It’s back to the pay per view schedule for AEW and that is a great thing to hear. AEW has a pretty awesome track record for pay per views and there is a good chance that it will do the same here. This time is a bit different though as there is a staggering twelve match card with three matches taking place on the Buy In. The positive thing is that the matches look good, but dang that is a lot. Let’s get to it.

Buy-In: QT Marshall vs. Hook

We’ll start off with one of the fun ones here as Hook has taken AEW by storm in his still short career. What seemed to start off as little more than a big joke has turned into a pretty great run from Hook, who has smashed a variety of people without overstaying his welcome once. I believe this will be his first live match though and that could make for a new challenge.

I mean, I say challenge as seriously as it can be meant as it’s Marshall across the ring from him, meaning Hook wins this in a walk. There is no reason to expect this match to go longer than about four minutes, with Hook grabbing Redrum for the win. Marshall should be good for helping Hook get to an ok match, but that’s about the extent of his usefulness in this spot.

Buy-In: Leyla Hirsch vs. Kris Statlander

This one is already more interesting as you have two such different styles. Statlander has taken the gloves off to insult her former friend while Hirsch continues to look ready to maul various humans at any given time. That should make for a showdown, though I’m not entirely sure how well these two are going to work together. Statlander can do well, but there are also times where she doesn’t quite click.

I’ll take Hirsch here, as she is rather perfect in her role as the tiny killing machine who could pull Statlander into a variety of knots. Statlander has promised a new version of herself, but that does not necessarily mean she is going to win. Neither would seem likely for a future title shot, but a Hirsch push sounds like the better option of the two. Either way I would expect at least one rematch, but Hirsch takes the first one.

Buy-In: House of Black vs. Pac/Penta Obscuro/Erick Redbeard

I’m not sure why this match is on the Buy-in, as it feels like it could headline either a Dynamite or Rampage and get more attention. Redbeard is substituting for the injured Rey Fenix, so while I can understand wanting to keep the feud warm until Fenix is back, it would seem that there are some better options than going this way. Still though, it should be a heck of a fight.

There is no reason for the newly expanded House of Black to lose here so we’ll say they make up for their loss in the recent tag match. If nothing else, Redbeard can be there to take a fall while keeping Pac and Obscuro strong on the way to Fenix’s return. This should be a wild brawl if they stick to what works best for them, but hopefully it gets the time that it needs and deserves.

TBS Title: Jade Cargill(c) vs. Tay Conti

The Cargill express continues as she mows down one challenger after another. That is going to make for a special moment when someone finally dethrones her and the question becomes who gets be the giant slayer. Conti is certainly a popular star and needs to win something big at some point, but I’m not sure if this is the spot where she finally breaks through.

I’ll take Cargill to retain here, as that is the more logical result. While I could see Conti being the one, Cargill seems more destined to eventually win the Women’s Title. I don’t know if she drops this title first, but she needs to be kept strong on the way there. At this point that means defeating Conti, who continues to be able to stay crazy popular despite rarely wining anything important.

Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match

Well of course it’s a ladder match and this time the winner gets a shot at the TNT Title. The appeal here is the amount of hosses involved in the thing, which should serve for some interesting options. For once I don’t think there are any names who can be immediately eliminated, which makes this all the more interesting. It’s the sign of a well put together match and AEW has set this up well.

I think I’ll take…Christian Cage to win here actually, as he really needs something to do. Keith Lee is a viable option as well as he came in with such fanfare, but he hasn’t exactly done much since his big debut toss of Isiah Kassidy. Neither of the Team Taz members make the most sense and Wardlow already has a story with MJF. Orange Cassidy….please no, so that leaves Cage in a prediction that is likely to go wrong.

AHFO vs. Sting/Darby Allin/Sammy Guevara

There is something very telling about this match. Earlier tonight I watched Andrade El Idolo, Sammy Guevara and Darby Allin tear the house down in an amazing triple threat that served as the main final push towards this match. That was great, but the idea of Matt Hardy being involved drags the rest of it down. His recent Jeff Hardy teases make it even worse and I’m not exactly interested in seeing the match.

The good thing is that it shouldn’t be a hard pick as I’ll take Sting and company for the win. You don’t have someone like Kassidy involved here to have his team win, so I’ll go with Allin pinning Kassidy so Sting can celebrate his first match in Orlando in however many years it is since he left Impact. This is another match that feels like it could be on Dynamite though and that isn’t a good sign for the show.

Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson

This was all but set for Full Gear last year when Moxley had to step away for rehab. That was far more important, but I still want to see what these two can do. Moxley may be a brawler most of the time, but he knows how to make a match feel big. They have done that here, as there is almost a will they or won’t they vibe to the whole thing. The question is can Danielson get Moxley to join up with him, and we probably find that out here.

I think they do get to that point eventually, so we’ll go with Danielson winning here, likely through cheating. I’m not sure if they are going to be able to come up with a way to get the fans to boo Moxley, but it might work out if he gets to cut the right kind of promo. As much as I don’t want some new heel power alliance, it might be the best thing for everyone with Danielson having already run through his World Title shots and Moxley needing something to do.

Women’s Title: Britt Baker(c) vs. Thunder Rosa

We’ve been waiting for this one for about a year now, as these two went to war against each other back at St. Patrick’s Slam. Rosa won there, which should mean that she is able to do it again and get the title that she never picked up before. This is the match that has been set up for so long now that it has kind of hurt Baker’s reign, as you knew the rematch with Rosa was hanging over everything.

Despite an instinct to say otherwise, I’ll go with Rosa winning the title here. It’s kind of interesting that the match feels like it is coming in cold despite the history, as Rosa hasn’t done much lately. Other than pinning Baker this week on Dynamite, I can’t think of any major win that she has had in recent weeks. Then again I’ve never quite gotten how the rankings work, but Rosa’s 4-0 is better than Hirsch’s and Deeb’s because…well because she’s Rosa and is winning the title here.

Tag Team Titles: Jurassic Express(c) vs. Young Bucks vs. ReDRagon

I’m not sure what to think of this one but the Bucks getting another title shot is one of those things that shouldn’t be a big surprise. At the same time, it doesn’t feel like it is soon enough to put the titles back on them, making them more of a possible spoiler or road block than anything else. That leaves you with two potential winners, either of whom could leave with the titles.

I think I’m going to go with Jurassic Express retaining here, as they just haven’t held the titles for very long yet. If they lost here, they would have the shortest reign in the history of the titles to date and that is not something you want to see. ReDRagon will probably get the championships one day, but for now I think Jurassic Express retains. They can even do so with the Bucks costing ReDRagon the fall to continue the Bucks’ emotional issues that are oh so interesting.

Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston

Here we have another grudge match for Jericho, who thankfully has turned heel after so many weeks of seemingly being ready to make the jump. That should make for an interesting showdown, as Kingston can bring it on the mic and does well enough in the ring to back it up. At some point he has to win something though, and that seems to be the point we are reaching now.

I’ll go out on a limb here and say they give Kingston the win here, as it is LONG overdue to give him a big victory, which has even been the story of the feud. At the end of the day, Jericho does not need to win another match in his career and will not lose a step, so have him put Kingston over and give him his big win merit badge. It needs to happen and this is as good of a time as any.

World Title: Hangman Page(c) vs. Adam Cole

I know the tradition is that the World Title headlines the show, but come on in this case. There are only so many ways you can present Page vs. Cole as the biggest match on the card and it seems to be the case. This just does not feel like a main event match, as Cole has felt like just the next challenger instead of some big moment. Maybe it was having him lose to Orange Cassidy and then moving into the title feud?

Page retains here and I don’t think there is all that much drama. There is almost no reason to believe that Cole is taking the title here as Page gets to retain the title on pay per view. The match is probably going to be a good one, assuming they don’t go all the way with one of Cole’s ridiculous long matches. I really hope this doesn’t headline, because there is something that is just flat out better.

CM Punk vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Like this could have been anything else. This has been one of the best feuds AEW has presented yet (if not its best in history) and I want to see these two get so violence that they cannot go much further. Some of the angles that have taken place have been nothing short of amazing and now they need to stick the landing (or at least this part of the landing) to set up the big blowoff match. That means this needs to have a winner and I’m not sure where to go.

I’ll flip a coin here and go with Punk, as his win sets up the big blowoff, unless they have some other way for MJF to cheat and steal another win. What matters here is the violence and blood that need to come with a dog collar match and we should be in for a great one. Every important step in this feud has been pure gold and if they can find that again on the big stage, we are in for a treat.

Overall Thoughts

There is a lot of potential on this card, but it might be a hair too long. AEW has a tendency to try and cram in too much and that might be the case again here. That being said, the top part of this show is looking pretty awesome and there are several matches that could be nothing short of great. The dog collar match seems to be the big feature attraction, and if that works out, this show is going to be the latest on AEW’s incredible list.

Impact Wrestling
Date: March 3, 2022
Location: Alario Center, Westwego, Louisiana
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

Somehow it’s already the go home show for Sacrifice and the card is mostly set. The big match on the show seems to be the Tag Team Title match as Moose defending the World Title against Heath is only so important. Odds are they will add one or two more things to the card tonight so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Eddie Edwards vs. Steve Maclin

Maclin starts the brawl in the aisle and they slug it out, with Maclin hitting a running knee. They go inside for the opening bell and Maclin punches him right back to the floor, setting up a hard suicide dive. Back in and Eddie grabs a Blue Thunder Bomb to take over but they trade running forearms for a double knockdown. They slug it out until Maclin hits a running clothesline but Eddie catches him on top with a running boot. Maclin knocks him into the Tree of Woe and hits the spear in the corner to send Eddie outside. That means an apron elbow drop but Eddie has had it and blasts Maclin with a kendo stick for the DQ at 6:53.

Rating: C. They got clever here with the ending as you don’t want Edwards to get pinned in his first singles match as part of Honor No More but you also want to keep Maclin strong. The match was a fast paced fight too, which is where Maclin tends to do fairly well. I’m not sure where this story is going, but at least they have a bigger name on Honor No More now.

Post match Eddie keeps up the beating but Team Impact chases him off. Honor No More shows up with Maria mocking Team Impact for believing in honor. Heath calls her delusional but Vincent says that the real delusion is believing that Heath has a chance to win the World Title at Sacrifice. The challenge is on and let’s do that right now.

Vincent vs. Heath

The fans are split here as Heath grabs an early headlock. A shoulder puts Vincent into the corner as they’re still firmly in first gear. Vincent knocks him into the ropes for a change and it’s another standoff. Heath sends him into the corner and hammers away before a swinging neckbreaker gives Vincent a quick two. Matt Taven gets in a distraction from the floor and another neckbreaker drops heath again as we take a break.

Back with Vincent getting two off a Russian legsweep, which the fans declare as awesome. As I try to figure out what they define as awesome, Heath gets in a shot of his own for a breather. Vincent is right back with a guillotine choke, which is broken up with a suplex. Heath slugs away and kicks him in the face, only to get caught with a quick Redrum for two. Another Russian legsweep is loaded up but Heath reverses into the Wake Up Call for the pin at 13:03.

Rating: C. I’m not sure where the AWESOME description came from but this could have been worse. Heath gets a win for a little momentum going into his World Title shot and that was the point of this one. It is almost weird to see Heath doing well on his own, but there is something to him and he could be a fine enough singles guy for awhile to come.

Post match Honor No More comes in for the beatdown but Team Impact makes the save. With the ring mostly cleared out, Moose comes in to go after Heath but gets taken down by the Wake Up Call. Heath counts his own three.

Flashback Moment of the Week: the Motor City Machine Guns beat Beer Money and Team 3D in a triple threat.

Masha Slamovich vs. Raychell Rose

A running knee and the Russian Death Device finish Rose in 1:00.

The Guerrillas of Destiny declare it personal against Jay White. Violent By Design comes in and are ready for tonight’s main event. They want their Tag Team Title shot so the business offer is thrown out. The Guerrillas leave without saying anything.

Ace Austin, with Madman Fulton, talk to Mike Bailey, who seems interested in a partnership, but not with Fulton around.

Madison Rayne vs. Cassie Lee

Tenille Dashwood, Kaleb With A K and Jessie McKay are here too. Before the match, Dashwood puts blue tape on the floor in an X and tells Kaleb With A K to stay RIGHT THERE. Madison elbows her down to start and mocks the IInspiration’s pose. A northern lights suplex gives Madison two and we’re off to the chinlock. That’s broken up and Cassie is sent outside, where Dashwood drives her into the apron. McKay makes the save and gets sent into Kaleb With A K, who makes a nice catch. Madison isn’t happy so Lee kicks her in the head and finishes with the IInspiral (spinning suplex) at 4:15.

Rating: C-. There is something oddly charming about this story and I could go for seeing some more of it. I don’t know if the titles are going to change hands on Saturday, though that might not be the worst move. It’s almost a comedy version of Paul Heyman with Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, which has oddly been working for me.

Video on Jake Something, who promises to win the X-Division Title at Sacrifice.

Tasha Steelz vs. Chelsea Green

The winner gets a Knockouts Title shot at Mickie James, on commentary here, at Sacrifice and Savannah Evans is here with Steelz. An early headbutt rocks Green, who is back with a running kick to the face for two. Steelz grabs a Codebreaker and stops to rub her head before choking Green in the ropes. A running elbow cuts Green down again as James and Rehwoldt keep bickering on commentary.

Green fights up and backdrops her out to the apron before a double clothesline puts both of them down. The comeback is on with Green hitting a few clotheslines into a Backstabber but I’m Prettier is broken up. Instead the delayed Downward Spiral gives Green two but Steelz is back with a Stratusfaction, which has Mickie audibly rolling her eyes. Green gets sent outside so Evans can kick her in the face, which draws Mickie to her feet. Back in and Steelz finishes with a frog splash at 8:00 for the title shot.

Rating: C. That’s a bit of a surprise and makes me think that the title is changing hands on Saturday, perhaps with Green turning on James. Steelz isn’t exactly interesting, but the division needs someone to step up and take over the title scene. Either that or Slamovich takes the title from James at some point, but that might be a bit of a risky move. Not exactly a great match, but it seemed more about storyline advancement anyway.

Post match Mickie and Tasha yell at each other.

Matt Cardona is asked for his backstage pass because the big gold belt on his shoulder isn’t enough proof. He shows people some photos of his wins and says no one respects him.

Jonah vs. Johnny Swinger

Swinger goes to the eyes, gets slammed down for his trouble, and crushed with the Tsunami for the pin at 49 seconds.

Post match Jonah loads up another Tsunami but PCO comes in for the brawl and actually clears Jonah out.

Deonna Purrazzo is ready to defend one of her titles at Sacrifice but Gisele Shaw interrupts. Shaw takes credit for Purrazzo beating Lady Frost but Purrazzo isn’t convinced. Frost comes in to say Shaw can’t answer the Champ Champ Challenge at Sacrifice because Frost vs. Shaw II is already set.

Sacrifice rundown.

Guerrillas of Destiny/Violent By Design vs. Bullet Club

That would be Deaner/Joe Doering for Violent By Design and Jay White/Chris Bey/Good Brothers for the Club. It’s a big brawl before the bell (makes sense) and the Club has to save White from a huge beatdown. Cue Scott D’Amore to say this match isn’t going to happen…as a regular match. Instead, we’ll make this No DQ so RING THE BELL! Note that D’Amore took about thirty seconds to make this announcement and not five minutes. It’s not that hard.

We take a break a few seconds after the bell and come back with Tonga Loa bringing in a chair to save his brother from the Good Brothers. Doering shrugs off White chopping away at him so White hits him in the head with a trashcan lid. The trashcan is loaded into the corner but then gets wrapped around Deaner so Bey can hit a double stomp. The brawling continues around the arena, with Tama Tonga hitting Gallows in the ribs with a baseball bat. White tries to choke Doering with a chain but gets flipped onto a trashcan.

We hit the parade of shots to the head back inside until the Guerrillas clear the ring. The Brothers save White again and the two tag teams (the brothers and the Brothers) fight to the back. We actually go split screen to watch both fights as Doering whips out a door (Tom: “Chris Bey is about to be introduced to the Forbidden Door.” Oh shut up.). Doering misses a charge into the door so Deaner makes the save with a chair. That just lets White hit a Bladerunner onto said chair to pin Deaner at 13:18.

Rating: C+. Sometimes you need to have a big brawl with people going all over the place, but at the same time, it is a little hard to get into this fight over stuff that mainly happened in Japan. Throw in the Good Brothers continuing to be such a focus and it isn’t exactly interesting material. Fun brawl, but this story needs to go somewhere, and by that I mean getting rid of Violent By Design and moving the titles already.

We cut to the back where the Guerrillas and the Brothers are still brawling, with the Brothers being chased off to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. Impact is in a weird place as they are trying to build up Sacrifice, but it just isn’t that interesting of a show. Nothing really stands out as the top match on the card, as Heath vs. Moose isn’t exactly a show stealer and more of the Good Brothers isn’t going to make it work either. There are some good pieces there and this show was far from bad, but it isn’t the kind of show that made me want to see Sacrifice any more than I did coming in.

Results
Steve Maclin b. Eddie Edwards via DQ when Edwards used a kendo stick
Heath b. Vincent – Wake Up Call
Masha Slamovich b. Raychell Rose – Russian Death Device
Cassie Lee b. Madison Rayne – IInspiral
Tasha Steelz b. Chelsea Green – Frog splash
Jonah b. Johnny Swinger – Tsunami
Bullet Club b. Violent By Design/Guerrillas of Destiny – Bladerunner onto a chair to Deaner

 

 

 

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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Make sure you check out some recent reviews.

Wrestlemania IX (2015 Redo)

Smackdown – March 4, 2022

Rampage – March 4, 2022

---

Surprise Title Change Takes Place On WWE SmackDown.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/surprise-title-change-takes-place-wwe-smackdown/

Grudge Match Officially Set For WrestleMania 38.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/grudge-match-officially-set-wrestlemania-38/

WWE Confirms Celebrity Match For WrestleMania 38.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-confirms-celebrity-match-wrestlemania-38/

WWE Announces New Hell In A Cell Details.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-confirms-new-hell-cell-details/

Conflicting Reports On AEW Star Suffering Injury.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/conflicting-reports-aew-star-suffering-injury/

Huge Update On Steve Austin’s WrestleMania 38 Role.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/huge-update-steve-austins-wrestlemania-38-role/

Surprise AEW Debut Sets Up New Revolution Match.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/surprise-aew-debut-sets-new-revolution-match/

Why WWE Might Not Stick To WrestleMania World Title Stipulations.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-might-not-stick-wrestlemania-stipulations/

Rampage
Date: March 4, 2022
Location: Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Chris Jericho, Ricky Starks, Taz

It’s a rare live edition this week as it is also the go home show for this weekend’s Revolution pay per view. That could make things a bit more interesting, as we also have a title match. Sammy Guevara will be defending the TNT Title against Darby Allin and Andrade El Idolo, which should be a good one. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

TNT Title: Andrade El Idolo vs. Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara

Guevara is defending. Andrade bails out to the floor to start before being chased back inside. Allin hits a high angle springboard armdrag to take Andrade down but Sammy takes Allin down as well. Sammy loads up a superplex but Andrade turns it into a Tower of Doom, albeit after walking forward while holding both of them up at once (geez).

We take a break and come back with Andrade suplexing Sammy into the corner and a moonsault press connects to give Andrade two. Allin gets back up and helps double team Andrade, meaning it’s a superkick to send Andrade into the corner. Sammy charges at Allin but gets sent into the corner, leaving Andrade to knee Allin in the back.

Andrade gets crotched on top and Allin whips him with a belt, setting up Sammy’s Coast to Coast (over Allin in the process) to nail Andrade hard. Allin and Sammy trade rollups for two each until Andrade comes back in to kick Andrade in the face. A lifting powerbomb gets two on Guevara with Allin diving in to make a save. Guevara gives Andrade the GTH but Allin sends Guevara to the floor. The Coffin Drop connects but Sammy Swantons in for the save and pins Andrade to retain at 12:05.

Rating: B+. Aside from Allin looking a bit dumb by not going for the cover off the GTH, this was an outstanding match with three guys going nuts throughout and hitting one big spot after another. Guevara continues to remind me of the good parts of Jeff Hardy and that is some rather high praise. Allin has long since proven what he can do, and Andrade is always so much more interesting when Matt Hardy is nowhere to be seen. Awesome match here, as they packed in some amazing stuff.

Pac and Penta Obscura are in the ring with Alex Abrahantes as the Dark Priest. They want to face the House of Black on Sunday for revenge, so here is the House of Black to pop up on screen and say they are ready to fight. The House of Black pops up on the apron and seems ready, but Abrahantes says that they may be down one Lucha Bro, but they have someone else. Cue Erick Redbeard (Rowan) and the big brawl is on, with security failing to make the save. Penta breaks a security guard’s arm to prove his point. The match is official for Revolution.

Dan Lambert has gotten Scorpio Sky a TNT Title shot next week on Dynamite in exchange for bringing Paige VanZant to Revolution to sign her AEW contract.

Keith Lee vs. JD Drake

They trade chops to start with Drake getting knocked into the corner. Drake jumps over him out of the corner so Lee blasts him with the Pounce as we take a break. Back with Drake hitting a Cannonball and adding a moonsault for one. Lee runs him over again and muscles him up into the Big Bang Catastrophe for the pin at 6:48.

Rating: C+. The match didn’t get much time, but there is something to be said about watching people of this size throw each other around. Lee getting to show off that power of his is something else and it was a heck of a spectacle. It wasn’t exactly great, but dang it’s fun to watch Lee do scary impressive things.

Post match the rest of the Wingmen come in but get beaten down by Lee in short order. Team Taz comes to the ramp to stare at Lee, with Orange Cassidy showing up to stare at everyone.

After the attack on Dynamite, a bloody CM Punk applauds MJF, saying that this kind of blood makes certain people feel alive. MJF is going to learn that Punk is the master and Punk knows who the **** he is. Punk knows that MJF isn’t ready and he’s going to beat MJF until his mother doesn’t recognize him. On March 6, he is becoming a monster to fight the monsters of the world. He is CM Punk (wink) and he is better than you. This match should rock.

Jade Cargill is ready for Revolution, with Mark Sterling saying there could be no contact between Tay Conti and Cargill until 48 hours before the match. Anna Jay pops up for a distraction and Conti jumps Cargill from behind. Sterling brought that on himself.

Serena Deeb vs. Leila Grey

Grey bails to the floor to start but gets caught with a neckbreaker over the ropes. The front chancery finishes Grey at 55 seconds.

Post match the Serenity Lock goes on but Hikaru Shida returns to club Deeb with a kendo stick for the save.

Eddie Kingston has a promo (because Chris Jericho has to use insider terms, but Eddie says kayfabe may be dead but we don’t have to desecrate its grave) for Chris Jericho, who he’s ready to fight. As for now, they have that Reese’s peanut butter pie at catering so he and Tony Schiavone have somewhere to go.

Ethan Page is ready for the main event, with Christian Cage promising to make Scorpio Sky a transitional champion next week.

Face of the Revolution Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Christian Cage vs. Ethan Page

They start fast with an exchange of shots in the corner until Christian tosses him over the top. The dropkick through the ropes connects with Page and we take a break. Back with Christian throwing him back inside and raining down the right hands in the corner. Page gets in an elbow to the face but Christian’s reverse DDT gets two.

A cutter gives Page two but Christian snaps the back of his neck across the top rope. The top rope headbutt gives Christian two more, only to miss a charge into the corner. Ego’s Edge is countered and Christian hits the spear for two. Back up and Christian is sent shoulder first into the post but he’s still able to counter Ego’s Edge. The Killswitch is good for the pin on Page at 8:55.

Rating: C. There wasn’t much to this one as Page didn’t get in a ton of offense before losing in the end. Cage moving on to the ladder match makes sense for the sake of his history in such matches, but it isn’t like he has done much of anything on his own in the last few months. This felt like “we need someone else so here’s Christian”, which may be efficient but isn’t that exciting.

Post match the Jurassic Express come out to celebrate with Christian but here are ReDRagon and the Young Bucks to steal a title each. Luchasaurus takes them back and Jungle Boy adds a running flip dive to take the four of them out to end the show (with Jericho getting in one last threat to Eddie Kingston).

Overall Rating: B. That opener alone was going to carry the show and sometimes that is all you need. The rest of the show was good enough, though Shida and Redbeard returning were both nice moments. I’m looking forward to Revolution and this was the big push to get us over the edge to the show. Throw in the rather fired up Punk promo and this was a pretty great last hour before the pay per view. I can’t get over that opener though, which was so good that it deserves an extra egads.

Results
Sammy Guevara b. Darby Allin and Andrade El Idolo – Swanton to Andrade
Keith Lee b. JD Drake – Big Bang Catastrophe
Serena Deeb b. Leila Grey – Front chancery
Christian Cage b. Ethan Page – Killswitch

AEW, 2022, Rampage, Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin, Andrade El Idolo, Keith Lee, JD Drake, Orange Cassidy, Team Taz, CM Punk, Serena Deeb. Leila Grey, House of Black, Penta Obscura, Alex Abrahantes, Pac, Christian Cage, Ethan Page, Jurassic Express, Eddie Kingston, ReDRagon, Young Bucks, Jade Cargill, Scorpio Sky, Dan Lambert, Jade Cargill, Anna Jay, Tay Conti,

 

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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Smackdown
Date: March 4, 2022
Location: FTX Arena, Miami, Florida
Commentators: Pat McAfee, Michael Cole

We are less than a month away from Wrestlemania and the card is starting to come together. There are still some gaps that need to be filled in but now tonight we might have a better idea of how some of the title scene will look. This week features two title matches which could see some shakeups. Let’s get to it.

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

Paul Heyman talks about being the advocate for Roman Reigns, who will be here tonight.

Ronda Rousey is ready for her first Smackdown match.

Sonya Deville is ready to teach Rousey about authority.

The Viking Raiders are ready to hunt the Usos, rip them apart, and take the Tag Team Titles.

The Usos say the Vikings are fat.

Ricochet says he’s taking the Intercontinental Title from Sami Zayn.

Sami Zayn lists off his monikers and says after tonight, people will be talking about him being the best Intercontinental Champion.

Intercontinental Title: Ricochet vs. Sami Zayn

Ricochet is challenging and grabs a very fast rollup for two to start. Sami hits a running clothesline to slow him down and then suplexes Ricochet down on the apron as we take a break. Back with Ricochet snapping off a middle rope hurricanrana for two but Sami grabs a sitout powerbomb (with Ricochet landing hard) for two. Ricochet sends him outside and hits a handspring moonsault to take Sami down again.

Back in and Ricochet gets crotched on top, sending him outside in a crash. Cue Johnny Knoxville because of course here he is again, with Sami being distracted by the INTERCONTINENTAL CHUMP shirt. It’s enough of a distraction that Ricochet can grab a standing hurricanrana for the pin and the title at 7:35.

Rating: C+. Well ok then. I would not have have bet on that one but they had a surprise here with the title change. That is the kind of thing that they have been needing to do for Ricochet for a long time and if it means he gets a Wrestlemania title defense out of it, good for him. I know Knoxville vs. Zayn is coming, probably at Wrestlemania, but you can do that without the title just as well. I was surprised in a good way here so well done.

We look at Vince McMahon on the Pat McAfee Show, where he announced that he will be inducting the Undertaker into the Hall of Fame. He also offered McAfee a Wrestlemania match, which McAfee accepted.

Sami Zayn is losing his mind over Johnny Knoxville following him everywhere from Smackdown to social media. How about Knoxville follows him to Wrestlemania?

Cole asks McAfee who he will be facing at Wrestlemania but here is Austin Theory to interrupt. Theory introduces himself to the crowd and asks McAfee why Mr. McMahon was on his show. He finds it funny that McAfee thinks McMahon likes him (which makes McAfee laugh). Will McAfee be so happy when his jaw is wired shut?

Theory gets in his face and then slaps him, with Theory saying they’re facing off at Wrestlemania. Theory leaves and McAfee stands on the announcers’ table, telling him to come back here. With Theory gone, McAfee goes on a rant about how he was embarrassed in front of Miami and blames Michael Cole for what happened.

Naomi vs. Carmella

Sasha Banks and Queen Zelina are here too. Carmella gets her mask put on but Naomi wastes no time in kicking her in the face. Carmella is still fine enough to pull her off the top and into a chinlock, which Naomi breaks up in a hurry. Banks cuts off Zelina’s interference and it’s the split legged moonsault to give Naomi the pin at 2:07.

Happy Corbin beats Madcap Moss and some others at poker while bragging about his Wrestlemania success. That will keep going at Wrestlemania, when he beats Drew McIntyre. Moss gives us a McIntyre impression with his usual level of humor.

Rick Boogs and Shinsuke Nakamura have another Toyota Tundra commercial, this time hiking through the woods.

Drew McIntyre vs. Jinder Mahal

Shanky is here with Mahal. McIntyre gets knocked down for an early neck crank as McAfee continues to go after Cole for possibly having something to do with Theory earlier. That’s broken up and McIntyre starts hammering away until a Shanky distraction cuts him off. McIntyre takes care of him, setting up the Glasgow Kiss into the Claymore to finish Mahal at 2:04.

Post match McIntyre says he doesn’t care what Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin do. McIntyre asks for a show of hands of how many people want to gouge their eyes out when Corbin is on TV. The fans go up, including Kayla Braxton’s. McIntyre is taking Corbin out at Wrestlemania.

Back at the poker game, Corbin doesn’t like Moss’ jokes.

McAfee is very happy that Ronda Rousey is wrestling tonight.

We look back at last week’s contract signing between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.

Rick Boogs and Shinsuke Nakamura are coming to the ring but the Usos jump them from behind and lay them out. Cue Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman so the Bloodline can go to the ring for a chat. Miami seems very happy to see and acknowledge Reigns, who talks about how he and Brock Lesnar are defending their titles at Madison Square Garden. You already know he is going to smash someone and send them to the back of the line like he has done for a year and a half.

Then you have Lesnar, and not all of us want to see him with that title, or even at Wrestlemania. Reigns wants him to be champion at Wrestlemania though, because he wants Lesnar to hand over the title. Heyman talks about spoilers, so maybe we should give Miami a spoiler. Reigns calls his shot like Babe Ruth and he delivers every single time. The spoiler is that at Wrestlemania, he is pinning Brock Lesnar and Lesnar will acknowledge him. Reigns seemed to snap a bit with that one and Cole thinks Lesnar is in his head.

Tag Team Titles: Usos vs. Viking Raiders

The Raiders are challenging and the Usos are sent outside to start. Ivar dives off the apron to take both of them down, setting up the top rope splash for two on Jimmy in a very near fall. Jey breaks up the Viking Experience and the champs drop the Vikings out to the floor. Ivar gets posted and Erik gets tossed down hard as we take a break. Back with Jimmy’s Superfly Splash hitting Erik’s raised knees and the Viking Experience connects, with Jey making another save. Some superkicks get two on Erik but he reverses into a cradle for the same. The 1D connects to retain the Usos’ titles at 8:20.

Rating: B-. This was almost all action but what mattered the most was I bought into the near falls. There were multiple times where I thought the titles were going to change hands and that is proof they are doing something right. I’m going to assume that Rick Boogs and Shinsuke Nakamura are up next for the Usos and that could make for an interesting match, especially since it isn’t like there are any other fresh challengers for the titles.

Earlier today, New Day rode around backstage on Big E.’s ATV.

Sheamus vs. Big E.

Ridge Holland and Kofi Kingston are here too, with Kofi getting on the ATV before the bell. Holland chairs him from behind and then chairs the ATV. Sheamus chop blocks Big E. and he and Holland steal the ATV. No match.

During the break, Sheamus and Holland destroyed the ATV.

We look back at Ricochet winning the Intercontinental Title.

Johnny Knoxville accepts Sami Zayn’s Wrestlemania challenge.

Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss are playing darts when Drew McIntyre stabs the board with his sword to run them off.

We look back at Ronda Rousey’s interview last week, with Charlotte and Sonya Deville interrupting to take her out.

Ronda Rousey vs. Sonya Deville

Charlotte comes out to watch and the distraction lets Deville go after Rousey’s bad knee. The chinlock goes on as Charlotte sits in on commentary. Rousey fights up and chokes away in the ropes, setting up Piper’s Pit. The armbar finishes Deville at 3:12.

Rating: C-. That’s all it needed to be with Rousey shrugging off whatever Deville had and then beating her with the armbar as expected. Rousey needed to look dominant like this as she should be ready for Wrestlemania and the showdown with Charlotte. The good thing is that someone like Rousey doesn’t need much reheating and she is all but ready for the title match from here.

Post match Rousey calls Charlotte into the ring and actually gets what she wants, setting up an ankle lock (playing off Charlotte talking about Rousey being a one trick pony with the armbar) to make Charlotte tap to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This is a show that is going to get some mixed reviews because there wasn’t much in the way of wrestling, but they did take some steps towards Wrestlemania. Two more matches have been set and that is something that WWE has been needing to do for several weeks now. The Tag Team Title match was good and I liked the title change so the show did cover some important points outside of just Wrestlemania. Pretty good show, as it did some things that needed to be done.

Results
Ricochet b. Sami Zayn – Hurricanrana
Naomi b. Carmella – Split legged moonsault
Drew McIntyre b. Jinder Mahal – Claymore
Usos b. Viking Raiders – 1D to Erik
Ronda Rousey b. Sonya Deville – Armbar

 

 

 

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Wrestlemania IX
Date: April 4, 1993
Location: Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Attendance: 16,891
Commentators: Jim Ross, Bobby Heenan, Randy Savage

In one of the major moments of the show, Jim Ross (JR) makes his WWF debut and talks about the main events before taking his place as lead commentator. I really could have gone through life without ever seeing him in a toga.

Finkus Maximus (just go with it) introduces Caesar and Cleopatra on an elephant while JR gives a history of elephants and Rome. This is kind of missing the point of a wrestling show but Randy Savage is brought out on a sedan to make things a bit better. To really cap it off, Heenan comes out riding a camel backwards.

Intercontinental Title: Shawn Michaels vs. Tatanka

The champ grabs a headlock for a bit before going up top, only to dive into an armdrag. More weak armdrags send Shawn to the mat before he channels his inner Nature Boy with a Flair Flip in the corner. A Tatanka chop knocks him off the apron so Shawn has to go to the eyes (another Flair standard) to get a breather. Things speed up until Shawn charges into an atomic drop and gets caught in a DDT.

Shawn leaves and Luna slams Sherri on the floor.

Headshrinkers vs. Steiner Brothers

The Headshrinkers are Samu and Fatu (later known as Rikishi) and the Steiners are Rick and Scott, a pair of hard hitting amateur wrestling brothers. At the bell, JR debuts the term slobberknocker to make this one historic. Scott and Fatu get things going with Scott easily taking him down via a nice amateur double leg. Fatu tries to make it into a slugout but Scott just takes his head off with a clothesline. The Headshrinkers double team Scott down so he and Rick get up on the same buckle for stereo top rope clotheslines. That looked awesome.

Call the Hotline!

Crush vs. Doink the Clown

Crush is a now big power guy from Hawaii in bright purple and orange. Doink has an umbrella with him but Crush knocks it out of his hands and rams the clown face first into the post. Some right hands to the face have no effect on Crush so he grabs a neckbreaker and keeps up the beating. Doink finally gets a break by guillotining him across the top rope. A piledriver gets no cover so Doink rams him into the post. Heenan: “Break the pineapple head!”

Razor Ramon vs. Bob Backlund

Ramon debuted late last year but the crowd is rapidly turning him face. Backlund is an old veteran who is making a nostalgia run and having some good matches despite being in his early 40s and being out of the ring for years. Ever the good sport, Backlund offers a handshake but gets a toothpick to the chest for his efforts. A LOUD Razor chant starts us off as JR hypes up the Hotline. Backlund starts fast by sweeping the leg a few times so Razor punches him in the jaw.

Ad for King of the Ring.

Tag Team Titles: Mega Maniacs vs. Money Inc.

Money Inc is defending and Hogan comes in with a black eye, with explanations ranging from a jet-ski accident (official and most likely story), DiBiase hiring a bunch of people to attack him (storyline story) and Randy Savage punching him in the face over accusations that Hogan was sleeping with Elizabeth when she and Savage were still married (possibly true). Beefcake has a metal mask to protect his face and the team gets a decent but certainly not great reaction.

Hogan finally mixes up the offense with a big boot before going back to the right hands. A Piper style poke to the eye is enough to send Money Inc. walking but the referee says if they walk out, the titles change hands. As usual, Hogan has some corrupt official helping him out. Back in again and Heenan gets very close to accusing Savage of having something to do with the black eye.

Lex Luger vs. Mr. Perfect

Luger is still the Narcissist and comes out with some barely clothed women that have the announcers drooling. They trade wristlocks to start and Perfect shoves the much stronger Luger into the corner. A big running knee lift knocks Luger down and a dropkick sends him to the floor as this is almost all Perfect so far.

Gorilla previews the rest of the show.

Giant Gonzalez vs. Undertaker

Call the Hotline!

Oh and one more thing: Hogan wants the first shot either at Bret or at “the Jap” if he wins the title. As for a prediction, he thinks the title is staying in the USA in the match between a Canadian and a Polynesian wrestler billed from Japan. As usual, Hulk never was one for the most in depth thinking in the world.

Todd Pettengill (a very stupid interviewer) interviews some frat boys.

WWF World Title: Yokozuna vs. Bret Hart

The 505lb Yokozuna is challenging and has Mr. Fuji in his corner. The announcers have spent most of the show talking about how Bret is the huge underdog after being knocked out by Luger, sat on by Yokozuna and then just being in trouble against the monster in general. Bret charges across the ring for a running dropkick and some right hands, only to have Yokozuna shove him down and shoulder him out to the floor.

Back up and Bret gets his feet up in the corner, setting up something like a middle rope bulldog for two. That earns the champ a superkick and another nerve hold to continue boring the crowd. Heenan points out the stupidity of the USA chants as Bret fights up and gets a better middle rope bulldog for another two.

A pair of clotheslines put Yokozuna down for half a second so Bret punches away in the corner. Yokozuna shoves him so hard that the turnbuckle pad is pulled off, only to have Bret ram the monster face first into it. The Sharpshooter actually goes on but Fuji throws salt in his eyes, giving Yokozuna the pin and the title at 8:56.

WWF World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Yokozuna

Ratings Comparison

Tatanka vs. Shawn Michaels

Original: B+

2013 Redo: B

2015 Redo: B

Steiner Brothers vs. Headshrinkers

Original: B+

2013 Redo: B

2015 Redo: A-

Doink the Clown vs. Crush

Original: D

2013 Redo: D+

2015 Redo: D

Razor Ramon vs. Bob Backlund

Original: C-

2013 Redo: D

2015 Redo: D

Money Inc. vs. Mega Maniacs

Original: C+

2013 Redo: D+

2015 Redo: D

Lex Luger vs. Mr. Perfect

Original: C-

2013 Redo: C

2015 Redo: D+

Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzalez

Original: F+

2013 Redo: D-

2015 Redo: F

Yokozuna vs. Bret Hart

Original: D+

2013 Redo: D+

2015 Redo: D+

Yokozuna vs. Hulk Hogan

Original: N/A

2013 Redo: N/A

2015 Redo: N/A

Overall Rating

Original: F+

2013 Redo: D

2015 Redo: D

How is this a Wrestlemania?

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2011/03/16/history-of-wrestlemania-with-kb-wrestlemania-9-wrestlemania-goes-outside/

And the 2013 Redo:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2013/03/18/wrestlemania-count-up-wrestlemania-ix-why-would-fuji-do-that/

 

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

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

AND

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

Make sure you check out some recent reviews.

Excellence Pro Wrestling – War Of The Felines

Wrestlemania VIII (2018 Redo)

NXT UK – March 3, 2022

---

New Grudge Match Confirmed For WrestleMania 38.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/new-grudge-match-confirmed-wrestlemania-38/

Update On Future Of Returning AEW Star.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/update-future-returning-aew-star/

WWE Makes Interesting Decision About NXT.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-makes-interesting-decision-nxt/

WRESTLING RUMORS: What AEW Plans To Do With Ring Of Honor.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-aew-plans-ring-honor/

Wrestling World Reacts To Tony Khan Buying Ring Of Honor.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-world-reacts-tony-khan-buying-ring-honor/

Another World Champion Promises To Return To WWE.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/another-world-champion-promises-return-wwe/

WRESTLING RUMORS: Surprising Update On Cody Rhodes/WWE.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wrestling-rumors-surprising-update-cody-rhodes-wwe-negotiations/

Former Impact Wrestling Star Suing Company For A Lot Of Money.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/former-impact-wrestling-star-suing-company-lot-money/

As always, hit up the comments section to chat about what is going on and get on the Wrestling Rumors Facebook page.

NXT UK
Date: March 3, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for another title week here as Ilja Dragunov is defending the United Kingdom Title against Nathan Frazer. That should make for a great one, as the two of them have a nice record of rising to the occasion in the big matches. Other than that, Gallus gets Sha Samuels in a preview of Joe Coffey vs. Noam Dar for the Heritage Cup later this month. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a video on Nathan Frazer vs. Ilja Dragunov.

Opening sequence.

Sha Samuels vs. Mark Coffey

There are no seconds here for a change. They slug it out to start with Samuels headlocking him over. With that not working, Coffey is back up and starts working on the arm, setting up a Russian legsweep. A backdrop sends Samuels rolling to the floor but he’s right back in to kick away. Samuels drops him with a running clothesline before pulling up the suspenders for some reason.

Coffey gets twisted down by the arm and the logical armbar goes on. That’s broken up and Coffey runs him over for a change, setting up a double clothesline for a double knockdown. Back up and they slug it out until Coffey hits a half nelson slam, setting up a sliding uppercut for the pin at 7:40.

Rating: C. It’s almost strange to see Coffey having a singles match but he looked good enough in there. Samuels has gotten himself in pretty impressive shape so the his stuff has an extra impact. This was little more than a preview for next week though, which is probably going to feel like a major title match when we get there.

Charlie Dempsey interrupted A-Kid’s training session and asks for a demonstration of the style A-Kid was using. A-Kid says no because Dempsey will use it against him, only to have Die Familie jump him from behind. Dempsey tells them to back off as medics come in to check on A-Kid.

Isla Dawn is around what seems to be some castle ruins and sings a lot, talking about how Meiko Satomura will soon fall. Then she puts a flower in a box.

We look back at Trent Seven kind of cheating to retain the Tag Team Titles last week.

Moustache Mountain is happy with retaining the titles when Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter come in to yell about the ending. Seven says it’s about retaining the titles by any means so Smith and Carter want a rematch. Cool with the champs.

Dave Mastiff/Jack Starz vs. Pretty Deadly

Carter now has his leather vest to match Mastiff. Howley isn’t sure what to do with Mastiff to start so Mastiff drives him up against the ropes. Some kicks to the leg stagger Mastiff but he clotheslines both of them down at once. Stoker comes in and gets caught in the wrong corner so Starz can come in with a slingshot splash for two. It’s back to Howley, who gets his arm cranked on but Stoker is back in off a blind tag. That means Starz is sent into the post and the beating is on.

A splash/legdrop combination gets two on Starz and an assisted middle rope bulldog gets two. The chinlock goes on but Mastiff hits Howley from the apron. That means when Stoker catapults Starz, he is able to sunset flip Howley for two. The hot tag brings in Mastiff to clean house but Stoker grabs Starz’s new vest. It’s back to Starz to clean house in a hurry, including a powerbomb to finish Stoker at 10:35 (leaving Mastiff STUNNED).

Rating: C+. This is an interesting way to go for the story as Mastiff and Starz seemed to being on their way to a split and then come back to win a big match here. It makes enough sense and now we might be in for a new direction for the team. If nothing else, it was cool to see Starz get a win like this, as he has come a long way over the years.

Xia Brookside calls her dad and asks her for help with something. Then she yells at the cameraman for filming her.

The truck driver from last week is walking in the woods while someone (not clear if it is the truck driver or not) talks about surviving. The driver finds a tin can and some bones before what looks to be a masked man pops out from behind a tree. Voice: “The hunt has begun.” So it’s Wild Boar?

Video on Joe Coffey vs. Noam Dar, who meet next week for the Heritage Cup.

United Kingdom Title: Ilja Dragunov vs. Nathan Frazer

Dragunov is defending and can’t get very far off a wristlock to start. With that not working, Frazer backs him into a corner for the tease of a clean break, only to pull him down into a headlock instead. That’s fine with the champ, who switches into one of his own until Frazer fights up and starts running the ropes rather quickly, allowing him to run Dragunov over. Back up and Dragunov gets in a few shots of his own to slow things back down and start striking away.

A cobra clutch keeps Frazer down for a few more seconds so Dragunov chops him in the corner, setting up a spinning elbow for two. The cobra clutch takes Frazer back to the mat but this time he pulls himself up for an enziguri. Dragunov is fine enough to roll some German suplexes, with Frazer landing on his feet off the third though. Frazer gets knocked down again though and this time it’s a cobra stretch to put him in more trouble.

That’s escaped as well and Frazer superkicks him into a standing hurricanrana for two. An exchange of shots to the head goes to Dragunov, who forearms the mat by mistake. Frazer scores with a Sling Blade and a pair of superkicks get two more. That lets Frazer go up top but he has to roll through a slam back down.

Dragunov hits him with the bad arm before going up top but the injury lets Frazer catch up and hit a super hurricanrana. The phoenix splash gives Frazer two more and it’s time for the big slugout. Another hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb to give Dragunov two so Frazer starts kicking at the bad arm. Said bad arm blasts Frazer with a clothesline, setting up Torpedo Moscow to retain the title at 14:31.

Rating: B. This didn’t quite get as good as I was expecting but it was very entertaining for a big television main event. Dragunov is likely going to hold that title for a long time to come and this was his latest effort against a rather tough challenger. Frazer will be back around the title picture one day, but he needed to be a bit more seasoned, which is where a loss like this can be helpful. Good match here, as both of them could be top stars for a long time to come.

Dragunov helps him up and shakes his hand to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. As usual, the main event is the best part of the show and carries a lot of the rest of the week. Dragunov gets to keep his reign going for probably at least another month as we get to find out his next challenger. Other than that, Mastiff and Starz get their momentum back and we have another title match next week. Not too shabby, as always seems to be the case around here

Results
Mark Coffey b. Sha Samuels – Sliding uppercut
Dave Mastiff/Jack Starz b. Pretty Deadly – Powerbomb to Stoker
Ilja Dragunov b. Nathan Frazer – Torpedo Moscow

 

 

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

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

AND

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

 

Wrestlemania VIII
Date: April 5, 1992
Location: Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 62,167
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan

This was one of the names mentioned for a possible redo so I’ll throw it in as a bonus. On his podcast, Bruce Prichard mentioned this as one of the worst Wrestlemanias ever and I’m really not sure why. The show features a double main event with Ric Flair defending the WWF World Title against Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan’s possible retirement match against Sid Justice. Let’s get to it.

Vince McMahon gives us the big over the top introduction as only he can do. It only talks about the double main event but really, nothing else is worth talking about.

Gorilla and Bobby (with a VERY visible section of empty seats between their heads, which will be a recurring problem tonight) intro the show with Heenan looking for the pictures. Those would be promised “centerfolds” of Elizabeth, which Ric Flair has promised. More on this later.

Reba McIntyre singes the Star Spangled Banner. It’s odd to hear anything but America the Beautiful.

Tito Santana vs. Shawn Michaels

Tito is a bullfighter (it didn’t work then either) and Heenan says he’s McIntyre’s sister. Heenan: “That’s arriba McIntyre!” Shawn has Sherri with him and we get a cool shot from behind with Shawn looking up at the huge stadium. This is his first singles Wrestlemania so it’s quite the big moment for his career. Heenan thinks Shawn is a future Intercontinental Champion. He’s a few months early but he certainly can call things.

We get a long stretch of Sherri leaving and some trash talk before we actually do anything because stalling is a thing on stadium shows too. They start fast (once they start that is) with Tito getting two off a crossbody and headlocking him to the mat. Shawn gets sent outside in a heap and that means it’s time for the over the top selling. We hit the headlock again and MY GOODNESS there are some half empty sections very visible in the upper deck. If that happened today, the production staff would all be fired.

Tito pops him in the jaw and Sherri is panicking at the thought of Shawn’s face being damaged. It’s back to the headlock and Shawn can’t even throw him off with a lift into the air. Heenan swears that he’s won a match with a headlock and that someone even gave up during instructions.

Back up and Shawn finally throws him over the top for a huge crash to take over. A backbreaker keeps Tito in trouble as Sherri is taking her glove off for some reason. We hit the chinlock and even more of those empty sections are shown. There’s almost no angle you can show here that doesn’t display them and it’s really distracting. Tito fights up but charges into the superkick (not yet a finisher) and Heenan declares no more tacos tonight.

The Teardrop Suplex is broken up and Tito scores with his flying forearm (Heenan: “That’s the Flying Jalapeno!”) to send Shawn outside. Back in and Tito slugs away, allowing Shawn to do the overblown Wrestlemania selling for the first time. El Paso Del Muerte (jumping forearm to the back) sends Shawn to the floor and Tito tries a suplex, only to have Shawn grab the rope and fall on top for the pin at 10:38.

Rating: B-. Good opener here as Tito is one of those guys who is always good for a solid performance. Shawn’s star was clearly on the rise here (give someone Sherri if you need them to get a rocket attached to their back) and a win in a competitive match was a good start. Solid match here and that’s all it needed to be.

Gene Okerlund is on the platform and brings out the Legion of Doom for an interview, including manager Paul Ellering. Paul talks about the need to put the team together in the first place and now revenge has brought them back together. He’s not here to get rich but to get even. Animal talks about facing and defeating adversity and now it’s time to get revenge on everyone, including Jimmy Hart and Money Inc.

Hawk says they’re a runaway train and now, look who’s driving the train. Paul wraps it up by saying they’re going to earn their money the old fashioned way: beating people for it. They want the titles back and don’t care who they have to beat to get them back. Ellering was good for the team in the NWA but I have no idea why he was needed here. Or why he’s somehow back in WWE twenty six years later.

Jake Roberts isn’t bringing a snake back to the ring but he will recap his feud with Undertaker. He’s gone full evil to go after Ultimate Warrior but since Warrior left the company, Undertaker turned face on Jake, setting up the match. Jake trapped Undertaker’s hand in the casket on the Funeral Parlor and laid Bearer out with a DDT, followed by a chair shot to Undertaker. Evil Jake was awesome but this was a bit of a different kind of animal.

Jake Roberts vs. Undertaker

I love that pulling himself up from the corner thing that Jake does. Diamond Dallas Page borrowed it from him and it’s not all that surprising. Jake slugs away to start and reality sets in very quickly. A running right hand puts Undertaker on the floor but Jake gets pulled outside as well. The beating is on and the fans are WAY into a fired up Undertaker.

Back in and Jake’s right hands still don’t have much effect so Bobby starts making Munsters references. Better than the Addams Family at least. Undertaker starts choking but Jake grabs a quick DDT and you can feel the fans react. Then Undertaker sits up and it’s very clear that this is something different. Another DDT drops Undertaker again but this time Jake goes after Bearer….as Undertaker gets up again. That means a Tombstone on the floor and Jake is DEAD for the pin at 6:41.

Rating: D. This was around the time where the Undertaker would start to be the kind of attraction that the company wanted him to be. It’s clear that there’s something very different about him and beating a big name like Roberts was a great way to push him towards that goal. I mean, beating Hogan less than six months ago did it even more so but still, awesome booking here. This was Jake’s last match with the company until 1996 as he was turned down for Pat Patterson’s job and left as a result.

Roddy Piper and Bret Hart are in the back with Roddy talking about growing up together when Bret was a bit dumb. Apparently Mrs. Hart would make them sandwiches but Bret finally cuts him off. They’re supposed to have a nice contest for the Intercontinental Title but Bret wants to be serious. That’s fine with Roddy and the match is on. Bret lost the title due to wrestling with a high fever and Piper won it almost immediately. This is Bret’s big rematch and one of the most intriguing matches on the show.

Intercontinental Title: Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper

Piper is defending. The first minute is spent with Piper taking off his kilt and some instructions from the referee. Never let it be said that Wrestlemania doesn’t know how to waste time. Piper armdrags him down to start as Monsoon actually analyzes the match, which isn’t something you get from most other announcers. Heenan’s idea: waffle the other guy with a tire iron.

Piper tries some amateur wrestling and is quickly sent outside in a huff. Back in and Piper spits at Bret and Heenan wants an apology right now. Bret wins a battle of the wristlocks and Piper can’t chop his way to freedom. Monsoon says thirty countries are watching the show live, lists off three of them, and then stops for a good fifteen seconds of silence. A running dropkick drops Piper but Bret comes up holding his shoulder. Heenan sees right through it (Bobby: “WHAT A GREAT MOVE!”) and Roddy is REALLY not happy.

Bret comes back with a running crossbody and they fall out to the floor at the same time. Piper is up first and holds the ropes for Bret but naturally gets in a cheap shot to take over. Well you know he’s the most natural heel ever so it’s not exactly a surprise. A bulldog gives Piper two and Bret is busted open (which he lied about, claiming that it was a hardway cut to save his job) somewhere in there.

Bret is fine enough to get two off a sunset flip and Heenan is begging for some more violence. A slugout goes to Piper so Bret hits a running forearm to knock him outside. Back in and a double clothesline puts them both down with Piper’s head landing on Bret. Heenan wants a count but Monsoon accurately says all four shoulders are down so there can’t be a pin. So much for the Brain.

Bret is up first with the Five Moves of Doom but Piper blocks the Sharpshooter. The middle rope elbow hits a raised boot and Piper has an opening. The referee gets bumped though and Bret is sent face first into the steps. Piper grabs the bell but can’t bring himself to do it (Heenan: “GIVE IT TO ME! I’LL HIT HIM!”), instead grabbing a sleeper. Bret climbs the corner and flips backwards onto Piper for the pin and the title at 13:52.

Rating: A-. This is the match that you point at when you need to prove that Piper can put on a good match when he’s given the chance. Bret winning the title back here was all that this should have been and the classic made it an even better moment. That ending would be used several times over the years and is rather famous in its own right, which is rather fitting when it comes from a classic wrestler like Bret. Great match here and another example of how talented both of them really are.

They shake hands to make it clear that Piper is still on the good side.

Heenan sends us to Atlanta, Georgia and the home of future WBF Bodystars Champion Lex Luger. Lex is his usual smug self and praises Bobby while calling Gorilla fat. Luger takes off his shirt to reveal a muscle shirt and Heenan is WAY too excited. He has some milk to wrap this up with Monsoon not exactly being impressed. Monsoon: “You found someone even more conceited than you are!”

The Mountie, the Nasty Boys and Repo Man are excited for the eight man tag.

Sgt. Slaughter, Jim Duggan, Virgil and Big Boss Man are excited for the eight man tag. Remember that Slaughter was main eventing the show last year.

Comedian Ray Combs is guest ring announcer for said eight man tag and of course he has some jokes. Since we can’t survey who will be good or evil (yeah you can), he’s asked 100 people (the gimmick of his Family Feud game show) about some of the people in the match. The Mountie is dumb like the Three Stooges, Repo Man is ugly and looks like a girl and the Nasty Boys are only successful because they’re lucky. With that he’s chased off and we’re ready to go.

The Mountie/Nasty Boys/Repo Man vs. Sgt. Slaughter/Jim Duggan/Big Boss Man/Virgil

The good guys clean house with elbows and clotheslines as Heenan plugs some WWF names being on Family Feud. So there’s your cross promotion. Hang on though: SHAWN MICHAELS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING! Monsoon: “WHO CARES?” Well Shawn might. Anyway we settle down to Sags vs. Duggan with Jim firing off some clotheslines. I mean, as much fire as Duggan is going to have.

Slaughter comes in for some clotheslines of his own to Knobbs before dropping to his knees for an elbow to the ribs. What an odd visual. It’s off to Boss Man for a wind up uppercut but he misses a splash on Repo Man. Repo jumps onto Boss Man’s back, shouts ONE MORE TIME, and jumps right into a low blow.

Virgil, with a broken nose, comes in and gets taken down without much effort. Even Heenan is running out of ways to make fun of the people in this match because Virgil is such a joke in the first place. Sags hits a pumphandle slam but Boss Man comes in with a spinebuster as everything breaks down. Some heel miscommunication sees Sags hit Knobbs to give Virgil the pin at 6:28.

Rating: D. Wrestlemania was different back then, which might be the biggest understatement of the wrestling year. This was a house show match to pop the crowd but here it served as a way to let them cool down a bit after the title change. At least it served a purpose, but it feels so out of place on here.

Flair and his executive consultant Mr. Perfect look at the blown up picture of Liz (we can’t see it of course) with Flair swearing it’s real. Ric talks about the bright lights and the big city where Savage will try to reclaim the biggest trophy of them all. After Savage takes the beating of his life, Savage can look up and see the pictures just like everyone else. Then Liz has one more shot at Space Mountain. Perfect: “Can I come along with you this time champ?”

Savage won’t grant interviews.

Since the company doesn’t feel the need to explain the story, the idea here is Flair claimed to have been with Liz before she met Savage. As Savage is completely crazy most days and even worse when it comes to her, this sent him into the rage of all rages and set up the angle after the match was made, which is always odd. Anyway, Flair has promised to show some rather private pictures of Liz, which have only been referenced about a hundred times in the first hour and ten minutes of the show.

WWF World Title: Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair

Flair is defending and wearing red, meaning he’s likely losing (Look it up. He almost never wins a big match when he’s wearing red.). Heenan instantly says that to be fair to Flair, you have to say that’s a great robe, giving Monsoon one of his best ever WILL YOU STOP’s. Savage jumps Flair in the aisle until Perfect drags him off the champ. Heenan sums things up very well: Savage wants to hurt Flair rather than win the title so things should be going fine for Flair (and Heenan, who was in full on Flair fanboy mode here).

Flair tries an atomic drop and gets his head taken off with a clothesline. A backdrop sends Savage to the floor with one of his trademark great bumps. Savage is already favoring his back so Flair stomps away as Heenan goes into one of the best, longest rants I’ve ever heard him give on Flair not losing. Flair gets two off a suplex (Heenan: “An eighty year old woman could have counted faster than Hebner!”) and the belly to back version is good for the same. A chop takes Savage right back down and Flair drops him back first onto the apron.

Another suplex gets another two as they’ve moved to a rather slow pace. Savage manages to get in a neckbreaker and Heenan needs a drink. The required slam off the top keeps Flair in trouble and Heenan is begging for Flair to do something. I know I’m talking about Heenan a lot in this match but he’s absolutely amazing here. The Flair Flip sends Ric to the top but he dives into a clothesline for two and Heenan….well I think you can figure this one out from here.

Savage sends him outside and hits an ax handle to drive Flair into the barricade. With Flair falling down, we get one of the most obvious blade jobs you’ll ever see (nearly getting him fired in the process). Back in and Savage hammers away with another ax handle getting two. The big elbow connects but Perfect pulls Savage out at two. Thank goodness that wasn’t a DQ or they might have burned the dome down.

Perfect gets dragged in and the referee gets bumped for a few seconds, allowing Perfect to throw Flair an object. That’s only good for two as well so Perfect nails Savage in the leg with a chair. Cue Liz with a host of suits (including Shane McMahon in one of his first on-screen appearances) trying to stop her. Flair goes into his usual leg work routine and the Figure Four goes on. Heenan: “SHOW ME THE PICTURES!”

Perfect grabs the hand so the referee kicks it away, allowing Savage to turn it over and break the hold. A small package gives Savage two (and a GREAT false near fall with the crowd gasping) but Flair goes back to the knee. Savage blocks a right hand though and a rollup (with trunks) gives Randy the title back at 17:58.

Rating: A. I got WAY into this match watching it back and was having a great time with everything. The crowd completely bought into Savage’s quest for revenge with the title just being a bonus prize. All the cheating was great stuff with Savage overcoming all odds, partially due to the inspiration from Liz. The match was even different from the usual stuff with Savage having long stretches of control, which you almost never see in a match like this. Really great stuff here and an underrated classic. If nothing else just listen to Heenan’s commentary.

Post match Heenan bails from the booth and Flair tries to kiss Liz. That earns him a bunch of slaps to the face as everything goes crazy. Perfect takes Savage down and Flair goes after the knee as all the suits are powerless to stop anything. Savage fights up and cleans house before finally being announced as the new champion.

Perfect claims a handful of trunks (accurate) and says that’s not how a macho man would act. Heenan comes in and says there’s nothing to worry about because it’s all on tape. Flair says tonight, a man is going to walk around Indianapolis claiming to be the real World’s Champion and to have the love of Liz. Perfect talks about Savage taking a shortcut, which Flair has NEVER done. Perfect: “Just like his old lady! A cheater!” Ric promises to get the title back and kiss Liz whenever he sees her.

Savage can barely walk and says this isn’t done. Today was just a piece of what Flair has coming to him because he hasn’t been beaten up properly. Flair has somehow made him even madder than he was so it doesn’t matter where it is, but Ric is getting the beating he deserves. Liz isn’t allowed to say if she’s been vindicated as Savage gives her the belt, saying it’s hers. Savage if Flairs though and this is just a piece. GREAT stuff here from Savage who can play the crazed man like few others (and I use the term “play” loosely).

We recap Sid Justice vs. Hulk Hogan. Hulk had been named #1 contender and Sid wasn’t happy. Therefore he turned on Hogan during a tag match and went on a major rampage, including destroying the Barber Shop set. That was enough to change Wrestlemania as Hogan wanted to fight Sid instead. Hogan has also teased that this might be his last match, which translates to “steroids are becoming a big issue and Hogan isn’t the cleanest looking guy in the world”.

Intermission keeps going with some members of Tatanka’s tribe dancing in the ring.

Rick Martel has some reservations about Tatanka because he’s still outside scalping tickets.

Rick Martel vs. Tatanka

Yes this is on Wrestlemania as it’s just a different time. Martel knees him in the ribs to start as Heenan issues a statement on it being a matter of time until they get the title back. He lists off all of his jobs in the Flair organization with Monsoon only responding with “YOU’RE A LIAR!” Heenan offers to put em up and Monsoon laughs it off.

Tatanka elbows his way out of trouble and sends Martel shoulder first into the post. A choke takedown drops Tatanka as we’re still waiting on the announcers to acknowledge the match going on. Martel sends him hard to the floor as Monsoon says “Ric Flair” is giving a wrestling lesson right now. Rick heads up but gets crotched, setting up the comeback and a crossbody to pin Martel at 4:31.

Rating: D. Just a filler match here and there’s nothing wrong with that. Today it would be a quick comedy match or something so it’s hard to argue with something being in this spot on the card. Martel feels out of place here, though there’s nothing wrong with having a solid hand like him on the roster. You’re going to get least a watchable match out of him and this did its job, albeit not in the most entertaining way.

Tag Team Champions Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and IRS with new manager Jimmy Hart) is ready to take care of the Natural Disasters. Hart jumped from the Disasters to Money Inc. and has told them all of the Disasters’ secrets. It’s not a bad idea and it’s not like it’s hard to boo Money Inc.

The Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) are ready for revenge and the titles.

Tag Team Titles: Money Inc. vs. Natural Disasters

Money Inc. is defending. IRS starts with Earthquake but bails in very short order as Heenan complains about all the noise here. Some hard shoves send DiBiase into the corner before the champs are rocked with some big clotheslines. After a meeting with Jimmy, it’s IRS getting his arm hammered by Earthquake.

Typhoon comes in for a hiptoss and it’s his turn to get tossed into the corner. Completely one sided so far as Gorilla keeps mocking Heenan over Flair’s loss. Typhoon finally misses a splash in the corner and it’s off to DiBiase. We get an awkward looking sequence where DiBiase doesn’t seem ready to low bridge Typhoon to the floor. No worries though as they do it again a few seconds later (erg) and this time Typhoon goes over.

A double clothesline (somehow to the back of the head as Typhoon can’t even run the ropes properly) sets up a front facelock as this is dying before my eyes. Back up and Typhoon gets in a clothesline for his own for the ice cold tag to Earthquake. Everything breaks down and DiBiase is clotheslined to the floor. Earthquake loads up the Earthquake but IRS is pulled to the floor and it’s an intentional countout to retain the titles at 8:37.

Rating: F. WOW this was terrible and the fans clearly didn’t care. Can you blame them though? Not only was it boring but on top of that it was full of botches and had a house shoe level finish. Just horrible stuff here and in the running for worst Wrestlemania match ever. That’s some rather elite company and I have no idea why they thought this was a good idea.

Brutus Beefcake is here to support Hulk Hogan because Hulkamania will live forever.

Owen Hart vs. Skinner

Oh come on GET TO THE MAIN EVENT ALREADY! Skinner jumps him from behind to start and hits a quick shoulder breaker. The reverse DDT gets two on Owen but he skins the cat and grabs an O’Connor Roll to pin Skinner at 1:08. Absolute filler.

Sid cuts off Gene Okerlund, calling him a short, bald headed little oaf. He’s going to destroy Hulkamania once and for all. We go to a sitdown interview with Hogan where he says he’s just not sure if this is his final match or not. Vince, conducting the interview, shakes his hand and thanks him for everything. Sid promises to destroy every Hulkamaniac because he rules the world.

Sid Justice vs. Hulk Hogan

Sid has Harvey Whippleman in his corner. Hogan gets the big entrance and the fans are as into it as they’ve been in a good while but Sid jumps him from behind. In one of the most underrated Hogan sequences ever, he does a mini Hulk Up, punches Sid to the floor, and clotheslines him off the apron to send Sid outside. You can feel the power of Hulkamania and my goodness it works so freaking well all over again.

We settle down to Sid choking and hammering in the corner but Hulk is right back with more right hands. The fans are ALL OVER this and Sid bails to the floor for a minute. Back in and we hit the test of strength with Hogan going down. As the fans all reconsider their place in life, Hogan fights up but gets knocked into the corner. Hogan is in trouble again and gets sent to the floor for some shots to the back from Harvey’s medical bag.

Sid grabs a nerve hold and it looks like Hogan is taking a nap. Sid’s powerbomb sets up Hogan’s fish out of water selling and it’s time for the Hulk Up. Heenan: “THEY’RE BOTH NUTS!” The big boot and a slam (not exactly impressive on Sid) set up the legdrop….for two, as the scheduled run-in was mistimed (on purpose, as the company decided to make Hogan look bad in case it was his last match). Instead Harvey comes in for the DQ at 12:37.

Rating: D-. I know the wrestling is pretty terrible but my goodness some of those Hogan comebacks felt like the old days. The fans helped this one a lot and the opening was just too much to call this a failure. It felt like a house show match and that’s completely unacceptable for a Wrestlemania main event, but at least it had some great moments.

Post match Papa Shango (the scheduled run-in) comes out for the double beatdown but the Ultimate Warrior makes his return after about eight months away for the save. A lot of posing ends the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This is all over the place as it goes from very good to horrible all night long. The ending with Warrior returning is more than enough of a combination with the two great matches to make the show work though and really, some of the bad matches are short enough that they don’t mean much. It doesn’t mean much in the long term as this was a VERY weak time for the company, but better times were coming in the forms of Bret and Shawn. For one last hurrah for the old guard though, it worked as a fun show, albeit one that needed a very powerful fast forward button.

Ratings Comparison

Shawn Michaels vs. El Matador

Original: B-

2013 Redo: C

2018 Redo: B-

Jake Roberts vs. Undertaker

Original: D+

2013 Redo: C-

2018 Redo: D

Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper

Original: A

2013 Redo: B+

2018 Redo: A-

Mountie/Nasty Boys/Repo Man vs. Jim Duggan/Virgil/Sgt. Slaughter/Big Boss Man

Original: F

2013 Redo: D

2018 Redo: D

Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage

Original: A+

2013 Redo: A

2018 Redo: A

Rick Martel vs. Tatanka

Original: D

2013 Redo: D+

2018 Redo: D

Natural Disasters vs. Money Inc.

Original: D-

2013 Redo: D-

2018 Redo: F

Skinner vs. Owen Hart

Original: N/A

2013 Redo: N/A

2018 Redo: N/A

Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice

Original: D

2013 Redo: D

2018 Redo: D-

Overall Rating

Original: B-

2013 Redo: B-

2018 Redo: B-

Nothing really out of the norm there and I’ve liked the show every time.

Here’s the original review:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2011/03/15/history-of-wrestlemania-with-kb-wrestlemania-8-hogan-who-needs-the-bald-man/

And the 2013 Redo:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2013/03/17/wrestlemania-count-up-wrestlemania-viii-show-me-the-pictures/

 

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

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

AND

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

War Of The Felines
Date: October 13, 2018
Location: Forrest Lodge, Sellersville, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Tim Taylor, Brad Demayo

This is Excellence Professional Wrestling and for reasons I don’t think I want to know, its shows have cat themes. I’m not sure what that is going to mean here but you never know what you are going to find in the indies. I know some of the names on this show and that might not be a bad thing, as this feels VERY Chikara style. Let’s get to it.

A woman is at her desk when a masked man comes in and brings Felina (said woman) her lunch and the posters for upcoming events. She says she knows his secret but she’ll keep it as long as he plays nice with her cats. Ok then.

Chat D’Kroger/Cornelius Crummels vs. Too Many Cooks

I think D’Kroger was the masked man from the opening segment and Too Many Cooks are Sloppy Joe and Assistant Chef Smoothie Blackmon (there’s an indy name for you). The Cooks have very oversized spatulas and the fans seem REALLY happy with them. Granted it might be their snappy theme song, which says Too Many Cooks over and over. Joe mocks Crummels with the spatula before the bell as the referee tries to get two in and two out. Crummels takes his jacket off and apparently smells rather horribly.

Blackmon and Crummels start things off and fight over wrist control, with Crummels handing it off to D’Kroger. That doesn’t go well for D’Kroger, as he gets taken into the corner so Joe can take him into the corner as commentary talks about their love of gumbo. The Cooks double team D’Kroger down so Joe can roll over him (the Rolling Pin, which is rolling but not a pin) but Crummels throws his horrible jacket at Joe’s face.

With Joe panicking over the germs and smell, Crummels gets to come in and stomp away. D’Kroger grabs an armbar before it’s time for some stomping/choking in the corner. Crummels adds a running elbow as commentary tries to figure out if D’Kroger is a wrestler named Buck Gunderson. A leg lariat gives Crummels two but Joe fights up and it’s a double clothesline for a double knockdown. That’s enough for the hot tag off to Blackmon so house can get cleaned….which lasts for about two seconds as D’Kroger rakes his chest. Everything breaks down and a Hart Attack finishes D’Kroger at 9:35.

Rating: C. The wrestling wasn’t great but the Cooks were a lot of fun and that is why you put them in the opener. They are an entertaining team with a unique gimmick and the fans liked them. Putting them out there in the opener against some heels is a great way to go and this worked well. Not a great match, but a good start to the show.

Hold on though as here is someone named Blaxstrom to help jump Joe. Cat #2 and Johnny Moran run in for the save and here is Felina to make the six man tag.

Chat D’Kroger/Cornelius Crummels/Blaxstrom vs. Cat #2/Johnny Moran/Assistant Chef Smoothie Blackmon

Cat #2 and Blaxstrom start things off as commentary talks about the cat-like things everyone does. Blaxstrom gets armdragged into an armbar as commentary remembers it is Spanish Heritage Month and starts speaking in stereotypical Spanglish. Moran and D’Kroger come in with the latter being shoved down in a heap. D’Kroger pulls up and then takes down his strap, setting up a lowing effort in a test of strength.

With that going nowhere, it’s off to Crummels vs. Blackmon, with the latter taking him down and hammering away. Crummels gets him into the corner so the villains can start the alternating stomps. Blackmon finally gets an elbow up in the corner but Blaxstrom clotheslines him right back down. That means the stomping can continue, with D’Kroger adding a headbutt for two as commentary dubs him the Nickelback of cats.

Blackmon finally rolls over and makes the hot tag off to Cat #2, who is cut off almost immediately with a jumping knee to the face. A release gordbuster gives D’Kroger two and it’s back to Crummels to slowly stomp Cat #2 down. D’Kroger comes in and….starts playing with Cat #2 like they’re both cats, leaving commentary confused until Crummels gets him out of there.

With that bizarre exchange out of the way, Blaxstrom comes in to work on Cat #2’s arm. That doesn’t last long as Crummels comes in and gets crossbodied down, allowing the double tag to Moran and Blaxstrom. Moran’s sunset flip is countered into a sliding knee to the face and it’s D’Kroger grabbing a crossface chickenwing. Cat #2 comes in to pull D’Kroger’s mask for the save and Moran hits a Widowmaker to finish D’Kroger at 14:20.

Rating: C-. This didn’t work as well as the opener as Blackmon wasn’t a factor, leaving the charisma down. Blackmon could have been dropped here and nothing would have changed, which doesn’t make for the most thrilling match. It also doesn’t help that the cat stuff is already starting to get a little old, as it is the running theme throughout the entire show. Not a terrible match, but it felt long and not that interesting.

Will Goonet vs. Icarus

Goonet is a hockey player and Icarus is a Chikara mainstay who runs around the ring a lot before getting inside. Icarus slingshots into the ring and the fans want him to do it one more time for no apparent reason, though he does it anyway. Goonet jumps him from behind before the bell (maybe because Icarus had to do a dozen things first) but Icarus comes back with a shot of his own for an early two.

That earns Icarus a trip into the corner and there’s a loud forearm to the chest. A suplex gives Goonet two, with commentary wondering why he even bothered to cover after a single suplex. There’s a kick to the back for the same, as commentary is talking about a wrestler named Danger Jameson.

We hit the chinlock for a bit before Goonet takes him into the corner for some right hands. The referee actually breaks it up and the beating is on, complete with Icarus pulling Goonet’s jersey over his head to make it worse. A shot to the back of the head takes Icarus down again but he’s right back with a Russian legsweep. Icarus grabs a top wristlock as we hear about Barry Darsow for some reason. A legdrop gives Icarus two (Taylor: “That would have put him away in 84.”) but Goonet’s belly to back suplex gets the same. Goonet puts on a chinlock of his own but Icarus is right back up with Sliced Bread #2 for the pin at 8:00.

Rating: C. Goonet was just a gimmick guy and that’s all he needed to be in a spot like this. At the same time, you have Icarus, who is probably going to be one of the more solid performers on this show. Sometimes you need a solid enough match like this one and this worked out fine, as Icarus shrugged off what Goonet threw at him and then won in the end, nice and clean.

Post match, commentary explains that Icarus gets a title shot if Danger Jameson wins a match later tonight. See how easy it is to explain something like that?

Frightmare vs. MC Hardbody

Hardbody seems rather popular with the fans, possibly because he doesn’t even weigh 150lbs. They pose at each other to start before going to the test of strength. You don’t do that with someone named Frightmare, who knocks him down to frustrate Hardbody a bit. This sends us to the required Toy Story discussion as Frightmare grabs an armbar, which is reversed into an armbar.

Hardbody grabs a chinlock, with commentary suggesting that him leaning on Frightmare won’t do much good. Frightmare fights up without much trouble but gets wristdragged into the corner, setting up a slingshot Stunner. A springboard….snapmare leaves Frightmare sitting down, where he covers his eyes. Hardbody sits in front of him for a shot to the face but a 619 is blocked. Instead Frightmare kicks him in the face to send us out to the floor, where Frightmare offers to let some young girls chop Hardbody.

That won’t be happening so they go back inside where Frightmare gets to stand on him n the corner. A slam gives Frightmare two and a standing moonsault is good for the same. Hardbody fights out of a headlock so Frightmare runs him over with a shoulder. There’s a release German suplex for two on Hardbody, with commentary criticizing the cover technique in their best Gorilla Monsoon impressions (minus the impressions).

Hardbody is back up with a kick to the face into the 619 to put Frightmare on the floor. The big dive connects and now some young fans will chop Frightmare in a funny bit. The camera operator gets in a chop before a boy hits Frightmare in the face. Back in again and Hardbody hits a missile dropkick for two but Frightmare plants him with a Pentagon Driver for the same.

The standing moonsault misses though and Hardbody scores with a Death Valley Driver for two more. A running basement DDT…is badly mistimed, as Hardbody doesn’t get his arm around the head so Frightmare kind of DDTs himself. Hardbody misses a Swanton though and it’s the Kneecolepsy (standing moonsault knees to the chest) to give Frightmare the pin at 12:08.

Rating: C. This one falls more into the entertaining but not exactly great category, as there is only so much you can get out of someone as small as Hardbody who isn’t flying all over the place. The stuff with the fans slapping Frightmare was fun, but that’s about the highlight of the match. It wasn’t awful, though I never got into it very well.

Green Ant and Johnny Moran interrupt a chat with Tim Taylor to say they’re not done with Blaxstrom and Hermit Crab.

Green Ant vs. Hermit Crab

Hold on though as there is no Hermit Crab to start so we’ll go with Green Ant instead….but he doesn’t come out either. Then both of them fight through the curtain and the bell rings so Ant can start in on Crab’s arm. A spinebuster gets Crab out of trouble as commentary tries to figure out what kind of a shirt he is wearing. Crab hits a suplex but misses a middle rope crab walk (just go with it) elbow.

Ant can’t quite grab an octopus stretch so he settles for a springboard spinning crossbody for two. A gutwrench powerbomb gets Crab out of trouble but he can’t get a Boston crab. The nerve hold goes on, with Crab not exactly appearing to put on too much pressure. That means it isn’t hard for Ant to get up and hit a superkick for two, only to have Crab come back with a teardrop suplex. Now the Boston crab can go on, though again Crab isn’t great at putting on a hold. Ant slips out and grabs the octopus for the tap at 5:58.

Rating: D+. The match was short (like the two of them) but the bigger problem here was they didn’t exactly seem to be laying it in. That nerve hold was embarrassing and for two guys who started fighting in the back, they didn’t seem like people who wanted to hurt each other. I wasn’t feeling this one and it was pretty disappointing.

Post match Ant keeps the hold on for a bit too long. After letting it go and being joined by Johnny Moran, Ant gets a mic and says it isn’t over between the two of them and Blaxstrom/Hermit Crab. They want a tag match next month.

We see Icarus training when someone in a helmet surprises him with a tap on the shoulder. The helmet guy asks Icarus to train him, but Icarus thinks that’s as good of an idea as running the Boston marathon with one leg. Icarus agrees to accompany him to the ring though, which has helmet guy rather pleased. Apparently Felina has granted helmet guy a title shot next month. Icarus: “WHAT THE F***???” I’m going to assume this is Danger Jameson in a segment that might have made more sense if we saw it earlier in the show.

We go to Icarus training Jameson, who seems to be a bit of a clueless putz. Icarus gives him a training regimen, involving listening to the Lion King soundtrack twice a day. Icarus wants to hear five of Jameson’s holds but isn’t sure what he picks. Two guys come in with their bags and tells Jameson to train hard because they have 61 days left. They leave, so Icarus asks Jameson who the man is. Jameson lists off a bunch of superheroes and Icarus facepalms. After a little help, Jameson gets the idea and they celebrate, with Jameson being knocked out.

Hallowicked (Excellence Champion) praises Blaxstrom for his match but isn’t pleased with Hermit Crab. Hallowicked and Blaxstrom leave so Crab consults a doll.

One note: there were no graphics or recaps or explanations for those segments and I had to figure out who some of the people were. That’s not a good idea as it can get confusing quickly if you are a first time viewer.

Excellence Title: Hallowicked vs. Danger Jameson

Hallowicked is defending and has Blaxstrom, Frightmare and Hermit Crab (apparently they’re part of some kind of a cult) with him. The four kneel in prayer but here is Felina to say Wicked’s Army will do anything to keep the title. Therefore, she is going to even the odds a bit by making this a No DQ match. That works for the Army, who quadruple team Jameson down in the corner until Hermit Crab runs to the back. He comes back to the ring with, I kid you not, Quadruple Strength Poison Powder (that’s what the label on the big jar says) so here is Icarus for the save.

House is cleaned in a hurry and the bell rings, only to have Jameson miss a top rope splash. Hallowicked slowly starts beating on him, setting up a Fujiwara armbar. With that let go, Hallowicked hits a fall away slam as the dominance is on. Jameson grabs a rollup for two but gets knocked down again, setting up a middle rope double stomp. A half crab makes it even worse for Jameson before Hallowicked switches to a chokebomb.

Icarus comes back in to Pedigree Hallowicked but Jameson’s top rope splash is broken up with some powder to the eyes. Instead Jameson hits a double arm DDT and some running splashes in the corner stagger Hallowicked again. A Russian legsweep puts Hallowicked down and the top rope splash finally connects, only to have Frightmare come in for the save. Icarus takes Frightmare to the back so Hallowicked throws more powder at James. A leg trap DDT retains Hallowicked’s title at 7:31.

Rating: C. This could have been worse as it was almost all smoke and mirrors since Jameson isn’t exactly supposed to be a polished star. The majority of the match was spent with Hallowicked and company beating up Jameson until Icarus came in and did a few things to even it up. Not good, but it was entertaining enough while it lasted.

Dan Champion and the Boar of Moldova are leaving when Cornelius Crummels come up. They congratulate Crummels on his match and offer him dinner out of a trashcan. Crummels turns them down and they all decide to go to Applebees. Again: Champion and the Boar, who are scheduled for the main event, are not identified here and the only reason I know them is from shows in other promotions. Also, why are they leaving if they haven’t wrestled yet?

Havoc/Oleg the Usurper vs. Boar of Moldova/Dan Champion

Tables, doors and boards match. It’s a brawl on the floor to start with Boar running over Oleg and Champion chopping Havoc up against the wall. Champion can’t suplex Havoc through some chairs as the other two fight around the arena. Instead Havoc gets thrown through the chairs as Oleg is hog tying the Boar. Havoc keeps hammering away as Boar kicks Oleg away.

Champion gets kicked in the stomach as….something loud that we can’t see happen with the other two. Havoc and Champion get inside and set up a door in the corner as Oleg has tied up the Boar’s legs and is dragging him around the ring. As Havoc punches Champion with a fist wrapped in a belt, Oleg has been buried under a bunch of chairs. Boar gets back in to save Champion and slowly stomp on Havoc.

That’s broken up with a German suplex but it’s Champion coming back in to cut havoc off again. Oleg comes back in for the save but here is Cornelius Crummels to go after Oleg and Havoc. That doesn’t go well for Crummels, who gets kicked in the head and thrown outside, as Oleg has something in mind. A double chokeslam puts Crummels through a table and it’s time to go back to ringside for trashcan shots to Champion and Boar.

Oleg puts the trashcan over Boar’s head and adds a superkick, with Havoc smashing the can with the lid. Champion gets back up for the save and Boar is able to side slam Havoc through the trashcan. Havoc’s hands get tied up with a belt and Boar drops a top rope elbow on Oleg. Champion knocks Oleg outside and apparently we miss a door being thrown at Havoc back inside. That leaves Champion and Boar to powerbomb Oleg through a merch table, which is apparently an elimination, because apparently this is a tables/doors/boards ELIMINATION match. Who knew?

Havoc is back up with some trashcan shots but Boar kicks him low. Boar’s spear misses though and he drives himself through the table, meaning it’s Champion vs. Havoc. A Champion Breaker (Irish Curse) drops Havoc and they fight up the ramp with Havoc in trouble. Champion hits him in the head with a belt (the Life Championship, which he brought with him) but Havoc comes back with his own belt shots.

Havoc can’t slam him off the stage though as his back gives out. It’s fine enough for a backdrop though and another belt shot rocks Champion. An Island Driver off the stage puts Champion through a table at 26:19….but it’s a draw because they both went through a table at the same time.

Rating: D+. Oh they can screw right off with that ending. They went the better part of half an hour for a lame draw in a match with no explanation? I get that the teams hated each other but there was no explanation whatsoever for WHY they hated each other. Then you have that ending, which made the lack of a story that much worse. The ending made me mad and that is never the way to go.

The fans are not happy as the wrestlers are checked on/taken out to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. The show had some fun moments (Too Many Cooks were a blast) but this was one of the weaker shows I’ve seen in this series of indy events. Nothing on here was worth seeing, but the bigger problem was with the presentation. There was very little in the way of explaining what was going on, who these people were or why fans should care. It doesn’t help that this was a bunch of characters from Chikara, which isn’t the easiest thing to get into in the first place. Not exactly a good show and I was disappointed based on how promising some of this seemed on paper.

 

 

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