As we look at something that had me rather intrigued but just never happened.

https://www.smarkdownsblog.com/chris-jericho-stephanie-mcmahon-wwe-missed-love-story

To say this feels like a lifetime ago would be an understatement.

https://411mania.com/wrestling/halls-all-in-2018-review/

AAA On Fox
Date: February 14, 2026
Location: Auditorio José María Arteaga, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
Commentators: Corey Graves, John Bradshaw Layfield, Rey Mysterio

We continue the road towards King Of Kings and the qualifying for the namesake match continues. That’s in addition to El Hijo de Vikingo getting ready to challenge Dominik Mysterio for the Mega Title. This show has been a breeze to watch in its early weeks and it would be great to see that continue. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jack Cartwheel vs. La Parka

Cartwheel cartwheels around to start and Parka loses his sleeves, though his arms have bones on them as well (that’s great). A running crucifix bomb plants Parka and he rolls outside, where Cartwheel busts out a space flying tiger drop for the big crash. Back in and Parka gets two off a Michinoku Driver but Cartwheel snaps off a poisonrana. A Red Arrow misses though and Cartwheel gets suplexed into the corner. Cartwheel rolls outside so Parka nails a suicide dive, followed by the Thriller for the pin at 3:59.

Rating: B-. I was surprised at the length of the match as I was expecting this to be a good bit longer. They crammed in a bunch of stuff into just about four minutes and that’s great to see. Cartwheel was hyped up as a big deal, but given that Parka was in the Royal Rumble, it’s no surprise that he got a showcase here. Fun match either way though.

Post match Parka brings in a kid for some dancing. Works around the world.

We look back at El Ojo destroying Mini Vikingo.

Mini Vikingo is in the hospital, with his mother by his side. He says his heart hurts the worst, because he tried to honor Vikingo and this is what happened. He’s so glad his mother is here with him, though his mother finds a note saying “SEE YOU SOON!” from El Hijo de Vikingo. Unfortunately she doesn’t show it to him. This was so over the top that it was great, especially getting to see Omos wreck him again.

Santos Escobar doesn’t like people dancing around here and is ready to put El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. on trial, with Escobar as judge, jury and executioner, say at King Of Kings.

Las Toxicas vs. Faby Apache/Jessy Jackson/Adelicious

Apache charges at Maravilla to start and grabs a flipping backslide for two. It’s off to Adelicious, who gets hit in the face and Hiedra comes in for a backbreaker. Jackson comes in for some running knees in the corner but a distraction lets Flammer come in and the villains take over. A kick to the face in the corner puts Jackson outside but she manages a double clothesline. Adelicious comes back in with a double missile dropkick and a 450 gets two, with Hiedra making the save. Everything breaks down and Flammer’s basement dropkick pins Adelicious at 3:42.

Rating: C. Another quick and to the point match here as the regular trio gets to smash through a makeshift team. If nothing else, Flammer, the Reina de Reinas champion, getting a win is a good way to go as you want to remind people that the champions are indeed good. Not much to see here, but they were moving while they were in there.

The Original Grande Americano declares that he is the real version and accuses SOMEONE of impersonating him for the last six months. That impostor even SANG SONGS in Spanish to pretend to be him. Don’t worry though as he’ll win the Rey de Reyes tournament and then the Mega Title.

We look back at Panic Clown being attacked a few weeks ago.

The Psycho Circus and Pagano want to keep their eyes out tonight and then go see Panic, but one of them (Dave I believe) has forgotten something in the locker room.

We look at the rather intense rivalry between Abismo Negro and Fiscal, who meet next week.

Money Machine vs. War Raiders vs. Los Americanos

For a Tag Team Title shot against Pagano/Psycho Clown (on Spanish commentary) at Rey de Reyes. Bravo armdrags Plata down to start and stops to dances so Oro comes in, earning a beating of his own. The Raiders aren’t having this and clears the ring, including dropping Oro for two. Money Machine gets back in to take over on Erik but Ivar takes both of them out. Los Americanos are in to jump Ivar, but the Raiders pull the two of them out of the air.

That means a toss to send the two of them into each other for quite the crash but Money Machine dives in to dropkick the Raiders down again. The Raiders catch the diving Money Machine and toss them into each other as well though, leaving the Raiders to go after Rayo inside. The Bronco Buster misses for Ivar though and Bravo comes back in to slug away at Money Machine.

Rayo’s middle rope moonsault clears out a bunch of people on the floor and Bravo actually slams Ivar back inside. Stereo diving headbutts get two on Ivar but Money Machine is back in to take over. A suicide dive hits Ivar and a second takes Erik out but Los Americanos double headbutt Oro. The Raiders make the save though and a belly to back suplex/top rope splash finishes Plata at 9:27.

Rating: B. They went with the fast paced, exciting style here and that worked well. The Raiders were a smart addition as you can always use a team with a power brawling style. It helps that they already have a reputation as former champions in WWE to add some star power. The other teams were rather good as well, as they were flying around to confused the Raiders, making for a hot main event.

Post match the champs get in the ring for the staredown with the Raiders, but here is Murder Clown to wave Psycho and Pagano to the back. Dave the Clown has been attacked and is taken away in an ambulance to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The best sign is that these shows seem to be starting to bring in some more AAA stars rather than just having the WWE guest stars. That makes sense to a certain extent, but eventually you need to stick with what this show is supposed to be about. They made it work again this week, with a completely entertaining show, even without most of the bigger names. Hopefully they can continue that trend, as it’s a good thing to see.

Results
La Parka b. Jack Cartwheel – Thriller
Las Toxicas b. Faby Apache/Jessy Jackson/Adelicious – Basement dropkick to Adelicious
War Raiders b. Money Machine and Los Americanos – Belly to back suplex/top rope splash combination to Plata

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

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

Collision
Date: February 14, 2026
Location: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

It’s the Grand Slam show as we’re down in Australia for a change. The card is absolutely stacked here too, with the Continental Title on the line, a tag team hair vs. hair match, a ladder match for the TNT Title, and MJF defending the World Title against Brody King. And somehow that’s not all. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Continental Title: Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Moxley is defending. They both try their finishers to start fast and the escapes give us a staredown. Moxley pulls him down by the arm, which is quickly reversed into a headlock. Back up and Moxley sends him outside for the suicide dive but Takeshita is back up with a boot against the barricade. That’s shrugged off and it’s a piledriver to drop Takeshita back inside.

A running dropkick sends Takeshita to the floor and we take a break. We come back with Takeshita fighting out of a chinlock and kicking Moxley in the chest. The Blue Thunder Bomb gives Takeshita two and a powerbomb out of the corner gets the same. Back up and Moxley sends him to the apron for a stomp but Takeshita beat the count back in. That’s fine with Moxley, who hits another stomp for two at the five minute call.

The choke and cross armbreaker are broken up and Takeshita hits some exploders, followed by a running knee for two. Moxley gets in a Death Rider for two more so they grab hands and trade headbutts with a minute to go. They pull themselves out of the corners and Moxley’s big clothesline gets two with thirty seconds left. Takeshita’s running knee gets two and we’re out of time at 20:00.

Rating: B. I was expecting a big showdown here but only got something good instead. They didn’t do the best job of building up the drama and the clock just popped up as a thing near the end. In theory this sets up another showdown at Revolution with special non-Continental (yes non-Continental) rules or something, but for now, it was a good match with two guys beating each other up.

Post match Takeshita lays him out with a Raging Fire.

We run down the rest of the card.

Video on Kyle Fletcher vs. Mark Briscoe.

Kris Statlander isn’t done with Thekla, who is thrilled with winning the Women’s Title.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Penelope Ford/Megan Bayne vs. Babes Of Wrath

The Babes are defending. Bayne and Cameron start things off but all four are in for an early brawl. Nightingale drops Cameron onto raised knees and it’s Cameron getting caught in the wrong corner. That’s broken up and it’s back to Nightingale to clean house, including sending them both into the same corner. A double middle rope dropkick connects for Nightingale and we take a break.

We come back with Cameron hammering on Ford, followed by a double high crossbody. Ford finally kicks Cameron in the face and hands it off to Bayne, who gets victory rolled for two. Cameron grabs a half crab, with Ford making a quick save. All four are in for a double slugout with the champions getting the better of things. That means a double backsplash for two on Bayne but Nightingale misses a charge out to the floor. Bayne dives onto her but Ford’s moonsault misses, allowing Cameron to grab a backslide to retain at 12:04.

Rating: C+. They felt like they were flying through this one and the ending felt like it was out of nowhere, but the fans were more than into it and that’s always going to help. Cameron getting the win in her home country is a good way to go and the crowd went nuts. Nice match here, though I could have gone for the champs being in a bit more trouble.

Post match Australian wrestler Lena Kross runs in to help Ford and Bayne lay out the champs. So I guess the feud isn’t done, which isn’t a great idea when the champs just won clean.

Ricochet tells Jack Perry to know when to fold them. He’s already beaten Perry twice. Why would the story continue?

Video on Hangman Page vs. Andrade El Idolo.

Andrade El Idolo vs. Hangman Page

For the World Title shot at Revolution and Don Callis is on commentary. Andrade tries a backflip to start but gets dropkicked down. The Tranquilo pose is kicked out to the floor but Andrade fights back. We pause for the photo with the woman until Page knocks Andrade down again…and takes the photo instead. Back in and Page moonsaults into a failed tombstone attempt but Andrade is up with a springboard reverse Spanish Fly.

We take a break and come back with Page fighting out of a headlock but getting kicked in the face. A discus lariat works a bit better for Page and a sitout powerbomb gives him two. They head to the apron where the Deadeye is blocked so Page goes with a sliding lariat instead. Back in and a top rope clothesline gives Page two but Andrade grabs Three Amigos. Complete with the Eddie Dance, to make the fans cheer him, despite him being a villain, because of course.

Page is able to send him to the apron for a triangle clothesline but they quickly change places. That’s fine with Page, who counters a dive into a fall away slam into the barricade. The Deadeye gives Page two, which is enough to bring Callis to the ring. Page chases him off and hits a quick Buckshot Lariat for the pin at 16:29.

Rating: B. Another good but not great match here, with Page moving on to Revolution, which is the right call out of the two options they had. If nothing else, Page gets points for causing Callis to get off commentary for a few moments. Andrade is going to be pretty much fine, as he can wrestle his way back to the top of the ladder without much trouble.

Orange Cassidy/Toni Storm vs. Death Riders

Tornado tag and the person who takes the fall gets their head shaved. It’s a brawl in the crowd to start with the pairs splitting off, and Shafir sitting on Storm’s back. That doesn’t last long but Yuta piledrives Storm onto a platform to knock her silly. Cassidy is taken inside and we take a break.

We come back with Storm, uh, storming down the aisle and getting inside to clean house with German suplexes. The dancing offense and a Beach Break put Shafir down so Yuta gets back inside. A Stundog Millionaire and a tornado DDT plant Yuta so Shafir is back up to go after Cassidy’s leg. Storm is back in to chickenwing Yuta before the women drop their holds to forearm it out. Yuta is up with a running knee for two on Storm but another hits Shafir by mistake. Cassidy takes her down with a dive and it’s the running hip attack, an Orange Punch and the Storm Zero to pin Yuta at 11:29.

Rating: C+. As much as I criticize AEW, they’re far too smart to have Storm come to her home region and lose in a humiliating fashion. Shafir losing her hair wouldn’t mean much, so going with the annoying heel losing his long hair is the right move. They did this exactly as it should have gone and that’s very nice to see, as Yuta taking the fall is the only thing that needed to happen.

Post match Mina Shirakawa brings out the stool so Yuta can be shaved, despite his massive objections. Yuta tries to leave but Jon Moxley comes out to say oh yes you will. Yuta gets back inside (now with Luther appearing as an old school barber) so Shirakawa can do a lot of the cutting. The electric clippers are brought out to pick up the pace, with Cassidy and Storm getting in the expected verbal jabs. Yuta, with most of his hair cut off, eventually leaves in shame. Classic old school wrestling segment here.

TNT Title: Kyle Fletcher vs. Mark Briscoe

Fletcher is defending in a ladder match and Don Callis is on commentary (again). Briscoe knocks him to the floor to start and there’s the running flip dive to put him down. Fletcher snaps off a suplex but Briscoe is back up to drop him with a ladder. Said ladder is set up on the floor and Briscoe climbs, allowing Fletcher to toss him onto the apron.

The ladder is put on the top rope and Fletcher lawn darts Briscoe into it for a really painful looking crash. That’s already enough to draw some blood but he’s able to grab a Russian legsweep to bring Fletcher off the ladder. We take a break and come back with Briscoe knocking him onto a ladder bridged between the ring and a standing ladder on the floor. Naturally that means a Froggy Bow rather than going for the title and they’re both down.

Briscoe is up first and goes up, where Fletcher powerbombs him down through a ladder. Another ladder is bridged into the standing one, with the fans requesting that the two of them don’t die. A Jay Driller through the ladder knocks Fletcher silly but he’s able to catch Briscoe climbing. That means a super brainbuster from the ladder but they’re both up on a ladder each. Fletcher shoves him down and pulls the title to retain at 16:02.

Rating: B. There were a lot of big spots here, but they didn’t seem overly interested in selling much of anything. In other words, it was the usual ladder match stuff of “here’s a big spot, here’s another big spot, then someone wins”. That’s about what I was expecting as soon as the match was announced, but again it was about giving the fans a win from their hometown star, which is fine. Granted they might have been better off by just having win him the title there in the first place, but then we wouldn’t have had a ladder match. Which we just had to have.

Video on MJF vs. Brody King for the World Title. King won a non-title match and this is the result.

AEW World Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Brody King

King is challenging and the fans do not seem thrilled with ice. Fair enough as it’s summer in Australia right now. MJF bails out to the floor before coming back in for a boot to the ribs and some barking. King’s chops have MJF in trouble and a gorilla press (MJF: “OH S***!”) has him down again, but King seems to hurt his knee. Naturally the knee is wrapped around the post and MJF cranks on the leg back inside.

We actually get the Kangaroo Kick, complete with MJF flipping off the fans, but he can’t get a sunset flip. Instead he pulls King into a legbar until a rope is reached. We take a break and come back with King fighting out of an ankle lock and hitting a suicide dive. The leg is banged up so King mostly stands still and chops away, but MJF cuts off the sleeper with a bite to the arm.

Not to be outdone, King bites the head and sends MJF outside for a running crossbody against the barricade. Back in and King hits a Cannonball for two but the leg is really banged up. MJF grabs a sleeper and the leg goes out, putting them both on the mat. Cue Bandido to give King a pep talk, which is enough for him to break free. MJF drops him across the middle rope for a break but King is able to Death Valley Driver him into an open chair.

They barely beat the count so MJF loads up the diamond ring, which is quickly taken away. The sleeper knocks MJF out and the Ganso Bomb connects for two and that’s pretty much King’s last big chance. Another Ganso Bomb on the apron is broken up by some shots to the leg and MJF tombstone slams him onto the apron. The Heatseeker retains the title at 21:39.

Rating: B+. This was good stuff, with King showing that he can do more than just run through people. He sold the leg well here, as it slowed him down enough to keep MJF in there against the monster. MJF winning is hardly a big surprise, but it was more a case of how he would get around the big challenger, which isn’t a bad way to go. Rather solid match here and they did very well.

Post match Hangman Page comes out to sign the contract and scare MJF down to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. They had a big time feel here and they more than delivered, as this felt like a mini pay per view. You had the big World Title match and all of the matches were at worst good or at best, borderline great. AEW has long since established a reputation of doing well with their big shows and they continued that trend here.

Results
Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita went to a time limit draw
Babes Of Wrath b. Penelope Ford/Megan Bayne – Backslide to Ford
Hangman Page b. Andrade El Idolo – Buckshot Lariat
Orange Cassidy/Toni Storm b. Death Riders – Storm Zero to Yuta
Kyle Fletcher b. Mark Briscoe – Fletcher pulled down the title
Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Brody King – Heatseeker

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

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

Smackdown
Date: February 13, 2026
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We’re about two weeks away from Elimination Chamber and that means some people need to gain some qualifications. A few of those will be taking place this week, which has been the case in recent weeks. This time around we have quite the big main event though and I’m wondering about who is going on to Chicago. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Tiffany Stratton to get things going. She had the best rookie year anyone could imagine and it’s time for her to get the title back. That means winning the Elimination Chamber but here are Nia Jax and Lash Legend to interrupt. Stratton asks Jax why she’s so obsessed with her, but Legend isn’t having that.

They’re ready to win the Women’s Tag Team Titles and then have Jax win the Chamber. Or they could just take her out right now, which brings out Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky to interrupt. Ripley says the two of them are going to the Chamber and clear it out before fighting each other to go to Wrestlemania. For now though, they’ll keep their titles.

IMG Credit: WWE

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Rhea Ripley/Iyo Sky vs. Nia Jax/Lash Legend

Jax and Legend are challenging with Jax shrugging off Sky’s dropkicks to start. An elbow crushes Sky but she picks up the pace and kicks at the leg. Sky’s double stomp to the ribs sets up a running knee from Ripley so it’s off to Legend. That’s fine with Sky, who Asai moonsaults onto the two of them as this is one sided so far. Back in and Legend catches Sky on top and it’s a Samoan drop to put her down as we take a break.

We come back with Ripley coming in off the big tag and getting to clean house. Legend blocks a springboard hurricanrana but Ripley is able to hit a spinning DDT (or something like one) to Jax. A good looking powerbomb out of the corner drops Jax hard and Over The Moonsault connects, with Legend shoving Ripley onto the cover for the break. Legend takes Sky outside for a ram into the announcers’ table so Ripley goes to make the save, which is enough for the match to be thrown out at 8:59.

Rating: C+. They were starting to roll near the end there and the result seems to be setting up a rematch where they can go completely insane. For now though, this was an interesting match as you had the two monster powerhouses going up against the team with some pretty great chemistry. I wanted to see where this was going and I could go for a rematch so call it well done.

Post match the brawl stays on, with Legend grabbing a table. Ripley has to fight off of the table and Sky sends Jax through the table, leaving Legend to spear Ripley through the barricade.

Cody Rhodes says he could go on a rant about what happened last week or he could be the golden boy that Nick Aldis wants him to be. The pressure adds up on you over the years, but he is two wins away from main eventing Wrestlemania again. He’s ready to fight tonight.

Carmelo Hayes runs into Apollo Crews and Matt Cardona, who would love to be in the US Title Open Challenge. Hayes is fine with either of them, but tonight’s challenge has been taken. Hayes keeps walking and runs into the Miz, who says Hayes is testing Miz’s three core values. Those would be “master, inspire and zone in”, with Miz wanting to teach Hayes a lesson. Hayes hopes Miz teaches better than he wrestles and walks away. Cardona and Crews come in to mock Miz for saying zone in was one word instead of two.

Aleister Black doesn’t seem done with Randy Orton, while Zelina wants to take out Alexa Bliss and Giulia so she can go on to the Elimination Chamber.

Here is Carmelo Hayes for a chat. He’s been on a roll lately and he has a chance to make Wrestlemania, so he’ll start going there next week in the Elimination Chamber qualifying match. For now though, Ilja Dragunov can come get his shot.

US Title: Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov

Hayes is defending…and hang on as here are Solo Sikoa and the MFTs to interrupt. Sikoa wants the title shot but Dragunov brings up the MFTs abandoning him last week. That’s too far for Sikoa so Hayes issues a challenge for a Tag Team Title match. Instead the whole team runs in, which draws out Apollo Crews and Matt Cardona, who are beaten down as well. Cue Shinsuke Nakamura and the good guys clear the ring. Nick Aldis comes out to make the big ten man tag.

Solo Sikoa/MFTs vs. Carmelo Hayes/Ilja Dragunov/Shinsuke Nakamura/Apollo Crews/Matt Cardona

We’re joined in progress with Crews chopping Mateo in the corner and it’s off to Cardona to work on the arm. Loa comes in and gets middle rope dropkicked but manages to bring Tama in to take over. A faceplant gets Cardona out of trouble though and a diving tag brings in Dragunov. That means a bunch of chops can put Loa into the corner but Mateo offers a distraction. Loa knocks Dragunov off the top and the villains are in control as we take a break.

We come back with Dragunov fighting out of a chinlock and bringing Hayes in for the fast paced comeback. Everything breaks down and Cardona hits some Rough Ryders but Talla is back in. Crews, Cardona and Nakamura are able to knock him to the floor, with Crews hitting a running flip dive. Torpedo Moscow and the H Bomb hit Mateo and the First 48 connects. Hayes goes up but gets shoved into the Samoan Spike, only for Dragunov to Torpedo Moscow Sikoa. Tama is back in for the Cutthroat for the pin on Hayes at 11:44.

Rating: B. I could have gone for more of this as it was the kind of wild tag match that you want. It also keeps Tama’s rise up the ranks going, as pinning the champion in a tag match is a tried and true way to set up a title match. Hayes holding onto the title with so many people coming after him is a good story, though I could still go for fewer of the open challenges. At the same time, Sikoa is SO much better in this role than he was as the main event guy, as this suits him far better. Keep going with this.

Post match the Wyatt Sicks pop up for the staredown with Sikoa and company.

We look at Charlotte eliminating Alexa Bliss from the Royal Rumble.

Charlotte apologizes to Bliss and asks her to be her valentine, complete with black flowers and an autographed photo. She’ll even be in Bliss’ corner tonight in an effort to WOO her. How can Bliss turn that down?

Damian Priest and R-Truth are in Nick Aldis’ office, with Aldis saying Priest is in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match next week with Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams. Kit Wilson comes in to read a poem about Aldis being toxic. R-Truth finds it funny and rhymes about Wilson getting beaten up.

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Alexa Bliss vs. Zelina vs. Giulia

Non-title and Charlotte and Kiana James are here as well. They go for the rapid fire rollups to start until Bliss is sent outside. A belly to back suplex drops Zelina and Giulia stomps her down again. Bliss is back in for the choke shove but Zelina takes her down with a Meteora off the apron as we take a break.

We come back with Bliss in trouble in the corner before Giulia takes Zelina up top for a butterfly superplex. They all go up top with Zelina belly to back superplexing Giulia and getting dropped by Bliss. Giulia gets the knees up to block Twisted Bliss and knees Bliss in the face. Giulia’s northern lights bomb hits Bliss but Zelina makes the save. Zelina knocks Giulia outside but walks into the Sister Abigail DDT to give Bliss the pin at 11:22.

Rating: B. This was better than I was expecting as they had a heck of a match with everyone working hard out there. Bliss going all serious to cut Zelina off at the end looked great and some of the near falls were awesome. Good stuff here and thankfully the seconds didn’t do much so they had a mostly clean match.

Tiffany Stratton meets Jordynne Grace, with the two of them agreeing that they would love to face each other at Wrestlemania. Grace leaves and Chelsea Green, riding in a wheelchair due to a foot injury, comes in to want an apology from Stratton for injuring her. Stratton says if Green wants one, she should step up and ask…but she can’t so never mind.

Video on Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu.

Rey Fenix is warming up when Sami Zayn comes in to tell him to teach Trick Williams a lesson. Zayn says he wasn’t all there last week and thanks Fenix for his kind words. Fenix is ready to fight.

IMG Credit: WWE

Trick Williams vs. Rey Fenix

Before the match, Williams mocks Sami Zayn and says he’ll win here before going on to qualify for the Elimination Chamber. Fenix knocks him down a few times to start and gets in a kick out of the corner. Williams is right back with a spinning kick to the face to drop Fenix cold. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker sets up the jumping neckbreaker to drop Fenix, followed by a clothesline to send us to a break.

We come back with Fenix kicking his way out of trouble, including the springboard kick in the corner. The frog splash gives Fenix two and there’s the big springboard dive to put Williams down on the floor. Back in and Fenix puts him on top for a jumping double stomp to the back of the neck. Fenix runs the ropes but charges into the Trick Shot to give Williams the pin at 12:02.

Rating: B-. Williams continues his hot start on the main roster, which is rather nice to see. He’s someone who has the potential to become a star he was ready to go right out of the package. That isn’t something you get most of the time and it is working this far. Fenix’s high flying looked great as usual, though Williams deserves the focus right now, as he’s quite the prospect.

Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky are banged up but Giulia and Kiana James come in to threaten them. Giulia has to be dragged away but Jade Cargill comes in for a staredown.

Video on Jordynne Grace vs. Jade Cargill in a heck of a hoss fight.

Jacob Fatu knows what it’s like to be locked up with no one to hear you. He’s not scared of the Elimination Chamber because now there’s a Wrestlemania sign to point to while he’s locked up.

IMG Credit: WWE

Women’s Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Jade Cargill

Cargill is defending but hold on as here is Judgment Day to interrupt. They’ll be having a romantic Valentine’s Day date at ringside because Liv Morgan wants to watch the match. After the fans lose it booing Dominik Mysterio, Cargill and Grace fight over a lockup to start. Grace jumps on her back with a sleeper and they fight outside. Cargill forearms the post by mistake but manages to backdrop her onto the barricade. A glare at Judgment Day takes us to a break.

We come back with Grace trying a backslide but ramming her into the buckles instead. A spinebuster drops Cargill, who is right back up with a spinebuster of her own. Some rollups give Grace two and she plants Cargill with a powerslam. They get up and slug it out until Grace tries a torture rack. Cargill slips out and hits a pump kick, followed by Jaded (one armed version) to retain at 10:27.

Rating: B. Take two powerhouses, let them hit each other really hard and do power moves to each other until one of them is done. That’s a formula that has worked forever in wrestling and it still worked here. Cargill had to earn that one and you don’t see her have to do that very often. Very fun match here, with Cargill getting an impressive win and Grace still not being able to win the big one.

Post match Cargill goes outside and gets in Morgan’s face for a threat.

Johnny Gargano rants to Candice LeRae that he has nothing left. LeRae: “I’m right here!” Gargano is done and LeRae says she’ll fix this before wheeling him away. Fraxiom and the Motor City Machine Guns are amused but the MFTs show up. They don’t like being stared at and say get in line. There’s a Wyatt Sicks inspired drawing of Solo Sikoa on the door of his locker room and Sikoa is not pleased.

Some stars went to the National Medal Of Honor Museum earlier this week.

Video on Oba Femi.

Femi is in the back with Nick Aldis, who seems to be offering him a contract. Kit Wilson comes in and Aldis yells at him, but Wilson has another poem. Aldis grabs the book and it’s a poem about Femi being a little man. Femi wants a match next week and gets his wish.

Drew McIntyre isn’t worried about anyone who has qualified for the Elimination Chamber or anyone who might qualify later. This includes Sami Zayn, who pops up and thinks McIntyre still hates him. Actually McIntyre says Zayn should win tonight because he’s earned it. Zayn is very confused.

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Sami Zayn vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu

Fatu superkicks Zayn out tot he floor to start and fires off shoulders to Rhodes in the corner. The backsplash misses though and Zayn is back in to knock Rhodes to the floor. The big running flip dive takes out Rhodes and Fatu and we take a break. We come back with Rhodes powerslamming both of them and hitting the Disaster Kick for two on Zayn. Fatu is back up with a handspring moonsault to Zayn and a backsplash to Rhodes, leaving only Fatu standing.

The running Umaga Attacks connect in the corner and Zayn gets caught in a pop up Samoan drop. Rhodes makes the save and we take another break. We come back with a double superplex dropping Fatu, leaving the other two of them to slug it out. Zayn exploders Rhodes into the corner but Fatu is back up. A running boot sends Fatu outside again, leaving Rhodes to walk into a Blue Thunder Bomb. Fatu gets back in and goes up top but dives into raised knees, allowing Zayn to small package him for two.

The Cody drops Zayn but Fatu runs him over and hits Zayn with the triple jump moonsault. Cue Drew McIntyre to break it up and post Fatu. McIntyre powerbombs Fatu through the announcers’ table and goes inside to Claymore Rhodes. Zayn is put on top for two, leaving McIntyre rather perturbed. McIntyre gets back in to hammer on Rhodes but Zayn Helluva Kicks McIntyre down. That earns him a Cross Rhodes to give Rhodes the win at 21:46.

Rating: B+. Much like a lot of the rest of the show, they were working hard here and it wound up being rather awesome stuff, with everyone feeling like they had a chance to pull it off. The McIntyre interference makes sense as he doesn’t want to face Rhodes or Fatu but knows he can beat Zayn. I liked that it didn’t work in the end, though I really hope we’re not actually gearing up for another Rhodes vs. McIntyre match at Wrestlemania.

Overall Rating: A-. This was an awesome show with pretty much nothing but good matches up and down the card. The weakest match, which would have been the opener, was perfectly acceptable and they moved a lot of stuff forward. If nothing else, we have Oba Femi ready to smash Kit Wilson next week, along with more qualifying matches. Heck of a show here, as tends to be the case with the wrestling heavy episodes.

Results
Nia Jax/Lash Legend vs. Rhea Ripley/Iyo Sky went to a double DQ when the two teams brawled
Solo Sikoa/MFTs b. Carmelo Hayes/Ilja Dragunov/Shinsuke Nakamura/Apollo Crews/Matt Cardona – Cutthroat to Hayes
Alexa Bliss b. Zelina and Giulia – Sister Abigail DDT to Zelina
Trick Williams b. Rey Fenix – Trick Shot
Jade Cargill b. Jordynne Grace – Jaded
Cody Rhodes b. Sami Zayn and Jacob Fatu – Cross Rhodes to Zayn

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

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

No Surrender 2026
Date: February 13, 2026
Location: The Pinnacle, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

I’m really not sure what to expect from this one as TNA hasn’t exactly gone out of their way to make it feel important. It comes off like a show that happens to be taking place with a few important matches being set up and not much more. The main event is Leon Slater/Mike Santana vs. Nic Nemeth/Eddie Edwards so let’s get to it.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Pre-Show: Brad Attitude/TW3 vs. Sinner And Saint

Sinner And Saint say they haven’t been here in a long time and it’s a shame that the people are sleeping on the team they should be dreaming about. Williams shoulders Attitude over to start and it’s off to TW3 for some kicks to the arm. Icarus comes in to take TW3 down but it’s back to Williams, who gets kicked down off a distraction.

Williams gets kicked down some more and his chops don’t do much good. A suplex gets Williams out of trouble and a handspring clothesline allows the tag off to Icarus. Everything breaks down and a middle rope dropkick sends TW3 outside. Williams’ dive drops TW3 again and a frog splash gives Icarus two, with Attitude making the save. A running kick to the face/belly to back fisherman’s suplex combination finishes TW3 at 6:48.

Rating: C+. It wasn’t much of a match, but this was all about giving the fans some wrestling to get warmed up with before the important matches. As a result, this was fine enough, though I still don’t get the appeal of Sinner And Saint. They’re just kind of a generic team who does well enough in the ring and while they’re far from bad, I’m not sure how interesting they are.

Mike Jackson (76 years old) is happy to be here but Mance Warner and Steph de Lander come in to complain about how much time he’s getting. Jackson says he’s stood across the ring from the biggest names in wrestling and Warner isn’t one of them. A match is made for later, with Jackson not knowing de Lander’s name either (on purpose).

Pre-Show: Alan Angels vs. Ryan Nemeth,

Hold on though as before the bell, here is Frankie Kazarian to say we’re going to have an impromptu King’s Speech instead of this match. Nemeth says he gets paid just because he got in the ring so he’s leaving (with Kazarian leaving him hanging). Kazarian talks about signing a new contract and getting a big raise, which he has of course earned. He’ll be back in the World Title picture, because he just lost the World Title while wrestling with a broken hand.

As for tonight, Kazarian will be watching the main event very closely. He explains Option C….and has to pause to address the WRAP IT UP chants. Angels is still in the ring though and grabs the mic, saying he doesn’t remember Kazarian being so horrible. Kazarian says get out of his ring but Angels isn’t leaving. Kazarian threatens to punch Albert Angle in the face but Angels punches him out first. Angels wants a match and we’re doing this now.

Pre-Show: Alan Angels vs. Frankie Kazarian

Kazarian is in street clothes. Angels pulls him inside for two off a rollup and snaps off a hurricanrana to the floor. A high crossbody gives Angels two and he grabs the Rings Of Saturn. That’s broken up and Kazarian gets the chickenwing for the tap at 2:26.

And now, the show proper.

The opening video looks at TNA’s recent hot streak, plus the show’s bigger matches.

Knockouts Battle Royal

Mara Sade, Rosemary, Tessa Blanchard, Victoria Crawford, Mila Moore, Myla Grace, Harley Hudson, Jada Stone, Jody Threat, Tasha Steelz, Elayna Black

For a future Knockouts Title shot. Rosemary yells a lot and even scares Blanchard early on. Rosemary sends Hudson to the apron but gets tossed out by Threat. Rosemary is so ticked off that she comes up swinging a chair. Stone is out, followed by Steelz, with the two of them fighting on the floor.

Riggins is gone as well as the eliminations pick up in pace. Crawford eliminates Grace and poses a bit but Blanchard accidentally knocks out Moore and Crawford at the same time. Threat holds on by her feet, leaving Black and Sade to fight on the apron. The two of them slug it out with Black being eliminated but Blanchard shoves Sade out, leaving us with Blanchard and Threat. Back up and the Pop Shove It sends Blanchard to the floor so Threat can win at 8:01.

Rating: C. This wasn’t great but they kept it short enough to not be too bad. Threat winning is a surprise as Sade has been getting some TV time as of late and her getting the spot would have made sense. The rest of this just kind of showed that the division needs to develop some more stars, as they only have so much depth right now. Granted that’s what giving someone like Threat a chance can do.

Leon Slater and Mike Santana are ready for the main event, with Santana wanting to keep the grass mowed so he can take them down. Slater is glad to be back and he’s not thinking about Option C tonight. Santana threatens to eat Nic Nemeth and Eddie Edwards alive tonight.

Jelly Roll is here. Fair points on having a big name.

International Title: Stacks vs. Trey Miguel

Stacks, with Arianna Grace, is defending and Miguel has a singer named Teddy Swims in his corner. Miguel rushes at him to start and hits a dropkick to the floor. Grace pulls Stacks away from the running flip dive though and Miguel gets tied up in the ring skirt. Back in and Stacks slams him down, setting up a mockery of Santino Marella’s trombone pose. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a legdrop for two on Miguel.

Back up and Miguel springboards off the bottom rope and grabs a German suplex to leave them both down. They go up top and either fall off or do a weird rolling to the side superplex to give Stacks two. A fisherman’s neckbreaker gives Stacks two more but Miguel is back with a not good looking Roll Of The Dice for two of his own.

Stacks is able to dropkick Miguel to the floor but Grace gets caught slapping him, meaning it’s an ejection. Miguel is back up with a sliding tornado DDT to drop Stacks on the floor, followed by a spinning Downward Spiral back inside. The Lightning Spiral gives Miguel the pin and the title at 11:00.

Rating: C+. They had a series of not great looking spots in there as they were going a bit too fast and it hurt things a lot. At the same time though, anytime my eyebrows actually pop up in surprise over a result, it’s probably a good sign. Miguel winning is a big surprise and I’m not opposed to it, as Stacks wasn’t going to be a long term champion anyway.

Here is AJ Francis for an unscheduled appearance. Francis talks about the Seattle Seahawks winning the Super Bowl and compares himself to Bad Bunny. They’re both rappers, they’re both wrestlers, and they’re both stars. As for Jelly Roll, if he ever wants to cross the line, he’ll see why this is TNAJ Francis’ place. He’ll be on commentary for the rest of the night. Hannifan: “What did I do to deserve this pain?”

Mance Warner vs. Mike Jackson

Jackson (76 years old) goes after the arm to start and does an Old School around all four ropes (Warner does nothing) before knocking Warner down. The dive is cut off and Jackson reverses a suplex into one of his own. A suicide dive connects and even Francis has to show him some respect. Back in and Warner’s chops don’t get him very far as Jackson strikes away as well. A neckbreaker gives Jackson two but Warner drops him with a running clothesline. The Pay Window finishes Jackson at 5:19.

Rating: C. The match wasn’t exactly great, but Jackson more than held his own in there. That’s the point of a match with Jackson, who is in pretty good shape all things considered and didn’t do anything that would embarrass him. I’m not sure how much it needed to be on a special, but there are worse ways to go.

Post match Warner tells Jackson that he still has it and they shake hands, with de Lander doing the same. Francis: “This is pathetic.” Francis yells at de Lander and blames her for ruining Warner. That gets Warner in Francis’ face and Francis storms off. That seems like a face turn for Warner, though I liked Warner better as a good guy so maybe it works.

Arianna Grace yells at Stacks for screwing up and threatens to break up with him if anything else goes wrong. Then he can eat candy all by himself. Quite the threat.

Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Indi Hartwell/Xia Brookside vs. Elegance Brand

The Brand is defending. Brookside takes over on Heather to start and it’s off to Hartwell for a headlock takeover. M comes in to take Hartwell down and chokes with the cloth on her arm. That doesn’t last long and it’s back to Brookside for a Russian legsweep to Heather. Mr. Elegance offers a distraction though and the champs knock Brookside down into the corner.

The chinlock goes on for a bit so Brookside grabs a small package for a breather. That doesn’t last long either as Heather sends her into the ropes, where M gets in a running boot on the apron. The champs spend too long posing though and it’s a double shove from Hartwell to put them on the floor. Hartwell comes in off the tag for some big boots and a top rope elbow hits Heather for two. A Michinoku Driver cuts Hartwell off though and she gets sent into the post, setting up Nip And Tuck. Hartwell’s foot is on the rope but Ash shoves it off to retain the titles at 11:07.

Rating: C+. The match picked up a bit at the end and that’s a good thing as it wasn’t much to see for the first part. Hartwell and Brookside are pretty much a makeshift team and that doesn’t make for the best challengers. At the same time, you’re only going to get so far with the options you have for challengers so throwing teams together is often the best you can do.

Post match Mickie James of all people comes out (Ash LOSES IT) and beats up Ash (all the more impressive since James is in massive heels).

We recap Eric Young vs. BDE. Young wanted BDE to join him but BDE refused, earning himself a beating last night on Impact. Now it’s time to fight.

Eric Young vs. BDE

It’s a brawl before the bell with BDE getting hit low and then the match officially starting. Young hammers away to start but BDE manages a middle rope Blockbuster. The running hurricanrana gets two but Young is back with a sitout powerbomb for two of his own. BDE fights back but gets powerslammed down for two more. The slow pace continues until BDE manages to get in a springboard cutter for another near fall.

Young is put up top, where he bites BDE’s face to put him down. There’s the top rope elbow for two and the Death Valley Driver connects to give Young two more. BDE bites him right back off the top and a Canadian Destroyer gets a rather near fall. BDE goes up again but the referee is shoved into the ropes, setting up the piledriver to give Young the pin at 10:23.

Rating: C+. As usual, here’s the thing: if Young is supposed to be this next big bad with whatever he’s doing with the Cleanse, he shouldn’t be needing ten minutes and cheating to beat a glorified celebrity wrestler. Young is far from the worst wrestler, but him as this tough crazy guy is horrible miscasting and has been for years. Unfortunately that seems to be continuing, and possibly in a much bigger way soon.

Jody Threat is happy with her win and gets some applause from other Knockouts. Tessa Blanchard and company come in, with Blanchard saying she should have won. A match is made for Impact.

We recap Arianna Grace challenging Lei Ying Lee for the Knockouts Title. Grace is Santino Marella’s daughter and has teased wanting to make up for him, including by getting this shot. Shenanigans may be afoot though and Lee happens to be here too.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Knockouts Title: Arianna Grace vs. Lei Ying Lee

Grace, with Stacks, is challenging and commentary points out that Grace isn’t very good, even citing her win/loss record. They start slowly with Grace taking over and sending Lee to the apron. Lee flips over her to come back inside and sweeps the leg…as Dani Luna (who had a title match set up but was held off due to visa issues) returns.

Security cuts her off and gets rid of her, leaving Grace to hit a neckbreaker for a quick two. Lee is sent into the apron and we’re off to a neck crank inside. That’s broken up and Lee hammers away with right hands in the corner but gets facebustered. A fisherman’s neckbreaker gets two but Lee snaps off a German suplex.

They forearm it out from their knees until Lee loads up Warrior’s Way. Grace goes to the eyes so Stacks sends in the belt, which doesn’t work well. Instead Lee kicks Stacks down so Grace pulls out the Cobra (which she stole from Santino Marella last night). That and a fireman’s carry facebuster give Grace the title at 13:21.

Rating: C. Grace is hardly a polished star in the ring, but that’s kind of the point. The idea here is that she manipulated her way into a title shot and then cheated to win (even though IT’S JUST A SOCK). That’s at least a story and it feels like someone stole a title rather than just holding it until a member of the regular roster can pick it off.

Rich Swann throws BDE a video game controller but says BDE has been playing a bit too long. Now Swann is ready to give him a tutorial in wrestling but it’s time to game first.

We recap the tag team main event. Apparently if Nic Nemeth (Call Your Shot), Eddie Edwards (Feast Or Fired) or Leon Slater (Option C) cash in their title shot, the tag match is thrown out and the World Title is on the line. Because THAT is a good idea. If you have three people with instant World Title matches available, you really need to rein things, because that’s ridiculous.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Order 4 vs. Righteous/Hardys

The question here is whether the Hardys can, or should, trust the Righteous. Matt takes over on Skyler to start and neckbreakers him down. Jeff comes in for a quick splash but gets into it with Ali, meaning everything breaks down in a hurry. We settle down to Dutch whipping Hotch upside down in the corner and it’s off to Vincent. Hotch is beaten down again and it’s off to Zero, who powers Vincent up rather quickly.

Ali comes in and tries a superplex, only to get shoved down, allowing Vincent to hit a tornado DDT. That’s enough for the tag off to Matt so the pace can be picked up. Hotch breaks up the Twist Of Fate to Skyler though and it’s back to Jeff instead. A basement dropkick and elbow get two on Hotch and the Whisper In The Wind does it again. Everything breaks down and Zero cleans house, followed by a heck of a suicide dive.

Dutch is right there with a big flip dive of his own but Zero powerslams him back inside. The good guys get together to beat up Zero in the corner and the quadruple teaming actually puts him down. Matt and Dutch hit stereo Twists Of Fate, setting up stereo Swantons from Jeff and Vincent but a double save breaks up the covers. They brawl onto the ramp and a big crash sends a bunch of people to the floor. Tasha Steelz throws powder in Dutch’s eyes and he takes Matt out by mistake. The 450 gives Ali the pin on Matt at 15:31.

Rating: B. They did a good job here with building up the question of whether or not the Righteous would turn on the Hardys. The ending leaves you wondering even more and that’s a good feeling. It’s better than just having the turn take place and if Order 4 gets thrown into the title picture as well, so be it.

Post match the lights go out and it’s a big guitar case casket. Elijah pops up throws Ali inside but Ali bails before their casket match on Impact.

Santino Marella tries to talk to Arianna Grace but gets Daria Rae instead. Daria threatens him if anything happens, and don’t bother looking for the sock. Do anything to anyone, and he’ll be fired.

We recap the main event of Mike Santana/Leon Slater vs. Nic Nemeth/Eddie Edwards. The idea is that all three challengers have guaranteed World Title matches and could cash in anytime.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Mike Santana/Leon Slater vs. Nic Nemeth/Eddie Edwards

Santana and Edwards start things off with a feeling out process until Edwards grabs a headlock. That doesn’t get either very far so it’s off to Nemeth to work on the arm. Slater comes in for a nice dropkick and nine right hands in the corner, setting up a monkey flip right back out of it. It’s back to Santana, who sends Nemeth outside…for the tease of a cash in.

That’s enough of a distraction for the villains to take over on Santana back inside, with Santana getting caught in the corner. The comeback doesn’t take long as Santana gets over for the tag off to Slater, who fights off a double team attempt. The handspring elbow drops Nemeth and Edwards and Slater takes Edwards out with a big dive to the floor. Everything breaks down and Santana hits his own dive onto the System.

Back in and Slater misses the Swanton 450 to Edwards and walks into a superkick to give Nemeth two. It’s back to Slater, who is caught in the wrong corner again but he heads outside to run around the ring. That’s not quite enough for the tag off to Santana, so Slater kicks the villains into each other. NOW it’s back to Santana to clean house, including a heck of a chop to Nemeth.

An assisted standing moonsault gets two on Nemeth and everything breaks down, with Slater hitting the big running flip dive over the corner. Cue the fired Steve Maclin to go after Santana (why this isn’t a DQ isn’t clear) and they brawl into the crowd. So that leaves Slater in a handicap match, with the System still on the floor. Nemeth mocks Slater having no partners but Slater is back with a running knee to drop Edwards.

It’s back to Nemeth, whose running DDT is countered. Slater’s high crossbody takes both of them down for two but the referee gets bumped. The System runs in to go after Slater but here is Moose to interrupt. Moose cleans house of the non-in this match members of the System, including brawling to the back with Edwards. That leaves Nemeth to Fameasser Slater for two but he kicks Nemeth down, setting up the Swanton 450 for the pin at 23:12.

Rating: B. Well, it certainly wasn’t boring. This was more a “Slater is back and he’s really good”. They managed to hide the fact that in the end, nothing was actually on the line here. That’s a hard place to go, especially with Moose wanting revenge on the team which doesn’t really have a leader. They tried something different here and while it wasn’t a smash hit, it worked well enough, especially for Slater.

Overall Rating: B-. I came into this show with pretty much no expectations and the stakes feeling pretty low (including in the main event, with the three teased cash-ins not really being a thing until tonight) and wound up getting a good show. It’s not a classic or close to it, but I can always go for a show where the worst part was perfectly fine. They’ll need to raise the stakes next time, but this worked for a nice surprise.

Results
Sinner And Saint b. Brad Attitude/TW3 – Reverse fisherman’s suplex to TW3
Frankie Kazarian b. Alan Angels – Chickenwing
Jody Threat won a Knockouts Battle Royal last eliminating Tessa Blanchard
Trey Miguel b. Stacks – Lightning Spiral
Mance Warner b. Mike Jackson – Pay Window
Elegance Brand b. Indi Hartwell/Xia Brookside – Nip And Tuck to Hartwell
Eric Young b. BDE – Piledriver
Arianna Grace b. Lei Ying Lee – Fireman’s carry facebuster
Order 4 b. Hardys/Righteous – 450 to Matt

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: February 12, 2026
Location: Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re on the way to this weekend’s No Surrender, though the show isn’t exactly feeling like anything special. It would be nice to get a boost on the way there and that’s the point of this show. If nothing else, I’m curious to see what may or may not be going on with Steve Maclin so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Here is Moose (in a snazzy jacket) to get things going. Moose wouldn’t usually come out here and talk about people leaving him laying because he isn’t a little b****. Two years ago, he created the System and he knows exactly what he needs to do to dismantle it. There is one man back there who knows how to take out the System one by one so here is Mike Santana.

He knows the two of them have fought each other face to face so now it’s time for them to fight together against the System. Now they just need the Hardys, but instead here is Daria Rae to interrupt. Any violence they’re planning can be saved for the main event so the good guys…leave.

Ryan Nemeth, sounding like he’s doing a weird voice on purpose, is ready to beat Mara Sade in a street fight. Oh dear.

Alisha Edwards apologizes to Moose for what happened and says she might just leave before her contract is up. Moose believes her, even though it feels likely that she’s going to turn on him.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Rich Swann vs. Nic Nemeth

Nemeth backs him into the corner to start but Swann is back with a quick hammerlock. That’s broken up so Swann headstands out of a headscissors without much trouble. A dropkick puts Nemeth on the floor and we take a break. We come back with Swann winning a slugout but getting caught with a Fameasser for two. The Danger Zone is blocked though and Swann hits a superkick, only to have to flip out of another Danger Zone attempt.

Nemeth is knocked down and Swann’s frog splash gets two. The phoenix splash misses and Nemeth hits a running DDT as commentary talks about Option C (as in the X-Division can cash in the title for a World Title shot at any time, though it hasn’t been used in years), because that’s a thing again. Nemeth’s sleeper is countered into an AA and they’re both down for a bit. They slug it out from their knees until Swann tries a Lethal Injection, which is countered into the Danger Zone for the pin at 12:02.

Rating: B. That finish was great as Nemeth timed it perfectly (at least as the camera saw) for a good win. Nemeth could be moved into a bigger spot soon and beating a former World Champion should help him. At the same time, Swann is a former World Champion who has nothing going on right now, with basically no momentum. I’m not sure I see that changing anytime soon, though he had a good match here.

Xia Brookside and Indi Hartwell are ready to watch Lei Ying Lee retain the Knockouts Title but they want the Knockouts Tag Team Titles.

The Righteous can’t wait to team with the Hardys at No Surrender when they’ll face Order 4. Fear is just a four letter word and they are honored to team with the Hardys, because this is going according to plan.

Here is Eric Young for a chat. Young hates how this place has gone and it’s time for a cleanse. That starts with BDE, who needs to come out here and answer Young’s offer to join him. BDE comes out and Young says he doesn’t understand BDE, but knows that they need his voice and reach. Now which side is BDE on? BDE says he doesn’t need Young or his imaginary friends so the answer is a big no. The brawl is on and Young hits a piledriver, shoves a female referee, and piledrives a pair of security guards.

Post break Santino Marella suspends Young but Daria Rae reverses it and makes Young vs. BDE for No Surrender.

Ryan Nemeth vs. Mara Sade

Street fight and falls count anywhere. Sade ducks a cheap shot and punches him into the crowd to start fast. They’re already back to ringside and Sade throws in the metal sheets to hit him in the head. A missile dropkick sends Nemeth outside but he manages to tie her up in the ring skirt. Sade is right back out with a chair shot to the ribs but Nemeth knocks her down and reveals an Andy Kaufman WOMEN’S WRESTLING CHAMPION OF THE WORLD shirt.

A neckbreaker on the floor gives Nemeth two so he loads up a chair. Another neckbreaker takes too long though and Sade sends him hard into the post. Sade pours out a bag of lollipops and suplexes him onto them, which doesn’t seem as devastating as she might think it is. Back in and Sade unloads with a kendo stick and a White Russian legsweep gets two. Nemeth takes the stick away though and knocks her down, allowing him to go up. That means a quick crotching and another superkick finishes Nemeth off at 8:40.

Rating: C. It wasn’t particularly good but this should wrap up the feud. Sade was in her hometown and got to beat a comedy goof so it wasn’t like she had any reason to lose. Nemeth is the definition of someone who can get beaten like this and not fall in the slightest because he had nowhere to go but down. Sade has gotten some nice TV time out of this though and that’s a good sign for her start in the company.

Steph de Lander and Mance Warner introduce themselves and explain their love of violence.

Video on Elijah vs. Order 4, with Elijah not liking Mustafa Ali’s prayer asking God to stop him. Therefore, it’s time for a casket match. Oh wait: a GUITAR CASE casket match. I guess that is officially a thing.

No Surrender rundown.

Arianna Grace thanks Santino Marella for her Knockouts Title shot at No Surrender…but she steals the Cobra. She does know it’s just a sock right?

The System vs. Hardys/Moose/Mike Santana

The System immediately bails from Moose to start so it’s off to Santana, which has Myers willing to get back inside. Santana dropkicks him down and hits a backsplash, allowing Jeff to come in to quite the reaction. Myers gets catapulted throat first into the middle rope and a splash gives Jeff two. Edwards comes in and clotheslines Santana to take over, allowing Bronson to hammer away in the corner.

Santana slips out of Alexander’s belly to back suplex though and brings Moose in to start wrecking things. The chokebomb gets two on Alexander and a dropkick cuts off a charging Edwards. Matt comes back in to send Myers into the buckle over and over but Bronson comes in to run Matt over. Bronson sits on Matt’s chest and we take a break.

We come back with Alexander suplexing Matt for two and slapping on the chinlock. That works so well that Myers comes in for one of his own but Matt Side Effects his way out of trouble. Everything breaks down and a Blue Thunder Bomb into a top rope elbow into a frog splash gets two on Santana. Moose is back in to clean house but Bronson takes him out.

That earns him a Twist Of Fate from Matt and everyone is down. Jeff grabs a rather wacky submission so Myers grabs a belt, only to have Alisha Edwards pull it away. Moose kicks Myers down but gets taken down by a dive. Santana hits a dive of his own and it’s a Plot Twist to Bronson. Alexander crotches Jeff on top though and Bronson’s fire thunder driver gets the big upset pin at 21:19.

Rating: B. You need this much time if you’re going to have so many people involved in the match and it helped a good bit here. Bronson getting the win is certainly a big deal for him and a nice welcome to the team. If nothing else it might give the Hardys another set of challengers, which they could certainly use. Moose is going to need to get some revenge, though I’m not sure who the big final boss is supposed to be. Edwards in theory, but how big does that feel?

Overall Rating: B. The opener and main event were good and the middle match was goofy fun. I liked most of the show and can even overlook the always dumb Eric Young nonsense. Other than that, I’m not sure how much this did to set up No Surrender, but TNA doesn’t seem to be treating that as much in the first place anyway. Nice show here, with the solid wrestling carrying things.

Results
Nic Nemeth b. Rich Swann – Danger Zone
Mara Sade b. Ryan Nemeth – Superkick
The System b. Hardys/Moose/Mike Santana – Fire thunder driver to Jeff

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

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

Ring Of Honor
Date: February 12, 2026
Location: eSports Stadium Arlington, Arlington, Texas
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re getting closer to absolutely nothing right now and there are a lot of titles that could use a defense after literal months of no defenses. Hopefully they find a way around that, as the Swirl/Jay Lethal story, which was the best thing going, has already cooled off. Maybe we can switch it up a bit this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Titles: La Faccion Ingobernable vs. Top Flight

La Faccion is defending for the first time since winning the titles on December 5, which was their first time teaming together. We get a cheer off to start and Dante speeds around Mortos. A running shoulder sends Dante flying and it’s off to Darius vs. Guevara. Well never mind as Guevara hands it right back to Mortos, which seems like a waste of time.

And it’s already back to Guevara, who is knocked into Mortos this time, but snaps off a headlock takeover. Guevara’s moonsault dropkick puts Darius on the floor so Dante comes in, only to miss a stomp. Dante gets taken into the corner for some clotheslines from Mortos, who is described as a good lawyer. As your bull monsters tend to be.

A shot to the hamstring lets Mortos start in on the leg but Dante manages a quick DDT. Darius and Guevara come in to pick up the pace but Mortos gets in a blind tag. A jumping Downward Spiral drops Guevara and a tornado DDT drops Mortos for two, as the blind tag didn’t make much of a difference. Mortos is right back with a pop up Samoan drop to pin Darius at 8:39.

Rating: C+. It was nice to see the titles actually defended, as if nothing else you might want to see the still mostly unproven team actually, like, team. It’s not like there are many teams in the title picture (whatever that entails) so it makes sense to give the champs some reps. At least more than one every two months at least.

Jay Lethal has Bandido’s mask and promises that Bandido will lose the World Title soon. Tommy Billington pops in to challenge Lethal. He doesn’t actually do anything physical, but he does make the challenge.

Michael Oku/Von Erichs vs. The OXP/Oday/Timur The Great

Kevin Von Erich is here too and gives Oku his cowboy hat on the way in. Oku grabs OXP’s arm to start and hands it off to the Von Erichs for some running clotheslines in the corner. Everything breaks down quickly and Oku hits the running shooting star to the floor. Back in and the double Claw and half crab give us the triple submission at 2:31. At least it was short.

We look back at last week’s main event.

Persephone vs. Julissa Mexa

Mexa takes her down to start fast and does a quick dance. The hips to the face have Persephone in more trouble and a spinning middle rope crossbody gives Mexa two. Persephone is right back up with a knockdown and basement dropkick to put Mexa in trouble. Some knees in the corner have Mexa down again and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up and Mexa gets in a capture suplex, followed by a standing moonsault for two of her own. Mexa strikes away so Persephone gives her a bridging German suplex. A pumphandle dragon suplex puts Persephone down for two more but she’s right back with a crucifix bomb for the pin at 5:29.

Rating: B-. They made the most of their time here and it was a back and forth match. The good thing is that Persephone, who is apparently a big deal around here, got to look like a star. At the same time, Mexa had a solid debut and I could go for more of her, as the women’s division could certainly use some new names.

Dalton Castle/Outrunners vs. KM/Nathan Cruz/Rosario Grillo

Magnum scares Grillo into the corner to start so it’s quickly off to Cruz for an early change. Everything breaks down fast and the Outrunners clean house. Castle comes in for the suplexes and it’s a triple slam into the Mega Powers elbow to Cruz. The Bang A Rang gets the pin at 2:32. Total squash.

JD Drake doesn’t think much of Adam Priest going after Kazuchika Okada and wants to teach him a lesson. That’s quite the downgrade from Okada.

Lance Archer vs. Will Allday

Allday bounces off of Archer to start but manages to backflip out of a chokeslam attempt. A choke toss sends Allday flying but he avoids a charge in the corner. Archer has had enough and knocks him down, setting up the chokeslam and Blackout for the pin at 2:30. Anyone think maybe they should do something with Archer and his undefeated run? Anything at all?

Swirl/Premiere Athletes vs. Bandido/Mascara Dorada/Komander/Xelhua

Daivari and Xelhua start things off with Xelhua firing off some early dropkicks. Dorada comes in and gets his mask pulled, allowing the big beatdown in the corner. That doesn’t last long as Dorada is back with a spinning kick to Nese’s head. Komander comes in to face Johnson and flips over into a standoff. That works so well that Komander flips over into a standoff before bringing in Bandido to face Christian.

They forearm it out until Johnson and Komander come in as well. The luchadors clear the ring but some evil cheap shots leave Komander in trouble for a change. Nese drops a leg and the Athletes hit a quick double suplex. Bandido avoids a charge in the corner but gets speared down on the apron in a nice sequence. Back in and Johnson hammers away while Christian hits on Stori Denali.

Daivari and Komander crash on stereo crossbodies and Bandido comes back in to clean house. Komander’s very bouncy hurricanrana connects and the luchadors hit a nice quadruple dive. Christian flips out of the 21 Plex though and Denali sneaks in to chokeslam Bandido. Christian’s frog splash gets two with Dorada making a save. We hit the parade of knockdowns, including a pop up cutter to Daivari. More dives connect to the floor and Bandido 21 Plexes Daivari for the win at 14:07.

Rating: B-. This was a fun match with the luchadors getting to go out there and do some impressive things, as they are known to do. That’s always going to work, though at least this did something to keep up the build towards Christian vs. Bandido. I have no idea when that is actually going to happen, but at least they’re doing something to make it happen. Kind of.

Overall Rating: B-. While there was a lot of filler in the middle, it was nice to see a show actually feel important for a change. That’s not something that you often see around here and putting one of the ridiculous amount of titles on the line helped. Throw in some Bandido/Christian build in and I could go for more of this style. I doubt I’ll get it, but I’ll take it for a week.

Results
La Faccion Ingobernable b. Sky Flight – Pop up Samoan drop to Darius
Michael Oku/Von Erichs b. The OXP/Oday/Timur The Great – Triple submissions
Persephone b. Julissa Mexa – Crucifix bomb
Dalton Castle/Outrunners b. KM/Nathan Cruz/Rosario Grillo – Bang A Rang to Cruz
Lance Archer b. Will Allday – Blackout
Bandido/Xelhua/Mascara Dorada/Komander b. Swirl/Premiere Athletes – 21 Plex to Daivari

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

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Smackdown
Date: October 10, 2008
Location: Spokane Arena, Spokane, Washington
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tazz

Things have gotten interesting around here as Jeff Hardy’s rise to the top has stalled again, this time after a loss to HHH in a heck of a title match at No Mercy. HHH isn’t getting a breath though as he is defending the title against Big Show this week. That makes sense as Big Show defeated the Undertaker at the pay per view so let’s get to it.

Here is No Mercy if you need a recap.

The opening video looks at Big Show wrecking Undertaker at No Mercy and beating him via KO. Undertaker’s eyes looked gone and that was quite the visual.

Opening sequence.

Vickie Guerrero, with Chavo Guerrero, is in the ring to get things going. She rants about how two weeks ago, she wasn’t wearing her neck brace until she was brutally and SAVAGELY attacked by the Undertaker. She can still hear the sounds of her vertebrae compressing and TO THIS DAY, she can feel the pain going down her spine (you can imagine the crowd’s reactions).

But then at No Mercy, Undertaker got his when he was dominated and humiliated by Big Show. That’s why Show is challenging HHH for the World Title tonight, which brings Show out to join us. Show has heard the fans cheering for the Undertaker and it meant nothing compared to his fist. We see what is either the same video from the opening or something close enough to it that it doesn’t matter before Show brags about knocking out a bunch of people.

As for tonight, HHH is going to know exactly what hits him and Show will be the new champion. Cue Vladimir Kozlov, who makes it clear that he’s coming for whomever leaves with the title. Show recommends against that due to the whole “I’m a giant” thing, plus he’s an AMERICAN (oh geez). And that’s how it ends, which is probably for the better.

Brie Bella vs. Natalya Neidhart

Victoria is here with Natalya. They go straight to the mat to start with Bella hammering away. Back up and Bella slips off the ropes but is right back up with a bunch of forearms in a nice recovery. Natalya blasts her with a heck of a discus clothesline but Bella gets in a quick two off a sunset flip.

That’s enough for Bella to try her dive underneath the ring, though Victoria cuts her off. Well she cuts her off for a bit, as Hornswoggle pops her up to chase Victoria away. Brie comes out from the other side of the ring but then goes back under, popping out from the other side faster than humanly possible. Natalya is so confused that she gets crucifixed for the fast pin.

Rating: C. Yeah we get it. They’re pretty much this close to revealing the thing with Bella and there’s not much point to keeping it a secret any longer. We get the idea now and while it’s clever, it isn’t something that feels like it has the longest shelf life. That being said, it might be nice to have something different in the division, which is still coming together.

We look at John Cena’s neck injury at Summerslam and his ensuing surgery.

Funaki is practicing his interviews when R-Truth comes in to say Funaki needs a microphone. R-Truth wants to get to know him a bit better, including his full name. As it turns out, Funaki’s middle name is Fu, his last name is Naki, and his first name is….Kung. R-Truth can go with that and sings a modified Kung Fu Fighting, complete with various rhymes about Funaki and Japan. Oh dear. Oh dear indeed. No, this isn’t on the Peacock version.

HHH is voting on the guest referee for Chris Jericho vs. Batista when Jeff Hardy comes in. Hardy thought they had an amazing match and praises HHH for retaining. He even wishes HHH luck tonight, but he’s coming for the winner either way.

R-Truth vs. Shelton Benjamin

Non-title and before the match, Benjamin says that in these rough economic times, you can still bet on gold. Yeah this gimmick is still horrid. Benjamin drives him into the corner to start, with some knees and forearms putting R-Truth down. They go outside to keep up the beating but R-Truth manages to fight back inside. One heck of a clothesline gives Benjamin a delayed two and we hit the chinlock. This one stays on for a good while until R-Truth suplexes his way to freedom for two of his own. R-Truth’s spinning forearm gets two more so Benjamin tries a tilt-a-whirl, which is reversed into a cradle to give R-Truth the fast pin.

Rating: C. I’m not big on the idea of a champion losing like this but it’s a fast way to make R-Truth feel like a bigger deal. That could take him somewhere sooner than later and it’s not like Benjamin’s title reign has meant much in the slightest. The match wasn’t much to see, though the ending was a nice surprise.

Jeff Hardy vs. MVP

During MVP’s entrance, Gregory Helms pops up, begging MVP to actually win a match. Apparently MVP gets a big bonus if he wins one more match, which is a logical enough incentive. They fight over a small package to start with MVP taking him down for some near falls. Hardy is back up with a knockdown but it’s way too early for the Swanton, with MVP bailing out to the floor as we take an early break.

We come back with MVP firing off some knees to the chest, followed by a knee drop for two. The seated abdominal stretch has Hardy in more trouble and a waistlock keeps him down. Hardy fights up but can’t break the hold, with MVP ramming him into the corner in a smart move. In traditional wrestling logic though, Hardy gets out even faster and hits the Whisper In The Wind for two of his own, followed by a dropkick into the corner. There’s the slingshot dropkick to the chest, followed by another to the back for a bit of a twist. The Swanton finishes MVP off.

Rating: C+. Well, this was about as good of a match as you were going to have when so much of it was spent with MVP working on the bad ribs. That’s a case where it made sense but might not have been the most interesting situation. Hardy does at least get a win back after Sunday, which he needs if he’s staying in the title picture. At the same time, MVP is not going to be thrilled by his loss, which could lead to a fun chase as he tries to get that last win.

Post match Vladimir Kozlov comes out and goes after Hardy, who is quickly headbutted out of the air.

Video on HHH.

We go to a carnival and meet Kizarny, who speaks carny and is coming to Smackdown. Ok then.

Jesse & Festus/Colons vs. Kenny Dykstra/Ryan Braddock/Curt Hawkins/Zack Ryder

This seems to exist as an excuse to get Maria, serving as guest ring announcer, on the show and….well it makes sense. Gregory Helms pops up to mock Dykstra’s team for not being the most intimidating. Festus clears the ring at the bell, as tends to be his custom but Carlito starts by springboard moonsaulting Hawkins for an early two.

Ryder comes in for a kick to the back and the villains start taking turns on Carlito. Dykstra’s middle rope ax handle gets two and some elbows to the neck set up a chinlock. Carlito fights out again and brings Festus in for the house cleaning, including a running seated senton to Dykstra. Everything breaks down and Braddock is sent outside, leaving Festus to hit the fireman’s carry flapjack for the pin on Dykstra.

Rating: D+. Again, there was no reason for this match to exist save for I’m guessing having Maria on TV. It’s not like these people (including the Tag Team Champions) have much going on at the moment and putting them in an eight man tag which barely ran three minutes isn’t going to do much to fix things. Just a quick match here and nothing important.

Post match Festus kind of stalks Maria, with Jesse getting him out of there.

We look at Big Show knocking out various people.

John Cena came to Smackdown the day of his surgery. In case you thought he was normal at any point.

Great Khali vs. ???/???/???

Before the match, Runjin Singh recaps Khali’s issues with Johnny Knoxville and kissing Lilian Garcia on Raw. Two of the three guys run away and the third is chopped for the pin in about fifteen seconds.

Post match Khali does the Kiss Cam again and kisses a woman who is a big bigger, with Singh asking for her weight but then dropping it. Khali eventually kisses her and poses.

Raw Rebound.

We look back at Jeff Hardy beating MVP but getting taken out by Vladimir Kozlov.

Kozlov is ready to destroy Hardy next week.

Smackdown World Title: HHH vs. Big Show

HHH is defending. We get the Big Match Intros until HHH ducks a shot in the corner and slugs away to no avail. Show sends him outside but misses a charge into the post to actually stagger him. Back in and the side slam plants HHH in a hurry and we take a break. We come back with HHH in a neck crank and getting cranked for a long time. The standing legdrop gives Show two but he misses a charge into the corner.

HHH jumps on his back for the sleeper, which still won’t put Show down. The facebuster doesn’t work either and the Pedigree is countered into an Air Raid Crash. The big right hand misses so Show goes with the chokeslam to drop HHH instead. Show loads up the punch again but the lights go out and the Undertaker is here to brawl with Show to the back. And that’s the match.

Rating: C. Well that was just kind of a way to keep Undertaker vs. Show going and that’s not the most thrilling way to go. If nothing else, it would be nice to have Undertaker sell the beating from No Mercy. Otherwise, it just makes the whole thing seem like an annoyance which didn’t do anything to Undertaker long term. It was a way out of the title match though, and at least Show didn’t lose his momentum so soon after looking dominant at the pay per view.

Post match Vladimir Kozlov comes out and brawls with HHH, even dropping him with a headbutt to the chest. Jeff Hardy runs in and helps HHH clear him out…and then drops HHH with the Twist Of Fate. A staredown with Kozlov ends the show.

Overall Rating: C. I wasn’t exactly feeling this one as the wrestling was just ok and it was much more about setting things up for later. Kozlov is one of the new big bads around here and I’m not sure how well that’s going. He’s not very interesting and Show going with the American thing isn’t a great sign. In other words, it feels like another roadblock to Hardy getting the title, which is what the fans want to see right now. The rest of the show wasn’t much to see and hopefully that gets better. I’m not exactly certain it will with Kozlov as a focus, but the power of Hardy is strong.

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

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: October 7, 2008
Location: Spokane Arena, Spokane, Washington
Commentators: Todd Grisham, Matt Striker

We’re done with No Mercy and Matt Hardy is still the ECW Champion, having survived Mark Henry. The following night didn’t go so well for Hardy, who was pinned by Kane in a tag match on Raw. That could open up a few different options and we could be seeing more of Kane around here. Or it means nothing. Let’s get to it.

Here is No Mercy if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Finlay/Tommy Dreamer vs. Mike Knox/Jack Swagger

Hornswoggle is here too. Finlay and Knox start things off with Finlay going straight to the elbow to the head. The running seated senton allows the tag off to Dreamer and a bulldog drops Knox again. Swagger gets knocked to the floor for a clothesline from the apron but Knox is back up with a pump kick.

We take a break and come back with Knox’s suplex getting two on Dreamer and a cheap shot knocking Finlay off the apron. Swagger comes in and misses the Vader Bomb, meaning Dreamer can come in to clean house. Everything breaks down and it’s a Tadpole Splash into a shillelagh shot to give Finlay the pin on Knox.

Rating: C+. Totally standard tag match here and that’s a fine way to go. Well, as far as you could get with Knox involved. He’s just turned into such a nothing name around here but the show is in such a need for bodies that he has to stick around. Finlay is also fine for a midcard name and that’s all he needs to be, making him a fine example of how to use a veteran of his status.

It’s October so Tiffany is a devil and Teddy Long is a vampire (I think). Jamie Noble comes in and says he’s dressed as the greatest wrestler of all time. Tiffany: “You’re dressed as Shawn Michaels!” Anyway Tony Atlas and Mark Henry interrupt, with Noble making the mistake of standing up to Henry. A match is made.

The Boogeyman is coming back. Uh…good? I think? They need people, but I’m not sure how far he’ll get them.

Mark Henry vs. Jamie Noble

Henry runs him over to start and steps on his back for some loud screaming. Another knockdown has Noble in more trouble but he avoids a charge in the corner. The right hands in the corner look to set up a high crossbody, which is pulled into the World’s Strongest Slam to give Henry the pin.

Rating: C. Just a squash here as we establish that Henry is in fact still a monster. That was pretty much covered last night on Raw but they needed to do it here as well. Thankfully it didn’t last long, as there was no reason for it to go more than a few minutes. Henry knows how to smash through people and he did it well here.

Post match the beatdown stays on so Matt Hardy runs in with a Twist Of Fate. Unfortunately it’s to Tony Atlas, leaving Henry to wreck Hardy.

Raw Rebound.

CM Punk/Ricky Ortiz/Kofi Kingston/Evan Bourne vs. Miz/John Morrison/Cody Rhodes/Ted DiBiase Jr.

Manu is here with the villains. Rhodes and Bourne start things going as Striker actually explains the rules of an eight man tag. I…sure why not, as it’s not hurting anything. Bourne starts in on the arm and it’s quickly off to Punk to stay on said arm. Morrison comes in and gets taken into the corner, where Ortiz drops a leg. It’s back to Bourne for a running hurricanrana and the villains are cleared out as we take a break.

We come back with DiBiase chinlocking Bourne, apparently thanks to Manu interfering during the break (he has to do something). A big clothesline cuts off Bourne’s comeback and Morrison comes in for the armbar. Miz grabs a cravate and the rapid fire tags continue with Rhodes hammering away.

It’s already back to Miz for a front facelock, with Bourne reversing into a small package for two. Bourne is up without much trouble though and Punk comes back in to strike away. Everything breaks down (yep) and it’s time for the series of dives. Manu’s distraction saves Morrison from the GTS though and DiBiase knocks Punk into the Moonlight Drive to give Morrison the pin.

Rating: B-. The rapid fire tags helped a bit here as it let the people get in there rather than waiting around as much. At the same time, the less Ortiz does the better, as there is just nothing there. I know he has the big hair and the towel and all that, but that’s not enough to carry him. Hopefully WWE realizes that soon, as it’s getting harder to put up with him. Finally, my goodness Punk has fallen rather quickly after losing the World Title, which tends to be the case too often with MITB title winners.

Overall Rating: C+. ECW continues to exist, with the title feud kind of on hold this week and guest stars being there to fill in the gaps. As usual, I’m not sure how much this needs to be a regular hour long show, but WWE has done dumber things before. The main event was ok, though it’s not worth going out of your way to see. Just wait for Smackdown, as is often the case around here.

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

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