Dynamite
Date: October 6, 2026
Location: Adidas Arena, Paris, France
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Nigel McGuinness

It’s a special show here as we’re in Paris, France for Grand Slam. Therefore the card is pretty stacked, with Will Ospreay defending the World Title against Kazuchika Okada, plus Queen Aminata challenging Mercedes Mone for the Women’s Title. In addition, we have to keep getting ready for WrestleDream in less than two weeks. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

We run down the card.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Bandido vs. Kofi

Kofi, with Austin Creed, is challenging and Brody King is here with Bandido. We do get a handshake and a hug as Bandido seems honored to be facing Kofi. They go with some grappling and Bandido stops to dance a bit. Kofi escapes a wristlock and dances as well but gets more serious to block the gun pose. A monkey flip sends Bandido into the corner and yes we have more dancing.

Kofi dropkicks him to the floor and another dropkick sends him into the barricade, setting up the big running flip dive. Back in and Bandido pulls a high crossbody out of the air for a rather delayed vertical suplex. That’s enough to bring out Swerve Strickland with Prince Nana and of course here is Hangman Page to even things up. We take a break and come back with Kofi hitting a Fameasser.

Now the high crossbody can connect to give Kofi two so Bandido is right back with a corkscrew version of his own. A jumping stomp to the chest puts Bandido down and an SOS sends Bandido hard into the corner. The top rope splash to the back gives Kofi two so he goes up again, with Bandido catching him with the super flipping fall away slam. Page and Strickland have to be held apart, and in the melee it’s the 21 Plex to retain the title at 14:27.

Rating: B+. I don’t think there was any doubt that this was going to be a heck of a match given the people involved. At the same time, I wasn’t sure who was winning and that’s a great feeling. Bandido is closing in on the longest reign in the title’s history and beating a former WWE Champion clean is quite the accomplishment on the way there.

Post match Page and Strickland have to be held apart again.

Video on Clockwork Carnage, which seems to be a Royal Rumble which then turns into a multi-man Iron Man match after everyone is in. At least I think, as the rules are a bit complicated. It might sound insane, but NXT’s Iron Survivor Challenge did too and that match has been a blast so this is worth a shot.

Will Ospreay (with the audio sounding rather quiet) says he has to face seven #1 contenders at once but Mike Bailey is ready to qualify on Collision. Works for Ospreay, who is ready for the World Title match tonight.

Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match: Samoa Joe vs. Jack Perry

Perry charges right at him to start and is quickly faceplanted. Back up and Perry’s chops just tick Joe off but a running clothesline knocks him down. The release Rock Bottom out of the corner plants Perry and an elbow to the face drops him on the floor. Joe knocks him over the barricade and then sends him back inside for a big jumping elbow.

We take a break and come back with Joe sidestepping a dive, earning himself a standing ovation. Joe gets in a superkick and hammers away in the corner. The Snare Trap sends Joe over to the ropes, leaving them both to go outside. Perry charges into another release Rock Bottom but the Koquina Clutch is reversed back inside. Joe catches him on top though and the MuscleBuster finishes quick at 10:41.

Rating: B-. That was kind of a weird one as Perry had been built up for a few weeks and then just got beat clean here. Granted that’s the better move as Joe is a lot more interesting than Perry could hope to be. Throw in his ability to be a menacing force in the title match and it’s that much better. Now make Perry clean the wall that he used to issue the challenge to Joe.

Kazuchika Okada shows off his French and thinks he’ll be so amazing tonight that he’ll get his own monument.

Jon Moxley/Gabe Kidd vs. Don Callis Family

Pac’s chair is still there for Moxley’s entrance. Kidd and Davis chop it out to start so Doyle comes in for a double shoulder. Moxley comes in to try his running shoulders to Doyle and it’s Kidd taking over with the chops in the corner. Everything breaks down and Moxley knocks Davis outside for the suicide dive. Back in and Kidd and Doyle clothesline each other down and we take a break.

We come back with Moxley getting Doyle in the bulldog choke, which is broken up in a hurry. Doyle presumably hits a sitout powerbomb, though the camera decided to cut between him lifting Moxley up and putting him down. Kidd comes back in for some clotheslines, including a big rebound version for two on Davis. A brainbuster gives Kidd two but Davis is right back up with the piledriver for the pin at 10:48.

Rating: C+. They beat each other up well enough and I do always appreciate Kidd being taken out. If nothing else, it’s weird to see the Family winning as it’s hardly something you see very often against bigger competition. I’m not sure what the Death Riders have to do at the moment, but you can bet on at least one of them being in the Clockwork Carnage match.

Video on Nick Wayne vs. Chris Jericho, with their rematch being set for Collision.

TNT Title: Darby Allin vs. Kyle Fletcher

Allin is defending and they slug it out to start with Fletcher being knocked outside. Allin’s dive is cut off though and Fletcher launches him face first into the barricade. Fletcher misses a charge though and Allin climbs onto the post to dive onto Fletcher in the timekeeper’s area. The announcers’ table is loaded up but Allin gets backdropped onto the other table, landing face first for a nasty crash.

Back in and Allin is fine enough to grab a guillotine, with Fletcher escaping rather quickly. Allin is still staggered from the crash so Fletcher slams him as we take a break. We come back with Allin flipping over him for a Scorpion Death Drop, with Fletcher pulling the turnbuckle pad off. A small package gives Allin two, with Fletcher’s rather aggressive Michinoku Driver getting two.

Allin catches him up top with a super Code Red, followed by a regular version for the same. The Coffin Drop on the apron misses though and Fletcher’s brainbuster gets two for the big surprise kickout. A snap half suplex drops Allin again so it’s a top brainbuster onto the exposed buckle, because of course it is. Naturally Allin is gushing blood so Fletcher hammers on the cut but gets sent into the corner. That lets Allin grab the Scorpion Deathlock, with Fletcher going to the ropes. Allin pops up for a pair of Coffin Drops and the pin at 14:45.

Rating: B. This changed gears right in the middle, with most of the focus being on the match and then all of the blood took over. I like watching Allin’s matches and it’s rather annoying to see it turn into whatever stunt he wants to do this week. I’m glad he won here, but find a different way to do this stuff. Like wrestling.

Video on the Dogs vs. the Young Bucks, which happens on Collision.

Queen Aminata speaks another language and says something about the Women’s Title.

Women’s Title: Queen Aminata vs. Mercedes Mone

Mone is defending and is quickly backbreakered to send her into the corner. Aminata hammers away and Mone is already needing a breather. Chocolate Kisses her Mone (with her broken nose) in trouble but she gets Aminata in a dragon screw legwhip to the floor. That means the Meteora can connect as we take an early break.

We come back with Aminata getting two off a headbutt and a snap suplex to send Mone into the corner. Mone is right back with two Amigos but Aminata reverses the third into a neckbreaker. Back up and Mone sunset bombs her into the corner so Aminata is up with a knockdown of her own. A middle rope double stomp gives Aminata two and something like a German suplex knocks Mone outside. Aminata follows and is sent face first into a chair, only to send a charging Mone into it as well. Back in and the top rope double stomp misses for Aminata, allowing Mone to get in the Mone Maker to retain at 11:05.

Rating: B-. This was another case where there was no real doubt about the result but that wasn’t exactly the point. Instead this was more about having a title match on the show, with Thekla already set for Mone at WrestleDream. That should be a lot more intriguing, though Aminata did a good job in the high profile match here.

Post match Thekla runs in to chase Mone off.

Video on the recent issues between Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland, resulting in the latter issuing a challenge for a 2/3 falls Trios Titles match at WrestleDream.

AEW World Title: Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay

Ospreay is defending and tries a wristlock, with Okada pulling him to the mat. That’s broken up and Okada rolls outside, seemingly ready to walk until Don Callis brings him back. Ospreay gets in a monkey flip and they trade some legsweeps until Okada just misses a Rainmaker to reset things a bit. Ospreay knocks him to the floor for a slingshot dive, setting up a knee drop back inside. Okada is fine enough to dropkick him off the top though and we take a break.

We come back with Ospreay getting two off of a Phenomenal Forearm but he can’t manage Stormbreaker. Okada catches a charge in the corner and hits an air raid crash onto the knee to get back to the neck. The dropkick misses for Okada but he gets his knees up to block the corkscrew moonsault. Another dropkick is countered with a running powerbomb (that was some great timing) to give Ospreay two and they need breathers. Back up and they slug it out until Okada is knocked to the apron for the Oscutter.

Okada barely gets back in so Ospreay gives him a missile dropkick before he can get up. Naturally Okada is right back up with the Rainmaker for two and we slow back down. A shotgun dropkick sends Ospreay into the corner so he hits his own Rainmaker for one. Ospreay is right back up with a Styles Clash for two more and the fans are singing. Stormbreaker is countered into a pair of Rainmakers but Okada doesn’t cover, allowing Ospreay to hit a quick Hidden Blade for two. Stormbreaker gets two more and another Hidden Blade finishes Okada to retain at 18:53.

Rating: B+. This was a pay per view worthy title match as Okada getting a World Title match is a good choice for a big match, especially on this kind of a stage. Ospreay gets credit for winning over a big name and Okada is hardly hurt. Granted I could have gone without a champion losing but that’s hard to avoid with how many belts they have floating around.

Post match Samoa Joe comes out for the staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Hot crowd, rather good matches, big time title showdowns and some build for WrestleDream. What more can you ask for from a free TV show? They wanted this to be a big deal and it wound up being exactly that. The show was pretty much what they teased it would be and that’s a nice result. Sometimes it’s as simple as putting on a great show and they made it work here.

Results
Bandido b. Kofi – 21 Plex
Samoa Joe b. Jack Perry – MuscleBuster
Don Callis Family b. Jon Moxley/Gabe Kidd – Piledriver to Kidd
Darby Allin b. Kyle Fletcher – Coffin Drop
Mercedes Mone b. Queen Aminata – Mone Maker
Will Ospreay b. Kazuchika Okada – Hidden Blade

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: October 5, 2026
Location: WJCT Studios, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re back with another special edition of this show, which usually means “stuff that wasn’t important enough to be on the regular show (how that’s possible is beyond me) and one big match”, which could be just about anything. Ring Of Honor desperately needs something to build towards to give these shows some purpose, just to break up the monotony. Let’s get to it.

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

AR Fox says that Kofi needs to back down with this World Title challenge to Bandido, because Fox has already challenged Bandido. Fox wants his title match tonight and then Kofi can come see him in Paris.

Opening sequence.

Janai Kai vs. Queen Aminata

They take turns chopping each other in the corner until Aminata pulls her into Chocolate Kisses. Kai switches places with her and hits a kick to Aminata’s back, which naturally sets off an exchange of the two of them letting each other grab snapmares and kicks to the back. Instead Kai fires off a string of kicks to the back, plus a running kick to the chest for two.

A snap suplex and clothesline get Aminata out of trouble and a middle rope double stomp gives her two. The fisherman’s neckbreaker gets the same but Kai hits a spinning kick to the head for two of her own. Back up and Aminata hits a headbutt into Off With Her Head for the pin at 6:01.

Rating: C. Kai doing nothing but kicks makes sense, as that’s her entire thing. At the same time, the segment of them letting the other kick them in the back made my head hurt. I’m not sure how that’s making it seem like they’re trying to win a match, which seems to be the point here. Aminata winning again is hardly a surprise, as she does at least have something coming up.

Dalton Castle/Outrunners vs. Jimmy Wild/Nikki Eight/Tommy Mars

Magnum and Mars start things off with Magnum hitting a shoulder and striking a pose. Mars actually takes him into the wrong corner though and Eight comes in for a chop before bringing Mars right back in. Magnum gets rather annoyed at Mars touching his chest though and gets chopped, allowing Floyd to come in with an ax handle to the arm.

Some double teaming puts Magnum in the wrong corner, with Mars starting in on the arm as well. A hanging DDT/Swanton to the back combination drops Magnum but he’s right back with a backdrop. It’s back to Floyd but the Mega Powers Elbow is broken up with a double back rake. Magnum avoids a triple middle rope headbutt and it’s off to Castle to fire off the suplexes. The Mega Powers Elbow/ax handle drop combination finishes Mars at 8:26.

Rating: C+. So the Outrunners are useless in the ring right? Basically this match was these three guys going even with the Outrunners and then Castle came in and beat all of them on his own. Now of course that’s not how it goes most of the time but it’s pretty much what happened here. That being said, Castle and the Outrunners are just so much fun to watch and they’re a bright spot in Ring Of Honor and that’s always good to see.

Alan Angels vs. Bishop Kaun

Angels charges at him and gets thrown outside. Back in and Angels slips out of a double underhook and powerbomb attempt, earning a running elbow to the face. A running backsplash gives Kaun two but Angels goes after the leg to take him down. Angels goes after the leg, including ramming it into his own knee for what might not be the smartest move.

The leg gets twisted around and crushed a few times but Angels stops to pose and gets chopped down. Back up and some running clotheslines have Kaun staggered so he drops Angels with a clothesline of his own. They head outside with Angels being whipped into the barricade and steps but Kaun’s bad knee gives out back inside. That means Angels can hit a rebound clothesline and a twisting faceplant for two. Something like a half crab is broken up and Kaun knees him in the face. A Pedigree finishes for Kaun at 6:14.

Rating: B. And that’s what happens when you put together a simple story but do it well. Angels tries to take out the leg and slow down the powerhouse but it wasn’t enough in the end and he got beat. That’s a good way to go and Angels continues to be something of a hidden gem around here. Rather good stuff here.

Trish Adora vs. B3cca

As usual, B3cca sings her own entrance about what she describes as her impressive physique. B3cca actually gets in a knockdown for an early two but is knocked off the top for a crash. Back in and Adora fires off hip shots in the corner, allowing Christyan XO to choke from the floor. The double arm crank doesn’t last very long and B3cca gets up top for a high crossbody. A middle rope dropkick gives B3cca two but she gets backbreakered and suplexed for two. The Lariat Tubman finishes B3cca at 5:00.

Rating: C. Adora continues to basically be the Lariat Tubman and that’s about it. There’s nothing about her that has really stood out for months and this didn’t do much to change that. At the same time, B3cca stands out a bit with the singing but there wasn’t anything of note there once the bell rang. Both of them are perfectly acceptable but that’s about it, which isn’t enough to really stand out from the pack.

We look at Kofi beating Lee Moriarty and then challenging Bandido for Grand Slam. One might wonder why he didn’t challenge Moriarty for the Pure Title (ok stop laughing, that was a dumb one) or say, come to ROH for the mat….ok fair.

Satnam Singh vs. Jakked Jameson

Jameson slugs away to start and gets splashed in the corner just as fast. Singh misses a charge and Jameson knocks him outside, where Singh is sent into the steps. Back in and Jameson escapes a chokeslam attempt and tries something like a Samoan drop. Jameson goes up and actually dives into a cutter for the pin at 2:38. Not the cleanest finish but I do appreciate Singh trying to do something other than the standard giant stuff. At the same time, maybe sticking with the same stuff is a better idea as it looks more smooth.

We look at Queen Aminata challenging Mercedes Mone. This might have been better as an announcement before the graphic was shown for the title match at Grand Slam.

Ring Of Honor World Title: AR Fox vs. Bandido

Bandido is defending and they shake hands to start. Fox is backed up against the ropes for a clean break to start as the fans like both of them. Neither of them can grab a cutter and they trade flips over each other. Bandido flips him out to the floor but the dive is cut off with a kick to the head.

That lets Fox sit in the chair and run around the ring, but Bandido pops up to cut off the charge. Somehow Fox gets back inside to cut Bandido off with another dive and he rains down some right hands inside. Bandido is able to get up top for a corkscrew high crossbody and a one armed snake eyes drops Fox again.

A Stunner out of the corner gives Fox two and the anarchist suplex gets the same. They trade running shots to the face until the X Knee connects. Bandido tries the 21 Plex but gets sent over the top and there’s the big running flip dive. Back in and a 450 gives Fox one and a pop up cutter gives Bandido two. Now the 21 Plex can retain the title at 11:09.

Rating: B. Well yeah of course this was good. Bandido and Fox have both shown they are more than capable of having high energy matches and that was the case again here. The problem here though was there was no reason to believe that Fox was going to win the title. Not only was Fox not likely to win, you already had the Kofi match set for tomorrow. It does help that they didn’t really try to make this into a big, dramatic title match as there wasn’t much of a reason. It’s still a more than good enough main event for a show like this and I’ll take that.

Post match Bandido puts his Pac armband on the title to end the show with a nice moment.

Overall Rating: B. As usual, the length of a Ring Of Honor show makes a big difference as they didn’t have the time to have the show full of filler. This show kept mostly to the point, though I’m still kind of scratching my head on Kaun getting a singles match. I can’t imagine this got many more people to pay for Ring Of Honor but I guess it was designed to get us to care about the ROH wrestlers on Grand Slam. Either way, good action here for the most part and the right runtime for a change.

Results
Queen Aminata b. Janai Kai – Off With Her Head
Outrunners/Dalton Castle b. Tommy Mars/Nikki Eight/Jimmy Wild – Mega Powers Elbow/Ax handle drop combination to Mars
Bishop Kaun b. Alan Angels – Pedigree
Trish Adora b. B3cca – Lariat Tubman
Satnam Singh b. Jakked Jameson – Cutter
Bandido b. AR Fox – 21 Plex

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

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Collision
Date: October 3, 2026
Location: Truist Arena, Highland Heights, Kentucky
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, Paul Wight

We’re done with All Out and rapidly closing in on Wrestledream, with the schedule being a bit crunched because of the Pac tribute show from earlier this week. That should make for a bigger Collision here, as they don’t have a lot of time to waste with just two weeks before the pay per view. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

We run down the card.

Kofi is excited to be here and can’t wait to get going. Lee Moriarty says he’s been Pure Champion for 799 days and wants more respect. Kofi doesn’t get what’s wrong with him.

Kofi vs. Lee Moriarty

Non-title and Austin Creed is on commentary. Moriarty spins out of a hammerlock to start and we’re at a standoff. They trade a crossarm choke and Moriarty takes him over to the ropes for the break. Kofi sends him to the floor and teases a dive but bounces off of the ropes instead.

Back in and a leg lariat gives Kofi two but Moriarty plants him with a running DDT and it’s time for a breather on the floor. Moriarty bridges back on his neck and mocks Kofi as we take a break. We come back with Moriarty hitting a backdrop but getting knocked off the top. A tornado DDT and dropkick have Moriarty in trouble until he pulls Kofi into a triangle choke. That’s broken up and Kofi tries a springboard….I think crucifix driver but completely misses.

Instead Moriarty gets in a suplex so Kofi kicks him down and drops the double leg. Trouble In Paradise misses and Moriarty pulls him into a Border City Stretch. Kofi makes it over to the rope so Moriarty punches him in the head. Kofi’s choke has Moriarty in the rope, only for Moriarty to send Kofi head first into the buckle. A European clutch gives Moriarty two but Kofi is back up with Trouble In Paradise for the pin at 13:17.

Rating: B+. Yeah this was exactly what you would have expected, with two established talented guys getting to show what they could do. Moriarty can wrestle a technical match as well as anyone and Kofi is one of the most consistently successful stars of his generation. This was quite the opener and Kofi is quite a good addition to the roster.

We take a look at the Pac tribute show, which is still hard to see.

Commentary gives some thoughts on Pac, with McGuinness sounding close to breaking.

The Young Bucks talk about Pac and how helpful he was to them in Japan when they were starting out. You can hear the emotions here and Nick breaks down in tears.

Video on Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada at Grand Slam Paris, which was announced after All Out.

Commentary announces Clockwork Carnage, which is a rather complicated match involving eight wrestlers entering but possibly being eliminated until they’re all in. Once that is up, the remaining wrestlers have what is basically a fifteen minute Iron Man match and the most points win. So a Royal Rumble/Iron Man hybrid?

Conglomeration vs. Solorato/Griff Garrison

Garrison gets taken into the corner for some double chops as Wight pops back onto audio to yell at McGuinness for muting him. Cassidy gets more fired up than usual and hammers away with about twenty five right hands in the corner. Comorato crotches Cassidy on top but Solo stops to do the Macarena. A tornado DDT gets Cassidy out of trouble and Garrison gets high/lowed on the floor. Back up and Solo tries a 21 Plex of all things, which is easily broken up. The Orange Punch finishes Comorato at 3:09.

Rating: C. This was a more serious Conglomeration than usual and that’s certainly a way to go, as Cassidy being serious might not be the best idea. I’m assuming this is in response to Strong being annoyed at the team’s recent loss so maybe they’re going in something of a different direction. Then again it’s just Solorato/Garrison so it only means so much.

Post match here are the Death Riders for their scheduled match and a staredown.

Bang Bang Gang vs. Death Riders

The Gang starts in on Yuta’s arm with some alternating shots before Austin gets pulled into the wrong corner. Austin fights back against Garcia and Yuta, meaning it’s time for the double fireman’s carry with the squats. Castagnoli breaks it up with a big boot though and we take a break. We come back with Austin hitting a brainbuster, allowing the tag off to Colten. That means right hands and a dropkick to take over, with Austin coming in for the still cool Quick Draw.

Everything breaks down and a step up clothesline to the back gets two on Garcia. Castagnoli’s powerbomb out of the corner gets two on Colten and it’s off to the six way slugout/knockdown. Marina Shafir and Juice Robinson tease a fight but Gabe Kidd breaks it up. The Gunns chase Kidd off but Yuta dives onto both of them. That leaves Austin to get crushed with running elbows in the corner, with Shafir getting in a shot of her own. The running knee and Dragontamer finish Austin at 12:20.

Rating: B-. Hey look: Austin takes the fall in a match with the Gunn Club there to do it instead. For the life of me I do not get why Austin has to take so many losses but here we are again. Other than that, it was a good enough tag match and a way for the Riders to get a regular win after their big showcase on Wednesday.

Darby Allin talks about how things have been put into perspective and he thought Steven Borden’s career was over at All Out. The Tag Team Titles will still be waiting for them though and it’s time to focus on the TNT Title. Kyle Fletcher never lost it so Allin wants to give him a title shot at Grand Slam so Allin can feel alive.

Myron Reed vs. Dante Martin

They trade rollups to start as McGuinness and Wight have what sounds like a less than playful exchange on commentary. Martin knocks him outside and rolls through a slingshot sunset flip attempt. Reed is right back up with a dropkick and we take a break. We come back with Reed hitting the hanging Downward Spiral from the apron to the floor. Marin is back up for the suicide shove but Reed tries the running diving cutter. The term is try as Martin blocks it and reverses into a poisonrana on the floor. Back in and Martin goes up for…something that takes so long that he dives into a cutter. Reed’s 450 finishes at 9:49.

Rating: B. It was a nice collection of flips and dives with the 450 being a cool looking finish but this felt like it would have been better suited for a middle of the show match on Ring Of Honor. Martin feels like he has been ready to move up to the next level for years now and there is no reason to suggest that is the case. Reed is talented but I have no reason to believe he’s going anywhere either.

Thekla tries to go see Mercedes Mone but can’t get an answer to a knock. Then Mone sneaks up from behind and knocks Thekla down. This has been “Mone is smart and her challenger is dumb”.

Megan Bayne/Lena Kross vs. Emily Rose/Joiya Blake

Divine Intervention finishes Rose at 46 seconds.

Post match Julia Hart comes out for her match and a staredown with Bayne/Kross. Yeah I saw them do that about thirty minutes ago.

Julia Hart vs. Queen Aminata

Hart gets headbutted out to the floor to start, followed by the Chocolate Kisses back inside. Hart knocks her down out of the corner though and Aminata is in trouble as we take a break. We come back with Aminata getting two off a stomp and putting her in a chair on the floor. That means a running double stomp to drive Hart through chair for a nasty crash and they go back inside. Back in and Hart gets in an Octopus, which is reversed into an Air Raid Crash for two. A Backstabber with the feet has Aminata in trouble again but she knocks Hart into the ropes. Off With Her Head finishes Hart at 9:13.

Rating: C+. They were hitting each other hard but this show has been on a streak of matches that do not feel even remotely important. You know where Hart and Aminata are at the moment and it would be ridiculous to think that either of them is going anywhere off of this win. Maybe Aminata can get a shot in Ring Of Honor or something but it’s not happening here, at least not in anything serious.

New Level are glad about what they’re doing so far and Kofi wants to be a singles champion. That means an official challenge to Bandido for Grand Slam, which is certainly a switch.

Jack Perry says he beat Katsuyori Shibata and wants Samoa Joe, who returned at All Out.

Samoa Joe is back and hopes that Perry can be man enough after the beating he’s going to get.

Adam Priest vs. Mark Davis

Davis chops him down to start but Priest is able to get in a knockdown to the floor. A dragon screw legwhip over the rope has Davis in trouble but he’s able to run Priest over as we take a break. We come back with Priest taking out the leg and hitting a top rope DDT. Another twist of the knee has Davis in trouble but it’s too early for the half crab. And then the half crab goes on to have Davis screaming quite a bit. That’s broken up and Priest goes after the leg again but gets pulled into the piledriver to give Davis the pin at 8:39.

Rating: C+. This show has turned into ROH Collision as you’re getting longer matches with zero doubt about who wins. At the same time, and really far worse, is that neither of these two are going to have anything changed with the result. Davis beat someone he should beat and Priest lost to someone he should lose to. That’s been the case with most of the matches this week and it’s making for a very dull watch.

Queen Aminata is told she might get a title shot and says she’ll face Mercedes Mone at Grand Slam. Then she can go on to WrestleDream to beat Thekla up.

Grand Slam rundown.

Jon Moxley vs. Jake Doyle

Non-title Eliminator Match. They start slowly and Moxley can’t get very far by running into Doyle. A running shoulder doesn’t work but the second is more successful for Moxley. Back up and Doyle powers him into the corner but Moxley reverses and hammers away. A running shoulder sends Moxley off the apron and into the barricade and we take a break.

We come back with Moxley in trouble on the floor and a ridiculously slow count, which allows Moxley to sit down next to the post for a few moments. Back in and Moxley wins a slugout, even throwing in some kicks to the leg. The rebound lariat hits Doyle and a cutter sends him outside for a suicide dive. Back in and Doyle tries a powerbomb but gets his face bitten instead. A piledriver just wakes Doyle up and he powerbombs Moxley for two. Back up and Doyle tries Into The Void but gets pulled into the rear naked choke to give Moxley the win at 13:19.

Rating: B. That was exactly what I was expecting, with Moxley selling a bunch and then winning in the end. The match was good and all, but the result was exactly the same as it so often is with Moxley and that makes for a tedious watch. Moxley being there made it feel more important than the rest of the show but dang this did not come off like a main event.

Overall Rating: C+. This really did feel like a Ring Of Honor show, with a bunch of people having matches to fill in the time. A few of them might be building to something, but so many of the matches felt like background noise while commentary announced matches for the two upcoming shows. You have a live television show with the wrestlers there so make this more like this week’s Dynamite. The wrestling was good but the presentation didn’t work, which made this feel very, very long.

Results
Kofi b. Lee Moriarty – Trouble In Paradise
Death Riders b. Bang Bang Gang – Dragontamer to Austin
Myron Reed b. Dante Martin – 450
Megan Bayne/Lena Kross b. Emily Rose/Joiya Blake – Divine Intervention to Rose
Queen Aminata b. Julia Hart – Off With Her Head
Mark Davis b. Adam Priest – Piledriver
Jon Moxley b. Jake Doyle – Rear naked choke

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You know how matches today tend to repeat themselves?  Think about this:Back in December of 1997, back when there were two TV shows a week, Buff Bagwell and Lex Luger fought SIX TIMES in the same month.  Four matches on Nitro, one on Saturday Night and one on Starrcade.  Think about that for a minute.  SIX TIMES in the same month.

And you thought Ziggler and Kofi fought a lot.

Smackdown
Date: April 5, 2013
Location: Verizon Center, Washington D.C.
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Jerry Lawler

This is the very final show before Wrestlemania and therefore there isn’t likely to be much going on in the ring. Expect to see a lot of buildup for Sunday which makes sense given that the whole show is already set in stone unless they add in a battle royal or something. This isn’t likely going to be much but it’s the price you pay to get to Wrestlemania. Let’s get to it.

Ryback vs. Primo/Epico

The cousins have new music. We cut to Cole and JBL at Axxess to talk about how awesome things are there. Primo starts and is quickly powerslammed. Ryback pulls Epico in and throws him into the corner before hitting a gorilla press slam. Back to Primo for a nice springboard dropkick. Epico comes in for a chinlock but gets caught in the Over the Shoulder Boulder Holder (that’s the real name) and it’s back to Primo. A double spear puts the cousins down and the double Shell Shock gets the pin at 3:15.

Rating: D+. What do you want here? This was exactly what it was supposed to be: a quick squash to make Ryback look strong going into the showdown on Sunday. Ryback needs the win on Sunday a lot more than Henry does as he hasn’t won a big match since before the Cell loss in the fall.

We look at some more Axxess stuff like Mr. McMahon’s office before looking at the Wrestlemania auction for Hurricane Sandy relief.

Video on Lesnar vs. HHH.

We get a video on Hall of Fame inductee Bruno Sammartino.

Video on Fandango and the pronunciation of his name. This transitions into a recap of Fandango attacking Jericho on Raw.

Video on this history of the Shield. This transitions into the end of last week’s show with Shield being beaten down.

Here are Tons of Funk and the Funkadactyls, tonight as played by the Bellas (complete with some extra padding in the shorts and the Rhodes Scholars dancing while eating some cookies. Daniem Sandow in a Brodus hat and dancing is too much. Cody has a bald wig with the Japanese characters thrown in. The dog and pony show ends on Sunday. This brings out the real Tons of Funk and the Funkadactyls for the ring clearing brawl.

Video on the Wrestlemania press conference.

Video on Punk vs. Undertaker.

JBL and Cole talk about the exhibit where you can climb a ladder to get the MITB case. JBL to Cole: “You have the athletic ability of an Oklahoma chimpanzee.”

Donald Trump Hall of Fame video.

We get a main event preview, which means we see both Rock and Cena’s promos from Raw.

Del Rio says it’s a good thing that he’s at Axxess and not at Smackdown tonight, because Swagger would be suffering. He’ll be suffering on Sunday as well and America is made up of a bunch of cultures coming together.

Jack Swagger vs. Kofi Kingston

Feeling out process to start with Swagger grabbing a top wristlock and Kofi unsuccessfully trying to flip out of it. Kofi comes back with his double leapfrogs and a back elbow before knocking Swagger to the floor. We take a break and come back with Swagger putting on a double chickenwing. Kofi fights up but a sunset flip attempt is blocked.

Instead Kofi takes Jack down with a monkey flip, only to be awkwardly sent into the corner for the Vader Bomb. Kofi gets the feet up though and hits a top rope cross body for two. An attempt at a second is caught in mid air but Kofi escapes the gutwrench powerbomb. Kofi’s SOS gets two but a Colter distraction lets Swagger hook the Patriot Lock for the submission at 9:40.

Rating: C. This was fine but with less than ten minutes and about three of those spent on a commercial, there was only so much they were going to be able to do. That being said, this is the highest profile exposure Swagger and the title match have had since the title match was announced for Wrestlemania. Not bad here but it was just there.

Overall Rating: D+. That rating could be pretty much anything tonight because it’s basically just grading a two hour infomercial. This is one of those shows you have to sit through once a year and while it’s unpleasant, it’s just one time and it means there’s nothing left to sit through before Wrestlemania. The matches were just there to say we had wrestling tonight and again, that’s what you have to expect.

Results

Ryback b. Epico/Primo – Double Shell Shock

Jack Swagger b. Kofi Kingston – Patriot Lock

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Smackdown
Date: November 2, 2012
Location: Crown Coliseum, Fayetteville, North Carolina
Commentators: Josh Matthews, John Bradshaw Layfield

We’re in the Big Show Era here and for the life of me I’m not entirely sure why. Sheamus was doing ok as champion (other than the three months that Del Rio sucked the life out of him) so they put the title on Big Show of all people? At least the match was good though so that helps a bit. Other than that we’re going to have to speed through the build to Survivor Series in three weeks. Let’s get to it.

We start with a kind of commercial for the show, talking about what we’re going to see. Most of it is related to Raw of course, because being bored by that stuff on Monday isn’t enough anymore.

We open with MizTV and Miz talks about Ryback a bit before moving on to Sheamus getting knocked out. Sheamus is the guest tonight and as he comes to the ring, we see another clip from Raw of Sheamus hitting White Noise on Big Show. Miz asks Sheamus about being a loser, but Sheamus asks him about losing to Kofi on Sunday. Miz says the difference between the two of them is that he can beat Kofi and will do it again to get back the IC Title. Sheamus agrees that he’s never beaten Big Show but he’s not going to hide.

Miz cuts him off and says he doesn’t want to hear cliched stock answers. See, it’s Miz that can be blamed for Sheamus losing the title. He won the match at Wrestlemania that got Johnny Ace power, which led to Show getting his job back, which led to Show’s change in attitude, which led to Show winning the title. Sheamus: “So it’s you whose head I should be kicking off?” Miz backs off and says he’ll win his title back from Kofi.

Before Miz can say his catchphrase, here’s Kofi. Kofi says Miz hasn’t been on the Real World in awhile, but apparently Kofi has kicked the sense out of Miz, because Miz can’t beat him. Miz says he’ll beat Kofi at Survivor Series, but here’s Big Show for another interruption. He isn’t happy with Miz taking credit for Show’s victory, so he’s siding with Kofi in saying there’s something wrong with Miz. Why is Sheamus getting interviewed instead of the new champion? Why ask Sheamus what it’s like to get knocked out when you can ask Show what it’s like to knock him out.

Miz asks him just that but as Show starts talking about euphoria, Sheamus cuts him off and asks what it felt like to take White Noise on Monday. Show laughs it off and says no rematch at Survivor Series. Miz tries to jump Kofi and is immediately knocked to the floor. I’m pretty sure you can figure out the main event already.

After a break, Big Show is in the back and runs into Booker who makes the tag match with the four guys in the opening segment.

Sin Cara vs. Darren Young

Things start fast and Cara spins Young around with a rana and armdrag off the middle rope. Darren wisely slows things down and hits a neckbreaker for two. Off to a chinlock but Cara fights up and grabs a small package for two. Back to the chinlock by Darren which doesn’t work again as Sin fights up and hits a middle rope dropkick to take over. A jumping back elbow gets two for the dude in the mask but Young knees him in the ribs to put Cara right back down. The gutbuster gets the pin for Young at 3:37.

Rating: D+. Not bad here but the time hurts it. It’s nice to see these guys doing something other than having the same tag match over and over again as it’ll keep the feud somewhat fresher. I’m still amazed by how much better Young and O’Neil are than when they were on NXT, just by doing some stupid dance.

Post match Titus starts blowing on a whistle and talks about beating on a pinata in the ring. Those little dogs tried to get in the ring with some big dogs and Titus is going to give another little dog that chance. He calls out Mysterio and we’re getting another match. Before we get to that, quick sidebar about something Titus said: regarding pinatas, is there a more bizarre tradition ever for children? “Here son, here’s your favorite cartoon. NOW BEAT HIM WITH A STICK UNTIL HE BREAKS IN HALF AND EAT WHAT FALLS OUT OF HIM!”

Rey Mysterio vs. Titus O’Neil

We get the bell after a break and Rey fires off kicks to the leg. Titus gets in a single shot to knock Rey down and the beating begins. A slam gets two for Titus and it’s time to stand around. O’Neil misses a running boot to Rey who was against the ropes. The partners fight on the floor as Titus catches the 619. He takes Rey to the corner and gets down in a three point stance, only to hit the middle buckle, allowing Rey to roll him up for the pin at 2:55.

Cara and Rey do the Players’ dance on the stage.

We get a recap video from the end of the PPV with Maddox hitting Ryback low to give Punk the pin, followed by the Shell Shock on top of the Cell.

Maddox will be on Raw on Monday.

We get the full ending segment from Raw, starting with Heyman introducing Miz as Punk’s first team member.

Teddy and Booker are in the back and Teddy thinks there’s going to be mutiny in the Raw locker room. Natalya comes in and wants to be the assistant since Eve is on the European tour. Otunga comes in and says he’ll do anything Booker needs. Booker says he needs Otunga to compete against a returning superstar. Otunga says ok but Booker says it’s Great Khali. Otunga spits his coffee on Nattie. After an insult from Otunga, more coffee goes flying at Teddy. This was supposed to be comedy I believe.

Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton

Del Rio is on commentary. While Orton is doing his pose on the ropes, Del Rio tries to run in and jump him, only to get knocked right to the floor. Ricardo rams Orton into the post and a double beatdown ensues as we take a break. Back and the scheduled match is in progress with Orton clotheslining Barrett to the floor. They head back in with Barrett taking Orton down upon reentry.

Wade chokes away on the middle rope and does the same on the top rope so it doesn’t feel left out. There’s the running big boot while Orton is sitting on the middle rope, knocking him back to the floor. After ramming Randy into the steps a few times, it’s back inside for ye olde chinlock. Orton tries a comeback with a belly to back suplex but immediately after taking Barrett down with it, Wade kicks him in the ribs to slow Randy back down.

They slug it out and Orton takes over, which even Josh thinks is very surprising given that Barrett is a bareknuckle fighter. Barrett comes back with a kick to the face and a middle rope elbow for two. Back to the reverse chinlock followed by Barrett slamming him down. Wade goes up for another elbow but Orton crotches him and hits a superplex to put both guys down. Orton busts out some clotheslines and the powerslam followed by the Elevated DDT. Before the RKO can be loaded up, Del Rio shows up on the stage. Orton has to knock Ricardo to the floor and Wade gets a rollup win at 8:43 shown.

Rating: C+. The match was pretty good here but I’d like for Barrett to be more than a prop in someone else’s feud, which is all he is anymore. These two have fought three times now and have alternated wins every time. It’s hard to get behind either guy, especially when Barrett isn’t even getting any of the focus. Has he even gotten an entrance in any of the matches?

We get the segment from Raw of everyone talking about breast cancer and a clipped down version of Cena presenting the million dollar check to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Striker asks Alberto why he keeps tormenting Orton. Orton comes up from behind and they brawl. They head to the catering table and Orton throws hot coffee on Ricardo. Once Alberto is down, Randy pours what looks like barbecue sauce on Rodriguez as well. Alberto gets thrown over a table. The desserts are spared and when Del Rio runs away, Striker tries to talk to Randy, earning him a trip into a cake. When did Striker become the whipping boy of Smackdown?

Great Khali vs. David Otunga

Khali recently had to have some kind of surgery on his brain so it’s a good thing to see him back. During Otunga’s entrance, we actually recap the scene that set this match up. Teddy and Nattie having coffee spat on them deserved a recap? Seriously? Otunga takes him down but Khali chops him from his knees. More chopping in the corner follows and Natalya is watching in the back. Khali misses a boot but comes back with the big chop for the pin at 1:35.

Post break Natalya thanks Khali for beating up Otunga. They shake hands and Nattie thinks his hands are big. Ok then.

R-Truth vs. Justin Gabriel

Feeling out process to start and Truth starts gyrating. Gabriel avoids a shot of his own and gyrates a bit as well. Truth hits the spinning forearm for two but Gabriel dropkicks him down and kicks away a bit. Off to a chinlock by Justin as JBL is talking about Shawn Michaels. A spin kick puts Truth down and since it worked so well the first time, Justin does it again. Gabriel tries a springboard I’m assuming clothesline but Truth ducks out of the way and hits Little Jimmy for the pin at 3:23.

Rating: D+. Wasn’t Gabriel supposed to get a push? Now he’s losing to R-Truth clean of all people? This was a rather random match between two faces with no tease of either guy turning or anything. This whole show has felt like it doesn’t need to exist and this is another match that would fit on the same list. It wasn’t bad or anything though.

ANOTHER recap from Raw, this time about the AJ/Vickie/Cena/Ziggler segment. You know, WWE’s PG version of TNA’s horrible Clair Lynch story.

Show tells Miz to follow his lead tonight because Show is in charge out there.

We recap Alberto and Ricardo costing Orton the match earlier as well as the brawl. Next week on the live Smackdown (as in taped earlier in the day) it’s Del Rio vs. Orton in a falls count anywhere match. In other words, the Barret matches meant nothing at all.

Sheamus/Kofi Kingston vs. Big Show/The Miz

During Sheamus’ entrance, we get I believe the sixth video from Raw of the night, this one being Sheamus hitting White Noise on Show. Didn’t we see that already? Miz and Show keep changing places to decide who faces Sheamus. It’s eventually Miz with Sheamus hammering away to start in the corner. I’m so used to calling Sheamus the champ but I can’t do that anymore, so it’s just Sheamus working on the arm.

Off to Kofi who comes in off the top with a shot to the arm, only to be clotheslined down by Miz. Kofi hits the same move to knock Miz to the floor, followed by a suicide dive to take over. Show and Sheamus stare at each other on the floor as well and we take a break. Back with Show slamming Kofi down before doing some amateur stuff (yes you read that right) to take Kofi to the mat.

A side slam puts Kofi down for the third time and Show keeps looking over at Sheamus. Off to Miz to work on the downed Kofi. A knee drop gets two and Miz puts on a reverse chinlock which doesn’t last long. Kofi tries to dive over Miz to get to Sheamus but the right route is apparently going through the legs instead. Sheamus gets the hot tag and destroys Miz, hitting a powerslam and the ten forearms in the ropes. The Regal Roll takes Miz down and it’s off to Kofi for his top rope cross body. Show gets knocked off the apron but as Kofi pounds on Miz in the corner, Show knocks him cold, giving Miz the pin at 6:42 shown of 10:12.

Rating: C-. Standard main event tag match here that wasn’t anything great. Thankfully Show didn’t lose in his first match as champion and Miz FINALLY pins Kofi to give us a reason to care about a fourth match between them. Other than that though, this was a pretty dull match with nothing significant happening at all.

Miz poses over Kofi post match and Sheamus kicks his head off. Well he was too busy yelling at the referee while Show punched Kofi so he had to do something good here.

Overall Rating: D-. This is officially a Raw supplemental show. They recapped EVERYTHING that happened on Raw and nothing here was anything new. Between meaningless matches (Gabriel vs. Truth and Khali vs. Otunga) and the same match we’ve seen on the last two TV shows which apparently is just to set up Del Rio vs. Orton again, what’s the point in watching Smackdown anymore? I certainly can’t think of why anybody would sit through this.

Results

Darren Young b. Sin Cara – Double Knee Gutbuster

Rey Mysterio b. Titus O’Neil – Rollup

Wade Barrett b. Randy Orton – Rollup

Great Khali b. David Otunga – Chop

R-Truth b. Justin Gabriel – Little Jimmy

Big Show/The Miz b. Kofi Kingston/Sheamus – Miz pinned Kingston after a WMD from Big Show

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