Ring Of Honor
Date: March 12, 2026
Location: WJCT Studios, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re onto the second week in the studio this time and hopefully the show has a bit more of a chance to breathe this week. If nothing else, there are some titles on the line this time, with the Pure and Tag Team Titles being defended. There are also some Proving Ground matches, which I guess count for something. Let’s get to it.

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

Deonna Purrazzo talks about Athena trying to teach her a lesson and it hasn’t worked. She’s ready to face Billie Starkz next week in pure rules (implying the title is on the line) but tonight, Athena needs to worry about Maya World.

Athena vs. Maya World

Non-title Proving Ground match. Athena knocks her hard into the corner and shouts a lot but World gets in a spinning kick to the ribs. They head outside where World kicks her in the face but Athena fires off some kicks of her own back inside (nice mirroring of the counters there). World shrugs off some choking and fires off the forearms, only to get clotheslined out to the floor.

The ensuing dive connects for Athena, who drops her off the steps. Back in and the cravate goes on, followed by a chinlock, which is reversed into a rollup for two. Some rollups give World two so Athena hits her in the face as we have two minutes left. The O Face is broken up and World hits a spinning Falcon Arrow for two more. We have less than thirty seconds to go and World gives her a faceplant for two as time expires at 10:00.

Rating: B-. Well, at least Athena is going to have to defend the belt, which hasn’t been done since December. World might not seem like the biggest threat to the title but she’s certainly better than having no challenger. They had a good match here and the time flew by, mainly due to how well they pulled me into things. Nice job.

Women’s TV Title: Hyan vs. Red Velvet

Velvet is defending and they go to the grappling to start. A pump kick drops Velvet for two but she’s right back with a boot of her own for two of the same. Some rollups give Velvet two but she gets knocked into the corner for a running knee. Hyan’s Falcon Arrow gets two so she tries a tiger suplex, which is countered into a rollup to give Velvet two more. That’s enough for Velvet as she nails a spinning kick to the head to retain at 5:11.

Rating: C+. That kick looked great as Velvet absolutely blasted her. Hyan and Maya World seem to be the fresh blood in the division and that is not a bad thing at all as it could certainly use the help. At the same time, Velvet has been doing rather well lately and deserves a lot of credit for her rapid improvement.

Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Aaron Solo/Nick Comoroto/QT Marshall

Non-title Proving Ground match because these titles just aren’t defended these days. The champs jump them to start but Bravo gets caught in the corner for some running shots. Solo gets tripped from the floor though and a shot to the back of the head has him down on the apron. The Promotions get to pose a bit and it’s back to Bravo for a springboard Vader Bomb.

Bravo starts stomping on the ankle and Bronco Buster gets two. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a slingshot spear to keep Solo in trouble. Something like a Demolition Decapitator gets two more but Solo is back with that always stupid looking counter where someone DDTs their own partner, allowing the tag off to Marshall.

Everything breaks down and the Promotions mock Big Boom AJ (there’s a Revolution Zero Hour match), only to get caught with a springboard double Stunner. Taylor and Comoroto come in for the big man trade of shoulders before they knock down the other four with clotheslines. Comoroto slams Taylor for two and a double clothesline drops Bravo and Dean as we’re already past the ten minute time limit but oh well. Taylor punches Comoroto down and the double stomp finishes at 10:47.

Rating: C. I mean, the titles mean nothing so why bother keeping track of the time either? It’s not like they were calling the time or anything, so this was basically just a six man tag, which makes me wonder why they didn’t bother just making it a title match. The match was a long stretch of heat on Solo until Comoroto come in to do his big brawl with Taylor. Either way, it’s just more proof that these titles do not need to exist as Ring Of Honor can’t even bother following their own internal rules for finding challengers. Oh and thank goodness they let Comoroto look like a monster and then pin him when Solo was available.

Tag Team Titles: La Faccion Ingobernable vs. ???

La Faccion is defending in an open challenge (because winning tag matches around here means nothing) against any former Tag Team Champions. In this case that would be….the Colons, who were champions in WWE a cool thirteen years ago. Mortos, in his torn up suit, hands it off to Guevara to start with Eddie, but we’ll bring Mortos back in. Eddie gets tired of waiting and rolls Mortos up for two, followed by a double dropkick.

Orlando gets knocked down as we talk about the history of wrestling in Puerto Rico. Guevara doesn’t want to tag in so the champions go to the floor, where it’s a double dive to take them down. Back in and Mortos takes over on Orlando, with Guevara now willing to come in for a delayed suplex.

Orlando gets sent into the corner but manages a reversal, with Guevara accidentally powerslamming Mortos. Guevara is fine enough to hit a middle rope cutter for two on Orlando but the GTH is countered into a Downward Spiral for two. Eddie comes back in to clean house until he gets crotched on top. Mortos’ pop up Samoan drop finishes at 8:11.

Rating: C. The only thing that came into my mind here was how little Ring Of Honor seems to care about these titles. Since the start of 2025, they’ve been defended eight times total, often in random one off matches like this one. I have no idea why that is the best way to go, but at least we got the Colons. No not the biggest star in Carlito, but those other two! What a big deal!

Premiere Athletes vs. Angelica Risk/Mark Davidson/Parker Li

Davidson and Daivari trade wristlocks to start and it’s off to Denali, with Davidson crossing himself in fear. Denali drops Risk face first onto the turnbuckle and it’s off to Nese, who strikes away at Li. Everything breaks down and Denali chokeslams Risk for the pin at 2:30.

Jay Lethal and the Swirl want the World Title.

Scorpio Sky vs. Bryan Keith

Feeling out process to start with Sky taking him down for a stomp onto the arm. The armbar goes on for a bit until Sky switches over to the leg. Back up and Sky is knocked outside before being chopped down on the apron. Keith suplexes him for two before chopping Sky out to the floor again. Sky is able to come back with some running shots to the face, followed by a sitout powerbomb for two. Back up and Keith scores with a running headbutt, only to walk into a TKO for the pin at 9:35.

Rating: C+. This was in fact a wrestling match between two middle of the road stars. They’re both talented stars but neither of them are doing a single thing right now. Thankfully we didn’t hear about how this could put one of them into title contention because, well….well because it’s Ring Of Honor.

Post match Big Bill and the Grizzled Young Veterans run in to lay out Sky and Christopher Daniels.

Nick Wayne is defending the TV Title against Komander next week. Well that’s nice of him.

We look at Lee Moriarty retaining the Pure Title over Josh Woods back in September. This sets up the rematch, because it’s not like there is anyone else to come after the title.

Pure Title: Josh Woods vs. Lee Moriarty

Moriarty is defending. They go with the grappling to start and Moriarty grabs a headscissors. Woods reverses into a headlock before rolling some German suplexes. That’s enough for Moriarty to go to the ropes for his first break so Woods grabs an ankle twist. Woods slams the knee into the mat and Moriarty has to use his second rope break. Moriarty starts working on the hand, with an armbar sending Woods over to the ropes for his first break.

A reverse Koji Clutch goes on, with Woods using another break to even things up. Back up and they trade forearms and big boots for a double down. Moriarty gets sent to the apron so he comes back in with a springboard forearm. The Border City Stretch makes Woods use his third rope break so Woods is back with a running knee. A one knee Codebreaker gets two and an armbar makes Moriarty use his last break. Moriarty comes back with a leg lariat for the pin at 11:19, with Woods’ grab of the rope meaning nothing.

Rating: B-. It was fine, as is often the case with everything Moriarty does. At the same time, it’s another match that went pretty much the same way as every Moriarty match. It doesn’t help that the process for getting a title shot seems to be “win a Pure Rules match” and that’s about all. Moriarty has held the title for the better part of ever anyway and this was just another successful defense.

Overall Rating: C. This was another good example of what’s wrong with Ring Of Honor, as outside of a few things, it feels like a lot of the show is thrown together. Title matches are thrown out almost at random and you have things like the Proving Ground match going too long and it just being a thing that happened. The wrestling is fine but there is almost no reason to pay attention to anything around here because if Ring Of Honor doesn’t care, there’s no reason for fans to care.

Results
Athena vs. Maya World went to a time limit draw
Red Velvet b. Hyan – Spinning kick to the head
Shane Taylor Promotions b. Nick Comoroto/QT Marshall/Aaron Solo – Double stomp to Comoroto
La Faccion Ingobernable b. Colons – Pop up Samoan drop to Eddie
Premiere Athletes b. Angelica Risk/Mark Davidson/Parker Li – Chokeslam to Risk
Scorpio Sky b. Bryan Keith – TKO
Lee Moriarty b. Josh Woods – Leg lariat

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

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Dynamite
Date: March 11, 2026
Location: San Jose Civic, San Jose, California
Commentators: Bryan Danielson, Ian Riccaboni, Tony Schiavone

It’s the last Dynamite before Revolution and the big story this week is a press conference of all things. That means we’ll be hearing from Hangman Page and MJF, likely with a bunch of guest stars asking questions. That’s not the most thrilling idea so hopefully they have something strong for the rest of the show. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

We run down the card.

IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Death Riders vs. Don Callis Family

Castagnoli and Hechicero start things off with Hechicero taking him to the mat for some grappling. They trade rollups for two each and get up for a standoff, with Castagnoli looking annoyed (though that might just be his basic look). Hechicero takes him down by the leg and it’s off to Moxley vs. Takeshita. An exchange of shoulders lets Moxley bring Takeshita into the corner for the tag to Castagnoli. Takeshita manages to knock him down, only to get taken back into the corner. Hechicero comes back in with a hurricanrana driver and we take a break.

We come back with Hechicero pulling himself up but having to go to the ropes to escape the Swing. Moxley comes in and gets taken down by the leg, leaving Castagnoli to get caught with a high crossbody. Takeshita comes back in to clotheslines Castagnoli to the floor and break Moxley’s sleeper. Moxley and Takeshita trade big shots to the face until Moxley clotheslines him into something like a reverse Koji Clutch. Takeshita gets into the ropes and nails Moxley with a running knee to the face to leave both of them down.

Hechicero comes back in to take over on Castagnoli’s limbs but gets shoved outside. Castagnoli hits a running seated senton off the apron but Hechicero ties up the legs for a rollup back inside. Moxley makes the save and Castagnoli Swings Hechicero, who is right back with a fireman’s carry faceplant. The referee almost gets bumped in the corner, allowing Castagnoli to go to the eyes. A small package gives Castagnoli the pin at 14:04.

Rating: B-. Nice enough opener here, but this was more about the preview of Moxley vs. Takeshita than anything else. At the same time, it’s nice to see Castagnoli getting a pin, as he has been the designated loser for so long. It isn’t like Hechicero is going to be hurt by a loss of her own, as he can easily rebuild himself with another crazy showcase.

Post match the Family runs in for the beatdown but Takeshita won’t use a chair on Moxley. The team isn’t happy with him but leave, with Takeshita signaling that he wants the title without attacking Moxley again.

Persephone and Willow Nightingale, who are facing off tonight, compare how hard they hit Mercedes Mone.

Don Callis fires up Kyle Fletcher before he faces Mike Bailey. MJF comes in and wants Fletcher to beat Bailey up, but Fletcher says he’s doing it for himself.

IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

TNT Title: Kyle Fletcher vs. Mike Bailey

Fletcher is defending and Don Callis is on commentary. Bailey grabs an early hurricanrana but they’re quickly on the floor where Fletcher kicks him down. That’s fine with Bailey, who pulls him into an armbar but has to let it go to break the count. Back in and Fletcher stomps him down in the corner, followed by a spinning belly to back suplex for two. Bailey kicks at the arm again and snaps off another running hurricanrana, followed by more kicks.

The running shooting star press gets two but Fletcher grabs a snapdragon. They trade kicks to the face for a double down before going to the apron. That means Bailey can flip into a poisonrana to send Fletcher outside as we take a break. We come back with Bailey knocking him down on the floor again, followed by a middle rope moonsault. Fletcher gets back in and slides back outside, where Bailey catches him with a corkscrew springboard moonsault.

Back in and Fletcher lawn darts him into the buckle but Bailey manages some kind of a choke. The moonsault knees to the shoulder set up a triangle choke on Fletcher, who lifts him up for a sitout powerbomb. They go outside again, with Bailey managing some more moonsault knees. Bailey snaps the arm across the top rope, followed by the super poisonrana.

The Tornado Kick gets two so Bailey kicks him in the face again, only to charge into a Michinoku Driver for two. Another spinning kick in the corner connects but the Ultimate Weapon misses so Bailey kicks him in the head again. Cue Kazuchika Okada for a distraction and Mark Davis hands Fletcher the belt. A big shot to the head and a brainbuster retain the title at 18:31.

Rating: B. That ending brought it down a good bit as they were having a heck of a match but then it’s just “and here’s the interference”. In theory the idea is to protect Bailey, but he shouldn’t be able to win the title from Fletcher anyway. These two work well together, though they needed a better ending.

Brody King vs. ???

Ganso Bomb in 18 seconds.

Post match King walks around the ring but gets choked by Swerve Strickland (in the crowd) with a chain. King breaks the chain though and Swerve has a great “….uh oh” face. The Cannonball sets up the choke from the apron but Prince Nana comes in for the distraction so Swerve can get out.

Mike Bailey is ready to win the Trios Titles and is looking forward rather than backward.

Orange Cassidy/Darby Allin vs. The Dogs

Finlay and Cassidy start things off but it’s off to Kidd, who crawls around on all fours and then knocks Allin off the apron. Everything quickly breaks down and Cassidy dropkicks Finlay into the steps. Not to be outdone, Allin dropkicks Kidd into the barricade but Finlay is back in with a toss suplex to Cassidy.

We take a break and come back with Cassidy’s lazy chops not exactly getting him out of trouble. The tornado DDT to Kidd works a bit better and Cassidy sends them both into the corner. Allin comes in to clean house, including the running shoulders in the corner. Kidd gets caught in the Scorpion Deathlock so Finlay goes to the eyes for a break.

A Stundog Millionaire into a Code Red has Kidd down and Cassidy dives onto Finlay. Kidd is sat in the chair for Allin’s missile dropkick but here is Clark Connors to deck Cassidy with a tire iron. Back in and Coffin Drop is countered into a choke, which doesn’t last long. Finlay hits a Dominator though and Kidd’s piledriver finishes at 12:02.

Rating: B. This was a hard hitting tag match and thankfully the Dogs won, as they should have last time. They’re still a new team and need to establish themselves a bit more, so beating something of an AEW dream team is a good idea. Allin and Cassidy will need a third man to fight back and that opens a few doors.

Post match Connors comes in to help with the beatdown but Roderick Strong walks down. He teases helping the Dogs but then makes the save and the good guys stand tall.

IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

TBS Title: Persephone vs. Willow Nightingale

Only Nightingale is defending and grinds away at a headlock to start. Neither of them can get a backslide so Persephone grabs a running hurricanrana. Back up and Nightingale fires off the clotheslines in the corner, followed by a basement crossbody for two. Persephone actually catches her though and it’s a fall away slam to put Nightingale down as we take a break.

We come back with the two of them heading outside, with Nightingale hitting a big spinebuster. Nightingale connects with a cannonball off the apron and then adds another in the corner for two back inside. A moonsault misses though and Persephone German suplexes her down. Persephone’s Lionsault gets two but Nightingale catches head up top. That’s escaped as well so Persephone tries a Razor’s Edge, only to be reversed into a backslide to retain the title at 12:13.

Rating: B. Persephone continues to be quite the star and it’s a shame that she’s wasted on Ring Of Honor so often. At the same time you have Nightingale, who was able to hang with her rather nicely here. That made for a good match, though again, I could go for less titles floating around. There were three belts between these two and that was all I could focus on during their interview earlier. Just…don’t have so many.

We recap Tommaso Ciampa joining FTR to jump Mark Briscoe, who is getting the Young Bucks to help him.

Willow Nightingale wants to defend the Tag Team Titles against Megan Bayne and Lena Kross. Oh and Kross can get a TBS Title shot on Zero Hour too. There’s your case of “this is how to make a show long when it really doesn’t need to be.”

Mark Briscoe/Young Bucks vs. FTR/Tommaso Ciampa

Stokely Hathaway is here as well. The brawl starts fast on the floor with Briscoe almost sending Ciampa through a table, with Harwood breaking it up. The PowerPlex puts Briscoe down and Nick makes the save. Nick escapes a double suplex from FTR and the Bucks get to come in and clean house. The superkicks have FTR down until Ciampa makes a save of his own. Harwood is catapulted into Wheeler so Briscoe and Ciampa get to trade clotheslines until we take a break.

We come back with Briscoe and Harwood chopping it out on the floor. Briscoe hits a Blockbuster off the barricade to take Ciampa down, followed by the step up flip dive onto the villains. Back in and Mark and Nick hit Redneck Boogie for two on Harwood, who clotheslines his way out of trouble.

Believe it or not, the Bucks are up with superkicks and a top rope elbow hits Ciampa. The Froggy Boy gets two with Harwood making the save and it’s a quick Shatter Machine to put Briscoe down. Matt gets hit with a monitor and spike piledriven onto the announcers’ table. Back in and the Jay Driller is blocked, with Ciampa hitting the running knee to pin Briscoe at 12:53.

Rating: B. Another wild and entertaining match, with Ciampa getting a win to keep him looking strong. I’m not sure what he is going to be doing next, though he is already set for the battle royal on the Kickoff Show. Other than that, it was a preview of FTR vs. the Bucks, which you should know about already given their history.

Post match Ciampa beats on Briscoe again, including a super Air Raid Crash through some open chairs.

We get a video on MJF vs. Hangman Page, looking back at their history on the way to Revolution.

It’s time for a press conference with Page and MJF, as emceed by Bryan Danielson. Page is asked if this is about the title or revenge, with Page saying it’s only about the title. MJF wants fans to realize that he is a real wrestler and is having to lower himself to this. He knows Page is out of bullets and will win at Revolution. Page is asked about his history in Texas Deathmatches specifically in California and he promises to win.

Finally, Page is asked who he is if he loses and can’t challenge for the title again. That doesn’t matter as Page says he’ll win. MJF gets some beers out and toasts Page, triggering the brawl that goes into the arena. Security is taken out so Page pulls out a barbed wire board but can’t hit the Deadeye. MJF bails to end the show. The brawl was fine but the press conference deal was a terrible waste of time as they pretty much had nothing to say and were asked dumb questions.

Overall Rating: B+. The wrestling was really good, but the ending was just a big misfire and that hurt things a bit. The pay per view is certainly feeling important, which might be due to how many matches are included. At the very least, Page vs. MJF feels big, though I’m not sure I can imagine MJF losing the title back so soon. At least they had a pretty great final Dynamite though and hopefully they can follow that up this weekend with the really important show.

Results
Death Riders b. Don Callis Family – Small package to Hechicero
Kyle Fletcher b. Mike Bailey – Brainbuster
Brody King b. ??? – Ganso Bomb
The Dogs b. Orange Cassidy/Darby Allin – Piledriver to Allin
Willow Nightingale b. Persephone – Backslide
FTR/Tommaso Ciampa b. Young Bucks/Mark Briscoe – Running knee to Briscoe

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

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Evolve
Date: March 11, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Peter Rosenberg

We’re back to the regular shows after a pair of special editions, but the big stuff is not over. In this case there is some kind of a major announcement, which could be a few different things. Hopefully it lives up to the hype, though there isn’t much of a history of big announcements around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Robert Stone to announce the new Evolve General Manager: Timothy Thatcher. That makes sense, as he has enough credibility and can wrestle if he has to. Thatcher, in what passes for dressing up for him, is thankful but says he’s not a General Manager. Evolve is more like a worksite, so he’s the FOREMAN!

Stone gets to the point: the two Evolve champions are full time NXT stars, so Thatcher says they have to earn their way out. Both of them are going to have one more title defense, called their Final Evolution. If they win, they can vacate the title and leave as champion, but if not, we have a new standard bearer. Tonight, Kendal Grey can defend against Tyra Mae Steele, and next week, Jackson Drake can defend against….and here is Harlem Lewis to say he wants the shot. Thatcher shuts that down immediately, saying he has a match for Lewis right now.

Kendal Grey monologues about leaving Evolve and this will always be her first home. Tonight is different though and she’s staying on top. She’s ready to move on to NXT with momentum. I’m more curious about why all of the labels on the lockers were covered up here.

Harlem Lewis vs. Sam Holloway

Lewis charges at him but gets knocked down, only to put Holloway on the floor. Some hard shots stagger Holloway, who picks Lewis up and launches him at the post. Back in and Holloway’s springboard elbow gets two, followed by a shotgun dropkick for the same. The double arm crank goes on but Lewis is right back out. A middle rope elbow hits a standing Holloway’s back and Holloway misses a splash in the corner. Holloway’s spinning Rock Bottom gets two but a chokeslam is countered with a jumping knee to the face. The Boom Slang finishes for Lewis at 5:52.

Rating: C+. Lewis continues his roll and Holloway continues to look like quite the power brawler. This was two big guys beating each other up until Lewis got the win, which worked rather well for both of them. Lewis almost has to get the title match next week, as there aren’t many other options out there.

Luca Crusifino is now rather smiley and seems obsessed with dance music. He even has a bunch of friendship bracelets and talks about “vibing on the frequency of friendship and fun.” That’s…different and that’s as positive as I can be.

Tyra Mae Steele is rather excited about her title shot because she’s a different kind of amateur wrestler. She’s ready to have her name etched in the history books as the next Evolve Women’s Champion. Steele still isn’t great at this talking thing, but she’s trying.

Harley Riggins vs. Trill London

Kam Hendrix is here with Riggins and we’re told that Tate Wilder, who is not medically cleared, has been forced out of the building. London armdrags him down a few times and grabs an armbar. Riggins reverses into a wristlock of his own but gets wristdragged out to the floor. A dropkick through the ropes connects and a flip dive takes out Riggins and Hendrix. Back in and Riggins bounces him off the top rope, setting up a German suplex. London fights up and sweeps the leg, setting up some running flip dives to the back. Hendrix offers a distraction though and it’s a TKO to finish London at 3:38.

Rating: C. I love a good TKO so the finish looked great. Other than that though, this wasn’t the most thrilling match with London not getting to show much of his great athleticism. He feels like someone who they want to be a big prospect but it hasn’t happened just yet. At least Riggins and Hendrix get to stick together, which makes for a nice pairing.

Post match Hendrix and Riggins are happy with their win but Dante Chen comes out to say he doesn’t like what they’re doing. He respects the ID talent and seems to want a match.

Timothy Thatcher is blinded by a flashlight and is surprised by Aaron Rourke. He believes that opportunities are earned around here and the ID Program won the ten man tag. Rourke believes he’s earned a shot and represents the ID Program, so it’s time for him to stand up and get an opportunity. He wants the title shot to keep the title in Evolve, though Thatcher thinks Harlem Lewis makes a compelling argument. But his time can come, because Rourke gets the shot next week. I wasn’t betting on that one and it still works.

Women’s Title: Tyra Mae Steele vs. Kendal Grey

Grey is defending in her final match in Evolve. They go with amateur wrestling to start with Steele getting a waistlock. Back up and they fight over a hiptoss until settling for an armdrag out of the corner. Grey gets whipped hard into the corner and a belly to belly puts her down. A baseball slide puts Grey on the floor and we take a break.

We come back with Grey getting caught in something like an STF. Grey fights up but gets taken down with a gutwrench suplex and Steele does it again. Steele runs her over and puts on the reverse chinlock, which doesn’t last as long. Back up and another gutwrench suplex doesn’t work, setting up stereo crossbodies to leave both of them down.

Grey is up out of the corner with some elbows to the face and there’s a suplex. The straps come down and Grey goes up top, where she knocks Steele back down. Steele is right back with an Angle Slam for two and they both need a breather. They trade rollups for two each until Grey grabs a quick Shades Of Grey to retain at 12:16.

Rating: B-. This match had one of the best possible aspects, as I didn’t know who was going to win. I could have definitely seen Grey taking a loss to wrap up her time in Evolve and make Steele into an instant star. At the same time, it’s clear that WWE knows they have something special with Grey and they want to protect her. Good enough main event here, as Steele is slowly starting to put it together.

Post match Grey thanks the crowd and hands the title to Timothy Thatcher before leaving.

We get a long video on Grey to wrap it up.

Overall Rating: C+. The ending was the best part of the show, as Grey came off like a star, again. At the same time, Thatcher is an interesting choice for the new boss role and hopefully it works out long term. This was about setting up a new era of Evolve and also acknowledging that the point of this place is for people to move up. Grey and Drake both have to do it and that’s going to create some new openings, which is the entire point. That’s going to take some time, but they took the first steps here.

Results
Harlem Lewis b. Sam Holloway – Boom Slang
Harley Riggins b. Trill London – TKO
Kendal Grey b. Tyra Mae Steele – Shades Of Grey

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

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NXT
Date: March 10, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re done with Vengeance Day and that means we are on the way to Stand & Deliver. That is the biggest event of the year for NXT and it should be interesting to see what they have in store for the night. With less than a month to go, they need to start things in a hurry so let’s get to it.

Here is Vengeance Day if you need a recap.

Long Vengeance Day recap.

Here is Tatum Paxley, fresh off winning the Women’s North American Title, to get things going. For the longest time, she felt like she was doing everything wrong but she kept winding up alone. On Saturday, she won this title because of the people here. They made her want to keep going and now she has the confidence that she belongs here. She won the Women’s Title for the Culling but she won this for the people.

Cue Izzi Dame (Paxley: “Ugh GO AWAY!”) to interrupt and we see a highlight package of Paxley’s failures over the years. Dame calls Paxley painfully fake and a weirdo outcast because this is all just another mask. Eventually, that unlovable girl will come out again and Dame wants her title back. Cue the Culling for a distraction and Dame hits a powerbomb.

Ricky Saints and Ethan Page are upset over Vengeance Day, with Saints saying they’re both naked now. Page doesn’t like that visual but they’re ready to get a win in tonight’s tag match against Joe Hendry and Myles Borne. Then it’s off to Stand & Deliver to become two times champions.

Jasper Troy vs. Sean Legacy vs. Eli Knight

Troy starts fast by throwing them both around, including pulling Knight out of the air. A chokeslam drops Knight onto Legacy but Knight gets a boot up in the corner. Some superkicks stagger Troy though, with a double shot putting him on the floor. Cue Keanu Carver to chokeslam Troy through the announcers’ table and yell at Booker T. as we take a break.

We come back with Knight dropkicking Legacy to the floor for one heck of a dive. Back in and a step up moonsault gets two on Legacy, who is right back with a reverse sitout gordbuster for two of his own. Shambles is broken up but Legacy dropkicks Troy through the ropes. Troy gets back up to run the two of them over, including a chokeslam to Legacy. A double Samoan drop connects, though Troy’s ribs are banged up. Legacy has to make a save and Knight breaks up the Black Hole Slam. A 450 from Legacy into a heck of a moonsault from Knight means a double pin on Troy at 12:06.

Rating: B. This was a blast with pretty much nonstop action throughout. Troy felt like a monster who is on a collision course with Carver, which should be a heck of a hoss fight. At the same time, Knight looked like a star out there with those dives, which he made to look effortless. Legacy finally gets a win, though he can’t even get that on his own, which isn’t a great sign. Still though, really fun match here.

Booker is ticked at the result because that’s not how it works.

Tatum Paxley recruits Shiloh Hill to help her find the Culling. Hill grabs a lug wrench and we’re ready to go.

Lexis King and company don’t like that it has come to this, but Uriah Connors’ dad (Fit Finlay) made a call and “they’re on the way”.

IMG Credit: WWE

Lexis King/Uriah Connors vs. Charlie Dempsey/Tavion Heights

Stacks and Arianna Grace are here too. Connors and Dempsey go with the grappling to start with Connors flipping over him without much trouble. Dempsey takes him to the mat for a leglock and it’s off to Heights for a gutwrench suplex. A blind tag brings Dempsey back in for a running knee to King so Connors makes a surprise tag of his own to jump Dempsey.

That’s broken up and Heights is back in for the belly to belly, with King making the save this time. Everything breaks down and they all wind up on the floor…and here are Fit Finlay and William Regal to stare. That’s enough for Dempsey to suplex Heights on the floor and send him back inside for the Coronation and the pin at 4:39.

Rating: C+. This was a case where there might as well have been a big neon countdown clock to Dempsey turning on Heights as they all but guaranteed that would be happening when the match was made. That’s not a bad thing whatsoever, as it’s the logical path for the story to take. If nothing else, Regal and Finlay making a cameo makes the team feel a bit more legitimate, which they’ve been needing.

Post match Dempsey poses with the villains.

The Culling goes to leave but their car is on blocks, with Shiloh Hill walking away holding the lug wrench. He hands it to Robert Stone and the Culling is livid.

Here is Tony D’Angelo for a chat. When he returned to NXT, he said he had two missions and the first one ended at Vengeance Day, when he finished Darkstate. They are now what he was before: broken and searching for answers. D’Angelo has buried that version of himself and now it is time for him to win the NXT Title. He has no issues with Joe Hendry, but if he has to break Hendry’s face, so be it. This is personal, because Hendry has what D’Angelo wants. That’s the simplest way to go and this worked fine.

Sol Ruca and Lola Vice praise each other and want to face off for the NXT Title at Stand & Deliver.

Myles Borne asks Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey if they have seen Joe Hendry. They take him over to a refrigerator, where they say his name and find…a cake? Hendry pops up and says he and Borne need to talk strategy. Sinclair goes to leave and Grey….is using her hand to devour that cake.

IMG Credit: WWE

Sol Ruca vs. Lainey Reid

The rest of Fatal Influence is here with Reid. Ruca wrestles her down to the mat to start and works on the arm. A headlock keeps Reid in early trouble and Ruca takes her down for the surfing on the back. Ruca faceplants her and then pulls her outside for a dive, only for Jacy Jayne to get in a cheap shot. Reid gets in a double stomp to the back of the head and we take a break.

We come back with Ruca dropkicking her into the corner but Reid manages a springboard Stunner for two. An electric chair drop plants Reid and Ruca elbows her in the face a bunch of times. Reid grabs a sitout powerbomb for two but Ruca hits an X Factor. Something like a spinning Beach Break gets two but the Sol Snatcher is broken up. A crucifix bomb sends Ruca into the corner, where she avoids a running knee. The Sol Snatcher finishes Reid at 12:58.

Rating: C+. This was a rare lengthy Reid match, which worked out well enough. At the same time, it seems that we could, or at least should, be on the way towards winning the Women’s Title. If nothing else, a showdown with Zaria has to come sooner or later, so why not at Stand & Deliver?

Elio LeFleur talks to Robert Stone about Eli Knight or Sean Legacy getting a title shot. Stone isn’t sure what to do when the Vanity Project comes in. They want a big match for Stand & Deliver but Legacy wants to fight them next.

Blake Monroe wants a big match at Stand & Deliver. Tatum Paxley comes in looking for Izzi Dame and leaves, with Monroe saying she wants her Women’s North American Title back.

IMG Credit: WWE

Women’s Speed Title #1 Contender Tournament Final: Wren Sinclair vs. Thea Hail

Hail dropkicks her down at the bell but it’s way too early for the Kimura. They trade running shots to the head for two and go outside with less than two minutes to go. Back in and Hail misses a high crossbody but grabs the Kimura. Sinclair is right back with the Final Wrench for the submission at 1:55.

Robert Stone talks to the tag division and we’ll be having a tournament to crown new #1 contenders. Darkstate wants their rematch without the tournament and here is OTM to brawl with them.

Fatal Influence doesn’t like being reminded about their title matches next week. Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey come up to say they’re coming for the titles.

The Culling is leaving and Tatum Paxley jumps Izzi Dame. Security breaks it up so Robert Stone comes in to make the title rematch next week. In a cage.

Post break, Robert Stone hypes up the Houston show and announces that the tag tournament starts next week, but after that mess, OTM and Darkstate are not included. The Vanity Project comes in to thank Stone for the next week off, but Stone puts them in a six man against the Americanos.

Vic Joseph stands up at the desk and says he and Booker T. were only supposed to be a team for three months, but they’ve been going for over three years. Next week in Booker’s hometown of Houston, it is Booker T. Appreciation Night. Booker seems surprised.

Ethan Page/Ricky Saints vs. Myles Borne/Joe Hendry

Of note: Page and Saints have been standing in the ring for about ten minutes counting other segments and breaks. Hendry headlocks Page down to start and drops him again with a running shoulder. Borne comes in for a dropkick as Hendry has Page up in a suplex. It’s off to Saints, who takes over on Borne without much trouble. Borne is back with a swinging fisherman’s suplex but Page boots him in the face. Page tells Saints to throw in the title but Saints throws it too far, just like Page did on Saturday.

We take a break and come back with Borne still in trouble. Borne breaks out but Saints is there to pull Hendry off the apron. Saints and Page go old school with a PowerPlex for two but Borne is right back up for the tag to Hendry. House is quickly cleaned until Hendry and Saints hit clotheslines. Page throws in a title, which is quickly taken away, allowing Hendry to grab a rollup for two. Saints hits the spear but Page tags himself in, meaning it’s time to argue. Page is back up with the Twisted Grin onto the title to pin Hendry at 11:13.

Rating: B-. This was another match that went with a pretty obvious plan, as the ending sets up Page for a title shot at Stand & Deliver. After his pretty incredible North American Title reign, that makes all the sense in the world. Throw in Saints coming for the North American Title, they should be good to go for the top two men’s title matches. Not bad for one main event.

We get one more rundown of next week’s big show.

Saints and Page post, though Saints seems to realize that Page did what he couldn’t. Joseph: “Saints just realized that Page did what he couldn’t do.” Yeah that.

Overall Rating: B. There was good action and they took a lot of steps towards setting up Stand & Deliver. That’s what they needed to do here and it worked out well, though there is still a good deal of time left to fill on the way. For now though, they’re off to a good start and the opening triple threat, odd ending aside, was quite fun. Good show this week, which tends to be the case around here.

Results
Sean Legacy and Eli Knight b. Jasper Troy – Double pin
Lexis King/Uriah Connors b. Charlie Dempsey/Tavion Heights – Coronation to Heights
Sol Ruca b. Lainey Reid – Sol Snatcher
Wren Sinclair b. Thea Hail – Final Wrench
Ethan Page/Ricky Saints b. Myles Borne/Joe Hendry – Twisted Grin onto the title to Hendry

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

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Monday Night Raw
Date: March 9, 2026
Location: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re just over a month away from Wrestlemania and that means it’s time to start setting the stage for the biggest show of the year. The main title matches are set but there are quite a few spots to go. One of those spots might be filled tonight as we have a gauntlet match to crown a new #1 contender for the Women’s Intercontinental Title, plus the Intercontinental Title is on the line. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Seth Rollins laying out the Vision last week.

Here is Adam Pearce in the ring to get things going. Unfortunately it is time to have a conversation with someone he knows is in the building tonight, so Seth Rollins needs to get out here. About twenty masked men jump the barricade, with one of them standing on the announcers’ table. A bunch of them get in the ring and run around until only one is left. He unmasks as Rollins and Pearce says that these people deserve something better.

Rollins is only five months removed from surgery and these run-ins will only work for so long. Cue the Vision to say they’re here to take out Rollins’ goons. Rollins raises his hands and a bunch of the masked men jump in. Rollins remasks and they run around in circles to confuse things and then escape. That’s a unique idea and it worked well. Cue LA Knight to go after the Vision but the numbers get the better of things. The Usos run in for the save. That’s a really clever idea for Rollins and I’m curious about what he’ll be doing at Wrestlemania, though Brock Lesnar still feels like a real option.

Post match the Usos say they don’t care about Seth Rollins because they have receipts to give out to the Vision. And no, Jey has nothing to say to CM Punk after what Punk said to Roman Reigns…but Jimmy thinks they might.

Gauntlet Match

For a future Women’s Intercontinental Title match. Lyra Valkyria is in at #1 and Iyo Sky is in at #2 with Sky working on the arm. That’s reversed and Sky spins up for a standoff. Valkyria’s spinwheel kick gets two but Sky is back up with a dropkick to the floor. The suicide dive connects but Valkyria gets back in for a dropkick through the ropes. We take a break and come back with Sky hitting the Bullet Train Attack. Valkyria comes right back with a fisherman’s suplex for two but Sky knocks her down again. Over The Moonsault finishes Valkyria at 9:21.

Raquel Rodriguez is in at #3 and gets dropkicked through the ropes before she even gets inside. The Tejana Bomb is broken up so Rodriguez goes with something of a Pounce to send Sky flying. We take a break and come back with Sky hitting the Bullet Train Attack. Cue Liv Morgan for a distraction so here is Stephanie Vaquer to brawl with Morgan up the aisle. Sky goes up top for a super small package of all things to pin Rodriguez at 16:08. Rodriguez is ticked and posts Sky, followed by a Tejana Bomb on the apron. Ivy Nile is in at #4 (looking a bit like a mini Beth Phoenix) and easily pins Sky at 17:25.

Bayley is in at #5 and gets jumped on the floor as we take another break. We come back with Sky grabbing a chinlock but Bayley fights up in a hurry. Bayley’s running knee against the ropes has Nile in trouble and a middle rope elbow to the back of the head gets two. The Bayley To Belly is countered so Bayley sends her into the corner for two off a sunset bomb. Nile is back up with a rather delayed vertical suplex and hammers away on the ropes. They head outside with Bayley getting the better of things. Bayley knocks her back inside and hits the Bayley To Belly and gets the pin at 28:05.

Asuka is in at #6 to complete the field and is immediately forearmed on the floor. Asuka is right back with a shot of her own and we take a break. We come back with Asuka grabbing an ankle lock, which is reversed into a kneebar. That’s broken up so they fall out to the floor, only for Asuka to hit a quick knee back inside. Bayley is back with a running knee of her own for two, with Asuka’s kicks to the head getting the same. A Bayley To Belly gets two more but Kairi Sane interferes. Cue Valkyria to take out Sane, leaving Bayley to escape the Asuka Lock. The Rose Plant finishes Asuka at 37:15.

Rating: B. This got a lot of time but didn’t feel that long, which made for a good result. Bayley moving on to get the shot against AJ Lee is a good choice, as she’s someone who can be a threat to win the title but could also be a nice victory for Lee. If nothing else, it’s nice to see Bayley get a rare win over Asuka.

We look back at last week’s Roman Reigns/CM Punk showdown.

We look at Maxxine Dupri attacking Nattie.

Danhausen meets the Original El Grande Americano and wants to try on his mask. Americano likes Danhausen’s ideas but he has no tiempo for this. That earns Americano a curse and Danhausen disappears. Americano isn’t convinced as some men follow him.

Intercontinental Title: Penta vs. Original El Grande Americano

Penta is defending and thanks the fans for believing in him, just like he believes in himself. He’s ready to defend this title every single day and make history as the new Intercontinental Champion. He’ll fight anyone…and we have an odd replacement.

IMG Credit: WWE

Intercontinental Title: Penta vs. El Grande Americano

As in not the original (presumably dealing with curse related issues) and he is challenging. Americano starts fast but gets kicked down, meaning Penta can strut. Back up and Americano elbows him in the head, followed by the right hands in the corner. Penta is knocked to the floor and taken out, leaving Americano to pose near the title.

We take a break and come back with Penta snapping off the Sling Blade and adding the slingshot dropkick in the corner. Americano cuts him off in another corner though and hits a Death Valley Driver for two. Penta pops back up to pull him out of the air a middle rope Codebreaker, followed by the Mexican Destroyer to retain at 10:37.

Rating: B-. Penta getting a win is a good thing to see, as he won the title after slipping so many times. Now he needs to show that he can keep the momentum going and a win like this helps. I’m not sure how long he’ll be keeping the title, but he’s off to a good start. We’re also gearing up for Americano vs. Americano, and that could be a blast if they have things go in the right way. Like say in Mexico, where it’s a much hotter feud.

We get a video from Stephanie Vaquer, who talks about how Liv Morgan hides behind a variety of people. Vaquer grew up with nothing but it made her become what she is today. Morgan worked hard to get here but while Vaquer sees her as a fighter, Morgan sees her as someone talented. Morgan better bring everything at Wrestlemania.

Liv Morgan is mad about the video but Dominik Mysterio comes in, saying he needs to talk to Finn Balor. He’s heading to the ring and asks the ladies to come with him.

Post break here is Mysterio, with Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. He gets right to the point by saying he wants Finn Balor and JD McDonagh out here right now. They come out and Mysterio yells at Balor, who asks if he got it all out. Balor says it was his fault that Mysterio lost last week and he is sorry. He was just trying to help, but sometimes Mysterio has to fight his own battles if he wants to be the best Mysterio ever.

The more Balor tries to help, the more he realizes that Rey was right: Dominik is just a spoiled little CENSORED. Dominik shove him and gets dropped with a Pele Kick. A Sling Blade takes Dominik down again but McDonagh cuts him off. The team beats Balor down, with Dominik hitting him with the bell hammer. The hammer is loaded into the shoe for a 619, followed by the frog splash. Another frog splash onto a chair onto Balor leaves him laying. That had to happen sooner or later and it’s good that everyone turned on Balor rather than some splintering.

Adam Pearce gives Je’Von Evans the week off but Kofi Kingston and Grayson Waller come in. Kingston asks Waller for a minute and says he and Evans got off on the wrong food. Kingston apologizes because he sees a lot of himself in Evans. Back in the day, Kingston was the new kid with a lot of moves and he became WWE Champion. Evans just needs the right team behind him, so think about it. That doesn’t seem to work for Evans, but he doesn’t give a flat out no.

Bayley is happy with her win but thanks Lyra Valkyria for helping her out. The title is coming next week and Valkyria can have the first shot.

IMG Credit: WWE

Oba Femi vs. Rusev

They stare each other down and trade clotheslines into right hands. Rusev’s running splash in the corner doesn’t work as a big boot puts him down. Femi clotheslines him to the floor, where Rusev gets in a shot of his own. Rusev knocks him off the apron and hits a running spinwheel kick onto the announcers’ table. Back in and Rusev strikes away, including the Machka Kick. Femi pops back up and sends him flying with a toss though, setting up the Fall From Grace for the pin at 3:08.

Rating: B-. This was exactly as advertised with Femi looking like a killer. Some of the power stuff he was doing was rather impressive, just as it was for him to shrug off Rusev’s hard shots. If Rusev isn’t going to do anything important, this was about as good of a use as he has. Solid hoss fight here, with the absolutely right result.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Here is CM Punk for a chat to a rather positive reaction. He wasn’t sure how that would go but hits his catchphrase and brings up the Seattle Seahawks. There are some people who aren’t happy about what he said to Roman Reigns but Reigns has never respected him. The fans chant for Reigns so Punk says hold your breath and he might show up. Reigns may never respect him, but Punk will make Reigns respect the position Punk holds.

The fans deserve a fighting champion and he levels this place up. Cue the Usos, with Jey demanding Punk apologize right now but Punk asks why Reigns is sending his cousins to do his dirty work. Jimmy says this is about respect and Punk is the voice of the voiceless. He wants Punk to apologize as well, so Punk says Jimmy is right. If Reigns can hear him, he hopes Reigns and the Usos are listening.

They go back a long way, because Punk respected Sika and worked under Afa (Sika’s brother, Reigns’ uncle) for things like gas money or advice. The family has respected him for years, except for that one son of a b****. Punk sees Reigns as a fake, lying narcissistic person but Jey says this isn’t about Reigns. Jey says they need Punk to apologize, with the fans agreeing. Punk thinks about it and does say he’s sorry…that Reigns treated the rest of the family like garbage.

Reigns never apologized for how he treated the Bloodline and for insulting Dusty Rhodes. Reigns isn’t on the hook for that but Punk has to apologize? If Reigns cared at all, he’d be in the ring right now instead of his young boys. Jey shoves Punk and Jimmy drops Punk with a right hand. The Usos leave and Punk is ticked to end the show. They’re trying to blur the lines with the respect stuff here, but I’m not sure the fans want to boo either of these guys.

Overall Rating: B. The good thing here is that you can see where a lot of these stories are going, or at worst we’re getting closer to those things taking place. There is still a long way to go before Wrestlemania but they have enough of a card set that it’s a mixture of setting up new things and advancing what is already set. The pace needs to pick up and some of that seems to be coming in just the next few weeks. Keep doing that and we could be in for a heck of a Wrestlemania build, though that is far from guaranteed.

Results
Bayley won a gauntlet match last eliminating Asuka
Penta b. El Grande Americano – Mexican Destroyer
Oba Femi b. Rusev – Fall From Grace

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

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Vengeance Day 2026
Date: March 7, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s another special event in NXT and that should make for some interesting moments. The main event is NXT Champion Joe Hendry defending against Ricky Saints, but we also have a street fight and the return of NXT Underground. The card has been put together pretty well and hopefully it lives up to the hype. Let’s get to it.

The opening video talks about how everything can change with one look. Tonight, it’s all about vengeance. So shouldn’t it be Vengeance Night? Each match gets its usual look.

Blake Monroe vs. Jaida Parker

Street fight. They slap it out to start and go out to the floor with Parker taking over. A table is loaded up but Parker takes too long, meaning she has to block a double arm DDT. The table is set up some more, only for Monroe to come back with some umbrella shots. The table leads are folded back, meaning the crowd…oh you know what they’re saying. Back in and Monroe loads up a chair in the ropes, only for Parker to drop her onto it face first.

They go back to the floor, where the Hipnotique hits the steps to give a rather angry looking Monroe an opening. Back in and Monroe grabs a kendo stick around the throat for something like a Skull Crushing Finale and a near fall. Parker fights up and slugs away but Monroe grabs her arm and uses it to send Parker face first into the buckle. A running hip attack crushes a chair into Parker in the Tree Of Woe for two, followed by a right hand with…something wrapped around Monroe’s fist.

Monroe uses the stick to grab a crossface, which is broken up rather quickly and Parker is mad. She hammers away with the kendo stick and a Blockbuster sends Monroe out to the floor. Monroe gets in a trashcan lid shot and sets up the table before grabbing a brick. Since picking up a brick takes too long, Monroe gets chaired in the ribs and sent on the table.

That means Parker can hit a middle rope Tear Drop through the table, followed by a Hipnotique for two back inside. Parker gets sent through a kendo stick though and Monroe’s knee to the chest gets two. It’s time to pour out a bag of a bunch of diamonds, with a super hurricanrana driving Parker into the pile. The Glamour Shot onto the diamonds finishes Parker at 13:00.

Rating: B-. Pretty standard street fight here, though I was expecting Parker to win as she is red hot at the moment. At the same time, Monroe certainly needed a win here as she has kind of been floundering. I’m assuming this is the end of their feud, and that could be interesting for both of them, though I’m not sure where they’re going from here.

Ricky Saints asks Ethan Page where he was to help against Joe Hendry last week. Page is sorry but he just lost the North American Title. Eventually Page agrees to help him tonight, but Page seems interested in getting the NXT Title himself.

Darkstate jumps Tony D’Angelo in the parking lot…but it’s not the real D’Angelo. Instead he pops up from behind and jumps them with a crowbar as we’re ready to start.

Tony D’Angelo vs. Dion Lennox

They start fighting in the parking lot, with Lennox being sent through a windshield. The fight goes inside with D’Angelo being smart enough to lock the rest of Darkstate outside. D’Angelo punches a hole in the restroom door but manages to knock a chair out of Lennox’s hand. Darkstate is back though, with D’Angelo and security fighting them off. Lennox almost crushes D’Angelo with a cabinet and they go back to slugging away. D’Angelo drags him back outside where Darkstate is back too.

Lennox loads up a big crowbar shot but OTM and a bunch of the locker room shows up to really get rid of them. D’Angelo tackles Lennox through a wall and they’re FINALLY in the arena. They get inside and sure let’s ring the opening bell. That means another slugout until D’Angelo is sent into the middle buckle. A big boot misses but Lennox is able to choke away on the ropes anyway. Lennox spinebusters him for two but D’Angelo is right back with a release German suplex.

The torture rack neckbreaker and a clothesline put Lennox on the floor, where he fights back again. Lennox can’t manage to crush D’Angelo’s ankle with the steps so he throws D’Angelo over the barricade instead. That doesn’t last long as Lennox superplexes him off said barricade and through the announcers’ table for a big crash. Booker: “Man.” Back in and a slingshot powerbomb gives Lennox two more but D’Angelo cuts him in half with a spear. The big spinebuster finishes for D’Angelo at 7:09.

Rating: B. Well, it certainly felt like a fight, though it’s one of those weird cases where the brawl before the match itself almost got more time. The other thing is that Lennox still doesn’t feel like a big deal. Granted he was more the last option than anything else, as D’Angelo absolutely ran through Darkstate like they weren’t even there. That’s not an awful way to go, though it pretty much ends Darkstate’s experiment as a team that matters. To be fair, they never quite clicked anyway so maybe that’s for the best.

We recap Tatum Paxley challenging Izzi Dame for the Women’s North American Title. They were friends and Paxley won the Women’s Title, only for Dame to turn on her, leaving Paxley betrayed yet again. Then Dame stole the Women’s North American Title (a chainsaw was involved), so Paxley is coming for revenge and the title.

Women’s North American Title: Tatum Paxley vs. Izzi Dame

Dame, with the Culling, is defending. Paxley jumps at her and hammers away, setting up a sleeper. With that broken up, Paxley dropkicks her outside and followed with some forearms up against the barricade. A flip dive off the steps takes Dame down again but she drops Paxley face first onto the steps. Paxley is right back with a jumping elbow back inside and hammers away in the corner.

The Cemetery Drive is broke up so Paxley grabs some rollups, only to get hit with a hard clothesline. Dame kicks her in the face and stomps away, followed by a basement dropkick. Some Irish whips with knees to the ribs connect for Dame (it worked for Val Venis in No Mercy and it’ll work for her here) and a choke in the corner gets two. The abdominal stretch goes on but Paxley reverses into one of her own. That’s quickly broken up so Paxley goes with the forearms, only to get backbreakered.

Dame grabs a Liontamer (with Shawn Spears coaching her on how to make it work), which is reversed into a Boston crab to send Dame over to the ropes. Back up and a superkick rocks Dame, followed by a German suplex to put her down again. A flipping ax kick gives Paxley two but Dame catches her on top. Dame’s superplex is broken up but she avoids a 450, allowing Dame to hit something like a Claymore for two. They forearm it out until Dame hits a Sky High.

Now the 450 (with Paxley’s knees hitting the mat a bit too early) connects for two but the Cemetery Drive is blocked. Dame kicks her in the head and a flipping belly to back suplex into a cutter plants Paxley for two. That leaves Dame rather distraught on the apron, where Paxley gives her a sunset bomb to the floor (which only looks so great because it’s rather hard to land something like that in one motion).

Paxley sends her inside but stops for a staredown with the Culling, allowing Dame to come back with a Sky High of her own for two. Dame’s gutwrench powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana for two of her own so Spears gets on the apron. Paxley rams them together though and a rollup gets two. Dame’s Codebreaker is countered with a backflip and a rolling Liger kick knocks Dame silly. The Cemetery Drive gives Paxley the pin and the title at 15:35.

Rating: B. That’s exactly how the match should have ended, with Paxley standing up to Dame and beating her clean to win the feud. They had a good match and it got a lot of time, as Dame felt that she should have won through power and athleticism but Paxley stayed in there with pure heart. That’s a great story with the right ending and it’s easy to cheer for someone like Paxley.

OTM didn’t attack Darkstate for Tony D’Angelo’s sake but they appreciate what he’s doing. They’re coming for Darkstate and then the Tag Team Titles.

Here is Robert Stone, who brings out Fatal Influence for a chat. Jacy Jayne promises to walk into Stand & Deliver as Women’s Champion. That’s interesting because she remembers being called a transitional champion not too long ago, but now those voices are a lot more quiet. There were times where she got a bit paranoid because she thought she would be released.

Last year, she was happy to just get in a tag match on the Stand & Deliver Kickoff Show. Now she’s coming in as a dominant champion and she should main event the show. Next year, she can headline Wrestlemania against whomever their precious champion is then. Jayne brags about having Zaria beaten but cue Zaria (in a Sol’s Ex shirt), who blames her loss on Sol Ruca. Fallon Henley doesn’t want to hear this because Zaria can only blame her own jealousy for her issues.

Henley helped Jayne win the Women’s Title but that’s never thrown in her face. Lainey Reid has helped Jayne keep the title so maybe it’s time for Zaria to blame herself. Cue Sol Ruca to interrupt, with threats of snatching souls. She knows how Jayne and Zaria operate and is coming for the Women’s Title. Stone makes a triple threat title match between Zaria, Ruca and Jayne for the upcoming Houston show. Ruca gets triple teamed by Fatal Influence, with Zaria pulling them off. Zaria can’t F5 Jayne but Ruca is in with a Sol Snatcher to Zaria, only to get laid out by Reid. This was a long thing to set up one match in a few weeks.

Lexis King and company ask Charlie Dempsey for an answer and it’s going to be a no. King says it’s time for Dempsey to finally embrace his destiny and the team walks off. Tavion Heights is tired of this and wants a one night NQCC reunion to take them out. Dempsey is in.

We recap Lola Vice vs. Kelani Jordan in NXT Underground. They both have extensive backgrounds in other sports and Jordan eventually won the TNA Knockouts Title. Vice kicked her out of the locker room, though it’s ok for Vice to go to AAA. That’s not ok with Jordan and they kept arguing over gymnastics vs. MMA. Vice knocked her out but Jordan injured Vice’s hand and actually beat her by submission. Tonight, it’s a much bigger fight in NXT Underground.

Kelani Jordan vs. Lola Vice

No ropes, wrestlers around the ring, and knockout/submission only to win (it’s basically MMA without judges), with Vice coming in with a bad hand. They go to the mat to start with Vice firing off some left (non injured) hands. Jordan gets smart by going after the hand and ramming it into the post. A release northern lights suplex drops Vice onto her hand again and Jordan stomps down onto it as well. Jordan takes the glove off the bad hand and wraps it around the post again as Vice is in big trouble.

Vice manages to send Jordan face first into the post and some strikes rock Jordan for a change. There’s a German suplex to send Jordan flying and Vice kicks her onto a pile of wrestlers at ringside. Vice goes after the lumberjacks, allowing Jordan to hit a superkick. Hold on though as Jordan goes over to yell at Vice’s father, which is never a good idea. That’s enough for Vice to catch her with one heck of a spinning backfist for the knockout at 6:40.

Rating: C+. I never know how to rate these things as they’re so different than usual matches. It told a good story with the hand being hurt but Vice fighting through the pain and using the hand to knock Jordan out cold. The finish looked great as anyone scoring that kind of a knockout is a great way to go. Awesome finish and Vice looked like a killer in the end.

Stand & Deliver is coming to St. Louis on April 4, two weeks before Wrestlemania Weekend.

Jacy Jayne is panicking over the triple threat so Lainey Reid offers to take out Sol Ruca. Works for Jayne.

We recap Ricky Saints challenging Joe Hendry for the NXT Title. Hendry won the vacant title in a ladder match and Saints is livid, as he doesn’t think Hendry is a true main eventer. They’ve been brawling ever since and it’s time for the title match.

NXT Title: Ricky Saints vs. Joe Hendry

Hendry is defending. Saints slaps away at Hendry’s back to start, earning himself a beating out to the floor. Back in and Saints knocks Hendry into the ropes, with Hendry’s ankle getting tied up. That lets Saints kick him out of the ropes before taking Hendry back inside to keep up the beating. Hendry fights back and grabs a delayed vertical suplex for two before spinning out a suplex attempt.

A neckbreaker puts Saints down but he gets in a shot of his own and tries the strutting Old School. That takes too long as well and Hendry kicks him down for the crotching. They head outside, with Saints sending him hard into the steps for the big crash. Saints’ neckbreaker and a shot to the shoulder gets two and we’re off to the chinlock. With that broken up, Saints hammers away in the corner and sends Hendry outside for an ax handle from the apron.

A belly to back suplex gives Saints two and a slingshot rollup of all things gets the same. Saints puts him in the corner for a running basement dropkick and the kickout has the frustration mounting. The fall away slam and nip up let Saints do the mocking pose, but that’s enough for Hendry to pop up with a spear. Hendry’s fall away slam sends Saints flying and Hendry gets to spin around.

Saints’ hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb for two and now it’s Hendry’s turn to be frustrated. Saints slugs his way up and grabs an Air Raid Crash for two, followed by the crossface. Hendry rolls around enough that Saints has to settle for a guillotine choke and Hendry is on trouble. That doesn’t last long as he powers up and tries a fireman’s carry. That’s broken up as well and Saints scores with a superkick, only to walk into an AA for two. Saints is sat up top for a super fall away slam for two and Hendry is running out of ideas.

Back up and Saints manages a jumping knee into a hammerlock DDT for two of his own. Cue Ethan Page to pick up the title, which distracts Saints enough that Hendry gets two off a rollup. Saints spears him down for two more so Page throws the title in, with the referee taking it away. A low blow and springboard tornado DDT drop Hendry for another near fall so a ticked off Saints just hammers on him. The referee almost gets bumped and Hendry gets in a low blow of his own, allowing the Standing Ovation to retain the title at 16:18.

Rating: B. These guys were trading bombs here and having Page out there made it feel that much more likely that Saints might actually steal the title. At the same time, it lets Hendry get in a big time title defense, which should help make him feel like a more legitimate champion. At the same time, Page feels all but guaranteed for the Stand & Deliver title shot, where we really could see him get the title back. Solid main event here, which shouldn’t be a surprise.

Hendry celebrates as the villains leave to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was another solid show with a bunch of grudge matches, some of which happened to have titles on the line. That’s the point of a show like this, as a bunch of the feuds are cleared out on the way to Stand & Deliver next month. That is the clear big goal from here and this did a good job of getting things ready. Nice work here, as NXT is starting to find itself, as it has to do so often.

Results
Blake Monroe b. Jaida Parker – Glamour Shot onto a pile of diamonds
Tony D’Angelo b. Dion Lennox – Spinebuster
Tatum Paxley b. Izzi Dame – Cemetery Drive
Lola Vice b. Kelani Jordan via knockout
Joe Hendry b. Ricky Saints – Standing Ovation

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

AAA On FOX
Date: March 7, 2026
Location: Showcenter Complex, Monterrey, Mexico
Commentators: Rey Mysterio, John Bradshaw Layfield, Corey Graves

We’re a week away from Rey de Reyes and that means we has one more qualifying match for the show’s namesake four way. Other than that, Dominik Mysterio still has his hands full dealing with El Hijo de Vikingo and El Ojo. This show continues to be a lot of fun and hopefully that continues here. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at the Original El Grande Americano attacking Pimpinela Escarlata last week, with El Grande Americano going on to qualify for Rey de Reyes later in the show.

Opening sequence.

El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Dinamico

Dorian Roldan and Omos are here with Vikingo and Mysterio doesn’t know much about Dinamico, which isn’t a good sign. Or he’s the AAA version of Goldberg. Vikingo dropkicks him into the corner to start and hits a rather loud chop. A dropkick to the back of the head gets two but Dinamico manages to pick him up for a helicopter bomb.

Back up and Vikingo drops him with a clothesline, followed by a top rope Codebreaker for two. A top rope double stomp in the ropes gives Vikingo two but Dinamico hits a rolling cutter. That’s enough to send Vikingo outside, where a suicide dive takes him down again. Back in and something like a wheelbarrow driver gives Vikingo two and a weird wheelbarrow suplex gets the same. Vikingo drives him into the corner and hits the 630 for the win at 6:50.

Rating: C+. Dinamico was basically a warm body here but at least he got in a bit of offense, which helped somewhat. It wasn’t entirely a squash, but this was of course all about Vikingo looking like a big star. I liked it well enough, as Vikingo is already on his way to something rather big.

Post match Dominik Mysterio pops up on the screen to say next week will be different when he shows Vikingo something new.

Video on Flammer, the longest reigning Reina de Reinas champion in history. Therefore, say it with me, at Rey de Reyes, it’s an open challenge.

Rey de Reyes Qualifying Match: Mr. Iguana vs. Abismo Negro vs. Santos Escobar vs. Psycho Clown

We start with a series of knockdowns, with Negro spinning Iguana down for two. Clown sunset flips Negro for two and sends him outside for a big dive. That leaves Iguana to throw his stuffed iguana to Escobar for a dropkick. Back in and Escobar beats up Iguana, followed by a superkick to Clown for two. Iguana distracts Clown and goes up top for a hurricanrana….into an armdrag without hitting the ground (GEEZ) to drop Negro. Even commentary sounds impressed by that and I can’t blame them.

Clown is up with a dive of his own but gets beaten up by a stuffed iguana. That lets Mr. Iguana go up top, with Clown pulling him out of the air with a powerslam for two. Negro is back in to load up a Tombstone but cue El Fiscal to go after him. The two of them brawl out into the crowd, leaving Clown to give Escobar the Psycho Driver. For some reason he doesn’t cover though and here are the War Raiders to go after Clown. Pagano runs in with a kendo stick for the save and Iguana hurricanranas Escobar for two. Escobar goes to the eyes though and hits a kneeling Tombstone for the pin at 9:59.

Rating: B-. This was another wild four way to set up what should be one heck of a four way in a few weeks. What matters the most here is that they had an exciting match, with the finals being something that could go in a variety of ways. The interferences made sense here, though that hurricanrana armdrag was something else.

Rey de Reyes rundown.

Psycho Clown and Pagano head to the back…and Murder Clown is missing. Psycho blames Pagano for not keeping an eye on him but Pagano points out that he came to the ring to help. Psycho even accuses Pagano of being involved in this but things calm down as they hear a noise. It’s….Murder, who was in the bathroom with his headphones on. Everything is fine.

Original El Grande Americano vs. La Parka

The fans are WAY behind Parka here and the early dancing makes it even worse. Parka shoulders him down and dances again before grabbing a headlock. They trade rollups for two each until Americano misses an armdrag, meaning dancing can ensue again. Back up and Americano hammers away but has to bail outside to avoid a moonsault. Parka follows him to the floor and gets dropped knee first onto the announcers’ table. Americano starts in on the knee back inside, with said knee being wrapped around the post.

Commentary hypes up the Mega Title match, with Mysterio saying he’d be fine with his son losing, which is quite the funny line. Americano works on the leg some more and stomps him down in the corner. Another dragon screw legwhip has Parka in more trouble so Americano goes for the mask. That’s enough to fire Parka up and he gets two off a backslide.

They slug it out until Parka starts the clothesline comeback. A half and half suplex gets two on Americano, who is right back with a rolling Liger kick. Americano is right back on the leg but somehow Parka is able to hit a super Spanish Fly for two more. The ankle lock is broken up, as is the Bone Breaker, leaving Americano to twist the mask around. Rolling Chaos Theory pins Parka at 14:06.

Rating: B-. The match got some time and worked well enough, though Parka’s selling of the knee was spotty at best. There’s only so much value in working on the knee if the person with a bad knee is able to hit a super Spanish Fly. The good thing is that Americano is hated around here and AAA is smart to run with the heat that he has.

Post match Santos Escobar and El Grande Americano come out for a four way staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was basically a big preview for Rey de Reyes and that worked out well. It’s going to take place over the next three editions of the weekly show and that should be more than good enough to carry things. As usual, the show is a breezy watch and you can keep track of the stories with ease. Commentary helps a lot, as the three of them work well together and can explain the stories well. Nice stuff here, with the big shows starting next week.

Results
El Hijo del Vikingo b. Dinamico – 630
Santos Escobar b. Abismo Negro, Psycho Clown and Mr. Iguana – Kneeling Tombstone to Iguana
Original El Grande Americano b. La Parka – Rolling Chaos Theory

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

Collision
Date: March 7, 2026
Location: Tucson Arena, Tucson, Arizona
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

We are eight days away from Revolution and the card has mostly already come together. There are still a few spots to be filled though and some of those might be taken care of this week. Other than that, the Tag Team Titles are on the line here as the Rascalz challenge FTR. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Tag Team Titles: FTR vs. Rascalz

FTR, with Stokely Hathaway, is defending and Myron Reed is here with the Rascalz. Wentz takes Wheeler down to start so it’s off to Harwood for a hiptoss. Harwood takes him into a corner for a slap, only to get slapped out to the floor. Xavier comes in and slugs away but gets elbowed in the face. With Xavier on the floor and fighting off both champions, Wentz is there with a big corkscrew dive to take out FTR.

Back in and Wentz stomps on Harwood’s arm, setting up a quickly broken armbar. Harwood takes Wentz outside and suckers him into a clothesline from Wheeler. We take a break and come back with Wentz kicking FTR down and rolling through the legs for the tag off to Xavier. Harwood isn’t having any of this comeback thing and drops Xavier with a clothesline as everything breaks down.

The Rascalz hit stereo dives and Wentz hits a Swanton for two back inside. Wheeler takes Xavier out on the floor and Harwood’s top rope belly to back superplex gets two on Wentz. Harwood and Wentz strike it out until Wentz gets a small package for two. The Hot Fire Flame (or Flash according to Nigel) hits raised knees and FTR is back with a BTE Trigger to Wentz. The Tony Khan Driver is broken up though and Wentz strikes away, only to walk into the Shatter Machine to retain the titles at 15:06.

Rating: B+. There was no reason to believe that FTR was losing the titles here but I was pulled into the match well enough that I was buying some of the Rascalz’s near falls. That takes quite the effort and they made it work here. FTR gets to show what they can do, which is a nice reminder as they have mainly just been talking on the way to Revolution.

Post match Mark Briscoe comes out to do commentary for the next match and has a tense yet respectful meeting with FTR.

Anthony Bowens tells Hook he can be a killer so Hook says take over the camera from Katsuyori Shibata. Hook then Redrums a random wrestler and has Bowens follow them.

Daniel Garcia vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Mark Briscoe is on commentary. Ciampa wrestles Garcia to the mat to start and Garcia is in the ropes for a trip to the floor. Back in and Ciampa fires off some running chops in the corner, followed by a Garcia style dance on the middle rope. Garcia slips out of a suplex though and dragon screws the leg, which is wrapped around the post.

We take a break and come back with Garcia diving into a jumping knee to the face to leave both of them down. Ciampa knees him outside for some rams into the announcers’ table but Garcia gets in another dragon screw legwhip. The STF is broken up so Garcia dropkicks him into the corner instead. Garcia hammers away, only to be reversed into Project Ciampa for two. Back up and Garcia goes outside to shove Briscoe, with the distraction allowing Ciampa to be shoved into Briscoe. Garcia grabs a rollup to pin Ciampa at 10:18.

Rating: B-. The midcard is starting to develop a bit more and that is nice to see, especially with a title not being directly involved. You need to be able to do something away from championships all the time and this is getting somewhere. It helps that Briscoe and Ciampa are both a blast and Garcia is good enough in the ring to hang in there with them. Nice match here.

Post match Garcia leaves and Ciampa wants nothing of Briscoe’s handshake. Cue FTR and Stokely Hathaway again to go after Ciampa. Briscoe gets in to even things up before any violence breaks out and Ciampa is appreciative. Then Ciampa jumps Briscoe and lays him out with a knee.

Video on Claudio Castagnoli vs. Konosuke Takeshita, which went to a time limit draw in the Continental Classic.

Swerve Strickland vs. Gravity

Prince Nana is here with Swerve, who kicks Gravity down to start and seems rather confident. Gravity is back with a kick between the shoulder blades, which just seems to annoy Swerve. That earns Gravity a knockdown on the apron and a Swerve Stomp, allowing Swerve to go after the mask. Another Swerve Stomp connects inside and the House Call finishes at 4:00.

Rating: C. It wasn’t quite a squash but this was Swerve coming in and mauling Gravity for the most part. That’s what the match should have been, as Swerve is starting to feel it with his new heel style and this kind of a win makes him look dangerous. Swerve is one of the best things going in AEW today and seeing him back it up in the ring is rather fun to see.

Kris Statlander wants Thekla one more time at Revolution, 2/3 falls.

Post break here is Thekla to say no in a variety of languages. Since when does she have to listen to some b**** from outer space? What even makes Statlander think she can win twice in one night? Thekla sent Thunder Rosa back to the graveyards. Everything Statlander is afraid of is what Thekla is. Great line to end a kind of odd promo, though Thekla’s charisma carries everything.

We get a clip of Renee Paquette’s interview with Jon Moxley, who knows he can beat Konosuke Takeshita at Revolution.

LFI vs. The Swirl vs. Private Party vs. Outrunners

For $200,000 and Dalton Castle is on commentary. Johnson headlocks Magnum to start and it’s off to Dralistico to run Quen over. LFI takes Quen outside for some whips into the barricade, with Kassidy being whipped around as well. Back in and the Swirl/LFI hit some running splashes to Kassidy, followed by a quadruple dropkick. Dralistico is back up with a heck of a springboard hurricanrana to Christian and Rush drops Johnson as we take a break.

We come back with Kassidy backdropping his way out of trouble and handing it back to Floyd. Castle loses his mind as Floyd cleans house, including Christian being superplexed onto a pile at ringside. LFI breaks that up but Kassidy takes them out, only for Dralistico to hurricanrana him off the apron. Back in and Rush’s Bull’s Horns is cut off by Quen but the Swirl is back in with a poisonrana. The top rope Canadian Destroyer drops Quen for two, with Kassidy making the save. Private Party hits their top rope double stomp/neckbreaker combination and a Doomsday Cutter gives Kassidy the pin on Johnson at 11:52.

Rating: B-. This was your weekly “here are a bunch of people going nuts for awhile” match and that’s not a bad way to go. The money prizes don’t exactly feel important, but at least Private Party got to do something for a change. They’re a team who could be given a shot here or there, but this might be the best they can do for the time being.

We look at the Don Callis Family winning the Trios Titles on Dynamite.

Jet Speed will be teaming with Mistico against the Family for the titles at Revolution. That’s a great example of a match that doesn’t need to be on pay per view, or even Zero Hour. Anyway, Swerve Strickland comes in to tell Kevin Knight to be more of a killer.

Megan Bayne and Lena Kross jumped the Babes Of Wrath earlier today.

Megan Bayne/Lena Kross vs. Timeless Love Bombs

Bayne powers Shirakawa (Nigel calls her the former Ring Of Honor Women’s TV Champion when it was actually the INTERIM Women’s Champion. Geez get your totally unnecessary titles right McGuinness.) until Storm comes in for the save. That earns the Bombs stereo fall away slams but Storm gets the tag to come in and clean house. Some hiptosses and a hip attack to the face have Bayne down and Shirakawa hits a big dive to the floor to take out both villains.

Storm is staggered though and Bayne is up with a heck of a dive of her own to put the Bombs down again. We take a break and come back with Storm fighting out of the corner and rolling over for the tag to Shirakawa. A springboard tornado DDT and La Mistica put Bayne down, followed by something like a spinning Big Ending to drop Shirakawa onto her. Bayne is back up to fall away slam both of them, leaving Kross to hit a Tower Of Doom.

We hit the parade of strikes until Storm DDTs Bayne, who gets caught in Shirakawa’s Figure Four. Kross and Storm take turns turning the hold over until Kross actually breaks it up. Cue Marina Shafir to choke Storm under the ring, leaving Kross to Jackhammer Shirakawa for the win at 12:47.

Rating: C+. It’s kind of sad that my first though was “how does Shirakawa get pinned this time?”. One would think that somebody with that kind of talent and charisma would be able to do something other than lose all the time. Instead, she’s basically the designated jobber and that’s a bit sad to see. At the same time, Kross has fit in rather well with Bayne, as a pair of monsters like that will always have a place in a tag division.

Mark Briscoe says he’s known Tommaso Ciampa for a long time but something has felt off. Then tonight Ciampa jumped him and that’s the Ciampa he knows. Now Ciampa is aligned with FTR so Briscoe will just team with Dem Bucks on Dynamite.

The Dogs vs. Cosmo Quarry/Gino Catanari/Kayden Monroe

I’m going off my best guess for the latter’s names as there’s no graphic. Kidd knocks all three of them down and one heck of a powerbomb knocks Monroe silly. An implant DDT, a piledriver and a suplex knee to the face finish Monroe at 1:46. Total decimation and the Dogs looked impressive.

Here is a ticked off Toni Storm who wants to face Marina Shafir at Revolution, seemingly anything goes. Then she wants her title back.

We look at Persephone winning the CMLL Women’s Title from Mercedes Mone last night.

Here’s what’s coming on Dynamite.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Non-title and Jon Moxley is on commentary. They go to the mat to start with Takeshita working on the leg. Back up and they trade running shots in the corner, with Castagnoli getting to stomp him down. Takeshita hits a leg lariat but gets his arm snapped across the top rope to put him in trouble. A hurricanrana takes Castagnoli down and Takeshita sends him face first into the buckle over and over.

We take a break and come back with Castagnoli taking him down by the arm but not being able to keep a short armscissors. Back up and Takeshita forearms him out of the air before snapping off a suplex. Castagnoli is right back with a Swing into an armbar with the legs tied up.

That doesn’t last long either as Takeshita is up with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Castagnoli fights back again and throws in some chairs, allowing him to grab the CMLL World Title. Hechicero comes in to take it away, allowing Takeshita to hit a running knee for two. Another knee is blocked and they trade the big forearms. The Riccola Bomb is countered though and the running knee into Raging Fire finishes Castagnoli at 14:36.

Rating: B. This was Takeshita’s warmup for the match with Moxley at Revolution and that’s a great spot for Castagnoli. It’s pretty firmly established that Castagnoli isn’t going to be THE guy, but having him as Moxley’s policeman is a good fit for him. Let him play to his strengths and make Takeshita look good, which is exactly what happened here. Sidenote: like him or not, Moxley is actually pretty good at commentary, as he sounds like he is having a great time out there every time.

Post match the Don Callis Family and Death Riders brawl to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. Another rather good Collision again, as they don’t have matches or angles that really extend stories but they have solid in-ring action. That was the case again here and I had a good time watching the whole thing. Collision works best when they don’t do much talking and that was what they did again here. Rather fun show and the time flew by for a change (but please don’t make the overruns a thing here too).

Results
FTR b. Rascalz – Shatter Machine to Wentz
Daniel Garcia b. Tommaso Ciampa – Small package
Swerve Strickland b. Gravity – House Call
Private Party b. LFI, The Swirl and Outrunners – Doomsday Cutter to Johnson
Megan Bayne/Lena Kross b. Timeless Love Bombs – Jackhammer to Shirakawa
The Dogs b. Cosmo Quarry/Gino Catanari/Kayden Monroe – Suplex knee to Monroe

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
Date: March 6, 2026
Location: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We’re done with Elimination Chamber and Randy Orton is the new #1 contender and on his way to Wrestlemania. However, his opponent is up in the air as this week will see Cody Rhodes challenging Drew McIntyre for the Smackdown World Title. That’s not a main event you often get around here so let’s get to it.

Here is Elimination Chamber if you need a recap.

We open with an Elimination Chamber recap. As a bonus, we get what was almost a fight between Nick Aldis and Drew McIntyre, with Aldis making tonight’s title match.

Here is Randy Orton to get things going. Orton swears he was on time getting here today and the Wrestlemania sign was already up. He’s been at twenty Wrestlemanias but he’s only main evented twice. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done but you’re never guaranteed a great spot.

There are people who have put him in the category of the all time best and looking at the locker room today, it makes him proud to still be this high up. He doesn’t know who he’s facing at Wrestlemania but either way, it ends with an RKO. Cue Trick Williams to interrupt, saying he’s not happy with Orton calling him less than 6’5. Williams gets in, keeps talking, and is RKO’d.

Earlier today, Carmelo Hayes came in to see Nick Aldis, who has a surprise challenger for the US Title. Hayes doesn’t want to know who it is.

US Title: Carmelo Hayes vs. ???

Hayes is defending against…AAA’s El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. (whose AAA Latin American Title isn’t on the line). After a quick look at Wagner (nice touch), he dropkicks Hayes into the corner for a cannonball. A missile dropkick gets two on Hayes but he’s back up with a dropkick of his own. Hayes knocks him into the ropes for the Fadeaway and we take a break.

We come back with Wagner hitting a hard clothesline to leave them both down. Hayes hits a springboard clothesline of his own, followed by La Mistica for two. Wagner comes back with a powerbomb for two of his own but dives into the First 48. A top rope version misses though and Wagner is back with a spin into a sitout powerbomb for two. Wagner goes up but misses the moonsault, allowing Hayes to hit Nothing But Net to retain at 10:11.

Rating: B-. Remember all those other times where Hayes has beaten a random challenger for the title? This was the most recent instance. I’m not sure what to think of this as these two have no history together and Wagner isn’t likely to be around. As usual, it was good but that’s about it, which only gets you so far.

Ilja Dragunov says he isn’t going to be accepting a US Open Challenge because he isn’t being enough of a warrior at the moment. Miz comes in to mock him but Kit Wilson pops in to say Miz is being toxic. Dragunov says he’ll have to see them in the ring, but it isn’t clear which he means.

Damian Priest has been told he’s in a match tonight but doesn’t know who he’s facing. Nick Aldis is about to answer but R-Truth comes in to reveal that they’re a team in Tag Team Turmoil. Works for Priest.

Drew McIntyre comes in to see Aldis and asks if Aldis has come to his senses. Aldis says defend the title or forfeit, so McIntyre is ready to fight.

Here are the Irresistible Forces to celebrate winning the Women’s Tag Team Titles last week. They brag about their win and promise to face anyone. We get a toast, but here are Charlotte and Alexa Bliss to interrupt. Bliss says Jax finally found a coattail to ride all the way to the top and a fight is teased. Cue Kiana James and Giulia, with James bragging about her recent successes. Aldis, tag match, next.

Giulia/Kiana James vs. Charlotte/Alexa Bliss

We’re joined in progress with Bliss armdragging Giulia and bringing in Charlotte. House is quickly cleaned, including a flipping dive off the apron. James posts Charlotte to take over though and Giulia drops an elbow for two. Charlotte kicks James down and it’s back to Bliss, who basement dropkicks Giulia. James catches a dive off the apron though and Giulia adds a kick to the head as we take a break.

We come back with Charlotte putting both of them down, setting up the moonsault for the double two. Giulia’s belly to back suplex puts Charlotte down for the same but she’s back up with a boot to the face. Bliss’ running DDT hits James and Natural Selection finishes Giulia at 10:12.

Rating: B-. Another nice match here, with Bliss and Charlotte getting that much closer to the titles. That very well could be a Wrestlemania showdown, though I would expect them to have some kind of a multi team match (ladders wouldn’t stun me either). At the same time, Giulia and James have turned into a perfectly nice team, though I’m not sure how much Giulia needs to be US Champion.

Jelly Roll will be here next week.

Cody Rhodes says he wants to point at the sign and that means winning the title back tonight. Sami Zayn comes up and says it’s crazy that Rhodes has this title match. Rhodes: “What’s crazy about it Sami?” Well, Rhodes didn’t win the Elimination Chamber and he’s getting a title shot while Zayn isn’t getting one. Rhodes thinks Zayn is trying to get a title shot at a title Rhodes hasn’t even won yet but Zayn isn’t sure what he’s doing. He wants Rhodes to become champion. “Again.”

Trick Williams was on The Breakfast Club and talked about how awesome the fans have been since he made the main roster.

Tag Team Turmoil

For a future title shot and there are five teams with the Motor City Machine Guns in at #1 and Fraxiom in at #2. Shelley and Frazer start things off and, after a handshake, trade wristlocks. Frazer sends him outside but moonsaults back in rather than firing off the dive. Axiom comes in to take Sabin out of the air off a leapfrog and the rapid fire tags are on. Fraxiom hits some dives to the floor and we take a break.

We come back with Frazer getting the tag and hitting a running flip dive to the floor. Sabin rolls him into the corner, where Axiom comes back in with a dropkick. Shelley puts the boot on the rope…but it’s a three count anyway for the elimination at 8:04. Los Garza are in at #3, with Axiom having to make a quick save. Garza gets superkicked into a brainbuster for two with Berto making the save. Axiom goes up and gets caught with a super faceplant. MTY gets rid of Fraxiom at 10:23 total and the Wyatt Sicks are in at #4.

We take a break and come back with the Wyatts in trouble with Lumis getting powerbombed out of the corner. Gacy makes the save and everything breaks down. Cue the MFTs for a distraction, allowing Berto to get a rollup for the pin at 18:18. Damian Priest and R-Truth are in at #5 and, after a break, Priest comes in to clean house.

The Pounce sends Garza over the announcers’ table but Berto is back up with a springboard spinning kick to the head. A nice moonsault gives Berto two but it’s off to Truth (in Cena gear) for the Cena finishing sequence. Garza breaks up the STF so Priest tags himself back in and it’s an AA/South Of Heaven for the double pin on Los Garza at 25:40.

Rating: C. This is where WWE causes its own problems. The issue here is that a lot of these teams (save for the one who was assembled an hour ago) were doing nothing but standing around backstage for weeks. WWE has made it clear that these teams do not matter around here, so why should I want to see them for the better part of half an hour? It isn’t that the wrestling was bad, but the interest wasn’t there and that’s not on the wrestlers.

Sami Zayn comes up to Randy Orton and asks how Cody Rhodes is ok with Orton dropping him with an RKO. Orton says you have to be selfish occasionally, but Zayn asks him if that makes him a bad person. Orton doesn’t know about all that, but it does make him a fourteen time World Champion. He believes in Zayn, who might need to listen to the voices. With Orton gone, Aleister Black and Zelina come in to say that’s just the nature of the beast.

Here is Rhea Ripley for a chat. Ripley has heard that Jade Cargill has something to say to her so come say it to her face. Cargill comes out and offers a handshake out of respect. She respects the work that Ripley has put in but she isn’t impressed. Yeah Ripley has big arms and legs, but Cargill’s are better. She’s more worthy to be champion and Ripley can do nothing about the beating that is coming for her at Wrestlemania.

Ripley appreciates the honesty and yeah Cargill might be stronger. The thing is, Ripley isn’t staying down from Cargill’s best shot. But if Cargill takes Ripley’s best shot, she isn’t getting up. Cargill’s body is built for show, while Ripley’s is built for fighting. There’s nothing Cargill can do about what Ripley has in mind at Wrestlemania because Ripley is that b****. This wasn’t exactly Punk vs. Reigns, but it’ll do.

Alex Shelley and Candice LeRae are worried about Johnny Gargano but Chris Sabin comes up to ask why Shelley is doing this. Sabin says Shelley didn’t save him during the match. Shelley says he did and they’re off to talk. LeRae tells Gargano to get up and he does so, saying they’re off to the ring.

Uncle Howdy calls out Solo Sikoa, saying he’s going to get back what Sikoa stole. Soon there will be nothing to do but run.

Here are Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae for a chat. Gargano says it’s time for everyone, including him, to remember that he is Johnny Wrestling. The open challenge is on and I think you know who’s coming.

Oba Femi vs. Johnny Gargano

A string of running uppercuts in the corner and the Fall From Grace finish Gargano at 1:02.

Michin and B-Fab want Jade Cargill, who will face Michin next week.

Nick Aldis runs into Danhausen, who wants to be in the Hall Of Fame and a mentor. Aldis says that isn’t his responsibility, and then assigns Miz to do it. Danhausen wants to be WWE Champion and his own TV show, threatening a curse if he doesn’t get it. Danhausen: “Remember what happened to Dom.” Miz goes to yell but Danhausen vanishes.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

We look back at Drew McIntyre beating Cody Rhodes to win the World Title in January. Then McIntyre eliminated Rhodes from the Royal Rumble and cost him the Elimination Chamber, so now Rhodes gets his show anyway.

Smackdown World Title: Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre

McIntyre is defending and rolls outside while the bell is still echoing. The brawl starts in the aisle with Rhodes knocking him over the barricade. A drink to the face has McIntyre in more trouble and they head inside for Rhodes’ drop down uppercut. McIntyre manages a kick to the face and there’s the release belly to belly suplex. They go outside again where Rhodes sends him into the steps, only for McIntyre to cut off the dive.

A side slam drops Rhodes onto the apron and a suplex gives McIntyre two back inside. Rhodes fights back but can’t hit Cross Rhodes, with McIntyre rolling outside again. McIntyre rams the arm into the post a few times and starts working on the arm back inside. A Codebreaker to the arm sets up a big stomp but Rhodes is able to catch him on top with a superplex. Rhodes starts in on the leg but McIntyre grabs the rope to get out of the Figure Four.

McIntyre is already back on the floor, where the suicide dive takes him down again. The announcers’ table is loaded up but McIntyre fights out of Cross Rhodes. The table collapses anyway so of course the fans want tables. They get one set up on the floor, with McIntyre powerbombing Rhodes through it almost immediately. Back in and McIntyre hits a Cross Rhodes for two, so naturally Rhodes hits a Claymore for the same. The referee almost gets bumped a few times so McIntyre pulls him in the way of the Disaster Kick to make sure the bumping ensues.

Rhodes manages Cross Rhodes so another referee comes out, only for McIntyre to score with a Claymore for a very near fall. McIntyre is livid at another referee coming out so he drops said referee with a Glasgow Kiss. The chair is loaded up but here is Jacob Fatu to take it from McIntyre. The Claymore misses though and it’s a Cody Cutter into the Cross Rhodes to make Rhodes a three time champion at 20:40.

Rating: B+. This took its time to get going but wound up being rather good. I do like that they let McIntyre’s reign end off a pay per view quality match, but there wasn’t much for him in the title picture at Wrestlemania. Rhodes vs. Orton is automatically bigger, though making it a four way wouldn’t stun me either. Either way, solid match here and the right move for the title picture.

Rhodes celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show really does not need to be three hours a week. That’s about all I think by the end of these things, as the shows feel drawn out and a lot longer than they should be. Again, it’s part of the problem of having so many people just standing around in backstage segments: at some point they have to get in the ring and carry the fans’ interest but that wasn’t on display in the 25+ minute match.

Now, there were certainly good parts for this, with Charlotte/Bliss and Rhodes getting closer to what are likely Wrestlemania title matches. Ripley/Cargill’s segment was good enough too and I like the main event situation far more now than I did coming in. It’s certainly not an awful show, but it feels every bit of those one hundred and eighty minutes.

Results
Carmelo Hayes b. El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. – Nothing But Net
Charlotte/Alexa Bliss b. Giulia/Kiana James – Natural Selection to Giulia
Damian Priest/R-Truth won Tag Team Turmoil last eliminating Los Garza
Oba Femi b. Johnny Gargano – Fall From Grace
Cody Rhodes b. Drew McIntyre – Cross Rhodes

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 Grab Bag IV
Commentators: Marc Lowrance, Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse Ventura, Abraham Washington, Byron Saxton, Brett DiBiase, Matt Martlaro, Jim Ross, Chris Russo

This has become one of my favorite things to do lately as I’ll be looking at a totally random collection of matches from the WWE (or possibly WCW) Vault YouTube channels. You never know what they’re going to drop and it could be something even I’ve never seen before. We’ll be looking at another eleven matches here so let’s get to it.

From WCCW in Dallas, Texas, February 26, 1983.

Von Erichs vs. Freebirds

Lumberjack match. Hayes bails to the floor to start, which isn’t the most logical way to go in this kind of a match. Kerry and Gordy start things off and trade some fists until it’s quickly off to Hayes for the strutting. Hayes sends him into the buckle but gets punched down for two, meaning it’s off to David vs. Gordy.

David takes over rather quickly and hands it off to Kevin for the nice barefoot dropkick but Gordy sends him into the corner. Roberts comes in to choke on the rope and a pull of the trunks keeps David in trouble. A knee drop gets two and it’s back to Gordy to drive him into the corner. David gets a foot up to cut him off and it’s back to Kerry for the big hot comeback.

A snapmare into a knee drop has Gordy rocked but Roberts is right back in. Kerry gets dropped into a hammerlock and Hayes snaps the arm over the top rope. Hayes gets two off a hammerlock backbreaker and Kerry is sent outside where the lumberjacks…throw him back in without getting violent. Kerry manages the tag off to David and everything breaks down. Kerry and Roberts fight to the floor, leaving Hayes to come off the ropes with an ax handle. Kevin breaks up the cover though and David pins Gordy at 11:41.

Rating: B-. As usual, the match itself was only ok, but what mattered the most here was the crowd’s reaction. Make no mistake about it: nothing came close to getting this much heat in wrestling at this point, which is why WCCW is so fondly remembered to this day. It was the hottest feud in wrestling and that was the case for a very long time. Not great, but very entertaining.

Post match the Freebirds are ticked off before leaving. The Von Erichs thank the fans and want the World Title.

From Evansville, Indiana, February 3, 1998 in a dark match before Raw.

One Man Gang vs. Flanagan

The Gang gets quite the nostalgia pop and is a good bit slimmer than he was back in the day. Gang jumps him to start and chokes with a jacket before hammering away in the corner. Flanagan (Flash Flanagan, a longtime OVW star) comes back with a missile dropkick for one and some clotheslines, only to charge into a side slam. Gang splashes him in the corner but Flanagan is back with the usual assortment of strikes. Flanagan charges into a boot in the corner though and a huge clothesline puts him down again. The 747 finishes Flanagan off at 6:10.

Rating: C-. Oddly enough, the Gang didn’t look terrible here. He was out there doing his thing and looked decent doing it. The match wasn’t particularly good of course as Gang wasn’t great on his best day, but this was far from Earthquake’s disaster of an out of nowhere dark match. The other interesting thing is that Gang was only thirty seven here. It absolutely would not have been insane for him to still be going for a few more years so this was definitely worth a shot.

From New York City, New York, September 23, 1985.

Andre The Giant vs. King Kong Bundy

Yes this is the Colossal Jostle, which is a takeoff of Colossal Tussle, which was the planned name for the show that would eventually be dubbed Wrestlemania. Lou Albano and Jimmy Hart are here too. Andre powers him into the corner for the choke to start, with Bundy bailing out to the floor. Back in and Bundy hammers away in the corner but gets dropped with a quick headbutt. Bundy kicks him in the chest and boots him out to the floor for a change. Back in and Andre grabs an armbar and cranks away. Then he cranks some more.

Then they go to the mat with the cranking continues. We’ve been in this same hold for over three minutes now and there is just nothing happening. Wait, they turned over and rolled into the middle of the ring. Bundy FINALLY gets out of it after about four minutes and is headbutted outside for a heck of a bump. Back in and Andre wins a slugout before…well they might be loading up a tango. Bundy knocks him into the corner for more choking on the ropes but Andre cuts off a charge with a raised boot. Andre sits on Bundy’s chest but Big John Studd runs in for the DQ at 13:52.

Rating: D. Oh sweet goodness no. This was one of those matches where they were trying at the start and they could have done better if it was, say, eight minutes shorter. Having Andre work on the arm for almost a third of the match was quite the choice and it was hardly worth watching. They started fast and it was fun for a few minutes, but then reality set in and it got bad in a hurry.

Post match Andre rolls outside and grabs a chair, which he breaks over a table and chases the monsters off. Given that a ticked off Andre was a terrifying sight, I can’t blame them.

From WWC in Caguas, Puerto Rico, August 6, 1993.

Madusa vs. Luna Vachon

I believe that’s the date, as these two fought a few times in Puerto Rico around this time. They go to the mat to start with Vachon working on a hammerlock but getting reversed into a headscissors. That’s broken up and they head outside, with Madusa being sent (a long way) over the barricade.

Back in and Madusa grabs a slam but gets pulled into a nerve hold to put her back down. Madusa fights up and slaps her in the face a few times, setting up a chinlock. Vachon reverses into one of her own but that’s broken up as well, with Madusa grabbing a superplex for two. Back up and the missile dropkick misses for Madusa, allowing Vachon to get the quick pin at 7:30.

Rating: C-. Not exactly great stuff here, but women’s wrestling in 1993 was a very different universe. You could see the talent in there though and they were absolutely trying. It would have been nice to see things had they done this years later, but for now it’s certainly an interesting look at a rather different wrestling universe.

From New York City, New York, July 7, 2017.

US Title: AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens

Styles is challenging at a house show. Owens stalls a lot before the bell and we’re clipped to more stalling, though the bell singes to have rang. The threat of a wristlock sends Owens bailing to the floor, with Styles following him out. Back in and Owens hammers away but his ram into the corner is blocked. Styles sends him into the buckle instead and they go outside, with Owens being sent crashing down.

Back in and the Phenomenal Forearm misses, allowing Owens to score with the superkick. Some right hands in the corner let Owens load up the Cannonball but Styles rolls outside, leaving Owens to chill on the top rope instead. A clothesline gives Owens two and we hit the chinlock.

We’re clipped to Styles getting pulled back down into the chinlock but he fights up again. A jumping enziguri puts Owens down as well and Styles hits the seated forearm. The belly to back faceplant gives Styles two but Owens bails from the threat of the Styles Clash. Instead Styles goes with the fireman’s carry backbreaker for two and they’re both down again. Another superkick gives Owens two but the Swanton hits raised knees. The Styles Clash gives Styles two and the Phenomenal Forearm connects to give Styles the pin and the title at 13:04 shown.

Rating: B. It’s no surprise that these two had solid chemistry together, but it’s also fascinating to see something like this happen at a house show. That really wasn’t the case most of the time but as usual, the Garden was just different. They had a good match, and Styles winning the title (even though he wouldn’t hold it long) is an easy way to go as Styles can make just about anything work.

Styles gets to celebrate for a long time and spends some time with the fans on the way out for a good moment.

From FCW in 2010/11. This is a bit different as it’s a look back at an entire rivalry with a few matches.

Queen Of FCW/Divas Title: AJ Lee vs. Naomi Knight

From FCW TV, August 29, 2010. Winner take all and that would be the FCW Divas Title, not the main roster version. There are a bunch of Divas watching at ringside too. Lee shoulders her down to start but runs into the Rear View. A backslide with the splits gives Naomi two as commentary is having WAY too much fun looking at these two. Lee flips her over and hits a running knee for two but Naomi blocks a headscissors on the floor. They crash out to the floor and slug it out until it’s a double countout at 2:31.

AJ Lee vs. Naomi Knight

From FCW TV, September 29, 2010 and a non-title lumberjill match. Naomi grabs a headlock to start but gets kicked to the floor, where she is rather aggressively thrown back inside. Lee grabs the chinlock but Naomi sends her outside, where the lumberjills throw her back inside as well. Washington: “That kind of turns me on.” Sweet goodness this guy is insufferable. Back in and a Rear View drops Lee again but she’s right back with a tornado DDT for two. Lee goes up but gets leg lariated out of the air to give Naomi the pin at 3:23.

Rating: C. Not much to see here, but this was a VERY different time for women’s wrestling. These two weren’t exactly given much time (as we’re at less than six minutes over two matches) and while it seems there is a story, it definitely feels like FCW saying “here’s a women’s match”. You need a bit more than that, though this was on the higher level of women’s wrestling at this point.

Divas Title: Naomi Knight vs. AJ Lee

From FCW TV, January 23, 2011 and Naomi is defending. Lee takes over to start and sends Naomi outside. Back in and Lee grabs a chinlock but Naomi fights up without much trouble. A spinning kick to the head gives Naomi two but a slingshot rollup is broken up. Lee knees her in the face for two, followed by the yet to be named Black Widow. That’s reversed into a backbreaker for two more but Lee is back up with a standing Sliced Bread #2 for the pin and title at 5:04.

Rating: C. This got a bit more time and that did help, but there is still only so much to get from this kind of a match. At least they were able to fit in a bit more with Lee evening the series. They’re also getting the chance to showcase their talents more each time and that was a great thing to see, as it was basically a preview of the coming years.

Divas Title: Naomi Knight vs. AJ Lee

From FCW TV, March 13, 2011 and Lee is defending. Lee takes her down into an early Fujiwara armbar. The Rear View connects but Naomi misses a big crossbody into the ropes for a heck of a crash. Lee is right back on the arm but Naomi kicks her down again. Naomi fires off more kicks, only to get kicked down out of the corner. The standing Sliced Bread #2 finishes for Lee at 1:34. Well that was pretty definitive.

From Portland, Maine, July 21, 1992. This is a dark match from a TV taping (they taped shows for different series that day), including the first ever WWF ladder match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.

Undertaker/Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair/Berzerker

Holy Lethal Lottery match! Paul Bearer, Mr. Perfect and Mr. Fuji are here too and this actually aired on a German WWF show later in the year (plus on a Randy Savage Unreleased DVD). We get the big staredown to start until Savage (the WWF Champion) grabs the mic for an OH YEAH. Savage and Flair start things off as we’re over two minutes in with no contact yet.

Flair does the hand slap and then slicks back his hair, meaning it’s finally time to lock up with about two and a half minutes burned off. Savage’s headlock is quickly reversed but he’s right back with a hammerlock. Flair bails to the rope so Savage slaps him in the face to make it more serious. Another slap has Flair down on one knee, with Perfect not exactly happy with any of this.

Flair does a rare leapfrog before getting dropped with a clothesline, meaning it’s off to Undertaker. The forearms and chops in the corner have as much effect as you would expect so Undertaker hits a gorilla press (and seems to stumble a bit as he slams Flair down). It’s off to Berzerker, who gets choked into the corner but knocks Undertaker outside. That’s fine with Undertaker of course, who sends Berzerler’s hands into the steps for some rather hilarious staggering selling.

Back in and Savage’s top rope ax handle gets two but Berzerker tosses him into the corner to take over. Flair comes in for a running chop and we hit the chinlock. Savage is tossed outside for a cheap shot from Perfect and Berzerker gets to toss him outside as well. The ring mats are pulled up and Savage gets caught underneath them for a bit of a weird spot. Back in and Savage gets tied up in the ropes but gets out and crawls over to Undertaker for the big tag. We don’t waste time as it’s a Tombstone to Berzerker, a clothesline to Flair and the big elbow to pin Berzerker at 13:37.

Rating: B-. Oh of course this was fun. There was pretty much no way that they weren’t going to have a good time out there, as it was the always effective idea of combining two feuds into one. I had a good time with this and it’s the kind of rarely seen match that is worth looking at all these years later. Come on. Savage and Berzerker? Undertaker and Flair? What’s not to like?

From Hartford, Connecticut, August 27, 1986, a dark match from a Wrestling Challenge taping.

Hulk Hogan/Junkyard Dog vs. Paul Orndorff/Adrian Adonis

Bobby Heenan, Jimmy Hart and Bob Orton are here too as Lord Alfred Hayes is ring announcer, which oddly works. Orndorff charges at Hogan and hammers away to start but Hogan fights back with right hands of his own. Hogan clears the ring of all the villains, both the legal and illegal ones, before hitting a jumping knee of all things to Orndorff. They fight out the floor with Hogan hammering away even more, followed by Dog coming in for right hands of his own.

The all fours headbutts have the villains down again and the crowd is going insane for all of this. There’s a bunch of trash thrown in and we settle down to Dog vs. Adonis (which thankfully allows Orndorff to fix his trunks, which were riding up). Dog wastes no time in sending Adonis outside, where Orton gets in a cheap shot to take over. Hogan isn’t having that but gets choked by some kind of a belt to put him down again. Back in and Dog headbutts Adonis, who flips around in quite the bump.

A double clothesline drops Adonis again but he’s able to come back with the sleeper. With Dog down, Orndorff adds a top rope fist drop and draws Hogan in like a moron. The chinlock goes on but Dog fights up and a double right hand puts both of them down again. Adonis is right there to cut off the tag though and a jumping elbow hits Dog. That doesn’t do much good though as Dog is up for the tag to Hogan a few seconds later, meaning right hands can come flying. Everything breaks down and Hart’s interference doesn’t work. Instead it’s the big leg to finish Adonis at 9:18.

Rating: B-. More entertaining stuff here, with Hogan of course being over like free beer in a frat house. You could pretty much put anyone with him and have them feel like a huge star, with the Dog already being a big deal on his own. That’s a pretty good situation to have and it worked again here. At the same time, Orndorff was absolutely white hot at this point and the best villain going, with Adonis being more than able to hang in there with anyone. Fun match.

Post match, a lot of posing ensues.

From the NXT pilot at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, December 7, 2011.

Cody Rhodes/Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus/Daniel Bryan

Rhodes is the Intercontinental Champion and says tonight they have defied time because this is tomorrow’s superstars today. This makes you wonder what happens if tomorrow never comes, so what about the current champions? Rhodes asks the people if they know who he is, because he may be the ugly duckling of the Legacy but he is the future of the WWE. He’s ready to define Daniel Bryan but here is Bryan (with banged up ribs and his Money In The Bank briefcase) to cut him off.

With Rhodes’ future wife Eden Stiles out of the way, we’re ready to go. Rhodes shoulders Bryan down to start but gets kicked in the chest for his efforts. That earns Bryan an elbow to the bad ribs, allowing McIntyre to come in and stay on those ribs. Sheamus comes in and gets knocked into the corner by McIntyre. That doesn’t last long as McIntyre is knocked to the apron for the ten forearms. Rhodes is sent outside as well and Bryan adds a running knee from the apron.

We take a break and come back with Bryan giving McIntyre a dragon screw legwhip but McIntyre goes to the ropes to save himself. Back in and Rhodes goes after the ribs, only to get pulled into a surfboard. Rhodes gets rolled up for two and rolls outside, going all the way into the crowd. Sheamus comes in and unloads with forearms to Rhodes’ back, followed by a forearm to knock Rhodes out of the air. McIntyre gets a blind tag and boots Sheamus in the face for two as we take another break.

We come back with Rhodes’ front chancery setting up McIntyre’s suplex for two on Sheamus. It’s back to Rhodes to stomp away in the corner as JR says that Rhodes has the X factor and will be WWE Champion one day. Fair enough actually. Sheamus picks Rhodes up for a toss and it’s back to Bryan to back up the pace, including the running dropkick in the corner. The Swan Dive misses though and Bryan is sent outside for a drop onto the barricade.

Bryan is thrown back in for an abdominal stretch from Rhodes, which includes an elbow to the ribs. McIntyre’s gutbuster gets two and the abdominal stretch goes on again. This time it’s broken up with a hiptoss and they hit stereo crossbodies. Bryan slides through McIntyre’s legs and it’s back to Sheamus for the powerhouse comeback. The Irish Curse gets two on McIntyre with Rhodes making the save as everything breaks down. The Brogue Kick finishes McIntyre at 25:27.

Rating: B. The time helped here as they were able to tell a lot more of a story, which is always appreciated. At the same time, this is a situation where you have four talented wrestlers who were given the chance of showcasing their skills, which was a big deal on this kind of a show. I got into this one and it was indeed worth a look.

Overall Rating: C+. This started slowly but ended well and that made things good enough. The good thing here is that there was a wide variety of matches, which granted is always the high point of these things. It’s another great mixture of what you can see from the Vault and I had fun with it again, which hopefully continues for a very long time.

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