Forgotten Cell Matches
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Pat McAfee, Jimmy Smith, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves

This is another idea where the name says it all, which makes for an interesting situation. In this case we have the most violent match WWE has to offer but you never know which version of things you’ll be getting. I’m curious about this set as there have been so many of these things over the years that it is easy to forget some of them. Let’s get to it.

From Monday Night Raw, June 15, 1998.

Steve Austin/Undertaker vs. Mankind/Kane

Paul Bearer is here with the villains and wants Austin and Undertaker out here right now. Mankind even goes into a rhyming poem about the violence of the Cell (with the mesh ripping up your flesh) to help get them come to the ring. Austin comes out but Undertaker doesn’t show up, which seems like a ruse. Mankind goes after Austin on the floor but gets the door slammed onto him.

Kane goes after Austin and Bearer locks himself in the Cell (uh oh) as Kane gets an ugly backdrop on the ramp. And indeed the Undertaker pops up through the ring and kicks Bearer in the face as the beating is on. Kane climbs the Cell as Austin comes back to beat up Mankind.

Bearer gets sent into the cage and is busted open, with Undertaker kicking at the head as Mankind is sent into the Cell wall. Austin knocks Mankind down with a chair and goes up top to beat up Kane as the show ends. If there was an opening bell, I never heard it, but this was just a big angle anyway, with Austin never even getting inside the Cell.

From Monday Night Raw, August 24, 1998.

Mankind vs. Kane

Mankind starts throwing chairs at the roof of the Cell but they fall back onto him. Instead he climbs up but gets pulled down by Undertaker (at ringside), sending him through the table (JR: “IT HAPPENED AGAIN!”). Kane beats Mankind around ringside and slams the Cell door on his head as they both finally get inside. The door is locked and we’ll say the match officially starts.

Kane beats on him with the steps before hitting a big dive over the top for the crash. Mankind avoids the steps being tossed and chairs Kane in the head before pouring out the bag of tacks. That takes too long (of course) and Kane kicks him into the tacks, only for Mankind to come back with the Mandible Claw. The Cactus piledriver puts Kane down but he’s back up with a nasty chair shot to knock him off the top.

The chokeslam and Tombstone knock Mankind silly and Undertaker gives Kane the throat slit. Three straight chair shots to the head set up another Tombstone onto the chair but Austin comes out from under the ring to jump Kane for the….I’m thinking DQ but we’ll say no contest at 4:28.

Rating: D. Yeah that’s what Russo thought the Cell should be: nothing more than a way to build up a PPV match between Undertaker and Austin was to have the Tag Team Champions (yes Kane and Mankind were a team here) fight in the Cell. The match wasn’t even the main event of the show, as there were two more matches to go, plus part of the Brawl For All. I would say I get the idea, but I really don’t, as it’s that stupid in so many ways.

Post match Austin unloads on Kane with the chair and a Stunner as Undertaker is on top of the Cell trying to get inside. The Cell is raised (with Undertaker still on it) and Austin gives Kane another Stunner.

From Monday Night Raw, September 26, 2011 (post show dark match).

Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Jack Swagger vs. CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio

Cena is defending and this is a match thrown together after a big beatdown of Cena and Punk ended the show. Ziggler (short hair version) and Swagger choke Punk in the corner as Del Rio beats on Cena in another corner. Swagger and Del Rio change places but Cena fights back and gets in a bulldog. Del Rio cuts Cena off again and Cena hits a Vader Bomb for two with Punk making the save (this is basically a five way match in name only as it’s basically a handicap tag).

Cena is back up with the finishing sequence to Del Rio as everyone else fights on the floor. As usual the AA doesn’t work so Punk gives Del Rio a GTS. That earns him a Zig Zag before Swagger ankle locks Ziggler. An AA to Swagger retains at 5:09. Punk’s “oh well” look as his eyes go back and forth boosts things up a lot.

Rating: C. To be fair, it’s a dark match so you can only get so mad at something like this. The point here wasn’t to blow the roof off the place or anything close, but rather just have a fun match to wrap up the night. That’s all they did and it went fairly well, though it really did just feel like a tag match for the most part.

From the June 18, 2021 Smackdown.

Smackdown World Title: Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio

Reigns (who recently attacked Mysterio’s son Dominik) is defending and has to take a chair away from a swinging Mysterio to start. A fire extinguisher to the head (spray and canister) work a bit better for Mysterio, as does a running shot with a toolbox. We take a break and come back with Mysterio striking away with a chair.

Said chair is wrapped around Reigns’ throat and sent into various things and a quick Reigns spear only hits (and breaks) table. A sunset bomb is blocked though and Reigns sends Mysterio into the Cell over and over. We take another break and come back again with a spear being countered via a dropkick.

Another spear attempt only hits post and Mysterio gets in the 619. Now the chair shots can work a bit better and Mysterio splashes the chair onto Reigns in a less than brilliant move. A chairless frog splash can connect for two so Mysterio tries the seated senton, only to get LAUNCHED into the Cell with a toss powerbomb. The cravate choke makes Mysterio tap at 17:13.

Rating: B. Believe it or not, Mysterio knows how to fight a power guy in a match where he can use weapons to even things up. This is what Mysterio has done for so much of his career and it still worked here. While Mysterio winning was a long shot, he’s enough of a legend that it just kind of barely feels possible and that’s more than enough. Not a great match, but for free TV, I’ll definitely take it.

From the June 21, 2021 Monday Night Raw (yes, the second time in four days).

Raw World Title: Bobby Lashley vs. Xavier Woods

Lashley, with MVP (as canceled out by Kofi Kingston) is defending. Woods hits an early dropkick into the corner but Lashley is right back with some shoulders to the ribs. A clothesline takes Woods down again and a lifting Downward Spiral gives Lashley two. They go to the floor and fight over a chair, which Lashley punches into Woods’ face.

Back in and Woods knocks him to the floor again, with a dropkick through the ropes connecting. A chair shot knocks Lashley down on the floor and Woods gets to unload with chair shots. We take a break and come back with Lashley choking away before tying him up in the ring skirt. Woods’ comeback is cut off again and Lashley steps on his head.

Woods realizes that having his head stepped on isn’t great (sit down Tony Atlas) and kicks out the leg in a smart move. Some kendo stick shots put Lashley on the floor and a wheelbarrow faceplant gives Woods two. A springboard tornado DDT gets the same and an amazing Limit Breaker puts Lashley through a table (with Woods almost overshooting him) for two more. Back up and Lashley sends him face first into the chair in the corner, meaning the spear can connect as well. The Hurt Lock retains the title at 13:30.

Rating: C+. This is where the opponent comes into play. Woods is incredibly talented and it’s very cool to see him getting this kind of a shot. However, unlike the Mysterio match, it never once felt like the title was in jeopardy. Mysterio was a long shot, but he felt like he had a prayer. That wasn’t the case here and it gave the match a very different dynamic (and not necessarily in a bad way). Lashley was on a roll at this point though and it was clear why he was smashing through so many people.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a weird collection as “Forgotten” is kind of a misleading title (if nothing else, it’s hard to forget a match that didn’t air in the first place). It’s more like “Cell Matches At TV Shows” and one of them didn’t seem to even be a match in the first place.

There’s a reason the Cell isn’t used at TV very often, as it felt out of place here. Throw in doing it twice in four days (apparently due to the TV networks being jealous of each other (seriously) and it was kind of a weird time. That being said, it’s still fun to look back like this, as these went through multiple eras that you might have….forgotten. Ok they win.

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

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Evolve
Date: August 5, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Robert Stone

It’s title night as Harlem Lewis is defending the Evolve Title in a four way against Tristan Angels, Max Abrams and former champion Aaron Rourke. That should be more than enough to carry the show, but Women’s Champion Nikkita Lyons is already having to deal with the likely new #1 contender Thea Hail. Let’s get to it.

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

Harlem Lewis, Aaron Rourke, Tristan Angels and Max Abrams are ready for the title match.

Opening sequence.

Here is the Mog Squad to get things going. Max Abrams is rather pleased with his teammates who got him a new pair of sunglasses! It’s time to work on the Hot Boy Summer and tonight, Abrams is going to win the Evolve Title. That’s going to make everyone acknowledge them as the supreme Moggers. All they need is the Evolve Title and Jacari Ball and Santi Rivera have to praise themselves. Abrams doesn’t get how anyone could dislike them, so it’s time to strike a group pose. They take credit for the announcers having jobs but here are Shido Ash and Viktor Zanov to interrupt. And apparently it’s time for a scheduled match.

Shido Ash/Viktor Zanov vs. Mog Squad

Zanov wastes no time in powering Rivera over the top for a crash out to the floor. Back in and Ball and Zanov fight over an armbar until Zanov drops him with a clothesline. Ash comes in and vets slammed onto Rivera as it’s time for the Squad to have a meeting on the floor. We take a break and come back with Zanov caught in the wrong corner for some shoulders to the ribs. That’s broken up and Ball hits a nice dropkick but Zanov has had enough of this. It’s off to Ash to wreck the Squad as everything breaks down. The Dead End finishes Rivera at 6:01.

Rating: B-. This worked well, with Ash and Zanov getting to showcase what they can do. Their judo backgrounds are more than enough to make the stand out and it helps when they can smash through all kinds of people in the ring. As usual, I could go for some Tag Team Titles around here, but I do appreciate Evolve taking their time before (likely) introducing them.

Post match here is Timothy Thatcher to bar the rest of the Squad from ringside for tonight’s title match.

Marcus Mathers talks to Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno, saying the original class of the ID Program is falling apart. It’s Gal comes in to say he’s on a roll right now but Cappuccino Jones isn’t impressed. Mathers and Jones mock Gal so Gal says Mathers should face Kale Dixon while he can face Jones. Works for them, though Jones isn’t overly sure.

Skylar Raye vs. Anya Rune

They go to the mat to start, with Rune escaping a quick headscissors and we take an early break. We come back with Raye spinning out of a wristlock but Rune strikes her down for two. Back up and Raye hits a running bulldog out of the corner but Rune is right back with another knockdown. Rune tries something like La Mistica and it doesn’t quite connect, though she gets in a crossface anyway. With that broken up, Rune grabs a neckbreaker for two and goes up, allowing Raye to slam her down. A good looking frog splash finishes for Raye at 4:43.

Rating: C. That frog splash looked rather good and that’s more than some people around here can do. Raye is someone they seem to be building up and that’s not a bad idea. She hasn’t gotten very far yet but that’s the point of a place like Evolve, as she needs to get some ring time and development.

Post match Giana Capri runs in to jump Rune.

Elijah Holyfield doesn’t think much of Brooks Jensen

Timothy Thatcher announces Wren Sinclair vs. Sloane Jacobs for next week. Chazz Hall comes in to say he wants to fight Cappuccino Jones. Thatcher isn’t sure why this is his problem but Hall talks him into being added to Jones vs. It’s Gal next week.

Evolve Title: Aaron Rourke vs. Max Abrams vs. Tristan Angels vs. Harlem Lewis

Lewis is defending and gets knocked outside to start. Rourke beats on the other two until Lewis is back in with a double clothesline. The Boom Slay is broken up though and Rourke dives onto Abrams, with Angels adding a dropkick tot he back to put them both down. We take a break and come back with Rourke firing off some kicks to Abrams. Lewis sends Abrams and Angels flying at the same time but they double team Rourke down. That’s enough for Abrams and Angels to get into a brawl until Rourke is shoved down onto Abrams for a crash. They all go to the corner and that means a Tower Of Doom for the massive crash. Rourke is up with the Molly Go Round for two on Abrams, with Lewis making the save. The Boom Slay to Abrams retains the title at 6:17.

Rating: B-. They didn’t have a ton of time here and there was only so much they could manage to do in there. At the same time, there was no reason to have Lewis lose here, as he just won the title a few weeks ago. Having him smash through some talented opponents should make for a good win and this worked out well enough.

Post match Lewis gets in a staredown with Harley Riggins to end the show. There’s your promising power match.

Overall Rating: B-. There was nothing on here that jumped off the page, but it’s a great example of a show that had a bunch of stuff going on and everything got some attention. That’s often the best kind of wrestling show and it’s something that Evolve tends to do well. You knew who everyone was and as usual, the matches went by quickly. Good, efficient show here as Lewis gets to start his title reign looking strong.

Results
Viktor Zanov/Shido Ash b. Mog Squad – Dead End to Rivera
Skylar Raye b. Anya Rune – Frog splash
Harlem Lewis b. Aaron Rourke, Max Abrams and Tristan Angels – Boom Slay to Abrams

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

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Evolve
Date: July 29, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Robert Stone

As tends to be the case, there are multiple people wanting to get their hands on the Evolve Title. That is the case at the moment, as Aaron Rourke wants his rematch with Harlem Lewis, but Tristan Angels and Max Abrams are out there as well. Nikkita Lyons needs a new challenger as well and we might start finding that person this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Thea Hail, Skylar Raye and Wren Sinclair need a fourth partner since Laynie Luck isn’t here. Zena Sterling offers her services and she’s in.

Harley Riggins vs. Tate Wilder

Wilder grabs a headlock takeover to start before switching over to an armbar. Riggins sends him throat first into the rope but Riggins gets clotheslined out to the floor. Instead of diving, Wilder knocks him onto the apron for a splash and we take a break. We come back with Riggins running Wilder over and whipping him hard into the corner.

The chinlock goes on and it works so well that Riggins grabs the same thing again. Then it’s off to a reverse chinlock as Riggins gets to mix things up a bit. Back up and they collide for a double down, followed by Wilder grabbing a Sling Blade into an Orton backbreaker for two. The Wilde Ride gets two but Riggins blocks a second attempt with the raised knees. A lifted knee to the face finishes Wilde at 9:07.

Rating: B-. Good match here, with the ending being a bit of a surprise. I like that Riggins is getting a chance to show what he can do on his own and beating someone like Wilder, who has already moved up to the next level, should help him a bit. Riggins is a good choice for the big midcard monster and he’s doing well in that role thus far so let’s see what he can do around here.

Sloane Jacobs is proud of PJ Vasa for her recent acts of violence and offers her a spot on the Nikkita Lyons team. Vasa isn’t interested and wants the Women’s Title.

The Unknown talks about various issues going on around here lately, ala Elijah Holyfield vs. Brooks Jensen and Laynie Luck vs. Nikkita Lyons. She’s coming, and her name might be Vanta.

Sam Holloway isn’t sure what is going on with his friends as of late but it reminds him of his football days. Sometimes his teammates needed to step outside and settle it and that led to success. For now though, he wants CJ Valor.

Kale Dixon vs. It’s Gal

Dixon’s still unnamed female friend is with him. They fight over a lockup to start with Dixon backing him into the corner for some shelling. Gal slams him down and does some pushups on Dixon’s back and a running headscissors takes Dixon down again. The woman gets on the apron for a distraction so gal poses a lot, allowing Dixon to go after the leg. A reverse suplex lets Dixon hammer away but Gal is right back with the hard chops.

Dixon pulls him right back down for the chinlock but Gal reverses into a Codebreaker of all things. A rake to the eyes cuts Gal off again though and a superkick connects for Dixon. The spinning middle rope splash misses though and Gal scores with a discus clothesline. Gal’s fireman’s carry gutbuster finishes at 6:45.

Rating: B-. I was surprised by the result here as Gal has been on a downward trend in recent months while Dixon has felt like he was on the way up. At the same time, Gal needed a win to get him back on track, as those losses have piled up. The match went back and forth as well, making for a good effort from both.

Viktor Zanov and Shido Ash talk about their success in judo and how they are training the same here in Evolve to smash through everyone.

Brooks Jensen is asked about cheating both times to beat Elijah Holyfield. Jensen doesn’t see it that way because he’s 2-0. Cue Holyfield and Jensen runs for his life.

Timothy Thatcher makes a four way for the Evolve Title next week, with Harlem Lewis defending against Aaron Rourke, Tristan Angels and Max Abrams.

Zena Sterling/Skylar Raye/Thea Hail/Wren Sinclair vs. Nikkita Lyons/Sloane Jacobs/PJ Vasa/Giana Capri

Jacobs gives Lyons a rather enthusiastic entrance. It’s a big brawl to start with Jacobs and Sinclair starting things off. That’s quickly shifted off to Raye vs. Capri, with Raye knocking her down so Sterling can slam Raye onto her for two. Sterling is backed into the corner so Vasa can come in and hammer away. Hail gets the same treatment and it’s off to Lyons, who gets caught in a quick Kimura. Everything breaks down and Raye hits the big dive onto the pile at ringside.

We take a break and come back with Raye in trouble but she flips out of a belly to back suplex. Raye fights back but gets chopped down by Vasa, who hits a swinging Boss Man Slam for two. Capri takes Raye down for the same and it’s back to Jacobs for an armbar. Back up and Jacobs misses a boot in the corner and it’s back to Sterling to clean house. Everything breaks down and Capri gives Hail an X Factor but she’s able to grab a double DDT.

Vasa comes back in but gets taken down by a high crossbody. Hail headbutts Lyons down and Sinclair dropkicks Jacobs under the bottom rope. The two of them brawl to the back but Capri grabs the belt. Cue Anya Rune to offer a distraction, leaving Hail to Kimura Lyons for the tap at 10:51.

Rating: B-. This got going near the end though the heat segment on Raye went on for a long time. The good thing here was this felt like another unique main event style, as they did something other than the same old regular stuff. It had me wondering where this was going, though Hail getting the next title shot is only so interesting as she doesn’t have the best win/loss record in title situations. Either way, nice match here and a good change of pace.

A lot of yelling ends the show.

Overall Rating: B. I liked this one rather well and it felt more like the old style of this show. What matters the most is that they kept things moving and it was interesting throughout. This show had me a bit surprised more than once and I’ll take that rather than the same old stuff week after week. Good show here and it was a bit of a return to form around here.

Results
Harley Riggins b. Tate Wilder – Lifting knee to the face
It’s Gal b. Kale Dixon – Fireman’s carry gutbuster
Skylar Raye/Zena Sterling/Wren Sinclair/Thea Hail b. Nikkita Lyons/Giana Capri/PJ Vasa/Sloane Jacobs – Kimura to Lyons

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

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

Evolve
Date: July 22, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Robert Stone

Last week saw a big change as we have a new Evolve Champion. I’m not sure what that is going to mean as Aaron Rourke might be sticking around or heading up to NXT. That’s where things get confusing as there is only so much of a history around here. Other than that, the Mog Squad continues to be a big deal around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Sloane Jacobs and Nikkita Lyons are meditating but Jacobs thinks Lyons needs to get ready for her first title defense. Lyons says she’s ready for because everything is set. She’ll prove it tonight.

Opening sequence.

Cappuccino Jones/Marcus Mathers vs. Shido Ash/Viktor Zanov

Zanov knocks Mathers into the corner to start as the Mog Squad is in the VIP section. A spinning high crossbody gets Mathers out of trouble and he kicks Zanov in the face for two. Ash comes in and gets dropkicked by Jones but Zanov gets in a cheap shot from the apron. Jones knocks Zanov down but gets gutwrenched by Ash to cut him right back off.

Some dodging and moving works a bit better for Jones though and he gets over to Mathers for the tag. Mathers kicks away and hits a middle rope Stunner into a Blue Thunder Bomb for two on Ash. Sam Holloway is here to yell at the Squad, even as Mathers accidentally knocks Jones out to the floor. Back in and a toss into a German suplex finishes Mathers at 7:29.

Rating: C+. You have to get the new monster team in the win column and this worked perfectly well. They looked like a pair of wrecking balls out there and got to run through a pair of people you recognize. That being said, I knew Mathers was taking the fall the second he was announced for the match, which is rather sad to see.

Laynie Luck is ready to win tonight. Anya Rune wishes her luck in a rather nerdy way which looks like some kind of blessing. It’s received as well as you would expect.

Dorian Van Dux vs. Sam Holloway

They test out the power to start and Dux gets in an armdrag. Dux seems to be favoring his ankle or knee though and it gets even worse as he escapes a powerbomb. Hold on as we pause for Dux to hold his knee in the corner but he comes out swinging. That earns him an overhead belly to belly suplex and a slingshot elbow but Holloway misses a splash in the corner. Naturally the giant Holloway is able to hit a running dropkick in the corner but Dux catches him on top.

The superplex sends both of them crashing down and it’s a double breather. Somehow Dux manages a Thesz press and hammers away, followed by a Samoan drop. Dux loads up the shooting star press but realizes that would be idiotic and just falls down with a splash instead. Back up and a spinning Rock Bottom gives Holloway two but Dux hits a heck of a clothesline to put him on the floor. A huge moonsault hits Holloway but they’re both so banged up that it’s a double countout at 8:11.

Rating: B-. I was digging this one as it was a pair of hard hitting guys hitting each other until neither of them could get up. That’s the kind of fight you do not see very often around here and it worked well, though the countout is still disappointing. At least Holloway didn’t lose for a change though, which is nice to see for a change.

Tate Wilder is sick of Harley Riggins not being able to let things go, so he’ll be back for one more fight next week.

Here is new Evolve Champion Harlem Lewis for a chat. He loves the sound of his name being announced as a champion but he can’t believe that this has happened. After being around for months, he realized he needed to be even more violent, which brings out Aaron Rourke. The fans are happy to see Rourke, who says that Lewis was his toughest challenger and earned every bit of it. He knows that Lewis can be beaten though and wants his rematch.

Cue Tristan Angels to interrupt and mock Rourke, calling his title reign MEDIOCRE. Rourke brings up Angels never being a champion, with Angels telling him to “ZIP IT SPARKLES!” Rourke: “You’re in the most sparkles here!” This brings out Max Abrams, who says he mogs all of them because he is “a true chad”. Rourke punches him in the face, with Lewis getting rid of Angels…and then clotheslining Rourke as well.

Kale Dixon and his still unnamed associate have a photo shoot and brag about their attractiveness. It’s Gal comes in to say he and Dixon should team up for a swimsuit calendar. And yes, he does drop his rope to reveal…well very little clothing. Dixon wants to face him in the ring instead and leaves, so Gal steals the photo shoot.

Elijah Holyfield vs. Brooks Jensen

Jensen immediately bails out to the floor to start and Holyfield is right there with him to send him back inside. Jensen knocks him into the corner this time and fires off some knees, followed by a neckbreaker. Some forearms have Holyfield staggering around the ring so Jensen goes for the turnbuckle pad. The referee catches him and Holyfield gets a rollup, with Jensen pulling the pad off. Holyfield hammers away in the corner but avoids being dropped onto the buckle. A flying shoulder drops Jensen so Holyfield tries to send him into the buckle. Instead Jensen blocks him and grabs a rollup, and the rope, for the pin at 4:04.

Rating: C. Holyfield isn’t particularly good yet, but that’s partially because he has almost no experience. The idea here was to have him do things as basically as he could and that is the only way he can go. The ending makes Holyfield look like an unproven rookie who lost to a veteran, which is how the story should be going. Odds are this isn’t done, and Holyfield can outsmart him to win in the end. Or just knock Jensen silly.

The woman we saw at Succession III, whose name might be the Unknown, asks about your greatest fears, with talk of being replaced. But what about fearing the unknown? These things are certainly unique.

Women’s Title: Nikkita Lyons vs. Laynie Luck

Lyons, with Sloane Jacobs, is defending and takes the legs out to start in a hurry. Back up and Luck sends her outside for a knockdown and we take an early break. We come back with Lyons getting two off a suplex and then hitting something like a reverse Bronco Buster. Luck fights up though and grabs a springboard tornado DDT but gets crotched up top. A spinning kick to the head retains the title at 5:02.

Rating: C-. This wasn’t an interesting match coming in and then they went through it this fast. It didn’t feel like an important match in the slightest and Luck didn’t feel like she had any chance of winning. The idea here missed and that’s not something you often see around here, so we’ll call it a one off misfire.

Post match PJ Vasa and Gianna Capri come in to attack Luck, with Vasa using a chair on Vasa’s ankle. Thea Hail, Wren Sinclair and Skyler Raye run in for the save. Timothy Thatcher comes in to announce an eight woman tag for next week to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I liked the show well enough and as usual, they did some things that felt somewhat different. This show doesn’t feel like it does the same thing over and over and that helps so much. It wasn’t a red hot show but as usual, it was less than an hour so you can only get so annoyed. Less is more again, and that’s something most shows can’t offer. For now, an acceptable show and that’s fairly low on the Evolve ladder.

Results
Shido Ash/Viktor Zanov b. Cappuccino Jones/Marcus Mathers – Toss German suplex to Mathers
Sam Holloway vs. Dorian Van Dux went to a double countout
Brooks Jensen b. Elijah Holyfield – Rollup while holding rope
Nikkita Lyons b. Laynie Luck – Spinning kick to the head

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

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Best Of The WWF Volume XI
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Gene Okerlund, Lord Alfred Hayes, Slick, Bobby Heenan
Host: Gene Okerlund

So this is a series of VHS tapes (twenty in total) that the WWF put out in the 80s, mainly comprised of a bunch of house show matches and some other things. That makes for some interesting selections as you never know what you might be seeing. These things can be anywhere between a blast or a disaster so let’s get to it.

Gene Okerlund welcomes us to the tape and previews some of the bigger matches.

From New York City, New York, January 19, 1987.

Can-Am Connection vs. Dream Team

Okerlund’s intro talks about how this match previews the issues between the Dream Team that would lead to their split at Wrestlemania III so this was likely released in the spring of 1987. Martel works on Valentine’s arm to start and armdrags him down, with a legdrop to the arm keeping Valentine in trouble. Back up and Valentine misses an elbow, allowing Zenk to hit a dropkick dropkick to send him back into the armbar.

The Dream Team’s manager Johnny V grabs the mic to promise a quick Dream Team victory, even as Beefcake comes in to miss an elbow. An atomic drop sends Beefcake into the corner, followed by one to Valentine as well. Martel comes back in to stay on the arm but Beefcake finally gets him into the corner. Valentine’s middle rope forearm sets up Beefcake’s backbreaker for two, with Zenk having to make the save.

Beefcake grabs a chinlock (with his tongue sticking out for some reason) for a bit until Martel fights up for two off a backslide. That’s cut off by Valentine but Martel makes a heck of a slugging comeback (that looked great). Valentine sends him into the corner though and gets in a knee to the back as Martel is in trouble again. A suplex from Valentine sets up a bearhug from Beefcake, causing Martel to shake a lot. It’s back to Valentine to send him into the corner for two but Martel crawls between the legs for the tag off to Zenk.

House is cleaned for a bit but Zenk charges into a clothesline from Beefcake to cut that off in a hurry. The abdominal stretch goes on for a bit before Beefcake gives him an atomic drop. Martel gets the tag but the referee doesn’t see it, meaning it’s a double belly to back suplex to Zenk. The Figure Four goes on as Martel is taken out on the floor, only to come back in with a slingshot splash to pin Valentine at 17:57 shown (apparently out of 18:36 so they didn’t clip much at the beginning).

Rating: B+. Yeah this was rather good stuff and it’s easy to see why the Connection was becoming the hottest team in the company around this time. They’re the definition of white meat stars and the fans loved what they were doing. The amazing thing is that it got even better when they evolved into Strike Force. For now though, it worked very well.

From New York City, New York, November 24, 1986.

Kamala vs. George Steele

Please be short? Maybe? Kamala is messed up by all of the booing to start and they stall for a good minute. Kim Chee’s distraction lets Kamala get in some chops so Steele bails to the floor. Back in and Steele stomps on the bare toes, allowing him to hammer away in the corner. Steele has to go after the Wizard (because Kamala has two managers), who sends in his horn. A shot to the back knocks Steele silly and it’s a splash, followed by a top rope splash, to give Kamala the pin at 3:17.

Rating: D. You know, I’m not even mad at that. The action (and there was just so much of it) was squeezed into about two minutes, which included two people interfering and a weapon shot. Of course it’s terrible, but it’s a case where they’re in and out so fast that it’s not even worth getting annoyed.

Post match Kamala gets in another splash, adding about 10% to the total amount of offense.

From the same show.

Here is Roddy Piper for a live Piper’s Pit. He’s not used to being cheered (that’s an understatement) but he’s still the same son of a b**** he’s always been. We’re clipped to Paul Orndorff and Bobby Heenan (the guests) having a conference in the corner and Piper saying Orndorff needs a partner. Heenan: “I don’t need you to make a fool of me Piper.

Heenan picks Harley Race to team with Orndorff and we’re clipped again to Piper needing a partner of his own. Piper talks to his non-existent (or maybe invisible) manager, with Heenan not liking this. VLADIMIR THE SUPER FAN of all people gets on the apron, suggesting that Piper team up with Hulk Hogan. Orndorff absolutely loses it as Piper hits Heenan in the eye with the mic and leaves.

From the same show.

Harley Race/Paul Orndorff vs. Hulk Hogan/Roddy Piper

This should be good and Bobby Heenan is here too. The double brawl is on to start with the villains being cleared out. Hogan and Piper tease fighting but just tear their shirts off so Hogan can pick Piper up and swing him at the other two. Piper works on Race’s arm and reluctantly hands it off to Hogan for a middle rope ax handle.

Hogan and Piper take turns kicking at the arm, with Hogan looking at Piper like “I could get used to this”. Race starts to get over to Orndorff but Piper pulls him back for a lot of twisting and another staredown tag (a running theme) brings Hogan back inside. Race finally gets in a shot to Piper and Orndorff comes in for the elbow drop.

It’s already back to Race to drop an elbow, which brings Hogan in for the save. A powerslam drops Piper and it’s back to Orndorff, with Hogan running in for the save. This time it’s actually enough for Piper to get over for the tag to Hogan. The legdrop hits Race but Orndorff makes the save (after a weird camera cut to the crowd). Hogan goes after Heenan and Orndorff clotheslines Race by mistake, giving Piper the pin at 8:16.

Rating: B. This was a heck of a house show tag match with no combination being dull. The best part was of course Hogan and Piper not trusting each other but wanting to be all manly and staring the other down. This was a very fun and entertaining match, as you knew it would be the second it was announced.

Post match the brawl is on again and Hogan is left on his own, only to fight them all off without much trouble. Piper is….I have no idea actually.

From New York City, New York, February 23, 1987 (the intro says January 26, 1987 but the company wasn’t in New York that day) for Piper’s MSG farewell.

Randy Savage/Harley Race/Adrian Adonis vs. Roddy Piper/Junkyard Dog/Ricky Steamboat

Elimination tag and one heck of a Wrestlemania preview. Piper and Savage start things off but Piper hands it off to Steamboat, with Savage panicking. Race comes in and gets rammed into Dog’s head, allowing Dog to fire off the all fours headbutts, with the fans going NUTS. That’s enough for Race to take a breather on the floor but he comes back in to take over.

Savage drops a knee and goes up, only for Steamboat to offer a distraction. It’s back to Steamboat to chop away at Savage but Adonis gets in a suplex. Adonis spits at Piper, who looks ready to kill. Piper does indeed come int o go after Adonis and everything breaks down, with Steamboat being sent crashing out to the floor. Things calm down and it’s a double suplex to Piper, with Steamboat making the save.

Piper gets the sleeper on Adonis, with Race casually coming in to break it up. It’s back to Dog, with Monsoon and Slick arguing over his literacy. Adonis’ elbows to the head just wake Dog up as everything breaks down. Piper chairs Adonis up the aisle but Piper is back in to belly to back suplex Race. Savage makes a save before the count and….apparently Dog and Adonis were counted out at 7:58.

Monsoon wants to know how the referee knew who was legal as Race clotheslines Piper. It’s back to Savage to hammer away in the corner but Piper reverses a suplex into one of his own. That’s enough for Steamboat to come back in, sending us into a discussion of whether or not karate is legal in wrestling. A top rope shot tot he head gets two, with Savage making the save. Steamboat gets a small package but Savage turns it over and Race gets the pin at 11:42.

So it’s down to Piper vs. Race/Savage and the fans are loving this new hero thing he’s doing. Piper knocks Race outside and slugs away but has to blocks Savage’s chair shot. Back in and Piper gets double teamed again but manages to ax handle his way to freedom. A gutwrench suplex puts Race down so Savage is right back for the save. Savage ax handles Race by mistake though and can’t make the save in time, with Piper getting the pin at 15:57.

We’re down to Piper vs. Savage because this match hasn’t been awesome enough yet. Piper bites the hand but Savage’s running clothesline gets two. Savage’s slam doesn’t work so he goes with the choking before they shoulder each other down. Piper plays possum as Savage goes up top, meaning the elbow misses. A small package finishes Savage at 20:26.

Rating: B+. Oh of course this was excellent and there was no reason to think it would be anything else. The talent in here is incredible, as the Dog, who was incredibly popular in his own right, was a distant last on the in-ring abilities meter. Piper got to look like a superhero out there, even using his odd style. Heck of a match here and these matches were so popular around the horn that the Survivor Series was created as a result.

From Saturday Night’s Main Event X.

Piper is ready to leave wrestling for good (right) and talks about how much he’s given to wrestling over the years, with wrestling giving him even more back. We get a tribute video to Piper, which is set to the ending theme from Coliseum Video, which was originally Frank Sinatra’s My Way.

From New York City, New York, November 24, 1986 (again).

Lord Littlebrook/Little Tokyo vs. Karate Kid/Pepe Gomez

This is your midget match, which was a recurring theme on these things. We’re joined in progress as Tokyo works on Kid’s arm and chops away. Kid kicks his way out of trouble and hits a running corner dropkick as everything breaks down. Littlebrook and Tokyo get caught in the rowboat and the former has a lot of trouble walking.

We settle down to Kid getting choked in the corner but Gomez makes the save and switches Tokyo with Kid, leaving Kid to get choked instead. Tokyo recovers enough to slam Gomez, whose kickout sends Kid onto the referee. Said referee tosses Tokyo so Littlebrook wants to fight. Kid comes back in to full nelson Littlebrook, who reverses into one of his own.

Tokyo hits him by mistake though and Littlebrook finally knocks Tokyo into the corner. A backdrop puts Kid down again and Littlebrook adds two of his own. Littlebrook crossbodies Tokyo by mistake though and it’s a dog pile pin to finish Tokyo at 7:19 shown of about 13:30, so they probably clipped a bunch of comedy.

Rating: C+. They took a lot out of there and it was only so interesting, but at least the arguing partners thing worked out well enough. This was a staple of the WWF home video market back in the day and it only worked so well most of the time, but the fans seemed enough into the thing. Thankfully they cut this almost in half, because it was going to overstay its welcome in a hurry.

From the same show.

Hillbilly Jim vs. Don Muraco

Muraco is in a kilt to mock Roddy Piper and this is billed as a battle of fashion, including the tuxedoed Mr. Fuji on the floor. Jim grabs underneath the kilt and mocks him a lot, with Fuji getting up on the apron. That earns him a knock to the floor and Jim steals the kilt for even more mockery.

We settle back down to Jim grinding away at a headlock and then knocking him outside with a shot to the face. Back in and Muraco grabs the hair and stomps away, followed by the chinlock. Jim has to kick an interfering Fuji away and then kicks Muraco down as well. The bearhug goes on but Fuji comes in with the cane for the DQ at 6:11.

Rating: C. It was just ok with the comedy being ok at the start, though the ending was pretty clearly there to set up something else. Jim was one of the most popular stars on the roster and it makes sense to put him in a spot where he can keep it simple and get the reaction from the crowd. I’m sure Fuji will be perfectly fine and not get in any trouble over the interference either.

Post match the beating is on and Fuji rips the overalls, followed by the big beating with the cane. With the villains gone, Jim challenges Fuji to a Tuxedo match.

From New York City, New York, December 26, 1986.

Hillbilly Jim vs. Mr. Fuji

Tuxedo match. Jim goes extra evil to start by stomping on Fuji’s amazing bowler hat and then ripping Fuji’s jacket. Back up and Fuji chops him down to go for a sleeve. They take turns ripping shirts open and Fuji goes low, allowing him to get the rest of Jim’s shirt off. A headbutt gets Jim out of trouble though and he strips Fuji’s pants to reveal the heart underwear for the win at 4:17.

Rating: C+. This was exactly what you would have been expecting and that’s perfectly fine. Jim was never going to be a big time serious character and he played to his strengths rather well. I’ve long since thought that he would get a huge reaction if he came out on a modern show as a special surprise because he’s the kind of lovable, family friendly character that just works so well. Beating up and embarrassing a manager has worked for years and it worked again here.

Roll credits.

Overall Rating: B. This started off red hot and then cooled down a good bit, though dang that first two thirds or so with Piper focused stuff was outstanding. 1986 is kind of a forgotten time for the company as the focus often goes from Wrestlemania I to Wrestlemania III with only a glimpse at Orndorff vs. Hogan. There is some good stuff in there and this was a nice example, with hero Piper being a massive success. Check this out, but probably stop after the elimination match.

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

Saturday Night’s Main Event XLV
Date: July 18, 2026
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
Hosts: Stephanie McMahon, Joe Tessitore

We’re in the Garden and naturally that means the focus is on Danhausen, who may or may not have caused the New York Knicks to win the NBA Championship last month. Not only are we in the Knicks’ home arena, but their star Jalen Brunson is here as well. The main event is CM Punk/Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther/Sami Zayn with the latter being added to the Summerslam World Title match if they win. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Laredo Kid vs. Trick Williams

Non-title and this isn’t something you see very often these days. Williams (sans Lil Yachty) shoulders him down to start and knocks Kid into the corner. Kid is right back with some kicks to the ribs and what appears to be dancing. That’s shrugged off so Williams can hammer away in the corner and point to his own chest. Kid tries to reverse a suplex into a small package for two, which is reversed into said suplex.

Williams is dropped onto the top turnbuckle though and it’s a superkick into a moonsault for two. Back up and Williams gets in a neckbreaker to start the comeback, with some right hands leaving Kid in trouble. There’s the flapjack and Williams takes down his hair, allowing him to stomp away in the corner (something something Lemon Pepper Steppers). Kid is able to low bridge him to the floor though and there’s the big step up flip dive. Another moonsault misses for Kid, who gets Trick Shotted for the pin at 7:17.

Rating: C+. The fans are going to like anything Williams does right now so putting him out there to warm up the crowd is a fine way to start the night. I’m not sure how Kid got this spot as he’s the most random opponent in the world though at least it wasn’t some big, important title match. Nice action heavy match here with Williams getting a basic win.

The opening video look sat the history of the venue and…yeah that’s where the focus needed to be.

Stephanie McMahon and Joe Tessitore are rather happy to be here.

Women’s Tag Team Titles; Fatal Influence vs. Brie Bella/Paige

Bella and Paige are defending. Reid jumps Paige to start but Paige is right back with a Thesz press and right hands of her own. Bella comes in to take Henley into the corner, with the champs getting to go with the alternate beatings. A blind tag brings Reid back in though and Paige gets taken into the wrong corner. That doesn’t last long as Paige fights up and brings in Bella to fire off the kicks.

A missile dropkick gets two on Henley but she gets the foot on the rope to break the YES Lock. Everything breaks down and Henley is sent crashing out to the floor. Paige kicks Reid down so Jacy Jayne offers a distraction, allowing Henley to get back in for a cheap shot. Reid misses a charge into the post though and Bella cuts Henley off. Paige’s rollup….is reversed by Jayne into a rollup with Reid grabbing the trunks to win the titles at 7:15.

Rating: C+. Thank goodness. I haven’t been a fan of Bella and Paige as their Cinderella story run hasn’t come off as interesting. Unfortunately it feels like we’re just going to be waiting around for Nikki Bella’s big comeback so the Bellas can win. That’s felt like it’s been the case since the initial Wrestlemania title win, but I’ll definitely take Fatal Influence winning, as I still think they could be something now that they’re actually having some success.

Sami Zayn is not happy about how badly things have been going for him lately because the whole situation has been unfair. Gunther comes in to say stay out of his way and don’t ruin Summerslam.

We get a video called The Cursefather, with Danhausen uncursing New York City and helping the New York Knicks win the NBA Championship. This cost Judgment Day money and they stole his special Knicks jersey. Curses ensued and now it is time for some revenge and…well you never know with Danhausen involved.

Judgment Day isn’t worried about Danhausen and his curses.

Danhausen vs. JD McDonagh

No DQ and Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio are here with McDonagh. Naturally Danhausen is in the Danhausenmobile and is in New York Knicks colors. And he even got a blimp! Mysterio distracts Danhausen with the jersey to start and the cheap shot sends Danhausen out to the floor. Back in and a middle rope elbow gives McDonagh two as Mysterio is using the jersey to wipe his boots.

Danhausen fights up and hammers away in the corner, which doesn’t last long as McDonagh knocks him back down. The jersey is laid on Danhausen but he avoids a moonsault. Danhausen gets the jersey back and fires off some right hands, followed by a Stundog Millionaire. Mysterio comes in and helps beat Danhausen down, with the jersey being stolen again.

Danhausen goes up the ramp so it’s time to get a table…and the Mini Hausens are back! Judgment Day fights them off as Danhausen clones the jersey….and gets Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns. The 7ft Towns (in a Knicks Danhausen shirt) gets in the ring for some chokeslams, with Mysterio going through the table. Danhausen’s Triple D finishes McDonagh at 11:35.

Rating: B-. This was pretty much entirely for the live crowd with Towns getting to show up and save Danhausen. It helps when he’s an actual giant and can make a quick impact like that, with the chokeslams looking good. Danhausen wasn’t going to lose to anyone here so they hardly tried anything more than a goofy match for the sake of the jersey.

Lyra Valkyria, looking more and more like Nikki Cross every day, is ready to end Bayley for good.

Video on Fanatics Fest, with all kinds of sports stars and a bunch of wrestlers doing…a lot of stuff. This is what Axxess feels like it should be.

Bayley is ready to finish Lyra Valkyria.

Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria

Bayley slaps her to start and grabs a double leg to fire off the right hands. A big elbow to the face seems to break Valkyria’s nose, as there is suddenly blood everywhere. The referee gets in a quick pause for the sake of a towel but Valkyria is right back in to hammer away. We pause again for more toweling but Valkyria is sent back in where she takes over. Valkyria sends her into the corner for a boot to the face but Bayley gets in a backdrop.

A Boston crab has Valkyria in more trouble until she slips out and grabs a neckbreaker over the corner. One heck of a top rope Fameasser in the top rope gets two on Bayley, who is fine enough to hit a sunset bomb into the corner. A Crossface lets Bayley rip at the damaged nose, with Valkyria flipping out in a hurry. The Bayley To Belly is countered as well, with Valkyria flipping her into a bulldog choke for the win at 10:30.

Rating: B. This was a hard hitting fight though I’m wondering how much of a difference the nose made. Bayley caught her pretty early on and there was only so much they could do if Valkyria was having trouble. The good thing here though is Valkyria gets her big win and can hopefully move on, though I’m not sure what is next for her from here.

Post match Valkyria chokes her out again and plants her onto the steps. So that’s what Valkyria is going to do next.

There will be NXT and AAA events in New York over Wrestlemania weekend.

We recap the main event. Sami Zayn won the World Title, Gunther attacked Cody Rhodes before his rematch, CM Punk stepped in and won the title, Rhodes vs. Punk is set, Gunther and Zayn both want rematches and receive them if they win here. Got all that? You should as it isn’t that complicated.

Rhodes and Punk are ready to team tonight but they’re ready to fight at Summerslam.

CM Punk/Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther/Sami Zayn

It’s a brawl to start with Punk taking over on Zayn, with Rhodes coming in to work on the arm. It’s back to Punk, who gets sent outside for a chop from Gunther, who whips him into the barricade for a bonus. Back in and Zayn hammers away on the mat and in the corner but Punk manages a quick high crossbody. Rhodes comes back in to strike away on Zayn and flip away from Gunther.

The Cody Cutter puts Gunther down for two but he breaks up Cross Rhodes. Zayn is back in with the same rollup he used to beat Rhodes for the title, followed by the Blue Thunder Bomb for two more. It’s back to Punk for a running knee and bulldog to Zayn, followed by the Anaconda Vice. Rhodes gets the Figure Four on Gunther, who leans over and rakes Punk’s eyes for the break.

Zayn is out as well and Helluva Kicks Punk but gets caught with Cross Rhodes. Gunther clotheslines Rhodes but walks into the GTS and everyone is down. Back up and Gunther sends Punk into Rhodes before grabbing the sleeper on Punk. That’s reversed but Punk can’t get the GTS. Instead Rhodes is back in for the Cross Rhodes, with Zayn pushing Punk into the cover for the save.

The GTS sends Zayn to the floor but the Disaster Kick misses Gunther and hits Punk by mistake. The referee is bumped somewhere in there and the belt shot knocks Rhodes silly. Gunther plants Rhodes with the powerbomb as another referee comes down. Cue Nick Aldis to pull the referee out (and yeah he knows where this is going) and send hit Gunther with the belt. Aldis throws the referee back inside and the GTS finishes Gunther at 14:08.

Rating: A-. That might be a bit high but this was almost non-stop action from start to finish and they accomplished a few things in the middle. It felt like a main event and it was rather good stuff, with the energy carrying everything to a higher level. Heck of a match here and a lot better than I was expecting in the first place.

Summerslam rundown.

We get a video on New York sports, as narrated by former Giants quarterback Eli Manning, with a focus on Jalen Brunson as the new top star for winning the New York Knicks a championship.

The Knicks blimp is here and the fans go nuts, as expected.

Jalen Brunson gets a full introduction from his Knicks locker and takes a Travis Scott length of time to get to the entrance. As he comes through the entrance, he is joined by Roman Reigns and does indeed strike the pose. The fans go even nuttier for Brunson, with Reigns talking about how this is the WWE’s home.

Reigns talks about how much of a team sport this is and introduces Brunson as the King Of New York. Every champion deserves a title and hands Brunson a customized World Heavyweight Title, which he says Brunson earned. Reigns says ACKNOWLEDGE THEM but here is Seth Rollins……’ music, as Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton (the Knicks fans don’t like him) comes out with a chair.

Cue Rollins from behind and load up the Stomp but Brunson cuts him off (without getting physical, partially as he’s recovering from wrist surgery), allowing Reigns to hit a Superman Punch. Haliburton and Rollins leave, with Reigns putting the title on Brunson as he holds up the real thing. As a bonus, Reigns gets to hold up the Larry O’Brien Trophy (the NBA Championship trophy) and a lot of posing ends the show.

This was a long angle, but Brunson is a big WWE fan and he’s the biggest basketball player in the world right now. It’s a guaranteed way to get the fans absolutely losing their minds over the whole thing because Brunson is basically a divine creature in New York at the moment. It’s also designed to get the WWE on the bigger sports shows and for once, the sports star was actually a major deal. If WWE has this perfect of a chance, they would have been crazy to pass it up.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a rare show that got better as it went along, with the main event being quite the success and the big angle at the end (and it had to go at the end because nothing was topping that for the live crowd) working well enough. I liked Valkyria vs. Bayley well enough too and the rest of the matches were pretty good, so call this a success. Normally it would have felt like it was just wedged in too close to Summerslam, but the setup with Brunson and the Knicks in this venue in front of this audience was too good to pass up.

Results
Trick Williams b. Laredo Kid – Trick Shot
Fatal Influence b. Brie Bella/Paige – Rollup with trunks to Paige
Danhausen b. JD McDonagh – Triple D
Lyra Valkyria b. Bayley – Bulldog choke
Cody Rhodes/CM Punk b. Gunther/Sami Zayn – GTS to Gunther

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

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Evolve
Date: July 15, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone

Things are getting interesting around here and we have another title match this week. In this case, we have the Evolve Title on the line as Aaron Rourke defends against Harlem Lewis. Other than that, a bunch of women are gearing up to come after Nikkita Lyons and the Women’s Title so let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the Evolve Title match. They’re both respectful of each other but they’re ready to fight.

Opening sequence.

Chazz Hall vs. Max Abrams

Hold on though as Abrams tells the rest of the Mog Squad to hit the spa while he hits Hall. They fight over a top wristlock to start so Hall grabs a waistlock on the mat. That’s broken up, leaving Hall to send him into the corner for a monkey flip. A nice dropkick gives Hall two and he grabs a front facelock to slow things down. Abrams escapes and gets kicked in the head for a crash out to the floor. That’s fine with Abrams, who counters a dive into an apron powerbomb as we take a break.

We come back with Hall still in trouble, including a jumping back elbow to give Abrams two. A Disaster Kick gives Abrams two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Abrams misses a splash in the corner but is right back with a Falcon Arrow for two. Hall’s comeback bid is cut off but he avoids a frog splash. Hall snaps off a headscissors out of the corner and a standing Sliced Bread gets two.

Abrams crotches him up top though and a running Blockbuster gets two more. Hall kicks him down and gets two off a standing corkscrew moonsault. The tease of a dive is almost cut off but Hall kicks him down instead. Cue the Squad so here are the ID stars for the brawl, with Hall hitting the big flipping dive. Cappuccino Jones accidentally hits Hall though and the Main Objective finishes for Abrams at 12:43.

Rating: B-. This was a pretty wild match for Evolve’s standards and I wound up getting into the thing. Abrams is a good choice as the cocky heel and it’s interesting seeing him actually having some success. He has to be part of the Squad, just due to the amount of people around here, but it’s working out pretty well, especially for Abrams.

Post match Hall and Jones have to be held apart.

Timothy Thatcher wishes Harlem Lewis good luck, which he seems to appreciate.

Video on the ID Program and some of its successes.

Nikkita Lyons and Sloane Jacobs aren’t happy with so many people coming after the Women’s Title, starting with Laynie Luck. Lyons wants Luck to get the first shot at the title, just to get rid of her. She’s not worried about Wendy Choo either, and sings about it for some reason.

Layla Diggs vs. Veronica Haven

Diggs shoulders her in the corner to start and grabs a powerslam. The standing moonsault gives Diggs two but Haven snaps a hurricanrana out of the corner. Diggs fights up with some kicks to the face and a sitout gordbuster for two. Haven tries a rollup but gets kicked in the head, setting up the moonsault for the pin at 4:25.

Rating: C. This was just a step above a squash as Diggs gave Haven a bit of offense before finishing with that great moonsault. Diggs has come a long way and I’m curious to see where she goes from here. Hopefully her injury (as seen in NXT) isn’t that bad and she can get back in the ring to keep that momentum going.

The ID Program fires up Aaron Rourke when Timothy Thatcher comes in to wish him luck. Rourke says he has been tested his entire life and has always passed. He seems to appreciate Thatcher’s words though and heads to the ring. With Rourke gone, Chazz Hall blames Cappuccino Jones for the loss but Jones wants a tag match with Marcus Mathers against the former security guards. Thatcher reluctantly agrees.

Elijah Holyfield wants revenge on Brooks Jensen.

Evolve Title: Harlem Lewis vs. Aaron Rourke

Rourke is defending and gets speared into the Boom Slang for the very near fall in about fifteen seconds. Lewis misses a charge into the post and falls out to the floor, where Rourke grabs a Blockbuster off the apron. They get back in with Rourke knocking him down for two and we take a break.

We come back with Lewis working on a waistlock but Rourke fights back up. A charge in the corner is countered into a backbreaker, with Lewis bending said back over the knee. Rourke fights up and grabs a tornado DDT, followed by the running knees in the corner. A split legged moonsault gives Rourke two and they both get back up.

Lewis wins a strike off but his powerbomb is countered into a sunset flip. Back up and Lewis runs his over for one and Rourke is back with a fireman’s carry backbreaker for two. The Molly Go Round is loaded up but gets countered into a powerbomb. The Boom Slang gives Lewis the pin and the title at 8:51.

Rating: B. This turned into a heck of a fight with the two of them beating the fire out of each other. Lewis jumping him at the start is rather on point for him and the match went from there, which made for a good story. Rourke had a good run as champion and has come a VERY long way. If he gets to develop like this on NXT, he’s going to be just fine.

Lewis celebrates as Rourke looks on to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Good, and certainly eventful show here with the title change feeling like the biggest thing that can happen in Evolve. I’m not sure where we’re going from here but it should be interesting to see what happens. If nothing else, the Women’s Title match is already set up and then we get to see a few more matches built. That’s a great mixture of what is going on here and getting ready for later, which is a thing that Evolve tends to make work every time. This was more what Evolve does well and it was nice to see them doing that again here.

Results
Max Abrams b. Chazz Hall – Main Objective
Layla Diggs b. Veronica Haven – Moonsault
Harlem Lewis b. Aaron Rourke – Boom Slang

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

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: October 21, 2008
Location: Entertainment Center, Laredo, Texas
Commentators: Todd Grisham, Matt Striker

We’re almost to Cyber Sunday and that means we have a total of one thing happening here. In this case that means a trio of wrestlers are coming after Matt Hardy’s ECW Title at the pay per view. That’s not the easiest way to present an hour long show but it isn’t like they’re inexperienced with this stuff. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here is Matt Hardy to get things going. He has a bunch of people coming after his title, including a tough man in Finlay and an incredible athlete in Evan Bourne. Then there’s Mark Henry, who wants one more shot at Hardy. Well Hardy wants one more shot at Henry, who has his vote. This brings out Finlay and Hornswoggle, with the former saying he’s coming for the title in their first singles match on Sunday.

Evan Bourne joins them, with Finlay making short jokes (while standing next to a leprechaun). Mark Henry and Tony Atlas join us as well, with the latter threatening to hurt everyone in the triple threat tonight (as apparently there’s a triple threat tonight). Hardy doesn’t care who he is facing, because he’s keeping the title on Sunday.

Jack Swagger vs. Brett Badery

Badery tries to go after the leg to start and is quickly run over. The Red White And Blue Bomb finishes Badery fast.

Post match Swagger is asked about Tommy Dreamer. Swagger: “Tommy Who?” Something something Pinball Wizard.

Miz and John Morrison want to get voted in to face Cryme Tyme. Miz thinks he would have been a better running mate for John McCain than Sarah Palin.

Shad Gaspard vs. The Miz

JTG and John Morrison are here too. Gaspard backs him into the corner to start but misses a charge to give Miz an opening. A powerslam gets Gaspard out of trouble but he gets low bridged to the floor, with Miz’s baseball slide connecting. Back in and Gaspard fights out of an armbar, meaning it’s time to hit Miz in the face over and over. Morrison’s distraction is cut off by JTG and Gaspard gets in a spinebuster. Morrison kicks Gaspard in the back of the head…and that’s a DQ. I’m not sure if that’s how it was supposed to go as they seem a bit confused.

Rating: C. That’s a weird way to end the match as it seemed to come out of nowhere. Having a simple cheap shot be enough for the DQ was an odd way to go and it’s not like Gaspard gets much out of winning this way. Miz wasn’t good enough to carry a match on his own yet and it was kind of showing here, though at least it didn’t go that long.

John Cena is coming back. People like him.

Cyber Sunday rundown.

Ricky Ortiz is in the back with Tiffany when Hornswoggle and Finlay come trick or treating. The payoff: Teddy Long as Shad. Long: “There goes one bad….” Tiffany: “Shut your mouth.” I’ve seen dumber. Like Ricky Ortiz.

Finlay vs. Evan Bourne vs. Mark Henry

Striker explains the rules, saying all three “entertainers” are in the ring at once. Finlay and Bourne’s early double teaming doesn’t work as Henry fights back. A low bridge puts Henry on the floor so Finlay drops Bourne with a clothesline for two. Back up and Bourne sends Finlay into Henry on the floor but Henry is back in for the save.

We take a break and come back with Henry crushing Bourne in the corner, followed by a neck crank to Finlay. That’s broken up with Henry being sent outside, leaving Finlay to powerbomb Bourne for two. Henry is back in to block Finlay’s crucifix and World’s Strongest Slam Bourne at the same time, because that can be done. Finlay is back up with a DDT for two on Henry but seems to have hurt his pectoral muscle. Tony Atlas goes after Hornswoggle on the floor but the distraction lets Finlay grab the shillelagh to drop both of them. Bourne kicks Finlay down though and Air Bourne finishes Henry.

Rating: B-. Bourne is the best choice for the title match, as Finlay is only so interesting and Henry vs. Hardy has already been done. Hopefully the fans see it the same way, but that’s part of the point of Cyber Sunday: allowing the fans to be sent in the direction WWE wants. It might not work in the end, but at least the setup is working well enough.

Overall Rating: C. The main event was ok enough, but the rest of the show was just stuff filling in the card. It’s more of the same problem from ECW, as almost nothing but the title picture matters. The tag feud is more about Smackdown/Raw and Swagger vs. Dreamer…come on already. As usual, this show is so much easier to watch because it’s short, but that certainly doesn’t make it interesting.

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: October 14, 2008
Location: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Attendance: 6,500
Commentators: Todd Grisham, Matt Striker

We’re coming up on Cyber Sunday and that means Matt Hardy is going to need a challenger for his ECW Title. There are only so many options available, but Mark Henry has to be a top option. The show needs something else to build towards, but that has been the case for a long time around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here are Mark Henry and Tony Atlas to get things going. We see Henry smashing through various people last week, with Atlas calling that a message. Henry wants another ECW Title shot against Matt Hardy but gets Teddy Long instead. Long says Henry doesn’t get a title shot just because he jumped Hardy, but he can be one of three options for the fans to pick as challenger at Cyber Sunday. We’ll have two more challengers, with the qualifying matches starting right now. Simple, to the point stuff here, as Long can do well.

Cyber Sunday Qualifying Match: Chavo Guerrero vs. Evan Bourne

Before the match, Bourne offers Henry a handshake and gets as far as you’re probably expecting. They fight over a lockup to start with Guerrero taking him to the mat with a headlock. Back up and Bourne knocks him to the floor and things slow down a bit. Guerrero gets back in to grab a headlock before grinding on an armbar.

Bourne pops up with a middle rope armbar, only to have Guerrero stomp him down in the corner. Back up again and Bourne sends him outside for the big running flip dive and we take a break. We come back with Guerrero working on the leg, including grabbing a Muta Lock. With that broken up, Bourne gets a quick rollup for two, followed by a jumping knee to the face.

Bourne goes up and gets crotched on top (Grisham: “Right in the capital of Thailand!) to give Guerrero two. Guerrero is right back on the leg but Bourne uses the good one for a kick to the side of the head. The super hurricanrana sets up the shooting star press (nice knee injury there) to give Bourne the pin.

Rating: B. This was a heck of a match as Bourne was able to showcase his talents rather well, as he seemed to know he was getting a big chance. At the same time, Guerrero deserves a lot of praise of his own. Guerrero’s job here was to make Bourne look good and that’s exactly what he did, with the result being one of the best matches on ECW in a long time.

Post match Henry comes in to crush Bourne for a World’s Strongest Slam and a mocking handshake.

You know who else has options for Cyber Sunday challengers? HHH.

The Boogeyman is still coming.

We look at Vladimir Kozlov taking out Jeff Hardy last week, setting up their match this week on Smackdown.

Tiffany, dressed as a Las Vegas showgirl, wants Teddy Long to be Elvis (yes she has a costume) for Halloween. Jack Swagger comes in to say he wants a title shot but here is Tommy Dreamer to say the same. Swagger mocks him for saying this isn’t 1996 and says he’s here to make a legacy, unlike Dreamer. I would say ouch, but that’s pretty accurate.

You can pick the referee for the Raw World Title match! This show has quite a bit of filler.

Cyber Sunday Qualifying Match: Finlay vs. John Morrison

Hornswoggle and Miz are here too. Finlay grabs a headlock to start but gets rolled up for a fast two. Naturally Finlay is fine on the mat and works on the leg, with Morrison having to grab a chinlock to escape again. A half crab sends Morrison over to the rope so he knocks Finlay down into an armbar as this is more technical than I was expecting.

Back up and Finlay sends Morrison outside onto Miz, with Hornswoggle getting in a dive as the referee is checking on Finlay’s absolutely damaged eye. We take a break and come back with Morrison staying on the arm and staying on the arm and then staying on the arm a big more.

Finlay is back up and gets kicked back down, meaning it’s more barring of the arm. They ram heads for an actual break and it’s Finlay up with a Regal Roll for two. Morrison’s backbreaker gets the same and draws in Hornswoggle, where he has to play some possum. Cue Mike Knox for a failed distraction but Cryme Tyme sneaks in with a shillelagh for Finlay, who knocks Morrison out for the win.

Rating: C+. If the idea here was to get Morrison over like Guerrero did for Bourne in the opener, it didn’t work. That never ending armbar killed whatever they were doing and the ending was only so interesting. I wasn’t getting into this one and it just dragged on forever, which didn’t work in the slightest.

And then Finlay knocks Cryme Tyme down with the shillelagh (that’s a mixture of rude and mean). As Finlay leaves, Mark Henry pops up for a World’s Strongest Slam.

Overall Rating: B-. That opener more than carried this show but it was clear that they didn’t have much to talk about here. That’s the problem with ECW, as it’s basically the ECW Title and nothing else. Bourne and Guerrero pulled this one up to another level though with a rather good match but the show only being about 45 minutes long was a big break as there just wasn’t much to see.

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Evolve
Date: July 8, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Robert Stone

We’re on the way towards….I have no idea actually, but the Mog Squad is cleaning house at the moment and ran over a group of ID Program stars last week. That almost has to go well for them and I could go for seeing where the whole thing goes. Other than that, Aaron Rourke seems ready to face Harlem Lewis for the Evolve Title so let’s get to it.

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

Sloane Jacobs wants Nikkita Lyons’ celebration to be the best and it better work out. WWE and NXT stars and celebrities are invited so you better be watching.

Opening sequence.

Robert Stone is back on commentary for some reason. Ok then.

Here is the Mog Squad, in mostly matching gold trunks, for a chat. They’re rather pleased with how well last week’s main event went and they all brag about their individual skills. On top of that, they have the fastest rising team around. The reality is they are unstoppable so who is next. Cue Timothy Thatcher, who has a special guest.

CJ Valor vs. Cutler James

James throws him down to start and grinds away on a headlock. Valor pulls him into a mostly blocked cross armbreaker before going with a regular armbar. Back up and Valor dropkicks him into the corner but misses a charge of his own. That lets James fire off shoulders to the ribs in various corner, followed by a pop up uppercut not in the corner. Back up and James misses a charge into the post as we take a break.

We come back with Valor knocking him into the corner again, followed by James’ shoulder being sent into the buckle. A spinebuster gives Valor two and we hit the chinlock. Valor’s top rope headbutt misses and James starts firing off the uppercuts. A gutwrench gutbuster sets up the Dark Matter to end Valor at 6:57.

Rating: C+. James is getting to do something around here and that’s a good thing, as it’s not like there is anything positive going on with Darkstate. Valor losing a singles match to a star higher up on the food chain isn’t a bad thing so hopefully he is able to find something else to do. For now though, this was a nice way to shut the Squad up a bit, as Thatcher doesn’t care for them running their mouths.

Post match Thatcher says that it’s time for Ball and Rivera to prove themselves.

Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno vs. Mog Squad

Moreno and Ball start things off with Moreno rolling a neckbreaker early on. With that not working it’s off to Rivera, who gets wristlocked by Dar. That’s switched into a chinlock to keep Rivera in trouble for a bit, followed by a left hand to put him right back down. Dar works on the arm only to get taken into the corner so Ball can work on Dar’s arm for a change. That’s shrugged off as well and it’s Dar sending Ball into the corner for a backdrop from Moreno. A cheap shot from the apron slows Moreno down though and Ball kicks him to the floor as we take a break.

We come back with…Sloane Jacobs trying to get some women to come to Nikkita Lyons’ party with Zena Sterling turning it down. I’d be more worried about someone secretly filming in the women’s locker room. Anyway we come back to the arena with Moreno still in trouble, including some running kicks in the corner. Ball hits a nice dropkick for two but Moreno fights out of the corner and brings Dar in for the running forearms.

Ball kicks Rivera by mistake and gets sent into a kick in the corner. A dropkick/Tower Of London combination gets two on Ball as everything breaks down. Moreno misses a springboard moonsault and an assisted German suplex gets two as Moreno’s foot is in the rope. The Squad seems to think it’s over so Moreno is back up with a big running flip dive. Back in and a double slam finishes Ball at 10:07.

Rating: B-. This was a long match for Evolve and while it was technically fine, it still wasn’t the most thrilling match. Moreno and Dar still don’t do much for me with what they’re doing in the ring but at least they’re getting the chance to do something. There is nothing wrong with throwing a team together so maybe they can get it rolling sooner or later.

Hold on though as Thatcher has one more match to announce, but it can wait until next week. That would be Max Abrams vs. Chazz Hall.

Aaron Rourke and Harlem Lewis meet up in the back, with Lewis saying he’s ready for his title shot next week. Rourke doesn’t need to hear Lewis’ backstory because he knows what kind of man Lewis can be. Lewis respects what Rourke has been through to get here (Rourke appreciates that) but every story comes to an end.

They both want to fight for people who are like them and Lewis is directing all of his suppressed anger at Rourke. That’s fine with Rourke, who knows what it’s like to be called all kinds of things. He’s ready to show that he’s glamour and grit. Nice job here of finding a way for two guys to respect each other but want to fight anyway.

Kale Dixon and his still unnamed blonde cohort have a photo shoot with the blonde praising Dixon’s looks, both in and out of his shirt.

Harley Riggins vs. Ulka Sasaki

Sasaki has been in both Pro Wrestling Noah and the UFC. His offer of a handshake is kicked away so Sasaki tries some unsuccessful running shoulders. Sasaki pulls him down into a Fujiwara armbar but Riggins powers out and grabs a tilt-a-whirl powerslam. Back up and Sasaki’s small package is reversed into a suplex for another near fall. Sasaki is able to send him into the middle buckle as the fans actually get behind Sasaki for a change. A kick to the head puts Riggins down for two but Riggins knees him in the face for the pin at 3:24.

Rating: C. They were in a tough spot here as Sasaki was coming in brand new and the fans only had so much of a reason to care about what he was doing. He’s fine with a background that should show what he can do rather easily but he didn’t have a chance to show that here. Riggins is good enough as a monster, but he feels like he would be better as a team, as he has been thus far.

Post match Riggins talks to new ringside reporter Adrianna Rizzo (hey she’s back) and says he’s riding alone from now on. He still wants to take out Tate Wilder.

Earlier this week, Elijah Holyfield was training with Noam Dar, who explained that Holyfield lost because he got too emotional. Dar explained some counters and techniques (with Holyfield getting the ideas) but Brooks Jensen was watching from the shadows.

Viktor Zanov and Shido Ash used to be security guards but they were also former judo stars. Now they’re kicking the door in and it’s time to come for everyone.

We look at Kendal Grey winning the NXT Women’s Title at the Great American Bash.

And now, Nikkita Lyons’ championship celebration, with Sloane Jacobs, Veronica Haven and Gianna Capri in the ring. They introduce Lyons, who is nice enough to sing her own theme song. Jacobs praises Lyons and invites out the rest of the guests…and no one comes. Lyons gets out some tarot cards to find her first challenger as Jacobs mocks Wendy Choo and Laynie Luck.

Instead here is Wren Sinclair to say she wants to add the title to the Wren QCC collection. This brings out Skylar Raye and Layla Diggs to say they want title shots. Diggs gets laid out and the brawl is on, with Lyons being left alone in the ring. Luck sneaks in to AA Lyons through the table. Humiliating a bragging champion is always a good thing and this worked out well enough, especially with a bunch of new women ready to come after the title.

Overall Rating: C+. I liked the ending segment well enough and the Rourke/Lewis segment was good but there was only so much to get into about this show. The problem here is that a bunch of the show was built around the Mog Squad stuff and that was a bit dry. That being said, next week is looking rather stacked with the title match alone feeling big enough to make it work.

Results
Cutler James b. CJ Valor – Dark Matter
Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno b. Mog Squad – Double slam to Ball
Harley Riggins b. Ulka Sasaki – Knee to the head

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

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