IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: February 17, 2006
Location: Norfolk Scope, Norfolk, Virginia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz

It’s the go home show for No Way Out, which is looking like one of the best shows that WWE has put together for a good while now. I’m not sure what to expect here, but we’re going to be seeing some previews for some of the pay per view matches. For once, that sounds like a fine idea. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Rey Mysterio vs. Sylvan

Sylvan talks about being the whole package, so Rey hits him with a baseball slide and a slingshot dive to start things off in a hurry. Rey hammers away on the floor and sends him into the steps as the aggression is strong here. They head inside for the opening bell so the aggressive Rey grabs a headlock.

Rey kicks at the leg as the EDDIE chants start up, meaning it’s an Eddie dance. A missed charge in the corner lets Sylvan get in a backbreaker and a delayed belly to back gets two. The bearhug goes on, followed by a spinebuster for two more. Rey fights out of a waistlock and is immediately clotheslined right back down. That doesn’t seem to matter though as it’s a 619 into Dropping The Dime for the pin on Sylvan.

Rating: C-. It was nice to see Rey a little more aggressive as he can be fast enough to make it work well. You can only do the stick and move offense for so long and Rey getting in a win like this, even one where he had to fight through some adversity, was a nice change of pace. Rey is often presented as surviving instead of winning decisively, so this worked out well.

Post match Randy Orton comes out to say that Eddie main evented Wrestlemania (not exactly) but Rey will never do that because he can’t win.

Post break, Mysterio runs into Kurt Angle, who asks if Rey is letting Orton talk to him like that. It would be an honor to face Mysterio at Wrestlemania but here’s Mark Henry to ask why Angle is worried about Wrestlemania. Tonight, Henry is taking out Angle and Undertaker.

Here’s Orlando Jordan to say that he should be getting the US Title shot at No Way Out. No one in that locker room can beat him either.

Boogeyman vs. Orlando Jordan

Jordan jumps him but Boogeyman finishes with the pumphandle slam in less than a minute.

Post match, Boogeyman drops worms on Jordan. Moving on.

Cruiserweight Title: Gregory Helms vs. Scotty 2 Hotty

Hotty is challenging in place of Kid Kash, who had a family emergency. Helms stomps away in the corner to start but Scotty snaps off some hiptosses for two. A missed charge sends Scotty into the post though and a knee to the face gets two. Helms drops some legs and gets two more off a Chris Jericho style cocky cover. A clothesline sets up the chinlock but Scotty is up with elbows and a backdrop. The Worm tease takes too long though and it’s a clothesline into the Shining Wizard to retain.

Rating: C-. Just a quick match here and that was kind of the point. The cruiserweights don’t have much going at the moment so Helms is about as good of a choice as they have. They’re going to need to do something else to boost things up, starting with a good challenger. I’m not sure how likely that is given the history of the division, but what we’re getting so far isn’t quite promising.

Post match Helms says he can do that against anyone in the cruiserweight division. Cue the cruiserweight division to beat the heck out of Helms, capped of by the Worm from Scotty.

Video on the Undertaker.

We look at the Helms beatdown again.

Teddy Long comes in to see Helms as he is getting ice on his ribs. For No Way Out: another Cruiserweight Open.

Mr. Kennedy interrupts Paul Burchill’s interview and can’t believe we’re seeing this. Burchill puts a sword to Kennedy’s throat and Kennedy suddenly sees the brilliance. Kennedy: “We need a pirate in this business.”

John Bradshaw Layfield/Finlay vs. Chris Benoit/Bobby Lashley

Booker T. and Sharmell are on commentary and Benoit’s entrance makes Booker sweat. Benoit and Finlay start things off and fight over a lockup until Finlay takes him down by the leg. Back up and Benoit hits a dropkick as Booker rants about being able to work 365 days a year. Sharmell: “Michael Cole, you would scream like a girl if you had an ingrown toenail.” Finlay gets Benoit tied in the ring skirt so JBL can stomp on Benoit’s hand on the steps.

Said hand is bent around the turnbuckle so Benoit uses the good hand to chop JBL into the corner. Unfortunately it’s the Finlay corner and the beating is on all over again. Benoit slugs away from JBL and brings Lashley in to clean house. The shoulders in the corner have JBL in trouble so he goes to the eye to save himself. Finlay comes in and gets clotheslined to the floor, with JBL diving off the apron to drop Lashley.

We take a break and come back with Lashley caught in a sleeper. Lashley fights up but Finlay kicks him in the back to take care of the comeback bid. Finlay comes in and uppercuts him a few times, only to have Lashley hit the running clothesline. The hot tag brings in Benoit to clean house, including a suplex to JBL. The rolling German suplexes keep JBL in trouble but Finlay makes the save. Benoit sends Finlay into the steps but Booker chairs Benoit in the back. The Clothesline From JBL finishes Benoit.

Rating: C+. Pretty solid enough tag match and that works out well for everyone. Finlay doesn’t have the big win on his own yet but he’s become a player in a hurry. Now as long as they can do something with him in the coming weeks, he might be able to become someone around here. He comes off as someone different, and that’s a great status to have.

Bret Hart Hall of Fame announcement.

Matt Hardy vs. Simon Dean

The Gymini are here with Dean and offer a rather early distraction. The other pulls Dean out of the way of a charge in the corner and that means an ejection. Dean gets in a few cheap shots and sends Hardy into the corner as commentary doesn’t seem to think the match deserves that much attention. The Side Effect gets Matt out of trouble and the Twist of Fate finishes in a hurry.

Rating: D. I’m not sure what it means that this is the best Matt has gotten to look since Survivor Series. The match was nothing and just a win over Simon Dean of all people, but at least Matt got to win something. He needs to reset things a bit and while I don’t believe that is going to start from this, it’s better than nothing.

Video on Angle’s career, including several clips of his amateur career.

Raw Rebound.

Matt Hardy runs into Melina in the back and accepts her offer. Not the backscratching offer, but the offer for a match against MNM with a partner of his choosing. Ok then.

No Way Out rundown.

MNM/Mark Henry vs. Kurt Angle/Undertaker

Daivari and Melina are here with the villains. Angle and Mercury start things off but Undertaker steps in front of Kurt to start instead. Undertaker throws Mercury into the corner without much trouble and demands Henry. That’s just what he gets, along with a blind tag from Angle who uppercuts Henry instead. It’s off to Nitro, who misses a charge into the corner. The ankle lock is broken up and everything breaks down in a hurry. Undertaker and Angle clear the ring but stop to stare at each other, allowing Henry to throw both of them outside.

We take a break and come back with Nitro holding Angle in a chinlock before Mercury comes in for shoulders in the corner. Henry fights out of an ankle lock without much trouble and it’s Mercury back in with the next chinlock. That one is broken up with a suplex and the hot tag brings in Undertaker. Snake Eyes into the big boot hits Mercury but Henry breaks up the double chokeslam. MNM chokes away in the corner and a double suplex gets two. Undertaker avoids a Henry charge and calls for the chokeslam but Angle tags the hand instead. Angle cleans house in a hurry and finishes Nitro with an ankle lock.

Rating: C+. Normally I wouldn’t be thrilled with the Tag Team Champions losing like this but due to a mixture of that ship sailing a long time ago and it being against Undertaker and Angle. This was all designed to keep pushing Angle vs. Undertaker, which is somehow looking even better than it did before. The match wasn’t the point here, but it worked out well enough for what they were trying to do.

Post match Undertaker chokeslams and Tombstones Henry (without the best landing) to scare Angle a bit. The staredown ends the show.

Overall Rating: C. The wrestling was good enough but what matters the most here is making No Way Out look more interesting. The card is looking rather good two days before the show and that is more than you usually get out of the February show. Then again, having Undertaker vs. Angle on the show is about as good as you can get for a pre-Wrestlemania main event.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

I don’t know how to say this but Impact Wrestling is looking pretty good at the moment. They have something going with these recent shows (with no fans, again showing that it can be done) and I’m curious to see if they can make it work on pay per view. The company’s history suggests that they are at their best when they are just focusing on wrestling, which is where they are on Saturday. Now they need to make it work. Let’s get to it.

X-Division Title: Willie Mack(c) vs. Chris Bey

We’ll start off with a match that has a lot of potential as the two of them are both on a roll at the moment. Mack seems like he could be the star of the show in the blink of an eye and Bey looks as smooth in the ring as anyone I can remember in a good while. The main focus of this story has been Johnny Swinger, but Bey insulting him on Tuesday seems to have written that part out. That just leaves the match, and it sounds good.

I’ll go with Mack retaining here, as he seems like someone who could be a rather long term champion. Bey is going to be fine as he really is good at almost anything he does in the ring. This could be a heck of an opening match as a way to get things off to start things off, or one of the bigger matches later on in the show. I’m wanting to see this one and that’s a nice feeling to have.

Knockouts Gauntlet

This is an eleven woman gauntlet to crown a new #1 contender, meaning it could go almost any possible way. That makes for some interesting possibilities, and for a rather hard prediction to make. The important factor here is how much depth the division suddenly has, which has been an issue for the division before. Things seem to be changing, but quantity does not necessarily equal quality.

I’ll go with Rosemary as a somewhat safe pick here, as she is an established name and a win wouldn’t be out of nowhere. Kylie Rae seems to be the name they are building up more than anyone else, but she seems to be getting a little bit too much momentum. Most of the rest of the names are just kind of there, but as usual, this one is going to depend on who leaves the show with the title.

Rascalz vs. ???

Now let’s not beat around the bush here. I know this is going to be the Good Brothers, you know this is going to be the Good Brothers, and the non-existent popcorn vendor in sect….do we actually know where this show is taking place? I’d assume Nashville but I don’t think it’s ever been announced. Anyway, this isn’t a mystery to the people answering the challenge, but it should still be a cool moment.

Since the Rascalz almost never win a match, I’ll take the Good Brothers to win here without much trouble. There’s no reason for this to be anything more than a competitive match ending with a Magic Killer, as Anderson and Gallows are going to be fine enough to put on a good showing and become players in the tag division. That being said, I always feel bad about saying “I’M SURE!” on something like this, but I’m about as sure as I can be here.

TNA World Title: Moose(c) vs. Tommy Dreamer

No matter how many things change, you can count on Dreamer somehow getting a spot somewhere. Moose as the delusional monster champion has been a fun story and the kind of thing that he can pull off. I’m curious to see how long the story goes and who takes it off of him, as it could be a rather nice story with a good payoff.

What won’t be a good payoff is Dreamer winning the title, which won’t be happening here. Moose will probably sell for Dreamer because this is Old School rules (which should probably mean traditional rules but alas) but can come out as champion in the end. Beating Dreamer doesn’t mean much no matter what kind of a match it is but he comes with the territory (any territory) at this point.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace(c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo

This could be an interesting one as Grace is the powerhouse but Purrazzo has gotten the better of her at almost every turn. The problem here is they’ve made Purrazzo into a near killer and I’m not sure how much damage would be done if she loses her first big match. At the same time though, Grace hasn’t even been champion that long. She’s the kind of person who could bounce back from a loss in a hurry, but I’m not sure if that’s what we’re going to be seeing here.

I’m going to go on a limb and say Purrazzo wins here, though it’s my least confident pick on the entire show. This could be a good power vs. technical skills match, and while I could see Grace countering the armbar into a Grace Driver to retain, I think Purrazzo gets the title here. She could be a killer champion for a good while, and I’m not sure her losing early on would leave that possible.

Tag Team Titles: The North(c) vs. Ken Shamrock/Sami Callihan

I’m not usually a fan of a thrown together team getting a title shot, but it’s not like there are any other teams in the company who deserve a shot at the moment. The tag division has been one of the weaker points as of late, as there certainly are teams but none of them really stand out all that well. The North has held the titles for over a year now and have to lose to someone, but is that going to be here?

I think I’ve talked myself into saying yes actually, so we’ll go with new champs. Shamrock has been treated as a big deal since he got back (he even got to face Joey Ryan) and Callihan is a former World Champion. It’s not like the North needs to hold the titles any longer, though I would assume the Good Brothers are waiting on whoever comes out with the titles. I’m oddly curious about this, but that might be due to how good the North has been.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Ace Austin vs. Eddie Edwards vs. Trey vs. ???

Now here we have an interesting one, as the mystery opponent could be multiple people. The company only had so many ways to go to set something up here and given the circumstances, this is about as good as they could do. I’m curious to see who the mystery opponent is and who leaves with the title, so missions accomplished so far. Now just have a good match and they should be fine.

In theory, this is EC3’s spot and title to win, but I’m not entirely convinced for some reason. Bully Ray springs to mind as a possibility, which would be about as lame as you can get. I’m just hoping that when they say “World Champion” they aren’t going to pull something like they’ve done before with “World TAG TEAM Champion”, but I think that’s far enough in the past for the company. As for a winner, I’ll take Austin, who I’ve liked since he debuted. I’m curious to see where it goes though, and that’s what matters most.

Overall Thoughts

I can’t believe I’m saying this but I want to watch the show, which hasn’t been the case for a long time now. Impact has been one of the best things going in recent weeks and if they nail this show, we could be in for a heck of a night. It’s almost weird to be excited over a non-AEW/NXT show these days but they’re making it work here. It’s hard to say, but don’t let me down Impact.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: July 15, 2020

We’re dropping down the ladder around here, with this week’s show focusing on Vincent.. In other words, it’s like a look at Luke Harper right after he broke away from the Wyatt Family. That’s a pretty far cry from some of their previous offerings, and I’m almost scared to see what we get soon. Let’s get to it.

Video on Vincent to start.

Vincent talks about how he has grown up in Ring of Honor and used a lot of stepping stones to get here. That all started back at Final Battle 2016 so that’s where we’re going first.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Kingdom vs. Kushida/Jay White/Lio Rush

The titles are vacant coming in and I still have no idea which one is TK O’Ryan and which is Vinny Marsegila. Before the bell, Corino says the Father (likely meaning Kevin Sullivan) said the evil was coming and that’s clearly Cody. Things start very fast with Rush hitting a standing C4 and frog splash for a pretty hot two.

After a break on the floor, White takes O’Ryan down until it’s off to Kushida for a dropkick to the head. Rush comes in for some YES Kicks but Taven sneaks in for a DDT to take over. O’Ryan adds a spear for two as things settle down into your normal formula. The first hot tag brings in Kushida for the Hoverboard Lock but O’Ryan is quickly in the ropes.

The announcers are nice enough to start explaining why we should care about the Kingdom as Kushida scores with a double Tajiri handspring elbow. Everything breaks down and White gets two off a missile dropkick. To really pick things up a bit, White gets caught in a half crab from the top rope, only to have Kushida put Vinny in the Hoverboard Lock on the top for the save.

A superplex breaks the submissions which don’t count because they’re in the ropes and it’s time for Rush to get to show off because ROH LOVES that guy. Kushida gets in a big dive to take all of the Kingdom down, only to have Taven dive onto the even bigger pile. Back in and Rush has Vinny beaten so TK dives off the top to take out the referee. Rush goes crazy with his strikes but the triple powerbomb crushes Lio to give the Kingdom the belts at 15:22.

Rating: C+. This is a good example of just throwing titles out there and not bothering to put anything important behind them. There’s no reason to care about Six Man Tag Team Titles when there were barely any trios in the first place. It comes off like someone else did something so now we’ve got Trios Titles. That doesn’t mean it works and the match wasn’t great either, making this the finals of one heck of a waste of time, especially with the winners being a reincarnated stable that is missing all the parts that made it work in the first place.

Then someone attacked TK O’Ryan and Vincent. Matt Taven demanded answers, but it was Vincent of course. Vincent took out Taven as well, setting up their big showdown at Final Battle 2019.

Matt Taven vs. Vincent

Taven goes straight at him to start and sends Vincent outside for the suicide dive. Kelly rapid fires off Taven’s resume as Vincent is backdropped over the barricade. That means a dive from Taven and a jumping enziguri in the corner back inside rocks Vincent again. There’s a powerbomb for two and a freaky leglock works on Vincent’s leg. That’s broken up so Taven grabs a DDT for two more but Vincent sends him outside for a drop onto the apron.

A suplex onto the exposed concrete bangs up Taven’s back even more and they head back inside. Instead of staying on the back though, Vincent starts in on the ankle with stomps and bending around the rope. That’s broken up though and Taven sends him to the floor for the Flight of the Conqueror, followed by a top rope splash to the apron for two.

Back in and Vincent grabs a Side Effect, followed by Redrum for a near fall of his own. A quick Climax gives Taven two more and a second gets the same, leaving Taven stunned. With that not working, naturally it’s time for a hatchet but the attempted murder is countered into a Dudley Dog to finish Taven at 13:32.

Rating: C+. I’m as shocked as you are that Taven is working so well as a face. He really does seem to have been missing the point all this time and while he isn’t a huge star, he’s good enough to work in a spot like this. I could go for more of him, but his ankle injury would put him on the shelf for a long time. That’s a shame too, as he’s more interesting than he ever has been around here.

Post match Bateman comes out and helps Vincent crush Taven’s ankle.

Vincent and Chuckles the Clown talk about being righteous and hating their lives. They’ll drink to that.

Someone pulls a woman out of a car and she shouts about how much she hates him. Vincent sits down next to her and says he can help her. She comes with him.

Vincent and the woman go to meet Chuckles, who is sharpening a knife. Using said knife, Vincent cuts her hand open and she cringes a lot.

Vincent talks about how he isn’t carrying Taven any longer.

Now it’s time for the team to come together. From ROH TV, February 26, 2020.

Vincent/Bateman vs. Dalton Castle/Joe Hendry

Chuckles and Vita are in Vincent/Bateman’s corner. Bateman and Castle stare at each other to start until Castle takes him into the corner so Hendry can work on the arm. A fireman’s carry into a running shoulder has Bateman in trouble and a jumping knee gives Hendry two. Castle drops a middle rope knee and we hit the waistlock. Vincent holds out Matt Taven’s crutch for a distraction though, which just lets Hendry clothesline Bateman to the floor. Vincent finally comes in and posts Castle as we take a break.

Back with Hendry in trouble as Bateman and Vincent take turns kicking him in the ribs. Vincent gets two off a Side Effect and grabs a guillotine choke for a bonus. That’s broken up with a suplex and the hot tag brings in Castle. House is cleaned with suplexes until Vincent puts Castle on the top.

That goes nowhere as Castle slips down and catches him in a release German suplex. Vincent knocks him outside, only to have Castle get over to Hendry. That means a double fall away slam so Hendry can show off quite a bit as everything breaks down. A reverse Sling Blade puts Bateman down and there’s the facebuster to Vincent, only to have Chuckles pull Castle to the floor. Vincent hits a Dudley Dog for the pin on Hendry at 12:38.

Rating: C+. They were working hard here with Vincent and Bateman continuing to be more interesting than the Kingdom ever was. Castle and Hendry’s oddball stuff isn’t exactly thrilling and the two of them have been doing the same stuff for months now. At least we got a good match out of it though and that’s more than some people can say.

Vincent says a journey is a path we all must take. This is a Righteous beginning. Dig what he is saying?

Overall Rating: B-. The action was fine but at the same time, there is only so much that can be done with a lower level name like Vincent. He might be something one day and he knows how to talk, but I’m not sure what they were expecting here. That being said, I do like the idea of focusing on someone a little lower on the card like this. Let them have the spotlight for a change and plan for the future. Not a bad show by any stretch, but not the most thrilling.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: July 17, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s the go home show for Extreme Rules and I think I can safely say thank goodness for that. We’ve had a long road to get here and there is one big match to go, as Matt Riddle challenges AJ Styles for the Intercontinental Title. Hopefully they can add in a little more for the pay per view, as it only has six matches set. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

AJ Styles is ready to beat the barefoot bump to retain the title because Riddle is a flash in the pan.

Matt Riddle is ready to beat Arrogant Jackass all over again.

Daniel Bryan is ready to see a new champion.

Alexa Bliss has a special mystery guest on A Moment of Bliss. Who is it? She doesn’t Bliss and tell.

Miz and John Morrison are getting ready for Morrison’s match against Braun Strowman. And something about fighting Jean Claude Van Damme on a yacht.

Braun Strowman hopes Bray Wyatt is watching tonight.

Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro are ready to pick the stipulation for Sunday’s Tag Team Title match after Cesaro beats Big E.

New Day doesn’t think so.

Big E. vs. Cesaro

Kofi Kingston and Shinsuke Nakamura are at ringside and the winner gets to pick the stipulation (between a tables match and a cage match) for Sunday. They go outside in a hurry with Big E. driving him into the steps. A spear into the steps makes it even worse but Big E. misses a charge into the post back inside. Cesaro posts him again and hits a middle rope ax handle to the head for two. The chinlock goes on but Big E. fights up with belly to belly suplexes. The apron splash connects and we take a break.

Back with Cesaro cutting off a comeback big with an uppercut but Big E. reverses the Neutralizer into the Brock Lock of all things. That’s reversed as well and Cesaro swings him into the Sharpshooter. Cesaro switches into a Crossface but Big E. makes the rope. Kofi gets taken out as Big E. loads up the Big Ending, which nearly hits the referee. The distraction lets Nakamura get in a cheap shot and the Neutralizer lets Cesaro make the choice at 10:07.

Rating: C. This is a match that could have worked better with some more time and it worked out well enough here. They had been teasing a tables match for a few weeks now so the ending wasn’t quite in doubt, but I’ll take a little drama over building momentum every time.

Post match Cesaro and Nakamura load up another table but Kofi is back for the save. Nakamura gets Cesaro off the table in time though and they bail.

King Corbin wants to see Styles retain tonight because he doesn’t like Riddle. See, Riddle is playing with fire by going after the big dogs and tonight he’s going to get burned. Tonight, people are going to realize that the Bro is a little boy.

It’s time for A Moment of Bliss, with Alexa Bliss feeling clairvoyant. She thinks the Los Angeles Lakers are going to win the NBA Championship, that Matt Riddle is winning the Intercontinental Title tonight, that Braun Strowman is going to win the Swamp Fight, and that her mystery guest is going to tear the roof off on Sunday. Nikki Cross thinks it’s her and promises to do just that against Bayley. Bliss asks how many Nitro Boosts Cross has had, because she isn’t the guest.

Cue Bayley and Sasha Banks, with Bayley promising to retain on Sunday. She has a prediction of her own: on Sunday, she is beating Nikki and Banks is beating the Empress of Yesterday Asuka, to win every belt there is. That’s all well and good, but Bayley and Banks aren’t the guest. Cue Asuka, with the brawl starting in a hurry. Bliss says get a referee out here.

Hold on though as Daniel Bryan says that he thinks Riddle is winning the title again.

Asuka/Nikki Cross vs. Bayley/Sasha Banks

Non-title. Cross throws Bayley down to start and hammers away on her in the corner. Banks offers a distraction though and Bayley pulls her down by the hair. The armbar doesn’t last long and it’s back to Bayley to stomp away. A double whip sends Cross into the corner again and Bayley grabs the chinlock. That lasts as long as your run of the mill chinlock and Cross fights up for the tag off to Asuka. House is cleaned in a hurry and Asuka ties Banks up in the ring skirt.

It’s back to Cross to forearm away and scream a lot. Bayley’s baseball slide under the corner is countered into the ring skirt as well and it’s Cross and Asuka hitting dives off the apron. Dancing takes us to the break. Back with Asuka in trouble and Banks stomping away before handing it back to Bayley. More stomping ensues and it’s Banks grabbing the chinlock.

Bayley misses an elbow though and it’s a hot tag to Cross to pick up the pace. A bulldog out of the corner drops Banks but she’s right back with a dropkick to the ribs for two. Bayley comes back in and sends Cross outside, where Cross hits a springboard tornado DDT off the announcers’ table. Everyone winds up back inside until Banks kicks Asuka to the floor. The Meteora off the apron misses and Asuka kicks Banks down, leaving Bayley to counter another DDT into a rollup with feet on the ropes to pin Cross at 14:20.

Rating: C+. The energy was high here, though I’m still not believing there is much of a chance at either title changing hands on Sunday. Bayley and Banks have been on television a lot as of late and they’re really gelling as a team as of late. The problem though is they’re beating everyone and I’m not sure who is left to give them a real challenge.

Miz fires up Morrison, who compares Strowman to a movie monster. They’re movie guys, but Miz isn’t going to be the best friend who dies fighting said monster. He’ll have Morrison’s back though.

This week’s Firefly Fun House takes us to the Swamp with Eater of Worlds Wyatt. Bray talks about how he brought Strowman here and told him the truth. He gave Strowman a purpose and created the monster. But then Strowman left, only to want to come back to the swamp to face Wyatt once and for all. Wyatt wants his monster to come home because the monster is still inside.

John Morrison vs. Braun Strowman

Non-title and Miz is in Morrison’s corner. Before the match, Strowman talks about having to go to the swamp and slap the devil in the face to end this once and for all. Strowman starts fast and hits the running clothesline in the corner. Morrison gets forearmed in the chest over and over, followed by a one armed chokeslam. The old head and arm choke sets up the running powerslam to finish Morrison at 1:47. That’s how it should have gone.

Post match, Strowman says he’s coming home. Strowman leaves and Morrison needs help getting out.

Naomi vs. Lacey Evans

Naomi cuts off Lacey’s pre-match promo and we’re ready to go. A few shots to the ribs have Lacey in early trouble but she knocks Naomi down and hits the slingshot elbow. The bottom rope moonsault hits Naomi’s raised knees and some kicks to the ribs keep Lacey in trouble. There’s a running hurricanrana to put Lacey in the corner and a kick to the head knocks her down on the apron. Lacey catches her charging in and ties the hair around the ropes for a creative stop. That’s broken up and the Woman’s Right finishes Naomi at 2:43. So why couldn’t they just do this last week?

Jeff Hardy talks about how fighting a bully like Sheamus is like fighting addiction. Yes it’s risky to walk into a bar but it’s going to be worth the chance to beat up Sheamus. As for tonight’s Intercontinental Title match…..well I’m not sure actually as Sheamus kicks him in the face. Sheamus says he’s here to cleanse Jeff of his demons, so see you next week fella. So the Bar Fight is on Smackdown and not at the pay per view? Ok then.

Bayley and Banks talk about having the momentum going into Sunday.

Cross is upset about losing and doesn’t want to let everyone down. Bliss tries to calm her down but Cross runs after Bayley and Banks, who are standing nearby. Bliss has to break it up, with Bayley wanting a leash on Cross.

Here are the same promos from AJ and Riddle that opened the show.

Intercontinental Title: Matt Riddle vs. AJ Styles

Styles is defending and we get the Big Match Intros. Riddle blocks an early Irish whip attempt and hits the rolling gutwrench suplexes to put AJ on the floor. A running knee puts AJ down again so he rips off the announcers’ table, only to get kicked in the head. We take a break and come back with AJ still in trouble as commentary thinks he’s off his game tonight.

AJ manages a belly to back faceplant to drop Riddle though and it’s time for the forearms in the corner. Some shots to the leg have Riddle in trouble and we hit the chinlock. Riddle powers up and drives him into the corner, setting up the running backsplash. The Bro To Sleep into the Final Flash connects for two and we take another break.

Back again with AJ hitting a clothesline out of the corner but Riddle strikes away without much trouble. Riddle charges into a superkick though but AJ can’t hit the Styles Clash. Instead Riddle hits a ripcord knee to the face, only to miss the Floating Bro. A brainbuster gives AJ two but he has to fight out of the Bro Derek. They strike it out with AJ reversing a Pele into the Calf Crusher. Riddle reverses that into a Bromission attempt but can’t quite get it on. Instead, AJ reverses into a cradle for the clean pin at 18:07.

Rating: B. I’m not wild on the 50/50 booking, though losing a clean fall to AJ Styles is far from some career killer. Riddle has gotten a good start to his run on Smackdown, but I’m worried about the double hit of losing here and then having to feud with Corbin for weeks on end. I know he had frostbite on his feet, but that isn’t the kind of heat he needs.

Post match AJ shakes Riddle’s hand but here’s Corbin from behind to beat Riddle down.

Overall Rating: C+. Maybe it was last week’s show being so bad but this was a lot easier to watch than most shows. Imagine that: you get rid of the stupid stuff like karaoke and have a good, long main event and the show gets that much better. I still have no desire to watch Extreme Rules, but at least they had something better here for a change.

Results

Cesaro b. Big E. – Neutralizer

Bayley/Sasha Banks b. Asuka/Nikki Cross – Rollup with feet on the ropes to Cross

Braun Strowman b. John Morrison – Running powerslam

Lacey Evans b. Naomi – Woman’s Right

AJ Styles b. Matt Riddle – Cradle

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: July 14, 2020
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Madison Rayne

It’s the go home show for Slammiversary and that’s actually a pretty nice feeling for once. The shows building towards the pay per view have been well done and if they manage to make it work this time, we could be in for a heck of a show on Saturday. Yeah Saturday, as almost everyone outside of WWE has changed up their pay per view schedule in a pretty smart move. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Rosemary/Kiera Hogan/Tasha Steelz/Kimber Lee/Taya Valkyrie vs. Alisha Edwards/Kylie Rae/Susie/Nevaeh/Havok

Steelz is taken into the corner to start with Havok and Nevaeh starting with the rapid fire double teaming. Lee gets kicked to the floor as the villains are all sent outside early on. That means a big beatdown of Nevaeh, with Susie hitting the flip dive from the apron. Havok tosses Alisha onto the pile and Havok adds the suicide dive. Taya cuts off Rae’s dive though and it’s Kylie getting beaten down for a change.

Rosemary’s bicycle kick into a German suplex from Taya gets two. Taya adds the running knees in the corner as Josh is WAY too excited about the state of the Knockouts division, with Madison having to tone him down. Steelz sends Rae right back into the corner to cut off a comeback bid and it’s Lee coming in for a chinlock. Back from a break with Rae ducking a right hand and diving over for the tag to Susie, which commentary completely ignores. Everything breaks down into the parade of secondary finishers until Rae superkicks Lee into Susie’s Panic Switch for the pin at 13:11.

Rating: C. There’s only so much that you can get out of a match like this but it’s about as good of a preview as you can have for the gauntlet match. There are several options for the win and that could make for some interesting stuff on Saturday. The wrestling was fine enough and there wasn’t much of a point here other than having most of the participants out there.

Post match Susie seems to twitch a bit, but everything breaks down into another big brawl until Kylie stands tall.

Here’s your preview for tonight and Sunday.

Madman Fulton and Ace Austin are in Dayton, Ohio, with Fulton not being happy about being back in OVE territory. Ace says if there is one thing he has learned in his five years in wrestling, it’s that you have to go back to where you started.

Hernandez and Rhino have been arm wrestling around the arena for over a week.

Moose tries to recruit Hernandez and Rhino to be his partner tonight and costs Hernandez the win. Hernandez wants to fight Rhino outside and that’s an easy yes.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Chris Sabin wins Ultimate X at Slammiversary 2013.

XXXL vs. Deaners

Points for the cameras shaking during XXXL’s entrance. Josh likes the idea of hunting, fishing and roasting marshmallows at the Deaner compound. Madison: “….you need to stop.” Jake and Larry collide to start with Jake popping up from the shoulder and getting in a slam. Cody is slammed onto Larry for two but Larry forearms his way over to Acey for the tag. A running clothesline gives Acey two and there’s the Pounce to send Jake into the corner. Larry kicks Cody down into a powerbomb but Jake makes a blind tag and steals the pin at 3:22.

Rating: D+. Well that happened and there isn’t much else to be said about something like this. Again, the tag teams seem to be trading wins back and forth and no one is really gaining anything. It wasn’t a good match or anything either, though XXXL looked decent enough in a short form.

Post match XXXL lays out Jake with a Demolition Decapitator, seemingly turning heel.

Moose asks Rohit Raju to be his partner tonight. Raju agrees, even though he’s the final option.

Johnny Swinger tells Chris Bey that he’s going to straighten things out with management. Swinger goes to the referee, saying that he’s been talking to Cancel Culture (must be taped out of order) and they think he’s a qualified emotional support companion.

Video on Willie Mack vs. Chris Bey for the X-Division Title at Slammiversary.

Bey hits on Gia Miller and calls Swinger, who of course is outside, an idiot. Swinger says the office won’t budge and Bey is on his own at Slammiversary.

Video on Deonna Purrazzo vs. Jordynne Grace.

We get a sitdown face to face interview with Purrazzo and Grace. Purrazzo signs the contract but pauses Grace to tell her what she’s getting into on Saturday. Grace signs and says Purrazzo doesn’t know what she’s into right now. Grace knocks her down and leaves.

Video on Ken Shamrock/Sami Callihan vs. the North.

Shamrock and Callihan know they don’t trust each other but they could win some gold. Callihan is likely to turn on Shamrock anyway, so Shamrock promises to break his neck for trying.

Moose/Rohit Raju vs. Tommy Dreamer/Crazzy Steve

Even commentary points out that Raju is always standing around backstage with nothing to do. Dreamer headlocks Raju to start but gets driven into the corner for trying a hammerlock. A suplex drops Raju though and it’s off to Steve, who gets slammed head first into the mat. Moose comes in for the fall away slam but misses the spear into the corner.

It’s back to Dreamer to lose a slugout as everything breaks down. Raju breaks up Dreamer’s dive and hands it back to Moose to hammer away. Dreamer punches Moose out of the air though and grabs a DDT. The double tag brings in Steve and Raju as the pace picks up a good bit. Everything breaks down again and Raju knees Steve in the face. Steve is right back up with a middle rope DDT to finish Raju at 6:14.

Rating: D+. Another match that was just kind of there as it seems they are scraping the bottom of the barrel of whatever they have left from the taping cycle. That is also true of Dreamer, who somehow gets a pretty big time pay per view match when you have how many people on the roster without much to do?

Austin and Fulton get to the gym in Dayton.

Rhino and Hernandez meet in the parking lot with Rhino wanting the money he won in the arm wrestling. Rhino kicks him low and chokes against a production truck but Hernandez throws something at him and gets in a few shots. A trashcan and a traffic cone are brought in and Rhino hammers away (seemingly at the camera in one shot as we’re in Cinematic Mode). Eventually they’re both spent and agree to split the money.

We recap the World Title situation, with the triple threat match being set up to crown a new champion. This is the same video package we saw last week, or at least really close to it.

Austin and Fulton train, while Austin talks about becoming the World Champion on Saturday. Slammiversary isn’t about the mystery opponent or Edwards or Trey. It’s about Austin becoming the youngest World Champion of all time.

A new Slammiversary vignette suggests three people returning.

Eddie Edwards talks about everyone being different. Everything in his career has led him to Slammiversary, starting with his training at Killer Kowalski’s wrestling school. He was born to be the World Champion and now he’s back here for a reason. Eddie has fought through everything to be here and he has no choice but to win the title.

Slammiversary rundown.

Trey and Wentz sneak into the Dayton gym while Austin is lecturing in the ring. A trashcan shot staggers Fulton and they lock him in a closet. Trey and Ace get in a fight with Trey shoving him over a chair and hammering away. Ace sends him into a wall though and hits him with a broom, followed by a chair to the back. Trey gets in a crotching on the barricade and slugs away some more but Fulton is back up. Wentz returns with a barbed wire chair and the villains bail to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. This was a case where they could only do so much with what they had. They didn’t have much left to pull from so they probably had to film some stuff at the last minute. It worked as well as it could have given the circumstances, but it’s a shame that they had to hit a speed bump on the way to Slammiversary. I’m curious about what they’re going to have next week, but Slammiversary still looks good.

Results

Kylie Rae/Susie/Nevaeh/Havok/Alisha Edwards b. Tasha Steelz/Kimber Lee/Kiera Hogan/Taya Valkyrie/Rosemary – Panic Switch to Lee

Deaners b. XXXL – Rollup to Larry

Crazzy Steve/Tommy Dreamer b. Rohit Raju/Moose – Middle rope DDT to Raju

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: July 10, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Corey Graves

I have no idea what to expect on this show anymore as it has jumped from a nothing show to something slightly interesting to an actual supplemental show for the cruiserweights. What matters in the end is how much the cruiserweights are actually featured, which can vary pretty wildly. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Mansoor vs. Tehuti Miles

Miles kicks away at Mansoor’s leg to start and then throws him down. Mansoor is right back with a headlock on the mat, only to get tripped down again. This time it’s Miles grabbing a headlock, followed by a knee to the ribs to keep him down. Mansoor sends him to the floor but gets his throat snapped across the top. The running crotch attack on the rope lets Miles check his hair, plus get two for a bonus.

Back to back neckbreakers get back to back twos and Miles grabs the chinlock. That’s broken up and Mansoor trips him up, setting up a spinebuster. The cool slingshot neckbreaker gets two on Miles but he avoids the moonsault. Miles grabs a flapjack but Mansoor is right back with a One Winged Angel into a Death Valley Driver for the pin at 7:46.

Rating: C+. There were some moments in here that didn’t work so well but the big thing about Mansoor is he feels different. His offense is unique and he can put on a rather nice match. I’m not sure why he isn’t around more often but if he is available full time, there are far worse options to put in the ring. Miles still isn’t great, but this was a lot more entertaining than I would have bet on. Nice little match with Mansoor getting in some cool offense.

We look back at Legado del Fantasma beating Drake Maverick and Breezango on NXT.

Oney Lorcan vs. Santos Escobar

Non-title and the rest of Legado is here with Escobar. Feeling out process to start with Escobar wisely going after Lorcan’s banged up arm. That means an early armbar and Lorcan’s arm won’t let him slug his way out. The arm is wrapped around the rope but Lorcan reverses into a front facelock. That’s reversed into a half crab with a knee in Lorcan’s back so a rope has to be grabbed.

A hammerlock suplex bangs up the arm even more and Escobar sends it into the post. Escobar splashes the arm on the apron and it’s off to something like a Tequila Sunrise. Another rope break is good for the save and Escobar misses an enziguri. Lorcan slugs back with the good arm and hits the running Blockbuster. Escobar is fine enough to hit a Codebreaker on the arm though and the Phantom Driver is good for the pin at 8:39.

Rating: C+. I liked this one a good bit as Escobar picked Lorcan apart and shrugged off the offense before picking up the win. They’re making Escobar look like a killer out there and that’s the best thing that they can do with him. He isn’t someone who needs his goons to save him and that makes him all the more interesting.

Overall Rating: B-. Now THIS is more like it, with what felt like some actual effort rather than wasting time and treating the show like a contractual obligation. The wrestling was good, they showcased some people, and it tied into the other shows. If you want to build up the cruiserweights then it’s great to use this as a tool to get there, and for once the show felt like they were doing just that. Nice stuff here and I could absolutely go for more like this.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: July 16, 2020
Host: Andy Shepard

We’re still doing the Greatest Hits deal this time around, which has been the case more often than not over the last few weeks. There isn’t much else that can be done, though we have been seeing some promos and vignettes thrown in. They aren’t anything great, but it gives me some hope that things could be getting back to normal sooner rather than later. Let’s get to it.

Andy gives us a quick intro.

Zack Gibson introduces us to our first match.

From NXT UK, October 31, 2018.

Zack Gibson vs. Noam Dar

They fight over arm control to start with Dar getting some very early control. The fans sing some more but Dar stops to mock Gibson’s boots in a weird moment. Gibson’s headscissors doesn’t get him anywhere so Dar goes for the leg and tries to take the boot off. I’m still not sure what that’s about so Dar just cranks back on the leg instead. Gibson’s armbar works a bit better as Dar can’t even roll his way out. The break finally has Gibson annoyed so Dar grabs some rollups for two each.

Another kick to the knee stops Gibson again and they head outside where yet another shot to the knee cuts Gibson down. Back in and a belly to back suplex gives Dar two but Gibson goes right back to the arm. The fans sing something else that I’m assuming is anti-Gibson, though it’s not always easy to tell. Gibson hits a few clotheslines for two and we hit the chinlock. There’s the stomp on Dar’s arm, which has become almost a requirement in arm work today.

A wristlock suplex keeps Dar in trouble but he’s right back with a few shots to the face. Dar gets two each off a pair of suplexes so Gibson gets his own near fall off a middle rope Codebreaker. The Shankley Gates is broken up and they head outside again with Gibson powerbombing him onto the ramp for a very painful sounding crash. That gives us the dive in at nine and the Shankley Gates go on.

Since that move only works in matches that aren’t incredibly important, Dar dives over to the rope for the break. Dar fights up again and kicks the knee out but the Nova Roller misses. Gibson can’t follow up so Dar heads up and hits a top rope double stomp to the knee. They get in a fight over arm cranking and knee kicks until Dar slaps on a kneebar, which is broken up as well.

Gibson’s Backstabber is countered into an ankle lock with a grapevine but that’s STILL not enough as Gibson punches his way out, including grabbing Dar’s ear. Dar misses a middle rope stomp to the knee and hurts his own knee in the process. Helter Skelter (a lifting spinning suplex) finishes Dar (with Gibson raising the bad leg) at 21:10.

Rating: B-. Well that was rather long, though it was also pretty good. Dar is SO much better as a face than a heel that it’s almost funny, while Gibson is a rather strong heel who has turned into one of the better villains on the show. This could have been five minutes shorter (it would have kept the show under an hour) but it was still an entertaining match that didn’t feel as long as it was.

Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews had a big 2019 and they’re ready to find out who jumped Andrews from behind and then get their titles back.

Kay Lee Ray has our second match.

From NXT UK, June 19, 2019.

Battle Royal

Xia Brookside, Jinny, Jazzy Gabbert, Kay Lee Ray, Piper Niven, Isla Dawn, Nina Samuels, Killer Kelly, Candy Floss, Rhea Ripley, Rhio, Kanji

The winner gets a future Women’s Title match. Everyone but Jazzy go to the ropes to start before three of them go after Jazzy instead. That means Rhio and Kanji being tossed out, followed by a Dominator to Floss. Jinny gets rid of her and the ring has cleared out in a hurry. Ray is sent outside (not over the top) and comes up holding her knee. Niven picks Jazzy up and puts her on the apron, allowing Brookside to get in a sliding dropkick for the elimination.

That leaves Jinny surrounded so it’s a triple team from Brookside, Dawn and Niven. Jinny is thrown over the top but Jazzy catches her and slides the boss back in. Jazzy is ejected so Xia gets rid of Jinny a few seconds later. Ripley muscles Kelly out and we’re down to five. Brookside and Dawn go after Ripley but Xia gets tied in the Tree of Woe for her efforts.

There goes Dawn and it’s the Ripley vs. Niven showdown. Hang on though as Samuels is tossed and it’s Ripley, Niven, Brookside and Ray on the floor. A Cannonball crushes Ripley but she shoves Ripley over the top to the apron. Niven pulls her out with her and Brookside eliminates them both with a dropkick. The celebration is on but Ray comes back in and dumps Brookside for the win at 8:40.

Rating: C. It’s the right end result and the match was well paced but STOP WITH THAT STUPID ENDING!!! It feels like every other battle royal has that same exact ending and it’s so overdone these days. As soon as Ray was seen on the floor, you knew where this was going because that’s how so many battle royals go these days. Ray winning is fine, but come up with a better way to do it.

Jinny has shown her dominance before and is ready to do it again.

Ilja Dragunov wraps us up with this.

From NXT UK, January 2, 2020.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Alexander Wolfe

No DQ with Gallus and Imperium barred from ringside. Dragunov comes to the ring but sneaks through the dark arena to attack Wolfe during his entrance in a smart move. The fight heads to ringside with Dragunov getting the better of it, only to have Wolfe post him. Dragunov is fine enough to hit a spinning chop into a backsplash, setting up a big ax handle out to the floor to knock Wolfe silly.

Wolfe is right back up to disarm Dragunov of a kendo stick so Dragunov says bring it on and goes for the stick, only to get kicked in the face. Some stick shots to the back have Dragunov screaming but he blocks the big shot to the head. Wolfe is back with a kendo stick legsweep into a backbreaker for two, followed by the stick going across the mouth. That’s broken up as well and Dragunov starts striking away with the cane as well. Dragunov hits a heck of a shot to the chest on the floor, meaning it can be table time.

The table is set up in the corner and Dragunov kicks him down to the floor again. Wolfe is right back up with a chair shot though, setting up a Death Valley Driver onto the apron for the big knockdown shot. Dragunov hits a quick enziguri and shakes his head as Wolfe goes for the chair. Said chair is put onto Wolfe’s face in the corner for a Coast To Coast and a near fall, only to have Wolfe come back with a chair shot of his own.

Wolfe can’t follow up though so Dragunov throws in a bunch of chairs of his own. That takes too long so Wolfe grabs a German suplex and a DDT onto the chair for two. A chair gets sent into Dragunov’s throat but Dragunov gets up and says bring it. That’s what Wolfe does, by slamming the chair around Dragunov’s hand. Wolfe does it to the other hand as well but Dragunov is back with a clothesline and a running Death Valley Driver through the table. Torpedo Moscow finishes Wolfe at 14:52.

Rating: B+. They beat the fire out of each other here and this was the kind of match that shows Dragunov’s incredibly high potential. He could be a top star around here in a heartbeat because of his insane facials alone but when you throw in his ability in the ring, the star power is even stronger. Heck of a match here and I had a great time with it.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event was good but it is becoming a little more obvious that this show doesn’t have the history to keep airing so many greatest hits show. You would think that they might find another place to go for some more matches, like say that huge vault of theirs, but NXT UK alone isn’t going to cut it much longer. I’m not sure when they’re going to have fresh content, though things are starting to get thin.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: July 9, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, MVP

We’re still slowly, and I do mean slowly, making our way to Extreme Rules and that means more recaps tonight. No matter how much changes in WWE though, Main Event is about as consistent as you can get: it might be good and it might be bad, but it is almost never going to mean a thing. Let’s get to it.

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

Titus O’Neil vs. Akira Tozawa

Tozawa has his ninjas with him. Commentary actually remembers Tozawa’s time with Titus Worldwide in your surprising moment of the day. A chop just annoys Titus but the ninjas block a chokeslam to the floor attempt. Titus: “NINJA THIS!” The ninjas are taken out but Tozawa gets in a running dropkick to put Titus down for the first time and a backsplash gets two. The chinlock goes on as MVP talks about ninjas being shapeshifters. That’s broken up and Titus hits a big boot, followed by the Clash of the Titus for the pin at 4:49.

Rating: D+. Tozawa is one of the most confusing stars in all of WWE. He’ll win matches on 205 Live and in the cruiserweight division, then be treated as a little something on Raw, only to lose to Titus O’Neil on Main Event. What kind of logic and sense is there to that? Nothing against Titus, but he hasn’t wrestled an important match in how long?

From Raw.

Here’s Kevin Owens for the KO Show. Since his guest is Seth Rollins, he doesn’t waste time in getting rid of the chairs. Rollins comes out and asks how Owens’ broken ankle is doing. Owens: “It’s feeling a lot better than your ego.” Owens talks about the bond the two have from facing each other at Wrestlemania so he has a gift for Rollins. It’s a KO Mania III shirt, just like the one he was wearing when he beat Rollins at Wrestlemania.

Rollins throws it away and says he doesn’t care about any of this. The only reason he is out here is to use the show as a platform to address Rey Mysterio. Rollins officially challenges Mysterio for Extreme Rules, but at the same time, he has been thinking about Owens. Maybe Owens would get more out of fighting with Rollins instead of against him. Owens is all about fighting so maybe he should fight for the greater good.

Cue Mysterio and Dominick to interrupt, with Rey accepting the challenge. As for tonight though, Rey needs a partner for the scheduled tag match. Owens cuts them off and offers to be Mysterio’s partner, with an extra bonus: the winning team picks the stipulation for Rollins vs. Mysterio. The fight is on in a hurry.

Kevin Owens/Rey Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins/Murphy

Dominick is here too. Joined in progress with Mysterio hammering on Murphy and sending him to the floor for a hurricanrana from the apron. Back in and Rey hits an enziguri to hand it off to Owens. An elbow to the head allows the tag to Rollins, who hammers away on Owens against the ropes. Owens clotheslines him down and drops the backsplash to pick up the pace a bit.

They head outside to keep up the brawl before handing it off to their partners. Murphy has to avoid the 619 and then gets in a cheap shot, allowing Rollins to rake Dominick’s eye. We take a break and come back with Rollins working on Owens’ leg. Murphy’s cheap shot prevents the hot tag attempt and it’s Rollins sending Owens into the corner.

A backdrop sends Rollins to the apron so Owens can get in a superkick, which hurts his still healing ankle all over again. Everything breaks down and Rollins grabs Dominick, but here’s Black to make the save. Black doesn’t touch him though to avoid the DQ, allowing Dominick to go after Murphy’s eye. Rey hits the 619 into the frog splash for the pin at 11:50.

Rating: C. I’m still not feeling the eye for an eye thing but Owens is a lot more interesting to watch that Humberto Carrillo. Black and Mysterio are both easy enough but Carrillo manages to suck the life out of the show whenever he’s out there. The problem is that Dominick does something similar and he isn’t likely to be leaving anytime soon.

Post match, Rey picks an Eye For An Eye match, where the first person to pull out an eye wins.

From Raw.

Here’s Drew McIntyre to open things up. McIntyre talks about how he’s ready for whatever Dolph Ziggler has planned for him. Maybe it’s a cage match, a street fight, or a match on the edge of a cliff over a volcano with sharks with frigging laser beams on their heads. So get out here and make your announcement. Cue Ziggler, who says he isn’t going to tell anyone about the choice until they get to Extreme Rules. Ziggler talks about how great he is and says Drew’s resume is a big black hole from 2014-2017.

McIntyre brings up Wrestlemania so Ziggler says that McIntyre got there by stepping on a lot of people. Like this man, so here’s Heath Slater. Heath talks about their history together and everything that has happened between them over the years. Back in April, Slater watched McIntyre become WWE Champion, but then he was released two weeks later. When McIntyre was released, Slater called him every day, but where was McIntyre for him?

Slater and McIntyre only talked on the Bump, because it was the only show they would let him on. McIntyre knows Slater’s kids, and not the 22 the world thinks he has. When Slater was there for him, McIntyre wasn’t there for Slater. Remember when McIntyre said he would petition for a match with Slater? Well now he’s on the unemployment line so now he wants McIntyre to give him what he deserved. Slater slaps him in the face and McIntyre gets serious and says it’s on.

Heath Slater vs. Drew McIntyre

Non-title and they’re both in street clothes. Claymore finishes Slater in 22 seconds. Thank goodness they didn’t try to make Slater a serious thing in this mess.

Post match Ziggler yells at Slater so the fight is on with McIntyre saving Slater. McIntyre and Slater hug.

Peyton Royce vs. Bianca Belair

Billie Kay is here with Peyton. Belair tells her to bring it to start but Peyton would rather roll away instead. Peyton gets taken down without much trouble and a running shoulder does it again. There’s another shoulder to the floor and Belair follows her, only to miss a charge into the post. Back from a break with Peyton cranking on the arm before sending Belair face first into the bottom buckle.

Belair sends her into the top turnbuckle to even things up but Peyton snaps the arm across the top rope. Belair fights back again and grabs an O’Connor roll, with the kickout sending her into an interfering Billie. The distraction lets Belair Glam Slam Peyton into the corner and it’s the KOD for the pin at 10:04.

Rating: C-. Belair is a lot easier to watch as a face and I never would have bet on that. Granted it helps to be in there against the IIconics, who are two of the most dislikable wrestlers in all of WWE. It’s good to see some of these other women getting a chance too, as they need to restock the shelves at some point.

Video on Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt.

From Raw.

Asuka vs. Bayley

Non-title with Sasha Banks and Kairi Sane at ringside and Nikki Cross on commentary. Security tells her to stay calm but she freaks out again after Bayley and Banks taunt her. Bayley runs the ropes to start and the threat of the Asuka Lock sends her straight to the floor. A knee to the face on the apron rocks Asuka, but Bayley knocks Cross’ headset off, sending her into insanity again. Cross is taken out and Asuka knees Bayley in the face (Sasha’s UH OH face is great) as we take a break.

Back with Bayley tripping her down and forearming at the spine to take over. A sliding lariat gives Bayley two and we hit the chinlock. Bayley sends her outside, where the four women get in a staredown. The distraction lets Asuka score with a kick for two, followed by a kick to the chest for the same. A Banks distraction slows Asuka down though and Bayley catapults her into the ropes twice in a row for two. Bayley sends her outside and onto the announcers’ table, allowing her to sit in on commentary for a bit. Bayley says this tastes so good and we take a break.

Back again with Bayley chinlocking away and then running her over for two. Asuka fights up with a backfist and an elbow to the face, followed by some knees for a bonus. The hip attack gives Asuka two more and one heck of a backfist puts Bayley on the apron. Back in and a middle rope dropkick gives Asuka two more but Bayley sends her outside. The running knee sends Asuka’s head into the barricade and a cheap shot takes Sane down as well.

The distraction lets Banks get in a cheap shot to set up a Saito suplex to give Bayley two. Bayley is frustrated but gets freaked out as Cross is now behind the Plexiglas. The distraction lets Asuka grab the Asuka Lock. Bayley can’t flip out of I so Banks comes in, only to get speared down by Sane. Asuka switches to a rollup for the pin at 23:25.

Rating: B. This was one of the few times where Bayley actually felt like she was standing toe to toe with one of the top stars of either women’s division. You don’t see her do that very often and it was nice to see for a change. I wasn’t sure who was going to win here and that’s a very nice feeling to have every now and then. Good match, with the interference and shenanigans tying into a few stories and keeping Bayley protected in the loss.

Overall Rating: C. The recap stuff was better than usual and the original stuff at least felt different, but there isn’t much of a way around the fact that Extreme Rules is not interesting no matter what kind of dressing they put on it. I’m hoping we get something a little better than what they’ve been teasing, but there isn’t much of a reason to believe that will be the case. Just get on to Summerslam already, please?

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: February 13, 2006
Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Attendance: 8,000
Commentators: Joey Styles, Jonathan Coachman, Jerry Lawler

We’re on the Road to Wrestlemania and it’s tournament time. We’ll probably be finding out the finalists in the tournament to crown a new #1 contender, which could make for some interesting moments tonight. The bigger story is the Raw World Title though, as John Cena defends against Edge with Mick Foley as guest referee. Let’s get to it.

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

Road To Wrestlemania Tournament Semifinals: HHH vs. Big Show

They’re not wasting time tonight. Show headbutts him down to start and fires off the chops in the corner, followed by the big gorilla press. A stomp to HHH’s hand draws some screaming before Show lifts him up by the wrist. More shots in the corner keep HHH in trouble and he falls face first for a good visual. The big whip over the corner puts HHH down on the floor but a quick pull sends Show into the post. Blood is drawn and we take a break.

Back with the bloody Show hitting an atomic drop and snapping off some headbutts to drop HHH again. HHH slips out of a slam though and hits a quick Pedigree for two. That means some shock from HHH so he tries another Pedigree, which is countered into White Noise. A poke to the eye breaks up the chokeslam attempt but the second attempt works just fine for two more. They fight outside with Show chopping him against the barricade and hitting a hard whip into the steps. HHH gets in his own whip to the steps but gets grabbed by the throat, meaning it’s a double countout.

Rating: C. Show was looking more crisp than usual here and that’s not something you expect to see from him. He’s one of those guys who doesn’t have to do much in the ring and can get by with it due to his size alone so seeing the motivated version is all the better. The ending is annoying, but I think you know what’s coming.

Post match the fight keeps going and Show loads up the announcers’ table. HHH gets in a low blow to save himself and grabs a chair, only to get speared through the barricade in the visual that always works.

Since Shawn Michaels is retiring tonight, here’s the Lost My Smile speech.

Vince is asked about the tournament and announces that HHH and Big Show will face the winner of Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Masters in a triple threat match for the Wrestlemania title shot. Mama and Shelton Benjamin come in with Mama crying about how her son needs to be the new #1 contender to the Intercontinental Title. Vince says if Shelton wins tonight against Eugene, he can have a title shot. Vince: “Shelton, now please get your Mama out of here.”

Lita hits on Mick Foley but Edge has to save her from not knowing anything about Scooter. Foley expresses his love for Jim Duggan but Edge threatens violence if Foley doesn’t call it fair tonight.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Eugene

Mama is here with Shelton of course. Shelton kicks Eugene in the face for trying to bring Mama some Valentine’s Day chocolates but Eugene Hulks Up in the corner. The airplane spin makes Eugene dizzy but he’s fine enough to grab a northern lights suplex for two. Shelton shrugs it off and hits the exploder for the pin.

Post match Shelton promises to win the title next week.

Your next Shawn highlight: the Curtain Call being shown on Raw.

Ashley vs. Torrie Wilson

Candice Michelle is here with Torrie and Lawler says this match is rated PG for Puppies Are Good. Torrie swings Ashley around by the pigtails to start and then puts her dog in Ashley’s face. A high paw to the dog and some spankings have Ashley in trouble but she grabs a rollup for the fast win.

Post match, Candice says don’t worry….because she’s going to be in Playboy this March. Some stripping ensues.

Another classic Shawn moment: Vince yelling at him in December for suggesting that it was time to let Montreal go.

Here is Vince McMahon to make Shawn Michaels retire. Shawn comes out, apparently for the last time, and Vince has a special present: the best music video anyone has ever seen! Actually scratch that as he has the entire roster here to shake Shawn’s hand. Scratch that also as Shawn’s family has been flown up from San Antonio. That isn’t happening either, but Vince does have the Spirit Squad here for a special Shawn cheer. Apparently it’s time for Shawn to kiss a certain part of Vince and then go to the unemployment line.

Shawn doesn’t seem convinced and Vince can’t believe he feels this way. Not that it matters as Shawn just needs to sign the papers and get it over with already. Shawn says this isn’t what he wants but Vince orders the microphone cut off. That isn’t happening either because walking away just isn’t an option. Shawn loves this job and it’s walking away from the fans. Vince says he’s doing this because Shawn has that inner peace that he can’t have.

All Vince knows is that he has an insatiable appetite for life and he wants more. There is all kind of pressure on Vince and Shawn can’t fathom what it’s like to be him. Shawn can make it all better by signing those papers though because Vince hates people like him. The papers are put in front of Shawn but he tears them up in Vince’s face. Vince slaps Shawn and the tables are turned over but Vince walks away, saying Shawn has just opened up his own personal h***.

And now, the historic announcement: Bret Hart is going into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1. He’s one of those names you need in the Hall of Fame so this is a nice thing to see. Shocking, but also nice.

Road To Wrestlemania Tournament Semifinals: Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Masters

Masters knocks him down to start but gets kicked in the knee to put him in trouble. Rob’s slingshot legdrop to the apron gets two but a monkey flip is countered with a powerslam for two. A running shoulder knocks Van Dam off the apron and over the barricade for another near fall back inside.

The torture rack (I still wonder why no one has ever used that as a regular finisher as it’s not like Lex Luger has wrestled in about twenty years) goes on but Rob reverses into a sunset flip for two. Rob’s springboard kick to the face gets two more and there’s another kick to the face. Rolling Thunder connects but the Five Star is broken up with a crotching. Rob breaks up a superplex attempt though and hits the Five Star for the pin to advance.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here but it’s not like anyone was giving Masters a serious chance of making the finals when Rob was the other option. I’m not wild on the idea of having a triple threat match for the tournament final but that’s WWE for you. At least Rob seems to be back to normal after his incredibly long recovery time.

Jack (Trish Stratus’ date from a few weeks ago) has some flowers for Trish, but finds Mickie James in a Trish outfit and wig instead. Mickie pins him against the wall but he turns down her advances. She then screams for help and Jack is taken away, with Mickie smiling evilly.

Post break Trish comes in to console the screaming Mickie.

Long video on the history between Edge and John Cena.

Raw World Title: Edge vs. John Cena

Edge, with Lita, is challenging and Mick Foley is guest referee. They fight over a lockup to start with Cena taking him down for an early two. Edge bails to the floor and we take a break. Back with Edge hitting a clothesline but Cena grabs the release fisherman’s suplex for two more. The chinlock goes on but Foley yells at Cena for some reason, allowing Edge to get in a cheap shot.

Edge kicks Cena in the ribs and hits a running forearm to stagger the champ again. Cena gets knocked off the top and Edge sends him into the corner, allowing Lita to remove a turnbuckle pad. Foley catches her though and that means an ejection as we take a break (complete with Goodbye Song). Back with Edge baseball sliding him onto the ramp for a crash, followed by the sleeper, with bodyscissors, back inside. Cena powers up and drops him down for the save but Edge gets up top.

That’s countered into an attempted super FU but Edge reverses into a powerbomb for two with Foley catching the feet on the ropes. Edge’s Impaler gets two more and frustration is setting in. Edge sends Cena into Foley by mistake and the STFU goes on for the unseen tap. Cue Lita, with the distraction letting Edge get in a cheap shot. The belt to the head connects but Foley has to be thrown back in so it’s just two again. That means Edge goes up top for a high crossbody but Cena catches him and rolls through into the FU for the pin to retain.

Rating: B-. Edge and Cena are always worth a look but it’s not like this was going to be matter much in the end. The point of this was to set up Edge vs. Foley and you can guess that Edge isn’t going to be happy with how things went down here. Edge needs something for Wrestlemania and the big showcase match against Foley should work just fine. Cena can get a lot out of Edge, but it’s time for him to move on.

Post match Cena leaves so Lita can hit Foley low, followed by a spear from Edge. A lot of shouting ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show flew by and you can tell that it’s time to start gearing up for Wrestlemania season. That’s a good thing too as there are only so many things you can do with the lower level stuff before it stops having any semblance of importance. It was a good effort this week with important matches and a high level segment, but starting next week things move up to another level with the Wrestlemania build officially beginning.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: July 15, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Beth Phoenix, Mauro Ranallo

We’re back to normal this week, though we do have a big main event with Tegan Nox challenging Io Shirai for the Women’s Title. That could be an interesting one, but we also have the first night of Keith Lee’s NXT Title reign. Karrion Kross might have something to say about that though, which could go a few ways. Let’s get to it.

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

We look back at last week’s title change. Lots of wrestlers talk about coming for Keith and the titles, capped off by Karrion Kross.

Here’s Lee for his big debut as champion. The fans sing BASK IN HIS GLORY but Lee needs to hear the introduction one more time. Lee understands that he is at a crossroads in his career because he is understanding the losses, the hurt and the pain. There is something special about being in this ring though and he feels it right now. He feels it when he hears that intro and when he holds these championships.

Lee lays the titles on the mat and says he knows people are coming for them. Opportunity and chances created this moment and he knows he isn’t a self made man. Tim Brooks was more than a trainer for him and acted as a father who believed in him when no one else did. This is about Brooks and a lot of other people, which is why Lee wants Dominik Dijakovic out here right now.

Dijakovic comes out and tells Lee how proud he is of him. Lee talks about how Dijakovic is the one man to pus his limits so maybe he should have the first title shot. William Regal seems to agree and Dijakovic seems to agree as well. Lee wants to do it tonight but Dijakovic isn’t sure. Lee: “Just say yes.” Dijakovic: “Yes.” The Brooks thing was a great touch as I wasn’t sure WWE would let him be mentioned on TV and would keep it on YouTube.

Damian Priest vs. Cameron Grimes

Grimes charges at him before the bell and runs into a boot to the face. We actually start with Priest hitting a running elbow in the corner and adding a running spinning kick to the face. Grimes is back with a dropkick for two and we take a break. Back with Priest kicking away for two of his own, only to be knocked to the floor. The baseball slide doesn’t work for Grimes but he slips out of an apron chokeslam attempt.

The Razor’s Edge onto the apron works just fine and a Flatliner gives Priest two back inside. Grimes gets two of his own off a quick small package and the flipping powerslam gets the same. For some reason Grimes slaps Priest in the face and gets kicked in the back of the head. A hanging Reckoning finishes Grimes at 9:55.

Rating: C+. I was looking forward to this one in a way and despite Priest being built up as a monster, they had done a great job of making me believe that Grimes could pull off the upset. That’s hard to do but they made it work here, which is a hard thing to make work. Grimes is going to be fine based on how well he can talk, though Priest seems primed for a move up the card.

Post match Priest puts his vest back on and says he wants the winner of Lee vs. Dijakovic.

Timothy Thatcher demonstrates how to hurt people a little more after they tap.

Shotzi Blackheart vs. Indi Hartwell

As Tom Phillips tries to explain that Robert Stone was a victim last week (when he was run over by a tank), Shotzi takes her down to start and uses the rope for a headscissors into the corner. A missed charge lets Hartwell dropkick her to the floor and Blackheart is in trouble. Back in and a side slam gives Hartwell two before she cranks on both arms.

Blackheart fights back with a faceplant and a discus forearm. The running reverse Cannonball on the ropes connects but here’s Robert Stone in a walking boot. Blackheart doesn’t seem to mind as she hits a DDT and goes up top, only to have Aliyah sneak up and shove her off. Hartwell hits a big boot for the pin at 4:05.

Rating: C-. This was a storyline match and that’s a fine way to go. Stone is becoming one of the more entertaining parts of the show and I can go for giving Blackheart something to do. Hartwell might not be going anywhere at the moment but they can always use some extra talent in any division.

Tegan Nox is ready to overcome her obstacle and make it her night.

Legado del Fantasma is (presumably) in Santos Escobar’s home where they drink a toast to their first win as a team. They’re happy to be done with Drake Maverick and now it’s time to get rid of Breezango, who made fun of lucha libre culture. The division needed the three of them and they’re going to build an empire, even if it means tearing everything down to start.

We look at Keith Lee winning the title last week and everyone congratulating him for it.

NXT Title/North American Title: Keith Lee vs. Dominik Dijakovic

Lee is defending both titles. Feeling out process to start as they seem to have some time here. A test of strength doesn’t go to either of them so Dijakovic powers him up against the ropes for a clean break. Lee seems to appreciate the power and we even get a fist bump in appreciation. Lee powers him down again and steps on the arm, only to miss an elbow. Dijakovic covers but can’t even get one as it’s another standoff.

Back up and Dijakovic’s shoulders have no effect on Lee, though they do give Dijakovic a sore shoulder. An offer of a handshake lets Dijakovic hit an overhand chop, earning him the Grizzly Magnum from Lee. That lets Lee go up top but Dijakovic pulls him into a torture rack, which Lee slips out of as we take a break. Back with Lee fighting out of a chinlock and Pouncing Dijakovic outside.

Lee loads up another Pounce into the Plexiglas but this time he puts on the brakes, learning from last week. Back in and Dijakovic manages a side slam for two but Lee catches him on the ropes for a hanging spinning Downward Spiral. Lee takes him to the top, where Dijakovic headbutts him right back down. A Blockbuster gives Dijakovic two and there’s the cyclone boot to put the champ down again. Back up and Lee’s big spinebuster plants Dijakovic again, followed by the Big Bang Catastrophe to retain the titles at 15:23.

Rating: B. These two are always good for an entertaining match but there wasn’t a ton of doubt about this one. It made a lot of sense to do this as Lee’s first match though as Dijakovic has been his biggest rival to date. I’m glad they did this as a one off instead of a big Takeover match though as the drama wasn’t going to be there on a bigger stage so doing it here was the right call. Good stuff, though they’ve done better.

Post match Lee helps him up but the lights go off. Scarlett appears on the stage and walks towards the ring with a bag in her hand. She pours out the pieces of a broken hourglass and Lee stares down at her as she leaves.

Post break Dijakovic says Lee is on a different level when Karrion Kross comes up. The brawl is on with Kross suplexing him over a barricade and screaming a lot as the jacket and tie come off. Dijakovic is out and Kross says Tick Tock. Makes sense.

Timothy Thatcher vs. Denzel DeJournette

DeJournette was a college wrestler. Thatcher drives him up to the ropes to start and grabs a front facelock suplex for two. DeJournette takes him down by the leg and the grapple on the mat a bit with DeJournette managing a quick one. Back up and Thatcher gets an armbar to drive him down, only to get reversed into a chinlock. That’s broken up as well and Thatcher gets a half crab for the tap at 1:57. This was a fun change of pace, and that’s what they’re going for with it.

Post match Thatcher puts the hold on again until Oney Lorcan runs out for the save.

Rhea Ripley says she’s going to be watching the Women’s Title match. On Twitter of course, because that’s how you communicate in wrestling these days.

Earlier today, Robert Stone had to try to talk his way out of getting killed by Killian Dain. Aliyah ran up with Dexter Lumis’ drawing of last week’s show. Dain doesn’t like how he is depicted in the drawing and says if Stone wants to make it up to him, get him a match with Lumis.

Next week: Dain vs. Lumis and Dijakovic vs. Kross.

Women’s Title: Io Shirai vs. Tegan Nox

Nox is challenging and they aren’t waiting around on Big Match Intros. They lock up to start with Nox driving her into the corner and taking the lockup to the mat. A headlock has Shirai in more trouble and Nox unloads on her in the corner. Nox misses a charge to the floor though and we take a break.

Back with Shirai offering her jaw for a shot from Nox before slapping her in the face. Nox forearms and uppercuts away before countering Shirai’s crossbody into a tabletop suplex for two. Shirai is right back with a stomp to the hand and an arm trap chinlock, which is reversed into a rollup for two more. Shirai doesn’t like that and wraps her legs around the back of Nox’s neck on the ropes. Some right hands from Nox have Shirai staggered but she’s right back with a flapjack for two as we take a break.

Back with Shirai aggressively stomping away before taking Nox outside. That means a whip into the steps but Shirai’s running knees crash hard into the steps (that looked bad). Back in and Shirai hits a double underhook backbreaker, which hurts her knee all over again. The moonsault is broken up and Shirai gets caught in the Tree of Woe, setting up the Cannonball for two. Some running clotheslines have the champ down again and there’s the reverse Cannonball.

Nox hits the high crossbody for another near fall, followed by the chokeslam for the same. Shirai is back up with a suplex into the corner and the running knees connect. The 619 sets up the missile dropkick for two on Nox and they’re both down again. Nox superkicks the knee and grabs a sitout gordbuster. The Molly Go Round gets two on Shirai but the Shiniest Wizard is cut off with a palm strike. Shirai hits the moonsault to retain at 22:58.

Rating: B. They had me believing that a title change could have happened here as Nox is easy to get behind. Shirai wasn’t likely going to lose on her first title defense though, even with that nasty knee bump into the steps. That played a bit of a factor later in the match, though not as much as it should have. Good stuff here though, with Nox looking great in defeat.

Post match Shirai goes up to the stage and gets her head kicked off by Dakota Kai to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. They definitely tapped the brakes a bit this week and that’s probably a good thing after going hard on the previous two shows. There was good wrestling mostly throughout here though and they have stuff set up for later. It’s another very good week for the show and I’m wanting to see where they go. Lee is off to a good start as champion and I’m curious to see if he drops the title in his first major defense. That’s some good drama and hopefully they follow up on it, as they have shown the ability to do before.

Results

Damien Priest b. Cameron Grimes – Reckoning

Indi Hartwell b. Shotzi Blackheart – Big boot

Keith Lee b. Dominik Dijakovic – Big Bang Catastrophe

Timothy Thatcher b. Denzel DeJournette – Half crab

Io Shirai vs. Tegan Nox – Moonsault

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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