IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: March 13, 2018
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Commentators: Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips

It’s finally time to start the Road to Wrestlemania with the first of four Smackdowns left to go. Tonight’s show is supposed to feature a Shane McMahon announcement about the pay per view, but given the way this company can’t seem to remember to deliver what they advertise, it could be something else entirely. Let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s show if you need a recap.

Here’s AJ Styles to talk about retaining the Smackdown World Title Sunday night. He was in trouble after John Cena put him through the announcers’ table on Sunday. How could he beat the other five superstars when anything goes? It was unbelievable, but not impossible. He found a way and is still WWE Champion. A few years ago, the idea of AJ Styles coming to WWE was unbelievable, just like him being WWE Champion or going to Wrestlemania. Unbelievable, but not impossible.

The fans give him the YOU DESERVE IT chant but AJ says he earned it. Now he’s got the biggest challenge of his title reign at Wrestlemania. AJ may be the everyman outside the ring, but when he steps inside the ring, he is phenomenal. Cue Shinsuke Nakamura to say everyone loves him too. He respects AJ but dreams come true at Wrestlemania. His dream: a knee to AJ’s face and becoming champion. This brings out Rusev of all people and we take a break.

Rusev vs. AJ Styles

Non-title. Rusev throws him into the corner to start so AJ goes after the leg, which Nakamura banged up on Sunday. A right hand rocks Styles though as the power game is working well for Rusev so far. AJ is right back with a dropkick to the floor and the slingshot forearm puts Rusev in trouble. Rusev throws him down again and we take a break.

Back with AJ pulling Rusev off the ropes to send him face first into the turnbuckle. The strikes have Rusev in trouble but AJ can’t hit the fireman’s carry backbreaker. Instead it’s the Machka Kick for two but AJ scores with the Pele. Now the backbreaker works but AJ bangs up his own knee. Rusev can’t get the Accolade so it’s the Calf Crusher instead, drawing Aiden English in for the DQ at 11:18.

Rating: C+. Now that’s a good way to set up the title match: Nakamura could pin Rusev but Styles can only beat him via DQ, even when Rusev was banged up in the match on Sunday. Let them build up the idea that Styles is phenomenal but Nakamura might be a step better. That’s a great way to go, assuming this wasn’t an accident.

Nakamura takes his time but makes the save.

We see the Bludgeon Brothers attacking the Usos and the New Day.

Big E. wishes he could say the New Day won the titles and were spending tonight filling Corey Graves’ car with pancakes. That’s not the case though, because his friends are both injured. Jimmy Uso comes in and says they’re taking care of the Bludgeon Brothers tonight.

Kid Rock Hall of Fame video.

Styles tells Nakamura that he didn’t need the help. Nakamura disagrees and will be there to help Styles until Wrestlemania.

Jimmy Uso/Big E. vs. Bludgeon Brothers

The makeshift team jumps the Brothers in the aisle and grab a pair of chairs. The Brothers grab the hammers to knock the chairs away and we take a break before the bell. Back from a break with the opening bell and Harper plants Big E. with a Boss Man Slam. Big E. slips over and makes the hot tag to Jimmy so things can speed up. Harper gets rocked with uppercuts and superkicks but Jimmy goes after Rowan. The distraction is enough for Harper to kick Jimmy in the face and a double powerbomb ends Jimmy at 2:34. This was exactly what it needed to be.

The Brothers keep up the destruction after the match.

We look at Shane McMahon costing Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens the title at Fastlane.

Sami says he’s known Owens for years but then he played him like a fiddle on Sunday. It was only because of Shane that he didn’t become champion and Sami will never pay the price again.

Here’s Charlotte to call out Asuka for a face to face meeting. Charlotte welcomes her to Smackdown and thinks she (as in Charlotte) should have been careful what she wished for. She’s been defending the title around the world and no, she’s never faced anyone like Asuka. The thing is though, Asuka has never faced anyone like Charlotte. WOO! Asuka says she picked Charlotte because she likes a challenge. Charlotte is a queen but Asuka is an empress. She bows to no one because no one is ready for Asuka. And….that’s it. Kind of an abrupt finish but this was good stuff to help set up the big match.

New US Champion Randy Orton comes out for a chat. He’s been called a lot of things, but for the first time ever he’s the United States Champion. Orton praises Bobby Roode as a tough competitor but he’s taking this title to Wrestlemania. This brings out Roode to say he’ll be having his rematch at Wrestlemania. Cue Jinder Mahal to also congratulate Orton on his title win. He’ll beat Roode just like he did to Orton last week.

Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal

The very early threat of a Glorious DDT sends Mahal outside and we take an early break. Back with Roode slugging away and hitting a running forearm. A neckbreaker puts Mahal down and a top rope clothesline does it again. Roode gets two off the Blockbuster but walks into a superkick for the same. Sunil Singh offers a distraction and Roode gets crotched, setting up the Khallas to pin Roode at 6:26.

Rating: D+. Well duh. Everyone knew that Mahal would get involved with this shindig and there was nothing we could do to stop it. Now that Mahal is no longer World Champion, it’s fair to say how much he manages to suck the life out of everything he touches. This is no exception and it’s getting even worse every single week.

Post match Orton gives Mahal the RKO.

Owens rants about how he was screwed over on Sunday because Sami knows he can’t beat him otherwise.

Fabulous Moolah battle royal video. They’re going to have some real issues defending Moolah in the coming weeks.

Carmella vs. Naomi

Before the match, Carmella enters the battle royal and teases cashing in the briefcase at Wrestlemania. Naomi throws her into the corner to start but gets taken down so Carmella can stand on the hair. The hair is pulled around the ropes so Naomi comes up slapping hard. A kick to the face sends Carmella down but she breaks up some kind of a springboard. Carmella pulls her down by the hair and grabs a rollup for the pin at 2:54. This wasn’t very good but at least Carmella gets some momentum.

Here’s Shane for his big announcement. He recaps the entire story between himself, Owens and Zayn before saying that he’s taking a leave of absence as Commissioner. Before he goes though, Shane makes Owens vs. Zayn for Wrestlemania. This brings out Owens with his head shaking. Before he can say much though, here’s Sami to interrupt. Sami doesn’t like Shane listening to the fans but doesn’t seem pleased that Shane is leaving.

Shane doesn’t understand this as he just gave them what they wanted. Owens does appreciate it, but thinks Shane will appreciate this too. The double beatdown is on and Owens hits a Pop Up Powerbomb and it’s time for a chair. They wrap it around Shane’s neck and ram it into the post before dragging him to the back. Shane gets powerbombed onto a big metal box and sounds like he can barely breathe. A stretcher is brought in to end the show. I’m sure Shane will be perfectly fine enough for Bryan to add him to the match and make it a triple threat.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a show that did what it needed to do. The promos here were very good and the matches were little more than filler. You don’t need to have big, long matches to set up stuff this close to Wrestlemania so just base everything on the talking. AJ vs. Nakamura is finally getting some focus and the other stories are getting good too. It’s pretty clear that Bryan is going to add Shane to make it a triple threat but at least Shane might be out long enough to not take up a bunch of TV time. Do more of this kind of show over the next three weeks and they could still manage to build things up quite well.

Results

AJ Styles b. Rusev via DQ when Aiden English interfered

Bludgeon Brothers b. Jimmy Uso/Big E. – Double powerbomb to Uso

Jinder Mahal b. Bobby Roode – Khallas

Carmella b. Naomi – Rollup

Remember to check out my new forum at steelcageforums.com, follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Fastlane 2018
Date: March 11, 2018
Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves

So this is a thing that exists for reasons that I don’t quite grasp. With four weeks to go before Wrestlemania, we have this stop for the final Smackdown pay per view before the big show. The main event is a Six Pack Challenge for the Smackdown World Title as there was no other way to break things up and add another match to a six match card. Let’s get to it.

Here’s this week’s Smackdown if you need a recap.

Kickoff Show: Tye Dillinger/Breezango vs. Mojo Rawley/Chad Gable/Shelton Benjamin

Gable throws Breeze down to start and calls him a joke. Just don’t insult his shoes. Fandango comes in and puts on some amateur wrestling headgear, allowing Gable to take him down as well. It’s back to Breeze so Gable drops down to give him a shot. Breeze rides him like a horse and the good guys clear the ring in short order. Gable comes back in with a hard monkey flip and we go to an early break.

Back with Shelton working on Breeze’s arm before it’s off to Gable for some shots to the face. Another armbar sets up an overhead belly to belly for two with Fandango making the save. Mojo takes over on Tyler and knocks Fandango into the barricade but a hot tag brings in Tye. Dillinger comes in and cleans house as everything breaks down. Gable rolls Tye up (in what seemed to be an incomplete Rolling Chaos Theory) for two but Breeze is right there with the Beauty Shot. Tye superkicks Rawley and hits his one kneed Codebreaker for the pin at 7:26.

Rating: C+. I liked this one better than most Kickoff Show matches I can remember seeing. They were actually trying to put in some effort out there, mainly in hope of getting some attention on Smackdown. It’s not like anyone has paid attention to them in recent weeks because of the Six Pack Challenge eating up the time, so hopefully a hot match helps things out a bit.

The opening video looks at Wrestlemania with tonight being the last chance to get there. Especially if you’re John Cena you see. Every match gets a little time here, which isn’t that hard to do.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev

Aiden English is back to sing Rusev to the ring. Rusev wristlocks him to start and actually works on an armbar for a bit. A shot to the face staggers Rusev but he avoids the big kick to the head. Instead a knee drop gives Nakamura two as the announcers discuss a potential Nakamura day.

Nakamura has to spin out of another wristlock as this is far more technical than you might have expected. A little dance sets up COME ON but Rusev rolls outside to cut off the momentum. I always wanted someone to do that to Hogan back in the day. Nakamura follows him out this time and it’s a knee to the back of the neck to rock Rusev. A hard drive into the barricade cuts Nakamura off though and it’s time to start in on the back.

Rusev gets caught in a quick heel hook but is right back up and working on the back again. Nakamura shrugs them off again and slaps on a guillotine but gets caught in a fall away slam. They trade missed kicks until Kinshasa misses. Instead it’s Nakamura slipping out of the Accolade, followed by the kick to the head. The Machka Kick gets two, only to have Nakamura hit Kinshasa for the pin at 14:51.

Rating: B. They were beating the heck out of each other here and it was actually a heck of a match. This is the kind of thing that Nakamura has been needing: to beat someone with a resume in a competitive, hard hitting match. Why have we been stuck with video packages when this is what we could be seeing? That makes no sense but it’s all they’ve been doing as of late. Better late than never with this, but this needs to be happening every week now.

We recap the US Title match. There isn’t much to this one: Bobby Roode is champion, Randy Orton has never held the title and Jinder Mahal is lurking around for whatever reason.

US Title: Randy Orton vs. Bobby Roode

Roode is defending and we get Big Match Intros. They fight over a wristlock to start (FIND SOMETHING NEW ALREADY) and Roode throws him into the corner, setting up the GLORIOUS pose. That just earns Roode an elbow to the face and we hit that RKO chant. They trade some hard shots to the face/chest until the threat of an RKO sends Roode bailing to the floor.

With Mahal watching in the back, Orton drapes Roode ribs first over the ropes for two. Roode kicks him away though and grabs a chinlock for quite a bit of spot calling. Roode’s ribs won’t let him hit a suplex so Orton gives him one instead. A neckbreaker is more Roode’s speed and he follows up with a top rope clothesline. The Glorious DDT is reversed into a rollup for two and Roode needs a breather.

Roode scores with a Blockbuster for two but the ribs are banged up all over again. There’s the hanging DDT to keep the back and forth style going but neither can hit a finisher. They head outside with Roode being dropped back first onto the barricade (you can’t say Orton doesn’t have a target) and that means it’s time for the superplex. Roode is ready though (could be due to every Orton ever using that move) and reverses into a sunset powerbomb for a big crash.

This time it’s Roode going up top and getting crotched back down, meaning the superplex works on the second attempt. Roode kicks out again so it’s time for the slower paced punches. The Glorious DDT doesn’t work so Roode goes with the spinebuster for two instead. With nothing else working, Roode goes up top….and dives right into the RKO to give Orton the pin and the title at 19:30.

Rating: B. This was better than I would have bet on, though I’m not looking forward to the triple threat match next month. I’m assuming this is all designed to push Mahal because something about India (because it worked SO well last year) or just to get another multi-man match at Wrestlemania. At least we got one good singles match though and now we can move on to the REAL wrestling that fans want to see.

Post match Jinder Mahal comes down and jumps Randy but Roode gives them both Glorious DDT’s. So yeah, we really are getting that triple threat at Wrestlemania. Why? No idea really but WWE loves its triple threats and its Jinder Mahal so there’s no way around it.

Here’s a long recap on HHH/Stephanie McMahon vs. Kurt Angle/Ronda Rousey to fill in some time.

Kevin Owens yells at Sami Zayn for not laying down on Tuesday but Sami only meant he’d do it here. Everything is fine.

Natalya/Carmella vs. Naomi/Becky Lynch

This was added to the show on Tuesday. Becky rolls Carmella up to start but can’t get an early Disarm-Her. It’s off to Naomi and Natalya with the former kicking Natalya down for two. Carmella comes in and sends Naomi into the corner before rubbing her face into the mat. Carmella: “FEEL THE GLOW!” We hit the chinlock as the announcers tease Carmella cashing in Money in the Bank tonight. With that chinlock having run its course, Natalya comes in for one of her own.

Carmella grabs Naomi’s ponytail and pulls it over the ropes, followed by a running knee to the head. Naomi backflips out of a belly to back suplex though and the hot tag brings in Becky (who happens to be wearing flame attire so the hot tag fits well). Everything breaks down and Natalya tries to bring in the briefcase. The distraction only kind of works though as Becky drops her with a right hand but Carmella superkicks her for the pin at 8:50.

Rating: D+. Well at least there’s something to giving Carmella some momentum heading into the cash-in, which very well may come at Wrestlemania. This was pure filler though and there’s not much hiding it given how fast the match was set up. I do like getting the women on the show though and it’s nice to have them actually doing something other than just having the title on the line.

New Day auditions to host next year’s Kids’ Choice Awards, capped off by getting slimed.

We recap the Usos vs. New Day. They had a great feud last year and capped it off with their final match but since the tag division has all of four teams, we’re back to it again. This time the Usos are obsessed with getting a Wrestlemania match because the Kickoff Shows don’t matter.

Tag Team Titles: Usos vs. New Day

New Day, comprised of Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods this time, are challenging. An early blind tag sets up a shot to drop Woods in short order (at least it wasn’t a wristlock) and New Day is in trouble. The champs do their own version of the Unicorn Stampede and Graves won’t have Saxton interfering in his analysis.

Woods rolls over and brings in Kofi for a Boom Drop but Trouble in Paradise is caught in the air. A running Umaga Attack rocks Jey in the corner so it’s Jimmy coming in with a pop up Samoan drop. Jimmy hits his own Boom Drop as they’re certainly doing something different here. A Midnight Hour gets two on Kofi and things settle back down. Jimmy misses a corner splash and the hot tag brings in Woods.

This time it’s the Usos being knocked around, allowing Kofi to get two off a Superfly Splash. Jimmy saves his brother from the double Superfly Splash (that would be the next step) and it’s a BIG double dive onto New Day. Everyone is down….so here are the Bludgeon Brothers to attack all four for a no contest at 9:07.

Rating: B-. Give this an ending and it’s another instant classic. They were starting to roll here and actually had a fresh idea for the match, which I never would have thought coming into this. I mean, of course it’s designed to set up another triple threat match because that’s what we do around here, but at least we got most of a good match here.

Post match, destruction ensues as we set up another triple threat at Wrestlemania. The Usos are both crushed with Rowan slamming Harper onto them both and a double splash. Woods gets powerbombed onto the steps to knock him cold.

Long video on Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar. You have to get to that overrun somehow.

AJ Styles is ready to make the impossible phenomenal again but Nakamura interrupts. They’re ready for each other at Wrestlemania.

New Day and the Usos are still being taken out of the arena.

We recap Charlotte vs. Ruby Riott. Ruby debuted a few months back with the Riott Squad and wants to prove that Charlotte’s greatness is just a myth. She’s defeated most of the other women and now just the champ is left. This has been a much better build than you get most of the time because it makes sense: Ruby wants the title and has won a bunch of matches to get the shot. Why is that so complicated?

Women’s Title: Charlotte vs. Ruby Riott

Riott is challenging. They both try an early finisher before going to the standard wristlock. Charlotte takes over with the power but here’s the Riott Squad for a distraction. A quick Riott Kick gives Ruby two and Charlotte is sent outside. Cue Becky and Naomi for backup to cut off the Squad, allowing Charlotte to score with a slingshot suplex (with Graves crediting it to Uncle Tully).

Riott drops her again though and falls off the middle rope (on purpose) onto the champ. We’re off to the chinlock for a good while but another falling splash hits Charlotte’s knees. Charlotte loads up the moonsault but gets shoved outside. Ruby follows her so Charlotte goes with (and mostly misses) the moonsault off the barricade instead. Back in and a hurricanrana takes Charlotte down but she bails into the corner.

The Squad teases interfering so Becky and Naomi get in, meaning a quadruple ejection. Ruby gets two off a small package but gets caught in an electric chair. Instead of dropping her back though, Charlotte whips her face first into the turnbuckle. A spear into the Figure Eight retains the title at 13:38.

Rating: C+. This was all it needed to be: Riott coming close but losing in the end. With Asuka vs. Charlotte all but set for Wrestlemania, what would the point be in having a surprise title change here? Riott looked good in defeat and the match was rather entertaining, although I could have gone without having the other four interfere. Sometimes one on one is ok, which WWE doesn’t seem to comprehend.

Post match Charlotte is celebrating when Asuka interrupts. She motions that she wants the title and points to the sign. Works for me.

Trailer for the Andre the Giant documentary.

We recap the Smackdown World Title match. AJ wants to go to Wrestlemania and a bunch of people want the title as well. Sami Zayn has volunteered to lay down for Kevin Owens, who deserves to be champion. John Cena needs a path to Wrestlemania and this is his LAST way to get there. Or something.

Smackdown World Title: John Cena vs. Baron Corbin vs. AJ Styles, Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler

Styles is defending, Commissioner Shane McMahon is at ringside and it’s one fall to a finish. We hit the Big Match Intros and Cena gives everyone not named Styles (or in a referee shirt) an AA in about thirty seconds. Cena and Styles slug it out with AJ flipping out of an AA attempt. The Clash is countered into another failed AA so Styles gets to the apron. Everyone is back up and circles Cena, who suddenly gets the idea.

Cena is sent outside and the other five are left to brawl on their own. AJ and Owens are left inside and it’s Styles planting him face first to take over. Corbin comes back in and we’re firmly in the rapid fire replacements as AJ keeps clearing them out. It’s Owens finally getting in a shot to the head and knocking Styles outside. Cena is back in but Ziggler cuts him off with a DDT.

Owens frog splashes Ziggler for two and Styles has to run in with a save. Styles strikes away at Owens and hits the Pele but it’s too early for the Styles Clash. There’s a chokebreaker to Owens as we hit the parade of secondary finishers. The AA is countered into a Fameasser for two on Ziggler and AJ has to break up the STF. Cena gets caught in the Styles Clash for two with Sami making a save this time around.

Corbin punches Sami out of the air to break up a springboard and the Dream Crusher (that sliding clothesline) takes Owens down. Since there are too many people in the match, Corbin and Ziggler fight into the crowd and are thrown through some hockey boards. Back at ringside, Owens loads up the announcers’ table but gets kicked in the head. AJ clotheslines Sami into the timekeeper’s area but Cena AA’s AJ through another table.

Back in and Kevin sends Cena to the floor, leaving the Sami vs. Kevin showdown. Sami says he’s a man of his word and takes forever to lay down. Kevin isn’t sure what to do but has to kick out of the surprise rollup. The fight is on and Shane seems pleased so Sami yells at him and Kevin superkicks the boss. Sami dives through the ropes for the tornado DDT on Owens and everyone is down.

There’s the Pop Up Powerbomb to Ziggler but Shane pulls the referee out at two. A Helluva Kick gets the same on Owens with Shane making another save. Corbin is back up with some steps to Cena’s head but Cena takes them away and decks Cena with them instead. An AA onto the steps gets two with Ziggler diving in for the save this time around. The superkick to Cena is no sold and there’s an AA to Ziggler. Owens gives Cena the Pop Up Powerbomb but Styles comes in with the Phenomenal Forearm to pin Kevin at 20:57.

Rating: B+. Yeah it was a lot of fun, and much better than the one they did on Tuesday. You know, the one that was almost this match but with nothing on the line. They also benefited from focusing on other stuff besides the drama of a new champion, which clearly wasn’t in the cards tonight. This was more in the vein of sit back and enjoy and that’s where they should have gone. I still don’t like this as the way they went, but at least it was really fun.

Shane shakes his head and Cena sits in the corner because that’s still a thing. AJ looks at the sign to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Honestly, as much as I complained about not caring for the show coming in, the rating doesn’t surprise me. WWE has a tendency to knock it out of the park with the least interesting shows and that’s what they did here. This was a blast (no overrun, thank goodness) and had a bunch of fun stuff. Some stuff was set up for Wrestlemania (the most important thing) but overall, just a fun night of wrestling. Great show, even if it didn’t mean anything in the long run.

Results

Shinsuke Nakamura b. Rusev – Kinshasa

Randy Orton b. Bobby Roode – RKO

Carmella/Natalya b. Naomi/Becky Lynch – Superkick to Natalya

Usos vs. New Day went to a no contest when the Bludgeon Brothers interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

It’s almost the middle of March and for some reason we’re talking about a pay per view that isn’t Wrestlemania. Due to the calendar going the way it’s set up, we have a “Smackdown Live” pay per view to get through, leaving us four weeks to get ready for “Wrestlemania XXXIV”. WWE hasn’t exactly done much to make this show look good, but of course we have to deal with it as well. Therefore, “Fastlane 2018” comes off more as something that we have to do rather than something I’m likely to enjoy. Let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s Smackdown if you need a recap.

Tag Team Titles: Usos(c) vs. New Day

I know this seems like little more than a way to fill in time before the Bludgeon Brothers take the titles but at least we should be having a great match on the way in. These teams have some of the best chemistry in WWE today and their previous matches have been nothing short of outstanding. I could go for watching these teams for days and thankfully they’ve taken some time off so the feud doesn’t get stale.

I’m going to take the Usos to win here, as the New Day just doesn’t need to win the titles. Above all else though, they’re better opponents for the Bludgeon Brothers down the line. They’re tailor made to get in the Brothers’ faces and then get beaten later on. New Day would make the team too much of a joke and that’s not the way you want to go with a team like the Bludgeon Brothers. Either way, great match, which is exactly why you put these four together.

Becky Lynch/Naomi vs. Carmella/Natalya

This is a match that was tacked on to the card earlier this week and I’m really not sure what the purpose is, aside from reminding us that Carmella and her Money in the Bank briefcase exist. Carmella hasn’t been much of a factor in recent weeks and this match doesn’t feel like the biggest deal in the world. At least it’s going to fill in some time though and we’re at a point where you can trust these four to give you ten minutes of good to quite good action.

I’ll take Lynch and Naomi for the win here as there’s not much of a point to the match. Odds are this goes on after Usos vs. New Day for the sake of letting the fans cool down a bit before the main event. Natalya is going to be fine for a spot here and Lynch/Naomi are both great at firing up the crowd. Carmella is a good character and passable in the ring so the match should be fine, albeit nothing worth remembering.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev

Here’s the second match that was added to the pay per view on this week’s “Smackdown Live” and that’s not the best thing in the world. Nakamura is coming up on a Smackdown World Title match at “Wrestlemania XXXIV” and for some reason this is his highest profile match since winning the Royal Rumble over a month ago. It’s like they’ve forgotten about him for some reason. Speaking of forgotten about, I won’t even bother getting into the rant about how Rusev has been treated like an afterthought since striking gold with Rusev Day.

Of course Nakamura wins here and there’s not much of a doubt about that whatsoever. Nakamura is just a bigger deal and Rusev is glorified cannon fodder for him at the moment. Let Nakamura get a big win (well, biggish) under his belt before he goes after AJ Styles and the title. He should be against a bigger name but take what he can get here, which is a sad thing to say about the #1 contender.

US Title: Bobby Roode(c) vs. Randy Orton

Now this one I’m not sure about. In theory this is designed to set up another match down the line with Jinder Mahal added to the mix (save us now) but at the moment, it’s just a solo effort. Roode is starting to find his groove as the champion but at the end of the day, Orton is Orton. They’re playing up the idea that Orton has never won the title, though the question is whether that’s enough to change things here.

I’m thinking no, as I’m expecting Mahal to interfere and cost Orton the match. Orton complains and a triple threat rematch is made for “Wrestlemania”. This isn’t exactly thrilling stuff as there’s little reason for Roode to want to face Orton, though at least Orton has a reason to go after the title. This could be a pleasant surprise, but it completely depends on which Orton shows up.

Women’s Title: Charlotte(c) vs. Ruby Riott

While I don’t see the ending as being in doubt, this one intrigues me quite a bit. This match is going to be a way to test Riott’s abilities in a big match and that could open some doors for her in the future. Charlotte is capable of having some of the best matches with anyone and it would be nice to see what she can get out of Riott.

Of course I’m going with Charlotte to retain here as most signs seem to point towards her defending against Asuka at “Wrestlemania”. This can be a nice tuneup for the champ before she heads to New Orleans, but again I’m more interested in Riott here. She’s done well on the mic and her matches have been better, so it should be interesting to give her a shot on a much bigger stage against a better opponent. Maybe she can make something of it and if that’s the case, well done.

Smackdown World Title: AJ Styles(c) vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena

If one match sums up every problem that I have with WWE’s booking in one long list of names, this is it. Instead of writing up a more interesting story or having two of these people in a singles match with a feud of their own or even having one of them face Nakamura, everyone is thrown into one mess of a match. Why have creative be creative when you can have them be, well, not creative?

Styles retains here, but the more interesting question is what happens to everyone else. You can almost guarantee Owens and Zayn having issues that are going to lead to something between the two of them, but the others are all just kind of there. Cena won’t be going to “Wrestlemania” because this is his LAST option (until a gong sounds of course) and that really leaves Styles as the best option (Ziggler and Corbin winning is laughable). This is all about Styles winning and a lack of effort otherwise, but that’s a rant for another time.

Overall Thoughts

I think I’ve made my take on this show pretty clear already. A week or so ago I dubbed this show Speed Bump because it’s slowing things down instead of moving us forward to something actually worthwhile. There’s some stuff on this show that interests me but at the same time, the show feels like something we’re getting through rather than something worth watching. I just want to get it done and move on to something actually worthwhile, like Wrestlemania for example.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: March 6, 2018
Location: Resch Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Commentators: Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips

It’s the go home show for Fastlane and that means we can finally move towards Wrestlemania. However, we still have quite a big of stuff to get through first and that means a lot of work tonight. There’s a good chance John Cena will be in town but the rest of the matches need some attention too. Let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s show if you need a recap.

Charlotte and Ruby Riott are brought out for an opening chat. Ruby cuts Dasha Fuentes off and says this started on November 14, 2017 when Charlotte won the Smackdown Women’s Title. Charlotte is the perfect person to be the top star of the women’s division but then Ruby saw the myth fall apart. It was a week later that Ruby started the Riott Squad with the sole purpose of destroying Charlotte’s myth.

Charlotte talks about how just being good isn’t enough because she has to transcend everything. That’s what she’s done and now she’s become the best ever. Ruby says that’s all on the line Sunday and when Charlotte loses, she’ll be just another bleach blonde with a famous last name. The Squad gets in the ring but here’s Bobby Roode to scare them off and to do commentary on the next match. Good promo here, but it should have been for a Wrestlemania match instead of a Fastlane match.

Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal

Roode is on commentary. Mahal’s bio talks about his hometown and the languages he speaks. Even WWE wants you to forget he was World Champion. Orton elbows him in the face to start but it’s too early for the RKO. Instead Mahal bails to the floor as we take a break. Back with Mahal hitting a jumping knee to the face and grabbing a chinlock.

Orton fights up and hits the powerslam but Mahal bails to the floor to avoid the hanging DDT. Randy drops the remaining Singh Brother onto the announcers’ table for old times’ sake before throwing Mahal into Roode. Back in and Orton loads up the RKO, only to have Roode get on the apron. Another knee sends Orton into Roode and the Khallas gives Jinder the pin at 10:02.

Rating: D+. Egads I’m having flashbacks to last year. I’m sure this is going to set up a US Title shot for Mahal either on Sunday or down the line and it’s really not much better than the World Title push. Mahal continues to be the least interesting in-ring performer with a push that I’ve seen in a very long time. There’s just nothing there and it’s not getting any better.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are in the back with Kevin mentioning Sami offering to lay down for him. Sami sticks with what he said and says Owens is just a single win away from going to Wrestlemania. Owens hugs him and smiles.

Baron Corbin is ready to make John Cena’s Wrestlemania (and yes the sign pops up on the screen when he says it) dream a nightmare.

Video on the Usos vs. New Day feud.

Shinsuke Nakamura is ready to go to Wrestlemania when Rusev Day comes in. Rusev is upset that Nakamura has damaged Aiden English and challenges him to a match at Fastlane to make up for it. Nakamura accepts and promises that Sunday will be Nakamura Day. Rusev: “You can’t just make up your own holiday.” I’ll take what I can get.

Last week, Becky Lynch said she could make Carmella tap out.

Becky Lynch vs. Carmella

Carmella sends her into the corner to start and rubs Becky’s face into the mat. An upside down triangle choke keeps Becky in trouble and Carmella shouts about being Ms. Money in the Bank. Becky is sent into the barricade and a knee to the face gets two. A chinlock doesn’t last very long as Becky fights up and grabs the Bexploder. The Disarm-Her makes Carmella tap at 5:17.

Rating: C-. Your likely future Women’s Champion ladies and gentlemen. That’s how Money in the Bank works: lose all the time (or at least when you get on TV) and then win the title because HAHA CONTRACTS AND SUCH! Carmella is getting better but I’d really rather have her lose the cash-in. It’s just not there yet, especially when the big names are around on Smackdown.

Naomi is glad for Becky to win when Natalya comes in for one of those completely unnatural exchanges where no one talks like this. Another match is set for Sunday with Natalya/Carmella vs. Naomi/Becky.

Saudi Arabia Rumble announcement.

Fastlane rundown.

Here’s AJ Styles for a chat before his match. He’s the WWE Champion but on Sunday he doesn’t have to get pinned to lose his title. It’s no surprise that the odds are stacked against him again but he’s not going to say it’s not fair. Styles lost to John Cena last week so here’s a clip from last night with Cena saying the seventeenth title is coming on Sunday. Back in the arena, AJ says he doesn’t want a rematch at Wrestlemania and that’s not what the fans want either. AJ wants to face the best at Wrestlemania and that means Shinsuke Nakamura.

Cue Dolph Ziggler, who faces AJ tonight, to say AJ used to be cool. It took AJ ten years to get to the house that Ziggler built. Ziggler says AJ is losing on Sunday because he doesn’t have his head on straight. AJ is doing this for the people and they’ll stab him in the back. Over the years, Ziggler has faced one road block after another but he’s overcome all of them (oh come on) and eventually because World Heavyweight Champion. Somehow he’s never had a singles match at Wrestlemania so AJ can shove his Wrestlemania dream match. Ziggler is already a heel again. That’s some Big Show turning speed.

AJ Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler

Non-title. Ziggler bails from a Clash attempt in the first five seconds and they start all over again. AJ actually wins an amateur exchange but gets caught with a dropkick to the face. The chinlock slows AJ down for a bit, only to have him come right back up with a dropkick of his own. A slingshot forearm to the floor drops Ziggler again and we take a break. Back with Ziggler in control and backdropping AJ for two.

AJ’s basement forearm gets two but Ziggler is right back with a Fameasser for the same. They head to the apron with AJ being sent hard into the post as we take another break. Back again with Ziggler pulling AJ off the top but not being able to hit his own Styles Clash. Instead AJ tries a superkick but gets countered into a not great Zig Zag for another near fall. Cue Sami and Kevin for the no contest at 16:38.

Rating: B-. Ziggler’s promo issues aside, this wasn’t too bad, especially with the right ending. They need to keep Ziggler strong and having AJ lose twice in a row was unacceptable. If nothing else though, I’m not sure why Sami and Kevin wouldn’t want these two to beat each other up even more. Good match with time at least though and that helps.

Post match here’s Shane McMahon to make a match, but since it wouldn’t be fair to have a regular match, let’s make it a five way with everyone in the ring plus this man.

AJ Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin

Non-title again. So it’s the pay per view match we were set to have until a week ago. Joined in progress with Sami sending AJ into the barricade until Baron starts beating everyone up. Corbin gets sent outside and Owens backsplashes Ziggler for two while Sami stands by and watches.

Owens and Sami clear the ring and hug until Owens has to go kick Corbin in the face. AJ comes back in and drops Owens before enziguring Sami down to take us to a break. Back with Sami getting the worst of a Tower of Doom until Corbin gets up for the running clotheslines. Sami gives Ziggler the Blue Thunder Bomb for two with AJ making the save.

Kevin’s Cannonball crushes Ziggler and the Vader Bomb elbow gets two more on Dolph. A superkick drops Sami for two with AJ making the save, only to get punched out of the air by Corbin. Ziggler takes a chokebreaker and Owens charges into Deep Six for two with AJ making another save. The moonsault into the reverse DDT drops Zayn but AJ and Ziggler are sent outside. Sami hits a quick Helluva Kick to put Owens away at 15:03.

Rating: C+. There’s an episode of the Flintstones where Barney and Fred stumble onto a TV set. The director doesn’t have enough good guys to fight the bad guys. He says what difference does the story make as long as there’s a fight. That’s what this kind of match makes me think of: completely random action with maybe a tiny bit of storytelling thrown in. This might benefit Sami a bit but having a five way match to set up a six way seems rather questionable.

Post match Sami is asked why and says that’s a vague question. Sami says he’s the best WWE has to offer and is the most underlooked (Is that a word?) performer on the roster. Tonight was about proving that he’s the best and….we’re cut off in what seemed like mid-promo to end the show. I guess they underlooked the rest of it.

Overall Rating: C. The last half hour gave the show a push in the direction they wanted to go but that’s not exactly interesting stuff. All I want to do right now is get Fastlane out of the way so we can move on to Wrestlemania. This show worked as a go home show for Fastlane but Fastlane is much more of a nuisance than something I want to see. Get us on to Wrestlemania already as we’re going to have four weeks to set up the biggest show of the year. But at least get the March pay per view out of the way.

Results

Jinder Mahal b. Randy Orton – Khallas

Becky Lynch b. Carmella – Disarm-Her

AJ Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler went to a no contest when Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn interfered

Sami Zayn b. AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler – Helluva Kick to Owens

Remember to check out my new forum at steelcagewrestling.com and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: March 1, 2018
Location: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

The show is in a weird place this week as we have the build to Wrestlemania beginning on the Raw side but Smackdown has another pay per view to get through before it can head for New Orleans. Hopefully Smackdown at least gets some attention this week, but you never can tell. Let’s get to it.

Here’s this week’s Raw

And this week’s Smackdown

Opening sequence.

Akira Tozawa vs. Ariya Daivari

Tozawa starts with the chops and yelling stomps in the corner. The backsplash gets two but Daivari gets in a neckbreaker for his first offense. A backbreaker onto the knee sets up a chinlock but Tozawa is back up with a Shining Wizard. It’s too early for the backsplash so Tozawa settles for the suicide dive. Back in and a missile dropkick gives Tozawa two, only to eat a superkick. Daivari runs up top so the frog splash can get two. Not that it matters as Tozawa kicks him in the head and drops the top rope backsplash for the pin at 6:20.

Rating: C-. Can we please find someone else for the cruiserweights to beat up? I’ve seen it happen to Daivari so many times now that it’s really hard to care. Tozawa has been lost in the shuffle as of late and that’s a shame because he really is one of the best performers on the roster. Get him out there more often, if nothing else to make people look good.

Package on the men’s Elimination Chamber match. They’re never going to mention Strowman destroying Reigns after the match again are they?

From Raw.

Here’s Roman Reigns for the showdown with Lesnar. Actually never mind, because Reigns says something happened and Lesnar isn’t here. It’s not like it would matter as Lesnar doesn’t show up unless he’s getting paid. Lesnar hides behind his contract and shows up when he feels like it. Last night, Lesnar was in Las Vegas but he was running around with Dana White from the UFC.

Reigns is going to get in trouble for this but he’s here every single week no matter what. He cares about this place and doesn’t just call himself a businessman like Lesnar and Heyman. He’s going to go to the back and take his yelling like a man because he actually cares about this place. This was a few years late, but it’s Roman’s best promo ever. Build this up as a fight and it’s a much more interesting main event.

Also from Raw.

Here’s John Cena to discuss his path to Wrestlemania. Last night he failed in the Elimination Chamber and then had a microphone shoved in his face. He wasn’t sure what to say but now he’s figured it out. After all these failures in the Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber, it’s time for a Wrestlemania challenge. It’s time for John Cena to challenge THE UNDERTAKER for Wrestlemania.

The place goes nuts but Cena says that’s not happening either. Cena doesn’t make the matches around here and has been told that match is impossible. Therefore, his road to Wrestlemania now goes through Smackdown, because Cena is a free agent. He’ll be there tomorrow night to earn a spot, so see you then. It’s a good thing we can’t see Cena, because he’s sounding really dumb right now. Apparently everyone without a match right now has failed, meaning everyone but Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, Lesnar and Reigns have failed. Just please don’t be Undertaker. Please.

From Smackdown.

Here’s John Cena to open things up. He makes no bones about it: he wants in on the Fatal Five Way for the #1 contendership at Fastlane so let’s find out what he has to do to get there. Fans: “NO! NO! NO!” Cue Commissioner Shane McMahon to summarize everything, only to be cut off by a LET’S GO CENA/CENA SUCKS chant.

Cena says half the people want him in the match so he should go in. The fans switch to RUSEV DAY and it seems that Cena will be having a shot. This brings out Daniel Bryan, to say he agrees with Shane. They’re willing to put Cena in the main event and if he wins, he’s in the Fastlane title match. His opponent tonight: AJ Styles. The DQ finish seems obvious and that would make the most sense at this point.

And from later in the night.

AJ Styles vs. John Cena

Non-title. Feeling out process to start with Cena hitting an early shoulder block for two. A chickening/half nelson has AJ in trouble but he fights out with some chops for a breather. The tornado DDT out of the corner lands awkwardly and gives Cena two as we take a break. Back with Cena hitting the ProtoBomb and Five Knuckle Shuffle but AJ comes back with the fireman’s carry neckbreaker for a near fall of his own.

A TKO of all things gives Cena the same and Baron Corbin is watching in the back. AJ’s torture rack neckbreaker and Cena’s hard running clothesline get two each but Cena charges into an enziguri as we take another break. Back again with AJ getting two off a clothesline of his own but a Lionsault misses. Cena grabs a Code Red for two more and floats over from the near fall into the STF.

That’s reversed as well and the Phenomenal Forearm gets two. The springboard 450 hits knees though and the AA connects. Cena tries another though and winds up on the floor where a missed charge sends him into the steps. AJ won’t take the countout though and gets AA’d through the announcers’ table for a knockout. Cena rolls back in as the referee checks on AJ, meaning Styles can dive back in to beat the ten count. There’s the Calf Crusher but Cena powers to his feet for another AA and the pin at 22:00.

Rating: B+. These two could have a good match in their sleep so this is no surprise. It’s also not a surprise that Cena is going to the pay per view where he can have another shot at Wrestlemania, which means he’s likely losing at Fastlane so we can set up Cena vs. Undertaker in less than a month. Still though, as good as you would have expected here.

Fastlane rundown.

Curt Hawkins vs. Goldust

They fight over a wristlock to start and Hawkins bails to the ropes to get out of a headlock. That means a spank and Hawkins is begging for a DQ because he was in the ropes. Goldust can’t breathe thanks to running the ropes but Hawkins lays down so Goldust can pin him. Of course this doesn’t work but the small package does get two. Goldust gets knocked outside and we take a break. Back with Hawkins getting two off a Michinoku Driver, only to get caught in the Golden Cross (basically Cross Rhodes) for the pin at 7:38.

Rating: D+. The comedy wasn’t bad here but much like the cruiserweight matches, if you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen all it has to offer. Hawkins never winning is funny, but I’m getting curious about how they’re going to pay it off. Unless he beats a big name to advance their story, I’m not sure what the point of the whole thing is other than low level comedy.

Stills from the women’s Elimination Chamber and Asuka vs. Nia Jax.

Video on the Ronda Rousey signing from Elimination Chamber.

From Raw again.

Here are HHH and Stephanie for the response to last night. First though, here’s the same video package for the third time. Stephanie says that was Ronda acting out of savage instinct and the slap was to remind her of who is boss. Now though we need an apology from Kurt Angle so we can get on the Road to Wrestlemania. Instead here’s a ticked off Ronda but Kurt runs down and cuts her off.

Ronda talks about having never been slapped before and how that took her to a different place. Angle says he needs this job but last night, he lied. The things he said HHH and Stephanie said aren’t true. Stephanie gets back in and says they’re not bad people and goes to leave again. Ronda says not so fast and says it’s Stephanie who needs to apologize to her. If she doesn’t, Stephanie’s arm is coming out of its socket. Stephanie gets in her face and apologizes in a funny bit. The bosses go to leave again but HHH punches Kurt in the face on the way out.

Overall Rating: C+. This is the kind of thing Main Event should be for: it recapped the top stories and while there’s a lot more to look at, this at least managed to cover almost everything that was needed. It’s not easy to cram five plus hours of material (not counting the stuff from Elimination Chamber) into a forty five minute show, especially considering the two bonus match. As it was though, they did it quite well here and the show was easy to watch as a result.

Remember to check out my new forum at steelcageforums.com and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: February 27, 2018
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

It’s time for some crossover appeal as John Cena is making his return to the show in an attempt to find a way to get to Wrestlemania. You know, because that’s just so hard otherwise. Other than that we have to get ready for Fastlane because it’s cool to have a pay per view four weeks before Wrestlemania. Let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s show.

And here’s how Cena got here tonight.

Here’s John Cena to open things up. He makes no bones about it: he wants in on the Fatal Five Way for the #1 contendership at Fastlane so let’s find out what he has to do to get there. Fans: “NO! NO! NO!” Cue Commissioner Shane McMahon to summarize everything, only to be cut off by a LET’S GO CENA/CENA SUCKS chant.

Cena says half the people want him in the match so he should go in. The fans switch to RUSEV DAY and it seems that Cena will be having a shot. This brings out Daniel Bryan, to say he agrees with Shane. They’re willing to put Cena in the main event and if he wins, he’s in the Fastlane title match. His opponent tonight: AJ Styles. The DQ finish seems obvious and that would make the most sense at this point.

Baron Corbin vs. Sami Zayn

Kevin Owens is on commentary. Byron: “Well let me ask you this Kevin.” Kevin: “No.” Corbin sends Sami outside to start as Owens makes bald jokes. Sami gets in a shot on the announcers’ table and a backdrop sends Corbin over the barricade. We cut to the back where Shane and Daniel are arguing over Owens being allowed to do commentary as Shane thinks he’ll interfere. Bryan thinks he’s entertaining and we take a break.

Back with another RUSEV DAY chant and let’s cut to Shane eating popcorn while Bryan continues to defend Owens being on commentary. Sami dives into a chokebreaker and Corbin’s slide under the ropes into the clothesline gets two. They head outside with Sami getting dropped but Corbin stops to yell at Owens. The distraction lets Sami hit a DDT back inside as Dolph Ziggler comes in through the crowd for a superkick to Owens. Sami glares at Ziggler and walks into the End of Days for the pin at 9:41.

Rating: C+. The fact that they’re now having these battling bosses arguing over actual matches is not a good sign, nor is it a sign that these things are ending anytime soon. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of that in the coming weeks, plus at least another week of random singles matches to set up the five way, because that’s all WWE knows how to do for something like this.

Ziggler gives Corbin the Zig Zag.

Bryan says that was fun and takes off for the night with Shane’s blessing.

Post break Sami and Kevin are furious and don’t get any better when Shane (and his box of popcorn) doesn’t seem to think much of their complaint. Geez END THIS STORY ALREADY!

Naomi vs. Ruby Riott

Of course the other four are at ringside because having this be a singles match might involve developing more than one person and that’s too much to ask from the precious writers. They go to the floor for the big staredown to start and it’s an early break. Back with Riott holding a seated full nelson as we cut to Carmella answering fan questions in the back. Naomi fights up and it’s a double kick to the head for a knockdown. A shot off the top misses so Naomi goes with a scorpion kick instead. Ruby sends her into the corner though and the Riott Kick is good for the pin at 6:50.

Rating: D+. Not enough time to mean much but Riott winning to further her chance against Charlotte makes sense. Riott isn’t going to win the title but it’s a good idea to push someone before we get to Wrestlemania and what is likely Asuka vs. Charlotte. I mean, we of course can’t announce anything like that yet because the world needs Fastlane but I’m sure four weeks for Wrestlemania is fine.

Charlotte and Becky run the Squad off.

We go to the Fashion Police’s office where Breezango runs into the star of the new USA series Unsolved. The series is about the unsolved murders of Biggie Smalls and Tupac so we get a Biggie/Big E. joke/cameo. The actor says he’s just an actor and not a real detective, making Fandango sad. This was a rather unfunny cross promotional ad.

Here’s New Day (with the words on the screen because NEW DAY’S entrance isn’t easy to remember) for a chat about renewing their rivalry with the Usos. Big E. says it’s as hot as his inner thighs in the summer. Or winter. Or anytime. He has Kofi spritz his thighs with a bit of water so Woods can talk about how they’re ready to go to New Orleans and party on Bourbon Street as the new champions.

Cue the Usos to say they used to be the New Day with the bright colors looking like a box of Skittles. That didn’t get them to the top because they ground their way up. They’ve been here nine years and have been left on the sideline of EVERY Wrestlemania (so Kickoff Show matches don’t count).

Big E. gets right back in their faces and says they’ve taken the ball and rushed the field. They hosted Wrestlemania while the Usos were sitting in the back eating catering. New Day didn’t get here because of their daddies and they’ll take the titles for the fifth time. This brings out the Bludgeon Brothers, who bring the hammers into the ring. That’s enough for the Usos and the New Day, who bail in short order. Very strong segment here with Big E. showing some great fire before the big title match.

Earlier today, Rusev Day came in to see Shane and get a match tonight. Shane, in song, made Aiden English vs. Shinsuke Nakamura.

Ziggler says he’s not back to get lost in the shuffle and deserves to main event Wrestlemania.

Bobby Roode is glad to be fighting Randy Orton because the US Title means a lot. Maybe Orton is just jealous over the top ten list. Orton comes in to say it’s because the US Title is the only title he’s never won, which is as good of a motivation as any.

Aiden English comes to the ring for his song but the fans cut him off with the Rusev Day chants. Eventually he sings Shinsuke is an artist but not the real artiste.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Aiden English

Nakamura wastes no time in firing off the kicks, followed by COME ON. More kicks have English in trouble and we take a break. Back with English getting knocked off the corner but a Ruse distraction lets English hit a reverse fireman’s carry slam for two. The running knees in the corner miss but Aiden’s high crossbody just seems to fire Nakamura up. Good Vibrations into the running knee has English in trouble and the Kinshasa is good for the pin at 6:22.

Rating: C-. This was just a step above a squash with Nakamura never feeling like he was in any real danger. Nakamura needs some bigger wins than this though as just fighting various low level people (and by various I mean this one as he hasn’t had a match in nearly a month) like English isn’t the best way to set up Wrestlemania.

Cena comes out for a quick staredown before his match.

AJ Styles vs. John Cena

Non-title. Feeling out process to start with Cena hitting an early shoulder block for two. A chickening/half nelson has AJ in trouble but he fights out with some chops for a breather. The tornado DDT out of the corner lands awkwardly and gives Cena two as we take a break. Back with Cena hitting the ProtoBomb and Five Knuckle Shuffle but AJ comes back with the fireman’s carry neckbreaker for a near fall of his own.

A TKO of all things gives Cena the same and Baron Corbin is watching in the back. AJ’s torture rack neckbreaker and Cena’s hard running clothesline get two each but Cena charges into an enziguri as we take another break. Back again with AJ getting two off a clothesline of his own but a Lionsault misses. Cena grabs a Code Red for two more and floats over from the near fall into the STF.

That’s reversed as well and the Phenomenal Forearm gets two. The springboard 450 hits knees though and the AA connects. Cena tries another though and winds up on the floor where a missed charge sends him into the steps. AJ won’t take the countout though and gets AA’d through the announcers’ table for a knockout. Cena rolls back in as the referee checks on AJ, meaning Styles can dive back in to beat the ten count. There’s the Calf Crusher but Cena powers to his feet for another AA and the pin at 22:00.

Rating: B+. These two could have a good match in their sleep so this is no surprise. It’s also not a surprise that Cena is going to the pay per view where he can have another shot at Wrestlemania, which means he’s likely losing at Fastlane so we can set up Cena vs. Undertaker in less than a month. Still though, as good as you would have expected here.

Post match Corbin, Owens and Zayn come down to beat on Cena and Styles. Ziggler runs in for the save but decks AJ. That earns him an AA to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. You know, last week I said maybe we could add the rest of the roster to the Fastlane match to save some time. At the time, I wasn’t serious but now, we’re a step closer to that actually happening. Assuming this is just a big way to set up Cena vs. Undertaker, we’re looking at less than four weeks to build it up, because of Fastlane (and Nikki Bella last year).

I’m starting to think Fastlane should just be called Speed Bump. It slows you down on the way to where you want to go, can cause damage to what’s working just fine, and it’s better if you just can just pull to the side and avoid it altogether. The show won’t be bad, but they REALLY shouldn’t be building to another pay per view when Wrestlemania is in forty days. Good show this week, but it’s building to the wrong pay per view.

Results

Baron Corbin b. Sami Zayn – End of Days

Ruby Riott b. Naomi – Riott Kick

Shinsuke Nakamura b. Aiden English – Kinshasa

John Cena b. AJ Styles – Attitude Adjustment

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Actually it’s an old column because I somehow completely forgot to post this last week. Therefore, ignore anything that makes the timing seem a bit off.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-numbers-game/

And to see all of my columns, check here.

Smackdown
Date: February 20, 2018
Location: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

Last week saw a big change of pace as two more names were added to the Fastlane World Title match. Maybe this week we can just add more people until there’s nothing left to do but have one match take up most of the pay per view. I mean, they did the same thing on Raw last night. Let’s get to it.

Renee Young brings out AJ Styles to start things off. Hang on though as AJ has to strike a quick pose for the AJ STYLES chants. AJ explains the idea of a fatal five way and says he could lose the title to someone when he’s not even being pinned. One on one he can beat any of them but here’s Baron Corbin to disagree. Baron has beaten him twice in a row because he has AJ’s number. The difference is Corbin is a fighter instead of an athlete and he can pin anyone to win the title.

This brings out Kevin Owens, who says he can beat anyone at any time. AJ says Owens must have had a boil lanced off his back, meaning Sami. Owens blames all of this on Shane McMahon, who is next to interrupt. Shane makes Corbin vs. Styles and Owens vs. Ziggler for tonight. Actually let’s just do one of those matches right now. Standard opening here and at least they didn’t have all five participants come out and talk.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens

Owens forearms him down to start but eats a dropkick to send him outside. Kevin turns it into a brawl though and sends Ziggler into the barricade. That just means another dropkick off the apron but Owens drops him again. The backsplash misses though and Ziggler scores with a suplex. Owens whips him into the corner though and the Cannonball gets two as we go to a break.

Back with Ziggler hitting a DDT but getting thrown into the corner again. A Vader Bomb elbow gives Kevin two but Ziggler is right back with the Fameasser for two of his own. Ziggler slips out of the Pop Up Powerbomb and the Zig Zag gets another near fall. Cue Sami for a distraction though, allowing Owens to hit a superkick to the back of the head for the pin at 11:19.

Rating: C+. At the end of the day, Ziggler is going to Ziggle. The guy wins one week and then loses the next because that’s the kind of person he is. I’m not sure what the difference is supposed to be this time around, but maybe this version of MEGA ULTRA FOCUSED Dolph is different than MEGA ULTRA Focused Dolph.

Here’s Jinder Mahal to talk about Bobby Roode having a secret. Since Mahal is a man of honesty, he has Roode’s Smackdown Top Ten voting list. Roode of course is at #1 but Orton is nowhere to be seen. That makes Roode a glorious egomaniac and a glorious LIAR. Cue Roode to say that wasn’t his list but the truth is Mahal can’t make a top ten list. Roode knows Jinder wants to be US Champion so forget Randy Orton. This of course brings out Orton, who helps send Jinder outside before taking the Glorious DDT. Mahal comes back in with a Khallas to Roode.

Shane and Bryan are in the back with Shane talking down to Bryan again about the same issues with his decision making. As a result, Shane makes Roode vs. Orton (presumably for the title but not specified) at Fastlane. Shane calls it final, actually trying to make it seem like Bryan isn’t going to add Mahal.

Charlotte/Naomi/Becky Lynch vs. Riott Squad

Charlotte slides around Logan to start and quickly brings in Becky for the rapid fire legdrops. Everything breaks down and the Squad is sent outside as we take a break. Back with Becky holding Riott in an armbar as everything breaks down. Naomi hits a slingshot dive onto Logan and Riott but Morgan sends her into the steps to take over.

Logan comes back in with an Anaconda Vice until Naomi sends her into the corner, allowing the hot tag off to Charlotte. The strut into the neckbreaker rocks Logan but Morgan’s distraction prevents the Figure Eight. Logan chop blocks the knee but Charlotte gets over for the tag to Becky anyway. Everything breaks down and Riott has to be saved from the Disarm-Her. Instead it’s the Riott Kick to pin Becky at 13:13.

Rating: C. Morgan looked better than she has in a good while as she showed some energy here, which gives me some hope for her future. The rest of the match was what it was and you can probably pencil Ruby in for a title shot at Fastlane. That’s all fine and good, especially with Charlotte vs. Asuka probably lurking at Wrestlemania.

Sami comes in to see Owens and says he owes him. Until he joined Owens, he was frustrated all the time and nothing was working. Now he’s where he belongs though and it’s time to be Kevin’s guardian angel. That’s why at Fastlane, Sami will lay down for him so Kevin can become champion. Owens doesn’t know what to say and doesn’t look completely convinced. That sounds intentionally fishy.

New Day vs. Shelton Benjamin/Chad Gable

Winners get the title shot at Fastlane. Woods is sent into a kick from Shelton to start and a hard slam puts him down again. Back from an early break with Woods hitting a missile dropkick and making the hot tag to Big E. House is cleaned but Gable muscles him over with a belly to belly. Big E. gets caught on the top rope so Kofi gets on the apron for some reason, allowing Shelton and Chad to hit the powerbomb/middle rope clothesline combination. Woods makes a last second save and it’s a Shining Wizard to end Shelton at 6:47.

Rating: C+. That’s a relief as I was worried they would do the 50/50 booking and give a team a title shot anyway. New Day winning is fine, though you can feel the Bludgeon Brothers getting closer by the week. I’d be surprised if they weren’t either added to the title match or replace the New Day, who don’t need another title shot at this point.

Post match the Bludgeon Brothers come out and scare New Day to death.

Bludgeon Brothers vs. ???/???

They’re tossed to the floor, Rowan hits a double splash, a sitout powerbomb crushes Jobber #1 and the double spinebuster ends Jobber #2 at 1:29.

Video on Shinsuke Nakamura.

Ruby Riott will face Naomi next week but wants Charlotte and the title at Fastlane.

Corbin, with words on the screen, promises to win the title at Fastlane.

Charlotte vs. Riott for the title is confirmed for Fastlane.

AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin

Non-title. AJ knocks Corbin outside to start and tries a slingshot dive, only to get caught in a chokebreaker. We take an early break and come back with Corbin hitting a hard clothesline but missing a charge into the post. AJ is thrown outside and having to dive over the announcers’ table to beat the count.

A short range Phenomenal Forearm gets two but one heck of a Deep Six gets the same. End of Days is broken up and AJ gets the Calf Crusher for the near submission to send Corbin bailing to the ropes. A faceplant drops AJ again but he pops back up with the real Phenomenal Forearm for the pin on Corbin at 12:11.

Rating: B-. That Deep Six was awesome and the rest was certainly good enough. I’m not sure on the ending as you want Corbin to look strong but you also don’t want the champion losing. Then again it’s not like this company knows how to build towards a multi-man match like this without just throwing them against each other so this is as good as we were going to get.

Post match Sami and Kevin come out for the beatdown but Corbin takes them both out to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Well at least they didn’t add any more people. This show gave Fastlane a big boost as we now have four matches set for the show instead of the one that we came in with here. It also featured less Bryan vs. Shane, but there certainly seems to be something set up for a future show with that discussion about the US Title match. I’ll take what I can get though and this wasn’t bad.

Results

Kevin Owens b. Dolph Ziggler – Superkick to the back of the head

Charlotte/Becky Lynch/Naomi b. Riott Squad – Riott Kick to Lynch

New Day b. Shelton Benjamin/Chad Gable – Shining Wizard to Benjamin

Bludgeon Brothers b. ???/??? – Double spinebuster

AJ Styles b. Baron Corbin – Phenomenal Forearm

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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

I’m not sure what else to call this.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-get-styles-vs-nakamura/

Smackdown
Date: February 6, 2018
Location: Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

As is often becoming the case around here, it’s a big night with some major matches set for the show. This week we have Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn for the #1 contendership to AJ Styles for the Smackdown World Title at Fastlane. In addition to that, US Champion Bobby Roode is defending against Rusev on Rusev Day. Let’s get to it.

Commissioner Shane McMahon is in the ring to open things up. Shane talks about Sami vs. Owens but doesn’t think either of them deserve a shot. Someone he does think something of is General Manager Daniel Bryan. Daniel comes out and Shane talks about how the two of them listen to the fans every week. Fans: “RUSEV DAY! RUSEV DAY!” Shane: “Duly noted.”

Shane asks why Bryan keeps giving Sami and Kevin these chances. Yes, Daniel has changed the WWE landscape with the YES Movement but the Yep Movement is a poor imitation. Shane knows that Bryan wants to be wrestling more than anything and he knows what Bryan is doing. Bryan doesn’t quite get it but Shane accuses him of living vicariously through Kevin and Sami.

Before anything of note can be said, cue AJ Styles, to say he’s traveled 10,000 miles since the new year began because that’s what a champion does. He’ll defend the title against anyone who gets a title shot and walk into Wrestlemania as WWE Champion. Simple and to the point here, but if they’re not going to put Bryan in the ring (which I don’t think they will), they’re treading on thin ice by even hinting at it.

Shinsuke Nakamura comes up to AJ in the back and says he’ll beat him at Wrestlemania.

Liv Morgan vs. Charlotte

Non-title. Charlotte stomps her to the floor and we hit the break less than thirty seconds in. Back with Morgan in control but getting chopped down for her efforts. Morgan’s low superkick gets two but Charlotte scores with a neckbreaker and spear. Sarah Logan offers a distraction but just gets herself and Ruby ejected. Charlotte kicks Liv in the face and the Figure Eight makes Morgan tap at 7:59.

Rating: D+. Acceptable match here as Charlotte gets to score a little revenge on the Squad, because that team can keep absorbing losses like this. Charlotte looks dominant but I’m not sure who her next challenger is. Assuming they’re setting up the match with Asuka at Wrestlemania, I guess we’ll be seeing Charlotte vs. Ruby at Fastlane. That’s not exactly big though as Ruby hasn’t won much of anything since debuting.

Charlotte says that’s one down and two to go.

Video on Roman Reigns at the National Civil Rights Museum for Black History Month.

Kevin Owens says he’ll win.

Bludgeon Brothers vs. ???/???

Harper runs over Jobber #1 to start and #2 bails straight away, only to be taken down by Rowan. The double spinebuster ends #1 at 1:22.

Post match the Usos come out for the staredown but the Brothers walk past them. Back from a break, the Usos talk about a state of mind. They turn their mind into a prison, which they run. There are a lot of people out here starving but they’re not talking about people having cupcakes.

There are a lot of people out here looking thirsty but they’re not talking about lemonade or that purple stuff. They’re talking about the hunger and thirst for success. They went from “these guys are alright” to the match of the night. It used to be Uso Crazy but now it’s DAY ONE ISH! When you feel something creeping up on you, it’s not paranoia because it’s the Usos. I’m not sure what the heck was said here, but that was some awesome energy and I was digging the whole thing.

And now, the first Smackdown Top Ten List.

10. Tye Dillinger

9. Randy Orton

8. Becky Lynch

7. Usos

6. New Day

5. Bobby Roode

4. Naomi

3. Shinsuke Nakamura

2. Charlotte

1. AJ Styles

Well that….was pointless.

Corey Graves has issues with the list, including New Day being above the Usos and the lack of Rusev.

New Day, answering fan questions tonight, gives Corey Graves a 6% chance in a street fight.

Aiden English says the ring being a canvas is appropriate because art will be happening tonight. Rusev is working out and shouts MACHKA.

Aiden sings Rusev’s entrance, complete with sing-a-long words on the screen and a bouncing Rusev head.

US Title: Rusev vs. Bobby Roode

Rusev is challenging. Feeling out process to start as they actually take it to the mat at a slow pace. Rusev takes him down again and we go to an early break. Back with Roode getting two off a Blockbuster but walking into a fall away slam. We hit the chinlock for a good while until a hard shot to the face wakes Roode up.

The running forearm and a clothesline have Rusev in trouble but English offers a distraction. A hard kick to the head gives Rusev two and we take a break. Back again with Roode hitting a spinebuster but going after English, allowing Rusev to get in the Machka Kick. The Accolade is broken up though so they trade rollups for two each. Another Accolade is reversed is reversed into the Glorious DDT to retain the title at 15:49.

Rating: B-. Good match here, though again I wonder why they’re refusing to do ANYTHING with Rusev out of the ordinary when he’s being cheered like no one else week to week. It’s not like the US Title is doing much for Roode and even a short reign would give the fans something extra to cheer for. I don’t get it, but that’s WWE logic for you.

Roode poses but an RKO OUTTA NOWHERE takes him down. English and Rusev get one each as well. That wasn’t a heel turn but rather Orton being Orton. Now just have Orton put one or two of them over and we might be getting somewhere.

Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable have their own bulletin board and wonder how this is what they have to work with in the tag team division. These on-screen graphics during the promos need to die in a fire already.

Shelton Benjamin/Chad Gable vs. Ascension

Konnor wins an early slugout with Benjamin and Ascension clears the ring early on. A missed boot in the corner lets Gable start in on Konnor’s knee though with a variety of leglocks keeping him in trouble. Konnor grabs a flapjack though and the hot tag brings in Viktor to start cleaning house. That includes a middle rope knee to Chad’s face for two but Benjamin gets in a blind tag. Rolling Chaos Theory into the powerbomb/top rope clothesline puts Viktor away at 3:50.

Rating: D+. Just a quick win for Benjamin and Gable here to keep them hot, possibly for an upcoming match with the Bludgeon Brothers. Ascension was showing some fire here and that’s a good thing, as it’s not like they get a ton of ring time in the first place. Let them show what they can do and hopefully get another chance in the future.

New Day talks about who would be ranked highest if they were voted as individuals. This seems to go straight to Kofi, who wants the World Title this year. I could go for that.

Various wrestlers reacted to the Top Ten.

Sami wants his own moment on top of WWE.

Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens

The winner gets AJ, on commentary, at Fastlane. They’re tentative to start until Owens runs him over, only to charge into some armdrags. Some right hands send Owens to the floor and he tells Sami to calm down. Owens gets knocked off the apron and we take a break. Back with Sami in trouble but still being able to block the Cannonball.

The exploder suplex into the corner is countered so Sami settles for a tornado DDT and two instead. Sami gets shoved off the top but is still able to get his knees up and block the Swanton. Kevin rolls to the floor and gets caught with a diving DDT to put both guys down on the outside.

Back in and a superkick sets up Owens’ frog splash for two more and he can’t believe the kickout. Sami is right back up with the Blue Thunder Bomb (which now has a chance to win as he got a pin out of it a few weeks back) for another near fall (ok maybe I’m overly optimistic). Owens stumbles out to the floor and it’s time for the argument with AJ, who beats both guys up (though he hit Sami first) for the no contest at 14:02.

Rating: C+. These two have great chemistry together and it’s very easy to have Sami slip back into face mode, even for one night only. He’s a natural face who is playing a good heel and it makes for an easy dynamic against a natural heel like Owens. They had a good match here, even if the ending was obvious from before the opening bell.

Cue Bryan to say it’s a triple threat at Fastlane, leaving AJ wanting a fight to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I liked this one about as much as I could have as it didn’t really offer anything that bad and advanced enough stories. That being said, can we PLEASE get off this Shane vs. Bryan feud already? It feels like it’s been going on for the better part of ever now and I’m no closer to wanting to boo Bryan, even if that’s what WWE wants us to do. Not a great show, but it did its job well enough.

Results

Charlotte b. Liv Morgan – Figure Eight

Bludgeon Brothers b. ???/??? – Double spinebuster

Bobby Roode b. Rusev – Glorious DDT

Shelton Benjamin/Chad Gable b. Ascension – Powerbomb/top rope combination to Viktor

Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens went to a no contest when AJ Styles interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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