IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 21, 2019
Location: Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island
Commentators: Aiden English, Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back stateside now and we’re past Money in the Bank, meaning it’s time to start finding the next challenger to the Cruiserweight Title as Tony Nese defeated Ariya Daivari. It’s time to find someone new and odds are we’re going to be slowly getting there over the next few weeks. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Nese retaining on Sunday.

Opening sequence.

Here are the Singh Brothers for a match but first, they declare it BOLLYWOOD TIME. Therefore, it’s NOT Lucha Time, partially because Lars Sullivan has destroyed the Lucha House Party twice in a row. Therefore, they’ll take the forfeit win. Instead here’s Drake Maverick to say we have some replacements.

Singh Brothers vs. Jack Gallagher/Humberto Carrillo

Sunil shoulders Carrillo down to start and let’s hit that dancing. Back up and Carrillo flips over Sunil and knocks him into the ropes. The springboard spinning headbutt from Carrillo gives Gallagher one and it’s time to work on the arm. Jack ties up Sunil’s arms and legs (Sumir: “THAT’S MY BROTHER!”) and sits on his back as the psychological games/comedy are in full swing.

Back up and a blind tag brings in Sumir so Carrillo can get double stomped in the corner. The chinlock goes on for a bit with Carrillo quickly fighting up, earning himself a dropkick. A reversed whip sends Sumir into the buckle and Gallagher comes in to clean house (Aiden: “Gallagher like a well dressed tiger!”).

The very delayed vertical suplex gets two on Sumir but another blind tag lets Sunil come back in. A double superkick gets two with Carrillo making the save as everything breaks down. Sunil’s spinwheel kick is good for two more but Gallagher escapes a double suplex and brings in Carrillo. A very quick Aztec Press finishes Sumir at 8:41.

Rating: C. This felt longer than it actually was and I’m not sure what that means. Gallagher and Carrillo as an oddball tag team could be fine, though I’m not sure what they’re supposed to do. That’s the problem with tag teams on this show: they just move on from one mini feud to another, which is fine enough but it gets a little repetitive without them being able to move up to anything else.

Mike and Maria Kanellis are ready for the fatal five way as a means to get on track after the No DQ match against Akira Tozawa. It’s time to prove that he is better than the best.

Oney Lorcan sees tonight as a way to prove he should get a Cruiserweight Title shot. He pauses so long that Vic starts hyping up the match before Lorcan keeps going.

Ariya Daivari calls Money in the Bank a fluke and doesn’t like being stuck in this five way to prove his greatness again.

Akira Tozawa vs. Oney Lorcan vs. Mike Kanellis vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Ariya Daivari

One fall to a finish and Maria is at ringside. Kanellis heads straight to the floor and it’s Lorcan vs. Daivari to start. They’re knocked to the floor and it’s the friendly showdown between Kendrick and Tozawa. Kanellis is right back in so Tozawa and Kendrick take out all three others in a row without much trouble. That gives us Kendrick vs. Tozawa, with the latter not shaking hands. Daivari and Kanellis come back in to break that up again though and the villains take over for a bit.

Lorcan gets back up and low bridges Kanellis to the floor before chopping away at Daivari. That’s fine with Daivari who takes him to the floor for a whip into the barricade. Back in and Tozawa hits the right hand to Daivari, who is fine enough to superkick a returning Lorcan. Kendrick is back with a Captain’s Hook on Daivari but has to flip out of Lorcan’s half and half suplex. That means the Captain’s Hook on Lorcan with Kanellis making the save this time, setting up a superkick for two on Lorcan.

Since people don’t stay down long in these matches, Lorcan pops up for a chop off with Kanellis. The spinebuster gives Kanellis two but Lorcan is right back up again with the half and half on Kendrick. A double Blockbuster takes down Daivari and Kanellis, followed by the running flip dive to drop them again. Tozawa adds a dive of his own and there’s the missile dropkick to Daivari back inside. The German suplex gives Tozawa two as everyone else comes back in.

Kanellis catches Kendrick on top and the Tower of Doom is launched with Kendrick getting the worst of it. Daivari nails the Persian Lion splash for two on Kendrick but Tozawa sends him outside. Tozawa grabs the Octopus Hold on Kanellis so Maria gets on the apron for some LOUD screaming. Daivari takes Kanellis’ place so Tozawa kicks him in the chest. The top rope backsplash is broken up and it’s a lot of spot calling until Tozawa can break up a superplex attempt.

Tozawa has to deal with Kanellis, who takes a German suplex on the apron (THUD). Daivari gets punched in the face and the top rope backsplash gives Tozawa two with Kendrick making the save. Kendrick offers an apology but gets into a slugout with Tozawa instead. Stereo crossbodies put both of them down until Kendrick can get up for a Sliced Bread. The parade of finishers is on with Daivari hitting a heck of a hammerlock lariat on Lorcan, only to have Tozawa roll him up for the pin at 16:33.

Rating: C+. This was firmly in the “two in, three out” system for a long time and that’s not the most thrilling thing in the world. Tozawa winning is the best option they had as he’s by far the most charismatic on the show and could give Nese a heck of a match (if not take the title). After that No DQ win a few weeks ago, this was the only real option they had.

A bunch of highlights wrap us up.

Overall Rating: B-. Tozawa is a breath of fresh air here and that’s the best thing that could happen on this show. Nese is someone who could become a player for the long term in WWE and a match against someone like Tozawa is only going to help that. They need some more help around here though and having most of the bigger names on the roster in the main event didn’t exactly prove to be the most positive showcase. Good show overall, but I’m not sure how bright their future is.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

….might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.It’s the 24/7 Title, which is the same rules as the Hardcore Title without the violence.  Foley introduced the title to a disturbing amount of booing/silence and laid it down with the first champion being whomever ran out and picked it up.  Titus O’Neil won and then got pinned by Robert Roode on the stage.

So yeah, it’s a jobber title and open to all rosters and the belt’s center plate just says 24/7.  But hey, it’s like in the Attitude Era and everything about that time was brilliant right?

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: May 16, 2019
Location: 02 Arena, London, England
Commentators: Renee Young, Vic Joseph

It’s the final show from the two day mini marathon in London and that means a lot of highlights from the week. Thankfully that’s a little better than what we usually get this week, despite the issues with counting in the Wild Card Rule. Hopefully it’s just not that bad this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Titus O’Neil vs. EC3

Titus shoves him down without much effort and the overhand chops just cause pain. EC3 gets an elbow up in the corner though and it’s time to choke on the ropes, which somehow works by pulling Titus’ throat away from the ropes. The chinlock goes on, followed by a middle rope dropkick to give EC3 two. There’s the EC3 Elbow but Titus isn’t about to be suplexed. The running splash in the corner sets up the Clash of the Titus to finish EC3 at 5:35.

Rating: D+. What else is there even to say here? The match was inconsequential to the fact that EC3, the guy who looks carved out of stone, has a ton of charisma and success elsewhere was called up to the main roster to job to Titus O’Freaking Neil. Send him back to NXT or something at this point as whatever he’s doing here isn’t worth it either in the long or short run.

We get the long video from Raw, comparing Seth Rollins and AJ Styles’ paths to the main event. It’s a good video with some cool highlights, but I’m still not feeling the title match.

From Raw.

And now for the show’s centerpiece: a double contract signing! Lacey Evans, Charlotte (that’s five) and Becky Lynch all come out for the signings with the fans being behind the champ. Becky talks about how great it is to be back in London before promising that Lacey will crumble under the pressure of the Man being on her neck.

Charlotte talks about Becky’s big mouth getting her in trouble again and how it’s always been her issues. Lacey complains about Becky not wearing the proper clothing to such a formal occasions. This isn’t a fight in a barn. Who wears a camisole and leather pants to a barn fight? Becky laughs it off and signs, leaving Charlotte to talk over the BECKY TWO BELTS chants. She finds this hilarious and Becky’s confidence can’t hide her jealousy. On Sunday, Becky will bow down to the Queen.

Charlotte signs and Lacey says the WWE needs a lady to show them the way. Lacey says Becky can “continue to pretend to swing around something that she doesn’t have” and it’s not going to be enough to take out two real ladies. Becky offers her a free shot as Becky signs. The table is shoved aside and the fight is on with Lacey getting caught in the Disarm-Her. Charlotte breaks it up with a big boot and a double powerbomb puts Becky through the table. Both titles are held up for a pretty good visual.

That’s the second contract signing in three weeks. Is that really the best thing that they can come up with? It’s not like it’s some brilliant trope that you never see anywhere else. They’re just sitting there trading shots at each other. Do they really have nothing better to do than the contract signing? Just have them yell at each other on stage or something for the save of a little change of pace.

It’s time for the Firefly Fun House but Bray is nowhere to be seen but pops up from behind a table. Rabbity is seen in a chair with a bandage over his eye as Bray talks about having a secret. It’s almost time to show the world what he has been working on, but he’s going to need the help of all his Fireflies.

The cheering warms his soul, but there is still a lot of darkness in his noggin. This time though, he has learned how to control it. Bray gets a lot more sinister and asks if we want to see his secret. He turns to the door and we cut to some rather creepy images of what looks like a bunch of toys, and Bray morphs into something like an evil clown with his hair down. Bray, in a dark voice: “Yeowy wowwy.” Well that worked. I’m not sure how well it’s going to work in an arena, but the vignettes are the highlight of the show.

Revival vs. Lucha House Party

It’s certainly better than the humiliation stuff and Gran Metalik is the odd Lucha out here. Kalisto rolls away from Wilder to start and kicks him in the head before snapping off a headscissors to Dawson. Dorado adds the splash for two and a standing Lionsault drops Dawson and Dash, sending them outside. Back from a break with Wilder suplexing the heck out of Kalisto to take over as the announcers talk about the Usos being rather rude as of late.

Wilder slaps on a Gory Stretch but Kalisto slips out without much trouble and it’s back to Dorado for a double high crossbody. A triple moonsault gets two on Dawson with Wilder making the save and dragging Dawson back to the corner. Everything breaks down and Kalisto’s suicide dive doesn’t work so Dorado hits a big dive onto Revival. Back in and the Shatter Machine takes care of Dorado at 10:40.

Rating: C+. Matches like this just make me cringe even more about what Revival has been doing on Raw. They can have a good match, yet we can’t get the titles off of Hawkins/Ryder and the big feud on Raw at the moment is over Usy Hot and back shaving. And WWE doesn’t understand why the fans are leaving.

Money in the Bank rundown.

We see the end of Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman from Raw, with Sami winning Braun’s Money in the Bank spot. So yeah, no Smackdown this week.

Overall Rating: D+. A nice Revival match isn’t bad, but what in the world are we supposed to get when Smackdown doesn’t exist? I get that they were focusing a bit more on Money in the Bank this week but I could go for a little more than a DOUBLE CONTRACT SIGNING to get my interest up. It’s not a terrible show, but not one single thing from Smackdown? How is that even possible?

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 14, 2019
Location: 02 Arena, London, England
Commentators: Aiden English, Byron Saxton, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the go home show for Money in the Bank, meaning it’s time for the final push towards Tony Nese defending against Ariya Daivari. Tonight is a special show though as we have NXT vs. the UK with some guest stars from NXT UK filling in some of the spots. That could be interesting, but you never know around here. Let’s get to it.

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

General Manager Drake Maverick introduces the show and runs down the two matches.

Opening sequence.

Jack Gallagher vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. James Drake vs. Mark Andrews

Drake bails straight to the floor so it’s a triple headlock from the other three, even though there are only two headlocks included. A standoff sets up a series of dropkicks for some near falls with Drake’s attempt to steal one not going well. Drake gets caught back inside with Andrews chopping away and doing the slide on his knees to send Drake right back to the floor. That leaves Carrillo to hit his really high springboard spinning crossbody on Gallagher.

Drake pulls Andrews to the floor for a reverse powerbomb onto the apron as the pace picks up. Back in and Drake kicks Carrillo in the face to put him down in the corner. With the other two on the floor, a snap suplex gets two on Carrillo and Drake even has the time for a chinlock. Gallagher gets back on the apron for an exchange of forearms with Drake but a hard one puts him on the floor again. Carrillo sends Drake outside as well for the big flip dive to leave the ring empty.

Andrews grabs a running hurricanrana off the apron to Carrillo, followed by a spinning DDT to plant Drake on the floor. With everyone else down, Gallagher busts out William the umbrella for the Mary Poppins dive off the top. Just to show off some more, Gallagher grabs a very delayed vertical suplex on Andrews to the delight of his home country crowd. Drake catches Gallagher on top but takes too long going up, allowing Andrews to snap off a top rope hurricanrana.

Gallagher gets in a headbutt, followed by Carrillo hitting Twisted Bliss for two with Gallagher and Andrews making a save. Stundog Millionaire hits Carrillo and the moonsault kick to the head takes both Carrillo and Gallagher down. Gallagher is back up with a headbutt to Andrews, but knocks himself silly, allowing Carrillo to grab a rollup pin at 9:48.

Rating: B. It was cool to see Gallagher this fired up and inspired again. I know his character would suggest that he is fairly one note but there is some charisma inside there and it can come out at times. Carrillo getting a big win is nice, though Drake or Andrews winning wouldn’t have made a bit of sense.

Post match Carrillo and Gallagher shake hands.

Ariya Daivari, in a tanning bed, thinks Tony Nese is intimidated by him. Now Nese is flying eight hours for a match he doesn’t need to be in. Daivari will be fresh and massaged for Money in the Bank and have no problem beating a tired champion.

Nese is wrestling tonight because it’s right rather than smart. Yeah he could be in a tanning bed or training, but he’s a champion and got there by working hard.

Video on Ligero. It’s rather strange hearing him talk.

Lucha House Party accepts the Singh Brothers’ challenge to a rematch for next week.

Tony Nese vs. Ligero

Non-title. They battle over arm control to start with Ligero flipping around quite a bit, earning a drive into the corner from Nese. Ligero ties himself up in a ball on the mat and rolls Nese up as he comes near, setting up a long pinfall reversal sequence. That’s good for a handshake, plus one for the referee for keeping up with them. You don’t see that one every day.

Nese gets two off a rollup, followed by Ligero snapping off a hurricanrana for the same. Back up and Nese moonsaults over him before ducking a clothesline with a nipup. A kick to the ribs sends Ligero to the floor but he catches Nese with a pump kick. The running dive is cut off by an elbow to the face to give Nese two more though and it’s off to the waistlock.

Ligero uses a rollup to block the running knee in the corner so Nese goes back to the bodyscissors. This time Ligero fights up with a tilt-a-whirl into a crossbody but it bangs up the ribs again. With the wrestling not working so well, Nese goes with the shots to the face, including a spinwheel kick for two. The springboard moonsault misses so Ligero nails a springboard splash, which only hurts his ribs again.

Nese bails to the floor and you just don’t do that against a luchador, meaning it’s a big flip dive to take him down again. Back in and a super hurricanrana drops Ligero again, followed by the 450….for two. Nese’s stunned face gets superkicked but C4L is countered into a powerbomb into the corner. The running knee finishes Ligero at 14:20.

Rating: B. The lack of drama didn’t help things here as you can only do so much to convince people that the champ is going to lose five days before the title match. Ligero looked good here though and could easily hang on a show like this full time. Nese is rapidly settling in but he needs a far more interesting challenger than Daivari to make the title reign feel more important.

Post match Nese raises Ligero’s hand but Daivari runs in to beat both of them down. They’re trying so hard to make this work but there’s a limit to what can be done given the circumstances.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a one off show with two rather good matches and that made for one of the best shows they’ve had in a long time. The title angle still isn’t working but it certainly isn’t for a lack of trying, which I can always respect. It’s one of the best shows they’ve had, even if it means nothing in the long term.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

IMG Credit: WWE

So here’s one of those things I never, ever thought I would live to see. Back in 1986, a wrestler named Tom Magee came to WWE. He was from Canada (a good place for a wrestler), stood about 6’5 and looked like he was carved out of stone. Throw in a martial arts background and powerlifting experience and how could he not be a smash hit?

Well he wasn’t very good. However, the look alone and his athletic background kept him around the WWF for years, though he never rose very high. You might be wondering how someone could stay around on just potential alone, and the answer is that isn’t exactly the case. There was also an infamous match with Bret Hart, where Magee allegedly looked like a star. The reason it is so infamous is that it never saw the light of day….until now. The match was taped for TV but never aired due to a promise to Bret, so it’s a full on WWF TV match, complete with commentary.

Thanks to the magic of technology (and Bret’s assistant finding the tape and being given permission to sell it to WWE), we have the match on the WWE Network. Throw in a documentary because of course WWE has one and I give you something I never actually thought I would see.

I’ll spare you the discussion of various people (mainly Canadians) recapping the story and how it was mainly Hart being the real star. Kassiuh Ohno gets in a great line with “They thought they were looking at their next World Champion. It was just the wrong guy.” They certainly don’t bury Magee, but they make it clear that he wasn’t the best in the world. The discussion about the match being this urban legend that almost no one has ever seen is kind of amazing.

Magee himself even shows up and seems to be a rather positive guy which is rather nice to see. He’s happy that the match came back and hopes people enjoy it. It’s really cool that he doesn’t come off as jaded here as it seems wrestling was just something that he did at one point in his life. Both Hart and Magee say they would watch it again if they had the chance. Funny they should say that.

Bret Hart vs. Tom Magee

Date: October 7, 1986

Location: War Memorial, Rochester, New York

Attendance: 8,200

Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan

Joined in progress (I’ll take what I can get) with Bret holding a headlock as Jimmy Hart is rather pleased from the floor. Magee fights up and my goodness his back is HUGE. A cartwheel into a standing backflip gives the crowd something to cheer for and it’s an armdrag into an armbar to put Bret down. Back up and Magee does it again as Heenan insists that he is NOT worried about Magee sticking around.

Bret fights up again and Magee moonsaults over Bret out of the corner, setting up a pair of dropkicks to put him on the floor. Even Heenan is impressed and Hart takes a breather on the floor. Back in and Bret grabs the atomic drop as Monsoon needles Heenan about Paul Orndorff being a Benedict Arnold. A legdrop to the back of the head keeps Magee down but he gets in a sunset flip for a breather.

The backbreaker cuts Magee off again though and the middle rope elbow (with feet out instead of knees under as Bret is better known for) gets no cover cover. Instead Magee gets up and whips him chest first into the buckle (you knew that was coming), setting up a rollup for two. Another dropkick misses though and Bret sends him outside for some yelling from Jimmy. Back in and Magee slips out of a suplex and grabs an O’Connor roll for the upset at 7:48.

Rating: C+. So that’s that. The match is far from a classic but for someone who seemed a bit limited in the ring (as Magee was since he was only 28 here and had never wrestled on this kind of a stage), it was certainly watchable. That being said, this was almost ALL Bret who was doing the heavy lifting and walking Magee through the match. I don’t mean that as an insult as Bret is one of the best of all time and has carried a lot of people over the years. It’s a completely fine, if not pretty good match, but to call it a classic or some game changer is a bit much.

Magee certainly had talent and was an athletic freak, but it seems that anyone who thought he was the next big thing was just looking at the surface. He looks like Kerry Von Erich, though a lot of people have had that kind of a physique over the years. Magee needed more time in the ring and some good coaching to get somewhere, but for what we had here, it was easy to see why the company thought so much of him. It’s definitely worth seeing just for the sake of history, though I wouldn’t expect some kind of classic.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: May 9, 2019
Location: US Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Renee Young

Just when you think you know what is going on with this show, they throw you a curve ball of three matches last week instead of the regular two. That being said, after this week’s shows, WWE might be better off showing a bowling tournament here instead of the highlights. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Just two announcers this week, with Renee rocking a Miss Elizabeth shirt.

EC3 vs. Cedric Alexander

Cedric starts fast and takes EC3 down with a drop toehold, followed by the signature anklescissors. EC3 gets in a running clothesline in the corner and we hit the chinlock to slow things down. With that not working, EC3 hammers away at the head and goes with a seated full nelson to keep Alexander in trouble. The EC3 Elbow connects but the 1%er is escaped. Alexander’s springboard Downward Spiral gets two but he walks into the forward DDT for the same. That’s about it for EC3 though as it’s the Neuralizer into the Lumbar Check to give Alexander the pin at 5:23.

Rating: C-. Cedric is talented but the fact that he lost in his Raw debut and has been on Main Event since then isn’t a good sign for his future. It’s way too early to call him a failure or a lost cause or anything close to that, but this isn’t looking good so far. Hopefully he gets a chance, because he really is a talented performer.

From Raw.

Here’s Vince McMahon to get things going. Vince introduces himself but here’s Roman Reigns to cut him off. Cole: “Reigns is here on Monday Night Yard!” Vince threatens to have the Cincinnati police take care of Reigns if he tries another Superman Punch. Reigns talks about watching Vince’s spoiled kids ruining Raw while he was gone and now they’re doing it even though he’s back. He doesn’t take orders from Vince and his kids because he takes orders from the people.

If the people keep cheering him, he’ll show up every Monday. Vince says that can’t happen because it would be anarchy….and here’s Daniel Bryan for the first time since Wrestlemania. Bryan says he was robbed of the title at Wrestlemania and spent the last month in solitude. He’s been searching for answers….and here’s Kofi Kingston to interrupt. Vince shakes his head as Kofi talks about Bryan just wanting a title shot.

All he had to do was ask and an argument ensues, but Vince cuts them off. He sees all these people coming here and decides we need something called the Wild Card Rule. From now on, three people can come and go to both shows as they like (specifics aren’t given). Kofi thinks that’s what Vince had in mind from the first place but since Reigns is here, he figured he would come out here too. Bryan gets back to the point of wanting his title shot, but here’s Drew McIntyre to cut him off.

Drew says this isn’t Smackdown presents Raw and calls out Reigns for going to Smackdown to duck him. Reigns is an egomaniac who punches his boss in the face so it’s a Claymore for him right now. Reigns: “It didn’t work out for you at Wrestlemania.” Vince says hang on again and makes Reigns vs. McIntyre and Kofi vs. Bryan for the title. Vince: “I’M BRILLIANT!”

And from Raw again.

Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre

Wrestlemania rematch. Reigns starts fast with the right hands in the corner but Drew clotheslines him down. A rather impressive dead life suplex sets up the chinlock to keep Reigns down. Back up and Reigns gets planted again, meaning it’s time to go to the floor for a posting. A big boot cuts off Reigns’ comeback and it’s the reverse Alabama Slam onto the apron.

We take a break and come back with Drew countering the Superman Punch into a spinebuster for two. The Glasgow Kiss gets two but Reigns comes back with a hard DDT for two of his own. They head outside with Drew sending him into the steps and hitting a swinging sitout Rock Bottom for two back inside. McIntyre goes up but gets Superman Punched out of the air to give Reigns his own near fall, setting up the spear. Cue Shane McMahon and Elias for the DQ at 14:27.

Rating: B-. Good match until the bad ending, but we had to get Shane involved somehow. It makes sense for the story, assuming you don’t mind Shane being in two feuds at the same time. These two had a heck of a fight though and that’s a good sign for McIntyre, who didn’t take the pin. That being said, what does it say when a guy like McIntyre is treated better than the champions?

Post match Miz comes in for the save and chases Shane off with a chair. Shane gets to his limo in the back but Miz is waiting on him with the chair. Shane fights back and gets away in the limo.

And hey it’s from Raw again.

Smackdown World Title: Kofi Kingston vs. Daniel Bryan

Kofi is defending and Bryan is back in the dark red gear. An early clothesline puts Bryan on the floor for the big dive over the top. Back with Kofi hitting a Vader Bomb from the middle of the ropes but getting kicked in the chest. Kofi fires off right hands in the corner but charges into a kick to the ribs to cut him off again.

The spinning kick to the head out of the corner doesn’t quite work and Bryan double underhooks him into an armbreaker. That’s broken up as well and a collision takes us to another break. Back again with Kofi being backdropped over the top and banging his head on the floor. He’s fine enough to avoid a whip into the steps and hit a spinning crossbody off the top to the floor for a double knockdown.

They get back in with the LeBell Lock going on until Kofi gets his feet in the ropes. Kofi slugs away and stomps Bryan in the corner, followed by a jumping clothesline. The Boom Drop connects but Trouble in Paradise is countered with a dropkick. Bryan gets two off a German suplex but can’t get the LeBell Lock. Instead it’s Trouble in Paradise to finish Bryan at 17:27.

Rating: B. These guys work well together and I’m a bit surprised by the clean ending with Kofi retaining. I’m glad that he did as I’m interested in seeing how long he can hold the title, but this should wrap up Bryan’s time chasing the belt. That opens up some fresh doors, and I’m glad they covered this instead of waiting around forever to get there. Good main event too.

It’s time for the Firefly Fun House where Mercy the Buzzard has something in a box. The witch wants to know what’s in there….and it’s the decapitated Rambling Rabbit. Bray declares this Mercy expressing himself as a bunch of kids, who aren’t laughing or smiling and look like they’re in a trance, sit by watching. That’s all the time we have for this week. It’s also probably the last time we’ll see a good one of these as you can see the complaints coming from here.

Peyton Royce vs. Nikki Cross

Nikki doesn’t seem impressed by Peyton to start and trips her down for a low dropkick. An armbar has Royce in trouble and a sleeper on her back makes things even worse. Peyton gets out and kicks her in the face as we take a break. Back with Royce posing on the apron, which gets a rather nice reaction.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here, other than Peyton of course. Cross losing against doesn’t look great for her future but given the promo she put up on YouTube, she might be in for a gimmick change anyway. I mean, why have something unique and different when you can have something already done and the same?

We look at the last few seconds of Daniel Bryan and Rowan winning the Smackdown Tag Team Titles.

Money in the Bank rundown.

From Smackdown to wrap things up.

Smackdown World Title: Kofi Kingston vs. AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn

Kofi is defending and the fans tell Sami to take a shower. Sami gets knocked down to start and it’s an early middle rope Vader Bomb for two. AJ hits a gutbuster on Kofi and chops at Sami in the corner but Kofi is back with a rollup for two. With AJ staggered, Kofi goes up for the top rope splash to the back and the referee makes sure to check on him. A pair of clotheslines drop Sami and Kofi adds his jumping chop to Styles. There’s the Boom Drop to keep Styles down but Sami breaks up Trouble in Paradise.

We take a break and come back with Kofi chopping his way up but getting powerbombed by Sami. AJ comes back in and hammers on Sami in the corner until a rake to the face slows him down. The tornado DDT gives Sami two of his own and a heck of a top rope superplex gets the same on the champ. AJ catches Sami on top with a hurricanrana and a fireman’s carry backbreaker drops Kofi again. The moonsault DDT looks to drop Sami but Kofi grabs the SOS on AJ, who reverse DDTs Sami at the same time in a cool spot.

Rating: B. This was a bit longer than it needed to be but they had me on a few of those near falls from the Blue Thunder Bomb (all the more impressive given how rarely that gets a pin). Kofi is getting some collateral out of these wins and that’s a good idea for someone who isn’t considered the strongest champion in the first place. Good stuff here, and Kofi vs. Owens is getting a little stronger.

Overall Rating: C+. The original wrestling here was nothing as usual but the highlights made the five hours of nonsense from this week a lot easier to watch. The Wild Card Rule already seems to be crumbling before our eyes and that’s the best thing for everyone involved. It was a really bad week for WWE, but when you cut out about 80% of the content, it’s a lot easier to watch.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 7, 2019
Location: KFC Yum Center, Louisville, Kentucky
Commentators: Aiden English, Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re still building towards Ariya Daivari vs. Tony Nese for the Cruiserweight Title for reasons that I don’t quite understand. They really need some fresh talent to go after the title and we might be able to get somewhere close to that with Akira Tozawa vs. Mike Kanellis in a No DQ match tonight. Let’s get to it.

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

I was in the arena for this show, looking straight at the Titantron. The amount of people who left after Smackdown ended made me feel bad for everyone performing on this show. They’re working hard and probably ¾ of the audience walks out as their show starts.

Mike and Maria Kanellis are ready to show us a changing of the guard in the cruiserweight division because Mike is better than the best. Beating a former Cruiserweight Champion is a great way to get to that goal and with Brian Kendrick barred from ringside, it can be a fair fight.

Kendrick can’t wait to see Tozawa beat Kanellis once and for all. Whether Kendrick is out there or not, Tozawa is ready to be as violent as he needs to be and Mike is screwed.

Opening sequence.

We see Ariya Daivari getting in Tony Nese’s face last week, saying he could have taken Nese out at any time last week. He didn’t, but he could have.

Ariya Daivari vs. Noam Dar

Tony Nese comes out for commentary and there is no hiding the empty seats this week. The traditional exchange of wristlocks goes nowhere so Daivari punches him down in the corner for some more success. Dar gets one off a very spinny backslide and a running dropkick sends Daivari outside. An argument with Nese wakes Daivari up a bit as he sends Dar face first into the announcers’ table to take over.

Back in and we hit the variety pack of stomps before it’s off to the Million Dollar Dream to bring Dar to his knees. Dar flips back to break it up but Daivari kicks him to the floor again. Another argument with Nese lets Dar get two off a small package. A northern lights suplex gets the same and Daivari has to kick out of the ankle lock in a hurry. Dar slaps it on again though and gets it broken up again, this time with a superkick cutting him off. The frog splash sets up the hammerlock lariat to finish Dar at 8:44.

Rating: C. This made did more for Dar than Daivari, who still doesn’t show me anything that makes me want to watch him in a high profile match. The finishing sequence looked good but it doesn’t change the fact that Daivari still isn’t interesting and is as generic of a villain as you can get.

Post match Daivari motions that he wants the belt so Nese gets in the ring to scare him. Nese says the same thing that Daivari said to him last week: he could have taken Daivari out, but he didn’t.

Oney Lorcan promises to work harder and earn the Cruiserweight Title one day. He says this with his hands behind his back and sounds like he’s giving a speech in school.

Singh Brothers vs. David Kauffman/Kevin Lee

They’re still officially the Singh Brothers but they’re the Bollywood Boys again, even down to having film strips on their Titantron video. Sumir punches Lee in the face and it’s Sunil coming in for a double suplex as we’re firmly in squash territory here. Hang on though as we need some dancing. Kauffman gets knocked off the apron and it’s something like the Demolition Decapitator for the pin at 1:43.

Post match the Singhs complain about the Lucha House Party ending their undefeated streak last week, but it was more because of the 1.3 billion citizens of India cheering them on. They want a rematch in the future. Isn’t this booked a little backwards? They do the undefeated thing, lose, and then win to set up a rematch? Shouldn’t it be win, win, lose, rematch?

Mike and Maria compliment Drake Maverick for barring Kendrick from the main event. Hang on though as Maria is barred as well. Mike isn’t happy with this use of logic but it’s now one on one.

Next week: Jack Gallagher vs. James Drake vs. Mark Andrews vs. Humberto Carrillo.

Gallagher is ready to win the match, when Humberto comes in to say he’ll win instead. Jack says Humberto can try and they shake hands with the tension at a high level.

Akira Tozawa vs. Mike Kanellis

No DQ. Tozawa wastes no time in taking it to the floor and sending Mike into the set on the stage. The Black Widow on the floor has Kanellis in more trouble but the fall doesn’t count out there. What does count is Kanellis escaping and side slamming Tozawa onto the stage. It’s time for some weapons, including three chairs and a table this time around. Mike sets up a table on the floor, slams Tozawa down, and puts a second table next to the first.

Back in and Tozawa snaps off a hurricanrana to send Mike right back to the floor, but the suicide headbutt is superkicked out of the air. Now it’s time for the chairs with Kanellis setting up two face to face, but after nine reversals in a row, Tozawa hits the suplex to drive Kanellis through the chairs. The Shining Wizard sends Kanellis outside and a whip sends him over the announcers’ table as things are getting more violent.

In a rather stupid move, Tozawa puts a trashcan over Kanellis’ head and hits the suicide headbutt, knocking himself silly in the process. Back in and Tozawa grabs a Samoan driver through a trashcan and they’re both down again. They chop it out with Tozawa hitting the right hand, setting up an exchange of kicks to the face. A snap German suplex gives Tozawa two more as the fans want tables. I love the Dudleys but I want to smack both of them for making that a thing.

Tozawa gets in another German suplex on the apron and now it’s time for the tables. Kanellis rolls off before Tozawa can launch the top rope backsplash and scores with a superkick. That lets Mike go up top but Tozawa pops up and snaps off the super hurricanrana to drive Kanellis through the tables instead. Back in and Tozawa piles the chairs onto him, setting up the top rope backsplash for the pin at 16:05.

Rating: B. The thing that got my attention here was how the fans went from not caring at the start to actually being into the match by the end. That’s a very impressive accomplishment and they pulled it off here. Both guys worked hard here and the match was violent enough to validate the gimmick. Rather good match that felt like the blowoff the feud needed.

Maria and Kendrick come out to check on the people you would expect them to check on to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Less interesting talent to start the show aside, this was a rather good show that managed to draw me in by the end. The violent match made for a better finish to the show and it made for a good show overall. Daivari vs. Nese is still a chore to sit through (though the effort is there) but they need some more interesting names in a hurry.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

It’s their big answer to the ratings issues.Vince opened the show and announced the Wild Card Rule, which means three people from Raw and Smackdown can appear on the other show every week.  Seriously that’s their big solution.  Now how do I know this isn’t going to fix anything?  The match after the opening segment was about 19 minutes long and featured Baron Corbin pinning Seth Rollins.

So yeah, this is a bandage on a gaping wound that WWE keeps stabbing even deeper.

IMG Credit: WWE

Worlds Collide: Battle Royals
Date: May 1, 2019
Location: Pier 12, New York City, New York
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

Yes it’s a fourth one of these things and no I don’t get it either. As the name suggests, we’re looking at a pair of battle royals here (one for the men and one for the women) with almost everyone from the previous three shows plus a few bonus entrants. Your guess is as good as mine as to why we need to see this nearly a month after Wrestlemania. Let’s get to it.

The audio commentary is really low here for some reason.

Women’s Battle Royal

Bianca Belair, Taynara Conti, Kacy Catanzaro, Deonna Purrazzo, Io Shirai, Marina Shafir, Jessamyn Duke, Jesse, Lacey Lane, Xia Li, Kavita Devi, Kay Lee Ray, Mia Yim, Piper Niven, Reina Gonzalez, Vanessa Borne, Aliyah, Toni Storm

Everyone gets an entrance, which I’ll certainly take over having to go through all the entrance in a big group shot. We start the same way most battle royals start, with a variety of teased eliminations and people saving themselves. Lane tries a double springboard due to reasons of not seeming that bright and gets kicked out, as she should be. Shafir and Duke get together again to eliminate Jesse and it’s back to more brawling on the ropes.

Niven dumps Ray, who seems to swear revenge. Conti gets knocked off the top but hangs onto the post and gets back in for this match’s Kofi Kingston save. Purrazzo gets rid of Li and Kacy does a crazy handstand on the top into a headscissors on Reina, who forearms her out a second later. Shirai tosses Purrazzo as the ring is starting to clear a lot. Gonzalez and Storm slug it out as Niven drops Conti with a hard forearm.

Devi and Gonzalez do the hoss fight with Devi getting kicked out. Almost everyone but Gonzalez is down for a bit until Niven and Storm get together, only to fail to eliminated Conti. Shafir accidentally knocks Duke out and then intentionally tosses Yim. Shirai sends Conti to the apron and dropkicks her out as the field is clearing out a lot. Belair forearms Shafir out and we’re down to Belair, Storm, Shirai, Aliyah, Niven, Gonzalez and Borne.

Niven Hulks Up on Borne and Aliyah but misses a charge and gets tossed. Excessive celebration lets Shirai and Storm get rid of Borne and Aliyah and we’re down to four. Niven chases the two of them out as Belair and Gonzalez’s alliance lasts all of fourteen seconds. Gonzalez sends Belair and Storm into the same corner for shoulders to the ribs. Shirai sends Gonzalez to the apron and forearms her out to get us down to three.

Belair fireman’s carries Storm and swings her into Shirai before dumping her out. We’re down to Belair vs. Shirai with a hard forearm knocking Shirai down. A headscissors sends both of them to the apron but Belair slides back in and avoids a springboard dropkick. The gorilla press toss eliminates Shirai to give Belair the win at 18:27.

Rating: D+. Well that was long. Belair winning is fine, though it doesn’t make her any better or fix any of the problems that have held her back so far. There isn’t much to say about something like this because it’s a bunch of standing around until the finish, which is always the case in battle royals. Gonzalez and Conti looked good here, but they’re more people who aren’t getting much of a chance anywhere.

Men’s Battle Royal

Ariya Daivari, Brian Kendrick, Dave Mastiff, Drew Gulak, Fabian Aichner, Eric Bugenhagen, Humberto Carrillo, Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey, Dominik Dijakovic, Ligero, Matt Riddle, Rinku Singh, Saurav Gurjar, Roderick Strong, Wesley Blake, Steve Cutler, Akira Tozawa, Travis Banks, Tyler Bate

It’s a brawl to start with Bugenhagen and Riddle heading outside for a jam sessions which makes way more sense than it should. Back in and it’s another standard battle royal opening as we wait on the ring to clear out a bit. Dijakovic sends Aichner to the apron and superkicks him out, followed by a toss to get rid of Tozawa. High levels of confidence allow Dijakovic to stop and pose, meaning it’s a group beatdown but so many split off that Dijakovic is able to shove everyone else away.

The cyclone boot eliminates Carrillo and Bugenhagen tosses Daivari for excessive jamming. Gurjar dumps Bugenhagen and you can feel the energy go out of the arena. The Forgotten Sons gets together to eliminate Ligero and Kendrick saves Gulak for no logical reason. There goes Banks as the ring is still rather full. Gulak and Riddle grapple on the mat and wind up on the apron but come back in after realizing they’re wasting their time. Mark Coffey is out and Riddle gives Dijakovic a GTS for another elimination.

Mastiff eliminates Gulak and Cutler but Kendrick (still in the leather jacket) saves himself. Riddle and Mastiff chop it out and Gurjar gets rid of Singh. Kendrick eliminates Blake but tries Sliced Bread on Coffey, earning himself his own elimination. We’re down to Riddle, Joe Coffey, Mastiff, Strong, Bate and Gurjar. Riddle unloads on Mastiff in the corner and knees him out but the backsplash hits Coffey’s knees.

Bate hits the rebound lariat to get rid of Coffey and it’s a four way staredown. Gurjar fights off all three of them with a good side slam planting Riddle. That’s enough to send Riddle to the apron and a big boot gets rid of him in a heck of an upset. Bate uses raw strength to get rid of Gurjar and the fans are very appreciative. Strong and Bate slug it out with Bate hitting an exploder suplex into the nip up. The Tyler Driver 97 is countered into a jumping knee to the face so Bate comes right back with the airplane spin.

Rating: C+. The ending sequence alone made it better than the first match but this was another example of a long match with very little going on until we got to the finish. There were so many people in there until the ending and while the final grouping was pretty strong, there is only so much you can get out of waiting around to get there for half of the match.

Overall Rating: C-. The show was fine, though spending the better part of twenty minutes on entrances alone was kind of a stretch. The biggest thing I got from this was how many people WWE has down in developmental who aren’t likely to get a major push ever. Can you picture the Coffeys on the main roster? Or Xia Li?

They’re talented, but WWE would pick a lot of others before them and it’s just bloating the roster more and more. NXT UK has helped, but there are so many people under the WWE banner that they can run shows like this and still have a ton of roster members left over. That’s probably not good, but neither is running these four shows for the sake of adding content to the Network. We can have this but not Legends With JBL or Royal Rumble Rewind or more round table shows? Anyway, not bad, but really don’t waste your time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: May 2, 2019
Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
Commentators: Renee Young, Byron Saxton, David Otunga

Oh dear. Do we really have to do this one? After this week’s rather horrible Raw and Smackdown, I’m scared to see what we could be getting in the way of highlights. There aren’t many good things to look at and I have a bad feeling that WWE will want to focus on the less than thrilling stuff. Let’s get to it.

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

I was in the arena for this show so it’s my second time seeing the original matches.

Opening sequence.

Heath Slater vs. Mojo Rawley

Rawley now has paint around his eye, which I’m sure will lead him to nothing but success. The fans remind Mojo that he has kids and suggest that they want Ryder (this is the arena where Mojo turned on Ryder and the fans always remind him) as he hits a corner splash. Slater gets knocked outside and a running charge drives him into the barricade. Back in and the running right hand in the corner sets up the Alabama Slam to finish Slater at 2:44. Slater had no offense.

We look at Kevin Owens turning on New Day last week.

From Smackdown.

Michael Cole brings Kofi Kingston to the ring to start things off. We look at Kofi’s performance in the Elimination Chamber and the second gauntlet match. Kofi talks about how none of this happens without Big E. and Xavier Woods because they proved that the impossible is possible. Cole calls the win over Daniel Bryan maybe the greatest Wrestlemania moment ever (uh, hang on a second now) and we see a clip of the title win.

Kofi calls it the greatest moment of his life, next to the birth of his children and his wedding day. With that comes people gunning for him though, which leads us to a clip of Kevin Owens attacking him last week. Kofi agrees that he probably should have seen this coming but the New Day believes in letting people change if they want to. At the end of the day though, Kevin Owens is going to be Kevin Owens.

If Owens wanted a title shot, all he had to do is ask. Last week, Kevin said he was coming for the title so let him come, say at Money in the Bank. This brings out Owens, who says challenge accepted. Owens talks about how the moment from Wrestlemania is fleeting and everyone knows Kofi isn’t championship material. Cue Woods to jump Owens from behind but Owens superkicks him down, leaving Kofi to chase him off.

From later in the night.

It’s time for the Kevin Owens Show, but there is now no set with just a pair of chairs. Owens points out the lack of a set but it’s ok because he is the show. At Money in the Bank, he will take away the burden of being WWE Champion from Kofi Kingston because it belongs to him. That brings us to his guest, but there is no Xavier Woods.

Owens expected this to be the case, so he brings out a Xavier action figure. It was part of a pack though so there is also a Big E. figure, complete with a cast around his leg. Owens puts them in the chair and then kicks it over. He knows what is in their mind and heart….but here’s Kofi for the brawl. Kingston throws him over the announcers’ table but gets raked in the eyes, allowing Owens to bail to end the show. Good final segment with Kofi bringing out the fire again.

Cesaro vs. Cedric Alexander

Rematch from last week’s Raw. Cesaro runs him over for an early two and it’s off to a quickly broken chinlock. A slam cuts Cedric off and it’s a chinlock to keep him down. Some stomps to the head have Cedric in trouble until he comes back with some chops. Those just earn him an uppercut and another chinlock, followed by a big boot for two.

It’s time to crank on the arm, which seems a little out of place. Cedric fights up for his spinning elbow to the head but the Neuralizer is blocked with an elbow to the back. Cesaro doesn’t follow up fast enough though and gets caught by a middle rope dropkick. A whip into the corner sets up a rollup to give Cedric the pin at 5:05.

Rating: C. This didn’t have the time that it needed to go somewhere but there is a reason that my eyebrows went up when I heard the music playing. These two have some nice chemistry and the mixture of styles has made some good little matches. Cedric winning here is quite the shock, but at least he’s getting somewhere.

From Smackdown again.

Roman Reigns vs. B Team

Elias is on the floor. Reigns powers out of Dallas’ headlock but gets punched into the corner by Axel. Reigns fights out of the corner without much effort though and gets two off the Samoan drop. A quick Elias distraction lets Axel get in a clothesline though and we take a quick break.

Back with Reigns fighting out of a chinlock and hitting a clothesline on Dallas. Everything breaks down and a Samoan drop/DDT combination plants the B Team. The Superman Punch hits Axel for two with Elias pulling the regular referee out at two. Elias takes over as referee and the PerfectPlex gives Axel two of his own. The guitar is brought in but it’s a Superman Punch to Elias and a spear finishes Axel at 10:47.

Rating: D+. The match wasn’t exactly the most surprising result and that’s not the best way in the world to go when Elias isn’t going to be bought as a serious threat to Reigns at Money in the Bank anyway. Reigns overcoming the odds is fine, but if the odds don’t make him an underdog in the first place, what is he overcoming?

Tamina/Alicia Fox vs. IIconics

Non-title and this is the first time Main Event has had three matches in a very long time. On the way to the ring, the IIconics make fun of Kentucky and the Kentucky Derby. Oh and the Wildcats are terrible too. Billie and Peyton can’t decide who has to start with Tamina so it’s the alternating tags to make the decision.

Peyton gets shoved down so Billie tries a waistlock and gets thrown away with ease. It’s off to Alicia, who scores with dropkicks on both champs. A sunset flip out of the corner gets two on Peyton but she drops Fox and it’s time for the pose. Tamina comes back in for a running corner splash on Billie but Peyton breaks up the Samoan drop. The big boot sets up Peyton’s running knee for the pin at 3:56.

Rating: D. The IIconics are fun to watch but Tamina and Alicia? Someone thought that was a good idea? Like, we’re supposed to cheer for Tamina? I know this means nothing and it’s not likely to be a permanent change, but egads that’s a heck of a stretch. We get a third match for the first time in forever and it features Tamina? Really?

From Raw to wrap it up.

It’s time for the contract signing between AJ Styles and Seth Rollins. Michael Cole starts the questioning by asking what a win would mean to AJ. That’s an easy one because the win is the reason AJ came here. He spent two years on Smackdown and he’s very grateful, but now it’s time to come where the really crazy fans are.

AJ has heard about Seth for two years and knows he’s a good guy, but AJ wants the Universal Title. When you want something bad enough, you’ll do some unexpected things to get it. The fans aren’t sure what to make of that so AJ goes back to the compliments by saying Seth is a winner and a champion. But how many times has it been said that Seth will be the new AJ? Not very many that I can think of, but AJ thinks it makes sense because Seth is stronger, faster and younger. Fans: “SHAVE YOUR BACK!”

The reality though is Seth will never be the next AJ Styles. Seth didn’t want to be though, because he would rather be the first Seth Freaking Rollins. The compliments are appreciated but things are different on Raw. That’s Michael Cole instead of Tom Phillips and the ropes are red. If AJ wants to take the title, he needs to be better than phenomenal.

AJ asks about Seth’s health after being a workhorse for all those months. Fans: “BURN IT DOWN!” AJ knows they’ll burn it down and then he’ll build it back up. Seth doesn’t know how much trouble he’s in because the Shield isn’t around to help him anymore. Yeah he went through a lot at Wrestlemania, but Seth doesn’t have much left.

AJ is ready to go now though and at Money in the Bank, he’s biting like a pit bull and not letting go until he’s Universal Champion. Styles signs and Seth starts talking about their differences. It’s true that AJ likes to build things up but Seth likes to burn things down. There is one thing that separates them though: Seth beat Brock Lesnar. That seems to get to AJ as Seth signs.

AJ picks up the title and slowly hands it over so Seth can hold it up. Fans: “SHAVE HIS BACK!” AJ jumps him instead and the fight is on with Seth kicking him out to the floor. There’s the suicide dive and Seth poses again, but it’s a shot to the head into the Phenomenal Forearm through the table to end the show.

This took some time to get going because they don’t have any reason to hate each other, but some of those lines from Seth ran deep. AJ seems to be playing heel here, and while that might not go full blast or last permanently, it’s an interesting way to go here. It’s also something AJ knows how to do, so we should be in for some quality stuff if that’s where they’re going.

Overall Rating: D+. They were very, very smart to stay clear from Raw this week because the show was just that bad. That being said, I can go for having three matches here as it gets some people in the ring for a change, though that doesn’t always mean it’s a good idea. You could have dropped the first match for some more highlights, but in this case having fewer highlights was the right call. I’m indifferent to the new format, but egads they picked a good week to start rolling with it.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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