205 Live
Date: July 9, 2019
Location: SNHU Arena, Manchester, New Hampshire
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s the final show before the Cruiserweight Title match between Drew Gulak and Tony Nese so expect the hard sell towards the title match in a big way tonight. Other than that we have a General Manager who is busy trying to escape the mob chasing after him for the 24/7 Title while trying to spend time with his new bride. Wrestling is a weird place. Let’s get to it.

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

Oney Lorcan, in his stoic voice, talks about tonight’s main event against Ariya Daivari being anything goes. He can use whatever he want….and here’s Daivari to jump him from behind. Drake Maverick and some referees break it up.

Opening sequence.

Brian Kendrick vs. Sunil Singh

Earlier today, the Singhs tried to give Kendrick a lifetime achievement Bollywood award but yelled about wanting a match instead. During the entrances, Nigel throws out that Drake has immunity from defending the 24/7 Title during the show, so at least that’s covered. Singh tries to dance to start so Kendrick punches him in the face and does his own dance. A Sumir distraction works well though as Kendrick gets sent knees first into the steps. Sunil: “YOU SHOULD DANCE WITH US!”

Sunil dances on his own and throws in a hip swivel as he’s running through his playbook in a hurry. We get an old Steve Austin camera motion, with Aiden dubbing them the Bollywood Blondes. The backbreaker sets up a missed middle rope elbow and Kendrick nails a leg lariat. Sliced Bread is broken up so Kendrick settles for the Captain’s Hook and the tap at 5:05.

Rating: D+. The match could have been worse but the problem here is the Singh Brothers. They don’t come off as a threat and they’re certainly not imposing. The Bollywood and Boscars deals are fine, but they’re more of a nuisance than anything else, which can get old in a hurry. Given that they’ve been featured every week for a long time now, it’s not going to get much better.

Post match the double beatdown is on until Akira Tozawa runs in for the save.

We get part one (of three) of a biography on Humberto Carrillo. He talks about watching wrestling growing up and his family supporting his decision to become a wrestler. They didn’t give us much here so hopefully the next two parts are an improvement.

Jack Gallagher vs. Devin Justin

After a polite handshake, Jack takes him to the mat and starts in on the hand. A fireman’s carry hot shot sets up the armbar with Gallagher bending Justin’s arms behind him and laying down on them for a painful visual. Gallagher gets creative by tying him into a knot around the ropes for a running dropkick (rather heelish), followed by a delayed suplex. Hold on though as here’s Mike Kanellis to start throwing things around as he rants about Drake ruining his life. Now he’s going to ruin the show by throwing stuff everywhere. Fans: “WHO’S YOUR DADDY???” Security gets rid of him and it’s the headbutt to finish Justin at 3:34.

Rating: C-. The angle was what mattered here, though the differences in what Mike does on here and what he does on Raw are striking. This came off as the same whiny Kanellis that has been around for months while the Raw version is at least entertaining. At least we got to see some of Jack’s rather cool offense here, with that knot always looking awesome.

Drake comes up to Mike in the back and apologizes for not being around as of late. He’s been neglecting everyone, including his wife, and Mike understands what it’s like to have trouble at home. Mike doesn’t buy it because Drake caused all of Mike’s problems. Therefore, Mike should ruin the show to even things up. Drake understands but is going to fine Mike for his actions. Mike goes into a rant about having a second baby on the way but says he’ll do something next week that will get him an even bigger fine.

Oney Lorcan vs. Ariya Daivari

Anything goes. Lorcan charges up the ramp and the fight is on in a hurry. They get inside for the opening bell with Lorcan throwing him right back to the floor. It’s already time to throw some chairs inside as Lorcan wants to get violent in a hurry. Some running elbows in the corner have Daivari in trouble but he sends Lorcan over the top to get a breather. Daivari throws in a chain and pulls out a trashcan, with the delay letting Lorcan get in a suplex on the floor.

Let’s bring in a ladder, just to crank this one into high gear sooner. First though, the chain is pulled across Lorcan’s face, with Nigel saying it’s going to be hard to make it look worse. The ladder is set up in the corner with Lorcan sending Daivari into it for the crash. A suplex into the ladder is blocked so Lorcan settles for a hiptoss into the ladder instead. The half and half suplex onto a chair is countered into a reverse DDT, allowing Daivari to grab the chain again.

As Nigel talks about the Roddy Piper vs. Greg Valentine dog collar match, Daivari whips Lorcan into the corner with the chain around the neck. A camel clutch with Lorcan’s head inside the chair offers a rather good looking visual with Daivari ripping at the face to make it worse. With the hold not working, Daivari sits him in the chair and punches away but gets caught with a drop toehold into the chair for a double knockdown.

The running Blockbuster puts Daivari on the floor and a fired up Lorcan hits the running dive off the apron. The fans ask for and receive tables (stop indulging them) but it takes too long, allowing Daivari to hit a superkick. Lorcan rolls outside again but this time he pelts a trashcan at Daivari to knock him out of the air.

It’s time for six more chairs (dude, overkill) with Lorcan setting up for of them in front of the steps. Actually make that six and there is no way this is going to end well. Daivari uses the long breather to get in a shot of his own and a backdrop sends Lorcan off the steps and through all the chairs. Back in and Daivari starts setting up the table but goes for the ladder instead, drawing a YOU ARE STUPID chant.

The Persian Lion splash off the ladder gives Daivari two and you can hear Nigel losing his mind over the kickout. It’s time for another table but that one breaks as Daivari sets it up. That means another table with Daivari stacking it next to the previous one. Another splash takes too long though and Lorcan superplexes him through both tables for the pin at 20:56.

Rating: B. The time helped a lot here as it felt like they were able to beat on each other as much as they wanted to. Some of the spots took some time to set up but I’m rather happy that the match ended with a big spot rather than the finisher hitting out of nowhere. Good match, and Lorcan should get a title shot as a result.

We wrap it up with a long video on Nese vs. Gulak, which hasn’t been mentioned up to this point. They were friends for a long time until Gulak realized that he was that much better than Nese. Tony talks about Gulak always being in it for himself but Gulak says Nese only cares about his abs. Nese showed he could get it done by beating Gulak in the #1 contenders tournament and going on to win the title. That made Gulak train even harder because he knew he was alone. It was enough for him to win the title at Stomping Grounds, but now he has to face Nese one on one. Good video, but the feud doesn’t have legs.

Overall Rating: C+. It helps a lot when your good main event is over 40% of your show. The rest of this one wasn’t great, but a lot of that is due to the amount of focus that the main event received. At the same time though, the rest of the show just isn’t that interesting, mainly due to how low level everything else seems. That has been a problem around here for a long time and I don’t see it getting better very soon.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: July 4, 2019
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Renee Young

It’s a holiday edition of the show and that isn’t likely to matter as this is mainly an international show. Things got a lot more interesting this week on Raw and hopefully that carries over to here as well. Smackdown was its usual slog of a two hour show but it’s not like Smackdown means anything around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dana Brooke vs. Sarah Logan

It’s trilogy time and we even get a recap of their previous matches. Logan kicks her in the face to start and hits a few slams, setting up some howling. We’re already in the chinlock, drawing a rare DANA chant. Dana sends her outside for a cartwheel elbow to the face, followed by the Wade Barrett middle rope suplex into a suplex. A headscissors sets up a rollup for two on Logan, who is right back with the standing Texas Cloverleaf. That’s broken up as well so it’s the cartwheel splash for two on Logan. That’s fine though, as Logan hits a running knee to the back of the head for the pin at 5:48.

Rating: D. Well I’m glad they gave us the end to the feud and a definitive winner. This was on the same level they’ve been on since their first match and that’s not the best thing in the world. Brooke is trying to get somewhere and is better than she used to be but she’s a long, long way from being ready to be at the top levels.

From Raw.

Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman

Falls Count Anywhere. Lashley hits an early spear and they’re on the floor in a hurry. Strowman hits the big shoulder and drops a backsplash for two. A big tackle knocks Strowman into the timekeeper’s area for two more and they head into the crowd. It’s the walking around form of brawling until Lashley hits him in the back with a chair for two. They get into a clearing with Strowman hitting a heck of a charge to run Lashley over for two.

It’s up to the stage with Lashley getting in an impressive suplex for two of his own. A big spear sends Lashley through the set and it’s a BUNCH of explosions (Graves: “HOLY S***! Uncensored too.) with the screen’s lights going out. Both guys are sprayed with fire extinguishers and the referees call for EMTs as the match is of course thrown out at about 6:00.

Rating: C-. Oh yeah I’d say we have some new management now. This was All a bunch of killing time until we got to the big angle at the end and there’s nothing wrong with that. What matters most here is that they started with something different and fans are going to want to keep watching. It’s a different style and if that’s what we’re going to get, well done.

The medics look at both of them for a good while with no commentary. We even take a break and come back with the two of them being put into ambulances.

And from Smackdown.

We see a video from Lashley’s Twitter, saying Strowman got what he deserved. That had nothing to do with wrestling because they went into an unsafe area. Lashley could have been electrocuted or something worse but Strowman didn’t care. The next time Lashley sees that son of a b****, he’s sending him to the morgue.

From Smackdown again.

Here are Kofi Kingston and Samoa Joe for a face to face showdown. Joe talks about choking him out last night, which was an act of generosity. It seems that Kofi is always receiving some kind of act of generosity. Whenever New Day is given a singles match, it’s always Kofi getting the shot because he’s the New Day’s guy. Joe says they’re using the people just like he does and in a few years, Woods and Big E. can be the hype man and butler.

Kofi talks about everything he has done by himself while Joe lost the US Title to Ricochet. Joe is the one always jumping people from behind but Joe isn’t convinced. He knows Kofi always has a way out planned, like when he brought in his kids. Kofi calls Joe jealous but Joe offers a handshake in honor of choking Kofi out two weeks in a row.

If Kofi will shake his hand, Joe will promise the safety of everyone Kofi holds dear until Extreme Rules. There’s no handshake, so Joe gives him five seconds before he starts slapping Kofi around the ring. Instead Kofi flips him off (that feels WAY out of character for him) and hits Trouble in Paradise.

Video on Baron Corbin/Lacey Evans vs. Seth Rollins/Becky Lynch.

Extreme Rules rundown.

Robert Roode vs. Cedric Alexander

Roode headlocks him to start so Alexander is right back with some running shoulders and a hip swivel. We take a very abrupt break and come back with Alexander kicking him in the face. The suicide dive connects and Cedric’s springboard clothesline gets two. Roode snaps off the spinebuster for his own two but the Glorious DDT is countered into the Neuralizer for another near fall. Roode gets smart though and grabs a rollup with rope for the pin at 7:39.

Rating: C-. Better than you might have guessed here with Roode looking smooth in the ring but still lacking in any reason to take him seriously. I know the mustache is incredible but I need more than that. Alexander continues to be the same talented but unpushed guy that he always is, mainly because he has no character to speak of.

From Raw.

Here are Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre for a chat. After the long intro, Shane talks about having other responsibilities other than gracing us with his presence. We look back at McIntyre and Shane beating up Roman Reigns last week but cut it off before Undertaker appeared. Shane promises to destroy the Undertaker again at Extreme Rules and Drew says he will not be intimidated by Undertaker. Drew is ready to fight right now and wants Undertaker out here right now. The thunder rumbles and the lights go out. Lightning hits some turnbuckles and here’s Undertaker.

Shane and Drew bail into the crowd and Undertaker says Reigns never asked for his help. If you need to know what happened last week, Undertaker will explain. He has been the reaper of wayward souls for a long time and he is here to collect Shane and Drew’s. Shane had a little of Undertaker’s respect for awhile because of their match inside the Cell. Just like most mortals though, Shane fell victim to his greed and ego. Therefore, Undertaker is claiming his soul for all of eternity. The two of them will never rest in peace. Fine enough explanation for a one off match.

And from Raw again.

US Title: Ricochet vs. AJ Styles

Ricochet is defending. An early rollup gives Ricochet two and he knocks AJ down in a hurry. The springboard splash hits raised knees though and AJ takes over. The fans are split as Ricochet knocks him to the floor for the big flip dive. Back in and AJ knocks him backwards a few steps, setting up the Phenomenal Forearm for the pin and the title….despite Ricochet having his foot under the ropes at two. Cue a second referee as we find another way to not have action during a break.

Back with the match restarting and the Good Brothers at ringside. Ricochet hits an enziguri and a lifting swinging neckbreaker for two. The Phoenix splash misses so Ricochet sends him over the top and face first onto the apron. The big running flip dive misses but Ricochet lands on his feet. That’s fine with AJ, who hits another Phenomenal Forearm to the floor. Back in and the torture rack powerbomb gives AJ two but he gets caught on top. Ricochet knocks him down and grabs a spinning rollup for the pin to retain at 10:13.

Rating: C+. This didn’t have time to build up because of the spot in the middle. Is it that much to just have Styles vs. Ricochet in a straight ten minute match without the big part in the middle to change things up? It feels so unnecessary and doesn’t add anything more than a detail that doesn’t need to be there.

Post match they shake hands but the Good Brothers get on the apron. Ricochet is ready to fight but AJ decks him for the heel turn. The beatdown is on with a Magic Killer and a middle rope Styles Clash leaving Ricochet laying. AJ and the Good Brothers give the Too Sweet sign and Gallows says they’re back to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. This could have been a lot worse and I’ll certainly take what I can get here. The Raw stuff is far better than the Smackdown material but at least they were playing it smart by not having Smackdown get too much time. What we got here was a watchable enough show but as long as they keep up the good Raw stuff, they’ll be fine.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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 2, 2019
Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Aiden English

We have a new #1 contender with Tony Nese earning the right to face Drew Gulak for the title at Extreme Rules. That could make for an entertaining match, but what isn’t around here? 205 Live has turned into one of the best shows WWE puts out every week and it’s a shame that fewer people don’t see it. Let’s get to it.

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

We open in the back where Nese is giving Jack Gallagher and Oney Lorcan a pep talk before tonight’s six man tag. Gallagher is ready to team with Nese and the serious Lorcan wants to give Ariya Daivari some stitches.

Opening sequence.

Lucha House Party vs. Singh Brothers

Tornado tag with Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado for the House Party. It’s a dance/pose off to start before the House Party punch them out to the floor. The Singhs get chopped a lot until it’s Metalik kicking away at Sunil back inside. Dorado comes back in and throws Metalik onto Sunil for two as Sumir comes back in for a save. That’s fine with Dorado, who hits a springboard moonsault for two of his own.

Something like a reverse hart Attack gets two on Sumir but Sunil crotches Dorado to break up the rope walk elbow. A double suplex gets two and a spinwheel kick sets up some hip swiveling. Some kicks keep Metalik down and, of course, that means it’s time for dancing, because that’s what the Singh Brothers do. A top rope Demolition Decapitator (Nigel: “BUENOS NOCHES!!!”) gets two as Dorado seems to have fallen into a hole somewhere.

As Metalik gets sent outside, Dorado FINALLY comes back in to break up some more hip swiveling. A high crossbody gets two with Sunil making a save of his own. The Golden Rewind puts Sumir down but the luchadors get double superkicked out of the air. Sunil brings in the Boscar trophy, which is taken away by Kalisto. The Metalik Driver sets up the rope walk DDT/a shooting star press for the stereo pins at 10:52.

Rating: C-. It wasn’t bad but this did a lot to expose the Singh Brothers as little more than a one note act. They did very little other than their dancing and that’s not enough to carry a ten minute match. The Bollywood Boys deal is fine, but come up with a better way to present that during the matches.

Video on Humberto Carrillo.

Mike Kanellis doesn’t want to talk about his loss on Raw. He and Maria aren’t speaking at the moment because last night should have been the greatest moment of his life but she called him a disappointment. Mike is disappointed, but in Drake Maverick. It’s all his fault and Drake is sitting on a beach with his wife when Mike should be celebrating great news with the Cruiserweight Title. Maverick is going to pay.

Jack Gallagher/Oney Lorcan/Tony Nese vs. Ariya Daivari/Drew Gulak/Mike Kanellis

Nese and Gulak start things off but Mike is brought in with no contact. Gallagher comes in as well and they finally lock up over a minute in. Mike works on the arm and shoulders Gallagher down, only to have Gallagher tie himself in a ball on the mat. With that perplexing Mike, it’s off to Lorcan for some hard chops in the corner. Mike wants more chops and hits a clothesline, allowing the tag to Daivari. Some right hands set up a double suplex to give Gulak two as the villains start taking their turns.

Lorcan finally gets away and makes the tag to Nese so the pace can pick up. Nese’s springboard moonsault is broken up with a shove onto Lorcan, Gallagher and Daivari so the villains can take over again. Back in and Gulak grabs an armbar on Nese and it’s off to Daivari to pummel Nese some more. Nese small packages Kanellis for two, earning himself a hard clothesline to take him right back down.

A running corner clothesline sets up a superkick into an assisted Iconoclasm for two on Nese, which FINALLY draws in Gallagher to break up the triple team. With Gallagher on the apron again, Nese gets in a sitout powerslam and the hot tag brings in Lorcan. The running Blockbuster gets two on Daivari and Gallagher’s falling headbutt gets the same. Lorcan hits the big flip dive onto everyone but Daivari dives onto Lorcan plus everyone.

Nese follows suit and of course it’s Gallagher busting out the umbrella for the Mary Poppins Drop. Back in and a top rope headbutt gives Gallagher two on Daivari. Lorcan and Daivari fight to the back, leaving Gallagher to headbutt Gulak. Nese misses the 450 and Kanellis comes in for the two count (Nigel: “FOR THE LOVE OF MARIA!!!”). Nese is right back up with the sunset driver for the pin at 18:11.

Rating: C+. There was a lot of action in here and it was nice to see a match get this kind of time. Kanellis failing again is going to wind up being an interesting story, if nothing else just because Maria can yell at him in a very entertaining way. Now just get to some hot matches down the line and everything will go well.

Post match Gulak lays out Nese as Lorcan and Daivari are fighting on the ramp. The three fights go over the announcers’ table and Kanellis is sent into the steps to end the show with the violence rolling.

Overall Rating: C. It wasn’t a great show and the main event was only pretty good instead of awesome but I’ll take a pair of watchable matches any day. 205 Live has some weird stretches where the shows aren’t as interesting when the title match is set because it takes over a lot of the show. What we got here covered a lot of that with the six man tag, but Nese vs. Gulak isn’t the most thrilling title match in the world. Skippable show this week, albeit with a good ending. Oh and where is Chad Gable? Is he coming back?

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 27, 2019
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Renee Young, Byron Saxton

The show hits the big city and I’m not sure what is going to happen here. It’s rare that anything of note happens here and for some reason, I have a pretty strong feeling that it is going to be exactly the same thing here. If nothing else, getting to see the, ahem, highlights, could be rather hard to go through. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dana Brooke vs. Sarah Logan

Rematch from last week when Dana’s head exploded. Brooke ducks a swinging elbow to start but gets knocked down for an early two. Sarah throws her outside for a bit before grabbing the chinlock back inside. That’s broken up with some elbows to the ribs and a rollup gives Dana two. Sarah does a rather loud howl but misses some running knees in the corner. The comeback is cut off in a hurry though as Brooke forearms her in the face and loads up the knee to the post from last week. That’s broken up though and Brooke hits a Swanton for the pin at 6:09.

Rating: D. So that’s the full version from last week, complete with a bonus of the storyline built from Logan going after Brooke’s head again. I’m so thrilled that we got to see this epic, which was every bit as good as I expected it to be. Brooke is trying so hard but WWE has left her out there to die on a roster she’s not ready for and it’s kind of sad.

Recap of the Universal Title match at Stomping Grounds with Lacey Evans serving as guest referee.

From Raw.

Here’s Seth Rollins to get things going. Rollins says last night, Baron Corbin thought he was going to take the title from him, but here’s Becky Lynch to interrupt. Seth: “Hey, you kind of interrupted me.” Rollins talks about how Corbin tried to stack the deck but he didn’t know that Rollins had the best backup on the planet. Becky: “I guess it pays to be the Man’s man.” Lynch recaps the evening between herself and Lacey Evans but Corbin’s music interrupts.

There’s no Corbin though as Evans runs in from behind to jump Becky. Now Corbin comes in and gets taken down with a Sling Blade. The Bexploder sends Lacey outside as well and the villains are left on the floor. Corbin tells Seth to go make the Man a sandwich and Lacey threatens to hit them both again. Lacey wants a mixed tag for Extreme Rules, which works for Becky, but with a condition: after Baron and Lacey lose, neither get to face Seth and Becky again. Actually hang on as Baron has an idea: both titles are on the line and it’s winners take all. Never let it be said that WWE can’t drag things out beyond their expiration date.

We look at Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns from Stomping Grounds.

From Raw again.

Shane McMahon/Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns

Shane adds the twist of he and Drew not having to tag. Reigns punches Shane in the face and we’re ready to go. A clothesline sends Drew to the floor as Cole again tries to get Big Dog Strong over. Drew pulls Roman outside to save Shane and a whip into the corner puts Roman in trouble. The steps to the face have Reigns in more trouble and the Claymore makes it worse. Shane’s spear takes Reigns down and a second Claymore….doesn’t get a cover. Shane loads up Coast to Coast……and UNDERTAKER is here. House is cleaned and we’ll say the match is thrown out at about 4:00.

Rating: D. Well that came out of nowhere. The match itself was inconsequential of course and there’s nothing wrong with that. As scared as I am of Shane pinning Undertaker at Extreme Rules, I’ll take it over a handicap match with Reigns having to sell for Shane again. At least Drew didn’t take another fall here so it could be worse.

We look at Ricochet winning the US Title at Stomping Grounds.

From Raw again.

Ricochet vs. AJ Styles

Non-title. Ricochet tries his flipping counter to a wristlock but AJ just drops down into a headlock for a smart counter. They get up to their feet but here are the Good Brothers to stand at ringside. Anderson offers a distraction but AJ goes to the floor and throws them out so they can’t ruin the match. That’s fine, as the match will be restarted after the break.

Back with Ricochet flipping into an anklescissors to stagger AJ and a dropkick gets two. Ricochet starts in on the arm and rolls AJ up for two more but Styles is right back with the Pele. Another dropkick sends Styles outside though and that means the big running flip dive to take him down again. Styles is fine enough to suplex him into the corner for two and it’s off tot he reverse chinlock.

Ricochet fights up so Styles hits a spinning backfist, which is answered with an enziguri. A springboard clothesline into a standing shooting star press gets two on AJ. The moonsault into the reverse DDT gets two on Ricochet, followed by the Phenomenal Blitz for the same. Ricochet knocks him down again and hits a moonsault for two but the 630 misses. AJ’s forearm sets up the Phenomenal Forearm for the pin at 10:54.

Rating: B-. You know, I blame myself for this one. I was dumb enough to believe that they might actually give Ricochet a solid push without throwing in these stumbling blocks like so many other wrestlers have to face. This isn’t the death knell and I’m not mourning the end of Ricochet’s push but he really had to lose a day after the title win? Hopefully he gets to beat AJ at Extreme Rules, but the clean pin is the only way to get there?

Lucha House Party vs. EC3/Cesaro/Robert Roode

Renee dubs the trio the Main Event Muscle Men. Dorado and EC3 start things off with Dorado hitting a forearm out of the corner and a high crossbody for two. The House Party comes in to beat up EC3 without much effort and we take a break. Back with Metalik’s rope walk dropkick getting two on Cesaro. The Salida Del Sol is broken up so Kalisto dives onto Roode. That leaves Cesaro to uppercut Metalik out of the air for the pin at 5:51. Not enough shown to rate but what we got was energetic.

From Smackdown.

Elias vs. The Miz

2/3 falls with Shane in Elias’ corner. After Elias sings a quick jab against the Portland Trail Blazers, we’re ready to go. Miz clotheslines him to the floor but Shane offers a distraction, allowing Elias to knee Miz out of the air. Drift Away is good for the first fall at 57 seconds. Back from a break with the second fall beginning and Elias unloading in the corner. The chinlock goes on until Miz fights up and makes the comeback, including a DDT for two. Elias’ rollup gets two more but Miz has to go after Shane.

An electric chair doesn’t work for Elias and the Skull Crushing Finale connects, only to have Shane come in for the DQ at 10:25. Before the third fall starts, Shane and Elias destroy Miz even further, even throwing him over the announcers’ table. A whip into the barricade keeps Miz down and they throw him back inside for a spear from Shane. The bell rings and the top rope elbow gives Elias the pin at 11:23.

Rating: D. Thank goodness for that. I was almost starting to forget how awesome Shane was for a few minutes there. Miz’s stock has fallen through the floor since this Shane feud started (back in November) and I have no idea why he needs to be the personal punching bag. Then again if you try to use logic on this stuff at the moment, your head is going to hurt quite a bit so we’ll move on.

We look at Samoa Joe choking out Kofi Kingston.

And from Smackdown again.

Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler

Non-title, 2/3 falls and if Ziggler wins he is added to the title match at Extreme Rules. Ziggler starts fast with the dropkick and grabs a chinlock with a bodyscissors. Kofi gets up and hits his own dropkick, followed by a pinfall reversal sequence for some near falls each. A sunset flip gives Kofi the first fall at 3:37 so Ziggler throws him outside. Kofi gets sent into the barricade and a Zig Zag on the floor takes us to a break.

Back with the second fall beginning and Kofi eating a superkick to tie it up at 8:19, which is the first time Kingston has been pinned since winning the title. Ziggler sends him hard into the corner and it’s back to the chinlock. That’s broken up and Ziggler goes charging chest first into the buckle. Kofi can’t follow up though and it’s the Shot to the Heart for two. Kofi’s high crossbody is rolled through for two and a DDT gives Ziggler the same.

Back up and Kofi gets in a shot but Ziggler rolls away from the Boom Drop. Instead it’s the top rope forearm to the head for two and the Fameasser is countered into a sitout powerbomb. Trouble in Paradise misses though and Kofi gets set into the post, setting up the Zig Zag for two more. The superkick misses though and now Trouble in Paradise can finish Ziggler at 17:16.

Rating: C+. Ok, so Ziggler is done now right? That’s four times that Kofi has beaten him, though the first two weren’t enough to get rid of Ziggler in the first place. There was no reason for this match to happen (and even less of a reason for it to be 2/3 falls) but at least Kofi won and the title match that was already set up gets to happen.

Overall Rating: D+. I have no reason to believe that the Main Event Muscle Men are going to go anywhere or that this is anything more than a token story (assuming it lasts beyond tonight) to say they’ve got something to do. However, I’ll take a little change, even for the sake of one week. Still though, all this show did was remind me how poorly handled the “no wrestling during the breaks” was. You know, as Main Event tends to do.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 25, 2019
Location: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Things have changed again with Drew Gulak becoming the new Cruiserweight Champion in a bit of a surprise. What matters most is that he FINALLY won the title after coming up short for months. Now we need a new #1 contender as Extreme Rules is only a few weeks away. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at Gulak winning the title at Stomping Grounds in a triple threat match over champion Tony Nese and Akira Tozawa.

Gulak says you will have to call him champion. Tonight, Nese and Tozawa can fight to become #1 contender. Short and to the point here, which fits Gulak’s new persona.

Opening sequence.

Jack Gallagher vs. Mike Kanellis

Feeling out process to start with Gallagher cranking on both arms but Mike reverses into one of his own and takes him to the mat. That’s fine with Gallagher, who flips back and rotates his feet like he’s riding a bicycle for a series of kicks to Mike’s face. Back up and Gallagher does his handstand in the corner but a Maria distraction lets Mike post him. That’s only good for an eight count so Mike hammers away to let out some frustration.

One heck of a clothesline gets two but Gallagher starts the comeback. He dives into the raised boots though and a Samoan driver gives Mike two. The superkick sets up a rollup with a handful of trunks for two, meaning it’s time to argue with the referee. That’s enough for Gallagher to hit the headbutt for the pin at 7:00.

Rating: D+. They’re trying something with Kanellis but there’s no way around the fact that he’s just not that interesting. His work is average, his talking is fine at best and there’’s nothing to him that makes me want to watch him. I’m not sure why WWE re-signed him, as I can’t imagine how much of an impact he could make in AEW.

Post match Mike tells Maria that this was a mistake and he’s done before walking out through the crowd.

Nese says Drew didn’t beat him for the title so tonight he’s becoming #1 contender and getting his title back.

Tozawa, getting the WHAT treatment from the crowd, says he had a chance to win the title on Sunday and won’t let it slip out of his grasp again.

Drake Maverick calls Mike Kanellis and yells at his voicemail about Mike’s unprofessionalism.

Humberto Carrillo vs. Rob Rollenbeck

Rob goes for a wristlock to start but Carrillo shows him how it’s really done. A whip into the corner lets Carrillo backflip away for some applause, followed by a kick to the face. The high angle springboard armdrag sets up a missile dropkick to put Rob down again. The Aztec press completes the squash at 2:35.

We look back at Ariya Daivari attacking Oney Lorcan last week after getting disqualified in their match.

Daivari says he’s tougher and smarter than Lorcan…and here’s Oney to chair him in the back and beat him down. Oney: “HOW DOES IT FEEL??? HOW DOES IT FEEL???”

Lucha House Party is getting their rematch with the Singh Brothers in a tornado tag.

Tony Nese vs. Akira Tozawa

The winner gets Gulak for the title at Extreme Rules. Nese flips out of a wristlock to start and kicks Tozawa in the ribs for an early one. Back up and a hurricanrana sends Nese outside and Tozawa hits a heck of a cannonball off the apron. Tozawa heads up top so Nese rolls forward and kicks him in the head for two as things get back to even. The bodyscissors goes on to keep Tozawa in some trouble and a waistlock doesn’t really change anything.

Back up and Tozawa kicks him in the face, followed by something close to an F5. That sends Nese outside and now the suicide headbutt can connect. A missile dropkick gives Tozawa two and it’s the Iron Octopus to have Nese in real trouble. That’s reversed into a tilt-a-whirl slam, with Tozawa nearly landing on his head. A spinwheel kick sets up the springboard moonsault but Tozawa gets to the floor. That’s fine with Nese, who hits the running flip dive and the springboard moonsault for two back inside.

They chop it out until Tozawa heads up top, where Nese hits him in the face again. Tozawa is fine enough to hit a Canadian Destroyer for two but the top rope backsplash misses. Nese German suplexes him into the corner for two but the running Nese misses as well. Some kind of spinning sunset flip doesn’t work for Tozawa though as Nese catches him in an over the back piledriver for the pin and the title shot at 14:10.

Rating: B-. Another good match in a series of solid main events of late. This was the right ending because there isn’t likely to be much interest in Tozawa getting another title shot after he lost the fall at Stomping Grounds. Nese makes sense and has become a rather solid worker in the last few months, so this is the right call.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was a step below what they’ve been doing as of late but I still liked it well enough. 205 Live is still a good show and it offers such a nice breather after everything that Raw and Smackdown puts fans through earlier in the week. What we had here was fine and Nese vs. Gulak is usually an entertaining match. Fine enough show, but not a great one.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

https://wrestlingrumors.net/derekstoughton/breaking-paul-heyman-eric-bischoff-named-wwe-executive-directors/

This is NOT a storyline and wow.I mean….wow.  It was clear that something had to be done to shake things up and this is certainly something.  Heyman has had a lot of success in a creative role before and Bischoff has experience running a major company.  The line you’ll hear about them though is they need a leash and while both will answer to Vince, that might not be the most sane source at the moment.  Either way, SOMETHING needed to change and it should be interesting to see who we get freshly pushed now.  I’m excited, though cautiously so.

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: June 20, 2019
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Renee Young, Byron Saxton

This should be an interesting one as Monday Night Raw was a lot better this week, meaning there is a new level of stuff for Main Event to screw up. You never know what they might be able to pull off around here, but the Smackdown highlights aren’t exactly looking promising. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Sarah Logan vs. Dana Brooke

Logan shoves her into the corner so Dana talks a bit. A small package gives Dana two and a cartwheel splash gets the same. Dana hits a running shoulder but gets sent into the ropes. That means a trip to the apron where Logan hits a running knee to drive Brooke’s face into the post. Brooke is busted BAD and the match is called off at 2:59. Just a freak accident and not something to be blamed on either of them.

From Raw.

Here’s Roman Reigns, who isn’t happy with having to see a video of his loss to Shane McMahon at Super ShowDown. He wants to beat someone up tonight so Shane can come out here and fight. Shane pops up on screen to say no because Reigns needs to worry about McIntyre on Sunday. Drew promises to beat Roman up on Sunday until it becomes very uncomfortable. Maybe he’ll pin Reigns then, but it won’t be over until Reigns is physically disfigured.

He wants Reigns’ children to scream at the sight of him and that’s enough for Reigns to come through the crowd and head after him. Reigns beats up the Revival and puts Drew through the table before chasing Shane into the arena. A diving clothesline over the barricade drops Shane and it’s the Superman Punch into the spear. Reigns tells him to tell Drew he’s getting beaten up on Sunday. Somehow, this is still all about Shane.

From Raw again.

Here’s Becky Lynch for a chat. She gets straight to the point and calls out Lacey Evans, who comes out without much trouble. Evans talks about how jealous Becky is of her and how many things she’s done that Becky can never dream of. She’s a former United States Marine who can run boot camp in the morning and a cotillion at night. Lynch just wants to fight while Evans talks about how the women’s division needs a real woman as champion. Becky is beatable, but Lacey spends too much time getting in the ring and gets caught in the Bexploder. Becky steals her hat. More of the same from these two, though that’s not terrible.

From Raw. Again.

Here are Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross for a Moment of Bliss. Hang on though as Bliss doesn’t have her coffee. Cue Bayley with the coffee, though she drinks it instead. Bliss starts talking about Bayley being horrible so Bayley wants to hear it from her face to face. Bliss gets up and the size difference is hilarious, even though Bayley isn’t that tall.

After Bliss calls Bayley out for being two faced, Bayley talks about Bliss always being the one who tries to start drama because she’s an entitled little princess. Bliss: “I’m not entitled. I’m just better than you.” Bayley says she has proven herself but Bliss says Bayley peaked in NXT. The fight is on but Nikki offers a distraction so Bliss can deck Bayley.

It’s time for the Firefly Fun House. Bray is watering his plants, which he says is just like our minds. If you water them and give them care, they can grow. Some ideas are just full of worms though and that’s not good. Some kids have been told bad ideas, like the earth being round or dinosaurs being extinct. Bray knows what it feels like to not belong or to be different.

That’s why he built this place for us, so they can all be together. We see all the puppets looking at him as Bray gets more sinister and tells everyone to join him here. People worship what they fear and fear is power. Follow the leader. The video starts breaking up and we see various clips from the series’ history, including the Muscle Man Dance, all with the words LET HIM IN flashing on the screen and voices singing “Follow the Leader” as the Fiend appears. Let him in. So is this all in Bray’s mind or some way for him to deal with his psychosis?

Cedric Alexander vs. Robert Roode

Remember when Roode was supposed to be something? Roode goes for the arm to start so Cedric elbows him in the face. An anklescissors into a dropkick has Roode in trouble and a basement dropkick gets two. The armbar goes on and it’s time to mock Roode’s pose. A rather hard clothesline puts Alexander down and we take a break.

Back with Alexander fighting out of a chinlock and the Neuralizer gets two. The Lumbar Check is countered into a failed Glorious DDT attempt so Roode hits the spinebuster for two more. Cedric goes up top and gets broken up, setting up the Glorious DDT to give Roode the pin at 9:16.

Rating: C. Not a bad little match here, though it’s not like it matters all that much because neither of them are going to be able to get to the main show in any significant role. That’s so much of the problem with WWE these days and I don’t see it getting any better anytime soon. Hence the people not watching you see.

Stomping Grounds rundown.

We look at Seth Rollins attacking potential referees with his chair.

From Smackdown.

Seth Rollins/Kofi Kingston vs. Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens

2/3 falls with less than twelve minutes to go. Seth hits Trouble in Paradise to pin Sami for the first fall in nine seconds and we take a break about 45 seconds in. Back with the bell ringing to start the second fall and Seth hitting the Sling Blade on Owens. The champs start in on Owens’ arm but he gets a DDT on Rollins. We see Paul Heyman watching in the back and according to WWE.com, he’s officially on Raw so that’s nine.

Sami grabs a chinlock but can’t hit a superplex. Instead Rollins headbutts him down but has to slug it out with Owens while still sitting on the buckle. The Blockbuster takes Owens down again and that’s enough for the tag off to Kofi. The pace quickens and the Boom Drop hits Sami.

There’s the spinning high crossbody for two more but Sami’s Blue Thunder Bomb gives him two of his own. Rollins comes back in to run Owens over but Sami breaks up the Stomp. Owens gets two off a rollup, followed by a superkick. The Pop Up Powerbomb is countered and the low superkick sets up an enziguri. Now the Stomp can finish Owens at 11:19.

Rating: D+. The match itself was fine if it’s a one fall match but for a 2/3 falls match, this felt like the cop out that it was. Oh and well done on having Kevin and Sami lose AGAIN, which sets them up for their next loss on Sunday to New Day. The booking continues to make my head hurt but that’s just what you have to expect.

Overall Rating: C-. This could have been a lot worse and that’s an improvement for this show. The biggest issue for Main Event is that the highlights are usually rather boring but they kept this one moving well enough to make it work. Until Raw and Smackdown get better, this show doesn’t need to exist and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 18, 2019
Location: Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, California
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips, Aiden English

Last week’s show ended in some controversy with a double pin in a four way #1 contenders match. Akira Tozawa and Drew Gulak pinned each other at the same time, meaning we need to come up with something to set up Sunday’s Cruiserweight Title match. I’m not sure what they’re going to do, but it’s likely going to be one of two options. Let’s get to it.

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

Drake Maverick’s opening gets right to the point: Tony Nese will defend against both Tozawa and Gulak. Tonight’s show gets a preview as well.

Opening sequence.

Singh Brothers vs. Lucha House Party

It’s Gran Metalik/Lince Dorado for the House Party here. Dorado and Sunil start things off with Lince flipping over him but missing a moonsault press. For some reason we go to a weird camera angle from behind the announcers as it’s Metalik coming in for an assisted bulldog. The Brothers head outside and the House Party backflips into the middle of the ring. Nigel: “I know how to win a match! I’ll do a flip in the ring!”

The backsplash into the planking splash gets two on Sumir as the weird camera angles continue (probably trying to hide empty seats). Sumir offers a distraction so Dorado can be knocked off the ropes to put him in trouble. The stomping in the corner sets up the Singh dancing and we hit the chinlock. Nigel tries to explain the Boscars as Dorado gets pulled back down…and there’s the camera change again. Sunil gets sent outside but he pulls Metalik off the apron so there’s no tag.

Back in and a Russian legsweep/superkick combination gets two with Metalik making the save. The Golden Rewind gets Dorado out of trouble and it’s back to Metalik so the pace can pick up. An assisted dropkick puts the Singhs on the floor for the big dive. Back in and the shooting star gets two on Sunil, but Sumir gets serious by DESTROYING PENELOPE. Metalik is so upset that he gets rolled up for the pin at 8:30.

Rating: C. It’s amazing how much better things are when a team is presented as someone who can do something. The Singh Brothers were nothing but goons on Raw and Smackdown but here they can actually win a match or two and it’s not impossible to believe. It’s taking people who had little value and turning them into something on the right stage. We’ll get more of this in the future and there’s nothing wrong with that as it’s a fine enough feud.

Noam Dar is having some me time as his injuries heal up. He’ll come back, assuming Drake Maverick has fixed things around 205 Live. Brian Kendrick comes in and mentions that they’re in California. Actually make that Spain, where Dar insists that they are. Kendrick says Dar is right but he has to go catch a private jet to California for his match….in like two minutes.

Brian Kendrick vs. Russ Taylor

Taylor won’t shake hands and even forearms him in the jaw, earning himself a yell into the corner. Kendrick hammers away and hits a running forearm. A dropkick sets up Sliced Bread to complete the squash at 2:24.

We look back at Chad Gable debuting last week and beating Jack Gallagher via (what seems to be a botched) countout.

Gallagher thinks he and Gable have unfinished business when Mike and Maria Kanellis come in. They mock Gallagher for not being able to get back in the ring and want some better treatment IF they stick around 205 Live. People like Gallagher are dead weight and need to get out of the way. Gallagher issues a challenge for next week and it seems to be on.

Ariya Daivari vs. Oney Lorcan

Fallout from last week when Daivari cost Lorcan (who looks like he’s in Hulk Hogan tribute gear here, even with an American flag on his trunks) the #1 contenders match. Daivari turns his back on Lorcan to start and gets knocked into the corner as Lorcan is ticked off (never tick off a guy named Oney). That’s enough for Daivari as he tries to bail into the crowd but gets thrown back in, meaning it’s time for another attempt to run.

Back in again and Lorcan hammers away but it’s too early for the half and half. A superkick gives Daivari a breather and it’s a super DDT on the arm as Daivari is finally able to get his shirt off. The armbar goes on, followed by a ram into the buckle. Daivari does it again and stomps away, though he does make sure to slip in a SHUT UP to the fans.

It’s back to the armbar for a bit, followed by the Million Dollar Dream to keep Lorcan in trouble. Lorcan gets up and sends him into the corner for the break but a shot to the arm cuts him off. An Iconoclasm plants Lorcan again but the frog splash misses. Lorcan uses the running elbows in the corner and the running Blockbuster gets two. They slug it out with Lorcan getting the better of it until a superkick gives Daivari a breather. The half and half drops Daivari on his head but Daivari bails to the floor. Lorcan hits a flip dive but Daivari hits him with a chair for the DQ at 10:46.

Rating: C+. The arm stuff could have been trimmed a bit but these two have chemistry together and I liked it more than I expected to. Daivari isn’t a bad heel when he stops doing the same promos and character stuff every single time. Lorcan has a lot of energy to him and that makes him feel like a bigger deal than you would usually expect from him.

Post match Daivari destroys him on the announcers’ table and sends him into the stage set. The hammerlock lariat connects to leave Lorcan laying.

Tony Nese (oh yeah he has a title match on Sunday) talks about how far he’s come and now he’s ready to defend against both Tozawa and Gulak. He doesn’t care about the odds, as he never has before.

Akira Tozawa says he’s tenacious and knows he has to beat two men. He’ll be a two time Cruiserweight Champion.

Drew Gulak says terror waits patiently instead of sleeping. He spent too long trying to make this place better but the only thing that matters is a better Gulak. You can call him cold and vicious, but after Stomping Grounds, you can call him champion. This felt completely tacked on at the end of the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This wasn’t as good as they’ve done before but what we got worked well enough. The show felt like it came and went a bit faster than usual here and that worked well in a way. Maybe they needed to get out faster or something (the camera angles would suggest that it was before the arena was empty) but the show felt a little rushed, but not in the worst way.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 13, 2019
Location: SAP Center, San Jose, California
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Renee Young

I don’t know anymore man. Not that I don’t know what was on the shows this week or what to expect from Main Event, but that I don’t know how much worse things can get as we keep going forward. Raw and Smackdown are pure disasters at this point and somehow the shows are getting worse every week. Let’s see how they spin that this time around. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Titus O’Neil/No Way Jose vs. Viking Raiders

Do you remember when the Vikings squashed the then Tag Team Champions on Raw and haven’t showed up on Raw since? Neither does WWE. Jose tried to dance with Erik to start and gets dropped with a single shot to the face. Ivar comes in and gets his own shows on Jose, followed by the slam from Ivar to send Erik onto Jose. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Jose comes back with a neckbreaker. That’s enough for the tag off to Titus so house can be cleaned. Jose tags himself back in though and it’s the high crossbody for two on Erik. Not that it matters as the Viking Experience finishes Jose at 4:03.

Rating: D. Just a squash here but I’m still trying to figure out how in the world we got here. WWE brings up the Viking Raiders two months ago the night after Wrestlemania after a run in NXT that was so dominant that no one could take the Tag Team Titles from them. Now they’re here on Main Event, beating up No Way Jose and Titus O’Neil while the Revival, the new Tag Team Champions, are there as lackeys for SHANE MCMAHON, because of course it’s about Shane.

We look back at Shane McMahon defeating Roman Reigns at Super ShowDown.

From Raw.

And now, Shane McMahon’s victory celebration. Drew McIntyre is with him and we have live bagpipe players to play him to the ring. Shane talks about growing up in WWE and recognizing special things. That would apply to Roman Reigns, who is a first ballot WWE Hall of Famer. Reigns hits like a mule and has beaten the best WWE has to offer. However, Reigns does not have a victory over Shane because Shane beat him at Super ShowDown. Shane thanks Drew for his preparation but gets cut off by a BORING chant. Shane: “Get used to it. It’s my celebration and I’ve got all night.”

Drew calls Shane the Best in the World but he’s the most dangerous man in the world. At Stomping Grounds, he’s going to give Reigns the beating he deserves and beat him 1-2-3. Shane: “You’re so intense dude.” Shane drinks out of the Best in the World cup before bringing out the Revival. They can’t drink though because they have a Tag Team Title match up next. They can join the party, provided they win some gold. Uh, the titles are silver Shane.

We look at Seth Rollins defeating Baron Corbin and then fending off a Brock Lesnar cash in attempt at Super ShowDown.

From Raw.

Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens

Non-title with Sami Zayn as outside referee. Sami checks Rollins, with the taped up ribs, for weapons and does a much faster check of Owens. They start slowly with Owens working on a wristlock and then an armbar. That’s broken up with some spinning and flipping but Sami offers a distraction so a rollup gets a delayed two. Rollins goes to yell at Sami, allowing Owens to send him outside.

A DDT on the floor drops Rollins and we take a break. Back with Rollins jawbreaking his way to freedom from a chinlock. Owens finally wakes up and goes after the taped up ribs with a backbreaker. A dropkick and forearm to the back but the Sling Blade gets Rollins out of trouble. The ribs go out on a suplex attempt but Owens’ Swanton hits knees.

An exchange of superkicks lets Rollins hit an enziguri but Sami comes in to check on Sami before the frog splash can loss. Rollins low bridges Owens to the floor and hits a suicide dive to take out both villains. The Stomp connects but Sami pulls the referee out at two. Sami takes his place so Seth grabs him by the shirt, earning a DQ at 12:01.

Rating: C. Just announce that Seth can lose the title via DQ at Stomping Grounds and get on with it. This was a preview for the title match that no one wants to see (again) and that’s the perfect way to cap off a boring show like this one. Owens could have been just about anyone here, though at least they did some stuff with the ribs instead of looking like morons.

Post match Corbin comes in and grabs a chair but Rollins takes it away and chases him off. Sami gets chaired down with Rollins exploding as Cole talks about everything he’s been through over the last few weeks. What has he been through? Beating up Lesnar, retaining the title, and then a match here? Rollins hits the Stomp on Sami to end the show with no announcement being made on the guest referee.

Natalya vs. Sarah Logan

They go with the grappling to start with Logan’s headlock not getting her anywhere. Natalya’s works a bit better until she lets it go and yells at Logan instead. It’s off to a leglock on the mat to keep Logan down but that’s reversed into a quickly broken choke. The Sharpshooter attempt is broken up and Logan sends her throat first into the middle rope as we take a break.

Back with Natalya being sent face first into the mat for two, followed by a dropkick for the same. The standing Texas Cloverleaf is broken up and Natalya comes back with the discus clothesline. Back up and another shoulder takes Logan down but the Sharpshooter is broken up. Logan misses a missile dropkick and now it’s the Sharpshooter to make her tap at 11:21.

Rating: D+. Just a match here as the show has to have some kind of main event. Natalya continues to be as solid of a worker as you can get in any division and that’s a great reason to keep her around. She’s going to do something with anyone she’s in there against and can get at least something out of everyone. Logan did her part well enough, but there was nothing here that we haven’t seen a million times.

Stomping Grounds rundown.

From Smackdown to close us out.

New Day vs. Dolph Ziggler/Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn

Woods and Ziggler start things off with Ziggler taking him to the mat and handing it off to Sami for an armbar. Sami gets taken into the corner for the Unicorn Stampede but Kofi gets sent outside so Ziggler can get in a cheap shot. Owens adds a backsplash on the floor and we take a break.

Back with Kofi fighting out of Ziggler’s Crossface and dropkicking Sami down so Woods can come in off the hot tag. A discus forearm has Sami in trouble and a dropkick through the ropes hit Sami and Ziggler. Back in and Ziggler takes Xavier down into a chinlock with a bodyscissors, followed by Sami getting in a chinlock of his own. Owens comes in and gets DDT’d, allowing the real hot tag off to Big E. That means a bunch of suplexes but the Midnight Hour is broken up. Ziggler superkicks Sami by mistake, setting up Trouble in Paradise to Ziggler and another to finish Sami at 13:31.

Rating: C-. Well that happened. This was “hey Big E. is back” and nothing more as he just got to do the big house cleaning spot at the end and that’s about it. I don’t know how this makes me want to see Ziggler vs. Kingston any more, but there is a good chance that Sami/Owens vs. Big E./Woods will be added to Stomping Grounds, which needs some more matches to round out the card.

Overall Rating: D. All this show did was showcase how much talent WWE has but never uses. Look at some of the names on this show (as in the Vikings) who haven’t been on television in weeks. Are they really that much worse than other teams? It’s a similar story with Logan. She might not be the best in the world, but she’s capable of having a passable match with a lot of opponents. Why not throw her on either show for the sake of giving someone a fresh opponent? Oh well. Just go with more Shane and Charlotte instead.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 11, 2019
Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Things are getting a little more interesting around here as there is a small army ready to challenge Tony Nese for the Cruiserweight Title. This could set up a variety of title matches at Stomping Grounds, which could certainly use the extra help. Other than that we have Drake Maverick chasing R-Truth, because that’s what General Managers mean around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Maverick opens the show and addresses the criticisms against him for chasing the 24/7 Title. Therefore, tonight he’s made a fatal four way match to crown a new #1 contender for the Cruiserweight Title at Stomping Grounds. See? He can do his job and be obsessed over the comedy title at the same time.

Opening sequence.

Jack Gallagher vs. Chad Gable

Gable is a surprise addition to the roster. Gallagher takes him to the mat to start and puts on a leglock, but throws in a little smile to show it’s ok. That’s escaped with a roll out and Gable spins to his feet for a standoff. The handstand walk gets Gallagher out of a headlock (that’s always cool) so they fight over a test of strength, giving us the exchange of monkey flips into the stereo neck bridges.

Back up and Gable tries to take out the legs but gets rolled over, allowing Gallagher to dropkick him to the floor. A whip sends Gallagher into the steps and seems more than pleased with a countout. That’s only good for a nine though so Gallagher starts bending the fingers back (English: “Don’t let an Englishman get a hold of your fingers!!!”). Gallagher’s rather delayed vertical suplex gets two but Gable whips him hard into the corner.

Some rolling belly to belly suplexes into a dragon suplex gets two on Gallagher and we hit the ankle lock. That’s reversed into a loose Fujiwara armbar from Gallagher, which is reversed into a tiger driver for two. Back up and Gallagher blasts him with a clothesline and they’re both down. Gable gets sent outside but catches a suicide dive and hits a heck of a release German suplex. Gallagher gets up at seven, falls down at eight, and can’t dive back inside in time for the countout at 11:55.

Rating: B-. The ending was a little weird as it seemed that Gallagher messed up the timing a bit. If nothing else it’s strange to have Gable debut and win via countout, but the point was proven. What mattered most here was to make Gable look like a different kind of cruiserweight and that’s what they did. He’s tailor made for this show and he could easily become a top star around here in a hurry. Why it took them this long is beyond me, but at least it’s finally happened.

Mike and Maria Kanellis come in and rant to Maverick about how Mike should have faced Gable instead of Gallagher. Maverick is tired of their whining so Maria hints that Maverick might be losing his job.

We look back at Drew Gulak attacking Noam Dar last week and taking his spot in a match.

Dar doesn’t feel safe working here and wants to be in NXT UK permanently.

Singh Brothers vs. Dos Locales

They’re Sacramento’s Best Luchadors, but more importantly, the Singh Brothers have won the Boscar, which may or may not be an award the two of them invented. Sumir starts with we’ll say #1 but stops for some dancing. Sunil comes in and dances with #1 before getting dropkicked down. #2 comes in and gets kicked in the face but we need to stop for some dancing. Stomping in the corner sets up a superkick and the Bollywood Blast (Demolition Decapitator from the top) is good for the pin on #2 at 3:25.

Rating: D. The Singh Brothers are fine for a tag team around here, though they need some other teams to feud against. The Lucha House Party is going to be fine for part of that, but the Brothers need more than one team. Then again 205 Live specials in figuring out how to make the most out of a small roster so they can figure something out for everyone involved.

Tony Nese would be happy to face any of the four people in tonight’s #1 contenders match, though Drew Gulak seems to intrigue him more than anyone else.

Drew Gulak vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Oney Lorcan

One fall to a finish and the winner gets the Cruiserweight Title shot against Nese at Stomping Grounds. Gulak dropkicks Carrillo at the bell and it’s Gulak and Lorcan catching a springboarding Carrillo for good measure. Carrillo is right back up to knock Tozawa down and hit a standing moonsault for an early two. Tozawa fights out of the half and half and hits a release F5 on Lorcan.

A sitout version hits Carrillo and, after a shot to the face, it’s another sitout version to Gulak. It’s Lorcan back up with the running uppercuts though, followed by a standing version to knock Carrillo out of the air. Gulak puts Tozawa in a torture rack and tosses him into an uppercut to the back of the head as we get the soon to be broken alliance. Indeed, it lasts all of ten seconds before they start fighting each other but Carrillo breaks it up.

Gulak German suplexes Carrillo for two with Tozawa making the save. Another suplex gets another two on Carrillo and it’s off to the neck crank. Gulak has to roll out of a half and half suplex attempt so Carrillo superkicks him instead. Tozawa and Lorcan double hiptoss Carrillo into Gulak in the corner but then get in the required argument over who can have the pin. Carrillo’s Gory Bomb is countered into a rollup for two and it’s a superkick each for Carrillo and Gulak.

Lorcan breaks up the top rope backsplash though, followed by a half and half to Castillo onto Gulak. It’s Tozawa breaking up the cover with a top rope backsplash though and all four are down. Everyone winds up on the apron and this is just dangerous. Carrillo is the only one who doesn’t get knocked to the floor so that means a big running flip dive onto Lorcan. Back in and Lorcan hits a double running Blockbuster on Castillo and Tozawa to send them outside again.

That leaves us with a Lorcan vs. Gulak showdown, which is actually quite the moment. They chop the heck out of each other but Lorcan dives onto the other two at ringside instead. Cue Ariya Daivari to chair Lorcan down though, leaving Tozawa to hit Trouble in Paradise on Carrillo. The top rope backsplash is broken up again though, only to have Gulak shove Carrillo to the floor. Gulak actually hits a top rope superplex on Tozawa but they lock their legs and it’s a double pin at 13:34.

Rating: B+. This was a heck of a match and the ending should set up either a singles match next week or a triple threat match at the pay per view, either of which should be good. The four of them all worked very hard here and while I’m not overly interested in Lorcan vs. Daivari again (though their first match was good), they set up a bunch of stuff in one match here, which is quite impressive. Very well done here.

The referees argue as Maverick comes out to see what’s going on. There is no winner announced (Fans: “ROCK PAPER SCISSORS!”) to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The Singh Brothers match didn’t help things here but 205 Live continues to become one of the best shows WWE puts on every week. It’s very light on the storylines but you’re guaranteed at least one if not two very good matches and that’s a lot more than you’re going to get on the big shows. How interesting is it that this, NXT and NXT UK are all rolling right now while Raw and Smackdown are just disasters? Funny how that works, no?

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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