WWE Vault Grab Bag VII
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Bill Mercer, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Joey Styles

It’s that time again as I have a bunch of matches ready to go from the WWE Vault (and maybe a few from some other WWE associated channels) and we’ll be looking at some random ones. I have no idea what’s going to be on here and that has made for some fun versions of this before. Let’s get to it.

From July 11, 2011, in Boston, Massachusetts, a dark match after Raw (and six days before Money In The Bank).

CM Punk vs. John Cena

Non-title, I think. Cena starts fast by sending him into the buckle a few times and they’re quickly on the floor. Punk is sent over and into the announcers’ table, with Cena pausing for a drink to spit in Punk’s face (our hero). Back in and Punk gets in a shot of his own, allowing him to wipe some of the water out of his face. Cena is sent into the steps (as tended to be the case in a lot of his matches), allowing Punk to grab the mic (uh oh).

He wants to congratulate Derek Jeter (who had just gotten his 3,000th hit) and hits Cena in the head with the mic and then congratulates himself for the cover. Granted it only gets two so Punk grabs a figure four necklock. That doesn’t last long so Punk gets two more off of a DDT. With that not working, Punk loads up the announcers’ table but Cena cuts him off and…misses a flying shoulder to send him right back to the floor.

A chair is brought in as I guess this is a street fight (makes sense) and Cena is beaten down again. The leg lariat cuts off a comeback attempt and we’re in the chinlock. Punk seems to load up the People’s Elbow but stops to yell at a fan (who might be John Cena’s father), even grabbing him over the barricade. Said fan (and said Cena’s father) punches Punk, allowing Cena to whip him into the chair in the corner. The AA gives Cena the pin at 9:24.

Rating: B-. It was clearly the kind of match where they weren’t exactly in high gear out there and that’s the point of a dark match. Having Cena Sr. get involved made it feel a bit more special and Punk’s Jeter deal in the middle was funny. They would have the big showdown in six days, but it was nice to see them do this king of match, as they’ve probably done it a hundred times.

From Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 26, 1984. I’ve been dreading and waiting for this one. There’s no way to put this as it’s the time Mean Gene Okerlund teamed up with Hulk Hogan.

Now since this is the best wrestling channel ever, OF COURSE they include the fairly famous training videos, with Hogan going to see Gene at five in the morning (ignore the clock saying it’s about 8:55) and finding him smoking a cigar. Hogan freaks out over Gene wanting to have pancakes, bacon and eggs and coffee so Hogan is going to make him breakfast. This means a bunch of raw eggs, which has Gene thinking twice (that image was in his Titantron video at Wrestlemania X7).

Hogan is willing to let it go for now because they need to run a few miles before the sun comes up. They go running (in the middle of the day) and Gene actually keeps up with him for the most part). Then Hogan tells him they need to do it again, this time with the Eye Of The Hulkster. The run continues (now with Gene in different clothes) through the streets but Gene stops for a beer and a bratwurst.

Hogan cuts that off and it’s time for Day 2, as they hit the gym (Hogan’s Mean Gene O Mania shirt is great.). It’s off to Day 3, with Hogan showing up at 6am and I guess they break into an empty arena to run the steps. Hogan even does one of them with Gene on his shoulders and then makes Gene do it with Hogan on his back (what an imagine). Day 4 sees Hogan using Gene as a wheelbarrow up a flight of stairs and Gene thinks he’s ready. That’s not enough so we go full training montage, set to Real American. Dang this was great and…oh yeah we have a match (the opponents haven’t been mentioned to this point.

Hulk Hogan/Gene Okerlund vs. George Steele/Mr. Fuji

As I try to get my head around Gene in trunks (and Hogan in blue, unfortunately not matching Gene in black), Hogan and Fuji start things off with Hogan sending him flying. Steele comes in for a pose off with Hogan and we’re clipped (“FULL MATCH” my spleen) to Steel hitting Hogan in the throat to take over. Hogan Hulks Up and slugs away, with Steele bailing out to the floor.

Gene even goes to the apron to stomp on Fuji’s fingers but stops to high five Hogan, which means a tag. Gene actually gets in to face Steele and immediately crawls through the legs and brings Hogan back in to fire away. We’re clipped again to Hogan beating on Fuji but having to cut off an interfering Steele. Gene pulls the salt away from Fuji and actually kicks him down, allowing Hogan to drop Gene onto Fuji for the pin at 3:30 shown (the whole thing runs about 10:20 so they clipped the heck out of it).

Rating: B. Ok I don’t think I’m spoiling much here when I say the match isn’t the point. This was ALL about the gloriously 80s training videos, with Gene going from a cigar smoking pancake eater to the peak of his physical prowess in about four days through the power of Hulkamania. It’s a great example of “so bad that it’s great” and I had a blast with the whole thing. If you’re a fan of 80s wrestling and haven’t seen…well if you’re a fan you better have seen it.

Post match Gene and Hogan clear the ring and pose, which is as amazing as you could imagine.

From Rochester, New York, June 5, 1990, a dark match at a Wrestling Challenge taping.

Rockers vs. Demolition

Demolition’s Tag Team Titles don’t seem to be on the line here and this is Smash/Crush as Ax (here too) is still recovering from his health issues. Michaels tries the speed on Crush to start but can’t get an O’Connor roll. Instead Crush pulls him out of the air, only for Jannetty to come in with a dropkick to the back to knock them down. Smash comes in and gets his arm worked over by both of them before Jannetty flips over him.

Michaels is back in with a high crossbody for two, though the kickout sends him outside for a cheap shot from Ax. That means it’s time to start in on Michaels’ back, with Crush getting in the required bearhug. A backdrop (eventually) gets Michaels over and the it’s back to the bearhug. We actually get a third bearhug before Michaels is driven into the corner.

Crush charges into a boot and Michaels gets in a harder than expected clothesline. Jannetty is in for the fired up comeback but Smash cuts him off. The Demolition Decapitator is broken up so Crush tries it again, this time with a bit more success. Michaels dives off the top for the save and the double fist drop connects. Smash makes his own diving save but Ax gets in a cheap shot to Michaels to give Smash the pin at 9:06.

Rating: B. This took some time but they were rolling by the end, with the Rockers being able to keep the pace going and Demolition, even this version, being good enough with the power. The big saves at the end were rather good and these guys had chemistry together. It’s a shame we didn’t get more of them, as it could have gone well on a big stage.

Post match Michaels staggers around like he’s drunk. Well, it’s a possibility. We also get a replay of the interference, making me think this was going to be released somewhere but wasn’t for whatever reason.

From August 4, 1986 in Fort Worth, Texas in the WCWA (WCCW).

Bruiser Brody vs. Abdullah The Butcher

Gary Hart is here with Butcher, who gets checked for weapons before the match. Shockingly enough Butcher jumps him on the way in and Brody is right there for the opening brawl (as opposed to the main brawl and likely post match brawl). Butcher’s kicks to the gut are shrugged off and Brody kicks him down to quite the reaction. Brody stomps him on the apron and grabs the mic but Butcher is back with the spike to the face.

Hart is offended that the referee thinks Butcher had a foreign object and Butcher slowly hammers away. Brody knocks him down but they’re both banged up and bloody so they need a breather. That doesn’t last long as Brody gets a chair to blast him in the head and of course they go out into the crowd. They fight behind a big door with Hart trying to hold it closed, only for Brody to come out with a piece of wood to knock Butcher back towards ringside. The referee throws it out at 7:33.

Rating: C. This is the definition of “you know what you’re going to get” and that’s exactly what happened. You have this match for the sake of pure insanity with everyone going everywhere and all the blood and such. It was another run of the mill match between them, though Hart trying to hold the door closed was worth a look.

Post match Brody stays on him until Hart hits Brody with a chair. That lets Butcher get the board and hammer Brody in the head. Some wrestlers come out and get beaten up as Brody is carried out. Hart still insists that Brody was the only one cheating.

From Monday Night Raw, June 28, 1999, the highest rated match in Raw history.

WWF Title: Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker

Austin is challenging, having made the match before he was cheated out of being CEO the previous night at King Of The Ring. Austin starts fast by taking him into the corner for the shoulders to the ribs. That’s broken up and Undertaker pounds away, only for Austin to come back with the Thesz press. The middle finger elbow gives Austin two but the threat of a Stunner sends Undertaker outside.

Back in and Paul Bearer offers a distraction so Undertaker can get in a big boot. Lawler says Austin doesn’t have a heart anymore, “like the Scarecrow in the Wizard Of Oz.”. They go outside again, where Austin’s piledriver attempt is countered with a backdrop. Back in and Undertaker clotheslines him into a chinlock as the fans are still right behind Austin.

Old School sets up another chinlock but Austin fights up again…and is knocked into a third chinlock. Back up and it’s a double clothesline for a double down but Undertaker sits up. The Stunner connects out of nowhere but Bearer pulls the referee out. Back in and another Stunner gives Austin the title back at 12:03.

Rating: C. This was oddly similar to the Mankind title win earlier in the year, as you could kind of tell that the title was going to change hands but the match wasn’t exactly great. It’s little more than a dull house show level match with the chinlocks killing the momentum, but you knew what was coming and that kept things interesting. Fans love it when big things like this happen, hence the giant 9.5 rating, even if the match wasn’t much to see.

Post match Undertaker jumps Austin again and busts him open.

From WCW Saturday Night, April 8, 1995.

Sting vs. Steve Austin

Austin has Colonel Robert Parker with him. Sting works on the arm to start but Austin is back up with a headlock. That’s reversed into a backdrop and Sting gets his own headlock. Austin gets up and backs him into the corner, with Schiavone wondering if we’ll get a clean break or not. Schiavone: “Not.” Sting shrugs it off and catapults Austin into the corner, with a rollup getting two. The splash hits raised knees though and Austin hammers on the ribs, including a hard whip into the corner.

The Boston crab stays on Sting’s ribs but Austin gets caught holding the rope. Sting is back up with the clotheslines and the running faceplant, setting up the right hands in the corner. A posting sets up a heck of a top rope splash but Sting misses in a huge crash. They fight over a Tombstone with Sting finally planting him but Austin rolls outside. Back in and Sting grabs a cradle for the pin at 12:58.

Rating: B. It’s kind of amazing how much better Austin got in such a short time. He only had about a month to go in WCW before moving on to ECW and discovering the personality that would make him a star. At this point, he’s a clearly talented but kind of generic heel, with Parker not exactly helping him. Sting was his usual self and the fans were into it, but this was a still developing Austin.

From May 30, 1986 in the UWF in Houston, Texas.

UWF Title: Terry Gordy vs. Jim Duggan

This is the finals of a tournament to crown a new champion but hang on as the One Man Gang is here. Gang says he heard there was going to be a tournament here and he never got an invitation, which is ridiculous because he can beat anyone. He issues the challenge right here right now, with Duggan telling him to make his move. The brawl is on and they head outside, where Gang gets posted. Duggan can get in a chair shot and they head back inside, with Gang hammering away as Gordy and Michael Hayes just look on.

Duggan’s right hands are shrugged off and Gang stomps him out to the floor. That doesn’t last long either as Duggan gives him a running forearm as Gang is already busted open. Some hard chair shots have Gang down and Duggan throws the referee into the cameraman. Gang misses the splash back inside and Duggan spears him out to the floor. The bloody Duggan can’t follow up though and Gang throws a chair inside.

We go to host Jim Ross, who welcomes us to the show and runs down the card. Ross throws it to Duggan (in a towel for some reason), who talks about the beating from Gang, who apparently left after Duggan went down from blood loss. Duggan was given five minutes to get ready and got up, but Steve Williams was there to tell him not to do it. That wasn’t going to happen either because he wanted the gray matter stuffed back in his head so he could fight.

Gordy pulled him back inside to start the fight and we see the last few minutes, with Duggan slugging away to put Gordy down. The spear connected but Duggan was too banged up, allowing Gordy to avoid another spear and send him outside. Hayes posted Duggan again and…well that’s it. Gordy would go on to win the match, which isn’t shown here. Not enough shown to rate but the brawl before the match was way better, as Duggan can do the brawling as well as anyone at this point.

From October 9, 2003 in Turku, Finland.

Smackdown World Title: Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker

Undertaker is challenging and this was a Hidden Gem on the WWE Network. This is billed as presented in the most complete form possible, which usually means a music edit. Lesnar goes outside before the bell and yells at fans and we’re clipped to the match in progress and Lesnar bailing to the floor. It works so well that Lesnar does it again as the fans aren’t thrilled.

Lesnar grabs and throws down a chair before getting back inside and powering Undertaker into the corner. They finally lock up and go nowhere as this is absolutely a “we’re not really trying here” house show match to start. A big shove sends Lesnar outside and yep we’re stalling some more. Back in and Undertaker drops him with a shoulder into a hiptoss so….let’s go outside AGAIN.

This time Lesnar rips up a sign and goes back inside to lock up again. Lesnar takes him into the corner again and kicks away, only to get caught with some arm cranking. Old School connects to get the fans back on their side and Undertaker grabs la majistral of all things for two. We’re clipped again to Undertaker missing a charge and crashing out to the floor as I wonder if it was clipped due to fans chanting, as there are some loud ones.

A whip to the steps has Undertaker in more trouble and Lesnar cranks on the leg in a variety of fashions back inside. The leg is wrapped around the rope but Undertaker knocks him into another corner. That’s cut off with a big spinebuster to give Lesnar two and it’s back to the leg cranking. Undertaker fights back but gets caught in an F5 out of nowhere for a near fall.

Back up and Undertaker knocks him down, setting up a limping big boot for two. The referee gets bumped and Undertaker hits the chokeslam for a not very delayed near fall. Lesnar misses a clothesline and takes the referee down again so the Last Ride gets no count. Well Undertaker counts but that doesn’t count. I think. Lesnar gets in some chair shots and the referee gets up to count the pin at 14:47 shown. I can’t imagine they clipped much out of this one.

Rating: C. I’ve seen this one before and it’s quite a house show match. You can tell they weren’t exactly going at top gear here but it’s part of a European house show tour so they’re not going to have the most energy. It doesn’t help that Biker Taker and Lesnar didn’t have the best chemistry either. The match was perfectly ok for the spot they were in, but it’s not exactly great.

Post match Undertaker beats him down with the chair to get some heat back. Cue Rhyno to go after Undertaker but Eddie Guerrero runs in (on his birthday) to make the save.

From Terry Funk’s WrestleFest.

Rob Van Dam vs. Dory Funk Jr.

Bill Alfonso is here with Van Dam and Funk would be about 55 here. Before the match Alfonso insults Funk’s family, including his grandson by saying….yeah I have no idea, as was often the case with Alfonso. Van Dam poses a lot to start and Alfonso goes nuts with the whistle until Funk grabs a headlock. A running forearm puts Van Dam on the floor and we get more whistling.

Back in and Van Dam sweeps the leg for a corkscrew legdrop so Funk fires off the uppercuts. Funk mocks Van Dam’s pose and they go outside, with Funk being rammed into the apron. Van Dam’s big running flip dive barely graces Funk and they’re both down. Back in and Van Dam hammers away as Alfonso goes nuts with the freaking whistle. A springboard legdrop gives Van Dam two but Funk is right back with the uppercuts.

Eventually a butterfly suplex sets up the spinning toehold but Van Dam makes the rope. That means a Van Daminator can hit Funk and we pause for a bit before Van Dam can fire off more right hands. One heck of a Five Star gets….nothing as Van Dam just punches him again. Funk is back up with backdrop but gets small packaged for a rather near fall. Funk sits him on top for a nasty belly to back suplex, which is enough to shoot the half and cradle Van Dam for the pin at 11:35.

Rating: C+. This is a perfect example of a “well, that’s a match that actually happened”. The show was in honor of Terry Funk so of course Dory was there, and even in his mid-50s he could still more than handle himself in the ring. Van Dam wasn’t a big star yet but you could see the potential, and if Dory was willing to work with him, there must have been something there.

From February 23, 1990 in Detroit, Michigan, a dark match before The Main Event.

Dusty Rhodes vs. Mr. Perfect

The Genius is here with Perfect, Sapphire is here with Rhodes, and this is their only recorded singles match. They circle each other to start, with Rhodes mocking Perfect with some prancing. A pair of shoulders put Perfect on the floor and Rhodes brings him back in to pound away in the corner, reminiscent of a monkey with some funk. Back in again and they jaw at each other until Perfect sweeps the leg for the Robinsdale Crunch.

Perfect works on the leg in the corner and in the middle until Rhodes gets a small package so bad that it doesn’t even get one. The Figure Four keeps the leg in trouble but Rhodes finally turns it over and gets his far worse version. That’s broken up as well and Perfect is sent into the ropes, where his head gets tied up ala Cactus Jack. Perfect gets loose so Rhodes knocks him down for the elbow, only for Genius to offer a distraction. Sapphire goes after him so Perfect goes after her, allowing Rhodes to grab a rollup for the pin at 9:28.

Rating: C-. I can’t imagine you were expecting a good match here but that was not the point of Rhodes in the WWF. As usual, the charisma and energy were off the charts and Rhodes could get the fans behind him no matter what he was doing. If nothing else, it’s always weird to see Perfect lose, especially as this was just about a month and a half before his first official loss at Wrestlemania VI.

Post match, dancing ensues.

From (I believe) August 19, 1991 in Rochester, New York.

Undertaker vs. Ultimate Warrior

Paul Bearer is here with Undertaker and this is one of the first casket matches. Undertaker tries to jump him before the bell and gets sent face first into the casket instead. The casket is already dented (must be cheap materials) and they get inside, where Undertaker chokes away. Warrior shrugs that off and knocks him down, only to get caught with a kneeling uppercut.

A rather safe Tombstone lets Undertaker….come close to putting Warrior in the casket but he stops to choke instead. Undertaker FINALLY puts him in the casket but Warrior gets up, grabs the Urn, and knocks Undertaker silly (Bearer’s ridiculous reaction is the highlight of the match) to win at 5:50.

Rating: D+. There was nothing to this other than for a way to have Undertaker lose without getting pinned. Warrior was about a week away from vanishing from the company for good, resulting in Randy Savage having to be brought back out of retirement to take his place. I’d call that an upgrade, as Savage fighting Undertaker could have been awesome. Either way, not a good match to wrap things up with here.

Post match Warrior runs away as Undertaker gets out of the casket.

Overall Rating: C. Yeah this wasn’t one of the better overall selections, with very little worth seeing. The Mean Gene training videos were great old school fun, but that’s really about it. There’s nothing overly terrible (the casket match came close) but it’s really just a bunch of random stuff, which is the point of something like this. You don’t know what you might be seeing on any given day on the WWE Vault and it’s fascinating to see what they throw out there. These things are some of the most fun I get to have either way, as I love the randomness of the stuff they release, as it could be just about anything.

 

 

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Every John Cena vs. Randy Orton Title Match
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Todd Grisham, John Bradshaw Layfield, Wade Barrett

Oh well why not. I have no idea who thought this needed to be a big five plus hour compilation but I’m kind of surprised that it was that short given how many times they fought over the years. They’ve done this time after time because they’re one of the biggest rivalries WWE has had over the years. I’m probably going to regret this but let’s get to it.

From Summerslam 2007.

Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Randy Orton

Cena is defending and they go with some grappling to start, only for Cena to grab a headlock takeover. Orton takes over with one of his own, with Cena reversing into a failed STF attempt. Back up and Orton slowly pounds away as the fans are rather behind him to start. Cena shrugs off some right hands and gets two off a bulldog as the pace picks up a bit.

The flying shoulder completely misses though and Orton gets to smile a lot. Back in and Orton grabs the rare standing chinlock, followed by the more standard grounded version. Cena powers out, leaving the fans rather annoyed at the developments. A missed charge in the corner puts Cena down again though and Orton starts in on the ankle of all things. The big stomp to the head misses but Orton is right back with another chinlock (he has a reputation for a reason).

Cena is out faster this time but walks into a dropkick, allowing Orton to grab a chin…headlock for a change. Now it’s off to a sleeper as Orton is indeed managing to mix up the boring holds. Cena powers out again and initiates the finishing sequence, only for Orton to break up the FU. The backbreaker cuts Cena off again and Lawler goes off about how Orton shows no emotion, which doesn’t seem to be a positive.

Back up and Cena misses a charge to the floor, allowing Orton to send him hard into the steps. Cena gets back in for a Blockbuster of all things, meaning it’s time to go up. The top rope Fameasser looks to set up the FU but Orton snaps him throat first across the top again. The Punt is loaded up but Cena pulls him into the STFU. Orton finally makes the rope and grabs an RKO for two, though he comes up favoring his knee. Said knee is launched into the air with another FU to retain the title at 21:30.

Rating: B-. They were trying but it wasn’t there yet, with Orton not really feeling like a major threat to take the title. The RKO was his big weapon and that didn’t work, so there wasn’t any reason to stay out there any longer. You could tell they were going for the big showdown here but Orton wasn’t quite ready to be the top threat.

From Unforgiven 2007.

Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Randy Orton

Cena is defending and his father (recently attacked by Orton to make this personal) is in the front row. Cena starts fast and hits a heck of a clothesline as this is more personal than being about the title. Orton is knocked outside and dropped again out there but it’s too early for the STFU. The quick chase lets Orton hit the hanging DDT for two and Cena gets pulled into the chinlock (oh this is going to be a long collection).

A headlock takeover cuts Cena off again and it’s already off to the sleeper and then the chinlock, with Orton really mixing things up here. Cena finally fights up to start the comeback and slugs away in the corner. He gets angry enough to shove the referee for the DQ at 7:21.

Rating: D+. Yeah that’s not a pay per view title match. I completely get what they were going for here, but that’s not worthy of this spot. You do this in the main event of Raw or something, not here where it’s supposed to be some big moment, especially not a month after Cena already beat Orton clean. This did not work and it’s not a good sign when “at least they didn’t waste more time before doing this stupid finish” is the highlight.

Post match Orton goes after Cena Sr. so Cena Jr. jumps him and grabs an STFU on the floor. Cena Sr. even gets in a Punt and is allowed to walk to the back.

From No Way Out 2008.

Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Randy Orton

Orton is defending, having been awarded the title after Cena got hurt but Cena is back early for revenge and the title. An early small package gives Cena two as this is already off to a rather different start. The fans are split and Cena points it out to Orton, who seems….well about the same as usual. Orton is back up to send him into the corner for some right hands but Cena grabs his running bulldog for two.

A kick to the chest (recently repaired) puts Cena down but he’s able to pull Orton into a rollup for two more. Cena charges into an elbow in the corner and gets punched down again, allowing Orton to stomp on the ankle. Orton pounds on the pectoral muscle (quite the odd visual) and grabs a headlock to block the ProtoBomb. That’s switched into a chinlock for a bit, at least until Cena is up with the flying shoulders.

Now the ProtoBomb connects to set up the Shuffle but Orton bails to the floor in a smart move. Cena isn’t having that and pulls him back inside to slug it out, with Orton grabbing the backbreaker. That bangs up Orton’s knee though and Cena goes up, only to miss the top rope Fameasser.

Orton can’t follow up so Cena grabs the ProtoBomb into the STFU, with Orton very slowly making the rope. That’s enough for Orton to roll outside and hold his knee, demanding that he be counted out. Cena goes after him and gets RKO’d, which is good for a nine count. Back in and Cena wants to fight so Orton slaps the referee for the DQ at 15:49.

Rating: B-. This was more like it, with Orton being more interesting as the champion rather than challenging. Cena isn’t likely to lose to Orton in a straight fight so Orton using his twists and turns to cheat and retain is a smart way to go. Orton also felt more on Cena’s level here, as it’s better to have him knocking Cena back down the mountain than trying to take his spot. The ending being a way to set up another match isn’t great to see again, though adding HHH for the three way at Wrestlemania wasn’t much better.

Post match Cena can’t get the referee to change his mind so he beats up Orton instead.

From Summerslam 2009.

Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Randy Orton

Cena is challenging and they actually go technical to start, which goes to an early standoff. Orton takes over on the corner and drops Cena with an elbow to the face. It’s already time for the slow stomping, with Orton going around in a circle before the big knee drop gets two. The backbreaker gives Orton two more and we’re already on the chinlock. Cena fights out and goes with an early finishing sequence, including a rather well received Shuffle.

Orton pops up with a powerslam but misses another powerslam. Cena is right there with his own missed shoulder though, sending him crashing out to the floor. The hanging DDT gives Orton two but Cena is right back with the top rope Fameasser for two of his own. The AA is broken up though and it’s a double clothesline to put them both down. Back up and…Orton shoves the referee for the DQ at 13:30.

Before I can “oh come on, again?”, we get the announcement that Mr. McMahon has ordered the match to restart and if Orton gets disqualified again, he loses the title. Back in and Cena gets two off a side slam and Orton is sent outside. Orton gets a whip into the steps to put Cena down for a change and drops him for two more back inside. That’s enough for Orton to grab his title and walk out for the countout at 17:04.

McMahon, restart again, same stipulation that we got for DQ’s. Back in and both finishers are escaped so Orton grabs a rollup and puts his feet on the ropes for the pin at 18:04. Cue another referee to say what happened so we restart it AGAIN. Cena pulls Orton into the STF but a “fan” (played by Brett DiBiase, who never went anywhere in WWE) runs in to jump the referee. Security takes him out and we pause again, with Orton going outside, where he snaps Cena’s throat over the top. The RKO FINALLY retains the title at 20:44.

Rating: C+. These matches are managing to avoid bleeding together, but it’s like they’re trying to find different ways to up the silliness on these finishes. Orton having one of his minions out there to save him is right on point but they did one too many restarts for the point to work. Cena has a legitimate complaint for the loss, but dang they need to have someone win one of these things clean already.

From Breaking Point, a month later.

Raw World Title: Randy Orton vs. John Cena

Cena is challenging in an I Quit match, which should mix things up a bit. Also, if anyone interferes on Orton’s behalf, he loses the title. They stare at each other to start before Cena powers him into the corner for the release fisherman’s suplex. The running shoulder misses (again) and Cena is knocked outside for the trip to the announcers’ table. A monitor to the head knocks Cena silly and the threat of the hanging DDT won’t make him quit.

The DDT drops him again and it’s time to bring in a chair. The RKO onto the chair is blocked and Cena fires off the finishing sequence but the STF is broken up. They go outside with Cena being whipped into the steps, with Orton stomping his head onto said steps. That’s still not enough for the quitting so naturally Orton pulls out handcuffs to attach Cena to the top rope. With that not working either, Orton uncuffs him but then cuffs Cena’s wrists together, which he wraps over the top of the post.

That leaves Cena’s arms over his head and the rest of him pretty much wide open, with Orton hammering on his ribs. Cena won’t quit but he will spit some water in Orton’s face, which seems to be less than brilliant. Orton grabs a kendo stick and unloads on Cena’s ribs but Cena still won’t quit. A low blow gives Cena a needed breather but Orton is back up with a nasty chair shot to the head.

Orton cuffs him around the post this time and another chair to the back puts Cena down again. Cena ducks another chair shot though and hits a backdrop, allowing him to grab the key. With the cuffs off, Cena attaches himself to Orton instead and they go back inside…where Orton gets the RKO. That doesn’t mean much though and Cena pulls him into the STF, with Orton’s own arm doing the choking, for the submission at 19:49.

Rating: B. Yeah this was a definite step up, as they got away from the same formula that they had done so many times. I remember watching this live and the beating seemed to go on a lot longer, so the pace wasn’t as slow as I was expecting. Cena finding a way to win in the end is fine as you know he’s pulling that off, but at least they had a better match on the way there.

From Hell In A Cell 2019.

Raw World Title: Randy Orton vs. John Cena

Cena is defending inside the Cell. Orton tries to get out but Cena cuts that off and they go inside, with Orton taking over. The big shoulder misses again so they go outside, where Cena is fine enough to muscle him up for some rams into the Cell. A charging version doesn’t work so well though and Cena is sent hard into the Cell and the steps. Said steps are (after a failed attempt) thrown inside but Cena avoids the hanging DDT and throws the steps at Orton’s head.

Cena doesn’t however avoid the backbreaker so Orton can take over again. Now the hanging DDT can connect but Cena is right back with a quick AA for two. The super AA doesn’t work and Orton slowly takes over again, with a chair to the back getting two more. Orton starts hearing voices but Cena gets away from the running knee on the chair to the head.

The STF goes on and naturally the ropes don’t mean anything (points for getting the rule right) so Orton goes after the referee again. Back in and Orton taps so naturally Cena goes to wake the referee up, earning himself an RKO for two in the process. Orton gets creative by tying Cena’s arms in the ropes and THEN grabbing a chinlock. That’s enough to load up a Punt for the pin and the title at 21:25, even with the knee banged up.

Rating: B-. It’s ok, but the Cell only added so much to the whole thing. They probably could have done the same thing with a street fight, but that’s not how the schedule worked around this point. At the same time, this didn’t feel anything like a blowoff match, despite being in the Cell. How can these two just not get this stuff right?

From Bragging Rights, three weeks later.

Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Randy Orton

Orton is defending in an anything goes, falls count anywhere sixty minute Iron Man match (thirty second rest period between falls) and if Cena loses, he’s off Raw. They take their time to start (obviously) and Cena grabs a headlock to grind away for a bit. Back up and Orton knocks him into the corner before blocking the running bulldog. The slow beating continues but Cena pulls him into a quick STF for the very fast tap at 3:55.

Cena – 1
Orton – 0

Orton takes him down to start and drops the jumping knee, setting up the rather expected chinlock. Cena powers out and hits a Throwback of all things, plus a top rope Fameasser. The Shuffle is loaded up but Orton pops to his feet for the RKO to tie the score at 9:00.

Cena – 1
Orton – 1

Back up and Orton knocks him off the apron for a crash into the barricade. It’s time to clear off the announcers’ table, with Orton hitting Cena in the head with a monitor for two on the floor. Lawler thinks maybe Cena should have taken the fall, for the rest period. This continues a nice trend of the match, with Lawler playing this mostly straight and the other commentators actually asking his opinion as the expert.

That’s WAY too rare in all modern wrestling and it’s very refreshing to see. Orton gets two off a microphone to the head and hold on as we pause for the cut on Cena’s head from the monitor shot. The clock actually stops for a bit, only to come back at the same time as Cena goes nuts. That doesn’t last long though as Orton gets in the signature whip into the steps to cut him off.

They go back inside, with Orton hammering on the cut as we have 15:00 down. The RKO is countered though and Cena is able to initiate the finishing sequence, with the Shuffle connecting. The AA is loaded up but Orton counters into an RKO (that looked GREAT and Lawler can’t believe he pulled that off) for…actually a double pin at 16:47.

Cena – 2
Orton – 2

The medics use the rest period (seems to be two of them, which makes sense at the double pin) to check on Cena’s cut before Orton misses a charge into the post. A super AA plants Orton hard for the pin at 19:23.

Cena – 3
Orton – 2

Cue Legacy to jump Cena between the falls (remember, anything goes) and Orton, who has still not gotten up, gets the pin at 20:21.

Cena – 3
Orton – 3

Kofi Kingston runs in with a chair to chase Legacy off (good, as otherwise there’s no reason for them to leave) and the two people actually in the match can barely get up. They go up to the entrance, with Cena being rammed into the tech area (uh oh). Orton finds a control panel and presses a button, which sets off some pyro. Realizing that could be fun later, Orton throws him through some of the set for more explosions and the pin at 25:20.

Cena – 3
Orton – 4

With Cena still down, Orton goes over to play with the pyro board some more and now he has an idea. Cena is nice enough to crawl onto the stage so Orton can crack him with a chair and drag him to the middle of the stage. Then Orton uses the pyro to blow Cena up, because he’s a bit out there and just making him give up to a spinning toehold is too much to ask.

They go back to ringside and Cena is whipped into the steps again as they’re clearly (and fairly) burning off some time by laying around a good bit. We’re halfway done as Orton throws the steps at Cena’s head and stomps away to leave him laying. Orton grabs a chair for a hard shot to the post, which is at least in the vicinity of Cena’s back. They get back inside and Cena grabs a small package to tie it up at 32:47.

Cena – 4
Orton – 4

Orton jumps him during the rest period and gets yelled at for not giving Cena “thirty seconds”. You know, about five minutes after ORTON TRIED TO BLOW CENA UP. Geez I love stupid wrestling logic. Anyway the hanging DDT on the floor gives Orton another pin at 35:06.

Cena – 4
Orton – 5

And yes, the attempted murderer does give Cena thirty seconds this time, apparently having learned his lesson. They go back inside with Orton stomping away and dropping the big knee for two more. Orton slowly hammers away but misses a charge and gets caught with a quick shot. That’s enough for Orton to bail out to the floor, where he looks at the clock (20:00 to go) and realizes it’s time to burn the clock.

Cena slowly follows him up and lands a heck of a right hand to send Orton back to the ring, meaning Cena has to burn more energy (and time) to get to him again. For some reason Orton lets him get inside again and tries a hanging DDT. That’s reversed into an AA attempt, which sends Orton running into the crowd. Is there any reason why Orton hasn’t run out to the parking lot and driven away? That would seem to be a better option than going anywhere Cena could catch him.

Naturally Cena catches him in the crowd and hits him with a trashcan, which has Orton staggering back down the steps. We have 15:00 to go as Orton is sent back to ringside for two. Cena sends him into the steps and then through the barricade as you can see the energy coming back for Cena with 12:00 to go. Cena hits him with the steps for some payback and then sets up a pair of steps near the announcers’ table. The AA through the table destroys Orton (who sells it like he’s on fire) to tie it up with 9:14 to go.

Cena – 5
Orton – 5

Orton is still down at the end of the rest period so Cena is smart enough to cover him again for two. Lawler: “How did he do that???” You mean how did he kick out of a move after he had more time to recover? Cena loads up another table and picks up Orton, who is described as dead weight, but he can kick out. Why Cena doesn’t put on the STF on the floor is beyond me as they get back inside with six minutes to go. Cole: “When is the last time you saw John Cena use a table?” He asks this as he’s standing because Cena broke the table he was at less than four minutes ago.

Anyway Cena misses a top rope legdrop through the table and they’re both down with 5:00 to go. They take their sweet time (well over a minute) getting up and slug it out until Cena starts firing off the shoulder. The referee is knocked down by mistake so the RKO connects to no cover.

Another referee comes in for the two so Orton shoves the new referee down at 2:00 to go. Orton goes nuts and starts rubbing his own head until he gets an idea. Apparently that was just to set up the Punt, which Cena reverses into the STF (and he’s cranking on the chinlock this time). Orton is in trouble for almost 45 seconds until he taps with 4 seconds left.

Cena – 6
Orton – 5

And of course time expires because Orton has to obey the rest period, which wouldn’t matter anyway so we’re done at 60:00.

Rating: B. Oh this is a tricky one, as I like a lot of it, but there was a time where they just felt like they were getting ridiculous, with Orton having basically no reason to do anything but run for a long time. Now that being said, once Cena started his comeback, it got a lot better, but it felt like a collection of a bunch of stuff at times with only a loose idea throughout the whole thing. It worked, but it felt like it could have been more with a little better planning and more coherence.

From TLC 2013.

Raw World Title/Smackdown World Title: John Cena vs. Randy Orton

TLC match, winner take all to unify the titles. They fight into the corner to start and Cena grabs a headlock. That’s broken up and Cena is sent outside, allowing Orton to set up the first ladder. Cena is right in to break it up so Orton grabs a chair and knocks him silly. Another chair shot only hits chair so Cena takes it back and unloads on him to take over.

Naturally it takes too long to set up a table though and Orton sends him hard into the steps. There is a table set up in the corner but it’s still way too early for Orton to get up the ladder, as Cena makes the save. The right hands are cut off with the scoop powerslam and Orton gets another ladder. Cena manages to go up instead, only to get suplexed right back down. Orton gets so frustrated that he throws a ladder at Cena, which hits the floor instead.

Some chair shots to the back have some better luck and Orton loads the chair up in the corner. That takes too long again so Cena initiates the finishing sequence, with the Shuffle being broken up. Orton sends him into the chair and goes up but gets pulled down again, at least with a touch of the titles this time. A ladder shot sends Orton off the apron and through a table so Cena can go up.

Orton is back up with a save of his own and an RKO drops Cena again. Cena gets up as well and hits him with the steps a few times, which allows him to set up another table in another corner. Again that takes too long and Orton stomps him onto the steps, followed by some mic shots to the head. Orton loads up the announcers’ table and of course takes too long, earning an AA through said table.

Cena goes for the belts but Orton is right there to turn the ladder over, leaving Cena hanging. That lets Orton pick up a chair and Cena is left helpless, which doesn’t really work when you notice that his feet are beneath the top rope, meaning there is pretty much nothing preventing him from dropping down on his own. Some chair shots bring him down but Orton is back up with a spear through one of the tables in the corner. They’re both down so Orton goes outside and finds a reference to Breaking Point, as he whips out some handcuffs to attach Cena to the bottom rope.

This time Orton gets smart by throwing the key into the crowd before hitting Cena with a ladder. Orton loads up another ladder but Cena unscrews the turnbuckle and gets free. That lets him go up and hit Orton with the turnbuckle, only to have Orton grab the rope (as Cena is still handcuffed). Cena is pulled head first into the other table in the corner and Orton wins at 24:35.

Rating: B. This was fun in a lot of ways, at least partially due to Cole sounding like a moron so many times. They were going for the violence here and as usual, that’s more interesting than seeing them have a regular match. You can only get so much out of that and thankfully they didn’t try to do anything too complicated. Cena’s crash into the table looked rough and Orton felt like he won, which is how this should wrap up.

From the 2014 Royal Rumble, a month later.

WWE Championship: Randy Orton vs. John Cena

Cena is challenging in a straight match for a change. They go to the mat to start and the Pittsburgh fans go from BORING to LET’S GO CENA to CENA SUCKS in the first thirty seconds. Orton gets in a headlock takeover and it’s off to the DANIEL BRYAN chants. Cena gets to his feet and turns up the pace but gets cut right back off. After a You Can’t See Me, Orton grabs a suplex for two as the fans switch to a RANDY SAVAGE chant. Orton grinds away on a chinlock and yeah those BORING chants are getting louder.

They go outside with Cena being sent into the steps (it’s like an old friend at this point) before Daniel Bryan gets another chant as Orton gets two. A DDT gets the same and the fans either want Angle or Divas, but get an Orton pose instead. Cena initiates the finishing sequence and smiles at the booing crowd, who aren’t sure what to do as Orton breaks up the Shuffle. Orton’s superplex is broken up as well and Cena hits a top rope Fameasser for two more.

The AA is countered into Orton’s backbreaker for another near fall as they’re playing up the idea that they know each other so well, but everyone knows this stuff so it’s only so interesting. The hanging DDT is countered with a backdrop to send Orton outside, where he grabs the hanging DDT onto the floor. Back in and the RKO is countered into an STF, which is broken up just as fast.

The referee goes down so Cena the STF for an unseen tap. Naturally Cena goes to check on the referee and gets belted in the face for two as the referee is back in it. Cena pops up for an AA and a near fall, followed by an RKO and a near fall for Orton. Fans: “WE WANT DIVAS!” Naturally Orton does his pose right in the middle of the ring because he’s at least leaning into the thing. The Punt and AA are both countered so Orton pulls Cena into an STF (with a kind of cool looking sleeper variation) and the fans aren’t sure how to take that one.

Cena escapes so Orton gives him an AA (more an FU really, as he doesn’t drop down with Cena), leaving him with quite the massive smile. Back up and Cena gives him an RKO (nice one at that) before trying the super AA. That’s broken up so Orton settles for a tornado DDT into the STF….and we’ve got Wyatts. The fans go NUTS for something different and the Wyatts show up on the apron for a distraction. One more RKO retains the title at 20:50.

Rating: C+. So this is the night of the infamous Royal Rumble, where the crowd completely hijacked the show in the name of Daniel Bryan. That’s the well known instance, but this is another case of the same thing. The fans did not want to see this match and they let Orton and Cena know about it. Now of course Orton leaned all the way into it and rolled with the hatred and it worked well, though Cena was basically just doing his thing.

Now, why did they react this way? Well it’s not that surprising really. First of all, we were less than a month removed from Orton beating Cena in the big unification match, so it’s not like this was anything new. Then you factor in that this is the Royal Rumble, which has a reputation of being the show with what is little more than a token title defense before we find out the winner of the Royal rumble to set up Wrestlemania. That leaves you with a match where there is little reason to believe the title is going to change hands between a pairing that the fans do not want to see. How did WWE expect this to go?

The match itself was pretty much the norm for Cena and Orton as well, which is where things fell apart even more. The problem is we’ve seen Orton vs. Cena over and over and you know what you’re going to get. It’s clear that the fans were not interested in seeing this again but WWE trots them out one more time, which is where it fell apart. Having them steal finishers and then the Wyatt interfering worked, but this was a case where the fans weren’t interested and finally snapped. It’s a fascinating moment and WWE kind of had it coming.

And from Backlash 2025.

Smackdown World Title: Randy Orton vs. John Cena

Cena, now a heel for a big change, is defending and Orton, the hometown star, gets an absolute monster pop as the fans sing with their Voices. They take their time to start with Cena offering a handshake and then slapping Orton in the face. That earns him a big slap back from Orton, who grabs a headlock to keep Cena in trouble. Cena gets knocked outside but takes over out there, meaning it’s some right hands to Orton back inside.

The fans count along so Orton switches places with him for twenty right hands, much to Orton’s….I guess we can call that delight. The big knee drop connects for two so Cena grabs a sleeper of all things. Orton gets a suplex to escape but Cena is right back with the finishing sequence. The AA is of course escaped and a powerslam puts Cena right back down. Cena’s STF attempt doesn’t exactly work as Orton is back up with the hanging DDT. The RKO is countered into an AA, which is countered into an RKO (that still looks awesome) and they’re both down again.

Now the AA can actually connect for two so Cena goes back to the flying shoulders. It turns out that sticking your neck out is a bad idea against Randy Orton, who grabs an RKO to put Cena down again. The Punt is loaded up but Cena is back with an AA for another near fall. Another RKO is countered and the referee gets taken down so Cena hits a third AA. That makes Cena smile, which can’t go well. Cena grabs his trusty belt and walks into an RKO for a pretty slow two.

They go outside with Cena knocking Orton into the referee into the steps, leaving Orton to AA Cena through the announcers’ table. Orton loads up another table for another AA, with the fans declaring this awesome. Another referee runs down to count the near fall so Cena belts him by mistake. Orton hits an RKO and there’s no one to count, so here is Nick Aldis to check on the referee.

Agents come in so it’s a bunch of RKOs to take them down as the fans go even nutsier. R-Truth comes in to cut off the Punt and gets RKO’d (with Orton screaming WHY at him). That means a low blow can cut Orton off, followed by the belt shot so the original referee can count the retaining pin at 27:48.

Rating: B+. It was ridiculous, it was stupid, it was insane at times, and I had a lot of fun with the thing. They were going with the idea of the two of them being treated as this legendary pair and it was happening one last time so they just had a bunch of fun. It felt like a big song and dance medley to wrap up their feud and with that in mind, it was a great time.

Overall Rating: B. The big criticism of Orton vs. Cena is that it was done to death and that was really obvious here. It’s not so much that the matches were bad, but it was basically treated like this all time epic rivalry and that never felt earned. Cena vs. Punk or Edge just feel like such bigger deals and more natural, but Orton got so much of the attention. I did like watching some of these matches, but there wasn’t one on here where I was looking forward to seeing it again. That’s Orton vs. Cena in a nutshell, as it’s good but not exactly great and nothing you would really want to see.

 

 

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More from my big assortment of leftovers from the WWE Network.

We go to an unspecified TV show from February 22, 1994 with Vince McMahon interviewing Jim Cornette on the platform. Cornette has the WWF Title with him and wants everyone to know that Lex Luger is never going to hold this because he can’t beat Yokozuna. Vince doesn’t know about that and here’s Luger, sending Cornette into terror. Luger takes the belt from him and puts it on, which Vince thinks looks pretty good. Not good enough to make Luger the champion mind you.

Vince wants the ring announcer to announce Luger as champion, with Luger doing a full on entrance with the title and getting in the ring to pose with the title. Luger walks around the ring and then takes the belt back to the platform to throw it at Cornette. This was actually a thing they did to make the fans think that Luger won the belt, as well as filming a special scene in advance in case they went with Luger at Wrestlemania. That obviously didn’t happen, but the fans needed a reason to see them filming this so the “what would happen if” deal was thrown together. Another cool little feature here.

From January 12, 1976 in Championship Wrestling From Florida.

Andre the Giant bends a bar around his neck (and breaks it), lifts 2000lbs and wins a tug of war (as in he’s in the middle with five wrestlers on each side) by pulling everyone into each other. This wasn’t even two minutes long.

Todd Hansen vs. Brian Black
Date: May 2, 2005
Location: Fleet Center, Boston, Massachusetts

Raw dark match with Lilian Garcia welcoming us to the night. Hanen is better known as Ivar (minus the long hair and/or beard) and Black is better known as the guy who is about to lose to Hansen in a dark match. Hansen grabs a headlock to start but gets elbowed in the stomach for his efforts.

A headlock takeover works a bit better for Hansen but Black whips him hard into the corner and puts on a double arm crank. That’s broken up as well and Hansen hits an ugly crossbody for two. Hansen makes the clothesline comeback and gets two off a spinning kick to the face. Black hits a pumphandle faceplant for the same but Hansen small packages him for the pin at 4:40.

Rating: D+. This was just a pair of local guys getting to have a quick match to warm up the crowd. There was nothing to indicate that Hansen would become a star in the future and it took a very long time for his career to take off. You have to start somewhere though and that’s what we were seeing here, in one of probably several similar matches he had during this part of his career.

From August 25, 1973 in the AWA.

Billy Graham loses to the Great Scott (with his 8 inch bicep) in an arm wrestling match. The clip runs 43 seconds and I have no idea what the joke was supposed to be here.

From the AWA on January 15, 1977.

Gene Okerlund brings in the Iron Sheik (who looks TINY compared to what he would become), who refuses to speak English. Sheik rants a lot, drops to his knees and prays and shows off the Persian clubs, as was his tradition. After a break, Sheik lifts a 300lb chain above his head and then rants a lot more. Gene says come and see Sheik when you have a chance. Of note: Sheik was billed from Lebanon here rather than Iran.

Kenny Omega vs. Cru Jones
Date: September 3, 2006
Location: Deep South Arena, McDonough, Georgia
Commentators: Bill DeMott, Nigel Sherrod

This is from Deep South Wrestling, where Omega was in the WWE developmental system for a bit before realizing he wasn’t going to get anywhere in this company. Before the match, Omega mocks Jones for being a former football player who yells a lot and promises to pin him. Yeah Omega wasn’t great with the talking at this point. Jones takes him into the corner to start so Omega tries a waistlock.

Omega picks up the pace and armdrags him into an armbar, with one fan calling it boring. Another armdrag into an armbar keeps Jones down but he throws Omega into the corner. The chinlock goes on until Omega fights up and drop toeholds him into the middle rope. A running dropkick to the side of the head gets two on Jones but Jones is back with a Michinoku Driver for the same. Omega is right back up with Sliced Bread for the pin at 5:06.

Rating: C-. Another historical curiosity more than anything else here as Omega was nowhere near what he would become. He was just a guy in trunks here without any kind of character or gimmick to speak of. I can see why he would want out, as doing something like this isn’t going to give him any kind of a change to shine. Jones never did anything of note in wrestling and retired in 2012.

From Championship Wrestling From Florida on September 8, 1988.

Dusty Rhodes introduces us to his son Dustin, who he says is green behind the ears and needs to fill out a bit. Dusty knows everyone is going to be watching and he wants the people to love his son like they love him. Dustin is ready to get funky like a monkey, but he looks rather stoic here and doesn’t say a word.

Rico Constantino vs. Brock Lesnar
Date: January 3, 2002
Location: MCI Center, Washington DC
Attendance: 13,978

Raw dark match and the arena might be 15% full. Lesnar is in white boots for a really weird look. Rico strikes away out of the corner and runs Lesnar over with a shoulder. The cross armbreaker goes on but Lesnar powerbombs out of it without much trouble. Lesnar stomps away in the corner and hits some shoulders to the back for two. The powerslam into the corner lets Lesnar stomp away some more but Rico comes back with a kick to the head. The spinning kick to the face is countered into a powerslam to finish Rico at 4:20.

Rating: C. Believe it or not, two of the more polished OVW wrestlers can have a completely passable match against each other. Lesnar was showing off the power here and that’s what you want to see from him. Rico continues to look more polished than you would ever imagine and I would have loved to see what he could do if he hadn’t been saddled with such a stupid gimmick.

Jim Duggan vs. Sgt. Slaughter
Date: February 4, 1981
Location: Fieldhouse, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Pat Patterson

This is from All-Star Wrestling and I absolutely would not have recognized Duggan. He has short blonde hair and a mustache here, to the point where I thought it was a typo until he was introduced. Slaughter has the Grand Wizard with him and gets in an argument with a fan in the front row before the match starts. Then he does it again, with Vince calling the fan “rotund”.

Duggan (an unknown here) forearms Slaughter in the chest and hits another in the corner. Slaughter unloads with shots to the chest against the ropes and whips him into the corner to cut off a comeback attempt. Duggan gets in his own whip but walks into a piledriver (Vince: “That’ll hurt.”) and the Cobra Clutch finishes for Slaughter at 6:31.

Rating: C-. Now this was fun, as Duggan showed the fire that would make him a star in Mid-South when he got the chance. He was a total rookie at this point though and it was amazing to see in a way. If you have never seen the old school Slaughter, make some time to do so, as he really was awesome in his slimmer days.

Great Kabuki vs. Bruiser Brody
Date: June 7, 1981
Location: Reunion Arena, Dallas Texas
Commentator: Stan Hart

From World Class inside a cage with escape rules only and if Brody wins, Fritz Von Erich gets to face Gary Hart (evil manager) inside the cage. They circle each other to start with Brody kicking his way out of the corner. Kabuki chokes him down but gets whipped into the corner for a right hand. Brody misses the knee though and Kabuki gets in a top rope forearm to the back.

The armpit claw goes on and a superkick cuts off Brody’s comeback attempt. Another comeback works a bit better as Brody kicks him down into the corner, only to get kicked up against the cage. Brody fights out of another nerve hold but a chop cuts him down again. There’s a top rope stomp to the head (geez) to bust Brody open (makes sense) but he kicks Kabuki down again. Now the big knee connects and Brody ties him in the Tree of Woe to escape at 9:55.

Rating: C-. I was expecting more from this but the big story here was more about setting up the next match. It’s a little weird to have what feels like a big showdown inside a cage for the sake of another match later, but that’s a Von Erich story for you. Brody vs. Kabuki would seem to be a bigger match than this, though there is only so much you can do with one guy knocking the other down, then having them swap roles over and over again for about ten minutes.

Bonus match time. Well after we come back from a break and look at the last thirty seconds of the match first.

Fritz Von Erich vs. Gary Hart

Hart, in his suit, is terrified and Fritz stalks him around for a good while. A charge in the corner goes badly for Hart as he gets pounded down, allowing Fritz to start ripping at the suit. Some people are running around at ringside as the pants go flying. The Claw goes on and Hart is left in his underwear. More stripping and more Clawing ensues to give Fritz the win at 4:47.

Rating: D. This was barely a match so there is only so much you’re going to get out of it. I’m sure this would mean a lot more if I know the story (to be fair, Hart vs. Von Erichs went on for years) but this was much more about giving the fans something to cheer. Fritz was a monster in real life but the fans loved him so this worked as well as it could have.

Post match Kabuki gets Hart out of the cage in search of pants.

Minnesota Stretching Crew vs. Mr. Black/Mark Henry
Date: December 16, 2000
Location: Davis Arena, Louisville, Kentucky
Commentators: Kenny Bolin, Dean Hill

That would be a VERY young Brock Lesnar/Shelton Benjamin and Black is a big guy. Black shrugs off Shelton’s dropkick to start and runs him over with a shoulder as commentary actually says this was taped before their big show (which wound up getting knocked out by a blizzard and postponed by a month anyway, so it was WAY before the big show). Shelton crucifixes Black for two and hits a top rope flip dive for the same. Black drives him into the corner and it’s off to Henry to toss Shelton around with ease.

A crossface chickenwing of all things has Benjamin in trouble and there’s a clothesline to drop him again. Henry drops a leg for two and Black blocks a sunset flip with a right hand. A missed charge lets Shelton bring in Brock off the hot tag and even Bolin (the heels’ manager) knows this is trouble. Everything breaks down and Black pulls out a police baton. Cue Rob Conway to take it from him and knock Black silly with it, giving Benjamin the pin at 5:40.

Rating: C. Totally watchable match here as they were just waiting on that hot tag to Lesnar. He was incredibly green at this point but when you can do things like that, does it really matter? I could have gone with the Stretching Crew on the main roster but Charlie Haas was a great choice for Benjamin’s partner and Brock did fine for himself. Black….well he was good for OVW.

Post match Henry and Black beat Conway down.

And now to Championship Wrestling From Florida, June 15, 1972.

We get a training session with Les Thornton, Harley Race, Danny Hodge and more slowly doing moves as commentary talks about what we’re seeing. We’re just seeing individual moves here and there is no crowd or anything. It’s mainly a bunch of suplexes and throws but they’re in slow motion to focus on the athletics and leverage. Believe it or not, Race looks exactly like he always wood as the guy never aged. We wrap it up with some clips of Chavo Guerrero dropkicking a Samoan in a match. This is the kind of thing I can always go for and it was a lot of fun for a short video.

From OVW, May 26, 2001.

Mark Henry is in the ring to talk about how OVW and its fans are on pace to raise $20000 for a children’s charity. Cue Bolin Services (top heel stable) with Kenny Bolin saying he is tired of Henry raising money that could go into his pocket in these towns. They have found something in the contract, with a Randy Savage impersonator (ahuh) saying that the contract states that all money Henry raises goes to Bolin, including the charity money.

Henry says he’ll see Bolin in the hospital and the brawl is on with Henry cleaning house. Cue some guy that commentary doesn’t recognize to beat Henry down with the help of Mr. Black. Jim Cornette wants to know who the guy is hitting a tornado DDT to leave Henry laying. He would know him soon enough: it’s a debuting John Cena.

Fritz Von Erich vs. The Sheik
Date: February 28, 1977
Location: Sportatorium, Dallas, Texas
Commentator: Bill Mercer

Texas Death Match, meaning anything goes. We’re joined in progress with Gary Hart offering a distraction so Sheik can get in a cheap shot. Fritz grabs the stomach claw anyway before switching to the head for a change. Sheik rolls over to the rope for the break (in a death match) but Fritz keeps the hold on. The hold has been on for about two minutes at this point, making it seems like one of the lamest holds in history.

Sheik finally gets in a cheap shot and makes the crazed comeback but Fritz chokes him down again. Some choking gets the bloody Sheik out of trouble and they slug it out as we take a break. Back with Fritz punching his way out of a choke to grab another claw from the mat. A headbutt knocks Sheik out to the floor but they’re both down for the count and the draw at 6:20.

Hang on though as Sheik gets a chance to come back in to answer the ten count (ok then)….and they’re both out again at 7:08. There must be a winner so the first person to his feet wins. Hart and company try to help Sheik up but Fritz is down. Cue Kerry Von Erich to pour water on Fritz and hit Hart with the bucket. Fritz FINALLY gets up for the win at 10:02.

Rating: D-. There was some nice drama with who gets up first but this was a lot of laying around (about 4 minutes out of 10) and the rest was spent on choking and the claw. I know the fans loved Fritz and that’s fair enough, but it would be nice to have them actually do something. Sheik can have his wild brawls, though you would never know it off of this one.

Post match Sheik uses the water on the mat to wash his face because he’s an odd duck.

UPW Heavyweight Title: Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels
Date: March 14, 2001
Location: Galaxy Theater, Santa Ana, California
Attendance: 775

Daniels is defending and this is Loser Leaves UPW (a California independent promotion which trained John Cena). We’re joined in progress with Joe (slim here) missing an enziguri and Daniels (with HAIR) pulling him into an STF. Joe makes the rope and pulls Daniels into a chinlock. That’s broken up as well but the referee gets crushed in the corner. A low blow into Angel’s Wings gets the pin….from a wrestler named Mikey Henderson, meaning it doesn’t seem to count. Joe gets back up and hits an enziguri, setting up the Emerald Driver (Emerald Flosion) for the pin and the title at 2:02 shown.

Daniels gets the Goodbye Song but grabs the mic and thanks the fans for everything over the years.

Samoa Joe, who looks YOUNG, says he’ll face everyone and ran both Daniels and Rob Van Dam out of UPW.

From Florida Championship Wrestling, February 23, 1989.

Oliver Humperdink is sick of Dusty Rhodes so he needs to get rid of Dustin Rhodes. So who should he bring in to take care of Dustin? The only solution is Terry Funk, and we see a video of Funk standing in front of an unpainted white figure with the word DUSTY on the chest. Funk talks about how worthless and fat he is, and how something like this can only be called a “Dusty”. Then he whips out a chainsaw and cuts off the limbs, which represent his words and fat. That leaves you with a Dustin, who is too stupid to speak. I think I’ve done this one before.

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

So back in the days of the WWE Network, there was a section called Hidden Gems.  When the Network was being shut down in America, I rapid fire reviewed as many of them as I could, though I couldn’t get all of them.  For one reason or another, I kept putting off posting them and I might as well just start doing it.  This is more than 50 pages of completely random stuff that has probably popped up elsewhere since then but it’s better than having it sit on my laptop.  There is no connection to these matches/segments but that makes it more fun.  Let’s get to it.

NWA World Title: Harley Race vs. Dick Murdoch
Date: April 2, 1977
Location: Springfield, Missouri
Commentators: Boyd Pierce, Bill Watts

From Tri-State, which became Mid-South. Race is defending and we’re joined in progress late in the match. Murdoch’s leg gives out on a suplex attempt and Race cranks back on it as he is smart enough to do. Murdoch kind of collapses into a clothesline for two on Race, who drives him into the corner for two of his own. A shot to the face puts Race back down and Murdoch stomps away for two more. Skandor Akbar gets in the ring for a distraction but Race manages an O’Connor roll to retain at 3:40 shown. No rating due to how much was clipped but these two could have a classic if given the chance.

Post match Murdoch punches Akbar, who seems to be his manager, out but here’s a masked man (Dr. X?) to go after Murdoch. The beatdown is on so we cut to an NWA graphic because the NWA doesn’t think we should see it. A quick shot shows us Murdoch tied in the ropes to wrap it up.

From September 15, 1976 in Championship Wrestling From Florida.

This is a segment instead of a match as Greg Valentine drops some elbows through boards. Think a martial artist breaking through them with kicks, but with elbows instead. He does this over and over for two minutes. End of segment.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Victoria
Date: June 12, 2006
Location: Bryce Jordan Center, Stage College, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 4,500
Commentators: Jonathan Coachman, Todd Grisham

From Sunday Night Heat and Martinez is a jobber. Victoria headlocks her to start and hammers away with some right hands to the head. They go to the mat but Martinez pops up with a headlock of her own, only to get reversed into a headscissors. Back up and Martinez hits a dropkick into a nothern lights suplex for two but Victoria knees her in the face. A hot shot sets up the Widow’s Peak for the pin on Martinez at 3:12.

Rating: D+. Just a step beyond a squash here but it worked out well enough. This is one of the best kinds of Hidden Gems as there is something so cool about seeing a future star still becoming a thing. You could see some of the skill and polish in Martinez though and it is no surprise that she would be around so many years later. Victoria was pretty much nothing in WWE at this point though and that is a shame as the division could have used her.

Bobby Rood vs. Albert
Date: October 19, 2002
Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Michael Cole, Marc Lloyd

That would of course be Bobby Roode and he actually gets a hometown entrance. Albert drives him into the corner for a shot to the face as the SHAVE YOUR BACK chants start up. Roode slips out of a slam and kicks away at the leg but gets run over with a shoulder. An over the shoulder backbreaker drops Roode again and some forearms to the back make it worse. The catapult sends Roode throat first into the rope and we hit the neck crank. Roode fights up and hits a bulldog as commentary talks about Scorpion King being a big hit in the rental market. Albert has had it with this and hits the bicycle kick for the pin at 3:39.

Rating: C-. This was better than I would have expected as Roode got in a tiny bit of offense rather than running Roode over. You can have a squash but it doesn’t have to be a complete one, especially in a situation like this. Albert won decisively but it wasn’t anything embarrassing for Roode, which is nice to see for a change.

Post match Albert hits the Baldo Bomb to leave Roode laying.

Tazmaniac vs. Skippy Taylor
Date: May 5, 1993
Location: Exposition Building, Portland, Maine
Attendance: 2,700

Dark match from a Wrestling Challenge taping and this is just the hard cam shot, meaning the camera does not move an inch. I’ve seen this one before on the awesome Unreleased DVD set from a few years back and this is Taz vs. Scotty 2 Hotty. It’s so strange seeing Taz as the Tazmaniac caveman gimmick but it’s kind of fascinating.

Taylor cranks on the arm to start and hits a dropkick into a hiptoss. The t-bone suplex cuts him off and we’re already in the Tazmanian chinlock. That’s broken up but Taylor spends WAY too much time loading up a DDT, allowing Tazmaniac to suplex him into another chinlock. Taylor knocks him out of the air (not your typical Taz) but walks into an overhead belly to belly for the pin at 3:55.

Rating: C-. It’s another historical curiosity more than anything else, including trying to wrap my head around the fact that one of the wrestlers was named Skippy. The Tazmaniac was a dead end gimmick too and thank goodness he found the much better Taz deal, which wound up being a heck of a lot better for everyone. Nothing match of course, but it was an interesting pairing.

Big Daddy Ritter vs. Jim Neidhart
Date: May 11, 1979
Location: Victoria Pavilion, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Commentator: Ed Whalen

This is from Stampede Wrestling and that would be Junkyard Dog. The audio is rather choppy here as Neidhart shoves Ritter outside to start. Back in and Neidhart hits the shoulder in the corner but Ritter taunts him into a missed charge into the post. What might be a loaded glove to the head rocks Neidhart as even Whalen can figure out that something is up with the thing. Choking ensues and there’s a headbutt to knock Neidhart down again. A rake to the eyes takes Neidhart down again and back to back powerslams finish for Ritter at 4:26.

Rating: D. Total squash here and it’s bizarre to see Neidhart so young. He was only 24 here and took quite the beating as Ritter liked that loaded glove. It was bizarre to see Ritter as the heel too, as it isn’t something you ever see outside of Stampede. It’s also weird to see a full match from Stampede, as they liked the joined in progress format most of the time.

Post match Ritter gets in another right hand for a bonus.

Ted DiBiase vs. Tom Magee
Date: December 7, 1988
Location: SunDome, Tampa, Florida
Attendance: 9,176

Another Wrestling Challenge dark match and Magee is a heck of a specimen. The stands are a good bit empty as this seems to be rather early in the night. Magee shoves him down to start and hits an atomic drop into an armbar. Audio goes out (no commentary anyway though) as Magee flips him over into a better armbar. Back up and DiBiase unloads against the ropes but Magee kicks him to the floor and flips around a bit.

Magee strikes away in the corner and flips over DiBiase, only to be sent outside in a heap. They go outside with DiBiase stomping away, followed by a middle rope ax handle for two. Audio is back as a clothesline gets two more on Magee. The falling middle rope elbow misses though and Magee nails a spinwheel kick. A dropkick gives Magee two but he walks into a powerslam for the pin at 7:35.

Rating: C. I know Magee was Vince’s dream come true but you really could see how completely green he was every time he was in the ring. He doesn’t seem to have the natural timing or instincts to make it work and while that can be learned over time, it never clicked for him. The match was far from bad, though it’s hard to have a bad match against DiBiase.

From Mid-South, September 3, 1983.

We see a pair of rather large cowboy boots (yes, believe it or not, in Mid-South), one of which is much larger than the other. Cut to Bill Watts in a suit that is much too big for him. Watts says it takes a lot to fill another man’s shoes, much like you just saw there. That large boot and this large coat belong to Andre the Giant, who comes in for a chat.

Andre is proud of losing 15lbs to get down to 485 and talks about some of the travel problems he has to deal with everywhere he goes. He’s also hoping to do more acting work, such as on the Fall Guy. Watts talks about a 400lb college wrestler who would look like a baby next to Andre. Finally, he’s proud of Steve Williams, his former partner and no he does not have 185 teeth. This was a weird bit that felt like it belonged on a talk show where the interviewer didn’t know much about wrestling.

From NWA Western States, February 1, 1971.

Dory Funk Sr. is in the studio and is ready to train with his sons, NWA World Champion Dory Jr. and Terry in an empty arena. Sr. narrates as Terry tries to take Jr. down, saying they are going about ¾ speed. A fireman’s carry takes Jr. down as Sr. keeps critiquing them in the ring. Terry takes Jr. down for the spinning toehold but Sr. calls him off. Sr. takes Terry down with ease and pats him on the head.

A quick head fake lets Sr. take Terry down and Jr. takes Terry down with ease. Sr. explains to Terry that it isn’t fun to be slammed and then tells Terry to calm down. Terry even picks Sr. up for a slam but puts him down with a laugh. Back in the studio, Sr. praises his sons. This was quick but rather cool as you never see this kind of thing, especially with legends like these three.

Barry Hardy vs. Brian Armstrong
Date: August 16, 1994
Location: Lowell Auditorium, Lowell, Massachusetts
Attendance: 2,000

Dark match from a Wrestling Challenge taping and Armstrong is better known as Road Dogg. Armstrong, who is rather energetic, takes him into the corner and hits a dropkick to the floor. Back in and a gutwrench suplex sets up an armbar on Hardy, who comes back with some shots to the ribs. Armstrong grabs some rollups for two each and a knee lift sets up the jabs. There’s a big boot to drop Hardy again and a missile dropkick gives Armstrong the pin at 4:04.

Rating: C-. It’s so bizarre seeing Armstrong as a pretty run of the mill guy when you know the star he would become. He looked good enough here, though it isn’t like he would have stood out all that much. Going with the Roadie gimmick not too long after this was a good foot in the door, but you could see the talent out there, even in a short match like this one.

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

 

In short, it’s excellent.

While a lot of people know of Monsoon for his commentary and of course the Gorilla Position, this is the kind of book that breaks down pretty much his entire career step by step. What people might not know is just how long he was around the company and how influential he really was. At the same time, you get a great look at his amateur wrestling career and personal life running parallel to his time in the WWF.

The amount of detail and research are both incredible as there are some stories and details that I had never heard of before. It’s a book that covers pretty much everything you could ever want to know about such an important wrestling personality and tells you the complete story. I absolutely loved this and actually came close to tearing up a bit with the story of Monsoon’s passing, which was quite the gut wrenching story due to what caused his health to fall apart. Absolutely check this out if you get the chance, as it’s one of the best wrestling books I’ve ever read.

I really don’t know where to start. It’s Hulk Hogan. There might not be a bigger star in wrestling history as he is often going to be the person fans think of when wrestling is brought up. He absolutely revolutionized wrestling with the title win (January 23, 1984) over the Iron Sheik as it changed the way the business worked. That’s not something you see very often and Hogan ran with that thing for the better part of a decade.

Then you have the heel turn, which managed to put WCW firmly in front of the WWF for a good while. That’s even before he came back and won the WWF Title (last WWF Champion before the change over to WWE, which feels so appropriate) and have the awesome match with Rock at Wrestlemania. Outside of McMahon himself, there is no one who had a bigger impact on the company’s ascension, which is about as important as it gets.

There are all kinds of things that can be criticized about Hogan and a lot of them took place in the last few years, but we’ll save those for another time. This one hurts in a different way, as Hogan is the kind of person I couldn’t imagine ever actually being gone. It’s going to take me awhile to get my mind around this and I can’t imagine the tributes that are going to roll in from WWE. Hogan might not have the most spotless record in recent years, but he absolutely deserves the sendoff he’ll be receiving.

Favorite Hulk matches/moments/ridiculously nonsense stories?

So Wrestlemania Weekend has come and gone and it would certainly be classified as eventful. As you might have seen, I went a bit nuts over the week, taking in 30 shows from Wednesday – Monday with 208 total matches. There are still a few more that I’m planning on doing before I wrap up everything for the year but we’ll get to those in time. As for today, I wanted to take a look at some of the things you might have missed over the weekend (outside of Wrestlemania/WWE), or perhaps just something that deserves a bit more attention. Or just random thoughts I have.

These are in no particular order.

• I am sick of the WWE ID wrestlers. They were all over the weekend and while I get the idea of promotions wanting to have someone officially part of WWE around, they wore out their welcome in a hurry. It doesn’t help that Swipe Right aren’t the most interesting villains in the first place and the other guys are only so interesting either. I know it isn’t something that is going to be a long term thing, but geez I do not want to see them for a long, long time. Naturally, their show is on tonight.

• Mike D. Vecchio caught my attention in a good way. He has a great look and while I didn’t get to see much of his work, what I did see went well. He’s from Belgium and apparently wrestles a bit in Japan so he’s getting in reps. You might want to keep his name written down for the future.

• There was a match at Spring Break between Fuego del Sol and Atticus Cogar, mask vs. career. The story was built around the idea of Cogar just not liking Fuego for various reasons and wanting to destroy everything he had built. I knew nothing about Cogar and only know Fuego from his time as a jobber in AEW, but this completely drew me in. I wanted to see Fuego beat this guy and stop the darkness he was trying to spread and that is exactly the kind of storytelling I love to see. They absolutely made this work and it was one of the best matches, at least from a storytelling perspective, all week.

• Dragon Gate USA is back. I’m not sure if this is a full time return or just for the weekend but they held a show of their own and a co-promoted show, both of which were great. This promotion has a reputation for a reason and those reasons were on full display. Very fun, exciting stuff and worth a look if you’re not familiar (or if you are).

• Minoru Suzuki had a pretty terrible weekend, with awful matches against Butterbean (easily the worst thing all weekend) and Matt Tremont. It isn’t a good sign when your best performance was against a doll, but that’s all that I got out of Suzuki in his multiple matches this weekend.

• Masha Slamovich and 1 Called Manders both had awesome weekends, appearing everywhere and not having a bad performance between them.

• Last week’s Dynamite was outstanding and easily one of the best shows the series has ever seen.

• Defy Wrestling and Prestige Wrestling are both solid indies if you’re looking for some quality material outside of the bigger promotions.

• Stardom continues to be high quality women’s wrestling. Tokyo Joshi Pro is good as well, but the styles are so totally different that it’s almost easy to forget they’re doing the same thing.

• Joey Janela’s Cluster**** is still a blast every year and the ultimate turn your brain off and have fun with goofy wrestling.

• I am absolutely exhausted from this weekend and I can’t wait to do it again next year.

One-Sided Beatdowns
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Paul E. Dangerously, Lance Russell, Joey Styles, Vince McMahon, Jim Cornette, Tony Schiavone, Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Kevin Sullivan, Tommy Dreamer, Todd Grisham

So this is something that WWE put together on the Vault, which is basically a 40 minute collection of squash matches. That is the kind of thing which can make for some fun violence, as some of those squashed can be all kinds of entertaining. I’m going into this mostly blind so this should be good. Let’s get to it.

Little bit of a weird thing here: on YouTube, the identifications on some of the matches are all over the place, with Big E. being listed instead of Sid Vicious, a match with Bayley on commentary listing her in the match and some other names being nowhere near close. No idea what’s up with that.

From Monday Night Raw, December 10, 2001.

Hardcore Title: Undertaker vs. Spike Dudley

Undertaker is defending and Spike throws in a bunch of weapons before the bell, with Undertaker swatting a trashcan out of the air. Undertaker doesn’t care so Spike goes and sits on his motorcycle, which is enough to start the destruction. The beating begins on the floor and Spike is thrown inside for a hard right to the head.

Spike is tied in the Tree of Woe (which Lawler seems to have never heard of before) but he gets out for a low blow. Some trashcan lids to the head just annoy Undertaker, who smashes him in the head with the same lid. Undertaker drives a forearm over Spike’s face and the Last Ride onto a trashcan retains at 2:36. This wasn’t quite one sided but ticked off Undertaker can be most enjoyable.

Post match Undertaker chokeslams him over the top and out to the floor (OUCH).

From WCW Main Event, August 27, 1989.

Sid Vicious vs. Lee Scott

Sid hits a big clothesline and the fans are just going nuts for him. A gorilla press to the floor lets Sid throw him back inside. The helicopter slam sets up the powerbomb to complete the destruction at 1:30. This was GREAT as Sid absolutely massacred him.

From ECW On Sci Fi, August 1, 2006.

Kurt Angle vs. Brooklyn Brawler

Commentary doesn’t think much of Brawler’s chances. The ankle lock sends Brawler straight to the ropes to start so Angle beats him up there instead. A headbutt and ankle lock finish Brawler at 1:10.

From Monday Night Raw, June 19, 1995.

Shawn Michaels vs. Gus Kantarrakis

The name graphic has two R’s in the latter’s name but everything else I can find shows just one. Not a good sign when even the company can’t bother getting your name right. Michaels shoulders him down to start and runs the ropes…but has to stop and pick him up. They get back up and Michaels hits another shoulder so he can ride on Gus’ back for the comedy.

Michaels gets Gus to chase him on the floor and then has a seat in the front row. Gus’ cheap shot doesn’t work as commentary ignores the match to talk about celebrity news. Back in and Gus manages a right hand to the ribs and slows Michaels down but he easily sends Gus outside. A suplex on the floor has Gus in more trouble and the superkick knocks him silly out there as well. Back in and the fans want it one more time so Michaels basically Weekend At Bernie’s him into another superkick for the pin at 4:20.

Rating: C. Gus was another level of useless here as he had a weird look and Michaels was almost wrestling himself at times. That being said, this was the goofy Michaels who felt like a star no matter what he was doing and there was no way to avoid putting the title on him next year.

From WCW TV, May 10, 1986.

Midnight Express vs. Mulkey Brothers

Naturally Jim Cornette is here with the Express and even jumps on commentary. Condrey backdrops Randy to start as Cornette says tomorrow is Mother’s Day so he loves Mama Cornette…and wants his allowance. Randy is taken outside and suplexed onto the concrete before Bill comes in, only to be tossed outside as well. Back in and Bill’s face is rubbed into the mat as Cornette calls out Dusty Rhodes and Magnum TA.

A belly to back superplex plants Bill again as Cornette WILL NOT SHUT UP, which is what made him a legend. Bill is sent hard into the corner and a butterfly suplex gives Eaton one, as he pulls Bill up over and over. Randy comes in and actually scores with some punches to Condrey, who suplexes him right back down. A good looking top rope elbow hits Randy and Condrey finally finishes with what would be better known as the Skull Crushing Finale at 4:53.

Rating: C+. The Midnights turned the tag team squash into an art form and the Mulkeys were some of the best targets they could have had. It wouldn’t have been right to leave the Midnights off of something like this as they really were great at what they did. Throw in Cornette ranting at everyone he could think of and it was a lot of fun.

From Monday Nitro, June 1, 1998.

US Title: Goldberg vs. La Parka

Goldberg is defending, gets hit in the head with a chair before the bell, and runs through him with the spear and Jackhammer to retain at 28 seconds. Well you knew Goldberg was going to be on this show.

From Monday Night Raw, July 25, 2016.

Braun Strowman vs. James Ellsworth

Ellsworth hides in the corner at the bell and then thinks it’s a good idea to come up swinging. Strowman throws him into the corner and hits a big boot to the chest, setting up a running splash. A reverse chokeslam finishes Ellsworth at 1:10. Yeah that worked.

From WCW TV, December 16, 1989.

Steiner Brothers vs. Cactus Jack Manson/Rick Fargo

Rick (Steiner, in case you thought Fargo mattered) backs Manson up against the ropes and then slaps the fire out of him. Believe it or not, Jack is kind of into the pain so Scott comes in for a backdrop. Manson fights up with an elbow for two but Scott knocks him outside rather quickly.

Back in and it’s off to Fargo and I don’t see this going well. Scott suplexes him down with ease and a super fall away slam drops Fargo again. We cut to some shots of the crowd and come back to Rick neck cranking Fargo, followed by some riding on the mat. Back up and the Steiner Line puts Fargo down again, setting up the Frankensteiner for the pin at 4:46.

Rating: C-. This was there for the sake of having the Steiners and Jack in the same match but there wasn’t much to it. The Steiners could beat up just about anyone and that’s what they did here. It just wasn’t that entertaining and was more about name value, but I can go with something like this on a big compilation.

From NXT, August 3, 2016.

Asuka vs. Aliyah

Bayley is on commentary but Asuka offers her a seat on the ramp to watch closer. Asuka snapmares Aliyah down as the fans sing for Bayley, whose confidence has been wrecked by Asuka taking the Women’s Title from her. A hip attack drops Aliyah again and Asuka chokes her in the ropes while looking down at Bayley. Another hip attack in the ropes drops Aliyah again and Asuka kicks her out of the air for two, with Asuka pulling her up. A Buzzsaw Kick sets up the Asuka Lock for the tap at 2:28. Nice story advancement with the squash.

From Sunday Night Heat, October 28, 2004.

Tyson Tomko vs. Shawn Riddick

Tomko powers him into the corner to start and hits a spinebuster before hammering away. Some forearms on the mat have Riddick in more trouble and Tomko throws him outside. Tomko isn’t having any of this comeback and kicks Riddick outside, which is enough for the referee to call it at 1:48. Riddick was bumping like crazy here.

From Superstars, February 6, 1993.

Beverly Brothers vs. Bob East/Pete Christie

The Brothers beat on the first one before handing it off to the second one. As we get a look at the latest WWF Magazine, the Brothers hit the Shaker Heights Spike (a flapjack into a faceplant) but the guy over rotates and comes down HARD on his head, thankfully for the pin at 1:28. That was on highlight reels for a good while and could have been a lot worse.

From WCW TV, March 3, 1990.

Kevin Sullivan/Buzz Sawyer vs. Robbie Idol/Zan Panzer

Sawyer is a known nutjob who takes over on Idol. Sullivan comes in for some chops and stomps Idol in the face. It’s back to Sawyer for more chopping before it’s off to Panzer, which makes Sawyer laugh. Sawyer sits on Panzer’s neck as we hear about various upcoming house shows. Sullivan ties Idol in the Tree Of Woe for the running knee and Sawyer, looking a bit nuts (understatement), adds his great top rope splash. Naturally Sawyer pulls him up at two and hits another splash but pulls him up again…and the referee disqualifies Sawyer at 4:13. For what? Beating him up too much?

Rating: C. Not great ending aside, this was another destruction with those splashes looking great. At the same time, Sullivan and his Slaughterhouse (also including Cactus Jack) never did much for me and that was the case again here. They’re a perfectly fine midcard monster team and that’s about it, which only gets them so far.

Post match Sawyer beats him up some more and Sullivan leaves, with a bunch of wrestlers having to come drag Sawyer off of Idol. They can’t quite do it though, instead picking BOTH of them up at once for a unique visual to wrap it up.

Overall Rating: B. I had a GREAT time with this and it is the kind of thing that shows just how much the people running the channel appreciate wrestling. They mixed in a huge variety here and some of them were incredibly entertaining. Just a great little package of fun stuff and worth a look if you want something to the point and exactly as advertised, with nothing breaking five minutes.

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

Make sure you check out some recent reviews:

Ring Of Honor – February 6, 2025

Impact Wrestling – February 6, 2025

Smackdown – February 14, 2025

Vengeance Day 2025

Grand Slam Australia

Monday Night Raw – February 17, 2025

Supertape 2

NXT – February 18, 2025

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Big Update On WrestleMania 42’s Location, Familiar Name Likely To Be Announced.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/big-update-on-wrestlemania-42s-location-familiar-name-likely-to-be-announced/

Demolition Returning To WWE After Decades Long Issues Resolved.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/demolition-returning-to-wwe-after-decades-long-issues-resolved/

WATCH: Chris Bey Walks Three And A Half Months After Horrible Neck Injury (This Is Great).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-chris-bey-walks-three-and-a-half-months-after-horrible-neck-injury-this-is-great/

SmackDown Making Another Commentary Change (But It’s A Short Term One).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/smackdown-making-another-commentary-change-but-its-a-short-term-one/

Update On Former WWE Superstar Reportedly Signing With AEW, Where He Could Wind Up.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/update-on-former-wwe-superstar-reportedly-signing-with-aew-where-he-could-wind-up/

Interesting Reason Why Ricky Starks Went To NXT Rather Than The WWE Main Roster.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/interesting-reason-why-ricky-starks-went-to-nxt-rather-than-the-wwe-main-roster/

Details On Three Released AEW Wrestlers, Their Statues After Leaving Promotion.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/details-on-three-released-aew-wrestlers-their-statues-after-leaving-promotion/

Another WWE Superstar Officially Changes Brands, Now On SmackDown.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/another-wwe-superstar-officially-changes-brands-now-on-smackdown/

AEW Reportedly Changed Plans For Kenny Omega’s Return Feud, What They Originally Had In Mind.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/aew-reportedly-changed-plans-for-kenny-omegas-return-feud-what-they-originally-had-in-mind/

WATCH: WWE Announces Latest Member Of 2025 Hall Of Fame Class.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-wwe-announces-latest-member-of-2025-hall-of-fame-class/

WWE Possibly Teases Alexa Bliss Working With The Wyatt Sicks On SmackDown.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-possibly-teases-alexa-bliss-working-with-the-wyatt-sicks-on-smackdown/

Another Former World Champion Reportedly Expected To Sign With AEW (If He Hasn’t Already).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/another-former-world-champion-reportedly-expected-to-sign-with-aew-if-he-hasnt-already/

Trish Stratus Appears On SmackDown, Agrees To Match At WWE Elimination Chamber (In Her Hometown).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/trish-stratus-appears-on-smackdown-agrees-to-match-at-wwe-elimination-chamber-in-her-hometown/

WATCH: Another WrestleMania 41 Title Match Officially Set.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-another-wrestlemania-41-title-match-officially-set/

CM Punk Set For World Heavyweight Title Shot (But The Fans Might Not Be Pleased).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/cm-punk-set-for-world-heavyweight-title-shot-but-the-fans-might-not-be-pleased/

Interesting Details On Upcoming WWE Evolve Series.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/interesting-details-on-upcoming-wwe-evolve-series/

WRESTLING RUMORS: Huge Grudge Match Likely For WrestleMania 41.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-huge-grudge-match-likely-for-wrestlemania-41/

Kevin Owens Issues Big Challenge To Sami Zayn For WWE Elimination Chamber.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kevin-owens-issues-big-challenge-to-sami-zayn-for-wwe-elimination-chamber/

WWE Unveils Major Detail In Hunt For Jade Cargill’s Attacker.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-unveils-major-detail-in-hunt-for-jade-cargills-attacker/

Details On Two Former AEW Stars Possibly Returning To WWE.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/details-on-two-former-aew-stars-possibly-returning-to-wwe/

WATCH: Major Debut Closes Out NXT Vengeance Day.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-major-debut-closes-out-nxt-vengeance-day/

Two More Names Reportedly Being Considered For WWE Hall Of Fame (And They’re Long Overdue).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/two-more-names-reportedly-being-considered-for-wwe-hall-of-fame-and-theyre-long-overdue/

Another Match Seems Official For WWE Elimination Chamber (It’s Close Enough).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/another-match-seems-official-for-wwe-elimination-chamber-its-close-enough/

WWE Legend Now Co-Lead Writer Of SmackDown.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-legend-now-co-lead-writer-of-smackdown/

WWE Superstars Are Making A Lot More Money These Days.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-superstars-are-making-a-lot-more-money-these-days/

WATCH: Injured WWE Superstar Returns To The Ring.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-injured-wwe-superstar-returns-to-the-ring/

Miro Set For First Wrestling Appearance Following Departure From AEW.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/miro-set-for-first-wrestling-appearance-following-departure-from-aew/

New Grudge Match Set For WWE Elimination Chamber (But It Only Kind Of Counts).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/new-grudge-match-set-for-wwe-elimination-chamber-but-it-only-kind-of-counts/

Here’s The Good Reason Rhea Ripley Missed This Week’s Monday Night Raw.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/heres-the-good-reason-rhea-ripley-missed-this-weeks-monday-night-raw/

John Cena Set For Upcoming WWE Events As Retirement Tour Continues.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/john-cena-set-for-upcoming-wwe-events-as-retirement-tour-continues/

The Hardys Set For Match On Next Week’s NXT.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/the-hardys-set-for-match-on-next-weeks-nxt/

LOOK: WWE Introduces Two New Titles.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/look-wwe-introduces-two-new-titles/

WWE Hall Of Famer Reveals He Has No Contract With The Company Despite Recent Appearance.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-hall-of-famer-reveals-he-has-no-contract-with-the-company-despite-recent-appearance/

Interesting Note On How WWE Views Jim Cornette And A Possible Hall Of Fame Induction.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/interesting-note-on-how-wwe-views-jim-cornette-and-a-possible-hall-of-fame-induction/

WWE Has Reportedly Reversed Course On Wrestlers Using Marijuana

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-has-reportedly-reversed-course-on-wrestlers-using-marijuana/

Michael Cole Is Probably Going To Be With WWE For A Very Long Time.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/michael-cole-is-probably-going-to-be-with-wwe-for-a-very-long-time/

As always, hit up the comments section to chat about what is going on and get on the Wrestling Rumors Facebook page and follow us on Twitter (featuring news stories written by ME).

We should be back to normal now, as things have settled a bit with the whole family health situation (for the time being).  I’m sorry that this is such a long one, but it’s been a bit since I’ve had the time or energy to put this kind of thing together.

Make sure you check out some recent reviews:

NXT – January 28, 2025

Impact Wrestling – January 23, 2025

Royal Rumble 2007 (2021 Edition)

Royal Rumble 2008 (2022 Edition)

Royal Rumble 2009 (2013 Edition)

Royal Rumble 2010 (2013 Edition)

Royal Rumble 2011 (2020 Edition)

Royal Rumble 2012 (2013 Edition)

NXT LVL Up – December 13, 2024

Royal Rumble 2013 (2014 Edition)

Royal Rumble 2014 (2024 Edition)

Royal Rumble 2015 (2016 Edition)

Royal Rumble 2016 (2017 Edition)

Royal Rumble 2017 (2018 Edition)

Royal Rumble 2018 (2019 Edition)

Ring Of Honor – January 23, 2025

Royal Rumble 2019 (2020 Edition)

Royal Rumble 2020 (2021 Edition)

Dynamite – January 29, 2025

Royal Rumble 2021 (2022 Edition)

Royal Rumble 2022 (2023 Edition)

Ring Of Honor – January 30, 2025

Impact Wrestling – January 30, 2025

Royal Rumble 2023 (2024 Edition)

Royal Rumble 2024 (2025 Edition)

Smackdown – January 31, 2025

Royal Rumble 2025

Collision – February 1, 2025

Monday Night Raw – February 3, 2025

NXT – February 4, 2025

Dynamite – February 5, 2025

Smackdown – February 7, 2025

Collision – February 8, 2025

Monday Night Raw – February 10, 2025

Monday Night Raw – January 11, 1993 (2025 Edition)

NXT – February 12, 2025

Dynamite – February 13, 2025

---

Another SmackDown Superstar Reportedly Injured Last Week.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/another-smackdown-superstar-reportedly-injured-last-week/

Monday Night Raw Superstar Out For Months Due To Broken Ribs, Punctured Lung.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/monday-night-raw-superstar-out-for-months-due-to-broken-ribs-punctured-lung/

WATCH: Cody Rhodes Attacked Following Monday Night Raw But He Fights Back.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-cody-rhodes-attacked-following-monday-night-raw-but-he-fights-back/

WATCH: Bron Breakker Seems To Have A Very Interesting New Challenger.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-bron-breakker-seems-to-have-a-very-interesting-new-challenger/

WWE Launches New YouTube Channel With Tons Of Classic NXT Content (This Is Great).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-launches-new-youtube-channel-with-tons-of-classic-nxt-content-this-is-great/

Update On Brock Lesnar’s WWE Status.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/update-on-brock-lesnars-wwe-status/

Big Names Are Current Favorites To Win The Royal Rumble Matches.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/big-names-are-current-favorites-to-win-the-royal-rumble-matches/

Update On Hikuleo’s WWE Status, Speculation On Why He Has Not Debuted Yet.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/update-on-hikuleos-wwe-status-speculation-on-why-he-has-not-debuted-yet/

AEW Star Injured, Pulled From This Week’s Dynamite And Collision At Last Minute.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/aew-star-injured-pulled-from-this-weeks-dynamite-and-collision-at-last-minute/

Update On WWE Status Of 45 Year Old Missing Wrestling Legend.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/update-on-wwe-status-of-45-year-old-missing-wrestling-legend/

Missing WWE Superstar Expected To Return At The Royal Rumble.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/missing-wwe-superstar-expected-to-return-at-the-royal-rumble/

Former WWE Superstar Baron Corbin Reveals Original Plans For Kurt Angle Feud.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/former-wwe-superstar-baron-corbin-reveals-original-plans-for-kurt-angle-feud/

WWE Hoping Former World Champion Can Return At Royal Rumble.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-hoping-former-world-champion-can-return-at-royal-rumble/

Asuka Posts Disturbing Messages On Twitter, Suggests Inappropriate Behavior From Fans.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/asuka-posts-disturbing-messages-on-twitter-suggests-inappropriate-behavior-from-fans/

Conflicting Reports About Major WWE Return At Royal Rumble.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/conflicting-reports-about-major-wwe-return-at-royal-rumble/

Update On The WWE Statuses Of Wyatt Sicks, Alexa Bliss.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/update-on-the-wwe-statuses-of-wyatt-sicks-alexa-bliss/

WWE Planning To Send NXT On The Road Far More Often Going Forward.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-planning-to-send-nxt-on-the-road-far-more-often-going-forward/

WRESTLING RUMOR: WWE Has New Plans For Charlotte’s Return After Year Long Absence.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumor-wwe-has-new-plans-for-charlottes-return-after-year-long-absence/

Several NXT Stars In Town For WWE Royal Rumble.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/several-nxt-stars-in-town-for-wwe-royal-rumble/

Original Plans For AEW Dynamite And Collision Before Powerhouse Hobbs Was Pulled From The Show.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/original-plans-for-aew-dynamite-and-collision-before-powerhouse-hobbs-was-pulled-from-the-show/

Saraya Reveals When Her AEW Contract Expires, Teases Possible WWE Return.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/saraya-reveals-when-her-aew-contract-expires-teases-possible-wwe-return/

WATCH: LA Knight Jumps In On The Drums At Indianapolis Concert (And Nails It).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-la-knight-jumps-in-on-the-drums-at-indianapolis-concert-and-nails-it/

WRESTLING RUMOR: New WWE Series To Begin Taping Next Week.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumor-new-wwe-series-to-begin-taping-next-week/

More On JD McDonagh’s Injury, How Long He Could Be Gone.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/more-on-jd-mcdonaghs-injury-how-long-he-could-be-gone/

Kurt Angle Hints At Possible WWE Royal Rumble Appearance.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kurt-angle-hints-at-possible-wwe-royal-rumble-appearance/

Important Detail On Possibility Of Nikki Bella Making A Surprise Royal Rumble Appearance.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/important-detail-on-possibility-of-nikki-bella-making-a-surprise-royal-rumble-appearance/

Bad News On A Possible Alexa Bliss WWE Return.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/bad-news-on-a-possible-alexa-bliss-wwe-return/

WWE Officially Announces Evolve, Details On Debut.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-officially-announces-evolve-details-on-debut/

VIDEO: John Cena Announces What Is Next For Him In WWE.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/video-john-cena-announces-what-is-next-for-him-in-wwe/

Cody Rhodes Dealing With Injuries, Update On Status.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/cody-rhodes-dealing-with-injuries-update-on-status/

WATCH: Two Surprise Returns Take Place At WWE Royal Rumble.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-two-surprise-returns-take-place-at-wwe-royal-rumble/

VIDEO: Seth Rollins Snaps, Attacks CM Punk And Roman Reigns At WWE Royal Rumble.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/video-seth-rollins-snaps-attacks-cm-punk-and-roman-reigns-at-wwe-royal-rumble/

WATCH: WWE Releases Trailer For Legends And Future Greats (LFG).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-wwe-releases-trailer-for-legends-and-future-greats-lfg/

WWE Couple Reportedly Divorced Late Last Year After Two Years Of Marriage.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-couple-reportedly-divorced-late-last-year-after-two-years-of-marriage/

WRESTLING RUMORS: Drew McIntyre Reportedly Upset Of These WrestleMania 41 Plans.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-drew-mcintyre-reportedly-upset-of-these-wrestlemania-41-plans/

Interesting Detail On Alexa Bliss’ WWE Return At The Royal Rumble.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/interesting-detail-on-alexa-bliss-wwe-return-at-the-royal-rumble/

Detail About Surprise WWE Return At Royal Rumble.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/detail-about-surprise-wwe-return-at-royal-rumble/

WWE Reportedly Planning Main Roster Callup For Another Former NXT Champion.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-reportedly-planning-main-roster-callup-for-another-former-nxt-champion/

This WWE Superstar Receiving Backstage Praise For Recent Efforts.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/this-wwe-superstar-receiving-backstage-praise-for-recent-efforts/

WWE Planning Triple Threat Grudge Match For WrestleMania 41.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-planning-triple-threat-grudge-match-for-wrestlemania-41/

Another Former WWE Champion Changes Brands After The Royal Rumble.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/another-former-wwe-champion-changes-brands-after-the-royal-rumble/

Update On John Cena’s WWE Status Following Royal Rumble.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/update-on-john-cenas-wwe-status-following-royal-rumble/

The Rock Reportedly “Livid” Over His WWE Status Leaking.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/the-rock-reportedly-livid-over-his-wwe-status-leaking/

WRESTLING RUMORS: Update On Nikki Bella’s WWE Status, How Her Return Has Gone.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-update-on-nikki-bellas-wwe-status-how-her-return-has-gone/

Details On Jordynne Grace’s WWE Deal Following Royal Rumble Debut.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/details-on-jordynne-graces-wwe-deal-following-royal-rumble-debut/

Speculation Over Former NXT Champion Being Released Earlier This Week.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/speculation-over-former-nxt-champion-being-released-earlier-this-week/

Speculation On Why Roman Reigns Is Away From WWE TV At The Moment.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/speculation-on-why-roman-reigns-is-away-from-wwe-tv-at-the-moment/

Update On Jade Cargill’s Return To WWE TV, When She Is Expected Back.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/update-on-jade-cargills-return-to-wwe-tv-when-she-is-expected-back/

WWE Superstar Cleared To Return Following Seven Month Injury Hiatus.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-superstar-cleared-to-return-following-seven-month-injury-hiatus/

35 Year Old Former Champion Announces WWE Departure After 8 Years.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/35-year-old-former-champion-announces-wwe-departure-after-8-years/

WRESTLING RUMORS: 4th Generation WWE Star Likely To Receive More TV Time, New Character.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-4th-generation-wwe-star-likely-to-receive-more-tv-time-new-character/

Several WWE Superstars Reportedly Unhappy With The Same Thing.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/several-wwe-superstars-reportedly-unhappy-with-the-same-thing/

Alexa Bliss Joins List Of WWE Superstars To Make A Non-Wrestling Move.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/alexa-bliss-joins-list-of-wwe-superstars-to-make-a-non-wrestling-move/

WWE Has Major Plans For John Cena At Elimination Chamber.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-has-major-plans-for-john-cena-at-elimination-chamber/

Reason For Roman Reigns’ Absence From WWE TV.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/reason-for-roman-reigns-absence-from-wwe-tv/

Top WWE Star Signs New Long Term Deal.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/top-wwe-star-signs-new-long-term-deal/

Details On Four Recent WWE Releases, Why They Were Let Go.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/details-on-four-recent-wwe-releases-why-they-were-let-go/

Why WWE Released Sonya Deville, What They Didn’t See In Her.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/why-wwe-released-sonya-deville-what-they-didnt-see-in-her/

AEW Reportedly Pushing To Sign Cedric Alexander But There Might Be A Problem.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/aew-reportedly-pushing-to-sign-cedric-alexander-but-there-might-be-a-problem/

AEW Star Beefcake Boulder Fired Following Arrest For Strangulation.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/aew-star-beefcake-boulder-fired-following-arrest-for-strangulation/

WWE Releases More Superstars Over The Weekend.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-releases-more-superstars-over-the-weekend/

Three More Monday Night Raw Superstars Move To SmackDown, Update On WWE Transfer Period.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/three-more-monday-night-raw-superstars-move-to-smackdown-update-on-wwe-transfer-period/

Another Former WWE Superstar Reportedly Signs With AEW.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/another-former-wwe-superstar-reportedly-signs-with-aew/

SmackDown Star Suffers Torn Pectoral Muscle, Undergoes Surgery.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/smackdown-star-suffers-torn-pectoral-muscle-undergoes-surgery/

WATCH: WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match Officially Set For WrestleMania 41.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-wwe-world-heavyweight-championship-match-officially-set-for-wrestlemania-41/

Liv Morgan Busted Open During Match On WWE Monday Night Raw.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/liv-morgan-busted-open-during-match-on-wwe-monday-night-raw/

Update On WWE’s Plans For Trish Stratus.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/update-on-wwes-plans-for-trish-stratus/

WATCH: New Day Attacks Rey Mysterio After Monday Night Raw.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-new-day-attacks-rey-mysterio-after-monday-night-raw/

Three Prominent Names Reportedly Depart AEW After Lengthy Absences.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/three-prominent-names-reportedly-depart-aew-after-lengthy-absences/

Details On Jey Uso vs. Gunther At WrestleMania 41, How Long Has It Been In The Works.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/details-on-jey-uso-vs-gunther-at-wrestlemania-41-how-long-has-it-been-in-the-works/

Backstage Speculation Over Recent WWE Releases, How NXT May Be Involved.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/backstage-speculation-over-recent-wwe-releases-how-nxt-may-be-involved/

Full AEW Dynamite Results For February 12, 2025 (SPOILERS).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/full-aew-dynamite-results-for-february-12-2025-spoilers/

Backstage Update On Drew McIntyre And LA Knight Following Incident At The Royal Rumble.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/backstage-update-on-drew-mcintyre-and-la-knight-following-incident-at-the-royal-rumble/

Impressive Detail On Jordynne Grace Signing With WWE.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/impressive-detail-on-jordynne-grace-signing-with-wwe/

WATCH: Former AEW Star Makes Surprise Appearance On NXT Days After Leaving.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-former-aew-star-makes-surprise-appearance-on-nxt-days-after-leaving/

WWE Reportedly Had Specific Plans For Recently Released Superstar.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-reportedly-had-specific-plans-for-recently-released-superstar/

WRESTLING RUMORS: What Some Backstage In WWE Want CM Punk To Do At WrestleMania 41.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-what-some-backstage-in-wwe-want-cm-punk-to-do-at-wrestlemania-41/

Head over to my website at kbwrestlingreviews.com with thousands of reviews from around the world and throughout wrestling history.