Summerslam 2024
Date: August 3, 2024
Location: Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Pat McAfee

It’s another stadium show for one of the biggest events of the WWE year. That should make for a big deal and now we get to see what WWE can do with this stacked of a card. There are seven matches scheduled with six titles on the line, plus a heck of a grudge match. That should be more than enough to carry things so let’s get to it.

I was in the stadium for this show, sitting opposite the hard cameras between the entrance and the ring.

HHH welcomes us to the show and introduces Jelly Roll to sing Liar, one of the show’s official theme songs, set to a preview of the card. This was a cool video but having the song played live didn’t change much.

Miz welcomes us to the show, serving his purpose as host.

Raw Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan

Ripley, with Dominik Mysterio, is challenging. Morgan hurt Ripley and tried to take Mysterio from her, only to have Mysterio turn her down. The bell rings and Morgan bails outside, then does it again for a bonus. An attempt at a third roll outside is cut off by a head fake and Ripley grabs her for some clotheslines. They go outside for a ram into the steps, allowing Ripley to like Mysterio’s face.

Ripley sends her into the steps a few more times and then Riptides her onto the top turnbuckle. Morgan slips out of Riptide again and sends Ripley’s recently repaired arm into the buckle. Ripley goes down fast and screams “IT’S OUT” but insists that the match keep going. It’s time to go back to the floor where Ripley’s bad shoulder goes into the steps this time, followed by some stomping back inside.

Back in and Morgan cranks on the arm (as you do) before hitting a springboard Codebreaker on said arm. Ripley gets smart by kicking her in the head and going outside, where Dominik shoves her out of the way of Morgan’s dive. Back up and Ripley rams her arm into the announcers’ table to pop it back in, meaning the beating can ensue. Another Riptide attempt is countered into a DDT and they’re both down.

Ripley gets back up and tries the Prism Trap but Morgan slips out and grabs a crucifix bomb for two. A cross armbreaker has the arm in more trouble but Ripley powers out with a spinebuster for two of her own. One heck of a headbutt rocks Ripley, allowing Morgan to snap the arm over the middle rope.

Morgan goes for a chair but walks into a Riptide for her efforts. Ripley picks it up instead, with Dominik cutting her off to save the match. Morgan sends them together and a quick Oblivion connects for two. Then Dominik slides the chair in ala how he “accidentally” helped Morgan win the title, setting up another Oblivion onto the chair for Morgan to retain. This time though, Dominik is smiling.

Rating: B-. This wasn’t exactly a great match but it told the right story. Morgan wasn’t going to be able to hang in there in a fair fight and tried to exploit the injury, which only worked so well. Dominik was always going to be the big factor here and while they had heavily teased the ending, they still made it work well.

Post match Ripley wakes up and Dominik kisses a surprised Morgan, much to Ripley’s dismay.

After some advertisements, Damian Priest storms into Judgment Day’s locker room and wants to hurt Dominik Mysterio. He asks if Finn Balor knew what was coming and seems to accuse Balor of being behind it but Balor denies knowing anything. The rest of the team and Carlito go off to find Dominik, with Priest threatening violence.

We recap Bron Breakker vs. Sami Zayn for the latter’s Intercontinental Title. Zayn survived against Breakker last month but now Breakker is more focused and ready.

Intercontinental Title: Bron Breakker vs. Sami Zayn

Zayn is defending and avoids a charge at the bell, sending Breakker shoulder first into the post. Breakker rolls outside but gets sent back inside, where he has to avoid an early Helluva Kick attempt. Breakker catches him with a running clothesline, which works a bit better. Some right hands in the corner set up a super Frankensteiner for two as Zayn is in early trouble.

Zayn springboards over him and hits a clothesline but can’t hit the Blue Thunder Bomb. Instead Breakker goes up for the Steiner Bulldog, which is reversed into the Blue Thunder Bomb for two. The exploder into the corner connects but Breakker cuts him off with the spear. Another spear gives Breakker the pin and the title at 5:44.

Rating: B-. This didn’t have the time to go anywhere but that is the way it should have gone. Breakker went with straight power here and there was no way for Zayn to survive that kind of impact. Zayn needed to drop the title here as Breakker couldn’t lose two shots in a row and it was time for him to win something around here anyway.

Stephanie McMahon, with her weird clapping, is here.

We recap Logan Paul defending the US Title against LA Knight. Paul has frustrated Knight, who keeps coming back and wanting a US Title shot. Knight pinned him in a Money In The Bank qualifying match and that was enough to get the shot here.

US Title: LA Knight vs. Logan Paul

Paul, the hometown boy, is defending, but we cut to the back where Knight smashes the window of the Prime truck that he stole from Paul on Smackdown. It’s a brawl on the floor before the bell with Paul being sent into the barricade. Knight sends him into the hydration station but Paul fights back and clears the announcers’ table. That’s fine with Knight, who hits a torture rack neckbreaker onto the table and NOW we go in for the opening bell.

Knight fires the shoulders into the ribs to start as Graves makes a Major League joke in a nice touch. The jumping elbow hits raised knees and Paul sends him shoulder first into the post (three times in three matches so far). Paul posts him again and hammers away at the head, followed by a big boot and legdrop for two (yes with the Hogan pose). Knight fights up from his knees but walks into a gutwrench suplex for two more. A powerbomb faceplant gives Paul two but he spends too much time on mockery and walks into a powerslam for two.

Knight slugs away again and stomps away in the corner, setting up a running knee to rock Paul again. A Side Effect of all things sets up a middle rope elbow, only to have Knight jump to the top in an impressive display, for two more. Back up and Paul sends him to the apron for a springboard clothesline to send Knight outside, setting up a springboard spinning moonsault (awesome).

Back in and Paul’s big right hand gets two so it’s time for Paul’s cronies to give him the brass knuckles. That’s broken up and Knight hammers away, but Paul gets the knuckles anyway. They head back inside, where Knight grabs BFT for the pin and the title (his first in WWE) at 12:04.

Rating: B. This was all about the moment at the end as Knight FINALLY wins something. It’s long overdue and the fans went nuts when he finally got there. Paul has put together more than enough goodwill to lose here and be fine going forward so this worked out well. Knight gets his win and showcased some rather impressive athleticism at the same time, making this work out well.

Various wrestlers shill Manscaped products.

We recap Nia Jax challenging Bayley for the Smackdown Women’s Title. Jax is on a roll and won Queen Of The Ring but Bayley isn’t laying down for anyone.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Bayley vs. Nia Jax

Jax is challenging and Bayley slugs away to start fast before tying the arm up in the ropes. Bayley has to escape a powerbomb but Jax runs her over without much trouble. An elbow drop keeps Bayley in trouble but she fights up and hits a belly to back suplex. Back up and Bayley manages to knock her outside, only to get crotched back inside. Bayley manages a guillotine choke (how she beat Jax in NXT) but gets shoved off with straight power.

Jax’s middle rope legdrop misses and a quick Bayley To Belly gets two. Bayley charges into a release Rock Bottom out of the corner and the Annihilator connects for two, leaving Jax stunned. Back up and Bayley sends her shoulder first into the post (four for four) so Jax needs a breather on the floor.

Bayley’s suicide dive is countered into a Samoan drop on the floor, followed by the running hip attack in the corner. Another Annihilator is broken up though and Bayley manages a heck of a middle rope powerbomb. Bayley’s top rope elbow gets two….and it’s Tiffy Time. Bayley cuts her off but Jax powerbombs Bayley down, setting up a pair of Annihilators to win the title at 12:32.

Rating: B-. There was zero hiding what was going on here, as there might as well have been a big countdown clock to the title change from the second Jax announced she was going to be in the Queen Of The Ring. She’s too big of a force to keep losing all of the time and even though she isn’t the most popular, this is probably the best way to go. Stratton has the briefcase and can turn on her later, which would suit her rather well.

Post match Tiffany and Jax celebrate with no cash-in attempt.

We recap Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk. McIntyre injured Punk during the Royal Rumble and then bragged about it. Therefore, Punk has promised, and managed, to ruin McIntyre’s life. McIntyre is obsessed with Punk and stole a personal bracelet of his, meaning it’s time for revenge, with Seth Rollins, who doesn’t like either of them, as the guest referee.

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

Seth Rollins is guest referee and calls for the opening bell after quite the delay. Punk hammers away to start but Rollins pulls him away in the corner. That lets McIntyre get in some stomps of his own, but Rollins breaks that up too. McIntyre strikes away until a clothesline puts him on the floor. Rollins chills on the top rope as Punk posts McIntyre before stopping to tie his shoes as Punk sends McIntyre into the steps. McIntyre fights up and swings Punk into the steps while Rollins conducts the singing crowd.

A catapult sends Punk chest first into the ring structure and it’s time to throw what’s left of Punk back inside. McIntyre powerbombs him for two, with Rollins’ count not sitting well with him. The chair is brought in, with McIntyre saying this makes their problem go away. Rollins takes the chair away and loads up a swing but has to stop himself from hitting Punk by mistake. The chair is thrown out but Rollins misses the rollup on McIntyre. Back up and McIntyre drops him again before pulling out the bracelet.

Punk fires off the running knees in the corner and the top rope elbow gets two. The Anaconda Vice is brought out of mothballs, only for McIntyre to fight out and hit the Claymore for two. The Futureshock is escaped and McIntyre misses a charge into the post (oh come on already). Punk yells at Rollins for picking up the bracelet but McIntyre rams them into each other, sending Rollins outside. The GTS gets a VERY delayed two, with Punk yelling at Rollins and his “stupid Sabu pants” (amazing line). That means a GTS to Rollins, leaving McIntyre to hit Punk low. Another Claymore finishes for McIntyre at 16:59.

Rating: B. Good stuff here, with enough smoke and mirrors hiding the fact that Punk was looking more than a bit tired at times. The main thing is they got Punk in the ring for a major match, which is the best role for him at the moment. He can’t do nearly as much as he used to be able to do, but there is an energy for his matches that few others have. The ending sets up either Punk vs. McIntyre II or Punk vs. Rollins, with commentary pointing out that Punk’s lack of focus cost him the win.

Finn Balor comes in to see Damian Priest, saying Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan are gone. Priest apologizes for accusing him earlier, with Balor accepting and apologizing for his response. Go take care of Gunther.

We recap Damian Priest defending the Raw World Title against Gunther. Priest cashed in Money In The Bank to win the title at Wrestlemania and has been trying to prove himself as champion since. Gunther on the other hand is the King Of The Ring while coming off the record shattering Intercontinental Title reign. He also doesn’t think much of Priest, referring to him as street trash. It’s a cultural battle along with a title fight.

Raw World Title: Gunther vs. Damian Priest

Priest is defending and there are no seconds. They slug it out to start with Priest knocking him into the corner and grabbing a lifting Downward Spiral to send Gunther outside. Gunther blocks a powerbomb attempt and rams him into the apron, only for Priest to hit an ear clap back inside. Priest’s superplex is broken up with some shots to the ribs but he settles for a super hurricanrana (McAfee: “Something you don’t often see: Gunther’s body flying through the sky.”

Other than when he does that top rope splash almost every match.) into the Broken Arrow for two. Priest chops him so hard that Gunther’s chest is bleeding but he’s back with a powerbomb. Gunther sees the blood and chops even harder, only for Priest to kick him in the head and hit the South Of Heaven for two. Back up and Gunther kicks him in the face so Priest tells him to bring it on (oh that’s dumb) so it’s a chop to put him own. Cue Finn Balor to cheer Priest on (uh oh) and Gunther kicks Priest down again.

A running kick to the ribs has Priest in trouble and Gunther kicks Balor in the face too. Priest fights up and hits some clotheslines, setting up the Razor’s Edge. South Of Heaven connects…but Balor puts Gunther’s foot on the ropes. Priest didn’t seem to see what happened but sees the replay on the screen and turns to glare at Balor. The distraction lets Gunther get the sleeper, with Priest flipping backwards for two and the escape. Priest lunges for Balor and Gunther grabs a powerbomb. Another sleeper gives Gunther the title at 16:39.

Rating: B. These guys beat the fire out of each other and it was a physical match before everything went down. The stories here are managing a new champion to go with the further splitting of Judgment Day, which could open up a few paths for both. Heck of a match here, with Priest having a new hot story to come off a pretty impressive title run.

Here are the Miz and R-Truth to announce the attendance of 57,791. Jelly Roll’s theme song, with the line “YOU AIN’T NOTHING BUT A LIAR” playing just after that number is announced amuses me for some reason. Cue A-Town Down Under to mock Jelly Roll, saying only Cleveland could have this many people who look like Roll (who weighs a good bit over three hundred pounds). Truth thinks he’s talking to the Rock N Roll Express (because of the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame) but here is Roll in disguise to chair them down. A Five Knuckle Shuffle ensues and Miz and Truth have to help Roll up.

We recap Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa for the Smackdown World Title. Rhodes thought he defeated the Bloodline at Wrestlemania when he took out Roman Reigns but Sikoa has reformed the team with a much more dangerous lineup. Now it’s a Bloodline Rules match but all of Cody’s friends have been taken out by the Bloodline, meaning he’s all alone.

Smackdown World Title: Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa

Cody is defending under Bloodline Rules (anything goes). We go to the back where Rhodes gets off his bus, takes his dog Pharaoh, and walks into the arena, where he runs into Arn Anderson of all people. Anderson talks about how proud Dusty Rhodes would be but Cody has four ticked off island boys coming for him. Cody’s friends are on the way though, even if they might leave as Cody takes FOREVER to get to the ring in an entrance Undertaker would think is excessive.

Feeling out process to start with Sikoa using the power to take over early on. Sikoa blocks the drop down right hand and Cody isn’t sure what to think. They chop it out until Cody low bridges him to the apron, with a Disaster Kick sending Sikoa out to the floor. Back in and Cody’s snap powerslam doesn’t work so Sikoa hits a spinwheel kick. The Samoan drop gets two but Cody is back up with a Cody Cutter for a breather.

Back up and Sikoa grabs a sitout powerbomb for two, followed by a running Umaga Attack for the same. Spinning Solo sets up the nerve hold and another Samoan drop cuts off the comeback bid. Cody is tied in the Tree of Woe for the running headbutt but another one only hits mat. A top rope moonsault to a standing Sikoa (even Graves has to admit it didn’t look great) gives Cody a breather but Sikoa plants him back down for two more.

Sikoa goes up, only to get superplexed right back down. Cody slugs away but has to counter Sikoa’s Cross Rhodes attempt into one of his own. Cue Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa so the beatdown can be on, including the double spinning neckbreaker to give Sikoa two. Cue the returning Kevin Owens for the save but the Bloodline fights back, meaning it’s Randy Orton running in (and high fiving fans on the way) for the save of his own.

Cody uses the help to hit Cross Rhodes on Solo, leaving the other four to fight off into the crowd. It’s time to bring in the steps, with Cody getting in some hard shots to the head. Sikoa cuts him off with a spear though and puts Cody up against the steps in the corner. The running Umaga Attack misses though and Cody hits a pair of Cross Rhodes. Cue Jacob Fatu to wreck Cody though, with Sikoa getting two.

Fatu takes him outside for a top rope splash through the announcers’ table….and Fatu can’t stand on his leg. I believe the term is oh de….and it doesn’t matter as ROMAN REIGNS is back to a thunderous reaction. The Superman Punch and spear cut Sikoa down and, with a look at Reigns, Cody hits Cross Rhodes to retain at 29:14.

Rating: B-. For a match where anything goes, they didn’t exactly do anything until the end. This was a regular match for about twenty minutes and then they went nuts with the interference, making it much more like the Wrestlemania match between Cody and Reigns. It’s certainly not bad, but I was expecting some wild brawl and for the most part, I only got a good match. As for the bigger story of Reigns coming back, they teased it and then did it, so there is only so much to complain about with how it went down. Everything picks up from here as the Bloodline Civil War is on, which should be good.

Overall Rating: B. Solid action, nothing bad in the ring, stories moving forward and the big moment at the end in front of a pretty hot crowd. That’s about all you can ask for out of any major show and this one more than delivered. Above all else it sets up all kinds of things going forward (the Judgment Day’s future should be fascinating) as we enter the build towards the end of the year and Survivor Series. Rather good show here, with that Reigns reception being a sight to behold.

Results
Liv Morgan b. Rhea Ripley – Oblivion onto a chair
Bron Breakker b. Sami Zayn – Spear
LA Knight b. Logan Paul – BFT
Nia Jax b. Bayley – Annihilator
Drew McIntyre b. CM Punk – Claymore
Gunther b. Damian Priest – Sleeper
Cody Rhodes b. Solo Sikoa – Cross Rhodes

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

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We’re back to one of the biggest shows of the year and it’s another stadium version, which should make things that much more interesting. The show has been well built up and we could be in for quite the night if things go as they have planned. We have six title matches and a major grudge match, the latter of which might be the most interesting thing on the show. Let’s get to it.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Bayley(c) vs. Nia Jax

We’ll start with what feels like the most obvious result, as Jax has been built up as the unstoppable force, while Bayley is the plucky champion who believes she can stop the monster. That’s a nice way to believe but it doesn’t feel like it is based in reality. Jax is being pushed as unbeatable right now and there is a good chance that it means we’ll be seeing a title change here.

Naturally I’ll go with Jax winning, as a mixture of WWE’s weird obsession with her and the fact that her cousin helps run the place does not bode well for Bayley’s chances. I could see Tiffany Stratton cashing in on Jax here, but it wouldn’t shock me to see it shut down. Either way, Bayley gets Annihilated and Jax gets to be the queen of everything, because that’s just what we have to see happen.

Intercontinental Title: Sami Zayn(c) vs. Bron Breakker

This is a rematch from last month at Money In The Bank where Zayn won in something of an upset. Now Breakker wants another shot on the bigger stage and has been wrecking people left and right on his way back to the title. In theory that should mean it is time for him to get the big win, but beating Zayn is one of those things that is often talked about but rarely happens.

I can’t imagine they’ll have Breakker lose at back to back pay per views though so I’ll say the title changes. Breakker is someone who feels like he could be one of the next big things around here and he is going to need a major win on the main roster do that. Beating Zayn in a major spot is a great way to go and there is no reason to believe that he loses again. Breakker wins here, as he should.

US Title: Logan Paul(c) vs. LA Knight

Here we have another weird situation as Paul is doing rather well in his role as champion but he doesn’t really have anything else to do. He already got his shot at Cody Rhodes and came up short, so there is no reason to go back there again. At the same time, Knight almost desperately needs to win a title, because he is long past the point where he has lost too much. That makes for an interesting situation, and there is pretty much only one way out.

Knight pretty much has to win here so we’ll go with that, even in Paul’s hometown. Paul is someone who has already firmly established himself as a big deal while Knight has always been the one who comes up short. Give him the win here and let him move up a bit, which is long overdue. The reign doesn’t even need to be long, but it needs to start at some point, which is what happens here as Knight wins.

Raw World Title: Damian Priest(c) vs. Gunther

Maybe I’m overthinking this, but the more I think about it, the more I think Priest might retain. The idea being Priest’s reign is that he is in over his head and should lose the title but then he just keeps hanging onto it. That hasn’t been a bad thing so far, though this isn’t quite the same kind of match. Gunther is a different animal, but there is one more thing that gives me caution.

In a pick I’m sure is going to be wrong, I’ll say Priest retains here, likely through Judgment Day shenanigans. For once that isn’t something the champion wants, leading to a rematch later this month in Berlin where Gunther gets the big win. You can screw Gunther over and turn him into more of a monster while Priest gets to further what should be a face turn and everything works. Or Gunther just smashes him and wins. I’ll say Priest wins, but not with the most confidence.

Raw Women’s Title: Liv Morgan(c) vs. Rhea Ripley

Here we have one of the more interesting matches on the card as it is all about the soap opera side. The question remains centered around Dominik Mysterio’s status, which seemed to shift in recent weeks. Now it seems that Mysterio and Ripley are fine and Morgan has been left out in the cold. That comes off as too simple to be true and we might see that this weekend.

I’m thinking that Mysterio officially turns on Ripley here to side with Morgan, allowing her to retain. At the same time it would not shock me to see Morgan drop Mysterio immediately because she just wanted to break him rather than wanting him for herself, but that would just be a bonus. While there is always the chance that Ripley crushes Morgan to get her title back, I’m thinking Morgan gets what she wants here while Ripley gets her heart broken instead.

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

This is the grudge match on the show and quite possibly the best thing on the entire card. These two cannot stand each other and have gone after the other for months but they have not been able to have an actual match. Hopefully everything goes well here on the health and safety side, because Punk’s next injury very well may be the last one of his career. Assuming he can stay healthy, he can keep going from here, which brings up the result.

I’m going with McIntyre here, even with Seth Rollins as guest referee. Punk has gotten the better of McIntyre too many times now and McIntyre can only get so angry at Punk anymore. McIntyre needs to win here, either with or without Rollins’ help, as there is almost guaranteed to be a rematch of some sort. This should be a great start though, and it will be very nice to have Punk back in the ring.

Smackdown World Title: Cody Rhodes(c) vs. Solo Sikoa

This match got a big boost on Smackdown as it is now under Bloodline Rules. That should help with making things a bit more suited to Sikoa, as I’m not sure how well he could have carried his half of a traditional main event. As has been the case elsewhere on the show, this doesn’t so much feel like the big event but rather a piece of a much larger story, which is due to one person.

I’ll take Rhodes to win here one way or another, as not only is it far too early for him to lose the belt, but it also could set up the return of Roman Reigns. Sikoa has hinted at Reigns’ return, and if Sikoa loses, Reigns can throw the “losses have consequences” line right back in his face. That’s the big step forward though, which is impressive when you consider that it’s likely to be the main event of Summerslam. But yeah, Rhodes wins and Reigns is back sooner than later to go after Sikoa.

Overall Thoughts

For a show that only has seven matches at the moment, they have doe a great job of making the show feel packed. There is a little bit of everything here and if the big stuff goes well, we could be in for an outstanding show. That is the hard part, but at least they have done a good job of setting the stage for success.

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

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Rampage
Date: August 2, 2024
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard

We are now officially less than a month away from All In and that means the show’s card has already started coming together. Most of the bigger matches are either set or have been teased and there is a good chance of moving things forward this week. If nothing else, we should be in for solid action, as tends to be the case around here. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Wheeler Yuta vs. The Butcher

Bryan Danielson is on commentary. Feeling out process to start until Yuta strikes away as Danielson is right there to explain the idea behind what Yuta is doing. Butcher shoulders him down to take over and a backdrop keeps Yuta in trouble. Back up and Yuta manages to send him outside for the suicide dive, only to be knocked out of the air back inside. Butcher plants him down and we take a break.

We come back with Yuta hitting a high crossbody as Danielson talks about wanting to face Jeff Jarrett on Dynamite. A flying forearm drops Butcher and a German suplex gives Yuta two. Butcher backbreakers his way out of a Kimura and grabs a sitout powerbomb for two of his own. Yuta fights up and sends him shoulder first into the buckle, setting up the up and down elbows. Cattle Mutilation of all things finishes Butcher at 10:39.

Rating: C+. This is one of those ideas that will always work as you have the smaller Yuta fighting the scary looking monster in Butcher. It was made even better by having Danielson there to push the idea, which he can do rather well. They didn’t reinvent the wheel here, but they didn’t have to as they made a simple idea work well.

The MxM Collection are only addicted to shampooing and conditioning and the only shots they take are beauty shots.

Brian Cage vs. Manny Lo

Cage grabs a suplex to start, followed by posing and Weapon X for the pin at 1:01.

We look at Kyle Fletcher yelling at MJF to set up their match on Dynamite.

Fletcher is cut off by Don Callis before Brian Cage comes in. Cage vs. Fletcher is set for Collision. That will be three straight nights of Cage wrestling (counting Ring Of Honor), which seems a bit excessive.

Nyla Rose vs. Harley Cameron

Cameron says this is for Saraya (who isn’t here). For some reason Cameron tries to go straight after Rose, who just glares at her. A kick to the back of Rose’s head only makes her mad, with Cameron being sent outside for a baseball slide. Cameron manages to send her into the barricade to take over, followed by some boot choking back inside.

We take a break and come back with Rose grabbing a backbreaker and elbowing her down for two. Cameron gets in a shot of her own but misses the Cannonball. A knee to the head gives Cameron two, followed by a Bronco Buster. That doesn’t work for Rose, who sits up with a Beast Bomb for the pin at 8:58.

Rating: C+. This was Cameron hammering away on the much bigger monster to limited avail. At the end of the day, Rose basically treated her like a fly and smashed her to wrap things up. I could go for more of more of Rose in almost any kind of role and if that means having a more competitive than expected match with Cameron, so I’ll be glad with what I’m getting.

Private Party is ready for the MxM Collection but doesn’t seem to be taking them seriously.

Bryan Keith vs. Jackson Drake

The rest of the Learning Tree is here as Keith strikes away to send him into the corner. Keith ties him in the Tree of Woe and stomps away, allowing Big Bill to get in some choking from the floor. A suplex into a running kick to the chest sets up Diamond Dust to finish for Keith at 3:10.

Rating: C. I can only get so annoyed at anyone who uses Diamond Dust, which is still one of the coolest looking moves anywhere. This was a quick way to build Keith up a bit, especially after his hiatus due to the injury. The Learning Tree needs something to do and I’m not sure what that is at the moment.

Katsuyori Shibata is ready to hurt Bryan Keith to even the score.

The Kingdom is ready for FTR.

Private Party vs. MxM Collection

Mansoor and Isiah Kassidy start things off with the latter being taken down for a walk over his back. Back up and they argue over how serious this is before flipping to a standoff. Mansoor gets dropkicked out to the floor and it’s off to Mason to power Kassidy into the corner. Everything breaks down Mansoor gets double flapjacked down to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Kassidy faceplanting Mansoor, setting up a neckbreaker/ for two with Mason making the save. Mason gets kicked down but manages to power both of them over with a double suplex. An exchange of strikes leaves everyone down for a breather. Mason is sent outside, where he catches Kassidy’s dive with a swinging Boss Man Slam. Back in and Mason chokeslams Quen off the top, setting up an assisted double arm inverted DDT for the pin at 12:02.

Rating: C+. So far the Collection has been getting to showcase a few different sides of themselves, with the promos being much more goofy while the matches themselves are more on the serious side. It’s a mixture that is working so far and they are certainly getting television time. We’ll have to see where it goes, but it could be a far worse start.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a bit different after last week’s big Royal Rampage edition as it was more about the in-ring action. That being said, there was only so much to be seen here, with little in the way of interesting. Nothing on here was bad, but it was a show that you really did not need to see.

Results
Wheeler Yuta b. The Butcher – Cattle Mutlation
Brian Cage b. Manny Lo – Weapon X
Nyla Rose b. Harley Cameron – Beast Bomb
Bryan Keith b. Jackson Drake via
MxM Collection b. Private Party – Assisted double arm inverted DDT to Quen

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Smackdown
Date: August 2, 2024
Location: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

It’s the last show before Summerslam tomorrow and that means it is time for a pretty big match on the way. In this case that means we have the Tag Team Titles on the line as DIY defends against the Bloodline in what might be a massacre. Other than that, it’s time for the big push towards Summerslam so let’s get to it.

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

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat. He asks what we want to talk about but thinks WHO we want to talk about might be a better question. Cue Solo Sikoa, on his own for once, to tell the crowd to acknowledge him. The fans aren’t pleased, but Rhodes talks about how they are both younger brothers. Sikoa is all about the Bloodline’s theatrics but tomorrow the bell is going to ring.

Rhodes gets serious, until Sikoa asks if he is done yet. Rhodes says Sikoa is the self proclaimed Tribal Chief but Rhodes is the WWE Champion. He sits on a throne and can do so because of what people like people like Randy Orton and Kevin Owens did. Rhodes mentions beating Roman Reigns in a Bloodline Rules match, but Sikoa says Reigns was weak. Sikoa is dangerous though and tomorrow, he’ll show Rhodes how dangerous he can be. He wants Rhodes to put his money where his mouth is, but cue the Bloodline through the crowd.

Rhodes realizes Sikoa wants it to be a Bloodline Rules match tomorrow (despite Sikoa never saying it) and calls out the Bloodline. He isn’t scared of any of them and the Bloodline Rules match is on. Sikoa threatens Rhodes with the Bloodline but Rhodes says all he has to do is beat the Tribal Chief. Since the Tribal Chief isn’t here, he’ll settle for the wannabe. They got to the point here, but Sikoa wasn’t able to keep up with Rhodes on the mic and it didn’t make for the best segment.

Carmelo Hayes goes to the barber shop and talks about his breakout performance against Andrade. It’ll be different the next time they face off.

Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes

Feeling out process to start with Hayes being cocky as usual. Andrade isn’t having that this time and takes over but the threat of the Message sends Hayes bailing to the floor. We take a break and come back with Hayes sending him knees first into the steps, setting up a superkick for two. Andrade fights up and takes over, only to miss the running knees in the corner. Hayes misses the Fade Away but something like a springboard hanging suplex puts Andrade down. Hayes goes up top until Andrade catches him for a superplex as we take another break.

Back again with Andrade sending him out to the floor, setting up a middle rope moonsault. They get back in and Hayes hits a spinning faceplant, only to walk into the spinning elbow for a close two. Andrade’s double jump moonsault gets two so he grabs the Figure Four. That’s broken up so Andrade tries the Message, which is reversed into a rollup, which is reversed into a rollup to give Andrade the pin at 16:06.

Rating: B. I’m a bit surprised at the result, but at the end of the day it is nice to see Andrade getting a chance like this. He is getting some momentum together and it would be cool to see that turned into something. Hayes loses again, but at least it wasn’t in a way that left him looking weak. Good match here, as these two work well together.

Santos Escobar says he’s going to take out Apollo Crews tonight and yells at Berto and Angel for losing in the gauntlet match last week.

Apollo Crews vs. Santos Escobar

Baron Corbin and the rest of Legado del Fantasma are here too. Escobar starts fast and knocks him into the corner, setting up a slingshot hilo. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gives Escobar two and we hit the waistlock. That’s broken up and Crews comes back with an overhead belly to belly. Angel tries to offer a distraction but gets decked by Corbin. Crews’ standing moonsault gets two but…someone grabs Corbin’s leg from underneath the ring. The distraction lets Escobar hit the Phantom Driver for the pin at 3:28.

Rating: C. This was more about the shenanigans outside, as there is little reason to believe that Crews was going to be a serious threat to someone who was a much bigger star. In theory this should be one of the last matches in the feud, but there is always the chance that things could be stretched out even further. At least Corbin didn’t lose, which is not something I was expecting to say anytime ever.

It seemed to have been a member of Legado grabbing Corbin’s leg rather than a surprise.

Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair are ready to get their Women’s Tag Team Titles back.

Here is Nick Aldis, with some unnamed yet totally legitimate “Cleveland dignitaries” to welcome hometown star Logan Paul. This brings out Paul, who immediately goes into mocking LA Knight, who is desperate to take the US Title. Paul sees Knight’s appeal to the fans, as he’s a guy who never made it, just like everyone here. Paul can’t relate to everyone here because he’s great and he made it.

That’s why we’re here, including these dignitaries. Aldis says he couldn’t find anything about these dignitaries on Google, but Paul insists they’re legit. We have a banner to unveil, but instead it says YEAH over Paul’s face. Cue Knight to say the sunglasses are making it hard for him to read the banner, so maybe the people can tell him what it says. Fans: “YEAH!” Paul: “CONGRATS! YOU PEOPLE CAN READ!”

Knight points out that Paul is from the suburbs before going to the back to find another banner for Paul. We follow Knight to the back, where he finds Pretty Deadly, who are practicing for their musical. That won’t work, but no one has a banner for him. Instead, Knight goes to the back to Paul’s Prime truck so Paul charges after him, with Knight stealing the truck. Paul: “THAT’S A CRIME!” Knight getting under Paul’s skin is a good way to go, but he has to win that title.

Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre are ready for Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.

Logan Paul wants to know what Nick Aldis is going to do about this. Aldis will take it up with the dignitaries.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre vs. Jade Cargill/Bianca Belair

Cargill and Belair are challenging and jump the champs before the bell. The champs say they can go so it’s Cargill splashing Dawn in the corner. Belair comes in to stomp away and stereo gorilla press drops have the champions in trouble as we take a break. Back with Cargill kicking Fyre away but Dawn pulls Belair down off the apron.

A Backstabber/Swanton combination gets two on Cargill, who suplexes both of them down at once for a needed breather. Belair comes back in with a double high crossbody as it’s time to clean house. Belair hammers away in the corner on both champions until Fyre slips out and grabs the hair. The handspring moonsault gets two on Fyre with Dawn making the save. Cargill pulls Dawn to the floor for a superkick…and here is Blair Davenport to jump Cargill for the DQ at 7:23.

Rating: C. The ending isn’t the biggest surprise as there was almost no reason to believe that Dawn and Fyre were going to be able to survive against the ream team of Belair and Cargill. Having Davenport get involved isn’t the worst idea, but hopefully she can live up to the spot they are putting her in. It hasn’t exactly worked so far, but maybe that changes this time.

Post match destruction ensues, with Cargill being sent over the announcers’ table.

Summerslam rundown.

Video on Nia Jax vs. Bayley.

Jax gives Tiffany Stratton a custom Money In The Bank briefcase, with Stratton being VERY excited. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven come in o mock the briefcase

DIY is fired up to face the Bloodline, with Johnny Gargano talking about how this is his hometown and there are over 10,000 members of his family waiting for the Bloodline.

Tag Team Titles: Bloodline vs. DIY

The Bloodline, with Tonga Loa and Solo Sikoa, is challenging. Tama powers Ciampa into the corner to start and runs him over as we take a break with the champions in early trouble. Back with Fatu’s running splash only hitting the post, allowing Gargano to come back in. Everything breaks down and Fatu is taken down by a flip dive off the apron. A super Air Raid Crash gives Ciampa two but Fatu is back in to take over. The running hip attack hits Ciampa, setting up Tama’s top rope splash for two with Gargano making the save.

Fatu’s running hip attack on the floor only hits steps, leaving Ciampa to roll Tama up for two. A Shatter Machine hits Tama but Loa offers a distraction, allowing Sikoa to Samoan Spike Ciampa. Tama’s spinning reverse DDT gets two on Gargano but he superkicks his way out of trouble. There’s the suicide dive to Tama and a poisonrana to Fatu…which just wakes him up. The pop up Samoan drop sets up the triple jump moonsault. The implant DDT gives Fatu the pin and the titles at 9:10.

Rating: B. Yeah they had to. There was pretty much no reason to have DIY retain here as they have gotten their big win and special moment. The Bloodline is by far the bigger deal right now and giving Fatu a spotlight is that much better. It was even a fast paced match with DIY giving it everything they could before falling to the monsters.

Overall Rating: B. With most of Summerslam set, there wasn’t much here that needed to be changed, save for the Bloodline Rules stipulation being added. Other than that, it was a pretty good night of action with the Tag Team Title switch in the end being rather noteworthy. All that matters is tomorrow though, and there is every chance they could have a smash with the show. The show before it did well enough, though this one didn’t have quite the same pressure.

Results
Andrade b. Carmelo Hayes – Rollup
Santos Escobar b. Apollo Crews – Phantom Driver
Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill b. Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre via DQ when Blair Davenport interfered
Bloodline b. DIY – Implant DDT to Gargano

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

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Summerslam 2023
Date: August 5, 2023
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Attendance: 51,477
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re in another stadium and that means the show is going to feel big. In this case we have several major matches on the card, starting with Tribal Combat as Roman Reigns defends the WWE Universal Title, as well as being Tribal Chief, against Jey Uso. Other than that, we have Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar III and Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor for the Raw World Title. Let’s get to it.

Since the show is in Detroit, the opening video has a car theme and an intro by Kid Rock, because of course it does. It talks about knowing where you’re going and looks at some classic clips before moving into the look at this year’s show.

And again, for reasons I still cannot fathom, the show’s theme song is Born To Be Wild by Steppenwolf. As in the song released in 1968.

Logan Paul vs. Ricochet

This is a battle over trying to go viral. They yell at each other to start and Paul is knocked to the floor where he covers up from a dive that never comes. Back in and Ricochet rolls through a sunset lip attempt but gets elbowed in the face to cut him off. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Ricochet fights up, only to get caught in the ropes. A neckbreaker onto the apron puts Ricochet down and Paul hammers away in the corner to keep him in trouble.

With a quick mock of the injured Braun Strowman, Paul hits a running powerslam for two and soaks in some booing. A big boot and legdrop (the Hogan Paul) connect for Paul but Ricochet is back with a spinebuster into the People’s Moonsault for two. Back up and one heck of a backdrop leaves Ricochet crashing down and Paul is back up with a springboard clothesline.

They go to the apron, with Ricochet having to stick the landing on a Spanish Fly before knocking Paul down for a breather. Paul is back up with a Buckshot Lariat to the floor (geez) and naturally a quick shot of Prime. Back in and a standing moonsault gives Paul two as Ricochet is starting to get overwhelmed. Paul misses a charge into the post so they both go up top (the fans get up too) and a super neckbreaker brings Paul crashing back down.

A springboard clothesline into the standing shooting star press gets two on Paul and we slow down a bit. Back up and Paul’s middle rope moonsault is caught but he spins into a tornado DDT for the big crash anyway. Ricochet is back up with the Recoil but the shooting star press only hits raised knees. One heck of a springboard frog splash gives Paul two, only to have Ricochet kick him in the face. A top rope Lionsault gets two but the 630 misses and cue one of Paul’s lackeys to give Paul brass knuckles. The big right hand gives Paul the win at 17:56.

Rating: B+. There is a concept of just letting it all hang out and do one big spot after another and it went well here. This was a blast of a match and they didn’t try to do anything but one big move after another. Paul gets a win on the big stage and that is what he has been lacking for a long time now. Really fun match here and they’ll likely get the highlights they were shooting for with this one.

Samantha Irvin, Ricochet’s fiance, is livid.

Sheamus and the Brawling Brutes mess with a monster truck.

We recap Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar, which started the night after Wrestlemania. Lesnar attacked him, presumably for not beating Roman Reigns, but Cody won the first match. Then Lesnar beat him back (and broke his hand), so it’s rubber match time.

Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes

Lesnar German suplexes him to start but Rhodes is right back with a pair of Disaster Kicks. A third is knocked out of the air though and Lesnar powers him hard into the corner. Lesnar’s charge only hits post and the fight heads outside as they’re certainly starting fast. Back in and Lesnar suplexes him a few more times as we’re getting firmly into Lesnar’s standard style. Rhodes is sent outside but beats the count, with Lesnar just shaking his head. Lesnar: “THIS IS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE!”

Rhodes gets knocked to the floor a few more times as we’re in quite a bit of a stall. An F5 on the floor plants Rhodes again and Lesnar tells Michael Cole to tell Rhodes to take the countout. Somehow Rhodes beat the count and gives him a BRING IT look, earning himself another suplex. Another F5 through the announcers’ table has Cole begging Rhodes to stay down. Rhodes dives back in again and Lesnar is really displeased. They go back to the floor where Rhodes grabs the steps, which are kicked away.

Instead Rhodes manages a posting and NOW the steps can rock Lesnar again. The Disaster Kick into the Cody Cutter into a top rope Cody Cutter gets two and Rhodes is kind of stunned. The Kimura goes on but Rhodes makes it over to the ropes for the break. Back up and Rhodes sends him into an exposed buckle, setting up a Kimura on Lesnar. As you might expect, Lesnar powers him up and down for the break but an F5 is countered into the Cross Rhodes. Two more Cross Rhodes finish for Rhodes at 17:30.

Rating: B. They started losing me a bit during the teased countout spot but then it got going again with Rhodes hanging in there until Lesnar just couldn’t beat him. This is the way to give someone the Lesnar rub as Rhodes not only hung in there but wound up winning, which is a heck of a lot more than some can say. Good stuff here, with Rhodes getting the important win to finish the feud.

Post match Lesnar gets up and shows respect. The gloves come off and Lesnar leaves in peace.

Slim Jim Battle Royal

Erik, Ivar, JD McDonagh, Rick Boogs, Otis, Chad Gable, Ludwig Kaiser, Giovanni Vinci, Ridge Holland, Butch, Sheamus, Riddle, Grayson Waller, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bronson Reed, Tommaso Ciampa, Apollo Crews, LA Knight, Santos Escobar, AJ Styles, The Miz, Austin Theory, Karrion Kross, Cameron Grimes, Omos

We get a brief history of battle royals (including Royal Rumbles, which aren’t exactly the same thing) before the bell rings and….holds on as here is MVP to introduce Omos as the guaranteed winner. The fight is on before Omos gets in but he’s right in there to get rid of Crews, McDonagh and Boogs. A bunch of people go after Omos but he fights them off and knocks Sheamus silly.

Imperium gets rid of Otis but Gable throws Vinci out and gets to pose a bit. Ciampa breaks up the Viking Raiders’ springboard clothesline and gets rid of both of them. Willow’s Bell gets rid of Nakamura in a heck of a quick sequence. Not that it matters as Reed gets rid of Ciampa and Theory knocks out Holland. Grimes is out as the ring is getting cleared rather quickly. Escobar eliminates Theory but gets kicked out by Kross. Kaiser gets too cocky (shocking I know) in thinking he got rid of Gable, who tosses Kaiser instead.

Omos tosses Riddle and Butch at the same time and then knocks down (not out) a bunch of people at once. Knight starts going after Omos and a bunch of people join him, with the big group managing the elimination. Waller and Miz get together (Graves approves) but can’t get rid of either Gable or Knight. Instead Knight throws Miz out and Sheamus gets rid of Waller. Reed runs Sheamus and Knight over, leaving Styles to kick Kross out.

We’re down to Knight, Reed, Gable, Styles and Sheamus, with Reed backdropping Gable out. Knight muscles Reed out so it’s Sheamus taking over on Knight and Styles. Cue Kross to grab Styles’ leg so Sheamus can kick him out and get us down to two. Knight drops Sheamus and hits the LA Elbow but Sheamus is back up with the jumping knee. Sheamus goes up top but Knight jumps the corner for a superplex. A clothesline gets rid of Sheamus to give Knight the win at 12:46.

Rating: C+. It was a pretty run of the mill battle royal but what mattered was getting Knight a win on the big stage. Knight looked fine out there and got the win, despite not really being a focal point until the last few entrants. It wasn’t a particularly great match, but there is only so much you can get out of this kind of a battle royal in the first place.

And now, a Slim Jim ad featuring LA Knight. Geez good thing Butch didn’t win or that would have been awkward.

We recap Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler. They were friends, they were partners, then they weren’t friends or partners and now they’re fighting. This also goes back to their time in MMA, with Baszler apparently being jealous of Rousey’s success and Rousey not being very gracious.

Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler

This is under MMA rules, meaning no pinfalls, countouts, DQ’s or rope breaks. You win by submission or knockout, all of which are explained for the first time by the referee. Rousey breaks tradition by offering to touch gloves but Baszler isn’t up for it. Instead they grapple up against the ropes until Rousey slams her down. Some shots to Baszler’s back look to set up a cross armbreaker but Rousey can’t get it on, meaning it’s another standoff.

Back up and Baszler DROPS HER with a kick, sending Rousey outside. Baszler grabs a leglock back inside but Rousey slips out and hits a hard jumping knee. A knee to the ribs takes Baszler down again and Rousey hammers away at her back. Rousey headscissor chokes her and they fall over the top to the floor in a big crash.

Rousey gets back in and Baszler needs to be checked out by the medics. That doesn’t work for Rousey, who beats up the medics but Baszler suplexes her down. A Kirifuda Clutch is broken up and Rousey goes for the armbar, with Baszler reversing into an ankle lock. Baszler pulls her up into the Kirifuda Clutch and Rousey is out at 7:28.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what to make of this as it was barely wrestling and more a martial arts match, as advertised. What mattered the most here was Rousey giving Baszler a win on her way out of WWE. It was pretty clear that Rousey’s time in WWE was over and this is a good way for her to go out. Now if only WWE ever did anything with Baszler other than put her in another tag team.

Tonight’s attendance: 59,194.

We recap Drew McIntyre vs. Gunther for the latter’s Intercontinental Title. Gunther is this close to setting the all time record for longest Intercontinental Title reign of all time, while McIntyre is back after a long hiatus and wants to prove he’s still got it. Hoss fighting is set to ensue.

Intercontinental Title: Drew McIntyre vs. Gunther

Gunther is defending. They stare at each other to start and eventually lock up to fight over the power game. A shoulder puts Gunther down and the slow pace continues. Gunther’s headlock takeover puts them on the mat as commentary runs down Gunther’s resume. Back up and McIntyre hits the Glasgow Kiss to send Gunther outside, where he is fine enough to post McIntyre and send him into the steps.

Back in and Gunther chops him down a few times but McIntyre is back up for the slugout. Gunther’s release German suplex doesn’t do much to McIntyre, who is right back up with a clothesline for the double knockdown. The chop each other down so McIntyre nips up, only to get dropkicked into the corner. McIntyre is right back with the Futureshock for two but the threat of the Claymore sends Gunther outside.

That means a big running flip dive from McIntyre but another Claymore attempt is cut off with a dropkick. The powerbomb gives Gunther two and they’re both down again. Gunther is up first with a top rope splash for two and frustration is setting in. With nothing else working, Gunther starts slapping him in the back of the head over and over with some shouting thrown in.

McIntyre fights up and hits a Claymore for two, meaning it’s time for McIntyre’s eyes to bug out. Gunther is sat up top for a hard chop and they strike it out up there. McIntyre gets crotched back down though and the top rope splash into the powerbomb retains the title at 13:42.

Rating: B. It was a good, hard hitting match that you would expect from these two but they didn’t have as much time as you would have expected. At the same time, they were being asked to live up to the expectations from the Wrestlemania three way with Sheamus, which just wasn’t likely to be topped. Gunther getting another big win makes him feel that much bigger though, as the legend continues to grow.

We recap Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Title. Rollins beat Balor to win the inaugural title at Money In The Bank and now we’re running it back as Balor is still obsessed with beating Rollins, despite doing it before and having many chances to do it over the last seven years. Damian Priest and his Money In The Bank briefcase are looming as well.

Raw World Title: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor

Rollins is defending and wears the same vest that he wore when he hurt Balor at Summerslam 2016. Balor jumps him from behind to start but Rollins fights back before the bell. The bell rings and they slug it out with Rollins elbowing him in the face to take over. Some chops and a running forearm in the corner have Balor in more trouble but he slips out of a suplex. There’s a stomp to Rollins’ chest and Balor hammers away. Balor starts in on the arm, just like Rollins hurt him seven years ago (in a freak accident rather than targeting it but revenge can make people’s memories hazy).

The armbar goes on for a bit before Balor switches back to more general cranking. Rollins fights up but gets Russian legswept right back into a Fujiwara armbar. That’s broken up and Rollins hits a much needed clothesline for a breather. The Falcon Arrow gives Rollins two and Balor is sent outside for three straight suicide dives. Balor is back up to catch Rollins on the apron and send the bad arm into the post.

We get the big flashback with the running toss powerbomb into the barricade and Rollins is rocked. Back in and the Sling Blade hits Rollins, who is right back with a superkick. Balor shrugs it off and plants him down for one, setting up a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up as well and Rollins hits a pair of buckle bombs into the great looking frog splash for two. Balor gets in a shot and goes up, where Rollins superplexes him down and rolls into the Falcon Arrow, only to have Balor reverse into a small package for two.

The shotgun dropkick sends Rollins into the corner (where he hits his shoulder again) but the Coup de Grace misses. Rollins’ Pedigree connects for two….and here is Damian Priest with the Money In The Bank briefcase (his music isn’t playing though so it isn’t a cash-in). Balor hits his own Pedigree for two and Priest is stunned.

That’s enough for Priest to offer a distraction so cue Judgment Day but Balor yells at Priest, saying they’re not changing the plan. The distraction lets Rollins hit the Stomp for two and we hit the big shocked faced. Rollins dives onto Priest and the distraction lets Balor shotgun dropkick him into the corner so the Coup de Grace can get two. Priest throws in the briefcase but Rollins hits a quick Stomp onto it to retain the title at 18:27.

Rating: B. This was the kind of match that they needed to have to make Rollins feel more like a champion. That being said, there was a bit too much going on with all of the interference and the tease of the cash-in/interference. What matters is Rollins won though, which had to be the case as he was only about a month into the inaugural title reign. They had a good match here though and it felt like it belonged on a show this big.

The Alpha Academy preview the rest of the show and promote Mike’s Hard Lemonade. Miz comes in and gets annoyed at being the only real Mike in the room. Maxxine Dupri throws him out and calls him Mark.

We recap Asuka defending the Smackdown Women’s Title against Bianca Belair and Charlotte. Belair had the title won but Damage CTRL interfered, causing Charlotte to accidentally take Belair out. The triple threat match was made as a result.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Asuka vs. Bianca Belair vs. Charlotte

Asuka is defending and they start fairly slowly. Asuka’s rollup to Belair is broken up with a big boot from Charlotte as the fans are oddly quiet here. Charlotte suplexes Asuka down and kicks Belair in the face, only to be pulled outside by Asuka. Belair hits a dive onto both of them but gets kicked by Asuka on the way back in. A pop up knee to the face gets two on Belair with Charlotte making the save this time.

That earns Charlotte a knockdown of her own and Asuka, in the clown paint, gets in an evil smile. Charlotte is sent outside, leaving Asuka to small package Belair for two. They’re certainly not in high gear yet but things are at least starting to pick up. Charlotte dives onto both of them to break up a Glam Slam and it’s time to chop away. With Asuka and Belair in trouble in the corner….we pause for the referee to fix Charlotte’s gear.

Thankfully Asuka is smart enough to choke Belair until Charlotte can clothesline them both for two. Back up and Charlotte kicks Belair down but gets caught by Asuka’s running knees for two more, leaving everyone down. They all strike it out until Asuka grabs Belair’s hair to send her outside. Belair is back up with a neckbreaker to Asuka and right hands to Charlotte in the corner.

A spinebuster sends Charlotte onto Asuka but the handspring moonsault hits raised knees. Charlotte spears Belair but gets pulled into the Asuka Lock. Now the handspring moonsault can connect to break it up and everyone is down again. Back up and Charlotte sends them to the floor for the moonsault which….egads I don’t think she actually touched either of them (she might have grazed Belair but Asuka was nowhere near the impact).

With the crowd silent after that miss, Asuka takes Charlotte back in for a DDT but she has to fight out of a KOD attempt. Charlotte kicks Asuka to the floor and flips out of a KOD, only to get caught in an overhead German suplex. Charlotte has to break up the Asuka Lock on Belair and moonsaults onto both of them for two. For some reason Charlotte tries a figure Four on both of them at once, which doesn’t work as Belair kicks her off. Belair is sent outside and lands knee first on the steps in a SCARY crash.

That leaves Charlotte to go up but Asuka pulls her back down with a superplex. Charlotte is right back with a shot of her own and the Figure Eight goes on. Belair is back in with a 450 to break it up or two but Charlotte is able to send Asuka outside. The Figure Eight goes on Belair, only for Asuka to come in and break it up with the mist. With her legs still tied up, Belair small packages Asuka to win the title at 20:47.

Rating: B. This was a good match that took a while to get started. It wound up being more about Charlotte dominating and the other two having to take her down, which is something that has been done more than a few times. That being said, Belair felt like a star here and it’s all the more impressive to see her becoming a star on the highest level in the division. Belair winning the title is a bit of a surprise as she had already had the big, long title reign but it’s more interesting than Charlotte getting the title again. Asuka had a nice reign and can easily get the title back later if necessary.

And here’s Iyo Sky to hit Sky in the knee with the Money In The Bank briefcase.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Iyo Sky vs. Bianca Belair

Belair is defending and Over The Moonsault gives Sky the pin and the title at 7 seconds. Eh it gets rid of the briefcase so I’ll take it.

We recap Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso in Tribal Combat for the WWE Title and the role as Head Of The Table. Reigns has been a monster and run the lives of the Usos, with Jey finally rebelling and Jimmy coming with him. Jey pinned Reigns at Money In The Bank, setting up his chance here to end Reigns once and for all. Reigns and Solo Sikoa put Jimmy in the hospital, leaving Jey all alone here. This is the VERY long term drama and there was even a feeling that Jey might kind of sort of maybe have a chance, which was so hard to fathom no matter who you are.

Smackdown World Title: Jey Uso vs. Roman Reigns

Reigns, with Paul Heyman, is defending (the title and the position) in Tribal Combat, meaning a street fight. Before the bell, reigns offers Jey the lei, saying he’ll give this to Jey if Jey can beat him. They circle each other to start and Reigns easily powers him back into the corner. A running shoulder puts Uso down (same sequence that started Gunther vs. McIntyre) and Reigns runs him over again to prove his point. Reigns knees him in the face as this is one sided and rather slow paced to start.

Jey is back with a kick to the ribs and a clothesline to the floor, setting up the required dive. The steps are set up at ringside but that’s not enough so let’s have a table out there too. The long delay and a Heyman distraction lets Reigns send him face first into the table and then into the corner as well. Jey manages a quick jumping enziguri to send Reigns outside again, where he finds a kendo stick. Some hard shots have Jey in trouble again but he slugs his way out of trouble.

Reigns clotheslines him down in the corner as Graves gets in the “your arms are too short to box with God” CM Punk line. Jey fights back and gets in his own kendo stick shots to send Reigns up the aisle as this is going rather slowly. Back in and Jey tries something off the top, only to get Superman Punched out of the air for two. Jey is back up with a superkick into the Superfly Splash for two and they’re down again.

A bunch of chairs are thrown in but Jey takes too long setting up a superkick and gets powerbombed down onto the chairs for two. Reigns takes forever to set a table up but Jey fights back, only to get punched out of the air. The spear is cut off with an enziguri and Jey Samoan drops him from the apron through the table. Rather than cover though, Jey whips out a leather strap and starts whipping away. They brawl out into the crowd, where Solo Sikoa pops up for Spinning Solo through a table.

Sikoa drags him back to he ring for another Spinning Solo but Jey pulls Sikoa in the way of a spear. Jey’s spear hits Reigns for two and he grabs a chair to clean house. That takes too long too (yes, in this match), allowing Sikoa to get in a shot of his own. Reigns and Sikoa stop to talk strategy, which lets Jey spear Reigns through the barricade.

Jey Superfly Splashes Sikoa through the announcers’ table and hits another spear on Reigns back inside. The Superfly Splash connects but someone in a hoodie (clearly Jimmy Uso) breaks up the cover. Yes it’s Jimmy, who gets yelled at by the fans before, eventually, superkicking Jey. Reigns hits the spear through a table in the corner to retain at 36:03.

Rating: D+. It’s never a good sign when you can probably cut off more than half of the match and tell the same story. This was one of the least interesting main events I’ve seen in a long time as it was hard enough to buy Jey as having a chance in the first place, but then they make it this boring. Just WAY too much time spent laying around with nothing going on and it sucked the life out of the match.

The usual Bloodline celebration ensues.

Highlight package.

Overall Rating: B-. This show started really well and had some very high points but the main event dragged it WAY down with a stretch in the middle that really didn’t work. If you cut out about half an hour total, it’s that much better, but this show’s very good moments were dragged back down by the weaker stuff. It’s far from an awful show, but this was really rough at times and it could have been a lot better.

Ratings Comparison

Logan Paul vs. Ricochet

Original: B
Redo: B+

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

Original: B
Redo: B

Battle Royal

Original: B-
Redo: C+

Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler

Original: D+
Redo: C

Drew McIntyre vs. Gunther

Original: B
Redo: B

Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor

Original: B+
Redo: B

Bianca Belair vs. Charlotte vs. Asuka

Original: C-
Redo: B

Iyo Sky vs. Bianca Belair

Original: N/A
Redo: N/A

Jey Uso vs. Roman Reigns

Original: C+
Redo: D+

Overall Rating

Original: B
Redo: B-

There are a lot of similarities in there but I’m not sure what I was thinking on the triple threat and the main event the first time around.

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

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Explore an in-depth review of Babu88 apps in Bangladesh, highlighting their standout features, user-friendly design, and overall performance in the local market. Gain valuable insights into this popular platform.

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Users with iOS devices can also download the Babu88 mobile application from the official Babu88 website. Since the application is not available on the Apple App Store, here is how to get it:

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The Babu88 mobile application in Bangladesh offers a comprehensive platform for sports betting enthusiasts and online casino gaming aficionados. With an extensive selection of sports and a diverse range of casino games, users can immerse themselves in a world of excitement and potential winnings. This robust application ensures both seasoned players and newcomers have a multitude of choices to suit their preferences.

Sports Betting in the Babu88 Mobile Application in Bangladesh

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5. Review the Bet Slip: Check your bet slip to ensure all details are correct. This slip will show the event, bet type, and wager amount.
6. Place the Bet: Tap the “Place Bet” button to finalize your bet. You will receive a confirmation message once your bet is successfully placed.

Make sure you check out some recent reviews:

Summerslam 2014 (2015 Edition)

Summerslam 2015 (2016 Edition)

Summerslam 2016 (2017 Edition)

Impact Wrestling – July 25, 2024

Summerslam 2017 (2018 Edition)

Summerslam 2018 (2019 Edition)

Summerslam 2019 (2020 Edition)

Ring Of Honor – August 1, 2024

Again: CM Punk On What He Thought When AEW Aired Footage Of His All In Altercation With Jack Perry.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/again-cm-punk-on-what-he-thought-when-aew-aired-footage-of-his-all-in-altercation-with-jack-perry/

You In? WWE Executive Speaks On Possible Supershow Card With AEW.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/you-in-wwe-executive-speaks-on-possible-supershow-card-with-aew/

Mark Your Calendars: Triple H Announces Details On This Year’s Survivor Series.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/mark-your-calendars-triple-h-announces-details-on-this-years-survivor-series/

Oh Heck Maybe? Steve Austin Teases Appearance At WrestleMania 41.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/oh-heck-maybe-steve-austin-teases-appearance-at-wrestlemania-41/

Here Comes The Money? Shane McMahon Reportedly Attempted WWE Return.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/here-comes-the-money-shane-mcmahon-reportedly-attempted-wwe-return/

VIDEO: Son Of WWE Hall Of Famer Announces He Has Signed With The Company.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/video-son-of-wwe-hall-of-famer-announces-he-has-signed-with-the-company/

Homecoming: Reigning WWE Champions Make Surprise Appearances At Independent Event.

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As always, hit up the comments section to chat about what is going on and get on the Wrestling Rumors Facebook page and follow us on Twitter (featuring news stories written by ME).

Ring Of Honor
Date: August 1, 2024
Location: Esports Stadium Arlington, Arlington, Texas
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re done with Death Before Dishonor and the big story is we have a few new champions. In reality we have five new champions, but three of them were not actually crowned at the pay per view. We have about five months before the next pay per view so odds are we’ll be taking the foot off the gas a bit this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Death Before Dishonor if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of Death Before Dishonor, as narrated by new boss Paul Wight.

Opening sequence.

We look back at Dustin Rhodes and the Von Erichs winning the Six Man Tag Team Titles at Battle Of The Belts.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Von Erichs/Dustin Rhodes vs. Jacked Jameson/Iron Savages

Jameson and the Savages are challenging. Marshall and Jameson start things off with Marshall snapping off some pushups. Some right hands in the corner have Jameson in trouble and it’s off to Ross vs. Boulder, with the latter taking over. Marshall can’t slam him but the Von Erichs can double dropkick him down. Marshall’s standing moonsault gets two but Boulder runs Ross over.

Some hard elbows give Bronson two, only to have Ross pop back up with the Sling Blade for the same. Rhodes comes in for the atomic drop into a bulldog but a cheap shot from the apron puts Rhodes down. Some cannonballs down onto the back have Rhodes in more trouble and Jameson shoves a bulldog attempt into the corner for two. Boulder’s running splash gets two more and Bronson grabs the chinlock.

Rhodes fights back up but charges into a spinebuster for two. Bronson decks the Von Erichs so even after Rhodes’ backdrop, there is no one to tag. Not that it matters as Marshall is up for the tag a few seconds later. Marshall dropkicks Boulder and gets in a slam for two. Rhodes hits the Canadian Destroyer to Jameson and the Von Erichs add a double Shattered Dreams. The Claw Slam retains the titles at 12:18.

Rating: C. If there has ever been a match that felt like it was designed to test my patience like no other, this was it. The Savages and Jameson are as useless of a team as I’ve ever seen and the whole “we’re from Texas so you should like us” isn’t working for Rhodes and the Von Erichs. Throw in the titles feeling like they were brought back for the sole purpose of giving these guys something to do and this was not an easy sit.

Mark Briscoe, with his newborn son Jay, brags about retaining his title.

Top Flight vs. Ace Of Space Academy

Top Flight debuts Leila Grey as their Attendant in a funny name. Dante works on LSG’s arm to start before it’s off to GMK, who helps LSG with Rocket By Baby (a double flipping faceplant). Darius suplexes his way out of trouble and hands it back to Dante to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and Darius’ springboard Downward Spiral gets two, setting up the F5 DDT to finish GMK at 4:20.

Rating: C+. Fun match here as LSG is an old hand from Ring Of Honor who can work well in a match like this. I’m always glad to see Top Flight doing something as they have long since seemed like a team ready to move up the ladder. Maybe the addition of Grey is a good sign, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

The Infantry is tired of seeing Top Flight everywhere. Trish Adora says they have a new stewardess. Bravo: “Who?” Trish: “Leila Grey.” Bravo: “THEY GOT LEILA??? I’VE BEEN TRYING TO GET LEILA FOR YEARS!”

Leyla Hirsch dislocated her elbow beating Diamante at Death Before Dishonor.

Robyn Renegade vs. Maya World

Renegade elbows her down to start but World flips up on the kickout. A knee drops World again but she’s back up with a spear for two. Not that it matters as Renegade’s pumphandle into a Downward Spiral is enough for the pin at 1:53.

Anthony Henry is asked about JD Drake’s absence but his cousin Beef comes in and is really excited to be Henry’s partner. Yes, someone named Beef is getting a chance.

Beast Mortos vs. AR Fox

After a minor mistake from Riccaboni as he refers to Death Before Dishonor as “last night”, they trade rollups for two each to start. The offer of a handshake doesn’t work for Mortos, who runs him over with a clothesline. Fox manages to send him outside for a heck of a suicide dive, only to have his big charge cut off with a hard clothesline. Back in and Mortos hits a pop up Samoan drop for two and he starts hammering away at the back.

Fox manages a jumping hanging DDT though and a jumping enziguri sends Mortos into the corner. A cutter gives Fox two and Mortos is sent outside for the big dive. Back in and a 450 gives Fox two but Mortos grabs that weird torture rack backbreaker of his. A powerbomb backbreaker sets up a discus lariat for two on Fox. What looked to be a chokeslam is broken up is countered but Mortos flips him into a tombstone for the pin at 10:40.

Rating: B-. These guys got it going in the middle and had a fast paced match, with Mortos winning over the guy who was there to make him look good. I could go for more of Mortos as he’s a different kind of monster who could go somewhere in the right role. Fox on the other hand is in the right role, as someone who can have an entertaining match with just about anyone.

The MxM Collection is ready to face anyone, even with Mansoor’s breast still hurting from FTR’s chops.

Anthony Henry vs. Wheeler Yuta

Henry’s cousin Beef is in the crowd. They go technical to start with Yuta getting his armbar reversed into a headlock. A slam into a backsplash gets Yuta out of trouble and it’s time to tie up Henry’s legs. With that broken up, Yuta pulls the turnbuckle pad off and crushes Henry’s face against the steel. Henry slips out and starts working on the arm, setting up a cross arm choke.

Yuta flips out and grabs a belly to back suplex, setting up a top rope forearm and DDT for two each. Henry’s cross armbreaker is reversed into an ankle lock, with Yuta switching into a bridging German suplex for two. Back up and Henry’s straitjacket suplex gets two and it’s time for some YES Kicks. They slug it out before locking hands, with Yuta taking him down and stomping hard. The Seatbelt puts Henry away at 10:06.

Rating: B-. Fun match here as Yuta gets his momentum back after losing the title on Friday. I’m sure he’ll be back in the title picture soon enough, as he seems destined to be fighting for that title when he’s 83 years old. On the other hand you have Henry, who gets a new second debuting and then loses, which is a bit of a weird way to go.

Post match Beef and Henry yell at each other. Yuta on the other hand sees a fan holding a sign saying it’s his first show and asking for a high five, which he receives. That will always make me smile.

Lee Moriarty is happy with his title win because he didn’t give up. He’ll face anyone but warns them to protect their neck. Moriarty was showing some fire here.

Premiere Athletes vs. Superstarz

The Superstarz look like stereotypical 80s rockers (alas minus the Midnight). Nese runs #1 over to start and hands it off to Daivari to hammer away in the corner as commentary makes every 80s music reference they can find. Daivari misses a big elbow but Nese is right there to break up the tag attempt. Nese dives onto #2 and Daivari adds the hammerlock lariat into the Magic Carpet Splash for the pin on #1 at 2:42.

Anthony Henry is upset at the loss but Beef cheers him up. Henry really did not need three segments on one show.

Jacoby Watts vs. Fuego del Sol

Watts has Nick Comoroto with him. Before the bell, Watts says if del Sol had listened to him, he wouldn’t have had to leave in the first place. That just earns him a dropkick as we start fast. Watts isn’t happy and a bridging northern lights suplex for two makes it worse. A running clothesline gets Watts out of trouble but del Sol flips out of a belly to back suplex and grabs a jumping neckbreaker. Del Sol’s step up stomp to the back rocks Watts and a tornado DDT finishes Watts at 2:48.

Lexi Nair and Athena celebrated after Death Before Dishonor while Billie Starkz was a little less enthusiastic.

Brian Cage vs. Rocky Romero

Cage sticks his chin out to start so Romero kicks him in the ribs, only to have a headscissors shoved away. Romero avoids a charge to send him outside and there’s a running hurricanrana to take Cage down again. Back in and Cage cuts off a springboard, setting up the apron superplex. They trade chops in the corner with Cage getting the better of things, only to get rolled up for two. Cage plants him again though and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up and they fight to the apron, where Romero grabs a Sliced Bread.

A high crossbody gives Romero two back inside and a springboard tornado DDT gets the same. Another Sliced Bread is countered into an F5 for two and they go to the corner, where Romero grabs a super hurricanrana. The running Sliced Bread gives Romero two but Cage’s helicopter bomb gets the same. They go up again and a super Sliced Bread gives Romero another near fall. Cage catches him on top though and hits…..I think a fall away slam but it was really messy. Either way, it sets up the Drill Claw to finish Romero at 12:07.

Rating: B-. Less than clean ending aside, this was a fun match with Romero using the speed (and a lot of Sliced Breads) to try and stop the monster before eventually falling short. Cage is always good for an entertaining match, even if there is no reason to believe he is going to go anywhere. I’ll take some slightly bigger names for a main event though.

We look at the Kingdom retaining the Tag Team Titles at Death Before Dishonor.

The Kingdom brags about being Tag Team Champions for almost a year (that will be in December) but the Infantry interrupts. They want a title shot and bickering ensues. We’re really going back to the Infantry already? That’s how shallow the tag division is?

Here is Dustin Rhodes to talk about how great it feels to be a champion again. Rhodes has been giving everything he has for 36 years and he thanks the fans for being there, both for himself and everyone else in the back. He’s going to teach the Von Erichs everything he can and he was so happy the other night that he started to cry. Rhodes has talked about being on one last ride but he’s been doing that for five years. He’s feeling very confident right now but he wants more.

Cue Evil Uno to mock Rhodes because being a Six Man Tag Team Champion should be enough. It’s Evil Uno’s time and Rhodes wants more because of his stupid family name. Uno doesn’t care about the Rhodes family because Rhodes just popped up while Uno has been here every week. Cue the Dark Order to jump Rhodes but Sammy Guevara of all people runs in for the save. House is cleaned, as I guess the Von Erichs were off looking for a better leave in conditioner. Rhodes cautiously thanks Guevara to end the show. That’s certainly a big moment to end the show so points for trying to do something bigger.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was trying and had some rather solid action, but it fell back into the old pattern that has plagued Ring Of Honor since its return: it’s so long. This show clocked in at over an hour and forty five minutes and it could have easily been trimmed down by just cutting out some of the stuff. You don’t need to have this many people on a show every week, especially when some of them are around that often. I really could have gone without del Sol and the Premiere Athletes, but for some reason the show needed to be stretched out. There was good stuff here, but as usual, the show needed another edit.

Results
Dustin Rhodes/Von Erichs b. Iron Savages/Jacked Jameson – Claw Slam to Jameson
Top Flight b. Ace Of Space Academy – Fireman’s carry DDT to GMK
Robyn Renegade b. Maya World – Pumphandle Downward Spiral
Beast Mortos b. AR Fox – Spinning tombstone
Wheeler Yuta b. Anthony Henry – Seatbelt
Premiere Athletes – Magic Carpet Splash to #1
Fuego del Sol b. Jacoby Watts – Tornado DDT
Brian Cage b. Rocky Romero – Drill Claw

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

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Impact Wrestling
Date: July 25, 2024
Location: Verdun Auditorium, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re done with Slammiversary and the big story is Nic Nemeth won the TNA World Title. Yes Nic Nemeth rather than Joe Hendry, who has his own issues with a freshly evil Josh Alexander. Odds are we’ll deal with the fallout from that this week, plus a really bad night for the System. Let’s get to it.

Here is Slammiversary if you need a recap.

Long Slammiversary recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Nic Nemeth for his big celebration as the World Champion. He fought hard to get here but what matters the most is that Moose is no longer the champion. Moose was protected but Nemeth will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime. Cue Campaign Singh to introduce Mustafa Ali, for a certainly sincere handshake. Nemeth winning the World Title was important, but not as important as what happened to him.

Slammiversary saw the biggest screwjob in the history of wrestling and THESE PEOPLE CHEERED! Nemeth believes him, which calms Ali down a bit. Nemeth shakes his hand for boosting up the X-Division….but then Mike Bailey kicked his a**. Ali: “BAILEY SCREWED ME!” Nemeth doesn’t think that’s any of his business but the fans think Ali deserved it.

Ali doesn’t like this but now it’s time to make the TNA World Title great again. That doesn’t work for Nemeth, who says all Ali has to do is ask for a shot. We can do it right now, but Ali says we’ll make it next week. Ali tries a cheap shot but Nemeth ducks and superkicks Singh instead. That’s a pretty big match to burn off with a week’s build.

We run down tonight’s card.

Matt Hardy and the ABC are ready for the System in tonight’s main event. A Joe Hendry tease is included.

Frankie Kazarian comes up to Nic Nemeth in the back and says he wants the title. Nemeth says he pinned Kazarian so it’s to the back of the line. Ryan Nemeth is here though and wants to fight, so Santino Marella gives Kazarian Ryan next week.

Steve Maclin vs. Cody Deaner

Before the match, Maclin talks about how he has been trying to turn over a new leaf but he got carried away at Slammiversary….AND THESE PEOPLE CHEERED. They even sang the Goodbye Song! Maclin can’t stand these Canadians so he sings the same song to them, with an expletive thrown in. Deaner was talking to his fellow Canadian Santino Marella backstage, and he has been given the chance to come face Maclin right now. The people make the decision for Deaner and we’re ready to go.

Deaner starts fast and hammers away before knocking Maclin out to the floor. Maclin is back in with a running knee into an Irish Curse to take over. Choking on the ropes sets up another backbreaker but Deaner fights up with a bulldog. Deaner’s DDT is cut off though and the spear in the corner sets up KIA to give Maclin the pin at 4:22.

Rating: C+. I can go for more of Maclin as he is getting to the point where he knows what he’s doing out there and making it look pretty good. This wasn’t exactly a competitive match but Deaner was trying well enough. Maclin gets a nice little boost though and that could be the start of something a bit better for him.

It’s time for Death Machine TV, with Sami Callihan giving us BREAKING NEWS: he’s going to beat up AJ Francis.

Joe Hendry will be in concert on NXT. That’s still so bizarre to see.

AJ Francis vs. Sami Callihan

Josh Bishop and Rich Swann are here with Francis. Callihan sends him to the apron to start and hits a forearm to the chest (he’s no Sheamus) but a Bishop distraction lets Francis get in a shoulder. Francis knocks him down again and it’s time to choke on the ropes as we take a break.

Back with Francis missing a charge in the corner and crashing out to the floor. Back in and Francis sends him into the corner where a running knee connects this time around. The Down Payment (chokeslam) is blocked but Francis falls on him in a slam attempt. Callihan is back up with a shoulder and now the slam works. Francis boots him in the face but misses the leg (because Hogan), only to have Swann offer a distraction. The Down Payment finishes Callihan at 10:11.

Rating: C+. The matches aren’t great but they are going hard with Francis no matter how he does. This was a bit more entertaining than I was expecting, but that might be because they are letting Francis be his obnoxious self. Callihan didn’t get to do his hardcore stuff here and it’s amazing how much easier it is to watch when he is toned that far down.

Rosemary talks about how evil she is but doesn’t know what she is supposed to do. She spoke for the Hive but now there is no Hive.

Jordynne Grace/Eric Young vs. Hammerstone/Ash By Elegance

The women start things off with Ash wanting respect on her name but getting a chop instead. A spinebuster puts Ash down but it’s too early for the Juggernaut Driver. It’s off to Young vs. Hammerstone with the former grabbing a swinging neckbreaker for two. Hammerstone misses a charge into the corner but Ash cuts off a tag attempt and hammers on Young for a weird visual.

It’s Hammerstone coming right back in to keep up the beatdown, including throwing Ash onto Young for two. Young manages a quick knockdown though and it’s back to Grace to pick up the pace. A quick Vader Bomb gets two on Ash but again the Juggernaut Driver is blocked so Ash can escape.

Everything breaks down and we get a Grace vs. Hammerstone staredown. Grace manages a fireman’s carry but Hammerstone slips out, allowing Ash to hit a Meteora to cut Grace of. Young is back up to Death Valley Driver Hammerstone, only to have the Personal Concierge break it up. Hammerstone’s torture rack finishes Young at 7:39.

Rating: B-. The ending tried to write the insanity of having Young beat Hammerstone on Saturday but I’m not sure how much good it did. At the same time, Ash has already gotten beaten so I’m not sure how much I need to see either match happen again. I’m glad Hammerstone won, but he shouldn’t be playing catch up in the first place.

Alisha Edwards, the only member of the System to still be a champion, is fired up. The rest of the team, not so much.

Here is Josh Alexander for his big explanation. Alexander says the fans are making this easy and he can’t wait to go back to a real city like Toronto. You want an explanation? Nah. And he leaves.

We look at the Rascalz winning a six man tag on NXT.

Mike Bailey is excited to have won the X-Division Title. The Rascalz come in to challenge him to a six man tag, saying get Trent Seven and Trent Eight if he needs partners. Bailey seems interested.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

System vs. ABC/Matt Hardy

Hardy starts with JDC, who runs away and hands it off to Myers instead. That means Hardy gets to start in on the arm, setting up the running bulldog out of the corner. Everything breaks down in a hurry and we take a break. Back with Myers still in trouble as Austin comes in to hammer away. Bey comes in for some strikes of his own but here is Moose for a distraction.

Said distraction lets Myers get in a shot on Bey, only to have JDC miss an elbow. Hardy comes back in but the System cuts him off….and Joe Hendry is here to even things up. We pause for his full entrance and take a break, coming back with Austin in trouble and Myers grabbing a chinlock. Austin fights up without much trouble and hands it off to Bey, who gets knocked right into the corner as well.

JDC stomps away in the corner and cranks away on the arms to keep Bey down. The slow beating continues with Kazarian coming in, only to get enziguried down. It’s back to Hardy for a powerbomb for two on JDC, setting up a stunner/DDT combination. Everything breaks down and the good guys get a triple near fall. Moose tries to interfere but Hendry cuts him off, meaning it’s the Twist of Fate into Bey’s top rope splash for the pin on JDC at 18:24.

Rating: B. This got some time and the energy was there, which granted might have been more to do with Hendry showing up than anything else. It was a match that felt big, which is more than you can ask for most of the time. If nothing else, it’s more of the System’s downfall, which had to happen sooner or later. Good match here, with Hendry’s star continuing to rise. Just not entirely in TNA.

Overall Rating: B-. This is the kind of show that you had to expect after a major event like Slammiversary. It was a show that dealt with some fallout and set up a few things for the future, but at the same time, there was a lot that felt like it was just kind of skipped. The lack of an Alexander explanation and a not exactly eventful main event didn’t help. Overall though, entertaining enough stuff and that’s all it needed to be after the major weekend show.

Results
Steve Maclin b. Cody Deaner – KIA
AJ Francis b. Sami Callihan – Down Payment
Hammerstone/Ash By Elegance b. Jordynne Grace/Eric Young – Torture rack to Young
Matt Hardy/ABC b. The System – Frog splash to JDC

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