Judgment Day 2007
Date: May 20, 2007
Location: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Attendance: 10,500
Commentators: Jim Ross, Michael Cole, Taz, Joey Styles, Jerry Lawler, John Bradshaw Layfield

It’s another B show but this one is trending more towards B- territory. The main events will see John Cena defending against Great Khali and Edge defending against Batista. Neither of those exactly sound like must see main events, but I’ve certainly heard of worse cards. Maybe the rest can pick up the slack. Let’s get to it.

The opening video talks about not knowing what is on the other side while looking at the main events.

Ric Flair vs. Carlito

Carlito turned on Flair to split up their team and it’s time for revenge. JR says Flair deserves to be in all the Halls of Fame. I remember him getting inducted into the Paperboy Hall of Fame a few years back in a touching ceremony. Carlito goes right after him to start but gets chopped outside in a hurry. Back in and Carlito takes him down by the arm for some hammerlocking. The arm is sent into the apron and Carlito forearms away in the corner.

The fans are behind Flair but get quieted down when the arm is wrapped around the post. There’s a hammerlock slam but flair comes back up with the good arm for a single chop. That’s all Carlito is going to give up at the moment though as he dropkicks Flair into the corner and goes right back to the arm. Another comeback is cut off as JR sums up the match: Flair is getting one shot in for every two or three from Carlito. The armbar goes on again and an elbow to the face gives Carlito two.

Flair chops his way out of the corner but Carlito cuts him off again with a backdrop. We hit another armbar before Carlito stomps on the arm and grabs a keylock. Flair fights up again with more chops and right hands, plus an elbow to the jaw. There’s the chop block but Carlito cuts him off with a thumb to the eye. The Backstabber is blocked though and Flair stomps on the leg. More stomping sets up the Figure Four for the tap.

Rating: C. Can we please give up on Carlito already? It’s pretty clear that WWE isn’t going to give him a big push (which I can understand) and now he has one of the better matches in his WWE run but loses clean to Flair. I’m fine with Flair winning, but it’s getting a little tiring to watch Carlito get dead end push after dead end push.

Shawn Michaels looks back at being hurt by Great Khali and then kicked in the head by Randy Orton….and gets jumped by him again, leaving Shawn laying.

We recap Bobby Lashley vs. Vince McMahon/Shane McMahon/Umaga. The trio beat Lashley last month to give Vince the ECW World Title and an angry Lashley is out for revenge. And the title, but that might be implied. Vince has been an amazing heel as the champion and it’s about as perfect of a troll job as you could hope to see.

ECW World Title: Vince McMahon/Shane McMahon/Umaga vs. Bobby Lashley

Lashley is challenging and sends Umaga outside to start. The McMahons are tossed around, with Shane having to save Vince from destruction. That earns Shane an overhead belly to belly and there’s a spear to cut off the invading Umaga. The running powerslam pins Shane in less than a minute and a half.

Post match Umaga takes Lashley down again and Vince says Lashley didn’t pin Vince so that isn’t a title change. Better luck next time as the amazing trolling continues. Of note: Vince lost his stylish doorag in there and most of his hair has grown back.

Shawn Michaels is told he can’t wrestle tonight.

CM Punk vs. Elijah Burke

Punk, with bad ribs coming in, joined Burke’s New Breed but turned on them in about a week. Burke goes straight for the ribs but Punk puts on a headlock to cut him off. Some kicks stagger Burke and it’s a quick breather for a standoff. Burke goes after Punk’s ribs to slow him down, only to get kicked right back down. The chinlock goes on but Burke comes back with more shots to the ribs. Said ribs are fine enough for a t-bone suplex and Punk hits a running elbow in the corner.

A delayed vertical suplex drops Burke for two, though Tazz thinks that might have hurt Punk’s ribs even more. We hit the chinlock but Burke is right up with some shots to the face. Again Punk comes right back with a spinning middle rope crossbody but Burke tosses him over the top, with Punk landing on the steps for a nasty crash. That’s not enough to slow Punk down again though as he slides in with a sunset flip (minus the flip) for two more. The GTS is countered so Punk tosses him outside instead, setting up the suicide dive.

Back in and Punk goes up again, only to get pulled down for a hard crash onto the ribs. Burke starts ripping at the tape (maybe they’re the source of Punk’s powers) and puts on a waistlock. A belly to back suplex gets two on Punk and the fans chant for JBL. Burke is smart enough to grab a bodyscissors while the fans get it out of their system before cutting off a charging Punk.

They head up top, where Punk hits a top rope superplex, only to bang up his ribs again. Back up and Punk gets two off an enziguri, setting up the running knee in the corner. The GTS is countered into the Elijah Experience for two so Burke puts him on top, setting up the Elijah Express in the Tree of Woe. The delayed cover gets two and another Elijah Experience is countered into the GTS to give Punk the pin.

Rating: C+. The first half of this was weird as Punk didn’t seem like he was going to sell a bullet to the ribs, let alone anything Burke threw at him. Things got better later on and they settled into a nice match, with Punk vanquishing Burke after some work. This should free up Punk to move into the ECW Title picture, at least once the McMahons are out of the there. Good match, at least once Punk stopped being a superhero.

Edge brags about his recent accomplishments and promises to retain the title against Batista.

Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels

Shawn isn’t here to start due to not being cleared….but here he is anyway, looking totally out of it (which would have meant something very different for Shawn back in the day). Shawn insists that the bell ring and Orton drops him with one shot. Shawn has to pull himself up on the apron and the hanging DDT drops him hard again.

Commentary already wants this stopped as Orton kicks Shawn in the head again. Orton loads up the RKO but lets Shawn drops out of near pity. Shawn has to go to the eyes to break up a super RKO and manages to shove Orton off the top. The top rope elbow connects and Shawn somehow picks himself up in the corner. Sweet Chin Music is loaded up….and Shawn collapses, which is enough for the referee to call the match.

Rating: C. I have no idea how to rate something like this as it was much more of an angle than a match. Shawn hit about one move, but that’s exactly the point of something like this. It was complete destruction and makes Orton look great, so well done on all fronts here, even if it was barely a match.

Post match Orton hits an RKO, causing Shawn’s wife to come out and cry. Shawn is taken out on a stretcher, which allowed him to go off for a few months for knee surgery.

Great Khali, holding the WWE Title, which isn’t his, says if John Cena wants some, he can come get some.

Raw Tag Team Titles: Hardys vs. Lance Cade/Trevor Murdoch

Cade and Murdoch are challenging after having been sneakily respectful to the Hardys as of late. Matt and Cade start things off with Cade grabbing a headlock takeover. That doesn’t last long as Matt is right back up for a standoff. JBL’s strategy for Cade and Murdoch: drink beer and knock people’s teeth out. Simple yet effective. The pace picks up and Matt gets taken into the corner for some arm cranking from both villains. A hard forearm to Cade’s face lets the tag bring in Jeff as things actually slow down for a change. JBL: “You never know what this tattooed up freak is going to do.”

A hiptoss drops Jeff again but Murdoch doesn’t follow up, which is still a bit strange to see. It’s back to Matt for a clothesline and it’s time to work on the arm. The middle rope elbow to the back of the neck gives Matt two but Cade comes in off a blind tag to run Matt over. A dropkick gives Cade two and it’s back to Murdoch as the villains start taking turns. Murdoch’s Vader Bomb hits raised knees though and it’s back to Jeff to start cleaning house.

The slingshot dropkick in the corner gets two on Murdoch and the Hardys clear the ring in a hurry. JBL: “What would you call that move that Jeff Hardy did?” Cole: “Good.” JBL: “That was too easy.” Cade and Murdoch tease walking out but come back in so Jeff can grab a headlock. That’s broken up and Murdoch sends Jeff outside….as the fans sing the Goodbye Song for some reason.

Cade takes Jeff back inside to drop some knees on the back and Murdoch puts on the chinlock. A kick to the face gives Murdoch two and the Code Red/Canadian Destroyer (or somewhere in the middle) gets two. Jeff jawbreaks his way to freedom and there’s the hot tag to Matt. The Side Effect gets two on Cade but he’s right back with a spinebuster to put Matt down for the same. Not that it matters as it’s a Twist of Fate into the Swanton to give Jeff the retaining pin.

Rating: B-. Rather nice old school formula tag match here with the Hardys winning to hopefully wrap this up. At the end of the day though, there is only so much that you can do when the division only has a handful of teams. The Hardys can work with anyone, but who else is there to work with at the moment? Cade and Murdoch are a good old school southern style tag team too and that is always going to work.

Batista is voted most likely to win a title tonight.

We recap Edge vs. Batista for the Smackdown World Title. Edge won the Money in the Bank briefcase on Raw and then cashed it in later in the week to win the title from Undertaker. Now it’s time for Batista to get his shot, as he and Undertaker had gone to a draw just before the cash-in.

Smackdown World Title: Edge vs. Batista

Edge is defending and you can see him panic just a bit when Batista’s music hits (he was always great at the facial expressions). We actually get the instructions from the referee for a bit of old school flavor. Edge hides in the ropes to start as commentary gets in an argument over how much of a champion Edge really is. More bailing to the ropes keeps Batista (with a taped up knee) from getting very far to start so he puts Edge on top instead.

With nothing else working, Batista finally hammers away in the corner and then throws Edge outside. Edge sends the bad knee into the steps to slow Batista down and a missed charge into the post makes things even worse. That gives Edge a new target and the Fujiwara armbar keeps Batista in trouble. It’s switched over into a hammerlock but Batista is back up with shoulders to the ribs in the corner.

Batista clotheslines Edge out of the air and it’s time to slug it out. A powerslam gives Batista two but Edge counters a second attempt into the Edge O Matic for two of his own. The spear cuts Edge in half for two more and Batista hits the spinebuster, only to hurt his own knee. The delay lets Edge pull Batista into a rollup with trunks to retain.

Rating: C-. This was a good example of a match that didn’t work because there wasn’t much of a story. They were fighting over the title, but their story was set up via a two minute promo on Smackdown. I know they didn’t have the time to do anything more, but it left this one really lacking. Edge retaining works just fine as he needs to be established as champion, though it was a pretty lame way to get there.

The WWE Divas are polled on John Cena vs. Great Khali. It’s split, though Maria votes for Batista. For some reason this is edited off of the Peacock version, and I would really hope it isn’t over Victoria and Melina picking Khali because he’s “really really big.”

US Title: MVP vs. Chris Benoit

Benoit is defending (with a bad knee after Smackdown) and it’s 2/3 falls. They fight over a lockup and head outside for a second, only to come back in for a standoff. MVP has to bail to the rope to escape the Crossface before grabbing a headlock takeover. With that not working, MVP takes him down by the knee but Benoit grabs the arm to escape. MVP goes right back to the knee but Benoit is right back with the rolling German suplexes.

The knee gives out though, leaving Benoit to switch to the Crossface instead. A rope gets MVP out of trouble and it’s time to stomp on the knee some more. MVP misses the running boot in the corner and has to escape the Sharpshooter. Instead, MVP goes up top and gets caught in an electric chair, only to have the knee give out. The Playmaker gives MVP the first fall and we get a one minute rest period.

MVP is right back on the leg to keep Benoit in trouble and he gets tied in the Tree of Woe. A kneebar keeps Benoit in trouble and we get what sounds like a “THIS IS BORING” chant. Benoit fights up but gets pulled straight into a stretch muffler. The rope gets Benoit out of trouble but MVP is right back on the knee. Another twist of the knee sets up a small package to give MVP the second fall and the title.

Rating: C+. This was almost a sequel from Benoit vs. Finlay on Smackdown and it wasn’t that much better. There is something off in Benoit as of late and that is going to get sad in a hurry. For now that, MVP winning is a great thing as he FINALLY gets something after weeks of losing almost everything. You can only do so much with him when he can’t win a thing so this was a much needed statement.

We recap John Cena vs. Great Khali for the Raw World Title. Khali took out Edge, Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels before dropping Cena on the same night. Cena knows he’s going to get destroyed here but is never one to back down from a challenge.

Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Great Khali

Khali is challenging but comes in holding the title itself. There is something to be said about the shots of the fans, including one woman, going absolutely coconuts for Cena’s entrance. That is the kind of thing that a lot of wrestlers wish they could do but only a handful can actually make happen. They do the big staredown to start and Cena’s shots to the chest have no effect. Khali’s clothesline has quite the effect though and a right hand puts Cena down again. Cena gets knocked outside for a ram into the steps for two back inside and Khali drops a big leg for the same.

A shot to the knee staggers Khali though and Cena manages the Throwback, only to get kicked in the head. The nerve hold has Cena in more trouble but he powers up for some running shoulders. The big shoulder ties Khali up in the ropes and Cena is smart enough to unload as fast as he can. Khali gets an arm free to knock him away but the big chop is blocked. They fall outside again and Khali grabs the steps, only to have them dropkicked into his face. Back in and Cena scores with the top rope Fameasser (with the fans WAY into the fast comeback), setting up the STFU to retain the title.

Rating: C. It’s probably Khali’s best match ever, though that isn’t exactly a high bar to clear. What matters here is that Cena escapes over a monster and got a good(ish) match out of him, as Khali mainly stood there while Cena flew around. They were smart to keep this short, and dang the crowd being into this helped a lot. Not a great match, but given their situation, it was about as good as it was going to get.

Replays wrap us up, complete with a cut from Cena putting the STFU on to the hold actually being on because WWE likes to cut a lot.

Overall Rating: C+. There was enough good action on here to keep me interested, but it was definitely a step down after the last few big shows. Nothing on here felt like you needed to see it and that is not the best feeling. It was certainly a lower level pay per view and having One Night Stand coming up just two weeks later is not going to make things better. Decent show, but not really worth your time.

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

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Smackdown
Date: May 18, 2007
Location: 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield

It’s the go home show for Judgment Day and I’m not sure what that is going to entail. Everything was shaken up last week when Edge won the World Title from Undertaker, who seems to be going on the shelf. Edge is going to be defending against Batista on Sunday, meaning it’s time for the rapid fire build. 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 cage match, Mark Henry’s return, and Edge’s Money in the Bank cash-in to take the title from Undertaker. That was a heck of a way to wrap up the night.

Opening sequence.

MVP vs. Matt Hardy

MVP grabs some headlock takeovers to start but gets armdragged away to give us a standoff. Some right hands put Hardy into the corner as commentary ignore the match to talk about Edge (it would be during a Matt match). A snapmare sets up the neck crank but Matt fights up in a hurry.

Matt drops MVP again and hits a middle rope legdrop for two as the fans aren’t exactly thrilled with this. MVP gets in a few kicks and drops an elbow for two, setting up the neck crank. That’s broken up and Matt hits an elbow of his own for two of his own. You don’t do that to MVP though as he kicks Hardy in the head to send him outside.

We take a break and come back with MVP getting some more near falls, setting up a running boot to the face in the corner for two more. Matt can barely stand up but the referee lets him continue, as the referee continues to not be that sympathetic. An uppercut drops Hardy as commentary is wanting the match to be stopped. MVP hits a fireman’s carry drop but somehow Matt is up with a Side Effect for two of his own. The bulldog out of the corner and a middle rope elbow get two each but MVP sends him into the post. The Playmaker is enough to finish Hardy.

Rating: C+. This was the kind of win that MVP has been needing as it made him look a lot more intense on the way to the (next) title match with Chris Benoit. MVP has not exactly been seen as a vicious guy so far and it’s nice to have him do something like this over an established name like Hardy. Good match with a good story, and that’s what they should have done.

Post match MVP talks about how the deck is stacked against him but beating Chris Benoit will only solidify his greatness.

We get a quick highlight reel of Edge’s World Title moments.

We see some exclusive footage from the after last week’s show, with druids carrying Undertaker away. There are various clips of the big beatdown/Undertaker’s career included.

Jimmy Wang Yang/Brian Kendrick/Paul London vs. Deuce N Domino/Chavo Guerrero

London, with a goatee, starts with Chavo and snaps off a headscissors out of the corner. A rollup gives London one and it’s off to Yang for a high crossbody to Deuce. Domino offers a distraction though and Kendrick gets knocked down to put the villains in control for a change. Kendrick fights out of the corner in a hurry though and it’s off to Yang to clean house. Chavo cuts him off with a suplex but everything breaks down, with Yang hitting a top rope moonsault press for the fast pin.

Rating: C-. This feels like something that we’ve seen a dozen or so times in recent months. It was nice to mix up a pair of feuds instead of doing the singles deals again, but the Cruiserweight Champion taking another fall is hardly the most original idea. I’m sure Yang will get a short and technically sound title shot but it isn’t like it’s going anywhere further. Just find a new way to present the title and the division, because this isn’t helping anyone.

Mark Henry says this is a jungle and he has no predators because he is the king.

Mark Henry vs. Funaki

Funaki bounces off of him to start and is promptly hammered down. The World’s Strongest Slam finishes for Henry in about a minute. That’s how it should have gone.

Raw Rebound.

Finlay vs. Chris Benoit

Non-title. Feeling out process to start until Benoit just hits him in the face to turn violent. Finlay sweeps the leg and pulls on the knee a bit, even with Benoit chinlocking him from the mat. Benoit reverses into a chinlock so Finlay goes to the ropes, setting up a chinlock of his own. That’s broken up so they head outside with Benoit being sent knees first into the steps. Back in and Finlay goes right back to the knee, unfortunately with the same hold.

Benoit fights up again and avoids a charge in the corner, setting up the German suplex. The knee won’t let him hit another one though, meaning he has to settle for Three Amigos. It’s time to load up the Swanton but the knee slows Benoit down again, allowing Finlay to knock him off the apron for the crash. Back in and Finlay grabs another leglock to send us to a break.

We come back with more of the same hold until Benoit fights up again. Some chops don’t do much to Finlay who, say it with me, takes him down to work on the leg again. Benoit gets up again and hits an enziguri, setting up the rolling German suplexes. Cue Hornswoggle, who gets taken down for a Sharpshooter attempt. Finlay uses the distraction to grab the Shillelagh but Benoit reverses into the Crossface. Cue MVP for the DQ.

Rating: C. As soon as I saw Benoit vs. Finlay, my expectations went up. It’s one of those matches that should be pretty great no matter what they do, but then it just wasn’t very good. Most of the match was spent with Finlay working the leg, which is fine in theory but gets pretty repetitive in a hurry. The match was far from awful, but it was pretty boring and that’s not what you expect from these two.

Post match Benoit goes after MVP but Finlay gets in a Shillelagh shot to the knee. MVP leaves Benoit laying.

Ozzy Osborne is here to perform the Judgment Day theme song so Jillian Hall tries to audition for him.

Ashley introduces Ozzy Osborne for I Don’t Wanna Stop. Performing ensues and I’ll have the chorus stuck in my head all day.

We get another movie trailer for Edge’s inaugural address later tonight.

Miz vs. Christian York

Miz clotheslines him down to start but misses an elbow that takes its time being set up. Back up and Miz hits a running corner clothesline but pulls York up at two. A swinging neckbreaker finishes York in a hurry. This was the much more serious version of Miz and even JBL has to compliment him a bit.

Timbaland will have a music video featuring some WWE Divas.

Krystal thanks Teddy Long for giving Vickie Guerrero the chance to be his assistant. Vickie comes in so Krystal leaves, with Teddy saying he isn’t sure about this. He knows the history of the Guerrero family but Vickie wants the chance to change the perception about the family. After some sucking up about Krystal, Teddy agrees to give her the interview.

Another Edge video.

Kane vs. William Regal

Boogeyman, Little Boogeyman and Dave Taylor are here as I had no idea this feud went on for so long. Regal slugs away to start and actually strikes him down in a bit of a surprise. Some more shots keep Regal down and we hit the chinlock as JBL still seems to be scared of the Boogeyman.

Kane fights up and tries the chokeslam but is quickly countered into an exploder suplex. They slug it out until Kane kicks him in the face and scores with the side slam. The top rope clothesline connects but Taylor offers a distraction to give Regal a breather. Taylor throws Little Boogeyman inside but the distraction lets Kane hit a chokeslam for the pin.

Rating: C. This was another kind of weird match as Regal was nearly squashing him until Kane made his comeback. You don’t often see something like that but it was actually working well enough. Kane and Boogeyman are growing on me as the freak show pairing and it’s not like the tag division has any kind of depth otherwise, so why not see what they can do?

Worms are busted out post match.

Judgment Day rundown.

Teddy Long brings out Edge for his inaugural address. Edge says he’ll handle the introduction before saying that HE is YOUR World Heavyweight Champion. He is ashamed to be a Canadian citizen (but he would be ashamed to be American too) because he never gets any respect.

Another place he didn’t get any respect was on Raw, where he beat everyone but still didn’t get treated right. He’ll take on all comers here, which gets Long’s attention. Long reminds him of his upcoming title defense against Batista, which doesn’t bother Edge. He beat Undertaker in three seconds after Batista couldn’t do it in three months, so bring Batista on. Cue Batista to welcome Edge to Smackdown and promise to take the title back on Sunday.

Overall Rating: C. This was a bit of a weird show as Judgment Day was already set, save for the main event, so they had to cobble something together at the last second. Edge vs. Batista is the only choice they had for the spot and the match should work out. Other than that, it was a totally ho hum edition of the show, which is kind of surprising after what they have been doing as of late. Not bad, but things feel like they have hit a bit of a wall for both shows this week.

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

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ECW on Sci Fi
Date: May 15, 2007
Location: 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

It’s the go home show for Judgment Day and Bobby Lashley is still chasing Vince McMahon and the ECW World Title. That has been a well done story so far and we could be in for even more of the same going forward, as the whole thing seems to have some legs, just because of how gleeful Vince seems to be as champion. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Bobby Lashley getting beaten down by Umaga and the McMahons last night on Raw.

Vince McMahon joins us from WWE headquarters and talks about how much of a fashion statement his doorag really is. He blames Bobby Lashley for needing it and Lashley must like seeing him in it. Well Vince likes what he saw happen to Lashley last night, which is why tonight it’s Lashley vs. the New Breed in another handicap match. That’s just a preview for Sunday though, where Vince will retain the title. Vince is just perfect in this role.

Opening sequence.

Rob Van Dam vs. Snitsky

Snitsky throws him down to start and stomps away, setting up some elbows for two. A suplex gets the same and Snitsky forearms away at the chest. Snitsky mixes things up a bit with a double underhook arm crank but Van Dam fights out and kicks away. The spinwheel kick and windmill kick drop Snitsky but Rolling Thunder misses. Instead Snitsky gets crotched on top off a missed boot and gets kicked outside. That’s fine with Snitsky, who blasts him with a clothesline before adding a chair shot for the DQ.

Rating: C-. Snitsky had the right look to be a monster and could do a good enough power match, so this was about as good as he was going to do. Van Dam has fallen pretty hard in the last few months and I’m not sure how much higher you can expect him to get at the moment. A win in a rematch over Snitsky might help, but I’m not sure if there is a magic formula for him around here.

Video on CM Punk.

CM Punk vs. Stevie Richards

Punk has heavily taped ribs and strikes away to start but gets slowed down by the injury. Richards is smart enough to go after the ribs and try to rip off the tape, which only earns him more kicks to the ribs. The bow and arrow stays on the ribs and Richards gets creative with a jumping double stomp. An abdominal stretch doesn’t last long but Richards misses a charge in the corner. Punk’s neckbreaker out of the corner gets two but Richards hits a running dropkick. Punk has finally had it though and reverses a tornado DDT into the GTS for the pin.

Rating: C. This was a short match but they did it about as well as they could have. Richards didn’t do anything outside of the logical path by working on Punk’s injured ribs but he mixed it up a bit tp keep things fresh. Rather nice match here all things considered and I would not have bet on that.

Elijah Burke fires up the rest of the New Breed, who don’t seem entirely convinced at his leadership.

Kevin Thorn vs. Nunzio

Ariel is here with Thorn, who powers him into the corner to start as the smoke from Thorn’s entrance has to clear out. Nunzio’s jawbreaker doesn’t get him anywhere as he hits a spinning jackknife out of the corner (that looked good) and hits some crossface forearms. Nunzio swings away to no avail as the chinlock goes on. That’s broken up but Thorn gets some boots up in the corner. The Dark Kiss finishes Nunzio in a hurry.

Rating: D+. Nothing match here, as you might have guessed, but the interesting thing here is that Nunzio was replacing Sabu. It turns out that Sabu wasn’t interested in losing to Thorn and was fired as a result. That is probably the best for everyone involved, as Sabu never fit in WWE and it isn’t like he was doing anything important at the moment.

Weekly Condemned material.

Extreme Expose.

Here’s the same video package that opened the show.

Bobby Lashley promises to end Vince McMahon on Sunday and get the ECW World Title back.

Judgment Day rundown.

Bobby Lashley vs. New Breed

Before the match, Elijah Burke praises Marcus Cor Von and says they’re getting there with Matt Striker. Burke starts going over his own resume but Striker handles the end of the introduction for him (while giving the fans an F for their lame effort). Cor Von likes Burke too and now it’s time to go. Burke starts for the team and is powered into the corner in a hurry. The delayed vertical suplex keeps Burke in trouble so it’s off to Cor Von for the power showdown.

Lashley leapfrogs Cor Von and elbows him in the face, which somehow makes Striker tag himself in. That means Striker can get a beating of his own but Cor Von sneaks in with the Pounce to send Lashley outside. The villains start taking turns on Lashley, who finally fights out of Cor Von’s chinlock. The comeback doesn’t last long as Cor Von knocks him down again, setting up the seated abdominal stretch. Lashley fights up again and starts pummeling Striker, including the spear for the pin as Burke and Cor Von watch from ringside.

Rating: C-. Another match where they didn’t have a lot of options and even the logical way to go was only so good. Lashley has been built up about as much as he can for a match like he has coming up so this was just the last thing he did rather than any major push. New Breed continues to fall apart, and that is a good thing as the team is ready to go on their separate ways.

Replays and glaring wrap up the show.

Overall Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one and that isn’t a big surprise. It was pretty clear that Lashley vs. McMahon is the only real story on the show, so what else were they supposed to do for the rest of the hour? ECW does not have a lot of depth when it comes to stories. The matches themselves haven’t been much either, leaving this as a not very surprising lackluster effort.

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

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AND

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

Top WWE Star Injured Going Into Crown Jewel.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/top-wwe-star-injured-going-crown-jewel/

Chris Jericho Taking Some Time Away From AEW TV Due To Fozzy Tour.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/chris-jericho-taking-time-away-aew-tv-due-fozzy-tour/

AEW Has Several Contracts Expiring Within The Next Year.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/aew-several-contracts-expiring-within-next-year/

How Roman Reigns Is Viewed Backstage In WWE.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/roman-reigns-viewed-backstage-wwe/

Paul Heyman Teases Surprising Addition To The Bloodline.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/paul-heyman-teases-surprising-addition-bloodline/

Roman Reigns Slams CM Punk, Says A Match “Doesn’t Do Anything For Him”.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/roman-reigns-slams-cm-punk-says-match-doesnt-anything/

AEW’s Cody Rhodes Says He’s Woody From Toy Story.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/aews-cody-rhodes-says-hes-woody-toy-story/

Backstage News On How WWE Views AEW Internally.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/backstage-news-wwe-views-aew-internally/

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.

Rampage
Date: October 15, 2021
Location: James L. Knight Center, Miami, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Ricky Starks, Taz

This is another special edition of the show as we have a bonus first hour airing on YouTube, which seems to be retaliation for WWE running an extra half hour of Smackdown this week. The bonus hour will feature Bryan Danielson vs. Minoru Suzuki while the regular show has CM Punk against Matt Sydal. Let’s get to it.

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

Buy-In: Tay Conti vs. Santana Garrett

Anna Jay is here with Conti, who takes Garrett down by the arm to start. Neither of them can hit am armdrag as commentary hypes up the Rampage card, including a commercial free opener. Conti’s leglock has Garrett in more trouble and she kicks Garrett in the face for two. Garrett is sent to the apron but misses a kick to the face, allowing Conti to roll her back inside for two.

There’s a forearm to Conti’s face to stagger her again and a running elbow in the corner makes it worse. Conti fights out of a leglock and a double hair takedown leaves both of them laying. Garrett’s handspring is broken up and Conti kicks her in the face. Some running kicks to the face in the corner rock Garrett again and the DDTay finishes Garrett at 4:47.

Rating: C. They hit/kicked each other hard here and it was a good way to start the show. The fans respond to Conti and Garrett is someone who can make anyone look better than they already are. You can see that Conti is going somewhere sooner than later and a big run towards the TBS Title would not be a surprise.

Video on Dan Lambert/American Top Team/Men of the Year vs. the Inner Circle. This includes various talking heads (and masks, because Excalibur is here too) talking about how Lambert is getting away with everything he says because of the MMA fighters behind him. As a result, we hear about their careers, which sounds more like reading a Wikipedia entry about their careers. Jorge Masvidal joins in and says they’re going to destroy the Inner Circle tonight. They’re ready to prove their dominance again.

Buy-In: Lee Moriarty vs. Bobby Fish

They go to the mat for the grappling to start before going to an early slugout. Moriarty takes him down by the arm but Fish punches his way to freedom. Fish grabs an armbar and drives Moriarty into the corner for some elbows to the face. Moriarty takes him down though and scores with a running kick to the arm. That’s broken up with a drive into the corner into a dragon screw legwhip to put Moriarty down again. Fish kicks him in the knee and gets two off a snap suplex.

Back up and Moriarty goes after the arm to take Fish down again, setting up the double stomp for two. Another comeback doesn’t get Fish very far as Moriarty suplexes him down for another near fall, complete with holding the bad arm. Fish reverses a suplex into a choke and a jumping knee gives him two. An exploder suplex sends Moriarty into the ropes and a big kick to the face finishes for Fish at 7:53.

Rating: B-. Yeah this worked, and it’s great to see Moriarty getting a chance. He really was one of the better indy stars going before he was signed to AEW so they certainly have an eye for talent. On top of that, Bobby Fish getting a chance to shine as a singles star is great as well, even if he might not go very far beyond being a good hand.

Video on Bryan Danielson, who is awesome and impressive, but his toughest test is tonight against Minoru Suzuki.

Buy-In: Bryan Danielson vs. Minoru Suzuki

They fight over arm control to start with Suzuki getting the better of things. The fans say this is wrestling as Danielson can’t get anywhere with an armbar. A snapmare takes Danielson down into a chinlock and he has to go to the ropes to escape a kneebar. Back up and Suzuki (mostly) blocks a dragon screw legwhip and tells Danielson to bring it. The fans do the YES pose and chant SI (ok that’s really clever) as it’s time to trade big shots.

Suzuki stands in the middle of the ring for a kick to the chest and actually gets staggered for a surprise. One heck of a forearm puts Danielson down and he seems to be immediately regretting this decision. Danielson is back up to take Suzuki to the mat for the hammer and anvil elbows. The threat of Cattle Mutilation sends Suzuki bailing to the ropes, where he pulls Danielson into a cross armbreaker.

Suzuki takes him to the floor and strikes away but lets Danielson get back in like a good monster. Danielson’s strikes don’t get him very far as the fans seem split. The armbar goes on, with Danielson getting to the rope as fast as he can. They head outside again with Danielson getting in a shot of his own, setting up the running knee off the apron. Back in and Danielson starts kicking at the chest, which just fires Suzuki up even more.

The SI stomps set up Cattle Mutilation but Suzuki rolls out, leaving Danielson to unload with strikes in the corner. Suzuki kicks him right back down so this time it’s Danielson pulling himself up to a strong reaction. The Fujiwara armbar has Danielson in trouble but he makes the rope again. That’s not cool with Suzuki but Danielson pulls him into the LeBell Lock. Somehow Suzuki rolls him over into the ropes for the break and they have to pull themselves back up.

Suzuki isn’t even pretending to be scared of Danielson and the big slugout is on. Stereo shots to the face put both of them down to a standing ovation. The delay lets Taz insult any fans who are watching TV at the moment rather than this before they’re back up for another slugout. Suzuki can’t get the sleeper but Danielson can’t get the LeBell Lock again. Back up and the running knee finishes Suzuki at 19:17.

Rating: A-. This was exactly what you would have wanted it to be and it was great stuff. What matters here is having two guys hit each other really hard until one of them couldn’t get up again. That’s all you could have asked for out of the match and Danielson gets a pretty big win over a legend. Suzuki is someone who can take loss after loss and not lose a thing, so this was about as great as it could have been.

Video on CM Punk’s time in AEW so far, because he has that IT factor. Tonight he has Matt Sydal, who is getting this match as a favor from Lio Rush. They know each other well and we see a clip from their first match in 2005, complete with Sydal talking about how Punk followed him to AEW. Everyone knows it’s going to be big, mainly because Punk is going to be involved.

CM Punk vs. Matt Sydal

We open the regular show with an exchange of arm control and an ICE CREAM BARS chant. Punk throws him into the ropes, possibly by the hair, to get out of an armbar and Sydal isn’t pleased. Sydal flips out of a suplex and they’re at another standoff. Punk gets in a slam and the fans chant OTRA VEZ (ONE MORE TIME) but another attempt is countered with a whip into the ropes.

A kick to the face rocks Punk and we hit the chinlock, with Sydal trapping the arms into a cradle for two in a nice move. It’s time to start in on Punk’s knee for kind of a reverse Muta Lock. The GTS and Lightning Spiral are both blocked and Punk gets two off a dropkick. The leg lariat puts Sydal down again but he is back up with a shot to Punk’s face. They head to the apron with Punk hitting a slam to drop Sydal back first for a nasty landing.

Back up and they both go to the top where an exchange of punches send them crashing to the floor. They get back inside, where Sydal hits him in the face for a near fall. Another Lightning Spiral attempt is countered into a neckbreaker to give Punk a breather and they take their time getting up.

Sydal grabs something like a reverse Texas Cloverleaf (like the Billy Goat’s Curse but with a Cloverleaf instead of a Boston crab) before trying to switch to a cobra stretch. That’s reversed into an Anaconda Vice attempt but Sydal is in the ropes in a hurry. A big kick to the head sets up the Lightning Spiral for two and they’re both down off the kickout. Sydal tries a crucifix but Punk counters into the GTS for the pin at 14:48.

Rating: B. This was the kind of match that Punk needs at the moment, as he had to go long to get a good win. It shows that he can still do it against good wrestlers, as Sydal can have a solid match with anyone. It’s easily Sydal’s best match in AEW and Punk broke a serious sweat to get there. Commentary did a nice job throwing in their history with each other to make it even better. Heck of a TV match here.

Respect is shown post match.

The Dark Order is back together and they’re ready for Adam Cole and the Young Bucks.

Bunny vs. Ruby Soho

Ruby goes after the arm to start before getting serious with a knee to the face for one. Bunny avoids a charge in the corner though and hits a dropkick to send Ruby into the buckle for two. Ruby manages to kick her away and goes up, only to get pulled down head first onto the buckle. Bunny’s sliding elbow in the corner rocks Ruby again and we take a break.

Back with Bunny in trouble on the floor thanks to a Downward Spiral. Soho unloads with chops in the corner and pulls her face first into the middle buckle. A running shot to the back of the head gives Ruby two but Bunny is back with a German superplex for two of her own. Down The Rabbit Hole is loaded up but Ruby reverses into a backslide for the pin at 10:43.

Rating: C. Perfectly fine match here with Ruby picking up a win over a high profile enough name. Bunny might not be the best in the ring but she has a presence that makes her feel important. Ruby is still a big deal and looks different enough to stand out, so she should be someone to watch in the TBS Title tournament.

Post match Penelope Ford comes in to help double team Ruby and the brass knuckles knock her silly.

Here’s what’s coming on Dynamite and next week on Rampage.

We get the split screen interview with Dan Lambert and American Top Team being ready to destroy the Inner Circle. The Inner Circle isn’t scared though and promises that Junior Dos Santos’ grandmother can make him a cake.

Inner Circle vs. Men of the Year/Junior Dos Santos

Dan Lambert and Jorge Masvidal are here with Dos Santos and company, with Lambert wanting a lot more respect. Sammy Guevara starts for the Circle and dropkicks Scorpio Sky down, setting up a quick bow. It’s off to Chris Jericho for a clothesline but Dos Santos comes in, with Jericho trying to punch with him for some reason. This goes very badly for Jericho, who is punched out to the floor in a hurry.

Jake Hager comes in for the showdown with Dos Santos taking him into the corner, only to be powered down as well. Dos Santos knees Hager in the face and the beating is on until Hager knees Sky down. The hot tag brings in Jericho, who goes outside to get into Masvidal’s face. The distraction lets Ethan Page get in a cheap shot from behind to take over as we go to a break. Back with Dos Santos powerslamming Jericho for two and handing it off to Page. An enziguri gets Jericho out of trouble and the hot tag brings Guevara back in.

The double springboard cutter drops Sky and there’s a Spanish Fly to Page. Guevara’s running shooting star press gets two on Sky as everything breaks down. The Lionsault gets two on Skyw ith Page making a save. Everyone else goes to the floor with the fans going nuts off….I think a big Guevara dive that the camera missed. Dos Santos gets Rock Bottomed through a table to put him down with Hager still on top of him. Back inside and Jericho gets Sky in the Walls but Paige Vanzant jumps the barricade for a distraction. Masvidal uses the distraction to hit the running knee on Jericho, giving Sky the pin at 11:27.

Rating: B-. Pretty good brawl here with Dos Santos more than hanging in there despite a lack of experience. This feud seems to have a long way to go and it will get better once the rest of the Inner Circle gets involved. Right now they don’t have much to counter all of the MMA guys, but taking it to the streets might work a little better. For now though, this was a nice win for the villains and the feud should be able to continue at a high level.

Post match the big beatdown is on (including Paige Vanzant taking selfies, because she’s an amazingly natural heel) until Santana and Ortiz run in for the save and clear the rung to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. Heck of a night here, even with the extra run time. Having this as a one off two hour special was quite good, though I would hope that they don’t think it should be a regular idea. What we got here was mostly rather good, with Danielson vs. Suzuki being exactly the kind of match this audience would want to see. Punk’s match was good and the main event was a nice match and angle rolled into one. Pretty awesome stuff here and hopefully a good amount of people watched the whole thing.

Results
Tay Conti b. Santana Garrett – DDTay
Bobby Fish b. Lee Moriarty – Kick to the head
Bryan Danielson b. Minoru Suzuki – Running knee
CM Punk b. Matt Sydal – GTS
Ruby Soho b. The Bunny – Backslide
Men of the Year/Junior Dos Santos b. Inner Circle – Running knee to Jericho

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.

Smackdown
Date: October 15, 2021
Location: Toyota Arena, Ontario, California
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

We’re in a unique situation as this is the go home Smackdown for a pay per view but there is one more Raw to go. Crown Jewel is in less than a week with Brock Lesnar challenging Roman Reigns for the Universal Title. Lesnar is here tonight as part of the special Supersized show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here is Edge and, after we see a video on his feud with Seth Rollins and the announcement of Hell in a Cell at Crown Jewel, it’s time for a chat in a chair. Edge talks about how the two of them have had problems for a long time but now Rollins has gone to Edge’s home. That’s the place where he breaks bread with his family and tucks his little girls in at night. It was right out of Edge’s playbook, like the time he slapped John Cena’s dad.

They have traded wins and now it is time to settle this inside the Cell. Rollins is the only one who can match Edge’s intensity and Edge will put him down for good. The trilogy ends in the Cell with Rollins being stomped out for good. Edge’s in-chair promos are awesome and he sold the story rather well.

We recap the Smackdown half of King of the Ring.

Finn Balor is ready to end Sami Zayn.

King of the Ring Semifinals: Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor

Balor takes him down to start and then counters a sunset flip with a basement dropkick. Sami is back up with a shot to the face and some choking on the ropes. Balor fights out of a chinlock though and sends Sami outside for the big flip dive as we take a break. Back with Balor making a comeback and catching Sami on top with a loud chop.

The superplex is broken up with Sami shoving him off the top, only to dive into a dropkick out of the air. Sami is right back up and hits a Blue Thunder Bomb for two of his own. The exploder suplex sends Balor into the corner but the Helluva Kick misses. Instead Balor kicks Sami in the head but the Coup de Grace is broken up as well.

Sami’s rollup with feet on the ropes gets two and it’s time to argue with the referee. Balor is back up with the Sling Blade into another missed Coup de Grace. Sami rolls him up for two more but another exploder is countered, setting up the jumping double stomp. There’s a shotgun dropkick in the corner, followed by a shotgun dropkick in the corner. Now the Coup de Grace sends Balor to Crown Jewel at 11:24.

Rating: B. Again, the men’s match gets the time and winds up being pretty good stuff. There wasn’t much in the way of drama here as Sami doesn’t do the Saudi Arabia shows, though it’s hard to imagine Sami beating Balor in a big match in the first place. Good match here, with the last few minutes being rather hot.

Video on Paul Heyman being put in the middle of Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, which certainly has him torn between two monsters. We see some clips of Heyman and Lesnar’s time together over the years. Reigns isn’t sure where Heyman’s loyalties lie and Lesnar isn’t making it better by thanking Heyman for his free agent status. We also see last week, with Heyman doing what Reigns says and promising Reigns will beat Lesnar before dropping to his knees in reverence. This was excellent, as tends to be the case with this kind of WWE video.

Naomi vs. Sonya Deville

Hold on though as Sonya is here in a suit. The match is still happening, but we have an addition.

Naomi vs. Sonya Deville/Shayna Baszler

No tags here so Sonya slaps Naomi in the face, only to have her kick Shayna in the face. The chase is on until Sonya hits a running knee to the face. Shayna holds Naomi up for a shot to the ribs but she fights out and hits a springboard kick to drops Shayna in a hurry. Sonya grabs the foot though and it’s the Kirifuda Clutch to put Naomi out, allowing Sonya to cover her with a foot for the pin at 2:33. I’m glad to see Sonya back in the ring, as she really was getting good when everything happened last year.

Video on Hit Row.

Here’s what’s coming up, which is translated to “don’t switch to the Rampage Buy-In show”.

Sasha Banks is ready to beat Becky Lynch tonight, which is about righting some wrongs. She’s getting the title back at Crown Jewel.

Crown Jewel rundown.

Here is Seth Rollins (looking like a deck of cards/Harley Quinn exploded on his jacket) for a chat. He heard what Edge said earlier tonight and it was the best joke he has heard in months. No he isn’t scared to face Edge inside the Cell. See, Hell has already frozen over tonight in Los Angeles, because Edge has already said that Rollins is not Edge Lite.

It is time to prove that he is better than Edge in every single way and now he is going to prove it inside the Cell. Rollins makes it clear that he is not afraid of Edge, who the fans want to see. Rollins has more experience in the Cell and it made him the man he is today. It does end in the Cell, but not like the fairy tale Edge is expecting. Good promo, though not quite as good as Edge’s.

Carmella and Zelina Vega know that they’re better than Toni Storm and Liv Morgan. Tonight, they’ll have a fair match in the Queen’s Crown Tournament.

Queen’s Crown Tournament Semifinals: Carmella vs. Zelina Vega

Carmella is willing to fight without the mask here and takes Vega down by the arm to start. Vega rolls her up so Carmella kicks her in the face. That’s too far for Vega so Carmella begs forgiveness, sending Vega into a face punching rage. Now Carmella wants the mask, plus a timeout to put it on. That’s going to be difficult as Liv Morgan has the mask, which scares Carmella back inside so Vega can grab a small package for the pin at 2:45. They really can’t help themselves with these short matches can they? Or is this just trolling now?

Video on Sheamus.

It’s time for Happy Talk with Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss. First up, Moss tells a story about a chicken who has an eggsisential crisis. That moves them on to Kevin Owens, who isn’t all that much to see. Corbin is excited about the new names showing up next week but Rick Boogs interrupts the jokes (to McAfee’s incredibly happiness). Shinsuke Nakamura is here to dance around the ring as Boogs plays guitar and McAfee wishes Cole a happy birthday. That’s all that happens, meaning there is no reason for the show to end.

Video on New Day.

Tag Team Titles: Street Profits vs. Usos

The Profits are challenging in a street fight and get some Boogs during their entrance. It’s a brawl to start with Ford hammering on Jimmy in the corner, only to get pulled down for a neckbreaker. Dawkins is taken outside and sent into the barricade, only to have Ford hit a crazy flip dive over the post. The Profits whip out a table but the Usos take them down with a dive as we take a break.

Back with the Profits still in trouble and the kendo sticks being brought in. Dawkins is left alone for the shots to various parts of his body, including the big double swing for two. The kickout sends the Usos into a rage with more shots but Ford is back in with a VERY high crossbody to take both of them down. Ford chairs Jimmy down for two but Jey is back in with a pop up Samoan drop.

That earns him a toss into a belly to back suplex and more kendo stick shots from the Profits. A Doomsday Device is broken up and Dawkins is sent shoulder first into the post, setting up a double superkick for two on Ford. Dawkins is back for the Anointment into the twisting frog splash, only to have Jey break up the cover. Jey puts Ford through the table at ringside so Dawkins tackles him down and hammers away. The double teaming cuts him down again though and it’s the double Superfly Splash to finish Dawkins at 14:18.

Rating: B. Pretty awesome fight here with both teams working hard, though that’s a pretty definitive way to wrap up the feud between the teams. The Usos have beaten the Profits more than once now and it seems that we are getting ready for the New Day vs. the Usos. Again. As always. Anyway, this was rather awesome and a heck of a TV match.

Becky Lynch talks about how great she is, from going undefeated for so long to winning the title back after having a baby. She’ll win again at Crown Jewel.

Video on Charlotte.

Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks

Non-title and here is Bianca Belair to join commentary. Becky works on the arm to start and then runs Banks over with a shoulder. Banks is right back with a missed running Meteora, allowing Becky to roll her up for two. An exchange of rollups gives us a standoff so Banks tries and fails to get the Bank Statement. Becky manages to catch her with a legdrop to the back for two and the stomping is on in the corner. Banks is sent HARD into the post and now it’s time to work on Banks’ shoulder.

We hit the reverse chinlock to keep Banks down but she fights up with the Three Amigos. That’s fine with Becky, who sends her shoulder first into the post. The middle rope Fameasser in the ropes gives Becky two but Banks sends her into the post for a change. Banks hits the running knees in the corner, setting up the top rope Meteora for two. The Backstabber sends Becky outside (Bianca: “Hey Becky.”) but she counters a sunset bomb into a legdrop on the apron.

Back in and Banks drops her again, setting up a frog splash for two. Banks hits the double knees in the corner but another try is countered into an exploder. Becky goes up top for the top rope legdrop and another near fall. The kickout has Becky mumbling to herself and she misses another middle rope Fameasser. They head outside with Becky dropping Belair but getting kicked up against the barricade. Back in and Lynch gets up her knees to block another frog splash and they’re both down.

A butterfly suplex sets up a cross armbreaker (not the Disarm-Her Cole) but Banks slips out again. Some uppercuts rock Banks but the Manhandle Slam is countered into a rollup. Another Backstabber sets up the Bank Statement, sending Becky bailing to the rope. That lets Belair try a hair whip on Becky’s arm, setting up another Backstabber to finish Becky at 18:37.

Rating: B. This was a long match and felt like it belonged on a pay per view, as you do not see Becky lose a singles match like, ever. Belair costing Becky (after she missed the legdrop that had served her well in the match) the match is a good way to set up the title match, as it feels like a match where three women have a reason to fight. You don’t get that very often and this was a pretty awesome way to get things ready.

Adam Pearce pops up to get the contract signing ready. Here are Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman, with Brock Lesnar coming out next. Lesnar puts his feet up on the table as Heyman says his counsel is to sign the contract. Reigns signs and Lesnar does as well, without even looking at the deal. That makes Reigns laugh and say Lesnar must be some kind of a dumb***. Lesnar says he already read the contract this morning….with his advocate Paul Heyman. That’s enough for Lesnar who walks away with a big smile on his face. Reigns is NOT pleased and can barely look at Heyman.

We run down the Crown Jewel card to fill in some of the five minutes left with the big segment over.

Overall Rating: A-. That’s one of the best Smackdowns, or probably WWE shows, in a VERY long time with three good to great matches and a pretty awesome closing segment as well. I had a great time with this show and it is worth the watch, assuming you skip the first two women’s matches. Other than that, this was WWE letting the wrestlers wrestle and the show worked as a result. Awesome stuff with three matches carrying the night.

Results
Finn Balor b. Sami Zayn – Coup de Grace
Sonya Deville/Shayna Baszler b. Naomi – Pin after a Kirifuda Clutch
Zelina Vega b. Carmella – Small package
Usos b. Street Profits – Double Superfly Splash to Dawkins
Sasha Banks b. Becky Lynch – Backstabber

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: October 14, 2021
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Josh Matthews, D’Lo Brown

We’re less than two weeks away from Bound For Glory and that means it is time to really hammer home the stories. Most of the card is set, save for the final spot in the X-Division Title match. Things have been going well as of late and I’m actually interested in where the show goes. Keeping that up is not going to easy but maybe they can make it work. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at last week’s main event as Josh Alexander vs. Christian Cage continues to heat up.

X-Division Title Qualifying Match: Rohit Raju vs. El Phantasmo vs. Willie Mack

The winner joins Trey Miguel and Steve Maclin for the title match at Bound For Glory and the rest of the Bullet Club is in Phantasmo’s corner. Phantasmo is sent outside to start, leaving Mack to shoulder Raju down. Phantasmo replaces Raju and can’t get anywhere with some shoulders of his own. This time it’s Mack being knocked outside so Raju and Phantasmo can slug it out. That’s broken up and Raju is sent outside again as they certainly have a formula here.

Phantasmo manages to knock Mack down and hit a springboard Swanton for two. Back in and Raju hits a Cannonball to both of them at the same time. Mack runs them both over though and shows off the crazy power with the double Samoan drop. The double standing moonsault gets two but Phantasmo catches Mack on top.

That means a super hurricanrana, with Mack Swantoning onto Raju for a big crash. A top rope splash gets two on Mack but he’s right back with the Stunner. The Club has the referee so Mack kicks them to the floor and hits the big flip dive. Raju uses the breather to Flatline Phantasmo for two but Phantasmo is back with a rather low punch. The Pedigree style Neutralizer gives Phantasmo the pin at 9:37.

Rating: C+. It’s hard to screw up a match like this and they certainly didn’t here. Phantasmo winning is fine as you don’t want to have two heels in a three way match for the title. The drawback here was the fairly fired formula of having two in and one out, as there was barely any stretch of the match with all three involved. That’s how triple threat works, but it would be nice to try something else for a change.

Ace Austin and Madman Fulton are ready for tonight’s battle royal to determine the entrance order for the Call Your Shot gauntlet match (this company has a bad history of making things a bit complicated). Neither of them are worried about possibly being #1, because Fulton likes fighting a bunch of people at once.

Here’s what’s coming tonight and at Bound For Glory.

Savannah Evans vs. Lady Frost

Tasha Steelz is here with Evans. Frost strikes away to start and is easily sent into the corner for a running shoulder to the ribs. The comeback is cut off with a big boot and we take a break with Evans in full control. Back with Evans hitting a Samoan drop but Frost manages some running shoulders in the corner. That earns Frost a heck of a clothesline, setting up a full nelson slam to give Evans the pin at 7:39.

Rating: C-. More or less a squash here with Evans being established as the new monster. You can always go with that as it serves as a way to keep her strong at the moment, which can set up someone conquering her later on. Frost has a good look but hasn’t exactly done anything to make herself stand out so far.

Post match here are Deonna Purrazzo and Matthew Rehwoldt for a chat. Purrazzo is here because she gets to pick Mickie James’ opponent for next week and Evans sounds like a good idea. Evans is down.

Steve Maclin says people don’t know his background but he’ll let us in. Where he comes from, there are people called ribbon chasers and they almost got him killed. Around here, he sees people chasing titles, but he’s going to win the X-Division Title because he wants a target on his back.

Gail Kim recaps Knockouts Knockdown, including the announcement that the IInspiration will get a Knockouts Tag Team Title shot at Bound For Glory. Decay comes in to say they shouldn’t have to defend the titles, but Kim gets a letter from a deliveryman. It’s from the IInspiration, who think it’s nice that Decay gets to share the ring with them. We wrap it up with “if this letter is not read out loud in an Australian accent, please start again from the beginning.” That was funny, but Rosemary is ready for violence and chaos at Bound For Glory.

VSK vs. Rich Swann

Brian Myers and Willie Mack are here too. VSK strikes away to start and scores with a fast fireman’s carry backbreaker. A slam into a splash gives VSK two and we’re already in the chinlock. Swann fights up and slugs away, setting up a neckbreaker. The Phoenix splash finishes VSK at 2:59.

Johnny Swinger is still cleaning out Swinger’s Palace but Hernandez comes in to take all of his money. One of the Swingerellas comes up to Swinger and asks him out. That’s a no, and she walks away in tears. Swinger leaves, so here is Chris Sabin to see the place one more time. Swingerella #2 (or Riley) says she likes him but his love is the wrestling ring. She leaves, so Sabin sits down and we get a montage of moments from the Palace. I’m going to miss the place too, as it went from a one off joke into a pretty funny running gag.

Heath comes in to see Scott D’Amore and is ready to sign his contract. One thing though: he wants his first match to be at Bound For Glory and wants to team with Rhino against Violent By Design. D’Amore doesn’t think Rhino is interested, but Heath will fight by himself is Rhino doesn’t show up. That’s good enough for D’Amore and the contract is signed.

Chris Bey vs. Chris Sabin

The Bullet Club and FinJuice are here too. Feeling out process to start with Sabin shouldering him down and grabbing a quickly broken armbar. They fight over armdrags and that means an early standoff. The guys on the floor almost get into a fight so the referee tosses them before anything can happen.

We settle down to Sabin grabbing a snap suplex for two but Bey ties him in the ropes for a middle rope elbow. Another elbow gets two on Sabin, setting up a top rope clothesline for the same. The chinlock goes on but Sabin fights up and scores with a pretty hard kick to the chest.

A rolling fisherman’s buster (as in a fisherman’s suplex but Sabin rolls through and hits a buster) gets two on Bey, who kicks him in the head again for another near fall. Back up and they trade clotheslines for a double knockdown. They slug it out until Bey loads up a rolling…something, only to get kicked out of the air. The Cradle Shock finishes Bey at 12:07.

Rating: B-. This was fun and good at the same time, which is quite the hard to pull off. The two of them are both able to go in the ring and do just about whatever they want, which is rather hard to pull off. Sabin is a legend around here and it makes sense to warm him up again, even if that means beating Bey clean in a good match.

Trey Miguel is ready for the X-Division Title match and has already beaten a few people. Cue one of those wrestlers in Alex Zayne, who says Miguel never beat him. That’s fine with Miguel and a match is made, for some reason with an allegory about a chicken sandwich. Also of note: Zayne TOWERS over Miguel and it’s a bit of a strange visual.

The Good Brothers are still on vacation and are ready to be back at Bound For Glory. Now get them some opponents already.

Battle Royal

Ace Austin, Madman Fulton, Fallah Bahh, Moose, Hernandez, W. Morrissey, Brandi Lauren, Kimber Lee, Matt Cardona, Johnny Swinger, Petey Williams, Alisha Edwards, Matthew Rehwoldt, Jake Something, Brian Myers, Rachael Ellering, Laredo Kid, Black Taurus, Raj Singh

The winner is #20 in the Call Your Shot gauntlet but the runner up is #1. Moose tosses Alisha in a hurry and Swinger eliminates himself to get away from Lauren and Lee. Austin hides behind Fulton and Cardona tosses Williams. Cardona can’t eliminate Myers as the Learning Tree catches him for the save, only to have Ellering kick Myers out instead. Kid is tossed with Taurus and Hernandez following. There goes Rehwoldt, followed by Ellering and Singh. The ring is getting cleared out a bit and we take a break.

Back with a bunch of brawling and near eliminations until Austin kicks Something out. Fulton shrugs off some mist and helps Austin get rid of Lauren and Lee. Cardona takes too long loading up a running boot and gets tossed, leaving us with Moose, Morrissey, Fulton, Austin and Sabin. Fulton gets the better of a brawl between the giants until a double big boot knocks him out.

We take another break and come back again with Fulton saving Austin from an elimination. Austin tries to get together with the monsters, who toss him out in a hurry. Sabin manages to low bridge Moose to the apron and kicks the leg out, leaving us with two. A missile dropkick puts Morrissey down but Moose pushes him back over the top. Morrissey unloads on Sabin before tossing him out for the win at 19:38.

Rating: C. These things are always kind of hard to grade but a monster winning is a smart move, especially if you put Sabin at the start. Sabin is someone who could put on a good run and even tease a win in the end so this was a well thought out match. It wasn’t the most interesting match, but it could have been a lot worse.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Minoru Suzuki is coming. Well dang.

The ropes have been taken down and we get a sitdown interview between Christian Cage and Josh Alexander. Christian talks about how important it was to win the title back because he spent so many years out of the ring due to his injuries. Alexander talks about how much the X-Division means to him but now he wants to make it mean even more by winning the World Title. He doesn’t have a single regret about the decision he made and is ready for Bound For Glory.

Christian sees the fire in Alexander’s eyes but no one thinks in the ring like he does. Alexander grew up watching Christian and is a huge fan but at Bound For Glory, Alexander is the wild card. Christian knows what it takes to be on this stage and it’s going to be sink or swim, which Alexander will learn soon. He’s a fan of Alexander, but we see a clip of a fan asking if Christian would like to face him, and Christian doesn’t know who Alexander is. Alexander storms off to end the show. That’s the kind of personal Edge that the match needed.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was a nice boost toward Bound For Glory and that’s what it needed to be. The pay per view is looking better every week and I’m still getting used to this idea of being into Impact. If they can make Bound For Glory a better version of TV, we’re going to be in for a heck of a show. Nicely done here, and that has been the norm for a good while now.

Results
El Phantasmo b. Willie Mack and Rohit Raju – Double underhook faceplant to Raju
Savannah Evans b. Lady Frost – Full nelson slam
Rich Swann b. VSK – Phoenix splash
Chris Sabin b. Chris Bey – Cradle Shock
W. Morrissey won a battle royal last eliminating Chris Sabin

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

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

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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 UK
Date: October 14, 2021
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s championship week as Ilja Dragunov is back to defend the United Kingdom Title against A-Kid. That has all the makings of a great match, but more importantly, there will be a crowd here for the first time in WAY too long as the United Kingdom has started to lighten their Coronavirus restrictions. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence, with a new song.

The fans are back!

Blair Davenport vs. Stevie Turner

Davenport jumps Turner before the bell as we start fast. That’s fine with Turner, who fights back at the bell and scores with a Thesz press to hammer away. Some right hands in the corner don’t work out so well as Davenport drops her face first onto the turnbuckle and scores with a basement dropkick to the back of the head. Turner is back up with a running boot to the face and some neckbreakers get two. Davenport BLASTS her with a kick to the head for two more but Turner is back with a Side Effect for the same. That’s enough for Davenport, who knees her in the face and hits a Falcon Arrow for the pin at 4:36.

Rating: C. This was short and to the point, as Davenport shrugged off Turner’s offense and pinned her in short order. You can tell that Davenport is likely the next big thing and eventually the top star in the division, but we still have a little while before we get that far. They had another good step here though, as it is nice to have Davenport back in the ring.

Sha Samuels commandeers a birthday party and gives it to Noam Dar instead. Samuels isn’t happy with the banners but Dar says this can be a warmup for the real celebration when he wins the Heritage Cup.

Rohan Raja makes excuses to Teoman for the Heritage Cup tournament but Teoman promises that the family will grow soon.

Sid Scala has a match to announce when Jinny and Joseph Conners come in. As luck would have it, the match was about her, as Jinny challenges Meiko Satomura for the Women’s Title in three weeks. Jinny’s advice to Scala: burn his clothes.

Flash Morgan Webster vs. Sha Samuels

Webster dodges to start and scores with some right hands in the corner. A few fast chops annoy Samuels, who takes Webster’s head off with a chop of his own. Some hard kicks to the back give Samuels two and a shoulder to the ribs in the corner gets the same. They head outside with the fans chanting for Webster, who is dropped face first onto the apron.

Back in and Webster suddenly picks up the pace, including a middle rope standing moonsault. Samuels is sent outside for a change and that means a suicide dive from Webster. They head back inside where Webster scores with a running kick to the face for another near fall, setting up a heck of a top rope flip dive to the floor. Back in again and Webster scores with a headbutt but walks into a spinebuster to give Samuels the pin at 8:16.

Rating: B-. They were starting to rock here with that Webster comeback being a standout highlight. This was a rather fun edition of power vs. speed and that is going to work every single time. Webster doesn’t get as much attention as Mark Andrews but he showcases himself well when he gets the chance.

It’s time for another Nina Samuels Show, with Xia Brookside not realizing she is the guest. Brookside calls over Leah James and gets a match with her instead. End of show.

We recap Dave Mastiff/Jack Starz cutting off Symbiosis’ attempt at interfering in a recent tag match. They’re facing off next week as a result.

Gallus interrupts Jordan Devlin’s meeting with Sid Scala. Devlin doesn’t want to hear this and threatens to take Joe Coffey out soon.

United Kingdom Title: A-Kid vs. Ilja Dragunov

A-Kid is challenging and circles around the champ to start until a headscissors pulls him to the mat. They go with some grappling until A-Kid rapid fires kicks to the leg. That earns him a big chop but he nips up and kicks at the leg some more. Dragunov checks one though and snaps off a German suplex, sending us back to the grappling. That’s broken up so Dragunov snaps off the rebound lariat, only to hurt his own arm in the process.

Now it’s Dragunov’s turn to crank on the leg but A-Kid chops his way out of a leglock. The leg gets cranked back again though and it’s time to chop A-Kid in the corner. Dragunov gets two off something like a powerbomb but A-Kid kicks at the bad arm to get a breather. The good arm is fine enough to blast A-Kid….who responds by kicking Dragunov in the face. The kicks to the chest (with the bad leg) don’t do much to Dragunov, who catches the leg and sends us back to a strike off.

A kick to the head sets up a fisherman’s suplex (with the bad leg being raised) for two on Dragunov, who is right back with an STO. Dragunov takes him down with a hard knee to the ribs and the rolling German suplexes, though A-Kid cranks on the arm to escape. Some elbows to the head set up another suplex for two on A-Kid as the fans (accurately) deem this awesome. Dragunov misses a top rope backsplash and gets pulled into a sleeper. With that broken up, A-Kid scores with a running kick to the chest.

An armbar over the ropes has Dragunov hurt again but he drops A-Kid again. Torpedo Moscow is cut off with a kick to the face though and they’re both down one more time. They slug it out with A-Kid getting the better of things and Dragunov not being able to powerbomb his way out of a cross armbreaker. He can however flip out of an Oomoplata, setting up Torpedo Moscow to the leg. Another Torpedo Moscow retains the title at 19:25.

Rating: A-. This was excellent stuff and the two of them beat the fire out of each other. That is what you should be expecting to see from Dragunov these days and A-Kid was able to hang in there with him every step of the way. The battle of limb manipulation was great here and it felt like a huge main event title match. These guys brought it and the match was excellent throughout, as you probably expected.

Dragunov demands A-Kid stand up so the handshake can end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. There is a reason that this show has been so well received as of late and the fans being back only make it better. This show felt important again and the energy from the fans played a bit role in that change. Granted the main event being a nearly twenty minute clinic helped as well, as we had one of the better editions of this show in a very long time.

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

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AND

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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.