Daily News Update – December 19, 2022

It’s a special three hour show as we have Wrestlemania Rewind. In this case that means every match will be a Wrestlemania rematch, which could make for some interesting combinations a few years after the original matches. Other than that, either Randy Orton or HHH will be in charge tonight, which isn’t fair to the other two when they get two hours each. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here is Ric Flair to get things going. Last week, Shawn Michaels came out here and said that he was going to stop Flair’s show at Wrestlemania. That means Flair needs Michaels out here right now in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Cue Shaw, with Flair saying that is the best entrance in wrestling today. When Flair got started, the idea of sympathy did not exist and if he can’t compete in the ring with people like Shawn today, he doesn’t to do this anymore. Flair wants to be a franchise player and someone who can beat someone like Shawn on his best day.

Shawn brings up the “to be the man” line, because at Wrestlemania, he IS the man, and Flair’s career is ending. No matter what happens, the show is going to get stolen. Before Wrestlemania though, Flair has a 3-1 steel cage match against Edge and…uh, his Edge guys. Now Shawn’s Friday nights are usually reserved for Dora The Explorer, but he’ll make an exception this time. Cue Randy Orton to interrupt, calling this a touching, touching moment. Orton is in charge tonight, so we’ll have HHH vs. Kane and Shawn vs. the man he couldn’t beat last year at Wrestlemania: John Cena.

Undertaker vs. Mark Henry

Casket match. Undertaker slugs away in the corner to start and hits the jumping clothesline to continue the fast opening. Old School is loaded up but Henry pulls him into a bearhug. With that not working, Henry clotheslines him to the floor, where Undertaker lands on his feet and pulls Henry outside. A whip into the corner slows Undertaker down again so he rams Henry into the casket. Back in and something close to a World’s Strongest Slam gets Henry out of trouble, only to have Undertaker pull him into the choke. That’s enough to knock Henry out and put him in the casket for the win.

Rating: D+. That might be the shortest casket match I can remember and it felt like a way to have Undertaker on the show in some fashion. There was nothing to this one as Undertaker more or less squashed him in a hurry. Granted that’s how it should have been, but this wasn’t the most interesting option.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and company are here.

Boxing people talk about Big Show vs. Mayweather Jr.

Earlier today, HHH talked about being ready to get the title back because it is two years in the making. Cena, Orton, game on.

Mr. Kennedy vs. Finlay

They were in a Money in the Bank ladder match before so this counts as a rematch. Hold on though as JBL pops up on screen to say he’ll beat up Finlay so bad that he’ll be in a bed next to Hornswoggle. The bell rings and Finlay beats on him with the shillelagh for a DQ in about fifteen seconds.

Post match the beating continues and Finlay knocks him silly.

WWE is doing something with Make A Wish. Apparently John Cena does a lot with the charity. Like him or not, that is another level of work.

Intercontinental Title: Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy

Hardy is defending. JR: “One has to wonder what Chris Jericho’s motive is in this match.” Lawler: “To win the Intercontinental Title and be the champion.” They get on with the brawl (based off of some issues on the Highlight Reel a few weeks back) early until Jericho clotheslines him over the top.

We take an early break and come back with Hardy hitting the dropkick through the ropes. Hardy’s barricade running clothesline only hits announcers’ table though and things slow down a good bit. Back in and Jericho bends the back over his knee before kicking Hardy in the head. Hardy finally fights up and hits something like a Sling Blade, plus a Whisper in the Wind for two.

They go to a pinfall reversal sequence until Hardy misses some kind of flip. Jericho’s high crossbody is rolled through to give Hardy two but the Twist of Fate is countered. The Lionsault gives Jericho two but he misses the running enziguri, allowing Hardy to hit the Twist of Fate. Hardy misses the Swanton though and it’s a Codebreaker to give Jericho the pin and the title.

Rating: B. This took some time to get going but the last few minutes were what you would expect from these two. Hardy has been on a bit of a downward slide at the moment, as at some point he has to actually win the bigger matches. Winning the Intercontinental Title doesn’t mean much for him, but it does give Jericho a needed boost. Good match too, at least once things really got rolling.

Nikolai Volkoff/Iron Sheik vs. US Express

Hold on though as Jillian Hall is here for her own version of Born In The USA. That earns her the airplane spin from Mike Rotunda, as we have no match (thank goodness).

Next up for the Hall of Fame: the Briscos. Yeah that works, and as usual the old footage is great.

Video on Big Show.

Kane watches a clip of HHH beating him at Wrestlemania XV. We’re still allowed to talk about that one? Anyway, Randy Orton comes in and wants Kane to hurt HHH tonight but Kane doesn’t want a history lesson.

HHH vs. Kane

Kane slugs him into the corner to start but HHH punches his way to freedom. Back up and Kane takes it outside, where HHH reverses a whip into the post. Kane slugs away back inside and kicks HHH in the face, only to charge into a spinebuster. The facebuster staggers Kane again but the Pedigree is countered. As Randy Orton comes out to watch, HHH slips out of the chokeslam and hits the Pedigree for the pin.

Rating: C. They kept this VERY simple and to the point, as HHH gets to beat up the monster clean. Then again it isn’t like Kane is worth much at the moment and has just been kind of going through the motions. What matters here is HHH though, as he gets the big win and builds momentum towards Wrestlemania, meaning they accomplished the goal.

John Cena talks about how important Wrestlemania is. It’s the reason why he worked so hard to come back from his injury so soon, because Wrestlemania is what matters more than anything else. He respects Randy Orton, but it is going to be a fight to be the best. Cena’s time will come again.

Melina vs. Ashley

Beth Phoenix is here with Melina but there’s no Ashley, as she is hurt. We have a replacement though.

Melina vs. Maria

Beth Phoenix and Candice Michelle are here too. Maria charges into a boot in the corner to start as the shrieking is on to start. Now it’s Santino Marella coming out to watch, complete with a copy of Maria’s Playboy. Santino rips it up for a distraction, allowing Melina to hit a reverse DDT for the pin.

Post match Beth helps Melina beat the other two down.

Video on Floyd Mayweather Jr. He has a lot of money.

Here is Shane McMahon for the official Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. weigh-in. Mayweather weighs 159lbs and Show weighs 441. Show isn’t interested in the photo, but he does bring up Mayweather’s posse. Instead he brings out his own posse in the form of the locker room. Show points out that no one here likes Mayweather and promises pain at Wrestlemania. Mayweather pulls out cash, smells it, and talks about how he respects Big Show.

As the WHAT treatment goes on, Mayweather says Show has to catch him to hurt him. Show takes the case and hands it to some of the wrestlers so Mayweather promises to break Show’s jaw at Wrestlemania. Everyone goes to leave, but Show grabs Mayweather and throws him over the top, onto a bunch of the wrestlers. Mayweather comes up favoring his shoulder and runs to the back with everyone else going behind him.

Wrestlemania rundown.

Randy Orton says he’s HHH and John Cena plus more rolled into one. Wouldn’t that get a little cramped?

Edge vs. CM Punk

Non-title and the Edgeheads are here with Edge. Punk kicks him in the face to start but walks into a hot shot for his efforts. Some strikes don’t work very well for Punk but he is fine enough to fight out of a suplex. A knee to the face and some kicks set up the springboard clothesline for two on Edge. That earns Punk a quick DDT from Edge but Punk is back up with the GTS attempt. Cue the Edgeheads for a distraction though and the spear gives Edge the pin.

Rating: C. Punk has taken a few hits as of late and doesn’t seem to have much going in the way of momentum. Granted some of that might just be due to feuding with Chavo Guerrero for weeks on end, but losing to Edge isn’t quite as bad. Punk certainly has the talent, and now all he has to do is put the pieces together to make it work

Here is William Regal to talk about the Raw vs. Smackdown match between Umaga vs. Batista. Regal isn’t worried about Batista, which sends us to a video on Umaga. As Regal talks about how he pities Batista at Wrestlemania, here is Batista to interrupt. The fight is on with Batista hitting the spinebuster to send Umaga running.

Vince McMahon is getting a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena

They trade hammerlocks to start as we talk about their history against each other. Neither can get very far until it’s Cena trying to get the STF, sending Shawn to the floor and us to a break. Back with Cena cranking on the arm until Shawn swinging neckbreakers his way to freedom. Cena gets tossed over the top and it’s time to start in on the knee back inside.

A quick AA attempt doesn’t work as the knee gives out, with Shawn chop blocking Cena to damage the knee even worse. Cena is fine enough to kick Michaels into the corner though and the clothesline comeback is on. The Shuffle connects but the FU is countered into a pinfall reversal sequence.

They collide for a double knockdown and a breather, allowing Shawn to hit the flying forearm. The top rope elbow looks to set up Sweet Chin Music but Cena grabs the foot. That’s fine with Shawn, who pulls him into that reverse Figure Four. With that broken up, Cena is sent outside and Shawn hits a dive, only to have Randy Orton run in to deck Cena for the DQ.

Rating: B-. These two are always going to work well together so the quality was hardly a surprise. It also helps that they got some time, but Orton running in was the best way to go given how strong both of them need to be going into Wrestlemania. It’s no classic, but Shawn vs. Cena in any form is at least worth a look.

Post match the RKO onto a chair is countered into a shove onto the chair, setting up the FU to drop Orton.

We cut to HHH in the back, who is in charge next week. Therefore, next week it’s John Cena and Randy Orton teaming up to face….the entire Raw roster. Oh boy.

Overall Rating: C. The nostalgia was fun, but it was also pretty limited, with some random rematches and cameos, plus some rematches that only kind of took place originally. I can go for an old school show, but this wasn’t exactly their best effort. They’re making me want to see Wrestlemania though so they are getting the big picture right.

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NXT LVL Up – December 9, 2022: She Did WHAT?

NXT LVL Up
Date: December 9, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Byron Saxton, Matt Camp

This show is finally starting to figure a little something out and that can make things a lot more tolerable week to week. What matters around here is building some people up so that they have some clue as to what they’re doing when they go to the regular NXT show. I’m not sure how long that might take, but at least they’re trying. Lets get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Odyssey Jones vs. Damon Kemp

Kemp flips over him to start and gets hit in the face for his efforts. Jones starts cranking on the wrist before dropping a knee on the arm. Back up and Kemp snaps the arm over the top, setting up a loose crossface chickenwing. Jones can’t quite power out and drops down, allowing Kemp to put on something like a seated abdominal stretch. That’s broken up as well and Jones hits the corner splash, setting up a Boss Man Slam for the pin at 5:10.

Rating: C-. What the heck happened to Kemp? Maybe it was just me but I was getting into his heel stuff against Diamond Mine and now he’s jobbing on LVL Up. It’s quite the sudden fall and it isn’t like Kemp had some horrible moment. Jones is someone who has grown on me a bit since his return and maybe he can be as good as he has been hyped up as being.

Valentina Feroz gives us a subtitled promo about wanting to prove herself to her fans in Brazil. In English, she’s ready for Sol Ruca.

Valentina Feroz vs. Sol Ruca

Feroz works on a headlock to start but Ruca grabs the arm and fires off some shoulders. A tilt-a-whirl slam gives Ruca two and she grabs a headlock of her own. Feroz can’t fight out so it’s a cravate to hold her in place. Back up and a wheelbarrow faceplant gives Ruca two but Feroz charges into an elbow in the corner. Ruca goes up to the middle rope…and does an inverted backflip, grabbing Feroz with a cutter on the way down for the pin at 4:35.

Rating: C. This is a match where the only thing that is going to matter is that finisher. It’s the kind of move that you don’t see very often but it makes you take notice when you do. Ruca needed something to make her really stand out and a sweet looking finisher like that could be just the ticket. It isn’t enough to carry her, but it’s a big upgrade.

Trick Williams vs. Ikemen Jiro

Williams likes the jacket and shoves him down a few times to start, only to have Jiro nip up each time. The frustrated Williams jumps over Jiro in the corner and pulls him down by the jacket in some smart thinking. A running neckbreaker gives Williams two and we hit the chinlock. Jiro fights up and knocks Williams down, setting up a middle rope moonsault for two. The Ikemen Slash is broken up though and it’s the Trick Kick to give Williams the pin at 4:48.

Rating: C. I know Carmelo Hayes gets all of the attention but Williams is quite good at what he does every time he is out there. Williams is perfect as the enforcer/hype man, but he can do things on his own too. That is going to give him much more of a future around NXT and based on what we have seen from him, that is good news.

Overall Rating: C. This was back to the run of the mill shows and that isn’t a good thing. You had the big flipping cutter from Ruca but other than that, there was nothing here that stood out in the slightest. The action was just ok, though Williams did well in the chance he was given. Total middle of the road show here and that’s not exactly a compliment.

Results
Odyssey Jones b. Damon Kemp – Boss Man Slam
Sol Ruca b. Valentina Feroz – Middle rope inverted moonsault into a cutter
Trick Williams b. Ikemen Jiro – Trick Kick

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Tribute To The Troops 2022: The Unspecial Special

Tribute To The Troops 2022
Date: December 17, 2022
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield

It’s time for another of the annual holiday specials, though in this case this was tacked on after a TV taping over a month ago. These shows are basically short form house shows with a healthy dose of “WE LOVE THE TROOPS” thrown in. There are almost no expectations for one of them as a result so let’s get to it.

We get the presentation of the colors and Star Spangled Banner, led by someone who sang it at the 2009 Tribute To The Troops.

The opening video looks at the history of Tribute To The Troops, featuring several clips from the original shows and not so many from the recent editions.

Braun Strowman vs. LA Knight

Strowman throws him around to start but misses a charge into the corner. Knight goes after the knee but Strowman shrugs it off. The Monsterbomb finishes Knight at 2:05.

We meet Morgan Prigmore, who is proud to be in the Navy.

Ronda Rousey/Shayna Baszler vs. Emma/Tamina

Baszler takes Emma into the corner to start and it’s off to Rousey. Emma fights up and grabs the Dil-Emma to send Rousey outside. The big dive to the floor takes out the villains and we go to a break. Back with Tamina coming in off the tag with a Samoan drop for two. Rousey catches Tamina on top though and Baszler grabs the Kirifuda Clutch for the tap at 7:34.

Rating: C-. There wasn’t much to this one and that shouldn’t be a surprise. Rousey and Baszler are monsters and aren’t going to be losing to a pair like Emma and Tamina. Rousey was likely there for the star power and Tamina was there for reasons that are still not entirely clear. At least she took the fall instead of Emma, even if Emma has meant nothing since she returned.

Video on Congressional Medal of Honor winner Matthew Williams and how he won the medal.

Video on wrestlers meeting the troops.

Video on the history of Tribute to the Troops. Worked the first time they aired it, not so much the second time, and now it’s just reminding you how far this show has fallen.

Imperium vs. Drew McIntyre/Sheamus/Ricochet

Kaiser takes Ricochet down to start and stomps on his hand. The villains draw McIntyre and Sheamus in, allowing Imperium to hit the double corner dropkick. We take a break and come back with commentary talking about previous editions of the show as Imperium takes turns on Ricochet.

Gunther works over Ricochet’s back and the minions pull Sheamus and McIntyre off the apron. Ricochet counters a powerbomb into a Code Red for a breather though and we take another break. Back again (after a three minute video where we meet Steven Green, who loves America) with Sheamus coming in to clean house.

McIntyre and Gunther come in for the big showdown, followed by the big double knockdown. Everything breaks down and Ricochet hits the big running flip dive to the floor. The Claymore/Brogue Kick combination sets up Ricochet’s shooting star to finish Kaiser off at 16:34.

Rating: C+. Completely watchable six man tag and a fine way to main event the show. This could have been a featured match at any house show and probably could have headlined a few of them. Gunther still feels like a star and isn’t in over his head against McIntyre or Sheamus, which has me wanting to see him against either of them again. Good stuff here as we get the feel good ending to the show.

Overall Rating: C. I never know how to rate these things as they are designed as a special with nothing involving storyline advancement or anything important. At the same time, the vignettes looking back at previous editions just show you how worthless this show has become. It used to feel like WWE was putting in some effort but this probably took half an hour to film after a Smackdown. If you want to act like this is supposed to be some big, important and special show, treat it like one.

Results
Braun Strowman b. LA Knight – Monsterbomb
Ronda Rousey/Shayna Baszler b. Emma/Tamina – Kirifuda Clutch to Tamina
Drew McIntyre/Sheamus/Ricochet b. Imperium – Shooting star press to Kaiser

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Rampage – December 16, 2022: More Of The Similar

Rampage
Date: December 16, 2022
Location: Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, Texas
Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

We’re almost done with the year and the interesting point here came from Tony Khan, who promised to put in some more effort on this show. I’m not sure what that is going to mean, but the card certainly does look to be a bit bigger than usual. That might not last beyond a week or two, but I’ll take what I can get. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Jon Moxley vs. Sammy Guevara

Tay Melo is here too. Guevara knees him in the face to start and bites away in the corner. That earns Guevara a clothesline to the floor as we see Daniel Garcia, now under Guevara’s tutelage, watching in the back. Moxley is happy with fighting outside and loads up a chair, only to be sent back inside. That’s fine with Moxley, who grabs a jumping cutter into a superplex for two.

Guevara manages to backflip over him though and hits a dropkick out to the floor. A hard stomp on the apron puts Moxley on the floor and we take a break. Back with Moxley bleeding from the ear (EESH) thanks to Guevara ripping out his earring (e pluribus gads). Melo gets to rub the blood around a bit but the pause for a kiss lets Moxley dive onto Guevara.

Moxley hammers away in the corner but Guevara is right back with his own Walls of Jericho. With that broken up, Guevara fires off forearms to the bloody ears but Moxley channels his inner Seth Rollins with a Stomp for two of his own. They head outside again with Guevara nailing a superkick, setting up the Swanton through a table.

Back in and Moxley rolls through a high crossbody, allowing him to stomp away. The piledriver gets two and Moxley bulldog chokes Guevara, who rolls his way out. Moxley’s huge clothesline doesn’t do much to Guevara, who hits his own Death Rider. Another Swanton (no table this time) gives Guevara two more and he hits a super Spanish Fly. Without wasting half a second, Moxley reverses into the bulldog choke for the win at 15:33.

Rating: B-. It was a hard hitting brawl, but it’s a lot to take with Moxley popping up from a Swanton through a table, plus the super Spanish Fly, with almost no damage. That’s some pretty ridiculous no selling as they kept trying to pump in more and more spots. The match was entertaining, but there were multiple times where I was wondering when they were going to bother slowing down.

Post match Moxley calls out Hangman Page for the fight so here he is. The brawl is on with security breaking it up, only to have Page accidentally Buckshot lariat a guard. That’s enough for them to be split up.

Saraya is looking forward to Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida but is more looking forward to having a mystery tag partner in Los Angeles.

Here is a banged up FTR in the ring for a chat. Final Battle was rough after the beating that they took but it felt like they let the fans down. Harwood talks about how they tried to make people feel a certain way at Final Battle…but then the Gunn Club ruined that. That’s why on Dynamite, it’s time for FTR to give them the beating that their daddy should have.

Jade Cargill isn’t pleased with the Baddies, but she’s even madder at Bow Wow, because THAT story is still going.

Britt Baker vs. Skye Blue

Baker has Rebel and Jamie Hayter with her. They go to the mat to start but Blue is up with an armdrag. Blue’s rollup into a low superkick has Baker in more trouble as we take a break. Back with Baker hitting a Sling Blade into a double underhook spun into a slam for two of her own. Code Blue misses though and a Stomp gives Baker the pin at 6:14. Not enough shown to rate, but the criticisms of the women’s matches being missed because of a break continue to have some validity.

Post match the beating continues but Hikaru Shida runs in for the save. Shida and Hayter have a staredown.

We get a sitdown interview between Preston Vance and Jim Ross. Vance talks about how it was ridiculous to beholden to a kid. Yeah Negative One went through something horrible, but now he has turned into a brat.

Wardlow vs. Exodus Prime

Prime tries a headbutt and gets a glare as a result. The wind up clothesline sets up a four movement Powerbomb Symphony for the pin at 2:03. This was a Wardlow match.

Post match Wardlow calls out Samoa Joe, who pops up on screen to say he won’t be facing Wardlow in Texas. Instead, he’ll do it on December 28 in Colorado.

Trent Seven, Kip Sabian, Butcher and the Blade are ready for Dustin Rhodes, Orange Cassidy and the Best Friends. Violence is promised but the good guys mock Blade for his phone number joke.

Best Friends/Orange Cassidy/Dustin Rhodes vs. Butcher and the Blade/Kip Sabian/Trent Seven

Danhausen is here with the good guys. Beretta and Sabian start things off but Seven wants to come in instead. The Trents strike it out until everything breaks down, with Bunny and Penelope Ford showing up to block Cassidy’s dive. Back in and Beretta gets thrown into a boot from Blade as we take a break.

We come back with Dustin getting the hot tag and cleaning house with a series of powerslams. Seven splashes Sabian by mistake and Dustin gets to fire off so many shots to the face that Seven is beaten into a six. Beretta gets to clean house but we pause for a hug with Trent. Now the stereo flip dives can take out most of the villains, but Sabian’s springboard Arabian moonsault connects.

There’s Rhodes’ running apron flip dive so the women get in, with Danhausen and Cassidy dropping down and claiming low blows, which is enough for a double ejection. Sabian hits Danhausen low for real and Seven hits a super spinning slam for two on Beretta. Dustin comes back in with a Canadian Destroyer on Sabian, allowing Cassidy to lazy Unnatural Kick Sabian. The distracted referee misses the real thing and it’s an Orange Punch into the bulldog to finish Seven at 10:47.

Rating: C. This could have been on any given house show and it would have worked out fine. The Danhausen/Cassidy faking it spot was funny (the two of them shaking hands behind the referee’s back was great) and Dustin gets to send the fans how happy. It was a perfectly entertaining eight man tag and sometimes that’s all you need a match to be.

Overall Rating: C+. As has been the case with Rampage for a pretty long time now, the first fifteen minutes were rather good, but then the importance falls through the floor. Rampage still doesn’t feel like it matters for the most part and while putting people like Moxley on the she helps for fifteen minutes, there are some big holes that need to be filled in around here sooner than later. The wrestling was entertaining, but it doesn’t feel like any of this matters and that’s where the problem begins.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Sammy Guevara – Bulldog choke
Britt Baker b. Skye Blue – Stomp
Wardlow b. Exodus Prime – Powerbomb Symphony
Dustin Rhodes/Orange Cassidy/Best Friends b. Butcher and the Blade/Kip Sabian/Trent Seven – Bulldog to Seven

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Smackdown – December 16, 2022: Call It An Early/Late Christmas Present

Smackdown
Date: December 16, 2022
Location: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Michael Cole

We are just over a month away from the Royal Rumble and it’s time for a pretty big title match on the way there. This week will see Gunther defend the Intercontinental Title against World Cup winner Ricochet, which should make for a solid main event. Other than that, Roman Reigns is here so let’s get to it.

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

The Usos and a spiffy looking Sami Zayn arrive.

Opening sequence.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Damage Ctrl vs. Liv Morgan/Tegan Nox

Damage Ctrl, with Bayley, is defending. Nox takes over on Sky to start and hits a gordbuster, setting up a double suplex for a near fall. Morgan comes in and knocks Sky to the floor, where she gives chase with the kendo stick. Both champs are sent outside for the big dive from Nox and we take a break.

Back with Nox having to fight out of trouble and handing it off to Morgan to pick up the pace. Morgan nips up out of the corner but gets caught in a double powerbomb for two, with Nox making the save. Back to back Codebreakers rock Sky and the Shiniest Wizard gets two as Sky makes the save this time.

Morgan sunset bombs Kai to the floor, leaving Nox to hit the reverse cannonball on Sky in the corner. Another Shiniest Wizard is cut off with a Shotei palm strike, only to have Nox break up the Asai moonsault. Bayley’s interference is broken up but here’s a woman in black to kick Nox. Security takes her away and the Over the Moonsault retains the titles at 10:45.

Rating: C+. I like the idea of having something in there as a mystery with the woman in black. Other than that, this was a nice match without much of a chance for the thrown together team to win the belts. The good thing is that the titles are actually being defended though, as it gives them at least some value rather than having them sit on the shelves for weeks if not months at a time.

Video on Gunther, who is ready for Ricochet.

Video on Ricochet, who is ready for Gunther.

Video on Kevin Owens’ recent issues with the Bloodline.

Sami Zayn is nervous about his moment with Roman Reigns at the top of the hour. He goes to get something to eat, leaving the Usos to wonder what Reigns has planned tonight.

We look at LA Knight going after Bray Wyatt last week but only finding his shirt, with the lights going out.

We see a video provided by a QR code, showing a bound and gagged LA Knight, with someone taking a Bray Wyatt mask off of him.

Here is LA Knight to address being kidnapped and attacked for the last few weeks. He’s still right here knocking on Bray Wyatt’s front door because since Wyatt’s return, all he has done is dress like a clown. Then Knight gets jumped by someone like Wyatt but it WASN’T Wyatt? Knight invites him out here right now so cue the Fireflies.

Here is Wyatt himself, to say they both know how this ends. The fight is on with Knight getting the better of things, but then the weird videos pop up and here is Uncle Howdy in person. Knight isn’t sure what to think but Wyatt seems glad to see his uncle. As Knight bails, Wyatt and Howdy laugh a lot. So he’s a real person. That’s at least a step forward and a question answered.

Video on Tribute To The Troops.

Intercontinental Title: Ricochet vs. Gunther

Ricochet is challenging….and hang on as the rest of Imperium is ejected. Gunther powers him down to start and even goes after a leg for some smart strategy. More power tossing has Ricochet in trouble but he grabs a headlock. Some skinning of the cat and a backflip get Ricochet loose but Gunther kicks him out to the floor. Another drop onto the apron has Ricochet down on the floor as we take a break.

Back with Ricochet hammering away but getting slammed down with ease. The Boston crab doesn’t last long for Gunther though and Ricochet kicks him in the face for the escape. A backbreaker sets up another Boston crab though as Ricochet just can’t get away. Somehow that one is broken up as well so Gunther goes with a chop into the sleeper on the mat. The bodyscissors is broken up and Ricochet fights out, managing to send Gunther into the corner.

Some enziguris rock Gunther and a running corner dropkick has him staggering even more. A suplex is a bit too much for Ricochet though and it’s Gunther’s running dropkick to stagger him instead. Gunther tries a powerbomb but gets hurricanranaed to the floor for a crash. There’s a big springboard moonsault to take Gunther down again and we take another break.

We come back with Ricochet hitting his big running flip dive to the floor but getting kicked in the jaw. The big clothesline only gives Gunther two but his top rope splash hits raised knees. Now Ricochet manages the suplex for two and the shooting star press is good for the same. Ricochet slugs away and hits a superkick, only to get chopped out of the air. Another HARD powerbomb gives Gunther two so it’s the Last Symphony to retain the title at 21:49.

Rating: B+. They had me believing in the possible title change here and that is a heck of a feeling for Ricochet getting the title shot. Gunther sells amazingly well for a monster but then his next gear is almost impossible to stop. Very few people can crank it up to that level and Gunther does it as well as anyone today. Ricochet more than held up his end too here and fought from underneath the whole way. Great stuff here and I was hooked throughout.

Post match Imperium comes out for the beatdown but Braun Strowman makes the save.

Jimmy Uso comes in to see Roman Reigns and asks if Sami Zayn is becoming a full Uso tonight. Reigns doesn’t say anything so Jimmy says he’s with Reigns no matter what. With Jimmy gone, Reigns has Paul Heyman call Adam Pearce. Post break, Pearce comes in to see the Bloodline, with Heyman pitching Reigns/Zayn vs. Kevin Owens/a partner of his choosing on the December 30 Smackdown. Works for Pearce, who leaves after a glare from Solo Sikoa.

Video on the history of Tribute To The Troops.

Hit Row vs. Viking Raiders vs. Legado del Fantasma

The winners get a future Tag Team Title shot. Ashante, Ivar and Wilde start things off but everything breaks down rather fast. Legado gets clotheslined outside and it’s Dolla left alone in the ring. Erik comes back in to forearm him down but stereo springboard missile dropkicks put Erik on the floor as well. Stereo springboard flip dives have Legado in control as we take a break.

Back with the Vikings getting to clean house but Legado makes another save. Del Toro’s Phoenix splash gets two on Dolla but Adonis breaks up the high/low. Everything breaks down again and Dolla loads up a dive….which gets caught on the ropes, leaving him to land on the apron but celebrate the dive grazing the pile anyway (that was BAD). Zelina Vega, B Fab and Valhalla get in a fight on the floor and a limping Top Dollar gets back in for the Heavy Hitter to finish Wilde at 9:14.

Rating: C-. The match wasn’t very good in the first place, but Hit Row has become one of the biggest disappointments since their return. They aren’t exactly good in the first place, and then you have that kind of a botch. I’d be surprise if the team is still around in three months, as this just isn’t working, future title shot or not. The rest of the match was decent enough, but that dive (or whatever it was) is the only thing people will be remembering.

Raquel Rodriguez is ready to come back to face Ronda Rousey…so Rousey and Shayna Baszler jump her for a beatdown.

Here is the Bloodline for a chat. After their very lengthy entrance, Roman Reigns talks about how this is the first time he has seen his team since WarGames, which they dominated. Now though, they have a KO Problem, but Reigns and Sami Zayn are going to get together and take care of him for good.

Zayn says Owens is a problem and no one likes him, which is why he is Owens’ only friend. That is NOT cool with Reigns, so Zayn starts backtracking fast. Then John Cena pops up on screen, saying he has gotten a text from Owens, reminding him that he hasn’t had a WWE match this year. So what about being partners on December 30? In a rather length answer involving a Santa Claus reference, Cena is in to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a weird show but the opener was good, the Wyatt segment actually did something, the Intercontinental Title match was great, and the main event worked save for one spot. At the same time, this show gets knocked down a bit by how many video packages we had. It was A LOT of recapping and hyping stuff up, which might be great if you’re trying to stretch out a double taping, but it doesn’t make for a very great TV show. Cut some video, add in another match of value and this show goes way up, as that Ricochet vs. Gunther match more than makes the rest worth watching.

Results
Damage Ctrl b. Liv Morgan/Tegan Nox – Over the Moonsault to Nox
Gunther b. Ricochet – Last Symphony
Hit Row b. Viking Raiders and Legado del Fantasma – Heavy Hitter to Wilde

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Impact Wrestling – December 15, 2022: Believe In Human Resources

Impact Wrestling
Date: December 15, 2022
Location: Charles F. Dodge City Center, Pembroke Pines, Florida
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We are less than a month away from Hard To Kill and the title situations are rather interesting. We have the Major Brothers coming after the Tag Team Titles, Jordynne Grace vs. Mickie James set for a title vs. career match and Josh Alexander defending against Bully Ray. That’s a lot to build towards so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Eddie Edwards vs. Delirious

This was going to be last week’s main event but then Josh Alexander vs. Mike Bailey almost hit an hour so it was punted to this week. They go technical to start and that’s good for a standoff. Edwards can’t grab an O’Connor roll but he can chop Delirious down, only to have Delirious come back up with a leg lariat.

An overhead belly to belly cuts that off in a hurry though and Eddie can fire off more chops. Delirious starts running the ropes in that bizarre manner of his so Edwards kicks him in the face. A superkick drops Delirious hard and a tiger driver gets two. Delirious is able to reverse the cover into the cobra stretch but Edwards stacks him up for the pin at 6:33.

Rating: C. This was a pretty solid, technical match with Delirious being able to do his thing with someone as perfectly fine as Edwards. The style seemed to be pointing towards Edwards going clean, though that seems to be a rather fast change over for him. Good enough stuff here, which shouldn’t be shocking given who was in there.

Post match Eddie teases showing respect but plants him with the Die Hard Driver. Yuyu Uemura tries to make a save but gets beaten down. Edwards goes for Delirious’ mask….and Jonathan Gresham of all people comes out for the save. That’s probably a Hard To Kill match.

Josh Alexander was in the fight of his life last week with Mike Bailey, but tonight he is calling out Bully Ray. Scott D’Amore says not so fast because Ray is different than his other opponents. Tommy Dreamer comes in to apologize for being wrong about Ray but Alexander thinks Dreamer is working with Ray. Dreamer is aghast.

Bully Ray vs. John Skyler

A stoic Ray slams him a few times to start and hits a piledriver for the pin at 1:05.

Post match Tommy Dreamer comes out and talks about how the ECW chants mean history. Dreamer was the one person who believed Ray had changed, but now their friendship is done. If Ray wanted to make him look like a fool, good for him and they can just work together on Busted Open Radio. Dreamer goes to leave and Ray tells him to keep doing that, because Dreamer is just a jealous coward.

At the end of the day, Dreamer is a nobody. If D-Von walked in Ray’s shadow, Dreamer was ten feet behind them at all times. Ray is a bigger star than Dreamer everywhere they go. Ray says some people might call Dreamer a failure, which is enough to get him back in the ring. Oh and a few months back, of course Ray laid out Ace Austin and Dreamer believed him then too. Dreamer brings up his mom’s illness but Ray doesn’t care. As he cries, Dreamer seems ready for a fight but Ray walks away this time. This was as interesting as Tommy Dreamer and Bully Ray talking about their past was going to be.

Major Players vs. Decay

This is the fallout from a backstage altercation earlier today. Hold on though as Trey Miguel jumps Crazzy Steve from behind and spray paints his back. Not that it matters as Steve says ring the bell anyway, leaving Taurus to knock Cardona into the corner. Myers comes in to Taurus flips over him and hits an elbow to the face. The Players are sent outside for the big running flip dive from Taurus to send us to a break.

Back with Taurus fighting out of Myers’ chinlock and handing it off to Steve to clean house. The basement Downward Spiral gets two on Cardona with Myers making the save, meaning everything breaks down. Taurus is sent outside and the middle rope G9 finishes for Cardona at 7:54.

Rating: C. You put a team like Decay out there to lose to the Major Players, who seem like they are on the way to the Tag Team Title picture. You need to have them win something here and Decay made the better team look good, even with Trey Miguel getting involved. Now move on to the next big match for the Major Players, as they are already starting their momentum.

We go backstage for a contract signing between Mickie James and Jordynne Grace. It’s Grace up first and she says she’ll let her talking in the ring before signing. James says Grace is assuming the result at Hard To Kill but James has had moments against the all time greats. She is ready to sign but Tasha Steelz, with Savannah Evans, comes in to rant about how Mickie hasn’t beaten her. James vs. Steelz is teased but Grace wants in on this as well. Scott D’Amore makes it a tag match instead.

Last week, Mike Bailey got a hero’s welcome after his long match with Josh Alexander. Then Kenny King came up and spit water in his face.

This week, Bailey says he’ll face King in the ring, but he isn’t playing mind games.

Sami Callihan vs. Angels

The rest of the Design is here with Angels, who charges into a pop up powerbomb at the bell. A Design distraction doesn’t work very well as Sami strikes away and takes Angels to the apron. With that broken up, Angels hits a running STO on the apron to take over for the first time. Back in and Angels grabs a crossface, only to have Sami bite the hand for the escape. A brainbuster gives Sami two but Angels discus clotheslines him down. The frog splash connects for Angels but he misses a second. Sami grabs the Cactus Driver 97 for the pin at 6:55.

Rating: C-. This was indeed a Sami Callihan match as he beat up the lowest level member of the Design without much time to do it. Callihan is still going to need some help to fight the team off, but it’s still going to be a former World Champion against Deaner N Pals. How strong of a story is that going to be?

Post match Sami gets laid out.

Gisele Shaw pitches a reunion with Deonna Purrazzo, who isn’t interested. That lasts about ten seconds before Shaw talks her into going after the Knockouts Tag Team Titles.

Taylor Wilde looks at tarot cards and says she is a bit of everything. She is the Wilde Witch. Better than “person who was here ten years ago”.

Joe Hendry/Bhupinder Gujjar vs. Johnny Swinger/Zicky Dice

Before the match, Hendry talks about the noises coming from Swinger’s Dungeon. In Hendry’s Dungeon, all you hear is people saying WE BELIEVE. Hendry slams Dice down to start and slams Swinger for a bonus. Gujjar tags himself in but here is Moose to go after Hendry. That doesn’t go well, with Hendry drop toeholding him and grabbing the mic, saying he’s at work here. Moose grabs a chair and Hendry heads to the back, saying HR will hear about this. Back in the ring, Gujjar shrugs off a double team attempt and Gargoyle Spears Swinger for the pin at 3:14.

Rating: C. This was much more about the angle than the match and that isn’t a problem. Swinger and Dice not being able to beat up someone up on their own fits them perfectly and I could go for Swinger on a losing streak as he tries to get his fifty wins for a World Title shot. Moose vs. Hendry is an interesting way to go, though I’m not sure I can picture Hendry beating him so soon. Just let Hendry talk more though and he’ll be fine.

John Skyler sits down next to Jason Hotch and it turns out they respect each other. They might as well team up. Finger handshake!

Steve Maclin doesn’t like the lack of rules around here so to get the World Title, it should be by all means necessary. Rich Swann is next.

Tag Team Titles: Heath/Rhino vs. Motor City Machine Guns

The Guns are challenging and the Major Players are banned from ringside. Rhino shoves Shelley down to start so it’s time for some regrouping. Heath and Sabin come in to go technical, with Heath actually giving him a clean break out of the corner. An exchange of headlocks goes nowhere so Shelley makes a blind tag and helps double team Heath down to take over. Fans: “TAG IN RHINO!”

Heath gets sent into the corner for some double dropkicks but Sliced Bread doesn’t work for Shelley. A powerslam takes Shelley down but the diving tag is cut off as we take a break. Back with Rhino coming in to clean house and the champs take over on Shelley in the corner. Heath ties him in the Tree of Woe and stomps away, only to get sent face first into the middle buckle.

Rhino comes back in to cut off the tag and grabs a bearhug, which is broken up as well. Shelley rolls over and brings Sabin back in to clean house. A tornado DDT gets two on Heath but he breaks up Skull and Bones. The Gore gets two on Sabin but he reverses a second into a sunset flip for the pin and the titles at 16:49.

Rating: B-. They didn’t really have a choice here as, much like Heath and Rhino’s title reign in WWE, I don’t think there was any reason to think they were going to be the next big thing. They had their feel good moment with the win and now the Guns, a much more established team, gets the titles back. Solid main event and the exact right way to go.

The Guns celebrate to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a pretty nice show up and down, but that Bully Ray/Tommy Dreamer stuff is still a lot to stomach. They are still talking about their time together in ECW and it just makes the show feel old. Alexander vs. Ray should be pretty decent fight but the build on the way there is rather rough. Overall, another completely acceptable Impact show with its usual good points, but enough holding it back from being great.

Results
Eddie Edwards b. Delirious – Rollup
Bully Ray b. John Skyler – Piledriver
Major Players b. Decay – Samoan drop/middle rope Blockbuster combination to Steve
Sami Callihan b. Angels – Cactus Driver 97
Bhupinder Gujjar/Joe Hendry b. Johnny Swinger/Zicky Dice – Gargoyle spear to Swinger
Motor City Machine Guns b. Heath/Rhino – Sunset flip to Rhino

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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Dynamite – December 14, 2022: Well. Ok Then.

Dynamite
Date: December 14, 2022
Location: Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, Texas
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

It’s time for Winter Is Coming and in this case that means a pair of big matches. First up, we have the battle for the World Title and the Dynamite Diamond Ring with Ricky Starks challenging MJF. Other than that, it’s the fourth match in the best of seven series between the Elite and the Death Triangle. Let’s get to it.

Here is last week’s show if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Elite vs. Death Triangle

Match #4 in a Best Of 7 series with Death Triangle up 2-1 and Don Callis on commentary. Matt and Penta start things off with neither being able to get the better of things. Instead everything breaks down and the Elite hits a bunch of dives to take over. We settle back down to Omega working on Pac’s arm as Nick Jackson seems to have hurt his ankle on a dive.

With the actual tag match going on again, Fenix takes over on Matt as Nick is taken to the back. We take a break and come back with Matt beating up the Lucha Bros on his own, only to have Fenix get over for the tag to Pac. Omega comes in as well for YOU CAN’T ESCAPE into the middle rope moonsault.

Pac fights up until Kenny takes him down again, only to have Penta package piledriver Matt on the apron. Fenix comes back in and frog splashes Omega for two but the Black Arrow misses. Cue Nick Jackson to limp back to ringside, where Penta hits in him the ankle with the hammer. Fenix grabs a heel hook for the win at 14:48.

Rating: B-. The matches continue to be fun but it is still hard to get invested into seeing them over and over. It doesn’t help that this seems to be setting up a bit Elite comeback, though it would be kind of hilarious to see this not go to seven matches. For now though, it was good enough, though I don’t care to see it again next week.

Post match Omega grabs the mic and says if Death Triangle wants to cheat, let’s just make the next match No DQ. Oh and he wasn’t authorized to cut this promo so we now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

MJF talks about how Ricky Starks worked hard to get here and now everyone wants to see him win the big one. Yeah, MJF was born privileged and with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he was just better than Starks at everything.

Here is the Acclaimed for the topical rap but Jay Lethal/Jeff Jarrett and company jump them from behind. The guitar shot knocks Bowens silly and Jarrett says LISTEN. Remember when AEW’s tag division was such a great thing and not Lethal and Jarrett getting a title feud?

We look at Claudio Castagnoli winning the Ring Of Honor World Title at Final Battle over the weekend.

Chris Jericho and the Jericho Appreciation Society aren’t happy with their losses at Final battle. Jericho is ready to win his World Title back while Daniel Garcia….gets cut off by Jericho, who says Garcia never should have lost. From now on, Garcia needs to follow around his new mentor: Sammy Guevara. This Friday, Guevara is going to beat up Jon Moxley on Rampage.

Brian Cage vs. Jungle Boy

Jungle Boy is still banged up from Big Bill’s chokeslam coming in. Cage runs him over to start and Jungle Boy can’t quite get up. The curls into the standing fall away slam take us to a break and we come back with Cage continuing the beatdown. A release German suplex into a full nelson slam give Cage two but Jungle Boy manages a desperation Canadian Destroyer. The Snare Trap goes on but Prince Nana’s distraction means the referee doesn’t see the tap. Cage knocks Nana off the apron by mistake and it’s an O’Connor roll to give Jungle Boy the win at 8:18.

Rating: C. So you kick out of a Canadian Destroyer but get pinned by an O’Connor roll? Anyway, the good thing here is that Jungle Boy won, because he needs to get a bit more momentum going. At the very least, calling him Jack Perry, as commentary was doing for most of the match, is a nice step forward and should give him a much longer shelf life.

Post match Jungle Boy calls out Big Bill but gets Stokely Hathaway instead. Lee Moriarty runs out to go after Jungle Boy, allowing Big Bill to come in and run Jungle Boy over. The beatdown, including a chokeslam, drops Jungle Boy but Hook of all people runs in for the save. Hook gets a crazy reaction so it might be time to start pulling the trigger.

The Blackpool Combat Club brags about their recent success and Jon Moxley is ready for Sammy Guevara on Rampage. Oh and Hangman Page and the Dark Order can bring it anytime.

Video on Swerve In Our Glory having issues. They’ll meet face to face (not in a match) next week to handle things.

House Of Black vs. The Factory

Julia Hart sprays mist at the Factory to start and the beating begins quickly. The House cleans house to start, with Malakai Black and QT Marshall not getting involved. With the rest of the Factory down, the bell rings and black kicks Marshall in the head for the pin at 22 seconds. More of this, less of the talking.

Hikaru Shida and Jamie Hayter are ready to fight next week.

Britt Baker and Rebel don’t think Hikaru Shida is ready for Jamie Hayter Skye Blue interrupts and it’s Blue vs. Baker at Rampage.

Chris Jericho vs. Action Andretti

Jericho shoves him to start and hammers away in the corner as the fans chant LET’S GO JOBBER. Andretti manages a shot of his own and a bottom rope splash gets two. Jericho isn’t having that and busts out a Death Valley Driver into a Codebreaker for…..two? Back from a break with Andretti busted open but getting a boot up in the corner. Some chops rock Jericho, who pokes Andretti in the eye.

A running forearm rocks Jericho but Andretti’s split legged moonsault only hits raised knees. The Judas Effect misses and Andretti rolls him up for two. A springboard spinning kick to the head connects and Jericho is clotheslined to the floor. An Arabian press drops Jericho again but he pulls a springboard into the Walls. That takes too long as well though and Andretti small packages him for two, setting up what looked like a tornado DDT. The running shooting star press gives Andretti the completely clean pin at 9:30.

Rating: B. Well. Ok then. I wasn’t exactly seeing this coming and they actually went with this for a change. It was the kind of thing that you see happen about once every few years but it is almost never anyone on Jericho’s level. Throw in the fact that it wasn’t even a fluke rollup and this is even more surprising. Well done on throwing in a heck of a curve ball and having a rather good match at the same time. I’m still trying to process this one and that’s a nice sign.

Ricky Starks is ready for his big World Title match because he has been working so hard to get here. Tonight everything comes to a head and no one cares about anything MJF says. There are a lot of people who are want to see Starks do what he can and he is a reflection of what MJF wants to be. Starks is going with everything he can with these promos.

FTR wants the Gunn Club for jumping them at Final Battle.

Chris Jericho is livid.

Ruby Soho vs. Tay Melo

Sammy Guevara is here with Melo. It’s a brawl on the floor to start with Soho being sent into the barricade a few times. They get inside and Soho says she can go so the bell rings. Soho sends her to the floor but walks into a hammerlock DDT on the ramp. We take a break and come back with Soho planting Melo down. Back up and Melo hits a heck of a pump kick for two, followed by the Gotch Style piledriver for the same. The TayKO is broken up though and Soho knees her in the face. No Future (or Destination Unknown, as Excalibur isn’t sure) finishes Melo at 9:02.

Rating: C. This was just a match as Soho gets a little revenge for Melo injuring her a few months back. Soho is someone who seems like she should be ready to move up the ladder in a hurry but for some reason that has never taken off. Maybe she can pick it up a little bit here, but that has not exactly taken off so far. For now though, nice enough of a start.

Post match Anna Jay comes down and beats Soho down.

Hangman Page remembers being knocked out in Cincinnati. He was taken away in an ambulance and woke up, where the medics were asking him questions. Page remembers being in Cincinnati on October 18, but couldn’t remember his son’s name. So yeah, he’ll fight Jon Moxley on Rampage.

Dustin Rhodes and the Best Friends are ready for Kip Sabian, Trent Seven, the Butcher and the Blade on Rampage. Dustin referring to Danhausen as the Spooky Boy was great.

AEW World Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Ricky Starks

MJF is defending the title and the Dynamite Diamond. Starks gets annoyed to start and MJF runs him over, setting up the old school strut. Back up and MJF leapfrogs him, only to get shouldered out to the floor. MJF gets back in and is promptly backdropped into a sunset flip for two.

A small packages gives Starks two more as we hear about the stipulations in the remaining Death Triangle vs. Elite matches. MJF grabs a waistlock before sending him outside as we take a break. Back with Starks holding an abdominal stretch and grabbing the ropes for a bonus. The referee catches him though and kicks the arm away, allowing Starks to hiptoss his way to freedom.

The Roshambo is blocked so Starks settles for a sitout powerbomb and a near fall instead. MJF is right back with a powerbomb onto the knee for two and it’s time to slug it out. Starks nails the spear but can’t follow up as he’s down to hold his arm. The Salt of the Earth keeps Starks in trouble, with MJF tying the arm up with his legs as well. Starks uses his leg to make the rope but still can’t hit Roshambo. MJF hides behind the referee and uses the distraction to set up a low blow. The small package retains MJF’s title at 15:46.

Rating: B. The ending was a bit lame but they were trying with Starks here and that is a good thing. Starks is someone who could be a big star down the line but for now though, he isn’t ready to win the title here. They had a good match here and MJF gets his first title defense out of the way and now he gets to move on to the first real opponent.

Post match MJF goes to leave but Bryan Danielson cuts him off. The chase sends MJF into the crowd and up the steps with Danielson letting him go for some reason.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a good show for the most part, with the ending setting the stage for the main event for the next few weeks, if not months. Other than that you have the Jericho surprise and another Death Triangle vs. Elite match, the latter of which will see your mileage vary. Energetic show, and hopefully they can keep that going for weeks to come.

Results
Death Triangle b. Elite – Heel hook to Nick Jackson
Jungle Boy b. Brian cage – O’Connor Roll
House Of Black b. The Factory – Black Mass to Marshall
Action Andretti b. Chris Jericho – Running shooting star press
Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Ricky Starks – Small package

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

BREAKING: WWE Releases Mandy Rose

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/breaking-mandy-rose-released-wwe/

Apparently Rose had a page with risque content, which did not sit well with WWE. This comes less than a day after she lost the NXT Women’s Title to Roxanne Perez, ending her 413 day reign.

This is a weird situation, as WWE had probably told her to stop, but this is also the same company that allegedly told Ember Moon to dress more like Rose. Unless Rose flat out refused to stop posting the content, I’m not sure this warranted a full out release. Maybe they were trying to send a message, but either way, this feels like quite the extreme response. Rose will wind up somewhere in wrestling if she wants to, but dang this came out of nowher.