IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: September 26, 2019
Location: Chase Center, San Francisco, California
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Dio Maddin, Mickie James

It’s the lamest of lame duck shows as we are less than a week away from everything changing (again). This is one of those rare weeks where both shows are in the same city, which doesn’t have anything to do with what to expect here but it’s not like there is anything else to talk about. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Titus O’Neil/Heath Slater vs. Eric Young/Mojo Rawley

Slater takes Rawley down to start but gets sent into the corner with raw power. A Young distraction lets Rawley blast him in the face though and it’s Young coming in to take over in the corner. That means it’s time for the chinlock from Rawley, which is broken up in short order. Titus comes in to clean house and catches (not really) Young off the middle rope for the Clash of the Titus (or more like a terrible spinebuster) for the pin at 3:54. How do you botch the ONE MOVE THAT YOU HAVE???

Rating: D-. The whole match had one big move with the Clash of the Titus and they managed to screw that up. Titus is someone who has earned all of the respect in the world for his charity work and positive attitude but my goodness he is not that good in the ring. I feel bad for Young (yes really) because he deserves better than what he is getting.

Hell in a Cell rundown as WWE tries to remember that the show exists.

We see the end of the fatal five way with Rey Mysterio becoming #1 contender to the Universal Title.

From Raw.

Seth Rollins vs. Braun Strowman

Non-title. Strowman starts fast by running Rollins over with the referee having to check on him. Rollins gets knocked to the floor in a heap and we take a break. Back with Rollins fighting out of a bearhug and dropkicking the knee. The Pedigree is easily broken up and Rollins bails to the floor.

For once Rollins is smart enough to avoid the charging Strowman by jumping over the barricade, though Strowman is fine enough to throw him down anyway. Back in and Strowman charges into some boots in the corner and then the post for a bonus. Seth wraps the leg around the post and hits a pair of frog splashes for two.

A suicide dive doesn’t knock Strowman down so Rollins hits a second to take him down. For some reason Rollins tries a third and stumbles a bit, allowing Strowman to chokeslam him onto the apron. The running powerslam hits on the floor so Strowman loads up another one in the ring….and there go the lights. They come back on with Strowman in the Fiend’s Mandible Claw for the DQ at 12:30.

Rating: C+. I liked what we got well enough and I’ll take Strowman winning via DQ and getting knocked out over Rollins pinning him again and taking away even more of Strowman’s status. The Fiend interference isn’t shocking but that doesn’t make it a bad idea, as taking out someone like Strowman is a little more impressive for him.

Post match Strowman is out as Rollins cowers in the corner, even screaming a bit as the Fiend crawls to him. Strowman gets up so Fiend claws him down again and glares a lot as the lights go out to end the show with more laughter.

Video on Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens.

Here are Shane McMahon and a bunch of lawyers to deal with Kevin Owens’ lawsuit. Now, Shane can fight this in court and use his resources to ruin Owens’ life. Or Owens can drop the lawsuit and be reinstated, with Shane getting rid of the $100,000 fine as well. Shane offers him a handshake but Owens calls him an idiot.

The idea of the lawsuit makes him sick because Owens wants Shane out of the locker room period. That’s what everyone has wanted for so long: seeing Shane get fired. Owens wants one final match: career vs. career and let’s make it a ladder match. For some reason Shane’s mic is cut off but he says you’re on. No date is given.

Zack Ryder vs. Cesaro

Cesaro is in regular pants again as Ryder fights out of a waistlock early on. The offer of a handshake earns Ryder a kick to the ribs but he’s right back with a flapjack. Cesaro sends him to the apron and then out to the floor as we take a break. Back with Ryder fighting out of a chinlock (well duh) so Cesaro drops an elbow to keep him down. That means another broken chinlock but Ryder fights up with a neckbreaker. The Broski Boot gets two but Cesaro uppercuts him out of the air for two more. A few rollups give Ryder a few twos of his own until a thumb to the eye sets up the Neuralizer to give Cesaro the pin at 8:11.

Rating: C-. This could have been a lot worse with Ryder working hard to make this work. There wasn’t any doubt about who was going to win because Ryder doesn’t win matches anywhere and Cesaro is only allowed to win nothing matches, but at least he was trying, which is more than some people do around here.

We look at Kofi Kingston accepting Brock Lesnar’s challenge for the FOX debut and getting laid out as a result.

Video on Erick Rowan and Luke Harper’s path of rage.

From Smackdown.

Daniel Bryan vs. Erick Rowan

Bryan goes right for him to start but gets knocked outside for a crossbody. Back in and Rowan hits a spinning kick to the face and we take an early break. We come back with Bryan getting powerbombed into the post and having to dive back inside to beat the count. A dropkick to the leg takes Rowan down though and Bryan wraps the knee around the post few times.

Another dropkick sends the knee into the post but Rowan is fine enough to catch him in something close to a Jackhammer for two. The bearhug works on Bryan’s back and a jackknife gets two more. We take another break and come back again with Bryan reversing a powerbomb attempt into a sunset flip for two and sending Bryan outside. The suicide dive is blocked so Bryan posts him instead, setting up the missile dropkick to the back.

It’s full on face mode Bryan as he kicks away to the shoulder and the big one actually connects to the head for once….and one. The Iron Claw is countered into a guillotine choke and then the LeBell Lock draws in Luke Harper for the distraction. Bryan dives onto him as well but Harper pops up, allowing Rowan to pull Bryan over the top with the Iron Claw, but Bryan’s foot gets tied in the rope for one of those accidents you can only get in wrestling. Everyone gets together to get Bryan out of the ropes so another Iron Claw can give Rowan he pin at 17:58.

Rating: C+. Rowan is getting a rather strong push at the moment and that’s something you don’t see very often. Sometimes you just need to do something new and pushing the Bludgeon Brothers as main event monsters is an idea that could go somewhere. I like what we’ve seen so far and the tag match should be pretty good.

Post match Harper and Rowan load up the table but it’s Roman Reigns coming out for the save. The brawl continues with Bryan getting back into it and hitting the running knee on Harper. Reigns spears Rowan down and the good guys stand tall. Bryan seems to have hurt his leg on the running knee (could be due to the rope thing) but slaps Reigns’ hand away as he tries to offer some help. Bryan grabs a mic and issues the challenge for the tag match, presumably for next week. The fans give that quite the YES.

Overall Rating: D+. Yeah there’s no hiding the fact that this week was all about setting up next week and that is fine enough. Next week is all going to be as big as it gets and there is no reason to really try anything as we get close to what matters. The wrestling was the usual fare and as usual, meant nothing here, but as unusual, nothing meant anything here and it’s another Main Event that served little purpose.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: September 24, 2019
Location: Chase Center, San Francisco, California
Commentators: Dio Maddin, Aiden English, Vic Joseph

It’s the final Tuesday show as next week will see everything moving over to Friday with Smackdown. It would be nice if that meant we were getting something special, though I would assume it’s going to be something we’ve seen before. Hopefully the show has some energy, as their slower episodes can make for a rough sit. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the returning Lio Rush becoming the new #1 contender by defeating Oney Lorcan on the first live NXT.

Drew Gulak isn’t surprised by having to face another ghost from his past because that’s what happens when you’re Cruiserweight Champion. Rush will learn just like everyone else: he is prepared for everything. Just ask Lorcan, who will learn it again in tonight’s main event. Lorcan refuses to learn, so Rush better be watching.

The Singh Brothers are sad to see cousins fight tonight but insist that nothing could ever come between them. Soon, they’ll be back in the ring to prove that it is lights, camera and Bollywood action.

Opening sequence.

Angel Garza vs. Humberto Carrillo

Battle of the cousins and, I kid you not, they are fighting because it was Garza’s birthday yesterday and Carrillo only sent him a message on social media instead of calling him or saying it in person. Feeling out process to start with Garza headlocking him down as we hear about what English wanted to get Carrillo for his birthday. Garza flips out of an armbar and takes him down by the leg as they’re staying on the mat to start.

English is still going on, talking about all the copies of WWE2K20 he needs to get Carrillo, along with big screen TVs and the best sound system (this is after sports cars, Browns tickets and various other things as the gag is getting some time). Carrillo jumps over him and Garza to flip out of a springboard armdrag and the fans applaud. Garza drops to a knee and offers a handshake, plus a huge grin. That’s kicked away but STOP, because GARZA NEEDS TO TAKE OFF HIS PANTS! English: “Somewhere Nigel McGuinness just fainted!”

Carrillo gets sent outside for a middle rope moonsault as we hear about Garza’s pants being weighted, meaning he’s taking off his limitations. Another shot to the face keeps Carrillo down on the floor but Garza gets smart by letting him get back inside for a dropkick to the knee. With that out of the way, we hit the arm trap chinlock, followed by a hard dropkick for two more. The chinlock goes on again but this time Garza fights up for a springboard armdrag.

A moonsault gets two and there’s the big flip dive to the floor. Back in and the great looking missile dropkick connects for Carrillo and he’s starting to get fired up by these near falls. That’s cut off by a good crotching though and a dropkick to the ribs gives Garza two of his own. An elbow to the face gives Carrillo two and now it’s frustration time.

We go very lucha with a Rocking Horse but Garza reverses into one of his own for some mind games. That’s broken up and they both try the crossbody, meaning it’s another double knockdown. Garza slams him down on the back of his head and a good looking Lionsault gets two more. That’s enough for Carrillo, who kicks him down and hits the Aztec Press for the pin at 13:49.

Rating: B-. The action was good as you can tell they know each other but the best part was English fawning over Carrillo to such a level that it became hilarious. Dio and Vic were having nothing to do with it and the man crush is really becoming one of the best current gags in WWE. Both of these guys looked good here and I could go for more of either of them.

We look back at Brian Kendrick snapping and turning on his partner Akira Tozawa and Jack Gallagher last week.

Kendrick says he did it because of the epidemic consuming 205 Live. That would be the epidemic of disrespect towards veterans like him, because they forget he opened the door for everyone here. What upsets Kendrick the most is that he hasn’t had a title match in three years like some kind of new guy who has to earn his stripes. Tozawa is infected like the rest of them so he had to do something about it. Now, Tozawa can learn what respect looks like.

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Tony Nese/Drew Gulak

Burch and Gulak start things off with the former grabbing a headlock. That means a few headlock takeovers until Gulak gets smart with a headscissors to escape. That’s reversed into another headlock as they’re not exactly going at a fast pace to start. With that not working, they do the same thing with another headlock on Gulak. Thankfully it’s off to Lorcan for a change, or at least half of a double Russian legsweep so Burch can get two.

A double suplex gives Lorcan two and it’s off to a front facelock. Nese offers a distraction though and Gulak is able to knock Burch into the corner to take over. We hit the neck crank for a bit but it’s off to Lorcan for some running shots in the corner. Nese runs him over in a hurry and gets two off his own Lionsault. It’s back to Gulak, who mocks Lorcan for not being able to tag to Burch, which I’m sure will cause no future problems whatsoever.

The chinlock goes on for a few moments, followed by a double belly to back suplex for two more. Lorcan finally gets up and sends Gulak outside, only to have Nese pull Burch to the floor. As you probably guessed, the hot tag goes through a few seconds later and it’s time to clean some house. Everything breaks down and Lorcan hits the running Blockbuster on Gulak, setting up the half crab.

Burch Crossfaces Nese at the same time until Gulak kicks Lorcan away for the break. What looked to be the Doomsday European uppercut is broken up as well and Nese hits a 450 for two on Burch, with Lorcan making the save. Burch headbutts Nese down and it’s time to scream a lot. Now the Doomsday European uppercut can connect for two in quite the surprising near fall. With Nese still rocked, the elevated assisted DDT finishes him off at 14:24.

Rating: C+. Another rather good one here as Burch and Lorcan are a strong team who can be brought in for whatever you want them to do. I’m curious to see where they’re going here as Rush hasn’t been around for the last two shows and they’re still seemingly setting up Lorcan vs. Gulak. We just did a triple threat match so I’m not sure how we’re moving forward.

Burch and Lorcan do their Ultimate Warrior tribute to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. Well they did go out with a solid show, which is as positive as you can get around here. Both matches were rather good and the Kendrick explanation was more than fine. I still don’t know if this show needs to exist and having it at 10pm on a Friday is something Impact thought was a good idea. At least we had a good show this week, and that is the case more often than not around here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

It’s the first of three.So since Smackdown is moving to FOX next week, the network is showcasing some of WWE’s best, including this self explanatory special.  This was basically a big look back at the biggest names in the show’s history, whether they’re a possibility for next week’s show or not.  I can get the idea there, but that sounds like setting up some lofty goals.

The show was a great trip down memory lane with almost every major moment in the show’s history you could ask for getting either a full look or a quick highlight.  If you’re a longtime fan, it’s a great way to see what you’re getting into.  If you’re a new fan, it might have been a little much as there was little context to the show, other than what hosts The Miz and Charlotte offered.  It doesn’t help that most of these people won’t be there next week, but they were trying.

That’s the key to the whole thing: FOX is trying and putting an effort in with WWE.  That isn’t something they do for just anyone and it’s great to see WWE getting a chance to really make a big splash with the move.  Starting with history and highlights is a great idea though as WWE knows how to do them as well as anyone else has ever done.

This is being replayed a few times on Fox Sports 1 and i you have 45 minutes to kill and want very little from the modern show, check it out as the flashbacks are worth it if nothing else.

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: September 19, 2019
Location: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee
Commentators: Renee Young, Byron Saxton, Dio Maddin

It’s time for another incredible use of an hour as I have no idea what to expect from this show. Things aren’t the most interesting at the moment as we’re just off of Clash of Champions and on the way to Hell in a Cell, meaning the rapid fire turnover continues. That could mean anything around here, so 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 Titantrong.

Opening sequence.

Mojo Rawley vs. No Way Jose

Well at least it isn’t Brooke and Logan. Rawley throws him around to start but Jose hits a dropkick in the corner. A trip to the floor lets Rawley clear his head and he drops Jose throat first across the top to take over. Jose’s discus forearm starts the comeback and a clothesline out of the corner puts Mojo down. The high crossbody gets two but Jose misses a charge into the corner, setting up the Alabama Slam to give Rawley the pin at 4:42.

Rating: C-. Jose was trying here, as tends to be the case, but what are you expecting when you’re against Rawley? I’ve always liked Rawley but this heel stuff has been a nightmare since day one. There’s nothing to him and I have no idea what they see in him from this style. The Hype Man wasn’t great but it was a lot better than this.

We see a few seconds of Baron Corbin beating Chad Gable to become King of the Ring.

Clip of Gable taking out Corbin on Smackdown and destroying the throne and robe.

Clip of Sasha Banks and Bayley taking out Nikki Cross until Becky Lynch made the save. This set up Banks vs. Lynch in the Cell for the title.

From Smackdown.

Kevin Owens arrives and sits in the crowd. Shane McMahon is on his way to the ring to deal with this but gets served with papers. Shane isn’t happy with them and goes to the ring without saying anything.

Post break here’s Shane, with the papers, in the arena. He calls out some security but tells Owens to come into the ring. Security is ready but Shane tells Owens to come in and has security leave (Then why have them in the first place?). The papers are the largest wrongful termination lawsuit in history, saying that if he is fired, he will receive $25 million.

They argue over the merits of the case, with Owens saying that Shawn fined him for attacking Elias when Elias was serving as a referee. Then Shane did the same thing to him last week, after Owens swallowed his pride and tried to get rid of the initial fine. Owens knows that he needs to hit Shane in the wallet, which is what he is going to do. With this case, he’ll be able to tell Shane that he is fired for a change. You know what might make Smackdown better? Not arguing over money and lawsuits all the time.

Video on Ricochet.

We look back at Luke Harper returning to take out Roman Reigns at Clash of Champions.

From Smackdown.

Here’s Daniel Bryan for a chat. He hears the DANIEL BRYAN chants but points out that a lot of those same people were accusing him of being behind the attacks on Reigns. Bryan may be a lot of things, but he is not a liar. Rowan is still his friend, and here he is in person. Rowan doesn’t like what Daniel is saying, because it was always about Bryan. It makes Rowan feel disrespected so Bryan tells him to do something about it.

Cue Luke Harper to jump Bryan from behind and the beatdown is on. Roman Reigns comes out for the save but gets beaten down as well, including a powerbomb against the post. Security gets taken out and the announcers’ table is loaded up. A double spinebuster through the table destroys Bryan to end the show.

Lucha House Party vs. EC3/Eric Young

Kalisto/Gran Metalik for the House Party here and I still love EC3’s entrance. Young headlocks Metalik to start but the flipping is on in a hurry. The rope walk high crossbody gives Metalik two and it’s off to Kalisto for the rolling kick to the head. There are the double dives and we take a break. Back with everything breaking down and Metalik flip diving onto EC3. The Salida Del Sol finishes Young at 5:24. Not enough shown to rate but they chopped the heck out of this one as it ran about seven minutes live.

Stills of Kofi Kingston retaining the Smackdown World Title at Clash Of Champions.

From Smackdown (again).

Post match here are Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar with Heyman doing his intro and Lesnar making him get in the ring to say it. Lesnar is here to stand in the way of Kofi’s title reign because it’s a bad day for the New Day, yes it is. The challenge is made for October 4 on the first Smackdown on FOX. Kofi accepts because he’s not that bright at times. The ensuing F5 seems to back that up. Yeah Lesnar is winning the title and as annoying as it is, I get why they’re going that way.

Stills of Seth Rollins retaining the Universal Title over Braun Strowman at Clash and getting beaten down by the Fiend after.

From Raw.

Seth Rollins vs. Robert Roode

Non-title and Dolph Ziggler is here with Roode. Feeling out process to start with Roode armdragging him into an armbar. That lasts as long as any average armbar and Roode hits him in the ribs to take over. Roode knocks him off the barricade so Ziggler can get in a cheap shot and we take a break.

Back with Roode still on the ribs before sending Seth outside. This time Ziggler’s interference is cut off with a superkick and the comeback is on. The springboard knee misses but so does Roode’s spinebuster. That means Rollins can hit a Falcon Arrow for two, followed by the Buckle Bomb. The Stomp looks to finish but Ziggler comes in for the DQ at 10:25.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here as Ziggler just won’t go away and kept popping in here, despite not being the most intriguing presence in the world. I can appreciate not having a new champion lose though, even if it’s to the World Champion. Just don’t let Ziggler and Roode (or at least Ziggler) around Rollins much longer and things should be fine.

Post break the OC comes in for the 5-1 beatdown but Kane (in full gear and mask) of all people makes the save to a huge pop. Chokeslams abound as I try to imagine masked Kane without hair. There is something amusing about the costume coming complete with a huge wig….and there go the lights. The Fiend is here and it’s a Mandible Claw to Kane. Fiend crawls over to Rollins and a minute long Firefly Fun House logo, with the colors changing, the graphic going upside down and the voice sounding rather evil, ends the show. Good ending, with the mind games and evil continuing.

Overall Rating: D. Another week and another bleh Main Event with nothing of note and the original matches being even worse than usual. It didn’t help that the regular TV shows were pretty bad this week, leaving us without many highlights. We did however manage to get in the Shane McMahon segment instead of any significant part of the King of the Ring though, because WWE knows its priorities.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: September 17, 2019
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Dio Maddin, Vic Joseph, Aiden English

Things might be starting to wrap up around here as the show’s future isn’t clear due to Smackdown moving to Fridays. There is a chance that 205 Live continues there, but HHH has made it clear that the show is going to be more integrated into NXT, as it should have been all along. I’m not sure what to expect here, but we do need a new #1 contender. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Sunday’s Cruiserweight Title match with Drew Gulak retaining the title over Humberto Carrillo and Lince Dorado.

Opening sequence.

Lince Dorado vs. Ariya Daivari

Daivari talks trash to him to start, saying that he could have made Dorado champion. Dorado sends him outside for a pair of dives to start and there’s a running hurricanrana off the barricade to make it worse. Back in and Dorado has to bail out of the shooting star press but the knee is banged up to let Daivari take over.

The chinlock goes on but the knee is fine enough for a springboard spinning crossbody for two on Daivari. Dorado’s comeback is countered into a quickly broken sleeper so a springboard backflip kick to the head puts Daivari down. A high crossbody gives Dorado two but Daivari crotches him on top. The Iconoclasm gives Daivari his own two but Dorado is back up with a superkick.

Two Super Crazy style moonsaults connect until Daivari grabs a Rock Bottom for two more. The hammerlock lariat is countered and they trade some rollups for two each. Daivari gets the better of a slugout and puts him on top, which just seems like a bad idea. The superplex attempt is broken up and it’s the shooting star press to give Dorado the pin at 12:16.

Rating: C+. These two went back and forth and it was entertaining enough. Daivari has gotten that much better just because he isn’t talking all the time or being the standard rich heel. It seems that the story between these two is done as there is no reason for them to keep fighting, but that has never stopped things around here before.

We recap Tony Nese snapping on Oney Lorcan a few weeks back, setting up their match tonight.

Lorcan promises to hurt Nese worse tonight. Then he’s coming for the Cruiserweight Title again.

Jack Gallagher vs. Brian Kendrick

During the entrances, Kendrick says he’s been looking forward to showing Gallagher what respect looks like. Gallagher takes him to the mat for some early arm bending, until Kendrick winds up on top for two. Back up and Gallagher does his handstand in the corner to stop Kendrick again and they head outside with Kendrick being whipped into the barricade. Gallagher wants Tozawa gone….and there’s a kendo stick shot to the back to disqualify Kendrick at 3:05.

Rating: D+. Well that….kind of happened. I’d assume this sets up a No DQ rematch next week on what could be the last show, which makes sense as this story has been building up for a long time now. It’s a rather understated feud but it’s certainly there, so maybe we can get something out of it to wrap things up nicely.

Post match Kendrick beats on Gallagher with the stick and even chokes him with it. Tozawa breaks it u but Kendrick beats him down with the stick as well.

Humberto Carrillo says he’ll get another chance and win the Cruiserweight Title.

Oney Lorcan vs. Tony Nese

They go straight to the slugout on the mat until Lorcan forearms him in the back to take over. Right hands in the corner have Nese in more trouble and they head outside. Nese is fine enough to send him into the barricade, followed by a slam through the announcers’ table. After a dive to beat the count back in, Lorcan gets kicked in the face for two.

A hard whip into the corner gets the same and it’s a one armed delayed suplex to stay on the back. We hit the bodyscissors, followed by a shot to Lorcan’s throat. Nese misses a springboard though and Lorcan snaps off some chops. The running Blockbuster puts Nese on the floor and Lorcan sends him hard into the barricade.

That works so well that Lorcan does it again and throws Nese back in for a rather hard clothesline. The pumphandle slam and half and half are both countered, with Nese hitting a double stomp to the chest for two. Lorcan slips out of the sunset driver and a running uppercut puts Nese on the floor again. Hold on though as here’s Drew Gulak for a distraction, allowing Nese to roll Lorcan up and grab some trunks for the pin at 15:22.

Rating: C+. Nese and Gulak being back together isn’t the most thrilling story in the world, though they are at least suggesting that it’s a ruse by Nese to get closer to Gulak and get the title back. I’m not exactly waiting to see what is going on for Tony Nese and Lorcan losing again doesn’t instill me with confidence. Fine enough match, but there was a firm ceiling on the amount of interest.

Overall Rating: C. If 205 Live is coming to an end after this month, I really don’t think I’ll mind all that much. The show can be outstanding at times, but how often is it something like this, where it’s just a match that comes and goes with nothing all that great to the whole thing? It’s still an entertaining enough show, but it’s the kind of show that I wouldn’t miss most weeks. With so many other big things going on, a very minor league show with a hit and miss record isn’t the most interesting thing. I’ll watch it as long as it’s around, but they need to find something a little more thrilling than what they have right now.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

You know I’m not one to talk for a long time about something.

Since I didn’t do Wrestlemania this year and I’m flying to Survivor Series in November, a road trip was in order so I drove the six and a half hours to Charlotte for this one. That’s probably too far but I’m catching Raw in Knoxville tomorrow as a bonus. The card isn’t my favorite of the year as it’s suddenly ALL about the titles, which isn’t the most original idea, but it’s something anyone can get behind.

The show was listed at starting at 6:30 but it got going about five minutes early. The parking lot was very easy to get to and Google Maps can save you on the rather complicated Charlotte roads at night with heavy traffic. It’s a rather nice arena and easy to navigate, which is always a plus for something like this.

There wasn’t much to get invested in early in the show. Cedric Alexander got a great hometown pop and you could see how much it meant to him to be in his hometown. Some of those near falls on AJ had me and I was expecting the Viking Raiders to come out for the save.

Due to a combination of boring nothingness and the show just not leaving much of an impact, we’ll move to Lynch vs. Banks, which was a heck of a fight, though the annual coincidence of the big feud going into a brawl that NEEDS the Cell every September/October is getting to be a little too much to take. Anyway, it’s clear where it’s going and that’s fine.

I was actually surprised when Orton lost and now….I’m not sure where Kofi goes. I’m sure they’ll find a way to do another match, even though Kofi just pinned him completely clean. The match was long but the fans were rather into the ending with Kofi surviving the RKO. I still think LESNAR SMASH is coming though and that’s not good for anyone.

Harper returning to save Rowan was interesting, though I didn’t recognize him at first. Still though, a cool moment and Reigns/Bryan vs. the Bludgeon Brothers is…..I’ll get back to you on that. This needed to be shorter though and it didn’t work like they wanted it to. At least Rowan won though.

Braun Strowman loses in the World Title match again. Just…..why would this be a surprise anymore? That’s what he does no matter what and it’s getting to the point where I don’t care what he does. Strowman has hit a ceiling and he isn’t going to get around it.

Oh and the Fiend is awesome with the mask looking even creepier in person. The fans were leaving when the lights went out and everyone got interested when they knew what was coming.

The review will be up….sometime this week, as I likely won’t be able to get much in on Monday as I’m traveling and making a stop on the way to Knoxville. Tuesday is a shorter travel day but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get it in before Smackdown. Raw could be a few days later as I’ll be trying to catch up and do the live stuff. I’m sorry for the delays but there isn’t much of a way around them in a situation like this.

KB

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: September 12, 2019
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Commentators: Renee Young, Byron Saxton, Dio Maddin

We’re in a special place this week and I’m not sure what that is going to mean for this show. Raw was rather great and Smackdown was terrible so I’m not sure what to expect. You know it’s going to include Dana Brooke and Sarah Logan though, because they have become the soul of Main Event. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dana Brooke/Sarah Logan vs. IIconics

I….sure why not. The IIconics say it makes sense to have them here in the world’s most iconic arena. Billie rolls over Logan to start and strikes the pose as we take a very early break. Back with Peyton coming in for the bulldog onto Billie’s knee but Sarah kicks her away. A missed elbow allows for the diving tag to Dana as everything breaks down. The handspring elbow hits Logan though and it’s the knee to Dana’s head for the pin at 5:58. Not enough shown to rate but they’re trying to make a story out of Logan and Brooke so….yeah I don’t believe it either.

Video on Bayley turning heel last week and joining Sasha Banks.

From Raw.

Bayley/Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte/Becky Lynch

Charlotte and Becky are ticked about having to team with each other so they charge to the floor to start the fight in a hurry. Charlotte gets sent into the barricade and it’s Becky getting double teamed before the bell. Charlotte clears the ring with a chair and we take a break before the match starts. Back with the bell ringing (thank you) with Banks bailing instead of having to face Becky. That’s fine with Becky, who sends Bayley into the barricade and hands it off to Charlotte to keep up the beating.

Charlotte fights out of the corner in a hurry and hands it back to Becky for a jumping kick to the face. Banks comes back in and grabs a suplex for two on Becky. They don’t waste time on the hot tag though as Charlotte comes in and kicks Bayley off the apron. The neckbreaker gets two on Banks and the Figure Eight goes on. Becky tries the Disarm-Her on Bayley, who sends Becky into Charlotte for the save. The Meteora off the apron hits Charlotte and we take a break.

Back with Charlotte getting knocked into the corner but getting up a knee to stop a charging Bayley. The hot tag (the sequel) brings in Becky to clean house with the Bexploder to Sasha. Bayley can’t get the Bayley to Belly so Sasha hits the Backstabber instead. Charlotte big boots Sasha and Becky adds a double missile dropkick. The moonsault actually hits Bayley (though Charlotte almost landed in a pushup) but Banks breaks up the cover at two.

Becky gets the Disarm-Her on Banks on the floor with Bayley making the save. That means a baseball slide from Charlotte….but there is no one there so it was just an over enthusiastic dive to the floor. Bayley suplexes Becky into the barricade and German suplexes Charlotte on the floor before taking it back inside. The top rope elbow hits raised knees and Natural Selection pins Bayley at 17:27.

Rating: B. This was an energetic match and the crowd was hot for it throughout. You could tell they were fired up to have the Horsewomen in the same match and we had a good one here. It’s a tag match so the champ getting pinned isn’t the worst thing, though I’m hoping it means Bayley retains on Sunday as there is no need to put the title on Charlotte again just yet.

From Raw again.

We’re not wasting time this week as here’s Austin to open the show for some beer consuming. Before Austin gets to the point, we take a trip down memory lane and hear about some of his great moments in MSG, including Survivor Series vs. Bret Hart, the first Stunner to Vince and Summerslam vs. Undertaker, complete with Austin being knocked silly. With that out of the way, it’s time to get down to the contract signing between Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins.

Strowman comes out first and stares Austin down, drawing a heck of an AUSTIN chant. Strowman offers a handshake but Austin introduces Rollins instead, with some extra bass in his voice. Rollins wants to sign but first has to talk about how awesome it is to be in the Garden with Austin. See, Strowman thinks there is something going on here and Austin might have it in for him. Rollins isn’t sure if that’s the case or not but gets in on the WHATs for a bonus.

Austin says we need to sign the contract so Rollins says he’ll win on Sunday and then signs. Strowman says he respects Austin but a rattlesnake is still a rattlesnake. He won’t turn his back on Rollins because he loves being Tag Team Champions. He’ll love being Universal Champion more though and promises to give Rollins these hands. Strowman signs….and here’s the OC to interrupt.

Styles mocks a bunch of Austin catchphrases and threatens Steve a bit, with Styles not exactly buying it. AJ rips on New York a bit so Austin tells him to put some bass in his voice. The OC gets in the ring with AJ asking how Strowman got a title match so easily and calls Austin old. Austin moves the table and it’s Strowman and Rollins fighting the OC as Austin looks on. AJ dodges the Stomp and sends Rollins outside, only to turn into the Stunner to blow the roof off the place.

From Smackdown.

Here’s Rowan for a chat. What the people don’t understand is that no one controls him, but here’s Reigns to interrupt. The fight is on in a hurry with Reigns knocking him into the crowd. Rowan fights back though and grabs a fan, who he powerbombs over the barricade onto waiting security. They fight over the barricade and back to ringside, where Rowan swings a camera at Reigns to knock him down again before leaving. Good brawl, though I’m not exactly buying Rowan as a major threat to Reigns.

And now….an exclusive Main Event SEGMENT. Charly Caruso brings out former New York Knick Enes Kanter, who is NOT popular around here. Before he can say anything though, here’s R-Truth and I think you know where this is going. They hug and Truth puts Kanter over….so Kanter clotheslines him to win the 24/7 Title. Kanter opens his jacket to reveal a Boston Celtics jersey but gets rolled up to give Truth the title back. The mob chases Truth off.

From Smackdown.

Here’s Kofi Kingston, who is very happy to be in the Garden. It was ten years ago in this very building where he crushed Randy Orton through a table and was ready to become one of the biggest stars in WWE. We see a clip of the Boom Drop through the table in 2009 but here’s Orton in the crowd to call Kofi stupid. We hear about Orton’s accomplishments in the last ten years but none of that matters. All that matters is Orton winning the title on Sunday when he proves that Kofi is something he isn’t.

That’s what Kofi has done for years now, from the Jamaican accent to the dreadlocks to that Power of Positivity bull****. Kofi goes into the crowd after him but Orton is waiting on him with a chair. Kofi gets it away though and fights back, meaning it’s time to set up a table. Orton knocks him down though and puts Kofi onto the table. The chair is grabbed but Kofi kicks away from the table, which breaks anyway. Another table is loaded up and Kofi hits another Boom Drop before posing on the barricade. Cool moment, though I’m not sure what happens Sunday.

And from Raw.

Cedric Alexander/Braun Strowman/Seth Rollins/Viking Raiders vs. OC/Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode

Rollins and Ziggler start things off because we can never see these two fight enough. A hiptoss into an armbar has Ziggler in trouble and Erik slams Ivar onto him. Everything breaks down for a wild fight and Strowman chokeslams the heck out of Ziggler. We take an early break and come back with Cedric in trouble in the corner. Cedric gets in a faceplant but AJ takes him down by the bad arm and brings Gallows in. The New York fans, getting AJ, the OC and more in the main event, respond with the Wave.

Roode comes back in to work on an armbar and slams the arm into the mat for two. Cedric fights up and knocks Roode down, allowing the hot tag off to Rollins. House is cleaned, including the springboard knee to Anderson for two. The parade of strikes to the face begins with Rollins superkicking Styles to the floor to clear the ring. It’s off to Strowman for the running shoulders around the ring. The running powerslam gets two on Anderson with Roode and Ziggler shoving Seth into the cover for the save.

Strowman isn’t happy with Rollins and we take a break. Back with Anderson spinebustering Rollins for two but Rollins grabs a Blockbuster for a breather. The buckle bomb to Ziggler allows the tag to Strowman and house is cleaned again. Strowman goes shoulder first into the post (it’s a tradition) and Erik comes in to beat people up and shout a lot. Ivar goes up top and hits the big flip dive onto the pile. That leaves Cedric to Lumbar Check Styles for the pin at 19:35.

Rating: C+. The ending makes sense and is a lot more acceptable than having the champ get pinned in a singles match. It was the big spectacle match to end the show with everyone in there at once so it’s hard to complain about what they went with for a main event. Sometimes it’s better to go with the big match instead of some singles match that we’ve seen before and that’s what they did here.

Post match here’s Austin again and a lot of beer is consumed to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Now that’s more like it. This show flew by, with a short and meaningless match and an actually unique segment for a change. I don’t get why they have to have two matches instead of doing something like this instead. Why not throw a segment with some brawling or comedy out there? You have so many feuds going on so why not have someone do a short segment and mix it up a bit? They can clearly do it so why not more often? Anyway, good show this week, at least somewhat because it was fresh for a change, complete lack of King of the Ring aside.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: September 10, 2019
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English, Dio Maddin

We’re in the World’s Most Famous Arena for a show that may or may not be rather entertaining depending on how much effort they’re putting in this week. Last week saw a rather surprising addition to the upcoming Cruiserweight Title match with Lince Dorado joining the fray, meaning tonight is likely about fallout. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at Humberto Carrillo and Lince Dorado earning title shots. This was followed by Tony Nese rejoining forces with Drew Gulak, which is as tag team matchish as you can get.

Opening sequence.

Dio Maddin (from NXT) joins the commentary team, replacing Nigel McGuinness, who is heading to NXT full time and needs to drop a show.

Akira Tozawa/Brian Kendrick vs. Jack Gallagher/???

Gallagher needs a mystery partner so here’s……Kushida, making his main roster debut. We get a Kushida chant as he and Kendrick start things off. They fight over arm control to start Kushida takes him down and rides Kendrick’s back a bit, drawing Kendrick back to his feet. The faster pace goes badly for Kendrick as well, with Kushida pulling him down into an armbar, which he fights out of in a hurry.

Gallagher comes in and takes Kendrick down so it’s a fast crawl over to Tozawa for the tag. A clothesline misses so Tozawa tries a quickly broken headlock. Tozawa bails to the floor, allowing Kendrick the chance to send Gallagher into the post and take over. Back in and it’s Tozawa dropping the backsplash for two before going after the banged up arm.

A glare from Tozawa accompanies the tag off to Kendrick and it’s a double Japanese armdrag to keep Gallagher in trouble. The assisted Sliced Bread is escaped though and Gallagher dives over for the hot tag to Kushida. A rolling DDT plants Kendrick and it’s off to an armbar with Tozawa making a save. Everything breaks down and Gallagher holds Tozawa for a running kick to the ribs.

Kendrick comes back in and grabs the Captain’s Hook on Kushida, which is broken up with a grab of the rope. Back up and Kendrick gets low bridged to the floor so Tozawa hits a cannonball off the steps to drive Gallagher into the barricade. Kushida turns Kendrick around though, meaning Tozawa’s running kick takes Kendrick down instead. A springboard flying armbar into the Hoverboard Lock makes Kendrick tap at 9:10.

Rating: C+. I’ve always liked Kushida so this was a nice treat. It gave the fans something to cheer about and the match was entertaining at the same time. I can’t imagine Kushida is going to be around permanently, but it wouldn’t exactly be a stretch to have one of the most successful junior heavyweight in New Japan history be moved straight up.

The Singh Brothers don’t think much of Kendrick and Tozawa because the Brothers deserve the worldwide adoration. Note: on their clapperboard, the director is listed as The Great Khali for a little Easter egg.

Mike Kanellis rants about having nothing to do, even after beating Tony Nese last week. Now Nese is in the main event while he is sitting around, waiting to do something to impress his wife. Cue Maria, to say that win last week meant nothing, just like all of his other victories. Maybe she doesn’t need to be here.

Humberto Carrillo/Lince Dorado vs. Drew Gulak/Tony Nese

Nese and Gulak jump them from behind and the fight is on. Ariya Daivari runs in to help the villains and the brawl is on in the ring. Gran Metalik comes out as well to even things up, followed by Carrillo saying let’s make it a six man.

Humberto Carrillo/Lince Dorado/Gran Metalik vs. Drew Gulak/Tony Nese/Ariya Daivari

Nese pulls Daivari to the floor to save him from Dorado early on, only to have Dorado dive onto all three of them. Back in and Dorado’s high crossbody gets two on Daivari and it’s the good guys starting in on the arm. Gulak drives Dorado back into the corner though and Nese comes in to take over. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Nese kicks him down for two. Gulak comes back in for the stomps and a double arm crank to keep Dorado down.

Dorado gets up easily enough and hands it off to Metalik for some bouncing off the ropes to armdrag Nese down. The fans get distracted and yell at someone in the crowd as Gulak takes over on Metalik instead. That includes the required ripping at the mask but since that isn’t happening outside of a finish, Daivari comes back in for another chinlock. It’s back to Gulak, who picks Metalik up and rocks him like a baby before powerslamming him down for two.

Nese’s bodyscissors continues the onslaught, followed by Daivari whipping him into the corner. Daivari stops to glare at Carrillo but the delay lets Metalik get in a reverse Sling Blade. The hot tag brings in Carrillo for the springboard spinning crossbody to Nese, followed by the big dive to the floor onto all three. Back in and a missile dropkick gets two on Gulak, setting off a stream of springboards. Gulak Michinoku Drivers Carrillo for two and we hit the chinlock.

Everything breaks down again and the villains all load up belly to back superplexes. They’re all broken up with back elbows to the face and it’s a trio of moonsaults, all of which hit raised boots. They’re fine enough to hit a superkick each, because a sequence like that looks natural. Gulak’s helicopter bomb gets two on Dorado as everything breaks down again. Everyone else is knocked outside and it’s another superkick to Gulak. Dorado’s shooting star press is good for the pin at 18:23.

Rating: C+. This one got some time and the match was better as a result. That being said, Dorado and Carrillo aren’t the most thrilling challengers. At the same time though, Gulak isn’t the most thrilling champion so it all balances out. It might be something that makes sense but watching them face off isn’t something I’m going to get excited about. The match was the kind of spot fest that we needed to see though and the kind of thing that is going to work every single time.

Overall Rating: B-. Totally watchable show here but it didn’t do much to shake the fact that the show isn’t all that interesting at the moment. I can understand why WWE is thinking about moving the show over to Full Sail and integrating it into NXT as it doesn’t quite need to stand alone and isn’t really capable of doing so anyway. There isn’t a really big star face and that is hurting the show a lot. Just merge them together already and let it be over.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: September 5, 2019
Location: Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Renee Young, Byron Saxton

We’re another step closer towards Clash of Champions and that means it’s time to look back at the foot print that the week has left. I’m not sure what to expect this week, though you can probably guess on a few highlights. Maybe that can include some more from the King of the Ring, which isn’t getting the most attention on this show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

No Way Jose vs. Mojo Rawley

Jose knocks him down a few times to start as Renee thinks some liquid courage could get her into the conga line. A clothesline puts Rawley on the floor but he’s right back with a Pounce for two back inside. Rawley hammers away in the corner for two but the chinlock doesn’t last long. Two Stinger Splashes connect so Jose is ready for a third. Rawley charges into a boot and a Backstabber puts him on the floor. A flip dive from the apron and a high crossbody give Jose two but Rawley rams him into the corner again. The Alabama Slam gives Rawley the pin at 6:03.

Rating: C. This was roughly 385% better than I was expecting with both guys working hard in a match that means a grand total of nothing. I understand why both of them are on Main Event as neither has been able to make anything stick on the main shows, but they can still get in a surprising match like this if they are given a chance.

King of the Ring chat. Much better than showing it of course.

From Raw.

Here are Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins to open things up with a contract signing. Rollins knows they can work together to beat Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler but his intentions are to walk out of Clash as a double champ. Strowman says he’ll win but Rollins brings up slaying the beast to win the Universal Title, which is something Strowman doesn’t know about. At Clash, he’ll slay the monster.

Seth signs but here’s the OC to interrupt before Strowman can do the same. AJ explains the double title concept and asks who he’s going to face. He’ll just walk around showing off his title because that’s how you get a title shot around here. AJ wants to know why the Good Brothers aren’t getting their title shot and threatens to slap Cole’s teeth down his throat. Once inside, he rips up the contract that Strowman hadn’t signed, so the table is turned over and the fight is on.

Also from Raw.

Braun Strowman/Seth Rollins vs. OC

Non-title and joined in progress with Rollins kicking at Anderson before it’s off to Gallows for the power. Strowman comes in and kicks Gallows down without much trouble so it’s back to Anderson for an armbar on Rollins. Seth gets sent outside and into the barricade for a knockdown as we take a break.

Back with Rollins hitting an enziguri on Gallows and bringing Strowman in for the house cleaning. The running powerslam is broken up and everything breaks down, with AJ getting on the apron for a distraction. That’s broken up and Rollins grabs a rollup to finish Anderson at 11:43.

Rating: C-. Just a match here with the break in the middle breaking up the momentum. That being said, I’m much happier with the champs winning instead of having them lose so soon into their title reign. I know they’re not going to be long term champions or anything, but there is no need to have them lose here. For once WWE gets that and doesn’t have the champs lose, which is nice for a change.

Post match Strowman does the run around the ring shoulders but hits Rollins by mistake. Cue Roode and Ziggler to help with the beatdown as all five lay out Strowman and Rollins.

We look at Sasha Banks’ explanation, setting up Bayley’s heel turn on Monday Night Raw.

From Smackdown.

Here’s Bayley to open things up with her usual entrance, including the tube men. The fans are rather happy to see her after what she did. Bayley doesn’t understand what people expected because she gives her whole heart out there very time. She wants the fans to feel the way she did when she was a kid and she’s trying to show the younger fans what it means to be loyal. That’s why she had Sasha’s back last night when it got rough.

She’ll prove that when she beats the selfish Charlotte at Clash of Champions, so here’s Charlotte to interrupt. Charlotte admits to being selfish but what you see is what you get. There is no hugging so Bayley should hug the title goodbye. Cue Sasha so Charlotte decks Bayley before fighting Banks. Bayley comes in with the chair though and they both beat Charlotte down.

Clash of Champions rundown.

Dana Brooke vs. Sarah Logan

ROUND SEVEN!!! Even commentary is pointing out how well these two know each other by now. Logan dropkicks her before the bell, likely wanting to get on to anything else as well. Some early stomping has Brooke in more trouble and Logan knees her to the floor without much trouble. We hit the chinlock for a bit until Dana fights back and hammers away, including sending Logan outside. Back in and Dana’s Swanton gets two so Logan pops up and hits a running knee to the back of the head for the pin at 4:04.

Rating: D+. Yeah they certainly can do that match. I mean they’ve done it so many times now that it would be hard for them to not know how to do it. Is this supposed to help develop either of these two? I’m not sure why WWE thinks having them face each other time after time is going to help things but they certainly see some kind of benefit to this booking. It isn’t benefiting the people who watch this show, though I think the half dozen of them or so will get over their issues.

Long video on Roman Reigns’ attacks, including Erick Rowan being revealed as a possible attacker.

From Smackdown.

Here’s Daniel Bryan to demand an apology from Roman Reigns. The fans rather approve of Bryan, who thinks it means they finally understand him. People think that Bryan is guilty by association but now we know he had nothing to do with it. Bryan has never lied to anyone and he hates liars of all kinds. Therefore he wants and gets Reigns out here but Erick Rowan jumps Reigns from behind. A powerbomb sends Reigns into the post and the claw slam makes it even worse.

Rowan grabs the mic and says Daniel had nothing to do with this. He yells at Bryan for thinking he can control Rowan and offers to fight Bryan right now. Come slap him again like he did last week. Bryan isn’t sure what to do so Rowan talks about being proud of what he did to attack Reigns, which included attacking him with the car. What makes him most proud though is the pain that Reigns is going to feel at Clash of Champions. Rowan throws him outside and hits him with the steps, drawing Bryan over to slap Rowan again. The claw slam puts Bryan through the table to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The recap game was strong this week with a nice balance of Raw and Smackdown. The most important thing to come out of this week though was how the stories crossed over a bit more. If you want to blur the lines between Raw and Smackdown, having the stories go from one show to the other is a good way of doing things. That worked here, though it isn’t going to mean anything in just a few weeks. Still though, fine use of an hour here, assuming you aren’t totally fed up with Logan vs. Brooke.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: September 3, 2019
Location: Norfolk Scope Arena, Norfolk, Virginia
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness

We’re on the way to a title match at Clash of Champions and that means we need to heat up the challenger a bit more this week. Therefore it’s Humberto Carrillo vs. Lince Dorado, which should be quite the high flying spectacle. Other than that we get some more of all the usual shenanigans around here, which means a lot of solid wrestling but not much in the way of stories. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with Erick Rowan leaving Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns out at ringside after the end of Smackdown. Reigns slowly gets up, looks at Bryan, and staggers away. This eats up over four minutes.

Earlier today, Carrillo and Dorado met with Drake Maverick, who confirmed their match. Dorado asks why he hasn’t had a Cruiserweight Title shot but Carrillo says that he earned his shot. Maverick makes a deal: if Dorado wins tonight, the Clash title match is a triple threat.

Opening sequence.

Tony Nese vs. Mike Kanellis

Nese goes straight to a waistlock to start and Mike bails to the rope. A headbutt works a bit better for Kanellis but Nese sweeps the leg for two as the announcers talk about the not present Maria. They head outside where things pick up in a hurry with Kanellis DDTing him onto the ramp for a loud crash. That’s good for a nine count and the Samoan driver gives Mike two more.

Maria is watching in the back and the chinlock goes on. That doesn’t last long so Kanellis backdrops him to the floor for a nasty looking crash. Back in and we hit the chinlock again, because that’s a great game plan. Tony fights up this time and hits a release German suplex into the corner but it’s too early for the Running Nese. A spinwheel kick drops Kanellis but the Sunset Driver is broken up. Kanellis grabs a good looking spinebuster for the same so it’s time to go up, allowing Nese to snap off a super hurricanrana.

One heck of a clothesline takes Nese down but Kanellis can’t follow up (it was a very hard hurricanrana). Kanellis orders Nese to hit him so it’s a very good left hand to stagger make Mike stagger. Nese dropkicks him to the floor for the big Fosbury Flop, setting up a 450 back inside. That’s only good for two in a surprising kickout and the fans declare this to be awesome. Fair enough in this case. Nese’s Sunset Driver is countered so he kicks Kanellis in the face instead. Kanellis superkicks him right back though and the twisting faceplant (name that thing already) finishes Nese clean at 11:30.

Rating: B-. I know they want to do something with Kanellis and this is the one thing they haven’t tried: let him win matches. I’m not sure why that isn’t a path they have taken and I don’t buy for a second that this is going to lead anywhere for him (it seems more like a story about Nese losing rather than Kanellis winning) but it just might be crazy enough to work.

Mike and Maria both look rather pleased.

Ariya Daivari wishes Dorado good luck in tonight’s match and would like a thank you for the help. Dorado isn’t down with that and says the House Party can succeed together. He knows Daivari was just in this for himself and there is no them.

The Singh Brothers (just call them the Bollywood Boys already) aren’t impressed by Akira Tozawa and Brian Kendrick. They’ll reintroduce the two of them the lights, camera and the Bollywood action.

Brian Kendrick/Akira Tozawa vs. Brandon Scott/Tyler Hastings

Scott tries a waistlock on Kendrick to start so it’s a blind tag to Tozawa, who kicks Scott in the face to take over. The right hand knocks Scott down again and it’s a double Japanese armdrag to make it worse. Hastings comes in and gets hit in the face again as Nigel can’t believe that Aiden is a licensed thespian. It’s back to Scott, who gets kicked in the face, setting up an enziguri/Downward Spiral combination to give Kendrick the pin at 2:42. Fun little squash.

Post match Kendrick wants to know where Jack Gallagher is this week. Kendrick expected this but it’s ok because the two of them will face Gallagher and a partner of his choosing next week. If Gallagher can find a partner that is.

Nese is furious so Oney Lorcan tries to calm him down, earning himself a beating instead. Nese does NOT like Lorcan saying he’s been there too.

Lince Dorado vs. Humberto Carrillo

If Dorado wins, he’s added to the Cruiserweight Title match at Clash of Champions. We get a serious handshake to start an an early flying mare sends Carrillo flying. The standoff lets the fans do the Lucha Dance until Carrillo takes him down by the leg. Back up and Dorado flips away from a wristlock, setting up an armdrag of his own. With that not working, they chop it out until Carrillo’s springboard armdrag has Dorado in some trouble.

A running hurricanrana puts Dorado on the apron but they switch places, allowing Dorado to hit a suicide dive DDT for a nasty looking crash. That’s only good for two back inside and the chinlock goes on, with Dorado forearming him in the face. A spinwheel kick sets up a nice top rope splash for two on Carrillo and we hit the reverse chinlock.

That lasts all of a few moments before Dorado puts him on top but gets knocked down, setting up the great looking missile dropkick. A standing moonsault gives Carrillo two and it’s a big flip dive to the floor to make it even worse. Back in and the top rope moonsault gets two more but they’re both gassed. The Golden Rewind is blocked so Dorado goes with the inverted hurricanrana for two instead.

Dorado’s chop is countered into a sitout powerbomb for a cool counter and another near fall. They slug it out with Dorado getting the better of things until Carrillo kicks him in the head. A spinning enziguri makes it worse but Dorado is right back with a fireman’s carry gutbuster. The shooting star hits Carrillo but the bounce means no cover as Carrillo rolls outside. Back in and a quick hurricanrana finishes Carrillo at 13:49.

Rating: B-. The surprise ending gave us the right result but it doesn’t do much good when they have to pin Carrillo to get there. Last week’s big selling point was that Carrillo hadn’t been pinned in months and now he’s just pinned clean here. There was no other way to get Dorado into the title match? I’m not wild on that path, but the triple threat is better than a one on one title match.

Post match Gulak runs out and beats down Dorado. Carrillo looks on but here’s Nese to run him over as well as the old friends are back together. The Running Nese and Cyclone Clash leave the future challengers laying to end the show. I like the overall idea, but it’s not as effective as Nese just lost to Mike Kanellis earlier. The motivation makes sense, but that downgraded Nese a bit.

Overall Rating: B+. There were some confusing booking choices on here but the wrestling was good and it felt like we were getting a fresh take on the show for a change. The show needs a different direction and for once they’re actually getting there. It felt like the stories were crossing over, which almost never happens in WWE these days. That’s a good idea for a change and I could go for something like that here. Rather strong show, though there are still improvements to be made.

Results

Mike Kanellis b. Tony Nese – Twisting faceplant

Akira Tozawa/Brian Kendrick b. Brandon Scott/Tyler Hastings

Lince Dorado b. Humberto Carrillo – Hurricanrana

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