No Mercy 2008
Date: October 5, 2008
Location: Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 9,527
Commentators: Todd Grisham, Tazz, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Jim Ross

This is a rather top heavy show with a double main event of Shawn Michaels challenging Chris Jericho for the Raw World Title in a ladder match and HHH defending the Smackdown World Title against Jeff Hardy. While there is quite the gap between those matches as Jericho vs. Michaels is the undisputed real main event, there is also quite the gap down to the next big match, which is….I guess Big Show vs. Undertaker? Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at a family in a stereotypical 1950s house where they’re said to have no problems and no worries, but also no mercy. That’s quite the stretch for an opening video theme but it switches into the usual opening montage. Then it cuts back to the family watching the show. Yeah that’s not their best work.

Special treat: Matt Striker isn’t here and Jerry Lawler is taking his place. Things are looking up! Well sounding up!

IMG Credit: WWE

ECW Title: Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry

Henry, with Tony Atlas, is challenging after losing the title in a Championship Scramble last month and wanting his one on one rematch. Hardy gets powered into the corner to start and realizes he needs another idea. A headlock doesn’t work and Henry drops him with a shoulder. Henry backs Hardy into the corner for a knee to the ribs, followed by a rather hard clothesline.

Hardy goes after the knee and grabs a Robinsdale Crunch, followed by a cannonball down onto said leg. They go outside where Henry gets simple with Henry just shoving him down in a heap. A big boot drops Hardy for two and Henry drops down onto him for the same. The neck crank goes on for a bit, followed by a bearhug as Henry keeps going with the basic stuff (as he should).

Hardy fights out and tries a sunset flip for some reason, only to avoid a sitdown splash, banging up the knee again. The middle rope elbow to the back of the head into the Side Effect gets two but Henry runs him over again. The splash connects but Henry’s knee is in bad shape. Henry’s World’s Strongest Slam is broken up with a few shots to the leg and the Twist Of Fate retains the title at 8:02.

Rating: B-. It was a nice story with Hardy fighting through the monster and winning in the end after cutting Henry down. If Hardy was going to become the top star in ECW, he had to beat Henry one on one at some point and they made it work here. It was a good David vs. Goliath story, which still works if it’s done right and that was the case.

HHH and Jeff Hardy meet in the back but HHH is more interested in the mobile poll about who will win their match. Hardy wants some respect so HHH says he wants Hardy at his best. That way when HHH beats him tonight, he beats the best Hardy possible. Hardy promises to take the title.

Raw Women’s Title: Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle

Phoenix is defending and has Santino Marella with him. Michelle kicks the leg out to start and hits a quick Fameasser, followed by a rollup for two. An enziguri staggers Phoenix again but she powers Michelle into the corner. Phoenix starts in on the arm and sends it into the buckle, setting up an arm crank. Michelle manages to slip out and slugs away, including a spinwheel kick (which didn’t seem to connect) for two.

Phoenix is right back with a DDT on the arm before going up (you don’t see that every day), where Michelle crotches her down just as fast. Marella has to make the save, allowing Phoenix to drop Michelle with a clothesline on the floor. Back in and Michelle is in trouble but Marella accidentally trips Phoenix for two. The Candy Wrapper is loaded up but Phoenix reverses into the Glam Slam to retain at 4:41.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have time, but there was something to Michelle giving Phoenix everything she could until the ending. At the end of the day though, Phoenix is likely going to smash through someone like Michelle, who was still figuring out a lot of stuff in the ring. Phoenix winning makes a lot more sense and it came after a better match than I was expecting.

Kane is ready to take Rey Mysterio’s mask and the facade that it represents. Then Mysterio and all of the people will see themselves as the monsters they really are.

Kane vs. Rey Mysterio

Kane has been going after Mysterio because he doesn’t like him wearing a mask. Thanks to a favor from Mike Adamle, Mysterio has to unmask if he loses. Mysterio goes with the kicks to start and knocks Kane outside, only to get booted in the face without much trouble. A dropkick looks to set up the 619 so Kane drops him with a hard clothesline. Mysterio is able to slip off Kane’s shoulder for a headscissors out to the floor. That’s fine with Kane, who sends him crashing into the barricade.

The chinlock goes on back inside, followed by a backbreaker with Mysterio being bent over Kane’s knee. With that broken up, Mysterio manages a spinning reverse DDT, plus a top rope standing moonsault press for two. Dropping The Time gives Mysterio two but he walks into a side slam. Another spinning DDT gives Mysterio a desperation two and he avoids a big boot in the corner. The 619 to the back puts Kane on the floor and Mysterio goes up, only to dive into a chair shot for the DQ (that looked GREAT) at 10:10.

Rating: B. The ending fits as Kane more about the violence and pain than anything else so having him do something that got him disqualified makes perfect sense. It helps that Mysterio got knocked absolutely silly by that chair shot and Kane looked happy with hurting him more than anything else. Good stuff here as Mysterio was trying to survive, though I could go with something other than a smaller hero fighting a powerhouse after seeing it three straight times.

MVP is annoyed at not having a match tonight and goes to knock on the Smackdown GM’s door. Instead of Vickie Guerrero, he finds Big Show, who isn’t interested in MVP’s problems. MVP keeps complaining but Show threatens to switch his focus from Undertaker to him. Guerrero calls Show into the office and MVP leaves.

Here is MVP in the arena for a chat. MVP doesn’t get why he’s being left on the sidelines for such a big event. Maybe being dropped on her head has messed with Vickie Guerrero’s mind…and here is Randy Orton to interrupt. Orton introduces himself and says he is what MVP believes himself to be. This seems to happen to MVP every month but MVP says he didn’t recognize Orton without his shoulder in a sling.

MVP says he never gets the ball, though Orton says if MVP ever got the ball, he would just drop it. Violence is teased but here are Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes and Manu to interrupt. Rhodes tries to talk to Orton, only to be cut off by a BORING chant. Rhodes sees Orton as the guy who was a big deal in high school but didn’t get into college and just stays around town, trying to be cool.

Orton brings up attacking CM Punk, which Manu says only happened after they did the hard work. Orton says that he’ll listen to them as soon as they’ve done half of what he does. MVP mocks Orton for walking out and praises the trio’s style. If he ever winds up on Raw, maybe they could do something. DiBiase doesn’t buy this because MVP’s dad wasn’t a star. MVP says he makes more money than all of them. DiBiase: “Hey genius. My father is the Million Dollar Man.”

Violence is teased again and MVP just leaves…but here are CM Punk and Kofi Kingston to interrupt. They talk to MVP, who seems interested in teaming up with them to go after the trio. The three of them charge the ring…but Punk and Kingston stay outside and let MVP get triple teamed. Then Punk and Kingston get in and make the save, leaving commentary a bit confused.

This has been your regularly scheduled fifteen minute detour from the regularly scheduled card.

IMG Credit: WWE

John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Batista

For a future Raw World Title shot and JBL is all depressed because he’s lost a lot of money in the stock market this week. Batista clotheslines him down and hits a running boot for an early two. JBL fights back and is speared outside in a heap as his slow start continues. They fight outside with JBL getting in a few right hands, followed by an elbow back inside. We hit the chinlock for a bit but Batista suplexes his way to freedom. Some clotheslines stagger JBL again and it’s off to the shoulders in the corner. The spinebuster and Batista Bomb finish JBL at 5:18.

Rating: B-. You know, I’ll take this over what could have been. I’ve seen enough of JBL and Batista having long, drawn out matches before and it’s not a pleasant experience. It’s nice to see them do a near squash match as no one bought JBL having a chance in the match anyway. Just do the simpler version for a change.

Post match Batista leaves and JBL talks about how bad his week has been. The reality is his heart wasn’t in this one tonight because Wall Street has given him the worst week of his life. After everything else though, he is the happiest man alive because Congress has bailed out people like him.

People like Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi (members of Congress) understand that people like him make the world go around. Sure it may cost families $10,000 per household, but now he gets to keep his penthouse apartment at Central Park. Now he’s going to get in his limo and go back to New York. God bless you, God bless America, and God bless him! Cue Cryme Tyme on the Titantron, saying they’re going to bail out the limo, complete with the Divas and….Sgt. Slaughter, who apparently is just kept in storage in Portland until he’s needed! This was hilarious, with JBL’s promo being absolutely great.

We recap Undertaker vs. Big Show. Undertaker has been going after Vickie Guerrero, who apparently has Show in her back pocket. Show attacked Undertaker, who wants revenge, setting up the match. The build for this has involved showing the video of Show knocking Undertaker out approximately 4123 times.

Undertaker vs. Big Show

Undertaker slugs away to start and gets knocked outside but comes back with a headbutt. The Stunner over the top rope staggers Show, who is right back up to take Undertaker outside. The big right hands have Undertaker in trouble and Show whips him hard into the barricade. Show gets posted though and it’s the apron legdrop as JR thinks Show is in a hopeless state. Oregon is hopeless?

Undertaker’s big boot doesn’t do much to Show, who runs Undertaker over with a rather hard clothesline. Show slowly hammers away but misses a Vader Bomb, allowing Undertaker to come back with the right hands. The jumping clothesline drops Show and a legdrop gets two.

Old School is countered into a good looking chokeslam for two but another chokeslam is countered into a DDT for a delayed near fall. The turnbuckle pad is ripped off and Show sends him into the exposed buckle, followed by the KO Punch. Another KO sets up a third to the back of the head and the referee stops it at 10:05.

Rating: B. This was a shockingly good brawl as they beat the living daylights out of each other until even Undertaker couldn’t survive Show. That’s a heck of a lot better than I was expecting after the really dull build. Odds are it sets up a big gimmick match next month and if it’s like this, I have heard far worse ideas. Very nice surprise here.

Jeff Hardy wins the text poll 72%-28%. That’s a heck of a landslide.

We recap HHH defending the Smackdown World Title against Jeff Hardy. The idea is very simple: Hardy feels like the unstoppable force on the way to the title but HHH is a heck of a champion. Hardy keeps getting closer and closer and it feels like when rather than if he wins the title.

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown World Title: HHH vs. Jeff Hardy

HHH is defending and we get a handshake before the bell, but HHH jumps him from behind. Hardy grabs a headlock but gets reversed into a headscissors, meaning it’s time to go back to the headlock. The grinding doesn’t keep HHH down long as he’s back up with an elbow to the face. Hardy sends him outside for an apron clothesline, followed by a slingshot legdrop and another headlock takeover.

HHH is back up and tries the Pedigree but gets backdropped out to the floor for the big crash. The big flip dive misses though and Hardy’s back is banged up. Back in and a backbreaker sets up some elbows to said back, followed by the abdominal stretch. The referee catches HHH holding the rope though and it’s off to the sleeper. That’s broken up as well and Hardy hits a running sleeper drop.

A basement dropkick gives Hardy two and he sends HHH outside for the big flip dive. Back in and the Twist Of Fate is countered into a heck of a clothesline to give HHH two of his own. For some reason HHH goes up, only to dive into a sitout gordbuster for two more as the fans are getting even more into this.

The spinning middle rope crossbody is slammed out of the air to give HHH two more but he gets catapulted into the corner. Hardy’s Whisper In The Wind gets two more as they’re going back and forth with the counts getting closer and closer. The Swanton misses but Hardy is right back with the Twist Of Fate. The Swanton connects…but Hardy lays back on him and gets rolled up for the pin to retain the title at 17:02.

Rating: B+. This was turning into a slugfest at the end as they were going move for move with each other until Hardy hit his big move. It’s Hardy somehow getting one step closer to the title but not being able to get there, even with the fans being along with him every step of the way. I was only kind of interested in this match coming in and they had me totally hooked by about the halfway point. Awesome match here, as these two had some very good chemistry.

Post match Hardy is devastated but they shake hands. HHH heads to the back, where he is congratulated by Arn Anderson and Vladimir Kozlov. One of these is interesting while the other is Russian.

We recap Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels for the Raw World Title. They had been having the feud of the year and then Jericho won the title, the same night Michaels had beat him. You put one and one together and throw in a ladder and you have a nearly guaranteed awesome match.

IMG Credit: WWE

Raw World Title: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho

Jericho is defending in a ladder match. Michaels grabs a headlock to start fast before threatening a superkick. Jericho is back to cut Michaels off from getting the ladder and sends him into the post. The ladder is pulled towards the ring but Michaels hits a drop toehold into the ladder onto the floor. That earns Michaels a Walls Of Jericho on the floor and the ladder is brought inside, where it is teeter tottered into Jericho’s face.

Back in and Jericho tries the Walls again but winds up catapulting Michaels onto the ladder. Said ladder is turned over though and Michaels goes crashing into the rope. Jericho’s face is busted open as he hits Michaels in the ribs with a ladder. Another ladder is brought in but Michaels gets in a shot of his own. Jericho gets dropped knee first onto the ladder and the Figure Four goes on.

With that broken up, Jericho kicks a ladder around to send it into Michaels’ face for a nasty crash. Another catapult sends Michaels face first into the ladder and Jericho puts him in said ladder for something of a Ladderairto. The ladder is sat on the top rope but Jericho gets sent into it, sending him crashing out to the floor. Michaels throws the ladder down onto him, as he would rather hurt Jericho rather than win the title. It’s time for the big ladder (uh oh) on the floor and Michaels loads up the announcers’ table (uh oh again).

Michaels takes too long going up and Jericho catches him with a belly to back superplex…but Michaels turns on it for the crossbody through the table and the massive crash. They slowly get back up and Michaels heads up top with a ladder, which is dropkicked into him for the crotching. Michaels is able to knock it down onto him though and the top rope elbow onto the ladder onto Jericho leaves them both laying. Sweet Chin Music is blocked with a ladder shot to the face (OUCH) and Michaels is down, setting up the Lionsault onto the ladder onto Michaels.

Jericho pins Michaels underneath the ladder and goes up but Michaels shoves the ladder over, sending Jericho WAY down onto the floor for a crazy crash. The slow climb is on, only to Jericho to knock the ladder (and Michaels) over again for a massive crash into the ropes. They both go up but Jericho gets knocked down, with his leg hanging in the ladder.

Cue Lance Cade to cut Michaels off so Michaels snaps off the superkick. Jericho is back up so Michaels goes to meet him on top and they grab the belt. The title comes unhooked as it’s a tug of war in the air but the bigger part is on Jericho’s side. Jericho is holding on with just the belt holding him up but manages to hit Michaels in the head and retain at 22:21.

Rating: A. This match had all of the stakes and build coming in and then they completely exceeded expectations. This was an absolute war as they beat the living daylights out of each other. It was a perfect mixture of being about the title and revenge, which made things that much better. Michaels is as good as it gets with making you believe that he might pull something off and he more than did it again here. I got pulled all the way into this again, which says a lot as I’ve seen it a few times now. Definitely check this out if you get the chance.

Overall Rating: A-. The worst match on the show is a five minute match between Beth Phoenix and Candice Michelle, which wound up being completely fine. The last two matches (and you could add in Big Show vs. Undertaker) are absolutely great, with the main event being an instant classic. It’s one of the better WWE shows in a very long time and is more than worth a look if you’re looking for something from this era. Great show.

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

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Smackdown
Date: December 19, 2025
Location: Giant Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We’ve got a rare taped show this week, as WWE is airing this while taping next week’s shows tonight for the sake of a holiday break. We’re also fresh off of the end of John Cena’s career at Saturday Night’s Main Event. The Royal Rumble is starting to come up over the horizon but there are some big Smackdowns on the way to Saudi Arabia. Let’s get to it.

Here is Saturday Night’s Main Event if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of Saturday Night’s Main Event, with John Cena losing to Gunther in a good match and the tributes rolling in.

Apparently Cody Rhodes has invaded Drew McIntyre’s house. More on this later.

Here is Damian Priest to get things going and praise John Cena, who is the greatest of all time. With that out of the way, Priest talks about last week, when he and Rhea Ripley took out Aleister Black and Zelina. Cue Zelina, who points out that Priest didn’t even get the pin and says Black broke him. Priest has to live with his decision and here is Black to jump him from behind. The fight is on and Priest gets the better of things, allowing him to load up a table. Black is back with a chair and hits a Meteora to drive Priest through the table.

Lash Legend and Nia Jax do not like the implication that Legend beating Alexa Bliss was an upset. They want the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Aleister Black attacks Damian Priest again, including hitting him in the back with a shovel.

IMG Credit: WWE

Kabuki Warriors vs. Lash Legend/Nia Jax

Non-title. Sane headscissors Legend down to start but Legend runs her over with a running elbow. Jax and Legend hit running splashes in the corner but it’s off to Asuka, who helps kick Jax down. A headbutt to the chest drops Asuka but she and Sane dropkick Jax outside. Sane’s big dive takes out Legend and Jax as we take a break.

We come back with Legend chinlocking Sane and handing it off to Jax, who knocks Asuka off the apron. Sane manages to turn a double suplex into a double DDT though and it’s Asuka coming in with a double missile dropkick. Jax powers out of the cross armbreaker but misses a sitdown splash as everything breaks down. A missed charge sends Jax into the post but Sane dives into a chokeslam. The Annihilator finishes Sane at 12:04.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure about the champs losing clean like this, though it was a nice way to make Jax and Legend look dominant. At the same time, Jax has seemed to have trimmed down a bit and is moving better out there. If that is the case, she is instantly a lot more valuable, as it means more people can work with her.

Post match Charlotte and Alexa Bliss run in to take out Jax and Legend.

Giulia, with Kiana James, warns Chelsea Green that she is coming for the Women’s US Title.

Earlier this week, Nick Aldis and referees came to Drew McIntyre’s home to negotiate. Aldis offers McIntyre a title shot against Cody Rhodes, but he wants a public apology to referee Dan Angler. There’s also a fine, but Aldis doesn’t think it’s going to be an issue. McIntyre seems ok with this, though he wants to pick the stipulation for the match. Also, he wants a document saying Rhodes cannot lay a finger on him. It turns out that Rhodes is at McIntyre’s house and the fight is on. Eventually things are cleared up.

Aldis is annoyed but Miz comes in to say he wants a match with “him”. No not Carmelo Hayes, though Miz wouldn’t mind that, but rather that guy….whose name he won’t say. Aldis seems to agree but here is R-Truth to say he believes in Joe…Pesci. Eh I can see that.

Alba Fyre vs. Giulia

Chelsea Green and Kiana James are here too. Giulia jumps her to start fast and takes Fyre down but stops to glare at Green. That’s enough for Fyre to come back with a DDT for two but a missed charge lets Giulia grab an abdominal stretch. Back up and Fyre kicks her down for another near fall, only for Giulia to knee her in the head. The northern lights bomb finishes for Giulia at 3:48.

Rating: C. Giulia wants to face Green for the title so she beat up Green’s lackey to get the shot. That’s about all you need to happen and it worked well enough here. Fyre got in just enough offense to feel like a threat before getting taken out. It’s not an overly competitive match but that’s not what it was supposed to be.

The Wyatt Sicks don’t like Solo Sikoa’s quest for power and promise there will be nowhere for Sikoa to run.

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat. Rhodes talks about Drew McIntyre calling WWE an unsafe working environment. There are second generation wrestlers, former MMA stars and NIL talents. What would be a safe working environment? Staples? Cue Nick Aldis to say Rhodes went too far by going to McIntyre’s house. If McIntyre does what he is required to do, he’ll get his shot and Rhodes can’t lay a finger on him or he’ll be stripped of the title. Rhodes explains that he works for the people and Aldis works for him before leaving.

Ilja Dragunov thanks Carmelo Hayes for what he did last week (since wrestlers apparently do not see or talk to each other at any other time during the week). Hayes says it’s cool as Tama Tonga watches in the background. Fraxiom comes in to wish them luck against DIY tonight but wants them to save a piece for them. Dragunov just wants revenge.

DIY vs. Carmelo Hayes/Ilja Dragunov

Candice LeRae is here with DIY. It’s a brawl to start with Ciampa getting crushed in the corner, including Dragunov hitting a running boot to the face. We settle down to Hayes elbowing Ciampa into a jumping legdrop, followed by a suplex from Dragunov. LeRae’s distraction lets Gargano knock Dragunov off the top though and we take a break.

We come back with Dragunov still in trouble but he manages a quick Constantine Special. Hayes comes in with his springboard clothesline into La Mistica before flip diving onto Gargano. Dragunov’s top rope backsplash gets two but DIY manages to send Hayes into their corner.

Project Ciampa gets two on Hayes with Dragunov making a save so LeRae offers a distraction. Dragunov gets taken down and it’s the superkick/Fairy Tale Ending combination for two. Meet In The Middle is cut off by Torpedo Moscow though and Hayes hits Nothing But Net finishes Ciampa at 10:26.

Rating: B. Good stuff here and it’s nice to see Hayes getting to do something and being successful as a result. He and Dragunov had some nice chemistry and while I don’t expect that to lead to a long term team, there is a good chance that Hayes will get a US Title shot. I’m not sure what is next for DIY, but it’s not like the tag division means much at the moment anyway.

Charlotte and Alexa Bliss want the Women’s Tag Team Titles back. Jade Cargill comes in and some glaring ensues. Cargill is asked about Michin and gets jumped from behind by Michin and her kendo stick.

Solo Sikoa promises that his family will humiliate the Wyatt Sicks. He has his own fireflies and the Wyatts can’t run.

IMG Credit: WWE

Tag Team Titles: Wyatt Sicks vs. MFT’s

The Wyatts are defending. Lumis Russian legsweeps Loa to start and it’s off to Gacy, who gets driven into the corner. The stomping doesn’t last long as Gacy gets over to Lumis to clear the ring. It’s already back to Gacy, who can’t launch a dive but can go outside, where Loa drops him with a clothesline. The Wyatts are both knocked down on the floor and we take a break.

We come back with Lumis still in trouble and getting sent into the corner. Sikoa seems to improve until Lumis flips over and brings Gacy back in to pick up the pace. Gacy misses a Lionsault though and gets planted but Lumis is back in. The belly to back suplex/powerbomb combination sets up Lumis’ top rope splash, with Loa making the save. Talla Tonga boots Gacy down and all of the associates get in a fight. The referee throws it out at 10:32.

Rating: C. The match wasn’t a disaster, but it might as well have had a big countdown clock until the match wound up being a big brawl. It wasn’t exactly a surprise, but that didn’t make it any more interesting. This is a feud that has been built up for a good while and there wasn’t much of a reason to believe that the lowest members of the MFT’s were going to take the titles here.

Post match the big brawl is on, with everyone, including Nikki Cross, getting involved. Sister Abigail is broken up to save Sikoa and end the show.

Overall Rating: C. Maybe it was this being part of a double taping or something but there was an energy missing from this show. It felt like one of those shows that was there because it has to be and was more designed to set something up later on. I liked the tag match but you could have easily skipped this week and watched Santa Jaws instead.

Results
Nia Jax/Lash Legend b. Kabuki Warriors – Annihilator to Sane
Giulia b. Alba Fyre – Northern lights bomb
Ilja Dragunov/Carmelo Hayes b. DIY – Nothing But Net to Ciampa
Wyatt Sicks vs. MFT’s went to a no contest

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

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Monday Night Raw
Date: September 29, 2008
Location: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Attendance: 7,000
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler

It’s the last Raw before No Mercy and hopefully that means a lot more from Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels. The two of them have done some great stuff lately and are carrying the show on their backs. That’s about all there is going on around here and that can make for a tedious watch. Let’s get to it.

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

Batista vs. Santino Marella

Non-title and Beth Phoenix is here with Marella. Before the match, Marella wants the Honk-A-Meter, which shows that he’s 58 weeks behind Honky Tonk Man’s record. He also has the Brain Barometer, which shows he has ten trillion brain cells compared to Batista’s 12. Shoulders in the corner, spinebuster, Batista Bomb finish in less than a minute.

Post match Batista yells at Phoenix but JBL runs in to give him the Clothesline.

Shawn Michaels, who is teaming with a mystery partner tonight, says Chris Jericho has six days left to be World Heavyweight Champion. As for tonight, how about he teams up with a Real American? A Texas Rattlesnake? Or the Best There Is, The Best There Was And The Best There Ever Will Be? Ok Michaels knows that last one is too far so he’ll settle for someone who likes him.

Miz vs. JTG

Their respective partners are here too. After a quick look at the Dirt Sheet, which featured an interview with Cryme Tyme’s “parents”, Miz drives JTG into the corner to start but gets cut off by a flying shoulder. An uppercut staggers Miz again but he’s back with the running corner clothesline. A regular clothesline drops JTG again, though he’s right back with a jumping over the back Fameasser for two. John Morrison offers a distraction so Shad Gaspard cuts him off, which allows Miz to grab the Reality Check for the pin.

Rating: C. Miz is at the point where he just needs reps, as he’s so young in his career. The good thing is that you can see the development coming along each week, as he’s having competent matches. That’s a long way to come in such a short amount of time and his chemistry with Morrison makes it even better.

Jamie Noble goes up to Jillian Hall and insults her singing before asking “sweet cheeks” to be his partner tonight. She sings a no but gets to meet Dolph Ziggler, who doesn’t impress her.

Paul Burchill/Katie Lea vs. Jamie Noble/???

William Regal and Layla come out to watch and Noble actually has a partner in the form of….Mickie James. Yeah that works. Burchill hammers Noble down to start and hands it off to Katie, who can beat on Noble as well as this is an intergender match. That doesn’t last long as James comes in and gets caught with a double arm crank. James fights up just as quickly and hands it back to Noble, who shouts at Regal before missile dropkicking Burchill. A cross armbreaker gives Noble the fast submission.

Rating: C. The ending was a nice surprise as Noble seems to be turning to the good side. Granted he needs to work on his ability to speak to others but at least the stuff in the ring is working. The cross armbreaker is a good addition, as it certainly looks devastating enough. I can’t imagine he survives the showdown with Regal, but at least Noble is doing something well.

Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase and Manu find Kane (their partner tonight), with Rhodes saying that since Kane is Paul Bearer’s son, he’s basically a second generation star. That means they can work together, but Kane would rather massacre Rey Mysterio no matter who is on his side. Stay out of his way or he’ll end all of them.

We look back at last week, when Lance Cade beat Shawn Michaels, albeit thanks to a Chris Jericho distraction.

Here is Cade to brag about his win and say that Jericho is just better than Michaels. He doesn’t care who Michaels has as a partner tonight either.

Cody Rhodes/Ted DiBiase/Manu/Kane vs. CM Punk/Kofi Kingston/Rey Mysterio/Evan Bourne

Manu elbows Bourne in the face to start but Bourne slips out of a suplex attempt and brings in Mysterio. Everything breaks down early, with Punk and Kingston hitting stereo dives, followed by another dive from Mysterio as we take an early break. We come back with Bourne fighting out of Rhodes’ chinlock but Manu is in to keep Bourne down. That doesn’t last long though as Bourne is up for the tag off to Punk, who comes in with a clothesline.

Rhodes takes him down to start in on the knee though, with Kane coming in to just stomp on him. DiBiase, who seems to get the idea of a game plan, is back on the leg, followed by Rhodes doing the same. Kane comes in and gets enziguried but boots Mysterio off the apron. It doesn’t make much of a difference though as it’s Kingston getting the tag to start cleaning house. Kingston dives at Kane though and gets caught in the chokeslam for the fast pin.

Rating: C+. Pretty basic match here but it’s nice to see Kane going into monster mode to win in the end. He knows how to do that style well enough and Kingston is expendable enough to take a loss. That’s the point in putting so many people in this match as it gave them some options for taking the fall and it went well enough.

Here is Mike Adamle for a chat. Earlier tonight, Kane requested something from him and since he won, he gets his request: if Kane wins at No Mercy, Rey Mysterio will have to unmask. This brings out Randy Orton of all people to interrupt and he mocks Adamle for being Shane McMahon’s lackey. Adamle needs to re-suspend CM Punk right now because the reality is Adamle needs Orton on his side. He’s going to wreck everyone when he gets back but here is JBL to interrupt.

JBL complains about losing money on his stock market this week but he has a lot to lose. Then he’ll become #1 contender at No Mercy and move on to win the World Title. Orton is always living in the past because he’s the hottest commodity since ethanol. Cue Batista behind JBL, who realizes what’s waiting on him and turns around to eat the spear (well that was dumb). Batista promises to make JBL’s week worse at No Mercy.

Santino Marella is on the phone and gets nervous when he runs into Beth Phoenix. Apparently it was a sick kid named uh, Frankie! Phoenix doesn’t want him out there with her this week because she’s bad luck. Marella says it’s a good thing he doesn’t have a Moolah Meter, because Phoenix is trailing Moolah by about twenty two years. Phoenix is annoyed and leaves, with Marella thinking it was a “female problem”.

Kelly Kelly/Candice Michelle vs. Beth Phoenix/Jillian Hall

Phoenix and Michelle start things off but Kelly quickly comes in for a double dropkick. It’s off to Hall, who manages to pull Michelle face first down in the corner. Phoenix’s backbreaker gets two and we hit the chinlock for a bit. Hall comes back in and takes too long cartwheeling, allowing Michelle to get her boots up in the corner. It’s back to Kelly for the screaming headscissors as everything breaks down. Kelly’s rollup (how she won last week) is countered into the Glam Slam for the dominant pin.

Rating: C+. They did well enough here as you can tell the women are working hard to improve. It’s still not exactly great, but they’re looking confident in the stuff they’re doing. Phoenix is of course still miles ahead of the other three, but at least she’s getting something a bit better to work with over time. Nice quick match here.

Deuce vs. Great Charli

Runjin Singh is here with Charli, who yells in some mock Punjab about the greatness of…curry. Charli tells Deuce to come at him but the chop doesn’t do much. Instead Deuce knocks him down but dives into a raised boot. Charlie’s wig comes off and a top rope clothesline finishes Deuce quick.

Post match the real Great Khali comes out to wreck Charli.

We hype up the Smackdown move to MyNetworkTV.

No Mercy rundown.

Chris Jericho/Lance Cade vs. Shawn Michaels/???

Before the reveal, Jericho complains about being wished good luck in his match against Michaels at No Mercy because he’s better than Michaels could ever be. We hear about various things Jericho plans on doing to Michaels with the ladder, with Cade using a ladder to demonstrate. After a break, the partner is….HHH. Well who else was it going to be? Funny bit as Michaels runs to the back and comes back out in a DX shirt and hat because he knows his merchandise.

HHH and Jericho start things off with Jericho getting taken down, meaning it’s already off to Cade. That’s fine with HHH, who takes him down in a hurry, allowing the tag to Michaels to go after Jericho. Michaels gets caught in the wrong corner though and Jericho pulls him down into a chinlock. With that not getting him anywhere, Jericho tries and misses the Lionsault, allowing the double tags to HHH and Cade. The spinebuster puts Cade down but Jericho is in with the Codebreaker to HHH. Jericho and Cade beat on Michaels so much that it’s a DQ.

Rating: C+. Well it was going to be this or Cade losing so they didn’t have a ton of options. It’s not like HHH or one of the World Title participants are going to lose less than a week before the pay per view. At least they didn’t let this go long, as there wasn’t much of a point to doing anything beyond what they did here.

Post match Jericho grabs the ladder but HHH is back in with the sledgehammer to Cade so Michaels can splash him off the ladder. DX stands tall to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was about getting ready for No Mercy, which, at least on the Raw side, is a one match show. Does anyone really care about Batista vs. JBL for a future title shot? Or pretty much anything else that Raw is offering? There isn’t much you can do to build towards a one match half show but they managed to make it work well enough here. Not a great show, but Jericho and Michaels should be great.

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

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Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII
Date: December 13, 2025
Location: Capitol One Arena, Washington DC
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

We have arrived. After a WWE career that started over twenty three years ago, John Cena is set for his final match, as he is going against Gunther. While there are other things taking place on the show, absolutely nothing comes close to this as it has been built up for over a year and a half now. This is going to be special so let’s get to it.

Various legends are here for Cena’s final match.

HHH narrates a video on Cena’s career, talking about how he is the greatest of all time in a variety of ways. They’re certainly pulling out all the stops with this and treating it like a huge moment.

Your hosts, Joe Tessitore and Stephanie McMahon, hype up the show.

Cody Rhodes vs. Oba Femi

Non-title and someone give the fan with the PUT THAT COOKIE DOWN sign a raise. Femi powers him into the corner to start and Rhodes can’t get very far with the right hands. A backbreaker cuts Rhodes down and Femi hammers away in the corner. Rhodes’ powerslam is blocked and Femi knocks him down without much trouble. A clothesline to the back of the head drops Rhodes again but he flips out of a belly to back suplex attempt.

Femi misses a charge into the post and now the powerslam works for Rhodes. He knocks Femi outside and hits the suicide dive, only to charge into a spinebuster back inside. Rhodes gets in his drop down uppercut but gets knocked outside again. Femi hits a heck of a running uppercut over the announcers’ table and Rhodes’ ear is busted open. A chokeslam gives Femi two back inside and they’re both down. Rhodes jumps over him and hits the Cody Cutter for two….and Drew McIntyre runs in for the DQ at 9:03.

Rating: B. Yeah this was the only way to go, as you don’t bring in a beast like Femi and have him lose his big debut, but you also don’t have the World Champion get pinned. McIntyre running in made sense, which thankfully came after Femi went toe to toe with Rhodes. The idea was Rhodes was trying to find his way to get around Femi but he couldn’t quite do it. This was basically a standoff until the interference and that’s a good sign for Femi.

Post match Femi isn’t happy with McIntyre interfering and drops him. Rhodes and Femi show respect to each other.

Various celebrities wish Cena well, including Peyton/Eli Manning and Snoop Dogg.

Various wrestling legends praise Cena.

We get a graphic showing Cena’s career stats. That’s quite impressive.

Bayley vs. Sol Ruca

Lyra Valkyria and Zaria are here too. Bayley works on the arm to start but Ruca backflips into an anklescissors to send Bayley into the corner. You can tell Bayley is a bit taken aback but she’s able to send Ruca outside. Back in and Bayley tries to pick her up and can’t quite get it to work, with Ruca being smart enough to reverse into a small package for two.

This time Ruca sends her outside for an awesome cartwheel moonsault to the floor and Bayley is rocked. Back in and Bayley sunset bombs her into the corner for two and we hit the chinlock. Ruca fights up and hits some elbows, followed by a top rope cartwheel DDT for two. Bayley gets in the Bayley To Belly and ties Ruca in the Tree Of Woe, setting up a running elbow for two more.

Ruca’s running knee gets two but Bayley blocks the Sol Snatcher (an inverted flipping cutter, which has to be seen to be believed) and hits the Rose Plant. A top rope elbow hits raised knees though and now the Sol Snatcher can connect. Bayley slides halfway out of the ring though and manages a rollup, with Ruca reversing into one of her own for the pin at 9:36.

Rating: B-. There’s your upset of the night and my goodness it’s a good sign for Ruca’s future. It’s pretty clear that she’s going to be a big deal on the main roster when she comes up, as there is only so much left for her to do in NXT. This is the kind of win that can make someone’s career and it worked well. Nice match, but a bigger moment.

Post match respect is shown again.

More wrestlers pay tribute to Cena.

Various legends pay tribute to Cena.

Other legends are in the crowd, including Michelle McCool, Eve Torres, Sami Zayn (with son) Mark Henry, Rob Van Dam and Trish Stratus.

Michael Cole thanks various commentators, who have called Cena’s matches over the years, including Tazz and Jim Ross.

Stephanie and Tessitore talk about the show and believe it or not, praise Cena.

Raw Tag Team Titles: Leon Slater/Je’Von Evans vs. AJ Styles/Dragon Lee

Styles and Lee are defending and the challengers (both rather talented high fliers) superkick them down to start. Evans and Slater hit big dives to the floor and a high crossbody hits Lee back inside. Evans hits a heck of a frog splash for two but Lee kicks his way out of the corner. A missed charge sends Slater shoulder first into the post and Lee grabs a heck of a sitout powerbomb.

It’s back to Evans, who sends Styles outside but misses a Lionsault. Styles drives him into the barricade and Lee hurricanranas Slater into a Styles Clash attempt, with Evans making a save. Back in and the OG Cutter knocks Styles silly, setting up Slater’s Swanton 450 (exactly what it sounds like) for two, with Lee making the save. Lee hits a big running flip dive to take out Evans, leaving Slater to escape the Styles Clash. Styles slips on the Phenomenal Forearm attempt, with Slater being smart enough to go for a quick cover for two rather than just standing around. Back up and Styles counters a top rope hurricanrana into the Styles Clash to retain at 5:23.

Rating: B. They didn’t have much time, but you had all of them going nuts out there and hitting everything they could. It made for quite the spectacle and Slater and Evans both look like future stars if they’re given the chance (which they’ll get). Styles and Lee feeling like makeshift champions gives you the slightest bit of drama to the result and that’s a nice bonus.

Some wrestlers thank Cena for his contributions.

Various celebrities wish Cena well, including Tom Brady.

Tessitore and Stephanie are all emotional about Cena.

Here is a ticked off Miz to complain about how he was ignored during Cena’s retirement tour. He beat Cena in the main event of Wrestlemania wearing this gear…and here is R-Truth, in Cena cosplay, to interrupt. R-Truth isn’t happy with how Miz cheated someone out of the tournament by switching the balls and that name is right here. Miz takes the ball and reads…..Joe Hendry, who has Miz even more annoyed. Miz comes up swinging and is promptly beaten down, allowing the good guys to pose. After a ten knuckle shuffle, Hendry hits a Standing Ovation and R-Truth counts the pin. Waving ensues.

We get a big Cena tribute, with various wrestlers paying tribute by doing a Cena pose or motion. Drew McIntyre has to be convinced, while BROCK LESNAR holds up a sign without looking at the screen. Roman Reigns does the salute to wrap up an awesome tribute.

Gunther vs. John Cena

Gunther isn’t exactly popular while Cena gets the hero’s welcome you would expect. In a great touch, the video board behind him plays a bunch of his looks from over the years. Cena also steals the camera for a shot of Stu in a great moment. He also goes over to see various legends and wrestlers at ringside, including Haku Booker T., Kevin Owens, Elijah, Trish Stratus, Sami Zayn, Rob Van Dam and Mark Henry. Oh and Nick Khan, because he’s the boss.

A lockup goes nowhere so Gunther bails to the apron. Back in and Gunther knocks him down for some early stomping, plus the hard uppercut. Cena fights up and starts knocking Gunther around, only to get pulled into a German suplex. The big clothesline puts Cena down but he pulls Gunther into the STF. That’s broken up and Gunther dropkicks him into the corner.

The powerbomb plants Cena and the big clotheslines take him down again. An AA out of nowhere gives Cena two and the fans are disappointed by the kickout. A chop to the back staggers Cena though and the sleeper goes on, only for Cena to reverse into one of his own. Gunther uses the legs to make the rope and knocks Cena outside, where he puts Cena on the steps near the announcers’ table.

Cena is back up with a quick AA through the table and they’re both down. Back in and Gunther kicks out so Cena hits the top rope Fameasser for two. The Shuffle connects (with the fans getting to say it one more time) but Gunther plants him down again. Cena catches him on top though and the super AA gets two, leaving them both down. Another AA is countered into a powerbomb and the top rope splash gives Gunther two.

The sleeper goes on and Cena fights up, only to get pulled back down. Cena gets up again and Gunther jumps on his back, with Cena driving him into the corner for the break. A quick AA gives Cena two but the sleeper goes on again, giving us a DON’T GIVE UP chant. That’s good for two arm drops but he gets up…and Gunther elbows him right back down. Cena smiles, and gingerly taps out at 23:43.

Rating: B. Here’s the thing: there was a grand total of zero chance of Cena winning this match. That was the entire point of what non-heel Cena has been talking about this year and it wouldn’t have made sense for him to win in the end. The smiling tap out was perfect too, as Cena fought with everything he had, couldn’t escape, and admitted defeat as he went out. It was similar to Shawn Michaels slapping Undertaker in the face at Wrestlemania XXVI and giving up because he couldn’t do it and was done. This was Cena saying his time is done and that’s how it should have ended.

Post match Cena lays on the mat while Gunther soaks in the booing. Gunther leaves and Cena gets up, kisses the mat, and says that he left it all for the people. Cue the locker room, with CM Punk and Cody Rhodes putting the belts on Cena’s shoulders and everyone surrounding the ring. Cena holds up both titles and HHH is booed out of the building.

We see a video on Cena’s career (and get to see him watching it), including comments from his mother (who I don’t remember seeing very often) and various wrestlers, both past and present, on what he is about. We even get an old comment from Vince McMahon to really show how special this is. With the video over, Cena takes a bow, takes off his shoes, leaves them in the ring, and walks out, with one last bow and salute.

It’s going to take me some time to let this sink in. Like him or not, Cena has been the biggest star in wrestling for most of the last twenty plus years and now he’s gone. That’s a huge deal and the fans were totally into everything he was doing here. Cena is an all time legend and that’s not something WWE has in their back pocket anymore. He went out with a good one, but dang it’s bizarre to think that he’s really gone.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a weird show where they had a bunch of stuff going on but only one match felt like it really mattered. Given that the opener was the Smackdown World Champion against the NXT Champion, that makes things all the more impressive. This show was divided in two, as you had everything with Cena, which went well (though the ending is going to have a lot of people arguing), and everything else, which went….well it went well too.

This was about saying goodbye to the past and saying hello to the future, both of which looked good on the show. Nice stuff here, but the new reality is going to take some time to sink in. What matters is that Cena is gone and he went out with a good one, which was quite the special thing to see.

Results
Cody Rhodes b. Oba Femi via DQ when Drew McIntyre interfered
Sol Ruca b. Bayley – Rollup
AJ Styles/Dragon Lee b. Leon Slater/Je’Von Evans – Styles Clash to Slater
Gunther b. John Cena – Sleeper

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

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Smackdown
Date: December 12, 2025
Location: Mohegan Sun At Casey Plaza, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s the night before Saturday Night’s Main Event and that means we have one more night before John Cena’s final match. That means we very well may be hearing from Gunther before he faces Cena tomorrow, but there is also the matter of Cody Rhodes facing NXT Champion Oba Femi on Saturday. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a quick recap of Cody Rhodes wanting to face Drew McIntyre again.

Earlier today, Nick Aldis said he can’t get in touch with Drew McIntyre but he’s getting a chance to come here and speak about it face to face.

Aldis tells Cody Rhodes that McIntyre isn’t here and he’s legally claiming an unsafe work environment. Rhodes doesn’t have time for this and heads to the ring.

Here is Rhodes for a chat. He’s not happy with McIntyre’s claims and says they’re happening because McIntyre is only half in. If it was up to Rhodes, McIntyre would be fired, but here is NXT Champion Oba Femi to interrupt. Femi praises Rhodes and talks about how you can often see the future a long way off. This time though, the future is right in front of him and his time is now. Rhodes says they both respect John Cena, but he’s the man who beat Cena for this title. They hold up their titles and stare each other down to wrap up a short but intense segment.

Fraxiom tell Ilja Dragunov they’ll have his back tonight against Tommaso Ciampa. Dragunov appreciates the offer but declines because this is his responsibility. John Cena introduced the US Open Challenge and Dragunov is carrying on its history. Everything seems to be cool.

United States Title: Ilja Dragunov vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Dragunov is defending and they trade forearms to start until Ciampa (with a taped up arm) goes after Dragunov’s previously banged up knee. Dragunov is sent outside and a suplex sends the knee into the steps. We take a break and come back with Ciampa staying on the knee, only for Dragunov to slug his way out of trouble. Some rolling German suplexes have Ciampa down but the knee gives out before Dragunov can suplex him.

Something like a John Cena ProtoBomb gets two but Ciampa catches him on top. That means an Air Raid Crash on the apron for two, only for Dragunov to come back with a missile dropkick to the back of the neck. We take another break and come back with Dragunov looking even more intense than usual but getting taken down with a super Air Raid Crash.

Dragunov strikes away but gets caught with a dragon screw legwhip. Ciampa is back up but the bloody Dragunov hits Torpedo Moscow. Cue the rest of DIY for a distraction, allowing Ciampa to get in a running knee for two. The Fairy Tale Ending is loaded up but Dragunov reverses into a cradle for the pin to retain at 16:57.

Rating: B+. They laid into each other here with Ciampa working on the knee, as a good villain should be doing. At the same time, Dragunov was at his best as he kept fighting through the adversity to retain. I’m not sure who is going to take the title from him but they’re making the idea of beating him into quite the moment.

Post match Ciampa jumps Dragunov but Carmelo Hayes makes the save.

Je’Von Evans is asked about his match tomorrow night but Miz interrupts, saying he doesn’t know why we’re talking to Evans. That doesn’t work for Evans, who wants a match tonight, with Miz saying he’ll get it going.

Here are the Wyatt Sicks for a chat. Uncle Howdy doesn’t like Solo Sikoa casting judgment on his family and it’s interesting that Sikoa’s real family has turned on him. If Sikoa wants the Tag Team Titles, come get them. Sikoa and company come up on the screen, saying they’re coming for the titles next week. The Wyatts are given the option to give them up early, because otherwise, all they can do is RUN.

Charlotte gives Alexa Bliss a pep talk before her match but Rhea Ripley comes in to suggest she and Iyo Sky are coming for the titles instead. Bliss and Charlotte aren’t impressed.

Various celebrities congratulate John Cena on his retirement.

Alexa Bliss vs. Lash Legend

Charlotte and Nia Jax are here too. Bliss sends her outside to start but Legend is back with something like a Dominator onto the barricade. Back in and Legend works on the arm before nailing a rather hard forearm. Jax teases getting involved but Charlotte kicks her down. Bliss tries a DDT but gets cut off for the Lash Extension and the pin at 3:35.

Rating: C. The match was short and to the point, with Legend basically squashing her to show off the power and strength. It would have been a stretch for Bliss to be able to hang with a powerhouse like Legend so the match was put together well. Keeping Legend’s match short made sense and they kept her safe here so well done all around.

Aleister Black and Zelina are ready for Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest.

Smackdown is back to three hours on January 2. Oh joy.

Video on Leon Slater/Je’Von Evans.

Miz vs. Je’Von Evans

They start slowly until Evans snaps off a quick hurricanrana to stagger Miz. With Miz on the floor, Evans takes him down with a springboard moonsault, only to be sent arm first into the post. We take a break and come back with Miz still on the arm but Evans kicks his way out of the corner. A very big moonsault misses though and Miz initiates John Cena’s finishing sequence. Evans fights back though and sends him outside for the dive. Back in and Evans’ springboard cutter is blocked, only for the second attempt to connect for the win at 8:08.

Rating: C+. Evans continues to feel like one of the best prospects around and that means we’re likely going to be seeing him a lot more often. It’s also why he was in there against Miz, who is capable of making anyone look good. Miz pulled it off again here, which really shouldn’t be a surprise given how talented he really is.

Nia Jax and Lash Legend mock Rhea Ripley, who isn’t intimidated. Damian Priest comes in to say he likes that intensity from Ripley, who turns around to stare down Jade Cargill. These teases are great, as there are quite a few matches in there.

Michin doesn’t like bullies so she wants to fight Jade Cargill…who jumps Michin from behind to leave her laying. Cargill comes to the ring to say that’s what happens when you step up to her so here is Michin with a kendo stick. Naturally she loads up a table (because THAT is a logical weapon here) but gets kicked in the face for her efforts. Cargill hits a chokeslam and leaves Michin laying. Could Michin and B-Fab look any more useless against Cargill?

Video on the Last Time Is Now tournament.

Saturday Night’s Main Event rundown.

Video on Oba Femi.

Rhea Ripley/Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black/Zelina

The villains jump the heroes from behind to start, with Priest throwing Black into the corner to hammer away. Zelina tries to choke Priest, which goes as well as you would expect. Ripley throws her and hits a clothesline as we take a break. We come back with Zelina hitting a middle rope Meteora but getting muscled up for a hard toss. Priest comes back in for a lifting Downward Spiral to Black, followed by the Broken Arrow for two. Black is back up with a German suplex for two of his own as everything breaks down.

Zelina is picked up and launched at Ripley for a hurricanrana. Ripley tries Riptide but it gets reversed into…I have absolutely no idea (it looked like a Code Red but they landed so badly that commentary had no idea who got hurt). Code Red gives Zelina two but Ripley muscles her up into an electric chair. Black comes in for a standoff with Ripley until Priest is back in with a Razor’s Edge. Riptide finishes Zelina at 9:48.

Rating: C-. This was a rather hasty main event and I’m not sure why. The botch on the Code Red (I think) was pretty terrible, but other than that it was a lot of Ripley throwing Zelina around. This didn’t feel like the big ending of Priest vs. Black and that is something we need to see sooner rather than later. After all the hype, this was quite the letdown.

Overall Rating: C+. I liked the stuff with Rhodes/Femi and the opener, but the main event was pretty disappointing. Other than that, you had Legend and Evans getting some nice wins to get them off to a nice start. The problem is this show is coming the night before Saturday Night’s Main Event and that’s the show that really feels important. Not the best show here, but it had some decent pieces, including a heck of an opener to bail it out.

Results
Ilja Dragunov b. Tommaso Ciampa – Cradle
Lash Legend b. Alexa Bliss – Lash Extension
Je’Von Evans b. The Miz – OG Cutter
Rhea Ripley/Damian Priest b. Zelina/Aleister Black – Riptide to Zelina

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

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Smackdown
Date: December 5, 2025
Location: Moody Center, Austin, Texas
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re coming up on Saturday Night’s Main Event and there are some major implications this week. In this case that means the finals of the Last Time Is Now tournament as Gunther faces LA Knight. The winner gets to face John Cena next week and now we get to see how that is set up. It’s also the fallout show from Survivor Series, which should be interesting. Let’s get to it.

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

Long recap of Survivor Series.

Drew McIntyre arrives but Nick Aldis cuts him off, saying he is still suspended. McIntyre goes to get back in his truck but Cody Rhodes jumps him from behind and McIntyre has to speed out. Rhodes storms to the ring and says he wants Aldis to reinstate McIntyre for a fight. McIntyre broke an unwritten rule in wrestling by going to Rhodes’ home away from home and now Rhodes is going to get him somewhere. Reinstate McIntyre so Rhodes can stomp on him like the cockroach that he is. This was fired up Rhodes.

Tommaso Ciampa wants the US Title shot tonight but Carmelo Hayes comes in to call him a jackass. Oh and get the title shot.

Damian Priest is tired of dealing with Aleister Black and Zelina so Rhea Ripley is going to help him out. Makes sense.

US Title: Ilja Dragunov vs. ???

Dragunov is defending against…Carmelo Hayes. They get after each other to start and Dragunov chops him down. Hayes goes up top but gets caught with a kick to the face to knock him outside. Hold on as Hayes comes up holding his knee as we take a break. We come back with Hayes missing a superkick and getting German suplexed down. Another suplex is broken up and they strike it out until Hayes blocks the Constantine Special.

The spinning faceplant gives Hayes two but Dragunov knocks him down again. The H Bomb is blocked so Dragunov slams him down again. Hayes manages a kick off the top and a slingshot DDT sends Dragunov into the apron. Back in and Hayes goes up but cue Tommaso Ciampa to knock him off the top. Dragunov didn’t seem to see it but Torpedo Moscow and the H Bomb retains the title at 10:03.

Rating: B. They were starting to get rolling near the end but the result makes sense. What matters the most is that there are a few stories set up for the future. Assuming he didn’t see the interference, Dragunov is not going to be pleased with what happened and a tag match is a possibility. Either way, they have me wanting to see Ciampa getting that title shot and that’s a good sign.

Post match Dragunov sees the replay and is not happy.

Alexa Bliss and Charlotte are on the same page and ready to go after the Tag Team Titles.

We recap the Last Time Is Now Tournament.

LA Knight is ready for Gunther, because it’s the last time for one of them. Knight takes off the sunglasses, saying he’s unlike anything Gunther has ever seen (except when they fought in NXT). He throws in a Matthew McConaghey “all right all right all right” to wrap it up.

We look at John Cena winning the WWE Title from AJ Styles at the 2017 Royal Rumble.

Kairi Sane vs. Alexa Bliss

Asuka and Charlotte are here too. Bliss actually wins a wrestle off to start and hits a flipping backsplash to send Sane outside. Sane plants her on the floor though and we take a break. We come back with Sane tying Bliss in the ropes for a top rope double stomp and a frustrated kickout. Bliss is back with the running Blockbuster but Asuka’s distraction lets Sane get two off a rollup. Charlotte kicks Asuka down and Sane drops Bliss, only to miss the Insane Elbow. The Sister Abigail DDT finishes Sane at 7:58.

Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this one as much, though Asuka’s interference kept things going well enough to give Bliss a headache. Odds are we’re coming up on a three way title match with Nia Jax and Lash Legend, which is at least a good sign for the division. You know, that we’re actually close to having one.

Post match Nia Jax and Lash Legend jump Charlotte and Bliss from behind for the big beatdown. They switch over to Sane, but Asuka is back up to take out Legend. Jax chokebombs Asuka though and Legend is back up with a pump kick. Asuka has to save Sane from the Annihilator.

Cody Rhodes and Nick Aldis want to do something and go into Aldis’ office, where NXT Champion Ricky Saints and #1 contender Oba Femi are waiting. Aldis leaves and Rhodes says that in the spirit of what John Cena wants next week’s Saturday Night’s Main Event to be, the winner of Saints vs. Femi (tomorrow at Deadline) will face him next Saturday.

Nia Jax and Lash Legend want the Tag Team Titles.

Alba Fyre vs. Jade Cargill

Non-title and Chelsea Green is here too. Fyre starts fast and actually manages to kick Cargill down. Cue Kiana James to distract Green so Giulia can jump her from behind. Fyre isn’t sure what to do and gets spinebustered by Cargill. A pump kick sets up Jaded to finish Fyre at 1:34.

Axiom wants to fight DIY and pleads their case to Nick Aldis. Ilja Dragunov comes in to demand a match with Tommaso Ciampa, which Aldis grants. Dragunov says Axiom can have whatever is left of Ciampa, but here is Tama Tonga for the staredown. Solo Sikoa pops up and tells Tonga, and the rest of the MFT’s, to do this later.

B-Fab runs into Jade Cargill and they argue a bit. Michin comes in with her kendo stick to break it up and glare at Cargill a bit more.

Here are Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s to brag about their win last week. That brings him to the Wyatt Sicks, as he isn’t happy with them stalking his family. Sikoa is too smart for that and is ready to take the memories from Uncle Howdy. It is time to show that Howdy does not deserve the name Wyatt (which Howdy doesn’t actually use) because all he has to do is bo-lieve. Sikoa and company go to leave but here are the Wyatt Sicks, with Howdy popping up behind Sikoa for the staredown. The big brawl is on and we get the Rowan vs. Talla showdown, with the fans loving the whole thing. The Wyatts clear the ring.

Miz wants on the Saturday Night’s Main Event card and is accused of switching the balls for the tournament last week. Bayley comes in and distracts Aldis, which has Miz storming off. Bayley is wrestling next Saturday and will be facing…Sol Ruca, who comes in for some friendly threats. Bayley will be watching Ruca at Deadline.

Gunther is ready to win and knows that there are a bunch of hungry superstars in the back. He’s the different kind though and wants John Cena to watch how he beats Knight.

Aleister Black is sick of Damian Priest, who he knew was broken. Zelina, carrying a snake, comes in and mocks Rhea Ripley, with both of them promising to destroy the former Terror Twins.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Last Time Is Now Tournament Finals: Gunther vs. LA Knight

Gunther starts with the chops but can’t hit the powerbomb. Instead Knight knocks him outside and hits a dropkick through the ropes as we take a break. We come back with Gunther missing an elbow but chopping Knight down again. Knight gets up anyway and sends him into the corner for the jumping neckbreaker. The BFT misses but the sleeper is countered into a quick rollup for two. Knight gives Gunther a messy AA, followed by a Burning Hammer for two as we take a break.

We come back with Knight winning a strike off and going up, only to miss the jumping elbow. Gunther hits his shotgun dropkick but the powerbomb is countered into a DDT. Now the jumping elbow gets two but the BFT is countered with a German suplex. Knight’s neck is banged up so Gunther twists it around, followed by a hard clothesline. Knight takes him up top but gets shoved down, setting up Gunther’s top rope splash.

Gunther does it again to the back (not the back of the neck Cole) for two, followed by the powerbomb for the same. A BFT out of nowhere connects for two, as Gunther gets his foot on the rope. Gunther gets the sleeper but can’t finish him off, so Gunther elbows him in the head. A modified crossface has Knight in more trouble and he actually taps at 17:34.

Rating: B+. This was what it should have been, with Knight giving it his all but not being able to hang with the monster Gunther. That’s where it should be interesting next weekend when that version of Gunther faces Super Cena. Knight was trying hard here but came up just short, with the tap out making Gunther look that much better. Rather good main event here, with a predictable (not a bad thing) winner.

Post match Gunther promises to make Cena tap out to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The main event helped a lot and it came at the end of the show with the fired up Rhodes promo and the pretty awesome Wyatts vs. MFT’s showdown. This was a show that made things look more important for the next few times and that gives me hope for what we’re going to be seeing in the next few weeks. Bringing NXT up for the special Saturday Night’s Main Event is a good call and I’m curious to see how well the whole thing goes.

Results
Ilja Dragunov b. Carmelo Hayes – H Bomb
Alexa Bliss b. Kairi Sane – Sister Abigail DDT
Jade Cargill b. Alba Fyre – Jaded
Gunther b. LA Knight – Crossface

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

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

Survivor Series 2025
Date: November 29, 2025
Location: Petco Park, San Diego, California
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

It’s back to the stadium for this show as we’re in for one of the bigger nights of the year. As usual, the show is built around the two WarGames matches, which should be more than enough to carry the show. Those matches are going to take up nearly two hours combined when you add in entrances, meaning the other two matches can only have so much impact. Let’s get to it.

The opening video actually looks at all four matches on the card. Naturally WarGames gets the most attention, but it’s nice to see something else getting even a bit of attention.

Since we’re going to have two of them, here are the WarGames rules:

Two wrestlers start and fight for five minutes.

After five minutes, the team with the advantage (as determined before the match) gets a three minute advantage.

The teams alternate until all ten are in and then it’s first pin/submission to win.

Team Ripley vs. Team Lynch

Rhea Ripley, Charlotte, Alexa Bliss, AJ Lee, Iyo Sky
Becky Lynch, Lash Legend, Nia Jax, Asuka, Nia Jax

Charlotte (in gear inspired by a girl battling cancer) and Asuka start things off, which should be a nice way to go. Of note, there are no shark cages near the entrances and the other wrestlers are staying in the back until their turn comes. They lock up to start with Charlotte getting the better of things and grabbing the figure four neck rolls. Back up and Asuka gets her into the ropes to fire off the kicks but Charlotte knocks her back down. They slug it out in another ring until Asuka knocks her off the top.

Sky is in to give Charlotte and company the advantage (the timing isn’t quite on but I’ve seen worse), bringing in a trashcan lid. And yes, there is an advertisement on the trashcan lid, because WWE managed to find a company to pay them to be associated with trash. Sky takes over on Asuka, despite slipping on a springboard attempt. The Bullet Train with the trashcan lid hits Asuka in the corner and Sky crushes her head against the metal plate.

Becky Lynch is in to even things up and thankfully she brings her kendo stick with her rather than looking underneath the ring over and over. Sky is taken down but Charlotte wants no part of Lynch’s offer of peace. Charlotte and Lynch both hit exploders before slugging it out again as we actually hear about FCW for a bit. Lynch takes over on Charlotte and yells about being the best ever until Bliss is in to get the advantage back.

Some dragon screw legwhips have the villains down, setting up the double Natural Selections. Sky is back up as well so she can help Charlotte and Bliss with the beatings. Charlotte gets to step on Lynch’s face and brag about her own greatness in a nice moment. Sane is here to even things up, though she takes her sweet time and shows off the chain she’s bringing with her.

Charlotte and company get tied together with the chain for a triple dropkick, which frees them so the villains can pose. Heaven forbid that when the other three were tied together, Asuka or Lynch or Sane, I don’t know, beat on them with a chair or something. Anyway, Lee is in to make the save and go after Lynch, including the Shining Wizard. The rest of the team gets up to continue the fight but Jax is in to even things up again.

Naturally that means a bunch of running hip attacks against the cage but Sky climbs the cage. That earns her a hard powerbomb and a lot of choking ensues until Ripley is in, again carrying a bunch of weapons but also doing her full entrance. Ripley cleans house with the kendo sticks and uses Sky to crush Sane in a trashcan.

Jax runs them over so Bliss makes a save until Legend is in to complete the fields, meaning first fall wins. Legend gets to wreck people, including a chokeslam to Charlotte. Ripley gets up for the monster showdown and kicks Legend in the head for a staggering. Legend’s pump kick gets two on Ripley but a headbutt looks to set up Riptide. Jax breaks that up so she and Legend can powerbomb Bliss and Charlotte into the cage for two. Lynch’s Manhandle Slam gets two on Lee with Sky making the save.

Sky is tossed into the rest of her team and the Kabuki Special with a chain drops her again. Ripley has to make a save this time but she’s left alone. Charlotte saves Ripley from the mist, which hits Legend by mistake though and Sky goes up top. Ripley lifts Lee up so she can hand Sky the (sponsored) trashcan to hit the big dive. Lynch is alone this time and tries to escape, only to get pulled into the Black Widow for the tap at 40:52.

Rating: C+. It was definitely better than last year, though that’s only so much of an accomplishment. The match is still too long, though they toned the weapons WAY down this year, including the time spent searching for them, and it helped a good bit. I still don’t know why this needed to be a WarGames match when a Survivor Series match would have fit better, but at least they took some steps in the right direction.

We recap John Cena defending the Intercontinental Title against Dominik Mysterio. Cena, who has this and one more match left, took the title from Mysterio, who wants a rematch on his home turf. Naturally Cena is in.

Intercontinental Title: John Cena vs. Dominik Mysterio

Cena is defending in his last PPV match and Raquel Rodriguez/Roxanne Perez are here with Mysterio. The first music stops playing and the fans are already going nuts, with WWE being smart to wait and let the buzz build before hitting Cena’s music. Cena’s entrance takes a bit longer than usual, as you can tell this means a lot to him. After the Big Match Intros, Cena takes him down with a headlock takeover but Perez gets in some interference.

Mysterio takes over with a good shot to the head and gets in some taunting to the crowd. Rodriguez’s cheap shot lets Mysterio get two and Three Amigos connect for the same. Cena knocks him outside but the women’s distraction lets Mysterio get in another knockdown. A hurricanrana off the barricade doesn’t work as it almost turns into a powerbomb, with Mysterio holding his shoulder.

The medics come out to check on him but the women use the distraction to hit a Tejana Bomb into Pop Rox. Mysterio pops back up for a 619 and the referee is living, ejecting Rodriguez and Perez. Cena makes the comeback and initiates the finishing sequence but Mysterio escapes the AA. That’s fine with Cena, who pulls him into the STF, with Mysterio having to make the rope.

Mysterio unzips his boot so Cena pulls it off, setting up another 619. The frog splash gets two, as does a quick AA from Cena. A slugout goes to Cena, who accidentally shoulders the referee to the floor. Cue Finn Balor and JD McDonagh to break up the STF but Cena gives them a double AA (because he can do that). Mysterio misses a belt shot and walks into another AA…but Liv Morgan is back. She hits Mysterio in the face and jumps on Cena, only to kick him low. The 619 and frog splash give Mysterio the title back at 16:48.

Rating: B-. Yeah this was fun, and they made the right call. Cena had to drop the title at some point and, assuming Gunther is winning the tournament, it makes a lot more sense to let Mysterio get this kind of a win. They were flying through this despite having some time, but I can go for some insanity here as it’s hard to fathom Mysterio being able to beat Cena one on one (or even close to it). Mysterio can brag about this for the better part of ever and that’s the right idea in this situation.

Post match Mysterio and Morgan celebrate together. With the two of them gone, Cena gets the big sendoff and thanks the camera.

Raw Women’s Title: Nikki Bella vs. Stephanie Vaquer

Vaquer is defending. Bella jumps her from behind to start fast but Vaquer is right back with a ram into the buckle. They head outside with Bella being sent into the announcers’ table but misses a kneedrop onto the apron. Bella fires off some forearms as commentary tries to hype up Bella’s career from the Divas era.

A facebuster and running faceplant give Bella two before she grabs a spinebuster. Vaquer belly to back suplexes her way out of trouble but Bella slips away from the Devil’s Kiss. Instead it’s a Russian legsweep into quite the rollup for two on Bella. The dragon screw legwhip out of the corner sets up the SVB for two but Bella breaks up the corkscrew moonsault.

The Rack Attack 2.0 gives Bella two as Vaquer gets a foot on the rope. They go back outside and this time the kneedrop on the apron connects for Vaquer. Bella is sent onto the announcers’ table for the Devil’s Kiss, with commentary having to be careful about commentating on the visuals. Back in and the regular Devil’s Kiss keeps Bella in trouble, setting up the corkscrew moonsault to retain at 12:23.

Rating: C+. It might not have been a classic, but at least there were no terrible moments in there. Bella might not be on the level of the modern stars, but she’s better than the mess that took place last time. Vaquer winning is nice to see as well, as she’s still the kind of star who could become a big deal if she’s given the chance, which she’s starting to get.

New Day and Grayson Waller talk about WWE Supercard in a completely natural way.

We look at Dominik Mysterio beating John Cena.

We look at the Last Time Is Now Tournament.

Tonight’s attendance: 46,016.

We recap the men’s WarGames match, which is basically Paul Heyman’s Vision and some hired guns vs. everyone who hates Heyman. It’s certainly star studded and that’s making this feel like a major showdown.

Team Reigns vs. Team Vision

Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso
Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, Drew McIntyre, Brock Lesnar

Punk (going over the top of the cage, as a hero should) and Breakker start things off with Breakker powering him around. Back up and Punk gets in a leg lariat, followed by some kicks to the leg. The top rope ax handle doesn’t exactly work for Punk though as Breakker snaps off a suplex. Punk’s middle rope clothesline connects but here is McIntyre for the first advantage.

Punk tries to fight both of them off but walks into a Claymore. A double ram into the cage has Punk down even more and the slow beating continues. Rhodes is in to even things up and dives off the cage to take McIntyre down. The Cody Cutter connects but Rhodes accidentally elbows Punk (bleeding) in the face. Things are smoothed over as Punk plays Hart in a Hart Attack to McIntyre.

That’s not it as Breakker gets caught with a Doomsday Device, with Breakker taking a TERRIFYING landing on the back of his head (you can hear the fear in Barrett’s voice as he wants Breakker checked on immediately). Breakker disappears for a bit as medics make sure he can still move and it’s a Bionic Elbow from Punk to McIntyre.

Paul is in with a chair (first weapon) as Breakker is somehow walking again. Rhodes and Paul go to the top of the cage and slug it out, with Paul getting the better of things. A double suplex drops Rhodes again and it’s Jimmy Uso in to even things up. Jimmy even gets smart by ramming the door onto Breakker’s head and grabbing a table. The Whisper In The Wind connects on Paul and Breakker but McIntyre breaks it up.

The super Frankensteiner drops Rhodes as the fans want someone to use the table. Reed is in for another advantage and it’s time for the Tsunamis. Rhodes is crushed against the cage and Punk is slammed into it as well. Jey Uso is in to tie it up again and thankfully he at least jogs down the aisle rather than doing his full entrance. The 1D connects and let’s run that entrance theme back. Naturally this lets Jey sit on top of the cage for a bit because that’s what you do in WARGAMES. Barrett: “People shouldn’t be having this much fun inside WarGames.”

And here is Lesnar, with Heyman, to complete the team. German suplexes and F5’s abound and Lesnar goes to wait on the steps because here comes Reigns. Lesnar starts the fight and counters a Superman Punch into an F5 through the announcers’ table. Lesnar throws Reigns inside and the bell officially rings. Another F5 gets two on Reigns with Rhodes making the save.

Cross Rhodes hits Lesnar but Paul makes the save this time. Paul loads up the brass knuckles and knocks Rhodes silly but Reigns is there to spear him down. Reigns gets the knuckles and fires off the Superman Punch, followed by a spear to Breakker. Another spear sends Lesnar (holding Jey) through a table in the corner and Breakker spears Jimmy.

McIntyre hits Rhodes low, leaving Breakker to spear Rhodes (Breakker: “YOU WILL NEVER BE AS GREAT AS A STEINER!”). Punk makes the save…and we’ve got a masked man, who kicks Punk down and hits a Stomp. Breakker puts the straps back up and then takes them down again (that will always work), setting up the Super Spear to pin Punk at 39:25.

Rating: B. This felt much more like a war and notice that they did it with far fewer weapons than usual. The masked man is certainly an interesting way to go, but what matters the most is that Breakker got the pin. It feels like we’re in a countdown before Breakker wins his first World Title, which thankfully can happen because he didn’t break his neck. I liked this well enough, and it sets up some stuff going forward. Nice job.

Post match everyone else leaves so Punk, Rhodes and Reigns can look at each other. Reigns goes to leave and says he and Rhodes are never teaming again to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Despite having all the star power in the main event (with the women’s match not being far behind), I kept thinking “this is it?” There wasn’t much to the show with four matches, including two which only felt so important. It’s definitely not a bad show and the main event was good, but it didn’t have that big bang to it that these shows need to have. That being said, I do like that it clocked in at around three hours, so it definitely didn’t overstay its welcome. Not a bad show, but they’ve done a lot better before.

Results
Team Ripley b. Team Lynch – Black Widow to Lynch
Dominik Mysterio b. John Cena – Frog splash
Stephanie Vaquer b. Nikki Bella – Corkscrew moonsault
Team Vision b. Team Reigns – Super Spear to Punk

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

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

It’s the last of the Big Four this year and we’re back in a stadium. As usual, it’s all about the WarGames, though at least this time we have two other matches, at least one of which has some potential. This is one of those shows where you have everything built around two matches though, and that’s not exactly leaving much for the remainder of the card. Worse things have worked before though so let’s get to it.

Raw Women’s Title: Stephanie Vaquer(c) vs. Nikki Bella

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Bella’s return has been a misfire, as she’s just not that interesting, even after the heel turn. This idea that she’s suddenly some kind of evil, horrible star who is coming for Vaquer’s title is a stretch at minimum and realistically, a vast stretch. Normally I would say Bella had no chance here, but stranger things have certainly happened.

For the sake of my sanity, I’ll take Vaquer to retain here, as the idea of Bella getting even more of a focus would be almost too much to bear. Bella’s most recent big match was quite the mess and I’m almost scared to see what might happen here. While I don’t expect the same disaster, the fact that it feels like a possibility tells you about all you need to know about this match. Hopefully Vaquer retains, as the alternative is almost scary.

Intercontinental Title: John Cena(c) vs. Dominik Mysterio

Dang it’s so weird to write that down after so many years. The other thing that is so weird is that this match could go either way. Cena is going to be gone in about two weeks and pretty much has to lose the title in one of his two remaining matches. There is a very real chance that it happens here, which would be a heck of a moment for Mysterio’s career. The fact that he is a legitimate threat to take Cena out is impressive, as Mysterio really has gotten that good.

While I originally planned to pick Cena as the winner, I think I’m actually going with Mysterio. Beating Cena in his last match is probably bigger than winning the title, so this is about as good as anything else could be. Mysterio getting to beat Cena in his final pay per view match is something that he could milk for years, which is what I’m hoping winds up happening here.

Team Ripley vs. Team Lynch

And then there’s this, which feels like about four or five stories thrown together for the sake of making a WarGames match. While there are some pairings in here which feel like they belong on the big stage, this absolutely comes off like something that would be better as a traditional Survivor Series match. The good thing is we could be getting some rather violent stuff here with a lot of powerhouses involved.

I think I’ll take Lynch and company to win here, as Ripley’s team won last year so it might be time for the villains to get their chance. Lynch and the Disarm-Her should be more than enough to get a submission out of someone (Bliss feels like a strong option) and the feuds can continue from there. Odds are this one is wrong, but Lynch and company winning feels like the more logical way to go.

Team Punk vs. Team Heyman

In case the women’s match didn’t have enough star power, here we have two World Champions, Roman Reigns, a future World Champion and the Usos, plus Brock Lesnar. Now take all of those people and lock them in a pair of cages. That should be quite the battle, though unfortunately it’s a battle that is going to go on for a rather long time. At the same time, it’s also quite the toss up.

At the end of the day, I can’t imagine a team with Lesnar losing to one with Jimmy Uso on the other side so I’ll take the villains winning. Throw in some rather wedged drama between Rhodes/Punk/Reigns and I can’t imagine their team winning. Again, that makes for a better result, as both champions could get new challengers out of this match. It should be wild and violent though, which is entirely the point of something like this.

Overall Thoughts

Well, you can’t say it’s lacking in star power. This show couldn’t feel much bigger if they were trying, and that’s nice to see with Survivor Series. The show has been kind of up and down over the years so the infusion of WarGames, which might not always be the best, has been a great addition. I want to see where this show goes and that is a great feeling to have going into a show where that isn’t always the case.

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

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: November 24, 2025
Location: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

It’s the last Raw before Survivor Series and that means we’re going to be seeing the final push towards WarGames. The main matches are pretty much entirely set but there is always room for one last build. We might even focus on some of the non-WarGames matches this week, which isn’t a bad idea. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the setup of the men’s WarGames match, with Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar being added in the last week and a half.

Here is Roman Reigns to get things going. He says his catchphrase but here is Cody Rhodes for a staredown, complete with his own catchphrase. Rhodes says Reigns is a man of his word and the last time it was for a match. This time though, it’s for war. Rhodes wants to know what’s in this for Reigns, who says it’s Rhodes who is brand new to this fight. They don’t like each other or know each other very well, but Reigns knows they both care about family.

A lot of this team is his family and before they were on his team, they were in his Bloodline. He’s been invested in them for a long time and he’s here to see that investment through. Rhodes: “Understood.” He welcomes Reigns to his team, which doesn’t sit well with Reigns. Cue CM Punk, who hits his own catchphrase and tells the crowd to acknowledge them. Punk remembers teaming with Reigns before and Reigns remembers Punk ruining his life. That’s kind of true, but Punk says if Reigns stabs Punk in his back this Saturday, he’d stab his family in the back.

Rhodes tries to cool it down but Punk doesn’t like Rhodes saying it’s his show, because this is Monday Night Raw on Netflix. Cody can be the quarter back on Friday but on Monday, he’s the champ. Reigns finds this ridiculous and says that he hates Paul Heyman and the Vision more than he hates the two of them. If we’re being honest, that title (he doesn’t specify which) would look better on his shoulder. Reigns goes to leave and Punk asks who Reigns was talking to. Reigns says that’s for them to figure out and leaves. That last exchange was rather good, though this felt like some forced drama.

Paul Heyman is in the back with the Vision and tries to get Drew McIntyre to take tonight’s tag match for the WarGames advantage seriously. Logan Paul mocks the idea that the partner is going to be Brock Lesnar but Heyman warns Paul about what happens if Lesnar’s name comes out of the wrong mouth. Instead, Paul will be McIntyre’s partner, which Paul calls a wise choice.

Last Time Is Now Tournament Quarterfinals: Gunther vs. Carmelo Hayes

Hayes pounds him into the corner to start, which is broken up with raw power. A running shoulder drops Hayes and Gunther actually gets on the buckle to mock the crowd. That earns him a powerbomb out of the corner and a springboard DDT gives Hayes two. One heck of a chop cuts Hayes off though and we take a break.

We come back with Hayes managing a quick sleeper, which Gunther reverses into one of his own. That’s escaped with a backflip and Hayes is right back with the sleeper. Gunther powers out again and they trade chops until Hayes knocks him down. A butterfly suplex sends Hayes flying but he’s right back with a DDT to counter the powerbomb (that was nice) as we take another break.

We come back again with Hayes grabbing a quick First 48 but Nothing But Net is cut off. Gunther chops the post by mistake so Hayes tries a springboard DDT, which pretty much completely misses (which commentary acknowledges). Instead, Hayes hits a running flip dive onto Gunther’s back for a big crash.

Gunther tries the powerbomb but gets reversed into a heck of a tornado DDT off the barricade. Back in and Hayes grabs La Mistica but misses Nothing But Net. The big clothesline into the powerbomb gives Gunther two and the fans are losing it on these near falls. Gunther elbows him in the head over and over, setting up the powerbomb for the pin at 17:25.

Rating: B+. There was no reason to believe that Hayes was going to win here but they had me believing that it was possible. That’s a sign that something is going right and I was pulled into everything they were doing here. Hayes has found something as a good guy and a definitive win over Miz in their feud should help. On the other hand though, this seems to be Gunther’s tournament to lose at the moment, which shouldn’t be surprising.

Cody Rhodes/CM Punk/Roman Reigns are still arguing when the Usos come up to say tonight’s advantage match is a tag match. They happen to be the best tag team ever so……we seem to have a solution! They leave and Reigns tells Punk and Rhodes to fix this.

Here is Dominik Mysterio for a chat. He promises to end John Cena’s retirement tour in his hometown this weekend, continuing to prove that he is the greatest Mysterio of all time. Mysterio brings up that Cena isn’t here tonight but cue Cena’s music….and it’s a mini Santa, complete with a mini Stu the Cameraman.

Mini Cena (or John Weena according to Barrett) can’t do the slide underneath the bottom rope so he has to go for the ropes. Mysterio insults Cena, who calls him the worst Mysterio of all time. Mysterio seems to say that’s not what Cena is supposed to say but Cena challenges him for a fight…and then gets kicked in the chest. That means it’s time for a Shuffle, a 619 and a frog splash, only for Rey Mysterio to interrupt and chase him off.

Rey Mysterio vs. JD McDonagh

Finn Balor is here with McDonagh. We’re joined in progress with Mysterio backdropping him down and hammering away in the corner. That’s broken up and McDonagh drops him face first onto the buckle to take over. McDonagh stomps him down and grabs a chinlock, with the fans being rather behind Mysterio. McDonagh lets go and poses on the ropes, allowing Mysterio to send him outside.

That’s fine with McDonagh, who drops him onto the announcers’ table as we take a break. We come back with Mysterio in trouble but managing to send McDonagh into the post for a big crash. The top rope seated senton connects for Mysterio and he kicks McDonagh in the head for two. The 619 is countered into a Spanish Fly for two and they both need a breather. Balor tries to get up for a distraction so Mysterio sends McDonagh into him. The 619 and springboard splash give Mysterio the pin at 10:24.

Rating: B-. Mysterio continues to be able to look good against just about anyone in the ring and that was the case again here. It helps that McDonagh has been rapidly improving in recent weeks and it made for a pretty nice match here. The ending was a bit flat, but at least Mysterio gets a win before what should be a major showdown with Dominik in the near future.

Post match Balor goes after Mysterio, who manages to slip away.

Adam Pearce tells Raquel Rodriguez that she’s in the title mix. New Day comes in to complain about what’s going on with the Tag Team Titles but Pearce snaps. Apparently Dragon Lee and AJ Styles want to give them a title shot next week. Grayson Waller is so happy that he gives Pearce a wig.

Brock Lesnar arrives.

Here is a ticked off Becky Lynch for a chat. After a break, her WarGames team joins her before she goes on a rant about how the decision of last week’s title match will be overturned and she will be champion again. While that was a mistake, AJ Lee made a bigger mistake last week and now she’s making an even bigger mistake by locking herself in a cage.

Lynch has assembled the greatest team in the history of WarGames. She brags about how she’s put together all of these people, including Asuka, who she has beaten nine out of ten times, and Jax, who has great bones. Lynch doesn’t have to wear a mask like Rotten Rhea Ripley, which brings out the other team. AJ Lee talks about how the old her would jump Lynch and break her apart, but unlike Lynch, she bites instead of barking.

Ripley gets the mic and starts swinging rather than talking and the brawl is on. Ripley and company clear the ring, with Sky hitting a hue moonsault to the ring, sending Lynch running off. Pretty standard brawling segment, but Lynch was basically doing a straight up Trump impression without the voice and it was hilarious.

Last Time Is Now Tournament Quarterfinals: Penta vs. Solo Sikoa

Penta kicks away to start but they’re quickly on the floor. Sikoa manages to send him over the barricade, with Penta popping back up for a hurricanrana from said barricade. We take an early break and come back with….the match having been stopped as Penta was injured on the hurricanrana. Sikoa wins at around 4:50, with nowhere near enough shown to rate.

We see a woman’s finger circling a glass and a graphic says FOUR DAYS. It looks to be in the same font as Wrestlemania’s logo.

Maxxine Dupri can’t believe she won the title and calls Natalya. Before that happens, various women come up for some threatening glares. Adam Pearce has to come get her out of trouble.

Stephanie Vaquer is mad at Nikki Bella for betraying her and swears vengeance. See you at Survivor Series.

Survivor Series rundown.

Usos vs. Logan Paul/Drew McIntyre

For the WarGames advantage. Jimmy knocks Paul into the corner to start and sends him to the floor as we take an early break. We come back with Paul still in trouble, with Jey stomping away and sending him into the corner. A running splash connects but Paul fights out of trouble. McIntyre comes in for a slugout with Jey, who manages a needed suplex.

Paul cuts Jimmy of before the tag though, as he continues to be wise beyond his years. McIntyre takes Jey outside for a toss over the announcers’ table and we take another break. We come back again with Jey getting double suplexed, with both McIntyre and Paul doing nip ups. McIntyre charges into some boots in the corner though and the needed tag brings in Jimmy for the parade of superkicks.

Paul manages a Blockbuster for two, only for Jimmy to drop him with a spear. Everything breaks down and here’s the Vision, but cue Cody Rhodes and CM Punk to even it up. The brawl ensues on the floor but Jey hits a big dive to take them down. That’s enough for Paul to roll Jimmy up for the pin at 17:02.

Rating: C+. This felt long (might have been stretched to help after the injury finished the previous match early) and it didn’t have much of a doubt about the eventual result. At the end of the day, WarGames is almost always going to have the villains in control and given the lineups, it would be insanity to go in a different direction here. Not a bad match, but dropping five minutes would have been nice.

Post match the brawl is on with Roman Reigns coming in to clean house. The staredown is on and the credits roll, but cue Brock Lesnar, who actually falls down during his entrance and flips backwards (live TV people). The villains get on the apron and the big brawl ensues to end the show.

Overall Rating: B- This show started off strong and then hit a wall around halfway through. The big problem with a show like this is a hard one to get around: the main event, and big story, was about getting the advantage in a match on Saturday. It makes for little more than a big preview, with little actually being changed for Survivor Series. It’s good enough, but outside of the really good Gunther vs. Hayes match and maybe the opener, it’s not worth a look.

Results
Gunther b. Carmelo Hayes – Powerbomb
Rey Mysterio b. JD McDonagh – Springboard splash
Solo Sikoa b. Penta via doctor stoppage
Drew McIntyre/Logan Paul b. Usos – Rollup to Jimmy

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

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Survivor Series 2010
Date: November 21, 2010
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 8,000
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, Matt Striker

So what we have here is a show with Survivor Series matches a few months after a huge Survivor Series style match headlined Summerslam. Therefore, the solution is to have a big focus on John Cena, who is guest refereeing the main event. If Cena helps his Nexus teammate Wade Barrett (yes it was a thing) win, he’s free but if he doesn’t, he’s fired. Let’s get to it.

The opening video is of course about Cena, who talks about how he is being asked if he will compromise his integrity one time…but at what cost? No other match is even mentioned.

United States Title: Ted DiBiase vs. Daniel Bryan

DiBiase, with a bored looking Maryse, is challenging. They fight over wrist control to start until Bryan hits a dropkick…and the lights dim a bit. A boot to the chest cuts off DiBiase’s leapfrog attempt but he’s fine enough to suplex Bryan out to the floor. Back in and Bryan’s kicks to the ribs are cut off and DiBiase hammers away as Maryse looks….well she exists. A nice standing dropkick gives DiBiase two and we hit the chinlock.

That’s broken up and Bryan hits a running dropkick into the corner, allowing him to moonsault over DiBiase. The running dropkick connects and Bryan sends him to the floor for the suicide dive. As usual, Bryan bangs up his shoulder, but he’s able to hit a missile dropkick to cut DiBiase down again.

The LeBell Lock is blocked though and DiBiase hits a running clothesline for two more. Dream Street (cobra clutch slam) is broken up as well though and Bryan knocks him down. DiBiase takes him up top but gets crotched, setting up a top rope belly to back superplex for two. The LeBell Lock retains the title at 9:56.

Rating: B-. Bryan was starting to become a much bigger deal around this time and he managed to do some nice stuff with a pretty generic heel. DiBiase had the look and some ability on the microphone, but he just never got to a higher level. If Bryan can only get you to pretty good, it’s not a great sign, which was about everything in DiBiase’s career after his debut.

Post match Bryan goes to leave but Miz jumps him with his Money In The Bank briefcase (and Alex Riley). Miz mocks Miami and says that LeBron James will never win a title here. As for the wrestling side though, he’s tired of carrying the briefcase and is cashing in soon. Tomorrow in fact. The lights going out two more times here didn’t help but Miz rolled with the whole thing.

We recap Sheamus vs. John Morrison. Sheamus has been bullying Santino Marella so Morrison came out for the save (as he has done a few times) so the match is set.

Sheamus is ready to beat Morrison up and show him what a bully is like.

Sheamus vs. John Morrison

Morrison starts fast with a headscissors to the floor, followed by a slingshot dive. Back in and Sheamus hammers away, which works a bit better for him. The chinlock is on early before Sheamus slowly forearms away at the back. A backbreaker gives Sheamus two and we hit another quickly broken chinlock. Sheamus hits some seated forearms to the chest (it was a work in progress) and they go up top with Morrison knocking him back down. Morrison’s high crossbody is rolled through though and Sheamus plants him for two more.

The Brogue Kick is loaded up but Morrison scores with an enziguri instead. Sheamus’ High Cross attempt is countered with a catapult into the corner and a Russian legsweep gives Morrison two. Morrison is sent into the corner and gets his leg knocked out for two, leaving Sheamus SCREAMING about it being three. Sheamus gets sent into the corner again but Starship Pain is broken up. The Brogue Kick misses though and a running knee gives Morrison the quick pin at 11:24.

Rating: B-. I’ve always liked these two together and it seemed like Morrison was on the way to a higher level. If he could have been more of this serious version, it certainly could have worked out. Sheamus was his usual solid self as well, knowing how to do a power match rather well throughout.

R-Truth comes up to John Cena and brings up the fact that Nexus is banned from ringside for the main event. The thing is, R-Truth isn’t banned and since you can only win by pinfall or submission, what if R-Truth came out and something happened to Randy Orton? An accident happened and Cena gets to keep his job! Cena gets really serious and says he can’t do it because he’d be seen as a joke. He’s calling this down the middle, but R-Truth says he’ll believe it when he sees it. They’re trying with this, but it’s really hard to buy that Cena is actually leaving no matter what. You know, because it’s Cena.

Intercontinental Title: Kaval vs. Dolph Ziggler

Kaval is challenging after beating Ziggler (with Vickie Guerrero) on Smackdown and this is his guaranteed title shot for winning the second season of NXT. A running shoulder drops Ziggler to start so he knocks Kaval into the corner. The Hennig necksnap gives Ziggler two but Kaval fights back, only to get distracted by Guerrero. Ziggler drops him onto the turnbuckle and we hit the chinlock to slow Kaval down.

That stays on for a good while until Kaval gets up and kicks him in the back of the head. Kaval’s handspring kick to the face (OUCH) gets two but he misses a phoenix splash, only to land on his feet. A quick Fameasser gives Ziggler two and he launches Kaval up to the top, where he bounces back with a spinning kick to the head. They trade some rollups for two each until Ziggler rolls him up and grabs the tights to retain at 9:33.

Rating: B-. Kaval did some good stuff here and those kicks were looking great, but if you can’t win the midcard title after winning NXT, there is only so much of a future. That’s probably why Kaval was gone from the company in about a month and a half with this as his big moment. Ziggler felt like he was doing the same thing for years and this was right in the middle of that run.

Jack Swagger is not happy with being on Team Alberto Del Rio because he’s the only former World Champion on the team. Cody Rhodes comes up to mock Swagger for not being able to get into a club last night. Del Rio, Drew McIntyre and Tyler Reks (the rest of the team) come in with Del Rio giving them a pep talk. He wants to see little kids crying tonight and if they win, he’ll buy the beers! Rhodes hates to admit it, but Del Rio is good.

Team Del Rio vs. Team Mysterio

Alberto Del Rio, Tyler Reks, Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger
Rey Mysterio, Big Show, Chris Masters, Kofi Kingston, MVP

Mysterio (in blue, like the rest of his team in a nice touch) start things off with Del Rio, who hands it off to Rhodes before doing anything. This lets Striker and Cole debate if Rickey Henderson is the greatest baseball player ever, with Lawler having to get them back on track. They run the ropes a bit and Rhodes gets an early two. It’s off to MVP vs. Del Rio with MVP kicking him into the corner.

Kingston comes in for a front facelock but Del Rio kicks away at Masters’ leg to take over. The villains take turns stomping on Masters in the corner and McIntyre goes up, only to dive into a raised boot (thankfully looking like he was trying a splash rather than just jumping for the sake of jumping). It’s back to MVP to take over but Del Rio trios him up on a suplex, allowing McIntyre to fall on top of him for the pin at 5:35. Masters comes in and hammers away on Del Rio, who cross armbreakers him for the elimination at 6:41.

Show comes in and tells Del Rio to try it on him. It’s off to Swagger, who is quickly beaten up, so Del Rio comes in, only to chop McIntyre for a tag. The WMD hits Del Rio (despite McIntyre being legal) and Show has to fight out of the Futureshock attempt. Show slams Kingston onto McIntyre as Del Rio is helped out. Rhodes gets hit in the face and insists that his mirror jacket is held up to reaffirm his dashingness. Back in and Kingston hits him in the face again, followed by the WMD for the pin at 10:58.

Apparently Del Rio is out so we’re down to three on three. Reks clotheslines Show down for two and Swagger comes in to start on the leg. The chokeslam attempt is countered into Swagger’s ankle lock, which is broken up so Mysterio can come in. The springboard spinning crossbody hits Swagger, who is able to block the 619.

That means the ankle lock goes on, with Mysterio escaping rather quickly. Another 619 is cut off by Reks and it’s off to Kingston, who dropkicks Reks down. Various kicks and a high crossbody give Kingston two but he gets hung in the Tree Of Woe. That’s reversed with an upside down dropkick to pin Reks at 15:11.

Swagger is back in with an ankle lock, which is broken up, followed by another ankle lock to make Kingston tap at 15:56. Swagger comes in to break up Mysterio’s assisted splash, only to get caught with the 619. Now the assisted splash gives Mysterio the pin at 17:36, leaving us with McIntyre vs. Show/Mysterio. McIntyre is cut off with 619 and the chokeslam for the final pin at 18:21.

Rating: C+. Not bad here, and they did a nice job of keeping things moving so it wasn’t clear who was going to survive. That’s one of the perks of a match like this, as you can mix and match so much stuff and get something interesting as a result. Mysterio and Show worked well together in the end, though Del Rio leaving so early didn’t exactly help much. Also of note: DANG 2010 had some awesome theme songs, like Smoke And Mirrors and Broken Dreams, plus Del Rio’s rather snazzy music.

Randy Orton doesn’t care about John Cena, the Miz or Wade Barrett. All that matters is his title so tonight, it’s an RKO for Barrett.

Divas Title: Laycool vs. Natalya

Laycool is defending in a handicap match. Natalya headlocks McCool to start and then wrestles her down without much trouble. Back up and McCool takes her into the corner, where Layla gets to send Natalya outside. That’s shrugged off and Natalya throws both of them over the barricade, with Layla being in trouble. Back in and Natalya plants McCool and grabs the Sharpshooter for the title at 3:39.

Rating: D+. This was nothing but a cool down match and they didn’t hide that fact. Natalya ran through the team like they were nothing and took the title, which didn’t make for the most thrilling stuff. You can only get so much out of this kind of a match and it’s a fine example of how little chance the women had in this period. What are you supposed to do with three and a half minutes in this structure?

Post matcy Laycool jumps Natalya but Beth Phoenix runs in for the save.

We recap Kane vs. Edge for the Smackdown World Title. Kane is full on evil with Paul Bearer behind him but Edge was back from his latest injury and became #1 contender. Edge then kidnapped Bearer, which had Kane freaking out, partially because Edge kept attacking Bearer…with food.

Smackdown World Title: Edge vs. Kane

Kane is defending and gets his throat snapped across the top to start. Edge fights out of a chokeslam attempt and hits a spinwheel kick. The big boot misses for Kane and Edge goes after the leg to put him down. Back up and Kane puts him on the apron so the big boot can connect. We slow down a bit and the neck crank goes on, with Kane asking where Bearer is.

A basement dropkick gives Kane two and the cravate goes on. That’s broken up and Edge hits a high crossbody before dropkicking Kane out of the air. The uppercut connects for Kane and the side slam plants Edge for two. The chokeslam is countered into the Impaler but the spear is cut off with a big boot. Now the chokeslam can connect for two but Edge scores with the spear for the pin at 12:50….and all four shoulders are down so it’s a draw.

Rating: D+. Bleh, with the ending taking away what little good the match had in the first place. This didn’t feel like an important story and was a great example of how having two World Titles wasn’t always a good thing. It came off like little more than a glorified midcard title, with Bearer’s kidnapping apparently being a “well get to this later” major plot point.

Post match the fight is still on, with Edge sending him into the steps. Edge puts him into a wheelchair for a crash through the barricade.

Wade Barrett comes in to see John Cena and talks about how this is the same building where the Nexus attacked everyone on June 7. Now Cena is here as part of the team, but all he has to do is do the right thing and he’s free. Cena does remember June 7, just like he remembers every single thing Nexus has done to him. Tonight, when the time is right, he knows exactly what he’s doing.

Tag Team Titles: Nexus vs. Santino Marella/Vladimir Kozlov

Rating: Nexus, with the Nexus, is defending. Marella throws Slater down to start and it’s off to Gabriel, who misses some spinning kicks. Kozlov comes in to kick Gabriel in the chest but he takes out Kozlov’s leg. A neckbreaker puts Kozlov down and Slater drops a knee for two as the double stomping is on.

Gabriel comes in for a cravate so Kozlov drives him into the corner. That earns a cheap shot from Slater, allowing Nexus to bring Kozlov back into the corner again. Back up and Kozlov clotheslines his way to freedom, allowing Marella to come in for the house cleaning. The flying headbutt hits Gabriel but a quick distraction slows Marella down. Slater’s running Zig Zag (or something close to it) retains at 5:10.

Rating: C-. This was yet another period where the Tag Team Titles were about as important as the Women’s Title and it showed again here. This match could not have felt less important and it’s not like either team was particularly good in the first place. Marella and Kozlov were a nice oddball pairing, but that’s not enough to carry interest here.

Post match we get an email from the Anonymous Raw GM, who reminds us that Nexus is banned from ringside in the main event.

We recap Randy Orton defending against Wade Barrett. John Cena has been forced to join Nexus and hates everything about it. Barrett has a title shot with Cena as guest referee. If Cena helps Barrett win, Cena is free, but if Barrett doesn’t win, Cena is fired. Cena is of course conflicted, because he’s Cena and therefore can never do anything wrong.

Raw World Title: Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett

Barrett is challenging and John Cena is guest referee. They start rather slowly until Cena accidentally distracts Orton, allowing Barrett to knock him down. Barrett slowly stomps away and they go outside, with Orton being sent into the steps. Back in and Barrett gets two before punching Orton down for the same (with the count possibly being a bit slow). The chinlock goes on for a bit until Orton fights up and starts the comeback.

The backbreaker gives Orton two (pretty much the same cadence as Cena gave for Barrett) but Barrett knocks down and hits a middle rope elbow for two of his own. A pumphandle slam and the Winds Of Change get two and Barrett is getting frustrated at the (so far fair) count. Wasteland gets two, with Orton having to grab the rope to escape.

Barrett is so frustrated that he shoves Cena, who knocks him into the RKO for the pin (with the three being a bit slow) at 15:15. Striker: “CENA’S FREE!” Cole: “Cena’s fired.” Striker: “Oh. Sorry.” So yes, Striker managed to screw up the point of the ONLY MATCH ON THE SHOW that WWE hyped up at all.

Rating: C. It was a slow, plodding match where you kept waiting for Cena to do his big thing and when he finally did, it was about as tiny as imaginable. As was the case though, Nexus comes up short in the big moment again, which was one of the main reasons the stable was doomed. Without winning something important (and no, the Tag Team Titles were not important), they were little more than a nuisance than a threat and that was on display again here.

Post match Nexus comes in to go after Cena but he and Orton clear the ring. Cena hands Orton the title and hugs him, with Orton seemingly appreciative that Cena called the match fairly (and helped him win). Orton leaves and Cena is all upset in the ring. Cena takes his armband off and goes to say goodbye to commentary before going to the stage and looking out at the crowd. The copyright logo comes up and Cena goes into the crowd to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. While there is some ok action to start, it becomes VERY clear that this is a show built around one match and one match only. That was all they hyped up at the beginning and pretty much throughout the show, which didn’t leave much else on the card. Throw in that Cena, who had been immediately fired as a result of the main event, was on Raw the next night and beat Barrett at TLC and the whole show felt even less important. The action was ok, but it was a show that bet everything on one match and that match didn’t deliver very well, basically dooming the whole night.

Results
Daniel Bryan b. Ted DiBiase – LeBell Lock
John Morrison b. Sheamus – Running knee
Dolph Ziggler b. Kaval – Rollup with tights
Team Mysterio b. Team Del Rio last eliminating McIntyre
Natalya b. Laycool – Sharpshooter to McCool
Edge vs. Kane went to a draw
Nexus b. Santino Marella/Vladimir Kozlov – Running jumping Russian legsweep to Marella
Randy Orton b. Wade Barrett – RKO

Ratings Comparison

Daniel Bryan vs. Ted DiBiase

Original: B
2012 Redo: C+
2025 Redo: B-

John Morrison vs. Sheamus

Original: B
2012 Redo: B-
2025 Redo: B-

Dolph Ziggler vs. Kaval

Original: B-
2012 Redo: C-
2025 Redo: B-

Team Mysterio vs. Team Del Rio

Original: B-
2012 Redo: B-
2025 Redo: C+

Natalya vs. Laycool

Original: D+
2012 Redo: D
2025 Redo: D+

Kane vs. Edge

Original: D
2012 Redo: F+
2025 Redo: D+

Nexus vs. Santino Marella/Vladimir Kozlov

Original: D
2012 Redo: D+
2025 Redo: C-

Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett

Original: D+
2012 Redo: D
2025 Redo: C

Overall Rating

Original: B
2012 Redo: D+
2025 Redo: C

It always interests me when I’m expecting to be way to harsh on a show and it turns out it’s WAY nicer than I was the previous time. This show still isn’t very good though.

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

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