Dynamite
Date: April 17, 2024
Location: Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

Things took a big turn last week and now we get to see things get back on the right track. One of the biggest ways to do that might be having the return of Jon Moxley, who is now the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. It’s also the last Dynamite before Dynasty and that could mean some last minute additions. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Here is Jon Moxley to get things going. Moxley talks about how he won one of his first titles right here in Indianapolis and even back then, a lot of people were talking about how he wasn’t what he needed to be. His answer is still the same: watch him do what he does, which is what this IWGP World Heavyweight Title is all about. He’s been chasing the title for five years and no it wasn’t impossible if you know what is beating in his chest.

AEW is about being willing to show the world what you are all about, which brings him to the Don Callis Family. Moxley doesn’t like what is going on with the Family and Bryan Danielson so he’s challenging Powerhouse Hobbs to a match next week. Pain and violence are promised. This started as the latest AEW Rah Rah speech but they did shift away from that pretty quickly. Also, I’m not sure how much we needed a celebration of the new IWGP World Champion on the same week AEW asks you to pay to see an already only so strong AEW World Title match.

Mercedes Mone is not happy with being attacked in the dark last week and the locker room is ON NOTICE (feel free to retire that line anytime soon). She’ll be watching tonight’s mixed tag match.

Adam Copeland/Willow Nightingale vs. House Of Black

Hold on though as Nightingale has been attacked in the back so here is Brody King to jump Copeland from behind. The beating is on before the bell and Copeland is sent into the steps. Copeland gets inside and the bell rings, with the commercial coming in eleven seconds into the (handicap) match.

Back with Copeland fighting out of a superplex and knocking him down, meaning it’s time to strike it out. Copeland hits a running boot in the corner for two, followed by a neckbreaker to put King down again. The spear is cut off but King misses the Cannonball in the corner. Cue Nightingale to go after Hart and hit a Cannonball on King. The distraction lets Hart get in a chain shot, setting up Hartless on the unconscious Nightingale for the win at 8:49.

Rating: C. This was more or less Copeland vs. King until the angle at the end. That doesn’t have me feeling the strongest about Hart’s injury status, but at least she did get in the ring near the end to do something physical. Nightingale needs to win the title so she can have something important on her resume, but I’m not sure I can go for Hart losing the title yet.

Post match Mercedes Mone runs in to chase Hart off. Mone picks up the chair and stares at Nightingale before throwing it down.

Samoa Joe talks about how Swerve Strickland won’t stay down but Joe is ready to beat him again. He’ll have to get the title belt disinfected after Prince Nana touched it but let’s talk about Swerve coming up short every single time. Joe is ready to do his thing as usual and end Swerve once and for all.

The Young Bucks have bumped a package about FTR but promise to beat them on Sunday. Oh and Kazuchika Okada will take care of Pac. Why Tony Khan is just sitting there bewildered isn’t clear.

Young Bucks/Kazuchika Okada vs. Daniel Garcia/Pac/Penta El Zero Miedo

Penta kicks at Matt’s leg to start before sending Nick to the floor. There’s a superkick to Matt as everything breaks down. Matt kicks Garcia from the apron and we take an early break. Back with Matt on a headset doing live commentary (which can be heard in the arena) as he gets the tag. He can’t talk his way out of a belly to back suplex from Garcia so it’s Pac coming in to clean house (with Matt’s mic seemingly being turned off).

Pac hits a moonsault to the floor and goes after Okada, only to get cheap shotted from behind. Everything breaks down and Pac gets in a neck snap over the top to take over. Pac gets smart by dragging Penta over for the tag but the Black Arrow is broken up. Garcia is kicked into Okada’s Tombstone and there’s one for Penta as well. The Rainmaker finishes Garcia at 12:18.

Rating: B-. The action was good but Garcia might as well have worn a shirt saying “I’m taking the pin”. Pac is getting a title shot and Penta feels like too big of a star. That didn’t make for the most drama about the result, though Pac vs. Okada should be a heck of a match when they get the chance to do something. Otherwise, now we can move on to the Bucks winning the titles as the fans continue to leave, but at least AEW can stand their ground.

Post match the winners load up a ladder but Pac makes the save with his ring bell hammer.

Here are Chris Jericho and Hook for a chat with Taz moderating. Jericho thanks Taz for getting this out here before saying Hook wasn’t listening to him as much as he should have last week. Some people think he is great and the truth is Jericho IS the learning tree. Anyone who comes into the Jericho Vortex comes out better and now he’s ready to achieve greatness with Hook. What do you say? Hook: “No.” He doesn’t need Jericho’s help, so Jericho tells him to not be stupid.

Taz tries to cut it off but Jericho says he’s giving Hook some proper guidance like Taz should have a long time ago. Jericho goes on a rant about Hook not being ready and decks Taz for trying to intervene again. Hook grabs Jericho by the shirt and tells him to get out of his ring. Jericho does, as I try to figure out how this is supposed to make Hook like good in any way. We’ve established Hook can beat Jericho up but here he just shoves him a bit and tells him to get away? After Jericho hit Hook’s dad, who had to retire due to injuries and hasn’t wrestled a serious match in 20+ years?

We get a sitdown interview with Swerve Strickland, who doesn’t think much of Samoa Joe calling him a choke artist. Swerve has stumbled before and we hear about some of the horrible things that have happened to him this year. No matter what though, he’s still here. Joe can call him whatever he wants but on Dynasty, Joe can call him champ. Swerve is going to say something to Joe’s face tonight.

Mariah May vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Toni Storm is here too. May takes her into the corner to start but Purrazzo legdrags her way to freedom. It’s way too early for the Fujiwara armbar as May slips to the floor and whips Purrazzo into the barricade. Back in and the Stratusphere is broken up so May shoves her outside instead as we take a break.

We come back with Purrazzo slugging away before grabbing the Fujiwara armbar. May makes the rope again so Purrazzo tries a powerbomb which….doesn’t exactly work. Instead May sends her into the corner for a hip attack into a tornado DDT. Storm doesn’t seem happy and it gets a lot worse as Purrazzo rolls May up for the pin at 8:02.

Rating: C-. Purrazzo is boosted back up as May seems to disappoint Storm yet again. I’m not sure what is next for Purrazzo, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see May get yelled at by Storm, leaving Mina Shirakawa to pick up the pieces. The match itself wasn’t the best either though, as it had multiple sloppy moments and Purrazzo doesn’t exactly look great for winning here.

Post match the beatdown is on until Thunder Rosa runs in to save Purrazzo.

Bullet Club Gold challenges the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn for a winner take all match at Dynasty.

Gunn and the Acclaimed are in.

Shane Taylor vs. Orange Cassidy

The rest of Shane Taylor Promotions are here with Taylor but he says he’s got this. The team stays as Cassidy hits a dropkick to start, only to get draped over the top for a Stunner. Taylor drops him again and we take an early break. Back with Cassidy slugging away but Moriarty and Ogogo offer distractions, allowing Taylor to grab him by the throat. Stundog Millionaire gets Cassidy out of trouble but Taylor hits him in the face. Not that it matters as the Orange Punch gives Cassidy the pin at 8:00.

Rating: C. Taylor has been getting quite a bit of television time in recent weeks and beating him still means just enough. That being said, Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta is one of the most interesting stories going in AEW today and a lot of that has to do with how it feels personal. That can go a long way and it has done so thus far in their story.

Post match the beatdown is on so Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal run out for the save…but are cut off by Trent Beretta, because Orange Cassidy cannot have any friends.

Video on Roderick Strong vs. Kyle O’Reilly.

Will Ospreay vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Castagnoli grabs a rollup for two to start before blocking a hurricanrana with pure power. An uppercut cuts Ospreay off rather quickly but he knocks Castagnoli outside. Castagnoli walks away from the tease of a dive so Ospreay takes over on the floor, only to have a springboard cut off back inside. They forearm it out with Ospreay managing to knock him outside. Another dive is pulled out of the air and Ospreay is planted as we take a break.

Back with Ospreay getting two off a Phenomenal Forearm before they trade Sharpshooters. With Castagnoli’s broken up, he switches over to a crossface, which is reversed into a tiger driver to give Ospreay two. Back up and Castagnoli hits a hard clothesline for two, followed by Ospreay’s rollup for the same.

Ospreay springboards into a Burning Hammer for another near fall so Ospreay switches to a Spanish Fly for two of his own. Castagnoli grabs the Swing but Ospreay rolls his way up for a DDT (that was sweet). Spiral Tap gives Ospreay two more and the Hidden Blade finishes Castagnoli at 14:23.

Rating: B. These guys had a heck of a match and that shouldn’t be a surprise at this point. That’s kind of what Ospreay does and putting him in there against Castagnoli is a guaranteed good match. Ospreay will be ready for Bryan Danielson at Dynasty and this brings it a bit closer to home, but “yeah this was a good match, but wait until you see THIS MATCH” is still only getting me so far.

Post match the Don Callis Family comes in for the beatdown so here is Jon Moxley to go after Powerhouse Hobbs.

We run down the Dynasty card.

Here is Swerve Strickland (a minute after the show was supposed to end) for a chat. People have been asking why he thinks he’s going to beat Samoa Joe but last week Joe showed him everything he needed to see. Now Swerve is out here waiting for Joe to come out here and hear it face to face.

Cue Joe so security comes out, only to have Swerve come off the top and Stomp them to land in front of Joe. The brawl is on, with Prince Nana offering a distraction so Swerve can kick Joe in the face. Joe catches him on top and plants him down before posing with the title to end the show. Swerve’s dive was great, but he almost has to win the title on Sunday.

Overall Rating: B-. The wrestling continues to be good, though I’m having a hard time getting into Dynasty. Between the Young Bucks continuing to take the interest out of everything they touch, the lack of anything more than “Danielson vs. Ospreay will be great” and Jericho getting his hooks into Hook, there is a lot of stuff here that really isn’t making me care. That being said, Cassidy vs. Beretta has potential, Okada vs. Pac should be a war and Swerve vs. Joe had a heck of a nice final push. Good stuff from the wrestlers, less so from the storytelling, making it quite the AEW show.

Results
House Of Black b. Adam Copeland/Willow Nightingale – Hartless to Nightingale
Young Bucks/Kazuchika Okada b. Penta El Zero Miedo/Pac/Daniel Garcia – Rainmaker to Garcia
Deonna Purrazzo b. Mariah May – Sunset flip
Orange Cassidy b. Shane Taylor – Orange Punch
Will Ospreay b. Claudio Castagnoli – Hidden Blade

Remember to check out my website at kbwrestlingreviews.com and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

Ring Of Honor
Date: April 11, 2024
Location: Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, South Carolina
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We are officially done with Supercard Of Honor and the big story is a new World Champion as Mark Briscoe dethroned Eddie Kingston. That should make for something interesting going forward, but none of that matters if the new champ is barely ever around here. Hopefully the show keeps up its shorter run times as they have helped a lot. Let’s get to it.

Here is Supercard Of Honor if you need a recap.

Supercard Of Honor recap.

Eddie Kingston and Mark Briscoe toast themselves following their win. And they like each other! They’re ready for the House Of Black at Dynasty.

Isiah Kassidy vs. Action Andretti

Marq Quen is here too. Kassidy hammers away to start but gets taken down with a running headscissors. They head outside where Kassidy pounds him down again and nails a whip into the barricade. Kassidy gets to mock him a bit, followed by an elbow to the face back inside. Andretti fights up and hits a backbreaker into a neckbreaker to send Kassidy outside.

The big dive connects and Andretti puts him down for two back inside. Kassidy cutters him to the floor, setting up a Swan Dive for a near fall of his own. The Twist of Fate is countered and Andretti hits a Disaster Kick for a rather close two. Quen offers a distraction so Andretti dives into a cutter for an even nearer near fall. They go up top where Andretti backflips out of a super Side Effect (cool) and hits a dropkick into the corner. The split legged moonsault puts Kassidy away at 9:57.

Rating: B. We’ll file this under “who saw THAT coming” as a tag guy and a lower level star like Andretti had a heck of a match. Those were some great near falls and I actually wasn’t sure who was going to win until the end. I can go for more stuff like this around here as it was far better than I would have guessed.

The Kingdom, with Wardlow, are happy with their win at Supercard of Honor.

The Infantry say you can’t stop them and they’re still coming.

Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Kaz Jordan/Julian Ward

Moriarty pulls Ward into a quickly broken abdominal stretch before knocking Jordan off the apron. Taylor comes in to throw Jordan into the corner for a heck of a clothesline. Something close to a chokeslam puts Jordan down again and it’s a headbutt to make it worse. The Marcus Garvey Driver finishes for Taylor at 3:37.

Rating: C. Nothing but a squash here as the Promotions continue to dominate. In theory that should get them a title shot, but that isn’t likely to happen as long as the Kingdom has the titles. It would be nice to see them go somewhere other than doing nothing matches on AEW, but there are some weird moves between the two rosters.

We look at Billie Starkz faking a neck injury to win the Women’s TV Title.

Starkz shows the title to her mom, who is not happy with how Starkz won the match. Athena is a bad influence and Starkz is stunned. She goes over to Athena to celebrate instead.

Nyla Rose vs. Kat Von Heez

Rose powers her into the corner to start and a Hennig neck snap makes it worse for Heez. A backsplash and frog splash finish for Rose at 1:04.

We look at Kyle Fletcher retaining the TV Title over Lee Johnson.

Johnson is happy with his performance because he got here, meaning he didn’t lose.

Fletcher is glad to be back after his visa issues.

Cole Karter vs. Christopher Daniels

Karter takes him down to start and Daniels even shakes his hand. Daniels is back up with a slam of his own but Karter hits a running clothesline for two. A dropkick gives Karter two and the chinlock goes on. With that broken up, Karter pops up and hits another dropkick, allowing him to strike a pose in the corner. Back up and Daniels hits an STO but the Angel’s Wings is broken up. Daniels avoids a top rope cannonball though and grabs Angel’s Wings for the pin at 5:24.

Rating: C. So Karter and Griff Garrison beat the Spanish Announce Project at Supercard but then Karter loses to CHRISTOPHER DANIELS the following week? Do you have any idea how low you have sunk to lose to Daniels at this point in his career? The match was fine, but it’s almost confusing to see what they did here.

We look at Dalton Castle winning the Fight Without Honor at Supercard, thanks to an assist from Paul Walter Hauser.

Hauser reveals that he was offered a chance to hang out with Johnny TV but Johnny offering a bunch of Boys made it feel weird.

Righteous vs. Bryce Donovan/Chico Adams

Vincent runs Adams over with a forearm to start and Dutch comes in with the legdrop. Donovan gets the tag and cleans a few of the rooms, only to get caught in Autumn Sunshine for the pin at 2:48. Nothing much to this one.

We look at Athena retaining the Women’s Title (again) over Hikaru Shida at Supercard.

Anna Jay vs. LMK

Feeling out process to start with Jay taking her into the corner for some chops. A few more strikes set up a Blockbuster, followed by a Gory Bomb to finish LMK off at 2:27.

Mina Shirakawa praises Mariah May for her win at Supercard and kisses her. Champagne is toasted.

Josh Woods is ready to hurt people as part of the Premiere Athletes.

Zak Knight vs. Alvin Alvarez

Knight spears him down for two to start and rains down some right hands in the corner. The good sized Alvin gets in a shot of his own but Knight suplexes him down. The running forearm sets up a Falcon Arrow….for two. Alvin fights up and the crowd is behind him, only for a clothesline to finish for Knight at 2:29.

Kyle Fletcher vs. Rhett Titus

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning that if Titus survives the ten minute time limit or wins, he gets a future TV Title shot. Fletcher won’t shake hands and instead slams Titus down to start. Titus is sent to the apron but comes back with a slingshot shoulder. Fletcher knocks him down again and works on the arm, only to get reversed into a slingshot suplex. The big dropkick has Fletcher in trouble and a backbreaker makes it worse. Titus’ belly to belly sets up a half crab but Fletcher slips out. A snap German suplex into a half and half suplex into the piledriver finish Titus at 5:05.

Rating: C+. Titus is one of those guys from the older days of Ring Of Honor and he can still have a nice match here or there. It’s the kind of win that gives Fletcher a boost as he has to rebuild things up a bit after his visa hiatus. It’s a nice way to go for a main event and having one Proving Ground match work before made it feel that much more possible here.

Overall Rating: B-. This is a few weeks now with a far better length show and that has helped things tremendously. They fit eight matches into a little over 65 minutes here while also doing a bunch of promos. Outside of the opener and maybe the main event, the wrestling wasn’t anything noteworthy, but they featured some people and didn’t overstay their welcome. This Ring Of Honor works and if they keep that up, we could be in for a nice run.

Results
Action Andretti b. Isiah Kassidy – Split legged moonsault
Shane Taylor Promotions b. Kaz Jordan/Julian Ward – Marcus Garvey Driver to Jordan
Nyla Rose b. Kat Von Heez – Frog splash
Christopher Daniels b. Cole Karter – Angel’s Wings
Righteous b. Bryce Donovan/Chico Adams – Autumn Sunshine to Adams
Anna Jay b. LMK – Gory Bomb
Zak Knight b. Alvin Alvarez – Clothesline
Kyle Fletcher b. Rhett Titus – Piledriver

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

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Battle Of The Belts X
Date: April 13, 2024
Location: Truist Arena, Highland Heights, Kentucky
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard

We’re back for another one of these things and that could go in a few directions. The card is focused on titles, but in this case there are no actual AEW titles on the line. Instead we have an unsanctioned title, an ROH title, and a title eliminator match. That’s quite the way to go so let’s get to it.

We open with fallout from the end of Collision, with the Don Callis Family laying out Bryan Danielson on the ramp.

Hook is asked about his title defense against Shane Taylor. Katsuyori Shibata, through the translator, says he has his back, but Hook respectfully has this.

FTW Title: Hook vs. Shane Taylor

Hook is defending under FTW Rules. The early strikes only get Hook so far but he low bridges Taylor out to the floor. The hard knees to the chest have Taylor in more trouble but Taylor drops him with a shot to the ribs back inside. Taylor starts in on the ribs, which he drapes across the top rope as we take a break.

Back with Taylor hitting a legdrop on the apron and pounding him down into the corner. Hook won’t quit so Taylor whips him into the corner again. The splash misses and Hook slugs away before grabbing the German suplex. Taylor is back with a release Rock Bottom out of the corner though and a middle rope splash gets two. Taylor can’t believe it but Hook grabs the Redrum, with even a drop to the mat not being enough to keep it broken. Hook keeps cranking and Taylor is out at 10:25.

Rating: C+. Classic big vs. little man match here with Hook hanging in there until the end and choking Taylor out. It was feeling like the Bayley vs. Nia Jax match from Takeover: London a good many years ago and that is not a bad thing. Hook gets to slay a monster and Taylor isn’t going to lose any status by putting Hook over here.

Rocky Romero is ready for Roderick String. Kyle O’Reilly comes in to wish him luck.

Roderick Strong vs. Rocky Romero

Non-title and the Undisputed Era is here with Strong. They fight over wrist control to start and then grapple to the mat with neither being able to get that far ahead. A running hurricanrana sends Strong into the corner and Romero starts in on the arm. Strong’s arm is fine enough to grab a backbreaker but Romero is back with a running basement dropkick. Romero sends him outside for a double stomp off the apron and we take a break.

Back with Romero fighting out of a chinlock and kicking him out to the floor. Romero hits some dives to take out Strong and company, followed by a standing Sliced Bread for two. Strong hits the Sick Kick for two of his own but Romero snaps off a hurricanrana into a tornado DDT. They go up top with a super Sliced Bread giving Romero two more. Romero goes up top but dives into a jumping knee to retain Strong’s title at 11:39.

Rating: C+. So Strong beats him clean with a jumping knee to the face. Why then was this match on a show about championships non-title? Anyway, it was another match where the people involved will all but guarantee that it’s at least decent but the idea of Romero winning a title in AEW isn’t the most plausible concept.

Post match Kyle O’Reilly comes in to check on Romero but the Undisputed Era comes in to lay O’Reilly out.

Serena Deeb would love to face Yuka Sakazaki and needs to climb the rankings so they can fight.

Ring Of Honor Women’s Title: Athena vs. Red Velvet

Athena, with her minion Billie Starkz (and with other minion Lexi Nair handling the ring introductions), is defending. They fight over a lockup to start until velvet snaps off some armdrags. Velvet knocks her outside for a moonsault off the apron but a belly to back suplex onto the apron drops Velvet right back down.

We take a break and come back with Velvet hitting some running knees against the ropes. Athena grabs a fireman’s carry, only to have Velvet snap off a hurricanrana to escape. Velvet flips her off the top and kicks Athena in the head, setting up a tornado DDT. Athena is back up and they crash out to the floor, where Athena sends her into the apron. Back in and Velvet grabs a rollup for two but Athena hits her in the face. The O Face (top rope Stunner) retains the title at 12:44.

Rating: C. The only good thing here was getting to see Athena having a chance on the main show (or at least in AEW) rather than being stuck in ROH forever. It worked well enough as Velvet is pretty low in the division, but she wasn’t the point here. Athena needs to be up in AEW already, but for some reason it just hasn’t happened yet.

Post match Athena and Starkz beat Velvet down but Queen Aminata comes in for the save. Aminata stares at Athena and kicks her to the floor to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. And this is the latest Battle Of The Belts, as it continues to feel like AEW is going “erg, we have to do this again?”. This show managed to not actually feature any AEW titles being defended, including a non-title match on a show about titles. The big story here was a likely match between Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong being set up, which doesn’t quite feel like it needed an hour long special. As usual, the shows aren’t terrible, but they feel so detached from everything that matters in AEW. I know it gets a small audience, but maybe that would change if they, I don’t know, tried?

Results
Hook b. Shane Taylor – Redrum
Roderick Strong b. Rocky Romero – Jumping knee
Athena b. Red Velvet – O Face

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

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Collision
Date: April 6, 2024
Location: DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

We are on a delay this week with the show airing at 11:30pm due to the NCAA Final Four and (unofficially) Wrestlemania. That is a good move from AEW as there is little reason to run the show at the normal time against that kind of competition. The big feature this week is FTR vs. Top Flight for the shot against the Young Bucks for the Tag Team Titles at Dynasty. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinals: FTR vs. Top Flight

Wheeler and Darius trade arm control to start until Wheeler grabs a backslide for two. Dante comes in for a kick to the back and FTR needs a breather on the floor. Back in and FTR take over on Darius, with Wheeler chopping him into the corner. Dante comes back in for a rollup into a middle rope crossbody for two before taking Harwood into the wrong corner.

Something close to Poetry In Motion knocks Harwood outside as commentary talks about Trent Beretta turning on Orange Cassidy. Harwood gets smart by tricking Wheeler outside for a cheap shot from Wheeler as we take a break. Dante reversing a superplex into a crossbody for two and handing it back to Darius.

A crucifix gets two on Harwood and everything breaks down with a dive taking Wheeler out on the floor. Darius’ springboard cutter gets two on Harwood but raised knees cut off a frog splash attempt. Darius is back up with a high crossbody for two so Wheeler sends Dante outside. That leaves Darius to go up and dive into a Shatter Machine for the pin at 15:40.

Rating: B. Good match as FTR continues to be the team that lures their opponents in to catch them in the end. That’s exactly what happened here, with Darius going for one too many high risks moves and got caught in the Shatter Machine. Now it’s on to Dynasty, where the Bucks will likely get their win back so they can get the titles again as more fans change the channel.

Video on Kazuchika Okada.

Pac vs. Encore Moore

Pac starts fast and whips him hard into the corner so the stomping can ensue. Some rolling suplexes have Moore down again and the Brutalizer finishes at 2:24.

Post match Pac challenges Kazuchika Okada.

Bryan Danielson talks about wanting to be the best version of himself and that needs to be the case against Will Ospreay. He is excited to test himself because someone was with Danielson and said Ospreay might be the best wrestler ever. The build makes sense but it’s not quite hooking me in.

Hook/Chris Jericho vs. Shane Taylor Promotions

Jericho and Taylor start things off with Taylor easily punching him into the corner. Jericho as to cover up but manages a shot to the face, followed by a double suplex to put Taylor down. Hook stays in and gets taken into the wrong corner, only to fight right back out. It’s back to Jericho who tries the Walls on Moriarty but has to dropkick Taylor down instead.

We take a break and come back with Jericho knocking Moriarty down for the Lionsault. The tag brings Hook back in to clean house but he can’t suplex Taylor. Moriarty pulls Jericho into the Border City Stretch, which is reversed into the Walls. Hook manages the t-bone on Taylor, leaving Moriarty to tap at 8:55.

Rating: C+. The match wasn’t bad and Jericho/Hook worked well enough together but it’s really not that interesting to see them together. It feels like Jericho’s latest project and those have been hit and miss at best. Maybe it will work out, but I could go for a long break from Jericho and now it seems we’ll be seeing him doing this for awhile.

Post match Anthony Ogogo of all people comes in to lay out Jericho and Hook before joining Shane Taylor Promotions. For those of you wondering, the answer to “how long has he been gone” is “his last (non-dark) match for AEW was in August 2022.”

Dustin Rhodes wants to show he can still do it so he wants Samoa Joe for the World Title on Dynamite.

Will Ospreay is ready to face Bryan Danielson at Dynamite. No word on why Renee Paquette changed her clothes since she talked to Danielson.

House Of Black vs. Christopher Daniels/Matt Sydal/Bryan Keith

Black headlocks Keith to start before firing off the kicks. King comes in so Sydal wants Keith’s help against him. That’s fine with King, who wrecks them both and knocks Daniels down as we take a break. Back with Sydal coming in to clean house, including a very spinning headscissors to Matthews.

A jumping knee to the face gets two on Matthews but he’s back up with a knee of his own. Dante’s Inferno hits Sydal and Keith gets run over as well. A triple kick to the head in the corner hits Keith but Daniels makes the save. The End drops Daniels and Matthews’ swinging pumphandle slam finishes at 9:26.

Rating: C. Good enough here but it was a long match before the only realistic result. The House is setting up for a big match and needed a warmup like this one, which went well enough. At the end of the day, Daniels being on a team more or less guarantees he’s going to lose, which makes a nearly ten minute match feel that much longer.

Post match here is Adam Copeland from behind to go after the House but he has a staredown with Black. That lets the House beat him down but Mark Briscoe and FTR run in for the save. Cue the Young Bucks to brawl with FTR, leaving the good guys to stand tall.

Rocky Romero wants an eliminator match against Roderick Strong. Cue the Undisputed Kingdom with Strong granting the match.

The Young Bucks are going to present backstage footage from All In on Dynamite. In theory that would be the CM Punk/Jack Perry footage and if so…why?

Chris Jericho wants to fight Shane Taylor Promotions and Hook presents Katsuyori Shibata to even things up. Shibata continues his translator program for promos.

Yuka Sakazaki vs. Trish Adora

This is Adora’s reward for losing to Serena Deeb. Adora grabs a headlock to start and takes Sakazaki down, with Sakazaki nipping right back up. A Boss Man Slam onto the knee puts Sakazaki down again and we take a break. Back with Adora grabbing a not great looking Crossface but Sakazaki is right next to the ropes.

Sakazaki pounds on Adora’s back but can’t manages a suplex. Some forearms put Adora down again and Sakazaki drops her with a suplex. That takes enough out of Sakazaki that Adora is back up with a suplex of her own for two. A spinning hammerlock slam drops Adora again and a top rope splash finishes for Sakazaki at 8:34.

Rating: C. Sakazaki has been gone from AEW for over a year and this didn’t exactly have me wanting to see her around more frequently. It was just a match for the most part with neither showing off anything special. Odds are Sakazaki is just here for a quick appearance and hopefully she picks it up a bit as this didn’t exactly blow any doors off.

Post match Serena Deeb comes out to stare down Sakazaki.

Matt Menard praises Daniel Garcia but says he wants more. Garcia wants to move up the ladder.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. The Butcher

They fight over the power lockup to start before an exchange of shoulders doesn’t go anywhere. A flying shoulder works a bit better for Castagnoli but Butcher is back with a backbreaker. The chinlock doesn’t last long for Butcher as Castagnoli fights up, setting off an exchange of forearms. Castagnoli muscles him up for a Death Valley Driver and fires off the uppercuts in the corner. The Swing sets up the Neutralizer to finish Butcher off at 5:04.

Rating: C+. Rather basic power match here but it’s always fun to see Castagnoli throwing someone around like that. This should set up whatever is next for the Club, as they need a big feud again. If nothing else, maybe Castagnoli gets to do something on his own for a change, as it tends to go fairly well.

Julia Hart is ready for Willow Nightingale and Mercedes Mone later.

Samoa Joe is down to face Dustin Rhodes, but we’ll make it non-title.

Komander vs. Penta El Zero Miedo

Penta kicks away to start but gets rolled up for an early two. Stereo nip ups give us a staredown before Komander snaps off a hurricanrana. Back up and Penta kicks him in the ribs but another hurricanrana sends him outside. Komander’s dive is countered with a gorilla press (not bad) and it’s time to strut as we take a break.

We come back with Komander headscissoring him to the floor, setting up a more successful dive. Penta is right back with with a Canadian Destroyer for two, only to have Komander pull him into something like a half crab. With that broken up, Komander plants him with a Spanish Fly but Penta plants him right back with a springboard Canadian Destroyer onto the apron.

Back in and they slug it out from their knees until Penta grabs Made In Japan for two. Komander blocks a superplex and runs the corner for a twisting top rope splash. Cielito Lindo is loaded up but Penta reverses into a Codebreaker, setting up the Fear Factor for the win at 14:12.

Rating: B-. At the end of the day, you just have to accept that they are just not going to sell that much. It’s about hitting one big, flashy move after another until someone hits their finisher and win. That makes for a fun, junk food kind of match but there is only so much for it otherwise. For now though, Penta gets a nice boost on the way towards his title match on Dynamite and that’s all it needed to be.

Adam Copeland comes out for the staredown with Penta before their TNT Title match on Dynamite.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was in a really rough spot as there is only so much you can do with a show airing around midnight on Wrestlemania Saturday (with the two shows overlapping for a bit). The other problem is that after the opener and maybe the Hook/Jericho match, a grand total of nothing here felt like it mattered in the slightest. That being said, the wrestling was either good or perfectly acceptable, assuming you ignore how unimportant a lot of it felt. That was all they should have done with this show though, as the time slot is making this little more than a punt.

Results

FTR b. Top Flight – Shatter Machine to Darius

Hook/Chris Jericho b. Shane Taylor Promotions – Walls Of Jericho to Moriarty

House Of Black b. Christopher Daniels/Matt Sydal/Bryan Keith – Swinging pumphandle slam to Daniels

Yuka Sakazaki b. Trish Adora – Top rope splash

Claudio Castagnoli b. The Butcher – Neutralizer

Penta El Zero Miedo b. Komander – Fear Factor

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: April 4, 2024
Location: Budweiser Gardens, London, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni

It is the go home show for Supercard Of Honor and the show’s card has has grown a bit since last time. Two matches (Dalton Castle vs. Johnny TV in a Fight Without Honor and Lee Johnson getting a TV Title shot against Kyle Fletcher were added off air, which is better than nothing. We might get more this week so let’s get to it.

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

We run down the card.

Infantry vs. Kingdom

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning if the Infantry win or last the ten minute time limit, they receive a future title shot. Taven and Bennett fight over headlock control to start and it’s quickly off to Dean for an armdrag into an armbar. Bennett comes in and gets small packaged for no count so it’s time for an exchange of chops in the corner instead. A jumping elbow gives Dean two and everything breaks down. The Infantry dropkick them out to the floor before taking it back inside, where a Taven has to make the save off a sunset flip.

Bennett’s basement dropkick gets two on Dean, who enziguris his way to freedom. A sunset flip gives Dean two and he plants Taven with a DDT but the tag is broken up. Bennett hits a Death Valley Driver on the apron but Bennett misses Aurora Borealis. The tag brings in Bravo to clean house and he dives onto the champs. A Downward Spiral gets two on Bennett but Boot Camp is broken up. Taven’s Lionsault gets two and the time runs out at 10:00, making the first time that has EVER happened in a Proving Ground match.

Rating: C+. For the life of me I have no idea what took them this long to use a time limit draw. It doesn’t mean that the champs lost as much as they just hadn’t won yet. How is that supposed to make them look weak? They were even having a good match so they could have done a heck of a lot worse to set up the title match.

Post match the Infantry say they’ll have their title shot at Supercard Of Honor.

Kyle Fletcher is ready for Lee Johnson, who comes in to say Fletcher can say it to his face. Fletcher brings up their performances in Survival of the Fittest, which means Johnson can’t take the title from him. Johnson brags about his recent successes and says Fletcher can join the Shorty Show.

Anna Jay vs. Nikita

Anna takes her down with a headlock takeover and then hits a kick to the face for a bonus. Nikita sends her face first into the buckle a few times but Anna is back with a snap suplex. A Gory Bomb finishes for Anna at 2:19.

We recap Dalton Castle auditioning new Boys, with Johnny TV and Taya Valkyrie dressing up in costumes to mess with him.

Castle is ready to be a phoenix/peacock hybrid (Castle: “A peonix.”) and destroy Johnny TV for good.

Johnny TV is in Los Angeles and says he’ll do unimaginable things to Castle. He always fights without honor because honor sucks.

Nick Comoroto vs. Lee Johnson

Johnson strikes away to start and sends Comoroto over the top, only to have Comoroto skin the cat in quite the impressive feat. Back in and Comoroto runs him over with an elbow to the face as Jacoby Watts comes out to watch. The fans tell Comoroto to SHAVE HIS BODY but his jumping elbow for two on Johnson shuts them up a bit. A neck crank doesn’t work for Comoroto and a missed charge makes it worse. Johnson manages a suplex (the fans are impressed) but the Big Shot Drop is blocked. A superkick rocks Comoroto and a frog splash to the back gives Johnson the pin at 5:46.

Rating: C. They weren’t about to give Johnson a loss heading into probably the biggest match of his career and now it seems that they have something in mind for Comoroto with Watts. In theory Watts is going to focus Comoroto and with Comoroto’s looks, I’ve heard worse ideas. This was more about Johnson though and that’s what matters most.

Griff Garrison and Cole Karter aren’t sure where Maria is but Serpentico comes in to say where she is. He’ll tell them if they sign and date a document, which they sign without reading. Serpentico has no idea where she is but he’ll seem them tomorrow for their match at Zero Hour. Well that was efficient.

Nyla Rose vs. Alexia Nicole

Rose throws her into the corner, crushes her, and hits a kind of reverse AA (torture rack flipped into a cutter) for the pin at 1:18. The dominance continues.

Jacoby Watts says he can fix Nick Comoroto, who is in.

Evil Uno vs. London Lightning

Feeling out process to start until Uno is accused of grabbing the hair. With that off the table, Uno shoulders him down and stomps away in the corner, followed by a hard clothesline. For some reason Uno stops to look at the camera, allowing Lightning to gator roll him into a suplex.

A chase around the ring goes to Uno but Lightning shoulders him down for two. Lightning’s chops just wake Uno up, meaning we get a hip swivel. Uno tosses him across the ring a few times and a neckbreaker gets two. Lightning comes back with a spinebuster for two of his own but Uno boots him in the face. The Swanton sets up Something Evil for the pin at 8:08.

Rating: C. This was only mostly a squash as Lightning got in a few shots of his own. There is something to Lightning and he’s done well in his few appearances around here. Odds are he could get some more appearances going forward and I’ve heard worse ideas. Like making me watch Evil Uno that much more often.

Video on the Premiere Athletes, who are back on Zero Hour. This would be your “here’s a bonus match that has no story but content content content”.

It’s time for a contract signing for the Women’s Title match, with Lexi Nair and Billie Starkz in the ring. Starkz wonders if she is the new minion overlord if she wins the TV Title and Athena loses her title. That brings out Athena, who seems to be a bit on edge and yells at the two of them.

Nair is ordered to get Hikaru Shida out here so cue Shida, who brings out Queen Aminata to even things out. Aminata is ready to make history with Starkz, who is ready for their match too. Athena says let’s get this over with so she can go to the mall so they both sign. Shida says she’s in Athena’s head and the big brawls are on, with Shida driving Athena through the table. This served its purpose well enough.

We run down the Supercard Of Honor card.

We get a sitdown interview with Mark Briscoe and Eddie Kingston before their World Title match. Mark talks about how he has been here since the beginning of Ring Of Honor with his brother Jay. Eleven years ago to the day of Jay winning his first World Title, Mark has the chance to win it as well. Kingston talks about how he’s hurt from his recent loss but he’s not going to crawl into a bottle because Mark deserves better.

Kingston explains what Ring Of Honor means to him and how important it is to do it in Philadelphia. With all due respect, Kingston won’t lose and they’ll be in each other’s faces. All he wants is Jay clapping from Heaven, with Mark shaking his hands as it’s all respect. Well at least they were in the same room on this show. Not in the arena of course but I’ll take it.

Jack Cartwheel/Matt Sydal/Christopher Daniels vs. Action Andretti/Top Flight

Cartwheel and Darius start things off, with Cartwheel’s armdrag not doing much. That means Cartwheel has to settle for his four cartwheels so it’s off to Daniels for an STO. Commentary rattles off as many Fresh Prince references as they can as Darius gets in a shot, allowing the tag to Andretti. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Daniels is up with a Death Valley Driver for a needed breather.

Sydal comes in for an Air Raid Crash for a near fall but has to fight off both Martins. Everything breaks down and Cartwheel cartwheels away. A cartwheel powerslam gives Cartwheel two and Daniels is back in to plant Dante with a Downward Spiral. Andretti hits a big flip dive to take out Daniels and Sydal on the floor, leaving Cartwheel to get kicked in the face. A springboard 450 gives Andretti the pin on Cartwheel at 8:56.

Rating: C+. What a bizarre way to end the go home show for a pay per view. None of these people are in action at Supercard Of Honor and yet they’re closing out the show rather than a look at any of the three major title matches. Either way, this could set up Andretti and Top Flight at one of the six man titles, or just the six man titles if they are unified soon enough.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a rather quintessential go home show for Ring Of Honor, as it touched on the matches that have been well established while also adding in multiple matches almost out of nowhere. There had been some build towards them in the first place, but here they are, being announced a day before the show. Why that can’t be done sooner is beyond me, yet here we are anyway, complete with a very odd choice for a main event.

Results
The Infantry vs. The Kingdom went to a time limit draw
Anna Jay b. Nikita – Gory Bomb
Lee Johnson b. Nick Comoroto – Frog splash
Nyla Rose b. Alexia Nicole – Torture rack cutter
Evil Uno b. London Lightning – Something Evil
Top Flight/Action Andretti b. Christopher Daniels/Matt Sydal/Jack Cartwheel – Springboard 450 to Cartwheel

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

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Rampage
Date: April 5, 2024
Location: Budweiser Gardens, London, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, Ian Riccaboni

We have another odd variety pack this week with Christopher Daniels vs. Malakai Black and a four way elimination match just for the heck of it. That almost makes things sound like Ring Of Honor more than Rampage but this show is almost lacking in its own identity a good chunk of the time. In a way that’s nice to have so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Malakai Black vs. Christopher Daniels

Buddy Matthews is here with Black. They start slowly until Black hits some running shoulders into a headlock takeover but Daniels is back with an armbar. That’s broken up and Daniels gets kicked into the corner where he seems to be a bit unconscious. Daniels is sent outside so Matthews sends him back inside for two.

An elbow to the face gives Black two and some kicks drop Daniels again as we take a break. Back with Daniels going on a run with a Downward Spiral into an STO, followed by a Death Valley Driver for two. Angel’s Wings is blocked and Black kicks him in the head for two more. Daniels grabs a rollup for two more but Black hits the End for the pin at 8:14.

Rating: C+. This was all it needed to be as Daniels put up a fight but got taken out by the monster threat. Daniels is still perfect for doing his thing out there and helping make someone look good in the process. That’s what happened with Black here, who snapped off a kick to the face when he got tired of dealing with Daniels. Perfectly fine match here.

Roderick Strong vs. London Lightning

Non-title and the Kingdom is here with Strong. Before the match, Strong has Lightning introduce himself but isn’t sure why he is named after such a nothing city. The bell rings and we hear about Lightning’s time teaming with Toronto Thunder (Ian: “I almost want to put that into Cagematch.”).

Lightning fights out of a headlock and hits a jumping knee to quite the reaction. The comeback is cut off with a backbreaker to give Strong two and we hit the reverse chinlock. Lightning gets up again and strikes away, setting up a suplex that has Nigel confused. Hold on though as Lightning has to go after Matt Taven but here is Wardlow to take Lightning out. The Cloverleaf finishes for Strong at 5:38.

Rating: C. This was fun and that’s the best word for it. Lightning was never going to be a serious threat but they played into the idea of the fans getting into what they were seeing here. Lightning has put in some good performances on Ring Of Honor and it wouldn’t stun me to see him used as a regular jobber going forward.

Leyla Hirsch has been doing her thing in Ring Of Honor and now she wants Julia Hart.

Serena Deeb vs. Trish Adora

Deeb goes after the leg to start before tying Adora up in a Paradise Lock. The running dropkick breaks it up and Adora isn’t pleased. Adora fights up and sends her hard into the corner as we take a break. Back with Deeb grabbing a neckbreaker over the top rope but Adora gets a boot up in the corner. A dragon screw legwhip across the rope cuts Adora down again but she counters another into a rollup for two. Adora gets two off a full nelson bomb and an exchange of clotheslines goes badly for Deeb. Not that it matters as she goes after the knee again and grabs the Serenity Lock for the tap at 9:56.

Rating: C+. Another perfectly nice match here that doesn’t feel like it means much for either of them. Deeb has felt like someone who could be pushed for a long time but it hasn’t happened in a good while. At the same time, Adora is someone who could be a bigger deal but is firmly in the jobber to the stars role at the moment. Good enough stuff, but it is on Rampage for a reason.

Julia Hart is down to face Leyla Hirsch.

Saraya and company are sick of Ruby Soho, with Zak Knight promising to hurt Angelo Parker. Is there an established reason for why exactly Saraya hates the relationship?

Daniel Garcia vs. Bryan Keith vs. Action Andretti vs. Komander

Elimination rules and Matt Menard is on commentary. As this is designed to tie into the NCAA Final Four. Andretti and Komander are left in the ring as we hear about Trish Adora (as in the loser of the match) getting a special match on Collision due to her amazing performance. Keith is back in to break up a cover on Andretti, which has commentary confused.

Garcia hammers on Keith in the corner until he has to punch Andretti out of the air. Keith elbows Garcia in the head for two before cutting Komander off on top to save Garcia. That’s enough for Komander to roll Keith up for the pin at 4:03. We take a break and come back with Andretti hitting a Death Valley Driver to drop Garcia on the apron. Komander hits a dive of his own to take them both out in a big crash. Andretti is fine enough to grab his torture neckbreaker to get rid of Komander at 9:03.

Garcia is back in to take out the knee but Andretti grabs a backbreaker into a neckbreaker. The running shooting star press is countered into an ankle lock but Andretti rolls him to the floor. A one legged dive to the floor hits Garcia again and a top rope clothesline takes him down again inside. The knee gives out on the torture rack attempt though and they slug it out. Andretti manages a Falcon Arrow for two but Garcia pulls him into a kneebar for the tap at 14:30.

Rating: B-. They got going a bit more near the end but it’s another match that could not feel less important. You had Garcia beating three lower card guys in a bunch of combinations that we have probably seen several times. The elimination rules helped a bit but Garcia is right where he was coming into this, much like every other winner on this show.

Overall Rating: C. This felt like a Ring Of Honor show and I do not mean that in a good way. It’s another case where the action itself is fine but my goodness they did not do themselves any favors with the show’s setup. It was more or less a bunch of matches to give midcard stars a win and that makes for a long hour. It’s a total nothing show and if this is all Rampage is going to be, just cancel it already or move it to YouTube where it belongs.

Results
Malakai Black b. Christopher Daniels – The End
Roderick Strong b. London Lightning – Cloverleaf
Serena Deeb b. Trish Adora – Serenity Lock
Daniel Garcia b. Komander, Action Andretti and Bryan Keith last eliminating Andretti

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

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Collision
Date: March 30, 2024
Location: Budweiser Gardens, London, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone

It’s tournament time this week as we have two first round matches in the Tag Team Title tournament. Other than that, we have about three weeks to go before Dynasty and it is time to start hammering out the rest of the card. There is a chance we could see some of that tonight so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Here is TNT Champion Adam Copeland for his Cope Open open challenge and he loves the crowd reaction. He’s done with Christian Cage and now it’s time for the title to be on the line.

TNT Title: Adam Copeland vs. ???

Copeland is defending and the open challenge is answered by….the returning Matt Cardona. They trade knockdowns into kickoffs and it’s an early standoff. An exchange of dropkicks give us a standoff as Schiavone runs down the card. Copeland gets him to the floor to take over but the Impaler on the apron is blocked with a rake to the eyes.

We take a break and come back with Cardona holding a chinlock with a knee in Copeland’s back. That’s broken up and stereo big boots leave them both down again. Cardona goes up but gets pulled down by the leg for his efforts. This time Copeland goes up and hits a top rope bulldog for two, followed by an Edge O Matic for the same.

Cardona bails to the floor so Copeland gives chase, only to get kicked low on the way back in. An Impaler gives Cardona two but Radio Silence (Rough Ryder) is countered into a buckle bomb. A sitout powerbomb gives Copeland two but the spear is countered into Radio Silence for two more. Cardona loads up a spear, only to have Copeland hit one of his own to retain at 13:26.

Rating: B-. This was a nice surprise though it’s still weird to me to see the serious Cardona. He deserves amazing credit for reinventing himself like this and turning a spot that cripples a lot of careers into something totally new. They were playing up the “we know each other really well” idea here but Copeland was just that much better. Good opener and Cardona was a bit of a treat as the challenger.

Post match the lights go out and Malakai Black is here, with Buddy Matthews jumping Copeland from behind. Mark Briscoe and Eddie Kingston run in for the save. The House vanishes and commentary hypes up Briscoe vs. Kingston for the Ring Of Honor World Title at Supercard Of Honor next Friday. This marks one more appearance than they’ve had together in Ring Of Honor this year so well done?

FTR isn’t sure if they’re the best team anymore but they want to be the first three time ROH Tag Team Champions. That means going through the Cinderella team of The Infantry tonight and so be it.

Tony Schiavone brings out Billy Gunn and the Acclaimed (rap not included) for a chat. Schiavone gets to the point of Bullet Club Gold invading Billy’s home on Rampage. Billy is ticked off and says White is always bragging about selling out Madison Square Garden. Billy: “I’ve done that so many times I’ve lost count.” Next week on Dynamite it’s vs. Billy, with Max Caster saying the Acclaimed and the Gunns should stay in the back. Bowens can’t blame White for running from Billy’s wife because she would have slapped the hair off his face. They’re ready for the Club.

Tag Team Title Tournament First Round: FTR vs. The Infantry

Wheeler takes Dean down to start but Dean is back with some armdrags into an armbar. Bravo comes in to face Harwood, who gets dropped by some dropkicks. The Infantry clears the ring so we settle down to Dean chopping away at Wheeler. A jumping elbow gets two but Wheeler powerslams a leaping Bravo out of the air for a nasty crash. Harwood’s top rope superplex drops Bravo and we take a break.

Back with Harwood chopping the soul out of Bravo but Dean is fine enough to hit a hue dive onto all three of them. Back in and Bravo’s high crossbody gets two on Harwood, followed by another high crossbody for another two on Harwood. Wheeler is back in with a powerbomb into a German suplex from Harwood into a rollup for two. Back up and the Infantry superkicks FTR into a neckbreaker for two on Wheeler but Harwood is sent into Dean to knock him outside. FTR collides with each other but Wheeler flips over Harwood to set up the Shatter Machine for the pin at 12:23.

Rating: B. The Infantry brought it here, which makes their near squash by the House Of Black all the more confusing. If you’re willing to let them have a close match against a great team, why not give them some more against the House? Anyway, this was an interesting one as you had FTR having trouble keeping up with the fast young team, only to eventually catch them. You could see Harwood’s face almost saying “gotcha” right before the Shatter Machine and that’s a great story, as the veterans take out the young upstarts by catching them rather than beating them.

Big Bill and Ricky Starks aren’t looking past Top Flight but they’re really not worried. They’ve beaten FTR before so they can do it again and prove just how great they are.

Adam Copeland, Eddie Kingston and Mark Briscoe are ready for the House Of Black at Dynasty. Briscoe is down but wants a dogfight from Kingston at Supercard Of Honor. Kingston is ready to make the House spit up blood and teeth.

Kyle O’Reilly vs. JD Drake

Drake grabs an early cobra clutch before hitting a dropkick for two. A Vader Bomb misses for Drake though and O’Reilly strikes away. O’Reilly kicks him down and grabs the cross armbreaker for the tap at 2:36. It’s nice to see a fast match like that, as this didn’t need to go long and made O’Reilly feel that much more dangerous.

Post match the Undisputed Kingdom comes out to celebrate with O’Reilly, who just kind of goes with it.

We get a preview of Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Will Ospreay on Dynamite.

Tag Team Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Big Bill/Ricky Starks vs. Top Flight

Darius wrestles Starks down into an armbar to start and a snap suplex puts him down again. A slingshot hilo gives Darius two but it’s off to Bill, who has Darius a bit nervous. With the solo efforts not working, Top Flight dropkicks both of them to the floor. Starks offers a distraction though and a big boot drops Dante as we take a break.

Back with Bill missing a charge into the corner, allowing the tag off to Darius to pick up the pace. A Pele kick out of the corner catches Starks and a rollup gets….two, despite Starks not really moving. Darius uses Dante as a launchpad for a tornado DDT to pin Starks at 9:40 (about ten seconds after the weird near fall so someone seems to have gotten screwed up there).

Rating: C+. The ending was a bit odd but they recovered just fine and got the result they needed, which is all that matters. Top Flight moving on despite Bill and Starks’ confidence is a good way to go and FTR should have their hands even fuller with the more established team. Good match here, though Starks and Bill seemingly being finishes so fast is a bit disappointing.

Christopher Daniels wants Malakai Black on Rampage.

Thunder Rosa vs. Lady Frost

They go to the mat for some grappling to start until Rosa shoulders her down. Frost is back up with chops and boots in the corner but Rosa hits a hard clothesline as we take a break. Back with Rosa wining a slugout and hitting another clothesline. Rosa scores with the running dropkick against the ropes for two but Frost scorpion kicks her way out of trouble. Rosa isn’t having that though and hits a Backstabber, setting up the Tijuana Bomb for the pin at 8:50.

Rating: C+. There is nothing wrong with a match between a big star and a lower level opponent where said opponent gets in some offense before coming up short. That’s what we got here and it should move Rosa up a bit more before her likely title match at Dynasty. Frost continues to be someone who might not be moving up the ladder but she’s a solid enough opponent for a spot like this. That’s not a bad place to be and AEW seems to get that.

Post match Rosa shouts at the camera and demands respect from Toni Storm.

We go to the back with Toni Storm being told that next week it’s Thunder Rosa vs. Mariah May for the title shot at Dynasty. Storm turns to May, asks if this is what she has been planning all along….and then kisses her, saying she was a genius. Storm: “I see myself in you and I love me. What do you think about that eh Lightning Daffodil?” Everyone seems confused to wrap it up.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Video on Will Ospreay.

Blackpool Combat Club/Katsuyori Shibata vs. Lance Archer/Righteous

Shibata strikes away at Archer to start and then kicks him down as commentary talks about Bobby Heenan. Dutch comes in and requests/receives Castagnoli, who he runs over with a shoulder. Castagnoli is back up with a rather impressive slam and it’s of to Danielson to strike away. The rapid fire kicks in the corner connect but Dutch runs him over without much trouble.

Danielson slugs away on Vincent (not Dutch, Tony) and hits a suicide dive on Dutch (yes Dutch, Tony). That earns him a whip into the barricade though and the villains take over as we take a break. Back with Danielson not quite being able to pull Dutch into the LeBell Lock. Instead Dutch pounds him down into the corner, only to miss a charge. Archer and Dutch take turns slamming each other onto Danielson for two but he manages t knock Dutch off the top.

A missile dropkick allows Danielson to get over for the tag off to Castagnoli for the showdown with Archer. Everything breaks down and Castagnoli and Shibata double team Archer. The Swing has Archer in more trouble and Castagnoli grabs the Sharpshooter. Orange Sunshine hits Danielson but Shibata makes a fast save. Archer chokeslams Castagnoli so Vincent can hit a Swanton for two. Shibata suplexes Vincent but Dutch breaks up the cross armbreaker. Shibata’s sleeper takes Vincent down and the PK finishes at 16:47.

Rating: B-. This was another showcase match for most of the Club plus Shibata, which only made for the most interesting main event. Archer and the Righteous continue to feel like a team who should be something of a deal but mainly serve to beat up jobbers and lose to bigger teams. That’s not a bad role for them, but it did make for a fairly long match before we got to whichever of the good guys got the win.

Overall Rating: B. This show felt like it was trying to have more in the way of importance, but it still feels like it pales in comparison to Dynamite. AEW could use a bit more of a balance between the two shows, but this was one of the stronger Collisions in a bit. Dynasty still doesn’t feel like the most important show, though Danielson vs. Ospreay will be enough to carry a lot of it. Good show here, with the wrestling overcoming the other issues, as usual.

Results
Adam Copeland b. Matt Cardona – Spear
FTR b. The Infantry – Shatter Machine to Bravo
Kyle O’Reilly b. JD Drake – Cross armbreaker
Top Flight b. Big Bill/Ricky Starks – Tornado DDT to Starks
Thunder Rosa b. Lady Frost – Tijuana Bomb
Blackpool Combat Club/Katsuyori Shibata b. Lance Archer/Righteous – PK to Vincent

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.

Rampage
Date: February 2, 2024
Location: UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

We’re about a month away from Revolution and the card started to get bigger over the last few days. This week has its own issues though, as we have a mini invasion from CMLL. The four visitors will be facing a group of AEW stars tonight on their way to a showdown with the Blackpool Combat Club next week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Top Flight vs. Private Party

Rematch from last month where Private Party cheated to win and Action Andretti is here with Top Flight. Dante and Quen start things off with Dante taking over and handing it off to Darius. A double leg trip and stereo kicks to the chest set up an assisted DDT for two on Quen. The front facelock keeps Quen in trouble but he dropkicks his way to freedom and brings Zay in.

Zay cleans house and steals a crown from a fan as he takes over on Darius. Andretti tries to come in but gets held back as we take a break. Back with Darius hitting an enziguri and diving over for the tag to Dante so the pace can pick up. Zay fights his way back in though and it’s the Silly String into a shooting star press for two on Dante. Darius cuts Zay off though and Dante’s spinning half nelson slam finishes Quen at 9:53.

Rating: B-. You pretty much know what you’re getting with these teams and that was on display here. They flew around, did their dives and double teaming and then Top Flight won to even the series. Odds are we’ll see a third match here and the winners will move up in the title rankings, but it won’t matter unless one of them is a pretty clear winner.

Sammy Guevara is back and ready to take care of his family, which means he’s coming for Powerhouse Hobbs.

Jeff Jarrett and company are annoyed at Jay Lethal for being late for a workout. Lethal comes in and says he’s ready to go but no one else wants to get in the ring, so Jeff Jarrett says he’s running the meeting next week.

Ricky Starks/Big Bill vs. Dark Order

Non-title and Darby Allin is on commentary. The Dark Order go right after the champs to start and the fans do not like bad things happening to Starks, the hometown boy. A poewrbomb onto raised knees gets two on Starks but Silver gets taken into the wrong corner. That’s broken up and it’s Reynolds coming in to clean house. Bill gets sent outside for some dives but is fine enough to hit a Boss Man Slam back inside. Starks comes back in and gets to clean some house, including the dancing Old School. Roshambo finishes Silver at 5:41.

Rating: C. This was nothing more than a way to get Starks in the ring in front of his hometown crowd for a nice win. It did exactly that and they didn’t waste time in getting there. I’m glad the champs didn’t have much trouble against a team like the Dark Order, who have been presented fairly strongly in the past despite not winning much of anything.

Don Callis and Powerhouse Hobbs don’t think much of Sammy Guevara and promise to take him out like they did to Chris Jericho.

Willow Nightingale vs. Queen Aminata

Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway, the latter reluctantly holding a pro-Willow sign, are here with Nightingale. They fight over a wristlock to start until Nightingale runs her over with a shoulder. Some clotheslines put Aminata down again and a middle rope dropkick sends her outside. The backsplash off the apron misses though and Aminata points at her own head as we take a break. Back with Aminata hitting a running hip attack in the corner for two. Nightingale shrugs it off and hits the Babe With The Powerbomb for the pin at 7:57.

Rating: C. The more I think about Aminata, the less interested I am. She’s been around for several matches in recent weeks, with commentary pointing out how active she has been. The problem with that is we still don’t know much about her. She’s some kind of royalty and she’s from Africa. I’m going to need more than that to go on and she hasn’t shown it yet.

Orange Cassidy and the Best Friends know that the Undisputed Kingdom are about to interrupt them so here is the Undisputed Kingdom to interrupt. A six man is set for next week on Rampage.

The Outcasts interrupt Willow Nightingale/Kris Statlander/Stokely Hathaway and a match is made for next week.

Matt Menard/Angelo Parker/Christopher Daniels/Matt Sydal vs. Volador Jr./Mistico/Mascara Dorada/Hechicero

Dorada and Sydal start things off with Sydal snapping off a running hurricanrana. That doesn’t get him very far so it’s off to Volador to take over on Menard. Mistico and Daniels come in with the former hitting a handspring elbow into a crossbody for two. Daniels bails to the floor for a breather before being taken into the wrong corner back inside.

Dorada’s running shooting star press gets two with Sydal making the save. Back up and Dorada chops away at Daniels in the corner but Menard and Parker come in to clean house. Sydal’s standing moonsault gets two on Dorada and we hit the bow and arrow as we take a break. We come back with Dorada hurricanranaing/kicking his way out of freedom to bring in Hechicero.

The sleeper doesn’t work so well so Hechicero settles for a top rope clothesline. Everything breaks down and Daniels’ Koji Clutch is broken up. Mistico sends Menard and Parker to the floor so Volador can hit a dive. Dorada does the same, leaving Hechicero to roll Daniels up for the pin at 11:28.

Rating: B-. If you call this what it was, which was just a showcase for the luchadors, it went well. It’s certainly not a must see match but the four guys got in there and did their thing well enough. It’s not like they beat anyone of value so this was a perfectly serviceable match. I’m not really expecting the CMLL guys to be the next big thing here, but it was a fine choice to headline the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a “what do you want me to say” show as they had some good enough matches, the main event felt like something more than the rest of the card and some things were set up for next week. As is the case with Rampage, it’s nothing you need to go out of your way to see but it’s a good background noise show. Not a classic, but as usual, it’s hard to get that annoyed at an hour of decent wrestling.

Results
Top Flight b. Private Party – Spinning half nelson slam to Quen
Big Bill/Ricky Starks b. Dark Order – Roshambo to Silver
Willow Nightingale b. Queen Aminata – Babe With The Powerbomb
Volador Jr./Mistico/Mascara Dorada/Hechicero b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker/Christopher Daniels/Matt Sydal – Rollup to Daniels

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

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Rampage
Date: January 26, 2024
Location: Enmarket Arena, Savannah, Georgia
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard

It’s the Friday show and that could mean more than a few things. Rampage is the one AEW show that doesn’t exactly have a regular format and that opens up a few options. You never know what kind of a show you’re going to get and most of them wind up working well. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Jon Moxley vs. Lee Moriarty

Shane Taylor is here with Moriarty, who is quickly chopped out to the floor. Back in and Moriarty pulls him into a headlock, only to get elbowed outside. Moxley and Taylor almost get into it, leaving Moriarty and Moxley to slug it out back inside. Moriarty manages to take him into the corner for some right hands and we take a break.

Back with the two of them striking it out on the apron until Moriarty takes him down by the arm. They get back inside with Moriarty cranking on the arm and getting two off a German suplex. Moxley comes out of the corner with a hard clothesline into the hammer and anvil elbows. Moriarty snaps the fingers and hits some running corner dropkicks but Moxley grabs a piledriver. More elbows and a running kick to the face gets two, followed by a rear naked choke for the win at 12:52.

Rating: B. Yep that was a Moxley match, as he did his wrestling/grappling stuff with insert opponent here. It’s not that they’re bad or anything close to it, but it feels like something that we’ve covered so many times that it stops meaning as much. Moxley is probably going to be back in a title hunt sooner or later and odds are he’ll be doing the exact same stuff, as tends to be the case.

Post match Taylor jumps Moxley for the double beatdown.

Angelo Parker asks Anna Jay if she had anything to do with Harley Cameron kissing her…so Jay slaps him. She’s tired of no one having her back so she’s having her match tonight on her own.

CMLL is coming to AEW.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Christopher Daniels

The Don Callis Family is here with Takeshita with Callis himself on commentary. Takeshita hits him in the face and hits a running crossbody. A middle rope backsplash connects but Daniels headbutts him off the top. The middle rope swinging Downward Spiral drops Takeshita but he’s right back with a kneeling Tombstone. The running knee finishes for Takeshita at 3:07.

Rating: C. This was short and to the point and that’s all it needed to be. Takeshita continues to feel like he should be a killer but for some reason he only pops up every now and then. At least he beat up Daniels in short order, but can we get something a little more substantial for Takeshita already? He’s too good for the role he’s in at the moment.

Post match Callis gets on the mic and talks about how his family has taken away everything from Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega. Now it’s time for Takeshita to face Chris Jericho in two weeks, but Kyle Fletcher says he wants to face Jericho instead. Works for Callis, who says Jericho can face Fletcher next week.

Top Flight with Action Andretti and Private Party talk trash before their match next week. Andretti’s water bottle is knocked out of his hands.

Ruby Soho vs. Anna Jay

The Outcasts are here with Soho, who jumps Jay before the bell and sends her outside. Jay is sent into various things on the floor and they head back inside for the opening bell. A whip into the corner has Soho in trouble but she runs Jay over as we take a break. Back with Jay getting two off a DDT but Harley Cameron breaks up the Queenslayer. That’s enough for the double ejections, leaving Soho to hit Destination Unknown for two. Jay is fine enough to grab the Queenslayer for the win at 6:53.

Rating: C. As usual, there is only so much you can get out of a match that doesn’t even last seven minutes and almost half of it is spent in a commercial break. It’s nice to see Jay get a win, but forgive me if I don’t think this is going to be her big break. She has some of the worst start and stop momentum in wrestling and there is no reason to believe this will be the first big step.

Eddie Kingston, in a Cincinnati Reds shirt, for some reason is willing to give Willie Mack a non-title shot on Collision.

Video on Serena Deeb.

El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Kip Sabian vs. Komander vs. Butcher

The winner gets an International Title shot on Collision. The brawl is on to start with Sabian and Butcher seemingly working together. Sabian turns on him just as quickly though, allowing Vikingo and Komander to send them outside. Stereo dives connect but Vikingo and Komander come back inside for a standoff. Butcher comes back in for a weird cloverleaf on Komander. Sabian takes out Vikingo and we take a break.

Back with Butcher and Sabian working on Komander until Sabian tries to turn on him AGAIN. This time it’s a backbreaker to Sabian but Vikingo is back in with a springboard kick to put Butcher down. Komander is back up to clean house, with a Spanish Fly getting two on Sabian.

Butcher manages to hold both of them up until Sabian trips them down for two of his own. Komander goes outside and uses Alex Abrahantes as a launch pad for a Canadian Destroyer to Sabian. Back in and Vikingo hits running knees to Butcher but Sabian runs him over. A bridging German suplex gives Sabian two on Komander, who is right back with a hurricanrana to pin Sabian at 12:59.

Rating: B-. It was a good enough match but this is a fine example of a match where it’s hard to care. You have four people who are rarely above the midcard and now they’re in a thrown together four way for a shot at a title the next night against a champion who is set for a pay per view showdown the month after next. It’s a case where a bigger name would do a lot of good, but instead we get this which was…there.

Post match Orange Cassidy comes out for a staredown with Komander to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was indeed Rampage and it was indeed a show whose purpose was to set things up for later rather than doing anything of importance here. It’s a show where if you watch it, you’ll probably have a good time but if you don’t, you’re really not going to miss anything. That doesn’t exactly come off as a positive, as the show could use some more star power and stakes, as they’re both mostly lacking here.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Lee Moriarty – Rear naked choke
Konosuke Takeshita b. Christopher Daniels – Running knee
Anna Jay b. Ruby Soho – Queenslayer
Komander b. Kip Sabian, El Hijo del Vikingo and The Butcher – Hurricanrana to Sabian

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: January 18, 2024
Location: Chartway Arena, Norfolk, Virginia
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni

We’re back with another week but there is a twist this time: the Tag Team Champions are ACTUALLY HERE! For the first time since early August, the titles will not only be on the show but also on the line. It’s a tiny victory but I’ll take the little things that I can get here and there. Let’s get to it.

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

Here’s what’s coming this week.

We look back at Nyla Rose attacking Athena at a training school.

Billie Starkz and Lexi Nair don’t get how this happened but Nair suggests herbal tea and Friends. Starkz on the other hand wants the Women’s TV Title. These two are still great together.

Nyla Rose vs. Erica Leigh

Leigh chops away to start but is dropped with a single chop. They go outside with Leigh being rammed ribs first into the apron and then into the steps as the fans approve of Rose. Back in and Leigh gets in a kick, earning herself a “HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND” and a chokeslam. The cannonball and Beast Bomb finish for Rose at 2:57.

Tag Team Titles: Iron Savages vs. The Kingdom

The Kingdom is defending and Bennett chops Bronson into the corner to start. Bennett’s right hands don’t get him very far as Bronson backdrops him down and hands it off to Boulder for a swinging side slam. Bennett sends the Savages into each other though and Taven comes in for a spear. A running flipping neckbreaker gives Taven two on Bronson as commentary talks about the Kingdom’s history.

Taven’s chinlock doesn’t last long so it’s back to Bennett for the chops in the corner. A splash misses for Bennett though and it’s Boulder coming in to pick up the pace. Slams and corner splashes keep the Kingdom in trouble, with a powerbomb/World’s Strongest Slam combination getting two. Taven low bridges Boulder to the floor but Bronson sends Taven outside for the dive. Back in and a Sky High gives Bronson two but it’s Just The Tip into the Death Valley Driver into Just The Tip to give Taven two. Hail Mary (spike piledriver) retains the titles at 6:54.

Rating: C+. That’s something the show has been missing for a long time now. This wasn’t some epic match, but the champs being here and putting the titles on the line gives the other tag teams a reason to fight. There’s a prize to be won now and there might be a reason to having all of those tag matches now. It’s not so much a great match, but it’s an important event that needs to happen every so often.

Robyn Renegade, Taya Valkyrie, Leyla Hirsch and Rachael Ellering are ready for their eight woman tag match as a preview for the Women’s TV Title tournament.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Bryan Keith

Castagnoli powers him into the corner to start and adds a nice shove. It works so well that Castagnoli does it again, this time for some rights and lefts to make it more violent. Keith is able to send him outside and follows with…actually some strikes rather than a dive. Back in and Castagnoli grabs a chokeslam of all things, setting up an elbow drop for two.

Some stomps in the corner have Keith in more trouble and Castagnoli grabs a slam to cut off the comeback attempt. A gorilla press into the corner sends Keith outside again but he’s back in with a tornado DDT. They head outside again with Keith firing off some kicks to the chest but Castagnoli uppercuts his head off.

Back in and Keith hits a running knee for two of his own and a Death Valley Driver onto the knee gets the same. Castagnoli has had it though and grabs the Swing for two of his own. The big uppercut gets two more so Castagnoli grabs a swinging sleeper into a rear naked choke to finish at 12:46.

Rating: B. This started off slowly but they got into a groove and were tearing the house down by the end. Castagnoli going into wrecking ball mode is great to see as there isn’t much that can stop him when he gets going like that. Keith held his own here too and I was into this by the end, which is a great sign for any match.

Respect is shown post match.

Billie Starkz/Queen Aminata/Kiera Hogan/Lady Frost vs. Taya Valkyrie/Robyn Renegade/Leyla Hirsch/Rachael Ellering

Starkz and Renegade start things off, with Starkz hitting a hard shot to the face. Frost comes in to flip over Hirsch and dropkick her in the back, allowing Ellering to come in. Aminata comes in as well as commentary hypes her up as a major prospect. Ellering wins a strike off so Aminata takes her down for a kick to the back.

Hogan gets to strike away at Ellering, who casually picks her up and drops her into the wrong corner. It’s Renegade coming in for a change, with Hogan hitting a running hip attack to the back. Renegade kicks her out to the floor for two, followed by Taya’s sliding clothesline for the same. Ellering’s backsplash gets two more and Renegade gets to grab a reverse chinlock as the fast tags continue.

Hogan grabs a jumping neckbreaker to get her way out of trouble and it’s Frost coming back in to pick up the pace. A cartwheel hip attack in the corner gets two on Valkyrie and things settle a bit. Everything breaks down (you knew that was coming) and we hit the parade of secondary finishers. Starkz grabs the Starkz’s End for the pin on Renegade at 9:15.

Rating: C+. As usual, there is only so much that you can do in a match with this many people involved. What matters is that they’re setting up the TV Title tournament, though it would be nice if the thing actually, you know, started. Starkz would seem to be a favorite to win the thing but you never know in something like this.

Post match Abadon comes out to stare everyone down again.

We look at Bullet Club Gold winning the Six Man Tag Team Titles on Dynamite.

Top Flight give Action Andretti a ride in a golf cart before his shot at El Hijo del Vikingo later tonight.

We’re off to Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida for a bit.

Butcher and the Blade vs. Top Flight

Dante throws Blade into the corner to start and a running Downward Spiral brings him back out. Butcher comes in but gets dropkicked into another corner so Blade tries his luck again. Blade finally takes Darius into the corner and Butcher hits a heck of a clothesline to take over for the first time.

The chinlock doesn’t last long but Butcher cuts of the tag attempt. That doesn’t last long either as Darius gets over for the tag to Dante so the pace can pick up in a hurry. Everything breaks down and an assisted tornado DDT plants Butcher. Darius drops Blade and Dante’s top rope splash finishes at 7:03.

Rating: C+. Another nice match here with the power vs. speed formula. Butcher and the Blade are a team who always feels like they could move up to the next level but then they lose here. In theory this is Top Flight getting some momentum back, though I could go with it not being at Butcher and the Blade’s expense.

Mark Briscoe vs. Serpentico

Briscoe takes him down to the mat without much effort but Serpentico is back up with a hurricanrana out of the corner. A running boot to the face puts Serpentico outside and Briscoe gets to stomp away back inside. Briscoe’s suplex gets two and they chop it out. Serpentico grabs a jumping cutter for two more but Briscoe knocks him to the floor for a dropkick through the ropes. Back in and the Jay Driller is countered into a jumping Downward Spiral for two, only for Briscoe to come back with the Driller for the pin at 6:22.

Rating: C+. They had another nice match here in a streak of them this week. Serpentico has gone from little more than a comedy goof to someone who can hang in there with some bigger names and that is nice to see. Briscoe continues to just kind of float around, and unless that’s what he wants to do, I have no idea why he’s being used this way.

Lexi Nair is annoyed at Nyla Rose for attacking Athena, with Rose saying she’ll be the new head of the Minions….and then doing a Cartman impression for a bit of charm. Rose wants Athena but for now, she’s looking for Billie Starkz.

Diamante vs. Dream Girl Ellie

Diamante starts fast and hammers away, setting up an early chinlock. Ellie is back up with a scream, only to get taken down by a clothesline. Something like Reno’s old Roll of the Dice finishes Ellie at 1:27.

Johnny TV, with Taya Valkyrie, isn’t going to fight Dalton Castle, who he calls Macho Man Randy Average. Cue an enraged Castle to chase TV into a locker room and almost cry about how much he needs to beat TV.

TV Title: Kyle Fletcher vs. Christopher Daniels

Daniels is challenging. They circle each other to start until Daniels takes him down by the arm. Back up and Fletcher runs him over with a shoulder for two, only to get pulled into an armbar. Fletcher goes after the arm as well, including a slam while holding onto said arm. A quick Downward Spiral and belly to back suplex get Daniels out of trouble and he hammers away in the corner.

The middle rope Downward Spiral gives Daniels two but Fletcher’s brainbuster gets the same. Daniels manages a quick Angel’s Wings for two and the fans find this awesome. Back up and Fletcher hits a running knee to the back, setting up the kneeling piledriver to retain at 9:15.

Rating: B-. This was the wrestling match of the show and it worked well enough all things considered. At the end of the day though, Daniels losing over and over again is only going to get him so far. It’s more or less all he does most of the time and while it’s still working, it’s starting to lose some of its impact.

Ethan Page wants a title but he has to make specific goals. That’s why he’s looking at Kyle Fletcher and winning the TV Title. He’s ready to earn his way there too.

AAA Mega Title: El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Action Andretti

Andretti is challenging. They trade rollups for two each to start and flip to a standoff, with the fans approving. After a handshake, Vikingo hits a dropkick into a headscissors out to the floor, only to have Andretti come back with a Falcon Arrow. A basement dropkick gives Andretti two and we hit the chinlock.

With that broken up, Andretti’s bicycle kick gets two and the chinlock goes on again. Vikingo grabs a quick Death Valley Driver for two of his own and goes up top for a heck of a twisting moonsault. Andretti gets sent outside for a heck of a moonsault but he comes back in with a springboard clothesline and a near fall. They trade rollups until Vikingo stacks him up to retain at 10:08.

Rating: B-. This was the high flying match with both of them doing their big moves until one of them got the pin. It’s an entertaining match, but it’s the kind of thing that I’ve seen so many times that it stops having that much impact. They had an entertaining main event and that’s all that matters here, as it was just a thrown together match at the end of a long show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a show that would have been outstanding if you cut it off after the eight woman tag. The problem is that the show keeps going for over an hour after that and it went downhill a bit after that. The show was far from bad and it was down to under an hour and forty five minutes, but it did drag in places. I’ll definitely call it an improvement over recent weeks, but they still felt like they were just filling time for a good while and that’s not good.

Results
Nyla Rose b. Erica Leigh – Beast Bomb
Kingdom b. Iron Savages – Hail Mary to Bronson
Claudio Castagnoli b. Bryan Keith – Rear naked choke
Billie Starkz/Queen Aminata/Kiera Hogan/Lady Frost b. Taya Valkyrie/Robyn Renegade/Leyla Hirsch/Rachael Ellering – Stark’s End to Renegade
Top Flight b. Butcher and the Blade – Top rope splash to Blade
Mark Briscoe b. Serpentico – Jay Driller
Diamante b. Dream Girl Ellie – Rolling cutter
Kyle Fletcher b. Christopher Daniels – Kneeling piledriver
El Hijo del Vikingo b. Action Andretti – Rollup

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

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AND

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