Monday Night Raw
Date: August 16, 2010
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler

This was a request for reasons not quite clear. It’s night after Summerslam and the big story is John Cena and company vanquished the Nexus, in a match that saw Cena overcome some rather insane odds. Other than that, Sheamus is still Raw World Champion, having retained the title over Randy Orton. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Here is the Nexus to get things going, with commentary saying that the team showed they belong despite losing last night. Wade Barrett (the team’s leader) says they beat SIX of the best that Raw had to offer last night (keep in mind that it was a 7 on 7 tag match) and they are still ready to dominate WWE. They were defeated and that means there will be consequences for Raw.

Cue John Cena, to say that Barrett has the resolve of Winston Churchill and the toughness of Snooki from the Jersey Shore. Cena brings up how Barrett tapped out to cause the team to lose. The reality is that Nexus is expendable and Barrett must be kicking himself in the fish and chips over letting Daniel Bryan go. Then last night Bryan eliminated over half of the Nexus by himself as they proved that Nexus can be defeated.

You have the various members of the team, such as Otunga (an above average male escort), Tarver (looks like a stripper), Heath Slater (the chick from Wendy’s…..so Wendy), Darren Young (a cross between Cena and Buckwheat), Justin Gabriel (he has an “alternative” way of thinking) and Skip Sheffield (who thinks the Meow Mix theme).

All that matters is they are a bunch of humans, with Young tapping out in less than a minute. We get an email from the anonymous Raw General Manager (egads the flashbacks), saying tonight it’s Team WWE vs. Nexus in a bunch of singles matches, with threats made against Nexus interference.

Barrett doesn’t like hearing that he tapped out, but promises that after tonight, Nexus will be stronger than ever. If any of them lose though, their spots might not be safe. Otunga says that’s fine, but if Barrett loses, someone else can step up and take the leadership. We get another email, saying Nexus can pick their matchups tonight. Except for Barrett that is, because he gets to face Chris Jericho. So there’s your show tonight, and they did it in about fifteen minutes. That’s fairly fast for some Raw opening segments.

Chris Jericho vs. Wade Barrett

Jericho kicks him down to start as the rest of Nexus is shown watching in the back. There’s the triangle dropkick to send Barrett outside but he’s able to knock Jericho off the apron for a breather. There’s a big boot to drop Jericho again and we hit the double arm crank. Jericho fights up and hits a middle rope dropkick, followed by the bulldog. A quick Wasteland attempt is countered into the Walls, sending Barrett straight to the rope. Back up and Jericho boots him in the face again, only to get caught with an enziguri. The Codebreaker is loaded up but Barrett reverses into the Wasteland for the clean pin.

Rating: C+. Jericho can be criticized for a lot of things, but he has a reputation as someone who will put just about anyone over. That is a big win for Barrett, especially after last night’s big loss. Barrett being able to hang with someone at Jericho’s level helps him a lot and they had a good match to show what Barrett can do.

This week’s guest hosts are Jason Sudekis, Charlie Day and Justin Long. They have a new moving coming out and seemingly have no idea what to talk about here so they just make weird noises. We hear some NBA insults before the team introduces the Hart Dynasty (Tag Team Champions).

Hold on though as we get another email. As of tonight, the Unified Tag Team Titles will now be known as the WWE Tag Team Titles, so here is Bret Hart with the new (bronze, because of course) titles. Thankfully that means dropping the dumb four belts for two people idea but here is Nexus on the screen. They have picked Hart’s opponent for tonight: Justin Gable, who promises a 450 to Bret. At least those morons were off quick.

We hear about Daniel Bryan replacing the injured Great Khali on Team WWE. No clip for that?

Michael Tarver vs. Daniel Bryan

Bryan goes after the arm to start as Cole goes off about Bryan having no skill or change of becoming a star because he doesn’t eat meat. The rapid fire kicks to the chest in the corner have Tarver in more trouble and a missile dropkick makes it worse. Cue Miz and Alex Riley for a distraction though, allowing Tarver to get the fast rollup pin.

Post match Bryan goes after the Miz but Riley and Tarver take him down. The Skull Crushing Finale onto Miz’s Money In The Bank briefcase leaves Bryan laying.

Post break Miz and Riley talk about how they don’t like Bryan’s popularity, with Miz promising that Riley will be the next breakout star.

Darren Young tells Nexus that he’ll be facing John Cena. Pep talking ensues.

Justin Gabriel vs. Bret Hart

Actually hold on as we get an email saying there is a replacement.

Justin Gabriel vs. Randy Orton

Orton (in his weird bare arms phase) powers him into the corner to start but Gabriel flips over him and starts kicking away. As Lawler tries to figure out what kind of animal Gabriel is poking here (before finally remembering the whole VIPER thing), Orton snaps off the powerslam and the hanging DDT. The RKO is loaded up but cue Sheamus for….not a DQ as Orton brawls with him into the crowd for the countout instead. Well that was a dumb way out of the stipulation.

Post match Orton goes back inside to RKO Gabriel. With that not being enough, Orton grabs a chair and unloads on Sheamus to blow off some steam. That’s not enough so Orton drops Sheamus with the RKO on the floor for a bonus.

Skip Sheffield/David Otunga vs. R-Truth/John Morrison

Morrison works on Otunga’s arm to start before grabbing a Russian legsweep. It’s off to Sheffield to powerslam Truth but Otunga comes back in and gets Downward Spiraled. Cole asks what a Truth/Morrison win would mean for the locker room’s psyche. I’m thinking….not much? Anyway Morrison comes back in to pick up the pace but Sheffield runs him over. One heck of a running clothesline finishes Morrison to keep Nexus undefeated.

Melina/Eve Torres/Gail Kim vs. Jillian/Maryse/Alicia Fox

Gail easily takes Maryse down to start and calls her a gold digger. A crossbody gives Gail two and it’s off to Melina, who is taken into the wrong corner. Fox hits her always nice looking northern lights suplex and the chinlock goes on. That’s broken up and Eve comes in with a bunch of dropkicks. Everything breaks down and Eve hits an enziguri out of the corner to drop Jillian. The moonsault is loaded up but Jillian rolls her up out of the corner for the big upset pin.

Edge isn’t surprised that he led Team WWE to victory last night but here is Heath Slater to interrupt. They’re facing each other tonight and Heath tries to get him to back out. That’s not going to work for Edge, who isn’t losing to a Wendy looking Edge wannabe. Heath decks him and leaves.

Edge vs. Heath Slater

Edge knocks him into the corner without too much trouble to start but Heath gets in a cheap shot. They head outside with Edge being sent into the barricade, followed by the armbar back inside. That’s broken up and Edge makes the clothesline comeback for two. Heath gets in his own clothesline for two, with a fan shouting “I HATE YOU HEATH SLATER! I HATE YOU!” Back up and Edge sends him (Heath, not the fan) outside but misses the baseball slide dropkick. The spear against the steps misses….and Heath beats the count back inside for the pin.

Rating: C-. Well that was nothing, but it’s getting more than a little tough to accept that after eliminating all seven members last night, Team WWE can’t beat a single member of the Nexus here. That doesn’t makes the most sense and it’s leading to some rather screwy finishes. This didn’t feel like something Edge would ever fall for and it’s not something I would buy him doing, which doesn’t exactly make for a strong finish.

Post match Edge hits a spear to blow off some steam.

The hosts are in the back with Great Khali and talk about long distances relationships (which is why Khali hasn’t been doing the Kiss Cam). Justin Long sees a picture of Khali’s girlfriend and the other hosts aren’t impressed. They then find out that Khali understands English, but he admits the girlfriend is ugly. Then he leaves with the Bellas. Cole: “WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?”

Video on Summerslam week, including a bunch of charity stuff.

John Cena vs. Darren Young

No entrance for Young and that can’t be a good sign. Hold on though as cue Nexus to watch from the stage and Young gets two off a fast rollup to start. Young grabs a headlock and my goodness you can hear the spots being called despite a fairly rowdy crowd. Cena reverses into a headlock of his own but gets suplexed down, setting up a legdrop for two more. Cole: “Remember Young has to win this match.” Lawler: “I think Cena has to win this match.” Cole: “I agree with you.”

A clothesline and neckbreaker give Young two each and we hit the chinlock with a knee in the back. Back up and Cena….charges into an elbow in the corner as this has been one sided so far. Young drops a leg, Cena says “one more leg”, Young drops another leg. A northern lights suplex gets two more and Young is getting frustrated. With nothing else working, Young tosses him outside and then into the steps for a nine count. Back in and Cena quickly starts the comeback, setting up the Shuffle into the STFU for the tap.

Rating: C+. For someone who almost never got used on his own, Young can wrestle a decent match when he is given the chance. Granted having Cena call spots REALLY LOUDLY might have helped, but it was the best Young ever looked in WWE. At some point someone from Nexus had to lose and Young was the only one left by the end.

Post match the Nexus comes to the ring but let Cena go, instead circling Young. The big beatdown is on, with the Wasteland into the 450 splash destroying Young to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. Normally I like the idea of focusing on one thing throughout the show but this was extreme even by WWE standards. Other than the women’s match and some dumb stuff with the hosts, this was all about one storyline. Throw in Nexus dominating most of the show and this wasn’t exactly interesting, with Nexus dominating most of the show despite losing last night. Not a good show, as the Nexus story was instantly a lot lamer after the Summerslam loss. Focusing on a big story is fine, but you have to mix it up a bit.

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

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

AND

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

Dynamite
Date: August 23, 2023
Location: Gas South Arena, Duluth, Georgia
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

It’s Fyter Fest, which is also serving as the final Dynamite before Sunday’s All In. That means most of the pay per view is already set, but now the question becomes what more can be done this week. I’m curious to see if anything else is added, including the Blackpool Combat Club’s mystery partners. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

In Memory Of Terry Funk.

Elite vs. Bullet Club Gold

Jay White is here with the Club. It’s a brawl before the bell with Juice Robinson grabbing a chair. The referee takes it away so Robinson decks him as the fight continues. The bucks are taken out and White comes in to help with the beatdown. Konosuke Takeshita comes in to help lay out Omega but here is FTR to help the Bucks clear out the Club. That leaves Omega and Takeshita in the ring, with the threat of a One Winged Angel sending Takeshita running. No match of course.

MJF has a sitdown interview with Renee Paquette, who talks about how tight his trunks are going to be with 80,000 people chanting his name. MJF: “I’m like the British Bulldog if he was Jewish and a good public speaker.” If the fans chant for him, he’ll buy them all a pint! Renee: “Really?” MJF, in a whisper: “No of course not Renee. I’m going to get that mark Tony Khan to pay for it. We can edit that out right?” He is ready to show that he is the best when he wrestles twice at All In, but we move on to his relationship with Adam Cole.

We see a clip of the two of them and MJF says that he’s not trying to work us, but Cole has made him a better person. He understands why people don’t trust him and for once, he’s vulnerable. He’d like us to go with him, and he’s ready to be your scumbag. I still have no idea who is turning in this story (and it might not happen on Sunday) but dang it is going to be huge.

Jon Moxley vs. Rey Fenix

Fenix knocks him outside fast to start and there’s the suicide dive to drop Moxley again. Moxley is back up and rakes the eyes, setting up a stomp onto the floor to really rock him. Moxley sends the rocked Fenix into the barricade and the rocking level increases. Back in and Fenix misses a rope walk kick but hits a running elbow in the corner. One heck of a clothesline drops Fenix for two and we take a break.

We come back with Fenix fighting back but his rolling cutter is countered into a choke. Moxley takes it to the mat but Fenix flips out and hits the rolling cutter for two. Fenix hits a frog splash for two more but Moxley catches him on top. A super Death Rider gets two (of course), followed by the rear naked choke to finish Fenix at 13:45.

Rating: B-. There is something about Fenix’s matches that makes him feel like he is in a fight every time and it works very well. He’s a special talent and I could go for seeing more of him on his own. What I could really not go for is more of a middle rope version of a former World Champion’s finisher getting two and then going straight to the choke finish. Either don’t do the super Death Rider or don’t cover him after. It’s not that hard but for some reason, AEW insists on doing things like this far too often.

Post match the Blackpool Combat Club come in to go after Fenix with a crowbar. Eddie Kingston and Penta come out but cue the returning Santana and Ortiz to cut them off. Fenix gets crowbarred in the head (which the camera misses) and the villains leave. This would seem to be a way to make it 5-5 on Sunday instead as Fenix is stretchered out.

Post break Eddie Kingston won’t talk to Renee Paquette over what her husband just did. He’ll fix it in London.

Earlier today, the former Jericho Appreciation Society and Sammy Guevara argued over Chris Jericho’s loyalties.

It’s time for the contract signing between Chris Jericho (with Sammy Guevara) and Will Ospreay (with Don Callis) for All In. Callis can’t wait for Ospreay to destroy Jericho once and for all, with Ospreay talking about wanting to get money to put his kid through school. Ospreay says his contract is coming up and he is already better than everyone around here and Jericho’s legacy is just rocket fuel for his future.

Ospreay signs and Jericho, after taking his jacket off for some reason, talks about how he knew Ospreay would be great. We get references to the sheets and Dave Meltzer before Jericho talks about how important this match is going to be. Jericho takes credit for Ospreay not being in a wheelchair today so Ospreay gets in his face. The fight is on and they have to be held back to wrap it up.

Ospreay knocked it out of the park here and Jericho was good enough to make this a heck of a segment. The idea of trying to get Ospreay booed in London is idiotic, but dang I want to see the match more than I did coming in. Can we just get rid of Callis though? He’s really not needed in the whole thing.

We now get a sitdown interview with Adam Cole, who looks at a highlight package of his friendship with MJF. We also see some clips of Roderick Strong and the Kingdom having some issues with both of them, which has Cole on his feet yelling at her for causing problems. Cole snapped fast there.

Darby Allin/Nick Wayne vs. Mogul Embassy

Tornado tag. Wayne is sent outside fast to start and Fox hits the flip dive. The Embassy goes after Wayne’s mom in the front row but Allin is back up with a Coffin Drop onto the two of them on the floor. We take a break and come back with Wayne being suplexed on the floor before everyone heads back inside.

A neckbreaker gives Swerve two as Allin makes the save. Allin takes Swerve outside for a ram into various things, only to have a quick shot take him down. Back in and the double teaming plants Wayne, including a spinning fisherman’s suplex for two. Fox misses the 450 though and Wayne rolls him up for the pin at 9:51.

Rating: C+. Well ok then. That’s the kind of thing that I would not have expected coming in but for some reason here we are, with Wayne beating Fox here. That would seem to be the kind of thing you save for All Out (assuming AEW believes Wayne is PPV ready) but here we are instead, with one of All In’s matches suddenly being a lot less interesting.

Post match Allin and Wayne leave so Fox laughs and calls this disappointing. He blames Fox for the loss and has Prince Nana fire him. Cue Brian Cage to lay Fox out but Allin, Wayne and Sting make the save. Allin forgives Fox for everything and Allin asks Swerve who he has to replace Fox. Cue Christian Cage and Luchasaurus, with Christian reminding Wayne that his father, is in fact, dead. Well Christian had never heard of Wayne’s father so he must not have been a very good wrestler. Christian likes the idea of being a mentor to wrestlers with dead fathers so maybe Wayne will listen to him one day.

This might have been the most confusing segment I’ve seen in AEW. Why did Allin think that someone other than Brian Cage was the new partner? Why wasn’t Cage the new partner? Why would Christian accept a spot in this match? Why have Fox in the match in the first place if it’s going to be changed a week or two later? This felt like a way too complicated

We get a sitdown interview with FTR and the Young Bucks. The Bucks think FTR need to win this match more than them, while FTR talk about legacies again. The Bucks cut them off and say they’re the reason FTR is here in the first place. One day, when this is all said and done, the Bucks hope FTR will “give them their flowers”, but FTR seems more interested in fighting.

The Outcasts are ready for a tag match on Rampage.

Ruby Soho vs. Skye Blue

Soho jumps her fast to start and takes things into the corner. Blue fights up and sends her to the floor for a crossbody off the apron. We take a break and come back with Soho fighting out of Skyfall but not being able to hit a Saito suplex. Blue hits a neckbreaker and they go into a pinfall reversal sequence. A quick Skyfall gives Blue two but she can’t hit Code Blue. Instead it’s a No Future into Destination Unknown to finish Blue at 7:28.

Rating: C-. This would be your weekly women’s match with a break in the middle so we missed most of the thing. Soho seems primed to go after the TBS Title and that’s a good spot for her at the moment. That being said, this wasn’t exactly a great match, as Blue continues to be ok at best in the ring. They were doing some stuff that seemed beyond her here and her lack of polish was showing more than once.

Roderick Strong and the Kingdom will be watching.

The House Of Black talk about getting rid of Billy Gunn.

Here is a rather serious Acclaimed to call out the House Of Black. The fight is on but cue the returning Billy Gunn for the save. Gunn talks about how the House has taken everything from him and his family, so now the challenge is on for a match at All In. Billy even promises the REAL Bad A** is coming.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Aussie Open vs. Hardys

The Aussies are defending and it’s a brawl to start with the champs being sent into the corner. The Hardys send them outside and keep up the beating as we take an early break. Back with Jeff in trouble but Jeff fights up and hits a Whisper in the Wind. The tag brings in Matt to clean house as everything breaks down. Matt superplexes Fletcher into a middle rope splash for two, with Davis making the save. Back up and the Aussie Arrow finishes Jeff at 8:01. Well that was abrupt.

Rating: C. The Hardys are feeling less and less special out there every time and they lost again here, even in a title match. Why did they even get a title match anyway? They lost to the Young Bucks a few weeks ago and here’s a title shot. Anyway, not much to see here, but at least the Aussies got a win before their big match on Sunday.

Post match the Aussies promise to keep the titles but here are MJF and Adam Cole to interrupt. The Aussies beat them down but Cole and MJF fight back, only to have the Kangaroo Kick blocked. Cole’s superkick almost hits MJF, who catches it coming in and glares at Cole with a different look on his face. MJF walks past him and loads up the diamond ring but hugs Cole instead to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show that was NOT about the wrestling and there is nothing wrong with that. AEW is four days away from the biggest show they are probably ever going to run and this Dynamite was about getting things ready. It was a heck of a show when it came to getting ready for All In and that was entirely the point. Heck of a show here in that regard and that’s what it needed to be.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Rey Fenix – Rear naked choke
Darby Allin/Nick Wayne b. Mogul Embassy – Rollup to Fox
Ruby Soho b. Skye Blue – Destination Unknown
Aussie Open b. Hardys – Aussie Arrow to Jeff

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

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

AND

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

Dynamite
Date: August 16, 2023
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

It’s another special show with Fight For The Fallen, with proceeds going towards a Hawaii food bank helping with the fallout from the wildfires. There’s not a thing wrong with that and it’s great that AEW is doing something. Other than that, we are eleven days away from All In and we might get some more announcements for the show tonight. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Wheeler Yuta

Cassidy is defending against his former student. Feeling out process to start and they slug it out with neither getting very far. They trade belly to back suplexes and then kick each other down. Cassidy is sent to the floor and gets taken down with a dive but he reverses a suplex into one of his own. Yuta piledrives him on the ram and Cassidy rolls back towards the ring. Back in and a quick Beach Break gives Cassidy two as we take a break.

We come back with Yuta working on the hand but he has to catch Cassidy on top. The top rope superplex sends Cassidy crashing back down and a top rope splash gives Yuta two more. Cassidy is back up with a Michinoku Driver into a PK but here is the rest of the Blackpool Combat Club to offer a distraction. A fake out lets Cassidy hit his own double arm Paradigm Shift, setting up the Orange Punch. Cassidy can’t cover so Yuta gets the Seatbelt for two, only to have Cassidy roll him up for the pin at 11:50.

Rating: C+. This was in fact an Orange Cassidy match, and that has been the case for a long time now. Cassidy is all banged up and injured but manages to do all of his stuff and win in the end. Yuta wasn’t feeling like much of a threat to the title in the first place, but it then went with as “we’ve seen this already” ending it could have had.

Post match the beatdown is on but the Best Friends, and then the Lucha Bros, make the save. The Club grab chairs but Eddie Kingston is back to go after Claudio Castagnoli. That’s enough for the Club to run off, leaving Kingston to issue a challenge for Wembley Stadium in a Stadium Stampede match.

We get a sitdown interview with Jim Ross talking to Kenny Omega. It turns out that Don Callis was friends with Omega’s uncle and helped him get whatever he wanted…and here is Callis for a distraction. Bullet Club Gold and Konosuke Takeshita jump Omega from behind and the big beatdown is on. That should set up another pay per view match, though hopefully JR can get some sleep before then. He looked incredibly rough here.

Omega was taken to a hospital, where Hangman Page was waiting. Page wants to finish this at All In, though here is a security guard to tell Page he can’t drink a beer here. That’s fine with Page, who downs it.

Here is Don Callis, with another painting under a blanket, to get Chris Jericho’s answer. Cue Jericho to give his answer, and while he’s the one who starts factions…..he’ll join the Don Callis family! Callis is stunned and happy so let’s go celebrate. Jericho wants to see the picture though, with Callis getting nervous. The blanket comes off, and it’s a painting of Callis holding Jericho’s decapitated head.

Callis backpedals really fast and tries to talk his way out of it but Jericho says just tell him the truth. It’s true that Callis didn’t expect Jericho to say yes….because of his massive ego. Callis goes on a rant about how Jericho has the biggest ego ever but Jericho says Callis is a nobody who wasn’t in wrestling a few years ago. Callis slaps him and here is Konosuke Takeshita to go after Jericho. Cue Will Ospreay to jump Jericho as well and the big beatdown is on, with Jericho being busted open. The painting is broken over Jericho’s head but here is Sammy Guevara with a baseball bad for the save.

Jack Perry is going to retire the FTW Title next week.

Gates Of Agony vs. Darby Allin/Nick Wayne

The Gates jump them from behind to start fast and the beatdown is on outside. We take an early break and come back with Allin getting the hot tag to roll Kaun up for two as the Mogul Embassy is watching from the ramp. Everything breaks down and Wayne takes Kaun down before diving onto Toa at ringside. Allin adds the Coffin Drop to finish Kaun at 6:26.

Rating: C. So after the Gates start winning some matches, they go right back down here to Allin and Wayne, who aren’t the most experienced team. Allin winning a match is fine enough but it’s another match that runs about six minutes and has a break in the middle. I’m sure it’s a television deal, but my goodness it gets old fast.

Post match Sting pops up on screen to say we’re coming up on the biggest show in AEW history. It seems that he has kidnapped Prince Nana and says it’s showtime as the Embassy goes to the back. Sting screams at Nana and he runs off. This was wacky Sting and that’s a great thing.

Adam Cole and MJF go to Outback Steakhouse to plan for Aussie Open. After eating, MJF knows they’re done because that was the best food he’s ever had so how can they beat an Aussie team? Later, at the arena, Cole has a DVD of Crocodile Dundee 1 and 2. MJF has a better idea: kangaroo fighting style! Cole isn’t convinced, so they put on Australian hats (and accents, ala Steve Irwin) and double clothesline a guy holding an inflatable crocodile.

Then Tony Khan summons them into his office (Thunder Rosa not included) and yells about hitting double clotheslines backstage. Leave it to the ring. The team leaves and MJF says Khan will regret that come contract time. Khan comes out and yells some more, but MJF is suddenly cool with him. Was that TK “responding” to people who say he doesn’t have a backbone after the Punk ordeals? Either way, this whole thing was hilarious. Again. They absolutely have something great with these two and I want to see a lot more.

MJF and Cole arrive in MJF’s car and head inside, leaving Roderick Strong to limp up and kick the tire, hurting himself in the process of course.

Here are MJF and Cole for a chat. They’re ready for All In but first they have to win the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles. MJF: “WITH THE KANGAROO KICK!” Cole talks about how important the World Title match will be, because it’s all about solidifying his legacy here in AEW. Not just by being in it, but by winning it. MJF doesn’t buy it and has a story of his own.

When he first got into the wrestling world, he was told to write down his dream opponents. He wrote down Cody Rhodes and Adam Cole. Then he had been working so hard to get ahead on the independent circuit, when he heard about a special show called All In. He messaged Cody Rhodes and somehow got a spot in the opening match, despite having no business being on.

It was enough to get him a contract with AEW, so without All In, there wouldn’t be an MJF. He has worked his way to the top and now he is going to be facing his best friend in the biggest show ever. Now all that matters is the World Title, because he has given everything to earn it. He’ll win because no one is on his level, so Cole says may the best man win. MJF says he will, because he’s better than Cole, even if Cole disagrees.

Cue Aussie Open to jump them from being before quickly being dispatched. Cole teases a superkick to MJF but then stands up…with MJF having seen him crouched. They hug anyway. This was a really good segment and did a lot to make the title match feel a heck of a lot more important.

Chris Jericho is getting cleaned up before saying this match with Will Ospreay (which is apparently happening) has been ready since 2021 and would have happened without the pandemic. Ospreay doesn’t know what he’s getting into because the Ocho is coming for him. So the British fans are supposed to book the incredibly athletic British wrestler in front of the biggest crowd in British wrestling history. Got it.

Jeff Hardy vs. Jeff Jarrett

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Death Match (tie-in with a video game release) and you can only win by pinfall. Hardy goes through the crowd and into the back to start, where Satnam Jarrett and Satnam Singh (I believe dressed like someone from the movie) jumps him. Ethan Page, Brother Zay and Matt Hardy make the save and pour something on Jarrett (Jeff and Karen). The two of them stagger through a dimly lit hallway as we take a break.

Back with the fight still going on in the back with Jeff Hardy diving onto the Jarretts and company. They fight into the arena (with about ten people involved) and Jeff Hardy Swantons him through a table for two with Jay Lethal making the save. The guitar is taken away from Jarrett and cracked over his head but cue Leatherface with a chainsaw. Singh can’t chokebomb Jeff Hardy but Lethal is back in with a hammer to Jeff Hardy’s head. The chokeslam lets Jarrett get the pin at 9:56.

Rating: D+. I don’t even begin to know where to go on this, but at the end of the day, I can accept that AEW was given a big check to do something with the game and this is the best they could do. Fair enough and the match was certainly memorable, even if it was for the bad reasons. That being said, Jarrett winning here is uh, a bit strange I would say.

And yes, Jarrett does get a special belt for winning.

Women’s Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Britt Baker vs. The Bunny

The winner is in the Women’s Title match at All In. Baker grabs a rollup to start but it’s too early for the Lockjaw. Instead Baker misses a stomp, allowing Bunny to miss Down The Rabbit Hole. Bunny sends her into the Corner and we take a break. Back with Baker hitting a Sling Blade and getting two off a rollup. That’s enough for Baker, who hits the Stomp for the pin at 7:36.

Rating: C-. Baker is getting weaker and weaker week to week and there isn’t much of a way to hide it anymore. It didn’t help that there was almost no reason to believe Bunny had a chance in this, especially after just coming back from an injury. Not a good match here, but at least they went with the only logical option.

All In rundown.

Acclaimed vs. ???/???

Hold on though as the lights go out before the bell and come up to reveal the House Of Black. The big beatdown is on and Caster is left busted open. The House walks off with Billy Gunn’s boots. No match.

The Gunns vs. Young Bucks

The Bucks jump them during the entrance and the fight heads down to the ring for the opening bell. A double dropkick sends the Gunns to the floor for the dives but the Gunns take over on Matt. Back in and a knee lift into a lariat gives Austin two and we take a break. We come back Matt getting hit with a dropkick for two but managing to roll over both of them for the hot tag.

Nick hits the slingshot X Factor and the apron moonsault. An assisted standing Sliced Bread drops Austin but the BTE Trigger is broken up. 3:10 To Yuma connects but Nick dives in with a top rope double stomp for the save. The Gunns try an assisted rollup but the Bucks break it up and use one of their own to pin Colten at 9:25.

Rating: C+. The Bucks did their high flying and get a win to give them some momentum on the way to the FTR match. That’s all you really need for them to do here but at least the Gunns are starting to figure out their thing. They’re a midcard heel team and work well together, which is a valuable role to fill.

Post match Bullet Club Gold runs in to help with the beatdown on the Bucks but FTR make the save. FTR teases taking out the Bucks but don’t do it to end the show (worked better when Cole and MJF did it earlier tonight).

Overall Rating: B-. This was a weird show for AEW as the wrestling was decent to mostly not that good for the most part. Instead, this was FAR more about the storyline stuff and building up the matches for All In and beyond. That is something AEW needed and the parts that worked here were very, very good. There were some weak parts to go with it though, and that dragged some of the positives back down. Overall, All In got a heck of a build here and while not all of it was great, it’s what the show was needing.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. Wheeler Yuta – Rollup
Darby Allin/Nick Wayne b. Gates of Agony – Coffin Drop to Kaun
Jeff Jarrett b. Jeff Hardy – Chokeslam from Satnam Singh
Britt Baker b. The Bunny – Stomp
Young Bucks b. The Gunns – Assisted rollup to Colten

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

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

AND

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

Dynamite
Date: August 9, 2023
Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We are less than three weeks away from All in and the show is starting to come together. The World Title match is now set and there are a few other matches that are all but official. Those matches should make for a nice foundation, but there are more matches that need to be added. Throw in All Out a week later and there is a lot of work to be done. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is the Jericho Appreciation Society, minus Chris Jericho, for a special meeting. Jericho is called to the ring and tries to calm things down. Daniel Garcia cuts him off and rants about how Jericho will never pick them. Garcia has done everything for him but he can’t do this so he’s out. Jake Hager says he’s known Jericho longer than any of them and while he liked his hat, he does NOT appreciate Jericho, so he’s out too. Tay Melo is feeling sick but it’s not because of the baby. She’ll be back in a year to be a champion without Jericho because she quits.

Anna Jay quits because Jericho is selfish and Angelo Parker talks about how he has given everything to Jericho, with nothing left to give. They’re both out, leaving Matt Menard and Sammy Guevara. Menard talks about using his first check to buy a Chris Jericho shirt. Then when his wife was 8 months pregnant and he didn’t have a job, Jericho heard his story and brought him underneath his wing. Menard gets why people he looked up to hate Jericho though and walks out. Guevara says he isn’t quitting, but once Jericho figures this out, maybe he’ll be around. Jericho has nothing to say and that’s the segment.

Post break Don Callis comes up to a distraught Jericho and says he’s sorry if he caused any of that. Jericho has an answer for Callis and they’ll announce it next week. Why not now?

Hardys vs. Young Bucks

Jeff takes over on Matt Jackson’s arm to start and the Hardys drop Nick onto his brother for a crash. Matt Hardy comes in and plants Matt Jackson for two. Nick makes a save and the Bucks get to clean house, including Risky Business to Matt Hardy. We take a break and come back with Matt Hardy fighting out of trouble and bringing Jeff back in for the house cleaning.

The Whisper In The Wind gets two on Nick Jackson but the Bucks superkick Jeff down. Something close to a 3D gets two but Matt Hardy breaks up the Meltzer Driver. The Swanton hits Matt Jackson with Nick making the save. Jeff loads up another Twist of Fate but gets his leg superkicked out, setting up the BTE Trigger to finish Matt Hardy at 11:10.

Rating: C+. First and foremost, this could have been FAR worse. There was a chance that this could have been a disaster but instead it was mostly fine. That being said, they were in a bind here as the match is billed as a dream match but they can’t do anything epic or even long with it because the Hardys are broken down. That left it as kind of stuck under a hard ceiling, but they did as well as they could.

Post match respect is shown before the Bucks call out FTR. Cue FTR and the match is official. Well that was quick.

There will be a tournament to set up a four way Women’s Title match at All In, though Toni Storm has cashed in her rematch clause and is automatically in. Who isn’t in you ask? Champion Hikaru Shida, who is defending in a first round match. This is overthinking something even by AEW standards.

Adam Cole and MJF bonded again, by going to a trampoline park. They also have video games, a ball pit (!) and dodgeball. MJF likes the idea of dodgeball and assaults some children (in slow motion), while yelling various insults such as “I slept with your mom” and “you’re adopted”. Cole comes up to say MJF can’t do this but a young girl says they must be nerds for being adults in a trampoline park. Cole has to hold MJF back, but one more insult lets MJF chuck the ball at her as well. This was so ridiculously over the top that it was hilarious.

We recap the Blackpool Combat Club being all violent recently.

The Blackpool Combat Club is happy to have hurt the Best Friends and Pac.

FTW Title: Rob Van Dam vs. Jack Perry

Perry, in Jerry Lynn style gear, is defending under FTW Rules (pretty much anything goes and falls count anywhere). Perry jumps him to start but gets rolled up for a fast two. Van Dam knocks him out to the floor and the spinning legdrop to the apron CRUSHES Perry, with commentary laughing at how hard it hit.

We take a break and come back with Perry missing Rolling Thunder and getting kicked in the face. There are a bunch of chairs in the ring (one in the corner) and a table set up at ringside as Van Dam monkey flips Perry. The dropkicked chair into the corner hits Perry and Rolling Thunder onto the chair gets a delayed two.

The split legged moonsault misses (mainly because Perry moved before Van Dam flipped) but Perry’s thrown chair hits the referee in the head. Perry catches Van Dam on top but gets sent through the table on the floor. Back in and the Five Star (not bad) hits Perry for no count. Another referee comes in for the count but Perry sends Van Dam into the chair in the corner and gets the pin at 9:22.

Rating: C+. The weapons stuff was a bit annoying but it does fit with the ECW theme. Van Dam was the only real option to make this work, but this needs to be the absolute end of the ECW stuff. It didn’t exactly look great to start with and there is pretty much no one else who is going to be interesting and able to have a decent match from ECW’s past. The match itself was perfectly decent, though they got out exactly when they should have.

The Lucha Bros promise revenge on the Blackpool Combat Club.

Here are Adam Cole and MJF for a chat. MJF has seen something about footage of him saying that everyone in the midwest is dead but that footage was HEAVILY doctored. May God strike him down dead if what he is saying isn’t true, but his favorite place in the country is the midwest! Cole and MJF cringe but MJF survives, leaving Cole to promise to take the World Title at All In. MJF: “So you want a little promo battle eh? OK!”

MJF goes on to say that Cole is so skinny and white that if he had been around in the 80s, Hogan would have snorted him. Cole says that’s NOT what he wanted, because he thinks they want the Tag Team Titles. Er, the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles in this case. Cole talks about how much he’s done in Ring Of Honor over the years and what it means to him, but he has never won the Tag Team Titles. They already have the World Title match, but on the All In Zero Hour, they should win the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles!

MJF: “Normally when someone wants to make me wrestle more than once a year, I want to stab them in the face with a soldering iron.” He’s a sucker for a cheap pop though so he’s in. The challenge is officially on. Cue Roderick Strong to say he should be winning the titles with Cole, but MJF goes on a rant about how Strong needs to go listen to some Taylor Swift and shake it off. Strong says the Kingdom was right and here they are to leave with him. MJF laughs at Strong so Cole snaps, with MJF telling Cole to go check on him. Strong just looks so, so lame in all of this. Even if it is a swerve from Cole, my goodness it’s pathetic.

Video on Collision.

Lucha Bros vs. Blackpool Combat Club

The Bros jump them from behind to start and the big flip dives connect as the bell rings. Fenix’s rolling cutter into Penta’s top rope double stomp gets two and Made In Japan gets two on Castagnoli. Fenix adds a high crossbody but the stereo superkicks only hits the others’ foot. Moxley comes in to clean house as everything breaks down in a hurry. Wheeler Yuta belts Fenix and it’s a gorilla press into Moxley’s cutter for two. We settle down to Castagnoli working on Fenix’s arm and we take a break.

Back with Fenix chopping up but getting dropped with a spike piledriver. Castagnoli picks Fenix up into an electric chair but Fenix drops back to avoid the Doomsday Device. Fenix rolls over for the tag to Penta so house can be cleaned. Fenix’s superkick gets two as everything breaks down. Moxley hits a cutter (third of the match) and everyone is down for a bit.

Castagnoli and Fenix strike it out from their knees and then their feet until Fenix hits his rebound spinning kick to the face. Penta and Moxley come in to chop it out (for a long time) until the Fear Factor hits Moxley. The spike Fear Factor is broken up but Wheeler Yuta tries to interfere, only to get cut off by Alex Abrahantes. Moxley uses the distraction to roll Penta (who got unmasked somewhere in there) up with tights for the pin at 13:02.

Rating: B-. This was the all action match that you might have expected and it felt like one of those beat on each other until someone gets a pin rather than building up a match deals. That’s the Lucha Bros’ specialty and the match did well, but sometimes it’s nice to see a traditional match for once. Oh and again with the mask being ripped off, because that’s almost required in half of the Lucha Bros matches.

Post match the beatdown is on, with Castagnoli putting on Penta’s mask for a bizarre look.

Kenny Omega will be sitting down with Jim Ross next week to talk about what he’ll be doing at All In.

Here is Swerve Strickland, with the Mogul Embassy, for a chat. They went to Seattle to prove a point last week because they are above the law. AR Fox wants Darby Allin out here right now so cue Allin, saying he wants the whole story. Allin lived with Fox and his demons, but now Fox has some new friends. Well Allin has friends of his own, so the lights go out and Sting is back. Everyone but Sting and Swerve leave, allowing Sting to bat Swerve in the ribs. Sting (who appears to have a bit of the Joker face paint) points to the All In sign. That’s an escalation.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Sting/Allin vs. Fox/Swerve (in a coffin match) is officially approved by Tony Khan for All In. So did Tony Khan just have nothing planned for All In and is letting the wrestlers book the show for him?

Women’s Title: Anna Jay vs. Hikaru Shida

Jay, with Angelo Parker and Matt Menard, is challenging but this is also a first round match in the tournament to set up the Women’s Title match at All In. Shida shoves her down to start and they fight up against the ropes. A jumping knee staggers Jay but she manages to kick Shida to the floor. Then she throws Shida back inside for two and we take an early break.

Back with Shida hammering away and knocking Jay outside. The clothesline off the chair is broken up by Parker and Jay sends her face first into the steps. Anna gets the Queenslayer back inside but Shida climbs the rope and crashes back down for the break. A Falcon Arrow gets two, followed by the Katana to retain the title at 8:44, despite Parker trying to interfere and somehow failing.

Rating: C. This whole tournament is rather high up there on the list of Things AEW Has Overthought. We’re having a tournament to set up a four way title match and the champion has to qualify but the person she beat doesn’t. I’m sure there’s some logic in there and I’d rather it not be allowed to get out. The match itself was just ok, as Jay isn’t someone you want to try to have a big showdown. Shida held it together well enough though and they got out of there pretty fast.

Overall Rating: C. This show was all over the place and rather unfocused. They added stuff to All In, but it felt like a show that just had one thing after another put on the card with nothing feeling overly important. It also doesn’t help that the first hour of this show was primarily dedicated to Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam and the Hardys. That’s a heck of a tag match on a late WWF Raw but here it doesn’t quite measure up. The show was far from bad, but it needed a second or third draft to tighten up a lot of things.

Results
Young Bucks b. Hardys – BTE Trigger to Matt
Jack Perry b. Rob Van Dam – Van Dam was sent into a chair
Blackpool Combat Club b. Lucha Bros – Rollup with tights to Penta El Cero Miedo
Hikaru Shida b. Anna Jay – Katana

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

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

AND

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

Clash of Champions 2016
Date: September 25, 2016
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 13,467
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

For some reason, this was requested back in the day so we might as well check it off the list. This is the first Raw exclusive pay per view after the Brand Split so the roster is a little limited. In this case, the main event is Kevin Owens defending the Universal Title against Seth Rollins. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Nia Jax vs. Alicia Fox

Jax showed up a few weeks ago and Fox didn’t like it, leading to Fox freaking out. Then Jax beat her up in a match so we’ll do it again. Fox dropkicks her at the bell to start fast and fires off kicks. That earns her some rams into the corner as Jax isn’t having any of that. We’re already in the chinlock for a bit before Jax sends her flying again. Fox slugs away in the corner though and hits a high crossbody. The ax kick gets two but Jax runs Fox over without much effort. The Samoan drop crushes Fox for the pin at 4:54.

Rating: C. This was about what you would expect here, as Jax shrugged off anything Fox threw at her and won pretty decisively. The match wasn’t anything special, with Jax getting a big push as she is new on Raw. Fox is someone who could be destroyed without sacrificing much and keeping it simple and to the point was the right way to go here.

The opening video looks at what it takes to be a champion and how we got to the major matches.

Tag Team Titles: New Day vs. Good Brothers

New Day, meaning Kofi Kingston and Big E. in this case, is defending. Before the match, Kofi talks about how a win here would make them champions for 400 days, but the Good Brothers want to break them up like Brangelina. Anderson and Gallows have never even had a big old bowl of Booty-O’s!

The Brothers finally come out and it’s a clothesline to Big E. on the floor, plus cheap shot to Woods. A Liger Bomb to Kofi for two and the champs are in early trouble. Gallows comes in for a kick to the head and hammers away in the corner. Big E. gets back up but Gallows knocks Kofi right back into the wrong corner. Kofi gets in a shot of his own though and the tag to Anderson takes too long, allowing Big E. to come in for the rapid fire suplexes. The Warrior Splash hits Anderson but he’s able to cut off the spear through the ropes.

Gallows comes in off a blind tag and boots Big E. in the face, setting up the big boot/flapjack combination for two. The tag brings Kofi back in and he is quickly spinebustered for two more. Big E. is dropped again but Kofi breaks up the Magic Killer. Kofi manages Trouble In Paradise and Big E. is back in for the Big Ending but Gallows breaks it up. The referee yells at Gallows, meaning Woods can get in a Francesca shot to Anderson. The Midnight Hour retains the titles at 6:45.

Rating: B-. They crammed a lot into a rather short match here but New Day is always a good choice to open the show. You are going to get the high energy match that the fans will react to and that is a smart way to bring up the energy. The Brothers were viable challengers here and had New Day in a lot of trouble more than once before coming up short. It felt like a hot house show opener and this worked well in pretty much every aspect needed.

We recap TJ Perkins winning the Cruiserweight Classic to become the new Cruiserweight Champion.

TJ Perkins has been working to get here since 1998 and his confidence is going to get him beyond Brian Kendrick.

Cruiserweight Title: Brian Kendrick vs. TJ Perkins

Perkins is defending and I do miss his video game entrance (and Kendrick’s I’m A Man With A Plan song). Not so much the purpose ropes, which was about all the identity the cruiserweight division had. They go with the grappling to start until TJP gets a headscissors. Kendrick switches that into a headlock but gets reversed into a kneebar, sending him straight to the ropes.

The fans are split as Kendrick ties him in the ring skirt and hammers away as commentary tries to get this division and its wrestlers over as much as possible. TJP is right back with a Muta Lock, sending Kendrick to the ropes again. Kendrick manages to send him outside to bang up TJP’s neck but his own knee is hurt as well. Back in and Kendrick gets in a cross arm choke before missing a charge and crashing out to the floor. TJP fights out of another crank and hits a dropkick into a heel kick.

A jumping neckbreaker doesn’t quite work for TJP but a double chickenwing backbreaker two two. With nothing else working, TJP snaps off a top rope hurricanrana to the floor for a double crash. Back in and Kendrick can’t hit the Sliced Bread so TJP goes up, only to miss the 450. Kendrick can’t get the Captain’s Hook but TJP can’t get the kneebar either. Now Sliced Bread gives Kendrick two but this time the Captain’s Hook is reversed into the Detonation Kick. The kneebar retains the title at 10:33.

Rating: B-. This was turning into a heck of a match but there was no way around the fact that it means absolutely nothing. The Cruiserweight Title was introduced in the Cruiserweight Classic and that worked well enough, but after that it became clear why it was gone again. No matter how good the matches might be, and this was a rather good one, you can only get so far with the purple ropes and a title for smaller wrestlers when Daniel Bryan was the hottest thing in the world just a few years ago.

Post match respect is teased but Kendrick drops him and walks off.

Cesaro, in his white tuxedo, is ready to finish the comeback and beat Sheamus to win their best of seven series. This series is about mental toughness and he is ready to show the Cesaro Section the biggest comeback in history.

We recap the first six matches, with Sheamus going up 3-0 but Cesaro has made a comeback to bring us to a winner take all match. The matches have been good, but egads it was hard to sit through this many matches between anyone.

Cesaro vs. Sheamus

The winner gets an unspecified title shot. Cesaro wastes no time in hitting a dropkick but Sheamus is right back with the forearms to the chest. Those are broken up and Sheamus is knocked to the floor, allowing Cesaro to hit the running seated senton off the apron. Back in and Sheamus knocks him off the top for a crash though, setting up a middle rope knee. Some backbreakers stay on Cesaro’s back and we hit the chinlock.

Back up and Sheamus hits a running spinwheel kick in the corner (that looked good) and a top rope clothesline gets two. Sheamus misses a charge into the post though and Cesaro scores with an uppercut to the back. A tornado DDT gets two on Sheamus and the Swiss One Nine (if that’s not the name, it should be) sets up a high crossbody for two more. The Neutralizer is blocked so Cesaro hits a heck of a springboard corkscrew uppercut for another near fall.

It’s too early for the Swing though and Sheamus gets two more off another backbreaker. Two Irish Curses combine for two (so hit a third one then) but the Cloverleaf is countered into a small package to give Cesaro two of his own. Sheamus gets creative with a Razor’s Edge dropped into a backbreaker (OUCH) but the Brogue Kick is countered into the Swing. Cesaro gets the Sharpshooter (while holding his back), sending Sheamus over to the rope.

The apron superplex is countered so Cesaro kicks him in the face instead, setting up one of those suicide dives which lands so badly that the referee runs out to make sure Cesaro isn’t dead. Back in and a quick Brogue Kick gives Sheamus two (as we see the fourth replay of the dive, which looked TERRIFYING).

Cesaro grabs a Neutralizer for two of his own and they’re both down again. Some uppercuts in the corner have Sheamus in more trouble until he cuts off a charge with a raised boot. Sheamus pulls himself up to the top but gets dropkicked down but Sheamus headbutts him right back off the top. A top rope clothesline to the floor hits Cesaro in the back and Sheamus hits White Noise on the floor. Cesaro clotheslines him into the crowd though and it’s a no contest as they’re both out at 16:30.

Rating: B+. This is a great example of a match where time has been kind. I couldn’t stand this feud at the time and the reveal of them getting a Tag Team Title shot didn’t help (though the Bar wound up being great) but this was an awesome fight. They didn’t stop for almost any time during the match and I wanted to see what they were going to come up with next. Awesome stuff here and if they hadn’t done the match to death, I would have liked it a lot more back in the day.

Post match Cesaro wants to keep going but Sheamus staggers out of the arena.

Bayley, still in the Hugger phase, is interrupted by Charlotte, still in….the only phase she has, who says Bayley cheated to get her title shot tonight. Charlotte insists that Bayley isn’t going to win tonight, with Bayley reminding her of that time she pinned Charlotte a few weeks ago. Charlotte: “You can’t even beat Sasha.”

Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho

I do miss Sami’s jaunty hat. Believe it or not, this is over Kevin Owens, who Sami doesn’t like but is Jericho’s new best friend. Therefore, this is about Jericho protecting his own honor after Sami said he was Owens’ b****. Jericho yells at the fans to start until Sami drives him into the corner and hammers away. The referee breaks it up and Jericho gets in the cheap shot.

Sami isn’t having that and snaps off some armdrags into a leg lariat, meaning Jericho needs a breather. With Jericho on the floor, Sami follows him out and hits the moonsault off the barricade. Back in and the referee distracts Sami, allowing Jericho to hit the triangle dropkick to take over. A top rope elbow to the face gives Jericho two and he crotches Sami on top to cut off a quick comeback bid. Jericho loads up the bulldog but Sami sends him hard into the corner and sends him outside.

There’s the big no hands running flip dive (that always looks great), followed by a Michinoku Driver for two on Jericho back inside. Sami misses a flying something off the top and Jericho is back with a step up enziguri. Jericho starts kicking him in the head but Sami pulls him down into a rollup for two more. The rope walk tornado DDT sets up the Helluva Kick but Jericho bails to the floor just in time.

The diving tornado DDT takes Jericho down again outside, only to have another Helluva Kick miss back inside. Instead Sami suplexes him into the corner but a third Helluva Kick misses, allowing Jericho to grab the Walls. Sami finally reverses into a rollup for two and the Blue Thunder Bomb connects for the same. Then Jericho hits the Codebreaker for the pin at 15:21.

Rating: B. Were you expecting anything else from Jericho vs. Zayn in a fifteen minute pay per view match? Sami was fighting from underneath for most of the match, which is where he excels like few others. There is something about watching him try to survive against a bigger star and even get close to winning multiple times, only to come up short. Awesome match here, as this show has been pretty great so far.

Bosses Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon come up to Raw World Champion Kevin Owens, saying if anyone can live up to the rest of the show, it’s him. Owens isn’t impressed ad is ready to show them why they should have taken him over Seth Rollins with the #1 Draft pick. Rollins is no longer then man, but rather the mistake. Their mistake.

We recap the Raw Women’s Title match with Charlotte defending against Bayley and Sasha Banks. Charlotte beat Banks to win the title at Summerslam when Banks had a bad back. Then Bayley showed up and beat Charlotte in a non-title match, setting up the title match.

Raw Women’s Title: Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley

Charlotte, with Dana Brooke (that didn’t go very far) is defending. Banks chases Charlotte straight to the floor and starts the fight so Bayley kicks both of them in the face. Back in and Bayley rolls Charlotte up for some near falls but Banks isn’t having that. Instead Bayley rolls her up for two but Charlotte pulls Banks down by the hair. We get the big three way standoff until Banks drops Bayley.

Charlotte grabs a neckbreaker to put Banks down but gets crotched on top. Bayley is back up and kicks Charlotte to the floor, setting up a twisting Stunner over the middle rope to take banks down. Brooke gets in a cheap shot on Bayley though, allowing Charlotte to knee Banks into the corner. There’s a hard whip into the corner and Banks’ back is getting a lot more messed up.

Charlotte stops to deck Bayley again but Banks sends Charlotte into the corner to even things up a bit. The Bank Statement is broken up but Bayley is back in with a double high crossbody. Bayley misses a running knee in the corner though and Banks stacks both of them up, setting up the double knees. Back up and Banks breaks up the Figure Eight and Bayley hits the Bayley To Belly for two on Charlotte, leaving everyone down again.

With nothing else working, Banks and Bayley beat up Charlotte…who of course shrugs it off and sends Bayley into the corner again. If that’s not enough, Charlotte drops Banks off the middle rope before doing the same to Bayley. Charlotte hits the moonsault onto both of them for two on Banks, who is right back up with the Bank Statement.

Brooke makes a save of her own and Bayley is shoved off the top for a crash. The Bank Statement has Charlotte in more trouble but Bayley breaks it up this time. Banks does the same thing with Charlotte and Bayley switching places, allowing Charlotte to send Banks hard into the barricade. Back in and Charlotte boots Bayley into Banks, followed by another big boot to retain the title at 15:28.

Rating: B-. Sweet goodness Charlotte was every bit as dominant back then and it was still not the most appealing thing. She kept shrugging off everything Bayley and Banks threw at her, including both at once, and then won the title by beating them both up without much trouble. Good enough match, but it was a lot of Charlotte, as tends to be the case.

The Kickoff Show panel recaps/previews the show.

Remember Nia Jax crushing Alicia Fox on the Kickoff Show? Here are some highlights, in case you were wondering about a near squash.

We recap Roman Reigns challenging Rusev for the US Title. Reigns, being kind of a jerk, interrupted Rusev and Lana’s celebration and shoved her into a cake. They had been supposed to fight at Summerslam but got in a fight before the match so nothing happened.

United States Title: Rusev vs. Roman Reigns

Rusev is defending and Lana handles his introduction. They fight over a lockup to start until Reigns knocks him outside. Back in and Reigns wins a slugout until Rusev spinwheel kicks him in the face for two. Rusev hammers away and whips him into the corner a few times as the fans are way behind Reigns. The clothesline comeback doesn’t last long as Rusev knocks him outside for some rams into the barricade.

Rusev is sent into the steps for two and we hit the chinlock. That stays on for a good bit before Rusev hits a running headbutt and stops for some Bulgarian style glaring. A dropkick of all things drops Reigns again but he rolls away from a top rope headbutt (he learned from the first headbutt you see). The corner clotheslines rock Rusev, who crashes out to the floor and gets sent into the steps for a bonus.

Back in and the Superman Punch is kicked out of the air, setting up a hot shot for two. Reigns cuts off the Machka Kick and hits the Superman Punch for two of his own. Back up and the Lana distraction lets the Machka Kick connect and Rusev loses it on the referee for a bit. The Accolade (camel clutch) is broken up though and Reigns hits the spear, only to have Lana pull the referee.

That’s good for an ejection and Reigns sends Rusev outside as well. The running dropkick hits Rusev but it’s the Machka Kick to give him two back inside. Now the Accolade goes on but Reigns powers up and hits the spear for the pin and the title at 17:10 (it’s as sudden as it sounds).

Rating: B-. This was the Reigns that does not have the best reputation, as while the wrestling was good enough, it wasn’t exactly exciting stuff and he kept shrugging off everything thrown at him. That doesn’t make for the most interesting matches and the ending came out of absolutely nowhere. Not a bad match at all, but there was no point where I was getting interested or excited.

Seth Rollins runs into Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley but he really doesn’t want to hear anything from Stephanie. They bet on the wrong guy, and tell HHH that he bet against the wrong guy.

We recap the Raw World Title match. Finn Balor won the Universal Title at Summerslam but got hurt, meaning the title was decided in a fatal four way. HHH interfered and cost Seth Rollins the title, siding with Kevin Owens instead in quite the screwjob. Now Rollins wants revenge, as HHH (and Stephanie) bet on the wrong guy (as you might have heard all of a few seconds ago). In other words, it was a bunch of Stephanie getting to be all fierce with people while Owens was just kind of there quite a bit of the while.

Raw World Title: Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens

Owens is defending and they fight to the floor to start with Rollins getting the better of things. Back in and Rollins stomps away in the corner, setting up the running knee to the face for two. Stomping and chopping in the corner have Owens in more trouble and the middle rope Blockbuster gets two. The Pedigree is blocked though and Owens snaps off a DDT for two of his own.

Rollins is sent outside and comes up favoring his knee, allowing Owens to stomp away back inside (the fans approve). Owens kicks away at the knee and backdrops a charging Rollins out to the floor. An elbow off the apron crushes Rollins again and the backsplash makes it worse. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Owens whips him hard into the corner to keep Rollins down. Back up and Rollins starts the comeback, including the Downward Spiral into the middle buckle.

A running dropkick sends Owens outside and Rollins uses the chance to set up the announcers’ table. Ever the smart champion, Owens bails back inside before anything can happen, only to get superkicked for two. Rollins misses a charge into the corner though and Owens kicks him in the knee again. The Cannonball gets two but Rollins is back up for an exchange of strikes to leave them both down.

Rollins’ springboard knee is cut off so Owens can hit the pumphandle brainbuster onto the knee for two more. A super gutbuster into the frog splash gives Owens another near fall and they head back to the floor. Owens misses the splash through the announcers’ table and it’s another double down. Back in and Rollins hits a frog splash for two so cue Chris Jericho.

The distraction lets Owens hit the package side slam but Rollins is back with a Pedigree for the same, thanks to Jericho putting the foot on the rope. The referee gets bumped (of course) so there’s no count for Rollins’ Pedigree. Jericho comes in but gets backdropped to the floor, setting up the suicide dive. Stephanie McMahon pops up to send in another referee….so Owens can hit the pop up powerbomb to retain at 25:07.

Rating: B-. This was REALLY long and could have easily had ten minutes shaved off. It was one of those matches where it felt like they were just trying to fill in time rather than winning the match most of the time. On top of that, it also felt like it was a HHH style match of “ok, let’s get everything done before we get to the shenanigans”. That’s not a great feeling, and it never came off like Rollins was going to win the title to make it even worse. Good action, but bad setup and execution.

Overall Rating: B. There’s a lot of good stuff on here, but it does run a bit longer than it needs to. It also doesn’t help that while the match quality is high, the show could not feel more second tier if it tried. Reigns winning the title was a moment that felt flat and other than that, there was nothing on here that came off like a game changing moment. It’s definitely a pick and choose show where some of the matches are worth a look, but you might not want to sit through the whole thing.

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

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

AND

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

Dynamite
Date: August 2, 2023
Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Taz, Excalibur

It’s the 200th episode and you know that means we should be in for something good. The most important thing here is that it is time to start getting ready for All In, which needs something announced already. Other than that, we have a Women’s Title match as Hikaru Shida challenges Toni Storm. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

The old set is back for a nice touch.

Sammy Guevara/Daniel Garcia vs. Chris Jericho/Konosuke Takeshita

Jericho and Takeshita have Don Callis with them. Guevara and Jericho chop it out until the former scores with a jumping knee. Garcia and Guevara get to strike a pose before Garcia chops it out with Jericho. Takeshita comes in to kick Garcia down so Jericho comes back in for a suplex. Jericho drops Garcia again and we take a break.

Back with Guevara coming in to clean house, including a suicide elbow to Jericho and a running flip dive to Takeshita. They get back in and Takeshita gets the Blue Thunder Bomb on Guevara but can’t get the Walls Of Takeshita (which is apparently a thing). Jericho is back in with the Codebreaker for two as all four get in again. Guevara kicks Takeshita to the floor as Garcia gets the Dragontamer on Jericho. Callis bats Garcia down but Jericho doesn’t approve….but does get the pin at 12:21.

Rating: B-. This was about Callis still trying to recruit Jericho, who might be getting with the program a bit. Other than that, you had Garcia and Guevara being entertaining enough as a team and Takeshita feeling like a star. Odds are this is heading towards Jericho vs. either Takeshita or someone else from Callis’ family down the line, but we might be a good way off from that point just yet.

Tony Khan says we are on the way to the biggest wrestling event of all time (no) and we see a highlight package from some of the best moments in Dynamite history.

Matt Menard tells Chris Jericho has to be at a mandatory meeting of the Jericho Appreciation Society.

Here is Jack Perry to say that he wants Jerry Lynn out here to end this. Lynn comes out to say that he isn’t going to come down there and beat up Perry, because that would be child abuse. On top of that, his neck is so banged up that no doctor would ever clear him. Instead, he’s made a phone call to a friend of his, who wrestled in ECW and still wrestles today. Cue Rob Van Dam to chase Perry off, with Perry hiding behind a young girl. Was there anyone else who could have stood up for ECW and been something of a big deal?

Video on the Women’s Title match with Hikaru Shida challenging Toni Storm.

Trent Beretta vs. Jon Moxley vs. Penta El Cero Miedo

The introduction make it clear that this is anything goes. Trent and Penta hit dives to start but Moxley is back up and grabs the 2×4 with nails. Penta ducks a swing and Backstabs Moxley, only to get a trashcan lid kneed into his face. Moxley piledrives Trent but Penta is right back to take Trent outside. Some tables are set up at ringside and the already bleeding Trent superplexes Moxley through them as we take a break.

Back with Penta hitting a super Canadian Destroyer to drive Trent through a table, followed by Moxley spearing Penta through a table in the corner. Moxley gets the thumbtacks and opens Penta’s shirt, setting up a piledriver into the tacks for two. Trent, for some reasons not in an ambulance, is up with the Crunchy to Moxley into the tacks but Penta makes the save. Moxley Paradigm Shifts Penta but Trent hits the running knee to steal the pin at 12:21.

Rating: C. Yeah fine. You knew you were going to see some kind of violent match on here whether it made sense for the story or not and they even had one of the fan favorites get a pin on a milestone show. The Canadian Destroyer through the table not knocking Trent out of the match was nonsense but that ship has long since sailed. I still can’t stand this kind of stuff, and they really didn’t need the weapons and violence.

Post match Moxley chokes Trent out and the Blackpool Combat Club comes out to help. Cue Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor to cut them off and clear the ring, with Taylor issuing the challenge for a parking lot fight on Rampage.

Rob Van Dam challenges Jack Perry for the FTW Title next week. When Van Dam wins the title, he’ll just retire the thing.

Here is MJF to talk about having ADD, but also a condition that makes it difficult for him to accept rejection. One day when he was a kid, some people threw quarters at him and said “pick it up, Jew boy, pick it up.” It made him believe that he had to stab everyone in the back before he did it to them, but that’s no way to live.

It’s tough for him to trust people, but he’s not scared anymore because of all these people. These people have sympathy for the devil, even if he’s still a scumbag. But dang it he’s ready to be YOUR scumbag. He also has to thank Adam Cole, so here is Cole to see MJF face to face.

Cole says MJF is not alone and knows that there is a good guy down in there. The people here are proud of him, which has MJF thanking him for the kind words. That brings MJF to the promised title match, which Cole doesn’t deserve. That’s because Cole deserves THE match in the main event of the biggest show AEW has ever seen, in the main event of All In. Cole signs the contract (fans: “READ IT!”) without reading it and they hug. MJF has told that story before but it still has impact. Other than that, they’re building towards someone turning and it’s going to be a big moment when it happens.

Roderick Strong breaks a bunch of stuff in the back but here is the Kingdom to say they Cole is forgetting his real friends.

Elite vs. Jeff Jarrett/Satnam Singh/Jay Lethal

Brandon Cutler, Sonjay Dutt and Karen Jarrett are here too. Jeff slams Omega down to start but Matt comes in to take over. That brings in Singh, with Omega and Nick immediately backing away. Singh shrugs off some dropkicks and crossbodies both of the Bucks, meaning the villains get to most the Elite’s pose.

We take a break and come back with Nick getting over to bring Omega back in for the pace to pick up. You Can’t Escape is broken up by Singh, allowing Lethal to get his knees up on the moonsault. The Bucks kick Singh down the though and Omega adds the V Trigger to put him completely down. Dutt has to break up the One Winged Angel and Karen offers a distraction. That earns her a cold spray from Cutler as the Hardys come out to beat up the villains as well. Cue Hangman Page to jump Jarrett with the Buckshot Lariat, meaning (after an Omega guitar solo) the One Winged Angel can finish Lethal at 8:58.

Rating: B-. Much like some of the other stuff on this show, they absolutely had to get the Elite on here somehow and putting them in a fun match like this one was the way to go. They were the centerpiece of the company for a long time and getting them on a show like this, even in a match where they weren’t going to be in serious trouble, was a requirement.

Post match Page announces that the Elite have re-signed with AEW. Omega says you’ll be seeing more of them everywhere, including Collision. We get the old goodnight and goodbye catchphrase to wrap it up. That’s a nice little flashback.

The Mogul Embassy (Swerve Strickland/AR Fox in this case) is happy with beating up Darby Allin and we see them going to Nick Wayne’s gym (which is in a garage). Wayne and some students get beaten up and Swerve breaks something made of glass over Wayne’s head. Swerve puts down a photo of Wayne and his father, before calling Darby Allin to show the bloody Wayne. It’s that easy to make a phone call, so why didn’t Allin call AR Fox when he got to AEW? The beating continues to wrap up one heck of a segment. This felt like Swerve and Fox getting to show what they can do and it was really effective.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Aussie Open vs. Komander/El Hijo del Vikingo

The Aussies are defending. Fletcher and Vikingo start things off with the latter avoiding a charge in the corner. Vikingo’s springboard crossbody takes Fletcher down so it’s off to Davis, who gets superkicked outside. We settle back down to Fletcher clotheslining Komander, who is right back up with the chops in the corner. Komander’s springboard is broken up so it’s of to Vikingo instead. The champs are sent outside but they are fine enough to cut off the stereo dives as we take a break.

Back with Vikingo getting caught with a flipping Iconoclasm for two, leaving Fletcher frustrated. Vikingo is put in a fireman’s carry but Komander tags himself in, jumps on Vikingo’s back, and hits a Canadian Destroyer. The challengers walk the ropes at the same time for stereo moonsaults, setting up stereo 450s for two on Davis. Vikingo is taken down though and the rope walk shooting star press misses for Komander. The double clothesline sets up Coriolis to retain the titles at 9:57.

Rating: C+. There was some nice stuff in here with the Aussies using their power offense to hold off the rather flashy high fliers. I’d like to believe that this is just a one off as I really do not need the Ring Of Honor titles on the show again, but at least they had an entertaining match and didn’t go too long. It’s also always nice to see Vikingo, as some of that stuff he does is hard to fathom.

Video on Ricky Starks vs. CM Punk on Collision.

Women’s Title: Hikaru Shida vs. Toni Storm

Shida is challenging and Storm has the rest of the Outcasts with her. Shida starts fast and knocks Storm to the floor, followed by some right hands back inside. They go outside again and this time Storm takes over, only for Shida to head back inside and suplex her into the corner. Storm gets in a shot of her own and adds the running hip attack to knock Shida outside again. The Outcasts get in some stomping and we take a break.

Back with Shida hitting an enziguri into a German suplex but Storm pulls her off the top. The hip attack in the corner and a DDT get two on Shida (which would not be stealing it, despite what Excalibur says). They strike it out until Shida knees her in the face and hits a Falcon Arrow for two. Saraya throws in the kendo stick but Shida takes it away and takes out the other two. Storm uses the distraction to hit the spray paint into the Storm Zero for two more. Shida is right back with a rollup for the pin and the title at 13:16.

Rating: B. And there’s your big moment to make the show feel special. Storm hadn’t exactly been doing anything as champion and wont he title from an injured Jamie Hayter. The story coming into this was that Shida deserved to have a title run in front of people rather than empty chairs and that is exactly what she is going to get. Good match here, with Shida getting a nice moment to wrap up the show.

Overall Rating: B. I kept saying that they had to get this and that in, but they managed to cover everything and had a heck of a show as a result. This was a nice look back at Dynamite’s history, while also giving a feel good moment at the end and also setting up something for All In. That’s a heck of a way to spend two hours and I smiled more than I have in a good while with an AEW show.

Results
Chris Jericho/Konosuke Takeshita b. Sammy Guevara/Daniel Garcia – Baseball bat shot to Garcia
Trent b. Jon Moxley and Penta El Cero Miedo – Paradigm Shit to Penta
Elite b. Jeff Jarrett/Satnam Singh/Jay Lethal – One Winged Angel to Lethal
Aussie Open b. Komander/El Hijo del Vikingo – Coriolis to Komander
Hikaru Shida b. Toni Storm – Rollup

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

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

AND

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

Dynamite
Date: July 26, 2023
Location: MVP Arena, Albany, New York
Commentators: Taz, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

We’re about a month away from All In and nothing has been announced so far. There is still more than enough time to set things up but they might want to start getting things ready. Other than that, it’s the fallout from Blood & Guts and that should make for some interesting situations. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

We get a video from Darby Allin talking about AR Fox and how great/influential he is.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. AR Fox

Cassidy is defending and we get a handshake to start. They fight over a wristlock with Fox flipping around to take him down and grabbing a bodyscissors. Back up and Cassidy rolls away with his hands in his pockets but the dropkick is countered into a rollup. Cassidy it sent outside so Fox runs up the corner for a moonsault to take him down again. Back in and the Stundog Millionaire gives Cassidy two but Fox grabs a spinning suplex for the same.

We take a break and come back with stereo neckbreakers taking both of them down for a breather. Fox sends him outside for a big flip dive, followed by a Swanton back inside. Lo Mein Pain is broken up and Cassidy hits a suicide dive. The Beach Break gets two but Fox is back with Lo Mein Pain for two. Fox’s 450 misses and Cassidy grabs the Mouse Trap to retain at 13:47.

Rating: B-. This was a rather flip based match but it was an entertaining one while it lasted. Cassidy continues to run through people and at some point that is going to have to lead somewhere. Granted that has been the case for months now and I don’t know if there is any reason to believe it is changing anytime soon.

Post match Cassidy offers him the sunglasses in respect but Fox breaks them and hits him in the face. Cue Darby Allin to yell at Fox, calling it embarrassing. As Fox seems to realize he went too far, Jon Moxley runs in to beat up Cassidy.

Video on Blood & Guts.

Don Callis is still trying to get Chris Jericho on his side and has gotten Jericho a tag team match with Konosuke Takeshita (Jericho approves) vs. Sammy Guevara/Daniel Garcia (Jericho doesn’t approve). Jericho agrees, so Callis gives Jericho a painting of the two of them under Bad News Allen’s watchful eye.

Claudio Castagnoli says not to mess with the Blackpool Combat Club. He isn’t happy with Pac and here is Jon Moxley to say that’s what happens when you mess with his friends.

Here is Jack Perry for a chat, now in orange and black with an I BEAT HOOK shirt. Perry said he was going to win a championship, but he didn’t mean one like this. It was created in a second class company, but now that he has it, it has become relevant. He insults Taz and the history of ECW, which draws out Jerry Lynn to say there wouldn’t be a Jungle Boy without ECW. The challenge seems to be on but Perry says we’ll do it next week. One of the last thing this company needs is to turn into an ECW tribute show for a few weeks.

Britt Baker is ready for Taya Valkyrie.

Gravity vs. Pac

Pac actually asks Gravity if he remembers him (as Pac was known as The Man That Gravity Forgot in WWE) and gets dropkicked to the floor. After Pac takes a minute, Gravity sends him into the barricade and hits a splash from the apron as we take a break. Back with Gravity hitting a high crossbody for two. Pac isn’t having that and hits a brainbuster, setting up the Rings of Saturn for the win at 8:21.

Rating: C+. For a match that was built around one joke from years ago, I’ve seen worse. Pac didn’t really have a ton of trouble here and he shouldn’t have, so this went pretty well all things considered. I could have gone for some follow up with Pac and the BCC but maybe that comes later. Either way, not bad here.

Adam Cole and MJF mock FTR, with the latter promising to punch Dax Harwood so hard that he’ll spit out CM Punk’s jockstrap. Cole says he wasn’t coming for the title because he and MJF are friends. MJF says that win, lose or draw, after their Tag Team Title match on Collision, Cole is getting a rematch for the World Title. Cole is happy but Roderick Strong runs in to shove MJF. Cole asks MJF to give them a second before telling Strong that he’s acting crazy. It’s ok if Cole has other friends and Strong needs to learn boundaries. This is going somewhere and it could be an interesting ending.

FTR likes Adam Cole but no one likes MJF. Anyone who gets to know MJF walks away from him, including his fiance. Harwood doesn’t like the goofiness and as much as he respects Cole, going after his family and the titles is too far.

Darby Allin vs. Swerve Strickland

Nick Wayne and Prince Nana are here too. Feeling out process to start with neither being able to get very far. Swerve knocks him up against the ropes and out to the floor, where Allin hits a Code Red for two back inside. Allin takes it back to the floor for a whip into the steps but Swerve climbs onto said steps for the House Call (and a LOUD one at that). We take a break and come back with Swerve hitting a suplex for two before going after Allin’s arm.

That’s broken up and Allin gets two off the Last Supper before hitting a suicide dive to take Swerve out on the floor. Another dive is cut off by a jumping knee though and the Swerve Stomp gets two. Swerve takes him up top but gets caught with a flipping Stunner. Allin takes too much time going up and it’s a super AA onto the apron. Since that insane move isn’t enough, here’s AR Fox to jump Allin, setting up the JML Driver for the pin at 11:58.

Rating: C+. Well, that spot was ridiculous and way more dangerous than it needed to be but that’s an Allin match for you. The ending was the logical next step after earlier, but after Allin was knocked silly by the AA, it felt like it was overkill. At least Swerve didn’t lose again though, as he has been beaten too often lately.

Post match Fox and Swerve beat down Allin and Wayne. Fox is officially in the Mogul Embassy. Sure why not.

The Jericho Appreciation Society is waiting for Chris Jericho. They go into his locker room, where the Callis painting is hung on the wall. The team doesn’t like where this is going and walk out on him.

We look at Billy Gunn teasing retirement on Collision.

Britt Baker vs. Taya Valkyrie

Baker grabs a headlock to start but gets knocked down with a hard shoulder. The running knees hit Baker in the corner and some hard chops put her down again. Taya loads up a wheelbarrow faceplant but they kind of fall down as we take a break. Back with Baker avoiding a charge into the corner, setting up a forearm for two.

They forearm it out until they trade kicks to the head. Taya’s clothesline gets two but Baker is back up on the middle rope. What appeared to be a Panama Sunrise DDT is countered into a northern lights suplex for two. Back up and the Panama Sunrise gets two but Lockjaw is broken up. Taya tries the Road To Valhalla but Baker spins out and grabs Lockjaw for the tap at 9:42.

Rating: D. Oh this was bad in every sense of the word. I don’t know if they were just on different pages here or what, but it was a rough sit throughout and almost nothing worked. They needed to slow down somewhere in there and figure things out, but instead it just kept going and got worse and worse. While it wasn’t an all time bad match, it was as bad as anything AEW has done in a long time.

Nyla Rose is ready for Hikaru Shida.

Various teams are ready for the tag team battle royal on Rampage. I approve of these rapid fire mini promos. It’s better than not hearing from anyone.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Best Friends vs. Lucha Bros vs. Blackpool Combat Club

The Club’s entrance takes some time so the other teams slug it out. Everyone brawls up towards the entrance, where Taylor hits a flip dive onto the pile on the floor. Back in and Fenix is waiting on Castagnoli, with the latter telling him to chop away. The springboard high angle armdrag takes Castagnoli down but everyone else is back in for the parade of knockdowns until Castagnoli gives Fenix Swiss Death for two.

Fenix superkicks Castagnoli but gets taken down by Trent for some forearms to the face. Trent’s tornado DDT gets two on Castagnoli, who cuts off Trent’s dive with an uppercut. We take a break and come back with Moxley striking away at Chuck, who hits a knee out of the corner. Penta tags himself in and takes over on Chuck, including a Backstabber for two.

Everything breaks down again and we get a pair of three way slugouts. We settle down to the Best Friends vs. the Bros with Fenix ankle locking Chuck. Made In Japan gets two on Trent with the Club diving in for the save. The Riccola Bomb is loaded up but here is Orange Cassidy to go after Moxley. Trent hits the Crunchy on Castagnoli but he’s not legal (sure). Instead, the Fear Factor finishes Trent at 14:25.

Rating: B-. This was all about the insanity and not bothering to do anything but go all over the place for most of the match. The Bros winning was a bit of a surprise but they’re the kinds of team who could be reheated very quickly. I could go for having them do some more, with less of the Best Friends being nice too.

Post match the Club keeps up the fight but Moxley leaves through the crowd. The Bros beat down the Best Friends as we hear about Moxley vs. Trent vs. Penta in a three way anything goes match next week. Cassidy hits the Orange Punch on Castagnoli to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. It was pretty clear that they took their foot off the gas after last week and it makes to do so. They still have enough time to get ready for All In and some of the likely matches for the show are already set. We should be in for some bigger shows in the coming weeks, but this was definitely one of their weaker shows in a good while. They’ll be fine going forward though and it’s nice to have that confidence about a promotion.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. AR Fox – Mouse Trap
Pac b. Gravity – Rings Of Saturn
Swerve Strickland b. Darby Allin – JML Driver
Britt Baker b. Taya Valkyrie – Lockjaw
Lucha Bros b. Best Friends and Blackpool Combat Club – Fear Factor to Beretta

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

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

AND

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: May 26, 2008
Location: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 16,524
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

It’s the last Raw before One Night Stand and the end of last week’s show set up a pair of huge matches for the show. Now we are getting ready for JBL vs. John Cena in a first blood match and HHH vs. Randy Orton in a last man standing match for HHH’s Raw World Title. I’m sure we’ll get some more tonight so let’s get to it.

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

Memorial Day video.

Opening sequence.

Vince McMahon joins us on the Titantron to say William Regal got what he deserved last week, but are the fans getting what they deserve? They deserve appreciation, and tonight they will receive it like never before. He’s open to suggestions, including from the wrestlers. By the end of the night, fans will receive appreciation like they have never seen.

Here are HHH and Randy Orton for a face to face standoff. Orton is asked about how he beat HHH in a last man standing match before, but it was HHH’s third match of the night and Orton’s second. Orton is sick of having his accomplishments downplayed, because what matters is that he beat HHH in this very match.

HHH says the fans are laughing at Orton because he’s a censored. He isn’t laughing though, because Orton has a tendency to find a cheap way out. If Orton wants to be the best, he has to face the best over and over. Orton says HHH doesn’t thrive on competition because he either brings in his threats or just flat out eliminates him.

Like Shawn Michaels or Evolution, because HHH knows he needed to fear them. HHH says Evolution was about making Orton realize his potential but he isn’t just going to walk away. Orton promises to win and goes to leave, but HHH promises to end the Age Of Orton like it never happened. There wasn’t much left to be said about this feud so this was nothing we haven’t heard before.

Melina vs. Jillian Hall

Beth Phoenix is on commentary. Jillian jumps her to start and hits a flipping faceplant before hitting some kicks to the back. Melina fights back and elbows her in the face, setting up an Indian Deathlock for the fast tap.

Chris Jericho comes in to see Vince McMahon with an idea to appreciate the fans: a match with Shawn Michaels tonight. Deal, and we’ll make it non-title. Cryme Tyme comes in and steal some of Williams Regal’s stuff to sell.

Paul London/Brian Kendrick vs. Cody Rhodes/Hardcore Holly

Non-title. Rhodes dropkicks London down to start but a double dropkick puts Rhodes down for two. Holly comes in to knock Kendrick down but Rhodes misses a middle rope crossbody. It’s off to London to dropkick and hurricanrana Holly as everything breaks down. London tries to skin the cat, only to get caught in the Alabama Slam for the pin.

Rating: C. Fast paced stuff here but they only had so much time to make it work. London and Kendrick are still an entertaining team but for some reason WWE insists on sticking with Rhodes and Holly as champions. The tag division barely exists, though you would think WWE might want to go with the better of the two teams here.

Post match here is Ted DiBiase of all people. He has a special moment for us, in the form of the newest member of the Raw roster: his son Ted DiBiase! Ted Jr. says he has always wanted to become a champion and that is what he is going to do in his debut match. So Holly and Rhodes need to pay attention, because everybody has a price, but he is priceless. That’s a great line.

Roddy Piper is training Jimmy Kimmel’s Cousin Sal for his match against Santino Marella. Kimmel comes in to watch the training and isn’t sure if this is going well as Piper beats up Sal. Oddly enough this is included on Peacock, along with a recap of last week’s segment, which wasn’t on Peacock.

Mickie James suggests a contest to Vince McMahon where schools get to say why they love WWE and the winner gets a Diva For A Day. JBL comes in to say that sounds like an escort service (working for strangers you see) and suggests the ring mat, covered in John Cena’s blood on Sunday, be cut up and sold.

Some soldiers wish us Happy Memorial Day.

John Bradshaw Layfield/Umaga vs. John Cena/Jeff Hardy

Cena and JBL start things off but let’s go with Umaga instead. The FU attempt doesn’t work but Umaga misses a charge in the corner so Cena can slug away. The swinging release Rock Bottom cuts Cena off though and we take a break. Back with JBL hammering Hardy into the corner and whipping him into another one.

The abdominal stretch goes on but Hardy slips out and hits a Whisper In The Wind. That’s enough for the hot tag off to Cena and house is cleaned in a hurry. Umaga knocks Cena into Hardy for the tag but the Swanton misses. With Cena and Umaga on the floor, the Clothesline From JBL finishes Hardy off.

Rating: C+. The ending came a bit out of nowhere but it was a good enough match to get the people involved out there. Umaga vs. Hardy has been a bit forgotten amid the two main event level matches at One Night Stand so giving them a bit of exposure was a good idea. Then again JBL vs. Cena isn’t exactly thrilling and it’s more interesting to go in another direction, even for one match.

Shawn Michaels comes to see Vince McMahon and doesn’t buy Vince wanting to appreciate the audience. Vince says Shawn will have to give the devil his due. Shawn: “You would know about that wouldn’t you?”

Video on the recent tour of Mexico.

Mr. Kennedy vs. Carlito

Carlito takes him down fast and grabs a quickly broken chinlock. The Backstabber is loaded up but Kennedy reverses into the Mic Check for the fast win.

Post match Katie Lea Burchill comes out to say some people aren’t happy with Kennedy getting rid of William Regal. Paul Burchill pops up from behind and lays Kennedy out.

Trevor Murdoch tries to sing a country version of No Chance but Vince McMahon sends him away.

One Night Stand rundown.

Video on Randy Orton vs. HHH.

More troops say hi.

Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho

Non-title. They go to the mat a few times to start and that’s good for a standoff. Shawn sends him crashing out to the floor and we take a break. Back with Shawn fighting out of a chinlock but Jericho takes him into the corner for some stomping. Jericho’s bulldog is blocked with a shove into the corner and there’s the nipup.

The superkick is countered into a Walls attempt, which is countered into a small package for two. The second Walls attempt works far better but Shawn makes the ropes. That doesn’t work for Jericho, who takes him tot he floor and grabs the Walls again for the double countout.

Rating: B-. Jericho vs. Shawn is going to work almost every time but Jericho is teetering on the brink of a heel turn. I’m curious to see how they get to what should be Jericho as quite the villain, as they could go a few different ways to get there. I’m not sure how much we’ll get out of the Shawn vs. Batista match to get there, but they have an interesting story on the way there.

Post match Jericho grabs a chair but puts it down.

Here is Vince McMahon for the big announcement despite there not being much time left. Vince walks through the roster on the stage before talking about how everyone together. Let’s do that in four weeks with the WWE Draft. Until then, for the next four weeks, Vince is going to give away MONEY. What if he gave away a thousand dollars? Ten thousand dollars? Or even A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS? Heck he’s a billionaire, so over the next week, he’s going to give away the sum of ONE MILLION DOLLARS. End of show.

Overall Rating: C+. They did a nice job of covering just about everything on this side of the One Night Stand card and that is the right idea. Other than that, the money thing at the end was more than a bit different, but at least they’re trying to set something up for after the pay per view. WWE certainly needs something fresh at the moment as they continue to milk another pay per view out of feuds they’ve been running for a long time. Not a bad show, but the build to Summerslam needs to start fast.

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

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

AND

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

Dynamite
Date: July 19, 2023
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Taz, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

It’s time to get violent, as this week’s show is all about Blood & Guts. That alone is going to be enough to carry things but we also have the FTW Title on the line as Hook defends against Jungle Boy, plus the tag team tournament finals. That should guarantee us a good show so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

FTW Title: Hook vs. Jungle Boy

Jungle Boy is challenging and we get the old Tarzan Boy music…..but instead here’s a video of Jungle Boy burying someone in the desert, then getting in a car. That seems to leave us with this.

FTW Title: Hook vs. Jack Perry

Perry (formerly Jungle Boy) is challenging. Hook starts fast and slugs away in the corner, with Perry being knocked outside. The beating continues in the crowd and Hook hits a jumping shot to the face off the barricade. Back in and Perry rakes the eyes to take over, meaning the beating can be on as we take a break.

We come back with Perry not being able to hit a German suplex off the apron. Instead, Hook exploders him to the floor and Perry needs a breather. Perry is fine enough to hit a draping DDT onto the floor but Hook is right back with another suplex. A low blow cuts Hook down and the running elbow to the back of the head gets two. The referee gets bumped so Hook’s head and arms suplex gets no count. Perry gets up and hits a belt shot to win the title at 11:38.

Rating: B-. The ending was a bit flat as I was expecting someone to come in and help Perry, but the result is what matters most. Perry has had failure after failure as the good guy but wins something here after going evil. Above all else, Jungle Boy is no more and that should be enough to make a huge difference. Hook is going to want revenge too and that’s your rematch.

Chris Jericho and Don Callis had a meeting but security got the camera out.

Adam Cole went to a restaurant last night, where MJF got to face two of his biggest fears: Spicy food and poor people. They sit down and MJF tells a story about slamming the 600lb Big Bill in front of 95,000 Maxamaniacs, bu then the food is really spicy. They drink a lot to kill the spice and then realize they drank 100% alcohol. Later, Max tells the Bill story again and then think the waiter looks like Daniel Garcia…..or maybe Sammy Garcia. There is one thing left to do: and they seemingly double clothesline the waiter. Still hilarious, with the Hulk Hogan storytelling being a gem.

Don Callis and Chris Jericho arrive and call Alex Marvez an idiot.

Britt Baker vs. Kayla Sparks

Baker stars fast with the Sling Blade and a fisherman’s neckbreaker, setting up the Lockjaw for the win at 1:06.

MJF and Adam Cole are ready to win the Tag Team Titles and Plan A is the double clothesline. MJF: “Unlike Sammy Guevara’s wife, we don’t need Plan B.” They even have matching trunks and jackets, plus one more surprise from Cole. The two of them leave, but here is Roderick Strong in a neck brace to chase after Cole.

Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament Finals: Daniel Garcia/Sammy Guevara vs. MJF/Adam Cole

Chris Jericho comes out to join commentary and we find out that Cole’s surprise is…..a theme music mash up! Garcia and MJF have a dance off before the bell, complete with music. After the lights and music end (and Jim Cornette dies), the villains jump MJF and Cole to start fast. Back to back eye pokes put Garcia in trouble though and MJF clears the ring, runs the ropes about eight times, and then stops to pose. Garcia gets in a cheap shot though and we take a break.

Back with MJF doing the staggering falling headbutt low blow to Guevara. MJF gets over to Cole, who ducks a double clothesline and superkicks Garcia. Guevara breaks up the Boom and a double Spanish Fly gets two. A half crab is broken up but MJF can’t bring himself to dive. Cole begs him to do it and MJF actually does hit a dive (leaving himself shocked). Back in and the Panama Sunrise sets up the DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE to finish Garcia at 10:42.

Rating: B. The heck do you say about this? It’s a match where you’re either having a good time with it or it’s not your thing whatsoever and that is completely understandable here. The friendship deal, as short term as it is going to be, is cracking me up more than once and it isn’t like this is going to be anything more than a bunch of fun. The match was inconsequential as MJF and Cole working together was so much fun. This was a blast overall and one of the funnier things I’ve seen in a good bit from AEW.

Post match Guevara and Garcia walk away from Jericho. With the villains gone, the referee hands Cole the World Title and MJF snaps. Cue FTR for the big staredown and everyone leaves.

Darby Allin, Nick Wayne, Orange Cassidy, Kris Statlander and the Best friends are ready for their respective matches. Allin owes AR Fox a favor and gets him an International Title shot next week. Wayne and Allin won’t put their hands in.

Chompy the dancing shark (Shark Week mascot) annoys commentary.

Here is what’s coming on various shows.

Video on Blood & Guts. The Blackpool Combat Club and Elite hate each other so let’s fight.

Here are the rules:

Two men enter for a five minute round.

The team who won the coin toss (Blackpool Combat Club) send in their second man for a three minute advantage.

The teams alternate entrances until all ten are in.

First submission wins.

Blackpool Combat Club/Pac/Konosuke Takeshita vs. Elite/Kota Ibushi

Claudio Castagnoli starts for the Club and Kenny Omega is in for the Elite. Castagnoli starts with the uppercuts before they fight over a suplex. Omega is sent into the space between the rings and sends Castagnoli into the corner. A high crossbody lets Omega hammer away but the fans want them in the other ring. Omega obliges and stomps away in the corner, setting up a standing hurricanrana. Pac comes in to make it 2-1 though and we take a break.

Back with Hangman Page coming in to even things up 2-2 and the fight is on again. House is cleaned and Page gives Pac a pop up powerbomb, setting up a top rope moonsault onto Castagnoli. Page German suplexes Pac and they split up into different rings. Castagnoli and Page take over their respective fights until Jon Moxley is in for the Club to make it 3-2. He comes complete with screwdriver (or maybe a fork) and gets to carve people up before grabbing some weapons. We get the broken glass but before anyone can get carved up, Nick Jackson is in to tie it up at 3-3.

Nick snaps off some hurricanranas to send people into the glass until Moxley drops Nick into it instead. Moxley even puts it on Nick’s chest and stomps away before Omega is slammed onto the glass. Wheeler Yuta is in to make it 4-3 with the villains taking over again. We take a break and come back again with Matt Jackson coming in to even things up at 4-4.

Matt faceplants Pac and hits an assisted Sliced Bread on Castagnoli. Moxley is back up for some suplexes to drop the Bucks as Castagnoli seems to have stolen Page’s vest. A Kitaro Crusher sends Yuta into the glass but here is Konosuke Takeshita to complete the evil team and make it 5-4.

Takeshita suplexes both Bucks at once (take that Moxley) and then punches a chair into Omega’s face. Don Callis is now on commentary as Omega has a freaking bed of nails. Moxley whips him into it and slams him onto them, with Castagnoli looking terrified. Kota Ibushi is in to finalize both teams at 5-5, so Yuta goes to meet him on the stage and gets dropped.

Moxley stands on Omega’s hand on the nails but Ibushi comes over to kick away at him. Ibushi puts him on the nails and hits a standing moonsault as Matt and Wheeler fight outside the cage. The Club gets in another quick advantage and we take a break. Back with Matt suplexing Yuta around the top of the cage until Yuta suplexes his way out of danger. Moxley piledrives Ibushi onto the glass and a bunch more piledrivers are loaded up.

Instead Matt drops thumbtacks from the roof and Castagnoli/Pac are backdropped onto the tacks. Nick fires off a bunch of superkicks to take over again. A toss powerbomb into two kicks in the corner drop Pac and a string of shots from the top rope have him in more trouble as we take another break. Back with the villains hitting a string of superplexes as Pac goes up top. A dropping double stomp puts Matt through a table in a crazy crash.

We get the big ten man brawl in the middle, with the Bucks (screw that falling stomp from the top of the cage) up for superkicks. The parade of strikes set up the dragon suplex to drop Takeshita onto the glass. A bunch of submissions have the Elite in trouble but Ibushi makes some rather slow motion saves. Hold on though as Castagnoli and Pac have issues, resulting in Pac flipping them off and leaving.

Omega uses the distraction to get up and clean house with a bunch of suplexes. The Buckshot Lariat drops Castagnoli and Wheeler gets hit in the head a lot. Moxley gets handcuffed to the ropes as Don Callis pulls Takeshita out of the match. Yuta is sent face first into a boot covered with thumbtacks before a chain around the throat makes him give up at 50:49.

Rating: B-. And that’s probably being generous. This was WAY too long (longer than the 1991/1992 editions combined) with far too much time spent standing around and not even trying to win the match. I still can’t stand all the weapons (like the BED OF NAILS that Omega was slammed onto, only to be up a few minutes later) being brought in as the cage and violence itself really should be good enough.

Other than that, Ibushi did just shy of nothing here and looked like he would have rather been anywhere else. The match was far from terrible as the violence was good in parts, but this needed to be at least twenty minutes shorter. The point of these matches is supposed to be hatred and violence, not stretching it out for as long as you can. Cut it down, sell more and stop with the ridiculous weapon spots. You’re in a double steel cage. That’s enough for the majority of the carnage, or at least it should be.

Overall Rating: B. This was the pay per view level TV show that you get to see at times and it worked rather well. You had a title change, a very fun tag match, and a main event that certainly felt big but didn’t exactly stick the landing. What mattered here was the big atmosphere though and they absolutely nailed it. Very entertaining show, but the main event needed some work.

Results
Jack Perry b. Hook – Belt shot
Britt Baker b. Kayla Sparks – Lockjaw
MJF/Adam Cole b. Daniel Garcia/Sammy Guevara – Double clothesline to Garcia
Elite/Kota Ibushi b. Blackpool Combat Club/Pac/Konosuke Takeshita when Yuta submitted

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

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

AND

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

Dynamite
Date: July 12, 2023
Location: SaskTel Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re still in Canada and a week away from Blood & Guts next week. That means we should be getting a big build towards the match, but at the same time, there are also three tournaments, plus Battle Of The Belts coming up. For now though the Blind Eliminator tournament gets a little more focus so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Komander vs. Chris Jericho

Jericho sends him into the corner for the headstand to start so Komander comes back with a very bouncy hurricanrana. Komander tries to bounce around but gets forearmed in the face, setting up the backbreaker. Back up and Komander snaps off some kicks to the face, only to be hiptossed out to the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Komander in trouble, including a pair of powerbombs to plant him hard. The Lionsault misses so Komander grans la majistral for two. Back up and Jericho takes his head off with a clothesline but Komander kicks him down. The rope walk shooting star press gets two and Jericho misses a dive to the floor. Komander hits the rope walk flipping dive (or trick as Tony calls it), setting up a phoenix splash for two back inside. Jericho’s Codebreaker gets two so Komander tries another springboard, only to get pulled into the Liontamer for the tap at 12:50.

Rating: B-. Komander was trying here but there were so many instances where Jericho had to stand there for Komander to set something up. That doesn’t make for the best visual as I keep waiting for Jericho to do something about it. Other than that, Jericho pulling him in and ultimately catching Komander trying once too often is a good way to go. Just stop being so ridiculous and Komander’s stock goes way up.

Post match Don Callis comes out to show us a clip of himself and Jericho, with their mentor Bad News Allen, early in their careers. Jericho remembers this and says Allen told them to stay together. They didn’t keep his promise but Callis believes that Allen is looking down and smiling at the idea of the two of them getting together again. Jericho still doesn’t say yes.

Jungle Boy will not get out of his car so here is Hook to chase him away. Hook: “Keep running Perry.”

Don Callis is ready to name the fifth member of his team for Blood & Guts.

We recap MJF’s efforts to win over Adam Cole.

MJF and Cole were at a bar last week, with MJF not being pleased over Cole not wearing their team shirt. Some attractive women come in and MJF says two for him, two for Cole. That’s not going to work for Cole, which MJF says makes four for him. MJF and the ladies leave and we cut to MJF coming back, saying the maximum ride is spent.

Cole says he’ll put the team shirt on if they do what he wants to do next. Cool with MJF…..but Cole wants to play video games. It happens to be Fight Forever, where they bond over how they were going to turn on each other. They win the titles in the game to wrap up this hilariously goofy segment.

Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament Semifinals: Darby Allin/Orange Cassidy vs. Sammy Guevara/Daniel Garcia

Sammy mocks the hands in the pockets to start before they trade armdrags. Cassidy puts his hands in his own pockets, leaving Sammy to spin into his pose. Allin comes in for a handshake before hitting a heck of a suicide dive onto Garcia. Back up and Garcia tags himself in for the spinning front chancery to Allin as we take a break.

We come back with Cassidy getting the hot tag and coming in to take over. Garcia’s sleeper is quickly broken up but the Dragontamer has Cassidy in trouble. Allin makes the save and it’s the Stundog Millionaire into Allin’s flipping Stunner into Cassidy’s spinning DDT. Guevara is back in with a running knee but a second misses, allowing Cassidy to hit the Beach Break.

Cassidy and Garcia trade rollups for two each until they trade shots to the face for a double knockdown. Sammy misses the shooting star press as Garcia Dragontamers Cassidy. Cue Prince Nana of all people to hand Garcia the skateboard. With Allin going after Garcia, here is Swerve Strickland for a cheap shot. The GTH hits Allin for the pin at 12:53.

Rating: B-. It would have been hard to imagine MJF/Cole not going through to the finals but this practically seals their spot. The interesting thing here is you could have gone either way for the winners, as both teams were options to move on. Strickland interfering works well as a way to save Allin’s status, but the Society moving on to the finals makes all the sense in the world too.

Video on Nick Wayne, who started training for wrestling at 9 years old. Then his father died and now he wrestles for both of them.

Roderick Strong, in a neck brace, asks Adam Cole if he is starting to really like MJF. Cole gets a text from MJF, saying he has the flu and might not be able to go.

Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament Semifinals: Brian Cage/Big Bill vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Adam Cole

And MJF is fine. Cole even has his team shirt as MJF asks who wants to see him slam Bill. MJF tries and there goes his back as a result. That means we need a quick meeting on the floor before it’s off to Cole vs. Cage. We pause for Cage to do some pushups and it’s back to Bill vs. MJF, the latter of whom still can’t hit a slam. Bill gets dropped as we take a break.

We come back with MJF losing his shirt and telling Bill to hit him. Instead Bill grabs a choke but MJF manages the slam. Cage comes back in and blocks a piledriver so MJF goes to the eyes and dives over to Cole. MJF calls for the double clothesline but Bill clotheslines both of them instead. Some superkicks put Bill down for a change but Cage hits a double clothesline of his own. The fall away slam/Samoan drop combination has Cole and MJF in more trouble. Not that it matters as Cole is right back with the Boom to finish Cage out of nowhere at 10:14.

Rating: C+. Sweet goodness this team is fun. I know it isn’t a long term thing and it shouldn’t be, but I’m having a great time watching Cole and MJF be goofy together. That’s exactly what they’re going for before the big betrayal, which should be a heck of a moment (even better if the double clothesline is involved). This story has been all kinds of fun and they made a match work that way too.

Post match MJF acknowledges how over he is in Canada but then has Cole do his own catchphrase. MJF says the double clothesline is coming and we get a rare DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE chant. After explaining boundaries to MJF, Cole says he never expected this to work, but they’re doing pretty well. They’re ready to win the tournament.

Roderick Strong is in the back and doesn’t seem impressed.

Jake Hager goes to see Chris Jericho, who is considering the Don Callis offer. Hager goes over their history together and hands him his hat.

Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Semifinals: Ruby Soho vs. Skye Blue

Soho runs her over to start and they go to the apron, where Toni Storm’s distraction doesn’t work. Instead Blue faceplants Soho on the apron but gets sent knees first into the steps. Soho kicks at the knee back inside and wraps it around the post to keep Blue in trouble. Back up and Soho gets in some kicks of her own, allowing her to plant Soho for a fast two. The knee gives out but Blue is still able to block Destination Unknown. A half crab sends Blue over to the ropes but her leg gives out again. Soho hits a middle rope No Future for the pin at 8:36.

Rating: C. I could have seen this one going either way as Blue winning the whole thing would not have shocked me. Soho could use a win of some kind if she isn’t going to be a champion anytime soon, so sending her forward makes sense. The match itself was only so good, but an underdog fighting through an injury is almost always going to work.

Harley Cameron has a music video for a song called Rap Lessons.

Swerve Strickland vs. Nick Wayne

Wayne turned 18 the day before yesterday and takes Strickland into the corner for a tap on the jaw. Some kicks miss for Wayne and that’s an early standoff. Wayne sends him to the apron where a hurricanrana sends Strickland outside as we take a break. Back with Wayne fighting out of a chinlock and catching Strickland on in the corner.

Cue Darby Allin to cheer Wayne on as a reverse hurricanrana gives Wayne two. Wayne’s World (diving cutter) gets another two but Strickland counters a hurricanrana attempt into a powerbomb. The Last Call, plus a glare at Allin, sets up the JML driver to finish Wayne at 10:36.

Rating: B-. Wayne is incredibly young and definitely feels like someone who came up through the independents, but he does have a natural athleticism that works for him. I’m not sure how far he is going to go right off the bat, but it’s certainly a unique story. He got in a lot on Strickland here, though ultimately AEW did the right thing.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Here is Don Callis to announce the fifth member for Blood & Guts. Callis mocks Kenny Omega, who comes out but gets cut off by Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita. Cue Pac, who will be the fifth man, to help with the big beatdown of Omega. Hold on though as Omega, despite being choked with a chair, says his team has a fifth member as well: Kota Ibushi. The Elite make the save and Omega promises to destroy Callis to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was another tournament heavy show but the good thing is next week will be completely focused on something else. The MJF/Cole stuff is pretty great and that makes for more than enough of an interesting story. Other than that, you had a lot of focus on the Chris Jericho/Don Callis stuff and….yeah I cannot bring myself to be interested in Callis and his unending string of “remember when’s”. It was a good show for the most part, but Blood & Guts next week will change everything.

Results
Chris Jericho b. Komander – Liontamer
Daniel Garcia/Sammy Guevara b. Orange Cassidy/Darby Allin – GTH to Allin
Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Adam Cole b. Brian Cage/Big Bill – Boom to Cage
Ruby Soho b. Skye Blue – No Future
Swerve Strickland b. Nick Wayne – JML Driver

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

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

AND

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