IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: July 3, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Beth Phoenix, Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo

Things took a bit of a turn last week with Io Shirai turning full heel on Candice LeRae. That could make for some interesting changes as we head towards Toronto with that match being a potential TV main event between now and then. Other than that it’s time for more of the Breakout Tournament so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Aaliyah vs. Mia Yim

Vanessa Borne is in Aaliyah’s corner. Aaliyah takes her down to start and yells a lot but misses an enziguri. Borne has to pull her out of the way of a rolling kick in the corner and Mia is in trouble again. A kick to the back and a knee drop (with a forward flip) keep Aaliyah down as the announcers drop Beatles lyrics.

Mia is right back with the Tarantula but walks into an enziguri. Something close to a surfboard has Mia in a different kind of trouble but she avoids another knee. Aaliyah gets sent into the corner for a Cannonball, followed by a toss to the floor for a double suicide dive. Back in and Protect Your Neck finishes Aaliyah at 4:52.

Rating: C-. Aaliyah still doesn’t look great most of the time but this was one of her better performances. What matters most is Yim heading straight for Shayna Baszler and the title in a match that I didn’t expect to be looking forward to. It seemed like Candice would be getting this spot but they’re making this work.

Post match Mia sends Borne into the steps and goes to commentary to say she’s coming to beat up Shayna Baszler. Oh and for the title too.

We look back at Shirai snapping last week and destroying Candice.

The Forgotten Sons storm into William Regal’s office and complain about their title shot. Regal says they got themselves disqualified so it’s to the back of the line with them. Threats are made but Regal has accepted the Street Profits’ idea for some challengers. Therefore, next week, Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan are getting a shot at the Profits.

We see Adam Cole going to Gargano’s Restaurant but the owner, Frank, doesn’t seem happy. Cole goes over to a wall of Johnny Gargano’s stuff and tacks up an autographed photo of himself. Cole gets his pizzas and leaves while pointing out the updated wall.

We cut to Cole bringing the pizzas to a wrestling school where Johnny recently spoke. Cole doesn’t think much of the students because Johnny lied to them. Johnny told them that they could achieve something but Cole can see that they’re not good enough. Cole brought them the pizzas because they need to take it home, sit on their couch and give up. Just accept that Johnny got lucky to win the NXT Title and give up already. Cole is an awesome jerk but I really don’t need to see him fight Gargano again.

Kushida vs. Jeff Parker

Kushida wrestles him to the mat without much effort to start and grabs a headlock. That goes nowhere so it’s time to work on the arm on the mat with an elbow going into Parker’s ribs. The threat of the Hoverboard Lock (now called the Sakuraba Lock) sends Parker over to the rope so Kushida kicks him in the arm. Now the Sakuraba Lock finishes Parker at 2:32.

Tyler Breeze doesn’t like the Undisputed Era taking credit for NXT’s success because this used to be NX-Breeze.

Killian Dain watches film.

Breakout Tournament First Round: Isaiah Scott vs. Cameron Grimes

That would be Shane Strickland vs. Trevor Lee. Scott says he’s confident and Grimes knows he’s the best in the world. They go technical to start with Grimes going for the arm as the fans know Scott’s signature chants. A quick trip to the floor goes nowhere so Scott comes back in with an armbar of his own. Grimes goes with some heavy forearms to escape so Scott cartwheels into a headscisccors to take over again.

The armbar goes on again but Grimes reverses into an armbar of his own. One heck of a clothesline drops Scott and it’s time to work on the arm a little more. Scott is back up with a hurricanrana out of the corner and a Downward Spiral gets two. The top rope stomp misses though and Grimes grabs a sitout powerbomb for his own two. Grimes gets sent outside and Scott nails a running flip dive. Back in and they trade strikes to the head until Grimes’ running flipping suplex takes Scott down. The standing double stomp finishes Scott at 8:32.

Rating: B. Grimes is the guy that I always heard great things about but never got the appeal. That changed here as these two had a heck of a match which made me want to see more of the tournament. Both guys looked like stars here and neither would have been hurt by the loss. Really good, action based match here and it worked.

Bianca Belair vs. Priscilla Zuniga

Belair shoves her in the face to start so Zuniga shoves her right back. That’s WAY too far for Belair, who takes off the earrings and takes Zuniga down for a beating. Some hair tosses set up shoulders in the corner and it’s a gorilla press, with squats. Two powerbombs into a reverse buckle bomb sets up the KOD to finish Zuniga at 2:13. This was ten miles ahead of everything Belair has done so far and showed off the crazy athleticism that the announcers kept talking about. She looked awesome here and had a fire she has never approached before.

Matt Riddle training video.

Tyler Breeze vs. Roderick Strong

Breeze works on the arm to start but Strong reverses into a headlock in a hurry. Back up and Breeze kicks him in the face but gets dropkicked right back down. They head outside with Breeze getting dropped back first onto the CORNER of the steps, followed by another backbreaker onto the barricade. Back in and Strong starts stomping at the back (makes sense) before grabbing something like a surfboard.

Breeze fights out of that as well and sends Strong outside for a running forearm from the apron. A Backstabber gives Breeze two back inside but Strong enziguris him on top. That means a superplex to bang up Breeze’s back even more but the Strong Hold is broken up. Most of the Supermodel Kick gives Breeze two and his own enziguri puts Strong down. Cue Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish so Breeze kicks Fish down, only to walk into End of Heartache for the pin at 11:23.

Rating: B-. Another well done instance of having one person get a victory and the other being protected in a loss. This doesn’t hurt Breeze at all and Strong looks better at the same time. I could see Strong taking the North American Title at some point and they’re giving him some credibility to move in that direction so far. I would say keep it up, but would you expect anything else from NXT?

Overall Rating: B. This was a show built around the idea of advancing stories while also making the stars already there look good. You need these kind of shows without a big main event for a change and this one worked quite well. Some of the Takeover card is starting to come into shape and given the atmosphere, it could be another great one.

Results

Mia Yim b. Aaliyah – Protect Your Neck

Kushida b. Jeff Parker – Sakuraba Lock

Cameron Grimes b. Isaiah Scott – Standing double stomp

Bianca Belair b. Priscilla Zuniga – KOD

Roderick Strong b. Tyler Breeze – End of Heartache

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: July 3, 2019
Location: Download Festival, Leicestershire, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English

We have to be coming up on the end of this taping cycle. This week has a title match included with the Grizzled Young Veterans defending against Moustache Mountain in a rematch from Takeover: Blackpool. The crowd reactions continue to be the most interesting parts of these shows as the fans might not be the most familiar with the product. That makes for a better chance to see what works and what doesn’t, assuming NXT actually pays attention. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at the Grizzled Young Veterans winning the titles and Moustache Mountain fighting to get back to the title shot.

Opening sequence.

Rhea Ripley storms to the ring and, after telling the cheering fans to shut up, calls out Piper Niven for a fight right now.

Rhea Ripley vs. Piper Niven

Rhea manages to pound her down to start but the big running crossbody out of the corner gets Niven out of trouble. A trip to the floor lets Ripley snap Niven over the top rope and the beating continues outside. Niven gets posted to give Ripley one as the fans have moved to split. We hit the bodyscissors on Niven for a good while until Piper dropkicks her into the corner. Niven does exactly the same thing but Rhea drops her across the ropes.

The standing Cloverleaf has Niven screaming a lot until a rope is grabbed. That just makes Rhea even angrier so she slaps Piper in the face. A Saito suplex plants Rhea and the fans move to a more general NXT chant. An exchange of clotheslines goes nowhere but Rhea can’t hit Riptide. Instead Piper avoids a charge to send her shoulder first into the post, setting up the Piper Driver to finish Ripley at 8:33.

Rating: C+. I liked this more than I was expecting to and Ripley got in a lot on Niven. That being said, it makes sense to have Niven win here as we’ve seen Ripley at the top of the division before and it’s a good idea to let someone else get close to that level. Niven is an athletic monster and will likely be near the title scene soon enough.

Kenny Williams gets jumped by Noam Dar, who rubs his face in the mud.

Ilja Dragunov is back next week.

Jack Starz vs. Alexander Wolfe

The much bigger Wolfe works on the wristlock to start and then bends the arm back on the mat. With the arm work boring him, Wolfe hits a good German suplex and whips Starz from corner to corner. A pump kick rocks Starz again but he slips out of a fireman’s carry. Starz rocks him with a running uppercut in the corner but runs into a Death Valley Driver. The sitout powerbomb finishes Starz at 4:05.

Rating: D+. Nearly a complete squash here and that’s how it should have been. If nothing else it’s all you expect when Starz is out there. Wolfe is a great addition to the team as the four man unit looks better than the three man version. Imperium is going to need some long term competition and it could be interesting to see who joins British Strong Style against them.

Gallus is ready to destroy the Hunt and Dave Mastiff. The cameraman gets thrown out.

Toni Storm is in action next week as well.

Jazzy Gabbert vs. Mercedes Blaze/Dani Luna

Jinny is out with Gabbert. With Luna being knocked around, it’s quickly off to Mercedes, who gets crushed in the corner as well. Both women get crushed at the same time and it’s a Dominator to finish Mercedes at 1:44. Complete squash.

Kassius Ohno says NXT UK is in a state of emergency. If you want to save British wrestling, you need someone like him. Ohno likes a lot of the founding members of the roster but sees Mark Andrews as a follower. Andrews uses a superkick to be like Shawn Michaels, not realizing that it was a British wrestler named Chris Adams who perfected it.

Also next week: Gallus vs. The Hunt/Dave Mastiff.

Tag Team Titles: Moustache Mountain vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

Seven gets sent outside for a slingshot knee/backbreaker combination. Back in and the chinlock keeps Seven down but a backfist finally allows for the tag to Bate. The BIG STRONG BOY chants start up and Gibson gets muscled over with a suplex. The standing shooting star looks to set up the Tyler Driver 97 but Gibson makes the save. That’s fine with Bate, who hurricanranas both of them down at once.

The big no hands dive takes out both champions at the same time and a powerbomb gets a very delayed two on Gibson. Everything breaks down and a superkick/neckbreaker combination sends Bate outside. A Backstabber into an assisted Fameasser gets two on Seven and Drake screams a lot. Seven tells him to take his best shot and it’s the Seven Star Lariat to take Drake down again.

The second hot tag brings Bate back in and a small package gets a hot two on Gibson. Everything breaks down again and Seven puts Gibson in the torture rack. Bate comes off the top with the knee to Gibson and a headbutt to Drake in the same landing. The Burning Hammer drives Gibson onto Drake but Imperium runs in for the DQ at 12:05.

Rating: B. I was getting into this one as they went along and the ending actually caught me by surprise. They came up with a smart way to protect the champs and keep the challengers looking strong while also setting up another match between Imperium and British Strong Style. Good stuff here.

Post match the beatdown is on as the fans dub Imperium as WALTER’S B******. Seven gets handcuffed to the corner as Walter apron bombs Bate. Imperium shouts a lot and poses to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This was one of those shows where they did everything they could have done in just under an hour. The main event was the best thing on the show and Imperium continues to look like the best thing about the show in its short history. I had a very good time with this and it absolutely flew by, which isn’t often the case around here. Keep doing this as we head into Cardiff and they’re in great shape.

Results

Piper Niven b. Rhea Ripley – Piper Driver

Alexander Wolfe b. Jack Starz – Sitout powerbomb

Jazzy Gabbert b. Mercedes Blaze/Dani Luna – Dominator to Blaze

Moustache Mountain b. Grizzled Young Veterans via DQ when Imperium interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: July 2, 2019
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

For the first time in a very long while, Smackdown actually has some catching up to do with Raw. Last night’s show was pretty good for a change and a lot of that has to do with the Paul Heyman influence. While it isn’t clear if Eric Bischoff’s influence will begin tonight or not, it certainly does make for an intriguing possibility. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look back at last night when Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley blew up the set and were taken away in ambulances. Lashley has been released from the medical center and we’ll hear from him tonight. Strowman is pretty banged up and may have a ruptured spleen.

Here’s Kevin Owens for the Kevin Owens Show. He reads his opening statement about the upcoming tag match at Extreme Rules (while having to switch cards between “Under” and “Taker”) and brings out his guests: Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre. We see a clip of Undertaker’s appearance from last night, followed by Shane talking about his winning streak. Now it’s time to beat Reigns again and now the match is going to be No Holds Barred.

Drew talks about what they do in regular matches and how vicious of an assault the tag match is going to be. Owens doesn’t seem convinced and wants to see a piece of the footage. That would be McIntyre and Shane running away from Undertaker during his entrance. Owens thinks Shane looks a bit afraid of Undertaker but in reality, it was just a reflex action that sent Shane running into the crowd. Shane: “What are you doing?”

Shane tells him to be a good talk show host and read the cards like they agreed to. Owens reads about Shane winning at Super ShowDown with NO help….but then switches to asking about Shane losing to Undertaker after a seven year absence. Drew gets in Owens’ face but here’s Dolph Ziggler of all people. Owens cuts Ziggler off, saying that he doesn’t want to hear from Ziggler about how it should be him. Owens: “It should have been you eight years ago and it was kind of but it’s not SO GET OVER IT!!!”

Ziggler goes into his usual speech and says he looks the part but Owens looks like he should be in a hot dog eating contest. Owens says he would win, which is better than Ziggler does in wrestling matches. Owens puts it up to Shane who should get the next title shot but that won’t happen. Instead, the two of them can team up against Heavy Machinery. The winning team will be added to the Tag Team Title match at Extreme Rules to make it a triple threat. Owens’ reactions were hilarious here, but how many wet blankets can WWE manage to throw onto this show in one segment?

Daniel Bryan and Rowan don’t like their match becoming a triple threat match but will walk out with the titles anyway.

New Day is ready for a fight and promise to take their titles back at Extreme Rules.

Big E. vs. Daniel Bryan

Big E. swivels his way out of a waistlock to start and the gyrating continues as Bryan looks on. Bryan tries some running shoulders to no avail so Big E. grabs the abdominal stretch with the trombone accompanied spanking. A clothesline turns Bryan inside out and we take a break.

Back with Bryan working on Big E.’s knee but his running clothesline is countered with a pair of belly to belly suplexes. The YES Kicks are countered into another suplex and the Warrior Splash gets two. Bryan sends him to the floor though and Rowan posts Big E. While Woods dives onto Rowan, the running knee gives Bryan the pin at 8:09.

We look back at R-Truth losing the 24/7 Title to Drake Maverick last night.

R-Truth tries to talk about going on his honeymoon, but it never actually happened. He heard that Hornswoggle and his wife were here in San Antonio instead of on their honeymoon. R-Truth: “So Mr. 7/11 European TV Champion, I’m coming for you! I want my baby back!”

Alexa Bliss sends Nikki Cross out to host a Moment of Bliss because it’s time to kick her out of the nest.

Here’s Cross for a Moment of Bliss (we’re forty four minutes in and the number of talk shows currently doubles the number of matches). Nikki introduces herself and promises to talk slowly so her accent doesn’t become a problem. She brings out Bayley as her guest, who seems impressed with Nikki’s hosting so far. Nikki says she’s here to ask the tough questions, like why Bayley called Bliss a liar. Bayley says she’s telling the truth because Nikki beat her last week and then beat Carmella last night. So why isn’t Nikki getting the title shot? Nikki doesn’t know, but she’ll fight Bayley right now.

Nikki Cross vs. Bayley

Non-title. Bayley hits a dropkick and suplex at the bell before hammering away. Nikki bails to the floor for a bit and gets caught with a jawbreaker back inside. With nothing else working, Nikki jumps on her back for a choke, which is broken up in a hurry. A high crossbody works a lot better for Nikki and she hits a splash in the corner. An ensuing bulldog looks to set up the Purge but Bayley reverses into a backslide for two. The Purge is countered into the Bayley to Belly to give Bayley the pin at 3:06.

Rating: C-. Well thank goodness they cut off that Cross momentum before it got out of hand. The right move was to set something up to offer something interesting and then bail out so we can go right back to the same match we saw last month because that’s how good storytelling goes. If you want to get to Bliss vs. Cross, why make them both seem like losers before you get there?

Ali talks about how people chase the WWE Championship for money and power. He chases it to bring change to millions of minds who have been taught that their name or hometown defines them. He’s going to change that and if you believe that lie, he’ll change your mind. When he becomes WWE Champion, it’s going to change your mind. Then he’ll be on the billboards and posters and fans will see someone who looks like them. Let the chase continue. Along with the rather awesome promos. Now make them go somewhere.

Here are Kofi Kingston and Samoa Joe for a face to face showdown. Joe talks about choking him out last night, which was an act of generosity. It seems that Kofi is always receiving some kind of act of generosity. Whenever New Day is given a singles match, it’s always Kofi getting the shot because he’s the New Day’s guy. Joe says they’re using the people just like he does and in a few years, Woods and Big E. can be the hype man and butler.

Kofi talks about everything he has done by himself while Joe lost the US Title to Ricochet. Joe is the one always jumping people from behind but Joe isn’t convinced. He knows Kofi always has a way out planned, like when he brought in his kids. Kofi calls Joe jealous but Joe offers a handshake in honor of choking Kofi out two weeks in a row.

If Kofi will shake his hand, Joe will promise the safety of everyone Kofi holds dear until Extreme Rules. There’s no handshake, so Joe gives him five seconds before he starts slapping Kofi around the ring. Instead Kofi flips him off (that feels WAY out of character for him) and hits Trouble in Paradise.

Heavy Machinery is very excited about their big chance tonight. They’re up against a team who has won 18 combined titles but never one as a team. They know the numbers from great scouting but Owens and Ziggler aren’t a team. They’re coming for the titles.

We look at the Strowman/Lashley explosion from last night again.

We see a video from Lashley’s Twitter, saying Strowman got what he deserved. That had nothing to do with wrestling because they went into an unsafe area. Lashley could have been electrocuted or something worse but Strowman didn’t care. The next time Lashley sees that son of a b****, he’s sending him to the morgue.

Andrade vs. Apollo Crews

Andrade stomps him into the corner to start and the running knees get two. Crews knocks him back down though and it’s an apron moonsault for two as we take a break. Back with Apollo hitting a jumping enziguri while Andrade is on the middle rope. The gorilla press drop into the standing moonsault gets two but Andrade sends him outside. That means a slingshot dive but Apollo catches him in midair. With Andrade being sent back inside, Zelina Vega gets in a hurricanrana off the steps. Back in and the hammerlock DDT gives Andrade the pin at 5:49. Not enough shown to rate but it was your usual match from both.

Owens and Ziggler say this won’t work but Owens has a plan: Ziggler stands in the corner and looks pretty while Owens does the work. Ziggler thinks Owens should just have a hot dog and let him do the work instead. Owens says they should try because the Tag Team Titles are worth it. Ziggler agrees because he’s done worse. Just no hot dogs.

Aleister Black says there was a knock at his door last week….but there was no one there. He applauds whoever knocked because whoever it was is now fighting on a spiritual plane. Now he only cares about the person showing up at Extreme Rules. For if they shall fight in the heavens, they shall fight through the seven layers of h*** and if they meet in purgatory, fighting they shall. Black flat out said the person doesn’t matter. At least he knows it too after all this time.

Ember Moon vs. Mandy Rose

Sonya Deville is here with Mandy and offers an early distraction. That doesn’t seem to matter as Mandy gets caught with a forearm for two, only to come back with a belly to back faceplant. A knee to the face gives Mandy two more and we hit the chinlock. Ember fights up in a hurry and hits a jawbreaker, followed by the Eclipse for the pin at 2:16. You have to give her a win at some point I guess.

Shelton Benjamin is asked about the upcoming WWE Championship match at Extreme Rules. He looks around, smiles, and says nothing.

Heavy Machinery vs. Dolph Ziggler/Kevin Owens

The winners go on to face New Day, Daniel Bryan and Rowan, all of whom are out for commentary, at Extreme Rules. Otis takes Ziggler down to start but the fight breaks out on the floor with Bryan running through Big E. with another knee. Rowan breaks up the pancake table and claw slams Woods through it as we take a break.

Back with the match having been restarted (because there was NO OTHER OPTION other than that) and Tucker shoulders Owens down for two. Tucker dives over Owens and runs him down for two more but a low bridge sends Tucker outside. Ziggler comes in for a neckbreaker into a backsplash from Owens, setting up a Crossface.

With that broken up, Tucker comes off the middle rope with a spinning crossbody and the hot tag brings in Otis. A spinning slam and t-bone suplex gets two on Ziggler as everything breaks down. Owens gets sent outside and the Zig Zag is broken up. The Caterpillar hits Ziggler but Owens is back up with a superkick. The Stunner is broken up though and Ziggler superkicks Owens, setting up the Compactor to pin Owens at 6:13.

Rating: D+. I’m still trying to get my mind around the restart thing. Anyway, this is the right call as Heavy Machinery is a lot better than another wacky tag team. Odds are we’ll see Ziggler vs. Owens at Extreme Rules, so at least we can hear Owens rip on Ziggler’s repetitive promos again.

Post match Ziggler helps Owens up and gets Stunned for his efforts to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. I would certainly hope that this wasn’t the first Bischoff show because the future would look very bleak. This wasn’t a good show with a bunch of the same things that have been happening for months now. The wrestling was nothing special, the stories were acceptable but not exactly interesting, and nothing memorable. It’s not terrible, but after last night, this was really lacking.

Results

Daniel Bryan b. Big E. – Running knee

Bayley b. Nikki Cross – Bayley to Belly

Andrade b. Apollo Crews – Hammerlock DDT

Ember Moon b. Mandy Rose – Eclipse

Heavy Machinery b. Kevin Owens/Dolph Ziggler – Compactor to Owens

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: July 1, 2019
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young

So depending on which version of WWE’s own story you believe, this may or may not be the first show under Paul Heyman’s control. It doesn’t seem to be the case, but at this point they certainly need something fresh. Tonight is likely going to be more about the amazing mixed tag, which is probably going to headline the pay per view to even less interest. Let’s get to it.

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

As the announcers talk about the show, the Street Profits (reigning NXT Tag Team Champions) are shown in the back for a split second in what seems like a technical glitch. This is not acknowledged by commentary.

Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman

Falls Count Anywhere. Lashley hits an early spear and they’re on the floor in a hurry. Strowman hits the big shoulder and drops a backsplash for two. A big tackle knocks Strowman into the timekeeper’s area for two more and they head into the crowd. It’s the walking around form of brawling until Lashley hits him in the back with a chair for two. They get into a clearing with Strowman hitting a heck of a charge to run Lashley over for two.

It’s up to the stage with Lashley getting in an impressive suplex for two of his own. A big spear sends Lashley through the set and it’s a BUNCH of explosions (Graves: “HOLY S***! Uncensored too.) with the screen’s lights going out. Both guys are sprayed with fire extinguishers and the referees call for EMTs as the match is of course thrown out at about 6:00.

Rating: C-. Oh yeah I’d say we have some new management now. This was All a bunch of killing time until we got to the big angle at the end and there’s nothing wrong with that. What matters most here is that they started with something different and fans are going to want to keep watching. It’s a different style and if that’s what we’re going to get, well done.

The medics look at both of them for a good while with no commentary. We even take a break and come back with the two of them being put into ambulances.

War Raiders vs. New Day

Big E. runs over Erik to start and it’s the apron splash to make it even worse. Ivar comes in and runs Big E. over and then crushing him in the corner with an assist from Erik. The chinlock goes on but Big E. fights out….and here’s Samoa Joe to choke Woods out for the DQ at 2:40. That is the War Raiders’ first loss of any kind in NXT or WWE.

Post match Kofi Kingston runs out for the save and you know where this is going.

New Day vs. Viking Raiders/Samoa Joe

Kofi tries kicking away at Ivar to start before handing it off to Woods, who gets kicked in the face. Woods gets caught in the corner and some chops to Erik don’t work very well. Instead Erik muscles him up for a suplex and it’s back to Ivar. Erik gets slammed onto Woods and it’s off to Joe for the neck crank. A middle rope dropkick gets Woods out of trouble though and it’s Kofi coming in to clean house.

Kofi starts kicking away and hits the Boom Drop on Erik. Joe comes in and is immediately kneed back to the floor but Erik blasts Kofi with a knee. Big E. suplexes Erik and sends Ivar outside for the suicide dive but Ivar knees him instead. Woods hits a dropkick through the ropes and Ivar adds a big suicide dive. There’s Trouble in Paradise to Ivar but Joe grabs the Clutch on Kingston and Kofi is out at 7:13.

Rating: C+. Exciting match, furthers Joe vs. Kingston and keeps the Raiders strong. It’s a well put together match that hit on all cylinders while also being high quality. What more could you possibly ask for out of a match like this? Good stuff and I buy Joe as more of a threat than I did before.

We recap Drake Maverick losing the 24/7 Title at his wedding.

Maverick has brought his wife to Raw, though under the premise of taking her to the beach. She’s not happy when she finds out what’s going on but he chooses her over the title. R-Truth shows up and says he’s a sucker for love. Hey I went to Dallas for my honeymoon over Wrestlemania weekend and went to the same arena so I’m on Maverick’s side here.

The Good Brothers are talking when AJ Styles comes in. AJ doesn’t think much of the two of them losing to the Viking Raiders. They accuse AJ of not looking great last week and Anderson bets his hot Asian wife (his words) that AJ can’t beat Ricochet for the US Title. The best is on, but Anderson doesn’t like Gallows talking about his wife.

No Way Jose vs. Cesaro

Drake and his wife are now sitting in the front row with R-Truth as part of the conga line. Cue Titus O’Neil and Cedric Alexander to chase him off with Drake reluctantly staying in his seat. The chase is on and Cesaro Neutralizes Jose on the floor. No match.

The Street Profits (Montez Ford/Angelo Dawkins) are introduced backstage and after Ford attempts a Rock promo, it’s a sip of the juice and dancing ensues, with Charly Caruso joining in.

We look back at the opening explosion.

Miz is ready to take care of Elias tonight. He blames himself for Shane dubbing himself the Best in the World but after tonight, Shane is going to need a replacement for Elias.

Here are Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre for a chat. After the long intro, Shane talks about having other responsibilities other than gracing us with his presence. We look back at McIntyre and Shane beating up Roman Reigns last week but cut it off before Undertaker appeared. Shane promises to destroy the Undertaker again at Extreme Rules and Drew says he will not be intimidated by Undertaker. Drew is ready to fight right now and wants Undertaker out here right now. The thunder rumbles and the lights go out. Lightning hits some turnbuckles and here’s Undertaker.

Shane and Drew bail into the crowd and Undertaker says Reigns never asked for his help. If you need to know what happened last week, Undertaker will explain. He has been the reaper of wayward souls for a long time and he is here to collect Shane and Drew’s. Shane had a little of Undertaker’s respect for awhile because of their match inside the Cell. Just like most mortals though, Shane fell victim to his greed and ego. Therefore, Undertaker is claiming his soul for all of eternity. The two of them will never rest in peace. Fine enough explanation for a one off match.

Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans are not worried about their mixed tag now being an Extreme Rules match. That plays into their hands and Baron doesn’t understand why Seth is willing to bet everything he has on his latest fling. Is she worth it? Lacey can’t wait to take the title from Evans and prove them wrong.

And now, Undertaker leaves.

Lacey Evans vs. Natalya

Corbin is at ringside. Lacey takes her down to start and some elbows to the back of the head make things even worse. A slingshot elbow gives Lacey two and it’s off to the chinlock. Natalya fights up but Corbin trips her from the floor. The Woman’s Right finishes Natalya at 3:31.

Rating: D. It’s amazing how much the energy goes out of the show when Corbin is on screen. The problem for Lacey is very simple: she’s already lost to Becky twice, so why would I want to see this happen again? She’s good at what she does, but we’ve covered this already and there’s no way to make it much better.

Ricochet thinks he could handle AJ Styles in a rematch. The Good Brothers come in and say AJ has Ricochet’s numbers. Threats are made but the two of them imply Ricochet should be worried about something else.

Post break AJ isn’t happy with the Good Brothers because he’s going to go talk to Ricochet. That’s not good enough for the two of them because the AJ they knew in Japan would slap Ricochet in the face. AJ walks off and finds Ricochet, who he accuses of running his mouth. Styles wants the title match tonight and Ricochet accepts. Ricochet extends his hand but gets slapped in the face. That earns AJ a slap right back.

Miz vs. Elias

2/3 falls. Miz jumps Elias before the bell and the beating is on with Elias saying he’s ready to go. The Skull Crushing Finale gives Miz the first fall at 12 seconds. Elias comes right back with a small package for two and Drift Away ties things up at 1:30. Back from a break with Elias hitting a sitout powerbomb for two and elbowing Miz in the face for one. The chinlock (with Corey offering some praise) goes on for a bit until Miz is back up with chops. Something like a Roll of the Dice gives Elias two but a running knee hits the post. Back in and Elias taps to the Figure Four at 8:57.

Rating: D-. It wasn’t going to be a very good match in the first place but the gimmick made it even worse. If they can trade falls in ninety seconds, why would I be interested in seeing them keep going for another seven minutes? I can appreciate the idea of wanting to keep the action on the air, but this is defeating the purpose in a bad way.

We look back at the main event of Stomping Grounds with Becky Lynch preventing Lacey Evans from costing Seth Rollins the Universal Title.

Lynch and Rollins don’t think agreeing to the match was impulsive and smile at each other quite a bit. Cue Maria Kanellis of all people, who doesn’t like them calling themselves the first couple of WWE. Maria: “I pushed an eight pound baby out of my uterus.” Mike Kanellis comes up and a mixed tag is made for later.

We look at the explosion again. Strowman may have suffered a ruptured spleen.

Seth Rollins/Becky Lynch vs. Mike Kanellis/Maria Kanellis

The men start with Mike bailing after getting kicked in the back. Maria tells him to get back in there so Seth elbows him in the face this time around. A pop up buckle bomb and the low superkick have Mike in more trouble so Seth takes him into the corner for the tag off to Maria, meaning it’s time to be afraid.

Becky comes in so Maria runs to the floor and grabs a mic, saying that Mike lied when he said he could mop the floor with Seth. Maria: “YOU CAN’T EVEN MOP THE FLOOR AT HOME!” Becky goes to hit her but Maria says she’s pregnant. Mike is stunned and asks how that could be true. Maria doesn’t know either because Mike isn’t man enough to do it. Becky pulls Mike back in and the Disarm-Her makes Mike tap at 3:33.

Rating: D. This was just an excuse for an angle and that’s fine. Mike and Maria aren’t interesting together but Maria being the evil witch that she can play very well is more than a good use for her. Sometimes you need someone to yell and rant and rave and she does it as well as anyone around.

Post match Becky and Seth leave as Maria rants about Mike somehow being the father of their child. She’s been waiting for him to be a man for months because the only man here tonight is Becky Lynch. Maybe next time, she’ll ask Becky to impregnate her.

Paul Heyman pops up in the back and threatens a Brock Lesnar cash-in. The Street Profits come in and Heyman looks mortified. They mess with his tie and Heyman leaves because he’s a busy man. The Profits talk about what just happened on live TV and Charly Caruso starts laughing. They then recite Rock A Bye Baby.

It’s time for A Moment Of Bliss with guest Nikki Cross. Bliss congratulates her for beating Bayley on Smackdown and Nikki thanks Alexa for taking her seriously. This brings out Carmella who asks why Nikki won but Bliss is getting the title shot. Bliss calls her out for being R-Truth’s sidekick and a match is set up.

Carmella vs. Alexa Bliss

Carmella wins with a rollup in 8 seconds.

Carmella vs. Nikki Cross

Yeah of course. Cross hits a running crossbody for two but a headscissors puts her on the floor. That earns her a trap in the ring skirt so Cross can hammer away for two more. Carmella is right back up with the Staten Island Shuffle into the Bronco Buster for her own two. Cross elbows her in the face though and adds a kick to the ribs, setting up the Purge for the pin at 2:46. Another way around a problem that causes a bigger problem here.

Cross is asked about fans saying she should get the title shot at Extreme Rules. Bliss says no comment and the two leave.

Maverick and his wife are trying to leave so they can have a proper honeymoon. She goes to freshen up but Maverick finds R-Truth and hits him with a suitcase to win the title. Maverick’s wife comes back in, with Drake saying they can do their honeymoon 24/7 now.

US Title: Ricochet vs. AJ Styles

Ricochet is defending. An early rollup gives Ricochet two and he knocks AJ down in a hurry. The springboard splash hits raised knees though and AJ takes over. The fans are split as Ricochet knocks him to the floor for the big flip dive. Back in and AJ knocks him backwards a few steps, setting up the Phenomenal Forearm for the pin and the title….despite Ricochet having his foot under the ropes at two. Cue a second referee as we find another way to not have action during a break.

Back with the match restarting and the Good Brothers at ringside. Ricochet hits an enziguri and a lifting swinging neckbreaker for two. The Phoenix splash misses so Ricochet sends him over the top and face first onto the apron. The big running flip dive misses but Ricochet lands on his feet. That’s fine with AJ, who hits another Phenomenal Forearm to the floor. Back in and the torture rack powerbomb gives AJ two but he gets caught on top. Ricochet knocks him down and grabs a spinning rollup for the pin to retain at 10:13.

Rating: C+. This didn’t have time to build up because of the spot in the middle. Is it that much to just have Styles vs. Ricochet in a straight ten minute match without the big part in the middle to change things up? It feels so unnecessary and doesn’t add anything more than a detail that doesn’t need to be there.

Post match they shake hands but the Good Brothers get on the apron. Ricochet is ready to fight but AJ decks him for the heel turn. The beatdown is on with a Magic Killer and a middle rope Styles Clash leaving Ricochet laying. AJ and the Good Brothers give the Too Sweet sign and Gallows says they’re back to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I don’t know how much pull Heyman had with this show, but it felt almost entirely different than previous weeks. There are still issues abounding (the mixed tag being the top story at the pay per view is up there) but the key to the show was it did not feel boring. They were trying some fresh stuff here and while it might not all work, it felt like they were actually trying instead of just coasting through the summer until Summerslam.

They literally opened the show with a bang then got some popular acts out there to keep up the interest. Throw in the Kanellis angle, the Street Profits appearing and some of the established being stories being advanced and they had some good stuff going on. Now just get rid of the awfully executed No Wrestling During The Breaks policy and we could be getting somewhere. What mattered here was the effort, and if they can keep up even half of it, things will be trending up.

Results

Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman went to a no contest when Strowman speared Lashley through the set

New Day b. Viking Raiders via DQ when Samoa Joe interfered

Samoa Joe/Viking Raiders b. New Day – Koquina Clutch to Kingston

Lacey Evans b. Natalya – Woman’s Right

Miz b. Elias – Figure Four

Seth Rollins/Becky Lynch b. Mike Kanellis/Maria Kanellis – Disarm-Her to Mike

Carmella b. Alexa Bliss – Rollup

Nikki Cross b. Carmella – Purge

Ricochet b. AJ Styles – Bridging rollup

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 28, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

It’s the next to last show before Slammiversary and that means things are getting interesting around here. They’ve done a rather nice job of making Rich Swann look like a star and hopefully that continues this week. At the same time they have to build up Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard some more, which could be anywhere from a train wreck to a big success. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

The North vs. Deaners

Well it’s better than the Desi Hit Squad….I think. Alexander and Jake start things off with Alexander’s headlocks and shoulders not working well. Jake’s works a bit better and it’s off to Cody, who gets two off Jake’s clothesline. Everything breaks down for a bit and Page gets knocked into a gutbuster for two. Jake comes back in and gets stomped down in the North corner for all of a few seconds before it’s back to Cody. A full nelson backbreaker gets two on Cody and Page stops to yell at a fan.

Alexander’s suplex keeps Cody in trouble and Page grabs a chinlock. Cody fights up and neckbreakers his way to freedom so Jake can come back in and clean house. A splash in the corner brings Cody back in rather soon but what looked to be a Magic Killer is broken up. Jake and Alexander slug it out with Jake no selling a German suplex. Some double teaming puts Jake on the floor and it’s Cody getting thrown off the top. The double Neuralizer gives Page the pin at 10:02.

Rating: D+. I’m still not getting the appeal of either of these teams and neither of them are helping the shows for the most part. The North are the better options and thankfully they haven’t been focusing on being from Canada for the most part. The Deaners….my goodness how long did they put into this idea? Maybe eighteen seconds?

Taya Valkyrie and Rosemary have a meeting in the back about the Monster’s Ball but Rosemary would rather talk about her upcoming title shot. They have a tag match tonight but Taya is worried about their outfits not matching. Rosemary says it’ll be fine. Rosemary: “Trust us.” Taya: “Us?”

Brian Cage is not cleared to compete.

We look at Moose attacking Tommy Dreamer at a House of Hardcore event. Forgive me for not feeling the emotional impact of Tommy Dreamer getting beaten up.

Slammiversary/the rest of the night rundown.

Su Yung/Havok vs. Rosemary/Taya Valkyrie

Taya and Rosemary argue over who is going to start until Havok takes Taya into the corner for some choking. Havok switches it up a bit with choking in another corner before handing it off to Yung. Since Yung is kind of all over the place, her best offense is to let Havok kick Taya in the head. The bloody glove comes out but it’s already back to Havok, who Taya climbs over and makes the tag off to Rosemary. A quickly broken Last Chancery causes everything to break down and it’s Havok vs. Rosemary on the floor. Rosemary kicks a chair into Havok’s face and it’s a double countout at 5:02.

Rating: D+. At least the characters are more interesting here. I’m also glad they didn’t have a pin for a change as you want to keep everyone strong heading into Monster’s Ball. I don’t know why that’s so complicated as countouts and disqualifications can be your friend in a situation like this. A little short, but at least the ending was right.

Post match the brawl continues with Rosemary busting out the tacks. Havok saves Su from going into them but Su hits Havok by mistake. James Mitchell has to come in and keep the peace.

Ace Austin isn’t happy with losing to TJP last week but it wasn’t fair because he didn’t know TJP worked here. TJP comes in, makes fun of his time in WWE, and a rematch is set for next week.

The Deaners drink the loss away when the Desi Hit Squad comes in to mock them. More beer is consumed.

Slammiversary rundown.

Flashback Moment Of The Week: X-Division Title ladder match at Slammiversary 2014.

Eddie Edwards goes to church to confess about his love of violence. The priest turns into Killer Kross, who talks about Eddie trying to find himself. Eddie will wait for Slammiversary while Kross stays and threatens the priest.

John E. Bravo talks to the other referees and says Johnny Bravo completes him. Rich Swann comes in to go after Bravo but Impact and Willie Mack come in. A tag match is made for later.

Sami Callihan vs. Fallah Bahh

Madman Fulton and Scarlett Bordeaux are the seconds here. Bahh glares Sami down for daring to chop him but a Fulton distraction works a bit better. That’s good for an ejection so we’re down to one on two. Sami gets in a clothesline and grabs a chinlock, which works so well that they do it again. Bahh gets back up and hits a running splash, followed by the running hip attack. It’s too early for the Banzai drop so Sami bites the arm. A few kicks to the face set up a hanging Cactus Special for the pin on Bahh at 6:43.

Rating: D. This was back to the old style for Bahh and that isn’t the best thing in the world. He’s not the most interesting guy in the world at his best and this was worse than the previous few times he’s been out there. I’m not sure how bad it’s going to be with Scarlett gone, but it’s not like she did anything here.

Post match Sami says that’s how you get over as only a man can do. Sami wants to say something to Tessa but wants to do it to her face so get out here. Tessa comes out and jumps over the ropes, despite Sami holding the ropes open for her. Sami says Tessa wants to be treated as an equal so he bicycle kicks her. She pops back up and hammers away until the Crists run out, allowing Sami to get in a baseball bat shot to the ribs. Tessa spits in his face so it’s a Cactus Special to leave her laying.

Rascalz vs. Laredo Kid/LAX

Konnan is out with LAX/Kid. It’s a staredown to start but Kid springboard dives onto the Rascalz and we start fast. The ring is cleared out until it’s Kid springboard crossbodying Miguel and then moonsaulting off the top onto everyone else. Back from a break with Miguel getting caught in a reverse powerbomb for a series of splashes for two. Miguel flips out of a belly to back suplex from Santana and makes the tag to Wentz for a breather.

Everything breaks down and Santana sends Miguel into Xavier for a spear. A Batista Bomb plants Wentz so Xavier grabs a running Spanish Fly. Miguel’s enziguri to Kid gives us the big knockdown for a much needed breather. Everyone gets up for the big slugout with the Rascalz getting punched down and stacked up. Kid’s 450 onto all three gets two but the Rascalz are back up to send Kid outside. Santana follows him out and it’s a series of kicks to take Ortiz down. The top rope Meteora gives Miguel the pin at 10:15.

Rating: B. This was pure action from start to finish and that’s all you could ask for out of such a match. The Rascalz have been rolling as of late and Laredo Kid has been a great surprise whenever he shows up. Rascalz vs. LAX is likely going to steal the show at Slammiversary, but then someone is bound to steal LAX because they’re too good to keep around.

Madison Rayne thinks Jordynne Grace deserves a rematch but Kiera Hogan comes in to say this isn’t a sisterhood. She’s a selfish b**** just like all of them, but Kiera is the only one to admit it. Rayne isn’t going to let her bring the ugliness out of the locker room so they’ll fight at some point.

The Rascalz argue over which of the three of them will fight at Slammiversary. They’ll figure it out in a Rascals Extravaganza next week.

Slammiversary card. Again.

Brian Cage arrives and comes in even though he isn’t cleared.

Here’s Cage in the ring for a chat. Cage calls out Michael Elgin, who sent him to the hospital and put him on the shelf. Now Cage is back though and he’s ready for Slammiversary. Cue the doctor, who gets beaten up before he can say anything. Elgin comes in and hits a buckle bomb, followed by an Elgin Bomb.

Elgin holds up the title as Cage pulls himself up, only to get Elgin Bombed right back down. It’s table time and Elgin powerbombs him through it again, which is enough to draw Callis up from commentary. He yells at Elgin and gets dropped, setting up a teased Elgin Bomb but cage is back up. The brawl is on to finish the show. Good segment, though attacking Callis might not have the impact that they were hoping for.

Overall Rating: C-. The main event was the best thing about the show but it wasn’t quite enough to save the whole thing. What worked well here was the direction towards Slammiversary as you can see the build on every match. That’s a good sign as a lot of cards these days barely get any build beyond the bare minimum. It’s well done here though and while the weekly wrestling is up and down, the build has been solid and that’s the more important thing.

Results

The North b. Deaners – Double Neutralizer to Cody

Rosemary/Taya Valkyrie vs. Havok/Su Yung went to a double countout

Sami Callihan b. Fallah Bahh – Hanging Cactus Special

Rascalz b. LAX/Laredo Kid – Top rope Meteora to Ortiz

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

IMG Credit: AEW

Fyter Fest
Date: June 29, 2019
Location: Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Alex Marvez

We’re back for round two and things are already being shaken up a bit. This isn’t going to be anything like Double Or Nothing as this is taking place at a gaming festival. That’s going to mean a change in the way the audience reacts but at the moment, getting AEW wrestlers in the ring and in front of people is what matters most. Let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: Best Friends vs. So Cal Uncensored vs. Private Party

The winners get into a match for a bye in the Tag Team Title tournament and it’s Kazarian/Sky for SCU. Trent shoulders Isaiah down to start and Chuck does the same. It’s off to Sky vs. Quen with the former hitting a rather spinning backbreaker. Trent comes in again and gets double teamed by SCU but Quen springboards in with a crossbody to Trent and Sky. That means some house cleaning and dancing, followed by a heck of a tornado DDT onto Chuck.

A big flip dive has the ring cleared as Private Party gets quite the showcase moment. SCU pulls Isaiah to the floor to take over and it’s the Best Friends taking over, including the hug (with the fans going nuts again). Trent’s northern lights suplex gets two on Cassidy and Chuck adds Soul Food. A spinning kick to the face drops Trent but since Quen is down, Cassidy has to dive over and bring in Kazarian instead.

Everything breaks down and Trent gets run over, setting up a gorgeous shooting star press to give Quen two. Chuck is back up with the short piledriver to Quen, setting up Trent’s sliding knee for two more. Quen gets put on top for a belly to back superplex but manages to land on his feet, setting up a super hurricanrana to send Trent into a cutter from Cassidy. Quen hits a big dive over the top onto Sky, leaving Trent to hit a knee to Cassidy’s face. Strong Zero gives the Friends the pin at 15:57.

Rating: B-. The sloppiness was high with this one but that has to be expected in a match built around spot after spot. They needed to trim things down a little bit here and the winners get a chance to get a bye in a tournament? Isn’t that overthinking things a bit? Finally, still no explanation on who these people are, who I’m supposed to cheer for or anything about them really. I know who they are, but what about the people trying this out for the first time? This shouldn’t be this hard. The action was very entertaining, but slow down and get some of the details right first.

Post match the Dark Order (the former Super Smash Bros) appear on screen to say the Best Friends will be their first. A snap of their fingers makes the lights go out. Back up and the minions are around three sides of the ring. Excalibur: “They are completely surrounded!” After establishing that we are apparently in a sitcom, the lights go out again and the minions disappear.

Leva Bates vs. Allie

Bates (formerly known as Blue Pants) is one of the Librarians and gets into a long shush-off with Peter Avalon (the other Librarian). She also rips on the fans for not reading enough but the fans shout that they can’t read. Is there some joke here from the webseries that is sailing over my head here?

Allie takes over to start and knocks Leva outside but Avalon trips Allie up. Back in and a fisherman’s buster gives Bates two, followed by a northern lights one for the same. The fans actually start a HOOKED ON PHONICS chant as Bates grabs the Rings of Saturn, complete with a shush as Allie is in trouble. That’s broken up but Allie gets dropkicked into the corner, setting up some slingshot knees to the chest.

Now it’s a READING RAINBOW chant as Allie makes her comeback with a neckbreaker and a sliding forearm in the corner. Bates gets in a Backstabber out of the corner and a Pedigree (with the camera missing the impact) gets two. Avalon tries to throw Bates a book but Allie intercepts it and hits the BSE for the pin at 8:50.

Rating: D+. This was every indy match you could imagine and the librarian deal got annoying in a hurry. Maybe I just don’t get the joke but it isn’t funny and I need a little better reason to boo someone because they don’t read. It was just a match and not exactly a great way to showcase the women’s division.

Alex Jebailey vs. Michael Nakazawa

Jebailey is the CEO of the gaming convention and not a wrestler. Therefore, this is a hardcore match. Before we get going, Nakazawa talks about an unspecified issue the two of them had last year and tricks Jebailey into telling him about a previous leg injury. Jebailey manages a hiptoss and grabs a waistlock so Nakazawa busts out the baby oil to escape. That makes Jebailey and the referee slip before they head outside, with Jebailey whipping Nakazawa into the barricade.

Back in and a gaming console to the back gives Jebailey two and it’s time to go up to the set. Nakazawa gets choked in a kiddie pool (part of the jokes about Fyre Fest and the “luxurious” accommodations being bad) but comes back with a pool float to the head. They go back to ringside where Nakazawa chokes with a GameCube controller and spears him off the apron through a table. Nakazawa lets him up at two and pulls out a thong, but Jebailey ties his arm into it.

Jebailey comes back with a SCARY German suplex that drops Nakazawa on top of his head. And now, a bag of…..some kind of button toys that I’m not familiar with is poured out on the mat. Nakazawa’s powerbomb is countered into a backdrop onto them but Nakazawa shoves the thong into the referee’s face. There’s no count for Jebailey’s Majistral cradle so it’s another thong shot to the face to give Nakazawa the rollup pin at 8:50.

Rating: F. Look back at what happened here, pick two things, and count those as the reasons for the rating.

Jon Moxley tells us to stay tuned because he’s going to show us who he is.

The opening video looks at how Double or Nothing started an empire and tonight it’s time to raise the game. Tonight it’s time to show us why AEW is here to stay.

The announcers run down part of the card.

Christopher Daniels vs. Cima

The announcers give us a bio on Daniels, because of all the people on this show, they think Daniels needs an explanation. Feeling out process to start until Daniels is sent outside for a baseball slide. Back in and a reverse Rings of Saturn has Daniels in trouble until a foot reaches the rope (with JR explaining why that is a break). A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker is broken up and Cima is sent outside with his back going into the barricade.

Back in and a running STO gets two and the Arabian moonsault sets up a Crossface. Daniels gets driven into the corner though and Cima hits a rolling palm strike. The Iconoclasm gets two but Daniels is right back with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Angel’s Wings gets two but Cima kicks him in the head. A Liger Bomb sets up something like a fisherman’s driver for two more and Cima can’t believe the kickout. White Noise sets up a top rope Meteora to finish Daniels at 9:43.

Rating: C+. This was the highest quality match on the show so far and that isn’t surprising whatsoever. You had two veterans who know what they’re doing and were able to have a solid match with a story included. Cima winning makes sense as we heard about his upcoming match against Kenny Omega, making this a perfectly fine opener.

Yuka Sakazaki vs. Riho vs. Nyla Rose

Rose offers to shake hands to start but then jumps both of them, turning it into a handicap match early on. A double cover is escaped by a double bridge but Rose slams them both to set up a double camel clutch. That’s broken up and Sakazaki knocks them to the floor for a big dive (nearly losing her balance on the way up).

Back in and Sakazaki and Riho strike it out with Riho getting the better of things. Rose is back up so Riho knocks her into the ropes for a 619. Riho’s top rope double stomp keeps Rose down and a jumping version has Sakazaki down. Rose breaks up the cover and chokeslams Sakazaki for two. A suplex sends Sakazaki to the floor and Riho gets draped over the top.

Rose jumps to the top for a jumping knee to the head but misses a Swanton. Back up and Rose catches Riho’s high crossbody….and then catches Sakazaki at the same time for a VERY cool visual. Riho tries a top rope splash but hits knees, allowing Rose to fold her up with a German suplex. With Sakazaki down, Rose hits a Death Valley Driver for a delayed two on Riho. Rose loads up a powerbomb but gets rolled up to give Riho the surprise pin at 13:05.

Rating: B. They do realize that they have a pretty unique monster in Rose right? The match was a good bit better than I was expecting and once they got into their rhythm, it was a good showcase for all three. That’s a good thing too because they still did very little to tell us about the women or who they were. I get that they’re talented, but a few details wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Jungle Boy vs. Adam Page vs. Jimmy Havoc

Kip Sabian is on commentary and gets the winner of this, presumably at Fight For The Fallen. Before the match, Friedman grabs the mic to make fun of the crowd for being nerds who got shoved into lockers a lot. Friedman: “That mother of yours, whose basement you live in? She swallows.” Friedman used to love video games….and then he lost his virginity. Jungle Boy is carried to the ring on Luchasaurus’ shoulders, with the announcers dubbing them A Boy and His Dinosaur and the Jurassic Friends. Friedman and Page feel like they’re on a different planet here and that’s both a good and bad sign.

Havoc and Friedman head outside, leaving Page to kick Jungle Boy in the face. Jungle Boy snaps off a running hurricanrana but gets caught in Havoc’s Michinoku Driver. Friedman comes in to steal a rollup two but bails when Page is back up. A slingshot dive takes Friedman down, followed by Havoc’s running flip dive from the apron. Friedman teases a dive of his own but stops to make a rather rude gesture to the fans.

With everyone on the floor, Jungle Boy hits a very quick moonsault to take all three out. Back in and Jungle Boy powerbombs Friedman for two as everyone gets in again. The Tower of Doom sends Jungle Boy flying into Friedman Havoc’s Acid Rainmaker is broken up so Page hits a pop up powerbomb on Jungle Boy. Friedman and Page slug it out with Friedman taking out Page’s bad knee. A Sharpshooter (with a Bret Hart pose) is broken up and Page puts on his own version.

That’s broken up as well and Friedman hits a hanging piledriver for two. Jungle Boy makes the save but Havoc throws him onto Luchasaurus. Another hanging piledriver is broken up and Havoc gets two off a double stomp. The Acid Rainmaker is blocked with a poke to the eye and Page adds the Buckshot lariat to drop Havoc. Deadeye finishes Havoc at 9:52.

Rating: C. Page feels like the chosen one and while I’d bet on Jericho winning the title at All Out, they have something special with him going forward. Friedman’s promo before the match made him feel like the guy you want to see get destroyed and that’s a very valuable name to have. Jungle Boy and Havoc feel like pure gimmicks and while that’s not terrible, they don’t feel anywhere near as important.

We look at Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes from Double Or Nothing and the great post match promo that set up their tag match against the Young Bucks. Darby Allin respects Cody but promises to give him his first loss.

Cody vs. Darby Allin

Allin is a tortured soul who lost faith in humanity after his uncle was killed in a car wreck when he was five with Allin in the car. He even brings in a body bag with Cody 1-1 painted on it. Allin works on a hammerlock to start and backflips up off the escape. Cody grabs a headlock so Allin walks the ropes for a high angle armdrag to send Cody outside. Back in and Cody sends Allin hard into the corner for a nasty crash to the floor, leaving Cody to do the slow motion pushups.

Back in and Cody starts stomping away before sending Allin outside again. Allin grabs the arm to send it into the post but Cody is right back in control as Allin comes in again. Cody goes with a double underhook to keep Allin down before a release suplex drops Allin again. Another suplex is loaded up but Allin grabs the bad arm as he’s upside down for the escape.

A Fujiwara armbar stays on Cody’s arm so Cody gets outside, meaning it’s a fast suicide dive from Allin. Cody slams him onto the steps and adds his own suicide dive for good measure. Back in and Allin gets two off a Code Red before heading up, only to get pulled down with a reverse superplex. They head to the apron with Allin biting the hand to take Cody down.

Allin heads up top and tries the Coffin Drop (jumping straight backwards), landing square on the apron as Cody moves away. Back in and Cody puts him in the body bag and hits the Disaster Kick for two. The bag comes off and we have a minute left. Cody whips him with the weightlifting belt but Cross Rhodes is broken up. The second attempt connects for two but time runs out at 20:00.

Rating: B. I’m not sure on having Allin survive that long as taking a close loss here wouldn’t have hurt him, but this was the breakout performance that they were shooting for. Allin looked smart and completely capable of holding his own against a top name like Cody. Cut out the body bag part and this is even better. Well done match with the arm playing a major role for a good story. I’m impressed.

Post match Cody and Brandi want five more minutes but here’s Shawn Spears with a gruesome, no hands chair shot to Cody, who is busted open badly. Wrestlers, including Friedman, come out to chase Spears off. Cody very slowly walks to the back with some help. It’s a good moment, but I do not want to ever see a chair shot like that again. Period.

Lucha Bros/Laredo Kid vs. Young Bucks/Kenny Omega

The Bucks are in Street Fighter (I think?) gear and Omega lays out a man who runs up onto the stage for their entrance. I’m not a fighting game guy so I’m missing this one. Ring announcer Justin Roberts gets in a ROUND ONE FIGHT and it’s Nick working on a wristlock to Kid to start. The flips begin and both miss dropkicks to give us a standoff. Kid hits a springboard high crossbody for no cover as Nick gets up and spits in his face.

All six get in for a big standoff and it’s a trio of superkicks to send Kenny and the Bucks to the floor. An Asai moonsault and stereo running flip dives take them out again and the non-luchadors are in trouble. Back in and stereo superkicks to Nick set up a reverse hurricanrana from Kid. We settle down to Matt rolling northern lights suplexes on all three of them, including both Pentagon and Fenix at the same time.

Omega comes in to a big reaction and hits a backbreaker on Kid. The Terminator dive is loaded up but Pentagon cuts it off with CERO MIEDO. They slug it out with Omega hitting (or coming close to it) a sliding dropkick into the leg, followed by the running Fameasser. Matt comes back in for a German suplex on Kid and the series of top rope dives crush him for two. A spear accidentally hits Nick though and it’s off to Pentagon to pick up the pace.

That means a Backstabber to Omega to send him outside, followed by a running hurricanrana. Another spear allows the tag to Omega and it’s the snapdragon on Pentagon. Matt gets sent outside so Pentagon backdrops Fenix over the top and onto him for a huge crash. A super Spanish Fly plants Omega but Nick makes the save, only to take a running Canadian Destroyer from Pentagon. The Superkick Party is on but the luchadors hit superkicks of their own.

Not to be outdone, Omega and the Bucks hit Hadoukens, followed by a triple Liger Bomb for two each. The Bucks start their usual series but Pentagon hits a Sling Blade to take Nick down on the floor. Omega nails Kid with the V Trigger but Fenix cuts him off with a cutter. Matt gives Fenix a cutter of his own and that means a Meltzer Driver on the floor. Since that would kill him though, Fenix dives in to make a save, leaving Omega to hit the Tiger Driver 98 for two on Kid. Another running knee sets up the One Winged Angel to finish Kid at 20:30.

Rating: B. Yeah it was good and athletic, albeit with most of the usual issues from the Bucks and Omega (though only two V Triggers, which is acceptable for once). You knew the Bucks weren’t going to lose because they almost never do, though at least the match was rather entertaining.

Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela

Anything goes and unsanctioned. They’re on the floor in a hurry and brawl into the crowd for a bit. Back to ringside and Janela posts him before going for the first table. Moxley comes back and grabs a chair, with Janela being slammed onto it. Since long term selling isn’t going to be a thing in this match, Janela is right back up and puts Moxley (with a bloody eyebrow) in the chair for a high crossbody. Moxley gets sent outside and finds a chair wrapped in barbed wire.

The chair is driven into Janela’s chest so the fans dub Moxley “YOU SICK F***!” Moxley takes a bow, which takes a little too long as Janela hurricanranas him onto the barbed wire. A chair shot to the back gets two on Moxley and another table is brought in. Janela doesn’t like that one though so it’s a Russian legsweep off the apron through the table at ringside. Back in and Moxley drives him through a table in the corner for no cover. Instead he loads up two more tables on the floor but Janela flips him off.

Moxley beats him up some more and it’s time for a barbed wire board. Janela is back with a running AA through the barbed wire though the table and let’s get a ladder. With Moxley on the table on the floor, Janela climbs the ladder in the ring and drops the big elbow. And now, it’s another barbed wire board (Goldenboy: “He’s got one too?”), with this one being bridged between the ring and the barricade.

That takes too long though and Moxley grabs a DDT, followed by an AA through the barbed wire board. It’s time for the thumbtacks but Moxley takes off Janela’s boots and socks. Janela saves himself so Moxley hits a release suplex onto the tacks instead. That’s not enough though and Moxley sends him feet first into the tacks to draw some screaming. Janela flips him off again so Moxley pulls out more tacks for the Paradigm Shift (Dirty Deeds) onto said tacks for the pin at 20:00.

Rating: D. Your individual tastes may vary but I’ve never been a fan of this kind of match. It’s violence for the sake of violence and that isn’t the most entertaining thing in the world. Moxley is capable of having a good match without this stuff but I guess he needed to prove something or other. It’s nowhere near as bad as some of the nonsense death match garbage, but it’s still nothing I needed to see.

Post match Omega runs out with a V Trigger to Moxley, who is laid on the pieces of table. A springboard double stomp crushes Moxley and Omega takes him up to the set. Omega uses some of the equipment for the band that never showed up, including a guitar shot to the back. Moxley isn’t going to be helped out so Omega runs back out with a trashcan to take Moxley out again. A Paradigm Shift to the trashcan leaves Moxley laying, but he smiles at Omega to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. There are a few factors here (the kind of show and the price among others) but this was another heck of a show. The action was good up and down the card and they were in and out in less than three hours. I could have gone without the chair shot to Cody (which is just dumb, dangerous and unnecessary) and some more character stuff early on, but I had a good time with this and never got bored. It’s a smart move to not have every event be the big time show as this won’t have near the expectations, making it feel that much better. Very good followup, if you ignore the awful preshow.

Results

Cima b. Christopher Daniels – Top rope Meteora

Riho b. Yuka Sakazaki and Nyla Rose – Rollup to Rose

Adam Page b. Jungle Boy, Jimmy Havoc and Maxwell Jacob Friedman – Deadeye to Havoc

Cody vs. Darby Allin went to a time limit draw

Kenny Omega/Young Bucks b. Laredo Kid/Lucha Bros – One Winged Angel to Laredo Kid

Jon Moxley b. Joey Janela – Paradigm Shift

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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

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IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: June 26, 2019
Location: ShoWare Center, Kent, Washington
Commentator: Ian Riccaboni

It’s the go home show for Best in the World and that means very little around here. Ring of Honor has always been terrible about setting things up for a pay per view because their taping cycle is screwy beyond belief. I’m not sure what to expect here, but at least we should get some hype for the show. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Kenny King winning the Honor Rumble and then tormenting Jay Lethal on his way to a World Title shot. Tonight is match #2 in their best of three series.

Opening sequence.

NWA National Title: Mark Briscoe vs. Colt Cabana

Colt is defending and the problem of a new taping cycle before a pay per view rears its head: Colt is out of the Best in the World tag match, but there is a good chance he’s going to be featured on this taping cycle. Not ROH’s fault, but it could become a bit awkward. Feeling out process to start with Colt getting the better of a wristlock. That’s switched into a chinlock and then a bodyscissors as Mark can’t get anything going early on.

Colt even lays on his back and offers Mark the leg but Mark is smart enough to forearm away in the corner. A shove puts Cabana on the floor and we take a break. Back with Mark ripping at Colt’s face as Ian talks about how close he is with Cabana. A big boot sends Cabana outside again for the Bang Bang elbow from the apron. Mark goes for a chair but the referee takes it away, allowing Colt to hit him in the face with a beer.

Back in and a high crossbody into a springboard moonsault gets two on Mark. The Apple (Rear View) gets two on Mark and Colt sends him outside again. That’s fine with Mark, who peels back the mat but can’t suplex him outside. Instead it’s a series of rollups for two each from Colt and a German suplex makes things even worse.

We take another break and come back with nothing seeming to have changed before Colt starts hammering away. A Rock Bottom suplex gives Mark two but Colt makes the comeback for the strike off. Mark gets the better of things but can’t hit the Froggy Bow. Instead Cabana knocks him off the ropes and hits his Superman Pin rollup to retain at 16:25.

Rating: B-. The interesting thing about Cabana is he can wrestle a good match when he’s given the chance. This was a much more serious match for a change and it was perfectly watchable, if not quite good. What matters here is they managed to help advance a pay per view match, which is better than we got in last year’s opener.

Post match Jay Briscoe comes in and helps with a beatdown, including a belt shot to the face.

Shane Taylor talks about revenge and promises to shatter Jay Lethal’s TV Title reigns.

The Allure is ready for their in-ring debut at their namesake show: Best in the World.

We look at Flip Gordon winning a four way match and challenging Rush for Best in the World.

Here’s Silas Young in a boxer’s robe for a chat. Over the last few weeks, the fans have had the chance to see the Technician Of Honor display his skills and that is what they’ll get to see when he beats Jon (yes Jon) Gresham. For tonight though, it’s time for another exhibition.

Silas Young vs. El Hijo De Squid Jr.

And yeah it’s the same guy as Squid from a few weeks ago. Squid poses as Ian thinks Squid might be on the take. An atomic drop staggers Silas, who comes back with a hard clothesline. The abdominal stretch finishes Squid at 1:15. More Silas goodness.

Jay Lethal vs. Kenny King

Match #2 of the best of three series with King up 1-0. King brings out a broom because it’s time for the sweep. They actually shake hands to start before Jay works on the arm. That’s switched into a headlock takeover to keep King down but he reverses into a headscissors as the technical start continues.

We take a very early break and come back with Lethal chasing him inside and getting stomped down. Lethal kicks the leg and goes for the Figure Four but gets rolled up for two instead. A kick to the face sends Lethal outside and that means a big running slingshot corkscrew dive. Back in and a springboard spinning legdrop gets two, followed by the seated abdominal stretch.

With that not working, King sends him outside for an attempted countout. That doesn’t work either so we take another break. Back again with Lethal Hulking Up and hitting the Lethal Combination. Now the Figure Four goes on but King has the rope in less than two seconds. Instead Lethal sends him outside for three straight suicide dives. King teases walking out but uses the distraction for a cheap shot with the microphone for the DQ at 17:53.

Rating: C. It was obvious that Letha was winning here but the question was how he would do so. What matters most here is that they set up the third match without having King take a pin, which would defeat the purpose of the entire thing. It’s amazing that Ring of Honor of all places knows how this kind of thing should work above WWE.

Post match the beatdown is on with Lethal being sent into the barricade and pummeled back inside. A low blow sets up the Lethal Injection on Jay. King even Pillmanizes the arm as we’re told that the third match will indeed be at Best in the World. Makes sense. King asks if Jay feels like a winner and stomps on the arm again.

Matt Taven says it’s about time that the show has a real star. He’s been listening to Jeff Cobb’s accomplishments for two weeks now but no one has been talking about his accomplishments. Taven deserves the gold and to be World Champion. At Best in the World, he will reign over Ring of Honor.

Overall Rating: B. Three pay per view matches get attention, the two serious matches are entertaining and we get a quick promo about the show’s main event. What else could you ask for out of a go home show? I mean, it’s not your traditional go home show but I’ll definitely take a non-traditional one if this is the kind of quality we can get for a change.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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

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IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: June 27, 2019
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Renee Young, Byron Saxton

The show hits the big city and I’m not sure what is going to happen here. It’s rare that anything of note happens here and for some reason, I have a pretty strong feeling that it is going to be exactly the same thing here. If nothing else, getting to see the, ahem, highlights, could be rather hard to go through. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dana Brooke vs. Sarah Logan

Rematch from last week when Dana’s head exploded. Brooke ducks a swinging elbow to start but gets knocked down for an early two. Sarah throws her outside for a bit before grabbing the chinlock back inside. That’s broken up with some elbows to the ribs and a rollup gives Dana two. Sarah does a rather loud howl but misses some running knees in the corner. The comeback is cut off in a hurry though as Brooke forearms her in the face and loads up the knee to the post from last week. That’s broken up though and Brooke hits a Swanton for the pin at 6:09.

Rating: D. So that’s the full version from last week, complete with a bonus of the storyline built from Logan going after Brooke’s head again. I’m so thrilled that we got to see this epic, which was every bit as good as I expected it to be. Brooke is trying so hard but WWE has left her out there to die on a roster she’s not ready for and it’s kind of sad.

Recap of the Universal Title match at Stomping Grounds with Lacey Evans serving as guest referee.

From Raw.

Here’s Seth Rollins to get things going. Rollins says last night, Baron Corbin thought he was going to take the title from him, but here’s Becky Lynch to interrupt. Seth: “Hey, you kind of interrupted me.” Rollins talks about how Corbin tried to stack the deck but he didn’t know that Rollins had the best backup on the planet. Becky: “I guess it pays to be the Man’s man.” Lynch recaps the evening between herself and Lacey Evans but Corbin’s music interrupts.

There’s no Corbin though as Evans runs in from behind to jump Becky. Now Corbin comes in and gets taken down with a Sling Blade. The Bexploder sends Lacey outside as well and the villains are left on the floor. Corbin tells Seth to go make the Man a sandwich and Lacey threatens to hit them both again. Lacey wants a mixed tag for Extreme Rules, which works for Becky, but with a condition: after Baron and Lacey lose, neither get to face Seth and Becky again. Actually hang on as Baron has an idea: both titles are on the line and it’s winners take all. Never let it be said that WWE can’t drag things out beyond their expiration date.

We look at Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns from Stomping Grounds.

From Raw again.

Shane McMahon/Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns

Rating: D. Well that came out of nowhere. The match itself was inconsequential of course and there’s nothing wrong with that. As scared as I am of Shane pinning Undertaker at Extreme Rules, I’ll take it over a handicap match with Reigns having to sell for Shane again. At least Drew didn’t take another fall here so it could be worse.

We look at Ricochet winning the US Title at Stomping Grounds.

From Raw again.

Ricochet vs. AJ Styles

Non-title. Ricochet tries his flipping counter to a wristlock but AJ just drops down into a headlock for a smart counter. They get up to their feet but here are the Good Brothers to stand at ringside. Anderson offers a distraction but AJ goes to the floor and throws them out so they can’t ruin the match. That’s fine, as the match will be restarted after the break.

Back with Ricochet flipping into an anklescissors to stagger AJ and a dropkick gets two. Ricochet starts in on the arm and rolls AJ up for two more but Styles is right back with the Pele. Another dropkick sends Styles outside though and that means the big running flip dive to take him down again. Styles is fine enough to suplex him into the corner for two and it’s off tot he reverse chinlock.

Ricochet fights up so Styles hits a spinning backfist, which is answered with an enziguri. A springboard clothesline into a standing shooting star press gets two on AJ. The moonsault into the reverse DDT gets two on Ricochet, followed by the Phenomenal Blitz for the same. Ricochet knocks him down again and hits a moonsault for two but the 630 misses. AJ’s forearm sets up the Phenomenal Forearm for the pin at 10:54.

Rating: B-. You know, I blame myself for this one. I was dumb enough to believe that they might actually give Ricochet a solid push without throwing in these stumbling blocks like so many other wrestlers have to face. This isn’t the death knell and I’m not mourning the end of Ricochet’s push but he really had to lose a day after the title win? Hopefully he gets to beat AJ at Extreme Rules, but the clean pin is the only way to get there?

Lucha House Party vs. EC3/Cesaro/Robert Roode

Renee dubs the trio the Main Event Muscle Men. Dorado and EC3 start things off with Dorado hitting a forearm out of the corner and a high crossbody for two. The House Party comes in to beat up EC3 without much effort and we take a break. Back with Metalik’s rope walk dropkick getting two on Cesaro. The Salida Del Sol is broken up so Kalisto dives onto Roode. That leaves Cesaro to uppercut Metalik out of the air for the pin at 5:51. Not enough shown to rate but what we got was energetic.

From Smackdown.

Elias vs. The Miz

2/3 falls with Shane in Elias’ corner. After Elias sings a quick jab against the Portland Trail Blazers, we’re ready to go. Miz clotheslines him to the floor but Shane offers a distraction, allowing Elias to knee Miz out of the air. Drift Away is good for the first fall at 57 seconds. Back from a break with the second fall beginning and Elias unloading in the corner. The chinlock goes on until Miz fights up and makes the comeback, including a DDT for two. Elias’ rollup gets two more but Miz has to go after Shane.

An electric chair doesn’t work for Elias and the Skull Crushing Finale connects, only to have Shane come in for the DQ at 10:25. Before the third fall starts, Shane and Elias destroy Miz even further, even throwing him over the announcers’ table. A whip into the barricade keeps Miz down and they throw him back inside for a spear from Shane. The bell rings and the top rope elbow gives Elias the pin at 11:23.

Rating: D. Thank goodness for that. I was almost starting to forget how awesome Shane was for a few minutes there. Miz’s stock has fallen through the floor since this Shane feud started (back in November) and I have no idea why he needs to be the personal punching bag. Then again if you try to use logic on this stuff at the moment, your head is going to hurt quite a bit so we’ll move on.

We look at Samoa Joe choking out Kofi Kingston.

And from Smackdown again.

Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler

Non-title, 2/3 falls and if Ziggler wins he is added to the title match at Extreme Rules. Ziggler starts fast with the dropkick and grabs a chinlock with a bodyscissors. Kofi gets up and hits his own dropkick, followed by a pinfall reversal sequence for some near falls each. A sunset flip gives Kofi the first fall at 3:37 so Ziggler throws him outside. Kofi gets sent into the barricade and a Zig Zag on the floor takes us to a break.

Back with the second fall beginning and Kofi eating a superkick to tie it up at 8:19, which is the first time Kingston has been pinned since winning the title. Ziggler sends him hard into the corner and it’s back to the chinlock. That’s broken up and Ziggler goes charging chest first into the buckle. Kofi can’t follow up though and it’s the Shot to the Heart for two. Kofi’s high crossbody is rolled through for two and a DDT gives Ziggler the same.

Back up and Kofi gets in a shot but Ziggler rolls away from the Boom Drop. Instead it’s the top rope forearm to the head for two and the Fameasser is countered into a sitout powerbomb. Trouble in Paradise misses though and Kofi gets set into the post, setting up the Zig Zag for two more. The superkick misses though and now Trouble in Paradise can finish Ziggler at 17:16.

Rating: C+. Ok, so Ziggler is done now right? That’s four times that Kofi has beaten him, though the first two weren’t enough to get rid of Ziggler in the first place. There was no reason for this match to happen (and even less of a reason for it to be 2/3 falls) but at least Kofi won and the title match that was already set up gets to happen.

Overall Rating: D+. I have no reason to believe that the Main Event Muscle Men are going to go anywhere or that this is anything more than a token story (assuming it lasts beyond tonight) to say they’ve got something to do. However, I’ll take a little change, even for the sake of one week. Still though, all this show did was remind me how poorly handled the “no wrestling during the breaks” was. You know, as Main Event tends to do.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: August 4, 1997
Location: Stabler Arena, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 4,665
Commentators: Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross, Vince McMahon

Opening sequence.

Bret sees the hypocrisy in the Patriot, who talks about morals and then comes out with Michaels and Austin, so Patriot means nothing to him. Someone who does mean something to him though is the British Bulldog, who fought valiantly against Ken Shamrock, who will never receive another European Title shot. As for Brian Pillman, he has way too much class to wear a dress. Finally, as for Owen, who lost the title despite Austin barely being able to move, it was another miscarriage of justice.

Fans at Summerslam last night said Undertaker was robbed by Shawn.

Kama Mustafa vs. Ken Shamrock

Brakus is still coming.

Taka Michinoku vs. Brian Christopher

Brian catapults Taka to the floor like a sore loser.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Vader

The Sultan vs. The Patriot

Hour #2 opening sequence.

Ahmed Johnson vs. Chainz

Godwinns vs. Headbangers

Brian Pillman vs. Bob Holly

Dude Love vs. Owen Hart

Bret is on commentary. Owen sends Dude into the buckle to start but gets caught in something like a bulldog. The enziguri gets Owen out of trouble as we see Austin watching in the back. Things slow down as Dude grabs an armbar of all things before an elbow to the back of the head gets two. Vince fills in time on a chinlock by asking why Lawler and Bret are so friendly all of a sudden.

The Dudettes mob Dude to end the show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: June 25, 2019
Location: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Things have changed again with Drew Gulak becoming the new Cruiserweight Champion in a bit of a surprise. What matters most is that he FINALLY won the title after coming up short for months. Now we need a new #1 contender as Extreme Rules is only a few weeks away. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at Gulak winning the title at Stomping Grounds in a triple threat match over champion Tony Nese and Akira Tozawa.

Gulak says you will have to call him champion. Tonight, Nese and Tozawa can fight to become #1 contender. Short and to the point here, which fits Gulak’s new persona.

Opening sequence.

Jack Gallagher vs. Mike Kanellis

Feeling out process to start with Gallagher cranking on both arms but Mike reverses into one of his own and takes him to the mat. That’s fine with Gallagher, who flips back and rotates his feet like he’s riding a bicycle for a series of kicks to Mike’s face. Back up and Gallagher does his handstand in the corner but a Maria distraction lets Mike post him. That’s only good for an eight count so Mike hammers away to let out some frustration.

One heck of a clothesline gets two but Gallagher starts the comeback. He dives into the raised boots though and a Samoan driver gives Mike two. The superkick sets up a rollup with a handful of trunks for two, meaning it’s time to argue with the referee. That’s enough for Gallagher to hit the headbutt for the pin at 7:00.

Rating: D+. They’re trying something with Kanellis but there’s no way around the fact that he’s just not that interesting. His work is average, his talking is fine at best and there’’s nothing to him that makes me want to watch him. I’m not sure why WWE re-signed him, as I can’t imagine how much of an impact he could make in AEW.

Post match Mike tells Maria that this was a mistake and he’s done before walking out through the crowd.

Nese says Drew didn’t beat him for the title so tonight he’s becoming #1 contender and getting his title back.

Tozawa, getting the WHAT treatment from the crowd, says he had a chance to win the title on Sunday and won’t let it slip out of his grasp again.

Drake Maverick calls Mike Kanellis and yells at his voicemail about Mike’s unprofessionalism.

Humberto Carrillo vs. Rob Rollenbeck

Rob goes for a wristlock to start but Carrillo shows him how it’s really done. A whip into the corner lets Carrillo backflip away for some applause, followed by a kick to the face. The high angle springboard armdrag sets up a missile dropkick to put Rob down again. The Aztec press completes the squash at 2:35.

We look back at Ariya Daivari attacking Oney Lorcan last week after getting disqualified in their match.

Lucha House Party is getting their rematch with the Singh Brothers in a tornado tag.

Tony Nese vs. Akira Tozawa

The winner gets Gulak for the title at Extreme Rules. Nese flips out of a wristlock to start and kicks Tozawa in the ribs for an early one. Back up and a hurricanrana sends Nese outside and Tozawa hits a heck of a cannonball off the apron. Tozawa heads up top so Nese rolls forward and kicks him in the head for two as things get back to even. The bodyscissors goes on to keep Tozawa in some trouble and a waistlock doesn’t really change anything.

Back up and Tozawa kicks him in the face, followed by something close to an F5. That sends Nese outside and now the suicide headbutt can connect. A missile dropkick gives Tozawa two and it’s the Iron Octopus to have Nese in real trouble. That’s reversed into a tilt-a-whirl slam, with Tozawa nearly landing on his head. A spinwheel kick sets up the springboard moonsault but Tozawa gets to the floor. That’s fine with Nese, who hits the running flip dive and the springboard moonsault for two back inside.

They chop it out until Tozawa heads up top, where Nese hits him in the face again. Tozawa is fine enough to hit a Canadian Destroyer for two but the top rope backsplash misses. Nese German suplexes him into the corner for two but the running Nese misses as well. Some kind of spinning sunset flip doesn’t work for Tozawa though as Nese catches him in an over the back piledriver for the pin and the title shot at 14:10.

Rating: B-. Another good match in a series of solid main events of late. This was the right ending because there isn’t likely to be much interest in Tozawa getting another title shot after he lost the fall at Stomping Grounds. Nese makes sense and has become a rather solid worker in the last few months, so this is the right call.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was a step below what they’ve been doing as of late but I still liked it well enough. 205 Live is still a good show and it offers such a nice breather after everything that Raw and Smackdown puts fans through earlier in the week. What we had here was fine and Nese vs. Gulak is usually an entertaining match. Fine enough show, but not a great one.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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