Impact Wrestling
Date: August 28, 2025
Location: Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

The road to Bound For Glory continues but we still have a side trip at Victory Road. That show is starting to come together and now we get to see some more of the card coming together. It could take some time to get everything ready, though there have been at least a few seeds already planted. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Mike Santana/Steve Maclin vs. AJ Francis/Trick Williams

Maclin facebusters and clotheslines Williams to start before it’s off to Santana. That makes Williams think twice and everything breaks down fast. Santana hits a big flip dive to the floor and we take an early break. We come back with Maclin striking away at Francis, including an Angle Slam.

Williams offers a distraction though and Francis gets in a slam off the top to take over. Williams hammers away before Francis grabs a chinlock. Maclin is back up with a dropkick though and Santana comes in to clean house. The Death Valley Driver gets two as everything breaks down. Williams knocks Francis to the floor by mistake though and the Trick Shot is reversed into a rollup to give Santana the pin at 12:20.

Rating: B-. This was the kind of match that can go a long way to setting up the title match, likely at Bound For Glory. Santana getting to save the title from the evil invader is a fine way to go, and we very well could be in for a great moment if that’s where it goes. Maclin and Francis were just kind of there, but at least they kept things moving.

Post match Williams shoves Santana, who beats him up again.

Leon Slater and Cedric Alexander are ready to go after the Tag Team Titles tonight.

We look back at Eric Young threatening Myron Reed with the cleanse.

Eric Young vs. Myron Reed

Zachary Wentz is here too. Reed knocks him down to start and grabs a slingshot Stunner to send Young outside. A suicide dive connects and Reed hammers away back inside. Young manages a Death Valley Driver but a Stundog Millionaire gets Reed out of trouble. A slam puts Reed back down but Young misses a moonsault. Reed’s slingshot legdrop knocks Young out of the ropes but he’s right back with a powerslam. Young threatens the referee so Wentz gets on the apron, which allows Young to get in a low blow. The piledriver finishes Reed at 5:56.

Rating: C+. There are not enough words to describe how little I want to see Eric Young’s latest “I’m here to fix everything about TNA and get rid of the bad people” deal. I’m not sure why that’s something they keep going back to but it seems like we’re getting it again. Heck it wouldn’t stun me if Sami Callihan is some big surprise for Young’s upcoming team.

We look at Dani Luna snapping last week.

Luna talks about being done coming in second and it’s time to be different.

Ash By Elegance is very proud of winning the Knockouts Title at NXT Heatwave and wants a massive celebration. Next week.

Fatal Influence vs. IInspiration

McKay takes Nyx down to start and the IInspiration score with stereo kicks. It’s already off to Henley for a knee to Lee and a double flapjack gets two. Lee gets out of a Muta Lock and it’s back to McKay as everything breaks down in a hurry. Henley is tossed outside and the Idolizer finishes for McKay at 6:23.

Rating: C. Fatal Influence has gotten something out of these matches as it’s smart to have the NXT stars getting more reps in different places. It wouldn’t stun me to see them getting a quick run with the Knockouts Tag Team Titles, as they fit the requirements well enough. On the other hand you have the IInspiration, who have just been kind of there since returning, though they’re still decent enough in their roles.

Trick Williams calls in help to deal with Mike Santana.

Here is Ryan Nemeth to say that his BIG BROTHER will be back next week. Alisha Edwards and Eddie Edwards interrupt, with Alisha saying Eddie is here to shut him up.

Eddie Edwards vs. Ryan Nemeth

Edwards punches away in the corner to start and an overhead belly to belly sends Nemeth outside. Alisha gets in a slap of her own but Nemeth manages to hammer away on the way back inside. Nemeth takes him down and drops some elbows but Edwards is back up. A missed charge hits the post though and Nemeth grabs a chinlock. That’s broken up but the Backpack Stunner is blocked. Edwards settles for a tiger bomb and the Boston Knee Party finishes at 5:40.

Rating: C. I can go for Nemeth as an annoying putz who loses in spots like this and keeps running his mouth because he thinks his brother can get him out of trouble. He’s also good for someone like Edwards to beat, as Edwards is well suited for what he’s doing. He and Alisha work well together on screen too, which shouldn’t be the biggest shock.

Indi Hartwell is upset at last week’s attack at the hands of Dani Luna. Santino Marella pops in to say that due to the attack, Hartwell is getting a #1 contenders match with Jody Threat next week but Luna comes in to say she should be in for that as well. Works for Hartwell, and the match seems to be set.

We get some stills of Joe Hendry beating the Miz at WWE’s European house show.

Eric Young says the cleanse is coming…and has attacked Joe Hendry. Oh sweet goodness just get on to his lame World Title feud (if Santana wins, Young is going to get a pay per view title shot) so we can move on to anything else on the show.

Mara Sade vs. Tasha Steelz

Order 4 is here with Steelz. Sade grabs a fireman’s carry and drops her to start but Order 4 grabs Sade’s foot for a distraction. Steelz gets in a choke and then a reverse chinlock, which is broken up rather quickly. A middle rope dropkick puts Steelz down but Order 4 offers another distraction, allowing Steelz to hit a middle rope Russian legsweep. Sade shrugs that off and hits Finish Her (or tries to at least as it didn’t look great), only to go after Order 4. Rather than covering, Sade goes after Order 4, which lets Steelz hit a cutter for the pin at 5:48.

Rating: D. To say this was rough would be an understatement, as I’m not sure what they were trying near the end but it really didn’t work. It doesn’t help that they had Order 4 getting involved three times in a match that didn’t even last six minutes. Really weak stuff here, which is surprising as both have done far better before.

Post match Order 4 goes after Sade, with Agent Zero blasting her with a clothesline. The Hardys run in for the save.

Tag Team Titles: Hardys vs. Cedric Alexander/Leon Slater

The Hardys are defending. Jeff forearms Alexander to start but gets taken into the corner for the tag to Slater. We get a quick show of respect before Slater kicks Jeff in the face. It’s off to Matt for the double elbow and we take an early break. We come back with Jeff jawbreaking Slater and bringing Matt in to slug away on Alexander. Matt sends Alexander into the buckle and then does the same to Slater.

The Plot Twist into a splash gets two on Alexander with Slater making the save. The Swanton 450 misses so the Hardys try a Plot Twist on Slater, who reverses into a cutter on Matt. Slater leg lariats Jeff but the Swanton 450 misses. A Downward Spiral hits Jeff but Matt is back in with the Twist of Fate, setting up the Swanton to retain at 10:36.

Rating: B-. Good enough main event here, even if it was the champions defending against a team without much history working together. The Hardys are gearing up for the match against Team 3D, though there is no guarantee that will be for the titles. For now though, it’s nice to see the Hardys getting another win, as they’re still more than good enough to hang in the ring.

Here is Trick Williams, with his lawyer, to discuss being attacked by Mike Santana. Williams calls this a crime scene and he isn’t defending his title for 50 days. Cue Santino Marella to say Williams will defend his title at Bound For Glory. The lawyer tries to yell at Marella and gets Cobraed to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This wasn’t their strongest show, but it did have some good parts. They’re clearly setting the stage for Bound For Glory, though we’re going to have to get through some other parts on the way there. Now just get the rest of that stuff ready and the show should work out well. I mean, assuming you launch this Eric Young stuff into the sun once and for all.

Results
Mike Santana/Steve Maclin b. AJ Francis/Trick Williams – Rollup to Williams
Eric Young b. Myron Reed – Piledriver
IInspiration b. Fatal Influence – Idolizer to Henley
Eddie Edwards b. Ryan Nemeth – Boston Knee Party
Tasha Steelz b. Mara Sade – Cutter
Hardys b. Cedric Alexander/Leon Slater – Swanton to Alexander

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: August 28, 2025
Location: Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

It’s the night before Death Before Dishonor and that means we are likely going to be getting some matches being added to the show. There are a total of four matches officially set and multiple titles have not been set for the card. Odds are we’ll get at least something set up this week, which is overdue to say the least. Let’s get to it.

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

Bandido and Brody King talk about losing their first match as AEW Tag Team Champions but Bandido is going to retain his ROH World Title at Death Before Dishonor. You really couldn’t just have Bandido do this alone?

Opening sequence.

We run down the card.

Lance Archer vs. Beef

Beef tries to slug away to start and is promptly knocked right back down. Archer hammers him down and chokes on the ropes but Beef cartwheels away. Beef actually gets in a few shots of his own, only to get caught going up. The chokeslam gives Archer two and Beef goes up, only to get caught with the Blackout for the pin at 5:11.

Rating: C. You know all of the times where Archer has done something like this? Well this was the most recent edition and it took a bit longer. I’m not sure why that was the case as Beef may be popular, but he’s far from some kind of big star. Archer isn’t doing anything at the moment anyway though, so it’s not like the win gives him anything.

Last week in England, Athena and Billie Starkz promised to keep the Women’s Title from Mina Shirakawa, with Athena demanding respect. To prove a point, Athena beat up her opponent even more but Shirakawa made the save.

Allysin Kay vs. Taya Valkyrie

Johnny TV and the MxM Collection are here too. Kay starts fast with a neckbreaker and Valkyrie needs an early breather on the ramp. Back in and a spear lets Valkyrie hammer away but Kay manages a kick to the head. Valkyrie sweeps the leg and hits a double stomp but Kay fights up again. That’s cut off by a TV interference and Shania Pain finishes for Valkyrie at 4:12.

Rating: C. Normally this would feel like a tease of the Pure Rules Title tournament but that seems to have been scrapped (thank goodness). Neither of these have anything going on at the moment and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. They’re talented stars, but I need more than the two of them just having random matches (the story of Ring Of Honor).

Post match the Collection says that the rest of the show will be them posing but here is the Dark Order to interrupt.

MxM Collection/Johnny TV vs. Dark Order

Uno and Mansoor start things off but the villains clear the ring to pose, only for the Order to come in and pose instead. Madden cuts off Reynolds’ dive though and TV powerbombs Taya Valkyrie onto Reynolds. A catapult sends Reynolds into a bent over Madden and Valkyrie kisses TV.

Reynolds gets in a springboard clothesline for a needed breather though and it’s off to Uno to clean house. The Order sends them all throat first into the ropes for some running shots to the back. The referee gets distracted though and Mansoor low blows Uno, setting up the Centerfold for the pin at 8:32.

Rating: C+. You might as well let one of these teams go after the Six Man Tag Team Titles as it’s not like the two of them have anything else going on. The Collection and TV have already gone after the belts but that has been several months ago now so see what they can do. Or just dump the belts because they mean nothing and have barely been around in months.

Spanish Announce Project vs. Stephen Wolf/Danny Orion

Angelico takes Wolf down by the arm to start and then armdrags him down for a bonus. Serpentico comes in and we hear about the Tag Team and Six Man Tag Team Titles being vacated, with the titles being decided this week at Death Before Dishonor. Well that’s better than nothing.

A clothesline takes Serpentico down and Orion’s shot to the face gets two. Serpentico avoids a charge in the corner though and the running Downward Spiral allows the tag off to Angelico. Everything breaks down and Serpentico takes Wolf down on the floor, leaving Angelico to half crab Orion for the tap at 7:18.

Rating: C. The match was fine but you know what you’re getting with the Project. Commentary talked about the Tag Team Titles but there is no reason to believe that the Project is going to be involved in the title hunt. The Project can work well in this style and they did again here, even if it’s the same thing we’ve seen from them for months.

And now, the return of QTV, with QT Marshall saying he hasn’t been around for two years. They don’t think much of Paul Walter Hauser, who will never be one of the boys. Harley Cameron isn’t sure why she’s still around here.

We look at Xelhua vs. Lee Moriarty going to a time limit draw, setting up the title match at Death Before Dishonor.

Okamura vs. Stigma

CMLL showcase. Stigma takes him down to start but gets dropped again just as fast. Back up and Stigma sends him outside for a suicide dive, followed by another dive. Back in and Okamura catches him on top with a superplex for two and a falcon arrow gets the same. Stigma hits a quick superkick and goes up, only to get caught with a Tower Of London for the pin at 5:00.

Rating: C+. It had some nice spots, but the match came and went so fast that it didn’t have time to really stand out. At the same time, it’s a pair of wrestlers who mean nothing around here and that doesn’t help. It has nothing to do with their talent or abilities, but rather they’re outsiders who haven’t gotten a reason to stand out around here. In other words, it’s just a pair of people doing moves and that only means so much.

Death Before Dishonor rundown, with Sammy Guevara/the Von Erichs facing Shane Taylor Promotions for the Six Man Tag Team Titles and Guevara/a mystery partner facing the Outrunners for the Tag Team Titles. It makes as much sense as anything else, ignoring the insanity that is acting like the Promotions deserve a title shot.

Mistico/Mascara Dorada/Neon vs. Adam Priest/Workhorsemen

Under lucha rules. Henry shakes hands with Mistico to start but Drake gets in a cheap shot from the apron. Mistico fights back but everything breaks down and the villains clear the ring. Neon comes in and gets taken into the wrong corner, allowing Henry to hit a slingshot hilo.

Some flips let Neon get away from Priest though and Mistico and Dorada come in for a triple dive to the floor. Back in and Mistico powerslams Henry for two but Priest knocks h down and hits a frog splash for two of his own. A series of kicks send Drake out to the floor and Dorada’s shooting star press gets two on Priest. La Mistica finishes Drake at 10:41.

Rating: C+. Well of course the CMLL Trios Champions aren’t going to lose to a team who was thrown together a few weeks ago. This was a way to showcase the CMLL stars and that’s a fine way to go, but it seems like there is a better main event for the last show before the pay per view. Mistico is a major star, but I could go for more than that.

Post match Mistico thanks the fans but a masked wrestler comes in to jump him. It’s MJF, who says that if Mistico wants a shot at his title, be ready to put everything on the line.

The Bandido/Hechicero bar vignette wraps up the show.

Overall Rating: C. The wrestling was fine, but without the ads I wouldn’t have any idea that Death Before Dishonor was this week. There was very little to build up to the show, with a bunch of matches that could have taken place at any point in the year. As usual, Ring Of Honor seems to think you can just throw the Ring Of Honor name out there and expect it to sell itself. Not a terrible show here, but a pretty weak excuse for a go home show.

Results
Lance Archer b. Beef – Blackout
Taya Valkyrie b. Allysin Kay – Shania Pain
MxM Collection/Johnny TV b. Dark Order – Centerfold to Uno
Spanish Announce Project b. Danny Orion/Stephen Wolf – Half crab to Orion
Okamura b. Stigma – Tower Of London
Mistico/Mascara Dorada/Neon b. Adam Priest/Workhorsemen – La Mistica to Drake

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

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

Evolve
Date: August 27, 2025
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Robert Stone, Peter Rosenberg

The Women’s Title is getting the focus again as we have multiple challengers wanting to come at Kali Armstrong. That can make for an interesting situation and odds are we’ll find out some more this week. On the other side, Kenau Carver is pretty clearly next up for the Evolve Title so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Kendal Grey vs. Wendy Choo

Choo crawls around to start the mind games before getting waistlocked. Grey’s boot to the face is blocked (with Choo looking a bit nuts) so she grabs a headlock instead. The ensuing armbar is broken up and Choo gets in a kick from the apron as we take a break. We come back with Choo hitting a dropkick in the Tree of Woe for two, followed by a running superkick for the same. Grey quickly fights out of a neck crank and it’s a double clothesline to put both of them down.

Back up and Grey strikes away before having to break a quick Dirt Nap attempt. Choo drops her with a superplex and a brainbuster gets two. Back up and Grey grabs a powerslam for two, followed by a failed cross armbreaker attempt. Grey goes to the corner and dives into a full nelson slam, setting up the Dirt Nap. Choo pulls her down but Grey backflips over for the pin at 10:22.

Rating: C+. This got a lot of time and it’s good to see Grey getting a win over someone with some name power. Grey might be someone who is set to move up to the next level and that is something that has potential. On the other hand you have Choo, who is still all creepy and weird and doing the same stuff to the same result that she’s done for a long time now.

Post match Grey is out cold from the Dirt Nap despite getting the pin. That’s a different way to go.

Ice Williams talks about giving Sean Legacy six months to prove he is the face of the WWE ID Program and Legacy has failed. If Legacy has a problem with that, they can fight. Pretty simple there.

Brooks Jensen vs. Jordan Oasis

They take turns backing each other into the corner to start until Jensen takes him down with an armbar. Back up and Oasis works on the arm as well, followed by a backsplash for two. Oasis sends him outside for the suicide dive but Jensen posts the arm and we take a break. We come back with Jensen staying on the arm…and staying on it even longer as this is a rather lengthy armbar. Oasis finally fights up to send him into the corner and they trade some forearms on the apron. They go up and Jensen hits a clothesline to knock him back down, followed by the Southern Lariat for the pin at 8:12.

Rating: C. The result shouldn’t be the biggest surprise as Oasis was released from the ID Program earlier this week. At the same time, there is only so much you can do with this dull of a match. This was an exchange of armbars and then a finish, as Jensen being this old school southern style wrestler isn’t working on its own and it’s not getting any better.

Post match Jensen says he wants the Evolve Title. If that means going through the Vanity Project, so be it.

The Vanity Project talks about being back on the same page and knows that they’re running Evolve…but here is Stevie Turner to interrupt. She’s looking for Jackson Drake’s next challenger and the team doesn’t seem to care who it is. With Turner gone, it seems Swipe Right finds her rather fetching, with Zayda Steel having to say Turner isn’t interested.

Masyn Holiday isn’t sure what is next for her around here but she has the athletic background. Eventually she settles on Kylie Rae.

Women’s Title: Nikkita Lyons vs. Chantel Monroe vs. Karmen Petrovic vs. Kali Armstrong

Armstrong is defending. Armstrong and Petrovic clear the ring to start before we get a weird four way submission with various chokes and locks. That’s broken up so Armstrong fires off shoulders in the corner, followed by a powerslam to Petrovic. Another one plants Monroe so Lyons breaks it up. The break up is broken up as well and everyone is down as we take a break.

We come back with Petrovic and Lyons exchanging missed kicks until Lyons switches to a sitout powerbomb for two on Monroe. Petrovic fires off some kicks and reverses a powerslam into a small package for two on Armstrong. Monroe starts flipping around a bit, including a headscissors to send Armstrong into a spear to Lyons. Petrovic gets planted for two so it’s time to head to the corner for the Tower Of Doom.

Back up and they trade strikes, with Petrovic and Monroe heading out to the floor. Cue Kylie Rae to shove Monroe and get in a fight as they brawl to the back. Armstrong powerbombs Lyons out of the corner and Petrovic sends Armstrong outside for two. Back up and Lyons misses a Vader Bomb, leaving Armstrong to hit the Kali Connection for the pin to retain at 8:41.

Rating: B-. This was ok enough but it was mainly there to give Armstrong another title defense, which is a good way to go. She is getting somewhere with that Kali Connection and beating three challengers at once (even with one of them leaving before the ending) is only going to help her. I’m not sure who is next for Armstrong, but she is probably ready for NXT right now, which is quite the feat. Petrovic is still developing and getting more well rounded in the ring, which is a good sign. Monroe got to showcase herself in the ring a bit here and Lyons…yeah you know what you’re getting with her.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event is the big focal point of the show here (as it’s supposed to be) and that part worked. The other two matches didn’t do much, though the opener was the better of the pair. The women’s division gets a lot of focus around here and so far it has lived up to the hype, which could be a nice thing to see in the future.

Results
Kendal Grey b. Wendy Choo – Rollup
Brooks Jensen b. Jordan Oasis – Southern Lariat
Kali Armstrong b. Nikkita Lyons, Chantel Monroe and Karmen Petrovic – Kali Connection to Lyons

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

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Dynamite
Date: August 27, 2025
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni, Taz

We’re done with Forbidden Door, back in the United States, and the show is in some holy ground at the old ECW Arena. That is the kind of thing that can make a show even better than it would be otherwise, which will very likely be the case again here. The pay per view ended with Will Ospreay being laid out by the Death Riders, which probably won’t go well. Let’s get to it.

Here is Forbidden Door if you need a recap.

The set definitely has a bit of an ECW flavor to it, which is rather logical.

Here are FTR and Stokely Hathaway to get things going. After some technical issues, Dax Harwood talks about how the illegal man pinned him at Forbidden Door. Harwood brings in referee Paul Turner, who has been doing this for 27 years and whose wife is here tonight. He refuses to reverse his decision so Stokely gets in his face. Cue Adam Copeland, allowing Christian Cage to sneak in from behind and jump FTR. The Canadians appreciate the reaction and the match is officially announced for All Out.

Darby Allin, with his bad ear, wants to take everything from Jon Moxley. He talks about crying over the bodies on Mount Everest and thinks about Moxley taking everything from him. At All Out, he’s taking everything from Moxley.

Jon Moxley vs. Daniel Garcia

The Death Riders are here with Moxley. They go with the grappling to start and Garcia takes him to the ground. Back up and Moxley sends him into the corner for some rakes at the eyes, only for Garcia to dragon screw leg whip him down. The running dropkick sends Moxley into the barricade but the Riders’ distraction lets Moxley get in a big boot. Cue Matt Menard to help Garcia back inside and yell at Marina Shafir (who still has the briefcase key despite the lack of briefcase). Garcia goes for the leg again and Moxley bails outside as we take an early break.

We come back with the two of them on top and Garcia hammering away. A top rope superplex drops Moxley and some clotheslines put him down again. Moxley is right back up with a cutter for two but Garcia slaps on a half crab. That’s broken up as well and they go to the apron with Moxley DDTing him onto the steps. Back in and Moxley’s cross armbreaker is countered into the Dragon Slayer, which is escaped as well. Garcia hits a piledriver but Moxley is right back with a small package for the pin at 13:58.

Rating: B. This was a nice back and forth match, with Moxley selling the leg a bit more than I was expecting. Moxley needed the win and it isn’t like Garcia is going anywhere anytime soon. Garcia still has enough status to do something around here and this was a good way to use him. With Moxley getting ready for Allin, he could use some wins like this, though I wouldn’t give him the best odds at All Out.

Post match Wheeler Yuta gets the mic and turns down Darby Allin’s challenge for All Out.

Post break, Yuta is still in the ring and talks about how he grew up around here and used to be on the ring crew. He has broken bones in this building and now look at what he has been doing. Will Ospreay, Chuck Taylor and Bryan Danielson are all gone and Yuta has taken Danielson’s place. Cue the returning Hook to lay Yuta out and leave without saying a word.

MJF rants about how he had the World Title won but Mark Briscoe cost him the title. The only mistake he made was not lighting Briscoe on fire so he’ll get his revenge later. Now he can’t even use his contract at any time because of Tony Khan (because that’s how contracts work) so he’ll be coming for Hangman Page, but this time for his soul. Fired up stuff from MJF here.

Penelope Ford/Megan Bayne vs. Kris Statlander/Harley Cameron

Statlander chops Ford into a dropkick to start and a backbreaker into a lariat makes it worse. Cameron comes in and gets dropped onto Ford to give Statlander two. Bayne comes in so Cameron demands a shot, with Bayne easily pulling her out of the air. Ford drags Cameron into the corner and we take a break.

We come back with Bayne tossing Ford at Statlander for a cutter. The villains miss stereo moonsaults though and Cameron is back up with an assisted faceplant to Bayne. Back up and Bayne kicks Cameron in the face but Statlander hits a nice spinning lariat. Statlander and Bayne trade big boots to the face but Ford comes in off a blind tag. That’s fine with Statlander, who pulls Ford out of the air and grabs something like a reverse Rings Of Saturn for the tap at 10:13.

Rating: B-. Well you put Ford out there with Bayne for the sake of taking a fall and that’s exactly what we had here. Cameron being back is good and the fans are still reacting to her, but it’s only getting her so far. Other than that, Statlander looked like she was able to hang in there with Bayne, which means we could be in for a heck of a hoss fight in the near future.

Post match Bayne jumps Statlander again but gets knocked to the ropes as Willow Nightingale runs in. Cameron tries to negotiate peace and things seem to be at least decent.

Renee Paquette, with most of Mercedes Mone’s titles on a table, brings out Mone for a chat. Paquette recaps Mone’s recent success and Mone brags about being the greatest of all time. She’s ready to smash Ultimo Dragon’s record of ten titles at once and is NOT happy with the idea that Alex Windsor made her tap. She was swatting a bug away, but maybe Windsor is upset that Mone was dancing all over Will Ospreay. Mone threatens to put Windsor in a hospital next to her husband and now it’s time to dance. And scene. Really she just came out there, showed off her belts, said she didn’t tap and then danced.

Mark Briscoe talks about this place being EXTREMELY important to the Briscoes’ history and presents what I’m assuming is his newborn son (who can’t be more than a few weeks old). He’ll deal with MJF, but he recently heard Kyle Fletcher saying his name. Briscoe has beaten him before, so now he wants Fletcher and the TNT Title.

Don Callis Family/Kazuchika Okada vs. Jet Speed/Bandido/Brody King

As usual, Don Calls handles (and butchers) Hechicero’s intro in Spanish. Hechicero and Bandido trade rollups to start in a preview of their match at Friday’s Death Before Dishonor. King comes in to strike away at Alexander and Takeshita before Jet Speed gives Alexander a release gordbuster. Alexander fights back but Okada and Takeshita both want the tag, meaning it’s a bit of a glare among partners. King is back up with a running flip dive to the floor, followed by another dive from Bandido as we take a break.

We come back with Knight trying to fight over for a tag but getting sent into the wrong corner. A double dropkick gets Knight out of trouble and the much needed tag brings in King to clean house. Everything breaks down (as you probably expected) and Hechicero gives Bandido a swinging hammerlock backbreaker. King cuts Hechicero off and it’s back to Bailey for the moonsault knees to Takeshita.

The villains run in for the save but Takeshita pulls Bailey out of the way before Okada can hit a clothesline in the corner. Takeshita hits his own clothesline and gets glared at and shoved by Okada, with King pulling Takeshita outside. Back up and Takeshita hits a big running flip dive, leaving Alexander to get caught with a super hurricanrana. Alexander rolls away from the Ultimate Weapon though and cradles Bailey for the pin at 11:19.

Rating: B. Obviously the big story here is the distention with the villains, as Takeshita continues to feel like he could become a major breakout star if given the chance. If he’s going to become the one who turns on Callis and company, the sky could be the limit for his potential. Aside from that, King and Bandido didn’t get much of the focus here, with Alexander getting the pin on Bailey being quite the odd way to go.

Here is Hangman Page for a chat. He shouts out Will Ospreay and says everyone will miss him while he’s gone. Page hopes that when Ospreay comes back, he can challenge for the World Title. We move on to MJF, who now has to wait a week before he can cash in his contract, which is going to earn him an even bigger beating.

Cue Don Callis to interrupt, talking about their history together. Page won his World Title from one of Callis’ men, but that man was a weakling. Calls says he has half the roster under contract so it is a matter of time before someone takes it from Page. The question is which one will it be, so here is the Family. Page goes after them first, with a bunch of other good guys coming in for the brawl. Kenny Omega (the aforementioned weakling) makes the real save and poses with Page. That’s how Omega is best used, as he felt like the superstar here.

Toni Storm mocks Athena for losing on Sunday and says Mina Shirakawa (“the Love Bum”) is going to take the title. She asks about Mina’s hand, earning her a slap. Storm: “By God you’re back!” Shirakawa wants to win the title so the two of them can dance on top of the arena. We cut to Athena, who says she wants to throw Shirakawa off the roof and promises to do things that will make the Blue Meanie quiver (there’s a sight).

Trios Titles: The Opps vs. Ricochet/Gates Of Agony

The Opps are defending. Hobbs gets annoyed at Ricochet’s chops to start and tosses him into the corner, only to miss a charge. Shibata comes in to forearm it out with Kaun, with Shibata pounding him down into the corner. Back up and Shibata is sent outside, where Ricochet and company stomp him quite a bit as we take a break. We come back with Kaun striking away at Shibata, who manages an STO.

Hobbs and Liona come in for the big slugout, meaning Hobbs gets to fire off the clotheslines in the corner. A double clothesline staggers both of them and it’s off to Joe to slug away at Ricochet. The snap powerslam into the backsplash gives Joe two but the Gates come in to take Joe down. Ricochet’s running shooting star press gets two, only for MVP to sneak in with a cane shot to put Ricochet down. That’s enough for Shibata to kick Ricochet to the Koquina Clutch for the win at 10:24.

Rating: B-. Nice match here, though there was only so much you could get out of a match with about a third spent in a commercial. The good thing is the Opps are getting to defend the titles, though it’s not the best idea to have them running through challengers like this. At least they had an out so the team is far from done, though I’m not sure who is next to come after the titles.

Post match the Hurt Syndicate comes out to brawl with the Gates.

Darby Allin vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Falls Count Anywhere. Castagnoli jumps Allin from behind in the back and puts him in a shopping cart for a crash. They go into the arena, where Castagnoli swings him into the barricade for two. Allin manages to get inside for a suicide dive and a dropkick against the barricade, followed by a dive off the lighting structure for two of his own. Back in and Castagnoli takes over again before telling commentary to move. They get up, allowing Castagnoli to launch him onto the announcers’ table as we take a break (at a minute before 10pm EST).

We come back with Castagnoli dropping him onto the apron as there are a bunch of tables and chairs in the corner. Allin grabs a quick guillotine choke and then a sleeper but Castagnoli flips him away. Castagnoli misses a charge through the table in the corner but he’s able to catch Allin on top. The gutwrench superplex onto the pile of tables gives Castagnoli two so he powerbombs Allin through the table in the corner. Allin reverses a catapult into the corner into a double stomp, followed by a Code Red for two. The Coffin Drop finishes for Allin at 14:35.

Rating: B-. This was the “we’re in the ECW Arena so here’s a violent match” main event of the week and that’s fine. I hope they don’t do it every show for the entirety of their run here but it worked well enough here. Allin needs to start racking up some wins before he gets to face Moxley at All Out (as he obviously will) and they accomplished that rather well. Beating Castagnoli only means so much, but it’s better than nothing.

Post match the Death Riders run in and go after Allin, who manages to send Moxley and Kidd together and escape to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. They were in a tough spot with this one as they had the fallout from Forbidden Door but All Out needs to get set up in a hurry. You can see a lot of what is coming at the next pay per view already coming together and what we got here was a nice first step. It’s nice to be getting back to a more normal build after the Forbidden Door stuff requires some adjustments, so hopefully things continue in this more traditional direction.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Daniel Garcia – Small package
Harley Cameron/Kris Statlander b. Megan Bayne/Penelope Ford – Reverse Rings Of Saturn to Ford
Don Callis Family/Kazuchika Okada b. Jet Speed/Bandido/Brody King – Cradle to Bailey
Opps b. Ricochet/Gates Of Agony – Koquina Clutch to Ricochet
Darby Allin b. Claudio Castagnoli – Coffin Drop

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

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NXT
Date: August 26, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

We’re done with Heatwave and the big story seems to be Ricky Saints coming after Oba Femi’s NXT Title. That should make for an interesting story as we are less than a month away from No Mercy, which already has a title match set. Lola Vice will be challenging Jacy Jayne for the Women’s Title at the event after earning the shot this weekend. Let’s get to it.

Here is Heatwave if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Heatwave.

Here is Ricky Saints to get things going. Saints says he will always put his money behind Je’Von Evans but Oba Femi stopped Evans at Heatwave. He has done quite a few things around here but there is one thing he still wants. That is the NXT Title, but here is Josh Briggs to say not so fast. Briggs wants the title shot first so Saints says he’s right here in front of him and is ready to fight. Ava comes out to say we need a new #1 contender so the match is on for tonight. Simple and to the point here.

After Heatwave, where Blake Monroe beat Jordynne Grace, Monroe told Ava that she wanted the Women’s Title. Kelani Jordan came in to say not so fast, so Ava made their match for later.

Kelani Jordan vs. Blake Monroe

Jordan snaps off a dropkick to start and they trade rollups for two each. A running dropkick gives Monroe two and she grabs a flipping armbar. That’s broken up and Jordan hits some clotheslines into a cartwheel elbow, followed by an X Factor to send Monroe outside. Cue Jordynne Grace to chase Monroe, who can’t escape this time. Jordan grabs something like an Angle Slam into One Of A Kind to finish at 4:17.

Rating: C. Jordan is an interesting case as she is certainly athletic and getting somewhere with what she’s doing, but she’s going to need some adjustments if she’s going to move up the card. The good thing is that the groundwork is there and she’s definitely ahead of a large portion of the roster. As for Monroe…I’m not sure why this is still going so soon after beating her clean on Sunday.

Video on Lexis King vs. Myles Borne, with King accusing Borne of faking his deafness.

Lexis King vs. Myles Borne

Blindfold match, with Borne explaining that he needs the fans to guide him when he can’t see. After a few early misses, they manage to lock up before King misses some right hands in the corner. Borne is able to hit his dropkick for two, leaving King to miss a charge out to the floor. Borne throws him back inside and avoids a dropkick but King gets in a slam. The elbow misses though and they slug it out from their knees. They grab hands and slug it out until King backs him into the corner. King grabs the referee and pokes him in the eye, allowing King to pull up the mask. A low blow and the Coronation finish Borne at 4:55.

Rating: C. The key thing here was keeping the match short or the idea was going to get old fast. That’s what we got here, as King went with the obvious cheating. It’s how this should have gone and lets Borne look like he got cheated. At some point they’ll have a rematch and Borne can get a big win one way or another, which is what matters most.

Wren Sinclair is panicking over having to face the Culling because she doesn’t have a partner, but Charlie Dempsey has found her a partner: Kendal Grey. Sinclair is relieved and Grey agrees to help Sinclair, but slaps Dempsey.

Wren Sinclair/Kendal Grey vs. The Culling

Dame misses a big boot to start and Kendal grabs her by the waist, meaning it’s off to Sinclair. Dame pulls her into the wrong corner, allowing Paxley to come in for a bodyscissors. Back up and Dame tags herself back in before Paxley can try a moonsault. Sinclair’s rollup gets two but Dame gives her a Sky High (as Grey has Paxley tied up) for the fast pin at 3:30.

Rating: C+. The idea was to have the Culling not exactly working together as Dame seems to treat Paxley as little more than a goon. That’s only going to work for so long as Paxley just wants a friend and is not going to accept being used again. Sinclair and Grey were just two people thrown together, but Grey seems to be getting at least a look on the bigger roster.

Josh Briggs vs. Ricky Saints

For the NXT Title shot at No Mercy. Saints chops away to start but gets caught with a running elbow. The Boss Man Slam gives Briggs two and we’re off to the early chinlock. Back up and Saints starts working on the arm, setting up a strutting Old School. They head outside with Briggs getting posted as we take a break.

We come back with Briggs hitting a crossbody for two but Saints’ Falcon Arrow gets the same. Briggs kicks him in the face for two and hits the chokeslam for two more. Starks is back up with a quick headscissors into a reverse DDT, followed by the springboard tornado DDT for the pin at 12:46.

Rating: B-. Saints getting the shot is the more interesting call, though I was thinking Briggs might have gotten a televised title shot before we went there. Either way, this sets Saints up as a much bigger match as he’ll get his shot in a featured setting. The good thing about Saints is that he feels like a legitimate threat to take the title and that has been lacking for Oba Femi for a good while.

Lola Vice, Sol Ruca and Zaria are all friends with matching shirts before their six man tag tonight. Jaida Parker comes in to congratulate Vice on the win, though Vice isn’t convinced. Lash Legend comes in to argue with Parker, leaving Zaria to lift Vice a few times.

Post break, Ricky Saints is still in the ring when Oba Femi comes out for the staredown. Saints believes that Femi is starting to feel the pressure of being the champion and promises to take the title. Femi says he’ll prove that Saints is average but here is Darkstate (the new Tag Team Champions) to interrupt. They are ready to fight but here are Hank & Tank to help hold them off.

Video explaining the Speed Title, which has a three minute time limit. The tournament to crown a new #1 contender starts next week.

Alba Fyre vs. Tyra Mae Steele

Chelsea Green, Piper Niven, Ethan Page and Tavion Heights are here too. Steele starts fast with a suplex and then grabs the legs and rolls around. Fyre’s legs are fine enough to come back with a superkick to the floor, allowing her to stand on Steele’s hair back inside. A knee and DDT give Fyre two and Steele grabs an ankle lock. Page offers a distraction but gets his hand stomped, allowing Steele to roll Fyre up for the pin at 4:19.

Rating: C. As was the case on Sunday at Heatwave, the theme recently has been giving some fresh stars a chance. That’s what we’re seeing here with Steele, who is getting her feet wet against someone like Fyre, who is a rather polished star. I’m not sure how well it’s going to go but at least they’re giving her a chance as she has to start somewhere.

Post match Green goes after Steele but Heights comes in for the save. Page decks him with the belt though and cover him with the Canadian flag.

Hank & Tank come in to ask Ava for a fight with Darkstate, which they receive…in an eight man tag, also involving Oba Femi and Ricky Saints.

Jacy Jayne is mad about losing the TNA Knockouts Title and Fatal Influence argues over who should get the Speed Title.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Lola Vice/Zaria/Sol Ruca vs. Fatal Influence

Ruca and Henley trade rollups to start until Henley grabs a swinging suplex, allowing Nyx to come in. A leg lariat puts Ruca down but she’s right back up with a Paisan elbow with Zaria. Zaria’s middle rope clothesline drops Nyx for two more and it’s already off to Vice vs. Jayne. Vice’s cross armbreaker doesn’t work so Jayne hits a hard clothesline for her own near fall.

Back up and it’s off to Ruca to chop away at Henley, setting up the surfing spot in the corner. Ruca gets knocked outside though as Lainey Reid is watching from the balcony and we take a break. We come back with Ruca hitting a Codebreaker to the arm but Jayne cuts off the tag attempt. Jayne stomps Ruca down in the corner but she’s right back up, allowing the tag off to Zaria.

House is quickly cleaned and Ruca’s handstand spinning top rope splash gets two. The villains drop Ruca again so it’s off to Vice for the running hip attacks in the corner. Fatal Influence’s stereo running knees drop Vice for two with Ruca making the save. Everything breaks down and Ruca hits the Sol Snatcher, leaving Vice to spinning backfist Henley for the pin at 14:15.

Rating: B-. This was what it needed to be as Vice is getting closer to the title shot and beating one of Jayne’s partners is a nice way to start. Vice very well may be the one to take the title off of Jayne while the other two are going to come after Ruca and the Speed Title. It makes for an interesting couple of stories, and that should be enough to bridge the gap to No Mercy.

A quick preview of No Mercy and next week’s show wrap us up.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was about moving on from everything at Heatwave and starting the fairly rapid fire build towards No Mercy. That’s what the show needed to be and they hit the ground running, with the NXT Title match already being set up. I’m curious to see what else winds up on the show, but at least they’re off to a good start.

Results
Kelani Jordan b. Blake Monroe – One Of A Kind
Lexis King b. Myles Borne – Coronation
The Culling b. Wren Sinclair/Kendal Grey – Sky High to Sinclair
Tyra Mae Steele b. Alba Fyre – Rollup
Sol Ruca/Zaria/Lola Vice b. Fatal Influence – Spinning backfist to Henley

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

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Monday Night Raw
Date: August 25, 2025
Location: BP Pulse Live, Birmingham, England
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re in England as the company is getting ready for Sunday’s Clash In Paris, meaning this is a rare afternoon show in the United States. The big appeal of this week is Roman Reigns starting the show after challenging Bronson Reed last week. If nothing else, he might want to get his shoes back so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s extreme rules match between Jey Uso and Bron Breakker, which included a huge brawl and a bunch of interference.

Here is Roman Reigns to get things going, with the fans being VERY impressed and giving him a variety of cheers, including IF YOU LOVE ROMAN STAND UP. After an ACKNOWLEDGE ME, Reigns says that he has big plans for this year and next year, but he has to be realistic. It might feel like old times with the fans being so loud for him, but it isn’t the same anymore. He isn’t the same anymore. Fans: “YES YOU ARE!” Reigns says Cody Rhodes predicted it a year or so ago, which has the fans booing. Reigns: “Interesting.”

The Vision (the fans boo, which Reigns understands) is trying to take everything from him, which earns a F*** SETH ROLLINS chant (which Reigns takes a second to understand). He doesn’t have a Bloodline, which means a YEET chant. Reigns is extremely proud of Jey Uso, who has earned everything he has, including his title shot in Paris. Reigns’ time will come…and here is Paul Heyman to interrupt, along with Bronson Reed.

Heyman introduces Reed and talks about how he became Reigns’ Wise Man five years ago this week. The fans do their singing Roman Reigns chant, which Heyman turns into a Bronson Reed version. Heyman says Reed is going to beat some respect into Reigns, who doesn’t seem to agree. Reed talks about how Reigns may be college educated, but he needs a history lesson. Reigns’ tribe is civilized but Reed’s isn’t. Reigns paid for his tattoos while Reed earned his. Reed is the Samoan that Reigns’ family warned him about. Reigns: “This guy’s Samoan???”

That means Reed belongs to him, so he can have one more change to return the shoes, apologize for wasting our time, and acknowledge him. That won’t happen, so Reigns is ready to fight. Security and agents come in and Reed gets in a splash but can’t take more shoes. Reigns gets back up and they brawl to the back as we take a break. Heck of an opening segment here, with the crowd being way into the whole thing and boosting it up.

Judgment Day is looking for Dominik Mysterio (ignore him being in the background of the start of the shot), who is talking to El Grande Americano. Mysterio says he’ll catch up with them later and things seem ok enough.

Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh

Finn Balor is here with McDonagh. Lee takes over to start so Balor gets up on the apron, which is enough for an ejection before he can do anything. Well that sounds like an overly aggressive referee. That’s enough for Lee to go up, only to get dropkicked out of the air as we take a break.

We come back with Lee fighting up after a superplex (during the break) and hitting a REALLY scary sit out powerbomb (McDonagh landed on his head and Graves popped up to his feet on commentary) for two. The top rope (actually from the post this time) tree of woe double stomp connects but here is Dominik Mysterio. Cue AJ Styles to jump Mysterio and Operation Dragon finishes McDonagh at 8:45.

Rating: C+. That powerbomb was terrifying for a second and thankfully McDonagh’s massive head is ok. Other than that, the Judgment Day’s issues continue, which has been the case for a good while now. I’m curious to see where that goes, while on the other hand, Lee is not exactly interesting whatsoever as he’s just kind of there most weeks.

LA Knight likes the idea of working with CM Punk to take out Seth Rollins, but it’s all about Punk getting the title back. It’s feast or famine and the rations are limited. Only Knight is going to be well fed and tonight, he’s facing Bron Breakker, who will be knocked back to factory settings (that’s a great line…I think).

Rusev is ready to hurt Sheamus in Paris.

Judgment Day isn’t happy with Dominik Mysterio, so he tells Finn Balor to deal with AJ Styles tonight. Raquel Rodriguez tells Roxanne Perez to get ready for later.

Penta vs. Kofi Kingston

Grayson Waller is peddling a petition to ban the Canadian Destroyer as Penta hammers away to start. Kingston catches him the corner and hits the middle rope splash to the standing Penta’s back for two. The middle of the ropes Vader bomb is broken up and Kingston heads outside as we take a break.

We come back with Penta in trouble and Kingston dropping him for two, leaving Xavier Woods annoyed at ringside. Penta misses a running enziguri in the corner but settles for a flat foot suplex to bring him down. The Penta Driver gets two so Penta flip dives onto the New Day. Back in and Woods offers a distraction, allowing Kingston to hit Trouble In Paradise for the pin at 10:15.

Rating: C+. I have no idea what to make of New Day at this point. They’ve been doing the in mourning thing for a long time now but there isn’t much of anything for them to do. If they aren’t going to go after the titles and there is no one for them to feud with otherwise, what are they supposed to do next? It’s entertaining stuff, but the Big E. split feels like it was a lifetime ago at this point.

Video on Iyo Sky’s issues with Rhea Ripley and the Kabuki Warriors.

Sky thanks Ripley for helping her last week but explains that the Warriors aren’t happy with her. She thinks the two of them should keep their distance. Ripley understands and says it’s ok. Sky appreciates the understanding and they hug, with the Warriors in the background, not looking happy.

Video on Naomi’s pregnancy announcement.

Stephanie Vaquer is told she is the #1 contender but the title match can’t happen in Paris as the title is technically vacant. She’ll still get the title match and Adam Pearce has an opponent in mind, but he needs a week to set everything up. Vaquer isn’t happy but she understands.

Here is Becky Lynch for a chat. The fans don’t like her, but she talks about how important this place was to her career. Her WWE tryout was right here in Birmingham….and it was a dump then and it’s a dump now. Speaking of dumps, Nikki Bella thinks she can just call her out like she’s some loser like Birmingham soccer teams. She’s not some dog who responds to a whistle.

Cue Bella to interrupt, saying Lynch might not be a dog but she’s acting like a little b****. Lynch says she isn’t going to listen to Broken Neck Barbie, but Bella says she paved the way for people like her. Bella brings up that Lynch was Charlotte’s sidekick and that seems to touch a nerve, as she says a lot of people say she’s the greatest of all time. Bella calls Lynch out for disrespecting the people, sending Lynch into a rant about how the British have been oppressing the Irish for hundreds of years.

Lynch doesn’t like Bella insulting her or suggesting that she has no testicles but agrees to giver her the title shot. It’s going to be in Paris though, because Lynch isn’t wrestling in a city like Birmingham. Bella says that no matter how great Lynch is, the Bella name will always be more famous. As I try to digest how dumb that statement is, a brawl is teased with Lynch bailing out to the floor. The feud is fine, but this was a good illustration of why Bella shouldn’t be talking for long stretches. It felt like a heel promo from the heroine and that’s a weird way to go.

CM Punk talks about LA Knight calling him hungry. He’s beyond hungry because he’s obsessed with getting his title back. If he has to cripple all of them and use their blood to paint his masterpiece, so be it.

Sheamus talks about Rusev being the superstar comeback no one was asking for because Rusev has lost his passion. Things started to chance though, because Rusev has been acting like his old self. Now we’re getting the old Rusev and that’s what Sheamus wants, but Sheamus is the one who brought it out.

Roxanne Perez vs. Rhea Ripley

Raquel Rodriguez is here too. Perez rolls away to start but Ripley hammers away in the corner. That’s enough for Perez to roll outside, where she rams Ripley into the apron a few times. Back in and Ripley picks her up, with Perez bailing right back to the floor. This time Perez goes after the knee to take over and chop blocks Ripley back inside. A DDT on the knee and a Lionsault get two on Ripley and we take a break.

We came back with Rodriguez breaking up a Razor’s Edge, allowing Perez to snap off a super hurricanrana. A cartwheel knee to the back of the head but Ripley is fine enough to hit the Razor’s Edge. Ripley’s big boot gets two but Perez goes back to the knee. Pop Rox is countered and Ripley headbutts her into Riptide for the pin at 10:40.

Rating: B. It’s weird to say it but Ripley needed the win. She’s been in a weird place for a long time now, as she’s one of the biggest stars around but there is only so much she can do these days. Ripley was already Women’s Champion for over a year so getting the belt back only means so much. They need to find something for her to accomplish, but at least she got a win here.

Post match Perez and Rodriguez go after Ripley, with Iyo Sky running in for the save. Ripley approves.

Seth Rollins wants to see Bronson Reed crush Roman Reigns in Paris. As for tonight, Bron Breakker is making sure LA Knight doesn’t make it to Paris. This is everything the Vision has dreamed of and so much more.

Iyo Sky checks on Rhea Ripley’s knee and says she owed her for last week. Ripley is appreciative and leaves, with the Kabuki Warriors coming in to yell at Sky. Kairi Sane tries to calm Asuka down and Sky pleads her case but Asuka doesn’t want to hear it. Asuka leaves and Sky asks Sane to trust her, but Sane says she’s sorry and leaves.

AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor

Balor starts fast by kicking him out to the floor before losing a chop off in the corner. The Phenomenal Forearm is broken up and Styles crashes out to the floor and we take a break. We come back with Styles in trouble but hitting a swinging backbreaker to get a breather. The Pele Kick drops Balor and the sliding forearm connects. The backbreaker onto the knee connects but Balor is back up with a Sling Blade. Balor misses the Coup de Grace though and the Styles Clash finishes for Styles at 8:05.

Rating: B-. These two work well together as they’ve done this so many times over the years. The good thing is that Styles gets some momentum before what is likely going to be another Intercontinental Title shot. The Judgment Day’s issues continue and that is likely going to come to a head sooner than later.

Jey Uso isn’t sure who he should trust going into Clash In Paris but Roman Reigns doesn’t get why he’s so unsure after all these years. Reigns says Uso has helped enough people over the years so it’s time for him to smash everyone for himself. That’s just Reigns’ perspective though, and Uso has to go do what he thinks is right.

Bayley still has the voices in her head and now she’s getting annoyed at them. The voice says “we are successful because we believe in ourselves.” Then another voice complains about how the first voice is an idiot and insecure. The real Bayley tells them to both stop and gets annoyed.

Lyra Valkyria talks to Adam Pearce, saying she’s worried about Bayley. Valkyria wants someone to check in on her and Pearce says he’ll handle it. Judgment Day comes in, with Dominik Mysterio wanting Pearce to deal with AJ Styles. Pearce begrudgingly agrees and gives Styles an Intercontinental Title match with Mysterio next week. Finn Balor is rather pleased and Mysterio calls Pearce “Charles Xavier.”

Clash In Paris rundown.

Roman Reigns jumps the Vision in the back and Superman Punches Bronson Reed. Security quickly breaks it up. LA Knight runs in to jump Bron Breakker and they brawl into the arena

LA Knight vs. Bron Breakker

We’re joined in progress with Breakker in trouble in the corner as Knight stomps away. Breakker fights up and hits the rather fast running clothesline. That’s enough for Breakker to finally get his shirt off and he snaps off a suplex, only to get punched in the face. Knight hits a clothesline into a Russian legsweep, followed by another clothesline to the floor. Knight’s dropkick through the ropes connects but Breakker sends him into the announcers’ table.

We take a break and come back with Knight fighting out of a chinlock but missing his jumping neckbreaker out of the corner. The super Frankensteiner gets two but the spear is cut off with a kick to the face. Breakker tries what looks to be a fireman’s carry but they slip a bit (Graves sounds really nervous about what that could mean), with Knight landing on his feet for a reverse DDT. Knight’s superplex sets up a top rope elbow but here is Seth Rollins for a distraction. The Super Spear gives Breakker the pin at 13:40.

Rating: B-. As usual with anything involving the Vision, this was about waiting for the interference. Knight is pretty much a full fledged main eventer these days and that’s nice to see, but this was another loss when he needed to get a win. Yeah he beat Rollins at Saturday Night’s Main Event, but it’s ok to give him another win.

Post match the beatdown is on, with Jey Uso coming in for the save. The Vision beats Uso down but CM Punk comes in for the real save. That’s enough for the Vision to bail, with Rollins having to hold Breakker back. Punk, Knight and Uso get in a fight (Rollins: “They’re doing it for us.”) with Uso standing tall to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I liked the overall nature of the show, which was all about getting everything ready for Paris, though there were pieces I didn’t care for as much. Between Knight losing again, Bella’s promo and whatever New Day is doing, there were some significant rough parts to the show. At the same time, the fans were more than enough to carry things up a notch, as they always are when the fans are overseas. Good show here, but it needed some tweaks.

Results
Dragon Lee b. JD McDonagh – Operation Dragon
Kofi Kingston b. Penta – Trouble In Paradise
Rhea Ripley b. Roxanne Perez – Riptide
AJ Styles b. Finn Balor – Styles Clash
Bron Breakker b. LA Knight – Super Spear

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

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Heatwave 2025
Date: August 24, 2025
Location: Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, Massachusetts
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

It’s another special event and in this case we have quite the David vs. Goliath main event, as Je’Von Evans challenges Oba Femi for the NXT Title. Other than that, TNA is around again and has some fairly prominent matches, including the Knockouts Title on the line. This show has been fairly big over the years so hopefully the live up to the reputation here. Let’s get to it.

The opening video focuses on the idea of a spark turning into a big fire and how anything can make it start. This gives us a look at the card.

Jaida Parker vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Lola Vice

For a future Women’s Title shot and Jordan’s parents are in the crowd. Parker gets double superkicked to the floor to start and a flipping forearm knocks her off the apron. That doesn’t last long as Parker comes back in to knock them both down to quite the reaction, as Parker seems to be the crowd favorite. The double stack tear drop connects for Parker in the corner but Jordan knocks her to the floor again.

That leaves Vice to get caught in the ropes for a spinning legdrop, with Parker having to make a save. Back in and Vice pulls Parker into a triangle choke, only for Jordan to dive off the top for a save. Jordan superkicks Parker to the floor and hits a slingshot dive but Vice is back in with her bouncing kicks back inside. The running hip attacks connect in the corner but Parker is back up to run them over for two each.

Vice is sent outside but comes back in to catch Parker on top for a Tower Of Doom. Jordan gets up and kicks Parker down but One Of A Kind hits raised knees. Hipnotique is cut off by Vice but Jordan gives Vice a spinning Angle Slam. Jordan’s 450 is left short and Vice guillotine chokes her, only to avoid Parker’s Hipnotique. With Jordan knocked silly, Vice gets a rollup to pin Parker at 11:52.

Rating: B-. This had some issues but they gave three up and coming women a chance to show what they could do and the match wound up being pretty good. I’m not sure it got to the point of being some big career making match for the three of them as Vice has been close to the title before, but this was a good opener and showed what we might be seeing in the future of the women’s division. Nice work from everyone involved, though Parker needs to win something soon.

The Culling is ok with recent losses and focus on going after the No Quarter Catch Crew.

Tag Team Titles: Darkstate vs. Hank & Tank

Darkstate (Osiris Griffin and Dion Lennox in this case, with the other members at ringside) is challenging. Hank slugs away at Lennox to start and shrugs off a clothesline, which has Lennox a bit surprised. Griffin comes in to slam Tank but everything breaks down and the champs hit some running dives to the floor to drop all of Darkstate. Back in and Hank gets crotched on top, allowing Lennox to hammer away outside.

Lennox whips him into the corner back inside as Booker doesn’t think it would be too bad if Darkstate wins. Booker: “Other teams will have to step up.” Kind of yeah, but wrestlers have weird logic. Hank manages to avoid a charge and brings Tank back in, with Darkstate quickly double powerbombing him for two.

Tank breaks up a superplex attempt and throws Lennox off the top onto Griffin, setting up a Swanton onto both of them. Hank takes out the rest of the team and gets up for the tag, followed by a dive off the top to drop them again. The double standing splash looks to set up the powerbomb/neckbreaker combination but a distraction lets Tank get crotched on the post. A Doomsday Device gives us new champions at 10:06.

Rating: C+. There was almost no reason to believe that Hank & Tank were going to retain here as Darkstate needed to win something and Hank & Tank felt like underdog champions for their entire reign. Darkstate feels like it could be something with the titles and that’s a good idea. Now just find some good teams to come after the belts.

Ava isn’t happy with Lexis King for attacking Myles Borne. The solution: a blindfold match next week.

TNA Knockouts Title: Ash By Elegance vs. Jacy Jayne vs. Masha Slamovich

Jayne (with the rest of Fatal Influence) is defending and Ash has the rest of the Elegance Brand with her. Ash and Slamovich punch Jayne down to start but Jayne is back up for a quick rollup. Jayne sends Ash to the apron and hits a flip dive off the apron. Slamovich is right there with a dive of her own, followed by a running kick for two on Ash.

Jayne gets back in and is sent down just as fast, leaving Slamovich to clothesline Ash for two. The Personal Concierge offers a distraction so Slamovich can be knocked outside, leaving Ash to get two off a flipping neckbreaker. A sitout powerbomb gives Jayne two and it’s Slamovich coming back in to clean house. Jayne cuts Slamovich off with a running knee to the face and a swinging neckbreaker gets two.

Slamovich sends Jayne into the corner but Ash is right back with a top rope Meteora for two of his own. The other groups get in a big argument on the floor, with Jazmyn Nyx getting in a cheap shot, and that’s an over the top ejection for Fatal Influence. Slamovich and Jayne crash out to the floor and Ash dives onto both of them for probably the biggest spot of her career. Back in and the Rolling Encore connects on Slamovich but the Elegance brand pulls Jayne out, leaving Ash to hit Rarefied Air to pin Slamovich at 12:22.

Rating: B-. What we got here wasn’t a great match, but what mattered the most was getting the title back to TNA. At some point they had to win something or things were going to get even worse. The match featured a bunch of high spots, but it was the second match of a similar style of the night, which isn’t the easiest thing to overcome. Either way, the result is what matters most.

Je’Von Evans is getting warned up when Ricky Saints comes in to give him a pep talk. Evans has sore ribs but he’s ready to go.

Blake Monroe vs. Jordynne Grace

No recap here but they were friends for about five minutes before splitting up and Monroe mocked Grace for not being a star, while Grace needs to win the big one to prove herself. Monroe slaps her in the face to start and runs away from a charging Grace, who chases her behind commentary. Back in and Grace hits a kind of spinning Big Ending, followed by a suplex out to the floor.

A fall away slam sends Monroe crashing on the outside but she gets in a shot of her own to take over. Monroe pulls her shoulder first into the post and it’s off to a seated full nelson. That’s broken up so Monroe goes with a Sling Blade for two. Monroe’s seated armbar doesn’t work as Grace fights up and slingshots her into the ropes for the break. Some clothesline drop Monroe again and a spinebuster into a Jackhammer gets two.

Grace loads up a reverse Alabama Slam and throws Monroe down, with a turnbuckle pad being ripped off in the process. Back up and a not so great Skull Crushing Finale has Grace in trouble and Monroe flips over for an armbar. That’s broken up and Grace gets fired up but a headbutt cuts her off. Monroe’s suplex gets two and Grace’s arm seems to be banged up from the armbar. Grace is able to reverse a superplex attempt into a super sitout powerbomb for two and they’re both down. Back up and Monroe manages to stomp her Grace head first into the exposed buckle, setting up a double arm DDT for the pin at 12:45.

Rating: B. Rather good, hard hitting fight here, with Monroe looking like she survived for a big win here. That’s something that should serve as a nice upgrade for her, which she needs so soon after her debut. That being said, is Grace just not allowed to win anything important? She was the biggest deal ever when she came into NXT and has proceeded to do just about nothing. They might want to work on that.

Jaida Parker is mad about her loss when Lash Legend comes in to mock her. They’re quickly held apart.

Jacy Jayne isn’t happy with her loss and blames her teammates when Lola Vice comes in. Jayne says there’s no problem here, but Vice thinks there will be a problem at No Mercy when she gets her title shot. Zaria and Sol Ruca come in to mock Fatal Influence (Jayne wants to know how they always manage to show up) and the villains leave.

Tavion Heights/Tyra Mae Steele vs. Chelsea Green/Ethan Page

USA vs. Canada, the Secret Hervice is with Green/Page and the fans are VERY pro-Green and don’t approve as Steele takes her to the mat for a roll around. Heights comes in for a fireman’s carry on Page and the Canadians are sent crashing out to the floor. Page grabs the mic and shouts that Canada will NOT give your citizenship before taking Heights down for some elbows.

The chinlock goes on for a bit before Green comes in to dropkick Steele off the apron. A running Downward Spiral gets two on Heights, who is back up to block Green’s chop. Steele comes back in with a spear and swings Green into Page, which might have been a bit low. The women trade crossbodies for a double down, allowing the tag off to Heights to clean house. Green offers a distraction though and stereo big boots leave Heights and Page down.

Steele comes in to suplex Page and tries to do it again, only for Alba Fyre to try to make the save. That’s fine with Steele, who suplexes both of them but the referee won’t stand for her ankle locking Page. The distraction lets Fyre come in for the superkick and Green grabs the Unpretty Her for the pin at 9:31.

Rating: C. Heights and Steele are still fairly new, or at least rather untested, and it was clear that they needed some help to get them through the match. At the same time, it’s nice to see them getting the chance to go out there as you have to bring in the fresh blood at some point. The match wasn’t the best, but it’s nice to see someone new being presented in a bigger spot.

Josh Briggs comes in to see Oba Femi, who is clearly being worn down by being champion. Femi wants him out of here but Briggs says he’s next in line to come for the title.

Ava announces that the Speed Titles will be defended on NXT, with Sol Ruca defending at No Mercy. A tournament is coming to crown a new opponent. You know, it is ok to just drop some concepts occasionally. The Speed Titles would be a good choice for that status.

NXT Title: Je’Von Evans vs. Oba Femi

Femi is defending after Evans won a #1 contenders match. Evans goes after him to start and is sent flying into the corner, further banging up his bad ribs. Instead Evans tries to pick up the pace and goes for the springboard cutter, which is pulled out of the air as well. With that not working either, Evans lands a quick superkick and Femi is stunned by the knockdown.

A basement superkick looks to set up the frog splash but Evans bails out at the last second. Femi gets back up so Evans dropkicks him to the floor, only for the dive to be cut off as Femi grabs him by the throat. Back in and a gutbuster has Evans in more trouble and a big spinebuster makes it worse. Evans somehow fights up again but walks into a backbreaker. A chokeslam gets two and Femi isn’t sure what to do now.

Evans manages to get in a few shots of his own and some spinning kicks to the head get two. The top rope splash connects, though Evans lands a bit too early and the referee has to check on him. The second attempt lands a lot better for two but a strike off goes to Femi (that forearm was LOUD). Somehow Evans manages a German suplex but Femi pops up with a hard clothesline. The springboard cutter gets Evans out of trouble so he tries it again, only to get uppercutted out of the air for a rather near fall.

Femi goes up (up oh) but Evans is shoved down and into the referee, only to come back with a super hurricanrana. A pop up cutter hits Femi and the top rope cutter connects as another referee comes in to count three….but the first referee points out that Femi’s foot was underneath the rope. Back up and Femi picks Evans up and THROWS HIM OVER THE TOP AND ONTO THE ANNOUNCERS’ TABLE for one of the nastiest landings I’ve seen in a long time. Back in and what used to be Evans is planted with the Fall From Grace for the pin to retain at 17:42.

Rating: B. This started out slowly but I was getting it it by the end, with Evans doing everything he could to make you believe that the impossible could happen. The visual pinfall at the end was a nice touch, but that crash at the end was the really big spot of the match and OUCH. Hopefully Evans gets that he doesn’t have to do that very often, or he’s going to have a very short career.

Post match Femi celebrates but Ricky Saints comes out for the staredown to end the show. There are worse choices for a next challenger.

Overall Rating: B-. I’m not sure how much this needed to be its own stand alone special, as it felt more like getting things ready for the future rather than doing much here. The biggest things were setting up Saints as the next challenger and the two title changes, one of which doesn’t even involve an NXT title. That being said, the focus here seemed to be on bringing up some fresh names, which is a good idea. It might not be the stuff that matters at the moment, but it’s planting some seeds for the future.

Results
Lola Vice b. Jaida Parker and Kelani Jordan – Rollup to Parker
Darkstate b. Hank & Tank – Doomsday Device to Hank
Ash By Elegance b. Jacy Jayne and Masha Slamovich – Rarefied Air to Slamovich
Blake Monroe b. Jordynne Grace – Double arm DDT
Chelsea Green/Ethan Page b. Tyra Mae Steele/Tavion Heights – Unpretty Her to Steele
Oba Femi b. Je’Von Evans – Fall From Grace

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

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

Forbidden Door 2025
Date: August 24, 2025
Location: 02 Arena, London, England
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Bryan Danielson

We’re back to the international show, but this time the guest star aspect has been toned down a good deal. That’s made for a better build to the show, which feels like more of a regular AEW pay per view with a few bonuses rather than a big side trip before we can get back to what matters. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Yuya Uemura/El Desperado/Paragon vs. Cru/Don Callis Family

Don Callis is here with the villains. Hechicero and Desperado start things off and go to the mat, which is good for an early standoff. An exchange of rollups gets two each and Desperado rolls out of a leglock. Cru comes in to send Desperado into the corner but he rolls over for the tag off to O’Reilly. Kicks to the chest put Cru down and Strong comes in for the save. The backbreaker/middle rope knee drop combination hits Hechicero but Andretti slips out and hammers away for a bit.

O’Reilly fights up and gets the cross armbreaker on Andretti. That’s switched into a leglock on Rush but Andretti is back in with a running shooting star. Uemura and Alexander slug it out with Uemura getting the better of things off a dropkick. Hechicero is back in to kick Uemura into a DDT and Rush hits the Final Hour for two as everything breaks down. Andretti hits a big corkscrew dive to the floor and Uemura grabs a butterfly suplex for two on Rush. A double arm capture suplex gives Uemura the pin on Rush at 12:04.

Rating: C+. Fun match, but this was a case where you could drop Paragon and Cru without losing much. Paragon has been losing a good bit lately and Cru hasn’t wrestled on TV in over a month. I’m not sure why they needed to be here, save for adding more people to the card. Still though, nice fast paced match to start the show, which is often a good idea.

Post match the beatdown is on but Tomohiro Ishii comes in for the brawl with Lance Archer. Ishii gets to stand…well not very call but he gets rid of Archer at least.

Zero Hour: Gates Of Agony/Ricochet vs. Jet Speed/Michael Oku

The Gates and Ricochet jump them to start and pose on the apron, only for Jet Speed to slap Ricochet in the head. Back up and a Pounce sends Oku over the top and out to the floor for a big crash. We settle down to Liona dropping a knee on Oku, who manages to avoid a shot and bring in Jet Speed (yeah both of them) to clean house.

Everything breaks down and Oku hits a missile dropkick, followed by Bailey’s standing moonsault knees to Kaun. A missed charge sends Kaun into the post and Oku hits a frog splash for two on Ricochet. Bailey moonsaults onto the Gates, leaving Oku to Lionsault Ricochet into the half crab. A rake to the eyes breaks that up though and it’s Open The Gates into the Spirit Gun to finish Oku at 9:54.

Rating: B-. The flips and dives were nice, with Jet Speed and Ricochet getting to do their flips and dives. I’m still not sure I get the appeal of Oku, but he’s a talented star in the ring. Other than that, the Gates getting to smash through smaller people was fun, though they are little more than Ricochet’s goons at this point. Granted that’s better than pretending that they’re going to be serious title challengers anytime soon.

Zero Hour: Triangle Of Madness/Megan Bayne vs. Willow Nightingale/Queen Aminata/Kris Statlander/Harley Cameron

It’s a big brawl to start, with Cameron shouting FEEL THE WRATH as the villains are sent to the floor. Some dropkicks through the ropes have Bayne and the Triangle down until Thekla comes back in to kick Nightingale in the face. Statlander comes in to take over on Hart but the Triangle knocks her outside. Bayne sends Aminata and Cameron flying and a pair of dives drop them on the floor.

Blue’s front facelock is broken up but Statlander intentionally brings in Cameron instead of Nightingale. Cameron hits some running shots in the corner before it’s back to Aminata, who gets clotheslined by Bayne. The hips to the face just annoy Bayne but Aminata pulls her down with a headscissors.

Nightingale comes in to a big reaction as everything breaks down. Thekla hits a big dive to the floor and brawls to the back with Aminata. That leaves Cameron to take her mask off and hit Bayne in the face, setting up a tornado DDT for two. Bayne kicks Nightingale off the apron and Statlander kicks Nightingale, setting up Bayne’s Liger bomb for the pin at 11:16.

Rating: C+. Well thank goodness Cameron came back and got to take a pin so fast. It’s not like Aminata was right there to take the fall or anything. The match was basically another chance for Bayne to come in and wreck people, which she does rather well. As has been the case here though, there are too many people in the match for someone to really stand out, including Bayne.

Zero Hour: Trios Titles: Opps vs. Bullet Club WarDogs

The WarDogs (Clark Connors/Robbie X/Drilla Maloney) are challenging. Connors and Shibata slug it out to start with Shibata getting the better of things and taking him outside for some rams into the barricade. Back in and Joe comes in, which scares Maloney away. It’s off to Robbie X, who gets knocked into the corner, with Shibata coming back in for a running dropkick.

Everything breaks down and Connors sends Shibata into the barricade with Hobbs making the save. Back in and Maloney takes over on Shibata, with Shibata dropping an elbow. Connors chops away with Shibata telling him to keep going before coming back with an STO. Hobbs comes in to clean house but the numbers take him down. Robbie X’s Spiral Tap gets two but Hobbs is back in with a spinebuster for two. Joe kicks Robbie X into the corner as everything breaks down. Shibata chokes Maloney and Joe MuscleBusters Robbie X to retain at 7:21.

Rating: B-. They didn’t have much time here and you could see how rushed they were as a result. Again though, it isn’t like there was much of another option because Zero Hour absolutely had to have four matches with that many entrances and people. Anyway, it’s nice to see the champs get a win over an established group, as there are only so many of them out there to come after the belts.

And now, the show proper.

The opening video talks about how special it is to have wrestlers from so many promotions on one show. That would have more of an impact if these wrestlers weren’t around so regularly.

Adam Copeland/Christian Cage vs. Matriarchy

This is Copeland and Cage’s first match as a regular team in over 14 years. As usual, the fans sing Copeland’s song to him. Copeland and Sabian start things off and it’s already time for a chase, with Copeland managing to send him face first onto the floor. Cage comes in and hammers on Sabian in the corner before it’s off to Killswitch. That’s enough for Cage, who lets Copeland have him for a change.

A superkick cuts Copeland down and now Sabian is willing to come back in for a neck snap across the top rope. Killswitch sends Sabian hard into Copeland in the corner and we hit the neck crank. That’s broken up so Sabian tells Killswitch to tag him, earning a chop for a tag. Sabian comes in and takes Copeland up top, with Cage coming in for an electric chair and a Doomsday spear.

That’s enough for Cage to come in and face Killswitch with Cage sending him into the post. Cage chokes both Killswitch and Sabian on the rope and then hits a big dive onto Killswitch. Back in and Killswitch kicks out at one but Sabian tags himself in. A double implant DDT drops Killswitch and Copeland spears him to the floor. Cage fights out of Sabian’s Killswitch attempt and throws Sabian into the air cor Copeland’s spear and the pin at 13:48.

Rating: C+. The second the match was announced, it was a question of whether Sabian would get pinned off the spear or a Killswitch from Cage. Killswitch got to look awesome as you knew he would in his return to the ring but there was no way Copeland and Cage were going to lose here. They’re in for a major match at All Out in Toronto so this was little more than a warmup which went a good bit longer than it needed to last.

We recap Kyle Fletcher defending the TNT Title against Hiromu Takahashi. Fletcher recently won the title and needs a top challenger so here we go.

TNT Title: Kyle Fletcher vs. Hiromu Takahashi

Fletcher, with Don Callis, is defending and shoves Takahashi down to start. Back up and Takahashi strikes away but Fletcher kicks him in the face. Takahashi strikes away in the corner but gets knocked down just as fast. The chinlock does on to keep Takahashi in trouble, only for him to fight up and snap off a hurricanrana.

Fletcher is right back with a Michinoku Driver and they’re both down for a breather. A hard belly to back suplex into a sitout powerbomb gives Fletcher two more. Back up and a boot to the face makes Takahashi come up smiling so they go to the apron. Fletcher’s suplex is reversed into a DDT and Takahashi powerbombs him to the floor.

A clotheslines gives Takahashi two and he reverses a powerbomb into a Canadian Destroyer for two more. Fletcher is back with a jumping Tombstone for two and a running boot in the corner. The brainbuster is countered into a rollup to give Takahashi two, only for Fletcher to come back with the brainbuster to retain at 15:23.

Rating: B. This took its time to get going but then it really picked up once Takahashi made his comeback. What mattered the most is that Fletcher had to break a sweat against someone with that kind of a resume. Fletcher is going to be a big project for AEW and having him win here is the right way to go. There was no reason to believe Takahashi was winning here, but at least the match went as it should have.

We recap the TBS Title match, which has Mercedes Mone defending against challengers from three companies. Only Alex Windsor has gotten a serious focus and it would be a lot better off with her getting her own shot.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone vs. Bozilla vs. Alex Windsor vs. Persephone

Mone is defending. It’s a staredown to start with Mone being sent outside, leaving the rather large Bozilla to clothesline the other two. Back in and Mone gets gorilla pressed out to the floor as it’s all Bozilla to start. Mone comes in again and gets flapjacked by Persephone and Windsor, only for Bozilla to come back in and run them over.

Bozilla drives Mone into the corner but a Codebreaker over the ropes sends Bozilla outside. Mone’s dive is countered though, leaving Persephone to make a save. Back in and Persephone gets some rollups for two on Mone, only to get bearhugged by Bozilla. That’s broken up and Mone comes off the middle rope with a double knee to put Bozilla down. They go to the corner for the Tower Of Doom with Windsor getting the best of it.

Windsor ties up Mone and Persephone in a double half crab, at least until Bozilla making some saves. Bozilla clotheslines Windsor for two but Persephone is back with a Razor’s Edge. Mone breaks up Windsor’s Sharpshooter and counters Persephone’s Razor’s Edge into a hurricanrana to retain at 15:34.

Rating: B. Kind of like the Copeland/Cage match, there wasn’t much doubt here as the question was more who was taking the pin. Persephone and Bozilla were both basically just there to fill in the international quota, as the build for this was all about Mone vs. Windsor, which will likely take place at All Out.

Bozilla absolutely stood out here, as someone with her size and power is going to get attention no matter what she’s doing. On the other hand, Persephone didn’t really get the chance to show up until the ending, which again goes back to the theme of having too many people in the match. That’s always an issue and it was certainly the case again here.

We recap Nigel McGuinness challenging Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title. McGuinness is mostly retired but he’s a technical master who has Daniel Garcia in his corner. Ignore Garcia seemingly all but saying “I’m going to turn on you.”

McGuinness trained with wrestling legend Johnny Saint by playing chess. To be fair, McGuinness did win.

IWGP World Title: Nigel McGuinness vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Sabre is defending and McGuinness has Daniel Garcia with him. Feeling out process to start and they both roll through a snapmare attempt to start. McGuinness takes him down with a headlock but Sabre slips out as only he can. Sabre’s headlock takes him down as well, with McGuinness slipping out too.

Some arm cranking has McGuinness down again but he comes up with a middle finger to a nice reaction. McGuinness pulls him down into an armbar, which is reversed into the neck twist, allowing Sabre to go after the arm again. Back up and McGuinness avoids a charge into the corner and hits a clothesline for a needed breather. The big lariat gives McGuinness two but Sabre gets to the rope to avoid the London Dungeon.

The Tower Of London is countered as well and Sabre gets in a Disarm-Her, which is escaped rather quickly. They uppercut it out until the rebound lariat blasts Sabre for two. Something close to a Rainmaker drops Sabre for two more so it’s something like the London Dungeon again. Sabre makes the rope again but McGuinness grabs another Tower Of London for another near fall. They trade rollups for two each until Sabre gets a sunset flip to retain at 17:01.

Rating: B. Points for not having Garcia cost McGuinness the title here, though McGuinness was a long shot at best to take the title here. Sabre is an absolute monster when it comes to the technical stuff, though McGuinness more than held his own out there. This was more a “here’s one last great moment for McGuinness in his hometown” and there is nothing wrong with that, as they had a heck of a match.

Post match Tony Schiavone gets in the ring for a special presentation, which (after Garcia and McGuinness stand there for a second and realize it has nothing to do with them) is the pro wrestling record attendance for the venue: 18,982.

Queen Aminata and Thekla brawl from the back into the arena, with the Triangle Of Madness running in to beat Aminata down. Jamie Hayter returns for the save to quite the strong response.

We recap the Tag Team Titles. The Hurt Syndicate are the dominant champions and Bandido/Brody King and FTR…well they didn’t win a tournament but they didn’t lose it either, so it’s time for a three way title match.

Tag Team Titles: Hurt Syndicate vs. FTR vs. Bandido/Brody King

The Syndicate is defending and Stokely Hathaway is here with FTR. The challengers pair off to start, with FTR taking Lashley to the floor while Bandido and King take over on Benjamin. We settle down to Bandido headscissoring Harwood to take over. Lashley is back in with a double clothesline and a suplex. Harwood dares to chop at Benjamin, who just glares at him in response.

Bandido comes in to send Benjamin outside for a suicide dive, only for Lashley to take Bandido down. Benjamin can’t hit a suplex as Bandido slips out but FTR drops to the floor to avoid a tag. Bandido’s spinning high crossbody drops Benjamin and it’s off to King to clean house. King crushes FTR in the corner and hits a cannonball, followed by the showdown with Lashley (the fans like this).

The big spinebuster drops King but he’s back up with a clothesline to send Lashley outside. Back in and Benjamin rolls some German suplexes on King but walks into a Shatter Machine. King makes the save and sends Wheeler into the Syndicate on the floor, with King taking them down. Bandido’s top rope flipping fall away slam onto the pile leaves everyone down. Cue some guys in New Japan gear (we can’t see their faces) to brawl with the Syndicate, leaving Bandido to kick a chair into Harwood’s face.

Wheeler gets punched out of the head but Harwood chairs King in the head. The New Japan guys are Ricochet and the Gates Of Agony, who can’t believe King kicks out. The PowerPlex is loaded up but Bandido breaks it up and hits a frog splash. King monkey flips Bandido into the 450 to Harwood for the pin and the titles at 15:07.

Rating: B+. Good stuff here and while the Syndicate wasn’t even involved in the decision, they did have a reason for being taken out. At the same time, it would have been better to have Bandido and King win the tournament and the titles, even with the interference. Just let them be the best team rather than a team that escaped with the belts. Either way, best match of the night thus far and the new champs are an interesting choice.

We recap Kazuchika Okada defending the Unified Title against Swerve Strickland. Okada is the dominant champion and Strickland doesn’t like him, so the title match is on.

Unified Title: Kazuchika Okada vs. Swerve Strickland

Strickland is challenging and Okada gives him the pat on the chest against the ropes to start. That’s shrugged off and Strickland hits a dropkick to send him outside. Strickland follows with a knee, which he seems to bang up on contact. Back in and some rolling neckbreakers put Okada down, followed by the middle rope elbow to the back of the neck.

Okada catapults him over the top so Strickland tries to stick the landing, over to hurt his knee again in the process. Okada sends him into the steps to keep the knee in trouble and they go back inside with the pace slowing a good bit. Strickland manages to roll some suplexes, followed by a belly to back superplex for two. They head back outside, with Okada hitting a tombstone on the floor.

Back in and the Rainmaker is countered into the House Call and Strickland fires off some clotheslines. The Rainmaker misses again and Strickland hits a dropkick. A powerbomb is swung into a powerslam (cool) to plant Okada, followed by the Swerve Stomp for two. Okada gets smart by going back to the knee, meaning it’s another dropkick, only Strickland to hit another House Call. Strickland tries it again but walks into the Rainmaker to retain the title at 16:33.

Rating: B. This got going in the end, though Strickland’s knee injury seemed to go away for a long stretch in the middle. I wasn’t quite sold on Strickland winning here but it felt like there was at least a reasonable chance he would get the title. It was a good, hard hitting match with Strickland going for it but ultimately coming up short, which is a good way to go.

Post match Okada goes after the knee again but Prince Nana makes the save with a pipe. Freaking WARDLOW of all people comes in for the beatdown though, laying out both Nana and security. Then Wardlow hugs Don Calls, whose Family somehow has another member. Konosuke Takeshita comes out to show his approval.

We recap Athena challenging Toni Storm for the Women’s Title. Athena is cashing in her Casino Gauntlet title shot and has been coming after Storm, who finds Athena rather annoying.

Women’s Title: Athena vs. Toni Storm

Only Storm is defending and Billie Starkz is here with Athena. Storm hammers away in the corner to start and they head outside, where Starkz offers a quick distraction. Athena dropkicks her up against the barricade and we hit the neck crank back inside. A backsplash misses for Athena but she swings Storm’s head into the post.

Storm gets knocked into the corner but Athena takes too long loading up a running hip attack. A clothesline drops Athena for two, though the TCM Chickenwing is broken up. Athena hits a snap belly to back suplex and they forearm it out. Storm Mongolian chops her down but Athena hits an elbow to the face for two. Starkz’ distraction lets Athena hit a running boot in the corner, followed by a powerbomb for two more.

A Koji Clutch has Storm in even more trouble until she makes the rope and gets outside. Storm sends Athena face first into the steps, followed by Storm Zero for another near fall. Starkz offers another distraction though and the O Face across the top rope connects but here is Mina Shirakawa to cut Starkz off. Another O Face is countered into the TCM Chickenwing to retain the title at 15:15.

Rating: B. Gah I was getting into this one near the end and I was wanting to see Athena win the title. While there are other challengers waiting for Storm, it would be great to see Athena’s incredible Ring Of Honor reign rewarded with a run with the real title. Either way, good match here, though the ending left me a bit disappointed.

We recap Hangman Page defending the World Title against MJF. They don’t like each other as MJF says they’re the villain/main character of the AEW story, with MJF cashing in his Casino Gauntlet contract. Then he changed his mind, but got the title shot anyway by threatening to burn Mark Briscoe alive (as you do).

AEW World Title: Hangman Page vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

MJF (in a snazzy green feathered robe) is challenging and Page can lose the title via countout or DQ. After the Big Match Intros, MJF bails out to the floor, with Page following him to hammer away against the barricade. Page drops him throat first across the barricade, followed by a belly to back suplex back inside. They’re already back on the floor, with Page teasing using a chair and getting sent into the post as a result.

Back in and a quick piledriver gives MJF two before he goes after the arm. Page is suplexed into the corner by the arm but he’s fine enough to hit a top rope clothesline for two. MJF is sent outside for the moonsault, followed by a sitout powerbomb for two back inside. Somehow MJF grabs a quickly broken Salt Of The Earth but the Heatseeker is blocked. A hammerlock DDT gives MJF two and he sets up a table at ringside, only for Page to snap off a moonsault.

Rather than covering, Page loads up the table (Danielson disagrees) and hits the Deadeye through the wood (now Danielson approves). MJF manages a foot on the rope back inside and they’re already back outside, with MJF avoiding a charge to send Page into a chair. They jumping (and running) Tombstone onto the broken tables rocks the (bleeding) Page but he beats the count at nine.

Back in and the turnbuckle is exposed, with Page sending MJF into it to bust him open as well. They pull themselves up and slug it out (I’ll take it over forearms) until stereo rolling elbows drop both of them. A rather rapid fire pinfall reversal sequence gets a bunch of twos (and ones) until the Deadeye gives Page a rather near fall. Page is frustrated so MJF hands him the ring and insults him, only for Page to use a regular punch.

The referee gets bumped and MJF gets in a low blow into the Heatseeker, with Page’s foot on the rope. Cue Mark Briscoe for a distraction as the referee gets up and sees the foot on the rope, meaning no count. MJF kicks Page low again and hits him with the contract for two but Page is back with the Deadeye. The Buckshot Lariat FINALLY retains the title at 31:10.

Rating: B-. WAY too long here as they proved the point time after time: MJF was trying to steal the title through any means he could but Page kept surviving. The idea was explained multiple times in there and it was getting to the point of “get on with this already”. Page winning is good, but dang I was annoyed when they pulled back the contract and that’s still the case now. Just let Page move on already, but he can’t because of that stupid contract.

The cage is lowered.

Quick recap of the main event. The Death Riders and the Young Bucks are bad and a bunch of people are after them. Put them all in a cage, including the injured Will Ospreay, non-sanctioned.

Young Bucks/Death Riders/Gabe Kidd vs. Kenny Omega/Kota Ibushi/Darby Allin/Hiroshi Tanahashi/Will Ospreay

In a cage, which is VERY wide and basically a Cell without the roof. Ospreay gets a special entrance video for quite the hero’s welcome. The Bucks’ pyro and entrance stuff isn’t exactly right, but at least the chyron spells their names properly. It’s a huge brawl to start and yes there are weapons already provided around the ring. Tanahashi does the air guitar inside but gets decked by Kidd, who gets in a brawl with Ospreay.

Back up and Ospreay hits a big flip dive to the floor onto Kidd and Allin hits his own running flip dive. We get the Bucks vs. Omega/Ibushi showdown with the Bucks being sent outside for stereo moonsaults. Allin and Moxley are handcuffed together as the Bucks fight back and beat up Omega and Ibushi inside.

The Legos are poured out and Tanahashi comes in to faceplant Matt, followed by Omega powerbombing him into Ibushi’s German suplex. A ladder is brought in and the Bucks (amazing how they keep popping back up) powerbomb Allin into said ladder, allowing the Bucks to clear out the Legos. The bleeding Ospreay is up and wraps a chair around Moxley’s neck (no longer handcuffed) but Kidd is back in with a piledriver.

Castagnoli swings Omega and catapults him into a superkick from Matt. The TK Driver gets two on Ibushi and Allin gets launched over the top and into the cage for a crazy crash. Tanahashi is back in to clean house until Moxley drops him with a DDT. Back in and Allin is duct taped to a chair….so Moxley can try to use a fork to cut his ear off. Hey did you know that Moxley is hardcore? I’m not sure we made that clear.

The barbed wire table is loaded up as Allin is out as well (because not much has a lasting impact in this match). Moxley is sent face first into the barbed wire but Castagnoli gives Tanahashi the Neutralizer. The BTE Trigger connects on Tanahashi but Ospreay dives in for the save. Tanahashi drives Moxley through the barbed wire board and Omega takes Kidd down with the snapdragon.

Ibushi adds a snapdragon of his own (he’s been looking WAY better here) and everyone goes out to the floor. Naturally Ospreay goes up to the top of the cage for a moonsault back down, because he’s kind of out there. Kidd and Omega have their staredown but everyone else gets back in and brawls for the big everyone down.

Omega beats up Moxley and hits the one Winged Angel for two with multiple saves being made. A big stack of four tables are set up outside of the cage so of course Allin goes up, with Kidd trying to choke him. They go crashing through the tables, leaving Nick to take the Golden Trigger. A top rope Hidden Blade into the One Winged Angel drops Matt and the High Fly Flow gives Tanahashi the win at 32:36.

Rating: B-. I get the appeal of the match, but this felt like they were trying to do Anarchy In The Arena without going around the arena. Having this be in a cage only added a few spots, to the point where you could probably have gotten rid of the cage and done about the same thing. Other than that, it felt like a big collection of violence and spots without anything that really felt like it belonged in the main event spot of the pay per view.

Post match Ospreay gets the big moment (as he’s likely off to have neck surgery)…but the Death Riders jump him for a big beatdown. They lock the cage and Pillmanize Ospreay’s neck until the cage is raised, allowing the Opps and company to run in for the save. Everyone is sad and serious as Ospreay is checked on to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This was in a weird place as the wrestling itself ranges from good enough to rather good, with only the opener being a bit lower on the scale. The problem here was that with the guest stars concept mainly being just a feature rather than the focus (Tanahashi could have been taken out of the main event without losing much of anything), there was only so much that felt really high level about this show. It came off like a pretty weak level pay per view (at least by comparison to other AEW shows) and hopefully they come up with something better next year.

The biggest problem though is I really didn’t care that much about what was happening. The action was good and it’s a fine enough show, but in addition to the usual length issues, the two main events don’t really change anything. MJF still has a World Title shot in his back pocket and the main event was really just about revenge. That doesn’t make it feel must see, especially when the two matches added up to over an hour. Anyway, a good show overall, but it really didn’t feel special.

Results
Paragon/El Desperado/Yuya Uemura b. Don Callis Family/Cru – Double arm capture suplex to Rush
Gates Of Agony/Ricochet b. Michael Oku/Jet Speed – Spirit gun to Oku
Megan Bayne/Triangle Of Madness b. Queen Aminata/Harley Cameron/Kris Statlander/Willow Nightingale – Liger Bomb to Cameron
Opps b. Bullet Club WarDogs – MuscleBuster to Robbie X
Adam Copeland/Christian Cage b. The Matriarchy – Spear to Sabian
Kyle Fletcher b. Hiromu Takahashi – Brainbuster
Mercedes Mone b. Alex Windsor, Persephone and Bozilla – Hurricanrana to Persephone
Zack Sabre Jr. b. Nigel McGuinness – Sunset flip
Bandido/Brody King b. Hurt Syndicate and FTR – Monkey flip 450 to Harwood
Kazuchika Okada b. Swerve Strickland – Rainmaker
Toni Storm b. Athena – TCM Chickenwing
Hangman Page b. MJF – Buckshot Lariat
Hiroshi Tanahashi/Kenny Omega/Kota Ibushi/Darby Allin/Will Osprey b. Death Riders/Young Bucks – High Fly Flow to Matt

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We’re back to the international themed show and in this case it’s actually going international. In this case the show is taking place in London, which should open up quite the excited audience. The big main event features Lights Out steel cage match, which has the potential to be quite the spectacle. Other than that, there are multiple title matches, which makes sense in a promotion that has so many titles. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Paragon/El Desperado/Yuya Uemura vs. Cru/Don Callis Family

This is your latest reminder that Cru is in fact still employed. It’s a match that was thrown together on the Collision before the show, meaning it doesn’t have much in the way of a backstory, though the action should be fine. Paragon is getting more serious and wants revenge for Adam Cole being injured, so maybe they can start things off here, even if Kyle Fletcher isn’t around.

I’ll take the good guys to win, as there are too many people on the other side who could take a fall. Cru has absolutely no value at the moment so beating one of them is a perfectly fine way to go. Paragon or one of the guest stars can get a win so this is likely going to be fine, albeit without much drama. In other words, it’s fine for a match on the Kickoff Show, assuming it isn’t coming up fourth.

Zero Hour: Triangle Of Madness/Megan Bayne vs. Harley Cameron/Kris Statlander/Queen Aminata/Willow Nightingale

This one was set up on Collision so points for having an actual build to the match for a change. The villains are another group trying to dominate without actually winning anything and that’s not the most thrilling deal, but Bayne is someone who could be put into the title picture at the drop of a hat. Other than that, you have the in-ring return of Cameron, which should work out rather well.

When I was putting the participants down for this match, it was a case of looking to see who would be taking the fall and it’s hard to imagine it being anyone but Aminata. Odds are Bayne pins her and gets to look all dominant while saving the others for bigger stuff. That’s a good way to go and a nice effort to get a bunch of women on the show, though it only feels so important.

Zero Hour: Gates Of Agony/Ricochet vs. Jet Speed/Michael Oku

I still don’t know if I get the appeal of Oku, who is fine in the ring but never really comes off as a huge star. That being said, he’s fine as a guest star here as the fans will know who he is and he’s a bigger deal in England than he is in the United States. The rest of the people involved seem to be cases of “get them on the show one way or another” and there are worse options for that status.

I’ll take the good guys to win here, for the sake of having the guest starring Oku win. The Gates have shown that they can lose over and over (and over and over) without really changing so they should be fine here. Ricochet very well could get the win here and if that involves him getting to beat up Mike Bailey along the way, I can think of a few worse outcomes for the match.

Zero Hour: Trios Titles: Opps(c) vs. Bullet Club War Dogs

It’s better than no main event at all. The Opps are at least turning into something of an established team with the titles so I’ll take that over another thrown together team with no reason to be in the title picture. At the same time, they’re facing an established faction so this could be a heck of a lot worse (as it tends to be when either set of six person titles are defended around here).

I’ll go with the champions retaining in a hard fought match, which will be another nice win on their resume. The Opps have already been champions for several months and there is a good chance that they’ll hold the titles for a long time to come. Let them face other established teams (as many of them as there are) and their reign will feel even better, with this being a nice example.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone(c) vs. Persephone vs. Alex Windsor vs. Bozilla

We’ll get one of the international matches out of the way here with challengers from AEW, CMLL and Stardom. The problem with Forbidden Door season is that Bozilla and Persephone have barely been a factor while Windsor has been the real challenger to Mone. In theory that’s going to be the match at All Out, as it’s certainly the match that has gotten the most attention on the way to this show.

So yeah of course I’m going to take Mone to win, as she needs to get a victory back after losing to Toni Storm (and since winning those random titles means a grand total of nothing, this is what she can do). Odds are she beats either Bozilla or Persephone to retain, leaving Windsor free to get the title shot later. It should be a good match, though it would be that much better as a singles match.

TNT Title: Kyle Fletcher(c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi

This is another match where there isn’t exactly much in the way of drama about the result. Fletcher just won the title a few weeks ago and seems primed for a big run. Takahashi is an incredible talent in his own right but he feels like he’s there for the sake of making Fletcher look good. That’s not the worst thing in the world, but it doesn’t exactly leave much in the way of questions about how it’s going to go.

Naturally Fletcher retains here, albeit after a heck of a match. Fletcher can work well with anyone and Takahashi is one of the most talented starts you’ll find today. This has the potential to steal the show (or at least come close) but I can’t find a way to believe that Takahashi is going to win here. It’s part of the issue of the international theme, but at least the match should be great.

Adam Copeland/Christian Cage vs. Matriarchy

I’m still not sure if that’s the right name for the team or not but I’m going with it. Now I’m trying to figure out something to say about the match, as it’s rather amusing to suggest that this has any kind of drama. The team is back together after twenty plus years (ignoring two matches in March 2011 because…well they don’t really matter) and they’re coming up on the pay per view in Toronto. What do you think is happening here?

You can put Killswitch in there all you want and it isn’t going to matter, as Cage and Copeland could go out there and split a sandwich and they would find a way to win. This is all about getting the big reunion and that should get quite the reception. I’m sure the match itself will be fine, but there is just no reason to believe that the Canadian legends are going to have any real trouble.

IWGP World Heavyweight Title: Zack Sabre Jr.(c) vs. Nigel McGuinness

So again, there isn’t much drama about who is walking away with the title here, but also again, this should be a heck of a match. Sabre can get in the ring and torture anyone, while McGuinness is a technical master in his own right. Both of them are from England as well so the fans will be way into things. At the same time though, there is a wild card to be considered and that’s not going to go well.

While Sabre is all but a lock to retain here, McGuinness is likely to give him a run for his money and probably get close with some submission attempts. That being said, ever since McGuinness won the Technical Spectacle to get the title shot, there has been a big countdown going until Daniel Garcia turns on him. That likely happens here, with Garcia likely costing McGuinness the title to set up something of a teacher vs. student match at All Out. McGuinness comes close here, but ultimately comes up short, thanks to Garcia.

Tag Team Titles: Hurt Syndicate(c) vs. Bandido/Brody King vs. FTR

This is the result of a #1 contenders tournament, because tournaments don’t need to have conclusive winners in the name of a triple threat title match. If nothing else, it’s nice to have a match which could go in a few ways though and that’s what we have here. While the Syndicate is great at what they do and have been dominant champions, they might not be able to hang in there the whole way here.

While there is always the chance of having the Syndicate win and move on to All Out as champions against fresh challengers, I’ll go with what feels like the more likely path of FTR winning here. That means they can face Copeland and Cage at All Out, possibly even in a ladder match for the belts. While that match doesn’t need the belts (or the ladders), it’s what feels the most likely, so we’ll say FTR wins here.

Unified Title: Kazuchika Okada(c) vs. Swerve Strickland

Now we’re getting into the interesting stuff, as while Okada would seem like the heavy favorite here, beating Strickland is no easy feat. That could make for some interesting results, as Strickland is certainly a worthy challenger. Okada is someone who could run with the title until the Continental Classic, but there is also an interesting situation with Strickland possibly taking it.

I’ll take Okada to retain here, but dang it should be a fun one. This is one of the matches that has me the most interested and hopefully it lives up to its potential. Strickland has shown that he can hang with anyone in the world and beating Okada isn’t out of the question. Either way, Strickland needs something to do, though I don’t think it’s going to be winning the title.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm(c) vs. Athena

Here we have another one that has me really intrigued. Storm is one of the most successful stars in the history of the women’s division (if not the most), but at the same time, Athena has been Ring Of Honor Women’s Champion for so long that it’s hard to remember not having the belt. She’s absolutely hit the ground running in AEW and feels like she could easily carry the division. That being said, I’m just not sure if she will.

I’m going to go out on a limb and take Athena to win here, with the full on feeling that Storm will wind up winning so she can put Mercedes Mone over and give her the win back later on. Athena needs the win more, and it isn’t like Storm is going to be hurt by losing anything. Hopefully Athena wins and I’ll go with that as my pick, albeit one that I expect to be wrong.

AEW World Title: Hangman Page(c) vs. MJF

So this was the contract match from All In but instead we’re getting that later, because the Money In The Bank style thing HAS TO BE AROUND. As annoying as that is, we should be in for a good match here, as MJF has an ability to bring it on the big stage. The stipulations of Page being able to lose the title by countout or DQ make things more interesting and that’s a positive sign for this.

That being said, it’s almost impossible to imagine Page losing the title in his first pay per view defense after the big title win at All In. I’ll take Page to win here as it makes the most sense, though hopefully we get the contract for another match immediately thereafter to burn that thing off for good. Either way, Page overcomes the odds to win and retain the title.

Kenny Omega/Kota Ibushi/Darby Allin/Hiroshi Tanahashi/Will Ospreay vs. Death Riders/Young Bucks/Gabe Kidd

This is a Lights Out steel cage match with Will Ospreay likely not being around much longer after this due to needing neck surgery. I’m not sure what that is going to mean, but having ten people in a single cage is kind of asking for trouble. That being said, I have no reason to believe that they’re all going to stay in the cage anyway, which tends to be the case with these things.

At the end of the day, this is a match which could go either way and I’m curious about how it goes, but I’ll take the villains to win here. It allows Moxley to get a big win back after his World Title loss and sets up Allin to be the one to finally take Moxley and the Death Riders down. This also could be the match where Ospreay is written off television, even if it means sacrificing him getting a big win in the main event in front of his home country.

Overall Thoughts

If I didn’t know any better, I might miss the fact that this is Forbidden Door. The build has been far less than previous years and that is making it a lot better. Instead of taking a big side trip with all of the guest stars, the outsiders are little more than bonus pieces on the show and that has me a lot more interested. The show might not be a guaranteed smash hit, but it fees a lot more interesting coming in and I’ll definitely take that.

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Collision
Date: August 23, 2025
Location: OVO Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the night before Forbidden Door and the card is pretty much all set. That means this show is going to be centered around getting everything set up. There is also the chance of adding in some more matches, as that whole Zero Hour has the space for at least three or four matches. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Don Callis Family vs. SkyFlight/Hiromu Takahashi

Don Callis handles his team’s introduction and screws up the Spanish for Hechicero. Takahashi runs the ropes to start and hits a quick dropkick to Alexander. Darius comes in for an assisted DDT to Alexander but Archer cuts off a dive and chokeslams him onto the apron. Back in and Hechicero takes Dante down and Archer fires off a kick to the chest. Romero gets to dance a bit before Hechiero gets to work on the leg. Alexander adds a gutbuster into a gutwrench suplex and we take a break.

We come back with Archer missing a charge into the corner, allowing the tag off to Sky so everything can break down. Everything breaks down and Archer gives Sky a swinging Boss Man Slam. Hechicero kicks Sky into a DDT from Alexander and everything breaks down with Archer getting double suplexed. Romero’s Sliced Bread is countered into a TKO from Sky before Skyflight hits a triple dive. Back in and the Time Bomb finishes Romero at 12:31.

Rating: B-. This was a fun opener and it’s nice to see SkyFlight actually win a match (even if they didn’t get the pin) before they are likely put into the jobbing vortex. If nothing else, it’s nice to see Romero losing the fall for a change instead of Alexander. It’s not like Romero has much else in the way of value in the ring so let him lose the fall here for the good of the team.

Post match Kyle Fletcher comes out for a staredown with Takahashi.

Video on the Forbidden Door four way for the TBS Title, with a look at all four participants.

Hook is coming back.

Megan Bayne vs. Isla Dawn

Penelope Ford is here with Bayne, who runs Dawn over without much trouble to start. Dawn’s waistlock attempt goes nowhere and Bayne snaps off a few slams. A hard clothesline sets up a running boot in the corner but Dawn fires off some kicks to the leg. Dawn’s running knee connects in the corner but Bayne shrugs it off and hits a running powerbomb for the win at 4:44.

Rating: C. Pretty much a squash here with Dawn getting to make a nice appearance. I’m not sure if she’s going to get a run around here, but putting a former WWE star with connections to the live crowd is a smart idea. The same can be said of having Bayne destroy her, as Bayne is on the way to getting somewhere around here, if she can get out of the midcard quagmire.

Post match Willow Nightingale comes out for her match and passes Bayne/Ford on their way to the back.

Willow Nightingale/Queen Aminata vs. Triangle Of Madness

Blue chokes Nightingale on the ropes to start but gets run over with a shoulder. Some corner clotheslines have Hart in trouble but it’s off to Aminata, who gets caught with Old School. Aminata gets in her hips to the face thing and is taken down by the hair as we take a break.

We come back with Nightingale spinebustering Hart for two but a double DDT gives Hart the same. Aminata gives Blue a reverse DDT but misses a top rope double stomp. Everything breaks down and the Triangle get stereo holds, which are broken up rather quickly. Aminata headbutts Blue into the ropes and the running knee gives Aminata the pin at 9:30.

Rating: C+. This was another example of taking a bunch of women with little going on and putting them in a tag match. It’s nice to see Nightingale on the winning side more often than not for a change, though I’m not sure if this is going to lead anywhere. At the same time, the Triangle continues to be off to a hit and miss start, though at least it wasn’t the full version here.

Post match Thekla comes in for the beatdown, with Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford joining the villains. Harley Cameron makes a failed save attempt but Kris Statlander is back for the real thing.

Daniel Garcia is disappointed about not getting the IWGP World Title shot but he’ll be there for his friend, Nigel McGuinness.

Here is Max Caster for another open challenge and the fans are starting to get into him. So get him an opponent out here.

Max Caster vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Non-title and oh dear. Caster is a bit frustrated and Sabre starts working on his arm. A headlock takeover doesn’t work for Caster so he ax handles Sabre in the neck instead. That’s cut off as well and a cobra twist gives Sabre the win at 2:20.

Post match Sabre comes out for a staredown with McGuinness and they shake hands, though McGuinness doesn’t let go immediately. With Sabre gone, Anthony Bowens runs in to beat Caster down, with Billy Gunn having to come out and yell at Bowens.

Harley Cameron is thankful to Kris Statlander for her help but Statlander hasn’t gotten her $100,000. Apparently it was supposed to come out of the Young Bucks’ salary but there are insufficient funds. Cameron is off to get it, but is told next week. The Death Riders come in to glare a lot, with Jon Moxley producing Statlander’s money.

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Believe it or not, they trade forearms to start until Takeshita takes him down with a flying clothesline. Back up and Ishii knocks him to the floor but Takeshita gets a hanging DDT from the apron as we take a break. We come back with Ishii hitting a delayed superplex, meaning it’s time to trade more forearms.

Takeshita gives him a knee but gets dropped for the sliding lariat. A Blue Thunder Bomb cuts Ishii off for two but Raging Fire is blocked. Takeshita reverses the brainbuster into the poisonrana, only for Ishii to enziguri him for a double down. An exchange of clotheslines gives Takeshita two and the Raging Fire finishes at 10:33.

Rating: B. Ishii is nowhere near what he used to be but dang this was working. They were beating the fire out of each other here, which is where Takeshita tends to shine. There wasn’t going to be much drama about the winner here before Takeshita won the G1 and now that he’s gotten the biggest win of his career, it was even less likely for Ishii. Heck of a hard hitting match here.

Big Bill vs. Mark Andrews

Bryan Keith is here with Bill, who jumps Andrews in the corner. A big boot sends Andrews to the floor, followed by a swinging Boss Man Slam for the pin at 1:46.

Post match Bill chokeslams him through two open chairs. Bill and Keith go into the crowd but stop to watch the next entrance.

Gates Of Agony vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

Ricochet is here with the Gates (whose entrance Bill and Keith were watching) for commentary as Liona sends Drake flying to start. Kaun comes in for a bow but can’t get a suplex, allowing the Veterans to double team him down. A running boot in the corner knocks Liona to the floor but Ricochet offers a distraction so the Gates can take over again.

Drake gets whipped into the barricade and apron over and over and we take a break. We come back with Kaun missing a charge into the post, allowing Gibson to come back in and clean house. A Saito suplex gets two on Kaun and a Michinoku Driver/dropkick combination gets the same. Liona is back in to clear the ring and Open The Gates finishes Gibson at 9:07.

Rating: C+. The Gates continue to be fine in matches like this with no pressure on them, but there is no reason to believe that they’re going to be a big deal anytime soon. They’re good enough as Ricochet’s lackeys, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up for them going after any gold. Well maybe the Trios Titles with Ricochet, though that’s a stretch as well.

Gabe Kidd brings in the Bullet Club Wardogs, who are coming for the Trios Titles at Zero Hour.

Young Bucks vs. Paragon

The Bucks (Rod and Todd) are already in the ring and don’t like their name changes. O’Reilly works on Matt’s arm to start and snaps on the cross armbreaker. That’s blocked so O’Reilly tries an ankle lock, which doesn’t work either. Nick comes in and gets kicked down, with Matt tripping on the way in for the save and hurting his foot by kicking the announcers’ table.

Back up and Matt takes over on O’Reilly, who hands it off to Strong without much trouble. The belly to back faceplant drops Nick, followed by the Bucks colliding for another mistake. Matt kicks O’Reilly down though and the draping 450 hits Strong. The spike Tombstone plants O’Reilly on the floor and we take a break.

We come back with Matt giving O’Reilly a flipping cutter on the floor while Nick superkicks Strong for two. More Bang For Your Buck is broken up and O’Reilly is back up on the apron so Strong can get the needed tag. That means O’Reilly gets to clean house, including a cross armbreaker to Nick.

The Bucks manage to superkick their way out of trouble but O’Reilly catches them with a rebound double clothesline to leave everyone down. Matt suplexes his way out of a guillotine and Strong is sent outside for Nick’s running twist drive. An assisted Sliced Bread gets two on O’Reilly but the TK Driver is broken up. End Of Heartache hits Nick but here is Don Callis for a distraction. Cue Kazuchika Okada to give Strong the Rainmaker and the TK Driver finishes O’Reilly at 15:46.

Rating: B. I’m not sure about the Bucks winning again after their fortunes started to turn bad, though at least they had some help. Paragon continues to look good in defeat, but unfortunately they’re getting rather experienced in that area. They’re basically the upper midcard jobbers of the tag division and that’s only going to have an impact for so long. Good match though, and a solid main event.

Post match the beatdown is on until Swerve Strickland makes the save. The numbers game gets to Strickland though, with Okada taking out his knee. A Rainmaker takes Strickland out to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show was about getting things ready for Forbidden Door and the matches that got some time here did the job well. At the same time, we had some nice action, which is a good way to fill out what is basically a big commercial for the pay per view. Collision continues to be unnecessary in its current form, but it can work well at times, which was the case here.

Results
Skylight/Hiromu Takahashi b. Don Callis Family – Time Bomb to Romero
Megan Bayne b. Isla Dawn – Running powerbomb
Willow Nightingale/Queen Aminata b. Triangle Of Madness – Running knee to Blue
Zack Sabre Jr. b. Max Caster – Cobra Twist
Konosuke Takeshita b. Tomohiro Ishii – Raging Fire
Big Bill b. Mark Andrews – Swinging Boss Man Slam
Gates Of Agony b. Grizzled Young Veterans – Open The Gates to Gibson
Young Bucks b. Paragon – TK Driver to O’Reilly

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