IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: June 13, 2019
Location: SAP Center, San Jose, California
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Renee Young

I don’t know anymore man. Not that I don’t know what was on the shows this week or what to expect from Main Event, but that I don’t know how much worse things can get as we keep going forward. Raw and Smackdown are pure disasters at this point and somehow the shows are getting worse every week. Let’s see how they spin that this time around. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Titus O’Neil/No Way Jose vs. Viking Raiders

Do you remember when the Vikings squashed the then Tag Team Champions on Raw and haven’t showed up on Raw since? Neither does WWE. Jose tried to dance with Erik to start and gets dropped with a single shot to the face. Ivar comes in and gets his own shows on Jose, followed by the slam from Ivar to send Erik onto Jose. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Jose comes back with a neckbreaker. That’s enough for the tag off to Titus so house can be cleaned. Jose tags himself back in though and it’s the high crossbody for two on Erik. Not that it matters as the Viking Experience finishes Jose at 4:03.

Rating: D. Just a squash here but I’m still trying to figure out how in the world we got here. WWE brings up the Viking Raiders two months ago the night after Wrestlemania after a run in NXT that was so dominant that no one could take the Tag Team Titles from them. Now they’re here on Main Event, beating up No Way Jose and Titus O’Neil while the Revival, the new Tag Team Champions, are there as lackeys for SHANE MCMAHON, because of course it’s about Shane.

We look back at Shane McMahon defeating Roman Reigns at Super ShowDown.

From Raw.

And now, Shane McMahon’s victory celebration. Drew McIntyre is with him and we have live bagpipe players to play him to the ring. Shane talks about growing up in WWE and recognizing special things. That would apply to Roman Reigns, who is a first ballot WWE Hall of Famer. Reigns hits like a mule and has beaten the best WWE has to offer. However, Reigns does not have a victory over Shane because Shane beat him at Super ShowDown. Shane thanks Drew for his preparation but gets cut off by a BORING chant. Shane: “Get used to it. It’s my celebration and I’ve got all night.”

Drew calls Shane the Best in the World but he’s the most dangerous man in the world. At Stomping Grounds, he’s going to give Reigns the beating he deserves and beat him 1-2-3. Shane: “You’re so intense dude.” Shane drinks out of the Best in the World cup before bringing out the Revival. They can’t drink though because they have a Tag Team Title match up next. They can join the party, provided they win some gold. Uh, the titles are silver Shane.

We look at Seth Rollins defeating Baron Corbin and then fending off a Brock Lesnar cash in attempt at Super ShowDown.

From Raw.

Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens

Non-title with Sami Zayn as outside referee. Sami checks Rollins, with the taped up ribs, for weapons and does a much faster check of Owens. They start slowly with Owens working on a wristlock and then an armbar. That’s broken up with some spinning and flipping but Sami offers a distraction so a rollup gets a delayed two. Rollins goes to yell at Sami, allowing Owens to send him outside.

A DDT on the floor drops Rollins and we take a break. Back with Rollins jawbreaking his way to freedom from a chinlock. Owens finally wakes up and goes after the taped up ribs with a backbreaker. A dropkick and forearm to the back but the Sling Blade gets Rollins out of trouble. The ribs go out on a suplex attempt but Owens’ Swanton hits knees.

An exchange of superkicks lets Rollins hit an enziguri but Sami comes in to check on Sami before the frog splash can loss. Rollins low bridges Owens to the floor and hits a suicide dive to take out both villains. The Stomp connects but Sami pulls the referee out at two. Sami takes his place so Seth grabs him by the shirt, earning a DQ at 12:01.

Rating: C. Just announce that Seth can lose the title via DQ at Stomping Grounds and get on with it. This was a preview for the title match that no one wants to see (again) and that’s the perfect way to cap off a boring show like this one. Owens could have been just about anyone here, though at least they did some stuff with the ribs instead of looking like morons.

Post match Corbin comes in and grabs a chair but Rollins takes it away and chases him off. Sami gets chaired down with Rollins exploding as Cole talks about everything he’s been through over the last few weeks. What has he been through? Beating up Lesnar, retaining the title, and then a match here? Rollins hits the Stomp on Sami to end the show with no announcement being made on the guest referee.

Natalya vs. Sarah Logan

They go with the grappling to start with Logan’s headlock not getting her anywhere. Natalya’s works a bit better until she lets it go and yells at Logan instead. It’s off to a leglock on the mat to keep Logan down but that’s reversed into a quickly broken choke. The Sharpshooter attempt is broken up and Logan sends her throat first into the middle rope as we take a break.

Back with Natalya being sent face first into the mat for two, followed by a dropkick for the same. The standing Texas Cloverleaf is broken up and Natalya comes back with the discus clothesline. Back up and another shoulder takes Logan down but the Sharpshooter is broken up. Logan misses a missile dropkick and now it’s the Sharpshooter to make her tap at 11:21.

Rating: D+. Just a match here as the show has to have some kind of main event. Natalya continues to be as solid of a worker as you can get in any division and that’s a great reason to keep her around. She’s going to do something with anyone she’s in there against and can get at least something out of everyone. Logan did her part well enough, but there was nothing here that we haven’t seen a million times.

Stomping Grounds rundown.

From Smackdown to close us out.

New Day vs. Dolph Ziggler/Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn

Woods and Ziggler start things off with Ziggler taking him to the mat and handing it off to Sami for an armbar. Sami gets taken into the corner for the Unicorn Stampede but Kofi gets sent outside so Ziggler can get in a cheap shot. Owens adds a backsplash on the floor and we take a break.

Back with Kofi fighting out of Ziggler’s Crossface and dropkicking Sami down so Woods can come in off the hot tag. A discus forearm has Sami in trouble and a dropkick through the ropes hit Sami and Ziggler. Back in and Ziggler takes Xavier down into a chinlock with a bodyscissors, followed by Sami getting in a chinlock of his own. Owens comes in and gets DDT’d, allowing the real hot tag off to Big E. That means a bunch of suplexes but the Midnight Hour is broken up. Ziggler superkicks Sami by mistake, setting up Trouble in Paradise to Ziggler and another to finish Sami at 13:31.

Rating: C-. Well that happened. This was “hey Big E. is back” and nothing more as he just got to do the big house cleaning spot at the end and that’s about it. I don’t know how this makes me want to see Ziggler vs. Kingston any more, but there is a good chance that Sami/Owens vs. Big E./Woods will be added to Stomping Grounds, which needs some more matches to round out the card.

Overall Rating: D. All this show did was showcase how much talent WWE has but never uses. Look at some of the names on this show (as in the Vikings) who haven’t been on television in weeks. Are they really that much worse than other teams? It’s a similar story with Logan. She might not be the best in the world, but she’s capable of having a passable match with a lot of opponents. Why not throw her on either show for the sake of giving someone a fresh opponent? Oh well. Just go with more Shane and Charlotte instead.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: October 31, 1994
Location: Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, Vermont
Attendance: 1,800
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage

I’m almost scared to see how this era of the company does Halloween. It’s already been a terrible enough time around here and that means it could only get worse given what we’re building towards. The big match for this week is Lex Luger vs. Bob Backlund, which could work under optimal circumstances. However, there is nothing optimal about this time. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with some shots of a graveyard, which Vince manages to transition into Backlund’s nightmares haunting him. Now he’s changed from Dr. Jekyll (he doesn’t say into what exactly) and Luger needs to slay the monster.

Opening sequence.

Lex Luger vs. Bob Backlund

A quick armdrag puts Backlund down and Luger does Backlund’s lunging steps thing. Some leg sweeps have Backlund in more trouble and Bob can’t believe it. The standoff lets Backlund take him down but Luger slips out in something I wouldn’t have bet on. Backlund goes to a wristlock and Luger can’t power out this time. Luger gets taken down by the arm for two as Savage thinks Backlund is scared that the chickenwing won’t work here. Savage: “What if Lex Luger doesn’t exist and we’re watching Lex Luger by himself???” Vince: “Uh….how much of that candy have you eaten?”

Luger powers up but here’s Tatanka as we take a break. Back with Backlund….holding a bearhug? The heck? Luger bails to the ropes from the threat of the chickenwing so it’s off to a hammerlock bearhug (that’s a new one). Some right hands get Luger out of trouble and a running knee lift drops Backlund. Cue Tatanka again and this time the distraction lets Backlund get the chickenwing. Backlund takes him down….and Tatanka comes in for the DQ. What sense does that make?

Rating: D+. I’m still trying to get my mind around Backlund using a bearhug. Anyway, this was a mostly dull match but there was no way they were going to have a clean finish. I’ll give them points for making the chickenwing feel like the scariest move in the company, which is hard to pull off. I remember being scared of it because it was beating EVERYONE and that’s exactly the point.

Post match referees break it up but Backlund goes back in to put the hold on again. Savage finally gets off commentary and breaks it up. Instead of beating on Backlund, he pulls on him instead, which would likely crank on Luger’s arm even more. Then again, Savage was never one to think before he acted. Pretty awesome segment though, with Savage going into the crazy eyes look after the break when he rants about Backlund.

The main event of the third Action Zone: Mabel vs. Yokozuna. So much for that show.

1-2-3 Kid vs. Tony DeVito

The Kid’s hair is rather huge for some reason. Must be a Halloween thing. Savage keeps ranting about Backlund and I kind of want to see that match. DeVito shrugs off a dropkick and sends the Kid into the buckle a few times, only to miss the big elbow. The rapid fire kicks in the corner rock DeVito and it’s the running legdrop to make it even worse. A slam sets up the guillotine legdrop to finish DeVito.

Rating: D. DeVito was one of the regular jobbers around this time and while he didn’t have a good look, he was more than fine enough for a watchable match. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case here, which is hard to do against the Kid. At the same time, it’s hard to see the Kid win a squash as he’s at his best when he’s selling and you didn’t get much of that here.

Survivor Series Report, featuring the announcement that Bob Backlund wants the title match to be a submission match. Moving on though, Undertaker vs. Yokozuna is going to be a casket match and Chuck Norris (seriously) is going to be the guest enforcer. There will also be the Bad Guys (Razor Ramon/1-2-3 Kid/British Bulldog/Headshrinkers) vs. the Teamsters (Diesel/Shawn Michaels/Jim Neidhart/Owen Hart/Jeff Jarrett) and Clowns R Us (Doink/Dink/Wink/Pink) vs. the Royal Family (Jerry Lawler/Cheesy/Sleazy/Queasy) in a show that is making me cringe just thinking about it.

There was a charity softball game with the WWF Superstars beating a women’s union team.

King Kong Bundy vs. Bert Centeno

Bundy chokes him in the corner to start and goes with the general beatdown as this isn’t the most interesting thing in the world. Savage keeps going on about Backlund as the Avalanche finishes Centeno for five. Bad squash.

IRS goes to a cemetery and yells at the grave of a man named John Dough for not paying his taxes. His daughter’s birthday dinner was NOT deductible so he’ll be taking the flowers from the grave.

It’s time for the King’s Court with the Undertaker and Paul Bearer as the guests. The lights come back up and Bearer asks if Lawler is comfortable now. I’m more confused by the image of Bearer and Lawler in the same ring (you just don’t see them together that often). Lawler brings up the previous Undertaker vs. Yokozuna casket match and Undertaker doesn’t like it.

Bearer breaks out a WWF Magazine to recap the other match and promises there will be no deja vu this time around. See, Chuck Norris will be at ringside to deal with things between the undead mortician and the Samoan/Japanese sumo wrestler. Undertaker makes his usual threats and says the Creatures of the Night will help Yokozuna rest in peace. This story is so over the top that it’s kind of incredible, though not incredible enough to make up for everything else.

Next week: Bret Hart/British Bulldog vs. Owen Hart/Jim Neidhart. Well ok then.

Jim Neidhart vs. Tony Roy

Neidhart starts fast and throws Roy around as we hear about Neidhart hanging around the White House. Roy gets tied in the Tree of Woe so Owen can choke from the floor and talk trash, which is more interesting than the squash. A slam sets up the chinlock into a gutwrench suplex as this needs to end already. Neidhart finally finishes with a camel clutch.

Rating: D. All this made me want to do was skip over the rest of the show and get to the tag match next week. Neidhart doesn’t get to do squashes that often but that’s because he’s a lot better as the muscle of a team or the insane promo. This was rather dull but what else were you expecting?

Post match the hold goes on again with Owen putting the sunglasses on Roy.

Vince is in the back with Luger but we can’t hear anything being said. Savage talks over it instead….and Tatanka runs in to brawl with Luger to end the show.

Overall Rating: D-. Sweet goodness this was a bad time for the show. There were a few bright spots here and there but the biggest problem was how they tried to mix the comedy with the serious to no avail. The Survivor Series matches are looking awful with Backlund doing everything he can to carry the show. Really uninteresting show and it’s leading up to an awful pay per view.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: October 24, 1994
Location: Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, Vermont
Attendance: 1,800
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage

We’re still in Vermont and still on the very slow build towards Survivor Series, but first up we have Razor Ramon defending the Intercontinental Title against Yokozuna. Other than that we have the bizarre feud between Lex Luger and Bob Backlund over chickenwings and drugs. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Intercontinental Title: Razor Ramon vs. Yokozuna

Razor is defending and Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji are in Yokozuna’s corner. Yokozuna jumps him from behind to start as the arena is still full of smoke from the pyro. Some right hand slaps and a clothesline don’t put Yokozuna down so it’s a jumping clothesline to finally drop the monster.

Razor knocks him to the floor and it’s time for the stumbling turtle look. Apparently those were Miami street smarts that put Yokozuna on the floor. What the heck do they do in the streets of Miami? Razor is smart enough to let him get back in as we hear about Oprah running a marathon.

A slam plants Razor and the big legdrop crushes Razor’s head. We hit the nerve hold and take a break, coming back to the hold keeping Razor down. Razor fights up with some elbows so Yokozuna pounds away in the corner. It’s back to the nerve hold as we talk about football. Back up and Razor avoids the charge in the corner, setting up the middle rope bulldog for two. Cue the casket though and Yokozuna bails for the countout.

Rating: D. That was a pretty weird way to end the match as Razor wasn’t exactly in trouble. I can appreciate the idea of not having Razor look weak, but it’s not the kind of thing that you usually see happen. At least they were smart enough to go with the logical ending instead of having someone take a clean loss, which you wouldn’t see today.

It’s time for the Survivor Series Report, with the big Texas theme rolling strong. There needs to be a main event though so we look back at yesterday’s premiere episode of the Action Zone, where WWF Champion Bret Hart offers Bob Backlund a title shot. As for the traditional Survivor Series matches, we have Guts N Glory (Smoking Gunns/Adam Bomb/Mabel/Lex Luger) vs. the Million Dollar Team (Bam Bam Bigelow/King Kong Bundy/Tatanka/Heavenly Bodies). And yes, you are supposed to want to pay for that match.

Next week: Backlund vs. Luger. That’s some great timing given the matches they just announced.

Smoking Gunns vs. Mike Bell/Barry Hardy

Joined in progress (Seriously?) with the Gunns in control as Bart whips Bell all over the place. A double Russian legsweep plants Bell as Savage starts talking like Dusty Rhodes for some reason. Billy’s powerslam sets up an over the shoulder backbreaker/top rope elbow to finish Bell with ease.

Tatanka vs. Scott Taylor

Tatanka sends him into the corner to start as we hear about Walter Cronkite going to a Grateful Dead concert. Savage: “I wonder if the Undertaker knows about that.” DiBiase brags about Tatanka, showing that he has some pretty low standards. Now we hear about Savage going to a car race and where he went to dinner after it was over. Taylor gets two off a rollup and gets clotheslined right back down. The very (and I mean VERY) slow beating continues until the End of the Trail gives Tatanka the pin.

Rating: D-. Egads this was slow but I do want to hear about that Vinny’s restaurant that Savage went to. There wasn’t much other than that though as the Million Dollar Corporation vs….well anyone actually was just awful. It was as low level of a stable as you can get and there was no way to hide that.

IRS can’t believe Undertaker would DIE to avoid paying taxes. Even after you come to the funeral home, you still need to pay up!

Adam Bomb vs. Phil Apollo

Apollo is better known as Doink and he actually jumps Bomb to start. This goes as well as you would expect as Bomb…hiptosses him. What a power display. A dropkick sends Apollo into the corner as Savage talks about John Candy movies. The pumphandle powerslam finishes Apollo in a hurry.

Post match Backlund comes out and puts Bomb in the crossface chickenwing.

It’s time for the King’s Court and I have a bad feeling about this. Lawler does his usual set of insults of the crowd before talking about the mini kings. He recaps the entire history of the mini kings vs. the mini clowns and sounds like he loses himself somewhere in the process. Savage: “GET TO THE POINT!” That is indeed what he does, by introducing Cheesy as the third mini. Lawler issues a challenge to Doink and the mini clowns (That wasn’t already set up?) with the mini kings talking some horrible trash. Sweet goodness this is awful and the match would be even worse.

This week on Action Zone: Shawn Michaels and Diesel defend the Tag Team Titles against Razor Ramon/1-2-3 Kid in a pretty famous match.

Diesel vs. Ben Jordan

Believe it or not, Diesel runs him over to start and hits the big boot into the side slam as the announcers pay attention to this one. It’s almost like Diesel could wind up going somewhere. The neck crank goes on, followed by a bearhug as we hear about YA Tittle’s (former NFL quarterback, who happened to date my grandmother WAY back in the day, believe it or not) birthday. Another neck crank doesn’t last as long this time as Diesel hits the Jackknife for the win.

Rating: D. See, this is the Diesel who had all the potential in and I can get that entirely. He was big, he was cool (no word on if he was a daddy at this point) and he was dominant while having a great look. What else can you ask for at this point? It’s pretty clear that they need something else so why not try Diesel?

Now let’s make fun of the Major League Baseball strike. Just makes me want to watch baseball.

Bob Backlund comes to the ring and dances around to end the show.

Overall Rating: D-. E pluribus gads I had forgotten how bad things got around this time. What in the world am I supposed to be interested in on this show? Tatanka vs. Lex Luger? The Smoking Gunns? Backlund is entertaining but I don’t think any sane person would believe that he was going to be the next big thing, or even a thing that was big whatsoever. Oh and the battle of the minis is an all time nightmare but I think that one speaks for itself.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: October 17, 1994
Location: Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, Vermont
Attendance: 1,800
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage

The march to Survivor Series continues and that means I need to up my blood pressure medication. This isn’t a good time for the company and I don’t see that getting any better anytime soon. As long as the show doesn’t focus too heavily on Lawler vs. Doink, I think I can make it through this. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with some shots of Burlington, which seem to confuse the announcers. Ok then.

Opening sequence.

Doink the Clown vs. Jeff Jarrett

And Doink has a second mini clown by the name of Wink. They give the Spanish announcers a fake flower, because that’s what this show has turned into. Jeff bails straight to the floor but gets in a shot to the knee to take over early on. Back in and Doink gets in a slam, allowing Dink to bite Jeff in the tights area. A headlock doesn’t slow Jarrett down very much as he comes back with a drop toehold.

An abdominal stretch with a grab of the rope puts Doink in trouble, allowing Vince to talk about the minis running around as of late. Cue Dink to bite Jeff’s hand to get Doink out of the hold as the pace picks up. Now it’s Queasy and another unnamed mini King, drawing Dink and Wink over to chase them off. Things settle down until Doink charges into a boot in the corner as we take a break. Back with Doink still in trouble and Jeff getting two off a dropkick, meaning it’s time for the chinlock.

Doink slams his way to freedom but misses an elbow as this keeps going. Jeff’s sleeper is broken up pretty quickly so it’s a whatamaneuever (enziguri here) for two on Doink instead. Doink makes his comeback with a butterfly suplex as Vince and Randy talk about Savage’s old Gremlin needing a steering wheel. Jarrett misses a middle rope splash and gets powerslammed. A suplex gives Doink two more as the mini clowns chase the mini kings. Doink hits the Whoopee Cushion but here’s Jerry Lawler to deck Doink, giving Jarrett the pin.

Rating: C. You know what? Why not? They were trying here and got some time to turn it into a half decent match. It’s not like there were any expectations to this one and the focus was on the minis running around anyway. What we got was decent though and I can think of worse ways to spend the first third of the show.

Post match, Lawler introduces the second mini king as Sleazy.

British Bulldog vs. Roy Raymond

They shove each other to start and Roy actually goes with a slap. The beating is on in a hurry and there’s the delayed vertical suplex. Bulldog grabs a chinlock as the announcers talk about Action Zone. A butterfly suplex gets a very delayed two and it’s back to the chinlock. Roy fights up and manages to go up top, only to be tossed back down. A kick to the ribs, as in Roy’s ribs, knocks Bulldog down and a release fisherman’s suplex gets two. The running powerslam gives Bulldog the pin.

Rating: D. This was Bulldog’s big return after being let go (I assure you the timing had nothing to do with the steroid investigations) and he’s….exactly the same guy as he was before. As has been said, there is only so much you can do to repackage the British Bulldog and this is more proof.

Post break Bulldog is still here….and he just poses without saying or doing anything else.

Here’s a random cameo from Burt Reynolds, saying to watch Raw.

Here’s an angry Bob Backlund, who wants to talk to Vince. Bob does NOT want to show the tape of what he did to Arnold Skaaland over the weekend but Vince shows it anyway. Backlund refused to accept Skaaland’s apology for throwing in the towel to cost Backlund the WWF Title back in 1983 and gave his a crossface chickenwing instead. Back in the arena, Backlund says he should apologize to everyone involved….for having Skaaland as his manager.

Back in July, Backlund understood that the people didn’t get him and they are doomed to be down in life. He did more to try to help people, including never eating marijuana or ever swearing in front of children. How can you expect your children to not take drugs when they’re in your billfolds??? HIS daughter isn’t out there with a gun.

Vince: “What does this have to do with the crossface chickenwing?” Backlund says the chickenwing is about discipline because no one can break it, and yes that’s a challenge. Cue Lex Luger to say he’s heard enough about the chickenwing so try it on him instead. Backlund: “He’s got a lot of panache!” Agents and referees keep anything from happening.

Bob Holly vs. Reno Riggins

Randy is trying to figure out the eating marijuana thing as Holly works on a weak headlock. An armbar keeps Riggins in trouble but he’s back with a slam to the mat by the hair. Riggins charges into an elbow in the corner and gets shoved off the ropes, setting up a high crossbody to give Holly the pin.

Next week: Razor Ramon vs. Yokozuna for the Intercontinental Title.

IRS vs. Tim McNeany

Before the match, IRS says he’s coming after the Undertaker for cheating on his taxes. Egads I had forgotten that nightmare feud. Randy gets in on the IRWIN chants but stops before IRS hits a hiptoss. Some elbows keep Tim in trouble as Vince praises the Million Dollar Corporation, which is still a pretty lame stable. A suplex sets up the Penalty (a weird STF) to make McNeany tap.

We look at Yokozuna being scared of caskets on Superstars.

Heavenly Bodies vs. Barry Horowitz/Nick Barbarry

Jim Cornette introduces the Heavenly Bodies as the team that has won more matches than Elvis and the Beatles combined. Tom and Barry start things off with a bit of shoving until Barry gets two off a rollup. The Bodies switch places until Barry armdrags Tom down again. Barbarry comes in and gets caught with a bad looking floatover DDT, allowing Del Ray to drop Tom into a legdrop onto Nick. The moonsault gives Del Ray the pin in a hurry.

Luger says he wants Backlund.

Overall Rating: D+. It’s a weird night when Backlund and Doink carry the show, because I don’t think that has ever happened before. We’re coming up on Survivor Series but so far we’re not quite ready for things yet. I’m not sure what they’re going to do, because Luger vs. Backlund doesn’t quite feel big, but then again there’s a reason this era is so poorly remembered.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: October 3, 1994
Location: Memorial Auditorium, Utica, New York
Attendance: 4,500
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage

We’re in between Summerslam and Survivor Series here that means the big story is Bret Hart, who successfully defended the WWF World Title against his brother Owen back in August. However, after the match the British Bulldog and Jim Neidhart got involved and it seems that we’re moving towards a tag team feud. I’m not sure where that’s going to lead us at the moment but it’s almost time to start up the Survivor Series build. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Neidhart challenging Bulldog for tonight.

Earlier today, Neidhart and Owen arrived to call Bulldog a mud dog.

Opening sequence.

Jim Neidhart vs. British Bulldog

Owen is here with Neidhart but Bulldog is all alone. Some help Bret is. An early Owen distraction lets Neidhart jump him from behind but Bulldog nails a flying shoulder to send Neidhart outside. Back in and the power lockup (expect a few of those) goes nowhere so Neidhart grabs a headlock. That’s reversed into an armbar, followed by the fully expected test of strength. Neidhart kicks him in the ribs but gets suplexed down, meaning it’s time to go to the mat. I really didn’t think I’d say that, but I did think it would be pretty messy looking.

Bulldog finally breaks the thing so Neidhart goes after the knee. A clothesline gives Bulldog two but Neidhart takes the straps down and cranks on the knee again. A camel clutch changes Neidhart’s focus again but he lets go again (dude stick with something) and misses a middle rope splash. Bulldog manages the delayed vertical suplex for two but here’s Bob Backlund to go after Bret, leaving Owen to come in for the DQ.

Rating: D. In case you never needed proof of why Neidhart mainly wrestled as part of a tag team. This was really boring with Neidhart using one lame hold after another and not being able to decide if he wanted to work on the back or the neck. If nothing else this makes me want to see a great tag match between these four, which does exist and is of course awesome.

Baseball is on strike but wrestling isn’t. Good for them?

Doink the Clown vs. Barry Horowitz

Barry headlocks him down as we hear about Doink’s issues with Jerry Lawler. Egads I had tried to forget about that mess. They keep exchanging technical stuff on the mat as Vince and Savage are incensed that Jerry turned Dink’s tricycle into a unicycle. Barry gets in a shot to the ribs but misses a charge. Doink grabs a powerslam and hits the Whoopee Cushion (complete with sound effect) for the pin. Well at least it was short.

The Undertaker wants Yokozuna and will find him on the upcoming Hart Attack Tour. It’s better than Road To or *insert show here* Revenge.

House show ads.

It’s time for the King’s Court with Lawler making fun of Doink and Dink. Imagine, someone dressing up in a silly costume just to get attention (Savage explains the joke.). He doesn’t believe the lies from the commentators, which brings him to someone who needs to set the record straight. People have been saying that Yokozuna is scared of Undertaker so here he is to explain things. During Yokozuna’s entrance, Vince runs off celebrity birthdays and Savage talks about Roseanne.

Jim Cornette explains that the fear story is a smear campaign put out by Undertaker and Yokozuna, because Undertaker is the scared one. There are going to be some casket matches on the Hart Attack Tour, though Jim refuses to say the word casket. Lawler says it and Yokozuna’s head snaps around.

Cornette asks Lawler not to say that again so Lawler promises to not say “casket” again. Undertaker has good reason to be scared, because Yokozuna is the only man to ever beat him in his own game. It’s time for Undertaker to prove that he’s not scared, though let’s pause for Lawler to say casket again. Anyway, Yokozuna will destroy Undertaker soon enough.

Action Zone is coming. That show was awesome for….oh a good three weeks or so.

Bull Nakano/Luna Vachon vs. Heidi Lee Morgan/Alundra Blayze

Morgan was a minor name in the 1980s/90s and is really just a warm body here. Luna misses an early charge on Morgan to start and gets rolled up for an early two. Morgan gets taken into the corner for a beating, including a middle of the rope Vader Bomb from Vachon. It’s off to Nakano, who gets taken down with a victory roll for two. With Vince being astounded that Nakano didn’t break his hair, Savage says he’s attracted to her.

I’m not sure what to say there so we’ll move on to Morgan dropkicking Vachon down but missing a standing splash, as she dove forward three feet despite her feet touching Vachon. You can hear Vince’s disgust on the miss. Anyway it’s off to Blayze for the showdown with Nakano but everything breaks down. Morgan, not realizing that this isn’t about her, comes in to try a double suplex but Nakano suplexes both of them down instead. Vachon dropkicks Nakano by mistake though and it’s the German suplex from Blayze for the pin.

Rating: C. I liked this one as it was a good example of how the women’s division could have worked back in the day. These were four women who could work and had a perfectly fine match. There were problems like Morgan being in the ring for too long and not realizing that this was supposed to be about Nakano vs. Blayze but it’s a far cry from the disasters that this division would become.

King Kong Bundy is back next week. I know that sounds like it’s out of a different era, but it’s no different than Tajiri or Rhyno showing up late in their careers. You know exactly what you’re getting and Bundy is perfectly fine at what he does.

New Generation ad with a woman confessing to a priest about having “thoughts” about people like Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart. “The New WWF: Put your faith in us.” I….kind of liked that one.

Bob Backlund vs. Gary Scott

This is crazy Bob who thinks he should still be WWF Champion because he didn’t give up in 1983. Backlund armdrags him down to start and does his little dance. Savage talks about using a thesaurus and dictionary as Backlund gets taken down as well. They get into a technical sequence and Bob takes over without breaking a sweat. A leg trip sets up the crossface chickenwing.

Bret thinks Backlund is insane and points out that he beat Backlund a few weeks back. He had his shot and it’s time to move on.

Overall Rating: C. Not the worst show and it’s amazing how much more of a focus this show feels like it has compared to earlier in the year. The wrestling isn’t great, but they’re telling some stories and I want to see where some of them go. You don’t get that enough in this era and a confident Bret on top is a huge help. Not a great show, but far better than most of what we get from 1994.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: June 11, 2019
Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Things are getting a little more interesting around here as there is a small army ready to challenge Tony Nese for the Cruiserweight Title. This could set up a variety of title matches at Stomping Grounds, which could certainly use the extra help. Other than that we have Drake Maverick chasing R-Truth, because that’s what General Managers mean around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Maverick opens the show and addresses the criticisms against him for chasing the 24/7 Title. Therefore, tonight he’s made a fatal four way match to crown a new #1 contender for the Cruiserweight Title at Stomping Grounds. See? He can do his job and be obsessed over the comedy title at the same time.

Opening sequence.

Jack Gallagher vs. Chad Gable

Gable is a surprise addition to the roster. Gallagher takes him to the mat to start and puts on a leglock, but throws in a little smile to show it’s ok. That’s escaped with a roll out and Gable spins to his feet for a standoff. The handstand walk gets Gallagher out of a headlock (that’s always cool) so they fight over a test of strength, giving us the exchange of monkey flips into the stereo neck bridges.

Back up and Gable tries to take out the legs but gets rolled over, allowing Gallagher to dropkick him to the floor. A whip sends Gallagher into the steps and seems more than pleased with a countout. That’s only good for a nine though so Gallagher starts bending the fingers back (English: “Don’t let an Englishman get a hold of your fingers!!!”). Gallagher’s rather delayed vertical suplex gets two but Gable whips him hard into the corner.

Some rolling belly to belly suplexes into a dragon suplex gets two on Gallagher and we hit the ankle lock. That’s reversed into a loose Fujiwara armbar from Gallagher, which is reversed into a tiger driver for two. Back up and Gallagher blasts him with a clothesline and they’re both down. Gable gets sent outside but catches a suicide dive and hits a heck of a release German suplex. Gallagher gets up at seven, falls down at eight, and can’t dive back inside in time for the countout at 11:55.

Rating: B-. The ending was a little weird as it seemed that Gallagher messed up the timing a bit. If nothing else it’s strange to have Gable debut and win via countout, but the point was proven. What mattered most here was to make Gable look like a different kind of cruiserweight and that’s what they did. He’s tailor made for this show and he could easily become a top star around here in a hurry. Why it took them this long is beyond me, but at least it’s finally happened.

Mike and Maria Kanellis come in and rant to Maverick about how Mike should have faced Gable instead of Gallagher. Maverick is tired of their whining so Maria hints that Maverick might be losing his job.

We look back at Drew Gulak attacking Noam Dar last week and taking his spot in a match.

Dar doesn’t feel safe working here and wants to be in NXT UK permanently.

Singh Brothers vs. Dos Locales

They’re Sacramento’s Best Luchadors, but more importantly, the Singh Brothers have won the Boscar, which may or may not be an award the two of them invented. Sumir starts with we’ll say #1 but stops for some dancing. Sunil comes in and dances with #1 before getting dropkicked down. #2 comes in and gets kicked in the face but we need to stop for some dancing. Stomping in the corner sets up a superkick and the Bollywood Blast (Demolition Decapitator from the top) is good for the pin on #2 at 3:25.

Rating: D. The Singh Brothers are fine for a tag team around here, though they need some other teams to feud against. The Lucha House Party is going to be fine for part of that, but the Brothers need more than one team. Then again 205 Live specials in figuring out how to make the most out of a small roster so they can figure something out for everyone involved.

Tony Nese would be happy to face any of the four people in tonight’s #1 contenders match, though Drew Gulak seems to intrigue him more than anyone else.

Drew Gulak vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Oney Lorcan

One fall to a finish and the winner gets the Cruiserweight Title shot against Nese at Stomping Grounds. Gulak dropkicks Carrillo at the bell and it’s Gulak and Lorcan catching a springboarding Carrillo for good measure. Carrillo is right back up to knock Tozawa down and hit a standing moonsault for an early two. Tozawa fights out of the half and half and hits a release F5 on Lorcan.

A sitout version hits Carrillo and, after a shot to the face, it’s another sitout version to Gulak. It’s Lorcan back up with the running uppercuts though, followed by a standing version to knock Carrillo out of the air. Gulak puts Tozawa in a torture rack and tosses him into an uppercut to the back of the head as we get the soon to be broken alliance. Indeed, it lasts all of ten seconds before they start fighting each other but Carrillo breaks it up.

Gulak German suplexes Carrillo for two with Tozawa making the save. Another suplex gets another two on Carrillo and it’s off to the neck crank. Gulak has to roll out of a half and half suplex attempt so Carrillo superkicks him instead. Tozawa and Lorcan double hiptoss Carrillo into Gulak in the corner but then get in the required argument over who can have the pin. Carrillo’s Gory Bomb is countered into a rollup for two and it’s a superkick each for Carrillo and Gulak.

Lorcan breaks up the top rope backsplash though, followed by a half and half to Castillo onto Gulak. It’s Tozawa breaking up the cover with a top rope backsplash though and all four are down. Everyone winds up on the apron and this is just dangerous. Carrillo is the only one who doesn’t get knocked to the floor so that means a big running flip dive onto Lorcan. Back in and Lorcan hits a double running Blockbuster on Castillo and Tozawa to send them outside again.

That leaves us with a Lorcan vs. Gulak showdown, which is actually quite the moment. They chop the heck out of each other but Lorcan dives onto the other two at ringside instead. Cue Ariya Daivari to chair Lorcan down though, leaving Tozawa to hit Trouble in Paradise on Carrillo. The top rope backsplash is broken up again though, only to have Gulak shove Carrillo to the floor. Gulak actually hits a top rope superplex on Tozawa but they lock their legs and it’s a double pin at 13:34.

Rating: B+. This was a heck of a match and the ending should set up either a singles match next week or a triple threat match at the pay per view, either of which should be good. The four of them all worked very hard here and while I’m not overly interested in Lorcan vs. Daivari again (though their first match was good), they set up a bunch of stuff in one match here, which is quite impressive. Very well done here.

The referees argue as Maverick comes out to see what’s going on. There is no winner announced (Fans: “ROCK PAPER SCISSORS!”) to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The Singh Brothers match didn’t help things here but 205 Live continues to become one of the best shows WWE puts on every week. It’s very light on the storylines but you’re guaranteed at least one if not two very good matches and that’s a lot more than you’re going to get on the big shows. How interesting is it that this, NXT and NXT UK are all rolling right now while Raw and Smackdown are just disasters? Funny how that works, no?

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

It’s pretty much true.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-youre-watching-doesnt-matter/

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: June 12, 2019
Location: The Odeum, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Nick Aldis

It’s a big week this time around as we have hometown boy and NWA National Champion Colt Cabana defending the title against James Storm. I’m not sure how smart it is to have another promotion tying in to ROH but I’m also not sure if the company knows how to survive otherwise. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

NWA National Title: Colt Cabana vs. James Storm

Cabana is defending and that title is still hideous. They lock up to start with Storm missing a right hand in the corner, prompting Colt to tell the referee to admonish him. Cabana grabs a headlock as they’re firmly in half gear so far. A cartwheel over Storm lets Colt go right back to the headlock but Storm is right back with a weak Sling Blade. Last Call misses as Cabana bails to the floor and we take a break.

Back with Cabana working on the arm, followed by a falling splash. Storm trips him down though and gets in a kick to the head. Some right hands to the same general area keep the champ in trouble, setting up a running knee to the face. That’s good for a delayed two as they’re really not exactly putting in that much energy here. Cabana fights out of a chinlock and blocks the Eye of the Storm.

A headscissors puts Storm down but Colt can’t follow up, after those devastating….what did Storm do that should keep him down? Cabana gets up for his running shoulder in the corner, setting up the double jump splash for two. Back from another break with Storm sending him into the barricade and then sending him into the barricade again.

Storm stops to glare at Aldis on commentary before breaking the count like a veteran. The delay lets Cabana get in a hiptoss onto the concrete and it’s a moonsault for two back inside. Storm hits a pair of Last Calls but puts on the Cloverleaf to mess with Aldis even more. The bell rings without a tap….because the fifteen minute time limit has expired (at 16:34).

Rating: D+. This was more long than anything else with Cabana surviving. I’m sure they’re setting up Storm vs. Aldis, which makes a lot of sense as Storm is still someone who can go in the ring and looks like a star. The NWA doesn’t have the deepest roster in the world at the moment so someone with some credibility like Storm is a good idea.

Post match Cabana says he’ll go five more minutes but here are the Briscoes to beat down Cabana to vent some frustrations with the NWA. The Briscoes say everyone has been screwing them so it’s time for them to do some screwing of their own (I’m sure there’s a Deliverance joke in there somewhere). They call out Aldis (Nick: “Oh we’re going there?”) so the tie comes off and the fight is on. The Briscoes take care of Aldis with no trouble and stand tall over he and Cabana.

Back with a recap of what we just saw as we’re now over halfway through the show.

We run down the Best in the World card.

We get the second half of Jeff Cobb’s biographical video, now focusing on his journey into pro wrestling. He didn’t know it existed in Hawaii but he knew he had to get into it and started training. War Machine got him into Ring of Honor and here he is. Then he won the TV Title in three minutes and he can do the same with the World Title. They’re doing well here.

Here’s Silas Young for a match but first, he talks about how he’s a changed man. He isn’t going to keep taking shortcuts because there isn’t a better pure wrestler in the world than him. Sure he could have a mat classic against anyone in the back right now, but he’s found a guy who has beaten Lou Thesz, Johnny Saint and Billy Robinson. That would be….THE SQUID.

Silas Young vs. The Squid

It’s a guy in trunks and a mask. Squid works on a wristlock to start so Young does a bunch of nipups to escape. That sets up a handshake as Squid keeps waving his hands. They go to the mat with Silas’ half crab sending Squid over to the ropes. Another handshake gets Squid pulled into a headlock, followed by a shoulder. An abdominal stretch makes Squid tap at 2:03.

Post match Young keeps the hold on and lights up a cigarette at the same time. Young has been awesome over the last few weeks.

We recap Bully Ray vs. Lifeblood, which hasn’t been all that interesting because Ray feels like he’s been feuding with the entire company forever now.

Here’s Mark Haskins for a chat. He talks about wanting to be a professional wrestler instead of an entertainer. A few months ago, he and Bandido tore the house down and Juice Robinson was watching. That was enough to set up Lifeblood and the ranks were formed, including Tenille Dashwood. Then Bully Ray powerbombed her through a table, so Ray needs to get out here right now.

Post break here’s Ray, to say he’ll take Haskins up on his challenge. He wants the ring announcer and the referee out of the ring first and the two scamper off. Ray gets in and asks if Haskins is going to bite with the barking. He talks about his retirement last year in this very arena, drawing a RETIRE AGAIN chant. Ray brings up the fans refusing to let him leave last year and the grown men crying in the front row. They cried because they’re suckers just like Haskins.

See, he lied because that’s what he’s been doing for his entire career. No one has been able to stop him so why can Haskins be the one to shut him up? Haskins wants to fight but here’s Shane Taylor to interrupt. Tracy Williams comes out to even things up before anything gets physical. Ray tells the referee to get back in the ring and start the match.

Bully Ray/Shane Taylor vs. Mark Haskins/Tracy Williams

And no match as the Soldiers of Savagery run in to jump Haskins for the DQ at 28 seconds.

Post match the big beatdown is on but PJ Black runs in with a chair. The numbers get the better of Black though and Ray superbombs him through the table to end the show.

Overall Rating: D. So yeah, one real match and that was for an NWA Title. This show was all about the villains dominating in three different stories and while that can work, it’s not the most thrilling stuff in the world this time around. You have the Briscoes as monsters, which has been done several times before. Young is more of a smarmy heel, who will get taken down by Jonathan Gresham in a good match to blow off an entertaining angle.

Then you have the big angle though, with Ray leading a four man (so far) heel team to fight Lifeblood. That’s good enough on paper, but as soon as Ray is the focal point of the heel team, it starts to fall apart. I like the idea of Lifeblood but Ray, Taylor and two monsters aren’t exactly interesting villains. It’s an idea, but it feels like something that has been done by better villains before. I can appreciate them trying something here and it was far from terrible. It’s just not very interesting and that’s going to be a problem.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 12, 2019
Location: Braehead Arena, Glasgow, Scotland
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

Tonight is a huge show as we have British Strong Style vs. Imperium, which should be the awesome match that everyone is expecting it to be. It’s not exactly a secret that there should be something big happening at the end but the question is what. Hopefully they can live up to the hype, which almost always tends to be the case. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the six man tag, including a quick history of both teams. Tonight it’s their first showdown and it feels big.

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside/Isla Dawn vs. Jinny/Jazzy Gabbert

Jinny and Dawn take turns working on the arm to start with Dawn getting the better of it. Brookside comes in for an aggressive headlock and a dropkick to send Jinny into the corner….for the tag to Gabbert. Xia actually tries a sunset flip but gets powered down, allowing Jinny to come in for the stomps in the corner. A quick crawl across the ring lets Dawn come back in but Gabbert swats away the strikes. The Dominator plants Dawn but Jinny demands the tag so she can get the pin at 4:16.

Rating: D. Nothing match of course but it went exactly as it should have. Gabbert is the first monster the division has seen and having her under Jinny’s control is a fine story. She destroyed Brookside and Dawn here and that’s all she needed to do. Not exactly a good match, but the right presentation, which is what matters more.

Video on Ligero, who only had sight in one eye until he was eight years old due to his eye not opening. It caused other kids to pick on him so he decided to wrestle under a mask so he wouldn’t have to worry about how his face looked during his career. The mask is his identity and that’s what people are going to remember. Short piece here but it’s a nice way to get behind someone like Ligero.

Kenny Williams says Noam Dar can be annoying but he still likes him. What Dar does doesn’t affect him and it won’t affect him next week against Kassius Ohno.

Joseph Conners vs. Ilja Dragunov

As usual, Dragunov has an awesome entrance and looks insane. They lock up rather hard to start with Conners’ forearm to the back annoying Dragunov. The strike to the face sets up a neck crank with Dragunov making some rather strange noises at the same time. Back up and a jumping enziguri drops Conners, but he’s able to duck a running crossbody to send Dragunov into the ropes.

The chinlock goes on but Dragunov powers out and stares Conners down, setting up a knee to the face. A sunset bomb into the corner has Dragunov in some trouble but he counters a slingshot into a Death Valley Driver into the corner. The Torpedo Moscow finishes Conners at 4:49.

Rating: C-. Dragunov is one of those guys where you can’t take your eyes off of him and that’s the kind of thing you can’t create. It’s a special kind of intensity and that’s going to carry him very far. If nothing else, it’s always nice to see Conners getting destroyed and bludgeoned in various ways.

Toni Storm has beaten all comers and if Kay Lee Ray wants some Toni Time, come get it. Either way, the shiny shiny stays at home.

Video on Travis Banks, who talks about having such a strong work ethic. His time in NXT UK has been a mixed bag with great experiences but his injury held him back. Jordan Devlin was a thorn in his side but then he defeated him once and for all. Now he’s the #1 contender and it would be pretty cool to beat Walter for the United Kingdom Title.

The Hunt wants Gallus.

British Strong Style vs. Imperium

Dunne goes right at Aichner for some stomping in the corner to start but Aichner comes right back out with a hard clothesline. Bate comes in and it’s time for a double arm crank on Aichner. Barthel comes in and gets dropkicked but Bate takes too much time messing with the mustache, allowing Barthel to take over. That doesn’t last long though as Bate brings him into the corner for the tag from Seven.

Trent gets taken into the wrong corner though and Walter comes in to a lot of booing. Seven’s chop just annoys Walter so Seven does it again to a bit of success. Walter’s one chop puts Seven down though and it’s back to Aichner to keep Seven down in the corner. A swinging Rock Bottom gives Walter two on Seven and it’s back to Barthel to start in on the arm. Seven slugs away but walks into a spinebuster from Aichner to take him right back down.

A jawbreaker and enziguri get Seven out of trouble and it’s Dunne coming back in for an enziguri of his own. Dunne’s middle rope dropkick to the knee takes Walter down but he has to backflip out of the sleeper hold. The German suplex drops Walter again but he’s right back with a suplex of his own. Bate and Aichner come back in with Tyler taking over off a knee out of the corner.

An exploder suplex sends Barthel onto Aichner and it’s time for the airplane spin to various villains. Bop and Bang staggers Walter but Aichner saves him from an airplane spin of his own. A brainbuster gets two on Bate with Dunne making the save. The Backstabber into the top rope double stomp combination is good for the same but it’s back to Seven for some fresh strong style blood.

The Seven Star Lariat into the Bitter End into Spiral Tap gets two on Barthel with Walter making the save this time. Walter gets sent into the steps though and we’ve got a masked man. With the referee getting knocked to the floor, the masked man unmasks as Alexander Wolfe (formerly of Sanity). He knocks Bate out with a powerbomb and Barthel steals the pin at 14:03.

Rating: B. This felt like a big brawl and having Imperium grow in size at the end is a great touch. Wolfe was rumored to be leaving WWE and technically he did, though this was quite the surprise that helped everyone out quite a bit. Now I wonder who British Strong Style could find to help even the odds.

The now four man Imperium poses to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The first two matches don’t add all that much to the show but this was ALL about the main event and the big surprise to end the show. There’s nothing wrong with that at all and it made for a good show. NXT UK is now to the point where it’s rare to have a bad show and that’s something I could more than get used to. Like more British Strong Styles vs. Imperium for instance.

Results

Jinny/Jazzy Gabbert b. Xia Brookside/Isla Dawn – Dominator to Dawn

Ilja Dragunov b. Joseph Conners – Torpedo Moscow

Imperium b. British Strong Style – Barthel pinned Bate after a powerbomb from Alexander Wolfe

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: January 10, 2005
Location: Office Depot Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Attendance: 7,500
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

It’s the night after New Year’s Revolution and, of course, HHH is the World Champion again. This time isn’t so bad though as it’s pretty clear that Batista is waiting in the wings and will be the next big challenger as soon as the timing is right. That’s the only way they can go at the moment but we have the Royal Rumble in less than three weeks to help get us there. Let’s get to it.

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

Here’s HHH to open things up because of course he does. During his long entrance, JR calls the place the Home Depot Center in a somewhat funny error. HHH says you can have whatever excuse you want but the truth is that no one can do what he does. It doesn’t matter who it is, what show they’re on or what title they hold because no one can hold a candle to him.

Last night he survived and overcame the odds to get his World Title back. At Wrestlemania XX, everyone thought HHH was done. But now it’s 2005 and one bestselling book, one hit movie and one World Title reign later, and it’s clear that he’s just hitting his stride. Ric Flair says they should have the fans’ respect and HHH says every fan here is useless. There is someone else who is very useful though and last night, he dominated the Elimination Chamber.

This brings out Batista but before he can say anything, it’s Randy Orton coming out as well. HHH: “Look guys, it’s the legend killer!” Orton has no place at a celebration for winners because he’s a loser so get out of here. Orton talks about eliminating Batista last night and has footage to show that HHH doesn’t have Batista’s back. We see a clip of HHH watching Batista get pinned in the Chamber when he had the chance to make a save.

That makes Batista take his sunglasses off but a nervous HHH says he had been in the match for 45 minutes (he loves saying that time for long matches) and lost so much blood that his knees buckled. Orton doesn’t wait for Batista’s explanation and shows another clip of HHH having Batista hold him up on his shoulders after the match was over. Flair gave him the thumbs up, but Orton knows that it’s going to be a thumbs down when the time is right.

Now Batista’s jacket comes off as Orton demands a title shot tonight. Cue Eric Bischoff to say that Orton is allowed a rematch….if he can beat Batista in a #1 contenders match tonight. This was as clear of a confirmation as you can get that Orton is clinging to popularity by his fingertips as the Batista train is pulling away. Orton was just there while the fans loved Batista, which tells you everything you need to know about their futures.

Raw and Smackdown are coming to Japan next month.

Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Shelton Benjamin vs. Maven

Non-title and a rematch from last night where Benjamin beat Maven twice. Maven goes straight at him to start and uses a distracted referee to get in a low blow. The early neck crank goes on but Shelton is up with a backdrop. The Dragon Whip sets up the Exploder to finish Maven in a hurry. So much for that push.

Muhammad Hassan vs. Hurricane

Daivari and Rosey are here as seconds. Before the match, Hassan talks about dealing a blow to the biased American media last night. The personal revolution continues though and it’s time to show what Hassan thinks of truth, justice and the American way. An early Daivari distraction lets Hassan get in a clothesline and some right hands to take over. We hit the cobra clutch but Hurricane fights up with his own clotheslines. The Shining Wizard misses though and Hassan hits the Downward Spiral for the pin. It was better than last night against Lawler but that’s not saying much.

Wrestlemania Recall: Pete Rose meets Kane.

HHH tells Batista that he has his full support against Orton tonight. It would be an honor to defend the title against Batista at Wrestlemania and Batista deserves it. Batista: “Eventually, we all get what we deserve.” Again: Batista sounds cool, looks cool and wrestles cool. How could he not be a smash hit?

Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Edge vs. Rhyno

Edge is banged up from the Chamber last night so Rhyno forearms him in the corner to start and sends him hard into the corner. Rhyno charges into a right hand to the face and Edge wraps his ribs around the post. Back in and Rhyno is fine enough to hit a powerslam for two but Edge is right back with the spear. The Edgecator makes Rhyno tap.

Rating: D+. The ending wasn’t quite in doubt and it’s nice to have Edge come back with a win to make up for last night’s loss. That being said, you can pencil him in for a big showdown with Shawn Michaels and that’s only going to help him. Edge is looking like a star in the making, but he has some more work to do.

Post match Edge says he isn’t happy because he wants Shawn out here to settle things once and for all. Back from a break as Edge says he knew Shawn wouldn’t come out here without the cameras rolling. Edge recaps his issues with Shawn and here’s Shawn in the flesh. Shawn talks about Edge complaining about everything and sounding like the world should just roll over for him. He knows that because Shawn did the exact same thing back in his day.

Some fans cut him off with a YOU SCREWED BRET chant but Edge doesn’t want to listen to him. Shawn: “What is it with you folks coming to Florida? Stay in your own country!” Edge needs to stop complaining about the past and look to the future because he can be a star. He needs to take action, like winning the Royal Rumble instead of being glad that he got a spot.

Shawn asks if this is getting through to him and that’s an affirmative, as he slaps Shawn in the face and they brawl to the floor. Back from a break and they’re still fighting in the back, eventually heading into a concession stand until some referees break it up. Good brawl, though the interruption from the fans took away a lot of the momentum they had going.

Here’s Simon Dean to talk about how popular Florida can be. It’s known for its weather and sunny beaches, but now those beaches are filled with fat people. Simon has the solution though: his fat burning pills. Unfortunately he doesn’t have enough for everyone here….and here’s Kane to interrupt. Kane tries a pill but spits it out, saying that they’re the worst tasting things he’s ever had. After shoving some pills into Simon’s mouth, the beating is on but here’s Snitsky to chair Kane down. Kane spits up blood as Snitsky whips him with Simon’s weightlifting belt. So did last night’s match mean anything?

HHH sends Flair to tell Batista he doesn’t do well against Orton. Flair: “You think that’ll motivate him?” The mental games continue.

Christian/Tyson Tomko vs. Chris Jericho/Chris Benoit

Benoit and Jericho are both banged up. Jericho chops Christian to start and stomps away in the corner. It’s off to Benoit (pop) for some kicks to the ribs but Christian sends him chest first into the buckle. Tomko comes in and knees Benoit in the ribs to stay on the injury with a slam making it even worse. Benoit gets sent outside with Christian dropping him ribs first onto the barricade as the pain continues.

Back in and the front facelock goes on and the comeback is cut off with a backbreaker to give Christian two. Tomko grabs a chinlock but Benoit German suplexes him down, allowing the hot tag to Jericho. Everything breaks down and it’s the walls on Tomko and the Crossface on Christian for the double tap.

Rating: C-. Not terrible here, even with the four of them following the formula pretty much to the letter. It worked well enough and this was a fine example of a match that was just there for the sake of filling in some time with a decent performance. That worked well enough here and it’s not like Christian and Tomko are hurt that badly by the loss.

Flair tells HHH that it didn’t work and HHH isn’t happy.

Your boot of the week: Lita tears her ACL.

With that devastating injury out of the way, let’s have a lingerie pillow fight between Maria and Christy with Candice Michelle as guest referee. There’s a bed, Christy comes out in her lingerie, Maria disrobes, Lilian and Candice get involved, they hit each other with pillows and Christy wins. This is a thing that happened for obvious reasons.

The Masterpiece Chris Masters is coming.

Next week: Benoit vs. Jericho and Kane vs. Snitsky. One of these things is not like the other.

Batista vs. Randy Orton

The winner gets HHH for the title at some point in the future. Speaking of HHH, he and Flair are watching at ringside. Orton’s right hands have limited effects as Batista shoulders him down. A powerslam doesn’t work so Orton hammers away again, only to run into another shoulder. The choking on the ropes begins and HHH is rather pleased. Orton sends him outside though and we take a break.

Back with Orton slugging away even more and managing to knock Batista outside again. The brawling goes to Batista though and he takes Orton inside for some right hands and more choking. They’re not exactly going all that hard with the offense here. Orton goes shoulder first into the post and Batista crushes his head against the steel for a rather cruel bonus. A neckbreaker gives Batista two and the chinlock keeps Orton in trouble. In something I can’t remember seeing in a long time, Orton uses the rope to get out of the chinlock.

Batista pounds away even more as HHH is on his feet watching for a change. Now the powerslam connects for two and a spinebuster makes it even worse. The Batista Bomb is countered though and Orton grabs a DDT for a double knockdown. Orton stomps away and shoves the referee, allowing Flair to get on the apron. He’s knocked right back off though and Orton hits the backbreaker on Batista. The RKO is blocked though and HHH offers Batista a chair. He doesn’t need it, but the distraction lets Orton send Batista into the chair for the pin and the title shot.

Rating: C. Batista continues to look like a star and while I’m not wild on the idea of him getting pinned two nights in a row, it makes some sense to have him slowed down a little bit, especially with Orton likely getting the title shot at the Rumble. The bigger issue here though is HHH costing Batista the match, which is going to get a lot more interesting in a hurry.

Batista is furious at HHH to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. Well last night’s show wasn’t very good and now they’ve followed it up with an only somewhat better Raw. The good thing though is they’re setting up the Royal Rumble, which is one of the most important shows of the year. Orton vs. HHH can be done for good (for now) and we can get to what should be the most obvious Wrestlemania title matches in years. This show wasn’t much to see though, save for Edge vs. Shawn and HHH vs. Batista heating up.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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