IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: August 23, 2018
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Vic Joseph

Here are Summerslam results if you need a recap.

No Way Jose vs. Mike Kanellis

Mike headlocks him to start as we hear about Maria Kanellis injuring her wrist but trying to get back by Evolution. That’s one of the first times we’ve heard any specifics about her status. Jose pops up without much effort and grabs a hiptoss, only to miss a charge into the corner. Showing some intelligence, Mike stomps away on the arm but spends too much time blowing a kiss, allowing Jose to avoid a charge of his own. A fireman’s carry flapjack gets two but Mike snaps the arm across the top rope. Kanellis’ superkick gets two but he’s slow going up, allowing Jose to punch him out of the air for the pin at 5:16.

Rating: C-. Better than most Main Event matches and that’s always nice to see. They were trying something with the arm and Kanellis was a little better than usual here. I get why Jose stays on Main Event so often as his energy is going to be more than enough to get the crowd going at the start of the night. Mike though….just hope Maria gets back soon.

From Raw.

The women’s division is around the ring (including the Bellas) for the presentation to Ronda Rousey and here’s Stephanie strutting to the ring to soak in their applause. After putting over Evolution, we see a package on Rousey destroying Alexa Bliss last night to win the title. Stephanie is proud of Rousey because this never would have happened without Stephanie’s business prowess. She shined Rousey up like a diamond and now everyone around the ring wants to be like Stephanie and Ronda.

Here’s Rousey but Stephanie wants to know why the fans aren’t chanting for her. Rousey says this isn’t about Stephanie for once and wants to know why the women aren’t all in the ring. They get on the apron and Rousey cuts Stephanie off again, saying that this is about everyone instead of just one person. Rousey puts over Natalya as the cornerstone of the division and the Banks vs. Bayley match from Takeover a few years back. She’s not Brock Lesnar because she’s going to be a fighting champion.

Stephanie says it’s true that Rousey isn’t Lesnar because this isn’t the Rousey who wanted to break people’s arms. Just look at poor Alexa Bliss, like in this clip where Rousey dislocated her elbow. Rousey wants to break everyone’s arm and take all of the spotlight. Actually that’s not true as Rousey is only going to break the arms of those who deserve it.

Stephanie gets her arm barred again (with the elbow being regularly bent, meaning it shouldn’t hurt that much) and since it’s not Wrestlemania, it works just fine. The face women, including the Bellas, pose with Rousey and it’s a big group hug because they’re all sisters or something. I’m not sure why this was necessary but at least it ended well.

From later in the night.

Stephanie is getting her arm looked at with Corbin and Bliss in the trainer’s room with her. Angle comes in and Stephanie yells at him, saying he needs a vacation. Stephanie makes Corbin the new acting General Manager. If that means one less boss, fine. I’m so sick of this story anyway that I’ll take any change at this point.

We get a clip of the Becky Lynch promo and subsequent brawl with Charlotte from Smackdown, but I’m not going to copy it from the old review as usual because it’s rather different. The version aired here doesn’t include Lynch ranting against the fans or really anything to suggest that she’s a heel. In other words, it’s made to look like she’s a fired up woman who got ripped off, suggesting that they’re changing the entire story. That might not be the worst idea, though it’s a pretty hard about face.

From Smackdown, unedited this time.

Miz and Maryse open things up with Miz looking rather serious until the Daniel Bryan chants start up. Miz says he was able to close his eyes and feel that in a way he never could before. Two nights ago, something happened at Summerslam and now he has a family to think about. Maryse is hugging Miz as he looks near tears and says that with a heavy heart….hang on as he needs to cry some more. He announces his retirement and there’s a YES chant.

Actually it’s his retirement of ever facing Daniel Bryan again because Sunday was a satisfying conclusion. Miz did exactly what he promised to do when he beat Bryan in front of a sold out Barclays Center. The 100 punches from Bryan didn’t equal one Miz punch because he has the hardest punch in this entire arena. Bryan promised to punch him but when Miz did it, he got the pin. Miz praises Maryse and plugs Miz and Mrs. but here’s Bryan to interrupt.

Bryan calls Miz a coward over and over again as Miz hides behind Maryse. It doesn’t matter what Bryan calls him because the record books will always say that Miz got the win at Summerslam. Bryan asks him to shut up for once because Miz is just hiding behind things, like the makeup he’s wearing right now. On Sunday, Bryan got to do what he wanted: expose Miz as a wannabe Hollywood star cosplaying as a wrestler.

Maryse tells Bryan to change his name to Daniel Bella but here’s Brie to punch Miz in the face. Miz and Maryse bail and Bryan announces a mixed tag for Hell in a Cell. Good thing Maryse chose now to bring Brie into it. I can go with this as A, Brie was always less annoying than Nikki and B, this isn’t the kind of match that should be in the Cell so having it move forward in another way is the right idea.

From Smackdown again.

Renee Young brings out AJ for an interview on the platform. AJ isn’t happy with what happened at Summerslam but he wouldn’t change a thing. He has a promise for Joe: the next time Joe mentions his family’s name, he’ll rip Joe’s heart out. Joe trips AJ from behind and pulls him down off the platform for the Koquina Clutch knockout. Joe: “OH WENDY!” AJ can’t come home and tuck in the kids because he’s already gone to sleep.

Stills of New Day winning the Smackdown Tag Team Titles.

Rhyno vs. Mojo Rawley

Mojo grabs the rope to get out of an early armbar attempt and we take a very abrupt break. Back with Rhyno fighting out of a chinlock and a collision staggering Mojo. The running shoulder in the corner sets up a belly to belly for two but Mojo chop blocks the knee. A running right hand in the corner sets up the sitout Alabama Slam to finish Rhyno at 6:52 in a match that had a lot clipped out in the middle.

Rating: D+. That clip in the middle didn’t do them any favors and I’m curious about what they did in the middle. Rawley has completely stopped meaning anything on Raw after his short push came to an abrupt ending, which is kind of a shame as he’s not a bad heel. Rhyno is the same guy he’s been for the last ten years and that’s why he’s still got a job to this day.

From Raw to wrap things up.

Universal Title: Roman Reigns vs. Finn Balor

Reigns is defending and runs Balor over to start. Balor does his jump over the top to avoid a charge but gets punched in the face to send us to a break. Back with Balor fighting out of a chinlock (good grief come up with something else) and kicking Reigns into the barricade. The running apron kick is broken up and Reigns drops him onto the apron. A hard whip sends Balor into the corner and Reigns yells at him a bit.

Balor takes him down though and scores with the double stomp to the chest. That’s all for the comeback as Reigns takes him into the corner for the clotheslines but Balor knocks him to the floor again. A good looking running flip dive has Reigns in trouble and we take a break. Back with Reigns hitting an uppercut but getting caught by a Pele. Balor gets all fired up and stomps away with an aggression you don’t often see from him. Reigns is right back with a sitout powerbomb for two but the Superman Punch is countered into an Eye of the Hurricane for a very hot two as the fans are completely into this one.

Rating: B+. The fans helped carry this one and they had me believing that a title change might happen. I mean, that went away as soon as Cole kept saying “HE’S GONNA DO IT!” but they had me for a few seconds. Reigns needs a win like this and as usual, when he’s putting in the effort, the match was very good. Really strong main event and the post match stuff is going to be a big deal.

Post match Strowman is in the ring and kicks Reigns down as the cash-in is…..hang on a second as we’ve got Shield music (and no bell, meaning the cash-in didn’t take place). Cue Rollins and Ambrose in the Shield gear as the fans are VERY pleased. Strowman goes after Reigns but the triple beatdown is on. The trio knocks Strowman outside but he fights off the TripleBomb, only to get speared down. Now the TripleBomb connects to end the show.

I’m not sure what the thinking here is, but Strowman looked like a face with the cash-in and Shield looks like heels by thwarting the cash-in, but since Shield won’t be booed, they’re going to wind up being the faces no matter what. It should be fun seeing WWE try to twist Strowman into a heel, especially when he was willing to fight Shield on his own and Reigns welcomed the challenge of a cash-in.

Overall Rating: C+. The talking carried this show (again) as the promos have been on fire as of late. This was an interesting week for WWE as it felt like they were more worried about keeping the Brooklyn crowd from taking the shows over, but that made for some very good television. I know it gets boring at times and I’m right there with those making the same complaints, but when WWE turns it on, they can still do some great stuff.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-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: August 21, 2018
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Mauro Ranallo

I’m not sure what to expect from this show. Sure there was a big time Cruiserweight Title match on Sunday, but it’s not like that meant much for the post-Wrestlemania show. Cedric Alexander is still Cruiserweight Champion and now he needs a new challenger. That might not be established tonight, but we will have a tornado tag team match between Lucha House Party and Buddy Murphy/Tony Nese. Let’s get to it.

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

Drake Maverick recaps the title match and hypes up tonight’s matches. That’s a rather nice way to open the show, even if it’s just a way to kill time while the shows change over.

Opening sequence.

TJP vs. Noam Dar

Rapper Wale is on commentary for celebrity reasons. TJP has a slightly different version of his theme. Before the match, TJP says he can’t wait to get back to Los Angeles. He brings up Dar’s knee issues and his kneebar finisher so tonight is close your eyes time. Or you could just leave, as one more empty seat in a sea of them won’t matter that much. Wale brings up Dar’s relationship with Alicia Fox, which ended last April. This guy is going to be on commentary all night isn’t he?

Dar drives TJP into the corner as Wale can’t get the initials in the right order. Hang on a second though as TJP bails to the floor and grabs a mic so he can introduce Wale. TJP dabs at him (Wale: “Nobody dabs anymore!”) and gets dropkicked by Dar, leaving Wale to call him PJ. Dude, it’s THREE LETTERS. TJP gets sent into a variety of things and a snapmare sends him into the ropes. Dar slugs away as Wale talks about hosting the New Day vs. Usos rap battle from last July. A running dropkick sends TJP outside as Nigel can’t pronounce Wale’s name (it’s Wah-Lay).

Back in and a quick DDT gives TJP two as Wale talks to his rap friends. We hit a Tequila Sunrise on Dar to work on the knee for all of two seconds. Another leglock allows TJP to point at Wale and then a curb stomp keeps Dar down. Dar stops a slingshot hilo with a raised knee, which is a bad idea when your knee has been worked over for a few minutes. Wale has moved to intentionally misspelling TJP’s name. It doesn’t make it any funnier, but at least it’s a change of pace.

A right hand to the face gets Dar out of trouble and a release northern lights suplex gets two. TJP pulls him down into the kneebar though but Dar is too close to the ropes, as is almost always the case with the first kneebar attempt. Back up and Dar kicks him in the leg, followed by the Nova Roller for the pin at 9:03.

Rating: C+. I like TJP far more than Dar but it seems that WWE wants to push Dar a bit harder at the moment. The running kick is better than another frog splash or 450 so at least it’s a little change of pace. TJP is still one of the best guys on the roster with the leg stuff, but I get why they would rather have him making people look good instead of pushing him.

That’s it for Wale, thank goodness.

Clip of Sunday’s title match.

Earlier today, Drew Gulak was in the empty arena and said Cedric got lucky on Sunday. If Cedric cares about his legacy, he’ll give Gulak a rematch.

Drake Maverick isn’t so sure because Gulak needs to earn a rematch. Request denied at the moment.

Akira Tozawa vs. Colin Delaney

Or not as Gulak, Brian Kendrick and Jack Gallagher run in and beat up both guys.

Gulak accuses Cedric of running scared and wants an answer to the challenge right now. Cue Cedric to say that if he’s the scared one, why does Gulak have Thing #1 and Thing #2 out there? Maverick comes out to hold Cedric back as Gulak goes full Green Eggs and Ham. Gulak wants to know what the Age of Alexander is. Whatever it is, is absolutely sucks. The fans want a fight and Cedric finally gets through the referees to chase Gulak off.

Lucha House Party vs. Tony Nese/Buddy Murphy

Tornado rules with Lince Dorado/Gran Metalik for the House Party. Lince starts fast with a high crossbody to take them both down, followed by a launch into a double dropkick. The running flip dives are broken up so the House Party settles for the hard chops on the floor instead. Stereo backdrops over the top set up stereo top rope Asai moonsaults as Dorado and Metalik are moving as one so far. Things settle down with the fights splitting off, including Murphy slamming Dorado’s head into the ramp.

Dorado dropkicks both of them off the apron but the big running flip drive is caught in midair, setting up a powerbomb against the barricade. Back in and Nese starts in on Dorado’s injured thumb but Murphy can’t get the case off. Metalik gets up and walks the rope for a dropkick on Nese, only to have Murphy powerbomb him down. A pumphandle slam/running neckbreaker (more like a running shove to the back of the head) keeps Metalik in trouble and Dorado gets sent into the post.

It’s not much of a posting as he’s back in with a double missile dropkick just a few seconds later as the back and forth continues. Murphy hits Nese by mistake and a hurricanrana gives Dorado two as everyone is down. Dorado tries a double springboard moonsault press but only Nese goes down, which drags Murphy down with him in what might have been a botch. A running tornado DDT has some more luck on Murphy with a near fall but Nese crotches Dorado on the top.

Metalik breaks up the double superplex and actually doesn’t set up a Tower of Doom. I’m as shocked as you are. Nese gets knocked down and the shooting star gets two, leaving everyone down. Murphy and Dorado head up top but Nese is right there with a German superplex, though he ties himself in the Tree of Woe, allowing Metalik to walk the ropes for a dropkick.

Murphy is still up top though and hits a top rope Meteora to put Metalik down, meaning another four way knockdown. The House Party is up first with the superkicks and some alternating moonsaults get two on Nese with Murphy diving in for a save. Even Nigel is impressed by the House Party here so you know this is good. Nese German suplexes Metalik into the corner but the running knee is blocked.

Dorado misses a dive off the apron so Metalik walks the ropes for a hurricanrana to pull Nese off the top and into Murphy for a crazy looking crash, causing Metalik to lose his mask (Kalisto is right there to cover his face like a good buddy). Murphy shoves Kalisto against the announcers’ table so Kalisto trips him down (the first time he’s gotten involved), setting up a Code Red to give Metalik the pin at 17:20.

Rating: A-. I had heard some high praise for this match coming in and they more than lived up to the hype. The House Party has lost a lot over the last few months so giving them a big win is a good idea, while also showing how much better they are as a team. This was a wild and fun brawl and that’s the kind of match that these guys needed. Just a lot of fun with the match getting the time to reach that other level that this show doesn’t reach often enough.

Overall Rating: B+. Sometimes you need to have things just go nuts and put on an entertaining show. The Cruiserweight Title stuff was good too, though I need a little better reason to see a rematch than “I want a rematch and you’re a coward”. Still though, if it means Gulak gets the title one day, everything will be fine. Throw in Wale leaving after about fifteen minutes and the show became a combination of a lot of fun and a relief at the same time. Check out that main event.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-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: August 16, 2018
Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the go home show for Summerslam and that means we’re in for a lot of talking, which is usually the best way to go around here. The wrestling was far from strong on Raw and Smackdown so why bother wasting time on them? Then again it’s not like this show’s scheduling makes the most sense in the first place. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Jim Neidhart.

Opening sequence.

No Way Jose vs. Curt Hawkins

Percy and Tom dance to Jose’s song and Nigel is having none of it. Apparently Hawkins has found a weakness in Jose and knows he can win this week. An early dropkick has Jose in trouble and he goes into the buckle to make things worse. Jose is right back with some right hands and the conga line is rather pleased.

Hawkins school boys him into the corner though and stomps away, meaning it’s time to pose a bit. The chinlock goes on twice in a row and Hawkins takes forever going up top. He’s fine enough to shove Jose off though and the top rope elbow gets two. Hawkins goes up again and dives into a right hand to give Jose the pin at 4:47.

Rating: D. This was ever Jose vs. Hawkins match, which we’ve seen probably half a dozen times now. We’re now to the point where Hawkins can be in control for a good four and a half minutes and then loses to a single right hand. What more can possibly happen to him? I mean to be fair, Jinder Mahal lost all the time on this show and wound up being WWE Champion.

From Raw.

Here’s Roman Reigns for his last big speech before Sunday. Reigns says every day he tells himself to leave a place better than he found it. He can’t do that with Brock Lesnar still around though and Lesnar needs to go. Reigns is sick of hearing about him and seeing him so it ends at Summerslam. On Sunday, he’s taking back his Universal Title (which he’s never held) and sending Lesnar so far back into the UFC that his head will be stuck inside Dana White.

Cue a perky Paul Heyman to say it’s a new day, yes it is. If he was going to steal a line from someone on Smackdown though, it would be the Usos, who are the future of the tag team division. He doesn’t actually steal an Uso line, but he’s looking at the future of another division in Roman Reigns. Roman: “This is gonna be good y’all.” After being accused of crying on command, Heyman says Reigns can make history right here, right now. He brings up what he was about to mention last week in the interview: he’s willing to tell Reigns each and every single one of Lesnar’s secrets.

Reigns thinks he can beat Lesnar on his own, but with Heyman in his corner, he’s GUARANTEED to win the Universal Title. Heyman extends his hand and that gets a big YES chant. Reigns says he knows all those secrets already because he won in Saudi Arabia and would have done it a lot faster without Heyman. That’s true and Heyman hopes his sins won’t be held against him. Heyman sees himself as the new advocate for Reigns next week and offers his hand again.

Another YES chant gets turned down as Reigns talks about his father teaching him to swim with the sharks. He also knows how to see someone who is drowning, like Heyman. The thing is Heyman isn’t worth saving so the answer is no. Heyman talks about riding with Reigns’ father Sika and speaks some Samoan, which gets Reigns’ attention. Heyman even has an agreement written up, which Reigns can answer on Sunday.

As Reigns looks at it, Heyman pepper sprays him and leaves. Cue Brock Lesnar to beat Reigns up and put him out with a guillotine choke. Lesnar and Heyman walk up the ramp but Lesnar goes back for an F5. So did Heyman and Lesnar make up or was two weeks ago a big ruse? I ask rhetorically because I don’t expect an answer from WWE. Heyman was great here as usual and Reigns sounded good for a change. I still don’t want to see the match, but they did a nice job here.

Summerslam rundown.

Quick clip of Dean Ambrose returning.

Heath Slater/Rhyno vs. Ascension

Slater and Viktor get things going with a running forearm rocking Viktor. It’s already off to Rhyno so Viktor rolls over to give us the power vs. power match. This goes a bit better for Konnor as the chopping begins, only to have Rhyno and Slater clean house as we take a break. Back with Slater working on Konnor’s arm until Konnor runs him over. Viktor grabs a chinlock until it’s back to Konnor for a legdrop.

The double teaming continues with Konnor hitting Slater in the face as this is getting more time than I expected. Konnor misses a charge in the corner and eats a neckbreaker, allowing the hot tag off to Rhyno. Everything breaks down and Rhyno gets two off a belly to belly suplex. Konnor and Slater are sent outside, leaving Viktor to take the spinebuster for the pin at 10:24.

Rating: C-. Slater and Rhyno continue to be a completely entertaining team and that’s all they’re supposed to be. There’s something fun about a power/speed team and Slater/Rhyno are perfectly competent in their role. Ascension has been sad for years and there’s no changing that no matter what happens.

Long and great video on Miz vs. Bryan.

From Smackdown.

Here’s AJ Styles for the big closing segment. He talks about his time in this business, which has allowed him to travel the world and face the best in the world. Sure there’s pressure to being WWE Champion, but Samoa Joe hit his pressure points. We see a clip of Joe attacking AJ and signing the contract, followed by Joe talking about AJ’s family cheering for Joe at Summerslam. That was too far for AJ, who was ready to take Joe out until he saw his family. AJ’s wife told him to not lose his cool and AJ is ready….to be cut off by Joe.

With a piece of paper in his hand, Joe says AJ knows that’s not true. The paper is a letter from a fan which AJ needs to hear. The letter says that Joe’s comments a few weeks ago made the person physically ill. Not because he was wrong, but because what Joe said was true. Now it’s clear that AJ never wanted kids or a wife, which is why AJ is such a great champion: he’ll do anything to stay away from his family. The fan hopes Joe wins because he lost AJ a long time ago. Signed Wendy Styles (AJ’s wife). Well that worked. Very well actually.

Overall Rating: C. As I thought (it’s not like it was that hard), the recaps were much better than the wrestling but when you have the same matches over and over again, that’s just the way things are going to go. This wasn’t much of a show, but the Bryan vs. Miz video stuff is always worth seeing.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/now-thats-different-wwe-heavily-edits-becky-lynch-promo-role-reversal-coming/

Check out the videos.  These are very interesting and not something you see from WWE every day.

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: August 14, 2018
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re less than a week away from Summerslam but that doesn’t mean much around here. Since there’s only one match on Sunday’s card (and that’s been moved to the Kickoff Show, shocking almost no one), this should be a show like almost any other. Hopefully Drew Gulak can help us through things. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with Drake Maverick running down the card for the night. As this is going, a tribute to Jim Neidhart runs along the bottom. I still don’t get why they can’t just throw up a graphic, especially for shows that all aired live.

Opening sequence.

Lio Rush vs. Akira Tozawa

Rematch from a few weeks back where Rush won. On his way to the ring, Rush talks about how lucky the fans are to see him here. With all due respect to Tozawa, he’s only one of the best cruiserweights in the world. The problem is he’s facing the BEST cruiserweight in the world and tonight, Tozawa feels the rush. Tozawa isn’t interested in waiting on Rush to take off his jewelry and the fight is on.

Rush’s head speed is too fast for Tozawa but a hurricanrana takes him down. Rush throws him the bracelet but Tozawa throws it back, allowing Tozawa to kick him to the floor. That’s enough for Rush, who only gets a few steps up the aisle before Tozawa hits him in the back. The head fake right hand (I like that) rocks Rush again and they head back inside with Tozawa pounding him down. Eventually the referee breaks things up and Rush sends him shoulder first into the post to take over.

We hit a reverse chinlock for a few moments until Tozawa comes back with a kick to the chest. The backsplash hits knees though and Rush grabs a chinlock. You wouldn’t expect to see something like that on a cruiserweight show but it oddly fits here. Back up and they take turns sliding between each others’ legs until Tozawa kicks him to the floor. This time the suicide headbutt connects and it’s a Black Widow back inside. That’s broken up as well and Rush rolls over into a kick to the head. Rush heads up top, shoves Tozawa off, and hits the Final Hour for the pin at 7:49.

Rating: C+. Not bad here with Rush’s head speed and ability to move being a sight to see. Tozawa is one of those midcard guys who you could easily see moving up to the title picture in the blink of an eye so Rush beating him twice in a row is a good start for his time on the main roster. Now just learn how to stop the story and go somewhere else for both guys.

Video on Drew Gulak, the submission master who is rather serious and wants the Cruiserweight Title on Sunday.

We look back at the end of Mustafa Ali vs. Hideo Itami from last week with Ali losing his balance on the top rope due to his medical issues. Itami dropkicked him several times and the match was stopped.

Maverick says Ali is suffering from severe exhaustion and he will not be wrestling until Maverick determines he is back to health.

Hideo Itami vs. Trent Newman

Itami doesn’t seem to mind that he put Ali out. The beating starts slowly but we do pause for a RESPECT ME. Newman tries a rollup but can’t even get Itami down. A hard running clothesline sets up some strikes to the head for two with Itami pulling him up. Itami hits a Falcon Arrow for the same result and three straight basement dropkicks in the corner cause the referee to stop the match at 2:45.

Post match Itami hits his Twist of Fate/GTS hybrid. That still looks bad.

Video on Cedric Alexander, who is ready to defend the title at Summerslam. He knows Gulak is ready but he’ll be ready too. The Gulock is dangerous but he’ll never tap because the Lumbar Check will continue the Age of Alexander.

Maverick is with Buddy Murphy and Tony Nese. Next week: it’s a tornado tag against Lucha House Party.

Also next week: Noam Dar vs. TJP in the rubber match.

Cedric Alexander vs. Jack Gallagher

Non-title and Gulak/Brian Kendrick are banned from ringside. Gallagher hides in the ropes to start before taking over with some grappling into a few rollups. That’s fine with Cedric, who powers him up with a fireman’s carry. A dropkick puts Gallagher on the floor but he hides under the ring before Alexander can try a dive. The blind side attack works for all of a few seconds but Alexander backdrops him hard to the floor. Gallagher drives him head first into the post though as they’re still going back and forth in the early going.

Back in and Gallagher grabs a neck crank, with Nigel being smart enough to realize that it’s a way to set up the Gulock on Sunday. As usual, Nigel is smarter than the average commentator. It’s off to an armbar with Gallagher putting a foot on Alexander’s head before a swinging neckbreaker gets two. Gallagher chokes him with his own arms and puts some knees in Alexander’s back as Nigel again points to the Gulock. The cravate makes things even worse but Alexander reverses into some rolling suplexes (the second Eddie Guerrero tribute of the night after Aiden English’s frog splash on Smackdown).

The Neuralizer and the springboard clothesline get two each but Gallagher is right back up with a top rope knee to the arm for a near fall of his own. It’s off to a Crossface as Gallagher is nailing it with these submissions. The rope is good for a break and they slug it out until Gallagher slaps on a guillotine choke.

That’s reversed into a Falcon Arrow but the second springboard clothesline misses, sending Alexander into the corner where Gallagher is waiting with the running dropkick. Alexander is right next to the rope so Gallagher powerbombs him (barely able to get him up) for two more. Back up and Gallagher charges into a quick C4 to give Alexander the pin at 14:04.

Rating: B. Heck of a main event here with Gallagher doing exactly what he was supposed to do in softening Alexander up for Sunday’s title match. They were telling a solid story out there and that’s a lot more than I was expecting here. As a bonus, they went with the smart ending of a non-finisher getting the pin. There’s no need for every Cedric match to end with the Lumbar Check and it’s nice to see them go with another finish.

Cedric celebrates but Gulock and Kendrick jump him from behind. The beatdown is on and the Gulock ends the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show has gotten so much better as of late and this was no exception. The main event advanced Sunday’s big title match and the rest of the show set up a few more things that we can get to once Summerslam is over. I’m starting to look forward to this show every week and I couldn’t have imagined that to be the case just a few months ago. As usual, HHH has the magic touch as a booker and his stuff is almost guaranteed silver at worst.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-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: August 9, 2018
Location: Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re coming up on Summerslam and since he was on Raw last week, there’s no Brock Lesnar to be seen this time around. There is however Roman Reigns, who I have a feeling we’ll be hearing from here. Hopefully there’s some more stuff from Smackdown though, as that show was great. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

No Way Jose vs. Curt Hawkins

Jose has the Conga Line to make him look a little better. Hawkins’ shoulder doesn’t do much good as Jose headlocks him and grabs an atomic drop. A shot to the ribs puts Jose on the floor and Hawkins is rather pleased. Back in and we hit the chinlock, followed by a snap suplex into the second chinlock. Hawkins misses the elbow though and Jose slugs away, followed by a fireman’s carry flapjack for two. The Pop Up right hand finishes Hawkins at 5:30.

Rating: D. I’m not sure how many times we can see this match but I’m sure WWE is willing to try and find out. Hawkins losing over and over, at least in this form, stopped being interesting a few months ago and until things actually change up, there’s not much interest to be had in him. Granted the same is true for Jose, but that’s a little less surprising.

From Raw.

We get a sitdown interview with Reigns to talk about his match with Lesnar. We go through their whole history, including the great Wrestlemania XXXI match, the pretty bad Wrestlemania XXXIV match, the stupid Greatest Royal Rumble match and then last week’s Lesnar segment, which really had nothing to do with Reigns. He’s sick of Lesnar using WWE and disrespecting the fans, so Lesnar is learning a lesson at Summerslam.

This was a long recap of their story, and did little more than tell us that it’s been going on for a very long time. Your stat of the night: Lesnar has held the title 487 days. He’s had five televised title defenses and three of them have been against Reigns. Two of them have also involved Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman. In total, four different people have gotten title shots in 487 days.

From Raw again.

We get a sitdown interview with Paul Heyman, who doesn’t know where he stands with Brock Lesnar. Brock has disconnected his phone number and won’t respond to intermediaries. Heyman looks like he’s about to burst into tears as he says Lesnar is just going to get annoyed at this interview. He considers Lesnar a friend and this isn’t how he pictured it ending.

They had talked about riding off into the sunset together with the Universal and UFC Heavyweight Championships on his shoulders. Heyman starts crying but says just do it. When asked about any potential new clients, Heyman says it would be inconceivable just a week ago, but doesn’t say year or no. He still picks Lesnar, because he’s never been so angry. Reigns doesn’t stand a chance. This was the best thing on the show tonight, mainly because it was actually different.

From Smackdown.

Byron is in the ring to interview Miz, who pops up on screen instead of coming to the ring. He calls Byron a bad announcer and plugs the success of Miz and Mrs., which doesn’t have a single bad review on Rotten Tomatoes. Byron keeps asking about the match with Bryan but Miz ignores him to plug the show. Tonight he learns CPR, which would be a good idea for Bryan because he needs to resuscitate his career. Miz finally mentions it, saying he’s become a star while Bryan has been working in a garden.

Bryan needs this match while Miz needs to be recognized as WWE Champion. Miz is here night after night while Bryan has been off in bed crying. He’s not hiding from anyone and at Summerslam, Bryan is getting exposed as being beneath Miz. Go talk to Bryan about it because he’s probably off eating kale and talking about his wife. Bryan runs into the room, beats up security and punches Miz a few times until a potted plant to the back of the head lets Miz escape. The string of good promos continues tonight, but that kind of goes without saying for these two.

Heath Slater/Rhyno/Chad Gable vs. Ascension/Mike Kanellis

Slater forearms Kanellis down to start and it’s Gable tagging himself in to crank on the arm. Viktor comes in and gets his arm twisted around as well, followed by Gable spinning all over the place into a crucifix. Everyone comes in and the good guys clean house as we take a fast break.

Back with Kanellis kicking Gable in the face for two, followed by Viktor dropping a fist for the same. Gable dives over Konnor but still can’t get over for the tag. Konnor knocks Slater off the apron so Gable rolls underneath the clothesline to tag Rhyno. Everything breaks down and Kanellis tries a rolling German suplex, only to be reversed into the Rolling Chaos Theory for the pin at 9:05.

Video on Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss, including Rousey going nuts and getting suspended. They meet for the title at Summerslam.

From Raw again.

Ronda Rousey vs. Alicia Fox

Natalya and Alexa Bliss are the seconds. Before the match, Bliss is asked about Rousey and mocks the interviewer for not being able to come up with something better. Fox shows a clip of herself beating up Rousey last week and talks about how great Rousey is at everything else. Was she the captain of the Raw Survivor Series team? Bliss cuts her off and thanks Fox for everything she’s done. Rousey can deal with what’s left of Rousey in Brooklyn and here’s Rousey to cut her off.

We get the Big Match Intros and Fox chills in the corner at the bell. Rousey isn’t impressed by the trash talk and shoves her to the floor. Back in and Fox bails right back to the floor again. A Bliss distraction doesn’t work very well as Natalya cuts her off, only to be posted. Fox tries a charge at the distracted Rousey but the referee stops her for some reason.

Fox pounds away in the corner….and there’s the death stare. The rights and lefts have Fox rocked and the judo throws have Fox rocked. Fox bails for the third time but Rousey follows her for a whip into the barricade. Back in and Fox gets suplexed with ease, followed by the armbar (with a lot of shouting to Bliss) for the tap at 3:47.

Rating: C+. The stuff where Rousey was smashing Fox was fun but this would have been better served as bell, armbar, bell. To be fair though, it’s kind of hard to complain when Rousey beating the heck out of people is some of the most entertaining stuff WWE can do. Maybe not as fun as WWE trying to turn Fox into something worthy of the spot but still fun nonetheless.

Post match Rousey gets interviewed by Bliss tries a sneak attack. Rousey flips her over and gives Bliss a look saying “are you kidding me?” Bliss bails and Rousey promises to win the title.

Overall Rating: C-. The talking was strong with this one and that’s the best thing that could have happened. This week’s TV was better than usual with the promos being entertaining and making me want to see Summerslam. On the other hand you have the pretty worthless original matches but at least they kept those short so they didn’t waste much time. Check out Smackdown instead of watching this though.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

WWE is saddened to learn that Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart has passed away. https://t.co/Isxv3ElA3Y

— WWE (@WWE) August 13, 2018

Egads man.  This has been a rough year few weeks for wrestling.

Neidhart was a good tag wrestler and formed a perfect combination with Bret Hart in the Hart Foundation.  The infectious laugh always helped too and his promos helped carry the team.  How can you not love a beard like that?

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: August 7, 2018
Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

It’s kind of a weird feeling to have a big time title match coming up around here. Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander will be defending against Drew Gulak at Summerslam and that makes for some interesting times. The rest of the show might not be as impressive, but Alexander vs. Gulak should be more than fine. Let’s get to it.

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

Drake Maverick narrates the preview for tonight’s show, even running down the card in order. You mean half of it isn’t going to be made as we go?

Opening sequence.

Lucha House Party vs. Tony Nese/Buddy Murphy

Kalisto and Lince Dorado (with a bad thumb) for the House Party here, allowing Nigel to take even more shots at the team. Murphy knees Lince in the face to start but it’s off to Kalisto in a hurry. This goes a bit better with a kick to the head and the hurricanrana driver getting two on Murphy. Nese comes in and pulls Kalisto to the floor for a ram into the apron though and the bad guys take over again.

Murphy throws Kalisto off his shoulder and face first onto the mat with Nese adding a moonsault for two. We hit the chinlock for a few moments until Kalisto rolls over to the apron and gets in a kick to the head. Nese is fast enough to get over and break up the tag though, allowing Murphy to grab a bridging German suplex for two more.

The hot tag connects a few seconds later (that’s quite the WWE trope as well) and it’s a dropsault for two on Nese. Kalisto comes back in for a Falcon Arrow with Murphy diving over for the save. Dorado is fine enough for a double Golden Rewind and the stereo flip dives to the floor have Nese and Murphy in trouble. Nese escapes the Salida Del Sol and Murphy trips Kalisto, allowing a rollup with tights to give Nese the pin at 10:39.

Rating: C. Nese continues to be not great while the House Party is a perfectly fine midcard act around here. They’re more or less the gatekeepers for the upper half of the card and that’s a good place to be in. Murphy is someone who should be moving back towards the main event scene, or on the main roster in a Mojo Rawley kind of character. But why do that when you can let him languish around here?

Mustafa Ali is fine after a quick trip to the hospital. He slowed down a bit and now he’s good for tonight’s main event. Drake Maverick says he has nothing to prove but Ali tells him to worry about Hideo Itami.

Hideo Itami thinks Ali should have showed him more respect.

Video on Noam Dar, who is back from his injury, which he considered a wake up call. TJP has messed with him and that’s not cool with Dar.

Noam Dar vs. Sean Maluta

Maluta was in the Cruiserweight Classic and has been on NXT since. Dar tries a waistlock to start and gives Maluta a clean break when he grabs the rope. A kick to the knee takes Dar down though and you can see the grimacing on his face. That just earns Maluta some strikes to the face as TJP is watching from the back. The running kick to the head (the Nova Roller) gives Dar the pin at 2:24.

Video on Jack Gallagher, Drew Gulak and Brian Kendrick beating down Cedric Alexander last week.

Alexander doesn’t think much of Gulak needing the help and would be glad to beat up Gallagher next week.

Gulak accepts the challenge for Gallagher because it’s time to teach people like Alexander that wrestling is what matters around here. He does NOT need help beating Alexander because Gulak can make Cedric tap out.

Mustafa Ali vs. Hideo Itami

Feeling out process to start with Itami barely avoiding a kick to the face but getting taken down instead. A spinning kick to the face puts Itami on the floor instead and Ali follows with a big flip dive. Ali comes up holding his back and a high crossbody seems to bang it up even worse. The delay lets Itami take over and, of course, shout RESPECT ME. They head outside again with Ali’s chops being no match for Itami’s kicks to the chest.

Itami dropkicks him HARD into the post and Ali’s back is hurt even worse. Ali is almost dead so Itami throws him back in for two. Itami demands respect (GOOD GRIEF SAY SOMETHING ELSE ALREADY!) and knees him in the ribs. A comeback consisting of a chop and a crucifix is cut off when Ali tries the rolling X Factor and takes a crazy hard kick to the head. Great selling there too as Ali looked like he got hit by a bus. Ali is fine enough for some more kicks to the head and now the rolling X Factor is good for two.

An exchange of strikes to the head puts both guys down for a well earned breather. Back up and Ali’s spinning tornado DDT is countered into a Falcon Arrow and Itami can’t believe the kickout. Ali somehow gets up and comes off the middle rope with a sunset flip but keeps rolling into a sitout powerbomb for his own big near fall. Itami’s weird spin into the kick to the head is blocked twice so he belly to bellies Ali back first into the corner for two, despite Ali looking rather un-alive.

A crazed Itami misses a dropkick to drive Ali head first into the steps and Ali gets up for a tornado DDT from the middle rope to the floor. Back in and Ali loads up the 054 but can’t stand up, allowing Itami to kick him down into the Tree of Woe. Itami hits some running dropkicks on the defenseless Ali for the academic pin at 16:33.

Rating: B. This was a great mixture of storytelling and action with Ali’s body giving out on him after spending months leaving it all in the ring every single night. It worked for Shawn Michaels in 1995 and it can work here too. What we got here was more great stuff from Ali, who knows how to play the underdog and hang in there against anyone no matter what is thrown at him. I had a lot more fun with this match than I was expecting, especially considering the amount of RESPECT ME’s from Itami.

Ali collapses as he tries to leave the ring. The referee is asking him questions like what year it is, which Ali has trouble answering. Drake Maverick wants medics out here and holds Ali’s

Overall Rating: B. The story at the end was good stuff and capped off a solid show with a very entertaining main event. The show has needed the other big story to go with the title picture and that’s what they have now. I can’t believe it but 205 Live is becoming a rather fun show that I want to watch week to week. Given where they were just a few months ago, that’s rather impressive.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-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: August 2, 2018
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

You never know what you’re going to get around here and that’s one of the reasons that makes this show interesting. Well as interesting as it’s going to be. This week’s TV was the usual up and down so it all comes down to the match and segment selections, plus whatever new stuff they have. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory of Nikolai Volkoff and Brian Christopher.

Opening sequence.

Zack Ryder vs. Mike Kanellis

Didn’t we see this last week? Ryder starts fast with a faceplant and flapjack as the announcers talk about him being only a single win away from being a Grand Slam winner. Egads what a thought. Kanellis sends him face first into the middle buckle though and fires off some shoulders in the corner. We’re already off to the chinlock but the Woode Awakening gets Ryder out of trouble. Ryder goes to the middle rope, only to drive into a powerbomb for two. A good superkick gives Kanellis two but Ryder catches him on top with a super hurricanrana. The Broski Boot sets up the Rough Ryder for the pin at 5:44.

Rating: C. This match had no right to be any good but they worked hard and got a good match out of it. Kanellis could be worth something if they gave him a better gimmick and had Maria to get him some heat. Ryder continues to be great at what he does, but it would be nice to have him actually get the chance to do it every now and then.

From Smackdown.

Renee Young brings out Becky Lynch for a chat. Becky knew she would get back to the top of the mountain if she kept fighting. She hasn’t had a title match since Wrestlemania XXXIII nearly a year and a half ago. Now she’s back and just has to beat Carmella again to become Smackdown Women’s Champion again. Becky wants to go into Evolution as the champion but here’s Carmella to interrupt.

Carmella admits that she lost fair and square last week and that scares her. Becky has worked her way to the top and has been there to mentor Carmella every step of the way. She was the first woman to be drafted to Smackdown and Carmella was literally the last person drafted. With some tears in her eyes, Carmella talks about having to block out all the haters who say she’s not worthy of the title.

Now she’s getting to go into the biggest match of her career against her idol and they’re going to kill it. We’ll ignore why Carmella would want to have a great match rather than successfully defend her title but here’s James Ellsworth’s music. The distraction lets Carmella jump Becky from behind (as you knew was coming) and load up a chair. Cue the returning Charlotte for the save.

From later in the night.

Charlotte vs. Carmella

Non-title but if Charlotte wins, the title match at Summerslam is a triple threat. Before the match, Carmella says her fashion sense is just as flawless as her wrestling abilities. Charlotte may not want to admit it but Becky is rooting against her. Carmella moon walks away to start so Charlotte shoulders her down and says all night baby.

A t-bone suplex into a nipup puts Carmella on the floor but Charlotte misses the slingshot dive. Carmella sends her into the barricade and we take a break. Back with Charlotte missing a moonsault and getting sent outside so Carmella can stomp away. Carmella takes her down with a chinlock and things slow a bit.

Charlotte fights up and hits a big boot before sending Carmella outside for a moonsault off the barricade. Natural Selection gives Charlotte two but the Figure Eight attempt is broken up. Carmella’s superkick gets two and she can’t believe all these kickouts. For some reason Carmella tries the Figure Four but gets reversed into the Figure Eight for the tap at 12:46.

Rating: C-. You know, I really could go for something other than putting two challengers over the champ to set up a title match. Granted I could also go for the lack of triple threat matches. It’s cool that Charlotte is back and there’s nothing wrong with putting her right into the title scene, but egads I’m over the triple threat title matches, especially if Carmella retains and we go on to Becky vs. Carmella one on one like we could have had in the first place.

From Raw.

Alicia Fox vs. Natalya

Bliss and Rousey are the seconds. Natalya goes aggressive to start and tries an early Sharpshooter but Fox gets to the floor and pulls Natalya into the ring skirt. After beating the heck out of a tied up Natalya, Fox grabs the chinlock inside. That goes as long as you might expect but an abdominal stretch lasts a lot longer. Fox even one ups it by jumping up and wrapping her legs around Natalya’s waist (that’s a new one). The bridging northern lights suplex gets two and Fox goes after Rousey, allowing Bliss to get in a cheap shot. Fox’s running big boot is good for the pin at 5:05.

Rating: D+. There’s something likable about Fox and it’s good to have her back. If nothing else another person on the roster lets you keep some matches fresh instead of burning through the same ones over and over again. The match was more storyline than wrestling but Fox looked better than she did in most of her pre-injury matches.

Post match Rousey goes after Fox and hits the spinning Samoan drop. The numbers get the better of her for a bit but the villains get chased off.

From Smackdown again.

Here’s Daniel Bryan to plug Evolution (this is why I wanted to wait for after Summerslam, as Evolution is getting almost as much if not more attention) because it makes him think of his wife Brie Bella. Brie was in the ring when the Give Divas A Chance campaign started. The two of them have fought for respect for years now but every time they’ve taken a step forward, it’s been two steps back.

We see a clip from last week of Miz throwing the fake baby at Bryan and beating him down. That bothers him because Miz taunted him for two years while hiding behind the wall of Bryan’s injury. But then Bryan was cleared and Miz had to find a new way to hide. Last week Maryse and the baby were the new wall because Miz knows he would get destroyed in a fight.

Miz pops up on screen with security around him. He doesn’t want to hear this from Bryan because we’re not in the indies. If Bryan wants to fight, call Miz’s agent because he’s on the set of Miz and Mrs. right now. Bryan calls him a coward again so Miz brings up the Talking Smack segment from 2016. This right here, the eternal conflict, is all Bryan wants because it’s what furthers Bryan’s career. It took Bryan ten years of fighting on the indies to get noticed but Miz just yelled at Bryan for five minutes and got famous.

Bryan says that’s the difference between the two of them: Bryan is in this for the passion and Miz just wants fame. It’s been done before and better, but Miz is never going to be the Rock or John Cena. If Miz needs a big stage, come fight Bryan at Summerslam. Miz laughs it off and says the YES Movement is dead because everyone has moved on. No one wants to hear from Bryan because all the fans see when they look at him is this, and the screen is filled with pictures of crying babies. More great stuff from these two as there’s a natural chemistry there and I’m fine with waiting on the match announcement, as it’s not like it’s a secret.

Curt Hawkins vs. Tyler Breeze

Breeze takes him into the corner to start as Percy talks about seeing Breeze wearing Crocs. Hawkins scores with a knee to the ribs and blocks a sunset flip. A whip to the corner has Breeze down and we take a break. Back with Hawkins elbowing him in the face but missing the top rope version. The Stroke gives Hawkins two and a heck of a clothesline is good for the same as frustration is setting in. Instead of taking his time, Hawkins goes over to Breeze and eats a Supermodel Kick. The Unprettier gives Breeze the pin at 8:50.

Rating: D+. Breeze is someone who could have been something special on the main roster but they had to reset everything once he got to the main roster because NXT serves no real purpose as a developmental program most of the time. At least he got somewhere with the Fashion Police thing but I had a great time watching him in NXT and now this is a big night for him.

From Smackdown.

Here’s Samoa Joe with a message to AJ. He puts a stool in the ring and talks about how much he respects what AJ has done for the title, making it the most prestigious in WWE (the fans gasped a bit on that). AJ has put the title in front of what he wants and even in front of his own family. Last week AJ came out here and told a story about being able to talk to his daughter about being anything she wants to be.

The truth is that AJ is barely home long enough to hug his child, let alone look her in the eye. AJ is more comfortable living out of a suitcase than being at home with his family. He’s a great champion, even though he’s a failure as a father. Come Summerslam, AJ’s family will be cheering for Joe because it means they’ll have daddy back but Joe will be WWE Champion. This was more great stuff and as usual, it’s not about what Joe is saying but rather the intensity with which he says it. In a word, Joe comes off as real and that’s something most people can’t do in wrestling anymore.

We look at Paul Heyman trying to get Brock Lesnar to go to the ring on Monday. That meal he listed still makes me a bit hungry, save for the medium well steak.

From Raw again.

Here are Angle and Corbin to address Heyman and Lesnar. Heyman does come out with no energy, knowing what’s about to happen. The fans greet him with the Goodbye Song and Heyman says Lesnar isn’t coming out here tonight. That sends Angle over the edge into a rant about what a champion does, like doing charity work, reaching out to the community, and DEFENDING THE TITLE. Angle: “BROCK LESNAR MUST BE THE WORST UNIVERSAL CHAMPION OF ALL TIME!” Fans: “YES!!!”

Heyman actually agrees and says he tried to rehabilitate Lesnar because he’s one of the few people Lesnar tolerates. Kurt doesn’t buy it but Heyman says take this out on Lesnar because Brock doesn’t respect anyone. However, Heyman thinks the world of Angle and would like to have a better working relationship with him. Angle fires him anyway, sending Heyman diving to Angle’s leg.

Cue Lesnar to give Heyman the greatest relief of his life. Lesnar finally gets in and hands the belt to Heyman before grabbing a mic. That’s rarely a good idea. He asks if Angle and Corbin have a problem with him….and there’s an F5 to Angle before a word is said. Corbin immediately leaves and Heyman slaps Brock on the back. Brock grabs him by the face and makes Heyman look at Angle. The fans want Strowman (or maybe Roman) but get Brock leaving to end the show. So yeah, that’s it and no, this isn’t going to get the result that the company wants, especially in New York.

Overall Rating: C. The opening match was good and the rest of the show did its job of recapping the rest of the week. Summerslam continues to not be the hottest build in the world as there’s a lot going on and not enough time to focus on most of it, but that’s the case for a lot of the big shows. Lesnar vs. Reigns is one of the least interesting main events in a long time and while the fans are starting to boo him, they’re not exactly thrilled with Roman (I’m still not sure if the cheers were Roman or Strowman on Monday). That’s the biggest story and with that on top, there isn’t much time for the rest.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-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: July 31, 2018
Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

For the first time in the better part of a year, we actually have a pay per view match to build towards. Last week Drew Gulak became #1 contender by winning a four way match, earning himself a shot against Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander. Other than that we have Lio Rush vs. Akira Tozawa in a pretty nice feud. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long recap of the four way, which was quite good.

Opening sequence.

Kalisto vs. Tony Nese

Feeling out process to start with Nese shoving him around but not stopping to count the abs. You can tell he’s serious here. A hard running elbow drops Kalisto again and Nese sends him hard into the corner. After mocking the lucha dance (as everyone does), Nese whips him again even harder, this time tying Kalisto in the Tree of Woe for some kicks to the ribs.

We hit the waistlock for a long time until Kalisto rolls out and kicks him in the face, followed by a good looking springboard crossbody. Nese trips him up but tweaks his knee coming off the top. He’s still strong enough for a buckle bomb but the kickout frustrates him even more. The delay lets Kalisto grab a very quick Salida Del Sol for the pin at 7:28.

Rating: C-. Nese is a good character but his offense doesn’t exactly inspire me. There’s only so much you can get out of having Nese work on the waist the entire time and that’s about as far as we got here. Buddy Murphy being there will definitely help in the eventual tag match so there’s hope for the feud. If nothing else though, Nigel going full heel on commentary here was a nice change of pace as something like that can enhance a show in a hurry.

Post match Murphy comes out to block Kalisto from leaving and gorilla presses him until Lince Dorado comes out for a save. A double superkick drops Murphy.

Earlier today we had the contract signing for the Cruiserweight Title shot. Drew is ready to sign first but has something to say. Cedric knows this is going to take some time and signs first to save some time. Gulak talks about how Cedric is undefeated this year but that doesn’t mean anything yet. Where was Cedric when the title wasn’t on the line? It was people like Gulak who built the show up while Cedric wrestles whenever he wants to. Cedric will be known as the Brock Lesnar of 205 Live and his reign ends at Summerslam. Gulak signs and leaves.

Lio Rush vs. Ricky Martinez

Before the match, Rush says fans aren’t happy with him for not giving Akira Tozawa a rematch. The problem is that he’s a hot commodity and everyone wants a piece of his time. That’s why he’s found a new opponent who is much more worthy of his time. Rush thinks this guy could put up a better fight than Tozawa so let’s see what he has. Martinez gets in a kick to the head in the corner but Rush flips up and hits two kicks of his own. There’s the suicide dive (ala Tozawa) and a rolling kick to the head. The frog splash (the Final Hour) puts Martinez away at 1:11.

Post match Tozawa chases Rush off. This will continue and that’s not the worst thing in the world.

Brian Kendrick vs. Cedric Alexander

Non-title and Cedric has a taped up thumb. Feeling out process to start with Alexander nipping out of a headscissors, sending Kendrick backing into the corner. Kendrick’s headlock works a bit better until Cedric snaps off a good looking armdrag. A chop brings Kendrick to his knees as they’re still in pretty slow motion early on. Cue Gulak for a distraction, allowing Kendrick to roll underneath the ring.

The sneaking around lets Kendrick send him into the steps and it’s time to choke on the ropes as Gulak joins in on commentary. An armbar keeps Cedric down but he pops back up for some forearms. The springboard clothesline is broken up though and Alexander takes a nasty fall onto the ropes. Those always worry me a bit but he’s fine enough to send Kendrick outside. The big flip dive to the floor drops Kendrick and Alexander is down next to him. Gulak: “What a bonehead.”

Alexander gets two off the springboard clothesline but he can’t hit the Lumbar Check. He can however hit the Neuralizer to send Kendrick out to the apron. Back in and Kendrick grabs a quick Captain’s Hook but Cedric makes the rope, much to Gulak’s chagrin. Another Hook is countered into a Michinoku Driver and Alexander can’t follow up. Kendrick superkicks him and tries Sliced Bread, but Cedric pulls him into the Lumbar Check (with a great sell job) to finish Kendrick at 12:20.

Rating: B-. This match did something that is almost impossible to pull off: having a match that has no drama turn into something rather entertaining. Cedric isn’t going to lose in a non-title match just before Summerslam but Kendrick helped turn this into a fun match. Piling up wins before Summerslam is going to make the likely title change mean more and Gulak seems primed to take the belt away. Much better than it should have been here.

Post match Gulak gets on the apron for a distraction, allowing Jack Gallagher to come in for a shot to the face. Gulak: “Cedric my boy! What happened to you?” Drake Maverick comes in and threatens to take Gulak’s title match away if anything else happens. Gulak and company back off to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. They’ve figured out the right balance around here and I’m sure none of that has anything to do with the title becoming a more active part of the show. They’ve found a good structure to the show and that’s exactly what they needed to do. If they can keep this going for a few more weeks and months, they might just have a good show on their hands.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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