IMG Credit: Ring of Honor

Ring of Honor
Date: January 22, 2020
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman, Brian Zane
Hosts: Ian Riccaboni, Quinn McKay

We’re still dealing with the Final Battle Fallout and that means things should be getting interesting around here sooner or later. The last few shows have done very little to get my interest up after the pay per view but maybe they can change things around here. I mean, I wouldn’t bet on it but stranger things have happened. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

We open with a look at Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham winning the Tag Team Titles at Final Battle.

The hosts welcome us to the show, which will be all about tag teams. Fair enough.

Bouncers vs. Dalton Castle/Joe Hendry

We get the Code of Honor to start before Milonas shoves Hendry down a few times. Back from a break with Castle coming in and promising to slam Bruiser. Castle can’t do much to him so Bruiser starts punching him and gets in the fake biting. The Bouncers go New Zealand with a Battering Ram but Hendry low bridges Milonas to the floor. Bruiser even goes all the way up and dives onto all three for the big crash and quite the earned reaction. Back in and Milonas’ falling splash gets two on Hendry but Bruiser misses his running hip attack in the corner.

That means Castle can come back in to suplex Bruiser (not bad) for two and Hendry adds a fall away slam (not badder). Castle doesn’t seem to like Hendry tagging himself back in so Bruiser can shove Hendry away, allowing the hot tag to Milonas. Everything breaks down but Castle saves Hendry from Last Call. That lasts for all of a few seconds before Castle is sent outside, leaving Hendry to take the Last Call for the pin at 9:07.

Rating: C. The Bouncers have become one of the most consistent acts around here and that’s one of the most bizarre things I ever could have imagined. I don’t get how that works but they’re getting something out of it. Castle and Hendry aren’t doing as much for me, but it hasn’t seemed like ROH has had anything planned for them for weeks now.

Buy merch!

Ian and Quinn preview the rest of the show.

Johnson tells Black to get out to start, which isn’t a nice way to talk to your new mentor. Black tags himself in anyway and the fans are rather behind him. Machine slams him down though and it’s Johnson tagging himself back in. Everything breaks down and Black kicks away at everyone until we take a break.

Back with Johnson holding Master in an abdominal stretch, though Johnson won’t let him grab the rope. Johnson’s middle rope splash gets two but Black kicks his feet off the ropes. The hot tag brings in Machine to clean house with an Oklahoma Stampede and a spear getting two on Johnson. Master’s top rope elbow gets the same but Black runs Machine over. A superkick to Master sets up a fist drop from Johnson for the pin at 5:53.

Brian Zane gives us his Top 5 Tag Teams in Ring of Honor history, which of course is topped by the Briscoes. Like it could have been anyone else.

2 Guys 1 Tag vs. Briscoes

For the #1 contendership and that would be Josh Woods/Silas Young. A long Rock Paper Scissors game means it’s Woods starting against Mark with the latter making the mistake of going amateur against the former NCAA Champion. It’s a spank to Mark and we take a break. Back with Young hammerlocking Mark and getting two off a shoulder.

Jay is sick of waiting though and comes in for a hard forearm each to Woods and Young to knock them both outside. That means Mark can hit a springboard flip dive and we settle down to Jay beating up Young. Jay charges into a raised boot though and a blind tag allows Woods to come in for a Saito suplex.

Another suplex into a slingshot hilo gets two and we take another break. Back again with Mark getting the hot tag to come in and clean house. The Rock Bottom suplex drops Woods and the brainbuster plants Young. Woods counters the Froggy Bow into a quickly broken cross armbreaker with Woods being sent into a middle rope boot to the face.

Redneck Boogie gets two on Woods and Mark kicks Young in the face again. Woods superplexes Mark off the top though and everyone is down for a bit. They get back up for the four way slugout with the Briscoes getting the better of things. The Doomsday Device is loaded up but here are Lethal and Gresham for a distraction so Woods can Rolling Chaos Theory Mark for the pin at 15:14.

Rating: B-. The interference at the end brought it back down just a bit because they were starting to rock at the end there. Woods and Young work well together and they could have a good title shot against Lethal and Gresham. It makes sense for the champs to be scared of the Briscoes but dang I was hoping for a clean upset win here. Still though, good stuff.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event bailed this one out in a pretty big way as the other two matches didn’t exactly blow anything away. It was fine to have a theme though and showcasing the tag division a bit is a good idea. If nothing else, it’s nice to see that they actually have a tag division, which isn’t something more companies can brag about these days.

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

IMG Credit: National Wrestling Alliance

Powerrr
Date: January 28, 2020
Location: GPB Studios, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Joe Galli, Stu Bennett

It’s the first show after Hard Times and that means we have a new Television Champion in Ricky Starks. Other than that we have the continuation of Nick Aldis/the NWA vs. Marty Scurll/Ring of Honor, which could be a nice upgrade for both companies as we move forward. Let’s get to it.

We open with a look back at Marty Scurll invading Hard Times to demand his World Title shot. Aldis defeated Flip Gordon, earning all of the power in his issues with Scurll.

Sean Mooney (who has not aged A DAY in thirty years) brings out Aldis, who welcomes him to the company. Aldis knows Mooney is a smart man so he should get this: Flip Gordon is a talented wrestler but he couldn’t beat the National Treasure. That makes him more of a flop than Flip and Marty wants no part of Aldis. Yes he had Scurll taken out of the building at Hard Times but he is NOT a coward.

All he wanted was a fair match without any tomfoolery or skulduggery. Everyone knows that the champ is running this place and it’s all Strictly Business. As for Scurll, we’re going to see a sitdown interview between Scurll and Aldis later tonight. Good promo, as Aldis can bring the fire. I’m more blown away by Mooney though, because you would never know thirty years had passed. That being said, Mooney belongs in the WWF, not in the NWA. My 1990 head cannot comprehend this change.

We look at Eli Drake and James Storm winning the Tag Team Titles in the triple threat.

Sal Rinauro, now with a broken arm, joins commentary.

Royce Isaacs vs. Andre Gunh

Mae Valentine is here with Isaacs. They lock up to start with Gunh not being able to armdrag him, allowing Isaacs to dropkick his leg out. A forearm to the back keeps Gunh down but he’s right back up with a dropkick to the floor. Isaacs goes over to yell at Rinauro and has to dive back in to beat the count. Gunh gets a quick two off a small package so Isaacs is right back with the dragon suplex into the German suplex for the pin at 3:22.

Rating: D+. Gunh got to show off a little big here but there wasn’t much to see for the most part. Isaacs is fine enough but I prefer him in the tag matches instead of his singles stuff. I’m not sure how far this is going to go but at least they’re trying to do something else here and that’s what they need to do.

We look at Thunder Rosa winning the Women’s Title at Hard Times.

Video on Pope, the Dawsons and Eddie Kingston.

Here are Thunder Rosa, accompanied by Melina and Marti Belle. Melina takes credit for it but Rosa doesn’t get to talk, which doesn’t go well with the fans. Allysin Kay gets her rematch for the title and Rosa says she’s ready to beat Kay a hundred times. Melina doesn’t want to hear it. They have to turn Rosa now and that seems to be what they’re going with here.

The Crockett Cup is back in April in a bigger venue. If that’s not Center Stage, I don’t know what to tell them.

Marty Scurll is tired of waiting on Nick Aldis.

We look at Ricky Starks winning the TV Title.

Here’s Starks for a chat. He understands that he is going to have to defend the title every week because he has some big shoes to fill. Starks is going to be everywhere so everyone can see his pretty face. There is one man who hasn’t seemed to join the modern times though and that is Zicky Dice. Starks wants him out here right now so here is Dice for some false praise. Dice would be champion had he not had to face some monster from another promotion. He has $6,000 sunglasses and a $16,000 fanny pack. Starks wants a match right now.

TV Title: Ricky Starks vs. Zicky Dice

Starks is defending. Dice shoulders him down to start and we get some hip swiveling. Some armdrags put Dice down but he avoids another one and swivels some more. A clothesline puts Starks in the corner and another one puts him down as we hear about the Lucky 7 Rule: if you successfully defend the TV Title seven times (including time limit draws), you get a World Title shot. Fair enough. Starks comes back with a Sling Blade and a hard right hand for two. Dice tries a quick Snake Rattle and Roll but Starks reverses into the Stroke (Angel’s Wings) to retain at 4:15.

Rating: C. This was a good example of what they need to do to make things more unique: build up some stars who the fans haven’t seen before to give the show some flavor. Starks is good in his roll and Dice is a great slimy heel. I could go for more of them and if they build a story up, we could get somewhere.

Eli Drake and James Storm, the new Tag Team Champions, say the only name they need is The Champs and sorry about your luck. Cue Aron Stevens and the Question Mark, with Stevens having no knowledge of running out on the title defense against Scott Steiner. He had to be somewhere right after the match! Storm says Stevens looks like the cow from Chick-Fil-A. Stevens: “I hope you’re sterile.”

More cow jokes abound and Drake tells Joe Galli to give Stevens and Mark a message: they’ll get to these two in a bit so take a number. Storm: “MOO!” Stevens and Mark want a title shot but here’s Trevor Murdoch, who beat Mark at Hard Times. He respects Ricky Starks for being the better man but doesn’t like Stevens running away. Next week, Murdoch gets a National Title match but Stevens hits him in the throat. Drake and Storm were really funny here and showed off the chemistry.

Video on Aldis defeating Gordon at Hard Times.

After making Scurll wait for twenty minutes, Aldis finally joins him for their sitdown meeting. Aldis has been trying to be a nice guy but he gets tired of protecting this house and going above and beyond but getting a bad reputation. They’ve known each other for years and there are people who do everything right in front of the camera and then become a s*** head everywhere else.

Aldis has been there for Scurll for years, even if it was just for a kind word. Then last year, Scurll challenged him for the World Title, but Aldis was ok with it because Marty had earned a shot. Aldis retained the title after losing a lot of blood and that should have been it. Then Marty got his huge deal and Aldis was happy for him, but Scurll cuts him off to say he’s always told he should have won the title and been champion at the Crockett Cup or at Madison Square Garden.

It’s about the title and not about his bank account. Maybe not being the World Champion is what defines him as a wrestler. All Marty wants is one more chance and he’ll even do it for free. Aldis will do it if he can dictate the terms. The match can take place at the Crockett Cup so the cities can start bidding on them. One more thing: if Marty loses, he has to refund everyone in the building’s ticket money. Marty can think about it. Awesome stuff here and the title match should be a blast, even with a telegraphed winner.

Roll credits, minus Into The Fire.

Overall Rating: C-. The promos carried the lack of wrestling here, with the Crockett Cup being the next target. This place does an excellent job with the talking, which is one of the most important things that a wrestling company can do. They needed a little more action on this show though and it stood out rather badly here. Not a terrible show due to the great talking (Aldis looked like a star, as always) but it was a different vibe that I wasn’t digging.

Results

Royce Isaacs b. Andre Gunh – Dragon German suplex

Ricky Starks b. Zicky Dice – Stroke

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

IMG Credit: AEW

Dark
Date: January 28, 2020
Location: Watsco Center, Miami, Florida/Norwegian Pearl, International Waters
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone
Host: Tony Schiavone

We’re back on the boat and I’m not sure what to make of this show anymore. Last week’s edition was just under half an hour long and I’m kind of digging that. There is something nice about getting in and getting out, as you don’t want to overload the fans with too much content. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

From Miami.

Nyla Rose vs. Shanna

Tables match. Shanna goes right after her to start and the right hands fly in a hurry, only to have Nyla shove her away. The first table is pulled out early on so Shanna dives off the apron to take Rose down. That just earns her a shove into the barricade and the table is set up in the corner. A drop toehold sends Rose head first into but not through the table. Shanna hits a running dropkick in the corner and takes her up for a super hurricanrana right back down.

The table is set up in the middle this time but Shanna can’t lift her up. She can however block an AA through the table and DDT Nyla onto the side for a nasty landing. The table is set up outside so Nyla is sent to the apron. Shanna tries a dive but gets caught in a chokeslam through the table to give Rose the win at 8:04.

Rating: D. This was really bad with neither looking good and the table stipulation not being needed. JR acknowledged how bad it was with the bowling shoe analogy and I don’t know what else they were expecting. How else was something like this to go? Pretty bad miss here but at least Rose is being rebuilt.

Post match Rose goes after her again but Sadie Gibbs comes out for the save. That just earns her another chokeslam through another table.

Here’s where AEW is coming.

From the cruise.

QT Marshall vs. Kip Sabian

Penelope Ford is here with Sabian. They run the ropes to start without getting much contact until Marshall hits a handspring kick to the face. Marshall goes up but gets pulled down by Ford, allowing Sabian to hit Eat Defeat for two. Sabian works on the arm for a bit, followed by a hanging swinging neckbreaker for the same. Hold on though as Marshall needs to go outside and yell at a fan, allowing Marshall to make the comeback. A tilt-a-whirl slam gets two on Sabian and Ford has to save him from an armbar. Back in and Sabian grabs a sunset flip so Ford grabs his hands for the leverage and the pin at 6:36.

Rating: C-. Battle of two good hands here and that’s not really enough to keep my interest. The wrestling was fine enough, with Ford being fine as the cheating manager. Neither of them are going to go anywhere anytime soon, but that is the case with a lot of people featured in AEW at the moment.

From Miami again.

Dark Order vs. Sonny Kiss/Brandon Cutler

Cutler has some new gear, including a 20 sided die. Grayson runs Kiss over to start and drives him into the corner so Uno can come in for two off a big boot. It’s back to Grayson to suplex Kiss down while telling him that he can be more. Kiss is back with a legsweep and a slingshot splits legdrop. One of the Creepers grabs the leg though and it’s Nightfall into the Fatality for the pin on Kiss at 3:10. Cutler was never in the match.

Rating: D. The squash was a good idea for the team but Uno is still dragging things way down for the team. He looks like a joke and Grayson’s good look isn’t enough to overcome anything. I could go for more squashes like this though as it lets the winners showcase themselves, which isn’t the case around here often enough. Try some more of them out and see where you get.

Overall Rating: D-. I really can’t call this a waste of time as it’s only thirty two minutes long but this show has rapidly become the Main Event/Superstars show without the recaps. In other words, it doesn’t offer a ton of value and I’m curious to see how they’re going to retool this to make it work for television. No one would watch this show on regular TV and I’m not sure how much value it is going to have online either. It’s not bad, but it’s a completely nothing show.

Results

Nyla Rose b. Shanna – Chokeslam through a table

Kip Sabian b. QT Marshall – Rollup

Dark Order b. Sonny Kiss/Brandon Cutler – Fatality to Kiss

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

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: January 21, 2020
Location: Fronton Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re down in Mexico this week and that means things are going to be a little different. It’s still time for the fallout from Hard To Kill, which could go multiple ways. Hopefully things pick up a bit, though it’s not like last week’s recap show was all that bad. I’m curious to see where things go from here though so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Here’s Tessa Blanchard to open things up. She’s glad to be aqui en Mexico and knows that it’s the beginning of the journey. There is a target on her back and knows that Sami Callihan is coming. Cue Taya Valkyrie instead and she brings up a great point: she beat Tessa for the title and deserves a title shot of her own. She has beaten Tessa for the AAA Women’s Title but now she wants the World Title.

Cue Ace Austin to say he should be invited to this party. They were all successful at Hard To Kill and Ace even beat Tessa at Bound For Glory. He could come out on top of her again, either in the ring or at the hotel. The fight is on and Trey Miguel runs in for the save to set up a likely tag match.

Opening sequence.

We recap Willie Mack walking away from Rich Swann after losing in a handicap match at Hard To Kill.

Mack isn’t sure what he’s going to do until Swann gets back but tonight, he’ll face Rohit Raju. Johnny Swinger comes in to offer to be his partner but Mack walks away, even from the offer of rizzats.

Taya is talking about wanting a World Title shot when Madison Rayne and Kiera Hogan come in to say they want their title shots. That’s more than Taya can deal with right now but they can fight next week. Whoever wins gets the first title shot and the loser gets the second.

Moose vs. Rhino vs. Taurus

The ECW chants start fast (for once that’s interesting as Rhino was only around ECW for about two years but it’s still the signature time in his career) and Moose drops to the floor. Taurus springboards out of a wristlock as Moose is content to chill on the floor. He does stop to grab Taurus though and Rhino demands that Moose get in. That isn’t happening so far though and we take a break.

Back with Moose still on the floor as Rhino charges into an elbow to the face. Rhino and Taurus go outside to deal with Moose, who slides back in, only to make the mistake of pointing at his head because he’s brilliant. The beatdown is on with Rhino getting annoyed at Taurus for going for a cover.

Moose gets back up and beats them into various corners, including a whip to send Taurus shoulder first into the post. Some running elbows and a short arm clothesline give Rhino two but Taurus is out of the corner with a spinning crossbody for his own two. Rhino suplexes Moose but a quick referee distraction lets Moose kick Rhino low. Taurus comes in for the save so Rhino Gores Moose, only to have Taurus steal the pin at 14:25.

Rating: D+. Just another triple threat match with the same formula that you could imagine for a long time now. They’re all talented people but how many things can you get out of the same formula? There are other ways to do a match like this but for some reason this is what wrestlers like to do in them no matter what.

Jordynne Grace thinks she should get a Knockouts Title match so she’s in on the Hogan vs. Rayne match.

Tommy Dreamer, in a sombrero, tells Joey Ryan that he’s back in Wrestler’s Court tonight. Joey says no and leaves.

Joey Ryan vs. Maximo

Maximo is an exotico so we’re in for comedy. Joey gives a fan a lollipop from his trunks and it’s time to tell Maximo to touch it. They trade armdrags instead and some near falls give us a standoff. Maximo slams him down and drops a top rope elbow for two, only to make the mistake of trying an atomic drop. Back up and Maximo kisses him for two but Ryan makes him touch it. The Plex and Sweet Tooth Music finishes Maximo at 3:32.

Rating: F. Yeah I think this one speaks for itself. They were nice enough to keep this short but it’s not exactly something I want to see. It doesn’t help that Ryan does the exact same stuff every single time and almost never changes anything. It wasn’t as long as some of these matches but egads I could go with never seeing this stuff again.

Rob Van Dam says that match makes him embarrassed to be a wrestler. He leaves with Katie Forbes instead of answering a question.

Michael Elgin wants to fight Eddie Edwards again.

Havok vs. Rosemary

Havok has James Mitchell and Susie with her. Rosemary bails to the floor to start and talks to Susie but switches places with Havok, setting up a dive. Rosemary beats her up the ramp but Havok gets in a single shot to knock her back. A suplex drops Rosemary on the ramp and Havok heads inside, only to get taken down with a top rope forearm. The Sling Blade sets up a Last Chancery, with Havok getting out in a hurry. Havok hits a running knee but Rosemary gets in a jawbreaker. Mitchell gets on the apron for a distraction so Rosemary mists him down, allowing Havok to hit a Tombstone for the pin at 6:29.

Rating: D+. This story continues to keep going and I’m still not sure what to expect from where it is going. I’m still not sure if Impact knows what they’re doing with it either, though the Susie stuff does have me a little bit intrigued. The match wasn’t very good either but they had too much going on in a short amount of time.

Post match the blind Mitchell celebrates with Havok but Susie wanders off.

The Desi Hit Squad is ready to continue their winning streak but Shera has sent Raj Singh on a spiritual journey. Gama Singh isn’t happy and slaps Rohit Raju to blow off some steam.

The Rascalz make fun of Trey for teaming with a girl as he might have a bit of a thing for Tessa. Then things get all fuzzy and Murder Clown/Pagano join in their circle, much to the Rascalz’s dismay.

Eddie Edwards will gladly fight Michael Elgin again. Elgin comes in to start the argument and another match seems imminent.

Willie Mack vs. Rohit Raju

Gama Singh and Shera are here. They start fast with Mack snapping off a hurricanrana and hitting the swinging slam for a bonus. A dropkick to the floor makes it worse but Shera offers a distraction so Raju can sweep the leg. Raju hits a double stomp for two but misses a charge, allowing Mack to hit the running boot in the corner. The Samoan drop into the standing moonsault gets two, followed by Raju missing a jumping knee. Mack Stuns him for the pin at 3:49.

Rating: C-. Could have been worse and in theory this was going to be Mack/Swann vs. the Squad. Mack continues to be one of the most entertaining guys on the show and I could go for him getting a singles push. Raju is watchable at times and that was the case here, albeit in a not all that interesting match.

Post match the Squad beats Mack down, drawing out Swinger for the failed save attempt.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Beer Money beats the Motor City Machine Guns for the Tag Team Titles at Genesis 2011.

The North brags about how awesome they are when Vikingo interrupts, likely to set something up.

Starting next week: Eddie Edwards vs. Michael Elgin in the first match of a best of five series. No mention of the trophy being on the line.

Tessa Blanchard/Trey Miguel vs. Taya Valkyrie/Ace Austin

John E. Bravo is here with Taya and Ace. Taya and Tessa get things going with Tessa hitting a quick clothesline to put her on the floor. Ace comes in and gets taken down with a headlock before it’s off to Trey to pick up the pace. A dropkick puts Ace in the ropes and a running hurricanrana sends him outside, only for Taya to block the dive. Tessa kicks her to the floor for the stereo dives and we take a break.

Back with Taya pulling Tessa off the apron to block a tag attempt as Ace has Trey in trouble. Ace drops a leg for two and it’s Taya coming in for the same off a basement dropkick. Another knee gets another two and Trey gets tied in the Tree of Woe for some kicks to the ribs. A belly to back suplex gets two and Ace cuts the finger with the card.

That’s enough to Trey to fight up but Bravo makes sure the referee doesn’t see the tag. Trey backflips over Ace and hits a double stomp to the back and the hot tag brings in Tessa for a high crossbody. There’s a cutter to drop Taya again and a tornado DDT rocks Austin. A running springboard Downward Spiral gets two on Ace and Tessa dives onto Taya. Ace is right back up though and hits the Fold to finish Trey at 16:48.

Rating: C+. Nice match here with Tessa getting the hot tag like a champion should, but then you have Trey lose again. I’m not sure if he is going to be chasing Austin going forward, but how much sense would that make at the moment? The action was good here, but I’m not wild on the booking overall. Still though, best thing on the show.

Overall Rating: D. I really don’t care for these shows in Mexico as they feel like a cross between house shows and regular TV. All of these people show up with little to no introduction and a lot of the wrestling isn’t very good. They had some momentum coming out of Hard To Kill but the last two weeks have really slowed things down. This wasn’t very good and I don’t know how much better that is going to get during this trip.

Results

Taurus b. Moose and Rhino – Gore to Moose

Joey Ryan b. Maximo – Sweet Tooth Music

Havok b. Rosemary – Tombstone

Willie Mack b. Rohit Raju – Stunner

Taya Valkyrie/Ace Austin b. Trey Miguel/Tessa Blanchard – Fold to Miguel

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

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/breaking-reigning-champion-suspended-wwe-wellness-violation/

Sweet goodness.  You’re marrying into the elite family and you’re the US Champion.  What more could you possibly want?  I’m not sure what Andrade did but dang that’s quite the nitwitted move to make.  Oddly enough he kept the title, which shows you what WWE thinks of either him or Humberto, but maybe we’ll see something different when he gets back.  Either way, not the brightest move.

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: January 27, 2020
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Jerry Lawler

It’s officially a new era as we are on the Road to Wrestlemania, featuring new #1 contender Drew McIntyre. I’ve waited a long time to say that but now it’s true, with McIntyre eliminating Brock Lesnar from the Royal Rumble and then winning the whole match, meaning he’s off to Wrestlemania. Tonight we might get to see what all is coming up for Wrestlemania. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look back at last night’s Royal Rumble.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Drew McIntyre to open the show. Drew loves the sound of being introduced as the Royal Rumble winner, so let’s get this out of the way: he challenges Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania. Last night he saw the fear in Brock’s eyes and knows that he can beat Lesnar. He wants a Claymore party tonight though and that means it’s open challenge time. Cue the OC to say they’ll both fight him right now. That’s fine with Drew, so ring the bell.

Drew McIntyre vs. OC

Drew starts fast by chopping Anderson and beats up Gallows as a bonus. A top rope ax handle hits Anderson and there’s the Futureshock to Gallows. The Claymore hits them both and it’s a double pin at 2:21. Total squash and that’s how you make a star.

Post match here’s Lesnar to F5 McIntyre.

Classic Edge Moment: TLC II.

Rey Mysterio vs. MVP

I’m glad MVP brought back the intro to his theme song. Feeling out process to start and we go to an early standoff with MVP smiling. Rey gets knocked down with a big boot for two but he sends MVP outside with a headscissors as we take a break. Back with Rey picking up the pace with some elbows but he walks into a World’s Strongest Slam. Ballin connects but Rey is right back with….well it was supposed to be a 619 but MVP stood up so the feet just grazed him in the back. The springboard splash hits MVP in the back for the pin at 8:59.

Rating: C-. They were in different books there at the end but it’s nice to have MVP’s music back if nothing else. I only started to get into him near the end of his run so it’s nice to have him back. I’m not sure how much I need to see him on a regular basis, but it’s fine for a veteran presence in the short term.

We look back at the opening segment, including Lesnar taking out McIntyre. The title match is official for Wrestlemania.

Aleister Black vs. Kenneth Johnson

Johnson was in the Cruiserweight Classic and it’s Black Mass for the pin at 35 seconds.

Post match Black isn’t happy with losing the Royal Rumble last night. He owns that loss, but there is something that needs to change. Over the last few months, he has made the mistake of waiting for people to come after him. From now on, he is bringing the fight to them.

We look back at last week’s Tag Team Title change.

Here are Buddy Murphy and Seth Rollins for a chat before their title defense. Rollins talks about how winning the Royal Rumble wasn’t in the cards last night, but the positive was that neither Kevin Owens nor Samoa Joe are going to Wrestlemania either. The other good thing is that Rollins now has Buddy Murphy by his side. As for tonight, Owens and Joe want a title shot so get out here.

Cue Owens and Joe, with Owens saying Rollins still talks too much. Rollins wants a fight right now and Joe wants to know why Rollins is willing to fight tonight. Owens thinks the TOP might be ready to jump them but Rollins has told them to stay in the back and even has a live camera feed ready to prove that they’re not coming. Joe thinks that might be fake and yes, he is calling Rollins a liar. After seeing more of the camera feed, Owens confirms that they are in Rollins’ dressing room. Therefore, the Viking Raiders jump the AOP and let’s have this title match.

Classic Edge Moment: Cashing in Money in the Bank for the first time.

Raw Tag Team Titles: Buddy Murphy/Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe/Kevin Owens

Joe and Owens are challenging. Joe knocks Rollins to the floor to start so it’s Murphy coming in and getting dropped as well. Murphy’s comeback is cut off with a shoulder so Owens comes in to pound away in the corner. A Vader Bomb elbow gives Owens two and Joe drops an elbow for the same. The Russian legsweep gets two on Murphy and it’s Owens coming back in to keep up the beating.

Rollins manages a blind tag and comes in to stomp away on Joe as Lawler can’t get why Rollins is being booed. Murphy is back in rather quickly as Rollins is backdropped to the floor, leaving Murphy to miss his dive as Joe steps to the side (that never gets old). A suicide dive crushes Murphy on the floor and we take a break. Back with Joe having been sent to the back due to how he landed off the dive.

Murphy drives some knees to the back and grabs the chinlock for a bit. Owens fights up and sends Rollins into the corner, with the frog splash getting two. A jumping knee to the face gives Murphy two but Owens’ pop up sitout powerbomb gets the same. Murphy gets shoved off the top for a Swanton so Rollins has to make a save this time. Owens is back up with a flip dive to Rollins but Murphy knees him into the ropes. Rollins misses the stomp and takes a Stunner, only to have Murphy grab a rollup with tights for the pin at 15:50.

Rating: C. The Joe absence took something away from it and that’s a little annoying. I’ll take that over the title change though as there isn’t much of a reason to switch them again, especially when Rollins is still establishing the army against everyone else. Owens looks good, but I really hope they don’t do the same thing with the roles reversed next week.

Classic Edge Moment: Returning to win the 2010 Royal Rumble.

Becky Lynch calls last night a big victory. After she won, she looked at the title and it hit her: she really is in a whole different league than the rest of those dopes because she’s beaten everyone. She’d be down with facing Charlotte, and shows off a GOAT jacket.

US Title: Andrade vs. Humberto Carrillo

Andrade is defending in a rematch from last night. Humberto dropkicks him at the bell and takes it to the floor for a bit with Andrade taking over. Back in and Andrade stomps away in the corner with some choking thrown in for a bonus. Humberto sends him over the top though and it’s the big flip dive to follow as we take a break.

Back with Andrade stomping away even more but missing the running knees in the corner. A spinebuster puts Humberto down but he’s right back with a headscissors. The springboard spinning crossbody gets two and the rolling moonsault is good for the same. Andrade breaks up a springboard to send Carrillo crashing onto the back of his head. Humberto is right back with some kicks of his own and the moonsault connects, only to have Zelina Vega come in for the DQ at 10:43.

Rating: C. I’m still not feeling it from Humberto and the match wasn’t anything great. If nothing else, there wasn’t much of a reason to do the match again, but that has never stopped WWE before. Humberto needs something to make people care about him and beating Andrade via DQ isn’t enough.

Post match Humberto is livid and beats up Andrade before peeling back the floor mats. The hammerlock DDT plants Andrade into the concrete for a change.

Classic Edge Moment: His retirement in 2011.

Here’s Charlotte to brag about winning last night but that’s what she does, because she’s Charlotte. We see some highlights from last night and Charlotte announces that she will be challenging….for a championship because she hasn’t made up her mind yet. Cue the Kabuki Warriors with Asuka shouting in Japanese. Charlotte thinks that’s a challenge and the beatdown is on.

Charlotte vs. Asuka

They lock up in a hurry to start and it’s Asuka taking over with the kicks. A running kick to the face gives Asuka two and Charlotte is looking shaken early on. More kicks to the back have Charlotte in more trouble but the running hip attack misses. Charlotte is back with a clothesline and blocks a bulldog, allowing her to start in on the leg. Asuka kicks her into the corner though and hits a release German suplex.

The missile dropkick gives Asuka two and the Octopus makes it even worse for Charlotte. That’s broken up as well and Charlotte hits a basement dropkick. Charlotte takes her up for a super Spanish Fly but a Sane distraction lets Asuka shove her down as we take a break. Back with Asuka hitting a German suplex and forearming away. Another missile dropkick misses though and Charlotte hits a big boot for two.

Charlotte’s moonsault misses though and Asuka grabs something like an upside down Koji Clutch on the mat. That’s broken up so Asuka goes with a triangle choke, with Charlotte reversing with a hard sitout powerbomb. Back up and Asuka hits a running Codebreaker for two but the Asuka Lock doesn’t work. Charlotte’s spear gets two and the Figure Eight goes on, drawing in Sane with the Insane Elbow for the DQ at 14:08.

Rating: C+. It was going somewhere but that’s the second match in a row with someone coming in for the DQ. These two are always worth seeing though as they have some rather good chemistry. That being said, I’m almost scared to see where Charlotte goes with the title match because neither of the champions offers an interesting match for her.

The Street Profits are excited that Edge is back. Kelly Kelly comes in and Dawkins hits on her, though Kelly seems confused. Dancing ensues.

Here’s 24/7 Champion Mojo Rawley for a title defense but he has Riddick Moss of all people with him, billed as Rawley’s offensive lineman. Before the match, Rawley says he’ll fight anywhere and introduces Moss before telling anyone can come get the title.

24/7 Title: Mojo Rawley vs. No Way Jose

Rawley is defending as Main Event comes to Raw. Running fist in the corner and the fireman’s carry faceplant retains the title at 25 seconds.

Post match, R-Truth runs in in a cheeseburger costume and wins the title. A Moss distraction and the fireman’s carry faceplant gives Rawley the title right back.

We recap Liv Morgan interrupting the wedding and the relationship part is included. Commentary doesn’t mention it, but that’s better than nothing.

Lana vs. Liv Morgan

Liv power walks to the ring and the fight is on but Lana knocks her to the floor in a crash. Back in and Lana gets two off a kick to the head, meaning it’s off to the chinlock. Liv breaks that up and hits an enziguri, followed by a springboard Downward Spiral to put Lana away at 2:38. That was different and not a disaster.

Erick Rowan vs. Branden Vice

Rowan dropkicks him to the floor for a crossbody, hits a Jackhammer back inside and finishes with the Iron Claw at 1:13.

Classic Edge Moment: Returning last night.

Here’s Edge for his big return speech. He soaks in some cheers and can’t believe that he’s here, because being back means so much to him. The reactions are why they do this so thank you. Edge gets to the big point: how can he be here? Nine years ago he was told he could never do this again but he doesn’t like living in a world of what if’s. A few years went by and he started to feel pretty good.

Then he started thinking about what if he came home. He had a second neck surgery and got in the best shape of his life because he wanted to do this one more time and go out on his own terms. Last night he was in the Royal Rumble and saw some names that he had seen before, plus some new ones. He hopes to see them again down the road, but he’s not sure how long this is going to last.

Edge wants us to join us on the ride, earning himself his first YES chant. Edge: “I’ve got to thank Daniel Bryan for that because that’s pretty cool.” Yeah he’s older now but he has one thing that you can’t fake: grit. This brings out Randy Orton, who hugs Edge and calls him a brother. Last night, Orton felt the energy and the chemistry that only they have. Edge was talking about what if’s, so what if Rated-RKO got back together one more time?

Before we get an answer, the RKO drops Edge. Orton grabs a chair and cracks Edge over the back for good measure. The chair is wrapped around Edge’s head (as his hand is shaking) and Orton goes to the middle rope. Orton gets back down and takes the chair off of his head….so he can get two chairs. The One Man Conchairto ends the show, with Orton whispering something to Edge. Good angle here, and Edge can bring the fire at Wrestlemania.

Overall Rating: C+. Tonight worked well enough and you can tell that they have something of a focus to set up Wrestlemania. That’s a really good sign and having McIntyre vs. Lesnar already announced is a good idea. Edge vs. Orton sounds solid as well and you can probably piece together some more of the card as we move forward. It’s not a great show with some of the stuff feeling like filler, but the important stuff worked well and that’s what matters.

Results

Drew McIntyre b. OC – Claymore to Anderson

Rey Mysterio b. MVP – Springboard splash

Aleister Black b. Kenneth Johnson – Black Mass

Seth Rollins/Buddy Murphy b. Samoa Joe/Kevin Owens – Rollup with tights to Owens

Humberto Carrillo b. Andrade via DQ when Zelina Vega interfered

Charlotte b. Asuka via DQ when Kairi Sane interfered

Mojo Rawley b. No Way Jose – Fireman’s carry faceplant

Liv Morgan b. Lana – Springboard Downward Spiral

Erick Rowan b. Branden Vice – Iron Claw

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

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #93
Date: January 18, 2020
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, AJ Kirsch, Byron Saxton

It’s time for a big one as we wrap up the Opera Cup with a Hart Foundation clash. In a match that is in no way inspired by the European Title Tournament final from 1997 between Davey Boy Smith and Owen Hart, we have Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Brian Pillman Jr. Other than that we’re on the road to Fightland which could be an interesting night. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the history of the Opera Cup, which hasn’t been awarded in 71 years. We also see how both Smith and Pillman got to the finals as they’re making this into a big deal.

Opening sequence.

Middleweight Title: El Lindaman vs. Myron Reed

Reed is defending and earlier today, he talked about being like Cassius Clay because no one can control him. Lindaman goes straight with the power by driving Reed into the corner and hitting a Downward Spiral for two. The chinlock goes on before Lindaman goes with the stomps to the back. A Boston crab is loaded up but the rest of Injustice offers a distraction.

Back up and a quick Stunner sets up a springboard cutter into a reverse sitout gordbuster for two on Lindaman for a change. Reed tries another springboard but gets dropkicked out of the air, setting up something like a standing Iconoclasm for another near fall. That’s enough for Reed, who snaps him throat first across the top. The running cutter into the frog splash (with chest protector) retains Reed’s title at 7:05.

Rating: C. Lindaman is a smaller guy but he wrestles a stronger style, which is a very weird combination but he’s making it work. I’m not sure if the Strong Hearts are going to become a big deal around here but they’re good for some one off matches like this. Injustice has gone from little more than a joke to a nice stable so well done on upgrading themselves.

Brian Pillman Jr. says he has a bad shoulder injury but he isn’t about to drop out of the Opera Cup. The final isn’t going to be about the Hart Foundation and Pillman is going to show that he belongs in there.

Video on Mance Warner vs. Jimmy Havoc in a barbed wire match next week. Warner is ready to make Havoc bleed.

King Mo wants the winner of the Opera Cup. For now though, he wants Jacob Fatu and the World Title.

We look back at Gino Medina joining the Dynasty in beating down Konnan.

The Dynasty introduce Gino to the Gift Train and give him his official card. Gino talks about Konnan being the former Hulk Hogan of Mexico, which sends Hammerstone into a mini rant about how Konnan has no tan and is the Hogan of nothing. They do a four way Dynasty pinkie swear. These guys grow on me every week.

It’s the Fightland Control Center, including Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Jimmy Havoc, Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Erick Stevens and the return of LA Park.

Savio Vega vs. Gino Medina

Street fight so the weapons are already in the ring. Vega talks about fighting for Konnan because it’s time for some revenge. The bell rings and Vega starts swinging the kendo stick to put Gino outside early. Gino gets posted and trashcan lidded down but he kicks a chair out of Savio’s hands. A trashcan goes over Savio’s head and Gino kicks it down for two. Some pizza trays to the head get Vega out of trouble but Gino knees him in the back of the head.

A slap to the face wakes Savio up again so he chops Gino down for two. That’s not exactly a hardcore move but Vega can barely move so I’ll take what I can get. Vega knocks him out to the floor, only to have a chair wrapped around his neck and rammed into the post. That’s only good for two so Savio tries a spinwheel kick but connects with more of an elbow for two instead. Vega knocks a chair away from Gino but here’s the Dynasty for a distraction, setting up a low blow into an enziguri for the pin on Vega at 8:35.

Rating: D. This was a rough one as Vega just isn’t very good these days. Granted that might be due to his age and I don’t see much of a point to putting him in the ring. It also doesn’t help that we’ve now seen two matches from Gino and neither have been all that good. Maybe he needs better opponents, but my hopes aren’t exactly high so far.

We look back at Tom Lawlor jumping the Von Erichs last week.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. talks about how important it is to win the Opera Cup. He is a bit surprised that Pillman made the finals and they are family. For tonight though, it’s all about winning.

The Opera Cup will be back next year.

Injustice has been kicked out of the building.

Opera Cup Finals: Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.

Pillman has a very bad shoulder coming in. After the Big Match Intros, we’re ready to go. Feeling out process to start with Pillman teasing a chop but backing up before he does anything. Pillman’s headlock keeps Smith down for a bit with Smith not being able to roll his way out of escaping. Smith gets up and slams him down, setting up a double arm crank.

This time it’s Pillman getting up and spinning around to crank on the arms as well. Pillman sends him outside for a kick to the chest and a springboard splash crushes Smith again. Smith is back with a whip into the barricade and some chops of his own as the power is becoming too much to maintain. Back in and we hit the chinlock, followed by a suplex and another chinlock.

Pillman has to grab a rope, which isn’t normally how you would get out of something like that. Smith slams him to set up a legdrop, only to miss the top rope legdrop. They trade some near falls but Pillman’s don’t have a ton of energy behind them. Another pinfall reversal sequence gives us more twos so Pillman connects with a low superkick.

Air Pillman connects for two in the first good near fall. Pillman misses the spinning crossbody though and the running powerslam gives Smith his own two. Now the top rope headbutt connects for two and Smith is stunned. A powerbomb gets the same and the Crossface goes on to finally go after Pillman’s arm. Pillman rolls him up for two but can’t break the hold, meaning he has to tap at 17:14.

Rating: B-. It was kind of hard to believe that Pillman was winning here as Smith has seemed to be the obvious choice for the tournament since it was announced. You know, because the cup literally belongs to him and everything. It was fine for a short tournament and there was a nice near fall off Air Pillman but it was just pretty good for the most part.

Post match Smith celebrates with the cup and hugs Pillman. More celebrating ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This felt like a pretty big TV show and I’ll take what I can get out of any weekly episode. The tournament was the big focus here and it was nice to see them having a good final. It isn’t likely to mean anything, but moving Smith up higher in the MLW ranks is a good thing. He’s a pretty complete package in the ring and while his promos could use some work, the wrestling is hard to ignore. There are some issues with some of the stories around here but they’re in a nice enough groove to get by on the good things that they have.

Results

Myron Reed b. El Lindaman – Frog splash

Gino Medina b. Savio Vega – Enziguri

Davey Boy Smith Jr. b. Brian Pillman Jr. – Crossface

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

IMG Credit: WWE

We’ll wrap it up with this, which is as important of an award as you can have. The name on the marquee says wrestling and at the end of the day, it all comes down to the big wrestling matches that people are willing to watch (preferably after paying to do so). With so many matches over the last ten years, I have a pretty long list of options as there are just so many to pick from.

Honorable Mention

John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan – Summerslam 2013 – Cena was a big part of making Bryan by selecting him for this match, but what mattered more was Bryan going over Cena completely clean. It set up everything until Wrestlemania and was an instant classic in the process. Not bad all around for a dream match.

Ten Man Tag – WrestleCon SuperShow 2017 – I saw this one in person and it changed the way I look at wrestling. Check out the review of the show and then check out the match itself because it’s some of the most fun you’ll have with ten guys going completely insane.

Revival vs. DIY – Takeover: Toronto – It might be the most entertaining tag match I’ve ever seen with DIY working together and FINALLY beating the Revival to win the titles. The last shot of the match is awesome and this is as feel good of a moment as you’re getting this side of the Harts beating Demolition.

Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada – Dominion 2018 – I’m still a bigger story/promo guy so I don’t have the connection to this one that some people might. That being said, it’s incredible and one heck of a showdown. It’s not seven stars or whatever it was because that match doesn’t exist, but it is more than worth the lengthy time.

Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne – Takeover: Chicago – Sometimes you see stars made before your eyes and these two did just that. They went out there and showcased themselves on the big stage with a match for the ages. What else could you ask for from two people who had only been alive for about 45 years between the two of them? And then THEY GOT BETTER!

CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar – Summerslam 2013

A lot of people, myself included, have criticized Lesnar since his return to WWE. He does a lot of things that get on a lot of people’s nerves, but that doesn’t mean he can’t do great things when he’s given the chance. Lesnar was feeling it on this night though and they did a great job of making me care about everything that was going on in the match. It’s an amazing story and that’s what you need in something like this.

What mattered most here was Punk looked like the kind of hero who could take down the Beast once and for all. It took Paul Heyman to stop Punk and when Lesnar finally took him out with the F5, it wasn’t a feeling of dread but rather a feeling of you just saw something special. That’s the kind of thing you don’t get very often and it was an incredible performance on all sides.

John Cena vs. CM Punk – Money In The Bank 2011

I don’t remember the last time I saw a match that made me wonder just how things were going to go. There were so many things going on every step of the way and I didn’t know what was going to happen in the match. The fact that the match worked so well and was an instant classic from bell to bell made it even better. There were so many things going on at once though and there was no stopping this one.

The drama is what made this work so well though, as there was this real feeling of not knowing what was coming. Punk’s stunned face when he won the title and the famous shot of Punk blowing a kiss to Vince McMahon before left with the title are the kind of things you’re never going to forget. It’s a special moment and that isn’t going to be topped for the better part of ever.

Undertaker vs. HHH – Wrestlemania XXVIII

There aren’t many matches that are the culmination of a four year feud and yet they managed to make it happen here. This was the fourth straight match between Undertaker and HHH/Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania, and this time it was technically against both of them at once. It was clear that Undertaker had to take himself to a new level to win and that’s exactly what he did.

There are two spots here that showed you what was going on. First was the spot of the decade with Undertaker kicking out of the superkick into the Pedigree, which is as good of a kickout as I’ve ever seen. Later in the match, HHH reached for the sledgehammer, the only thing that he could use against Undertaker, and Undertaker just stepped on it, showing that it was over. Another beating ensued and it was the Tombstone for the pin. It was an incredible ride and it had the moments to make it work throughout. Incredible stuff, and you have to react to it in some way.

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks – Takeover: Brooklyn

I was tempted to put this on the top as it might be my favorite match of the decade. The storytelling here is top notch, with Banks coming in at the top of her game and having all of the confidence in the world. By the end though, she was barely standing and throwing wild right hands because it was all she had left. Bayley finally put her away with the Bayley to Belly but Banks was dead where she stood before then. It was Bayley not just winning, but rather defeating Banks, which is what they were going for here.

What mattered was making a new star. Bayley had been chasing the title forever and needed to prove that she could hang at this level. That’s what happened here and it’s one of the best performances either of them have ever seen. It’s a great match and a great moment with Bayley moving to the top of the division (and arguably the top of the promotion at the same time). Watch this one again, as I do every now and then just because I love seeing it.

And now, for the final listing of the decade, it’s an old favorite.

Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa – Takeover: New Orleans

What else is there to say about this? It’s one of the best displays of hatred and storytelling in recent years and the match that had been nearly a year in the making. Ciampa turned on Ciampa in May 2017 but tore his ACL, meaning he was gone for the better part of a year. That didn’t stop him from haunting Gargano the entire time though, and there was only one solution for the two of them when Ciampa got back: a fight. Not a match, but a fight.

That’s what we got too, with Gargano and Ciampa beating the fire out of each other. The fans made this even better, as Ciampa came to the ring to no music, thereby allowing him to be booed even louder. Later, Ciampa bounced off of the concrete and the fans told him that HE DESERVED IT. The fans wanted to see Ciampa get what was coming to him and that’s what happened after an incredible fight. This is what they had built to and then they gave the people what they wanted to see. It’s great, and there was nothing better in ten years.

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

IMG Credit: WWE

As much as people are going to remember the best matches, these are the ones that are going to get people talking more than anything else. The wretched, terrible matches are the kind that stick in your head because you wonder how bad things can possibly get. Sometimes it’s the whole match and sometimes it’s one thing, but these are the matches that you’ll remember for all the wrong reasons.

Honorable Mention

Sting vs. Jeff Hardy – Victory Road 2011 – I’m not putting this as an official one as I don’t consider it a “real” match. Instead, we have another mess where TNA managed to make it even worse, because that’s what they did back then. There’s a reason this keeps getting brought up and it’s not getting topped for a long time.

Kaitlyn vs. Maxine – NXT – October 19, 2010 – Just watch it and try not to cringe.

Royal Rumble 2015

It takes something special to have the fans booing the Rock out of the building. This is one of those horrible ideas that could not have been much worse and it’s a big part of why Roman Reigns never reached the point they were wanting him to achieve. They missed every single point of this whole thing and it could not have gone much worse.

The entire idea of this match was to make Roman Reigns look like a star. They managed to turn it into the biggest disaster imaginable with one mistake after the other. Reigns looked like he had no business being in the ring and was little more than a big WWE logo. His big opponents were Big Show and Kane, plus a surprise Rusev at the end. That’s their big idea to get him to face Lesnar? No wonder he was a failure for so long.

Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole – Wrestlemania XXVII

I named this worst feud of the decade and I’d say that gives it a fast pass on to this list. The match itself wasn’t any good in the first place, including Cole being way too dominant and having Steve Austin and Jack Swagger there to try and make it interesting. Lawler can have a watchable match with a bag of wet mice but for some reason this is the best thing that they had for him to do.

And then he lost, because WWE felt the need to keep the story going on and on. Why should Wrestlemania be the blowoff for some big feud? This was a complete misfire and the crowd just dying as a result shows you how bad it really was. The show never recovered from this because WWE set it up for one possible ending and then we got the complete opposite, presumably just for the sake of messing with us. How lucky we are.

Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton – Wrestlemania XXXIII

I was in the stadium for this one and I’m still not sure what I watched. After a pretty decent build with Orton infiltrating the Wyatt Family to take them down from within and possibly destroying Sister Abigail, we wound up with some bizarre mind game where Wyatt put gross images on the mat to get in Orton’s head. Orton’s response? RKO for the pin and the title….which he lost to Jinder Mahal.

What were they thinking with this mess? It was a bunch of bad wrestling in between their weird ideas. If you want to do Wyatt vs. Orton at Wrestlemania then just do the match. Instead we got something that I’m sure WWE found to be very clever and it wound up being a disaster of other level proportions. How Wyatt survived this is beyond me, but he managed to make it work despite this disaster.

Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal – Battleground 2017

This is the Punjabi Prison match and MY GOODNESS it still manages to get on my nerves. Mahal got to go out there for nearly half an hour before Great Khali came in to save him. The only highlight of this was seeing Orton torture the Singh Brothers, who deserved a big raise after everything they went through with the whole Mahal story.

The problem with this match is the length (in addition to Mahal just being there, because there is little reason for him to be anywhere near the top of the card), as the match just went on and on for WAY too long. It was Orton getting close to winning and then the Singhs interfering and then Orton getting close to winning and then the Singhs interfering over and over and it just never stopped. I hated this match and it was the last straw after Mahal would not go away no matter how much people rejected him.

Those made me mad. This one was mad and sad.

Seth Rollins vs. The Fiend – Hell In A Cell

Over the years, there are very few matches that I’ve seen that actually made me mad. It takes something special to misfire on every point while damaging your hot new character and wrecking your big gimmick match. WWE managed to do this while also getting fans to chant for the competition at the end of the show. Rollins was in a bad place already and this shoved him to the point of no return.

I still can’t fathom how bad this really was. Fiend was the unstoppable monster and while Rollins didn’t completely destroy him, it was one of those nights where you had to wonder how bad things were when they were setting it up. This was the best thing they could do with their monster? In the Cell? I’ve used a lot of words to talk about this one in the last few months and I could continue doing so for a long time to come. The match was another level of awful and I don’t see it being topped anytime soon.

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

IMG Credit: WWE

You know a great one of these when you see it as they have all of the awesome parts and very few in the way of weakness. Now I know that this is going to include a lot of Takeovers and….well how could it not? Those shows are critically acclaimed and it’s almost impossible to not have have them very high on the list. I’ll try to limit it, but that’s not exactly easy.

Honorable Mention

Summerslam 2013 – This is one of those shows where people remember the one two punch of a double main event but there is so much other great stuff on there. I watched it again last year and sweet goodness it might be the best Summerslam of all time.

Wrestle Kingdom XIII – You have to have some Wrestle Kingdom on here as the shows are often incredible and this one might have been the best one I’ve ever seen. Great matches, great action and how GREAT was it to have this be less than four hours? That’s such an important key as they get out before it loses its welcome.

Takeover: Brooklyn I – This might have my favorite NXT Match ever and that is some pretty high praise. NXT was on the top of the world and got to show what they could do. The fact that it would somehow get even better is almost scary, but that’s just what they do down there.

Takeover: Brooklyn IV – I had almost forgotten about this one and that’s saying a lot. It’s the one with the Last Man Standing match between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, with Gargano taking the injured Aleister Black’s place. On top of that there’s Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era and Ricochet vs. Adam Cole. Isn’t NXT fun?

Wrestlemania XXX

Somehow this was almost added in for the sake of filling in some space on the main list. Wrestlemania XXX is always going to be special to me as it’s the first Wrestlemania I ever attended live. I remember walking into the stadium and seeing some lights flickering through the black curtains. All I could think was “Wrestlemania is behind there.” Then there was the show itself and….my goodness.

Between Hogan, Austin and Rock in the same ring, Bryan vs. HHH, the Streak being broken and Bryan’s incredible celebration, what more could you want? WWE knows how to do these big anniversary shows and that was on full display here, with one great moment after another, all capped off by the feel good moment to end it. This is one of those shows that always makes me smile and that is never going to change.

Takeover: Dallas

This show feels like a lifetime ago and yet it still holds up today. The problem here is how many shows have surpassed it, which is downright scary. For a long time this was the benchmark for what Takeover could be and my goodness it was something special. You had something that showed just how good it could be and it had fans, including myself, who was in the crowd that night, desperate for more.

That night saw everything that you needed, with the incredible Revival vs. American Alpha opener, the perfectly fine Baron Corbin vs. Austin Aries, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn’s nice to meet you/we’ll miss you special, Asuka crushing Bayley and FINN BALOR HAS A CHAINSAW. This is something that blew the roof off the place and it’s still one of the best Takeovers ever, which is some pretty high praise.

Money In The Bank 2011

Sometimes you see a show that doesn’t bother with any pretense and just hits you in the face with one great match after another. That’s what you had here with the two Money In The Bank matches, the underrated Randy Orton vs. Christian feud and the instant masterpiece between John Cena and CM Punk (the reason Orton vs. Christian didn’t get the recognition that it deserved).

It’s a show where everyone is going to remember the incredible main event but there is a lot more to the show than that. With so many great things going on at the same show, it’s hard not to give this show some serious praise. The main event is what matters more than anything else though, and that’s one of the best match ever, which is the kind of thing that moves this all the way to the top of the list.

Takeover: New York

My goodness what a show. This is the kind of event that gives Takeover the reputation that it deserves. The first three matches on here are all instant classics and the main event is the big emotional moment that the fans had been waiting for. It’s one of the best and most entertaining shows that I’ve ever seen and that is hardly shocking given what NXT does on the big stage.

The big deal here is Johnny Gargano winning the NXT Title by defeating Adam Cole. Gargano had been chasing the title from Tommaso Ciampa for months and then he FINALLY got the win that he had been looking for. If this had been Gargano defeating Ciampa for the title to end their amazing feud, it might be the greatest show of all time. As it is, it’s just one of the best ever and that’s saying something given its competition.

Yeah I’m splitting hairs here, and me being in the building might have had something to do with it.

Takeover: New Orleans

What brings this over is the emotion. The big main event here was the first Gargano vs. Ciampa showdown, which was as awesome of a fight/brawl that I’ve ever seen. NXT made the right call by making this the main event. There was nothing else topping it and NXT turned in one of the incredible shows that you knew they were capable of and then some.

On top of that, you have what might have been the best multi-man ladder match since TLC II, which covers quite a bit of ground. These six people fought the heck out of each other for half an hour and everyone looked like a star. Then you have everything else on the show, including the awesome NXT Title match with Aleister Black kicking Andrade’s head off to win the title. This is a special show and I don’t know of anything better in the last decade.

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:

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