205 Live
Date: October 15, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

I’ve started liking this show a good bit more as it feels like NXT without the color scheme making my head hurt. NXT has needed a show like this for a good while now and it could do a good job in building up some people who do not get the chance otherwise. Hopefully they can do that again this week so let’s get to it.

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

Jeet Rama vs. Boa

Mei Ying is here with Boa. Rama works on the wrist to start but Boa is back with some kicks to the leg. That doesn’t work either so Rama takes him down for the quickly broken armbar. Back up and Boa works on Rama’s arm for a change, including bending it around the top rope. Some kicks drop Rama and there’s a knee to the arm. The armbar sets up a cobra clutch but Rama throws some suplexes. Boa goes right back to the arm though and kicks Rama in the head for the pin at 4:30.

Rating: D+. I sighed a bit when I saw Boa was in the match and then it got worse when he was actually in the ring. Boa has not been interesting since he debuted and it isn’t getting better. What he does in the ring is decent enough, but he is just so dull an uninteresting that it isn’t worth the time more often than not.

Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen vs. Keagan Scott/Taylor Garland

Jensen punches Scott in the face to start and snaps off a powerslam. Briggs comes in to talk some trash and release side slams Garland, setting up a splash. An assisted sitout powerbomb finishes Garland at 1:50. I’m not sure about these guys seemingly wrestling as faces, but that was an effective squash.

Roderick Strong vs. Odyssey Jones

Non-title, as the Cruiserweight Champion is on the show for the first time in months against a guy who weighs over 400lbs. The rest of the Diamond Mine is here too. Strong makes the mistake of going for an armdrag and is shoved away with ease. That means we need a bit of a breather, before Jones swats a flying shoulder out of the air. Jones pulls him back over the ropes and the confidence is rather high. Back up and Jones sends him head first into the corner over and over but Hachiman offers a distraction, allowing Strong to twist the knee around the rope.

A seated abdominal stretch goes on to put Jones in trouble and a kick to the face drops him again. The crossarm choke has Jones panicking but he powers to his feet, despite Strong telling him to stay down. Jones runs him over and hits a rolling senton and Strong’s jumping knee is blocked. Strong slips out though and the jumping knee finally knocks Jones out for the pin at 8:58.

Rating: C. Not a great match or anything, but it was cool seeing some of the bigger names on here where there might have been a tiny bit of doubt about who was winning. You almost never have that on this show these days and it helps a lot to change things up a bit. Strong winning is the right move, but it was nice to have someone who could give him a run for his money for a change.

Overall Rating: C. This show is starting to round into form and I’m rather pleased by some of the things that I’m seeing. There is certainly more of a structure around here and it is showing you just how worthless 205 Live was for so long. That’s very nice to see and I’m glad that it is finally worth something. Now just find a name that actually makes sense and we could be on to something here.

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WrestleFest 1990
Host: Sean Mooney
Commentators: Sean Mooney, Lord Alfred Hayes, Gorilla Monsoon, Hillbilly Jim, Tony Schiavone

This is the kind of thing that I love to watch: a compilation video featuring a bunch of stuff from television tapings which is cobbled together with almost nothing in the way of a theme. There might be a wrestler getting a few matches in a row, but this is kind of a sampler platter of the company at this point in time. Let’s get to it.

Sean Mooney welcomes us to the show and runs down the lineup, including a profile of the Hart Foundation. Mooney promising that the Harts will “calmly” discuss their recent matches and then seeing a clip of Jim Neidhart talking a mile a minute was funny.

From Miami on January 22, 1990.

Randy Savage vs. Roddy Piper

Yeah this should work. Savage yells a lot to start while Piper stands in the middle of the ring. Sherri offers a distraction and tries to look up Piper’s kilt, earning herself a spank. An attempted kick to Piper sees her leg swatted away, sending both her and her shoes flying. That’s finally enough to get Savage to come off the top with an ax handle to get things going but Piper clotheslines him right back down.

A sunset flip gives Piper two and a not great looking small package is good for the same. Savage tries to bail but gets pulled back inside, only to have a Sherri distraction let him jump Piper from behind. Now the top rope ax handle works far better and a second one connects on the floor to put Piper down again. Sherri even gets in a high kick to the back of Piper’s head (impressive when she’s in a dress and high heels) so Savage can choke away back inside.

Piper catches him on top though and gets Savage in the yet to be named Tree of Woe for some….well something involving Savage’s face. We go old school with an airplane spin to drop Savage for two, who is right back with an airplane spin of his own (and even faster, because Savage is very competitive). Savage is so dizzy that he falls out of the ring, with Piper following him out and hammering away even more. Sherri tries the save and it’s a double countout at 9:29.

Rating: C. The match wasn’t great but the people involved alone was more than enough to make this work. What really stood out though was Savage turning an airplane spin into a contest, which is so totally appropriate for him. It wasn’t a classic or anything, but this is a pairing between two all time masters and that’s worth seeing.

Post match Piper grabs the sleeper on Savage and then another on Sherri. That’s broken up (with the camera getting a rather long/gratuitous shot of Sherri’s dress coming up, which is rather risque in 1990) and Piper grabs a belt to clean house.

We have a fan requested match, with Dino Bravo and Ultimate Warrior both promising to win.

From Tuscon, Arizona (that’s what Mooney says, though everything else I see says Phoenix) on February 13.

Intercontinental Title: Dino Bravo vs. Ultimate Warrior

Bravo is challenging and has Jimmy Hart and Earthquake (in that hideous brown gear) with him. They start fast with Warrior snapping off a powerslam and adds a top rope ax handle to make it worse. Back up and Bravo can’t get anywhere off a shoulder block so Warrior sends him into the corner again. Earthquake offers a distraction though and Bravo clotheslines Warrior out to the floor. That’s fine with Warrior, who chases Hart underneath the ring and….yeah Hart comes out missing his pants.

Back in and Warrior hits a suplex but the Warrior Splash hits knees. The test of strength puts Warrior down and a bearhug makes it even worse. Warrior reverses into one of his own but gets broken up in a hurry. Bravo misses an elbow so Warrior hits a slam, only to come up holding his back. Mooney isn’t sure what’s wrong, apparently forgetting the last three minutes. Some ax handles to the back trigger the Warrior Up and there is the clothesline comeback. The Warrior Splash connects and draws in Earthquake for the DQ at 8:12.

Rating: D. You mean to tell me that DINO BRAVO can’t take a pin from the Intercontinental Champion and the guy who would be WWF Champion in less than two months? In something you don’t get to say very often, Warrior deserves better than that, as it’s not like Bravo has ever meant anything, whether he is in or outside of Canada.

Post match the beatdown is on until Earthquake loads up the middle rope Earthquake, drawing out Hulk Hogan for the save. This was shown during the hype video at Wrestlemania.

It’s time for the Manager’s Profile, this time on Mr. Fuji, who likes his wrestlers to hurt people. We see some clips of Fuji N Pals beating up wrestlers, plus Fuji himself cheating to run a 5K race over Wrestlemania V weekend. This seems to be it, as there isn’t much to say about Fuji most of the time.

Brutus Beefcake is ready for Rick Martel, who won’t leave as pretty as he came in.

Rick Martel knows he is better looking than Brutus Beefcake and has what it takes to back it up.

From New York City on December 28, 1989.

Brutus Beefcake vs. Rick Martel

Martel hits the stall button to start, allowing Beefcake to take his gear off. We get into a mini pose off with Martel not being happy that the fans aren’t impressed with his (better) physique. Beefcake slowly strips his shirt off and Martel finally charges, right into a hiptoss for the first contact about two and a half minutes in. The threat of a right hand sends Martel bailing to the floor though and it’s time for more stalling.

Back in and they circle each other some more until Martel offers a handshake. Note that we’ve had a hiptoss and slam in the four minutes of the match so far, which has felt rather fine as they have kept it entertaining. That is such a lost art today and they are making it work well here. They do shake hands but Beefcake kicks him in the ribs and hammers away in the corner as we finally get out of pre-gear.

Martel’s monkey flip attempt is countered with a kick to the face and there’s a head knocker to make it worse. An atomic drop gets Martel out of trouble and Martel slowly starts stomping away. The chinlock goes on as they don’t exactly seem interested in doing much in the way of physicality tonight.

Beefcake fights up and gets two off a small package but Martel hits a backbreaker. For some reason Martel goes up, allowing Beefcake to shake the rope for the (always hilarious from Martel) crotching. The atomic drop does it again but Beefcake is sent to the apron. Beefcake tries a sunset but Martel drops down and grabs the ropes for the cheating pin at 12:38.

Rating: C-. This wasn’t exactly thrilling with neither of them being that interested in trying. You can stall a lot and get a good amount out of very little, but they weren’t exactly doing that here. That being said, this was about as late 80s of a WWF match as you could get, with two guys in great shape not really doing much. I can always go for that, and the match could have been a lot worse.

Post match Beefcake keeps hammering away and grabs the sleeper. The scissors are loaded up but Bobby Heenan runs in to save Martel from a haircut.

Now it’s time for a profile on the Hart Foundation, which should bring things up a bit.

The Hart Foundation isn’t sure if they’re happy with being profiled, as Bret Hart thinks it is cool but Jim Neidhart loses it over the idea of not being Tag Team Titles. To our first match!

From Miami, Florida on January 23.

Hart Foundation vs. Powers of Pain

We pause for Bret to give his sunglasses to an older lady at ringside before Neidhart and Barbarian get things going. They shove each other around until Barbarian kicks him in the ribs. An exchange of shoulders doesn’t go anywhere but Neidhart manages to knock him down to take over. Bret comes in to pick up the pace and it’s quickly back to Neidhart for an armbar. Barbarian knocks him down though and brings in Warlord, who misses an elbow drop.

The Harts take turns on Warlord’s arm but Bret gets pulled into the wrong corner. Warlord hits an elbow to the back, setting up Barbarian’s jumping headbutt to keep Bret in trouble. Some choking on the ropes makes it worse and Barbarian forearms away at the back. Bret gets his feet up in the corner though and the tag brings in Neidhart to clean house. A air of shoulders put Warlord down and Barbarian elbows him by mistake in a save attempt. Everything breaks down with Mr. Fuji hitting Warlord with his cane by mistake, though it’s a countout to give the Harts the win at 10:36 anyway.

Rating: C. It’s a little weird to see a featured team winning via countout but it’s better than a loss. The Powers of Pain weren’t exactly the most versatile team in the world but they were big and strong enough to be rather good villains for something like this. The Harts made this work and Neidhart could match power with the two of them, though it was only going to be so good.

The Harts don’t think much of their next opponents, who are just lacking experience.

From Oakland, California on August 8, 1989.

Hart Foundation vs. Honky Tonk Man/Dino Bravo

Honky Tonk Man and Bravo have Jimmy Hart in their corner. Bret and Bravo start things off with a hard shoulder giving Bravo the good opening. Back up and Bret sends him into the ropes for a clothesline from Neidhart, setting up a crossbody for two. It’s off to Honky Tonk Man so Neidhart comes in for the shoulders to the ribs. We hit the bearhug, which is broken up in a hurry thanks to a rake to the eyes.

Bravo comes back in for an atomic drop and draws Bret (who was looking at the crowd for no apparent reason) so some double teaming can put Neidhart in more trouble. The reverse chinlock doesn’t last long so Honky Tonk Man elbows him down instead. A fist drop misses though for Honky Tonk Man though (I wonder if his cousin could teach him better) and Bret gets the tag to clean house. Bret scores with the middle rope elbow for two and everything breaks down. The megaphone is tossed in and Neidhart steals it to knock out the villains for the DQ at 8:57.

Rating: C-. What is with this selection of matches for the Harts? I know they have had some better stretches but you can’t show them getting a pin over a couple of Jimmy Hart’s guys? Bravo and Honky Tonk Man were about as lame a pair of opponents as you could have found and I didn’t quite buy the idea that they were going to win. Granted the Harts didn’t get pinned, but Bravo can’t take a fall in a tag match?

The Harts aren’t overly impressed by the Rockers.

From Springfield, Massachusetts on August 29, 1989.

Hart Foundation vs. Rockers

Well ok. Bret and Marty (that could have been a heck of a singles match) start things off but don’t make any contact just yet. We get the lockup with Bret driving him into the ropes and of course giving us a clean break. Hayes thinks these guys have watched tapes, probably Coliseum Video tapes of course, to know what to expect, which in this case would be Jannetty hitting a crossbody. Shawn comes in and starts working on Bret’s arm, with the referee asking if Bret wants to submit. Mooney: “That is something I don’t think we will ever see.” Especially against Shawn Michaels.

Bret gets over to Neidhart, who plants Shawn for a fast two and grabs a chinlock. That’s broken up and Shawn manages to flip away from Bret, who gets slammed down. Neidhart comes back in for a heck of a dropkick and a near fall. Michaels avoids a splash but charges into Bret’s knee in the corner, only to have Bret miss a middle rope elbow. That’s enough for the hot tag to Jannetty and the pace picks up all over again.

Jannetty powerslams Bret for two and the double dropkick gets the same with Neidhart making the save. A clothesline gets Bret out of trouble and it’s back to Neidhart to run Shawn over. In the melee, Bret gets knocked hard into the barricade…and here are the Rougeaus to jump the Rockers for the DQ at 11:17.

Rating: B-. The ending was a little annoying but I get the idea of not wanting either of these two to take a loss. The Rockers were rapidly rising the card and the Harts were almost done with their road to redemption. When in a pinch, have the annoying heels come in to be a nuisance.

Post match the big brawl is on with the Rougeaus being cleared out.

We get a pretty cool look at all of the production trucks that take everything from one arena to another. I remember being fascinated by this when I was a kid.

From New York, New York on January 15, 1990.

WWF Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Mr. Perfect

Perfect, with the Genius, is challenging and we’re in the Garden. Hogan powers him into the corner to start and then slams Perfect down in a hurry. Genius comes in and gets crushed by a flying Perfect, followed by the atomic drop for the rather funny sell. Hogan knocks Perfect into the ropes, with his head getting caught in between. More right hands send Perfect flying outside before Hogan tosses him back inside for the huge bump off the turnbuckle.

Perfect finally gets in a kick to the face for a breather before sending Hogan outside. The threat of a posting takes too long though and Hogan whips him in instead, allowing Perfect to continue his pinball impression. Like any good villain, Perfect goes to the eyes and we hit the sleeper. Perfect lets him go though and heads up for some questionable posing, allowing Hogan to shake the ropes for a crotching. Bouncing ensues to make things work and there’s a kick to the leg to send Perfect flying.

Hogan misses an elbow and gets caught in the PerfectPlex, which means it’s time for the Hulk Up. The big boot sends Perfect outside with Hogan following, where he has to avoid a big chair shot. Perfect gets thrown back in and pulls out a foreign object to knock Hogan off the apron and out cold for….not the countout. Instead, Hogan comes back in and takes the object from Perfect to knock him out. The legdrop connects but the referee DQ’s Hogan at 13:39.

Rating: C+. These two always worked well together, with a lot of that being based on Perfect bouncing around like crazy for Hogan every time. I’m not sure how much of a real threat Perfect was looking back, but he was as good of a challenger as Hogan had at this point. They even left the door open for a rematch here, which I’m sure took up some nice space on the marquee.

Hogan being stunned at the DQ while he still has the object on his fist is as Hogan as it gets. The villains escape the threat of another beating so posing can ensue.

From Sacramento, California on March 6, 1990.

Ultimate Warrior/Jake Roberts vs. Akeem/Ted DiBiase

Now this is the Coliseum Video kind of match I’ve been waiting on. Big Boss Man is guest referee to boost the star power a bit more, with the announcement being treated as a big deal. Mooney points out that Akeem and Boss Man are former partners to keep up the tension. Roberts can’t get far on DiBiase’s arm to start so he goes with punching DiBiase in the face.

The threat of the DDT sends DiBiase bailing out to the floor as we’re already on a breather. Back in and DiBiase gets sent shoulder first into the buckle, meaning that the arm cranking works that much better. Another DDT attempt sends DiBiase outside and now it’s off to Akeem for a change. Some shots to the arm slow Akeem down in a hurry, allowing Warrior to come in for a jumping shoulder.

That’s not enough to set up the DDT though as Akeem backdrops him down. Akeem chokes away in the corner but gets yelled at by Boss Man, meaning DiBiase can come in and stomp away instead. The running crotch attack to the back on the ropes crushes Roberts again but he jawbreakers DiBiase away. The short arm clothesline drops DiBiase and there’s the hot tag to Warrior. House is cleaned and the Warrior Splash finishes DiBiase at 6:47.

Rating: D+. I’m not sure if I can call this disappointing as it’s not like a match like this is going to have very high expectations. It’s a good example of how to send the fans home happy on a video release, especially after the heroes have not had the best time with this one. Warrior barely did anything here, but at least we got the DDT to finish things off.

Post match the brawl is on with Roberts DDTing Virgil and whipping out Damien for a bonus.

Mooney wraps us up.

Overall Rating: C. The wrestling was pretty typical for this era but what matters the most here is the star power. This was a near who’s who of this time for the WWF and I had a good time with the whole thing. I had a good time with it and that’s the idea, as this was the Coliseum Video formula: put out a pretty random collection of wrestling with some star power and watch the money come in every month. Nice enough here, but as was the case most of the time, don’t expect to be blown away.

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ECW on Sci Fi
Date: May 15, 2007
Location: 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

It’s the go home show for Judgment Day and Bobby Lashley is still chasing Vince McMahon and the ECW World Title. That has been a well done story so far and we could be in for even more of the same going forward, as the whole thing seems to have some legs, just because of how gleeful Vince seems to be as champion. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Bobby Lashley getting beaten down by Umaga and the McMahons last night on Raw.

Vince McMahon joins us from WWE headquarters and talks about how much of a fashion statement his doorag really is. He blames Bobby Lashley for needing it and Lashley must like seeing him in it. Well Vince likes what he saw happen to Lashley last night, which is why tonight it’s Lashley vs. the New Breed in another handicap match. That’s just a preview for Sunday though, where Vince will retain the title. Vince is just perfect in this role.

Opening sequence.

Rob Van Dam vs. Snitsky

Snitsky throws him down to start and stomps away, setting up some elbows for two. A suplex gets the same and Snitsky forearms away at the chest. Snitsky mixes things up a bit with a double underhook arm crank but Van Dam fights out and kicks away. The spinwheel kick and windmill kick drop Snitsky but Rolling Thunder misses. Instead Snitsky gets crotched on top off a missed boot and gets kicked outside. That’s fine with Snitsky, who blasts him with a clothesline before adding a chair shot for the DQ.

Rating: C-. Snitsky had the right look to be a monster and could do a good enough power match, so this was about as good as he was going to do. Van Dam has fallen pretty hard in the last few months and I’m not sure how much higher you can expect him to get at the moment. A win in a rematch over Snitsky might help, but I’m not sure if there is a magic formula for him around here.

Video on CM Punk.

CM Punk vs. Stevie Richards

Punk has heavily taped ribs and strikes away to start but gets slowed down by the injury. Richards is smart enough to go after the ribs and try to rip off the tape, which only earns him more kicks to the ribs. The bow and arrow stays on the ribs and Richards gets creative with a jumping double stomp. An abdominal stretch doesn’t last long but Richards misses a charge in the corner. Punk’s neckbreaker out of the corner gets two but Richards hits a running dropkick. Punk has finally had it though and reverses a tornado DDT into the GTS for the pin.

Rating: C. This was a short match but they did it about as well as they could have. Richards didn’t do anything outside of the logical path by working on Punk’s injured ribs but he mixed it up a bit tp keep things fresh. Rather nice match here all things considered and I would not have bet on that.

Elijah Burke fires up the rest of the New Breed, who don’t seem entirely convinced at his leadership.

Kevin Thorn vs. Nunzio

Ariel is here with Thorn, who powers him into the corner to start as the smoke from Thorn’s entrance has to clear out. Nunzio’s jawbreaker doesn’t get him anywhere as he hits a spinning jackknife out of the corner (that looked good) and hits some crossface forearms. Nunzio swings away to no avail as the chinlock goes on. That’s broken up but Thorn gets some boots up in the corner. The Dark Kiss finishes Nunzio in a hurry.

Rating: D+. Nothing match here, as you might have guessed, but the interesting thing here is that Nunzio was replacing Sabu. It turns out that Sabu wasn’t interested in losing to Thorn and was fired as a result. That is probably the best for everyone involved, as Sabu never fit in WWE and it isn’t like he was doing anything important at the moment.

Weekly Condemned material.

Extreme Expose.

Here’s the same video package that opened the show.

Bobby Lashley promises to end Vince McMahon on Sunday and get the ECW World Title back.

Judgment Day rundown.

Bobby Lashley vs. New Breed

Before the match, Elijah Burke praises Marcus Cor Von and says they’re getting there with Matt Striker. Burke starts going over his own resume but Striker handles the end of the introduction for him (while giving the fans an F for their lame effort). Cor Von likes Burke too and now it’s time to go. Burke starts for the team and is powered into the corner in a hurry. The delayed vertical suplex keeps Burke in trouble so it’s off to Cor Von for the power showdown.

Lashley leapfrogs Cor Von and elbows him in the face, which somehow makes Striker tag himself in. That means Striker can get a beating of his own but Cor Von sneaks in with the Pounce to send Lashley outside. The villains start taking turns on Lashley, who finally fights out of Cor Von’s chinlock. The comeback doesn’t last long as Cor Von knocks him down again, setting up the seated abdominal stretch. Lashley fights up again and starts pummeling Striker, including the spear for the pin as Burke and Cor Von watch from ringside.

Rating: C-. Another match where they didn’t have a lot of options and even the logical way to go was only so good. Lashley has been built up about as much as he can for a match like he has coming up so this was just the last thing he did rather than any major push. New Breed continues to fall apart, and that is a good thing as the team is ready to go on their separate ways.

Replays and glaring wrap up the show.

Overall Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one and that isn’t a big surprise. It was pretty clear that Lashley vs. McMahon is the only real story on the show, so what else were they supposed to do for the rest of the hour? ECW does not have a lot of depth when it comes to stories. The matches themselves haven’t been much either, leaving this as a not very surprising lackluster effort.

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205 Live
Date: October 8, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

I’m starting to like this show a bit more than I ever thought I would, as they have gotten into a bit more of a rhythm. You can almost bet on a women’s match, a cruiserweight match and an NXT midcard match. That’s not a bad way to go and the fact that it is done in about half an hour makes it even better. Let’s get to it.

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

Amari Miller vs. Sarray

Miller grabs a wristlock to start but Sarray spins her over into one of her own. Sarray pulls it to the mat for a cross armbreaker but Miller fights up. A heck of a clothesline drops Sarray for two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Miller scores with a spinning kick to the face for two, setting up an STO for the same. Sarray has had it with this though and comes back with the running dropkick against the ropes for the pin at 4:43.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what happened to Sarray but she has gone from the next prospect to being lucky to pop up on 205 Live. It’s almost like there was a total regime change and Sarray was lost in the shuffle. Or the women’s division is a complete afterthought these days unless you’re a model or a giant.

Creed Brothers vs. Demetri Jackson/Andrew Lockhart

Brutus powers Lockhart into the corner to start and then takes him down without much effort. A delayed butterfly suplex drops Lockhart again and Jackson gets pulled over the apron with a suplex of his own. Julius slaps Brutus as a tag and it’s another suplex into the basement lariat to finish Jackson at 3:07.

Rating: C. This was worth a bit more than most of the matches you see around here, as the Creed Brothers are a rather impressive team. Above all else, they feel real and you get the idea that they are going for every single time. The Diamond Mine is getting better every week and I like the idea of the whole group more and more every time.

Post match, Malcolm Bivens says the Diamond Mine challenges any group on any roster to come have the big money match.

Trey Baxter vs. Grayson Waller

Feeling out process to start with Baxter taking him down for an early riding. Waller is let up and gives Baxter a bit of applause, only to get headscissored down. A basement dropkick gives Baxter one, leaving Baxter confused. Waller is back up with a side slam and backbreaker, followed by a suplex for two.

The double arm crank keeps Baxter in trouble but he flips out in a hurry. Waller scores with a spear into a leglock chinlock but Baxter makes the rope. Baxter flips up for a DDT and Waller is sent outside for a running flip dive. Back in and Baxter tries a rollup, only to get reversed into another one to give Waller the pin at 7:27.

Rating: C+. Definitely the best thing on the show, with the extra time helping a good bit. Waller is someone they seem interested in pushing, even slightly, and Baxter already has a story. That is more than a lot of people are going to be getting in NXT and they were able to have a snazzy match here.

Overall Rating: C+. This worked far better because of the overall presentation. The show felt like the NXT supplemental show, as things are starting to come together. I like what they’re doing here, as the extra star power helps a lot. Give us more of this every week and the show is instantly better than just about anything that has taken place on 205 live in years.

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

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WWF House Show
Date: April 22, 1991
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Attendance: 12,000
Commentators: Jim Neidhart, Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan

I got on a bit of a house show kick on the treadmill so you know I have to come back and watch the shows again. This is one of the live events that was aired on the MSG Network, as tended to be the case. We are about a month removed from Wrestlemania VII where Hulk Hogan won the WWF Title back from Sgt. Slaughter. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence, as this is from the Old School series on Peacock.

Commentary welcomes us to the show and gives us a quick preview of the show.

The Dragon vs. Haku

Dragon is better known as Ricky Steamboat but couldn’t use the name at the moment due to a divorce. No entrance for Haku, which always feels a little weird. Dragon starts fast with the armdrag and then shoulders Haku down. Skinning the cat just frustrates Haku and there are some more armdrags to send Haku outside. Back in and Dragon takes him down again, this time for an armbar.

This time Haku fights up and strikes away, earning himself another armdrag into another armbar. Haku powers his way out of that and chops away in the corner. The chinlock goes on but Dragon is up in a hurry, only to get clotheslined back down. A suplex brings Haku back in and the chinlock goes on again. Dragon fights up after a good while and the chop off begins, with Dragon dropping him for two. Back up and Haku misses a charge into the corner, allowing Dragon to hit the high crossbody for the pin at 9:45.

Rating: C-. The chinlocks weren’t the most interesting parts here but Dragon winning a match with that high crossbody is always worth seeing. The match wasn’t exactly interesting though as it was a lot of chopping and then sitting around, which made for a long match. At least we got some good Steamboat out of it though, which never gets old.

Bushwhackers vs. Power and Glory

Oh it’s 1991 all right. We spend the better part of a minute with the Bushwhackers looking around and rubbing each others heads. Roma: “Ref, there’s something wrong. These guys aren’t right!” Luke offers Hercules a handshake but gets a pose instead. Butch joins him but Hercules turns his back, earning a double clothesline (for the first contact in over two minutes). The Bushwhackers bite a lot and there are some more clotheslines to put Power and Glory on the floor.

Back in and it’s off to Roma, who offers a handshake of his own. This time it’s a sucker punch to Luke (slightly more direct way of a cheap shot) but Hercules’ double teaming doesn’t work. Everything breaks down again and the Bushwhackers clear the ring again. Back in and Hercules stomps away on Luke to finally put him in some trouble (and finally get to something after nearly six minutes). Roma elbows him in the face as Heenan goes over tag team rules, with Neidhart and Monsoon finding it hilarious.

Butch gets drawn in so the double stomping is on, unlike the fans’ interest in this so far. There’s a double clothesline into Roma’s big jumping elbow but he misses a charge into the corner. The hot tag brings in Butch to clean house, including a double noggin knocker. There’s the Battering Ram to Hercules but he trips Butch down, allowing Roma to drop another elbow. The referee has to get rid of Hercules though and Luke gets in a cheap shot, only to have Hercules do the same thing so Roma can steal the pin at 10:51.

Rating: D+. What else were you expecting from these guys? Power and Glory weren’t bad but the idea of the Bushwhackers getting this kind of time was never going to work. They were a lot of fun most of the time but the key was keeping up the energy. Luke selling for a few minutes isn’t going to work and this wasn’t much of a match.

The Mountie vs. Big Boss Man

During his entrance, Mountie stops to say that his jurisdiction is all of the WORLD….Wrestling Federation. Boss Man knocks him down to start and grabs Mountie’s shock stick but the yelling referee lets Mountie get in a shot from behind. A spinebuster plants Mountie though and Boss Man steps on him a bit. There’s a hard slap and a palm strike to the face to send Mountie outside so Boss Man hits him again out there. Back in and the running crotch attack connects but Mountie manages to backdrop him over the top and down onto the steps.

Boss Man seems to have banged up his knee so it’s time to kick away (as all fake Mounties would know how to do). The leg is tied in the ropes for more stomping/cranking as this isn’t exactly going fast paced. Boss Man gets out of the ropes and staggers around, allowing Mountie to wrap the knee around the post. Back up and Mountie grabs the mic to promise to read him his rights, allowing Boss Man to slug away. The Boss Man Slam finishes at 7:56.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one, but this feud was never built around the in-ring part. Mountie was such an over the top character and these two had a rather natural connection, but a lot of that was due to having Mountie being so annoying. Not a great match, though you know this isn’t going to be done anytime soon.

Post match Mountie grabs the shock stick to shoot Boss Man a few times. Rematch a go-go.

WWF Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt Slaughter

Slaughter, with General Adnan, is challenging and it’s not like there was any other option for the title match on this show. Hogan slides in and gets jumped, only to shrug them off without much trouble. Adnan gets sent outside and Slaughter is tossed over the top as well, setting up some choking with a camera cord. Back in and Hogan scores with a backdrop, setting up some right hands to the head. It’s back to the floor with Hogan hitting him in the back with a chair and waving an American flag, because breaking the rules is the American way.

There’s the boot scrape to the face as Heenan isn’t sure if he is still on the air after Hogan ran them over. Slaughter goes to the eyes but has to stop and fix his belt, so Heenan suggests he just get a new one (because Heenan is smart enough to think on his feet like that). They head outside again with Hogan being sent head first into a few things, breaking open his already bandaged forehead. Hogan is sent head first into the steps and there’s a belt to the head for a bonus. That leaves Hogan mostly dead on the floor and Slaughter kicks near his head to make it worse.

Adnan offers a distraction (because that’s needed) so Slaughter can get in a bell shot, sending Heenan into a rant about how Hogan can use the chair but DON’T YOU TOUCH A BELL! Totally fair point, as tends to be the case with Heenan. That’s good for two back inside and Hogan starts his usual strange looking selling, so Slaughter pokes him in the eye again. The fans chant for the USA, which could apply to either guy here.

Slaughter grabs the camel clutch and claws away at the cut as commentary is suddenly a lot more quiet. Hogan slips out and sends Slaughter outside but another rake to the cut takes care of the comeback. Slaughter hits a top rope stomp to the back for two but NOW it’s time to Hulk Up. The big boot doesn’t put Slaughter down so he shoves Hogan into the referee and goes to the throat to cut Hogan off.

Adnan throws in a chair so Slaughter…hits the already down referee. Another, very delayed, shot misses Hogan in the corner and yet another hits the top rope, sending the chair bouncing back into Slaughter’s head. Adnan comes in and gets chaired down but the referee pulls the chair away from Hogan and gives Slaughter the DQ win at 15:58.

Rating: B. This was a lot more fun than their more famous Wrestlemania match as they went with a straight brawl here instead of having anything close to a match. The violence and weapons helped a lot, as this was much closer to a street fight than anything else. It felt like they were willing to take some more chances here and having some fun, which was a great surprise over what I was expecting from these two.

Post match Slaughter and Adnan whip out a fireball but Hogan uses the chair to block the flame in a smart move. I’m sure a rematch will abound, much like Hogan’s post match posing. A fan gets to come in and pose with Hogan, which is always going to work. Gorilla: “How on earth are you going to follow this???”

IRS vs. Jimmy Snuka

Apparently you follow it with quite the midcard letdown. IRS only debuted less than ten days earlier and this is his first time in the Garden in years. As expected, he doesn’t think much of the tax cheats around this town. His gear is rather different too here as he has trunks (with IRS on the back) and leggings instead of the usual black pants.

Feeling out process to start with Snuka grabbing a headlock. That’s broken up in a hurry, with IRS complaining of a hair pull. There’s a hiptoss to send IRS down and the fans hoot with Snuka. The leapfrog into the chop puts IRS on the floor but he heads back inside and tosses Snuka over (Heenan: “I believe hitting the floor is a deduction.”). We hit the abdominal stretch as Heenan talks about how stupid Snuka is compared to the educated IRS.

Monsoon is RIGHT THERE to complain about IRS, this time saying his hand is turned the wrong way around Snuka’s head. I’ve always pictured Monsoon’s house with hand drawn abdominal stretch diagrams lining the walls. Anyway, Snuka escapes and hits some Mongolian chops in the corner. A middle rope crossbody connects for Snuka but IRS rolls through and grabs the trunks for the pin at 6:24.

Rating: D+. This was about as generic of a match as you could have had, though I don’t think anyone was expecting IRS to light the world on fire. That being said, it makes sense for him to not be that thrilling in the ring. It wasn’t that the match was bad, but it was rather dull, and that’s a lot worse most of the time.

Alfred Hayes tried to talk to Roddy Piper earlier but Piper said he’ll do his talking in the ring. On the other hand, Ted DiBiase promises to send Piper out on a stretcher.

Warlord vs. Texas Tornado

Oh boy this could be rough. They lockup after about a minute of circling and the lockup goes nowhere. Tornado shoves him away and poses as commentary compares the kinds of strength these two have. It’s off to the required test of strength with Warlord getting the better of things. Back up and Warlord’s boot to the foot is caught so Tornado can hit the discus punch. That doesn’t even knock Warlord down as he grabs the bearhug to put Tornado back in trouble.

Commentary mocks Heenan’s lack of success with anything in college as Warlord takes it outside for a ram into the steps. A posting makes it even worse and Warlord gives him a backbreaker back inside. Tornado comes back with some right hands and a clothesline, eventually setting up the discus punch for a delayed two. They fall out to the floor though with Warlord landing on Tornado. The slugout is on and that’s a double countout at 9:19.

Rating: D+. What else were you expecting from these two going nearly ten minutes and ending in a double countout? Tornado was rapidly falling apart, as he looked great but just wasn’t reliable in the ring and it was showing badly. Warlord was his usual self here, meaning this was a barely passable power match at best.

Rockers/Virgil vs. Orient Express/Mr. Fuji

Big pop for the announcement of a six man tag before any names were mentioned. The Rockers are starting to peak as a team and Virgil is on fire just after beating Ted DiBiase at Wrestlemania. We get the salt ceremony before the match and Neidhart uses a voice that would probably get him pulled off the air today. Shawn and Tanaka start things off as even Heenan has to admit that Shawn is a great athlete. Tanaka scores with a superkick but gets hit by a harder than expected clothesline.

Everything breaks down with the Rockers hitting stereo atomic drops, setting up Virgil’s double clothesline. Virgil comes in to snap off some jabs to Kato, who sends him into the corner for the break. It’s off to Fuji for the chops but Virgil hits him in the….near facial area I guess you would say. A chop from Fuji drops Virgil though and it’s back to Kato for more chops in the corner. Kato winds up on the floor and gets caught in a triple team, which hardly seems fair.

Shawn hits a double noggin knocker on the Express before sending Kato back inside, where Marty is waiting. It’s quickly back to Shawn, who gets kneed in the back by Tanaka to put him in trouble. Some shots to the back have Shawn in trouble and we hit the reverse chinlock. Shawn fights up and is almost immediately caught with a running forearm. Jannetty has to come in for the save but it’s Kato putting on his own reverse chinlock.

That’s broken up with some power but Shawn falls down as he tries the electric chair. The double clothesline works better though and the hot tag brings in Marty (even though Virgil was a lot closer). The powerslam gets two on Tanaka and there’s the double superkick. Virgil comes in for a clothesline and the Million Dollar Dream finishes Tanaka t 11:11.

Rating: C+. This was one of the better matches of the night, which shouldn’t be a surprise given how good the Rockers vs. Express matches usually were. Virgil and Fuji were kept to a minimum here and that is better for everyone, as Fuji was an old manager and Virgil was Virgil, so what else were they supposed to do?

Ted DiBiase vs. Roddy Piper

DiBiase, with Sherri, brings out a crutch as Piper has a bad lep. Piper takes him down to start and whips away with a belt. Said belt is used to drag DiBiase into the corner for some race first ramming into the buckle. Piper crotches him on top but the leg gives out, so here is Sherri to jump on Piper’s back. That earns Sherri a kiss to send her back outside but she grabs Piper’s leg so DiBiase can get in a few shots. Piper charge into a boot to the face and DiBiase ties him in the Tree of Woe for some shots to the bad knee.

That’s not enough so Sherri throws in a chair so DiBiase can nail Piper in the head for two. The knee is rammed down into the mat before DiBiase mixes it up a bit by wrapping the good knee around the post. Somehow Piper fights up again and starts slugging away so Sherri shoves Heenan down and sends the chair back in. Another shot to the leg puts Piper down and we hit the Figure Four….with the referee stopping it at 7:33, despite Piper trying to break the hold. The referee makes it clear that Piper did NOT give up.

Rating: C+. The energy was there but this was designed to set up a rematch rather than being much of a match on its own. Granted there was only so much that you can do when Piper is on a bad knee. DiBiase is still a great heel and knew how to make the fans want to kill him, including working over Piper’s knee rather well. Not a bad match, but much more a step in a bigger story.

Post match Piper beats up DiBiase and steals Sherri’s shoe to go after him. With that not working, Piper pulls off Sherri’s skirt to send the villains running.

Overall Rating: C. This show was back and forth all night long and it made for a not so great night. The problem here was that there were only so much good to be seen throughout the night, with Hulk Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter of all people having the best match. It had its moments, but watching IRS and the Warlord wasn’t exactly the most inspirational evening.

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: May 8, 2007
Location: Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

It’s another big show as we have the ECW World Title on the line. This time around that means Rob Van Dam challenging Vince McMahon…..with Shane McMahon and Umaga, because that’s how the title goes. Since it’s supposed to be EXTREME though, the stipulation makes logical sense. Let’s get to it.

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

Earlier today, Bobby Lashley arrived but ran into Armando Alejandro Estrada, flanked by police. If Lashley tries to get in or touches Estrada, he’s under arrest. That’s fine with Lashley, who shoves Estrada (in his wheelchair) into a dumpster (after a long ride). Lashley: “I guess you guys have to arrest me.” How do you get through this without showing any emotion?

Opening sequence, capped off by Vince McMahon as ECW World Champion.

CM Punk vs. Marcus Cor Von

Elijah Burke, who is facing Punk at Judgment Day, is here with Cor Von. As the match starts, we get a crawler saying that Edge just became the new World Heavyweight Champion. That’s one way to advertise things. Punk knocks Cor Von outside but gets clotheslined down for his efforts. Back in and Cor Von starts hammering away at the ribs, setting up the bearhug.

Cor Von drives him into the corner and puts on the bearhug again, followed by a waistlock to stay on the ribs. Punk slips out and grabs a neckbreaker for a much needed breather and a rather delayed two. A neck snap across the top rope sets up a springboard clothesline to give Punk two more but the tornado DDT is tossed outside. Burke gets in a cheap shot, allowing Cor Von to hit the Pounce for the pin.

Rating: C. Storyline advancement 201 here and that’s what it should have been. Cor Von gets a win and the Punk vs. Burke match gets a little more advancement. That’s a rather nice way to spend ten minutes and it’s not like Punk is hurt by a cheating loss. I think you know where this is going at Judgment Day and that’s perfectly fine.

We recap Edge becoming Mr. Money in the Bank on Raw.

Here’s another look at the Condemned.

Sandman vs. Snitsky

Given that Snitsky is Raw bound, this might be interesting. The big boot finishes Sandman in less than a minute. This was not interesting.

Vince McMahon is rather pleased with the Sandman being destroyed. Now that Bobby Lashley is in jail, they’re going to crush Rob Van Dam. Umaga screams a lot.

Extreme Expose.

We recap Vince McMahon winning the ECW World Title, Vince tormenting Bobby Lashley last night on Raw and Lashley getting arrested earlier today.

Elijah Burke tells Matt Striker that the New Breed is on a role and takes credit for what they have been doing. Burke wants Striker at ringside for his match tonight.

Elijah Burke vs. Brian Major

Matt Striker and Brett Major are here too. Burke takes him into the corner to start and hits a hard knee to the face to put Major down. A hard right hand puts Major down again and Burke knocks him into the corner again. Major slugs away for a comeback, only to miss a springboard spinning crossbody. The Elijah Experience finishes in a hurry.

Post match Burke tells Striker that’s how it’s done.

Kevin Thorn and Ariel have a bright future (in fresh blood), but it’s not with the New Breed.

ECW World Title: Rob Van Dam vs. Umaga/Vince McMahon/Shane McMahon

Van Dam is challenging and Shane handles his partners’ introductions. Shane starts for the team and it’s time for some shuffling. A rollup and armdrag have Shane in trouble, as he looks like he’s in over his head. Rob starts firing off the kicks, including one to cut off an invading Umaga. The numbers get the better of him though and Umaga shoves him into the barricade to take over.

Back in and Shane works on an armbar before throwing Van Dam back outside for another beating from Umaga. This time Umaga comes in to drop the big leg, followed by the Samoan drop. Van Dam gets pounded into the corner but manages a kick to the head to start the comeback. It’s time to go up but Shane crotches him, setting up the top rope superplex. Umaga adds the top rope splash and the Spike, allowing Vince to come in and steal the pin.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what else you were expecting here as it was Van Dam failing to beat impossible odds. While this match wasn’t great, it did a nice job of making Bobby Lashley look that much better when he pulls off the upset. Van Dam never had a chance here and I don’t think anyone was expecting otherwise, especially with the pay per view already set.

Post match the ECW Originals run out for the save to end the show. Joey: “Has Vince McMahon just killed the spirit of the original ECW?” After everything you’ve seen, that match is what killed ECW?

Overall Rating: C. Pretty run of the mill show here, which was more designed to set things up for the future than anything else. It wasn’t a bad show by any means but it also wasn’t particularly good, meaning we’ll put it right in the middle. There are things set up for the future and now we get to see how those stories play out, which means the plans are working.

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205 Live
Date: October 1, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Things have actually changed around here a bit and that is a great thing to see. 205 Live has long since lost any appeal that it had so having some lower level NXT people getting some attention is a good thing. The show still doesn’t mean anything, but now it means something with some slightly more important people. Let’s get to it.

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

Dante Chen vs. Malik Blade

Feeling out process to start with Chen snapping off a hiptoss and grabbing an armbar. Some armdrags set up the armbar sequel but Blade is back up with a heck of a dropkick. Blade grabs his own armbar and Chen can’t even suplex his way to freedom. Chen fights up and hits a pump kick to the face, followed by a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. The guillotine drop finishes Blade at 4:38.

Rating: C-. This was a glorified squash for Chen, but it doesn’t help that he is still just the wrestler from Singapore. That is almost all WWE mentions about him and I’m going to need more than that to get interested in him. Both guys are ok in the ring and Blade could be worth having around elsewhere, but Chen is going to need some more to make me care about whatever he’s doing.

Amari Miller vs. Valentina Feroz

Miller seems rather happy to be here. Feroz grabs a headlock to start and takes Miller down out of the corner. That gives us an early standoff until Feroz charges into an armdrag into an armbar. Feroz reverses into an armbar of her own but gets dropped face first out of the corner for the escape. Miller’s reverse chinlock doesn’t last long so they go into a quick pinfall reversal sequence. That’s enough for Miller, who grabs a headlock driver onto the knee to finish Feroz at 3:32.

Rating: C-. Another match that just kind of happened here. You get the feeling that WWE sees something in Miller but she feels like a rather long term prospect. She looks like a pure rookie and it is going to take a lot of time to turn that into something. Given that it’s WWE, she’s probably a champion in a year.

Miller helps her up post match.

Ikemen Jiro/Trey Baxter vs. Imperium

This would be your NXT midcard guest stars match. Barthel and Baxter get things going with Barthel working over the wrist. A flipping hammerlock on the mat keeps Baxter down until he grabs a crucifix. Barthel isn’t having that though and hits a kick to the chest to put Baxter in trouble again. Aichner comes in to stay on the arm but Baxter sweeps the legs and stomps on the back.

It’s off to Jiro for some jacket shots to the face and a Tarantula, with Baxter getting in a shot of his own. That’s too far for Imperium, who come back in for a double clothesline to take over again. Barthel suplexes Baxter into the corner and then slams him legs first into the ropes. There’s another kick to the chest for another two on Baxter and we hit the chinlock.

Back up and a clothesline out of the corner drops Baxter, which has McGuinness rather pleased. Baxter finally jawbreaks his way to freedom though and the hot tag brings in Jiro. The pace picks up and the double springboard moonsault gets two on Barthel. Jiro and Baxter both hit dives to the floor but Aichner is back in with a brainbuster to Baxter. The Imperium Bomb finishes Baxter at 11:16.

Rating: C. This was straight out of the 1980s as you had two guys who might be able to hang with the established team for a few minutes before ultimately getting destroyed. That’s what happened here and it was the best thing on the show. I know these older formulas might not be the most popular, but they still work if you give them the chance.

Overall Rating: C-. Not the most thrilling show, but things have changed enough that this is the new norm. I’ll take that over what we had been getting for years so it is time to start getting used to this. I can go for this formula going forward, though a name change might be in store. Granted that is assuming that anyone in WWE remembers that this show exists, so 205 Live is here to stay.

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It was time to go back to the arena last night as I took in the WWE house show at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. This was another Supershow, featuring more or less a WWE all star card. They did one of these back in Louisville in July and it was a lot of fun, so hopefully they can make it work here too. Let’s get to it.

Before anything else, I needed a ticket so I went to stand inline. As I was waiting, a guy in a John Cena shirt came up to me.

Guy: “Are you getting tickets?”

Yeah…..

Guy: “Want these two free ones?”

First row off the floor. I mean….if that’s all you have, I guess they’ll do.

I didn’t catch the guy’s name but in the one in a quadrillion chance he sees this, thank you very much (again) as that was one of the nicest things anyone has done for me in a long time.

The arena was far from full, though Rupp Arena is one of the biggest in the country with over 20,000 capacity. Still though, there couldn’t have been more than a few thousand in the building.

1. Intercontinental Title: King Nakamura vs. Seth Rollins

Nakamura had Rick Boogs with him and that is an AWESOME entrance live, as the guitar sounds great and Nakamura seems rejuvenated since this whole thing started. Rollins also feels far, far better suited to this than the disastrous Monday Night Messiah, as he is reveling in the goofy heel shtick. The fans are buying it too as Rollins got an awesome reaction.

This was a very fun match as you could tell they were having a good time. They started slowly with Nakamura having to chase Rollins, and even stealing his coat to freak him out. Rollins made it clear that he did not like booing and I’m sure you can guess how that went. Nakamura eventually got more serious, leading to this exchange:

Nakamura: “COME ON!”

Rollins: “NO!”

Repeat three times.

Rollins: “NO!”

Nakamura: “PLEASE!”

They went into the match you would expect them to have until Rollins loaded up the Stomp. Boogs played some guitar for a distraction though and Nakamura hit Kinshasa to retain at 15:32. This was very fun and one of the best things all night long, as two people who know what they are doing got to do their own thing.

2. Karrion Kross vs. John Morrison

Morrison feels like a star, even with the Drip Stick in the entrance. Kross….there’s no way around it: the gear looks stupid. He had his big entrance with the cool Titantron video, but he looked so goofy standing in front of the thing. Anyway, Kross told us that it was Morrison’s birthday and started singing before jumping Morrison to start. Kross beat on him for a bit until Morrison fought back, including blasting him with the drip stick in the corner. Starship Pain missed though and the Krossjacket finished Morrison at 8:08. D+. Post match, Kross asked what was in the Drip Stick and then chased Morrison away. This didn’t work.

Riddle was in the back and talked about how happy he was to be in Lexington, even with Randy Orton still taking time off. AJ Styles and Omos jumped him, saying they would beat up New Day tonight and then come after the Tag Team Titles.

3. Carmella vs. Liv Morgan

Carmella did the usual “I’m hot and you’re not”, speaking to both the crowd and Morgan. She also wore her mask, which was quite the odd visual. A fan called Carmella a chicken so she danced around like a chicken and then ran away from Morgan for a bit. The match was very kicky/punchy/chokey and didn’t exactly do either of them many favors. Morgan ripped off the mask and won with Oblivion at 6:35. D+. Almost all of the positives come from Carmella being a ball of charisma, which has always been the case. Morgan still feels like a breakout star waiting to happen, but that has been the case for a long time now.

4. WWE Title: Big E. vs. Bobby Lashley

This was a rather simple idea: take two big muscle guys and have them beat each other up for a little while. Big E. wasn’t quite serious to start as Lashley shouldered him into a near Matrix, with Big E. fighting to keep his balance and then applauding himself. Lashley didn’t like that and jumped him, only to hurt his knee in the process. This went on for a good while, with the fans getting pulled into things until Lashley jumped Big E. to take over. Eventually Lashley got the Hurt Lock but Big E. reversed into the Big Ending to retain at 10:10. C. Big E. has more charisma than he knows what to do with and it’s bizarre to see him with the title.

In one of my favorite things about any show, Big E. signed autographs and took pictures around ringside. There were two girls who looked to be about 10-12 years old who got some autographs and it was the greatest thing that had ever happened to them. I know WWE gets a lot of flack and complaints at times, but there is something so great about seeing fans having such genuine joy about seeing one of their favorites up close and personal. You can’t fake that kind of thing and I love seeing it every time.

Intermission.

5. AJ Styles/Omos vs. New Day

I’ve seen Omos a few times now and the visual is right up there with Great Khali and Andre. As you might expect, New Day had a crazy energetic entrance, with Woods giving his vest to a fan at ringside with a Consequences Creed shirt. After his entrance, Woods shouted “THAT’S MY NEPHEW!” for an explanation. New Day danced to AJ’s music for a funny bit, sending AJ into a rant about how the Kentucky Wildcats got lucky against the Florida Gators the previous day and said he couldn’t wait until they played Georgia (it’s going to be painful). This match featured a lot of dancing, gyrating and pelvic thrusting until Omos came in and wrecked Kingston. Everything broke down and Omos was sent to the floor, leaving Woods to roll AJ up at 10:39. C. This wasn’t much and I was kind of disappointed in the whole thing.

Post match AJ yelled but Riddle came in with an RKO. Riddle left and AJ splashed Riddle’s hat.

6. Smackdown Women’s Title: Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair

Belair felt like a star during the entrance and the fans loved seeing her. Becky got a star pop though and was back in the classic gear that she wore in the Wrestlemania main event. The match was good enough and they went back and forth like you might have expected. It wasn’t a classic or anything but it was good enough for what it was. Becky reversed the KOD into a rollup with feet on the ropes to retain at 11:11. C+. Of note, Belair limped to the back (though she did take some pictures with fans) despite Becky not working on her leg. That could be something in the future and hopefully she is fine.

7. Finn Balor/Street Profits vs. Bloodline

The biggest part here was the entrances, as Balor felt like a star, the Street Profits were pure energy (the Kentucky Wildcats banner they brought to the ring, which Balor wore like a cape while running around in a circle, helped), and then Reigns felt like the biggest star going today. This was a pretty long but completely watchable six man which felt like a main event. Ford worked on the arm for a bit while shouting about how good it felt.

Eventually Dawkins got beaten down in the corner and the fans started cheering for Roman. Reigns did a GREAT job of working the apron and started listening to the fans, even after he knocked the Kentucky banner down. Reigns came in to a huge pop, beat down Dawkins for a bit, and then left, where the fans started booing him again. Finally the hot tag got Dawkins out of trouble and Ford and Balor both came in to do their big stuff. Ford got knocked off the top though and the spear gave Reigns the pin at 16:15. B-. Reigns is an absolute star and that’s what mattered here.

Post match, Reigns allowed the fans to acknowledge him to end the night.

Overall Rating: C+. This was what you would want out of a house show: a bunch of stars having mostly good matches. It’s not going to be anything great, but you can get a much more personal feeling from the wrestlers as they are allowed to play to/interact with the crowd that much more. It was a fun night and I’d absolutely go again, though I do kind of miss house shows being about giving underused wrestlers ring time. The all star thing makes far more sense, but an undercard six man can be a lot of fun too.

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

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: May 1, 2007
Location: BJCC, Birmingham, Alabama
Attendance: 5,000
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

Things changed again last week as CM Punk turned on the New Breed almost immediately after joining them. That certainly makes things more interesting, but it also makes Punk that much bigger of a star. If he isn’t a bigger deal than Rob Van Dam just yet, it isn’t going to be long. Oh and in a minor note: Vince McMahon is the new ECW World Champion. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Vince McMahon winning the ECW World Title at Backlash, with some help from Shane McMahon and Umaga.

Opening sequence.

Here is a ticked off Bobby Lashley to get things going. Vince McMahon may be the new ECW World Champion but no one outside of the McMahon family is happy about it. Lashley doesn’t care if his shoulder is banged up because he wants his rematch RIGHT NOW. Cue Armando Alejandro Estrada in a wheelchair and neck brace, saying Lashley isn’t going to ruin a special night.

Lashley is the reason Vince is bald and that Estrada is in the wheelchair (good for a sly smile), plus why he can’t manage Umaga right now. Vince has a message for Lashley though: he’ll get a rematch, but it won’t be tonight. Also, unless physically provoked, Lashley can’t touch either McMahon or Umaga. Lashley realizes that a certain name isn’t on that list and Estrada realizes the same. The wheelchair crashes shortly thereafter.

Elijah Burke gives the New Breed a pep talk, explaining how much CM Punk turned on all of them last week. From now on, follow his lead.

CM Punk comes out for a match so here is the New Breed, with Burke picking his opponent.

Kevin Thorn vs. CM Punk

Riveting choice. Thorn drives him into the corner and kicks away to start before pulling him throat first into the rope. The chinlock goes on as I can’t help but think there is something weird about a vampire/vampire enthusiast wearing a Nike elbow pad. Punk fights up and Thorn charges into some boots in the corner. The GTS finishes Thorn in a hurry.

The ECW Originals are annoyed at Vince McMahon for winning the ECW World Title. This aired on Raw.

Extreme Expose.

Kevin Thorn wants to know where the New Breed was. Elijah Burke doesn’t want to hear it and says any of the team could have beaten CM Punk. Thorn doesn’t want to hear it and quits the team.

More of the ECW Originals complaining about Vince McMahon winning the title. This also aired on Raw.

Snitsky video.

Marcus Cor Von/Matt Striker vs. Major Brothers

That would be Brett/Brian Major, better known as Zack Ryder/Curt Hawkins. Brian works on Striker’s wrist to start but gets pulled down by the hair for his efforts. The second attempt at arm cranking goes a bit better and it’s Brett coming in with a middle rope ax handle. Cor Von comes in and sends Brett outside so the beating can begin.

A gorilla press dropped back into a fall away slam gets two, with Brian having to make a save. The chinlock goes on to keep Brett in trouble but Cor Von misses a charge in the corner. The hot tag brings in Brian for two off a powerslam to Striker. Cor Von pulls Brett to the floor, leaving Striker to clothesline Brian. Back up and Brian hits a middle rope spinning crossbody for the completely clean pin on Striker.

Rating: C-. Not much of a match but dang that is a heck of an upset as the New Breed continues to fall apart. At some point you have to just give someone a win and that’s what they did here with the Major Brothers. The team was certainly more polished than your usual team from the corner to my left and it was a very nice surprise, especially with no interference.

Post match Striker claims a fast count but Elijah Burke doesn’t want to hear it. Striker walks away.

We look back at Umaga beating Rob Van Dam in a good match on Raw.

Here is Vince McMahon, and yes he does the open the jacket to reveal the belt thing (which he refers to as “exposing himself”. Vince is willing to defend the title against Lashley but Vince is going to decide on the details. We’ll get to that later though, because first up we have the ECW Originals. They aren’t happy with him as champion, but they should come say that to his face. The fans think someone sucks but Vince thinks they’re talking about the ECW Originals.

Vince invites the team out here and then gets in Van Dam’s face, with Van Dam saying Vince killed ECW. The title on Vince’s shoulder is a disgrace and it makes Van Dam sick. Vince moves on to Sabu….who we’ll talk to later as Sabu doesn’t talk. Sandman smells bad but he holds up three fingers and tells Vince to read between the lines.

Finally, Vince asks why Tommy Dreamer is wearing gold shoes and then asks what he thinks. Dreamer talks about the fans demanding the return of ECW and says the people at home pay his salary. They know about the spirit of ECW and that’s what matters. Vince asks which of them is ready to challenge him and all four are ready, but let’s have a four way #1 contenders dance instead. And let’s make it Extreme Rules! This idea makes sense on paper and it’s glorious to see Vince trolling ECW like this, but it’s a little hard to believe that Sandman or Sabu is going to work with Vince in any serious way.

Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu vs. Tommy Dreamer vs. Sandman

One fall to a finish and Extreme Rules and Vince provides all kinds of weapons. We get some rollups to start until they pair off, with Van Dam being kicked out to the floor. The weapons are brought in and Sandman clotheslines Sabu down for two. They start heading outside, with Sabu hitting a dive to take Van Dam off the apron for a nasty crash. Back in and Sandman bulldogs Dreamer onto a trashcan for two.

Vince is rather pleased that Dreamer is outside getting a chair to put Sandman in the Tree of Woe for the dropkick. Van Dam is back in to clean house with the chair but Dreamer hits him with a piledriver (giving us Van Dam’s bouncing sell). Sabu takes Sandman down and gets two off the triple jump moonsault. It’s time for the required table (Vince applauds), with Dreamer superplexing Sabu through Sandman through said table. Van Dam adds the Five Star to pin Sandman for the title shot.

Rating: C. This was about what you would expect from these four in this kind of a match, including a pretty obvious winner. Again, who else was going to be any kind of a realistic opponent for McMahon? Even in a one off match, it’s not like there is a ton of star power around here. This Vince vs. ECW deal sounds good on paper, but it kind of falls apart once you look at the ECW roster.

Overall Rating: C. They were focusing on setting things up for later here and you have to do that every now and then. I don’t know how much doubt is there for what is coming from these stories, but we got some nice steps on the way there. The show itself wasn’t bad, but this was about the future rather than the present, which worked out about as well as could be expected.

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

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205 Live
Date: September 24, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

The new (again) 205 Live continues as they have been running three matches a week, plus often dropping the weight limit. Throw in some women’s matches and this show is actually looking like something different for a change. I’m not saying that is going to lead to a good show, but at least it isn’t all the same. Let’s get to it.

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

Xyon Quin vs. Oney Lorcan

That’s some star power for around here. Lorcan takes him into the corner to start as the fans seem to be behind Quin. Some chops and a ram into the corner don’t do much to Quin, who is right back with a spinning elbow. Lorcan kicks the leg out though and starts hammering away and another shot to the knee gets two. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Quin powers up and strikes Lorcan into the corner, setting up a running shoulder to the ribs. One heck of a ripcord forearm knocks Lorcan silly for the pin at 3:17.

Rating: C. It was short but to the point as Quin looks like a monster and someone who could run over a lot of people in a hurry. Lorcan is actually a win that means something as he has won a few things in NXT over the years. They might have a little something with Quin, or at least the pieces to go somewhere with him.

Video on Ikemen Jiro and his wardrobe (from NXT).

Ikemen Jiro vs. Malik Blade

The fans seem to like Jiro but he gets shouldered down to start. A dropkick sets up some armdrags but Jiro snaps the arm across the top. Jiro cranks back on the arm a few times and a running flip splash gets two. We go creative as Jiro grabs the arm and springboards into a moonsault to take Malik to the mat. Malik fights out of the armbar though and spinwheel kicks Jiro down, setting up a high crossbody for two. Jiro goes right back to the arm though and finishes with the Ikemen Slash at 5:27.

Rating: C-. Jiro working on the arm worked and it seems like NXT wants to push him as well. I can go with the snazzy jackets, but I’m not sure how far something that is a little bit sillier like this is going to go. Jiro is fine enough in the ring, though there would seem to be a ceiling over just how far he can rise.

Cora Jade vs. Ember Moon

There’s your even bigger star power as this show becomes even more NXT Main Event. Moon headlock takeovers her down and grinds on the head as the fans are quite behind Ember. Jade reverses into a hammerlock as the chants are a bit more split. Back up and things reset a bit until Jade snaps off a springboard hurricanrana.

A standing armbar has Moon in more trouble but it seems to make her mad more than anything else as the comeback is on. Moon ties her into the Tree of Woe for some kicks to the back and Jade is sent shoulder first into the post. That’s almost enough for a countout but Moon doesn’t want it that way. Instead she throws Jade back inside for a powerbomb and the Eclipse finishes Jade at 6:58.

Rating: C. Moon is a much bigger deal than most of the people you see on the show and that’s a good thing. NXT has all of these people just sitting around doing almost nothing every week so send them out there for a quick match and maybe draw some eyes to this show. It wasn’t a great match or anything, but the Eclipse is always worth seeing.

Overall Rating: C. This is already WAY better than 205 Live, as you can only get so far with the same wrestlers over and over and we had reached that point about three years ago. There isn’t anything in the way of storylines around here, but sometimes you need to mix things up a bit. This feels more like taking a different course and that’s ok in this case. Let us see some more of the up and coming/underused talent, which has been needed for a long time now.

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

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AND

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