New Column: In Praise Of An Indy
I think I like these people.
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-praise-indy/
Survivor Series Count-Up – 1993: Harts Attacking
IMG Credit: WWE
Survivor Series 1993
Date: November 24, 1993
Location: Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 15,509
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan
Team IRS vs. Team Razor Ramon
IRS, Adam Bomb, Diesel, Rick Martel
Razor Ramon, 1-2-3 Kid, Marty Jannetty, Mr. Perfect
Heenan apparently called Perfect no showing this and Vince says Heenan was right for once. Bobby: “FOR ONCE???” Ramon and Martel start things off with Rick working on the arm. They fight for the arm and hit the mat for a bit before popping back up. Razor slaps him in the face and rolls through a cross body for two. Martel gets caught in the fall away slam (BIG pop for that) for two.
Razor hits a pair of atomic drops and a clothesline for two. Off to Adam Bomb who shoves Ramon into the corner with ease. They collide and Razor is knocked down in a bit of a surprise. They have a test of strength with Bomb controlling again before Ramon fights up and suplexes Bomb down.
Jannetty and Kid celebrate with Ramon. Savage is off chasing Crush.
Hart Family vs. Shawn Michaels/Knights
Bret Hart, Keith Hart, Bruce Hart, Owen Hart
Shawn Michaels, Blue Knight, Black Knight, Red Knight
Blue stays on the arm including dropping a leg, followed by a hammerlock slam. Off to Shawn who misses a Rocket Launcher, allowing the tag to Bret, prompting Shawn to tag out to Red. Red immediately gets caught in a spinebuster and the Sharpshooter to make it 4-2. Blue comes in to clothesline Bret and both he and Keith are now hurt. Bret is thrown back in and suplexed down for two.
Bruce comes in and drops an elbow on Shawn for two. Bret is still getting up after the crash he took into the barricade. Bruce and Shawn hit head to head twice in a row to really stretch this thing out. Keith comes in with an abdominal stretch (including the toe around the ankle) but Shawn hip tosses out of it with ease. Back to Bret who pounds away and crotches Shawn on the top rope. Bret picks the leg but Shawn escapes the Sharpshooter and walks out for the countout.
Smokey Mountain Wrestling Tag Titles: Heavenly Bodies vs. Rock N Roll Express
Team Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Four Doinks
Bam Bam Bigelow, Bastion Booger, Headshrinkers
Bushwhackers, Men on a Mission
As Bigelow is leaving, Doink (whose performer has recently changed) pops up on screen to laugh at Bam Bam. The next step in this feud: a midget named Dink of course.
Before the match, we get a history lesson about Boston. No seriously, this happens. Thankfully it turns into some promos from the All Americans.
Foreign Fanatics vs. All Americans
Foreign Fanatics: Yokozuna, Crush, Ludvig Borga, Jacques
All Americans: Lex Luger, Undertaker, Steiner Brothers
Ludvig pounds on the ribs and whips Scott in the corner so he can clothesline Steiner down. Borga goes up top but gets suplexed back down for two. Yokozuna comes in and pounds away, but Scott gets in some offense. He tries the freaking Frankensteiner which goes about as well as you would expect it to, resulting in a legdrop from Yokozuna eliminating Scott to get us down to two on two.
Santa comes out to celebrate with Luger just like last year.
Ratings Comparison
Team Razor Ramon vs. Team IRS
Original: B
Redo: B
Hart Family vs. Team Shawn Michaels
Original: D+
Redo: D
Rock N Roll Express vs. Heavenly Bodies
Original: B
Redo: B-
Four Doinks vs. Team Bam Bam Bigelow
Original: N/A
Redo: Awe
All-Americans vs. Foreign Fanatics
Original: C-
Redo: D+
Overall Rating:
Original: C+
Redo: D
It was almost the same until the overall rating. I don’t get how it jumps up that high off just a few better grades.
Here’s the original review if you’re interested:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2011/11/12/history-of-survivor-series-count-up-1993-usa-usa-usa/
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Survivor Series Count-Up – 1992: They Just Can’t Help It
IMG Credit: WWE
Survivor Series 1992
Date: November 25, 1992
Location: Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio
Attendance: 17,500
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan
Vince and Bobby run down the card. There are multiple gimmick matches tonight.
Headshrinkers vs. High Energy
Big Boss Man vs. Nailz
Nailz chokes Mooney and says that was injustice.
Tatanka, a Native American, is chanting to get ready for his match with Martel, which is over some stolen feathers. It was a different time.
Razor, still in his original persona of Al Pacino from Scarface (funny story about that: Vince is known for not seeing almost any big time movies. When Ramon was interviewing with Vince, McMahon asked him to come up with a character on the spot. Ramon went into a Tony Montana imitation from the movie Scarface without knowing Vince had never seen the move. Vince immediately thought Ramon was a genius and push him), makes generic threats. Flair was AWESOME here.
Tatanka vs. Rick Martel
Razor Ramon/Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage/Mr. Perfect
Post match Flair puts Hennig in the Figure Four and Razor gets a chair, but Savage makes a save and chases both guys off.
Flair and Ramon rant in the back.
Yokozuna vs. Virgil
Yokozuna is listed as being from the Polynesian Islands here. This is when Yokozuna is only 505lbs and he had padding in his outfit to make him look fatter. Yokozuna immediately shoves Virgil away and chops him down. Some dropkicks do some good for Virgil but Yokozuna superkicks him (and gets his foot higher than Virgil did on his dropkicks) to take over.
Savage and Perfect brag a lot.
Nasty Boys/Natural Disasters vs. Beverly Brothers/Money Inc
Rating: C. Not bad here but the ending kind of sucked. What was the point in having the Nasty Boys beat Money Inc that fast when the majority of the match was about the Disasters vs. Money Inc? The Nasty Boys were basically there to fill in a spot instead of being the focus of the match for their team. Odd indeed but it was entertaining enough.
We recap Kamala vs. Undertaker. Undertaker beat him at Summerslam so Kamala crushed him with a bunch of splashes to a very limited effect. This set up the Coffin Match tonight, which is a regular match but the winner gets to put the loser in a coffin.
Undertaker is building a special coffin.
Undertaker vs. Kamala
Kamala immediately runs from Undertaker and they head to the floor for more not fighting. Back in and Kamala pounds away with almost no effect. Undertaker hits the yet to be named Old School and Kamala is in trouble again. A clothesline sets up some choking by the Dead Man but Kamala chops him to the floor. This is really dull so far. Kamala rams Undertaker head first into the steps and hits him in the back before we head inside. A kick to the chest puts Undertaker down for all of a second. Kamala slams him a bunch of times and three splashes. The urn is knocked into the ring and Undertaker sits up, followed by an urn shot to the head for the pin.
Undertaker nails the coffin shut.
Bret is ready for Shawn. Gene lists off all of the micarders Bret has defended the title against with the idea being that Bret will fight anyone.
WWF World Title: Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels
Post ending of the show, Bret asks Santa for better competition. Ok then.
Ratings Comparison
Headshrinkers vs. High Energy
Original: C+
Redo: C+
Big Boss Man vs. Nailz
Original: D+
Redo: D
Tatanka vs. Rick Martel
Original: C-
Redo: D
Randy Savage/Mr. Perfect vs. Razor Ramon/Ric Flair
Original: B
Redo: B-
Yokozuna vs. Virgil
Original: C
Redo: C-
Nasty Boys/Natural Disasters vs. Money Inc./Beverly Brothers
Original: D
Redo: C
Undertaker vs. Kamala
Original: C+
Redo: F
Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels:
Original: A-
Redo: A
Overall Rating:
Original: C+
Redo: B-
Dang I must have really grown to hate Kamala since then. Overall it’s roughly the same though.
Here’s the original review if you’re interested:
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Survivor Series Count-Up – 1991: I Don’t Think They’re Booing
IMG Credit: WWE
Survivor Series 1991
Date: November 27, 1991
Location: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Attendance: 17,500
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan
Gorilla and Bobby talk for a bit.
Team Ric Flair vs. Team Roddy Piper
Ric Flair, Ted DiBiase, The Mountie, The Warlord
Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Virgil
Sherri is sent to the back and Roddy brings in Smith. The good guys work over the arm of DiBiase with Virgil of all people getting the biggest pop. After all four go in they start going around again with all four getting in another set of shots on the arm. Bret stays in but misses a knee in the corner to put himself in trouble. They trade near falls before Bret takes Ted right back down by the arm.
Rating: B. Gah this was going AWESOME until the pretty lame ending. Having Flair be the sole survivor is a smart move though as it makes the fans hate him even more. This was a GREAT setup though and was on pace to be a classic before the ending. To be fair though, at the pace they were going the match would have been an hour long if they were going to do a full version. Still though, what we got was very good.
Gorilla thinks Tuesday in Texas may be on TV! I think he might be wrong here.
Team Mustafa vs. Team Slaughter
Colonel Mustafa, Berzerker, Skinner, Hercules
Sgt. Slaughter, Tito Santana, Jim Duggan, Texas Tornado
Skinner is an alligator wrestler from the Everglades and Berzerker is a crazy viking who tried to stab Undertaker with a sword. A lot of these guys are on their way out. Hercules would be in WCW by May, Tornado would job to the stars until leaving in July, as would Mustafa (Iron Sheik). The rest of the guys would do nothing of note for the rest of their time in the company.
Rating: F. The match was awful, it was never in doubt, and the biggest deal on the heel team was Skinner, who would get an Intercontinental Title shot soon after this. What a horrible match and one of the most worthless ones in the history of the show so far, which is covering quite a bit of ground. Nothing to see here at all.
WWF World Title: Undertaker vs. Hulk Hogan
Rating: D. Yeah this match completely sucked but we have a new champion and a reason to watch Flair vs. Hogan, which never happened for various reason. Hogan would beat Undertaker for the title at Tuesday in Texas six days later, but the title would be held up and decided in the Rumble, where Flair would win it and set up Wrestlemania. Bad match, but a BIG moment.
People come out to check on Hogan as Gorilla rips into Flair. Hogan takes a while to leave, likely to let the fans get over some of their shock.
Roddy is in the back and goes on a big rant against Tunney and Flair andUndertaker.
Team Nasty Boys vs. Team Rockers
Nasty Boys, Beverly Brothers
Rockers, Bushwhackers
Gorilla and Bobby plug Tuesday in Texas again.
Legion of Doom/Big Boss Man vs. IRS/Natural Disasters
This is your main event people. Let that sink in for a minute. The LOD are the Tag Team Champions and IRS (Irwin R. Schyster, a tax auditor) and Boss Man are having a worthless midcard feud. Boss Man and IRS start things off with the tax man getting thrown all over the place. Off to Animal vs. Earthquake which wakes the crowd up a bit.
Earthquake wants to fight IRS now but walks off with Typhoon instead, making it the LOD vs. IRS. Hawk powerslams IRS down but a charge goes shoulder first into the post. Hawk gets sent face first into the steps as we continue to fill time by having IRS look like he has a chance. We hit the chinlock as the announcers talk about Thanksgiving dinner. A not very hot tag brings in Animal who cleans whatever is left in the house. IRS tries to walk out but runs into Boss Man in the aisle. Back in and Hawk hits a top rope clothesline for the win.
Gene is in the bowels of the building with Bearer and Undertaker. Hogan will rest in peace. In Texas. They look in a casket to end the show.
Ratings Comparison
Team Flair vs. Team Piper
Original: A-
Redo: B
Team Slaughter vs. Team Mustafa
Original: F
Redo: F
Undertaker vs. Hulk Hogan
Original: C-
Redo: D
Team Nasty Boys vs. Team Rockers
Original: D
Redo: D
Legion of Doom/Big Boss Man vs. IRS/Natural Disasters
Original: D
Redo: D+
Overall Rating:
Original: D+
Redo: D-
A little worse this time, but the same problems still plague this show. Screw you Vince.
Here’s the original review if you’re interested:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2011/11/10/history-of-survivor-series-count-up-1991-here-lies-hogan/
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6
NXT – October 24, 2018: The Big Reveal
IMG Credit: WWE
NXT
Date: October 24, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson
It’s a big night this time around as Aleister Black now knows who attacked him. Therefore, it’s highly likely that we find out tonight too, which should be a heck of a moment. There are several suspects out there and a lot of them are strong possibilities. Other than that though, it’s time to get ready for the next Takeover. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Earlier today, William Regal assigned security to have Black see him before getting inside.
Opening sequence.
Here’s the Undisputed Era to get things going. Bobby Fish is officially back and that’s something everyone should fear. Just as the War Raiders. The Undisputed Era is NXT, which brings Cole to Ricochet, who still has his property. A few weeks back, Ricochet beat Pete Dunne to retain the North American Title in a triple threat match but didn’t pin Cole, because Ricochet can’t do it. Cue EC3 to interrupt because he sees Cole as trying to sound impressive because the team is scared. Cole cuts off the catchphrase with a SHUT UP EC3 and a match is made.
Adam Cole vs. EC3
Cole gets aggressive to start and hammers away in the corner but EC3 punches him outside without too much effort. A superkick slows EC3 down on the way back in though and a swinging neckbreaker keeps him down. Cole grabs a front facelock and gets two off the fireman’s carry neckbreaker. The facelock goes on again as Fish orders the referee to ask him. EC3 finally fights up and snaps off a German suplex but the Era offers a distraction. Cole’s superkick looks to set up the Last Shot but EC3 is up with a clothesline. That’s not enough or Cole though as EC3 grabs a rollup for the pin at 6:56.
Rating: C-. Kind of a dull match here but that’s been the case for a lot of EC3’s stuff. He looks and talks well but once the bell rings, he’s only so interesting. Cole can have a great match with the right opponent, though it’s clear that EC3 doesn’t fit in there. It also doesn’t help that EC3 was kind of thrown into this match, as the Era already has enough enemies.
Post match the beatdown is on, with a High/Low to EC3 setting up the Last Shot. Fish crushes the leg with a chair. Fans: “THANK YOU BOBBY!”
Nikki Cross warns security, telling them that he’s coming. Vic: “Who does she mean?” Do they write these lines to try and sound as dumb as possible?
Aaliyah vs. Mia Yim
This is Mia’s first NXT match in four years and first as a member of the roster. Aaliyah snaps her throat first across the top and puts on an early chinlock, followed by the right hands to the head. The second chinlock goes on so Mia drives her back first into the corner for the break. Some clotheslines and a dropkick put Aaliyah in the corner for a Cannonball. Soul Food is good for the pin on Aaliyah at 3:39.
Rating: D+. I’m not as big on Yim as some people but it makes sense to bring her in. She was one of the most popular stars in the Mae Young Classic and she has more than enough of a resume outside of WWE. Aaliyah is a good first win for her as it gets her feet wet, which I’m sure will set her up for something down the road.
Bianca Belair demands that Regal give her a title shot. With Bianca gone, Regal says he doesn’t know what Nikki said to Black last week but….here’s the Era to interrupt. With Kyle O’Reilly talking to himself, Cole tells Regal to get his act together. Regal says it’s the other way around, because next week the War Raiders will face Fish and Cole.
We see the Roman Reigns segment from Raw.
Video on Lacey Evans.
Video on Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler. I’d assume they had to cut something for the sake of that Reigns segment and it’s throwing things off a bit. This is a lot of videos in a row.
Justin Xavier vs. Kassius Ohno
Xavier’s shoulder bounces off of Ohno but an elbow works a bit better. That’s fine with Ohno, who hits a heck of a big boot. A fireman’s carry slam sets up a running legdrop and another running boot cuts Xavier off. Back to back backsplashes set up the rolling elbow for the pin at 3:05.
Rating: D. Just a squash to set up Ohno to face Matt Riddle at the next Takeover. Ohno is the perfect choice for something like that as Ohno is one of the few guys guaranteed to have at least a passable match. He’s also still enough of a name that beating him means something and they’ve set up a nice little story for the debut.
Post match Nikki comes out to say he’s coming. Nigel says it’s clearly Black (meaning it’s not) and wonders who he’s coming for.
Matt Riddle makes his in-ring debut next week.
Here’s Regal to announce the NXT Title match at Takeover. This brings out Tommaso Ciampa, who tells Regal not to stare at the title. If Regal has some announcement, go ahead with it so here’s Velveteen Dream to interrupt. Dream says the WarGames fans want an experience so Regal needs to say his name. Now it’s Lars Sullivan interrupting, saying they need to be mindful of where they are. He recommends they leave his territory because the NXT Title belongs to them.
Dream understands that Lars thinks of himself as a nightmare, but when you speak to the Dream, wear some pants. Lars grabs him but here’s Cross to point to the back. We cut to said back where Black is kicking everyone he can find. Black comes into the arena and kicks Sullivan but want to know where HE is. Regal doesn’t know but Johnny Gargano comes in and lays Black out. Gargano: “I’m right here.”
It wasn’t the biggest secret in the world, but that was a really effective reveal. The fans got very quiet when Gargano attacked and that’s the entire point. Gargano was a prime suspect due to never actually denying what happened and suddenly being his old self again, which felt rather out of place for NXT storytelling. This can set him up for a long heel run, possibly even teaming with Ciampa again, before he finally becomes NXT Champion at some point down the line. Very well done here.
Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling wasn’t great here but really, none of that means much of anything as this was ALL about the big ending. Black vs. Gargano, especially a freshly heel Gargano, should be a heck of a fight as Takeover starts to look even better. This show took some steps towards the show and I’m looking forward to seeing how we get there. The reveal was the best part of the show and it’s all that really mattered.
Results
EC3 b. Adam Cole – Rollup
Mia Yim b. Aaliyah – Soul Food
Kassius Ohno b. Justin Xavier – Rolling elbow
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
NXT UK – October 24, 2018: Getting To Know You
IMG Credit: WWE
NXT UK
Date: October 24, 2018
Location: Cambridge Corn Exchange, Cambridge, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
It’s week two and there’s a good chance we’ll be seeing a lot of new faces again this time around. Last week was mainly about introducing the top stars and some of them might be back this time around. I liked the first week a bit more than I was expecting, but it’s hard to say where things go from here. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
Ligero vs. Mike Hitchman
Ligero looks like a luchador (complete with horned mask) and Hitchman is a rather hideous man called the Wild Boar. Ligero kicks him down to start and mostly misses a standing moonsault for two. Hitchman sends him to the apron but Ligero bounces right back in for a dropkick. That earns him a whip into the corner for a good looking running shoulder into the corner.
An exploder suplex sets up a neck crank but Ligero comes up with some running clotheslines. A running big boot gets two on Hitchman but he’s right back with a fireman’s carry faceplant. Hitchman hits a running backsplash to the back and another one in the corner for two more as Ligero is in big trouble. The fans get behind Ligero as he avoids a charge in the corner and hits a springboard tornado DDT for the pin at 4:49.
Rating: C. Not too bad at all here with the power vs. speed formula, which is one of the most tried and true ideas in wrestling. Every promotion can use a smaller guy like Ligero and the fans certainly took to him early. Hitchman didn’t stand out all that much, but at least the match was entertaining while it lasted.
Video on Dakota Kai.
Video on Killer Kelly.
Dakota Kai vs. Killer Kelly
Both of them like to kick. Kai starts in with the kicks but gets caught with a jawbreaker to slow her down. Kelly rains down the right hands and grabs a surfboard with a dragon sleeper to bend Kai in a few painful looking directions. Since Kai is about to break, Kelly lets her go and hits a basement dropkick for two more. A release German suplex keeps Kai in trouble but she’s right back up with some kicks to the face. The running kick in the corner is followed by a running seated version and a somewhat botched sunset flip Backstabber (a hard move to be fair) finishes Kelly at 4:11.
Rating: C-. The sloppiness hurt this one a good bit but at least Kai won. She could be a star in the Bayley sense, though that didn’t quite work in NXT. Maybe the weaker talent pool around here will serve her better, but she’s definitely got something. The kicks looked good as always and Kelly looked better than she did in the Mae Young Classic.
Post match Kai says she wants the NXT UK Women’s Title.
We look at Zack Gibson winning the UK Title Tournament over the summer.
Video on Eddie Dennis, who knew Mark Haskins and Pete Dunne when they were kids. He became a school principal and isn’t happy with their success. This guy could be interesting.
Here’s Gibson for a chat. He’s Liverpool’s #1 and that’s soon to be the world’s #1, as well as NXT UK’s #1. At the Royal Albert Hall, he beat three men in a row and won the tournament. Then the next night, he fought Pete Dunne, though the fans aren’t impressed. Gibson wants Dunne right now because the Royal Albert Hall fans weren’t fair to him over the summer.
The fans chant something at him so Gibson rants about Noam Dar getting a title shot with weeks to prepare but he failed anyway. Gibson is the kind of guy you can build a brand around and if you look up Dar, all you’ll see is someone doing a bunch of stupid poses. Cue Dar for a fight but GM Johnny Saint comes out to tell Gibson to come to the office RIGHT NOW. Gibson looks scared, which is the point of a good boss.
Video on Ashton Smith, who will do anything he has to do to win.
Travis Banks is coming for the Coffey Brothers, who attacked him in the Royal Albert Hall.
Ashton Smith vs. Tucker
Smith knocks him down for two to start so Tucker comes back with some superkicks to take over. A running headbutt drops Smith again and they hit a pinfall reversal sequence. Tucker begs off in the corner but comes out with some shots to the head and a suplex for two. The Super Duper Kick doesn’t work so Smith sends him into the corner for some running hip shots. The ripcord DDT (Ash Cloud) is good for the pin on Tucker at 4:16.
Video on Danny Burch, who debuts next week.
Also next week: Gibson vs. Dar.
Wolfgang vs. Tyler Bate
Wolfgang hasn’t impressed me much so far but maybe this will be better. Feeling out process to start with Wolfgang taking him up to the ropes for a howl. The much smaller Bate gets sat on the apron as the fans call Bate (I think?) a big strong boy. Bate wants a test of strength but gets taken down, only to spin out and nip up for a dropkick. Wolfgang slips out of an airplane spin attempt and starts in on the ribs.
Some stomps set up a waistlock into a bearhug but Bate punches his way out. A middle rope elbow to the jaw sets up Bate’s bouncing off the ropes into the clotheslines. Three in a row finally put Wolfgang on one knee and Bate is able to do the airplane spin. The running shooting star gets two but the Tyler Driver 97 is broken up. Wolfgang flips him over with a release German suplex and gets two off a spear. The Howling (Swanton) misses and the Tyler Driver 97 finishes Wolfgang at 10:26.
Rating: C-. Bate was trying here but he needed someone better than Wolfgang. I know he’s a bigger guy, but that’s about all Wolfgang has going for him. I’ve seen him a few times now and nothing he’s done has really impressed me. Bate is the kind of guy who should be on the main roster one day and when you consider how young he still is, it’s downright impressive.
Overall Rating: C. There isn’t much to say about these shows, but that’s how the early episodes should be. You need to set these things up over the course of a few weeks so that the stories have more of an impact. They’ve done a good job of establishing some basic characters though and that’s the important thing so far. I’m still not sure that this show really needs to be there, but at least they’re doing an acceptable job so far.
Results
Ligero b. Mike Hitchman – Springboard tornado DDT
Dakota Kai b. Killer Kelly – Code Red Backstabber
Ashton Smith b. Tucker – Ash Cloud
Tyler Bate b. Wolfgang – Tyler Driver 97
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Smackdown – October 23, 2018: Happy Birthday Wife Edition
IMG Credit: WWE
Smackdown
Date: October 23, 2018
Location: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Commentators: Corey Graves, Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton
It’s the go home show for Evolution and one of the last shows before Crown Jewel, which may or may not still take place in Saudi Arabia. The big match this week is a rematch of last week’s 1000th episode as AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan team up to face the Usos. Other than that, expect a lot of not saying where next week’s show will be taking place. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Here’s New Day to open things up, with Big E. saying “don’t you dare be shower.” I guess Newark is a bathtub town. New Day talks about losing their Tag Team Titles and that lowered the bar. What Kofi doesn’t get is the Big Show involvement though. He helped them, so is he the Bar tender? Big Show has flipped more times than a flapjack so tonight Kofi wants some payback. Well here we go.
Kofi Kingston vs. Sheamus
Show and Cesaro are at ringside too….and hang on a second as we have a change of pace.
Kofi Kingston vs. Cesaro
Or not again.
Kofi Kingston vs. Big Show
Show throws him around to start and hits a trio of chokeslams. The fourth is loaded up but New Day and the Bar come in for the no contest at 1:30.
Post match New Day gets wrecked with a chokeslam to Big E. and a KO to Woods.
We see the Roman Reigns announcement from last night.
The fans give him a THANK YOU ROMAN chant.
Usos vs. AJ Styles/Daniel Bryan
Rematch from last week. Bryan headlocks Jimmy to start but a blind tag brings in Jey, who is clotheslined to the floor. AJ knocks Jimmy out and there are the stereo dives to drop the Usos again. Back from a break with Bryan fighting out of a chinlock until they both hit crossbodies for a double knockdown. The hot tag brings in AJ and everything breaks down. Jey gets caught in the Calf Crusher but Jimmy makes a save. The Phenomenal Forearm almost hits Bryan but AJ pulls up at the last second. Instead though, the Pele hits Bryan, allowing Jey to hit a superkick into the Superfly Splash to finish AJ at 7:46.
Rating: C. I’m liking the story they have here and it’s about as good of an idea as you can have to set up the title match in Saudi Arabia. They don’t have anything personal between them so building something up makes as much sense as anything else. Also, it’s not like they’re losing to some thrown together team as the Usos are one of the best and most successful teams of this era. Now just let us get something new for the Usos.
Video on the Bella Twins turning on Ronda Rousey.
Post break AJ says it was an accident but Bryan accuses his nose of growing. Eventually it turns into the Too Sweet sign.
On Saturday, Charlotte was giving a speech at the Performance Center, talking about respect. She talked about how she’s grown up in the last few months and being ready for the first Last Woman Standing match when Becky Lynch came in. Becky is the one they should really be listening to and the fight was on. The rookies break it up.
Backstage, Charlotte is near tears as she talks about Becky going over the line at the Performance Center. At Evolution, she’ll win the title back and be standing over both an opponent and a friend who lost her way.
Rusev vs. Aiden English
Aiden sings about how Lana could have had a long Aiden Night instead of a Rusev Day. The chase is on and Aiden is thrown into a variety of things. Back in and Aiden hits a swinging neckbreaker but stops to yell at Lana. That means a Machka Kick and the Accolade for the tap at 1:24.
Here’s Miz for MizTV. Miz talks about the World Cup and how he’s ready to become the best in the world. That brings him to his guest this week: the man who defeated Shinsuke Nakamura last week, Rey Mysterio. Miz accuses him of being stuck in the 90s because people are no longer interested in the plucky underdog. It’s all about the bigger stars like him, who has been here becoming a must see man while Mysterio has been on hiatus.
Miz will be winning the Smackdown bracket and then the rest of the tournament while Mysterio is disappointed. Mysterio already is disappointed because he was supposed to be on TruthTV. Miz talks about how that show was canceled but Mysterio wants to fight now. That earns him a cheap shot but Rey fights back and almost hits the 619.
The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio
Joined in progress with Rey speeding things up and running Miz over without much effort. A missed charge in the corner lets Miz get in a few shots of his own but he has to avoid the 619. Miz gets two off the short DDT and we take a break. Back with Miz hitting the YES Kicks and taking Rey up for a super Skull Crushing Finale. That’s reversed into a super victory roll and the springboard seated senton has Miz in more trouble. The Reality Check gives Miz two but the Skull Crushing Finale is broken up. Rey hits a quick 619 into the springboard splash for the pin at 9:05.
Rating: C. Mysterio was looking better here and while I’m not interested at all in the World Cup, it’s nice to have the field be as stacked as it currently is. Let us see what these people can do when they’re given the chance, which will hopefully be in front of a crowd that actually cares this time around.
Asuka/Naomi vs. Mandy Rose/Sonya Deville
Evolution rundown.
Here’s Shane McMahon for a chat about the World Cup. He applauds everyone at Evolution before moving on to the World Cup. On the words Best in the World, the CM Punk chants begin with Shane saying he’s not in the tournament. Shane thinks someone from Smackdown will win and we hear the entrants involved. With that said, it’s main event time. Were they running two minutes short or something?
Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy
This is billed as their first match in a month. Jeff kicks away to start but gets sent outside for a ram into the steps. Back in and a chinlock sets up one of the weakest chinlocks I can ever remember to keep Jeff down. Orton ties him in the Tree of Woe for some kicks to the chest and the pulling of the ear, followed by a drop onto the announcers’ table.
Jeff fights up and hits the legdrop between the legs for two, followed by the Whisper in the Wind for the same. The Twisting Stunner connects but Orton rolls away before the Swanton. Instead Hardy misses one to the floor and gets brought back inside for the RKO to give Orton the pin at 8:48.
Rating: D+. I just can’t get into this whole World Cup thing. Maybe it’s the leftover feelings from how worthless the Greatest Royal Rumble was, but these things just feel so unimportant and so boring that it’s crippling any show it’s on. At least with Raw there’s the slightly amusing Angle vs. Corbin feud, but on here it’s just two guys having a match that isn’t likely to have anything to do with the tournament itself. That’s a very Money in the Bank style feeling and I could go without it.
Overall Rating: D. This show wasn’t bad, but it was lifeless and that’s even worse. There’s no hiding the fact that Crown Jewel isn’t something people want to see and while the build for Evolution has been better, it’s still not exactly an interesting show. Hopefully once Crown Jewel is over, they cut out this promoting multiple shows at the same time nonsense. It hasn’t worked, but there’s a chance that it’s just trying to promote these specific shows more than anything else.
Results
Kofi Kingston vs. Big Show went to a no contest when New Day and the Bar interfered
Usos b. AJ Styles/Daniel Bryan – Superfly Splash to Styles
Rusev b. Aiden English – Accolade
Rey Mysterio b. The Miz – Springboard splash
Randy Orton b. Jeff Hardy – RKO
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Monday Night Raw – October 22, 2018: Superman Punch It In The Face
IMG Credit: WWE
Monday Night Raw
Date: October 22, 2018
Location: Dunkin Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island
Commentators: Corey Graves, Renee Young, Michael Cole
It’s the go home show for Evolution so expect a lot of hearing about Nikki Bella vs. Ronda Rousey, which somehow is the highest profile match we can have on what was supposed to be a top level show. Other than that we have Crown Jewel next week, even though we’re not allowed to hear where the show is taking place. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Here’s Roman Reigns to say that he can’t fight every day. He’s been wrestling for eleven years and now it’s back. Therefore he has to vacate the title and seek treatment. He was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 22 years old and now he has to do it again. Reigns was done with football but the WWE gave him a chance. Whether it was cheering or booing, the fans always reacted to him and that’s what matters most. The best thing for him to do right now is to go home and focus on his family and his health.
This is NOT a retirement speech because he’s coming back to this ring when he’s healthy again. When he comes back, it’s not about titles but about a purpose. He wants to show his family and friends that when live throws a curve ball at him, he crowds the plate and swings for the fences. Reigns leaves the title in the ring and walks away, only to be greeted by Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose on the stage for a big hug and one more Shield pose.
The announcers are nearly in tears talking about what happened and wish Reigns the best.
Finn Balor vs. Bobby Lashley
Lio Rush hypes Lashley up as he throws Balor around. Balor knocks Lashley to the floor and chases after Rush, only to get run over by Lashley as we take a break. Back with Balor caught in a nerve hold as Rush keeps up the LASHLEY chants. Finn fights up but has to escape the delayed vertical suplex. The Sling blade looks to set up the Coup de Grace but Lashley pops up and blasts him with a clothesline. Balor is fine enough to grab a rollup for the fast pin at 8:29.
Rating: C-. This didn’t have time to go anywhere and it’s not like the fans cared about it after what opened the show. I know it’s hard to think about the title picture at the moment but Reigns leaving is going to open the door for a lot of new names in the main event picture. Balor could be one of them and a clean win here might suggest that being the case.
The announcers talk about the future of the Universal Title. Nothing has been determined yet but we might be getting updates throughout the night.
We look back at Drew McIntyre hitting the Claymore on Braun Strowman last week.
Dolph Ziggler and McIntyre say they have to look over their shoulders every night. McIntyre says when Strowman got done with Ziggler, he was coming for him so it was attacking first. After tonight, Ziggler won’t have to worry about a thing. McIntyre leaves to go monster hunting.
Sasha Banks vs. Ruby Riott
Preview of the six woman tag at Evolution. The early Riott Squad distraction lets Ruby beat Banks down from behind and we take an early break with Banks in trouble. Back with Banks getting elbowed in the face for two but sending Ruby into the buckle to get a breather. The right hands set up the double knees in the corner, followed by the middle rope Meteora. The Bank Statement goes on and draws Sarah Logan in, only to have Bayley make the save. That’s enough of a distraction for Ruby to send her into the corner, setting up the Riott Kick for the pin at 8:44.
Rating: D+. Nothing to see here, though again there’s only so much energy you can have all night long. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it and that’s making it hard to focus on the show. For a setup for the six woman tag, this was perfectly acceptable, even if this story has been going on for what feels like ever.
We see the Undertaker and Kane’s promo from last week.
Nia Jax says she’ll win the battle royal.
Here’s DX for a chat. They talk about being afraid of things but neither of them are scared of anything. Shawn: “Ain’t neither of us running for Mayor!” The other word running around has been nostalgia, which Shawn hoped was just a Greek word for “new merch”. It’s really a polite way of saying old. But then again, the #1 movie at the box office came out 40 years ago and two weeks ago, they sold out a 70,000 person stadium. HHH: “Maybe old is just another way of saying “we’re better than you””.
I’ll let you make your own jokes and stick with HHH saying the DX logo has been around for twenty two years. HHH talks about how there’s another X that says the future is better too. Shawn: “And we’re running that too!” They’re not coming to Crown Jewel to make you laugh, but to hand you a beating. Shawn loads up the catchphrase but some electrical noises go off….followed by a gong.
Undertaker and Kane appear on the screen, saying pride goes before destruction. DX can bring their delusions and try to retrieve their lost respect. They’ll unleash their utter contempt because Shawn can’t outrun the reaper or survive the Brothers of Destruction. The Brothers will own their souls for eternity and torment them in the deepest pits. They pour dirt into a grave. On a show where the Universal Champion says he has leukemia. And before they go to a country that is in the headlines for murdering a journalist.
We see the Reigns promo again.
Wrestlers have sent out tweets to Reigns.
There will be a new champion crowned at Crown Jewel when Strowman faces Brock Lesnar in a one on one title match.
We look back at the Bella Twins/Ronda Rousey segment from last week.
Here’s a somewhat shaken up Paul Heyman for a chat. His thoughts and prayers are with Reigns and he’s proud to have been in a locker room with that much pride for their friend. Tonight, Reigns was a man who sacrificed what he loved because he couldn’t be the Universal Champion. When you’re Universal Champion, you’ve earned the right to have people point at you and say you’re the best. Until 8:05pm EST tonight, we had the right to brag that the Universal Champion was the best in the world.
But now, no one is the champion so we need to find a new best in the world. There is only one person worthy of being champion and it certainly isn’t Braun Strowman. The only person who deserves to be walking into the Octagon as the Universal Champion is Brock Lesnar, and Strowman isn’t in his league. Cue Strowman and reality sets in quickly. Strowman says he’s going to bring the title back to Raw and when Reigns gets back from beating leukemia, he’s the first man in line for a title shot. For now though, Lesnar is going to get these hands. Strowman goes to leave and walks into the Claymore from McIntyre.
Post break Ziggler praises McIntyre, who says he did what most of the roster won’t do. He’s a grown man who doesn’t check under his bed for monsters. When Strowman shakes the cobwebs clear, he’ll realize that he needed them. Tonight, they defend the Tag Team Titles.
Here’s Elias to play a little guitar. Before he gets into the song about Apollo Crews though, here’s Apollo to cut him off.
Apollo Crews vs. Elias
Crews dropkicks him to the floor to start and hits a moonsault off the apron as we take a break. Back with Elias holding a chinlock for a rather long while until Crews powers up. The jumping clothesline drops Elias and the standing shooting star press gets two. A fall away slam into a Samoan drop is good for the same but Elias grabs the rope to avoid the toss powerbomb. The jumping knee to the face sets up Drift Away to finish Apollo at 8:00.
Rating: D. Well so much for Crews. I’m still not sure what the point is in having Elias out there for these nothing matches over and over, but at least they’re doing something with him and keeping him in front of the crowd. That’s certainly better than having him sit on the bench for weeks at a time and letting the fans forget about him. Still though, give him a push already.
Kurt Angle talks about how tough the World Cup of Wrestling is going to be. He talks about (as in reads cue cards about) all of his possible opponents with highlight packages of all seven of them. Angle has done a lot of things, but now he has the chance to be the best in the world. On this one night, he can do it all again.
Back from a break and here’s Elias to try the song again. This time it’s Baron Corbin interrupting, saying it’s his job to keep the show moving. Stephanie McMahon has sent him out here for something far more important than Elias playing his little guitar. He better quit staring at Corbin too, because if Stephanie didn’t like him, Elias would be fired.
Elias says he was in his own little world there for a second and writing a song in his head that he’s going to sing right now. The new song is about how Corbin is a coward and a puppet but Corbin has the mic cut. Elias walks off but comes back and blasts Corbin with the guitar. The face turn is a long time coming, but I’m not sure how well it’s going to work. Still though, you couldn’t hold it back much longer.
We look at the Bellas turning on Ronda Rousey two weeks ago.
Here are the Bellas and Rousey to sign. The twins bail as soon as Rousey shows up but she says she’s not going to beat them up tonight. Instead, she’s going to sign a contract so she can beat them up on Sunday. She even offers to put her hands behind her back because if they can beat her up like that, her own mother would kill her. They have her word, which is Ronda’s bond.
The Bellas come in and mock her for not being as good in judo as her mother or for not retiring undefeated from UFC. Nikki says Ronda’s mother is already ashamed of her so imagine what it’s going to be like when a Diva beats her for the title. She even slaps Ronda, who signs and promises to end Nikki on Sunday. This was WAY better than last week, partially because it didn’t go on for ten minutes. Now hopefully Sunday’s match follows this week’s example and not last week’s.
Reigns’ speech again.
Rollins and Ambrose say there are no words to talk about how they’re feeling, so tonight they’re going to win for Roman.
Dana Brooke vs. Nia Jax vs. Tamina vs. Ember Moon
One fall to a finish. It’s a brawl to start as the announcers try to push Tamina vs. Nia as an interesting battle. Nia drops Dana and hits a flip splash but gets superkicked to the floor by Tamina. Ember goes up and hits the Eclipse to pin Tamina at 1:37.
Evolution rundown.
Here’s Titus O’Neil on the stage to introduce a group of breast cancer survivors with title belts.
Trish Stratus and Lita are ready to fight on Sunday and aren’t worried about Mickie James and Alexa Bliss. Alicia Fox comes up to make fun of them but here’s Mickie from behind for the cheap shot brawl. Security breaks it up but Trish and Lita run back in to beat them up. Trish: “That’s how we did it in the Attitude Era.”
Tag Team Titles: Seth Rollins/Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler/Drew McIntyre
Ziggler and McIntyre are defending. It’s a brawl to start with the champs being knocked outside to send us to an early break. Back with Rollins hitting a suicide dive onto both champs but McIntyre kicks him down back inside. Ziggler comes in, teases a superkick to Ambrose, and goes with a chinlock on Rollins.
That doesn’t last long as Rollins fights up and throws him down, followed by an enziguri on McIntyre. Ziggler is fast enough to get over and pull Ambrose off the apron though, leaving Rollins to take the reverse Alabama Slam. Back from a second break with Rollins making a blind tag and dropping a frog splash for two on McIntyre as Ambrose dives onto Ziggler. McIntyre gets put in the Tree of Woe but of course sits up to throw Rollins down.
Rollins is fine enough to superplex Ziggler into the Falcon Arrow as the fans are going nuts on these kickouts, probably because they know a title change is coming. The Stomp misses so Rollins lifts Ziggler up for a powerbomb into McIntyre. Dean comes back in but Dirty Deeds is broken up and a Claymore sends him outside.
Ziggler sends Rollins shoulder first into the post and gets two off the Zig Zag. The Claymore/Zig Zag combination is broken up by Ambrose but here’s Strowman as Rollins and Ziggler clothesline each other. McIntyre gets up to fight Strowman but they brawl into the crowd. Ziggler tries to grab a title but gets Stomped for the pin and the title at 19:16.
Rating: B. Well….yeah. This was the most obvious title change in recent history but at the same time, it’s the only thing they could do. With the Reigns situation, dedicating the match to him was the best thing they could do to guarantee an invested crowd during the title change. Another entertaining match too.
Post match the celebration is on….until Ambrose hits Dirty Deeds on Rollins. The place gets REALLY quiet as Ambrose pounds away on him and shouts about Rollins thinking he’s funny. The beatdown is on with Den throwing a title at him and then peeling back the floor mats for Dirty Deeds on the concrete. Dean rips off the Shield shirt and leaves through the crowd to end the show.
Overall Rating: C. I’m giving this one a big break tonight because of the opening announcement changing everything. That being said, I’m less interested in seeing either Evolution or Crown Jewel than I was coming in, though I’m wanting to find out where some other things are going. This week’s show made those two pay per views feel more like things we have to get through rather than something I want to watch, which is a really bad sign. Not a great show, but you have to give them a break on some parts of that.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Breaking: Roman Reigns Vacates Universal Title
Tonight on Monday Night Raw, Roman Reigns opened the show and announced that he was vacating the Universal Championship due to having leukemia. Reigns said that he had been diagnosed with the disease when he was twenty two but it had gone into remission, only to come back now. Reigns made it clear that he is NOT retiring and will be back one day. There is currently no word on what this means for the Universal Title.
I…..I have no idea what to say on this. My goodness man. Superman punch that thing in the face and get back soon.
Major League Wrestling Fusion – October 19, 2018: Stereotypes Still Work
IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling
Fusion #27
Date: October 19, 2018
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Matt Striker, Tony Schiavone
We’re onto a fresh taping cycle and back in New York with a major main event. This time around we have Shane Strickland facing Tom Lawlor in a match that belongs on a big stage. I’m not sure what to expect from the rest of the show but this promotion knows how to build up multiple things at the same time. Let’s get to it.
The opening video looks at Strickland vs. Lawlor, with Shane talking about how people think he’s lost his edge.
Opening sequence.
The announcers preview the main event.
El Hijo de LA Park vs. Sammy Guevara
Park has Salina, who fired Sammy a few months back, in his corner. Sammy gets sent outside for an early suicide dive but he’s right back up with one of his own. Back in and Park scores with a high crossbody for no cover, opting instead to kick Sammy into the corner. Guevara manages to backflip over the rather tall Park (that’s impressive) and then dropkick him down.
Park’s own high crossbody still gets no cover as the announcers talk about next week’s Halloween special. A running Canadian Destroyer gives Park two more to send Sammy outside with Park moonsaulting after him. Back in and Sammy misses his own moonsault but is right there with a standing shooting star for two. Park gets two of his own off a super Spanish Fly but Guevara hits a low superkick. Guevara misses a charge though and gets caught in an over the shoulder piledriver to give Park the pin at 5:38.
Rating: D+. This one didn’t do it for me for the most part as Guevara is good for a spot like this but Park feels like a knockoff of his father (the name doesn’t help). The problem here is the story not being the most thrilling, as it’s not something that Salina needs to be involved in. She’s the best manager in the promotion (and one of the best around today) but this story doesn’t feel up to her level. The match was fine for an opener, just not that interesting.
Tom Lawlor says you know what to expect from him. He ran through 39 people in the Battle Riot and is the ace around here. But who are you getting from Strickland? The World Champion or the guy who won’t even show up?
Rush is still coming.
Konnan isn’t impressed by Salina’s actions last week and promises to have the Lucha Bros take out LA Park and Hijo de LA Park.
Samoan Island Tribe vs. Smash N Dash Connection
That would be Samu/Lance Anoa’i vs. Kotto Brazil/Barrington Hughes. The Samoans jump them from behind and Samu slams Kotto to start. Thankfully it’s off to Lance in a hurry for a sunset flip Backstabber (cool) but he makes sure to cut off the ring before covering. It’s back to Samu as Striker explains Samoans having hard hands. A clothesline takes Kotto down and Lance comes in to spit at Hughes.
Kotto gets up a boot in the corner but Lance slams him down to break up a hot tag attempt. Lance suckers Hughes in but superkicks him twice before the huge one can even get in. A double Stroke gets no cover as Lance misses a top rope splash instead, allowing the tag to Hughes (already with one foot over the ropes before he comes in. Hughes tries a headbutt for no logical reason as everything breaks down. Lance gets thrown into a spear on Samu and it’s Sliced Bread off Hughes’ chest into a splash to give Hughes the pin at 6:15.
Rating: D. I’m sorry what now? You have Samu, the 55 year old wrestler whose top claim to fame since the 1980s is being part of a famous family, and his son takes the pin? Lance isn’t a star or anything, but what’s the point? Just having someone pin Samu can be spun as a rub. I really don’t get this one, as Lance might not be a star, but do you really need to have him take a fall here? Someone explain this one to me.
A quieter than usual Sami Callihan says he’s ready for Jimmy Havoc next week because Havoc falsely believes he’s the most violent wrestler in the world. They used to be friends but next week, only one man walks out.
Stokely Hathaway is coming.
Shane Strickland says this is his house and MLW would be hard pressed to find someone like him.
Fightland card rundown.
Salina laughs off Konnan’s words and sees a bright future for her men.
Jimmy Havoc likes the possibilities of next week. No matter what the wheel lands on, the match will be in his favor. New York will run red with Callihan’s blood.
Tom Lawlor vs. Shane Strickland
Low Ki is on commentary and when asked about the marks the two have made on MLW, he says he just sees two marks in the ring. Feeling out process to start with Lawlor headlocking him to the mat to no effect. Low Ki actually goes into some of the best analysis I’ve ever heard, talking about what every move is designed to do as well as what it’s looking to set up. If nothing else, it makes Striker sound that much more useless.
Lawlor goes to the apron but slips, allowing Shane to snap the arm over the top rope and kick him to the floor. Another kick to the arm lets Shane wrap the arm around the barricade. Lawlor clotheslines the post by mistake (you know, because you go for left armed clotheslines all the time), allowing Shane to start in on the arm back inside. Shane can’t get an armbar of various forms so he jumps on Tom’s back and pulls back on both arms leaving Tom to bite the ropes for the break. That’s not something you see every day.
Some Low Ki style kicks (Low Ki: “I wonder where he learned that.”) and a discus lariat sets up the rolling cutter for two. Shane takes too much time going up though and Lawlor hits a spinning kick to the head to slow things down. A top rope superplex into a front chancery has Shane in trouble. That’s reversed into a suplex for the double knockdown though as both guys get a breather.
Back up and Lawlor wins a slugout so Shane grabs the bad arm in a smart move. A Falcon Arrow gives Lawlor two but Shane pops up with a jumping knee to the face as Low Ki has gone silent. Lawlor is fine enough for a one armed German suplex and Low Ki gets up as Lawlor slaps on a rear naked choke. Salina comes out for a distraction and Low Ki kicks Lawlor in the head.
Shane doesn’t cover, opting to drape Lawlor over the barricade for a double stomp to the back instead. Back in and a regular double stomp gets two so Low Ki asks Shane why he can’t get a pin. Another snap of the arm sets up a knee to the face but Lawlor manages a one arm choke while biting on the arm tape because he has one arm….for the tap at 16:40.
Rating: B. I was actually surprised by the finish, which is even more impressive when I knew the ending beforehand. Lawlor is being treated as the undisputed star of the promotion and that puts him on a heck of a path to a fight with Low Ki. Shane is on his way to rock bottom, which could make for a heck of a comeback story down the line. Good main event here, with a lot of stories being told at the same time.
After a quick look at next week’s show, Lawlor says he’s cashing in his World Title shot at Super Fight on February 2. That’s quite a long time away and I’m not sure what they’re supposed to do until then.
Overall Rating: C+. I liked the main event a lot but they were lacking a lot in the first half of the show. I’m wanting to see the Fightland show and next week’s card is looking good as well. MLW knows how to build up their shows but more importantly they’re actually good once the shows take place. This show is nothing that’s going to blow you away, but for a weekly one hour TV show that keeps you wanting to come back, Fusion is good stuff.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at: