IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: October 14, 2019
Location: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Commentators: Jerry Lawler, Dio Maddin, Vic Joseph

It’s time for another big episode here, because we just can’t have a regular show these days. This time around it’s the second night of the Draft and that means maybe we can find out how WWE can manage to screw it up again. They’ve gotten really good at that in recent weeks and there is no reason to believe they won’t do it again. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the Fiend vs. Seth Rollins, including everything that happened at Hell In A Cell. Normally I would say “they’re really just moving on like that wasn’t a big deal” but of course they are, because WWE knows that they can get away with it, which they of course will, even running another Cell show next year and talking it up as the ultimate evil which it hasn’t been in the better part of twenty years. Nothing ever changes, which is the biggest problem around here.

Opening sequence.

Here is Becky Lynch for a chat. She’s proud to be the #1 overall draft pick but it turns out that Sasha Banks isn’t here because of the beating Becky gave her in the Cell. We have a replacement on hand though and it’s a woman Becky just can’t get away from. She’s ready to rip an arm off though so let’s do this.

Charlotte comes out and says maybe she can be drafted to Raw so they can fight forever. She doesn’t want the people to think she’s selfish though because she doesn’t even want to fight Becky. Instead, she would rather the two of them be friends again. Then she hits Becky in the face again and the fight is on in the corner. Referees break it up and we take a break before the opening bell.

Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte

Non-title, the winner’s show gets the first pick. They slug it out to start with Becky’s forearms beating Charlotte’s chops, only to have Charlotte pull her down by the hair. We hit the figure four necklock, complete with some faceplants to send Becky into the mat. Back up and Charlotte forearms her in the back of the head, only to get dropkicked down. Becky sends her to the apron and then kicks her to the floor but gets posted as we take a break.

We come back with Becky hitting some clotheslines, plus a missile dropkick for two. Charlotte shrugs it off and grabs a Boston crab before switching to a failed Figure Four attempt. Becky’s middle rope forearm misses though and Charlotte hits Natural Selection for two more. A big boot gets another two so it’s time to go for the leg. Becky kicks her into the buckle for two off a rollup and the middle rope legdrop gets the same. Charlotte gets in a spear but Becky crucifixes her ala Wrestlemania, meaning Charlotte’s shoulder is up as the referee counts the pin at 14:43.

Rating: B-. I’m thinking Becky needs to drop the crucifix as she can’t keep shoulders down no matter what she does. The match itself was the usual good back and forth stuff between these two, though Charlotte is absolutely right about these two fighting each other so many times that it stops having any impact.

We explain the Draft rules.

Seth Rollins is happy that it’s Draft night and he’s ready to keep things going with Bray Wyatt. He isn’t happy with what he did in the Cell but he isn’t ashamed of it either. Tonight, he’ll find Wyatt and end this by burning it down. That would imply there is something positive that can be burned and that is not the case here.

Jim Cramer of Mad Money (a stock show) goes over draft picks.

We see the War Rooms again and…..yeah the overacting is still strong.

Here’s Stephanie McMahon for the first round picks:

Raw – Seth Rollins

Smackdown – Brock Lesnar

Raw – Charlotte

Smackdown – New Day

Raw – Andrade/Zelina Vega

The expert panel (Samoa Joe, Renee Young, Booker T., Beth Phoenix) talks about the picks.

Andrade vs. Ali

On the way to the ring, Zelina Vega talks about how everyone on Raw will learn to suffer a loss to Andrade. Joined in progress with Ali hitting a dropkick but getting crushed in the corner. Andrade shoves him off the top and out to the floor in a heap so the posing can begin. Ali gets sent shoulder first into the post and then the arm gets bent around the rope for a bonus.

As the armbar goes on, we get breaking news: THERE WILL BE A NEW FIREFLY FUN HOUSE TONIGHT. That’s uh, quite the huge story there commentators. The arm gets bent over the top rope this time but Andrade misses a charge and falls out to the floor. Vega offers a distraction so Ali jumps over her for the big flip dive. The referee distraction lets Zelina hurricanrana Ali from the apron, setting up the hammerlock DDT to finish Ali at 5:48.

Rating: C. This was an extended squash as Ali continues to go nowhere in WWE after a big debut. I get that it happens to a lot of people but it can be a little saddening when someone shows that much heart in their matches. On the other hand, Andrade is someone who has seemed ready to move up to the next level for a long time now and maybe this is his chance after a long time waiting around.

More picks:

Raw – Kabuki Warriors

Smackdown – Daniel Bryan

Raw – Rusev

Smackdown – Bayley

Raw – Aleister Black

It is made clear that the Women’s Tag Team Titles will still be defended on both shows. So they’re already having loopholes in the thing.

The Saturday Night Live guys from the Wrestlemania battle royal talk about how awesome this is. I refuse to believe that these things have any kind of a significant impact on the show’s audience as I would hope that people aren’t that dense.

Raw Tag Team Titles: Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode vs. Viking Raiders

The Raiders are challenging and start fast with a running dropkick into the corner. Roode gets sent to the floor for a dive and a top rope splash gets two on Ziggler with Roode making a save. Ziggler gets back up with a chop block to Erik and a posting makes it even worse. Something that was supposed to be a Zig Zag sends Erik into the timekeeper’s area and we take a break.

Back with Erik fighting out of a chinlock but a pull of his beard breaks up the hot tag attempt. Roode dropkicks the knee out and Ziggler adds the elbow drop. A few shoves are enough to annoy Erik, who forearms the heck out of Ziggler for the double knockdown. It’s off to Ivar for the house cleaning as everything breaks down.

The Zig Zag/spinebuster combination gets two on Erik and a Fameasser gets the same. Ziggler avoids a charge to send Erik into the post and it’s a superkick into the Glorious DDT for two with Ivar making a save. Ivar hits a double handspring elbow to both champs and it’s the Viking Experience to Ziggler for the pin and the titles at 12:06.

Rating: C-. Well that was about….forever overdue. The Raiders have been one of the most dominant teams in years and it made little sense to leave them on the sidelines or toiling against nothing teams while a makeshift team like Roode and Ziggler held the titles. The match was a little boring at times, but the right team won and that’s what matters most.

NHL analysts talk about wrestlers making good hockey players.

The War Raiders are ready to defend their titles. They list off the titles they have won before, including the IWGP and Ring of Honor titles. The raid is here.

More picks:

Raw – Cedric Alexander

Smackdown – Shinsuke Nakamura with Sami Zayn

Raw – Humberto Carrillo

Smackdown – Ali

Raw – Erick Rowan

Aleister Black vs. Eric Young

Young goes straight at him to start but has to bail to the floor to avoid Black Mass. Back in and some kicks to the chest set up the dragon sleeper (the Dark Ritual) to finish Young at 1:36.

More picks:

Raw – Buddy Murphy

Smackdown – Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode

Raw – Jinder Mahal

Smackdown – Carmella

Raw – R-Truth

The Street Profits are glad to be on Raw when the OC comes up. They could be better hosts of Raw and the beatdown is on with the Profits being left laying.

Ricochet vs. Shelton Benjamin

Ricochet hits the dropkick to start so Shelton snaps off the belly to back suplex to send him outside. Back in and a big boot takes Ricochet down and we hit the chinlock with a bodyscissors. Ricochet fights back up with a kick to the face and a springboard clothesline. The 450 is broken up but Ricochet flips over him from the top and this the Recoil for the pin at 4:45.

Rating: D+. Ricochet has as much potential as anyone in WWE at the moment and it would be nice to see him get a big push on Raw. That being said, I’m not sure how you put him on Raw when he belongs on a bigger stage like Smackdown. Maybe he’ll have a better chance to shine on Raw though and that’s what matters in the end.

Video on Tyson Fury.

Lana is getting a massage at a spa. She likes the deeper rubs, so here’s Lashley to handle the rest. Rusev was never as good as he is so the towel is removed and she flips over so Lashley can get the other side.

It’s time for the contract signing between Braun Strowman and Tyson Fury. Jerry Lawler recaps everything and brings the two of them out for the big staredown. Strowman talks about how big of an ego that Fury has and that’s why he was at the premiere of Smackdown. He isn’t letting Fury use him to advance his career so he’ll beat him at Crown Jewel.

Fury says he isn’t out of his element in any ring and Strowman will be looking up at him after Fury knocks him out. They stand up and Fury snaps the pen before leaving. Fury is a good promo but Strowman is still one of those forced promos where the writers have to get in their lines that they think sound good because they don’t know how humans communicate with each other.

Al Roker talks about changes in the company like it’s a weather report.

More picks:

Raw – Samoa Joe

Smackdown – The Miz (the FOX war room lets off confetti)

Raw – Akira Tozawa

Smackdown – King Corbin

Raw – Shelton Benjamin

So to clarify, the pecking order in WWE goes Humberto Carrillo, Samoa Joe, the Miz, Akira Tozawa, King Corbin.

Buddy Murphy vs. Cedric Alexander

Well it worked on 205 Live. Cedric spins out of a wristlock to start so Murphy does the same as neither can get anywhere. Murphy is smart enough to pull him down by the hair so they take turns sweeping the legs until we get a staredown. An elbow to Cedric’s head sets up a whip into the middle buckle, followed by a drop onto the top turnbuckle for a fall to the floor.

Back from a break with Murphy kneeing him in the face to block the springboard Downward Spiral. Murphy hits the big flip dive and the top rope Meteora gets two. Cedric is right back with a shot to the face and the suicide dive to the floor. Back in and the springboard Downward Spiral connects this time around but Murphy catches him with a kick in the corner. The Powerbomb out of the corner sets up Murphy’s Law for the pin at 9:06.

Rating: C+. Yeah this was entertaining like their previous matches were, though it still isn’t enough to make me believe that WWE is going to push either of them with anything that sticks. Cedric came close but then was put in his place by AJ and the OC while Murphy just vanished after a few weeks of what looked like a huge push. Hopefully it’s different this time around, but I can’t bring myself to believe it.

Crown Jewel rundown, including Seth Rollins defending against the Fiend in a Falls Count Anywhere match.

The Street Profits are ready for the OC and want the smoke.

Hosts of the NBC Premiere League show compare chants from both sets of fans.

The final picks:

Raw – Rey Mysterio

Smackdown – Shorty Gable

Raw – Titus O’Neil

Smackdown – Elias

Raw – Liv Morgan

The expert panel talks again.

Kabuki Warriors vs. Natalya/???

Non-title. Natalya has been asked to pick a partner so she has picked someone who has taken her to the limit. Say it with me: Lacey Evans. I actually laughed because this match might miss the point more than anything since….well since the end of Rollins vs. Wyatt really, though that doesn’t make this any better.

Joined in progress with Lacey in trouble and being knocked outside for a spinning backfist from Kairi. Back in and Kairi hits her in the face again, allowing Asuka to come in for some Kawada kicks. Lacey fights up and makes the ice cold tag to Natalya, who snaps off a release German suplex to Asuka. A kneebar has Natalya in trouble but she rolls through, only to get rolled up by Asuka for two each.

The Sharpshooter has Asuka in trouble until Sane makes the save with a bulldog. Asuka’s hip attack sends Natalya to the floor and we take a break. Back with Natalya fighting out of Asuka’s Octopus Hold and scoring with a basement dropkick. Asuka breaks up the hot tag attempt and ties up the leg while pulling the arm back (kind of the first half of a surfboard crossed with half of a camel clutch).

That’s broken up so Asuka grabs a regular armbar as the fans are eerily silent. Sane comes back in for a double suplex for two and we hit the chinlock. These women were sent out there to die and they are achieving it to near perfection. Natalya muscles her up for a suplex and makes the hot tag to Lacey to clean house.

The slingshot Bronco Buster into the slingshot dropkick rocks Sane for two but Lacey gets caught in the corner. Sane hits an Alberto top rope double stomp for no count as Natalya makes the fast save. The sliding forearm hits Lacey in the corner and Asuka tags herself in. The Woman’s Right knocks Sane out on her feet but Asuka rolls Lacey up for the pin at 15:26.

Rating: D-. What in the world was THAT? They set up Lacey as some big partner for Natalya and then they have a match that went on far too long (I was very surprised when they went to a break) where Lacey just gets pinned? No angle, no title hunt, nothing of the sort. It’s like they were experimenting with something and didn’t realize that it was taking place on Raw. On top of that, the match was incredibly boring with one hold after another as we waited on Lacey Evans, who we’re now supposed to cheer for, to get the hot tag. This feels like they tried something and forgot the ending, leaving it as a total mess.

It’s time for the Firefly Fun House to end the show. Bray thinks Rollins is smart but the Fiend never forgets. Ramblin Rabbit says Rollins is on his way but Wyatt doesn’t think much of it. Rollins comes in and jumps Wyatt from behind so the beatdown is on (with the friends freaking out in a nice little touch). Seth breaks the pictures but Bray gets up and asks why Seth is doing this.

They go through a wall off camera and Rollins gets an evil look on his face. He says burn it down….and then lights Bray’s table on fire. The wall catches fire and the pictures burn as the Fiend starts to laugh to end the show. I mean, the character was in trouble anyway so they might as well get rid of the thing. Then again, odds are he’ll find a way back before losing to Rollins (again) in Saudi Arabia.

Overall Rating: D. Maybe it was the extra hour but this had most of the same problems that Smackdown had yet felt even longer. The picks make next to no sense in places (Carrillo over Mysterio, Corbin, Samoa Joe and Miz?), the War Room stuff was still stupid and the wrestling was just something they threw out there to stretch out the shows.

In a way this felt like a go home show, as it isn’t this week that matters, but what you’re seeing set up this week. The fans were completely done with this show after about an hour and can you blame them? It was a bunch of nothing matches, a token title change to make the show seem important, and Stephanie trying to make Akira Tozawa and Liv Morgan sound like important picks. WWE has been doing things like this a lot recently and they need to get back to normal so we can have something enjoyable for a change. This was really bad and I don’t see single branded shows being their big way out.

Results

Becky Lynch b. Charlotte – Crucifix

Andrade b. Ali – Hammerlock DDT

Viking Raiders b. Robert Roode/Dolph Ziggler – Viking Experience to Ziggler

Aleister Black b. Eric Young – Dark Ritual

Ricochet b. Shelton Benjamin – Recoil

Buddy Murphy b. Cedric Alexander – Murphy’s Law

Kabuki Warriors b. Lacey Evans/Natalya – Rollup to Evans

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: September 30, 2019
Location: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizon
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Dio Maddin, Jerry Lawler

It’s time to start the biggest week in a very long time with the season premiere of Monday Night Raw. This show is completely stacked with the Universal Title on the line, Brock Lesnar making an appearance, the Tag Team Titles on the line and probably a lot more. We’re going to be in for a big night so let’s get to it.

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

The music over the Then Now Forever music is different.

Opening sequence. I don’t remember the last time I saw one of these for Raw.

Pyro is back as well.

We open with a shot of the announcers and the new set, which looks like it curves up from the stage to the screen. It’s uh….big.

Here’s Rey Mysterio for a chat. He dedicates tonight’s title match to his son Dominick, in the front row. Before that can go anywhere though, here are Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman to interrupt. Heyman takes the mic but Rey takes it right back, earning himself a pair of F5’s. Brock isn’t done as he pulls Dominick over the barricade and drives him into the post.

Dominick gets a German suplex and Rey takes another F5 as Heyman looks terrified. Brock throws them both again, plus Fit Finlay (what a fight that would have been back in the day) and one more beating to Rey and Dominick each. Heyman is begging Brock to stop and even Brock looks like he knows he made a mistake.

During the break, Dominick was taken to the hospital as Rey cried a lot.

Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss

Hang on though as here’s Becky Lynch to join commentary. Bliss gets knocked to the floor to start and it’s already time for the trash talk from the ring. Becky gets on the table and yells back as we go split screen for a Gears of War ad. Back in a hurry with Becky still standing and taping her fists. An ambulance siren goes off in the arena, which I would assume would be Dominick’s ambulance leaving. Bliss slaps away but a DDT is broken up, leaving Banks to beg off. She calls for Bayley (not here) and the distraction lets her kick Bliss in the leg and grab a rollup for the pin at 4:25.

Rating: D+. Nothing to see here other than a nice hope of having the stories bleed between segments for a change. The ambulance leaving gives me some hope, as there is no logical reason to have everything come to a halt because another match starts up. The ending was a little odd as it seemed to focus more on the Tag Team Title stuff than the Raw Women’s Title on Sunday.

Post match Becky comes in for the fight but Banks bails into the crowd, where a fan has the most bugged out eyes.

The Rock is confirmed for Smackdown.

We look back at last week’s Firefly Fun House and Bray Wyatt attacking Braun Strowman, plus scaring Seth Rollins.

Rollins is disgusted by what Brock did, but he’s also not sure what to expect from the Fiend on Sunday. He isn’t going away quietly though and he’ll survive and prevail. As for tonight, Rey may not be able to get his title shot but there is one waiting on him when he gets back. The fans were promised a title match tonight though and that’s what they’re getting. Someone needs to stand up.

Tag Team Titles: Heavy Machinery vs. Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode

Roode and Ziggler are defending. Tucker runs Ziggler over to start and even busts out a dropkick for two. It’s off to Otis, with Tucker lifting Ziggler up for a suplex and handing him off to Otis in the air. The champs are in trouble as we take a break. Back with Ziggler neckbreakering Tucker for two and putting on the chinlock.

The comeback doesn’t last long as Roode grabs the spinebuster and hands it back to Ziggler. Tucker catapults Ziggler into the post though and the hot tag brings in Otis for some jiggling. The Caterpillar looks to set up the Compactor but Ziggler makes the save with the Zig Zag. Otis gets sent into the post and it’s the Glorious DDT to Tucker to retain the titles at 11:10.

Rating: C-. Roode and Ziggler are the most run of the mill heel champions and I have a bad feeling that they are going to be champions for a long time. The tag division is deep enough to give them some good challengers but this is what we’re stuck with due to reasons of Ziggler.

It’s time for MizTV with Miz offering condolences to Rey and his family. He can’t imagine what it would be like to have something like that happen to his child. As for tonight, he has two legends for his guests. That would be Hulk Hogan (with Jimmy Hart) and Ric Flair, with Ric not seemingly happy with Hogan. Ric complains about hearing Real American for thirty years. Hogan: “WOO!” Miz: “We’ve been hearing those even longer!”

Hogan brings out his captain in the form of Seth Rollins, but Flair has his own captain in Randy Orton. Randy wants Seth’s undivided attention so can he please crawl out of Hogan’s a** for a second. Randy to Flair: “Can I get a WOO?” They’ll be picking their teams together over the next few weeks but for now, let’s have a captain’s match. Flair was all over the place here and seemed a bit out of it, or at least rambling with some off the cuff comments.

Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton

I think this is non-title….and here’s King Corbin to interrupt. The bell never rings as Corbin and Orton double team Seth, including a scepter shot. Rusev of all people saves and I smell a tag match. Actually we don’t as Rusev clears the ring and we seem to have a second member for each team.

We see Dominick leaving in the ambulance earlier and Rey goes with him. There WILL be a Universal Title match tonight.

Rusev is asked about Lana but won’t talk about his problems at home. As for tonight, he helped Rollins so Rollins can help him. He wants the title shot tonight.

AOP talks about bringing for the violence and pain.

Viking Raiders vs. OC

It’s a brawl to start with Ivar getting taken into the OC corner for the beating from Gallows. A kick to the face and an elbow get two and a rake to Ivar’s face makes it even worse. Ivar fights up and shoves Gallows away for the tag to Erik so house can be cleaned. Back with a belly to back neckbreaker dropping Erick and the chinlock going on.

That’s broken up in short order and it’s back to Ivar for the big comeback. The German suplex/springboard clothesline gets two on Anderson with Gallows making a fast save. Everything breaks down as Lawler talks about Gallows being ugly. Ivar’s suicide dive takes out Anderson and it’s a powerbomb into a frog splash from Ivar for the pin at 10:28.

Rating: C. Perfectly nice hard hitting match here as the Raiders continue their roll. There is no reason to keep them away from the titles much longer and I think WWE is starting to get the idea. They have now beaten the OC twice in a row so the title scene almost has to be coming up soon enough.

Charly Caruso updates us about Rey and Dominick, who won’t be back tonight. A lot of people are calling what Brock did criminal, but here’s Cesaro to say he’s just upset that he didn’t get to beat up Dominick. Ricochet comes in to call him out for his actions and a match is made.

Cesaro vs. Ricochet

Ricochet starts fast but his headscissors is countered without much effort. A crossbody is as well but Ricochet slips out of a powerslam and monkey flips Cesaro over the top. The big flip dive connects but Cesaro uppercuts him down back inside. The Neuralizer is blocked and Cesaro goes shoulder first into the post. A springboard flip hurricanrana is enough to give Ricochet the pin at 2:24.

It’s time for the Firefly Fun House. All of Bray’s friends are scared of something with Ramblin Rabbit actually being scared to death. Bray comes in and throws Rabbit away as everyone else talks about being scared of what happens when Seth fights the Fiend in the Cell. Even Bray is a little scared because the Cell is like a world without chocolate. Seth is going to be trapped in there with HIM, but don’t worry because HE will always protect the Fun House. He will come back no matter what, but Rollins might not be so fortunate. Bray is going to try and find Him so he can be nice to Rollins. Maniacal laughter ensues.

US Title: AJ Styles vs. Cedric Alexander

AJ is defending and goes right after him to start. A knee to the face puts AJ on the floor but he breaks up a suicide dive with a forearm to the face. Cedric avoids a charge to send AJ shoulder first into the post but a TKO over the top rope puts Alexander on the floor again. That means the slingshot forearm and we take a break. Back with Cedric getting two off of the springboard Downward Spiral.

A spinning elbow to the head looks to set up the Lumbar Check but AJ reverses into the reverse DDT for two more. Cedric nails the Michinoku Driver for another near fall but the Neuralizer is countered into a German suplex. A faceplant gives AJ his own two so Cedric is right back with another Lumbar Check attempt. This time it’s countered into the Styles Clash to retain the title at 9:45.

Rating: C-. They were botchier than usual here with some of the stuff not looking that crisp. I’m not sure what is next for either of them now, but Alexander would seem more likely to be in trouble. You can throw anyone at AJ because of the title, but what exactly is there for Cedric to do at the moment?

The Street Profits hype up their Tag Team Title shot on this week’s NXT, where they are coming for their belts. They talk about the Cell a bit with Ford freaking out over a mention of the Fiend’s name. See, if you mention his name three times, he appears. An old janitor told Ford about it, though Dawkins is more confused about Ford talking to a janitor.

Pay per view rundown….with no new matches announced. We’re less than six days away. A fourth match isn’t that much to ask for.

Natalya vs. Lacey Evans

Round three. Natalya slams her down to start and hits the basement dropkick but Lacey kicks the leg out. A head first swing into the steps has Natalya rocked and a swinging neckbreaker plants her again. The moonsault is broken up though as Natalya pulls her down by the leg and slaps away. The Sharpshooter doesn’t work for Natalya as Lacey kicks away and pokes her in the eye, setting up a rollup with tights for the pin at 4:00.

Rating: D+. And they’re done now. There wasn’t a need for a second of these matches and there is no need for a fourth. Lacey didn’t even win with the Sharpshooter to make things personal so I’m not sure what the point was in extending the feud. It’s good for Lacey to get a win, but it’s not like this was anything good in the first place.

Post match Lacey lays her out with the Woman’s Right.

John Cena is raising money for a veteran’s charity and until Veteran’s Day, he will match all donations up to $1 million.

We look at Lesnar destroying Rey and Dominick earlier.

Heyman says what Lesnar did was reckless and he apologizes to the Mysterio family. It’s really Vince McMahon’s fault though because he scheduled Brock for this show. There are a lot of wannabe tough guys in every sport and no one can do a thing about what Brock did tonight or what he’ll do on Friday. If you want to see history, watch on Friday when Lesnar becomes the new WWE Champion.

Maria Kanellis says Rusev isn’t the father of her baby because she has enough going on. She leaves and Sasha Banks comes in to say she can’t wait to make Becky suffer. Banks is one of two women to be in the Cell and no Man is winning her match.

A white limo arrives.

Raw World Title: Rusev vs. Seth Rollins

Rusev is challenging and gets a jobber entrance as Orton and Corbin are watching from the stage. Rollins tries to start fast but has to bail from the Accolade. The fall away slam starts working on the back as we take a break (with the Fiend appearing to say Let Me In). Back with Rollins fighting out of the bearhug and sending Rusev to the floor for the suicide dives. Rusev rolls through a high crossbody but Rollins rolls through his roll through for two.

Rusev kicks him in the head and gets two off a swinging release Rock Bottom. Rollins is back up with the Falcon Arrow for two but the Stomp misses. The springboard knee hits part of a superkick…..and here’s Bobby Lashley. He waves someone out though and here is…..Lana, as Rusev is crushed. Kissing ensues with Lana almost crawling on top of Lashley as Rusev just glares. There go the lights and the Fiend Mandible Claws Rollins in a no contest at 11:30.

Rating: D+. This was just a backdrop for the double angles and I’d rather they do that here than wasting what could have been a big match with Mysterio. Rusev not losing is a great sign and he has a feud set up instantly. I’m curious about the story behind the whole thing so at least they have something going on already.

Laughter ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. It was a VERY story heavy show this week, which is what it should have been. That’s a good sign as, again, the wrestling isn’t the point of a show like this. They did enough stuff to make me want to see where a lot of it is going, though Sunday is sacrificed for another night. I’m sure they’ll announce some matches during the week, but it’s not like this Sunday feels like anything important in the slightest. Tonight was good overall though and I want to see where things are going.

Results

Sasha Banks b. Alexa Bliss – Rollup

Robert Roode/Dolph Ziggler b. Heavy Machinery – Glorious DDT to Tucker

Viking Raiders b. OC – Frog splash to Gallows

Ricochet b. Cesaro – Springboard flip hurricanrana

AJ Styles b. Cedric Alexander – Styles Clash

Lacey Evans b. Natalya – Rollup with a handful of tights

Seth Rollins vs. Rusev went to a no contest when the Fiend interfered

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: September 16, 2019
Location: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young

It’s the night after Clash of Champions and thankfully that show is out of the way. Last night offered a grand total of nothing important as it was just a show that had to be done before we could get on to the Cell next month. The Fiend is already haunting Seth Rollins and the Universal Championship so expect the big push to begin tonight. Let’s get to it.

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

I was in the arena for this show, sitting in the middle section of seats and looking directly at the Titantron. The lower area of the hard camera side and all of the upper deck on the hard camera side were tarped off but the rest of the arena was mostly full.

Here’s Seth Rollins to get things going. There is a lot to unpack last night because he and Braun Strowman lost the Raw Tag Team Titles. It doesn’t matter whose fault it was though because the two of them faced off for the Universal Title later that night. Strowman is large and strong and last night he gave Rollins a heck of a fight. Four Stomps and a Pedigree later though, Rollins is still Universal Champion.

Then things got even worse because the Fiend knocked him out but ran away before Seth could do anything about it. Don’t worry though because Seth is getting his shot at the Fiend inside the Cell. Seth: “Yowie wowie indeed.” That sounds like summoning Bray though and it’s time for the Firefly Fun House. Bray says Seth is his future best friend but he has to cut off the pesky Ramblin Rabbit from telling us the truth. Anyway, Seth has done some bad things and the Fiend never forgets. Maybe he’ll even have something else to say to Seth tonight. Bray goes silent for a bit before laughing and saying he’ll see him in h***.

The graphics for what is coming later tonight are now upside down. Cole and Graves start talking but Renee asks if they have been upside down the entire time, bringing the whole thing to a grinding halt. I’d assume that was a Bray thing as the song is still playing, but either way it was quite the noticeable deal.

Braun Strowman says whoever is in the ring is going to get these hands.

Here are Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, followed by the Revival, for a Tag Team Champion Summit. Roode brags about how awesome they are but here is Strowman to run them over to a pretty big reaction, though he misses Dawson and Roode runs before Strowman can hit him. So we have four new champions who are being run over by a well known choker so the choker can be rebuilt again to set up future choking. There was no one else who could have gotten beaten up here? Or this couldn’t have happened later?

Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross brag about their win last night and are ready for Sasha Banks and Bayley tonight. It was interesting how Banks talked about how the titles didn’t matter after she lost them and Bayley is just pathetic. Words to toast to.

OC vs. Cedric Alexander/Viking Raiders

Cedric slugs away at AJ to start and kicks him in the face but the Michinoku Driver is escaped. Styles falls into the wrong corner though and it’s Erik coming in to scream in AJ’s face. Anderson comes in as well, so Erik slams Ivar onto him for two as it’s one sided so far. It’s off to Gallows instead so Erik hits him in the face, only to miss the running knees in the corner.

Erik gets sent to the floor and into the barricade, setting up a big boot to send us to a break. Back with Erik fighting out of a chinlock and handing it right back to Ivar to clean house. Everything breaks down and it’s a Neuralizer to Anderson but AJ tags himself in and hits the Phenomenal Forearm to finish Cedric at 8:25.

Rating: C-. That has to be it for Cedric going after Styles right? He’s lost twice in a row with one of them being a clean pin in a title match. I was thinking they might go somewhere with him but it seems that the legs have already been cut off. That’s quite the shame as Cedric has been great lately, but it’s not surprising to see a push cut off so soon.

Post match the beatdown is still on but Ivar hits a big flip dive to the floor to take a bunch of people down. Back in and Cedric crotches AJ on top and hammers away, only to have his super hurricanrana countered into a super Styles Clash to really hammer in the point.

R-Truth and Carmella were at the Women’s College Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville earlier today with R-Truth being confused by the big basketball on the roof. Cue Mayor Glenn Jacobs (named as such here) with Truth trying to figure out how tall the University of Tennessee women’s basketball players are. Truth thinks the Mayor is Magic Johnson or Larry Bird, but gets an offer of a tour of historic Knoxville. Now Truth thinks he’s talking to the President as Carmella just looks confused. I could go for more of this.

King of the Ring Finals: Baron Corbin vs. Chad Gable

We get the Big Match Intros and a quick mention of Don Muraco being the first king, which isn’t something referenced very often. Gable goes for the ankle to start but gets elbowed in the head for his efforts. A dropkick works a bit better for Gable as Corbin is knocked outside but he’s fine enough to backdrop a charging Gable into the timekeeper’s area.

Back from a break with Gable diving back in to beat the count (which he did two more times during the break). Corbin elbows him in the face a few times and we hit the required chinlock. That’s broken up so Corbin slides under the ropes for the big clothesline instead. A big boot drops Gable again as he can’t do much with the size and power. We hit the chinlock again as the announcers make every reference they can to various kings and royal courts to really hammer the point home.

Gable fights out and gets the ankle so Corbin hits him in the head to escape. Corbin’s charge hits the post (becoming WAY too popular of a spot) and the fans are getting into Gable here. The missile dropkick sets up some rolling Liger kicks in the corner but Corbin is right back with a pop up World’s Strongest Slam to put them both down. They head outside with Corbin sending him into the barricade over and over but a charge hits steps.

Gable wraps the leg around the post a few times and hammers away back inside. The leg is fine enough to hit a heck of a Deep Six for two, only to have Gable grab the rolling Chaos Theory for the same. End of Days is escaped and Gable gets the ankle lock again. The grapevine goes on but Corbin makes it over to the ropes and you can hear the energy getting sucked out of the arena. Gable goes back to the ankle but Corbin makes the rope and spins him into End of Days for the win at 19:42.

Rating: B. It’s amazing how much easier it is to put up with Corbin when he’s not appearing in ten segments a show. Corbin winning is far from shocking and maybe the King thing can go somewhere for him, though he is still walking a thin line. Just don’t overpush him like WWE always wants to do and he could be downright tolerable.

Corbin poses in front of the throne and limps off.

And now, a gender reveal party for Maria Kanellis’ unborn child, with various wrestlers holding up Team Boy and Team Girl signs. So it’s a boy, and the father happens to be Ricochet. Mike freaks out as Ricochet says it’s a lie and that he wouldn’t….ok not that he wouldn’t…..and Mike slaps him in the face. He’ll wait for Ricochet in the ring. Titus O’Neil tells Ricochet to go handle this and the Street Profits suggest a baby on a pole match. Dawkins: “How about a Maria on a pole match?” Ford: “Maria on the pole is how they got in this mess in the first place.”

Mike Kanellis vs. Ricochet

Kanellis is in street clothes and Ricochet doesn’t want to do this. Ricochet begs off and says this isn’t happening so Mike hits him in the face. Some weak stomping has Ricochet in trouble but he comes back with a shot of his own. A kick to the head in the corner sets up a springboard clothesline and the Recoil finishes Kanellis at 1:06.

We get another Firefly Fun House, with Bray adding names to his Wall Of Friendship, which includes painted over faces of Kurt Angle, Finn Balor, Mick Foley and others. He’s off to find a new friend.

Post break Mike is sitting on the apron as Maria comes out to yell at him some more. Obviously Ricochet isn’t the father but she’ll introduce him to the real father right now.

Mike Kanellis vs. Rusev

Nice to see Rusev again, mainly because of the chiseled physique and incredible mustache. Mike begs off and says he’s had a bad day and he’s just ok with all of this. Congratulations to the two of them, but Rusev isn’t letting him leave and beats the heck out of him before the bell. As Graves calls Mike a beta cuck, a jumping superkick and the Accolade end Mike at 34 seconds. Lana being salty over Rusev apparently cheating on her should be interesting.

R-Truth and Kane go to Neyland Stadium, home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team (BIG pop for that). Truth thinks the team is made up of volunteer Santas but we get a nice speech about all the people who make the city work. Actually a new officer has been sworn in is here, though Truth thinks he’s Robocop. Actually hang on though, as he wasn’t quite sworn in as a police officer. Instead, he’s a referee, so Truth tries to run and crashes into the goal post, meaning we have a new champion. Remember when Kane took the WWF Title from Steve Austin in 1998? Now he’s doing this.

Rey Mysterio vs. Cesaro

Before the match, Cesaro says that if Rey’s son Dominick doesn’t leave WWE, he’ll beat Dominick up like he’s about to beat up Rey. The fight is on in the aisle before the bell, followed by a bell and the uppercut from Cesaro. There’s an elbow for two as Cesaro is in red street shoes and what appears to be a lack of socks. A powerbomb out of the corner is broken up with a hurricanrana into the post but the suicide dive is countered with Cesaro’s uppercut. Rey is fine enough to hit a 619 to the back and we take a break.

Back with Cesaro grabbing a chinlock, followed by a slingshot hilo for two. The chinlock goes on again but Rey fights up with a crucifix bomb for the breather. A tornado DDT gives Rey two so Cesaro pulls him down into the Crossface. With that not working, the Radicalz treatment continues with Three Amigos. That’s fine with Rey, who hits a 619 and the Code Red for the pin at 11:48.

Rating: B-. This is where Cesaro shines, though unfortunately it is so often in defeat. At some point he needs to win something to keep his stock up a bit, though WWE doesn’t seem to agree. Mysterio’s retirement tour is worth seeing of course, as he is a true legend and can do whatever he wants on the way out. I’m not sure what they’re going to do with Dominick, but Mysterio has earned the right to do something special like that.

We get a short form Firefly Fun House with Bray adding Seth’s picture to the wall and not saying anything.

The Draft is coming on October 11/14.

Video on the AOP, who talk about how they came to WWE so they could fight. Instead they’ve been sat on the sidelines because no one is willing to fight them. Now, you might be wondering how this is significantly different than Aleister Black sitting in a room, asking for someone to fight him. The answer: there are two of them here.

Sasha Banks/Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross

Non-title and Cole is so disgusted with Sasha that he doesn’t even do the catchphrase anymore. Bayley and Bliss start things off with Bayley taking over to start, only to get hit in the face instead. Bliss gets up a boot in the corner and a sunset flip gets two. A flip dive off the apron takes both villains down but Bliss may have hurt her knee. Cross comes in and gets double Banks’ double knees in the corner.

More knees are blocked with a shot to the face but Bayley pulls Bliss off the apron. The knee is banged up again and here are some trainers to check on her. To be fair, it has been at least a month since Bliss had a knee injury. We take a break and come back with Bliss gone and Cross fighting out of a chinlock. Nikki shrugs off some double teaming in the corner and hammers away, including tying Banks in the ring skirt. Back in and Cross hits a tornado DDT on Bayley, setting up the hanging Purge for two as Banks makes the save. The Bank Statement makes Nikki tap at 12:14.

Rating: C+. This worked well in a way to make Cross look good, which is something that needed to happen. Bayley and Banks not losing is the right call as well, as both of them are still getting themselves established in their new roles. Good effort from everyone here and some smart booking to get them out of a sticky situation.

Post match the beatdown is still on until Becky Lynch comes out with a chair for the save. Banks and Bayley get their own chairs so it’s Charlotte making the save to take care of Bayley. The beatdown on Banks sends the villains leaving.

Post break, Banks wants a rematch with Becky at Hell in a Cell.

The limo arrives at the arena with R-Truth on top. That means a rollup to give him the title back, because that joke is still going. They come to a truce because they both work hard 24/7 to do their jobs.

Becky doesn’t just want to face Banks at Hell in a Cell, because it should be IN the Cell.

Lacey Evans vs. Dana Brooke

Well at least it isn’t Natalya again. Lacey isn’t wasting time and kicks her into the corner but gets driven into the corner. Dana hammers away and gets one off a suplex so Lacey sweeps the leg to take her down. A nasty slingshot dropkick to the face rocks Dana and it’s time for the armbar. Dana fights up for the comeback but walks into the Woman’s Right. She’s out cold but Lacey slaps on the Sharpshooter for the win at 3:12.

Rating: D. Dana was trying and looked good at times, but GOOD GRIEF why is Lacey vs. Natalya continuing? They’ve already split some matches and now we need to have them play mind games? The ending made me roll my eyes because I never need to see the two of them fight again and now we’re likely heading to some big showdown that no one but the two of them care about.

Seth Rollins vs. Robert Roode

Non-title and Dolph Ziggler is here with Roode. Feeling out process to start with Roode armdragging him into an armbar. That lasts as long as any average armbar and Roode hits him in the ribs to take over. Roode knocks him off the barricade so Ziggler can get in a cheap shot and we take a break.

Back with Roode still on the ribs before sending Seth outside. This time Ziggler’s interference is cut off with a superkick and the comeback is on. The springboard knee misses but so does Roode’s spinebuster. That means Rollins can hit a Falcon Arrow for two, followed by the Buckle Bomb. The Stomp looks to finish but Ziggler comes in for the DQ at 10:25.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here as Ziggler just won’t go away and kept popping in here, despite not being the most intriguing presence in the world. I can appreciate not having a new champion lose though, even if it’s to the World Champion. Just don’t let Ziggler and Roode (or at least Ziggler) around Rollins much longer and things should be fine.

Post break the OC comes in for the 5-1 beatdown but Kane (in full gear and mask) of all people makes the save to a huge pop. Chokeslams abound as I try to imagine masked Kane without hair. There is something amusing about the costume coming complete with a huge wig….and there go the lights. The Fiend is here and it’s a Mandible Claw to Kane. Fiend crawls over to Rollins and a minute long Firefly Fun House logo, with the colors changing, the graphic going upside down and the voice sounding rather evil, ends the show. Good ending, with the mind games and evil continuing.

Overall Rating: C-. I wasn’t sure about this one as it had a lot of things going on, though very few of them felt all that important. Rollins vs. Fiend should be interesting, but you can tell the attention is shifting more towards Smackdown as Raw is starting to feel a lot smaller. That should be the way things go once they get to FOX, but I would hope for some extra attention on Raw in the way of storylines, as a lot of the things on this show felt like they were just thrown out there to fill in the three hours. Not a terrible show, but it wasn’t exactly a show to get invested in.

Results

OC b. Cedric Alexander/Viking Raiders – Phenomenal Forearm to Alexander

Baron Corbin b. Chad Gable – End of Days

Ricochet b. Mike Kanellis – Recoil

Rusev b. Mike Kanellis – Accolade

Rey Mysterio b. Cesaro – Code Red

Sasha Banks/Bayley b. Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross – Bank Statement to Cross

Lacey Evans b. Dana Brooke – Sharpshooter

Seth Rollins b. Robert Roode via DQ when Dolph Ziggler interfered

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: September 9, 2019
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young

We’re in the World’s Most Famous Arena this week for the first of two shows. They’re also the last two shows before Clash of Champions, which is looking like quite the lame duck show given the Bray Wyatt match being all but confirmed for October. Oh and Steve Austin is here too. Let’s get to it.

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

We’re not wasting time this week as here’s Austin to open the show for some beer consuming. Before Austin gets to the point, we take a trip down memory lane and hear about some of his great moments in MSG, including Survivor Series vs. Bret Hart, the first Stunner to Vince and Summerslam vs. Undertaker, complete with Austin being knocked silly. With that out of the way, it’s time to get down to the contract signing between Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins.

Strowman comes out first and stares Austin down, drawing a heck of an AUSTIN chant. Strowman offers a handshake but Austin introduces Rollins instead, with some extra bass in his voice. Rollins wants to sign but first has to talk about how awesome it is to be in the Garden with Austin. See, Strowman thinks there is something going on here and Austin might have it in for him. Rollins isn’t sure if that’s the case or not but gets in on the WHATs for a bonus.

Austin says we need to sign the contract so Rollins says he’ll win on Sunday and then signs. Strowman says he respects Austin but a rattlesnake is still a rattlesnake. He won’t turn his back on Rollins because he loves being Tag Team Champions. He’ll love being Universal Champion more though and promises to give Rollins these hands. Strowman signs….and here’s the OC to interrupt.

Styles mocks a bunch of Austin catchphrases and threatens Steve a bit, with Styles not exactly buying it. AJ rips on New York a bit so Austin tells him to put some bass in his voice. The OC gets in the ring with AJ asking how Strowman got a title match so easily and calls Austin old. Austin moves the table and it’s Strowman and Rollins fighting the OC as Austin looks on. AJ dodges the Stomp and sends Rollins outside, only to turn into the Stunner to blow the roof off the place.

AJ Styles vs. Cedric Alexander

Non-title and Cedric starts fast as AJ is banged up. AJ gets sent into the barricade early on and Alexander’s anklescissors has him in more trouble. A pair of dropkicks gets two and the Neuralizer puts AJ on the floor for the big flip dive. Back in and AJ pulls on the bad arm to take over as we go to a break. We come back with Cedric fighting out of a chinlock and snapping off the Michinoku Driver for two. An enziguri from the apron looks to set up a springboard but Karl Anderson grabs Alexander for the DQ at 8:26.

Rating: C+. The match was entertaining while it lasted but what makes me happier here is how the booking. In theory this sets up Cedric for the US Title shot on Sunday but they did it without having him pin Styles. It’s another case where you can do this kind of thing and protect your champion, which WWE has been doing better lately (for the most part). I could go for more of Cedric vs. Styles, especially in Cedric’s hometown on Sunday.

Post match the beatdown is on but here are the Viking Raiders to go after the OC and lay out AJ.

Sasha Banks and Bayley are glad they’re back together because nothing is stronger than the two of them.

Conor’s Cure video.

Here’s Roman Reigns to talk about battling cancer last year and how he wanted to use his platform to bring awareness to the issues cancer patients face. That’s why he’s been going to a bunch of children’s hospitals and tonight, they’re getting to come out here in front of all of you. Five children come out in homemade wrestling gear, each with their own wrestling name. This is always cool and you can hear the sincerity in Reigns’ voice as he talks about it.

Video on Bayley’s heel turn and a good chunk of the women’s division being dragged into it.

Bayley/Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte/Becky Lynch

Charlotte and Becky are ticked about having to team with each other so they charge to the floor to start the fight in a hurry. Charlotte gets sent into the barricade and it’s Becky getting double teamed before the bell. Charlotte clears the ring with a chair and we take a break before the match starts. Back with the bell ringing (thank you) with Banks bailing instead of having to face Becky. That’s fine with Becky, who sends Bayley into the barricade and hands it off to Charlotte to keep up the beating.

Charlotte fights out of the corner in a hurry and hands it back to Becky for a jumping kick to the face. Banks comes back in and grabs a suplex for two on Becky. They don’t waste time on the hot tag though as Charlotte comes in and kicks Bayley off the apron. The neckbreaker gets two on Banks and the Figure Eight goes on. Becky tries the Disarm-Her on Bayley, who sends Becky into Charlotte for the save. The Meteora off the apron hits Charlotte and we take a break.

Back with Charlotte getting knocked into the corner but getting up a knee to stop a charging Bayley. The hot tag (the sequel) brings in Becky to clean house with the Bexploder to Sasha. Bayley can’t get the Bayley to Belly so Sasha hits the Backstabber instead. Charlotte big boots Sasha and Becky adds a double missile dropkick. The moonsault actually hits Bayley (though Charlotte almost landed in a pushup) but Banks breaks up the cover at two.

Becky gets the Disarm-Her on Banks on the floor with Bayley making the save. That means a baseball slide from Charlotte….but there is no one there so it was just an over enthusiastic dive to the floor. Bayley suplexes Becky into the barricade and German suplexes Charlotte on the floor before taking it back inside. The top rope elbow hits raised knees and Natural Selection pins Bayley at 17:27.

Rating: B. This was an energetic match and the crowd was hot for it throughout. You could tell they were fired up to have the Horsewomen in the same match and we had a good one here. It’s a tag match so the champ getting pinned isn’t the worst thing, though I’m hoping it means Bayley retains on Sunday as there is no need to put the title on Charlotte again just yet.

The OC isn’t happy with what happened but they run into Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler. Roode and Ziggler laugh it off but bring up having mutual enemies. They offer to join forces but want to know where the OC stands. Fists are bumped and we have an alliance for….whatever is planned for later.

Rey Mysterio vs. Gran Metalik

They exchange some quite wrist control to start so Metalik tries a headlock. The battle over a monkey flip ensues and Metalik starts flipping around and counters a hurricanrana. An anklescissors looks to set up the 619 but Metalik ducks and grabs a rollup for two. Metalik sends Rey hard to the floor and nails the step up flip dive.

Back in and a slingshot hilo gets two, followed by the required chinlock. Rey fights up in a hurry and headscissors Metalik into the middle buckle, setting up the top rope seated senton. Metalik hits his rope walk dropkick and a hurricanrana gets two. Code Red gives Rey two more and it’s the springboard frog splash to put Metalik away at 6:25.

Rating: C+. They were energized here and the match worked well as a result. The idea here was to show that Mysterio can still go, which is exactly what he did throughout the match. Metalik got to showcase himself as well and it made for a rather nice, albeit short, match, which is what they were looking for.

The Street Profits hype up the rest of the show, including a ten man tag later tonight. Oh and Angelo Dawkins seems to approve of Sasha with the blue hair.

Video on Erick Rowan destroying Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan on Smackdown.

King of the Ring Semifinals: Ricochet vs. Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin

The fans are VERY into Joe. Corbin gets sent outside to start and it’s a headscissors into a dropkick to put Joe outside as well. Back in and Corbin shoulders Ricochet down to some rather warm heat. That’s fine with Ricochet, who kicks Corbin in the face and hits the running shooting star press for two. A hurricanrana off the apron takes Corbin down as well and we take a break.

Back with everyone down and the fans going back and forth on Corbin. Ricochet goes outside to go after Ricochet and sends him face first into the post with a reverse powerbomb. Joe’s suicide elbow drops Corbin and a big boot gives him two with Ricochet making the save. A snap powerslam gives Joe two on Ricochet but the Tower of Doom is broken up.

Corbin turns Ricochet inside out with a clothesline but Joe kicks Corbin in the face for the three way knockdown. Back up and Corbin big boots Ricochet, followed by Deep Six for two with Joe making the save. The Koquina Clutch has Corbin in trouble on the floor, with Joe taking him down. Ricochet hits the shooting star off the apron onto both of them and everyone is down again. Back in and Ricochet has to flip out of the Clutch, setting up the Recoil to Joe. The 630 connects (with Ricochet leaving it a bit short and landing back first onto Joe’s stomach) but Corbin pulls Ricochet to the floor and steals the pin at 14:07.

Rating: B-. So our hopes are now down to Elias and a guy called Shorty G. I’m sure we’ll be getting King Corbin and then have to hear about him for the next several months, because why not try something again and again when it hasn’t worked well in the first place? The match was fast paced, but seeing Corbin win just sucked the life out of the whole thing, as it almost always does when Corbin is involved.

Lacey Evans vs. Natalya

Rematch from last week where Evans knocked Natalya cold. Evans powers her into the corner to start so Natalya hits a slap to the face and some right hands of her own. It’s already time to go after Evans’ leg with a weird leglock making it worse. That’s broken up so it’s an attempted Sharpshooter to send Lacey outside. This time Lacey gets in some shots to the face and wraps the ring skirt across her face.

Back in and a slingshot elbow gets two but the double jump moonsault only hits mat. The discus lariat is countered with a kick to the ribs though and Lacey sends her face first into the mat a few times. That means a napkin to wipe down the face so Natalya kicks her in the ribs. The Sharpshooter makes Lacey tap at 5:05.

Rating: C. Natalya? Winning clean on Raw? Over someone who main evented a pay per view earlier this year? Does WWE really see value in a Natalya vs. Lacey Evans feud? I know Evans has fallen a lot in recent weeks but come on. Anyway it was another energetic match as the Garden is bringing out the work in a lot of people tonight.

Before Raw went on the air, former New York Knick Enes Kanter won the 24/7 Title from R-Truth. He then revealed his Boston Celtic jersey, only to get rolled up to give Truth the title for the fifteenth time.

Clash of Champions rundown.

It’s time for the Firefly Fun House. Bray is speaking with a Spanish accent so here’s Ramblin Rabbit to say he’s experienced STRANGER DANGER. Wyatt thinks that might be Steve Austin, with the rest of the friends confirming the identity. That’s not something Bray is going to deal with because the Fiend took care of everyone else. Everyone keeps saying stranger danger so Bray shouts for QUIET.

You’re supposed to take turns talking in the Fun House, so Bray fixes Abby’s clock (stuck on 3:16) with a hammer. See, Austin is a rattlesnake and you can’t blame a rattlesnake for doing rattlesnake things. Strangers are just friends you haven’t made yet. Think of Strowman and Rollins tonight. They met the Viking Raiders and now they’re all friends. The problem is that friends won’t help you because the Fiend never forgets. See you in h***!

Cedric Alexander/Braun Strowman/Seth Rollins/Viking Raiders vs. OC/Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode

Rollins and Ziggler start things off because we can never see these two fight enough. A hiptoss into an armbar has Ziggler in trouble and Erik slams Ivar onto him. Everything breaks down for a wild fight and Strowman chokeslams the heck out of Ziggler. We take an early break and come back with Cedric in trouble in the corner. Cedric gets in a faceplant but AJ takes him down by the bad arm and brings Gallows in. The New York fans, getting AJ, the OC and more in the main event, respond with the Wave.

Roode comes back in to work on an armbar and slams the arm into the mat for two. Cedric fights up and knocks Roode down, allowing the hot tag off to Rollins. House is cleaned, including the springboard knee to Anderson for two. The parade of strikes to the face begins with Rollins superkicking Styles to the floor to clear the ring. It’s off to Strowman for the running shoulders around the ring. The running powerslam gets two on Anderson with Roode and Ziggler shoving Seth into the cover for the save.

Strowman isn’t happy with Rollins and we take a break. Back with Anderson spinebustering Rollins for two but Rollins grabs a Blockbuster for a breather. The buckle bomb to Ziggler allows the tag to Strowman and house is cleaned again. Strowman goes shoulder first into the post (it’s a tradition) and Erik comes in to beat people up and shout a lot. Ivar goes up top and hits the big flip dive onto the pile. That leaves Cedric to Lumbar Check Styles for the pin at 19:35.

Rating: C+. The ending makes sense and is a lot more acceptable than having the champ get pinned in a singles match. It was the big spectacle match to end the show with everyone in there at once so it’s hard to complain about what they went with for a main event. Sometimes it’s better to go with the big match instead of some singles match that we’ve seen before and that’s what they did here.

Post match here’s Austin again and a lot of beer is consumed to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This was one of the better shows they’ve done in a very long time with everyone working hard and the feel of the Garden making things seem that much better. The idea here was to make the show feel like it was a big deal and that was what we got. Now the problem is I doubt a lot of people actually watched the show because Monday Night Football premiered, but at least those who watched it had a good time. There was nothing bad and the show flew by with everyone working harder than usual. Very good show and the kind that you almost never get from Raw these days.

Results

Cedric Alexander b. AJ Styles via DQ when Karl Anderson interfered

Becky Lynch/Charlotte b. Bayley/Sasha Banks – Natural Selection to Bayley

Rey Mysterio b. Gran Metalik – Springboard frog splash

Baron Corbin b. Ricochet and Samoa Joe – 630 to Samoa Joe

Natalya b. Lacey Evans – Sharpshooter

Cedric Alexander/Braun Strowman/Seth Rollins/Viking Raiders b. OC/Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode – Lumbar Check to Styles

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: September 2, 2019
Location: Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young

The King of the Ring continues as we find out the final names on the Raw side. This time around it’s Ricochet vs. Samoa Joe and Baron Corbin vs. Cedric Alexander, meaning you should be able to guess where both matches are going. Other than that we’ll likely get some more build to Clash of Champions. Let’s get to it.

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

Here are Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins to open things up with a contract signing. Rollins knows they can work together to beat Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler but his intentions are to walk out of Clash as a double champ. Strowman says he’ll win but Rollins brings up slaying the beast to win the Universal Title, which is something Strowman doesn’t know about. At Clash, he’ll slay the monster.

Seth signs but here’s the OC to interrupt before Strowman can do the same. AJ explains the double title concept and asks who he’s going to face. He’ll just walk around showing off his title because that’s how you get a title shot around here. AJ wants to know why the Good Brothers aren’t getting their title shot and threatens to slap Cole’s teeth down his throat. Once inside, he rips up the contract that Strowman hadn’t signed, so the table is turned over and the fight is on.

Braun Strowman/Seth Rollins vs. OC

Non-title and joined in progress with Rollins kicking at Anderson before it’s off to Gallows for the power. Strowman comes in and kicks Gallows down without much trouble so it’s back to Anderson for an armbar on Rollins. Seth gets sent outside and into the barricade for a knockdown as we take a break.

Back with Rollins hitting an enziguri on Gallows and bringing Strowman in for the house cleaning. The running powerslam is broken up and everything breaks down, with AJ getting on the apron for a distraction. That’s broken up and Rolling grabs a rollup to finish Anderson at 11:43.

Rating: C-. Just a match here with the break in the middle breaking up the momentum. That being said, I’m much happier with the champs winning instead of having them lose so soon into their title reign. I know they’re not going to be long term champions or anything, but there is no need to have them lose here. For once WWE gets that and doesn’t have the champs lose, which is nice for a change.

Post match Strowman does the run around the ring shoulders but hits Rollins by mistake. Cue Roode and Ziggler to help with the beatdown as all five lay out Strowman and Rollins.

Post break the OC lays out Cedric Alexander before he can give an interview. Cedric seems to have a bad arm injury.

Dolph Ziggler/Bobby Roode vs. Curt Hawkins/Zack Ryder

Ziggler starts fast on Hawkins with Ryder getting knocked off the apron. Roode drops Hawkins ribs first across the top rope but an elbow to the face lets Ryder come in off the hot tag. Everything breaks down and it’s a superkick into the Glorious DDT to finish Hawkins at 4:01.

Rating: D. Just a squash for Roode and Ziggler, which is a fine way to do things. It’s nice to give them a chance to establish themselves a bit more as they have only teamed together once so far. It’s not like beating Hawkins and Ryder means much either way but it’s better than having a team go from debuting to the title match with nothing in between.

Natalya vs. Lacey Evans

Natalya jumps Lacey from behind during the entrances and takes her down to start. They head outside early on and a whip into the barricade has Natalya in trouble for a change. Back in and Lacey calls her a nasty before throwing on the chinlock. The double jump moonsault misses so Natalya hits a discus lariat for two. Lacey grabs a tissue and throws it at Natalya though, setting up the Woman’s Right for the pin at 5:11.

Rating: D. I get that Natalya was angry and emotional, but the cat ears took something away from the emotion they were going for. This felt like a way to get Evans back on track, which she certainly needs, though a win over Natalya isn’t meaning as much as it has before. Evans is a good heel, though she needs someone to feud against.

Here’s Becky Lynch to respond to Sasha Banks. Becky wants to know where Sasha is after she heard a bunch of reasons Sasha left after Wrestlemania last week. She remembers Sasha being a star in NXT while Becky was off to the side. Then Sasha and Charlotte came up to the main roster while Becky was trying to get TV time. Sasha even got bouquets of flowers after her matches. Then Sasha left after Wrestlemania and Bayley has done just fine without Sasha, which has to sting her a bit.

Sasha should be the center of attention, just like Becky is now. If Sasha wants to do this right now, come out here right now you little blue haired freak. Cue Sasha, who laughs off the idea of wanting to be Becky. Sasha: “Haha I wish Nia Jax broke my face so people cared about me!” Becky offers to fight right now but Banks laughs it off because she isn’t fighting for the people. She’ll do it for the paycheck at Clash of Champions. Becky accepts and Sasha promises to make the man the Boss’ b****. Banks is much better as a heel and already the best challenger Becky has had since she won the title.

The Street Profits aren’t sure what to think about that so they send it to commercial.

King of the Ring Quarterfinals: Cedric Alexander vs. Baron Corbin

Cedric’s arm is injured coming in and Corbin promises to win. Corbin starts fast with the slide under the ropes for the heavy clothesline but Cedric scores with a dropkick. The Neuralizer sends Corbin outside and a springboard clothesline gets two back inside. Corbin has had it with this and sends him arm first into the post twice in a row as we take a break. Back with driving elbows into the shoulder and cranking on the chinlock. Alexander fights up and hits a corner dropkick but the springboard Downward Spiral is countered into Deep Six for two.

Cedric gets back up and sends him shoulder first into the post four times in a row, followed by some hard kicks in the corner. The running flip dive to the floor hits Corbin again and a missile dropkick gets two (not bad as it barely connected). The Michinoku Driver is good for the same but another springboard is broken up. Corbin gets serious and finishes with End of Days at 14:30.

Rating: B-. Easily one of the better Corbin matches to date, though I have little faith in him to keep this up. At the same time though, it’s the problem of everything that he’s done over the last few months being a bit harder than that to shake off. Having him come back and win three or four matches doesn’t make up for the horrible last nine months, but I have a feeling WWE will see it differently.

Corbin sits on the throne again.

Long video on the attacks on Roman Reigns.

We look back at the opening segment.

Bayley has no comments on Sasha Banks. Yeah they’ve talked about what is happening lately and their conversations are personal. Banks left but Bayley stayed and took the opportunities. Tonight she is teaming with Becky so ask her a question about that. She isn’t worried about Becky overshadowing her tonight because she’s the Smackdown Women’s Champion.

Viking Raiders vs. ???/???

Before the match, the jobbers say they came all the way from Pittsburgh and are going to make the Raiders look like some Balti-morons. German suplex/springboard clothesline, crossbody against the barricade to another, Razor’s Edge toss sends one into the other and the Viking Experience is good for the pin at 1:24.

King of the Ring Quarterfinals: Samoa Joe vs. Ricochet

The winner faces Corbin next week. Before the match, Joe promises to make this his kingdom. Ricochet on the other hand talks about always redefining what is possible. Ricochet goes for the arm to start so Joe kicks away at the knee to take him down. The comeback out of the corner lets Ricochet get in some shots of his own but a sunset flip doesn’t work.

A low bridge to the floor does though and Ricochet’s moonsault off the barricade drops Joe again. Back in and Joe goes after the knee again by slamming it off the mat and putting on the half crab. Ricochet grabs a rope and is fine enough for two off a Lionsault (that’s a fast healing knee). Joe doesn’t like the lack of selling so he takes it outside for a suplex into the barricade.

We hit the neck crank before a toss across the ring has Ricochet in trouble. Back from the break with Ricochet fighting out of another chinlock and hitting the springboard clothesline. The running shooting star press gets two and Joe is sent outside for the Space Flying Tiger Drop. Back in and Ricochet goes up, meaning it’s the Koquina Clutch from Joe. Ricochet drops back for the big crash though….and it’s a double pin at 16:00.

Rating: C. The knee being fine after the break was a bit much but I’m more worried about where this is going. This sounds like a way to get Corbin to the finals while not having Ricochet lose and other than him, I don’t see anyone stopping Corbin in the whole thing. It’s going to be a long Clash if that’s where we’re going and I have a feeling it is.

The referee goes outside to get a headset and seems to call another referee for a ruling. That ruling….will come later so Ricochet beats up Joe a bit more.

Strowman isn’t happy that Steve Austin is back to moderate the next contract signing next week. Rollins laughs off the idea that he and Austin are in this against Strowman, so Strowman threatens to give Austin these hands.

It’s time for the Firefly Fun House with Bray saying that what the Fiend did to Finn Balor was super duper rude. He apologizes to Balor on behalf of everyone here but it’s Demon Vince popping in to say Bray shouldn’t have challenged the Universal Champion at Hell in a Cell. It’s almost time to be fired but Bray pulls out the money he has been making and feeds it to Vince.

That’s enough for Vince, leaving Bray to say Seth and Braun aren’t a great team but they stole something from him before. We see Bray’s team, which is all of his puppet friends. They help him cope with pain but the Fiend helps him inflict it. Bray: “See you in h***. Let me in. BYE!”

The official decision: a triple threat match next week with Corbin involved.

Rey Mysterio talks about Dominick convincing him not to retire. They had a father and son talk about what it means for Dominick to grow up in the WWE family. It’s a parent’s responsibility to push their children to pursue their dreams but Dominick is pushing him to pursue him. Rey isn’t done because he has more to accomplish.

The Miz vs. Cesaro

The running uppercut gives Cesaro two at the bell and another uppercut gets the same. Miz comes back with some YES Kicks, only to get uppercutted down again. To mix things up a bit, Cesaro uppercuts him off the top and busts out the apron superplex. We hit the armbar for a bit until Miz fights up with kicks in the corner. Swiss Death cuts Miz off for two more but his grab of the rope gets him caught. Miz slugs away but gets uppercutted again, only to come back with the Skull Crushing Finale for the pin at 5:05.

Rating: D. As much as Cesaro showed over in the UK, it was nothing but uppercuts here and that got a bit annoying. Can you blame him though? He has a rather good match over at NXT and comes here to put over Miz before another run at the Intercontinental Title in five minutes. I know someone had to take the loss, but can we find ANYONE other than Cesaro? The fans have long since caught on that he isn’t going to get a big win so the returns are going to diminish in a hurry.

Bayley/Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross

The Stunner over the ropes but Bliss cuts off the tag this time around. That’s not enough to cut the tag off three times though as it’s Becky comes in to clean house with MMA style strikes. A middle rope legdrop gives Becky two and she unloads on Bliss in the corner, only to have Banks come in for the DQ at 10:53.

Rating: D+. This was tag team formula stuff until the ending and I can give them a few extra points for not having a champion get pinned (they’ve been doing a bit better about that as of late). Banks vs. Lynch could be an interesting match and certainly feels bigger so the ending works well in that area.

Post match Banks grabs a chair but Bayley takes it away….and turns on Becky with chair shots of her own. The beating continues to end the show. Now that’s interesting as Bayley is more likely to retain over Charlotte while also throwing in a curve ball to Becky vs. Banks. Smart booking choice there, and it’s not like face Bayley was working anyway.

Overall Rating: C-. What an odd show with mostly bad wrestling, good creative and….Baron Corbin with the match of the night? Huh? Anyway, it’s nice to see the champions getting a focus for a change, though it’s kind of annoying that it takes the calendar to make them feel extra special. It’s quite the mixture of good and bad overall but there were a few too many instances of wondering when something was going to end to tilt it down just a bit. That being said, I’ll take them getting rid of the especially annoying stuff and replacing it with slightly uninteresting stuff so they’re moving in the right direction to an extent.

Results

Seth Rollins/Braun Strowman b. OC – Rollup to Anderson

Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode b. Curt Hawkins/Zack Ryder – Glorious DDT to Hawkins

Lacey Evans b. Natalya – Woman’s Right

Baron Corbin b. Cedric Alexander – End of Days

Viking Experience b. ???/??? – Viking Experience

Samoa Joe vs. Ricochet went to a double pin

The Miz b. Cesaro – Skull Crushing Finale

Bayley/Becky Lynch b. Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross via DQ when Sasha Banks interfered

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

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

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

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IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: August 19, 2019
Location: XCEL Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, Renee Young

It’s royalty night with the first round of the King of the Ring tournament kicking off. That means we should be in for some good wrestling, but it could also mean that we’re in for some annoying booking. This would also apply to the likely announcement of NXT moving to USA to fight off the combined forces of Marko Stunt, Orange Cassidy and Sonny Kiss. Let’s get to it.

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

Here’s Roman Reigns to open things up. After we see a long recap of the whole Whodunit story, here’s Dolph Ziggler before anything can be said.

Roman Reigns vs. Dolph Ziggler

Hang on though as Ziggler insists that he is NOT a Twitter warrior like the fans and is worried about what is happening to Reigns. Ziggler goes into a rant about how he was beaten up at Summerslam and even lost to Maryse’s husband last week. Now it should be him, and there’s a superkick to Reigns before the bell.

Reigns takes his time getting up for the bell but manages to knock Ziggler outside. The clothesline off the steps misses though and Ziggler hits the Zig Zag on the floor as we take a break. Back with Reigns backdropping him to the floor and hitting the apron kick. A big boot drops Ziggler again but Ziggler scores with the running DDT for two.

The Fameasser is countered into a powerbomb attempt with Ziggler slipping over the back and hitting the Zig Zag for two more. The superkick (with Cole calling it Sweet Chin Music) is blocked with a Superman Punch. Back up and the spear is countered into the Fameasser for two as it’s the friendly exchange of moves. Ziggler shouts about being better than Reigns and how Roman blew his chance. The Stinger Splash is cut off by the spear to end Ziggler at 10:55.

Rating: C+. Yeah fine. This was pure Ziggler and that’s why the interest wasn’t there. It’s the EXACT SAME THING that Ziggler always does to the completely nothing returns. I know he’s been around for a long time now but what does WWE see in Ziggler from a character standpoint? I don’t remember the last time he did anything different and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Video on Sasha Banks returning last week and attacking Natalya and Becky Lynch.

Becky talks about how everyone is coming for the title, including Banks, who just vanished for four months. It took Becky a few interviews to do what Banks never did: become the top dog in the division. Why did it take Becky to unleash the real Sasha? The real great ones don’t need to be provoked. This is a cat and mouse game and Becky is going to give Sasha something to go home and cry about.

Here’s Jerry Lawler in the ring for the King’s Court. Before he brings out Sasha Banks as his guest, he talks about the King of the Ring and how important it has been to some careers. We see the bracket, with Lawler picking Cedric Alexander and Ricochet on the Raw side….and there go the lights for Bray Wyatt. Lawler is smart enough to bail before the lights go out in full but the Fiend pops up behind Lawler on the stage. Cole: “TURN AROUND KING!” Yes so the Fiend can give him the Mandible Claw, which is exactly what happens.

Vic Joseph has replaced Lawler on commentary.

Ricochet/The Miz vs. Drew McIntyre/Baron Corbin

On the prospect of Baron being King, Renee says “for the love of God, someone please stop Baron Corbin.” Ricochet starts fast with a springboard crossbody to McIntyre as there is some weird red light in the ring. The fans are happy when it goes off as the villains are sent outside. Ricochet adds the big middle rope moonsault and we take a break. Back McIntyre throwing Miz with a suplex and cranking on the arm.

It’s off to Corbin, who is now in a black tank top, which looks at least somewhat less stupid. Corbin does the slide around the post for the clothesline to set up McIntyre’s spinebuster for two. Miz gets in a DDT and brings in Ricochet for the fast paced kicks. A rolling dropkick gets one on Corbin and the running shooting star gets two.

McIntyre is back in to throw people around but the Claymore is broken up. The Skull Crushing Finale hits McIntyre but Corbin chokeslams Miz. Another chokeslam to Ricochet is broken up so Corbin settles for two off the Deep Six instead. Miz pulls Ricochet out of the way of a charge in the corner though and the Recoil finishes Corbin at 10:20.

Rating: C-. Baron Corbin, who main evented pay per views earlier this year, has made his biggest impact by changing his shirt. What does that tell you about the level of interest this guy has? I have a bad feeling he’s going to go far in the tournament though and him winning it wouldn’t be out of the question. It would be out of the realm of something that makes fans happy, but that’s always the case with Corbin.

Booker T. joins us via Skype to talk about the Fiend being a monster. As for King of the Ring, he likes Drew McIntyre. There’s nothing significant to these interviews but they’re a nice little change of pace for two minutes a week.

US Title: AJ Styles vs. Braun Strowman

AJ is defending and has the rest of the OC with him. This is fallout from Strowman running in last week to save Seth Rollins from a beatdown last week. AJ slaps him in the face to start and tries a chop block, which has no effect. A chase to the floor doesn’t work well and it’s Strowman backdropping AJ. The OC is knocked off the apron but Strowman charges into a boot in the corner. The Phenomenal Forearm is knocked out of the air but the OC comes in for the DQ at 1:50.

Post match the beatdown is on but Rollins runs in for the save. With the OC cleaned out, Rollins shakes Strowman’s hand, but Strowman takes his time letting go. Eventually he does and nods at Rollins, who doesn’t look sure about this.

Post break Rollins comes up to Strowman in the back and says Strowman should be the next challenger. Strowman sounds intrigued but tonight, Rollins thinks they should become Raw Tag Team Champions. Strowman growls in what seems like an agreement.

King of the Ring First Round: Samoa Joe vs. Cesaro

Joe says that he’ll win and let his actions do the talking. Cesaro says the tournament plays to his strengths so the King of Swing can be the King of the Ring. Cesaro’s running uppercut gets two about five seconds in so Joe elbows him right back. The springboard spinning uppercut gives Cesaro two more but Joe sends him outside and over the barricade as we take a break.

Back with Joe knocking him down again and cranking on the neck. The backsplash misses though and Cesaro kicks him in the face. A suplex gives Cesaro two more and the high crossbody is good for the same. Joe knocks him out of the corner though and drops the backsplash. That just earns him an uppercut into a Crossface but Joe slips out and pulls him into the Koquina Clutch for the win at 10:11.

Rating: C-. Good, hard hitting match with Joe getting a not very surprising win. Cesaro is mainly in WWE to put people over these days so there is only so much that can be done to make him a convincing challenger. Joe winning the tournament isn’t out of the question as he is always a threat, which is a very valuable thing to have.

Cole talks about some matches coming up later and mentions the Wild Card Rule for the first time in probably a month.

Over the weekend, Drake Maverick tried to attack Elias in a recording studio and got beaten up.

Here’s Elias for a song. Hang on though as his microphone keeps messing up. With that out of the way, Elias says hang onto your loved ones because this is his farewell performance. He has too much going on, from the 24/7 Title to being King of the Ring that he doesn’t have time to perform. The guitar is out of tune though so he needs a replacement as the mic keeps messing up. The assistant gets in the ring and even Renee know what’s going on here. It’s R-Truth and a referee but the rollup only gets two. Truth gets smart by hitting the ax kick for two more but the big guitar shot misses. Elias bails and escapes for now.

Rey Mysterio talks about having a beautiful family and a wonderful career. He’s had the chance to meet people all over the world and considers them his friends. Things haven’t been clicking for him recently though and Andrade ripped his mask off. When he’s in the ring, he knows what he needs to do but his body isn’t responding to it.

His biggest fear though is that his injuries have caught up with him and he didn’t expect it to come so soon. It’s time for him to hang up the mask (big gasp for that) and let the new generation step in. Rey goes to unmask but his son Dominick stops him. With Rey crying, Dominick says he wants to be Rey’s partner. Rey says he’ll stay for Dominick. Good promo here, with Rey showing as much emotion as I’ve ever heard from him.

New Day vs. Revival

Non-title. Revival is wearing snake skin boots, courtesy of Randy Orton. Big E. shoulders Dawson in the corner to start and it’s off to Woods for a change. Everything breaks down early on and the Revival is clotheslined outside as we take an early break. Back with Big E. cleaning house and loading up the dive to the floor, only to have Orton run in for the RKO for the DQ at 6:20. Not enough shown to rate but the action was entertaining while it lasted.

Post match Kofi Kingston runs in to fight off all three of them but walks into the RKO. Woods gets back in but runs into a three man 3D. They’re not done yet though as Revival goes old school and crushes Woods’ knee, with Orton making Kofi watch.

Sasha Banks joins us from the back for an interview with Cole. Banks talks about how crazy of a week it has been for her and she would like to explain from the beginning. Last week she looked in the mirror and realized that blue is her color and now it’s all over social media. She looks good and feels even better. Cole: “No one is talking about your new hair.” When asked about attacking Becky and Natalya last week, Banks says you’re welcome and walks off. If that microphone offended her, it might be three months before we see Banks again.

Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross vs. Fire And Desire

Non-title. Sonya gets some early rollups for two each on Bliss to start and it’s off to Mandy, who cartwheels over Bliss and poses a bit. Mandy gets knocked outside with Bliss not looking happy with her. It’s back to Cross for a crossarm choke but Bliss comes back in very quickly, earning herself a knee to the face from Mandy. The hot (?) tag brings in Sonya for some strikes of her own and a spinebuster to Bliss. Cross is right back with the Purge for a very sudden pin at 4:20.

Rating: D+. That ending was out of nowhere and it seemed like they were told to go home in a hurry. Bliss and Cross are already doing more with the titles than either of the previous champions and while I wasn’t really looking forward to seeing the titles on TV more, this is a lot better than what we’ve seen before from them.

Rollins tries to talk strategy with Strowman, who keeps looking at the Universal Title. They argue over who should follow who’s lead.

King of the Ring First Round: Cedric Alexander vs. Sami Zayn

Cedric says he’s a man of action and it’s time to raise the Age of Alexander. Sami says he’s been losing for months now and it turns around tonight. Zayn is aggressive to start and kicks Alexander down for some early one counts. A backbreaker gives him some near falls and we hit the chinlock. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Zayn goes with a Michinoku Driver for another two. Alexander fights back up and hits the spinning elbow to the face, followed by the anklescissors. That means a suicide dive to the floor and the Neuralizer connects back inside. The Lumbar Check finishes Zayn clean at 3:38.

Rating: C-. I like the Alexander push though my goodness whose dog did Zayn kidnap and sell for Pop Tarts cereal? He’s not just losing a lot but he’s losing in fast matches. At least he did get some offense in here though and looked aggressive, but it seems that they might be leading somewhere with these losses. I hope so at least.

The Street Profits (minus the NXT Tag Team Titles) check their brackets. Ford is 2-0 but Dawkins’ is already busted. They preview the rest of the first round but Dawkins wonders why we can’t have a tag team King of the Ring tournament. Ford: “We’re already kings.” I mean, he is wearing a crown. They’re ready for the Tag Team Title match tonight when Seth Braulins can win the gold.

AJ Styles gives the OC a pep talk.

Natalya has just seen the WWE doctor again but needs to rant about Sasha for interrupting her last week. Cue Banks to jump Natalya again and send her into an anvil case. Banks: “Go to h*** Nattie. And tell your daddy I say hi.” That was a good line.

Tag Team Titles: Seth Rollins/Braun Strowman vs. OC

The OC is defending and has AJ with them. Strowman runs Gallows over to start and it’s off to the taped up Rollins to work on Gallows’ arm. Anderson comes in but a quick tag brings Gallows back in, meaning Rollins has to knee him to the floor. A running kick to the head puts Anderson outside as well but the numbers catch up with him.

That means Gallows gets to drop Rollins ribs first into the barricade a few times and we take an early break. Back with Anderson hitting a spinebuster on Rollins, but Anderson gets knocked off the top. That means the Blockbuster, but Rollins bangs up the ribs again. With the hot tag near, Gallows is smart enough to post Strowman and cut him off. Gallows comes back in as everything breaks down, with Rollins getting to clean house again.

A low bridge puts Gallows on the floor, leaving Anderson to take the Falcon Arrow for two. The numbers catch up with Rollins again as AJ crotches him on top but it’s Strowman back up to run over AJ and Gallows. Back in and Rollins rolls over for the hot tag to Strowman and it’s time to wreck things. Rollins cuts Styles off with the Stomp and Strowman hits the running powerslam on Anderson for the pin and the titles at 12:04.

Rating: B-. Good match here with a surprise ending and that’s not a bad thing. This seems to be the way to set up the Strowman vs. Rollins match next month so odds are we’ll be seeing the OC get the titles back pretty soon. It’s a booking trope that has been done for years and it’s going to work fine enough here.

Strowman and Rollins celebrate to end the show. There is NO announcement about NXT.

Overall Rating: C+. It was another acceptable show where it felt like things were happening. That’s what makes a show work so much better and the show never felt long. What mattered here was they’re setting things up for Clash of Champions and it feels like we’re seeing some fresh names getting a chance. For so long it was the same people over and over so that’s the best thing that could happen to the show. Good night here, and I’m curious to see where things are going for the first time in a long while.

Results

Roman Reigns b. Dolph Ziggler – Spear

The Miz/Ricochet b. Drew McIntyre/Baron Corbin – Recoil to Corbin

Braun Strowman b. AJ Styles via DQ when the OC interfered

Samoa Joe b. Cesaro – Koquina Clutch

New Day b. Revival via DQ when Randy Orton interrupted

Nikki Cross/Alexa Bliss b. Fire and Desire – Purge to Deville

Cedric Alexander b. Sami Zayn – Lumbar Check

Seth Rollins/Braun Strowman b. OC – Running powerslam to Anderson

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: May 2, 2019
Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
Commentators: Renee Young, Byron Saxton, David Otunga

Oh dear. Do we really have to do this one? After this week’s rather horrible Raw and Smackdown, I’m scared to see what we could be getting in the way of highlights. There aren’t many good things to look at and I have a bad feeling that WWE will want to focus on the less than thrilling stuff. Let’s get to it.

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

I was in the arena for this show so it’s my second time seeing the original matches.

Opening sequence.

Heath Slater vs. Mojo Rawley

Rawley now has paint around his eye, which I’m sure will lead him to nothing but success. The fans remind Mojo that he has kids and suggest that they want Ryder (this is the arena where Mojo turned on Ryder and the fans always remind him) as he hits a corner splash. Slater gets knocked outside and a running charge drives him into the barricade. Back in and the running right hand in the corner sets up the Alabama Slam to finish Slater at 2:44. Slater had no offense.

We look at Kevin Owens turning on New Day last week.

From Smackdown.

Michael Cole brings Kofi Kingston to the ring to start things off. We look at Kofi’s performance in the Elimination Chamber and the second gauntlet match. Kofi talks about how none of this happens without Big E. and Xavier Woods because they proved that the impossible is possible. Cole calls the win over Daniel Bryan maybe the greatest Wrestlemania moment ever (uh, hang on a second now) and we see a clip of the title win.

Kofi calls it the greatest moment of his life, next to the birth of his children and his wedding day. With that comes people gunning for him though, which leads us to a clip of Kevin Owens attacking him last week. Kofi agrees that he probably should have seen this coming but the New Day believes in letting people change if they want to. At the end of the day though, Kevin Owens is going to be Kevin Owens.

If Owens wanted a title shot, all he had to do is ask. Last week, Kevin said he was coming for the title so let him come, say at Money in the Bank. This brings out Owens, who says challenge accepted. Owens talks about how the moment from Wrestlemania is fleeting and everyone knows Kofi isn’t championship material. Cue Woods to jump Owens from behind but Owens superkicks him down, leaving Kofi to chase him off.

From later in the night.

It’s time for the Kevin Owens Show, but there is now no set with just a pair of chairs. Owens points out the lack of a set but it’s ok because he is the show. At Money in the Bank, he will take away the burden of being WWE Champion from Kofi Kingston because it belongs to him. That brings us to his guest, but there is no Xavier Woods.

Owens expected this to be the case, so he brings out a Xavier action figure. It was part of a pack though so there is also a Big E. figure, complete with a cast around his leg. Owens puts them in the chair and then kicks it over. He knows what is in their mind and heart….but here’s Kofi for the brawl. Kingston throws him over the announcers’ table but gets raked in the eyes, allowing Owens to bail to end the show. Good final segment with Kofi bringing out the fire again.

Cesaro vs. Cedric Alexander

Rematch from last week’s Raw. Cesaro runs him over for an early two and it’s off to a quickly broken chinlock. A slam cuts Cedric off and it’s a chinlock to keep him down. Some stomps to the head have Cedric in trouble until he comes back with some chops. Those just earn him an uppercut and another chinlock, followed by a big boot for two.

It’s time to crank on the arm, which seems a little out of place. Cedric fights up for his spinning elbow to the head but the Neuralizer is blocked with an elbow to the back. Cesaro doesn’t follow up fast enough though and gets caught by a middle rope dropkick. A whip into the corner sets up a rollup to give Cedric the pin at 5:05.

Rating: C. This didn’t have the time that it needed to go somewhere but there is a reason that my eyebrows went up when I heard the music playing. These two have some nice chemistry and the mixture of styles has made some good little matches. Cedric winning here is quite the shock, but at least he’s getting somewhere.

From Smackdown again.

Roman Reigns vs. B Team

Elias is on the floor. Reigns powers out of Dallas’ headlock but gets punched into the corner by Axel. Reigns fights out of the corner without much effort though and gets two off the Samoan drop. A quick Elias distraction lets Axel get in a clothesline though and we take a quick break.

Back with Reigns fighting out of a chinlock and hitting a clothesline on Dallas. Everything breaks down and a Samoan drop/DDT combination plants the B Team. The Superman Punch hits Axel for two with Elias pulling the regular referee out at two. Elias takes over as referee and the PerfectPlex gives Axel two of his own. The guitar is brought in but it’s a Superman Punch to Elias and a spear finishes Axel at 10:47.

Rating: D+. The match wasn’t exactly the most surprising result and that’s not the best way in the world to go when Elias isn’t going to be bought as a serious threat to Reigns at Money in the Bank anyway. Reigns overcoming the odds is fine, but if the odds don’t make him an underdog in the first place, what is he overcoming?

Tamina/Alicia Fox vs. IIconics

Non-title and this is the first time Main Event has had three matches in a very long time. On the way to the ring, the IIconics make fun of Kentucky and the Kentucky Derby. Oh and the Wildcats are terrible too. Billie and Peyton can’t decide who has to start with Tamina so it’s the alternating tags to make the decision.

Peyton gets shoved down so Billie tries a waistlock and gets thrown away with ease. It’s off to Alicia, who scores with dropkicks on both champs. A sunset flip out of the corner gets two on Peyton but she drops Fox and it’s time for the pose. Tamina comes back in for a running corner splash on Billie but Peyton breaks up the Samoan drop. The big boot sets up Peyton’s running knee for the pin at 3:56.

Rating: D. The IIconics are fun to watch but Tamina and Alicia? Someone thought that was a good idea? Like, we’re supposed to cheer for Tamina? I know this means nothing and it’s not likely to be a permanent change, but egads that’s a heck of a stretch. We get a third match for the first time in forever and it features Tamina? Really?

From Raw to wrap it up.

It’s time for the contract signing between AJ Styles and Seth Rollins. Michael Cole starts the questioning by asking what a win would mean to AJ. That’s an easy one because the win is the reason AJ came here. He spent two years on Smackdown and he’s very grateful, but now it’s time to come where the really crazy fans are.

AJ has heard about Seth for two years and knows he’s a good guy, but AJ wants the Universal Title. When you want something bad enough, you’ll do some unexpected things to get it. The fans aren’t sure what to make of that so AJ goes back to the compliments by saying Seth is a winner and a champion. But how many times has it been said that Seth will be the new AJ? Not very many that I can think of, but AJ thinks it makes sense because Seth is stronger, faster and younger. Fans: “SHAVE YOUR BACK!”

The reality though is Seth will never be the next AJ Styles. Seth didn’t want to be though, because he would rather be the first Seth Freaking Rollins. The compliments are appreciated but things are different on Raw. That’s Michael Cole instead of Tom Phillips and the ropes are red. If AJ wants to take the title, he needs to be better than phenomenal.

AJ asks about Seth’s health after being a workhorse for all those months. Fans: “BURN IT DOWN!” AJ knows they’ll burn it down and then he’ll build it back up. Seth doesn’t know how much trouble he’s in because the Shield isn’t around to help him anymore. Yeah he went through a lot at Wrestlemania, but Seth doesn’t have much left.

AJ is ready to go now though and at Money in the Bank, he’s biting like a pit bull and not letting go until he’s Universal Champion. Styles signs and Seth starts talking about their differences. It’s true that AJ likes to build things up but Seth likes to burn things down. There is one thing that separates them though: Seth beat Brock Lesnar. That seems to get to AJ as Seth signs.

AJ picks up the title and slowly hands it over so Seth can hold it up. Fans: “SHAVE HIS BACK!” AJ jumps him instead and the fight is on with Seth kicking him out to the floor. There’s the suicide dive and Seth poses again, but it’s a shot to the head into the Phenomenal Forearm through the table to end the show.

This took some time to get going because they don’t have any reason to hate each other, but some of those lines from Seth ran deep. AJ seems to be playing heel here, and while that might not go full blast or last permanently, it’s an interesting way to go here. It’s also something AJ knows how to do, so we should be in for some quality stuff if that’s where they’re going.

Overall Rating: D+. They were very, very smart to stay clear from Raw this week because the show was just that bad. That being said, I can go for having three matches here as it gets some people in the ring for a change, though that doesn’t always mean it’s a good idea. You could have dropped the first match for some more highlights, but in this case having fewer highlights was the right call. I’m indifferent to the new format, but egads they picked a good week to start rolling with it.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 16, 2019
Location: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s a new era for the show as both Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy have been moved up to the main roster, meaning we need some new names to step up around here. In theory that should be Tony Nese, but who can come up with him? Oney Lorcan seems to be a likely candidate too, which isn’t the worst idea in the world. Let’s get to it.

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

Tony Nese welcomes us to the show and talks about doing the impossible at Wrestlemania. Then he did it again two nights later when he won the rematch with Buddy Murphy. It’s time to look to the future though and that means he needs a new challenger. Maybe it’s Drew Gulak, Kalisto or Akira Tozawa. Or maybe someone new that he isn’t expecting. Either way, he’ll be ready and we’ll see who steps up tonight.

Opening sequence.

Drake Maverick is on commentary.

Gran Metalik vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Mike Kanellis vs. Ariya Daivari

Before the match, the Lucha House Party greets the fans in French for a nice touch. Daivari bails straight to the floor so Metalik and Tozawa go after Kanellis instead. With Kanellis on the floor as well, the good guys trade flips until Tozawa kicks Metalik to the floor. Daivari comes back in to break up the dive but here’s Metalik with a springboard missile dropkick.

A double high crossbody sets up the Octopus on Metalik with Kanellis and Daivari making the save. The villains set up the soon to be broken alliance with Kanellis throwing out suplexes. A spinebuster puts Metalik on the floor but Tozawa is right back up to hammer on Kanellis. The Samoan Driver gives Kanellis two as Daivari pulls him out for the save. Kanellis isn’t happy so Daivari powerbombs him on the floor.

Back in and Tozawa’s spinning kick to the head gets two on Daivari, leaving us with a showdown between Metalik and Tozawa. Metalik gets sent outside so Tozawa hits a Shining Wizard on Kanellis but gets taken down by Metalik, who gets frog splashed by Daivari for the near fall. Back up and a running hurricanrana from Metalik sends Daivari to the floor, followed by Tozawa’s dive onto everyone else.

Kanellis elbows his way out of Tozawa’s German suplex attempt so Tozawa hits his hard right hand. Now the German suplex can connect but Maria blocks the top rope backsplash. They fight on top until Tozawa knocks him down, only to have the backsplash hit knees. Metalik springboards back in with an elbow to Tozawa but Daivari steals the pin at 11:11.

Rating: C. If they’re really building towards Nese vs. Daivari, they’re dumber than I thought. That’s one of the least interesting matches I can imagine and they need something a lot better than that. Daivari is better than he used to be and that song has been in my head for two days, but egads man, be more interesting.

Oney Lorcan talks about how Cedric Alexander has led 205 Live for years. Tonight, Oney is taking his spot.

Cedric says his legacy is all that remains and he wants to be remembered for everything he put into 205 Live. Oney better put in everything he has.

Oney Lorcan vs. Cedric Alexander

Feeling out process to start with Oney’s attempt at an armbar getting him tripped down to the mat. The grappling goes to Cedric with a front facelock until Oney switches over to a headlock. Back up and Alexander flips forward for the anklescissors and a trio of dropkick puts Lorcan down for the first time.

An enziguri sends Lorcan outside but the suicide dive is sidestepped for a crash into the barricade. Lorcan hits some running clotheslines in the corner and it’s off to a waistlock. That’s finally broken up and Cedric hits a dropkick to the back of the head. The springboard Downward Spiral gets two, followed by the Michinoku Driver for the same as Cedric can’t believe the kickout.

Lorcan blocks the Lumbar Check and the Neuralizer is blocked with an elbow to the back. A powerbomb into a half crab stays on Cedric’s back but he makes the rope, as heroes tend to do. Lorcan gets knocked off the top for the running flip dive but he’s fine enough to uppercut the springboard clothesline out of the air. The chop off goes to the apron with Lorcan hitting the half and half on the apron. Another one back inside finishes Alexander at 18:15.

Rating: B. They did the right thing here by having Alexander lose, even if it was a fairly predictable result. Lorcan is one of the best things about this show anymore and there’s a chance that he could be a star on the show for a good while. The show needs some fresh talent and Lorcan is as good of an option as they have.

Post match Lorcan shakes his hand and leaves so Cedric can have the big sendoff to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. 205 Live is in a hard shift at the moment and they need to do something to make up for the lack of talent. The problem is I don’t see that coming anytime soon as the show is far from the highest priority to the company. If they build up some people so be it, but the show is going to be treated the same no matter what.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 9, 2019
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re past Wrestlemania and in this case that means we have a new Cruiserweight Champion in Tony Nese. I’m not sure how long he’s going to hold the title but you can imagine that Buddy Murphy is going to be coming for it, at least while he’s still on this show. Other than that it’s hard to say what we’ll be getting here, as 205 Live doesn’t always treat this show as anything special. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at Nese winning the title and a look back at everything he’s gone through to get here. Well done.

Opening sequence.

Tonight: Murphy gets his rematch.

Jack Gallagher vs. Humberto Carrillo

Drew Gulak joins commentary. Gallagher’s wristlock is countered into an armbar so Gallagher switches over to an ankle hold instead. They go into the exchange of monkey flips with Carrillo landing on his feet for a big smile. A neck snap across the top rope puts Carrillo down and Gallagher sends him head first into the corner for a bonus. Carrillo reverses a suplex into a small package for two but Gallagher knocks him right back down with ease.

Jack misses the running corner dropkick though and gets high crossbodied down. There’s a dropkick to send Gallagher outside for a running flip dive (Gulak: “Kid don’t learn.”). Back in and Carrillo hits a missile dropkick to the back of Gallagher’s head, followed by a handspring armdrag to pull Gallagher off the mat (that’s a new one). Carrillo heads up again but this time Gulak shoves him down for the DQ at 8:12.

Rating: C. Carrillo’s offense continues to look great, but at the same time you can only do this same high flying vs. evil mat wrestling story so many times before the impact goes away. It feels like something we’ve seen way too many times now. At least the match we got was good enough while it lasted, even if it’s designed to keep the story going.

Post match Gulak stays on Carrillo but Gallagher knocks Drew down for the save.

Murphy says he’s getting the title back tonight.

Nese says no he isn’t.

Oney Lorcan is in Drake Maverick’s office when Cedric Alexander interrupts. Cedric says the rematch better be next week and Drake confirms that it is. That’s fine with Lorcan, because Cedric told him that Oney was the future of the division. Next week, he’s getting rid of Alexander.

Cruiserweight Title: Buddy Murphy vs. Tony Nese

Nese is defending after winning the title two days earlier. They take turns shoving each other around until Murphy goes with a headlock for the most basic of advantages. That goes nowhere so Nese shoves him down and gets two off a knee lift. Another toss into the corner has Buddy holding his knee so the referee holds Nese back. And yes, it is in fact goldbricking as Nese gets sent into the post to put him in trouble.

Murphy throws him over the announcers’ table and a knee to the head gets two on the champ. After a suplex gets two, Nese fights back with left hands but gets backdropped out to the floor. One heck of a running flip dive takes Nese down again and it’s off to the chinlock. Nese drives him into the corner for the save and knocks Murphy off the top into the barricade for a heck of a crash. That means a running flip dive from Nese and some more trips into the barricade.

Back in and a super hurricanrana gives the champ two and the springboard moonsault with Murphy in the ropes is good for the same. A sitout pumphandle powerslam gets a third two but Murphy is right back with a superkick to catch Nese in the corner. That means a heck of a sitout powerbomb but the knee is countered into a suplex to send Murphy into the corner this time. They fight to the apron with Murphy hitting his own knee to the face, leaving Nese mostly dead.

Murphy goes for a powerbomb but has to break the count, allowing Nese to backdrop him onto the announcers’ table (which contains a pancake). That’s still not enough for a countout as Murphy slides back in and hits a powerbomb faceplant for two more. Murphy’s Law gets the same and Murphy is stunned, as he should be. A pair of knees to Nese’s face just fires him up enough to hit a reverse hurricanrana, setting up a pair of running knees to finish Murphy at 20:03.

Rating: B. This felt like the epic match that they were going for but more importantly, it feels like Murphy’s goodbye to the show. There is no reason for him to stick around here and with the Superstar Shakeup coming next week, it would make all the sense in the world to move him up here. Nese looked good here and can have these longer form matches, though I have no idea how they think he has the character stuff to back them up.

A bunch of replays wrap us up.

Overall Rating: B+. It wasn’t quite some blow away episode but the main event felt big and important, which is more than they usually offer most weeks. There will likely be some changes in next week’s Shakeup, mainly in the form of Murphy, though I wonder if anyone is going to be sent here, either from NXT or the main shows. They’re doing well at the moment though and that’s a nice way to wrap up the week.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: March 26, 2019
Location: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuiness, Vic Joseph

The tournament is over and that means there’s nothing left to do but build towards Tony Nese vs. Buddy Murphy for the Cruiserweight Title at Wrestlemania. There’s no way to write that up to make it sound exciting, and that’s the problem with the whole thing. It’s just not a very interesting title match, but who else was supposed to get the shot? That’s not a good sign but maybe they can make it better. Let’s get to it.

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

We recap last week’s tournament final with Nese defeating Cedric Alexander but getting attacked by Murphy to end the show.

Opening sequence.

The announcers, without a table, preview the title match and the rest of the show.

Lucha House Party vs. Drew Gulak/Humberto Carrillo/Jack Gallagher

Before the match, the House Party welcomes us to the show and says it’s Lucha Time, sounding like something out of Power Rangers (so it’s awesome). Metalik and Carrillo start things off and that means an early flip off. Carrillo works on the wrist but can’t do much as Metalik spins out. It’s another standoff with Metalik doing a slow motion lucha dance before, of course, more flipping.

Both guys backflip into another standoff so it’s off to Gulak and Gallagher, who are both sent outside. That means a bunch of flips from the House Party into a triple pose, much to Gulak’s annoyances. We settle down to the House Party working on Gulak’s arm, complete with Metalik diving off the top with a double stomp to said arm while holding Penelope the Pinata. I’m not sure what that changes but maybe it’s a cultural thing.

Kalisto comes in for the standing on Dorado’s shoulders splash as Gulak can’t get anything going. A distraction finally lets Gulak dropkick Dorado off the apron and Gallagher gets in a few cheap shots on the floor. Gallagher comes in legally for the first time with Gulak telling Carrillo to watch and learn. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Gulak comes back in for two off a clothesline. Gallagher gets rolled up but the kickout sends him over to the corner for the tag to Metalik.

That’s fine with Gallagher, who takes him down and unhooks part of the mask. Carrillo comes in and hits a springboard kick to the face and it’s back to Gulak for a knee to the face. The fast tags continue with Gallagher coming back in and taking a double handspring elbow from Metalik. The ice cold hot tag brings in Kalisto as the fans are just dead for this. A hurricanrana driver gets two on Carrillo and Gallagher and Gulak get backdropped to the floor.

That means a suicide dive from Kalisto and springboard moonsaults from Dorado and Metalik. Somehow a great spot like that only gets a minimal reaction as this just isn’t working for some reason. Carrillo kicks Kalisto down off the top and it’s a Tower of Doom to bring Kalisto, Gallagher and Gulak down. We hit the parade of strikes to the face, followed by Dorado’s shooting star press for two on Gulak. Carrillo kicks Kalisto down but Gulak calls off the moonsault. More “coaching” from Gulak lets Kalisto hit a quick Salida Del Sol for the pin at 15:29. Gallagher’s shocked face is a great touch.

Rating: B-. Rather nice match here, despite a weak crowd. Carrillo never felt like a fit with Gulak and Gallagher and it makes sense to have something like this happen in their first match together. They might get to Carrillo later, but for now it’s the logical way to go. The House Party continues to entertain, but how many times can they do the same trios match before it loses its magic?

Post match Gulak and Gallagher yell Carrillo, who isn’t happy.

Mike and Maria Kanellis aren’t relieved about the win over Akira Tozawa last week because Mike is that good. It wasn’t Maria that got the win anyway because Mike was the one who slammed Tozawa’s head into the mat and if you disagree, you’re just a hater. Drake Maverick comes in to say that they’ll have a rematch next week with Brian Kendrick in Tozawa’s corner.

Buddy Murphy is at the Performance Center and says Tony Nese forced his hand last week. Nese has always been behind him because Murphy is a cruiserweight hybrid. As Murphy keeps going, Nese appears in the window behind him and comes in for the brawl, with agents and wrestlers breaking it up. Good segment, which did nothing to fix the fact that it’s Tony Nese.

Cedric Alexander vs. Ariya Daivari

Hang on a minute as here’s Oney Lorcan to sit at ringside and watch. Cedric is distracted so Daivari takes him down and talks trash, showing the offensive strategy that has led him to such success around here. A headlock takeover works better for Cedric and he forearms Daivari in the face to keep him in trouble. Daivari is back with a hard clothesline for two and we hit the chinlock.

Back up and it’s too early for the Lumbar Check so Daivari kicks him in the head. The Million Dollar Dream is blocked and Alexander gets in his own enziguri. Alexander’s springboard Downward Spiral gets two, followed by a superkick for the same. Daivari knocks him down again though and hits the Persian Lion splash for a near fall of his own. A whip to the floor lets Alexander hit a big flip dive but he messes up Lorcan’s jacket. That’s too far for Oney, who yells at Alexander until Daivari rolls him up for the pin at 12:24.

Rating: C+. One of Daivari’s better matches but the important thing here is Oney Lorcan coming up to 205 Live. This show really needs some new talent and Lorcan is as good as any other option they realistically have at the moment. I’m not sure how good it’s going to be if Alexander keeps getting the focus, but at least it’s a fresh feud for a change.

Lorcan jumps Alexander from behind and a brawl breaks out to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Two good matches with a new talent added, though it’s still next to impossible to get fired up about Tony Nese, who really hasn’t done anything to make me cheer him. He won a match last week and really, that’s about it. There’s a very big difference between being a face and being attacked by a heel and WWE doesn’t seem to get the difference. What we got here was good, but I’m not thrilled with the upcoming title match.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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