IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: October 17, 2018
Location: Capital One Arena, Washington DC
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s hard to say if the Cruiserweight Champion is going to be around this week but the more interesting question is going to be the Kanellis family, who debuted last week in a rare instance of some main roster names coming to the cruiserweight show. I’m hoping that happens more down the line as it’s not like some of these people have anything else going on and it’s better than sitting on the sidelines. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap talks about how much everything is changing tonight. Speaking of tonight, we’ll be having a fatal five way. Cedric Alexander needs to prove that he’s still a top star, Tony Nese wants to extend his winning streak, TJP wants to prove he deserves a title shot, Gran Metalik wants to stand up for the Lucha House Party and Lio Rush wants to remain undefeated.

Opening sequence.

Drew Gulak vs. Akira Tozawa

Before the match we look at Gulak and Jack Gallagher attacking Brian Kendrick so you can probably guess what’s coming here. Gulak is NOT happy with the chanting here and lets off some steam with an elbow to the face. That just earns him a hurricanrana into a backsplash for an early two as Tozawa picks up the pace. The fake out right hand to the jaw keeps Gulak in trouble but the Black Widow is countered into a backbreaker.

Gulak goes international with a Gory Stretch until Tozawa gets his legs free and flips over for a cool looking escape. A powerbomb gives Gulak two and the chinlock goes on, with Gulak biting his ear. That’s a bit out of character but a great visual. Tozawa is back up and hits Trouble in Paradise into a Shining Wizard to the floor. There’s the suicide headbutt to Gulak and Gallagher, the latter of whom breaks up the top rope backsplash for the DQ at 7:05.

Rating: C. Tozawa has a ton of charisma and can make almost anyone look better. At the same time, Gulak is still fun to watch but it doesn’t matter if he never actually wins anything. I’m not wild on the upcoming Gulak vs. Kendrick feud either but any people who team together for any amount of time now need to have a big split and feud as a result.

Post match Gulak and Gallagher beat him down but Kendrick makes the save.

Buddy Murphy is back and says he’s ok with Drake Maverick making him weigh in. Tony Nese comes in and says he’ll prove that they’re the best, including in tonight’s main event.

Mike and Maria Kanellis are ready to be the power couple of 205 Live.

Hideo Itami speaks Japanese and then promises to end Mustafa Ali’s career next week.

Ali, walking in the rain, says he and Itami have been on this road for far too long. He’ll be wherever Itami is and on this road, Itami will lay where Ali stands. These promos outside of the arena have been excellent from Ali.

TJP vs. Cedric Alexander vs. Gran Metalik vs. Tony Nese vs. Lio Rush

One fall to a finish. This isn’t a #1 contenders match but Buddy is watching in the back. Alexander and Nese are left in the ring to start but Cedric knocks him to the floor as well. Rush comes in and flips out of a headscissors and springboards into a headscissors of his own. Alexander is sent outside and gets clotheslined by Nese so Metalik comes in and springboard dropkicks into Rush.

Nese replaces Metalik and takes an enziguri as the fans are rather pleased with Rush. TJP comes back in and puts Metalik and Nese in a hold at the same time but Rush breaks it up until Nese rolls up both Rush and TJP at the same time. TJP is sent shoulder first into the post and Nese gets to stop and pose. Things slow down a bit and it’s Nese cranking on Metalik’s neck. Metalik gets tied up in the Tree of Woe for the situp kicks to the ribs until Nese has to clothesline an invading Alexander.

A Metalik brainbuster gets two on Nese but Alexander springboards in with a clothesline (which barely connects) for two on Metalik. The springboard swinging Downward Spiral gets two with Rush making a save. Everyone comes back in Nese breaks up the Tower of Doom and Rush hits the Final Hour for two on Alexander.

It’s time for strike everyone else and Alexander hits the Neuralizer for two on Nese. Metalik superkicks Alexander but TJP goes after his mask. That goes nowhere as Metalik hits a suicide dive on Alexander and Rush takes his place inside. Nese powerbombs Rush onto EVERYONE (with Rush almost landing on his head in a scary visual) and Nese is the only one standing.

TJP remedies that with a kneebar to Nese and then does the same to Alexander. Metalik makes the save and avoids a baseball slide from TJP, setting up a perfect Asai moonsault to the floor just as TJP goes underneath the rope. Back in and Alexander Lumbar Checks Rush (with a great sell job/bounce), only to get rolled up by Nese for the pin at 15:35.

Rating: B. This was what it was with a bunch of spots and people moving all over the place. You can’t expect much of a story or psychology here and that’s perfectly fine. Just have them go out there and do their stuff and get to the winner. Alexander getting pinned again was the right call as his fall down the mountain continues. Nese winning is fine too as you can have him face Murphy as the first challenger. Fun match, which is mostly all you can ask for.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event easily carries this show but it’s still not a great night. The Kendrick story does nothing for me and Nese isn’t going to win the title. Murphy just feels like a warm body with the title, as he wasn’t around last week and just had a cameo this week. They still need some stronger personalities, but if those people were around, they would be on the main shows instead of here, which is one of the show’s top problems.

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: October 17, 2018
Location: Cambridge Corn Exchange, Cambridge, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

So over the last few years, WWE has been going over to the UK for some one off shows and they’ve been pretty good. Since it’s WWE though, that means it’s time to start a whole new weekly show (currently their fourth show on Wednesdays) under the NXT banner. I’m not sure what to expect here so let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at the history of WWE in the UK and HHH talks about how ever empire has a beginning.

Opening sequence.

The announcers preview the show. Dang Joseph is way taller than I thought.

Mark Andrews vs. Joe Coffey

Coffey is a big guy who has his brother Mark in his corner. The brothers were rather violent back at the UK Title Tournament shows back in June so they’re certainly villains. Coffey powers him to the mat to start and gets two off a test of strength grip. The much smaller Andrews gets in a shot to the face and a springboard hurricanrana has the fans right back into things.

Coffey is right back up with some hard shots to the face and just plows through Andrews with a shoulder. A swinging butterfly suplex gets two and we hit a cross arm choke to keep Andrews in trouble. Mark Coffey is about to get in a cheap shot but gets caught, leaving Joe to run Andrews over instead. Back in and Andrews slugs away for all he’s got, capped off by an enziguri to put Coffey down.

A double stomp to the ribs sets up a standing corkscrew moonsault for two and Andrews is running out of steam. Coffey has had it with Andrews and hits a pop up powerslam for two of his own but the Stundog Millionaire gets Andrews out of trouble for the moment. Mark Coffey saves Joe from the shooting star so Andrews dives onto both of them for the big crash. Back in and Mark Coffey offers another distraction, allowing Joe to hit a hard belly to belly into a discus lariat for the pin at 7:37.

Rating: C+. Good choice for an opener here as you need something entertaining to get the fans into the feel of the show. The Coffey Brothers are going to be solid heels as they’re bigger than most of the people on the show and work well together. On the other hand you have a high flier like Andrews, who is always going to be worth a look. Nice match here and it even sets up some stuff going forward. Not bad at all and a smart move to put Joe over someone who has been on the main roster.

Post match the double beatdown is on but Flash Morgan Webster makes the save with his helmet as payback for the brothers beating him down back in June.

Eddie Dennis is the Pride of Wales and has been friends with Andrews and Pete Dunne for years. He’s got some stories.

Here’s the very popular Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) to talk about this being the most important day in the history of British wrestling. This is the birth of NXT UK so let’s pause for the UK chant. Just a few months ago, they stood in this very ring and became the NXT Tag Team Champions. Since then, HHH has mentioned something about some NXT UK Tag Team Titles. There’s just one problem: there aren’t any other tag teams in NXT UK. There is however a boat load of talent in the back so let’s have some of them become teams to give Moustache Mountain some competition. Posing and cheering ensue.

Dave Mastiff, a big man with a huge beard, is coming to show what he’s made of. Mastiff has to weigh at least 350lbs if not more. That’s certainly a bit different.

Clip of Noam Dar returning in June and becoming #1 contender.

Sid Scala vs. Dave Mastiff

Mastiff’s entrance gets a gasp. Scala on the other hand doesn’t get much of a reaction because he’s just a guy in trunks. Mastiff drives him into the corner as the announcers aren’t even pretending that this is going to be competitive. A big toss sends Scala flying and Mastiff hits a rather impressive dropkick to cut him down. There’s a release German suplex into the Cannonball in the corner for the pin at 1:58. Exactly what it should have been.

Nina Samuels is ready to show what she can do.

Nina Samuels vs. Toni Storm

You can feel the star power from Storm. Toni takes her down by the head to start, drawing a rather positive chant from the crowd. Back up and Samuels slaps her in the face, earning a series of strikes into the corner. Storm misses a charge though and a running knee gives Samuels two.

Some stomps keep Storm in trouble so she fights up with forearms to the face. A kind of sloppy tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gives Samuels two and it’s time to start mocking Storm. Naturally that fires Storm up (Samuels kind of had it coming) and it’s a release German suplex into Storm Zero (White Noise onto the knee) to give Storm the pin at 4:09.

Rating: C. Oh yeah Storm is going to be a star and there’s no stopping that. She has a great look, the charisma, the presence and can work in the ring. Not bad for someone in her early 20s. Samuels got to show off a bit here and wasn’t very impressive. Her offense was very basic and nothing she did really stood out.

Next week: Tyler Bate vs. Wolfgang.

United Kingdom Title: Pete Dunne vs. Noam Dar

Dar is challenging and General Manager Johnny Saint is in the ring for the introductions. Dunne gets a hero’s welcome, as you had to expect. Feeling out process to start but hang on because the fans need to sing Happy Birthday to Dar. That’s not cool with Dunne so he blasts Dar with a clothesline, which is fine with the fans as well. Dar sends him outside for a hard soccer kick to the arm and Dunne in in some sudden trouble.

Back in and Dunne hits a quick X Plex for a breather and unloads in the corner. Dar kicks him with the face so Dunne flips out of a German suplex and gets two off a powerbomb. A northern lights suplex gives Dar the same so Dunne goes for the fingers like a true villain who the fans cheer anyway. Dar is right back with a release fisherman’s suplex onto the apron and they’re both down. Stereo dives beat the count at nine as the fans declare this awesome.

Dunne goes to the fingers again so Dar spins around into an elbow to the face. A leglock is reversed into a cross armbreaker but Dar reverses that into an ankle lock. Dunne staggers him with an enziguri so Dar forearms him in the back of the head for the double knockdown. Dar kicks the leg out but the Nova Roller is forearmed out of the air. The Bitter End is reversed into a kneebar with Dunne having to dive for the rope. That’s enough for Dunne, who bends the fingers back again and stomps on the arm, setting up the Bitter End to retain at 11:35.

Rating: B. This didn’t have the drama or the emotion (or the time) that a lot of Dunne’s matches have but Dar more than showcased himself here. They’re doing a very good job of having Dunne get closer and closer to losing the title but surviving in the end. Whoever eventually figures out the puzzle is going to look like a star and that’s the point of such a long title reign. Good first main event here.

Post match Dunne offers a handshake but the injured Dar sticks his pinkie up, which Dunne seems fine with as he returns the gesture and smiles.

Overall Rating: B+. This is a situation where the wrestling and the content weren’t exactly the point. The purpose of this show was to start off strong and they did just that. You got an introduction to several characters and that’s going to be the case for the first few weeks. The main event was a solid match and we know Dunne is the man around here, while the rest of the show was about setting up a foundation. This was a success, and while there’s a long way to go, they’ve started well.

Results

Joe Coffey b. Mark Andrews – Discus lariat

Dave Mastiff b. Sid Scala – Cannonball

Toni Storm b. Nina Samuels – Storm Zero

Pete Dunne b. Noam Dar – Bitter End

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

I love these kind of things.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/really-cool-wwe-posts-original-smackdown-intro-modern-wrestlers/

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: October 11, 2018
Location: Allstate Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Vic Joseph

This week focused on the fast pace build towards Crown Jewel and Evolution and for once, Raw was a heck of a show with all kinds of things happening at once. Smackdown on the other hand was a rather dull night with almost nothing that felt important. That could make for a rather interesting combined show so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Zack Ryder vs. Mojo Rawley

The battle will never end. Rawley shoves him down to start but Ryder is right back up with some forearms to the face. That just earns him another grounding and right hands, followed by a shoulder for two. The chinlock wastes no time in going on but Ryder reverses a suplex into a neckbreaker. A jumping clothesline and the middle rope missile dropkick give Ryder two but a quick toss into the air gives Rawley the same. The Broski Boot doesn’t work so it’s the Rough Ryder for the pin at 5:02.

Rating: D+. Maybe it’s because I was there when the team split up in the first place but there’s something fun about watching these guys fight. There’s a bit of a chemistry there and they were able to have another perfectly watchable match here. Neither is going anywhere anytime soon, but maybe they can at least have some fun on this show for a change.

Video on HHH vs. Undertaker from Super Show-Down.

From Raw.

Here are HHH and the still bald Shawn Michaels to talk about spending 25 years climbing a mountain. On Saturday in Melbourne, Australia, they made it to the top. It turns out that they were lied to the whole time and we see a long package on Saturday’s long main event, complete with Undertaker and Kane turning on them. HHH talks about respect, like the kind you get from fighting back to back with someone for years. Or living up to your word when everyone else tells you not to.

Shawn says respect is a two way street. The flight from Melbourne to Chicago is a very long trip and they’ve had a long time to think. He thought about the respect that never was there in the first place but when they landed, HHH asked if he was ready. HHH knows Shawn is ready, but are Undertaker and Kane ready? They reveal the DX shirts because they want DX vs. the Brothers of Destruction at Crown Jewel. Not exactly shocking, but they could have done Shawn Michaels and HHH instead of DX, which tends to be less serious than this story would likely require.

From Raw again.

Ronda Rousey/Bella Twins vs. Riott Squad

Liv and Brie start things off and yes, they actually think this is a good idea in Chicago. Liv slaps her in the face but gets taken down, allowing Brie to miss a YES Kick. They get into a catfight and fight to the floor for a big staredown. Back in and it’s Rousey taking Morgan down by the arm. The entire Squad runs in fear as we take a break. We come back with Nikki fighting up and hitting (I think?) her spinning kick out of the corner. Brie comes in and gets caught with an STO on the floor to put her in trouble.

A shoulder to the ribs cuts Brie down again and an ugly hiptoss sets up a running knee to the face. Brie fights up from Ruby’s chinlock but Riott draws Rousey in so the Squad can keep Brie in trouble. A few forearms are enough to bring in Rousey and it’s time to hurt people. The spinning Samoan drop sets up the armbar with the Bellas running interference (including Logan laying down before Brie grabbed her) for the tap at 9:25.

Rating: D+. Just a shortened version of the Saturday match with the Squad being able to beat up the Bellas and having no chance against Rousey. I know we’re setting up Rousey vs. Nikki which probably has to start tonight for the sake of the calendar. Not a good match, but at least it’s going to get tot he point soon enough.

Post match the Bellas jump Rousey and laugh at her. Thankfully Rousey shrugs them off and throws them both down, only to get sent into the post on the floor. Some more whips send her into the steps and barricade for a bonus. I know why this had to happen, but is anyone buying the Bellas as a match for Rousey? Even both of them at once?

From Smackdown.

Women’s Title: Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch

Becky is defending and can lose the title via DQ. They’re in the ring for the Big Match Intros with neither getting an entrance so they’re starting fast. Becky works on a wristlock to start before raking Charlotte’s eyes across the top rope. A legdrop sets up the strut from Becky but she misses the spinning version, allowing Charlotte to roll her up for two. They clothesline each other but it’s too early for the Disarm-Her.

Instead Charlotte hits a dragon screw legwhip, only to be taken down into an armbar. Becky gets catapulted into the corner for a trip to the floor, which of course means a dive to take us to a break. Back with Charlotte being slammed off the top for two as Becky works on the arm some more. Charlotte chops away and grabs a belly to back suplex for a double knockdown.

Lynch gets crotched on top but manages to roll off into a cross armbreaker. That’s reversed into a sitout powerbomb and we take a second break. Back again with Becky trying to walk out but coming back in and throwing the belt down. That leads to an argument that doesn’t get us anywhere, so it’s an exchange of rollups, followed by a spear to put Becky on the floor.

Charlotte misses the moonsault though and the Bexploder gets nine. Becky follows her out and gets Bexploded as well, followed by Natural Selection back inside. Charlotte can’t cover though as Becky rolls outside, leading to another brawl for the double countout at 25:12. That might be a record for the longest one fall women’s match.

Rating: B. They beat each other up here and the ending should set up some kind of gimmick rematch at Evolution. You know, because the way to get any big feud to the next level is to have them fight multiple times in a month and a half. Either way, the draw is the right call here as neither is hurt and Charlotte can say she deserves another rematch.

Post match Charlotte spears Becky through the set. I feel that warrants a new version. Say with a giant fist.

Video on Rey Mysterio.

Crown Jewel rundown.

Heath Slater/Rhyno vs. Revival

Dawson and Slater fight over a wristlock to start with Slater showing off a nice bridge to escape. An armdrag into an armbar has Dawson in trouble and we take an abrupt break. Well cut but you get the idea. Back with Slater in trouble until a neckbreaker puts Wilder down. The hot tag brings in Rhyno to clean house and a TKO gets two on Dawson. Slater follows him in and walks into a DDT. Rhyno comes back in and it’s the Shatter Machine to give Wilder the pin at 7:55.

Rating: D+. Just a match really but it’s nice to have some fresh names around here. I know these four have been around before, but at least it’s been a few weeks since we last saw them. It’s still a shame that this is the best Revival can hope for anymore, especially when the Tag Team Titles are stuck in the main event scene again.

One more time from Raw.

Shield vs. Braun Strowman/Dolph Ziggler/Drew McIntyre

It’s a big staredown before the bell until McIntyre runs Rollins over to start. Ambrose comes in for a double suplex and some clubbing forearm shots to Drew’s face. That’s enough of that so it’s off to Strowman vs. Reigns with Roman not being able to Samoan drop him. Reigns gets saved from a double suplex and a double clothesline puts McIntyre and Ziggler on the floor. Strowman thinks better of fighting all three of them at once and goes outside for some yelling instead.

Back from a break with Reigns in trouble until he punches Ziggler out of the air. Strowman comes in and misses a charge into the post, allowing Reigns to hit the Samoan drop. It’s off to Rolling to speed things up but he spends too much time tuning up the band, allowing Ziggler to avoid the Stomp. The Buckle Bomb gets two instead as everything breaks down. Ambrose and Rollins hit the double suicide dives but Strowman is ready for them. Reigns takes out everyone with the BIG dive and we take a second break.

Back again with Strowman cranking on Rollins’ neck and handing it back to McIntyre, who cuts off a hot tag and kicks Rollins in the face. Ziggler gets catapulted into the corner and McIntyre takes an enziguri, only to have Strowman knock Ambrose and Reigns to the floor. Strowman yells at Ziggler, who yells right back until Strowman grabs him by the throat. That brings Drew into Strowman’s face until Rollins knocks McIntyre into Strowman for two. Rollins brings Ambrose in to pick the pace way up, including a suicide dive.

A swinging neckbreaker gets two more on Drew but it’s too early for Dirty Deeds. Ambrose has to elbow Ziggler down, allowing McIntyre to spinebust him for two. Rollins comes back in and suplexes Ziggler to the floor, leaving Dean to slug it out with McIntyre. A double clothesline puts both of them down and Strowman posts Reigns. Dean’s dive onto Strowman is caught so he spins it into a DDT to put both of them down as well. There’s a spear to Strowman but Drew is waiting for Ambrose with the Claymore for the pin at 21:58.

Rating: B+. This was a lot better than their Australia match with a ton of action for the last five plus minutes and a finish that actually surprised me. I’m very, very pleased that McIntyre is getting this kind of attention and protection as he’s now pinned Ambrose and Rollins in back to back weeks. I’m really hoping he gets the rocket push when this team with Ziggler ends, because it’s going to rock.

Post match Ambrose walks off on his own, leaving Rollins and Reigns confused to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The mostly good Raw stuff helps this a lot but there’s only so much that can be done with this show. For once it makes perfect sense to not have much from Smackdown as the show barely meant anything this week and all the big stuff was on Raw. I could go for getting done with Crown Jewel already though, or at least the pretty lame World Cup tournament, which is really hurting a lot of the shows. Not terrible this week, but stick with Raw.

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Mae Young Classic
Date: October 10, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Renee Young, Beth Phoenix

It’s time to get down to the final eight as this tournament is starting to wrap up in a hurry. There are only two weeks to go after this show and that means the second round needs to be set. It also means that we’re going to be in for some big names facing off with each other and then some even bigger showdowns in the next round. Let’s get to it.

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

All matches are second round matches.

Opening recap and preview.

Io Shirai wants to make the most of this opportunity.

Zeuxis uses her strength and power to beat opponents.

The Four Horsewomen, minus Ronda Rousey, are here.

Zeuxis vs. Io Shirai

The fans are behind Shirai here, as you might have expected. Io speeds things up and hits a running dropkick to put Zeuxis on the floor but doesn’t bother with the dive just yet. Back in and a springboard is broken up with a hard forearm and a baseball slide puts Shirai outside just as hard. Some shots to the arm have Shirai in trouble and it’s off to a YES Lock minus the crossface.

Running knees in the corner get two but Shirai dropkicks her into the corner for running knees of her own. The suicide dive (with Io almost getting caught in the ropes) takes Zeuxis down again and it’s a quickly broken Crossface back inside. Zeuxis misses a moonsault but is fine enough to break up Shirai’s attempt as well. Shirai hurricanranas her back down though and knees Zeuxis in the back of the head. Now the moonsault gives Shirai the pin at 6:07.

Rating: C+. Shirai had to work here and that made for a better match. Zeuxis was built up well in the first round so having Shirai go over her here meant a little more. The key here though was Shirai getting to show off the more aggressive side, which is more of a hint of how good she can be. Good match, but the potential is still building.

Deonna Purrazzo is ready to show the world how good she is.

Xia Li knows she has all the skills she needs.

Ricochet is here.

Deonna Purrazzo vs. Xia Li

They hit the mat to start with Deonna going for an early armbar attempt. That goes nowhere so Li kicks her in the chest and drops an elbow to the ribs for two. A jumping kick to the chest gets two but Purrazzo is right back with a standing backflip into a basement dropkick. It’s time for the serious arm work now with some cranking and a short clothesline (how Jake Roberts of her) gives Deonna two.

A running kneelift into a Russian legsweep sets up the Fujiwara armbar but Li rolls out. Purrazzo grabs a regular armbar and the fans are actually behind Li for a bit. They chop it out with Li going shot for shot with her. An enziguri gets two on Purrazzo but Li goes up, only to dive into the Fujiwara armbar for the tap at 5:47.

Rating: C. Li looked WAY better than you would expect here and while Purrazzo likes to focus on the arm, she’s far from one dimensional and that should give her a future around here. She’s young, has a good look, and can go in the ring. What else can you possibly ask for from her?

Nicole Matthews doesn’t care if she hurts her opponents, as long as she wins.

Tegan Nox likes to hit people hard and dive off of things because it makes people gasp in awe.

Tegan Nox vs. Nicole Matthews

Matthews gets aggressive to start and kicks Nox into the corner. A few right hands put Matthews on the floor but her suicide dive is cut off with a forearm. Some kicks and chops have Nox in more trouble, followed by a running dropkick in the corner for two. Matthews kicks her in the back, which just seems to wake Nox up for a kick to the back of her own.

That’s fine with Matthews, who takes her down into a crossarm choke. Matthews gets two off a northern lights suplex, making sure to pull her top back up during the count. The Liontamer is reversed into a small package for two and Nox is fired up. A modified Cannonball sets up the Shining Wizard to finish Matthews (who has to pull he top up again) at 3:46.

Rating: C-. Nox knows how to do a comeback and she’s very easy to cheer, which is why she’s moving forward in the tournament. You could see the division being built around her in the future and that’s not something you can say about everyone. Matthews was acceptable here but spent more time fighting her gear than anything else.

Kaitlyn is back to prove that she can still do it.

Mia Yim respects Kaitlyn but is different than anyone Kaitlyn has ever faced.

Kaitlyn vs. Mia Yim

Yim has a bad hand after her first round match. Kaitlyn starts fast with a sliding clothesline and three straight legdrops for two. The bodyscissors keeps Mia in trouble but she blocks a baseball slide and slams the back of Kaitlyn’s knee into the apron. A kick to the leg sets up a standing Figure Four but the lack of a submission just annoys Mia. She makes the mistake of trying to punch with her bad hand and hits the mat by mistake, allowing Kaitlyn to start cranking on said hand.

Kaitlyn can’t slam her due to the bad leg but can hit a running shoulder for a double knockdown. Some slams keep Yim in trouble and a swinging sitout Rock Bottom gets two. A missed charge into the corner lets Mia “hit” Soul Food for two but a shot to the hand sets up the spear to give Kaitlyn two of her own. Mia is right back with a kneebar though and Kaitlyn taps at 7:08.

Rating: C. Some of the botches didn’t help here but I can always give points to dueling injuries, which helped move the match along here. Kaitlyn was fine in this role and having Mia defeat a former Divas Champion is the kind of thing that can help move her up the rankings. Not a great match or anything but it did its job perfectly well.

They hug post match.

Here are the updated brackets:

Meiko Satomura

Lacey Lane

Toni Storm

Mia Yim

Tegan Nox

Rhea Ripley

Io Shirai

Deonna Purrazzo

The recap ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They did a good job here with making me want to see the bigger matches and that’s a positive sign for the next two weeks. There are some showdowns that could go either way, which is the entire point of a tournament like this. If they can deliver in the ring, this whole thing is a success. Just don’t screw things up from here.

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: October 10, 2018
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

Things have changed for the first time in about six months here with Buddy Murphy defeating Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight Title at Super Show-Down. That was Alexander’s first pinfall loss (on TV at least) in a year and that should make for a big change of pace. It should be interesting to see where things go from here so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the title change. Well what else was it going to be?

Opening sequence.

Here’s Lio Rush, in a Bobby Lashley shirt, to say that he’s here for an open challenge. Indianapolis is used to those fast cars but no one is faster than Rush. They just better bring it.

Lio Rush vs. Lince Dorado

Rush asks Lince if he’s ready and that earns him a LUCHA chant. Dorado doesn’t get very far with a wristlock so they both try dropkicks for a standoff. A hurricanrana into a dropkick works a bit better for Dorado and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gets one. Rush dropkicks him off the top rope, setting up the suicide dive through the bottom ropes.

Back in and Rush gets two, causing him to ask if the referee is for real. A belly to back suplex gets two with Rush keeping Dorado rocked and not letting him to get much of a breather. The rapid fire strikes have Dorado in even more trouble and of course it’s time to go after the mask. You know, because that’s required anymore. Dorado chops him down and gets two off a high crossbody.

A spinning Unprettier gives Rush the same but Dorado rolls away before the Final Hour can launch. One heck of a superkick puts Rush in the corner and the Golden Rewind sends him outside for the big dive. Back in and Dorado loads up the shooting star press…but here’s Maria Kanellis of all people. The distraction lets Mike Kanellis come in through the crowd and shove Dorado off the top for the DQ at 9:34.

Rating: C. This was all about the ending and post match, which are perfectly fine. Kanellis was doing absolutely nothing while being stuck over on Main Event and he hasn’t had a match on one of the two important shows in over a year. Let him come here and at least get something out of him. It’s not like there’s anything else for the two of them to do.

Post match Mike hits something like Cross Rhodes on Dorado. The Kanellises pose together and we have a power couple.

Buddy Murphy says you can’t stop the unstoppable, which he proved by winning the Cruiserweight Title. He’s sticking around Melbourne for a bit though and won’t be back on 205 Live until he’s ready to show up.

Mustafa Ali comes in to check on Cedric Alexander, who says he’s fine. As for Ali, he gets to face Hideo Itami in two weeks and falls count anywhere. Ali leaves but comes back in to ask if Alexander is getting back in the ring too soon. Cedric again insists he’s good.

We look back at Drew Gulak and Jack Gallagher beating down Brian Kendrick and kicking him off the team.

Gallagher and Gulak say what they did last week was unpleasant but necessary because Kendrick had lost his killer instinct. Together, they will create a better 205 Live.

Cedric Alexander vs. Tony Nese

Feeling out process to start with Cedric taking over off a headlock. Cedric flips around a lot but can’t get a headscissor takeover, which seems to mess with him a little bit. Tony armdrags him into an armbar before stopping for some jumping jacks. More of a pushup guy, Alexander dropkicks him down to take over again. Tony plants him on his back though and pulls Alexander to the floor, banging the back up even worse.

The waistlock goes on for a bit until Alexander pops up for the headscissors back to the floor. That’s not enough for the big flip dive to hit though as Nese runs him over again. Nese snaps Cedric’s throat over the top but a springboard moonsault hits raised knees. The springboard Downward Spiral sets up the big no hands flip dive and now it’s Nese in trouble for a change.

There’s the springboard clothesline for two and a Michinoku Driver gets the same, with the latter kickout sending Cedric almost over the edge. Another springboard is countered into a gutbuster as Nese is smart enough to go back to the ribs. Nese talks some trash about the title reign and strikes away but Cedric is right back with the Neuralizer.

There’s a Spanish Fly for two more and that means it’s time for an argument with the referee. The Lumbar Check is countered and Nese blasts him in the jaw with a left hand. A German suplex into the corner sets up the running knee and the 450 for the pin on Alexander at 15:13.

Rating: B. In addition to the really entertaining action, this was heavily focused on storytelling and that’s a good sign. Alexander used what worked to get him the title in the first place and then to keep it but it wasn’t enough this time around. There’s an interesting story in Alexander not being good enough anymore and needing to change things up, which could go somewhere if you tell the story properly. It also helps that Nese can ride off of this win for a very long time going forward. Good stuff all around.

Overall Rating: B-. Despite only having two matches on here, there was a lot of interesting stuff taking place. The debut of the Kanellises is a good sign as the show can use some fresh blood, especially some like Maria. Throw in a rather solid main event and you have a good show up and down. Seeing whoever goes after Murphy next could be rather entertaining so there’s even a future here. Nice show and a nicer future.

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Mixed Match Challenge
Date: October 9, 2018
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Commentators: Michael Cole, Vic Joseph, Renee Young

We’re starting to get somewhere with this series as the teams are becoming more established and you can see which ones are going somewhere and which aren’t. This week will see some more teams who we’ve seen before, which is likely going to be the case on every show going forward. Let’s get to it.

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

Raw Division: Bayley/Finn Balor (1-0) vs. Braun Strowman/Ember Moon (1-0)

The women start things off with Ember shouldering her down. Bayley does the exact same thing but adds in a sliding clothesline, allowing her to hit some Too Sweet poses. It’s off to the men with Strowman missing a charge and getting caught with an enziguri. That’s about it for Strowman getting beaten up so he takes Balor down and works on a neck crank.

Balor fights up but gets run over with another clothesline. The heating continues with forearms and headbutts but Balor slips out of the running powerslam. A missed charge is finally enough for the hot tag to Bayley, who is taken down with a quick gutbuster. Bayley kicks her in the head for two, which Cole says would be a major upset.

It’s Bayley over Ember Moon, which isn’t an upset of any kind. The Bayley to Belly gets two with Strowman making a save. A running charge sends Strowman shoulder first into the post and Balor hits a double stomp to the back. The Coup de Grace is countered into the running powerslam to give Strowman the pin at 9:07.

Rating: C-. Not much to this one as Strowman pinning Balor was the most likely outcome of the whole thing. Neither of the women have anything going for them at the moment and it makes more sense to have Balor take the loss as Strowman has a big title match coming up. This show isn’t as important, but at least it’s a win over a big name.

As we see the standings, Kevin Owens’ picture is blacked out, meaning he’ll need a replacement due to being laid out by Bobby Lashley.

Natalya isn’t sure who she should have as a replacement partner.

Lio Rush hypes up Bobby Lashley and Mickie James against Natalya and whomever she picks.

Smackdown Division: Carmella/R-Truth (0-1) vs. Charlotte/AJ Styles (1-0)

Charlotte is very banged up from her Smackdown match, sporting bad ribs and an arm injury. We start with a WHAT’S UP vs. WOO showdown, which eats up nearly the first minute and a half. The guys wins up starting things off and it’s already time for a dance off, with AJ more than holding his own.

The women come in and do the splits, along with Truth, leaving AJ to look rather scared. Styles tries it himself and seems to pull some muscles, which is enough for things to settle down. Charlotte loads up a chop so Carmella bails to the floor for a chase. After three laps, Carmella finally gets caught but is still able to block the Figure Eight.

Carmella breaks it again and switches into the Code of Silence. That’s broken up as well so let’s hear from Jimmy Uso and Naomi. The guys come in with Styles cleaning house with Carmella breaking up a cover. AJ: “Carmella you’re not supposed to be in here!” Carmella superkicks Charlotte to the floor, leaving Carmella to hold Truth’s hand to block a sunset flip. Charlotte breaks that up and AJ pins Truth at 8:28.

Rating: D. The comedy stuff is starting to wear on me a bit, though it’s another case where neither Truth nor Carmella was going to be a real threat to their opponents. Just let them do their funny stuff and take the loss, which is really all you can ask them to do. That being said, if there was ever going to be a chance for Styles and Charlotte to lose, it would have been here. Barring a surprise, they’re going to walk into the finals.

Miz and Asuka are ready for next week.

Rusev and Lana are ready for next week.

AJ struts and breakdances to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. I really wasn’t feeling this one as the comedy is getting to be rather tiresome. It’s fine to do it sometimes, but you need to switch things up every now and then. The show is still short enough that it’s hard to get too mad at anything and the matches are usually good for a chuckle. This was the weakest of the season so far, but this is the kind of show that can bounce back without much effort.

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: October 4, 2018
Location: Key Arena, Seattle, Washington
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

It’s the final show before Super Show-Down and that means we’re going to be in for a lot of talk about the battle of the old men. Other than that we’ll have the Shield stuff because we need the Shield in our lives, plus whatever Smackdown can scrape together. That gets annoying when you consider that Smackdown has had the far more interesting build. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

No Way Jose vs. Mike Kanellis

Feeling out process to start as they fight over a headlock. After Jose dances a bit too much for Mike’s liking, it’s a hiptoss/neckbreaker to drop Kanellis instead. A splash misses in the corner though and Jose gets sent shoulder first into the post. Kanellis elbows him down and we hit ye olde chinlock. Jose fights up but gets thrown down by the afro and chinlocked again. The second comeback works a bit better with a flapjack, followed by a Regal Roll for two. A DDT gets the same but the pop up right hand misses. Kanellis nails a superkick and hits Cross Rhodes for the pin at 5:19.

Rating: D+. I have no idea how many times these two can fight and I’m getting worried about possibly finding out. Kanellis winning likely doesn’t mean much, but maybe they’re going to give him a bit of a push now that Maria is coming back. I’m not sure why as Kanellis isn’t all that interesting, but if you want Maria to give him the rub then he needs something before she gets there.

From Raw.

Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins

Non-title. Drew sends him into the corner to start and shoves Seth’s face. You don’t do that to Rollins, who takes Drew outside for a suicide dive. Back in and McIntyre kicks him in the ribs and cranks away at an armbar with a hand to the face. Rollins gets sent hard into the corner and we take a break.

Back with Rollins getting two of his own off the Blockbuster and hitting a spring forearm to the back of the head for the same. The reverse Alabama Slam is countered into a victory roll and the Falcon Arrow gives Rollins two more. Super White Noise is countered into the buckle bomb (which is very impressive given McIntyre’s size) but here’s Ziggler for a distraction. The Claymore finishes Rollins at 11:15.

Rating: B-. Good match, bad finish aside. They’re definitely playing up the idea that the Shield is in trouble but I’m starting to get worried about the Ziggler as the weak link. If this leads to McIntyre flattening him then so be it, but it really better not lead to Ziggler getting a face push out of the whole thing.

Post match everyone comes in and it’s a big brawl with Shield being left laying. Strowman and company hit the Shield pose.

From Raw.

Ronda Rousey vs. Ruby Riott

Non-title. The Bellas and the Riott Squad are here as I try to figure out why the Bellas are friends with Rousey. Before the match, the Squad promises to give Ronda her first loss tonight. Rousey wastes no time in flipping Riott over, meaning it’s time for a breather on the floor. Another trip to the floor allows Riott to kick her in the ribs on the way back in and Rousey’s arm gets sent into the post for two.

Ruby fights up and pulls Rousey’s hair to bend her neck around the top rope. That’s rather unpleasant so Riott chokes away on the middle rope instead. Riott sticks with the hair theme by slamming Rousey down by the head and talking some trash. The Riott Kick is countered into a suplex and the over the shoulder powerbomb gets two. Rousey’s spinning Samoan drop sets up the armbar to make Riott tap at 6:52.

Rating: C. Much like the previous two matches, there wasn’t exactly a lot of drama about the finish as Rousey isn’t about to lose her first match here. Riott continues to look more polished in the ring than most, and that’s a good sign for her future. Also, Brie was involved in a match and didn’t seem to main anymore so things are looking up a bit.

From Smackdown.

Here’s Becky Lynch for her surprise before Saturday. Becky talks about how she’s learned you can’t be nice around here without getting stabbed in the back. We get a clip of the history of Lynch and Charlotte, which only makes the fans cheer for her all the more. Becky wants to know where her new action figure or magazine covers are while she has to watch Charlotte get a photo shoot. Becky has a new poster of Super Show-Down, featuring Becky standing over Charlotte and holding up the title. Cue a ticked off Charlotte to spear Becky and put her in the Figure Four over the apron. Becky limps off to end the show.

From Smackdown again.

Here’s Paige to open things up. She talks about how serious everything is between AJ and Joe at the moment and we see a clip of what happened last week as Joe went to AJ’s house. Paige says nothing happened as authorities were called and got there in time (you know, to the middle of nowhere where AJ probably lives). Now that brings us to tonight, where Joe has been charged with trespassing and should be fired, but AJ doesn’t think so. AJ wants to get his hands on Samoa Joe instead and he’s dropping the charges.

The match is on, and here’s a clip from AJ, who is at his house instead of at the show. He’s not in the right frame of mind to perform tonight because this is bigger than WWE. AJ is at his house tonight and is staying there until he knows Joe is on a plane to Australia. He needs to be there because his kids are waking up in the middle of the night, checking their closets for Uncle Joe. This has to end because Joe isn’t leaving the land down under. AJ is going to bury him alive. That sounds like the big blowoff to the feud, but Joe almost has to win at this point. Do you want to treat him like you did Nakamura?

Tyler Breeze vs. Mojo Rawley

Mojo shoves him down without much effort to start and hides in the corner for a not very adequately explored reason. Breeze is right back with some kicks to the ribs and one to the face, followed by a running forearm. Back up and Mojo blasts him with a clothesline and some headbutts as things slow down a lot. A corner shoulder and suplex get two on Breeze but he comes back with an enziguri.

The high crossbody is countered into a gutbuster for two more but Breeze rolls him into a half crab of all things. That’s broken up as well so Breeze hurricanranas his way out of a powerbomb attempt. The Pounce cuts Breeze in half for two but the sitout Alabama Slam is escaped, setting up the Beauty Shot for the pin on Rawley at 6:04.

Rating: C-. Better than the opener but still nothing to see. You can only watch these same matches over and over again before they stop being interesting and we passed that point about six months ago. They just need some fresh names around here as it feels like these two have fought half a dozen times now or so. That’s not good, and it doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.

And from Raw to close things out.

Here’s Shawn Michaels for the big closing talk. Shawn says the people are making him feel good to come home again and now he’s thinking about how Super Show-Down’s match is going to be the last time ever. What emotion should he be feeling? It might even be joy because it is time for the final showdown. As cheap as he is, he bought a ticket to come to Australia to see it in person as an innocent bystander.

That was the case until a few weeks ago, when Undertaker made it clear that Shawn had to make a choice. Shawn has the utmost respect for Undertaker, though he’ll pick HHH every single time. For some reason that upset the Undertaker (mainly because HHH almost never beats Undertaker and Shawn should be smarter than that) so now he’s got Kane in his corner. Well if Kane tries anything, it’ll mean some Sweet Chin Music. Cue Kane to appear behind Shawn and drop him with a single right hand….so there goes the gong.

Undertaker appears next to Kane and Shawn looks up at him, only to be picked up for the Tombstone. That gives us the talked about moment of the night: Shawn Michaels’ bald head, which you had to know was coming but my goodness it’s jarring. HHH comes in for the save but gets beaten down as well. Double chokeslams leave Shawn and HHH laying, followed by a Tombstone to HHH. Undertaker and Kane pose on the stage to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The Raw and Smackdown stuff bail out the weak original stuff again and that’s not the biggest surprise. You can tell they’re trying to make Super Show-Down into something big, but the TV leading up to it hasn’t been the best in the world. They really could use a fresh batch of names around here. Is there really no one else available? Not at all? With all the names they have on this roster? Anyway, nothing to see this week, but it should get you ready for Saturday.

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Mae Young Classic
Date: October 3, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Renee Young, Beth Phoenix

We’re on to the second round now and that means things are going to start getting interesting. In this case we have the first instance of previous winners facing off, which should make for some good matchups. That’s the point of a tournament as you start getting to the better matches after you get to the halfway point. Let’s get to it.

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

All matches are second round matches.

We open with a quick recap of the first round to set things up for tonight.

Opening sequence.

Toni Storm is a rock star with a ton of attitude.

Hiroyo Matsumoto is still Lady Godzilla, but does she still love to have fun?

Toni Storm vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto

A lockup goes nowhere to start so Toni does a rather complicated spin to escape a wristlock. Toni’s wristlock keeps Matsumoto in trouble so they hit the mat with Matsumoto headscissoring her way out of trouble. Toni handwalks out so Matsumoto kicks her in the ribs to keep her in trouble. A Stunner over the middle rope puts Storm down again and a missile dropkick gets two.

The dueling chants begin but the LET’S GO TONI chants are pretty clearly winning out. Matsumoto chokes with a boot in the corner but Toni catches her with a German suplex. A fisherman’s suplex gets two and Toni slugs away but she has to backdrop her way out of a powerbomb attempt.

Matsumoto holds on though and puts on a half crab, which looks great on someone as tiny as Storm. Vader Bomb style double knees get two on Toni, who is right back with another German suplex. That’s fine with Matsumoto who scores with the Rock Drop for two of her own as Toni has to get a foot on the rope.

One heck of a clothesline puts Storm down again and Matsumoto loads up another, only to have Storm duck underneath and grab a bridging rollup to advance at 9:17. Nice move on the ending there with Matsumoto listening to the crowd’s chants of ONE MORE TIME instead of just going for the pin when she had it.

Rating: B. I had a good time with this and it’s an encouraging sign that Storm is getting this good in a hurry. Matsumoto is a hard hitter in her own right and has a great future, but Storm has superstar written all over her and there is no reason to believe she isn’t going to be a big time player for years to come.

Kacy Catanzaro is from American Ninja Warrior and can overcome her smaller size.

Rhea Ripley is ready to be a dominant force and is more serious than ever.

Kacy Catanzaro vs. Rhea Ripley

David vs. Goliath, as tends to be the case for Catanzaro. A shoulder puts Catanzaro down in short order so she tries a change of pace with the kicks to Ripley’s legs. Kacy gets sent to the apron where she dropkicks Ripley in the ribs, followed by a hurricanrana. That’s fine with Ripley, who drops her hard onto the ropes for two and starts slowing things down. Just to show off a bit, Ripley dropkicks her down for two, which looks rather odd/impressive given the size differential.

A basement dropkick gets one and the fans are split on this one too. Rhea hits a very delayed suplex and cranks on something like a Texas Cloverleaf, though she’s standing behind Kacy like an ankle lock. Back up and Kacy spins around her multiple times into a DDT, which is straight out of a Rey Mysterio match. If you can do something that only Mysterio can usually pull off, I think you have a future around here.

Rhea bails to the floor so Kacy hits a corkscrew plancha to keep things moving. Back in and Kacy completely botches a springboard missile dropkick so she tries again, this time jumping over the top to land on the middle and dropkick Rhea down. Rhea has had it with all the flips though and kicks her in the ribs, setting up Riptide for the pin at 7:04.

Rating: C+. Kacy is a crazy good athlete and some of the stuff she was doing out there was almost hard to believe. That being said, she’s also very new at this and clearly needs a lot of fine tuning. The look, charisma and athleticism are going to be more than enough to carry her though and that’s what matters. Ripley on the other hand is ready to be a star right now and that’s more than enough reason to send her forward here.

Lacey Lane is an underdog who scored an upset in the first round so she wants to continue her Cinderella story.

Taynara Conti is a black belt in judo who is ready to destroy Lacey.

Taynara Conti vs. Lacey Lane

Conti wastes no time in flipping her down and does it again, just to show Lane that she’s in over her head. Lacey is right back with a 619 for two and an elbow to the face. A missed charge in the corner allows Conti to pull her down by the long hair though and a few kicks to the chest have Lane in even more trouble. Conti is frustrated at the kickout so it’s off to a crazy eyed armbar for a few seconds.

Back up and Lane hits a clothesline and something like Sister Abigail for two of her own. That’s about it for Conti, who tries another flip but gets reversed into the crucifix bomb to give Lane another upset pin at 2:38. I don’t think I get the appeal of Lane but the Full Sail fans seemed to like her so it makes sense to push her again, though I’m not sure about having her go over someone like Conti.

Meiko Satomura wants to show the world strength.

Mercedes Martinez wants to make up for her loss last year with another big win here.

Meiko Satomura vs. Mercedes Martinez

Feeling out process to start with Meiko going into a wristlock for the very early control. That’s reversed into a slightly harder arm crank but Meiko takes her right down again and drops a knee to the chest for two. A double underhook neck crank keeps Martinez down until a suplex gives her two of her own. Meiko slaps on a headscissors on the mat and the announcers laugh a bit too much while talking about how to escape.

Mercedes smacks her in the face for the break and it’s time to slug it out. That goes to Martinez as she slams Meiko down and cranks on the leg for a bit. Some forearms in the corner have Meiko in trouble so she kicks Mercedes upside the head. A top rope crotching puts Meiko down again though and it’s a hanging swinging neckbreaker for two. Mercedes’ fisherman’s buster is reversed into a Fujiwara armbar until a few rolls get Mercedes to the ropes.

With the submissions not working, Meiko tries a frog splash for two instead. Mercedes snaps off a Saito suplex for two and they’re both down. Back up and Meiko spikes her with a DDT, followed by a second to set up a backflip knee to the ribs for a close two. Martinez is right back up with a big boot and the fisherman’s buster….for two. That earns a standing ovation and I can’t argue with that at all. A surfboard goes on but Mercedes can’t add a dragon sleeper, allowing Meiko to elbow her way out. Meiko kicks her in the face and a running kick to the back of the head is enough for the pin at 11:32.

Rating: A-. Well that was awesome and blows away almost anything else in the tournament so far. They beat the heck out of each other until Martinez couldn’t stand up any longer, which is often the best formula you can have. Satomura looked like a legend and Martinez was right there with her until the end. Great match and worth checking out for the reaction to that near fall alone.

Overall Rating: A. That’s easily the best episode of either tournament with an instant classic and another very good match to go with it. Throw in a very entertaining Catanzaro vs. Ripley match and there’s nothing bad here whatsoever. This is the kind of show that I’ve been waiting for from this thing and it was an incredible hour of wrestling. Now hopefully the rest can come close to this, though that’s hard to do.

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Super Show-Down
Date: October 6, 2018
Location: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Renee Young, Corey Graves

We’re at the latest big international show here and that means…well it’s hard to say actually. There’s a lot going on at the moment in WWE but they have a tendency to turn these shows into a glorified house show with almost nothing happening. Hopefully WWE has figured that out and knows that we need to actually get something important on the show. Let’s get to it.

The opening video is exactly what you would expect: a look at the big matches, mainly focusing on Undertaker vs. HHH.

The stadium looks great with a ton of people and no major gaps. We also get pyro, so you know this one is important.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: New Day vs. The Bar

Bar is challenging after just being announced as #1 contenders. Big E. is the odd man out here as Kofi elbows Cesaro in the jaw for two and Woods comes in for a sliding clothesline. The top rope elbow gets two and everything breaks down with Kofi diving over the top onto both of them…and getting caught for a ram into the post. Woods gets rammed as well and the champs are in some trouble.

Cesaro cranks on Kofi’s leg for a few moments before it’s off to Sheamus for the ten forearms. That means a neck crank and a double backbreaker for two, followed by more shots to the back. Kofi finally kicks Cesaro away and runs over for the hot tag to Woods. A running Downward Spiral drops Sheamus for two but it’s an Irish Curse to cut him off.

Cesaro tags himself back in so Sheamus throws Woods at him for the uppercut. The Swing into the Sharpshooter draws Kofi back in for the save off a kick to the chest but falls outside with Sheamus. Woods kicks Cesaro in the chest though and it’s a Backstabber into a top rope double stomp (ala the Lucha Bros) to retain the titles at 9:40.

Rating: B-. Perfectly fine opening match here as New Day is one of the best choices to get a show started. They’re fun, they’re fast paced and they’re entertaining but more importantly they didn’t overstay their welcome here. The problem is I’m not sure who can take the titles from New Day, as there aren’t exactly many teams to challenge them. Are there even three other teams on Smackdown at the moment?

We recap Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch. Lynch was tired of not getting her title shot and Charlotte “stole” her title at Summerslam, sending Lynch over the edge. Becky won the title at Hell in a Cell and has become one of the hottest things on the roster as she’s channeled the rebel character.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch

Lynch is defending and we get Big Match Intros. Feeling out process to start with Charlotte being a bit tentative to go after her. That’s not the best idea in the world as Charlotte takes her into the corner and sends her post. Lynch pulls her down to the floor for a crash and two back inside, followed by some aggressive kicks in the corner. A Fujiwara armbar allows Becky to rip at Charlotte’s fingers until a heck of a belly to back suplex gets her out of trouble.

Charlotte chops away and stomps on the leg in the corner but Becky sends her face first into the buckle. That just earns her a big boot for two and Charlotte seems surprised by the kickout. We’re seven minutes into the match. Why is that surprising? The spear gets two more and again, Charlotte can’t believe it.

The moonsault misses because of course it does and Becky enziguris her down. Charlotte avoids a top rope legdrop though and goes for a Boston crab of all things. Becky makes the rope and tries to walk with the title so Charlotte throws her back inside for a second spear. The Figure Eight goes on but Becky hits her with the title for the DQ at 10:35.

Rating: C+. That’s fine as there was no way they were going to change the title here and it’s fine to have Charlotte be this close and then get cheated out of the title. Lynch is still on fire and one of the most popular members of the roster so everything is fine there. Rather nice match too, as you would expect from these two.

Post match Charlotte stays on her but gets suplexed into the barricade.

Here are Elias and Kevin Owens for a song. The fans seem to approve of Elias’ guitar playing (fair enough) and Elias knows they get what WWE stands for. Owens doesn’t like Australia though and thinks the show should have been in Canada. Elias name drops someone from Australia and then insults the local sports team because he knows how to annoy a crowd. That’s about it though as it’s time for an interruption.

Elias/Kevin Owens vs. John Cena/Bobby Lashley

Cena is looking FAR leaner and has grown his hair out longer than it’s been in the last fifteen years or so. Lashley and Owens start things off but it’s off to Elias without any contact. The guitar arm gets cranked and Lashley sends him face first into the buckle, only to charge into a boot in the corner. A powerslam sends Elias into the corner for the tag as Cole brings up Owens quitting a few weeks back. I didn’t know that was still in continuity.

Lashley rains down right hands in the corner so Elias comes in at the same time. That goes badly as well as Cole is wondering why the referee is allowing all of this. Fair question, even as Elias knocks Cena off the apron. Lashley gets stomped in the corner and Owens adds some shoulders for good measure. The chinlock goes on as the announcers go into a discussion of Cena’s ring rust.

Elias drives Lashley back into the corner and low bridges him to the floor for the big crash. Back in and Owens’ frog splash gets two, followed by the front facelock which is guaranteed to fail. Lashley throws him off and makes the hot tag to Cena as house is cleaned in a hurry. Cena hits the usual on Elias, including the AA, but adds the Sixth Move Of Doom (as Cole puts it), the back of the left hand to the face, for the pin at 10:01. Cena was in for maybe a minute.

Rating: C-. This was the house show match you would have expected and I could picture the finish before the bell even rang. Cena is far from a regular performer anymore so having him around for appearances like this is all you can ask for. The ending is fun and if Cena is just having a good time out there anymore, good for him.

Post match Cena says thank you and isn’t sure what the future holds. WWE will always be his home though and he’s focusing on the now. This felt like a retirement speech, though Cena has said things like this before.

Iiconics vs. Asuka/Naomi

Before the match the Iiconics are very proud to be home. It’s so strange to hear them as full on faces. Peyton and Naomi start things off with Naomi dancing a bit until it’s off to Billie. Asuka comes in as well so the Iiconics try some double teaming, only to have Naomi come in for a staredown. The Iiconics strike a superhero pose…and are immediately dropkicked to the floor as this is starting to get messy early on.

Back in and a cheap shot puts Asuka down for two as Peyton hammers away. Billie pulls on an armbar but a kick to the ribs is countered into a German suplex. The double tags brings in Naomi and Peyton to very little reaction as Naomi cleans house. Asuka’s missile dropkick to the shoulder puts Billie down for two but she breaks up Naomi’s springboard legdrop. Asuka is sent into the barricade and a knee to the head finishes Naomi at 5:43.

Rating: D+. Well duh. Was this one ever in any real doubt? Well of course it was because it’s WWE but they got the ending right here as the Iiconics finally win something and get to soak in some cheers. The match itself was as nothing as you would expect, but that’s not the point in something like this.

Post match the Iiconics pose and it’s a rather nice moment.

We recap the Smackdown World Title match. Samoa Joe went after AJ Styles to get the title but turned it personal by talking about Styles’ family. Joe couldn’t quite win the title so he got even more aggressive, to the point where AJ tapped in a match but the referee didn’t see it. To really cap things off, Joe went to AJ’s house to stalk his family, sending AJ completely over the edge.

Smackdown World Title: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe

AJ is defending and anything goes, meaning there must be a winner. The fight starts in the aisle until they get inside for the opening bell. Joe hammers away but AJ sends him outside and into the table to take over. Back in and AJ kicks him in the chest, only to be taken down with one of the loudest and hardest chops in recent memory. A big boot puts AJ on the floor and the suicide elbow sends him into the barricade.

Back in and the slow beating continues with Joe slapping on a nerve hold. AJ’s comeback is cut off with a running elbow and it’s back to the hold again. Joe runs him over again and a catapult sends AJ throat first into the bottom rope. AJ fights up again and kicks Joe down, followed by the middle rope moonsault into the reverse DDT (one of the best I’ve seen him do) for his own near fall but Joe blasts him again.

The snap powerslam gives Joe two and something like Emerald Flowsion gets the same. Joe grabs a chair but AJ dropkicks it into his face, followed by some chair shots to Joe’s back. The chair is used as a launchpad but Joe catches him in a Rock Bottom through the chair to cut AJ off in a hurry. It’s time for a table as the seeds are planted for a TLC match between these two in December. Joe chairs him down but a superplex through the table is countered into an electric chair to bang Joe up even more.

Joe grabs his knee and says it popped so AJ stomps at the knee like a good crazed champion. The Calf Crusher is countered into the Koquina Clutch but AJ pulls himself under the ropes for the break. Joe’s throat is snapped across the top rope and it’s a springboard 450 onto the knee to keep Joe in major trouble.

They head outside with AJ hitting a Phenomenal Forearm off the barricade but AJ can barely throw him back in. The second Forearm is countered into the Clutch, followed by a heck of a suplex for two on the champ. The MuscleBuster is countered into a rollup which is countered into the Clutch but AJ rolls out of it again. AJ gets the Calf Crusher and Joe taps at 23:45.

Rating: B+. So what in the world is left for Joe Nakamura now? AJ has beaten him at every turn and there’s no reason for this feud to keep going. My guess is this moves on to either Daniel Bryan or Miz as the next challenger, as there’s not much left for Joe to do. He’s been pinned and tapped out, so it’s time to move on to someone fresh. That’s quite the shame, though AJ is only a month away from a full year as champion.

Bella Twins/Ronda Rousey vs. Riott Squad

Nikki and Ronda have some issues over who is going to start so Ruby jumps Nikki from behind to take over. Nikki shoulders her down and gets two off a spinebuster as Rousey really wants in. It’s Brie coming in instead so Ruby Downward Spirals her for two. Liv comes in to a nice reaction and an enziguri gets two of her own. The blue tongue comes out so Brie grabs it (uh….)and hits a dropkick.

The Brie Mode knee connects for two and it’s back to Nikki for a double suplex. Logan comes in instead and a running knee to the face drops Nikki. The Squad starts taking turns on Nikki until she sends Liv into the corner for a breather. That’s not enough for the hot tag though as Ruby comes back in and drops Nikki on the back of her head for two. Logan’s chinlock doesn’t last long as Nikki fights up, only to have Logan knock both partners off the apron.

Not that it matters as Nikki takes her down and dives over for the hot tag off to Rousey. Judo throws and right hands abound, followed by the spinning Samoan drop. Everything breaks down and Liv breaks up the armbar. Rousey isn’t having it though and armbars both Morgan and Logan at the same time for the double tap at 9:59.

Rating: D+. Pretty standard formula here and that’s perfectly fine. They were teasing the issues between Rousey and Nikki, which still isn’t the best match in the world but I’ll take them having a fight instead of being treated as equals in some dream match. That double armbar was cool if nothing else.

Cruiserweight Title: Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy

Alexander is defending but Murphy is the hometown boy. The confident Murphy shoves him in the face and gets two off an early knee. Cedric has to bail to the floor so Murphy hits a huge flip dive over the top. Back in and a top rope Meteora gets two more as Alexander is writhing in pain. A kick to the arm gets two more and we hit the chinlock.

The fans are entirely behind Murphy (well duh), even as he puts Alexander on top but charges into a running Michinoku Driver for two. The springboard spinning Downward Spiral (third time in one form or another tonight) sends Murphy to the floor with Alexander hitting his own running flip dive.

Back in and Cedric puts him on top but gets caught in a sitout powerbomb for two more. A jumping knee to the face looks to set up Murphy’s Law but Alexander reverses into a rollup for two. The Lumbar Check gets two, which is one of the only times that’s ever happened (Alexander’s bugged out eyes are a great touch). The springboard clothesline is countered with another knee to the face and Murphy’s Law is enough for the pin and the title at 10:30.

Rating: B-. That was the only option they had here as there was no reason to not change the title. Alexander has held the title for months now and isn’t exactly lighting the world on fire. They can switch the title back if they really want to, but this was the only choice they had and thankfully they figured that out.

Braun Strowman/Drew McIntyre/Dolph Ziggler vs. Shield

Shield does the very long entrance through the stadium crowd. It’s a brawl to start with the Shield clearing the ring and knocking the villains to the floor before the opening bell even rings. Strowman has to be saved from the TripleBomb through the announcers’ table and it’s Ziggler and Rollins heading inside for the official start.

Ziggler gets two off the DDT and it’s off to Strowman for the running charge in the corner. McIntyre comes in and pounds Rollins down in the corner, followed by Ziggler grabbing the sleeper. A belly to back suplex gets Rollins out of trouble and a Sling Blade puts Ziggler down. Strowman won’t allow the hot tag though and it’s another splash in the corner. Ziggler comes back in and talks a lot of trash until Rollins tosses him down again.

That’s still not enough for the hot tag as Strowman knocks Reigns and Ambrose off the apron to keep Rollins in trouble. Strowman misses a top rope splash (egads) though and the hot tag brings in Ambrose to clean house. A fall away slam drops Ziggler (you don’t see Ambrose using that one very often) sets up a double chickenwing faceplant for two each and Ziggler is in trouble.

Ambrose’s top rope elbow is rolled through for two and it’s a double crossbody for a double knockdown. Ambrose scores with a neckbreaker and the hot tag brings in Reigns. The corner clotheslines and a DDT get two on McIntyre but the Superman Punch hits Ambrose by mistake. Everything breaks down and Strowman goes shoulder first into the post. Reigns saves Rollins from the reverse Alabama Slam and everyone is down. Rollins and Reigns are surrounded as Ambrose gets up but doesn’t immediately pick a side.

Eventually he dropkicks Strowman to the floor for a suicide dive but the TripleBomb is broken up. A running charge knocks Reigns over and Rollins gets one as well. The Zig Zag gets two on Ambrose so Strowman wants Dean thrown outside to run him over too. Reigns spears Strowman through the barricade instead, leaving Rollins to break up the Claymore/Zig Zag combination. Dirty Deeds finishes Ziggler at 21:38.

Rating: C+. Way longer than it needed to be for what felt like a house show main event. The other problem is we’ve covered these teams fighting for a long time now and most of the impact is gone. They really need to move on to something else, but I’m not sure I see that happening for a good while, as is the case all the time around here.

We recap Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz. Some brass knuckles gave Miz the win at Summerslam so Bryan went after him again, setting up the pretty lame mixed tag match at Hell in a Cell. Tonight it’s one on one again for the #1 contendership.

Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz

The winner gets a title shot at Crown Jewel and Bryan is coming in with bad ribs. Miz goes right after the ribs at the bell and stomps away as Bryan can barely breathe. Some YES Kicks get Bryan out of trouble as the announcers argue about Talking Smack. The running knee misses so Miz hits one of his own for two. Miz loads up the Skull Crushing Finale but gets small packaged….for the pin at 2:27??? Cole sounds shocked and it seemed that Miz’s shoulder was up.

AJ looks on from the back and smiles.

We recap the Undertaker vs. HHH. They’ve fought for years, it was over, and now they’re fighting again because old guys fight around here. Shawn Michaels and Kane are both here as well.

Undertaker vs. HHH

Undertaker’s entrance is faster this year, clocking in at just over four minutes. During the Big Match Intros, the match is turned into No DQ, because A, there are people outside, B, so sledgehammers can be used, and C, because it’s an Undertaker match and he’s old. Feeling out process to start with HHH sticking his chin out, drawing both seconds up to the apron. HHH grabs the wrist and loads up Old School but gets punched into the corner instead.

Snake Eyes connects but the big boot is countered with a running knee. Undertaker gets sent outside where he grabs Shawn by the throat, drawing HHH out for the save, allowing Shawn to send him into the post. Shawn grabs a table but Kane chases him away. The Pedigree on the floor is broken up so they head back inside where HHH grabs a swinging neckbreaker. A THIS IS AWESOME chant is quickly cut off (thank goodness) as Undertaker knocks HHH over the corner.

The announcers’ table is loaded up but Shawn offers another distraction, only to have HHH backdropped over the barricade. They fight into the tech area where another Pedigree is broken up, followed by more brawling through the crowd. Back in and Shawn offers another distraction, earning himself a fight hand. Undertaker chairs HHH in the back and puts him on the table but Shawn interferes AGAIN (this is getting annoying), earning himself a big boot. The Taker Dive is loaded up but HHH cuts him off with a chair to the ribs.

Kane crawls out of whatever black hole he fell into and eats Sweet Chin Music onto the table, allowing HHH to dive off the apron as the tag match continues. HHH goes up top with a chair but dives into a chokeslam. The Tombstone gets two so the referee gets punched. A slow series of chair shots to the back keep HHH in trouble as the announcers try to pass this off as epic.

Undertaker wraps the chair around HHH’s neck, drawing Shawn to the apron to ask for mercy. Shawn gets in and takes a right hand to the nose, allowing HHH to hit the spinebuster. The Pedigree gets two and now HHH wraps the chair around Undertaker’s head. HHH Pillmanizes him for two as Kane makes the save, apparently because he enjoys seeing his brother destroyed. Shawn grabs the sledgehammer and HHH knocks Undertaker silly but there’s no referee.

Hell’s Gate goes on but HHH chokes him with the hammer to break it up. Shawn and Kane come in and get thrown back out a few seconds later so Undertaker picks up the hammer….and then throws it down. A chokeslam looks to set up the Tombstone but Shawn makes the save with Sweet Chin Music. Undertaker doesn’t actually go down so it’s a sledgehammer to the face into another Sweet Chin Music into the Pedigree for the pin at 27:31.

Rating: C. WAY longer than it needed to be but it was far from a bad match. They went with the only real option of smoke and mirrors here and there’s nothing wrong with that given the circumstances. It got really annoying with all of the interference as this was basically a tag match without being a tag match. The real problem though was I didn’t care about the match as it felt like a completely unnecessary sequel to an already great story. It certainly wasn’t bad and the build was good, but it’s something that came and went, which isn’t the best result.

Post match HHH and Shawn have an awkwardly long hug until they go over to help Undertaker up. Kane joins them in the ring for the big pose (Kane looks so out of place) until the monsters beat them up. A Tombstone plants HHH and Shawn gets chokeslammed through the announcers’ table to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. First of all: the show being four hours instead of five made a world of difference. I wasn’t wild at waking up at 4:45 for the show but my goodness it was nice to not have this be some bloated five hour show. Other than a few times in the main event, the show never felt like it dragged and most of the matches were either good or watchable at worst. The stadium looked great and there was some storyline advancement, making this WAY better than Greatest Royal Rumble. As a one off show, this was perfectly fine and a more than watchable show.

Results

New Day b. The Bar – Backstabber into a top rope double stomp to Cesaro

Charlotte b. Becky Lynch via DQ when Lynch used the title

John Cena/Bobby Lashley b. Elias/Kevin Owens – Sixth Move Of Doom to Elias

Iiconics b. Asuka/Naomi – Knee to Naomi’s head

AJ Styles b. Samoa Joe – Calf Crusher

Ronda Rousey/Bella Twins b. Riott Squad – Double armbar to Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan

Buddy Murphy b. Cedric Alexander – Murphy’s Law

Shield b. Dolph Ziggler/Braun Strowman/Drew McIntyre – Dirty Deeds to Ziggler

Daniel Bryan b. The Miz – Small package

HHH b. Undertaker – Pedigree

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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