Survivor Series 2022
Date: November 26, 2022
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 15,609
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

It’s been a year since WWE had its first (main roster) WarGames match and believe it or not, the focus is on the Bloodline. This time around Sami Zayn has to prove his loyalty to the team, which is creating some drama. Other than that, we have Team Belair vs. Team Damage CTRL in the women’s version, which should be quite good as well. Let’s get to it.

The opening video, featuring Ozzy Osbourne, looks at WarGames because, well, what else would it look at?

Commentary welcomes us to the show and explains the rules of WarGames:

• 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.

• No it isn’t the original WarGames rules. Let it go already.

Team Belair vs. Team Damage CTRL

Belair: Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim, Becky Lynch
Damage CTRL: Bayley, Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky, Nikki Cross, Rhea Ripley

Kai and Belair start things off with the former running away to get it going. Belair wrestles her to the mat before hitting a running shoulder as the slow pace starts. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker puts Kai down again and we talk about Belair’s recent interview with Sports Illustrated, which is as WARGAMES-y as you can get.

Kai gets in a shot of her own and they go into the second cage and try to make it all the way to first gear. A scorpion kick staggers Belair but she runs Kai over and sends her into the cage (as we now remember that they’re in a CAGE). Another toss into the cage leaves Kai down and it’s Sky unevening the odds. Sky and Belair take turns flipping around until Belair gets caught between the two of them in between the rings.

The villains take over on Belair in the corner until she double suplexes her way out of trouble. Asuka comes in to help Belair clean house and we get the big showdown with Sky. They both counter whips into the ropes until Asuka hits a running hip attack against said ropes. The running knee to the head puts Sky down again and Belair is back up with a gorilla press toss to Kai. Cross is in next but first it’s time for the weapons. Asuka gets the door slammed onto her head, leaving Cross to tornado DDT Belair.

With Belair and Asuka down, Cross whips them with her coat until Kai and Sky are up to get in their variety of choking. It’s Bliss coming in to even things up again and some dropkicks put Cross and Kai down. Belair gets back up and breaks a kendo stick but Kai and Sky use the full ones to cut her off. Cross sits on top of the cage as sticking and hair whipping ensue below. Naturally that means the big dive to take everyone out and yes Cross laughed the whole time.

Now it’s Bayley coming in so let’s grab some ladders. The fans want tables so Bayley obliges as the match has more or less stopped while she moves stuff around. Bayley sends Belair into the corner before putting her in between the rings again. A table shot to the ribs leaves Belair trapped until Yim is….released to grab more weapons. House is quickly cleaned, including Kai being rammed into the cage and kicked in the face over and over.

Cross chokes Yim and the people split off again as this really isn’t picking up. Some superplexes have everyone down and it’s Ripley coming in to complete Damage CTRL. House is quickly cleaned until everyone just kind of stands around (save for Ripley Prism Trapping Asuka) until Yim makes a random comeback on Ripley as the rest are in the other ring.

That’s broken up and it’s Lynch in to complete the field, meaning the match can officially be won. Lynch gets to clean house as the ans aren’t exactly on fire for this. That might be due to how slow everything is going since Lynch keeps messing with the trashcan instead of running around punching people or wrecking them all with a chair.

We get the big Lynch vs. Bayley showdown with Lynch easily getting the better of things. With Bayley stomped down, Lynch turns around to see Ripley for the really big showdown. A quick Riptide attempt is broken up but Bayley makes the save. Now Riptide can connect for two with Asuka making a save. The mist blinds Ripley but Bayley drops Asuka face first onto the turnbuckle.

Bayley beats Lynch down and declares herself as a role model more than The Man. The Rose Plant onto the steel between the rings gets two and it’s time for a bunch of people to go to the corner. Cross cuts Belair off to break up a seven person Tower Of Doom so a bunch of people crash down instead. Sky moonsaults off the top of the cage onto Yim and Belair (who is favoring her leg) to FINALLY wake up the crowd.

Everyone is down (cue the overhead camera shot) until Cross beats up Bliss. Cross shouts about how she hasn’t forgotten and handcuffs Bliss to…nothing as Bliss handcuffs herself to Cross instead. An electric chair onto a trashcan leaves them both down and we pause again. Ripley is back up to send Asuka into the cage but Yim is back up with a choke.

That means a big crash through the ladder and, say it with me, everyone is down again. Becky and Belair get the showdown Damage CTRL and Kai gets Manhandle Slammed. The KOD to Sky lets Belair put Kai on a table and send Bayley into the cage. Lynch drops a leg off the cage to put Kai through the table for the pin at 39:34.

Rating: C. Sweet goodness this was boring. As is the case with just about every modern incarnation of this match (in WWE, NXT or AEW) it went WAY too long as this was about 15-20 minutes longer than it needed to be. The longer time meant that there were far too many stretches where nothing went on as they were laying around waiting on someone to do something. There were good parts to it, but this needed to be WAY shorter with a lot more action than we got.

On Smackdown, with a hidden Jey Uso listening, Kevin Owens told Sami Zayn to turn on the Bloodline. With Owens gone, Jey asked if Sami had talked to anyone but Sami said he just got here. Then Sami cost Jey a match for the WarGames advantage, with commentary wondering if it was on purpose.

Roman Reigns makes sure Jey Uso is ready for WarGames. Jey is ready, but he doesn’t trust Sami after last night. He would take Sami out if Reigns gave the order, but Reigns tells him to be on the same page tonight. Reigns will know if Sami is telling the truth and wants Jey to focus. With Jey gone, Reigns looks worried and has Paul Heyman call Sami.

We recap Finn Balor vs. AJ Styles, which has been going on for a few months. Styles couldn’t deal with the Judgment Day’s numbers game, so he brought back the OC to even things up.

Finn Balor vs. AJ Styles

The rest of Judgment Day (minus Rhea Ripley) and the OC are here too. Of note: Cole talks about Dominik and Ripley invading Rey Mysterio’s home during Thanksgiving. Dominik better watch that or he’ll get arrested. They fight over arm control to start with Styles driving him up against the ropes for a clean break.

Back up and Balor takes him into the corner but his kick to the ribs is cut off. Styles starts going after the leg, including a shinbreaker which has Balor appealing to their past friendship. Balor manages to take him down though and stomp away, though he has to stop to favor the leg. A knee to the back gets two and we hit the abdominal stretch. Styles fights his way out and hits the running forearm, followed by the fireman’s carry backbreaker for two.

Another shot to the leg cuts Balor down but Dominik breaks up the Phenomenal Forearm. Everyone else brawls on the floor and fight into the crowd, leaving Balor to hit a Sling Blade on Styles. A charge is cut off though and Styles suplexes him into the corner. It’s too early for the Calf Crusher though as Balor manages a double stomp to leave Styles down. Balor’s back is all messed up from….something but he’s fine enough to try his own Styles Clash. That’s broken up, just like Styles’ Calf Crusher attempt.

Another double knockdown gives us a breather, followed by Balor’s own fireman’s carry backbreaker. 1916 is broken up though and Styles moonsaults into a Nightmare on Helms Street for two. Balor puts him back down but misses the Coup de Grace. Instead Styles grabs the Calf Crusher until Balor rams him head first into the mat to escape. Back up and they slug it out until Styles is sent to the apron, where the Phenomenal Forearm finishes Balor at 18:23.

Rating: B. There are matches where you know you’re going to see something good just based on who is out there. That was the case here and WWE was smart enough to give the two of them that much time. Styles hadn’t been doing so well in his battle against Judgment Day and you have to give him a win like this every so often to keep him looking strong. Good stuff here and a heck of a match between two talented stars.

Post match Styles yells at Balor a bit.

We recap Shotzi challenging Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Title. Shotzi won a six way #1 contenders match but Rousey isn’t taking her incredibly seriously, though having Shayna Baszler help with a beatdown made it easier. Rousey and Baszler also injured Shotzi’s friend Raquel Rodriguez so things are personal.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Ronda Rousey vs. Shotzi

Rousey, with Baszler, is defending. Shotzi slugs away to start but gets flipped over. The ankle lock goes on until Shotzi sends her into the corner. Rousey is sent outside but Baszler takes Shotzi’s dive instead. Shotzi sends her into the steps and fires off some hard forearms back inside. A high crossbody is suplexed out of the air but Shotzi sweeps the leg. That doesn’t work for Rousey, who ties up the legs and they kind of lay around on the mat.

Back up and Shotzi nails a right hand to stun Rousey but gets sent outside. Shotzi takes out Baszler and sends her over the barricade, setting up a dive onto Rousey and Baszler at the same time. They beat the count back in and Shotzi goes up, only to get judo thrown down hard. Piper’s Pit and the armbar retain the title at 7:13.

Rating: C+. They were limited with what they could do here, as it’s hard to buy Shotzi as a threat to either the title or Rousey. Shotzi has all kinds of charisma but she hasn’t been presented as a major star, certainly not on Rousey’s level. For what we got here, things went well, though that was about as good as it was going to be.

Sami Zayn comes in to see Roman Reigns and admits that yes, he did talk to Kevin Owens. He didn’t tell Jey Uso about it because he didn’t want to put something extra on Jey’s plate before the WarGames advantage match. And Owens talked to him, saying he should turn on the Bloodline. Reigns gets that Owens and Zayn were friends but this is about his family, so whose side is Zayn on? Zayn says this is what he wants and he’s not turning on the Bloodline. That seems good enough for Reigns.

US Title: Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory vs. Seth Rollins

Rollins is defending. Lashley runs Theory over to start and Rollins sends Theory outside, leaving the other two to slug it out. Rollins slips away from a Hurt Lock attempt but Theory pulls Rollins outside for a ram into the barricade. Back in and Theory hammers away on Lashley, who fights up to beat on both of them. A DDT/Downward Spiral combination drops Rollins and Theory and the spinning Dominator hits Rollins as well.

Theory pulls the referee though and tries to grab a chair, which is easily blocked by Lashley. Rollins sends him into the steps though, allowing Theory to jump Rollins from behind. The steps hit Lashley as well and the rolling dropkick gets two on Rollins. A running elbow to the face gets the same and Theory talks a lot of trash. Rollins is back up with a Sling Blade, followed by a bunch of suicide dives to the other two.

That’s not enough as Rollins hits a big dive to take them both out again. Back in and Theory counters a dropkick into a powerbomb for two on Rollins and everyone is down. It’s Lashley up first to take over, meaning Theory uses a sleeper to…well attempt to break up the Hurt Lock. The save eventually works, leaving Rollins to Pedigree Lashley for two. The Phoenix splash misses though and Theory gives Lashley a running Blockbuster.

A Town Down is countered into the Hurt Lock but Theory flips backwards out of the corner. That’s broken up by Rollins’ frog splash so Lashley Hurt Locks both of them at once. With that broken up, Lashley’s spear misses in the corner so Rollins forearms Theory in the back of the head. Rollins uses Theory for a step up Stomp to Lashley and superplexes Theory. The Falcon Arrow is loaded up but Lashley spears Rollins, with Theory landing on him for the pin and the title at 14:50.

Rating: B. This got a good bit better by the end but it was only working so well for the most part. It needed to be about three minutes shorter to really work well. The whole feud was only so good in the first place and then the blowoff match, while good, hit a ceiling. Theory getting the win is nice to see, even if he had to steal the pin for the title.

Jey Uso tells Roman Reigns that he’s ready.

We recap the men’s WarGames match. Everyone hates the Bloodline, who isn’t sure if they can trust Sami Zayn. Now it’s time to see if he can prove himself.

Bloodline vs. Team Owens

Bloodline: Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn
Owens: Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Ridge Holland, Butch

Butch and Jey start things off and they shout at each other from different rings for a good while. Jey finally gets into the other ring after about a minute of standing around. Butch takes him down without much trouble and cranks on the fingers (as he is known to do), which he then ties into the cage wall. Back up and Jey manages to send him into the cage, followed by a pop up neckbreaker.

Jey goes after the arm and sends it into the cage, only to have Butch stomp on the arm again. Butch gets in something close to a Kimura and it’s Ridge Holland in to give the good guys an advantage. Holland crushes Jey in the corner over and over and a high/low takes him down again. The Brutes start in on Jey’s arms for a bit of a unique strategy, including stereo jumping stomps to said arms. The clock runs down and a sitting Reigns instructs Sami to even things up.

Sami takes more than a minute to get to the ring, allowing Jey to get up and take over on the Brutes. Holland gets stomped between the rings and the fans seem to approve of Zayn. Double teaming cuts off Holland’s comeback but Butch gets up the cage to moonsault onto Jey and Zayn. Now Holland is able to fight up and actually take over until he misses a charge into the cage (thanks to Zayn pulling Jey out of the way).

Drew McIntyre is in next and beats up both villains without much trouble. Jey is sent into the cage over and over before a belly to belly sends Zayn into the corner. Drew: “I’M FEELING PRETTY UCEY RIGHT NOW!” Jey manages to knock Drew into the Tree of Woe but he sits up to send Jey crashing back down. There’s the Futureshock to Zayn but Jimmy Uso comes in to tie it up. That means it’s time for some tables, though Jey doesn’t want Zayn to help set them up.

Jimmy has to break it up as even more time is burned off. The Brutes are beaten down again though, with Butch being sent into the cage so a table can be set up in the corner. McIntyre fights up and avoids being sent through it as Kevin Owens unties things again. Owens brings in some chairs and plants Jimmy onto one, setting up the Cannonball to Jey. A chair is thrown at Jey and we get the Owens vs. Zayn staredown.

Holland, continuing to be useless, breaks it up by jumping Zayn, allowing Jimmy to deck Owens. Jimmy is put through a table though as Cole can’t remember who has the advantage at the moment. Solo Sikoa makes it 4-4 and gets to clean house, as tends to be the villains’ custom. The Samoan drop hits Holland and it’s an Owens vs. Sikoa staredown. They slug it out between the rings until Sikoa shrugs off a ram into the cage.

Some superkicks have the same lack of effect and Sikoa backdrops his way out of a powerbomb attempt. Sikoa goes over to slug it out with McIntyre with Sikoa getting the better of things, only to have the Umaga attack cut off. Sheamus completes Team Owens but Zayn holds the door shut in a smart move. Not that it matters as Sheamus slams it onto Zayn’s head and starts to clean house.

A double clothesline takes down some villains as Reigns is getting ready. Zayn is sent into the cage and the Brutes go after Zayn and the Usos for the big beatdown. White Noise hits Sikoa but it’s Reigns time so the match can officially begin. Naturally this means everyone gets up and we get the five on five staredown, making the last 28 minutes or so pretty much a formality. The fight is on and Reigns cleans house without much effort.

Sheamus cuts off a spear though and we get the quintuple ten (or more in some cases) forearms to the villains’ chests. McIntyre and Sheamus beat on Reigns and the Brogue Kick hits Sikoa. The distraction lets Reigns spear Sheamus but Butch makes the save. Zayn is back up to beat on Butch but Jey superkicks Zayn, presumably by mistake. A super 1D hits Butch for two with Holland making the save this time. Reigns spears Holland through the table in the corner but McIntyre is back up.

Sikoa saves Reigns from a powerbomb and Spinning Solo puts McIntyre through a table. Owens Stuns Sikoa for two so Reigns makes the save for a change. Reigns and Owens slug it out with Reigns hitting a Superman Punch. Owens is back with a Pop Up Powerbomb into the Stunner but Zayn grabs the referee at two. That leaves Owens staring at Zayn (who the fans like) but a superkick is cut off by a low blow. Zayn seems to know he has sealed his fate and Reigns looks up at him, leaving Zayn to Helluva Kick Owens. Jey adds the Superfly Splash for the pin at 38:32.

Rating: B. It’s good fight and as usual this was about the storytelling with Zayn and the Bloodline, but the same problems were there again. There is just SO MUCH waiting around for the match to really get going and it doesn’t feel like hatred. Instead, it feels like “how can we get these weapons spots in” rather than just beating each other up. Cut the match down by about fifteen minutes and it’s much better, but for now it’s just good rather than great.

Zayn is officially accepted into the team, with Jey giving him the big hug. Replays and posing end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. There were some good parts, but WarGames continues to be more of an idea that sounds great on paper rather than in execution. Two matches took about an hour and forty minutes and that does not leave much for the rest of the show. What we got was good and having Zayn get the big definitive Bloodline acceptance (which will absolutely last forever) was nice, but dang it took time to get there. I know Survivor Series has evolved beyond the traditional elimination tag format, but it would be nice to have this new format tweaked a bit, as it could make the show that much better.

 

 

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Survivor Series 2021
Date: November 21, 2021
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Attendance: 15,120
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Jimmy Smith, Byron Saxton, Pat McAfee

Since it’s Survivor Series and there are no other possible options for the show in the history of ever, it’s time for a Battle Of Brand Supremacy with wrestlers who have been on the roster for about a month. That means a battle of World Champions Roman Reigns and Big E., plus Survivor Series tag matches and….a Rock 25th Anniversary battle royal? Let’s get to it.

For the sake of simplicity, all matches involving champions are non-title.

Kickoff Show: Damian Priest (Raw) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Smackdown)

US Champion vs. Intercontinental Champion and Rick Boogs handles Nakamura’s entrance, much to Pat McAfee’s (now dancing on the announcers’ table) delight. Priest works on the arm to start but a Boogs guitar solo cuts that off, allowing Nakamura to grab a headlock. Nakamura takes him into the corner for Good Vibrations, with Boogs playing something that is in no way Good Vibrations.

Back up and Priest knocks him down and grabs a chinlock, meaning Boogs plays some more for a distraction. Some strikes to the head rock Priest and the sliding German suplex makes it worse (with McAfee jumping up to celebrate). Priest fights up and hits a running elbow in the corner, followed by a hard clothesline for two.

South Of Heaven is broken up though and Nakamura kicks him in the head again. Kinshasa is countered into South Of Heaven for two but the Reckoning is blocked. Priest counters an armbar into a triangle choke but Boogs guitars Nakamura to freedom AGAIN. Finally Priest goes outside and breaks the guitar (McAfee: “YOU SON OF A B****!”), with one of the pieces nailing Nakamura for the DQ at 9:24.

Rating: C. I was having fun with the back and forth as they had some chemistry together, but at the same time, there is only so much you can get with the constant Boogs interference. I do like that they didn’t have a champion get pinned here and instead went with Priest snapping to finish things up. Not a great match, but a fast paced one to start things off.

Smackdown – 1
Raw – 0

The opening video talks about how this is two sides battling….and we see a clip from Rock’s Netflix movie Red Notice. The voiceover talks about how many things the movie and show have in common before moving into the nonsense about this being the ONE NIGHT where Raw and Smackdown go head to head. Clips from the movie mock teamwork, which is what this show is all about. After more clips and more generic opening video statements about how important the show is, we’re ready to go.

We recap Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte. They were old friends but then both wanted to be the best, with Lynch getting there in a big way. Then Lynch left on maternity leave and Charlotte bragged about how great she (as in Charlotte) is so now that Lynch is back, it’s time to fight.

Before we got there though, there was also the VERY awkward moment where Charlotte was supposed to hand over the Raw Women’s Title and dropped it instead, leading to ALL KINDS of problems/discussion. Oh and Charlotte’s REALLY annoying “UH-OH” promo. This does at least have a personal story rather than just doing the Raw vs. Smackdown deal.

Charlotte (Smackdown) vs. Becky Lynch (Raw)

For a bonus, they’re both dressed as characters from Wandavision, with Charlotte as the villain and Becky as the hero. Becky hits her in the face to start and the brawl is on early. Charlotte goes for the leg but has to escape a Disarm-Her attempt. Back up and Charlotte hits a spear but Becky hits a heck of a spinning kick to the face. They head outside for a hard posting to Charlotte but it’s too early for the Manhandle Slam.

Charlotte gets her down and rams Becky’s face into the mat over and over. Becky is sent outside so Charlotte loads up the moonsault, which is shoved HARD into the barricade for a great looking crash instead. Charlotte sends her into the barricade and they both get back in at the same time for the big staredown. Becky avoids a shot to the knee in the corner but an armbar is countered into a powerbomb for two.

Some stomps in the corner have Charlotte in trouble and the fans aren’t thrilled with Becky. A fall away slam sends Becky into the corner for a crash, followed by the Andrade double moonsault for two. Charlotte snaps her throat first across the top but Becky knocks her into the ropes. The Fameasser onto the ropes gives Becky two and Charlotte misses the big boot, only to ram her head into Becky’s for two instead. The second big boot gets two instead so Becky is right back with a Christian layout reverse DDT.

Back up and the Manhandle Slam gives Becky two more, setting up a cross between a Figure Four and a heel hook. Charlotte turns it over for the break anyway and they’re both down for a bit. I’m not sure why Becky is down but it does make things a bit more dramatic. Yet another big boot knocks Becky outside and the moonsault…well it comes close to her at least, with the replay not making it any better.

Back in and Charlotte grabs her own Disarm-Her but Becky slips out. They fight into the corner where Charlotte grabs a rollup with ropes for two, as the referee sees the cheating. Becky reverses into a rollup of her own and doesn’t get caught grabbing the ropes for the pin at 18:13.

Rating: B+. These two work well and they treated it as a huge match, especially at the start where they both came out swinging. The ending was more of a way to save Charlotte than to give us a definitive winner, but after Charlotte has gone over so many times, doing a tainted job to the biggest female star ever isn’t asking too much. Great opener, with all kinds of energy and the big fight feel.

Raw – 1
Smackdown – 1

Classic Rock Moment: Debuting at Survivor Series 1996.

Raw Men vs. Smackdown Men

Raw: Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Austin Theory, Bobby Lashley
Smackdown: Drew McIntyre, Jeff Hardy, King Woods, Happy Corbin, Sheamus

Survivor Series match and MVP/Madcap Moss are the respective sixths. Lashley has his spot after taking it from Dominik Mysterio and also caused Rey Mysterio to lose his spot to Theory. On the other side, Sami Zayn lost to Hardy, costing himself a spot on the team. You know, in case you needed a recap on the five people per show being thrown together. Rollins, the self proclaimed Raw captain, lets Owens start, so Owens bails to the floor and leaves for the countout less than a minute in.

After Owens takes a bow, McIntyre jumps Rollins on the floor as Theory comes in to face Woods. Theory gets his arm cranked on and it’s McIntyre coming in to launch him into the corner. Sheamus and McIntyre take turns chopping at Theory (McAfee is rather giddy) and Corbin gets in on it with a pretty good right hand. Theory manages to punch his way to freedom though and the tag brings in Rollins, who is knocked right back into the Smackdown corner.

It’s Hardy coming in to start on the arm and a quick splash gets one. Rollins is able to grab Sheamus by the arm though and Balor comes in to work on that arm for a change. Again though, that doesn’t last long as Sheamus drags him right back over for the tag to Corbin. We continue to e parade of arm cranking between people who don’t really dislike each other, making this match feel all the less interesting. Deep Six gets two on Balor with Lashley making the save, meaning everything breaks down.

With almost everyone else being knocked down, Balor kicks Corbin in the head and drops the Coup de Grace for the elimination. Hardy comes in to face Balor and the fans are rather pleased. It’s Hardy taking over with the basement dropkick but Balor’s own dropkick gets his own two. Lashley comes in for a running shoulder in the corner to Hardy, which has McAfee worried on commentary.

Hardy fights out of Balor’s chinlock and hits Whisper in the Wind, leaving Lashley and McIntyre to fight on the floor. Lashley posts him (McAfee: “DREW ARE YOU OK???”), leaving Theory to cover Hardy for two as the fans are interested in….something. It’s back to Woods to clean house, including a discus forearm to Theory. Lashley crotches Woods on top though and the Hurt Lock is good for the elimination to make it 4-3 Raw.

Everything breaks down again and Balor’s slingshot dive is pulled out of the air by Sheamus. We get the big Lashley vs. McIntyre showdown with Lashley backing up for some reason. McIntyre jumps him instead but Lashley powers him into the corner. That earns him a clothesline out to the floor with McIntyre following to post Lashley for a change. They fight over the barricade and that’s a double countout to get rid of the big guys.

The fans are NOT happy, even as Lashley jumps McIntyre after the eliminations. A Claymore drops Lashley though and a Glasgow Kiss drops a laughing Rollins before both guys leave. We’re down to Sheamus/Hardy vs. Rollins/Theory/Balor with Sheamus charging into a boot in the corner. That’s enough for Rollins to dive over for the hot tag to Balor, who is quickly powerslammed for two.

Balor is back up with a Sling Blade but the Coup de Grace misses, setting up the Brogue Kick to give Sheamus the pin. Theory is right in for a heck of a dropkick and it’s Rollins coming back in for a chinlock. After a pretty good while, Sheamus powers up and brings Hardy in to clean house.

Everything breaks down with Sheamus playing Matt Hardy for a springboard splash to the other two in the corner. That’s enough for Sheamus and Hardy to hit stereo ten forearms to the chest, followed by White Noise to Rollins. Everything breaks down again and Rollins pulls Hardy off the apron, leaving Theory to roll Sheamus up for the elimination. That leaves us with Hardy vs. Rollins/Theory…but Sheamus decks Theory before he leaves….and then does it to Hardy too.

Rollins is fine enough to get the tag and hit a frog splash for two on Hardy as we settle in to the beating. Theory takes Hardy up top but gets knocked down, setting up the Swanton for the pin. Rollins isn’t happy and glares at Hardy, who grabs a rollup for two. A hard forearm to the back of the head gets two on Hardy but the Twist of Fate drops Rollins. The Swanton hits raised knees though and the Stomp gives Rollins the final pin at 29:55.

Rating: B. It was a fun, hard hitting match, but the Raw vs. Smackdown lineups continue to feel so worthless. They might as well do a Lethal Lottery format and you would get the same result. The good thing is that the talent is here and can make a match like this work, but the format desperately needs to change to make it more interesting.

Raw – 2
Smackdown – 1

WWE did some charity stuff in Harlem.

Vince McMahon arrived earlier and got a big reception from a bunch of the wrestlers. Then he pulled out a gold egg, because cross promotion.

Classic Rock Moment: recreating the Montreal Screwjob a year later at Survivor Series 1998.

Roman Reigns comes in to see Vince McMahon, who shows him the egg. That’s Cleopatra’s egg, which was given to him by the Rock. Apparently it’s worth $100 million dollars, which Reigns says is as much as his next contract. And that’s it.

The Rock 25th Anniversary Battle Royal

Shanky, Commander Azeez, T-Bar, Robert Roode, Angel, Humberto, Shelton Benjamin, Sami Zayn, R-Truth, Cedric Alexander, Montez Ford, Jinder Mahal, Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro, Otis, Mansoor, Drew Gulak, Erik, Chad Gable, Ivar, Apollo Crews, Omos, AJ Styles, Ricochet, Angelo Dawkins

The Street Profits come to the ring with a bunch of Pizza Hut. Nothing wrong with a sponsorship. Cole and Graves get pizza but Saxton is denied, as he should be. Styles bails to the floor and stands on the announcers’ table as everyone else fights for the smart move of the night. Gulak and Benjamin are out to start with Humberto following them. Truth heads outside to get some pizza, which he offers to Omos and Otis.

The latter takes it before throwing Truth out and going after Omos. Otis doesn’t last long and Gable armbars Cesaro over the rope. That’s broken up and Cesaro knocks Gable out and T-Bar is dropkicked to the floor by Ricochet. The fans want pizza but have to settle for Alexander and Garza being tossed out. There goes Erik and Ivar at the hands of Shanky, because the potential is in Shanky instead of the Viking Raiders. Omos gets rid of Shanky with ease and Roode catapults Mansoor out.

Roode and Ziggler go after Omos and the giant gets rid of Roode, leaving Styles to Phenomenal Forearm Ziggler for the elimination. Zayn tries to rally the remaining Smackdown names but yells at Ricochet, leaving Ford and Dawkins to toss him out. Omos gets rid of Azeez, who pulls Styles out despite Omos’ protests. Crews is out next and we’re down to Omos, Dawkins, Ford, Cesaro and Ricochet. Cesaro rallies the troops to go after Omos, earning himself an elimination. There go Dawkins and Ford, leaving us with Ricochet vs. Omos. That doesn’t last long either as Omos tosses him out for the win at 10:38.

Rating: C. This was ALL about Omos, who threw out about half of the field and dominated throughout. It worked for Andre and even if Omos isn’t quite there, it was a nice performance. Omos is someone who works well in this kind of a spot, even if this had absolutely NOTHING to do with the Rock.

Raw – 3
Smackdown – 1

Post match Styles goes for the pizza but Ford kicks him in the head and throws it into the crowd.

Classic Rock Moment: winning the 2000 Royal Rumble, even if Big Show really won.

We look at the pre-show match.

RKBro (Raw) vs. Usos (Smackdown)

Riddle starts fast with an armbar attempt on Jimmy but gets stacked up for two and the break. A headbutt just makes Riddle mad and he grabs a spinning gutwrench suplex to send Jey flying. Orton comes in and we hear about his hear in Ohio Valley Wrestling for a bit of a rarity. The threat of an RKO sends Jimmy bailing to the floor so it’s off to Jey, who stomps Orton down in the corner.

That just earns Jey a punch to the nose (simple, yet effective) and a trip to the floor, allowing Riddle to hit the springboard Floating Bro. A drop onto the barricade cuts Riddle off though and it’s back to Jimmy for the suicide dive. We slow things down a bit with Jey hammering away in the corner until Riddle manages a kick to the head. That’s way too soon for a hot tag to Orton though and Jimmy is back in with a chinlock.

Riddle fights up and manages a Bro To Sleep (which doesn’t make anything close to full contact), allowing Orton to come back in to clean house. Snap powerslams drop the Usos and Jey gets belly to back dropped onto the announcers’ table. Not to be outdone, Jimmy gets the same as McAfee is losing it even more than usual. Back in and the hanging DDT hits Jey but he’s fine enough to block the RKO.

Riddle is up again and kicks Jey in the head before nailing Jimmy with a running forearm. Jey manages to kick Riddle down for two and the pop up Samoan drop gets two. There’s a superkick to Riddle and a double superkick to Orton. The double superkick from either side gets two on Riddle, who kicks out and stays rigid for a weird moment. Riddle’s enziguri gets him out of trouble though and Orton gets a blind tag. Jimmy doesn’t notice though and his Superfly Splash is pulled into the RKO to give Orton the pin at 14:48.

Rating: B. Two of the best teams in WWE have a good match when they are given about fifteen minutes on a big stage. Sometimes these things write themselves and that was the case here, as Orton even managed to get in the cool RKO that he hits in these important matches. Another solid match on the show in what shouldn’t be a surprise at all. Now just do it again for the titles.

Raw – 4
Smackdown – 1

Classic Rock Moment: vs. John Cena at Wrestlemania XXVIII. I’d say that counts, though it’s still hard to believe Cena lost.

Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce wait for Vince McMahon in his office. Vince comes back…and the egg is gone. The middle management goons are sent to find out who did it, saying if they don’t find out tonight, Vince will find out himself on Raw.

Video on Xia Li, the Protector, in comic book form. Yeah this was too cool to work and it never went anywhere.

Raw Women vs. Smackdown Women

Raw: Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Carmella, Queen Zelina
Smackdown: Sasha Banks, Shayna Baszler, Shotzi, Toni Storm, Natalya

Zelina is still a queen and Ripley is half of the Women’s Tag Team Titles with Nikki Ash, which mean a grand total of nothing (Zelina and Carmella would win them the next night on Raw). Toni Storm (as announced in a completely necessary tweet earlier in the day) starts with Carmella, who drops Storm with a right hand. Hold on though as Carmella hands it off to Zelina before heading outside to put on her protective mask. It takes forever to put the mask on so Carmella has Zelina do it, allowing Storm to grab a rollup for the pin.

Belair and Banks come in for a Wrestlemania rematch but Shotzi tags herself in. A quick backsplash gets two on Belair but she’s right back up to knock Shotzi silly. Belair’s jumping splash gets two so Morgan comes in for a middle rope….uh, something, and a near fall. Natalya comes in for two off a snap suplex and a pinfall reversal sequence gets some near falls each. The step over basement dropkick gives Natalya two more but it’s off to Ripley to freshen things up.

Natalya doesn’t seem to mind and brings Baszler in for a double suplex. The jumping stomp to Baszler’s arm is blocked though and the slugout is on. Ripley has to fight out of an armbar as well as the Kirifuda Clutch, allowing her to stomp on Baszler’s head. Shotzi saves Baszler from the Riptide though and everything breaks down. Ripley breaks out of another choke and it’s a double tag to give us Belair vs. Banks.

Belair tries the power but gets pulled straight into the Bank Statement. That’s broken up so Banks sends her face first into the middle buckle, setting up a tornado DDT for two on Belair. Back up and Zelina tags herself in so Belair launches her at Banks for two more. No one will tag Banks so she has to block Zelina’s Code Red. Banks tags herself in and flips Zelina over into a cutter for the pin. Morgan comes in for a pinfall reversal sequence of her own until Oblivion connects to get rid of Storm.

Baszler comes in to choke Morgan and even kicks Ripley off the apron to prevent a tag (that’s smart). It’s off to Shotzi for a weird looking splash, followed by Banks’ frog splash to eliminate Morgan. Ripley comes in and muscles Banks up for a delayed suplex and a near fall. A missile dropkick sends Banks flying into the corner but Shotzi comes in off a blind tag. Shotzi offers a distraction so Baszler can come in with a knee to the face to pin Ripley, leaving Belair vs. Natalya, Shotzi, Banks and Baszler.

Belair comes in and suplexes Natalya for two before firing off the shoulders in the corner. Baszler’s distraction lets Natalya hit a powerbomb out of the corner for two and it’s off to Banks. Shotzi gets into it with Banks and pulls her to the floor where Banks gets counted out to make it 3-1.

Natalya comes in and Sharpshooters Belair, who rolls Natalya into Baszler for the break. A rollup finishes Natalya to make it 2-1, with Baszler coming in next. The Kirifuda Clutch is countered into a release Glam Slam to get rid of Baszler and it’s Shotzi vs. Belair. Shotzi grabs a choke in the corner and a faceplant drops Belair again. The running hip attack in the ropes gets two on Belair, who sends Shotzi into the corner and hits the KOD for the pin/win at 23:46.

Rating: C-. Well that was ridiculous. The last five minutes of this was Belair doing her best Super Cena impression, as she ran through three people on her own (four if you count getting rid of Banks). The match wasn’t anything special otherwise, as the Belair vs. Banks segment was the only thing worth seeing. This felt long until the ending, when it became one head shaking moment after another. Storm was trying and got a bit of a run, but this was all about making Belair look strong and to say they went overboard would be an understatement.

Raw – 5
Smackdown – 1

Classic Rock Moment: The Rock is at the first Smackdown on FOX and rips on Baron Corbin/hangs out with Becky Lynch.

Paul Heyman knows nothing about the missing egg but thinks those people from BROOKLYN might have had something to do with it. That’s not what he is being asked about though: what about Brock Lesnar’s suspension being lifted soon? Uh, Heyman doesn’t want to talk about that either.

Video on Bobby Lashley.

We recap Roman Reigns vs. Big E. Last month, Big E. cashed in Money In The Bank to become the new Raw World Champion. The New Day celebrated because they’re a brotherhood, but Reigns said they were no Bloodline. Reigns broke Woods’ King Of The Ring crown and now it’s time for a clash between World Champions.

Big E. (Raw) vs. Roman Reigns (Smackdown)

Paul Heyman is here too as we hear about their time together in FCW. They fight over a lockup to start with neither getting anywhere, meaning it’s off to another staredown. Big E. shoves him a bit and Reigns bails to the floor, where Heyman lists off some Anoa’i family members at the table. Back in and Reigns hits the jumping clothesline for two before stomping away rather hard.

An elbow drops Reigns and Big E. gets to talk a bit of trash to set up the missed apron splash. Big E. comes up favoring his knee and you know Reigns is happy with that. Back in and the chinlock goes on for a bit until Big E. powers up for the break. You don’t do that to Reigns, who boots Big E. down for two more. Big E. is sent outside again as Reigns is getting frustrated and growling at the crowd. A reversed whip into the steps puts Reigns in trouble for a change and some belly to bellies make it worse back inside.

The Warrior Splash connects but Big E. charges into a Samoan drop for two. Reigns fires off the corner clotheslines until Big E. Rock Bottoms him out of said corner for two of his own. The Stretch Muffler has Reigns in trouble so he powers up into a sitout powerbomb to rock Big E. again. A Rock Bottom gets two more as they’re sticking with the big shots here. Two Superman Punches only keep Big E. down for a few seconds so Reigns hits a third…but Big E. is back up before the spear can even launch.

Reigns is sent to the apron for the spear out to the floor but comes right back in with his own spear (minus through the ropes) for a rather near fall. They take their time getting up, with Reigns talking about how Big E. doesn’t deserve to be here. The guillotine is broken up but Big E. tries another spear through the ropes and gets caught in the choke. Reigns gets it on again back inside, only to muscle Reigns up into the Big Ending for two.

They head outside again, with Big E. fired up this time as he sends Reigns face first into the announcers’ table. A posting and ram into the barricade have Reigns in more trouble but he’s fine enough to send Big E. knees first into the steps. A Superman Punch off the steps lets Reigns kick the knee out and hit a spear for the pin at 21:56.

Rating: B. It took some time to get going and could have had a few minutes cut out, but this was a heck of a fight. The problem here though was there was no reason to believe Reigns would lose. Big E. is great, but winning the title via Money in the Bank makes him feel a step beneath Reigns, in addition to the fact that Reigns already feels like a bigger star than anyone else at the moment. Big E. was trying here, but you know Reigns getting pinned is going to be a huge moment, not something in a stand alone show like this one.

Raw – 5
Smackdown – 2

Overall Rating: B-. This show is going to depend on how you look at it. While the wrestling was mostly good, with the main event and men’s Survivor Series match carrying it, the biggest problem is NOTHING HAPPENED. Raw dominated the head to head competition and there was nothing on here that I felt like I needed to see. Reigns is still the unstoppable force and whoever got the red shirts this year had a strong night. What else is there to say about the wrestling with non-existent stakes?

Then you have everything else and it was just sad. The Rock obsession was cool and made sense, but without him actually having anything to do with the show the impact kind of falls apart. I know he’s busy, but if he isn’t going to be there, maybe don’t focus on him so much. The egg stuff was stupid, though I can’t fault WWE for trying to make money and it was relatively short.

Overall, as has been the case for a long time, there was enough good to pretty good action to make the show a decent watch, but there is absolutely nothing from a storyline perspective. The Battle For Brand Supremacy stuff worked for a few years but now WWE has given up on it meaning anything, so why should I care about what they’re doing? Good enough show, but totally unimportant.

Ratings Comparison

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Damian Priest

Original: C+
Redo: C

Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte

Original: B+
Redo: B+

Raw Men vs. Smackdown Men

Original: B-
Redo: B

Battle Royal

Original: C
Redo: C

Usos vs. RKBro

Original: C+
Redo: B

Smackdown Women vs. Raw Women

Original: C-
Redo: C-

Big E. vs. Roman Reigns

Original: B
Redo: B

Overall Rating

Original: B-
Redo: B-

Oh yeah this is about as similar as it gets.

 

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Survivor Series 2017
Date: November 19, 2017
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 14,478
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Booker T., Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton

I barely remember this show other than it was a bunch of Raw vs. Smackdown stuff, including AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar. As usual, the modern stuff has no impact on me because so much of it feels like it’s going to be similar to whatever we’re likely to get this year. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Matt Hardy vs. Elias

This is a bonus match, because a four hour show needs more content. Before the match, Elias asks if anyone wants to go for a walk. You can wear red or you can wear blue, but at the end of the day, what would Elias do? The song gets cut off by the booing but he gets it going to talk about how much he hates Houston. Hardy’s music cuts him off again and we’re ready to go. Since it’s a major pay per view and WWE has a really weird way of doing their pre-shows, the are far more empty seats than filled ones opposite the hard camera.

Hardy headlocks him down to start as the announcers start talking about other matches on the show. The Russian legsweep sets up the middle rope elbow to the back of Elias’s head as we take a break. Back with Matt dropping a fist for two but getting his throat snapped across the top rope. Elias switches over to the arm and cranks on an armbar for good measure. The arm goes into the post as Corey talks about getting to see matches we’ve never seen before, such as HHH vs. Shane McMahon. I’d recommend studying your WWE Network before.

The armbar goes on, followed by a double underhook shoulderbreaker for two. Matt gets sent to the apron and Elias follows for some reason, allowing Matt to hit a Side Effect and take over. Back in and Elias gets sent into all three buckles, followed by the bulldog for no cover. Another Side Effect gets two and the middle rope elbow is good for the same. Elias is smart enough to hit him in the arm though and sends it into the post. Drift Away puts Hardy away at 9:16.

Rating: D+. I can never get around the empty seats during these first matches. What in the world is the point of having a match when it’s something that means as little as this and isn’t even any good in the first place? The arm work was fine and it played into the finish, but it was nothing that wouldn’t bore you in the third hour of Raw.

Kickoff Show: Cruiserweight Title: Kalisto vs. Enzo Amore

Amore is defending and was sent into a cake on 205 Live to really make this personal. Before the match, Enzo goes into a rant about Kalisto sending him into a cake that Enzo paid for. Tonight, Enzo is going to make beef stew out of chicken. Enzo is extra aggressive to start but Kalisto kicks him away without much effort. The chase to the floor is on and Kalisto follows him back in with a slingshot Code Red for two. Kalisto goes to the ropes once too often though and gets his throat snapped as we take a break.

Back with Enzo getting two off a clothesline and pulling him out of the corner into a side slam for the same (cool move). The chinlock goes on for a bit until a running forearm in the corner gets two more. That means a second chinlock with a Stunner not quite breaking the hold. It’s too early for the Salida Del Sol so Enzo puts him in the Tree of Woe, only to miss a charge and hit the buckle.

Kalisto hits a top rope moonsault but his ribs won’t let him get a cover. He’s fine enough to hit the hurricanrana driver but the Salida is broken up again. They slug it out on the apron and Enzo pulls him head first into the rob that connects the buckle to the post. The Jordunzo finishes Kalisto at 8:13.

Rating: D+. That’s one of the better matches I remember from Enzo, which probably had a lot to do with Kalisto being in there to do most of the hard work for him. There was little chance that Enzo was dropping the title here so at least they kept it short, even with a commercial included. Not a good match, but it could have been worse.

Kickoff Show: Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens vs. Breezango

Sami is freshly heel here and doesn’t like being stuck having to face losers like Breezango. They should be on Team Smackdown tonight but Shane McMahon is holding them back. It’s all part of the McMahon sibling rivalry but here’s Breezango to cut them off. They got a tip of some fashion violators and all that ungroomed facial hair proves they’re right. That’s bad enough for some violations so Fandango dropkicks Owens down. Owens and Zayn are sent outside where they have fashioned tickets rained down on them as we take a break.

Back with Sami getting sent outside again but Owens gets in a cheap shot this time to put Breeze in trouble. Owens comes in for his usual pummeling but it’s already back to Sami for the chinlock. A kick to the face isn’t enough to get Breeze out of trouble as Owens comes back in for a chinlock of his own. That’s not good enough, so we hit the fourth chinlock in about two minutes.

Owens mixes it up with a backsplash but hits knees, suggesting that he should have stuck with the chinlocks. The hot tag brings in Fandango for the snap jabs and a middle rope dropkick. A tornado DDT gets two with Owens making the save but Fandango misses the Last Dance. The Pop Up Powerbomb finishes Fandango at 8:32.

Rating: D+. Well this concludes the worst Kickoff Show I can remember in a long time. It didn’t seem like Owens and Zayn cared at all here and really, can you blame them? The previous month they were headlining a pay per view and now they’re on the Kickoff Show? That’s the best you can have for these guys? Fair point as that’s the idea of the story. Other than that, I still feel bad for what happened to Breezango as they got themselves over and then were just dropped for….whoever the Smackdown Tag Team Champions were at this point. Does it really matter if they’re that forgettable?

The opening video focuses on the war between Raw and Smackdown, featuring the UNDER SIEGE deal, which was mainly all about Stephanie vs. Shane. I still don’t get how they didn’t have the Usos with the Uso Penitentiary deal leading that charge. The rest of the Raw vs. Smackdown matches get a quick look of their own.

We have a FIVE MAN commentary booth. As usual, quantity equals quality in WWE’s eyes.

New Day vs. Shield

This didn’t get the attention that it deserved because it’s a genuine dream match. Before the match, Woods says that while this is great fuel for the fan fiction writers, it’s also time for them to show that they’re the most dominant trio in WWE history. Kofi brings up the Raw roster invading three weeks after Smackdown did and not even doing it as well. They’re about to go Bob Barker on the Hounds of Justice (How did no one get that line in before?) and when Wrestlemania time comes up, the Shield will bite each other (true actually, at least before Dean got hurt).

They’re the true brotherhood around here and it’s time to prove it. And now, before the match, here’s another video of Smackdown invading Raw and vice versa, in case you didn’t get the point six minutes ago. The only new material here is New Day costing the Shield the Tag Team Titles. Big pop for Shield, as you had to expect. Seth and Dean have the half Raw half Shield shirts but Reigns is too cool to go that route.

Ambrose and Kofi start things off as the fans are split here, apparently not able to pick which wristlock they like best. Booker’s preview for the night: “There’s not gonna be a whole lot of entertainment.” This man gets paid to do this people. Rollins and Woods come in with Woods quickly realizing that he’s in way over his head. As the announcers discuss titles, Big E. comes in to face Rollins. Now you NXT fans should get where commentary should be going, but of course nothing is mentioned.

It’s off to Reigns instead and this isn’t quite the showdown that WWE thinks it is. Big E. breaks up a waistlock attempt and runs Reigns over with a shoulder, only to have an elbow do the same to him. A good looking Samoan drop gives Reigns two….and the fans are there with the SWEET because we’re that lucky. Everything breaks down and a triple clothesline takes Big E. and Kofi to the floor, leaving Woods to get stomped down in the corner. Rollins comes off the top with a right hands to the ribs as the Shield starts their rhythm.

Ambrose gives up the tag to Kofi though and things pick up in a hurry. The Boom Drop hits Ambrose but he kicks Kofi out of the air. It’s too early for Dirty Deeds though and the Unicorn Stampede is on. New Day does it again for good measure and the fans aren’t thrilled this time around. That’s enough for Rollins and Reigns and everything breaks down. Big E. spears Ambrose through the ropes, thankfully not coming that close to death. That’s only good for two and things settle down again with Ambrose’s shirt being ripped off. It’s an improvement, as Ambrose looks more normal in all black.

The chinlock goes on for a few moments before Dean breaks up a superplex attempt. Big E. can’t get one either and Dean missile dropkicks him down instead. The hot tag brings in Rollins, albeit with an unnecessary jump from Dean. Seth springboards in with the clothesline and starts in with his usual fast paced offense. The announcers are already getting really annoying with this Raw vs. Smackdown stuff and Graves being in the middle is all that’s holding it together.

Reigns comes in for a jumping clothesline to Woods and the Superman Punch knocks him even sillier. Big E. breaks up the spear but Rollins saves Dean from the Midnight Hour. The jumping knee into Dirty Deeds gets two on Kofi with Woods making a save of his own. A fired up Woods comes in so Rollins kicks him in the face to calm things down. Now it’s Big E.’s turn to break up the TripleBomb and there’s Trouble in Paradise to Rollins. Reigns is laid out on the floor so Woods puts Big E. on his shoulders so Kofi can jump over them for a splash onto Dean.

Woods drops Big E. onto him as well but there’s no cover. Instead Big E. picks up Ambrose and Rollins for a double Midnight Hour, leaving Reigns to spear Big E. onto the covers for a save. Both teams pull each other up for a cool visual and the fight is on again. Dirty Deeds plants Big E. on the floor and the spear cuts Kofi in half. Shield isn’t done though and it’s a super TripleBomb to completely finish Kofi at 21:32.

Rating: B+. This took some time to get going but once they turned it into the big fight feel, it became what it should have been. These teams are both great in different ways and while New Day has had more success as a trio, it’s hard to argue with them beating three former World Champions. Shield winning is the right choice, but at the same time it means that we have to hear about Raw being up 1-0 on Smackdown for far too long now.

Cole: “Raw is up 1-0!”

In the back, Stephanie McMahon: “Raw is up 1-0!” She gives the Raw women’s team a pep talk and it’s about as over the top as you would guess.

There’s a scoreboard to show Raw is in fact up 1-0.

Raw Women’s Team vs. Smackdown Women’s Team

Raw: Sasha Banks, Bayley, Alicia Fox, Asuka, Nia Jax

Smackdown: Carmella, Natalya, Becky Lynch, Naomi, Tamina

Lana is in Smackdown’s corner and Fox and Lynch are the captains. During the entrances (which are going to take their sweet time), Phillips reminds us that Raw is in fact up 1-0. Does WWE really think we have the attention spans of drunken squirrels? We also get to see the Raw women invading the Smackdown locker room so we can hear about UNDER SIEGE for the fifteenth time in the show’s first forty five minutes.

Fox and Lynch start things off with Fox actually getting the better of it off some forearms. Becky gets in a neck snap across the top though and drops a top rope legdrop for two. The threat of the Disarm-Her sends Fox to the ropes so Bayley tags herself in and grabs a rollup to get rid of Lynch at 2:02.

Natalya comes in next to stomp Bayley in the corner as Booker can’t figure out who is on which show. Tamina misses a splash in the corner and gets forearmed in the head before it’s off to Asuka to a big reaction. That’s just a preview though as a few kicks to the legs are enough before Asuka hands it back to Fox. Since it’s Fox and she’s not very good, it’s already back to Bayley, who gets beaten up in the corner. Carmella hits a superkick and Tamina’s Superfly Splash gets rid of Bayley at 5:27.

That’s what you get for cheering her when you’re not supposed to people. Nia comes in to face Tamina, and it’s not interesting a year earlier either. A shot knocks Naomi off the apron and Tamina does the same to Asuka before neither can hurt the other. Nia’s headbutt hurts both of them but Nia splashing her in the corner only hates Tamina. Lana gets on the apron for some reason so Nia knocks her off, allowing Tamina to superkick her to the floor. A dive from Naomi and another superkick set up the crossbody off the apron to get Nia counted out at 9:01.

Asuka comes in to unload with kicks to Carmella and the hip attack gets two. Carmella pulls her down by the hair and hits a quick Bronco Buster before pausing to mock Sasha’s dance. For reasons of general stupidity, Carmella slaps Asuka in the face and it’s a knee to the head, followed by a heck of a kick to get rid of Carmella at 12:59. Banks and Natalya come in and hit each other a few times until Natalya gets the better of it for two. Sasha gets sent face first into the middle buckle and the Sharpshooter makes her tap at 15:22, leaving Asuka vs. Natalya and Tamina in the Ultimate Warrior at Survivor Series 1988 mold.

Natalya gets in a few kicks and hands it off to Tamina for a slam. The Superfly Splash that wouldn’t have hit even if Asuka hadn’t moved misses when Asuka moves and it’s a cross armbreaker to get rid of Tamina at 17:32. Natalya can’t get the Sharpshooter as Asuka pulls her into a kneebar, followed by a kick to the face. The Asuka Lock finishes Natalya at 18:27.

Rating: C-. This wasn’t great to start but the ending was exactly the right call with Asuka getting the star treatment at the end. The rest of the match wasn’t all that great as the focus was on Tamina (who still isn’t interesting, mainly because Nia is better at every single thing Tamina is around to do) or Alicia being wacky, making it an exercise in waiting around on Asuka. To their credit though, they got that part right and that’s what mattered most.

Here’s what coming on WWE Network. Don’t worry though, because they’ll air almost nothing but NXT, 205 Live and whatever tournament they have going on at the moment.

Stephanie (erg) brags to Daniel Bryan about Raw being up 2-0. She accuses Bryan of getting John Cena on the Smackdown men’s team by practically being family. Bryan: “Didn’t you put your husband on the Raw team?” It turns into a discussion of Wrestlemania XXX as this goes on way too long as we AGAIN recap the invasions. Sweet goodness WE WATCH THE TV SHOWS AND DON’T NEED TO HEAR THIS STUFF OVER AND OVER AGAIN! I haven’t watched the TV shows since last year and I can tell you what happens week by week just because of all these recaps.

Baron Corbin vs. The Miz

Smackdown vs. Raw and US Champion vs. Intercontinental Champion, though it’s non-title, like every match tonight. Miz has Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel with him and Corbin has been talking trash about Maryse and Miz’s unborn child. The threat of an early clothesline sends Miz bailing to the floor and it’s time for some consultation. A Dallas distraction lets Miz hit a baseball slide, followed by a clothesline to put Corbin right back on the floor. Corbin kicks him off the apron though as they’re going back and forth pretty fast so far.

The fans try to start some dueling chants but the LET’S GO MIZ chants are pretty clearly louder. Corbin misses a running crotch attack to the back but easily avoids a baseball slide. With Miz in trouble, Dallas hits Corbin in the knee to give Miz his first actual advantage. The Figure Four is easily blocked but a chop block cuts Corbin down again. Now the Figure Four goes on but that’s broken up in short order, allowing Corbin to hit Deep Six on one leg.

Dallas is right there again with a shot to the knee though and Miz adds a big boot. Corbin’s knee is fine enough to slide underneath the ropes and beat up the Miztourage but the End of Days is countered into a DDT for two. Some rather weak looking YES Kicks don’t have much effect so Miz hits the running corner dropkicks. Corbin shrugs them off though and End of Days is good for the pin at 9:26.

Rating: D+. Commentary really hurt this one as the put on Raw vs. Smackdown stuff continues. The leg work was fine but when Corbin is fine enough to do all of his usual stuff and then hit his finisher to win, it doesn’t mean that much. You had to give Smackdown something in this whole thing and given how bad the midcard titles are presented in the first place, this was the least painful loss for a champion.

Post match Corbin says he just shut everyone’s mouth.

Paul Heyman says everything about tonight is phenomenal, including AJ Styles. Then the bell will ring and the conqueror is going to rip AJ Styles apart.

Usos vs. Cesaro/Sheamus

Before the match, the Usos mock the Bar’s catchphrase and says they’ll be bartenders tonight. Or maybe they’re pole vaulters. Sheamus drives Jimmy into the corner to start and Jimmy isn’t sure what to do here. Instead it’s off to Jey who does the same to Sheamus, though he’s smart enough to stomp away and take over. As the announcers discuss Corey’s lack of success (as Booker hadn’t heard about it), Cesaro comes in and gets hiptossed down.

A quick double team puts Jimmy down though and it’s off to a headlock, because a chinlock isn’t sophisticated enough. Jimmy knocks Sheamus to the floor but a dive gets cut off by a Cesaro uppercut. Back in and Cesaro puts on a Crossface without the arm trap as Booker wants the Bar to be called the A-Team. Graves: “Why would you do that? They’re called the Bar Booker.” Sheamus drops a knee and puts on a chinlock with Cesaro running in to kick Jey off the apron.

The pop up uppercut gets two but Sheamus takes too long setting up the ten forearms to the chest. Booker: “Think about the brand!” Jimmy gets in a Whisper in the Wind and that’s enough for the hot tag to pick up the pace. He also picks up Cesaro with a backdrop into the corner for two, leaving Sheamus to argue with the referee. Jey gets in a superkick but Sheamus adds a forearm to the back, allowing Cesaro to Swing Jimmy into the Sharpshooter. The longest crawl to a rope I can remember gets Jey out of trouble, assuming you bought the Sharpshooter as a potential finish either (you shouldn’t have).

The spike White Noise is broken up and Sheamus is sent into the post. He’s fine enough to hold Jey up for White Noise with Cesaro adding a springboard spike. Jimmy makes a great looking last second save so Cesaro throws him out and loads up Jey in a powerbomb. Sheamus goes up top but gets punched in the face, allowing Jimmy to Samoan drop him down with Cesaro adding the powerbomb. Cesaro dives in the way of a double superkick, leaving Sheamus to take the same thing. Jimmy does the eternally cool tag while diving over the top to take out Cesaro. The Superfly Splash finishes Sheamus at 15:56.

Rating: B-. Yeah of course this was good with two very talented teams. Granted a year later the Usos haven’t had a meaningful match in forever and the Bar are now the Smackdown Tag Team Champions, but at least this was entertaining. If nothing else though, this is a great showcase of what happens when you just let people go and have a fun match, which is always going to help things out.

Jason Jordan, who was recently (and thankfully) replaced on the Raw team by HHH, wants to see HHH get eliminated before Team Raw wins.

We recap Charlotte winning the Smackdown Women’s Title on Tuesday to take Natalya’s spot tonight. If nothing else it was awesome to see Ric Flair come out after his health scares.

Charlotte vs. Alexa Bliss

Non-….you get the idea. Charlotte knocks her outside early on and is polite enough to hold the ropes open to invite Bliss back in. Booker of course talks about baseball. Back in and Bliss hides in the ropes before slapping her in the face. That earns Bliss a hard right hand so they head to the apron with Bliss snapping the arm to the floor. A dropkick into the steps has Charlotte in more trouble and it’s off to an abdominal stretch, though Charlotte has to kneel because Bliss isn’t that tall.

Some kicks to the ribs keep Charlotte in trouble and she gets sent face first into the middle buckle to make things even worse. Bliss tries to go aerial but a tornado DDT is countered into a t-bone suplex into the corner (with Bliss bouncing around as only she can). Charlotte gets crotched on top but rolls away before Twisted Bliss. That’s even worse for her though as she gets caught with middle rope double knees to the back (I still don’t get how that doesn’t cause a severe injury.).

Code Red gives Bliss two and she hammers away with even more fire than she usually shows. A guillotine choke has Charlotte in trouble (it worked for Bayley against Nia Jax) but a sitout powerbomb (looked great) breaks that up. The fans are split (as they should be) and Bliss breaks up the Figure Eight with a right hand that has the referee checking on Charlotte.

Natural Selection gets two but the moonsault misses (as always). Bliss grabs her DDT for two of her own so she chokes and screams a lot. Amazingly enough, Charlotte can pretty easily overpower Bliss and hits a spear to cut her in half. Back up and more kicks to the ribs have Charlotte in trouble but Twisted Bliss hits raised knees. A big boot sets up the Figure Eight to make Bliss tap at 15:46 and put Smackdown up 3-2.

Rating: B. Heck of a match here with Bliss looking like she could more than hang with someone on Charlotte’s level. You don’t see someone go move for move with Charlotte like this and it’s a great sign for Bliss’ future. The ribs story was perfectly fine, even if it meant that another champion had to lose. You know, because of bragging rights.

Post match, Charlotte nods in approval.

We recap AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar in another champion vs. champion match. Lesnar is the monster and AJ is the new underdog champion (sounds oxymoronish), thankfully saving us from Lesnar vs. Jinder Mahal.

Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles

Heyman handles Lesnar’s introductions, saying he’s fighting (Heyman: “Fighting. You hear that Mr. Performer?”) and the fans are split to start. Brock goes straight to the shoulders in the corner and throws AJ across the ring a few times. Forearms to the back keep AJ in trouble as the dominance is on early. One heck of an overhead belly to belly has Styles in more trouble and there’s the first German suplex. Lesnar sends him outside for a toss into the barricade as Cole is almost giddy.

Back in and another German suplex has AJ rocked but he tries to get up anyway. With Heyman cradling the Universal Title like a newborn, Brock hits a running knee in the corner. Lesnar wants him to fight and then clotheslines AJ right back down. Some right hands have little effect for Styles as Brock puts him down again. The F5 doesn’t work and Lesnar’s second running knee hits the buckle.

A DDT actually puts Lesnar down and it’s time to cheer for AJ as he kicks at the leg. Lesnar throws him off a tornado DDT attempt and they’re both down. AJ tries a springboard but gets caught in a German suplex that flips him over his head. Well of course it does. This time AJ ducks the big right hand and Lesnar falls to the floor, setting up the slingshot forearm. Brock goes knee first into the steps and there’s another forearm off said steps.

Rating: A-. Oh yeah this worked. I was getting into these near falls all over again as they were nailing the Rocky story. Lesnar knows how to play the monster but AJ is even better at being the fighting from underneath high flier. This was great stuff and I’d love to see it again, even if a year later they’re somehow right where they were here. Anyway, great performance from both guys as Lesnar shows he can still do it.

We recap the Raw vs. Smackdown men’s match. Allow me:

UNDER SIEGE

Invasion

Invasion

Stephanie is really, really annoying

Roster changes because they knew the original lineups were awful

Invasion

Got all that?

Raw Men’s Team vs. Smackdown Men’s Team

Kurt Angle, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, HHH

Shane McMahon, Randy Orton, Bobby Roode, Shinsuke Nakamura, John Cena

What are the odds that the whole competition comes down to this? Shane jumps at Strowman to start because Shane is the most awesome person ever. That’s shrugged off so we’ll try Joe vs. Orton instead. Joe headlocks him into the corner without much effort so let’s go with Nakamura vs. Balor instead. That certainly gets the fans into it, though Cole ruins it a bit by calling him Shin. The feeling out process begins as the NXT chants start up.

Nakamura takes him to the ropes for the swinging arms, only to be reversed into a TOO SWEET to the head. HHH comes in for a kind of weird showdown and takes Nakamura into the corner for the right hands. Nakamura gets in the first kick to the chest but the facebuster sends him into the corner for the tag to Roode. This one isn’t so much weird as much as it is….nothing. Since Roode’s pose takes forever, HHH punches him in the face. Fair enough actually.

The spinebuster takes Roode down again but Roode counters the Pedigree and hits a spinebuster of his own. That means we get the GLORIOUS pose but the Glorious DDT is broken up. Instead HHH drives him into the corner for the tag off to Angle for the rolling German suplexes.

A double clothesline puts them both down so the Raw guys switch places on the apron. It’s off to Nakamura for the running knees so Joe comes in to make the save. Everything breaks down and Nakamura hits Kinshasa on HHH, only to run into the now legal Strowman. The middle rope knee staggers the monster but the running powerslam gets rid of Nakamura at 11:31.

Roode comes in and kicks at Strowman’s legs, followed by the Blockbuster. That’s not even good for one so Roode tries it again, earning himself another running powerslam for the pin at 12:22. For some reason Joe and Strowman get in an argument, as do HHH and Angle. Smackdown is smart enough to let them fight until Orton and Shane come in like idiots. Orton powerslams Joe and Cena is all fired up, only to have Strowman come in for a heck of a 2-1 showdown. The AA and RKO are both broken up and Strowman knocks them both to the floor.

Orton and Cena get together and the rest of Team Smackdown (including the eliminated members) get together to suplex Strowman through a table. Naturally Shane gets to talk the trash but Joe breaks up an elbow to the floor with a belly to belly superplex. Cena comes in to hammer on Joe but gets booted in the face. The Rock Bottom out of the corner looks to set up the Coup de Grace, only to have Joe and Balor get in an argument. An AA to Joe, an AA to Balor and another to Joe is good for an elimination at 18:05.

Angle comes in for the showdown with some history behind it and Cena gets taken down without much effort. Back up and Cena elbows him in the face, followed by initiating the finishing sequence. The Shuffle is reversed into the ankle lock but Cena slips out without much damage. The Angle Slam does a little more damage, to the point where Shane has to make a save. Balor drops the Coup de Grace and another Slam gets rid of Cena at 21:45.

We’re down to Orton/Shane vs. Balor/HHH/Angle/Strowman so Orton comes in, only to get forearmed by Balor. A trip to the floor lets Balor shotgun dropkick Shane into the barricade. Back in and the Coup de Grace misses again, setting up an RKO to get rid of Balor at 23:46. HHH is right there to jump Orton from behind but the backbreaker gets him out of trouble.

Cue Sami and Owens to beat Shane up but he fights them off with a chair, because OF COURSE HE CAN DO THAT. An RKO drops Owens….and Strowman is back up to come in again. The running powerslam is good for the elimination at 26:32 and Shane is worried, mainly because he’s alone against HHH, Strowman and Angle. Shane stands around forever before going in to face Strowman until HHH tags himself in. Angle tags himself in as well and gets taken down by a Russian legsweep.

Rating: D+. Yeah this still didn’t work a year later either. The first third is spent on showdowns that don’t mean anything and the rest is getting rid of the people who don’t matter so we can get down to the big stuff with Shane, HHH and Angle. You know, the older guys. The wrestling wasn’t the worst but it was long, didn’t feel important and came off more as a way to get to the ending instead of something worth seeing along the way.

Post match HHH is all smiley as Strowman stares him down. Strowman grabs him by the throat and says never do this again so HHH tries a Pedigree but gets powerslammed twice to end the show. This of course lead nowhere.

Overall Rating: B-. Much like last year, the show just felt long and brought down the good things they had going on. Now that being said, the good matches on the show were more than good enough to make up for the bad and the show is definitely worth seeing. AJ vs. Brock is more than good and the opener isn’t far behind. In other words, this Survivor Series is great if you take out the Survivor Series matches.

If nothing else, they’ve made me dislike Survivor Series, which used to be my favorite pay per view. This Raw vs. Smackdown story was pure annoyance with the announcers all suddenly being cheerleaders about a story that would disappear in a few days. It feels so manufactured and, because it’s WWE, they beat you over the head with it so hard that you’re waiting on the whole thing to finally end so you don’t have to hear about it anymore. Thanks for sucking the fun out of one of my favorite shows guys. It only took thirty years.

Ratings Comparison

Elias vs. Matt Hardy

Original: D+

Redo: D+

Kalisto vs. Enzo Amore

Original: D

Redo: D+

Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn vs. Breezango

Original: D+

Redo: D+

New Day vs. Shield

Original: B

Redo: B+

Team Raw Women vs. Team Smackdown Women

Original: D

Redo: C-

The Miz vs. Baron Corbin

Original: C+

Redo: D+

Usos vs. Cesaro/Sheamus

Original: B

Redo: B-

Charlotte vs. Alexa Bliss

Original: B+

Redo: B

AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar

Original: B+

Redo: A-

Team Raw Men vs. Team Smackdown Men

Original: D

Redo: D+

Overall Rating

Original: B-

Redo: B

Here’s the original review if you’re interested:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/19/survivor-series-2017-never-mind-the-talent-here-are-the-old-guys/

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

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

AND

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

Smackdown
Date: November 22, 2024
Location: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re just over a week away from Survivor Series and the card still needs some help. Right now we have the women’s WarGames match and the Raw World Title match set, but the men’s WarGames match still needs an extra name. Maybe that, plus some other things, get set up this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap, focusing on Roman Reigns and company needing help against the Bloodline.

Here are the Bloodline and Bronson Reed to get things going. Solo Sikoa does his usual thing and requests that Roman Reigns meet him in the ring tonight to accept terms of surrender. Then Reigns and the Usos can acknowledge him. And that’s that for a fast opening sequence.

Women’s United States Title Tournament First Round: Bianca Belair vs. Chelsea Green vs. Blair Davenport

They trade rollups to start until Green clotheslines Davenport out to the floor. Green’s middle rope sunset flip gets two on Belair, who is back up with a slingshot dive to drop Green outside. Davenport is back up with a shot of her own though and we take a break. Back with Green hitting a Rough Ryder on Belair but getting stomped down by Davenport.

Belair suplexes Davenport for two with Green making the save, earning herself some shoulders in the corner. Green superplexes Davenport, who gets crushed by Belair’s 450, with Green’s stolen cover only getting two. We cut to the back where someone has knocked Jade Cargill through the windshield of a car, which is enough for Belair to run off to help her. The Unprettier gives Green the pin on Davenport at 9:50.

Rating: C+. Green advancing is nice to see as there is a chance that she could wind up winning the title in a nice surprise. Other than that, this was more about the Cargill attack, which could lead into something interesting with WarGames right around the corner. Other than that, Davenport was pretty much just there to take the fall, which is about all she’s doing at the moment anyway.

Post break Belair gets in the ambulance with Cargill as Bayley and Naomi aren’t sure what to do. It still isn’t clear who attacked Cargill.

United States Title: LA Knight vs. Santos Escobar

Escobar, with the rest of Legado del Fantasma, is challenging. Hold on though as we get a video from Shinsuke Nakamura, talking about how Knight is scared of everything and this is the beginning of his end. Escobar jumps Knight from behind to start fast and knocks him to the floor for the slingshot dive.

We take a break and come back with Escobar kicking Knight in the head for two, setting up the seated armbar. Knight fights up and hits the slingshot shoulder before grabbing the jumping neckbreaker for two. The jumping top rope elbow is loaded up but cue Nakamura for a distraction. Escobar takes Knight down and hits a frog splash but doesn’t cover. Instead the Phantom Driver is loaded up but Knight reverses into the BFT for the pin at 8:04.

Rating: C. They kept this short and to the point, as Knight gets to add another win to his resume. Nakamura is coming for Knight soon enough though and there is a good chance that we’ll be seeing it at Survivor Series or Saturday Night’s Main Event. For now though, Knight gets a quick boost, with a nice counter to let him retain the title.

Post match Nakamura runs in and lays Knight out.

We look back at Tommaso Ciampa costing the Street Profits their Tag Team Title shot.

Johnny Gargano asks the Motor City Machine Guns for a Tag Team Title shot but they think the Street Profits deserve another shot. The Profits come in and don’t think much of Ciampa. All this did was show me that the Profits are giants compared to Gargano and the Guns.

Nia Jax doesn’t know anything about who attacked Jade Cargill.

Cody Rhodes is told Kevin Owens isn’t here but doesn’t buy it.

Here is Rhodes for a chat. Rhodes doesn’t believe that Kevin Owens isn’t here so cue Owens (in a sleeveless tuxedo shirt) to say he deserves the Rhodes suit treatment (as Rhodes is in workout gear rather than his usual suit). Owens doesn’t get why Rhodes is upset when everything is his fault. Rhodes is ready to fight as Owens comes to ringside to rant about how Rhodes teamed with Roman Reigns after Owens spent years fighting the Bloodline.

Reigns needed help and Rhodes teamed with him so everything is his fault. Rhodes goes on a rant about how this is all on Owens, who always has to self sabotage himself. Owens has all of the accolades and is a great star but he doesn’t realize it. Rhodes beat him at Bash In Berlin because, as always, Owens couldn’t pull the trigger. He pulled the trigger later, but it was on the wrong guy.

Rhodes issues the challenge for Saturday Night’s Main Event but Owens gives him the “on my time” response. Owens says he hates Rhodes, though Rhodes says Owens hates himself. Rhodes won’t wait to cross any line when they finally fight. This was a good laying out of the whole story and Rhodes was selling the emotion rather well.

Roman Reigns, the Usos and Sami Zayn aren’t sure what to do for WarGames. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins’ names are floated but Reigns shuts them down. Reigns says the four of them can do it themselves so Zayn is in, but wants to know what the plan is going to be. Even Reigns doesn’t know this time.

Cody Rhodes is storming through the back and doesn’t like Carmelo Hayes saying Rhodes had that coming. Shoving ensues.

Bayley/Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton/Candice LeRae

Nia Jax is here with the villains. Naomi slugs away at Stratton to start and snaps off a running hurricanrana. That means Stratton needs a breather on the floor, with Jax’s distraction letting LeRae get in a cheap shot. Bayley is in with a dive onto Stratton and we take an early breather. Back with Bayley in trouble and Stratton drawing Naomi in to cut off a tag attempt. LeRae and Stratton get in an argument though, with LeRae having to make another save. Bayley fights up but Jax pulls Naomi off the apron for the DQ at 7:46.

Rating: C. This was more about the villains arguing than anything else, which is a big deal with WarGames just over a week away. I’m not sure what to expect from the match, but having Jax get involved here to avoid someone take a fall is a good idea. They weren’t given the chance to do much here but it kept the bigger story moving well enough.

Post match the beatdown is on but Iyo Sky runs in for the save. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez come in to jump Sky but Rhea Ripley runs in with the kendo stick to clean house.

Montez Ford vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Ciampa misses a charge into the corner to start and Ford hammers away, setting up a quick dropkick for two. Back up and Ciampa hits a knee to the ribs, only to be sent to the floor for the big flip dive. A hard knee to the face sends Ford off the apron though and we take a break. Back with Ford powerbombing him out of the corner and grabbing a belly to back suplex. The standing moonsault gives Ford two, with Ciampa’s swinging neckbreaker getting the same. The Fairy Tale Ending is cut off but Ciampa knees Ford out of the air. Ciampa tries the Fairy Tale Ending again, only for Ford to reverse into a cradle for the pin at 7:52.

Rating: C+. They packed in a good bit of offense here and it made for a good enough match, though I’m a bit surprised that Ciampa lost clean so soon after his recent rampage. One would think that it would lead to Ciampa doing something better but maybe it leads to DIY splitting and moving n to something better. Ford continues to look good on his own, though he seems to be sticking with the tag team for the time being.

Post match Ciampa stays on Ford but Angelo Dawkins and Johnny Gargano run in to break it up. Ciampa shoves Gargano down so the Motor City Machine Guns run in to really break it up. Ciampa asks Gargano whose team he is on.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Here is the Bloodline to get the answer from Roman Reigns and company. Cue Reigns, the Usos and Sami Zayn for the big showdown but Solo Sikoa says he still loves all four of them. If they join the Bloodline, the team can run the company for decades. Reigns has no fifth man and no wise man, so join the team or die where you stand….and Paul Heyman is back (in a red shirt with no tie). There is no way to do WarGames 5-4 because that math does not make sense to the Wise Man.

That’s why he has a fifth man….and CM Punk is back. The big brawl is on with the Bloodline being cleared out, leaving Reigns and Punk to have a big staredown, with Heyman between them for the awesome visual. The fans think this is awesome and…well yeah. It was going to be Punk, Rollins or on a long shot, Lesnar, and Punk is the (arguably) the most interesting of them all.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show where the wrestling was nowhere near as important as the talking and it worked well. The point of this show was the big ending with Punk and Heyman returning, but the Rhodes/Owens segment worked well too. They did a nice job of making things more interesting for Survivor Series and probably some other shows, and that’s the kind of show that can be the most interesting around. Good stuff here, with the big angle at the end being what the match needed.

Results
Chelsea Green b. Bianca Belair and Blair Davenport – Unprettier to Davenport
LA Knight b. Santos Escobar – BFT
Bayley/Naomi b. Tiffany Stratton/Candice LeRae via DQ when Nia Jax interfered
Montez Ford b. Tommaso Ciampa – Cradle

 

 

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

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

AND

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

 

Survivor Series 2015
Date: November 22, 2015
Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 14,481
Commentators: Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield

Oh and before we get going: ISIS was allegedly targeting this show for a terrorist attack. Nothing would come of the rumors but it got quite a bit of attention.

Lillian Garcia sings the National Anthem as a big middle finger to the terrorism charges. I actually liked this and she can sing the heck out of that song.

WWE World Title Tournament Semifinals: Roman Reigns vs. Alberto Del Rio

Ambrose praises Reigns for his win and Roman is happy to fight Dean for the title. That was pretty much the only possible ending to the tournament and everyone knew it when the brackets were revealed. Kevin Owens comes in after Ambrose leaves and thinks Reigns will screw up at the finish line all over again because Kevin himself will stop him.

WWE World Title Tournament Semifinals: Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose

Rating: B. I liked the energy here as it felt like a back and forth match with Owens not being able to keep Dean down and Dean just trying to sneak in anything he could at any time. It also helps that you could see Owens getting the win instead of waiting around until he got speared. That can do wonders and it made for a better match here.

TLC 2015 ad. I still love that video game theme.

Team Ryback vs. Team Sheamus

Ryback, Usos, Lucha Dragons

Sheamus, King Barrett, New Day

Divas Title: Paige vs. Charlotte

Tyler Breeze vs. Dolph Ziggler

Back in and Breeze slowly hammers away before grabbing a weak half crab. Ziggler dropkicks him out of the air and hits some running clotheslines into the neckbreaker. To be fair, he does touch his knee before doing the big jumping elbow for two. We hit the pinfall reversal sequence before Tyler kicks him in the knee and hits an Unprettier for the pin at 6:31.

Undertaker/Kane vs. Bray Wyatt/Luke Harper

WWE World Title: Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose

WWE World Title: Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns

Brogue Kick gets two, second Brogue Kick makes Sheamus champion at 34 seconds. Where did Dean go while this was happening?

Ratings Comparison

Original: C

Redo: D+

Roman Reigns vs. Alberto Del Rio

Original: B

Redo: B-

Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose

Original: B-

Redo: B

Team Ryback vs. Team Sheamus

Original: C

Redo: D+

Paige vs. Charlotte

Original: C-

Redo: B-

Dolph Ziggler vs. Tyler Breeze

Original: C-

Redo: D

Brothers of Destruction vs. Wyatt Family

Original: D+

Redo: D

Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose

Original: D

Redo: D+

Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns

Original: N/A

Redo: N/A

Overall Rating

Original: C-

Redo: D

I was WAY too kind to this one the first time around. The last hour and a half is dreadful.

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2015/11/22/survivor-series-2015-rise-and-fall/

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

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

AND

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

Smackdown
Date: November 15, 2024
Location: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re closing in on Survivor Series and for the most part, the men’s WarGames match is set. Both versions of the Bloodline need a fifth member though and there is a chance we’ll hear more about that tonight. The rest of the card could use some building of its own and the Tag Team Titles and Women’s Title are both on the line as well. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Cody Rhodes to get things going, albeit in what appear to be fighting clothes rather than his usual suit. Rhodes gets right to the point by calling out Kevin Owens but, after a few requests, he gets Nick Aldis instead. Aldis gets that this is different as Owens has injured Randy Orton because he’ll use the piledriver. Owens crossed a line last week and until they figure this out, Owens cannot be here.

Rhodes says this is exactly what Owens wants because he wants to handle this. Aldis knows this isn’t about money but rather Owens not being allowed to run the asylum. The idea of dealing with this “internally” doesn’t work for Rhodes, who wants Aldis to put himself in Rhodes’ shoes. Owens is telling everyone that what happened to Orton is Rhodes’ fault. Everything that has happened to Orton is because of Rhodes and he isn’t going to let Owens get away with this. The ball is in Aldis’ court, but Rhodes isn’t going to wait long.

The Usos and Sami Zayn are here and Roman Reigns is on the way. They still need a fifth member and Zayn thinks he might know someone.

Women’s US Title Tournament First Round: Bayley vs. B-Fab vs. Candice LeRae

Bayley gets knocked to the floor to start and B-Fab slams LeRae for an early two. A double clothesline drops Bayley and LeRae and we take an early break. Back with Bayley dropping an elbow on B-Fab but LeRae makes the save to leave everyone down. A triple clothesline puts them all down again before LeRae Codebreakers Bayley and lands on B-Fab for two each.

They go to the corner to load up a Tower Of Doom but LeRae reverses into a high crossbody for another near fall. B-Fab neckbreakers Bayley but walks into the Bayley To Belly with LeRae having to make a save. A half nelson slam plants Bayley but B-Fab has to send LeRae outside, allowing Bayley to steal the rollup for the pin at 9:54.

Rating: B-. The action was good but I could go for a long break from these triple threat qualifying matches. We just got done with some of them on Raw and here they are again on the blue side. B-Fab got to showcase herself here and LeRae has moved up rather well in the last few weeks, but this was about Bayley, who is by far the biggest star of the three.

We’ve got brackets for the tournament, with the finals at Saturday Night’s Main Event (that’s the kind of thing that makes the show feel important so well done).

Bayley

Bianca Belair
Chelsea Green
Blair Davenport

Jade Cargill
Michin
Piper Niven

Naomi
Tiffany Stratton
Elektra Lopez

Not a bad lineup, but you might not want to reveal that Naomi is in the midcard title tournament when she has a shot at the main title.

Sami Zayn is talking to LA Knight.

The Rock was on the Tonight Show, where he hit Jimmy Fallon with a pillow.

B-Fab tells the Street Profits to go win when Chelsea Green and Piper Niven came in to mock her for her loss. Michin, with her kendo stick, interrupts.

Here is LA Knight for a US Title open challenge. Before we get a challenger, he gets something out of the way: he isn’t getting involved in WarGames because he has his own thing going on. We get some Logan Paul insults and here is Legado del Fantasma to interrupt, with Santos Escobar to ask if Paul can say something cool. Escobar thinks he’ll win the title, but Knight sees Berto staring at him like he’s covered in barbecue sauce, so we have a challenger.

US Title: LA Knight vs. Berto

Berto is challenging and jumps Knight before the bell and we take a break. Back with Knight jumping to the top but getting shoved off so Berto can hit a missile dropkick for two. The chinlock goes on but Knight fights up and rams him into the announcers’ table a few times to take over. Back in and Berto hits a springboard kick to the face for two but a moonsault hits raised feet. Knight knocks him off the top and does his jumping top rope elbow, setting up the BFT to retain at 4:00.

Rating: C. I like the idea of having Knight get in the ring for a quick win, which is all he needed to do. It’s not like Berto was going to be a serious challenger and as Knight said, he’s already beaten Santos Escobar so there’s no need in going there again. Now just find Knight a fresh challenger.

Post match Shinsuke Nakamura returns and lays out Knight. That would be a fresh challenger.

The Usos and Sami Zayn go to see Roman Reigns. Post break Reigns comes in and Zayn says they don’t have a fifth guy. Jey Uso says make the call, but the Bloodline comes into the arena to interrupt.

Here is the Bloodline for a chat but Reigns and company interrupt. The brawl is on with Jey hitting a big dive but there’s too much Jacob Fatu. Reigns saves Zayn from the Samoan Spike with the spear to Sikoa, leaving Zayn to hit his own dive. Fatu is up for the showdown with Reigns…and Bronson Reed runs in to drop Reigns. The Usos and Zayn’s save attempt is easily thwarted and Reed hits the Tsunami on Jimmy.

Reigns tries to fight back but gets caught with the Samoan Spike. Fatu’s moonsault and Reed’s Tsunami leaves Reigns laying. The Bloodline leaves and Reigns is told to “make the call”. This was a heck of a segment, with Reed being the kind of monster who can put the Bloodline over the top. Reigns and company are going to need some help and since that almost has to be Seth Rollins, the drama will be rather high.

Kevin Owens has posted a video to social media, showing that he is in Milwaukee but was not allowed into the arena. Then Nick Aldis called him because Cody Rhodes wants him there next week. Owens will be there for himself because he loves Utah. Just remember though: he’s doing what people want him to do.

Tag Team Titles: Street Profits vs. Motor City Machine Guns

The Guns are defending. Sabin and the rather serious Ford start things off and trade rollups for some early twos. Back up and Sabin offers a handshake before taking Ford down into an armbar. Shelley comes in with a dropkick for two but Dawkins takes him to the floor for a heck of a Pounce over the announcers’ table. We take an early break and come back with Sabin getting the tag for a middle rope hurricanrana. Everything breaks down and a missile dropkick/Downward Spiral combination gets two on Ford. Dawkins is back in for the ave but Tommaso Ciampa comes in to jump Ford for the DQ at 7:57.

Rating: C+. This was stating to cook before the ending, which was the right call. The Profits really shouldn’t have been taking another fall but you also don’t want the Guns to lose so soon. Ciampa going a bit nuts and likely getting involved in a triple threat match for the titles is not a bad idea, though Ciampa is probably going to go on his own sooner than later.

Post match Ciampa wrecks a bunch of people until Johnny Gargano comes in to calm him down. Ciampa shoves Gargano and leaves, ranting about how he wants the titles.

Bayley gives Naomi a pep talk and tells her to watch out for Iyo Sky. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill come in to tell Naomi to win.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Women’s Title: Naomi vs. Nia Jax

Naomi is challenging and is quickly knocked down with raw power. Back up and Naomi strikes away but can’t get very far, instead being knocked down for a chinlock. Naomi gets elbowed in the face and Jax hits a heck of a headbutt. The posing takes too much time though and Naomi knocks her to the floor for a break.

Back with Jax flattening her for two more but the half crab is broken up. Naomi fights up with some kicks to the face and the Rear View gets two. A pop up Samoan drop cuts Naomi off but the Annihilator is broken up. Naomi’s big dive to the floor connects as we cut to the back, where Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez have taken out Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.

Cue Tiffany Stratton for a cheap shot to Naomi though, allowing Jax to drop a leg. The Annihilator is broken up so Jax tries a middle rope powerslam, which is reverses into a super small package for two. Cue Bayley to take out Stratton and Naomi’s split legged moonsault gets two more. Now it’s Candice LeRae to post Bayley, with the super Samoan drop and Annihilator retaining the title at 12:13.

Rating: B-. There was a lot going on here but it tied together well enough, with the WarGames ramifications being about as obvious as you could get. That’s not a bad thing either, as I could go for a group of mostly thrown together stories and feuds being locked in a big steel box. On top of that, Jax gets a nice win and is ready to move on to something else, likely after Survivor Series.

A banged up Roman Reigns calls Paul Heyman…whose number is no longer in service. Reigns is crushed, even dropping his phone, to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. Oh yeah now this is more like it, with all kinds of stuff going on and a bunch of things happening. You had a big brawling segment in the middle and a bunch of stories leaving me interested. That’s the best feeling you can have coming out of a television show and if the coming weeks can come close to this, we’ll be in for a heck of a Survivor Series. Pretty great show this week, and one of the better WWE TV shows in a good while.

Results
Bayley b. B-Fab and Candice LeRae – Rollup to B-Fab
LA Knight b. Berto – BFT
Street Profits b. Motor City Machine Guns via DQ when Tommaso Ciampa interfered
Nia Jax b. Naomi – Annihilator

 

 

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Smackdown
Date: November 8, 2024
Location: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re closing in on Survivor Series and that means the Bloodline is going to need some opponents. As luck would have it, Sami Zayn is here to talk to Roman Reigns and that means we could be in for a big showdown, albeit mainly with talking rather than physicality. Let’s get to it.

Here is Crown Jewel if you need a recap.

Crown Jewel recap, focusing on the Bloodline beating Roman Reigns and the Usos, plus Sami Zayn having issues with Reigns after the match.

Here are Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso to get things going but Jey Uso cuts off Reigns’ request for acknowledgment. Jey thinks there has been a lot of misunderstanding going on and he’d like Reigns to listen to Sami Zayn, who joins everyone else. Reigns isn’t impressed as Zayn says the kick to the face at Crown Jewel was an accident. It’s been a long time since they’ve been here together but when it was the four of them for just a minute, it was special. It felt like Zayn was with family and he knows reigns felt it too.

On some level, Reigns wants all of this back. The opposite of love is indifference, and Zayn thinks Reigns still loves him. They can run everything back, but Zayn needs an apology…for Jey. With Jey standing there, Reigns apologizes….for letting Reigns waste his time with this. Zayn isn’t family, so Reigns wants Solo Sikoa out here right now. That makes Zayn leave but Jacob Fatu pops up on screen to say that Sikoa is the Tribal Chief. It’s on Sikoa’s time, so Reigns will acknowledge him. This feels like the latest “will they/won’t they” moment, but they need to get the match set up already.

Post break the Usos want talk to Reigns, who isn’t interested. Reigns wants to know why Zayn is so important. Jey says that was Reigns’ one pass, but otherwise, Jey is out. Reigns sends Jimmy after his brother.

Bayley vs. Candice LeRae

LeRae wastes no time in knocking Bayley down for a step up enziguri. Bayley shrugs that off and hits a basement lariat for a quick two, only to have her neck snapped over the ropes. We take a break and come back with Bayley fighting out of a Muta Lock before they fight up to the corner. Bayley gets knocked off the top so LeRae hits a missile dropkick, which is shrugged off for a hard clothesline. Bayley’s Stunner over the middle rope sets up a swinging side slam for two. LeRae feigns a knee injury but Bayley reverses the nefarious rollup into a cradle for the pin at 7:59.

Rating: C. I liked the ending as Bayley used her brain to cut off the cheating, but the rest of the match was pretty basic. LeRae is only so good in the ring and it was slowing Bayley down a bit here. Bayley needs something else to do and even commentary was pointing out that she wasn’t part of the title hunt.

Johnny Gargano comes up to the Motor City Machine Guns and is glad that they’re here. Have fun punching Grayson Waller in the face! The Guns leave and Tommaso Ciampa comes in to yell at Gargano for not being serious enough. DIY wants the titles back but Randy Orton storms past them and heads to the ring.

Here is Randy Orton, with a voice so raspy his dad would be jealous, to demand Kevin Owens get out here right now. That’s just what Orton gets and the fight is on in a hurry. Owens quickly gets the better of things and hits a piledriver, which has commentary panicking. Everyone checks on Orton as Owens leaves through the crowd. Orton even gets taken out on a stretcher as Cody Rhodes is here to check on him. Rhodes gets in the ambulance with Orton.

Pretty Deadly vs. DIY

Ciampa jumps Prince at the bell and the beating is on, with Prince being rammed into the announcers’ table over and over. Prince is sent hard into the steps and the Fairy Tale Ending finishes at 1:37. Neither of the partners ever tagged in.

Video on the European tour.

We look at Tiffany Stratton’s attempted Money In The Bank cash-in costing Nia Jax at Crown Jewel.

Candice LeRae runs into Tiffany Stratton in the back and mocks her for being upset over her loss to Bayley. Nia Jax comes into yell at Stratton for putting them in a tag match but Stratton says it’s part of her plan. LeRae brings up Stratton’s plan at Crown Jewel and Jax says this better work.

Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill vs. Tiffany Stratton/Nia Jax

Non-title. Stratton yells at Cargill to start and slaps her in the face, which does not seem to be the best idea. Cargill easily knocks her into the corner and it’s off to Jax for a Samoan drop as we take a break. Back with a split screen congratulating Golden Corral on hiring veterans. The full screen sees Cargill reversing a suplex into one to drop Jax and it’s Belair coming in to clean house.

Belair hammers away in the corner and it’s back to Jax, who is too big for the KOD. Instead it’s a middle rope G9 for two on Belair as Cargill makes the save. Jax runs Cargill over but Belair hits a spear on Stratton. Cue Candice LeRae to shove Belair off the top so cue Naomi to jump LeRae. The distraction lets Cargill kick Jax down and Belair to hit the KOD to finish Stratton at 9:28.

Rating: C+. I do like it when a bunch of stuff comes together to make a match feel more detailed. That’s what we had here, with LeRae getting involved after what happened earlier. Jax and Stratton keep having trouble and those are going to come to a head. It would be nice to have that happen already so we can get rid of the briefcase, but that’s not how WWE tends to roll.

Motor City Machine Guns vs. A-Town Down Under

Non-title. Theory knocks Shelley into the corner to start but it’s quickly off to Sabin, who armdrags Waller into an armbar. Stereo kicks to the chest/back get two on Waller, who gets in a shot of his own for a breather as we take a break. Back with Waller knocking Shelley down for two and talking a lot of trash as he hammers away.

A missed charge in the corner allows Sabin to come back in and slug away, setting up a missile dropkick to send Waller outside. Back in and a missile dropkick/Downward Spiral combination plants Theory for two but Waller is back in with a jumping Downward Spiral of his own. The middle rope elbow misses though and Skull & Bones finishes for Shelley at 10:29.

Rating: C+. Perfectly nice win here as the Guns make it clear that they’re able to beat another regular team. They were in trouble, fought back and won clean. That’s a simple, effective way to make a team look good and it worked for the Guns here. It’s not like A-Town Down Under is going to lose anything from a match like this anyway.

We look at Cody Rhodes beating Gunther at Crown Jewel.

DIY come up to the Motor City Machine Guns and say they want the titles back but the Street Profits come in to say they’re getting the title shot next week. Works for the Guns. Not so much for the Profits.

Nick Aldis is happy with what the women’s division has done around here so he has something new: the Women’s United States Title. Fair enough, though Raw likely introducing their own version is going to flood the title picture even more.

Here is the Bloodline for Solo Sikoa’s acknowledgment ceremony. Roman Reigns joins them to say he doesn’t acknowledge Sikoa but instead to offer a challenge for the undisputed spot as Tribal Chief. Sikoa laughs him off because Reigns can’t be a chief without a tribe. Instead Sikoa offers the challenge for a five on five WarGames, with Sami Zayn as his fifth partner. Cue Zayn, with Reigns turning to look at him and getting jumped by the Bloodline.

The Usos run in for the save and get dropped as well. Sikoa tells Zayn to come to the ring so he slides in…and intentionally kicks Sikoa in the face instead. Zayn helps Reigns take out Fatu and the spear hits Sikoa. Reigns nods at Zayn and the Usos do the One pose. Zayn does it as well….and Reigns joins in to end the show. I’m assuming it’s going to be 4-4 rather than 5-5, as adding another entrant each would seem stupid at this point. I don’t think this was much of a surprise as they didn’t have many other options for WarGames, but it’s nice to actually have it announced with only about three weeks before Survivor Series.

Overall Rating: C+. It wasn’t my favorite show, but this did a good job of getting things ready for Survivor Series. You’ll like WarGames and probably Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens, along with whatever they have with the women’s division. Things are starting to come together, but it would be nice if they had done things a bit more interesting here. Some better matches would have helped too, as there is only so much you can get out of the latest Bloodline episode.

Results
Bayley b. Candice LeRae – Cradle
DIY b. Pretty Deadly – Fairy Tale Ending to Prince
Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill b. Tiffany Stratton/Nia Jax – KOD to Stratton
Motor City Machine Guns b. A-Town Down Under – Skull & Bones to Waller

 

 

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Crown Jewel 2024
Date: November 2, 2024
Location: Mohammed Abdo Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re back in Saudi Arabia and the focus this time is on champion vs. champion. The Raw and Smackdown World Champions, both men’s and women’s, will face off in a match or a belt that they don’t get to take with them, but they do get a ring. That’s not the strongest buildup but the Bloodline is at it again. Let’s get to it.

A bunch of people came to work today.

The opening video is a look at how prestigious everything is, with the focus on the champion vs. champion matches.

Bloodline vs. Roman Reigns/Usos

Roman and Jimmy come out together, with Jey getting his own full on entrance (Jimmy approves, Roman not so much). Jey and Tama start things off with Tama pounding him down without much effort. It’s off to Jimmy to take over, with a double elbow hitting Tama. Fatu comes in and gets kicked out tot he floor so things can reset a bit. Back in Jey armbars Tama as Reigns wants the tag. Jey tags in Jimmy instead, with Jimmy trying to calm him down, even during a double headbutt.

More bickering allows Tama to go after the knee to bring Jimmy down. Jimmy gets beaten own in the corner but manages to get over to Jey to pick up the pace. That doesn’t last long either, as Jey gets sent into the corner, where Sikoa gets in a headbutt from the apron. The nerve hold goes on before it’s back to Tama for a slingshot hilo. Jey fights up again and brings in Roman, who slugs it out with Sikoa.

The clotheslines have Sikoa down and a Superman Punch makes him do it again. The spear is cut off though and the Samoan Spike gets…two, as it seemed to be three with Jimmy making a slightly late save. Jey comes back in to superkick Fatu to the floor and there’s another Superman Punch to Sikoa. Tama offers a distraction though and the referee gets taken out. Fatu headbutts Reigns and runs him over, setting up the moonsault. A pair of Samoan Spikes finishes Reigns at 16:37.

Rating: B-. I’m a bit surprised by Sikoa getting the pin and getting it fairly easily, but this was more about setting up the next chapter at WarGames. The Usos and Reigns were outnumbered here and that is going to have to be remedied sooner than later. Good match or the most part though, even with Jey’s issues costing the team a bit.

Post match the Bloodline does their pose but Reigns fights up, only to get beaten down again. The TripleBomb through the announcers’ table is broken up so the chair is loaded around Jey’s neck in the corner. Cue Sami Zayn (who slowly walks to the ring, which for some reason paralyzes the Bloodline, who was ready to destroy Jey and then just don’t). Sami teases hugging Sikoa but suplexes him instead. Sikoa is surrounded on all sides but Zayn and Reigns accidentally hit each other, allowing Sikoa to escape. Jimmy yells at Zayn as Reigns is still down. Again, this is just a big pit stop on the way to WarGames.

We get some sitdown interviews with Gunther (who promises to choke Cody Rhodes out) and Cody Rhodes (who promises to win) about their match later.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Piper Niven/Chelsea Green vs. Damage CTRL vs. Meta Four vs. Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill

Belair and Cargill are defending. Sky and Belair start fast and Belair grabs a delayed vertical suplex but misses a handspring moonsault. They trade some flips until Green comes in and takes a beating in the corner. Now Belair’s handspring moonsault connects for two and it’s off to Cargill. Legend comes in and slams Green before glaring Cargill back to the corner.

Jackson steps up onto Legend’s shoulders for a flipping backsplash and hits a running hip attack in the corner. Sane tags herself in and hits a middle rope forearm before handing it back to Sky. Sane’s catapult to send Sky into the corner doesn’t quite work so Sky slams Jackson down instead. It’s off to Niven to run Sky over before Legend and Cargill have the big slugout.

Everyone winds up on the floor so Green teases a dive, which has to be caught by Niven. Sky hits a dive and Jackson hits one of her own, followed by Belair hitting a Cactus Clothesline on Legend. Back in and Jaded hits Green but Damage CTRL makes the save. Meta Four is back up to clean house, including a toss sitout powerbomb. We hit the parade of secondary finishers but Cargill escapes the Unprettier. Niven Vader Bombs Green by mistake and a Doomsday Device (geez) finishes Niven to retain at 12:00.

Rating: C+. They got a bit of time here and the match was boosted up a bit as a result. I was expecting a title change here but Belair and Cargill retaining is hardly a bad thing. They’re becoming more dominant champions and that is something you need rather than having the titles bounce around all the time.

We recap Bronson Reed vs. Seth Rollins. Reed injured Rollins a few months back and put him action. Rollins is back and wants revenge so they’ve been fighting a bunch.

Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed

The brawl starts on the ramp and Rollins can’t get very far. They go to ringside and Rollins is driven into the timekeeper’s area. The fight heads inside for the opening bell and Reed hits an early Tsunami but goes up again instead of covering. Rollins rolls away and hits a quick Stomp for two as they’re starting fast. Rollins’ sunset flip is countered with a sitdown splash for two and things slow down a lot.

Back up and Rollins’ attempt at a slam doesn’t work but he counters a powerbomb into a DDT (that looked great) to leave the both down. A middle rope clothesline staggers Reed but he catches Rollins on top. That’s broken up with a headbutt and Rollins drops a frog splash for two. Reed is back up with a Death Valley Driver for two but Rollins slaps him in the face, saying Reed should have finished him when he can. They had outside where Rollins gets in a shot of his own, setting up the Stomp on the steps. Back in and another Stomp finishes Reed at 12:20.

Rating: B-. Gah I’m not sure about that, as Reed needed the win a lot more than Rollins. I’m not saying Reed is done, but that’s not going to do him any favors as a monster taking a loss can be rather damaging. Rollins is hardly a low level star, but I would have stretched Reed’s dominance out just a bit longer.

We recap Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax for the Women’s Crown Jewel Title. Basically the idea is Tiffany Stratton is going to cash in on someone but we’re not sure whom.

Women’s Crown Jewel Title: Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax

We get the Big Match Intros and Morgan plays keep away to start. That only lasts so long as Morgan gets in a few shots, which just seem to annoy Jax. The running shoulder in the corner misses for Jax but she hits a quick super Samoan drop. Jax goes up for the Annihilator but gets countered into a sunset bomb.

Cue Tiffany Stratton, only to have Jax shout her down before the cash in. Morgan gets two off a crucifix so Stratton tries it again, only for Raquel Rodriguez to break it up. A middle rope Codebreaker gives Morgan two and they’re both down for a bit. Jax yells at Stratton on the floor and the big fight is on, with Jax running Morgan over. Dominik Mysterio slides the briefcase in for a distraction though, allowing a quick Oblivion to give Morgan the pin at 8:14.

Rating: C+. This was a good bit better than I was expecting as they played to their strengths rather than trying to have it be a straight match. That being said, I’m once again completely done with the Money In The Bank stuff, as the “THIS IS IT! SHE’S CASHING OH NEVER MIND!” for months on end lost its charm years ago. That was on full display here and I was sick of seeing

HHH comes in for the title presentation.

We recap Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton. Owens feels like Orton (and Cody Rhodes) betrayed him by siding with Roman Reigns, causing Owens to turn of both of them. Owens doesn’t want to hurt someone he claims to be his friends but he’s willing to do what he has to. Orton just wants revenge.

Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens

Owens hits him with a chair before the bell and they fight on the floor. Owens drops him onto the announcers’ table and takes the chair inside to keep up the beating. The referee tries to break it up and gets a Stunner as referees and agents come down. Orton gets the chair and hits Owens with it, followed by the hanging DDT. Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis come in so Orton RKOs Pearce. Owens gets up and they fight into the crowd, where Owens uses something metal to knock him onto a table. An elbow off the stage crushes Orton again. They’re both left laying and no match.

US Title: LA Knight vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade

Knight is defending and lets the challengers beat each other up to start. That doesn’t last long as Hayes knocks them outside. Knight sends Hayes into the announcers’ table a few times and adds the slingshot shoulder to Andrade. Back in and Andrade fights up, including the running knees to Hayes in the corner.

One heck of a moonsault to the floor drops Knight, only for Knight to cut him off with a dive. Back in and Knight can’t BFT Hayes only to get caught with the First 48. Hayes knocks Andrade down for two as well an everyone needs a breather. Andrade drops Knight for two and takes Hayes up top for a super fall away slam. Knight goes up and hits the double top rope elbow for two more. It’s Hayes up this time with Nothing But Net to Andrade but Knight is right back with the BFT to retain at 8:57.

Rating: B-. This was a good TV match and that’s all it needed to be. Knight gets another win and it’s no like either of the other two are really hurt by the loss. It’s time to end Andrade and Hayes’ series though, as it’s gone on long enough. They need to do something new and Knight needs a fresh challenger as well.

We recap Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes. They both want to be the best and prove that they’re better and have gotten physical a few times. Time for a match.

Men’s Crown Jewel Title: Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther

Feeling out process to start with Gunther getting the better of some grappling. Rhodes reverses into an armbar to take Gunther down. That’s reversed into a headlock as they’re taking their time to start here. Rhodes fights up to escape and the fans approve as we’re somehow five minutes in. The chops are blocked and Cody goes for the Flip Flop And Fly, only for a big chop to cut him off.

A drop down uppercut works a bit better for Cody but he has to break up a sleeper attempt. Gunther takes him outside for a big chop and slams him on the floor for a breather. Back in and Gunther gets the better of a slugout before slowly chopping Cody down to the floor again. Cody shrugs off a slam and catches Gunther on top as the fans deem this awesome. A top rope superplex brings Gunther down and they’re both down.

Cody gets fired up and hits the Bionic Elbow (the fans chant Dusty), setting up a Cody Cutter for two. The Disaster Kick is countered into the Boston crab before Gunther switches to the sleeper. That’s escaped so Cody hits a quick Cross Rhodes and they’re both down. Back up and Gunther hits the powerbomb for two but he makes the mistake of slapping Cody in the corner. That fires Cody up and he grabs a quick Cross Rhodes for another near fall. Another Cross Rhodes is blocked so Cody goes up for the Cody Cutter, only to get pulled into the sleeper. That’s reversed into a rollup to give Cody the pin at 23:00.

Rating: B+. I don’t think anyone was expecting this to be anything less than very good and they hit that point. It was a clean match with Cody catching him in the end and that’s perfectly fine. The good thing here is that it was basically a match either could afford to lose, but unfortunately Cody doesn’t really gain much from the win. Still though, best match on the show by a wide margin.

Post match Gunther shakes Cody’s hand and we get the big presentation of the title, with HHH and Liv Morgan coming out to celebrate, with some government officials joining them.

Overall Rating: B-. One of the good things about modern WWE is you won’t get many truly bad matches or shows and that was the case here. I wasn’t overly interested in a lot of what they had going on but nothing on the show was anything close to terrible. The main event was very good and some of the other stuff worked well enough. The biggest issue here was a lack of anything impactful happening, but Survivor Series can handle that later this month. Not exactly a must see show, but there are worse options out there.

Results
Bloodline b. Roman Reigns/Usos – Samoan Spike to Reigns
Jade Cargill/Bianca Belair b. Damage CTRL, Piper Niven/Chelsea Green and Meta Four – Doomsday Device to Niven
Seth Rollins b. Bronson Reed – Stomp
Liv Morgan b. Nia Jax – Oblivion
LA Knight b. Andrade and Carmelo Hayes – BFT to Hayes
Cody Rhodes b. Gunther – Rollup

 

 

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I’m not sure how to act like I’m interested in this show as there just very much here that I want to see. The show’s main matches are designed around titles that are going to be kept on display at the WWE Experience in Saudi Arabia while the Bloodline match seems to be more about getting us ready or Survivor Series. That doesn’t leave much to get excited about but maybe I can talk my way there. Let’s get to it.

Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed

This is all about Rollins getting revenge on Reed for attacking him a few months ago, resulting in Rollins being left out of action. They’ve been fighting since Rollins got back and this week saw Reed damage Rollins’ ribs. That should make for a big fight, as Rollins is often good at coming back from big odds to win in the end. That is of course assuming it’s the way they go.

I think I’ll take Reed to win here, as he can go a long way with beating Rollins and getting the biggest victory of his career. On the other hand, a Rollins win really diminishes Reed, who is getting over as a monster. There is some potential to this one though and it’s probably the match I’m looking forward to the most. They could do something good here and hopefully it sees Reed getting a heck of an upgrade.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill(c) vs. Piper Niven/Chelsea Green vs. Meta Four vs. Damage CTRL

I’m not sure how they managed to make it work but WWE has put together something resembling a women’s tag division. It doesn’t have a bunch of depth, but this feels like something better than what they’ve been doing in recent years. For now, I’ll certainly take that, as we could be getting something going with these belts after trying to make it work forever.

As for a winner….I almost want to say Meta Four but I’ll go with a pick I expect to be wrong and says Green/Niven. Damage CTRL feels like it’s been done and Belair/Cargill can lose the titles without taking much damage as a result. Meta Four winning could give them quite the elevation, but Green has more than earned some kind of a reward after everything she’s done so I’ll take a wild shot with them.

US Title: LA Knight(c) vs. Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes

This hasn’t been the smoothest build as Knight has felt like a villain throughout most of it, but he’s just kind of a jerk in general so it’s not the biggest switch. Andrade and Hayes have been fighting for months so giving both of them a title shot works as well. That means the title could go in a number of ways, but as you might have guessed, I can’t picture it going in more than one.

I’ll go with Knight to retain here, as there is little reason to think he’s only going to be the champion for about three months. Hayes and Andrade are both capable challengers, but this feels like a way for Knight to beat both of them at once and get to brag about it. That’s the best way to go, as Knight should be holding the title for a lot longer. Just find something else for the other two do from here though, as it’s time to move on.

Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens

This is a grudge match as Owens is mad about Orton and Cody Rhodes being willing to work with Roman Reigns after all the years of battling against him. It’s kind of an interesting long form look at how some people aren’t going to be forgiving after everything that has taken place. You don’t get that kind of an idea very often but it’s working well here, as it rather suits Owens.

This one shouldn’t be that complicated as Owens is going to have to go after Rhodes at some point, so he’ll nee to beat Orton on the way there. I’m not seeing any reason for Orton to win here, as Owens has a bigger story going on. You can easily reheat for his major match with Orton down the line. For now though, this needs to be Owens wrecking Orton, which he is certainly capable of doing.

Bloodline vs. Roman Reigns/Usos

At least Reigns and the Usos don’t have some kind of special name yet. This is another match where it feels like we’re just having to get through this on the way to the bigger story later on. The Usos and Reigns are back together and trying to fight off the new Bloodline, which is probably not going to go that well for them just yet. The big issue they’re facing is probably the main point of the story coming up.

In case it’s somehow unclear, this is going to be the Bloodline, who will likely win thanks to their numbers advantage. Reigns and the Usos are going to need a fourth and there shouldn’t be much of a secret about who that’s going to be. Until Sami Zayn can join them though, Reigns and the Usos are going to be in trouble and that will result in a loss here, likely thanks to Jacob Fatu (or whoever doesn’t wrestle).

Women’s Crown Jewel Title: Nia Jax vs. Liv Morgan

I can’t believe they’re actually going through this this, as it doesn’t see that even Rhea Ripley being healthy wouldn’t have shaken this up. The only good thing here is the tease of Tiffany Stratton cashing in the Money In The Bank briefcase as it opens up some actual stakes which could matter after this show is over. That isn’t enough to make me want to see the match, but it does help things out a bit.

I’ll take Jax to win here, as Morgan beating her (even as she has before) is more than a stretch. At the same time, I don’t think Stratton will successfully cash in, as WWE likes to tease something like that so much. Ultimately though, Jax continues her path of destruction as we continue to wait for someone to challenger her. Like Jade Cargill in a few months maybe.

Men’s Crown Jewel Title: Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes

Odds are this headlines (it’s this or the six man) and I’m still not able to get into it. This is the kind of match that should be headlining a big pay per view with some real stakes but, instead, it’s the old Battle For Brand Supremacy style match and that’s not something that has worked most o the time. It really isn’t here, as both of them feel like they’re just getting through this to move on to something else.

Give me Gunther to win here I guess, as Rhodes could have some kind of interference to cut him off (Owens springs to mind). The wrestling itself should be good, but it still feels rather dumb to have one of them lose for the sake of a ring (because they don’t even take the belt with them). I really could go with a better reason for them to be fighting, but I’ll go with Gunther collecting another piece of hardware with the win.

Overall Thoughts

The more I think about this show, the more I’m thinking it’s just a show that we have to get through before we get on to Survivor Series. I get that it’s all about making the Saudis happy and all that jazz, but dang could they come up with something a bit more interesting to make us sit through instead? For now, I’m sure the wrestling will be adequate at worst, but I’m looking forward to moving on to anything else.

 

 

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Smackdown
Date: November 1, 2024
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Corey Graves, Michael Cole

We’re taped from last week as tomorrow is Crown Jewel in all of its glory. That means it is time to give us the final hammering home before the pay per view, including the big push towards the Bloodline vs. whatever the other team is called, which was announced earlier this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Nia Jax to get things going. She wants the Crown Jewel Title and she tends to get what she wants. The last time she was in Saudi Arabia, she wanted to become Queen Of The Ring and that’s what happened. She’s going to win the Crown Jewel Title and Morgan will be crying on the floor.

Cue Morgan, with Raquel Rodriguez and Dominik Mysterio, to talk about how she won in Saudi Arabia too. Morgan beat her the last time they fought but here is Tiffany Stratton to interrupt. She promises to cash in, but she’s not sure which one it will be. Maybe something could change her mind though: if she takes Morgan’s title, does Dominik come with it? She could use a little dirty in her life (Dominik shakes his head no). Morgan thinks Stratton has enough dirty in her life and the fight is on, with a call for a referee. Adding some stakes, even if they’re not guaranteed, to the Crown Jewel match helps so much.

Liv Morgan vs. Tiffany Stratton

Non-title and joined in progress with Morgan taking her to the floor for some rams into various things. Back in and a dropkick sends Stratton into the corner so she grabs the briefcase. Nia Jax pops up on the apron but Morgan uses the distraction to grab a rollup (with trunks) for the pin at 2:27 shown.

Post match Nia gives Morgan the Annihilator.

We look back at Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton being made for Crown Jewel.

Owens has sent in a video saying he doesn’t want to fight Orton because he never wanted to hurt him. Now he’s going to hurt Orton like Orton hurt him.

Street Profits vs. Pretty Deadly

B-Fab is here with the Profits. Pretty Deadly has Playbills for their upcoming musical and talk to Lin Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton fame) in a likely smart move. The villains jump the Profits before the bell and it’s Ford getting knocked into the corner, with Prince getting to dance a bit. Wilson comes in for some stomping of his own but Ford slips away and brings in Dawkins to clean house without much trouble. A middle rope Codebreaker cuts Dawkins down but B-Fab cuts off the choking and slams Prince. The Doomsday Blockbuster finishes Wilson at 4:01.

Rating: C. Pretty Deadly has fallen pretty far in the last few months as they have very little to do save for talking about their musical, which doesn’t exactly seem likely for some big payoff. The Profits are stuck in this weird place where they’re good enough to challenge for the titles but have lost so many big matches that it doesn’t seem likely. They need to figure something out though, because this is only going to hold out for so long.

Nia Jax isn’t happy with Tiffany Stratton, who says it’s all part of the plan. Bayley and Naomi aren’t convinced.

Naomi/Bayley vs. Indi Hartwell/Candice LeRae

Hartwell pounds Bayley down to start and then punches her in the face for a bonus. LeRae adds a dive off the apron to drop Bayley again and we take a break. Back with Bayley fighting out of a chinlock and hitting some knees to Hartwell in the corner. Naomi comes in to slug away on LeRae, including a middle rope splits splash for two with Hartwell making the save. Everything breaks down and the Bayley To Belly hits Hartwell, but LeRae is back up with the Lionsault to Bayley. That’s not worth a count though as Naomi is legal, meaning she hits the Rear View for the pin at 8:50.

Rating: C. As usual, there is only so much you can get out of a match with so much missing, but they were trying well enough. I’m not sure how much drama there was in the match as Bayley and Naomi are much bigger stars, plus the whole Hartwell is released thing. If nothing else, I’m surprised LeRae took the fall, but it only makes so much of a difference.

We look at the recent Bloodline situations, resulting in the Usos joining forces with Roman Reigns to fight the villains.

Here are Jimmy Uso and Roman Reigns to officially clear the air with Jey Uso. Jimmy says he and his brother made up and it’s time for Roman to make everything ok of they’ll lose at Crown Jewel. Cue Jey Uso, who wastes no time in taking off the sunglasses. He gets right to the point in saying that this is about him getting back at Solo Sikoa. This isn’t ok with all three of them yet because he remembers how Reigns treated him.

There was physical, mental and emotional damage, but now they have to show the next generations that it’s family above all. Reigns isn’t going to be the boss though and they’re all equals right now. Reigns can keep going that way or he can act like Jey’s cousin and they’ll be together at Crown Jewel. Jey looks at him as Reigns thinks about it….and says YEET to quite the reaction. Jimmy and Jey hold up the fingers and Reigns joins the pose to blow the roof off the place.

The Motor City Machine Guns are in the back when A-Town Down Under interrupts them. The villains invite them to be on the Grayson Waller Effect next week and the champs are in.

Iyo Sky vs. Bianca Belair vs. Lash Legend vs. Piper Niven

Their respective partners are here too. They pair off to start with Belair hammering on Niven and avoiding a charge in the corner. Niven runs Belair over as Legend drops Sky onto the apron. Back in and Legend and Niven hit a double clothesline for a double knockdown. Niven breaks up Sky’s Asai moonsault but gets taken out by Belair. Legend and Niven drop Belair though and we take a break.

Back with Niven hitting a backsplash for two on Sky, with Legend stealing the cover. Belair comes back in with a high crossbody to both of the, followed by a spinebuster to Niven. Legend takes out Belair but Sky is back in to hit both villains in the corner. Niven and Sky go up but get Tower of Doomed back down by Belair.

Legend plants Belair but Chelsea Green makes the save as the brawl breaks out on the floor. Back in and Niven backsplashes Legend and piledrives Belair. Legend cuts off the basement crossbody as Cargill cleans house on the floor. The KOD hits Legend but Sky comes in with Over The Moonsault to hit Belair and steals the pin on Legend at 12:04.

Rating: B-. This is the kind of formula that tends to work best for these matches as it was a bunch of people going nuts and trying to get in as much stuff as they could. That made for an entertaining match and I had a good time with it, especially when you add in all of the others on the floor. Good stuff here, even if it means almost nothing for the title match.

Cody Rhodes asks Randy Orton to save him a piece of Kevin Owens.

Andrade, Carmelo Hayes and LA Knight are ready for the triple threat for the US Title.

Crown Jewel rundown.

Solo Sikoa isn’t happy with Roman Reigns and the Usos being together again and promises to take them out.

Randy Orton/Cody Rhodes vs. Imperium

Cody and Gunther get things going…and we’ll make that Kaiser instead before anything happens. A gordbuster sends Kaiser outside and Rhodes hits a big dive as we take an early break. Back with Gunther kicking Rhodes down so Kaiser can hammer away. The double kicks in the corner have Rhodes in more trouble and Kaiser grabs the chinlock.

That’s switched into an abdominal stretch until Rhodes hiptosses his way to freedom. A double clothesline leaves both of them own and Rhodes is able to hand it off to Orton. The hanging DDT hits Gunther but he blocks the RKO. Rhodes and Kaiser come back in to slug it out, with a Cody Cutter connecting. The RKO and Cross Rhodes finish Kaiser off at 10:14.

Rating: C+. They could only do so much here as the question was more about which one would pin Kaiser for the win. What matters here is giving us just a taste of Gunther vs. Rhodes, which is what they pulled off, but at the same time, their showdown doesn’t feel that important. This helped the match a bit, but it was facing quite the ceiling.

Post match Kevin Owens runs in with a chair to Orton as Gunther chokes Rhodes out to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I am not feeling Crown Jewel in the slightest and this didn’t do much to help things out. The best thing here was the addition of teasing a cash in for the women’s match, as it at least gives the match some bigger stakes. The Bloodline match isn’t that much better, as it’s clearly just a warmup for WarGames. That’s the problem with Crown Jewel in general: it feels like a show that we have to get through to get to the important stuff and that’s not great. This show boosted it a bit, but it could only go so far.

Results
Liv Morgan b. Tiffany Stratton – Rollup with trunks
Street Profits b. Pretty Deadly – Doomsday Blockbuster to Wilson
Bayley/Naomi b. Indi Hartwell/Candice LeRae – Rear View to LeRae
Iyo Sky b. Lash Legend, Bianca Belair and Piper Niven – KOD to Legend
Cody Rhodes/Randy Orton b. Imperium – Cross Rhodes to Kaiser

 

 

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

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

AND

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