Joey Janela’s Spring Break 3 Part 2
Date: April 5, 2019
Location: White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, New Jersey
Commentators: Denver Colorado, Dave Prazak, Kevin Gill

This is a show I’ve been trying to see for a long time now and I might as well knock it, as well as the rest of the Wrestlemania XXXV weekend series, out while I have the chance. If you have seen something from this series before, this show is going to be complete insanity but often in a good way. Let’s get to it.

Here’s Night One if you need a recap.

No opening video here, mainly because the show didn’t start until after 12:30am due to the ROH/New Japan show running WAY late.

Jungle Boy vs. Joey Janela

Janela has Penelope Ford with him and it’s a F*** ROH chant to start things off. Boy starts fast with a running hurricanrana and an armdrag out of the corner. They don’t bother staring it down as Janela hits a chop in the corner, followed by a rather hard superkick. Boy comes back with his own superkick, followed by another exchange of superkicks. That gives us the required Young Bucks/AEW references until Boy turns him inside out with a clothesline.

Boy knocks him to the floor and hits back to back suicide dives into those plastic chairs. Back in and Janela catches him on top for a reverse fisherman’s buster onto the apron. That’s only good for a one back inside so Janela stomps on the ribs. They chop the heck out of each other until Boy spears him through the ropes. The Jungle Cutter (exactly what you think it is) gives Boy two so it’s Ford coming in with a top rope hurricanrana.

Boy isn’t having any of this and gives her a Backstabber out of the corner. Janela is back up with a spinning Trapper Keeper bomb for a very near call so he asks the fans who he is. That means a song that I don’t recognize but Boy runs him over. A Lionsault is countered into a dragon sleeper of all things (that’s not bad) but Boy is in the ropes in a hurry.

The camel clutch is broken up even faster so Boy takes it to the apron for the Death Valley Driver to plant Janela. Boy hits a springboard flip dive to knock out Janela and a bunch of chairs, freaking Ford out even more. Back in and Janela snaps off a Tombstone for two but since no one sells at this show (just how it’s going to work), Boy is already up top but Janela, with the crazy eyes, is up there with him for a top rope brainbuster.

That’s good for one and Boy nips up (Colorado: “WHAT THE F***???”), followed by a superkick for two on Janela. They trade snap German suplexes with both of them popping right back up and then hitting two more each. With that not working, Janela grabs a choke but Boy reverses into something like a raised full nelson to make Janela tap at 13:31.

Rating: C+. One thing to keep in mind on this show is that it isn’t going to be like most regular events. This is all about action and not psychology, so don’t waste your time on a bunch of stuff that isn’t going to be there. Boy looked good here and it isn’t a surprise that he became a thing in AEW. Janela….well it’s his show and you can only be so mean to him so we’ll move on.

They shake hands post match.

I’m assuming they’ve edited out all of the transitional stuff between matches, which is a little annoying given that the show is still full price over a year after it took place but how much could be missing?

LAX vs. Rock N Roll Express

This is the match that made me want to watch the show, just for the pure spectacle. The fans are very glad to see the hometown LAX and then declare the whole thing awesome just after the bell. Gibson and Santana start things off with Gibson claiming a hair pull to take him into the corner. Santana gets taken into the corner as well and that’s good for a standoff.

A hiptoss takes Santana down and Ortiz comes in to get one as well. It’s off to Morton for the right hand to the ribs into the Million Dollar knee lift to send LAX outside. Fans: “NEVER LOST IT!” The Express take over on Santana’s arm and, after drawing Ortiz in, do the fake clap tag, which feels a little wrong coming from them. Ortiz comes in and is armdragged straight into a wristlock but it’s a snap powerslam to put Morton down.

Gibson is told to suck it and that is just wrong on so many levels. A shot to Morton’s arm brings in Gibson for the failed save, allowing LAX to double team in the corner. I can always go for something so simple that still works so well. Ortiz misses a charge in the corner though and it’s a hot tag to Gibson as everything breaks down. The Express is sent into each other but Santana clotheslines Ortiz by mistake.

Ortiz drops a leg on Gibson and adds a top rope splash. Morton dives in for the save and keeps going, landing a Canadian Destroyer on Santana. The threat of the double dropkick sends LAX outside so Morton dives onto both of them. Santana has to dive in for a save and it’s a double superkick to Gibson. A double clothesline drops LAX but Morton gets sent into the corner for an assisted Cannonball and the pin at 8:35.

Rating: C+. This is a match that had no business being any good due to the age situation but the Express came out there and somehow made the thing work. It was a decent enough match and my goodness I can’t believe they almost pulled that off. LAX is a great team and the Express hung in there with them well enough. Good stuff here.

Post match, LAX shows respect, offering hugs and bows. The SPRING BREAK chant breaks out but Ortiz wants a ROCK AND ROLL one instead. They even exchange bandannas in a great moment.

LA Park vs. Masato Tanaka

They chop it out to start with Park knocking him down in the corner and hitting the shaky knees dance. A clothesline drops Tanaka for two and there’s a chair shot to the head. Tanaka no sells it as is his custom and the roaring elbow gives Tanaka two. Park’s snap powerslam gets two, followed by a whip with the belt. Tanaka fights up and knocks him to the floor for the big dive but Park sends Tanaka into the apron.

There’s a chair to the back and a slam onto the empty chairs, meaning it’s time to bring in some doors. Park drives him through one of the doors for two and it’s time to go up. Tanaka is right back up with a superplex, followed by a splash for two. Back up and Park spears him through a table for the sudden pin at 9:40.

Rating: D+. Just a brawl here and something that has been done a lot better elsewhere. Park is someone who is a lot better when he gets to show off his amazing charisma that was only somewhat on display here. Tanaka looks exactly the same as he did back in ECW and I can see why fans would want to see him around some more. Not a terrible match, but nothing that felt like it belonged on a major show.

So we have about an hour and a half left in the show and it’s time for the main event.

The Greatest Cluster****

Oh boy what am I getting myself into. So it’s a Royal Rumble and you are eliminated by pinfall, submission, being thrown over the top (dives DO NOT count), if you leave the arena, or if you die. The Necro Butcher (looking old and very different without a shirt) is in at #1 and, after Butcher eliminates referee Bryce Remsburg, Nick Gage is in at #2. I’m not sure if the bell rings but they lock up and shove each other a bit until Gage is sent to the apron. Shlak and Markus Crane come out together, I guess as #3 combined, who bring in their own door.

Butcher punches Crane down and slugs it out with Shlak, with Gage watching like a fan from the apron. They go to their knees and it’s Georgie Boy, with a rubber chicken, in at #4. Gage and Crane jump him immediately and Gage beats Georgie down with the chicken. The door is set up in the corner and Georgie goes through it, allowing Crane and Shlak to beat him down with the pieces.

Swoggle is in at #5 and superkicks Shlak down. Everyone brawls around the ropes until Arik Cannon is in at #6. Gage is waiting on him for the slugout as Swoggle seems to bite Butcher’s foot. A low blow with the rubber chicken keeps Butcher down as Shlak tosses Georgie out. Cannon is busted so Gage rips at the cut and it’s Joe Gacy in at #7 to go after both of them. Crane can’t hold Gacy up so he goes with a sloppy dragon sleeper instead. Brian Pillman Jr. is in at #8 and brawls with Gage as well, earning himself a sitout powerbomb out of the corner.

Crane and Shlak double belly to back suplex Pillman for two and…..here are Nate Webb and Marko Stunt for a concert from the crowd. They sing/play Teenage Dirtbag as an unnamed man dances around ringside. Pillman dives onto Gacy and some guy in a mask takes Webb out. It’s Maxwell Jacob Friedman, who gets in (at #9, assuming Stunt and Webb don’t count) to go after Pillman as Crane is eliminated.

Swoggle unloads on MJF in the corner as Gage seems to have been eliminated somewhere in there. Joey Ryan is in at #10 (Colorado: “AND VIEWERSHIP HAS SKYROCKETED IN THE LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY AREA!”) and we pause for the full baby oil. Sweet Tooth Music hits Cannon and MJF hurts himself on a low blow attempt. Sexxxy Eddy is in at #11 and he wants Ryan. That means oil on Eddy’s chest as Cannon stops for a beer. The match just stops while Joey and Eddy rub their chests until Effy is in at #12.

Ryan pulls off Eddy’s towel….and no clothes are found under there. Eddy knocks Ryan into the corner and a dropkick sends him into Ryan (you can imagine how this goes), with Effy kicking Eddy into him over and over. Mick Moretti is in at #13 as Eddy manages a moonsault (while managing to keep his hands in a specific place). Cannon rolls Eddy up for the elimination and it’s Marko Stunt officially in at #14. Logan Stunt, who looks even younger than Marko, is in at #15 (or maybe part of #14 as I’m completely lost on keeping the numbers).

Marko saves Logan from Necro and it’s time for the brothers to argue. Butcher gets rid of Logan but can’t quite put Marko out. Team White Wolf are in at #16 (A-Kid and Carlos Romo, who are announced together) and a double superkick gets rid of Pillman. Kobe Durst is in at #17 and goes after White Wolf. That goes nowhere, so it’s Swoggle grabbing Joey’s it….and throwing him out by it in a big upset.

Egotistico Fantastico is in at #18 and the fans seem pleased to see him. Gacy eliminates himself for some reason (I think?) and Egotistico hits a double jump springboard for two on Durst. As you might be able to guess, the eliminations don’t exactly mean much here. G-Raver is in at #19 and busts out the hypodermic needles (yep) to stab Swoggle in the head. Swoggle rips them out and German suplexes Raver, but Cannon superkicks Swoggle for the elimination.

Kikutaro (in a Cleveland Indians jersey for an improvement) is in at #20 as Moretti is out. After sticking his fingers in various areas on various people, he uses the smell to knock them out, only to have Bryce Remsburg put Kikutaro’s fingers in Kikutaro’s mouth. That knocks him out as well and Kikutaro gets dog piled for the elimination. Teddy Hart, with cat, is in at #21 as G-Raver hits a top rope double knee to Shlak.

Cannon brainbusters Romo for the pin and then backdrops A-Kid out as Hart walks around with the cat. Homicide is in at #22 as the cat is taken to the floor. Everyone (include Gacy, who wasn’t out) stops for the Hart vs. Homicide showdown, with Homicide grabbing a wristlock of all things. That’s broken up so Hart spits in his face and fires off an uppercut. Cryme of all people are in at #23 and dang I miss that theme (historical note: this is being written the week of Shad Gaspard’s death so this is kind of hard to see actually).

They slug it out with Homicide and Hart, the latter of whom is low bridged out. Shad and Homicide fight on the floor (without an elimination) and Cannon gets rid of Shlak. Egotistico powerbombs Durst for an elimination and things settle down a bit. Cannon and Fantastico head outside for a breather, leaving MJF, Gacy, Butcher and G-Raver in the ring (there are a lot more still in, though not inside at the moment).

Grim Reefer is in at #24 and he dives off the stage onto someone. Homicide and Shad gets back in with the former hitting a cutter on Reefer. For some reason Homicide goes up and Reefer shoves him out for the elimination. JTG and Cannon get back in and the Ugly Ducklings (Colby Corino, Lance Lude and Rob Killjoy with Coach Mikey) are in at #25. Colby needs two tried to tornado DDT Reefer and it’s Slim J in at #26.

There goes Reefer and Slim J hits a sloppy tornado DDT of his own on Corino. Slim J beats up all of the Ducklings and then hits a huge dive to the floor onto a bunch of people. Facade is in at #27 and kicks away at the Ducklings as well. Lude is put onto Killjoy’s shoulders and Facade’s rope walk kick to the chest makes Lude reverse hurricanrana his partner for a big crash. MJF gets rid of Shad and then JTG to clear the ring a bit, and of course does JTG’s dance on the ropes for a bonus. Butcher knocks MJF down and it’s Gringo Loco in at #28.

Loco hits a Swanton onto Raver and then flips away from Killjoy in the corner. A Spanish Fly hits Killjoy and it’s AJ Gray in at #29. He clotheslines the Ducklings down to continue a pretty funny running gag. Colby gets powerbombed into Killjoy in the corner and there’s a Steiner Screwdriver to Lude. Gray hits a big corkscrew dive onto a bunch of people but here’s Ophidian in at #30 for a Meteora on Gray, followed by the suicide dive to the floor. Now it’s the Ducklings hitting their own running flip dives, giving us a QUACK QUACK chant. Rich Swann is in at #31 and dropkicks Killjoy, followed by a super hurricanrana for a bonus.

Swann adds his own big corkscrew dive, followed by Facade’s springboard 450 onto the bigger pile. Cannon doesn’t bother with a dive so Butcher knocks him down with a right hand. Dustin Thomas (the wrestler with no legs) is in at #32 for a 619 to Fantastico. The Swanton connects to get rid of Fantastico and the NO LEGS chant (to the OLE tune) is on. Now it’s Dustin hitting his own flip dive onto the pile (GET BACK INSIDE ALREADY!) and it’s Stunt vs. Loco. MJF breaks that up and here are Nate Webb and Brendan Brown (lead singer of the band Wheatus, who sing Teenage Dirtbag) in at #33.

Brown kicks MJF low and hits a Diamond Cutter for the surprise elimination. Facade hits another big springboard spinning dive….and literally misses everyone as Parrow and Odinson (two big monsters) are in at #34. They Super Collide the Ducklings and FINALLY throw out Lude’s unconscious body. Killjoy is thrown out as well, followed by Colby in short order. Loco follows the three of them and it’s Shane Mercer in at #35.

Gray gets beaten up and tossed out, followed by a European uppercut Doomsday Device to Facade. He’s out as well and Parrow stomps on Dustin, followed by the elimination. Swann kicks Parrow in the face to no effect as it’s a Fire Thunder Driver to plant him. Mercer, who is rather muscular himself, can’t do much to Odinson and Parrow until he sends Odinson into the corner. Mercer adds a rather impressive delayed vertical suplex drops Parrow (who is built similar to Braun Strowman), followed by a moonsault fall away slam to Odinson.

That’s enough to get rid of Odinson and Parrow as Tony Deppen is in at #36, but first we need some crowd surfing. That takes so long that it’s Jake Atlas and Lucas Riley in at #37. The two of them go after Mercer with some springboard takedowns but Butcher comes back in with a chair. Australian Suicide is in at #38 as Gacy is slammed onto a chair. Commentary says we’re at forty entrants and….again does it matter all that much? Kyle The Beast is in at #39 so Deppen blows his nose on him.

A big powerbomb gets rid of Deppen and Kyle throws Atlas and Riley around without much effort. Mercer and Kyle have the big power showdown and it’s Caveman Ugg in at #40. Kyle Stuns Suicide out and it’s Crowbar (looking ancient yet tough) in at #40. A super hurricanrana gets two on Gacy and Raver armdrags Kyle a few times. Matt Tremont is in at #41 and goes after Butcher as Gacy swings a chair at various people.

Mercer tosses Atlas and Riley as Crowbar suplexes Gacy onto the chair for another elimination. Grizzly Redwood (the Littlest Lumberjack) is in to go after Mercer as Ugg moonsaults Crowbar for another elimination. Tremont runs Swann over with a clothesline and it’s Chris Dickinson and Pinkie Sanchez in at #42. Dickinson needs some time to powerbomb Redwood before stomping on Butcher in the corner.

Michael Blais is in at #43 and he is immediately followed by Kit Osbourne and Frankie Pickard at #44. The two of them start fighting each other in a hurry and a double suplex puts Butcher down. NWO Sting is in at #45 (and towers over most of the match) for some forearms and it’s Tracy Smothers, with cane, in at #46. Chops and right hands abound until Mantaur is in at #47. With nothing going on, Matt Knicks is in at #48. NWO Sting is out and it’s Cecil Nyx in at #49 to lift Swann up, walk him around ringside, and then suplex him. Dickinson dumps Smothers and it’s Jimmy Lloyd in at #50.

Lloyd beats up Nyx, leaving Raver and Tremont to headbutt each other out. Masashi Takeda is in at #51 and immediately goes after Lloyd. Jeff Cannonball is in at #52 as even commentary can’t remember how many people are involved. Mercer is out and Takeda follows him to the floor. Ethan Page is in at #53 and beats up various people until Essa Rios is in at #54 (Denver: “If we dug up Mantaur, why not Essa Rios?”). Nyx gets faceplanted for an elimination and Butcher is tossed after an hour and sixteen minutes.

It’s time for another door as Maria Manic…..is not here actually. Cue about seven women from the crowd (including Ashley Vox, Shazza McKenzie, Allie Kat, Session Moth Martina, Su Yung, Maria Manic and more) as Rios is out. Tremont and Page are put through doors as the women get in to start beating up the men. Raver stares Martina down so she spits beer in his face and hits him with a DDT. Stunt can’t powerbomb Vox, who reverses into White Noise.

Ophidian gets bulldogged onto a table and it’s time to beat up Frank the Clown (who was standing by the entrance). The women take turns kicking him low and it’s Lloyd’s turn to get destroyed. Here are the light tubes, all of which are broken over various parts of Lloyd. The fans want PCO but settle for Dickinson getting beaten up instead.

Two tables are brought in and Maria superplexes Dickinson through both of them. The referees are beaten up and Yung Mandible Claws one of them in the corner. Referee Aubrey Edwards is allowed to leave and here’s Joey Janela himself to get choked on the ropes to end the show, meaning the main event is a no contest at we’ll say about 1:25:00.

Rating: C+. I have no earthly idea what to call this one so we’ll go with slightly above average, even with the….I guess the word is joke (?) ending. Normally my criticism would be that the match was a mess, but looking at the title, that’s what they were going for here. This was definitely more of a match for the live crowd and I can go with that, as one of the best times I’ve ever had at a show was a similar match at the WrestleCon SuperShow. I think I liked this, even though it didn’t have a ton of star power and featured a lot of interchangeable indy wrestlers. It’s a lot of fun, but the ending could be very, very annoying.

Overall Rating: C-. This was definitely the weaker of the two shows, but it’s certainly not bad. The main event is going to be divisive as it feels like they ran out of time to come up with a good ending, which can happen. What we got was memorable, but the first night was a blast and this was more like a show that existed for the sake of having one (very, very) long song and dance to end the indy half of the weekend. It was a good enough show, but the first night is a lot more fun (albeit with a weaker main event).

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

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

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

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

Double Or Nothing
Date: May 23, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

It’s back to the pay per view calendar, which isn’t somewhere AEW goes all that often. It’s a triple main event with the Stadium Stampede, Jon Moxley defending the World Title against Brodie Lee and Cody vs. Lance Archer for the inaugural TNT Title. They’ve done well on pay per view before so let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: Best Friends vs. Private Party

For the #1 contendership. Chuck headlocks Kassidy to start and takes him to the mat a few times. That goes so well that it’s off to Trent to chop Quen but everything breaks down. Kassidy and Chuck stare each other down and then hit stereo standing Sliced Breads, causing Trent to lose his headband. He’s fine enough to hit a belly to back on Kassidy but does pause to put the headband back on.

Private Party is back with Silly String to Trent, who comes up holding his knee. Trent, now holding his ribs, is sent outside for a big running flip dive but he catches Quen on top. Chuck comes back in to help him with a superplex for two and things settle back down. The running elbow in the corner staggers Quen, who is still able to get two boots into Trent’s banged up ribs.

That’s enough for the hot tag to Kassidy for a slingshot Downward Spiral. Trent breaks up some kind of double team and suplexes Kassidy down. It’s back to Chuck, who suplexes Kassidy into Quen in the corner. Strong Zero is broken up and it’s a slow motion forearm off with Quen and Chuck.

The G9 (Cryme Tyme’s old Samoan drop/running flip neckbreaker finisher) sends Chuck outside in a very nice moment and Quen’s shooting star gets two on Trent with Chuck making the save. Back up and Trent blasts Quen with a clothesline but Kassidy sends him outside. Gin and Juice is broken up though and it’s Strong Zero to give Trent the pin at 15:16.

Rating: C-. There were some noticeable botches in here and the match felt like it was just a bunch of moves and spots until the finish. As usual, Private Party is really flashy and entertaining but they aren’t very good at putting a match together or having much of a sense of urgency. I’m no Best Friends fan but if they’re going to be on every show, you might as well put them in the title hunt. The G9 was great though and a rather nice thing to see, which I wouldn’t have bet on.

The opening video thanks the healthcare workers for helping in these horrible times, plus pays tribute to Shad Gaspard.

Casino Ladder Match

This is a nine man ladder match for a future World Title shot, represented by a big poker chip because this company LOVES the gambling motif. Two people will start the match and it is another entrant every two minutes, though you can win at any time. Kazarian is in first and Scorpio Sky is in second. They both go for ladders but then throw them out for the sake of slugging it out.

A double clothesline puts them both down and it’s Kip Sabian, with Penelope Ford and Jimmy Havoc (not in the match), in third. Havoc tries a super hurricanrana on Kazarian but gets dropped on a ladder for his efforts. Another ladder is brought in but here’s Sky to make a save. Darby Allin is in fourth and starts cleaning house on everyone involved. Since the previous ones aren’t good enough for him, Allin grabs another ladder and bridges it between the ring and the barricade.

A skateboard to Kazarian’s face lets Allin put him on the ladder, meaning it’s a huge dive off the top of the ladder to drive the skateboard into Kazarian. With Allin down clutching his knees, Orange Cassidy is in fifth and needs the rules explained to him again. Cassidy is finally in the ring after 45 seconds and, after finding out that he can’t reach the chip, he stands on the ladder that is laying on the mat. He doesn’t know how to set up a ladder so here’s Colt Cabana in sixth to take Cassidy out.

Now that our designated comedy segment is over, Sky and Kazarian break up Cabana’s climbing attempt and his fingers get crushed in the ladder. Cassidy is back in for the slow kicks to SCU’s legs, followed by a regular double dropkick to put them outside. The hands in the pockets dive connects and it’s Joey Janela coming in seventh. That means a bunch of dives to take everyone out until Kazarian sends him into the ladder.

Janela comes back in with a chair to take out Kazarian but Sky takes it away and blasts Janela to even things up. No one can get up the ladder so it’s Luchasaurus in eighth. House is cleaned again until it’s a powerbomb to send Sabian into the pile at ringside. Kazarian is still in the ring so Luchasaurus chokeslams him down too. Allin, thankfully able to walk, is back in to hammer on Luchasaurus, including a super Code Red.

The clock counts down and it’s….BRIAN CAGE, as accompanied by Taz, in ninth to complete the field. Cage brings in his own ladder and starts wrecking people, including tossing Sky into the corner. Janela gets thrown down as well and an Eric Young wheelbarrow neckbreaker drops Kazarian. Cassidy jumps on Cage’s back as the climb is on but it takes almost everyone involved in the match to pull him down.

A bunch of people get together and put a huge poker chip on top of Cage as Janela is thrown over the barricade. The ladder is set up and Cassidy elbows Kazarian, setting up a slugout with Sabian on top of the ladder. Cassidy snaps the finger to send Sabian down into a ladder in the corner so here’s Penelope Ford, who gets dropped onto Sabian. Jimmy Havoc comes back in so the Best Friends come out to take care of him. Luchasaurus shoves the ladder over but Cassidy slips out of a chokeslam attempt.

Cue Marko Stunt with a small ladder so a double chokeslam can plant Cassidy. Janela hits a running Death Valley Driver to put Cassidy onto the poker chip (on top of Cage) and it’s Kazarian and Sky on the ladder at once. Luchasaurus breaks that up and Cage gets up for the big monster off. The Tail Whip hits Cage but he’s back with a jumping knee to the face and a buckle bomb into the ladder.

Cage sets up the ladder (off center of the chip) but here’s Allin again with another ladder. That just earns Allin a Drill Claw and Cage sets up the small ladder on the top rope. Allin is placed on top and Cage picks up both of them and tosses them into a standing ladder for a scary crash. That’s enough for Cage to pull down the chip and win at 28:25.

Rating: B. You can only get so much stuff out of something like this as there were so many people involved. The spots were very entertaining though, albeit rather dangerous in some cases. I like Cage as the surprise a lot as he is someone you can instantly market based off his look alone. Entertaining match as expected, but there is only so much that can be done in these circumstances.

We run down the rest of the card. I still don’t get it.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Jungle Boy

This is the one that I wanted to see more than anything else on the card. They take turns flipping each other over to start and, after an exchange of tugging at their own trunks, MJF gets sent outside for a breather. Back in and Jungle Boy grabs a bodyscissors but they wind up interlocking legs and standing on their heads for a slapoff. Hold on though as MJF grabs his knee, only to pop up and deck Jungle Boy to take over.

The chinlock keeps Jungle Boy down but he comes up with a slap to the face. That just earns him an elbow to the jaw and MJF whips him hard into the corner. It’s time to start on the arm but Jungle Boy isn’t taking the trash talk and strikes away in the corner. A rolling double chop to the chest staggers MJF but he sends Jungle Boy outside. The chop off goes to Jungle Boy and there’s the big running flip dive to drop MJF again.

Back in and a middle rope tornado DDT gives Jungle Boy two, partially due to the arm delaying the cover. They chop it out again until MJF gets smart by hitting him in the arm. Jungle Boy snaps off a Canadian Destroyer but MJF hits a quick low superkick. MJF gets puled into a Crossface though, only to have MJF bite his way to freedom.

They go to the apron with Jungle Boy hitting a SCARY reverse hurricanrana to drop MJF on his head. Thankfully MJF is back in with a crotching on top but Jungle Boy hits a super sitout powerbomb for two of his own. MJF hammers on the arm until Jungle Boy gets two off a rollup. That sets off an exchange of rollups until MJF bridges back for the pin at 17:34.

Rating: B. The crash off that reverse hurricanrana was terrifying but what mattered here was the two young guys had a heck of a performance and looked like the stars of the future. That’s what they needed to do here and they made it work. I could go for a lot more of these two, with MJF being the guy who could be the top villain for a LONG time to come if they play their cards right.

We look at the TNT Title tournament, which is something Cody wants because he can’t be World Champion. Jake Roberts has brought in Lance Archer to destroy everyone and take the title, which has caused Brandi Rhodes to be dragged into everything. In other words, it’s personal and for the title.

TNT Title: Cody vs. Lance Archer

For the inaugural title and Mike Tyson is here to present the belt….which looks terrible. It literally looks like a TNT logo over the word CHAMPION. I’m hoping that the title isn’t ready and this is what they have for a fill in. That thing makes the 24/7 Title look like a classic. Jake Roberts is here with Archer and Arn Anderson is in Cody’s corner. We get a special intro with the chance to shake hands (not happening of course) and thankfully Tony confirms that the title isn’t complete so that’s not the final design. That’s such a relief that I won’t even get on them for not having the belt ready for the show.

Archer hits the Black Out in the first fifteen seconds but Cody blocks the Claw by countering with an armbreaker. That’s broken up but the Cody Cutter is knocked out of the air with a shoulder. Archer goes to peel back the ring mat so Cody is back up with a suicide dive. You don’t do that with Archer, as he throws Cody off the barricade for a huge crash. Back in and a heck of a clothesline drops Cody and it’s time to rip at his face.

The rope walk into a moonsault gives Archer two and Tyson thinks this is amusing. Cody is right back up with a delayed vertical suplex but Archer pops back up and rips a turnbuckle pad off. After we quickly cut to a yawning Tyson, Cody bends Archer’s ribs around the post. The ribs are fine enough to lift Cody up and toss him over the post, complete with a cool closeup shot from a turnbuckle camera.

Back in and Archer cranks on the arm but Cody fights out to the floor. The slugout goes to Archer, despite Cody shouting a lot. Back in and Cody’s striking doesn’t work but he pulls Archer down into a YES Lock. Roberts offers a distraction to break things up but Cody is back up with a DDT. JR isn’t impressed because Jake’s DDT beats people, but Anderson plants Cody with the spinebuster to annoy Anderson.

Cody is back up with the Cody Cutter for two and it’s the Flip Flop and Fly into the Final Reckoning. A Stinger Splash (gotta pump up those rumors) gets two but Archer is back with the EBD Claw. He’s too banged up to keep going with it though and Cody is back up. Jake offers a distraction so Arn breaks up the rope walk for some turnabout into fair play.

The reverse superplex plants Archer but Jake points out what Arn did. That means an ejection, only to have Jake thrown out as well. There’s a release German suplex to drop Cody, drawing out Jake with the snake. Tyson chases him off though, leaving Cody to reverse the Black Out into a pair of Cross Rhodes for the pin and the title at 21:15.

Rating: B-. This one never got into that higher gear and they didn’t make any secret out of the fact that Cody was winning. Like they were going to have Tyson hand the title to Archer when Cody was there. That’s fine too, as Cody needed a major win to keep his spot near the top. The match was good, though it wasn’t exactly awesome and Archer already losing isn’t exactly great. I get why they had to do it this way, but they booked themselves into a corner and didn’t have a good way out.

Tyson hands Cody the title and leaves immediately so Cody can celebrate by himself.

The AEW doctor says Britt Baker has a knee fracture, a torn ligament and a torn tendon. Since she’s a role model though, she’ll give you an update on her status on Dynamite.

Penelope Ford vs. Kris Stadtlander

Ford is replacing the injured Baker and the very banged up Kip Sabian is in her corner. Stadtlander headlocks her down to start and shrugs off an armdrag attempt. Some cartwheels just annoy Ford and the threat of a right hand sends her outside. Sabian: “LEAVE HER ALONE YOU ALIEN FREAK!” Back in and Ford grabs a suplex for two and we hit the chinlock.

That’s broken up and Stadtlander forearms her outside, setting up the big dive to drop both Sabian and Ford. Back in and Stadtlander’s dive hits raised boots but she’s fine enough to throw Ford with a German suplex. A running knee in the corner rocks Ford again, only to have her grab a Stunner for a breather. Ford’s super hurricanrana takes her down again but Stadtlander is back up with a Blue Thunder Bomb. The Big Bang Theory finishes Ford at 8:12.

Rating: C. I wasn’t sure which way to go with this one but it was nice to see Stadtlander get a win. Either of these two could easily be a top star in the division as Stadtlander is very unique and Ford is the classic evil blonde that you want to see get taken out. They had a nice enough match too and while Baker would have been better, Ford held up her end rather well.

Here’s Shawn Spears in a suit to say he’s here but Dustin Rhodes must be at home washing his tights. Dustin’s music comes on but he’s not there, meaning Spears can laugh at the fans for falling for the fake. Now ring the bell so it can be a countout.

Shawn Spears vs. Dustin Rhodes

The music hits again but this time it’s Brandi Rhodes coming out so Dustin can sneak up on Spears. The beating is on as the suit is ripped off but Spears gets in a quick clothesline for a breather. Spears wraps the belt around his hand, only to stop to flip Brandi off. That lets Dustin grab him by the tights, which come down in a hurry. JR: “Looks like an audition for a prison movie.” After seeing Tully Blanchard’s face on Spears’ underwear, the Final Reckoning gives Dustin the pin at 4:07.

Rating: D. This was more of an angle than a match and while I still can’t bring myself to care about Dustin all that much, they did a good job of shutting Spears up. That being said, I’m not sure how many more times they can reheat Spears after he keeps losing like this. The good hand term seems accurate, as there is only so much that can be done with him given what he has shown so far.

All Out is on September 5 in a location to be announced.

In memory of Hana Kimura, who passed away early this morning.

We recap Nyla Rose vs. Hikaru Shida for the Women’s Title. Rose is a monster but Shida has been #1 in the rankings for months. The commentators put this over as a big showdown.

Women’s Title: Nyla Rose vs. Hikaru Shida

Rose is defending and anything goes so Rose has the kendo stick with her. After the Big Match Intros, Rose swings away but gets the stick dropkicked away. That doesn’t matter though as Rose takes it back and blast Shida down. A running knee puts Rose in the corner though and there’s the running knee to the face for a bonus.

Rose is back up to send her hard through a poker table (Rose: “Always bet on black.”) and some chair shots keep Shida in trouble. They get back inside where Shida fights out of the Beast Bomb but Rose his a quick suplex. A clothesline puts Shida back on the floor where she hits the running knee to the back of Rose’s head.

They head into the crowd (in front of Vickie Guerrero) with Shida throwing her onto a poker chip. Another running knee rocks Rose and this time it’s Shida getting to hammer away with the stick. A brainbuster onto the stick gets two but Rose is back with a tilt-a-whirl powerslam. Rose drapes her over the top and hits a top rope knee to the back of the head for two.

It’s table time with Rose setting one up in the corner and powerbombing Shida through it for another near fall. The Death Valley Driver sets up more kendo stick shots so Rose goes up, only to have Shida throw the stick at her. A super Falcon Arrow gets two on Rose so Shida hits another running knee for another two. Yet another running knee finishes Rose for the pin and the title at 17:03.

Rating: B. Another solid match here with both of them beating the heck out of each other until one of them couldn’t get back up. Shida has been on fire for a long time now and while I’m a bit surprised Rose lost, Shida was the right choice to take the title. She has been built up for months now and if they were going to pull the trigger on her, this was the right time.

The announcers talk about how sad of a week it has been but AEW is trying to make people feel a little better.

We recap Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee for the World Title. Lee arrived and was revealed as the Dark Order’s Exalted One. That was cool with Moxley because he wants world class competitors, but then Lee and the Order beat Moxley down with Lee stealing the title belt. Therefore tonight is about the title and revenge.

AEW World Title: Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee

Lee is challenging but has the title belt coming in. The rest of the Dark Order is here, plus a bunch of security before the bell rings. Moxley charges straight at him but gets hammered in the corner. With that not working, Moxley sends him outside for a suicide dive but Lee isn’t having much of that.

Back in and a slingshot hilo sets up some rolling butterfly suplexes on Moxley, meaning it’s time to go back outside. Lee hits his own suicide dive and sends Moxley into the barricade, followed by a suplex into one barricade laid up against another barricade. Back in and Moxley hits a heck of a clothesline and a pile driver is good for two. They head outside yet again with both of them hitting a running boot for a double knockdown.

Lee is back up but his powerbomb off the steps is backdropped through a variety of tables. Back in again and they’re already back on the floor before they have time to settle down, this time with Lee sending him into a wooden Moxley poster. Lee boots him in the face and gets two off a sitout powerbomb and they’re both down in the corner. Lee gets up and Moxley tries to do the same but collapses back to the apron.

They fight to the ramp and Moxley hits a quick Paradigm Shift through the ramp, which just does not work as well without the big crowd reaction (though it was still good). Moxley crawls out first, followed by the blood Lee. Another Paradigm Shift gets two so Moxley unloads on the cut. Another Paradigm Shift gets two more so it’s a rear naked choke to finish Lee at 15:37.

Rating: B. They beat the heck out of each other here and that’s what you were looking for in a match like this. Moxley retaining makes sense as it’s too early to put the title on Lee, plus I’m not sure how much he needs to be champion. He’s fine as a monster and had a rather fine match here. Moxley vs. Cage could be interesting, though I’m not sure I can picture it taking place.

AEW action figures debut this summer. Those are pretty cool.

We look back at the rest of the show.

We recap the Inner Circle vs. the Elite, which has been going on for months now. The Inner Circle took out Nick Jackson so Matt Jackson got Matt Hardy to help them out. Now it’s time for a major war in what might be the final match of the feud (though likely won’t be).

Inner Circle vs. Elite/Matt Hardy

This is the Stadium Stampede, a ten man tag inside TIAA Bank Field (home of the Jacksonville Jaguars) with a ring in the middle of the field and anything goes. The Jaguars’ cheerleaders and mascot are here, plus a bunch of fire and individual entrances, with the Inner Circle wearing numbered jerseys. Matt Jackson has heavily taped ribs coming in. There is no Page to start so the referee blows a whistle to get us going, meaning both teams start around the opposite thirty yard lines and charge.

The Elite is smart enough to bring weapons and take over early as the wild brawling begins. Call me crazy but I don’t think this is going to be easy to call. Omega hits Sammy with a trashcan and Santana/Ortiz suplex Nick down. Sammy staggers to his feet…..and here’s Page riding a freaking horse, sending Sammy running into a tunnel and out of the stadium. Nick unloads on Jericho in the ring as Page, still on the horse, chases after Sammy. Back in the ring and Jericho misses the Judas Effect on Nick so here’s Matt Jackson to launch Nick at Jericho.

Santana and Ortiz come in to beat on Omega, who snapdragons Santana in a hurry. Sammy is back and the entire Inner Circle is in the ring, only to have Sammy miss a shooting star press. That means a running buckle bomb into Omega and Nick’s boots in the corner. That’s enough of the wrestling in the ring as the brawl heads outside again with Santana hitting an Asai moonsault onto everyone. Sammy shooting stars onto a bunch of people on the floor so Hardy starts hammering away with a football helmet. Everyone starts splitting up as the ring wasn’t exactly needed.

Nick slams Sammy onto Hager and, with the help of a ladder, Matt Jackson moonsaults onto the two of them for the first big spot. Santana and Omega slug it out in the stands and a few others join them, with everyone involved heading through a tunnel. We cut back to Page, who is still on his horse to look for….I guess Sammy? Either way he gets off the horse upon seeing a sign for a bar and goes off for a drink.

Omega sends Santana and Ortiz through a few barricades and then bridges another barricade over some tables. Ortiz makes the save with some salt to the eyes and it’s a double powerbomb through the barricade for two. Hardy gets thrown into the pool (because a football stadium needs a pool), where Santana and Ortiz try to drown him. Since it’s Hardy though, he comes up as Version 1, meaning we get the Matt Fact of Hardy can hold his breath for 346 seconds.

They put him under the water again and this time….Hardy pops up as Broken Matt again, meaning it’s time to put Santana and Ortiz through a table. Ortiz’s head is put inside a big bell, which Hardy rings to really shake Ortiz up. With Ortiz not able to stand, Hardy duct tapes him into a chair of wheels but Santana makes the save. They fight into the tunnels and Hardy sends Santana into the ice chest. If he doesn’t come out as Tito Santana, I’m going to be very disappointed.

Elsewhere, Hager has found the horse and follows Page into the bar, where he’s having a drink. Hager sits next to Page, who asks if he’s here to fight or drink. Hager has a drink and the fight is on with the brawl going over to a pool table. Page is sent into the bar, so he backflips off of it, only to get Rock Bottomed onto the table. Hager puts him on the bar and runs him down ala a stereotypical western movie for two. Omega finds the two of them and breaks a bottle over Hager’s head to no avail.

Several bottles over the head stagger Hager and it’s a V Trigger into the Buckshot lariat. Page and Omega stop for a drink (Omega has milk in a smart choice) and we cut back to Matt Jackson fighting Sammy on the field. Jericho goes after Nick as Sammy gets rolling northern lights suplexed halfway down the field. Nick is sent into a large Jaguars’ helmet, followed by the Judas Effect to the Jaguars’ mascot.

The rolling suplexes continue as Sammy has been taken from one end zone almost to the other. Jericho hits Nick with Floyd the baseball bat for two…..and he wants to challenge the count, complete with a red flag. Jericho and Aubrey Edwards go into the replay booth and the call on the field stands. Jericho: “YOU’RE A S***** REFEREE!” Matt Jackson gets to the other end zone and is so pleased that he does the Alex Wright Dance, which is a flag for excessive celebration. That means a superkick to the referee and we cut to Jericho losing Floyd.

As JR makes an Andy Griffith reference, Jericho is laid on the table so Nick can run the steps, dive onto a barricade, and splash Jericho though the wood. They run the paint line over Jericho as the sprinklers go off to wake Sammy up. Sammy thinks he won…..and here are Hardy and Omega in the golf cart again.

The chase is on with Sammy diving into the stands so the two of them go after him, with Sammy kicking Omega down. Sammy chokes Omega but it’s NEO1 making the save. Omega is back up with a V Trigger and the one Winged Angel off a tunnel and through a bunch of wood (and onto a crashpad) finishes Sammy at about 34:00.

Rating: A-. As usual, your mileage on these things are going to vary but this was a lot of fun with all of the football references. It was a great case of adapting to the environment and having a blast, though some of the jokes were a bit too silly for the kind of violence that they were shooting for. That being said, I never got bored in the slightest and it didn’t feel long whatsoever. They had a lot of fun here and it was a heck of an entertaining match, which is the kind of thing they wanted to do in this sort of a match.

Hardy and the Elite celebrate, including a Gatorade bath to Omega, to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. There were some weak points in the middle of this show but the start and end are more than enough to carry the rest. This was another very entertaining show and felt like it belonged on the big stage. That’s what they should have been trying to do here and there were some moments to make you want to see where things are going. It feels like a big time pay per view and given that AEW has had about five of them, that’s a good sign for their future. Well done, as their pay per view success continues.

Results

Brian Cage won the Casino Ladder Match

Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Jungle Boy – Rollup

Cody b. Lance Archer – Cross Rhodes

Kris Stadtlander b. Penelope Ford – Big Bang Theory

Dustin Rhodes b. Shawn Spears – Final Reckoning

Hikaru Shida b. Nyla Rose – Running knee

Jon Moxley b. Brodie Lee – Rear naked choke

Elite/Matt Hardy b. Inner Circle – One Winged Angel to Guevara

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

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

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

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

Dynamite
Date: February 12, 2020
Location: HEB Center, Austin, Texas
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

We’re less than three weeks away from Revolution and the card is either set or pretty clear from this point. There is still some work to do, but at the same time there are major matches to get through on television. That would include tonight, as Riho defends the Women’s Title against Nyla Rose and SCU challenges Kenny Omega/Hangman Page for the Tag Team Titles. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Tag Team Titles: Kenny Omega/Hangman Page vs. SCU

Omega and Page are defending but hang on because the Dark Order pops up on the screen before the match. They make it clear that there are many of them and they may be closer than it seems. That sends Christopher Daniels to the back to check on things, which doesn’t bode well. Omega armdrags Kazarian to start but stops to yell at Sky, allowing Kazarian to break up a dive.

Everything breaks down in a hurry and Page loads up the Buckshot Lariat, only to have Kazarian break it up. Sky hits a big running flip dive, followed by the same thing from Omega. Back in and Omega hits a missile dropkick to Sky’s back, followed by a fisherman’s buster for two. There’s the running Fameasser from Omega but You Can’t Escape hits knees. Page gets shoved off the top and into the barricade with Omega being sent in as well.

Back in and Kazarian’s spinning springboard legdrop gets two as Omega is favoring his ribs. Kazarian charges into a boot though and it’s back to Page to start kicking people in the face. A standing moonsault gets two on Sky and an assisted DDT gets the same on Page. Kazarian hits a Backstabber into a slingshot cutter from Sky, setting up stereo dragon sleepers.

JR accurately points out that the match can’t end here because there are two illegal men in the ring but Omega rams Kazarian into the other two for the save anyway. The Snapdragon ropes Kazarian but the Buckshot misses. Omega V Triggers Kazarian anyway and, with Sky taken out by a dive, it’s the V Trigger/Buckshot combination for the pin at 13:15, with Kazarian grabbing a rope a split second after the bell.

Rating: B. This is a good example of the kind of match that makes AEW work: they’re all action and very exciting, though I can understand why some fans might not be thrilled with them. They have very little in terms of traditional tag team offense and a majority of the match is spent with everyone in the ring at once. What matters though is AEW has made that the norm and the matches are certainly entertaining. This was a lot of fun and while the ending wasn’t a surprise, it made sense on the way there.

Post match the champs leave in their separate ways (as tends to be the case) and here are the Dark Order, the Best Friends, the Hybrid 2, Butcher and Blade and the Young Bucks for the big brawl to preview next week’s tag team battle royal. The Bucks clear the ring and then dive onto everyone else, which would be very stupid in a battle royal. Daniels did not come back out here.

We get a sit down interview with JR and Santana. There was a time when Santana was in a dark place, living in a terrible apartment in the Bronx and he couldn’t take anymore. He called his dad and said every day of his life was terrible. His dad started going blind at 14 and knew that he would be blind at 25. Imagine how that feels. Then last week Jon Moxley attacked his eye. JR think Santana should be mad at Jericho but Santana goes on a rant against Moxley for throwing everything away. Tonight, Moxley learns what it’s like to be in the dark. This was a rather emotional interview and not something you hear from Santana.

Here’s another video from Darby Allin, this time with messages written on pieces of cardboard. It was a mistake to smash his throat with a skateboard and he’ll find them sooner or later. In the meantime though, he’ll face Sammy Guevara at Revolution. The final sign is a picture of Sammy’s face, saying “kissing Jericho’s a** gave me herpes.” These things are different and that’s what makes them work, plus Darby coughing in the background to sell the throat injury.

Sammy Guevara vs. Dustin Rhodes

Guevara has Jake Hager in his corner. Sammy bails to the floor to start so Dustin has to wait to throw him down back inside. A running knee to the face gives Dustin two and it’s time for another breather on the floor. That’s fine with Dustin, who hits a running clothesline off the steps and stares Hager down.

Back from a break with Dustin hitting a Downward Spiral and going up, only to get distracted by Hager. Sammy grabs a torture rack and flips Dustin over into a GTS for two. Dustin shoves him off the top so Sammy runs the ropes, only to get taken down with a release gordbuster. A Panama Sunrise plants Sammy and the Final Reckoning gives Dustin the pin at 6:47.

Rating: C. To clarify, a middle rope Canadian Destroyer isn’t the finish. I know it’s not Dustin’s finisher but egads man, stop overthinking this stuff. The match was fine enough and gets us closer to the match that makes the most sense. Guevara continues to be great as the member of the Inner Circle who takes a beating and keeps annoying everyone and that’s a great place for him.

Post match Dustin calls out Hager (“Jericho’s b****.”) for Revolution. Hager leaves without saying anything but the fans seem to like the idea.

We look back at Britt Baker attacking Yuka Sakazaki after last week’s loss.

Britt Baker talks about following her ethical obligations by taking out Yuka’s decaying tooth for free. We don’t even know if she had health insurance! Tony does though, right Mr. Starbucks? Baker mocks the fans with their Whataburger faces and lists off her resume, including her degrees and being the first woman signed to this company. She is the women’s division and throws in an upside down Hook Em Horns sign. JR: “This is terrible.”

Women’s Title: Nyla Rose vs. Riho

Riho is defending. Rose powers her into the corner to start but Riho rolls her up for two. That just means Rose can run her over for two, with Riho bridging out of the cover. Rose crushes her with a backbreaker and let’s set up a table. JR: “She’s not even from Dudleyville!” Riho uses the distraction to hit a dropkick off the table and we take a break.

Back with Riho getting two off a crucifix bomb and avoiding a sitdown splash. A basement dropkick gives Riho two more but Rose is right back with a Samoan drop for the same. Rose drapes her across the top and hits a top rope knee to the back of the head for a big crash and a near fall.

They go up top with Riho biting her on the nose, only to get taken down with a super Death Valley Driver. That’s only good for to and Riho is back with a pair of Snapdragons. A northern lights suplex gets two but the top rope double stomp gets one. Riho hits two more double stomps but Rose is in the rope. Back up and the spear into the Beast Bomb gives Rose the title at 12:24.

Rating: C+. They had to do it. Riho was fine for a first champion but there comes a point of “she has so much heart” just isn’t enough to carry things anymore. The match was your usual David vs. Goliath fight and Rose winning was the right call. You can only have her lose so many times before she stops mattering so giving her the title was the only call.

Chris Jericho is sick of Jon Moxley so if Moxley can make it past Santana tonight, he can face an assassin next week: Jeff Cobb.

We get a quick highlight video on Cobb. I’m rather glad to see him on the big stage, as Cobb can be rather awesome.

Video on last week’s awesome closing segment with Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Wardlow whipping Cody.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Jungle Boy

They’re both on their own here and Brandi Rhodes is on commentary. MJF trips him down to start and poses a lot, only to have Boy jump up and grab a rollup to annoy MJF quite a bit. They stare each other down and Boy shoves him outside for a breather. Back in and Boy is smart enough to not fall for a handshake as he knocks MJF into the corner.

MJF slugs away and takes it to the floor for a whip into the barricade. We see Arn Anderson watching in the back as MJF slams Boy on the floor. Back from a break with Boy hitting a backdrop and sending MJF outside. That means two straight suicide dives, plus a big flip dive to put MJF down again.

A reverse hurricanrana gets two back inside but Boy’s back gives out on a powerbomb attempt. MJF grabs an inverted Gory Stretch until Boy flips out. Boy gets crotched on top though, allowing MJF to grab his crotch and shout that Brandi can have a real man. A sunset bomb gets Boy out of trouble so here’s Wardlow to give MJF the big ring. MJF knocks him silly and the Double Cross finishes Boy at 11:49.

Rating: C. Boy continues to impress and MJF continues to be the best heel in wrestling today. The match wasn’t anything great but it accomplished everything it was supposed to be. Boy got to show off a little bit and MJF cheated to win to keep his momentum high going into Revolution. It might not have been a classic, but it was efficient and that’s a great sign.

Post match, Wardlow lays out Boy again.

Next week: Cody vs. Wardlow in a cage.

Pac can’t wait for his Iron Man match with Kenny Omega.

Next week: a tag team battle royal.

We look at the Inner Circle attacking Jon Moxley’s eye.

The Inner Circle is in the crowd.

Santana vs. Jon Moxley

Moxley comes in from the concourse and Chris Jericho isn’t happy. Santana jumps Moxley on the floor and the fight is on in a hurry with Moxley sending him into the barricade. They head inside for the opening bell but Moxley sends him right back outside for a top rope ax handle to the floor. Santana tries to send him eye first into the corner of the steps but settles for a baseball slide instead.

We take a break and come back with Moxley hitting a series of clotheslines into a release German suplex to drop Santana. A rolling cutter gives Santana his own two and he plants Moxley with a piledriver for the same. The top rope splash hits raised knees though and Moxley blasts him with another clothesline. Moxley goes up for a change but Ortiz spits booze into the good eye. Santana hits a frog splash for two but Moxley pokes him in the bad eye. The Paradigm Shift finishes Santana at 10:00.

Rating: B-. This was similar to the Rhodes vs. Guevara match in storytelling but a bit higher quality. Moxley has an issue with Santana after last week but it’s a glorified warmup before he gets to the match that he really wants. What we got was good though and Moxley keeps rolling towards Revolution.

Post match the Inner Circle runs in to destroy Moxley, including a 630 from Guevara and a Judas Effect from Jericho. Jeff Cobb comes out and hits the Tour of the Islands to end the show. So….why are they bringing in a power monster with amateur skills when the Inner Circle already has a power monster with amateur skills?

Overall Rating: A-. This was a heck of a show with some very good action and several Revolution matches being advanced. It’s the kind of show that they needed to have and the company is officially on a roll as we head towards Chicago. This was one of their better shows yet and that makes me more interested in where they’re going after the pay per view. Really good stuff this week.

Results

Kenny Omega/Hangman Page b. SCU – Buckshot lariat/V Trigger combination to Kazarian

Dustin Rhodes b. Sammy Guevara – Final Reckoning

Nyla Rose b. Riho – Beast Bomb

Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Jungle Boy – Double Cross

Jon Moxley b. Santana – Paradigm Shift

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

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

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

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

Dynamite
Date: December 18, 2019
Location: American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross

It’s a big night around here as we have a double main event. This time around it’s Chris Jericho vs. Jungle Boy in a non-title match with a ten minute time limit. On the other hand we have the Young Bucks getting a long awaited Tag Team Title shot against SCU. This is their last show of the year so hopefully they go out with a bang. Let’s get to it.

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

Kenny Omega/Hangman Page vs. Lucha Bros

Omega and Fenix go to an early standoff so Omega hits a chop, only t have Fenix slip out of a One Winged Angel attempt. The running Fameasser connects but Fenix slips away again and makes the tag off to Pentagon. Page comes in as well and the fans like this staredown. They take their time before chopping it out, followed by a big boot to drop Pentagon.

Omega gets the tag, though Page doesn’t seem happy about it. With Pentagon down, Page and Omega celebrate a bit, allowing Pentagon to come back with a rake to Omega’s eyes. Omega is fine enough to hurricanrana Pentagon outside, meaning it’s the big flip dive to take out both Bros.

Fenix grabs Page’s feet though and Pentagon hits a Codebreaker, with Page staying on the knees so Fenix can add a top rope double stomp. Page is back up for the tag to Omega though and a high crossbody drops Fenix. You Can’t Escape hits knees and Fenix kicks Omega in the face.

A hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb though and there’s the V Trigger to drop Fenix again. Omega rolls out of the corner for the tag off to Page so house can be cleaned. Back to back to back suicide dives put the Bros down on different sides of the ring and a dropsault gets two on Fenix.

The Bros are back with their wheelbarrow splash to Page, but a kick to the face lets Page hit a super fall away slam. It’s back to Omega, who buckle bombs Fenix into Pentagon in the corner. Everything breaks down and the Buckshot Lariat hits Omega by mistake. Page is sent outside and it’s the spike Fear Factor to finish Omega at 18:46.

Rating: B. This was a bit longer than it needed to be but how else are you going to keep fans from watching NXT? They were telling a story with Omega and Page not trusting each other after last week, but at the same time it was only their second time teaming together. Doing a feud between the two of them works, though it might have needed a few more weeks of build.

Post match Omega and Page shove each other but we cut to Pac backstage. Pac goes into Michael Nakazawa’s locker room and closes the door so Omega bails through the back for the save.

Darby Allin/Cody vs. Butcher and Blade

The Bunny is at ringside too of course. Darby is willing to help Cody but if they win, he wants a rematch from a few months ago. Butcher shoves Darby down to start and it’s off to Blade, who gets armdragged outside so Darby can bring in Cody. Blade shoves Cody around as JR mocks himself for not remembering which is which. JR: “He’s the one with BUTCHER written on his a**. Sorry about that one TSN.”

A side slam plants Cody and he gets whipped into the corner as we take a break. Back with Cody and Blade hitting stereo crossbodies so Darby can come in. Butcher is right there to run Darby over though and we hit a Texas Cloverleaf. Cody makes the save and hits Cross Rhodes on Blade. Bunny’s distraction means there’s no cover so it’s Cody and Darby hitting stereo suicide dives. The Disaster Kick drops Butcher and Darby adds the Coffin Drop onto the apron. The Cody Cutter finishes Blade at 11:02.

Rating: C+. I could go for Allin vs. Cody II and that’s a smart match to set up. It was long ago enough that I want to see it again and it feels fresh after several months away. Allin has proved he’s more than a flash in the pan and it wouldn’t shock me to see him win. Good match here too, though beating Butcher and Blade so soon is cutting them down in a hurry.

Jungle Boy training video.

Awesome Kong vs. Miranda Alize

Spinning backfist and the Implant Buster finish Alize at 57 seconds.

Kong cuts off some of Miranda’s hair post match.

Jungle Boy thinks his dad would be proud of him.

Chris Jericho vs. Jungle Boy

Non-title with a ten minute time limit. Boy starts fast with forearms and a rollup for two. The Walls are reversed into a hurricanrana for two and Boy hits some knees to the ribs. Back to back Codebreakers give Jericho two and he throws Boy outside. Jake Hager sends Boy into the barricade so it’s Luchasaurus brawling with Hager. Marko Stunt gets forearmed out of the air so Luchasaurus has to carry him to the back.

Jericho gets rolled up for two so it’s time to get serious. Boy knocks him outside and hits the big flip dive, followed by a diving DDT for two. A Backstabber puts Jericho down and Boy adds the Lionsault for another near fall. Jericho sends him throat first into the bottom rope and we have two minutes left. A powerbomb sets up the Walls with a minute and twenty seconds to go. Boy crawls to the rope but gets dragged in, only to survive anyway for the time limit draw at 10:00.

Hold on though as Jericho demands five more minutes so he throws Boy over the top, only to have Boy skin the cat. A hurricanrana and crucifix get two each on Jericho, who walks out as we take a break. Back and apparently the match is over at we’ll say 12:00, despite the lack of a bell.

Rating: C+. The build was good, the execution was better, and Jungle Boy looks like a much bigger star than he did coming in, which was the target goal. This worked very well, even with everything going on at the same time. It’s not like Jericho gives up a lot by not winning in ten minutes either as he doesn’t get pinned but gets shown up, which works even better for him. The match might not have been great, but I heartily approve of everything they did to get here, as well as the match itself.

Post match Jericho says he knew Boy couldn’t beat him but Tony points out that Jericho said Boy couldn’t last. They go back and forth until Jericho threatens to beat Tony up. Anyway he’ll deal with Boy later because this is all about whether or not Jon Moxley is joining the Inner Circle. The team has been in the Inner Sanctum all week and they have some big surprises planned for Moxley. Dynamite is back in two weeks and they’ll have something special planned for him on New Year’s Day.

The Lucha Bros interrupt an SCU promo and show Daniels a video of his botch last week, saying he doesn’t have it anymore. Daniels walks away hanging his head and SCU isn’t sure what to make of it.

Kris Stadtlander vs. Britt Baker

#1 contenders match. Stadtlander cartwheels around a lot before bailing out of a Lockjaw attempt. Another Lockjaw attempt is countered into an Oklahoma roll for two on Baker and it’s a standoff. Baker avoids an ax kick and hits a neckbreaker to set up a chinlock. We take a break and come back with Stadtlander hitting a running knee on the apron. Baker hits a suplex into a Falcon Arrow and they’re both down. Lockjaw is loaded up again but Baker powers up and reverses into the Big Bang Theory for the pin at 9:26.

Rating: C. I certainly appreciate pushing someone new in Stadtlander, but it doesn’t mean much if she doesn’t beat Riho. I know they’re going with the idea of big vs. small but they did that at Nyla Rose and pushed Riho instead. The fact that she hasn’t been around in forever makes this a little less interesting, but Stadtlander is at least something different.

Post match Stadtlander does her finger point (as her species communicates) but here’s Brandi to ask if she’s in with the Nightmare Collective. That’s a no, so Brandi hits her in the eye with the high heeled shoe. Sadie Gibbs comes out for the save.

Shawn Spears and Tully Blanchard are glad tag team wrestling means something in AEW but they need to find Spears’ perfect partner.

Video on the Young Bucks trying to prove they’re the best tag team in the world.

Tag Team Titles: Young Bucks vs. SCU

The Bucks are challenging and they’re in the ring for the Big Match Intros. A very early SCULater attempt is broken up and it’s Kazarian being sent outside with Matt running Sky over. Sky’s TKO is blocked as well and everything breaks down with the Bucks getting the better of it. Nick’s rope walk hurricanrana is blocked so he pulls Sky to the middle rope with him and then hits the hurricanrana instead.

Matt adds a top rope elbow for two and Nick adds a big dive to the floor as we take a break. Back with Kazarian taking over on both Bucks, including a hiptoss into a neckbreaker on Matt. A double clothesline puts the Bucks down and the champs grab stereo dragon sleepers.

Nick flips Sky into Kazarian for the break and we’re told that the extra time in Jericho vs. Boy did not count, meaning it was a time limit draw. You might want to mention that somewhere other than in an unrelated match. Matt and Kazarian come in to slug it out with Matt pulling him up into the Tombstone. Kazarian manages to tag Sky and escape, setting up a German suplex to Matt. Nick gets DDTed onto the apron and the SCULater retains the titles at 10:43.

Rating: B. Good match with a very sudden (and somewhat surprising) finish. I can go for the Bucks not winning the titles as they definitely don’t need them, but I was surprised at SCU beating them pretty easily. That being said, after everything the Bucks have been through lately, it’s not the most illogical thing. Nice decision to push a team though and SCU looks like much bigger deals.

Post match the Creepers come out and here’s the Dark Order on the stage to say that was a hard loss for the Bucks. On any other night they would recruit the Bucks to the team, but this isn’t a recruitment. Tonight is an initiation so the Creepers come after the Bucks and SCU. Alex Reynolds and Jon Silver lead the charge but the beatdown is on. Christopher Daniels, Cody, Kenny Omega and Dustin try for the save but get beaten down as well. Grayson gives Reynolds and Silver their masks. Evil Uno says no one will ever doubt them to end the show. They’re going full on with the Dark Order and….yeah I still don’t care.

Overall Rating: B. This was a very busy show and I liked most of what they did. The wrestling was good, the storytelling was solid (your tastes on the Dark Order may vary) and they have some things that can take place later. I liked this one far better than the previous few weeks and the sound problems seem to be gone. I know they can’t do this kind of show every week but for what felt like an important show, it came off very well, with some minor issues here and there.

Results

Lucha Bros b. Kenny Omega/Hangman Page – Spike Fear Factor to Omega

Cody/Darby Allin b. Butcher and Blade – Cody Cutter to Blade

Awesome Kong b. Miranda Alize – Implant Buster

Jungle Boy vs. Chris Jericho went to a time limit draw

Kris Stadtlander b. Britt Baker – Big Bang Theory

SCU b. Young Bucks – SCU Later to Matt

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

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