It’s been a bad time for gold….and silver.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-thought-titles-good-thing/

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: February 26, 2019
Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
Commentators: Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips

We’re less than two weeks away from Fastlane and you actually know a thing or two about that on this show. The big story continues to be Kofimania, which has you believing that the title could actually change hands at the pay per view. Tonight is the contract signing, where Kofi needs to get in a great promo to really push this forward. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with the contract signing, as Daniel Bryan and Rowan are in the ring with Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon (twice in a week). Shane hypes up the match and shows us some of Kofi’s career highlights in a really good package (including his first match on ECW, which is the worst debut I’ve ever seen for a future star). With that out of the way, Stephanie talks about Kofi’s recent history in that weird way of hers, such as saying approximately two weeks ago (it was two weeks ago), Kofi lasted over an hour in the gauntlet match with a “globally trending” victory over Bryan.

This brings out New Day (Stephanie gets to dance of course because she’s fun that way) with Kofi saying that he’s been here for eleven years and he’s FINALLY getting a chance. He wouldn’t be here without Big E. and Xavier Woods and we stop for a YOU DESERVE IT chant. There’s only one thing left for him to do now, and he’ll do it at Fastlane when he beats Bryan to become WWE Champion. They both sign….and here’s Vince McMahon.

Vince thanks Kofi for everything but it’s his job to give the fans the biggest matches they can get. That’s why Kofi is being replaced at Fastlane with a returning superstar who will face Bryan instead. That man is…..Kevin Owens (who once destroyed Vince). Kevin comes out and signs as New Day protests, though Kofi is devastated.

That gives me way, way more hope about Kofi winning the title. There was next to no way he was walking into Wrestlemania as champion, but now Kofi walking out as champion is a very real possibility, maybe after a triple threat with Bryan and Owens? It would be a heck of a moment, and it could be incredible.

Post break Owens comes in to see Shane and Stephanie, saying that even though they had nothing to do with the title shot, he’s very thankful. As for tonight, he’d like to team with Kofi against Rowan and Bryan. It’s officially under advisement.

The Bar vs. Hardy Boyz

So much for Gargano vs. Cesaro. Or Matt’s retirement. Jeff works on Cesaro’s arm to start and it’s off to a MUCH slimmer Matt to stay on that arm. The Bar is sent outside for a dive from Jeff and we take a break. Back with Jeff getting clotheslined down but managing the tag off to Matt anyway. Matt drops a quick middle rope elbow but telegraphs the Twist of Fate, allowing Cesaro to send him into the ropes instead. Sheamus adds a kick to the face for two but Jeff grabs the Twisting Stunner on Sheamus to give Matt two. The Twist of Fate takes him down again and the Swanton gives Jeff the pin at 8:14.

Rating: C-. This was entertaining while it lasted but a lot of it was during the break. That being said, they didn’t need to advertise Gargano vs. Cesaro over the weekend if they had something like this set up. Now that being said, I doubt they actually had anything set up because they get through this stuff that fast anymore.

Ricochet and Aleister Black are in the back when Lana comes up to say they’re nothing special. Ricochet is nothing special but he says Rusev can’t crush what he can’t catch. Black says Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura will fade to black tonight. Lana smiles and leaves. Black and Ricochet don’t need to be talking.

Honky Tonk Man Hall of Fame video. Long overdue.

Here are R-Truth and Carmella for a chat. Ever since he was a little tyke, he’s wanted to be like his hero: John Cena. That’s why he’s following a tradition and issuing a US Open Challenge….after this Dance Break. Cue Andrade but Rey Mysterio jumps him from behind and slides in the ring first. Andrade gets in as well but Truth says he’s at a crossroads and doesn’t know who to face right now. He asks himself what John Cena would do so Carmella suggests the triple threat. Truth: “He would face both of them? D*** he brave.” The triple threat is on anyway.

US Title: R-Truth vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Andrade

Truth is defending. Andrade kicks Rey in the face at the bell but gets hurricanranaed out to the floor. Truth is right back with the Lie Detector for two on Rey but Andrade powerbombs him off the apron instead. The sliding splash is dropkicked out of the air though and we take a break. Back with Andrade getting caught in a Doomsday hurricanrana, followed by Truth and Mysterio hitting stereo crossbodies.

Andrade is somehow back up and gets caught by Truth hitting John Cena’s finishing sequence with the Five Knuckle Shuffle getting two. Zelina Vega breaks up the AA and Andrade sends him into the post. Rey is right back up with a headscissors but the 619 misses. A hard spinning back elbow to the mask gives Andrade two. Truth gets back in and ducks a 619 which hits Andrade instead, allowing Andrade to roll Mysterio up to retain at 6:49.

Rating: B. This was all action with some great spots and an ending that isn’t annoying me as much as it should. Truth is fine as champion, though I can’t imagine he makes it through Wrestlemania as champion. What we got here was a heck of a match though and I’d assume that either of these two would take the title from Truth in a singles match. Perhaps to set up a Lucha de Apuesta at Wrestlemania?

Post match Andrade goes after Rey but has to duck another 619. Mask vs. Title at Wrestlemania perhaps after Andrade wins the title at Fastlane?

We look back at the opening sequence.

We look back at Ronda Rousey laying down the Raw Women’s Title last night.

Here’s Charlotte to talk about what happened on Raw. She compares herself to Kevin Owens earlier tonight because she’s here to save Wrestlemania. Charlotte isn’t scared of Wrestlemania and shows us a clip of Ronda from November where she says if you can’t do your job as champion you need to step aside. She’ll be on Raw to see what Ronda thinks about Wrestlemania.

Aleister Black/Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura/Rusev

Of note: Black and Ricochet’s name graphics both say NXT. Black and Nakamura start things off with some grappling against the ropes, followed by a quick tag to Ricochet. That means a sliding dropkick to Nakamura’s head but Rusev comes in with a suplex to take over. It doesn’t last long again though as Ricochet rolls over and makes the tag off to Black, who is kicked straight out to the floor for a running clothesline from Rusev.

Back from a break with Rusev kicking Black in the spine and telling the rookie (even though Black debuted nearly seven years before Rusev) to hit him. A bearhug goes on and Black can’t do much to fight back. A belly to back suplex finally gets Black out of trouble and the hot tag brings in Ricochet to clean house.

The springboard elbow to the face sets up a running shooting star press for two on Rusev, who catches a spinning crossbody. Everything breaks down and Rusev gets sent to the floor for the Fosbury Flop from Ricochet. The legal Black comes in and takes the reverse exploder from Nakamura, who loads up Kinshasa….which is countered by Black Mass for the pin at 10:10.

Rating: C. This is more of a match where the big appeal is the amount of cool matchups you got in ten minutes. Any of these combinations is interesting and at least they didn’t put the rookies over more Tag Team Champions. At this point I’m half expecting a Tag Team Title unification match at Wrestlemania (PLEASE let that be the case) as none of the champions are exactly looking strong.

AJ Styles is glad that Roman Reigns is in remission but doesn’t want to hear about being in a slump. He sets his own standards but he didn’t succeed in stopping the reign of Daniel Bryan. Nothing was given to him and he’s going to stop listening to the critics. He’s ready for the next challenger and is ready to prove that this is the house that AJ Styles built. Randy Orton comes in and doesn’t seem impressed.

Lacey Evans cameo.

Recap of Roman Reigns’ return last night. Still very cool.

Before the break, we were told the Usos would be out here. The following is not the Usos.

Kofi Kingston/Kevin Owens vs. Daniel Bryan/Rowan

Rowan shoves the upset Kofi down to start so it’s off to Owens to try his luck. Owens slugs away but gets caught with a dropkick of all things for two. It’s off to Bryan who gets elbowed in the face to send him outside. That means the big running flip dive from Owens and we take a break.

Back with Rowan cranking on Kofi’s neck before it’s back to Bryan for some nose ripping. Rowan comes back in to drive Kofi ribs first into the corner, setting up Bryan’s top rope superplex for two. The LeBell Lock goes on but a boot on the rope gives Kofi a breather. Kofi hits the double stomp out of the corner and brings Owens in to beat up both villains.

A superkick knocks Owens off the apron and the Pop Up (sitout this time) powerbomb gets two on Bryan. Owens leans over the ropes so Rowan can hit him in the face. Kofi dives onto Rowan and posts him though, allowing Owens to avoid a charge and Stun Bryan for the pin at 16:20.

Rating: C. The ending is the right call for the story they’re going with but another loss for the champ is rather annoying. WWE has become obsessed with having the champs lose lately and it’s going to become an even bigger problem as we move towards Wrestlemania. This continues to set up Kingston as a challenger for after Fastlane, and that has me rather interested.

Overall Rating: B-. Much like last night’s show, this was a very energetic evening but in this case, the difference between two and three hours is far more obvious. This show never felt like it was dragging and when there was an hour left, I was surprised by how fast the show had gone. On Monday, you’re drained by the time two hours is up and the third hour feels like it goes on forever. This show moved along very nicely and I had a fun time with it as I have hope for Kofi going forward.

Results

Hardy Boyz b. The Bar – Swanton Bomb to Sheamus

R-Truth b. Rey Mysterio and Andrade – Rollup to Mysterio

Aleister Black/Ricochet b. Shinsuke Nakamura/Rusev – Black Mass to Nakamura

Kofi Kingston/Kevin Owens b. Daniel Bryan/Rowan – Stunner to Bryan

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: February 21, 2019
Location: Cajundome, Lafayette, Louisiana
Commentators: Percy Watson, Renee Young, Byron Saxton

Well this was certainly an eventful week. In case you didn’t know it was Wrestlemania season, it’s time to pick up the pace with debuts, big storyline developments and announcements of some big stuff coming up. The question now is how WWE will manage to screw this week up. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

No Way Jose vs. Rezar

Only on Main Event. Rezar wastes no time with the power by driving Jose into the corner. A fall away slam makes things even worse and it’s time for the forearms to the face. Rezar’s chinlock doesn’t last long as Jose fights up with a shot to the face. The top rope shoulder gets two but Rezar calmly chokeslams him for the pin at 4:27.

Rating: D. What else were you expecting here? Jose is now to the point where he can’t beat the healthy half of a tag team. The problem with that is he never was going to be someone who could beat Rezar even on his best day. What should be one of the easiest characters ever has been thrown away, but to be fair it’s not like he had crazy high value in the first place.

From Raw.

Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin

Tables match and Strowman has bad ribs coming in. Strowman knocks him around to start but a shot to the ribs cuts him down. Corbin drives him into the barricade but Strowman whips him into it even harder to take over. It’s already time for a table, though Strowman’s ribs slow him down. Some kicks to the ribs keep Strowman in trouble but Corbin can’t suplex him on the ramp.

Strowman can certainly do it to him though and Corbin is screaming a lot. They head up to the stage where some tables are set up, though Strowman prefers the announcers’ table. Corbin knocks him off the stage though and we take a break. Back with Corbin knocking Strowman out of the ring and swinging a kendo stick at the bad ribs. Strowman knocks him out of the air with some steps though and the running powerslam puts Corbin through a table in the corner for the win at 14:35.

Rating: D. Well that’s very nice for Strowman as he gets to beat up the least interesting and intimidating heel in recent memory to get back a win that he didn’t need to give up in the first place. This feud has been going for months now and I’m still waiting for it to get interesting in the first place. I’m not sure what the endgame is supposed to be, but it seems like something we should have reached a long time ago.

Very short clip of Finn Balor/Ricochet vs. Lio Rush/Bobby Lashley.

We get both parts of the Paul Heyman narrated video on Brock Lesnar’s career. Still good stuff.

D-Generation X Hall of Fame announcement.

B Team/Tyler Breeze vs. Jinder Mahal/Singh Brothers

Rematch from last week. Breeze and Sunil start things off fast with Breeze kicking him in the face. It’s off to Sumir vs. Axel for the EXACT SAME dance off they did last week. Mahal takes Dallas down though and we take an early break. Back with a double suplex to Dallas setting up a chinlock, which doesn’t exactly last long. A suplex allows the tag off to Axel so house can be cleaned with everyone but Sunil being knocked off the apron. Breeze’s half crab has Sunil in trouble but Sumir makes the save. Not that it matters as the Beauty Shot finishes Sumir at 9:24.

Rating: D. It was the same match, almost down to the letter, as last week. You would think they could mix things up at least a little bit here and there but it’s not like Main Event is important. This was another waste of time, but that’s the case on this show almost every week so I can’t say I’m surprised.

We look back at the week in Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte vs. Ronda Rousey.

Stills of the men’s Elimination Chamber match with Daniel Bryan retaining.

From Smackdown:

Kofi Kingston/AJ Styles/Jeff Hardy vs. Daniel Bryan/Randy Orton/Samoa Joe

During his entrance, Bryan talks about how ignorant everyone here is for not knowing Thomas Beckett. These people put him inside the Elimination Chamber but he survived. Bryan is going to educate us on his opponent for Fastlane but he won’t be saying who it is. The only thing he’ll tell us is that the opponent is NOT in this match. Bryan tags out to Joe at the bell, leaving him to face Kingston. An exchange of shots to the face allow the tag off to Hardy for the legdrop between the legs.

Orton comes in and grabs the chinlock, which is quickly broken up with a jawbreaker. It’s already back to Kofi to pick up the pace as things break down a bit. Orton drops Kofi onto the announcers’ table and we take a break. Back with Bryan hammering on Kofi until a dive allows the tag to Styles. AJ unloads on Bryan and cleans house, allowing the hot tag off to Kofi. That means the real comeback is on, including a pair of dives. Trouble in Paradise hits Bryan for the clean pin at 12:11.

Rating: C. The wrestling wasn’t the point here, at least not until the very ending. This was all about Kofi getting the pin on Bryan to set up what has to be the title match at Fastlane. There’s no reason for it to be anything else either before or after this match and there’s nothing wrong with that, especially after how things went over the last week.

Post match Shane comes out to make Kingston vs. Bryan for Fastlane to end the show.

Overall Rating: F. WHAT IS THIS SHOW??? The NXT guys debuting was one of the biggest stories in WWE in a very long time and it’s glossed over here, with only Ricochet being mentioned. But at least we got more build to a match six weeks from now instead of, you know, what’s actually happening now. It’s clear that WWE is banking very hard on the two Wrestlemania matches they’ve already announced but they’re running a very strong risk of making the fans so apathetic to the show that it’s not going to matter.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

I think we have some stuff to talk about this week.  Between the debuts, the departures and Kofimania, we cover quite a bit here.

https://mightynorcal.podbean.com/e/wwp-56-nxt-storms-the-beach-of-raw-and-sd-huge-roman-reigns-news-and-three-superstars-released/

It’s been one of those weeks.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-pancake-developmental/

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: February 19, 2019
Location: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

Kofi Kingston! Rhythmic Clapping! Sunday’s Elimination Chamber match for the Smackdown World Title was one of the most dramatic moments WWE has presented in years. Kingston was on the verge of becoming WWE Champion and while he came up short, the question now is can he actually pull off the upset. With the nothing Fastlane coming up, Bryan is going to need a challenger. Let’s get to it.

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

Shane McMahon comes out but during his entrance, let’s go to the video on the Elimination Chamber match. Back in the arena, Shane brings up the NXT names who made their debuts last night. They impressed him so much last night that they’re going to be here tonight as well. Cue Miz to interrupt, saying that he hasn’t slept in two days because of the guilt he’s feeling over Sunday’s loss. Miz admits to using Shane to make his dad proud (still one of the dumbest stories going today) and then Shane brought his dad out here.

That made his dad say how proud he was of Miz and that he loved him. It was one of the best moments of his life and now he needs something. There are no more automatic rematches but this is Shane McMahon. If anyone can do anything about it, Shane can. This brings out the Usos to say whoa whoa whoa. Jey is willing to give them a chance to admit that Miz is a joke and a loser. Shane doesn’t want to hear his partner insulted like that so the rematch is on for Fastlane in Miz’s hometown.

So to recap: Miz is the weak link of the team and his dad is the worst parent of all time because main eventing Wrestlemania doesn’t mean a thing compared to teaming with Shane McMahon. I’m still not sure how this story is supposed to make sense but WWE is likely riding it all the way through Wrestlemania.

Video on Aleister Black, talking about everything he’s gone through to get here. Now, this show is two hours long and has the time to do this, but the three hour Raw can’t have something like this?

Aleister Black vs. Andrade

Black took the NXT Title from Andrade in this same building back in April, which thankfully is mentioned. They start fast with Black sliding between his legs but getting chopped down as Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano watch from the back. A running knee drops Black again but he sends Andrade outside for the moonsault into the sit as we take a break. Back with Black busting out the strikes but the springboard moonsault gets shoved out to the floor for a crash.

Black is fine enough to hit a Meteora and get two off a German suplex. Almas sends him into the corner for the running knees (with Graves saying Black is seeing shadows for an in-joke) for two of his own but the hammerlock DDT is blocked. Black Mass finishes Almas at 8:41.

Rating: C+. Well it wasn’t quite their Takeover classic but it was an entertaining match with the fans being way more into things than they were before. That’s the kind of thing that gives me some hope here, though it does make me wonder why they didn’t have these debuts in New Orleans, which has been a good town for WWE over the last few years.

Gargano and Ciampa say they’ve made a career out of defying expectations and Ciampa does his best work under the spotlight. Gargano talks about how they went to war here a year ago in this building and now they’re here together as the future. So yeah, NXT storylines are officially non-cannon on Raw and Smackdown. The Bar comes in to say no one knows or cares who they are. Johnny says they’re here to break the bar.

Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles agree to work together tonight. Kofi Kingston comes in and offers a pancake branch for the sake of peace.

The Bar vs. Johnny Gargano/Tommaso Ciampa

Sheamus shoves Ciampa around to start before it’s quickly off to Cesaro for a big uppercut to Gargano. Everything breaks down and the Bar gets sent outside for a suicide dive from Gargano. Ciampa’s dive off the apron is countered with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker as we take a break.

Back with Ciampa getting uppercutted out of the air and it’s off to Sheamus to take him up top. The super White Noise is countered into a sunset bomb but Sheamus lands on Ciampa’s knee, which seemed to buckle. The hot tag bring sin Gargano to clean house, including a flip dive off the apron to Sheamus and a slingshot DDT for two on Cesaro.

The spinning faceplant sets up the Gargano Escape but Cesaro powers out as he knows how to do. Some backbreakers set up Sheamus’ top rope knee with Ciampa having to dive in (knee seems ok) for the save. A superkick gets two on Sheamus and Ciampa tags himself back in for a slingshot into a rollup to pin Cesaro at 11:37.

Rating: C+. Thankfully the knee seems ok as he’s walking around without much of a limp. You knew the win was coming here though I’m still not sure what to expect from these NXT names, though at least the crowd was hotter here. Now if only they could acknowledge the NXT storylines, things would be that much better.

Video on Ricochet, showcasing a lot of his flip dives.

D-Generation X is going into the Hall of Fame.

Here’s Asuka to have her resume listed off but right now, does she feel lost in the shuffle? Right now all she wants is a fresh challenge because she wants to know who is ready for Asuka RIGHT NOW. This brings out Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville with Mandy saying that she’s ready.

Asuka vs. Mandy Rose

Asuka beats the count and kicks away, followed by a middle rope dropkick. The spinning strikes to the face get two and a sliding knee gets the same. Another shot seems to hurt Mandy’s eye but she’s goldbricking of course, sending Asuka throat first into the middle rope. That’s enough to set up a rollup pin for the huge upset at 9:49.

Rating: D+. Asuka needs to stay out of New Orleans. I get what they’re going for here but they couldn’t have Mandy win via countout off that knee or something like that? Mandy is only a step up the ladder from Carmella and that’s not enough to have her pin Asuka like this. I’m not a fan of this kind of booking but WWE seems to love it, probably over how easy it is.

Charlotte recaps Becky Lynch attacking her over the weekend and says she’s going to the main event of Wrestlemania. It’s the main event because she’s in it, which is a good line.

Miz’s dad will be in the front row at Fastlane. Shane gives that a bit of a weird look.

Ricochet vs. Eric Young

Joined in progress with Ricochet speeding things up until a Killian Dain/Alexander Wolfe distraction lets Young punch him in the face. A middle rope knee to the back sets up the chinlock for a bit, only to have Ricochet fight up and avoid a charge in the corner. Another running shoulder to the ribs in the corner sets up the springboard uppercut. Ricochet’s running shooting star gets two and a dropkick knocks Wolfe off the apron. The big running flip dive hits Young and Dain, followed by the 630 to finish Young at 6:29.

Rating: C-. That’s the kind of match Ricochet needed to have last night: fighting against the odds and making the comeback with the face paced, high flying offense. It worked well here and I had a good time watching him here. If nothing else, it’s nice to see Sanity getting a spot on the show. There’s no reason to not have them around, at least once in awhile.

New Day says Kofi’s rise hasn’t been over seven days, but over eleven years. That’s longer than Instagram has been around! Xavier and Big E. push for Kofi to get the Wrestlemania title shot, but Kofi says they deserve the thanks for letting him be in the Elimination Chamber in the first place. Tonight, they need to meet his friend Momentum, so Big E. hits the intro.

We see the same Kevin Owens movie theater promo from last night.

Kofi Kingston/AJ Styles/Jeff Hardy vs. Daniel Bryan/Randy Orton/Samoa Joe

During his entrance, Bryan talks about how ignorant everyone here is for not knowing Thomas Beckett. These people put him inside the Elimination Chamber but he survived. Bryan is going to educate us on his opponent for Fastlane but he won’t be saying who it is. The only thing he’ll tell us is that the opponent is NOT in this match. Bryan tags out to Joe at the bell, leaving him to face Kingston. An exchange of shots to the face allow the tag off to Hardy for the legdrop between the legs.

Orton comes in and grabs the chinlock, which is quickly broken up with a jawbreaker. It’s already back to Kofi to pick up the pace as things break down a bit. Orton drops Kofi onto the announcers’ table and we take a break. Back with Bryan hammering on Kofi until a dive allows the tag to Styles. AJ unloads on Bryan and cleans house, allowing the hot tag off to Kofi. That means the real comeback is on, including a pair of dives. Trouble in Paradise hits Bryan for the clean pin at 12:11.

Rating: C. The wrestling wasn’t the point here, at least not until the very ending. This was all about Kofi getting the pin on Bryan to set up what has to be the title match at Fastlane. There’s no reason for it to be anything else either before or after this match and there’s nothing wrong with that, especially after how things went over the last week.

Post match Shane comes out to make Kingston vs. Bryan for Fastlane to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. As usual, it’s almost impossible to believe that Smackdown and Raw come from the same company. Tonight had some vignettes for the new stars, a new challenger for Asuka (method of setting up the challenger aside) and, above all else, the World Title match that the fans want to see. Kingston is on fire right now and deserves the title shot, so that’s what they get. It’s going with what makes sense rather than “here’s what we’re doing, get used to it.” Good, efficient show tonight and I’ll take that every night.

Results

Aleister Black b. Andrade – Black Mass

Johnny Gargano/Tommaso Ciampa b. The Bar – Slingshot rollup to Cesaro

Mandy Rose b. Asuka – Rollup

Ricochet b. Eric Young – 630

Kofi Kingston/AJ Styles/Jeff Hardy b. Randy Orton/Samoa Joe/Daniel Bryan – Trouble in Paradise to Bryan

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Elimination Chamber 2019
Date: February 17, 2019
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young, Tom Phillips, Percy Watson

It’s the first of two stops on the Road to Wrestlemania and that means we’ll be seeing a big steel structure. In this case it’s for the WWE Championship and the inaugural WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. The structure alone makes this a little more interesting and hopefully it’s good on top of that. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Cruiserweight Title: Buddy Murphy vs. Akira Tozawa

Murphy is defending and they start fast with a battle over the wristlock. The fight heads outside with Tozawa ducking a chop to send Murphy’s hand into the post. Murphy is fine enough to drop him on the floor for an eight count and let’s go to the back for an interview with Kofi Kingston. Well actually with Xavier Woods and Big E. as Kofi is undergoing a maple syrup massage.

Tozawa gets caught in a backbreaker and a chinlock as Xavier talks about Kofi being a legend before the three of them ever got together. Dancing ensues and we go back to a full screen with Tozawa hiptossing his way out of an abdominal stretch. A running boot in the corner hits the champ, followed by a Shining Wizard for two. Murphy gets caught on top and what looks like a super gorilla press is countered into a super hurricanrana for the second near fall.

Tozawa gets pulled into a fireman’s carry facebuster, followed by a hard knee to the face to give Murphy two of his own. They chop it out until Tozawa’s bridging German suplex gets two more. A kick to the face sets up a middle rope inverted hurricanrana to send Murphy outside. That means a pair of suicide headbutts, followed by Murphy getting caught in the rope for the top rope backsplash to the back. Tozawa’s Iron Octopus has Murphy in trouble so he muscles it up into Murphy’s Law to retain at 13:21.

Rating: B-. The extra time helped this one a lot and that’s a good sign for the division. Tozawa was little more than the challenger of the month but he made the most of it and that’s the best thing possible. Murphy is almost destined for a major title match at Wrestlemania, though I’m not sure who could serve in that role.

The opening video mainly focuses on the Elimination Chamber, which is a major stop on the Road to Wrestlemania. The other matches get some attention too, which is fine.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Naomi/Carmella vs. Samoan Slaughterhouse vs. Boss N Hug Connection vs. IIconics vs. Fire and Desire vs. Riott Squad

For the inaugural titles in the Elimination Chamber, meaning two teams start and it’s another team coming in every five minutes. The last team standing wins the titles. Fire and Desire (Mandy Rose/Sonya Deville) and the Boss N Hug Connection (Bayley/Sasha Banks) start things off after losing triple threat matches earlier in the week. Banks is ready to go to start and hits a crossbody on both of them to start. A hard spinebuster out of the corner plants Banks and Mandy’s backbreaker gets two.

Bayley and Banks get slammed onto the steel outside of the ring but Mandy’s running big boot gets caught in the Chamber wall. That lets Bayley hit a somewhat dangerous neckbreaker as the Riott Squad is in third. Bayley and Banks are ready for them but get taken down, allowing Logan to slam Banks into the pod with a huge thud. Mandy and Sonya get back up for the former lackey showdown and Liv drops Sonya with one shot. Sonya does the same to her for two though and everyone is staggered.

Bayley gets back up and heads to the top, setting up a Tower of Doom to put all six down. The IIconics are in fourth to cover everyone for some one counts. A double gordbuster hits Sonya and Liv gets dropped as well. Double knees to the face have Bayley in trouble with Sasha making the save, earning the two of them a face crushing against the Chamber. Bayley gets kicked in the face for two and it’s Naomi/Carmella (possibly Fabulous Glow, because putting nicknames together is how you make a name anymore).

Graves makes a comments about Carmella so Renee cuts him down with “I don’t think so World Champion Of Love.” Naomi’s split legged moonsault gets two on Morgan but the Squad gets back up and everyone is knocked down all at once. Carmella grabs the Code of Silence on Mandy but Sonya makes the save, leaving us with the Naomi vs. Mandy showdown. Before that can go very far, the IIconics hit a sunset flip/jackknife rollup combination to get rid of Naomi at 17:08.

Everyone else surrounds the IIconics but the countdown goes on, meaning everyone switches over to the Samoan pod. The Samoans clean house so the IIconics hide in a pod like an idiot. The doors are pried open and it’s a double ram into the Chamber as the dominance begins. A double Samoan drop gets rid of the IIconics at 20:10. Everyone gets together again with an assisted Diamond Dust getting two on Tamina. Mandy and Sonya kick the heck out of her for two more but Banks and Bayley knock them down for some reason.

A hot shot into the buckle has Mandy in trouble and Sonya gets sent into the same corner, only to miss Mandy which seemed to be the intended target. Sonya crashes and then turns her head to glare at Mandy in a funny spot. Fire and Desire hits the BIG dives off the top of the pod but the Squad is right there to take them down. The Samoans get back up and it’s the super Samoan drop into the double Superfly Splash to get rid of the Squad at 24:19.

Nia misses the running charge through the pod to knock herself cold, leaving everyone to get together on Tamina, with the Meteora setting up the Bayley top rope elbow. A big pile on gets rid of Tamina at 27:04. We’re down to Bayley/Sasha vs. Mandy/Sonya for the titles and Banks knees Mandy down. The Backstabber into the Bayley to Belly gets two on Sonya as Mandy dives in for the save.

With nothing else working, everyone but Sonya wind up on top of a pod. Mandy’s head goes into the steel and Bayley kicks Sonya down. Bayley gets knocked down as well and it’s Banks getting sent down, setting up the lifting sitout Pedigree for a great near fall. Sonya spears Mandy by mistake and Sasha grabs the Bank Statement. Her bad shoulder won’t let her get the full thing though so she uses her foot (cool) to get the hold on for the tap and the titles at 32:47.

Rating: A-. This was WAY better than I had any hope for and it was an actually dramatic and downright great match with Sasha making up for not being able to help Banks over the last few weeks. Bayley and Banks winning is fine, though you can probably pencil in the Samoans to take the titles pretty soon down the line. Anyway, this was a heck of a match and they beat the heck out of each other with some of the best near falls I can remember seeing in women’s wrestling. Mandy and Sonya took it to a level I didn’t know they had in them and this was outstanding.

Post match Bayley and Banks get a YOU DESERVE IT chant. Banks says they’ve worked hard to get here and more changes are still to come.

We recap the Smackdown Tag Team Title match. Miz and Shane McMahon won the Tag Team Titles as a “dream” team and the Usos won a match to earn the shot.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Usos vs. Miz/Shane McMahon

Miz and Shane are defending but before we get going, Miz congratulates Bayley and Banks for winning the titles. He brings out Maryse for a big announcement: she’s pregnant again. After the sweet announcement, Shane comes out and Maryse joins him in his dance. Jimmy knocks Miz down to start but Shane tags himself in and tries a very early Coast to Coast.

That’s broken up so Shane elbows Jimmy in the face and brings Miz back in for the YES Kicks. Miz gets taken into the corner though and it’s time for the double teaming to begin. Jimmy takes the baseball jersey off of Miz and throws it at Shane, allowing Miz to make the comeback. Shane comes in off the hot tag and hits a very fast Coast to Coast, only to eat the superkick for two.

Miz comes back in as the pace picks up with a dropkick through the ropes to Jey. It’s time for the announcers’ table (Corey: “It’s too early in the night! I need work space!”) with Shane hitting the big elbow to drive Jey through. Back in and Jimmy superkicks Miz but the Superfly splash hits knees. The Skull Crushing Finale gets two but Jimmy rolls over into a crucifix for the pin and the titles at 13:49.

Rating: C. Well that’s….surprising. I’m certainly not complaining but you don’t quite expect a guy to get arrested for disorderly conduct and then pin Miz to win some titles. The Usos are a far better choice for champions and it does help a lot that Miz and Shane lost the belts in their first defense. Still not a good idea in the first place, but at least it didn’t last long.

Miz and Shane leave together without fighting.

Lio Rush says he’s not the weak link and isn’t letting Bobby Lashley lose the Intercontinental Title.

Intercontinental Title: Finn Balor vs. Bobby Lashley/Lio Rush

Balor is challenging and can win the title by pinning or submitting either Lashley or Rush. Lashley runs Balor over to start and goes after the bad ribs. A few shots send Lashley outside though and it’s an early breather. That just means Lashley stomps on the ribs again back inside to take over again and it’s Rush coming in to work on the ribs as well.

That includes an abdominal stretch until Balor hiptosses him into the corner. Since control is slipping away, it’s off to Lashley for a heck of a spinebuster but Rush tags himself in, saying he’ll retain the title. The Final Hour (Low Down) misses and Balor starts the comeback, including a big flip dive to take both of them out. Back in and the Coup de Grace finishes Rush to make Balor champion at 9:28.

Rating: D+. This could have been on Raw, but I’ll take what I can get. Lashley felt like little more than a dragon to slay and you could have him get his rematch down the line. The wrestling wasn’t great here, but it was more about the story than anything else with Rush costing Lashley the title because he’s not as good as his hype.

Post match Lashley allows Rush to live before destroying him for costing the title.

We look at the end of Raw with Vince McMahon suspending Becky Lynch and replacing her with Charlotte.

Last night, Becky invaded a Smackdown house show and attacked Charlotte but her knee got hurt again. You have to do something to fill in these seven weeks so this works as well as anything else.

Here’s Charlotte for a chat. She is sick of Becky coming in here and taking these spots that don’t belong to her. Charlotte can look in the mirror and get all the affirmation she needs because she knows she’s good enough. Now she’s taking her spot in the main event of Wrestlemania.

Raw Women’s Title: Ronda Rousey vs. Ruby Riott

Rousey (dressed as Sonya Blade, who she is voicing in the new Mortal Kombat game) is defending and Charlotte is at ringside. Riott gets sent outside in a hurry as the fans want Becky. Back in and a quick Piper’s Pit, with a Wrestlemania sign point, sets up the armbar to make Riott tap at 1:41. Well ok then.

Post match the fans want Becky and here she is, coming through the crowd on crutches. Becky can barely stand as we get a SHE’S THE MAN chant. She’s fine enough to swing the crutch at Charlotte and beat her down, leaving Rousey to watch the whole thing. Rousey grabs the other crutch but makes the mistake of turning her back, allowing Becky to destroy Ronda with the crutch as well. Security FINALLY comes out to break it up as Rousey is bleeding a bit. Commentary of course treats Becky like a heel because WWE still doesn’t get it.

Baron Corbin vs. Braun Strowman

No DQ. Corbin throws a vest at him to start and swings away with an early kendo stick Strowman takes it away though and breaks the stick over his knee, meaning the real beating can begin. The running shoulder on the floor sends Corbin into the barricade but he avoids a second attempt to send Strowman into the steps. The steps to the head have Strowman in trouble, allowing Corbin to mock the Strowman pose.

That’s it for Corbin, as Strowman runs him over inside, much to Renee’s delight. It’s table time with Corbin getting powerslammed through, but here are Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley to chair Strowman down. Corbin gets in another chair shot to keep Strowman in trouble and we’ve got two more tables. They stack the tables up and climb onto the steps for a TripleBomb through the tables, giving Corbin the pin 10:51.

Rating: D-. You know, when I was predicting these things I went with Corbin because I thought it was the least logical thing they could do, which made it the likely result. It’s likely a way to set something up for Fastlane, because Strowman needs to be further destroyed for the problem of getting over when he was pushed.

Video on the Special Olympics.

Shane is getting treatment but Miz comes in and freaks out over the loss. Shane gets up, calls him Mike, and tells him to cool off.

Here’s Lacey Evans and, after we see a Wrestlemania package, an ad for WWEshop.com and a Fastlane vignette…..she’s gone. Literally she did her entrance and then wasn’t shown again.

WWE Championship: Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Kofi Kingston vs. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe

Bryan is defending inside the Chamber. On his way to the ring, Bryan says that it’s not fair that he’s starting the match, just like he started the gauntlet match on Tuesday. It’s because people are FICKLE! Rowan isn’t allowed at ringside either, which likely means we’ll be seeing his new follower. Bryan and Joe start things off, which is more interesting than you would think. Some early kicks to the leg earn Bryan a nearly creepy smile from Joe, followed by a kneebar for good measure.

For some reason Bryan decides to slap him in the face, meaning it’s the STF into the Crossface into something like a Rings of Saturn. Bryan fights up and kicks the knee, earning himself some even harder kicks. With Bryan down, Kofi is in third to a strong reaction from the crowd. The top rope splash to Joe’s standing back (Graves: “Kofi feeling delirious right out of the gates here!”) has Joe down so Bryan climbs up to the top of the pod. Kofi follows him up so Bryan climbs around to another but gets taken down without much effort.

Joe takes over with the running backsplash to Bryan and here’s AJ in fourth. He goes right after Bryan with the moonsault into a reverse DDT, though he adds a regular one to Kofi for good measure. Bryan goes up again so AJ springboards into a forearm to the back of the head for a unique spot. Joe is right there with a ram into the Chamber and a backdrop to the ring though, followed by the Koquina Clutch to Kofi. The rope walk doesn’t work so it’s a jawbreaker into the Phenomenal Forearm to get rid of Joe at 16:24.

Jeff Hardy is in fifth and starts the jumping until AJ nails him with a Pele. Hardy and AJ go to the corner and….I think slips with a big crash to drop AJ onto the top turnbuckle. With AJ still laying there, Jeff hits a Swanton to his back, only to walk into the running knee to get rid of Hardy at 19:51. Bryan isn’t done and puts AJ in the Tree of Woe while loading up Kofi for a superplex. AJ sits up though and German superplexes Bryan, sending Kofi flying even further.

Randy Orton is in sixth (due to winning the gauntlet match on Smackdown) to complete the field. Orton gets in a few shots here and there until Kofi kicks him in the head, drawing the fans right back to his side. AJ STO’s him into a backbreaker though (that looked painful) but the Phenomenal Forearm is countered into an RKO to get us down to three at 24:15. Kofi rolls Orton up for two but gets caught in the hanging DDT off the top to knock him silly. The RKO is countered and Trouble in Paradise out of gets rid of Orton at 26:00.

We’re down to Bryan vs. Kofi and the place is actually going NUTS for Kofi to win the title. They slug it out and kick away with Kofi saying bring it. Trouble in Paradise misses and Bryan kicks the knee out. The YES Kicks (earning NO from the crowd) have Kofi in more trouble but the big one misses. The SOS gets one of the best near falls in years and Bryan sends him into the corner.

Bryan says that Kofi doesn’t deserve to be here and the running dropkicks in the corner have Kofi in even more trouble. He gets back up after four and hits the running double stomp (ok it’s more like a kick to the chest instead) for two more. Trouble in Paradise is loaded up again but Bryan rolls outside for a smart move. Kofi follows him and loads up a bulldog but Bryan shoves him HARD into the pod for a nasty crash. The running knee turns Kofi inside out….for two and the fans are right back into this.

Bryan has had it though and grabs the arms for a series of stomps to the head. That’s only good for two again but another running knee is countered with Trouble in Paradise for two….as the camera cuts to FANS as Bryan reverses into a small package for two more. The kickout actually happened while the camera was on the fans. My goodness man. Bryan grabs something like the LeBell Lock with a pull of Kofi’s face but Kofi makes a rope anyway.

Kofi catches him with another kick on top so Bryan climbs another pod. Kofi climbs up with him and they fight over a superplex on top but since that would kill them, Kofi fights back and Bryan gets knocked down onto the top rope. More kicks put him in the ring but Kofi misses the huge splash. The running knee retains the title at 38:28.

Rating: A. That last twelve minutes are some of the best drama I’ve seen from WWE in the better part of ever. I was dying to see Kofi win here but Bryan retaining is hardly the worst result in the world. Kofi is going to get another chance after a performance like that and a one on one title match with Bryan at Fastlane wouldn’t shock me. The rest of the match was just an afterthought but that last third is incredible stuff that sucked me in like nothing has since…..dang Rock vs. Cena maybe? Just a great emotional moment here and Kofi better get the Fastlane title shot.

Bryan and Rowan leave and Kofi gets the big moment of respect with Big E. and Xavier Woods coming out to console him. Kofi gets to pose on the stage to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This really is a show where you only need to see the two major matches because nothing else matters in the slightest. The good thing though is those two matches (and the Becky segment) were awesome, with the big emotional feel to both of them. I got sucked into the main event like few other matches I can remember in years and I was wanting to see Kofi pull off the miracle. The two Chamber matches are more than worth seeing, but skip the rest of the show as it felt like stuff you could have seen on regular TV.

Results

Boss N Hug Connection won the Elimination Chamber last eliminating Fire and Desire

Usos b. Shane McMahon/The Miz – Crucifix to Miz

Finn Balor b. Bobby Lashley/Lio Rush – Coup de Grace to Rush

Ronda Rousey b. Ruby Riott – Armbar

Baron Corbin b. Braun Strowman – TripleBomb through two tables

Daniel Bryan won the Elimination Chamber last eliminating Kofi Kingston

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: February 12, 2019
Location: Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves

It’s the go home show for Elimination Chamber and we have some big matches to get through. As was the case last night on Raw, we’ll have some kind of a match to determine the other team starting the women’s tag team Elimination Chamber match. On the opposite end, there is also a gauntlet match to determine who will enter the men’s Elimination Chamber match last. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory of Pedro Morales. I’m sure we’ll get the full video tribute on Raw.

We see the end of last night’s Raw with Charlotte replacing Becky Lynch in the Raw Women’s Title match at Wrestlemania. Still works for me.

A member of New Day will replace the injured Mustafa Ali in the Elimination Chamber. It was going to be one of them or Rey/Andrade so that’s fine.

Here’s Charlotte to open things up. After mocking the BECKY chants, Charlotte talks about how Becky screwed up last night, just like she always has. It was Becky who got hurt in November and gave Charlotte the spot instead, all so the myth of the Man could continue while Charlotte went to battle. She’s the background of the women’s division so Vince McMahon made a business decision so everything could work.

Becky isn’t coming out here right now because she’s a flash in the pan and not the kind of person Vince is taking a chance on. You can boo her now because she’s dedicating her win to Becky Lynch. Charlotte will be her in the front row at Elimination Chamber because we might have a new champion and she might have a new Wrestlemania opponent. Great heel promo here, as Charlotte plays that character to near perfection.

Carmella/Naomi vs. IIconics vs. Fire and Desire

The losers start the Elimination Chamber with Bayley/Sasha Banks. Before the match, all three teams talk about how they should be champions and how they have an advantage. Mandy and Carmella trade waistlocks to start as Graves praises the IIconics for being smart enough not to start since losing is all that matters here. Sonya comes in and gets kicked in the ribs a few times, allowing Naomi to grab a quickly broken armbar. Naomi’s splits splash gets two and it’s back to Carmella, who gets taken down without much effort. Of course her response is to dance because it’s all about showing off rather than hurting someone.

Mandy tags herself in but has to run from Naomi, who catches up to her on the floor as we take a break. Back with Carmella caught in a waistlock because Carmella seems to exist to dance and be in trouble. They both hit crossbodies at the same time (well Carmella just stood up straight instead of jumping or turning for a double knockdown). Mandy and Naomi come in off the hot tags to clean house, including the spinning jawbreaker from Naomi. The split legged moonsault finishes Mandy at 8:58.

Rating: D+. When did I start not liking Carmella that much? She’s just kind of there as a person to fill in a spot but she’s still the woman that was beating Charlotte and Asuka last year despite there being no reason for that to have happened. It’s hard to let go of that, though it’s not like she and Naomi have any real chance of winning the titles.

We get a graphic showing which two teams will be starting the match, which looks like it was made in 2004.

Bayley says Sasha will be in the Chamber on Sunday.

Tamina and Nia Jax say no one is walking out of the Chamber once they get done with them.

Liv Morgan will walk through fire for Sarah Logan and it’s going to be a new side of the Riott Squad on Sunday.

Mustafa Ali talks about the big hits he’s been taking and he’s upset about not having an opportunity at the WWE Championship. This is not the end and he’ll be back because he writes his story.

Here are Miz and Shane McMahon for McMizTV (take me now). Last week Miz was doing a photo shoot for his reality show and Shane was filming a guest spot for NCIS: Los Angeles. With that out of the way, here are this week’s guests: the Usos. They’re going to stand instead of having a seat and talk about how Miz and Shane may be champions but they don’t know each other. We get the Tag Team Test, which is listing off various facts about your partner, though Miz whispers the answers in Shane’s ear. Miz: “WHAT’S MY FAVORITE FOOD? Quiche.” Shane: “QUICHE! Quiche?”

They bring up the Mandy Rose issue before Shane threatens to hit Jimmy so hard that Jey will feel it. The Usos hit their catchphrase and drop the mic but Shane says the titles are the only things that are real. Shane: “You dig?” Double superkicks leave the champs laying, as it somehow becomes more obvious that they’re retaining the titles on Sunday. You know, because Shane McMahon as a champion is just something that happens in 2019.

Video on the Million Man March.

Here are Daniel Bryan and Rowan, with the former calling the fans fickle. He doesn’t need to be in the Elimination Chamber because it’s far more important that he keep the WWE Championship and help the world. He’s cut off though and we have a lot of time for the main event.

Gauntlet Match

Non-title but the winner gets to enter the Chamber last. Bryan and….Kofi Kingston start things off. I do love how they tease that it’s going to be anyone other than the singles member of the team. Bryan takes him down with a headlock to start and flips backwards into a leglock. Kofi sends Bryan outside, only to have Bryan come back in with a wristlock. Some knees to the ribs keep Kofi in trouble and it’s the surfboard double stomp to the knees.

Kofi fights up and kicks Bryan to the floor, setting up a big dive as we take a break. Back with Kofi in trouble again as Bryan hits a running dropkick to the back, sending Kofi to the apron. A middle rope knee to the back looks to set up the Swan Dive but Bryan only hits mat. Kofi is right back with a Boom Drop and a flipping splash for two.

Kofi’s springboard spinning crossbody gets two but Bryan ties him in the Tree of Woe for a sliding dropkick. A belly to back superplex is countered with Kofi landing on Bryan’s face as we take a break. Back with Bryan winning a strike off and hitting the YES Kicks, including the big one for two. They hit the pinfall reversal sequence but you don’t grapple with Bryan, who reverses into the LeBell Lock. Kofi manages a rope though and Bryan goes up, only to dive into a dropkick (despite landing on his feet before Kofi hit him).

Rowan trips Kofi so Big E. and Xavier go after him, earning a triple elimination. Bryan kicks away but misses the running corner dropkick, allowing Rowan, who I guess just stayed, to pull Kofi outside and send him into the timekeeper’s area. That means another ejection (or maybe a first) and it’s Bryan charging straight into Trouble in Paradise for the big upset at 24:30.

Jeff Hardy is in third and we come back with Kofi missing a dive into the barricade. Hardy jumps off the steps to take him out but the Swanton misses. Kofi can’t follow up though, allowing Jeff to hit the basement dropkick, which is countered into a rollup for two. The slingshot dropkick in the corner misses but Jeff catches him on top. That means a high crossbody for two, followed by the SOS to get rid of Hardy at 33:18.

Samoa Joe is in fourth and we come back with Joe hitting his corner enziguri for a close two. The abdominal stretch goes on, followed by a chinlock but Kofi sends him outside and hits a dive for a double eight count. Back in and Joe blasts him with a clothesline, followed by an atomic drop to put Kofi down again. The running backsplash gets two and Joe is incredibly frustrated.

Kofi gets to the apron for a springboard but Joe shoves him down, allowing him to stand next to the ropes and calmly count with the referee. It’s only an eight count again though and the neck crank is on. Kofi fights up and tries some clotheslines but gets caught in the Koquina Clutch. That means a climb up the corner though and Kofi flips back to pin Joe at 46:22.

Joe isn’t done though and suplexes the heck out of Kofi, followed by a Koquina Clutch on the floor. Shouldn’t that be a DQ since the next fall begins immediately? AJ Styles runs out fifth for the save and punches Joe to the back. We come back with Kofi barely able to get in the ring and AJ saying he doesn’t have to do this. Kofi says he can do this and shoves AJ, who slugs him down to start the next fall. A backbreaker gives AJ two and he starts in on the knee, followed by a snap suplex for two.

They hit a quick pinfall reversal sequence until AJ gets an STO backbreaker to really put Kofi down. Kofi fights back again and they head to the apron with Kofi missing a hard charge to slam knee first into the post. Somehow Kofi dives back in at nine and blocks a super hurricanrana to send AJ crashing to the mat. A top rope splash to AJ’s standing back (kind of like Shadows Over H***) gets two but AJ pulls him into the Calf Crusher. Kofi finally taps at 59:57 so here are Big E. and Xavier to carry him out. RKO outta nowhere finishes AJ at 1:00:58.

Rating: B-. You knew this was going to be long but the important thing is that it didn’t feel long. Kofi’s performance was great and you could make a case for him getting the Fastlane title shot assuming Bryan retains on Sunday. A nice celebration of his career is a fine idea and something that would work fine on a nothing pay per view like Fastlane. The ending was pretty clear, but there’s nothing wrong with something like that in this case. Good match, with Kofi getting a very nice rub.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a really different kind of show with only two matches, though both of them mattered for Sunday. That made this show feel WAY more like a go home show because it wasn’t spending time on stuff for Wrestlemania. Aside from the opening promo, this was all about Elimination Chamber and that’s what Monday should have felt like. There’s time to set up Wrestlemania later and putting some material in here is fine, but treat Sunday like it matters, even if it really doesn’t all that much.

Results

Carmella/Naomi b. IIconics and Fire and Desire – Split legged moonsault to Rose

Randy Orton won a gauntlet match last eliminating AJ Styles – RKO

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

These guys really are awesome, but who deserves something special?

https://wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-e-pluribus-new-day/

https://wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-lets-think/

A trip through KB’s mind on a Wednesday night with Tito Santana, William Regal, Kofi Kingston and Alexa Bliss.