IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

SuperFight
Date: February 2, 2019
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Matt Striker

This is a major event for the company as we’re live again for the second time ever. The fact that the network is allowing them to go live for a second time in a pretty short time frame is a good sign for them and hopefully it leads to some more positive signs in the future. The main event here is Low Ki defending the World Title against Tom Lawlor in a match several months in the making. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at Low Ki being undefeated in MLW, including in the original incarnation of the company. Lawlor on the other hand has been running through everyone in front of him and hasn’t lost in several months. It’s a good build, though the ending isn’t exactly in doubt from here.

We run down the card.

Tag Team Titles: Lucha Bros vs. Hart Foundation

Teddy Hart and Davey Boy Smith Jr. are challenging here, with Brian Pillman Jr. in their corner, complete with Teddy carrying a cat (Striker: “Teddy Hart trying to get to the top of the meow-ntain tonight.”) and Smith with a bulldog (Striker: “The puppy-razzi.”). Dang it why did those things make me chuckle? Striker even explains the very basic rules of tag team wrestling, down to what constitutes a tag. I mean….yeah why not? How many people might be watching this for the very first time?

Smith picks Fenix up and sits him on the top before shrugging off some loud chops. A few forearms have Fenix rocked so he kicks Smith in the head to do some actual damage. The champs come in for stereo superkicks to Smith, followed by a Codebreaker into a flip splash to Teddy’s back. The victory roll splash hits Smith, drawing Teddy back in for the break. Teddy gets sent outside and now the chops have some more effect on Smith. They have so much of an effect that he northern lights suplexes both champs without even staggering, because that’s the kind of thing he can do.

Hart comes in for a double hanging DDT and we take a break. Since I’m watching on YouTube, we get what I believe is footage from the break with the Harts beating them up on the floor, including a double noggin knocker. Commentary comes back after about thirty seconds with Hart hitting his crazy top rope moonsault to the floor. Back in and it’s Project Ciampa to Fenix, setting up the super powerslam (still cool) into a top rope moonsault elbow for two as Pentagon makes the save.

We get a showdown between Hart and Pentagon, meaning the chop off is on again. Hart goes to an uppercut but charges into a superkick, only to eat a Sling Blade. Since Hart can just do this, he goes up and hits a super Canadian Destroyer, only to come up favoring his knee. Therefore it’s back to Fenix, who hits his sweet rolling cutter on Hart. Pentagon hits a Canadian Destroyer of his own and a superkick knocks Smith to the floor.

Another superkick into the Pentagon Driver plants Hart but Fenix has to go after Pillman. Pentagon isn’t done with dropping Hart on his head so it’s another Canadian Destroyer on the apron. The Fear Factor gets two as Pillman makes an off camera save. They all go to the corner with Smith pulling off Pentagon’s mask in a truly evil move. With Pentagon down, it’s a Doomsday Canadian Destroyer to finish Fenix at 11:28.

Rating: B. I could have gone for one or two fewer Canadian Destroyers but dang that was a heck of a finisher. The Hart Foundation has been one of the best surprises of the entire run of the series so far and it’s cool to have them get the titles here. The Lucha Bros are going to be around no matter what they do so it’s not like the loss hurts them all that much. This was a great choice for an opener and it was more than entertaining enough without overstaying its welcome. Now can we please make sure all their necks are in one piece?

Low Ki talks about how they’re finally here in a place with incredible wrestling history. He has been taking prizes, such as the title, a mask, a piece of flesh and more. Tonight, he’s taking a new trophy when he takes the lion’s mane from Lawlor. The violence tonight will be like nothing Lawlor has ever seen.

Ricky Martinez vs. Kotto Brazil

Grudge match after Martinez allegedly attacked Brazil with a champagne bottle, injuring his eye and leaving Brazil needing an eyepatch. Being a good heel, Martinez feigns blindness on the way to the ring. Salina de la Renta is here too and has a purse, which almost has to mean something. Brazil isn’t waiting on the bell and nails Martinez with a suicide dive to get things going in a hurry.

They brawl in the aisle with Martinez not even being able to get his jacket off. Martinez gets sent into the barricade and then the post, which is finally enough to set up the opening bell. They get in for the first time with Kotto hitting a good looking missile dropkick for two. Martinez is back up with a shot to the face to knock Brazil outside. That means another whip into the barricade and a swing sends Brazil into it again. Back in and the Martinez rams him face first into the mat over and over again as we talk about how good Salina looks. Fair enough.

Brazil’s comeback doesn’t last long as Martinez pulls him off the ropes and into a backbreaker for a rather painful looking crash. Martinez takes way too long going up though and it’s time for the comeback off a series of clotheslines. It’s always clotheslines. Another good looking dropkick puts Martinez down and a hanging Backstabber gets two. Martinez grabs an electric chair drop and gets two of his own off a wheelbarrow suplex. This gives us some great Salina yelling, which she does as well as anyone at the moment.

It also lets Striker talk about the difference between covering belly to back and belly to belly. Uh yeah Matt. Brazil is right back up with something like an Edgecator to send Martinez straight to the rope. That seems to be enough for Martinez as he rips off the eyepatch and knees Brazil in said eye for two.

Code Red gives Brazil two of his own and it’s off to Naomi’s reverse Rings of Saturn (Which Striker says is like a hold called a Can Opener. I’ve heard worse names.). That’s enough to get Salina on the apron so Brazil grabs her by the throat (that’s rather aggressive). It’s time to go into the purse though (you knew that was coming) with Salina pulling out some kind of spray to blind Brazil, giving Martinez the pin at 10:12.

Rating: C. This felt a lot longer than it was and that’s not the best thing in the world. At least we had a good enough match, with Salina being a nice bonus as usual. You knew she was going to get involved in the end and that’s not a bad thing. Sometimes you need to have something set up so it can be paid off in a hurry, which is what happened here. Brazil losing is fine, as someone his size is going to be able to bounce back with one more entertaining match.

Jimmy Havoc is coming back.

MLW is going live again in four weeks from Chicago for Intimidation Games. Good for them.

The Hart Foundation is celebrating with champagne in the shower. Maxwell Jacob Friedman comes in to say he wants the Middleweight Title back. Teddy: “Why don’t you lick the champagne off the belt?” MJF can come get a title shot whenever. Or he can go join the Elite.

SuperFight II is coming to Los Angeles on February 1, 2020. Dang that’s some advance planning for a promotion whose current run is less than a year old. That’s a good thing mind you.

MLW World Title: Low Ki vs. Tom Lawlor

Lawlor is challenging and pulls out his own hair during his entrance. How Mick Foley of him. They go right at it after the bell, which is what should be happening here. Lawlor gets in a left hand to knock Low Ki down, which he swears wasn’t a knockdown. Striker: “You fight like you’re the third monkey on Noah’s Ark and it’s starting to rain!” I’m not a Striker fan but that’s one of the best lines I’ve ever heard.

Lawlor can’t get the arm so the champ charges at him, earning a heck of a t-bone suplex. A hard kick to the chest slows Lawlor down and Low Ki sends him shoulder first into the post. The arm gets wrapped around the post before Low Ki grabs…..a door from underneath the ring. I mean, they used them on Rollerjam so why not.

Low Ki misses a right hand and punches his way through the door to give Lawlor two instead. Lawlor’s bad arm doesn’t hold up so Low Ki reverses into a dragon suplex over the ropes. A superplex attempt earns Lawlor a crotching and the top rope double stomp gives the champ two. Low Ki grabs the dragon sleeper but gets reversed into a rear naked choke….for the knockout to make Lawlor champion at 4:49.

Rating: C+. Well that was sudden. That’s the best word I can think of to describe this, though I’d bet on it being due to the show running long. They’re not exactly used to going live so maybe their timing was off. That being said, there’s something to be said about having Lawlor, whose background is in MMA, to finish someone in a hurry with a choke like that. It’s not like the ending was ever in doubt here, though I could have gone with a bit more. What we got was good though, and Lawlor winning the title was the absolute right call.

Overall Rating: C+. This is a show that could have used some more time. They got through everything they needed to touch on and set something up for the future, though it felt rushed at times. Maybe the TV version was better (and to be fair it was a free show) but this was a little too much packed into the time they had. The results all made sense (maybe Brazil should have won) though and they got the big ending right so it’s certainly good, just not quite great.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Fusion #42
Date: February 1, 2019
Location: Scottish Rites Temple, Miami, Florida
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Rich Bocchini

So because I’m not allowed to get caught up with all the shows I’ve missed over the last month, there’s this show, which aired the night before their big SuperFight special and isn’t even on their YouTube page. I can’t find a single mention of this show on their site either, but for the sake of completion, let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Ricky Martinez vs. Fred Yehi

Well if I just have to deal with more Salina. Yehi muscles him over with an early German suplex and hits some loud strikes in the corner. A running kick to the head makes it even worse as it’s all Yehi so far. Martinez goes simple by ax handling him in the back of the head, followed by a dropkick to the side of the head for two. A pop up knee to the face keeps Yehi in trouble and Martinez does the Madison Rayne faceplants into the mat. Yehi blocks the last one though and pops up with a brainbuster for two of his own. Back up and Martinez gets in a quick poke to the eye, setting up a rollup for the pin at 3:57.

Rating: D+. This was a weird one as they were setting up a back and forth match and then just ended it out of nowhere. What we got was good enough and both guys are capable of having a rather nice match, but instead they went with the short form idea. Martinez going after the eye ties into his feud with Kotto Brazil, but they could have expanded this one by a good while.

Video on Tom Lawlor vs. Low Ki.

Low Ki is in Orlando and talks about everyone he’s beaten as champion. You get to the top based on skill instead of who you train with and Lawlor will find that out tomorrow night.

We see clips of Low Ki’s reign of terror, including winning the title, taking Fenix’s mask, ripping off Daga’s ear and stabbing Konnan.

SuperFight Control Center, including the matches taking place in the upcoming weeks.

Lawlor is tired of hearing all the talk from Low Ki and Salina so on Saturday, it’s time to fight. He still can’t talk very well, but he’s certainly trying.

We look at Lawlor’s path to the title, starting with Battle Riot and wins over Jake Hager, Shane Strickland and Sami Callihan.

Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Tommy Dreamer

Empty Arena match taped earlier in the day. Pillman comes through the stands and brags about being trained in Calgary, which brings Dreamer up the steps for some very un-PG language as the fight begins. Pillman sends him head first into a wall and into what looks like a closet where Dreamer gets hit with a metal sign. Back down the steps we go and Dreamer gets a chain put in his mouth.

Dreamer is back up with a trashcan to the head as a referee asks if Brian wants to quit. Uh, the lack of an audience doesn’t mean there aren’t rules here. Could we have some control here people? They fight outside with Dreamer being sent into a wall and calling down some steps. They choke each other a lot until Dreamer suplexes him on some grass.

It’s time to head back inside again and they wind up in a kitchen, with Dreamer getting both mayonnaise and a door stop to the head. A low blow gets Dreamer out of trouble and Pillman starts to beg off from the threat of a light tube to the head. Pillman crawls out of the ring and says thank you as the fight ends at about 6:45.

Rating: D. What am I supposed to say about this? It wasn’t a match by any traditional definition and it wasn’t particularly good as they didn’t do anything that hadn’t been done before. The ending means we’re not done yet and for lack of a better term, Dreamer won. This felt like they had an initial idea but didn’t bother to figure out where it was going to go in the end.

One last rundown for SuperFight wraps us up.

Overall Rating: D+. This was the most skippable show the company has ever had as it was more or less their version of a Kickoff Show. I can understand why it wasn’t immediately uploaded to their YouTube page because it’s not like anything on here was meaningful in the slightest. It’s not the worst show in the world and it did a nice job of setting up the main event, but this might as well have been some kind of special instead of a regular show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

Make your own penitentiary jokes.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/not-penitentiary-jimmy-uso-arrested-disorderly-conduct/

Apparently he tried to fight a cop after he and Naomi were pulled over for going the wrong way on a one way street.  The car just happened to smell of alcohol, though it doesn’t appear Naomi, the driver, was drunk.  No word on what this means for the title match on Sunday, but egads this comes off as such a dumb move no matter how you look at it.  And now we’re even more likely to see Shane and Miz retain.  I’m so happy.

I think you can get this one.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-rollins-vs-lesnar/

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: February 13, 2019
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Things are getting more interesting around here as Walter continues to be the biggest thing to be added to the show since its inception (all those months ago). For now though, we’re in Phoenix for some shows taped at the Royal Rumble Axxess. We should be in for some fun shows around here and some guest stars aren’t out of the question. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory of Pedro Morales.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Toni Storm to open things up. She won the Mae Young Classic and then it was Toni Time at Takeover: Blackpool. Toni knew that Rhea Ripley would be coming to get her title back though because Storm is a bully. She’s beaten Ripley before though and she can do it again. This brings out Rhea, who now has what sounds like THIS IS MY BRUTALITY before her theme music. She’s the first ever NXT UK Women’s Champion and she’s sick of hearing the comparisons to Storm. The rematch is brought up and Storm says “that’s nice”. The fight is on with Rhea quickly bailing.

Noam Dar vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin’s wristlock is countered into a headlock, followed by some arm cranking on Devlin’s arm for a change. That just earns him a release Rock Bottom into a standing moonsault but the fans think he still sucks. We hit the double arm crank on Dar for a bit before he fights up and kicks Devlin off the ropes.

An exchange of kicks puts both guys down and Dar slaps on the ankle lock. That’s escaped as well and the Irish Ace Cutter gives Devlin two. They head outside with Devlin loading up a whip into the steps, only to have Travis Banks come out to yell. Dar’s ankle goes into the steps but Devlin stops to fight Banks, allowing Dar to grab a rollup for the surprise pin at 10:20.

Rating: C. I’m not big on either guy (though I’m much higher up than I used to be) and this was a completely middle of the road match. Neither does much that grabs your attention and while this was little more than a way to advance Devlin vs. Banks, it wasn’t exactly thrilling. Then again nor was it bad, so we’ll go with right in the middle.

Post match Devlin stays on Dar, drawing Banks in for the big fight.

Next week: Ripley vs. Storm for the title.

Two weeks from now: Walter vs. Kassius Ohno.

Jinny vs. Mia Yim

Jinny takes her straight down into a front facelock until Mia reverses into one of her own. An armbar is broken up just as fast and Mia grabs a rollup for two. The running hurricanrana doesn’t work either as Mia cartwheels her way out and takes Jinny down for some slaps to the arms. With none of the holds working, Jinny goes with blunt force trauma in the form of a Downward Spiral into the middle rope. A slap to the face gives Jinny two and she pulls on Mia’s arms for good measure.

That’s broken up and Mia slaps on a Tarantula of her own. Mia adds a neckbreaker for the double knockdown before firing off some shots to the face. A Cannonball connects as you can see the Axxess venue in the background. It’s not a bad thing but it’s just so odd to see. Jinny misses a charge and gets German suplexed into the corner, sending herself outside for a much needed breather. Back in and Jinny scores with a kick to the head, allowing her to throw her feet on the ropes for the pin at 7:55.

Rating: C-. Jinny is someone who seems like she would gain a lot from some talking segments that get to showcase herself outside the ring a bit more. Her work is fine enough, but the only things I know about her is she’s mean and cares about fashion. I need a lot more than that, and it would be nice if they let us have something.

Wolfgang vs. Pete Dunne

Non-title and no seconds here, oddly enough. Wolfgang goes for the arm to start so Dunne spins out and takes Wolfgang down with a total of no effort. Another grab of the wrist sends Wolfgang out to the floor and it’s time for a breather. Back in and a referee distraction (stop telling Dunne the rules) lets Wolfgang get in a forearm, setting up the required chinlock.

Dunne fights out of that as quickly as anyone fights out of a chinlock and nails a middle rope dropkick to the knee. An ankle lock sends Wolfgang bailing to the ropes, followed by sending Dunne face first into the apron. Back in and Dunne stomps on the arm as Nigel talks about Wolfgang having a SUBURBAN COMMANDO tattoo on his forearm. Well I’m a fan for life.

Wolfgang drops him ribs first across the top rope to bang Dunne up but Dunne avoids a charge and is right back with a bunch of slaps in the corner. Dunne flips out of a release German suplex and nails the X Plex for two. It’s time to bend the fingers back, followed by the stomping to Wolfgang’s head. Dunne pulls him into a triangle until a buckle bomb breaks things up.

The spinning release fisherman’s suplex gets two but Dunne nips up before the Howling. There’s a stomp to the fingers but Wolfgang is right back with a hard clothesline. Darren Young’s Gut Check gives Wolfgang a very delayed two as Wolfgang grabs his knee. He gets up limping, prompting Nigel to say he thinks Wolfgang has a bad knee. That kind of line sounds so out of place from him. Anyway the Howling is countered into the finger bending to make Wolfgang tap at 10:43.

Rating: B-. Leave it to Wolfgang to give Dunne one of his worst matches ever and leave it to Dunne to still make it entertaining. That’s not fair to Wolfgang as he was pretty good here, but the problem is having him get in on the same ground floor as Bate, Dunne and Seven. That’s being the other rookies in 2002 and it just doesn’t work. Walter is the end game for Dunne anyway, so keeping him strong like this is the only way to go.

Overall Rating: C+. Perfectly watchable show here which felt like a combination of a regular show and a special. The whole show feels like it’s on hold until Walter vs. Dunne is set up and that’s fine, though it can’t last forever. I can imagine that one taking place in April over Wrestlemania weekend and if it just happens to be in New York, so be it. Anyway, it should be a blast whenever it happens because they’re putting in the effort to build the characters, which is what matters most.

Results

Noam Dar b. Jordan Devlin – Rollup

Jinny b. Mia Yim – Kick to the head

Pete Dunne b. Wolfgang – Dunne bent his finger back

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: September 13, 2004
Location: KeyArena, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 5,500
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

It’s the night after Unforgiven and things are back to the normal levels of bleak. In this case, that’s due to HHH winning the World Title again, because Randy Orton had his four week reign and needed to be eradicated once and for all. I’m sure he’ll get some title shots going forward, but it’s pretty clear that his time has already come and gone. Let’s get to it.

Here’s Unforgiven if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Ric Flair, Batista and a bunch of women are in the ring for HHH’s title celebration. Flair introduces the new champ as the confetti falls. Great now it’s going to be all over ringside all night. There’s also a huge cake, which is clearly the kind with a person inside to jump out. HHH says you can feel the excitement in the air because the king is back on his throne. This is the happiest he’s sounded in months, which certainly does make sense for him.

All of the girls kneel in front of him, so HHH says there will be plenty of time for getting on their knees. Normally I’d make a PG joke but the Diva Search girls have made that one sound tame. HHH talks about Orton spitting on him a few weeks back, but now he’s laughing again. Then he spit in the fans’ faces and they can’t even wipe it off because he’s the World Heavyweight Champion.

The girls rip his shirt off but HHH looks at the cake, which he knows has someone inside. Flair and Batista didn’t send it, so it must have been Bischoff. An explosion goes off and of course it’s Orton to take out Evolution. So…..was there a girl in there in the first place and Orton kidnapped her? Or did he just pay off the production people? HHH gets thrown into the hole in the cake, leaving his feet kicking in the air for a funny bit. Not funny enough to validate HHH getting another long promo or another title reign or how obvious the whole thing was, but funny.

It’s so funny that we look at it again after a break. During said break, HHH got out of the cake and kept falling over from the icing.

HHH yells at Bischoff and gets Orton in a handicap match tonight.

Chris Benoit vs. Robert Conway

William Regal comes out to cancel out Sylvan Grenier. Conway jumps him to start so Benoit slides between the legs and goes with the chops. It’s way too early for the Sharpshooter as Conway bails outside for a breather. Back in and Conway snaps off a suplex to take over, meaning we hit the stomping and choking. A neck crank doesn’t last long as Benoit fights up, only to get thrown to the floor almost immediately.

Back in and Benoit hooks a quick small package for two but Conway chokes him right back down. Conway has him in trouble again as Benoit is giving Conway more than he’s ever gotten in his career. Benoit finally fights back with forearms and a snap suplex for two of his own. It’s time to crank things up and Benoit rolls some German suplexes, setting up the Crossface for the win.

Rating: C-. That’s a fine way to go with Benoit, as he made Conway look good for a little while and then won without much effort as soon as he started putting in some effort. Benoit isn’t about to lose to Conway but Conway can get a lot out of just beating on Benoit for a few minutes. Nothing great or even very good, but what we got was fine.

Shelton Benjamin is coming back.

Taboo Tuesday is coming.

Here’s Stacy Keibler for this week’s Diva Search segment, which is a Seattle Slugfest. Molly Holly (with her regular hair) comes out to interrupt instead though and says the girls can have their “sl**” fest later (that’s a major swear from Molly). For right now though, it’s time for the two of them to have a competition of their own, with Stacy getting the pick.

That would be a dance off, but Molly had eight years of ballet classes. She requests to dance to William Regal’s music and does just fine, as expected. Stacy does the kind of dance you would expect from her and seems to be declared the winner. Molly jumps her from behind, drawing in Nidia, Gail Kim, Victoria and Trish Stratus for the big brawl. Bischoff, six woman, bell.

Trish Stratus/Molly Holly/Gail Kim vs. Stacy Keibler/Nidia/Victoria

Joined in progress with the Nidia hitting Trish with a middle rope crossbody. A spinebuster cuts Nidia down for two though and some right hands keep Nidia in trouble. It’s off to Gail as the fans want Stacy, likely due to her barely existing skirt. Gail’s half crab has Nidia screaming until she makes a rope. Molly comes in as Lawler makes jokes about the Diva Search girls boxing later. A neckbreaker takes Gail down and thankfully it’s off to Victoria instead of Stacy. Victoria gets to clean house on her own until Molly ties her in the Tree of Woe. That’s enough for Stacy to tag herself in though and grab a rollup to pin Molly.

Rating: D. What were you expecting here? Stacy has no business being in there and Nidia isn’t exactly good either. That leaves four women to carry a six woman tag and it’s not the easiest thing in the world when one of the women worked most of the match. It wasn’t good, but at least it was short and that’s about as good as it gets.

Kane comes in to Bischoff and wants Shawn Michaels tonight. Bischoff can’t do that as Shawn is booked for the Highlight Reel, so Kane grabs him by the throat. Since Shawn isn’t happening tonight, Kane can fight him any other night. As for tonight, Bischoff will find someone and Kane can have a No DQ match with no questions asked.

It’s time for the Highlight Reel with Jericho talking about last night’s brutal match but it was all worth it (even the ladder suppository) to get the Intercontinental Title back. That’s a record breaking seven times, which brings him to his guest, who is a former Intercontinental Champion in his own right. This brings out Shawn, who talks about beating Kane even uglier than he was before. Jericho agrees that it was impressive, but not quite as impressive as winning the Intercontinental Title for the SEVENTH TIME.

Actually that’s why Shawn is out here, because they’re neck and neck over the years. They’ve met in Seattle before so let’s do it one more time for the title. Cue Christian and Tyson Tomko with Christian talking about how awesome his career has been. He’s so awesome that he should get the Intercontinental Title shot right now. Shawn says deal, as soon as Christian beat shim. Jericho says not so fast, because he knows what is going to happen.

Everyone knows what’s going to happen and is willing to read the front row’s minds. A lot of fans are really excited to see it but section 53 knows that Tyson Tomko is going to interfere. There’s a kid that knows the solution though: let’s have a tag match! So the kid is the reason we’re not seeing Shawn vs. Christian or Jericho? Someone throw that kid in a closet, cover him in peanut butter and let a trio of rabid squirrels loose.

Christian/Tyson Tomko vs. Shawn Michaels/Chris Jericho

Joined in progress with Shawn chopping away at Christian (with bad ribs) before handing it off to Jericho for a suplex. It’s already back to Shawn to slug away at Tomko in the corner before tripping him down for a basement dropkick. One heck of a clothesline takes Shawn’s head off (Lawler: “PROBLEM SOLVED!”) and the villains take over. JR uses a neck crank to recap the evening (not the worst idea in the world), followed by Christian coming in to stomp away.

A flying forearm gets Shawn out of trouble though and it’s back to Jericho so the pace can pick up. The springboard dropkick puts Tomko on the floor with Christian following him, setting up the big stereo dives. We take a break (allowing me to drool over the idea Shawn and Jericho as a full time team) and come back with Jericho in trouble as Christian slaps on a chinlock with a knee in the back.

Christian’s backbreaker gets two and Tomko pulls on the ribs again. Jericho finally avoids a charge from Christian and the hot tag brings in Shawn to clean house. The top rope elbow hits Tomko but Christian crotches Shawn against the post for a save. Jericho cuts Christian off and it’s Sweet Chin Music to finish Tomko.

Rating: D+. That’s a “well that happened” if I’ve ever seen one. The more talented team won and it’s not like there was anything important happening here. You can’t tease a Shawn vs. Jericho or Shawn vs. Christian match and then go with this lame tag match, but for some reason that’s as good as we can get. Not a terrible match, but quite the downgrade.

Post match Christian gives Shawn the Unprettier on the floor.

Simon Dean, a fitness guru with his own Simon System of weight loss products, is looking forward to helping us lose weight. This is set up like an old commercial for a product, complete with a phone number and payment plan, which gives me some nice flashbacks to the old WCW days.

It’s Diva Search time with Coach hosting. The three come out with JR having to handle the mini bios, making him sound like a very sad man indeed. Joy is eliminated so Christy and Carmella put on the huge boxing gloves. Thankfully Vince McMahon comes out to interrupt and talk about next week being the season premiere of Raw.

Therefore, next week will see a groundbreaking announcement that affects Bischoff, everyone in the locker room and every fan around here. As for tonight though, Vince has an announcement…for Coach. Instead of the women fighting each other, they’re going to beat up Coach, who has to stand in one place or be fired. The referee even gives them some suggested targets and each of them gets thirty seconds.

Christy hits him low and chokes him down before biting him on the back of the pants. Carmella goes more traditional with rights to the face, one of which knocks Coach down. That means Christy wins, because duh. The winner of the whole thing is announced next week, thank goodness.

Eugene has a very separated shoulder after last week’s attack from HHH.

Kane vs. Gene Snitsky

No DQ. Kane clotheslines him down to start and hits a big boot to the side of the head as Lawler makes fun of JR for not knowing Snitsky. A raised boot in the corner slows Kane down and Snitsky hits those big right hands of his, which start with a big pull back and finish with a bigger follow through. It looks like he’s aiming for Kane’s stomach.

Snitsky hits him low to cut off a chokeslam attempt but Kane kicks him down again. Kane wraps the chair around Snitsky’s throat but Lita gets in and takes it off. That means an argument, allowing Snitsky to chair Kane in the back, sending him right onto Lita. That means a no contest, and likely a miscarriage.

We get the big stretcher job as Lita holds her stomach and Kane tells her that the baby is going to be ok. After a break, we get a BABY KILLER chant, which you don’t get to hear very often.

Smackdown Rebound.

Post break, Kane helps Lita into an ambulance as Stacy and Victoria look on.

Evolution vs. Randy Orton

Flair jumps Orton before the bell so Orton backdrops him down to check off the Bingo square. It’s off to HHH (Not Batista first?) to get punched in the face but Orton slides outside and pulls Batista down onto the apron. Batista comes in legally so Orton slugs away again until a spinebuster takes him down. Now HHH is willing to come in for some shots to the face but the Pedigree is countered with a slingshot, sending HHH crotch first into the buckle. The RKO is loaded up but Batista comes in with the clothesline and that’s a lame DQ.

Post match the beatdown is on until Shelton Benjamin makes his return for the save….and gets beaten down. Benoit makes the real save and Batista takes the beatdown to end the show. Wouldn’t it have been more productive to have those run-ins in reverse? Eh at least the six man should be good.

Overall Rating: D. That ending segment is a perfect compliment to the opener: Orton gets the better of HHH at the beginning and the end, but none of that really matters as HHH is still the champion. That’s not exactly something that makes me want to see where things are going, because things are going in the direction of more HHH on top with HAHA I’M STILL CHAMPION being the big closing line every week. It’s been that way for far too long now and that’s not the right way to make me want to keep watching.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: February 13, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re coming up on the build towards New York and that’s going to be a big night, with some of the card starting to come into focus. The big story continues to be Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa, but Velveteen Dream is getting involved as well, which could make for some very interesting curves. He does certainly know how to shake things up. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dominik Dijakovic vs. Shane Thorne

Thorne gets smart by going after the arm to start, including wrapping it around the ropes and kicking away a bit, followed by a dropkick to the side of the head. Dijakovic shrugs it off with some power but Thorne stays smart by wrenching the arm some more. A belly to back suplex puts Dijakovic down but he superkicks Thorne off the top for a big crash. Dijakovic, who stands 6’7, nails a big springboard spinning ax handle to the floor (Fans: “FEAST YOUR EYES!”), setting up Feast Your Eyes for the pin at 4:22.

Rating: C. I still don’t know why his name isn’t just Dominic Dijak but at least he got a win here and looked fine doing so. Thorne has nowhere to go but up as he’s starting from scratch and looked good here. I hope he gets at least a chance and in NXT, they might be willing to actually give him a chance. Nice little match here that actually had me wondering for a bit.

The Undisputed Era says they’re having a down start to their year but losing the Tag Team Titles mean they’re all free to go for singles gold. Tonight, Adam Cole is starting with Ricochet.

We look back at the end of last week’s show with Io Shirai pinning Shayna Baszler.

Shirai wants the title but Bianca Belair isn’t sure about that.

Humberto Carrillo and Stacy Ervin Jr. are here for a tag match (with Mauro doing their introduction via voiceover for some reason) but Kassius Ohno interrupts. He knows how the crowd is around here but he won’t be around much longer. Instead he’s going somewhere to be appreciated….and here’s Keith Lee to knock him out with one shot to the face. Lee says he could have hit Ohno in the “dangly bits” like Ohno did to him and apologizes for the interruption.

Humberto Carrillo/Stacy Ervin Jr. vs. Street Profits

The Profits mock Ohno, who is still out as they walked past. Carrillo and Ford start things off with some fast paced counters, capped off by stereo missed dropkicks. A whip into the corner just lets Carrillo flip around a bit, followed by some rather nice armdrags into an armbar. Dawkins comes in with a heavy shoulder but Carrillo is right back up with a spinning kick to the face. A running shooting star gets two on Dawkins but Ervin walks into a rather fast spear to put him in trouble.

The chinlock doesn’t last long so Ford hits a SCARY belly to back, dropping Ervin on the back of his head so hard that the referee immediately slides over to check on him. Ervin is right back up and rolls over for the tag to Carrillo so house can be cleaned. A handspring elbow drops Dawkins and a big dive into an armdrag sends Ford outside. Everything breaks down and a very high moonsault gets two on Dawkins. Back up and Ervin gets caught in an electric chair, setting up the Doomsday Blockbuster to give Ford the pin at 6:15.

Rating: C+. Some of those dives and flips looked great and I could go for more of either team. I’ve liked the Profits for a long time now and having them get into the title picture would be fine. The same is true for Ervin and Carrillo, even though the latter is already up on the main roster, as he should be.

Post match the Profits say they want in on the title picture because they’re ready to go to war at any time, even with the War Raiders. This brings out Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel to say they should get the shot. Cue Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch power walking to the ring for a three way argument but the War Raiders come out to request more fighting over the titles. The Undisputed Era comes in from behind but the Raiders clear the ring without much trouble.

Johnny Gargano says 2018 was an up and down year but he knows his endgame. Now he knows what he wants to do and is ready to show the locker room. Johnny Wrestling is back.

Next week: Gargano defends the North American Title against Velveteen Dream.

Taynara Conti vs. Aliyah

Aliyah’s gear is designed by Versace. Conti wastes no time in trying an armbar but Aliyah is right back up with a faceplant as Vanessa Borne is out at ringside. Aliyah kicks her in the back a few times but gets sent face first into the middle buckle. Some throws by the arm have Aliyah in more trouble and a kick to the face makes it even worse. The armbar over the ropes stays on the arm but Borne grabs Conti’s leg, allowing Aliyah to slam her off the top. A series of kicks to the back of the head makes Conti tap at 2:52.

Post match Borne raises her head but here’s an angry Shayna Baszler to chase them off. Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir come in from behind though and it’s a big beatdown to all three. Shayna says this is the new reality.

Video on Velveteen Dream winning the Worlds Collide tournament and getting the North American Title shot.

Adam Cole vs. Ricochet

Cole starts fast with right hands in the corner before going after the leg. The knee is wrapped around the post and then around the rope back inside as Cole certainly has a focus. Ricochet gets in an enziguri for a breather but Cole is right back on him with more shots to the knee.

A knee crusher keeps Ricochet in trouble but he’s right back with a hard clothesline off the good leg. Somehow he’s fine enough to hit a standing moonsault for two so Cole goes right back to the knee. The fireman’s carry backbreaker gives Cole two of his own but he misses an enziguri. Ricochet grabs a suplex, only to get caught in the brainbuster onto the knee. That’s only two as well so Ricochet is right back up with a reverse hurricanrana.

Ricochet gets to the top but seems to slip/have his knee give out on what looked like a Swanton attempt. They forearm it out with Cole getting the better of things but taking too long going up top. Ricochet’s elbows don’t work as Cole knocks him down, only to have Ricochet pop back up. Some rolling suplexes set up Vertigo (Samoan driver) to finish Cole at 15:15.

Rating: B+. This was a heck of a match with a different side of Ricochet coming out. It’s cool that he got to do some stuff other than the flips for a change and having something like Vertigo as a more traditional finisher can help keep the big spots fresh. Cole was working hard too and they had a good story with the knee. I liked this more than I thought I would and it was a great main event.

Post match the Undisputed Era runs in to beat down Ricochet. Aleister Black tries to come in for the save and gets taken out as well to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. I know the Gargano vs. Ciampa feud is becoming an all time classic, but it’s a good sign that they can go almost completely away from it for a week and have a rather solid show. Other than Gargano’s promo, there was nothing about them on here and it was nice for a change. That’s a very good sign for the future and hopefully something they keep up. I say hopefully with a bit of a smile as they’ve done it for years now. Anyway, very good show, as you probably knew in advance.

Results

Dominik Dijakovic b. Shane Thorne – Feast Your Eyes

Street Profits b. Humberto Carrillo/Stacy Ervin Jr. – Doomsday Blockbuster to Ervin

Aliyah b. Taynara Conti – Kicks to the head

Ricochet b. Adam Cole – Vertigo

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: February 12, 2019
Location: Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves

It’s the go home show for Elimination Chamber and we have some big matches to get through. As was the case last night on Raw, we’ll have some kind of a match to determine the other team starting the women’s tag team Elimination Chamber match. On the opposite end, there is also a gauntlet match to determine who will enter the men’s Elimination Chamber match last. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory of Pedro Morales. I’m sure we’ll get the full video tribute on Raw.

We see the end of last night’s Raw with Charlotte replacing Becky Lynch in the Raw Women’s Title match at Wrestlemania. Still works for me.

A member of New Day will replace the injured Mustafa Ali in the Elimination Chamber. It was going to be one of them or Rey/Andrade so that’s fine.

Here’s Charlotte to open things up. After mocking the BECKY chants, Charlotte talks about how Becky screwed up last night, just like she always has. It was Becky who got hurt in November and gave Charlotte the spot instead, all so the myth of the Man could continue while Charlotte went to battle. She’s the background of the women’s division so Vince McMahon made a business decision so everything could work.

Becky isn’t coming out here right now because she’s a flash in the pan and not the kind of person Vince is taking a chance on. You can boo her now because she’s dedicating her win to Becky Lynch. Charlotte will be her in the front row at Elimination Chamber because we might have a new champion and she might have a new Wrestlemania opponent. Great heel promo here, as Charlotte plays that character to near perfection.

Carmella/Naomi vs. IIconics vs. Fire and Desire

The losers start the Elimination Chamber with Bayley/Sasha Banks. Before the match, all three teams talk about how they should be champions and how they have an advantage. Mandy and Carmella trade waistlocks to start as Graves praises the IIconics for being smart enough not to start since losing is all that matters here. Sonya comes in and gets kicked in the ribs a few times, allowing Naomi to grab a quickly broken armbar. Naomi’s splits splash gets two and it’s back to Carmella, who gets taken down without much effort. Of course her response is to dance because it’s all about showing off rather than hurting someone.

Mandy tags herself in but has to run from Naomi, who catches up to her on the floor as we take a break. Back with Carmella caught in a waistlock because Carmella seems to exist to dance and be in trouble. They both hit crossbodies at the same time (well Carmella just stood up straight instead of jumping or turning for a double knockdown). Mandy and Naomi come in off the hot tags to clean house, including the spinning jawbreaker from Naomi. The split legged moonsault finishes Mandy at 8:58.

Rating: D+. When did I start not liking Carmella that much? She’s just kind of there as a person to fill in a spot but she’s still the woman that was beating Charlotte and Asuka last year despite there being no reason for that to have happened. It’s hard to let go of that, though it’s not like she and Naomi have any real chance of winning the titles.

We get a graphic showing which two teams will be starting the match, which looks like it was made in 2004.

Bayley says Sasha will be in the Chamber on Sunday.

Tamina and Nia Jax say no one is walking out of the Chamber once they get done with them.

Liv Morgan will walk through fire for Sarah Logan and it’s going to be a new side of the Riott Squad on Sunday.

Mustafa Ali talks about the big hits he’s been taking and he’s upset about not having an opportunity at the WWE Championship. This is not the end and he’ll be back because he writes his story.

Here are Miz and Shane McMahon for McMizTV (take me now). Last week Miz was doing a photo shoot for his reality show and Shane was filming a guest spot for NCIS: Los Angeles. With that out of the way, here are this week’s guests: the Usos. They’re going to stand instead of having a seat and talk about how Miz and Shane may be champions but they don’t know each other. We get the Tag Team Test, which is listing off various facts about your partner, though Miz whispers the answers in Shane’s ear. Miz: “WHAT’S MY FAVORITE FOOD? Quiche.” Shane: “QUICHE! Quiche?”

They bring up the Mandy Rose issue before Shane threatens to hit Jimmy so hard that Jey will feel it. The Usos hit their catchphrase and drop the mic but Shane says the titles are the only things that are real. Shane: “You dig?” Double superkicks leave the champs laying, as it somehow becomes more obvious that they’re retaining the titles on Sunday. You know, because Shane McMahon as a champion is just something that happens in 2019.

Video on the Million Man March.

Here are Daniel Bryan and Rowan, with the former calling the fans fickle. He doesn’t need to be in the Elimination Chamber because it’s far more important that he keep the WWE Championship and help the world. He’s cut off though and we have a lot of time for the main event.

Gauntlet Match

Non-title but the winner gets to enter the Chamber last. Bryan and….Kofi Kingston start things off. I do love how they tease that it’s going to be anyone other than the singles member of the team. Bryan takes him down with a headlock to start and flips backwards into a leglock. Kofi sends Bryan outside, only to have Bryan come back in with a wristlock. Some knees to the ribs keep Kofi in trouble and it’s the surfboard double stomp to the knees.

Kofi fights up and kicks Bryan to the floor, setting up a big dive as we take a break. Back with Kofi in trouble again as Bryan hits a running dropkick to the back, sending Kofi to the apron. A middle rope knee to the back looks to set up the Swan Dive but Bryan only hits mat. Kofi is right back with a Boom Drop and a flipping splash for two.

Kofi’s springboard spinning crossbody gets two but Bryan ties him in the Tree of Woe for a sliding dropkick. A belly to back superplex is countered with Kofi landing on Bryan’s face as we take a break. Back with Bryan winning a strike off and hitting the YES Kicks, including the big one for two. They hit the pinfall reversal sequence but you don’t grapple with Bryan, who reverses into the LeBell Lock. Kofi manages a rope though and Bryan goes up, only to dive into a dropkick (despite landing on his feet before Kofi hit him).

Rowan trips Kofi so Big E. and Xavier go after him, earning a triple elimination. Bryan kicks away but misses the running corner dropkick, allowing Rowan, who I guess just stayed, to pull Kofi outside and send him into the timekeeper’s area. That means another ejection (or maybe a first) and it’s Bryan charging straight into Trouble in Paradise for the big upset at 24:30.

Jeff Hardy is in third and we come back with Kofi missing a dive into the barricade. Hardy jumps off the steps to take him out but the Swanton misses. Kofi can’t follow up though, allowing Jeff to hit the basement dropkick, which is countered into a rollup for two. The slingshot dropkick in the corner misses but Jeff catches him on top. That means a high crossbody for two, followed by the SOS to get rid of Hardy at 33:18.

Samoa Joe is in fourth and we come back with Joe hitting his corner enziguri for a close two. The abdominal stretch goes on, followed by a chinlock but Kofi sends him outside and hits a dive for a double eight count. Back in and Joe blasts him with a clothesline, followed by an atomic drop to put Kofi down again. The running backsplash gets two and Joe is incredibly frustrated.

Kofi gets to the apron for a springboard but Joe shoves him down, allowing him to stand next to the ropes and calmly count with the referee. It’s only an eight count again though and the neck crank is on. Kofi fights up and tries some clotheslines but gets caught in the Koquina Clutch. That means a climb up the corner though and Kofi flips back to pin Joe at 46:22.

Joe isn’t done though and suplexes the heck out of Kofi, followed by a Koquina Clutch on the floor. Shouldn’t that be a DQ since the next fall begins immediately? AJ Styles runs out fifth for the save and punches Joe to the back. We come back with Kofi barely able to get in the ring and AJ saying he doesn’t have to do this. Kofi says he can do this and shoves AJ, who slugs him down to start the next fall. A backbreaker gives AJ two and he starts in on the knee, followed by a snap suplex for two.

They hit a quick pinfall reversal sequence until AJ gets an STO backbreaker to really put Kofi down. Kofi fights back again and they head to the apron with Kofi missing a hard charge to slam knee first into the post. Somehow Kofi dives back in at nine and blocks a super hurricanrana to send AJ crashing to the mat. A top rope splash to AJ’s standing back (kind of like Shadows Over H***) gets two but AJ pulls him into the Calf Crusher. Kofi finally taps at 59:57 so here are Big E. and Xavier to carry him out. RKO outta nowhere finishes AJ at 1:00:58.

Rating: B-. You knew this was going to be long but the important thing is that it didn’t feel long. Kofi’s performance was great and you could make a case for him getting the Fastlane title shot assuming Bryan retains on Sunday. A nice celebration of his career is a fine idea and something that would work fine on a nothing pay per view like Fastlane. The ending was pretty clear, but there’s nothing wrong with something like that in this case. Good match, with Kofi getting a very nice rub.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a really different kind of show with only two matches, though both of them mattered for Sunday. That made this show feel WAY more like a go home show because it wasn’t spending time on stuff for Wrestlemania. Aside from the opening promo, this was all about Elimination Chamber and that’s what Monday should have felt like. There’s time to set up Wrestlemania later and putting some material in here is fine, but treat Sunday like it matters, even if it really doesn’t all that much.

Results

Carmella/Naomi b. IIconics and Fire and Desire – Split legged moonsault to Rose

Randy Orton won a gauntlet match last eliminating AJ Styles – RKO

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

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https://www.wwe.com/article/pedro-morales-passes-away

Pedro is someone who doesn’t get the recognition he deserves.  He was the first Latino World Champion in the WW(W)F and the first ever Triple Crown Champion.  As for his legacy, he still holds the record for most combined days as Intercontinental Champion.  His reign of 1027 days as WWWF World Champion is the fifth longest of all time, with only Bruno (twice), Hogan and Backlund being ahead of him.  He’s not that well remembered but the New York fans loved him and there’s a reason he was champion for more than twice as long as Lesnar’s big Universal Title reign.