NXT UK
Date: January 27, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s time for a big title fight but things are a bit different this time. Ilja Dragunov will be putting the United Kingdom Title on the line against Jordan Devlin but the match will be in the empty arena. I’m not completely sure why that is going to be the case, though the match sounds like it has some serious potential. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the title match. Like it could or should be anything else.

Opening sequence.

Die Familie vs. Gallus

Joe Coffey and Teoman slug it out to start until Teoman is taken into the Gallus corner. Mark Coffey comes in for a chinlock, which is broken up without much effort. That means Mark can go up top, where a quick distraction lets Raja pull him down and take over. Teoman comes in and gets driven into the corner but comes right back with some arm cranking.

Now it’s Dempsey getting a chance with a front facelock and a rather nasty arm crank. Raja’s forearm gets two as the fans try to stay behind Gallus. Mark kicks Raja away and Teoman’s save isn’t enough to prevent the tag off to Wolfgang. Something like a powerslam gives Wolfgang two but he has to block Raja’s Backstabber. The hot tag brings in Joe to clean house and a crossbody gets two on Raja. Dempsey’s full nelson is broken up and a high/low takes him down for two. Everything breaks down and Teoman chop blocks Wolfgang, allowing Dempsey to grab an STF for the tap at 11:20.

Rating: B-. That’s a big win for Familie and that is a great thing to see for one of their first matches as a trio. Beating Gallus still means something as they are the big group around here these days. Dempsey continues to look like a dangerous man and Teoman/Raja work well together as this went rather well for everyone involved.

Video on Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter vs. Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff, which is being presented as a battle of experience.

Jinny vs. Amale

Jinny grabs a headlock to start but gets headlock takeovered down. Back up and Jinny gets dropped again, only to kick her way out of trouble. The armbar goes on to put Amale down for a change and Jinny rakes the arm to make it worse. Some hard knees to the ribs rock Amale again and it’s off to the Octopus. That’s broken up with some power, meaning some clotheslines and a hard whip into the corner to rock Jinny for a change. A suplex gets two but Jinny elbows her in the head. Some big shots to the head put Jinny down and it’s a rollup with feet on the ropes to finish Amale at 6:37.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what to make of these two but the feud seems like it will continue. Jinny is someone who is one of the bigger heels around here but she doesn’t quite have that extra something to make her feel like a big threat. Amale seems like someone they want to push and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her get a big win in a rematch.

Video on Meiko Satomura vs. Blair Davenport before their Japanese street fight next week.

Nathan Fraser is happy with his performance against Gunther (Or is it Walter around here?) when Die Familie interrupts to toast their own win.

United Kingdom Title: Jordan Devlin vs. Ilja Dragunov

Dragunov is defending and this is an anything goes empty arena match where falls count anywhere. Devlin jumps him during the Big Match Intros but Dragunov wants to fight. That means some German suplexes but Devlin kicks him low to get out. Dragunov gets tied in the ropes so Devlin can slap away and grab a chair. Instead of, you know, using the chair, Devlin goes to grab a screwdriver, with the extra time allowing Dragunov to fight out and chop away on the floor.

A hard clothesline drops Devlin and another chop against the barricade makes it worse. Dragunov’s eye starts messing up though (thanks to Devlin jumping him before the bell) and Devlin whips him into the steps. A big running charge sends Devlin through the barricade though and Dragunov whips him through some chairs. There’s a suplex onto some chairs for two and it’s time to go back into the tech area.

Dragunov misses a charge and puts himself through a table though and Devlin rams him head first into an anvil case. Back up and Dragunov puts him on top of said case so Devlin moonsaults right back off for a double knockdown. They head back to ringside and Devlin pulls out a table. That takes too long though and it’s Dragunov getting in a shot of his own, meaning the table is sent inside.

Devlin chairs him down but gets elbowed HARD in the head, setting up a slam onto the chair for two. Dragunov goes up top but gets chaired in the knee to bring him back down. The Devlin Slide is countered into a fireman’s carry though and it’s a Death Valley Driver through the table in the corner.

Torpedo Moscow can’t launch because of the eye, with Devlin telling him to do it for his son. Another headbutt gives Devlin two so he pulls out some zip ties to basically handcuff Dragunov. Since he can’t just get to the point, Devlin tries a Conchairto on the steps but Dragunov slips away and hits Torpedo Moscow off the steps to retain at 21:46.

Rating: B. It’s a good, hard hitting brawl but this didn’t feel like a first match. I’m not sure why they started with something like this, though it also felt like the blowoff match between them. That’s a weird way to go and I would have liked to see what they could have done with a regular match instead of a brawl. Still though, it felt like a big main event and Dragunov winning with his hands tied back was impressive.

Overall Rating: B. The main event is going to get the most attention but there was a lot going on here that was worth seeing. NXT UK continues to fly under WWE’s radar and it’s a very good show most of the time. I’m not sure who is next for Dragunov, but he could be holding the title for a pretty long time to come. Throw in some other good stories and this was a very nice show.

Results
Die Familie b. Gallus – STF to Wolfgang
Jinny b. Amale – Rollup with feet on the ropes
Ilja Dragunov b. Jordan Devlin – Torpedo Moscow

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

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

AND

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

205 Live
Date: January 28, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Nigel McGuinness

We’re coming up on the Royal Rumble and that means absolutely nothing around here, as none of these people are going to be anywhere near a match that big for a long time. At this point, all that matters is having a show without any kind of a disaster, which may or may not be the case here. Let’s get to it.

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

Josh Briggs vs. Damon Kemp

Brooks Jensen is here with Briggs. Kemp drives Briggs up against the ropes to no avail to start so he does it again for about the same result. Back up and Briggs’ running shoulder has no effect so he kicks Kemp down instead. The fans want to see it again but have to settle for a running elbow in the corner.

Kemp uppercuts his way out of trouble as commentary talks about the Royal Rumble. A Big Boss Man sliding underneath the ropes uppercut gives Briggs two and we hit the chinlock. That doesn’t last long as Kemp fights up and hits some shoulders. A Regal Roll gets two but Briggs blasts him with a lariat for the pin at 5:07.

Rating: C. Kemp was showing some fire here but Briggs is the bigger star and actually needed the win at this point. The country boys are a good midcard team, but it isn’t like they are going to go very far at the moment. Not bad for a 205 Live match though and I could go for more of Kemp.

Valentina Feroz/Yulisa Leon vs. Amari Miller/Lash Legend

Legend doesn’t seem to think much of Miller’s perkiness. Feroz gets tossed into the corner to start and Legend mocks the team’s dancing. With the direct attack not working, Feroz tries to pick up the speed a bit and strikes away before handing it off to Leon. Legend runs her over too and brings in Miller, who gets armdragged down.

Leon flips Feroz onto Miller for two but Legend tags herself in for a slam. There’s a big toss to send Feroz into the corner and it’s a kick from Miller into an elbow from Leon for two. Miller’s chinlock doesn’t last long and it’s back to Leon for her own elbow. Legend comes back in and gets caught with a dropkick so Miller tags herself in. The argument is on and Feroz grabs a small package for the pin at 6:28.

Rating: C-. This was a weird one as it was more about Miller/Legend than the team that was already put together. It’s good to see Feroz and Leon win as they’re one of the few teams who might actually be worthy of a spot in the Dusty Classic, assuming the thing can get enough teams together in the first place. Legend and Miller seem more likely to feud than team together though, and that could make for a bad future.

Joe Gacy vs. Draco Anthony

Harland is here with Gacy. A headlock doesn’t do anything for Gacy but neither does Anthony’s shoulder. Anthony grabs a headlock of his own but a Harland distraction lets Gacy hit a belly to back suplex. We’re off to the chinlock and it’s time to talk about the Rumble again. Back up and Anthony makes the clothesline comeback, setting up an overhead suplex. That’s enough for Gacy, who shoves him away and this the handspring clothesline for the pin at 5:19.

Rating: C. Pretty fine match here, even if Anthony wasn’t going to beat a midcard star like Gacy. This is more like the main event that this show has been needing for a bit and that is nice to see after a long time. Gacy winning wasn’t in doubt, but at least they gave it a bit of time on the way there.

Overall Rating: C. It was nice to have this show see some star power (or as close as you’re going to get to it around here) and that made the show fly by. Granted it’s hard not to have it fly by when it’s just over thirty minutes, but this was a bit of an improvement. At least they had a slightly better show this time around and that’s always nice to see.

Ring of Honor
Date: February 2, 2022

We’re about two months away from the relaunch and that means Ring of Honor should be able to get through with the recent content. Last week saw a few matches from last year’s Final Battle and odds are that is what we are going to be getting here. There is a good chance that some of these wrestlers won’t be around going forward, but at least they went out well. Let’s get to it.

The matches are from Final Battle 2021.

Opening sequence.

Rok-C is ready to defend the Women’s Title against Willow Nightingale.

Women’s Title: Willow Nightingale vs. Rok-C

Rok-C is defending but gets taken down to start, allowing Willow to bust out a cartwheel. Willow blocks the running knees but Rok-C manages to snap off a running headscissors. Back up and Willow can’t quite hit Three Amigos, so she plants Rok-C for two instead. This time Rok-C fights up with a Russian legsweep but Willow plants her for two more. A Pounce rocks Rok-C, sending commentary into various Monty Brown impressions and Rok-C down for another near fall.

The fans are split here, but the Willow chants are a bit louder. The Code Rok is countered into a belly to back kneeling piledriver to give Willow two more. Willow still can’t hit her moonsault as Rok-C jumps her from behind, setting up a heck of a powerbomb for two on Willow for a change. Back up and Willow catches her on top, setting up a superplex. Now the moonsault can connect for two but Rok-C is right back with the Code Rok to retain at 9:42.

Rating: C. The match was fast paced but Willow absolutely came off like a bigger star here and I would have thought about changing the title. Rok-C is a young star but she doesn’t exactly have anything to her besides being young and talented. Willow might not be the next big thing, but she stood out way more than Rok-C.

Post match here is Deonna Purrazzo to challenge Rok-C for a title for title (AAA Reina de Reinas/Impact Knockouts whenever she gets it back vs. Ring of Honor) match. Rok-C is in.

Colt Cabana talks about what Ring of Honor means to him after all the time he spent here. It gave him a bunch of memories (and injuries) but he can’t believe how many stars became a bigger deal because of their time in Ring of Honor.

Bryan Danielson says he wouldn’t he be here without Ring of Honor, especially Final Battle. He thanks the fans for making the shows and hopes that Ring of Honor will stick around.

We get a cool look at all of the Ring of Honor World Champions.

Ring of Honor World Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Jay Lethal

For the vacant title, as Bandido is out with Coronavirus. The fans are rather happy with this one as they trade wristlocks to start with no one getting anywhere. A headlock takeover doesn’t do much for Lethal either as they’re certainly starting technical. Gresham manages to send him outside and catches Lethal with a kick in the arm on the way back in. A headlock takeover with an armtrap keeps Lethal down but Lethal cartwheels into the basement dropkick to get a breather.

Lethal slams him down to work over the back a bit more but Gresham small packages him for two. A slap to the face drops Gresham and a flapjack does it again. It’s too early for the Lethal Injection and the Figure Four, as Gresham rolls him up for two more. Another kick to the arm cuts Lethal back down and Gresham needs a breather. They chop it out with Lethal getting the better of things but telling Gresham to chop him again.

A ripcord powerslam plants Gresham again but he catches Lethal on top. What looked to be a superplex is broken up so Lethal tries Hail to the King. Lethal is ready for Gresham’s raised knees but can’t get the Figure Four either. Instead it’s a reverse Regal Roll to set up Hail to the King to give Lethal two more.

Gresham is right back on the arm and grabs a crossface chickenwing. Lethal flips forward for a cutter and they’re both down again. That means it’s time for the locker room to come out and watch as Gresham hits some running forearms for two each. The arm gives out and Gresham hits another forearm for two. The Lethal Injection is countered into a rollup for two, setting up the Octopus to make Lethal tap at 15:35.

Rating: B. Gresham absolutely had to win here as that is the story that has been set up for months. I can imagine that this would have been the ending whether Bandido had been around or not and that is the right way to go. Gresham has been the workhorse of the company since its return and going with the Pure Rules wrestler as the final shot at the final show is a smart move.

The celebration is on, including Gresham’s wife, Jordynne Grace, getting in the ring. Commentary thanks the fans, with Coleman saying “see you in April” to end the night.

Overall Rating: B-. These shows are easy to put together and almost guaranteed to have some good stuff, as the company can hand pick everything they air. What matters here is they focused on two of the top titles in the promotion from a show that felt special. Good show here, with that Gresham title win being one of the last great moments from the promotion.

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

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

AND

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

Make sure you check out some recent reviews:

Dynamite – February 2, 2022

BREAKING WRESTLING RUMORS: Shane McMahon Gone From WWE.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/breaking-wrestling-rumors-shane-mcmahon-gone-wwe/

You Might Be Seeing Some Released WWE Names Again Soon.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/might-seeing-released-wwe-names-soon/

Here’s Why An NXT Tournament Can’t Start (And It’s A Pretty Bad Problem).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/heres-nxt-tournament-cant-start-pretty-bad-problem/

More On What Led To Shane McMahon’s WWE Departure.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/led-shane-mcmahons-wwe-departure/

WWE Trying Something Different For This Year’s Hall Of Fame Ceremony.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-trying-something-different-years-hall-fame-ceremony/

Action: Trish Stratus To Star In Upcoming Film.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/action-trish-stratus-star-upcoming-film/

You Might Be Seeing More Of A Celebrity In WWE.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/might-seeing-celebrity-wwe/

WATCH: Former UFC Star Makes Surprising AEW Return.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-former-ufc-star-makes-surprising-aew-return/

As always, please check out all of the videos if you can, hit up the comments section and get on the Wrestling Rumors Facebook page.

Dynamite
Date: February 2, 2022
Location: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone

We’re back in Chicago, where a lot of big things tend to happen. There is a good chance that will be the case again here as we have a major main event between CM Punk and MJF. These two have been going at it for a long time now and we should be in for a heck of a blowoff (maybe) here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jon Moxley vs. Wheeler Yuta

Yuta, with Orange Cassidy and Danhausen, is taking Brian Kendrick’s place after some previous controversial comments resurfaced. Moxley runs him over to start and knocks Yuta outside for a quickly broken sleeper. Back in and Moxley ties him up in something like an STF, sending Yuta to the ropes.

Yuta is sat on top for a heck of a back rake before being sent outside. That means another Danhausen/Moxley staredown, allowing Yuta to hit a big dive to the floor. Back in and Moxley grabs a cutter for two, because almost everyone has to use a cutter around here. Yuta gets in a quick Angle Slam and a top rope splash connects for two, but Moxley blasts him with a lariat. The Paradigm Shift finishes Yuta at 7:20.

Rating: C+. Yuta is one of the people around here who can have a good match with almost anyone and he got a fired up Moxley this week. That is not a bad place to be in and he looked good in defeat. Moxley is on to bigger and better things though, with Bryan Danielson looking pretty likely. Works for me, as did this opener.

Post match here is Bryan Danielson to stare Moxley down. Danielson asks who wants to see the two of them fight. He has been watching Moxley and knows that he was the best AEW World Champion. If Moxley had a little support, he would still be champion. Danielson understands that they shouldn’t be fighting, but rather fighting together.

There is no reason for some millennial cowboy to be World Champion. There is no reason why a dinosaur is a Tag Team Champion and there is no reason why someone best known for a vlog is TNT Champion. What if they took people like Daniel Garcia or Lee Moriarty or Wheeler Yuta under their wings to train the future together? Danielson says that even if the people don’t like him, they like what he is saying. Moxley can have some time to think about it because there are possibilities. This is intriguing and it could go more than one way, which is something AEW does well.

Video on CM Punk vs. MJF.

Here is Brandi Rhodes for a chat but before she gets very far, here is Dan Lambert to interrupt. He doesn’t think much of Brandi and her fake accent/the fake bulldogs down her shirt. Brandi says the only reason they hired him was to get to Josh Alexander, but his American Top Team guys aren’t doing so great. After Brandi waits through (and acknowledges) the unpleased cheers, she talks about how Lambert’s best fighters keep getting knocked out.

Maybe he should be spending more time with American Top Team. Lambert says Brandi’s whole family should turn heel, because the only face turn people want is her own job, which was turning face down. Brandi slaps him, so Lambert brings out Paige Van Zant for the big pull apart brawl. The argument was bad and I could have gone without Stephanie vs. Rousey lite.

The AHFO wants gold, with Isaiah Kassidy promising to take Sammy Guevara’s title and girl. Matt Hardy wants to know where Darby Allin is but Andrade thinks he wants more money.

Kings of the Black Throne vs. Penta El Zero Miedo/Pac

The chyron says Knights instead of Kings and Pac’s eyes are still bandaged. After he slides between Black’s legs to start, the blindfold comes off and it’s time for stereo dives to take out the Kings on the floor. We settle down to Penta chopping Black against the ropes and handing it back to Pac for some hard shots of his own.

We take a break and come back with Penta striking away at Black, who kicks him in the chest. Pac comes back in (with Tony saying it was a blind tag, which would have been a better line about five minutes ago) and gets taken down with a legsweep. Some sliding knees to the head give Black two and everything breaks down. Penta hits a step up flip dive onto King but gets shoves off the top. The mist sets to Penta sets up Dante’s Inferno for the pin at 10:23.

Rating: C+. Pac has a certain realism/aggressiveness to him that makes his matches fun to watch. They were laying it in here and the Kings winning was the only way to go. This seems to be setting up either Pac vs. Black in a huge showdown or the Kings vs. the Lucha Bros (or probably both), which works for everyone involved. I’m not sure how much Black needs someone at his side, but King is a good monster.

Adam Cole says Orange Cassidy didn’t beat him and his record is still intact (yay for legal loopholes). He’ll beat Evil Uno on Rampage and the world will know what he wants.

Nyla Rose vs. Ruby Soho

Vickie Guerrero is here with Rose. Ruby tries to start fast but walks into a Samoan drop for two. That means it’s time for Rose to start working on the arm as JR says it takes more energy to kick out for Soho than for Rose. Some more shots to the shoulder have Soho in trouble and we take a break.

Back with Soho getting planted back first onto the apron but the Beast Bomb is countered. The No Future (Riott Kick) gets two, with Vickie putting the foot on the ropes. Soho goes after Vickie but the distraction lets Rose hit a neckbreaker. Rose gets caught on top but blocks a super hurricanrana. The No Future misses completely and Rose hits a top rope Swanton to the back. The Beast Bomb finishes Soho at 10:48.

Rating: C. This was just a step above a squash as it’s time to reheat Rose. That’s something that has been done before, but the interesting thing here is Soho. She came in as the biggest female signing in a very long time and she hasn’t come close to breaking out. She has all of the tools, but this is the second company where she isn’t clicking. Maybe there was a reason that it didn’t work out so well in WWE?

The Gunn Club jumps Jungle Boy and takes him outside for a toss into the snow. Then they run off down the iced over road with Christian and Luchasaurus making the save.

Here is Hangman Page for a chat. He has a Texas Deathmatch with Lance Archer next week but he has a five month old at home throwing peas everywhere and there’s a foot of snow on the ground, so get Archer out here night now. Cue Dan Lambert, with Jake Roberts, to say he’s surprised Page didn’t stay in a city like Cleveland that canceled its Indians. Roberts wants the fight right now so Page goes after Lambert, only to have Archer come in from behind. A chokeslam onto the steps leaves Page laying and the Black Out puts him through a table. Simple and to the point beat down the champion before the title match segment

Chris Jericho doesn’t like Santana and Ortiz not tagging him in last week because it was embarrassing and disrespectful. Is it because of Eddie Kingston? They started AEW together so what influence does Kingston have? When it comes to AEW, Jericho is a bigger influencer than Kylie Jenner on Instagram, so he demands a full Inner Circle team meeting next week. Attendance is mandatory.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. CM Punk

They have about forty minutes for this if needed and there is no Wardlow. MJF hides in the ropes to start so Punk starts punching away, giving us the teeter totter (for lack of a better term), with MJF eventually falling outside. They fight up into the crowd, with MJF getting crotched on a barricade, with Punk knocking him back to ringside. After some posing, they head back inside for the Scoop Slam Symphony. The threat of the top rope elbow has MJF rolling away so Punk misses a charge into the post instead. MJF gets in a few shots of his own and we take a break.

Back with MJF working on the shoulder but Punk forearms him off the top. A high crossbody puts MJF down and there’s a neckbreaker to drop him again. The running knee in the corner sets up the bulldog, with Punk saying it’s time to go to sleep. They head to the apron instead, with Punk slamming him outside instead.

A fan gets to chop MJF’s chest, but he’s fine enough to crotch Punk on top for a breather. MJF takes him down from the top by the arm for two of his own but Punk is back with the Pepsi Twist. The referee backs into the corner so the referee pulls Punk off, allowing MJF to choke away with some wrist tape. A sleeper has Punk in trouble….and he’s out at 14:41.

Hold on though as MJF celebrates but drops the tape, meaning we’re going to restart things. Punk unloads in the corner with about twenty right hands and an atomic drop (Excalibur: “Manhattan drop! JR: “Or an inverted atomic drop!”). MJF kicks him outside though and we take another break.

Back again with Punk hitting the clothesline but not being able to hit the GTS. The arm is snapped across the top rope but Punk scores with a suicide dive for a double knockdown on the floor. Back in and MJF scores with a stomp to the arm before busting out something like a Texas Cloverleaf Tequila Sunrise. That’s reversed into an STF but Punk has to let go due to the arm. The GTS doesn’t work either due to the knee so MJF goes with the ankle lock. That’s reversed as well and they strike it out until Punk busts out a poisonrana.

They’re both down for a bit until MJF goes after the arm, setting up Made In Japan of all things for two. MJF sends him hard into the corner for two more and we take another break. Back again with Punk getting two off a rollup and hitting his leg lariat. MJF bites his fingers and face but Punk catches him on top with the Pepsi Plunge of all things.

Neither can hit a Tombstone so Punk kicks him in the face and, slowly, hits the top rope elbow for two. Punk knocks him outside….and here is Wardlow. He steps over MJF and goes face to face with Punk before stepping side without getting physical. Punk limps over to MJF and throws him inside but the distraction lets MJF hit Punk with the ring for the pin at 39:36.

Rating: A-. This was one of the better TV matches you’ll see in a long time and the nearly forty minutes flew by. MJF winning was always a possibility and Punk has a reason for a ticked off rematch. The important thing for now though is MJF has a path to the World Title shot at Double or Nothing, which is where he belongs, assuming the Punk stuff is wrapped up. MJF continues to be able to bring it in the big matches and this is the biggest win of his career.

Post match a replay shows Wardlow passing MJF the ring (which we couldn’t see due to the closeup on Punk/Wardlow). MJF sits down ala the Pipe Bomb to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. The show was centered around one match and that took up about a third of the night at a very high level. Other than that, stories were advanced and we had some good matches, making this a pretty easy success. AEW knows how to do things when they are focused and that was back tonight. Good show, with a main event that was both great and flew by, which you don’t get very often.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Wheeler Yuta – Paradigm Shift
Kings of the Black Throne b. Pac/Penta El Cero Miedo – Dante’s Inferno to Penta
Nyla Rose b. Ruby Soho – Beast Bomb
Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. CM Punk – Ring to the head

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

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

AND

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

Make sure you check out some recent reviews:

Impact Wrestling – January 20, 2022

NXT – February 1, 2022

Matt Hardy Offers Several Interesting Details On Jeff Hardy’s WWE Release. February 1, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/matt-hardy-offers-several-interesting-details-jeff-hardys-wwe-release/

AEW Star To Miss Three Months Due To Broken Collarbone. February 1, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/aew-star-miss-three-months-due-broken-collarbone/

WWE May Be Planning An Interesting Shane McMahon WrestleMania Match. February 1, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-may-planning-interesting-wrestlemania-match/

The Royal Rumble Universal Title Match Originally Looked Rather Different. February 1, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/royal-rumble-universal-title-match-originally-looked-rather-different/

Top Monday Night Raw Star Gone “For A Little While”. February 2, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/top-monday-night-raw-star-gone-little/

WWE Name Granted Release, Debuting For AEW This Week. February 2, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-name-granted-release-debuting-aew-week/

More Backstage Frustration Over WWE Royal Rumble Match. February 2, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/backstage-frustration-wwe-royal-rumble-match/

Independent Wrestling Star Comments Over Leaked Pornographic Material (Safe For Work). February 2, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/independent-wrestling-star-comments-leaked-pornographic-material-safe-work/

As always, please check out all of the videos if you can, hit up the comments section and get on the Wrestling Rumors Facebook page.

NXT
Date: February 1, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

It’s time for a big tag match as NXT Champion Bron Breakker and Tommaso Ciampa are teaming up against Legado del Fantasma. That is part of the way to build things up for Santos Escobar’s upcoming title shot, but for now we get what should be a good tag match. Let’s get to it.

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

Imperium vs. Diamond Mine

The fans chant WALTER during Imperium’s entrance. Gunther isn’t having any of the posing to start and kicks Roderick Strong in the head before the bell. Brutus Creed suplexes Aichner to start but Aichner manages a Regal Roll in quite the power display. It’s off to Barthel for an armbar and the WALTER chants start up again. Brutus fights up and hands it off to Julius for some knees to the ribs.

That’s broken up in a hurry as Barthel hits a middle rope elbow to the face and it’s off to Gunther to kick Julius in the head. We take a break and come back with Brutus coming back in to get suplexed onto Barthel for two. Barthel gets over for a tag to Gunther so it’s all hands on deck to slow him up. Everything breaks down though and it’s Brutus wrecking Imperium, leaving him for a showdown with Gunther. The sleeper puts Brutus in trouble and it’s a powerbomb to give Gunther the pin at 11:56.

Rating: B. The Creeds are getting better and better by the week and that was on full display here. What mattered was letting people hit each other rather hard as Imperium gets to show off what they can do, but at the end of the day, this was all about Gunther. He is the kind of force that you do not get to see very often and if they can get around the fans chanting WALTER, he should be a big deal.

LA Knight is ready for Grayson Waller but Joe Gacy and Harland interrupt, suggesting that Knight has a problem. Knight offers to get together with them in the ring and maybe he can get two new restraining orders.

Here is Toxic Attraction for a chat. They are ready to beat Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta in two weeks at Vengeance Day but here is Kay Lee Ray to interrupt. She isn’t getting her title match, so she brings in her baseball bat. Mandy tells her to put the bat down and the other two will leaves. Ray agrees, but Mandy would rather talk about her own modeling and fitness accomplishments.

That’s fine with Ray, who says she was holding the NXT UK Women’s Title for over 600 days while Rose was falling at Wrestlemania and sucking face with Otis. Mandy talks about how great she is and how she is what WWE wants and all the talent in the world will never replace her. Ray says that she’ll have her title match by the end of the night and slaps Mandy in the face. The bat is enough to chase off Toxic Attraction.

Cora Jade is ready to prove herself to Raquel Gonzalez, even if it means taking a beating. Gonzalez comes in and asks if she’s ready for the match, with Jade saying she’s in (I barely recognized Gonzalez with her hair down like that).

During the break, Toxic Attraction tried to leave but stopped for an interview. They went to get in their car with Mandy getting in last…but Ray is in the driver’s seat and kidnaps them. That parking lot man.

Cora Jade vs. Raquel Gonzalez

Jade is a bit tentative to start and gets tossed down without much trouble. That leaves Jade in shock at the pain so Gonzalez kicks away in the corner. A spinning Side Effect gives Gonzalez two more and she grabs an over the shoulder backbreaker. Jade is sat on top but manages to knock Gonzalez away this time.

Gonzalez tries another swinging Side Effect but gets reversed into….something we can’t see as the screen goes black, likely due to issues with Gonzalez’s top. Jade drives her into the corner for two and a rope walk hurricanrana rocks Gonzalez again. There’s an enziguri but Gonzalez finally just plants her with the Chigona Bomb for the pin at 11:04.

Rating: C+. Issues with Gonzalez’s gear aside, this was designed to make Jade look tough and it did well enough. I’m sure they’ll be in the Dusty Classic together because it isn’t like there are a bunch of teams to put into the tournament in the first place. Hopefully Gonzalez can move up to the main roster soon enough though, as she seems ready.

Post match Gonzalez says “let’s go and win this”, meaning the Dusty Classic.

Sarraylor Moon is back next.

Video on Pete Dunne vs. Tony D’Angelo.

Sarray vs. Kayla Inlay

Sarray walks through the back as the schoolgirl and then comes into the arena in her regular gear, sans anything schoolgirl. That’s a relief, even if WWE is still way too into this transformation stuff. Inlay won’t shake hands to start so Sarray knocks her into the corner. That’s broken up but we get breaking news about Kay Lee Ray returning, with no sign of Dolin and Jayne. Sarray fights up and hits the running dropkick against the ropes. A high collar suplex finishes Inlay at 3:20.

Rating: C. The match was almost a squash, but it was also quite the relief that Sarray isn’t going to be wrestling as a schoolgirl. That would be the latest bad WWE idea, so seeing her transform was kind of a relief. As weird as that is to say, I’ll take it over what we seemed to be getting, as this was a slightly more fired up Sarray.

Video on Duke Hudson, who gives himself a hair cut and says he makes his own luck anymore.

Bron Breakker is warming up when Tommaso Ciampa comes in. Ciampa hands him the NXT Title and suggests that Breakker doesn’t know what he is in for. As for tonight, they’ll take it to Legado del Fantasma.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams are ready for Cameron Grimes because Hayes is always looking down on him. Cue Grimes, who notes the TO THE MOON chants. Grimes says Hayes looks like Spongebob, which makes Trick Squidward. Williams talks a lot but Grimes isn’t sure what he said. Grimes asks which one he’s fighting and Hayes says he’s waiting. As Hayes and Williams leave, Grimes says it’s going to be a one star match, and that one star is going to the moon.

Malik Blade and Edris Enofe debate a team name and Enofe thinks they should ask Mandy Rose. Then Rose literally falls through the door and it’s Blade’s arms (Blade: “Thank you!”). Kay Lee Ray comes in and rips off Rose’s jacket, which has Enofe rather happy. He wants to go after them….but Blade needs a minute.

Diamond Mine is ready to face Imperium again after they win the Dusty Classic. The Grizzled Young Veterans come in to laugh at the prospects.

LA Knight vs. Joe Gacy

Harland is here with Gacy, who gets taken down by an early running neckbreaker. A spinning Rock Bottom gets Gacy out of trouble and it’s off to a neck crank. There’s a suplex to take Knight down again and it’s time to work on Knight’s knee. Knight fights up and hits a jumping neckbreaker into his powerslam, only to collide for a crash to the floor. Cue Sanga (Grayson Waller’s bodyguard) so Waller can hit his rolling Stunner. That’s enough to give Gacy a nine count so it’s the handspring clothesline to finish Knight at 4:14.

Rating: C-. So we have yet another heel with a bodyguard, who happens to be interfering in a match with a heel with a kind of bodyguard? Are they that out of ideas? Waller costing Knight a match is fine, but this was another short match that didn’t have the chance to get anywhere because it’s all about getting as many things on the show as you can in two hours.

Post match Waller yells at Knight, who lunges at him. That means a chokeslam from Sanga, with Waller saying if Knight can beat Sanga next week, maybe the restraining order is gone.

Robert Stone is very happy to have signed Von Wagner.

Wendy Choo vs. Amari Miller

Tiffany Stratton has offered Miller a shopping spree if she takes out Choo. The bell rings and Choo goes to the mat for a nap, followed by taking Miller to the mat for a nap on her leg. An elbow drop gives Choo two and then it’s time to get serious, with a pair of hard suplexes. A sleeper is broken up though and Miller gets two off a jawbreaker. Cue Tiffany Stratton to throw Miller a credit card, allowing Choo to hit Miller in the face for the pin at 3:24.

Rating: D. It’s still the dumbest thing going in wrestling and now they are doing the goofy stuff during the matches rather than having her be serious. The credit card thing wasn’t exactly a good idea either, as we continue to need humor/goofiness in every match. At least they kept it short, but Choo is yet another bad NXT idea that is likely to continue for a long time.

Post match Stratton yells at Miller, but Choo has made off with the credit card.

Persia Pirotta and Indi Hartwell are ready to win the Tag Team Titles, with Dexter Lumis seeming to approve. Josh Briggs comes in to ask for advice on women, with Indi saying non-verbal communication is a good thing. Lumis looks at her and they’re off to the hot tub.

Video on Draco Anthony.

Nikkita Lyons talks about growing up around music as her dad was a musician and her mom was a groupie. Now she is a singer/rapper but also an NXT star. This is IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM LIKE HIT ROW! NOT AT ALL!

Sarray, once again a schoolgirl, is interrupted by Dakota Kai, who warns her about how relationships can go south.

Draco Anthony vs. Andre Chase

Bodhi Hayward is in Chase’s corner. Chase takes over with few shots to the face into a neckbreaker. Anthony is back with a powerslam and cranks on the arms, only to have Chase fight up again. A Russian legsweep drops Anthony and it’s time for the spelling stomps. Anthony is back up and steals Hayward’s flag but Hayward won’t let him stomp on it. Instead, Chase unloads in the corner and the Downward Spiral finishes Anthony at 4:26.

Rating: C-. Another not exactly great match as the latest new NXT character (just wait, as I’d bet on getting another one before the show is over) loses in his NXT debut. It’s a bit weird seeing the war veteran as a heel but NXT is quite the strange duck at times. Chase is somehow getting this dumb character over and that is quite the accomplishment.

Mandy Rose is still running from Kay Lee ray but stops for a water at the food area. Ray shows up and pours spaghetti on her, followed by a cake to the head area. Then Ray stalks her with the baseball bat.

Legado del Fantasma vs. Bron Breakker/Tommaso Ciampa

The rest of Legado is here too. Ciampa headlocks Mendoza to start but Wilde tags himself in and hits a dropkick. It’s back to Mendoza, who bails to the floor, allowing Breakker to come in and run the ropes. A Gator roll sets up a delayed suplex on Wilde, with Ciampa adding one of his own to Mendoza. We take a break and come back with Breakker getting caught with some running shots in the corner. The front facelock is countered with a suplex though and it’s back to Ciampa to fire off the running clotheslines.

Ciampa tags Brakker back in, despite Breakker favoring his arm. Something like a powerslam plants Wilde but Santos Escobar gets up for a distraction. Mendoza scores with a springboard missile dropkick and a Phoenix splash gets two. A spear cuts Mendoza down but Wilde makes the save. Wilde goes up but gets shoved HARD off the top and through the announcers’ table. The gorilla press powerslam finishes Mendoza at 11:24.

Rating: C+. Breakker is one of those guys that doesn’t need a ton of explanation. He’s a bit like Goldberg in that the idea seems to be flip a switch and watch him smash stuff. That’s a perfect case of “don’t think about this too hard” and it’s working. Escobar will be a good first victim and this was a fine way of setting that up, especially with Breakker possibly having a bad arm going in.

Post match Escobar stares down Breakker but here are Kay Lee Ray and Mandy Rose again. Ray threatens her and gets her title shot next week as a result. The KLR Bomb leaves Rose laying to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. I have almost no idea what to make of this show, but the biggest thing that comes out of it is how much is crammed in. The problem with that is the word crammed, as it feels so overstuffed. It is one character with a wacky gimmick after another and that gets tiring after a bit. So many things on here felt like it needed to be over the top or have some kind of a punchline and that gets old after a bit. Even the main event was immediately followed by Rose with cake on her clothes.

This was another way too busy show and I kept wondering what they were going to throw out there next to make me shake my head. It isn’t that these are all terrible ideas, but they keep coming one after another with little getting the time to sink in. There are stories in here that work, but then Mandy Rose is being stalked or Sarray is transforming or Blade and Enofe, who could be a good, young team, are stuck with sophomoric humor.

Overall, this show felt very, very much like a show designed by Vince McMahon or to appeal to Vince McMahon and that is rarely going to make for entertaining TV. It felt like yet another week where they were throwing anything out there and if it works, great, but if not, oh well. That’s not a great way to run a TV show and the wrestlers aren’t going to get much out of it other than a bunch of ideas that aren’t the best to put on their resumes.

Results
Imperium b. Diamond Mine – Powerbomb to Brutus
Raquel Gonzalez b. Cora Jade – Chigona Bomb
Sarray b. Kayla Inlay – High collar suplex
Joe Gacy b. LA Knight – Handspring elbow
Wendy Choo b. Amari Miller – Elbow to the face
Andre Chase b. Draco Anthony – Downward Spiral
Bron Breakker/Tommaso Ciampa b. Legado del Fantasma – Gorilla press powerslam to Mendoza

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

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

AND

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: January 20, 2022
Location: Bomb Factory, Dallas, Texas
Commentators: Tom Hannifan

The march to No Surrender is on and that means it is time to start setting up a card. Impact continues to be doing fairly well, and the question now is what is next for Moose and the World Title. By that, I mean getting to defend against W. Morrissey. For once I’m actually curious to see how things are going here and that is nice to be able to say, at least partially because of the Ring of Honor invasion. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Tasha Steelz vs. Chelsea Green

Mickie James is on commentary and Savannah Evans is here with Steelz. Green sends her into the corner to start but gets run over, allowing Steelz to hammer away. Some shouting at Mickie doesn’t seem to cause Steelz too many problems but Green blocks the crucifix bomb. A jumping cutter drops Green for two but she’s right back up with a lifting Downward Spiral for her own near fall. Back up and Steelz hits a crucifix bomb for the fast pin at 4:29.

Rating: C-. This was ok enough but it’s a little hard to buy Steelz as some big threat to James and the title. Having her beat Green, and probably some more women going forward, would be a good idea, but you’re only going to get so far with half of a long term tag wrestler. Also, I wouldn’t have bet on Green losing clean in less than five minutes though either, as she is usually presented as a pretty big deal.

Post match Steelz says it was nice for Mickie to retain the title at Hard To Kill but now it’s time to get savage. Spoiler alert: she’s going to make Mickie a failure. She’s going to send Mickie back to Empower a failure (Mickie: “Someone is mad she wasn’t booked.”) and she is going to send Mickie back to her son as a failure. That gets Mickie up but Evans gets in her way. Mickie gets in her face and the fight is on until Evans breaks it up. Green makes a save though and house is cleaned, likely setting up a tag match next week.

We look at Jordynne Grace retaining the Digital Media Title on BTI but Matt Cardona interrupted and seemed to be the next challenger.

Cardona says he didn’t win the World Title but there are other titles he can win. He invented the Internet Title so now he wants the World Wide Web Title. That’s a challenge.

Video on Charlie Haas, mainly featuring clips from his time in Ring of Honor.

Here’s what’s coming tonight.

Influence vs. Decay

Kaleb With A K is here with Influence, who jump Decay before the bell. Rosemary is down and holding her shoulder as Kaleb With A K takes the Influence’s pictures. Rosemary tells Havok to go it alone though and that seems to be the case.

Influence vs. Havok

Kaleb With A K joins commentary as the Influence double teams Havok down in the corner. The stomping ensues but Havok flips Rayne off her shoulders. A slam is broken up as Rayne crossbodies both of them at once for a big crash. The double Stroke finishes Havok at 3:34.

Rating: C-. This seems to be fallout from Rosemary getting hurt at Hard To Kill, as there wasn’t much else that could be done for her here. I’m not sure how long she is going to be out, but hopefully it isn’t that serious of an injury. At the same time, the Influence is on their way to a Knockouts Tag Team Title match against the IInspiration so they should be going over Havok, or even a full strength Decay.

The IInspiration pops up to say their star power will outshine Tenille Dashwood, who has a partner who retires every year. The shoes the Influence are trying to feel are three times too big.

We look at the King’s Daughter, the movie that is sponsoring the show.

Ace Austin and Madman Fulton come in to see Speedball Mike Bailey and suggest that he makes the right kind of friends. Johnny Bravo makes a random cameo and Ace leaves Bailey with a playing card.

Learning Tree vs. W. Morrissey

Brian Myers is on commentary. They charge at Morrissey and get hit in the face for their efforts. A chokeslam to Dice and a powerbomb to VSK finish for Morrissey at 1:11.

Post match Morrissey says he’s coming for Moose and the World Title.

In the back, Scott D’Amore gives Morrissey a match with Moose at No Surrender.

The Ring of Honor guys are trying to come in and have tickets. D’Amore comes in and says they can be here to support Jonathan Gresham….in a luxury box, away from the ring. Then get out.

Ring of Honor World Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Steve Maclin

Gresham is defending and this is Pure Rules. Maclin isn’t interested in the Code of Honor before the bell so Gresham takes him up against the ropes for the first rope break. The Ring of Honor people are watching from the balcony as Maclin drives him up against the ropes for another rope break. Then Gresham makes Maclin use the ropes again, earning himself a right hand for the official warning.

Maclin gets two off a butterfly backbreaker and the threat of a hold makes Gresham burn through another rope break, leaving them with a break apiece. The Boston crab stays on Gresham’s back and he makes the rope for the last time. Maclin grabs a camel clutch and this time the rope has no impact. Gresham pulls his way to his feet so Maclin hits a pair of slams for two.

Back up and Gresham kicks him down, setting up a dropkick. Maclin ties him in the Tree of Woe though and it’s a running shoulder to the ribs for two. With that broken up, Gresham goes for the ribs, sending Maclin to the ropes for his final break. An exchange of forearms and clotheslines gives them an exchange of near falls. Mayhem For All is broken up though and Gresham grabs a Figure Four. They slap it out until Maclin rolls over….which means nothing, so Gresham stands up in the ropes to crank on the leg enough for the tap at 10:19.

Rating: C+. The rope breaks were a bit odd at the time but they were designed to set up the ending. Gresham is awesome in this role, as he digs himself into a hole and then finds a way out of it, often by means of some kind of a hold. Maclin was good for a foil here, but the Gresham/Ring of Honor stuff feels like it has a much longer way to go with bigger names being involved.

Post match, Maclin still won’t show respect.

Flashback Moment of the Week (They still do those?): Sarita/Taylor Wilde b. the Beautiful People for the inaugural Knockouts Tag Team Titles.

The Ring of Honor wrestlers leave. Right.

Doc Gallows/Joe Doering vs. Heath/Rhino

Karl Anderson is on commentary and Violent By Design is here too. Rhino takes Gallows into the corner to start and fires off right hands before the villains are knocked outside. We take a break and come back with Gallows getting the better of a slugout with Rhino. Doering comes in for some choking as Eric Young yells at the fans. Gallows headbutts Rhino down to set up a chinlock, which is broken up without much effort. The hot tag brings in Heath as everything breaks down. Young gets in a flag shot to Heath though and it’s a double chokeslam for the pin at 8:41.

Rating: C. This tag team stuff has been going on for what feels like ever now and it doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere. Odds are we are going to be seeing some big multi team match for the titles, though other than Heath and Rhino winning the titles, there is very little here that gets my attention. The Good Brothers have held the titles far too long over their two reigns and I had almost forgotten they were even the champions.

King’s Daughter trailer.

Charlie Haas vs. Josh Alexander

Chris Sabin is on commentary and thankfully Haas has some hair, as the bald look wasn’t working in the slightest. Believe it or not, they go technical to start with Alexander grabbing a hammerlock. With that broken up, Haas runs him over with a shoulder but Alexander boots him out to the floor.

We take a break and come back with Alexander jumping over him out of the corner but banging up his knee in the process. Haas is smart enough to go after the knee, which is wrapped around the post. The leg is tied up in the ropes for a running knee to the knee, setting up something like an Indian Deathlock. Alexander grabs a backslide for two but they trade rolling German suplexes. Back up and Haas mixes it up a bit with some running shoulders to the ribs in the corner (apparently knocking himself silly in the process). Haas goes back to the leg but gets reversed into an ankle lock 11:23.

Rating: B-. This was the grappling/submission clinic that you were expecting from the two of them, even though Haas’ injury might have screwed things up a bit. What mattered here was giving Alexander another win over a name and that’s what they did. I’m not sure when Alexander is going to get his World Title shot, but having him run through stars is a good way to fill in the time.

Post match, respect is shown…and here are the Ring of Honor guys to jump both of them. Sabin gets off commentary and gets beaten down as well. Some other wrestlers come in for a failed save attempt until Eddie Edwards, with Kenny, makes the real save. The Ring of Honor wrestlers bail back to the balcony, where Maria Kanellis-Bennett dubs them Honor No More to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. It wasn’t a great show but what worked well was good enough. That’s all you need in a situation like this, as you have some big stories coming together. The problem is that the lower level stuff is bringing the good down and that is a bit of an issue. Improve on some of the weaker stuff and the show will be that much better as a whole.

Results
Tasha Steelz b. Chelsea Green – Crucifix bomb
Influence b. Havok – Double Stroke
W. Morrissey b. Learning Tree – Double pin
Jonathan Gresham b. Steve Maclin – Figure Four
Doc Gallows/Joe Doering b. Heath/Rhino – Double chokeslam to Heath
Josh Alexander b. Charlie Haas – Ankle lock

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

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

AND

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

Make sure you check out some recent reviews:

Smackdown – August 24, 2007

Raw – January 31, 2022

1. He’s Back: WWE Legend Returning To Television Soon. January 31, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/hes-back-wwe-legend-returning-television-soon/

2. The Men’s Royal Rumble Originally Had A Very Different Winner. January 31, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/mens-royal-rumble-originally-different-winner/

3. Huge Title Match Set For Elimination Chamber. January 31, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/huge-title-match-set-elimination-chamber/

4. It’s Ready: Lineup Set For Elimination Chamber Match For WWE Title. February 1, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/ready-lineup-set-elimination-chamber-match-wwe-title/

5. WrestleMania 38 Main Event Officially Announced. February 1, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestlemania-38-main-event-officially-announced/

6. Dream Title Match Officially Set For WWE Elimination Chamber. February 1, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/dream-title-match-officially-set-wwe-elimination-chamber/

7. WRESTLING RUMORS: Surprising WWE Title Match Possible For WrestleMania 38. February 1, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/surprising-wwe-title-match-possible-wrestlemania-38/

8. FULL MATCH: Grudge Match Takes Place After Monday Night Raw. February 1, 2022.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/full-match-grudge-match-takes-place-monday-night-raw/

As always, please check out all of the videos if you can, hit up the comments section and get on the Wrestling Rumors Facebook page.

Monday Night Raw
Date: January 31, 2022
Location: Heritage Bank Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves

The Royal Rumble has come and gone and that means we are officially on the Road To WrestleMania. As a result, it is time to start hammering in the pieces for the next elimination based match, as Elimination Chamber is in less than two weeks. Bobby Lashley is the new WWE Champion and that means he is going to need a challenger. Let’s get to it.

Here is the Royal Rumble if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Brock Lesnar losing the WWE Title to Bobby Lashley with the help of Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman. Worry not though as Lesnar won the Royal Rumble later in the night, because being screwed out of a title leaves you with absolutely no other options to get another title shot. The graphic even saying “1 hour and 22 minutes later” doesn’t help things.

Here is Adam Pearce in the ring to hype up the big things we will be seeing tonight. There is a road block on the Road To Wrestlemania though, which is called the Elimination Chamber. Bobby Lashley will be defending his WWE Title inside the Elimination Chamber….and here are MVP and Lashley to interrupt. MVP rants about Lashley being in the Chamber and Lashley says he is here to celebrate beating Lesnar. Lashley is a better wrestler, a better mixed martial artist and a better champion. Who’s the conqueror now? Who’s the beast now? Who’s the champion now?

Cue Brock Lesnar, in wrestling gear, to interrupt. He talks about how Lashley didn’t really beat him, but Lesnar isn’t mad at him. Instead, he is mad at Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman, but what matters is that he won the Royal Rumble. That isn’t a joke, because Lesnar is going to face Reigns at Wrestlemania. Lashley is involved too though, because it is going to be title for title.

Lesnar challenges Lashley for his rematch right now and Lashley is already taking the tie off. MVP says not so fast though, because Lesnar has to earn it. Lesnar calls Lashley a chickens*** and Lashley is a lot more serious. MVP begs him not to and Lashley bails, but Pearce puts Lesnar inside the Elimination Chamber for the title instead.

Nikki Ash vs. Rhea Ripley

Nikki goes right at her to start but gets caught in a delayed vertical suplex, with Rhea walking her around for a bonus. Nikki is sent outside but manages to tie her up in the ring skirt and fires off forearms as we take a break. Back with Nikki working on an armbar and hitting a tornado DDT for two. Ripley fights up with some clotheslines and nails a basement dropkick. Nikki is back with a failed fisherman’s neckbreaker attempt, setting up Riptide to give Ripley the pin at 8:04.

Rating: C-. That is all you needed it to be, as Ripley got the clean win. Now granted that probably means we will be seeing another three matches minimum, likely with Rhea winning over and over. That’s about all Ripley can do though, as it isn’t like she could be back in the title picture or anything insane like that.

We recap last week’s spelling bee, with Chad Gable losing, followed by a singles match, with Chad Gable losing.

Now it is time for Gable vs. Riddle in a scooter race, with Riddle dubbing his scooter Gustavo. After some complaining about last week’s spelling and an introduction of R-Truth as the official starter, they’re off, with the first to complete fifty laps around the arena and cross the finish line at ringside wins. More on this later.

We’re back to more of Alexa Bliss’ therapy, with Bliss insisting that she has had Lily since she was a kid. We get a montage of Bliss with Lily, with the therapist asking what would happen if she could see Lily again. The therapist brings out a replica (while making clear it isn’t the real thing) and she is very happy.

We look at Edge and Beth Phoenix beating Miz and Maryse at the Royal Rumble.

Miz vs. Dominik Mysterio

Rey Mysterio is here with Dominik. Miz gets serious by messing up Dominik’s hair but has to duck an early 619 attempt. That means a trip to the floor, where he shoves Rey down. Back in and Miz kicks Dominik in the face before falling down and claiming Rey tripped him. That’s enough to get Rey ejected and the Skull Crushing Finale finishes Dominik at 2:10.

Tamina jumps 24/7 Champion Dana Brooke but gets interrupted by the scooter race (now on lap 18/50).

The scooter race continues until Riddle runs into Omos. Riddle: “Omos, I’ve never noticed it before but you have beautiful eyes.” And he rides off.

It’s time for the Kevin Owens Show, with Owens talking about how excited he is for the Road to Wrestlemania. He is going to be in the Elimination Chamber after he beats Austin Theory, but for now, it is time for the man who should be Universal Champion: Seth Rollins! Cue a limping Rollins, who even agrees to sit down this week.

After a Cincinnati Bengals WHO DEY chant, we get a highlight package on Rollins beating Roman Reigns via DQ when Reigns kept choking him. Back in the arena, Owens says that was ridiculous but Rollins says he has a permanent piece of real estate in Reigns’ head. Whenever he goes back there, he will come back with the Universal Title. That’s Smackdown business though and we are on Monday Night Raw.

There are some spots available in the Elimination Chamber, but one of them is being taken up by….Seth Rollins! Owens’ isn’t happy that Rollins got in without having to qualify, but thinks Rollins could convince Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville to let them in. All he has to do is threaten to not wrestle unless Owens is in! Rollins: “Uhhhh……..” Cue Austin Theory to interrupt and it’s qualifying match time.

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory

Feeling out process to start with Owens using the power to take over. That earns him a rolling dropkick and some shots to the face in the corner before they head outside. Owens crushes him with the Cannonball against the barricade and Theory needs a breather. Theory manages to send him into the steps and we take a break.

Back with Owens hitting a DDT and heading up top but missing the Swanton. The ATL is countered so Theory hits a neckbreaker for two. Owens runs him over again and now the Swanton connects to give Owens two of his own. The spinning superplex gives Owens two more but Theory knocks him outside. Owens gets back in, but Theory kicks the ropes for a low blow. Back in and the ATL gives Theory the pin at 11:17.

Rating: B-. Theory continues to shine every chance he gets and getting a win over someone like Owens is only going to make his star brighter. There is a lot to him and I’m wondering just how far he can go. If nothing else, it is nice to see him getting a spot in a title match. Granted he won’t win, but that’s a good step.

Otis gives Chad Gable a drink for energy but it’s steak sauce. Gable: “SODIUM!” Otis drinks it as Gable panics away.

Angelo Dawkins vs. Dolph Ziggler

Hometown boy Dawkins (with Montez Ford) does the Icky Shuffle on the way to the ring to really make himself beloved. Ziggler takes him down to start and hammers away in the corner, setting up his own, albeit mocking, Icky Shuffle. Dawkins is back with a clothesline and the spinning splash in the corner. Ziggler’s superkick is blocked though and Dawkins hits the spinning butterfly suplex for the pin at 4:27.

Rating: C-. See how easy it is to give a hometown boy a win? They had a short match, the fans were happy with Dawkins winning, and Ziggler isn’t going to be hurt by a loss. This was all it needed to be and the fans got to smile. I don’t believe WWE is going to drop their trend of hurting hometown stars, but at least it was fine for one night.

Gable and Riddle are almost to the final lap.

WWE 2K22 ad.

Veer Mahaan is coming to Raw.

It’s time for the finals of the race. R-Truth is in the arena and picks the Bengals winning but Riddle knocks Gable down, leaving him with a banged up knee….but Otis runs Riddle over before he crosses the finish line. Gable gets up and wins without much trouble. Riddle protests, but Gable lists off all of his own accomplishments, none of which required cheating (Gable: “THANK YOU!”). Riddle can have his match, but against Otis. Hold on though as Adam Pearce has an announcement: this is now an Elimination Chamber qualifying match!

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Otis vs. Riddle

Otis takes him into the corner for a hard shot to the head to start, setting up the splash for a close two. The neck crank is on but Riddle fights up, only to get Judas Effected to the floor. Back in and Otis sends him flying off a shoulder and seems to do the old Razor Ramon pose for some reason.

Riddle fights out of another neck crank and forearms away, only to get knocked down by another clothesline. Otis puts on another neck crank so Riddle fights up even faster, this time for some running strikes in the corner. A ripcord knee puts Otis down on his knee and another puts him down. The Floating Bro hits Otis’ knee (as it missed badly) so it’s a Floating Bro to the standing Otis for the pin at 7:24.

Rating: C. Odd choice of a pose aside, this told a good story but in a boring way. Otis going for three neck cranks in a single match isn’t exactly exciting and that Floating Bro looked pretty bad. At least they got the ending right though, as Riddle or Randy Orton almost had to be in the Elimination Chamber. Again, Riddle won’t win, but it’s nice to see him get a chance.

Carmella vs. Bianca Belair

Carmella has to put her mask on before Belair can wrestle her down. The hair whip is loaded up so Carmella screams and slaps Belair in the face. Saxton: “That was stupid.” The chase is on until Carmella sends her into the corner and forearms away. Some elbows put Belair down again and we hit the chinlock. Belair fights up and gets knocked right back down into another chinlock. That’s broken up as well so it’s a forearm to set up the KOD to give Belair the pin at 5:32.

Rating: C-. Carmella was more aggressive here but it wasn’t much of a match. The mask gimmick continues to not add much and doesn’t seem to get over. The good thing is that Belair gets reheated a bit, though I have no idea where she is going with the title pictures pretty much set for the time being.

We look back at Alexa Bliss seeing the replacement Lily doll again.

Back in the office, Alexa Bliss is so happy to see Lily, who the therapist said he got from WWE Shop. Bliss holds the doll and smiles a lot. That’s it.

Chad Gable isn’t happy with Otis’ loss but has a good idea: the final part of the academic challenge will be a Quiz Bowl. Just like the Bengals losing their big game, RKBro will lose too.

We look at Ronda Rousey returning at the Royal Rumble.

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Rey Mysterio vs. AJ Styles

They go with the grappling to start and neither can get anywhere. Styles hits a shoulder but Rey is back up with a running hurricanrana. That’s enough to send Styles outside but Rey’s sliding splash hits raised knees. Another hurricanrana takes Styles down again on the floor though and we take a break.

Back with Rey AJ countering a springboard moonsault but getting caught with a spinning DDT. A springboard spinning crossbody gives Rey two but AJ’s fireman’s carry backbreaker gets the same. The calf Crusher is broken up and Rey kicks him in the head for another near fall. Rey goes up but has to counter the super Styles Clash. The frog splash misses for Rey though and AJ scores with a Pele. That’s not enough for a cover though as Rey heads up for the top rope seated senton, only to have AJ roll through into the Styles Clash for the pin at 11:34.

Rating: B. I’m as shocked as you are that two of the best ever were able to have a good match when they were given the chance. Styles winning makes more sense and adds to the star power of the match, but it’s not like Rey is some slouch. This was a rather good main event and I could go for seeing a longer version on a bigger stage.

Here is Ronda Rousey for the big finale. She can’t decide if she should pick to face Charlotte or Rebecca at Wrestlemania. Rousey has unfinished business with both, but Rebecca is on her undercard. Then everyone will know the baddest big time b**** is her. Cue Becky Lynch, saying that she wants an answer too and that the women’s division has never been hotter. Lynch wants a decision so Rousey grabs the arm….and says the decision will come on Friday.

Rousey goes to leave so here is Lita to interrupt. Becky isn’t sure about this but talks about being a fan when she was a kid. She makes the mistake of asking why Lita is here though and the challenge for Elimination Chamber is thrown out. Becky says no, but Lita manages to goad her into it to end the show. Remember the multiple instances that seemed to point to Lita vs. Charlotte? WWE doesn’t seem to either.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling was hit or miss and some of the promos didn’t work so well, but what mattered here was the effort. It felt like the people were trying and that made all the difference. Things like Miz vs. Dominik and Belair vs. Carmella weren’t great, but the scooter deal was inoffensive enough and they set up a lot of the Elimination Chamber. Either way, much better than the Rumble, if you consider that to be an accomplishment at this point.

Results
Rhea Ripley b. Nikki Ash – Riptide
Miz b. Dominik Mysterio – Skull Crushing Finale
Austin Theory b. Kevin Owens – ATL
Angelo Dawkins b. Dolph Ziggler – Double underhook spinning slam
Riddle b. Otis – Floating Bro
Bianca Belair b. Carmella – KOD
AJ Styles b. Rey Mysterio – Styles Clash

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

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

AND

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