IMG Credit: AEW

Dynamite
Date: March 11, 2020
Location: West Valley City, Utah, Maverik Center
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

Things are picking up around here with Blood & Guts just two weeks away. That means a lot of the Inner Circle vs. the Elite, with things starting to move in that direction tonight. Kenny Omega is out injured though and we’ll need to see who his replacement will be in a tag match. Things could get rather interesting in a hurry around here so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the Inner Circle destroying Jon Moxley last week.

Hangman Page is with the Young Bucks but won’t say who his partner is. The Bucks don’t seem interested in teaming with him.

Ortiz vs. Cody

Santana, Brandi Rhodes and Arn Anderson are all here. Cody starts fast with a powerslam and here are Jake Roberts and Lance Archer, with commentary confirming him as Jake’s client. They head outside with Cody sending Ortiz into the steps and stopping to glare at Roberts. Back in and Cody hammers away in the corner until a Santana distraction lets Ortiz get in a cheap shot.

Ortiz starts in on the leg and snaps off a suplex for two. A running splash gets the same and it’s time to choke in the corner. Some his swiveling delays Ortiz’s two and the comeback is on with Cody hammering away. Cody throws the weightlifting belt into the crowd but another Santana distraction lets Ortiz crotch him on top. Brandi pulls her belt off and whips Santana, which doesn’t do much to stop Ortiz from hitting a top rope superplex for another near fall.

Santana goes after Anderson so Cody hits a dive for the save. Cody has to catch Santana’s dive and gordbuster him on the ramp, which almost draws Archer over the barricade. Jake cuts that off though and the two of them leave as Cody misses the Disaster Kick. Cross Rhodes is broken up as well so Cody twists the knee around the ropes. A stomp to the leg sets up the Figure Four to make Ortiz tag at 11:32 (because Cody doesn’t have enough finishers).

Rating: C+. The action was good but there was a little too much going on here with the three people interfering, plus Jake and Archer debuting in a rather low key way. Cody gets back on the winning track though and that’s something he needed to do after Revolution and as we head towards Blood & Guts. Good enough match here too and they didn’t overstay their welcome.

Post match Santana hits Cody with the loaded sock but Matt Jackson and Kenny Omega run in for the save. The Inner Circle pops up on screen to promise a beating at Blood & Guts. They might be wondering where Nick Jackson is so we pan down to see Nick out cold, bleeding, and with a metal door on his shoulder. The Elite runs to the back to chase the Inner Circle off and held Nick.

Post break, Nick is taken away in an ambulance.

Kris Stadtlander/Hikaru Shida vs. Bea Priestly/Nyla Rose

Nyla and Bea jump them to start and we settle down to Rose hammering Shida in the corner. Priestly comes in and chops away before handing it back to Rose for two off a suplex. Shida finally manages to get over for the hot tag to Stadtlander though and we take a fast break. Back with Priestly laid out on the ropes and Shida suplexing Stadtlander onto her, drawing a HOLY SHIDA chant.

Priestly gets in a shot to the face though and Rose comes back in to keep Shida down. Shida is draped over the top but Rose misses the top rope legdrop. An enziguri rocks Rose and Shida manages a Falcon Arrow for two with Priestly having to make a save. Shida hurricanranas Rose and superplex Priestly, only to get speared down by Rose. The Beast Bomb finishes Shida at 9:58.

Rating: C-. Just another women’s match with people doing moves to each other. It wasn’t bad by any stretch but the division continues to float from title match to title match with little in between. The talent is there for the most part, but they really need to figure out how to present what they have better than they have been doing so far. The HOLY SHIDA chant was funny though.

Post match Priestly jumps Rose and throws the title at her.

We recap SCU/Colt Cabana vs. Dark Order.

Christopher Daniels mocks the Dark Order recruitment ads, suggesting that the Exalted One doesn’t exist and it’s always been all about Evil Uno and Stu Grayson. Daniels challenges both Uno and Grayson to singles matches anywhere anytime. If he beats both of them and there is no Exalted One to save them, there will be proof that there is no Exalted One. I’m not sure on his logic, but AEW is rather good at these parodies. Whether or not their material is that easy to parody may or may not be a good sign.

Butcher & Blade/Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Jurassic Express

The fans are way into Luchasaurus here. It’s Stunt and MJF to start, but hang on as MJF has to show off the I PINNED CODY shirt. Stunt gets shoved down and Luchasaurus comes in, with MJF backing into him and freaking out in a page straight out of Kurt Angle/Big Show back in the day. MJF gets caught between Luchasaurus and the wrong corner but it’s Butcher and Blade coming in to take out Luchasaurus’ knee to take over.

Blade hits a running corner dropkick and MJF hits a dragon screw legwhip as we take a break. Back with Luchasaurus fighting out of an Indian Deathlock and kicking Blade in the head. MJF dives on the leg for the save Blade grabs the other, only to have Luchasaurus walk over anyway for a great moment. That’s broken up so Luchasaurus dives over for the tag to Jungle Boy anyway, meaning house can be cleaned.

Stunt dives onto Blade’s back and Boy spins him around for a sloppy tornado DDT. Stunt’s dive onto Butcher and Blade is pulled out of the air so Boy dives onto all three of them. Luchasaurus moonsaults Blade so Butcher has to catch Stunt to throw him in for the save. Butcher and Luchasaurus have the big showdown and it’s a double knockdown, meaning it’s off to Stunt to stomp away on MJF in the corner.

Boy is told to get up top but Bunny offers a distraction as Stunt slowly drags MJF across the ring. The distraction lets Boy get shoved off the top and Wardlow sends Luchasaurus into the steps. MJF gets up and Fujiwara armbars Stunt for the tap at 11:57. MJF: “I’M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!”

Rating: C+. I liked a lot of the match, and by that I mean anything not involving Stunt. I get the whole “anyone can be here” jazz but my goodness it’s too much to believe anytime he’s in the ring. They have to slow everything down so he can get in his spots and it gets annoying in a hurry. MJF, Luchasaurus and Boy helped save it though and the match was pretty good as a result.

We recap last week’s main event.

Darby Allin, in a Chris Jericho mask, puts a Sammy Guevara dummy in a body bag (labeled Sammy) and drags it along behind his truck.

Tony Schiavone brings out Britt Baker, with Tony’s coffee, to complain about how boring Utah really is. She sees a lot of bad teeth too, but she can fix it because she’s a dentist. We also get some incest jokes before Baker tells everyone here to reach for their dreams: be that janitor, plumber or dental assistant. She’s here to be your role model but here’s Big Swole to interrupt. Baker says no one cares about her and people only care about her boyfriend. Swole: “I’m married BAY BAY! (to Cedric Alexander if you’re not familiar)”. Baker runs away. Britt started rough a few weeks back but these things are getting good.

Death Triangle vs. Joey Janela/Private Party

The Triangle jumps them to start but Quen armdrags him down as the pace picks up. The Silly String takes Fenix down and it’s off to Fenix vs. Janela. A kick to the face knocks Pentagon out of the corner and it’s Janela running him over for a bonus. The Triangle is sent outside for a big dive from the top and we take a break. Back with Janela hitting a suicide dive on Fenix and Gin and Juice connecting for two.

Quen gets caught in the corner for a powerbomb onto Pac’s knees, plus a top rope double stomp from Fenix for another two. Janela puts Pac on his shoulders so Quen can use Pac as a springboard to take out the Bros. The Death Valley Driver on the apron sets up a top rope elbow for two on Pac, with Janela looking stunned. The Bros are back in for the spike Fear Factor to Janela, followed by the Black Arrow for the pin at 11:50.

Rating: B-. Pretty good stuff here and a solid debut for the team. Private Party has fallen a long way since their debut and I kind of get why: they’re rather flashy without much more than just athleticism. Get them some experience and they’ll be fine, but for now they need to expand their skill set a bit. Janela….would anyone miss him if he was gone?

Post match the Triangle chokes all three of them but the Best Friends and Orange Cassidy make the save.

Dustin Rhodes is going to be Hangman Page’s partner whether Page wants it or not. They’re going to do some cowboy s***.

Here are some applications to be Shawn Spears’ partner.

Next week: Best Friends vs. Lucha Bros plus the Exalted One is revealed.

We hear the Blood & Guts rules, which are exactly the same as the WarGames rules.

We get a sitdown interview with Jim Ross talking to Jon Moxley. This had to take place elsewhere because Moxley is not cleared to be in the arena. Moxley is banged up but won’t go into details about what is wrong with him. This has been about the World Title the whole time and even if he is down 5-1, the Inner Circle can come get it. Moxley is blood and guts and he knows that scares the Inner Circle.

Chris Jericho/Sammy Guevara vs. Dustin Rhodes/Hangman Page

The Inner Circle is here with Jericho. Hold on though as Jericho and Sammy need to hug before Sammy and Page start things off. Sammy picks up the pace but it’s quickly off to Dustin for a hard clothesline. Page gets knocked outside though and the Inner Circle stands back as Jericho has a beer. Jericho: “I’M A COWBOY!” The beer gets knocked out of Jericho’s hands with a right hand and everything breaks down.

Sammy drops Dustin for two and we take a break. Back with Dustin getting elbowed down but he gets his knees up to block the Lionsault. Dustin brings Page back in and dives onto Jericho and Guevara, leaving Page to dive onto the Inner Circle. The Buckshot lariat is countered into the Walls so Dustin makes a save. Sammy comes in and walks right into the Canadian Destroyer from Dustin, setting up the Buckshot lariat for the pin at 10:15.

Rating: B-. Another nice match here with Dustin being a fitting replacement partner. He’s over with the fans and can more than hang in the ring, plus the double cowboy thing works out well. Blood & Guts is looking awesome and seeing these guys beat each other up with reckless abandon should be a blast.

Post match the beatdown is on with Omega running out for the failed save. Cody runs out as well and gets taken down too so Page is carried to the stage. Matt Jackson runs out for the save and flips off Page, only to get chaired down by Jericho to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Another solid show with some good enough action as all roads lead to Blood & Guts. That really does feel like a pay per view caliber match and we should be in for a heck of a fight that night. They’re advancing stories and I’m curious to see where some of them go. Good show here, as the trend continues.

Results

Cody b. Ortiz – Figure Four

Bea Priestly/Nyla Rose b. Kris Stadtlander/Hikaru Shida – Beast Bomb to Shida

Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Butcher & Blade b. Jurassic Express – Fujiwara armbar to Stunt

Death Triangle b. Private Party/Joey Janela – Black Arrow to Janela

Dustin Rhodes/Hangman Page b. Chris Jericho/Sammy Guevara – Buckshot lariat to Guevara

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: AEW

Dynamite
Date: October 9, 2019
Location: Agganis Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross, Excalibur

It’s the second week and that means we are in for something that might be more important than the debut episode. You can have as good of an opener as you want, but if you don’t get the fans to stick around, it isn’t going to matter all that much. The ratings and audience are going to be interesting after this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

The announcers welcome us to the show.

Video on Private Party vs. the Young Bucks, the first match in the Tag Team Title tournament.

Tag Team Title Tournament First Round: Young Bucks vs. Private Party

Private Party weigh 27 ounces of vodka cranberry and come from a place you need an invitation to. Isaiah Kassidy and Nick Jackson start things off with neither being able to hit a superkick. Nick spits his gum in Kassidy’s face so Kassidy flips out of an atomic drop attempt. Kassidy gets caught in a backbreaker/flipping neckbreaker combination to put the Bucks in control. A dive misses though and Kassidy hits a Lionsault to take him down.

Marc Quen comes in and starts busting out his own dives to a BIG reaction (as he deserves). A 450 gets a VERY close two on Matt but Nick is back in to start the Superkick Party. Nick sunset bombs Kassidy, with the powerbomb onto the ramp for a nasty landing. Back in and a powerbomb/Sliced Bread #2 combination gets two on Marc, setting up the Sharpshooter to work on the back even more.

With Kassidy down, it’s a top rope double stomp/backbreaker combination for two more on Quen. A spear gets two more on Quen as Kassidy gets pulled back off the apron. Quen gets over for the tag a few seconds later though and Kassidy comes in with a missile dropkick. He comes up holding his back but is fine enough to hit a double hurricanrana. Matt rolls the northern lights suplexes to bang up the back quite a bit before suplexing Quen at the same time for two.

The buckle bomb/kick to the head in the corner sets up another Sharpshooter, with Nick adding a facebuster. The tap seems near but Kassidy rapid fire crawls over for the tag. Quen makes a blind tag though and it’s the hurricanrana into the cutter (Gin and Juice) to rock Matt. The perfect shooting star press gets two on Nick and that should have been the finish. The Meltzer Driver is loaded up but Kassidy breaks up the springboard, allowing Quen to roll Matt up for the pin at 13:47.

Rating: B. They had one too many false finishes in the end though I’m happy with Private Party winning. That could have gone either way though, as you can either give Private Party the rub now or give the rub to whoever beats the Bucks in the finals. As long as the Bucks didn’t win though, as there was no need for that to happen. Good match too, with Private Party looking like an incredibly polished team right out of the box.

Post match Private Party celebrates in the crowd all through the commercial.

Here are Chris Jericho and his whole group of friends for a chat. Jericho takes credit for all of Dynamite’s success last week and gets a thank you chant. That’s not what he wants though and he says that we are now. Yes they’re still together and yes they have a name. Jericho introduces the team, starting with the sexy Spanish god Sammy Guevara. Now Sammy is on his list. Then you have Santana and Ortiz, who are going to be nastier than ever before, which Jericho likes. Jericho: “Viva la raza.” Nice touch on Eddie’s birthday.

Then we have Jake Hager (which Jericho pronounces as Hagar) so we get a WE THE PEOPLE. Jericho: “We the people sucks and it’s dead and buried. It was a bad idea from bad creative and all that’s dead and gone.” Jericho brags about Hager’s undefeated MMA record and he’ll fight any boxer, fighter, wrestler, bare knuckle fighter or whatever. The team is dubbed the Inner Circle and they are taking over.

Jericho goes on to Cody, who is part of a family Jericho never liked. Dusty was a jerk, he’ll beat up Dustin and he’ll beat the s*** out of Cody at Full Gear. That promo is going to get people talking and it’s a good thing to have a big story going on like this. Good stuff here, though they better be able to back up the shots at WWE.

Darby Allin vs. Jimmy Havoc

The winner gets a shot at Jericho for the title next week. During the entrance, Havoc says he likes the pain and the violence. Darby grabs a quick cradle for two and dropkicks Havoc into the corner. A bottom rope suplex doesn’t work as Havoc bites the fingers and Falcon Arrows Allin out to the floor in a big crash.

Havoc starts working on the fingers before choking in the corner to cut off a comeback attempt. A suplex puts Allin on the floor and we take a break. Back with Allin being Death Valley Driven into the corner and stomped in the head to keep him down. The Acid Rainmaker is broken up with a bite to Havoc’s fingers and it’s a knockdown into the Coffin Drop for the pin at 10:02.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one as Allin didn’t do much for most of the match, came back and hit his finisher for the win. What bothers me a bit more than that though is AEW talking about how they want to incorporate win/loss records and that puts Allin at 2-2-1. It’s not a big deal, but they might want to work on that if they want records to matter that much.

Bea Priestly/Sakura vs. Britt Baker/Riho

Riho starts with Sakura and charges into a powerslam, only to pop back up with a dropkick. Her back is banged up and Sakura blocks a slam without much effort. A very screaming surfboard works on the back even more and it’s off to Priestly, who gets in a fight with Baker on the floor.

Riho is down in the corner so Sakura goes outside to help with a double suplex. A Riho dive takes them down though and we take a break. Back with Baker in trouble until Riho sneaks in for a double stomp to Sakura. Baker’s swinging neckbreaker gets two on Sakura and it’s off to the Rings of Saturn. Baker adds the Mandible Claw at the same time for the tap at 8:45.

Rating: C. I’m trying to care about the women’s division but Baker is the kind of star who can be a big deal based on every aspect you could want. Priestly feels like a good villain and Sakura is fine enough. Riho….it’s not a complete miss but there are just better options to pick from other than her. Maybe I’m just not enough of a wrestling fan to get it, but it’s not working just yet.

We see a video of the Best Friends hugging.

The Best Friends are in the front row and asked about how they’re doing. They defer to Orange Cassidy, who gives them a thumbs up.

Jon Moxley vs. Shawn Spears

Tully Blanchard is with Spears and Pac is on commentary. Moxley gets right in his face and chops away before dropping Spears with a clothesline. Spears bails to the floor so Moxley knees him in the back and chokes away, with Tully’s interference not working whatsoever. As JR wonders how that isn’t a DQ, Moxley jumps off the apron with a forearm to the face but gets sent into the steps. The fight on the floor continues (they’ve been out there a long time now) with Spears Death Valley Drivering him into the barricade for a double knockdown.

Back from a break with Spears putting on a half crab but Moxley breaks it up in a hurry. Moxley sends him outside again for back to back suicide dives and scores with a running knee for two. The slugout it on but the Paradigm Shift is countered into the fireman’s carry backbreaker. Another fireman’s carry is countered into the Paradigm Shift to give Moxley the pin at 12:44.

Rating: C. I still don’t get it with Spears, though he is better than he was in WWE. He’s just a guy at this point and the chair stuff feels out of place after the Cody feud wrapped up. Tully is a cool addition, but it doesn’t matter if the guy keeps losing. It’s far from too late for him, but he didn’t shot me much here.

Post match here’s Kenny Omega, carrying a barbed wire bat and a barbed wire broom. He throws Moxley the bat but Pac runs down with a chair shot to the back of Omega’s head. Moxley looks at Omega but drops the bat and walks away.

Dustin Rhodes/Hangman Page vs. Chris Jericho/Sammy Guevara

Hager is here with Jericho and Guevara. One good sign: I can already recognize Jericho’s music after the first few notes. Impact took years to make that happen and still have a lot of trouble making it work. Dustin goes after Jericho on the floor to start and gets in a posting with a thud. We settle down to Page fall away slamming Sammy and handing it back to Dustin for a hard whip into the corner.

A belly to back toss sets up Page’s running shooting star press with Jericho having to make a save. Guevara gets in a knee though and fireman’s carry drops Page onto the top turnbuckle for two. Back from a break with Jericho posing until Page gets in a hard shot to the face. Sammy is right there to block a tag though and Jericho slaps Page in the face. The Lionsault hits knees though and Page scores with the big lariat, allowing the hot tag to Dustin.

Everything breaks down and Dustin dives onto Jericho and Sammy with Page adding a moonsault to the floor. Hager runs Page over though, leaving Dustin to hit a Code Red for two on Jericho. The powerslam takes Sammy down but the referee checks on him, allowing Hager to save Jericho from Shattered Dreams. Jericho hits the Judas Effect for the pin at 13:57.

Rating: C+. The extra time helped a bit here and they did a good job of making Hager look like the monster. That’s the key here as everyone (save for Sammy) is pretty established and they need to make Hager stand out as a monster. This was the standard idea of taking parts of a stable and letting them fight, which is always going to work just fine.

Post match Hager goes after Page, who pelts a chair at Hager’s head. They fight to the back and the lights go out. It’s Cody laying out Sammy with Cross Rhodes but here are Santana and Ortiz to take Cody out. Maxwell Jacob Friedman runs out as well and teases turning on Cody, only to chair the Inner Circle down. Cue the Young Bucks for the real save and the fans are rather pleased. Jericho escapes but Allin skateboards down and beats Jericho up to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was another good outing, though a step down from last week. That has to be expected though after last week’s big debut, which isn’t going to be the norm. It’s a good idea to slow things down for a week while still making things seem like a big deal. I’m curious to see where things go with some of these stories and that’s a nice feeling. The wrestling itself wasn’t bad at all here and the atmosphere is still what matters most around here. It felt big and if they can do that when it’s not even a big show, they’re in a solid spot two weeks in.

Results

Private Party b. Young Bucks – Victory roll to Matt

Darby Allin b. Jimmy Havoc – Coffin Drop

Britt Baker/Riho b. Bea Priestly/Sakura – Rings of Saturn/Mandible Claw combination to Sakura

Jon Moxley b. Shawn Spears – Paradigm Shift

Chris Jericho/Sammy Guevara b. Dustin Rhodes/Hangman Page – Judas Effect to Rhodes

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

AEW Dark
Date: October 8, 2019
Location: Capitol One Arena, Washington DC
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross

So this is something new (the second new show of the day) as AEW is releasing its dark matches (as “dark matches” enters a new definition) as a stand alone show on YouTube. Normally this is something that wouldn’t make a lot of sense but in this case, AEW needs to get their talent out there in front of an audience and that is what they’re doing here. There shouldn’t be any storylines here and it’s a pure wrestling show, which is nice for a change. Let’s get to it.

Tony Schiavone welcomes us to the show and explains the concept. He really is great at something like this and the voice is exactly the same as it was back in the 90s.

Darby Allin vs. Cima

Darby takes a bit too long looking into the crowd and gets caught with some double knees in the corner. That’s fine with Darby, who is right back with a springboard armdrag to the floor, followed by three straight suicide dives. Back in and the Coffin Drop completely misses, allowing Darby to dropkick him into the corner. Something like a Brock Lock on the mat keeps Darby down but he’s fine enough to crotch Cima on top.

That means a Tree of Woe with headbutts to the knee for a pretty unique set of offense. More shots to the knee have Cima in trouble but he’s right back with a tornado DDT for two. Back up and Cima offers him a chance for some chops, demanding Darby’s best shots. Instead Darby hits him in the face and flips over his back into a Stunner for two.

The Coffin Drop onto the knee bangs them both up a bit more so Cima is right back with the Perfect Driver for two of his own. A top top rope Meteora to the back of Darby’s head gets two more, only to have him get the same off a Code Red. That’s enough to set up the Coffin Drop, which finally connects as it’s supposed to, for the pin at 6:57.

Rating: C. I’m still not sure what to make of Allin, who is such a different kind of performer that it takes some time to get the idea of him down. The Coffin Drop comes off as rather stupid, though it fits into the kind of person Allin seems to be. Cima is someone who can have a fine match with anyone, though I’m not overly wild on either guy.

Tony explains the Tag Team Title tournament.

Lucha Bros/Hybrid Two vs. Private Party/Best Friends

Hybrid Two is Angelico/Jack Evans. Orange Cassidy is here with Private Party and Best Friends to a ROAR. Hang on though as Evans needs to yell about how he and Angelico are the A half of their team but a bunch of superkicks break that up in a hurry. Fenix dives onto the Best Friends and Quen gets sent over the top onto Evans and Angelico as I have a bad feeling about trying to keep track of all this stuff. Evans is already ranting about having to make saves until we settle down to Isaiah punching Angelico in the face and screaming.

A cheap shot from Evans takes Isaiah down so the Lucha Bros come in and try some double teaming, only to have Isaiah score with some enziguris for a breather. Evans and Angelico come in to beat on Isaiah instead as tagging is more of a suggestion here. Isaiah is fine enough to hurricanrana Angelico into Evans in the corner, which allows the tag off to Taylor as extra audio is bleeding through commentary.

Barretta comes in to take Angelico down but Evans hits a springboard moonsault onto both Friends. That earns him the sliding German suplex from Barretta, which draws in the Lucha Bros to superkick both Friends down. Quen springboards onto both Bros and everyone winds up on the floor, with Cassidy putting his hands in his pockets. Angelico and Evans take him down and…that’s about it for now. Back in and Angelico and Evans beat up the Friends as JR is trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

Isaiah hits a heck of a flip dive to the floor but the Bros are back in to kick Quen in the head. With Fenix on the floor, Taylor finds his own sunglasses but stops to hug Barretta. That sets up the stereo suicide dives, leaving Cassidy to go up for the hands in pockets dive to the floor. Isn’t that a bit much energy for him? Back in and Fenix saves Pentagon from Strong Zero and a kick to the head sends Taylor into a Backstabber. Fenix hits a big corkscrew dive, leaving Pentagon to finish Taylor at 8:46.

Rating: B. That’s about as high as any of these matches can get and they did exactly what they were suppose do. This was designed to be complete and utter chaos with everyone involved looking rather good in the process. As a bonus, Excalibur was perfect for commentary here as he can rattle off all of those names. JR on the other hand…..well he tried, but he lost the battle of the generations here.

Post match the winners argue over who gets to pose.

Quick look at the women’s division.

Britt Baker/Allie vs. Penelope Ford/Bea Priestly

Priestly shoves Baker on the apron to start so Allie snaps off an armdrag. Hold on though as Priestly wants Baker, which is exactly what she gets. That sends Priestly over to Ford, as you probably expected. Baker gets two off her own armdrag but Ford sends her into the corner for a Great Muta handspring elbow (that’s more JR’s speed). A northern lights suplex gives Ford two but she gets sent into the corner as well, this time allowing the tag to Allie.

The sliding forearm in the corner gives Allie two and it’s time to strike away at Ford. Priestly gets in a cheap shot on the floor though and the villains take over. A stomp onto Allie’s arm keeps her down but Ford misses a second handspring elbow. Baker comes back in to trade forearms with Priestly, followed by the fisherman’s neckbreaker for two. Priestly’s belly to back suplex gets two but Baker kicks her down and hands it back to Allie for a rollup. Everything breaks down and Priestly kicks Baker in the head.

Allie Death Valley Drives Priestly for two before heading to the floor, leaving Allie to DDT Ford for two more with Priestly diving back inside for the save. They head outside again though, leaving Baker to Paige Turn Ford into the Rings of Saturn. With that still on, Baker grabs something like a Mandible Claw (makes sense) at the same time for the tap at 11:11.

Rating: C-. If they want Riho and Nyla Rose to be the stars of the division, they might not want to showcase these four like this. The match was more interesting, easier to get into and just all around more fun. Riho vs. Rose did tell a good story and was better from a technical standpoint, but they’re hardly head and shoulders above these four and that was very apparent here.

We look at Chris Jericho and company taking over at the end of Dynamite.

Here’s a look at the Tag Team Title tournament with Twitter users picking their winners.

Preview for this week’s Dynamite.

Full Gear ad.

Jurassic Express vs. SCU

Jurassic Express now has a rather awesome entrance, complete with steps making a glass of water shake. Daniels has a mic on a stand with him so he can shout SCU. Daniels and Stunt start things off and Stunt can’t do much outside of spinning around into a small package. A stomp onto the back sets up the Floss Dance (ERG), with Daniels countering with his own. Jungle Boy and Kazarian come in to trade near falls off some rollups and cradles until Kazarian knocks him down for the springboard spinning legdrop.

It’s off to Sky to get in a boot to the head but Boy gets over to Luchasaurus and you can feel the fans getting more into things. That’s a bit too good though and it’s back to Stunt, who gets flipped onto Daniels into a splash for two. Boy comes back in for a chinlock but Daniels is right back up with a tilt-a-whirl side slam for two of his own. Stunt’s crossbody bounces off of Sky so Luchasaurus comes back in. Some strikes have no effect for Sky but a DDT puts Luchasaurus down….and he nips right back up.

Stunt and Boy dive onto Daniels and Sky, leaving Kazarian to get chokeslammed and moonsaulted for another near fall. A headscissors faceplant of all things (because Luchasaurus can just do that) sets up Stunt’s running shooting star press as everything stays broken down. Luchasaurus gets sent outside though and it’s Celebrity Rehab on Boy and a powerbomb/Backstabber combination finishes Stunt at 9:17.

Rating: C. They weren’t going for anything more than a fun match here, though they did get in enough stuff to make it feel different than the eight man tag. Stunt taking the pin was the right call if SCU has to win, though it is beyond ridiculous to see him out there with no muscle definition or anything close to being a realistic threat to any of SCU. Even Jungle Boy, who is small, is more believable than Stunt. Let him be a mascot or something, but having him wrestle is a step too far.

Tony wraps us up in a hurry.

Overall Rating: C+. This is a situation where you need to consider the point of this show. It isn’t meant to be anything more than a supplement to Dynamite in a way to get the wrestlers in an AEW ring. You don’t need to see anything here and as long as they keep it that way, this is the most inoffensive thing you could ask for. It doesn’t need to be around permanently as you don’t need so many people featured every week, but for a few months, this is a fine idea.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: World of Sport

World of Sport
Date: August 25, 2018
Location: Epic Studios, Norwich, England
Commentators: Alex Shane, So Cal Val, Stu Bennett

We’ll wrap up the first half of the series with this and hopefully things are starting to turn the corner. They have a top star in Grado and as luck would have it, he’s in action again tonight. This week’s focus is on the Tag Team Title tournament with both semifinal matches taking place here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap, as always.

Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinals: Kip Sabian/Iestyn Rees vs. BT Gunn/Stevie Boy

Sabian handles his team’s introductions in a nice heel touch. Gunn gets knocked off the apron to start and it’s Stevie getting double teamed in the corner. The villains take turns on Stevie but Gunn is back in for the save. A double clothesline clears the ring and there are the stereo dives.

Back in and a basement dropkick gets two on Sabian, allowing the good guys to start taking their turns on him in the corner. Gunn slams him down and you can tell the fans are into Gunn and Stevie. Imagine that: giving them a style that is easy to like and they’re popular. A cheap shot from the apron lets Sabian take over on Stevie with an armbar but a jawbreaker gets Stevie out of trouble. Rees is smart enough to break up a hot tag attempt though and a side slam into a slingshot legdrop gives Sabian two.

An atomic drop/shoulder combo gets two more but Stevie is right back with an enziguri. The double tag brings in Rees and Gunn with the latter speeding things up in a hurry. Sabian comes back in and gets kicked in the face as well with a DDT getting two. A Bushwhackers battering ram is broken up and the powerbomb/springboard neckbreaker combination finishes Stevie at 9:34 in one of the longest matches in the series so far.

Rating: C. Like I said, it helps so much to have characters that are easy to understand and follow, which is what you had here. Gunn and Boy are a fun team and while the ending likely gives away the other tag match result, at least they’ve established Sabian and Rees as some a nice little heel act. It’s taken some time but they’re getting somewhere with these guys, even though the show is half over now.

Adam Maxted and Nathan Cruz are ready to win the titles. The fact that I had to look up who they were is a bad sign.

Gabriel Kidd is banged up but ready to fight.

Gabriel Kidd vs. Crater vs. Liam Slater

Slater was in the ladder match. Crater stays on the floor while the other two grapple to start with Slater grabbing a rollup for an early two. A nice monkey flip sends Slater flying but Crater pulls Kidd to the floor, injuring his ribs even more. Crater throws Slater around but Kidd comes back so they can try to double team the monster.

That just earns them a double chokeslam and some splashes in the corner, followed by a reverse Razor’s Edge into a flipping slam for Slater. Crater piles them up (with Slater on top of Kidd, which isn’t a pin for no apparent reason) and a splash pins them both (again, with Slater pinning Kidd) to give Crater the win at 6:09.

Rating: D. You know what I’ve always found works for getting around one wrestler not being able to do much? Completely ignoring the rules of a match. They’ve done a good job of turning Crater into a monster and having someone take him down at the end of the season could be a great way to give someone momentum. Bad match with bad thinking, though Crater got what he needed out of it.

Quick look at the setup of the women’s battle royal.

Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinals: Adam Maxted/Nathan Cruz vs. Grado/British Bulldog Jr.

Cruz goes after Bulldog to start and that goes as well as you would expect, with Bulldog shrugging it off and suplexing Cruz with ease. Grado comes in with a rollup for two and it’s already back to Bulldog, who gets caught with a jawbreaker. Maxted comes in with a jawbreaker but Bulldog is right back with some arm cranking.

Grado helps out on a Paisan elbow and the dancing jabs. For some reason Grado tries a leapfrog and hurts his knee, allowing Cruz to come back in and start on said knee. A few kneedrops gets two and Cruz is smart enough to knock Bulldog off the apron. Maxted slaps on the Figure Four and Grado actually taps at 8:28.

Rating: C-. Well that was unexpected. You wouldn’t have bet on a clean win for the heels, especially by making one of the show’s top faces tap out. It also sets up heels vs. heels in the finals, which is even worse as I can barely remember which member of both team is which in the first place, let alone when you have four people who are so similar in the same match. Fine enough match here with a simple story and a rather surprising ending.

Maxted checks on Grado, to Cruz’s annoyance.

Women’s Title: Battle Royal

Kay Lee Ray, Bea Priestly, Viper, Ayesha, Kasey Owens

Ray is defending and we still haven’t heard any of these women actually say a word. It’s a brawl to start with Ayesha (Whose name I had to look up on the show’s website. They say the name but it’s never actually shown anywhere.) staring at Viper. Viper throws Owens into the corner and splashes Ayesha with Owens splashing everyone else. That earns her a hard shove from Viper, who splashes and cannonballs everyone in sight. Now it’s Priestly getting a chance to charge at everyone in the corner until Ayesha clotheslines her down.

Viper and Ayesha do the big power showdown until Ray and Owens break it up. Owens and Priestly are sent out in short order and it’s time for the two big women to fight again. Ray tries to dump them both at once before just dropkicking them both down. A tornado DDT to Ayesha and a dropkick to Viper at the same time has the monsters in trouble again. Viper sends Ayesha to the apron and throws Ray at her for an elimination, only to get tossed to the apron as well. A superkick from Ray retains the title at 6:36.

Rating: F. To recap: None of the women have ever said anything, the entire division is five wrestlers (with two making their in-ring debut here), Ray has beaten Viper (the monster of the division) multiple times now and I had to look up two of their names. Is there a reason they’re wasting their time with this if they’re putting so little effort into the whole thing?

Overall Rating: D+. That’s one of the most up and down shows that I can remember in a very long time. There’s some good stuff in there but at the same time a lot of it is really terrible, especially with some of the questionable booking decisions. I know the series is only ten shows long, but you would think it would have been planned out a little bit better than this.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: World Of Sport

World of Sport
Date: August 4, 2018
Location: Epic Studios, Norwich, England
Commentators: Alex Shane, So Cal Val, Stu Bennett

I’m really not sure what to expect here, even though the two big matches were announced in advance and I know some of the cast. Last week’s debut episode really wasn’t anything to see but hopefully things get better as they keep going. If they at least introduce the people and tell me something about them, things will at least be a bit better. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the “fall of the people’s champion” Grado last week.

The announcers talk about Grado losing the title last week.

Bennett talks to the crowd about Grado losing the title last week. Tonight we’ll be having a Women’s Title match, but first we need to have a championship celebration. Cue Rampage, CJ Banks (actually named this week) and Sha Samuels. Samuels says no one has the guts to fight Rampage but here’s Joe Hendry to interrupt. According to his music, he’s on a title quest and wants a shot right here tonight. Bennett: “RING THE BELL!”

World of Sport Title: Joe Hendry vs. Rampage

Hendry is challenging and headlocks him down before getting two off a fireman’s carry. That’s enough to send Rampage bailing to the floor where his goons distract Hendry. Rampage gets in a few cheap shots from behind and it’s an elbow drop into the chinlock. A shot to the throat cuts off the comeback and Rampage jumps on his back for a quickly broken sleeper. Hendry gets two off a neckbreaker and the ankle lock (which Hendry learned from Kurt Angle) goes on. That’s broken up as well and another distraction lets Rampage hit an implant DDT to retain at 6:00.

Rating: D+. Just like last week, this came and went so fast that it didn’t have time to take much effect. Hendry has a great personality and charisma but we barely know anything about him. Rampage on the other hand is I guess the top villain on the show but he’s in that spot because he has two goons, not because he’s some mastermind. This was another instance of “eh, it was ok I guess”, which might as well be the subtitle for the whole promotion.

Liam Slater vs. Robbie X vs. Gabriel Kidd vs. Lionheart

Ladder match for a “big opportunity”. They’re all in the ring for the introductions and Robbie wears a mask. Robbie clears the ring until Lionheart dropkicks him down. Lionheart brings the ladder in but gets sent face first into it for his efforts. Slater and Lionheart fight over the ladder until Slater pins him into the corner.

Robbie gets superplexed down and Slater goes up, allowing Kidd to make a save. Kidd goes up and drops an elbow on Slater, leaving Robbie to moonsault off the ladder onto the two of them (with two camera cuts on a single move). With Robbie going up, Lionheart shoves the ladder over for the crash to the floor. Slater gets the big ladder (required in a ladder match) but Lionheart pulls him down. Kidd shoves Lionheart off though and steals the briefcase to win at 7:56.

Rating: D+. This felt like every run of the mill indy ladder match that you’ve ever seen. There was little drama to be found, due to a combination of the match not even lasting eight minutes but more because it was another four random people that we don’t know anything about in a match. That’s been the case with both shows so far and it’s really not getting any better. Give us a ten second promo from them or let the announcers talk about them or just ANYTHING that gives me a reason to care about them or who they are.

Post match Kidd talks about how great it is to win this contract. What is the contract for? Not important. He’ll get it next week though.

Tag Team Titles Tournament First Round: Adam Maxted/Nathan Cruz vs. Doug Williams/HT Drake

At least the wrestlers get their names on the screen so I have an idea which is which. Cruz mocks Williams to start and is pulled down without much effort. Williams gets caught in a quickly broken chinlock before he armdrags Cruz into an armbar. The rapid fire camera cuts begin their nauseating switches again before Drake comes in to hurricanrana Maxted. A quick double team goes nowhere and it’s Cruz hitting a slingshot belly to back suplex for two on Drake.

Maxted comes back in for an Irish whip and pushups, followed by another chinlock. That lasts as long as you might expect and the hot tag brings Williams back in a few seconds later. A double Regal Cutter hits Cruz but a Codebreaker sends Williams outside. With Maxted shoving Drake away, Cruz grabs a springboard Blockbuster for the pin at 7:39.

Rating: D+. Take the same complaints I’ve made about most of the matches in the first two shows and use it here. This was the same problem that has been taking place on the entire series and I don’t see that changing as we move forward. I know Williams from TNA and Maxted was around earlier, but who is everyone else and why should I boo or cheer them? Get this stuff together.

Women’s Title: Viper vs. Kay Lee Ray vs. Bea Priestly

The title is vacant coming in. Viper is better known as Piper Niven from last year’s Mae Young Classic and probably outweighs the other two combined. That’s not an insult though as she moves around incredibly well. The only bio we get on any of them: Priestly is Will Ospreay’s girlfriend. They trade rollups to start and Viper throws Kay into the corner. Viper slams both of them down and hits a running low crossbody for a double knockdown. A buckle bomb drives Kay into Priestly and a Vader Bomb gives Viper two.

Priestly breaks up a cover off a hard clothesline and the camera cuts get so insane that it almost has to be editing something out. No one could be that all over the place with something so simple. Anyway some double teaming puts Viper down and Bea hitting an Alberto Del Rio double stomp for two.

A Gory Bomb gives Kay two but Viper is back up. Kay hits a running…I think spinning Downward Spiral but it’s hard to tell off the camera cut. Bea hits a Cheeky Nandos kick on Kay but Viper plants her with a Michinoku Driver for two. Viper gets sent outside and catches a running hurricanrana with a powerbomb for a thud. Back in and Kay actually manages a Gory Bomb to put Viper away at 8:31.

Rating: C+. I actually liked this one more than most of what I’ve seen so far. I mean, I still know nothing about any of these people but they told a nice story with Viper as the unstoppable monster and the other two having to fight her off. Kay winning with the big clean win over Viper was a nice touch and the match was pretty good. That seems to be as good as it’s going to get so I’ll take what I can.

Overall Rating: D+. Maybe it was the lack of Grado as a featured player or maybe it was actually accomplishing a few things but the show wasn’t as annoying as last week’s. It’s still far from a good show and thank goodness it’s a limited series as I can’t imagine it would have gone better in the long term. They’re starting to build up a story or two but it’s still a long way from good. The cameras were even more annoying this week though, especially with the longer shots. Not the worst show, but it’s still not worth your time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

WCPW Loaded Episode 5
Date: August 8, 2016
Location: 02 Academy, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
Commentators: Alex Shane, Dave Bradshaw

This is What Culture Pro Wrestling, which is a promotion created by Whatculture.com, a pop culture site with a bunch of top ten lists and such. For some reason they started a wrestling promotion in the UK and it’s been getting some solid reviews. Solid enough that someone asked me to take a look at them so let’s get to it.

As is almost often the case with indy companies, I have no idea what to expect coming into this and know nothing about the promotion.

We open with a graphic saying these wrestlers aren’t accurate portrayals of their real lives. “Our ring is actually a young single father. Sometimes his mind wanders when he lies awake at night. What happens when he gets too old to do this? Who will provide for Little Timmy then?” Oh this is going to be FUN.

A guy (presumably a boss) is on the phone with Roman (oh yeah I’m going to like this) and says he can’t hire Roman until he’s clean. Apparently his name is Adam Pechitti and he’s the GM. I love it when promotions that love to poke fun at WWE always goes with the exact terminology WWE uses. Anyway, WCPW Champion Big Damo has injured someone named Rampage so we need a new #1 contender. Therefore tonight, it’s Douglas Williams vs. Aaron Stevens (Damien Sandow). The announcement is done in less than two minutes (counting the earlier graphic) so they’re already on a roll.

The set is simple with a ramp and three screens, the middle one featuring the company logo. Works for me.

Noam Dar vs. Will Ospreay vs. El Ligero

Dar has a Star Wars theme (DAR WARS!) so hopefully he impresses me a bit more than he did in the Cruiserweight Classic. As the announcers talk about Dar nearly beating Jay Lethal to take the ROH World Title, we get some dancing with the ring announcer. Ligero is a bull themed luchador. Ospreay was in that really well received match with Riccochet a few months back and then had the match against Vader as a result.

Dar dances around a bit at the bell and I can’t understand British chants. An EL LIGERO chant starts up but it’s quickly off to ALL THESE GUYS. The only contact in the first minute and half is a few handshakes. Being so polite is quite British of them. They finally get things going and everything misses until it’s a standoff for a round of applause. Ospreay starts firing off some strikes as the announcers talk about Will feeling the pressure of being considered one of the best in the world.

Ligero is sent outside but Dar can’t get anywhere on Ospreay’s knee. The announcers debate what the fans might be chanting with one of the commentators saying he speaks fluent What Culture fan. Ligero kicks Ospreay in the face as they’re doing the two men in, one on the floor formula. Dar comes back in and catches Ligero in a kneebar (I’m really not wild on this move towards submission cruiserweight wrestling). The save doesn’t work for Ospreay as he gets caught in a kneebar at the same time.

Dar and Ligero exchange strikes until Ospreay moonsaults into a double kick to the head to put all three down. Ospreay starts picking up the pace and sends Dar outside so he can kick Ligero in the corner. That sets up a big running flip dive over the corner to take Dar out again, assuming you ignore most of the dive missing him completely. Something like a Phenomenal Forearm drops Ligero but he ducks a Rainmaker as New Japan’s influence hits another promotion (it’s still just a freaking clothesline).

Dar comes back in and dropkicks Ligero out of the air but Will makes the save. A rollup into a faceplant drops Ospreay but it’s Ospreay making a save of his own at two. All three are down for the FIGHT FOREVER chant and it’s time for the strike off. Ospreay does one of those WAY too complicated flips into a kick to the head (which didn’t appear to connect) before the Oscutter (springboard into a cutter) is good for the pin on Dar.

Rating: B. That was the only possible option for the ending as Ospreay was definitely stealing the show here and being treated like the top star. The announcers hyped this up a lot more than it deserved but that’s what you’re going to get for a long indy triple threat. This was a lot of fun though and Ospreay looked like a star, which was the entire point. If you’re a fan of this style, you’ll LOVE this match.

A heel stable called the Prospect talks about how bright their future is. Whoever the leader (his name might be James R. Kennedy) is who welcomes a new member named Drake.

Joseph Conners comes up to a guy named Joe Hendry (seems faceish) and they seem to be a team having issues. It seems that they’re arguing over who gets the most spotlight during their entrance and Conners is getting sick of this whole thing. He leaves Hendry on his own and Joe looks frustrated.

Joe Hendry vs. Alex Gracie

Gracie has Prospect with him. Hendry seems very popular and his entrance video is him singing a wrestling themed version of AC/DC’s TNT (“Cause I’m Joe Hendry, I’m dynamite, Joe Hendry, I’m always right, Joe Hendry, my first name is Joe!” Oh I think I’ve got a new favorite indy promotion.).

Joe takes him straight to the mat to start and it’s time for a Prospect meeting on the floor. Back in and they seem to botch something so Hendry goes with a hard clothesline to drop Gracie for two. Sometimes you just need to hit someone really really hard. As the announcers make jokes about being attracted to each other (it fits in context), another Prospect member sneaks in for an Eat Defeat/Russian legsweep combo to take over on Hendry.

We hit the chinlock for a bit before Prospect is right back on Hendry. Back in and they chop it out with Hendry making a comeback but getting distracted by Prospect. Eat Defeat looks to set up something from the top but Joe grabs a fall away slam for the quick pin. Seriously, a fall away slam?

Rating: D+. It’s pretty clear that Hendry is much more of a character than a wrestler and there’s nothing wrong with that. The in ring part wasn’t great but at least the pre-match was really entertaining and made me want to see more of Hendry. Prospect seems to have potential as well but a clean loss doesn’t help them.

Post match Prospect beats on Hendry until Conners makes the save. Both guys get interview time but Hendry says this is Conners’ chance to talk. Conners thinks there are problems but it’s Prospect behind those problems. They have each others’ backs though and that’s all that matters. Hands are shook and things seem to be fine.

Grado runs into someone not important enough to name and they both take off their shirts. Insults are exchanged but they quickly apologize. The announcers say the other guy’s name is Martin Kirby. Good enough.

Here’s General Manager Adam Pacitti with something to say. He gets right to the point: there’s going to be a women’s division and it starts RIGHT NOW.

Bea Priestly vs. Nixon Newell

Bea is the heel here and both women are rather good looking. Feeling out process to start as they work on wristlocks with no one getting the upper hand. A chop and strut out of the corner make Newell even more popular and Bea rolls outside for a breather. Bea sends her into the post and licks Nixon’s face to freak the announcers out.

Back in and things slow down a lot, as you might expect when a heel takes over. A really weak looking kick to the back gets two for Bea but a better looking kick to the face gets the same. To crank up the gross factor, Bea takes the gum out of her mouth (Who chews gum while wrestling?) and puts it in Nixon’s mouth.

Possibly due to the high levels of WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, Nixon gets a near fall of her own off a Shining Wizard. Bea gets the better of an exchange of kicks to the face and drives a knee to the face for two. Nixon gets all aggressive again and headbutts her down, setting up a really sloppy looking Canadian Destroyer for the pin.

Rating: D+. This was better than a lot of women’s matches you’ll see outside of WWE but there was a lot of room for improvement. Then again, this was just the debut for the division so it’s not like they have anywhere to go but up. Both women looked passable out there and seem to mainly be needing polish, which will come over time.

Liam Slater and Johnny Moss, a new team, are getting ready for their match when James R. Kennedy comes in to recruit Slater to Prospect. Moss basically throws him out because he wants to fight Prospect tonight.

Prospect vs. Liam Slater/Johnny Moss

It’s Drake/Lucas Archer for the team here. The announcer compares Prospect to New Day or the Freebirds as they regularly change members. I actually like that as everyone knows who those teams are and there’s no reason to act like this is anything new or to act like they don’t exist. Also, and perhaps above all else, they don’t pretend like WWE is some horrible promotion. It comes off like WWE exists, they’re good, but check out this new promotion as well because it can entertain you as well. That’s really refreshing and it’s nice for a change. Slater isn’t very big and looks to be the speed guy while Moss is built like a tank.

Moss headlocks Drake to start and it’s off to the very skinny Archer, who loses some chest skin in the corner. Slater comes in and the announcers bill him as Moss’ protege. That makes a bit more sense as Moss really doesn’t look like he needs much help. Some technical stuff puts Drake down but he knees Liam down to take over.

It’s back to Moss a few seconds later so the announcers can keep sucking up to him. Slater gets kicked in the head though and it’s time for the double teaming to begin. That goes nowhere though as it’s off to Moss who cleans house with a double suplex. A jumping tombstone plants Archer and Drake gets pulled out of the air, setting up an avalanche headbutt from Liam for the pin on Archer.

Rating: C. This was ALL about Moss who looked really impressive. He’s basically Ryback with the great look and in ring abilities to make it work even better. I had a lot of fun watching him while the other three were just kind of there. Prospect is a group that looks good on paper but haven’t actually been the most impressive in the ring.

Some guy who calls himself a Prince leaves a hotel and insists that some guy who he refers to as his servant carry him to the arena. The servant reluctantly agrees.

Douglas Williams is offended that Aron Stevens is called a fellow wrestling legend. I’d be offended by that as well. Williams goes on a short rant about British wrestlers going overseas and turning their backs on wrestling. “Let’s make ourselves great again.”

Douglas Williams vs. Aron Stevens

Stevens is of course Damien Sandow/Aron Rex. The winner gets a WCPW Title match at some point in the future. Before we get going, Stevens uses his towel to wipe down the top rope for far longer than is necessary. A wristlock sends Williams out to the floor and I think the fans call him boring. To keep the fans entertained, Stevens does a cartwheel. Back in and Aron sends him into the corner a few times before going back to the wristlock. I’m so thrilled that Stevens is bringing that cutting edge generic offense to the UK.

Stevens is sent outside as the announcers bicker over Youtube subscribers. We hit a figure four necklock as the USA chants begin. The fans want Aron to do some very horrible things to Williams but settle for a suplex. I think you can guess the chant for that one. Williams goes up and tries something like a Swanton but lands SQUARE ON HIS HEAD.

Thankfully he’s not dead and Stevens can hit a few clotheslines, followed by a running flip neckbreaker for two. Williams tries a running knee but his leg gives out (the leg injury might explain the crash) so Stevens sits down on a sunset flip for the pin and the title shot. The count might have been a bit fast too as Williams looked badly hurt.

Rating: D+. Aron Stevens is just not very interesting. He got over with the whole stunt double thing and the solution now is to take away everything that made him popular in the first place? The match was messed up by the injury and Williams not being able to continue but everything before then didn’t work well either. It doesn’t help that I haven’t seen Stevens do anything great since he left do WWE and this didn’t change that trend.

Post match Adam Blampied comes out with the WCPW Title and talks long enough until Big Damo can come out and hit Stevens low. Trash talking ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I had a lot of fun with this one. Like, a lot of fun with it. I’m actually looking into going to see this promotion when I’m in Orlando for Wrestlemania weekend and they’re making their American debut. They’re far from perfect but they come out with a confidence that you don’t see a lot of promotions have. Their in ring work could use some polish but the fans care and they clearly have some money to spend on imported talent. This was a lot of fun though and you get a bunch of stuff on a single episode. Good show here and a promotion I liked WAY more than I was expecting to.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume V at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQKDV5O

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

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