Wrestlemania Count-Up – Wrestlemania I (Original): My First Review

IMG Credit: WWE

This is ancient by my standards and literally the first review I ever did. Please be gentle.

Wrestlemania 1
Date: March 31, 1985
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Attendance: 19,121
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse Ventura
National Anthem: Gene Okerlund

And so it begins. Wrestlemania is here. In what was perhaps the greatest cross promotional strategy of all time, the WWF teamed up with MTV to promote the biggest wrestling show of all time in what was called the Rock N Wrestling Connection. This idea was nothing short of genius and it truly got the war going with the NWA. Spearheaded by the feud between Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper, this show was all about fanfare. While little happened as far as historical significance, this show goes down in history as being great simply because of what it meant in history. Never before had mainstream celebrities been mixed with wrestling on such a vast scale. Obviously the results were great and Wrestlemania was born.

Tito Santana vs. The Executioner

Anyway, let’s get going with the show. To begin with, in the first match in the history of Wrestlemania, we see Tito Santana vs. The Executioner, portrayed by Buddy “Blow Away” Rose. Before the match we get a pre-recorded interview (which I believe all of them are tonight) from the Executioner saying that he’s going after Santana’s leg which was already injured. The match is pretty much what you would expect for an 80s WWF match. Very standard stuff that’s by no means bad, but not really great either. Tito is at his best here against a random heel, and he wins in standard fashion with a forearm and the figure four.

Rating: C. Considering it’s the first ever match at the biggest show that would ever exist, I didn’t know what to expect. It’s certainly not bad, but doesn’t really set a good first foot forward for Wrestlemania if that makes sense. This is more famous for simply being the first match in the history of the biggest wrestling series ever, but it wasn’t anything special at all.

King Kong Bundy vs. Special Delivery Jones

The next match is I believe still the shortest in Wrestlemania history as King Kong Bundy faces Special Delivery Jones. More prerecorded comments with Bundy saying he’s mad about something or other. In less than 25 seconds, Bundy hits a pair of splashes to pin Jones. This match was the epitome of a squash match. No rating of course.

“Maniac” Matt Borne says this is his chance to beat one of the best wrestlers in the world. Steamboat is too nice of a guy which will be his downfall.

Steamboat says this is a big test for him. Wow he must have a bad memory if this is his biggest challenge.

Matt Borne vs. Ricky Steamboat

Now we get onto a solid match with the always dependable Ricky Steamboat vs. Matt Borne, who is far more famous as heel Doink. Jesse is ROCKING that pink tuxedo. Not a lot of people can get away with that big Jesse is making it work for me. What was up with the five bells after everyone’s name? Steamboat is in the basic white tights which is odd to see indeed.

Feeling out process to start. Why can’t it ever be a feeling up process? Steamboat chops away and we get a chinlock seconds in. That’s not something you see everyday. I miss hearing Jesse call Gorilla Gino. A long atomic drop has Borne in trouble but he gets one of his own to avoid us hitting squash territory.

Ok perhaps you should forget the lack of a squash here as it’s almost all Steamboat here. At least the right guy is doing the squashing. Borne gets a suplex for two as even Gorilla says this isn’t going to work. He throws left handed punches and Gorilla concludes that he is in fact left handed.

We’re getting a lot of suplexes in this. Swinging neckbreaker by the Dragon gets no cover. A knee drop gets two. Steamboat speeds things up all of a sudden and there’s the flying cross body and I think you know what that means as this is 1985. Yep it’s over.

Rating: C-. Glorified squash match here with nothing special happening at all for the most part. Steamboat is always fun to see and this was no exception here. He would get a bit higher on the card in coming years before getting his lone world title in 1989. Borne would bounce around various companies before dancing with bear cubs in WCW and becoming a clown in WWF. Nice way to see different career paths.

David Sammartino vs. Brutus Beefcake

Now we go on to what was little more than a reason to have the managers brawl at ringside, we have David Sammartino against Brutus Beefcake. Davide is accompanied by his father and Johnny Valiant for Beefcake. Big stall to start which is filled in by Gorilla talking about how great the crowd is, and for the time it really was. Finally we get going and Jesse cracks me up by saying that a loss for either man here could set their careers back 2 years.

That’s nothing but priceless. Anyway, we have a nice little wrestling sequence to start with Beefcake stalling again after sliding to the floor. We’re almost 5 minutes in and nothing at all of interest has happened yet. They’re trying to do a technical match and it’s just failure. I’m quite bored as I watch this match and it’s not getting any better.

I feel like I’m watching a house show match, but not the good kind. I feel like I’m watching a house show match that makes jobbers look good. Even the commentators sound bored here, yet for some reason the crowd is into this. FINALLY we get the managers involved and it’s a huge brawl for the double DQ.

Rating: D-. I was so bored I almost fell asleep. Absolutely nothing at all of note and it was just done to get Bruno on the show. David had a lot to live up to and for the most part he never came close which is the case for the vast majority of the kids of major stars. If nothing else look at David Flair. This was a very bad match though as Beefcake was the top guy in the ring which sums up things rather well.

JYD says he’ll win.

Valentine says he’ll win.

IC Title: Junkyard Dog vs. Greg Valentine

No intro for Valentine as he’s just in the ring. That was far more common back then. It’s hard to imagine that the title is less than six years old at this point. Another One Bites The Dust by Queen brings Dog to the ring. I prefer Grab Them Cakes but that’s just me.

Valentine was awesome at this point and Gorilla says he might be the best IC Champion of all time at this point and I can’t really put up that much of an argument against that. He would lose the title to Santana soon after this who would lose it to Savage before Mania II. Dog is more or less the challenger of the month at this point and was very popular as well. Why he was popular is beyond me as he tends to be annoying but what do I know?

Naturally the Dog dominates to start with punches and headbutts. Valentine misses a punch and Dog gets on all fours with the heabutts. That’s about the biggest offensive move he’s going to have so I wouldn’t expect much more than that from him. We hear about Jimmy Hart’s stable which has Jim Neidhart but no Bret. It’s so weird to hear about Neidhart being a singles guy.

Valentine goes for the leg. He used the Figure Four as his finisher at this point which apparently he has patented. Did he file for the paperwork for it? Does he get royalties whenever Flair uses it? Dang no wonder he’s broke. Jesse says Valentine has no bones about this. I love bad puns.

Figure Four is kicked off which is the traditional counter of course. They slug it out and surprisingly enough Dog loses. Ok never mind he doesn’t but he was for a few seconds there. Jesse says a Dog headbutt would drop an oak tree. No see you make the tree watch one of his matches and it’ll fall asleep. That is how you drop an oak tree if JYD has to be involved.

Dog goes after Jimmy but Valentine accidentally pops his own manager. Here comes the Dog with his variety pack of punches and headbutts. Valentine cheats to get the pin with his feet on the ropes and apparently gets away with it. Tito runs out to tell the referee what happened so the match is restarted. Why can’t more people do that if they can get away with it? Valentine takes a walk anyway just because he can I guess. No title change thank goodness.

Rating: D+. Pretty boring match here with Valentine dominating for the most part. It went by rather fast though which helped a good bit. I can’t stand the Dog but Valentine is pretty good. This of course set up more of Valentine vs. Santana which helps a lot as at least we got a good feud and eventual title change out of it in a solid cage match between them.

On a side note, the old IC Title looks far better than the one they would replace it with. It’s kind of like the NWA US Title which I’ve always been a fan of. Decent match but really just a placeholder for the most part. Granted though they had no idea what they were doing here so it’s ok I guess.

Next up we have a match that I’ve always kind of liked. For the WWF Tag Team Titles, Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik against the US Express of Mika Rotunda and Barry Windham, who at the show came out to a song called Real American. Upon further review, this match is still pretty good and likely the best match of the night so far.

There’s not much to it but there doesn’t need to be. It’s America vs. foreigners, which is a formula that absolutely never fails. Rotunda plays a great face in peril here as he tries to out wrestle the monsters on the other team. There’s not a lot to this match but what they have is just fine. Big hot tag to Windham who cleans house, which leads to a big brawl. Blassie hands Sheik his cane which is smashed over Windham for a pinfall and a title change.

Rating: B-. Not much here, but what they had was at least passable. It was the standard U.S. versus the evil heels which is a formula that’s hard to mess up if anyone in the match knows what they’re doing, and these people knew. The titles would change back just a few weeks later so this was to do nothing more than get a title change on the card to make it seem historic. Keep in mind that this was still in the era when title reigns were usually longer so this meant a lot more.

Body Slam Match: Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd

It is now time for the first of two famous matches from this card as Andre the Giant faces off with Big John Studd in a $15,000 vs. retirement match. Studd had put out a challenge saying that no one could body slam him, and no one could. Then a man named Andre took him up on the challenge, and this right here is the result of that challenge. Andre controls early on but eventually Studd evens things out.

The crowd is off the hook for this match behind Andre to say the least. This is really just a lot of bearhugs and big punches/forearms for about ten minutes but the crowd eats it up. Andre just goes off on the knee and then slams Studd like it’s nothing at all. He gets the money and throws the money to the crowd, prompting Heenan to steal it and run off.

Rating: D+. The wrestling was awful, but the crowd was going crazy the whole time. Classic example of a match where the crowd played a key factor. Andre was getting to the point here where he couldn’t do much. These giant vs. giant matchups were rarely good but this worked as the whole idea was to just have Andre FINALLY end the “you can’t slam me” angle which he had done about a dozen times on house shows but this was the official one.

Women’s Title: Wendi Richter vs. Lelani Kai

In the penultimate match of the night, we get the first of the Rock N Wrestling matches with the Women’s Title on the line with Wendi Richter against Lelani Kai for the Women’s Title. At the time, Richter was the second biggest face in the company, often main eventing house shows when Hogan was elsewhere. Cyndi Lauper being in her corner didn’t hurt her at all as Lauper got into this.

In a scene that for some reason is now famous, Lauper and Richter run down the aisle in the back of the arena as the crowd is going crazy over this. For one of the only times ever in wrestling, the celebrity manager clearly wants to be doing this. This match is standard back and forth stuff with the young Richter clearly being the one that’s going to win or MSG might have been burned down. Finally Richter reverses a cross body to get the pin and the title as the fans are going insane.

Rating: B. This match was billed as half of the double main event. Think about that for just a bit. The Women’s Title match, main eventing Wrestlemania. If that doesn’t tell you how big Lauper and Richter were, nothing will. I never really got the appeal of Richter but at this time she was main eventing the B-level house shows over the IC Title or Tag Titles. Imagine going to a show today where the main event had Michelle McCool in it.

Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. vs. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff

And now for the main event, we have Mr. T and Hulk Hogan against Piper and Orndorff with Muhammad Ali himself as the guest referee. Why this wasn’t Hogan against Piper one on one is beyond me. As usual, Piper has a live bagpipes band which is always cool. The fans aren’t really booing much because they know what’s coming. Real American was already taken so instead we hear Eye of the Tiger, or at least I think we do.

The eruption is so loud I’m not sure what I’m hearing. Your other referee is Pat Patterson. If you’ve seen one Hogan match you’ve seen them all for the most part and this is no exception. Hogan embarrasses his opponents to start and then gets beaten down with some cheating. Double teams throughout the match on both Hogan and T until finally we get the brawl we’ve all waited for. Bob Orton and Jimmy Snuka are the seconds here and they both get involved.

Finally Orton comes off with the cast to his Hogan but catches Orndorff instead as Hogan pins him. This prompts Piper to leave him in the ring, which led to Orndorff’s face turn. Hogan and T pose as we go off the air.

Rating: B. Basic tag match, but why was this a tag? It just made little sense and there was no drama to it at all. Hogan didn’t even win with the legdrop. Fun little match, but not for the main event of Mania. For the life of me I will never get why this wasn’t Hogan vs. Piper for the title, perhaps with Piper even defending and dropping it to Hogan. Very odd choice indeed but it worked very well for what it was supposed to be.

Overall rating: C-. This show clearly isn’t famous for the wrestling as there’s only 2-3 good matches on the card. What this show is famous for is the idea of a supercard in the biggest arena there was in the biggest city there was with celebrities, national coverage, and a huge main event. The idea was amazing but no one knew what they had here and it shows. For its time this was mind blowing. Now it’s just average at best. Watch it for the last three matches and skip the others.

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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




Ring Of Honor TV – February 26, 2020: Take Me To The New Leader

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: February 26, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni
Host: Quinn McKay

It’s time to keep moving on as we are in Baltimore for Free Enterprise. This was Ring of Honor’s idea to get people back into things by having a free show. That’s not the worst idea in the world and if it gets people talking, so be it. Ring of Honor needs any kind of positive news it can get so maybe this helps things. Let’s get to it.

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

We get a Slex vignette, as he has recently signed with the company.

Alex Shelley vs. Mark Haskins

They go technical to start (duh) as neither can get very far off arm control. Haskins’ rollup might get one as Shelley backs away for a standoff. A headlock takeover works a bit better but Shelley reverses into his very spinning rollup for two. Shelley grabs la majistral into an armbar but Haskins is out in a hurry as well. Haskins kicks him in the chest and we take a break. Back with a fight over an abdominal stretch but Shelley gets flipped into a Crossface.

With that broken up, Haskins starts kicking at the chest, which just seem to annoy Shelley. A slugout gives us a double knockdown with Haskins getting up first. Shelley gets in a snap suplex for a breather and sends Haskins hard into the corner. Haskins is right back with a suplex and a Samoan driver for two as the shock is real. Back up and Shelley hits Sliced Bread into a swinging Downward Spiral. The Border City Stretch (Gargano Escape) goes on but Haskins rolls into the Sharpshooter for the tap at 11:49.

Rating: B. Yeah what else were you expecting here? These two can do some great technical stuff and it was on full display here, as it should have been. Haskins is gearing up for either a Pure Title run or a World Title chase so putting him over here was the only option they had. Shelley is great as the veteran who is putting people over and that’s what they’re mainly using him for these days.

Video on Vincent destroying Matt Taven and the Kingdom.

Dalton Castle and Joe Hendry are ready to fight, because Castle once stared down a spider in all eight eyes, even though he only has two. Castle rubs Hendry’s face because they do what people don’t expect.

Mark Haskins is ready for his World Title triple threat match, though Tracy Williams doesn’t seem thrilled.

Vincent/Bateman vs. Dalton Castle/Joe Hendry

Chuckles and Vita are in Vincent/Bateman’s corner. Bateman and Castle stare at each other to start until Castle takes him into the corner so Hendry can work on the arm. A fireman’s carry into a running shoulder has Bateman in trouble and a jumping knee gives Hendry two. Castle drops a middle rope knee and we hit the waistlock. Vincent holds out Matt Taven’s crutch for a distraction though, which just lets Hendry clothesline Bateman to the floor. Vincent finally comes in and posts Castle as we take a break.

Back with Hendry in trouble as Bateman and Vincent take turns kicking him in the ribs. Vincent gets two off a Side Effect and grabs a guillotine choke for a bonus. That’s broken up with a suplex and the hot tag brings in Castle. House is cleaned with suplexes until Vincent puts Castle on the top.

That goes nowhere as Castle slips down and catches him in a release German suplex. Vincent knocks him outside, only to have Castle get over to Hendry. That means a double fall away slam so Hendry can show off quite a bit as everything breaks down. A reverse Sling Blade puts Bateman down and there’s the facebuster to Vincent, only to have Chuckles pull Castle to the floor. Vincent hits a Dudley Dog for the pin on Hendry at 12:38.

Rating: C+. They were working hard here with Vincent and Bateman continuing to be more interesting than the Kingdom ever was. Castle and Hendry’s oddball stuff isn’t exactly thrilling and the two of them have been doing the same stuff for months now. At least we got a good match out of it though and that’s more than some people can say.

Slex is ready to beat Flip Gordon and it doesn’t matter if it takes twenty minutes or twenty seconds.

Vincent says their future is righteous, if you dig what he is saying.

Video on Slex.

Slex vs. Flip Gordon

Slex is from Australia and calls himself The Business. Gordon goes with a headlock to start and shoulders him down. They miss each other a few times and we take an early break. Back with Back with Slex chopping away at the ropes and hitting a slingshot backbreaker to send Gordon outside. That of course means the suicide dive and a release suplex onto the apron keeps Gordon’s back in trouble. A very delayed vertical suplex drops Gordon for two in a good power display. Slex powerbombs him out of the corner for two more and we the chinlock.

Gordon’s comeback is cut off with a wheelbarrow suplex but it’s a double clothesline to put both of them down again. Gordon heads to the apron for an enziguri and a spinning kick to the head. The twisting Falcon Arrow gets two and we take another break. Back again with Slex hitting a hard clothesline, followed by a torture rack bomb for two more. Gordon hits a superkick and the Kinder Surprise to the floor, followed by the big moonsault. The springboard spear connects for two on Slex, followed by a Curb Stomp to put him away at 11:38.

Rating: B-. Slex looked rather good here and definitely has a future, but why have him lose here? You don’t have to have him beat Gordon (though you could) but having him lose here is one of those questionable things that happens too often in wrestling. It’s ok to let someone debut and win a big match but instead Gordon, who doesn’t need it, gets the win. Slex will be fine, but I don’t get this one.

Post match Gordon shows respect and leaves, but here are the Soldiers of Savagery to distract Slex so Shane Taylor can run in and package piledrive him. Taylor says that since his demands have been met so he’s officially back in ROH.

Overall Rating: B+. Maybe it was just the wrestling they had this time around but this was one of the best ROH shows I’ve seen in a very long time. That’s a nice thing to hear on its own, but the big picture is that it’s one of the first major shows from Marty Scurll. Hopefully that means a good sign for the future, because ROH has been so nothing for such a long time now.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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




Revolution 2020: They Know Their Stuff

IMG Credit: AEW

Revolution
Date: February 29, 2020
Location: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Jim Ross

We’re back on pay per view for the first time in a good while as AEW is much more of a TV company than a major event company. The top of the card looks stacked this time around too and we could be in for a rather big night. The main event is Chris Jericho vs. Jon Moxley for the World Title, but there are two other matches that could easily headline. Let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: SCU vs. Dark Order

It’s Kazarian/Scorpio Sky for SCU, though they have requested that Christopher Daniels stay in the back. The brawl is on before the bell and they fight to the floor, which might not be the best idea given that the Creepers are out there as well. We officially start with Kazarian suplexing Grayson and Sky comes in to kick him in the chest. They head outside again though and Kazarian gets posted, allowing the rest of the Dark Order to beat him down.

Back in and Kazarian can’t quite fight out of the corner as the fans are chanting something about the Creepers. Grayson grabs the chinlock for a bit but Kazarian avoids a charge in the corner. A few flips allow the hot tag to Sky so house can be cleaned. Sky dropkicks Uno into a sunset flip for two and everything breaks down.

Grayson suplexes Sky into Kazarian in the corner for two but Fatality is broken up. Back up and Sky gets creative by monkey flipping Kazarian for a double clothesline to Uno and Grayson. SCULater is broken up with Kazarian getting knocked into the steps and a clothesline to the back of the head finishes Sky at 9:23.

Rating: C. Not too bad here and the Dark Order winning was the only way to go as the Exalted One is arriving soon. I’m not sure who that is going to be but AEW has done a good job of making me wonder. Daniels doesn’t seem to be the most likely candidate as he seems to be more of a red herring. That makes things even better, as there are so many options to pick from.

Post match the beatdown is on but Colt Cabana of all people debuts to make the save. He gets beaten down as well and here’s a guy in a hood. Presumably the Exalted One but it’s actually Daniels, who comes in for the real save. The Dark Order gets beaten down in a hurry.

The opening video looks at all of the matches, which is a nice change of pace from focusing on one or two. Of course the main events get more time but everything is at least mentioned.

National Anthem.

Jake Hager vs. Dustin Rhodes

Or “Swagger” as JR called him on the pre-show. Hager broke Rhodes’ arm several months back and it’s time for revenge. Dustin’s shirt: “I’m here to fight Jericho’s b****.” Before the match, Hager kisses his wife in the front row. It’s a slugout to start with Hager kneeing him in the chest to take over. Rights and lefts in the corner keep Dustin in trouble until he sends Hager over the top.

The fans chant JERICHO’S B**** as Dustin knocks him over the barricade to take the fight into the crowd. It’s back to ringside with Dustin going into the post and getting blasted with a running clothesline. Back in and Hager starts working on the arm, including a double arm crank. That’s broken up and Dustin takes it to the floor again, where Dustin gets in Hager’s wife’s face. Back in and Dustin hits the bulldog and powerslam for two each.

Hager slams him down and hits the Vader Bomb for two. There are some running clotheslines in the corner and Hager licks his neck ala Tyson Fury. Dustin backdrops a charging Hager over the top to send him face first onto the steps. Back in and Dustin kicks him rather questionably low and gets two off a Code Red. Dustin goes with a cross armbreaker for the sake of revenge but gets reversed into an ankle lock. That’s reversed with a roll through but the referee is almost bumped and the distraction lets Hager get in a low blow. The standing arm triangle choke knocks Dustin out at 14:48.

Rating: B-. Good, hard hitting brawl here with Dustin trying as hard as he could but not being able to take out the monster Hager. They can go a good distance with Hager as the crossover athlete who can hurt people for Jericho and he never has to go that far on his own. That didn’t work so well in WWE so a different style, like this one, could work rather well.

Blood and Guts (looks like a one ring WarGames) is coming on March 25.

Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin

Another revenge match after Sammy hit Allin in the throat with Allin’s skateboard. Allin wastes no time in suicide diving onto Sammy and then dropkicking him into the barricade. Sammy gets in his own whip to the barricade but Allin fights right back. A suicide dive misses though and a skateboard shot makes it even worse. It’s already table time and Sammy hits a 630 to drive Allin through it on the floor. They get inside for the opening bell and Sammy hits a running knee for a fast two.

Allin fights up and tries a Gory Special but bites the fingers for a bonus. A Fujiwara armbar into a double armbar makes Sammy get to the rope with his foot and they’re back up. Allin is sent to the apron and a top rope double stomp drives him down for a big crash (and a possible ankle injury for Sammy).

Back up and Sammy can’t get in a skateboard shot, allowing Allin to hit a quick Canadian Destroyer. The Coffin Drop is broken up though and Allin gets sat on top so Sammy can run the ropes, NEARLY fall (with one foot going in the air), and grab a super Spanish Fly for two. Sammy unhooks a buckle pad but gets sent into the exposed steel. A Stunner into the Coffin Drop is good for the pin on Sammy at 5:04.

Rating: B. The length hurt this one but dang they were beating each other up out there. This was the kind of hard hitting star enhancing performance from both of them and something that will get some attention on a stacked show. They’ve got something special in Allin and they know it, which is one of the best things that you can say about such a young promotion.

Post match Hager has to save Guevara from a skateboard shot.

We recap the Young Bucks vs. Kenny Omega/Hangman Page. Omega and Page won the titles before the Bucks despite Page walking away from the Elite. This is about seeing who the real stars are because the Bucks need to be validated as the best team in the world, though Omega isn’t interested in letting them walk there so easily.

Tag Team Titles: Young Bucks vs. Kenny Omega/Hangman Page

Omega and Page are defending. Nick takes Omega (with a taped up shoulder) down with a flying mare to start and there’s a spinning armdrag out of the corner to do it again. Page comes in to a BIG reaction and they go to the mat with neither being able to maintain control. Back up and Page spits in his face so everything breaks down with the Bucks taking over, including a neckbreaker out of the corner to Page.

Things settle down and Page hits Matt in the back to take over, with some knees to the spine making it even worse. Everything breaks down again and Page is ready to send Matt back first into the ring bell, but Omega isn’t letting that happen. They head inside again with Matt getting chopped but coming back with the northern lights suplex. That’s enough for the tag off to Nick as everything breaks down again (with JR wondering why the tags have stopped).

The slingshot X Factor hits Omega and Matt grabs the Sharpshooter on Page, only to have Page making the save off the running Fameasser. The brawling continues until Matt piledrives Omega for two but Omega knocks Nick away and brings Page back in. With the fans chanting for COWBOY S***, Page hits a fall away slam on Nick and knocks Matt to the floor. Both Bucks are tossed over the top and Page hits the top rope moonsault onto the two of them at the same time. Back in and Page shoves Nick into the corner because he wants to fight Matt.

Page gets the better of the slugout and Omega tags himself in, with Page throwing Matt into a German suplex (where he almost landed on top of his head). A Doctor Bomb gives Omega two more but Nick comes back in to make the save. The springboard wristdrag is broken up but Nick backflips onto the ramp and sunset flips Omega back in. The Bucks hit a powerbomb/Sliced Bread combination on Omega but Page is back in for the save. We get a Marty Scurll chickenwing but Matt breaks it up with a 450 for two.

Matt’s back gives out on the More Bang For Your Buck so Omega hits You Can’t Escape. Page gets his own two off a Blockbuster suplex to Nick, followed by a V Trigger for the same. Some Snapdragons rock Nick and the Tiger Driver 98 gets two. Nick is back up with a super reverse hurricanrana (so Omega can get dropped on his head as well) as Matt hits the rolling northern lights suplexes to Page on the ramp.

To make it worse, the Indytaker plants Page on the ramp….and the fans are REALLY unhappy. Back in and the superkicks have Omega in trouble and the Golden Trigger (Kenny and Kota Ibushi’s finisher) gets one as Omega is all fired up. Another one gets two so Matt starts stomping on the shoulder, even taking the tape off. Somehow Page is back up to stop the Meltzer Driver, meaning it’s a powerbomb through the timekeeper’s table.

That leaves Matt to take the Buckshot Lariat/V Trigger combination for two more and Omega is stunned. The V Trigger connects but Page can’t hit the One Winged Angel. Page does it instead with Matt coming in for the save at two. The Buckshot lariat drops both Bucks and Matt is finally done at 30:04.

Rating: A. If there was a rating between an A and an A+, it would fit perfectly here. They beat the heck out of each other here and the storytelling was awesome with the Bucks showing anger and then remorse at beating up their friend in the name of winning the titles. The ending is the right call as the story hits a bit of a wall with the Bucks winning but they did the right thing by having Omega and Page retain. Outstanding stuff.

Post match Page still won’t celebrate with the Elite and seems to tease a Buckshot lariat to Omega, but holds the rope open for him instead.

We recap Nyla Rose vs. Kris Stadtlander. Rose won the title earlier this month and Stadtlander is her first challenger. The idea is that Stadtlander can take away the size and power advantage.

Women’s Title: Kris Stadtlander vs. Nyla Rose

Rose is defending. After the Big Match Intros, Stadtlander slugs away to start but Rose drives her into the corner. A shoulder drops Rose and Stadtlander hits a standing moonsault for two. They head to the ramp with Stadtlander diving back inside, only to miss a dive and crash onto the ramp. Rose crushes her with a slingshot spear and suplexes Stadtlander into the corner.

Back in and more stomping has Stadtlander in trouble again but she manages a superkick. Stadtlander strikes away and an enziguri puts Rose down on the floor. There’s the back to back suicide dives, followed by a dropkick for two back inside. Rose clotheslines her in the back of the head before draping Stadtlander across the rope. That’s fine with Stadtlander, who hand walks away and lays on the mat to blow a kiss to Rose.

An STF puts Stadtlander in trouble again but she blocks a splash with knees. Rose catches her with a pop up Beast Bomb for two and goes up top, only to get pulled down with a nasty looking super brainbuster (Stadtlander almost dropped her). Stadtlander loads up a super hurricanrana but gets caught in a super Beast Bomb (with Rose leaving one leg outside the ropes for a nearly scary crash) to retain at 12:55.

Rating: D+. This was rough and by far the worst thing on the show so far. They were botching stuff left and right and it seemed like they weren’t ready for this stage. The match felt like it just kept going and they would have been a lot better off ending with that first Beast Bomb. Really not good here and it was a bit letdown after everything else.

We recap Cody vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman. MJF turned on Cody to cost him any chance of winning the World Title in the future, but then made it impossible for Cody to get his hands on him. Cody had to jump through hoops, including taking a whipping and beating MJF’s bodyguard Wardlow to get the match but here we are.

Cody vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Brandi Rhodes, Arn Anderson and Wardlow are all here and Cody gets played to the ring live. Cody has a new neck tattoo of an American flag skull so you know he’s serious. MJF runs away like a true coward should and it’s time for a breather on the floor. Back in and the Cody Cutter is blocked so MJF heads outside again. This time MJF bails into the crowd (making sure to flip off the fans) but Anderson won’t let Cody follow him.

Back in and Cody hits the uppercut into the Cody Cutter for one, with MJF rolling to the ramp this time. Cody stomps on the fingers but MJF uses one of the good ones to poke him in the eye. MJF steps on Cody’s broken toe but since it’s just a toe, Cody hits a spinning Alabama Slam. Wardlow pulls MJF to the floor for a breather so Brandi throws a drink in Wardlow’s face. The stalking is on so Cody makes a save with a suicide dive.

Back in and MJF gets in a cheap shot, meaning it’s time to start on the arm. The reverse cross armbreaker keeps Cody down and MJF works on the second arm for a bonus. With his legs too far away, Cody crawls over and bites the rope for the break. MJF takes the boot off so he can stand on the broken toe….and then bite it for a bonus. A running powerbomb out of the corner is broken up and Cody hits the Disaster kick with the unbooted foot. Wardlow offers a distraction so Anderson grabs a chair to chase him off.

Somehow a socked foot to the head has busted MJF open and Cody hammers away in the corner. After a Randy Orton poses, Cody’s hanging DDT is countered into the Heatseeker. Wardlow tries to get involved again but this time Brandi dives off the apron to….not take him down. Cody goes after Wardlow but kicks Anderson by mistake. The medic comes out to check on Arn and MJF hits a low blow for two.

MJF tries a suplex but Cody reverses into one of his own over the top and they have a big crash to the outside. They get back in for the big slugout with Cody getting the better of it but MJF collapses before the Bionic Elbow can connect. That’s some goldbricking though as MJF grabs the Double Cross for two. MJF goes for the weightlifting belt but the referee takes it away, allowing Cody to get in a low blow.

A Vertebreaker gets two (because Cody doesn’t have enough finishers) and it’s time for Cody to get in his own whipping. The belt is thrown out and MJF cowers in the corner before grabbing Cody’s boot and begging off. JR: “I didn’t mean to be a Richard.” Now MJF hugs him, only to spit in his face, setting up Cross Rhodes. That’s not enough for a cover so Cody hits it again, only to have MJF sneak in a shot with the diamond ring for the fluke pin at 25:38.

Rating: A-. I smiled way too hard at MJF winning in the end because it’s such a slimy way for him to escape after taking that kind of a beating. It wasn’t as action packed as some of the other matches but it was the old school emotional fight with MJF stealing the win to keep things going. I loved the ending (though I might not have had it come after back to back Cross Rhodes) and I’m counting the seconds to hear MJF’s victory promo.

We recap Pac vs. Orange Cassidy. This only needs five words: this time he’s gonna try.

Pac vs. Orange Cassidy

The Best Friends are here with Cassidy. Fans: “HE’S GONNA TRY!” Cassidy wristlocks him down and it’s time to put the hands in the pockets. They exchange weak kicks to the legs until Pac shoves him down. Cassidy is back up with a dropkick and a victory roll for two, only to charge into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. They head outside with Pac sending him into the barricade and post. Excalibur: “If I didn’t know any better I’d say he was from a town called Malice.” JR: “I know a girl named Alice once. From Malice. She was mean.”

Pac knocks him down again and we get a NO PULP chant. The top rope superplex connects but Pac pulls him up at two. Cassidy rolls away before the Red Arrow can launch though and then does it again for a bonus. Fans: “HOLY S***!” The rolling continues until Cassidy smiles at him and nips up. There’s the suicide dive to Pac and a high crossbody connects, followed by a tornado DDT for two.

A hard forearm cuts Cassidy off but he puts his hands back in his pockets. They come right back out though for a Superman punch and a Stundog Millionaire drops Pac again. Pac crotches him on top, only to get tornado DDTed down. A super DDT connects but Pac rolls to the apron. Excalibur says Cassidy is pursuing him with the tenacity of a fire ant for your insider reference of the match. A White Noise gives Cassidy two but here are the Lucha Bros to fight with the Best Friends. Pac pulls him down by the arm and the Brutalizer finishes Cassidy at 13:00.

Rating: C. The important thing here was Pac won (which I don’t think was ever in any doubt) and everything leading to that was fine enough. I’m not sure they needed the Lucha Bros interfering instead of being on the card but the match was what it was supposed to be. Pac could have been used for something more important, but they didn’t do anything ridiculous and it could have been a lot worse.

We recap Chris Jericho vs. Jon Moxley. Jericho was scared of facing Moxley and tried to get him to join the Inner Circle instead. Moxley broke a bottle over Jericho’s head so Jericho stabbed Moxley in the eye. That sent Moxley over the edge as he’s fighting for revenge and the title, but he’s fighting on his own.

AEW World Title: Jon Moxley vs. Chris Jericho

Just to show off, Jericho has a gospel choir sing his theme song. Jericho is defending and has Santana/Ortiz with him. They go straight to the brawl to start and it’s already on the floor. Jericho takes it into the crowd and hits Moxley with something made of metal as he’s already trying for a DQ. Jericho does his steal a camera deal and flips Moxley off before hitting him in the face again. It’s back to ringside with Moxley getting the better of things and biting him across the nose, which Jericho had stitched up on Wednesday.

Moxley is bleeding from the head as Jericho powerbombs him through the announcers’ table. Jericho rings the bell and declares himself the winner before heading inside for a change. The fans start a STUPID IDIOT chant so Jericho flips everyone off. The book gets raked across Moxley’s face and it’s time to go back outside so Santana and Ortiz can hammer away.

A whip sends Moxley into the steps as the beating continues. Back in and Jericho gets a bit too cocky, allowing Moxley to slug away. Jericho charges into an elbow and gets pulled into a heel hook. That sends Jericho straight to the ropes and then outside, meaning it’s a suicide dive from Moxley. Santana and Ortiz offer a distraction to break up the Paradigm Shift and the loaded sock puts Moxley down again. The Lionsault gets two but Moxley picks the leg and puts on his own Walls.

Cue Hager for another distraction so Jericho can get the Walls as well. Moxley makes the rope so he gets in an argument with the referee. This time Hager punches Moxley in the face so all three seconds are ejected. Cue Sammy Guevara with a belt shot though and Jericho gets a very delayed two. Back up and Jericho rakes the bad eye so Moxley is totally blind. The Judas Effect misses though and it’s the Paradigm Shift….because the right eye is fine. Moxley points at the eye and hits another Paradigm Shift for the pin and the title at 21:40.

Rating: B. You could have gone either way here and that’s a good situation to be in. Moxley winning is a great moment and the eye patch being a fake was quite the mind game that suits him well. Jericho had held the title for a long time now and they could do a rematch at whatever their next big show is going to be. They almost had to switch the title here after what Moxley had been through and that’s what they did. It helps when either way could have worked fine though and it was a good enough match too.

Post match Moxley thanks the fans and says he wouldn’t be here without them. AEW wanted to bring wrestling back to the world and now it’s time for some beers. His music starts up again and Moxley drops an F bomb. He’ll fight anyone anytime so he can knock them down. For now though, it’s time to knock back some whiskey.

Overall Rating: A-. This was a rather good show with only a few bad matches, both of which were minor compared to the big ones. The main stuff all hit rather well and we got a feel good moment to end the show. They know how to do these big shows very well and it was a heck of a night. It ran about four hours counting the half hour pre-show and that’s fine when they only do a few pay per views a year. Mostly good to very good stuff here and some eventful moments so it’s hard to complain about much. Check out that tag match though as it stole the show by a wide margin.

Results

Jake Hager b. Dustin Rhodes – Standing arm triangle choke

Darby Allin b. Sammy Guevara – Coffin Drop

Kenny Omega/Hangman Page b. Young Bucks – Buckshot lariat to Matt

Nyla Rose b. Kris Stadtlander – Super Beast Bomb

Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Cody – Punch with a diamond ring

Pac b. Orange Cassidy – Brutalizer

Jon Moxley b. Chris Jericho – Paradigm Shift

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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




Smackdown – September 30, 2005 (2020 Redo): Slowly And Not So Surely

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: September 30, 2005
Location: Entertainment Center, Laredo, Texas
Attendance: 3,500
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz

We’re almost ready for No Mercy and most of the card is either set or all but set. That makes for a show that is all about getting fans to want to buy the pay per view, which is often the hardest part. Maybe it works out well here though, even if the show might not seem like the biggest deal. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Cole gives us a quick rundown of Laredo and its location near the border. I don’t think I need a geography lesson to open the show.

Here’s JBL, with an inner tube, a sombrero and a donkey as I think you know where this is going. After a bit of Spanish, JBL tells the fans to find someone with a green card, if they can. The fans chant at him so JBL threatens a big call to immigration before talking about going to meet Rey’s relatives. This includes inner tubing at night and jump starting “peek up” trucks. JBL says the back of the donkey reminds of everyone he sees here, which is why he had to be careful in selecting a partner.

Mr. Kennedy/John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Rey Mysterio/Hardcore Holly

Kennedy compares Tony Chimmel to the donkey on the way in. Rey does the Mexican hat dance around the sombrero before dropkicking Kennedy down for an early two. An inner tube shot to the back lets Kennedy take over and it’s JBL coming in. That earns him a DDT and a tag to Holly means more of a beating in the corner.

It’s already back to Mysterio vs. Kennedy with JBL breaking up a quick 619 attempt. The fall away slam sets up the bearhug until Rey bites his way out. After dispatching Kennedy, it’s off to Holly to pick the pace way up. A full nelson slam plants Kennedy and it’s the dropkick to JBL. The questionably low kick to the ribs drops JBL again but Kennedy grabs Holly, allowing the Clothesline From JBL to connect for the pin.

Rating: C-. Just a quick tag match to advance a pair of feuds and there is nothing wrong with that. JBL doing the anti-Mexico stuff is as JBL as you can get so I wouldn’t have expected anything else. Kennedy is growing on me in a hurry and I’m starting to see why he was as popular as he was for the time being.

Eddie is eating some Mexican food when Batista comes up and takes it away. Just looking out for his partner you see. Batista eats it anyway, making me want some Mexican food in the process.

Melina is in the parking lot when Christy Hemme rides up on a motorcycle (I’m not sure that’s the safest riding attire). They get in an argument and Melina breaks a nail, meaning a match is imminent.

Melina vs. Christy Hemme

MNM are at ringside. Christy sends her into the corner and tells Melina to watch her nail. That earns her a dropkick for two as Tazz rambles about Christy looking great on the motorcycle. An armbar has Christy in trouble until she makes it to the rope, only to have Melina drape the arm across said rope. Christy’s sunset flip out of the corner into a kick to the head lets Christy roll her up for two (with a rather suggestive form on the rollup). Mercury distracts the referee though, allowing Nitro to trip Christy for the pin.

Rating: D. If you’re getting pinned just because you call on your face, it might be time to stay out of the ring. This was every lackluster women’s match you would get around this time, but at least there wasn’t a ton of catfighting. They don’t seem to be trying to make this a bunch of serious women’s matches and given the current crop of talent, that’s best for everyone.

Post match Melina yells so Christy hits her in the face. MNM goes after her but Heidenreich and Animal make the save.

We look back at Undertaker popping out of the casket last week in a fairly effective segment.

Bob Orton vs. Undertaker

Before the match, Bob insists Randy won’t be around tonight so Bob can show no mercy. Never trust a cowboy. Bob snaps off a left hand to start and the glare sends him bailing to the floor. Back in and Undertaker doesn’t honor a timeout request and hammers away but the ref gets bumped early. That means the low blow so here’s Randy to jump Undertaker, because you can’t trust a cowboy.

The big beatdown is on, with Randy hammering away and sending Undertaker over the announcers’ table. They toss Undertaker over the top and back inside so Bob can get two, meaning it’s time for the pain. The ref gets bumped again so Randy can try the RKO….which is shoved away. The Tombstone finishes Bob before Randy can cheat again.

Rating: D. Bob was only 55 years old here so it’s not ridiculous to have him in a match where he actually has to work. The wrestling wasn’t the point here of course as it’s all a way to show that Undertaker might be in trouble when Randy and Bob are allowed to wrestle at the same time. I’m not sure how good the casket match will be, but at least it should be a bit better than this.

Post break, here’s what you saw pre break.

We take a quick look at Bobby Lashley debuting and destroying Simon Dean last week.

Bobby Lashley vs. Russell Simpson

Simpson can’t wrestle him down or whip him in so Lashley drives the not so bright jobber into the corner. Some kicks to the leg slow Lashley down until it’s a backbreaker to drop Simpson. The Dominator gives Lashley the fast pin.

Post match here’s Simon Dean to offer Lashley a shake before their match at No Mercy. This goes as you would expect, with the shake being squashed and Dean being pressed out to the floor.

It’s time for the Peep Show. Before we get to our guest, Christian wants to know why there is no United States Title match at No Mercy. Chris Benoit has been on a roll as of late until he ran into Christian. That’s why he should get the title shot, but here are Booker T. and Sharmell to interfere. Sharmell says Christian asked Booker what he had done lately so Booker talks about pinning Christian last week.

This brings out Orlando Jordan to say he deserves a shot because it’s time for him to get his revenge on Benoit. Booker: “It took you longer to say that than it took Benoit to make you tap out.” Teddy Long comes out and says Benoit gets to choose the opponent but first of all, let’s have a triple threat match so everyone can showcase themselves.

Orlando Jordan vs. Christian vs. Booker T.

Joined in progress with Booker getting double teamed but he sends Christian to the floor and beats Jordan up. Everyone heads to the floor with Jordan being sent into the steps but Christian takes Booker down into a neck crank. Christian heads up top so Booker follows him, only to have Jordan come back in for the Tower of Doom. Booker is up first and beats on Christian, including loading up a catapult. Jordan rolls him up though, sending Christian over the top and grabbing the trunks to finish Booker.

Rating: D+. This Jordan stuff needs to stop in a hurry. The joke ran its course but he’s still here despite having no apparent reason to be there. Other than being there for the sake of filling in a spot, what other justification is there? Nothing match of course but that’s probably best for something with Jordan involved.

Post match Benoit comes out and says he’ll fight them off. Makes a lot more sense than another Jordan match.

Vince McMahon comes in to see Teddy and Palmer Cannon. After Palmer sucks up to him, Vince wants to know the Smackdown match for Homecoming. Teddy knows who will be involved, but not who is in it yet. Teddy had four days and couldn’t come up with a match involving three good guys and three bad guys?

Animal/Heidenreich are defending and Eddie’s stomach seems fine this week. The bell rings and we take a break about two seconds in for an Undertaker vs. Ortons ad. Back with Heidenreich throwing Eddie around and firing off rights and lefts in the corner. Eddie makes the mistake of punching Animal so it’s off to Batista for the big power showdown.

Animal kicks him down but misses an elbow and it’s already back to Eddie and Heidenreich. Eddie feigns stomach pain and gets in a low blow. That doesn’t last long though as Heidenreich knocks him down and puts on the chinlock. Animal’s powerslam gets two but Eddie hurricanranas his way out of a Doomsday Device. It’s off to Batista so house can be cleaned, including the Batista Bomb to Heidenreich. Animal makes the save but here’s MNM for the DQ.

Rating: C-. This was all about setting up the ending and thank goodness they didn’t change the titles. Eddie vs. Batista is interesting and having them go for the titles like this was fine, as long as they don’t actually win them. That’s a trope that needs to go far, far away and it’s quite the relief that they didn’t go that way this time around. Animal and Heidenreich do need to drop the belts, but not here.

MNM unloads on Batista and Eddie with chairs but Eddie takes one away, only to hit Batista by mistake (allegedly). Batista gets up and clears the ring, seemingly not knowing that Eddie hit him.

Overall Rating: D+. They’re in an interesting stretch here as Eddie vs. Batista is a feud where you have to wait and see what is really going on. That’s not normal for WWE and it’s nice to have a bit of a change. Other than that, Undertaker vs. the Ortons feels like it’s going to be going on beyond No Mercy and JBL vs. Mysterio only has so much potential. This show wasn’t great for the most part, but they do have a direction. I’m just not sure how good of a direction that is.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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




Revolution Preview

IMG Credit: AEW

It’s almost weird to do one of these for this company. AEW has not been around all that long and they don’t do a lot of pay per views. For the most part they are a television company but they do throw out the occasional major show. That’s what we have here with Revolution and the card has been really well built up. Hopefully they can live up to the hype, which they have managed to do almost every time so far. Let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: Dark Order vs. So Cal Uncensored

This is built around a mystery involving the Dark Order’s Exalted One, with the questions being who is he and when is he showing up. The first one is what matters most here though, as Christopher Daniels is kind of perfect for the whole thing. At the same time though, he might be a red herring, as AEW has done a very good job of making you wonder who it is going to be.

As for the match, I’ll take the Dark Order to win. They should be on their game more to impress the Exalted One and it’s not like SCU needs the win. This should be a good enough match, though I wouldn’t let the Dark Order stay in the ring for very long. Daniels isn’t likely the Exalted One, but at least we’re getting an interesting search through the suspects.

Jake Hager vs. Dustin Rhodes

Sometimes you need an old standard for a story and that’s what you have here. Hager was part of the group that attacked Rhodes and put him on the shelf so now Rhodes wants revenge. What else do you need for something like this? AEW has done a nice job of setting up the feuds and then letting the promos do the heavy lifting and that’s what we have here.

Hager should win this one, though Rhodes will put up a heck of a fight and get in his offense. At the end of the day though, Hager is being presented as the Inner Circle’s monster and there is no reason to have him lose his first match with the company. Have him go out fighting as hard as he can but just being outmatched by the big, powerful monster.

Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara

Similar idea to Hager vs. Rhodes, but with a little less cowboy and a little more…whatever Allin is. Allin has caught on with the AEW fans like no one else in the promotion and is one of the names the company can point to and say they have created a star. You don’t get to do that very often and Allin has been a shining example. This is one of his bigger matches to date and he should be fine.

I’ll take Allin to win here as Guevara is talented but he’s not the same as Hager, who is a monster needing to be protected. Allin is someone who wants revenge as well and in this case he should be getting it, preferably with the skateboard involved. He’s grown on me a lot and Guevara has been a favorite since I first saw him in Orlando a few years back. This is Allin’s to win and the place will go nuts for him.

Pac vs. Orange Cassidy

This is the one that is going to get some people talking, but it might not be in the same way that AEW is hoping for. We have a rather serious wrestler in Pac, who just came out of a war with Kenny Omega and Orange Cassidy, who is the comedy guy with a massive following. The thing is this isn’t the same as a comedy guy being elevated to a spot he isn’t ready to be in. Cassidy is a different kind of wrestler (I’m not entirely sure what kind) and that could make this different.

That being said, of course Pac wins here, as AEW knows better than to have Pac lose twice in a row, especially to someone who is going to stay over no matter what they do. Cassidy isn’t someone who ever needs to get in the ring because the fans are going to cheer for him no matter what, which is a good spot to be in. Pac wins here as he should, but the shenanigans are going to be something to see.

Women’s Title: Nyla Rose(c) vs. Kris Stadtlander

This is an annoying one for me as I really like Stadtlander but she might be running into a buzzsaw here. Rose is someone that AEW is pushing hard and with good reason, so I’m not sure if they would pull the trigger on Stadtlander here. Part of the problem is the character, as Stadtlander is a little bit out there with what she does (just listen to JR cut Excalibur off when he tried to explain the alien deal) to be a major featured player in the division. She can challenge for the title, but I’m not sure she can win it.

I have to go with Rose here, as it’s too soon to take the title off of her. AEW has not shown a propensity for changing titles in a hurry and I don’t think that is what they are going to do here. Stadtlander might get a title reign one day, but I don’t think they are going to take the title off of Rose so soon. Maybe down the road, but for now it’s Rose’s to retain, as it should be.

Tag Team Titles: Kenny Omega/Hangman Page vs. Young Bucks

And now we get into the matches where I either A, really want to see them, B, have no idea what to do with them or C, a nice mixture of both. This is a story that could go on for a LONG time as they are four of the people who really matter in this company. Page and Omega are awesome as the champions who are great in the ring together but might not get along so well out of it and the Bucks are the Bucks.

I’ll go with Omega and Page to retain here, as there are a lot more directions to go with the Bucks coming up short here. They can milk this thing for a crazy amount of time and this should be the first of several matches built around this story rather than the big climax. AEW seems smart enough to understand that and hopefully everything will be as good as it seems like it could be.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Cody

Now this is what I want to see. If there wasn’t a big World Title match on the show, this could headline in a heartbeat (as could the Tag Team Titles, which is a good sign). They have built this up incredibly well since the last pay per view and now we are in for Cody to get the chance to FINALLY give Friedman the beating that he has coming to him. That’s where things get complicated and I’m not sure which way to go.

I was ready to say Cody but I think they’ll find a way to let Friedman escape and extend what Cody has to do to get his hands on him for real, but I’m not sure if that’s the right idea. They have set this up perfectly so far and at some point you need to give the fans what they want to see from the story. Cody needs to crush Friedman at some point but I think they’ll try to extend it again, which is something that could work. Maybe.

AEW World Title: Chris Jericho(c) vs. Jon Moxley

And then we have this, which again could go either way. Moxley seems primed and ready to take the title from Jericho but….that would mean taking the title from Jericho. I’m not sure if that’s what they need to do just yet as he is as established as he can get, but at the same time he’s so great as champion that it makes a lot of sense to keep it on him. There’s something special going on here when I’m this unsure as it could be either choice.

I’ll take Moxley to win the title here as they are going to need a big moment if nothing else happens. This really is the kind of match where it could go either way and I love that that’s true. Even if they change the title here, there is no guarantee that Moxley keeps it, but I’m not sure I can imagine Jericho beating him at this point. Then again I could be completely wrong, as I tend to be.

Overall Thoughts

This is a top heavy show and that’s a good thing. The three biggest matches on the card could go either way and I want to see how all of them play out. The rest of the show looks good as well and there is a real chance that they could have an awesome show. That tends to be the case for AEW and it wouldn’t shock me to see them knock it out of the park all over again.

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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




Smackdown – February 28, 2020: Two At Once

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: February 28, 2020
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

Things are changing in a hurry around here as Goldberg is Universal Champion. That alone would be a huge deal but now we have the return of John Cena, who seems ready to get in the ring at Wrestlemania in just over five weeks. It’s the busy season again and that means things are going to get interesting in a hurry. Let’s get to it.

Here are yesterday’s results if you need a recap.

Here’s Goldberg to get things going. It’s not about who’s last because it’s all about who’s next. He throws the mic down and here’s Roman Reigns (dang they’re not waiting around for this one), which Goldberg seems to like. They stare each other down until Reigns says “I’m next”, as the Wrestlemania sign looms over them.

Classic John Cena Moment: the debut match against Kurt Angle in 2002, which was a heck of a match aside from just the promo and slap. The Undertaker handshake felt important too.

Naomi vs. Bayley

Non-title. Hold on though as Bayley has a mic and says she shouldn’t have to be here in front of these little idiot fans. She already made history last night so she’s just here to introduce a future multi platinum recording artist. That would be Sasha Banks, so Bayley jumps the distracted Naomi from behind. Naomi kicks her in the face and hits a dropkick into the corner, only to get sent face first into the corner. The Rear View draws Banks in for the DQ at 2:38.

Lacey Evans and here we go.

Naomi/Lacey Evans vs. Bayley/Sasha Banks

Lacey and Naomi start with some horrible dropkicks to the floor, followed by stereo dives….or in Lacey’s case a jump over the top onto the apron and a fall onto Bayley. Back from a break with Sasha sending Naomi face first into the mat and bringing Bayley back in. Bayley works on an armbar as we hear about Lacey changing her ways and wanting to be a role model.

A knee to the face gives Bayley two and it’s back to Sasha, leaving Bayley to tell the fans to shut up. Naomi finally kicks her away and brings in Lacey to start cleaning house. Lacey kicks Banks off the apron and hits the slingshot elbow onto Bayley. Naomi’s springboard crossbody gets two as everything breaks down. With Lacey on the floor, it’s a Backstabber to Naomi but Lacey pulls Sasha out with her. That leaves Naomi to sunset flip Bayley for the pin at 9:27.

Rating: D+. This was as WWE of a tag match as you can get, complete with the botches near the beginning. It was exactly as you knew it would go and that doesn’t make for the most thrilling stuff. Naomi pinned Bayley, but the interesting thing was a lack of mention about the Elimination Chamber match. I know Lacey mentioned it, but with nine days to go before the show, you would think it might be brought up.

New Day is fired up and have a staredown with Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode.

Classic Cena Moment: the first World Title.

Kofi Kingston vs. Robert Roode

Roode takes him into the corner to start and chops away as Cole and Graves make stupid banter about Mandy Rose. Kofi scores with his dropkick and works on the arm before elbowing Roode out to the floor. The the referee not looking, Roode kicks the steps and feigns a blow to the head, so the referee ejects Big E.

Back from a break with Roode holding a chinlock and then pounding Kofi with forearms. There’s a suplex to Kofi and Roode goes to the middle rope to mock the New Day clap. That lets Kofi avoid a knee drop and come back in with a springboard shot to the head, followed by the Boom Drop. Roode is right back with a full nelson slam for two, followed by the spinebuster for the same. Kofi grabs the SOS so Ziggler puts the foot on the rope. The distraction lets Roode roll him up for the pin at 12:27.

Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose are watching in the back with Sonya referring to Ziggler as Mandy’s man. Mandy doesn’t react.

Otis is distraught when Tucker comes up to him. Otis thinks something is up but Tucker says the reality is that sometimes Ziggler gets the girl. Tucker tells him to remember the fans and Otis says he’s right.

Classic Cena Moment: beating the Rock in the rematch.

It’s time for a contract signing for the Intercontinental Title match at Elimination Chamber. Shinsuke Nakamura, with Cesaro and Sami Zayn, come out first, followed by Braun Strowman (with a rather bad haircut). Sami tells Strowman to sit down but Strowman throws the chair up the aisle. That sends Sami into a rant about how Nakamura couldn’t enjoy his birthday last week because Strowman powerslammed him onto a grand piano.

Strowman tells Sami to shut up he doesn’t care what’s in the contract. He’ll have to fight all three of them anyway so there’s the signature. Sami likes what he just heard and makes a quick amendment to make it a handicap match, with all three signing. Therefore, it’s officially three on one at Elimination Chamber. Strowman moves the table but the numbers game gets the better of him and the beatdown is on. A double suplex/kick to the face puts Strowman through the table.

We recap the Goldberg vs. Reigns showdown.

Curtis Axel vs. Daniel Bryan

Drew Gulak is on commentary as Bryan keeps getting his friends TV appearances (and there’s nothing wrong with that). Axel starts fast as Gulak talks about seeing holes in Bryan’s game that could be exploited. With Bryan down, Axel mocks the YES pose but Bryan is back with the YES Kicks. More kicks look to set up the big one but Axel revers into a small package for two. A clothesline to the back of the head drops Bryan but it’s the LeBell Lock to make Axel tap at 4:31.

Rating: C-. I can get behind something like this. WWE has so many wrestlers who can do something in the ring but are never used. I know they’re not likely to be stars and there’s nothing wrong with that, but throw them out there, just for the sake of some fresh faces. Gulak and Axel probably aren’t going to set the world on fire but they’re under contract so why not swap them in for some of the other regular jobbers for a change?

Classic Cena Moment: the sixteenth World Title.

Here are Miz and John Morrison to brag about being the new Tag Team Champions. You know the original, but the reality is that the sequel is going to be even better. Since they won, it’s time for a singing celebration, complete with the Miz and Morrison chant plus Miz’s theme song playing as a bonus. Hold on though as we have a referee and we have a title match….at Elimination Chamber against New Day, the Usos, Heavy Machinery, Lucha House Party and Robert Roode/Dolph Ziggler.

Usos vs. John Morrison/Miz

Non-title. Jimmy takes Morrison into the corner to start and we get the circle of lights breaking into the feed again. When did that become the go to way to promote someone debuting/returning? It feels like they’re everywhere these days. Miz takes over with a DDT for two so it’s off to Morrison for a kick to the ribs. The chinlock goes on with the Usos in trouble as we take a break.

Back with a double tag picking up the pace until Jey is caught with a neckbreaker/top rope double stomp combination. Everything breaks down and Jimmy dives onto Miz, only to have Jey’s Superfly Splash hit knees. Starship Pain is broken up so Jimmy hits a middle rope Canadian Destroyer, setting up the Superfly Splash to give Jey the pin at 9:50.

Rating: C+. Bad night for the champs here, though at least they can blame it on the jet lag or something. That and it really doesn’t matter given that the Elimination Chamber is coming up so soon. However, you really couldn’t do a DQ here or have the Usos beat another team? Or just not have the champs involved at all? Pretty good match though, after a series of less than inspiring ones so far.

Here’s John Cena for the big close. After taking in the crowd reaction, Cena says that he’s back so it must be Wrestlemania season. So what is he doing at Wrestlemania this year? He knows his role has changed so now it’s time to do something a little different. Cena always listens to the biggest superstar there is, which would be the fans. He knows he can probably say or do whatever he wants and have it happen at Wrestlemania, but he’s going to do the right thing.

This year’s Wrestlemania should go on without him. It’s not goodbye but it’s goodbye for now, because Cena cares about the future. Wrestlemania spots should be earned and not demanded so this year’s he’s betting on the future and sitting out. That makes tonight special because he doesn’t know when he’s going to be back. He has an announcement tonight and he wanted to make it in front of his friends and family.

The fans cheer for him and Cena drops the mic before heading to the front row to shake hands with some kids. Cena goes up the ramp and salutes….and there go the lights. They come back up and the Fiend is…..right behind him. Cena looks at the Fiend, who points at the sign. Cena looks at the sign, looks at the Fiend, and nods, as the lights go out and we get the laugh to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show picked WAY up in the second half and that’s the best thing that could have happened. The first forty five minutes or so were a complete slog with almost nothing happening and then things got a lot better in a hurry. It’s like the exhaustion was turned off and they were trying to build towards some major shows, which made things that much better. You can’t ask for much more than two big Wrestlemania matches being made in one night so well done, as the top of the card is now mostly full. Just take care of the rest of it and we’ll be fine.

Results

Naomi b. Bayley via DQ when Sasha Banks interfered

Naomi/Lacey Evans b. Bayley/Sasha Banks – Sunset flip to Bayley

Robert Roode b. Kofi Kingston – Rollup

Daniel Bryan b. Curtis Axel – LeBell Lock

Usos b. Miz/John Morrison – Superfly Splash to Morrison

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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




Impact Wrestling – February 25, 2020: The Most Impact Thing Impact Could Do

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: February 25, 2020
Location: Sam’s Town Live, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

Sacrifice has come and gone with no title changes because no title was on the line in the main event. My guess is that’s so they could avoid any kind of spoilers on the taping cycle and while that makes sense, it didn’t make the stakes seem that high on Saturday. We should be building towards Rebellion now so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a clip of World Champion Tessa Blanchard defeating X-Division Champion Ace Austin at Sacrifice. Now Ace wants a title match so managed granted it, but for his title and not hers. Makes sense.

Opening sequence.

Rob Van Dam vs. Daga

Katie Forbes is at ringside and the fans are behind hometown boy RVD. Daga kicks him to the floor to start and nails a suicide dive, only to get slammed down. Back in and Rob crotches him on the ropes for the kick to the face as Katie is on a Twitter blocking spree. Rolling Thunder is loaded up but Rob rolls outside to kiss Katie instead.

Rating: C-. It was starting to get somewhere but at the same time, there is only so much that Rob can do in the ring at the moment. He’s gotten older and is nowhere near as explosive, but points to them for coming up with a way to hide the fact that he just isn’t as athletic anymore. There is going to be a rematch here, perhaps in a cage where Van Dam can’t run, but this didn’t exactly make me interested in seeing it.

Jordynne Grace issues an open challenge to anyone in the locker room. Madison Rayne comes up but doesn’t want to hear anything from Grace until she has won the title five times. Guidance is offered and Madison promises to find a suitable opponent tonight.

Rohit Raju vs. Zachary Wentz

The rest of the Desi Hit Squad/the Rascalz are here. This is fallout from Raju costing the Rascalz the Tag Team Titles at Sacrifice because they didn’t get a title shot. They fight over a headlock to start until Wentz takes him down with a front facelock. Back up and a slugout actually goes to Raju, who takes him down with a running knee to the head.

A suplex gets two and we take a break. Back with Wentz kicking away, including an enziguri, followed by a Stunner over the middle rope. Raju grabs a Downward Spiral for two more but Wentz is right back with a cutter driver. A brawl on the floor distracts Wentz though, allowing Raju to avoid a Swanton and hit a top rope double stomp for the pin at 10:17.

Rating: C. Just another match between members of teams here and that’s not enough to make me care about them that much. The Rascalz are a fun act but then you have the Hit Squad, who are as generic of a group of heels as you can get. The match was technically fine, but trying to get me interested in a Hit Squad match is like trying to get me interested in a farmhouse in Gary, Indiana.

Post match the Realityislost/ICU video pops up and the Squad notices it.

Ace Austin doesn’t understand why Tessa gets a title shot first. Don’t worry though because he’ll win tonight and become #1 contender. Tessa may be undeniable but he is inevitable.

OVE, minus Sami Callihan, say they’re not done.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Miranda Alize

Alize is challenging and has Madison Rayne in her corner. A charge at Grace doesn’t go well as the champ pulls her down, only to get caught in a headscissors. Alize gets two off a forearm as Madison says Alize can’t beat Grace without covering her. I love it when wrestlers try to sound smart but miss the point entirely. Back up and the Grace Driver is blocked and Alize gets two off a cutter. Not that it matters as the second Grace Driver attempt retains the title at 4:05.

Rating: C-. Alize was fine here but it looks like we’re coming up on Grace vs. Rayne for the title. That’s fine for a first title program for Grace as Rayne will give her a good match before coming up short. Grace is the kind of champion where it’s going to take a special effort to get the title off of her and that might take some time. Decent enough match for its time.

The North isn’t sweating TJP and Fallah Bahh next week. The two of them want to be like the North because they are tag team wrestling around here.

Chris Bey is coming.

Jessika Havok is looking for someone but Rosemary finds her. Rosemary isn’t happy with Havok joining up with James Mitchell again so next week, Havok can face Su Yung in a no DQ match.

From Dayton, Ohio at a Pro Wrestling Revolver event.

Michael Elgin vs. Eddie Edwards

Match #4 in a best of five series with Elgin up 2-1. Elgin grabs a headlock to start and then shoulders him down but Eddie snaps off a belly to belly. That’s fine with Elgin, who hits a slingshot elbow to the jaw to put Eddie down again. Elgin chops him down and hits a sliding elbow, followed by some slams to show off the power. It takes a bit too long to go to the top though and Eddie brings him down with a superplex.

The Backpack Stunner is broken up so Eddie settles for a German suplex. Elgin blasts him with a clothesline though and we take a break. Back with Eddie flipping out of another German suplex and hitting the low superkick to put them both down. Eddie’s tiger bomb gets two but he misses the moonsault. Some rollups give Eddie two but he has to avoid a sliding elbow, allowing him to roll Elgin up again, this time for the pin at 16:14.

Rating: B-. A lot of the interest has fallen away from these matches but that’s going to happen with the amount of times they’ve had it out there. The fifth match will at least have some stakes to it, but it’s kind of telling that they moved it to another show so the fans wouldn’t get burned out on it. That being said, there are far worse things they can do and the matches have been solid. Just wrap it up soon.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Jeff Hardy wins the World Title from Mr. Anderson at Against All Odds 2011. The graphic says 2010, as Impact does the most Impact thing ever by not even being able to celebrate their own history without making a mistake.

Scott D’Amore and Petey Williams are happy at the thought of the TNA show on April 3. Moose comes up to say TNA is dead so let it be dead. Why celebrate people like Suicide and Chris Sabin? Petey: “We were all actual champions.” Violence is implied.

Johnny Swinger annoys Willie Mack again but here’s Disco Inferno to say he’ll team with Swinger instead.

Video on Gut Check. Thank goodness this isn’t a full on in-arena segment again. Some of these names are from OVW.

X-Division Title: Tessa Blanchard vs. Ace Austin

Ace is defending and only his title is on the line. Tessa starts fast with some running dropkicks, including one in the corner for two. A rollup gets the same but Ace grabs a backbreaker as we take a break. Back with Ace hitting a spinning elbow to the face for two and it’s off to a bow and arrow hold. Tessa fights out of the corner and snaps off a headscissors to the floor, followed by the big dive.

Back in and Ace grabs a gutbuster to cut Tessa off again and we hit the reverse chinlock. That’s broken up in a hurry so Ace kicks her in the back a few times instead. Now it’s something like a dragon sleeper but Tessa is up in a hurry to start slugging away. A running hurricanrana sets up a tornado DDT but here’s Taya Valkyrie to jump Tessa for the DQ at 10:48.

Rating: C. So that’s all you can ask for with the ending as Tessa has already proven she can beat Ace so there’s no need to have her win the X-Division Title here. Taya is someone with history against Tessa so it’s not out of the question to have that be the next title challenger. Given that either Edwards or Elgin is facing Tessa at Rebellion, this is going to be a one off against a challenger that beat Tessa before but she has since surpassed. It’s Ultimate Warrior defending against Rick Rude in 1990 and that’s….probably me putting way too much thought into this.

Taya beats Tessa up to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. This show felt pretty flat and while it set up stuff for the future, there wasn’t much of a fire to the whole thing. There also wasn’t a great or even very good match on the show, leaving is just kind of there instead of anything noteworthy. Not a terrible show or anything close, but nothing you need to see here.

Results

Daga b. Rob Van Dam via countout

Rohit Raju b. Zachary Wentz – Top rope double stomp

Jordynne Grace b. Miranda Alize – Grace Driver

Eddie Edwards b. Michael Elgin – Rollup

Tessa Blanchard b. Ace Austin via DQ when Taya Valkyrie interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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




Main Event – February 27, 2020: They Did Something Different! Twice!

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: February 27, 2020
Location: Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Mickie James

The Wrestlemania season is in full build, but so are the Super ShowDown and Elimination Chamber builds. That can cause a bit of a problem as there is so much stuff going on at once and they might not be able to make everything work at once. Main Event has surprised me before, but I would be surprised with a surprise. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

No Way Jose vs. Shelton Benjamin

Jose starts fast by taking him into the corner and snapping off an armdrag to the floor. That means a quick beatdown of the Conga Line, plus a little bit on Jose as well. Back in and Shelton grabs an armbar but Jose fights up and hits a splash in the corner. A fireman’s carry flapjack gets two so Jose goes up, only to dive into a cross armbreaker for the fast tap at 4:35.

From Raw.

Here are Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman for a chat. The Canadian fans are happy to see their honorary Lesnar but Heyman cuts them off with his usual introduction. Heyman talks about how wrestlers are always trying to make catchphrases for themselves but Lesnar has never needed one. All Lesnar has to do is decide to be champion and no one can stop him. Lesnar getting in the ring is special and that’s what you’ll be seeing on Thursday at Super ShowDown. He owes Ricochet an uppercut and since Lesnar is wrestling, it is special by definition.

The stakes on Thursday have never been higher though, but why is that the case? If Ricochet can pull off the miracle, he is going on to face Drew McIntyre at Wrestlemania and the consequences are huge, if that happens. Heyman: “If my aunt had balls, she would be my uncle, but she is not!” (that one cracked Lawler up). Lesnar is going to wreck McIntyre at Wrestlemania and be champion forever. And that is a spoiler.

From Raw again.

We get a sitdown interview with Drew McIntyre, who isn’t scared about Brock Lesnar because he’s main eventing Wrestlemania. Drew talks about debuting in 2009 (which he says was thirteen years ago) and how he hasn’t won a single World Title since that time. He lost his passion, which included his time in 3MB. Then he got fired and it put a chip on his shoulder, but he knew he could only blame himself. He wasn’t about to let people remember him as the idiot playing air guitar.

When McIntyre came back, he came back to NXT, which was where he could be a leader. Then he debuted on Raw in 2018, four years to the day since he was released. He’s been called the future but then he was a past superstar without ever being the present. That’s why he knew he had to eliminate Lesnar and now he’s going to Wrestlemania to fulfill his destiny. They’re doing everything they can to make McIntyre into a star and it’s slowly working.

Video on Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler.

From Raw.

All six women’s Elimination Chamber participants, save for Baszler, are in the ring for a contract signing. Asuka counts the participants but realizes there’s one missing. Lawler continues anyway, with Sarah Logan, Natalya, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott (who nearly comes to blows with Morgan) and Asuka all sign, which draws out Baszler through the crowd. Lawler wisely leaves as Shayna and Natalya are about to fight, but Asuka breaks it up.

Asuka tells Shayna to bite her but Natalya takes Asuka down and the fight is on, with Liv diving over the table to get at Riott. Shayna is eventually left alone so here’s Becky to take her down. Officials break it up in a hurry. I don’t remember the last time there was a big match with such an obvious winner but it’s getting annoying in a hurry.

24/7 Title: Riddick Moss vs. Cedric Alexander

Moss is defending and throws Cedric down with ease. A running shoulder drops him again but Cedric is right back with clotheslines and elbows. That sends Moss outside for a kick from the apron but Alexander’s slingshot is knocked out of the air back inside. We take a break and come back with Moss cranking on a waistlock. That’s broken up for a double stomp to the back of Moss’ head and a running dropkick to the same spot. The springboard Downward Spiral gives Cedric two but the Neuralizer misses, allowing Moss to hit a Rock Bottom to retain at 9:50.

Rating: D+. Again, I’m actually surprised by this one as they threw in something different in the form of a title match. Who in the world would have seen them doing something like that on THIS show? The match was nothing to see, but points to WWE for putting someone like Moss on television. I know he’s not some breakout star, but he’s been sitting in NXT forever and the show needs some fresh faces.

From Smackdown.

Here’s Goldberg for a chat. He’s glad to be back and whatever the Fiend is, he’s ready. Cue the Firefly Fun House with Bray doing some construction. Bray wants Goldberg to get to know his friends, including most of the cast. There is one person left though….and the lights go out. The Fiend is here but Goldberg is smart enough to turn around and spear him.

Goldberg loads up another one but the lights go out again and Fiend disappears to end the show, complete with Fiendish laughter. As usual, Goldberg is at his best when things are kept simple. He hit Fiend hard and Fiend went down, can he do it again? What more do you need?

And from Raw to wrap it up.

Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton

Owens pounds away to start but the threat of hit the Cannonball sends Orton outside. Cue Rollins and company for the distraction though and Owens is sent into the barricade as we take a break. Back with both of them down and the Profits and Viking Raiders running in for the big brawl. They fight to the crowd with everyone else, leaving Owens to get crotched on top.

Owens knocks him off anyway and hits the Swanton. Rollins is back though and Owens has to knock him off the apron, allowing Orton to come back with a clothesline. Another Rollins distraction lets Orton hit the hanging DDT….for a very fast counted pin at 8:10. Even Orton looks confused by what happened but he’ll take it.

Rating: C. The match had a lot of stuff going on at once but I can go for a few different stories being mixed together, even if it is just for a week. There is no need to always keep things separate so doing something like this is a good idea on occasion. The story is fine as well, with what seems to be a referee going along with what Rollins has been preaching, though I’ve never liked the trope for some reason. It’s a new wrinkle though and that’s fine.

Post match Rollins throws Orton some chairs but Owens pucks one up. The referee pulls it away so Owens grabs him and opens the referee’s shirt to reveal a Seth Rollins shirt. That means a Stunner to the referee and a powerbomb through a table ends the show.

Overall Rating: C-. The show wasn’t anything great or even good but they did something different this time around and that’s what I’ve been asking for since before I can remember. At least TRY to do something new or different, or at least look like you’re making an effort. That’s what they did here, at least to a certain degree, and the show was better as a result. Still not good, but at least different.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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




Outbreak: That Hometown Special

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Outbreak
Date: February 21, 2020
Location: Ice Center, Lexington, Kentucky
Commentators: D’Lo Brown, Josh Matthews

This was a nice little surprise as OVW/Impact Wrestling ran a joint show in Lexington as a setup for Saturday’s Sacrifice in Louisville. For some reason OVW never runs Lexington so hopefully this is the start of a trend. The show was barely advertised locally so it was far from a guaranteed sellout. Let’s get to it.

The venue was rather small, with four rows of chairs on three sides. One good sign: I sat in the fourth row and by the time the show started, they had put out a fifth row of seats behind me. There was a small but invested crowd so it seemed to go fairly well. I was facing the entrance with commentary on my right (you could hear almost every word they said, which is a weird situation when you’re in the arena) and OVW owner Al Snow about eight feet behind me.

Josh Matthews, going solo until the actual show starts, welcomes us to the show and talks about the big upcoming events. It’s fairly clear that he doesn’t have much to say here other than listing off shows so he’s trying to fill time, which is harder than it seems.

Pre-Show: Dimes vs. Corey Storm

Storm grabs a headlock to start but Dimes is out with a sunset flip for two. Dimes shoulders him down as Josh is talking to I believe Twitch users. I know it sounds a bit goofy but can you imagine WWE doing something that direct? Storm fights out of a chinlock and snaps off a German suplex before dropkicking Dimes into the corner. A top rope double stomp to the back gives Storm the pin at 2:56. Entertaining while it lasted and Storm looked decent.

Josh chats some more.

Pre-Show: Rae Lynn vs. Cali Young

Young is a rather bubbly blonde who is running for some unspecified office, complete with her campaign manager DL3 (in an American flag shirt and shorts). I think you get the idea here and while it’s a small indy gimmick, OVW is a relatively small indy. We start with a Pledge of Allegiance but Lynn rolls her up for two. That means a dancing salute from Young but Lynn drops her with a shoulder.

Young can’t nip up so Lynn slams her, only to have DL3 grab her foot. Lynn is fine enough to hit a crossbody for two and a small package gets the same. A snapmare sets up a chinlock on Lynn but she’s back up in a hurry. DL3: “Get her!” Callie: “Okay!” Another chinlock doesn’t last as long so Callie goes with an X Factor for two more. Callie misses a charge and gets kicked in the head, drawing DL3 up to the apron so there’s no count. Lynn knocks them into each other and rolls Callie up for the pin at 6:08.

Rating: D+. There isn’t much to say about this one as it was two women who are neither good nor horrible in the ring with a limited amount of time to work. It’s fine for a warmup match and Callie’s patriotic deal was fine enough for what they’re doing. OVW’s women’s division has never been a strong point but this was far from a disaster. Just kind of there for the most part.

Moose joins commentary and is happy to be going back to Atlanta for some shows. They talk about his time with the Atlanta Falcons and it’s much more of a chat than an interview. Moose is ready to face Jay Bradley and isn’t worried about facing a so called “best big” tonight. He thinks it’s going to be bell, spear bell, and yes, he is Mr. Impact Wrestling. This was really different and in a pretty nice way (once they got the commentary to work).

Opening sequence, complete with the ring announcer telling the fans to get up and make noise.

Trey Wentz vs. Maximus Khan

Khan’s OVW Title isn’t on the line. He has a big helmet and cape to make him quite the intimidating presence. Wentz’s offer of a handshake is slapped away but he gets powered into the corner. That means a top rope hurricanrana to send Khan into the corner for a running dropkick.

Khan is right back with some right hands to the head and Wentz is in trouble in a hurry. The chinlock goes on until Khan switches to a sleeper, sending Wentz over to the rope. This time Wentz grabs a rolling snapmare and kicks him in the chest to send Khan outside. Back in and a springboard Codebreaker gives Wentz two but Khan’s ax kick gets the same. A heck of a spear finishes Wentz at 9:20.

Rating: C. I like both guys and this was a good showcase for Khan. Wentz is part of a trio but he has enough credibility that beating him makes Khan look that much better. It’s not a game changer, but it makes Khan look like a big deal. Good enough choice for an opener here with power vs. speed being as basic of a wrestling story as you’re going to find.

Dave Crist vs. Joey Ryan

So Crist apparently has no idea what Ryan is all about and is rather confused by the whole thing. He does get in a rather funny line during his entrances (though the camera doesn’t pick it up here): “I’m not like you Kentucky hillbillies! We don’t have hills in Ohio!” Josh explains Joey’s shtick in as PG of a way as possible, which gets to what bothers me here: there are a bunch of kids in the audience and Ryan’s deal is far from kid friendly. I’m sure he has a PG version of it, but this was the full on deal and there’s something off about doing that with so many kids in the audience.

We get the full lollipop deal and it’s time to oil up after the bell. Dave: “WHAT IS THAT FOR???” Joey tells him to touch it but Dave has to ask the fans what he needs to touch. Dave does in fact touch it and then asks what that thing is. After teasing getting in a fight with a fan, Dave invites Joey to wrestle the wrestle guy. Joey: “Wrestling’s not really my strong suit but I’ll give it a go.”

They fight over arm control until Ryan takes him down for a leglock. Some armdrags put Dave outside so he comes back in for failed attempts at a low blow and atomic drop. Dave bails to the floor again because of a leg injury but this time he comes back in to work on Ryan’s leg. He dives into a raised boot though and falls face first between Joey’s legs. Joey fires back with clotheslines and a dropkick but Dave gets in a spinebuster. Standing Sliced Bread #2 gives Dave two more but Joey makes him touch It. The Plex sets up Sweet Tooth Music for the pin on Dave at 9:39.

Rating: D. Yeah what else were you expecting here? My guess would be the same stuff that you always get from Ryan, which is one of my biggest problems with him. I’ll give them points for having something unique with Dave being all confused and not knowing what was going on, but the first half was really basic stuff and not very good, which is the other part of what’s wrong with Ryan: his wrestling is rather boring most of the time, hence the need for the shtick.

Johnny Swinger vs. Willie Mack

Hold on though as Swinger says no one wants to see these two fight. They’ve caught on like wildfire so strong that Tommy Rich called him up the other day. Ole is ticked but the fans need to go buy a Mack and Pack shirt for $29.95, cash on delivery. They can have a tag match instead so bring out the ham and eggers. Swinger tries a rollup but the bell hasn’t rung yet, so Mack is rather annoyed. He grabs his own rollup for two as the bell rings and Swinger knows he’s in trouble.

Mack scares him into the ropes where Swinger insults the mizarks, earning himself some atomic drops. Swinger needs a breather but goes with a test of strength to continue the rather dumb ideas. That earns him a double stomp to the hands and Mack hammers away in the corner for a bonus. A cheap shot out of the corner drops Mack and we hit the nerve hold. Swinger pulls at the nose and gets two off a forearm to the face.

We go Orndorff with a bit of a dancing elbow but Mack is back up with a few back rakes. A missed elbow starts up the Mack chants and the fans are even more pleased as Swinger misses his own elbows. The swinging slam into the legdrop sets up the Samoan drop into the standing moonsault as Mack is rolling. There’s the Stunner into the Six Star Frog Splash to finish Swinger at 10:44.

Rating: C. I know the wrestling wasn’t much to see but Mack is one of the best guys around here and Swinger is so goofily bad that it’s fun (and we’re in on the joke for once). Keeping him WAY down in stuff like this is fine and he’s playing everything perfectly. Just let him stay as a comedy guy and he could stick around for a good while.

Tony Gunn vs. Trey Miguel

Gunn is a former OVW Champion and has yet to show me much of anything in previous appearances. Gunn shoulders him down and says this is the Gunn Show. I’m almost scared to ask how long it took him to think of that. They go to the mat with neither being able to get ahead, meaning it’s a standoff. Back up and they both miss some right hands until Trey kicks him in the face.

Tony takes the leg out as he heads outside, only to get taken down by the suicide dive. Gunn kicks the ropes on the way back in though and Trey has banged up his knee. Back in and Gunn grabs a kneebar, as he certainly should be doing. Now it’s a Brock Lock to mix things up a bit, even lifting Trey up for a bonus.

That’s broken up and Trey manages a kick to the face, setting up a jumping neckbreaker to put both of them down. In a not so bright move, Trey goes up and misses the double knees, though he settles for a double stomp to the back of the head for two. Gunn grabs the Texas Cloverleaf to go back to the knee, only to let it go so Trey can hit the Cheeky Nandos kick in the corner. A 619 into the top rope Meteora finishes Gunn at 11:05.

Rating: C. Another completely watchable match with Wentz fighting back through adversity and hitting his finisher to win, even though there wasn’t much logic in using a knee based move after you knee was banged up. Then again Trey isn’t the most logical guy in the world so maybe it makes sense for him. Not a bad match either, even with Gunn being rather generic in everything he does.

Moose vs. Jay Bradley

Hoss fight. Moose tries the spear at the bell but gets kicked in the face for his efforts. They trade shoulders with Moose going down, only to nip right back up. Moose gets tossed across the ring and that means it’s time for a breather on the floor. Bradley follows him out though and sends Moose into the apron, only to get whipped into the barricade.

The run around the ring clothesline is cut off by an elbow to the face and it’s a chokeslam onto the apron for a bonus. Back in and a Vader Bomb elbow gives Bradley two but Moose hits some running dropkicks to the face. A wind up lariat misses and Bradley headbutts him down for two.

Bradley’s pop up powerbomb gets the same but Moose catches him on top. That means a top rope superplex with one of the loudest landings I can ever remember. Moose’s chokebomb gets two more and they trade big shots to the face. Bradley hits the Boom Stick (hard lariat) for two so he loads up another, only to get No Jackhammer Needed down for the pin at 12:40.

Rating: B. This was easily the match of the night so far as the two of them beat the heck out of each other with one hard hitting power move after another. Bradley is little more than a power guy but he does it quite well and makes for some entertaining matches. When Moose finds a good opponent, he can do some awesome stuff in the ring and that’s what he did here.

The announcers chat for a bit as something (maybe part of the mat that attaches to the ring) has to be repaired.

North vs. Larry D./Acey Romero

Alexander grabs Romero’s foot though and Page kicks him in the head, followed by sending Alexander hard into Romero’s back. As Josh gets his Kentucky geography wrong, Page hammers away and rips at Acey’s face against the ropes. Alexander forearms at the face and hands it back to Page for a knee drop. The wide variety of pounding on Romero continues until the North mixes things up by beating him up at the same time. Romero hits the double Pounce and the hot tag brings in Larry to clean house.

A sitout powerbomb gets two on Alexander, who is right back with a muscular suplex. Romero is already back in as everything breaks down with the big guys getting the better of things. The North pulls Larry off the top and into Romero though, followed by a heck of a German suplex for two on Larry. Romero dropkicks Alexander into Larry for a full nelson slam but Page sends Larry outside. That means a powerbomb out of the corner can finish Romero at 16:03.

Rating: D+. The length is the big problem here as Romero and Larry aren’t exactly guys with a lot of versatility. They can do some good things for their size but sixteen minutes is WAY too long for a big guy like Romero and a very limited guy like Larry. It’s not a horrible match but it just went on WAY too long.

Rhino vs. Madman Fulton

No DQ, or “old school” rules as it’s called here. They drive each other around a few times until a hard shoulder puts Fulton on the floor. The brawling begins with both guys being sent into various things, including Rhino dropping him back first onto the apron. Rhino chairs him in the ribs and gets in a suplex in the aisle. Now it’s a trashcan and a kendo stick as Rhino starts unloading with various shots. He spends too much time hunting for weapons though and that lets Fulton get in his own chair shots.

The trashcan is wedged in the corner but Rhino hiptosses him onto an open chair. Fulton gets sent HARD into the trashcan in the corner, only to come back with a slam onto the folded chair. Rhino is right back up and superplexes him onto a few chairs for two. The Gore is cut off with a trashcan shot and Fulton smashes him with a kendo stick. The referee gets bumped, followed by a Gore and another referee running in for the pin at 13:22.

Rating: D+. If you’ve seen one of these, you’ve seen all of them. There’s nothing to this other than trading shots with weapons and that doesn’t exactly keep me interested in what is going on. Fulton losing to Rhino is far from a stretch but the ECW stuff doesn’t exactly hold up well these days, especially with an ECW guy still in there.

Kiera Hogan vs. Megan Bayne vs. Jessika Havok vs. Jordynne Grace

Non-title and Bayne is a tall/muscular woman from OVW. It’s Bayne vs. Havok in the first of what will likely be several power showdowns. The hit/shove each other a few times until Grace comes in to slug it out with Havok. Hogan comes in and has to escape a Grace Driver attempt, meaning Bayne can come back in to fight Grace.

With Grace being sent outside, Havok comes back in to splash Bayne in the corner. Forearms to the chest keep Bayne down but she avoids a legdrop. Bayne’s crossbody takes Havok down but Hogan and Grace come in for stereo near falls. Bayne knocks both of them down and Samoan drops Havok for two on all three. Havok is back up though and chokebombs Bayne into a Boston crab for the win at 7:02.

Rating: C-. They kept this short as there is only so much that you can do with these four going after each other. The win makes sense as Havok is challenging Grace on Saturday so at least they have some logic. Bayne is someone who could be a nice player once she gets some more experience, because she already has the look and size.

Ace Austin/Jake Crist vs. Tessa Blanchard/Daga

Preview for tomorrow’s Austin vs. Blanchard match. Ace bails from Tessa to start so it’s Jake coming in to trade arm holds with Blanchard. That’s fine with her as she ties up Jake in a leglock to send him to the ropes for a breather. Daga and Ace come in for an exchange of shoulders with Daga getting the better of things. A dropkick keeps Jake down so it’s off to Ace, who again runs from the legal Tessa.

Ace gets in a cheap shot from the apron to drop Daga though and NOW he’ll come in, like any good heel. That means a front facelock, followed by a bow and arrow to keep Daga in trouble. A rather nasty northern lights suplex drops Daga on his head for two and it’s off to the reverse chinlock. The headscissors works on the neck a bit more, with Ace bragging about his legs.

An invading Tessa lets Jake come in sans tag but it’s quickly back to Ace to stomp away even more. Daga fights back but gets pulled into the corner by the leg. A quick flurry of kicks and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker get Daga out of trouble though, meaning Tessa can come in and clean house….until the referee says he didn’t see it.

I can always go for that and it’s Daga getting taken back into the corner to continue the beatdown. Daga scores with a snap powerslam and NOW the tag to Tessa counts. House is cleaned in a hurry but Magnum misses, allowing Ace to hit a Samoan driver onto the knee. Daga brainbusters Ace though and sends him outside for a dive. The Buzzsaw DDT finishes Jake at 16:50.

Rating: B. Now this was more like it and you can see the talent out there. Tessa really is good and has the fire in her eyes that makes you realize just how good she is. Couple that with a slimy heel like Ace and we should be in for a heck of a fight tomorrow. This was a very nice formula based tag match and the best thing on the show, which is often what a main event should be.

Overall Rating: C. This was perfectly watchable and there were some good matches throughout the card. Not everything is great or even good but Moose vs. Bradley and the main event were solid enough. For $15 flat to sit in the fourth of five rows on a two and a half hour show, I can’t complain much at all. It makes me want to watch Sacrifice and that’s entirely the point of something like this. Above that though, I’d go again so they’ve done something right.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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




Super ShowDown 2020: What Else Is There To Say?

IMG Credit: WWE

Super ShowDown 2020
Date: February 27, 2020
Location: Mohammed Abdu Arena on the Boulevard, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

We’re back in Saudi Arabia and for the first time ever, they’re on a streak of a good show. Last October’s Crown Jewel was a pretty good show, though I’m not sure what reason I would have to believe that will be the case again here. I’m not sure how the main event of Goldberg vs. the Fiend is going to go though and that’s a nice feeling. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Viking Raiders vs. OC

Anderson headlocks Erik to start but that’s broken up with straight power. Ivar comes in for a knee to the face before wrapping his beard (yes his beard) around Anderson’s face. Erik slams Ivar onto Anderson for two but it’s Gallows coming in to try his luck. That means a fall away slam to Erik and the chinlock goes on. Anderson sends Erik into the corner again and Gallows drops the big elbow.

The chinlock goes on again but Erik fights up and rolls over for the hot tag to Ivar. The seated senton out of the corner crushes Anderson and there’s a clothesline to Gallows. Everything breaks down and Erik suplexes Gallows into the corner. Gallows is right back with a chokebomb to Erik, who knees Anderson in the face to get out of trouble. Ivar’s double handspring elbow puts the OC down but he misses a moonsault. The Magic Killer gives the OC the pin at 9:58.

Rating: C. What is with the Vikings not being able to beat these guys over here? It’s a bit of a confusing result as the Vikings have been in a much more prominent role than the OC as of late. That being said, it’s not like this match is going to mean anything in the long run so it’s not something I’m going to get annoyed at. Decent enough power match too.

The opening video talks about making your mark on the world.

That’s a lot of pyro.

Tuwaiq Trophy: Gauntlet Match

Andrade’s US Title isn’t on the line, there are six entrants and it’s R-Truth in at #1 and Bobby Lashley, with a completely covered Lana, is in at #2. R-Truth leapfrogs him to start and snaps off a headscissors, only to get knocked hard off the apron. Back in and Lashley slams him down hard, setting up the chinlock. R-Truth reverses into a sleeper but Lashley runs him over again. The Dominator is broken up though and it’s time for the John Cena sequence. Lashley is fine enough to come back with the Downward Spiral but the spear hits the corner. A rollup gives R-Truth the upset pin at 5:37.

Before the third entrant comes out, Lashley destroys him with a bunch of whips into the steps. The spear drops R-Truth again and it’s the returning Andrade (no Zelina Vega) in at #3. Andrade knees him in the corner to start and puts on an armbar over the ropes. A regular armbar keeps R-Truth in trouble and the running knees in the corner get two.

The hammerlock DDT is broken up and Andrade’s running knee only hits buckle, meaning it’s a crash to the floor. Back in and Truth scores with a Lie Detector for two, followed by a collision of heads so R-Truth can fall on him for the pin at 13:30 (there’s Andrade’s bonus punishment).

Erick Rowan is in at #4 and stars with the power, including a running slam in the corner. R-Truth gets up a boot in the corner and low bridges him to the floor, setting up the big dive. Rowan sends him into the steps but it knocks the cage down, meaning he sends R-Truth into the steps over and over again. A big shot with the steps is enough for the DQ to eliminate Rowan at 17:48. Rowan isn’t done yet as he adds in the Iron Claw before AJ Styles is in at #5.

R-Truth’s shoulder is done and he can barely get to his feet so AJ kicks him in the face. Another into the shoulder lets AJ mock the dancing and it’s time to start on the leg. AJ dances even more and kicks R-Truth in the legs again as the AJ STYLES chants are going fairly strong. The Calf Crusher makes R-Truth tap at 23:36 so it’s Rey Mysterio in at #6 to complete the field. Or not as there’s no Mysterio, who has been attacked in the back by Anderson and Gallows.

AJ grabs the mic and says there’s no Mysterio so he wins by forfeit. He demands his trophy but the referee is willing to give Rey a count of ten. The referee gets to seven but we see the OC down….and some large black boots. Then the gong strikes and there go the lights, as usual. After the full entrance, it’s a chokeslam to give Undertaker the Trophy at 32:27. Undertaker didn’t even take off his hat and coat.

Rating: C-. This was long, though nowhere near as long as some gauntlet matches WWE has done in recent years. Undertaker winning is fine for a surprise and at this point, far better than having him wrestle a full match. I’m sure this will set up the Wrestlemania match and that’s a fine way to go about it. R-Truth did well and as luck would have it, he has a new documentary on the Network. Imagine that timing!

New Day is ready for Miz and John Morrison because this is a big night.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Miz/John Morrison vs. New Day

New Day is defending. Big E. powers Miz into the corner to start and there’s the spanking abdominal stretch. The Warrior Splash brings in Kofi and Morrison with the former hitting a running backsplash. It’s already back to Big E., who gets sent outside for the slingshot dive from Morrison. Miz grabs the chinlock but Big E. fights up, only to get caught with a modified Hart Attack (Flying Chuck instead of a running clothesline).

The Rock Bottom out of the corner puts Miz down and that’s enough for the hot tag to Kofi. A running knee and the Boom Drop look to set up Trouble in Paradise but Miz makes the save. Back up and Morrison hits an Alabama Slam into a running knee for two. Kofi is fine enough to get two off the SOS and it’s a pretty awesome powerbomb/top rope double stomp combination for another near fall.

Miz fires off the YES Kicks to Big E. but Starship Pain misses. Kofi is back in for a quick Midnight Hour for two on Morrison with Miz making another save. Kofi loads up the Trust Fall but crashes HARD to the floor instead, leaving Miz to hit the Skull Crushing Finale for two on Big E. It’s back to Kofi, who reverses another Finale into a victory roll for two more. Morrison sneaks in a chair to the ribs though and Miz grabs a rollup (with tights) for the pin and the titles at 12:58.

Rating: B. This felt a bit longer as they packed a lot in there. Miz and Morrison winning the titles is the right call as we’ve seen New Day as champions for what feels like forever. Miz and Morrison can feud with New Day and the Usos in the coming months, but more importantly they’re something fresh and that’s what the titles have needed. If nothing else, a victory Dirt Sheet will be great.

Seth Rollins and Murphy are ready to retain their titles because it is their destiny to get rid of the Street Profits.

Angel Garza vs. Humberto Carrillo

Garza lays on the corner and does some crunches during Carrillo’s entrance. They both miss a bunch of strikes and it’s a standoff with Carrillo backflipping away. The big spinning springboard crossbody winds up being a headbutt for Carrillo. They head outside with Garza getting taken down off a headscissors and then getting knocked into the barricade off a suicide dive.

Back in and a basement dropkick gets two on Garza but he scores with a running dropkick in the corner. You can tell they’re in a different country as there’s little reaction when GARZA TAKES OFF HIS PANTS! Carrillo fights out of a camel clutch and hits a spinning kick to the head for two. Garza is back up to dropkick him out of the air for two but Carrillo hits a Canadian Destroyer to put both of them down. They go into the pinfall reversal sequence like Garza won on Raw….and he does so again with a rollup for the pin at 9:08.

Rating: C. These matches continue to not exactly hit thrilling as they are just lucha matches without a ton of heat. What we got was fine enough, but it was nothing better than what we got on Raw. I just can’t bring myself to care about them and while the matches are fine, they’re forgettable and not exactly making me interested in either of them.

Bayley is ready to make history again and retain her title. I’m liking these quick interviews before the matches to get me a bit more in the mood.

Raw Tag Team Titles: Street Profits vs. Murphy/Seth Rollins

Rollins and Murphy are defending. Dawkins spears Murphy down to start and wrestles him into the corner so Ford can come in. That means the big dropkick but Rollins comes in to take over on Ford. Murphy’s Meteora gets two and it’s back to Rollins for more stomping. Ford finally sends them both outside but Murphy pulls Dawkins off the apron to keep Ford in. Rollins is sent into the corner though and the hot tag brings in Dawkins to clean house.

Dropkicks and suplexes abound for two and it’s back to Ford who gets rolled up for two more. Ford kicks Rollins down though and hits the frog splash for his own two. Dawkins knocks Murphy hard over the announcers’ table but he’s back in to save Rollins again. A double Pedigree is countered into a double DDT on the champs to send them outside. Ford’s big running flip dive is caught though and he gets planted hard. Dawkins dives off the apron to take both of them down and they head back inside. Murphy gets in a knee to Dawkins, sending him into the ropes for the Stomp onto the apron to retain at 10:42.

Rating: B-. The Profits can do a lot of great things and there is little doubt that they are going to win the titles one day. What we had here was an entertaining match but there was no way the title change was taking place. Rollins and Murphy are big deals on Raw and they aren’t dropping the titles on a show that is the wrestling equivalent of a side quest.

We recap the Kickoff Show match.

Mansoor vs. Dolph Ziggler

Robert Roode is here with Ziggler but gets ejected before the bell. They trade headlocks to start until Mansoor hits a hard running shoulder. A standing moonsault gets two but Ziggler rakes the eyes across the rope to slow things down. The big jumping elbow sets up another chinlock on Mansoor, which is switched into something like a Crossface and then the Rings of Saturn.

Mansoor fights up and avoids the Fameasser, setting up the slingshot neckbreaker. A kind of reverse Big Ending gets two more but Mansoor gets pulled off the top. The Zig Zag gives Ziggler two but they seem to get a little messed up when fighting over a suplex. A reverse Sliced Bread (kind of a running flip DDT) plants Ziggler and the moonsault (with only the legs hitting Ziggler) finishes at 9:12.

Rating: C-. This was miles away from the Cesaro match as they were missing some cues and the match was hardly interesting in the first place. The Mansoor match has become the token crowd match. That’s all well and good, but when you do it over and over again, the charm is gone. When the match isn’t exactly great either, it isn’t making things that much better either.

Post match Mansoor says the same thing he says after every win: Saudi Arabia is awesome and he’s proud.

We recap Brock Lesnar vs. Ricochet. It’s the latest smaller guy challenging Lesnar in an underdog role. Ricochet has as much chance of winning as I do of becoming Miss Nevada 1974, but he has that natural underdog charisma to him that makes you believe a miracle could maybe kind of sort of have a prayer of happening.

Raw World Title: Brock Lesnar vs. Ricochet

We recap King Corbin vs. Roman Reigns. They’ve been feuding for months but want to keep everyone else out, meaning it’s time for a cage match. This feels tacked on after the feud ended so there isn’t much of a reason to care about it.

King Corbin vs. Roman Reigns

In a cage and commentary says this is the final time these two are fighting. Reigns chains the door shut so one escape route is cut off. Corbin uses the delay to jump Reigns from behind and the cheap shots take us to the opening bell. The slow beating begins and Corbin goes for an early climb but Reigns cuts him off without too much effort. They come back down with Reigns firing off the clotheslines in the corner.

The Superman punch is countered and Deep Six plants Reigns for two. Corbin looks for the key to the door but settles for two off a powerbomb instead. Some hard forearms keep Reigns down and the door is unlocked, only to have Reigns send him into the door. The Superman punch is countered into a chokeslam for two though and Corbin grabs the chain.

Corbin tries his own Superman punch but gets dropped by the real thing. They both go climbing and wind up on top for the slugout. Reigns has to be pulled back in so Corbin can send him into the cage and back to the mat. That just earns Corbin back to back Superman punches, followed by the Superman punch with a chain for the pin at 12:52.

Rating: C-. I know they kept hyping this up as the end but do you really believe we won’t see it again within a few months? This feud has been driven so far into the ground, which isn’t a good idea as it didn’t have the longest legs in the first place. It was your normal cage match, but they have made me sick of seeing both guys so it wasn’t exactly something that matters anyway.

We recap Undertaker’s surprise (I guess?) appearance earlier tonight.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Naomi vs. Bayley

Naomi is challenging and thankfully her big hair didn’t make it through customs. Bayley takes her to the mat to start but Naomi gets up and hits the splits splash. A kick to the face gives Naomi two more and a hurricanrana puts Bayley on the floor. The running corkscrew dive takes her down again but Bayley drives her back first into the apron to take over.

Back in and we hit the chinlock, with Bayley shouting at fans to shut up. Naomi fights up and hits a kick to the head, followed by a kick to the head for a change of pace. A springboard kick to the face drops Bayley again, followed by a knee to the ribs for two. The reverse Rings of Saturn has Bayley in more trouble but she gets a foot on the rope.

Bayley grabs a quick Bayley to Belly for two and there’s a running knee to rock Naomi again. Naomi catches her on top but misses the split legged moonsault. It’s time to get creative as Bayley ties Naomi’s legs into her shirt and finishes with that weird bulldog driver at 11:38.

Rating: C. I know WWE is going to be doing their big “rah rah we’re awesome and trailblazers and amazing” stuff out of this and I get why they go there, but it’s not a great match. Bayley has been champion for a long time now and it’s going to take a big win to get it off of her. Maybe they have something interesting planned at Elimination Chamber, but for now she has cleaned out the division.

We recap Goldberg vs. the Fiend. Goldberg was the most dominant force of his day and never got a rematch for the Universal Title. Therefore, he’s back to go after Fiend, who is a whole different animal.

Smackdown World Title: Goldberg vs. Fiend

Fiend is defending and gets in Goldberg’s face to start. Goldberg hits a quick spear for two but gets caught with the Mandible Claw. That’s broken up with a ram into the corner and Goldberg hits two more spears. There’s a fourth for two more and Fiend is right back with the Claw. Goldberg knees his way out and hits the Jackhammer to win the title at 2:59.

Post match Fiend gets up, the lights go out, and Fiend disappears. Goldberg celebrates to end the show.

What else is there to say about this? WWE has made it clear for a long time now that outside of Wrestlemania season and Saudi Arabia, nothing else matters. Fiend could have beaten Rock and Austin at the same time and there was no way he was going to defend the title at Wrestlemania because Fiend vs. anyone (save for that colorful guy from Massachusetts) isn’t a Wrestlemania style main event. I’m sure Reigns will get the title back in Tampa and it’ll be Reignsamania again as Fiend gets a pat on the back and is told he did well, just not well enough for the big show.

Overall Rating: D+. While it’s a far cry from the depths that these shows have sunk to before, it’s a pretty weak show with only a few good things throughout. They did make it feel more important with multiple title changes, but at the same time there is so much that just comes and goes like it’s on a slightly bigger than usual house show. The ending is annoying as a big Wyatt fan but I pretty much knew he was done as soon as the match was announced. I wanted to imagine Goldberg going down to the Claw but that’s not how WWE works. Anyway, not the worst, but the main event is almost all anyone will be talking about.

Results

Undertaker won a gauntlet match last eliminating AJ Styles

John Morrison/The Miz b. New Day – Rollup with tights to Kingston

Angel Garza b. Humberto Carrillo – Rollup

Seth Rollins/Murphy b. Street Profits – Stomp to Dawkins

Mansoor b. Dolph Ziggler – Moonsault

Brock Lesnar b. Ricochet – F5

Roman Reigns b. King Corbin – Superman punch with a chain

Bayley b. Naomi – Bulldog driver

Goldberg b. Fiend – Jackhammer

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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