Monday Night Raw
Date: August 8, 1994
Location: Beeghly Center, Youngstown, Ohio
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage

We continue on the road to Summerslam Monday (yeah it’s still weird) and in this case that means we need to keep setting things up. A good chunk of the card has already been announced and now it is time to put on some finishing touches. That could mean more than a few things and hopefully some of them are covered this week. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video features doctors in surgery but stopping to turn Raw on at 9. That’s not great patient care.

Commentary runs down the card.

Fake Undertaker vs. Butch Banks

Ted DiBiase is here with the Fake Undertaker, who strikes away to start in a decent impression but missing the finer points. Choking in the corner and on the ropes set up a clothesline, followed by….more choking on the ropes. The chokeslam finishes Banks at 2:58, thankfully ending the crowd’s horribly bored silence. They seem to have given up on the story meaning much by now because it’s just not working.

Post match Banks gets the body bag treatment.

We see Leslie Nielsen’s character from the Naked Gun movies trying to track down the Undertaker. To be continued, because it just has to be.

We look back at Lex Luger on the Heartbreak Hotel, where Shawn Michaels accused Luger of selling out to Ted DiBiase. Luger says that he was made a very lucrative offer but didn’t say yes.

Lex Luger vs. Chad Miller

Before the match, Ted DiBiase comes out to hold up some money at Luger, who walks away. After a break, we get the opening bell and go split screen to DiBiase, saying he told Luger to not worry about a thing. Luger grabs an armbar and then a hammerlock, the latter of which sends Miller over to the ropes. Miller gets knocked down again, setting up the running forearm for the pin at 2:59.

The Summerslam Report with Todd Pettengill runs down the whole card. The big deal: Walter Payton will be in Razor Ramon’s corner against Diesel.

Bam Bam Bigelow/IRS vs. Tatanka/Doink The Clown

Ted DiBiase is here with Bigelow and IRS because he has to be in every segment this week. Dink is here too, because it’s 1994. IRS shoulders Tatanka down and drops an elbow for two. Back up and Tatanka dropkicks him into the corner, setting up a hard whip. A clothesline gives Tatanka two so it’s off to Doink, who is quickly hiptossed. Bigelo comes in and actually gets drop toeholded for two, setting up a Fujiwara armbar of all things. Tatanka comes back in to chop away until Bigelow sends him outside as we take a break.

Back with Tatanka sunset flipping IRS for two but a Bigelow cheap shot gives IRS the same. The chinlock goes on for a bit before Bigelow elbows Tatanka in the face. Tatanka and Bigelow try crossbodies at the same time (which Savage says he has NEVER seen before). The hot tag brings in Doink (sure) and house is cleaned in a hurry. Everything breaks down and IRS hits the Write Off for the pin on Tatanka at 11:30.

Rating: C-. That’s how Bigelow and IRS were set up for the Summerslam title shot: by beating Tatanka and Doink. I’m not sure how this is supposed to be their best option either but here we are, and no it didn’t work. The Headshrinkers vs. IRS/Bigelow doesn’t exactly scream interesting in any way, but the tag division really was that bad at this point.

Post match Tatanka gets beaten down but Lex Luger makes the save. DiBiase puts money in Luger’s hands (Luger didn’t ask for it) and gets jumped by Bigelow. Tatanka sees Luger holding the money and freaks out, as expected.

It’s time for the King’s Court with Jerry Lawler bringing out Owen Hart, with Jim Neidhart. Owen is very excited about his Summerslam cage match against Bret, which are just like the cage matches they had in the Dungeon (that must be worth a look). We hear about Owen’s history with Bret and how he has since gone on to become the King Of The Ring.

Owen says that the entire Hart Family is behind him, but Lawler brings out Bruce Hart (announced as being here earlier tonight) to say not so fast. Bruce points out how much help Owen has needed from Neidhart and how the family is disgusted by Owen. He also accuses Neidhart of being jealous of Bret for carrying the Hart Foundation…and we’re just done. Heck of a promo here from a fired up Bruce but it felt like it got cut off at the end.

Video on the New Generation, which is WAY better than that Hogan/Andre garbage.

Bob Backlund vs. Kevin Krueger

Vince tries to explain that Backlund is NOT part of the New Generation but yeah it’s not the best looks. Krueger won’t shake hands to start so Backlund pulls him down with an armdrag. With his celebration complete, Backlund twists the arm around and sweeps the leg as this is one sided so far. Krueger’s wristlock lasts all of two seconds as Backlund kicks him away. Vince thinks there is an evil spirit in Backlund as the fans want Bret. We pause for Backlund to pose on the ropes before the crossface chickenwing finishes Krueger at 3:52.

Rating: C-. The Backlund thing is a work in progress to put it mildly, as he’s mostly wrestling as his old good guy self but with a lethal finisher. That’s all well and good, but the finisher isn’t cheating or illegal, so what is bad about him here? Other than the fans wanting Bret more, he doesn’t feel like a villain yet and that’s a problem.

Preview for next week’s show.

Lex Luger goes to Ted DiBiase’s dressing room to find him but Tatanka comes in, saying he knew he would find Luger here. The argument ends the show.

Overall Rating: C-. This was the Ted DiBiase show and that is only going to take you so far. DiBiase is a rich man and that’s about all he can really do here. The rest of Summerslam is a bit more interesting, but that didn’t get any real focus here. Not a great show, but at least they do have a few more weeks to focus on the other stuff.

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

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Monday Night Raw
Date: August 1, 1994
Location: Beeghly Center, Youngstown, Ohio
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage

We are on the way to Summerslam and that means the big stories are Bret Hart vs. Owen hart and Undertaker vs. Maybe Undertaker. One of these feuds is a bit better than the other and I’ll let you figure out which is which. Other than that, Vince McMahon’s steroids trial is FINALLY over and somehow he escaped. I wonder how much that will be mentioned. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels, including the ladder match from earlier this year. Diesel is facing Ramon at Summerslam, but tonight it’s Ramon vs. Shawn.

Razor and Shawn are ready for each other.

Opening sequence.

Vince and Savage welcome us to the show, with Savage making it clear that Vince is COMPLETELY exonerated. Just in case there was any doubt you see.

Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels

Intercontinental Champion Diesel is here with Shawn and it’s almost weird to see these two having a regular match. They take turns missing each other to start until Shawn takes him down and walks over his back. That earns him a heck of a right hand and a big whip over the corner to the floor. Back in and Shawn dives into a fall away slam for two, setting up the armbar.

Shawn fights up and chokes a bit in the corner before a dropkick gets two. The chinlock goes on for a good while until Razor fights up. Another dropkick doesn’t work so well for Shawn, as Razor catches the legs and catapults him over the top and down onto Diesel (in a great visual).

We take a break and come back with Razor grabbing an abdominal stretch until Shawn goes to the eye for the escape. The big backdrop sends Shawn flying again as commentary makes fun of the Goodwill Games. Razor grabs the bearhug for a good bit until Shawn elbows his way out. Shawn’s back is still banged up though and Razor slaps it right back on. With Shawn escaping for good, they hit the pinfall reversal sequence, capped off by Shawn throwing him over the top.

Diesel gets in a clothesline on the floor as we take a break. Back with Diesel throwing Shawn back inside so Shawn can hit a jumping back elbow for two more. The sleeper puts Razor down for two arm drops until the traditional belly to back suplex to escape. Back up and Razor puts him on top for the belly to back superplex, which is broken up just as fast. Shawn’s high crossbody gets two and the superkick (still not a big deal) gets the same.

With nothing else working, Shawn tries a Razor’s Edge of his own but gets backdropped without much trouble. Diesel gets up for a distraction so Shawn can grab the title, which doesn’t go right either. A second distraction, this time in the form of a big boot, does work though and Shawn grabs a rollup (with trunks of course) for the pin at 25:02.

Rating: B+. Oh yeah this worked, even though I spent most of the match looking around for the ladders. It’s another great example of letting talented wrestlers go out there and do their thing, especially when they’re motivated and showing chemistry. This is quite the hidden gem as you always hear about the ladder matches but they tore the house down with an awesome regular match instead. Check this one out if you get the chance.

Post match the beatdown is on until the referees make the save.

We get the Summerslam Report featuring Todd Pettengill. Some matches for the card are listed off, with Todd thinking Razor Ramon will need some backup for his Intercontinental Title shot against Diesel. Just a thought of course.

Alundra Blayze vs. Bull Nakano

Blayze’s Women’s Title isn’t on the line and Luna Vachon is here with the debuting Nakano. Blayze kicks away to start but gets taken down with one heck of a hair toss. A powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana to give Blayze two and a spinning kick to the face drops Nakano again. As commentary make fun of Nakano’s looks, she grabs a chinlock to keep Blayze down.

A piledriver gives Nakano two as she pulls Blayze up. Nakano powerbombs her for two more as commentary isn’t sure what to make of this. Blayze gets two off a sunset flip and she gets away from the guillotine legdrop. Blayze’s German suplex gets two (Savage says no one has ever kicked out of it before) and she dropkicks Nakano off the top to the floor. One heck of a dive to the floor takes Nakano down again but she posts Blayze hard. The brawl takes them to a double countout at 5:31.

Rating: B. This was a FIGHT and one of the best women’s matches you will see in the company to date. It’s amazing what happens when you give Blayze, who was a lot better in the ring than she was given credit for being, someone who can wrestle with any of them rather than the goofy old school stuff. I got way into this one and there’s a reason why this feud is still talked about to this day.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

It’s time for the King’s Court with Bob Backlund as the special guest. Hold on though, as we first have a guy propose to his girlfriend in the crowd. Lawler isn’t impressed and mocks them both, but we’ll get the answer later. Apparently later means after the break, with the woman in the ring (and the guy in the crowd). First though, Lawler has a few questions/jokes and she finally says yes.

Lawler kisses her (the guy is mad) and then she leaves so here is Backlund for his interview. Actually make that the REIGNING WWF Champion Bob Backlund, as he never lost the title. Backlund talks about how he tried to help people throughout his career and his hiatus from wrestling. People have changed in those last ten years and he is very disappointed. Savage thinks Backlund has an attitude problem as he insists that he never gave up in 1983, so he is STILL the champion.

As commentary talks over Backlund, we see….nothing different, as Lawler talks about beating Bret Hart in the middle of the ring. Backlund calls Hart part of a horrible society as we go to a clip of Backlund snapping on Hart after their match. This was all over the place, as the proposal was long and commentary wouldn’t shut up as Backlund talked.

Smoking Gunns vs. George Anderson/Tom Bennet

Joined in progress with Anderson coming in and getting kicked in the ribs by Bart. Billy drops a knee and we take a break, coming back with Billy hitting a dropkick setting up the Sidewinder for the pin at 5:24. We didn’t even see two minutes of the match but we did get more of Savage praising Vince’s legal team.

They’re off the air literally five seconds after the match is over.

Overall Rating: B+. Until the goofy Lawler stuff, this was looking to be an all time episode and certainly one of the best of this era. The first half of the show is an awesome match and the second match is very good in its own right. If you ignore it coming to a screeching halt with the proposal and the incredibly squeezed in (and nothing) tag match, it’s a classic. Check out that opener and the women’s match if it’s your thing, as they’re both worth seeing.

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

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Monday Night Raw
Date: July 3, 2023
Location: CFG Bank Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

We’re back stateside after Money In The Bank in London and the big story around here is Damian Priest being the new Mr. Money In The Bank. That means there is officially a threat over a few champions’ heads and that could make things interesting for a long time to come. Let’s get to it.

Here is Money In The Bank if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of pretty much everything that happened at Money In The Bank.

Here is Seth Rollins to get things going. After a long serenade, Rollins talks about retaining the title at Money In The Bank but now he has to worry about that pesky briefcase. Cue Cody Rhodes to interrupt….but he can only get a “So…” out, here Brock Lesnar interrupts. Cody immediately goes outside for the fight but Lesnar takes him side. The F5 is countered and a Cody Cutter sends Lesnar running.

Post break, Rollins is still in the ring but here is Judgment Day (minus Finn Balor) to interrupt. Damian Priest recaps the Money In The Bank concept and Rollins offers him a match tonight. Priest says Rollins can fight someone standing next to him. Rhea Ripley: “Well I’m already defending my World Women’s Title against Natalya.” So it’ll have to be Dominik Mysterio instead. Rollins smells a trap but listens to the fans and says he’ll do it.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Damian Priest

Ripley and Mysterio are here with Priest. Nakamura takes him down fast to start and fires off the knees to the ribs, only to have Priest hit him in the face. Back up and Priest stomps away in the corner, setting up the running elbow. Nakamura manages to put hum on top for the running knee to the ribs as the fans are all over Dominik. They head outside with Priest dropping him onto the barricade as we take a break.

Back with Nakamura striking away and hitting an STO. The sliding German suplex drops Priest and lets Nakamura…go outside to hit on Ripley. With that odd visual out of the way, Priest knocks a diving Nakamura out of the air and hits a good looking spinning kick to the head for two. Nakamura hits a kick of his own and adds the middle rope knee to the chest. Not that it matters as Priest hits a HARD clothesline, setting up South Of Heaven for the pin at 11:00.

Rating: C+. Well Priest is already off to a better start than some Money In The Bank winners as he’s not losing after slipping on a banana peel. Priest has been treated seriously for months now and it is nice to see that continue after he gets his big win. Keep it up and WWE might actually have a star on their hands if they’re not careful.

We recap Shayna Baszler turning on Ronda Rousey to cost the team the Women’s Tag Team Titles at Money In The Bank.

Here is Rousey for a chat but Baszler interrupts, saying people are sick of hearing her trying to talk. Rousey wants an explanation, saying she is owed one. That sets Baszler off, saying she is the reason Rousey got into wrestling so she owes Rousey nothing. The only thing she owes ANYONE is an apology for getting Rousey into the business. Rousey says they worked to become champions, which sets Baszler off again.

Baszler doesn’t remember Rousey building rings to work in front of 30 people or having to fill out an application. Rousey came in and went straight to Wrestlemania. Baszler loves this and owes Rousey the reality that there is someone here who can shut her up. The fight is on with Rousey getting the better of things until Baszler gets an ankle lock. With Rousey slowed, Baszler gives her a running knee and leaves, even as Rousey tells her to get back here. That’s not exactly an explanation, as Rousey and Baszler were a successful team. So Baszler waited until they were a success together to let out all of this anger? That’s a bit odd.

Maxxine Dupri is ready to make her in-ring debut and is ready to prove that Chad Gable is a heck of a trainer. Gable is ready to give the Viking Raiders a dose of patriotism.

Tag Team Turmoil

For a Women’s Tag Team Title shot against Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez (at ringside). Chelsea Green/Sonya Deville are in at #1 and Candice LeRae/Indi Hartwell are in at #2. Hartwell goes after Deville to start but everything breaks down quickly. Green gets sent to the apron but comes back in with UnprettyHer to LeRae. Deville’s running knee is enough for the pin at 1:32.

Emma/Nikki Cross are in at #3 with Cross Checking on the banged up LeRae. Green comes in and gets Russian legsweeped, but Cross is still worried about LeRae (who is gone). The UnprettyHer and another running knee finishes Emma at 4:55 total. Tegan Knox/Dana Brooke are in at #4 and clear the ring rather quickly as we take a break. Back with Deville pinning Nox with the running knee at 7:54 so it’s Kayden Carter/Katana Chance in at #5.

Carter drops Deville for a fast two but she has to fight out of the corner. Green is taken up top but Carter goes up with her. Chance tags herself in and hits a super hurricanrana for two with Deville having to make the save. The After Party is broken up and Deville gets in a cheap shot from the floor. UnprettyHer gives Green the pin and the title shot at 11:49.

Rating: C. Deville and Green are a good enough team to get a title shot out of all of this, but a match like this one really shows you just how shallow the division is. Other than the winners, it’s three thrown together teams and Carter/Chance, who have mainly been treated as losers since getting called up. There might (and I emphasize that word) be a decent division between all three brands, but this really didn’t do the division any favors.

Video on the women’s Money In The Bank match.

Video on Bronson Reed.

Here is a ticked off Becky Lynch who didn’t win Money In The Bank, but wants to finish this with Trish Stratus RIGHT NOW. Cue Stratus and Zoey Stark, with Stratus sporting a face mask to protect a broken nose. Lynch: “HAHA LOOK AT HER FACE!” Stratus: “You think this is funny?” Lynch: “I DO!” Stratus isn’t medically cleared to fight so Lynch will beat up Stark instead.

Lynch isn’t impressed but Stratus calls herself the greatest of all time. Lynch says Stratus is just back to plug some low level show and appear on the cover of a local magazine that she paid to be in. Once she leaves, is she taking Stark back to be the secretary of her yoga studio? Why is Stratus still here? Stratus talks about being the face of the women’s division and Lynch is jealous of all of the attention that Stratus gets. Now Stark is going to break her face….or not as Stratus has a medical appointment right now, so they have to leave Balti-less right now (Graves liked that one). Lynch vs. Stratus at Summerslam should work.

Cody Rhodes comes out, welcomes new interviewer Jackie Redmond, and says Brock Lesnar is back. Rhodes will fight him anywhere anytime…and that’s that.

Alpha Academy vs. Viking Raiders

Six person tag here, with Otis wasting no time in hitting the Caterpillar on Ivar. We take a very fast break and come back with Gable coming in to clean house. A dive to the floor hits Erik and a top rope headbutt hits Ivar. Erik takes Gable down though and it’s the women coming in, with Dupri managing the suplex. Valhalla breaks up the Caterpillar from Dupri though, as Gable moonsaults onto the Vikings at ringside. A sunset flip out of the corner gives Dupri the pin on Valhalla at 7:58.

Rating: C-. I do kind of like the fact that WWE isn’t hiding what they’re doing with Dupri. She is far from a skilled star in the ring but she has nice gear and a bunch of charisma. If they keep her doing low level, mostly non-serious stuff like this, she’ll be fine as someone who can be brought up slowly. Not much of a match but they were smart enough to keep the women’s part short.

Ricochet isn’t happy that Logan Paul was in Money In The Bank so how about they settle it face to face next week.

Raw Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley vs. Natalya

Ripley is defending and gets jumped from behind during the entrance. They go inside for the opening bell and they go straight back to the floor, with Ripley sending her face first into the announcers’ table. Back in and Ripley forearms her in the back, followed by a headbutt out of the corner. A low superkick keeps Natalya down as this is one sided so far.

Natalya fights out of the corner and hits a high crossbody for a double knockdown. Ripley is back up with a basement dropkick for two and we take a break. We come back with Ripley hitting a kick to the head for a double knockdown. Natalya hurricanranas her way out of a powerbomb but Ripley gets up top for a missile dropkick.

The Prism Trap goes on but Natalya sends her into the corner for the escape. Ripley drops her again and goes up for a frog splash (complete with Eddie dance) only to hit raised knees. A powerslam into the Sharpshooter sends Ripley to the ropes but she’s right back with a headbutt. Riptide retains the title at 13:06.

Rating: B-. This got a lot better after the break and they had a pretty good match despite the lack of uncertainty over the winner. Natalya’s problem has never been her abilities in the ring so it’s no surprise that she can get going in a long match. Just stop trying to have her involved in stories and she’s a lot better. Ripley isn’t likely to lose the title anytime soon, so giving her a nice win like this is a good way to go.

Post match Ripley stays on her until Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez make the save.

We look at Miz attacking Tommaso Ciampa last week.

Ciampa says he fought Miz face to face but Miz attacked him from behind. There is a silver lining in this though: Ciampa saw that look in Miz’s eye. He’s happy to have that Miz back and now he can face the good one.

Miz says he’s feeling better than he ever before so he’ll face Ciampa in a no DQ match next week.

Video on the Bloodline Civil War at Money In The Bank with Jey Uso finally pinning Roman Reigns.

Rhea Ripley is in the back and runs into Ms. Money In The Bank Iyo Sky. Ripley says try her, because it would be a huge mistake. Sky leaves and Dominik Mysterio/Damian Priest come in. They haven’t heard from Finn Balor but Ripley threatens Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Dominik Mysterio is ready to hurt Seth Rollins, which has Ripley approving.

Matt Riddle vs. Giovanni Vinci

The rest of Imperium is here with Vinci. Riddle kicks away at the chest but Vinci goes after the still banged up ankle. The middle rope moonsault connects for Vinci but Riddle grabs a rollup for the pin at 1:20.

Post match the beatdown is on until Drew McIntyre makes the save. The Claymore drops Vinci and McIntyre stares Gunther down.

We recap Seth Rollins retaining over Finn Balor at Money In The Bank.

Matt Riddle thanks Drew McIntyre for the save and they’re going to face Imperium next week. For tonight, they’re hitting the town.

Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio

Non-title and the rest of Judgment Day (minus Finn Balor) are here with Dominik. Rollins takes him over with a headlock as the fans are all over Dominik. Rollins’ headlock is reversed into another headlock but he’s right back up with a running clothesline. With Dominik on the floor, Ripley offers a distraction but Dominik gets tossed outside again anyway.

We take a break and come back with Rollins snapping off Three Amigos but another Ripley distraction lets Priest shove him off the top. Dominik hits the frog splash and then does it again but doesn’t bother covering. A third only hits raised knees though and Rollins first off some running forearms in the corner. The running knee drops Dominik again and a clothesline sends him outside. Rollins hits a dive onto Dominik and Priest, the latter of whom comes in with the South of Heaven for the DQ at 9:50.

Rating: C+. This was the right way to go as Dominik isn’t going to be a threat to Rollins straight up, but Dominik with Ripley and Priest could be. It’s also good to not have Dominik take another fall, as you don’t want to run him into the ground. Priest coming in for the DQ to set up a cash in tease worked fine and it was nice to see the champion getting to beat someone up for a bit.

Post match Priest loads up the Razor’s Edge through the announcers’ table but Rollins slips out. Dominik gets in a briefcase shot though and Priest teases cashing in. Cue Finn Balor though, and he knocks Rollins into Priest to break up the cash-in attempt (Priest didn’t do it). The argument lets Rollins escape, albeit after a Pedigree on Dominik on the floor. Judgment Day argues a lot to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This show had quite the level of HHH efficiency going on and that’s a great thing to see. You had the Judgment Day/Seth Rollins stuff going on throughout the show, plus some things being set up for the future. While not officially announced, you can probably guess most of the Summerslam card from a month out and that’s not bad. Keep doing stuff like this and Raw should be in a good place on the way to Detroit.

Results
Damian Priest b. Shinsuke Nakamura – South Of Heaven
Sonya Deville/Chelsea Green won Tag Team Turmoil last eliminating Kayden Carter/Katana Chance
Alpha Academy b. Viking Raiders – Sunset flip to Valhalla
Rhea Ripley b. Natalya – Riptide
Matt Riddle b. Giovanni Vinci – Rollup
Seth Rollins b. Dominik Mysterio via DQ when Damian Priest interfered

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Monday Night Raw
Date: September 25, 1995
Location: Grand Center, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Attendance: 1,500
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

We’re done with In Your House and that means it’s time to start getting ready for In Your House. The big story coming out of last night is Diesel and Shawn Michaels won the Tag Team Titles, albeit by pinning a substitute champion in the British Bulldog. I’m sure nothing bad will come of that so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a preview of Undertaker vs. British Bulldog tonight.

BREAKING NEWS: Diesel and Shawn Michaels have been stripped of the Tag Team Titles after the controversy in last night’s title match. There will be a rematch in the future, but for tonight, Owen Hart and Yokozuna will defend the Tag Team Titles.

Opening sequence.

Marty Jannetty vs. Skip

Sunny is here with Skip and Marty is in a weird set of attire, with a plain black muscle shirt over regular tights. Marty starts fast and clears the ring as Jerry says the Rockers are former Tag Team Champions. Back in and Skip fires off some right hands in the corner but Marty sends outside again. Sunny yells a lot so Marty sneaks up on her with a hug, which the crowd finds AMAZING for some reason.

Back in and Marty works on the arm but a Sunny distraction lets Skip grab a gutwrench powerbomb to take over. Cue Dean Douglas to scout the match as we take a break. Back with Skip hammering away in the corner but a quick suplex gets Marty out of trouble. What looked to be a leapfrog is countered into a powerbomb to keep Skip down and Marty gets to hammer away. Sunny’s distraction doesn’t work as Marty hits the Rocker Dropper and the top rope fist drop finishes Skip at 11:09.

Rating: C+. It’s amazing what happens when you have two people away from a lot of the issues that plagued their careers, allowing them to show the talent that they have. I could see either of these two getting a shot in the company as they are both that good. This got some time and was a solid return (after about a year and a half) for Jannetty.

We recap the whole Triple Header ordeal, with British Bulldog being the official replacement for Owen Hart. Then Hart showed up and got pinned, so the title change doesn’t matter. This is described as maintaining the company’s integrity, despite being the biggest bait and switch in at least a few months. I believe this marks the debut of Jim Cornette’s attorney Clarence Mason

Tag Team Titles: Owen Hart/Yokozuna vs. Smoking Gunns

The Gunns are challenging in what was turned from a non-title match into a title match as part of the ordeal over last night’s main event. Bart armdrags Owen into an armbar to start before it’s off to Billy, who gets to face Yokozuna. A shoulder drops Billy, who fires back with a pair of dropkicks and a bulldog to actually take Yokozuna down. That doesn’t work for Owen, who comes in to take over on Billy, including a chinlock.

A legdrop gets two and we take a break. Back with the champs wishboning Billy and Yokozuna grabbing the nerve hold. The big elbow misses though and a diving tag brings in Bart to clean house. Owen accidentally collides with Yokozuna, leaving Owen to get caught with the Sidewinder. Yokozuna’s splash hits Owen by mistake and Bart gets the pin to get the titles back at 12:15 (the fans go NUTS).

Rating: C+. Another nice match here and it’s nice to see the Gunns getting back into the title picture after basically being heads and shoulders above the rest of the division. Sometimes you need to just get back to basics with a solid team holding the titles and that is what they’re doing with the Gunns. Owen and Yokozuna couldn’t do anything else with them and the Gunns won because they didn’t make a mistake, so well done.

Shawn Michaels and Diesel come out to celebrate with the new champs.

Gorilla Monsoon and Dok Hendrix announce some matches for the next In Your House:

Goldust makes his debut
Shawn Michaels vs. Dean Douglas for Shawn’s Intercontinental Title
British Bulldog vs. Diesel for Diesel’s WWF Title, winner defends against Bret Hart at Survivor Series

Undertaker vs. British Bulldog

Paul Bearer and Jim Cornette are here too. Undertaker chokes away in the corner to start and hits the jumping clothesline to drop Bulldog. Old School is loaded up but Bulldog pulls him off the top for a big crash. A clothesline sends Undertaker to the floor, where he gets to choke Cornette until Bulldog makes the save. Bulldog starts in on the leg by sending it into the steps. Men On A Mission are watching as we take a break.

Back with Bulldog staying on the leg as Waylon Mercy is watching as well. The half crab is broken up and Undertaker grabs a belly to back suplex. Old School connects but Bulldog is right back up with a piledriver for two. Undertaker is back up with a chokeslam but Mabel comes in with the spinning belly to belly for the DQ at 12:53.

Rating: C. Not exactly the best way to get the Bulldog over before a title shot but at least he didn’t get pinned. Undertaker is still one of the biggest stars in the company and beating him is a big deal, though if there was ever a time to have him lose to a screwy finish, this would have been it. Bulldog does look better as a main eventer and if he can back that up, good for him.

Post match the big beatdown is on until Shawn Michaels, Diesel and the Smoking Gunns come in for the save (still with soap on them and barefoot, which is an old school way of adding some realism). After a break, Shawn and Diesel pose for a long time to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was certainly a busy and eventful show and that is not normal for Raw around this time. The title change itself was a big deal and they did a nice build towards In Your House with a lot of the card already set. The wrestling bottomed out at completely fine and that is a good sign for an hour long show. It’s hard to fathom in 1995 but things are actually doing decently at this point. Now if they could find a way to get people to pay for it, things would be even better. Nice show this week.

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Monday Night Raw
Date: September 21, 1995
Location: Memorial Civic Center, Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 1,600
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler

It’s the go home Raw for In Your House and that means we are in for…well not much on the main event, which is already set. Other than that, we have another Razor Ramon vs. 1-2-3 Kid match as the two of them aren’t getting along. Finally, Men On A Mission are facing Owen Hart and Yokozuna for reasons of evil. Let’s get to it.

Here is last week’s show if you need a recap.

This is a special Thursday edition of the show, which wasn’t mentioned last week.

We open with a recap of last week, with the 1-2-3 Kid costing Razor Ramon a match against British Bulldog. Kid wants to be taken seriously so he’ll have to beat Razor again.

Opening sequence.

Razor Ramon vs. 1-2-3 Kid

During the entrances, we look at Razor attacking Dean Douglas in the classroom at Summerslam in case you want to be told what to expect here. Kid jumps him to start and fires off some kicks to put Razor on the floor. Back in and Razor goes with the power to take him to the corner for the super fall away slam. Razor chops away in the corner and tosses him HARD (with a great bump from the Kid) before working on the arm. A chokeslam gives Razor two but Kid manages to send him outside.

Kid hits a slingshot dropkick (over the top at that) and a spinning kick to the face gets one back inside (the foot on the rope helped). The sleeper takes Ramon down to one knee and we take a break. Back with the hold still on but Razor suplexes his way to freedom. The discus punch drops Kid and there’s the running corner clothesline. Back up and a collision sends Kid into the referee so cue Dean Douglas for a top rope splash to Razor. A VERY delayed cover gives Kid the pin at 10:33.

Rating: C+. Kid getting to bump all over the place worked and Razor gave him a ton of offense at the same time (I for one am shocked). The Kid winning makes a lot more sense and it is smart to let him move up the ladder a bit. Razor is more than a made man so this was a good example of helping bring someone up. Now just do it more often.

Dean Douglas grades the match, with the Kid getting a D (dumb), Razor getting an E (elevate, which Razor is trying to do by face Dean), Dean getting an A (because he’s nifty) and Razor vs. Dean at In Your House getting an N (no brainer).

Tatanka/Kama vs. Savio Vega/Bob Holly

Ted DiBiase is here with Tatanka and Kama. Vega cleans house to start before it’s off to Holly, who works on Kama’s ribs before it’s quickly off to Savio. The kick misses Tatanka but he distracts Holly so Kama can jump Vega. A double slam plants Vega as the referee takes FOREVER to get Holly out. Kama plants him down again and shoves Holly, who still doesn’t get how stupid it is to try to come in.

Vega is mostly destroyed in the corner but finally manages a shot of his own for a needed breather. Holly comes in and now is quite a bit more lethargic (he really isn’t that bright in this match), though a high crossbody does get two on Kama. Everything breaks down and Kama powerslams Holly out of the air (with a nasty landing) for the pin at 5:46.

Rating: C. This was an energetic match but Holly was hardly helping his partner most of the time. They were trying throughout though and that is always nice to see, especially in a nothing match like this one. Kama and Tatanka were pretty much just thrown together, but they did well enough all things considered.

Razor Ramon is ready to hurt Dean Douglas.

Wrestlemania: The Special is coming on September 30, featuring the two main events. That was a big deal.

Jean Pierre LaFitte vs. Brian Walsh

Jean shrugs off an early assault and stomps away as Bret Hart calls in to say he doesn’t like LaFitte stealing his gear over and over. Some shots to the face and chest have Walsh in more trouble as the slow beating continues. The Cannonball (Swanton) finishes Walsh at 3:17.

Rating: C-. Total and complete dominance here and that is how it should be. LaFitte wasn’t going to go anywhere because he’s a pirate of all things in 1995 but putting him in there with Bret is going to make it feel important. That’s the power of someone like Bret and the WWF knew just how big of a deal he really was.

Tag Team Titles: Men On A Mission vs. Owen Hart/Yokozuna

Owen and Yokozuna (with Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji) are defending and Mabel is carried to the ring, with the people carrying him cringing under the weight. Owen kicks away at Mo to start but charges into a powerslam so Mo can stomp away. Mabel comes in and nothing words for Owen, who is knocked out of the corner with ease.

Mo gets in a few more stomps but Owen gets away to bring in Yokozuna. As Owen sends Mo into the steps, the giants stare each other down but stop so Yokozuna can unload in the corner. We take a break and come back with Owen and Mo trying spinwheel kicks at the same time for a double knockdown.

The double tag brings in the giants, with Mabel winning a slugout and hitting a jumping (work with me) clothesline. Mabel throws Owen at Yokozuna and it’s Mo coming back in to slug away. Yokozuna clotheslines Mo down like he’s Yokozuna clotheslining Mo and hands it back to Owen. A cheap shot lets Mo get two of his own as everything breaks down. Owen drop toeholds Mo down and the Yokozuna legdrop is enough to retain the titles at 12:45.

Rating: C. I never would have bet on it but this was pretty decent. If nothing else, Yokozuna could still move well enough here and Mabel was slightly motivated, even after his main event run was dead. Owen was his usual self, so this was about as good as it could have been all things considered.

Diesel and Shawn Michaels are ready to win the Tag Team Titles.

Post break, Owen Hart/Yokozuna and company are still in the ring, with Jim Cornette promising to bring some more gold back at In Your House. They’ll make the Two Dudes With Attitude into the Two Fellas That Are Yellow. Cornette runs over the rules of the match (as you should) and promises that his men are ready to show how great they are. What happened the last time Shawn and Diesel were partners? They got in a fight, and how much worse will it be when they have titles to protect? Cornette: “In Your House, in your face and around their waists!” Great line to wrap this up as Cornette sold the match really well.

Jerry Lawler’s official prediction: Yokozuna wins the WWF Title.

A quick preview of Undertaker vs. British Bulldog for next week wraps us up.

Overall Rating: C+. They did what they could with what is basically a one match In Your House (Bret vs. LaFitte is a maybe at best) and that included a heck of a push for the Triple Header. Other than that though, there isn’t much going on for the show and it could be quite the mess to get through. At least it wasn’t a long build, which probably explains why is isn’t much of a show. They did what they could with what they had here, which is about as good as you can get.

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Monday Night Raw
Date: September 11, 1995
Location: Memorial Civic Center, Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 1,600
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler

We’re done with Summerslam (and the US Open tennis tournament) so it’s time for the beginning to the build for the next In Your House. Shawn Michaels is on fire after retaining the Intercontinental Title in a ladder match against Razor Ramon and Diesel managed to get rid of King Mabel, because that was a thing. This is also the first ever show to go up against Monday Nitro so you know it’s going to be big. Let’s get to it.

Vince McMahon gives us a rather energetic preview of the show, which features a double main event as it is the Fall Season Premiere.

Opening sequence, featuring the debut of the Raw on the roof deal (the helicopter intro as you might know it).

Razor Ramon vs. British Bulldog

Jim Cornette is here with Bulldog as Razor starts in on the arm. Razor sends him outside for a consultation with Cornette as Lawler brings up Summerslam 1992 as a reason for Bulldog to get a WWF Title shot against Bret Hart. Back in and Razor cranks on the arm some more but Bulldog is right back with the delayed vertical suplex.

A clothesline gives Bulldog two and we get another pause, as both of them are rather fond of just stopping after a big move. Bulldog hits the gorilla press and we take a break, coming back with a slam getting two on Razor. Another slam lets Razor go up top but Bulldog stops to look at….nothing apparent, allowing Razor to pull him back down.

The referee gets bumped and Razor hits the Edge, only to have Dean Douglas come in for a top rope elbow (with Razor laying there with his head down in a way no one would do while making a normal cover). 1-2-3 Kid’s save doesn’t work and Bulldog hits the powerslam. The Kid comes off the top and hits….well it was supposed to be Razor but Bulldog didn’t move fast enough so he hit both of them and it’s….something at 7:12.

Rating: C-. All of the random staring around and just waiting for stuff to happen really hurt things here as it felt really awkward. It doesn’t help that Douglas is still a lame character and it’s hard to care about anything he is doing. Kid and Razor having tensions is interesting though, and odds are a big showdown is coming.

Post match the beatdown is on, with Bulldog beating on both of them and Cornette getting in some stomps as well. We don’t actually get a winner announced.

Post break, Vince McMahon is in the ring to talk to Ramon and the Kid, with Lawler talking over him in something you don’t hear that often. With Vince clarifying that Razor was disqualified because of Kid’s interference, Kid wants to know what was up with Razor costing him a match last week. Kid is tired of the lack of disrespect and offers to beat Razor again next week. With Kid gone, Razor talks about what he has been doing lately and now the Kid wants another piece of him? Sure, let’s do it. This was a simple story and they explained it just fine, but Lawler was REALLY distracting here and I’m not sure why he would do that.

Video on Owen Hart/Yokozuna vs. Men On A Mission. Holy sweet goodness that sounds horrifying.

Smoking Gunns vs. Rad Radford/Brooklyn Brawler

Brawler and Radford jump them from behind and send Billy outside but Billy is right back in with a double clothesline. Billy’s swinging neckbreaker drops Brawler and it’s time to crank on the arm. Bart comes back in and gets caught with a cheap shot from Radford as we talk about badly dressed celebrities. The comeback is on and everything breaks down, with the Sidewinder finishing Brawler at 2:48. Just a step above a squash.

Goldust is in Hollywood and quoting Night Of The Living Dead. He’s interested in hearing more about the Creatures of the Night and using his gold to get rid of the darkness.

Isaac Yankem vs. Scott Taylor

Say it with me: it’s Scotty 2 Hotty. Yankem sends him into the corner and grabs a chokeslam as there are a lot of empty seats to be seen. The DDS finishes Taylor at 2:14.

Todd Pettengill tells us What’s Happening In Your House and says he has a new “tartar control attitude”. We hear about the Triple Header main event, with Diesel/Shawn Michaels vs. Owen Hart/Yokozuna, with all titles on the line in one match. As a bonus, if anyone is intentionally disqualified or causes a countout, the titles change hands anyway. The rest of the card gets a rundown as well and….well there’s a reason 1995 isn’t the most fondly remembered time.

For $25.00 + $3.95 shipping and handling, you get the Shawn Michaels pleather hat and sunglasses, plus a poster. That’s a heck of a deal actually.

Shawn is ready to beat Sid.

Intercontinental Title: Sycho Sid vs. Shawn Michaels

Michaels is defending and Ted DiBiase is here with Sid. Some shots to the head in the corner annoy Sid and a flying clothesline takes him down. More lefts and rights have him on the floor but he comes back in and throws Shawn outside. That earns him a skinning of the cat and Shawn knocks him to the floor again, leaving Sid rather frustrated.

Back in and Sid hits a release spinebuster to drop Shawn hard and some of the frustration is relieved. Shawn gets sent onto the top and kicked out to the floor, where Sid drops him face first onto the apron. DiBiase validates his job by getting in some stomps and we take a break. Back with Sid hitting a one armed chokeslam but the powerbomb is broken up. There’s the flying forearm and a pair of superkicks retain the title at 7:21.

Rating: C+. They didn’t bother with anything complicated here as Shawn got beaten down and then come back with the big win in the end. Shawn knows how to do a comeback as well as anyone and he was around the peak of his first run at this point. Not exactly a classic, but it did what it needed to. This was also the match that Eric Bischoff infamously spoiled on Nitro and….yeah it really doesn’t change the fact that it was good enough.

Post match Shawn strips a bit and various fans approve while Lawler does not.

Post break, Shawn and Diesel are ready to win the Tag Team Titles at In Your House. Shawn laughing off the idea of losing the Intercontinental Title is very…well Shawn of him actually. They’re two dudes with attitude and they’ll be two chaps with all the straps.

We get a preview of next week’s show, complete with clips of the matches. That’s quite the change of pace and I don’t remember Raw doing that more than a few times ever. If nothing else, how often did they acknowledge that it was taped in advance?

Overall Rating: C. They had to rush into the In Your House main event and it makes sense to go with something quick like the Triple Header. The match was hammered home here and the Razor vs. Kid match should be good. Not the most eventful show, but as usual, it’s hard to get that annoyed at a show that runs an hour and has a completely decent main event.

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

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Monday Night Raw
Date: June 26, 2023
Location: Enmarket Arena, Savannah, Georgia
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

It’s the last Raw before Money In The Bank and then it’s off to England. That might not make for the most thrilling Raw but there are some stories that could use a final push before the big show. If nothing else, Seth Rollins is going to want to get his hands on Finn Balor so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio over the last few weeks.

Here are Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio to the reaction you would expect. Ripley promises that Dominik will end Cody at Money In The Bank so here is Rhodes (HUGE reaction) to interrupt. Cody welcomes us to the show and threatens Dominik, who bails to the apron. Just to make it worse, Cody quotes the Cat In The Hat, because Dominik is a scared little boy. Dominik leaves as Cody begs him to come in here and take a free shot. When Dominik won’t come in, Cody says he wants to see if Dominik is half the man his father is, or if he’s just Mami’s little boy.

Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Bronson Reed is at ringside. They trade strikes to start with Nakamura kicking him in the ribs, only to get kicked right back down. An exchange of kicks sent them both outside where they take turns kicking Reed. Before he can do anything it, Reed is ejected and we take a break.

Back with Nakamura blocking a running shooting star press and stomping at the ribs to keep Ricochet down. Kinshasa misses though and Ricochet kicks him down for two. Ricochet dodges some kicks and hits a standing Sliced Bread, setting up a shooting star press to finish Nakamura at 10:42.

Rating: C+. Seeing Ricochet getting a clean pin over a bigger name is nice to see, even if there is little reason to believe that this is going to last. We still need the triple threat match between these two and Reed, which very well may be coming next week. For now though, Ricochet getting a win is nice to see.

We recap Matt Riddle being beaten down by Imperium.

Riddle has challenged Gunther for the Intercontinental Title at Money In The Bank but cue Imperium to beat him down. The bad ankle is taken out again as Gunther accepts the challenge.

Dominik Mysterio wants Adam Pearce to give him a match tonight…..but Rhea Ripley whispers something to him, so he’ll get back to Pearce on an opponent.

And now, Money In The Bank By The Numbers.

93 Participants
7 WWE Hall Of Famers
28 Winners
78% Of Male Contract Holders To Successfully Cash In
100% Of Female Contract Holders To Successfully Cash In
13 Winners Who Cashed In For Their First World Title
3 People To Cash In Twice
30 Ladder Matches
5 Appearances For Natalya, The Most By A Woman
7 Appearances For Kofi Kingston And Kane, Tied For The Most By A Man
380 Ladders Used
287 Days Carmella Waited, The Longest Ever For A Cash In
50:15 Minutes Kane Waited, The Shortest Ever For A Cash In
5 People Who Cashed In The Same Night
1 Person To Cash In At Wrestlemania
17 Cities Have Hosted
12 States Have Hosted
8 First Timers This Year

Raquel Rodriguez vs. Ronda Rousey

Liv Morgan and Shayna Baszler are here too. They take turns throwing each other around until Rodriguez powers out of the ankle lock. Rousey gets tossed with a fall away slam as Morgan goes after Baszler. In the melee, Rousey grabs a rollup for the pin at 2:13.

Video on Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins, with Balor talking about how the man who beat Rollins seven years ago being dead. He had a horrible arm injury but had to vacate the Universal Title twenty two hours later. Then Rollins came out to laugh at him at his lowest point. Now Rollins has his crazy outfits and his song, but now, after seven years, Balor is taking it all back. Good stuff here from Balor, as he sold the story in just a few moments.

Here is Seth Rollins for a chat. The fans sing so long that we get a graphic of the title match again before Rollins finally speaks. Hold on though as he sees NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes in the front row and thanks him for having his back on NXT. Rollins tells Hayes to take care of Baron Corbin in their title match tomorrow night, just like he’ll do to Finn Balor. He has been wondering which Balor will show up, so why not have Balor come out here right now?

There’s no Balor, which doesn’t surprise Rollins, as Balor likes to hide in the shadows. Rollins isn’t 100% right now and he won’t be at Money In The Bank, but as good as Balor is, he doesn’t know what he’s getting into. Cue Balor with a chair but Rollins takes him down so the brawl can be on. Balor goes for the ribs and grabs the chair, only to get sent into the corner. The fight goes to the floor and Balor goes for another chair, which is taken away by Carmelo Hayes. Balor runs off and we might have a main event for later.

We recap Tommaso Ciampa returning last week to take out the Miz.

Ciampa talks about recovering over the last night months and never heard from Miz once. That gave him a lot of time to wonder why he played second fiddle to Miz, but now he is creating his own opportunities.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Finn Balor is set for tonight.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. The Miz

Miz jumps Ciampa from behind during the entrances and lays him out on the floor with the Skull Crushing Finale. No match, which is good in a way because the story should have been over and another match isn’t needed, but bad in a way because why is this continuing.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens run into Imperium in the back, with Sami having to explain to Owens that they’re mad because of what happened to Matt Riddle. Owens yells at Gunther and the result is Gunther vs. Sami tonight. Owens going from indifferent to yelling because Sami told him to was great.

Dominik Mysterio vs. Akira Tozawa

Tozawa is Dominik/Rhea Ripley’s (at ringside) handpicked opponent. Dominik jumps him to start but Tozawa hammers away with right hands. Tozawa’s top rope elbow sends Dominik outside and a suicide dive drops him again. A Ripley distraction lets Dominik crotch him on top though and the frog splash finishes for Dominik at 1:49.

The Viking Raiders are ready for violence.

Here are Trish Stratus, Zoey Stark, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Iyo Sky and Zelina Vega in the ring for the Money In The Bank Summit. Bayley calls everyone stupid and declares herself the favorite but Sky seems to interrupt. Vega knows there are some legends in the match but Trish has never been in a ladder match. Bayley laughs at the idea of Vega winning but Vega says the LWO is winning both briefcases.

Stark cuts the bickering off and Trish says she sees a bunch of girls in the ring. They should all thank her, but Becky doesn’t qualify as a woman because she’s the Man or whatever. The big brawl is on and Sky moonsaults onto everyone but Becky. That leaves Becky to climb up and grab the briefcase. You could guess everything that was going to be said here and the question was who got the briefcase at the end.

Carmelo Hayes says he was invited here by Seth Rollins and it is an honor to be on this show. Maybe he is going to go out there in a blaze of glory, but tomorrow, he’s taking out Baron Corbin. Sometimes you have to take shots to make shots, and tonight he isn’t missing.

Becky Lynch runs into Rhea Ripley and teases cashing in on her. Ripley promises violence if Lynch even tries. Lynch calls Ripley a main event side attraction and wants to get the briefcase just to make Ripley squirm.

Gunther vs. Sami Zayn

Non-title and Ludwig Kaiser/Kevin Owens (the latter on commentary) are the seconds. Gunther grabs a headlock to start but Zayn is back with an armdrag into an armbar. Cue Giovanni Vinci on crutches, allowing Gunther to snap off a German suplex as we take a break. Back with Gunther having to block the exploder suplex into the corner and knocking Zayn down hard. Owens applauds Gunther’s chop and the distraction lets Zayn fight back and grab a sunset bomb for a close two.

The pace picks up and Zayn hits a clothesline but the Blue Thunder Bomb is countered into the sleeper. Zayn powers up and gets the Blue Thunder Bomb for two more. Gunther chops him out of the air though and the top rope splash gets two, leaving Gunther a bit shocked. Owens cuts off an interfering Kaiser but gets kicked in the face by Gunther. Zayn hits a big flip dive though and the exploder sends Gunther into the corner. Vinci gets on the apron though and a crutch shot sets up Gunther’s powerbomb for the pin at 12:13.

Rating: B. This was what you would have expected from these two as they had the time to put a match together, even with all of the other moving parts. What matters here is Gunther had to break a heck of a sweat to beat Zayn, who is far from some nothing opponent. Vinci being back brings Imperium back to full strength and I’ll take that here over a surprise return so he can help cheat Riddle out of the title on Saturday.

Post match the big beatdown is on until Matt Riddle limps down for the save, complete with some crutch shots.

Video on Carmelo Hayes.

The Alpha Academy is ready for the Viking Raiders, thanks to Chad Gable’s coaching.

Natalya isn’t giving up after being knocked down so many times. She wants a title shot next week.

Finn Balor vs. Carmelo Hayes

Non-title. Balor takes him down to start and hits some forearms to the back. The chinlock goes on but Hayes knocks him outside or the big dive. We take a break and come back with Hayes fighting up but missing a crossbody out of the corner. Hayes fights up again but gets dropped with a hard clothesline.

A superkick sets up Hayes’ springboard DDT for two as Balor can’t keep him down. Nothing But Net (top rope Fameasser) doesn’t connect so Balor is right back with a gutbuster. The shotgun dropkick sends Hayes into the corner and it’s the Coup de Grace to give Balor the pin at 8:45.

Rating: C+. This is a good example of “well then why did you have the match?” Hayes has a big title match coming up tomorrow night so you don’t want him to lose. Balor has a big title match coming up this weekend so you don’t want him to lose. In other words, this is a match that shouldn’t have taken place here as there was no good way out of it, save for some kind of a screwy finish. Balor beating Hayes is fine, but it shouldn’t have taken place here.

Cody Rhodes, with his dog Pharaoh, is ready for Dominik Mysterio on Saturday and Damian Priest tonight.

Video on the Bloodline Civil War.

Money In The Bank rundown.

Cody Rhodes vs. Damian Priest

They fight over a lockup to start with Cody trying for the leg. That is broken up without much trouble as Priest powers him into the corner, only to get countered into a delayed gordbuster. Cue Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley though and the distraction lets Priest…well get pulled into the post though.

Rhodes hits a dive but another distraction allows Priest to grab a Downward Spiral as we take a break. Back with Priest hitting a flapjack to put Rhodes down but he’s able to run the ropes and super armdrag Priest off the top. Rhodes slugs away until a headlock driver gives Priest two.

A Pedigree cuts Priest off, only to have him come back with a jumping superkick for two more. Dominik’s distraction breaks up the Disaster Kick and South of Heaven gets two , leaving Ripley livid. Back up and Cody sends Priest into Dominik, setting up the Cody Cutter into Cross Rhodes for the pin at 13:34.

Rating: B-. This was a good way to close the show as Cody still doesn’t get his hands on Dominik. You have to wait for Saturday to see that happen and it should be one heck of a beating when it finally takes place. Here though, it was Cody having to get through the pesky Dominik while still dealing with Priest, which is already a task in its own right. Priest got in his offense here and still looks great, but Cody probably isn’t losing to anyone named not named Lesnar anytime soon. Or maybe Dominik on Saturday.

Dominik gets in a cheap shot on Cody and runs off to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. There was good wrestling mostly throughout the show, but there were also things that brought it back down. Stuff like Hayes losing for no apparent reason, the long stretches between matches and a not exactly inspiring women’s Money In The Bank segment didn’t leave me wanting to see the show. It wasn’t a bad show, but you could definitely feel a different style in a lot of ways, which isn’t exactly encouraging to see.

Results
Ricochet b. Shinsuke Nakamura – Shooting star press
Ronda Rousey b. Raquel Rodriguez – Rollup
Dominik Mysterio b. Akira Tozawa – Frog splash
Gunther b. Sami Zayn – Powerbomb
Finn Balor b. Carmelo Hayes – Coup de Grace
Cody Rhodes b. Damian Priest – Cross Rhodes

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

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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 19, 2023
Location: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

We are about two weeks away from Money In The Bank and we now have a World Title match for the show. Finn Balor will be challenging Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Title in London and that should be good enough to carry a lot of things this this week. Logan Paul is back too so let’s get to it.

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

Here is Seth Rollins for the open challenge title match but Finn Balor jumps him from behind. The beatdown is on outside, with referees and agents holding Balor back. That doesn’t matter, as he manages three Coup de Graces off the steps to crush Rollins as we take an early break.

Post break Balor jumps Rollins again in the back and has to be held back again.

Here is the Miz to say he’s mad about not getting to accept Rollins’ open challenge. Instead, he’s issuing his own open challenge….and we have someone to accept.

The Miz vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Ciampa jumps Miz to start fast and takes the beating outside. Ciampa drops him onto the cover of the announcers’ table and says he was out nine months and didn’t hear from Miz once (there’s a fast explanation. Back in and some corner clotheslines sets up a missed running knee, allowing Miz to grab a short DDT for two. Miz kicks away in the corner and goes up but gets kneed out of the air. The Fairy Tale Ending gives Ciampa the pin at 4:15.

Rating: C. Get Ciampa out there, let him run through someone, have the fans go nuts, get him out of there. This was about Ciampa making an impact and wrapping up a not so great story with Miz. I could go for more of this version of Ciampa, though unfortunately it wouldn’t shock me to see him back with Johnny Gargano sooner than later. That’s not a bad thing, but this would be better.

Here is Judgment Day for a chat. Finn Balor says Seth Rollins’ open challenge is canceled because of him. If the fans like to sing that song so much, they can sing it at Rollins’ funeral. Rhea Ripley promises Judgment Day domination at Money In The Bank and Damian Priest says Cody Rhodes needs to keep Dominik Mysterio’s name out of his mouth. After getting booed out of the building, Dominik gets out a challenge for a six man tag to Cody and anyone he can find.

We recap the Usos turning on Roman Reigns and the Bloodline.

Sami Zayn tells Kevin Owens that he has an anger problem and makes him a bet: if Owens can go the rest of the night without snapping once, Zayn will leave it alone. If Owens blows up, he has to admit he has a problem. Deal.

Chelsea Green/Sonya Deville vs. Kayden Carter/Katana Chance

Before the match, we get a Tiktok reel of Chelsea Green going nuts on a lot of people. Chance knocks Green down into the corner to start so it’s quickly off to Carter to beat up both villains. Deville gets dropped quickly and it’s a springboard moonsault/springboard spinning legdrop combination for two. With Green send outside, the Afterparty (450/neckbreaker combination) finishes Deville 2:00.

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat on the stage. He accepts Dominik’s challenge. And that’s that.

Indus Sher vs. Cedric Alexander/Shelton Benjamin

Cedric and Shelton start fast and send Sanga outside. A slingshot dive doesn’t work for Alexander so Shelton adds a Blockbuster off the apron to take them down. Alexander gets dropped onto the barricade, leaving Benjamin to get caught with a side slam/middle rope elbow combination for the pin at 2:05.

In the back, Kevin Owens gets doused with some very cold water but manages to keep himself calm. Owens says he has an idiot problem….and runs into Matt Riddle. As Owens bites through his hand because he knows he’s in trouble, Riddle asks if he has seen Honey I Shrunk The Kids. Owens somehow manages to only lose it for a few seconds before wishing Riddle good luck and leaving.

Here is the returning Logan Paul, sitting on a ladder under the Money In The Bank briefcases. Paul talks about how great people come from Cleveland and then they leave. He came back and it still smells like industrial steel and the Browns are still terrible. He and his brother lost their last fights and Miz lost earlier tonight. Now though it is time to put some respect on Cleveland’s name, because he is getting a special invitation into the Money In The Bank ladder match.

Cue Ricochet to interrupt, saying he made Paul go viral at the Royal Rumble. Not that it matters, as he says he’ll win the briefcase anyway. Shinsuke Nakamura, LA Knight and Santos Escobar all interrupt until Butch comes out to start the fight. Paul knocks them to the floor and hits the big flip dive to take them down. Paul gets to climb the ladder, as is custom.

Matt Riddle vs. Ludwig Kaiser

Gunther is here too. Riddle goes for the leg to start but Kaiser takes him into the corner for a right hand. Some chops put Kaiser on the floor but Riddle stops to glare at Gunther, allowing Kaiser to suplex Riddle off the apron to the floor. We take a break and come back with Riddle hitting a top rope superplex for a double knockdown. Riddle strikes away, including a kick to the face. Kaiser is sent outside for a springboard Floating Bro but he comes back with a suplex for two back inside. The middle rope elbow is pulled out of the air, setting up the Bro Derek to give Riddle the pin at 9:09.

Rating: C+. This is why someone like Gunther has lackeys, as Riddle can beat someone with a bit of credibility and build momentum for his eventual title shot. While I can’t imagine Riddle wins the title, it is nice to see someone built up to come after Gunther. The match has potential, and this went well as a way to make Riddle look like a threat.

Post match Gunther goes after Riddle and sweeps the leg without much trouble. Gunther and Kaiser take out Riddle’s knee and leave him laying.

Post break, Riddle is helped to the back.

Imperium interrupts Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, with the latter getting rather annoyed. Zayn gets a message though and they have to leave.

We see an Alpha Academy training session, with Maxxine Dupri being taught the power of hip abilities.

Alpha Academy vs. Viking Raiders

Maxxine Dupri and Valhalla are here too. Gable suplexes Erik down to start so it’s quickly off to Ivar vs. Otis. A corner splash crushes Ivar but the Caterpillar is broken up with a spinning kick. Otis suplexes his way out of trouble though and it’s right back to Gable to strike away at Erik. Gable clotheslines Erik to the floor and moonsaults onto both Vikings. A top rope headbutt gives Gable two back inside and Maxxine suplexes Valhalla. In the melee, Erik hits a knee to Gable for the pin at 4:09.

Rating: C. That ending is certainly a choice as they had the feel good moment with Maxxine using the training to do the suplex and then the Academy, in particular the coach, takes the pin. It’s a weird way to go but for some reason that is the best they have for a match with no stakes. Maxxine feels like a star in the making though and the reactions are getting stronger, so maybe they have something with her.

Damian Priest and Finn Balor are cool with each other but Rhea Ripley has to go deal with Natalya.

Natalya says tonight is another chance to show she still belongs here.

Rhea Ripley vs. Natalya

Ripley jumps her before the bell and the beatdown is on outside. Natalya is whipped into various things and hit with Riptide inside. No match.

Raquel Rodriguez is ready to get into Money In The Bank and runs into Rhea Ripley. Rodriguez says Ripley isn’t ready for her so hope that she doesn’t win.

Akira Tozawa offers to be Cody Rhodes’ partner so he’ll keep that in mind. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn come in, with Zayn saying he got Cody’s text. They’re in.

Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Raquel Rodriguez vs. Trish Stratus

Zoey Stark is here with Trish. Rodriguez grabs a bearhug to start and throws her down with ease. A missed charge sends Rodriguez into the post though and Trish gets in some strikes to the head to take over. Rodriguez misses a kick in the corner and Trish gets to slug away some more. A camel clutch is broken up and Rodriguez hits a running splash in the corner. Stark’s interference takes Rodriguez down so here is Becky Lynch to go after her. Lynch gets too fired up though and sends Trish into the barricade, drawing the DQ at 5:49.

Rating: C+. These two worked well together, but the match felt like more of a storyline advancement than anything else. Becky knows she screwed up and is going to have to head into Money In The Bank outnumbered by Stratus and Stark. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Rodriguez get in there somehow either, as there might be a spot left in the match if they want to keep even with the men. For now though, we get Trish in a ladder match, which is almost hard to imagine.

The fight continues post match.

Bron Breakker (NXT star facing Seth Rollins for the title tomorrow on NXT) isn’t happy that Rollins might be too hurt to face him. What happened to Rollins tonight is nothing compared to what is coming tomorrow. Maybe the doctors can prescribe him some courage. Either way, get used to seeing Breakker around here.

Becky Lynch is mad at herself, but thinks that having a match with Trish involving ladders could be a lot of fun. She’s either winning, or going down in a blaze of glory and bringing Zoey Stark and Stratus with her.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bronson Reed

Nakamura strikes away to start and does it again in the corner until Reed drops him with one shot. Back up and Nakamura hits the sliding German suplex but here is Ricochet to yell at him as we take a break. We come back with Reed slugging away and hitting a powerslam for two.

Nakamura grabs a choke but Reed powerbombs his way out of trouble. A forearm puts Nakamura on the floor and one heck of a running shoulder drops him again. Hold on though as Reed goes after Ricochet, allowing Nakamura to kick Reed in the head. Nakamura’s charge hits Ricochet though and Reed drops Nakamura fast. The Tsunami gives Reed the pin at 8:28.

Rating: C+. These two work well together and that was on display again here. What matters is having a match that keeps both of them looking strong, though you can probably pencil in the triple threat match with these two and Ricochet for next week. Reed winning gets him some steam back, though it’s a bit strange to have him go over the person actually in Money In The Bank.

Seth Rollins doesn’t care what the doctors say. He’ll defend against Bron Breakker tomorrow night, but as for Finn Balor, Money In The Bank can’t come soon enough.

Cody Rhodes/Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens vs. Judgment Day

Balor works on Rhodes’ arm to start but gets caught in a headlock. Some shoulders in the corner have Rhode sin trouble though and it’s Dominik coming in for a slap to the back. Rhodes scares Dominik away and it’s off to Priest to kick Zayn in the corner. A middle rope elbow to the head gets Zayn out of trouble and it’s Dominik coming back in. Zayn kicks him in the face but Rhea Ripley gets in a cheap shot to put Zayn down as we take a break.

Back with Priest missing a charge into the post but Dominik cuts off the hot tag bid. Zayn fights out of trouble again though and the hot tag brings in Owens to clean house (with the fans going fairly nuts). Dominik tries to run off but gets pulled back inside for the Cannonball. Cody comes back in and powerslams Priest, followed by the Disaster Kick for two.

A Ripley distraction lets Priest hit South of Heaven for two, with Zayn making the save. Hold on as we get a Zayn vs. Ripley staredown, with Ripley having to drop down so Zayn’s dive can hit Dominik. The Cody Cutter gets two on Priest so it’s a Helluva Kick into a Stunner to Dominik. Cross Rhodes finishes Priest at 13:33.

Rating: B. The crowd was on FIRE for this and it made the match that much more entertaining. Priest taking the fall was a little bit odd but Balor is the #1 contender and Dominik is such a heat magnet that I guess they want to protect him. What mattered here was giving the fans a red hot match to end the show and the crowd elevated it to that point, which made for a heck of a closing act. That being said, no payoff to the Owens anger deal? They built that up for most of the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Other than the main event and maybe Paul/Ciampa’s returns, there wasn’t much to be seen this week. What mattered here though was they didn’t do anything stupid and haven’t spent weeks focusing a bunch of time on “building momentum” towards the ladder matches. It felt like a circling the field show before they go to London next week and it did well enough to keep me entertained for three hours. Not a show you need to see, but it could have been a lot worse.

Results
Tommaso Ciampa b. The Miz – Fairy Tale Ending
Kayden Carter/Katana Chance b. Chelsea Green/Sonya Deville – Afterparty to Deville
Indus Sher b. Shelton Benjamin/Cedric Alexander – Side slam/middle rope elbow combination to Benjamin
Matt Riddle b. Ludwig Kaiser – Bro Derek
Viking Raiders b. Alpha Academy – Knee to Gable
Bronson Reed b. Shinsuke Nakamura – Tsunami
Cody Rhodes/Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn b. Judgment Day – Cross Rhodes to Priest

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

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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 12, 2023
Location: Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita, Kansas
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

We’re less than three weeks away from Money in the Bank and tonight we have another qualifying match. We also have Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn getting to deal with Imperium, but the bigger story might be Finn Balor coming after Seth Rollins and the World Heavyweight Championship. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Rhea Ripley, who is quickly presented with the Women’s World Title (which looks like the World Heavyweight Title but with a white strap). The fans cheer, but here is Dominik Mysterio to put the title around here waist. He calls the booing disrespectful but here is Cody Rhodes to interrupt.

Cody could talk about his match with the Miz, but we look at Dominik calling him a deadbeat dad last week. Dominik slapped him last week but Cody was hoping that Brock Lesnar was coming out here this week. Instead, how about he faces Dominik at Money In The Bank? Rhea accepts for him but cue Miz to jump Cody from behind. Cody drops him but gets jumped by Dominik.

Cody Rhodes vs. The Miz

Miz flips out of an early belly to back suplex but it’s way too early for the Skull Crushing Finale. Instead Cody sends him outside for a Disaster Kick off the apron. The suicide dive connects and Cody grabs an armbar back inside. Cody misses a charge into the post though and Miz sends him into the post as we take a break.

Back with Cody fighting back and hitting a powerslam as Cody vs. Dominik is officially confirmed for Money in the Bank. Another Disaster Kick gives Cody two but Miz kicks him in the arm and gets two off a DDT. The Cody Cutter connects though and Cross Rhodes finishes for Cody at 10:38.

Rating: C+. Cody gets another win as he keeps getting ready for his third showdown with Brock Lesnar, even if that might not take place for a good while. As usual, Miz can be there to take a loss to anyone and look good in defeat. The arm work was a fine enough story here and they had a perfectly watchable match.

Becky Lynch passes the Alpha Academy and Maxxine Dupri working out on her way to the ring.

Here is Lynch in the ring for a chat. She talks about how we have been conditioned to think that the champion is the most important person. Instead, it should be the person with the most power, and who has more power than the person holding that briefcase? That should make the champ scared, but it should make Trish Stratus scared too.

Cue Zoey Stark to interrupt, saying Lynch can’t beat Trish. Lynch says learning from her failures is what made her great, but we haven’t learned much about Stark. She knows Stark is good, but she has no personality. Stark is ready to take Lynch out at Money in the Bank. Lynch says we can do this right now but cue Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville to say they’ll handle this. Zoey did well in her first major promo on the main roster and held her own against a star like Lynch. We’ll also ignore Lynch saying that having a title shot is more important than having the title itself.

Chelsea Green vs. Becky Lynch

Sonya Deville is here with Green, who gets shouldered down to start. We take a break and come back with Lynch fighting out of a chinlock but getting sent face first into the corner. Lynch isn’t having that and counters I’m Prettier. A rollup is countered as well and it’s the Disarm-Her for the tap at 6:28.

Rating: C. Not much to this one as it’s hard to imagine that Lynch is going to be in any kind of danger against Green. Despite coming back to some fanfare, Green hasn’t done much of note so far. That being said, she can still be out there driving people crazy and lose over and over without missing a beat. That’s a good person to have around and Green plays the role well.

We recap last week’s main event, with Seth Rollins retaining the World Title over Damian Priest.

The Judgment Day is in the back and Finn Balor says he has a lot on his mind. Priest does too, like qualifying for the Money in the Bank ladder match. Alone.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Matt Riddle vs. Damian Priest

Riddle goes straight to a Kimura before having to switch to a sleeper. Priest is sent outside where the kick from the apron is cut off, allowing Priest to send him face first into the apron. A huge dive misses for Priest, who goes flying over the announcers’ table. Back inside and Priest hits a lifting Downward Spiral, followed by the knee between Riddle’s shoulders.

Back up and Riddle kicks him in the head, setting up a backsplash to send Priest outside. The springboard Floating Bro takes Priest down and Riddle grabs a bridging German suplex for two back inside. Priest is right back with the Broken Arrow and they’re both down as we take a break.

Back with Riddle pulling him into an ankle lock before switching into another sleeper. Priest drops backwards for the escape and blasts him with a clothesline. Riddle’s springboard is broken up and a hanging headlock driver gives Priest two more. Priest catches him up top but is reversed into a fisherman’s superplex for two. Back up and Priest catches him on the ropes and hits a Razor’s Edge for the pin at 14:20.

Rating: B. This was a hard hitting back and forth fight with Priest winning in the end, which was a bit of a surprise. That being said, Riddle hasn’t exactly had the best success since his return but at least he is doing well in the ring. The fans are reacting to him as well, which means he is probably going to be pretty high up on the card for the time being. If he can have matches like this on a regular basis, I can go for that.

Post match Gunther and Ludvig Kaiser come out to stare down Priest. After a quick look at Priest, Gunther and Kaiser go inside and beat down Riddle.

Cody Rhodes is ready to face Dominik Mysterio at Money in the Bank because it’s a step on the path to finishing the story, just like beating Brock Lesnar again.

Natalya says maybe changing is a good thing because she doesn’t know how to be herself anymore.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are ready to face Imperium, who interrupt them. Owens is ready to get annoyed, to the point where he agrees to make their previously scheduled match for the titles. Gunther chuckles but Sami holds up the titles. Adam Pearce isn’t sure if the match will be for the titles.

We recap the Bloodline issues from Smackdown.

Indus Shera and Jinder Mahal want to hurt Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander again.

Ricochet vs. Bronson Reed

Reed knocks him into the corner to start and here is Shinsuke Nakamura. Ricochet fights back but a tornado DDT is countered into a drop over the top rope. A hard crash off of said ropes leaves Ricochet in trouble as we take a break. Back with Ricochet slipping out of a powerbomb and hitting a jumping kick to the shoulder. Reed gets kicked to the floor for a suicide dive, followed by the springboard crossbody back inside. A Lionsault gives Ricochet two but another moonsault is pulled out of the air, with Reed throwing him at Nakamura. Back in and Nakamura jumps Reed for the DQ at 7:35.

Rating: B-. That is the kind of storyline ending that keeps things going and you might even be able to pencil in a triple threat match after Nakamura faces Reed next week. As for the match itself, it was a rather decent power vs. speed match, as Ricochet is on a nice little roll as of late. Reed is a good monster too, and seeing him run people over is a nice thing to see on a regular basis.

Post match Ricochet is mad at Nakamura for costing him a match, which is a rather fair criticism. Reed runs them over and goes up, only to be pulled back down in a double superplex.

Kevin Owens goes off on Sami Zayn about all of the stress they have been having recently. But don’t worry, because he’s good for out there.

Adam Pearce makes the main event a Tag Team Title match when Ricochet comes in. He wants Bronson Reed next week, but Reed already has Shinsuke Nakamura, who pops in, next week instead. Ricochet asks Nakamura what was up out there and threatens violence if it happens again. Nakamura doesn’t seem threatened.

Here is Finn Balor for a chat. He wants Seth Rollins out here, minus the singalong and jokes, so here is Rollins, complete with singalong. Balor tells everyone to shut up and mentions what he was doing in 2016 before Rollins hurt him. Rollins asks the fans if they’re having fun tonight and they cut Balor off again.

Balor goes over the injuries Rollins gave him in 2016 and now it’s time Balor takes it all back at Money in the Bank. That makes Rollins laugh because he’s glad to see the Balor he has been wanting for seven years. Rollins has changed over the years and is the best version of himself. So which Balor is coming to London? The one who beat him in 2016 has a shot, but this guy is a joke. Balor looks serious to wrap it up. Balor as the challenger of the month at a show filled with ladder matches works just fine, especially with their history.

Raquel Rodriguez vs. Shayna Baszler

Ronda Rousey is here too. Baszler grabs a fall away slam to start and powers Baszler into the corner. That’s broken up and Baszler pulls her down, only to have Rousey offer a distraction. Baszler grabs a rollup with an assist from Rousey for the pin at 2:13.

Iron Sheik tribute video.

Erik vs. Chad Gable

Their respective partner/manager are here too. Erik takes him down to start but we pause for Maxxine to armdrag Valhalla on the floor. Maxxine celebrates like nuts and the distraction lets Gable get a sunset flip for the pin at 1:48.

Video on Rhea Ripley.

Finn Balor is talking to JD McDonagh when Damian Priest comes in. They’re both happy with each other’s success but Priest wouldn’t cash in on Balor. Priest says make it work and end this at Money in the Bank.

Seth Rollins is ready for Balor at Money in the Bank and seems to think Priest isn’t happy. He’s so happy that we can just do another open challenge for a title match next week.

Tag Team Titles: Gunther/Ludvig Kaiser vs. Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens

Gunther and Kaiser are challenging and Gunther powers Sami into the corner to start. Sami manages to knock him outside though and there’s the big running flip dive to take Gunther down. We take a break and come back with Zayn taking Kaiser down into a quickly broken armbar. Sami knocks him down again but it’s off to Gunther off a blind tag. The big boot gives Gunther two and it’s Sami in trouble in the corner. Zayn is draped over the top and kicked down to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Owens getting the tag to clean house, including a t-bone suplex to Gunther. A superkick sets up the Cannonball to Gunther and the Swanton gets two. The Stunner is cut off though and Gunther boots Owens down. The double tag brings in Sami to suplex Kaiser into the corner but Gunther pulls Sami outside.

Gunther’s chop only hits the post though, leaving Kaiser to Death Valley Driver Zayn. Back in and Gunther hits a rather hard lariat for two and the Imperium Bomb gets the same, with Owens having to make the save. Cue Matt Riddle, with the distraction letting Owens take Gunther down on the floor. The Blue Thunder Bomb retains the titles at 18:43.

Rating: B. This was a longer match and it made the titles feel that much more important. Gunther has that aura to him that makes whatever he does seem important and Kaiser is a rather suitable partner. The ending also keeps Riddle vs. Imperium going and actually made the Blue Thunder Bomb feel like a finisher, which has been the case maybe twice ever for Zayn. Good main event here, as Owens and Zayn get another nice title defense.

Overall Rating: B. This was kind of a strange show as it set up some things for Money in the Bank but it didn’t exactly feel important. Maybe that’s because neither match exactly comes off as big, but the ladder matches are going to carry the show anyway. Other than that, you had solid action here though and a lot of stuff did happen. It might not have been great, but it was efficient, and that’s not a bad night.

Results
Cody Rhodes b. The Miz – Cross Rhodes
Becky Lynch b. Chelsea Green – Disarm-Her
Damian Priest b. Matt Riddle – Razor’s Edge
Bronson Reed b. Ricochet via DQ when Shinsuke Nakamura interfered
Shayna Baszler b. Raquel Rodriguez – Rollup with assist from Ronda Rousey
Chad Gable b. Erik – Sunset flip
Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn b. Gunther/Ludvig Kaiser – Blue Thunder Bomb to Kaiser

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Monday Night Raw
Date: May 12, 2008
Location: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

It’s the go home Raw for Judgment Day and the title match is set. Unfortunately it hasn’t been the most well built match in the world, as it’s HHH vs. Randy Orton in a cage, which is only so interesting. Other than that, John vs. JBL and Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho are going to beef up the card well enough, with the final push coming tonight. Oh and General Manage William Regal is insane. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of HHH and Mr. Kennedy losing to ECW last week, followed by Randy Orton taking HHH out.

Lilian Garcia is in the ring with William Regal, who has her sing God Save The Queen. Regal reminds the fans that he can have everyone thrown out and goes to the floor, where he has two fans ejected. Mickie James comes out to beg Regal to rethink what he did (possibly saying it was her brother and his girlfriend), so Regal threatens to strip her of the Women’s Title.

Cue John Cena to interrupt, with James leaving rather quickly. Cena tries to get Regal to calm down, but Regal says Vince McMahon put him in this spot. Cena: “Vince McMahon is insane.” We hear some emails from fans, complaining about Regal’s recent actions. Cena: “This is WCW Thunder bad.” One fan wants to start a FIRE REGAL chant (yes he included the claps) so there go the live fans.

Regal promises to not cut the lights off tonight and knows that Cena wants revenge on Randy Orton, so they can be in the main event. Cena wants to know when JBL will interfere, but Regal bans interference (how this is different than any other match isn’t clear). Regal hopes he has gotten some respect from Cena, but Cena says that was just making a good match. Also, Regal needs to learn that this is the United States of America, so he has Garcia sing Respect. Garcia sings the heck out of it but doesn’t get much of a reaction until the ending.

Tag Team Titles: Hardcore Holly/Cody Rhodes vs. Santino Marella/Carlito

Holly and Rhodes are defending and Roddy Piper is sitting at ringside. Holly runs Santino over to start and hangs him over the ropes for the kick to the questionable area (Piper approves). It’s off to Carlito for a cheap shot to take over and Santino gets to drop some elbows. A suplex gets Holly out of trouble though and it’s Cody coming in to hammer away. Cody hits a crossbody and powerslam but Santino pops back up. Piper offers a distraction though and it’s a DDT to retain the titles. Short and to the point here, now PLEASE FIND SOME NEW CHALLENGERS.

We look back at Shawn Michaels hurting his knee at Backlash, with commentary not sure if he is telling the truth or not.

Mr. Kennedy vs. Snitsky

Snitsky powers him into the corner to start and then does it again for a bonus. An elbow gives Snitsky two and we’re already in a bearhug. Kennedy slugs his way to freedom but gets shouldered right back down. Back up and Kennedy gets smart by starting in on the leg, with a chop block getting two. Kennedy has to slip out of a pumphandle and its’ the Mic Check for the pin.

Rating: C. It’s almost weird to see Kennedy getting a win like this but it did give him a bit of momentum on his way to…whatever it is he has going on at the moment. Kennedy is someone who could be a star if he actually gets a maintained push and beating Snitsky is a tiny start. Snitsky continues to play his role perfectly: a giant with some power who can look intimidating and lose almost every time without much trouble.

Santino Marella is mad about Roddy Piper costing him a title because this isn’t the 80s anymore. Vengeance is sworn.

Mickie James thanks John Cena for the save earlier….and invites him out for drinks with her brother and his girlfriend. Cena mocks being too serious to do that and says he’d love to go, but it could be a wild night. Mickie can go for wild and things get a bit awkward but they’re cool.

Melina/Beth Phoenix vs. Maria/Mickie James

Mickie kicks Melina up to the ropes to start but Melina reverses, only to knock off the apron by mistake. Mickie gets taken into the corner…as Beth walks out. A neckbreaker gives Mickie the fast pin.

Here is Chris Jericho for a chat. Jericho shows us the clip of Shawn Michaels injuring his knee at Backlash and talks about a fan poll with 72% of the fans giving Shawn the benefit of the doubt. He doesn’t buy it though and we see Shawn throwing a superkick in their tag match last week. That superkick made him change his mind and now he’s willing to call off their match at Judgment Day.

Cue Shawn to make a confession: yeah he faked the knee injury. Jericho doesn’t buy it because he isn’t falling for these mind games. Shawn tries to say it’s true but Jericho doesn’t believe him…..so there’s a superkick. Shawn: “Trust me when I tell you: I’m not hurt.” He flips out of the ring and walks off just fine. So there’s a twist.

We get a surprise as Jeff Hardy returns from a suspension. He didn’t want to go but he made a mistake and had to pay for it. Hardy wants the Intercontinental Title back but gets cut off by William Regal. No one wants to hear from Hardy, who deserves punishment. Like a match with this man.

Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga

Umaga runs him over to start and hits the middle rope headbutt. The hip attack misses in the corner though and Hardy hits the Twist of Fate for the pin out of nowhere.

Video on John Cena vs. JBL.

Lance Cade/Trevor Murdoch vs. Cryme Tyme

Murdoch runs JTG into the corner to start but JTG does the same to him, allowing the tag off to Shad. Some hard shots allow JTG to get two off a sunset flip but Cade comes in to kick JTG in the face. Murdoch comes back in and sits down on another sunset flip attempt to pin JTG in another fast match.

Post match Cade is happy with the victory and thinks Murdoch’s singing made it work. Murdoch gets to sing the victory song, which is The Gambler by Kenny Rogers. Then Cade punches him in the face and walks off.

Smackdown Rebound.

Melina asks Beth Phoenix what was up with walking out on her earlier. Beth blames Melina for the title loss last week….and then slams her into a locker over and over to leave Melina laying.

Judgment Day rundown.

Randy Orton talks about how he beat John Cena and HHH at Wrestlemania so he’ll do it again tonight and at Judgment Day.

Randy Orton vs. John Cena

Orton goes with a headlock to start but Cena is right back out with some right hands. The release fisherman’s suplex gives Cena two but Orton’s backbreaker gets the same. Orton’s stomp to the head is blocked though and Cena shoves him to the floor as we take a break. Back with Orton losing control of a chinlock but snapping off a powerslam for two.

The chinlock goes back on but Cena fights up again. The RKO is blocked though and the top rope Fameasser connects. Hold on though as here are William Regal….and JBL, who is now guest referee because Mike Chioda is incompetent. Cena knocks JBL off the apron and tries the AA on Orton. JBL is back in with a big boot and a very fast count gives Orton the pin.

Rating: C+. Just like the main event of last week’s Smackdown, you could probably count down the time until the evil boss did something evil. You knew Regal wasn’t going to let Cena have a clean match with Orton here and it was all about how JBL was going to interfere. Cena and Orton work well enough together and they didn’t have time to overstay their welcomes here.

Post match the big brawl is on with HHH coming in. The double brawls are on, with the John’s fighting into the crowd. The cage (hey there’s a cage) is lowered and HHH knocks Orton to the floor, leaving Orton panicking to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was one of those odd shows where pretty much everything was set up for the pay per view so this was all about keeping things settled. Other than Shawn admitting he was faking the injury, there wasn’t a ton of new stuff on here. Well save for Cena and James possibly becoming a thing, which is probably going to be something for later anyway. Not an awful show, but not one you need to see either.

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