Main Event – April 4, 2019: Just Get To Wrestlemania

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: April 4, 2019
Location: Capital One Arena, Washington DC
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Percy Watson, Renee Young

This one (and the next one) got lost in the Wrestlemania shuffle so I’m a few weeks late in getting them up. The Network posts it two and a half weeks after it originally airs so I’ll have to take what I can get. The recaps might be a bit more interesting here as there has been some pretty significant time since this show took place. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

No Way Jose vs. Tyler Breeze

Breeze has cut off his hair and the visual isn’t the best, though it’s still better than Jose’s green hair. Jose shoves off a headlock to put Breeze in the corner so it’s a superkick to his dancing ribs. The chinlock goes on and Breeze cuts off the comeback with a belly to back suplex. A front facelock doesn’t work as well as Jose shoves him off for a crash and they’re both down. Breeze gets in an enziguri but Jose fires off a heck of a clothesline for two. Since it worked before, Breeze goes with another enziguri to set up the Unprettier, which is countered into the pop up right hand to give Jose the pin at 5:18.

Rating: C-. This was a battle of the overlooked talents who have diminished themselves with bad hair choices. It’s also a match that we’ve probably seen half a dozen times at this point and that’s not something that I need to see again. You would think they could mix up the Main Event matches a bit with Wrestlemania upon us but apparently that’s too much to ask.

Video on the Women’s Title match now being Winner Take All.

From Raw.

Riott Squad vs. Ronda Rousey/Charlotte/Becky Lynch

Whoever betrays their partners first is out of Sunday’s main event. Before her entrance, Becky says she doesn’t want to hear from the loudmouth Charlotte or from Rousey with her God complex. Ronda and Charlotte talk about wanting to make history but Becky has to. Charlotte and Ruby start things off but Becky tags herself in and mocks the strut.

She even begs Charlotte to slap her in the face before sending Ruby outside as we take an early break. Back with Becky having to fight out of Logan’s standing Texas Cloverleaf and suplexing Morgan for two. Charlotte tags herself in and argues with Becky but Ronda tags herself in as well to yell at Charlotte as well. The armbar makes Morgan tap at 7:20.

Rating: D+. Angle advancement here as it should be as the Riott Squad loses AGAIN because that’s the only reason they exist. The women’s division needs to figure out how to use jobbers again because they don’t have the roster depth to make something like this work. It’s not like this means anything anyway, but how many times can the Squad lose before it loses all meaning?

Post match the fight is on until security breaks it up. That goes nowhere so here are the cops, with Ronda hitting one of them. That’s enough for an arrest but Becky attacks the cuffed Rousey. Becky is arrested as well so Charlotte goes after Becky and the Wrestlemania main event is all in handcuffs. They all kick at the cops’ legs as I have no idea what this is supposed to accomplish.

They’re all taken to police cars with Ronda and Becky in the same one so another fight breaks out with the window being kicked out. Charlotte gets in one more knee to Ronda’s head before the car is taken away. This was intense, but seeing the three of them in handcuffs and fighting each other felt like a rejected scene from a bad B movie rather than an effective wrestling angle. Just go with the classic locker room holding them back instead of going so far over the top with it.

From Smackdown.

It’s time for the contract signing between Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston. Bryan and Rowan are already in the ring as New Day come out, complete with pancakes. The fans’ KOFI chants are shushed by Bryan because he’s here to educate the masses. The fans need to stop thinking that a few months of success make up for eleven years. Their life lesson: DO NOT BE COMPLACENT. Also, don’t be a bystander in your own lives like Kofi has been doing.

He’s sat and watched while New Day pushed him to the top. The Kofi chants keep going as Bryan rants his final lesson: don’t mistake a fad for reality. Bryan has been where Kofi is now but with YES chants instead of KOFI chants. The reality is that the people feed off of him because they are parasites. Bryan wants Kofi to soak this in because it’s as good as it’s ever going to get. Kofi grabs the mic and says it’s time to educate Bryan. He can claim to know what Kofi is feeling but it’s become clear that Bryan knows nothing about him.

Kofi watched Bryan become champion in two years but not as a bystander. Bryan hasn’t been through eleven years with no singles title matches because it’s all led here. Kofi sees Bryan trembling because Bryan knows Kofi is ready. The one common thread is that Bryan knows what Kofi is feeling and knows what’s coming. At Wrestlemania, Kofi becomes WWE Champion. Kofi signs and we’re set. Kofi sounded nervous, but the fire was there and that’s what mattered.

Video on Kurt Angle’s career. That’s the kind of tribute he deserves because he really was that awesome.

Wrestlemania rundown.

Lucha House Party vs. Ascension

Lince Dorado is the odd luchador out so Konnor hits the floor to yell at him. Back in and Kalisto hits the dropkick to the knee but Konnor nips up (that’s a new one). It’s off to Metalik for the rope walk dropkick to Viktor but the referee gets distracted, allowing Konnor to break up another springboard. We take a break and come back with Metalik in trouble as Viktor grabs a chinlock.

Since no one has ever done it before, Viktor mocks the Lucha Dance and hands it back to Viktor for an elbow to the back. Metalik fights out of a slam and counters into a DDT for the hot tag to Kalisto. The rolling kick to the head hits Viktor and there’s the hurricanrana driver for two. Everything breaks down and Kalisto seems to slip off a handspring but catches his balance fast enough to kick Konnor in the head. With Viktor down on the floor, it’s the Salida Del Sol into Kalisto’s rope walk elbow for the pin at 9:35.

Rating: D+. Another match we’ve seen time after time though at least the Lucha guys are always entertaining in one way or another. The Ascension on the other hand isn’t the best idea in the world because there’s no reason to believe they’re never going to win anything. Still though, not the worst.

From Raw.

Here are Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman for a chat. Heyman does his introduction (Heyman: “Don’t worry I’ll be doing this again next week too.”) before talking about how appropriate the Winner Takes All stipulation is because it’s the same thing for Lesnar. Brock is going to win and take it all, including Seth Rollins’ best shot. Lesnar took the Undertaker’s Streak and then last year he took the hopes and dreams from Roman Reigns when EVERYONE knew that Reigns was going to win.

This Sunday is for the fans who watch hockey for the fights, the fans who watch NASCAR for the crashes and the fans who watch soccer for the riots. On Sunday, Lesnar will have his foot on Rollins’ chest and then the two of them will go out to dinner to discuss Lesnar’s future. This brings out Rollins, who says Sunday is the biggest match for both of their careers because everyone from the fans to the locker room is sick of Brock.

Yeah Lesnar has made a fortune because he’s such an athletic freak and the most decorated athlete in combat sports history (not really) but Rollins could win. Lesnar goes to leave but Rollins kicks him low. That earns him a release German suplex but Rollins goes low again and hits the Stomp to leave Lesnar laying. I love that the only way to really hurt Lesnar is a low blow and no one really tries to do anything else.

Overall Rating: C-. I’m not sure on this one, as they did a nice job of setting up the show but the show is so bloated and weak looking (because of the size) that it’s not the most interesting thing in the world. The original wrestling might as well have been cut out for the sake of more build videos, which would have been a better move for something like this. Not bad, but get to Wrestlemania already.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/


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


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




Ring of Honor TV – April 17, 2019: The NWA Is The Way

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: April 17, 2019
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

The fallout from Supercard of Honor continues to be delayed as we’re still not quite ready to get to New York yet. As usual, that means we could be going in a variety of ways as you never know what sort of things this company will throw at you. Odds are it won’t be storyline based though, which can get old after awhile. Let’s get to it.

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

The Briscoe Brothers aren’t happy with having to qualify for the Crockett Cup. That’s cool though, as they’ll throw someone a beating tonight to make it in. After tonight though, they’re not responsible for what happens.

Opening sequence.

Shane Taylor vs. Luchasaurus

Shane yells a lot and they take turns shoving each other in the face. Luchasaurus’ kick to the legs gets on Shane’s nerves so he chops the heck out of Luchasaurus’ chest. Some more kicks have Taylor in trouble but a right hand on the apron sets up a hanging Stunner for two.

Back from a break with Shane shrugging off a knee to the face and getting two more off a chokeslam. The Snake Bites (anklescissors faceplant) into the Shining Lizard (yep) gives Luchasaurus two of his own and they trade the big shots to the face. One heck of a clothesline blasts Luchasaurus for two more but something like Black Mass rocks Shane again. A chokeslam sets up a standing moonsault to Shane’s raised knees and Shane blasts him with a knee of his own. Greetings From 216 finish Luchasaurus at 8:11.

Rating: C+. Shane can have some awesome hoss fights and while this one was good, it wasn’t quite up to the levels of his fights with Jeff Cobb. Luchasaurus is a great monster, though having him lose here doesn’t do him a ton of good. I could see Shane being a great monster for someone to slay, though I’m not sure who that someone would be.

We look at Silas Young cheating to beat Jonathan Gresham last week.

Young and Gresham get in an argument in the back but they’re separated pretty quickly. A rematch is teased for later.

Sumie Sakai/Mayu Iwatani vs. Katie Forbes/Mazzerati

Tenille Dashwood is on commentary and announces that she is cleared to get back in the ring (which ring isn’t specified). Forbes is debuting here (she was at the Impact United We Stand show and didn’t exactly stand out). She’s also rather, ahem, hippy and that seems to be the main focus of her existence. Mazzerati slaps Iwatani in the face to start so it’s a fast paced Japanese armdrag to take Mazzerati down.

Since Mazzerati realizes how far in over her head she really is, it’s off to Sumie vs. Forbes for a change. Katie shoves her into the corner so Sakai kicks her in the foot (which seems to take three tries for Forbes to get the hint) and hits the Mongolian chops in the corner. Forbes hips her in the head and follows with a handspring hip attack in the corner. A Stinkface (yeah you get the idea) sends us to a break with the announcers calling this “terrible”.

Back with Mazzerati kicking Sakai in the knee and getting frustrated at the kickout. The legdrop misses so Sakai gets in a running knee but Forbes intercepts Iwatani on the floor. Sumie grabs a fisherman’s neckbreaker to drop Mazzerati again and this time the tag works just fine. Everything breaks down and Iwatani springboard wristdrags both of them at once. Dashwood: “I can do that but I just hold it back.”

Iwatani’s middle rope missile dropkick sets up a missile dropkick to give Sakai two. Forbes fireman’s carries both of them at once and does some squats before hitting the Samoan drop. There’s no cover so Iwatani superkicks Forbes, leaving Mazzerati to take Smash Mouth for the pin at 10:00.

Rating: D+. I would go into a little more on Forbes but I’d be surprised if she’s brought back. Her entire thing was the hips and that got annoying in a hurry because it feels out of place around here. Forbes wasn’t working for me and the act wasn’t great when it started and aged even faster. Mazzerati needs more work but there’s potential there. Just keep her away from Forbes, who was the big problem with the match.

PJ Black is impressed with Bandido and doesn’t like the cheating ways.

Crockett Cup Qualifying Match: Jeff Cobb/Willie Mack vs. Briscoes

This could be good. Mark and Mack chop the heck out of each other to start and you know they’re both cool with that. A crossbody takes Mark down and a knee to the head makes it even worse. Cobb comes in for his very delayed vertical suplex and the Briscoes are in trouble. Jay comes in to face Cobb and we take a fast break.

Back with Cobb charging into Jay’s elbow in the corner and a double elbow dropping him again. Some knees to the head and an elbow of his own put Jay down and they head outside. Mark isn’t that patient though and hits a big dive onto both of them to put Cobb back in trouble. Jay fires off the hard shoulders in the corner and a snap suplex (with some trash talk to Mack) has Cobb in rare trouble.

A dropkick gets Cobb out of trouble, because a 280lb Olympic wrestler can throw a great dropkick, and it’s the hot tag bringing in Mack. The reverse Cannonball gets two on Mark but Jay sends Mack into something close to a Claymore for two. We take another break and come back with Mark headbutting Mack in the corner with some surprising success. The neck crank goes on for a bit but Mack hits a pop up Downward Spiral (that’s a new one). The tag brings in Cobb but Jay comes in without a tag of his own in what seems like a bit of chicanery.

Cobb suplexes both of them in a row and then does it at the same time to show off. A standing moonsault gets two on Mark, who is right back with a Pele of all things. Jay’s crazy hard lariat gets two as Mack is back to life for the latest hot tag. Mack hits a Samoan drop into a standing moonsault for two on Jay and it’s time to head outside. Since Mack and Cobb can never get together, Mark hits a running Blockbuster off the apron to drop Mack again.

Back in and Mack is fine enough for a t-bone suplex for two but walks into the Doomsday Device. Cobb shoves Jay into the cover for the save and breaks up Redneck Boogey for a bonus. The Stunner into a swinging German suplex sets up Mack’s frog splash for two on Mark in a great false finish. Jay grabs Mark to block the Tour of the Islands so it’s Mack and Mark chopping it out again. Mack hits a running big boot but Jay comes back in for a hurricanrana into the Jay Driller. Just in case, Mark drops the Froggy Bow for the pin at 19:44.

Rating: A-. I dug the heck out of this one as they were nailing it throughout with an energy you don’t get around here very often. The best thing I can say about it though was that it felt like an old NWA main event tag. Back in the day you would have a random pairing against a regular team (usually the Horsemen or the Midnight Express) and they would tear the house down with an awesome match. Cut about three minutes out of this and it’s even better, which is quite the accomplishment. Check this one out, and probably the Crockett Cup too.

Overall Rating: B+. The main event is more than enough to carry this one as far as it needed to go, though the rest of the card doesn’t exactly live up to that level. I want to see the Crockett Cup though, which is about all this show needed to do. They need to get to the main stories though because this isn’t going to be the norm for these shows.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/


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


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




Major League Wrestling Fusion – April 13, 2019: That’s Why You Never Jump A Skeleton Man

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #53
Date: April 13, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Jim Cornette

We’re done with Battle Riot and that means it’s time to move forward to the next big show, which is probably taking place next month. LA Park is the new #1 contender but it could be a long time before he actually uses the title shot. World Champion Tom Lawlor also has to deal with Contra and that’s probably up first. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Battle Riot, including Teddy Hart taking a champagne bottle to the head, Tom Lawlor retaining the title and Battle Riot itself.

Opening sequence.

The announcers preview the show.

Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Richard Holliday and Alexander Hammerstone are here with Friedman but there’s no one with Pillman. Pillman goes with some shoulders blocks to start but gets tripped by Holliday, who gets ejected in a hurry. Hammerstone is gone as well, despite not getting caught doing anything. What a biased referee.

With Friedman left on his own, Pillman dropkicks him into the corner, setting up a heck of a slap. Friedman gets smart by going after Pillman’s injured shoulder, including a stomp onto the wrist. The arm gets wrapped around the rope as Friedman gets to show off his rather nasty limb wrenching skills. Friedman works on a top wristlock with Cornette in his element talking about the pressure and how much damage the hold is going.

A backsplash onto the arm gets two but Pillman finally comes back with a shot to the face in the corner. The high crossbody and a superkick have Friedman in trouble but the arm gives out on a whip attempt. Instead Pillman snaps off a powerslam for two, though the landing hurts the arm again. Friedman goes evil again by hiding behind the referee in the corner, allowing him to poke Pillman in the eye. A double stomp to the back gets two but Pillman grabs a small package for the pin at 11:55.

Rating: C. The more I see of Friedman, the more I like him. Not only can he cut a rather good, obnoxious promo but he knows how to work a body part like few others. For someone just twenty two years old, that’s some impressive talent. Speaking of a talented twenty two year old, Pillman seems to be getting it more and more every single time he’s in the ring and is miles ahead of where he was just a year ago.

Post match Friedman declares that a fluke.

We look back at Tom Lawlor’s press conference last week when he was jumped by Contra.

Earlier today, Salina de la Renta announced that she is going to be executive producing an episode of Fusion over Cinco de Mayo weekend. As for LA Park cashing in, stay tuned.

After yelling at a cameraman, Sami Callihan says he left for a bit so he could find himself again. Now that he’s figured that out, it’s time to figure out what he wants to do. When he was in the Battle Riot, Mance Warner got his attention because he’s crazy like Sami. Next week, they’ll fight because the world of MLW never sleeps and neither does he.

Holliday and Hammerstone yell about what happened but they have plans for tonight. Like parking in a handicap spot! They find the cameraman and violence seems imminent.

Jimmy Yuta/Lance Anoa’i vs. Rich Swann/Myron Reed

Swann and Reed get extra weapons checks as the bias continues. Yuta works on Reed’s arm to start and unloads in the corner with a series of stomps. Reed heads outside for a breather so it’s off to Swann vs. Lance, which doesn’t work well for Swann. An attempt at a running hurricanrana is countered with pure power.

A backdrop sends Swann into a 450 (cool) and Lance adds an elbow for two. The loud chops in the corner have Swann in more trouble but he’s fine enough to rake Yuta’s eyes. Reed comes back in for a forearm to the head and it’s Swann firing away his own chops. The stepover kick to the face sets up a slingshot legdrop from Reed into a running splash for two on Yuta. As usual though, the excessive double teaming is countered by a single armdrag and it’s back to Lance to clean house.

A Samoan drop/dropkick combination (yep) has the villains in trouble but Lance misses a 450. That lets Reed get his running start for the over the top cutter (still looks awesome) and a near fall on Lance. Swann kicks Yuta very low and it’s a Codebreaker into a splash on Lance’s back. A 450 into knees to the chest from Swann sets up a regular 450 from Reed for the pin at 8:42.

Rating: C. This felt longer than it was and that’s not often the best thing. Lance and Yuta weren’t the best team in the world, though Reed and Swann are a good enough heel combination. The match had good action but it was also a little messy, which made it something that was just kind of there. Not bad, but it needed some more polishing.

Mance Warner talks about poking an albino moose in the eye and getting in a fight in the back of a moving truck. Sami talks about thumbs up, thumbs down, but all he needs to worry about is kneepad up, kneepad down.

Tom Lawlor talks about all of the injuries he’s gone through over the years. You can break his insides but you won’t break his spirit, which Contra will learn the hard way.

LA Park vs. ???

Open challenge time as Jimmy Havoc is missing for some reason. As luck would have it, we have someone to answer.

LA Park vs. Sami Callihan

It was going to be him or Warner. Sami goes right at him and walks into a scoop powerslam. That’s what you get for trying to jump a skeleton man. They fight to the floor with Callihan hitting Park in the knee with an umbrella. That doesn’t have much of an effect as Park sends him into the barricade and grabs a metal post used to connect velvet ropes. Callihan takes the post away and hits Park in the ribs but again, there isn’t much of an effect.

A chair to the head sends Sami staggering in Salina’s direction so Park hits him again. They trade rams into the posts as Cornette tries to explain why there isn’t a DQ here. Callihan gets crotched against the post and a replica MLW World Title (Cornette: “IT’S A BELT!!!”) to the head makes it even worse. They head back inside after about four minutes on the floor and the ref gets bumped because….does it really matter?

Sami kicks the referee by mistake and avoids a charge to send Park shoulder first into the post. The baseball bat to the face connects but here are Ricky Martinez and Hijo de LA Park for the group beatdown. Warner runs in for the save but Low Ki comes in as well with Callihan not being able to do much good. Now it’s Daga running in to superkick everyone and hit the big running flip dive onto the pile. Callihan loads up his own dive but gets speared down to give Park the pin at 7:17.

Rating: C+. At this point, you just have to expect the No DQ matches with Park, mainly because I can’t imagine him trying to wrestle a regular match. Unfortunately you can’t imagine him losing either, which is understandable given his star power in Mexico, but it doesn’t help much with the drama. I’d be surprised if he loses his eventual cash in, though I’ll take building a heel up over a random win any day.

Post match the beatdown is on with Promociones Dorado standing tall.

Holiday and Hammerstone go to leave in Friedman’s car but the Hart Foundation steals it to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The wrestling wasn’t all that great this time but they did a nice job with the storytelling. There are some big stories going on, though I’m not sure when those stories are actually going to end. It comes down to too much everyone fighting everyone at times, though there is still enough coherence to the whole thing to make it work well enough. Not a great show, but it certainly wasn’t boring.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/


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


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




Checked Out The First Two Episodes Of Dark Side Of The Ring

You knew I would be checking these out.

Randy Savage/Miss Elizabeth

This was the first episode in the series and that’s an interesting way to go. You could go with a bigger story but there is something to be said about having a story on two major names and how things can go badly behind the scenes. That’s the case here with Savage and Elizabeth being two major names who had a real life story that was similar to the pretty bad version that you saw in front of the cameras.

The talking heads were good, though hearing Linda Hogan talk that much was a little much. Some of the details are sad, and even though it’s a lot of stuff that was already known, it’s hard to sit through in total because the story really was tragic. That’s kind of the theme of the whole thing though and that’s just fine.

Montreal Screwjob

I’m not sure what to think of this one. The Montreal Screwjob is the most infamous ending to a match in wrestling history and there has been all kinds of things to say about it. It’s an hour long show and while it seems like they could have done a lot more stuff, the show felt like it had a bunch of filler to get us up to the sixty minutes. Did we really need the stuff about Jim Cornette and Vince Russo? Did we need Vince Russo at all?

Much like the first one, this felt like a bunch of stuff that hardcore fans will know but all in one package. That works well for fans like us, but for fans who are hearing it for the first time, there’s a lot to take in. They had to leave a lot of it out for the sake of time, but it’s not exactly like the Savage/Elizabeth story, which can be summed up rather easily. I liked it, but it’s a story we’ve covered so much and it’s not the best in the world to show new fans.

Oh and it wasn’t a work. Just stop.




205 Live – April 12, 2019: Please Don’t Go Because The Rest Of The Talent Isn’t Great

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 16, 2019
Location: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s a new era for the show as both Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy have been moved up to the main roster, meaning we need some new names to step up around here. In theory that should be Tony Nese, but who can come up with him? Oney Lorcan seems to be a likely candidate too, which isn’t the worst idea in the world. Let’s get to it.

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

Tony Nese welcomes us to the show and talks about doing the impossible at Wrestlemania. Then he did it again two nights later when he won the rematch with Buddy Murphy. It’s time to look to the future though and that means he needs a new challenger. Maybe it’s Drew Gulak, Kalisto or Akira Tozawa. Or maybe someone new that he isn’t expecting. Either way, he’ll be ready and we’ll see who steps up tonight.

Opening sequence.

Drake Maverick is on commentary.

Gran Metalik vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Mike Kanellis vs. Ariya Daivari

Before the match, the Lucha House Party greets the fans in French for a nice touch. Daivari bails straight to the floor so Metalik and Tozawa go after Kanellis instead. With Kanellis on the floor as well, the good guys trade flips until Tozawa kicks Metalik to the floor. Daivari comes back in to break up the dive but here’s Metalik with a springboard missile dropkick.

A double high crossbody sets up the Octopus on Metalik with Kanellis and Daivari making the save. The villains set up the soon to be broken alliance with Kanellis throwing out suplexes. A spinebuster puts Metalik on the floor but Tozawa is right back up to hammer on Kanellis. The Samoan Driver gives Kanellis two as Daivari pulls him out for the save. Kanellis isn’t happy so Daivari powerbombs him on the floor.

Back in and Tozawa’s spinning kick to the head gets two on Daivari, leaving us with a showdown between Metalik and Tozawa. Metalik gets sent outside so Tozawa hits a Shining Wizard on Kanellis but gets taken down by Metalik, who gets frog splashed by Daivari for the near fall. Back up and a running hurricanrana from Metalik sends Daivari to the floor, followed by Tozawa’s dive onto everyone else.

Kanellis elbows his way out of Tozawa’s German suplex attempt so Tozawa hits his hard right hand. Now the German suplex can connect but Maria blocks the top rope backsplash. They fight on top until Tozawa knocks him down, only to have the backsplash hit knees. Metalik springboards back in with an elbow to Tozawa but Daivari steals the pin at 11:11.

Rating: C. If they’re really building towards Nese vs. Daivari, they’re dumber than I thought. That’s one of the least interesting matches I can imagine and they need something a lot better than that. Daivari is better than he used to be and that song has been in my head for two days, but egads man, be more interesting.

Oney Lorcan talks about how Cedric Alexander has led 205 Live for years. Tonight, Oney is taking his spot.

Cedric says his legacy is all that remains and he wants to be remembered for everything he put into 205 Live. Oney better put in everything he has.

Oney Lorcan vs. Cedric Alexander

Feeling out process to start with Oney’s attempt at an armbar getting him tripped down to the mat. The grappling goes to Cedric with a front facelock until Oney switches over to a headlock. Back up and Alexander flips forward for the anklescissors and a trio of dropkick puts Lorcan down for the first time.

An enziguri sends Lorcan outside but the suicide dive is sidestepped for a crash into the barricade. Lorcan hits some running clotheslines in the corner and it’s off to a waistlock. That’s finally broken up and Cedric hits a dropkick to the back of the head. The springboard Downward Spiral gets two, followed by the Michinoku Driver for the same as Cedric can’t believe the kickout.

Lorcan blocks the Lumbar Check and the Neuralizer is blocked with an elbow to the back. A powerbomb into a half crab stays on Cedric’s back but he makes the rope, as heroes tend to do. Lorcan gets knocked off the top for the running flip dive but he’s fine enough to uppercut the springboard clothesline out of the air. The chop off goes to the apron with Lorcan hitting the half and half on the apron. Another one back inside finishes Alexander at 18:15.

Rating: B. They did the right thing here by having Alexander lose, even if it was a fairly predictable result. Lorcan is one of the best things about this show anymore and there’s a chance that he could be a star on the show for a good while. The show needs some fresh talent and Lorcan is as good of an option as they have.

Post match Lorcan shakes his hand and leaves so Cedric can have the big sendoff to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. 205 Live is in a hard shift at the moment and they need to do something to make up for the lack of talent. The problem is I don’t see that coming anytime soon as the show is far from the highest priority to the company. If they build up some people so be it, but the show is going to be treated the same no matter what.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/


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


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




One Night Only: Clash In The Bluegrass: Yesterday’s Superstars Tomorrow

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

One Night Only: Clash In The Bluegrass
Date: March 2, 2019
Location: Davis Arena, Louisville, Kentucky
Commentators: Gilbert Corsey, Don Callis, Josh Matthews

I don’t usually do these shows but since I was in the audience, it might be appropriate this time around. The Davis Arena is the longtime home of Ohio Valley Wrestling and I’ve always wanted to go there for a show so it was a great surprise when it was announced that Impact was coming around for a One Night Only. Sami Callihan and OVE had been around for the last few weeks and even stole the OVW Title. This is a bunch of promotion vs. promotion matches so let’s get to it.

I was sitting in the last row with the hard camera on my right. Given that the arena might have held about 350 people (it’s a warehouse with a ring inside, which does offer some charm) so the last row is a perfectly good seat).

There was a meet and greet before the show with Eddie Edwards, Moose, Sami Callihan and Brian Cage, plus a bunch of the OVW wrestlers. Nothing of note, but for an extra ten dollars on top of the ten dollar ticket, you can’t exactly complain.

In a dark match, William Lutz defeated KTD. Yeah you might not have heard of a lot of these people but it was a short match and completely fine for two guys on their level.

We open with a look at Sami stealing the OVW Title from champion Tony Gunn. This set off a fight between OVE/various other Impact wrestlers and Team OVW, a group of five people thrown together with nothing significant in common. Fair enough for something like this.

Opening sequence, which is the OVW TV opening, thankfully including name graphics for the wrestlers.

The announcers give us a quick welcome with OVW commentator Gilbert Corsey getting a chant from the crowd.

Dimes vs. Sinn Bodhi

Yes his name is Dimes and Bodhi (better known as Kizarny) is a freaky guy and a big villain in OVW. After laying on the ropes, Bodhi picks Dimes up for an airplane spin at the bell. With the serious stuff not working, Bodhi pulls him face first into the back of his trunks. That’s good for a series of one counts, which seems to confuse Bodhi. Sinn: “ONE PLUS ONE PLUS ONE IS THREE!” You can’t fault his addition skills. Dimes’ one right hand has no effect as he gets sent outside, leaving Bodhi to hang in the Tree of Woe and bite his face.

Bodhi ties him upside down in the ropes and….tickles Dimes from the floor. Back in and Bodhi gives him an electric chair drop into a Garvin Stomp. A reverse falling headbutt and some funny faces at the crowd give Bodhi two but Dimes rolls him up into a crucifix for the same. Bodhi gets two more off a clothesline but Dimes is right back with a handspring cutter for the pin out of nowhere at 5:21.

Rating: D+. The ending felt like a shocking TV upset and I’m not sure how good of an idea it is to open the show like that. Dimes is hardly someone with a ton of appeal outside of a place like OVW where he can be a local star. Bodhi on the other hand actually felt weird, as opposed to someone who is just called weird and then does whatever lame bits he’s been given. That worked, and I could go for more of him in the future.

Colton Cage vs. Brandon Espinosa

Cage’s TV Title isn’t on the line but his girlfriend Dani is in his corner. Cage jumps him from the apron and hammers away on the floor before the opening bell. They get inside with Dani choking on the ropes, allowing Cage to get in a clothesline for two. Some shots in the corner miss Espinosa but Cage snaps him throat first across the top. Espinosa pops up and hits some running clotheslines, followed by a low superkick for two. Dani grabs Espinosa’s foot and Cage hits a Side Effect for two. A powerbomb out of the corner gives Espinosa two more but he misses a charge, allowing Cage to hit an ax kick for the pin at 5:25.

Rating: C-. Nothing match, but the commentary here was a nice addition as Josh and Callis praised the OVW talent and threw some softballs at Gilbert in regards to history between the wrestlers. It helped a lot with setting up what was going on here (though there isn’t a story between these two) and Callis sounds like he’s scouting talent. It’s better than having the Impact commentators take over the broadcast and talk about people they don’t know.

The War Kings (Crimson/Jax Dane, the Tag Team Champions) explain the rather complicated rules for tonight’s #1 contenders match: the two challenging teams will have a ten minute match. If either of them win, they get a title match immediately thereafter. If neither win and it’s a time limit draw, the title match still takes place as a triple threat. This is one of those promos where no one would talk this way and it’s rather forced exposition.

Jay Bradley vs. Cash Flo vs. Moose vs. Zo

Bradley used to wrestle in Impact as Aiden O’Shea. These guys are all rather large in one way or another so it’s a four way hoss fight. Moose immediately heads to the floor and it’s Flo and Zo going after Bradley, knocking him to the floor with a running corner splash. That leaves the two of them to chop it out (Flo is known for his chops) but the bigger Zo knocks him into the corner.

Bradley comes back in but gets tripped by Moose. Zo covers and now Moose is willing to come in for the save, putting all four inside for the first time. Moose gets triple chopped before heading outside with Zo. With Flo being knocked down in the corner, Moose comes back in and teases a dive but says screw the fans because the dive isn’t happening. Bradley is willing to dive and Flo follows suit with a rolling dive onto all three of them. It’s another slugout between Flo and Zo with the latter knocking him into the corner for a cartwheel splash. Not bad for a 400lber.

Bradley slams Zo but gets clotheslined down by Moose, who nips up in the always impressive display. Moose sends Flo outside as the Impact announcers start insulting Kentucky. With Moose up top, Bradley turns it into the Tower of Doom, which is all the better looking due to the total amount of size. Bradley is up first and throws Flo and Zo to the floor. Moose pops up with the lariat but gets suplexed by Flo, who is spinwheel kicked by Zo. Back up and it’s another chop off, but this time Zo small packages Flo for the pin at 11:28.

Rating: C. I know it’s not the best match in the world but I had a good time with this one. It was designed to be a spectacle with four big, strong guys beating each other up and that’s exactly what we got here. The match did its job and while Moose’s left leg has more talent than the other three combined, he wasn’t exactly thrilled to be here.

Madison Rayne vs. Cali Young

Cali’s (your standard good looking blonde who may or may not be dumb) Women’s Title isn’t on the line. This is Rayne’s return match after signing with the company again only days before. Cali works a wristlock as we hear about her basically stealing the title. A legsweep gives Madison two but Cali runs her over and gets in a cartwheel, only to have Madison run the ropes for a springboard wristdrag.

Rating: C-. This was a good way to show that while Impact isn’t the most beloved company in the world, their talent is still better than a lot of companies’. Cali was passable but didn’t exactly show anything all that great. Madison looked polished and like a much better overall worker, which is why she’s in a much bigger and more prominent role.

Moose talks about wanting to get out of this terrible town because he has a nice massage planned.

Team OVW vs. Team OVE

OVW: Dustin Jackson, Melvin Maximus, Sam Thompson, Shiloh Jonze

OVE: Crist Brothers, Madman Fulton, Rohit Raju

Jackson and Thompson are both generic guys, Jonze is OVW’s Grandmaster Sexay and Maximus is a middle aged guy who is rather strong and pretty limited (to put it mildly). Fulton is a good addition, even if he hadn’t joined OVE on TV yet. Raju is here because….well they needed a fourth. Jake and Thompson start things off with Jake not exactly taking this seriously.

Thompson gets in an enziguri and it’s off to Raju vs. Jackson. Raju takes him down and the bigger Jackson sends him into the corner, allowing the tag to Maximus, who gets two beat up Dave. The wrist crank is about as good as Melvin can go so it’s time for the hometown guys to work over Dave’s arm. Everything breaks down and Fulton hits a fireman’s carry flapjack on Thompson to take over.

We settle down to Fulton hitting rolling delayed vertical suplexes to rock Thompson and it’s Dave coming back in. Another near breakdown just lets Fulton slam Thompson onto Jake’s knees and we hit the chinlock. Thompson finally gets in an elbow and brings in Jonze for house cleaning and dancing.

The Running Man gets broken up by Fulton though and now it’s Jonze in trouble for a change. Raju gets in a few knees to the head before handing it back to Fulton for more hard forearms. Melvin breaks up a cover, sending Josh into hysterics about how OVE had the match won in one of the first us vs. them lines of the night. Raju’s snap suplex gets two but Jonze fights out of another chinlock so Jackson can come in to clean house.

A big dive takes out all of OVE and there’s a double missile dropkick to Jake and Raju. Fulton runs Melvin over and it’s Raju stomping on Jonze. Everything breaks down (again) and the Crists hit their superplex into a powerbomb for two with Jackson making the save. With everything going nuts, here’s Sami Callihan to jump Jackson for the DQ at 15:53.

Post match the brawl is on with OVW clearing the ring.

Brian Cage is going to have the match of the night and steal the spotlight, as he always does.

Brian Cage vs. Justin Smooth

Smooth is tall, lanky and in great shape. He’s one of the standout stars on the roster and I could see him going somewhere someday. Cage takes him straight down into a headlock but Justin powers out, only to get his knee taken out. Back up and Justin uses the long legs for a dropkick and a clothesline cuts off the Terminator clap. Smooth pounds away in the corner but gets caught in a Cheeky Nandos kick.

Something close to a One Winged Angel (or at least a prototype version) gives Cage two but Smooth is right back with a spinebuster. Cage’s apron superplex gets two more, as does a powerslam from Smooth. Street Justice (a bicycle kick) just fires Cage up more (he has a thing about no selling kicks to the head) and it’s a buckle bomb to knock Smooth silly. The helicopter bomb gives Cage the pin at 7:34.

Rating: C+. The point of this match was to make Smooth look good and that’s exactly what he did. He’s big and muscular enough that this kind of offense looks like it can hang with Cage, which is quite the accomplishment for anyone. Smooth made an impression and while he has a long way to go, he looked awesome here and that’s a rare instance here.

Adam Revolver and his manager Shannon the Dude (local DJ) are ready for Eddie Edwards. They’ve studied him you see.

Eddie talks to a mannequin and asks if Kenny is ready for Revolver.

Eddie Edwards vs. Adam Revolver

Revolver, with Shannon the Dude, has been around forever and has won everything in the company. Actually hang on a second as here’s Impact World Champion Johnny Impact (who got his start here, meaning it’s a WELCOME HOME chant). He has a surprise.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Johnny Impact vs. Adam Revolver vs. Eddie Edwards

Impact is defending. Revolver bails to the floor and tells the two of them to fight so Johnny runs the ropes, allowing Revolver to trip him down. Eddie’s clothesline gets two with Revolver coming in for the save, which gives the Impact guys an idea. Revolver gets surrounded on the floor and caught in between some alternating forearms. The same thing happens inside with a series of right hands knocking Revolver silly and a double superkick putting him on the floor again.

That leaves Johnny to headlock Eddie down but Revolver breaks up a springboard. Eddie gets sent into the post so Impact knees Revolver in the head. The champ takes too long going up though and gets knocked down, leaving Eddie to come in and crotch Revolver. A double superplex puts all three down and it’s a three way slugout with Eddie getting the better of it.

Eddie has to go after Shannon though, sending Johnny to the back in chase. Shannon comes back out and there’s no Impact as Revolver starts hammering on Eddie, which just fires him up. Here’s Johnny again, only to have Eddie catch him in a Blue Thunder Bomb. The Backpack Stunner is countered into a Russian legsweep to give Revolver two.

Impact throws Revolver down for two with Eddie making the save, earning himself the flipping neckbreaker. This time it’s Revolver pulling Johnny out and getting punched in the face for his efforts. The Boston Knee Party gives Eddie two as Revolver makes yet another save. Revolver’s sleeper (finisher) is broken up by Impact and Starship Pain to Revolver retains the title at 14:04.

Rating: B. This was quite good with everyone working hard and Revolver more than holding his own the entire time. Yeah Eddie and Johnny did the heavy lifting but it was nice to have the OVW guy look more than comfortable instead of having to be walked through his part of the match. Good stuff here and easily the best part of the show so far.

Post match Johnny praises Eddie, who gets decked by Shannon. Eddie beats him up but Revolver hits him low and bails with Shannon before Impact can kill both of them.

Madison says she’s back.

D’Amore says he’s a little busier than someone running OVW but he understands the problem of dealing with Sami Callihan. Looking around the building, it doesn’t seem that dealing with OVE is hurting business around here. D’Amore hands the title back to Hill and says all he wanted was a thank you but here’s OVE to interrupt. Sami likes the sound of those OVE chants but wants the sheep to shut up so he can talk. The chanting continues so Sami sits down and tells them to shut up in Spanish.

Sami yells at D’Amore for giving OVE the shaft again before talking about signing a two year contract. There were some clauses in that contract though, like OVE being at ringside for the title match. Second, if the title isn’t on the line, there’s no match. This brings out OVW Champion Tony Gunn, with Dean saying that the title being on the line is up to the champ. Gunn says it’s on the line and brings out Team OVW for backup. OVE gets cleared out and Hill makes the title match official.

We see a clip of Gunn and Callihan getting in a fight at a comic book store. Always cool to see some local stuff like that.

The Void vs. King’s Ransom

This is the #1 contenders match, which is billed as a Tag Team Title match. Since the champions aren’t in here though and a fall can take place without them involved, I’m not calling it a title match. The Void (two rather small guys) is Nigel Winters/Chace Destiny and King’s Ransom are Maximus/Leonis Khan, who are either twins or brothers who look enough alike that they might as well be twins. They look like the Usos if you inflated them and somehow they’ve only been wrestling for about a year and a half. They’re also #1 contenders after winning a tournament but the champs have been running from them.

Winters goes for a headlock on Leonis to start and gets tossed into the corner with raw power. Chace comes in and rolls up Maximus for two but gets his head knocked off with a jumping clothesline. It’s Chace getting beaten down in the corner until a shot to the throat allows a tag off to Winters.

A double back elbow gets two on Maximus, who comes right back with a double clothesline. The chinlock has Nigel in trouble and it’s back to Leonis for a chinlock of his own. A third chinlock is countered with a pull of the hair to reverse into another chinlock (that’s a new one). Leonis gets a shoulder for the double knockdown as time expires at 10:12.

Rating: D+. This was a weird one with both teams wrestling a similar style, which didn’t make a ton of sense given how different they really are. It wasn’t exactly a surprise that this was going to a time limit draw and there’s nothing wrong with that. If nothing else it saves the big King’s Ransom vs. War Kings showdown and title change for later.

Tag Team Titles: The Void vs. King’s Ransom vs. War Kings

The War Kings (Crimson/Jax Dane) are defending. After we come back from looking at the champs’ entrance, Leonis is in trouble thanks to a chop block from Winters. Crimson makes the save and throws Leonis into the corner so Jax can tag himself in. Dane beats up the Void on his own (it doesn’t look that hard) and we hit the chinlock on Chace.

Crimson comes back in for a suplex, followed by a nerve hold from Dane. The comeback doesn’t take long though as Maximus tags himself in to clothesline the heck out of Nigel. King’s Landing (double spinebuster) gets two but Crimson makes the save, setting up the fireman’s carry flapjack into a cutter to finish Destiny and retain the titles at 8:33.

Rating: D. The rules didn’t do this one any favors as the champs came in and basically squashed the already beaten up Void while ignoring the interesting team. It makes sense from a long term storyline perspective but that doesn’t make for a good match in this case. It wasn’t very good, but the way the match was set up made it seem like this was the way it was supposed to go, which is a pretty strange way to proceed.

OVW Title: Sami Callihan vs. Tony Gunn

Gunn is defending and OVE/Team OVW are all at ringside. They start fast with an exchange of chops in the corner until Gunn dropkicks him to the floor. The stalling ensues until everyone gets inside for the big staredown. We settle down to Gunn knocking Callihan outside and following with a dive this time to keep Sami in trouble. Back in again and Sami flips him off for not chopping hard enough.

A suplex keeps Sami down but he shakes the ropes to knock Gunn down and take over. Gunn gets sent outside for the group stomp and another staredown, because a match and a staredown aren’t enough. Sami grabs a chinlock back inside, followed by something close to a People’s Elbow. The chinlock goes on again but Gunn reverses into a Brock Lock of all things, sending Sami slowly crawling over to the ropes.

Sami bails to the floor and catches a sliding Gunn in the ring skirt to keep up the beating. Back in again and we hit the nerve hold to keep extending the match. That’s reversed as well, this time into an ankle lock of all things. There’s another rope grab for a break, allowing Sami to dive over for a rollup and a near fall. Sami starts in on Gunn’s knee, sending Tony to the ropes as well. It’s Gunn getting fired up this time and spitting in Sami’s face for a change.

A superplex attempt is countered into a powerbomb out of the corner and Sami slaps on a pretty quickly broken STF. The baseball bat is brought in and the tug of war gives us the required ref bump. Gunn’s Five Arm discus forearm connects for no cover so Gunn loads it up again. That’s a smart move but everything breaks down again, as you knew was coming.

We get the big parade of people being knocked down in a row until Gunn hits another Five Arm for no cover. Raju goes up and gets shoved through the announcers’ table (that was LOUD in person), setting up a piledriver for two on Gunn with another referee coming in for the count. Callihan loads up the bat to chair spot but gets low blowed, setting up the third Five Arm to retain the title at 27:58.

Rating: C+. This was long, though it didn’t feel all that long for most of the match. Gunn needed some smoke and mirrors to make up for his limited (though it could have been much worse) offense. I still don’t get the appeal of him in my limited time seeing him but he’s not the most thrilling guy. Sami still comes off like a star, though it might be a case of being a big fish in a small pond.

Team OVW celebrates to end the show. After the show was over, D’Amore offered Gunn a spot in Impact but Gunn turned him down.

Overall Rating: C. You have to consider the situation here. OVW is a smaller promotion and there’s nothing wrong with that. This show was designed to give OVW a rub and that’s what they did. There are people on the roster who look good and have a future, though they need some more seasoning, which is why they’re in OVW at the moment. Some of the talent is much better than others, but what we got here was perfectly watchable and that made for a rather nice show. It was a little long live, but getting to go to the Davis Arena was a cool moment and for the $20 ticket, I can’t complain.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/


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


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




New Column: The Villain Problem

Why do they never fix this?

 

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-villain-problem/




NXT UK – April 17, 2019: It Doesn’t Translate Well

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: April 17, 2019
Location: Brooklyn Pier 12, New York City, New York
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back stateside again with a batch of shows taped from Axxess. That means things could be all over the place as there is usually something big on the episodes for the sake of making it feel special. I’m not sure what to expect from things here though and that can make things a little more interesting. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Coffey Brothers vs. Raul Mendoza/Humberto Carrillo

As usual, commentary focuses on how good looking Carrillo is. Mark armbars Mendoza to start before taking him down for an early stomping. It’s off to Joe vs. Carrillo with Humberto’s handspring elbow connecting for one. A moonsault misses and Joe’s running headbutt to the ribs has Carrillo in trouble in the corner. Joe slaps on a seated full nelson and even puts Carrillo face first onto the mat to make it even worse. That’s a simple hold but it does look rather painful.

Carrillo powers out (impressive) so it’s a butterfly swing into the butterfly suplex to give Joe two. Mark comes in and gets punched in the face, allowing the quick tag to Mendoza. A running enziguri staggers Mark again and a springboard missile dropkick takes him down. Carrillo comes back in and stereo suicide dives drop the Brothers. Back in and a moonsault from Carrillo into Mendoza’s 450 gets two on Mark with Joe making a save. Joe uppercuts Mendoza into another enziguri and All The Best For The Bells gives Joe the pin at 5:34.

Rating: C+. Not too bad at all here with the Coffeys being a good power team and Mendoza/Carrillo continuing to impress every time they’re in the ring together. That’s the kind of match that is going to work every time and I’m always glad to see more from Mendoza and Carrillo. These four had chemistry together and it was a rather nice match.

Kassius Ohno doesn’t like the suggestion that things haven’t been going well for him, even though things haven’t been going well for him. He’s here to show the real European style to these so called veterans of the British scene. Like Ligero, who is famous for wrestling a crazy amount of matches. Ohno is quality over quantity and it would only take one match to show Ligero what a real wrestler is like.

Wrestlers want to see Pete Dunne vs. Walter II. Jordan Devlin doesn’t care and gets into a staredown with Walter.

Kona Reeves vs. Dave Mastiff

If I’ve ever wanted to see Mastiff crush someone, it’s right here. Reeves actually manages to get him into the corner and makes it clear that he is in fact the finest. A shoulder block doesn’t have much effect on Mastiff, who wrestles Reeves to the mat in a bit of a surprise. Some elbows to the head rock Reeves again but he knows to get away before the Cannonball can launch.

Reeves snaps him throat first across the top and slaps on the chinlock, which keeps Mastiff down longer than you might have guessed. Back up and Mastiff runs him over with a crossbody, setting up a release German suplex. Now the Cannonball can finish Reeves for good at 4:36.

Rating: D. I know WWE doesn’t like admitting defeat on talents but my goodness how could they possibly see anything left in Reeves? His gimmick is saying his nickname over and over again and his work isn’t anything above below average. Mastiff is something entertaining though and has gotten a little better than the run of the mill monster.

Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews are ready for Moustache Mountain and want to bring the Tag Team Titles to Wales.

Wolfgang cuts off Mastiff’s interview and have to be broken up. Mastiff threatens to have him for dinner.

Kacy Catanzaro vs. Rhea Ripley

Rematch from last year’s Mae Young Classic where Ripley eliminated Catanzaro. Kacy tries to stay away from Ripley to start but gets tossed into the corner with ease. A hair pull down puts Catanzaro on the mat and Ripley hammers away, though she has to stop and yell that she knows the rules. The delayed vertical suplex gives Ripley two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Catanzaro starts to try to speed but her crossbody is countered into a suplex, which is countered into a small package for two on Ripley. Catanzaro gets caught in the corner again and this time it’s Riptide for the pin at 3:29.

Rating: D+. Catanzaro is an intriguing name with her insane athleticism but she’s just so small that there’s only so much she can do when Ripley is that much bigger. Ripley squashed her here and looked dominant all over again, which is probably going to be the case with most of her matches against anyone not named Toni Storm or Piper Niven.

Post match Ripley puts her in the Cloverleaf.

Post break Ripley yells at Catanzaro, saying that’s what she had to expect. Piper Niven comes up and scares Ripley off.

Jinny has nothing to say about her loss.

Next week: Kassius Ohno vs. Ligero. Also, Moustache Mountain vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams

Non-title and the fans take their shoes off in protest of Gibson in America too. Before the match, Gibson says the same things he says almost every week and makes it clear that this is non-title, because that’s as close as Jordan and Williams will get to the titles. Gibson takes Jordan down by the arm to start and then does it again for good measure. Drake comes in for a forearm to Jordan, who flips forward and monkey flips Drake over in a big crash.

Williams comes in for an arm shot of his own so Gibson pulls Drake to the floor for a breather. It’s back to Gibson, who goes for the arm again but gets rolled up for two instead. A springboard back elbow to the jaw has Gibson in even more trouble as the champions can’t keep any momentum going. Drake tags himself back in though and it’s a basement dropkick to the knee, followed by a second to the head.

A running dropkick knocks Jordan off the apron and it’s a slingshot elbow into a backbreaker on the floor to make it even worse for Williams. Back in and the chinlock goes on as the fans get behind Williams as much as they can. A snap suplex gives Drake two and it’s another chinlock until Williams jawbreaks his way to freedom. Gibson gets kicked in his recently injured ear but Drake pulls Williams right back into the chinlock.

This time it’s broken up with ease and since Gibson is on the floor, the hot tag brings in Jordan to pick up the pace. A neckbreaker gives Jordan two and Gibson is still down, even waving Drake off when he comes over for a tag. Williams comes back in for a springboard back elbow, drawing Gibson off the floor to make the save. Jordan gets a blind tag and it’s the Swanton Bombay for two with Gibson pulling Drake to the floor. That’s enough for the champs, who take the countout at 10:35.

Rating: D+. The chinlocks killed this one and they would have been much better off by cutting two minutes out of the match. While I didn’t really care for the match, it’s a huge improvement over having Jordan and Williams steal a quick pin to set up the title rematch. Countouts can be the company’s friend in this situation but WWE never seems to remember that. Also, the champs need challengers and this is one way to set those up, especially when they don’t have a deep division in the first place. That being said, I’d be a little more hesitant to already tease a split between Gibson and Drake, unless Gibson is getting a huge push.

Pete Dunne talks about losing the title after nearly two years. He’s not leaving the title behind because it’s an extension of him. People were so used to him being the champion that they forgot about the chase. He’s been everywhere in WWE over the last two years and Walter gave him the fight of his life. Now he knows what to expect and he knows he can get the title back. Since he gave Walter a chance, give him the same courtesy. Give him a rematch. Great promo here with the video backing it up.

Overall Rating: D. Well so much for this one being a big show with something special. This was a rather dull episode with the wrestling not working and the guest stars, save for Mendoza and Carrillo, being rather lifeless. It takes something special to get a boring Catanzaro match but this show managed to make it happen. I wasn’t feeling this one, but the good thing is that NXT UK has become a good enough show that this is a one off misfire instead of a trend.

Results

Coffey Brothers b. Raul Mendoza/Humberto Carrillo – All The Best For The Bells to Mendoza

Dave Mastiff b. Kona Reeves – Cannonball

Rhea Ripley b. Kacy Catanzaro – Riptide

Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams b. Grizzled Young Veterans via countout

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/


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


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




Impact Wrestling – April 12, 2019: The One Two Combination Of Impact Troubles

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: April 12, 2019
Location: St. Clair’s College, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re about two weeks away from Rebellion and you can see most of the card from here. That’s a good sign as you should be able to know what you’re getting this close to the pay per view and it’s looking pretty solid on paper. The problem is they rarely get beyond solid and it would be nice to move forward for a change. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Moose vs. Zachary Wentz

Wentz goes for a wristlock to start and Moose throws him around for the easy escape. A lot bridge puts Moose on the floor for an apron superkick and Wentz is actually able to muscle him back in. That’s not a good idea as it’s a running corner dropkick to put him down again and Moose sends Wentz flying. The referee does at least yell at Moose before he chokes away on the ropes a bit more.

The other Rascalz can only watch as it’s an apron bomb to knock Wentz even sillier. Moose throws him back in but stops to pose, allowing Wentz to hit a dive. Back in and some running knees in the corner rock Moose, setting up a springboard crossbody for two. A high crossbody (minus the springboard) is countered into a gorilla press toss over the top onto the other Rascalz. The spear finishes Wentz at 8:36.

Rating: C. This mini feud has been far more entertaining than it should be, though I’m not sure where it goes. Does Moose just beat all three of them and then move on to something else? That’s not the best usage of a rather talented team, though maybe they can come up with something else before Moose runs through them all.

Rob Van Dam is back full time.

Rob is glad to be back and hopes his magnetic waist still has it.

Madison Rayne isn’t letting her loss to Jordynne Grace get to her because the goal is the Knockouts Title. Tessa Blanchard comes in to say that the glory days are over. Madison brings up beating Tessa twice and is fine with doing it a third time.

Rosemary vs. Su Yung

Yung has her usual army of bridesmaids with her. Rosemary charges straight at her and hammers away as she continues to blame Su for the loss of Allie. The upside down triangle choke over the ropes has Yung in more trouble but she gets out and starts in on the knee. A dragon screw legwhip sends Rosemary down and it’s time to bring out the bloody glove.

That takes too long though and a reverse DDT puts both of them down. A German suplex doesn’t work on Yung so Rosemary spears her, drawing the bridesmaids up to the apron. Cue Kiera Hogan to go after them but Rosemary doesn’t want to hear it. The Bridesmaids jump her for the DQ at 5:30.

Rating: D+. This was more storyline based than anything else and that’s ok for the most part. It’s interesting that Yung is now being pushed at a stronger level than where she was when Allie was in her corner. The story can continue, though you could argue that it should have ended a long time ago.

Post match Hogan is forced to watch as Rosemary gets beaten down. Hogan gets a Panic Switch of her own.

Video on United We Stand. Tommy Dreamer thinks it feels like ECW. I know it’s not the same thing, but Impact surpassed the initial success of ECW a long time ago. That’s not the greatest compliment in the world. The wrestlers are fired up over making it such a success. I’d have to see a failure.

Ace Austin isn’t happy with Aiden Prince costing him the six way scramble last week and wants revenge.

GWN Flashback of the Week: Taylor Wilde vs. Angelina Love, I believe from No Surrender 2008.

Killer Kross talks to Willie Mack about….jazz music? Speaking of jazz, Rich Swann likes jazz and is playing Swann for a fool. Wouldn’t be shocking actually.

The Deaners are still coming.

North vs. Sheldon Jean/El Reverso

That would be Josh Alexander/Ethan Page. Alexander and Reverso start things off and it’s quickly off to Jean, who gets his arm cranked. Reverso comes back in and gets caught in an assisted spinning sitout DDT from Page. A spinning backbreaker keeps Reverso in trouble and a powerbomb backbreaker from Alexander makes it even worse. Reverso gets over for the tag to Sheldon, who comes in with a springboard clothesline. Alexander cuts him off at the knees though and it’s a series of strikes to Reverso’s head, setting up a reverse AA into a whip spinebuster for the pin at 5:25.

Rating: D+. The North (not a good name) looked nice enough together and some of their double teaming was rather impressive. That being said, they shouldn’t give up so much offense in their debut, let alone to two unknowns. I mean, his name is El Reverso. How much should he be getting in?

Gail Kim doesn’t want to hear Tessa talk.

The North is here to stay.

Madison Rayne vs. Tessa Blanchard

Gail is on commentary. Madison doesn’t like Tessa shoving her in the face to start so she gets in a kick to the ribs. A rope walk hurricanrana sends Tessa outside for a few seconds but she’s right back in for some dropkicks to the back. Tessa’s suplex makes it even worse and we hit the chinlock….as we look at Gail for the fourth time in less than three minutes. Madison gets caught in the corner for a Codebreaker and we take a break.

Back with Madison hitting some forearms and a dropkick as we look at Gail AGAIN. Tessa’s spinning full nelson faceplant gets two and a double slingshot suplex is good for the same. The frustration sets in as we look at Gail for the eighth time in about ten minutes. Tessa grabs a chair but Gail takes it away, allowing Madison to get a rollup pin at 13:57.

Rating: C. I knew the Gail Kim love would be strong and that’s what we got here with the ridiculous amount of cutting over to her. The story is good and has been well built up, but I’m scared that they’re going to give Gail the win instead of going with the move that makes sense. Madison was her usual self here, which is exactly the kind of thing they brought her back in to do.

Post match Tessa yells at commentary.

Eddie Edwards and Eli Drake ask the Lucha Bros for a Tag Team Title shot but LAX comes in for the double beatdown.

The Deaners are still coming.

Johnny Impact says someone as dumb as Brian Cage only comes around once every thousand years. Now he has a fan club in Jordynne Grace that he can do food prep with. Taya Valkyrie implies that Grace and Cage are sleeping together to get under Melissa Santos’ skin.

OVE calls Rich Swann a walking dumpster fire. Swann stabbed them in the back and at Rebellion, they’re taking the X-Division Title.

Tessa promises to make it personal with Gail.

Rob Van Dam is back soon.

Fallah Bahh can’t find KM so he goes into the women’s dressing room and finds Scarlett Bordeaux. She doesn’t mind and agrees to team with him next week.

Johnny Impact/Taya Valkyrie vs. Jordynne Grace/Brian Cage

Taya is willing to start with Cage but she gets run over by Grace to start instead. They trade whips into the corner with Grace hitting a Cannonball, sending Taya over for a tag. Johnny is good though and bails to the floor to avoid having to face Cage. We take a break and come back with Johnny backing off from Cage, who shrugs off a superkick.

The fall away slam sends Johnny down but the springboard corkscrew crossbody staggers Cage just a bit. One heck of a clothesline blasts Impact and a backdrop gets way more height than it should be able to. Johnny finally slides between the legs and dives over to Taya. A trip to Grace lets Taya take over with a Jeff Hardy legdrop between the legs for two. Taya cranks on the arm and a running hip attack keeps Grace in trouble. That just means a sitout powerbomb out of the corner to plant Taya and a roll into the corner allows the tag to Cage.

Rating: D+. It’s like they’ve run out of good ideas to keep this feud going so they’re going to the most basic booking tropes they can think of. The crooked referee isn’t one of my favorite stories and while it’s better than watching them have the same matches over and over, this feud needed to end about two months ago and it’s just going on and on.

Post match Cage gets beaten down so Impact and Taya can pose with the referee. Johnny kisses Taya to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. Not their best show here as they’ve spent way too long on a lot of these stories and need something fresh. Impact has always had issues with making their main event stories seem epic and knowing when to end a feud, both of which are on full display here. It’s not a bad show by any stretch but it didn’t make me want to see Rebellion, which I’m often forgetting about in general. Just get to something fresh and make it more interesting.

Results

Moose b. Zachary Wentz – Spear

Rosemary b. Su Yung via DQ when the Undead Bridesmaids interfered

The North b. Sheldon Gene/El Reverso – Assisted whip spinebuster to Reverso

Madison Rayne b. Tessa Blanchard – Rollup

Johnny Impact/Taya Valkyrie b. Brian Cage/Jordynne Grace – Knee to Cage’s head

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/


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


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




NXT – April 17, 2019: They Take Over TV Too

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: April 17, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Mauro Ranallo

It’s time to get back home after New York after another incredible Takeover. With last week’s recap edition out of the way, things are back to normal here as we start the long build towards the next Takeover in a few months. The big draw is Johnny Gargano’s first comments as NXT Champion and you can hear the chants from here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

North American Title: Velveteen Dream vs. Buddy Murphy

Dream is defending after asking Murphy where his title was after Wrestlemania. Feeling out process to start with Murphy taking him to the mat in a headlock. Dream is right back with a headlock of his own and it’s a double nipup into a standoff. The Aussie fans are in full strength as Murphy headscissors him to the floor but Dream crawls back in to mess with Murphy’s head.

Speaking of heads, Murphy knees Dream in his for two and Dream is in trouble. Dream gets sent head first into the post for a trip to the floor, setting up the big flip dive. Back in and Murphy’s top rope Meteora gets two, setting up a sleeper to keep Dream down. It’s broken up with a ram into the corner and Murphy charges into one heck of a superkick to knock him silly. A Codebreaker gives Dream two but the Dream Valley Driver is blocked. The Hideo Itami tornado DDT across the top staggers Dream, who is fine enough to catch Murphy on top.

They knock each other out to the floor and a double drive brings them both back in at nine. Murphy’s DDT gets two but a super sunset flip is countered into the Dream Valley Driver for a rather near fall. Dream goes up and gets superkicked straight into a Batista Bomb for another two and they’re both down again. A jumping knee puts Dream down on the floor and Murphy is smart enough to break the count. Back in again and another Dream Valley Driver sets up the Purple Rainmaker to retain the title at 14:57.

Rating: B+. Were you expecting anything else? These two have been stars for the last year and I’m very glad to see Murphy going to the main roster as it’s a long overdue promotion. He’s been the best thing about 205 Live for a long time now and Murphy belongs on one of the two major shows. Dream was every bit as good as he usually was here and while I’m scared for him on the main roster, he’s great every time he’s in the ring here. The charisma alone is worth seeing and that’s what matters most.

The Street Profits talk about making opportunity and go to William Regal’s office to ask for a chance. The War Raiders (still under that name) come out and say they’ve heard what the Profits have been saying. They fight next week.

Here’s Gargano, of course in the Johnny Champion shirt, to address the crowd. Johnny talks about how we’ve been waiting a very, very, very long time for this moment and how he was told no at his NXT tryout in 2015. This is what happens when you don’t take no for an answer and now he’s here as champion. Cue the Undisputed Era to interrupt with Adam Cole saying to stop the music. He’s not going to listen to another Gargano love fest because he beat Johnny in New York.

Cole is the uncrowned NXT Champion and Gargano is nothing more than a punk. Gargano thinks the little boy band might not be in sync right now. He won two falls in a row in New York and he’s the UNDISPUTED NXT Champion. Cole: “How about you shut up Johnny?” Gargano laughs it off and says if he lost, he wouldn’t be crying like a little bay-baby. If Cole wants to get in the ring, Johnny will be glad to put some more points on the scoreboard. Cole heads to the ring but Roderick Strong jumps Gargano from behind. The Era beats him down and poses. Gargano vs. the Era continuing makes the most sense.

Kushida debuts in two weeks.

We look at the NXT callups in the Superstar Shakeup with Nigel calling the War Raiders the Viking Experience, even though they were the Raiders earlier tonight.

Dominik Dijakovic vs. Aaron Frye

Cyclone boot finishes Frye at 12 seconds.

Post match Dijakovic says he’s here because his family gave him the opportunity. They came to the United States and that spirit flows through his veins. He wants the North American Title so the Dream can feast his eyes. Sounds good to me.

The Undisputed Era says that nothing is wrong when Regal comes in. Gargano wants to face the Era, which sounds great to Cole. Actually Gargano wants to face Strong, which doesn’t sound great to Cole.

We recap Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler, which is actually quite the rivalry around here.

Aliyah and Vanessa Borne say they weren’t ready next week so Candice LeRae can find a partner to face them next week.

Women’s Title: Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler

Sane is challenging in her final chance at the title. They fight into the corner to start with Sane hitting a quick spinning backfist into the sliding D. A running crossbody from the apron keeps Baszler down but she’s right back with the strikes inside. Baszler’s knee to the chest gets two but the Kirifuda Clutch is countered. Sane hits the Interceptor and the Anchor has Baszler in more trouble.

The rope is grabbed so Sane drops a middle rope elbow to the back but a second is broken up. Baszler goes up as well, earning herself a trip into the Tree of Woe for an Alberto double stomp. Sane’s diving elbow hits barricade though and it’s time to crank on the arm back inside. A gutwrench faceplant sets up an arm trap choke until Sane gets a foot on the rope. The referee calls for a medic to check on the arm, with Io Shirai coming out to check on Sane as well. Baszler isn’t having that and pulls Sane back in for the arm stop but Shirai breaks it up for the DQ at 8:25.

Rating: B. This was the Cliff Notes version of their regular match and that’s still more than good enough. With Sane on the main roster, this was hardly a surprise ending and Shirai coming in for the save sets her up as the next challenger. Good match too, as Sane is one of the few who feels like a real threat to Baszler.

Post match Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke hold Shirai so Baszler can stomp Sane’s arm. The villains pose to end the show.

Overall Rating: A. I mean, what more do you want from a show like this? They set up matches for the next two weeks, had a great opener and a very good main event to send Sane off to the main roster. As usual it comes off like they know exactly what they want to do and then just go out and do it. This show was a breeze to watch and I had a great time with it, as the new stretch towards Takeover starts very well.

Results

Velveteen Dream b. Buddy Murphy – Purple Rainmaker

Dominik Dijakovic b. Aaron Frye – Cyclone boot

Shayna Baszler b. Kairi Sane via DQ when Io Shirai interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/


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


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