Smackdown
Date: August 28, 2026
Location: Canadian Tire Center, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Corey Graves, Michael Cole

We’re in the rare situation of the show being taped in advance this week as the company is getting ready for another big international tour. In this case, the show is going to be building towards next month’s Saturday Night’s Main Event, which should be a heck of a show. Kevin Owens is not going to be happy with Sami Zayn over….oh like it matters with those two. 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 World Title match, with Sami Zayn costing Kevin Owens the title against CM Punk.

Here is Owens to get things going. Owens talks about how he has lost a lot of World Title matches over the last twelve years but last week was different. Everything was perfect and he was back after seventeen months away. He was back earlier than he should have been and his parents were even at the show. His mom had some health issues last year but she kicked out and is still around. But then Sami Zayn cost him the title.

He’s forgiven Zayn for a lot over the years but this one is different. For now though, he wants to focus on CM Punk, who was beaten last week and everyone knows it. Cue Punk to say they can do it again right now but Nick Aldis cuts them off. This brings out Gunther, who says Punk and Owens hate each other because they’re so alike.

Gunther: “I’m glad your mom kicked out, but last week, you didn’t.” This brings out Finn Balor, with Gunther calling him a ghost. Balor says everyone is getting tired of Gunther’s act and the line starts behind him. Aldis isn’t having this and makes a triple threat for the #1 contendership tonight. That was resolved quickly.

Tiffany Stratton asks Chelsea Green if she’s sure about their tag match tonight. Green is absolutely going out there but Stratton doesn’t want her to risk her injury getting worse.

Tiffany Stratton/Chelsea Green vs. Irresistible Forces

Legend ragdolls Stratton to start but gets dropkicked in the back for her efforts. A running hip attack hits Legend in the ropes, followed by a handspring Stunner. Green, in her protective mask, comes in for a Zig Zag to Legend but Jax is in with a headbutt. That leaves Green writing in pain and we take a break.

We come back with Stratton in a bearhug and Green being checked on by the medics. Jax runs Stratton over again and Legend has another bearhug. Jax’s middle rope legdrop misses though and Green is taken to the back, only to spring back in for a missile dropkick. Stratton is sent into the barricade though and Jax punches Green in the face, setting up the Annihilator for the pin at 9:41.

Rating: C+. They’ve got something with the idea of Green having to find a way to defend her title, as they very well could set up her title match against Jax. The fans want to see what Green is doing at the moment and while it is likely setting up a match with Stratton down the line, she has to defend the title sooner or later. Odds are it’s against Jax, but the injury is going to make that tricky.

Danhausen comes in to see Nick Aldis and thinks he should be the Employee Of The Month on Smackdown. Gunther comes in and completely ignores Danhausen’s offer of a handshake before complaining about the triple threat. Aldis promises that there will be no shenanigans or additions. Danhausen asks to be added to the match and is told no. Foiled again, but at least no curses.

Women’s US Title: Paige vs. Jacy Jayne

Jayne is defending and the rest of Fatal Influence is here too. Paige starts fast by sending her into the ropes and firing off the knees to the chest. A dive off the apron takes Jayne down again but a Fatal Influence distraction lets Jaye take over as we take a break. We come back with Jayne holding a chinlock but Paige fights up.

A double clothesline leaves both of them down before Jayne takes over off an exchange of shots to the face. Paige fights up again and tries Rampaige but has to dispatch the rest of Fatal Influence. That’s enough of a distraction for Jayne to grab a small package to retain at 7:41.

Rating: C. This was all about the numbers game for Jayne and that’s a simple enough story for the match. At the same time, it’s only so interesting as Paige on her own isn’t the most thrilling at the moment. She’s something of a legend but you know she’s going to have to deal with the Bellas, so there wasn’t much of a chance for her to pull this off, especially on her own.

Post match Nikki Bella runs in to lay Paige out.

Video on Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton.

Finn Balor comes up to Rhodes, who is worried about all these things. Balor tells him to not do anything too crazy and remember that Balor is going to win the title soon enough. They can see each other on the other side, with Balor extending his hand. Rhodes shakes it and they’re fine.

Trick Williams comes up to Lil Yachty and is going to try to get him out of the match with Baron Corbin. Yachty says it’s ok though and he wants to show what he can do and get Williams a title match. With that, Yachty leaves and Williams runs into Corbin, who is ready to whoop that trick, meaning Yachty.

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat. He wants to talk about Randy Orton, who is coming up on fifteen World Titles. That’s not a record, but it’s what Orton wants right now. Anyone who has watched Orton knows that when he starts going up, he messes up. Orton doesn’t have the shoulders to carry the company and at Saturday Night’s Main Event, Rhodes is killing Orton off for good.

Cue Orton to say that Rhodes had a driver’s side seat to a lot of Orton’s troubles. Rhodes was there to help make sure that Orton stayed out of trouble and got tucked into bed every night. Does Rhodes resent that? Does he want to take a swing? Rhodes fumes and Orton brings up Rhodes’ dog Pharaoh (implying that he’s dead, which doesn’t seem to be the case), which has Rhodes taking his jacket off. Orton brings up that their match will be in Rhodes’ hometown of Atlanta, and Rhodes’ trailer trash mother and wife might be there.

Orton poses and invites Rhodes to hit him but Rhodes says he’s counting the days. Rhodes brings up his father being a legend while Orton’s father was a world class screwup. Orton: “TOO FAR! THAT’S TOO FAR!” Orton is seething as Rhodes leaves. This was a mental chess game and it worked rather well, with Orton ticking Rhodes off and then getting the tables turned on him.

Tatum Paxley whispers something to Jackie Redmond, who immediately runs off. Charlotte and Alexa Bliss come in and they’re set for a six woman tag against Jade Cargill and the Baddies at Sunday Night’s Main Event. Paxley and Bliss hug Charlotte, which isn’t so well received.

Preview of Monday’s #1 contenders match, with Penta and Rey Fenix both ready to face their brother.

Fenix is ready to face his brother but Ricky Saints comes in to say Fenix can lose and then give him a title shot. Or Fenix could win the whole thing and come back to shut Fenix up for good.

Michin vs. Tatum Paxley

Their respective friends are here too. Michin talks a lot of trash to start and then poses in the ropes to frustrate Paxley even more. Back up and Paxley knocks her to the floor for a dive and we take a break. We come back with Michin grabbing a bow and arrow, which is quickly escaped. Paxley superkicks her down and hits an enziguri but walks into a sitout powerbomb. Back up and Paxley kicks her in the head, setting up the Cemetery Drive (Paxley has her back to Michin and grabs Michin’s leg to flip her over for a crash) to finish Michin at 7:52.

Rating: C+. Paxley looked fine in her debut on the main roster and I’m curious to see what how well she can do around here. The good thing is that she developed rather well while she was in NXT and came up to the main roster ready to go. Putting her with a trio is a good idea and the fact that she’s with this level of competition makes me think WWE has faith in her, which is a rather positive sign.

We look at Blake Monroe attacking Giulia last week.

Monroe says that match last week was beneath her and she isn’t having her debut until she has an opponent worthy of her. Giulia runs in to jump her and Monroe is laid out.

Kevin Owens comes up to Randy Orton, who says Owens was right about Cody Rhodes. No they aren’t friends, but Owens says they can talk later.

The MFT’s are ready for Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki. Haku wants them to be violent.

Damian Priest tells R-Truth that this was a great summer but they don’t have the titles anymore so it might be time to move on. Priest absolutely has R-Truth’s back but the War Raiders come in to mock them. The AAA Tag Team Title match is set for Mexico City, even with Priest not looking thrilled.

The Irresistible Forces come in to see Nick Aldis, with Nia Jax demanding a title shot against Chelsea Green. Miz and Kit Wilson come in to complain about Aldis being toxic, earning themselves a match with Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki next week.

Kevin Owens vs. Gunther vs. Finn Balor

For a future shot against CM Punk. Owens jumps Gunther to start fast and stomps him down in the corner but Balor is back in with a sunset flip for two. Owens cuts that off and Swantons Gunther for two more. Gunther chops his way out of trouble and then fires off another one to Balor. The sleeper is broken up and Gunther is sent through the ropes for a dive from Balor and we take a break.

We come back with Owens and Gunther striking it out and the former getting the better of things. Balor Peles Owens down but he’s right back up with the running corner clotheslines. The Sling Blade cuts Owens off but he catches Balor up top. Owens is knocked outside and Balor drops Gunther with the shotgun dropkick. The Coup de Grace connects, only for Sami Zayn to pull Balor out.

Zayn sends Balor over the announcers’ table and takes out the referee as Owens Stuns Gunther. Another referee runs in and is taken out by Zayn as well but here is CM Punk to go after Zayn. The threat of a belt shot sends Zayn inside, where Owens gets in a fight with Punk. Zayn belts Owens in the head and does the same to Balor and Gunther. One more belt shot drops Punk and Zayn poses with the title to end the show as we’ll call this a no contest at about 10:00.

Rating: B-. It was all action and I wasn’t sure where it was going, which made Zayn’s interference both logical and a bit annoying. The good thing is that the three of them are all going after the title and that’s before you add Zayn to the mix. It’s a story that has always worked in wrestling and it will work again here, as odds are we’re coming up on a big multiman match for the title, which could go in a variety of ways. Good enough main event here, but it’s about setting up something else down the line, which is a fine idea.

Overall Rating: B. This was mainly about the main event stories and I’m digging where both of them are going. Orton vs. Rhodes feels like a personal feud and the World Title situation could go in all kinds of ways. That’s in addition to all of the women’s stuff, which worked rather well too. Good show here but it’s more about where things are going, which has quite the potential. If it’s like this, we’re in for a good fall.

Results
Irresistible Forces b. Chelsea Green/Tiffany Stratton – Annihilator to Green
Jacy Jayne b. Paige – Small package
Tatum Paxley b. Michin – Cemetery Drive
Kevin Owens vs. Gunther vs. Finn Balor went to a no contest when Sami Zayn 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

I’ve been a huge NXT fan for over thirteen years and here are two reasons why.

https://411mania.com/wrestling/halls-wwe-nxt-reviews-1-2-13-1-14-15/

Best Of The WWF Volume 15
Commentators: Bruce Prichard, Luscious Johnny V., Mike McGuirk, Vince McMahon, Jesse Ventura, Bruno Sammartino, Gene Okerlund, Dick Graham, Jimmy Hart, Lord Alfred Hayes, Craig DeGeorge, Don Muraco
Host: Gene Okerlund

I love these things. They’re such an easy concept and you can find all kinds of hidden gems in there with no particular theme to a lot of the tapes. It’s great to have them around again and I’m curious about what we might find here this time. In other words, it’s a Coliseum Video so let’s get to it.

This is from early 1988.

Opening sequence.

Gene Okerlund, chilling in a chair instead of standing as usual, welcomes us to the tape and gives us a preview without getting very specific. He does however promise three title changes, which is quite the spoiler.

From Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 6, 1987. Okerlund: “We begin with a Coliseum exclusive and what we sometimes call a dark match.” Ok then. I mean it aired on Prime Time so it’s not a dark match but points for a buzz term.

Tito Santana vs. Haku

Rick Martel, Bobby Heenan and Tama are here too. Santana jumps him to start fast and sends him into the buckle, which actually works! The middle rope elbow to the head sends Haku bailing out to the floor and it’s already time for a breather. Commentary actually recaps the feud, which started with the Islanders jumping Santana while he was doing guest commentary. I’m not sure I can imagine Santana doing that but I’ll take something over nothing.

Back in and Santana sends him face first into the mat, allowing Santana to grab a headlock as the fans are ALL OVER Heenan. Haku gets up for a leapfrog but eventually gets backslided (Backslidden?) for two. Santana works on the armbar again but Haku gets smart by going with the headbutts. The running knee misses though and Santana is right there to work on the leg.

Haku breaks that up and gets some twos off some suplexes. A shoulder breaker just wakes Santana up and he raises his boots to cut off a charge in the corner. Santana faceplants him to set up a backdrop and there’ the flying forearm. That’s enough to draw Tama to the top so Martel jumps him, which is enough for the double DQ at 6:43.

Rating: C+. It was nice while it lasted but I’m a fan of both guys so this was only going to get so bad. I can go with seeing the tag division getting split up a bit for a change and Santana and Haku could probably have a fine match in a bunch of different combinations. Nice opener here, which actually felt like part of a bigger angle in a rarity on these tapes.

Post match Santana and Martel clear the ring without much trouble.

From Superstars, November 7, 1987.

Tag Team Titles: Strike Force vs. Hart Foundation

The Harts, with Jimmy Hart, are defending and the roof comes off for Strike Force’s entrance. Bret pounds on Martel to start and gets dropkicked a few times so Martel can grab an armbar. Santana comes in for an armbar of his own before doing the same thing to Neidhart, who powers him back up against the rope.

We’re minorly clipped to Bret getting in a cheap shot from the apron to cut Santana off and then dropping him with a backbreaker. Some good old fashioned choking behind the referee’s back keeps Santana in trouble and it’s time to fire him outside. Back in and Santana almost makes the tag so Hart knocks Martel off the apron in a smart move. Something close to a Demolition Decapitator gets two, with Ventura complaining about unfair officiating. And it’s not even Danny Davis!

More choking draws Martel in again, which just means the choking continues (with Ventura pointing out the bad idea). Santana manages to whip Hart chest first into the buckle (of course) and it’s back to Martel to unload on Neidhart. A spinning high crossbody gives Martel two, with Hart making the save. Everything breaks down and a double slam sets up the Boston Crab…and Neidhart actually gives up to give Strike Force the titles at 9:10!

Rating: B. This was a good one, with Strike Force being so crazy over that they had to get the titles at some point. They were as good of an idea as you could have had as the white meat babyfaces and it worked perfectly here. Granted it helps to have the Harts on the other side as they’re as good as it gets for a team in this company in the 80s. Rather awesome match here.

It takes a few seconds before reality sets in and then the crowd goes nuts for the title change.

From Des Moines, Iowa, November 17, 1987.

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. King Kong Bundy

This is also billed as non-televised, even though it aired in January 1988. They stare at each other to start and lock up with neither’s running shoulder scoring a knockdown. Bigelow tries it again and Bundy goes down, with Ventura insisting it was a slip. Bundy misses a charge and gets elbowed for two but comes back with a hard clothesline. A big clothesline puts Bigelow on the floor and another one drops him again back inside. The big splash misses for Bundy though and Bigelow’s splash gets a VERY fast three at 3:57.

Rating: C-. Again, you know what you’re going to get here as this was the match you were probably expecting. It’s a pair of big guys hitting each other until one of them missed and got splashed for the pin. They were smart to keep things short here, as is often the situation for these battles of the big men.

Post match Ventura rants about the speed of the count (as he should), with McMahon saying is slow. Ventura: “THAT’S SLOW MOTION YOU IDIOT!”

From the 1988 Royal Rumble.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Glamour Girls vs. Jumping Bomb Angels

The Angels are challenging in a 2/3 falls match. The Angels start fast and hit running dropkicks to start with Yamazaki taking over on Martin, allowing Tateno to come in for a delayed suplex. McMahon admits that he doesn’t know which Angel is which as Yamazaki comes back in for a jumping knee to Kai.

Everything breaks down and the Angels get stereo Figure Fours, both of which are broken up. Yamazaki drops a double leg onto Kai’s legs and then cranks back on one of them in a rather aggressive manner. Kai gets up for the tag to Martin, allowing Jimmy Hart to rub the circulation back into Kai’s leg. Martin pops back up with a powerbomb dropped backwards into a faceplant for the first fall on Tateno at 6:11.

Girls – 1
Angels – 0

We take a break and come back with Martin tossing Tateno into the corner by the hair for a nasty crash. The splash misses though and it’s Yamazaki getting in a heck of a running clothesline. The middle rope clothesline gets two and everything breaks down, with the Girls colliding. Martin runs Tateno over but gets sunset flipped to tie us up at 8:05 (total, omitting the time between falls).

Girls – 1
Angels – 1

The third fall is joined in progress with Tateno in trouble in the corner but managing to pick Martin up for some hard drops. Yamazaki comes back in with the top rope knee for two and a bridging suplex gets two. The middle rope backsplash misses but the double missile dropkick finishes Martin for the pin and the titles at 13:56 total (that’s the full version at least, but a good chunk was clipped here).

Girls – 1
Angels – 2

Rating: B. This was so far ahead of its time that it’s hard to fathom in a way. You have to remember that women’s wrestling was basically Moolah doing the hair pulling and suplex, but here was a pair of women going nuts with big spots and an athletic match. The Girls deserve some praise of their own too, as they were able to hang in there with the Angels well enough. Good match here, which was, oh, about 30 years ahead of its time.

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 7, 1984.

Wild Samoans vs. Tiger Chung Lee/Mr. Fuji

Okerlund says this is an entire match that belongs on the Most Embarrassing Moments tape. Fuji and Afa start things off with Afa headbutting Fuji around. That’s enough for Fuji to load up something, with the referee waistlocking him before it can go anywhere. Fuji tries the salt but keeps trying to hand it off to Lee, which turns us into a comedy of errors as they try to hide it.

We’re clipped to Fuji still in trouble but fighting away only to miss a top rope legdrop. Lee comes in and goes up, earning a slam off the top. Sika gets two off a headbutt and then headbutts Lee down again, with Fuji walking away from the tag. Some headbutts put Lee down and the falling headbutts finish him off at 4:05 shown (the full thing ran almost twenty two minutes so this might have been quite the interesting edit job).

Rating: D+. Yeah we got the idea. Fuji and Lee were having one issue after another and that only means so much when they’re in there against a team of monsters in the Samoans. It wasn’t a particularly interesting match and I’m almost scared of how dull it would have been in its full form. Then again, Lee wasn’t going to be interesting no matter what he did.

Post match Fuji comes back in and goes after Lee, who finds a kendo stick to chase Fuji off. Yeah but it’s Tiger Chung Lee. This isn’t going to mean much.

From Houston, Texas, July 24, 1987.

Women’s Title: Sherri Martel vs. Fabulous Moolah

Moolah is defending and we’re told she’s held the title for “at least fifteen to seventeen years” as 1984 and Wendi Richter are erased from history. I’m guessing it’s due to Richter’s exit from the promotion but the fans aren’t going to remember something from a few years ago? This is also Martel’s debut and she’s starting fast. They take turns pulling the other down by the hair and Moolah grabs a hammerlock.

Moolah bites Martel’s hand and makes a disgusted face before she gets flipped into a chinlock. Back up and they trade choking in the corner before Moolah gets two off a backdrop. The armbar goes on again before Martel is back up with some slingshots. They go outside with Martel getting in a slam but being pulled back inside. Moolah tosses her outside again but Martel small packages her for the title at 7:58.

Rating: D+. This didn’t work at all, as it was basically heel vs. heel but Moolah was ancient and Martel was an unknown so the fans didn’t know how to react. At the same time, Moolah absolutely had to lose (again) to someone as it was just way too late for her. The division was getting something of a reboot at this point and Sherri as the top heel was a fine way to go. This actually led to a Moolah face run, which thankfully didn’t last long.

From New York City, New York, February 20, 1978.

Junior Heavyweight Title: Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Ted Adams

Fujinami is defending and we’re joined in progress with Adams taking him down without much trouble and working on the arm. That’s reverses with Fujinami’s jumping headscissors, which is broken up for a quick standoff. A test of strength is flipped into a sunset flip to give Fujinami two more and the surfboard goes on. That’s broken up and Adam grabs a headlock, only to get caught with a dropkick.

Adams knocks him down and misses a top rope splash as they keep going back and forth. Back up and Adams takes over in the corner, allowing him to crank on the arm. You can imagine how thrilled the fans are with this stuff, especially with a star as big as Adams (you might notice some sarcasm there). A crossbody sets up another armbar on Fujinami and Adams takes him up to the ropes as this keeps going.

Back up and Fujinami gets in a shot to the face for two but gets taken down with a double underhook. Fujinami kicks him away and hits a heck of a dropkick to take over and wake the crowd up a bit. An airplane spin drops Adams again and Fujinami’s bridging German suplex retains the title at 13:45 shown of 15:06.

Rating: C+. So here’s the thing: yes it’s technically sound and yes it’s a rather well executed back and forth match, but that doesn’t make it fun to watch. This was something that probably belonged on a British wrestling show more than it would have fit here, as the style just didn’t work for the WWF. It can be done, but not with Fujinami against a low level guy like Adams, who didn’t exactly mean much around here.

From San Francisco, California, August 24, 1987.

George Steele/Billy Jack Haynes vs. Demolition

Steele is substituting for the injured Ken Patera, who is at ringside to cancel out Mr. Fuji. And yes this is the main event. Haynes and Ax start things off, with Haynes taking over. Smash comes in and goes after Steele, who gets in a bite to the arm. That leads to more general chaos, with Demolition bailing out to the floor. Back in and Smash knocks Haynes down for a neck crank, which is quickly broken up.

Steele gets in a bite from the apron and Haynes grabs an armbar. It’s back to Steele, who is choked down in the corner with Smash getting in quite the jostling. Ax’s neck crank keeps Steele in trouble and a knee to the chest drops him again. Steele finally gets up and brings Haynes in to clean house. Everything breaks down and Haynes decks an interfering Fuji, allowing Ax to get in a cane shot to give Smash the pin at 9:30.

Rating: D. Somehow this is how we wrapped it up, with Demolition, who were becoming the new big force around here and they were having trouble beating Steele and Haynes. I have no idea how this was the best they could do for the unofficial main event, as it’s not like there were better tag teams around here. Just a bad match and I do not get this making the cut.

Okerlund doesn’t even wrap it up.

Roll credits.

Overall Rating: C-. There were good parts here, but my goodness some of this stuff was just not worth seeing. The best match was the Women’s Tag Team Title match and Strike Force vs. the Harts was right there too (shocking I know), but that’s not really enough to carry the whole thing. It was a tape that needed some replacement matches, but even the best stuff is only so good compared to some of the other options they had.

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: August 27, 2026
Location: CAA Center, Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re done with Lockdown and it’s going to be nice to see a match not inside of a cage. There were some title changes at the show, but the biggest story came at the end as new X-Division Champion Leon Slater announced that he was invoking Option C to challenge Nic Nemeth for the World Title at Bound For Glory. There’s your big story for the coming weeks so let’s get to it.

Here is Lockdown if you need a recap.

Lockdown recap.

Opening sequence.

Leon Slater has officially vacated the X-Division Title and will be challenging Nic Nemeth for the World Title at Bound For Glory.

Here are the new Tag Team Champions, the Nemeths, for a chat. They are very happy to be so successful and the most successful family in TNA history. The only person to be a World and Tag Team Champion at the same time is Kurt Angle and he’s BALD. Nic move on to Slater and he wants the fans to know they should always bet on yourself…unless it’s against him.

Cue Slater, who says he made his announcement at Lockdown so Nic could look him in the face. Nic has two titles and he was nice enough to get his brother one too, but those titles are looking rather nice to Slater. In the last few weeks, Slater has found a partner in Ricky Sosa and they’re undefeated together. The Nemeths say Daria Rae will never allow this but here is Santino Marella to allow this. It’s on for tonight.

Order 4, minus the hospitalized Mustafa Ali, is ready for a tag match against Jason Hotch/Trey Miguel tonight and John Skyler is the de facto leader of the team.

Bear Bronson vs. Elijah

The System is here with Bronson. Elijah starts fast with Walk With Elijah but takes too long running around the apron and gets distracted by Brian Myers. The distraction lets Bronson get in a cheap shot to take over, setting up the swinging Boss Man Slam for two. Elijah’s superkicks are countered into a chokebomb for two but Elijah is back up with an Alabama Slam. The Highwayman’s Farewell finishes Bronson off at 4:45.

Rating: C. This was quick and to the point with Elijah getting some momentum back after his loss at Lockdown. I’m not sure what Elijah is supposed to do next but at least he won a match here. Bronson is still a middle of the pack heel but he has a certain ferocity to him that makes him stand out a bit.

Post match the System runs in for the beatdown.

Video on Nic Nemeth vs. Leon Slater.

Elayna Black is sad about her loss at Lockdown but she was proud of the performance she put on in front of her friends and family. Maybe it was karma for her though because she wasn’t the best person to everyone. She’s here for those kids and she’s 25 years old with a long future in front of her.

Order 4 vs. Trey Miguel/Jason Hotch

Miguel flips over Skyler in the corner and grabs his arm, allowing the banged up Hotch to come in. Zero comes in as well and is sent outside for a quick dive as we take a break. We come back with Hotch not being able to get away from Zero, who grabs a bearhug on the bad ribs. Skyler comes back in and gives up the tag to Miguel so house can be cleaned. Hotch tries his rolling neckbreaker but stops before he takes Skyler out by mistake. That means Zero boots Skyler by mistake and gets sent outside. A top rope Meteora finishes Skyler at 9:05.

Rating: C+. I’m glad to see Miguel and Hotch getting another chance to win here as that wasn’t so obvious after Lockdown. If nothing else, Miguel feels like he could be moved up into an important singles spot if need be (like say against Mustafa Ali). Hotch is already playing with the house’s money as a singles star and having him getting to continue is a good sign.

Post match Mustafa Ali appears on the video screen from his hospital bed. He has fractured ribs and a punctured lung, but that’s not as painful as someone insulting his wife and daughter. Ali offers a truce to have Hotch rejoin Order 4 and end all of this. Hotch seems to be considering it.

The Righteous interrupt BDE and Rich Swann, saying they know that Brandon (BDE) wants his first win. He can face Dutch one on one.

Avery Styles can’t believe that he’s signed here and can’t wait to start his story. Moose comes in to say be careful who you associate with, including Frankie Kazarian. This brings in Kazarian, who tells Moose to stay out of this thing.

Video on M By Elegance vs. Jada Stone for the first ever Knockouts TV Title.

Knockouts TV Title: Jada Stone vs. M By Elegance

For the inaugural title and the Elegance Brand is here too. M backs her into the corner to start and gets rolled up a few times for her efforts. Stone’s missile dropkick and standing moonsault connect for two but M cuts off a dive. That means Stone is dropped back onto the apron and a Samoan driver gives M two more. The chinlock doesn’t last long so M fires off a fall away slam. A dropkick cuts off Stone’s comeback attempt but she avoids a moonsault.

Stone strikes away and gets in a 619 before rolling into a double stomp for two more. M catches her on top though and a spinning toss has Stone down again. Back up and Stone hits a running elbow, only to moonsault onto raised knees. M lists her up for a hard powerbomb but Stone gets up top for a super Spanish Fly. The moonsault connects this time, with M rolling over to get her foot on the rope. The Spark Stunner is loaded up but M reverses into a kneeling Tombstone for the pin and the title at 11:03.

Rating: B-. That’s a bit of a surprising result but it was nice to see two fresh names getting a chance to she what they can do. M was showing off the power game here and it made for a big breakthrough singles win. I liked this well enough, and it was nice for it to have a clean result instead of the Elegance Brand interfering. Nice job here.

Jeff Hardy has been attacked and is leaving in an ambulance, with Matt Hardy joining him. Why am I getting flashbacks to Killer Kross a few years ago?

Here is a ticked off Indi Hartwell for a chat. Daria Rae has said she’s not worthy of a title shot and that isn’t sitting well with her. This is her whole life and no one is standing in her way anymore, but here is Rae to interrupt. Rae said that almost got to her but then she remembered how mediocre Hartwell really is. They tease a fight, with Rae saying she would kick Hartwell all the way back to Kangaroo Land. Hartwell isn’t impressed but here is Zoey Serrano (Stark) to jump Hartwell from behind.

Post break Harley Hudson checks on Indi Hartwell, who says she’s not leaving. Hudson offers to have Hartwell’s back, which Hartwell appreciates, but here is Xia Brookside to interrupt. She mocks Hartwell for never getting a title match, as per Daria Rae’s rule. Santino Marella comes in to suggest he could make the match but Rae is here to say no chance. Rae mentions how unpopular Hartwell is with the board and the title match is never happening. Instead, we do get a tag match with Zoey Serrano teaming with Brookside.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Tag Team Titles: Ricky Sosa/Leon Slater vs. Nemeths

The Nemeths are defending. Nic and Slater start things off and Nic actually circles the ring a bit before tagging in Ryan sans contact. Slater is fine to pound on Ryan in the corner and a backsplash gives Sosa two. Sosa slams Miz down but gets taken into the wrong corner. That doesn’t last long as Sosa gets away to bring Slater back in for the spinning torture rack bomb to Ryan.

Nic is sent outside as well and we take a break. We come back with Ryan neckbreakering Slater for two. Slater is right back up to make the comeback and it’s already off to Sosa. Everything breaks down and Sosa’s Lionsault gets two on Nic. A spinning suplex gets the same but Nic plants him with a DDT.

The superkick is cut off though and Slater is back in with the Swanton 450, with Ryan making the save. Sosa gets in a springboard cutter and Slater hits the big dive onto Ryan. A superkick gives Nic two and Sosa counters the Fameasser into a powerbomb for the same. Sosa loads up his running shot but runs into the Danger Zone to retain the titles at 15:40.

Rating: B+. This got awesome by the end and that was cool to see, as it was a pretty thrown together title match. The good thing is that Slater and Nic got in some nice interactions and we could be in for a heck of a title match at Bound For Glory. Ryan being little more than a nuisance is a perfect choice for him and he should be around as long as Nic is doing anything. Heck of a main event here.

Overall Rating: B. They were in a bit of a weird spot here as you had to reset a bunch of things and start getting ready for Bound For Glory, which is still a long way off. Slater vs. Nemeth is more than a fine main event, but I’m not sure what else we’ll be getting at the show. I liked the title match too, as they made it feel like a big deal, which isn’t the easiest thing to do given the situation they were in. It’s a good show with the main event stealing the night, and next week they can really start getting us ready for the pay per view.

Results
Elijah b. Bear Bronson – Highwayman’s Farewell
Trey Miguel/Jason Hotch b. Order 4 – Top rope Meteora to Skyler
M By Elegance b. Jada Stone – Kneeling Tombstone
Nemeths b. Ricky Sosa/Leon Slater – Danger Zone to Sosa

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

Ring Of Honor
Date: August 27, 2026
Location: Santander Arena, Reading, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re done with Death Before Dishonor and that means it is time to start the rather long build towards Final Battle. Coming out of the show, Bandido and Athena are still the top champions around here and they need some fresh challengers. I’m not expecting us to find out who those people are anytime soon but they are boxes that need to be checked. Let’s get to it.

Here is Death Before Dishonor if you need a recap.

At Death Before Dishonor, Bandido thanked the fans for having his back and talked about how he had been told to drop the belt and go after something else. That’s not going to happen though and he’ll face anyone who wants to take the title from him.

Opening sequence.

We get a stills package on Death Before Dishonor.

Athena says it doesn’t matter who comes after her title, because she’s going to turn them back. No one can take the title from her and it’s time to get used to it.

Lacey Lane vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Non-title Proving Ground match. Purrazzo wastes no time in rolling out of a wristlock and grabs a backslide for a quick two. The chase is on, with Lane coming back inside for a springboard dropkick as Purrazzo comes back in. A kick to the head gives Lane two and she grabs a leglock, with Purrazzo using her first rope break.

Purrazzo is back with a powerbomb for two, setting up the Fujiwara armbar to send Lane to the ropes for a break of her own. Lane Regal Rolls her into the corner but gets knocked right back down. Another Fujiwara armbar is broken up without the rope and they trade superkicks. Purrazzo sends her flying with a German suplex and something like a snap suplex finishes Lane at 7:14.

Rating: C+. This was a nice job from Lane, who is one of the better and more underrated members of the women’s division. I can go with having her make Purrazzo sweat before losing and that’s exactly what we got here. At the same time, Purrazzo finishing with something new was a nice change of pace. Good match here with a bit of a different presentation.

New TV Champion Action Andretti celebrates with the Opps but Katsuyori Shibata doesn’t seem thrilled.

Action Andretti vs. Boom Harden

Non-title. Harden can’t get an O’Connor roll to start so Andretti sends him outside. Back in and a falcon arrow drops Harden again, setting up Lights Camera Action to give Andretti the pin at 1:40.

Post match the Rascalz come out and stare at the title.

Rascalz vs. Aaron Solo/Nick Comoroto/Tomo Filip

Solo gets kicked down to start and the Rascalz clear the ring, setting up a series of dives off the top, with Reed’s 450 getting the pin at 1:21.

Video on Preston Vance trying to get back into the Dark Order, with John Silver not accepting it.

The Beast Mortos vs. Rob Vegas

Sammy Guevara is here with Mortos. Pop up Samoan drop finishes Vegas at 23 seconds. Nice job.

Bryan Keith sits down with Caprice Coleman and talks about wrestling in Texas for the first ten years of his career. There have been some great wrestlers in Texas, like Terry Funk and Stan Hansen, and Keith sees himself on their level. He’s here to collect bounties of all kinds and Texas is here to stay. And he’s out because time is money. Not much to this one.

Don Callis Family vs. Kiran Grey/Joey Martinez/Oxx Adams

Trent Beretta thanks Don Callis for getting them such an easy win. Grey knocks Beretta outside to start but gets suplexed by Cage. Martinez gets powerbombed and it’s off to Adams, who towers over Cage. The chokeslam attempt is blocked though and Adams is sent into the corner for some running shots to the face. Lance Archer gets in a cheap shot on the floor and a chokeslam to the apron has Grey in trouble. Grey is thrown over the top onto Adams and it’s the Strong Zero to finish Grey at 3:44.

Rating: C. Why does the Don Callis Family need to be on this show? They’re all over Dynamite and Collision so why do they need to be here too? It’s not like they’re anything important and they just had another quick match here which hardly stood out in any way. Just get rid of them and cut off some of the dead weight of this roster.

Sammy Guevara and The Beast Mortos want a bunch of titles, including the World Title. The challenge is officially made for next week.

Viva Van/Vertvixen vs. Zayda Steel/Red Velvet

Steel headscissors Van into the corner to start and it’s off to Velvet for some double knees. Back up and Velvet is sent into the corner and fights out of trouble rather quickly. It’s back to Steel, who charges into a spinwheel kick to cut her right back down. Steel shrugs that off and grabs the spinning Unprettier for the pin on Van at 2:58.

New Six Man Tag Team Champions the Lethal Twist is happy to win the titles, as it makes Jay Lethal the only man to win all titles around here. And they’re just getting started.

Premiere Athletes vs. Bang Bang Gang

Beef is here with the Athletes. Robinson takes over on Daivari to start and it’s a backsplash for two. Austin comes in for an armbar and then kicks Nese in the back as the fast start continues. The Athletes get in a cheap shot to cut Austin off but he flips out of a belly to back suplex.

Robinson is right back in but is quickly taken down into a chinlock. Daivari hits a hammerlock DDT, only to miss the Magic Carpet Ride. Everything breaks down and Austin Samoan drops both of the Athletes, with the squats, because he can do that. Daivari is sent outside and it’s the big left hand into the Fold to finish Nese at 8:04.

Rating: C+. They kept this to the point here and the Gang is often worth at least a look. If nothing else, I’m rather glad to see Austin getting a win here as he has been more and more entertaining every time he’s in the ring. It’s a good way to wrap up the show, with the Athletes losing being a nice bonus.

Overall Rating: C+. The show was in a tough spot as it was fresh off of Death Before Dishonor, where a bunch of stuff happened, and they didn’t have time to set anything else up. The catch though is they had very little to say this week but they didn’t stretch it out forever. This show went on for just over and hour and that’s nowhere near too long. Keep the show around this long week to week (they won’t) and ROH would be in such a better place.

Results
Deonna Purrazzo b. Lacey Lane – Snap suplex
Action Andretti b. Boom Harden – Lights Camera Action
Rascalz b. Aaron Solo/Nick Comoroto/Tomo Filip – 450 to Solo
The Beast Mortos b. Rob Vegas – Pop up Samoan drop
Don Callis Family b. Kiran Grey/Joey Martinez/Oxx Adams – Strong Zero to Grey
Zayda Steel/Red Velvet b. Viva Van/Vertvixen – Spinning Unprettier to Van
Bang Bang Gang b. Premiere Athletes – Fold to Nese

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

Best Of Ken Shamrock
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Vince McMahon, HHH

There are so many of these things and I might as well start with this one. Shamrock is an interesting case as he came in with a very specific sports background and was memorable enough in the WWF. He wasn’t around very long though and that isn’t going to leave a ton of options here. Let’s get to it.

Quick opening sequence, as is customary.

From In Your House XV.

Ken Shamrock vs. Vader

No Holds Barred, but you can only win by knockout or submission. Shamrock gets smart by kicking away at the legs so Vader grabs a waistlock. That’s broken up and Shamrock fires off more kicks before wrestling Vader down with quite the impressive lift. Back in and Vader seems to be favoring his arm so Shamrock kicks away, only to get BLASTED with a clothesline as only Vader can do.

Shamrock can’t get very far with a cross armbreaker as Vader powers him up and tosses him outside in a heck of a heap. Vader sends him hard into the steps and grabs something like an ankle lock back inside. With that broken up, Vader tries the moonsault, which hits Shamrock but he was rolling away so it didn’t count in wrestling logic.

Back up and Shamrock grabs a powerslam before grabbing a half crab. That’s broken up and they trade right hands, with Vader hitting one of the hardest shots I’ve ever seen. Shamrock is dropped, but he’s able to pick the ankle for the ankle lock and the tap at 13:20.

Rating: B. That right hand from Vader at the end gives the match something of an upgrade at least. This was exactly what Shamrock should have been doing for his early days in the WWF, as it was all about physicality and beating the fire out of each other. You know Vader was going to be down for that style so it worked very well here, with that right hand still stuck in my mind.

From Monday Night Raw, October 27, 1997.

WWF Title: Ken Shamrock vs. Bret Hart

Hart is defending with a bad ankle and we’re less than two weeks away from Montreal. They start slowly and Shamrock takes him down a few times, meaning we’re already in the headlock. The threat of an ankle lock sends Hart over to the rope as we hear about a special look at the history of Survivor Series, including Undertaker vs. Hulk Hogan (of course).

Hart goes after the leg to take over, including the Hartbreaker around the post. The Sharpshooter attempt doesn’t work so Hart goes with a DDT into the spinning toehold. We take a break and come back with Hart still on the leg and trying another Hartbreaker. This one is countered with a pull into the post and Shamrock geoes outside to get into more of a brawl. Shamrock hammers away in the timekeeper’s area and snaps off a hurricanrana back inside.

The referee gets bumped though, meaning Shamrock can make Hart tap to the Sharpshooter but it doesn’t matter. The distraction lets Hart chair Shamrock down and there’s the Sharpshooter, which draws in Shawn Michaels to superkick Hart. Shamrock doesn’t know what’s going on and beats up Michaels, who was hammering on Hart. Referees and agents come in to break it up and we’ll call it a no contest at about 13:30.

Rating: B-. Shockingly enough, Hart could hang in there with someone was focused on submissions and technical work. Shamrock was still fairly new to the WWF style but the UFC reputation was more than enough to make him feel like a threat (in other words, he’s a proto Kurt Angle). The ending was more than a bit disappointing, but you can’t have either of these two taking a fall so close to Survivor Series. In other words, it was a nice preview of a match that never happened.

From In Your House XIX.

Shamrock promises to make Shawn Michaels squeal like a baby before heading out to the ring.

WWF Title: Ken Shamrock vs. Shawn Michaels

Michaels, with HHH and Chyna, is defending (only the WWF Title and not the European Title, because of course he has both) and in the back, says that he’s ready to prove he’s the best. JR: “Thanks a lot.” Michaels: “Sure, anytime.” Shamrock misses a few shots to start until a big kick to the chest has Michaels in trouble on the floor.

Back in and Shamrock hammers away in the corner, followed by a heck of a whip over the buckle for the big crash outside. Michaels gets back in and hammers away in the corner, only to get sent crashing outside again. Shamrock sends him back into the corner for the big crash, followed by the same thing in another corner, with Shamrock crotching him on the top. A rather needed low blow gets Michaels out of trouble and he clotheslines Shamrock to the floor.

The big dive connects but Shamrock is right back with the rights and lefts. One of them takes HHH down but Chyna posts Shamrock to cut him off again. The middle rope elbow hits Shamrock’s back and Michaels grabs the sleeper to keep him in trouble. That stays on for awhile, with Shamrock fighting up and grabbing a heck of a powerslam for two.

The jumping hurricanrana brings Michaels down again and they go into a rollup for two each. Michaels’ hurricanrana is countered into a sitout powerbomb for two but the rest of DX pulls Shamrock outside for the beating. Shamrock pops back up with the belly to belly, which draws DX in for the DQ at 18:30.

Rating: B-. The ending was rather lame but Shamrock held his own well enough here for the whole match. They were in a weird place here as Shamrock didn’t feel like he was on Michaels’ level but they had to find someone else to go after the title after the whole Montreal debacle. Good enough match here, especially with Shamrock in a rare main event spot.

From King Of The Ring 1998.

King Of The Ring: Ken Shamrock vs. The Rock

Tournament finals, HHH is on commentary and Rock’s Intercontinental Title isn’t on the line. The bell rings and HHH takes some shots at WCW, saying this isn’t where the old guys are falling all over the ring. Shamrock has a bad ankle coming in so he mostly stands still while Rock runs the rope but Shamrock kicks him out to the floor.

Back in and Rock sends him into the corner as we look at Chyna on Spanish commentary. Rock fights back as commentary goes quiet for some reason and the fans are rather happy. Commentary comes back with HHH asking if he really just said that as Shamrock tosses Rock over the top. That lets Rock go yell at HHH, who spits water in his face. Shamrock goes after the distracted Rock and gets suplexed for two back inside.

They’re already back on the floor, where Rock is sent into the barricade but comes back out with a hard clothesline. Back in and Rock’s DDT sets up the chinlock as we slow down for a change. The People’s Elbow connects for two and we’re back to the chinlock. Shamrock is back up with a belly to back DDT, with Rock barely getting back up. Shamrock’s elbow to the face sets up a powerslam for two but Rock slams him right back down.

That doesn’t last long either as Shamrock gets two more off a northern lights suplex. An exchange of clotheslines gets an exchange of near falls before Rock counters a hurricanrana into a hot shot for two more. The Rock yells at the referee, allowing Shamrock to slap on the ankle lock for the tap at 14:10.

Rating: B. They were beating on each other rather well here, mainly because the two of them had quite the chemistry together. Rock was the polished athlete who could take out just about anyone, but Shamrock was a machine who tore people apart. Shamrock was willing to go that much further to beat Rock and that’s what happened in the end. Good stuff here, as Shamrock is starting to find his style.

From Summerslam 1998.

Ken Shamrock vs. Owen Hart

Lion’s Den match, meaning there is a small, round cage and Dan Severn is here as Hart’s trainer. Shamrock goes for a cross armbreaker to start but Hart takes over on the leg. That’s escaped in all of two seconds so Hart drives him into the cage instead. Shamrock grabs a choke and then blasts Hart with a clothesline. Back up and Shamrock misses a charge HARD the cage and Hart finally gets to do something other than get hurt.

The enziguri connects for Hart and he hot shots Shamrock into the cage for a nasty looking crash. The Sharpshooter and a hurricanrana are both countered, the latter with a hard powerbomb, allowing Shamrock to come up with the right hands. Hart is right back with a belly to belly and the Sharpshooter and Shamrock is in trouble. There are no ropes so Shamrock climbs up the cage for the break in a smart move.

That and a DDT have Hart in trouble so Shamrock can blast him with another clothesline. Shamrock kicks him in the face but gets sent into the cage, allowing Hart to grab a choke. Naturally Shamrock walks the cage and flips over for the escape, allowing Hart to feed him the leg for the ankle lock (Severn walks out rather than throw in the towel) and the tap at 9:13.

Rating: B-. They beat on each other well enough, but it was more about Hart being in over his head. That makes sense as Hart beat him the previous month in the Dungeon and now Shamrock wins in his own environment. I liked it well enough and Shamrock walking the cage to escape a few times was cool. And it wasn’t a Shamrock vs. Severn match so I’ll call it a win.

From In Your House XXIV.

Ken Shamrock vs. The Rock vs. Mankind

In a cage for a WWF Title shot and it’s pinfall, submission or escape. We’re also in that weird period where Rock was getting crazy popular after losing the Intercontinental Title but before going Corporate in a few months. Mankind sits in the corner as Rock and Shamrock slug it out, as is their custom. Rock goes to the eye and hammers away but has to stop Mankind from sneaking out the door in a smart move.

That earns Rock and Shamrock a beating in the corner but the running knee to Shamrock lets Rock clothesline Mankind (to a BIG reaction). Shamrock is back up with an abdominal stretch to Mankind…and Rock puts one on Shamrock at the same time, allowing JR to get in a joke about being stretched. That’s all broken up and they stare at each other as things reset a bit. Well kind of set for the first place as they didn’t do the three way staredown to start.

Shamrock takes over by putting Mankind down but Rock dives over to stop the escape attempt. Rock and Mankind get together (oh dear) to double team Shamrock, who is sent hard into the cage. The double teaming switches up as Shamrock and Rock stomp Mankind down but Rock breaks up the Sharpshooter. Naturally we get the third combination with Rock getting double teamed, much to the fans’ annoyance.

Lawler tries to figure out if the fans like the eyebrow or the People’s Elbow. JR: “Maybe it’s his athleticism or his in-ring ability.” Lawler: “Nah. It’s the eyebrow.” This alliance actually lasts a bit longer, as Mankind coaches Shamrock on how to beat up Rock, who is back with a clothesline to Mankind. Rock is back with a double People’s Elbow and my goodness the fans go nuts over this stuff. That’s enough for Rock to go up so Shamrock crotches him down on top, only for Shamrock to get hit low right back.

The Rock Bottom gets two on Mankind, with the Rock making a save this time. The fans are all over Shamrock so Lawler gets to bust out his Bizarro World line, as we’re firmly in Canada. Shamrock is right back to knock Mankind down and lock Rock’s ankle. Mankind makes the save to a rather positive reaction and goes up, with Rock making a save of his own. Rock and Mankind go up, with Rock having to pull Mankind back over the top for another save.

Shamrock gets knocked down for trying a save and Mankind knocks Rock down…but stands up instead of climbing down. The big elbow misses Rock and Mankind comes crashing down as only he can. Rock is busted open as Mankind cuts off Shamrock from escaping, with Shamrock grabbing a chair. The running chair shot only hits cage and Mankind gives Shamrock a double arm DDT. A nasty chair shot to the head knocks Shamrock silly so Mankind climbs up again (JR: “GO OUT THE DOOR MICK!”), allowing Rock to steal the pin on Shamrock at 18:47.

Rating: A-. Yeah this was awesome, with all three working well together and trying a bunch of different things to keep it interesting. Mankind was actually in there for the high spots (as he tended to be), Shamrock was just violent and Rock was insanely over. Shamrock’s big upside here was he more than felt like he belonged in there and that isn’t a surprise, as he was quite the star despite not being the most interesting character.

From Monday Night Raw, September 28, 1998, the night after the cage match.

Ken Shamrock/Mankind/The Rock vs. Undertaker/Kane

Shamrock and Mankind get in a fight before the other three even get to the ring. Shamrock knocks Mankind to the floor and here is Rock to join in on the fun. Well after posing first but that’s a signature Rock thing. Rock and Shamrock get into a fight of their own and the lights go out for Undertaker and Kane’s entrance. The trio gets in another brawl so Undertaker and Kane jump the three of them for some reason.

Shamrock and Mankind brawl on the floor until they realize how stupid that actually is and go to the corner. Old School hits Rock and it’s off to Kane, who gets hit in the mask. Mankind comes in and gets hit by Undertaker, which just feels right. Naturally Shamrock goes after Mankind and gets clotheslined by Rock, with Undertaker getting two. Undertaker busts out a hook kick of all things for two more on Shamrock and it’s off to Kane.

Shamrock hits a weird looking running dropkick and actually tags Mankind for the right hands and a flip dive off the apron. Undertaker is back up to send Mankind into the steps before sending him inside to continue this nuttiness. Mankind gets an elbow up in the corner so Undertaker drops him with a clothesline. Kane sends Mankind knees first into the steps and it’s time for some toys.

One heck of a chair shot to the head puts Mankind down but he gets in a swinging neckbreaker back inside. Mankind knocks him down again and it’s off to Rock to slug away at Undertaker. The DDT sets up the People’s Elbow and Kane has to make a save. Everything breaks down and Shamrock gets the ankle lock on Undertaker, with Kane making another save. Kane goes outside with the other two, leaving Rock to Rock Bottom Undertaker for the quick pin at 12:49.

Rating: B-. Well that was a lot. This was total insanity, with the three man team fighting each other about as much as they were fighting the other two. It’s fallout from the previous night, but it was certainly an interesting one. At the same time, this actually had a finish rather than being thrown out. As usual, 1998 is a very strange time.

From Judgment Day 1998.

Intercontinental Title: Ken Shamrock vs. Mankind

Shamrock is defending, having won the title in a tournament earlier in the week. Lawler says Shamrock is in his zone but Mankind is in the Twilight Zone, which is a good line for a change. Mankind dries him (Shamrock, not Lawler, which would be odd even for him) into the corner to start but Shamrock goes after the arm. Shamrock takes him down into a hammerlock before trying a guillotine.

Instead he goes with a front facelock, so Mankind gets up and drives him into the corner. A quick Mandible Claw has Shamrock on the floor and he knows that’s a dangerous one. Back in and Mankind tries another Claw so they go outside again, with Shamrock sending him into the steps. A big chair shot to the head has Mankind knocked even sillier, as Lawler thinks you could hit Mankind in the head with a sledgehammer and he might get up. Lawler: “No wait that’s been done.”

Back in and Shamrock works on a top wristlock, which lasts for a fairly decent while. Mankind fights up and grabs a double arm DDT to leave both of them down. They get up, with Mankind pulling out his own hair and hitting a Cactus Clothesline. There’s the elbow off the apron so Mankind can both crush Shamrock and yell at him.

Mankind charges into a suplex, with his legs crashing into the steps for quite the landing. Back in and the ankle lock sends Mankind to the rope, only for Shamrock to put it on again. Mankind starts punching himself in the head…and then gives himself the Mandible Claw, knocking himself out rather than tapping, to retain the title at 14:36.

Rating: B. This is one of the reasons I like watching Foley’s matches so much, as he knew how to mix it up. The ending was somewhere between brilliant and insane, but that makes it perfect for a Foley match. Shamrock is perfect for this kind of a spot as he can pick someone apart like this, with him picking up one of the bigger wins of his career. Good stuff here.

Shamrock is announced as the winner due to the Mandible Claw, which has Shamrock snapping all over again and beating on Mankind, and the referee, even more. Yeah that’s about the only way this could end.

Overall Rating: B+. Shamrock is a rather fascinating case, as he was only around for about two and a half years, as he showed up in early 1997 and in the fall of 1999. During his time with the company, he was almost always facing top stars (save for the not so great Billy Gunn feud, which doesn’t need to be brought up) and none of these matches here were remotely bad.

Shamrock figured out exactly what he should have been and played it very well. I can’t imagine him ever being the top star, but he could have been an upper midcarder, perhaps even the main event gatekeeper, for a long time. This was better than I was expecting, as Shamrock was rather good at what he did and worked well with everyone. Check this out if you have the chance, as Shamrock was better than you might remember.

Results
Ken Shamrock b. Vader – Ankle lock
Ken Shamrock vs. Bret Hart went to a no contest
Ken Shamrock b. Shawn Michaels via DQ when DX interfered
Ken Shamrock b. Owen Hart – Ankle lock
The Rock b. Ken Shamrock and Mankind – Chair shot to Rock
Ken Shamrock/The Rock/Mankind b. Undertaker/Kane – Rock Bottom to Undertaker
Ken Shamrock b. Mankind – Ankle lock

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

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

Evolve
Date: August 26, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Robert Stone

We’re going with the grudge match focus this time, with the first ever Evolve lumberjack match as Elijah Holyfield vs. Brooks Jensen. I’m not sure how that’s going to go, but Evolve has done a good job with its previous first time situations. Hopefully they have something else to make the rest of the card work so let’s get to it.

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

Brooks Jensen promises to destroy Elijah Holyfield, who is only here because of his famous name. We get some visuals of trees falling as Jensen promises to make him into a colossal failure.

Opening sequence.

Commentary runs down the card.

Laynie Luck vs. PJ Vasa

Luck slugs away to start and hurricanranas her out to the floor, where a suicide dive connects. Back in and Vasa easily slams her down, followed by a spear for two. The bearhug goes on for a bit but Luck avoids a charge in the corner. A Shining Wizard and middle rope dropkick have Vasa on the apron for a hard stomp. Back in and a hurricanrana is countered into a sitout powerbomb to give Vasa two but Luck reverses a suplex into a DDT. A Death Valley Driver actually gives Luck the clean pin at 4:07.

Rating: C+. I’d call that a surprise, as I haven’t gotten the appeal of Vasa since she debuted but Luck is often there to put people over. It wasn’t a particularly great match but Luck is more interesting to watch most weeks. I’m not sure what is next for Vasa, but this isn’t a good sign for her future.

Gianna Capri isn’t waiting in line around here like she’s at a deli. She’s been to JAPAN. Anyway, she’s sick of Anya Rune, who is like a tourist trying to park in the city.

Chazz Hall vs. Kale Dixon

Dixon, with Alix Brooks, grabs a slam to start but Dixon sunset flips his way out of a powerbomb for two. Hall is back with a jumping kick to the face and the springboard wristdrag sends Dixon flying. Back up and Dixon gets in a throat first drop over the rope and the hanging reverse DDT.

The reverse chinlock doesn’t last long so Dixon faceplants Hall with a kind of reverse powerbomb. Dixon’s springboard splash misses and Hall kicks him in the face, setting up the standing corkscrew moonsault for two. Brooks cuts Hall off on top though and the 96 gives Dixon the pin at 5:24.

Rating: C+. I like some of the things that Dixon is doing and his pairing with Brooks works, but, and I can’t emphasize this enough, the man’s name is Kale. How seriously am I supposed to take him no matter what he does? That being said, at least he got a win over someone who is higher up on the food chain, as it’s probably a good sign for his future.

Elijah Holyfield is ready to finish it with Brooks Jensen, who is running out of time.

Layla Diggs vs. Zena Sterling

Diggs powers her into the corner to start and is wrestled to the ground so Sterling can work on a waistlock. Sterling’s cravate has Diggs in some more trouble and a standing chinlock makes it even worse. Diggs finally knocks her down for an early two, followed by a sitout gordbuster for the same. Back up and Sterling gets in a tilt-a-whirl slam for two and they go into a pinfall reversal sequence, with Sterling putting her foot on the rope for the pin at 4:12. The fans are not pleased with that one.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what to think of this one either. I like both of the women involved and Sterling feels like she could be something, but the ending was weird as Diggs is already a heel but lost to another apparent heel. That’s an odd way to go and I’m not sure how well it’s going to go.

The Unknown loves letting people believe they are in control because she can sneak in to peel away the unconsciousness. Uh yeah. Anyway she’s coming.

Here is Harlem Lewis for a chat. In the four way, he had Timothy Thatcher set up the challengers and then knocked them down, which is how this title reign is going. For now, he wants a new #1 contender and doesn’t care how it’s crowned. This brings out Harley Riggins, who says he should just get the title shot. The brawl is on and security tries to break it up.

Hang on though as we cut to the back where the Mog Squad is beating up Aaron Rourke. This is called a message to the Evolve roster.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Elijah Holyfield vs. Brooks Jensen

Lumberjack match. Holyfield catches a big boot to start and Jensen is a bit surprised. Jensen looks afraid of the lumberjacks so he walks into a headlock, which feels a bit out of place. Jensen’s headlock doesn’t work either so Holyfield scares him out to the floor. The lumberjacks rough Jensen up before throwing him inside, with Jensen rolling right back outside.

Back in and Jensen’s middle rope ax handle connects so Holyfield plants him with a half nelson slam. Holyfield tosses him outside but makes the mistake of giving chase, allowing Jensen to get in a running knee. We take a break and come back with Holyfield punching him to the apron but getting clotheslined from behind. Jensen slaps on a headlock and hits a hard clothesline but gets caught holding the rope.

Holyfield gets in a hard shot of his own but is more than a bit winded. That earns him a Saito suplex for two and Jensen gets in a lariat for a bonus. Holyfield is fine enough to powerslam him out of the air for two so Jensen bails to the floor. That’s enough for the lumberjacks to get into a big brawl of their own so Jensen teases leaving, only for Sam Holloway to cut him off. Back in and the uppercut finishes for Holyfield at 10:38.

Rating: C+. Holyfield is still clearly green but he has a great look and the family name behind him so it makes sense to try him out. Having the lumberjacks out there helped, as it let them keep the match moving without the two of them having to do anything. That’s a good way to protect Holyfield and the match wound up working.

Holyfield celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a show where they kept things moving and the card worked out well enough. The main event felt like a big deal and now we can move back into the title picture next week. It makes this show feel more like a pit stop more than anything else, but it was still a rather decent show, with the main event working out. It’s always nice to see things go well with a less than top level show and they got something out of the fairly weak card. Nice job.

Results
Laynie Luck b. PJ Vasa – Death Valley Driver
Kale Dixon b. Chazz Hall – 96
Zena Sterling b. Layla Diggs – Rollup with foot on the rope
Elijah Holyfield b. Brooks Jensen – Uppercut

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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Dynamite
Date: August 26, 2026
Location: OVO Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Paul Wight

It’s the last Dynamite before the biggest show of the year at All In and we’re already over in the UK. There are still things that need to be set up for Sunday though, including finding the finalists for the Continental Challenge Cup. Hopefully we get the most interesting option out of the bunch so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Here is Will Ospreay to quite the reception. He’s been gone for awhile after his surgery and he wasn’t sure if he could ever get back here. There is a lot of pressure on him to be the British wrestler who wins the big one. He started in this country working through the weekend and then going to construction sites Monday through Friday. That’s why he loves seeing people who are trying to do the same thing he’s doing.

We get a quick tribute to the British wrestling legends, both still with us and those who aren’t. Then he gets to Kenny Omega, who isn’t here tonight, but until last week, Ospreay still respected him. That all changed when Omega brought up Ospreay’s son, who will not need a new hero after All In.

There is a debt that needs to be paid to the people who have stood by him from the start and it is time to bring it home. Omega is going to help Ospreay show that heroes are ordinary people who do amazing things. He’s bringing it home. Good stuff here, as Ospreay laid things out perfectly well and anyone can get the idea of wanting to stand up for your son.

Continental Challenge Cup Semifinals: Jon Moxley vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Castagnoli takes him to the math off of a test of strength but Moxley is right back up with the chops. They’re already off to the exchange of forearms, with Castagnoli getting the better of things and grabbing a quickly broken chinlock. Moxley gets out to the floor, where he grabs a Figure Four of all things.

That’s broken up and reversed into a Swing into the barricade, leaving Moxley looking rather stunned in a funny visual as we take a break. We come back with Moxley fighting out of an armbar but getting blasted with some uppercuts. The Neutralizer is blocked and Moxley sends him outside for the suicide dive, leaving Castagnoli’s arm banged up as well. They get back inside and knock each other down with Castagnoli firing off the uppercuts.

Moxley cutters him down but gets caught in a sleeper, with Castagnoli even swinging it down to the mat. That’s reversed into a failed cross armbreaker attempt so Castagnoli pulls him into the Swing. Castagnoli uppercuts him to the floor and Moxley barely beats the count, where a Paradigm Shift and Death Rider aren’t enough to put Castagnoli away. Instead Moxley grabs the bulldog choke for the win at 15:53.

Rating: B. They were beating the fire out of each other here and that’s what you would have expected from these two. The idea was that they both knew each other so well and neither could really get an advantage until Moxley survived a bit longer to win. In other words, Moxley is tough and amazing and that’s pretty normal for him.

Adam Copeland/Young Bucks vs. Don Callis Family

Copeland and Doyle start things off with Copeland grabbing a headlock, which doesn’t last very long. The Bucks come in and clean house with Matt hitting his slingshot X Factor, only to have a moonsault to the floor pulled out of the air. We take a break and come back with Nick’s super hurricanrana taking Cage down.

Copeland tags himself in (Nick was aiming for Matt) and tries a spear, which is cut off by Doyle. Copeland gets caught in the wrong corner and crushed by all three Family members, allowing Romero to give him a Sliced Bread for two. The Bucks are back in to cut Cage off but Romero hurricanranas both of them. Naturally that means he gets to pose, earning himself a spear from Copeland for the pin at 9:25.

Rating: B-. The lack of Cage out there was kind of weird but the fans are going to go nuts for anything Copeland is doing so it makes perfect sense. The ending was funny with the overly cocky Romero going too far and being punished as a result. I liked this well enough, but the big stuff is likely happening after the match.

Post match here is Christian Cage to interrupt, saying that it’s time to conduct some business now that the love fest is over. He wasn’t about to be out here working with people beneath him and says that the Bucks aren’t the kinds of team having matches and pay per views named after them. Matt: “Have they ever named a company after you?” Last week Cage got superkicked by accident, but if he keeps talking, this week won’t be an accident. The brawl is on and the champions clear the ring, with Copeland not looking happy that it came to this.

Here is Willow Nightingale…..’s music, as we see Mercedes Mone attacking her in the back and injuring Nightingale’s hand.

Don Callis is back from Croatia and announces that Mark Davis is in the Casino Gauntlet Match.

Andrade El Idolo’s music plays but here is MJF instead. He says we’re here in Ireland and says it makes no difference anyway. Apparently he paid someone off to beat Andrade (“Andrew”) up and mocks everything Andrade does. This includes taking a picture with a woman, who he says would be a 4 in the US but is a 10 here. Naturally Andrade pops up from behind and jumps him to send MJF scurrying.

Chris Jericho is in the Casino Gauntlet Match too but first, he’s in a six man tag on Collision.

Continental Challenge Cup Semifinals: Nigel McGuinness vs. Kyle O’Reilly

McGuinness still has a bad leg/ankle and can’t get very far on a drop toehold attempt. O’Reilly tries one of his own and McGuinness just walks away for a nice reception. Back up and McGuinness actually sends the referee into a chinlock on O’Reilly but the ensuing rollup doesn’t get him very far. O’Reilly knocks him outside for a running knee off the apron and we take a break.

We come back with O’Reilly working on the leg but McGuinness kicks his way out. Instead McGuinness tries a failed London Dungeon attempt and has to block a cross armbreaker. O’Reilly goes for the ankle lock and stomps on the leg, followed by a chop block. A sleeper is countered so O’Reilly grabs a European Clutch for another near fall. O’Reilly wrestles him down into something like a LeBell Lock without the facelock, which is reversed into a pinfall reversal sequence. Another leglock sends McGuinness over to the rope and he gets in a heck of a clothesline for two. The London Dungeon goes on and O’Reilly taps at 11:54.

Rating: B. This was the technical exchange that you would have expected and it went very well, with the two of them getting to showcase just how good they are at this stuff. At the same time, McGuinness was the obvious choice, even with the ankle situation. I liked the match a good bit, even if it is the thirteenth match in this tournament which served the sole purpose of setting up what could have been a regular title defense for Moxley.

Post match respect is show.

Don Callis, with Kyle Fletcher, expects the Family to run the play as he calls. Fletcher agrees, but he’s not sure if Kazuchika Okada is going in that direction. Okada comes in to say it’s all about Family, with the tensions rising.

Persephone/Lena Kross/Megan Bayne vs. Brawling Birds/Maya World

Bayne and World start things off with Bayne easily powering her down. World is sent flying with an overhead belly to belly and the villains take turns stomping away in the corner. It’s off to Hayter for the sunset flip/boot to the head combination and Persephone gets double suplexed. World’s moonsault gives Hayter two and we take a break.

We come back with Hayter still in trouble, including a release German suplex to give Bayne two. Hayter fights out of trouble and it’s a double clothesline to put herself and Bayne down. World is back in to clean house, with a middle rope leg lariat getting two. Everything breaks down and we get the parade of knockdowns, with the Divine Intervention being broken up. A springboard Stunner gives World two on Persephone and the other four brawl up the aisle. Persephone knocks World down and hits a frog splash for the pin at 10:22.

Rating: C+. They tied a couple of stories up into one match here and that is always appreciated. World vs. Persephone is a fine way to go to give World a one on one title defense and it wouldn’t stun me to see it added to the All In card. The women’s tag match is already set so a little preview isn’t a bad thing at all.

Video on Darby Allin vs. Kevin Knight, with Allin being broken apart twice last week.

Swerve Strickland vs. Jack Perry

Strickland offers his chin to Perry, who grabs a headlock for an early escape. Back up and Perry shoulders him down, earning a running clothesline to even things out. Perry sends him to the apron, where Strickland pulls a hurricanrana out of the air to swing Perry into the steps. That means a painful looking crash down onto the steps and we take a break.

We come back with Strickland hitting the top rope elbow to the back and yes he does dance. Something like a Gory Stretch has Perry in more trouble but he finally flips Strickland to the floor. Perry hits a pair of suicide dives, followed by a running flip dive and a moonsault to add in some variety.

Back in and Perry overshoots a moonsault but is right back with a DDT in a nice save. Strickland knocks him down again and tries the Swerve Stomp, which is pulled into the Snare Trap for quite the counter. That’s broken up as well so Perry gives him a hurricanrana for two. Perry tries another rollup but gets reversed into Big Pressure for the pin at 12:03.

Rating: B. They had a good match here, with that Stomp into the Snare Trap counter being very nice. Perry can work well with anyone but Strickland can turn it up like few others in AEW. The ending did come a bit out of nowhere but that wasn’t a bad thing, as it felt like Perry got caught by a quick finish.

One more video on Omega vs. Ospreay wraps us up. This goes on for a few minutes and does make the match feel that much bigger.

Overall Rating: B+. The show did its job to make me care more about All In and that’s the only thing that really matters. Most of the show is already set up and I do want to see what happens on Sunday. The good thing is they had the wrestling to back it up here and it wasn’t just a big commercial. It made for a rather interesting combination and I liked the show well, with the lack of a big overrun making it even better.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Claudio Castagnoli – Bulldog choke
Adam Copeland/Young Bucks b. Don Callis Family – Spear to Romero
Persephone/Lena Kross/Megan Bayne b. Maya World/Brawling Birds – Frog splash to World
Swerve Strickland b. Jack Perry – Big Pressure

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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NXT
Date: August 25, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s the last show before Heatwave and the big story coming out of last week is that the main event will now be a four way for the NXT Title. That should be more than interesting enough, though we still have something to cover tonight. In this case, that’s a weaponized cage match between Saquon Shuggars and Dion Lennox, which should hopefully be it for those two. Let’s get to it.

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

Dion Lennox vs. Saquon Shuggars

In a weaponized cage. Shuggars gets in second and Lennox pelts a trashcan at him to start fast. The slugout is on with Shuggars taking him down but getting upkicked in the face. Lennox chairs him down (or mollywopped according to Booker) and sends him crashing into the cage. The belt whipping has Shuggars down again but he gets in a trashcan shot for a breather.

A dropkick sends the trashcan into Lennox for two and it’s time to load up some chairs. Lennox breaks that up and puts the chairs on top of each other (one on the ground and one with legs sticking up) to slam Shuggars onto them for a rather nasty crash. We take a break and come back with Shuggars knocking something into Lennox’s face and sending him into the cage.

Lennox is whipped into a kendo stick in the corner and face first onto a chair for two but comes back with a spinebuster onto the trashcan. Shuggars whips out the trusty bat though and knocks a chair out of his hands but Lennox gets in a shot to the leg. The table is set up and Lennox takes him to the top, where Shuggars fights back until his knee gives out. Shuggars is fine enough to put a trashcan over Lennox and superkick him through the table (which just kind of collapsed underneath Lennox). That and a high crossbody off of the cage finish for Shuggars at 16:49.

Rating: C+. On one hand, it did feel like a big blowoff to their feud, but at the same time, Shuggars’ selling of the knee was almost non-existent at the end. That brought things down, as did the issue of this feud not being so interesting. It’s just been kind of there and while it’s been ok, it’s nothing that has felt big or important. Not a bad match at all, but it came at (likely/hopefully) the end of a less than thrilling story.

NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo thinks his opponents have forgotten who he’s facing. He’s the man who put Oba Femi down in the first place. We hear about how everyone is coming for the title and he’ll beat them all to keep it. Not a bad promo here.

Earlier today, the Vanity Project went bowling to talk about how they’re better than Myles Borne/Tavion Heights. They brag about their greatness and it turns out that they’re only ok at bowling.

Here is Nattie to call out Jaida Parker. She’s here in NXT to fight Parker because she sees potential in Parker, but it’s wasted potential. Look what happened when Parker lost a few times. Nattie knocked her on her a** and turned her into something else. This brings out Parker, who says she took a loss hard but now Nattie has turned her into the real Parker. They’re ready to fight at Heatwave and it’s going to be a submission match. Oh and they called each other b****, so you know it’s personal.

Kam Hendrix vs. Keanu Carver

Carver starts fast with a small package and knocks him down without much trouble. Hendrix gets in a clothesline and kicks Carver into a chinlock, with the fans being on Carver’s side. The Showtime Kick gives Hendrix one and he chops Carver in the back, which is as dumb as it sounds. Some nasty German suplexes drop Hendrix and a Pounce sends him to the floor. Cue Mason Rook for a crossbody, meaning a fisherman’s suplex can finish Hendrix at 3:37.

Rating: C. Carver continues to be oddly fascinating, as he has the whole “I’m smarter than you think” deal, which is working rather well. Who was expecting him to get a pin with a fisherman’s suplex? At the same time, Hendrix continues to not have the best luck around here and that’s not going to work out for him in the long run. Hopefully he can change it around as I still see something in him.

Kelani Jordan talks about how wrestlers come here from other sports but she was the first to be offered a contract. She didn’t need Evolve or a famous last name and she won titles in her first shot. Now she’s going to do it again with the Women’s Title.

Zilla Fatu talks about his father being Umaga and now he’s carrying his legacy as a blessing and a burden. After mocking the “nympho baby” line from last week, he talks about being ready to take the NXT Title and make a real splash. That’s why he’s called the Main One. His charisma continues to be rather impressive.

Zaria vs. Kali Armstrong

Non-title but if Armstrong wins, she’s added to Sunday’s title match. Armstrong’s headlock doesn’t go anywhere so they trade running shoulders. It’s off to a test of strength, with Zaria taking her down but Armstrong is right back with a clothesline to the floor. The dive to the outside connects and we take an early break.

We come back with Armstrong’s top rope superplex leaving both of them down. Armstrong counters a charge into a powerbomb for two but gets pump kicked down. A discus lariat gives Zaria two and the fans are rather behind her. The Kali Connection is cut off with a spear so Zaria loads up the F5, which is countered into a rollup to give Armstrong the pin at 9:11.

Rating: B-. This was the power match and it went as it should have, as there was little reason to set up the stipulation and then have Zaria win. I’m never wild on a champion getting pinned like this, but there is a chance she winds up with a bigger win on Sunday. Or she chokes in another big match and gets nothing out of it, which is always an option when Zaria is involved.

Kendal Grey introduces the trainer to a NASCAR driver but the trainer is worried about Grey’s ear. She’s cleared, but Wren Sinclair comes in to worry as well. The driver gets them to breathe.

Birthright vs. Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno/Sean Legacy/Dorian Van Dux

Dar and Dempsey go technical to start with the former getting two off a backslide. Dux comes in and gets taken into the corner for a double stomp from King. That’s shrugged off and it’s off to Legacy to put King down for two of his own. Connors comes in and gets his ankle locked, as does King. Everything breaks down and Dar and Moreno cut off suicide dives with stereo crossbodies in a cool spot. Connors kicks Moreno down on the floor though and we take a break.

We come back with Moreno still in trouble and the numbers game making it worse. Moreno dives over them though and brings in Dux to clean house. Everything breaks down and Dux hits a big dive to the floor, leaving Legacy to hit his 450 for two as King makes the save. Connors has to break up a cross armbreaker with a Swanton and it’s the parade of big knockdowns. Moreno hits a huge dive to the floor but Dempsey grabs the reverse fisherman’s suplex to pin Dar at 11:31.

Rating: B. This was good just because it went insane and everyone was flying around and going all over the place. You don’t get that very often in an eight man tag and it was a heck of an entertaining spectacle. Moreno and Dux are still better in these short bursts and they were used well here. Very fun match.

Robert Stone asks Keanu Carver about the interference but Carver says a win is a win. Shiloh Hill comes in and wants to face Naraku but goes into an explanation of why the red mist did less damage. Stone shrugs it off and makes the match for next week.

AAA Cruiserweight Title: EK Prosper vs. Rey Fenix

Fenix is defending. Prosper rolls him up to start and rolls away from an armdrag attempt. Fenix’s springboard armdrag works a bit better so Prosper dropkicks him out to the floor. The big moonsault connects for Prosper and we take a break. We come back with Fenix winning a strike off but Prosper reverses what looked to be a tiger bomb into a faceplant.

Fenix sends him into the ropes for the rope walk kick to the face though and a frog splash gets two. Prosper fights back and sends him into the ropes, only to get caught with a handspring cutter. The Mexican MuscleBuster is blocked and Prosper is back up with a super hurricanrana. The great moonsault misses though and Fenix gets the Mexican MuscleBuster to retain at 11:07.

Rating: B-. This worked well enough, though it was a bit harder to get into after seeing the big parade of dives in the previous match. Prosper has turned into a nice prospect around here and it’s cool to see him fire off that moonsault. Fenix wasn’t about to lose on his way to the #1 contenders match against Penta next week but at least it was a good high flying match.

Myles Borne and Tavion Heights meet another NASCAR driver and are going to be at his race this Friday. The two of them are trying to figure out strategy for Borne wrestling two matches on Sunday. Hank & Tank come in and seem to want the titles. Right now though, the champs are worried about Heatwave.

Heatwave rundown.

It’s time for the Heatwave Summit, which seems to be about the big title matches. Therefore, here are Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair to get things going. Grey talks about coming a long way in the last year and is ready to face Kelani Jordan. She gets in a jab about Liv Morgan not defending her title that often and tells Jordan to not miss.

This brings out Jordan, who says she put the target on Grey’s back but Sinclair promises a WrenQCC, which means a Championship Celebration, in her home state. This brings out Zaria to say she’s unifying the titles but Kali Armstrong joins them to say she’s beaten “both of ya’ll delusional heffers”. Now it’s Grayson Waller interrupting, saying the women are great to look at and hard to listen to. After Heatwave, he’s all anyone will be talking about but here is Tony D’Angelo to say that he’s not sure which version of Waller this is, but he’ll still be a disappointment.

Cruz Montana joins us in the crowd to say he likes the chaos around here and while the others are here to talk, he wants to throw hands. The big brawl is on and here is Zilla Fatu for the big dive to the floor. Grey, Sinclair and Fatu stand tall with various titles to end the show. This was about all you could do with so many matches to cover and I’ll take getting it all together over doing this multiple times.

Overall Rating: B. This show was designed to get me more interested in the big event on Sunday and it did just that. The best thing here is that they had a mixture of good action and build to the show, which is hard to do in the same night. The cage match was the big feature here and if that means the feud is over, I’m all for it. Another good show this week, but Sunday is what really matters.

Results
Saquon Shuggars b. Dion Lennox – High crossbody off of the cage
Keanu Carver b. Kam Hendrix – Fisherman’s suplex
Kali Armstrong b. Zaria – Rollup
Birthright b. Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno/Sean Legacy/Dorian Van Dux – Reverse fisherman’s suplex to Dar
Rey Fenix b. EK Prosper – Mexican MuscleBuster

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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Brawl In The Ballpark
Date: August 23, 2026
Location: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Ian Riccaboni

This is one of those things that you see pop up every so often and it makes for different. In this case, it’s a special event that took place back in July after a Minnesota Twins game. That should make for something interesting, if nothing else for the rather unique atmosphere. Let’s get to it.

The ring appears to be set up either in the outfield or in the stands, with some camera shots showing the field in the background. That’s rather different and pretty cool.

Orange Cassidy vs. Wheeler Yuta

Yuta backs him up against the ropes to start as commentary talks about wrestling shows at baseball stadiums. They trade armdrags until Yuta gets in a full nelson, with Cassidy getting his hands in his pockets. Cassidy’s dropkick doesn’t get him very far as Yuta is right back with a suplex.

Yuta grabs a front facelock, with Cassidy getting up to send him into the buckles a few times. That earns Cassidy another knockdown but he gets his feet up to knock Yuta out of the air. Yuta falls outside and then gets back in, only for Cassidy to drop him with the Orange Punch for the pin at 8:12.

Rating: C. This was perfectly fine and a good way to get things going. The point of this show is to give fans a little taste of AEW so for the most part, it should be the good guys going over. Like him or not, Cassidy is certainly unique and it makes sense to put him out there to give the fans a look.

Komander/Top Flight vs. Opps/Action Andretti

Komander walks on the ropes to start as the fans don’t think much of Andretti. The pose off goes to the good guys and after about a minute and a half, Komander and Bowens lock up. Bowens gets the better of things and hits the running Fameasser so it’s off to Andretti vs. Dante. That means more posing before Dante knees him down for a standing moonsault. Darius comes in so Andretti flips over him, allowing Hook to get the tag.

Hook gets in a takedown and Darius is stomped down in the corner to keep him in trouble. Andretti’s springboard corkscrew Vader Bomb (cool….I think) gets two and it’s Bowens grabbing a chinlock. Darius gets up and tries a dive, with Hook stepping to the side ala Samoa Joe.

Darius knocks Andretti away though and it’s back to Komander to pick up the pace. A 450 hits Andretti for two and everything breaks down. Hook breaks up Cielito Lindo but Top Flight is back in for the save, allowing Komander to hit Bowens with a basement dropkick in the corner. The double double underhook DDT finishes Andretti at 14:18.

Rating: B. Dang it can be fun to watch a six man tag. They kept everything basic here and stuck to the simple concept and it worked rather well. Above all else, Top Flight got the win, which they should as this is their hometown. Nice job here and an entertaining match, with everyone getting a bit of focus.

Julia Hart vs. Hyan

Hyan takes her down to start and gets chopped but is fine enough to send Hart outside. That means a kick to the chest but Hart is back with a whip into the steps. Back in and an elbow puts Hyan down, setting up the chinlock. Hyan fights out and takes her up top for a sunset bomb and a near fall. Hart is right back up with an Octopus and Hyan taps out at 5:55.

Rating: C. Hart is another Minnesota star and there is no reason for her to lose here. It was another match between people who have nothing going on and Hart going over is hardly some devastating blow to Hyan. Getting the women on here is fine and Hart is the right choice all things considered.

Brian Cage vs. Serpentico

Serpentico is allowed to get a running start and charges into Cage, who laughs as Serpentico bounces off of him. Cage strikes away in the corner and gives him a release German suplex. Another toss lets Cage pose a bit more and the apron superplex finishes the destruction of at 4:46.

Rating: C. This was a total squash and a way for one of the villains to actually win something. At the same time, it’s not like Serpentico means anything so put the big, muscular monster out there and have his physique draw some attention. This was all it should have been and it was fine for a show like this one.

Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Hurt Syndicate

Before the match, the Promotions mock Minnesota sports teams and stars before calling out Minnesota’s Benjamin. Moriarty and Benjamin start things off with Moriarty grabbing a headlock. Benjamin is having none of Moriarty’s chops and knocks him down with a single chop of his own. Lashley comes in to elbow Moriarty in the corner but Moriarty gets in an arm snap over the top rope.

That just earns him a rather delayed suplex so Taylor comes in for the trash talk. Taylor cuts him off with a running forearm so Lashley gets in a shot of his own to put Taylor outside. The rest of the Promotions offer a distraction though and Taylor gets in a cheap shot to take over.

Moriarty grabs a front facelock back inside but Lashley fights out rather quickly. It’s back to Benjamin to clean house and Moriarty is knocked outside, allowing Bravo to come in as well. The attempted cheating earns Bravo a big toss out to the floor and the other two villains get back inside. That means a Hurt Lock to Moriarty and a spear to Taylor for the pin at 13:11.

Rating: C+. They threw out one more Minnesota star in Benjamin and let the Syndicate run through the Promotions to end the show. That’s another simple but effective way to wrap things up, as the Syndicate can get over just by being a pair of monsters. Taylor taking the fall is hardly surprising, as, well, what else was he going to do?

Post match Bravo comes in again but Orange Cassidy runs in to lay him out.

Overall Rating: C+. There was absolutely nothing worth going out of your way to see here (though I did like the six man) but it was exactly what it was supposed to be. This wasn’t meant to be some all time AEW show, but rather a quick sampler platter that AEW can tie in with something as big as Major League Baseball. It’s a quick (just over an hour) show and featured some AEW stars in entertaining matches. It didn’t take up any TV time and it was a unique feeling show in front of an audience that might have have seen AEW before. That’s a good thing and all things considered, this went rather well.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. Wheeler Yuta – Orange Punch
Komander/Top Flight b. Opps/Action Andretti – Double double underhook DDT to Andretti
Julia Hart b. Hyan – Octopus
Brian Cage b. Serpentico – Apron superplex
Hurt Syndicate b. Shane Taylor Promotions – Spear to Taylor

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