There was some good stuff this week and that deserves some attention.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-one-small-step-monday-night-raw/

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: January 17, 2005
Location: Air Canada Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Attendance: 9,600
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

The focus is on Canada this week with Chris Benoit facing Chris Jericho in a challenge match. Other than that, the big story is likely to be the continuing issues between HHH and Batista, the latter of whom is starting to rebel against his boss. This seems to be leading to the Royal Rumble, where Randy Orton is getting a World Title shot after beating Batista last week. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Orton beating Batista, though not before planing some seeds in Batista’s mind about HHH using him.

Opening sequence.

We open with the Highlight Reel and you know the fans are going to love Jericho here. Before we get to the guest though, Jericho brings up that he won a match last night and is officially in the Royal Rumble. See how much easier that is than having us sit through a match that had an obvious ending? Jericho has something else to say but here are Muhammad Hassan and Daivari to interrupt.

Jericho rants about how they came out before their introduction so Hassan rants about being forgotten. We get a proper introduction (with Jericho being called a creepy little sidekick) before Jericho mocks Hassan for being so serious all the time. Shouldn’t he be happier that we’re in Canada tonight? Hassan says Jericho is right as he’s felt a connection to Canada. See, in the US, Canadians are viewed as second class citizens.

They deserve it though because the REAL terrorists gained access to America through Canada. That’s why everyone here booing him is a hypocrite. See, Canadians are afraid to show their true feelings because they can’t back it up in a confrontation. Jericho tells him to shut the h*** up so Daivari rants at him for a bit.

Jericho has been studying though and offers a translation: Fozzy’s All That Remains comes out tomorrow and Daivari wants an autographed CD! Well he didn’t say please so that’s not happening. Hassan keeps ranting and the fight is on with Jericho putting on the Walls. Daivari breaks it up though and it’s a double beatdown until Chris Benoit comes inf or the save.

HHH and Ric Flair arrive with Ric insisting that everything is cool with Batista. They didn’t actually talk, but Flair has a feeling about it. HHH isn’t impressed.

La Resistance/Maven vs. Shelton Benjamin/Rosey/Hurricane

La Resistance are Tag Team Champions again, having won the titles in a handicap last night over William Regal. Fair enough as they didn’t have many other options with Eugene being out for months. Benjamin and Conway slug it out to start and Maven’s interference is scared off by a single glare.

Hurricane comes in for WHATUPWITHDAT and a thumb to the eye. A cheap shot from Maven lets Grenier throw Hurricane to the floor, followed by the chinlock back inside. That’s broken up with an atomic drop and it’s off to Rosey as the fans don’t seem interested. Rosey sits on Conway’s chest for two with Shelton making the save. Everything breaks down and Au Revoir finishes Rosey.

Rating: D. Just a match here with La Resistance getting their footing back after a quick title win. It’s not like they have anyone to feud with at the moment so this was about as good as they were going to get. Maven is much, much better suited in this role and while he isn’t going to win anything, it’s better than watching him take up a spot he’s not ready to be in.

Stacy Keibler wishes Randy Orton luck tonight and kisses him on the cheek. Orton doesn’t seem to mind.

Steve Austin is having a press conference on Wednesday.

Here’s Orton for a chat. This is a special place for Orton as he won the World Title right here back at Summerslam. Orton cried that night because no one thought he could pull this off. Then the next night, HHH ruined everything by throwing him out of Evolution. Now Orton wants it all back and he’s coming for it all at the Royal Rumble.

This brings out HHH, who says he’s heard this from Orton before. HHH is going to make him suffer because HHH is the greatest wrestler alive today. We hear all the names that HHH has beaten before but Orton says he’s heard this before. He had to hear every day when he was in Evolution, from the car to the gym to the hotel.

HHH says he’s sick of saying it but he has to do it because some young punk kid like him keeps coming out here and trying to take his spot. The fight is teased but HHH says it’s his time. Dang I miss that song. Orton charges up the ramp and the fight is on, with Flair coming out to help. That doesn’t go well as Orton beats up both of them, albeit with the help of a chair. This still isn’t interesting, but points for calling out HHH for his interviews being repetitive.

Post break HHH is livid and bubbly Maria comes up to ask him a question. He shouts her down and storms into his locker room where Batista is waiting. You can see HHH’s mood change because he knows Batista is a big problem if handled wrong. Batista is ok with what happened last week and HHH calms down a bit. Right now though, Batista needs to talk to Eric Bischoff about something.

HHH offers to go get whatever Batista wants, but Batista is talking about getting in the Royal Rumble and getting a shot at the title. HHH: “….my….my World Title?” I watched this story as it airs but watching it back, it deserves WAY more credit than it receives. They’re hitting every point to near perfection and I’m digging it.

Shawn Michaels talks about how he’s tried to apologize to Canada but for now, he’s focused on the Royal Rumble. See, if he wins tonight and wins the World Title, Edge can’t be champion. Bischoff comes up and goes over Shawn’s Royal Rumble history, including winning in 1996 to take the title from Bret Hart. Based on that history, Shawn is in, but he gets to fight Christian tonight.

Shawn Michaels vs. Christian

Christian, with Tyson Tomko, gets the big hometown hero pop. Before Shawn comes out, we look at his rather good brawl with Edge last week. Edge comes out and we take a break before the bell. We’re joined in progress with both guys getting up for the slugout. A backdrop sends Christian to the floor as the fans just do not let up on Shawn. Edge offers a distraction so Tomko can get in a cheap shot and the Canadians rejoice.

Back in and the chinlock goes on, followed by a backbreaker to keep it on. Shawn fights up and gets in a Thesz press as the fans continue their anti-Shawn tradition. Edge tries to come in with a spear but misses, allowing Shawn to drop the top rope elbow. Sweet Chin Music is countered into the Unprettier attempt which is countered into Sweet chin Music for the pin.

Rating: C. Just a match here as Christian isn’t big enough to give Shawn a real threat. What matters here is letting Edge get out there to mess with Shawn a bit because Edge does feel like he could give Shawn trouble. This was perfectly watchable though and that’s better than a lot of what we get on Raw.

Post match Edge hits the spear and puts on the Edgecator, making him look like a bigger star than he has been in years.

Batista vs. Viscera

Big pop for Batista. Viscera powers him around to start but Batista gets in some shoulders in the corner. A middle rope forearm to the back has Viscera in trouble but he’s right back with a Samoan drop. The big elbow gets two as Flair and HHH are watching in the back. Batista is right back with a spinebuster for the pin. This was a total face performance from Batista and there’s no other way to present him at this point. It’s a perfect rise to the top of the card and it’s been a lot of fun to watch.

Batista comes back in to see HHH and Flair. Next week, he can have a Royal Rumble qualifying match, if he wants it. HHH says “Uhhh…..” as Flair shakes his head no. See, Evolution should have one focus at the Royal Rumble and it should be Randy Orton. It would be a little selfish for Batista to enter the match because it could lead to Batista wanting a title shot. That would make it all about Batista and not Evolution because he would sound like Orton. Batista agrees because no one likes a selfish, self-centered egomaniac. The stare at HHH as he said that wasn’t exactly hidden.

Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit

The fans aren’t sure what to do here as they start with some grappling on the mat. The standoff gets some polite applause and Benoit takes him down into an armbar. Jericho reverses into one of his own but Benoit starts rolling some German suplexes. A cross armbreaker is broken up and another standoff takes us to a break.

Back with Jericho fighting out of a chinlock and catching Benoit on top with a butterfly superplex. Some near falls ensue before Benoit suplexes him to the floor, only to fall outside with him. Back in and a very hard clothesline gives Benoit two as the fans are getting quiet again. The rolling German suplexes have Jericho rocked but the Swan Dive misses. Jericho can’t follow up so Benoit goes for the Sharpshooter but gets small packaged for the pin.

Rating: C+. The crowd hurt things a good bit here as they didn’t want to boo either of them but cheering would mean a knock on the other guy so they sat there quietly for the most part. The wrestling was good stuff of course, but they never cranked it up as these two know how to do. With no issue though, why would they do that?

We recap Gene Snitsky vs. Kane, which is happening again tonight because reasons.

Chris Masters is coming.

Royal Rumble rundown.

Here’s Trish Stratus to another hometown pop for a chat. Trish runs down America for mocking her so often but that’s beside the point. She’s not here to say she told us so, but she told us she would take the title back from Lita, which she did. Trish destroyed Lita’s knee and she’s going to be out for a long, long time. But don’t worry, because there is a locker room full of men who would be more than happy to impregnate Lita. Cue Kane to chase Trish off but he throws her back inside. Kane lets go of the chokeslam though and smiles….before chokeslamming her anyway.

Kane vs. Gene Snitsky

No holds barred. They slug it out on the floor with Kane charging into a big boot. The clothesline off the barricade drops Snitsky though and they go inside for the first time. The threat of a chokeslam sends Snitsky right back to the floor and he gets in a bell shot to take over. It’s time for a weightlifting belt (which just happened to be underneath the ring) and the whipping is on. The fans would rather do the Wave though Kane’s comeback seems to get their attention.

A chair is brought in but Snitsky knocks it out of his hands. The GO LEAFS GO chant starts up as Snitsky wraps the chair around Kane’s throat. Kane gets up and chairs Snitsky off the middle rope though and it’s time for another whipping. They fight up to the stage with Snitsky going into the steel. Snitsky misses the big right hand and gets chokeslammed off the stage with Kane going with him through the table. That’s good for a no contest of course.

Rating: D+. The fans’ reaction isn’t a good sign here as there’s no interest left in this feud. Kane defeated him cleanly at the pay per view so why should it keep going? He has his revenge and Snitsky lost his appeal as soon as someone beat him for the first time. This didn’t need to happen and the fans didn’t care, which tells you a lot about where these two are.

Post match everyone checks on the two of them to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. Batista is carrying this show right now, but you don’t need to do anything else going into the Rumble. There are some other good things going on at the moment so it’s not a bad show, but there are parts of it that are better than others. Just getting Batista right is all that matters, and it’s working very well right now.

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
Date: June 19, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Beth Phoenix

We’re back in Full Sail for the first real fallout show from Takeover and that means one thing: the Undisputed Era is going to get to have their big moment. Therefore, expect a lot of BAY-BAY’s and a tease of what is to come at Takeover: Toronto. I know it’s a pretty quick turnaround but the Summerslam show usually feels like their biggest of the year. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here’s the Undisputed Era to open things up. Cole: “Told you so.” Cole talks about how he promised that this would be the Undisputed Era’s year and now, they’re going to start turning NXT into an Undisputed Image. Maybe this is how the show should start every week. We see a new opening sequence, featuring the Undisputed Era’s various highlights over the years, which the fans seem to like.

Kyle says he threw it together last night and Cole says that is why they run this place: they have all the power. Next up, it’s time to come after the Tag Team Titles so the Street Profits need to shine them up. Then they’ll have all the power and no one, not even HHH himself, will be able to touch them. Cue Velveteen Dream to say he’d like to touch Cole. NXT has risen to the heights it has reached because Dream Over. That NXT Title would look great next to the North American Title but Strong isn’t happy.

This brings out Matt Riddle, who says he beat Strong and Cole too. Riddle knows he’s an insanely good looking stallion but Cole calls him stupid for not realizing that he’s in the Undisputed Era. Now it’s Tyler Breeze interrupting to say he doesn’t care what is undisputed or who is better looking (Breeze: “Which, me by the way.”).

What he cares about is the Era trying to take credit for building NXT, which Breeze helped to do before the Era was even here. Therefore, it’s a six man tag with the three of them against any three members of the Era tonight. NXT doesn’t usually do these long form openings but it’s understandable given the big title change at Takeover. Cole deserved this kind of a platform and he already has three challengers set up. Just don’t make a habit of this.

Next week: Io Shirai vs. Shayna Baszler inside a cage.

Video on Baszler vs. Shirai, which has been going on for a good while now. Baszler beat Shirai at Takeover, sending Shirai over the edge (which apparently wasn’t a heel turn, despite having every trait of a heel turn).

Raul Mendoza vs. Damian Priest

That would be the former Punishment Martinez. Damian big boots him into the corner to start and drops Mendoza with a forearm. Another forearm to the back of the head rocks Mendoza, who annoys Priest with a shot tot he face. Damian ducks a springboard but gets caught with an enziguri. A rope walk dropkick sends Priest outside and he looks rather angry. Mendoza’s suicide dive is countered into a chokeslam onto the apron and a Roll of the Dice finishes Mendoza at 2:13. He’s going to need a better finisher but Priest looked good so far. Might have sold a bit too much though.

William Regal announces the Breakout Tournament between eight men who have never appeared on NXT TV before. The winner will receive a title shot against a champion of their choosing. The participants are:

Jordan Myles (ACH)

BOA

Cameron Grimes (Trevor Lee)

Isaiah “Swerve” Scott (Shane Strickland)

Dexter Lumis (Samuel Shaw)

Bronson Reed (Jonah Rock)

Angel Garza (Humberto Garza)

Joaquin Wilde (DJZ)

They actually list the indy names for a change. The tournament starts next week.

Video on Mia Yim, who grew up in Los Angeles during a lot of race riots. She was born to fight and wrestling was an escape. This is just the beginning and she’s coming for the Women’s Title. Just get a better nickname.

Taynara Conti vs. Xia Li

We go old school with the test of strength to start and Conti takes her down into a rollup for two. Conti gets in a few judo throws but has to avoid spinning kicks to the head. A kick to the leg puts Li down and lets Conti say that Latinas do it better. More kicks give Conti two and the kickouts get on her nerves. It’s off to a double arm crank until Li fights up and sweeps the leg (I would make a Karate Kid reference but I’ve never actually seen it). A kick to the head knocks Conti cold for the pin at 4:35.

Rating: D+. The match wasn’t anything great but it’s a good example of how to mix up the card. This was all about striking and throws while the previous match was a power display from Priest. Then you have the main event, which is going to be a mixture of styles. They’re throwing a bunch of different things out there instead of just doing the same stuff over and over again and it makes a difference.

The Street Profits are outside and ready to face the Forgotten Sons next week. The fans hold up their red cups.

Undisputed Era vs. Tyler Breeze/Matt Riddle/Velveteen Dream

It’s O’Reilly on the outside for this one and Riddle takes Cole down without too much trouble. The threat of a kneebar has Strong in to take Riddle into the corner and the stomping is on already. Riddle’s suplex gets two on Strong and it’s off to Dream for the first time. That means a hip swivel and a top rope ax handle to Fish, followed by a Lionsault (with knees to Fish’s face) for two.

It’s off to Breeze, who dropkicks Cole down without much trouble. Riddle comes back in, even though Dream wanted the tag. Cole misses the jumping enziguri and gets kneed in the face as everything breaks down. Riddle’s exploder sets up the Broton but Fish gets in a cheap shot. Strong hits the backbreaker on Riddle and it’s time for the chops in the corner. Cole’s knees to the back set up a chinlock but Riddle powers up in a hurry. A suplex is countered into a messy looking Backstabber for two on Riddle and it’s back to Strong.

The second chinlock doesn’t work as well and it’s Cole’s middle rope Canadian Destroyer getting kneed out of the air. Breeze comes in off the hot tag and it’s time for the strikes all around. The Beauty Shot hits Fish but Strong makes the save. Dream tags himself in but they manage a double superkick to put Cole on the floor. Strong knees Breeze into Dream though and it’s the End of Heartache to pin Dream at 9:16.

Rating: B. They set up a few things here as you could go with Riddle challenging Cole for the title, or possibly Strong coming after Dream, or even both. Throw in Dream and Breeze still having issues and that’s a potential rematch down the line. There’s something so nice about having all these options and NXT knows how to set them all up at once.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a storyline show with a good main event and that worked out quite well all things considered. NXT knows how to mix things up and give us something good throughout the show, which is exactly what they did here. Everything accomplished something and they have a bunch of directions to go, plus stuff to look forward to next week. As usual, NXT is the most efficient show around and that’s why it’s so easy to watch.

Results

Damian Priest b. Raul Mendoza – Rolling cutter

Xia Li b. Taynara Conti – Spinning kick to the head

Undisputed Era b. Tyler Breeze/Velveteen Dream/Matt Riddle – End of Heartache to Dream

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

My dad and his buddy were going to go but the show had to be rescheduled. He told me to see if I could find a buyer for them so let me know if you’re interested. There are three of them in a row and none of them are being used.

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: June 18, 2019
Location: Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, California
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves

It’s the go home show for Stomping Grounds and that means we’re needing some final pushes towards the show. That means Dolph Ziggler, who faces New Day member Xavier Woods tonight. Other than that, it’s likely going to be some hard sells before Sunday, which could go multiple ways. Let’s get to it.

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

Here’s New Day to get things going. Dolph Ziggler is getting his title shot against Kofi Kingston in a steel cage, but first he has to get through Xavier Woods. Big E. has an idea about redubbing the second hour of the show the Freaky Hour, which involves a slip n slide, Woods and….here’s Ziggler to interrupt. Ziggler calls this traditional New Day, because Kofi is hiding behind New Day again.

That won’t happen on Sunday when he has to face Ziggler one on one inside the cage. The next time he goes back to Ghana, he’ll have to tell everyone that he failed. Kofi talks about how this has been a long journey and promises to make it continue after Stomping Grounds. That’s Sunday though, because tonight, Woods is going to take care of Ziggler first. Ziggler laughs it off and promises to end the positivity at Stomping Grounds because it should have been him.

Good grief never let Ziggler show up on TV again. I was a fan for a little while years ago but sweet goodness I’m sick of hearing his stupid IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME promo. It should have been about a dozen other people other than Ziggler but he was over like six years ago so we need to see him again here.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Xavier Woods

Ziggler takes him to the mat for an early near fall to start but a drop toehold puts Ziggler in 619 position. The dropkick to the back makes it worse but Ziggler dropkicks the knee. Woods fights out of a chinlock and goes up top, only to have Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn run down and take out Big E. and Kofi. That’s a double ejection but Woods dives onto Owens and Zayn before they can go. Back in and Ziggler’s jumping DDT gets two as we take a break.

We come back with Woods making a comeback, including knocking Ziggler to the floor for a baseball slide. A gorilla press gutbuster gets two on Ziggler in a rare Woods power display. Ziggler is back up and sends Woods to the apron with a superkick knocking him to the floor. The Zig Zag connects back inside and Ziggler bends Woods’ arm around the rope instead of covering. A superkick against the ropes finishes Woods at 11:33.

Rating: C. Not a bad match, though Ziggler has now gone lower than a bad infection on my scale of usefulness. It’s the same promo, same match, same intensity that will go away as soon as the big match begins and the same reaction of I wouldn’t mind if I never saw him again. Woods has gotten better in the ring, though he’s still the weakest member of the team in that area.

We look back at Seth Rollins’ path of chair shots last night on Raw. You have two hours a week and you’re spending time recapping a Baron Corbin storyline. This is why no one likes you these days.

Baron Corbin is here to pick his referee and Shelton Benjamin and the B Team are waiting to audition. Matt Hardy leaves the office and tells Shelton that he’s next.

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.

Apollo Crews comes up to Zelina Vega to ask about Andrade. Vega accused him of flirting with her and here’s Andrade to jump him from behind. Chad Gable continues to watch and take notes.

Heavy Machinery vs. B-Team

Heavy Machinery get their title shot against Daniel Bryan/Rowan, on commentary here, on Sunday. We get the ode to the Bushwhackers on the way to the ring, with Bryan ripping on them for being in the Hall of Fame. Bryan: “Koko B. Ware is in the Hall of Fame. Should we aspire to be Koko B. Ware?” The big guys waste no time in throwing the B-Team around, including a splash in the corner to Dallas. That sets up the Caterpillar and the Compactor to finish Dallas at 3:10.

Rating: D. The match was nothing of course but it was exactly what the match should have been. You have champions already set up and now the new team is beating a bunch of teams to get set up for their title shot. That’s close to how it worked back in the day and this is as close as you can get in today’s goofy booking.

Post match here’s Seth Rollins to chair the B-Team. It’s 8:50 and we’re at four Wild Card appearances, not counting Corbin.

Shane McMahon arrives and is greeted by Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. They complain about Kofi, so Shane makes the two of them against Seth and Kofi for later tonight.

Aleister Black was told he would never amount to anything and would always fall from grace. This isn’t a woe is me story because it’s a woe is his opponents story. Someone will come knocking at his door and it will be woe for them. How hard can it be to find someone for him to beat up every week?

Here are Shane McMahon, Elias and Drew McIntyre (five and we’re halfway through the show) for a chat. Shane doesn’t have Greg Hamilton do the introduction because everyone knows he’s the best in the world. On Sunday, Drew is going to wreck Roman Reigns….and here’s Miz to interrupt as we hit half a dozen.

Miz shows us a clip of Reigns destroying everyone last night and Shane asks if that’s supposed to be funny. No it isn’t, so we see a clip of Shane running from Reigns in slow motion. We get the Superman Punch and spear in slow motion as well, with Miz saying he didn’t know it was possible to sweat faster in slow motion. Shane bans anyone else from playing any more clips. Miz: “Oh calm down kid. You’re the boss’ son.”

Miz promises to take care of Drew after Sunday so Shane calls Miz’s dad out for looking like a baked potato. That sends Miz into a rant about Shane and his friends taking over everything and how sick it has everyone. It’s all Miz’s fault for letting Shane take over at World Cup (Why can no one remember the name of that show?) when he let Shane take his place.

Shane says Miz won because he was better so let’s have a tag match tonight. It’s Miz/a partner of his choosing against Elias/Drew McIntyre, though Miz has ten seconds to find a partner. As the countdown goes on, R-Truth jumps the barricade and Miz makes him the partner. Shane: “I didn’t see that one coming.”

The AOP are in the back (eight) and run into the IIconics for the best buddy comedy that I never need to see. With the AOP gone (SO glad they were brought in for this), the IIconics run into Paige and the Kabuki Warriors. Paige has gotten a match booked for next week in Tokyo and if the Warriors win, they get a title shot at some point.

R-Truth/The Miz vs. Elias/Drew McIntyre

Elimination Rules just because. Elias shoulders Miz to start but gets taken down by the arm. It’s off to Truth for the dancing legdrop and some hip thrusting, meaning McIntyre comes in. Truth gets pummeled down in the corner and Elias adds some choking. A very snappy suplex gives Drew two but Truth low bridges Elias to the floor. Shane offers a distraction so Elias can hit a running knee in the corner for the pin.

With Truth down, here’s the mob to grab the title. The referee says that doesn’t count so Truth grabs the title back and runs through the crowd. Back from a break with Miz kicking Elias out of the air and getting two off the DDT. The YES Kicks make it worse but McIntyre hits the Glasgow Kiss from the floor. The Claymore finishes Miz at 10:10.

Rating: D+. I’m still trying to get my head around the idea of having a title chase going on during a match.  You would think Elias would have shouted to the referee to count a second pin but why do that when he clearly doesn’t care about the title? Oh and we’re coming up on double digit appearances from Raw names tonight but there’s no Reigns. Someone want to explain that to me?

Post match Drew hits two more Claymores.

Stomping Grounds rundown.

Ember Moon is looking for Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Carmella runs by looking for Truth. They go in different directions and Ember finds who she’s looking for. Mandy and Sonya are eating donuts and Ember rants about how she’s dealt with people like them her entire life. The donuts are knocked away and the fight is on with referees breaking it up.

Kofi/Seth vs. Owens/Zayn is now 2/3 falls match as they continue to throw gimmicks out there for no apparent reason in a very Bro style of booking.

Here’s this week’s Firefly Fun House.

Truth and Carmella run but there’s a referee waiting by the car. Truth: “You’re an Uber driver and a referee?” Actually hang on as Carmella is really Drake Maverick in disguise. A rollup with his feet in the car gives Maverick the pin. Maverick steals the car because he’s getting married and he’s the champion. Truth wants to know why he wasn’t invited to Carmella’s wedding.

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: D. What was that? I mean what in the world was that??? The Wild Card Rule stuff aside, you have the 24/7 Title still being all over the place, gimmicks being thrown together for the sake of throwing them together, the first thirty minutes being devoted to DOLPH ZIGGLER and more Shane goodness. The show was far from dull, but it felt like they were writing it on napkins during the two hours. You might have some fun watching it due to all the zaniness, but good luck trying to make sense of a lot of it.

Results

Dolph Ziggler b. Xavier Woods – Superkick

Heavy Machinery b. B-Team – Compactor to Dallas

Drew McIntyre/Elias b. R-Truth/The Miz – Claymore to Miz

Kofi Kingston/Seth Rollins b. Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn – Stomp to Owens

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 17, 2019
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young

It’s the go home show for Stomping Grounds and egads they need to come up with something to bring some fire to the show. There are all kinds of tickets still available and while you could come up with a variety of reasons why, the biggest problem is the show doesn’t feel interesting. Maybe they can pick things up a bit tonight, but I wouldn’t get too excited. Let’s get to it.

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

Here’s Elias to open things up. He talks about being friends with Anthony Davis (basketball star recently traded to the Lakers), who came here because he needed to surround himself with trash. With that out of the way though, Elias reveals that he is the referee for Sunday’s Baron Corbin vs. Seth Rollins Universal Title match. Cue Rollins to chair Elias down and say that whoever chooses to be the referee (So it’s not Elias?) will be answering to the chair.

The announcers make it clear that Elias, as well as Sami Zayn from last week, are having second thoughts.

The Miz vs. Ricochet vs. Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Cesaro

Elimination match with the winner getting to face Samoa Joe for the US Title on Sunday. Since Elias is still in the ring, everyone hits something on him during their entrances. I get what they’re going for here with giving the fans something fun to start the show, but what is the motivation for everyone to beat him up? It’s another good example of doing something because the script tells you to and that’s not a smart move for anyone. Samoa Joe is at ringside to watch as well.

The match starts after a break with Strowman cleaning house until Cesaro manages to hit his reverse Angle Slam. That earns him a powerslam from Strowman, who then powerslams Lashley onto Cesaro to get rid of the latter at 1:18. Another powerslam gets rid of Lashley at 2:21. Strowman runs over Ricochet and Miz on the floor before throwing Miz back inside. Hang on though as Lashley spears Strowman and Cesaro adds a Neutralizer, setting up the 630 for a triple pin to get rid of Strowman at 4:21.

Strowman isn’t done either and throws Ricochet onto the two of them before driving Cesaro into the set. Back from a break with Ricochet hurricanranaing Miz to the floor, setting up a flip dive. Back in and Ricochet counters the Skull Crushing Finale with a rollup for two but Miz drops him on his head with a DDT. The YES Kicks keep Ricochet in trouble but Miz gets smart by going for the knee. The Figure Four goes on until Ricochet turns it over, only to have Miz do the same until a rope is grabbed. Ricochet kicks him down and stumbles up to the top for the 630 and the pin at 14:21.

Rating: C-. This was all over the place with the first three eliminations being just a means to get us to the final showdown. Ricochet winning is the right call as he has won a few matches against Cesaro in the last few weeks. It’s a smart move to build up someone for a change, especially when you use the same methods that have always worked in wrestling and always will.

Post match Samoa Joe comes after Ricochet, who knocks him to the floor for a running flip dive.

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.

The Revival, dressed rather nicely this week, joins Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre’s celebration.

Corbin says he still needs to find his referee and will announce it tonight on the Kevin and Sami Show. Rollins hits him in the back with a chair.

Here are Daniel Bryan and Rowan to insult the people of Los Angeles. This is the capital of smog and full of stupid and impotent people. Tonight though they are going to excite the audience, which means here are the Viking Raiders. Uh….ok.

Viking Raiders vs. Russ Taylor/Randy Taylor

So that’s what Randy did after Home Improvement. The beating is on in a hurry with the Viking Experience finishing Russ at 34 seconds.

R-Truth and Carmella are in disguise in the crowd but they get caught in a hurry. The mob comes out and chases Truth under the ring…..where Titus O’Neil is hiding? The distraction lets Truth and Carmella escape.

Heath Slater comes in to see Shane and company where he asks for a raise. That’s a big no so Slater goes into the hall to call his wife. Drew follows and the beating is on and Dawson takes Slater’s wallet.

It’s time for the Kevin and Sami Show, with Kevin yelling at their graphics guy. Owens brings out the guest, which is of course Baron Corbin. Sami calls this a safe space but pulls himself out of the running to be guest referee on Sunday. Owens does the same but now we get to find out who the referee will be. That would be someone born to count 1-2-3: EC3. As EC3 comes to the ring, Rollins chairs him down as well. Baron says it’s back to the drawing board but here’s New Day to interrupt.

Sami says that they’re not invited, nor are they official Wild Cards (so that’s their answer this week) but since Kofi is champion, he goes wherever he wants. Owens says Kofi isn’t going to be champion again after Sunday and even if he is, Owens will take the title from him the next chance he gets. Kofi promises to retain on Sunday but as for tonight, Corbin wants a six man tag. New Day is down and picks up EC3 to referee, with Big E. and Woods shaking him up and down to nod yes.

We go to the trainer’s room where AJ Styles is cleared to return. Hang on though as the Good Brothers come in. AJ says they debuted three years ago right here in the Staples Center when they jumped the Usos. They’ve had some classics, but AJ thinks they’ve gotten comfortable. When is the last time they won a match? The doctors’ coats come off and things get serious.

New Day vs. Baron Corbin/Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens

This is now 2/3 falls and it’s Zayn/Owens vs. Big E./Woods on Sunday. Woods gets taken into the wrong corner to start and the stomping is on. Corbin comes in and mocks the clap before hitting a running right hand to the head. An enziguri drops Corbin but Owens is right there to break up the tag. That earns him raised knees to block the backsplash so Sami breaks up another tag attempt. A quick rollup gives Woods the first fall at 4:41 and we take a break.

Back with Big E. in trouble in the corner and Woods and Kofi down on the floor. Big E. tries to fight out but gets superkicked down for two instead. The villains take turns beating on Big E. until Owens gets sent into the post. A belly to belly plants Owens and the hot tag brings in Kingston to beat up Corbin. Kofi’s dropkick into a high crossbody gets two and there’s the Boom Drop. Deep Six cuts Kofi off but Owens and Corbin get in an argument with Owens giving him a superkick. Zayn and Owens leave and it’s Trouble in Paradise to give New Day the 2-0 win at 12:15.

Rating: C. Well that was a bad idea. Corbin is already a weak challenger for the Universal Title and now he’s getting his head kicked off to lose a fall six days before the title shot. I’m not sure what the point was in having this be 2/3 falls but I’m sure just sticking a gimmick onto the match makes it better.

Alexa Bliss brings Nikki Cross a gift: a Women’s Tag Team Title shot against the IIconics. Nikki is thrilled and Alexa slips in a few lines about Bayley causing drama.

Here’s Paul Heyman for a chat. He isn’t that comfortable tonight because Seth Rollins is running around with a chair. Heyman will NOT be guest referee on Sunday because he doesn’t want to get beaten up with a chair. This morning, he thought of something: what do Rollins and the Los Angeles Lakers have in common? They’ve both traded away their balls.

The Lakers traded away their (Lonzo) Ball so LeBron James can have a playmate when he loses again. Rollins traded his balls for a chair so he can fight Brock Lesnar. Heyman threatens Rollins with a cash-in either tonight, Sunday, or any night for that matter. More of the same from Heyman, who seems like a waste of time at this point.

Corbin offers Eric Young the referee job and leaves. Rollins comes in to say he’s turning the job down because he doesn’t look good in stripes. They’re friends (Have they ever been together on TV before?) but Rollins destroys him anyway.

The Usos are ready for the Good Brothers.

Usos vs. Good Brothers

The Brothers waste no time with the Boot Of Doom getting two on Jimmy. The chinlock goes on for a bit but Anderson stops for a Too Sweet. Jey breaks up the Magic Killer with a superkick and it’s another superkick into a double superkick to finish Gallows at 2:40. This feels like the beginning of the traditional losing streak to get rid of someone.

AJ isn’t happy in the back.

Hulk Hogan of all people praises the US Women’s soccer team. There’s your random segment of the week.

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.

Bayley says there is no truth to the rumors that she wouldn’t take a picture with a fan in a Nikki Cross shirt. Naomi and Natalya aren’t so convinced.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: IIconics vs. Nikki Cross/Alexa Bliss

The IIconics are defending but before the match they say they can’t believe they’re having to defend against these two. Billie laughs at LeBron James for not being able to win with the Lakers (because there are NO OTHER sports in Los Angeles). We get Big Match Intros and Bayley comes out to watch. Alexa slaps Billie to start and sends her face first into the middle buckle.

Peyton comes in and a trip lets the champs pose on Bliss. It’s off to Cross for an armdrag and a rollup for two of her own. Nikki has to fight out of the corner but Bliss gets knocked off the apron and into a fight with Bayley. The distraction lets Billie roll Cross up to retain at 3:31.

Rating: D. Just a way to build towards Bliss vs. Bayley, which needs a bit more help. Bliss being involved in multiple stories at the same time is interesting, but at this point Bayley has to win, just to exorcise some of the demons of her earlier career. Oh and one more thing: there were five people involved in this segment. Three of them have titles. That’s a bit much.

Stomping Grounds rundown.

Cross wants Bliss to win on Sunday and will be in here corner.

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?

Daniel Bryan rants about how he’s a better wrestler than Rollins because Seth can’t have his chair all the time. Rollins has never beaten him and that won’t change tonight.

We recap tonight’s referee chronicles.

Seth Rollins vs. Daniel Bryan

Non-title and Rowan is in Bryan’s corner. Bryan tries to wrestle to start but gets knocked to the floor for the suicide dives. Rowan catches one though and it’s a claw slam onto the apron for the DQ at 1:28.

Post match the beatdown is on but New Day, Owens, Zayn and the Revival all run in for the brawl. The Usos come in as well and the bad guys are sent to the floor for the big dives from the Usos.

Seth Rollins vs. Daniel Bryan

Still non-title and restarted after a break with everyone banned from ringside. Bryan backdrops him to the floor to start with Rollins landing hard. Back in and Bryan hits a running dropkick in the corner but a second attempt is cut off by a hard clothesline. The threat of a Sling Blade sends Bryan outside, followed by another slugout. Rollins’ enziguri is countered into an ankle lock, followed by a German suplex to send Seth outside.

A running knee off the apron has Rollins in more trouble. Back in and Rollins hits the superplex but the Falcon Arrow is countered into the LeBell Lock. That’s broken up with a rope grab but the running knee is countered into a buckle bomb. The low superkick gets two but Bryan pulls him into the LeBell Lock again. This time it’s reversed into a cradle for two, followed by the Stomp to finish Bryan at 8:02.

Rating: B-. They didn’t have much time to do anything here and that’s fine. What matters most here though is Rollins winning and the fact that they didn’t go with the minute and a half version of the match from earlier. This wasn’t anything great, but it was the best match of the night, even in such a short form.

Post match Corbin chairs Rollins from behind and beats him down with the chair (including a shot that seemed to catch Rollins in the head). Corbin poses with the title to end the show. No announcement on the referee.

Overall Rating: C. The main thing here was the energy. The last several shows have felt so lethargic and it’s been killing anything that might have been good about them. However, the energy doesn’t make up for the big problem that Sunday’s show faces: it’s still a possible Baron Corbin main event and there’s no way around that. I know they can’t have this kind of energy every week, but having something a little more interesting in the main event scene would do wonders for them week to week.

Oh and this week’s Wild Card:

Kevin Owens

Carmella

Daniel Bryan/Rowan

Bayley

Elias

Shane McMahon

R-Truth

New Day

And those are just the ones I counted, meaning there could have been more in the mob chasing R-Truth. Even if you factor out New Day (designated as non-Wild Cards yet they show up and have a match anyway), Shane (because him being listed as a Smackdown star doesn’t count because reasons), Rowan (because two man tag teams are one person) and R-Truth (fair enough, even though he’s still a Smackdown guy), you have five people. The fact that they needed excuses for SIX people to get it down to five shows you that the Wild Card Rule is being phased out for the sake of everyone being on the show. Fine, but hide it better.

Results

Ricochet b. The Miz, Braun Strowman, Cesaro and Bobby Lashley – 630 to Miz

Viking Raiders b. Russ Taylor/Randy Taylor – Viking Experience to Russ

New Day b. Baron Corbin/Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens – Trouble in Paradise to Corbin

Usos b. Good Brothers – Double superkick to Gallows

IIconics b. Nikki Cross/Alexa Bliss – Rollup to Cross

Seth Rollins b. Daniel Bryan via DQ when Rowan interfered

Seth Rollins b. Daniel Bryan – 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: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: June 14, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re out of Philadelphia and hopefully that means we’re on the way towards more of a focus on the good stuff rather than the bad. Part of the company’s issues have been going hot and cold with a mixture of stuff that works for the future and an emphasis on nostalgia. The good has been very strong though and if we get more of that, we’re in for a fun show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

The North vs. Rob Van Dam/Sabu

Sabu and Van Dam have Super Genie with them. The announcers go into Van Dam’s ECW stories, because he’s done NOTHING since then. Certainly not been Impact World Champion or anything. Thankfully those stories stop so they can mention that this is a #1 contenders match with the winners getting a Tag Team Title shot at Slammiversary.

Sabu takes Alexander down by the leg to start and it’s off to Van Dam for a suplex. Alexander takes him into the corner and brings in Page, who gets kicked in the face for his efforts. The armdrag into the armbar lets us take a look at Van Dam, who looks very old. There’s the Rolling Thunder/facebuster combination for two on Page and it’s more kicks to Page’s face. A kick to Sabu’s face lets the North start in with some backbreakers and it’s Van Dam in trouble for a change.

The Canadians get him down in the corner for some stomping until Page charges into a kick to the face. That’s enough for the tag to Sabu so Genie throws in a chair, which is pelted at the North a few times. The camel clutch/dropkick to the face combination keeps Alexander down and it’s time for a table. Sabu and Van Dam go up but here’s Moose to shove Van Dam off the top. The Arabian facebuster drives Alexander through the table for no count so Sabu hits a tornado DDT to send Page into the broken table. A Moose distraction lets the North hit a double Neutralizer to finish Sabu at 10:38.

Rating: D+. Well at least the right team won, and it only took interference and the disregard for various usage of weapons. The North isn’t an interesting team and at least they got in a win over a “legendary” team. Oh and Van Dam, the one of the ECW guys with any value, didn’t take the fall so he can put Moose over at Slammiversary as he should.

Post match here’s Tommy Dreamer to send Moose inside but Moose bails from the threat of a Van Terminator.

Post break Moose yells at the North, who call Moose out for bailing on them. Their partnership seems to be done so Moose promises to take out the ECW era. My head hurts again.

Announcers’ preview.

Havok vs. Masha Slamovich

Masha forearms away to start and gets knocked down with a single shot to the chest. Havok bends her over the knee but misses a charge in the corner. A dropkick and right hands don’t get Masha anywhere and it’s a sitout slam to plant Masha. The chokeslam and Tombstone finish Marsha at 3:39.

Rating: D. Total and complete squash here, which is exactly what it should have been. Havok is a good monster and can make a suitable opponent for Rosemary at some point. It’s also nice of them to bring up Havok’s history around here without mentioning her getting beaten up by Awesome Kong and ruining her mystique. That’s how you bring a monster back and it’s working here.

Post match James Mitchell tells Rosemary to work on her anger management. He’s tried to be diplomatic with her over Su Yung but now he’s had to go a little more serious, which is why Havok is here. Havok is his Godzilla stomping on Tokyo and now she’s coming for the Knockouts Title. She’ll use Rosemary’s broken carcass as a launchpad. That’s quite the image.

Raj Singh vs. Cody Deaner

Yes this feud needs to continue. Raj knocks him into the corner to start so Cody comes back out with a running clothesline. Cody sends him outside for a suicide dive but gets caught with a hanging cutter on the way back in. Raj’s running dropkick to the back gets two and he slaps away a lot. That wakes Deaner up and the snap jabs put Raj down. A hard DDT plants Raj but Gama Singh gets on the apron for a distraction. Cousin Jake cuts off an interfering Rohit Raju….and Gama has a heart attack. That allows Raj to hit an arm trap faceplant for the pin at 5:08.

Rating: D. I really don’t see the need for three interferences and a fake heart attack for half of the Desi Hit Squad vs. half of the country cousins. This felt completely minor league and like something you would see on a company trying to put on its first show. They’re not exactly cranking out good tag teams at the moment and this didn’t help things.

Michael Elgin is ready to beat up Willie Mack tonight. Johnny Impact comes in and says he’s been talking to the hospital. They haven’t seen Mack, even though Elgin promised to send him there. Elgin says stay out of the main event.

Rosemary thinks Mitchell has a thing for monsters. The Hive has sent her on a mission to get the Knockouts Title back so Havok is just an obstacle in the way.

Partial Slammiversary rundown.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Samoa Joe vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Slammiversary XII.

Sami Callihan comes into the women’s locker room (good thing there was a camera waiting in there) and gets in an argument with Tessa Blanchard. A match against Jake Crist is set for next week.

Jordynne Grace vs. Madison Rayne

Kiera Hogan is out for commentary. They fight over arm control to start and we cut over to Kiera, who is in fact talking. Rayne gets a quick rollup for two and Grace grinds away on a headlock. Grace ducks a charge in the corner and sends Madison to the apron, where she seems to slip off and fall out to the floor. Madison is fine enough and gets suplexed for two back inside. A standing Koji Clutch doesn’t get Rayne very far as Madison takes her down and pulls on the arm instead.

They trade pinfall attempts for two each until Madison hits a basement dropkick for a breather. Madison takes her to the floor for a cutter and they’re both down with Madison holding her back. Back in and Madison’s crucifix bomb gets two, followed by Grace’s spinning Muscle Buster for the same. Grace goes up but a Kiera distraction lets Madison pull her down for CrossRayne and the pin at 10:28.

Rating: C. Match of the night so far, though Kiera isn’t exactly interesting here. Grace feels like a monster and while losing to Rayne isn’t the biggest problem in the world, it’s not the way I would have gone. The good thing here is we currently have three stories going on in the Knockouts division, which is way, way better than just having the champion vs. her challenger of the week. I’m rather impressed by that and while it’s not working as well, they’re trying something similar with the tag division. I can appreciate the effort if nothing else.

Video on Killer Kross breaking Kenny and Eddie Edwards being given a new kendo stick by Sandman.

Killer Kross vs. Sandman

Sandman seems to be taking Eddie’s place and staggers around before hitting some left hands. A kendo stick to the ribs has little effect and the Krossjacket choke ends Sandman at 1:36. As annoying as I find it to have the ECW guys around, I can’t get annoyed at Sandman getting choked out in a minute and a half.

Post match Kross won’t let go so Eddie comes in for the save.

LAX doesn’t think much of the Rascalz but Konnan wants them to take things more seriously. The Rascalz come in and want a rematch but LAX doesn’t like them barging in. The fight is on with LAX getting the better of it (and stomping on a downed camera) and agreeing to the rematch. Someone who looks like Laredo Kid comes in and takes something from the Rascalz.

It’s time for the Smoke Show with Taya Valkyrie and John E. Bravo as guests. Fallah Bahh and Scarlett Bordeaux share a drink but Taya isn’t interested. She also doesn’t like Scarlett talking about Johnny Impact. Scarlett brings up Taya having to defend the title next week and says she knows who the opponent will be. Taya says spit it out, which Scarlett must know how to do. It’s Su Yung so Taya freaks out and leaves.

Here’s the rest of the Slammiversary rundown.

Willie Mack vs. Michael Elgin

Rich Swann is in Mack’s corner. They slug it out to start and trade shoulders with Mack actually getting the better of it off a jumping version. A jumping enziguri sets up an exploder suplex to send Elgin to the apron. Mack joins him for a slugout with Elgin getting the better of it and hitting a superkick to the floor.

Back from a break with Mack hitting a spinwheel kick and dropping a leg for two. A sitout spinebuster gets the same but the Stunner is broken up. Elgin’s superkick drops Mack and a top rope superplex gets two. Mack avoids a charge into the corner and gets caught with a slingshot Fameasser to send him outside. Instead of going back in, Elgin drops Swann onto the apron. Back in and a buckle bomb sets up the Elgin Bomb for the pin at 10:10.

Rating: C+. This was another good match between any combination of these three and Impact, which makes for some nice main events. Elgin is a great monster and someone can slay him, though I’m not sure if it’s going to be Cage at Slammiversary. That makes for an interesting match and I’m curious to see how it goes.

Post match Elgin goes after him again but Swann makes the save. Johnny Impact runs in to take Swann down but Elgin suplexes Impact. He even puts on the sunglasses to really rub it in. Another powerbomb into the post leaves Impact laying to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen such an up and down show as this one. The tag division (outside of the title picture) is a mess, the Knockouts division is rather interesting, the main event is good stuff and the ECW guys are just there. If they can get this stuff together and do more of the right stuff instead of the wrong, they’ll have a hit on their hands. And if they can get Pursuit to not screw things up, it can be even better.

Results

The North b. Rob Van Dam/Sabu – Double Neutralizer to Sabu

Jessika Havok b. Masha Slamovich – Tombstone

Raj Singh b. Cody Deaner – Arm trap faceplant

Madison Rayne b. Jordynne Grace – Cross Rayne

Killer Kross b. Sandman – Krossjacket choke

Michael Elgin b. Willie Mack – Elgin Bomb

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 13, 2005
Location: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz

The road to the Royal Rumble and John Cena’s obvious coronation continues and this time around he has to beat up Kenzo Suzuki again. Other than that, we have to build towards JBL defending against both Kurt Angle and Big Show in a match that doesn’t sound too great on paper. They’ve surprised me before though so maybe that’s the case again here. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long recap of last week’s issues with Amy Weber, Kurt Angle, Joy Giovanni and Big Show where shenanigans ensued thanks to Weber outsmarting everyone else involved.

Angle tries to apologize for walking in on Joy in the shower last week but can’t get around Big Show. He finally steps aside so Angle can apologize and she says thank you. Show doesn’t like Angle but that took guts. Now they need to make JBL apologize.

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Titles: Rey Mysterio/Rob Van Dam vs. Basham Brothers vs. Luther Reigns/Mark Jindrak vs. Eddie Guerrero/Booker T.

Van Dam and Mysterio are defending and this is under elimination rules. Ignore Van Dam having a full leg cast on his left leg and his inability to walk with any kind of speed. Thanks to a pre-show coin toss, Eddie and Jindrak start things off. That means some Jindrak hip swiveling but the fans are behind Eddie anyway. Eddie has to counter a headlock with a top wristlock but Jindrak pretty easily powers him right back into it.

In a smart move, Eddie gets Jindrak over to Booker so the double teaming can begin. The hook kick to the face puts Jindrak out as Cole has an actual good idea: why not tag in the injured Van Dam and get an easier elimination? I knew if I listened to him talk for twenty years he’d say something smart eventually. Eddie dropkicks Jindrak down again and tags Doug in for a change of pace. Both teams come in for a brawl but Mysterio trips Doug and hits a 619 on Jindrak.

Eddie puts Doug on top and we’re down to three. Back from a break with Mysterio armdragging Doug down but Eddie gets tagged in to face Rey. Eddie is hesitant here so Rey tries a flying mare, only to slip off (though replays showed that it might have been Eddie pushing him off but not shoving him far enough) and nearly land on his head. Thankfully Eddie turns it into something like a powerslam to keep Rey from a bad case of paralysis. It’s back to Booker for a spinebuster and Eddie chokes with the tag rope in the corner.

Rey monkey flips Eddie down though and hits a springboard hurricanrana for the pin and the elimination. Eddie is very, very frustrated as they leave so Doug gets in a cheap shot on Mysterio to take over. Van Dam gets knocked off the apron so it’s Rey getting choked in the corner. A steps shot to the knee has Van Dam writhing in pain on the floor but Rey avoids a charge to send Doug into the post.

Mysterio heads outside to check on Van Dam and the delay lets Danny beat on Rey even more. A stretcher comes out for Van Dam and Mysterio goes outside AGAIN to ask what’s going on. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING ON REY??? Danny gets two off a suplex and we hit the chinlock. Rey manages the sitout bulldog for two but Doug makes the save. A 619 hits Danny but it’s a switch so Doug’s chokebomb can connect for the pin and the titles.

Post match the Cabinet comes out to celebrate and Cole is sick because we’ll have to listen to them. The irony is strong with this one.

Hiroko says Kenzo Suzuki loves America and thinks John Cena is everything wrong with America. Tonight, Kenzo wins the US Title because God bless America. Hit that cheese grin.

JBL and the Cabinet are celebrating when they run into Big Show and Joy. They didn’t like what JBL and company did last week so it’s time for JBL to apologize. He apologizes immediately but Show wants something more sincere. Amy needs to apologize as well but she says Joy just wanted to be the center of attention last week. That makes her nothing more than a CENSORED and the catfight is on. Theodore Long makes the most well timed appearance in recent memory and makes a match between the women tonight.

Raw and Smackdown are coming to Tokyo next month.

Here’s Kurt Angle for the Invitational but first, he promises to take JBL’s title at the Rumble. You might have heard of this week’s opponent.

Kurt Angle vs. Roderick Strong

I love surprise cameos like this. Strong is very excited to be here and slaps Angle in the face. The bell rings so Strong runs away because he just has to beat the clock. Angle catches him though but Strong gets two off a rollup. A double chickenwing has Strong in trouble and Angle punches him in the face again. There’s the release German suplex and the ankle lock makes Strong tap in a hurry.

Wrestlemania Recall: Morton Downey Jr. in Piper’s Pit.

US Title: John Cena vs. Kenzo Suzuki

Cena is defending but first, he makes fun of Kenzo for thinking that he’s going to become more American tonight. If you want to know what America is about, look out into the crowd. America is why he wears these colors (an orange Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey at the moment) and tonight, they’re going to whip Kenzo together. Suzuki slugs Cena down in the corner to start but Cena spears him down and hammers away. A bulldog drops Kenzo and there’s the Five Knuckle Shuffle (complete with bow). The shoes get pumped up and it’s the FU to retain the title in a hurry. The Cena roll continues.

Cena leaves through the crowd to celebrate.

Video on the weekend house show tour.

Amy is freaking out because she isn’t a wrestler and everyone has been banned from ringside.

Joy rubs baby oil on herself and gets a kiss for luck from Big Show.

Video on Heidenreich being scared of caskets and losing a match last week to keep the Rumble match a casket match.

Amy Weber vs. Joy Giovanni

Or not as there is no Joy. The music plays twice and no one is here so Amy wins via forfeit.

Show wants Long to find Joy and threatens violence if it doesn’t happen. Finlay and Steve Keirn are on the case. Everyone leaves so Heidenreich comes in to complain about the casket match again. The match is still on so get over it. Heidenreich leaves and JBL comes in but denies knowing anything about Joy’s disappearance.

Post break, JBL has given his alibi but Long says if he’s lying, the title is stripped next week.

Cruiserweight Title: Funaki vs. Nunzio

Funaki is defending and gets a jobber entrance. Nunzio goes right at him to start but gets kicked in the ribs. An armdrag sets up an early armbar on Nunzio, who gets up without too much effort. Back up and Nunzio dropkicks him out of the air, setting up his own chinlock. Funaki fights up again and hits a kick to the arm, followed by a high crossbody with Nunzio rolling through for his own near fall. Not that it matters as Funaki hits a sloppy tornado DDT to retain.

Rating: C-. This was a rather nice little match for such a short amount of time. The ending didn’t look great but given how little time they had, they were probably going faster than they should have. Funaki isn’t the long term champion but at least they’re getting the champion on TV more than once a month or so.

Long accuses Carlito of having something to do with Joy’s disappearance. Carlito says no but that does sound like another bad mark against Long’s status as General Manager. Long throws Carlito out but here are Jackie Gayda and Torrie Wilson to take his place. They saw Orlando Jordan following Joy on her way to the ring. Long sends for Jordan and says he should have known.

Post break Jordan has given his alibi as well….and then says he admits it. He told Joy Amy was going to hurt her but that was it. Show comes in and chokes Jordan, who says JBL was in a photo shoot when Joy disappeared. That better be true, or bones will be broken.

Raw Rebound.

The Chairman of the Florida Agricultural Society is here to honor JBL as their Man of the Year. We get the full entrance and the Chairman talks about JBL helping to replant orange trees after the hurricane season and supplying a bunch of fertilizer. JBL gets a plaque and we get a photo op before the required speech. He talks about helping the people of Florida live and prosper but he did it for that kid who goes to the breakfast table and wants orange juice. Or for the family who starts off on the right foot with a JBL chant to start their morning.

As JBL allows the fans to cheer him, Angle interrupts and accuses JBL of abducting Joy. Angle wants to know his plan but JBL keeps denying it. That’s not good enough for Angle, who hears noises coming from the trunk of JBL’s limo. Joy is indeed in there, drawing out medics to tend to her. Cue Show to cry over Joy and then turn back to JBL. The fight is on with Show cleaning house and beating the fire out of Jordan. A bunch of chair shots leave Jordan laying and Show glares at JBL in the crowd.

We cut to the back where Angle, Reigns and Jindrak talk about loving it when a plan comes together. They smile and walk off to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This is a very interesting show as while a lot happened, a good chunk of it was wrapped up by the end of the show or didn’t change that much. What it did do though was entertain me, which is so often lacking in wrestling. They did a bunch of stuff here and it was a fun show where I was wanting to see where things went. That’s a better way to spend two hours than doing the same stuff over and over, making this a rather nice surprise. I know you can’t have some big angle every week, but it was cool to have something different for a week.

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 13, 2019
Location: SAP Center, San Jose, California
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Renee Young

I don’t know anymore man. Not that I don’t know what was on the shows this week or what to expect from Main Event, but that I don’t know how much worse things can get as we keep going forward. Raw and Smackdown are pure disasters at this point and somehow the shows are getting worse every week. Let’s see how they spin that this time around. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Titus O’Neil/No Way Jose vs. Viking Raiders

Do you remember when the Vikings squashed the then Tag Team Champions on Raw and haven’t showed up on Raw since? Neither does WWE. Jose tried to dance with Erik to start and gets dropped with a single shot to the face. Ivar comes in and gets his own shows on Jose, followed by the slam from Ivar to send Erik onto Jose. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Jose comes back with a neckbreaker. That’s enough for the tag off to Titus so house can be cleaned. Jose tags himself back in though and it’s the high crossbody for two on Erik. Not that it matters as the Viking Experience finishes Jose at 4:03.

Rating: D. Just a squash here but I’m still trying to figure out how in the world we got here. WWE brings up the Viking Raiders two months ago the night after Wrestlemania after a run in NXT that was so dominant that no one could take the Tag Team Titles from them. Now they’re here on Main Event, beating up No Way Jose and Titus O’Neil while the Revival, the new Tag Team Champions, are there as lackeys for SHANE MCMAHON, because of course it’s about Shane.

We look back at Shane McMahon defeating Roman Reigns at Super ShowDown.

From Raw.

And now, Shane McMahon’s victory celebration. Drew McIntyre is with him and we have live bagpipe players to play him to the ring. Shane talks about growing up in WWE and recognizing special things. That would apply to Roman Reigns, who is a first ballot WWE Hall of Famer. Reigns hits like a mule and has beaten the best WWE has to offer. However, Reigns does not have a victory over Shane because Shane beat him at Super ShowDown. Shane thanks Drew for his preparation but gets cut off by a BORING chant. Shane: “Get used to it. It’s my celebration and I’ve got all night.”

Drew calls Shane the Best in the World but he’s the most dangerous man in the world. At Stomping Grounds, he’s going to give Reigns the beating he deserves and beat him 1-2-3. Shane: “You’re so intense dude.” Shane drinks out of the Best in the World cup before bringing out the Revival. They can’t drink though because they have a Tag Team Title match up next. They can join the party, provided they win some gold. Uh, the titles are silver Shane.

We look at Seth Rollins defeating Baron Corbin and then fending off a Brock Lesnar cash in attempt at Super ShowDown.

From Raw.

Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens

Non-title with Sami Zayn as outside referee. Sami checks Rollins, with the taped up ribs, for weapons and does a much faster check of Owens. They start slowly with Owens working on a wristlock and then an armbar. That’s broken up with some spinning and flipping but Sami offers a distraction so a rollup gets a delayed two. Rollins goes to yell at Sami, allowing Owens to send him outside.

A DDT on the floor drops Rollins and we take a break. Back with Rollins jawbreaking his way to freedom from a chinlock. Owens finally wakes up and goes after the taped up ribs with a backbreaker. A dropkick and forearm to the back but the Sling Blade gets Rollins out of trouble. The ribs go out on a suplex attempt but Owens’ Swanton hits knees.

An exchange of superkicks lets Rollins hit an enziguri but Sami comes in to check on Sami before the frog splash can loss. Rollins low bridges Owens to the floor and hits a suicide dive to take out both villains. The Stomp connects but Sami pulls the referee out at two. Sami takes his place so Seth grabs him by the shirt, earning a DQ at 12:01.

Rating: C. Just announce that Seth can lose the title via DQ at Stomping Grounds and get on with it. This was a preview for the title match that no one wants to see (again) and that’s the perfect way to cap off a boring show like this one. Owens could have been just about anyone here, though at least they did some stuff with the ribs instead of looking like morons.

Post match Corbin comes in and grabs a chair but Rollins takes it away and chases him off. Sami gets chaired down with Rollins exploding as Cole talks about everything he’s been through over the last few weeks. What has he been through? Beating up Lesnar, retaining the title, and then a match here? Rollins hits the Stomp on Sami to end the show with no announcement being made on the guest referee.

Natalya vs. Sarah Logan

They go with the grappling to start with Logan’s headlock not getting her anywhere. Natalya’s works a bit better until she lets it go and yells at Logan instead. It’s off to a leglock on the mat to keep Logan down but that’s reversed into a quickly broken choke. The Sharpshooter attempt is broken up and Logan sends her throat first into the middle rope as we take a break.

Back with Natalya being sent face first into the mat for two, followed by a dropkick for the same. The standing Texas Cloverleaf is broken up and Natalya comes back with the discus clothesline. Back up and another shoulder takes Logan down but the Sharpshooter is broken up. Logan misses a missile dropkick and now it’s the Sharpshooter to make her tap at 11:21.

Rating: D+. Just a match here as the show has to have some kind of main event. Natalya continues to be as solid of a worker as you can get in any division and that’s a great reason to keep her around. She’s going to do something with anyone she’s in there against and can get at least something out of everyone. Logan did her part well enough, but there was nothing here that we haven’t seen a million times.

Stomping Grounds rundown.

From Smackdown to close us out.

New Day vs. Dolph Ziggler/Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn

Woods and Ziggler start things off with Ziggler taking him to the mat and handing it off to Sami for an armbar. Sami gets taken into the corner for the Unicorn Stampede but Kofi gets sent outside so Ziggler can get in a cheap shot. Owens adds a backsplash on the floor and we take a break.

Back with Kofi fighting out of Ziggler’s Crossface and dropkicking Sami down so Woods can come in off the hot tag. A discus forearm has Sami in trouble and a dropkick through the ropes hit Sami and Ziggler. Back in and Ziggler takes Xavier down into a chinlock with a bodyscissors, followed by Sami getting in a chinlock of his own. Owens comes in and gets DDT’d, allowing the real hot tag off to Big E. That means a bunch of suplexes but the Midnight Hour is broken up. Ziggler superkicks Sami by mistake, setting up Trouble in Paradise to Ziggler and another to finish Sami at 13:31.

Rating: C-. Well that happened. This was “hey Big E. is back” and nothing more as he just got to do the big house cleaning spot at the end and that’s about it. I don’t know how this makes me want to see Ziggler vs. Kingston any more, but there is a good chance that Sami/Owens vs. Big E./Woods will be added to Stomping Grounds, which needs some more matches to round out the card.

Overall Rating: D. All this show did was showcase how much talent WWE has but never uses. Look at some of the names on this show (as in the Vikings) who haven’t been on television in weeks. Are they really that much worse than other teams? It’s a similar story with Logan. She might not be the best in the world, but she’s capable of having a passable match with a lot of opponents. Why not throw her on either show for the sake of giving someone a fresh opponent? Oh well. Just go with more Shane and Charlotte instead.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: October 31, 1994
Location: Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, Vermont
Attendance: 1,800
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage

I’m almost scared to see how this era of the company does Halloween. It’s already been a terrible enough time around here and that means it could only get worse given what we’re building towards. The big match for this week is Lex Luger vs. Bob Backlund, which could work under optimal circumstances. However, there is nothing optimal about this time. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with some shots of a graveyard, which Vince manages to transition into Backlund’s nightmares haunting him. Now he’s changed from Dr. Jekyll (he doesn’t say into what exactly) and Luger needs to slay the monster.

Opening sequence.

Lex Luger vs. Bob Backlund

A quick armdrag puts Backlund down and Luger does Backlund’s lunging steps thing. Some leg sweeps have Backlund in more trouble and Bob can’t believe it. The standoff lets Backlund take him down but Luger slips out in something I wouldn’t have bet on. Backlund goes to a wristlock and Luger can’t power out this time. Luger gets taken down by the arm for two as Savage thinks Backlund is scared that the chickenwing won’t work here. Savage: “What if Lex Luger doesn’t exist and we’re watching Lex Luger by himself???” Vince: “Uh….how much of that candy have you eaten?”

Luger powers up but here’s Tatanka as we take a break. Back with Backlund….holding a bearhug? The heck? Luger bails to the ropes from the threat of the chickenwing so it’s off to a hammerlock bearhug (that’s a new one). Some right hands get Luger out of trouble and a running knee lift drops Backlund. Cue Tatanka again and this time the distraction lets Backlund get the chickenwing. Backlund takes him down….and Tatanka comes in for the DQ. What sense does that make?

Rating: D+. I’m still trying to get my mind around Backlund using a bearhug. Anyway, this was a mostly dull match but there was no way they were going to have a clean finish. I’ll give them points for making the chickenwing feel like the scariest move in the company, which is hard to pull off. I remember being scared of it because it was beating EVERYONE and that’s exactly the point.

Post match referees break it up but Backlund goes back in to put the hold on again. Savage finally gets off commentary and breaks it up. Instead of beating on Backlund, he pulls on him instead, which would likely crank on Luger’s arm even more. Then again, Savage was never one to think before he acted. Pretty awesome segment though, with Savage going into the crazy eyes look after the break when he rants about Backlund.

The main event of the third Action Zone: Mabel vs. Yokozuna. So much for that show.

1-2-3 Kid vs. Tony DeVito

The Kid’s hair is rather huge for some reason. Must be a Halloween thing. Savage keeps ranting about Backlund and I kind of want to see that match. DeVito shrugs off a dropkick and sends the Kid into the buckle a few times, only to miss the big elbow. The rapid fire kicks in the corner rock DeVito and it’s the running legdrop to make it even worse. A slam sets up the guillotine legdrop to finish DeVito.

Rating: D. DeVito was one of the regular jobbers around this time and while he didn’t have a good look, he was more than fine enough for a watchable match. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case here, which is hard to do against the Kid. At the same time, it’s hard to see the Kid win a squash as he’s at his best when he’s selling and you didn’t get much of that here.

Survivor Series Report, featuring the announcement that Bob Backlund wants the title match to be a submission match. Moving on though, Undertaker vs. Yokozuna is going to be a casket match and Chuck Norris (seriously) is going to be the guest enforcer. There will also be the Bad Guys (Razor Ramon/1-2-3 Kid/British Bulldog/Headshrinkers) vs. the Teamsters (Diesel/Shawn Michaels/Jim Neidhart/Owen Hart/Jeff Jarrett) and Clowns R Us (Doink/Dink/Wink/Pink) vs. the Royal Family (Jerry Lawler/Cheesy/Sleazy/Queasy) in a show that is making me cringe just thinking about it.

There was a charity softball game with the WWF Superstars beating a women’s union team.

King Kong Bundy vs. Bert Centeno

Bundy chokes him in the corner to start and goes with the general beatdown as this isn’t the most interesting thing in the world. Savage keeps going on about Backlund as the Avalanche finishes Centeno for five. Bad squash.

IRS goes to a cemetery and yells at the grave of a man named John Dough for not paying his taxes. His daughter’s birthday dinner was NOT deductible so he’ll be taking the flowers from the grave.

It’s time for the King’s Court with the Undertaker and Paul Bearer as the guests. The lights come back up and Bearer asks if Lawler is comfortable now. I’m more confused by the image of Bearer and Lawler in the same ring (you just don’t see them together that often). Lawler brings up the previous Undertaker vs. Yokozuna casket match and Undertaker doesn’t like it.

Bearer breaks out a WWF Magazine to recap the other match and promises there will be no deja vu this time around. See, Chuck Norris will be at ringside to deal with things between the undead mortician and the Samoan/Japanese sumo wrestler. Undertaker makes his usual threats and says the Creatures of the Night will help Yokozuna rest in peace. This story is so over the top that it’s kind of incredible, though not incredible enough to make up for everything else.

Next week: Bret Hart/British Bulldog vs. Owen Hart/Jim Neidhart. Well ok then.

Jim Neidhart vs. Tony Roy

Neidhart starts fast and throws Roy around as we hear about Neidhart hanging around the White House. Roy gets tied in the Tree of Woe so Owen can choke from the floor and talk trash, which is more interesting than the squash. A slam sets up the chinlock into a gutwrench suplex as this needs to end already. Neidhart finally finishes with a camel clutch.

Rating: D. All this made me want to do was skip over the rest of the show and get to the tag match next week. Neidhart doesn’t get to do squashes that often but that’s because he’s a lot better as the muscle of a team or the insane promo. This was rather dull but what else were you expecting?

Post match the hold goes on again with Owen putting the sunglasses on Roy.

Vince is in the back with Luger but we can’t hear anything being said. Savage talks over it instead….and Tatanka runs in to brawl with Luger to end the show.

Overall Rating: D-. Sweet goodness this was a bad time for the show. There were a few bright spots here and there but the biggest problem was how they tried to mix the comedy with the serious to no avail. The Survivor Series matches are looking awful with Backlund doing everything he can to carry the show. Really uninteresting show and it’s leading up to an awful pay per view.

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