Main Event
Date: August 5, 2021
Location: Allstate Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Byron Saxton

It can always be curious to see how a bit of a harsher crowd might react to a show like this one. Main Event is back to its old self as of late and that is not the most inspiring news. Hopefully this is the show that shakes things up again, as the show could already use another change. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Angel Garza vs. Lince Dorado

Yep, it’s Main Event all right. Garza doesn’t seem to think much of the LUCHA dance so he takes Dorado down by the wrist. That’s broken up with a flying mare and a hurricanrana sends Garza outside. Hang on a second though as Garza needs to hand a rose to a fan, allowing Dorado to get in another takedown. Back in and Dorado grabs a neck crank until Garza backdrops his way to freedom. Garza flapjacks him for two but he has to fight out of a cross armbreaker. A dropkick lets Garza TAKE OFF HIS PANTS, setting up a superkick and the Wing Clipper to finish Dorado at 5:38.

Rating: C-. This was a bit of a weird one as it is hard to get my mind around the idea of Dorado as a heel. It wasn’t a full on heel turn or anything close, but it was certainly more about having Garza as the focal point here. That should be the case on a bigger stage but for now, we’ll have to settle for Garza as the latest Main Event star.

We recap John Cena wanting to face Roman Reigns, who accepted a challenge from Finn Balor instead.

From Smackdown.

It’s time for the contract signing between Roman Reigns and Finn Balor for Summerslam. Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce are in charge, with Pearce saying he knows the fighting is coming. Balor and Reigns, with Heyman, come out, with Reigns insisting on sitting at the head of the table. Pearce asks Reigns to sign, but Reign gets cut off by the CENA chants. Reigns: “We’ve already seen Mr. Missionary tonight.” Reigns asks if Balor heard Cena’s opening promo tonight, because Reigns thought it was Cena saying he was better than Balor. Cena has to use old material while Balor is fresh and new.

Reigns signs, but promises to send Balor back to NXT. Balor says he can’t wait to go back to NXT as Universal Champion again. Balor goes to sign but here is Baron Corbin to jump him from behind. The beating is on and Balor is left laying. Corbin grabs the contract but here is Cena to take Corbin out before he can sign. Cena signs the contract with a blue Sharpie (McAfee: “THAT SIGNATURE IS AWESOME!”). Cole and McAfee question the legality of signing a contract like this as Reigns seethes.

From Raw.

Here are MVP and Bobby Lashley for a chat. MVP is glad to have the fans back and knows they are all excited to see Goldberg. A few weeks ago, Goldberg challenged Lashley for the WWE Title but Lashley has yet to acknowledge the challenge. Goldberg is a legend who can destroy any man on any night, but Lashley is not just any man. MVP asks how Goldberg wants to….and here’s Goldberg to cut him off. Goldberg asks Lashley what kind of a gladiator he is. The first time Lashley saw Goldberg, Lashley thought he was a victim. Fans: “WE WANT WYATT!”

Goldberg lives by the spear and at Summerslam, Lashley dies by the spear. Goldberg leaves so MVP goes out to get in the face of Goldberg’s son. That brings Goldberg back out and the spear drops MVP. Goldberg: “You mess with my son, I’ll kill you!” The fans did not care about Goldberg here and it’s kind of hard to disagree. This whole thing feels forced and there isn’t much of a way around it.

Jaxson Ryker vs. Cedric Alexander

Ryker shoves Alexander into the corner to start but Cedric looks like he is going to have some fun. You don’t do that to Ryker, who grabs a spinning slam and hits a running headbutt. Alexander gets tied in the Tree of Woe for some forearms to the chest, setting up a clothesline to the floor. Back in and Cedric manages a clothesline off the apron and we take a break.

Back with Cedric grabbing an armbar and shouting at the fans a lot. Some elbows to the face make it worse but Ryker is back up with a spinebuster. Cedric is right back with his own seated armbar but this time Ryker powers up for the running corner clotheslines. Alexander’s tornado DDT rocks Ryker, who comes back with the swinging Boss Man Slam for the pin at 8:42.

Rating: C. This was a better way to go for Ryker, who needs someone like Alexander to bump off of him. The problem for Ryker continues to be the same thing though: other than glaring at people and having an intense stare, there isn’t much to focus on. He can do one thing well and that’s about it, which is not going to last all that long.

From Smackdown.

Here is Bianca Belair for a chat. She is so proud of her 111 day Women’s Title reign and now she is happy to be back in front of these people. Belair can’t wait to see what the next 100 days have….and here is Carmella to cut her off. Carmella thinks she should get another shot because the lighting at Rolling Loud was messing her up.

Cue Zelina Vega to say Carmella is too pretty to be a three time loser. Vega gets in Belair’s face to say the people want to see a rising star get a chance. Belair accepts the challenge but Carmella jumps her from behind. Cue the returning Sasha Banks (not for the first time since Wrestlemania McAfee) for the save and a big hug to Belair. That’s probably Summerslam.

From Smackdown.

Sasha Banks/Bianca Belair vs. Carmella/Zelina Vega

Belair and Carmella start fast by running Carmella over. Carmella gets in a few shots on Banks in the corner as everything breaks down. They all head outside with Belair gorilla pressing Banks, climbing onto the steps, and then throwing her onto the other two. We take a break and come back with Belair fighting out of a full nelson but getting slammed down anyway.

Carmella stomps away in the corner and Vega cuts off another hot tag attempt. Vega’s Black Widow is broken up in a hurry and the hot tag brings in Banks. House is cleaned, including Three Amigos to Vega. The frog splash gets two with Carmella making the save. Carmella’s X Factor is countered into the Bank Statement for the tap at 8:42.

Rating: C. Just a quick match to get Banks back in the ring with a win. I’m not sure I buy the idea that Banks is going to be Belair’s new best friend, but that is one of the two default stories for women in WWE these days. Hopefully this gets rid of Carmella from the title picture for the time being, as that has been done for a while now.

Belair and Banks celebrate after the match….until Banks jumps her. The beating is on and the Bank Statement makes Belair tap. Banks picks up the title and then puts the Bank Statement on again to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. That’s how Main Event tends to go, as there was very little here worth seeing but it was good enough while it lasted. As usual focusing on Smackdown is a lot better than the Raw clips, but it wasn’t like the original stuff was worth seeing. Just another run of the mill Main Event, meaning it did help me remember what happened on the important shows.

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ECW on Sci Fi
Date: March 6, 2007
Location: Tuscon Convention Center, Tuscon, Arizona
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

Now this is going to be different as we have a very special guest star in the form of Steve Austin. For once, it is someone who has an actual connection to the original ECW, which really doesn’t mean much but is kind of nice for a change. He’ll be talking about a Raw story, but that is the case with every show at the moment. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a quick recap of Vince McMahon vs. Donald Trump and Bobby Lashley drawing the boss’ ire.

Opening sequence.

Here is Vince McMahon to get things going in a surprise. Vince recaps Steve Austin being named guest referee for the Battle of the Billionaires and tells us to watch the contract signing on Raw. After getting a little rattled by the WHAT chants, Vince gets them back by saying “Tuscon sucks.” See how easy it is when the fans care about you? Vince promises a Billionaire B**** Slap to Donald Trump at Wrestlemania, but first we see a montage of Bobby Lashley receiving the same kind of slap.

Lashley tried to apologize to Vince earlier today but Vince isn’t accepting that unless it’s in public. Vince calls Lashley out for the apology so here is a rather happy looking Lashley. It’s true that Lashley wants to apologize, but to everyone here and at home as well as Vince (Vince: “Did you just call me Vince?”).

Lashley shakes, and squeezes, Vince’s hand and apologizes for not hitting him in the face for the slap last week. If Vince ever does that again, Lashley will break him in half. Vince goes down from the handshake and Lashley walks off. There wasn’t much said here, but Lashley felt intense and seemed like he belonged on this stage.

Ashley is in Playboy.

Hardcore Holly vs. Balls Mahoney

Holly wastes no time in jumping Mahoney and hammers him down in the corner. The stomping in the corner seems to wake Mahoney up though and he fires off the snap jabs. The guillotine legdrop misses though and Holly hits the Alabama Slam for the fast pin.

Post match, Snitsky comes in and kicks Holly in the face.

CM Punk talks about Money in the Bank but here is Elijah Burke to interrupt. Punk doesn’t seem happy but Burke offers him a spot in the New Breed. Rob Van Dam comes in to say Burke doesn’t know what ECW is all about (Burke probably can’t even spell ECW!) but he’ll learn tonight. Punk looks intrigued.

Rob Van Dam vs. Elijah Burke

The ECW Originals and New Breed are all here. Van Dam kicks him down to start and grabs a headscissors. Burke misses a right hand and gets armdragged down, allowing Rob to kick him in the face. A running crossbody sends Burke outside and they crash to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Rob fighting out of a chinlock but getting caught in some rolling suplexes for two. The double arm crank doesn’t last long on Rob but he misses a charge into the post. A double arm crank is broken up in a hurry so Burke takes him into the corner for some running knees to the back. They clothesline each other for a double breather until Rob makes the clothesline comeback. Some kicks to the face set up the split legged moonsault for two on Burke. The Five Star gives Rob the pin.

Rating: C. Not too bad here as Van Dam can still have a good match when he has the right opponent, which Burke can certainly be. This is the kind of match that helps the feud along too, as the New Breed can beat up the rest of the Originals but Van Dam gives them a fighting chance. Losing to Van Dam doesn’t hurt Burke and it makes the Originals look better so this was as effective as you could get.

Post match, Tommy Dreamer challenges the New Breed to an eight man tag at Wrestlemania. Answer coming later.

Nick Bockwinkel is going into the Hall of Fame. That feels wrong on ECW.

Extreme Expose.

We recap the opening segment.

Here is Steve Austin for the big close. He’s glad to be back home in Tuscon, which is home because WWE is here tonight. The dry heat bugs him though and he needs some beer. Austin recaps the Battle of the Billionaires, albeit in the to the point way that you might expect. Either way, he is calling the match right down the line.

While he has been walking through the airport, people have been asking him who he thinks is winning at Wrestlemania. Austin doesn’t know, so he goes outside and polls some fans, who want McMahon to get his head shaved. He’ll be at Raw for the contract signing because things could get interesting. You’ll see a bald headed billionaire at Wrestlemania….and that’s it. Beer is consumed to end the show, following this rather inconsequential cameo.

Overall Rating: C-. Austin being there felt big just because of who he is, but it wasn’t like he did anything important. This show was more or less an excuse for an Austin cameo to go along with setting up the eight man tag at Wrestlemania. In other words, it was basically a supplement to Raw’s main story with little in the way of importance on its own. The whole thing felt more like a bunch of commercials than a show, which meant it flew by without being all that interesting. Totally skippable show this week.

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Main Event
Date: July 29, 2021
Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Byron Saxton

The fans are back, but unfortunately it seems that the changes that had been taken place around here are not. Last week felt a lot like the Main Event days of old, which is far from exciting news. Normally I would say that I’m not surprised, but I really can’t say I am with this show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jaxson Ryker vs. Drew Gulak

Ryker powers him into the corner to start so Gulak does it to him as well. Gulak’s slap to the face doesn’t seem to be the best idea as Ryker is back with a spinning slam. We hit the armbar on Gulak as we hear about Ryker’s military career again. Gulak switches into a cravate to hold Ryker down and it’s off to a cross arm choke. Ryker powers up into some ax handles to the chest and a release slingshot suplex drops Gulak again. The swinging Boss Man Slam finishes Gulak at 5:17.

Rating: D+. This was exactly what you would have expected from these two and that is not a great thing. Gulak is great at the technical stuff but Ryker is as generic of a power guy as you can find. Nothing to see here, but what else were they going to do in a five minute Main Event opener?

From Smackdown.

We start fast this week with John Cena starting us off in a hurry. He talks about how hyped up the fans are here and knows that Roman Reigns is coming. There is some sports news coming out of Cleveland today, which is why he has changed his middle name to Guardians (as did Cleveland’s baseball team). He has to protect the little respect that WWE has left because Roman Reigns is terrible as Universal Champion. We’re back live and that means we are on the way to Summerslam, which is a place for the fans to show what they believe in. Whose team are you on?

That gives us a loud CENA chant, so he asks if you’re on Team Jorts or Team Cargo Pants? Team Hustle, Loyalty and Respect or on a team no one respects? Cena wants to know where Reigns is, because at Summerslam, Reigns can’t see him. Let’s get Reigns out here, but here is Paul Heyman (McAfee: “Legend.”) instead. Heyman says Reigns isn’t coming out here, but Cena will get an answer tonight. Then, Cena will know that the Tribal Chief is here. Heyman then does You Can’t See Me and sings (I guess?) the tune of Cena’s song in something you have to see to appreciate/believe. Both guys were amazing here.

From Smackdown.

Here is Roman Reigns to answer John Cena’s challenge. The fans don’t seem thrilled to see him but he demands to be acknowledged. Cena acknowledged him at Money in the Bank but Reigns did not expect to see it. Reigns was expecting a new Cena but it was the same music, the same run to the ring, the same catchphrases and the same everything, just like it was 2005. Reigns: “It’s like missionary position. The same thing every day!”

That’s not how we do it at the head of the table and that’s not what we’re doing at Summerslam. The answer is no (makes sense, as Bobby Lashley said the same thing to Goldberg this week), but here is Finn Balor of all people to interrupt. Reigns wants Balor to acknowledge him, but that’s not why Balor is here. If Reigns says no to Cena’s challenge, how about Balor instead? Fans: “ROMAN’S SCARED!” Reigns: “Challenge accepted.”

We look back at Goldberg returning and challenging Bobby Lashley for Summerslam.

From Raw.

Here are Bobby Lashley and MVP to respond to Goldberg’s challenge (which Lashley already did on Twitter last week). MVP recaps the challenge and asks Lashley for his answer. Lashley isn’t going to dignify that with a response, but says this is his ring. Cue Cedric Alexander to say he didn’t like the disrespect when Lashley broke up the Hurt Business. Now it’s Shelton Benjamin coming out to say Alexander’s voice is annoying before challenging Lashley as well. Lashley says he’ll fight them both at once.

Bobby Lashley vs. Cedric Alexander/Shelton Benjamin

Non-title and Lashley runs them over to start. Cedric is sent outside, leaving Lashley to go after Benjamin. Back in and Cedric trips Lashley up, allowing Benjamin to hit a running knee. A springboard tornado DDT plants Lashley for a double two but he is back up with the spinebuster to Alexander. The spear cuts Benjamin down and it’s a Jackhammer to plant him again. The Dominator puts Alexander onto Benjamin for the double pin at 2:44.

Angel Garza vs. Humberto Carrillo

Again. Garza bails to the floor to start to give a fan his rose before heading back inside. That’s fine with Carrillo as he grabs a headlock but hold on as Garza teases….something as we take a break. Back with Garza ripping at the face and grabbing a waistlock. That’s broken up in a hurry and Carrillo is back with the springboard spinning crossbody for two. Carrillo grabs a chinlock before kicking Garza in the face for two more.

The abdominal stretch lets Carrillo pound away at the ribs but Garza slips out. A flapjack gives Garza two of his own and we hit the pinfall reversal sequence. Carrillo headscissors him down and rolls backwards into a standing moonsault for two. Garza superkicks him out of the air, TAKES OFF HIS PANTS, and hits the Wing Clipper for the pin at 8:13.

Rating: C. The more you look at these things, the more confusing it is to see Carrillo getting pushed over Garza. It has never made sense as Garza is overflowing with charisma. Maybe the whole ladies man thing is slowing him down, but it’s a lot better than Carrillo being the generic smiling guy. Carrillo is very smooth in the ring, but you need something more than that, which he is lacking.

We recap Nikki Ash winning the Women’s Title with the Money in the Bank contract.

From Raw.

Here is Nikki Ash to get things going. She finally gets to welcome us to Raw and talks about how she didn’t believe she could get here. Nikki has worked to get here and once she finally started believing in herself, she accomplished her goals. If she can do it, everyone can do it and we can all be almost superheroes. Cue Charlotte to talk about how last week wasn’t fair and she is getting her rematch at Summerslam. Charlotte knows that everyone is tired of having people better than them around but they need to get used to it.

Cue Rhea Ripley, now smiling and high fiving (a few) fans. Ripley talks about how Charlotte only held the title for a day and promising to win the title herself. Nikki asks why she is being left out and here are Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville to interrupt. The triple threat match is on, and we’ll throw in Nikki vs. Charlotte tonight as well. Charlotte jumps Ripley but gets knocked outside by Nikki, who stands tall. This didn’t do much about making Nikki feel important.

From Raw.

Charlotte vs. Nikki Ash

Non-title and Charlotte chops her into the corner to start. Charlotte goes after the mask and chokes on the ropes to keep Nikki in trouble. Nikki is sent outside, allowing Charlotte to ask if this is your champion. Back in and Nikki’s comeback is cut off in a hurry, as Charlotte fires off more chops. Some rollups give Nikki two each and a headscissors sends Charlotte outside. There’s a dropkick through the ropes but Charlotte throws her over the announcers’ table as we take a break.

Back with Nikki still in trouble so Charlotte can grab the chinlock. Nikki fights up and hits a quick crossbody for a breather so Charlotte misses a bit boot. The leg is snapped across the top but she blocks the sunset flip without much effort. There’s a bulldog for two on Charlotte but she chops Nikki into the corner. Nikki is sat on top, only to come back with a tornado DDT. Charlotte rolls through the high crossbody though and pins Nikki at 12:33.

Rating: D. What is there to say here? Nikki is trying to be a star and gets beaten down, with Charlotte selling absolutely nothing for most of the match. I’d like to think that this leads to Cross overcoming the odds at Summerslam and retaining, but that isn’t going to matter if this is what happens to her on the way. This was a long form squash and Charlotte reminded us of that every chance she could.

Post match Charlotte laughs at Nikki and grabs a mic to say no one is in her league. Nikki grabs the mic and says she knows she lost but she showed she ALMOST could have won. Therefore, Charlotte gets a rematch next week. Charlotte accepts and beats Nikki down again, yells some more, and drops her one more time to end the show.

Overall Rating: D. Egads Raw is terrible. That’s the big story I got out of this, which says a lot when this is supposed to be the big highlight package show. Smackdown isn’t great but it’s better than Raw, which isn’t saying all that much. I would say hopefully Raw is going to get better but I think we can forget about that for the next….oh I’m thinking years or so at this point. Bad show, with Raw dragging things down even further.

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205 Live
Date: July 30, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We seem to be getting back into the standard operating procedure with this show and that is kind of an annoying situation. It means that we are going to be seeing a lot of the same stuff over and over again with some different faces. The show is far from awful, but it’s forgettable, which might be worse. Let’s get to it.

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

Grayson Waller vs. Ikemen Jiro

The watermelon jacket is back this week. Waller actually shakes hands but then begs off as the fans chant for the jacket. Some knees to the ribs and a shoulder put Jiro down but he’s right back with a running hurricanrana. Waller is knocked outside so Jiro joins him only to be dropped…face first on the floor, though I think Waller was aiming for the apron. Back in and Waller clotheslines him down hard as the aggression continues. Jiro comes right back with a spinwheel kick and some shots to the face.

The Tarantula has Waller in more trouble and a double springboard moonsault gets two. Waller gets in a kick to the face of his own, only to miss an elbow. Jiro charges into a fireman’s carry spinebuster for a rather close two but the running Stomp misses. Instead Jiro rolls him up twice in a row for two each, setting up the Ikemen Slash for the pin at 7:29.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t quite feeling this one, but you can tell how much the crowd gets into Jiro’s stuff. The jacket is cool, but he also has a charisma that is going to get people to notice him no matter what. Waller is another guy who has potential, but he is not going to get any further just staying on 205 Live against the same people.

Asher Hale vs. Drake Maverick

This is the kind of thing that they should be doing more often. The fans seem happy to have Maverick back, even as Hale takes him down by the leg to start. Maverick’s wristlock is taken down in a hurry and Hale doesn’t seem worried here. Back up and Hale talks too much trash so Maverick punches him in the face.

A hard whip into the corner cuts that off and Maverick is favoring his shoulder. Like a good heel/wrestler in general, Hale goes right after the arm and rams it into the apron. The cross arm choke keeps Maverick in trouble but he fights up and this time it’s Hale’s shoulder going into the post. A running dropkick into the bulldog sets up a high crossbody to drop Hale again. Sliced Bread gives Maverick the pin at 7:44.

Rating: C+. This was more like it as they had someone fresh in to make the match feel like a bigger deal. Maverick is hardly the biggest star in WWE but he is bigger than anyone else on 205 Live. You don’t need to have him be a regular around here but you can have him, or a few others, pop in every now and then to spice up the show a bit. Maybe even put some of these new guys over once or twice.

Overall Rating: C. Maverick’s cameo helped things a bit here and it is the kind of thing I could go for again in the future. The show is actually getting shorter too as this one was less than twenty five minutes. Another completely watchable show here, even if it feels like a pair of dark matches that only exist because of contractual obligations.

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ECW on Sci Fi
Date: February 27, 2007
Location: HP Pavilion, San Jose, California
Attendance: 13,511
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

The big stories continue to be Bobby Lashley and the ECW Title, plus the New Breed vs. the ECW Originals. Both stories are likely to get a lot of time this week, though Vince McMahon showing up to deal with Lashley should tell you what the focus of this show should be. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Donald Trump picking Bobby Lashley as his representative in the Battle of the Billionaires. This set up a pretty awesome Lashley vs. Umaga brawl on Raw.

Tonight: Lashley has to defend the ECW World Title inside a cage against Hardcore Holly.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Sabu vs. Mr. Kennedy

Extreme Rules. They actually go to the mat to start until Kennedy hits a slam. The running elbow misses but Kennedy is fine enough to whip him into the corner. Sabu knocks him outside and hits the baseball slide, followed by the dive. A chair is thrown in and a table is set up, with Kennedy being knocked into place. Kennedy gets out of the way, so Sabu just dives onto him anyway.

Back in and the Triple Jump Moonsault is countered with a drop toehold into the open chair, allowing Kennedy to kick him in the face. Kennedy awkwardly puts the table inside but the delay lets Sabu hit a legdrop to the back of the head. Sabu goes up but dives through the table by mistake, allowing Kennedy to hit a DDT onto the table for the pin.

Rating: D+. What were you expecting from this kind of a clash of styles? There was no drama on the winner as Sabu isn’t getting anywhere near a match that big. Sabu needed all of his weapons though and that isn’t Kennedy’s thing, making this quite the mess and not very good in any sense.

Vince McMahon arrives and isn’t happy about being late.

Balls Mahoney vs. Matt Striker

Striker actually hits him in the face to start but hurts his hand. Mahoney shows him some better technique and goes up top for the legdrop. Cue Snitsky to jump Mahoney for the DQ in less than a minute.

Snitsky lays both of them out.

Vince McMahon welcomes us to the show and talks about tonight’s cage match for Bobby Lashley’s ECW World Title. Vince doesn’t like Lashley, so we’re changing things up a bit: if Lashley doesn’t win in five minutes, he loses the title. SURPRISE SURPRISE!

Marcus Cor Von/Kevin Thorn vs. Rob Van Dam/Tommy Dreamer

Ariel and Elijah Burke are with the villains while Sandman is with the ECWites. Van Dam drop toeholds Thorn down to start so Dreamer can drop an elbow for two. A hiptoss sends Thorn down as well and Dreamer hammers away in the corner. He even gets in a right hand to cut off Cor Von in a nice save. The distraction lets Cor Von come in and hammer away though, setting up the chinlock.

That’s broken up in a hurry and it’s off to Van Dam for the assortment of kicks. The split legged moonsault gets two and Rolling Thunder gets the same. Everything breaks down and Dreamer dives off the apron onto Cor Von. Ariel tries to throw in the walking stick but Sandman spanks her with the cane. The distraction lets Thorn crotch Van Dam on top and the Dark Kiss is enough for the pin.

Rating: C-. This needed more Cor Von as it wasn’t the most energized match. What mattered here was continuing the New Breed’s advantage over the Originals, which should be the case. The Originals aren’t exactly interesting and other than nostalgia, why should I cheer for any of them other than maybe Van Dam? The New Breed might not be great, but what they’re saying makes sense.

Hardcore Holly knows he’s winning tonight because no one can beat him in five minutes.

CM Punk vs. Stevie Richards

Richards shoves him out to the floor to start (that might not have been the plan) but Punk is right back in for an exchange of kicks to the legs. More kicks have Punk down and we hit the neck crank. Punk kicks his way out and gets two off a rollup but Richards kicks him right back into the chinlock. With that broken up, Richards takes him up top for the superplex but gets shoved down in a crash. A top rope clothesline sets up the running knee in the corner and the yet to be named GTS finishes Richards off.

Rating: D. This was really weird as Richards started off in control, put on a bunch of chinlocks and then waited for Punk to beat him. It felt more like a Richards match with Punk winning in the end, which isn’t likely what they were going for here. Punk should have come off looking more dominant here, as it’s just Stevie Richards.

We look at Donald Trump picking Bobby Lashley last night, setting up the brawl, again.

Extreme Expose.

Jerry Lawler is going into the Hall of Fame. This isn’t on Peacock for some reason.

ECW World Title: Bobby Lashley vs. Hardcore Holly

Lashley is defending inside a cage and we have a five minute time limit. As you might expect, Lashley starts fast and hammers away with right hands on the mat. Holly is busted open but avoids a charge so Holly can go up. Lashley goes up too but here are Vince McMahon and Umaga. They fall off the top and Umaga throws in some chairs. Holly clocks Lashley in the head for two with two minutes left. Lashley fights up with a belly to belly suplex and a bunch of chair shots of his own. Another chair to the head drops Holly with a minute left and the running powerslam retains the title in time.

Rating: C. This was angle advancement rather than a regular match and given who was involved, that’s all you could ask for. Holly isn’t a serious threat to win the title and Lashley is on to far bigger and more important things. They got in and out here while doing their thing and that’s the right move for a match like this.

Post match Umaga and Lashley stare each other down. Lashley gets a running start and launches himself into the cage wall, knocking it over and crushing Umaga in the process. Both guys are down to end the show as Armando Alejandro Estrada panics. I’ve always loved this ending as not only is it different, but it makes Lashley look like the kind of monster who can go toe to toe with Umaga.

It’s different from the John Cena feud, as Cena was able to fight enough until he could find a way around Umaga. Lashley is someone who might be able to just beat him one on one through straight power. Awesome ending, if nothing else due to the cage wall knocking Umaga down so fast.

Overall Rating: C-. The ending helped a lot but this was one of their weaker shows so far. The matches weren’t working for the most part and it just kind of kept going. What helps here is that the Originals vs. New Breed and McMahon involvement makes the show feel important. That has been lacking since ECW debuted and while it isn’t going to last forever, it is nice to see for the moment.

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https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/breaking-bray-wyatt-gone-wwe/

I want to hear more on this one, as I would be stunned if WWE just cut him loose.  There have been a lot of stories of Wyatt having issues since Brodie Lee’s death and I wonder if that played a role here.  It very well may not have, but I would love some more on this one.

Main Event
Date: July 22, 2021
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Byron Saxton

We’re back to the low slow this week and that could mean more than a few things. I’m curious to see how much this show has changed now that the fans are back to energize the company, which should be a nice thing to see for a change. Then again, I’m almost scared to see what we could be getting again. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Angel Garza vs. Drew Gulak

They grapple around to start with Gulak getting the better of things off a headlock. Garza slips out and takes Gulak down instead, setting up a quick chinlock. Back up and Gulak hits a slam into a clothesline for two as frustration is setting in. It’s time to start kicking away at Garza’s knee and we hit a wacky hold to put Garza in more trouble. Garza fights up and hits a flapjack, followed by the running forearm. That’s enough for Garza to TAKE OFF HIS PANTS and the Wing Clipper finishes Gulak at 5:20.

Rating: C-. Garza was wrestling as a face here and it was working rather well. I’m not sure why we have never gotten an extended good guy run from him, but it is not likely to happen when he barely ever gets a run of any kind in the first place. Garza continues to be a hidden gem and Gulak can work with anyone, so it is no surprise that they are regularly featured around here.

We look at Nikki Ash winning the Women’s Money in the Bank match.

From Smackdown, a rarity on a post pay per view Main Event.

Women’s Title: Bianca Belair vs. Carmella

Belair is defending and gets a rather strong reaction. A running shoulder puts Carmella down to start but she sends Belair hard into the corner for two. That earns Carmella a running shoulder into the ribs but she manages to post Bianca and we take a break. Back with Belair grabbing a suplex for two and going up, only to have to block what looked like a Stratusphere attempt.

A super hurricanrana brings Belair down for two instead and we hit the pinfall reversal sequence. Carmella grabs a guillotine choke but Belair powers her up for another suplex for two more. With nothing else working, Carmella grabs the hair and takes Belair outside for a whipping. Back in again and Carmella misses the superkick, setting up the hair whip. The KOD retains the title at 11:04.

Rating: C. This was a good way to get Belair in front of a crowd and the reaction was worth the wait. Carmella wasn’t going to be a huge challenger and it was fine to have her out there in a completely acceptable match. Now Smackdown can build up someone else for Belair, though I’m really not sure who that can be outside of bringing someone back in.

Quick look at the Usos and Roman Reigns dominating at Money in the Bank, though that John Cena fellow could be a problem.

From Raw.

Here is John Cena to get things going as they’re starting fast tonight. Cena says he can still see some people coming in so come on down. After acknowledging a kid’s “I’m turning 11 and I’m here to see John Cena” sign, Cena says he missed us. Cena talks about what a group effort Raw is and how he was here last night for the end of Money in the Bank.

Paul Heyman panicked, Roman Reigns didn’t know what he was supposed to do, Michael Cole was really happy and Pat McAfee still didn’t know where Cena was. Cena is back for Reigns and he thinks about five weeks from now in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada sounds like a safe bet. He could talk about how important Summerslam is and how great it would be to win his seventeenth World Title, but it is a lot simpler than that: “Roman Reigns is an a******.” (WWE censored it too this time).

Reigns is an overhyped gimmick who isn’t as great as he says he is, “and that’s coming from ME”. Cena asks to hear the fans a bit more and says the saying goes if they’re great, the people will tell you. He’s going to be at Smackdown on Friday and he’ll see Reigns there. Cue Riddle and it’s time for a Bro Off (WWE version, not the Impact version).

Toni Storm is heading to Smackdown.

Bobby Lashley destroyed Kofi Kingston at Money in the Bank.

From Raw.

Keith Lee vs. Bobby Lashley

Non-title, though Graves suggested it was a title match before the bell. The GOLDBERG chants start us off as they shove each other around to start. Lee powers him around but the Spirit Bomb is countered into a Downward Spiral. A running clothesline puts Lee on the floor but Lashley can’t lift him up for the ram into the post.

Instead Lee splashes him against the post but an MVP distraction lets Lashley knock Lee off the apron. The spear cuts Lee in half and Lashley hammers away back inside. The Hurt Lock is blocked though and Lashley gets flipped over. That’s fine with Lashley, who hits a spinebuster to take him down again. Another spear gives Lashley the pin at 5:53.

Rating: C-. So much for that, as this was little more than a squash for Lashley. Lee got in a few shots here and there but then he lost in less than six minutes. I’m not sure what he is going to do from here, but this is not exactly something that gives me hope for Lee’s future. Not the worst match, just rather disappointing.

Post match Lashley poses so here is the expected Goldberg return. Goldberg says he’s next and Lashley is ready but MVP holds them apart.

Post break, MVP says they aren’t acknowledging the return.

Cedric Alexander vs. Ricochet

They start fast with Ricochet dropkicking him down and hitting a backdrop, setting up the Eddie Dance of all things. Alexander catches him on the apron though and hits a hard clothesline as we take a break. Back with Alexander hammering away and kicking him in the back for two. The chinlock goes on, followed by a dropkick to give Alexander two more

Ricochet fights up but a knee to the ribs cuts that off in a hurry. A facebuster into a neckbreaker works better for Ricochet and there’s a hard clothesline. Alexander hits an awkward tilt-a-whirl backbreaker but the Lumbar Check (Alexander: “LUMBAR CHECK!”) is countered into a Canadian Destroyer. The Recoil finishes Alexander at 7:47.

Rating: C+. As usual, these two were working hard out here and that’s what you know you’re getting from them. It’s still nice to see someone giving all of their effort out there in a match that no one is going to see, though it makes more sense with the actual people in attendance. Good match here, even if the time was against them.

From Raw.

Here is Charlotte for her big celebration of winning the title again. Rhea Ripley can rip off as many of Charlotte’s moves as she wants, but Charlotte won the title anyway. After explaining that Becky Lynch isn’t here because she’s at home taking care of her baby, Charlotte brags about all of the congratulations that she has received and talks about how she has won eleven women’s titles (at least they’re keeping it at main roster singles titles this time). She can beat Rhea Ripley any time so here is Rhea to say she wants the rematch tonight.

Charlotte says no, so Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville come out to make the match for tonight anyway. Charlotte kicks out Rhea’s knee and leaves. Somehow, this took nearly ten minutes instead of “due to her actions in the title match, Charlotte will be defending against Ripley in a rematch, per orders from Pearce and Deville” taking fifteen seconds to start the show.

And from Raw again.

Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte

Charlotte is defending and gets faceplanted to start. A whip into the corner has Charlotte shaken up again but she comes back with right hands to the face. Ripley shrugs them off and snaps off a German suplex, setting up a running basement dropkick for two. They head outside with Charlotte hitting a chop block to the bad knee, sending us to a break. Back with Charlotte taking the knee out again and crushing it on the mat.

Ripley manages a northern lights suplex but Charlotte boots her in the face. The moonsault hits raised knees though and Ripley grabs her own Figure Four. Charlotte turns that over for the break but Ripley hits a superkick into the Riptide for two as Charlotte gets a foot on the rope. That’s enough for Charlotte, who tries to walk out, only to hit Ripley in the face with the title for the DQ at 12:24.

Rating: C. I was watching this match and wondering if putting the title back on Ripley here would make up for last night, but then the ending was hardly the biggest surprise. WWE does not seem interesting in having Ripley be a big prop for Charlotte and little more. But hey, at least Ripley “beat” her here, right?

Post match Ripley jumps Charlotte again and lays her out….and we have a cash-in!

Women’s Title: Nikki Ash vs. Charlotte

Nikki is challenging and a high crossbody gives her the title in 10 seconds.

Nikki celebrates in the crowd to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was one of the easier Main Events to watch in a long time, as they flew through the good stuff from Raw and even threw in some Smackdown for a bonus. Getting Raw down to about twenty minutes is as good of a thing as you can do anymore and this show wound up being a lot easier to watch as a result. Now why can’t they do that on Mondays?

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205 Live
Date: July 23, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We are officially in the FANS ARE BACK period but it isn’t going to matter given this show’s location. I’m never sure what to expect around here anymore but it’s nice to have the show staying at a short pace. That’s the best thing that you can have with a show like this, but maybe things can pick up a bit. Let’s get to it.

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

Asher Hale vs. Guru Raaj

Rematch from last week where Raaj stole a win. Feeling out process to start with Hale going after the leg without much success. Raaj crank on the arm and grabs a rollup to send Hale outside. Back in and Hale starts on the arm as the 205 chants begin. Raaj fights up and hits a dropkick, followed by a headlock takeover. Hale gets up so Raaj clotheslines him out to the floor but comes up favoring his wrist. The delay lets Hale sweep the leg and tie his legs around Raaj’s head for a twist.

Back in and we hit something like an Indian Deathlock with Hale sitting on the back for a bit. That is switched into a Muta Lock until Hale has to let it go. That needs to get more wins. Some kicks to various limbs has Raaj in more trouble but he finally explodes to send Hale into the corner. A series of shoulders in the corner set up a dropkick for two on Hale. Raaj can’t get the backslide he used to win last week so Hale grabs a flipping neckbreaker. A leg trap brainbuster finishes Raaj at 8:25.

Rating: C. Hale continues to look a bit more polished than the rest of the newcomers around here, while Raaj….I’m not exactly sure what he does actually. Nothing really makes him stand out, which is a bit of a problem. It is something that can be fixed without much trouble as he can do the in-ring stuff, but nothing really makes him stand out.

Ari Sterling vs. Jake Atlas

Feeling out process to start with Atlas’ waistlock not getting him very far. They trade armdrags to little avail so Atlas cartwheels his way out of a hurricanrana. An exchange of rollups gets two each until Sterling gets in a kick to the head to take over. That lasts all of two seconds as Atlas hits his own kick for his own two. A bodyscissors has Sterling in some quickly escaped trouble so Atlas switches to a waistlock.

That doesn’t last long, mainly because it’s just a waistlock, so Atlas knees him in the ribs for two instead. It’s back to the bodyscissors but Sterling fights up again and hits the flipping ax kick for two. Atlas pops up and pulls him into a half crab, which doesn’t last long either. Sterling grabs a Downward Spiral and nails a running kick to the face. Back up and a fall away slam gives Atlas two but Sterling catches him on top. The 450 is cut off though and Atlas grabs the cartwheel DDT for the pin at 9:37.

Rating: C. Atlas is a much better fit here than on NXT, as he doesn’t have the personality to hang on the bigger show. The in-ring stuff is fine enough though and he’ll be fine around here. Sterling was better here as well, if nothing else because we got to see him doing something other than selling his leg and then making an easy comeback.

Respect is shown post match.

Overall Rating: C. Two decent matches with little in the way of storyline advancement, and we’ll probably get Hale vs. Raaj III soon. That being said, neither match was bad and you’re in and out in less than twenty seven minutes. It’s virtually impossible to get overly annoyed at a show like that and this worked out fine enough. If they actually had a story or something to fight over it would be even better, but this was a throwaway edition if there ever was one.

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For the first time in far too long, I got to take in a live wrestling show on Sunday night. This was one of the WWE SuperShows, featuring both Monday Night Raw and Smackdown wrestlers. It was also part of the Summer of Cena, with Cena in a six man main event. The announcement that Cena would be on the show made the ticket sales jump, including two extra sections being opened up the day of the show. Yeah there’s something to the guy. Let’s get to it.

This was one of the largest crowds I can remember for a Louisville show, with about 6,000 tickets sold. The show started just after 7pm so they were on time.

We got a quick video of Bianca Belair arriving and being glad to have fans back. Carmella interrupted and they bickered a bit.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Bianca Belair vs. Carmella

Belair got a heck of a reaction and you can tell how over she is with the younger fans. They have something with her and I think they know that. This was a basic match with Belair doing the athletic stuff with the power and flips while Carmella was mostly left with the cheating. There was a notable moment where Carmella went down in the corner as Belair was trying to jump over her. I had seen on Twitter that Carmella might have had some issues staying in her top (which I didn’t notice live), but she might have gone down to cover things up. Belair retained at 11:45 with a small package to a very strong pop. C.

Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre

This was a non-title open challenge, but the match was listed on the preview. McIntyre got a big reaction too, but not much bigger than Belair’s. Jinder Mahal jumped McIntyre before the bell so he was fighting from behind. They beat each other up for a bit with their hard hitting stuff until McIntyre won with the Claymore at 7:15. This was really short and I was expecting a lot more. C-.

Jinder jumped Drew post match and got Claymored.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Natalya/Tamina vs. Nia Jax/Shayna Baszler

Natalya and Tamina were the faces here and it worked as well as it could have, meaning not very well in the slightest. These four just do not work that well together and you could tell watching here. The crowd did get a bit into things so it wasn’t a disaster. Tamina superkicked Baszler to retain at 8:52 after they were trying hard. C.

Of note, there was a kid behind me who was somewhere between 3-5 years old. He was there with his granddad, who didn’t seem to be overly familiar with modern wrestling. The granddad was talking to him throughout the match though, including asking if he thought Natalya would get out of trouble. The kid wasn’t quite sure which one Natalya was, but figured out that she was in red. This led to the most bizarre exchange I have heard in a long time.

Granddad: “Yeah Natalya is in the red. That’s Natalya Neidhart.”

3-5 Year Old Kid: “Like Jim The Anvil Neidhart?”

I had so many questions but this kid is being raised right.

Raw World Title: Bobby Lashley vs. Kofi Kingston

This was supposed to be a handicap match but Xavier Woods was attacked in the back. He sent an angry Kingston on anyway and the singles match was on. This was pretty by the book with Kingston doing what he could but getting caught with the power. Kofi started making the comeback but got crotched on top, setting up the Hurt Lock at 9:56. Exactly what you would expect from these two in a ten minute house show match. C.

The Usos cut a quick promo on knowing they would win.

Intermission, with a few Guns N Roses songs. The Reigns promo from Friday aired with the missionary position line edited out.

Riddle vs. AJ Styles

Omos was here with Styles and it’s like watching Great Khali walk to the ring. There was no reference to Randy Orton, who was advertised for the show on Sunday afternoon before I made the drive. The crowd was behind AJ at first but he had them booing by the end. Riddle spanked AJ a few times to start so make your own GAY COMMUNITY jokes. Omos interfered but Charles Robinson heard him send Riddle into the steps. That was enough for the ejection, despite AJ dropping to his knees and begging. Riddle blocked the Phenomenal Forearm with a jumping knee and hit an RKO for the pin at 14:19. B-.

Raw Women’s Title: Charlotte vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Nikki Ash

This was interesting because of the entrances. The fans were mostly quiet for Ash (more on that in a minute) and not bad for Ripley, but they seemed to be in awe of Charlotte. That is how they should be too, as she carries herself exactly like her dad did. Charlotte comes off like the biggest star in the world and that is why she gets pushed like she does. The title reigns are still ridiculous, but when you see her in this mode, you get everything WWE sees in her.

The match itself wasn’t great, as Ripley is now a full on face (even high fiving fans and smiling a lot), with Charlotte as the big bad. That leaves Nikki, who had to keep stealing shots when she could. She was on the floor a lot while Charlotte and Ripley beat each other up and then stole a double pin as the other two were fighting over a rollup to retain at 10:20.

Two things about this match. First, Nikki’s gear was rather different, as the tights were the same color as the top, basically eliminating the thong look. I’m assuming this is to keep it more PG and it’s a better look overall. If nothing else, it’s a lot less distracting.

Second, there were two guys behind me who kept yelling/talking about how the crowd sucked for not cheering in the right way for the best match of the night, including not reacting to Nikki. As obnoxious as it is to actually shout at the fans that they aren’t cheering right, the silence for Nikki makes perfect sense. Prior to Money in the Bank and the superhero deal, Nikki was just there. She hadn’t won anything of note and she had barely been around in months.

Well then she changes her gimmick, still doesn’t win any major matches, and then she wins Money in the Bank. She cashes in the next night and….yeah it’s still just Nikki Cross but now as a superhero. It’s like she won the title with a cheat code, so why should she be cheered as some conqueror? The superhero deal works and will be a smash with kids, but it isn’t going to get over until she looks like she can beat some people instead of winning a ladder match and stealing the title. They haven’t put the effort in with her yet and the crowd reaction showed it.

Roman Reigns/Usos vs. Dominik Mysterio/Rey Mysterio/John Cena

Reigns got a big reaction. The Mysterios got a big reaction. John Cena got a gigantic reaction that felt like he was coming out for a pay per view main event. You can feel that he is on another level and WWE knows that too. This was a well put together match as Cena kept wanting Reigns, even coming in to try and get after him multiple times but kept getting held back.

Rey took a long beating and Cena FINALLY got the hot tag at about 15:00 in to blow the roof off the place. Cena had Jimmy in the AA but Reigns cut him off with a Superman Punch. The spear hit the corner though and Cena gave Reigns an AA, which he more or less no sold but left anyway, leaving Jey to take the AA for the pin at 17:03. Easily the best part of the show, just for Cena’s insane star power and the match getting time while being well put together.

Cena threw gear out to end the show.

Overall, C+, as it was basically an All-Star show for a good $33 seat. They have momentum right now, but that isn’t going to last forever. As for house shows, just keep them like this for now. You had a good crowd, top stars and strong reactions. Work with that for as long as you can and stop with the double house shows for the time being.

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ECW on Sci Fi
Date: February 20, 2007
Location: ipayOne Center, San Diego, California
Attendance: 7,50
Commentators: Joey Styles, John Bradshaw Layfield

We’re done with No Way Out and ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley is still ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley despite getting disqualified against Mr. Kennedy. That means we are likely in for a rematch and that could be enough to keep Lashley busy until we get close to Wrestlemania. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.In Memory of Mike Awesome.

Mr. Kennedy is getting a rematch with Bobby Lashley tonight, with Hardcore Holly thrown in.

Opening sequence.

Here is the New Breed for a chat. They brag about their success last week, which is proof that any one of them can beat any one of the ECW Originals. Matt Striker picks Kevin Thorn for the team so here are the Originals with their pick.

Rob Van Dam vs. Kevin Thorn

Everyone else is at ringside. Thorn kicks him in the ribs to break up the early thumb pointing but gets kicked outside for his efforts. The thumb pointing is broken up again and Thorn pounds away in the corner until Rob knocks him outside. That means a big dive over the top, meaning the big brawl on the floor is on.

Everything is finally broken up and we take a fast break. Back with everyone else gone and Rob hitting a spinwheel kick for a breather. Rob kicks him down again and Rolling Thunder is good for a delayed two. There’s the top rope kick to the face for two and a low high crossbody gets two more. The stepover kick to the face into the Five Star finishes Thorn.

Rating: C-. This felt like little more than a way to get the Originals a win and it isn’t like Van Dam beating Thorn is some big upset. The big brawl at ringside is what mattered here and you know that things are going to keep going for a long time to come. What matters here though is making things feel more even and Van Dam winning clean does that well. Not a particularly good match, but it did what needed to be done.

Video on Snitsky.

Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: CM Punk vs. Johnny Nitro

Melina is here with Nitro. Punk headlock takeovers him to start and grabs a hammerlock. That doesn’t last long as Nitro is back up with a headlock of his own. That earns him a leg lariat but Nitro knocks him down again and hammers at Punk’s face. The breakdancing legdrop gets two and Nitro grabs the cravate. Punk fights up again and hits a kick to the head, setting up some knees to the face. Melina breaks up the springboard clothesline though, allowing Nitro to hit a spinning kick to the chest for two of his own. The corkscrew moonsault misses Punk though and the GTS sends Punk to Wrestlemania.

Rating: C. Simple but efficient match here with a bit of a surprise winner. Punk is a big deal in ECW but Nitro has been a pretty established name on both Raw and Smackdown. This was a good win for Punk and while he isn’t going to win Money in the Bank, it means something for him just to be put in the spot in the first place.

Mr. Kennedy doesn’t know why tonight’s title match is a triple threat. Hardcore Holly comes in to say life isn’t fair. ECW is Holly’s world and Kennedy isn’t winning the title.

La Resistance vs. Los Luchas

A spinebuster into Au Revoir gives La Resistance the win in about thirty seconds.

Post match here is Snitsky to lay out La Resistance to give this a point.

We get another video on Bobby Lashley, this time talking about growing up in a military family. Then his parents got divorced and it was time to move into sports to give him a focus. He won a National Championship but there was no one there to celebrate with him. That’s pretty rough.

Extreme Expose.

Mr. Perfect Hall of Fame video.

ECW World Title: Hardcore Holly vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. Bobby Lashley

Lashley is defending. Holly gets knocked down to start so Kennedy takes Lashley into the corner. Lashley fights back on both of them without much trouble, including some shoulders to Kennedy in the corner. Kennedy sends Lashley into the corner and suplexes Holly for two. We settle down a bit and it’s Kennedy hitting a running knee to Lashley in the corner, only to get full nelson slammed by Holly. Lashley is back up to send Kennedy to the floor and backdrop Holly down again.

That earns Kennedy a hard whip into the steps but Holly is back up with a baseball slide to Lashley. Back in and Holly grabs a chinlock on Lashley, who powers up to get Holly on his back without much trouble. With Holly still holding on, Lashley punches Kennedy in the face a few times. Holly jumps Lashley again and grabs a chair, setting up the Alabama Slam… not onto the chair for some reason. Kennedy breaks up the cover and chairs Holly by mistake, allowing Lashley to hit the running powerslam to retain.

Rating: C. This was a good illustration of how Lashley needs new opponents. He was in a glorified handicap match here and still ran through both guys in less than seven minutes. There is no one on ECW to challenge Lashley at the moment and that means he is going to need someone big to come in sooner rather than later. For now though, this worked as another fine demonstration of the dominance.

Overall Rating: C-. It wasn’t a great show, but it was a show that felt a lot more structured. It felt like ECW is finally starting to get things going and find their way, which is long overdue. Now they need some fresh talent to go with that structure, though I’m not sure how much of a priority the show is going to be until a good while after ECW.

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