AAA On FOX – May 2, 2026: Keep Them Hooked (Includes Full Show)

AAA On FOX
Date: May 2, 2026
Location: Auditorio José María Arteaga, Querétaro, Mexico
Commentators: Rey Mysterio, John Bradshaw Layfield, Corey Graves

We’re coming up on Noche de Los Grandes and we have a heck of a main event for the show, with the Grande Americanos facing off in a mask vs. mask match. This week will see the contract signing and there is a good chance things are going to get intense. Other than that, we are still trying to figure out who has been attacking the Psycho Circus. Let’s get to it.

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

El Ojo is talking about El Hijo del Vikingo’s match tonight. They mention being family, but El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. comes in to ask what they would know about that.

Mini Vikingo vs. El Hijo del Vikingo

Hijo jumps Mini to start and stomps away in the corner as the fans are not pleased. The running dropkick hits Mini again and the big forearms against the ropes make it worse. Hijo rolls him up for two and grabs something like an STF, with Mini’s face being slammed into the mat. Mini tries to fight back but gets kicked in the face and dropkicked to the floor. Hijo sends him into the steps and adds a suplex onto the ramp.

Another drop has the referee ready to stop it but Mini wants to keep going. Back in and Hijo chokes away but Mini actually manages a Code Red for two. Hijo is sent outside for a running flip dive…into a crucifix bomb, which even has Mysterio impressed. They head back inside, where Hijo kicks him in the head and grabs a powerbomb for two, meaning it’s time to look stunned. Hijo takes the turnbuckle pad off but gets sent into it instead.

A 450 gets a rather near fall so Hijo sends Mini into the corner, knocking the referee outside. Mini grabs a hurricanrana and the bell rings but the referee is still down. Hijo gets in a cheap shot and hits a super Rock Bottom but there is still no one to count. Back up and Hijo seems to have messed up his shoulder, even as he grabs a chair. Cue Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. for a Wagner Driver onto the chair, allowing Mini to hit a 630 Phoenix splash for the shocking upset at 12:58.

Rating: B-. This is what you get when you keep stringing out the near falls and hope spots, as Hijo got too cocky and lost it in the end. I had a good time with this and they did a good job of keeping the story going through. Hopefully Hijo’s shoulder is ok though, as that didn’t look great in the end. Either way, nice job by Hijo by making Mini look great (which isn’t a surprise as it’s his younger brother).

Post match Omos comes in to wreck Mini and Wagner. Galeno del Mal (Wagner’s brother) runs in for the save. Hijo was getting his shoulder looked at as Omos came out and was still on the mat at the end of the segment so that’s not a good sign. Also who rang the bell? Wagner?

Rey Fenix vs. Laredo Kid

Non-title. Kid’s running shoulder doesn’t do much to Fenix, who pops up and sticks the landing on a hurricanrana. They trade some flips and flip up to a standoff, allowing Fenix to do his rather springboardy wristdrag. Kid cuts off a dive with a big clothesline though and a basement dropkick gets two.

A Michinoku Driver gives Kid two and a top rope splash connects for two more. Fenix avoids a charge in the corner though and hits a rope walk kick to the head to send Kid to the apron. Fenix kicks him out to the floor and there’s the slingshot hurricanrana. Back in and a top rope moonsault press gives Fenix two and a running springboard kick to the head connects in the corner.

The Mexican MuscleBuster is broken up though and Kid’s Canadian Destroyer gets…one. Back up and Fenix hits the rolling cutter for two and they chop it out from their knees. Fenix charges into a shot to the face in the corner but he catches Kid up top. The Mexican MuscleBuster gives Fenix the pin at 9:40.

Rating: B. These two worked well together, though that’s a pair of losses in a row for Kid. I’m not sure what that’s going to mean, but there is a good chance that this sets up a big showdown at Noche de Los Grandes for the title. Kid has been champion for the better part of ever so it might be time for Fenix to finally get a big win. For now though, you had two guys going nuts for about ten minutes and it was rather entertaining.

Post match Fenix offers a handshake but Kid clutches his belt and shoulders past him.

We recap the Psycho Circus vs. the War Raiders, which is going on at the same time that the Circus is being taken out one by one. Pagano is the most likely suspect and there is going to be a face to face showdown between Pagano and Psycho Clown next week.

Video on Catalina, who is making her in-ring debut next week.

It’s time for the Grande Americanos’ contract signing, with a bunch of security and a few hosts. Dorian Roldan explains the stakes of mask vs. mask but Original has a piece of paper, which he hands to Roldan. Apparently it’s from Original’s attorney and this match isn’t going to happen without some conditions. There can be no physical attacks from now until May 30, and if there is, the attacker has to unmask. Grande is ticked off but signs anyway and Roldan has security leave.

Hold on as there is something else on the paper: the female host/interviewer has to be removed from AAA for attacking Original. She wants Grande to take Original’s mask and leaves. Original signs and throws the pin at Grande before leaving. Grande: “SHORTY!” He has something else to say but the Creed Brothers run in and put Grande through the table. Los Americanos run in for the save to end the show. This is a great example of a story that might be a bit silly but it’s working so well because the fans care about the people involved. That’s how a good story should go and I want to see these two fight so nice job.

Overall Rating: B. This was more of a story heavy show and that’s nice to see on occasion. You can see where a lot of the Noche card is going and I’m liking what is being put together. The wrestling here was still pretty good and I want to see what happens from here. They keep me hooked week to week and that’s not something some much bigger promotions can pull off. This was a solid show and the ending was a hot angle, which is more than good enough for about an hour.

Results
Mini Vikingo b. El Hijo del Vikingo – 630 Phoenix splash
Rey Fenix b. Laredo Kid – Mexican MuscleBuster

 

 

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

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




AEW Collision – May 2, 2026: Yeah That Was Great

Collision
Date: May 2, 2026
Location: Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, Illinois
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

We’re firmly into the Darby Allin title reign now and that very well could have something tied into this week as well. Other than that, we’re on the way to Double Or Nothing in a few weeks and that means the card needs to be put together. Some of the matches are either set or practically made so maybe we get some movement in that direction this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Death Riders/The Dogs vs. Top Flight/Rascalz

The Rascalz and Top Flight jump the villains to start and the brawl is on the floor before the bell. The bell does indeed ring and Reed is right there with a big dive onto a pile at ringside. Back in and Connors misses a charge into the corner, allowing Wentz to strike away in the corner. Finlay comes in to stomp Wentz in the corner but it’s quickly off to Darius to strike away at Pac.

That doesn’t last long either as Moxley comes in to rain down right hands in the corner but Darius fires off some forearms. Darius gives him a suplex into Dante’s slingshot hilo, allowing Reed to hit a springboard spinning dropkick. Castagnoli drops Reed on the floor though and we get a stream of knockdowns outside. Back in and Reed dives into Castagnoli’s uppercut as we take a break.

We come back with Reed fighting out of trouble but getting taken right back down. Reed gets close to the tag but the other villains run in to knock his partners off the apron. The diving tag brings Xavier in a few seconds later and everything breaks down. Connors gets double stomped for two but the push moonsault is broken up. A spear gets two on Wentz but he knocks Connors down, allowing the tag back to Darius.

Everything breaks down and Pac gets taken down with a springboard Downward Spiral for two more. Finlay gets caught in the wrong corner and pummeled with a string of strikes but he shoves Reed into Wentz. A high/low hits Xavier but the Rascalz are back in with stereo springboard Codebreakers. Moxley gets tornado DDTed for two, only for Pac’s big lariat to drop Darius. The Brutalizer makes Darius tap at 16:23.

Rating: B. I mean, yeah it’s a lot of fun and you could tell the people involved had a great time. The thing is, I feel like I’ve seen a version of this match or something really close to it dozens of times in AEW. That doesn’t make it bad in any way, but if you want to get the “I can’t believe I just saw a match like that” feeling, maybe don’t have multiple versions of it every week.

Jack Perry, and his bus, are on the way.

National Title: Jack Perry vs. Mascara Dorada

Perry is defending and, after a handshake, goes for the wristlock. A headlock takeover works a bit better for Perry and he follows it up with a monkey flip. Back up and quite the headscissors drops Perry for a change and they trade very springboardy wristdrags. Dorada sends him crashing out to the floor and then into the crowd, where Perry comes up swinging. They slug it out on the barricade until Dorada hits a Canadian Destroyer.

We take a break and come back with the two of them trading flips until Perry superkicks him into a poisonrana. Dorada’s Code Red drops Perry and they both need a breather. A Blue Thunder Bomb gives Perry two more and he sends Dorada outside for a moonsault. Back in and Dorada kicks his leg out and loads up an electric chair, which is flipped into a neckbreaker for a rather near fall.

The 450 gets two more and Dorada knees him out of the air. A Razor’s Edge Dominator plants Perry for another near fall but the shooting star press hits raised knees. Dorada goes up top again but gets pulled down with a super hurricanrana for the pin to retain the title at 14:20.

Rating: A-. This got rather outstanding by the end and that’s no surprise given Dorada was in there. He shows up every so often and has become a remarkable treat around here. That fast paced style works so well for him and that was certain the case with this one. Perry is a lot better when he’s firmly in the midcard where he belongs because he can do stuff like this. Very good stuff here as they kept pulling me in further, which doesn’t happen often.

On Dynamite, Kris Statlander snapped on Hikaru Shida for costing them the Women’s Tag Team Titles. Shida promised to make it up to her.

Conglomeration vs. MxM TV

Non-title. O’Reilly and Mansoor start things off with some kicks sending Mansoor over for the tag to TV. That’s fine with O’Reilly, who hammers away in the corner to put TV in trouble. Cassidy takes too long to hit a single punch though and TV kicks him down, followed by a big dive to the floor. MxM poses inside and it’s a side kick/German suplex combination to Cassidy.

Starship Pain gets two as everything breaks down. What looks like a double Doomsday Device is broken up and Mansoor gets crotched on top. Madden gets Angle Slammed and low bridged to the floor, with Cassidy sitting on O’Reilly’s shoulders. Cassidy chokeshoves Mansoor onto Madden and Cassidy’s falling top rope elbow finishes TV at 4:29.

Rating: C+. Yeah this was fine, with the champs getting to show off a bit against an established team. It was nice to see the Conglomeration win a shorter match for a change and look dominant enough. After a pair of long, wild matches, this was a nice change of pace and it went well.

Post match Tommaso Ciampa comes out for the staredown.

We get a rather somber moment with commentary wishing Rebel the best in her health situation. That’s a nice thing to see, but dang the whole situation is a punch to the gut.

We recap Will Ospreay seemingly joining the Death Riders.

TBS Title: Willow Nightingale vs. Anna Jay

Nightingale is defending in an Open Challenge and this is Jay’s first match since November. Jay’s early rollup attempt is blocked so she sits Jay on top instead. Nightingale wants Jay to show her fire, which apparently means a sunset flip for two. Some clotheslines in the corner have Jay in trouble but she avoids a backsplash. The running flipping neckbreaker gets two and Jay fires off the kicks in the corner. Nightingale sends her outside though and hits a flip dive off the apron.

We take a break and come back with Jay fighting back but getting sent into the corner again. A superplex drops Jay and a Death Valley Driver gets two. Jay kicks her in the face and grabs an X Factor for two, followed by the Queenslayer. Nightingale breaks that up though and grabs the Babe With The Powerbomb to retain at 9:45.

Rating: C+. It’s good to have Jay back, as she is one of the long lasting members of the division. At the same time, it seems like nothing has changed for her as she continues to lose big matches. The good thing is Nightingale gets another win, though she’s going to need a big challenger sooner rather than later.

Hikaru Shida’s make up gift to Kris Statlander is…a match against Harley Cameron and Mina Shirakawa. Shouting ensues.

Death Riders vs. Bang Bang Gang

Yuta and Robinson start things off with the former quickly being taken into the wrong corner. That’s broken up and a rolling tag brings Austin in to fight back. A basement dropkick hits Yuta and Austin hits a kick from the apron. That means the handstand can ensue, only for Austin to get dropkicked to the floor. Back in and Garcia hammers away in the corner as we take a break.

We come back with Austin still in trouble, with the Riders hitting a string of running shots in the corner. Austin fights out of Garcia’s front facelock and grabs a Death Valley Driver, allowing Robinson to come back in. House is quickly cleaned but Marina Shafir’s distraction lets Garcia get in a cheap shot. That’s shrugged off and Robinson hammers away on the now bleeding Yuta.

A lariat gives Robinson two as everything stays broken down. Austin is flipped over the top to the floor, meaning it’s a Fastball Special for two on Robinson. Back in and Austin hits his springboard spinning kick to the head but walks into an Angle Slam. Robinson is back up with his forward DDT and actually pins Garcia at 12:07.

Rating: B-. Well dang man. I wasn’t expecting that so well done on having a surprise result for a change. It helps when the Gang never wins anything of note so having them beat an established team is a good thing. The group still needs reinforcements, but a win is better than nothing.

Post match Jon Moxley freaks out and Robinson motions that he wants the Continental Title. That brings the Riders in for the beatdown but the Gunns are back to make the save. Yuta is laid out with the 3:10 To Yuma.

Megan Bayne and Lena Kross brag about their success.

Skye Blue vs. Nixi XS

Blue kicks her in the face at the bell and another boot sends Nixi out to the floor. A hanging swinging neckbreaker drops Nixi again and it’s a Cheeky Nandos Kick back inside. The running knee connects but Blue pulls her up at two. The Descent Into Madness finishes for Blue at 2:15. Complete squash.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

TNT Title: Hook vs. Kevin Knight

Hook, with Katsuyori Shibata, is challenging and takes Knight down by the leg to start. Back up and Knight gets in a shot to the arm before they fight over a lockup on the ropes. Hook flips out of a hiptoss attempt before avoiding a dropkick, leaving Knight frustrated. With nothing working, Knight slugs away in the corner and dropkicks him to the floor. The slingshot dive misses though and Hook suplexes him over the barricade.

We take a break and come back with Hook’s northern lights suplex getting two. Knight makes the clothesline comeback and hits the spinning splash for two of his own. A super hurricanrana sends Hook flying and a running dropkick hits him in the corner. The referee gets distracted though and Shibata crotches Knight on top. A belly to belly superplex and a high angle suplex give Hook two but Redrum is countered. Knight takes Shibata out and hits a running DDT into the UFO Splash to retain at 12:06.

Rating: C+. The match was fine for an extended Knight workout, but that’s about all it was. There was zero reason to believe that Hook was going to win the title, especially from someone who has been on a roll like Knight. As a result, the Opps, or at least half of them, were little more than some pests that had to be dealt with here. In other words, it’s exactly what you would expect from the Opps if Joe isn’t involved.

Overall Rating: B+. Any show with those first two matches is going to be a hit, even if the rest of the show was somewhat mediocre. This show felt like the usual Collision, but dang that Perry vs. Dorada match was awesome. The in-ring side of things have been on a roll lately in AEW and if they can get their stories close to that level, the place will be hard to stop. Check out the first two matches here, as they’re rather great.

Results
Death Riders/The Dogs b. Top Flight/Rascalz – Brutalizer to Darius
Jack Perry b. Mascara Dorada – Super hurricanrana
Conglomeration b. MxM TV – Top rope elbow to TV
Willow Nightingale b. Anna Jay – Babe With The Powerbomb
Bang Bang Gang b. Death Riders – Forward DDT to Garcia
Skye Blue b. Nixi XS – Descent Into Madness
Kevin Knight b. Hook – UFO Splash

 

 

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

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




Crunch Classic (2026 Edition): Piper Can’t Save Everything

Crunch Classic
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan, Lord Alfred Hayes, Sean Mooney
Host: Roddy Piper

It’s a Coliseum Video and I’m curious to see what it includes. These things can go all over the place and that’s what makes them so much fun. Hopefully they focus on some of the more talented stars, as you can get some great matches, but you can also get some of the weirdest choices you’ll ever see. I’m not sure what to expect here and that makes it fun so let’s get to it.

This seems to be from 1992.

Host Roddy Piper welcomes us to the show and goes over some of his most famous moments (Cyndi Lauper, Mr. T., Jimmy Snuka), but he never won a title…until he met the Mountie.

From the 1992 Royal Rumble.

Intercontinental Title: Roddy Piper vs. The Mountie

The Mountie, with Jimmy Hart, is defending after winning the title from Bret Hart a few days earlier. Piper throws a jacket over Mountie’s face to start and hammers away, with Mountie bailing out to the floor. Back in and Mountie chokes on the rope but tries a monkey flip, only to get punched in the head.

A bulldog out of the corner drops Mountie as the fans are going nuts here as they realize Piper has a real chance. Mountie sends him into the corner to take over and the jumping elbow connects for two. Piper pops back up and hammers away, followed by a backdrop to send Mountie flying. The atomic drop sends Mountie over the top but he skins the cat, only to be sent into an interfering Hart. The sleeper gives Piper the title at 5:21.

Rating: C+. This was a case where it was all about the moment, as the Mountie was never going to be a major threat to beating Piper. The fans were with this the entire way and it was awesome to see Piper FINALLY get a title. No it wasn’t much of a match, but it doesn’t need to be but the point was the big moment and it more than worked.

Post match Piper gives Mountie the shock stick and gets the big AND NEW moment to an eruption. You can tell the fans are behind this and that’s awesome to see.

Piper loved that moment and it was the best day of his life….except maybe today.

From Dayton Ohio, October 22, 1991.

Money Inc. vs. Virgil/Big Boss Man

IRS and DiBiase get separate entrances (with Sensational Sherri coming to the ring with DiBiase) but Mooney calls the Money Inc. Virgil is the Million Dollar Champion. Boss Man shoves IRS around to start and Sherri is ticked off as Virgil and DiBiase come in. DiBiase doesn’t like the threat of fisticuffs and IRS offers a distraction to draw in the Boss Man

That’s enough for some evil double teaming and Virgil is in trouble (some things never change). DiBiase gets two off a suplex and IRS’ legdrop gets the same. Virgil fights up with a shot of his own and it’s back to Boss Man to hit a splash. It’s already back to Virgil for a top rope ax handle as everything breaks down. Sherri tries a shoe shot but hits IRS by mistake, allowing Virgil to get the rollup pin at 7:03.

Rating: C. It’s a perfectly decent tag match, though it also felt like it was something that belonged on a tape like this. Money Inc. would obviously get a lot better and were still figuring things out. Oddly the lack of Sherri helped them, as she didn’t really fit in here and would be much better off when she switched to Shawn Michaels not long after this.

Post match IRS yells at Sherri, who has to calm things down before DiBiase and IRS come to blows.

We get a day in the life of Jimmy Hart. He arrives in a rental car because the airline screwed up his limo. He goes into his hotel in Indianapolis and has to check all of his guys in. Most of his wrestlers have already arrived but his room won’t be ready for three hours. There is however a room ready in the basement, which he’ll take over nothing. We go to said basement, where Mountie needs help getting his shock stick working. IRS has also called, saying his plane was late and Mountie needs to just trust him.

Later, Money Inc. interrupt Hart when he is on the phone and ask about IRS’ briefcase. Hart gives him his newly initialed Tag Team Title and everyone is happy. After Hart asks someone about the Arsenio Hall Show and a movie, we cut to Hart asleep in his hotel room. The phone rings (Hart picks up a banana by mistake) and apparently DiBiase’s belt isn’t ready yet. And apparently the Nasty Boys have done…something.

Later, the Nasty Boys are warming up in the bathroom when Hart comes in, saying the bell rang and they need to go to the ring. Again later, Hart FINALLY goes to his hotel room while talking about how hard it is to manage this many wrestlers. And then his room key doesn’t work. I liked this, as it wasn’t exactly funny, but it was the kind of behind the scenes stuff you don’t often get. Of course managers have been a thing forever in wrestling and it’s kind of interesting to see what they do outside of the ring. It’s not some brilliant idea or classic moment, but it was nice for a five minute segment that went in a unique direction.

From Austin, Texas, December 4, 1991.

Nasty Boys vs. New Foundation

Jimmy Hart is here with the Boys and gets chased off by Neidhart to start. Knobbs knocks him into the corner but Neidhart isn’t having that and sends both Boys outside. Hart hits a heck of a dive and moonsaults back inside as the Boys need a breather. Knobbs comes back inside and gets his arm cranked but goes to the eyes. Sags comes in and gets armbarred as well, with Hart driving a knee into the arm.

Neidhart gets to stay on the arm before handing it right back to Hart, who gets choked on the ropes for a change. Sags’ chinlock with a knee in the back doesn’t really do much good so Knobbs drops some elbows to keep Hart down. The reverse chinlock does on but Hart is right back up to slingshot Neidhart in with a double shoulder. Neidhart shoulders Knobbs for two but Sags throws the referee out for the DQ at 7:28.

Rating: C. There were some nice moments in there but you could only get so much out of a match with so many chinlocks in not very much time. That’s where a lot of these matches tend to go and to be fair, it’s better to have the Nastys keeping it basic here if they can’t do a brawl. The New Foundation is a better team than they get credit for, as they’re always going to be compared to the original Harts, which just isn’t fair. They were good at their own style though, even with those amazing pants.

Roddy Piper talks about beating Adrian Adonis at Wrestlemania III in front of 92,000 fans, with Jimmy Hart getting beaten up there too. And let’s look at the match!

From Wrestlemania III.

Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis

Hair vs. hair. This is weird as Gorilla Monsoon and Lord Alfred Hayes have redone the commentary, which just sounds so wrong after seeing Wrestlemania so many times. They go straight to the fight and Piper pulls out a belt to unload on Adonis. Hart tries to come in and gets sent into Adonis, allowing Piper to hammer away in the corner. Hart’s cheap shot from the floor takes Piper out though and Adonis hits a big clothesline.

Piper gets knocked outside and even Hart gets in a cheap shot. Back in and Piper tells him to bring it so Adonis slugs away, followed by the sleeper. Piper sends him into the corner but can’t escape and goes down, meaning it’s two arm drops…and Adonis lets go before the third, meaning Piper is still in it. Hart gets inside to celebrate but Piper is back up and avoids a big swing of the hedge clippers, which hit Adonis in his own face. Piper’s sleeper gets the win at 6:34.

Rating: B-. It’s always fun to see this match, but dang it makes me want to watch the original as the lack of Jesse Ventura takes something away. I do like that they threw in a classic match here, as it’s certainly more memorable than having the same midcard stuff that regularly populates these things. This was a nice flashback and ties in well with the Piper theme of the tape, but it does kind of make the rest of the lame stuff stand out.

Post match Brutus Beefcake comes in to give Adonis the haircut, with Piper loving the whole thing.

From Dayton, Ohio, October 23, 1991.

Undertaker vs. British Bulldog

This is a Fan Favorite request and Paul Bearer is here with Undertaker. Bulldog gets knocked into the corner to start, with Bulldog doing the slow look at him. Back up and a clothesline puts Undertaker on the floor, though of course he sticks the landing. A Stunner over the top rope drops Bulldog and Undertaker chokes away back inside.

Bulldog is knocked outside again but is quickly back inside to avoid an elbow. Undertaker goes with that annoying smother thing he did at this point and then falls on Bulldog to counter a slam attempt. The delayed vertical suplex (ok that’s not bad) connects, as does the powerslam, which draws Bearer up for the distraction. Undertaker gets in an urn shot for the pin at 7:10.

Rating: C. This is a match that could have worked a lot better with some more time and a bit less of the smother hold. Bulldog could make a heck of a comeback if he was given the chance but Undertaker hadn’t figured out a lot of his stuff just yet. The match was picking up near the end and that suplex was rather impressive.

Post match Bulldog clotheslines him outside for daring to try the body bag.

From Austin, Texas, December 4, 1991.

Texas Tornado vs. Rick Martel

This would have been a way different match about five years earlier. Martel poses to start and then hides behind the referee. The kick to the ribs is cut off though and Tornado sends him straight into the corner. A running clothesline sends Martel outside and Tornado rams the arm into the post. Back in and Tornado starts cranking on the arm but misses a charge to post his own shoulder. Martel goes up and dives right into the Claw, which is broken up in the ropes. That’s enough for Martel, who sprays Arrogance in Tornado’s eyes for the DQ at 6:00.

Rating: D+. The Tornado just did not have it anymore at this point and that was becoming more and more obvious every time he was in the ring. Martel is an incredibly talented star but there is only so much he can do when Tornado was basically sleep walking through the whole thing. It’s kind of amazing that Tornado lasted so long, because this wasn’t working in the slightest and pretty much never did after his initial appearances.

Roddy Piper doesn’t like snakes so let’s go to Jake Roberts, who thinks snakes should be your pets. They’ll eat anything and you don’t have to feed them every day. We look at the famous cobra biting Randy Savage segment before Roberts shows us a bunch of snakes. And that’s it.

From Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, September 10, 1991.

Skinner vs. Jim Neidhart

Neidhart chases him up the aisle to start and they go back inside for a hearty shove. Skinner is right back with a running shoulder and a hiptoss before they’re back up for a standoff. A headlock works a bit better, only for Neidhart to send him crashing out to the floor again. That works so well that Neidhart does it again with a clothesline, meaning it’s time for the long for stalling.

Back in and Neidhart gets his own headlock, which does on for a little while until Skinner heads outside again. This time Skinner finds his alligator claw to hit Neidhart in the throat, setting up a reverse chinlock. That’s broken up so Skinner…grabs the same thing again. Neidhart fights up again and hits a flying shoulder, followed by some rams into the turnbuckle. They brawl out to the floor and that’s a time limit draw at 13:20. No time is given but just be grateful for what you get.

Rating: D+. They were making it pretty clear that it was there to get to the time limit and nothing else, which is something that makes sense in some matches. This however, was Skinner vs. Jim Neidhart and not one of those matches. Skinner wasn’t a big star but he would get the occasional Intercontinental Title shot, so you would think he could go over a tag guy like Neidhart in a singles match, but why do that when you can have a bizarre time limit instead?

From Lubbock, Texas, January 27, 1992.

Jim Duggan/Sgt. Slaughter vs. Natural Disasters

Jimmy Hart is here with the Disasters. Duggan and Typhoon start things off with Typhoon shoving him away. Three straight clotheslines put Typhoon down and it’s off to Slaughter, who actually backs him into the corner. It’s already back to Duggan, with Earthquake grabbing him from the apron so Typhoon can take over. Earthquake drives Duggan into the corner and drops the jumping elbow for two.

Typhoon chokes on the ropes and grabs a bearhug, followed by Earthquake’s backbreaker. Earthquake gets his own bearhug and then Typhoon comes back in…for a third bearhug. Since that has to be broken up rather quickly, Earthquake misses a charge into the corner and it’s Slaughter coming back in to clean house. Everything breaks down and a double splash in the corner crushes Slaughter. Earthquake brings in the megaphone so Duggan grabs the 2×4 and wrecks everyone for the DQ at 9:20.

Rating: D. You really shouldn’t be getting to a third bearhug in a match that doesn’t even make it to ten minutes (or most matches for that matter). That’s on top of a lame DQ ending, as again, neither Duggan nor Slaughter could take a pin from a pair of monsters. It’s another bad match to end the tape on a rough note, making me question the “classic” moniker.

Piper wraps us up and a Piper montage ends things.

Overall Rating: D+. This started off ok and then fell apart fast. It’s a bad sign when you have to go back to the previous decade to get what is probably the best thing on the whole tape. The matches were just kind of dull and the last few were pretty terrible. Piper is fun due to energy and charisma alone, but he can only do so much, even when he’s the biggest name on the whole thing. Find something else. Like Wrestlemania III. Or the 1992 Royal Rumble.

 

 

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

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




Smackdown – May 1, 2026: It’s In There Somewhere

Smackdown
Date: May 1, 2026
Location: BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We’re just over a week away from Backlash and there are some spots that need to be addressed on the card. In this case we need a challenger for Cody Rhodes, who didn’t have much to say last week. Other than that, Jacob Fatu seems to have moved over to Raw but wrecked the MFT’s on the way out. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at Jacob Fatu vs. Roman Reigns being set up for Backlash, with Fatu laying Reigns out with a Tongan Death Grip on Raw.

Here is Cody Rhodes to get things going. Earlier today, Rhodes met with the medical team and he is officially cleared for action. So what is next for him on Smackdown? Cue Ricky Saints of all people, who does a rather fired up entrance and says he’s great and suave and handsome and everything your mom wishes you were. This is Friday Night SAINTS so Rhodes asks what the difference is between the last time Saints stepped up to him? Saints suggests he’s ready to take the title and the match seems ready. Rhodes says he’s easy to find but hard to beat.

We look back at Fatal Influence making their debut last week.

Charlotte and Alexa Bliss are asked about Fatal Influence’s numbers’ advantage. Rhea Ripley pops in and says she’s here if they need her. Charlotte doesn’t seem impressed however, as three is a crowd.

Jacy Jayne vs. Charlotte

The rest of Fatal Influence and Alexa Bliss are here too. Before the match, Jayne says this is her chance to show what Fatal Influence brings to Smackdown and there is no one to do that to than a legend like Charlotte. Jayne mocks the strut to start but gets taken into the corner. A forearm to the back of the head puts Charlotte down and Jayne snaps off a running hurricanrana.

That earns her the rolling figure four necklock slams and Charlotte kicks her in the head in the corner. Bliss scares Jayne on the floor and we take a break. We come back with Charlotte fighting out of a chinlock and firing off the chops. The flipping clothesline puts Jayne down again and the moonsault gets two. Jayne fights up but gets booted in the face. The Figure Eight goes on but the seconds get in a fight on the floor. Charlotte goes to intervene, allowing Jayne to hit the Rolling Encore (discus forearm) for the pin at 10:04.

Rating: B-. What matters here is that Jayne won. That’s the whole thing, as if she lost, any momentum she had was gone right out of the blocks. Charlotte is someone who can lose for months and be perfectly fine so it’s not like there is any damage done here. Jayne is the new star around and this is a massive win for her, so well done on what happened.

Post match the beatdown is on and Rhea Ripley runs in for the save, leaving her in a staredown with Charlotte.

Paige and Brie Bella are ready to defend their titles against anyone, including the Irresistible Forces tonight.

R-Truth and Damian Priest meet Fraxiom (R-Truth thinks one of them is an Americano), with Priest thinking that R-Truth has given them a title shot tonight. Priest is ready….and Frazer cuts Axiom off before he can say something, saying they’re looking forward to it too. Fraxiom leaves, and R-Truth isn’t happy because they weren’t talking about title shots. He was giving them tax advice, which has Priest even more confused than usual.

Miz and Kit Wilson leave Looney Tunes style trap for Danhausen offering “free human monies” in a briefcase. They hide and Danhausen comes up, gets $40,000 out, and leaves. Miz and Wilson go to the briefcase, which sprays them with powder. Yeah that figures.

Tag Team Titles: Damian Priest/R-Truth vs. Fraxiom

Fraxiom is challenging. R-Truth backs Axiom into the corner to start but gets taken down with a springboard armdrag. Priest and Frazer come in, with Axiom adding a hurricanrana. The champs are sent to the floor where they back off before the dives can launch and we take a break.

We come back with R-Truth hitting a Stundog Millionaire, allowing the tag off to Priest to clean house. The running shoulders in the corner let R-Truth come back in but he gets low bridged out to the floor. Frazer hits the big running flip dive and a missile dropkick connects, only for Priest to throw Axiom into the cover for the save. The Razor’s Edge to Axiom retains the titles at 9:39.

Rating: B-. This was pretty good, as Fraxiom can wrestle that fast paced style with anyone right now but they ran into a monster like Priest. R-Truth is best known for his goofiness but he can wrestle a perfectly competent match. The champs are still waiting for a big time challenger, though they’re fine at the moment having matches like this one.

Post match the MFT’s run in and wreck both teams. Post break, Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga are still in the ring, with Solo Sikoa showing a clip of Jacob Fatu wrecking the team last week. Sikoa rants about Fatu taking out his family and when Fatu gets here tonight, he’s a dead man walking.

Cue the Usos to interrupt and talk about Fatu using the Tongan Death Grip. That’s a sacred move that is passed down and Roman Reigns isn’t accepting that, so Sikoa and company need to wait their turn. The Usos are telling instead of asking, so Sikoa has Talla wreck them. Sikoa says Reigns isn’t his Tribal Chief and Fatu is a dead man.

Cody Rhodes runs into Sami Zayn, who didn’t like being called sarcastic and condescending. Zayn asks if this was because he called Rhodes “Golden Boy”. They’re the last real good guys and they’re the same. Rhodes says a lot of that is true, but they’re not the same. Rhodes leaves Zayn shocked.

We get a clip of Jalen Brunson (NBA star) talking about his love of Roman Reigns.

Danhausen uncurses Brunson’s New York Knicks but keeps the curse on ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith.

Cody Rhodes vs. Ricky Saints

Non-title. Saints snaps off some armdrags to start and Rhodes needs to pause a bit. They head outside with Saints hitting something like an apron 619 and we take an early break. We come back with Rhodes getting out of a neck crank but getting pulled down with a neckbreaker. Rhodes is back up with a powerslam but Saints slips out and hits something like Sister Abigail for two. A springboard tornado DDT gives Saints two more but Rhodes reverses the Roshambo (running Dominator) into Cross Rhodes for the pin at 8:56.

Rating: B-. They got going near the end, though again I’m not sure about having Saints lose his first main roster match. It’s nice to have him around and there’s no shame in having him lose to Rhodes, but it’s a bit weird to have him take a loss like this so early. At least he did pretty well in his start though and that’s good to see.

Post match Gunther runs in and sleepers Rhodes out. Gunther holds up the title and I guess Rhodes has his random challenger.

Here is Danhausen, in the Hausenmobile, to say he’s using the $400 he found to buy t-shirts for the fans. This brings out the Miz, who says Danhausen has indeed cursed him. So yes, he will indeed be Danhausen’s mentor. They go to shake hands, but here is Kit Wilson to interrupt, saying Miz is supposed to mentor him. Miz says Danhausen has become a big deal on his own so Wilson and Danhausen both offer their hands. Eventually he shakes Danhausen’s hand and the curse is loaded up…but Miz jumps Danhausen and the beatdown is on.

Blake Monroe is in a bathtub and says she’ll be here soon.

Royce Keys vs. Angel

Keys sends him outside to start, where Berto is waiting to check on things. Berto’s distraction…doesn’t really do much for Angel, as Keys puts him on top for a super spinning powerslam. The spinebuster finishes Angel at 1:43.

Tiffany Stratton says it’s her birthday so the open challenge is on for next week. Chelsea Green comes in to reveal she’s healed but Kiana James and Giulia come in to say they want the shot. Stratton is fine with that and gives the shot to….James next week instead.

Jacob Fatu congratulates Royce Keys for his win. They’ve known each other for a very long time and Keys gives him a pep talk about remembering what it’s like to take what you want. Fatu appreciates that and leaves but Talla Tonga runs in to jump Keys. Fatu comes back to help with the fight but gets taken out by the MFT’s.

Here is Sami Zayn, with a big gingerbread man next to him. He loves it here in Tulsa and talks about being a big Bob Dylan (the University of Tulsa has a big Dylan collection), but what happened when Dylan went electric? The fans turned on him, just like they’ve turned on Zayn. He really doesn’t get why but he knows his ride or die fans are here tonight.

It’s ok though, because he can deal with bad reactions, but not disrespect, like he received from Trick Williams. Zayn calls Williams someone who can wear a costume and say catchphrases, but he doesn’t understand the idea of actually doing the hard work. He looks at the gingerbread man and sees nothing but disrespect. Zayn teases punching the gingerbread man (which is just a suit) and stops himself, only to knock it down and hammer away. Williams runs in for the save…and gives the X injury sign for the gingerbread man.

We look back at Paige and Brie Bella winning the Women’s Tag Team Titles at Wrestlemania.

The Irresistible Forces are going to win the titles back because they’re prepared this time.

Trick Williams leaves the trainer’s room and says no one messes with the gingerbread man. Sami Zayn is getting his title rematch at Backlash but Zayn is messing with Williams’ money. If the gingerbread man isn’t ok, Zayn is getting a beating. When Williams wants something, he gets it. Williams: “Ask the legend herself. When Trick Williams wants it, he gets that a**.” Then he’s told that the gingerbread man didn’t make it through. I get that it’s meant to be silly, but is that the best way to present Williams?

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Brie Bella/Paige vs. Irresistible Forces

The Forces are challenging. Legend throws Paige down to start and hammers away before dragging her into the corner. Jax comes in and gets knocked down, allowing the tag off to Bella. It actually isn’t instant destruction for Bella, who is distracted by Legend so Jax can get in a cheap shot.

We take a break and come back with Jax missing a charge into the post. Bella hurricanranas Legend and brings Paige back in to kick Legend in the face. The rapid fire knees in the ropes hit Legend, followed by a Paige Turner into a Bella Buster. Jax makes the save and loads up the Annihilator but Paige breaks it up, allowing Bella to steal the pin at 7:49.

Rating: C. Keeping the Paige/Bella matches short is a good idea and that was on display here. They’re fine for the nice pop from the crowd but there isn’t much beyond that. I get that they’re just filling in for the Bellas as a team and that’s not Paige’s fault, but it’s still not something that I want to see long term.

The gingerbread man has died, so we get an In Memorium graphic.

Here’s what’s coming next week, including the gingerbread man’s funeral. They’re getting really close to running this into the ground.

Sami Zayn complains about the funeral to Nick Aldis, who confirms the US Title match at Backlash. Danhausen comes in to mention being attacked, so Aldis says it can be Danhausen vs. Miz/Wilson at Backlash, if Danhausen can find a partner. Danhausen: “That’s work!”

Usos vs. MFT’s

Jey strikes away at Talla to start and gets knocked down just as fast. Sikoa comes in and gets enziguried, allowing Jimmy to get the tag. Jimmy dives right into Spinning Solo though and the running Umaga Attack sends us to a break. We come back with Sikoa choking Jimmy on the ropes, with Talla adding a clothesline. The neck crank goes on, quickly followed by a Samoan drop for two.

Jimmy avoids some charges though and it’s a big jumping tag to bring Jey back in. A superkick and spear hit Sikoa, with Talla making the save. That earns him a double clothesline out to the floor, where Talla sends Jimmy into the steps. The announcers’ table is loaded up…and here is Jacob Fatu to jump Talla for the DQ at 10:38.

Rating: C+. With so much going on involving the family in one way or another, the DQ almost had to come somewhere in there. That’s good enough, as Fatu is the biggest single name involved with the whole thing here. It’s nice to see a story cross over between the two shows, as it really is making Fatu feel like a more important star.

Post match Fatu hits Talla with the steps and grabs the Tongan Death Grip on Sikoa. Talla gets Death Gripped as well, followed by a Samoan drop through the table. Fatu gets back inside for a staredown with the Usos but walks past them and hits his catchphrase to end the show instead.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a show which was good enough on its own but it would have been that much better with the extra hour cut out here or there. I do like some of the pieces they’re putting together around here though and that’s better than what they were doing before Wrestlemania. It’s far from a great show, but it set some things up for the next few weeks and had good enough action so I’ll call it a fine week.

Results
Jacy Jayne b. Charlotte – Rolling Encore
Damian Priest/R-Truth b. Fraxiom – Razor’s Edge to Axiom
Cody Rhodes b. Ricky Saints – Cross Rhodes
Royce Keys b. Angel – Spinebuster
Paige/Brie Bella b. Irresistible Forces – Rollup to Jax
MFT’s b. Usos via DQ when Jacob Fatu interfered

 

 

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

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




Impact Wrestling – April 30, 2026: Walk And Fight

Impact Wrestling
Date: April 30, 2026
Location: Upstate Medical University Arena At The Oncenter War Memorial, Syracuse, New York
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

Unless I’ve missed it, we don’t have a big show announced yet outside of Slammiversary. That’s all the way in late June so I’d assume we’ll be getting an announcement sooner than later. I’m not sure who is going to be coming after the World Title, but it’s time for Elijah vs. Frankie Kazarian in a guitar strap match. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Vincent vs. Jeff Hardy

Their partners are barred from ringside. Hardy jumps him to start fast but it’s way too early for the Swanton. Instead Hardy dives outside to take him down on the floor, followed by the spinning mule kick back inside. Another Swanton attempt is broken up and Vincent rams him into the apron. Back in and Vincent bends Hardy’s back over his knee, only for Hardy to fight up with a sitout jawbreaker. They punch each other down until Hardy gets back up for the legdrop between the legs.

The Twist Of Fate gets two so Hardy Russian legsweeps him into a rollup for two more. A sitout gordbuster drops Vincent again but he pulls Hardy back out of the corner for the crash. Vincent goes up…and the lights go out…oh no….and yeah Broken Matt is back. The lights go out again and when they come back up, Jeff is on top and Vincent is down, meaning the Swanton can finish for Jeff at 7:55.

Rating: C+. Dang it. I was hoping we wouldn’t be going here even after all of the signs pointing in this direction. I’m not a big fan of the Broken stuff and we’re probably coming up on another Final Deletion style match. That being said, I do appreciate that this is a story taking place without the titles, which is always appreciated.

Frankie Kazarian is ready for the guitar strap match because he’s been in the first of a bunch of matches over the last twenty years. Tonight, he’s doing it again.

International Title: Mustafa Ali vs. Adam Brooks

Ali is defending after picking a random country. Brooks gets run over to start and Ali grabs a running hurricanrana. A spinwheel kick knocks Brooks down but he’s right back with a kick to the face. Ali gets backdropped to the floor but plants Brooks on the floor to cut him right back off. The rolling neckbreaker gives Ali two back inside and we hit the chinlock. Ali gets up but dives into a punch to the face to knock him out of the air. Brooks brainbusters him onto the knee for two but misses a charge in the corner. The 450 retains the title at 5:55.

Rating: C+. Brooks got a chance to showcase himself here but this was the first time around for Ali’s international deal. That’s something that could go on for a long time and it means more of Ali in the ring, which is a good thing to see. Just let it get build up for awhile and then have a big name waiting on him. Simple and classic.

Eric Young wants to face EC3 once and for all next week.

We run down the rest of the card.

Tessa Blanchard/Victoria Crawford/Mila Moore vs. Rosemary/Allie/Mara Sade

And yes, commentary brings up that Allie was killed. Rosemary whips Crawford into the corner to start and hammers away, followed by a bite to send her outside. Sade hits a big dive onto the three villains and we take a break. We come back with Rosemary getting triple kneed in the corner as we see a rather bad shot of a bunch of empty seats. Rosemary fights up and brings Allie back in to clean house. Allie and Rosemary grab stereo Upside Downs and the Codebreaker finishes Moore at 8:36.

Rating: C+. It’s nice to see Allie get a win after such a bad case of death so at least she still has something. I’m a bit surprised to see Moore take the fall, as Crawford tends to be the team’s designated loser. I’m not sure how long the Undead Realm women are going to be around but at least we got a nice moment here.

Santino Marella says he has been cleared of all charges and he has authority again. Next week, it’s Moose/Leon Slater vs. the System, plus the Tag Team and Knockouts Titles are on the line. That’s a relief, as Rae being in charge full time doesn’t sound great.

Here is Indi Hartwell, who is happy with the Marella decision, despite Daria Rae’s interference. Other than that, she’s coming for Arianna Grace.

Mike Santana is happy with his match against Rich Swann last week but Nic Nemeth shows up, suggesting he’ll be cashing in soon.

Daria Rae talks to her unseen boss, who confirms that all of Santino Marella’s matches are set and Marella is back in power. Indi Hartwell comes in and Rae threatens to not renew her contract.

Mr. Elegance vs. Home Town Man

The Elegance Brand is here with Elegance, who poses to start. That earns him an armbar, which is broken up rather quickly. Instead, Man grabs an airplane spin and chokes on the rope. Elegance is back with a spinebuster, followed by some running knees to the back (which I had to see more than once to see what it was).

The Brand messes with Man’s Syracuse jersey though and that’s enough to really start the comeback. An elbow and high crossbody give Man two but Ash gets on the apron to dance. Man shrugs off her offer of a kiss though and puts a mask on her, only to get caught with the wind up DDT to give Elegance the pin at 6:05.

Rating: C-. I’m not sure what to make of this, as Elegance really isn’t good, which I guess is the entire point. I think? Maybe? Either way, he’s better as someone who stands outside and poses a lot, as the in-ring side of things isn’t his strong suit. The whole Brand needs something to do though, as they’re just kind of floating around at the moment.

Allie and Mara Sade are happy when Rosemary comes in to say they still have a lot of work to do. Sade dances, Allie tries to dance, and Rosemary gets caught dancing, which has her rather annoyed.

Lei Ying Lee is crushed and is ready to leave her title shot behind. Tommy Dreamer comes up to tie this into his feud with Raven. Everyone believes in Lee, who agrees to stay.

Here is Leon Slater for a chat. He’s happy to be here because he is getting closer and closer to being the longest reigning X-Division Champion of all time. That’s all fine, but he’s not happy with Cedric Alexander, who can’t keep Slater’s name out of his mouth. Cue Alexander, who says he has earned a title shot, which will come on May 14, a day before Slater sets the record. Cue the System to jump Slater but Moose runs in for the save. Brian Myers gets powerbombed onto the rest of the team and Alisha Edwards has to bail to avoid a spear.

Ryan Nemeth feels left out by his big brother…and explains this to AJ Francis. After explaining that he does NOT like Nemeth slapping his leg, Francis points out that the Nemeths did all of this to him. He doesn’t care, and wants Nemeth to leave KC Navarro to him.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Elijah

It’s a strap match with four corners rules, though they start in the back. Kazarian seems to try to cheat to start things off to no avail and they slug it out. They fight around a bit, until Kazarian finds some hand sanitizer to blind Elijah. Kazarian slams Elijah’s arm in a door but gets crotched on some piece of equipment. Elijah puts him on a cart and sends him rolling into a crash. Some rams into a garage door have Kazarian in more trouble and they head to ringside as we take a break.

We come back with the brawl continuing at ringside until Elijah sends him inside. A rope walk sunset bomb (cool) puts Kazarian down but he’s right back up with some whips to the ribs. That’s fine with Elijah, who ties him around the post and gets in his own whipping. Kazarian whips him on the apron and drops a leg but gets pulled into the post. Back in and Kazarian grabs the chickenwing but Elijah hits three buckles.

That’s broken up as Kazarian pulls him down into the middle to stay on the arm. Elijah breaks that up as well and knees him out of the air. A Backstabber cuts Elijah off so Kazarian gets three buckles, with Elijah pulling him down. The strap breaks so the Highwayman’s Farewell connects and Elijah gets three buckles. Kazarian tries to fight back so it’s a heck of a guitar shot to knock him silly and give Elijah the fourth buckle for the win at 16:34.

Rating: B-. Yeah it was fine, which is about as you’re going to get in this kind of a match most of the time. The feud was only so interesting in the first place and this match didn’t make things that much better. Elijah winning is fine, though I’d rather he just get into another personal feud rather than moving up the ladder very far. I just don’t see him as a bigger name around here, as he tends to fit in better around this level.

Overall Rating: C+. The show was fine, even if it felt more like a means to set up the bigger shows down the line. That’s not a bad thing to do every so often as it lets things get built up a bit more. They don’t have a special coming up, but there are a few big matches set, which is fine enough for the time being. It’s not a must see show but it kept things moving forward fairly well. Call it a setup show and a decent one at that.

Results
Jeff Hardy b. Vincent – Swanton
Mustafa Ali b. Adam Brooks – 450
Rosemary/Allie/Mara Sade b. Tessa Blanchard/Victoria Crawford/Mila Moore – Codebreaker to Moore
Mr. Elegance b. Home Town Man – Wind Up DDT
Elijah b. Frankie Kazarian – Elijah touched all four turnbuckles

 

 

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

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




Ring Of Honor – April 30, 2026: Now With Curves

Ring Of Honor
Date: April 30, 2026
Location: WJCT Studios, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re coming up on Supercard Of Honor and the top of the card has mostly come together. That isn’t something that happens very often with big time Ring Of Honor events but they’re pulling it off this time. Unfortunately there is only so much of a connection between what we see here and what is being promoted for the show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Matt Menard

Well that’s a surprise. They take turns backing each other up against the ropes until Takeshita takes him down. A slam sends Takeshita outside, which feels like something of an overreaction. Back in and Takeshita knocks him into the corner for the knees to the head in the corner. Takeshita grabs the chinlock but Menard fights up and sends him into the corner for the right hands. The exchange of forearms goes to Takeshita and he hits a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. The running knee finishes for Takeshita at 6:43.

Rating: C. There wasn’t much to be seen here as there was only going to be so much you could get out of Takeshita vs. Menard. I’m not entirely sure why Takeshita was here and especially with no promotion, but it’s nice to have a surprise every so often. If nothing else it was nice to have a relatively quick match, as Menard losing pretty fast is a good thing.

Shane Taylor vs. Mance Warner

Dang they’re throwing some curves into this one and somehow Warner has never wrestled in Ring Of Honor. They forearm it out with Warner firing off some overhand chops to send him outside. That means a running poke to the eye but Taylor rams him back first into the post. Taylor’s running legdrop connects on the apron and puts Warner in a chair for a running elbow.

Back in and a big clothesline drops Warner again, followed by a release Rock Bottom. The big splash gives Taylor two but the middle rope version misses. Warner fires off some clotheslines and hits a belly to back suplex before going to grab the chair. Said chair is used for a running tornado DDT but Taylor’s knee to the face gets two more. The Marcus Garvey Driver finishes Warner at 8:07.

Rating: C+. This was a hard hitting fight and I get why you would have Taylor win, though if Warner is available, he’s worth having around. I could go with seeing him around to do some insane talking as he would certainly add some spice to the show. Of course that’s assuming this isn’t a one off appearance, though that would be a bit of a surprise.

The Premiere Athletes warn everyone against laying a hand on Mark Sterling.

Stori Denali vs. Jacey Love

Mark Sterling is here too and threatens anyone who even looks at him the wrong way. Denali shoves her into the corner and Love’s dropkicks to the leg don’t do much good. The tornado DDT is blocked and a chokeslam finishes for Denali at 2:27.

Alan Angels vs. Lio Rush

Just in case you thought you might not have to watch Rush be WEIRD for a week. Angels snaps off a running hurricanrana to start so Rush does his bug eyed crawling. They run the ropes until Rush takes him down for a spinning kick to the head. Rush goes outside and screams at a chop, only for Angels to stomp on his back on the way back inside. A bridging northern lights suplex gives Angels two so Rush starts moving faster and catches Angels on top.

Angels bites the ear but gets caught with the springboard Stunner for two. A powerbomb out of the corner plants Rush again and Angels’ spinning kick to the head gets two more. They go to a pinfall reversal sequence for a bunch of one counts each until Angels rolls some half and half suplexes. The top rope splash gives Angels two so they head to the apron, where Rush hits another Stunner. Rush does his weird (because he’s WEIRD) running around the ring into a suicide dive, followed by a toss Blue Thunder Bomb to finish Angels at 9:33.

Rating: B-. Yeah……this Rush thing is not for me at all. He wrestles pretty much the same match but now he does the big eyes and weird hopping stuff as well. I’d be fine with Rush being around in another form, say as himself rather than with Action Andretti in a low level tag team, but this isn’t working for me.

We look at Diamante mocking Deonna Purrazzo last week.

Deonna Purrazzo vs. Remi Reade

Non-title Pure Rules match. Purrazzo easily escapes a headscissors to start and mocks Reade a bit before grabbing a backslide for one. Reade slips away from her and gets in the same mock, with Purrazzo approving. Back up and Purrazzo backs her into the ropes, which counts as the first break. The threat of the Fujiwara armbar sends Reade over to the ropes (not a break) so Purrazzo goes with a powerbomb. Now the Fujiwara armbar makes Reade tap at 3:07.

Rating: C. This was hardly going to be some big, amazing match and that’s what we wound up getting. Purrazzo wrestled her down and won with a mixture of stuff, which is a good way to go for her. Purrazzo’s big match is in two weeks, even though there is little reason to believe that her title is in danger.

Top Flight vs. Soleil/Gringo Loco

Loco kicks at Darius to start but can’t get very far with a headscissors on the mat. Soleil comes in and picks up the pace (which was already up in the first place) and gets sent into the wrong corner. That doesn’t last long as Soleil hits a dive to the floor to take Darius out again. Some running kicks to the head get two on Soleil and Loco’s spinning split legged moonsault gets two.

Darius fights up and hands it off to Dante, who has to fight both of them off. A twisting Meteora puts Dante down and it’s Loco dropping a Swanton for two. Everything breaks down and Darius is back in for a German suplex. The double underhook DDT finishes Loco at 6:55.

Rating: B-. Well it was fast paced and energetic, with some good spots and absolutely no reason to believe that either of the teams are going to be doing anything important anytime soon. That’s the case with a lot of people around here and unfortunately it’s where Top Flight is as well. It would be nice to believe that there is a reason to believe otherwise but years of that not happening would suggest otherwise.

IInspiration vs. B3cca/Madison Maxx

Lee grabs a headlock on Maxx to start and the IInspiration clear the ring without much trouble. That means the double pose is on, followed by the double choking in the corner. B3cca comes in and gets beaten up as well, setting up stereo Pedigrees. The Idolizer finishes B3cca at 3:41.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what the IInspiration are supposed to do around here but they need some wins to boost them back up. Granted there is only so much value in having them win a match like this one, but it’s better than nothing. There are only so many women’s teams around in the first place so going with one of the few established ones makes sense.

We get a sitdown interview between Caprice Coleman and….Ian Riccaboni. Actually Riccaboni brings in Red Velvet, which would be a better interview, though Coleman looks nervous because he wasn’t ready for this. And I guess this is going to be on social media later. Ok then.

Viva Van vs. Sara Leon

Van rolls around with a wristlock to start and they go up to a standoff. Leon backs up a bit so Van rolls forward into a pose, leaving Leon to roll her up for two. A hurricanrana out of the corner drops Van, who is right back with a Brock Lock of all things. Leon has to escape a surfboard and gets two, only to get caught in a cross arm electric chair suplex to give Van the pin at 4:28.

Rating: C+. Van hasn’t done much around here but it’s nice to see her get a chance to actually win for a change. If nothing else, you need to have her win on occasion or beating her over and over only means so much. I’ve seen good things from Van elsewhere so maybe this is the start of something for her around here as well.

Paid In Full vs. Nick Halen/Vin Parker

Halen actually gives Keith a running STO for two to start but Keith rakes the eyes. Bill comes in for a running splash in the corner and the spinning Boss Man Slam plants Parker. The big boot finishes Halen at 2:21.

We look at Christian XO’s debut.

Christian XO vs. Frankie B.

The rather tall XO mocks Frankie with an offer of a test of strength and then knocks her down with ease. A Stratusphere has Frankie in trouble but she escapes a fireman’s carry. That just earns Frankie an ax kick (which looked more like a Fameasser) for the pin at 2:19.

TMDK vs. Don Callis Family

It’s RPG Vice and Mark Davis for the Family. Tito and Romero start things off but it’s quickly off to Beretta, who is powered into the corner. Everything breaks down and Davis knees Haste in the face. Haste is sent into the corner and stomped down but he fights up on Romero. The tag brings in Nicholls to clean house until everyone is knocked down for a big breather.

Tito and Davis come back in to slug it out and knock each other down again. They slug it out from their knees and then feet, with Tito hitting a brainbuster for two. A double spinebuster/powerbomb combination gets the same, with Romero and Beretta making the save. Back up and Davis runs Tito over for two before pulling Haste out of the corner for the piledriver. Strong Zero sends Nicholls outside but Tito is back up…and gets lariated for two. Another piledriver finishes Tito at 11:12.

Rating: B-. Another entertaining match with the Family getting to beat TMDK again. If nothing else, it’s nice to see Davis getting to hit that piledriver, which is becoming one of the more devastating moves in AEW/ROH. I’m not sure why we’re seeing so much from RPG Vice as of late, though if they’re signed they might as well be used in some way.

Overall Rating: C+. The pay per view is in about two weeks and one of the four matches announced got any real advancement this week (and that’s a stretch as Purrazzo winning a match isn’t much of an advancement). The rest of the show was just a bunch of stuff like you would see on any other show. I’m sure there will be a bunch of stuff added to Supercard Of Honor at the last minute and some of them will get on the show as a result, but this stuff doesn’t really make me care about most of these people. In other words, it’s Ring Of Honor at its most typical.

Results
Konosuke Takeshita b. Matt Menard – Running knee
Shane Taylor b. Mance Warner – Marcus Garvey Driver
Stori Denali b. Jacey Love – Chokeslam
Lio Rush b. Alan Angels – Toss Blue Thunder Bomb
Deonna Purrazzo b. Remi Reade – Fujiwara armbar
Top Flight b. Gringo Loco/Soleil – Double underhook DDT to Loco
IInspiration b. B3cca/Madison Maxx – Idolizer to B3cca
Viva Van b. Sara Leon – Crossarm electric chair suplex
Paid In Full b. Nick Halen/Vin Parker – Big boot to Halen
Christian XO b. Frankie B. – Ax kick
Don Callis Family b. TMDK – Piledriver to Tito

 

 

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

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




AEW Dynamite – April 29, 2026: Happy Days

Dynamite
Date: April 29, 2026
Location: EagleBank Arena, Fairfax, Virginia
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re back with more title matches, as MJF is trying to get the TNT Title from Kevin Knight and Darby Allin is defending the World Title against Brody King. This seems to be part of Allin’s idea to “get beaten up really badly every week” but his match last week was rather good. Hopefully that is repeated here so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

We open with a quick preview of the show.

Video on MJF vs. Kevin Knight.

TNT Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Kevin Knight

Knight is defending and we get the Big Match Intros, with MJF’s including some shots at Fairfax. They go outside to start with MJF taking over, including a powerbomb onto the barricade. The chinlock goes on back inside but Knight is right back up, only to get elbowed in the face. They take turns flipping out of belly to back suplexes until Knight is flipped face first onto MJF’s knee for two.

Knight escapes the Heatseeker though and hits a jumping DDT to leave them both down. A dropkick puts MJF down again and a running splash gets two. Knight sends him outside for the big running flip dive, followed by a heck of a springboard clothesline to the floor. Back in and they go to a pinfall reversal sequence, with MJF grabbing a cutter for two. MJF goes up but gets pulled down with a super hurricanrana, only for Knight to come up holding his knee.

A basement superkick and Panama Sunrise give MJF two and we take a break. We come back with MJF grabbing a half crab, which doesn’t last long. Knight superkicks another Sunrise attempt out of the air but a dragon screw legwhip brings him down on the rope. An Alabama slam gives MJF two more and it’s time to get mad. MJF grabs the belt, which is just a ruse to load up the ring. Knight hits him low though and a small package retains the title at 15:16.

Rating: B. This was good stuff, with MJF’s downward slide continuing. He has a lot going on right now and most of it isn’t going well, mainly due to trying to cheat too much and getting caught in the end. That’s a good way to bring him down, as he can complain about losing all over again. Knight on the other hand gets a huge win, which is a good sign as he is rapidly improving his status around here.

MJF’s stunned face is great as he can’t believe that happened. MJF hits him in the knee and loads up the ring but Darby Allin descends from the ceiling and hits a Scorpion Death Drop. MJF gets the mic and says “YOU PEOPLE SUCK!” He insists that he was barely trying in the match so all he wants is his rematch for the World Title. Allin wants something on the line in return…but doesn’t say what that is. Instead, if he beats Brody King tonight, he thinks Knight should get a title shot. Cue King to say he’s taking Allin out tonight and then facing Knight next week.

Video on King vs. Allin.

Adam Copeland and Christian Cage are in for the I Quit match, with Copeland bringing up Cage quitting before. Cage: “I didn’t say it!” Cage leaves. Copeland: “He totally said it.”

Brawling Birds vs. Emily Jaye/Jordan Blade

In a nice touch, Windsor points out a sign to Hayter, saying someone waited years to see Hayter. She blows the fan a kiss before the match and we’re ready to go (that’s the kind of thing I love in wrestling: something that takes so little time from the wrestlers but means the world to that fan). Blade gets knocked into the corner and chopped down, setting up a clothesline from both sides (Taz: “Little Malachi Crunch action there.” Hayter seems more like Count and Windsor is more Jumpy. Does that make Blade Pinky Tuscadero?). Two Birds, One Stone finishes Blade at 1:20.

Thekla would love to stop calling people dumb b****** but there are too many dumb b****** in AEW. The Brawling Birds need to mind their own business and stick to the tag team. Skye Blue doesn’t like them either.

International Title: Kazuchika Okada vs. Ace Austin

Okada is defending and Don Callis is on commentary. Okada backs him into the corner to start and stomps him down but Austin is back with a rollup. A dropkick has Okada in trouble and a Death Valley Driver (with a squat) makes it worse. Austin sends him to the floor and does a handstand on the apron, earning some applause from Okada. A DDT drops Austin on the floor though and we take a break.

We come back with Okada hitting a neckbreaker and flipping off the crowd. Austin sends him to the floor and hits a knee to the face, setting up the Fosbury Flop dive. Back in and a top rope spinning Fameasser gets two on Okada, who ax handles him down. Austin tries the springboard spinning kick tot he head but gets dropkicked out of the air. Another dropkick sets up the Tombstone and the Rainmaker retains the title at 11:15.

Rating: B. This was a relief as I was worried it would take Okada far too long to win here. Instead, Austin got in his offense, looked good in the process, and then lost to the better main in the end. That’s how this should have gone and they made it work rather well, with Austin getting to hang with a bigger name before taking one too many chances.

Post match Konosuke Takeshita comes out for the staredown.

We go to the old west town for a Bandido vignette…but it’s Swerve Strickland, who burns a Bandido wanted poster. Could he be wanted for not defending his Ring Of Honor World Title since December 5, or a cool 145 days?

Commentary explains what happened on Collision, as Jon Moxley basically offered Will Ospreay a spot in the Death Riders. Not mentioned: Moxley handing Ospreay a chair and laying face first on the floor.

We see the Death Riders training, with Ospreay showing up. Ospreay is not cleared, but he’s going to Japan for a big title match. Moxley says that’s loyalty and Ospreay is too good to be true. Then he pokes Pac in the stomach and makes a noise like one does to a seven year old who would find it stupid.

Moxley says Ospreay needs to drop everything, including his anger and feelings about him, because they don’t need excess baggage. He’s not making any promises but when he makes a commitment to something, he sees it through to the end. Ospreay seems in but is surprised to hear that there is no ring. They’re starting from the ground up and the camera is shoved out. This is certainly a thing going on, though Moxley’s acting is….really not his strong suit.

Adam Copeland/Christian Cage vs. RPG Vice

FTR and Stokely Hathaway are here too. Cage and Romero start things off with Romero being backed into the corner. A dropkick puts Cage down and Romero stops to dance and it’s off to Copeland. The big boot/Russian legsweep combination gets two on Romero before Beretta knees Copeland down for the same.

That just earns Beretta a big boot and it’s back to Cage, who heads outside and gets his bad arm slammed into the post. The Conglomeration is in the crowd and throws popcorn on Stokely, triggering a brawl with FTR. They all fight off and we take a break with Cage still in trouble. We come back with Copeland getting knocked off the apron to cut off the tag attempt.

A sliding knee gets two on Cage and Romero grabs a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up with a grab of the rope and Cage elbows his way out of the corner. The tornado DDT connects but bangs up Cage’s arm again. Copeland gets the tag anyway and the Impaler gets two on Beretta, with Romero making the save. Everything breaks down and Copeland misses a spear, allowing Beretta to roll him up. The referee sees the feet on the ropes though and Copeland tosses Beretta into Cage’s spear for the pin at 12:44.

Rating: B-. This was a pretty standard formula tag match but it was a bit of a stretch to buy RPG Vice hanging with Copeland and Cage this long. Yes they’re a successful team in Japan but not so much in AEW. Either way, it was hardly a bad match and Copeland and Cage get a win before their next title shot.

Post match Copeland puts Beretta in the crossface to make him quit. That’s just violent.

Earlier today, the Demand beat up Chris Jericho again. Ricochet tells him to leave for good and Jericho tells him to eat s***. The beating gets even worse.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Kris Statlander/Hikaru Shida vs. Megan Bayne/Lena Kross

Statlander and Shida are challenging. Kross takes over on Shida to start and it’s off to Bayne for the double shoulder. Shida’s running knee is easily blocked so she goes to the eyes and grabs the kendo stick. Statlander isn’t letting that happen but Bayne misses a charge into the post. Then Shida kicks Statlander in the ribs and suplexes her onto Bayne in the corner, which shockingly doesn’t work very well.

Statlander is driven into the corner and it’s back to Kross, who escapes Staturday Night Fever. Bayne kicks Statlander in the head and we take a break. We come back with Statlander hurricanranaing both of them at once, followed by a discus lariat to Bayne. Kross and Shida get the double tags and slug it out at everything breaks down.

Bayne sends Statlander flying (that’s impressive) but Statlander gives her a standing Blue Thunder Bomb. Kross is knocked down as well and it’s a 450 to give Statlander two. Shida Falcon Arrows Kross for two but Statlander gets kicked down. The double chokeslam to Shida retains the titles at 13:31.

Rating: B-. They had a hard hitting and fast moving match, with the monsters getting to retain the titles. It’s a nice win for them over a pair of former champions so it’s hardly some pair of nobodies. At the same time, Shida and Statlander never felt like a long term team and that’s not a bad way to go.

MJF interrupts Andrade El Idolo and Don Callis, blaming Andrade for Darby Allin being World Champion. Andrade seems to deny things but Callis calms it down.

Rush vs. Steven Fuerte

Rush knocks him outside at the bell and stomps away both on the floor and in the corner. Bull’s Horns finishes at 1:39.

The Opps are ready to dominate again, with Hook going after the TNT Title on Collision. Samoa Joe wants Will Ospreay, who shouldn’t be doing anything with the Death Riders.

Stokely has a challenge for Orange Cassidy: next week, Cassidy faces Dax Harwood and the winner gets a Tag Team or Trios Title shot, with Tommaso Ciampa popping up to be FTR’s partner should Harwood win.

AEW World Title: Darby Allin vs. Brody King

Allin is defending. They shake hands to start and Allin tries a quick dropkick in the corner (King turned his back on him so it wasn’t a cheap shot). King powers up and tries the Ganso Bomb, with Allin punching his way out. Allin goes up top and gets caught, only to come out with a super Code Red for two. That sends King outside but the suicide dive just bounces off of him.

Allin fights back again and puts King in the chair on the floor, with the missile dropkick knocking King out. We take a break and come back with King hitting a heck of a chop to knock Allin off the top and to the floor. King takes the announcers’ table cover and leans it against the barricade, only for Allin to jump on his back. That’s fine with King, who drives them both through the cover for the nasty crash.

They climb onto the table and King grabs his choke, which is countered with double thumbs to the eye. Another Code Red onto the table gets two and Allin is back up with a suicide dive. Back in and King ties him in the Tree Of Woe, followed by a hard clothesline for two (with Allin’s face looking like his soul was knocked into the third row).

Allin gets thrown over the top rope and onto a cameraman, with King dragging him around, pulling the floor pad up. King’s running Cannonball misses Allin and goes through the barricade for a nasty crash. Allin gets the rest of the floor pad up though and it’s a sunset bomb to send King crashing onto the concrete. The Coffin Drop onto the floor connects as well and King manages to beat the count. That means two more Coffin Drops to retain the title at 16:29.

Rating: B+. As usual, this worked well with Allin fighting against the monster and managing to use his environment to beat King. It’s a good case of Allin learning how to beat King after taking so many beatings over the years. At the same time, Allin has given King troubles before so it’s hardly some ridiculous win here. Heck of a main event as Allin’s title reign continues to work, though he’s getting rather banged up here. That very well could catch up to him sooner than later and it probably will.

Post match respect is shown and Kevin Knight is in the crowd for the staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This was another rather good show with the opener and main event being more than good enough to carry the night. Allin seems like he’s in for an energetic and exciting title reign, though I’m not sure how long it’s going to last. At the same time, there are a lot of people coming after the belt so the next champion could be up in the air. That’s enough to carry things at the moment and there is enough on the rest of the show to make it work. Rather easy to watch show here with a very good main event.

Results
Knight Knight b. Maxwell Jacob Friedman – Small package
Brawling Birds b. Emliy Jaye/Jordan Blade – Two Birds, One Stone to Blade
Kazuchika Okada b. Ace Austin – Rainmaker
Adam Copeland/Christian Cage b. RPG Vice – Spear to Beretta
Lena Kross/Megan Bayne b. Hikaru Shida/Kris Stalander – Double chokeslam to Shida
Rush b. Steven Fuerte – Bull’s Horns
Darby Allin b. Brody King – Coffin Drop

 

 

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

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




WWE Evolve – April 29, 2026: The Cycle Continues

Evolve
Date: April 29, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard

So about half a dozen Evolve names showed up this week on NXT and that means their time in Evolve is likely numbered. At the same time though, there is not likely to be much in the way of change here, as this show, which features a triple threat for the Evolve Title, was likely taped weeks ago. In other words, enjoy these people while you can. Let’s get to it.

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

Harlem Lewis is ready to finally win the Evolve Title.

Opening sequence.

Kali Armstrong vs. Tyra Mae Steele

The fans certainly seem to think positively of Armstrong and this is fallout from Steele causing Armstrong to be eliminated from the Women’s Title gauntlet match. They go with the grappling to start and shockingly enough, the Olympic gold medal winning wrestler easily takes over. Armstrong gets back up to shoulder her down but Steele is right back with a headscissors. That’s reversed back into the headlock before Armstrong snaps off some right hands.

A headscissors attempt out of the corner results in Steele being tossed out to the floor, where she blocks a baseball slide. Steele starts cranking on the ankle and we take a break. We come back with Steele snapping off some gutwrench suplexes before going back to the ankle. Armstrong fights up and hits some shots to the face but Steele pulls her down into the ankle lock. That’s broken up but Steele gets it right back on, which is broken up again. This time Steele tries the Angle Slam so Armstrong reverses it into a powerslam. The Kali Connection finishes Steele at 8:37.

Rating: C+. Armstrong winning is hardly a surprised as Steele was released earlier this week. Maybe it’s because she’s yet another Olympian/amateur wrestler who does the same Kurt Angle style offense. That stuff feels so lame, as it has been done multiple times and just feels like a played out concept. Find something new, which might be in a different promotion going forward.

Post match we get a THANK YOU KALI graphic and she talks about how she grew up around here and she’s the first ever Evolve Women’s Champion. She built this place, and now it’s time to let others live in it. Until she gets hers, it’s all gas, no brakes.

It’s Gal talks about how he is treated as a machine but he has feelings too. He’s lost partners, been ignored by the teams and been misunderstood by the new boss. Is he the dummy? Where does he go from here with these feelings? It’s time to peak like no stud has peaked before.

Romeo Moreno vs. Chazz Hall

Hold on though as here are Max Abrams and his new team from last week. Abrams mocks Hall and even takes off his sunglasses before offering Hall a spot on the new ID squad. Hall isn’t feeling that but Santi Rivera isn’t feeling his lack of feeling. Moreno tells the team goodbye and Jacari Ball jumps him from behind. Hall comes in to break it up but CJ Valor beats him down as well. No match.

Timothy Thatcher offers congratulations to Kali Armstrong (not here) for moving up to NXT. He moves on to the new ID talent but someone knocks on the door. Two men come in and say they would like an opportunity. Thatcher does have a job he needs to get done and that’s security, mainly dealing with Max Abrams and company. They’re in.

Tristan Angels talks about the pressure of being the future of WWE. No one has the shoulders to carry that weight but he is from Dorset, England and ready to do it.

Masyn Holiday/Layla Diggs vs. Ayna Rune/Gianna Capri

Diggs and Rune start things off and go to the mat, with Holiday coming in for a dropkick. It’s off to Capri, who knocks Diggs down for two and grabs the chinlock. That’s broken up so Diggs gives Rune a fall away slam. Everything breaks down and Diggs ax kicks Rune for the pin at 4:35.

Rating: C. I’m getting close to giving up on Holiday and Diggs. They’re good enough in the ring, but the TikTok dancing stuff has lost the limited charm and still feels like their main trait. They have talent, but I’m going to need something a bit more interesting than “they dance a lot” to care about them. Rune and Capri are still finding their footing, though at least they’ve started.

Post match the winners dance and Capri yells at Rune for ruining this.

We get a sitdown interview with Laynie Luck and Wendy Choo. Luck talks about how this is the biggest chance of her career and people, like luck, can turn on you in an instant. She doesn’t know which version of her you’ll get out there but she’s not letting her guard down. Choo says her past has been all over the place and yes it was questionable, but she isn’t changing anytime soon. Choo meant what she said when she wanted Luck to get the first shot, but the title isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Cappuccino Jones apologizes to Romeo Moreno and Chazz Hall. He wanted to see them have a match and is sick of everyone thinking they can do whatever they want around here. They need to do something, maybe like a six man tag next week. Hall: “Oh Hall yeah!”

Evolve Title: Aaron Rourke vs. Harlem Lewis vs. Braxton Cole

Rourke is defending and says he’s build from pressure and thrives in it, so now all eyes are on him. Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins are in the VIP section and we’re ready after the Big Match Intros. Cole jumps Lewis to start fast and slams Rourke as well. That earns Cole a trip out to the floor so Rourke gives Cole La Mistica into a Russian legsweep. Lewis is back in to take Rourke out but Cole sends both of them outside as we take a break.

We come back with Cole hitting a suplex neckbreaker for two on Rourke as things slow down a bit. Lewis is back in and Rourke gets dropped ribs first over the top rope. Cole sends Lewis into the corner and neckbreakers him for two more. Lewis comes out of the corner with a clothesline and hits a basement dropkick for two of his own. Rourke is back in to assist Lewis on a DDT before going after Lewis’ knee. There’s a Backstabber to Cole and a middle rope Codebreaker drops him to give Rourke two more.

Rourke goes up and gets caught on top, meaning it’s a Tower Of Doom to bring everyone down. Back up and Rourke kicks Cole in the face, leaving him to slug it out with Lewis. A flip leaves Rourke on his face though and the Boom Slang connects, with Cole pulling Lewis to the floor for the save. Rourke sends Cole back inside for the Molly Go Round to retain at 11:12.

Rating: B. That’s pretty much the only way this could have gone, as you don’t want Rourke losing in his first really big defense and Cole was there to avoid Lewis from taking the fall. That’s all they needed to do and the match was a good, back and forth triple threat. Rourke feels like a champion, and that’s a great sign for his status.

Post match Brooks Jensen comes out for the staredown, with Rourke telling him to bring it. Hendrix and Riggins get on the apron and slowly come after Rourke to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The Armstrong sendoff and main event were good, though I’m a bit hesitant to get into another stable war. The catch though is that with so many people on this roster and how fast everyone moves in one direction or another, having stables make sense as a way to present a bunch of people as fast as possible. I’m not sure if it’s going to make for the best show, but Evolve has earned the benefit of the doubt.

Results
Kali Armstrong b. Tyra Mae Steele – Kali Connection to Steele
Masyn Holiday/Layla Diggs b. Ayna Rune/Gianna Capri – Ax kick to Rune
Aaron Rourke b. Harlem Lewis and Braxton Cole – Molly Go Round to Cole

 

 

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

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




WWE Vault: Best Of Haku – Nice And Steady (Includes Full Video)

Best Of Haku
Commentators: Lord Alfred Hayes, Gorilla Monsoon, Duke Doherty, Jim Duggan, Sean Mooney, Tony Schiavone, Larry Zbyszko, Bobby Heenan, Scott Hudson

I’ve got a huge list of things from the WWE Vault to look at so I might as well do one of the scariest people in wrestling history. Haku is the definition of a solid career midcard guy and that is something you don’t see enough of today. I’m curious about what is going to be included here and that’s a nice feeling to have. Let’s get to it.

We get the usual quick opening video.

From New York City, New York, June 14, 1986.

King Tonga vs. Big John Studd

Bobby Heenan is here with Studd and Tonga wants his $15,000 for recently slamming Studd (a running thing for him) but gets knocked away instead. Studd slams him at the bell and stomps away but Tonga is back up rather quickly. Some slam attempts are blocked and Studd drops him again for an elbow. The chinlock goes on as commentary praises the camera looking at Heenan. Tonga fights up and kicks away, including a dropkick to stagger Studd. Another slam attempt sees them both crash out to the floor for the double countout at 3:49.

Rating: C. Not the best start to the collection, but Tonga oddly worked as a good guy. They did have a nice story going with the battle over the slam and Tonga was right there to fight against the monster. Studd wasn’t the most active in the ring but he knew how to wrestle like a big man, which is a difficult skill to use. Better than I was expecting here.

Post match they brawl on the floor for a few minutes, with Heenan not being sure what to do. Tonga gets in the ring and dances at Studd to try and get him back, with Studd getting inside to go at it again. A big headbutt drops Studd and the villains bail.

From New York City, New York, August 22, 1987.

Haku vs. Rick Martel

Off to the better known name now, with Tama (Rikishi’s brother, Usos/Solo Sikoa’s uncle, Jacob Fatu’s father) here in Haku’s corner and no partner for Martel. Apparently he realizes that’s a problem though and runs to the back to get Tito Santana, with the team being dubbed Strike Force.

Actually hold on as the referee ejects Tama and Santana so this can be a singles match. Haku jumps him to start so they run the ropes, with Martel hitting a crossbody. A headknocker knocks Haku’s head but he’s back with a cheap shot to drop Martel for a change. Martel hits a dropkick into a flying headscissors for two and a snapmare brings Haku down again.

Back up and Haku knocks him back down, followed by the slam (a theme with him) and a reverse chinlock. Martel fights up and hits the spinning middle rope crossbody for two, only to get launched out to the floor. Back in and Martel sends him into the corner and starts striking away. A monkey flip sends Haku flying again but he knocks Martel right back down. Cue Tama with a chair to Martel to give Haku the easy pin at 8:18.

Rating: C+. The more I see of Martel, the better he seems. He was so talented in pretty much every aspect of wrestling and that was on display here, as he made a heck of a fired up comeback. The teams would wind up having some rather nice matches (shocking I know) but this worked well as a singles match for a change.

Post match the Islanders beat Martel down but Santana runs in for the save.

From New York City, New York, September 21, 1987.

Islanders vs. Strike Force

Bobby Heenan is here with the Islanders and Strike Force, now with matching gear and Girls In Cars, run in for the brawl to start fast and the fans are rather pleased as the Islanders are knocked outside. A dropkick sends Tama outside and it’s time to hide in the ropes rather than go for the fight.

Back in and Santana works on Tama’s arm, followed by a clothesline as Heenan is panicking at ringside. The armdrag sets up an armbar, which goes on for a good while. Santana’s armdrag means it’s another armbar but Haku knocks him up against the ropes for a change. That allows Tama to come back in for an elbow to the face, followed by Haku’s front facelock. Tama’s nerve hold does about the same but Santana fights up and gets over for the tag to Martel, meaning the comeback can quickly ensue.

A crossbody hits Tama and everything breaks down, with the Islanders being sent into each other. Haku gets in a cheap shot on Martel though and gets to come back in and stomp on the ropes. Well on Martel on the ropes but close enough. Tama misses a middle rope headbutt though and the tag brings in Santana…but the referee doesn’t see it. That lets Haku drop a headbutt and steal the pin at 13:59.

Rating: B. Yeah this worked, with Strike Force both knowing how to do the big comeback, which had the fans more than behind them. At the same time, the Islanders were a good heel team who knew how to work this style. The cheating ending makes it even better and I could go for a rematch.

From Wrestlemania VII.

Haku/Barbarian vs. Rockers

Well we’re only skipping three and a half years and Bobby Heenan is outside. Michaels and Haku start things off with Haku powering him into the corner. An attempted jump over the top doesn’t really work so Michaels has him run the ropes until a flying shoulder can put Haku down for a change. Jannetty comes in for the double elbow but the Barbarian clotheslines both of them down.

That earns him a double superkick (serves him right for coming in without a tag) and Heenan wants to talk for a bit. We settle down to Jannetty trying a sunset flip on Barbarian, who misses a right hand to the mat instead. Back up and Michaels adds a dropkick to the back to knock Barbarian into a hurricanrana.

That just earns Jannetty a double headbutt and another hurricanrana attempt is countered into an assisted hot shot (that looked great). The gorilla press drops Jannetty again and Haku gets in a cheap shot from the apron. Barbarian knocks him down again and grabs a bearhug, leaving Michaels to play cheerleader.

Jannetty fights out and is promptly powerslammed, only for Barbarian’s top rope headbutt to miss. That’s enough for the tag off to Michaels, who gets to clean house in a hurry. A sunset flip gets two on Haku as everything breaks down. Barbarian gets superkicked/dropkicked to the floor, leaving Jannetty to missile dropkick Haku. Michaels adds a high crossbody (and a nice one at that) for the pin at 10:33.

Rating: B-. The heat on Jannetty went on a bit too long but the Rockers could work that fast paced style comeback as well as anyone. You put an easy to like speed team against an imposing power team. That’s about as basic of a wrestling style as you can get and it worked rather well here with a fast paced opener. Nice stuff, shockingly enough for a match involving four skilled pros.

From WrestleFest 91.

Haku vs. British Bulldog

They take turns backing each other into the ropes to start and then Bulldog flips out of a wristlock. Haku goes to the face and hits a running shoulder, only to get dropkicked out to the floor. This gives us the odd visual of Haku requesting time out before coming back inside, where he is knocked down again.

Bulldog grabs a sleeper of all things before drop toeholding him into an armbar. That’s broken up as well and Haku knocks him down, followed by a piledriver for two. The chinlock goes on for a bit, with Bulldog fighting up and hitting a crossbody for two of his own. Haku knocks him right back into the chinlock, with Bulldog breaking out even faster this time. An elbow to the face gives Bulldog two but he’s right back with a crucifix for the pin at 7:52.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure why this needed to be on there but at least another singles match got included here. This was the kind of match that kept Haku employed for such a long time, as he was able to feel like enough of a threat to Bulldog, who got a win over a tough opponent. It wasn’t the greatest match, but it was basically Haku’s bread and butter kind of match.

From Great American Bash 1995.

US Title: Meng vs. Sting

And we skip another three and a half years. For the vacant title and kind of the finals (originally a semifinal, but the other semifinal didn’t have a winner and triple threats weren’t a big deal yet (thank goodness) so the semifinal is now a final. Meng (who has Colonel Robert Parker in his corner) backs him into the corner to start and unloads with some clubberin.

Sting gets choked down but comes back with a jumping kick to the chest (likely a mistimed dropkick) and a dropkick to send him into the corner for a change. Parker gets Meng outside for a chat, with the advice seemingly being “beat him up some more”, with Meng striking away in the corner.

Sting gets knocked out to the floor and sent into the barricade, followed by a sitout powerbomb for two back inside. The nerve hold goes on for a bit before Meng blocks a sunset flip by simply kicking Sting in the head. That means another nerve hold, which brings Sting up for a comeback. That’s cut off as well, with Meng hitting a middle rope headbutt for two.

Some running clotheslines put Meng down and the hair grab bulldog does it again. A Cactus Clothesline sends them outside, with Sting going after Parker. The angered Meng misses a charge into the post and it’s the Scorpion Deathlock back inside. Meng breaks it up so Sting goes up top for a clothesline. One heck of a top rope splash gives Sting two and a jumping DDT (never seen him use that before) finishes Meng for the title at 13:36.

Rating: B-. This was, again, the exact kind of match that Meng specialized in and probably his most high profile singles match ever. While it would have made more sense as a semifinal before Sting could face a bigger name, it was Sting surviving against a monster and coming from behind to win. It might not have been Vader but it was the Vader formula and that worked well.

From Monday Nitro, February 24, 1997.

Faces Of Fear vs. Eddie Guerrero/Chris Jericho

That would be Meng/Barbarian again (with Jimmy Hart (wearing a Jimmy Hart tie)), as they’re kind of a natural pairing. Barbarian chokes Jericho into the corner to start but misses the Kick Of Fear (big boot). Jericho kicks the knee out and brings in Guerrero, who is launched into the air for a nasty looking crash back down. Meng (who is looking a good bit bigger) comes in and gets taken down with a headscissors.

A double backdrop puts Meng down and Jericho hits a backsplash for two. That’s fine with Meng, who belly to back suplexes Jericho silly, allowing Barbarian to hit a release overhead belly to belly. Jericho hits a spinning high crossbody to put Meng down and we hit the choking. Meng backdrops Jericho into Barbarian’s powerbomb (that always looked great) for two more and the beating continues.

Jericho finally gets in a poisonrana and it’s back to Guerrero to pick up the pace. A pop up dropkick hits Barbarian and a double suplex puts him down again. Jericho tries a Lionsault but gets pulled outside. That leaves Guerrero to go up top but cue Dean Malenko to shove him into Barbarian’s big boot for the pin at 7:42 (a big deal as Guerrero is US Champion).

Rating: B. I for one am shocked that Guerrero and Jericho could get together and have a good match against a regular team. The Faces Of Fear were a great choice for a pair of monsters, which is why they were put in this spot in both major promotions. It worked well here and while the opponents helped, those power moves were rather awesome.

From Monday Nitro, March 15, 1999.

Meng vs. Jerry Flynn

Meng jumps him to start but misses a charge into the corner. Flynn strikes away and a clothesline…just makes Meng mad. A powerslam puts Flynn down but he grabs a quickly broken ankle lock (Meng grabbing the ropes doesn’t feel right). Back up and Meng knocks him down again but Flynn pulls on a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up as well and they strike it out again, with Flynn hitting a Thesz press of all things. The spinning kick misses for Flynn though and the Tongan Death Grip finishes for Meng at 4:10.

Rating: C+. As usual, I was disappointed when I read the name wrong as Flynn is…I have no idea why he was around so often. This was more about Meng being the big bulldozer kind of unstoppable monster and it fit him rather well. Having him shrug off everything else and win with the Tongan Death Grip was fine, but it just wasn’t that thrilling of a match.

From Sin.

Hardcore Title: Meng vs. Crowbar vs. Terry Funk

Funk is defending. We’re joined in progress (I think) with Funk knocking Crowbar through the backstage hallways and into the women’s room (of course). Funk hits him with every stall door and Daffney screams a lot, only for Meng to pop up and wreck Funk with a trashcan. They go back into the arena, where Funk and Crowbar get smart and double team Meng.

They take turns ramming each other into a metal door until a bunch of tables are knocked onto Meng. Funk throws a chair at Crowbar’s head and gets blasted with a fire extinguisher. Crowbar rams him into a table and climbs a balcony to legdrop him through said table. Meng is back with trashcan shots so Crowbar bails up to the stage. A chop off goes badly for Crowbar, who gets knocked down the ramp, only for Funk to blast Meng in the back with a shovel.

Funk sets up a piece of barricade on the regular barricade and then hits Meng with the shovel again. Funk slams Crowbar through the barricade but Crowbar is right back up to Pillmanize Funk’s legs. A running dropkick takes out Funk’s leg and Crowbar puts on a Figure Four, even with Meng hammering on him at the time. Meng goes up top with a splash to Crowbar for the save, followed by a piledriver.

Funk makes the save (that can’t be smart), earning himself a middle rope splash from Meng. Crowbar makes the save and he and Funk unload on Meng with chair shots to FINALLY put him down for two. A DDT puts Meng down again and Crowbar chairs Funk in the head. Meng knocks Crowbar silly and Tongan Death Grips Funk for the win at 11:24.

Rating: B-. The point here was “Meng is an unstoppable monster and can’t be hurt”, with the other two there to be all over the top and insane. It worked, as usual, as this was kind of the final evolution of Meng. He had a reputation of being the toughest wrestler ever and then he was turned into an even more unstoppable monster. It would take something special to screws him up and…yeah of course WCW managed to do so.

How? Well just after this he would jump back to the WWF, with the title, because why make sure you have an active champion under contract?

Overall Rating: B-. Haku is not someone who was going to have all kinds of classic matches or memorable moments or all that jazz. He was never a main eventer or really anything more than a midcard monster. What he was though is a great example of a role player. You know EXACTLY what you’re getting with Meng and he does that kind of work very, very well. That was on full display here, as he mainly stayed around the same area of the card (save for the hardcore stuff) and was incredibly consistent. That’s a hard thing to find in wrestling and Haku did it rather well.

 

 

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

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




NXT – April 28, 2026: Nice To Meet You And You And You And You

NXT
Date: April 28, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re in a big period of transition around here as a bunch of stars have either been released or promoted up to the main roster. That’s going to require a lot of switching around and there is a chance that some stars will be moved over to NXT on a regular basis. Either way, they’re going to need the help so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a Revenge recap, featuring a bunch of stars who are now gone.

The bosses (Shawn Michaels, Robert Stone and Matt Bloom) go over the stars who have left, with Stone saying we need some fresh names involved. Michaels says this is what NXT does and Stone is told he can take his time and pick someone….or throw a stick of dynamite in the locker room and see what happens. Stone gets the idea.

North American Title: Saquon Shugars vs. Myles Borne

Shugars, with the rest of Darkstate, is challenging. We get the Big Match Intros and Shugars sends him into the corner. Borne is back up with a release suplex and Shugars bails to the floor, where Borne hits a big running flip dive. Back in and they fight over a backslide, with Shugars flipping him over onto the top rope. Borne gets pulled throat first into the turnbuckle (which has been exposed), followed by a dropkick through the ropes.

We take a break and come back with Shugars dropping a leg and grabbing a chinlock. That’s broken up and Shugars kicks him in the back before taking him up top. The belly to back superplex is reversed into a crossbody to give Borne two and they get back up. Borne gets two off a backslide, plus an Eye Of The Hurricane for the same. Darkstate gets on the apron so Lennox grabs a chair, but Shugars waves him off, saying he wants to win. Borne sends them into each other and a slingshot Borne Again retains the title at 10:02.

Rating: B-. Darkstate’s days seem to be numbered and that’s a good thing, as there doesn’t seem to be much to them these days. Shugars got to have a good match here before dealing with the Borne stuff in the end. At the same time, Borne gets to beat Darkstate in back to back weeks, which is a nice way to make him look like a star.

Post match Borne celebrates but Tristan Angels (from Evolve) pops up in the crowd to say he’ll be around more often. Cue Kam Hendrix (also from Evolve) to jump Borne and lay him out.

Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair are in the back, talking about all of the incoming talents. Kelani Jordan come in to say she’s not impressed and gets mocked for her recent losses. Jordan says Grey is going to turn on Sinclair, with Sinclair issuing the challenge for tonight.

Video on Tony D’Angelo.

Here is Tony D’Angelo for a chat. He says he has been the constant around here and no one on the roster is touch enough to take the title from him. That includes whomever sent him that box last week. You have people from all over jumping stars, Europeans stepping up and Keanu Carver staring him down. He knows the box was a warning…and the lights go out.

It’s…a guy in a rather big robe with his face covered. He gets in the ring and the fans seem to think he’s (very nice, very) EVIL. The man hands him a rolled up something (appears to be a shirt) and unmasks as Evil (the former IWGP World Champion, rumored to have signed with WWE). D’Angelo unwraps the shirt, which has the same symbol as the box from last week. The unnamed Evil leaves and cue Tavion Heights to suplex D’Angelo. An unnamed (looked to be Progress’ Will Kroos) man runs in to moonsault D’Angelo.

Shiloh Hill and Tatum Paxley bury Blake Monroe, apparently ignoring that she’s due to debut on Smackdown? Paxley talks about her issues with attachments and Hill says he’s set up a simulation to find out how Ricky Saints does his moves. They seem to get along well, but he needs to go get ready. She’s going to enjoy the scenery. In the graveyard.

Here is Birthright, who show a clip of the team attacking Dorian Van Dux. Apparently he can’t be in their scheduled match, so here is EK Prosper (Van Dux’s partner) to run in on his own. That earns him a beatdown but Sean Legacy runs in for the save.

Birthright vs. Sean Legacy/EK Prosper

They start fast with Legacy kicking Connors in the back for two and it’s off to Prosper for a double dropkick. A cheap shot knocks Prosper to the floor though and Birthright hit dives as we take a break. We come back with Legacy fighting out of trouble and hitting a reverse implant sitout DDT. It’s back to Prosper as everything breaks down. Connors hits a Swanton but it’s Legacy coming back in to hit Shambles for the pin at 9:24.

Rating: B-. Another nice match here, with Legacy actually managing to get a pin for a change. I’m hoping Van Dux isn’t seriously hurt though, as I was digging what I had seen from him thus far. The same is true for Prosper, who is quite the athlete, though I’m not overly sold on Legacy. As for Birthright…well you pretty much know what you’re getting with them.

Post match the beatdown is on again but Evolve’s Tate Wilder (he’s a cowboy) runs in for the save. Wilder tries a shooting star off the apron but lands on his feet and has to settle for a double clothesline.

Jaida Parker and a bunch of the other women talk about the incoming women when Kali Armstrong comes in to say they’re all scared. She’s the difference maker around here and if that starts with Parker, so be it. Parker is not taking that sitting down and they’re held apart.

Shawn Michaels announces that the NXT Premium Live Events will be airing on the CW, starting this summer.

We look at Izzi Dame taking out Lola Vice last week.

Robert Stone welcomes Tate Wilder to NXT. Lola Vice pops in to say she’s going to call out Izzi dame.

Here is Vice in the ring and she gets straight to the point by calling out Izzi Dame. Shawn Spears pops up on the screen for a distraction as the Culling appears behind Vice. She says they got her…and Mr. Iguana (her partner in AAA) pops up for the save.

Saquon Shugars and Dion Lennox are arguing again but are calmed down with talk of getting the Tag Team Titles.

Lizzy Rain vs. Nikkita Lyons

Rain is here to make sure that heavy metal never dies. Before the match, Lyons says Rain is too loud so it’s time to quiet her down. Lyons shoves her down to start but Rain is back up with a springboard elbow. Back up and Lyons kicks her in the head, followed by some forearms. The splits splash connects and Lyons grabs a cobra clutch. Rain fights up and makes the clothesline comeback, followed by a cutter. Lyons is sent into the corner for the chops (fans: “MAKE IT RAIN!”) and a pop up kick to the head (Thunderstruck) finishes for Rain at 4:20.

Rating: C. Oh…yeah I’m not sure about Rain. Thunderstruck is a great name for a finisher but the whole Heavy Metal thing feels like a weird blast from the past and not in a good way. Maybe she’ll have it tweaked a bit, but this wasn’t the best debut. Then again it’s not like Lyons has anything going for her either.

Tavion Heights comes up to Myles Borne, who wants to know what was up with Heights attacking Tony D’Angelo. That’s not the Heights he knows, but Heights asks how it’s different than Borne attacking Ethan Page. Borne backs off a bit and talks about the stars who are coming in. Heights says you can add his name to the dangerous ones. Heights leaves and Keanu Carver comes in to say there are a lot of sharks around here, but he’s the Great White.

The Vanity Project talk about how things are changing around here and Jackson Drake says he feels like he’s on top of the world thanks to Micah (the woman he met last week). Jasper Troy isn’t impressed and wants a match next week.

Wren Sinclair vs. Kelani Jordan

Non-title and Kendal Grey is here with Sinclair. They go to the mat to start with Sinclair grabbing an early leglock. Jordan has to nip her way out of a headscissors, only to get pulled into a headlock. Back up and Sinclair runs her over again, with Jordan heading into the corner. Sinclair misses a charge and gets tied in the ropes, where she avoids a springboard legdrop. Sinclair’s dropkick off the apron connects but Sinclair comes up favoring her knee.

We take a break and come back with Jordan working on the bad leg but Sinclair rolls her up for two. Sinclair fires off some rather loud chops and another rollup gets another two. Jordan is sent to the apron, where she comes back with a spinning springboard cutter. A frog splash hits raised knees though and the Final Wrench goes on, only for Sinclair’s knee to give out. Jordan puts her down and hits One Of A Kind for the pin at 10:58.

Rating: B-. This was a pretty standard story and it worked well, with Jordan working on Sinclair’s bad knee to set up her usual stuff for the ending. Sinclair was doing everything she needed to in there and it made for a good match. Jordan isn’t the most interesting star, but she’s a heck of an athlete and has the in-ring side of things well in hand.

Video on Zaria, who has ended Sol Ruca once and for all. Now she is ready to destroy everything in her way.

Video on Ricky Saints vs. Shiloh Hill.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Shiloh Hill vs. Ricky Saints

Saints jumps him from behind to start and chokes in the corner, followed by some stomping as well. Hill ducks an enziguri though and drapes him over the top to hammer away. Saints 619s him from the apron and Hill bails underneath the ring. He gets pulled out by the boot…and it’s a dummy, allowing Hill to get in a flip dive off the steps. Hill dances with the dummy (who wears a hockey mask) and we take a break.

We come back with Saints hitting a tornado DDT for two and mocking Hill. Back up and another tornado DDT is countered into a tilt-a-whirl slam but Saints pulls him into a choke. With that broken up, Saints spears him down for two and it’s time to slug it out. Hill gets the better of things and goes up but Saints kicks the referee into the ropes for the crotching.

Something like a super Jackhammer gives Saints two so he slaps the tooth out of Hill’s mouth. That just wakes Hill up so he crotches Saints down to break up the dancing Old School. Saints is knocked to the floor, where he hits a Roshambo…and goes after a chair. The referee takes that away and Hill sends him into the chair. Whisper To The Beast finishes for Hill at 12:05.

Rating: B. That’s easily the biggest win of Hill’s career and it might be the kind of step up to the next level. I’m not sure he’s ready to be a main eventer, but at least he got a win over a former NXT Champion. That’s what they need around here and it’s certainly better than nothing. Sure Saints has already been announced for Smackdown but still.

Post match Hill, with the dummy, celebrates in the crowd.

Tony D’Angelo goes to see the bosses and says he loves the chaos. Shawn Michaels says it’s time for him to prove it. Hill: “LET’S F****** GO!” I was expecting a big debut to end the show but this week was already packed.

Overall Rating: C+. Oh boy this was something else. They had A LOT of rebuilding to do and in this case they seemed to want to do it all in one night. That only works so well, but they seemed to be going with the theory of “get people on the show so fast and figure the rest out later”. That’s certainly an idea, but it’s only so interesting of a way to go for two hours. We’re absolutely resetting things around here again and as Michaels said, that’s kind of how this place works. We just need to see where it goes from here, though it was quite the all over the place start.

Results
Myles Borne b. Saquon Shugars – Slingshot Borne Again
Sean Legacy/EK Prosper b. Birthright – Shambles to Stacks
Lizzy Rain b. Nikkita Lyons – Thunderstruck
Kelani Jordan b. Wren Sinclair – One Of A Kind
Shiloh Hill b. Ricky Saints – Whisper To The Beast

 

 

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

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