Main Event – April 26, 2018: His Kids Should Be Proud

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: April 26, 2018
Location: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

We’re almost done. This week in WWE saw things settle down a bit as we have done with the Superstar Shakeup stuff. Raw and Smackdown were more traditional shows but at the same time they had to set up the Greatest Royal Rumble on Friday. You can guess what a lot of the stuff on this show is going to be so let’s get to it.

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

In Memory of Bruno Sammartino.

Opening sequence.

Zack Ryder vs. Mike Kanellis

Kanellis now has trunks instead of tights and gets dropkicked for his fashion choice. Ryder misses a charge though and lands on the floor in a big crash. Back in and Kanellis stomps away before grabbing a chinlock. Ryder fights up and hits a flapjack, followed by the middle rope missile dropkick. The Broski Boot gets two but Kanellis scores with a superkick for two. A neckbreaker gives Ryder the same as Nigel quotes the Power of Love. Not that it helps as the Rough Ryder puts Kanellis away at 5:07.

Rating: D+. Not too bad here, especially considering Ryder apparently injured his knee (just a sprain and not a tear) somewhere in there. Kanellis is fine for a jobber to the midcard stars on a show like this so even though it’s not much to get excited over, it’s nice to have something fresh on here. Ryder winning is always nice to see as well.

From Raw.

Here are Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman to open things up. After a break, Heyman introduces himself for the man who is STILL the reigning, defending, undisputed Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar. Heyman knows fans think he’s here to gloat, just like they were when they broke the Streak or when they took John Cena to Suplex (repeated 14 times) City.

When it comes to Lesnar, this is real, and no one in the locker room or the crowd has a chance. Heyman delivers spoilers because Lesnar doesn’t gloat. However, Heyman can gloat all night long. He talks about the un-PG elbows to Reigns’ head and the multiple F5’s, but none of this matters to Lesnar. This Friday, Lesnar, who is dying to be in a UFC cage, will be flying across the world to be locked in a cage with Roman Reigns.

A small ROMAN chant breaks out before Heyman talks about Brock’s new contract. Lesnar wanted a fight inside a cage and now the odds are stacked against Reigns even more than before. Reigns will be coming back home in multiple boxes as another victim, but here’s Reigns to interrupt. Reigns says he’s coming home with the title and that’s it. I’m still not sure what to expect over there, but they’re booking themselves in a necessary title change at this rate.

Again from Raw.

Here are Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens for the Sami and Kevin Show. They hype up the Greatest Royal Rumble and say it’s great because one of them will win it. They’re here tonight because of Stephanie McMahon was smarter than their first guest, which means Sami and Kevin singing YOU SUCK.

Cue Angle to say that they shouldn’t quit their day jobs. Owens understands Angle’s bitterness as Stephanie has his manhood in a jar in Connecticut. They recap the conspiracy on Smackdown and say that Stephanie must hate Angle for what she’s done to him. Angle agrees, because if not for him then Stephanie would still have full use of her arm. Owens talks about Angle needing this job because he has five kids. Actually it’s six because Sami forgot Jason Jordan “just like Angle did for years.”

Angle warns them about the beating they’ll be receiving on Friday when they’re in the ring with him, Daniel Bryan, Shane McMahon, Chris Jericho and everyone else they’ve treated badly over the years. As for tonight, they can have a tag match with Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman. Can we please not do the Stephanie vs. Angle story again? It wasn’t great the first time.

And from later in the night.

Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens vs. Braun Strowman/Bobby Lashley

Sami and Owens try to bail but Strowman throws them back in without too much trouble. Lashley forearms Owens down in the corner but it’s off to Sami for some right hands to take over. A suplex gives Sami two and the double teaming begins. Owens is sent outside and Lashley gets two off a crossbody but Owens pulls him to the floor. We hit a backsplash and it’s off to a break.

Back with Lashley fighting out of Sami’s chinlock and dropping him with a clothesline. That’s enough for the hot tag to Strowman, who runs around the ring and shoulders Owens down. Sami gets taken down as well so Strowman goes outside to run Owens over again, just as he gets up. Strowman does it a third time, this time with a dropkick as the fans are going insane for this stuff. That’s enough for Sami as he bails up the ramp, only to be thrown back inside by Lashley. There’s the delayed suplex to Sami (one arm version), followed by the running powerslam from Strowman for the pin at 12:03.

Rating: C. This might not have been a great match but it was entertaining. Strowman running Owens over three times in a row was making me laugh and Sami being tossed around like a toy was great. Strowman and Lashley could make for a very entertaining monster team and I could go with seeing more of them in the future.

Owens hasn’t moved since taking that dropkick in a funny visual.

Revival vs. Heath Slater/Rhyno

Slater and Dawson get things going with Heath grabbing some headscissors because the Revival can’t even beat Heath Slater on the mat anymore. Rhyno comes in for a front facelock on Wilder but a quick tag allows the double teaming to begin. A double suplex is broken up by Slater and everything breaks down as we take a break. Back with Wilder blindsiding Rhyno to take over again, including an armbar. Now that’s more Revivalish.

Dash adds a cheap shot to Slater to break up a hot tag with Wilder breaking up another attempt. Rhyno avoids a charge in the corner though and grabs a spinebuster to finally set up the tag. A neckbreaker gets two on Dawson, followed by a small package for the same on Dawson. Rhyno gets pulled to the floor though and the Shatter Machine ends Slater at 10:53.

Rating: C. Much better than it should have been here with all four working hard and getting some extra time. The Revival gets better as the match goes on so giving them ten minutes was the best news they’ve had in a long time. I know they’re not going anywhere (wrestlers rarely do) but I’d love to see them get even a token title reign somewhere down the line.

And finally, from Smackdown.

AJ Styles/Anderson and Gallows vs. Rusev Day/Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke now has a Japanese rock song set to the tune of his old music. I could go for never hearing that again. Graves says it’s because Nakamura is sick of the fans singing along. How does he know this? Graves: “Because I habla espanol.” Styles and Nakamura start but English gets tagged in before anything happens. That earns Nakamura a forearm off the apron and AJ pulls English into the corner for the tag to Gallows. So why isn’t AJ considered a coward too?

The villains are knocked outside in short order and we take a break. Back with Rusev kicking AJ in the head so Aiden can grab a chinlock. Therefore, let’s hit that inset promo for Friday! Back again with Rusev slamming AJ but getting kicked in the head, allowing the hot tag to Anderson. Everything breaks down but Nakamura kicks Gallows in the knee, setting up Kinshasa to the back of Gallows’ head for the pin at 10:08.

Rating: C-. Pretty standard main event six man here and there’s nothing wrong with giving Nakamura a pin before the title match, even if there’s not much benefit to pinning Gallows. I could very easily see a title change on Friday, but Nakamura is almost certainly getting the title at some point. If not, I’m not sure where he goes from here as it would make him look like a huge choker.

Post match AJ goes after Nakamura but takes ANOTHER low blow but Anderson shoves AJ out of the way to take Kinshasa. AJ is still down and can’t help Anderson from taking a second Kinshasa (sounds like a setup for an Anderson and Gallows turn to Nakamura) to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. Is anyone else completely sick of hearing about the Greatest Royal Rumble? It seems that we’re getting something about it every few minutes now and I can’t wait for it to be over. There’s a good chance that a lot of the show won’t mean much anyway, which makes it all the more annoying. A show recapping the build to the show didn’t help, but that tag match wasn’t half bad. Just get us on to Backlash already.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/


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


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




205 Live – April 24, 2018: All In One

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 24, 2018
Location: KFC Yum Center, Louisville, Kentucky
Commentators: Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re three days away from the Greatest Royal Rumble and we still don’t have a #1 contender for the Cruiserweight Title. That’s why we’re having a gauntlet match tonight with five men facing off for the right to face Cedric Alexander in Saudi Arabia. There’s a good chance this is going to be the entire show so let’s get to it.

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

The opening video explains the gauntlet match and introduces the competitors, all of whom get in a quick statement.

Opening sequence.

Gauntlet Match

Mustafa Ali and TJP start things off. TJP takes him up to the ropes and gets in some dabbing, earning himself a crank on the arm. The armbar goes on and there’s not much TJP can do early on. They hit the pinfall reversal sequence for some not very near falls until Ali dropkicks him in the back of the head. A kick to the head sends TJP outside and we’ll take a little breather.

With the breathing out of the way, TJP gets in a few shots to the head to take over back inside. We go split screen to hear Cedric Alexander say he’ll defend the title in Saudi Arabia and then make his own statement against Buddy Murphy. Back to full screen with Ali fighting out of a double arm crank but getting dropped with a Russian legsweep. TJP grabs Naomi’s reverse Rings of Saturn hold for a few seconds before Ali chops the heck out of him.

Ali gets in a kick to the head and the rolling X Factor (with TJP’s face not hitting the mat) gets two. The double chickenwing gutbuster is reversed into a rollup for two on TJP but he shoves Ali off the top. A missile dropkick to the knee (cool) sets up the kneebar, sending Ali bailing to the ropes. Back up and a tornado DDT on one leg drops TJP, setting up the 054 to send Ali on 9:53.

Drew Gulak is in third and you should be able to see the tap out from here. Ali is limping around and Gulak couldn’t be happier. A quick rollup gets two on Gulak but he slams the knee into the ropes to really take over. Ali does manages a drop toehold on the floor for a break, followed by a high crossbody back inside. Gulak rolls through into a leglock but Ali kicks him away in short order.

After an inset promo for Friday’s show, we come back to Gulak cranking on the knee even more. Ali tries a hurricanrana but gets pulled into a half crab. That’s reversed as well and an enziguri puts Gulak down again. There’s a kick to the head (and a shot of several empty seats in the lower arena) but Gulak is right back with the half crab. He even cranks back on the arm for a bonus but lets go, this time allowing Ali to make the ropes AGAIN. Ali likes the ropes so much that Gulak sets him on top of them, only to have Ali pull Gulak into a half crab in the ropes.

For some reason Ali decides that it’s a good idea to try a high crossbody to the floor, furthering the damage to the knee. Gulak chop blocks him down but Ali is right back with the tornado DDT. The 054 takes too long though, allowing Gulak to shove him off the top and into the steps. Ali is DONE so Gulak throws him back inside for the Gulock and the elimination at 22:41 total.

Tony Nese is in fourth and doesn’t even waste time counting his abs, meaning you know he’s serious. Nese pounds away and drags Gulak away from the ropes to keep up the stomping. Gulak gets knocked outside and sent into the barricade, followed by a toss over the announcers’ table.

They head inside again with Nese running him over and Nese yells at Gulak for saying they’re on different levels. There’s the running knee in the corner but Nese looks at the corner instead of covering. Nese lowers the knee pad but takes too much time, allowing Gulak to grab the Gulock for the tap at 30:34. That’s about it for Nese meaning anything as he got caught in a clean submission after beating the heck out of Gulak for a good while. Nese is crushed as Kalisto comes in last.

Gulak is chilling on the announcers’ table as Kalisto stands in the ring doing the LUCHA dance. Nigel isn’t exactly thrilled with this strategy and the stalling keeps going for well over another minute. Gulak finally gets in and is promptly dropkicked back to the floor. This time Kalisto follows so he can LUCHA dance right in front of him. Back up and Gulak sidesteps a suicide dive to send Kalisto hard into the barricade.

Rating: B. I can go for this idea of having one match through the entirety of a show. It makes things feel more important and like a big deal, which is what you want for something like this. On top of that, the falls took about ten minutes each, which fits a lot better. Kalisto vs. Alexander should be fun and that’s all the match needs to be as Cedric can get a big win.

Lucha House Party celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. What else can I really say when the show is literally one match long? They did a good job with making Kalisto into a quick title contender, which makes sense given that he’s the most decorated name on the roster. That being said, the show is starting to lose steam after the tournament. There’s a good chance that the place is going to turn into a show that you can skip most weeks, which isn’t a good sign for the future. Good stuff this week, but I’m worried about where things are going.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/


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


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




205 Live – April 17, 2018: House Party

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 17, 2018
Location: Dunkin Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island
Commentators: Percy Watson, Vic Joseph

We’re coming off a huge week in WWE but not a lot has changed on the cruiserweight show. The big story coming out of last week was Mustafa Ali and Cedric Alexander not coming to blows. Buddy Murphy attacked Cedric during his ceremony but Murphy was nothing new to the title chase. Maybe things can pick up tonight. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at Lucha House Party vs. Hideo Itami/Akira Tozawa, which has been going on for a few weeks now but hasn’t really gotten anywhere. Tonight it’s a tornado tag.

Opening sequence.

The announcers chat about Murphy attacking Alexander last week.

In case you tuned in three minutes late, there’s a tornado tag match tonight.

Ariya Daivari wants to face Mustafa Ali to get his moment. Every moment you’re employed is your moment so let’s get this over with.

Mustafa Ali vs. Ariya Daivari

Ali still has the SubZero gear and it doesn’t look great on the smaller stage. Daivari gets aggressive to start and drives Ali into the corner for some right hands to the head. A hurricanrana gives Ali one but he gets kicked in the leg and crotched on the ropes. The aggression continues from Daivari with a Backstabber and backbreaker, even as a fan shouts that no one knows Daivari.

A reverse DDT gets two and we hit a waistlock. That’s broken up in short order but Ali’s rolling facebuster is broken up. Daivari makes one too many references to Ali losing at Wrestlemania though and gets dropkicked to the floor. Ali charges into a spinebuster though and the back is banged up again. Back in and Daivari (with a bloody hand) turns him inside out with a clothesline for two but Ali shoves him off the top. A quick 054 puts Daivari away at 7:35.

Rating: C+. Ali is very possible for a title shot in the near future and really, it’s hard to argue against it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he turns heel at some point in there either as it would fit with the idea of him not being able to pull it off and going evil to make it work. Daivari was trying here but he’s just so bland and average that it doesn’t mean much.

We look back at the end of last week’s show with Murphy attacking Cedric, much to Drake Maverick’s annoyance.

Maverick made Murphy the #1 contender for the Greatest Royal Rumble….and then he didn’t make weight so the match is off. Therefore, next week we’ll have a gauntlet match to crown the new #1 contender.

Jack Gallagher/Brian Kendrick vs. Vinny Skalise/Kevin DeTibris

Gallagher drives Skalise up to the ropes to start and grabs him by the ear to set up a headlock. It’s already off to the arm cranking and Kendrick comes in for more of the same. Skalise’s comeback is cut off by some shots to the face and it’s off to DeTibris. Kendrick hammers him in the corner as well and a forearm just annoys Brian that much more. That’s enough for the villains and it’s a Gallagher headbutt into the Captain’s Hook for the tap at 3:58.

Rating: D+. I still don’t quite get it with Gallagher. He’s fine as a lower card guy and can train the heck out of most of the roster, but I don’t really care to watch him in the ring. The match wasn’t bad and they can use another team for the potential tag division, but this was nothing worth seeing.

Ali is excited to have another chance at the Cruiserweight Title. He’ll win the gauntlet next week, promising to not let the title slip through his hands again.

Drew Gulak is proud of what he did to Mark Andrews and doesn’t think much of what Tony Nese did last week. He’d be glad to win next week’s gauntlet match to continue his quest to make a better 205 Live.

Akira Tozawa/Hideo Itami vs. Lince Dorado/Gran Metalik

Tornado tag with Maverick on commentary. The masked guys get a jump start in the aisle and hit a pair of dives as we’re waiting on the opening bell. Tozawa gets sent outside for the opening bell and that means a double teaming on Itami. Some LOUD chops rock Tozawa as we see Kalisto cheering his buddies on from the back. Itami comes back in though and it’s time for the hard hitting to take over.

Dorado gets his head smacked around and a hard stomping in the corner keeps him in trouble. Metalik is still on the floor as Dorado tries to stop a charge with a raised boot in the corner. That just earns him something like a Rings of Saturn as Tozawa puts Metalik in what looks to be an Octopus Hold. Metalik falls down, possibly from pain, to break up the Rings and that means it’s time to go for Lince’s mask.

That just ticks Dorado off and triggers a comeback but more hard kicks put him down again. With Metalik being knocked to the floor again, the double teaming continues on Dorado. The other masked guy FINALLY gets back in with a springboard dive to knock Tozawa and Itami to the floor. That means stereo springboard moonsaults (awesome visual) but Itami gives Dorado one of the hardest knees first whips into the steps I’ve ever seen.

Tozawa is right back with a suicide dive to Metalik, who he lays on the announcers’ table. The top rope backsplash through the table is broken up but Dorado gets caught two on one on the top. That’s fine with Metalik, who comes back in with a sunset flip to set off the Tower of Doom for the huge spot.

Itami hits his twisting kick to the head for two on Metalik with Dorado making a save. The double Golden Rewind gets a double two count but Itami goes after Metalik’s mask. Tozawa kicks his partner in the face by mistake though, setting up a shooting star from Dorado to Tozawa and the rope walk elbow to Itami for the double pin at 15:34.

Rating: B. This needs to be the ending to the feud, unless they meet again in a tournament final. That’s the problem with this feud (albeit a minor one as it’s worked): there’s not much to fight over. I’m still not sure why these guys don’t like each other in the first place, but they’ve been feuding for several weeks now. At least the luchadors got a big win though and now they can move on.

Celebrating ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was another good show but I’m not sure what to expect next week, save for Ali winning the title to become #1 contender. That gauntlet match could set up some stuff going forward and that makes it an important match. Just let it be fun and set up things the right way and we should be fine. The tag match is good and that’s all it needed to be. Just keep the momentum going, which has always been an issue around here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/


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


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




Main Event – April 19, 2018: Going Big

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: April 19, 2018
Location: XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

Things are finally starting to settle down around here but that means we have a bunch of highlights to get through first. In this case we have the full on Superstar Shakeup, which should fill in the show rather well. Other than that, we might be seeing some new names getting relegated to Main Event status. Let’s get to it.

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

In memory of Bruno Sammartino.

Opening sequence.

Karl Anderson vs. Curt Hawkins

Hawkins celebrates a headlock takeover and gets dropkicked down. Anderson gets pulled throat first into the top rope and we hit the stomping for two. The chinlock keeps Anderson in trouble until he suplexes his way to freedom. A running boot to the face gives Anderson two but he walks into a Michinoku Driver for the same. Hawkins is already done though and it’s a running kick in the corner, followed by the top rope neckbreaker to extend the losing streak at 5:15.

Rating: D+. Hawkins keeps getting in offense but there’s only so much you can expect from him when he’s losing this much. At this point there’s not much left to do other than giving him a win over someone or letting him go. The win alone will be worth at least a little something, if nothing else for the people who have been watching Main Event. So like eight people?

From Raw.

Here’s General Manager Kurt Angle to start things off. He gives us a quick introduction but here’s Sunil Singh to announce that Jinder Mahal is now on Raw. Jinder isn’t happy that he was brought here in an SUV because he only travels in a limousine with a motorcade. Angle doesn’t like some of this but wants to be treated like Brock Lesnar around here. Kurt suggests that Jinder email him his issues and gives Sunil his address: Kurt.Angle (which he has to spell) @ NOFREAKINGWAY.com. We settle things in the ring here so it’s time for a title match RIGHT NOW.

US Title: Jinder Mahal vs. Jeff Hardy

Mahal is defending. The fans are behind Hardy (because they have taste) as he slugs away in the corner. A dropkick to the back of the head and a clothesline off the apron rock Mahal and we take a break. Back with Jeff in a chinlock for a good while until a big right hand drops him on the apron. Jeff is fine enough to shove him off the top though and the Whisper in the Wind gets a breather.

Sunil gets dropkicked down (and hopefully shut up) and a basement dropkick gets two on his boss. Things are starting to pick up but a jumping knee to the face looks to set up the Khallas (which Cole calls a half nelson slam). Jeff slips out so a big boot to the face gives Mahal two more. A Twisting Stunner out of nowhere drops Mahal though and the Swanton gives Hardy the title at 11:27.

Rating: C-. Not a great match (to be fair, Mahal) but Jeff winning the title is a great way to get him back on the fast track (and to give hope to impaired drivers everywhere). Hopefully Mahal falls WAY down the ladder now, though I’m curious to see what happens to Orton’s title shot as a result. Just please not another triple threat. Is that too much to ask for?

From Raw again.

Here’s Roman Reigns to talk about how he’s here again tonight, unlike Brock Lesnar. He’ll win the title in Saudi Arabia and bring it back here full time. Cue Samoa Joe to say Reigns is a great talker but never talks about getting the job done. I remember him doing plenty of jobs. Joe talks about how Reigns can never put him away and at Backlash, he’ll put Reigns to sleep again.

We see a video of Lesnar destroying Reigns at Wrestlemania so Reigns wants to fight now. Joe comes down the ramp twice before walking away, as expected. Again: if they want Reigns as a big deal, DON’T PUT HIM OUT THERE WITH PEOPLE WHO SLAUGHTER HIM ON THE MIC!

And, from Raw.

It’s time for MizTV with some special guests who will change Raw forever: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, who Cole flat out said COULD NOT be included in the Shakeup. Cole brings it up again here but Coach and Graves basically tell him to get over it. The five of them have a group hug with Miz saying this is better than the NWO and calls the team better than the Avengers. They won’t be held down by Shane McMahon or Kurt Angle, the latter of whom comes out with a rebuttal.

Apparently this can’t happen but Owens says plans have changed. There was an email sent out earlier tonight and Sami has printed it out. With his glasses on (that’s funny for some reason), Sami reads that Angle’s decision on Sami and Kevin’s status has been overturned because Stephanie McMahon thinks they proved themselves last week.

Owens is thrilled but Angle has some news: Miz is now going to Smackdown, as per Daniel Bryan’s request. Miz takes it in stride but gets even more bad news: the Miztourage is staying on Raw. For a going away present though, the five of them can face Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman and someone making their Raw debut.

From Smackdown.

Miz didn’t like Daniel Bryan tweeting about wanting to punch him in the face. That’s not happening tonight because Miz is in Los Angeles with Maryse and his newborn daughter. He’ll be here next week and he’ll kick Bryan’s a….Maryse: “Mike! Language!” Miz: “You catch my drift.” That match is going to be awesome when it takes place.

Recap of who went where.

Gran Metalik/Lince Dorado vs. TJP/Ariya Daivari

Metalik flips away to start and kicks Daivari down for two. TJP comes in and kicks away, setting up something close to an Octopus Hold. That goes nowhere so Metalik bounces off the ropes for an armdrag. Dorado comes in for two off his falling splash and the masked guys tease a double dive as we take a break.

Back with TJP cranking on both of Metalik’s arms until a right hand breaks things up. Daivari sneaks around and pulls Dorado off the apron in a rare useful move. Not that it matters as Metalik backflips out of a double belly to back suplex for the real hot tag. TJP’s sunset flip gets two but the springboard Stunner into the shooting star gives Dorado the pin at 9:47.

Rating: C+. Another nice little match here, even if it’s something we’ve covered so many times before. If the cruiserweights do get the Tag Team Titles, I hope they’re defended here a few times (I know they won’t be) as the tag matches around here aren’t exactly interesting in the first place. Just give them a little something to work with and maybe this will get better.

We’ll wrap it up with some more Smackdown.

AJ Styles/Daniel Bryan vs. Aiden English/Rusev

Bryan wastes no time in taking English down into a surfboard so AJ can come in off the top with a shot to the chest. Rusev tries to come in and the threat of a double submission sends the villains bailing to the floor. Back with AJ fighting out of English’s chinlock but getting backdropped for two. Rusev comes in and stomps away as the fans aren’t as in to the RUSEV DAY chants as before. It’s almost like you can kill a crowd if you try.

It’s back to English who dives to keep Styles from the tag. That earns him a Pele and the double tag brings in Bryan and Rusev. Everything breaks down and Bryan scores with the YES Kicks on Rusev. Graves: “You can’t call them that because the Miz is coming to Smackdown Live!” Phillips: “Oh shut up.” There’s the running knee to Rusev but here’s Nakamura with a low blow to Styles. Cue Big Cass to kick Bryan in the head for the DQ at 12:38.

Rating: C. I heartily approve of this Cass push. I was a fan of the guy before he got hurt and now without the little fungus around him, there’s potential there. They must think something of him if they’re putting him with Bryan right off the bat, as Bryan can definitely get a good match out of him.

Cass stares down at Bryan and Nakamura still can’t speak English to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Like I said at the beginning, it makes sense to have some big stuff to focus on for a show like this. The big moments from Raw and Smackdown helped a lot as it made the show go by that much faster. On top of that though you had a pair of nice original matches, making this one of the better Main Events in recent memory.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/


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


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




Bruno Sammartino Passes Away At 82

https://wrestlingrumors.net/wwe-legend-bruno-sammartino-passes-away-age-82/

This is a big one.  Without Bruno, the company probably doesn’t survive the 1960s and we aren’t here today.  The man is one of the few genuine wrestling legends and there’s no replacing him.  Consider this: if Sammartino’s longest title reign ended today, it would have started before the Pipe Bomb.  Think about everything that’s happened in WWE (or anywhere else) since then.  One man was the Heavyweight Champion of the World that whole time.  This is a sad one but his life was amazing and deserves every tribute he receives.




Main Event – April 12, 2018: The Best Of The Three

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: April 12, 2018
Location: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s been a busy week so it’s time for something a little bit easier to watch. This time around we’ll have a lot of Wrestlemania to recap but odds are it’s going to be focusing on the fallout editions of Raw and Smackdown. Throw in some cruiserweights with the good guys winning and let’s get to it.

Here’s Wrestlemania if you need a recap.

I was in the arena for this show, sitting in the upper deck with the Titantron on my right and the hard cameras across the arena.

Opening sequence.

Percy Watson is on commentary. THIS SHOW DOES NOT NEED THREE ANNOUNCERS!

Mark Andrews vs. Tony Nese

Nese starts in with the power, including a knee to the ribs. Andrews sends him outside for a middle rope moonsault to take over, only to get powered right back down. We hit the torture rack for a few moments until Andrews slips out and starts the sticking and moving. The 619 to the ribs sets up a sitout bulldog for two and Nese is rocked. Andrews stays on the ribs with a double stomp and the shooting star is good for the fast pin at 4:59.

Rating: C. Not bad at all for such a fast match. Andrews is someone who impresses me more and more every time I see him. He’s very small but they’ve developed something of a character for him and that’s a lot more than I ever would have guessed. Oh and his theme song is kind of awesome.

Quick look at Jeff Hardy returning on Raw.

From Raw.

Jeff Hardy/Finn Balor/Seth Rollins vs. Miz/Miztourage

Before Finn’s entrance, the production crew replaced a piece of the stage, which I thought would be a Rey Mysterio entrance but turned out to just be for the smoke in Balor’s entrance. Miz and Rollins start but let’s hand it off to Axel instead. Rollins kicks both lackeys in the face and it’s off to Jeff for some Poetry in Motion to Axel and Dallas. Finn and Seth play decent Matt’s actually.

Back from a break with Balor coming in and forearming all three villains. Miz offers a distraction though and Dallas decks Balor from behind. Now Miz is glad to come in with a chinlock, followed by the Hennig necksnap from Axel. Dallas drops some knees and grabs a chinlock of his own as we’re not exactly setting any new standards here (as they shouldn’t be here). Balor finally dropkicks Miz down and the hot tag brings in Jeff to clean house.

A Whisper in the Wind takes down the Miztourage as you can see Rollins getting all charged up on the apron. The diving tag brings in Seth with a springboard clothesline to Miz. Rollins suicide dives onto all three of them for a big crash and we hit a BURN IT DOWN chant. Back in and the superplex into the Falcon Arrow (Cole: “Tonight he hits it!” He hit it last night too.) gets two on Miz with Dallas making the save. Finn dives onto Axel and Dallas and the Stomp finishes Miz at 13:56.

Rating: C+. This was just an easy way to end the show and that’s all it needed to be. I would have had Jeff come out later in the night, but that would have meant the lack of the Matt segment so it balances out. Rollins pinning Miz again is fine, especially with the title match already being set. It’s not like Miz is going to be damaged by a loss in a six man tag so this was fine all around.

Post match Dallas takes a Twist of Fate, Coup de Grace, Swanton and Stomp. Axel gets a similar treatment and a Stomp to Miz ends the show.

From Raw again.

Here’s Roman Reigns for a chat. He took a beating last night but he’s here while Brock Lesnar isn’t. When he got to the Superdome yesterday, no one could look him in the eye. As of this past Wednesday, Lesnar was done and going to the UFC. Now though they have another match in a cage in Saudi Arabia later this month. That means Reigns can win the title there in a match he found out about on the internet. This brings out Samoa Joe to say Reigns exposed Lesnar last night.

For over a year, Reigns has been saying he’s the only one who can beat Lesnar. It doesn’t matter who couldn’t look at Roman because he’s a failure. It also makes him a liar because he can’t beat Brock Lesnar. Every time the Beast meets the Big Dog, the Big Dog gets conquered. After Lesnar makes Reigns fail again, Samoa Joe will be waiting at Backlash to put him to sleep. As usual, Joe was great here with the commanding voice and fire in his eyes. Joe as the new #1 contender could do some great things, especially if he eventually wins the title.

Quick package on the debuts from this week.

Lucha House Party vs. TJP/Jack Gallagher/Ariya Daivari

Daivari hammerlocks Dorado to start but gets hurricanranaed and dropkicked for his efforts. A double tag brings in Gallagher and Dorado for the pinfall reversal sequence and Dorado falls forward into a splash. Lince grabs an arm and Kalisto does the same, allowing them to throw Gallagher down in a heap. That’s rather ungentlemanly of them. Daivari offers a distraction though and Jack pulls Kalisto off the ropes for a crash.

Back from a break with Gallagher cranking Kalisto’s arm back ala Pentagon Dark and bringing Daivari in for a double suplex. We hit the chinlock for a bit but Davari misses the top rope splash. The hot tag brings in Metalik for rope walking into a headscissors. Everything breaks down and it’s a double Golden Rewind to Gallagher and Daivari. Something like a reverse Sling Blade drops TJP and the rope walk elbow ends TJP at 10:24.

Rating: C. Went a little longer than it needed to but the Lucha House Party guys are always worth taking a look at. I’m a little annoyed at the depushing of TJP and Gallagher but anything that involves seeing Daivari getting beaten up with worth some time. The guy is so uninteresting that it’s the only fun part about having him around.

From Raw again.

Here’s Stephanie McMahon, walking very slowly and with her arm in a cast after last night, to open the show. Cole talks about how Ronda Rousey’s debut may be the best debut in Wrestlemania history. Does that mean the best wrestler to debut at Wrestlemania (As in she’s better than Fandango and Baron Corbin? Or the best ever first match at Wrestlemania? I’m thinking someone else has probably done it better before. Stephanie talks about the post Wrestlemania crowd having an international flavor (Is that an insult?) but she expected at least SOME sympathy.

She did tap out last night but the fans have to admit that one woman did everything she could last night and made the transition. Yes Stephanie did make that transition and was amazing so she deserves all the praise. This brings out Rousey to a very nice reception (which she earned) and even Stephanie gives her credit for last night. Rousey is a role model and a superstar and with Stephanie guiding her, they can reach new heights. The fans tell Stephanie to shut the F up so Stephanie calls Rousey her friend….and offers a handshake.

Now if you don’t know where this is going and yeah I’m not even going to finish that. Rousey hugs her and smiles before shifting to the death stare. Stephanie gets taken down by the bad arm and Rousey takes the brace off to crank it back all over again. Referees run in for the late save and Rousey is all smiles. She’s getting better at the facial expressions and really does come off like a star. Medics come out to check on Stephanie and the fans tell her that she deserves it. As she’s leaving, JoJo asks for a little respect for Stephanie. I was hoping that made the broadcast because it made me laugh in my seat.

My issues with Stephanie are fairly well known but I LOVED this. The key to Stephanie is her being in on the joke and that doesn’t happen very often. This time she was in full on obnoxious heel mode but with a bit of a wink to the camera that she knew she was about to be destroyed. That made this workable because she was FINALLY getting what was coming to her. I know you can’t have it happen all the time, but once a year isn’t quite often enough.

Quick look at Paige being announced as the new Smackdown GM.

And from Smackdown.

AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan

Non-title. AJ takes him to the mat to start and it’s an early standoff. A shoulder block works a bit better and things speed up. Bryan fights out of a test of strength and starts in on the arm with the hard kicks. It’s off to a hammerlock with Bryan bending the arm in a variety of unnatural manners. AJ fights up and it’s the drop down into the dropkick as the fans aren’t sure who they like more. The slingshot forearm to the floor drops Bryan again and we take a break.

Back (after Bryan misses a Swan Dive in the break) with Bryan hitting the running clothesline to set up the YES Kicks. AJ counters the big one with the dragon screw legwhip but Bryan moonsaults over him in the corner. That’s fine with AJ, who moonsaults over him right into the reverse DDT to drop Bryan for two. The Phenomenal Blitz is reversed into a cross armbreaker but AJ rolls over for the break.

Instead it’s the Calf Crusher to work on Bryan’s bad knee but Bryan reverses that into the YES Lock, which is reversed into a rollup for two. A hard clothesline gives AJ two and they’re both winded. Bryan is back up with some hard kicks and it’s time to load up the running knee.

Thankfully AJ is smart enough to realize that the YES chants mean something is coming and he ducks the knee, only to get pulled into the YES Lock. Dang Bryan will get you one way or another. AJ gets the rope so Bryan puts him in the Tree of Woe for more kicks. A belly to back superplex is reversed into a crossbody….and here’s Nakamura to knee Bryan in the head for the DQ at 12:42.

Rating: B. This was getting somewhere but the ending was the right call. Bryan vs. Styles could be a major pay per view match and there’s no reason to throw away a clean finish on a regular TV match. They were starting to really turn this into something good as both guys were cranking it up. I was liking this more than Styles vs. Nakamura from Wrestlemania so there’s hope for something better in the future.

Post match Nakamura abuses Styles’ groin and hits Kinshasa to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This is a great way to look at the biggest week in WWE in the span of about forty five minutes. The wrestling wasn’t great but this is a great example of that not being the point. I’ve seen some of this stuff three times now and this might have been the most entertaining presentation. Just get us in and get us out and show us the good stuff. That’s Main Event in a nutshell and it worked here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/


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


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




205 Live – April 10, 2018: What Day Is It Again?

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 10, 2018
Location: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

It’s the final show of Wrestlemania Weekend and that means things are starting to run out of steam. There’s not much left to say at the moment, but Cedric Alexander is the new Cruiserweight Champion as the title isn’t vacant for the first time in over two months. Buddy Murphy is waiting in the wings though so let’s get to it.

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

I was in the arena for this show, sitting in the (freezing) upper deck, opposite the hard camera.

We open with a recap of Alexander defeating Mustafa Ali to become the new champion in a pretty good, though not great, tournament final.

Opening sequence.

Percy Watson is here as Nigel McGuinness is out for two weeks. The word PERMANENT is used. Egads why?

Kalisto vs. Akira Tozawa

Kalisto wants to set the stage for next week’s tornado tag and Tozawa wants Lucha House Party FIRED. The fans, at least the ones still there, seem to favor Tozawa as there’s really no heel here. Tozawa works on the wristlock to start as the announcers talk about how awesome it is to have this be one on one with no seconds. Kalisto handwalks away and moonsaults into a headscissors to really put Tozawa in trouble.

Back up and Tozawa shouts a lot, which is rather customary for him. A big kick to the head misses but so does Kalisto’s rolling kick. Tozawa goes with the stiff shot to the head and it’s time to stomp away in the corner. The screaming backsplash gets two and it’s off to a chinlock. They’re not exactly burning the mat up so far. Kalisto finally avoids a charge in the corner and hits that head kick as things speed up a bit.

The hurricanrana driver gets two and another kick to the head staggers Tozawa on top. One heck of a super Spanish Fly (becoming VERY popular in WWE these days) gets two on Tozawa and it’s time for the slugout. Tozawa misses a charge in the corner and gets shouldered in the ribs, setting up the big running kick to the chest.

Kalisto seems to have him stunned but charges into a monkey flip with Tozawa sending him knee first into the corner. The top rope backsplash hits knees but Kalisto is too banged up to capitalize. What a horrible development. We hit the pinfall reversal sequence until Kalisto grabs the Salida Del Sol for the pin at 11:24.

Rating: B. Nice match here with a nice story being told as Kalisto tried to go strike for strike with Tozawa, only to mess up his knee in the process. When that wasn’t working he shifted to his bread and butter with the speed and won without much trouble. That Salida Del Sol is an awesome finisher and never stops looking great. Good stuff here and I’m kind of interested in seeing where this group feud goes.

Mark Andrews is getting ready to face Drew Gulak when Tony Nese comes in. Tony talks about how he and Gulak used to be friends but Drew isn’t the same man anymore. He wants Andrews to go take care of Gulak for good.

Drew Gulak vs. Mark Andrews

Gulak, in a rather small robe, says he was thinking about needing to offer the people an explanation. That should mean a POWERPOINT PRESENTATION but it’s not the time for that. This isn’t Microsoft Office aficionado Drew Gulak. This is the best submission wrestler on 205 Live and he will make you tap. Some armdrags annoy Gulak to start and he bails to the floor in short order.

Back in and the threat of the Gulock has Andrews scurrying away but coming right back with a bulldog. A hurricanrana on the apron is countered though and Gulak sends him hard into the post to start in on Andrews’ neck. That means a cravate and then a chinlock as Gulak picks Andrews apart with relative ease. Andrews fights up with a jumping enziguri for a breather, followed by a 619 to the ribs.

The standing corkscrew moonsault gets two but a HARD clothesline to the back of the head gives Gulak two. The fans are completely distracted by something behind the announcers’ table (I never could figure it out but it was something about a fan falling asleep. Andrews hits the Stundog Millionaire as the fans are asking HOW WAS YOUR NAP. Gulak sends him into the corner and the Gulock is good for the tap at 10:28.

Rating: C+. The storytelling continues here as Gulak is the cold and calculating villain waiting to find a mistake while Andrews is making things up as he goes. It makes sense that it would make Gulak (who hates flips and dives and non-scientific wrestling) angry so having him crank on Andrews that hard was the right ending.

Post match Gulak puts the hold back on but here’s Tony Nese for the save and a big beatdown. We have a face turn, which is the first thing about this show that makes it feel special.

Drake Maverick is skeptical of having a pair of guys on his roster. I was hoping for Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens but it’s Jack Gallagher and Brian Kendrick, the latter of whom is back from injury. They’ll be teaming again and Hideo Itami injuring Kendrick is water under the bridge. Uh, yay for Kendrick being back?

Here’s Maverick for Alexander’s big celebration. Drake talks about sitting ringside when Cedric won the title (Drake: “I was sitting there, John Cena was sitting right over there.”) and how proud it made him. This brings out Cedric to the YOU DESERVE IT chants. Two years ago the fans chanting PLEASE SIGN CEDRIC and then this Sunday his friends and family saw him win the Cruiserweight Title.

Cedric thanks the fans but here’s Ali to cut him off. Ali congratulates him for winning the title as his friend, but also wants to remind Cedric that he’s in the line of competitors. Cedric doesn’t seem to mind and we get a hug. Cue Buddy Murphy’s music with Buddy coming from underneath the ring to botch Murphy’s Law (not at all surprising as tricky as that move is to pull off) at first before planting Alexander. Maverick is livid and yells at Murphy to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The show’s hot streak continues but I couldn’t help wondering where the big moment was. After Raw and Smackdown had debuts, big matches and surprises, this could have been any given week of 205 Live. Now I can appreciate that in a sense as they’ve got a good thing going, but this was quite the low key (I don’t want to say downer because the show was good) way to end the week. Hopefully the momentum keeps going, because this show has become a lot more fun to watch.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/


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


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




Live Thoughts From Smackdown

And that takes care of that. Tonight was my last night in New Orleans and that means Smackdown is all that’s left. This is the other version of the post Wrestlemania show and that means a lot could be happening in a very short amount of time. I had a few ideas of what to expect and for the most part, absolutely none of them wound up happening. Let’s get to it.

The dark match saw Becky Lynch beat Ruby Riott in a pretty nice match in about six minutes. The Riott Squad interfered and got sent into each other, setting up the Disarm-Her for the tap. Snappy little match here.

The opening with Shane introducing Paige was nice….if you ignore the fact that SHANE DOESN’T HAVE POWER RIGHT NOW. Unless this was addressed on commentary, Shane has no business accepting Daniel Bryan’s resignation or naming Paige as the new General Manager. Now that being said, Paige was a genuine shock and I think I like the idea. It’s cool to have a woman in the job and, in theory at least, as the ONLY authority figure on the show. She got a great reaction and really, that’s all you can ask for in something like this. Oh and she gave us AJ vs. Bryan, because that’s what a good boss does.

The Usos beat the New Day in a very good match with both teams working well together. They’ve always had chemistry so this wasn’t exactly a shock. The win gives the Usos a title shot, presumably at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Smackdown is going to need some fresh teams in the Shakeup though as these two have fought way too often lately. Still though, very good match.

Naomi beat Natalya after getting into a stupid argument with her. There’s not much else to say on this one, as is the case with most Natalya matches.

Shinsuke Nakamura was asked why he attacked AJ Styles. Nakamura blamed it on being overly emotional and then suddenly couldn’t speak English when he was pressed on the answer. This was hilarious and some of the best talking Nakamura has done since coming to WWE.

Then we had the big segment of the night with Charlotte coming out to praise Asuka for a great match and wondering who she would make magic with next. This brought out the Iconics (formerly the Iconic Duo) of Peyton Royce and Billie Kay to a very strong reaction. They made fun of Charlotte’s speech with Royce getting in some hilarious jokes about Charlotte thanking everyone and then the beatdown was on. Charlotte was thrown over the announcers’ table both ways and powerbombed on the floor….so Carmella FINALLY cashed in the Money in the Bank briefcase to win the Women’s Title.

This took the better part of forever to get to and I’m just glad the stupid thing is finally gone. I get sick of having it hanging over everything and wasting time, especially when it’s almost deflating having Carmella get it after the big match with Asuka. At least it’s gone now though and that means some peace of mind for a few months.

The main event was really all you could expect it to be. They were starting to cook and Nakamura interfered for the DQ. I don’t think anyone was really expecting AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan to go to an important conclusion on a Smackdown in Bryan’s first singles match so what we got was more than good enough for the time being. Nakamura kneed Bryan in the head and abused Styles’ testicles after the match. Of note, during a commercial, Bryan missed a Swan Dive. I’m rather stunned that he’s allowed to even think about that move anymore.

And again, so much for Rusev. It’s just not happening and that’s very clear at this point. There aren’t many more over on the roster than he is right now and that means we get Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal in ANOTHER match (because the previous ones have worked oh so well) for the US Title. I don’t know what WWE is thinking with this stuff but my goodness it’s annoying to sit through, especially when Rusev has gotten himself over like this.

The post show dark match saw Shinsuke Nakamura defeat Dolph Ziggler. This is the four time I’ve seen those two in a post Smackdown dark match, including last year’s post Wrestlemania Smackdown. Nakamura won in about seven minutes with Kinshasa. If he was supposed to wrestle differently after his heel turn, he didn’t show it here.

Overall, it was a good night and felt like the opposite of last night’s Raw. While Monday was seeing a return every ten minutes, this had the Iconics debuting and Paige being announced as the new GM. That was it for the fresh names appearing and I think I’m ok with that. While Zelina Vega/Andrade Cien Almas and Sanity would have been nice, I can both understand and wait for what might happen in the Superstar Shakeup (though I could also see none of them coming up). All in all, a strong wrestling show and fairly in line with what this Smackdown does every year.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/


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


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

 

 




205 Live – April 3, 2018: What A Waste That Was

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 3, 2018
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s go home week for Wrestlemania and that means it’s the go home show for 205 Live as well. In this case we have a Cruiserweight Title match set for Sunday’s Kickoff Show, which means they might be able to set up some extra stuff this week. It’s hard to say what else is going on, but Buddy Murphy is being pushed strong as well. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening preview focuses on Hideo Itami/Akira Tozawa vs. Lucha House Party. It’s a smart move to focus on things other than the title match as they need something to go with after Sunday. We’ll also get a preview of the tournament final.

Opening sequence.

Akira Tozawa/Hideo Itami vs. Gran Metalik/Lince Dorado

Itami and Metalik start things off with Hideo wasting no time in taking him to the mat and posing. Instead of following up, Itami shoves Dorado in the face, allowing Metalik to score with a superkick. Dorado comes in for two off a standing moonsault but it’s off to Tozawa to kick Metalik down without much effort.

The backsplash connects but Metalik reverses into a crucifix for two of his own. A hard right hand drops Metalik again and the villainous dominance continues. Metalik gets in a right hand and is promptly kicked down. A kick of his own is enough for the hot tag to Dorado, who strikes away as well. Itami’s demands for respect earn him the Golden Rewind and a big flip dive to the floor drops Itami again. Tozawa adds a dive of his own and a BIG twisting corkscrew dive from Metalik drops everyone at once. Back in and Itami goes for Metalik’s mask and everything breaks down, drawing the double DQ at 7:27.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one but you can see the Tag Team Title feud being set up from here. Itami is better in this role as Tozawa has more than enough charisma to make up for Itami’s severe lack thereof. Lucha House Party is a nice team in this role and that’s all they need to be until we get a big threat to beat them down.

Itami and Tozawa leave the masked guys laying.

Drew Gulak isn’t disappointed that his match with Mark Andrews has been canceled due to injury, but he wants Andrews to be healthy. He had a PowerPoint presentation ready about why he would keep the Gulock (dragon sleeper) on for a long time, but one slide summed it up: because he could. If you step to him, you tap out. Serious Gulak is a fun Gulak.

Andrews says he’s coming around the world to make things right against Gulak.

Tony Nese vs. Jonathan Pierce

Pierce brings it to Nese to start but Nese moonsaults over him and nips into a kick to the ribs to take over. That’s enough for Pierce who tries to walk out but gets clotheslined for his efforts. Back in and a springboard into a Lionsault gets two, followed by Pierce getting caught on the top. The running knee in the corner ends Pierce at 2:56.

Kalisto is checking on his buddies when he runs into Buddy Murphy. Buddy says tonight isn’t personal but Kalisto is standing in his way of being Cruiserweight Champion.

Kalisto vs. Buddy Murphy

It’s an early stalemate to start until Murphy uses the size to run him over, meaning it’s time to crank on the arm. Back up and Kalisto tries a headscissors but Murphy cartwheels out in a bit of a surprise. Kalisto goes up top for a spinning armdrag (not much of a move for such a big start) and it’s another stalemate. With nothing else working, Murphy slaps on an abdominal stretch but Kalisto climbs the ropes and spins onto Buddy’s back for a sleeper. Cool counter.

A DDT gives Kalisto two and they head to the apron with Murphy suplexing him onto the apron in a sick crash. Back in and a hard Irish whip into the corner keeps the pressure on Kalisto’s back but a spinning kick to the head drops Murphy. Kalisto springboards into a reverse hurricanrana but Murphy drops him back with an electric chair for a sweet counter. A hurricanrana driver gives Kalisto two and it’s back outside, this time with Murphy hitting a monkey flip onto the announcers’ table.

That’s only good for nine as the fans are WAY into this. Back in and a powerbomb gets two on Kalisto as we get 205 and FIGHT FOREVER chants. Kalisto’s rolling kick to the head sets up a Code Red for two of his own as the fans are losing their minds over these kickouts. Back up and a bad looking Murphy’s Law (Murphy didn’t get underneath him enough) is enough for the pin at 14:49.

Rating: B+. This is the kind of match that the show should have been built around in the first place. These guys were beating the heck out of each other with as many high impact moves as they could think of until one of them couldn’t get up. I have a blast with this and Murphy is clearly the top challenger for whoever comes out of Wrestlemania as champion. Check this out if you have the chance.

Drake Maverick talks about how many great things have come from the Cruiserweight Title tournament. He pleads with us to make sure to see the Kickoff Show because Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali are going to tear the house down. That’s the match that everyone is going to be talking about. As usual, Maverick is a heck of a hype man and has some incredible emotion in his promos.

We get a long and very well done video on the Cruiserweight Title match. Both of their paths to the title match is chronicled, including how they’re both ready to win the title on the grandest stage of them all. Ali is making his pay per view debut on Sunday, which is quite the way to start.

Overall Rating: B. The main event and final hype video alone are worth checking out and I want to see the Cruiserweight Title match. This was a solid episode of the show and showcased what these people are capable of doing. It also makes you feel like so much of the first year was such a waste as this style is as entertaining as you can get. Really solid show here and the title match should be a blast.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/


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


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




Mixed Match Challenge – April 3, 2018: Who Rocks Harder?

IMG Credit: WWE

Mixed Match Challenge
Date: April 3, 2018
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Beth Phoenix

It’s time for the final episode of the show, which isn’t exactly the biggest surprise in the world. You could probably guess the finalists when you saw the brackets and that’s not the worst thing in the world. We get a preview for Charlotte vs. Asuka, which should be a lot of fun, though also short. Let’s get to it.

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

Rusev, Lana, Big E. and Carmella are all chatting this week.

Video on Miz and Asuka at their charity: Rescue Dogs Rock.

Mixed Match Challenge Finals: Charlotte/Bobby Roode vs. The Miz/Asuka

The guys start us off and Roode hits the quick pose. No contact in the first minute so Asuka starts screaming, which only allows Roode to get in a chop. The threat of the Glorious DDT is enough for Asuka to come in and it’s time for the Wrestlemania preview. They grab a lockup and both go to the mat with it, followed by a trip to the floor. That’s enough from them so it’s back to Miz vs. Roode with the latter getting two off a backslide.

Miz starts in on the knee but the Figure Four is broken up as Corey goes into the history of the Miz, the Flair Family, and the Figure Four. It’s more complicated than you might expect. Charlotte comes in and chops away, followed by the moonsault for two. Miz’s distraction lets Asuka grabs a rollup for two but it’s back to Roode. The Skull Crushing Finale is countered into another rollup for another two and it’s time for the YES Kicks. Oh man when Bryan comes out to stare Miz down for that, the roof is coming off the building.

Roode gets two off a swinging Rock Bottom and the Figure Four is countered into a small package for the same. Charlotte spears Miz down and puts on the Figure Four with Asuka making a save, despite a submission not counting anyway. Back up and Asuka sends Charlotte outside, setting up the Skull Crushing Finale for the pin on Roode at 12:56. Asuka is ELATED at the Streak being safe.

Rating: B-. I’m not sure what else you were expecting at this point as these matches have been very similar for most of the tournament. They’re short, to the point, and waste no time in doing their thing. The wrestling is usually good and both teams play off of each other very well. Charlotte spearing Miz was a nice touch and we got a Wrestlemania preview at the same time. Nothing wrong here and a good note to end the series on.

Post match Miz talks about this being the best week of his life. Miz lists off some of the charities being fought for in the tournament and talks about how awesome Rescue Dogs Rock is. They both promise wins on Sunday to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. I liked the tournament as a whole. The key thing here was that it didn’t waste time. You were in and out in less than twenty five minutes a week and the whole thing was twelve matches. They didn’t build this up as some monumental thing and just got in, did their thing, and got back out. It was well done and the show was entertaining without overstepping its bounds. I liked it and could go for a sequel next year.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/


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