NXT UK – June 4, 2020 (Gallus Boys On Top): They’ve Come A Long Way

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: June 4, 2020
Host: Andy Shepard

It’s time to look at one of the other big stables around here with Gallus. The team is a simple concept: take three large Scotsmen and have them beat a bunch of people up, then turn them face when the show goes to Scotland for a bit. Joe Coffey has done well in the lead role so hopefully there is enough good stuff around here. Let’s get to it.

Andy gives us a quick look at the history of the team and throws us to one of their first big matches.

From NXT UK, January 9, 2019.

Gallus vs. British Strong Style

They have a crazy amount of time for this. Joe and Bate start things off with a test of strength. Bate gets taken down but does the always impressive bridge, with Coffey not being able to break it down. Now it’s Bate fighting up and almost getting Bate down until a knee to the ribs cuts him off. Back up and Bate hits a dropkick into a nipup for the staredown, drawing in the other four for a big staredown.

We settle back down for a tag to Wolfgang, which draws all six in for another glaring session. It’s off to Mark vs. Dunne with a running clothesline hitting Mark, drawing all six in again. Gallus gets sent outside for a nice reaction from the fans and a breather for the villains. Back in and Dunne takes Mark down by the arm and bends the fingers back for painful measure. There’s a surfboard double knee stomp as Dunne doesn’t seem to be having much trouble here.

Bate comes in to keep up the pace until a cheap shot from Wolfgang lets Mark grab a suplex. It’s back to Joe for a double underhook crank until Bate fights him off and dives over for the tag to Seven. House is cleaned with Seven hitting a backdrop on Wolfgang, followed by a suicide dive for good measure. Everything breaks down and Mark gets caught in a dragon suplex. Wolfgang kicks Seven to the floor though and Joe sends him into the steps to put the good guys in trouble again. A spear gives Wolfgang two and it’s back to Mark for the stomping.

We hit the front facelock for a bit before it’s back to Joe. They head to the corner with Seven catching him on top with a superplex, allowing the next hot tag off to Dunne. That means an X Plex to Joe and a kneebar to Wolfgang but he’s still able to crawl over for the tag to Mark. Dunne triangle chokes him so Mark tags Wolfgang, whose Howling is countered into an armbar. That’s broken up as well so this time it’s Bate coming in to clean more house. Joe misses a charge so Bate hits a running shooting star for two. The longest airplane spin I’ve ever seen plants Joe but Bate collapses from dizziness.

Bop and Bang is blocked but the second attempt gives us a double knockdown. Mark and Seven come in with Mark kicking him in the arm. That means the Seven Star Lariat doesn’t get a cover so everything breaks down again. We’re left with Mark vs. Dunne, but Joe picks up the UK Title to distract Pete. One heck of a powerbomb plants Dunne for two and it’s Bate coming back in for the rebound lariat on Joe.

Pete and Joe are left alone for the slugout with Dunne stomping on both hands. Joe’s spear is blocked with a knee to the head and there’s the Bitter End, but Wolfgang tagged himself in to run Pete over. Bate comes back in for a hurricanrana to put Wolfgang on the floor. Everyone joins him so Bate hits a huge corkscrew dive to take them all out. Back in and Bate kicks Wolfgang down but walks into Joe’s discus lariat for the pin at 25:28.

Rating: B. Well that was very long though it was quite good at the same time. It could have been shortened a bit though and that’s almost never a positive sign. It makes a lot of sense to give Joe the big pinfall before Saturday though and having him pin Dunne would have felt like a giveaway to the title match’s finish. Good main event here, though trimming off five minutes wouldn’t have been a bad idea.

Video on Gallus.

Dave Mastiff didn’t like the idea of Joe Coffey being all dominant, setting up a Last Man Standing match.

From Takeover: Cardiff.

Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey

Last Man Standing. Coffey brings in a chain but Mastiff comes straight at him anyway to start the brawl in the aisle. They get inside with Coffey hammering away but Mastiff whips him into the corner….and the top rope comes off the buckle. Mastiff shrugs and hits Coffey in the back with the turnbuckle rod before putting it in Coffey’s mouth. Coffey slugs back with some liver shots and a belly to back suplex.

That doesn’t even get a count as Mastiff is right back up with a German suplex of his own. They head outside with Coffey busting out a pool cue to knock Mastiff down. There’s a bag of weapons under the ring but Coffey goes to set up a table. That lets Mastiff hit him in the back with a cricket bat but Coffey is right back up with a headbutt to the ribs to put Mastiff through the table.

It’s chain time again so Mastiff hits another German suplex on the floor. Another table is set up against the barricade and, after giving up a tug of war over the chain, Mastiff cannonballs him through the table. They fight into the crowd with Coffey’s chain shot getting eight. Mastiff has two chairs so he throws one to Coffey, who backs way up. They both get running starts and collide in the aisle for a double knockdown.

With that not working, they wind up by commentary with Dave hitting a Regal Roll onto the announcers’ table for eight. Just to mix it up a bit, they go to the balcony and slug it out before crashing down onto some tables. They both use anvil cases to get up but Coffey kicks Mastiff’s away for the win at 15:59.

Rating: B-. I hit you, you hit me, we do a big spot and get up until the big spot at the end. That’s precisely what they should have been doing here and Mastiff is protected a bit by the ending. I’m a bit surprised by Coffey winning but it’s hardly the worst idea. You could easily put him in as a challenger of the month for Walter and that’s a good spot for him. That could go for either of them and Mastiff can easily be built back up.

Mark Coffey and Wolfgang won the Tag Team Titles in October 2019. This kicked off a crazy successful run for Scotland, who eventually had six champions at once. We see part of a roundtable discussion among those six.

Another Gallus video.

From Takeover: Blackpool II.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus vs. Imperium vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

Gallus, Mark Coffey and Wolfgang, are defending and it’s Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel for Imperium in a ladder match. There’s something about the referee ringing the bell and getting out of the way that makes this seem a lot more violent. It’s a brawl to start with Gallus and Imperium heading outside, leaving the Veterans to take over on Webster and Andrews.

Coffey and Imperium take their places in the ring but Webster and Andrews come back in to pick up the pace. The Veterans pulls them down by the arms though and some chair shots make it worse. Gallus ties Drake in the Tree of Woe but Imperium saves him from having his face crushed. Imperium tries to grab a ladder but Webster and Andrews hit big flip dives to knock it away. Imperium brings the ladders in and clean house, making sure to stop to pose.

The Veterans clear them out and tie Andrews in the corner for a running dropkick. Gallus is back in for a slingshot Samoan drop to put Drake onto a ladder but Imperium breaks up a climb attempt. Webster DDTs Wolfgang and Andrews goes up, only to dive onto Coffey instead of grabbing the titles. Andrews is laid over a ladder and it’s Aichner hitting a springboard moonsault onto Andrews onto the ladder for the big crash.

The Veterans are back in with the big ladder and set it up next to two regular ladders, only to have Webster bridge a ladder into one of them. Another, unopened ladder, is pressed against Gibson’s back but everyone gets knocked down before we get the big disaster. Drake is up there alone but hits a 450 on Andrews instead of grabbing the titles. Gibson helps Drake up so Aichner makes his own save.

The European Bomb hits Drake and Imperium is smart enough to get rid of the rest of the ladders, leaving just one to climb. Gallus grabs some more ladders and make the save, setting up a powerslam/enziguri combination to Drake. Webster and Andrews pull the ladder away from Gallus and drop them with a double Stundog Millionaire. The really big ladder is set up at ringside and we get some tables for the bonus (maybe it can shut the fans up for a bit).

One table collapses under Coffey’s weight, leaving Wolfgang on the other table. That doesn’t last long either as Andrews and Webster go up the same ladder at the same time for a double Swanton to crush Wolfgang in a hurry (cool spot, but not the brightest move). Andrews and Webster go up but the Veterans make the save this time.

The Veterans climb but Andrews busts out a kendo stick and destroys Drake. Imperium makes the save and climb as well, only to have Coffey make the save. Wolfgang spears Aichner through a ladder and Barthel gets shoved off the top onto a pile at ringside, leaving Gallus to retain the titles at 22:54.

Rating: A-. This was a blast and somehow managed to not get too jumbled with everyone and all of the ladders involved. They had some big spots and kept things moving, with a few unique spots to make things all the better. I liked this way more than I was expecting to and it was pretty well structured throughout. Heck of a match here and one of the better ladder matches I’ve seen in a good while.

Gallus meets together under a bridge and can’t wait to get back in the ring to stay on top.

Overall Rating: B+. They did a good job of looking at a team that doesn’t have the most depth. Really, they’re a bunch of big guys who beat people up in a pack mentality but they managed to make it work out well here. Gallus has shown more staying power than I would have expected and it makes sense to give them some focus like this. Nice show too, as the team has had some impressive matches.

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




Impact Wrestling – June 2, 2020: It’s Their Night

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: June 2, 2020
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Madison Rayne, Josh Matthews

It’s time for the tournament final as we need a new #1 contender to the World Title. Granted we also need the World Champion back, but I’m not sure when that is going to be the case. This show has been pretty watchable as of late though and hopefully they can keep that up this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Kylie Rae/Susie vs. Kiera Hogan/Tasha Steelz

This is fallout from Kiera and Tasha stealing Kylie’s bow. Kylie and Tasha lock up to start with Kylie not being able to spin out of a wristlock. Susie comes in and is quickly distracted, earning Tasha a slap to the face. It’s off to Kiera, who is taken down with a double bulldog in a hurry. That’s enough for the tag back to Tasha for a lot of trash talk as Susie is taken into the corner.

A double whip sends Susie hard into the buckle as Madison wants to know if Kylie knows about Su Yung. Tasha’s neckbreaker gives Kiera two but Susie comes back with a running faceplant. Su steals the bow back and hands it off to Kylie while tagging at the same time. House is cleaned in a hurry and the Kylie Special gets two on Kiera. Tasha hits a Codebreaker on Yung as everything breaks down. We get an exchange of strikes to the head until Steelz hurricanranas Susie into a fisherman’s neckbreaker for the pin at 7:18.

Rating: C-. This was short and to the point, though the fact that the point is a bow isn’t the most thrilling thing in the world. The division continues to look good with the new talent included and it’s nice to see multiple stories going on at once. It’s also nice to see all of these different styles coming together and it shows how things can go when it’s not just WWE style over and over again.

Here’s what’s coming on the show.

Ace Austin says people are too worried about the past around here. He’s going to the stars but here’s Moose to say his World Title is very prestigious. The Impact World Title is second rate so come after the real title.

Joseph P. Ryan vs. Crazzy Steve

Ryan has the Crists with him. As you might expect, Steve counters with a monkey. Steve says Ryan is the d*** guy and gets punched in the face. That earns Ryan some rapid fire shots but he comes back with a quick dropkick. There’s a knee drop for two on Steve and Ryan asks if anyone wants to see the greatest suplex on earth. Said suplex is broken up so they strike it out until Steve bites the hand. A rollup sends Ryan into the corner but Jake Crist offers a distraction, allowing Ryan to hit a superkick for the pin at 3:27.

Rating: D+. I’m still trying to find a reason to care about Ryan but I’ll certainly take this over his usual stuff. That being said, are they really putting the Crists with him? They’re a bit more talented than that and I’m not sure if I can go with the idea of them being underneath Ryan. The match wasn’t any good, but what are you expecting from this situation?

Post match Ryan says this is the culture and asks if Jake is ready to join. Ryan needs a sign, so Jake kicks Dave in the face.

Rohit Raju vs. Chase Stevens

Raju wins a slugout to start and kicks the knee out for two. Stevens’ short arm clothesline gets two and a snap suplex is good for the same. That earns him a Russian legsweep to cut things off again and Raju drops an elbow to add another two. The choking on the rope ensues and Raju says it’s his time. That takes a bit too long (of course) and Chase suplexes him into an ax kick for two more. The middle rope moonsault hits knees though and Raju hits a jumping knee to the face. A top rope double stomp to the back finishes Stevens at 5:45.

Rating: C-. Raju is already better on his own, though it’s not like he had anywhere to go but up. Sometimes you just need to get away from things and show off your talents, which might be what he needed. Stevens is someone you might remember if you think rather hard so having him as a jobber is fine enough.

Post match, Rhino of all people comes out to Gore Raju.

Nevaeh says she and Havok have been friends for years and she’s here to keep an eye on her after everything that went on with James Mitchell.

It’s time for Locker Room Talk with special guest Chris Bey. Johnny Swinger is WAY too excited about this and Madison Rayne has to calm him down a bit. Swinger won’t even let him respond as he praises Bey, thereby ignoring Madison Square Garden Rayne (ok good line). They’re the Finesse and Bench Press Express and next week they’re challenging Willie Mack for a tag match. Bey: “Uh, sure.” Then Swinger can help Bey win the X-Division Title. Madison is sick of Swinger saying Brother over and over and ends the show in a hurry.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Bobby Lashley b. Drew Galloway to win the World Title at Slammiversary 2016. Just a random choice of course.

Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace is back and is happy seeing all the new talent. Taya Valkyrie returns as well and doesn’t think much of Grace taking time off. Grace likes that idea and offers Taya a title match tonight. We’ll make that next week instead. Taya: “BRAVO!”

Rascalz vs. TJP/Fallah Bahh

#1 contenders match. Hold on though as we need to shake….er, touch elbows before we can get going. TJP wants to start but Bahh picks him up and moves him to the corner, saying he’s got this. TJP tries to do to the same to Bahh, with expected results. Dez can’t lift Bahh either and they trade rolling escapes to wristlocks. Dez: “That was impressive.” A rollup doesn’t work for Dez either and Bahh is waiting on his charge into the corner.

TJP comes in to face Wentz, meaning some of the laughing and trash talk might go away. Wentz takes him down so TJP snaps off the headscissors. They hit the mat until TJP hits the basement dropkick. Dez comes back in for his own headscissors, followed by the Bronco Buster from Wentz. Bahh isn’t having this and helps TJP with a quick Poetry In Motion but the Rascalz kicks TJP down in a hurry for two.

Wentz’s slingshot hilo gets two more but TJP is fine enough to hit a tornado DDT to take Wentz down. The hot tag brings in Bahh to clean house, including a Samoan drop on Dez. A double splash gets two on Dez and TJP takes him down with a dragon screw legwhip. Dez is fine enough to get over to Wentz for the hot tag as the pace picks way up.

Wentz hits a standing moonsault for two on TJP and it’s a superkick into a middle rope double stomp for two more. Bahh comes in without a tag to plant both guys and an exchange of small packages give TJP and Dez two each with the partners making stereo saves. Wentz and Bahh fight to the floor, leaving TJP to kneebar Dez. That’s broken up as well though and Dez leans back into a rollup to pin TJP at 12:36.

Rating: B. This was the fast paced and entertaining match you would expect from the three of them, plus Bahh in there for a bonus. I could go for more of the Rascalz and seeing them against the North could be rather entertaining. TJP and Bahh continue to be a very good team, but the Rascalz needed some success so hopefully this is just the first step.

Respect is shown post match.

Video on Deonna Purrazzo.

Rosemary and John E. Bravo had fun on their date and Bravo is rather happy with being away from Taya. Rosemary has an offer to him and gives him a chance to bite her apple (which seems to have some consequences) but Taya calls and needs Bravo to do something. He had fun with Rosemary but runs off to do whatever she needs, even if it’s across the country. Rosemary bites the apple and says this is going to be harder than she thought.

Michael Elgin demands that his music be played and storms to the ring to rant about Sami Callihan. The lights go out but Elgin isn’t scared of Sami. He wants to be #1 contender or the World Champion but here’s Ken Shamrock instead. The fight is on and Elgin bails from the threat of the ankle lock. On Elgin’s time you see.

#1 Contenders Tournament Finals; Trey vs. Ace Austin

Hold on though as there is no Trey, who is found unconscious in the back. Austin says that’s a shame but he wins by forfeit. Wentz comes out and blames Austin but referees hold him out. Boss Scott D’Amore comes out and we’ve got a replacement.

#1 Contenders Tournament Finals; Wentz vs. Ace Austin

Wentz dropkicks him into the corner to start and shouts a lot before hammering down right hands. A kick to the face and more right hands rock Austin as we take a break. Back with Ace’s apron superkick being blocked to put them both down on the floor. Ace chokes away with Wentz’s shirt and then backdrops him on the ramp, meaning the count is on as Ace gets a breather.

Wentz beats the count but Ace takes him outside again for a whip into the barricade. Ace stomps on the hand as Wentz climbs the steps and it’s another ram into the barricade to stay on the back. A missed charge sends Ace into the barricade for a change though and Wentz stomps away again. Wentz’ running dive off the steps is kicked out of the air though and we take a second break.

Back again with Ace getting two as Madison accuses Wentz of being an opportunist here. Ace catapults him throat first into the bottom rope for two but Wentz gets in a quick suplex for a breather. A jawbreaker cuts Wentz off again and we hit the armbar, allowing Ace to cut the fingers with the playing card. That’s too far for Wentz, who pounds him down with forearms to the back.

The Fold is loaded up in a hurry but Wentz knees him in the face. An enziguri drops Ace again and the penalty kick into the standing moonsault gives Wentz two. Wentz’s swinging half nelson slam gets two more and he adds a superkick. The Swanton hits knees though and the Fold gives Ace the pin and the title shot at 24:13.

Rating: B. I was getting into this one by the end, though it helps that I like both guys. Austin as #1 contender makes a lot of sense as he has a history with Tessa (assuming they ever get her back for a title match) and had a rather nice run as X-Division Champion. This is the next step up for him, though they might have something interesting with finding out who attacked Trey.

Hold on though as the show wraps up, but we get a video of someone in a hoodie watching a report on the WWE releases. We see clips of a bunch of released WWE stars who used to work here (the Kanellises, the Good Brothers, EC3, Eric Young and more)….and it’s a Slammiversary ad. That’s rather interesting.

Overall Rating: B-. There wasn’t much at the beginning of this show but the last two matches more than bailed it out. I can always go for more of the Rascalz and Ace so I had a very good time with this one. The company has done a great job of making things feel fresh as they are pushing a lot of newer names. That’s what they have needed to do for years now and it has given them some of their best results in years. Keep that up and Impact is one of the most entertaining promotions going today.

Results

Kiera Hogan/Tasha Steelz b. Kylie Rae/Susie – Fisherman’s neckbreaker to Susie

Joseph P. Ryan b. Crazzy Steve – Superkick

Rohit Raju b. Chase Stevens – Top rope double stomp to the back

Rascalz b. TJP/Fallah Bahh – Rollup to TJP

Ace Austin b. Wentz – The Fold

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




NXT – June 3, 2020: Thank You Drake

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: June 3, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Tom Phillips, Beth Phoenix

It’s the go home show for Takeover and that means we have another stacked card. The big story is building tot he NXT Title match but you never know how that might go. NXT has a good history with making you want to see the major shows, but things have been difference since they went to two hours. Hopefully they can make it work well here all over again. Let’s get to it.

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

Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae

Candice jumps her to start but Mia kicks her down without much trouble. More kicks keep Candice down but she kicks her way out of a full nelson. Some backsplashes give Candice two, only to be sent into the corner for a Cannonball. A forearm knocks Candice to the floor and Mia follows her out for a whip into the barricade. The brawling continues and it’s a double countout at 3:49.

Rating: D+. This was just a way to get to the finish and I think you know what’s coming here. Mia was more aggressive than usual here and that’s a good thing that she’s been needing for a while now. Candice is better at the promos than the wrestling, but she could be a lot worse. Just not much of a match, but it wasn’t supposed to be.

Post match the brawl continues and they fight into the Titantron, messing up its feed. Tegan Nox comes in to break it up but Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez come in to break up Nox. Shotzi Blackheart is out as well and the melee is afoot. Everyone else is cleared out and Mia decks Candice. Johnny Gargano comes out to break things up but Candice jumps Mia again. Cue Keith Lee to chase the Garganos off and let’s hit that mixed tag.

Keith Lee/Mia Yim vs. Johnny Gargano/Candice LeRae

Gargano and Lee are in street clothes. The Garganos try to escape but Lee grabs him in a gorilla press. Lee carries him down the aisle and doesn’t mind Candice jumping on his back at the same time. Mia jumps Johnny in the ring and we’re officially ready to start. Mia throws Candice down to start and gets a quick two off Soul Food. Candice gets kicked away but Gargano won’t come in because he’s not in wrestling gear. Gargano comes in to break up a dragon suplex so Lee picks him up, only to have Gargano stab him in the eyes with car keys. Candice rolls Mia up for the pin at 3:45.

Rating: C-. Another angle rather than a match and that’s fine given that the match is already set for Sunday. Gargano vs. Lee should be good and Candice vs. Mia can be done again later. At some point Lee has to lose the title and it would make sense for him to drop the title to the freshly heel Gargano, likely with a lot of cheating included.

Post match Gargano attacks Lee’s hand for a bonus.

Video on Tommaso Ciampa vs. Karrion Kross.

Dexter Lumis has nothing to say….but he pulls in an easel and some markers to start drawing.

Drake Maverick is ready for anything tonight and isn’t feeling the pressure. That’s why he’s having cookies and cake at catering. There is no pressure tonight, and he’s ready for the biggest night of his life.

We get a Prime Target video on Adam Cole vs. Velveteen Dream. Cole is picked up by the Undisputed Era (including Kyle O’Reilly) for a special day commemorating his one year anniversary as NXT Champion. They take the limo to lunch so we go to Velveteen Dream, who talks is rollerblading by Full Sail University, where Cole injured him to cost Dream the North American Title.

The Era has drinks and toasts to Cole’s success and we cut back to Dream talking about the time he pinned Cole. Dream asks his mirror who will be the greatest NXT Champion and is told that it will be him. Various personalities, including Drew McIntyre, talk about how big of a showdown this is. The match is officially a Backlot Brawl.

Lumis has finished his drawing, which is the Undisputed Era in a car with Lumis driving. Ok then.

Tony Nese vs. Isaiah Scott

Fallout from Nese costing Scott a Cruiserweight Title tournament match. Scott spears him down to start and hammers away before they fight outside. Nese gets in a hard shot on the floor and it’s back inside to send Scott back first into the corner. The bodyscissors stays on the back but Scott gets in some chops from the mat.

Nese powers him up into a guillotine but Scott reverses into a brainbuster for a good counter. Scott sends him outside and hits the running boot from the apron to make it even worse. Back in and Nese goes up top but here’s Jack Gallagher for a distraction. Nese punches Scott off the top and loads up the Sunset Driver, only to be reversed into a sunset flip to give Scott the pin at 5:32.

Rating: C. I don’t get why the cruiserweights don’t get a bit more build than they receive. I know they’re never going to be a focal point of the show, but they are right there and capable of doing a little something. Let them fill in some time so you don’t burn through so many of your top stars and stories so fast.

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Undisputed Era vs. ???

For the #1 contendership and it’s….Breezango filling out the field in a surprise moment (they’re astronauts because reasons). Burch, Fish and Breeze start things off with Fish getting double teamed. As usual, the other two get in an argument over who should get the pin and the staredown is on. The Era is sent outside and the other four have a staredown to take us to a break.

Back with Strong getting stomped down in the corner until Burch dropkicks Breeze down. Strong sends them into each other and hits a Rock Bottom backbreaker on Breeze. Fish drops Burch on the floor, leaving Breeze to get beaten up in the corner. Fandango gets suckered in so Strong can chinlock Breeze to slow things down. That brings Burch back in for the save and Breeze gets over to Fandango for the tag.

Back to back powerslams plant the Era and it’s a Falcon Arrow for two on Strong. Lorcan comes in as well and strikes away at everyone he can find. A double running Blockbuster drops the Era and Fandango throws Lorcan onto a bunch of people at ringside. Fandango adds the big flip dive, leaving Breeze to Supermodel kick Burch inside. The Era comes in to beat up Breeze as Lumis is here to watch. The Beauty Shot drops Fish though and the Last Dance gives Fandango the pin at 9:46.

Rating: B-. This was your usual wild match but they kept it short enough to not overstay their welcome. Breezango should be good first victims for Imperium, who are the kind of guys who wouldn’t be able to stand the two of them. It could make for an entertaining match, though I’d assume it’s a regular TV match instead of something at Takeover.

Post match Imperium comes out for the staredown, followed by Malcolm Bivens and his two giants. Dang it I was hoping they had forgotten about those two.

We look at Chelsea Green firing Robert Stone last week. That’s probably the right move for both of them as the team wasn’t working.

Aliyah vs. Santana Garrett

Aliyah starts fast with a neckbreaker and right hands as a disheveled Robert Stone comes out to watch. We hit the double arm crank on Garrett but she fires up and hits a hurricanrana out of the corner. A handspring moonsault finishes Aliyah at 2:02. I like both of them but I have no reason to believe this is leading anywhere for Garrett.

An annoyed Stone leaves.

We get another Prime Target, this time on the women’s triple threat match. Io Shirai, underwater, talks about being isolated in the darkness. She loves being alone because it makes her stronger. Rhea Ripley and Charlotte should be afraid of her because she will be the next champion.

Over to Ripley, who is woken up at 5:30am to start training for the day. She finished 2019 on fire but then 2020 was all downhill. It’s time to turn things around. Then we have Charlotte, who is nervous because she hasn’t been on Takeover in a long time. She is NXT homegrown though and will show what she can do again. All three of them want to be the best and have something to prove. Talking heads talk about how good all three of them are and how great the match is going to be.

Bronson Reed vs. Cameron Grimes

Grimes talks trash to start and gets run over by the much bigger Reed. An atomic drop sets up a Bionic elbow and Grimes gets planted off a gorilla press. Reed throws him around again and hits a running hip attack in the corner. Back in and the top rope splash misses, setting up the Cave In to give Grimes the pin at 2:44. Good win for Grimes here and it’s nice to see Reed back.

Post match Grimes talks trash but Karrion Kross is here for the Doomsday Saito to Reed. Kross tells Ciampa that Sunday will be special. Tick tock.

At Takeover: Tegan Nox/Shotzi Blackheart/Mia Yim vs. Dakota Kai/Raquel Gonzalez/Candice LeRae. I can go for a six person.

Interim Cruiserweight Title: El Hijo de Fantasma vs. Drake Maverick

For the vacant title and Maverick’s job is pretty much on the line. They shake hands to start and Fantasma rolls him up for a quick two. That freaks Drake out a bit so it’s off to a slightly safer hammerlock. Fantasma is right back up so they circle each other in a standoff. An armbar takes Drake down and Fantasma gets a rollup for two more. Back up and Maverick grabs a headscissors to put Fantasma on the floor. A Cannonball off the apron takes Fantasma down again and we take a break.

Back with Maverick hitting a middle rope dropkick to put Fantasma on the floor again but this time he powerbombs Maverick on the outside. They head back inside with Fantasma grabbing a surfboard but Maverick slips out and hits a running kick in the corner. Fantasma pulls him into a Boston crab, followed by an ugly sitout powerbomb for two more. That’s enough to fire Maverick up but Fantasma forearms him in the back to take care of that again.

This time Maverick unloads in the corner and drops the top rope elbow for two more. They fight up top again with Fantasma being knocked to the floor. Cue the masked men from the parking lot but Maverick dives onto both of them. Back in and Fantasma hits a quick superkick into the Phantom Driver for the pin and the title at 15:02.

Rating: B. It was a good enough match and I wasn’t sure which way they were going to go until the end. That makes for an interesting way to go and Maverick’s heart was shining through as always. There was even interference to make things feel a little less fair. Fantasma is the right call though as he’s more talented, but it was nice to see Maverick’s great run.

Post match Fantasma celebrates while Maverick sits in the ring. He thanks everyone for what happened, gets the hero’s sendoff…..and here’s HHH with the contract for Maverick to end the show. It was either that or win the title so this was a feel good moment. I’d be curious to find out how long this was planned in advance, but hopefully is wasn’t that long.

Overall Rating: B-. They did a nice job of making Takeover feel like a big deal, but there is still a certain level of magic missing from the show. Maybe it’s a lot of the wrestlers not being able to be in person for the show, but it isn’t exactly as interesting as it has been before. Then again, I’ve said that many times about Takeover before and been completely wrong, so maybe that’s the case this time too.

Results

Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae went to a double countout

Johnny Gargano/Candice LeRae b. Mia Yim/Keith Lee – Rollup to Yim

Isaiah Scott b. Tony Nese – Sunset flip

Breezango b. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch and Undisputed Era – Last Dance to Fish

Cameron Grimes b. Bronson Reed – Cave In

El Hijo de Fantasma b. Drake Maverick – Phantom Driver

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




Dynamite – June 3, 2020: Title Time

IMG Credit: AEW

Dynamite
Date: June 3, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

It’s time for the title show as both the TNT Title and the Tag Team Titles are on the line. That is quite the stacked card for any show and hopefully the execution lives up to the hype. You never can tell for sure with something like this but AEW has a history of being able to pull off a big show. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a Black Lives Matter graphic.

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

The announcers run down the card.

Tag Team Titles: Kenny Omega/Hangman Page vs. Kip Sabian/Jimmy Havoc

Havoc and Sabian, with Penelope Ford, are challenging. Ford grabs Omega’s leg to start and Havoc takes him down. It’s off to Sabian to keep Omega in the corner and it’s back to Havoc to work on the hand. With FTR watching from an empty part of the crowd, Omega fights his way to freedom and brings in Page to run over Havoc. The champs throw Sabian down and Page easily blocks Ford’s top rope hurricanrana. Since the referee say the whole thing and she didn’t turn him over, Ford is ejected.

In the distraction, Havoc hits both champs in the back with a wrench for two. Sabian dropkicks Page to the floor and Havoc pokes at the eyes but Page fights over to Omega for the tag. Omega starts cleaning house and plants Sabian for two before quickly bringing Page back in. The Kitaro Crusher from Omega gives Page two and Page takes out Sabian and Havoc back to back.

A big running clothesline gets two on Sabian with Havoc making the save. Havoc Death Valley Drivers Omega into Page in the corner and Sing the Sorrow gets two on Omega with Page making the save this time. The reverse hurricanrana drops Sabian on his head and there’s the snapdragon to Havoc. Omega hits a V Trigger on Sabian and it’s back to Page for the Last Call to finish Havoc at 13:38.

Rating: B-. It’s kind of amazing how much more entertaining Page is than Omega. He comes off like a more complete character and feels more explosive in the ring as well. I know Omega is going to get the praise and will likely be the top star in the company one day, but I like watching Page a good bit more. The match wasn’t exactly dramatic but it was nice to see the titles defended for a change.

Tully Blanchard yelled at Shawn Spears earlier today and asked what Spears wants his legacy to be. Later, Blanchard thought he had the missing piece for Spears: a single black glove.

We look at Mike Tyson vs. Chris Jericho from last week.

We look back at Brian Cage squashing a human last week.

Brian Cage vs. Shawn Dean

A bunch of suplexes set up the Drill Claw to end whatever is left of Dean at 1:38.

Post match Taz warns Jon Moxley to get serious before Cage kills him at Fyter Fest. Cue Moxley, who is still smiling to annoy Taz. Moxley is in this business for something like this and knows that Cage is impressive. Maybe Cage is a machine but Moxley is a human who can be beaten. It’s going to take Cage all night long though because taking the title from him is a different prospect entirely. The next time you want to bring his name up, remember who you’re talking about.

Lance Archer is beating up someone at what looks like a construction site as Jake Roberts looks on. Archer talks about how one loss isn’t changing him after twenty years in the business and he’ll take everything in AEW. Roberts looks impressed.

We look back at Matt Hardy helping Marc Quen out after an injury last week.

Hardy comes in to see Private Party, where Quen’s knee is fine. They remind him of the bond he and his brother had, which is quite the thrill for the team. If they ever need anything, let him know. Hardy leaves and runs into Sammy Guevara, who he respects, before leaving. Sammy is confused.

We recap Cody winning the TNT Title, the open challenge, and Jungle Boy becoming the #1 contender last week.

Colt Cabana vs. Chris Jericho

Fallout from Cabana arguing with Jericho after last week’s brawl with Tyson. Jake Hager and Sammy Guevara are here with Jericho and Sammy sings Judas for a bonus. Cabana starts fast and knocks Jericho to the floor, setting up an Asai moonsault to take out both Jericho and Hager. Jericho knocks Cabana out of the air back inside though and we take a break.

Back with Jericho elbowing him in the face for two but Cabana slugs away. The Bionic Elbow sets up the Flying Apple into the middle rope splash for two. Cabana rolls up the Superman Pin but Jericho reverses into the Walls of Jericho. The rope is grabbed for the save and Cabana hits a corner clotheslines. A super hurricanrana gives Cabana two but he slips coming out of the corner and walks into the Judas Effect to give Jericho the pin at 9:50.

Rating: C+. I know Cabana is mainly a comedy wrestler but this is the kind of match where he can turn it off and wrestle straight when he has to. That makes Cabana a lot easier to watch and it was the case here. Jericho getting a clean win is good for him at this point, even if it’s over a midcarder. Not too bad here and Cabana was trying.

Post match Jericho talks about Mike Tyson and says he wants the baddest man on the planet right now. Cue Orange Cassidy instead and he puts Jericho’s hands in…well his belt because Jericho doesn’t have pockets. Hager and Jericho go after Cassidy and thankfully he runs off instead of beating them up.

Videos on the matches announced for Fyter Fest.

Video on Britt Baker’s Road to Recovery with Tony Schiavone and the doctor looking on. She’s a little uh, over the top with things, though calling her wheelchair Role’s Royce is a great touch.

Nyla Rose vs. Big Swole

Swole headlocks her down to start but Rose fights up without much trouble. A shoulder doesn’t work on Rose so Swole sends her outside. That just lets Rose trip her up, sending Swole face first into the apron. Back from a break with Swole hitting a kick to the head and a headbutt, followed by a springboard cutter for two. Swole starts going after the knee but Rose spears her down. The Beast Bomb is countered into a sunset flip for two but Dirty Dancing is countered into a spinebuster/powerbomb to finish Swole at 9:48.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here as Swole isn’t all that interesting and Rose was getting back on the winning path. Part of the problem with any monster like Rose is that once she loses, the luster is gone in a hurry. I’m not sure where she can go next, but one off squashes could be best for her for the time being.

Post match Swole talks about having the fans behind her but Britt Baker rolls over, only to have Swole chase her off with a chair.

Darby Allin is injured but promises revenge on Brian Cage and Taz.

We get a sitdown interview with FTR, who say their name stands for anything they want it to. They’re ready for a bunch of teams, including the Young Bucks, who Dave Meltzer has praised as the next Midnight Express. They know they’re better than the Young Bucks and they don’t want any excuses for when they beat the Bucks in their first match. Tony thanks them for the interview but here are Butcher and Blade to interrupt. Other wrestlers and security break it up and a match is set for next week.

We run down next week’s show, including Marc Quen challenging for the TNT Title.

Colt Cabana is annoyed at his losses so here’s Brodie Lee to say it’s about how you respond to the losing. Lee can help him, so think about it.

TNT Title: Cody vs. Jungle Boy

Cody, with Arn Anderson, is defending and Jungle Boy is on his own here. They start with the rollups early on before Cody wins a slugout in the corner. The Figure Four goes on in a hurry but Boy is out in a hurry. A slingshot DDT gets two on Cody and he bails outside. Cody sends Boy over the barricade and we take a break. Back with Cody headbutting a wall by mistake but Boy stops to yell at MJF.

Cody is busted open so Boy hammers on the cut, only to get knocked down in a hurry. Boy heads up top and gets caught with a dropkick, setting up a delayed superplex. The Figure Four is broken up so Cody goes up top, right above a well placed table. Boy follows him up and they both fall through the table in a big crash. Back in and Boy counters a sunset flip into a rollup for two but Cody snaps off Cross Rhodes to retain at 12:48.

Rating: B. They had my attention here and Boy looked good in a losing effort. It’s a case where he’s a star of the future and that’s a good sign for where this company could be going. I’m curious to see how things are going to go for him and Cody could help a lot of people in matches like this. Good stuff, even if it started to feel like one of those patented forced Cody epics.

Post match all of Cody’s friends come in for the celebration as he shows respect to Boy to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. I had a good time with this one and it was a rather good show, without reaching the next level. What mattered here was having nothing bad and almost everything looking good up and down the card. They’re on the way to Fyter Fest and you can see a lot of the matches from here. Nice stuff here, with a solid show to keep up some momentum.

Results

Kenny Omega/Hangman Page b. Kip Sabian/Jimmy Havoc – Last Call to Havoc

Brian Cage b. Shawn Dean – Drill Claw

Chris Jericho b. Colt Cabana – Judas Effect

Nyla Rose b. Big Swole – Powerbomb

Cody b. Jungle Boy – Cross Rhodes

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




New Column: Somebody Check That Marquee

When wrestling isn’t wrestling.

 

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-somebody-check-marquee/




Monday Night Raw – January 2, 2006: The Balancing Act

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: January 2, 2006
Location: Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 17,896
Commentators: Jonathan Coachman, Jerry Lawler, Joey Styles

We’re starting off a new year with a go home show as we get ready for New Year’s Revolution. The show is the definition of a one match event and I’m not sure if John Cena is ready to carry that kind of a show on his shoulders. I’m not sure what we’re going to get tonight but hopefully a lot of it is spent on getting the rest of the card ready. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here’s Vince McMahon to get things going. He recaps his Zero Tolerance Policy from last week, meaning no more Mr. Nice Guy. Shawn Michaels doesn’t think much of it and Vince should have fired him on the spot. Everything he has done in his professional life has been for the fans so starting tonight, it’s all about him. That includes tonight’s first blood match, and the match you’re about to see.

Kane vs. Shawn Michaels

Hold on though as Vince has a special rule: if Shawn uses a superkick, it’s an automatic DQ. Shawn chops away in the corner to start but gets knocked down by the uppercuts. A sunset flip gives Shawn two but Kane hits him in the face again as the beating is on. More chops get Shawn out of trouble and he manages to clothesline Kane outside. The slingshot dive connects so Vince yells at Shawn, allowing Kane to get in a cheap shot from behind.

We take a break and come back with Kane driving him into the corner and hitting a belly to back suplex. The choking ensues and a knee drop gets two, much to Vince’s amusement. There’s the neck crank and more choking, plus an uppercut for two. Another neck crank is broken up in a hurry and Shawn slips out of the chokeslam attempt.

Shawn fights out of the corner and hits the flying forearm into the nipup. A DDT gets two on Kane, followed by a swinging neckbreaker for the same. You don’t do that to Kane though as he kicks Shawn’s head off, only to miss the top rope clothesline. Shawn’s top rope elbow connects and he tunes up the band, but Vince threatens to throw him out of the Elimination Chamber. That’s enough of a distraction for Kane to hit the chokeslam for the pin.

Rating: C. Oh yeah it’s going to be a long form story and heavy on the McMahon, which isn’t exactly promising for the near or distant future. Vince being all evil works, but Shawn as the family man Steve Austin isn’t exactly the most interesting adversary. Then again, they’re doing a story built off the Montreal Screwjob so what are you expecting?

During the break, Vince made Shawn the #1 entrance in the Chamber.

Gregory Helms thinks Jerry Lawler is holding him down, but Lawler doesn’t quite agree. Cue Helms to say it to Lawler’s face. Lawler gets in the ring so Helms can ask where the Hurricane jokes are. If anyone is going to be mocked for their appearance, it should be Lawler. That’s fine with Jerry, who thinks Helms is now just a guy, who sucks. The fight is on and Helms is knocked to the floor, allowing Lawler to challenge him for New Year’s Revolution. Game on.

Video on the Elimination Chamber.

Vince McMahon asks Mickie James about kissing Trish Stratus when Kurt Angle and Daivari storm in. Angle wants Daivari to be the guest referee in the first blood match but Vince isn’t happy with Angle’s comments about the military. Vince wants blood from someone tonight so Angle promises to make John Cena bleed so badly that Vince will have to drive him to the hospital.

We look at Mickie kissing Trish last week.

Trish is running the steps and doesn’t want to talk about the kiss. Instead, she’s just focused on the title match, but for now it’s time for a shower.

Maria is hosting the Kiss Cam but here are Victoria (in a neck brace thanks to Carlito), Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle to interrupt. Maria: “Did you guys want to be on Kiss Cam”? Victoria didn’t have a good New Year and Maria probably doesn’t know they have a match tonight. A kick to the ribs has Maria in trouble and the bell rings.

Maria vs. Victoria

Victoria is wrestling in the neck brace and beats Maria down without much trouble. The referee breaks things up and Candice’s interference fails, allowing Maria to grab a rollup for the very fast pin.

Post match the beatdown is on and of course Maria is stripped. Ashley makes the save but gets taken down with the Double D DT.

During the break, Vince made a bra and panties gauntlet match for Sunday.

Mickie steals Trish’s towel so she has to hear Mickie’s apology for last week. She hands over the towel and compliments Trish’s….oh you can figure it out.

Here are Edge and Lita on the platform for a chat. Edge talks about Ric Flair being a legend but anyone who respects Flair is full of it. See, Edge is one of a kind and would be whether there was a Ric Flair or not. We get some amateur video of Flair’s road rage incident….and it’s Edge in a Flair costume cutting off the car, chopping the driver, and putting him in the Figure Four on the highway. You knew the impression was coming somewhere in this feud.

Back in the arena, Edge talks about Flair’s divorce and Lita hopes Flair’s wife takes everything. On Sunday, Edge is rescuing the Intercontinental Title but here’s Flair for the brawl. They fight to the ring with Edge getting beaten up in the corner but Lita breaks up the Figure Four. That just earns her the Figure Four as Edge bails. This hasn’t been bad, even though referencing Flair embarrassing himself (again) might not be the best idea.

Video on Stacy Keibler competing on Dancing With The Stars.

Chris Masters vs. Shelton Benjamin

Masters powers him around to start and hammers Shelton for daring to try a backslide. A hard clothesline gives Masters two but Shelton punches his way out of the corner. The running forearm and a running knee lift sets up a kick to the head for two. Well three but Masters had a foot on the ropes at two. Shelton is getting annoyed at the pace of the count but he’s able to reverse the Masterlock into a backbreaker for two. A missed clothesline lets Masters grab the Masterlock on the second attempt though and Shelton is done.

Rating: C. I can’t even get annoyed at Shelton losing anymore as that phone call last week seemed rather ominous. The same could be said about losing clean to Masters, even if he is heading to the pay per view main event. Masters isn’t going to win the thing, but they’re doing a good enough job of building him up for a short form push.

Another Elimination Chamber video.

Ben Roethlisberger was at a house show.

Here’s HHH for a chat. He talks about people who want to get things done but then fail miserably. That doesn’t apply to him of course, because he knows how to find the right tool to accomplish the job. There are no chances in the ring because he always knows what is going to happen. Big Show thought he had it figured out but then last week happened.

We see a clip from…five weeks ago of Show yelling at HHH, which isn’t the footage that was supposed to air. HHH talks about breaking Show’s hand with the sledgehammer and the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Cue Show with a giant cast on his hand so he can punch a chair and a monitor out of HHH’s hands. HHH bails because this wasn’t what he had planned.

Smackdown Rebound.

Shelton is in the back….and here’s his Mama. She came all the way from South Carolina to see him lose and that’s not what the Benjamins do. He needs to start doing what she says and get in the shower because he stinks. And that would be it for Shelton’s career prospects for a long, long time.

Elimination Chamber rundown.

One more Elimination Chamber video.

Here’s Cena for a chat before the main event. He isn’t worried about his opponents in the Chamber, because Masters can’t smell WWE, Carlito bites pillows, Angle doesn’t like the troops…and here’s Angle to cut him off.

John Cena vs. Kurt Angle

Non-title, first blood and Daivari is in Angle’s corner. Joined in progress with Angle rolling the German suplexes to quite the popular reaction. Daivari takes a turnbuckle pad off as the crowd is either very interested in this or sweetened. Cena fights back and sends Angle hard out to the floor but Daivari gets in a gold medal shot. Back in and Angle pounds at the unopened head before sending him face first into the exposed buckle. The straps come down for the Angle Slam and it’s time for a chair. Cena slugs him down but Daivari jumps on Cena’s back before he can swing the chair. The ankle lock is broken up and we get a ref bump (to go with the interference and first blood rules five minutes into the match), allowing Angle to chair Cena in the head. Cena is busted but reverses Angle’s FU into the STFU, only for the referee to see the blood (and it is EVERYWHERE) to give Angle the win.

Rating: C+. These two always had good chemistry together and that was the case again here. Throw in a gory blade job and Daivari interfering as he should have and it was a fast paced and violent main event. It doesn’t hurt Cena to lose a match like this thanks to cheating so they kept it safe while doing what they needed to do.

Post match Carlito and Masters run in for the big brawl but it’s Kane to clean house. Shawn comes in to superkick Kane but Cena is back up with the FU and all six are down.

Overall Rating: C+. This show had a weird balance to maintain as there is a card on Sunday aside from the Elimination Chamber, but I’m not sure if anyone is even remotely interested in most of it. They did a good enough job of making me interested, though it’s all about that one match and that’s very obvious. At the same time though, this show included the debut of Mama Benjamin and any show that does that is not going to receive the highest grade. They did a nice balancing act here though and that’s harder than it seems.

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




Dark – June 2, 2020: They Listened!

IMG Credit: AEW

Dark
Date: June 2, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Taz, Excalibur

Now we get back to something a little bit less interesting with the night of the jobber matches. Usually that would mean the night of squash matches, but that’s not how it tends to work for whatever reason. The biggest problem with the show is how long it tends to run, so hopefully it’s a bit shorter tonight. Let’s get to it.

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

We run down the (rather shorter) card.

John Skyler vs. Billy Gunn

Austin Gunn is in his dad’s corner and Skyler bails into the corner to start. Billy grabs an armbar to send him right back into the corner and a hammerlock makes it worse. Austin is rather pleased so Skyler heads outside to glare at him. Back in and Gunn hits a spinebuster….but Austin tells him not to use a powerbomb. Instead it’s the Fameasser to finish Skyler at 3:39.

Rating: D+. Just a quick match here and there’s nothing wrong with Billy getting a win over a low level guy. Austin being the big cheerleader plays into the roles that the two of them have had in the stands, though I’m not sure how much of a future they have together. The father and son thing is a nice touch though so it’s not exactly torture.

Earlier today, Brandi and Dustin Rhodes are ready for a tag match tonight but there’s no QT Marshall. Cue Marshall in a Corvette, with Allie in the passenger seat. Brandi and Dustin aren’t sure about this but Marshall and Allie leave, promising to be back in a bit. Dustin says bring something to eat so Marshall throws him the apple. Brandi isn’t letting that happen because it’s nasty.

Joe Alonzo/Jon Cruz vs. Butcher and Blade

Butcher and Blade jump them to start and the beating is on in a hurry. Butcher sends Alonzo flying and it’s Blade sending him into the corner for the early beating. A side slam/legdrop combination plants Cruz but he gets away for the tag to Alonzo. The comeback is cut off in a hurry as Butcher runs him over without much trouble. An assisted spinning Rock Bottom gives Butcher two but Alonzo gets in a kick to make the quick tag. That just earns Cruz a suplex onto Blade’s knees for the pin at 5:20.

Rating: C-. This was an extended squash and that’s not a bad thing. Butcher and Blade have never gotten out of the blocks and they barely ever win a match. Maybe not having Allie around is a good thing for them as she is going to get all of the attention. The tag division has all kinds of potential so the team has their work cut out for them, but maybe it can work.

Peter Avalon and Brandon Cutler aren’t sure if they can win, but Leva Bates insists that she is the missing element that they needed.

Christi Jaynes vs. KiLynn King

Jaynes lays over the top rope during King’s entrance and doesn’t seem overly nervous. A running shoulder drops King so Jaynes throws in some dancing. They trade rollups for one counts until King grabs an armbar. She even swings Jaynes down, which looks a good bit painful. Jaynes finally gets her into the corner and hammers away before standing on King’s hair. Some more dancing and a kick to Jaynes’ back gets two but King is back up with a release German suplex. They trade rollups and Jaynes grabs the tights for the pin at 4:02.

Rating: C-. They were working fast here and that’s not a bad thing. Jaynes is someone with all kinds of star power and I can see why they would give her the win here. King isn’t quite the same level of star but she certainly has a lot of potential so there wasn’t a bad choice here. Not a bad little match, but the time hurt them a good bit.

Big Game Leroy/EJ Lewis vs. Santana and Ortiz

Leroy is playing a Nintendo Switch and has to be reminded that the match is about to start. Commentary says this is Santana and Ortiz’s first match since “all the way back at Double Or Nothing.” Indeed, all the way back ten whole days. Santana kicks the Switch out of Leroy’s hands and the stomping is on in the corner. Lewis comes in but Ortiz takes him down to set up a running backsplash as the beatdown is on in a hurry.

The Gory Stretch goes on and Santana comes in for some chops. There’s a kick to the face and Santana insists that it is supposed to hut. Lewis’ comeback is cut off with a superkick and a Michinoku Driver gets two. Ortiz throws Lewis into the corner so Leroy can come back in. The assisted Cannonball sets up the Street Sweeper to finish Leroy at 5:10.

Rating: C. Another extended squash but Santana and Ortiz are a more entertaining team than Butcher and Blade. The two of them beat the heck out of Leroy and made you see why they were signed in the first place. Leroy was a funny jobber with the Switch and Lewis took a heck of a beating so what else could you need?

Natural Nightmares vs. Brandon Cutler/Peter Avalon

Brandi Rhodes is here with the Nightmares, Leva Bates is here with Cutler/Avalon and Allie sits in on commentary. Dustin and Cutler start things off as Allie is swooning over QT. With the feeling out process going nowhere, it’s off to Avalon vs. Marshall, the latter of whom hits a suplex for some applause from Allie. Leva offers a leg trip and Marshall is sent outside for a suicide dive from Avalon. It’s off to Cutler for a springboard forearm and Avalon’s leg lariat gets two.

Cutler comes back in for an enziguri into a Swanton with Dustin having to make the save. Marshall kicks him away though and the hot tag brings in Dustin to clean house. Everything breaks down and Avalon and Cutler get in an argument, meaning Bates has to break up the Unnatural Kick. Brandi comes in for a Stunner/cutter on Bates, who is thrown into Avalon. That leaves Cutler to take Dustin’s Canadian Destroyer and a cutter from Marshall is good for the pin at 7:28. Brandi dubs the cutter the Red Delicious.

Rating: C-. This was fine despite the lack of drama as to the winner. That’s all it was supposed to be and they did a good enough job with the Allie stuff. I’m not sure what her big plan is, but at least she’s back on screen and that’s a good thing. I have a feeling it winds up being more about Brandi than anyone else, but that is often the case with anything involving her.

After a quick Dynamite preview, Marshall declares Allie the apple of his eye.

Overall Rating: C. Sweet merciful chicken wings this is so much easier at about 45 minutes than an hour and a half. This was a perfectly fine low level supplemental show, with the quick promos adding a little something as well. The length is the big appeal though as you don’t feel drained after you’ve seen an hour and still have three matches to go. Keep it like this, I beg of you.

Results

Billy Gunn b. John Skyler – Fameasser

Butcher and Blade b. Joe Alonzo/Jon Cruz – Suplex onto Blade’s knees to Cruz

Christi Jaynes b. KiLynn King – Rollup with tights

Santana and Ortiz b. EJ Lewis/Big Game Leroy – Street Sweeper to Leroy

Natural Nightmares b. Brandon Cutler/Peter Avalon – Red Delicious to Cutler

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




Watched Main Event

This is the first WWE film with Netflix and much like the weekly show of the same name, there isn’t much positive about the whole thing.

The idea is basically a wrestling version of Like Mike: a kid finds an item (a wrestling mask in this case) and it gives him special powers. He enters a tournament for money and a WWE contract and the rest of the movie is him fighting wrestlers. Seriously that’s about it.

There is very little worth watching int his thing, though to be fair it seems to be something for kids rather than adults. The powers are of course completely absurd, with the kid being able to jump from one turnbuckle to another and lift rather large wrestlers. You can predict the entire movie the whole way through and while that’s not the worst thing, it does get a little tiresome in a hurry.

I’m already running out of things to talk about with the movie because that’s how little there is to the thing. The comedy relief is a grandmother with an Instagram following, but the weird part is she is probably about fifty years old, making the grandmother part a little hard to buy. Sure someone her age could be a grandmother, but she looks young enough to be the main character’s mother.

The wrestling cameos are fine, with Corey Graves and Renee Young as the match commentators and Miz as host, plus Keith Lee as someone else trying to get a contract. As usual, a WWE produced movie can’t get the basics right though, as they mention a match being on Raw and show it with blue ropes. Why this is so difficult to figure out is beyond me, but even WWE can’t figure it out.

Overall, this isn’t worth your time and the only thing that offers a bit of interest are some of Young’s lines on commentary. This came out around the same time as the Big Show Show and as bad as that was, it’s WAY more entertaining than Main Event. Don’t waste your time on this as it feels like something that was written in about a day and the wrestling cameos aren’t enough to make it work. It could be worse, but you’re better off watching one of the Marine movies or something else of high quality.




Monday Night Raw – June 1, 2020: Not Having It

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 1, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Samoa Joe, Byron Saxton

We’re less than two weeks away from Backlash and that means it’s time to get the hard push going. They’re doing something right with Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley as last week’s brawl went pretty well. What matters is getting something else underneath that and pushing “the greatest wrestling match ever” isn’t really working. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here are Seth Rollins and company to open things up. Rollins talks about wanting to face Aleister Black soon but later tonight, it’s Rey Mysterio’s retirement ceremony. Rey won’t be here to retire himself though so Seth, as the leader, is going to appreciate Rey for the rest of us. See, Rey was a sacrifice for the greater good of Monday Night Raw, which was a moment that will live in time forever. Rollins has prepared a video on Rey’s career, which starts off as a nice tribute and then jumps to Rollins taking out Rey’s eye. Cue Black to deck Rollins and clear the ring.

Seth Rollins vs. Aleister Black

They slug it out to the floor to start with Black getting the better of things. Rollins hits a dropkick on the way back inside though and it’s time to stomp away. There’s a dropkick and Rollins talks trash about Black disrespecting Mysterio. Black is sent outside for the suicide dive into the barricade but Rollins misses an enziguri back inside. Black hits a kick to the head but gets backdropped over the top to land face first on the apron in a nasty looking crash.

Austin Theory and Murphy go after Black but here’s Humberto Carrillo (ERG) for the save with a chair before anything happens. Back from a break with Rollins choking away in the corner and slugging off a comeback attempt. The top rope knee to the head misses and Black slugs away with some more success. The Lionsault gives Black two and a German suplex is good for the same. Rollins gets in a low superkick into the Falcon Arrow for two more.

The frog splash hits knees though and they head to the apron for a kickoff. Black kicks him into the steps and hits a moonsault to the floor as we take another break. Back again with Rollins knocking Black off the top and hitting the frog splash for a delayed two. The Stomp misses though and Black grabs an armbar. That’s broken up so Rollins tries another springboard, only to get kneed out of the air. Humberto cuts off Theory and Murphy from interfering, allowing Black to roll Rollins up for the pin at 21:08.

Rating: B-. This felt long but the bigger problem is Rollins losing again. He’s one of the featured stars of the show and he hasn’t exactly won anything important in a good while. I do like Black getting a win though as it gives him a nice boost, though I’m not sure where he is supposed to go at the moment.

Post match the beatdown is on and Black has to watch Carrillo take the Stomp. Rollins asks if Black wants to be a hero and then Stomps him as well.

We look back at Angel Garza beating Kevin Owens last week.

Garza talks about how everything goes in love. In competition and seduction, you must always be one step ahead. He even has a rose for Charly Caruso, but Zelina Vega rips it up.

Shawn Michaels talks about Edge and Randy Orton because he knows about having the greatest matches ever. He picks Edge.

Video on Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley.

Lana again yells at MVP, who cuts her off and says he isn’t getting sucked into a bunch of attention seeking drama. She accuses him of trying to revive his career but MVP isn’t really phased. Lana calls him a leach, which MVP says means there are two of them. That earns him a slap but no screaming this time.

We recap the opening sequence.

Kayla Braxton brings out Apollo Crews for a chat. Crews talks about how it hasn’t sunk in yet but for tonight, he gets to pick his own opponent. Here’s the opponent for the title defense.

US Title: Apollo Crews vs. Kevin Owens

Crews is defending and Owens has a bad knee coming in. Before the match, Owens thinks Crews is giving him the title shot out of pity. Crews insists that he deserves it, but Owens says the first title reign will be a short one. They start fast with Crews hitting a dropkick for one but Owens is back with his own dropkick. A clothesline to the floor looks to set up the flip dive but Crews is smart enough to step to the side.

Crews’ moonsault off the apron misses so Owens hits a Cannonball off the apron instead. Back in and the Swanton gets two on Crews in a near fall. We pause for a quick injury to Crews, who was goldbricking so the slugout can be on. They fight out to the floor and we take a break. Back with Crews charging into a superkick but coming back with an enziguri for two. A corner splash connects but Owens knocks him down, only to have the Swanton hit knees. They’re both down so here are Andrade and Angel Garza for the double DQ at 10:24.

Rating: C. This was starting to get good near the end and at least Crews looks like a fighting champion instead of someone who loses in his first defense. That being said, it’s more interference to set up an impromptu tag match because that’s one of the favorites around here. A four way at Backlash wouldn’t surprise me.

Angel Garza/Andrade vs. Kevin Owens/Apollo Crews

Never let it be said that this company doesn’t change up something that they like. Joined in progress with Crews being stomped down and Andrade hitting a running knee to the face. Garza comes in for a kick to the face but Crews gets over for the hot tag to Owens. That’s fine with Andrade, who pops him in the face and grabs a half crab. Owens breaks it up and brings Crews back in for an Angle Slam to Andrade. Garza hits Owens in the knee, leaving Andrade to take the Toss Powerbomb for the pin at 4:59.

Rating: D+. It was the short form version of the same kind of match we’ve seen for years. There was nothing interesting here but at least Crews got a pin. Odds are it’s a four way for the title somehow, which could be a nice win for Apollo, assuming they don’t put it on Garza as fast as they can.

We recap the Viking Raiders vs. the Street Profits in various competitions.

Tonight, it’s bowling, with the Raiders being rather good at the game. The Profits are terrible for the sake of tying the score. The Raiders even provide beverages, in the form of goat’s milk. With the Profits not being able to hit a single pin, the Raiders raid the snack bar but don’t get thrown out because Ivar is cute. The Profits want the smoke so the lights get all flashy and the comeback is on. It’s 130-121 to the Profits with one Raiders ball to go, so Ivar is thrown down the alley and hits a strike to win by one pin. That ties the competitions at 2-2.

We recap the IIconics attacking Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss last week.

Cross/Bliss and the IIconics have to be separated in the back.

Nikki Cross vs. Billie Kay

Cross sends her into the corner over and over to start, setting up a basement dropkick for two. A big boot gives Kay two and she elbows Cross for the same. The kickouts are getting on Kay’s nerves so Cross slugs away and even hits a slingshot dropkick to the ribs. The missile dropkick doesn’t work though and Kay hits a sitout Rock Bottom for the pin at 5:10.

Rating: D+. They’re sticking with the greatest hits tonight as we get the challenger pins champion checked off the list. It’s an interesting idea to have the champs trying to fight two battles at once and coming up a bit short though so points for trying something different. And having the champions actually do something of course.

Drew McIntyre is ready to Claymore MVP again if that’s what he wants.

Rey Mysterio joins us via satellite and says he isn’t sure when he’ll be back. If the wound is infected, his career is over. His retirement isn’t in his hands anymore and he may never be cleared to compete again. As for Seth Rollins, he certainly has a lot of negativity for someone who claims to be a messiah. Dominick comes in to say that someone from this family needs to fight back and no he won’t calm down. Rey isn’t happy with what Rollins has put his family through and leaves. Dominick stays and says an eye for an eye.

Here’s Nia Jax to say she didn’t start this with Kairi Sane. This is all smoke and mirrors, just like Asuka’s title reign. Asuka is champion because of Becky’s hormones and now Nia is the victim in all of this.

We recap R-Truth and Rob Gronkowski arguing over the 24/7 Title.

Earlier today, Gronkowski was doing a Tik Tok photo shoot when R-Truth, as the gardener, rolled him up to steal the title back. Good. Now stay gone.

Kairi Sane vs. Nia Jax

Nia shoves her down to start and pats her on the head, earning a shot to the face. Sane gets in a sleeper but Jax slips out, leaving Sane to kick away at the back/shoulder. Back up and a headbutt catches Sane on top but she pulls Jax down with a DDT for one. The sliding elbow in the corner looks to set up the Insane Elbow but Jax rolls outside. Sane’s slide is countered and Jax sends her head first into the steps. Back in and the big leg finishes Sane in a hurry. This would be the match where Sane was busted open badly so they did a nice job with the editing there.

Rating: C-. Now stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Nia is laughing off the idea that anyone could beat her and is being all dominant as she heads into a title shot. That feels like the only story that they know how to tell with her and it gets a little tiresome seeing it every single time. That’s the same problem that so many stories have these days and it’s not going away.

We look back at Edge’s comments on Randy Orton last week.

Orton talks about Ric Flair calling him the best to ever lace up a pair of boots. A few weeks ago, Edge talked about Orton not having a passion for wrestling and having everything handed to him. It’s true, and Edge is angry that it took a half effort from Orton to accomplish everything. All he has to do is wake up, lace up his boots and get in the ring. At Backlash, Edge’s storybook ending is being rewritten by the RKO.

Charlotte vs. Asuka

Non-title. Before the match, Charlotte talks about how she wants one of the NXT wrestlers in the crowd to step up and become her next challenger so she can make them bow down. We hear about Asuka’s resume and Charlotte thinks the Empress wants to be the Queen. The threat of the Asuka Lock is broken up early on and Charlotte strikes away. A shot to Asuka’s knee sends us to an early break.

Back with Charlotte staying on the knee, including a kick to said knee to cut off Asuka’s striking. Charlotte charges into a kick to the head though and a German suplex into a Shining Wizard gets two. Joe: “A flying knee each day keeps the coherency away.” Asuka pulls her into the triangle choke, which is reversed into a Boston crab.

Asuka rolls out and grabs a kneebar but Charlotte stands up and grabs her own German suplex. That just means another triangle from Asuka, with Charlotte powerbombing her way to freedom for two more. Charlotte kicks her to the floor….so here’s Nia Jax in Asuka’s mask to Asuka’s music for a distraction and the countout to give Charlotte the win at 9:47.

Rating: B-. I never need to see Charlotte again and I certainly don’t need to see her beat Asuka again. The love for Charlotte around here is sickening at times and this time we even got Nia Jax mocking thrown in to keep up the greatest hits. They were having a good match and I’ll take the countout over a clean fall any day. Just give me a break from Nia and Charlotte. Please.

Lana is asked if Bobby Lashley or MVP came up with the idea of her not being at ringside for Lashley’s matches. She isn’t sure, but she can be ringside for other matches.

MVP vs. Drew McIntyre

Non-title and here is Bobby Lashley to watch. Hold on though as here’s Lana to stand next to a confused Lashley. McIntyre hammers him down in the corner to start and adds a clothesline, followed by the Glasgow Kiss to the floor. Lashley offers a distraction though and MVP sends McIntyre into various things. Back in and a running big boot gives MVP one but McIntyre shrugs it off and hits the top rope shot to the head. Lashley pulls MVP outside so McIntyre dives onto both of them. The Claymore finishes MVP at 2:56. Lana added nothing here.

Post match Lashley grabs the full nelson on McIntyre to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. Man alive I did not care about this show or anything on it. They were doing a bunch of by the book angle advancement and while the wrestling was good, it was a chore to watch and didn’t make me want to see anything on the pay per view. The Edge vs. Orton stuff started off pretty dumb and is now just getting annoying, just like the Rollins vs. Mysterio feud, which seems to be bringing in Dominick for a replacement. Not a good show from a storytelling perspective (though Lashley vs. McIntyre still has me interested) but the wrestling was a bright spot.

Results

Aleister Black b. Seth Rollins – Rollup

Kevin Owens vs. Apollo Crews went to a double DQ when Angel Garza and Andrade interfered

Apollo Crews/Kevin Owens b. Andrade/Angel Garza – Toss Powerbomb to Andrade

Billie Kay b. Nikki Cross – Sitout Rock Bottom

Nia Jax b. Kairi Sane – Legdrop

Charlotte b. Asuka via countout

Drew McIntyre b. MVP – Claymore

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




New Mouth Of The South Shore Radio Show Is Up

This time around it’s a look at Seth Rollins’ stable, including who should be in it, what it should be called, and more. Plus, your up to date scorecard in who is yelling at whom this week in wrestling podcasts (you really do need something to help you keep track). All this and more of course.

Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/7s8JdTf6kIDKyBLNxNqFzA

Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aH…lzb2Rlcy9mZWVk

Spreaker:
https://www.spreaker.com/show/mouth-…ore-radio-show

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