – Off Switch
Dragon Lee b. Dominik Mysterio – Operation Dragon
Sol Ruca/Iyo Sky b. Judgment Day – Sol Snatcher to Perez
Jey Uso b. Solo Sikoa – Superfly Splash

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

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

Hey everyone.

I’ve been under the weather since Saturday and apparently I have pneumonia.  I’ll be resting up for the next few days and while I’ll be trying to do the shows, I reserve the right to think that a long sleep from some rather strong cough medicine is a better option.  I’ve also been known to say some downright bizarre things in reviews on this stuff before so please bear with me until the end of the week or so.

Thank you as always,

KB

World Championship Wrestling
Date: June 18, 1983
Location: WTBS Studios, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Freddie Miller, Bob Roop

Well here’s your random one of the week as we have a random episode of the original WCW show. This would be from Georgia Championship Wrestling and it was one of the hottest wrestling shows around at the time. I have no idea what to expect here but Tommy Rich will likely be featured. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Gordon Solie isn’t here this week so Freddie Miller is our host/commentator.

Tommy Rich (with some very blonde hair) says Buzz Sawyer is always looking over his shoulder. He doesn’t care who Sawyer sends after him though because he isn’t leaving. We see a clip of Rich chasing Sawyer for a brawl backstage and Rich blames Larry Zbyszko for causing the whole thing. The brawl goes back into the arena with Rich getting the better of things to wrap it up.

Miller throws us to house show ads which of course we don’t see.

Mr. Wrestling II vs. Joel Young/Bob Brown

I think I have the names right at least and Wrestling has to beat them both. Wrestling knocks Young around to start and the knee lift sends him into the ropes for a count from the referee. Back in and a front facelock sets up a chinlock as this is one sided thus far. A young Rick Rood (Rude of course) is wandering around the ring as Wrestling hits his running knee lift for the pin at 4:36. Brown comes in to go after Wrestling but gets backdropped. Another knee lift gives Wrestling the pin at 5:34.

Rating: C. This was kind of a weird one as Wrestling beat the fire out of both of them and then it just kept going. That’s the kind of a match that could go on for just a few minutes and end about the same way. That being said, Wrestling was a huge star in this area so putting him out there for a long match makes sense.

Post match Larry Zbyszko (National Champion) tries to come in but get sknocked away rather quickly.

Buzz Sawyer insists that Larry Zbyszko isn’t scared of anyone. He also doesn’t like Tommy Rich trying to steal his spotlight. They’ve been fighting all around the world and they’ll do it again in Albany, Georgia on July 7 and Sawyer can’t wait. There is nothing left of Rich when Sawyer gets done with him.

Iron Sheik and Paul Ellering come in, with Ellering comparing Ronnie Garvin to a wet pig. He sees Garvin’s face everywhere from in the bathroom to when he’s eating his cuisine. The Iron Sheik will be ready for Ole Anderson too.

Killer Tim Brooks vs. Zane Smith/Rick Rood

Brooks snapmares Smith down to start and grabs a chinlock, followed by a quick front facelock. Some elbows have Smith in more trouble as it is WEIRD to see Rude as a clapping good guy on the apron. Brooks rips at Smith’s jaws and drops him throat first onto the top rope. A suplex and legdrop finish Smith at 4:01 so Rood comes in, though Brooks has to stomp on Smith a few more times first.

Rood’s headlock doesn’t last long as Brooks grabs him again. Another headlock doesn’t work so Rood shoulders him down, with Larry Zbyszko grabbing Rood’s foot from the floor. Cue Mr. Wrestling II to stare at Zbyszko as the time expires at….6:32? If there was a break in there, they did an all time job of editing it out.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what was going on with the time there but Rood and Brooks felt like they were starting to go somewhere. If nothing else, Rood with short hair and regular trunks was quite the visual, but he definitely had a look. Brooks was a good midcard heel, especially in World Class, so it was nice to see him doing something else in a different place.

Tommy Rich is ready for Buzz Sawyer on July 7 in Albany, Georgia. Rich thought this was over with him but now it’s a No DQ match.

Rick Rood is ready for Killer Tim Brooks in Albany. The fact that he talks to “Mr. Miller” about “Mr. Brooks” and how much he’s looking forward to meeting all of the fans as one of the politest men you could imagine is BIZARRE.

Ronnie Garvin vs. Ron Rossi

Garvin is known as the One Man Gang and grabs a headlock to grind away early on. Rossi reverses into a wristlock and gets taken down for a splash as Garvin doesn’t seem overly worried here. A neck crank has Rossi in more trouble and Garvin works on the arm. Back up and Rossi grabs a headlock, with commentary not believing that it’s really hurting. Garvin gets up to chop away as the aggression begins. A suplex and elbow drop have Rossi in more trouble as Garvin seems to be enjoying the beating. Garvin stomps on the ribs and drops some knees for the pin at 5:00.

Rating: C. Garvin has grown on me a bit over the years as he’s good in the role of a tough guy who is going to give you a hard fight. That’s more than you can get from some people and it’s nice to see him getting to just beat the fire out of someone. The match was an extended squash but Garvin felt like a star.

Remember how Tommy Rich is ready to face Buzz Sawyer in a No DQ match on July 7 in Albany, Georgia? Still the case.

Killer Tim Brooks didn’t get enough time to face Rick Rood this week and doesn’t see why Rood’s arm wrestling career matters. They’ll be using their legs here and Brooks might even headbutt him! Roode better do some curls and get those arms ready.

Paul Ellering, with Arn Anderson, thinks Ole Anderson is useless.

TV Title: Iron Sheik vs. Randy Barber

Sheik is defending and gets in a clothesline to start, followed by some early choking. A backdrop puts Barber down again and the gutwrench suplex gets one, with Sheik pulling him up. Sheik’s belly to back suplex retains the title at 2:09. Sheik looked like a killer out here and he would be WWF World Champion by the end of the year.

Paul Ellering, with Arn Anderson, is at the announcers’ desk to yell at Ole Anderson. Ellering insists that Arn is going to change his name to Arn Ellering, which has Ole concerned. For now though, Ellering thinks Ole should be concerned with the Road Warriors, so let’s go to a taped match.

Road Warriors vs. Randy Barber/Joel Young

The Warriors, who look like male strippers with a biker theme, aren’t defending their National Tag Team Titles. Hawk drives Barber into the corner to start and it’s off to Animal for the big forearm to the chest. Animal sends Barber flying and drops Young, setting up Hawk’s slingshot splash for the pin at 2:02. To say the Warriors were green here would be an understatement, but you don’t find a team who looked like that with that kind of power very often. Tweak them enough and let them become the monsters they were destined to be.

Back in the arena, Ole comes up to Ellering and asks if his challenge is still good. They get in the ring and the brawl is on but here are the Roar Warriors to jump Ole from behind. The big beatdown is on with Stan Hansen and Tommy Rich running in for the save. All that and Hawk didn’t even lose his hat. Now that’s a star.

Buzz Sawyer has a surprise for Tommy Rich in Albany, Georgia.

Paul Ellering says his men are taking over.

Ronnie Garvin is ready to take Ellering out in Albany, Georgia. Garvin: “I found the Easter Bunny and I’m going to make an Easter Bunny out of you in Albany, Georgia.” That’s a rather unique threat.

Mike Jackson vs. Bill Irwin

Irwin is a newcomer and hammers away against the ropes to start. Jackson’s dropkick lets him grab a headlock but Irwin knocks him into the corner without much trouble. This lets Miller wish the director a happy birthday and run down some upcoming shows. Irwin’s knee drop gets two but Jackson sends him into the corner and manages to hammer away. Back up and a shoulder breaker gives Irwin two but Jackson gets in a nice flying headscissors. A big boot drops Jackson and the show ends (as it often did, as this was a weird setup where it was technically two shows put together) at 5:14 shown with no winner.

Rating: C. This was one of those weird things that you would see with older TV shows and it was something you would just get used to over time. Jackson was getting beaten up for the most part and that boot at the end looked good, but it wasn’t necessarily the end. That’s a bit of a surprise but Irwin definitely felt like a bigger star here.

Roll credits.

Opening sequence.

Freddie Miller welcomes us to the show (which will be a bit shorter due to a Braves game) and brings in Buzz Sawyer, who lists off all of the people who have tried and failed to get rid of him. Now it’s Dick Murdoch coming after him but Sawyer is going to take Murdoch out too.

Pat Rose vs. Brett Wayne

They shake hands to start as Bob Roop joins commentary to talk about the Road Warriors taking Ole Anderson out in the first hour. Wayne armdrags him down a few times to start and then grabs a headlock takeover to grind away. A pretty terrible Figure Four makes Rose give up at 3:50.

Rating: D+. Not much to this one, as it was more just the two of them having a basic match. Neither of them really stood out and Rose’s Figure Four was rather awful to bring it further down. This was a miss for the show and while Rose has done well enough elsewhere, they didn’t get much out of this one.

Larry Zbyszko vs. Rick Rood

Zbyszko’s National Title isn’t on the line and Killer Tim Brooks (Zbyszko’s paid enforcer) and Mr. Wrestling II are here too. They walk around a bit to start and Rood pops up off of a slam before grabbing one of his own. Rood takes him down in an armbar and they take turns powering each other into the corner. Both of them shove the referee and that’s a double DQ at 3:45.

Rating: C+. This was a case where you could see the potential, with Rood definitely showing a bit of fire. He was a totally green star at this point and it would take someone giving him a chance (it was coming) for him to break out. This was little more than a tease for something bigger, but putting Rood out there with the champion is a pretty nice endorsement.

Post match Mr. Wrestling II says he’ll do anything to get a rematch with Zbyszko for the title. Zbyszko stole the National Title from him and Wrestling II wants it back no matter what.

Dick Murdoch vs. Joel Young

Strap match and basically a preview for Murdoch vs. Buzz Sawyer. Bob Roop is on commentary and doesn’t know why Young is in there. Young tries to run but gets pulled back in with quite the yank. Murdoch beats on him with the strap some more and there’s the suplex. The four buckles give Murdoch the win at 2:50. Total decimation.

Miller previews a card tomorrow night at the Omni, with Mr. Wrestling II getting a National Title shot if he can beat Killer Tim Brooks first. Otherwise, it’s just a non-title match with Larry Zbyszko. Cue Zbyszko who says he’s going to beat Wrestling II up for fun.

Buzz Sawyer yells about beating up Dick Murdoch in their strap match at the same Omni show.

Paul Ellering has found Ole Anderson’s watch and destroys it.

We look back at the Ole Anderson beatdown. Seriously how did Hawk not lose his hat?

Tommy Rich and Stan Hansen swear vengeance on the Road Warriors.

Dick Murdoch, with the strap, is ready for Buzz Sawyer because they’re both rather ugly and they’ll beat on each other. It turns out to be a Loser Leaves Town match and Murdoch isn’t planning on going anywhere (but he did).

Miller acknowledges that this show is shorter than usual as he wraps it up.

Overall Rating: C+. This was fascinating in a way, as it’s so far before modern wrestling took over (Hulk Hogan wouldn’t be WWF Champion for about seven months) and you could definitely see what could be seen as rough edges. The focus was definitely still on the house shows nd that makes perfect sense, but the important thing here is that I could get an idea of the main stories taking place. This was just a random, one off show and I got the idea of what was going on around here in short order. Nice job here, though it’s really just more about previewing the house shows than anything here (as was the case back in the day).

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

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Forgotten Cell Matches
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Pat McAfee, Jimmy Smith, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves

This is another idea where the name says it all, which makes for an interesting situation. In this case we have the most violent match WWE has to offer but you never know which version of things you’ll be getting. I’m curious about this set as there have been so many of these things over the years that it is easy to forget some of them. Let’s get to it.

From Monday Night Raw, June 15, 1998.

Steve Austin/Undertaker vs. Mankind/Kane

Paul Bearer is here with the villains and wants Austin and Undertaker out here right now. Mankind even goes into a rhyming poem about the violence of the Cell (with the mesh ripping up your flesh) to help get them come to the ring. Austin comes out but Undertaker doesn’t show up, which seems like a ruse. Mankind goes after Austin on the floor but gets the door slammed onto him.

Kane goes after Austin and Bearer locks himself in the Cell (uh oh) as Kane gets an ugly backdrop on the ramp. And indeed the Undertaker pops up through the ring and kicks Bearer in the face as the beating is on. Kane climbs the Cell as Austin comes back to beat up Mankind.

Bearer gets sent into the cage and is busted open, with Undertaker kicking at the head as Mankind is sent into the Cell wall. Austin knocks Mankind down with a chair and goes up top to beat up Kane as the show ends. If there was an opening bell, I never heard it, but this was just a big angle anyway, with Austin never even getting inside the Cell.

From Monday Night Raw, August 24, 1998.

Mankind vs. Kane

Mankind starts throwing chairs at the roof of the Cell but they fall back onto him. Instead he climbs up but gets pulled down by Undertaker (at ringside), sending him through the table (JR: “IT HAPPENED AGAIN!”). Kane beats Mankind around ringside and slams the Cell door on his head as they both finally get inside. The door is locked and we’ll say the match officially starts.

Kane beats on him with the steps before hitting a big dive over the top for the crash. Mankind avoids the steps being tossed and chairs Kane in the head before pouring out the bag of tacks. That takes too long (of course) and Kane kicks him into the tacks, only for Mankind to come back with the Mandible Claw. The Cactus piledriver puts Kane down but he’s back up with a nasty chair shot to knock him off the top.

The chokeslam and Tombstone knock Mankind silly and Undertaker gives Kane the throat slit. Three straight chair shots to the head set up another Tombstone onto the chair but Austin comes out from under the ring to jump Kane for the….I’m thinking DQ but we’ll say no contest at 4:28.

Rating: D. Yeah that’s what Russo thought the Cell should be: nothing more than a way to build up a PPV match between Undertaker and Austin was to have the Tag Team Champions (yes Kane and Mankind were a team here) fight in the Cell. The match wasn’t even the main event of the show, as there were two more matches to go, plus part of the Brawl For All. I would say I get the idea, but I really don’t, as it’s that stupid in so many ways.

Post match Austin unloads on Kane with the chair and a Stunner as Undertaker is on top of the Cell trying to get inside. The Cell is raised (with Undertaker still on it) and Austin gives Kane another Stunner.

From Monday Night Raw, September 26, 2011 (post show dark match).

Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Jack Swagger vs. CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio

Cena is defending and this is a match thrown together after a big beatdown of Cena and Punk ended the show. Ziggler (short hair version) and Swagger choke Punk in the corner as Del Rio beats on Cena in another corner. Swagger and Del Rio change places but Cena fights back and gets in a bulldog. Del Rio cuts Cena off again and Cena hits a Vader Bomb for two with Punk making the save (this is basically a five way match in name only as it’s basically a handicap tag).

Cena is back up with the finishing sequence to Del Rio as everyone else fights on the floor. As usual the AA doesn’t work so Punk gives Del Rio a GTS. That earns him a Zig Zag before Swagger ankle locks Ziggler. An AA to Swagger retains at 5:09. Punk’s “oh well” look as his eyes go back and forth boosts things up a lot.

Rating: C. To be fair, it’s a dark match so you can only get so mad at something like this. The point here wasn’t to blow the roof off the place or anything close, but rather just have a fun match to wrap up the night. That’s all they did and it went fairly well, though it really did just feel like a tag match for the most part.

From the June 18, 2021 Smackdown.

Smackdown World Title: Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio

Reigns (who recently attacked Mysterio’s son Dominik) is defending and has to take a chair away from a swinging Mysterio to start. A fire extinguisher to the head (spray and canister) work a bit better for Mysterio, as does a running shot with a toolbox. We take a break and come back with Mysterio striking away with a chair.

Said chair is wrapped around Reigns’ throat and sent into various things and a quick Reigns spear only hits (and breaks) table. A sunset bomb is blocked though and Reigns sends Mysterio into the Cell over and over. We take another break and come back again with a spear being countered via a dropkick.

Another spear attempt only hits post and Mysterio gets in the 619. Now the chair shots can work a bit better and Mysterio splashes the chair onto Reigns in a less than brilliant move. A chairless frog splash can connect for two so Mysterio tries the seated senton, only to get LAUNCHED into the Cell with a toss powerbomb. The cravate choke makes Mysterio tap at 17:13.

Rating: B. Believe it or not, Mysterio knows how to fight a power guy in a match where he can use weapons to even things up. This is what Mysterio has done for so much of his career and it still worked here. While Mysterio winning was a long shot, he’s enough of a legend that it just kind of barely feels possible and that’s more than enough. Not a great match, but for free TV, I’ll definitely take it.

From the June 21, 2021 Monday Night Raw (yes, the second time in four days).

Raw World Title: Bobby Lashley vs. Xavier Woods

Lashley, with MVP (as canceled out by Kofi Kingston) is defending. Woods hits an early dropkick into the corner but Lashley is right back with some shoulders to the ribs. A clothesline takes Woods down again and a lifting Downward Spiral gives Lashley two. They go to the floor and fight over a chair, which Lashley punches into Woods’ face.

Back in and Woods knocks him to the floor again, with a dropkick through the ropes connecting. A chair shot knocks Lashley down on the floor and Woods gets to unload with chair shots. We take a break and come back with Lashley choking away before tying him up in the ring skirt. Woods’ comeback is cut off again and Lashley steps on his head.

Woods realizes that having his head stepped on isn’t great (sit down Tony Atlas) and kicks out the leg in a smart move. Some kendo stick shots put Lashley on the floor and a wheelbarrow faceplant gives Woods two. A springboard tornado DDT gets the same and an amazing Limit Breaker puts Lashley through a table (with Woods almost overshooting him) for two more. Back up and Lashley sends him face first into the chair in the corner, meaning the spear can connect as well. The Hurt Lock retains the title at 13:30.

Rating: C+. This is where the opponent comes into play. Woods is incredibly talented and it’s very cool to see him getting this kind of a shot. However, unlike the Mysterio match, it never once felt like the title was in jeopardy. Mysterio was a long shot, but he felt like he had a prayer. That wasn’t the case here and it gave the match a very different dynamic (and not necessarily in a bad way). Lashley was on a roll at this point though and it was clear why he was smashing through so many people.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a weird collection as “Forgotten” is kind of a misleading title (if nothing else, it’s hard to forget a match that didn’t air in the first place). It’s more like “Cell Matches At TV Shows” and one of them didn’t seem to even be a match in the first place.

There’s a reason the Cell isn’t used at TV very often, as it felt out of place here. Throw in doing it twice in four days (apparently due to the TV networks being jealous of each other (seriously) and it was kind of a weird time. That being said, it’s still fun to look back like this, as these went through multiple eras that you might have….forgotten. Ok they win.

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

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Why Dory Funk Jr. worked for so long and why he is one of the biggest names you don’t hear about enough.

https://www.smarkdownsblog.com/remembering-dory-funk-jr

AAA On FOX
Date: August 8, 2026
Location: Arena San Marcos, Aguascalientes, Mexico
Commentators: John Bradshaw Layfield, Rey Mysterio, Corey Graves

It’s the last night of Verano de Escandalo and that means it’s time to get ready for the build towards TripleMania. That could mean quite a few things, but we do have another title match with the Reina de Reinas Title being defended in a triple threat match. Dominik Mysterio is here too so let’s get to it.

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

Latin American Title Qualifying Match: Cruz del Toro vs. El Fiscal vs. Psycho Clown

Del Toro and Fiscal tease an alliance but instead Clown helps Fiscal get rid of del Toro. Back in and a pop up powerbomb gives Fiscal two on del Toro but Clown sends Fiscal outside. The dive is broken up so del Toro hits a big dive of his own onto the two of them. They all get back inside with Clown hitting a heck of a clothesline to del Toro, who is right back up with a super hurricanrana to Fiscal.

Clown sunset flips Fiscal into the rope for no count so del Toro covers them both for two each. Back up and Clown Psycho Drivers del Toro onto the apron, followed by a Cactus Clothesline to Fiscal. Cue a masked monster in the crowd to take out Psycho Clown, punch some fans, and rip off part of his mask. That leaves Fiscal to toss del Toro off the top and hit a frog splash for the pin at 7:59.

Rating: B-. This was more about the monster (and likely Psycho Circus attacker) being revealed and taking out Psycho Clown. That’s something we’ve been waiting to see for a long time now and hopefully the future of the story winds up working. Fiscal winning is a good thing too as I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him in recent months.

Rey Mysterio announces a tournament for the right to face Roman Reigns for the Raw World Title on September 14 in Mexico on Monday Night Raw. Yeah that’s big.

AAA was at the Summerslam version of Axxess.

Noisy Boy vs. Jack Cartwheel

They start with an exchange of headscissor escapes and both miss stomps on the apron. Boy is back up with a springboard cutter to take over and kicks Cartwheel in the head. Cartwheel is right back up to strike it out before going up top. A super headscissors brings Cartwheel down, leaving Graves to say that they’re just making stuff up now. Cartwheel sends him outside for the big running flip dive, followed by a Red Arrow for the pin at 4:32.

Rating: B. Oh good grief this was exactly what it should have been, with the two of them flying around and getting to show everything they could do. It made for a heck of a showcase, with Cartwheel getting to look great in the process. Odd name aside, Boy did well here too and it made him look like a bigger star at the same time. Rather impressive stuff here.

Post match here is Karmen Petrovic to signal Los Perros del Mal for the beatdown on Cartwheel. Daga says he warned us of this and here is Damian 666 (an original member of the team) as the newest member. That’s a big addition and he seems happy to be here.

We get a sitdown interview with Dominik Mysterio, talking about how he wasn’t happy with El Grande Americano not trusting him. Everything changed with Americano won Rey de Reyes and Mysterio left AAA for a bit. Americano went on to become the Mexican national hero but Mysterio will beat him at TripleMania.

As for Dorian Roldan, Mysterio joined up with him after Rey Mysterio became GM, because they both know what it’s like to have fathers in powerful positions. Omos will be here with Mysterio next week, and here is Liv Morgan to leave with Mysterio (along with give a hard glare at interviewer Andrea). That wraps up a bit of a loose end, as well as helps get us focused on Mysterio vs. Americano, as it should be.

Reina de Reinas: La Catalina vs. Lady Shani vs. Flammer

Flammer is defending and both of the other two have pinned her in recent months. Rey Mysterio has to leave commentary to “do some GM stuff”, which has JBL rather annoyed. Flammer gets knocked outside to start fast and Shani takes her down again with a dive. Catalina dives onto both of them before hitting Flammer with a running dropkick back inside. Shani is back up to take the other two down but Flammer gets in a running dropkick to both challengers.

That’s broken up as Catalina is up with a double missile dropkick before Gory Bombing Flammer onto Shani for two more. Shani’s spinning sunset flip gets two on Flammer with Catalina making the save. Catalina splashes Shani for two and then spears Flammer on the floor, followed by a running knee to Shani back inside. That’s fine with Flammer, who sends Catalina outside and steals the retaining pin at 9:10.

Rating: C+. This was fine and felt like a house show triple threat, right down to the most basic three way finish imaginable. The women’s division continues to feel like something that doesn’t really matter all that much in AAA and this didn’t do much to change the feeling. The match was completely fine, but nothing that felt like a big deal in any way.

Overall Rating: B-. This is one of those things you have to get used to, as AAA doesn’t exactly go all out for its final nights of a big event. Instead, these things tend to be front loaded and that’s a rather different way to go. The Cartwheel vs. Boy match was a blast and Clown being attacked definitely felt big, but the show itself, as usual, could have been any regular week. That’s just kind of how it works around here though so it’s hard to get that mad.

Results
El Fiscal b. Psycho Clown and Cruz del Toro – Frog splash to del Toro
Jack Cartwheel b. Noisy Boy – Red Arrow
Flammer b. La Catalina and Lady Shani – Running knee to Shani

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

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Collision
Date: August 8, 2026
Location: Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, Paul Wight

It’s another show closer to All In but this time we have something big to get going. This week’s features the debut of the Continental Cup, which is of course different than the Continental Classic. The deal this time is that it is a completely random draw each round, meaning there are no brackets. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Dynamite recap.

Continental Challenge Cup First Round: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Ace Austin

Castagnoli wastes no time in wrestling him down and stomping away, followed by another slam. Austin is right back up with the squatting Death Valley Drier but a slingshot dive is pulled out of the air. Castagnoli sends him into the barricade but Austin gets in his handstand on the apron. A kick to the face knocks Castagnoli down and we take a rather abrupt break (with Schiavone’s preview for the night being cut off).

We come back with Castagnoli working on the arm and pulling him down into the chinlock. Austin gets up for a dropkick and legdrop, setting up a hurricanrana out of the corner. Now the dive to the floor can connect and a spinning top rope Fameasser gets two back inside. Castagnoli has had enough of this though and uppercuts him out of the air, meaning it’s time for the Swing.

That’s reversed into a headscissors choke but Castagnoli muscles him up into a wheelbarrow slam (Wight: “There are ways of doing things and then there’s just showing off.”). Back up and Austin catches him with a spinning kick to the head, only to walk into Swiss Death for the pin at 12:07.

Rating: B-. This was a nice start to the tournament with Austin getting to give Castagnoli a bit of a sweat. Castagnoli finally catching Austin with the power worked, but it was nice to see that Austin got a chance to show what he can do, which is not done often enough. I do kind of like the idea of not knowing what is next for Castagnoli, as it does offer some intrigue. It’s different than the Continental Classic and that’s at least a step up.

We look at Will Ospreay beating Mark Davis in a street fight on Dynamite.

We look at the Motor City Machine Guns debuting last week.

Brawling Birds vs. Vertvixen/Viva Van

The Birds jump them to start and Vertvixen is taken into the wrong corner. A Thesz press drops Vertvixen again and a boot to the face gives Hayter two. Van comes in with a springboard clothesline but Hayter hits a double clothesline of her own. Windsor comes back in to clean house and it’s a headbutt into Two Birds One Stone to pin Vertvixen at 3:09.

Rating: C. Just a basic squash here to get the Birds some momentum on their way to the Women’s Tag Team Title match at All In. It’s hard to imagine that the Birds don’t leave London with the titles so building them up is a good idea. The other two got in just a bit of offense, with that springboard clothesline looking rather nice.

Post match Lena Kross and Megan Bayne run in from behind to lay the Birds out. Windsor seems to be rather banged up.

We look as Darby Allin’s team beating Kevin Knight’s team on Dynamite. Now Allin wants a TNT Title shot at All In, falls count anywhere.

Continental Challenge Cup First Round: Orange Cassidy vs. Matt Sydal

We get some respect shown to start before going to the basic grappling. Sydal trips him down but takes too long trying the standing moonsault, allowing Cassidy to roll him up for two. Cassidy is knocked down again and now the standing moonsault gives Sydal two of his own. Back up and Cassidy catches him on top but they knock each other to the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Sydal snapping off a hurricanrana and kicking Cassidy in the chest. A top rope Meteora gives Sydal two but Cassidy is right back with the Stundog Millionaire. They take turns countering front facelocks until Cassidy gets two off a Michinoku Driver. Sydal’s kicks annoy Cassidy, who sends him outside for a suicide dive. Well more of a shove than anything else but close enough. Back in and Sydal catches him with a jumping knee but misses the shooting star press. That’s enough for Cassidy to grab the Beach Break for the pin at 11:34.

Rating: B-. It’s another nice match, though also another without much in the way of drama over the result. Sydal is a veteran with some success in his career but there wasn’t much of a reasons to believe that he was going to win here. Cassidy is almost always a dark horse candidate to win just about anything and it would be nice to him making a run in this thing.

Jon Moxley congratulates Claudio Castagnoli on his win and respects Jack Perry, but tonight Perry is on the wrong team.

Rascalz vs. De Fuerte/Aaron Solo

That’s as close as I can get on the name of Solo’s partner. Solo gets double teamed down to start and a superkick into a middle rope Meteora hits Fuerte. The Hot Fire Flame gives Xavier the pin at 1:32. That works.

Post match the Rascalz brag about their success and Myron Reed wants his match right now.

Myron Reed vs. Mike Bailey

They both catch kicks from the other to start but can’t agree on who should put the other’s leg down. Bailey is back up with the bouncing kicks but Reed is right back with a leg lariat. Reed tries to run but gets caught with the Asai moonsault to the floor as we take a break. We come back with the two of them on the apron for another exchange of kicks. Bailey blocks the diving cutter to the floor and gets in a springboard corkscrew moonsault.

That leaves Bailey favoring his knee and like the genius that he is, he comes off the top rope and bangs it up even worse. Bailey catches him up top with a kick to the head and a super Frankensteiner brings Reed back down. The Tornado Kick misses though and Reed snaps off a cutter. Bailey’s Ultimate Weapon dives into another cutter and there’s the big running flip dive to take Bailey out again. Back in and Reed misses a 450, allowing Bailey to hit a flipping powerslam (basically a Spanish Fly but landing on Reed) for the pin at 9:45.

Rating: B-. Normally I would roll my eyes at someone popping up from a knee injury to do a spinning kick and a shooting star knee drop but that’s just what Bailey does. The lack of selling is downright hilarious at times as it’s basically Bailey making it as ridiculous as possible. You learn to live with it, even in a pretty nice match like this one.

The Dogs brag about their recent success and David Finlay is ready to finish off Jay White on Dynamite.

Hikaru Shida/Persephone vs. Maya World/Hyan

Hyan northern lights suplexes Shida to start fast and it’s off to World, who gets caught with some early double teaming. That’s broken up and World kicks Persephone down for two. A suicide dive is knocked away though and World is in trouble as we take a break. We come back with Hyan fighting out of a chinlock so World can come in to clean house. Everything breaks down and a Falcon Arrow gives Shida two on Hyan. An assisted Downward Spiral gets two on Shida, with Persephone having to make a save. Hyan spears Shida for two more but Shida is right back with something close to a Tombstone for the pin at 9:47.

Rating: C+. In theory we’re going to be seeing Shida getting a rematch for the TBS Title, which is fine if it’s a one off loss so World can move on to someone else. Hyan is far from bad but it’s not great to see her being lapped by World. That probably doesn’t bode well for her future, but at least she’s getting some regular time as World’s partner.

Kevin Knight isn’t sure about facing Darby Allin at All In but he wants to face Chris Jericho, for the title, on Dynamite.

Bang Bang Gang/Jack Perry vs. Death Riders

Moxley and Austin fight out of a wristlock to start and it’s already off to Perry. Naturally Moxley immediately tags out to Yuta, who gets monkey flipped into a dropkick to put him in trouble too. The Gang takes over on Yuta’s arm and everything breaks down, with the Riders bailing outside as we take a break.

We come back with Robinson in trouble and getting stomped down. The Riders are right there to chase the rest of the Gang off the apron to prevent a tag attempt but Robinson dives over for the tag to Perry anyway. Perry slugs away on Moxley and everything breaks down, as expected. Colten gets taken into the wrong corner for the running clotheslines, setting up the parade of secondary finishers. Cue the Dogs to crotch Austin against the post, allowing Yuta to hit Colten low. A running knee pins Colten at 13:10.

Rating: C+. I’ve tried to get into the Dogs vs. the Gang and I just cannot make it happen. Maybe it’s due to so much of it starting back in New Japan, but there is something lacking in the whole feud. Hopefully it either gets better or wraps up sooner than later because the Gang needs something better rather quickly. Other than that, it was a preview for Moxley vs. Perry, which worked out well enough.

Post match Perry lays Yuta out.

Mike Bailey wants MJF but Nick Wayne interrupts. Wayne is ready to win the ROH World Title but for now, he’ll settle for a chance to get the #2 spot in the Casino Gauntlet Match at All In.

We get a tribute to Dory Funk Jr., which is a rather nice thing to see.

The Hurt Syndicate meets Shane Taylor Promotions, with the latter hiring the former to do something.

Dynamite preview.

Jack Perry, with the Bang Bang Gang, is ready for Jon Moxley on Dynamite. The Gang wants Jay White to take out David Finlay on his own in the Continental Challenge Cup. I’m not sure why Robinson needed to yell so much to get that point across.

Continental Challenge Cup First Round: Eddie Kingston vs. Jake Doyle

Doyle shoulders him down to start and Kingston realizes he’s got some trouble here. The chops in the corner have Doyle staggered but he sends Kingston tumbling out to the floor. Some headbutts to Doyle seem to hurt Kingston instead and Doyle rakes the eyes back inside.

Kingston gets in a chop that has Paul Wight impressed on commentary, which only earns him a running powerslam as we take a break. We come back with Kingston’s middle rope shoulder connecting and allowing him to take the straps down. Kingston’s Saito suplex gets two, as does Doyle’s sitout powerbomb. A pair of spinning backfists knock Doyle silly though and the Stretch Plumb finishes him off at 11:59.

Rating: C+. Kingston almost had to win here just for the sake of being a former Continental Champion and since this is such a different kind of wrestling, it must make a difference. Doyle is fine as a midcard monster to be slayed and it worked out well enough here. Not a great match or anything, but something had to headline this show.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was mainly about the Continental stuff and….dang I cannot bring myself to get interested in another tournament so soon. It doesn’t help that the Continental Rules are basically just “no outside interference”, which really shouldn’t be some kind of a big feature. The rest of the show was fine, but this was based around one idea and it was only somewhat interesting.

Results
Claudio Castagnoli b. Ace Austin – Swiss Death
Brawling Birds b. Vertvixen/Viva Van – Two Birds One Stone to Vertvixen
Orange Cassidy b. Matt Sydal – Beach Break
Rascalz b. De Fuerte/Aaron Solo – Hot Fire Flame to Fuerte
Mike Bailey b. Myron Reed – Flipping powerslam
Maya World/Hyan b. Hikaru Shida/Persephone – Tombstone to Hyan
Death Riders b. Bang Bang Gang/Jack Perry – Running knee to Colten
Eddie Kingston b. Jake Doyle – Stretch Plumb

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

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

Because WCW really was this stupid.

https://411mania.com/wrestling/halls-wcw-nitro-review-7-24-00/

Because it’s still the 1990s.

https://www.smarkdownsblog.com/wwe-worlds-collide-vs-aew-all-out