IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: March 7, 2019
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Renee Young, Percy Watson

Things started happening in a hurry last week as WWE suddenly remembered that they needed to set up Fastlane outside of the big matches. That made for some eventful stuff this week and hopefully that translates to this show as well. I’m not sure if I should believe that to be the case or not, but you have to have hope. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Apollo Crews vs. EC3

Rematch from last week. EC3 takes him down with a quickly broken headlock as Crews fights up with a dropkick and armdrag. Crews gets stomped down in the corner for a bit and we hit the reverse chinlock. A clothesline cuts off Crews’ comeback but Crews gets in one of his own. That’s enough to head up top, only to get crotched back down. The 1%er finishes Crews at 5:25.

Rating: D. EC3 has to be near the top of most ridiculous demotions in recent years. He had two matches and is already trading wins with Apollo Crews on Main Event? That’s really the best thing they could do with him? I feel sorry for the guy as he was brought up without any thinking and never had a chance to show what he could do up there. Maybe it can change, but for now it’s rather ridiculous.

From Raw.

Here’s Roman Reigns to open things up to another solid pop. Reigns says last week was the comeback but this week it’s time to take the yard back. There was one person standing in his way and that’s Seth Rollins. This brings out Rollins, who says what an inspiration this is for him. Rollins wants to bring the Universal Title back to Raw but he knows what Reigns is going through. If anyone deserves the shot, it’s Reigns. That sounds nice to Reigns, but he tells Rollins good luck.

They had me believing that they were going to go with Reigns vs. Lesnar again at Wrestlemania so it’s quite the relief that it was just a tease (for now). I know that Reigns is going to be back on top of the card at some point in the future but for now, it needs to be Rollins after what they’ve built up over the last few months.

From Raw.

Rollins tries talking to Ambrose about getting the Shield back together but it’s a no. He appreciates the help last week but now he has to do it on his own.

From Raw.

Post break Dean is still in the ring when Reigns and Rollins come out to pitch the reunion one more time. Dean goes through the crowd instead but here are Lashley, Corbin and McIntyre to interrupt and make fun of the Shield being split again. The fight is on until Ambrose runs back to the ring for the save. Rollins and Reigns do the pose and Dean throws his fist in for the big reunion.

Yet again, from Raw.

We look back at Batista attacking Ric Flair last week and calling out HHH.

Here’s HHH to talk about Batista and Flair. HHH says he was here last week for Ric Flair, but also for Richard Fliehr, one of the best men he has ever known. They were at each other’s sides for their weddings (well, most of Flair’s weddings as HHH couldn’t make all of them) and HHH was next to him when Fliehr buried his son. Then a year ago he stood by Fliehr’s bed when he was clinging to life and was scared to answer his phone because he thought it was the call saying he was gone.

Last week HHH wanted him out here to be the Nature Boy one more time but Batista wouldn’t let that happen. Batista has been trying to get HHH’s attention for months and when HHH got hurt in November, it seemed to be the end of things. That wasn’t good enough for Batista, who finally didn’t quit for once. So Batista attacked a seventy year old man who was trying to have one more moment?

Now Batista wants to show up on a screen and go Bad Guy 101 with HHH by saying he doesn’t like Philadelphia? HHH doesn’t care where he wants to go and he’ll come to Batista’s house or go to a movie set if he has to. When Batista comes to see him, it’s going to be the man instead of a character and Dave has to look him in the eyes. Good promo here and HHH’s response made sense, though I’m still needing to know why Batista did this in the first place. What exactly does he have to prove?

Tyler Breeze/Lucha House Party vs. Jinder Mahal/Singh Brothers

Lince Dorado and Kalisto for the Luchas here. Sumir shoulders Dorado down to start and we get the Bollywood dancing. That just earns him a dropkick and it’s off to Sunil, who gets taken down with a spinning crossbody. Kalisto comes in for the splashes and we take an abrupt break. Back with Breeze getting the hot tag and kicking Sumir in the face for two. Everything breaks down and the Beauty Shot drops Jinder, leaving Sunil to take the Salida Del Sol into the shooting star press to give Dorado the pin at 7:39.

Rating: D+. There’s something hilarious about Mahal taking a backseat to the Singh Brothers in these matches. The guy stopped mattering a long time ago but now he’s the definition of “just there”, which says a lot when he’s by far the most successful of all six people in a match.

We look back at Kevin Owens taking Kofi Kingston’s place in the Fastlane title match.

We see the brawl between Owens and Rowan from Smackdown.

From Raw.

Here’s Stephanie McMahon with the Women’s Title and the agreement for Becky to sign. After we see Rousey laying the title down last week, Stephanie brings out Charlotte and Becky. Stephanie explains the hold harmless agreement but Charlotte mocks her before any signing takes place (and I need to make sure who signs and who doesn’t, because if there’s one thing WWE adheres to, it’s signed contracts). Becky offers to fight her right now on one good leg and there’s the signing.

We cut to the back where Rousey is storming into the arena and come back with her walking to the stage (must be a huge arena). Rousey storms in and demands the title back. Stephanie hands it over and changes Sunday’s match. Now, if Becky wins the on Sunday, she’s in the Wrestlemania title match. Ronda isn’t done yet though and yells at Stephanie about making money for the company. She goes into a rant against the fans about how terrible everything is and how she’s sacrificed so much for this company and then they boo her out of the Staples Center.

Screw the Woo and the beating is on with Charlotte getting kicked to the floor. Rousey puts Becky in the armbreaker and cranks back before hammering away in the corner. The armbreaker goes on again and Charlotte leaves as Ronda poses over Becky. Ronda puts the hold on for the third time as they seem to have wrapped things up very early.

And from Smackdown.

Here’s Charlotte to call out Becky for a friendly discussion. First though, we get a video from last night featuring Ronda Rousey attacking Becky before Sunday’s match. Cue Becky, who says she’s sore but it’s worth it to be inside Charlotte and Rousey’s head. She’s going to be damaged going into Fastlane but that just means she has nothing left to lose.

Charlotte kicks the crutch out and the attack is on with a knee to Becky’s knee and a kick to the arm making her cringe in agony. Becky gets in a crutch shot though and grabs the Disarm-Her while shouting that it’s her title. Referees come out and break it up as Charlotte rolls outside.

Overall Rating: D. This show continues to be astounding in its efforts to marginalize Smackdown even more. For the second biggest wrestling show in the world and what is going to be the flagship show very soon, it’s amazing to see how little WWE itself cares about the thing. It was incredible to see how much Raw stuff they crammed in here as Smackdown was thrown in at the end. Not a good show, and at this point I’m less and less surprised every week.

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

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/rumor-fox-ending-pg-era-wwe/

Well that would be….different.I’m not sure on this one.  The whole appeal for WWE is the fact that they’re going to the FOX network, but if that falls through and they go down to FS1 or something like that, is it worth losing so much else from the sponsorship money/mainstream acceptance they’ve received?  I’m not sold on that, and really I don’t want to see the Attitude Era style come back.  It’s a different world today and WWE has found a very nice niche with the PG style.

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: March 5, 2019
Location: Mohegan-Sun Arena At Casey Place, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for the second week of the tournament and that’s not a bad thing. This is the kind of show that is far better when they go with straight wrestling and minimal storytelling, which is what you get in a tournament setting. Tonight we get the second half of the first round, meaning we’ll be down to four by the end of the night. Let’s get to it.

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

Drake Maverick does his usual recap/preview.

Opening sequence.

Video on Oney Lorcan, a surprise entrant in the tournament. He’s been on 205 Live before, albeit in a one off appearance the night after Wrestlemania 33. Lorcan says he can adapt his style to any opponent. He could see himself defeating Buddy Murphy for the Cruiserweight Championship.

#1 Contender Tournament First Round: Oney Lorcan vs. Humberto Carrillo

Before the match, Carrillo says that Lorcan is a strong opponent but he’s here to face the best, which he’ll do tonight. The camera goes in close to start but there’s no hiding the incredible amount of empty seats in the lower half of the arena. English’s advice to Lorcan: “Do not hit this man in his beautifully dimpled face.” Instead Lorcan grabs a headlock for some blatantly obvious spot calling but can’t get a half and half suplex.

The second headlock keeps Carrillo from getting away again until a shove lets him backflip away twice in a row. Carrillo gets chopped to the apron though and a baseball slide sends him to the floor. As Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak, in Carrillo shirts, watch in the back, Carrillo manages to beat the count back in. The running uppercut sets up a chinlock but Carrillo gets up and hits a heck of a springboard armdrag to send Lorcan outside for a suicide dive.

They strike it out on the apron until Lorcan grabs a fisherman’s suplex to drop Carrillo again. Back in and Lorcan still can’t get the half and half, instead settling for some hard shots to the face. Carrillo rocks him with a superkick and a Batista Bomb gets two. With nothing else working it’s time to go up top but a moonsault hits raised boots. The half and half finally hits to give Lorcan the pin at 11:57.

Rating: B. Lorcan is an interesting wild card in this whole thing as he’s the kind of guy who could go a long way and could make for a brand new challenger to Murphy. Carrillo losing over and over again is getting a little problematic as while he’s a great flier, he needs to actually win something. Beating Gulak and Gallagher, perhaps with a surprise partner, could go a long way.

Mike and Maria Kanellis aren’t happy with Drake for not giving him a tournament match, but he was never promised that. See, Mike never wins anything so he shouldn’t be in the tournament. Maria doesn’t like being patronized.

Mike Kanellis vs. Colby Corino

Mike throws his jacket at Corino (Steve’s son) to start and hammers away as Aiden begs Mike to just take the win. A running clothesline turns Colby inside out and the Roll of the Dice plants him again as there’s no match.

Tony Nese if just a win away from Wrestlemania and he’ll be in Gulak’s face like never before.

Cedric Alexander knows people are asking how many chances he can get. No one cares about 205 Live more than him and the Cruiserweight Title has been synonymous with his name for two years (It hasn’t even been a year since he won it!). Tonight, he wants Akira Tozawa to bring his best.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Akira Tozawa vs. Cedric Alexander

Neither can get an advantage on the mat to start but Cedric can’t get out of a headlock. Alexander finally slips away but his dropkick is blocked. An armdrag into an armbar has Cedric in trouble and that works so well that Tozawa does it two more times. The fourth armdrag sends Cedric outside but he’s ready for the suicide dive. Cedric dives back in for a suplex gutbuster for two as it’s time to start on the ribs.

The waistlock keeps Tozawa in trouble and a chinlock with a knee in the back makes it even worse. As Tozawa starts making a comeback, Cedric knees him in the back to cut him off again. Another waistlock goes on as Alexander continues to play a subtle heel. Tozawa finally elbows his way to freedom and the hard right hand knocks Alexander silly.

A hurricanrana puts Alexander on the floor for a suicide dive, followed by a missile dropkick for two back inside. The Octopus Stretch is quickly reversed into a spinning side slam and Alexander’s springboard spinning Downward Spiral gets two. Tozawa slips out of the Lumbar Check twice in a row and it’s time to kick Alexander in the head. A very hard DDT plants Alexander and a reverse hurricanrana gets two as the announcers are losing their minds.

Now the Octopus Stretch goes on and Alexander is taken all the way to the mat. Since he has to keep going though, the hold is broken, only to have Tozawa nail a hard German suplex. Alexander catches him on top to break up the top rope backsplash though and the Lumbar Check finishes Tozawa at 18:05.

Rating: B. Well where would we be without Alexander getting another win? He’s very good in the ring but I’ve seen him do this same stuff for a year now and that gets a little tiresome. Tozawa has some more charisma and while he’s been around as well, he would feel like a breath of air at the moment. It’s a good match, but I need something new for a change.

The updated brackets:

Tony Nese

Drew Gulak

Oney Lorcan

Cedric Alexander

Overall Rating: B+. The only one of the four people left in the tournament that interests me in going to face Murphy is Lorcan and the good sign is that he feels like an actual threat to win the thing. This show needs someone new near the top (not necessarily a new champion) and it’s starting to hurt things. You can only rotate the same people in and out so many times before it stops working and we’re getting very close to that point.

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

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-officially-announces-details-wrestlemania-36-2010/

Well at least I have something to do next April now.

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: February 28, 2019
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Percy Watson, Renee Young

We’ve reached that time of the week to find out how much WWE can ignore various storylines that they present as some of the biggest stories on their television shows. I’m sure we’ll see a lot from Raw of course, as it’s building towards Wrestlemania and Smackdown’s build to Fastlane means absolutely nothing. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Rezar vs. No Way Jose

Jose sidesteps him to start and we hit the early dancing. I’m not sure why you would expect anything else, which is also the case for Rezar throwing Jose down without much effort. We’re already in the chinlock, followed by right hands to the face and a standing side choke. That’s switched up into a laying side choke until Jose fights up with a slam. Some right hands have little effect as Rezar drives him hard into the corner again. A chokeslam finishes Jose at 5:28.

Rating: D. Total Main Event match here and that’s all you could have expected. The wrestling isn’t the point of a show like this as much as it is just having something before the main crowd. Jose is your run of the mill Main Event guy and I’m not sure what the point is in having Rezar around as a singles guy when he’s going to be a tag guy as soon as Akam is back on the active roster. Let someone else get out there instead.

We look back at Roman Reigns announcing that he had leukemia and had to vacate the title.

From Raw.

Here’s Reigns, in street clothes, to open things up to an absolute ROAR. His arms are looking a little smaller, but you have to expect something like that. Reigns takes a long time high fiving people and stops to hug three women in the front row, likely family. He hits the pose on the ropes and stares at the ring for a bit before getting back inside. Reigns thanks the fans, which he’ll likely be doing a lot. He missed us all because there is no job like this.

Reigns says this is our yard and believed that God had his back the whole time. He was scared back in October and didn’t know if he wanted to tell everyone about the condition. Fans: “IT’S OK!” When he got home from making the announcement, he couldn’t believe all of the messages he received and he was so touched that God’s voicemail was full about him. Reigns is going to use his platform to support people and raise awareness for the condition he went through.

So as for the announcement, he’s done better than swinging for the fences. They’ve hit a home run because he’s in remission. After one heck of an ovation for that, Reigns says that the Big Dog is back. The fans greet that with some barking and a WELCOME BACK chant and Reigns says thank you so much. No return date is given. Reigns leaves to another ovation and here’s Seth Rollins to hug him.

From Smackdown.

We open with the contract signing, as Daniel Bryan and Rowan are in the ring with Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon (twice in a week). Shane hypes up the match and shows us some of Kofi’s career highlights in a really good package (including his first match on ECW, which is the worst debut I’ve ever seen for a future star). With that out of the way, Stephanie talks about Kofi’s recent history in that weird way of hers, such as saying approximately two weeks ago (it was two weeks ago), Kofi lasted over an hour in the gauntlet match with a “globally trending” victory over Bryan.

This brings out New Day (Stephanie gets to dance of course because she’s fun that way) with Kofi saying that he’s been here for eleven years and he’s FINALLY getting a chance. He wouldn’t be here without Big E. and Xavier Woods and we stop for a YOU DESERVE IT chant. There’s only one thing left for him to do now, and he’ll do it at Fastlane when he beats Bryan to become WWE Champion. They both sign….and here’s Vince McMahon.

Vince thanks Kofi for everything but it’s his job to give the fans the biggest matches they can get. That’s why Kofi is being replaced at Fastlane with a returning superstar who will face Bryan instead. That man is…..Kevin Owens (who once destroyed Vince). Kevin comes out and signs as New Day protests, though Kofi is devastated.

That gives me way, way more hope about Kofi winning the title. There was next to no way he was walking into Wrestlemania as champion, but now Kofi walking out as champion is a very real possibility, maybe after a triple threat with Bryan and Owens? It would be a heck of a moment, and it could be incredible.

And from later in the night.

Kofi Kingston/Kevin Owens vs. Daniel Bryan/Rowan

Rowan shoves the upset Kofi down to start so it’s off to Owens to try his luck. Owens slugs away but gets caught with a dropkick of all things for two. It’s off to Bryan who gets elbowed in the face to send him outside. That means the big running flip dive from Owens and we take a break.

Back with Rowan cranking on Kofi’s neck before it’s back to Bryan for some nose ripping. Rowan comes back in to drive Kofi ribs first into the corner, setting up Bryan’s top rope superplex for two. The LeBell Lock goes on but a boot on the rope gives Kofi a breather. Kofi hits the double stomp out of the corner and brings Owens in to beat up both villains.

A superkick knocks Owens off the apron and the Pop Up (sitout this time) powerbomb gets two on Bryan. Owens leans over the ropes so Rowan can hit him in the face. Kofi dives onto Rowan and posts him though, allowing Owens to avoid a charge and Stun Bryan for the pin at 16:20.

Rating: C. The ending is the right call for the story they’re going with but another loss for the champ is rather annoying. WWE has become obsessed with having the champs lose lately and it’s going to become an even bigger problem as we move towards Wrestlemania. This continues to set up Kingston as a challenger for after Fastlane, and that has me rather interested.

From Raw.

Post break Rousey demands that Vince get out here right now but she gets Stephanie McMahon instead. Becky has just been arrested but Rousey doesn’t want anything other than the suspension being lifted. Stephanie says Rousey can face Charlotte at Wrestlemania because Becky is unprofessional and brought this on herself. Rousey appeals to Stephanie’s legacy and her three daughters but it’s still a hard no.

That’s not good enough for Rousey so Stephanie shouts about being Rousey’s boss. Rousey says she’s not like everyone else because she’s Ronda Rousey and the Raw Women’s Champion. This is just a belt (that’ll be a fine) and it’s not even her style. It’s time for Vince to make the right decision. Rousey lays the title down and walks away. They’re doing everything they can to spread this out until Wrestlemania and it’s feeling the strain.

From Smackdown.

Here’s Charlotte to talk about what happened on Raw. She compares herself to Kevin Owens earlier tonight because she’s here to save Wrestlemania. Charlotte isn’t scared of Wrestlemania and shows us a clip of Ronda from November where she says if you can’t do your job as champion you need to step aside. She’ll be on Raw to see what Ronda thinks about Wrestlemania.

Apollo Crews vs. EC3

How in the…..never mind. EC3 runs him over to start and poses as the announcers talk about the other NXT callups. The fans are split as Apollo fights out of a top wristlock and takes EC3 down with an armdrag. We take an abrupt break and come back with EC3 hitting a suplex and slapping on a nerve hold. The EC3 elbow gets two but they both try crossbodies at the same time for a double knockdown. Crews gets back up and kicks him in the face, setting up a high crossbody for two. An enziguri sets up the standing moonsault for the pin at 10:18.

Rating: C. This was better than I would have guessed, though I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the idea that EC3 has already been banished down here. He has a look, he can talk, and his matches are pretty good. Now he’s already down on Main Event after TWO MATCHES, one of which was a two minute win over a former World Champion? Only in WWE.

From Raw to wrap it up.

With the roster on the stage, the ring is ready for the party and HHH and Stephanie handle the introductions. After HHH recaps the night, Stephanie introduces the special guests: Shawn Michaels, Ricky Stemboat, Kurt Angle and Sting. HHH introduces a video on Flair as we’re running low on time.

Overall Rating: C-. It was all about the big segments here and that’s fine as it’s all Main Event exists to do. They covered a lot of big stuff from both shows here and it really made a difference. Fastlane is being forgotten around here as well and what we got here was entertaining enough from a recap point. For once, this actually worked well for what it was supposed to do.

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: February 26, 2019
Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s tournament time again and that’s not the biggest surprise in the world. WWE certainly loves to run these things over and over again and that’s the case for the second years in a row with the Cruiserweight Title match at Wrestlemania being decided by a tournament. Right now we only know half of the field but that is being cut in half again tonight. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at tonight’s two tournament matches.

Opening sequence.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Kalisto vs. Tony Nese

Nese starts in with the trash talk before taking Kalisto down with a waistlock. An armbar keeps Kalisto in trouble until he nips up, avoids a moonsault, and kicks Nese in the head. That means the suicide dive but Nese kicks him in the ribs to take over again. Apparently Kalisto doesn’t have quite the same abdominal development. Nese sends him to the apron so Kalisto backflips down to the floor with Nese cartwheeling off the same apron to keep things even. A backdrop over the steps drops Kalisto again as Nese is mostly dominating so far.

The back is sent into the barricade for two and we hit the waistlock. Kalisto gets up again and snaps off a headscissors, setting up a nice top rope seated senton. A slow motion LUCHA chant is cut off with a hot shot into the corner so Nese puts him on top for a release German superplex. Nese’s 450 misses but Kalisto’s connects for two more as Nese gets a boot on the rope in a good false finish. The Salida Del Sol is countered so Kalisto settles for the rolling kick to the head.

A superkick knocks Nese down but he tries a monkey flip into the corner for a nice counter. Kalisto lands in the near vicinity of the corner so it didn’t quite work but they tried. Nese’s pumphandle driver is countered into a hurricanrana for two as they keep countering each other. A wheelbarrow suplex sends Kalisto near the corner again, though this time he’s nice enough to pull himself into position for the running knee to send Tony to the next round at 14:22.

Rating: B. I still don’t feel the spark from Nese but he’s taken it to another level over the last few months, which has been a very nice change of pace. Giving him a clean pin over Kalisto is a big win and while he won’t win the tournament, he could make enough of a run to upgrade his status.

Jack Gallagher and Humberto Carrillo go over film with Gallagher suggesting a wristlock instead of a flip. Carrillo can learn more by watching Drew Gulak tonight.

We look at Mike Kanellis possibly getting cheated out of a win against Cedric Alexander last week.

Drake isn’t changing the decision but tells Mike that he can have a match next week. Mike and Maria seem to think it’s a tournament match, but that’s not what Maverick said. You can picture the explosion coming from here.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Drew Gulak vs. Brian Kendrick

The announcers start talking about how Kendrick’s goal is to have a match at Wrestlemania after watching eight from the locker room. Feeling out process to start as Kendrick is actually able to hang with Gulak in a technical match early on. Gulak takes him down by the leg while also trapping the arm but gets reversed into a knuckle lock on the mat with Kendrick getting some near falls. Back up and Gulak ducks a clothesline to hit a hard German suplex into a modified bow and arrow hold.

Something close to a Texas Cloverleaf keeps Kendrick in trouble and Gulak clotheslines him hard for two. Kendrick actually armdrags him into a cross armbreaker for a change of pace but can’t get it anywhere near on full. That’s broken up, as is Kendrick’s bulldog attempt as Gulak shoves him off for a crash. A backdrop seems to have Gulak favoring his wrist so Kendrick grabs a headlock to let them call some spots.

Gulak mixes things up by trapping the leg on a German suplex for two more, only to walk into a dragon suplex. Since neither guy is going to stay down long, Gulak snaps off a clothesline for the double knockdown. Both finishers are countered so Kendrick rolls into the Captain’s Hook and even flips it back into the middle. Gulak actually fishhooks the jaw for the escape and gets two off a hard powerbomb. Kendrick says bring it on and kicks him in the face….but gets pulled down into the Gulock for the knockout at 13:46.

Rating: B. This was the technical back and forth match for a rather different flavor than the previous one. I was expecting Kendrick to win here with the Wrestlemania dream story ala his run in the Cruiserweight Classic but what we got here was fine. Gulak is someone who can have a good match with anyone and that’s going to be the case when he makes at least the semifinals.

Next week in the other first round matches: Humberto Carrillo vs. Oney Lorcan and Cedric Alexander vs. Akira Tozawa, meaning no Kanellis.

Overall Rating: B+. As tends to be the case around here, things go better with an emphasis on wrestling instead of storytelling. They don’t have very good characters so going with what happens bell to bell is the right move. We got a very good show here with two strong matches to help set up the tournament. There are going to be a few weeks either between the tournament matches or between the finals and Wrestlemania so they have some time to build things up. They’re off to a great start though, just as they were last year at this time. Really solid show here with good wrestling in both matches.

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: February 21, 2019
Location: Cajundome, Lafayette, Louisiana
Commentators: Percy Watson, Renee Young, Byron Saxton

Well this was certainly an eventful week. In case you didn’t know it was Wrestlemania season, it’s time to pick up the pace with debuts, big storyline developments and announcements of some big stuff coming up. The question now is how WWE will manage to screw this week up. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

No Way Jose vs. Rezar

Only on Main Event. Rezar wastes no time with the power by driving Jose into the corner. A fall away slam makes things even worse and it’s time for the forearms to the face. Rezar’s chinlock doesn’t last long as Jose fights up with a shot to the face. The top rope shoulder gets two but Rezar calmly chokeslams him for the pin at 4:27.

Rating: D. What else were you expecting here? Jose is now to the point where he can’t beat the healthy half of a tag team. The problem with that is he never was going to be someone who could beat Rezar even on his best day. What should be one of the easiest characters ever has been thrown away, but to be fair it’s not like he had crazy high value in the first place.

From Raw.

Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin

Tables match and Strowman has bad ribs coming in. Strowman knocks him around to start but a shot to the ribs cuts him down. Corbin drives him into the barricade but Strowman whips him into it even harder to take over. It’s already time for a table, though Strowman’s ribs slow him down. Some kicks to the ribs keep Strowman in trouble but Corbin can’t suplex him on the ramp.

Strowman can certainly do it to him though and Corbin is screaming a lot. They head up to the stage where some tables are set up, though Strowman prefers the announcers’ table. Corbin knocks him off the stage though and we take a break. Back with Corbin knocking Strowman out of the ring and swinging a kendo stick at the bad ribs. Strowman knocks him out of the air with some steps though and the running powerslam puts Corbin through a table in the corner for the win at 14:35.

Rating: D. Well that’s very nice for Strowman as he gets to beat up the least interesting and intimidating heel in recent memory to get back a win that he didn’t need to give up in the first place. This feud has been going for months now and I’m still waiting for it to get interesting in the first place. I’m not sure what the endgame is supposed to be, but it seems like something we should have reached a long time ago.

Very short clip of Finn Balor/Ricochet vs. Lio Rush/Bobby Lashley.

We get both parts of the Paul Heyman narrated video on Brock Lesnar’s career. Still good stuff.

D-Generation X Hall of Fame announcement.

B Team/Tyler Breeze vs. Jinder Mahal/Singh Brothers

Rematch from last week. Breeze and Sunil start things off fast with Breeze kicking him in the face. It’s off to Sumir vs. Axel for the EXACT SAME dance off they did last week. Mahal takes Dallas down though and we take an early break. Back with a double suplex to Dallas setting up a chinlock, which doesn’t exactly last long. A suplex allows the tag off to Axel so house can be cleaned with everyone but Sunil being knocked off the apron. Breeze’s half crab has Sunil in trouble but Sumir makes the save. Not that it matters as the Beauty Shot finishes Sumir at 9:24.

Rating: D. It was the same match, almost down to the letter, as last week. You would think they could mix things up at least a little bit here and there but it’s not like Main Event is important. This was another waste of time, but that’s the case on this show almost every week so I can’t say I’m surprised.

We look back at the week in Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte vs. Ronda Rousey.

Stills of the men’s Elimination Chamber match with Daniel Bryan retaining.

From Smackdown:

Kofi Kingston/AJ Styles/Jeff Hardy vs. Daniel Bryan/Randy Orton/Samoa Joe

During his entrance, Bryan talks about how ignorant everyone here is for not knowing Thomas Beckett. These people put him inside the Elimination Chamber but he survived. Bryan is going to educate us on his opponent for Fastlane but he won’t be saying who it is. The only thing he’ll tell us is that the opponent is NOT in this match. Bryan tags out to Joe at the bell, leaving him to face Kingston. An exchange of shots to the face allow the tag off to Hardy for the legdrop between the legs.

Orton comes in and grabs the chinlock, which is quickly broken up with a jawbreaker. It’s already back to Kofi to pick up the pace as things break down a bit. Orton drops Kofi onto the announcers’ table and we take a break. Back with Bryan hammering on Kofi until a dive allows the tag to Styles. AJ unloads on Bryan and cleans house, allowing the hot tag off to Kofi. That means the real comeback is on, including a pair of dives. Trouble in Paradise hits Bryan for the clean pin at 12:11.

Rating: C. The wrestling wasn’t the point here, at least not until the very ending. This was all about Kofi getting the pin on Bryan to set up what has to be the title match at Fastlane. There’s no reason for it to be anything else either before or after this match and there’s nothing wrong with that, especially after how things went over the last week.

Post match Shane comes out to make Kingston vs. Bryan for Fastlane to end the show.

Overall Rating: F. WHAT IS THIS SHOW??? The NXT guys debuting was one of the biggest stories in WWE in a very long time and it’s glossed over here, with only Ricochet being mentioned. But at least we got more build to a match six weeks from now instead of, you know, what’s actually happening now. It’s clear that WWE is banking very hard on the two Wrestlemania matches they’ve already announced but they’re running a very strong risk of making the fans so apathetic to the show that it’s not going to matter.

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: February 19, 2019
Location: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re on the way to Fastlane because that’s a thing that exists. It also doesn’t mean a ton around here as Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy retained the title last Sunday at Elimination Chamber. That means it’s time to set up a new challenger, which could take place here. Something big is coming at Wrestlemania but I’m not sure what that is just yet. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Murphy retaining the Cruiserweight Title over Akira Tozawa on Sunday. That means we need a #1 contender for Wrestlemania so it’s tournament time, starting next week. Drake Maverick previews the show as usual.

Opening sequence.

TJP vs. Humberto Carrillo

Aiden sings (not literally, though in this case you have to clarify) Humberto’s praises as he sends TJP outside. The dive is teased but here are Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak to say hang on with the diving. Carrillo seems to listen as he lets TJP back in and takes him down by the knee. Back up and Humberto starts the flips, followed by a quick splash for two. A springboard wristdrag is countered with a faceplant though and TJP starts in on the arm.

The slingshot hilo sets up the chinlock and then more arm cranking, only to have Humberto nip up for a kick to the face. The backflip into the moonsault gives Humberto two but TJP reverses a victory roll into something close to a Regal Stretch. A rope is grabbed but Humberto’s shoulder is pretty banged up. They head to the apron with Carrillo jumping around, setting up a quick dropkick. The handstand springboard moonsault finishes TJP at 10:21.

Rating: C. So that’s it for TJP in WWE and I’m going to miss him. I know he hasn’t been pushed in forever, but he was always good for a solid match and knew how to make his opponents look good. It’s nice to see him put someone like Carrillo over on his way out though, as hopefully he can get to be a bigger success elsewhere.

Post match Gulak and Gallagher congratulate Carrillo, even putting him on their shoulders. He doesn’t seem to mind.

Tony Nese says he’s proven he’s better than Noam Dar and now 205 Live is his for the taking. He’s coming for the title.

Maria Kanellis says her husband is going to prove that he’s the most dangerous man in 205 Live by taking out its heart tonight.

D-Generation X Hall of Fame video.

Ariya Daivari vs. Johnny Lyons

On his way to the ring, Daivari promises to beat someone so badly that no one can say it was the wrong call (reference to the New Orleans Saints losing via a bad call). Lyons hits an early dropkick but misses a charge into the corner. The fans are behind Lyons, even as Daivari kicks him down. The hammerlock lariat sets up a cobra clutch to make Lyons tap at 1:24. Well it’s an upgrade over the lariat.

Murphy talks about how he’s beaten everyone and he’ll do it again with whomever wins this tournament.

Mike Kanellis vs. Cedric Alexander

They go to the mat to start before Mike drives him into the corner for a shove to the face. Mike’s headlock takes Cedric down but he’s right back with a snap armdrag. A dropkick has Kanellis in more trouble and a kick to the back of the head gets two. Kanellis punches a springboard out of the air though and drives in some knees to take over. More forearms give Kanellis two and it’s off to the chinlock.

Alexander fights up with more dropkicks as Maria is starting to get nervous. There’s the Neuralizer but a springboard doesn’t work as Alexander falls down and grabs his knee. Mike is smart enough to stomp away, sending Aiden and Nigel into another argument over ethics in wrestling. Cedric hits a superkick but walks into a Samoan driver for two more. A backpack Stunner gets the same, only to have Cedric grab a Michinoku Driver for two of his own.

They head to the apron and trade boots to the face with Cedric taking the worse of it. A very hard spinebuster on the ramp has Cedric literally screaming and a Boston crab inside makes it even worse. Cedric grabs the rope and sends Mike outside for a flip dive (WAY too soon to be fine enough for that). Maria offers a distraction though and it’s a superkick into a Roll of the Dice for the pin, sending Nigel to his feet in celebration. He’s right back down though as the referee waves it off, saying Cedric’s shoulder was up. The Lumbar Check finishes Kanellis at 17:37.

Rating: B. Easily Kanellis’ best match of his WWE career and while that’s a low bar to clear, it’s a good sign for his future. Kanellis has never been known for his work but something at this level with Maria doing the talking will be enough to keep him around for a nice run. I liked the false finish in there too and actually bought it for a few seconds.

Maria is devastated.

Drake announces the following first round matches:

Kalisto

Tony Nese

Brian Kendrick

Drew Gulak

Four more names will be announced later.

Overall Rating: B-. The tournament is a good idea as we need a new challenger before Wrestlemania and you can only do so much around here to build up a feud. It should be a fun way to get there as last year’s tournament was great. As long as the work is there and we get a surprise (Kushida for example), everything is going to be fine.

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

To the WWE Network, which launched five years ago. That’s incredibly appropriate as I’m using it to watch the fifth year anniversary of Smackdown. The Network really is the greatest gift imaginable for a wrestling fan and there is very little that will ever come close to its level of awesomeness. There is practically something new almost every day and with Wrestlemania for $10, what else can you ever want?

IMG Credit: WWE

Worlds Collide
Date: February 2, 2019
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton

So this is something interesting as WWE is trying a new idea. This is a tournament made up of a bunch of wrestlers from different shows with the winners getting to face the champion of their choice on any of the three brands included (NXT, NXT UK, 205 Live). We could be in for some good wrestling here as the fifteen (yes fifteen) names included are rather talented. Let’s get to it.

Now this is going to be a little bit different as the special that aired on the Network only included the later rounds. WWE also aired the preliminary rounds on YouTube so I’m including them as a bonus. I’m just a nice guy that way you see.

The format was pretty simple here: there was a fifteen man battle royal with the winner advancing to the second round. The battle royal, the semifinals and finals will air on the Network. In something that won’t matter much, the order of eliminations for the battle royal determined the brackets for the first round, but I don’t think that’s really even worth mentioning when we get to the actual matches.

First Round: Mark Andrews (NXT UK) vs. Drew Gulak (205 Live)

Drew calls Mark a stupid kid as the announcers recap the concept. The exchange of headscissors results in Andrews flipping to his feet and it’s an early standoff. A wristlock puts Andrews down for the first time so he flips up again as we get to a second standoff. The announcers spoil the battle royal results, as we now have no reason to watch the future match from the past that determines the present.

Gulak takes it back to the mat, this time with Andrews getting the better of his leg. A test of strength has Andrews down on the mat and it’s time to pull on the arm. Back up and Gulak talks some trash as they chop it out. Andrews knocks him down and hits a standing Whisper in the Wind for two. The Gulock is countered into a rollup for two and we hit the pinfall reversal sequence. They run the ropes with Andrews trying a leapfrog but getting pulled down into a sunset flip for the pin at 8:29.

Rating: D+. This was an awkward match as it felt like they were trying to fill in time with whatever basic stuff they could do. It’s not like they didn’t have chemistry but it wasn’t anything worth seeing, save for Andrews’ flips. I guess we can just chalk this one up to an off night for both guys, which happens to everyone.

First Round: Travis Banks (NXT UK) vs. Keith Lee (NXT)

The much larger Lee offers Banks a shot so it’s off to some kicks to the leg. Lee starts chopping away and LAUNCHES Banks across the ring to take over for the first time. A running splash in the corner gets two but Banks is right back with a dropkick. Lee gets sent into the corner, setting up a middle rope double stomp to the back. They head outside for a suicide dive but a second attempt is pulled out of the air because Lee is that strong. Back in and Banks slips out of a huge powerbomb but it’s the Supernova to finish Banks at 4:50.

Rating: C-. I liked this one better than the previous one as Lee is that much more entertaining. With the right push, he could be a huge star for NXT in a hurry, just due to pure athleticism and charisma. Banks is another talented guy who can’t seem to catch a break, though he’s going to be around NXT UK for the time being.

First Round: Adam Cole (NXT) vs. Shane Thorne (NXT)

Feeling out process to start with Cole working on a waistlock but not being able to get very far. Cole takes him into the corner for a clean break and ADAM COLE BAY BAY! A headlock takes Thorne down, with Cole telling him that it’s the Adam Cole Invitational. Thorne fights up and kicks him to the floor, which really isn’t approved of by the crowd. The arm gets bent around the post, followed by a regular wristlock back inside. Thorne goes with stomping to keep Cole in trouble, much to the fans’ annoyance.

It’s already back to the arm though as the annoyance didn’t last very long. A knee to the shoulder sets up another armbar until Cole fights up and hits a kick out of the corner. Some elbows to the face give Cole two and a running boot to the face gets the same. The Last Shot misses though and a belly to back gives Thorne two of his own. Another attempt at an armbar gets them both sent outside for a double crash. Back in and Cole superkicks him out of the air, setting up the Last Shot for the pin at 11:10.

Rating: C+. Thorne has impressed me in his few outings since the Mighty broke up and that’s a good sign for his future. If he can keep that up, there’s a very nice future for him either in NXT or on the main roster. At the same time, Cole gets to show that he can wrestle a nice match with some time, meaning he’s not just a rather good talker. Nice little surprise here.

First Round: TJP (205 Live) vs. Dominik Dijakovic (NXT)

Dijakovic throws him down with raw power to start as we get a pretty week TJ chant. We get some arm work from Dijakovic but the much smaller TJP spins up into an anklescissors for the break. For some reason he tries a crossbody so Dijakovic casually tosses him around in a nice power display. The chinlock with a knee in the back keeps TJP in trouble for as long as you would expect until the escape lets TJP wrench Dijakovic’s arm. A pretty hard clothesline with the good arm gives Dijakovic two and it’s right back to the chinlock.

That’s broken up again and this time Dijakovic misses a running boot in the corner. That means a one legged Tree of Woe and a running dropkick from TJP, followed by a top rope hurricanrana for two. A bunch of spins set up an STF and then a Regal Stretch to really pull on the arm. Dijakovic grabs the rope, followed by a sitout chokeslam for a close two. Trash talk just gets Dijakovic caught in a cross armbreaker but that’s countered into Feast Your Eyes to give Dijakovic the clean pin at 9:00.

Rating: B. This was actually a very well put together match with power vs. speed, which is about as basic of a wrestling match as you can get. TJP is so smooth in the ring and can move around like few others, making for a very entertaining match. Dijakovic is a power guy and that’s a role that is going to keep him around for a long time. I was very impressed here and this was a great time.

First Round: Cedric Alexander (205 Live) vs. Tyler Bate (NXT UK)

That’s certainly an interesting pairing. The fans like both these guys and we get an early handshake. Bate spins out of a wristlock but gets taken down by the leg. A leglock keeps Bate down for a bit until they go to a test of strength and bridge up from their backs at the same time. That means a BOTH THESE GUYS chant, which gets cut off as Bate takes over with a crossarm choke. Bate is right back on the arm but Alexander pops up again as neither has had a serious advantage yet. A cartwheel gets Bate out of an anklescissors but the airplane spin doesn’t last long.

Instead Alexander kicks him in the head for two and it’s off to a waistlock for a bit. Back up and a nice dropkick gives Alexander two more and it’s time to slug it out. Bate gets in a kneelift and the airplane spin works this time, including a pop up uppercut for two. A Michinoku Driver gives Alexander the same and they trade more right hands. The Spanish Fly gets two more on Bate so he kicks Alexander in the head. That’s enough to set up the Tyler Driver 97 for the pin at 10:37.

Rating: B-. Another good match here with Bate getting to showcase himself against someone else probably too talented (in the ring at least) for the show he’s on. There’s no secret that Bate is going to be a big star when he eventually becomes a full time main roster member (you know he and Dunne are coming there one day) and having him get wins like this show how ready he is for there.

First Round: Tony Nese (205 Live) vs. Velveteen Dream (NXT)

Remember how I said the previous matches could be interesting? I’m not so sure with this one. Dream goes for the arm to start (my goodness come up with something new) but Nese reverses into an armbar of his own. This time Dream spins out and stares at Nese, who isn’t sure what to make of things.

Back up and Nese hides in the corner, drawing some of the louder booing of the night. A big kick misses Dream so Nese poses at him instead. Dream’s dropkick hits the arm to send Nese to the floor and that means a top rope ax handle. Back in and Nese catches him with a fireman’s carry gutbuster to put Dream in real trouble for the first time. A hard kick to the ribs keeps Dream down but hang on, because Nese needs to do some pushups.

The springboard Lionsault misses though and Dream comes back with shots to the face, followed by a running clothesline. The big boot into a legdrop gives Dream two but Nese is right back with a hard forearm. Dream kicks him in the face again for a delayed two and they’re both spent. Nese rolls him into the corner, only to charge into a superkick when he tries the running knee. Dream goes up, blocks a top rope superplex attempt, and hits the Purple Rainmaker for the pin at 9:05.

Rating: C. This was one of the more obvious matches of the first round and there’s nothing wrong with that. I liked Dream to win this when I first saw the field and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him win the tournament, as he’s been flirting with the NXT Title for a long time now. Nese was trying, but he was in over his head here.

The announcers recap the tournament, because in addition to not showing the battle royal here, we’re also not showing the last first round match. That is airing on the Network special, because that makes so much perfect sense.

Vic Joseph takes over for Tom Phillips on commentary.

Quarterfinals: Keith Lee (NXT) vs. Adam Cole (NXT)

They lock up to start with Lee swinging him around for a crash, allowing Lee to order Cole to BASK IN HIS GLORY. Cole gets in a single shot and hits his own catchphrase but stops to take a bow, meaning it’s a huge clothesline to drop Cole again. That’s enough for Cole to need a breather on the floor and this time the break seems to work, as Cole takes the knee out to put Lee in trouble. The knee goes around the post and things slow down off a leglock.

A running dropkick to the knee (good looking one too) makes things even worse so Lee headbutts Cole down, as only someone his size can pull off. One heck of a beal sets up a hard running clothesline (Lee shouldn’t be able to do that) but Cole goes to the knee again. A pump kick to the face gets two but Lee is fine enough for a pop up sitout Last Ride (the Spirit Bomb) for two of his own. Just because he can, Lee misses a middle rope moonsault, setting up Cole’s running knee for two more. Lee’s fireman’s carry is broken up and it’s a four straight superkicks into a Shining Wizard to finish Lee at 10:25.

Rating: C. Lee is the kind of guy who is going to be just fine in all of five minutes because he’s that awesome in the ring. That’s a very valuable asset to have as it allows you take a loss like this without that much damage. At the same time, it’s a loss to Cole, who is one of the most over names in NXT.

Quarterfinals: Dominik Dijakovic (NXT) vs. Tyler Bate (NXT UK)

Bate tries his luck in a slugout before going after the arm that was damaged in the previous match. Dijakovic is fine enough to pick him up for some knees to the ribs and a big toss outside. There’s something so cool about seeing someone throw around a grown man like that. A backbreaker sets up a middle rope splash for two on Bate and it’s off to the chinlock. That stays on for a good while until Dijakovic misses the middle rope spinning splash.

Bate manages a hurricanrana to set up the airplane spin into the uppercut for a nice two. Some right hands just make Dijakovic laugh and ask for more, which Bate is happy to give him. Bop and Bang look to set up the Tyler Driver 97 but Dijakovic powers out and connects with a spinning boot to the face. A superplex attempt is broken up and Bate tries a sunset bomb, only to have Dijakovic moonsault to his feet for a superkick. Well of course he can do that. Bate gets sent outside for a suicide dive but Feast Your Eyes is countered into the Tyler Driver 97 for the pin at 9:24.

Rating: B. This was one of those matches that was more impressive than anything else as Dijakovic got to show off some amazing athleticism. Bate is already known as an established star so having him win here makes sense. Dijakovic looked good though and some of the things he was doing were almost hard to believe.

Quarterfinals: Humberto Carrillo (205 Live) vs. Velveteen Dream (NXT)

Carrillo’s first round match wasn’t shown because WWE does some really questionable stuff sometimes. The traditional battle over the wristlocks start things off with Carrillo taking him down into an armbar. Dream’s shoulder just lets Carrillo nip up and flip Dream outside. The threat of a dive is cut off with a clothesline and it’s time for some hip swiveling. A neckbreaker drops Carrillo for two and hey, more swiveling ensues.

The chinlock goes on and for once, the fans cheer for the person grabbing the hold. You don’t see that very often. Carrillo fights up and tries a handspring but Dream dropkicks him in the back for a nice counter. We hit the chinlock for the third time but Carrillo actually fights up and hits a jumping back elbow. A spinning kick to the face looks to set up a springboard, which Dream knocks out to the floor. The dive to the outside only hits barricade though and Carrillo gets in a missile dropkick.

Carrillo’s moonsault hits raised knees and Dream gets two off the wind up DDT. The Purple Rainmaker only hits mat and Dream sits on the mat, allowing Carrillo to get a running start, handspring off the ropes and pick up Dream for a Spanish Fly on the way back. That’s a little more complicated than it needs to be but it looked cool. Carrillo takes too much time going up and gets crotched, meaning it’s the Dream Valley Driver for the pin at 11:23.

Rating: B-. At some point, Carrillo actually has to win something. He’s been very entertaining in almost every match he’s been in but you can only have him lose so many times before it stops mattering. At the same time, Dream continues to be one of the best performers on any show and he’ll be fine anywhere. Well not on the main roster of course but anywhere else.

We’re off to the Network version now with Tom Phillips and Byron Saxton on commentary.

Battle Royal

Tyler Bate, Jordan Devlin, Mark Andrews, Travis Banks, Zack Gibson, Humberto Carrillo, Drew Gulak, Tony Nese, TJP, Cedric Alexander, Velveteen Dream, Dominik Dijakovic, Shane Thorne, Keith Lee, Adam Cole

It’s everyone involved in the tournament with the winner getting a first round by. As in a first round bye to a tournament where we already know several of the semifinalists. The order of the eliminations determine the first round matches. Dream is crazy popular here and it’s a big brawl to start. Carrillo gets knocked to the apron early on and Gibson hits him in the throat for the first elimination. Lee dumps Gibson a few seconds later, followed by Dream getting rid of Alexander.

TJP and Dream have to hang on and Gulak slides back underneath the bottom rope. There’s something annoying yet also necessary about having wrestlers tease eliminations that don’t go anywhere in a battle royal. It’s not entertaining, but you have to sit through this part no matter what. Dijakovic hits a hard clothesline to get rid of Bate and it’s time to gang up on Lee. They all get knocked away so we get the Lee vs. Dijakovic showdown.

Cole breaks that up and it’s Dream dumping Thorne. It’s back to the regular brawling near the ropes with Cole being sent to the apron. TJP’s Wrecking Ball dropkick knocks Cole out and Nese seems to take credit. Lee eliminates Gulak and Dijakovic gets the big spinning toss to put Andrews out. Dijakovic suplexes TJP and Nese at the same time because he hasn’t shown off enough yet. Devlin sends Banks to the apron and kicks the knee out for an elimination.

That’s not enough either as Devlin goes outside and sends Banks knees first into the steps. Dream gets sent over the top again but still won’t be eliminated. TJP follows him to the apron for a slugout as we get the Lee vs. Dijakovic showdown II: This Time They’re Doing Stuff. Dijakovic puts him on the apron and, after Lee fights off a few people, it’s a spinning boot to get rid of him. Everyone else gets rid of Dijakovic, leaving us with Dream, Devlin, Nese and TJP.

It turns into a three on one as Devlin isn’t about to help Dream. Makes sense as they’re on a much lower level than him. Dream fights them off and gets rid of TJP, leaving Devlin to go after Nese. That doesn’t go very well as Nese stomps them both in opposite corners until Dream gets back up. A missed charge lets Dream clothesline Nese out but Devlin hits a dropkick to win at 19:28.

Rating: D+. This was longer than it needed to be but you have to fill in some time before you get to the first round and quarterfinals, which follow the semifinals in this wacky situation. Devlin winning is fine, though I’d question wrestling for twenty minutes to avoid a seven minute first round match.

Charly Caruso explains the tournament. This thing continues to be one of the most amazingly screwed up presentations I’ve ever seen.

First Round: Humberto Carrillo (205 Live) vs. Zack Gibson (NXT UK)

Now this is the ONLY first round match to air on the Network. The matchup itself isn’t anything amazing so the wrestling itself better blow everything else away. Gibson jumps him before the bell and stomps away in the corner after said bell but Carrillo flips him over and starts kicking at the knee. A springboard wristdrag has Gibson in trouble so he goes with a shot to the throat.

It’s off to a chinlock (Gibson: “GIVE UP!”) followed by an armbar suplex and then a second chinlock. Carrillo fights up and hits the handspring elbow, followed by the moonsault into the moonsault for two. Gibson is right back with the Ticket to Ride but Carrillo is right back up with a springboard kick to the face. A handstand springboard moonsault out of the corner finishes Gibson at 6:18.

Rating: C+. I mean, it was good but why in the world was this one on the main show instead of something else? I’m sure there’s no particular reason for it but I’m still confused by almost everything I see on this thing. It’s like they went out of their way to make this all the more confusing, which is so WWE when you think about it.

Recap of the first round. At least they make it a little faster here.

Vic Joseph replaces Tom Phillips.

Quarterfinals: Drew Gulak (205 Live) vs. Jordan Devlin (NXT UK)

The early lockup goes nowhere so they go to a standoff. Drew takes him to the mat but Devlin can actually hang with him there, including a quick chinlock. That’s reversed into something like a forward half crab and a cravate as the crowd is trying to break out of an eerie silence. Back up and a belly to back backbreaker puts Drew in trouble, setting up a seated abdominal stretch to keep him down.

After a rope grab gets two, an argument breaks out over which of the two is cheating. Drew gets the better of the fight and stomps away in the corner, only to have Devlin nail a spinning backfist for the double knockdown. Devlin gets back up and tries a springboard moonsault press, which is countered into a loose Gulock. The break puts both of them down again as this is starting to drag a bit.

A hard clothesline staggers Gulak, who manages to counter a leapfrog into a sunset flip (cool spot) for two. Devlin pulls him up into the hard belly to back and another near fall. That means some trash talk in the corner so Gulak, known as the fair talker, takes Devlin down into an STF/armbar combination for a scary looking hold. That’s broken up as well and Ireland’s Call finishes Gulak in a hurry at 11:43.

Rating: C-. This was a weird one but I can go with the idea of trying something different. You can only go with the same style of a match for so long around here so the heel vs. heel battle of the cheating was a change of pace. It wasn’t the most thrilling thing in the world though, which made this feel a little longer than it should have. Then again it might be just because of how much there has been here, especially in a match between people not likely to win the whole thing.

Just because it has to change again, commentary is now being handled by Nigel McGuinness and Vic Joseph.

Semifinals: Adam Cole vs. Tyler Bate

This could be interesting. They begin with the traditional battle over the wristlock and it’s Bate spinning out ala Johnny Saint, only to have Cole strike his signature pose. Bate dropkicks him to the floor for a breather, allowing Cole to snap him throat first across the top. A neckbreaker looks to set up the Last Shot but Cole just drops down for a chinlock instead. Dang Kevin Owens should be upset over that one. Cole mocks Bate, which has never been the best idea in the world but Cole has a tendency to do some dumb stuff.

Bate makes his comeback with a middle rope elbow and an uppercut for two. An exploder suplex sets up the running shooting star for two on Cole and a small package is good for the same. Cole misses the jumping enziguri and it’s a bridging German suplex for two more. Bate slugs away until a quick brainbuster gives Cole his own near fall, plus the shocked kickout face as a bonus. Bop and Bang is blocked with a superkick but Bate bounces off the ropes with the rebound clothesline. The Tyler Driver 97 finishes Cole at 10:31.

Rating: B-. This was lacking a little bit though what we got was entertaining. As has been the case before, Bate winning matches over names like Cole is a good sign for him, as he’s still growing as a wrestler. That’s going to take some time because he’s so young, but getting in there against people with different styles is a good thing for him. Nice match, though the fans are starting to get burned out and I can’t blame them.

Semifinals: Velveteen Dream (NXT) vs. Jordan Devlin (NXT UK)

Dream is coming in with bad ribs and the fans are all behind him. A feeling out process to start lets Devlin grab a waistlock in a smart move. Dream goes with a shoulder, which only hurts the ribs again. Another shot knocks Devlin outside with Dream following to send Devlin ribs first into the barricade to even things up a bit. Back in and Devlin’s ribs are fine enough for a release Rock Bottom into a standing moonsault but Devlin would rather mock Dream than cover.

A kind of seated abdominal stretch stays on the ribs, followed by a backbreaker for two. The chinlock with a knee in the back goes on but since he doesn’t pay attention or learn from his mistakes, Devlin starts talking more trash and gets punched in the jaw. Dream scores with a spinning top rope ax handle and you can hear the crowd getting back into things. A superkick gets two and Dream hits a high crossbody but Devlin rolls through for his own two.

Devlin gets smart with a Backstabber for two (and a very weak kickout) but the backdrop driver is countered into a quick pinfall reversal sequence. Dream’s wind-up DDT gets two of his own but the ribs give out on the Dream Valley Driver attempt. Now the backdrop driver connects for two and Devlin heads up, only to have his moonsault hit raised knees. Shouldn’t that jar the ribs even more? Anyway the Dream Valley Driver sets up the Purple Rainmaker to send Dream to the finals at 12:23.

Rating: C+. You can really feel things dragging here and that’s understandable. The ribs story worked well here with Dream selling well and Devlin being too cocky to just go for the cover, allowing the more experienced and better Dream to make his comeback. It’s a good match, but this thing needs to end and soon.

Worlds Collide Tournament Finals: Tyler Bate (NXT UK) vs. Velveteen Dream (NXT)

Dream’s ribs are even more injured this time around and we get Big Match Intros, which are understandable here. Say it with me: they fight over a wristlock to start (a headlock isn’t too much to ask) with Bate spinning around to escape and striking a pose. Dream bails to the floor for a bit as the fans are actually split for a change. It’s almost weird hearing a crowd not entirely behind Dream. Bate goes with the obvious and drives shoulders into the ribs in the corner, followed by elbows to the ribs. You can’t fault the logic.

Something like an abdominal claw and then a more traditional abdominal stretch keep Dream in trouble until of course he powers up enough for a hiptoss escape. Bate is calm enough to go back to the ribs with a bodyscissors but Dream reverses with a slam. Since he won’t have many chances here, Dream goes up top for the Purple Rainmaker, only to get caught and slammed down for two. A German suplex sets up a waistlock as you would think Bate would go for something a little bigger already.

Dream gets in a knee lift for a breather and scores with a clothesline, followed by a heck of a backdrop with Bate taking one of the longest bumps I’ve ever seen. A superkick into a Fameasser gets two and Dream rolls through into a Dream Valley Driver for another near fall as things are picking up. Another shot to the ribs sets up the Tyler Driver 97 for two and that should sum up the ending from here. Bate goes with a Liontamer of all things (smart) and then into a regular Boston crab (not as smart, but still smart).

Rating: B. And that, finally, is that. Dream winning makes the most sense as he was the biggest star on the show. The problem here is that we just saw a match with him dealing with bad ribs against Devlin so the story didn’t have the same impact. It’s a better match because Bate is a better opponent but it really came too late and was only good as opposed to great.

Bate and Dream pose to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This one depends on if you watched the first half or just the Network version. The Network version is better but feels incomplete (because it is) though the whole thing is WAY too long at just shy of four hours. The wrestling is pretty good throughout but there’s no instant classic or anything. That’s too long for a bunch of midcarders in a tournament and the weird structure of the shows made it worse. It’s fine for background noise if you’re completely out of stuff to watch, but it’s not worth the time to sit down and 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/

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