IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: November 14, 2018
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

We’re still in Philadelphia and on the road to Final Battle, but the big question is how many more ECW names can we get in here. I wonder if Blue Meanie is doing anything tonight. Anyway we still need a card for the pay per view so maybe we can start building things up this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Shane Taylor vs. Jeff Cobb

Non-title. Shane spits on his extended hands and they start ramming into each other. Cobb hits his swinging belly to back suplex but Shane pops up. That earns him a t-bone suplex and Cobb is right back up again. They slug it out until Taylor blasts him with a clothesline. Back from a break with Shane telling Cobb to show him why he’s the chosen one. Cobb is right back up with a running elbow in the corner and a dropkick as Taylor is on the ropes.

Since that’s not impressive enough, a delayed release suplex gives Cobb one. That means the standing moonsault for tow more as Cobb isn’t sure what to do with this guy. Taylor is back up with a running Canadian Destroyer of all things but Cobb is back up with a German suplex. The Tour of the Islands finishes Taylor at 7:05.

Rating: C+. This was EXACTLY as it was advertised with two big guys doing things that people their size shouldn’t be able to do. It was a lot of fun with both guys beating each other up until the other couldn’t stand any longer. Good, fun match that didn’t try to be anything more than it should have. I didn’t expect to like this and they entertained me so well done.

Post match Hangman Page comes in for a staredown with Cobb but they pause to beat up security. Page stares at the title….and one security guard is foolish enough to still be in the ring. Page leaves and Cobb hits a superkick and the Tour of the Islands.

Jay Lethal knows that being World Champion has put a target on his back and Kenny King took a shot at him. He’ll take care of King at Global Wars on November 11 (as in after this show aired) and tonight he’ll show that off in a six man tag.

The Bouncers aren’t sure of their opponents’ names tonight but know they have to win.

Post break, Brian Milonas has lost the Beer City Bruiser. Ok then.

Marty Scurll talks about being stuck in the story of superhero vs. supervillain. Next week, it’s round four. Earlier this month, Scurll won the Survival of the Fittest tournament to earn a World Title shot. There is zero reason for him to be in an extended feud with Shane Helms.

Milonas finds Bruiser drinking because Silas Young won’t talk to him. The talk of hitting people makes Bruiser feel better. Well I’m so glad that problem was started and solved in the span of five minutes.

The Bouncers vs. Cheeseburger/Eli Isom

Cheeseburger and Isom have Ryan Nova in their corner. Isom can’t do much to Bruiser to start so he steps on the big man’s foot. The suplex just isn’t happening though and Bruiser sends him into the corner, only to miss a charge. It’s off to Cheeseburger for a chop, followed by a sleeper to the also tagged in Milonas. He staggers over for a tag to Bruiser for a side slam/dropkick combination and it’s time to bite Cheeseburger. Make your own jokes.

Milonas sits on Cheeseburger in the corner but misses a charge and goes shoulder first into the post. That’s enough for the hot tag to Isom and the pace picks up. A high crossbody gets two on Milonas and everything breaks down. Cheeseburger DDTs Bruiser and Isom manages a suplex for two. The dive is caught though and Cheeseburger gets posted, leaving Isom to take Closing Time for the pin at 6:02.

Here’s So Cal Uncensored for a chat, where they suck up to Philadelphia and insult it, because that’s what Scorpio Sky does. Kazarian calls this place sacred ground and there’s the required ECW chant. He lists off some names in the Hardcore Hall of Fame and gets the fans to chant SCU, who at least work for this company. Daniels (in an SC F’N U shirt) says he wants to be serious for a minute and talk about Joe Koff throwing out Kazarian and himself after this year’s Final Battle.

Some things have changed since then and now Koff should want to keep SCU around here. Maybe the best way to prove their value is to take the Tag Team Titles from the Briscoes. They came up short at Death Before Dishonor, but next week it’s the Briscoes vs. the Addiction and the Young Bucks. Daniels promises to win the titles next week and next year, the best thing about Ring of Honor is going to be SCU. Good fire from Daniels here, which tends to be the case. The trio goes to leave but here are the Briscoes to beat them down, including a Jay Driller to Daniels on the stage. That sounds like an injury angle.

Daniels was helped to the back during the break.

Jay Lethal/Jonathan Gresham/??? vs. The Kingdom

A kick to the leg sets up a dropkick to send O’Ryan into the corner for the tag off to Marseglia. Vinny wants the peacock though and it’s off to Castle for a big reaction. Castle can’t hit a bulldog but can hit the peacock pose with those wild eyes. Another takedown lets Castle work on the arm for a second, followed by a clothesline to the floor. The teased dive lets Castle bring back the slow motion strut and now Taven is willing to come in. Taven gets in Castle’s face but the rest of the Kingdom pulls Lethal and Gresham down, allowing Matt to take over with a cheap shot.

Everything breaks down and Gresham cleans house, allowing the hot tag to Castle. A running knee in the corner gets two on Taven and Gresham elbows Marseglia down. That means a dive onto O’Ryan but the shooting star hits knees. Lethal hits the Lethal Injection on O’Ryan as Marseglia brings in a chair. That goes badly though as it’s the Bang-a-Rang onto the chair to give Castle the pin at 12:08.

Rating: C+. This was all about Castle’s return and that worked very well. The fans went coconuts for him and he adds another big name to the roster. I’m not sure what they can do with him at this point but having too much talent around isn’t a problem. Gresham continues to look like a star and it’s always nice to see the Kingdom taking a loss.

Castle poses with the winners but points at the title. Lethal isn’t sure about that so Castle extends a handshake, which Lethal accepts. Sounds like a title match is imminent.

Overall Rating: C. This show had the energy back again with some good wrestling and a nice surprise in the end. They’re starting to talk about Final Battle more too and that’s a good sign as we get closer to the biggest show of the year. Just keep up the angles and stories instead of the filler episodes and things will start getting better at the right time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 14, 2004
Location: Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

We’re past Bad Blood and Chris Benoit is still Raw World Champion. At the same time though, Shawn Michaels vs. HHH had the most epic finish to the most incredible, long running rivalry involving Shawn Michaels and HHH this year. Like really, the best thing ever and nothing will ever approach them. Let’s get to it.

Kane comes in to see Eric Bischoff to start. Bischoff thought Kane’s performance against Chris Benoit was good but they’ve had to name a new #1 contender. Kane isn’t happy but agrees to be a professional. The office is swiftly destroyed.

Opening sequence.

Jim Ross is in the ring to open things up and promises EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE from last night’s Cell match, because it just needs to keep going. As for now though, we need to bring out Shawn and HHH to officially end the rivalry. Leave it to these two to need a closing ceremony. They’re both rather banged up and looking rather serious and stare each other down. JR says last night’s match will be remembered for generations to come but now it needs to end. They need to shake hands and move on with their lives (preach it brother).

Both guys are tentative but here’s Bischoff to cut them off with an announcement about the new #1 contender. Kane cuts that off though and kicks Shawn in the face before turning to HHH. As usual, HHH bails in time, leaving Kane to kick Shawn again. That’s not enough though as he Pillmanizes Shawn’s throat, drawing blood from the mouth. That should get rid of Shawn for a long time, which might be best for everyone involved.

Post break and Shawn is still getting medical treatment with JR just a step above the Owen Hart voice. Shawn gets oxygen and is taken out on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance, as we’re nearly half an hour into the show.

Trish Stratus/Tyson Tomko vs. Lita/Matt Hardy

We get team facts this week, including that Matt and Lita are not morning people but do like margaritas. The women start things off with Trish taking over off a headlock takeover. Back up and the Matrish ducks a clothesline so Lita elbows her in the face for two. So what if a champion almost got pinned? We need to talk about Shawn and HHH NEARLY SHAKING HANDS!!!

The men come in with Tomko not being able to catch a diving Hardy. Tomko forearms him in the back of the head for two and it’s off to the chinlock. That goes as long as you would expect so Matt reverses a powerslam into a tornado DDT. Trish tags herself back in and gets clotheslined by Lita as the pace picks up. An enziguri drops Trish again as everything breaks down. Matt hits a good looking dive onto Tomko, leaving Lita to DDT Trish for the pin.

Rating: D. Another not great match and another instance of the champion losing the night after she wins the title. I’m not sure how smart that is, but given the state of the women’s division at the moment, it’s not like there are many people with any real value. Tomko continues to look fine as a power guy, but not being able to catch Matt didn’t do him any favors.

HHH comes in to see Bischoff and wishes Shawn good health. As for the important part though, HHH should be #1 contender after winning last night. Bischoff doesn’t think so just yet, because HHH needs to beat Eugene next week. Dang it they were doing so well. HHH seems pleased.

La Resistance vs. Hurricane/Rosey

Non-title flag match, on Flag Day. This time though it’s just a regular match with the winners having their flag raised and their national anthem played. Rosey and Grenier start things off with the big man sending him into the corner for a leg lariat from Hurricane. That means a striking of the pose but Grenier picks him up for a double hot shot.

Conway comes in for the short form chinlock and Hurricane fights up in short order. The Blockbuster connects and it’s back to Rosey for the house cleaning. Rosey blasts them both with clotheslines as everything breaks down. Hurricane gets posted so Hurricane grabs a suplex on Grenier but Conway trios the leg for the Bobby Heenan finish to give Grenier the pin.

Rating: D. Short and to the point here as the French guys get another win, which should be the case in a regular match. It would have been one thing if this had been the capture the flag version but you don’t want the champs losing so soon. You know, like Trish did in the previous match.

The Canadian anthem plays, though it sounds like the short form.

Video on the Diva Search, including the explanation of a fan vote. Egads please get it over with fast.

A nervous Lita goes into the bathroom with a pregnancy test.

It’s Highlight Reel time with special guest Eugene, accompanied by William Regal. Eugene uses the set like a maze and holds his microphone upside down. Jericho says he and Eugene are both sexy beasts and Eugene is a bit embarrassed. It turns out that Eugene is a Jericho fan and his favorite moment is when he relieved himself in Regal’s tea. Eugene: “I did the same thing last week.” Regal’s response is as annoyed/hilarious as you would expect.

On to more serious things, Eugene is excited about getting to face HHH. Jericho says enjoy it while you can because HHH doesn’t like anyone and only cares about himself. The only reason Bischoff made the match was so HHH could beat him up and end his career. This brings out Evolution and Randy Orton has a present. HHH insists that they’re all his friends and Jericho is a mean liar. HHH is the biggest friend he has because he’s bigger than the Rock and Chris Benoit.

That brings us to the present: a HHH hat, a HHH shirt (goes on over the jacket) and an autographed picture from HHH. Finally, there’s an Evolution shirt and HHH has Eugene sign it for him. We even get a cameraman to take a photo with Eugene and HHH (HHH: “On three you’re gonna say Pedigree.”). There’s no attack, as instead HHH talks about how Jericho and Regal have been lying to Eugene. If they do it again, come tell HHH and he’ll take care of it. HHH talks up their match and says he knows he’ll have a great time.

Eugene and Regal leave so Jericho glares at HHH. Jericho knows what’s up and is going to be the first in line when Eugene beats him next week. HHH denies everything and promises to win tonight’s elimination match. Then he’s getting the title back, because he deserves it and Jericho knows that.

There’s a lot here and most of it is good. First of all, Eugene plays this character to perfection. You actually buy that there’s something wrong with him and it’s turned into one of the best played characters WWE has had in a long time. Then there’s HHH, who was nailing the condescending jerk who has things exactly where he wants them and knows it. As a bonus, Regal was great with his sneering as he and Jericho know exactly what’s going on but don’t want to crush Eugene.

That being said, I’m not so sure about having Eugene dealing with Evolution. I know he’s one of the hottest things in the company right now, but part of the reason is he’s a fun character and not someone to be taken seriously. I could see something like a match with Flair, who is the one member of the team that can absorb loss after loss. The rest though, especially HHH, is a big step up for him and it’s running a very big risk.

Stacy Keibler asks to borrow Lita’s elbow pads and the very nervous Lita admits that she’s pregnant. Of course Stacy is happy and says she and Matt will be great parents. Lita doesn’t her to tell anyone because she’s going to tell Matt tonight. Remember how many great things there were in the previous segment? Reverse all of that here.

Stacy Keibler/Nidia vs. Molly Holly/Gail Kim

In a rather selfish move, JR and Lawler talk about Lita being pregnant. Dude did you not hear her talking to Stacy on live television in front of millions of people? She didn’t want anyone to know yet! Nidia armdrags Gail down to start and a dropkick sends her into the corner for the tag off to Molly. A surprisingly good counter gets Nidia out of a wristlock but Molly takes her down and cranks on the arm. Stacy comes in for her variety of leg based offense and a slap, all while looking as unnatural as possible.

The front facelock goes on and the referee doesn’t see the tag to Nidia. He does see the tag to Gail, as Lawler can’t believe anyone would miss anything in a match involving four women. Gail works on the leg with a really unique leglock where she puts on something like a Figure Four but bridges up the legs look like an arch. Nidia makes a quick save so it’s back to Molly for a double clothesline. With Nidia knocks down, Gail puts on a Brock Lock with a headscissors to make Stacy tap.

Rating: D. Gail’s submissions were rather nice and that’s definitely a better style for her than the basic stuff she’s been doing. Stacy….just no. She’s not good in the ring and looks completely lost out there aside from kicking people in the ribs. She manages to make Torrie Wilson look skilled. That’s a really low bar to set but she’s pulled it off.

Smackdown Rebound.

Long video on the Cell match. My goodness Wrestlemania didn’t get this much coverage.

Somewhere around here, a five minute preview of the Joe Schmo Show aired. While that was taking place, Tajiri defeated A-Train.

We recap everything Kane has done tonight, including wrecking Shawn’s throat.

Evolution vs. Chris Benoit/Edge/Chris Jericho

That would be Batista/Randy Orton/Ric Flair (with HHH at ringside) and this is under elimination rules. Orton and Jericho start things off with Randy being taken to the mat for an early bow and arrow. Flair comes in to work on a hammerlock and drive Jericho into the corner for some shots to the back. It’s off to Batista for a powerslam as the picking apart of Jericho continues. Lawler keeps babbling on about HHH being Eugene’s friend, to the point where JR shouts about tapping out and says maybe HHH is, just to shut Lawler up.

Jericho gets over for the tag off to Edge, meaning the required backdrop to Flair. A clothesline puts Flair on the floor and a double dropkick does the same to Batista as we take a break. Back with Benoit getting out of trouble with some chops to Flair. Edge comes in so Flair is waiting on him with a thumb to the eye to take over again. A clothesline has Flair screaming about his neck and Edge makes it worse with some right hands in the corner. Benoit and Batista come in for the exchange of chops until Batista plants him with the spinebuster.

It’s back to Orton for a forearm to the neck as JR talks about Orton bragging today. He was even bragging about it on a CELL PHONE. Now you know it’s serious. Flair puts on an armbar, followed by Batista getting two off a suplex as the alternating continues. The beating goes on for so long that the announcers start recapping the show and talking about the Wright Brothers. Benoit kicks Batista away and brings Jericho back in for a failed Walls attempt.

The big clothesline takes Jericho down as well as the Canadians just can’t get much going here. Jericho gets in the enziguri though and everything breaks down. Edge’s spear and the Swanton sets up the Lionsault gets rid of Batista. Flair comes in next and kicks Jericho in the ribs as the fans give Batista the Goodbye Song. It’s quickly off to Orton for a rather aggressive chinlock with Lawler being way too happy with the cranking.

Jericho fights up and brings Edge back in but he charges into a raised boot. He’s fine enough to superplex Orton but HHH breaks up the spear. Flair goes up but gets slammed right back down, allowing the latest hot tag to Jericho. That means the running forearm as everything breaks down again. Jericho gets the Walls on Flair but HHH offers a distraction, meaning it’s the RKO to give Flair the pin, tying things up. Back from a break with Orton chopping Benoit as JR thanks the network for letting them stay on the air late.

Flair comes in and loses a strike off to Benoit (well duh) and takes a few shots from Edge as well, giving us the Flair Flop. The classic poke to the eye lets Orton come back in for another chinlock. JR is even talking about the angles of the chinlock, making me think Orton might use a few too many chinlocks. Edge fights up and hits a spinwheel kick as JR is way too happy to talk about how late the show is going. Benoit comes in again to exchange chops with Flair, followed by the rolling German suplexes.

Without a tag, Orton comes in as well, earning himself a German suplex of his own. It’s another tag to Edge to clean house (it must be the cleanest house in the world after all this) and a spear hits Flair. Unfortunately a low blow and the RKO hit Edge, giving Orton the pin to make it 2-1.

Actually scratch that as a quick Crossface makes Flair tap and it’s Benoit vs. Orton. Benoit is spent so Orton comes in and unloads with forearms to the chest but Benoit turns it into a slugout instead. More rolling German suplexes are blocked by elbows to the head….and the referee gets bumped. Benoit goes for the Sharpshooter but has to German suplex HHH. Now the Sharpshooter is enough to make Orton tap for the win.

Rating: A-. Now this worked. So often you’ll get a match that is just long instead of good but in this case you had both. These guys beat each other up and it really did feel like it was about survival by the end. Evolution vs. Canada N Pals is one of the best things to happen to this show in a long time and this was another great example. Really strong main event here and Benoit winning in the end is a great call.

Overall Rating: B. This worked very well for the most part with the long main event taking up about a fourth of the show and the Highlight Reel taking up even more time. The rest of the show, mainly meaning the Lita drama and that kind of weird tag match (You already have Trish vs. Lita for the title. Did we need to spend the time on Gail and Molly?), wasn’t worth seeing but the good stuff here was really good.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: November 14, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the go home show for Takeover: WarGames II and the card seems to be mostly set. This time around there might only be four matches, but one of them will be 2/3 falls and another is WarGames so things should be fine. Tonight is the big final push towards the show and that should make for a fun show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Bianca Belair vs. Mia Yim

This was set up last week in a backstage argument. Belair grabs her by the hair to start and throws Mia down without too much effort. Mia is right back with a headlock takeover and some trash talk, followed by the knee strikes. A pair of dropkicks have Belair in trouble and two more knock her down but Mia gets sent outside. Back in and Belair cranks on the neck, which does as much damage as you might expect. Some choking in the corner keeps Mia down but Belair spends too much time bragging to the crowd.

A missed legdrop lets Mia start the comeback, including sending her face first into the middle buckle. An assortment of kicks are cut off by a spinebuster to give Belair two but Mia is back with palm strikes. The cannonball in the corner connects and looks to set up Soul Food, which is reversed into the KOD to give Belair the pin at 8:04.

Rating: B-. This started slow but got much better by the end in a good match. Belair has all the natural talents you could ask for and the character work is coming along. A veteran like Yim is more polished and that’s always something valuable to have around. They’re testing Belair more every time and it’s becoming very fun to watch.

Ricochet and Pete Dunne argue over who will face a member of the Undisputed Era in the match for an advantage in WarGames. Hanson gets tired of the argument and says he’ll take the spot himself.

Long video on Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano with clips of the investigation spliced together with clips of Johnny’s big explanation last week and Gargano’s obsession with Tommaso Ciampa. It’s very, very impressive to weave three stories together like that and they knocked it out of the park.

Matt Riddle talks about how awesome his time here has been so far when Kassius Ohno comes in. Why hasn’t Riddle challenged him to a match yet? When Ohno came back to NXT, he challenged Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode but Riddle hasn’t done a thing. Riddle is cool with that and the match is set for next week.

Karisa Rivera vs. Lacey Evans

Rivera is a second generation wrestler. A drop toehold takes Karisa down and that means some pushups on her back. Rivera comes back with a dropkick for one, which just annoys Evans. She rams Karisa’s head into the mat over and over, followed by the Woman’s Right for the pin at 1:50.

Post match Lacey says so many ladies have forgotten about sophistication, but she’ll lead by example.

Video on Tommaso Ciampa vs. Velveteen Dream, which also spun off from the Aleister Black attack. Ciampa, who talks to his title, wants everyone out of his spotlight and you just don’t say that to the Dream. Lars Sullivan isn’t mentioned at all.

Video on Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler. They’ve feuded for over a year now and what should be the final showdown is 2/3 falls with Baszler defending again. Sane holding up her empty treasure chest is a great visual and exactly what you would expect from her.

Takeover rundown.

Hanson vs. Kyle O’Reilly

The winners team gets the WarGames advantage. Kyle’s early right hands have no effect and Hanson screams at him. After a shoulder puts him down, O’Reilly tries sitting on the mat and kicking from his back. Hansen picks him up without much effort and puts him on the corner for some slaps to the chest. O’Reilly finally gets smart by kicking at the knee but not being able to get a half crab.

Instead he slaps Hanson in the head a few times and then chop blocks the monster down. The kneebar goes on so Hanson uses the free leg to kick O’Reilly square in the jaw. Hanson is up with a swinging powerslam for two and O’Reilly bails to the floor, only to get caught with a suicide dive. O’Reilly is dead and here’s Adam Cole for a distraction, causing Hanson to miss a moonsault.

A running knee gives O’Reilly two and it’s off to an ankle lock. Hanson makes the rope and Cole hits an enziguri to give O’Reilly two more. Cue Rowe to take care of Cole, allowing Hanson to clothesline O’Reilly down. Fish and Strong come out to take care of Rowe, drawing Dunne out as well. Ricochet comes out and hits a big flip dive over the referee to take everyone out. The distraction lets O’Reilly hit Hanson with a title for the pin at 11:59.

Rating: B-. Nice match here with all of the interference being appropriate for once. You had to know the Undisputed Era was going to win here because it’s WarGames, but it was nice to have the match actually be fun. It helps that all of the Undisputed Era can put on a good match so throwing them out there in singles works just fine.

One last WarGames video wraps us up.

Overall Rating: A. Good wrestling, very good build towards Takeover, angle advancement and a big match being set up for next week. What else could you ever ask for out of a go home show? This show did everything it could be asked to do and that made for a really easy show that made me want to see Saturday’s show. That’s as good as it gets and NXT nailed it again.

Results

Bianca Belair b. Mia Yim – KOD

Lacey Evans b. Karisa Rivera – Woman’s Right

Kyle O’Reilly b. Hanson – Belt shot to the head

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 14, 2018
Location: NEC Arena, Birmingham, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s tournament time as last week’s big announcement saw the creation of the NXT UK Women’s Title, which we do actually need around here for the sake of keeping things a little more interesting. We’re getting two tournament matches tonight so they’re certainly hitting the ground running. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at the tournament and the women involved.

Opening sequence.

NXT UK Women’s Title Tournament First Round: Dakota Kai vs. Nina Samuels

Kai kicks her down to start and gets two off an early double stomp. Samuels kicks her leg off the middle rope though and a running knee to the back gets two. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker is good for the same as Samuels is certainly staying focused. We hit the Gory Special until Kai reverses into a sunset flip for two of her own. Kai starts in with the kicks and it’s the Facewash in the corner. The Kairopractor is good for the pin on Samuels at 4:40.

Rating: D+. Was anyone expecting anything else? Samuels got to do a little bit here but Kai is one of the more popular names in the division and it would make no sense to have her lose in the first round. I doubt she wins the title, but at least whoever beats her will get a nice rub out of it.

Mark Andrews wants some gold. Flash Morgan Webster comes in and says he does too so a team is suggested. Webster is really bad at reading from a script. Andrews seems interested.

Ashton Smith isn’t going to be broken by his loss last week. Eddie Dennis comes in to mock him and a match seems to be set for next week.

Jake Constantino vs. Tyson T-Bone

Constantino doesn’t get an entrance but seems to be an amateur wrestler. T-Bone wants to prove he’s tough. Jake (must be related to Rico) gets shoved away to start and T-Bone splashes him from behind. A big running elbow gets two and the neck crank goes on. Constantino tries to fight up but gets punched in the face to cut him down. T-Bone finishes him with a lariat at 2:04.

Post match T-Bone asks if that’s the best this place has to offer. That was a joke. As he leaves, Dave Mastiff comes out for his match and staring ensues.

Dave Mastiff vs. Dan Moloney

Dan tries slugging away to start but makes the mistake of trying an Irish whip. That earns him a big dropkick from Mastiff as T-Bone is still watching. Mastiff hits a dead lift German suplex, followed by the Cannonball for the pin at 1:20. Total squash.

Sid Scala knows he needs to go back to the drawing board but wants one more opportunity. He’s going to ask Johnny Saint for that chance.

NXT UK Women’s Title Tournament First Round: Jinny vs. Millie McKenzie

The fans seem to be behind McKenzie as she works on Jinny’s arm, earning herself a slap from the free arm. A running back elbow drops Jinny, who backs up into the corner. That’s just a ruse though (what a villain) for a Downward Spiral into the middle buckle. The fans call Jinny a Primark (an inexpensive clothing store) Princess as the chinlock goes on.

Back up and Jinny gets a quick rollup into a surfboard (cool), sending Millie bailing to the ropes Millie fights up and hits a heck of a spear, followed by a better looking German suplex. Jinny is right back up with a Japanese armdrag, followed by a windup rolling Liger kick for the pin at 4:52.

Rating: C. Jinny has charisma and I could see her being a big star with the right vignettes. The fashionista thing isn’t going to work very well and given that she’s facing Toni Storm in the second round, I don’t expect to see her going very far. McKenzie wasn’t great but she definitely has potential and the fans reacted to her. That’s more than some people can get so she’s off to a good start.

We look back at Jordan Devlin calling out Ligero.

Video on Ligero.

Next week: Devlin vs. Ligero.

Zack Gibson vs. Trent Seven

Before the match, Gibson says he’ll be NXT UK’s number one soon. Gibson takes him down by the wrist as the fans has managed to get the fans to take their shoes off again. That’s switched off to an ankle twist as the fans are shouting something else now. Trent gets up and chops him to the floor with Gibson thinking about walking. Tyler Bate comes out to keep things in the arena, sending Gibson back inside for an uppercut to Seven.

A few more shots to the arm and face put Seven in trouble again, followed by a backdrop driver for two. Gibson suplexes him down by the arm but Seven starts getting up. Seven knocks him to the floor for a suicide dive, followed by a powerbomb for two back inside. Gibson fights out of a half crab but can’t reverse it into the Shankley Gates. Instead he settles for two off a belly to back suplex and it’s time to slug it out.

That goes to Seven, who catches Gibson with a swinging sitout slam for two. Gibson is right back with the middle rope Codebreaker for two of his own, followed by the Shankley Gates. Seven finally makes the rope, causing Gibson to yell at Bate. The Seven Star Lariat gives Trent two but here’s James Drake to jump Bate. The distraction lets Gibson grab a small package (with Drake offering some extra leverage) for the pin at 12:59.

Rating: B. Seven has grown on me more than almost anyone else on the show as he’s gone from someone I really didn’t like back in the day to one of the more reliable acts around. Having Gibson beat him is the right call as they have to build some people up and Gibson is most of the way there already. He could very easily be the top heel and is almost there already. Good match.

Post match Wolfgang and the Coffey Brothers come in and beat down Moustache Mountain to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Definitely the better of the two shows this week thanks to a strong main event. They did a better job of getting people on the show this time and that’s a good idea as they still don’t have very many big names set up yet. Gibson is pretty much set, but they need to find a way to set people up other than having them face Moustache Mountain. The tournament starting is a good sign as well and thankfully it seems to be a short one. Things are starting to roll around here, even if the two hours a week is still a bad idea.

Results

Dakota Kai b. Nina Samuels – Kairopractor

Tyson T-Bone b. Jake Constantino – Lariat

Dave Mastiff b. Dan Moloney – Cannonball

Jinny b. Millie McKenzie – Wind-up Liger kick

Zack Gibson b. Trent Seven – Small package

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 14, 2018
Location: NEC Arena, Birmingham, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re finally to the second set of tapings as WWE continues to try and catch up with the past. The big story tonight is some kind of announcement from Johnny Saint, which likely means a new title. With only one around here, they kind of need to bring one in at some point. They’ve teased a Women’s Title and Tag Team Titles so either one is possible. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

The women’s division comes out to the stage and there’s something under a cover. Well they’re certainly not being subtle. HHH comes out and introduces GM Johnny Saint before making the obvious announcement. The belt is revealed and it’s basically the UK Title with a white strap.

We look back at the Coffey Brothers and Wolfgang attacking Ashton Smith three weeks (your time may vary given when these shows air) ago. Smith gets Wolfgang tonight, though the description says he’s facing Tyler Bate. Come on guys it’s not that hard.

The lights are far lower than usual this time and it does add something to the atmosphere.

Sid Scala vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin shoves him into the corner to start and says Scala doesn’t belong here. A hard whip into the same corner has Scala in more trouble as we seem to be in squash territory. Devlin starts in on the arm, as is required around here. A slingshot cutter gives Devlin two but Scala is right back with a sunset flip for the same. The fans get behind Sid (it’s easy to do with an underdog) but Devlin dropkicks him out of the air. Ireland’s Call finishes Sid at 3:17.

Rating: C-. Devlin looked better than he has before here but that’s not exactly saying much. I still don’t get much of a feel for him due to being another ticked off guy from the UK and being from Ireland isn’t much of a gimmick. At least he squashed Scala here and that’s what he needs to do, aside from finding a better character.

Post match Devlin says it doesn’t matter who the fans think he is because he knows himself. There’s a guy in the back named Ligero who calls himself a luchador. Devlin: “He’s from Leeds!”

We look back at Moustache Mountain telling the locker room to team up and give them competition.

Video on Tyson T-Bone.

Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams vs. Saxon Huxley/Joseph Conners

Two first time teams here. Jordan and Huxley start things off with the smaller Jordan flipping out of a hiptoss and dancing a bit. Williams comes in for a wristlock as Joseph says Conners and Huxley are NXT UK originals. Conners offers a distraction and Huxley slams Jordan down for two. Some forearms just earn Jordan an elbow to the face and a clothesline takes him down.

A middle rope clothesline drops Huxley but Conners runs in and knocks Williams off the apron. Since this is WWE though, the hot tag goes through a few seconds later. Williams hits a springboard back elbow to knock Huxley to the floor but his tornado DDT is shoved off. A sunset bomb puts Williams into the corner and Don’t Look Down (a lifting Downward Spiral) gives Conners the pin at 4:50.

Rating: D+. This was a run of the mill power vs. speed match and since that’s almost impossible to screw up, this was watchable enough. I’m not all that impressed by most of them, though Williams certainly has some skill. Huxley and Conners continues to be people who just exist though, as the heels are still pretty weak around here.

We’ve got tournament brackets:

Dakota Kai

Nina Samuels

Rhea Ripley

Xia Brookside

Millie McKenzie

Jinny

Toni Storm

Isla Dawn

Each entry gets a quick bio graphic.

Trent Seven isn’t worried about Zack Gibson. He couldn’t beat Pete Dunne so now he’s calling out the rest of British Strong Style. And yes that’s a challenge, with the match set for next week.

James Drake vs. Tyler Bate

The fans start a BIG STRONG BOY chant. To be fair the referee is looking jacked. Bate works the arm to start with Drake’s chinlock counter getting him nowhere. Drake elbows him in the face and puts Bate on the apron, only to get popped in the jaw. Bate goes up but gets knocked off the top, setting up the chinlock because we need to hit one of those at some point. A dropkick gets two on Bate and it’s right back to the chinlock.

Bate fights up with a clothesline and elbow to the jaw as the pace picks up. A charge is countered into a suplex to send Drake flying and the standing shooting star gives Bate two. Drake gets sent outside for the suicide dive but the Tyler Driver 97 is countered. They slug it out until Drake hits an enziguri, only to miss a charge into the corner. Bate’s bounce off the ropes sets up the Tyler Driver 97 for the pin at 8:32.

Rating: C. Drake is right in there with Devlin as a run of the mill villain who is nowhere near as intimidating or intense as he tries to be. Bate is the second biggest star around here and he’s not losing in one of his first singles matches. It helps that he’s almost a guaranteed good match and this was perfectly fine.

Ashton Smith vs. Wolfgang

The Coffey Brothers are here with Wolfgang. Wolfgang’s wristlock doesn’t work as Smith connects with a dropkick and a headscissors. A middle rope crossbody is countered into a gutbuster though and Wolfgang stomps away. Smith gets whipped hard into the corner to stay on the ribs and it’s off to the waistlock.

That’s switched into a regular bearhug so Smith smacks him in the face a few times for the break. A running clothesline rocks Wolfgang and now the middle rope crossbody connects for two. Smith can’t get him in a fireman’s carry though and Wolfgang hits a running backsplash, even though Smith was sitting up. A reverse fisherman’s suplex finishes Smith at 5:32.

Rating: D+. I haven’t gotten the appeal of Wolfgang since I saw him in the first tournament and that didn’t change here. He’s average at best in the ring and having him as one third of the big bads isn’t the most thrilling thing in the world. Smith has a good look and moves well in the ring, but like so many others, I don’t know anything about him and it’s not getting any better.

Overall Rating: C-. Not much to see here and a lot of it comes down to the lack of character development. They’re getting somewhere with the British Strong Style guys, who happen to be the biggest stars on the show when the whole thing started. The wrestling is watchable but it’s still nothing that keeps me interested from week to week.

Results

Jordan Devlin b. Sid Scala – Ireland’s Call

Saxon Huxley/Joseph Conners b. Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan – Don’t Look Down to Williams

Tyler Bate b. Jordan Devlin – Tyler Driver 97

Wolfgang b. Ashton Smith – Reverse fisherman’s suplex

IMG Credit: WWE

Survivor Series 2013
Date: November 24, 2013
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 13,500
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, John Bradshaw Layfield

Pre-Show: Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz

Miz turned on Kofi in a tag match on Raw to set this up. He offers a handshake to start but Kofi is too smart for that. We get a surprisingly fast start with Kofi trying to get a grip on Miz but settling for a rollup for two. They trade about three rollups each for three in a very nice chain wrestling sequence until we reach a stalemate. Miz goes for the Figure Four but has to duck Trouble in Paradise. Kofi sends him to the floor for a nice dive and we take a break. Back with Kofi holding a chinlock before getting two off a cross body.

The opening video talks about how survival is a must before transitioning to your usual hype video for the World Title matches.

Rey Mysterio/Usos/Goldust/Cody Rhodes vs. Real Americans/Shield

Elimination rules of course and the Real Americans are Jack Swagger and Cesaro. The Usos are twin Samoan high fliers. Ricardo Rodriguez is on Spanish commentary. Colter (a VERY proud American who wants all non-Americans to leave the country) does his usual routine before the match before attempting to twerk because what would a wrestling show be without that?

Cody comes in with a missile dropkick followed by the moonsault press for two on Rollins. Cross Rhodes connects but Reigns made a blind tag, allowing him to spear Cody in half for the elimination, leaving us at 3-2. Jey comes in and takes Reigns to the floor, sending him into the barricade and post. Back in and Rollins makes a quick tag to set up the Black Out (running one foot curb stomp) to eliminate Jey, leaving us with Reigns/Rollins vs. Goldust/Mysterio.

Intercontinental Title: Curtis Axel vs. Big E. Langston

Langston, defending here, is a powerlifter and incredibly strong. This is the rematch from when Axel lost the title on Monday before why change the title here? Axel grabs a headlock to start but Langston easily powers out. They trade leapfrogs until Langston runs him over with ease. Axel sends him to the apron and forearms Langston down to the floor for his first advantage.

Post match Langston cuts a promo that would make Mick Foley proud, mentioning Boston three times in about 20 seconds.

Team AJ vs. Total Divas

AJ Lee/Tamina Snuka/Summer Rae/Alicia Fox/Rosa Mendes/Kaitlyn/Aksana

Bella Twins/Funkadactyls/JoJo/Eva Marie/Natalya

Rating: D-. Other than their looks, nothing was good about this. The whole thing was a way to show us that Total Divas are AWESOME while making it clear that most of them are models who look good in little outfits but have no business EVER being in a ring. AJ continues to be exactly right about everything she says but WWE has decided that the reality “stars” are the heroes, no matter what.

Orton tries to get Charles Robinson on his side to no avail.

Mark Henry vs. Ryback

Now the panel talks a bit.

We recap Cena vs. Del Rio. Nothing special to say here: Cena won the title last month and this is the rematch. Cena opts for no arm brace despite having to take a few months off for elbow surgery.

World Heavyweight Championship: John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio

Santino and R-Truth play with toys. Los Matadores (Primo and Epico as bullfighters), Fandango and John Laurinitis come in for some unfunny comedy. Ok Ace was funny at least.

Wyatt Family vs. CM Punk/Daniel Bryan

A missile dropkick gets two and there are the YES Kicks. The running dropkick in the corner staggers the big man but Harper counters a top rope hurricanrana into a super sitout powerbomb for two. The fans think this is awesome as Bray yells at the Family. Rowan splashes Bryan for two and the second heat segment begins. Harper comes in with some forearms to the back but Punk kicks him in the back of the head to give Bryan a breather.

Bray teases getting in but stays on the floor.

Cena is talking to the Authority about something when Orton comes in to glare at them. The Viper sounds jealous.

WWE Championship: Randy Orton vs. Big Show

Orton is defending and is on the floor about a second after the bell rings. He trips getting back inside to show how confused he is tonight and gets chopped LOUDLY by Big Show. More slow offense sets up more chops by Big Show but Orton comes back with a dropkick and some kicks to the head. A knee drop gets two for the champion and we hit a sleeper. Big Show loudly says “two clotheslines” before hitting two clotheslines and calling for the chokeslam, sending Orton running to the floor.

Back in and Big Show slams him down before going to the top rope, only to be crotched on the top rope. The Elevated DDT out of the corner puts Big Show down and Orton poses a lot. Show grabs a chokeslam out of nowhere for two and loads up the KO punch but Orton bails to the floor. The big man follows him to the floor and throws Orton at the ropes, taking out the referee in the process. Randy finds a chair but gets it slapped out of his hands before they go into the crowd.

That goes nowhere so they head back to ringside where Orton tries the Elevated DDT again, only to have Show escape and hit the KO punch. Back inside and the Authority comes out for a distraction, allowing Orton to hit a quick RKO. The annoying crowd chants for Daniel Bryan as Orton hits the Punt to retain.

Ratings Comparison

The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston

Original:B-

Redo: C

Real Americans/Shield vs. Cody Rhodes/Goldust/Rey Mysterio/Usos

Original:B-

Redo: C

Curtis Axel vs. Big E. Langston

Original:D+

Redo: D+

Total Divas vs. True Divas

Original:D-

Redo: F

Mark Henry vs. Ryback

Original:D

Redo: D

Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena

Original:D+

Redo: B

Wyatt Family vs. CM Punk/Daniel Bryan

Original:B

Redo: B-

Big Show vs. Randy Orton

Original:D-

Redo: D

Overall Rating

Original:D+

Redo: C-

Dang I hated Del Rio back then.

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2013/11/24/survivor-series-2013-they-had-me-for-a-bit/

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Survivor Series 2012
Date: November 18, 2012
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 8,500
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, John Bradshaw Layfield

Pre-Show: 3MB vs. Zack Ryder/Santino Marella

Back to Slater for some shots in the corner but he gives up the hot tag to Santino for all his usual antics. Heath punches him down and brings Jinder in again for some knee drops off the ropes. Santino misses a double clothesline which gives Slater another near fall. The Band stays on Marella but he backdrops Mahal down, allowing for the lukewarm tag off to Ryder. The Broski Boot connects and everything breaks down. A Rough Ryder connects on Slater but the legal Mahal sneaks in with a full nelson slam for the pin on Zack.

Team Clay vs. Team Tensai

Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, Tyson Kidd, Sin Cara, Rey Mysterio

Tensai, Primo, Epico, Prime Time Players

The monsters are going at it back inside and Clay botches his high collar suplex, making it into more of a lifting downward spiral. Tensai avoids a charge in the corner and shoulders Brodus down, setting up a backsplash for the elimination. Gabriel comes in with some kicks to the side but gets taken down by a big shoulder block. Off to Titus for an abdominal stretch followed by a backbreaker. Back to Tensai for two off a backsplash but he misses a second one, allowing Gabriel to get a quick rollup for the elimination.

Divas Title: Kaitlyn vs. Eve Torres

Team Ziggler argues over who is the leader.

US Title: Antonio Cesaro vs. R-Truth

Cesaro (known as the Swiss Superman) is defending and asks why Americans are thankful. The only thing he can think of is how great of a champion he is. Truth gets a quick rollup, sunset flip and rolling cradle for two each before thrusting his hips a bit. Cesaro comes back with a headbutt and a clothesline before pounding away on Truth in the corner. Off to an armbar but a USA chant gets Truth to his feet. The champion shoulders him in the corner and puts on a body vice to keep Truth down again.

World Heavyweight Championship: Sheamus vs. Big Show

Big Show is getting winded so Sheamus pounds away as much as he can, only to miss a charge and go shoulder first into the post. The Final Cut gets two and Show goes to the middle rope, only to be caught in an electric chair of all things for two. They slug it out from their knees and Sheamus takes over, knocking Show down with a running ax handle.

The Brogue Kick and chokeslam are countered and Sheamus gets two off White Noise. Now the fans are getting into this again. Sheamus loads up the Brogue Kick again but takes out the referee by mistake. Four people immediately come out to check on the referee as the replay shows the champion pulling him in the way. Big Show knocks out Sheamus and one of the referees counts a pin to end the match out of nowhere.

Rating: C. The match was slow for the most part and the ending hurts it even worse. This took all the good stuff out of their match at Hell in a Cell and turned it into a dull imitation. This needed to be two monsters firing bombs at each other until neither guy could get up but instead it was your usual Big Show match at about 4 miles per hour.

Team Ziggler vs. Team Foley

Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, David Otunga, Damien Sandow, Wade Barrett

The Miz, Kofi Kingston, HELL NO, Randy Orton

Ryback was originally on Team Foley but was moved to the main event and replaced by Miz in a Raw poll. As you can see, the match is a huge mess and almost no one was interested in it for the most part. HELL NO (Kane and Daniel Bryan) are the Tag Team Champions and Kofi is Intercontinental Champion of course. Sandow is an intellectual.

The Tag Team Champions get in an argument for no apparent reason, allowing Ziggler to hit a quick Zig Zag on Kane for the pin. That makes the move look strong if nothing else. Orton and Miz get in a quick fight for some reason but Randy catches a sneaky Ziggler in the slingshot suplex for two. Off to Kofi for the matchup that will not die with Ziggler being launched face first into the buckle for two. Back to Bryan who gets poked in the eye, allowing Dolph to tag in Barrett.

A double tag brings in Barrett and Miz with the American connecting with the corner clothesline. The Skull Crushing Finale is countered into a pumphandle attempt (called Wasteland by Cole) but Miz escapes into the Finale for the elimination to tie us up at two. Del Rio comes in next but charges into a DDT for two. Alberto grabs a German suplex for two but gets pulled off the middle rope in a crash. Miz misses the corner clothesline and gets enziguried for an elimination.

We recap the main event. Punk has been champion for a year almost to the day, Ryback got screwed over by referee Brad Maddox inside the Cell and Cena gave Ryback his spot in the Cell due to injury. The solution was a triple threat match.

WWE Championship: John Cena vs. Ryback vs. CM Punk

Punk is back in now and scores with a snap suplex on Ryback, but the monster pops right back up and gorilla presses the champion into a fall away slam. Cena comes back in with a belly to belly for two on Ryback before putting on a chinlock. Punk breaks it up with a top rope ax handle and Cena falls to the floor. Another ax handle attempt is caught in midair but Punk takes Ryback down with a neckbreaker. Cena sneaks in with a rollup for two but Punk DDTs him down for two more.

Ratings Comparison

3MB vs. Zack Ryder/Santino Marella

Original:

Redo: D+

Team Clay vs. Team Tensai

Original: B-

Redo: C

Eve Torres vs. Kaitlyn

Original: D-

Redo: D

R-Truth vs. Antonio Cesaro

Original: D

Redo: D

Sheamus vs. Big Show

Original: C-

Redo: C

Team Foley vs. Team Ziggler

Original: C-

Redo: C-

Ryback vs. John Cena vs. CM Punk

Original: B-

Redo: C+

Overall Rating

Original: D+

Redo: D

About the same down the line. It sucked back then and it sucked now. I actually watched most of this show late and while still tired from a flight the first time around but apparently it had more problems than that.

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2012/11/21/survivor-series-2012-a-filler-ppv-disguised-as-a-major-show/

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: November 13, 2018
Location: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

It’s the final show before Survivor Series and last night’s big angle saw the Smackdown women’s division invade Raw with Becky Lynch laying out Ronda Rousey. Now though, it seems that Lynch is going to have to miss the show thanks to a concussion. I’m not sure what that means for Sunday, but I know it’s a downgrade overall. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long recap of the end of last night’s show with Alexa Bliss naming the Raw women’s team but Lynch attacked Rousey to kick off the huge brawl. The bloody nosed Lynch hit Rousey in the arm several times with a chair and posed like a star to end the show.

Lynch is officially out due to the broken face and a concussion. We see Nia Jax throwing a ridiculously hard right hand to cause the injuries. What is that, three women she’s hurt so far?

Here’s AJ Styles to get things going. For the second year in a row, he’s ready to face Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. He’s been defending this title day and day out because he’s the workhorse of WWE. No matter who has come after him, he’s beaten them all….except for Lesnar. As AJ is talking, cue Paul Heyman at the timekeeper’s area to say he represents the champion of champions.

There is no one that Brock wants to fight more than Styles. Heyman lists off some great champions, who is this close to being as good as Daniel Bryan. The fans wanted to see Bryan vs. Lesnar but it’s going to be a pleasure to be at ringside when Lesnar steps in the ring with the second greatest in-ring performer in WWE history. AJ isn’t buying this because while he has nothing but respect for Bryan, he’s already made him tap out.

Yes, Lesnar beat him last year but AJ (who stumbles over his words, including saying he talked out with his head hung high) walks out while Lesnar limped out. Lesnar has been vulnerable for the last 371 days (the length of AJ’s title reign) and on Sunday, he’s getting pinned or tapping out.

Cue Daniel Bryan to say he’s not sure why he was brought up. He did indeed tap out to AJ two weeks ago and has no excused. Bryan respects AJ but he’s been looking for a reason to punch him in the face. If AJ brings him up one more time without reason, he’ll be getting punched in the face.

Bryan goes to leave but AJ says it was Heyman that brought up Bryan’s name. AJ says his name again and the fight is on, drawing out Shane McMahon with agents and referees to break it up. Are we really getting Bryan vs. AJ again tonight? I mean, I’m not complaining but this was really, really forced and I’m not buying the animosity.

Post break Bryan and AJ try to get at it again, this time in the bosses’ office. Shane makes the title match for tonight while Paige literally stands in the background.

Andrade Cien Almas vs. Jeff Hardy

Almas kicks him right at the bell and hammers away in the corner with more aggression than usual. Jeff chops his way out and that means the double Tranquilo pose. A kick to the ribs knocks Almas to the floor and we take a break. Back with Jeff hitting a forearm and the legdrop between the legs.

Almas avoids a charge in the corner and hits the top rope double stomp for two, meaning it’s time to look to Zelina for inspiration. That seems to be the running knees in the corner but Jeff small packages him for two. The Twist of Fate is countered and Almas elbows him in the face for two instead. Hardy is right back with the Twisting Stunner and the Swanton for the pin at 7:53. For some reason, this makes Graves talk about Stephanie.

Rating: C. I feel sorry for Almas, who seems to be the latest toy that WWE has thrown out of the crib. He was looking like a star in the making and for some reason now he can’t win a match. It’s nice that he’s losing to big names, but the losses are still losses. Nice little match here, as both guys know what they’re doing.

Miz and Paige are in the back with Miz confirming that Bryan is now off the team (Huh?) so Miz, as sole captain, names Jeff Hardy as his replacement. He then throws Rey off because Rey was Bryan’s pick. Paige says not so fast as they’ll have a match next and Rey’s spot on the team is at stake.

Shinsuke Nakamura takes his headphones out for an interview about Seth Rollins. Nakamura isn’t worried about Rollins because he’ll….eat him on Sunday? Rollins is obsessed with Dean Ambrose so Nakamura can knee him in the face.

Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz

For Mysterio’s spot in the Survivor Series match. They trade rollups for two each but Miz misses a kick to the head, giving us a standoff. A clothesline gives Miz two and we’re off to the chinlock. Back up and Rey sends him outside but the sliding splash hits knees. We come back from a break with Rey headbutting him off the top and hitting the top rope seated senton. Rey misses the springboard spinning crossbody though and Miz gets two off a slingshot sitout powerbomb. The Skull Crushing Finale is countered into the 619 but the frog splash hits knees to give Miz two more, only to have Rey grab a crucifix for the pin at 7:41.

Rating: C-. They were moving out there but the story being made up and solved in the span of twenty minutes didn’t do this much good. It’s another example of the rapidly changing card, which I’m sure has something to do with the general lack of caring from a lot of fans. Not too bad here, but Mysterio still being on the team doesn’t change much.

Post match Randy Orton comes in to try the RKO on Mysterio but Rey slips out. Miz takes one instead as Rey leaves.

Here’s Paige to introduce the Smackdown women to the show, introducing them one at a time. It’s time to have a new opponent for Ronda Rousey named and here’s Becky to get to make the pick. Becky is rather furious because she’s taken a beating before but now she’s being held out of Sunday’s title match.

Last night Becky got a taste of blood when she had Ronda in the Disarm-Her and that was just a taste of what Ronda was getting at Survivor Series. She could still beat Ronda up, even with a broken face and a concussion. Ronda isn’t the baddest b**** on the planet. She’s just the luckiest. Becky picks…..Charlotte, telling her to make Ronda tap out and giving her a hug. I mean….who needs to save the biggest match the women’s division could ever have for a possible Wrestlemania main event? This is about BRAGGING RIGHTS!

Charlotte says she’s spent half of her career fighting against Becky but on Sunday’s she’s fighting for Becky.

The Bar/Big Show vs. New Day

Sheamus runs Kofi over to start but it’s off to Xavier for the knockdown and the rapid fire knees and splashes from all three New Dayians. Cesaro makes a save and easily blocks the Honor Roll, allowing the tag off to Big Show. The power easily takes and Woods is in trouble as we take a break. Back with Woods taking a double backbreaker and Big E. being knocked to the floor.

Show starts cleaning house and Sheamus takes Woods all the way to the top but gets shoved back down. That means a missile dropkick and the hot tag brings Kofi back in to clean house. Everything breaks down and a Brogue Kick knocks Big E. off the apron. Show pulls Woods to the floor but Kofi hits Sheamus with Trouble in Paradise. The SOS gives Kofi two on Cesaro, who can’t get the Swing. Instead Show tags himself in and punches Kofi out of the air for the pin at 7:33.

Rating: D+. Just another match from these teams with Big Show thrown in for some spice. That’s quite the weak spice though as Show hasn’t been interesting in a long time. That being said, maybe if you want these teams to look important for Sunday, you wouldn’t have one of them taking a clean fall here. Just a thought.

The Colons, the Good Brothers and Sanity are down in the bowels of the building. The Usos come in and name them to the Survivor Series team. Sanity is all cool with this, because even anarchy falls in line for brand loyalty. The Usos give a speech about unity and everyone is happy.

We look back at the opening segment.

Survivor Series rundown.

Smackdown World Title: AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan

Styles is defending and drives him straight into the corner. That just earns him some kicks to the chest but a big backdrop puts Bryan on the floor. The slingshot forearm drops Bryan and we take a break. Back with Bryan hammering away in the corner but AJ takes him down by the knee. An enziguri staggers Styles and Bryan shoves away a springboard. Bryan, working more aggressively here than usual, posts AJ’s arm and it’s time for an armbar.

AJ fights up and they slug it out with the Phenomenal Blitz getting the better of Bryan. A dropkick gives us a double knockdown though and we take a break. Back again with Bryan hitting the running dropkick in the corner, followed by a top rope hurricanrana for two. AJ catches Bryan on top with the Pele, only to get crotched into the Tree of Woe. That means the kicks tot he chest and the top rope belly to back superplex for a delayed two. Bryan misses the big kick and has to fight his way out of the Styles Clash.

AJ messes up the moonsault into the reverse DDT but thankfully Bryan is smart enough to put him in an electric chair, which is reversed into the victory roll for two. The springboard 450 hits Bryan’s knees and it’s the YES Lock but AJ is right next to the ropes. Bryan’s running knee is kicked out and AJ slaps on the Calf Crusher, which is reversed into the YES Lock in the middle of the ring in a sweet counter. AJ powers out of that and catapults Bryan into the corner but AJ’s forearm hits the referee. Bryan kicks AJ low and the running knee gives Bryan the pin and the 19:15.

Rating: B. I’m not sure where we are right now but I think I like it. Bryan’s magic wasn’t connecting again this time around and it makes for a very interesting change of pace for him. The fans clearly care about him and AJ vs. Bryan in a full on face vs. heel match could be incredible. That being said, heel Bryan vs. heel Lesnar would certainly be something. I’m not sure what something, but something.

Post match Bryan kicks AJ in the head and stomps away at AJ’s head, all with a maniacal look on his face.

There was no invasion, despite the security guards being shown multiple times.

Overall Rating: C+. All the twists and turns for the sake of the almighty (for this week at least) brand supremacy aside, they threw a lot of stuff out the window for the sake of shock and necessity tonight and I’m really not sure how to handle that yet. I don’t know if they realized that Survivor Series was dying before their eyes or what, but they certainly made a big splash with the two big deals tonight and those are going to keep people interested for the time being. Bryan vs. Lesnar is happening, albeit with five days’ notice. It certainly wasn’t boring though, and right now I’m good with just that.

Results

Jeff Hardy b. Andrade Cien Almas – Swanton Bomb

Rey Mysterio b. The Miz – Crucifix

The Bar/Big Show b. New Day – KO Punch to Kingston

Daniel Bryan b. AJ Styles – Running knee

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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Someone is going to need to think for me.

Daniel Bryan just turned heel and pinned AJ Styles to become WWE Champion.  I think I like this, especially the heel turn, as it was clear that Bryan’s magic wasn’t exactly clicking this time around.  As for heel Bryan vs. Lesnar…I have no idea where we are right now and I’m intrigued.  I think.

Somebody help me out on this one.

And uh…..yeah.It’s Charlotte, because who needs Wrestlemania when you can have bragging rights?

Now I’m not ready to write this one off yet, because Becky interfering for a screwy finish would bail them out of this and keep it from being a definitive winner.  If that’s the case, then it’s all well and good.  Otherwise, as in if this has a clean finish, I have no idea what they’re possibly thinking.