IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 24, 2019
Location: Angel of the Winds Arena, Everett, Washington
Commentators: Michael Cole, Renee Young, Corey Graves

It’s the night after Stomping Grounds and given how things are looking at the moment, I’m not sure how much that’s going to change the direction we’re going. Extreme Rules is in less than three weeks and there is a strong chance that we’re looking either at rematches or matches that are so similar you won’t notice much of a difference. Let’s get to it.

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

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.

Daniel Bryan/Rowan/Revival vs. Usos/New Day

Elimination rules here with a fall getting rid of a team. Dawson tags himself in to take Bryan’s place so New Day takes him down for a splash/legdrop combination. Rowan comes in and cleans house, including a sitout Rock Bottom to Big E. The splash misses though and it’s Woods kicking Bryan in the chest. Bryan sends him outside for the suicide shove but it hits Dawson by mistake. Woods gets forearmed for his efforts and Bryan adds a missile dropkick. The YES Kicks connect but Dawson elbows Bryan by mistake, allowing Woods to roll Bryan up for the pin at 3:32.

The Shatter Machine gets rid of Woods at 4:03 and we take a break. Back with the Usos hitting stereo dives, followed by a bell so the match is “officially” restarted. Ignore that there seemed to be action during the break and the lack of a bell between the previous falls as they now have to find ways around the “no wrestling during a break” rule. To be fair though, it’s not an official rule.

Dawson grabs a powerslam on Jimmy, followed by a Steiner Bulldog (Renee: “Classic Revival!” Steiners, Revival, whatever.) for two. Dawson’s superplex hits Jimmy but Jey tags himself in and dives off of Wilder’s back with a Superfly Splash to Dawson to steal the pin at 11:36. Nice finish there.

Rating: D+. This was the usual elimination match with everything having to happen in a hurry because they don’t have a lot of time. At least one pair of champions lost via miscommunication and the other lost via a quick pin. I’m sure we’ll get some title matches at Extreme Rules and that’s fine.

We recap Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns last night to set up tonight’s handicap match.

Earlier today, Braun Strowman pulled a 17,000lb tractor trailer. Tonight, it’s a tug of war against Bobby Lashley.

Miz is walking to the ring and Abby the Witch from Firefly Fun House appears behind him, though she isn’t mentioned.

Here’s Miz for MizTV and we get straight to the guests: R-Truth/Carmella. Truth is nervous about getting inside but the 24/7 Title rules are suspended during the course of the interview. Miz recaps the history of the title, including the pinfall at Drake Maverick’s wedding over the weekend. Miz: “Truth, A MAN’S WEDDING??? REALLY???” Truth talks about how he can’t do anything in life without having to look over his shoulder. He can’t even have a picnic! WWE Superstars are showing up at his house dressed up as police officers and telling him that his car is on fire.

Cue Maverick to say that winning the title was the biggest moment of his career and his wedding was supposed to be the biggest day of his life. Truth ruined everything and now his wife won’t talk to him. They haven’t even consummated the marriage. Truth: “Fiber is good for that!” Maverick wants a rematch right now. For the title, not his wedding. Miz gets word that the title match can happen right now and all other competitors are banned from interfering. Truth grants Hornswoggle his match.

24/7 Title: R-Truth vs. Drake Maverick

Truth is defending and hits Little Jimmy to retain in 14 seconds.

Post match the mob comes out to give chase and Cedric Alexander hits the Neuralizer. No Way Jose makes the save though, allowing Truth and Carmella to run. Drake is asked where he goes from here but can’t say anything.

We recap the opening segment.

Evans and Corbin are ready to win at Extreme Rules. If they take out Lynch, they can take out Rollins.

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.

And now, a tug of war between Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman. Lashley gets the early advantage and has Strowman at the line, but then Strowman smiles. Strowman pulls him over without much effort but Lashley jumps at him and the beating is on. The rope goes around Strowman’s eyes and he falls to the floor with Lashley beating him down. At least it was short, though putting it on after Undertaker wasn’t the best idea.

AJ Styles tries to talk about Ricochet but No Way Jose’s conga line interrupts him. The Good Brothers have joined in but AJ tells them to take their match against the Viking Raiders more seriously. AJ wants to know what happened to the guys he met in Japan but Gallows says they’re at the top of their game.

Good Brothers vs. Viking Raiders

Anderson gets taken down to start with Erik slamming Ivar onto him. One heck of a clothesline takes Ivar down and it’s Gallows coming in for a chinlock. The Boot of Doom gets two on Erik and the Good Brothers are rather pleased. Ivar comes back in for the seated senton in the corner though and a dive takes out Gallows. The Viking Experience finishes Anderson at 3:20 as AJ is disgusted in the back.

Rating: D+. Again this was much more about angle advancement than the match and there’s nothing wrong with that. The Good Brothers joining forces with AJ again is about all they’re going to get at the moment, though I can’t imagine that’s going to be enough to keep them in WWE. Given how they’ve been used in the last year or so though, that’s hardly the worst thing for everyone involved.

Nikki Cross apologizes to Alexa Bliss about last night. Bliss says it’s ok because she’s going to try to get a rematch against Bayley.

Post match Naomi and Natalya come in to see Cross, who doesn’t know what Bliss is all about. Bliss comes in and accuses them of talking about her behind her back. That classic women’s dialogue sets up a match between Naomi and Bliss for tonight.

Heath Slater vs. Mojo Rawley

And then Slater walks into the Little Jimmy to give Truth the title back.

And then Cedric Alexander hits a Lumbar Check on Truth to win the title.

And then EC3 hits the 1%er on the floor to win the title.

And then Carmella comes out to distract EC3 so Truth can roll him up and win the title for the ninth time.

We look back at Ricochet winning the US Title last night.

Ricochet talks about working hard to win the title but tonight he’s facing someone he’s looked up to for his entire career in AJ Styles.

Here’s Kofi Kingston for a chat but Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens cut him off for a quick interview. Why is he here, who does he think he is and why won’t he leave? Sami wants to know why Kofi’s entire identity as WWE Champion is having New Day save him. The New Day that Sami and Kevin DESTROYED last night. Kofi talks about New Day being a brotherhood that nobody can break and brings up beating Owens at Money in the Bank. Sami gets invited to the ring to take another Trouble in Paradise right now.

Kofi Kingston vs. Sami Zayn

Non-title and this was announced earlier in the show. Kofi takes him down for an early splash before grabbing a headlock. The top rope forearm to the head sets up the Boom Drop but Trouble in Paradise misses. Sami kicks him in the ribs to take over and Owens gets in a few shots of his own.

Back in and Kofi fights back with some right hands but charges into the exploder into the corner. The Michinoku Driver gets two but Kofi is right back with his jumping double stomp. Sami makes another comeback and tries the Blue Thunder Bomb, which is reversed into a rollup to give Kofi the pin at 8:12.

Rating: C-. Not much time to do anything here, but the other problem is Sami and Kevin being knocked down yet another peg. I’m not sure how many more times WWE thinks they can lose to Kofi but I’m sure we’re going to find out. It’s like that’s their only job on TV anymore and it’s not really helping anyone.

Post match Owens says he wants a shot and Kofi comes back to the ring.

Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens

Non-title again. Sami’s early distraction lets Owens go up for the Swanton, which hits raised knees. A superkick gives Owens two and they head outside with Owens trying the apron powerbomb. Kofi reverses and hits an SOS (with a NASTY landing on the ramp) for the rather fast countout at 1:34.

Post match Kofi sends Sami to the floor and hits the big dive onto both of them. Kofi poses but Samoa Joe jumps Kofi from behind. A Rock Bottom plants Kofi on the stage and Joe glares down at Kofi. Joe leaves but runs back out to put Kofi in the Koquina Clutch. BUT WE HAD TO SIT THROUGH DOLPH ZIGGLER TWICE???

For Extreme Rules: Undertaker/Reigns vs. McMahon/McIntyre.

Naomi vs. Alexa Bliss

Cross is here with Bliss. Naomi starts with the splits and a little gyrating on the mat, only to be pulled down by the hair. Back up and Naomi gets her own takedown, setting up the splits splash. Naomi baseball slides Nikki by mistake, with the distraction being enough for Bliss to hit the DDT for the pin at 1:15.

Post match Bliss beats Naomi down and has Nikki help her but Natalya runs in for the save.

Natalya/Naomi vs. Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross

Natalya drives Bliss into the corner to start and it’s off to Naomi for a full nelson. It’s already back to Natalya but a distraction lets Bliss take her down into a chinlock. That doesn’t last long as Natalya pops up with some suplexes to put Bliss down. The Sharpshooter doesn’t work and it’s off to Cross for the faster pace. A running bulldog gets two on Natalya and the fisherman’s neckbreaker connects, but Bliss steals the pin at 5:39.

Rating: D. Nothing match here as Bliss vs. Cross continues, albeit without being the most interesting prospect in the world. At some point Cross is going to have to snap into her old self if they want her to matter, because what they’re doing here isn’t working. However, I have a bad feeling that it’s what they want her to be.

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?

AJ helps Ricochet up to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. Man there was a lot on this show. A lot of the wrestling wasn’t very good, but the energy was back and the show had some surprises in there to keep things going. That’s WAY better than what we had been getting and I think WWE knew they had to pick up the pace after the last few months. Extreme Rules is already looking better than I was expecting, but we have a long time to go for them to grind me down into nothing. Still not a good show here, but they’re getting a few steps away from those nightmare shows in May and early June.

Results

Usos/New Day b. Daniel Bryan/Rowan/Revival – Superfly Splash to Dawson

R-Truth b. Drake Maverick – Little Jimmy

Shane McMahon/Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns went to a no contest when Undertaker interfered

Viking Raiders b. Good Brothers – Viking Experience to Anderson

Kofi Kingston b. Sami Zayn – Rollup

Kofi Kingston b. Kevin Owens via countout

Alexa Bliss b. Naomi – DDT

Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross b. Naomi/Natalya – Fisherman’s neckbreaker to Naomi

AJ Styles b. Ricochet – Phenomenal Forearm

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

Stomping Grounds 2019
Date: June 23, 2019
Location: Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, Washington
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips, Renee Young

It’s the show that no one was asking for, featuring a bunch of rematches from the show that fans didn’t want to watch in the first place. The big question here is who will be the guest referee in the Universal Title match with Baron Corbin challenging Seth Rollins. I’m not sure what to expect here, though everything outside of the main events doesn’t look too bad actually. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Cruiserweight Title: Tony Nese vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak

Nese is defending after the other two went to a double pin in a #1 contenders match. It’s a brawl to start with Everyone getting an early near fall. Gulak gets sent outside for a dive from Nese and Tozawa adds a charge to send Gulak into the barricade. Back in and Nese catches Tozawa on top, setting up a gutbuster for two. Gulak drapes Nese over the middle rope and suplexes Tozawa onto the champ as we take a break.

Back with Nese throwing Tozawa at Gulak, who is right back with the Gulock on Nese. Tozawa has to make the save with the top rope backsplash and Nese heads outside. Tozawa’s running dropkick gets two on Gulak but Nese is back in. A springboard moonsault gets two on Gulak with Tozawa making a save, setting up a chop off with the champ. Nese gets the better of it and goes up, only to miss the 450.

Instead he grabs an over the shoulder belly to back piledriver on Gulak but Tozawa hits a running knee to the face for two of his own. The running knee hits Gulak in the corner and Tozawa gets powerbombed into the corner but Gulak has to dive over for the save. Tozawa dropkicks Nese to the floor but walks into the torture rack neckbreaker to give Gulak the pin and the title at 11:23.

Rating: B. These guys were working here and that made for a very fun opening match. I’m surprised they took the title off of Nese but it makes sense to go with the new version of Gulak. They’ve teased him winning the title forever now and had to put the title on him eventually so this works well enough. If nothing else they can run Gulak vs. Chad Gable on one of the big shows down the line. Heck of an opener here and much better than I was expecting.

The opening video looks at the major matches on the show with a bit of These Boots Are Made For Walking. Some attacks featuring feet and shoes get a look at the end.

Raw Women’s Title: Lacey Evans vs. Becky Lynch

Becky is defending and we get Big Match Intros. Lacey gets taken into the corner to start and slaps away both of Becky’s hands. An early leglock sends Lacey to the rope for the early break so Becky goes with some of the most obvious spot calling of the year. A springboard kick to the chest misses because Lacey isn’t in position but the second attempt works better. Becky gets two off a backslide but gets gator rolled into the corner.

Lacey bends her back around the post with some rather violent pulls before pulling on the arm and kicking at the ribs. The armbar with an elbow to the ribs keeps Becky in trouble but she fights up again. This time Lacey gets taken into the corner and Becky rolls her into a cross armbreaker to get the fans back into things.

That’s broken up with a ram into the middle buckle and Lacey goes right back to the ribs. Lacey pulls out her towel but Becky drives it into her mouth instead. A running forearm lets Becky stomp away in the corner and now the Bexploder gets two. Lacey hits a springboard Stunner and a kick to the ribs for two of her own, only to have Becky pull her into the Disarm-Her for the tap at 11:26.

Rating: C+. Lacey was trying here but it’s not like there was any doubt about who was winning. Lynch is one of the harder pushed stars in the company right now and it would be nuts to have her lose the title so soon after winning it on the grand stage. It’s a good opener and the fans are happy, so things are already going better than I was expecting.

Video on Ali, focusing on doing good things because it’s the right way to live.

Paul Heyman leaves Baron Corbin’s locker room and won’t answer questions about being guest referee. Instead he threatens a Money in the Bank cash in. Heyman leaves and Corbin comes out, saying he has chosen an impartial referee.

New Day vs. Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens

Kevin superkicks Big E. off the apron and hits three more on Woods. A Swanton gets two and it’s already off to Sami for two off the Blue Thunder Bomb. Owens adds the frog splash for two more and things settle down a bit. Some stomping sets up a Cannonball for two and Sami slaps on a Crossface. That’s broken up and Woods finally gets in an enziguri for a breather from Owens.

Sami pulls Big E. off the apron in a smart move but Owens misses the running backsplash. There’s no Big E. so Woods has to hit a victory roll faceplant. NOW the hot tag can bring in Big E. for the house cleaning suplexes. The splash gets two on Zayn and Woods electric chairs Big E. into another one for another splash.

This time Owens breaks it up but gets sent outside, leaving Zayn to escape the Midnight Hour. Big E. gets sent outside so it’s the Helluva Kick into the Pop Up Powerbomb for two as Big E. dives back in for the save. Owens superkicks Big E. but walks into a rolling elbow for a four way knockdown. The running spear sends Sami through the ropes, leaving Owens to Stun Woods for the pin at 11:07.

Rating: C+. It’s about time that Owens and Zayn won something. If WWE is going to have them on every show and make them big challengers for Kofi, you have to let them win a match or two every now and then. The start was energetic and the ending was the right call so this worked well.

Nikki Cross gives Alexa Bliss a pep talk because Bliss deserves the Smackdown Women’s Title more than Bayley. Tonight it’s them against the world.

US Title: Ricochet vs. Samoa Joe

Joe is defending. Feeling out process to start with Joe snapping off a jab to let Ricochet know he’s there. Ricochet flips over him and hits a dropkick as they head outside. That’s fine with Joe, who drives him back first into the barricade to take over. Back in and the Rock Bottom out of the corner gives Joe two and a hard elbow to the jaw gets the same. The enziguri in the corner sets up the chinlock for a rather long bit.

Ricochet fights up and escapes but gets knocked back into the ropes. Joe pulls him into a sitout powerbomb for two more and it’s off to the neck crank. That’s broken up as well and a pair of enziguris drops Joe for Ricochet’s first real offense. The springboard clothesline mostly misses but it manages to knock Joe outside for the running Fosbury Flop.

Back in and Joe gets two off a quick powerslam, followed by a German suplex. A hard clothesline gets two and Joe is getting frustrated. Ricochet gets up but his kick to the ribs is count, allowing Joe to flip him backwards. The Koquina Clutch is countered with a neck snap across the ropes and it’s the 630 to give Ricochet the pin and the title at 12:21.

Rating: B-. This took time to get going and there was some sloppiness in there but points for going with someone they’ve actually built up for a change. Now that being said, I’m not sure why Joe needed to get the title back at all and it didn’t really need to happen. Still though, it’s nice to see something logically done for a change and this worked well.

Post match the locker room congratulates Ricochet in the back.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Heavy Machinery vs. Rowan/Daniel Bryan

Bryan and Rowan are defending and it’s a pure hero’s welcome for Bryan, as you had to expect. Otis shakes at Bryan to start and Bryan can’t take him down at all. Posing ensues and the fans are still completely behind Bryan. Tucker comes in for two off a delayed suplex so it’s off to Rowan for a running crossbody. The nerve hold keeps Tucker down and Rowan slams his head off the mat for a bonus.

It’s back to Bryan for a big reaction and a running dropkick in the corner. The champs start in on Tucker’s knees and a splash gives Rowan two. Tucker finally avoids a charge and the hot tag brings in Otis for the running clotheslines. A sitout powerbomb gets two on Bryan but he avoids a Vader Bomb. Bryan gets fired up and snaps off the YES Kicks, which just seem to annoy Otis.

A capture suplex sends Bryan flying and there’s the Caterpillar. The catapult into the belly to belly gets one as Rowan makes a very fast save. Tucker’s moonsault grazes Bryan and it’s Otis and Rowan exchanging shoulders. Neither goes anywhere so Otis catches Rowan’s crossbody with a suplex. The Compactor is broken up though and Bryan’s top rope knee drops Otis. Tucker breaks up the running knee though and dives of the top onto Rowan. Back in and Bryan small packages Tucker to retain at 14:18.

Rating: C. Not too bad here though the ending was never in any form of doubt. Bryan and Rowan are dying for some competition and I have a bad feeling that means moving some talent over to Smackdown instead of building someone up on the show. The match was ok, but I didn’t buy the champs as being in danger.

We recap Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley. Last month, Bayley won the Smackdown Women’s Title and has been more serious this time around. She’s never been able to beat Bliss in the big match though and has to get over the hump.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss

Bayley is defending and Bliss has Nikki Cross in her corner. Bliss comes straight at her and gets dropped face first onto the turnbuckle for an early two. A missed charge lets Bliss grab a chinlock as the announcers bicker over Alexa’s actions. Bliss hits a backbreaker for two and the frustration is already setting in. A running crossbody gives Bayley two as we hear about Bliss possibly winning her sixth title, along with Charlotte. Given how long both of them have been around, that’s REALLY questionable booking.

Bliss hits her in the mouth and takes a bow so Bayley gets all fired up. That just earns her a big right hand and Bayley is down again. The DDT is countered though and Bayley hits a running knee to the head. Bliss bails to the floor but manages to pull Bayley’s arm into the post. A few slams of the arm onto the floor give Bliss two back inside and she wraps the arm around the ropes.

Bayley grabs a belly to back for two and a sunset flip bomb sends Bliss into the buckle. Cross takes a suicide dive for Bliss, who might have shoved her in the way. That lets bliss send Bayley into the steps and hit a Code Red on the floor. Back in and Bliss heads up but Nikki comes in to go after Bayley. That’s enough of a delay for Bayley to get the knees up, followed by the Bayley to Belly to retain at 10:38.

Rating: C-. Probably the worst match of the night so far but it still wasn’t too bad. What matters the most here is Bayley FINALLY beating Bliss and not having another title reign cut off for the sake of giving it back to another one of WWE’s favorites. Bayley could go somewhere as champion so this is as good of an idea as they could have had.

We recap R-Truth and Drake Maverick trading the 24/7 Title. Maverick’s new wife already wants a divorce.

Ricochet is having his first photo shoot as champion when the Good Brothers and AJ Styles come in. AJ says he’ll see Ricochet tomorrow night. Well if you just insist.

We recap Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns, which is at least mostly about Shane McMahon. Roman beat Drew at Wrestlemania but then Superman Punched Vince McMahon, sending Shane after him. Then Shane beat Roman at Super ShowDown and it’s time for another round before we get back to Shane vs. Reigns again.

Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre

Shane is in Drew’s corner. Drew meets him in the aisle and the fight is on in a hurry. They get inside with Roman knocking him back outside for the big over the top dive. Reigns has to chase Shane into the crowd though, allowing Drew to cut off a dive with a right hand. Drew sends him into the steps to take over and they head inside, where Shane gets another cheap shot. The armbar goes on for a bit, followed by a pull of Reigns’ mouth. Reigns fights up so Shane snaps his throat across the top, allowing Drew to plant him down for two.

Drew actually puts on something like a surfboard of all things and manages to keep it on for awhile. Reigns gets out and the comeback is on with some clotheslines. A big boot looks to set up the Superman Punch but Reigns has to throw it at Shane instead. Another Superman Punch has Shane down on the floor but Drew hits the reverse Alabama Slam onto the announcers’ table.

Back in and a swinging Rock Bottom gives Drew two, followed by a top rope superplex. Drew even nips up and hits the Glasgow Kiss before heading up top. Roman Superman Punches him out of the air for two though and they’re both down. They trade strikes to the face until Reigns spears him down but Shane makes the save at two.

Shane tries Coast to Coast and clearly leaves it VERY short with the camera cut being needed to save him. That only gives Drew two so Reigns hits another Superman Punch, tosses Shane out again, and hits a second spear for the pin at 17:17. Cole: “BIG DOG STRONG!”

Rating: D+. The booking here makes my soul hurt as we’re still having Drew sacrificed for the sake of keeping Shane strong. They could have had Shane cost Roman here to set up what is likely a handicap match next month but nah, let’s have Drew lose again so we can get to Shane vs. Reigns. In Philadelphia too, because that’s going to go well.

We recap the Cruiserweight Title change.

We recap Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler. Dolph came back a month or so ago and attacked Kofi out of jealousy, claiming that it should have been him getting the Wrestlemania title shot. Kofi beat him at Super ShowDown but Ziggler claimed it was unfair and got a rematch inside a cage.

Smackdown World Title: Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler

Kofi is defending in a cage. Dolph hits a dropkick and goes for the very early escape but gets pulled back down. A missed superkick lets Kofi hit his own dropkick but Ziggler sends him into the cage. We hit the chinlock, which doesn’t last long because it’s a cage match. Kofi gets sent into the cage again and it’s off to a Crossface. Kofi gets up and runs the corner for a dropkick to put them both down.

Ziggler rams him into the cage again though (you can’t fault his strategy) and Kofi gets cut off for a third time. Some slaps in the corner have Ziggler shouting about what Kofi made him do. Kofi is so annoyed at the stupid story that he sends Ziggler into the cage and adds his own slaps. A ram into the cage and a rollup give Kofi two and they’re both down. Kofi goes up and kicks Ziggler off but it’s a high crossbody instead of an escape attempt. Both guys go up at the same time but Kofi pulls him back in and they fall to the mat.

The SOS gives Kofi two though he seems to be favoring his leg. Ziggler pulls him down by the leg and puts on a bad looking leglock. Thankfully the rope break doesn’t count so Kofi climbs to his feet, earning himself a superkick. Ziggler has to stop him from falling out of the door and it’s back to the leglock.

Back up and Trouble in Paradise is countered into something like the ankle lock. Kofi reverses into one of his own but that’s broken up in a hurry. The Zig Zag gets two so Kofi grabs a front facelock, sending Ziggler backing through the door. Kofi pulls him back in so Ziggler gets in two feet to the face. With Ziggler on his way out the door, Kofi dives over him to escape and retain at 19:57.

Rating: D+. The match wasn’t horrible but it was WAY too long and the ending was pretty weak. That leg stuff in the second half went on forever and didn’t really go anywhere. Kofi winning was obvious (again) and I’m sure Ziggler will somehow get another rematch at Extreme Rules because the solution to a bad match is to do it all over again.

Shane makes himself and Drew against Reigns for tomorrow night.

We recap Baron Corbin vs. Seth Rollins for the Universal Title. Rollins beat him at Super ShowDown but Corbin complained about a biased referee, earning himself a rematch. He also gets to pick the guest referee for tonight, though we don’t know who it is yet.

Universal Title: Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin

Rollins is defending and brings his chair with him. There’s no referee to start but Rollins says anyone who comes out here is getting the same treatment as anyone else. The guest referee is…..Lacey Evans? Rollins yells at her so Corbin jumps him from behind and gets in some chair shots before the bell. Lacey officially starts the match as Corbin drives Seth’s ribs into various things.

Graves and Renee do their usual bickering as the slide underneath the ropes into the clothesline puts Rollins down. A DDT cuts off the comeback and Rollins gets turned upside down in the corner. The fans find this boring/want AEW and Corbin hits Rollins in the throat. Rollins’ enziguri takes Corbin down as Lacey hasn’t done anything of note yet. There’s a Sling Blade to put Corbin on the floor, meaning the suicide dive can connect. Back in and Rollins gets a very delayed two so he hits a powerbomb through the announcers’ table.

Evans counts to ten very slowly but once she gets to eight, she decides that there are no countouts. Rollins throws him back in but the suicide dive is countered into a chokeslam onto the apron. Another chokeslam gets two back inside, only to have Rollins hit the superkick. The frog splash gets two and, of course, Lacey throws her shoulder out at two. Corbin goes outside and grabs a chair for some shots to Rollins’ back.

And now it’s No DQ, which you should have known was coming five minutes ago. Rollins is back with a Falcon Arrow onto the chair and this time Lacey doesn’t even bother counting. Corbin gets up and hits End of Days but here’s Becky Lynch to take out Lacey. The same referee from Super ShowDown comes in and it’s a superkick into the Stomp to retain Rollins’ title at 18:23.

Rating: D. The story and booking were fine enough but they didn’t overcome the bigger issues, which are about as obvious as you can get. And now we’re probably getting another match between them next month (gee I’ve had to say that a lot) because the first two haven’t been enough. This match felt like getting through a checklist with all of the tropes of the storyline and that made for a very long main event. I didn’t buy Corbin as a threat to win the title and that made it even worse.

Becky and Seth pose together to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. This show felt like a mixture of Impact and WCW with some WWE thrown in. The TV leading up to tonight has been awful, but if you get rid of a lot of the storylines and just let them wrestle, it’s easy to have a good time. Then you have the good stuff to start but then the main events are so bogged down by storylines and people that the fans don’t want to see that it kills the momentum.

The complete lack of expectations helped bail them out again, but I don’t know how much longer they can go with this level of apathy on their television. The wrestling was mostly good, but the show was ice cold coming in and that has to change. Some fresh stories would be a good place to start and I don’t see that being the case anytime soon. It’s not even a bad show in the end, but rather a show that I didn’t want to watch and left no impact on me. Now it’s back to the dreadful TV and that’s going to make for a rough week. Again.

Results

Becky Lynch b. Lacey Evans – Disarm-Her

Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn b. New Day – Stunner to Woods

Ricochet b. Samoa Joe – 630

Daniel Bryan/Rowan b. Heavy Machinery – Small package to Tucker

Bayley b. Alexa Bliss – Bayley to Belly

Roman Reigns b. Drew McIntyre – Spear

Kofi Kingston b. Dolph Ziggler – Kingston escaped the cage

Seth Rollins b. Baron Corbin – Stomp

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

I know I say this a lot, but who in the world is actually looking forward to this show? It’s little more than a mixture of Super ShowDown and Money in the Bank rematches and that’s not exactly the kind of show I’m interested in seeing. Throw in what is likely to be a bunch more rematches next month at Extreme Rules and we could be in for a bad one. Let’s get to it.

Cruiserweight Title: Tony Nese(c) vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak

I know it’s not on the Kickoff Show yet but are you really expecting anything else? 205 Live has turned from an afterthought/joke into one of the most entertaining hours of TV you get from WWE every week. Nese hasn’t been the best champion, but it’s clear that he’s trying and is caught in a bad situation with all of the promotions to the main roster (all of which were COMPLETELY necessary).

I think they’ll go with Nese retaining here as it seems that they’re interested in making him feel like a big time champion. Winning against the odds is a great way to go about doing that and he could pin Tozawa without hurting the new version of Gulak. I’m not sure who takes the title off of Nese, but he’s completely outperformed my expectations for his reign so far. Nese wins in a pretty good match.

SmackDown Women’s Title: Bayley(c) vs. Alexa Bliss

This one scares me for multiple reasons. I like Bliss more than most but I feel so sorry for Bayley. They’ve made her more serious this time around and while it’s rehabbing her image, you can feel WWE’s itch to knock her down again because there’s nothing they love more than sabotaging their own work. You know, like a few weeks ago when they had Bayley get pinned in her hometown because that needed to happen.

I’m going with the hope spot here and say that Bayley retains, finally exorcising the demons of that kendo stick match from a few years ago. Bliss has been something close to Bayley’s Kryptonite so a win here would mean a lot more for her. That and with Bliss’ history of concussions, do you really want to see her have to get in the ring that often? Bayley should win here, and for once she actually might.

SmackDown Tag Team Titles: Daniel Bryan/Rowan(c) vs. Heavy Machinery

These titles are the latest victims of the lack of time on the main shows as Bryan and Rowan not only barely have anyone to face but they’re almost never on television in the first place. Heavy Machinery has at least won a few squash matches to help get them here, but that doesn’t make this an interesting match. I’m sure it will be fine based on who is in there, though that’s about the extent of the positives here.

I’ll go with the champions retaining and then going into a deep freeze for at least another month before we get to some more challengers. The tag division on SmackDown could be fine but instead we get this one off (likely) match because the titles just aren’t important enough to put on the show for more than a few minutes a week. It’s still better than the Intercontinental Title though, which might as well not exist these days.

United States Title: Samoa Joe(c) vs. Ricochet

I don’t think it’s any secret that things have not been going well for WWE as of late from a creative standpoint. The fans haven’t been interested in the stories and everything seems like it’s a mess. Then you get something like this though and it shows that WWE knows what they’re doing. Ricochet won a series of matches and then won a #1 contenders match to set up a match that sounds rather good, at least on paper.

I’ll take Samoa Joe to retain here, but in what is probably the most interesting match of the night. There’s something about this match that sounds good, though I’m worried about WWE not giving it the time that it needs for a good performance. Ricochet fighting from underneath and eventually getting caught in the Koquina Clutch can make for a great underdog story, which is where Ricochet excels. Please don’t screw this up as it’s about all we have.

Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre

And now we get to the point where Extreme Rules messes with things. This is going to be more about Shane McMahon, because that’s what the promotion is focused on at the moment. Reigns doesn’t really have any need to fight McIntyre again after beating him at WrestleMania, but at least McIntyre hasn’t been shunted down the card since the initial loss.

That’s why I’m thinking McIntyre goes over here, albeit with help from McMahon. That allows Reigns to say he wants to get his hands on McMahon, who can then make it a handicap match next month at Extreme Rules. Yeah are you really expecting anything else? Then McMahon can pin Reigns (again) and probably set himself up as #1 contender for Summerslam, because that’s the world we might live in later this year. At least this should be hard hitting and physical, but McMahon is going to wind up with the focus.

SmackDown World Title: Kofi Kingston(c) vs. Dolph Ziggler

Ok let’s get through this before Ziggler makes me fall asleep again. I have no idea why we’re seeing this instead of something fresh/interesting like Shinsuke Nakamura or Rusev (yes I know he asked for time off) but hey, take whatever bad you can get I guess. I keep forgetting that this is inside a cage, at least partially because we had a cage match at Money in the Bank and that’s quite the turnaround for the same gimmick.

Kingston retains here, likely to set up ANOTHER match between these two, though possibly with Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn involved at Extreme Rules. This feud has had a lot to do with Kingston not being so well received as champion and a lot of that is due to how lame of a challenger Ziggler is. Just saying IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME over and over doesn’t make him interesting and it’s not going to get him over his eternal plateau in main event matches here either. Kingston wins and I continue to wish for Ziggler to get lost on an endless quest for salsa from the local PDQ.

Raw Women’s Title: Becky Lynch(c) vs. Lacey Evans

Hey another rematch. The more I see of Evans, the more fascinated I am by her. It’s not so much that she’s some kind of incredible performer, but you don’t get actual gimmicks very often these days and it’s rather refreshing to see one. Evans plays it well and her matches have been fine, but there’s not much you can do when you’re going up against Lynch these days without being named Charlotte.

Lynch retains here as they continue to set up something for her to do at one of the bigger shows (hint: expect it to be Charlotte at Summerslam). We’re experiencing the downside to Lynch main eventing WrestleMania at the moment as there is no one in her league and that’s very clear. Unfortunately that means a lot of waiting around for her to get a new arch nemesis and Evans isn’t going to fill that role. Lynch wins here and does so without breaking much of a sweat.

New Day vs. Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens

I like Owens and Zayn quite a bit, but why in the world do they suddenly have to be together on EVERY show? Zayn’s critiques of the audience were one of the best things about WWE and now they’re barely ever mentioned for the sake of Owens and Zayn teaming together again. It would be nice to see them apart for loner than a month but that’s how WWE sees them. It’s certainly still effective, but I could go for trying something else.

Give me Owens and Zayn here, as they have to win something at some point. I’m still holding out hope for New Day turning on Kingston to end his reign as the moment itself could be one of the most epic things WWE has done in a long time. The frustration needs to set in here though and Owens and Zayn beating them would go a long way towards that. Or New Day can win again as WWE wonders why their villains are seen as weak.

Raw World Title: Seth Rollins(c) vs. Baron Corbin

Oh I don’t care. I’m not even going to bother trying with this one because there is no reason to care. We’re likely getting a third match between these two next month and the apathy will be even higher. These two don’t have chemistry together and it doesn’t feel like an important feud because the winner gets to look over his shoulder for Brock Lesnar for the next nine months.

Rollins retains as the guest referee, likely Lesnar himself, is unveiled at the end of the match. Shenanigans allow Rollins to escape and he used the chair again to survive a cash-in attempt, assuming Lesnar doesn’t change his mind again. Either way, Corbin doesn’t win the title (yet) and the fans get to groan again when he weasels his way into a third title match in a row next week on Monday Night Raw.

Overall Thoughts

The interesting thing here is that the undercard actually isn’t that bad. The problem is the complete apathy towards the main events, which feel as tacked on and uninteresting as you can get. Neither match feels important and the mystery of the guest referee isn’t enough to make me care about seeing Corbin vs. Rollins. Next month likely being even more between these four isn’t making things any better either. Overall Stomping Grounds is a show coming in colder than ice cold and while some of the stuff could be good, it’s a show that was put on for the sake of having a pay per view in June and that’s almost never a good idea.

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: January 20, 2005
Location: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz

It’s time to get ready for the Royal Rumble and so far that means focusing on the Smackdown World Title match. JBL, Kurt Angle and Big Show have been playing mind games with each other and I don’t see that ending well. Other than that, John Cena is still looking for anything to fill his time before he can get to the World Title scene. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s issues between everyone involved in Joy Giovanni’s disappearance, which was one of the most entertaining things they’ve done in a good while. Kurt Angle and company were behind the whole thing and that is likely going to have some repercussions this week.

Theodore Long is in the ring to open things up. He talks about what Angle did last week and promises that Angle will face the music tonight. Angle isn’t here yet, but when he arrives, it’s time for an official apology to Joy Giovanni, all by himself. Otherwise, he is out of the title shot at the Royal Rumble and won’t get another title shot this year. Now holla holla holla.

Tag Team Titles: Bashams vs. Eddie Guerrero/Booker T.

The Bashams are defending and has Orlando Jordan here with them. Doug takes Booker into the corner to start so Booker clotheslines him right back. Eddie comes in to a rather nice reaction and stomps away in the corner. The slingshot hilo hits and it’s time to start on the arm. Booker’s spinning kick to the face gets one and Eddie goes very old school with an airplane spin. Eddie is so dizzy that he staggers into the corner for a poke to Danny’s eyes.

Back to back planchas to the floor keep the champs down and we take a break. Back with Doug STILL in trouble to continue the rather long beatdown segment. A suplex finally gets Doug a breather and it’s off to Danny for some fresh Basham. Booker comes in and the champs do a very fast twin switch, which would seem to be a rather bad idea. The cheap shot lets Doug take Booker down and it’s back to Danny for some choking on the apron.

Danny grabs a seated full nelson and then gets two off a powerslam. The hold goes back on and Eddie gets yelled at for not holding the tag rope. In a rather brilliant move, Eddie unties the rope and holds onto it as he walks down the apron, though it doesn’t matter as Danny puts on the third full nelson in the span of a few minutes. A regular chinlock changes the pace a bit and that’s enough to trigger the comeback, including a spinebuster to drop Danny.

It’s Eddie coming back in and hitting the rope walk wristdrag/headscissors combination to the champs. Three Amigos have Doug in trouble so Eddie brings Orlando in for a bonus. The distraction lets Doug bring in a title but Eddie knocks it away and hits Doug with it….as the referee turns around. He SWEARS that he didn’t do it but that’s a DQ anyway.

Rating: C-. The long stretch of holds in the middle hurt it a lot but this got some time and was allowed to develop a bit. The Bashams are fine champions at the moment and a team can be built up to take them away in time. Eddie vs. Booker seems to be building as well and that could be a rather nice feud.

Post match Booker yells at Eddie, who walks out on him instead. Danny and Jordan jump Booker and Eddie makes a somewhat delayed save. A scissors kick into the frog splash takes care of Orlando.

JBL is upset over Jordan but Amy reminds him that the Bashams retained the title. Josh Matthews comes in so JBL can talk about some things he’s done in his life. Those things were a matter of doing business though and what Angle did crossed the line. Tonight, Angle will pay. I hope he gets a receipt.

Big Show and an upset Joy Giovanni are waiting on Angle. Show doesn’t think this is the place for her so she leaves.

Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Akio vs. Scotty 2 Hotty

This is Scotty’s return after having a benign tumor removed. Akio gets aggressive to start and stomps away but Scotty armdrags him into an armbar. They head outside with Akio sending him back first into the apron and grabbing his own armbar. A suplex gets two as the cameras stay close to avoid showing the large number of empty seats during this match. The abdominal stretch has Scotty in more trouble and a belly to back plants him again. Akio Time (corkscrew moonsault) misses and the Worm gives Scotty the pin.

Rating: D+. They were trying but there’s nothing you can do with two cruiserweight job guys fighting to be cannon fodder in the Rumble. The Worm still gets a reaction but other than some dancing, Scotty doesn’t have much more than that. Akio was aggressive here and it was one of his better performances.

John Cena is all fired up for the Royal Rumble because it’s about the movement. If you want some, come get some. Not much to say this week.

Steve Austin had a press conference on Wednesday. This show is airing on Thursday so tune in Monday to find out what he said!

Theodore Long tells Big Show that he can’t attack Angle until the apology takes place. Show isn’t convinced.

Here’s Carlito with his petition and he gets some signatures on the way to the ring. He promises to keep collecting signatures but here’s Heidenreich of all people to interrupt. Heidenreich actually signs as well because Long is forcing him into a casket match. He’s not scared of Undertaker but he doesn’t like caskets, so he’ll do anything to get out of that match. The lights go out and Undertaker appears on screen, promising to introduce Heidenreich to a casket. There’s a casket in front of him and Heidenreich is inside. This story can gladly end anytime. Like, say before we have to watch them fight again.

Lauren and Rochelle arrive and Show nearly hits them with a chair.

Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: John Cena vs. Rene Dupree

Non-title. Rene shoulders him down to start and throws in his own You Can’t See Me. A much harder shoulder puts Rene on the floor and the fans are rather pleased. Cena spends a bit too much time high fiving a fan and walks into a dropkick. Back in and a clothesline connects as the announcers try to figure out what Rene’s trunks say.

The chinlock goes on for a bit as Tazz is confused why Rene isn’t the hometown favorite. Cena comes back with clotheslines and elbows for two, followed by the ProtoBomb for the same. The Shuffle actually misses, so Cena hits a DDT and then the Shuffle connects. The FU sends Cena tot he Rumble.

Rating: D+. I know I say this every week but Cena has nothing to do at the moment until we get to the Rumble because no one in the midcard can touch him. We’re just waiting to get him to the main event scene where he belongs, and having him beat up Rene one week and Kenzo Suzuki the next isn’t the most interesting thing in the world.

Post match here’s Kenzo to jump Cena, likely setting up one more match between the two of them next week.

Royal Rumble rundown.

JBL comes up to Big Show and offers to help him deal with Angle tonight. After the apology, they can beat him up. Show doesn’t say no.

Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Chavo Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio

They lock hands to start with Chavo monkey flipping him over, leading to a standoff. A reverse powerbomb plants Rey and Chavo gets to talk a little trash. Rey sends him to the apron though and it’s a springboard Stunner to put Chavo on the floor as we take a break. Back with Rey getting caught in the chinlock, which is a little better than coming back to the chinlock. Chavo starts kicking at the knee but Rey kicks him in the chest, followed by a springboard moonsault.

It’s right back to Rey’s knee though but Chavo switches to an armbar for some reason. Chavo dives into raised boots and falls into 619 position but thankfully stands up so Rey can get two off a basement dropkick. A faceplant gives Chavo two of his own with Rey putting his foot on the rope. Rey tries a running headscissors but gets planted with a reverse powerbomb for two as the fans are VERY impressed. Another headscissors works better for Rey though, meaning it’s the 619 into the springboard splash for the pin.

Rating: B-. Well of course these two are capable of having a good match. That almost always seems to be the case and I’m not surprised in the slightest. Rey winning was the mostly obvious ending but Chavo was trying here, giving us one of the better Smackdown matches in recent memory.

Raw Rebound.

Next week: Kenzo gets another US Title shot.

Here’s a scared looking Kurt Angle coming through the crowd. After a break, he calls out Joy for the apology. Joy comes out and Angle reads an apology, blaming last week on his overly competitive spirit. Any pain and suffering was unintentional….and here’s Big Show. Once Show is in the ring, Angle bails to the floor because they can settle this at the Rumble. Cue JBL and the Cabinet to threaten Angle, followed by a handshake. Angle calls out Jindrak and Reigns so Show is down 7-1. Cole, after the handshake and smile: “Have JBL and Angle joined forces here?”

It’s the classic villain strategy of sending one or two people at a time before the villains wake up and rush Show at the same time. Show fights them off and even no sells a low blow from Jordan. The Angle Slam takes him down though and JBL chairs him in the head. JBL and Angle take turns hitting Show in his busted head and a great looking shot with the steps put Show on the floor to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The transitional phase continues as we slowly crawl towards Cena getting into the main event picture and having no one to touch him until then. At the same time though, Big Show, Angle and JBL are giving it all they have in the title feud and it’s working far better than I would have expected. The women are adding in enough of a difference that the story is working and I’m wanting to see the title match. The wrestling tonight wasn’t very good, but I’m digging the show enough at the moment. Things are building towards Cena at the Rumble though and there’s no need to try and hide it.

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: AAW Wrestling

Take No Prisoners
Date: May 11, 2019
Location: Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Tyler Volz, Marty DeRosa

This time for sure! This is from AAW and I’ve been trying to do a show from this promotion for months now. Due to one reason or another (show being taken down, time, etc.), I’ve never actually been able to pull it off but this time I’m getting this thing done. It’s another promotion I don’t know much about other than some of the roster so I’m coming in blind again. Let’s get to it.

The announcers welcome us to the show but here’s Jimmy Jacobs to interrupt and remind us that he’s a genius. He doesn’t like the idea of a scramble match to open the show because he’s too awesome for that. Jacobs wants what he deserves but here’s Mance Warner to interrupt. The fight is on with Jacobs bailing to the floor before a lariat can connect, which is a lot better than taking an eye poke.

Opening sequence, which looks like a regular TV intro.

Jake Something vs. Air Wolf vs. Trey Miguel

Trey, in an eye patch, has the referee hold the ropes open and then jumps over the top in a rather nice jerk move. Miguel is told to take the patch off and yells about it but uses the distraction to chop both of them in the chest. Those have no effect and Miguel seems to know that he’s screwed up. A handshake to Jake gets him taken to the mat and Trey has to avoid a charge. Jake charges Wolf into the corner so Trey and Wolf start some double teaming to send him outside.

Wolf flips Miguel down and hits a chop, followed by a dropsault to Miguel and onto Jake on the floor. Back in and Wolf gets caught in a hanging DDT out of the corner from Jake, who gets dropped by a top rope Meteora from Trey. Jake gets caught in a Cheeky Nandos kick from Wolf, who is superkicked down, allowing Trey to hit his own superkick. A top rope seated senton hits Jake….who no sells it and grabs a Batista Bomb for two on Miguel. That leaves Wolf against the monster and it’s a sitout Boss Man Slam to give Jake the pin at 6:55.

Rating: C. I’ve only seen a little from Jake before so this was quite the impression making match for him. He looked like a powerhouse out there and beat up both guys without much effort, which is exactly what they were going for. Miguel seemed to be quite the jerk but didn’t get the chance to do much. Wolf was his usual pretty good self, though aside from one match against Fenix, I haven’t seen the big breakout match from him yet.

TJP is ready to tour the indies and is ready to debut against Myron Reed.

Clayton Gainz vs. Kris Statlander

Gainz, with Ace Austin, is rather muscular and Statlander is an alien who I can’t get away from these days. The much bigger Gainz shoves her down and laughs when Kris tries a German suplex. A big boot gives Gainz two and some choking on the ropes is good for the same. Gainz loads up the bicep pose and gets rolled up for two before shoving Kris down again.

Kris comes back up with forearms and a Matrish, followed by some running forearms in the corner. Austin gets knocked down and a release German suplex gets two on Gainz. Back up and Kris catches him on top for an electric chair faceplant, only to walk into a sitout slam. Hold on though as Gainz needs some water, allowing Kris to roll him up for the surprise pin at 5:54.

Rating: D. They telegraphed the heck out of that ending and the match wasn’t much to see before then. It was a simple story of Gainz beating her up for four minutes, Kris getting in a little offense, and then the fluke pin. You could feel that coming at the start of the match and it felt like something that has been done several times before.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman, the Heritage Champion, says he’s been talking to Cody and the backstage interviewer is NOT a good fit for AEW. He’ll be debuting a new title tonight.

Adam Brooks vs. Josh Alexander

Alexander is part of the North in Impact. Brooks flips out of a test of strength and grabs a headlock before standing on Alexander’s hands. That earns him a trip into the corner and an enziguri, followed by a nice backbreaker for two. A half nelson backbreaker into a reverse suplex gets the same as the fans are rather pleased with Alexander so far. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Alexander takes him back down into another one.

A Downward Spiral into the middle buckle slows Alexander down and a tornado DDT gives Brooks two. Alexander backdrops him down and slaps on the ankle lock, with Brooks not being able to kick him off. Instead Alexander hits a powerbomb for two more but a tiger driver is broken up. Brooks hits a reverse hurricanrana and it’s a springboard Canadian Destroyer onto the apron, because something on the apron is required these days.

The Fosbury Flop over the barricade drops Alexander again and the Meteora (of course) gets two. Brooks’ Swanton hits Alexander’s knees though and it’s a backbreaker onto the apron to make things even worse. Back in and a Jay Driller gives Alexander two, followed by the spinning Tombstone to put Brooks away at 8:01.

Rating: B-. Nice stuff here with both guys beating the heck out of each other and trading one big move after another. The problem with that though is the lack of psychology or flow to the match, though at least the moves did build to some bigger ones at the end. The Jay Driller not getting the pin was a bit much though, but that happens in most indy matches.

Statlander picks through a nutrition bar and hands it to the interviewer without saying anything. She hides under a chair and looks at the camera, saying that humans are weak and aliens deserve gold.

Rascalz vs. Besties In The World

It’s Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz for the Rascalz here. The Besties are Davey Vega and Mat Fitchett and they’re very, very close friends (and in answer to your next question….it’s not clear). Either way, they’re very popular, though it might just be due to having Truly Madly Deeply as their theme song. The Rascalz, heels here, break up the entrance and STOP THE SONG and it’s already time to beat up Fitchett.

The shoved standing moonsault gets two with Vega having to make the save. That earns Vega a series of superkicks but he’s fine enough to send both Rascalz outside. The suicide dive sends both of them over the barricade so Fitchett dives onto both of them again. A bell shot to the head slows Fitchett down though and Wentz rings it on Fitchett’s ankle for a bonus. The ankle is fine enough for the Besties to double team Wentz against the barricade, followed by a running boot to Xavier’s face back inside.

A double Flatliner gets two but a Wentz distraction lets Xavier fight back. The Rascalz’ hit a backbreaker/double stomp combination for two on Fitchett and Dezmond adds a moonsault kick to the head. Vega catches Dezmond on top but he’s fine enough to hit the Final Flash to break up a cover on Wentz. All four slowly get up and slug it out with the Rascalz getting the better of it. The shove moonsault hits knees and Vega small packages Wentz, only to have Trey Miguel run in and shove it over to give Wentz the pin at 10:34.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure how well that ending should hold up but at least they had a fun match on the way there. I could have gone for more of the tagging part of the tag team wrestling but that’s the kind of thing you just get used to these days. The Rascalz are rather fun though and the Besties are better when they crank it up, but at least we had a good match. It’s strange seeing the Rascalz as heels, though I could get used to it.

Post match the beatdown is on with Wentz calling out LAX for their Tag Team Titles.

Josh Alexander says he’s back for the AAW Title and he’ll be here every time until he gets it back.

Myron Reed vs. TJ Perkins

Reed regularly works in MLW and while he’s quite good despite being a bit small. They go to the mat to start for an exchange of near falls until Reed slips up for a standoff. Perkins offers a handshake so Reed dabs at him in a callback to Perkins’ time in WWE. A headscissors works better for Perkins but Reed reverses into one of his own. That’s broken up with the handstand into the bouncing escape and Perkins gets to pose a bit.

Perkins spins around the ropes and gets some near falls off a rollup. With that not working, Perkins grabs the hand and slaps on a Sharpshooter, which is switched into a Muta Lock for a sweet transition. Reed escapes a pair of backslide attempts and waves a finger at Perkins, which isn’t likely to be a good idea. For some reason the referee catches Reed’s kick, allowing Perkins to get that backslide for two.

Reed is fine enough to send Perkins outside for a dive and a slingshot Codebreaker gets two more. Perkins is right back with a springboard crossbody to send Reed to the floor, setting up the slingshot dropkick. Back in and a curb stomp gets two on Reed, who comes back with a springboard cutter. A springboard 450 hits raised knees though and Perkins gets in the kneebar. That’s switched into an STF but Reed gets over to the rope. Stundog Millionaire drops Perkins but Reed can’t follow up, meaning Perkins is up first. Perkins snaps off a hurricanrana, which Reed reverses into a sunset flip for the pin at 12:23.

Rating: B. I liked this one quite a bit as both of them were moving around very well with some very fast paced offense. Perkins is someone who can have a good match with just about anyone and Reed got a great rub here. I could go for more of both of these two and Reed has impressed me so far in MLW.

Post match, Perkins raises Reed’s hand for a nice moment.

The Rascalz are willing to give the Besties a rematch, but the Tag Team Titles are theirs because they carry the company. Wentz drops a lot of F bombs.

Heritage Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Mance Warner

Warner, who comes out to Simple Man, is challenging for the midcard title. For those who haven’t seen him, Warner, is a very southern wrestler with some great charisma and an affinity for light beers and eye pokes. The fans throw toilet paper at Friedman, which seems to get on his nerves. Friedman pulls out his own version of the Heritage Title, which looks like a pretty standard title.

However, Friedman doesn’t think a wrestler like him should have to wrestle a man like Warner, so he has an offer. If Warner will lay down right now, he can have a job with AEW. Warner could be the next Ice Train, Roadblock, or MIKE ENOS of AEW! Warner thinks about it and then headbutts Friedman in the face to start things off.

The beating is on and Warner STEALS THE SCARF before biting Friedman’s fingers. The champ bails to the floor so Warner loads up a dive, which turns into an eye poke instead. They’re quickly on the floor and then in the balcony for some teased attempted murder. That doesn’t last so they head back to the ring where Warner’s chair shot gets two. Friedman sends him face first into the chair though and it’s time to get down to some more basic wrestling.

That earns him some face first rams into the buckle and it’s time to punch Friedman in the face. An elbow to the head gets two but the running knee is countered into a Boston crab to put Warner in trouble. That’s broken up so Warner hits a DDT and a running knee to the head gets two. With Friedman down, Warner takes about a minute to find a door underneath the ring. The ref gets bumped as Warner hits the lariat, because that happens in the indies as well. Cue Jimmy Jacobs to wrap a chair around Warner’s head and hit it with a kendo stick so Friedman can retain at 11:55.

Rating: C+. I like both guys so this was a fun one with a story that made sense and worked quite well. Warner has all kinds of charisma and Friedman is one of the best heels (and promos) in wrestling today. This was good stuff and I can go with Friedman having to survive to retain the title. I could go for more of this and that’s because they’re both very good at what they do.

Heritage Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Jake Something

Friedman is defending again and immediately starts backtracking because of their history together. Jake calls him an f****** coward and we’re off in a hurry. The spear finishes Friedman to give Jake the title at 34 seconds.

The Besties in the World are mad because one of them has a bruise on his face before he and his wife (ah there we go) go to Mexico. They want their rematch in Austin, Texas.

Thunder Rosa is back from Japan and wants her Women’s Title back.

Here’s Armando Alejandro Estrada (his name here as well) to talk about being a family man. His daughters are just like everyone: they live at home with their family. He’s here to represent the man going straight to the top: Jacob Fatu (Umaga’s nephew).

Jacob Fatu vs. Ace Romero

Romero is a huge guy who weighs just shy of 400lbs and is a crowd favorite. Fatu jumps him before the bell (I think) and sends Ace into the post. Romero is busted open and it’s time for some chair shots to the back. The referee calls it off because of the cut so we need a replacement.

Jacob Fatu vs. Paco

Paco is rather small and slugs away to start to limited effect. A high crossbody is a bad idea as well as Fatu catches him in a Samoan drop for the pin at 40 seconds. Are they running out of time and need to fill in everything they can?

Hang on though as Romero is back and the original match is on.

Ace Romero vs. Jacob Fatu

Romero sends him into the barricade and hits a running charge, which RAISES THE BARRICADE a good six feet in the air, which I’ve never seen before. They get inside so Romero can pelt a chair at Fatu’s head, sending him back outside. That means the big old suicide dive and the fans are way into Romero again. Back in and Fatu hits a superkick, followed by the running Umaga attack in the corner. Romero is too big to be Samoan dropped so it’s a spinning Rock Bottom for two instead.

Fatu loads up some chairs in some corners and another blasts Romero in the head. The Samoan drop doesn’t work again as Fatu falls face first onto the chair. Romero makes his comeback with a running dropkick and a sitout powerbomb gets two. A missed charge sends Romero head first into one of the chairs, setting up the Samoan drop. Fatu drops a Swanton for the pin at 7:32.

Rating: C-. Romero moves well for a star but it’s clear that he can only do so much without various shortcuts. Fatu on the other hand is one of the best prospects I’ve seen in a long time. He’s a guy with the size of Umaga and a level of athleticism that you would never expect from someone who looks like him. The facials and charisma are great bonuses and it’s a matter of time before he gets signed by one of the major companies.

Mance Warner wants Jimmy Jacobs in any match Jacobs wants.

Sami Callihan is sick but he’s ready to take out David Starr and keep the World Title.

Women’s Title: Jessika Havok vs. Thunder Rosa

Rosa is challenging and Havok….is a face? That’s certainly a new one. Some dancing disrobing means Rosa is ready to go so Havok sits her on top. That means a hip swivel into a failed sunset flip attempt as Rosa is trying to use the speed here. A missed charge in the corner doesn’t slow Havok down that much as Rosa dives into a chokeslam. Havok lifts her up into a full nelson before dropping her down, where Rosa taps for no meaning. The big leg misses so Rosa hits a running Downward Spiral for two.

It’s off to the bearhug though with Havok dropping down into something like a reverse Bubba Bomb for two of her own. Rosa fires off kicks to the leg and a dropkick to the leg cuts the champ down. Havok drives her into the corner again but a top rope hurricanrana sends Havok into the other corner. A running dropkick gives Rosa two and a missile dropkick is good for the same. The Black Widow is countered into a Tombstone though and Rosa is done at 9:57.

Rating: C+. Rosa was tiny next to the monster champ but they made it work well enough here. More time would have helped though as Havok just caught her without much effort in the end. What we had was good though and the announcers made the women’s division seem like a big deal.

Estrada and Fatu want better competition and if that means the World Title, so be it.

David Starr does not like Sami Callihan, who is the worst thing about wrestling today. Tonight, he’s showing that AAW is truly independent.

Lucha Bros vs. Team Tremendous

Team Tremendous, Dan Barry and Bill Carr, are a pair of detectives. I’ve seen them before and haven’t been overly impressed so hopefully they change things up here. They spend a lot of time yelling at each other before finally getting ready to go. Pentagon and Dan start things off and it’s more yelling with Dan trying some Spanish. A superkick finally drops Dan so Bill comes in for a hurricanrana as everything breaks down in a hurry.

We settle down to the big Carr slamming Fenix and dropping a big leg, with Barry making sure to hold the legs. Something that looked like a Magic Killer is broken up with a headscissors and the way too early hot tag brings in Pentagon for the rapid fire double teaming. Barry escapes the spike Fear Factor so it’s a reverse Razor’s Edge/running cutter combination for two on Pentagon instead.

The Bros are back up with a double superkick so Carr clotheslines them both down for a breather. Fenix is back up with the top rope double stomp to drive Carr into the apron. The Pentagon Driver gets two on Barry and the electric chair/Sliced Bread combination for the same on Pentagon. Since Pentagon doesn’t sell for very long, he’s back up with a Canadian Destroyer to Carr. That means the Black Fire Driver to finish Barry at 9:50.

Rating: C+. It was fun while it lasted, which seems to be the subtitle of most of the matches on this show. What mattered most here though was having the Lucha Bros around, as they’re some of the best talents in the world right now. Is there any surprise that AEW wanted them as one of the focal points of the division? Team Tremendous….yeah still not feeling it.

Post match Fenix puts over AAW and Chicago, saying you can do whatever you want. Pentagon thanks AAW as well because they’re out of here (not mentioned of course).

Jimmy Jacobs tells Mance Warner to bring it.

AAW Title: David Starr vs. Sami Callihan

Starr is challenging and has Jake Something in his corner. Sami on the other hand has a suited hype man who looks like Joey Mercury. They lock up against the ropes to start as the fans are all over Callihan’s home state of Ohio. Starr wants to fight and lays down on the mat so Sami will come to him. That goes well for Starr, who has quite the amateur background. They take turns going after the arm before Callihan drives him up against the ropes again.

Hang on though as Sami needs to head to the floor and walk into the crowd for a bit. Back in and Starr gets a series of near falls off a series of rollups and Callihan is looking frustrated. A quick belly to back suplex gets Sami out of trouble and it’s off to w neck crank. Back up and a rolling kick to the ribs drops Callihan and it’s time to start in on the champ’s legs.

Starr sends him to the apron for a springboard clothesline but Callihan is ready for the dive. That means a chair to Starr’s head and some hard chops to the chest. The run around the ring takes too long though (because Sami is running around the ring) and Starr catches him with a superkick. Back in and Sami gets two off a top rope superplex before it’s off to the chinlock. The comeback is on with Starr unloading in the corner, followed by a low superkick.

The Downward Spiral gets two on the champ and Sami falls out to the floor. You don’t do that in an indy match so Starr nails the suicide dive. You also don’t come back in as Sami grabs a hanging swinging neckbreaker (or something close to it) for two of his own. Some clotheslines send Starr outside but he’s right back in with a running clothesline of his own. This one misses completely though and Starr slams his head into the bottom rope to knock himself silly.

A running knee to the head sets up a powerbomb into an STF but Starr makes the rope. Starr can barely stand but manages a heck of a shot to the face. Sami spits at him so Starr is right back with a brainbuster onto the knee for a hot two. The old Edgecator has Sami tapping, but the lackey has the referee. Starr lets him go….and Jake turns on Starr to knock him cold. Sami adds the Cactus Special and wins WITH A CHINLOCK at 26:00.

Rating: B. This was entertaining for the most part but it never really hit a high level that they were probably looking for. Jake turning on him felt like a big deal and will probably set up a big Jake vs. Starr match down the road. Sami feels like a major heel champion so whoever eventually gets to beat him should be an important moment. Fine main event, but nothing that you need to see.

Post match Sami says he is AAW and professional wrestling.

Overall Rating: B-. It wasn’t great and it’s not some must see show but I’ve seen far worse shows than this. The show felt like a bigger indy company with a lot of action, though trimming a match or two off and letting some others have more time would have made for a better night. What we got was rather good though with only one match I wouldn’t call at least pretty good. At the same time though, nothing was great and none of the matches stood out. I liked the show well enough though and given how bad some of the Wrestlemania weekend shows were, I can take a good up and down indy card.

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: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #62
Date: June 15 2019
Location: Waukesha County Expo Center, Waukesha, Wisconsin
Commentators: Jim Cornette, Rich Bocchini

It’s a special show as Salina de la Renta is in charge again. That means things should be a little bit more interesting than usual, as Salina is awesome in a variety of ways. She’s one of the best villains in wrestling today and I could go for a show centered around her. Just give us some more storyline advancements on the good side, including either Mance Warner or Sami Callihan leaving the company. Let’s get to it.

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

Salina’s leg welcomes us to the show and runs down the card. She’s very happy about getting rid of either Warner or Callihan.

Opening sequence, featuring Salina and her goons.

Callihan and Warner can’t get in the building due to Salina’s orders. Jimmy Havoc, now apparently Salina’s newest lackey, won’t let them in and the two of them aren’t happy. Of note: Sami kicks a door here, which apparently got him in hot water with the company because he did serious damage.

Rey Horus vs. Flamita

They go with the wristdrags and flips to start with neither being able to get in much of note. Both guys flip to their feet and the fans are rather appreciative. A running headscissors puts Horus down on the floor. That means the big moonsault from the top and now we stop for the required floss dancing. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by even more dancing that Cornette thankfully ignores.

Horus is back up with an AJ Styles drop down into a dropkick and a hurricanrana of his own. The big flip dive to the floor drops Flamita again and the fans are right back into this. Back in and Horus kicks him in the head for one but Flamita grabs a Muscle Buster into two knees to the chest for two of his own. An overhead belly to belly into the corner gets two on Flamita and it’s time for the slow chop off.

Horus’ sunset flip is rolled through into a basement dropkick but he’s right back up for another dropkick of his own. A spear into the very twisting tornado DDT sets up another DDT for two on Flamita and they’re both down as Cornette tries to figure out how they come up with this stuff. They talk trash and forearm it out until Horus gets two off a spike hurricanrana. Flamita is right back with a tiger driver into a frog splash for two of his own, followed by a 450 for the pin at 13:20.

Rating: B. This was a very entertaining lucha match and that’s exactly why they were on the show. These matches don’t need to mean anything long term because they’re designed to be a bunch of flashy moves. That’s what we got here and the match was a lot of fun, which was exactly what they were shooting for.

Video on Contra’s destruction and chaos.

Tom Lawlor has the Von Erichs backing him up against Contra. They’re actually here this week, with Lawlor saying Contra talks about the world burning at their hands. Next week: Contra goes to sleep at Lawlor’s hands. Good line.

Savio Vega is coming. Ok then.

Low Ki vs. Ricky Martinez

Salina de la Renta takes credit for tonight but mocks the fans for liking cheese. Low Ki charges straight at him to start so Martinez bails to the floor, meaning it’s time for a chase. Martinez gets thrown back inside but a Salina distraction lets Martinez get in a shot to the ribs. A running dropkick to the head gets two and we hit something like a camel clutch.

That’s broken up in a hurry and Low Ki hits the double stomp for a needed breather. The bodyscissors goes on as Cornette tries to figure out how Salina’s dress stays on (fair enough). Back up and Martinez pulls the referee in front of a Low Ki charge and a kick to the face gets two. Low Ki is back up and one heck of a clothesline….actually knocks Martinez out for the KO win at 5:53.

Rating: C. Low Ki as the anti-hero is something that could have some interesting legs and it worked well enough here. Put him together with Lawlor or someone like that to go after Contra and we could be in for something rather appealing. Martinez is still fine in this role and he’ll be back without much effort.

Post match Low Ki and Salina say something we can’t hear.

Sami Callihan and Mance Warner argue over who gets promo time and over who is going to be riding a horse out of MLW.

Video on LA Park. That gut makes him a lot harder to take.

Dr. Wagner Jr. is coming.

Salina yells at Martinez and the F bombs are flying.

The Dynasty is getting ready for Richard Holliday’s match with Teddy Hart next week so Richard makes fun of Hart’s gear. They have to explain the joke to Holliday and then make cat jokes. Hammerstone seems to brag about being the only champion but backs down in a hurry.

Mance Warner vs. Sami Callihan

Hardcore rules and the loser leaves MLW. Sami spits water on Cornette and Bocchini, which was pretty much it for him in MLW in case you need a spoiler. Cornette throws a chair at him and the swearing is on in a hurry, with some rather real insults thrown in there. They slug it out on the floor and Cornette is going full blast, though he does make sure to say that he wants Mance to win to get rid of Sami (because he knows how to make this sound strong in kayfabe).

It’s already time to go into the crowd and over to the merchandise stand with Sami throwing various things at him. They ram each other into a fence around the stands and Sami suplexes him onto a bleacher for two. A trashcan goes over Warner’s head and they trade headbutts with Warner, the one whose head was covered in plastic, getting the better of it. Sami pelts a chair at him and takes a bow as Cornette rants about all the diseases Sami has in his mouth.

It’s time to fight by the concession stand (Cornette: “Is this Tupelo?”) and there’s a spork to Sami’s head. Warner puts the Tabasco sauce in Sami’s mouth as Teddy Hart is watching the fight. They actually get in the ring and of course it’s time for the staple gun. A sunset flip is broken up with a staple to Mance’s head and Sami puts a trashcan around him for a bonus.

Warner is busted open and Sami staples a dollar to his arm. Another one is stapled to his head as Cornette accurately says that this has nothing to do with wrestling. Warner fights back and finds a piece of wood from underneath the ring. The wood is sets up between two chairs but Sami catches him on top with a super piledriver for two. Since a jumping middle rope piledriver through a table is only good for two here, Warner hits a weak spear through more wood in the corner for two of his own.

With nothing else working, they sit down in a pair of chairs and slug it out until they spit at each other for a change. Sami tombstones him near a chair for two and STAPLES HIS TONGUE TO THE WOOD. Warner rips it back off and knees Sami in the head for one. Another running knee drives the wood into Sami’s head for the pin at 18:12.

Rating: D+. Your individual tastes on this one are going to vary but that’s the case with any wrestling (or whatever you want to call it) like this. Getting rid of Callihan is a good thing as he and Warner are similar enough that it doesn’t make sense to have both of them around. Couple that with his issues with Cornette and it’s a good idea to get rid of him. If nothing else maybe we can cut down on the amount of hardcore matches around here, which would be a welcome change. As for the match, it was long, disturbing at times and as Cornette said, had little to do with wrestling. That’s kind of the point, but it doesn’t help much.

Overall Rating: C+. Featuring some of these shows around Salina is a good idea as she’s the best character in the promotion and some of her bigger issues is with the second best in Warner. They did a very good job of mixing up the styles here and it fit the Fusion idea as well as they could have. There is still some fine tuning to do but for what they’ve been doing lately, it’s been fairly successful.

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

Main Event
Date: June 20, 2019
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Renee Young, Byron Saxton

This should be an interesting one as Monday Night Raw was a lot better this week, meaning there is a new level of stuff for Main Event to screw up. You never know what they might be able to pull off around here, but the Smackdown highlights aren’t exactly looking promising. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Sarah Logan vs. Dana Brooke

Logan shoves her into the corner so Dana talks a bit. A small package gives Dana two and a cartwheel splash gets the same. Dana hits a running shoulder but gets sent into the ropes. That means a trip to the apron where Logan hits a running knee to drive Brooke’s face into the post. Brooke is busted BAD and the match is called off at 2:59. Just a freak accident and not something to be blamed on either of them.

From Raw.

Here’s Roman Reigns, who isn’t happy with having to see a video of his loss to Shane McMahon at Super ShowDown. He wants to beat someone up tonight so Shane can come out here and fight. Shane pops up on screen to say no because Reigns needs to worry about McIntyre on Sunday. Drew promises to beat Roman up on Sunday until it becomes very uncomfortable. Maybe he’ll pin Reigns then, but it won’t be over until Reigns is physically disfigured.

He wants Reigns’ children to scream at the sight of him and that’s enough for Reigns to come through the crowd and head after him. Reigns beats up the Revival and puts Drew through the table before chasing Shane into the arena. A diving clothesline over the barricade drops Shane and it’s the Superman Punch into the spear. Reigns tells him to tell Drew he’s getting beaten up on Sunday. Somehow, this is still all about Shane.

From Raw again.

Here’s Becky Lynch for a chat. She gets straight to the point and calls out Lacey Evans, who comes out without much trouble. Evans talks about how jealous Becky is of her and how many things she’s done that Becky can never dream of. She’s a former United States Marine who can run boot camp in the morning and a cotillion at night. Lynch just wants to fight while Evans talks about how the women’s division needs a real woman as champion. Becky is beatable, but Lacey spends too much time getting in the ring and gets caught in the Bexploder. Becky steals her hat. More of the same from these two, though that’s not terrible.

From Raw. Again.

Here are Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross for a Moment of Bliss. Hang on though as Bliss doesn’t have her coffee. Cue Bayley with the coffee, though she drinks it instead. Bliss starts talking about Bayley being horrible so Bayley wants to hear it from her face to face. Bliss gets up and the size difference is hilarious, even though Bayley isn’t that tall.

After Bliss calls Bayley out for being two faced, Bayley talks about Bliss always being the one who tries to start drama because she’s an entitled little princess. Bliss: “I’m not entitled. I’m just better than you.” Bayley says she has proven herself but Bliss says Bayley peaked in NXT. The fight is on but Nikki offers a distraction so Bliss can deck Bayley.

It’s time for the Firefly Fun House. Bray is watering his plants, which he says is just like our minds. If you water them and give them care, they can grow. Some ideas are just full of worms though and that’s not good. Some kids have been told bad ideas, like the earth being round or dinosaurs being extinct. Bray knows what it feels like to not belong or to be different.

That’s why he built this place for us, so they can all be together. We see all the puppets looking at him as Bray gets more sinister and tells everyone to join him here. People worship what they fear and fear is power. Follow the leader. The video starts breaking up and we see various clips from the series’ history, including the Muscle Man Dance, all with the words LET HIM IN flashing on the screen and voices singing “Follow the Leader” as the Fiend appears. Let him in. So is this all in Bray’s mind or some way for him to deal with his psychosis?

Cedric Alexander vs. Robert Roode

Remember when Roode was supposed to be something? Roode goes for the arm to start so Cedric elbows him in the face. An anklescissors into a dropkick has Roode in trouble and a basement dropkick gets two. The armbar goes on and it’s time to mock Roode’s pose. A rather hard clothesline puts Alexander down and we take a break.

Back with Alexander fighting out of a chinlock and the Neuralizer gets two. The Lumbar Check is countered into a failed Glorious DDT attempt so Roode hits the spinebuster for two more. Cedric goes up top and gets broken up, setting up the Glorious DDT to give Roode the pin at 9:16.

Rating: C. Not a bad little match here, though it’s not like it matters all that much because neither of them are going to be able to get to the main show in any significant role. That’s so much of the problem with WWE these days and I don’t see it getting any better anytime soon. Hence the people not watching you see.

Stomping Grounds rundown.

We look at Seth Rollins attacking potential referees with his chair.

From Smackdown.

Seth Rollins/Kofi Kingston vs. Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens

2/3 falls with less than twelve minutes to go. Seth hits Trouble in Paradise to pin Sami for the first fall in nine seconds and we take a break about 45 seconds in. Back with the bell ringing to start the second fall and Seth hitting the Sling Blade on Owens. The champs start in on Owens’ arm but he gets a DDT on Rollins. We see Paul Heyman watching in the back and according to WWE.com, he’s officially on Raw so that’s nine.

Sami grabs a chinlock but can’t hit a superplex. Instead Rollins headbutts him down but has to slug it out with Owens while still sitting on the buckle. The Blockbuster takes Owens down again and that’s enough for the tag off to Kofi. The pace quickens and the Boom Drop hits Sami.

There’s the spinning high crossbody for two more but Sami’s Blue Thunder Bomb gives him two of his own. Rollins comes back in to run Owens over but Sami breaks up the Stomp. Owens gets two off a rollup, followed by a superkick. The Pop Up Powerbomb is countered and the low superkick sets up an enziguri. Now the Stomp can finish Owens at 11:19.

Rating: D+. The match itself was fine if it’s a one fall match but for a 2/3 falls match, this felt like the cop out that it was. Oh and well done on having Kevin and Sami lose AGAIN, which sets them up for their next loss on Sunday to New Day. The booking continues to make my head hurt but that’s just what you have to expect.

Overall Rating: C-. This could have been a lot worse and that’s an improvement for this show. The biggest issue for Main Event is that the highlights are usually rather boring but they kept this one moving well enough to make it work. Until Raw and Smackdown get better, this show doesn’t need to exist and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

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

205 Live
Date: June 18, 2019
Location: Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, California
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips, Aiden English

Last week’s show ended in some controversy with a double pin in a four way #1 contenders match. Akira Tozawa and Drew Gulak pinned each other at the same time, meaning we need to come up with something to set up Sunday’s Cruiserweight Title match. I’m not sure what they’re going to do, but it’s likely going to be one of two options. Let’s get to it.

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

Drake Maverick’s opening gets right to the point: Tony Nese will defend against both Tozawa and Gulak. Tonight’s show gets a preview as well.

Opening sequence.

Singh Brothers vs. Lucha House Party

It’s Gran Metalik/Lince Dorado for the House Party here. Dorado and Sunil start things off with Lince flipping over him but missing a moonsault press. For some reason we go to a weird camera angle from behind the announcers as it’s Metalik coming in for an assisted bulldog. The Brothers head outside and the House Party backflips into the middle of the ring. Nigel: “I know how to win a match! I’ll do a flip in the ring!”

Back in and a Russian legsweep/superkick combination gets two with Metalik making the save. The Golden Rewind gets Dorado out of trouble and it’s back to Metalik so the pace can pick up. An assisted dropkick puts the Singhs on the floor for the big dive. Back in and the shooting star gets two on Sunil, but Sumir gets serious by DESTROYING PENELOPE. Metalik is so upset that he gets rolled up for the pin at 8:30.

Rating: C. It’s amazing how much better things are when a team is presented as someone who can do something. The Singh Brothers were nothing but goons on Raw and Smackdown but here they can actually win a match or two and it’s not impossible to believe. It’s taking people who had little value and turning them into something on the right stage. We’ll get more of this in the future and there’s nothing wrong with that as it’s a fine enough feud.

Noam Dar is having some me time as his injuries heal up. He’ll come back, assuming Drake Maverick has fixed things around 205 Live. Brian Kendrick comes in and mentions that they’re in California. Actually make that Spain, where Dar insists that they are. Kendrick says Dar is right but he has to go catch a private jet to California for his match….in like two minutes.

Brian Kendrick vs. Russ Taylor

Taylor won’t shake hands and even forearms him in the jaw, earning himself a yell into the corner. Kendrick hammers away and hits a running forearm. A dropkick sets up Sliced Bread to complete the squash at 2:24.

We look back at Chad Gable debuting last week and beating Jack Gallagher via (what seems to be a botched) countout.

Gallagher thinks he and Gable have unfinished business when Mike and Maria Kanellis come in. They mock Gallagher for not being able to get back in the ring and want some better treatment IF they stick around 205 Live. People like Gallagher are dead weight and need to get out of the way. Gallagher issues a challenge for next week and it seems to be on.

Ariya Daivari vs. Oney Lorcan

Fallout from last week when Daivari cost Lorcan (who looks like he’s in Hulk Hogan tribute gear here, even with an American flag on his trunks) the #1 contenders match. Daivari turns his back on Lorcan to start and gets knocked into the corner as Lorcan is ticked off (never tick off a guy named Oney). That’s enough for Daivari as he tries to bail into the crowd but gets thrown back in, meaning it’s time for another attempt to run.

Back in again and Lorcan hammers away but it’s too early for the half and half. A superkick gives Daivari a breather and it’s a super DDT on the arm as Daivari is finally able to get his shirt off. The armbar goes on, followed by a ram into the buckle. Daivari does it again and stomps away, though he does make sure to slip in a SHUT UP to the fans.

It’s back to the armbar for a bit, followed by the Million Dollar Dream to keep Lorcan in trouble. Lorcan gets up and sends him into the corner for the break but a shot to the arm cuts him off. An Iconoclasm plants Lorcan again but the frog splash misses. Lorcan uses the running elbows in the corner and the running Blockbuster gets two. They slug it out with Lorcan getting the better of it until a superkick gives Daivari a breather. The half and half drops Daivari on his head but Daivari bails to the floor. Lorcan hits a flip dive but Daivari hits him with a chair for the DQ at 10:46.

Rating: C+. The arm stuff could have been trimmed a bit but these two have chemistry together and I liked it more than I expected to. Daivari isn’t a bad heel when he stops doing the same promos and character stuff every single time. Lorcan has a lot of energy to him and that makes him feel like a bigger deal than you would usually expect from him.

Post match Daivari destroys him on the announcers’ table and sends him into the stage set. The hammerlock lariat connects to leave Lorcan laying.

Tony Nese (oh yeah he has a title match on Sunday) talks about how far he’s come and now he’s ready to defend against both Tozawa and Gulak. He doesn’t care about the odds, as he never has before.

Akira Tozawa says he’s tenacious and knows he has to beat two men. He’ll be a two time Cruiserweight Champion.

Drew Gulak says terror waits patiently instead of sleeping. He spent too long trying to make this place better but the only thing that matters is a better Gulak. You can call him cold and vicious, but after Stomping Grounds, you can call him champion. This felt completely tacked on at the end of the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This wasn’t as good as they’ve done before but what we got worked well enough. The show felt like it came and went a bit faster than usual here and that worked well in a way. Maybe they needed to get out faster or something (the camera angles would suggest that it was before the arena was empty) but the show felt a little rushed, but not in the worst way.

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: June 19, 2019
Location: Download Festival, Leicestershire, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English

Things are shaking up around here as Imperium has added its fourth member with Alexander Wolfe. That is likely to set up a fourth member of British Strong Style, or at least a friend or two, to help fight off the villains. We could get something very good out of this and I’m rather pleased. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Wolfe joining Imperium last week in a good moment.

Opening sequence.

The arena is in a pretty large hall and the look is a nice change of pace.

Kenny Williams vs. Kassius Ohno

Ohno goes to the arm to start (the right one for a change) and cranks on it again to take Williams down to the mat. Back up and Williams flips over him but Ohno is too big for a sunset flip. For some reason Williams ties himself in the ropes, allowing Ohno to kick him in the face. The chinlock sets up a double arm crank as the fans implore Ohno to not eat Williams.

The backsplash hits Williams’ raised knees, which hurts the knee a bit due to Ohno’s girth. It’s fine enough to flip out of a belly to back suplex and grab a rollup for two. Ohno gets knocked outside for the dropkick through the ropes and a suicide dive. Back in and Ohno breaks up a springboard, setting up the discus elbow to the back of the head for the pin at 7:25.

Rating: C. Perfectly watchable match here with Ohno continuing to look like a formidable villain that a bigger name can take down later. It helps that Ohno knows all of these different styles and can wrestle against just about anyone, which was the case on display here. Williams continues to look good and he’s fine to have around for matches like this.

Post match here’s Imperium, now with their own graphic and matching track suits, so Ohno makes a hasty retreat.

Post break, Marcel Barthel is rather heavily booed before being able to say that the people seem to think Imperium is here to entertain them. That’s not true, because they’re here to restore the honor of their sport. The fans want wrestling as Barthel talks about their numbers increasing. Fans: “WHO ARE YA???” After being told to respect their values, the fans say that they want Pete Dunne.

Wolfe gets cut off by a SANITY chant before saying that he wanted wrestling to be treated with respect. Walter brings up #1 contender Travis Banks, who has an upcoming title shot but Imperium will decide how things will be done. The title match is next week and Banks is a fool for thinking he has a chance against Walter. Cue Banks to say he’s down for a title match next week and Walter needs to bring everything he’s got. The matching suits are a great look for the team and having Wolfe around makes the team feel that much more imposing.

We look back at Gallus attacking the Hunt two weeks ago.

Noam Dar was on the phone when a cameraman interrupted him to ask if Dar took a drive recently. Dar doesn’t like that accusation and mockingly applauds Kenny Williams for his loss. There is room for Williams under Dar’s arm but Williams threatens to treat his arm like his knee.

The Hunt vs. Gallus

It’s Mark Coffey/Wolfgang for Gallus here with Joe Coffey in the corner. The brawl is on in a hurry with the Hunt sending them outside for double suicide dives. We settle down to Boar and Coffey with Mark getting in a full nelson slam. It’s off to Wolfgang for a neck crank, a tag to Coffey for some stomping, and a seated full nelson from Wolfgang.

Coffey slaps on a cobra clutch on the mat as we run the full list of neck related holds. Boar finally flips out of another full nelson and brings Primate in to beat up Wolfgang. Everything breaks down and Boar gets driven into the steps. Back in and the enziguri/powerslam combination finishes Primate at 6:14.

Rating: C. I liked the match well enough and the Hunt can be heated up again without much effort later on. Gallus can be built up again to be fed to Imperium and that’s not a bad place for them. The most important thing though: how much better is the Hunt without their regular names? I’m so glad they figured that out.

Post match Joe joins in for the big beatdown. Dave Mastiff makes the save.

Moustache Mountain is getting a Tag Team Title shot in two weeks. They’re focused on Imperium, but getting the titles is what matters most.

Battle Royal

Xia Brookside, Jinny, Jazzy Gabbert, Kay Lee Ray, Piper Niven, Isla Dawn, Nina Samuels, Killer Kelly, Candy Floss, Rhea Ripley, Rhio, Kanji

The winner gets a future Women’s Title match. Everyone but Jazzy go to the ropes to start before three of them go after Jazzy instead. That means Rhio and Kanji being tossed out, followed by a Dominator to Floss. Jinny gets rid of her and the ring has cleared out in a hurry. Ray is sent outside (not over the top) and comes up holding her knee. Niven picks Jazzy up and puts her on the apron, allowing Brookside to get in a sliding dropkick for the elimination.

That leaves Jinny surrounded so it’s a triple team from Brookside, Dawn and Niven. Jinny is thrown over the top but Jazzy catches her and slides the boss back in. Jazzy is ejected so Xia gets rid of Jinny a few seconds later. Ripley muscles Kelly out and we’re down to five. Brookside and Dawn go after Ripley but Xia gets tied in the Tree of Woe for her efforts.

There goes Dawn and it’s the Ripley vs. Niven showdown. Hang on though as Samuels is tossed and it’s Ripley, Niven, Brookside and Ray on the floor. A Cannonball crushes Ripley but she shoves Ripley over the top to the apron. Niven pulls her out with her and Brookside eliminates them both with a dropkick. The celebration is on but Ray comes back in and dumps Brookside for the win at 8:40.

Rating: C. It’s the right end result and the match was well paced but STOP WITH THAT STUPID ENDING!!! It feels like every other battle royal has that same exact ending and it’s so overdone these days. As soon as Ray was seen on the floor, you knew where this was going because that’s how so many battle royals go these days. Ray winning is fine, but come up with a better way to do it.

Overall Rating: C+. The Imperium segment and the right result for the main event made for a good show, though not quite as solid as some of their recent shows. What matters here is how they set things up for the future, with the UK Title match next week and the Tag Team Titles in two weeks. It makes me want to keep watching and that’s the right idea.

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: Ring of Honor

Ring of Honor
Date: June 19, 2019
Location: The Odeum, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

The Chicago run continues as we move towards Best in the World. That can mean a few different things, but tonight it’s a four corner survival match with no connection to the pay per view. Never let it be said that Ring of Honor spends all of its time before a pay per view getting ready for the show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Hikuleo vs. Hirooki Goto

Goto gets shoved down to start as this is likely going to be a physical one. They grapple a bit and it’s off to an early break. Back with Goto’s Saito suplex being blocked with elbows to the head and some hard chops. A knee to the head cuts Hikuleo off though and Goto heads up top.

As expected, that’s not a good idea as a superplex brings him right back down. They trade clotheslines until Hikuleo gets the better of it but Goto is right back with a headbutt. The fireman’s carry backbreaker drops Hikuleo again and the GTR (kind of the Eye of the Hurricane onto a knee) gives Goto the pin at 9:36.

Rating: C-. I’ve never cared for either of these guys (though Goto has been fine at times) and this felt like a match whose sole appeal was the inclusion of New Japan talent. That’s not the most interesting thing in the world and this felt like a match that just came and went. Not terrible, but I won’t remember it by the end of the show.

Kenny King showed that he was the better man in their first match and he’ll win the second too. Maybe he’ll just use the Lethal Injection again.

Kelly Klein/Jenny Rose vs. Allure

It’s Mandy Leon/Angelina Love for the non-Beautiful People here. And never mind as Allure jumps them from behind during the break and there’s no match.

The tag match will take place at Best in the World instead. Well at least they didn’t waste time with the bait and switch this time around.

We look back at the Briscoe Brothers going nuts and coming after the NWA, both at the Crockett Cup and last week.

Best in the World rundown, including some clips for some of the matches.

Shinobi Shadow Squad vs. PJ Black/Mark Haskins/Tracy Williams

Williams throws Cheeseburger down without much effort so Cheeseburger spins around into a headlock. That goes nowhere so it’s off to Black vs. Isom with Eli jumping around and hitting a knee to the chest. Back from a break with Haskins kicking Nova into the wrong corner to take over.

Black adds a top rope stomp, followed by Haskins’ guillotine legdrop to the back of the head. A missed charge in the corner allows the tag to Isom so house can be cleaned for a bit. That means a moonsault to the floor to take Black down and Cheeseburger’s Swanton gets two on Haskins. Back up and Haskins hits a sitout Samoan driver on Isom. Black adds the moonsault double stomp for the pin at 9:53.

Rating: C. This is another match match that existed and that’s not the most thrilling thing in the world. The Squad continues to be little more than a bunch of jobbers while Lifeblood and Black could be fine if they got some better opponents. The fans seemed to like it though so it’s hard to complain all that much.

Post match handshakes abound and Haskins calls out Bully Ray for a fight anywhere.

Jeff Cobb vs. Rush vs. PCO vs. Jay Lethal

One fall to a finish with Matt Taven on commentary. Rush won’t shake hands to start because he’d rather forearm PCO in the face. An exchange of shoulders gives us a big staredown, followed by Lethal’s chops having no effect on PCO. A hiptoss into the cartwheel dropkick works just fine but PCO is waiting on the dive. Lethal isn’t sure what to do and neither is Cobb. Rush rolls into a tranquilo pose so Lethal knocks him down and hits a dive.

Lethal’s dive is caught by PCO with a chokeslam onto the apron and a Vader Bomb gets two on Rush. There’s a chokeslam for two on Cobb as Rush makes the save and suplexes Lethal. Rush runs PCO over but walks into a superkick from Cobb. The very delayed vertical suplex slam doesn’t worry Taven but Cobb suplexing PCO does a bit. Cobb pulls Lethal out of the corner into the swinging belly to back suplex as we take a break. Back with Lethal hitting a DDT on Cobb and a Downward Spiral on Rush at the same time.

Both Lethal and PCO head up top so Cobb goes up with them, meaning it’s a Tower of Doom with Rush powerbombing all three down. Rush can’t cover so the bloody PCO sits up. The Lethal Injection is countered with a pop up powerbomb for two with Cobb making the save. Rush’s overhead belly to belly gets two on Cobb but the strikes have little effect on PCO. PCO’s top rope flip dive only hits apron and it’s the Lethal Injection to Rush. Cue Kenny King to yell at Lethal for stealing his moves and Cobb hits the Tour of the Islands to finish Lethal at 13:16.

Rating: B. The ending was a relief as I was worried about having someone other than the #1 contender winning here. At least they didn’t do anything stupid like having someone outside of the main person winning, and King interfering helped things out a lot. It’s a nice main event and easily the best thing on the show so far.

Overall Rating: C+. If this company ever learned how to properly use their television time leading up to a pay per view, I’d be tempted to buy them a sandwich. What was the point in the opener other than to show that New Japan still does business with them? We’re less than two weeks away from a pay per view and how many matches received no build here? This shouldn’t be complicated but it’s been a problem for them since before I can remember. Do promos or a squash match or something, but get us to want to buy the pay per view, not New Japan World.

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