The Shining
Date: March 26, 2016
Location: Oak Street Gym, Torrance, California
Commentators: Todd Keneley, Christian Cole

Since I can’t stop myself, this is the second event from Pacific Coast Wrestling. I got the first, third and fourth events in various DVD boxes I bought over the last few months so let’s knock this one out just for the sake of completion. Unfortunately we’re taking a step back towards the first show, which wasn’t very good and away from the third and fourth, which were rather solid. Hopefully there is at least some middle ground. Let’s get to it.

We open with a look at the wild brawl between MVP and the Almighty Sheik from the first show. Tonight: a Syrian Death Match.

The announcers preview the show.

Opening sequence.

The ring announcer is far easier to hear this time than at the fourth event. How odd.

Ryan Taylor vs. Douglas James

Taylor looks like a cross between Pac and Finn Balor. James gets taken down early on and they hit the grappling. Back up and James knocks him in the corner but gets kicked in the arm to cut him off. A twist of the arm takes him down again as Taylor starts in using a villainous sneer. As we hear about James’ athletic background in combat sports, Taylor kicks him in the arm again before winning a slugout.

James finally hits a springboard spinning uppercut to get a breather but gets crotched on top for his efforts. Taylor gets knocked off the top though and James’ top rope elbow gets two. That doesn’t seem to matter though as Taylor small packages and brainbusters him for two each, followed by an ax kick for an even nearer fall. James grabs an O’Connor Roll but Taylor flips him forward and grabs the leg for a rollup of his own for the pin at 7:48.

Rating: C. Taylor looked rather indyish but his work was good enough to make up for the not exactly thrilling look. These two had a nice back and forth match here though with enough action and both guys hitting some good looking stuff. It’s no masterpiece or even anything memorable, but for what it was, it worked well.

The announcers explain the concept of the Syrian Death Match main event. Well ok it’s really just promising violence.

Here is Almighty Sheik’s manager MK for a chat. MK demands SILENCE before he explains the main event, though the fans let him know that they don’t know who he is. Therefore he’ll speak slowly in case people can’t understand him. That earns him an MVP chant but MK says MVP is in trouble as he has no experience in a Syrian Death Match. Apparently it’s a body bag match, and I have no idea why that needed so much of an explanation.

Joe Graves vs. Timothy Thatcher

Rematch from last time when Thatcher won. The fans are behind Thatcher to start and it’s a fight over a lockup to start before heading to the mat. Thatcher grabs the leg so Graves grabs the head, meaning it’s an early standoff. The delay lets the fans cheer for Thatcher again so a takeover into a near cross armbreaker has them rather pleased. Thatcher punches him in the ribs a few times before switching back to a failed cross armbreaker attempt.

The rocking surfboard hold goes on and Graves screams a lot, only to reverse into a Billy Goat’s Curse. We go to the grappling on the mat again with Graves getting something close to a triangle. That’s reversed into a bow and arrow hold and then a Fujiwara armbar as Thatcher keeps picking him apart. Graves powers up with a suplex for a breather but Thatcher sends him shoulder first into the buckle. Another Fujiwara attempt is countered into a rear naked choke to make Thatcher, whose nose seems broken, tap at 7:28.

Rating: C. The ending came out of nowhere but these two are capable of having a good technical match against each other with what seems to be ease so it’s not like this was bad. Thatcher is someone who should be getting a chance on a big stage, though it’s still cool to see him have a match on this stage.

Post match Graves says last time Thatcher was better but tonight it was the opposite. Graves is the best in the world though and that isn’t changing.

Keepers of the Faith vs. Classic Connection

Rematch from last time and the Connection (Levi Shapiro/Buddy Royal) still has the masked Fat Dick Johnson in their corner. He mocks the crowd a lot and brags about his sexual prowess. Hold on though as the Keepers have to chase the Connection over the barricade as the announcers talk about Ultimate Pro Wrestling, where wrestlers such as Christopher Daniels, Kazarian and John Cena got their start.

Gabriel Gallo steals the Connection’s towel and throws it around so we can get to the weapons check. We STILL can’t get to the bell though as Gallo, who seems to think he’s a dog, charges at the Connection again. The bell rings and Shapiro starts cringing at the threat of a chop from Dom Vitalli. Shapiro gets chopped so it’s off to the corner where Royal can blow on the chest a bit.

It’s off to Royal, who gets chopped in the corner as well as it’s one sided so far. Royal crawls over to Shapiro and it’s time for a three way villainous meeting on the floor. Back in and Royal is laid across the top turnbuckle for some kicks to the ribs. Gallo comes in for a double backdrop so Shapiro is back in to get chopped some more. Johnson FINALLY does something about it by low bridging Vitalli to the floor and getting in a cane shot.

The neck crank goes on with Royal leaning down to shout in his ear. This would be a great place to imitate Superstar Billy Graham and say that he’s telling Vitalli that he’s going down but commentary just keeps going instead. Shapiro drops a middle rope headbutt for two but Vitalli is able to jawbreak his way to freedom out of a sleeper.

There’s still no hot tag though as Shapiro whips him into the corner, only to set up a double clothesline. Now the hot tag can bring Gallo back in so house can be cleaned. A spinebuster plants Shapiro so Vitalli can come back in with a top rope elbow. Gallo and Royal fight to the floor so Johnson can get in a cane shot, but Gallo turns the cover over so Vitalli can get the pin at 11:55.

Rating: C. I’ve seen the Keepers of the Faith on three of the four shows so far and they’re a pretty impressive team. They look good together, they wrestle well together and while I’m not big on their name, I’m surprised that they haven’t gotten at least a shot on a bigger show. They’re not some can’t miss prospect but they’re one of the best parts of the show, if nothing else due to their consistency.

Scorpio Sky vs. Kenny King

They dance at each other to start, including a Michael Jackson move from King that knocks Sky down. An exchange of headlocks doesn’t get anyone anywhere so we’ll reset again. They both try dropkicks to another standoff so Sky runs him over with a shoulder. King is right back up with a Russian legsweep into another headlock as they stay in first gear.

Sky has to bail to the floor for a breather so King hits the slingshot corkscrew dive. Back in and an atomic drop has King in trouble so Sky can hammer away at the head. Sky’s bodyscissors keeps King down and a leg lariat gets two. King kicks him down as well though and it’s time to pull himself up in the corner.

A handstand kick to the head sets up a spinebuster for two on Sky and we hit the half crab, with a great closeup camera shot of Sky’s face reaching for the rope. The rope is reached and Sky snaps off a Side Effect for two and another double knockdown. They slug it out until Sky’s jumping knee is countered into a capture suplex for two. King misses the Blockbuster though and it’s a running knee into the Ace of Spades (TKO) for the pin at 12:43.

Rating: C+. Every time I see Sky on one of these shows, I get why he is getting the chance he is getting today. He really is smooth in the ring and can have a good match against anyone. Sky is still young enough to do a lot of good things in wrestling and it’s cool to see him in a major company today.

Earlier today, JR Kratos sat down for an interview. He’s here to face the top talent in wrestling and will always give his hardest. He has trained with some great people and wants to make them proud. The Kratos Era is beginning and he wants to be like one of his heroes: Mike Tyson, who was the scariest person in a boxing ring. For someone named after the god of war, this was a pretty tame interview.

JR Kratos vs. Jeff Cobb

They shake hands and go into the feeling out process to start without much major contact in the first minute. Kratos has a seat in the corner as Cole can’t remember the details he was told about Cobb’s Olympic career about a minute and a half ago. They go to the mat with Kratos going to the mat and managing to get a Kimura but Cobb takes him down with a waistlock.

Kratos switches into one of his own and Cobb looks rather surprised. An armdrag sends Cobb into the corner and it’s time for the big chop off. Kratos gets the better of that as well and throws Cobb into the corner again, followed by a headlock takeover. That’s enough for Cobb, who muscles him up into a pumphandle suplex. It’s not enough to keep Kratos in trouble though as he kicks Cobb in the face for two.

A piledriver gets the same and one person tries a THAT WAS THREE chant. There’s always something hilarious about that, even if it’s also kind of sad. They chop it out again until an exchange of boots to the face puts both guys down. Another suplex drops Kratos, who pops right back up with a jumping knee to the face. The Game Changer (sitout spinebuster) finishes Cobb at 10:43.

Rating: B-. I can always go for two big, athletic guys beating each other up and that’s what they did here. Cobb would grow up a lot in the coming years and that’s the kind of thing you can never get tired of seeing. Kratos has a lot of potential as well and I’m not sure why he hasn’t gone anywhere on the bigger stage. Fun hoss battle here.

We get the post match handshake.

Kevin Martenson vs. Willie Mack

Martenson is rather odd, including standing on his hands and clapping his feet together during his entrance. Mack gets quite the positive reaction, which tends to be the case everywhere he goes. The smaller Martenson slams him to start and goes up, with Mack looking at him and wondering what he’s doing. He comes back down so Mack can hit his swinging slam and a shoulder sends Martenson outside.

A delayed suplex brings him back in for two and a Codebreaker over the ropes puts Martenson on the floor again. Back in and a hard shot to the chest gets two as the announcers brag about selling the building out for their first two shows (fair enough). Martenson knocks him to the floor for a change and hits a double stomp off the apron, followed by a missile dropkick.

The fans are behind Willie as Martenson stomps away in the corner so Mack headbutts the heck out of him for a breather. Martenson is fine enough to hit a slingshot elbow for two before just hammering away with right hands. Some kicks to the leg don’t work very well though as Mack kicks him in the head, which makes the announcers talk about Moons Over My Hammy, which makes me want to go to Denny’s.

Mack hits a slingshot dropkick in the corner to set up the Cannonball for two. A Samoan drop into a standing moonsault has Martenson in more trouble. Mack’s Doomsday Saito suplex sends Martenson to the floor and that means the big flip dive. Back in and Martenson hits a bicycle kick into a brainbuster for two of his own. Mack doesn’t seem to mind as it’s a Stunner into a Chocolate Thunder Driver for the pin at 14:24.

Rating: B-. This was one of those matches where they just went out there and did a lot of stuff, which is exactly what a show like this needed to do. Sometimes you need to have something that showcases talent and gives the fans a reason to come back and for a second show ever, that makes a lot of sense. So does pushing Mack, though Martenson looked good here too.

Almighty Sheik vs. MVP

Sheik has MK with him and this is a Syrian Death Match, which means a body bag match. Hang on though as Sheik needs to pray first, but MVP’s music cuts him off, as you had to expect. MVP slugs away to start and tries a big boot but Sheik bails to the floor. That’s fine with MVP who hits a dive and the slugout starts on the outside. A clothesline puts Sheik over the barricade and that means it’s time for a chair shot and walking around through the crowd.

Now the big boot connects to put them back at ringside and MVP DDTs him onto the apron. Cole: “Outside of that post, the hardest part of that ring.” WHY DO SO FEW COMMENTATORS GET THAT??? It’s table time but MVP has to block the spike to the head. A neckbreaker drops Sheik as we hear about the current political climate against people like Sheik. Another big boot knocks the busted open Sheik off the buckle and out to the floor.

They head outside again with Sheik being put on the table but MK offers a distraction (it’s about time), allowing Sheik to get in a bell shot. Back in and Sheik drops an elbow, setting up a one armed camel clutch. The full version goes on as the announcers turn it into a discussion of building a wall. MVP breaks it up with a drop onto his back and some clotheslines, into high collar suplex….which the camera misses by not panning down.

The Ballin Elbow connects and it’s time for the body bag. Well at least it’s time to unfold it as MVP loads up a suplex off the apron through the table. MK makes the save and Sheik has to save him from a Death Valley Driver by throwing a fireball, sending MVP through the table. That’s enough to close the body bag and give Sheik the win at 12:27.

Rating: D+. I don’t know what it is about these two but it doesn’t work. Maybe it’s the Sheik being the most generic foreign heel in the world or MVP not being the most traditional face, but the whole thing just came and went. It was a brawl around the arena until we got to the finish and then it was over. What else am I supposed to get out of this?

Post match MVP is let out of the bag and beats up MK, including Ballin. MK gets bagged to end the show and send the fans home happy.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a weird hybrid between the first and third shows, which means you have some good and some bad. The problem is the matches are just coming and going, which has to be the case on a second show. They had a rematch to their big main event the first time around so at least they did something. You won’t be bored watching it but there are better things like can watch. Like their future shows.

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

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

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

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

Release The Kraken
Date: January 9, 2016
Location: Oak Street Gym, Torrence, California
Commentators: Christian Cole, Todd Keneley

This is one of the final DVDs I got in the set that I got and as luck would have it, the final two are both from the same company. That would be Pacific Coast Wrestling, an independent company from California and this is their very first event. I know a fair deal of the names listed so maybe we’ve got something good here. Let’s get to it.

The hosts (including Keneley, who formerly did Impact commentary) welcome us to the show and run down some of the card, including a lights out match. How much of a feud can you have in the debut?

Opening sequence, presumably featuring highlights from the show we’re about to see. Kind of odd but they have to start with something.

Joe Graves vs. Timothy Thatcher

Thatcher is a somewhat well known submission master and comes out to what would become Walter’s music in NXT UK. Apparently Thatcher is replacing someone named Rick Luxury, which would seem to be an upgrade. They grapple to start with the referee breaking it up against the ropes. Nice to see someone doing his job for a change. Graves can’t get control of the leg so Thatcher escapes a chinlock for an early standoff.

We hit the grappling again with Thatcher taking him down and going for the arm. Graves finally tries something different with a chop to the back but Thatcher is right back with a headlock on the mat. The Fujiwara armbar attempt is blocked as it’s all grappling so far. Graves gets in a suplex and this time it’s Thatcher escaping an armbar, setting up a right hand to Graves’ head.

Thatcher stays on the arm and bends the fingers back before switching into a leglock. Graves has finally had it with this and starts throwing forearms to the head. A cross armbreaker doesn’t work either so Graves snaps off another suplex. Thatcher throws him down by the arm though and it’s a Fujiwara armbar to make Graves tap at 8:31.

Rating: B-. This one is going to entirely depend on your taste as the grappling was rather impressive and they did mention a history between the two, meaning that we’re likely to see a rematch down the line. At the same time here though, the match didn’t feel like it was building towards anything and just ended out of nowhere. It was entertaining, but felt more like a grappling display than a match.

Here’s an attorney named MK, who isn’t on the format sheet. He demands respect and silence, though he promises to speak slowly so these California wrestling fans can understand him. MK represents the Almighty Sheik, who will be facing MVP in the main event. Promoters and promotions fear the Sheik, which is why his match is not being sanctioned. Sheik has held World Titles while MVP has been held with handcuffs.

MVP is nothing more than a common street criminal, so cue MVP to respond. He insults MK’s clothing and steals his line about speaking slowly. Yes MVP is an ex-con but he’s turned things around since then, including winning titles and kicked out of the Undertaker’s chokeslam. Kane set him on fire, so why would he be scared of the Sheik? MK says in Sheik’s country, MVP is Sheik’s b****. MVP lays him out with a shot to the face and gives him a World’s Strongest Slam to set up the Ballin Elbow but MK bails. This was as fillerish as you could get, though I can understand helping to build up the first main event a bit.

At some point around here (not sure if before or after the promo), there was a second match with Chris Evans defeating Johnny Savoi. Not sure why that was cut but it’s not like the DVD was all that long in the first place. It’s not listed on the DVD case either so I guess it was a dark match on a six match show.

Classic Connection vs. Keepers of the Faith

The Connection (Levi Shapiro/Buddy Royal) has a masked manager named Fat Dick Johnson, who speaks in a weird country accent and talks about bringing their own tag ropes. Later, the Connection would get a new manager in the form of Brian Zane of Wrestling With Wregret fame.

Before the Keepers come out, Johnson talks about how they have tag ropes because they’re old school. He doesn’t like the Keepers, because one of them “looks like a retarded Steiner Brother” and the other would have to get smarter just to be stupid. The Keepers (Dom Vitali/Gabriel Gallo) finally cut him off and we’re ready to go, despite a lack of an explanation of what kind of faith they are keeping. Gallows does seem to be a bit Rick Steinerish as Vitali has to pull him back by the chain around his neck (though Vitali has one of his own).

The Connection stalls on the floor for a good while as we wait around on an opening bell. We can’t get an opening bell yet either as we get a weapons check and then an argument over who should start. Eventually it’s Royal vs. Gallo to start with Royal being smart enough to kick Gallo in the ribs instead of trying a test of strength. Royal tries a suplex and slam, both of which are reversed into the real thing by the much stronger Gallo. Shapiro comes in and is knocked outside with a single shoulder.

The Connection takes a breather on the floor until Shapiro comes back in to continue the action fest. Gallo slams him down so it’s off to Vitali for two, followed by Gallo coming right back in. A missed charge gives Shapiro a breather but Vitali comes in for a Death Valley Driver. Vitali misses a moonsault but gets two anyway, followed by diving onto Royal for a bonus.

Back in and Johnson trips Vitali from the floor so Shapiro can finally get in some offense. The Connection starts stomping away in the corner with Johnson adding some choking for a bonus. A dropkick to the knee lets Shapiro hammer away and Royal’s running knee in the corner gets two. The triangle choke goes on for a bit, followed by a clothesline to cut off Vitali’s comeback bid.

We hit the front facelock to keep Vitali in trouble and it’s Royal jumping over Shapiro to land on Vitali’s back, albeit in the corner instead of on the ropes for a little change. Vitali finally explodes out of the corner with a clothesline and the hot tag brings in Gallo to clean house. Everything breaks down and Vitali spears Royal, leaving Gallo to clothesline Shapiro for two….as the referee realizes that Shapiro isn’t legal. The melee lets Johnson get in a cane shot to Gallo to give Royal the pin at 13:58.

Rating: C-. It might not have been the quality of the first but this was a bit more entertaining with the old school tag formula. That being said, it was longer than it needed to be and Johnson’s stuff got a little annoying in a hurry. I can always go for an old school tag match though and the Connection worked well in the Midnight Express knockoff roles.

The Sheik knows MVP and lists off some of the places the two of them have worked over the years. They’ve never fought before though and in this case, the headlines are already out about the two of them facing off. This will not be a wrestling match or catch as catch can. Unpredictable times call for a reliable friend, which seems to be Sheik’s trusty spike.

JR Kratos vs. Dylan Drake

Kratos was part of GFW’s Amped tapings. Drake on the other hand comes out in a Ric Flair style robe and seems to have retired from wrestling since this was taped. Drake’s running boot before the bell is shrugged off as Kratos sends him outside for an early breather. Back in and Kratos hits a fireman’s carry takeover, which sends Drake bailing to the floor again.

Back in and again and Kratos easily takes him down again as the grappling can begin. Drake’s triangle choke doesn’t work so well as Kratos powerbombs him down for two instead. Drake gets smart with a rake of the eyes and wraps Kratos’ leg around the post for his first advantage. The leglock goes on, followed by a legdrop to the leg for a bonus (the Ric Flair robe might have been more appropriate than I thought).

It’s another leglock to hold Kratos in place for a bit, though the leg is fine enough to whip Drake hard into the corner. A crotching against the post makes it even worse for Drake and a running (good) knee to the side of the head knocks him silly. Back in and Kratos gets two off a dropkick, with the knee pain inspired delay meaning the cover only gets two. Or the fact that it was just a dropkick.

Drake flips him off out of general stupidity so Kratos hits a powerslam and wheelbarrow suplex for two more. Drake’s powerbomb onto the knee gets two, even with feet on the ropes. That’s shrugged off and it’s a chokeslam into a sitout powerbomb (the Game Changer) for the pin on Drake at 11:39.

Rating: D+. Kratos looked good here but the match just kind of kept going until it got to an ending. Drake was nothing memorable in the slightest and was working a bit of an old school style without the energy or emotion that would make it feel special. Boring match here, though Kratos could be worth something against a better opponent.

Scorpio Sky vs. TJ Perkins

Sky takes over with a wristlock so Perkins spins around into one of his own. How wrestling of him. A dropkick lets Perkins nip up so Sky (bald of course) claims a hair pull. That joke always makes me chuckle. Sky takes over and stomps away, only to get headscissored right back down. A grab of the leg gets Sky out of trouble as the announcers talk about Sky’s recent success in mixed martial arts. Another headscissors gets TJ out of trouble and it’s a basement dropkick so Perkins can pose a bit.

Sky is back up to kick Perkins outside, then sends him inside, then sends him outside again. Does it seem like they’re just killing time here? I mean it’s clear that they are, but I didn’t know how well it was coming through. Back in and a backbreaker drops Perkins again, followed by a backbreaker to keep up the variety. A hard whip into the corner stays on the back but it’s too early for what looked like a Sharpshooter.

Perkins snaps the arm ala Pentagon Jr. and the comeback is on, somehow with Perkins as the face it seems. Who looks at him and sees a face? Sky gets in a knee, stops to glare at the camera, and hits another backbreaker. At least this time he bends Perkins’ back over a knee to mix it up a bit. We hit the camel clutch but since that’s a bit too thrilling, it’s another knee to the back and a chinlock to tone it down a bit. That gives the announcers the chance to talk about Sky coming to the show straight from his grandmother’s funeral. You know, just to perk things up a bit.

Perkins fights up and hits a dropkick but it’s a hard looking collision for a double knockdown. Back up and Perkins hits a Regal Roll into a standing corkscrew splash. Perkins takes his time going up so Sky can block a sunset bomb. Sky’s victory roll and knee to the face get two each, followed by another double knockdown. Sky is up first and hits a nasty looking German suplex into the corner but another knee hits buckle. The suplex into the corner is shrugged off in ten seconds so Perkins can hit a springboard missile dropkick to the back, meaning it’s a rollup for two.

Perkins’ frog splash hits knees to give Sky his own two and they’re both spent. They slug it out until Sky hits a great looking jumping knee to the head….for two. That should have been the finish (about the fifth so far). The yet to be named Detonation Kick sets up another armbreaker from Perkins but Sky stacks it up for the break. That’s it for Sky, who hits the Ace of Spades (TKO) and the Big Fat Kill (running knee to the face) to finish Perkins at 22:15.

Rating: B-. They were going for the epic here but it was more long than great. That being said, it was the best match of the night and probably the match the promotion is going to point to in their early days. That’s understandable in this case too as they had a long, rather good match, which needed about three minutes clipped off to really make it work as intended.

MVP is here to grapple because he loves wrestling. Then he found out he’s facing the Sheik, who likes to harm people instead of wrestling them. Maybe Sheik has seen everything MVP has done and owns and thinks he’s gone soft. Yeah maybe his success has gotten to him a bit, but the threat of someone trying to take it all away from him fires him up again. MVP takes off the jewelry and says it’s not going to be the MVP who made Shinsuke Nakamura tap or the MVP who beat Chris Benoit two straight falls.

It’s going to be the MVP from the ghetto of Miami and who spent nine and a half years in prison. Sheik is going to get to see the real MVP, who has seen and survived all kinds of things that Sheik can’t imagine. I’m not big on MVP for the most part, but this was very good and made MVP seem like a threat with star power.

MVP vs. Almighty Sheik

Anything goes. Sheik (better known (I think) as Josef Samael in MLW) starts throwing chairs into the ring before MVP comes out and is flanked by MK. Hang on though (of course) as Sheik swings a chair to keep MVP on the floor. Let’s throw in some Big Match Intros, allowing the commentator to say that Republicans are throwing things at their TVs because a Syrian wrestler is getting this much time.

MVP comes in with a chair of his own and a duel sends Sheik outside so more stalling can ensue. The delay lets MVP throw the chairs out and lay on the ropes for a bit. They’re on the floor in a hurry as this is likely to be one of the walking brawls. MVP drops him throat first across the barricade and hammers away. A flag shot (with the announcers not being sure which country it is, despite knowing that Sheik is from Syria) puts MVP down so he hits Sheik low for the break.

They fight into the crowd with MVP burying him under some chairs. That lasts all of a few seconds until Sheik is up with some chair shots to the ribs, followed by more walking through the crowd. Now it’s over near the doors and vending machines, including a trashcan shot to Sheik’s back. As commentary complains about fans being on their phones during this (fair enough), it turns into a fight on the floor with MVP choking from the back.

Sheik finds his spike for a breather and hits more chair shots, followed by a bottle of mustard to the head. A piledriver on the floor is countered with a backdrop as Cole goes into a rant about Sheik being the reason Americans don’t like Syrian refugees. Sheik shrugs off a chair shot and stabs MVP in the ribs but MVP gets the spike away. That means a cut to Sheik’s head and….yeah let’s skip the ring and go back into the crowd.

With that exhausted, Sheik heads back inside and MVP throws in some chairs but loses the spike. A DDT gives Sheik two so MK comes in. That means it’s time for fire, which hits MK by mistake. Sheik beats up the referee as security comes in, meaning the match is thrown out at 13:00.

Rating: D+. This was just a wild brawl with both guys walking around the ring until we got to the big angle ending. I’m not a big fan of something like this, though they did a good job of setting things up throughout the show. The match felt like a bigger deal, but this was just walking from place to place so both guys could hit each other with things until the finish. It was a good setup with a pretty weak match to follow up.

Wrestlers and security can’t break things up so more wrestlers come out to split them apart. The bell rings and since wrestlers are Pavlovian by nature, the fight is on again. They’re eventually held back and Sheik leaves but MVP has something to say. MVP throws out the challenge for the rematch in March, threatening to actually kill Sheik next time.

The announcer thanks us for coming out and tells us to come back next time, though there are six minutes left. MVP drops the Ballin Elbow on Sheik’s robe before leaving.

A five minute recap video ends the show.

Overall Rating: D+. I didn’t care for the main event, but it helped with the show’s biggest problem: it was the only match on the show that didn’t feel lifeless (though Perkins vs. Sky came close). So much of the show felt like they were just doing matches for the sake of doing matches, which may be due to this being the first show. It wasn’t horrible and nothing was really bad, but only the last little bit made me interested in seeing where it was going.

That being said, I’ll be skipping the second show as it didn’t make me want to keep watching. You shouldn’t need filler on a two hour show, but between the promos and hype for the main event, this could have been closer to an hour and a half. I already have the third one though so we’ll be moving on to that, which hopefully offers an improvement. Given that the second show has three rematches from this show, I’m not exactly thrilled with the prospects. Not the worst by far, but it needs some work to get to good.

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

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

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

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