Smackdown
Date: March 3, 2023
Location: Capital One Arena, Washington DC
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

We are less than a month away from Wrestlemania and that means it is time to kick the build into high gear. This time around we are going to be seeing something special as Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes will be going face to face for the first time in a very long while. Other than that, I’m sure Sami Zayn will be up to something. Let’s get to it.

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

We’ll start big as here is the Bloodline (still minus Jey Uso) to get things going. After Reigns requests and receives his acknowledgment, here is Cody Rhodes to interrupt. Cody makes it clear that he isn’t here to fight because they can do that at Wrestlemania, one on one. Therefore, unless Reigns needs the rest of his team, they aren’t needed. Reigns sends the team away and asks if that makes Cody more comfortable. Reigns puts both titles down in front of Cody, who says Reigns has been champion for 915 days.

For some, Reigns has become this impossible mountain to climb, but that is kind of Cody’s thing. There is no way Cody could survive Stardust and there is no way 10,000 people will pay to see Cody headline an indy show. The goalposts are always being moved but he is always kicking it through the uprights. Reigns may be impossible for some, but that isn’t the case with Cody. Reigns: “That was good.” He accuses Cody of rehearsing that all week before asking if Cody has ever won the WWE Title. Or even competed for it. Or headlined Wrestlemania.

Reigns has been groomed for this since he was a little boy, both by his own father and by Cody’s father as well. Don’t worry though as he won’t degrade Dusty Rhodes, because Dusty was the one who put the confidence in him. We get the required Dusty impression and Reigns says Dusty knew everything Reigns would wind up doing. You know what Dusty would say about Cody though? Nothing. Maybe when Seth was in there talking to Dusty or something but most of the time, it was like Cody didn’t exist.

Reigns knows Dusty isn’t here anymore, but if there is anything he didn’t teach Cody, Reigns will at Wrestlemania. The handshake is offered though Cody says this isn’t even on the same playing field. Paul Heyman came to Smackdown to tell Cody the truth, and if that is the truth, then one of Dusty’s kids (as in students) was better than Dusty’s actual kids. If that is the truth, then Reigns is the son that Dusty always wanted. If that is the truth, then Cody has to win the title at Wrestlemania. So absolutely, may the better man win, and they shake hands.

This was Reigns showing he can hang with the big talking himself and it’s feeling more and more personal every week. Great stuff here, and Cody is building his own story with Reigns. That had to be done and for once they’re actually making it work. Keep this up and they are going to have something special in Los Angeles.

Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan

Dominik Mysterio is here with Rhea. This is the result of Liv challenging Ripley to a match because it’s insane. Liv takes her down to start but a springboard armdrag is countered into a faceplant. A running knee drops Liv again but she fights back and hits a middle rope dropkick. With Rhea on the floor, Liv tries a dive, which is swatted away for a hard crash.

We take a break and come back with Liv kicking her away, setting up a Codebreaker. A springboard Codebreaker and middle rope Codebreaker Connect for two but the Oblivion is countered. Riptide is countered and an enziguri hits Ripley as well. That’s enough for Ripley, who knocks her down and hits a quick Riptide. The Prism Trap with a knee on Liv’s head gives Ripley the submission at 8:00.

Rating: B-. That might be high but this was a lot more entertaining than I was expecting. Morgan wasn’t about to beat the #1 contender but she got in a lot of offense and had Ripley selling a bit before the finish. What matters here is having Ripley look good and giving Morgan a bit more offense before the win was a good way to go.

The Bloodline is in the back and Roman Reigns wants to know when Jey Uso will be back. Jimmy Uso says Jey needs time, but Reigns is running out of patience. Jimmy will let Jey know, but Reigns implies he’s running out of patience with Jimmy as well.

We look back at Rey Mysterio not being able to hit his son Dominik last week.

Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley run into Santos Escobar, who wants Dominik in the ring right now. He even blows Rhea a kiss for a bonus.

Santos Escobar vs. Dominik Mysterio

Rhea Ripley is here with Dominik. A quick dropkick staggers Escobar to start but he sends Dominik into the corner and tells him to acknowledge the legacy of Rey Mysterio’s mask. Dominik: “NO!” A surfboard has Dominik in more trouble but he breaks that up and sends Escobar outside.

We take a break and come back with Dominik teasing a 619 but opting to choke on the ropes instead. Escobar wakes up though and hammers away, only to have Dominik go to the eyes to escape the Phantom Driver. Escobar is right back with a flying forearm into a standing legdrop for two. They collide for a double knockdown though and Dominik whips out some brass knuckles. The distraction lets Ripley hit Riptide on the floor, with Dominik adding the frog splash for the pin at 8:36.

Rating: C+. Escobar continues to look like someone who could become a bigger deal if he is given the chance. It’s nice to see him getting a chance here and you can almost guarantee that he is going to be in a spot going forward. At the same time, the star here was Ripley, who has so much charisma and feels like a star. Dominik is getting the hang of things, but he is going to be in Ripley’s spotlight for a long time.

Post match Dominik takes Rey’s mask and rips it up. Cue Rey to glare at his son, with Dominik offering to hand it over if Rey will hit him. Rey won’t so Dominik drops the mask and hits Rey from behind.

Sami Zayn was at the airport earlier today and said you could feel the heat. Roman Reigns is feeling the heat too and tonight, he is facing Solo Sikoa. This isn’t about wins and losses, but rather about sending a message. The Sami Zayn problem isn’t going away until the Bloodline goes down. A lot of fans around him know it and the SAMI chants are on. I love it when they go out of the arena like this and Sami felt like a star here.

Here is Drew McIntyre for a chat and he gets right to the point by calling out Gunther. Cue Sheamus, who says Drew is going behind his back to get to Wrestlemania. Drew knows what winning the Intercontinental Title means to Sheamus and Sheamus isn’t going to calm down. That doesn’t work for Drew, who says he isn’t going to ask Sheamus for permission to do everything.

Sheamus says he isn’t Drew’s parent, but he thought they were brothers. No, instead Drew is just a backstabbing b******. Drew says if we’re telling the truth, the reality is Sheamus lost to Gunther twice….and here is LA Knight to interrupt. If you’re talking about the Intercontinental Title, you have to be talking about him. These two in the ring (who are arguing without even looking at Knight) have gotten every chance….and here is New Day to interrupt.

They mock Knight for saying you can’t have an LA Wrestlemania without him before saying Knight can’t even win a match around here. Cue Karrion Kross (with Scarlett) to interrupt and now the fight is on before they can say anything. Sheamus and Drew clear the ring but Drew dives onto a bunch of people (mainly landing on Kofi Kingston) instead of fighting. Kross sends Sheamus into the post and stands tall.

Earlier today, Tegan Nox and Natalya attacked Ronda Rousey, resulting in her arm being hurt and Shana Baszler making the save.

Shayna Baszler vs. Tegan Nox

Ronda Rousey (in a sling) and Natalya are here too and their entrance songs are used. Baszler starts fast and goes after Nox’s arm but gets kicked in the head for her efforts. Another shot to the arm cuts Nox down and an armbar makes her tap at 2:02. More or less a squash.

Gunther calls the lack of a Wrestlemania challenger a disgrace. He wants a worthy opponent for this great prize in this sacred sport. That’s as much praise as the Intercontinental Title has gotten in years.

Here is Bobby Lashley for a chat. He saw the Bray Wyatt Muscleman Dance on Raw so Bray can come see him right now. Instead, here is Uncle Howdy from behind and the beating is on. Lashley shrugs it off and hits the spinebuster, but the lights go out before the spear. They come back up and Howdy is gone. Well that made Howdy look worthless.

Jimmy Uso comes to see Roman Reigns. He called Jey Uso, who said he needs more time, which apparently is shorthand for “leave him the h*** alone.” Reigns can’t believe this and blames Sami Zayn. He wants Jimmy out there with Solo Sikoa against Zayn tonight. If they get rid of Zayn, Jey will come home. Jimmy leaves and Paul Heyman calls that wonderful. Reigns waves that off and says Jey has one week, which Heyman understands. If Jey isn’t back in a week, Reigns is going to blame Jimmy Uso. That gets the fans’ attention.

Solo Sikoa vs. Sami Zayn

Jimmy Uso is here with Sikoa. They start before the bell with Sami taking Sikoa down and sending Jimmy over the top. Back in and the bell rings with Sami sending Solo outside for a change. A Jimmy distraction lets Solo get in a posting though and Sami is thrown into the timekeeper’s area as we take a break. Back with Zayn knocking Sikoa down but walking into a Samoan drop. A tornado DDT gives Zayn two and a high crossbody gets the same. Sikoa misses a charge in the corner and the Blue Thunder Bomb gets two. Jimmy saves Sikoa from the Helluva Kick though and the Samoan Spike finishes Zayn at 7:47.

Rating: C. That ending was a bit disappointing as Zayn taking another fall so soon after Elimination Chamber feels unnecessary. They could have gotten a better result out of some kind of screwy finish, so this was a little hard to take. The good thing is Zayn didn’t lose clean, but it would be nice if he didn’t have to lose at all here. Now that being said, the numbers game playing against him means he is going to need a friend, and that can only lead in one direction.

Post match Solo and Jimmy grab a chair and beat Zayn down, including putting it around his chair in the corner. Sikoa loads up the running Umaga Attack but Jimmy wants to do it instead. That takes too long though and Zayn grabs the chair, which he launches at Sikoa’s head. The Helluva Kick hits Jimmy and Zayn grabs the chair, only to have Sikoa knock it away. Zayn runs into the crowd as an upset Roman Reigns is shown in the back to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show that had more of an energy and there was a reason to care about almost everything going on. You don’t get that very often and it made for a good show. What matters here is that it felt like they have turned on the Wrestlemania jets and we should be in for an exciting ride over the next month. The Cody vs. Reigns showdown was awesome and if they can keep up that energy, the main event will be white hot. Good show here as they check another step off the Road To Wrestlemania.

Results
Rhea Ripley b. Liv Morgan – Prism Trap
Dominik Mysterio b. Santos Escobar – Frog splash
Shayna Baszler b. Tegan Nox – Armbar
Solo Sikoa b. Sami Zayn – Samoan Spike

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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Smackdown
Date: February 3, 2023
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Michael Cole

We’re done with the Royal Rumble and the main event of Wrestlemania is set. That being said, there is a Sami Zayn sized road block on the Road To Wrestlemania and I’m not sure how they are going to deal with it. You can almost guarantee Zayn is getting the Elimination Chamber title shot, but dang it’s going to be a fun right on the way there. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Sami Zayn finally turning on the Bloodline with a chair shot to Roman Reigns, but Jey Uso couldn’t bring himself to help with the ensuing beatdown.

The Bloodline, minus Jey Uso, and everyone but Paul Heyman ignores questions about Jey. Heyman says they cannon confirm or deny Jey’s Bloodline status at the moment.

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament: Imperium vs. Braun Strowman/Ricochet

For a future Smackdown Tag Team Title shot. Strowman shoves Kaiser around to start before it’s off to Ricochet for a headlock. A dropkick puts Kaiser down and it’s back to Strowman, who picks up Kaiser on the floor. Vinci hits a big dive onto both of them though and we take a break.

Back with Strowman going shoulder first into the post, allowing the double teaming to begin. Strowman fights out of it though and it’s back to Ricochet with the springboard crossbody. A running shooting star press hits Vinci and everything breaks down. Ricochet avoids the double dropkick in the corner but gets in a staredown with Gunther on the floor. That’s enough for Gunther to be ejected but he gets in a staredown with Strowman on the floor.

Ricochet gets caught in a high/low for two and we take another break. Back again with Ricochet escaping the Imperial Bomb and getting back over to Strowman to clean house. Vinci’s springboard spinning forearm has no effect on Strowman, who blasts Kaiser with a clothesline. The Monster Bomb into a Swanton off of Strowman’s shoulders finishes Kaiser at 16:16.

Rating: B-. What a weird tournament this was, as Ricochet and Strowman, who are at least regular partners, get the win rather than McIntyre and Sheamus, who are such a dominant force that they could conceivably take the belts. Ricochet and Strowman are good enough as challengers, but I’m not sure how much I buy them as a threat to the titles.

We look at Rhea Ripley winning the Women’s Royal Rumble, plus her choosing to challenge Charlotte for Wrestlemania.

Charlotte is ready for Rhea Ripley but Sonya Deville shows up and says she’ll be taking the title. Wrestlemania is in Los Angeles and needs a star.

Rey Mysterio and New Day were at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for a promotional appearance for an upcoming NASCAR race. Judgment Day interrupted and started yelling, resulting in…..a car race between the Mysterios. They talk a lot of trash and Rey wins in the end. Of all the cross promotional stuff I’ve seen, this is far from the bottom of the list.

Women’s Title: Charlotte vs. Sonya Deville

Charlotte is defending. They start slow with Charlotte taking over and knocking Deville down. A high crossbody connects but Charlotte misses a charge in the corner, allowing Sonya to get in a shot as we take a break. Back with Charlotte fighting out of trouble and hitting a belly to back suplex. The big boot gives Charlotte two but another one misses, allowing Sonya to snap her leg across the top.

A pump kick gives Sonya two and a middle rope knee to the face is good for the same. Sonya tries a Figure Four but gets reversed into a small package for two. Charlotte’s moonsault hits raised boots so Sonya, with feet on the ropes, can get two. Back up and Charlotte gets the Figure Four into the Figure Eight to retain at 10:22.

Rating: C. This felt like the story that we had to get cleared out before we get to the Wrestlemania title matches as Charlotte has a lot more important things to do than beat up Deville. The result wasn’t in doubt here and while the match wasn’t bad, it was little more than a glorified workout for Charlotte. The Ripley match was already set up Monday, so why was this going to be a big deal on Friday?

Video on Cody Rhodes, who came back from a horrible injury and won the Royal Rumble to get a title shot at Wrestlemania.

The Bloodline is in the back and Jimmy Uso hasn’t hear from his brother. Reigns: “Don’t you find that disrespectful?” He isn’t happy with what happened, but asks Jimmy a bit more emphatically if he has heard from his brother. Jimmy says again, he hasn’t heard from him, but Jey will be there next week for the title match. Reigns asks what about the rest of them. Has Solo Sikoa talked to Jey either? It’s Wrestlemania season, and Jimmy isn’t finding Jey on the couch. Find Jey, now.

Black History Month video on Kofi Kingston.

Brawling Brutes vs. Viking Raiders

Ivar and Butch start things off and it’s a brawl early on. A Valhalla distraction lets Ivar send Butch hard into the barricade though and we take a break. Back with Holland throwing suplexes on Erik, who cuts him off with a knee lift. An Alabama Slam plants Ivar but he takes Holland into the corner for some rapid fire elbows to the face. Butch tags himself in and hurricanranas his way out of something off the top. Butch’s moonsault is pulled out of the air though and Ivar picks him up. Holland gets kicked in the face on the floor and Ragnarok finishes Butch at 10:48.

Rating: C+. Another good enough match here, as the Raiders get built up for a likely Elimination Chamber showdown with McIntyre and Sheamus. It’s kind of weird that Sheamus has more or less dumped the Brutes for McIntyre, but he was overshadowing the other two anyway. I’m not sure how Butch and Holland will do on their own, but they’re going to get the chance.

Post match McIntyre and Sheamus come out to bet up the Vikings.

We look at the Mountain Dew Pitch Black match from the Rumble.

Bray Wyatt is in his chair….and Uncle Howdy comes up to him. A jump scare ensues.

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Zelina Vega vs. Shotzi vs. Natalya vs. Shayna Baszler

It’s a brawl to start with Vega Code Redding Natalya for two, with Baszler making the save. Baszler drops Shotzi and stands on her head until Natalya makes the save. A knee to the face gives Baszler two on Natalya and we take a break. Back with Natalya’s Sharpshooter being broken up and Baszler Kirifuda Clutching Vega. Natalya breaks that up and has to break out of another Clutch. The Sharpshooter makes Zelina tap to give Natalya the Chamber spot at 7:28.

Rating: C. The second her music hit, you could pencil Natalya in for the spot. I understand that she is going to be in there to walk a lot of people through the match, but dang there is an emotional drop when she comes in. Natalya has talent, but she takes away so much interest because she is the same wrestler she has been for years now.

The rest of the Bloodline can’t find Jey Uso and Roman Reigns says that if they aren’t all on the same page, the Bloodline is done. Paul Heyman has sent catering to the bus so Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso can go eat while Reigns takes care of business.

Here are Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman for a chat. Reigns would rather talk about Cody Rhodes, but the people are insisting that he talk about the past. We can do that, and the story goes back to WarGames. Reigns saw greed in Zayn’s eyes that night, which is the same thing he sees in everyone’s eyes these days. When he goes to a restaurant, Reigns has to deal with everyone using him for something else instead of doing something for him. Now he has to deal with the same thing from Zayn.

The people here can’t ever give back either….and here is Zayn through the crowd to jump Reigns from behind. Heyman hands Reigns a chair but Zayn hits a spear to send Reigns running. Zayn says Reigns is wrong because he never wanted anything from him. Until now, because he is coming for the title. Heyman and Reigns look scared but Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa sneak in for the beatdown. The beating is on and Zayn gets taken down in the corner. Reigns blames Zayn for breaking up the Bloodline. He wants Zayn at Elimination Chamber in Montreal so he can ruin Zayn in front of his friends and family.

This Sami stuff continues to be phenomenal as he’s the hottest thing in wrestling right now. I know it’s still likely Cody’s title to win and yes he might be a bit of a better option long term, but those reactions for Zayn are something else, as he is showing fire like no one in WWE has done in years. It’s going to be tough watching him come up short, but dang it is going to be one heck of a ride.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a weird show as the ending is by far the best thing, even if the rest of the show was pretty good. Part of the problem is Elimination Chamber is in just over two weeks and that means a very rushed build to the event. What we got was good, but Zayn vs. Reigns is dwarfing everything else and it is showing hard.

Results
Ricochet/Braun Strowman b. Imperium – Swanton Bomb to Kaiser
Charlotte b. Sonya Deville – Figure Eight
Viking Raiders b. Brawling Brutes – Ragnarok to butch
Natalya b. Shayna Baszler, Zelina Vega and Shotzi – Sharpshooter to Vega

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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Royal Rumble 2023
Date: January 28, 2023
Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Pat McAfee

It’s time to get on the Road To Wrestlemania and that means we should be in for a big night. There are two Royal Rumbles, but the real main event is probably Roman Reigns defending the World Title against Kevin Owens. The interesting piece there is not in the result, but in what Sami Zayn is going to do. That should make for a heck of a show so let’s get to it.

Hardy (a musician) talks about the opportunity and how you kick down a door in front of you.

Pat McAfee is back to join commentary and Graves is livid.

Men’s Royal Rumble

90 second intervals and Gunther is in at #1 and Sheamus is in at #2. They slug it out hard to start with Gunther not being able to throw him out. The Irish Curse slows Gunther down but it’s too early to toss him out as well. Sheamus takes him into the corner and the Miz is in at #3. Miz annoys Sheamus before he can get in though and the chase is on, allowing Gunther to chop Miz down. Sheamus and Gunther take turns missing each other but hitting Miz by mistake.

Kofi Kingston is in at #4 and hits a Boom Drop on Gunther and Sheamus as Johnny Gargano is in at #5. Miz can’t toss Gargano out so it’s One Final Beat to cut Miz down instead. Sheamus hits the forearms to Miz on the apron and the Brogue Kick gets rid of him. Gunther can’t get rid of Sheamus and it’s Xavier Woods in at #6. New Day gets to clean house for a bit before stopping for a dance (spanking is involved). Everyone else gets back up and it’s Karrion Kross in at #7.

Kross, Gunther and Sheamus get to beat on each other with the heavy shots until Chad Gable is in at #8. Suplexes and shooshing abound but Woods actually takes Gable down in a wrestle off. Drew McIntyre is in at #9 and drops everyone before kicking Kross in the face for the elimination. Gunther and McIntyre have the showdown and it’s time to chop it out. Santos Escobar is in at #10, giving us Gunther, Sheamus, Kingston, Gargano, Woods, Gable, McIntyre and Escobar.

A quick trip to the apron has Escobar in early trouble but he kicks Sheamus in the head. Escobar dives back in to drop Gable but Gargano catches him on top. The super Phantom Driver hits Gargano and it’s Angelo Dawkins in at #11. Dawkins gets to clean house and Gunther kicks Woods out. Kingston hits his standing double stomp on Escobar but Gunther knocks him off the apron and into a well placed chair. That was a NASTY crash but one foot is still on the chair.

Brock Lesnar is in at #12 though so none of that might matter. Most of the people in the ring stops for Lesnar and it’s time for Suplex City on a bunch of people. Escobar, Dawkins and Gable are all out….and it’s Gunther vs. Lesnar. They stare each other down and it’s Bobby Lashley in at #13. Lashley spears Lesnar down and hits McIntyre with another one. There’s one for Sheamus as well and Lashley gets rid of Lesnar. That’s not cool with Lesnar, who throws in part of the announcers’ table.

Baron Corbin is in at #14 as Lesnar throws some steps around. Lesnar runs Corbin over before he can get in and wrecks various other things at ringside. Seth Rollins is in at #15 as it seems Kingston is gone (not confirmed though). Rollins takes forever to get in and throws Corbin inside. A superkick and clothesline get rid of Corbin and Rollins slugs it out with Sheamus.

Otis is in at #16 and World’s Strongest Slams McIntyre. Rey Mysterio is in at #17….or at least he is supposed to be as he doesn’t show up. Rollins dumps Lashley and there’s the Caterpillar to Gunther. Dominik Mysterio, in a Rey mask, is in at #18. Otis is eliminated during Dominik’s entrance as commentary suggests that Dominik jumped Rey and took his mask. Dominik stays outside for warmups before coming in for some worthless shots to Sheamus.

Elias is in at #19 and guitars Gunther but McIntyre and Sheamus give him stereo kicks to the face (OUCH). That’s it for Elias and Finn Balor is in at #20, giving us Gunther, Sheamus, Gargano, McIntyre, Rollins, Rey Mysterio (yet to be seen), Dominik Mysterio, and Balor. Sheamus won’t let Balor go after McIntyre and gets dropped for his efforts. Dominik saves Balor from being dumped by Gargano and Balor kicks Gargano in the head. That’s it for Gargano, leaving us with Judgment Day gs. Sheamus/McIntyre. Booker T. of all people is in at #21 and it’s a Book End into a Spinarooni.

Gunther tosses Booker without much trouble and it’s Damian Priest in at #22 to complete Judgment Day. Brawling ensues and it’s Montez Ford (dressed like a boxer) in at #23. Ford sends Dominik to the apron but can’t get rid of him. Instead Balor sends Ford over the top but some cat skinning is good for the save. Priest chokeslams Ford out without much trouble though and it’s Edge in at #24.

Spears abound to Judgment Day and Edge tosses Priest and Balor. We get the Edge vs. Rollins staredown but Dominik interrupts, allowing the rest of Judgment Day to pull Edge out. Austin Theory is in at #25 as Edge chases Balor up the aisle. Edge beats up Priest at the entrance but Rhea Ripley jumps Edge. Cue Beth Phoenix to go after Ripley though and I think we have a mixed tag set for Elimination Chamber. We get back to the match with Theory taking down Rollins and hammering on McIntyre.

Omos is in at #26 and side slams Theory before getting chopped by Gunther. A chokeslam drops Gunther and it’s Braun Strowman in at #27. The Omos vs. Strowman staredown is on and they hit each other in the face a few times. Strowman’s right hand just annoys Omos but a running clothesline gets rid of him. Strowman beats up various humans and it’s Ricochet in at #28.

Sheamus and McIntyre go after Strowman and get him to the apron but can’t get him out. Sheamus saves McIntyre from an elimination and slugs it out with Gunther again. With Sheamus on the apron, McIntyre helps him again but Gunther puts both of them out. Logan Paul returns at #29 and everyone goes after him.

Paul gets back up and hits a Buckshot Lariat on Ricochet but Gunther sends him to the apron. That’s broken up and it’s Paul vs. Strowman for a bizarre staredown. Strowman and Ricochet beat up Paul and send him through the ropes to the apron as Cody Rhodes is in at #30. That gives us a final grouping of Gunther, Rollins, Theory, Strowman, Ricochet, Paul, Dominik and Cody. After taking his time with the entrance, Cody hits a Cody Cutter on Theory.

Dominik tries Three Amigos on Cody but gets caught with the Cross Rhodes. That’s it for Dominik but Strowman Monsterbombs Cody. The Last Symphony hits Strowman but Ricochet hits Gunther with a standing Sliced Bread. Ricochet and Paul land on the apron and springboard at each other, colliding in the air for one of the coolest spots you’ll see in a long time. Cole says there are seven left, meaning Rey is officially not in. Cody gets rid of Strowman and Theory dumps Ricochet to get us down to four, as Paul apparently evaporated somewhere.

Cody clotheslines Theory out, leaving us with Cody, Gunther and Theory. Rollins and Cody team up on Gunther and they both hit Pedigrees. With Gunther down (not out), Cody and Rollins slug it out but Paul comes back in toss Rollins. So we’re officially down to Gunther, Cody and Paul, the latter of whom gets in the Wrestlemania sign point. The big right hand is countered into Cross Rhodes and Paul is gone, leaving us with Cody vs. Gunther.

Cody flips away from Gunther but gets chopped in the corner. With the Wrestlemania sign over them, Gunther gets sent to the apron but blocks the Disaster Kick to get back in. They both go on top with Gunther getting Cody to the apron and stomping as well as he can. A butterfly superplex brings Cody back in but the Cody Cutter drops Gunther again. Gunther gets back in from the apron and Shattered Dreams makes it worse.

Somehow Gunther manages the running dropkick though and there’s the powerbomb to drop Cody again. Cody is sent to the apron but hangs on and they chop it out. The sleeper goes on with Cody still on the apron but he tries to pull Gunther over. Gunther is smart enough to let him go and chop Cody back inside. Cody pulls him into Cross Rhodes though and Gunther is out to give Cody the win at 1:11:25.

Rating: A-. Now THAT is how you do a Royal Rumble, as they kept this filled with star power and kept it moving throughout. You had mini feuds and stories throughout the match and then the last ten minutes had some actual drama. Cody was the big favorite to win throughout but what matters here is they showed they know how to do a Royal Rumble. It was an excellent performance throughout with only a few down spots. Cody gets the win but this was an absolute star making performance for Gunther too. Awesome match and one of the better Rumbles of all time.

We recap the Mountain Drew Pitch Black match. Bray Wyatt returned and LA Knight doesn’t think too much of him. They have attacked each other, but now it’s time for Bray’s first match back after returning a few months ago. No one knows the rules, but you win by pinfall or submission.

LA Knight vs. Bray Wyatt

Pitch Black match meaning….the lights are going to be all neon, including Knight’s gear. Wyatt, all covered in paint, starts fast and choke throws Knight. They head outside with Bray loading up the announcers’ table (and knocking around all of the light up neon stuff). Knight fights out of a suplex and hits a clothesline to drive them through the table. A kendo stick shot just wakes Wyatt up though and it’s Sister Abigail to give Wyatt the pin at 5:03.

Rating: D+. Yes it was stupid and yes it was WWE getting a nice check, but it was five minutes and Wyatt gets his feet wet with a win now that he is back. That’s about all you can ask for out of something like this so I’ll take what I can get. Wyatt going too far is always a danger and thankfully they mostly avoided it here.

Post match Wyatt puts on a new mask and stalks Knight, whose kendo stick shots have no effect. They fight to the tech area and Wyatt cuts him down with the Mandible Claw. Uncle Howdy pops up on a balcony above the stand and dives down onto Knight, meaning it’s time for a bunch of explosions and fire. The Firefly Fun House characters pop up above the platform too and look down on Knight.

Tonight’s attendance: 51,338.

Raw Women’s Title: Alexa Bliss vs. Bianca Belair

Belair is defending and hammers on Bliss in the corner. Bliss pulls her out of said corner and hits a dropkick to the ribs. Some kicks to the ribs have Belair in more trouble and we hit the chinlock. Belair powers that up and snaps off a suplex before pounding down forearms in the corner.

The handspring splash hits knees but Belair is fine enough to hit a faceplant. Now the handspring moonsault can connect for two but Belair can’t quite powerbomb her. Instead Bliss grabs a DDT for two and a backsplash gets the same. Back up and Belair hits a quick KOD to retain at 7:02.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here as Belair runs down someone else. I’m not sure what is coming for her at Wrestlemania but she almost has to lose at some point. There is nothing left for her to do on Raw save for maybe losing to Rhea Ripley, which very well may come in Los Angeles in a few months.

Post match we see a playground and visions of Uncle Howdy, as Bliss sees various images from her past. What in the world does the writer of this story have on WWE? They’ve been at this for years now and I still don’t get the appeal.

Women’s Royal Rumble

90 second intervals and Rhea Ripley (favoring her ribs from earlier) is in at #1 with Liv Morgan in at #2. Liv knocks her into the corner to start and gets in a few shots, only to get pulled out of the air. Ripley muscles her up for a suplex and Dana Brooks is in at #3. Brooke dropkicks them out of the air and knocks Ripley around a bit before going up top with Morgan. A superplex brings Morgan back down and it’s Emma in at #4. Emma cleans some house, including a neckbreaker over the middle rope to Ripley.

Shayna Baszler is in at #5 and goes after Ripley’s arm before ankle locking Liv. Baszler stomps on Dana’s arm and Bayley is in at #6. Liv grabs Oblivion on Bayley before she can get in but Bayley saves herself on the apron. Bayley fights back on Liv and B Fab is in at #7…and is the first one out at Ripley’s hands. NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez is in at #8 and snaps off a headscissors to Ripley. As Perez gets to clean house, Dakota Kai is in at #9. Damage Ctrl takes too long to pose and get jumped by Liv and Dana.

Iyo Sky is in at #10 to complete Damage Ctrl, giving us Ripley, Morgan, Brooke, Emma, Baszler, Bayley, Perez, Kai and Sky. Morgan and Brooke get springboard missile dropkicked down before Brooke and Emma are tossed. Perez goes after Bayley but a hard dropkick from Sky puts Perez out. Natalya returns at #11 and goes after Baszler, who put her on the shelf. Candice LeRae is in at #12 and gets knocked into the corner by Baszler. We get the Natalya vs. Baszler showdown with Natalya snapping off a German suplex. They fight to the apron with Damage Ctrl eliminating both of them.

Zoey Stark from NXT is in at #13 and gets to kick a bunch of people. A kick to Ripley staggers her a bit and it’s Xia Li in at #14. Li gets to fire off a bunch of kicks of her own as Damage Ctrl gets rid of LeRae. Becky Lynch is in at #15 and this should clear out the ring a bit. Lynch unloads on Bayley and they fight to the floor (not out) with the rest of Damage Ctrl going after them. The trio takes out Becky and sends her over the announcers’ table but no one is eliminated.

Tegan Nox is in at #16 and helps Liv beat up Stark. Asuka is in at #17 (in long tights, with what looks like tiger/clown face paint and short hair, which might be her old Kana persona) and cleans house before starring Bayley down. Bayley gets scared and Asuka kicks Nox out. Piper Niven (yes Piper Niven, not Doudrop) is in at #18 and gets to clean house. Splashes abound and Tamina is in at #19.

Tamina goes after Doudrop, with commentary saying they have been dreaming of this showdown. No, no you haven’t you liars. Everyone else breaks it up and Becky is back in to start hitting people. Chelsea Green returns at #20, giving us Ripley, Morgan, Bayley, Kai, Sky, Stark, Li, Lynch, Asuka, Niven, Tamina and Green. Speaking of Green, Ripley tosses her in 5 seconds. Lynch gets rid of Kai and Sky back to back but Bayley dumps Lynch as well. Morgan gets rid of Bayley and Damage Ctrl brawls with her to the back.

Zelina Vega is in at #21 and is dressed as a character from Street Fighter 6, which she will be in as a character. Doudrop takes Vega to the apron, where Li and Vega strike it out. Li gets knocked to the floor and a middle rope Codebreaker hits Niven. Raquel Rodriguez is in at #22 and runs people over, including a fall away slam to Stark. Mia Yim is in at #23 with a tornado DDT to Stark and Lacey Evans is in at #24.

House is cleaned again and Michelle McCool, coming out of the front row, is in at #25. Tamina is out and Indi Hartwell from NXT is in at #26. Not much happens until Sonya Deville is in at #27. Yim hits Stark with Eat Defeat and Deville gets rid of her. Evans Cobra Clutches Vega to choke her out and send her hard to the floor for the elimination. Shotzi is in at #28 and has to save herself from a fast elimination. Deville gets rid of Hartwell and Nikki Cross is in at #29.

Cross forearms just about everyone….and Nix Jax is back at #30. The final grouping is Ripley, Morgan, Asuka, Niven, Rodriguez, Yim, Evans, McCool, Deville, Shotzi, Cross and Jax. Everyone surrounds Jax but she shrugs them off, setting up the showdown with Rodriguez. Jax drops Rodriguez and Morgan but a bunch of people go after her, with Ripley not being able to slam her. A horrible Riptide (fair enough) plants Jax and everyone gives her the giant treatment for the elimination.

Rodriguez knocks Evans out but gets caught in Asuka’s armbar. Asuka and Deville go to the apron with the latter being kicked out. McCool is out, with Shotzi and Yim following her. We’re down to Ripley, Morgan, Asuka, Niven, Rodriguez and Cross, with Niven getting to clean some house. Rodriguez kicks Niven out though and picks Ripley up for the trip to the apron. Ripley kicks Rodriguez out and Morgan gets rid of Cross. That leaves us with Ripley, Morgan and Cross so we reset a bit.

Morgan gets tossed into a Codebreaker on Asuka and manages to put Ripley on the apron. Ripley pulls Morgan out to the apron with her and kicks her down but not out. Asuka’s hip attack is blocked and all three of them wind up on the apron. Asuka mists Morgan and gets kicked out, leaving Morgan and Ripley. Morgan kicks the feet out so Ripley is hanging on by her hands but a headscissors drops Morgan to give Ripley the win at 1:01:07.

Rating: C. Well, the important thing is it cleared last year’s bar by about a mile. Having the NXT women in there helped a lot as there was no reason to not have them in there before. Other than that, they went with what mattered the most, as the idea was to have Ripley get the big win to move back into the main event scene. Ripley has been ready for the next big title run and this should set her up for that rather well. They had some dead spots in here but I’ll take some NXT surprises and a few returns (not Jax, never her) over the same legends every year. Not a great Rumble, but a passable enough one.

Hardy performs the show’s theme song, with commentary basically ignoring him.

We recap Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens for the World Title. This is all about finding out which side Sami Zayn is on, even if there is nothing to really suggest that he is anything but loyal to the Bloodline.

Undisputed WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens

Reigns, with Paul Heyman and Sami Zayn, is defending. They take their time to start with neither going very far. Owens knocks him to the floor though and takes over early, including a backsplash to crush Reigns. Back in and Owens gets whipped hard into the corner, allowing Reigns to hit the jumping apron kick for two. Reigns grabs the chinlock before firing off the corner clotheslines.

Owens hits his own running clothesline for a breather before another one sends Reigns outside. The apron Bullfrog splash connects and the real version gets two back inside. Owens takes too long to follow up though and it’s a sitout powerbomb to give Reigns two. The Superman Punch is countered into a German suplex for two on Owens, only to have the Superman Punch connect to give Reigns a near fall of his own. The spear goes into the post though and Owens nails a superkick.

Owens hits the Swanton for two but gets caught on top. Some elbows knock Reigns down and Owens tries a jumping spinning moonsault but crashes down instead. Back up and Owens tries a more traditional moonsault, which misses anyway. The spear connects for two but the referee gets bumped. The Pop Up Powerbomb hits Reigns but there is no one to count. Reigns hits him low and tells Owens to grab a chair. Sami: “You told me not to do anything!”

Sami goes looking and finally finds one but takes a second to slide it in. The Stunner connects for two on Reigns, who comes back with the spear for the same. Owens bails to the floor and lands in front of Sami. Zayn tells him to stay down but Reigns hits another spear to send Owens through the barricade.

Back in and….Owens rolls outside again. This time Reigns sends the back of Owens’ head into the steps (OUCH) and then does it again. Reigns throws what used to be Owens back inside, with Heyman acknowledging Reigns as Zayn is looking worried. Some slaps to the face wake Owens up…and another spear cuts him down to retain the title at 19:14.

Rating: B-. The ending was about as obvious as you could get, but the question was what Sami would do. In this case that would pretty much be nothing, though you can all but guarantee something is coming before the end of the show. For now though, Owens gets to be the latest designated victim as we get closer to Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes at Wrestlemania. Not a great match, but that was never really the point.

Post match Jey goes to give Sami his own lei but Reigns says hang on a second. The big beatdown is on Owens, with a chair being wrapped around his neck in the corner. Solo Sikoa hits the running Umaga Attack as commentary wants someone to do something about this. Reigns busted out the handcuffs as Sami is looking more and more uncomfortable. Owens is cuffed to the rope so the Usos can superkick him over and over.

The fans chant for Sami as Reigns picks up the chair. Reigns talks a lot but Sami FINALLY gets in front of him before the swing. Sami says Owens is done and this is beneath Reigns. Instead, Reigns hands Zayn the chair, but Zayn doesn’t want it. Zayn finally takes it, with Reigns telling him about how Owens has held him down since day one(ish). Zayn loads up the chair and…..pauses, until Reigns hits him in the face.

They go nose to nose with Reigns saying this is his whole life. Zayn nods….and blasts Reigns in the back with the chair to a MONSTER reaction. Jimmy and Sikoa are livid and kick Zayn down as Reigns sits up and looks crushed. Jey Uso looks at Zayn but doesn’t beat on him as he is told to, instead walking up the ramp and looking upset.

Reigns unloads on Sami with the chair (Fans: “F*** YOU ROMAN!”) and rips up the lei before leaving Sami laying. I know Cody is the #1 contender and all that, but with that segment and that reaction, they better have something huge for Sami between now and Wrestlemania or Cody is going to be sacrificed to the wrestling gods in Los Angeles. That segment, especially that reaction, was an all timer and there is nothing that is topping it for a long time in WWE.

Overall Rating: B. This is a bit of a weird Royal Rumble as the show is normally built around the Royal Rumbles. In this case though, you have an awesome men’s Rumble, an ok women’s Rumble and an incredible post main event angle. That Zayn/Bloodline segment is more than enough to boost this up a bit and tied together with an all time men’s Rumble, the rest of the show is good enough. The Wyatt and Belair matches weren’t great, but they clocked in at a combined 12:05 (call it 20 for the post Wyatt match stuff) out of a four hour and twenty minute show. This show worked and the Road To Wrestlemania could be great.

Results
Cody Rhodes won the Men’s Royal Rumble last eliminating Gunther
Bray Wyatt b. LA Knight – Sister Abigail
Bianca Belair b. Alexa Bliss – KOD
Rhea Ripley won the Women’s Royal Rumble last eliminating Liv Morgan
Roman Reigns b. Kevin Owens – Spear

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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Monday Night Raw
Date: January 23, 2023
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Corey Graves, Kevin Patrick

It’s Raw XXX as the company celebrates thirty years on the air. As usual with the big Raw milestone episodes, we’ll be seeing a bunch of legends for special appearances. In addition, there are two title matches and a cage match so the card is stacked. If that isn’t enough, it’s the go home show for the Royal Rumble so let’s get to it.

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

Here are Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart to get things going. Hogan talks about Raw debuting in 1993, pauses because the mic doesn’t work, praises the Philadelphia Eagles and is all done.

We look at some of the cities the show has taken place in over the years before switching into the big highlight package. The hit a lot of the big names, including a bunch of AEW names, debuts, title changes, reveals and almost anything else you could want. WWE has absolutely not forgotten how to montage.

Here is the Bloodline with their long form entrance for the Trial Of Sami Zayn. After having Philadelphia acknowledge him, Reigns hands the mic to Paul Heyman so we pause for an ECW chant. Heyman: “ECW is dead and I wish the same for Sami Zayn.” Heyman accuses Zayn of being in a conspiracy with Kevin Owens since day one (that was only last January).

Zayn has been trying to lure the Bloodline into a false sense of security, just like the Philadelphia Eagles. Heyman brings up BROCK….Purdy, the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, who will beat the Eagles next week. We see some clips of Sami not exactly helping in fights, capped off by Zayn BUMPING INTO REIGNS while going on a rant. Heyman says that should be enough for Zayn to be GUILTY AS CHARGED (nice).

Zayn gets his chance to talk and he wasn’t sure how he was going to feel when he came out here. He can’t believe that he is on trial here, but his defense is that he has no defense. Reigns is disgusted at the disrespect and tells Solo Sikoa to take care of him. The Samoan Spike is loaded up but Jey Uso cuts Sikoa off.

Jey has his own footage, showing a montage of Sami helping the Bloodline over the last few months, including taking out Kevin Owens in WarGames. Jey talks about how Sami saw the good in him the entire time and that’s what family does. Fans: “UCEY!” We get a fan poll of whether Sami should stay and the fans seem pretty unanimous.

Jimmy even agrees and Reigns gets to his feet. Reigns finds Zayn not guilty…..for now. In the meantime, Sami can finish out tonight by making the Bloodline proud. After that, Reigns doesn’t want to see or hear from Sami until the Royal Rumble, where Sami delivers his final test. There’s your drama for Owens vs. Reigns on Saturday as this story takes a pretty big step forward.

Raw Tag Team Titles: Usos vs. Judgment Day

The Usos are defending and have Sami Zayn in the corner to counter Finn Balor/Rhea Ripley. Jimmy and Dominik start things off but Jimmy has to kick Priest to the floor. Priest Pounces Jimmy over the announcers’ table and the champs are in trouble. Back in and Dominik chokes a bit, only to have Jimmy get over to Jey without much trouble. The running Umaga attack gets two on Dominik but Priest is back in with a superkick.

Priest hits the step up flip dive to take the Usos down again. Back in and the Usos fire off some superkicks to drop Priest and Dominik, but Balor offers a distraction. The referee catches Balor crotching Jey and gets ejected, leaving Priest to get superkicked down. Jimmy’s Superfly Splash gets…..two and everyone can breathe a bit. Jimmy takes Priest down on the floor and hold on as Jimmy has hurt his knee.

The referee throws up the X and Jimmy is taken out, with Adam Pearce saying if Jimmy is out, the match and titles are forfeited. Sami says not so fast, as Sami USO is ready to go, with Pearce saying let’s go. We get back to the match with Sami diving on Dominik and Priest on the floor. Dominik grabs a quick rollup with his feet on the ropes for two but Sami suplexes him into the corner. Ripley breaks up the Helluva Kick though and it’s South Of Heaven from Priest to give Dominik two.

The 619 is broken up by Jey’s superkick but Jey can’t bring himself to superkick Ripley. The distraction lets Dominik hit the 619 on Jey and the frog splash gets two as Sami makes a diving save of his own. Priest goes shoulder first into the post so Dominik dumps Sami, who is back in with a blind tag. The superkick into the 1D retains the titles at 14:06.

Rating: B+. I needed a breath after that one as those were some crazy hot near falls. They had me believing that Judgment Day could have taken the titles more than once and it was one close two count after another. This was one of the best Raw matches WWE in years and one of the better things WWE has done anywhere in a good while. Everything was laid out so well and the wrestlers executed it to near perfection.

In the back, Roman Reigns says he still doesn’t want to see Sami until the Royal Rumble.

JBL and Baron Corbin ask the Godfather to put him in the poker game. Godfather will have to ask the host. Said host happens to be Ron Simmons, who is happy with a payoff to get Corbin’s name on the list. They go into the APA’s office and it’s pretty much a full on casino with all kinds of wrestlers and wrestling personalities included.

Here is LA Knight who says he is all man and doesn’t want to wait for the Pitch Black match. He calls out any legend…..and the gong sounds. And then it’s the American Bad***, with song and motorcycle. Knight talks about how he’s going to have everyone chanting his name….and then the lights go out. Bray Wyatt, with lantern, pops up to back Knight into Undertaker, who grabs him by the throat. Bray gets inside and Undertaker tosses Knight over for Sister Abigail. Fans: “HOLY S***!” Undertaker goes to leave but stops to whisper something to Bray before riding off.

We go back to the poker game, where Madusa (with Women’s Title belt) seems to win but loses to Diamond Dallas Page.

Bayley vs. Becky Lynch

In a cage with pinfall, submission or escape. Hold on though as Becky has to beat up the rest of Damage Ctrl on the floor. All of Damage Ctrl gets inside to beat on Becky before the bell rings. Adam Pearce finally gets inside as Damage Ctrl sits on top of the cage. No match.

Here is D-Generation X, with Kurt Angle. Road Dogg does the catchphrase but asks why Angle is here. Kurt says he always wanted to be in the team and pulls off his own shirt to reveal a DX shirt. Hold on as Kurt will have to pass a test. HHH: “Are you ready?” Kurt: “Was that the test?” They load up the bigger catchphrase but Imperium of all people interrupts. Imperium doesn’t like these degenerates and a fight is teased. HHH: “I’m retired.” Shawn: “I’m too old.” Dogg: “Who am I kidding?”

We get a DX huddle and HHH volunteers Kurt to fight. Kurt: “No I won’t.” Dogg: “We’re in a pickle.” Cue Seth Rollins and then the Street Profits and we seem to have a six man. Dogg thinks we need to make it official and looks at HHH for an announcement. HHH: “Why does everybody look at me for something like this? This booking stuff isn’t easy!” We need someone body out there to make sense of this. Cue Teddy Long for the only possible payoff, but we also need a guest referee. Kurt just happens to have a referee shirt on too (red white and blue stripes of course) and we’re ready to go after some funny stuff.

Imperium vs. Seth Rollins/Street Profits

Kurt Angle is guest referee and Jerry Lawler is on commentary. Vinci’s headlock on Rollins doesn’t last long so it’s off to Ford, who gets clotheslined down. Kaiser comes in and strikes it out with Dawkins for a double knockdown. That means the tags to Gunther and Rollins with Gunther taking over and knocking Rollins out of the air.

We take a break and come back with Rollins fighting out of a chinlock and backflipping out of a belly to back suplex. The hot tag brings in Ford and the Profits grab stereo ankle locks. That’s too far for Gunther, who comes in and breaks them up. Gunther stares Angle down and pokes him in the chest, with Rollins coming in for the save. The Profits hit the flip dives to the floor, leaving Rollins to get dropkicked and powerbombed to give Gunther two. Rollins is back in with an Angle Slam and the Profits hit a Doomsday Blockbuster on Kaiser. A Pedigree sends Gunther outside and it’s a frog splash into the Stomp to finish Vinci at 13:03.

Rating: C+. It was a good six man, with the most important part being Gunther not taking the fall. They had me worried that Rollins would pin him to set something up between them (which might be the case anyway even without the pin) as it wasn’t the time for Gunther to get beaten. The Profits and Rollins winning works well and they had a good match on the way there, though DX and Angle were the stars of the whole deal.

Back to the poker game where Ted DiBiase loses a fortune….but IRS wants JBL and Baron Corbin to pay their taxes and takes the money back. Well save for $100. Ron Simmons, catchphrase.

Bobby Lashley promises to get the US Title back when MVP interrupts. MVP again offers the reunion but Lashley isn’t in.

Here is Ric Flair for a chat. He hits the catchphrases and introduces Charlotte for the big family moment. Charlotte thanks the other women for making her such a decorated champion but this will always be her show. Cue Bianca Belair to interrupt, saying she goes here now and this is her show. Cue Sonya Deville to ask about her recognition for working so hard. Charlotte owes Deville but offers Belair the chance to deal with Deville. Deal.

Sonya Deville vs. Bianca Belair

Non-title. Belair flips over her to start but Deville gets in a shot to the face. Back up and Belair is sent into the corner, where she backflips over Deville and hits a backbreaker. A running boot knocks Deville outside but Belair gets sent into the barricade as we take a break. We come back with Deville dropping her again for two but Belair pops up and hits the KOD for the pin at 8:33 (it’s as sudden as it sounds).

Rating: D. That was a weird ending and it wouldn’t shock me if something was cut for time. In addition to that though, the match was quite the mess as it felt like a complete lack of chemistry. Deville feels in way over her head and it doesn’t help that she seems to be there as a filler challenger to Charlotte until we get to the important stuff. Not a good match whatsoever, but at least it didn’t take up too much time.

Post match Belair says that was just a preview for what she is going to do to Alexa Bliss. Cue Bliss on screen, talking into a mirror about how violent she can be with no one helping her.

Video on Cody Rhodes’ 2022 before he returns this weekend at the Royal Rumble.

John Cena is the cover star for WWE 2K23.

Here is Miz to ask where his special time on this show is. Cue Kevin Owens to Stun Miz and leave him laying, promising to take out Roman Reigns at the Rumble.

Royal Rumble rundown.

US Title: Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory

Lashley is challenging and this is No DQ. Lashley goes with the power to start and clotheslines him out to the floor. The posting rocks Theory and we take an early break. Back with Theory slipping out of the delayed suplex and catching Lashley with the rolling dropkick for a stagger.

Lashley is fine enough to send him to the apron for a running forearm and the table is sent inside. The Hurt Lock is broken up but Lashley sends him face first into a chair in the corner. Lashley loads up the table, only to get sprayed with a fire extinguisher. A whip into the steps keeps Lashley in trouble and we take a break.

Back with Lashley hitting a superplex, leaving both of them down. The spear through the table in the corner is broken up and Theory kicks him low. Lashley is fine enough to put Theory through another table….and Brock Lesnar is here. The F5 plants Lashley and another one to Theory puts him on top of Lashley to retain at 14:23.

Rating: C+. You almost have to expect that Lesnar is going to show up somewhere in there on these shows and going after Lashley again isn’t a surprise. Given that Lashley mentioned a rematch with Lesnar was coming soon, they were kind of telegraphing the whole thing. That should be a heck of a fight, though this one was only pretty good, with Theory retaining in the right result.

Overall Rating: B. This was kind of an all over the place show, but the biggest problem was the first hour, as nothing was touching that Bloodline segment and the Tag Team Title match. Other than that, you had a few random cameos from the legends and a bunch of classic stills, but the majority of the show was just an amped up Raw. I liked more than enough of it for the show to be a success, but it wasn’t quite as much of a nostalgia trip as I was expecting.

Results
Usos b. Judgment Day – 1D to Dominik
Seth Rollins/Street Profits b. Imperium – Frog splash to Vinci
Bianca Belair b. Sonya Deville – KOD
Austin Theory b. Bobby Lashley – F5

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.

Smackdown
Date: January 20, 2023
Location: Little Caesar’s Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

We’re just over a week away from the Royal Rumble and that could make for an interesting build to the show. Most of the card is set and that means it is time for a Bloodline show. Sami Zayn is having some issues with the rest of the team and that could be very interesting. Other than that, we start the #1 contenders tag team tournament. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Sami Zayn going after Kevin Owens last week but getting some seemingly unwanted help from the rest of the Bloodline.

The Bloodline arrives and Roman Reigns doesn’t seem thrilled with Sami Zayn.

We get brackets for the Tag Team Title #1 Contenders Tournament:

Drew McIntyre/Sheamus
Viking Raiders

Los Lotharios
Hit Row

Brawling Brutes
Imperium

Maximum Male Models
Legado del Fantasma

Dang. That’s like, a division.

Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Drew McIntyre/Sheamus vs. Viking Raiders

Valhalla is here with the Raiders. Before the bell, Michael Cole mentions Jay Briscoe passing away and talks a bit about how great of a team Jay and Mark were. That’s all it needed to be and good for the new WWE bosses for letting it be done. It’s a brawl to start and everyone fights on the floor until Sheamus fires off the forearms to the Vikings’ chests. What looked to be a super White Noise is broken up, leaving Ivar to hit the crossbody against the barricade.

We take a break and come back with Sheamus fighting out of a chinlock but getting forearmed in the face. The Irish Curse gets Sheamus out of trouble though and the hot tag brings in McIntyre to clean house. The Michinoku Driver gets two on Ivar and the superplex is loaded up but Erik makes the save. That leaves McIntyre in the Tree of Woe and, after Sheamus takes out Erik, the sit up into the belly to belly superplex drops Ivar as we take another break.

Back again with McIntyre dropping Ivar but the Claymore is cut off with a kick to the face. Sheamus and Erik come in to slug it out but Valhalla breaks up the Brogue Kick. Ivar hits the top rope splash for two on Sheamus, giving us a shocked Viking face. The Vikings beat Sheamus down but he knees Ivar out of the air. The Claymore hits Erik and the Brogue finishes Ivar at 17:45.

Rating: B. These guys got time and beat each other up, which is what you probably wanted to see from this kind of a match. Let four big, strong guys beat each other up for the better part of twenty minutes with Sheamus and McIntyre getting a win onto what could be a win in the tournament. Good opener here and you could feel some of those shots.

Sami Zayn comes in to see Roman Reigns and asks if everything is cool. Reigns saw how Sami looked last week and knows he is going to try to cover things tonight. Reigns wants the truth and Sami admits that he was a little disappointed when he was ready to finish Kevin Owens but the Usos and Solo Sikoa got involved.

Owens keeps saying that Sami is being used and for a split second….Sami doesn’t know, but it’s all fine. Reigns: “Get out.” Reigns isn’t going to do this every single week and wonders when he had to start running his plan by the Honorary Uce. Sami should just go find Kevin and start his own Bloodline. Paul Heyman has to tell Sami to get out and looks shocked.

Raquel Rodriguez is in the Royal Rumble.

Here is LA Knight for a match but first, he wants someone to help Bray Wyatt figure out what he is. One week he isn’t Uncle Howdy and then one week he is. Knight knows who he is and is ready to take out Wyatt at the Royal Rumble.

LA Knight vs. Ray Jones

Knight takes him into the corner to start but the Bray Wyatt logo pops up on screen. Blunt Force Trauma finishes Jones at 30 seconds.

Post match it’s the return of the Firefly Fun House, complete with the cast of puppets. Bray Wyatt is fixing the door, complete with his pants too low, requiring a Bray symbol for a censor. Bray says he has missed all of us so much and he can’t wait to have lots of fun with his friends once again. The Fun House friends aren’t sure about the Pitch Black match but Bray wonders who would name their kid Los Angeles Knight.

Bray gives us a special moment about how the dark is a special place where things can hide. Then the screen goes wacky and we see Uncle Howdy, with Bray’s voice saying “I told you so.” Bray pops back up and, in a serious voice, says he hopes Knight understand. He is the one who opened the door and whatever comes through it is his problem. BYE! HAVE A NICE DAY! So are we continuing our path through Bray’s history?

Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Los Lotharios vs. Hit Row

B Fab is here with Hit Row. Adonis gets caught with a double basement superkick to start so Top Dolla pulls Humberto to the floor. Humberto is knocked over the announcers’ table but Los Lotharios dropkick him down. The distraction lets Adonis grab a rollup with tights for the pin at 2:39. This really wasn’t that good.

Video on Cody Rhodes return. He’s back at the Royal Rumble.

Braun Strowman is in the Royal Rumble.

Here is Charlotte for a chat and she gets straight to the point: if Sonya Deville has a problem with her, come do something about it. Cue Deville, who says she had to be dragged off of Charlotte last week. Does Charlotte just not get it? She wants another title shot, but Charlotte tells her to focus on the Royal Rumble. Charlotte will fight her right here and right now, but Sonya turns it down. She wants the title on the line, which draws out Adam Pearce to say Sonya can’t do this. The distraction lets Sonya jump her from behind and leave.

Roman Reigns is annoyed at the Sami Zayn situation but Paul Heyman tries to talk him down. With Kevin Owens coming up, maybe it’s better to have Sami on the inside instead of the outside.

Lacey Evans demonstrates the Cobra Clutch. Just get Sarge in here already.

Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Imperium vs. Brawling Brutes

Kaiser hammers on Butch to start but he’s right back with an armbar. Vinci comes in and double teams Butch down as we take a break. Back with Butch rolling over for the tag to Holland so house can be cleaned. A double delayed backdrop puts Imperium down and it’s already back to Butch. The cross armbreaker goes on so Vinci busts out a double belly to belly moonsault for the save and two. Butch hits a heck of a tornado DDT to leave us with a double knockdown. Holland comes in off the hot tag as everything breaks down. A brainbuster on the floor knocks Butch silly, leaving the European Bomb to finish Holland at 12:31.

Rating: C+. These teams are always worth a look, though it isn’t quite the same without Sheamus and Gunther there with them. Imperium going forward is a smart way to go, as the team is starting to get some traction as more than just Gunther’s goons. They don’t need to win the titles, but getting a win or two in the tournament would do them a lot of good.

Paul Heyman tells Sami Zayn that Roman Reigns wants to see him.

Shayna Baszler is in the Royal Rumble.

We get a long and lengthy look back at Raw’s history.  There are some rather cool clips in there.

Karrion Kross, with Scarlett, is not amped up to face Rey Mysterio next week. Rey can’t decided what he wants to be and that isn’t how it works. Therefore, he’s going to take Rey out, and then win the Royal Rumble.

Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Legado del Fantasma vs. Maximum Male Models

Zelina Vega is on commentary and announces that she is in the Royal Rumble. Del Toro takes Mansoor down without much effort to start but Mace comes in to shove Legado to the floor. Back in and Mace’s double chokeslam is broken up, meaning Legado sends him to the floor for a change. The big flip dive drops Mace and it’s an assisted splash for two on Mansoor back inside. Mace comes in but gets sent into Mansoor for a crotching in the corner. The Russian legsweep/running kick to the face finishes Mace at 2:55. The Models continue to not work.

Sami Zayn comes in to see Roman Reigns again, with Reigns suggesting that he overreacted. Reigns says he wants as much loyalty as he puts into this and Zayn insists that he has it. All Reigns has to do is ask for something to be done, so Reigns tells him to have the transportation ready for after the contract signing. Fists are bumped.

It’s time for the contract signing. Roman Reigns takes forever to get to his seat….and then Kevin Owens pops up and hits him with the Stunner. The invading Usos are dispatched as well and a powerbomb puts Reigns through the table. Owens signs and now Sami Zayn shows up, which has Owens running up the steps and into the crowd as the Usos are back up too.

Overall Rating: C+. They had a theme here with the tag tournament stuff and that is a fine way to go for a night. The Rumble card is all set so there isn’t much that needs to be done there other than announce names for the Rumbles. The contract signing didn’t take much time at all and now there is the issue of Sami being there late because he was doing what Reigns told him. This was a show that moved some stuff forward as things are coming together at the right time. I’ll take that as a big positive and hope they can pull off the important stuff, though that is the much trickier part.

Results
Sheamus/Drew McIntyre b. Viking Raiders – Brogue Kick to Ivar
LA Knight b. Ray Jones – Blunt Force Trauma
Hit Row b. Los Lotharios – Rollup to Angel
Imperium b. Brawling Brutes – European Bomb to Holland
Legado del Fantasma b. Maximum Male Models – Russian legsweep/running boot to the face combination to Mace

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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Monday Night Raw
Date: January 9, 2023
Location: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

We’re back to the red show and closing in on the Royal Rumble. There are only three names announced for the Royal Rumbles so far and that means some spots need to be filled. Odds are some of that is done tonight but there is the chance that they’re leaving some surprises this year. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here is Kevin Owens to get things going and the fans seem to like him. Before he can say much though, here is JBL to interrupt. After insulting the crowd, JBL says no one is buying Owens having a chance against Roman Reigns. JBL brings out Baron Corbin to insult the fans even more, including some University of Alabama insults. Owens buries his face in the turnbuckle as Corbin gets in every standard insult you can imagine. He says he was in a “JBL and Baron Corbin were talking for three minutes but didn’t say anything” coma but for now he’s willing to fight Corbin. Sure.

Baron Corbin vs. Kevin Owens

JBL is here with Corbin, who stomps Owens down in the corner to start. Owens gets in a few shots of his own though and they fight to the floor. That means Corbin can go face first into the announcers’ table but he’s back with a chokeslam onto the apron as we take a break. Back with Owens knocking Corbin off the top and landing the Swanton for two. Corbin comes back with Deep Six for two, only to walk into the Stunner for the sudden pin at 8;37.

Rating: C. Yep, that was a Corbin TV match. Corbin continues to be the definition of “you know what you’re getting” and nothing more, as you can guess almost everything you are going to see when he is in the ring. Owens wasn’t going to lose so close to his title match and Corbin isn’t going to win against that big of an opponent. That left us waiting on the pretty clear ending and that’s what we got, just like any other Corbin match.

Post match the Bloodline runs in to beat on Owens but he grabs a chair and fights them off.

Post break, the Bloodline is going to leave but Adam Pearce comes up to tell them about a Tag Team Turmoil match to crown new #1 contenders. They won’t be around to see it though as they’re banned from the arena, even as Solo Sikoa faces Dolph Ziggler.

We look back at Alexa Bliss snapping again last week against Bianca Belair, who wound up injured. Belair is ok and just needed stitches.

Alexa Bliss pops up on the announcers’ table to say Belair is scared of her, because she is the face of evil. She hasn’t felt this good in a long time and is willing to hurt people….and the Uncle Howdy video starts playing, this time with clips of the old Alexa and Lillie. Cue Uncle Howdy to stare at Bliss and we go to a break.

Bayley vs. Mia Yim

Damage Ctrl is here with Bayley, who says that she is going to prove what she is to Becky Lynch with this beating. The rest of Damage Ctrl leaves as Bayley starts fast, only to get caught with a running neckbreaker. Yim sends her to the floor for a kick to the chest from the apron to send us to a break. Back with Yim fighting out of a chinlock but getting sent to the apron for a Stunner. Bayley suplexes her from the Stunner to the floor but Yim kicks her in the head back inside. The Cannonball misses though and Bayley grabs a backslide with feet on the ropes for the pin at 8:03.

Rating: C-. This wasn’t the most interesting but Bayley needed the win to keep her strong for the real showdown with Becky Lynch. The action was ok enough, though having a break in the middle of an eight minute match is a bit much to take. It also doesn’t help when the most interesting part of the match is figuring out if it’s Mia Yim or Michin.

Johnny Gargano has a knee injury and is out of Tag Team Turmoil.

Candice LeRae is upset for Johnny Gargano not being in Tag Team Turmoil but she likes the idea of challenging for the Women’s Title at Wrestlemania. Rhea Ripley comes in to talk down to her, setting up a match tonight.

Here is Austin Theory to say THE CHAMP IS HERE and everyone has to accept the truth. The truth is that the now is forever and Seth Rollins couldn’t stop him last week. Then Rollins hurt his knee…but here is Rollins, on crutches, to interrupt. One of the crutches is thrown down though and Rollins gets in the ring without a problem.

Theory gets to the point by saying he is better than Rollins and promises to win the Royal Rumble so he can leave Wrestlemania with all of the gold. Rollins says his knee isn’t 100%, but it will be in time for him to win the Royal Rumble. Rollins: “I’ll see you at the Rumble….kid.” With Rollins gone, here is Bobby Lashley to spear Theory down. Lashley says he’s back from his suspension and ready to win the Royal Rumble.

Candice LeRae vs. Rhea Ripley

Candice slugs away to start and counters a big boot into a rollup for two. Ripley finally manages to knock her into the corner though and there’s the toss by the hair. A superplex is broken up though and Candice slams her off the top instead. Another missed big boot sends Ripley outside but she sends Candice into the barricade. Back in and Riptide finishes Candice at 4:16.

Rating: C. They had an interesting story here with Ripley seeming a bit distracted and Candice getting in what she could before the monster caught her. Ripley feels like she is ready to move into the title picture again and that included wrecking Candice on the way. The good thing is Candice didn’t get squashed so it could have been far worse.

Bobby Lashley is in the back when MVP comes in. Lashley won’t shake his hand but MVP thinks a thank you for getting him reinstates is in order. Lashley: “I haven’t punched you in the face yet have I?” MVP says they need to get back to what worked before, as Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin are already back in the right place. Lashley says they’re good, but they won’t be working together. That’s cool with MVP, but just remember that his number is the same.

Video on Cody Rhodes’ recovery from his injury, including an appearance from Brandi Rhodes. To be continued.

Dolph Ziggler is ready for the Bloodline when Mustafa Ali comes in. Ali says they were offered a spot in Tag Team Turmoil but Ziggler turned it down. Last month Ziggler cost Ali the United States Title and now he’s costing him a shot at the Tag Team Titles. Ziggler says it’s not about him tonight and hopes he understands. Ali does not seem to understand.

Video on Bronson Reed.

Reed, who is the same height as Byron Saxton, is cut off by Miz before he can say anything. Miz suggests that Reed is his bodyguard and offers him a spot on MizTV tonight. Reed says there is no us, and if Miz wants something, pay him.

Solo Sikoa vs. Dolph Ziggler

Sikoa runs him over to start and the beating is on fast. The neck crank and nerve hold go on Ziggler but he’s right back up. Ziggler slips out of a powerslam attempt and hits a dropkick, only to be tossed over the top and out to the floor as we take a break. Back with Sikoa hitting the running Umaga attack in the corner.

The chinlock goes on but Ziggler fights up and avoids the charge into the corner. Sikoa is back with a fireman’s carry but Ziggler slips out and hits the Zig Zag for two. Back up and the superkick is blocked, allowing Ziggler to try the Fameasser. That’s pulled out of the air though and a pop up Samoan Spike finishes Ziggler off at 10:51.

Rating: C. The ending was good but the rest of the match was lacking a bit in the excitement department. Sikoa destroyed Ziggler for the most part here and that is a good sign for his future. WWE has turned Sikoa into something of a wrecking ball, which not only makes the Bloodline look stronger, but it also makes someone beating him a bigger deal. Not the most thrilling match, but Sikoa looked good when it mattered.

We look at Dominik Mysterio being arrested and then being hardened in jail.

Damage Ctrl brags about their win until Mia Yim interrupts. Yim calls Bayley a cheater and gets beaten down as a result.

It’s time for MizTV and we get right to the point, with Dominik Mysterio (and the rest of Judgment Day) being brought out as the guest. Dominik explains that you always roll with your crew in prison, but he can’t talk about what happened because snitches get stitches. Dominik: “When life comes at you, you have to grab it by the balls. Kind of like Maryse does to you.”

Then he threatened his cell mate and made sure he stayed safe because that’s how it works. Miz is a bit confused though, as he was told Dominik was in county jail for a few hours. Damien Priest doesn’t like that because it’s time to win Tag Team Turmoil. Violence is teased but here is the OC to interrupt and start the match.

Tag Team Turmoil

There are five scheduled teams with Judgment Day (Damien Priest/Finn Balor) in at #1 and the OC in at #2. Of note: commentary says this is for a RAW Tag Team Title match, not both sets. Anderson elbows Balor down to start and it’s Gallows coming in for some elbows of his own. A shot to Gallows’ face just annoys him so Priest comes in for the battle of the big men.

Gallows takes over again and hands it off to Anderson for the HI YAH kick in the corner. Priest sends him outside though and it’s a whip into the steps as we take a break. Back with Gallows coming in to clean house but Dominik Mysterio grabs Anderson’s leg, allowing Balor to roll him up at 10:17.

Cedric Alexander/Shelton Benjamin are in at #3 and jump Judgment Day from behind to start. We settle down to Alexander knocking Balor down for a kick to the back. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Benjamin comes in with a Dragon Whip to Balor and German suplexes to Balor and Priest. Benjamin tosses Priest into Alexander’s jumping knee for two, with Balor having to make the save. The Neuralizer gives Alexander two but Priest catches a charge with South of Heaven. Balor adds the Coup de Grace for the pin at 15:47 total. Alpha Academy is in at #4 and we take a break.

Back again with Balor hitting a Sling Blade on Gable so Priest can come in with the Broken Arrow. We hit the chinlock, followed by a backbreaker/legdrop combination for two. Gable fights out of trouble and brings in Otis to clean house, including the running splash in the corner to Priest. Otis brings back the Caterpillar and hits the Vader Bomb on Balor…who pulled Gable on top of him. The stunned Otis is kicked in the face to give Priest the pin at 24:33. Hold on though as Balor, who was crushed under both Otis and Gable, is really banged up. Adam Pearce says Dominik is taking Balor’s place and the Street Profits are in at #5.

We’re joined in progress with Dawkins ripping Dominik’s shirt off and handing it off to Ford to hammer on him in the corner. Dawkins comes back in with the spinning splash in the corner as the beating stays on. A toss into the corner allows Dominik to bring in Priest so Ford slingshot flips in (with the camera cutting because WWE cameras can’t sit still) for the showdown. With that not working, Dominik comes in to distract Ford to the floor. That’s fine with Priest, who runs Ford over to send him over the announcers’ table. Dawkins hits the big dive though and we take a break.

Back with Dawkins still in trouble as Dominik grabs a chinlock. Priest adds a slam and Ripley certainly approves on the floor. Dawkins fights up and brings in Ford with a double high crossbody. Dominik gets shoved into a German suplex for two but Priest is back in to blast Dawkins with a clothesline for two more. Priest sends Dawkins over the barricade but Ford is there with the big lip dive over the corner. Back in and the 450 connects, only to have Priest break up the cover. Ford jumps from the floor to the apron to avoid a charge, leaving Dominik to roll him up (with Ripley grabbing the feet for the assist on the final pin at 48:19.

Rating: B-. The match was good for the most part but you could feel the times where they were dragging things out for the sake of filling in time. That’s understandable as they had the better part of an hour to fill, but at the same time it can get a little tiring for a bit. The good thing here was having the Judgment Day hold on throughout, as I was expecting them to lose somewhere in the middle and then have the Profits get the title shot. Good match, even if it felt like they were just putting it out there to fill in the last hour of the show.

Post match the Usos come out to stare down Judgment Day to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. Passable enough show here, though it wasn’t the most exciting. There is a good chance that WWE more or less punted this week because of the National Championship game airing at the same time and that is a bit understandable. The good thing is all you need is a bunch of Royal Rumble talk (check) and things feel important as a result. This isn’t a show you needed to watch, but it was acceptable enough if you weren’t watching the game.

Results
Kevin Owens b. Baron Corbin – Stunner
Bayley b. Mia Yim – Backslide with feet on the ropes
Rhea Ripley b. Candice LeRae – Riptide
Solo Sikoa b. Dolph Ziggler – Samoan Spike
Judgment Day won a Tag Team Turmoil match last eliminating the Street Profits

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

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

Smackdown
Date: January 6, 2023
Location: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

We are less than a month away from the Royal Rumble as we are officially in the new year. That means we should be in for some fun tonight and there is certainly a big main event. This week, the Usos will be defending the Tag Team Titles against Drew McIntyre/Sheamus in a match that was originally scheduled for last month. Let’s get to it.

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

The Bloodline opens things up by throwing chairs from the crowd as Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman come to the ring to join them. Reigns demands acknowledgment and seems to receive it but doesn’t seem happy. This week, we are going to hear from Sami Zayn, who says this year belongs to the Bloodline.

Zayn brags about the team winning its matches on Raw but that’s not what Reigns wants to talk about. He wants to talk about LAST YEAR when he and Zayn faced John Cena and Kevin Owens. Some people have said they lost, but Reigns doesn’t remember his shoulders being on the mat. Nah, Sami lost last week, so why did he call his shot? That’s what Reigns does, just like Babe Ruth.

Reigns thinks Sami might want to be the Tribal Chief. Why is Sami doing what Reigns does? Reigns starts screaming at Sami about wanting his job until Kevin Owens interrupts. Owens talks about how Reigns has a KO Problem and can’t get rid of him. Maybe he should deal with it in a title match at the Royal Rumble. Reigns: “Yeah sure whatever.” Reigns will give him the shot if Owens leaves forever after he loses. Owens seems to agree but the wording is a bit vague on if it’s title vs. career.

Earlier today, Kofi Kingston and Santos Escobar got into it backstage over Kofi’s Royal Rumble botch last year, meaning we’ve got something tonight.

Kofi Kingston vs. Santos Escobar

Xavier Woods and the rest of Legado del Fantasma are here too. Escobar gets in a shot to start and Kofi is rocked, allowing him to go up top. That’s fine with Kofi, who kicks him to the floor as we take a break. Back with Kofi in trouble but managing to fight his way back up. Woods offers a trombone distraction but Escobar is fine enough to kick Kofi in the head for two.

Kofi slips out of a fireman’s carry and gets two off the SOS. Kofi goes up but gets kneed out of the air for two, leaving them both needing a bit of a breather. The brawl starts on the floor though and the distraction lets Escobar hit a jumping superkick. The Phantom Driver finishes Kofi at 10:05.

Rating: C+. You had two talented wrestlers with a bit of time so of course this worked out fairly well. Kingston is the definition of bulletproof in WWE so having him put over a newcomer like Escobar is one of the smarter things to do. It wasn’t a classic but for ten minutes on Smackdown, this was quite easy to watch.

Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns for the title is set for the Royal Rumble. No words on Owens leaving if he loses so that doesn’t sound like a stipulation.

Sami Zayn tries to talk to Roman Reigns but gets Paul Heyman instead. Heyman thinks this isn’t a good time as the Usos go in to see Reigns. Last week Heyman said stay three steps ahead, but that still might be a bad time for Sami.

Liv Morgan enters the Women’s Royal Rumble and is willing to go in at #1.

We look back at Uncle Howdy attacking Bray Wyatt last week, which freaked out LA Knight in the process.

LA Knight was walking through Memphis earlier today and after getting over how bad that was, he thought it was great that Bray Wyatt can’t keep his freaks in line. At the Royal Rumble, Wyatt is getting what is coming to him, YEAH.

Emma/Madcap Moss vs. Karrion Kross/Scarlett

This is Scarlett’s in-ring TV debut and we’re joined in progress with the women coming in off double tags. Scarlett shrugs off some right hands and suplexes her for two. Kross comes in to glare at Emma, allowing Scarlett to post her. Emma gets sent over the announcers’ table, leaving Kross to hit the Krosshammer into the Krossjacket for the win at 3:08.

Rating: C-. This was little more than a squash for Kross and Scarlett, as Emma and Moss never felt like they were a threat to win. Scarlett is someone who can easily handle herself in the ring and doesn’t always have to be on the floor. Kross seems to be ready for a showdown with Rey Mysterio and that means he wasn’t going to need to break a sweat here with Moss.

Post match Kross and Scarlett put a Rey Mysterio mask on Moss and says Rey is running out of time.

We look back at Charlotte returning and winning the Smackdown Women’s Title from Ronda Rousey in less than a minute.

Sheamus and Drew McIntyre were at Jerry Lawler’s bar earlier and fired each other up for their Tag Team Title match tonight.

Here is Charlotte for a chat. She is happy with her title win last week and doesn’t really care what people think of her. The one thing she isn’t is complacent, so she will face anyone. Cue Sonya Deville, who wants and receives a title shot.

Women’s Title: Charlotte vs. Sonya Deville

Charlotte is defending and kicks Deville out to the floor to start. Back from a break with Deville going after the knee and grabbing a chinlock. That’s broken up and Charlotte hits some clotheslines, followed by a flipping clothesline for two. A spear cuts Sonya down and the Figure Eight retains the title at 6:46.

Rating: C-. So that happened. Charlotte wasn’t going to drop the title this fast but they didn’t even bother with anything close to drama. It was all about getting Charlotte in the ring again to clarify that she’s all nice and good now, with Deville being a good first victim to the title reign.

Video on Cody Rhodes returning to WWE last year.

Remember how Lacey Evans has been training? She still is.

Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Ricochet vs. Top Dolla

Dolla powers him into the corner to start and gets Ricochet on top to toss him down. A big boot gives Dolla two but he takes too long dancing, allowing Ricochet to kick him in the head. The standing Sliced Bread drops Dolla and the shooting star press finishes him off at 1:57.

Post match Dolla shakes Ricochet’s hand….allowing Ashante Adonis to superkick Ricochet in the face. B Fab adds in a kick of her own as all of Hit Row seems to have turned. Braun Strowman runs in for the save, which shouldn’t have happened as Top Dolla needed to look dominant here.

The Usos go to the ring for their title match. Roman Reigns tells Paul Heyman to bring him Sami Zayn.

Video on Gunther vs. Braun Strowman for the Intercontinental Title next week.

Sami Zayn comes in to see Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman, with Reigns telling him to sit without giving him a look. Sami immediately says that Reigns is the Tribal Chief and no one else is. Reigns doesn’t accept because he holds himself to a high standard and no one should be treated like Sami was earlier. He doesn’t accept because he should be apologizing, so Reigns says he is sorry.

Reigns understands that he is mad at Kevin Owens and taking out on Sami. That’s why he’s going to let Sami help him get rid of Owens, when Sami and Owens face off next week. Sami is in but hears the Usos’ music and goes towards the ring. Hold on though, as Reigns wants Sami to watch with him.

Tag Team Titles: Usos vs. Drew McIntyre/Sheamus

The Usos, with Solo Sikoa, are defending. Sheamus takes Jimmy down to start and it’s off to Drew, who tosses him into the corner. Jey comes in and manages a quick suplex to take over, allowing Jimmy to come in for some choking. Drew gets sent outside and suicide dived into the barricade as we take a break.

Back with Sheamus hitting the ten forearms to Jey’s chest but Jimmy gets in a shot to take over again. Drew cuts off the double Uce and it’s a double super White Noise for two on the champs. A flip dive off the apron takes the Usos down and it’s a Claymore for two on Jey with Jimmy making the save.

We see Reigns/Zayn/Heyman eating popcorn as they watch the match as the 1D hits Sheamus….for two as McIntyre makes the save. Sikoa goes after Drew but here are the Brawling Brutes to cut him off. Sheamus Brogue Kicks Jey so Jimmy makes the save. A dive takes the Usos out so Sheamus picks Jey up, only to be rolled up with Jimmy giving an assist to retain at 13:19.

Rating: B-. They had a bit of drama when Sheamus survived the 1D but there is only so much of a reason to believe the Usos are losing anytime soon. Sheamus and McIntyre could have gotten the title shot on a big stave and just a Smackdown main event doesn’t feel that big. Good TV match, but it should have been a bit bigger.

Overall Rating: B-. Pretty solid show tonight, but the question now is what happens with Sami/Owens/Reigns. That seems like it is about to blow up either in the next few weeks or at the Royal Rumble at the latest. Other than that, the Rumbles continue to loom, but there are only three out of sixty spots filled. That could take up a lot of time over the next few weeks so things could start picking up rather quickly. For now though, a good show that could have been bigger.

Results
Santos Escobar b. Kofi Kingston – Phantom Driver
Scarlett/Karrion Kross b. Emma/Madcap Moss – Krossjacket to Moss
Ricochet b. Top Dolla – Shooting star press
Usos b. Drew McIntyre/Sheamus – Assisted rollup to Sheamus

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.

Monday Night Raw
Date: January 2, 2023
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

We are inching closer to the Royal Rumble and that means it is time to start setting up the show. With so many wrestlers needed to get into the Royal Rumble matches, there are only going to be so many spots left for other matches. At the same time though, only one person has been announced for either Royal Rumble so they might want to start picking up the pace. Then again, they might want to have a lot of surprises this time. Let’s get to it.

We open with the Bloodline (minus Roman Reigns/Paul Heyman) wrecking havoc at ringside. Sami Zayn says they’re taking over tonight but here is Kevin Owens to interrupt. Sami calls this a hostile takeover but Owens says he wants to punch Zayn in the face. Cue Adam Pearce and company to tell Owens that this isn’t happening tonight or all year. Security goes after the Bloodline but gets dropped, drawing Owens into the ring. Some low level stars run in to go after the Bloodline and the team is chased off. Pearce says if the Bloodline is here, they’re going to be in a match tonight.

Bianca Belair is ready to face Alexa Bliss, no matter what kind of Bliss she is.

Post break the wrestlers who chased the Bloodline off want some matches, with Elias demanding a fight against Solo Sikoa. Works for Adam Pearce, as does the Street Profits/Kevin Owens vs. the Usos and Sami Zayn in a six man tag.

Women’s Title: Alexa Bliss vs. Bianca Belair

Belair is defending and wastes no time in hitting Bliss in the face to start. They head outside with Belair sending her into the barricade as we take a break. Back with Belair running her over with a shoulder and telling Bliss to bring it on. Bliss sends her into the corner, takes a bow, and stomps away.

Belair is back with some right hands and muscles Bliss up with a suplex to block a DDT attempt. Some forearms to the back have Bliss rocked but she sends Belair to the floor, setting up the running flip dive off the apron. We take another break and come back again with Bliss putting on a chinlock.

With that let go, Bliss’ standing flip dive is countered into a rollup but Bliss counters the KOD. Belair muscles her down into a backbreaker and hammers away in the corner. Bliss gets smart by pulling her out to the floor by the hair….where there is a man in a Bray Wyatt style mask. That’s enough of a distraction for Bliss to throw her back in….but there is another man in a Bray Wyatt mask (different hair).

Then the Bray logo pops up on screen and Bliss beats up the referee. There’s no bell yet so Bliss beats up Belair too and sends her into various things. There’s a DDT onto the steps and Belair (with her busted open) is mostly out. Bliss hits another DDT onto the steps and referees come out. The bell never rang but we’ll say the match was thrown out at 18:00.

Rating: C+. This was getting good before the ending, which wound up being more Bliss storyline stuff. You can only get so far with that as this was her big chance and now it’s just another version of Bliss gets upset and goes violent, which has kind of been shoved into the ground. The match was working fairly well, but you can only go so far when it seems like it is setting something else up. That seems to be the case with a lot of Bliss matches/moments, and it needs to go somewhere soon.

Post break, here’s everything you just saw.

Austin Theory is ready for Seth Rollins because he is the future and Rollins is the past.

Elias vs. Solo Sikoa

Street fight. Elias promises to show Sikoa what WWE stands for and we’re ready to go, with music themed weapons at ringside. Sikoa powers him into the corner to start and hits a hard clothesline to take over. They head outside with Elias missing a guitar shot but sending Sikoa right through a drum kit. A drum cymbal to the head knocks Sikoa silly and we take a break.

Back with Elias being sent into a speaker near the entrance, followed by some mic shots to the head. They get inside again with Elias’ electric keyboard shot being shrugged off, allowing Sikoa to grab a Samoan drop for two. Another keyboard blast gives Elias two and some tambourines to the head send Sikoa into the corner.

A musical celebrity (Hardy, who sings the Royal Rumble theme song) gives Elias a guitar but Sikoa hits a superkick. Hardy gets in and hit guitar shot to the back has no effect. That’s enough for Hardy to run off, leaving Elias to hit the jumping knee. A top rope guitar shot is Samoan Spiked out of the air, leaving Sikoa to Spinning Solo Elias through a piano for the pin at 14:21.

Rating: C-. This was a good bit longer than it needed to be and it felt like they were just filling in time for a good chunk of the match. Again, part of the problem with the Bloodline is that it is hard to buy the members in any serious danger save for any major opponents. That isn’t going to be the case with Elias, making this a bunch of goofy weapons shots until a big weapons spot to end the show.

We look at John Cena and Kevin Owens defeating Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn on Smackdown.

Street Profits/Kevin Owens vs Bloodline

The brawl is on before the bell with the non-Bloodline taking over. We get the official start with Jimmy getting a shot on Dawkins, allowing Sami to come in for a front facelock. That doesn’t last long either as it’s off to Owens, who takes over on Jey while yelling at Jey. Ford is up but doesn’t want to tag in as he is worried about Bianca Belair. Owens gets stomped down in the corner and we take a break.

Back with Ford coming in off the hot tag to clean house, including a standing moonsault for two on Zayn. Everything breaks down and Dawkins runs Jey over in the corner. Ford is back with the running flip dive onto Jimmy and Zayn but here is Solo Sikoa to take Dawkins out. Owens goes after him but gets superkicked, leaving Zayn to Helluva Kick Ford for the pin at 11:40.

Rating: C. This got going and I could buy Owens and the Profits as a bigger threat to score an upset here. It was also nice to have Ford be upset about something that happened earlier in the show, as he should have been. There is no reason to have him be all normal so well done on some logic. Sami gets a win back to keep the team happy, but Roman Reigns is going to be waiting on him.

Post match the beatdown stays on but Sheamus and Drew McIntyre run in for the save. Now they feel like a threat to the Usos this week on Smackdown.

AJ Styles is confirmed to have a broken ankle, meaning he will miss the Royal Rumble.

Chad Gable vs. Dexter Lumis

Otis is here with Gable, who runs away from Dexter to start. After hiding behind Otis doesn’t work, Gable grabs a hot shot for a breather and starts in on Lumis’ arm. A northern lights suplex gives Gable two but Lumis is back with a takedown of his own. Gable grabs a German suplex and sends Lumis outside, where Lumis gets posted. Otis misses a clothesline into the post though, leaving Lumis to counter La Majistral into a cradle for the pin at 4:09.

Rating: C. This version of Gable continues to be a chore to watch, which is a shame as he is a rather talented star. That being said, watching him in the same role week in and week out gets old fast as they have cranked the annoyance up as far as it can go. Gable needs something other than the one note catchphrase because he is too good to be stuck with it. Lumis getting a more normal win is a good thing for him, as this was more of a way to keep him active.

Video on Cody Rhodes’ return last year, including the injury which took him back out of action. More on this later.

Here is Damage Ctrl for a chat. Bayley brings up the team starting here at Summerslam so it is nice to have one good thing come out of this city. However, we need to talk about the Iris elephant in the room. Bayley beat Becky Lynch, which brings out Becky to tell Bayley to shut up. Becky talks about Bayley having to get out of someone’s (unnamed) shadow and now she has own team. It is going to be a matter of time before the rest of Damage Ctrl turns on her but Bayley rolls it off. The challenge it out for tonight but Bayley shuts that down too. Instead, Becky can just fight the rest of the team, 2-1. Sure.

Becky Lynch vs. Damage Ctrl

Non-title and Bayley is at ringside. Becky Stunners Sky over the middle rope to start and nails an enziguri to drop her for two. Kai comes in and gets legdropped, followed by a running forearm in the corner. A kick to the face staggers Lynch though and Sky sends her into the apron on the floor. The double teaming is on, including Sky front facelocking Becky on the floor. Cue Michin to join Becky though and the hot tag brings her in to start the house cleaning.

We take a break and come back with Sky Crossfacing Michin, who powers up and kicks Sky into Kai for a tag. A neckbreaker drops Sky so Kai grabs Becky’s ankle…and Michin makes the tag anyway. Everything breaks down and Becky hits a missile dropkick. A double superplex hits Kai with Sky having to make the save. Becky goes outside to deal with an invading Bayley, leaving Michin to Eat Defeat Kai. That leaves Michin down long enough though for Sky to hit Over the Moonsault for the in at 13:40.

Rating: C+. They got going near the end and the finish felt like Michin got caught rather than getting beaten. The match worked well too as you don’t want Lynch hanging with the champs that long. This should keep us on the way towards a major Becky vs. Bayley showdown and that has all of the potential to steal whatever show it is on.

Seth Rollins is ready for Austin Theory.

Alexa Bliss, with what looks like some dried paint on her face, says she has control of Bianca Belair.

We look at Dominik Mysterio being arrested on Christmas Eve for invading the Mysterios’ house.

Dominik Mysterio, having since been bailed out of jail by Rhea Ripley, talks about how prison is an absence of feeling. This isn’t a game to him and he’s just getting started, so he’ll see Rhea Ripley soon. This is a different way to go for Dominik and the more of his own character he can develop, the better.

Video on Bronson Reed.

US Title: Austin Theory vs. Seth Rollins

Theory is defending. Rollins grabs a headlock to start before clotheslining Theory outside. A knee to the face rocks Theory again and we take a rather early break. Back again with Rolling firing off the fast chops but Theory gets in a shot of his own. The rolling dropkick to the back gives Theory two and he hammers away with left hands. A clothesline sets up a chinlock on Rollins to keep him in trouble. They head outside with Rollins being rammed into the announcers’ table a few times as we take a break.

Back with Rollins Hulking Up and hitting a backbreaker for two. Rollins catches him on top but Theory slips out of a suplex. The brainbuster onto the knee is reversed into a small package to give Rollins two more. The buckle bomb is broken up as well and Theory goes up, only to get superplex into…well nothing actually as Theory reversed into a brainbuster own for two.

They trade kicks to the face until an enziguri drops Theory. Rollins can’t follow up so it’s a double breather. Back up and Rollins wins a strike off, setting up the missed Stomp. Theory tries to leave but gets caught, allowing Rollins to hit a superkick back inside. The frog splash gives Rollins two but Theory shoves him into the referee. Rollins’ knee gives out as he escapes a suplex, though he’s fine enough to hit a Pedigree for a delayed two from a second referee. Theory tries to send Rollins into the referee again, allowing the low blow to cut Rollins off. A chop block sets up A Town Down to retain the title at 22:15.

Rating: B. This felt like a major main event but more importantly it felt like a huge win for Theory. At some point you need to pull the trigger on him and that might be what they are doing here. The fact that it came after what felt like a showdown makes it even better, and now hopefully we get to see where this is going, as Theory could be getting a rocket built for his back.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event boosted up a lot of this show, which was built around long matches. That’s a good thing in theory, but it only gets them so far when the matches are hit and miss. What does help this show is how energized it felt, as it came off like stuff was happening throughout. The only cold match was Lumis vs. Gable and they were in and out in less than eight minutes. It’s not a great show, but there was enough to make me want to see what happens next.

Results
Alexa Bliss vs. Bianca Belair went to a no contest when Bliss attacked the referee
Solo Sikoa b. Elias – Spinning Solo through a piano
Bloodline b. Street Profits/Kevin Owens – Helluva Kick to Ford
Dexter Lumis b. Chad Gable – Rollup
Damage Ctrl b. Michin/Becky Lynch – Over The Moonsault to Michin
Austin Theory b. Seth Rollins – A Town Down

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.

Smackdown
Date: December 23, 2022
Location: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

It’s a taped show from Chicago, which means the fans should be livelier than most regular crowds. Since it is the Christmas season, the main event is a Miracle On 34th Street Fight as Ricochet and Braun Strowman vs. Imperium, but we also have a gauntlet match for a future Women’s Title match. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is the Bloodline to get things going. Paul Heyman talks about all of their upcoming wins, including the Usos defeating Hit Row later tonight and Solo Sikoa getting another victory. Next week though, it’s the biggest televised match of the year, as Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn team up to defeat Kevin Owens and John Cena. Reigns get the mic, but has to pause for a SAMI chant. Next week, Reigns is going to SMASH someone, but Sami is looking a little off.

Reigns tells him to get it off of his chest, so Sami talks about how he has found family and respect in the Bloodline. You would think that would be enough, but there is a Kevin Owens cloud hanging over him. Owens’ existence and the fact that their names have been tired together makes Sami mad because he can’t get away.

Now John Cena is coming back too and wants to steal the show, but the Bloodline IS the show. Next week, Owens and Cena will acknowledge Reigns. Sami gets a hug to wrap it up. I’m not sure when it’s happening, but the Bloodline turning on Sami and him coming back to fight against them is going to be the reaction of the year.

Tag Team Titles: Usos vs. Hit Row

Hit Row, with B Fab is challenging and Sami Zayn is here too. Adonis armdrags Jey to start but a chop block cuts Dolla off. Dolla fights up and brings Jey in but a chop block puts him right back down. We take a break and come back with Dolla getting over to the corner for the hot tag to Adonis so house can be cleaned. A cheap shot cuts Adonis off though and a Samoan drop gives Jimmy two. Dolla is back in and the Heavy Hitter gets two, with Jimmy having to make a save. Back up and Adonis gets sent outside, leaving the 1D to finish Dolla at 9:06.

Rating: C. The titles weren’t going to change hands here and I don’t think anyone bought the idea that they were. The Usos have been on top for so long that it is hard to fathom them losing, which is one of the problems with a match like this. There wasn’t much drama and Hit Row isn’t good enough to create it, so this was just ok at best.

We look at Ricochet coming up short to Gunther last week in a great match.

Imperium is ready to take out Ricochet and Braun Strowman tonight.

Gauntlet Match

For a future Smackdown Women’s title match. It’s Emma in at #1 and Xia Li in at #2, with Li running her over to start. Emma gets a suplex for a breather, but Li knees her in the face. The Cyclone kick finishes Emma at 1:47 and it’s Tegan Nox in at #3. Nox strikes away but gets kneed in the head for her efforts. Another Cyclone Kick finishes Nox at 3:19 total and it’s Raquel Rodriguez in at #4.

We take a break and come back with Li working on Rodriguez’s banged up arm. Rodriguez fights up and hits the spinning Vader Bomb elbow for two. Back up and Li misses the Cyclone Kick, allowing Rodriguez to grab the Tejana Bomb for the pin at 9:05. Liv Morgan is in at #5 and goes right at her, but has to power out of what seems to be a powerbomb attempt. Morgan’s victory roll gets two and they trade rollups for a near fall each. A choke works a bit better for Morgan but Rodriguez powers out for a double knockdown.

We take a break and come back again with Rodriguez hitting a superplex but Morgan manages a shot to the arm for a breather. There’s the middle rope dropkick to Rodriguez, setting up the Rings of Saturn for a smart hold. Rodriguez powers up again and swings Morgan off, only to get caught in a Codebreaker for two more. Back up and Rodriguez is fine enough to hit a fall away slam into the springboard corkscrew Vader Bomb elbow for another near fall. Morgan is back up with a sunset bomb but Rodriguez powers her up into a Tejana Bomb for the pin at 19:35.

Sonya Deville is in at #6 to complete the field and starts fast with the rapid fire kicks in the corner. Rodriguez tries to make the comeback but gets sent shoulder first into the buckle. An armbar in the ropes has Rodriguez in more trouble but she has to let go, allowing Rodriguez to plant her down for the pin at 22:35. Hold out though as here is Ronda Rousey to announce that Shayna Baszler is a surprise entrant at #7. Baszler goes right in and strikes away, even pulling off Rodriguez’s arm brace. The posing takes too long though and Rodriguez rolls her up for the pin at 24:11.

Rating: B-. Like most gauntlet matches, this left me wondering why some of the regular matches we see aren’t over as fast as some of the falls in this one. At the same time, the Morgan vs. Rodriguez stuff worked well and they had a nice chemistry going. Rodriguez winning was the only real option here and they made her look good in the process, so call this a nice success.

We look at Uncle Howdy being revealed as a real person last week, freaking LA Knight out even more.

Here is Bray Wyatt for a chat. Bray talks about how hard it is to come out here and be yourself, but he’ll never be tired of people wanting to see him. He talks about trying to present the realest version of him that he can, meaning LA Knight owes him an apology. No one, including Knight, believed that it was really him with all of those attacks…and then the light switches a bit. Wyatt seems to get sidetracked and crouches down before grabbing the Mandible Claw on the cameraman. The weird stare goes on as Wyatt has to be pulled off, leaving him confused and upset. The mind games continue, but they seem to have a direction.

Angel vs. Rey Mysterio

Karrion Kross and Scarlett are watching from the crowd while Humberto is here with Angel. Rey snaps off a headscissors to start and pounds away in the corner, only to have Angel TAKE OFF HIS PANTS. A backbreaker gives Angel two but Rey sends him into the ropes to set up the 619. Humberto breaks that up, allowing Angel to hit a superkick for two. The Wing Clipper is blocked so Angel tries his own 619. That doesn’t work either as Rey hits his own, setting up a slingshot DDT for the pin at 3:51.

Rating: C. Well first of all, oh yeah, Los Lotharios still work here. Other than that, this was a completely watchable back and forth match with Mysterio busting out a nifty new finisher. There wasn’t exactly a lot to see here but Mysterio getting in the ring and wrestling a basic match shows you just how good he really is. He can wrestle a completely competent match against almost anyone, which isn’t exactly a universal skill.

Ricochet and Braun Strowman are ready for Imperium.

Emma yells at Scarlett and Karrion Kross for getting on Riddick (as in Madcap Moss) and Rey Mysterio. She slaps Scarlett, causing Kross to say Emma doesn’t know what she just did.

We look back at John Cena’s career before he returns next week. The Make-A-Wish and military stuff gets a look at well before wrestlers talk about what a legend he is. I’m assuming this is airing rather than a Kevin Owens segment as Owens missed the double taping.

Lacey Evans is back next week.

Ricochet/Braun Strowman vs. Imperium

Miracle On 34th Street Fight. Strowman cleans house to start and throws Ricochet into a dropkick to Vinci in the corner. Vinci’s middle rope crossbody is pulled out of the air but Imperium starts in on Strowman’s leg for a breather. Strowman is fine enough to backdrop the villains to the floor, where Ricochet adds a hurricanrana as we take a break.

Back with Strowman getting posted and Ricochet getting beaten with a candy cane. Strowman gets back up and lifts Imperium onto his shoulders but they rake the eyes for a save. There’s a double suplex on the stage as Ricochet is back up. Some right hands stagger the already bleeding Vinci but Kaiser manages a chair shot for a breather. It’s time to open the giant present on stage and it’s….a ballerina, who dances away.

Another box is opened to reveal New Day dressed as soldiers to kick Imperium low (Barrett: “They’re nutcrackers!”) and march away. Strowman is back up and runs Imperium over before dragging Ricochet over to ring announcer Samantha Irvin. Some mistletoe is busted out and the kiss (from his real life girlfriend, in Cole’s words) brings Ricochet back to life. House is cleaned and it’s the running powerslam into the splash off of Strowman’s shoulders to pin Vinci at 11:54.

Rating: C+. What else were you expecting here? They were in a match involving big presents and Christmas decorations at the end of a holiday show. There was one result to this match and it was never supposed to be anything else. The match was completely fine and felt like something you might see on a house show, making this a completely entertaining main event.

Overall Rating: C+. For a show that was taped and the second two hour episode of the night, this was a totally acceptable show, which even had some good stuff included. WWE knew it wasn’t going to have a huge audience so why try doing anything important? The biggest development is finding Ronda Rousey’s next challenger for next week, which is hardly earth shattering. Nice show here though and I had a good time with it throughout.

Results
Usos b. Hit Row – 1D to Dolla
Raquel Rodriguez won a gauntlet match last eliminating Shayna Baszler
Rey Mysterio b. Angel – Slingshot DDT
Ricochet/Braun Strowman b. Imperium – Splash to Vinci

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

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: December 19, 2022
Location: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

It’s the last show before Christmas and possibly the last show of the year depending on what they do next week. There is still a lot of time before the Royal Rumble but we have another big match coming up on December 30. John Cena is on his way back to WWE and that should have some people talking. Let’s get to it.

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

Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns are here, with Reigns saying he is around here to deal with Kevin Owens. Reigns has been dealing with Owens and now he has to take care of John Cena again. Now, he is going to torture Owens until Raw acknowledges the Bloodline.

We cut to the rest of the Bloodline beating down Mustafa Ali in an NWO style handheld video attack.

Opening sequence.

Street Profits vs. Judgment Day

Finn Balor/Damien Priest for the team here, with their friends and Akira Tozawa at ringside too. Ford goes nuts on Priest to start but gets sent into the corner. We go split screen to see the Bloodline beating up Andre Chase and Elias, the latter with a guitar shot. Back to full screen with Priest sending the Profits to the floor by himself and we take a break.

We come back with Dawkins coming in to clean house but Priest grabs the South of Heaven chokeslam. Ford is right there with the frog splash before Priest can get back up but Balor is in to dropkick Ford into the corner. Everything breaks down and Tozawa throws a drink in Dominik Mysterio’s (already injured) eyes, allowing Ford to roll Balor up for the pin at 8:56.

Rating: C+. They had the energy going here and it even tied in to what they did last week. At the same time, it was nice to have a different kind of presentation with the cut to the back. It’s nice to have something feel like it is happening in real time and if it takes Elias getting beaten up to accomplish that, good for the Bloodline.

Post match Rhea Ripley punches Tozawa out and challenges him to a fight.

Akira Tozawa vs. Rhea Ripley

Everyone else is here too. Tozawa is really nervous about doing this and gets run over without much trouble. A big boot puts Tozawa in more trouble in the corner and Ripley muscles him over with a suplex for two. Ripley can’t quite powerbomb him, allowing Tozawa to grab a hurricanrana out to the floor. The distraction lets Balor trip Tozawa down so the Profits hit the stereo flip dives. Back in and Ripley misses a charge into the corner but Tozawa misses the backsplash. Riptide finishes Tozawa at 4:30.

Rating: C. This was an example of a man vs. woman match that made sense and could be believed. Tozawa is a smaller guy and Ripley is a giant compared to most of the division. Ripley’s offense looked fine here and I could buy what they were doing. Throw in Ripley winning the match after capitalizing on Tozawa’s mistake and the whole thing worked out well enough.

We look back at Bobby Lashley snapping and getting fired by Adam Pearce as a result.

Adam Pearce won’t talk about Lashley, who should be back soon. MVP comes in, but hang on as someone else has been attacked.

Post break and it’s Dolph Ziggler who has been attacked.

OC vs. Alpha Academy

Anderson shoulders Gable to start and grabs a hiptoss. A double shoulder takes Gable down again but he takes Anderson into the corner. That’s fine with Anderson, who armdrags him right out. Otis comes in and has the power showdown with Gallows. The Academy is sent outside and we take a break. Back with Otis cleaning house but Gable misses a moonsault. Gallows’ superkick sets up the Magic Killer for the pin at 8:59.

Rating: C. Another perfectly watchable match, even as the Academy is feeling less and less important every week. You can only get so much when they lose all the time and they don’t exactly have much in the way of a story anyway. The OC gets some momentum back and we didn’t have to hear SHUSH too often, so we’ll call this a success.

Post break the Bloodline jumps the OC.

Back from a break and the Bloodline is still in the ring, with Adam Pearce telling them to wrap it up. Sami Zayn promises to do even worse to john Cena and Kevin Owens next week. As the Bloodline goes to leave, AJ Styles jumps them but gets pulled off by security.

We look at Alexa Bliss becoming #1 contender and then having to snap herself back to reality.

AJ Styles wants the Bloodline tonight and gets Sami Zayn.

We get a sitdown interview between Bianca Blair and Alexa Bliss. Belair gets right to the point by saying she doesn’t trust Bliss, who says she is turning into a shell of a human being she doesn’t even recognize. Belair asks about the Bray Wyatt connection, but Bliss says this isn’t about him. Bliss was winning titles before Belair got here and that’s kind of a mic drop moment. Then Bliss hits Belair in the head with a vase.

Miz vs. Dexter Lumis

Ladder match with two bags of money hanging above the ring and Johnny Gargano at ringside. They go for the ladder to start, with Lumis getting the better of it and crushing Miz in the corner with the ladder. With Miz down in the corner, Lumis teases pushing the ladder down for a low blow. Instead he leaves it a big short and dropkicks it between Miz’s legs, sending him outside. Miz is able to get up top and save the money and they go crashing down onto the ropes.

We take a break and come back with both of them on top of the ladder so Lumis can punch him down. Miz shoves the ladder over this time though and goes up, only to have Lumis pull him down as well. The Silencer is countered into a neckbreaker onto the apron and Lumis is down again, much to Gargano’s annoyance. Miz crushes Lumis in the ladder and rolls a chair at Gargano.

With Gargano backed up, Miz buries Lumis and the ladder with chairs. A table is teased but Miz beats up Gargano instead of climbing. Lumis uses the distraction to fight up and Rock Bottom Miz onto the announcers’ table covering. Lumis misses a dive off the ladder and through the announcers’ table. Miz goes up but Lumis cuts him off again and tries to pull down the money…but Bronson Reed returns and cuts Lumis off. The Tsunami crushes Lumis and Reed helps Miz get the money back at 18:20.

Rating: D+. This was all about the surprise return and that doesn’t matter much when the match is rather dull on the way there. This is a match that would have been better served as a regular one on one match at about half the length, as They had far too many instances of “climb, cutoff, climb cutoff, climb, cutoff”. This feud is likely to continue, though having Reed back could boost things up quite a bit.

Sami Zayn vs. AJ Styles

No one else is at ringside for a change. Styles starts fast and knocks Zayn to the floor for the slingshot forearm. Back in and a hot shot cuts Styles off, only to have him come back with some kicks of his own. Zayn is sent outside again and dropped for a second time, but he is fine enough to break up the Phenomenal Forearm as we take a break.

Back with Zayn grabbing a brainbuster for two but getting caught with the Phenomenal Blitz. The moonsault reverse DDT is cut off though and Zayn exploders him into the corner. The Helluva Kick is countered into the Calf Crusher though, with Zayn having to make it to the rope. Cue Solo Sikoa for a distraction though, with Styles going outside to beat him up. The referee is distracted as well though and Sikoa gets in a Samoan Spike. Zayn adds the Blue Thunder Bomb for the pin at 12:51.

Rating: B-. The Bloodline numbers game continues and that is the way this should have gone. You don’t need Zayn losing so close to his huge match with Reigns at the end of the year and Styles is as bulletproof as you can get around here. If nothing else, this could open up more things by having Styles go after the Bloodline and Sikoa in particular, so they did what they should have done with a good match here.

Here is Seth Rollins (home state boy) for a chat. The fans are REALLY happy to see him and Rollins seems happy to be back. Rollins says Roman Reigns doesn’t run Mondays and no one can stop him. Cue Austin Theory to say he can beat Rollins, even if the fans think Theory sucks. Theory thinks Rollins is fine after Bobby Lashley took his frustrations out on a referee, but Rollins praises him anyway.

Rollins talks about how great Theory is, but he’ll never be on Rollins’ level. Theory talks about wanting to rise up but Rollins calls himself Everest. The fight is teased but here are the Usos, leaving Rollins and Theory to stand next to each other. Theory runs off (shocking) and the beatdown is on but Kevin Owens makes the save. Security breaks it up, but Owens suggests they keep this going. The match is on for later.

Becky Lynch wants to face the best version of Bayley, so let’s do this one on one. Tonight it’s going to be one on one or one on three but she’s ready either way.

Bayley vs. Becky Lynch

The rest of Damage Ctrl is here too. A dancing Becky soaks in the fans’ cheers to start and a frustrated Bayley gets armdragged down. Becky boots her to the floor and hits a flying forearm and we take a break. Back with Becky fighting out of a chinlock and winning a slugout to leave both of them down. The Bexploder drops Bayley and the middle rope legdrop gives Becky two.

A backslide gives Becky two but Bayley is back with a sliding lariat. The Bayley to Belly gives Bayley two but Becky is right back with Diamond Dust of all things for two of her own. Damage Ctrl breaks up the Manhandle Slam so Becky threatens them with a….TV monitor. Before that can go anywhere it’s a double ejection, but the distraction lets Bayley get in a monitor shot. The Rose Plant finishes Becky at 14:42.

Rating: B. These two beat each other up for awhile until Bayley had to cheat to win. There is something to that ending as Becky had said she wanted to face Bayley at her best and on her own but didn’t get to do that here. Good stuff from two very talented stars and it would not surprise me to see this come back again on a bigger stage, like say the Royal Rumble.

Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens are ready for the Usos, though Owens remembers Rollins trying to steal his Wrestlemania main event earlier this year. Rollins seems ready to go anyway.

Seth Rollins/Kevin Owens vs. Usos

Non-title and the brawl is on before the bell with Owens and Jimmy heading outside. We get the bell with Rollins hammering on Jey in the corner. The fans are pleased as Rollins elbows him in the face and hands it off to Owens for a clothesline. Jimmy manages a shot from the apron though and Jey knocks Rollins to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Rollins getting the hot tag to clean house, including the Sling Blade to Jey. Owens comes back in with a frog splash for two on Jey, but the Swanton only hits raised knees. Cue Solo Sikoa but the Good Brothers come in to take him out. Jey gets Stomped on the floor but Austin Theory pops up with a belt shot to Rollins. Jimmy superkicks Owens for two but Owens is back up with a superkick of his own. The Pop Up Powerbomb finishes Jimmy at 10:57.

Rating: B. While Lynch vs. Bayley was all about getting in a competitive match, this was more about tying all of the insanity together until the ending. The Usos losing is an event these days and even though this wasn’t for the title, Owens and Rollins overcame a bunch of shenanigans to score the big upset. That is a rare loss for the Bloodline and it gives Rollins a nice hometown moment. Imagine that for a change.

Post match Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens have a staredown but nothing gets physical to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Save for that ladder match, this was a heck of a show with a bunch of good matches throughout. What mattered here the most though was having so many things woven throughout the show. There were plot elements that came up multiple times over the course of the night and it felt like an event rather than just another show. It never made sense to have things be so cut and dry around here, so this was a very nice change of pace. Pretty awesome show and if you cut that ladder match down, it’s a great one.

Results
Street Profits b. Judgment Day – Rollup to Balor
Rhea Ripley b. Akira Tozawa – Riptide
OC b. Alpha Academy – Magic Killer to Gable
Miz b. Dexter Lumis – Miz pulled down the money
Sami Zayn b. AJ Styles – Blue Thunder Bomb
Bayley b. Becky Lynch – Rose Plant
Seth Rollins/Kevin Owens b. Usos – Pop Up Powerbomb to Jimmy

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