IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: June 24, 2004
Location: TD Waterhouse Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz

It’s the go home show for Great American Bash and while I would normally say that it’s going to be nice to get the show down….it’s the Great American Bash. Featuring murder! Or maybe murder! The big story coming out of last week was the Undertaker attacking a bunch of people, including John Cena. That could be interesting so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Undertaker attacking Cena and Rob Van Dam last week at Paul Heyman’s orders.

Charlie Haas and Jackie Gayda tell Cena that what he’s going to do is suicide.

There’s a cement truck in the arena again.

Here’s a serious Cena in the arena for a chat. Cena knows what he’s getting into tonight because just saying Undertaker the wrong way can get you in trouble. Last week he got Tombstoned in this ring and now, even though he knows what it means, he needs to call Undertaker out.

Instead he gets Kurt Angle, who says he remembers what Cena was telling him last week. That’s why he has a rap for Cena. He already won a gold medal with a broken freakin neck, so he can handle hip hop. It’s a bunch of rhymes about Cena losing and Orlando sports teams, but ends with Cena thinking he’s slick like grease, but tonight he’s going to rest in peace. The match is officially on, meaning Cena got what he wanted and just had to sit through some dumb jokes. Angle needs to work on his evil plans.

Post break JBL comes in to see Angle and Luther Reigns. JBL calls Angle an inspiration and gets Reigns vs. Eddie Guerrero set up for later as a way to teach Eddie some respect. As usual, never underestimate the value of a muscular lackey.

Battle Royal

Chavo Guerrero Jr., Funaki, Jamie Noble, Akio, Billy Kidman, Spike Dudley, Scotty 2 Hotty, Nunzio, Shannon Moore, Paul London

The winner gets a shot at Rey Mysterio on Sunday so Rey is on commentary. It’s a standard battle royal opening as Rey gives the expected cop out answer by saying he’d love to face anyone. Nunzio backdrops Spike out and gets thrown out a few seconds later. The referee doesn’t see it somehow and Nunzio gets back in to jump London from behind.

London is fine enough to hit a springboard kick to the chest to get rid of Nunzio. A few people get together to throw London over the top and Nunzio (geez he hasn’t had this much screen time in the last month combined) grabs the legs to get rid of him. Akio enziguris Shannon on the apron but can’t get him out, allowing Shannon to grab a headscissors to get Akio out, only to fall out as well.

Scotty loads up the Worm on Chavo but stops to superkick Noble. That’s enough to let Chavo throw Scotty out and get us down to four. Funaki follows him out, leaving us with Kidman, Chavo and Noble. Kidman takes both of them down but has to save himself from an elimination.

A double clothesline gets Kidman out of trouble but Jamie is right back up to tie him into the Tree of Woe. Ever the cheater, Jamie turns on Chavo and sends him to the apron. Chavo hangs in though and comes back in to get rid of Noble. Kidman sends Chavo to the apron and is smart enough to realize he didn’t get the win. Instead Chavo comes back in and Gory Bombs Kidman out for the win and the title shot.

Rating: D+. This was as good as it was going to get with a short enough match and the ending not being as obvious as it seemed. I don’t need to see Rey vs. Chavo, but it’s not like anyone else in the division means anything else at the moment. It was nice to see them all in there though and the match could have been a lot worse.

Paul Heyman is on the phone with the designers of the concrete crypt and explains the idea again for the sake of exposition. The Dudleys come up and don’t look pleased. Apparently they still don’t know what Heyman means by doing the right thing and they don’t trust him. As this is going on, Mordecai knocks Hardcore Holly into a wall and beats him into the arena. They head back into the back where Angle shows up to say break drop it. Heyman and the Dudleys are still there so Angle asks if he and Heyman are set for the main even tonight. That means Undertaker taking Cena out and Heyman says it’s on.

They didn’t exactly sell me on the pay per view there, as we’re likely getting Mordecai vs. Holly to go with the Dudleys in a big handicap match centered around murder. I know I say it every week but the lack of compelling villains on this show are killing things. Heyman is fine, but he needs someone to do his heavy lifting. Undertaker doesn’t feel like that guy, as this isn’t coming off as a long term story. With no good villains, the heroes don’t look important and it’s taking away everything on this show.

Kenzo Suzuki vs. Billy Gunn

Egads I had forgotten about Kenzo. The new development here: his geisha girl is named Hiroko. Gunn is the hometown boy so he’s a little more popular than usual. Suzuki starts with the strikes but gets elbowed in the face and stomped in the corner. Some more kicks take Gunn down and it’s off to a chinlock. Gunn comes back with a shot to the face and a Stinger Splash, causing Tazz to say this is going to be Suzuki’s first loss. The Fameasser connects but Hiroko throws powder in Gunn’s face for the DQ.

Rating: D-. It’s not a good sign when Gunn is the best thing you have going in a match. Suzuki shouldn’t be needing help to avoid getting pinned in his third match, especially against a career midcarder like Gunn. The worst part: this is likely setting up a rematch on Sunday because we don’t have much on the card already.

Sable comes up to Torrie Wilson in the back and accuses her of hogging the spotlight as she tries to host the Great American Bash. A hot tub is mentioned for Sunday, as is an exchange of how their outfits make them look. The catfight is broken up.

We recap Eddie vs. JBL from Judgment Day, setting up Sunday’s rematch. That blade job is still sick.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Luther Reigns

Non-title and Kurt Angle is in Reigns’ corner. They take turns driving each other into the corner until Reigns scares him with a gorilla press. Eddie gets smart by trying a test of strength and poking Reigns in the eye, only to get kneed right back down. Angle offers a trip from the floor though and the fans aren’t pleased with the boss. The bearhug goes on for a bit but gets reversed into a waistlock.

Eddie fights out again and hits two Amigos but the third is reversed into a ref bump. The sitout powerslam plants Eddie so Angle gets up (on the bad leg) to count two so Luther grabs the title. That’s taken away off a low blow and a belt shot drops Luther. Eddie throws the title to Angle and drops as the referee wakes up. A frog splash looks to finish but JBL runs in with the bullrope for the DQ.

Rating: C-. This was completely watchable with Guerrero knowing exactly how to work with a rookie power guy like Reigns. They have to be setting up Guerrero vs. Angle II from here and Angle getting up on the leg certainly seems to point in that direction. Unfortunately it comes after the JBL match on Sunday, which seems to be looking worse and worse all the time.

Post match JBL chokes with the rope but gets caught with a cowbell to the head to send JBL bailing.

Rob Van Dam vs. Rene Dupree

Booker T. comes out for commentary. Cole wastes no time in ripping into Booker for turning on Van Dam a few weeks back and you can feel the heat from Booker’s eyes. As Van Dam kicks Rene to the floor, Booker threatens to beat up Fifi on Sunday. Van Dam’s spinning kick to the back keeps Rene in trouble, which Booker says won’t happen to him because he’s the master of the Spinarooni.

Rene comes back with a neckbreaker for two as Booker goes into a rant about Cena. Some more kicks set up Rolling Thunder for two on Dupree but he takes out Van Dam’s leg. A turnbuckle gets pulled off, followed by Rene grabbing a rollup with tights for two more. With that not working, Dupree sends him into the exposed buckle for the cheap pin.

Rating: D+. Booker was the star here with a bunch of jokes about how these two didn’t worry him and there was nothing standing in his way. If nothing else his rant about Fifi was more entertaining than the entire match. Speaking of the match, there’s nothing wrong with giving Dupree, the weakest of the four competitors for Sunday’s match, some momentum.

Post match Rene stares Booker down, much to Booker’s annoyance.

Great American Bash rundown, now with Torrie vs. Sable announced.

John Cena vs. Undertaker

Non-title and Cena is looking more serious than he has in a long time. Undertaker slugs him down to start but charges into an elbow, meaning it’s time to trade punches. A fired up Cena tells Undertaker that he’s not scared and wants him to bring it. Undertaker does just that with a knockdown but misses the big elbow. He’s fine enough to suplex Cena for two, followed by Old School and the jumping clothesline.

Cena’s comeback consists of a kick to the face that just annoys Undertaker but Cena low bridges him to the floor and we take a break. Back with Cena stomping away on the floor (as it seems nothing has changed) and clotheslining him into the crowd. They come back to ringside with Undertaker shrugging off a whip into the steps and dropping the apron legdrop. That’s good for two back inside and Undertaker (with a bloody arm) isn’t sure what to do.

A forearm to the back of Cena’s neck keeps Cena in trouble and it’s time for the old fashioned punches to the jaw. Things change up a bit with a superplex for two more on Cena and it’s quickly off to a chinlock. Cena fights up and hits a spinebuster, which gets quite the face reaction from the crowd. Some shoulders give Cena his own near fall and a top rope ax handle sets up the Throwback.

The Shuffle gives Cena two more and let’s pump up those shoes. The FU is countered though and Undertaker boots him in the face. Cena slips out of the Last Ride and there’s the ref bump. The running clothesline drops Undertaker and there’s the FU for no count. Undertaker eventually sits up again and there’s the chokeslam. Instead of covering, Undertaker hits Cena with the chain, followed by the Tombstone for the pin.

Rating: B. Why is this not on a DVD somewhere? This was a very different Cena as he was wrestling the serious, main event style that would become his trademark later on. Undertaker winning here was the right call as Cena was hot at this point but not ready to get a win like this one, at least not without a bunch of shenanigans. Very strong match though and that’s a great sign for Cena’s future.

Heyman comes out with the Urn again and Undertaker takes the knee to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. The main event completely bailed this one out as the rest of the show was a mixture of pretty lame and uninteresting. When we’re supposed to get hyped over what is likely going to be Mordecai vs. Hardcore Holly and Kenzo Suzuki vs. Billy Gunn II, you can tell Sunday is in trouble. The show has gotten better over the last few weeks but it’s still hard to care about so many of these stories. Eddie and Cena are carrying the show on their backs right now, but I don’t know how long they can make that work. Anyway, very good main event and nothing everything else.

Here’s the original review if you’re interested:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2014/01/03/smackdown-june-24-2004-twenty-minutes-of-undertaker-vs-cena/

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: November 21, 2018
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

We’re still in Philadelphia and the big story coming out of last week was the return of Dalton Castle, who helped Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham defeat the Kingdom. Then he made it clear that he wanted the World Title, which means he’ll likely be facing either Lethal or Taven at the upcoming Final Battle. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Castle returning and looking at the title. Stop trying to steal my job.

Opening sequence.

Here are Castle and the Boys to get things going. Castle mentions that he was injured for over three months, but he didn’t go home and just sip mint juleps. He went home and sipped mint juleps but started putting in the world. Castle went to physical therapy and even went to Australia to kiss a kangaroo. Now though, his lone mission is to get back the World Title. He wants the champ, but gets Matt Taven instead. He’s the only man who can call himself the real World Champion. That makes Castle’s head spin so much that he has a seat on the Boys. Castle: “Go home Matt. You’re drunk. You’re like Myrtle Beach drunk.”

Taven accuses Castle of cracking underneath the pressure and bailing on the company so Castle calls him a tall, gangly, uncoordinated idiot. As long as Castle is around, someone like Taven will never be champion. Cue the Kingdom and the good guys are beaten down. The Kingdom gets a bunch of chairs and pile Castle on top of them followed by a TRIPLE CONCHAIRTO. That was really cool. Then I remembered that it’s the Kingdom and my interest lowered.

We look back at Christopher Daniels being beaten down last week. ROH is trying to find a suitable replacement for Daniels in the Tag Team Title match. You mean the Daniels who is part of a trio? Half of which is in the title match already?

We recap Hurricane Helms vs. Marty Scurll. They’ve split two matches and then a third match was thrown out when they both beat up the referee. Therefore Scurll, who won the Survival of the Fittest tournament this year, is getting a fourth match with the old comedy guy. Marty also stole his mask to make it personal.

Marty Scurll vs. Hurricane Helms

No DQ and Scurll has the mask. Hurricane is on the stage….or not actually as that’s Delirious. Instead Hurricane is behind Scurll and hits a chokeslam for two at the bell. They fight outside with Hurricane sitting him in a chair for a running clothesline. Back from a break with Hurricane in trouble and Marty pulling out some umbrellas. Ian: “This is definitely something Marty pre-orchestrated.” Why is commentary so dumb tonight?

Marty unloads with the umbrellas and throws in a little Singin in the Rain for fun. Some stomps to the fingers have Hurricane in trouble but he’s right back with a neckbreaker. Instead of following up though, he puts the mask on and now it’s time to be a hero. That means an umbrella being broken over the knee and a Downward Spiral gets two on Scurll. Hurricane throws in some chairs but since that takes forever, Marty is able to get in a few shots and set up four chairs. That takes way too long as well (a villain never learns) and Hurricane press slams him onto the chairs.

The Nightmare on Helm Street gets two and we take another break. Back again with Marty hitting an AA off the apron through the table….for two. Marty throws an umbrella down and grabs a bag from underneath the ring. That would be thumbtacks but Marty blocks a drop toehold onto the tacks. Instead Marty snaps Hurricane’s fingers….but gets chokeslammed onto them for two instead. The tacks in his back are censored for a nice touch. Marty is back up with a low blow and puts some tacks in Hurricane’s mouth for a superkick. Graduation onto the tacks finishes Hurricane at 15:32.

Rating: B-. It’s a good brawl, but there are two problems. First and foremost, it’s the fourth match between Hurricane and Marty Scurll, the latter of whom should be a main eventer. Why is he toiling with a guy best known for comedy? That’s the other problem: Hurricane feels REALLY out of place in this kind of a violent match. Hurricane isn’t a hardcore guy and while he did it well, it felt way out of place.

Brandi Rose talks about being out with an injury for a long time but now she’s back. Her clavicle is being held together by metal and screws but she’s cleared to wrestle again. I can appreciate her efforts, but is anyone really begging to see her back in the ring?

Tag Team Titles: Young Bucks vs. So Cal Uncensored vs. Briscoes

The Briscoes are defending and, shockingly enough, Scorpio Sky is Kazarian’s partner. Nick and Sky start things off and we’ve got a special hashtag for this main event: WatchROHSecondHalfOfOurDoubleMainEventHereInPhiladelhiaTheCityOfBrotherlyLove. That’s actually on top of the screen, because ROHTagTeamTitles is too simple. Sky flips out of a wristlock and takes both Briscoes to the floor for a dive. Kazarian adds a slingshot hurricanrana to stagger Mark and it’s Jay being thrown back inside to deal with the Bucks.

Kazarian comes back in to add a slingshot dropkick to Jay and an assisted tornado DDT drops Mark for two. The champs take over on Kazarian though and the referee stops to check on him as the Briscoes pose. Mark isn’t done as he takes Kazarian outside and rams his head into the barricade a few times. Back in and the pummeling continues in the corner. A Backstabber finally puts Mark down but Jay is smart enough to kick Sky off the apron.

Back from a break with Kazarian German suplexing Mark in the direction of the turnbuckles, which is good enough for the hot tag to Matt. Everything breaks down and Mark gets dropkicked into the barricade. The Sharpshooter has Jay in trouble but Sky makes a save, even as Matt’s back was about to give out. Nick throws Sky into the air for a spear from Matt and it’s a superkick into the Swanton for two.

A hurricanrana sends Nick into the corner for a tag to Kazarian and it’s a dropkick/sitout powerbomb combination for a close two. Sky grabs a slingshot cutter on Mark and it’s off to stereo dragon sleepers. Nick and Jay make the save with superkicks, followed by another superkick to Jay. The hot tag brings in Nick, who knees the referee by mistake. That’s enough for Matt to start throwing chairs (used in three different segments tonight) but Kazarian saves Sky from taking one to the head.

The Jay Driller (more like Angel’s Wings actually) gets two on Kazarian with Sky making the save. Matt slugs away at both Briscoes but gets backbreakered onto the chair. The Doomsday Device is countered into a powerslam to pull Mark out of the air for another near fall (with the referee stopping early). Jay chairs Mark by mistake though and it’s a powerbomb/Backstabber combination to give Kazarian the pin and the titles at 14:27.

Rating: B-. As usual, ROH isn’t the best at the structured tag matches but they didn’t go too far with the false finishes to mess with things here. SCU winning made the most sense here and while the Bucks were just there to prevent a rematch from Death Before Dishonor, they were their usual entertaining selves and it’s not like they lose anything in defeat. Good match, though a little more actual tag wrestling would have been nice.

Daniels, in a neck brace, comes out to celebrate to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. While I’m not wild on some of the booking (the Kingdom, with Taven in general, isn’t interesting), the wrestling was good and this show flew by. There are times when this show feels like it’s taking forever but that wasn’t the case here. It’s a good show, and you can see where some of Final Battle is going. That’s good too, as the show is less than a month away.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: November 22, 2018
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

It’s time for a holiday show and in this case, that might not be the best thing in the world. The biggest story tonight is going to be the turkey suit match, which is one of those traditions that has been around here for years despite not many people seeming to be a fan of the thing. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Team Edwards vs. Team Adonis

Eddie Edwards, Garza Jr., Allie, Fallah Bahh, Richard Justice

Chris Adonis, Caleb Konley, Laurel Van Ness, KM, El Hijo Del Fantasma

The loser of the fall wears a turkey suit and there’s food at ringside, along with Eli Drake. We’re not ready yet though as the teams sit down at the food tables as Drake insists that everyone has to put on the suit if they lose. He has a statement for JB to read, which pretty much just says everyone play nice.

Justice sticks his finger in Konley’s mouth to start and gets two off a rollup. Laurel comes in and jumps on Justice’s back so it’s off to the women for a change. KM and Bahh are up next with some shots to Bahh’s head taking us to a break. Back with Bahh crossbodying KM and bringing in Garza….WHO TAKES OFF HIS PANTS! I’m rather thankful.

Garza gets punched down though and it’s time for the heel beatdown. Adonis comes in for two off a legdrop and it’s time for a bearhug (on a guy with a bad shoulder). That goes nowhere and the hot tag brings in Eddie to clean house. Everything breaks down in a hurry and KM gets crushed between Justice and Bahh.

We get the big crash to the floor and Justice falls off the apron, only to be caught without much effort. Allie dives onto everyone to break up the pile and everyone is down. Back in and Adonis can’t grab the Adonis Lock, allowing Eddie to roll him up for the pin at 16:04, meaning Adonis gets to wear the suit.

Rating: C-. Oh what were you expecting here? This was all in good fun and nothing more than a comedy match. The match was just there for the sake of having a one off match for a holiday special and as a result, it’s really hard to be harsh on it. Adonis having to wear the suit is fine and it continues a (rather goofy) tradition. It wasn’t anything good, but it’s perfectly harmless.

Post break, Adonis refuses to wear the suit. Security actually stops him as the referee holds up the suit like an executioner’s ax. After a lot of persuading and a GOBBLE GOBBLE (One of us?) chant, Adonis finally puts it on and walks around a bit. Adonis isn’t cool with the chants though and the required food fight, with Adonis hitting Drake in the face with a pie, ends the show. This was actually entertaining as they just went with the simple comedy and it worked perfectly well.

Back in the present, Bahh selects his first name, and it’s KM. As you might have guessed, KM comes in to talk about Thanksgiving dinner.

Drake wants the interviewer to say Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal as the tumbler is spun. He gets….Katarina, who is there too. Her great grandfather was a pilgrim so Drake should be rather happy.

We see about five minutes of the 2007 edition, which ended in AJ Styles wearing the suit. See, WWE makes him a year long World Champion and Impact….makes him look like an idiot. Totally the same thing.

Video on Brian Cage cashing in Option C to challenge for the World Title at Homecoming.

Bahh, after being convinced that he can’t get Katarina flowers, draws Japanese comedy wrestler Kikutaro, who wears a pink mask and shouts a lot.

Here’s Scarlett Bordeaux to dance with a rather fetching burlesque troupe.

More Scarlett fan submissions, including one from Shark Boy.

Drake picks a name, doesn’t like it and picks another one, drawing Jake Crist. OVE comes in and Drake tells them to get this right. Sami tells Jake to not screw this up, or he has to eat the entire Thanksgiving dinner.

Some wrestlers and personalities give their favorite Thanksgiving memories.

Same Cage/Impact video.

Drake says Bahh is thankful to OVE for helping with his English (Now he can say EVERY BAHH.) and draws Rohit Raju. Geez we can’t even escape these guys on a holiday show. The Desi Hit Squad comes in to say if you get one, you get them both. That’s a positive thing?

More Thanksgiving memories.

Video on Tessa Blanchard vs. Taya Valkyrie.

Bahh’s final pick is Alisha Edwards. She comes in and doesn’t like Bahh’s joke.

Drake’s final pick is Glenn Gilbertti, the Disco Inferno. He wants to impress Scarlett with CGI: class, good looks and intelligence. Then the two of them will get married so Drake can be the best man.

Ultimate X is back at Homecoming.

Gilbertti takes credit for inventing Ultimate X after being told that he couldn’t throw X-Division wrestlers off the building.

Video on the history of Option C.

Team Drake (with Gilbertti looking a bit like a middle aged Terry Funk) promises to win. Scarlett comes in to say she’s scouting talent. She likes stuffing over turkey.

Tessa vs. Taya video.

Team Bahh gets a pep talk, featuring the word BAHH over and over again. KM translates, which doesn’t make it much better.

Team Drake vs. Team Bahh

Eli Drake, Jake Crist, Katarina, Rohit Raju, Glenn Gilbertti

Fallah Bahh, KM, Dezmond Xavier, Alisha Edwards, Kikutaro

Before the match, we get a pledge to wear the turkey suit if you get pinned. Whatever keeps the match from happening I guess. Katarina throws Alisha down to start and getting two off a Samoan drop. Alisha fights up and brings in Jake to face Kikutaro, who armdrags him down and hands it off to Dezmond. Drake comes in for his pop up reverse powerslam and hands it off to Raju as the fast tags continue. Rohit gets beaten up as well so Gama Singh gets in to give him a pep talk.

This time it’s Bahh getting beaten down in the corner, including a few right hands from Gilbertti. A double crossbody crushes Gilbertti and Drake so it’s off to KM and Raju. Everything breaks down and we get the Human Centipede of figure four neck locks, capped off by Bahh turning them all over in a Boston crab. Cue Scarlett in a pilgrim hat to stop the proceedings and we take a break.

Back with Scarlett sitting on a chair on the stage and Kikutaro charging into Drake’s raised boot in the corner. Drake throws on Scarlett’s pilgrim hat and it’s time for the rotating stomps to Kikutaro. An enziguri to Raju allows the hot tag to Dezmond (though you couldn’t tell by the crowd reactions). The villains are sent to the floor for a big flip dive from Xavier and Bahh knocks Drake onto the pile.

Rating: D. What else were you expecting here? This was harmless and stupid, but it’s not like it’s worth getting angry about. Gilbertti wearing the suit is fine for a funny ending and Bahh, the biggest star on the face team, gets an easy win. There’s nothing worth complaining about here and I think everyone knows it.

Post match Gilbertti’s partners leave and he continues the tradition of refusing to wear the suit. Scarlett comes to ringside and says she finds a man who doesn’t take himself seriously rather sexy. The suit goes on and she says he looks like an idiot as Gilbertti is greeted with a GOBBLE GOBBLE chant to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. Getting annoyed at this show would be like getting annoyed at the post-Takeover episodes of NXT. This isn’t meant to be anything more than a filler show for the holiday and they didn’t present it as anything other than that. It’s not like anyone is going to be watching so why bother wasting storylines? Just a simple comedy show here and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s back to serious next week and the audience will be back then too so this was the right call.

Results

Team Bahh b. Team Drake – Banzai Drop to Gilbertti

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Mixed Match Challenge
Date: November 20, 2018
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Michael Cole, Renee Young, Vic Joseph

We’ve actually arrived at a turning point here with the last night of the regular season. After tonight we move into the playoffs, which should make things a little bit better. Unfortunately we’re getting the four winless teams battling it out for a spot in the final four, because going 1-3 is good enough to get a spot in the playoffs. Let’s get to it.

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

The announcers talk about the prizes. That’s a big deal, and a smart move.

Raw Division: Alicia Fox/Jinder Mahal vs. Bobby Roode/Natalya

The losers are out and the Singh Brothers are all banged up from Brock Lesnar destroying them last week. The guys start things off and the fans are behind Bobby in what feels like a rare occurrence. Roode shakes off a wristlock and starts chopping away but can’t hit the Glorious DDT. It’s off to the women with Fox getting caught in a slingshot atomic drop, minus Natalya sticking her knee out. A basement dropkick gives Natalya two but Fox blocks the Sharpshooter and kicks her in the face.

The chinlock goes on (well duh) so let’s look at R-Truth trying to leave because he thinks it’s Thanksgiving. The northern lights suplex gives Fox two and it’s off to a front facelock. Natalya can’t quite get out but Alicia stops for her Mahal inspired breathing, allowing the hot tag to Roode. Everything breaks down and Fox slaps Roode, who is fine enough to hit a spinebuster on one of the Singh Brothers. The distraction is enough for Mahal to hit the Khallas for the pin on Roode at 8:08.

Rating: D. So you know how these teams kept losing every single match all tournament long? Well now one pair of losers beat another set of losers and gets to go face a team that has beaten them already once this season. That’s about all they have for us to look forward to and I could go for something more than that, though that hasn’t stopped this season yet.

Braun Strowman is out of the second round and will have a replacement announced next week. AJ Styles is officially out as well, so Jeff Hardy will be Charlotte’s permanent partner.

Fox and Mahal argue about who is the captain. They also argue over where they would go on their vacation, with Fox wanting to go to Kentucky to taste some real country chicken.

Smackdown Division: R-Truth/Carmella (0-3) vs. Rusev/Lana (0-3)

They take turns shouting catchphrases to start with no contact in the first two minutes. With that out of the way, Rusev and Lana hit the floor so we can have a dance break. A break from what isn’t clear, but neither is why a team who is going to be 1-3 is in the playoffs. Thankfully Rusev and Lana jump them from behind with Lana covering for one to actually start the match.

Some running knees to the back give Lana two more and we hit the chinlock. In a smart move, Rusev pulls Truth off the apron and then gets the tag, meaning he gets to come in and beat up a downed Truth. Lana goes outside and sends a downed Carmella into various things before stopping to pose. Truth jumps Rusev on the floor, leaving Carmella to superkick Lana for the pin at 6:50.

Rating: F. That’s this season of the show in a nutshell: shenanigans to waste time early on and then a quick match with neither of them doing anything that seemed impressive. Rusev and Lana going out doesn’t shock me as the dance break thing is lukewarm right now and that’s enough to get one more match out of Truth and Carmella. It’s not like either team had a chance against Carmella/Hardy in the next round anyway, but a little more effort here would have been nice.

Here are the brackets for the next round:

Raw

Ember Moon/???

Jinder Mahal/Alicia Fox

Finn Balor/Bayley

Bobby Lashley/Mickie James

Smackdown

Jeff Hardy/Charlotte

R-Truth/Carmella

Miz/Asuka

Jimmy Uso/Naomi

Bayley and Finn Balor are ready for next week.

Overall Rating: F. The only positive to come out of this show is the fact that we’re three weeks away from the end of this mess. There’s nothing going on here and watching the four winless teams in two short matches wasn’t the solution to make things better. Things will improve a bit when we get to the bigger matches down the line, but that’s not making things better here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

There have been many great rematches in the history of wrestling and although a significant portion of these have failed to live up to the hype, there have also been a number of memorable match-ups. We take a look of the three of the stand-out rematches which managed to keep WWE fans on the edge of their seats.

Source: WWEX Stream via Twitter

John Cena vs Shawn Michaels

When questioned about the greatest rematch of all time, this is the one immediately springs to mind. The legendary Shawn Michaels has been involved in the majority of the classic WWE rematches but his Monday night RAW meeting with John Cena in 2007 remains towards the top of many peoples lists. Lasting nearly an hour, this clash certainly gave wrestling fans value for money with the pair trading blows throughout. The Heartbreak Kid emerged victorious courtesy of a superkick which was a superb way to bring the curtain down on a memorable sixty minutes of wrestling. Cena, who took time off in 2015, has been involved in some of the sport’s greatest clashes in recent years and many fans described this one as a throwback match which evoked memories of WWE in the 1990s. It remains one of the most memorable rematches in recent history.

The Rock vs Steve Austin

Harking back to WrestleMania 19, this pair were regular opponents and their clashes always served up plenty of entertainment. This match-up was one of their finest and it was also notable for being Stone Cold’s final act before retiring from the sport. The Rock emerged victorious on this occasion but it was the chemistry between the pair which kept WWE fans glued to the action throughout. This match also saw three rock-bottoms from the Rock with both competitors also using one another’s signature finishing moves which simply added to the spectacle and helped create a hugely entertaining contest.

There are many fascinating head-to-head battles in sport – also drawing in lots of sports bettors – including Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, who re-oppose once again in late 2018. The pair will be aiming to recreate their sensational 2015 bout which saw the undefeated five-division world champion win by a unanimous decision. It is a fight which will be watched not by millions of sports fans not only for its entertainment value but also as a chance to place a wager and potentially win some money. There are numerous Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao betting offers already available ahead of the big rematch. The Rock and Steve Austin was an equally anticipated rematch and the pair did not disappoint. It was the third time that they had faced one another but this was the most memorable of the three.

Source: Sajjad Fazli via Twitter

Andre the Giant vs Hulk Hogan

This was one of the most hyped and advertised WWE rematches of all time and although it took place in 1988, it is still fondly remembered by fans of the sport. It was aired on NBC and attracted an audience of 33 million as the first ever Friday night Main Event. Hogan, who had been struggling throughout was eventually beaten by his opponent in memorable circumstances. With the assistance of Ted DiBiase and Virgil, Andre the Giant was victorious – but he was also aided by evil twin Earl Hebner who was hired to throw the bout. It provided great drama and provoked a number of talking points. It was a hugely memorable rematch and the highlights are still regularly watched online by wrestling aficionados.

WWE is likely to throw up plenty more rematches in the future but the sport has a knack of scheduling mouth-watering match-ups on a semi-regular basis. There is a rich history of wrestlers re-opposing and each one of these clashes always keeps fans coming back for more.

I know I say this on occasion but I can’t say it enough: thank you all for coming by here so often to read my ramblings.  I started off as a wrestling fan with too much time on his hands and now I’m a wrestling fan with a career because of all the people who keep coming back to read my latest ramblings.  Thank you all so much and I can never say that enough.

KB

In which I look at three NXT stars from Takeover.  I mean, it’s not like anything happened this week that I missed by writing this on Saturday is there?

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-nxt-three/

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 21, 2004
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

It’s a big night here, at least in a way, as HHH is facing Eugene with a shot at Chris Benoit at Vengeance on the line. I’m not sure what happens if Eugene wins but I’m sure we’ll find out in a segment that probably goes on longer than it needs to. You can also guarantee all kinds of interference and shenanigans in the main event so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap from last week with the setup to HHH vs. Eugene. Everyone but Eugene knows that HHH is up to something but Eugene believes HHH when he swears that they’re friends. Regal’s sneer during all of this is great as he and Jericho just don’t want to break Eugene’s heart.

Opening sequence.

We open big with the Rock making a surprise appearance, which certainly wakes the crowd up. Rock finally says he’s back home but is willing to stop for one more ROCKY chant. Since Rock is home tonight, he brought some friends and family, including his wife, mother and grandmother, to the front row. He also points out some Miami Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes with Rock making some jokes about the Dolphins’ defense. See, he’s standing in a ring right now, which the Dolphins might get one day.

As for tonight though, he’d like Eugene to come out here but gets Randy Orton instead. Apparently Eugene isn’t here yet because HHH is driving him over to the arena. Orton is glad that he and Rock are getting a chance to talk though, because all he can remember is beating Rock and Mick Foley at Wrestlemania. It’s too bad that Orton has surpassed Rock in every way but Rock doesn’t think much of him. He points out the rather rude chants the fans are shouting at Orton before praising Orton a bit.

Rock remembers meeting Orton’s dad and grandaddy but also remembers his own dad and granddaddy laying some smackdown. Even Rock’s grandmother beat up Orton’s grandmammy (and looks like she still could). Rock even remembers Randy as a kid, playing with a pretty little pony. Orton got so scared that he ran past Andre the Giant and Junkyard Dog but landed right on King Kong Bundy’s crotch. Rock is ready to fight right now but Orton isn’t ready.

That just gets him beaten up anyway but here’s Eric Bischoff to say not so fast and have Rock ejected. Rock leaves (To Bischoff: “No wonder WCW went out of business.”) and keeps the mic as he goes through the curtain, where he hits on Trish Stratus, makes fun of Tyson Tomko, takes off Molly’s wig, gives Hurricane and Rosey a doughnut….and then finds Coach.

Rock demands that Coach smile and then leaves him hanging. He goes to his waiting truck and guarantees that Eugene wins tonight. Back in the arena, Orton says to cut Rock’s mic, but Rock promises something bad happening in three seconds. That would be a spear from Edge which leaves Orton leaving as Rock drives away. This was really long and completely entertaining throughout, which is much better than a long HHH promo.

Bischoff demands that security keep Rock out when Chris Benoit comes in. Benoit begs for Eugene’s safety and even offers a title shot for HHH for the sake of letting Eugene out of this. Bischoff turns him down and threatens to have Benoit thrown out.

Women’s Title: Trish Stratus vs. Victoria

Trish is defending and has Tomko with him. Victoria wastes no time in knocking her down and hitting the standing moonsault. A trip to the floor lets Tomko offer a distraction though and Victoria gets knocked off the apron. Back in and Trish hammers away with some right hands as I keep thinking that the red steps in the crowd are empty seats.

Trish kicks her down and mocks the dancing (Jerry doesn’t seem to mind) but gets rolled up for two instead of trying the moonsault. A chinlock keeps Victoria in trouble for all of a few seconds until she gets up with a kick to the face. The moonsault connects but Tomko pulls Trish out at two. Back up and Trish grabs a rollup, and a rope, to retain.

Rating: C-. They were trying here, though the ending and the time didn’t do them any favors. This gets us past Victoria as the challenger trying to get her title back, which wasn’t going to be an interesting story in the first place. That being said, it’s better to have a lame story than no story at all, which tends to be the case more often than not.

Post match Victoria wants to fight some more but gets stared down by Tomko. A man in drag (clearly Steven Richards) pulls her out and a four way staredown ensues.

Diva Search: Chicago edition. An unnamed Maria Kanellis is included.

Recap of Kane destroying Shawn Michaels last week.

William Regal comes in to see Bischoff and asks him for mercy. That’s not happening because Bischoff has too many people to answer to, including his sister. He can’t fire Eugene because Eugene has to quit, and what better way to get him to do so than by having HHH beat him senseless? Regal snaps, saying that he may be a dirty rotten scoundrel but he loves Eugene. Bischoff likes his toughness and puts Regal back on the active roster, next.

William Regal vs. Kane

This is Regal’s first match in over a year (due to having a bad heart condition where the sides of his heart weren’t beating in time with each other) and he’s in street clothes. Regal meets him on the floor before the bell and slugs away but gets kicked in the face. That’s enough to knock Regal out and there’s no match.

Post break Bischoff tells Kane that since HHH is getting the title shot at Vengeance (Wait, then what is the point of tonight’s main event?) and that might be against Kane, who is facing Benoit for the title next week. Kane is pleased, but says he’s not done tonight. Evil laughter ensues.

More Divas Search stuff, this time with some of them moving on and some being cut. Maria (still unnamed) talks about how nerve racking it is. She advances, seemingly after saying all of two words. I believe Carmella DeCesare is included as well.

Randy Orton/Batista vs. Chris Jericho/Edge

Stuff like this has worked for months and it’s nice to see it continuing. Edge and Batista get things going with Edge having to go with quickness for a change. That just earns him some knees to the ribs in the corner and it’s off to Orton. Edge dropkicks him down in a hurry and a suplex gets two. That’s enough for Orton so Batista comes back in and hammers away in the corner. A slow charge lets Edge drop toehold him face first into the middle buckle though and that’s enough for the hot tag to Jericho.

Chris gets smart by knocking Orton off the apron and going for Batista’s leg but it’s way too early for the Walls. Instead it’s a running bulldog to set up the Lionsault (with Batista being so far across the ring that I didn’t think Jericho could reach him) with Orton making the save. Everything breaks down and the Canadians clear the ring, with Edge baseball sliding Orton. That leaves Edge on the floor though and Batista blasts Jericho with the big clothesline.

That’s enough for Jericho and he has to be taken to the back, leaving Edge down two on one as we take a break. Back with Orton grabbing a chinlock (well duh) as the fans are trying to cheer Edge to his feet. It’s a bit of a delayed reaction but Edge eventually gets up and grabs a small package for two. Orton misses a dropkick to make things even worse but there’s no one for Edge to tag.

There is someone for Orton to tag though and it’s off to Batista, who walks right into the Edge-O-Matic. That means it’s already back to Orton for the slugout with Edge getting the better of it. A double spear in the corner hits Batista and Orton at the same time and Batista is sent outside. The RKO is broken up and the regular spear gets two with Batista making a save. A Batista Bomb and the RKO finally put Edge (bleeding from the eye) away.

Rating: B-. The handicap part was a bit odd, until you remember that Edge and Jericho (along with Rock and Regal) are people who could help Eugene later and all four of them have been taken out. Evolution vs. the World (mostly meaning Canada) has been a winning formula for weeks now and this was more good stuff, though the lack of Benoit hurt things a little bit.

More from the Diva Search. This time they’re in swimsuits and some of them are dancing. I think you get the idea here.

Earlier today, a Congressman joined a voting rally with some WWE people, focusing on voters 18-30.

Stacy Keibler runs up to Matt Hardy and wants all the details on his Lita being pregnant. You know, because she’s been so close to the two of them over the years. Matt has a ring though and a proposal is imminent, but Stacy is sworn to secrecy. They really need to work on this secret stuff.

Smackdown Rebound.

Eugene, with HHH gear and wrestling figures, arrives in a limo with HHH and Ric Flair. He’s very happy and HHH promises another surprise.

Here’s Matt, who has been ecstatic for the last week, for….some reason that certainly wasn’t revealed five minutes ago. This year Father’s Day was a big deal for him because Lita told him she was pregnant, so he’d like Lita to come out here right now. Matt wastes no time in dropping to a knee and popping and popping the question….and here’s Kane on the screen to interrupt. He wastes no time either by announcing that the baby is his. Matt freaks out so Kane tells him to ask Lita about the truth. Lita can’t deny it and Matt looks a little….insane might be the right word. He walks off, as you might expect.

Post break, Lita tells Matt that the baby might be his and she did this to protect him. So he’s a weakling and MIGHT be a father? Dude, even I feel sorry for Matt right now. Lita cries as he walks away.

For the FOURTH TIME TONIGHT, it’s more from the Diva Search, with the finalists being announced. Most of them aren’t actually named, but I totally feel the connection to all of them. I guess this is supposed to be a mini reality show, but they don’t exactly seem to know how to make these things work. Ok so the swimsuit part worked for obvious reasons.

Eugene is warming up and wonders where Regal is. Evolution tells him not to worry about it when Bischoff comes in. HHH gives him a big speech about not worrying about it because Eugene is with Evolution. Eugene leaves and they all crack up.

Eugene vs. HHH

So…..I thought HHH had to win to get the title shot at Vengeance but since that’s already confirmed, I’m not sure what the point is here. Ric Flair is here with HHH. Eugene is star struck and does HHH pose on the apron with him. They shake hands to start and HHH hits a pretty soft hiptoss. Eugene is right back with a slightly harder one and HHH isn’t pleased. He’ll shake Eugene’s hand again though before slapping on a headlock.

Eugene powers out and shoves him down, meaning it’s time for a bunch of Hogan poses. The test of strength goes to Eugene and he cranks on Flair’s hand for a bonus. With nothing else working, HHH goes amateur but Eugene reverses into a belly to back suplex. HHH is furious on the floor as we take a break. Back with HHH getting armdragged into an armbar but he complains about the pain and Eugene lets go. That might be a first and something more people should try in the future. Who knew Eugene was a pioneer?

That’s finally enough for HHH as he decks Eugene with a right hand and the slow beating continues. HHH chokes in the corner and cuts off a comeback with a spinebuster for two. Some rams into the corner wake Eugene up though and that means an airplane spin for HHH. A top rope ax handle gets two and the Pedigree is countered with a backdrop.

The Rock Bottom and People’s Elbow send HHH outside as Eugene spins around in a circle. Flair gets punched down as well but HHH is back in with the Pedigree. HHH covers, only to have Bischoff come out and say that HHH needs to beat Eugene even more or there’s no title shot. That means a chair so here’s Benoit to make the save as the match is thrown out.

Rating: D. I’m still trying to figure out why the match was still happening if HHH was getting the shot anyway. Odds are it’s Bischoff and HHH doing favors for each other, but it would be nice to actually mention that instead of changing the story in the middle of the show. Anyway, this was just a step above a comedy match with Eugene doing all of his goofy stuff and HHH selling for him for a bit before laying him out to draw in Benoit for the save. It was a bad mixture of two styles and it didn’t work.

Benoit has to fight off the rest of Evolution but hits Eugene square in the head with the chair by mistake. The distraction lets HHH get in the low blow and the Pedigree to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. Well that was certainly something. You had the awesome Rock segment, two long matches with one being pretty good and the other being a rather bad mess with HHH and Eugene not exactly meshing, a whopping four Diva Search segments and a bunch of people talking about how Eugene was going to get destroyed. That’s a really weird recipe for a show and while there are parts of it that worked, the big story of Eugene vs. HHH didn’t work and that’s what dominated the show. But hey, at least HHH gets another title shot!

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 21, 2018
Location: NEC Arena, Birmingham, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for another double shot as we continue to try and get through all the old tapings, even though there’s another taping scheduled for this weekend. Apparently I’m not allowed to complain about such things though so we’ll move on to what’s on tap this week, which includes to more first round matches in the Women’s Title tournament. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

NXT UK Women’s Title Tournament First Round: Xia Brookside vs. Rhea Ripley

Ripley throws her down by the face to start so Xia tries to grapple her down as well. The hurricanrana is countered into a buckle bomb though as the much smaller Brookside can’t do much with the much bigger Ripley. A delayed suplex and a dropkick to the back of the head give Ripley two and it’s off to a standing Texas Cloverleaf. Brookside fights up and snaps off a headscissors before going up top. The high crossbody is countered into the Riptide to give Ripley the pin at 5:14.

Rating: D+. Just a step above a squash here with Ripley looking dominant. That’s not at all surprising as WWE clearly thinks something of her and wants her to be a big deal. She’s got the stuff to be a big deal and pushing her makes a lot of sense. Brookside certainly has potential with a good look and natural abilities but at 20 years old, she needs some experience. There’s nothing wrong with that and I’m sure she’ll be around in the future.

James Drake and Zack Gibson have known each other for a long time and no team can challenge them. Last week was just a friend helping a friend. This interview is over.

We look back at Wolfgang and the Coffey Brothers attacking Moustache Mountain last week. The beating continued after the show ended with Trent Seven’s leg being crushed under an anvil case.

Eddie Dennis vs. Jack Starz

The fans are behind Dennis, who is nearly a foot taller than Starz. Dennis takes him to the ropes to start and blasts Starz with a forearm to the face. Some choking keeps Starz in trouble and a spinning Rock Bottom backbreaker gets two. Starz actually tells him to bring it on and hits some uppercuts. That just earns him a Razor’s Edge buckle bomb though and the lifting inverted DDT is good for the pin on Starz at 3:19.

Rating: D. Starz got in more offense than he should here but I still like Dennis’ work. He looks like a monster and has a better backstory than most around here, which is something that helps him stand apart. If nothing else just having his size is going to make him that much more interesting. Just a squash here for the most part though, with Dennis dominating.

Next week: Tyson T-Bone vs. Dave Mastiff.

Mark Andrews vs. Mike Hitchman

Back in and Hitchman scores with a half and half suplex and a running backsplash (he loves that move) in the corner for two. A frog splash misses but Hitchman turns him upside down off a clothesline. That just earns him Stundog Millionaire and the shooting star (headbutt version) gives Andrews the pin at 5:27.

Eddie Dennis is happy to be undefeated when Ashton Smith comes in to say he could handle Dennis. That sends Dennis over the edge so he promises to take care of Smith.

NXT UK Women’s Title Tournament First Round: Isla Dawn vs. Toni Storm

Dawn dropkicks her into the corner at the bell and hits a belly to back suplex for two. Toni is rocked early and some elbows to the face make things even worse. Some forearms have no effect on Dawn, who scores with a pair of jumping knees to the face for two. The Rings of Saturn go on and Toni has to turn around several ways to finally get to the rope for the break. Dawn talks some trash and gets kicked in the face, followed by a running hip attack in the corner. A hard German suplex sets up Storm Zero for the pin on Dawn at 4:06.

Rating: C+. That was short but Dawn looked way better than she has in a long time. She beat up the much bigger star for a few minutes, which is quite the feat in a match that should be the most obvious ending on this show so far. You know Storm is getting a deep run in this thing after winning the Mae Young Classic so the win wasn’t exactly in doubt, but it was still cool to see Dawn make a go of it.

Storm helps her up.

Here are the semifinals, which will take place next week:

Toni Storm

Jinny

Rhea Ripley

Dakota Kai

Not bad at all.

Jordan Devlin vs Ligero

Feeling out process to start with Ligero working on the wrist and armdragging him to the mat into a rollup. That earns him a SI chant, even though Ligero is from England. A headscissors down gets two and we get what sounds like an Elite chant. Devlin is right back with a release Rock Bottom into a standing moonsault for two and it’s off to a neck crank. Back up and a heck of a back elbow gets two on Ligero and Devlin says Ligero isn’t on his level.

A crossbody gets Ligero out of trouble but Devlin grabs his leg in a smart move. Ligero knees his way out of a suplex and gets two off a Code Red. That’s enough of this nearly getting pinned thing for Devlin, who knees him hard in the mask. In a cool spot, Devlin pulls him up from the mat into a belly to back suplex, all in one motion with a hard landing. Ligero is somehow alive enough to send him to the floor for another headscissors and it’s time to go back inside.

The top rope splash hits Devlin’s raised knees though and a Spanish Fly gets two with Devlin not believing the kickout. With nothing on the mat working, Devlin ties him up in the Tree of Woe for a double stomp but Ligero does a situp into a belly to back superplex. Now the top rope splash connects for two and they’re both down. They head to the apron for a slugout but Devlin sends him face first into the steps. That means a moonsault to the floor, followed by Ireland’s Call for the pin at 11:44.

Rating: B. I still don’t quite like Devlin as much as some do but he was looking solid here and Ligero was just a step behind him. I’m not entirely sure why Devlin felt the need to beat him up, but at least they had a good match to close out the show. Pete Dunne needs challengers and Devlin wouldn’t be bad as an option. Rather good match here, which is a good sign with none of the top stars involved.

Post match, Devlin calls out Pete Dunne to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show got a lot better as it went on with some of the earlier stuff being pretty weak, but the last two matches were both strong with the main event being a quite good match. They’re starting to develop some stars around here, which has to be the case sooner rather than later because British Strong Style can only carry you so far. Good show here, as things are getting easier to watch.

Results

Rhea Ripley b. Xia Brookside – Riptide

Eddie Dennis b. Jack Starz – Lifting inverted DDT

Mark Andrews b. Mike Hitchman – Shooting star press

Toni Storm b. Isla Dawn – Storm Zero

Jordan Devlin b. Ligero – Ireland’s Call

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

I mean, it’s not like they have anything left to do. And there are some important details.

So….what does this mean?

Really, it’s hard to say at this point as they’re far away from getting off the ground. The names for the shows sound cool and tying it in with a billionaire should do them some good. I have no idea how mainstream this could go, but it’s certainly hot at the moment and they might as well make a go of the whole thing. Now, who will WWE be trying to pick off as fast as they can?

Thoughts?